Chapter 80

The dogs have rebelled!

The entire dog market was in chaos. Wolfhounds, Golden Retrievers, Labradors... Pomeranians, Poodles, Fox Terriers... big and small, aggressive and gentle, every dog joined the "riot."

This was a rare spectacle that occurred once in a thousand years.

The dog traders cried out in despair.

The number of dogs far exceeded the number of dog traders. In the past, they would submit to the dog traders' tyranny, doing whatever they were told. But today, King Ai had arrived! With his consciousness transmitted, the dogs were elated.

A large wolfhound, with fierce fighting power, pounced on a fat man, scaring him into screaming for help... A small Pomeranian and a Fox Terrier worked together, the Fox Terrier attacking from below and the Pomeranian from above, biting the market manager until he cried out in pain.

"Retreat!"

Ai Xiaohai's consciousness was transmitted again.

Taking advantage of the chaos in the dog market, countless dogs fled.

Ai Xiaohai then summoned a few sparrows, instructing them to lead the fleeing dogs to his farm. He also ordered them to immediately notify Xiao Qi to prepare for their arrival, arranging for all the dogs to be placed near the farm to prevent the spread of any viruses, and to wait for his return.

Xiao Qi's spiritual power was far superior to that of any dog in the world, so he was not afraid of any dog disease.

Some of the escaped dogs would be caught, and some would get lost due to various accidents and fail to reach the farm. But it was better than staying here to suffer and wait for death.

Ai Xiaohai, who had orchestrated this entire scene, left calmly.

He found Deng Mengmeng and Xu Yunqi at the flower and bird market. The two were constantly looking towards the dog market. As soon as they saw Ai Xiaohai, Xu Yunqi asked anxiously, "Is something wrong over there?"

"Ah, a puppy ran away."

"A puppy ran away? That much commotion?"

"Feeling sorry, I guess," Ai Xiaohai said with a smile.

The atmosphere at the flower and bird market was much better than at the dog market.

In front of a shop, a group of more than ten people were gathered, shouting and cheering. Out of curiosity, Ai Xiaohai and the two girls walked over to see what was happening. It turned out they were watching a cricket fight.

Cricket fighting has a long history, and some people have become so obsessed that they have lost everything. A high-quality fighting cricket can be priced at tens of thousands of yuan. A few years ago, a "Black-Headed Golden Red General" from the north, undefeated in nineteen matches, was sold for 100,000 yuan.

"Boss Yan, this 'Three Passes' challenge, even you can't pass the first one."

"Please, please, everyone is being lenient, afraid I'll lose all my money to support my wife and children," Boss Yan laughed, but his laughter couldn't hide his pride. He bowed to the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the last day of the 'Three Passes' challenge. As always, whoever can defeat my three crickets will win this pair of Blue-and-Gold Macaws from the Parsons Aviary in Brazil."

Blue-and-Gold Macaws? Ai Xiaohai's heart raced.

These are the largest members of the parrot family, with a body length of up to one meter and a weight exceeding 1.5 kilograms. Their bright blue feathers and large, hooked beaks make them particularly eye-catching. Blue-and-Gold Macaws are sociable, playful, and intelligent. However, due to human hunting and environmental destruction, the number of wild macaws is continuously decreasing.

The native habitat of wild Blue-and-Gold Macaws is Brazil, where 95% of the world's wild Blue-and-Gold Macaws live. These parrots are among the rarest creatures in the world, and due to their high value, they have long been hunted. As a result, their numbers are rapidly declining, and they are listed as critically endangered by the Washington Convention and the World Conservation Union.

The rarity of Blue-and-Gold Macaws is due not only to human factors but also to their unique habits. They often destroy their first clutch of eggs. A Blue-and-Gold Macaw typically lays two eggs, but the parents only raise one, leaving the other to die.

The Parsons Aviary in Brazil is the world's most famous parrot breeding center, but the production of Blue-and-Gold Macaws is extremely limited. It is said that they sell only one pair per year, with the lowest quality pair costing no less than 70,000 US dollars!

Good grief, 70,000 US dollars, that's over 400,000 yuan! Ai Xiaohai quickly calculated in his mind.

Another person brought their cricket to challenge, a Purple-Headed Iron-Back, a decent variety. But as soon as it entered the fighting arena, it was quickly defeated by Boss Yan's Iron-Headed Green-Back.

"Boss Yan is amazing, this must be the 'Iron-Headed Green-Back Living King of Hell,' right?" a middle-aged man said as he walked in.

In cricket fighting, owners often give their crickets fierce-sounding names like "General" or "Marshal," a tradition passed down through the generations.

"Lu Ziyi, ha, it's been a while since you've been here," Boss Yan said, clearly recognizing him. "What, want to give it a try?"

"I wouldn't dare win against Boss Yan, but I found a decent one a few days ago and thought I'd try my luck," Lu Ziyi said with a smile.

