Chapter 10

He Wuhen had absolutely no interest in dog fighting. Moreover, those two ferocious dogs always brought back memories, reminding him of the time Wang Kui set his dogs on him, which he deeply detested.

At this moment, several bell sounds rang out in the arena, and the arena manager appeared. He was a middle-aged man in a blue robe, extremely shrewd. He spoke eloquently, praising the two dogs to the heavens, making them sound almost divine.

His purpose was clear: to attract the numerous guests to place their bets. The reason why the Fengyun Arena became the Hu family's largest business and source of funds was not just because of the dog and beast fights, but more so because of the gambling. That was where the real profit lay.

Soon, under the vivid descriptions and enticing words of the manager, countless people began to place their bets. The sounds of guests shouting out their bets could be heard all around the arena, ranging from a few hundred to a few taels of silver.

In the VIP rooms on the second and third floors, the arena's maidservants were constantly coming and going, taking orders for the young masters in the rooms. The bets ranged from tens of thousands to several thousand taels of silver.

Watching all this, Hu Yaoyao felt very pleased, secretly calculating how much silver they would earn tonight. At the same time, her gaze fell on He Wuhen.

"Mr. He, aren't you going to play a round?"

Upon hearing Hu Yaoyao's words, He Wuhen smiled and shook his head. "Not tonight, I won't be placing any bets."

Hu Yaoyao tried to persuade him a few more times, but He Wuhen remained firm. The clever Hu Yaoyao then turned her attention to Tang Bao.

"Mr. Tang, which dog do you favor? Aren't you going to place a few tens of thousands of taels for fun?"

Tang Bao had come to watch the dog fights and gamble, so he was well-prepared. After some consideration, he finally chose his target and took out several silver notes.

"I bet on the white dog to win. I'll place thirty thousand taels."

Hu Yaoyao signaled a maidservant to take Tang Bao's bet and then turned her gaze back to He Wuhen. "Mr. He, look, even Mr. Tang has placed a bet. Why don't you join in and play a round?"

"Perhaps tonight will be your lucky night, and you'll win enough to pay off your previous debt."

He Wuhen's heart wavered slightly at her words. Hu Yaoyao was cunning, using Tang Bao to her advantage. She knew that Tang Bao and He Wuhen were very close, and if Tang Bao placed a bet, He Wuhen would have no reason not to join in.

Moreover, her words were indeed tempting. However, after some thought, He Wuhen still smiled and shook his head. "No need, I didn't bring any silver tonight, so I won't be placing any bets."

He thought that with his reasons clear, Hu Yaoyao would stop pestering him, but he was wrong. Surprisingly, it was Tang Bao who spoke up first, looking at He Wuhen with a scolding expression.

"Hey, Mr. He, you're really not treating me as a brother, are you? What are you talking about? If you want to place a bet, just do it; I'll cover the cost for you."

"How much do you want to bet?" As he spoke, Tang Bao pulled out a stack of silver notes from his wide, fat sleeves, each one being the largest denomination of ten thousand taels, a high-quality item only the top nobility could possess.

Unexpectedly, while Tang Bao was eager to help, Hu Yaoyao was even more eager. She grabbed Tang Bao's hand and laughed sweetly. "Mr. Tang, what are you saying? Are you treating me as an outsider? How can I let Mr. He borrow your money to play here?"

"Mr. He, don't be so formal. Just tell me how much you want to bet, and I'll cover it for you. As long as you have fun, I'll take care of the silver."

While Hu Yaoyao spoke kindly, she inwardly cursed Tang Bao to death. "Hmph! Damn fatso, you're so despicable. If He Wuhen borrows money from you, how can I make him owe me a debt and eventually take over the He family's assets?"

Both Tang Bao and Hu Yaoyao insisted on lending money to He Wuhen. Unable to refuse their persistent offers, He Wuhen finally gave in.

Reluctantly, he said, "I'll also bet on the white dog to win. I'll place two hundred thousand taels."

He Wuhen had no interest in dog fighting and didn't know much about it, so he just followed Tang Bao's bet.

Seeing that He Wuhen finally agreed to place a bet, Hu Yaoyao beamed with joy and signaled a maidservant to record it.

Afterward, the room finally calmed down. He Wuhen and Tang Bao chatted and ate fruit, waiting for the match to start. Hu Yaoyao's maidservant took the silver notes to register the bet with the manager.

However, what they didn't see was that as the maidservant left, Hu Yaoyao subtly gave her a meaningful look.

Finally, the match was about to begin. The two warriors leading the ferocious dogs bent down to pet and calm them, then removed the iron muzzles and released the thick chains.

The two warriors leaped up two zhang high, jumping from the arena to the stands, leaving the two unchained dogs in the empty arena.

Unrestrained, the dogs became extremely agitated and angry, roaring and charging at each other with all their might. The brutal and bloody match began.

As they approached each other, the two dogs leaped high into the air, clawing at each other. Their speed was like a gale, and they collided with a series of "bangs," fighting fiercely in mid-air.

In the first round, neither dog was injured. After landing steadily, they continued to fight with incredible intensity.

Gradually, the dogs' speed increased, and the arena was left with only two figures, one black and one white, chasing and biting each other, emitting pitiful howls.

Their sharp claws and fangs were their weapons, and they vented their anger and madness, tearing at each other's flesh and drinking each other's blood.

Soon, the duel reached a fever pitch. Both dogs were injured, covered in wounds, and bleeding profusely, their fur stained red, a sight that was truly shocking.

At this moment, the emotions of the spectators were fully ignited. They shouted and roared, cheering for the dogs they had bet on, hoping for a victory that would bring them a fortune.

Tang Bao was extremely excited, stuffing himself with food and waving his arms, cheering for the white dog. He had placed thirty thousand taels, and if he lost, he would be in pain for a long time.

In contrast, He Wuhen, who had placed the highest bet of two hundred thousand taels, seemed uninterested, drinking tea and yawning.

Time passed, and the fight between the two ferocious dogs finally showed signs of a conclusion, with a clear winner about to emerge.

After another fierce clash, the black dog clearly lost, being struck on the head by the white dog and falling to the ground.

The white dog took advantage of the situation, pouncing on the black dog and tearing at it with its sharp fangs.

The black dog, covered in blood, lay on the ground, howling in pain and agony.

But the white dog showed no mercy, opening its mouth and baring its sharp fangs, ready to bite the black dog's neck.

Once it bit down, the black dog's throat would be severed, and it would die, declaring the white dog the winner.

This scene drove the crowd into a frenzy, as they had bet on the white dog and were about to win.

Tang Bao was also extremely excited, laughing and clapping, even throwing away the pig's trotter he was eating.

However, at this moment, the crowd's cheers suddenly stopped.

The black dog, which was supposed to be dead, suddenly became fierce. With an angry roar, it swatted the white dog away with its claws, leaped up, and pounced on the white dog.

The black dog then pinned the white dog down, howled to the sky, its eyes turning red, and opened its bloody mouth, biting through the white dog's neck.

Blood gushed out, and the black dog drank the white dog's blood, roaring in excitement and madness.

This sudden turn of events shocked everyone. No one expected the black dog, which was supposed to be dead, to make a comeback and defeat its opponent.

Tang Bao was stunned, and the apple he had just picked up fell to the ground with a thud.

He Wuhen also watched the scene, his eyes fixed on the black dog, a hint of doubt in his gaze.

Only Hu Yaoyao laughed, a happy and satisfied laugh.

Because He Wuhen had lost his bet, and he now owed the Hu family two hundred thousand taels of silver.