"Please, please," Boss Yan said repeatedly. "But you know the rules, right?"

Lu Ziyi nodded and took out a jade bracelet from his pocket.

This was the stake in the cricket fight, as set by Boss Yan. Win all three rounds, and you take the Blue-and-Gold Macaws. Lose, and you leave the stake behind.

Boss Yan's first cricket, the "Iron-Headed Green-Back Living King of Hell," was formidable, and passing all three rounds was no easy feat. However, the gambler's mentality often favors taking risks. As a result, Boss Yan had been making a fortune over the past few days. Moreover, he hadn't even used his two best crickets yet.

After inspecting the jade bracelet, Boss Yan was very satisfied. "Good stuff. Please."

Lu Ziyi carefully took out a round bamboo tube, opened the lid, and placed the cricket into the fighting arena.

"Good grief, a Green-Headed Cricket."

"It's a Green-Headed Cricket, now Boss Yan's Living King of Hell is in trouble."

The cricket in the arena had thick legs, straight antennae, and a large jaw, making it a valuable variety known as the "Green-Headed Cricket." While Boss Yan's Iron-Headed Green-Back was strong, it was still a lower tier compared to the Green-Headed Cricket.

As soon as it entered the arena, the Green-Headed Cricket strutted around, surveying its new territory.

Boss Yan smiled and took another fighting arena, then used bamboo tweezers to gently pick up a grain of rice, just enough for the cricket to enjoy a meal. He then carefully used a blade of grass to guide the cricket into the arena.

Ai Xiaohai's grandfather had also been fond of cricket fighting, and he had learned a lot about it from him.

Just by looking at Boss Yan's cricket, Ai Xiaohai knew the Living King of Hell had little chance of winning.

The Iron-Headed Green-Back was half the size of the Green-Headed Cricket and already at a disadvantage in terms of momentum.

However, something strange happened. As soon as the Living King of Hell entered the arena, it became restless and eager to fight without needing to be provoked by the grass.

Lu Ziyi was also puzzled. He took the grass and touched the Green-Headed Cricket's antennae. Soon, the Green-Headed Cricket became aggressive, signaling to its owner that it was ready for battle.

The Green-Headed Cricket rubbed its wings, making a chirping sound.

But then, an unexpected situation occurred. The Living King of Hell, without any preparation, suddenly charged forward with incredible speed and force, far exceeding what its size should allow.

The Green-Headed Cricket had no time to react to this lightning-fast attack and was immediately bitten on the wing by the Living King of Hell.

A cricket with a damaged wing had no chance of winning.

The Green-Headed Cricket tried to break free, but the Living King of Hell bit down harder, and suddenly a piece of its wing was torn off.

The cricket was now useless.

But the Living King of Hell showed no signs of stopping and was about to launch another attack.

Lu Ziyi quickly removed the Green-Headed Cricket from the arena, his face pale, and he let out a long sigh.

The fighting power of the Living King of Hell was incredibly strong, beyond belief.

Boss Yan was extremely pleased and carefully put the Living King of Hell away. "Old Lu, I won't be polite."

"Wait," Lu Ziyi seemed to have a hidden concern and hesitated before speaking. "This is my wife's dowry. Boss Yan, you said the stakes don't have to be money, just these things, so... Boss Yan, can we negotiate? I'll pay you double the value."

Boss Yan smiled. "There's no going back. I set the rules, and I didn't force you. Besides, your wife is an assistant to Old Yuan. Who is Old Yuan? Yuan Xiyue, a famous antique expert in Xinan and even nationwide. A jade bracelet is nothing. If your wife serves him well, he might be happy and give her ten or more."

His words were loaded with implications, and Lu Ziyi's face turned green with anger. His wife was innocent!

He could only blame himself for having no other hobbies and being obsessed with cricket fighting. This time, he got a Green-Headed Cricket and thought he would surely win, so he risked his wife's dowry. He had hoped to win the parrots and surprise his wife, who loved birds, but it turned out this way.

Old Yuan's assistant? Assistant Liu?

All of this entered Ai Xiaohai's ears. Lu Ziyi was actually Assistant Liu's husband?

Assistant Liu was a good person, and Old Yuan had helped him a lot. Although this matter was not his concern, Boss Yan's deliberate insults to Assistant Liu and Old Yuan in front of so many people made Ai Xiaohai very unhappy.

No, something was wrong with that Living King of Hell!

The Iron-Headed Green-Back should not be a match for the Green-Headed Cricket; they were in different tiers. But why was the Living King of Hell so abnormally fierce?

Ai Xiaohai suddenly remembered that his grandfather had once mentioned a very peculiar secret formula in the cricket fighting world. It was said that if a cricket ate this formula, its fighting power would increase several times. However, this formula was just a legend, and no one had ever seen it.

Could it be...?