33: Chapter 33 Butcher - Instant Kill

"Wait..." Lu Qingfeng called out to him.

"Is there anything else you don't understand?" the man asked.

"I'd like to ask, can I place a bet on myself to win?"

"Yes, there's a QR code in the lounge. You can scan it to place bets. Anything else?"

Lu Qingfeng shook his head.

The man left the room.

Lu Qingfeng had looked over the lounge when he first came in; it wasn't big, but it was well-equipped with exercise equipment and entertainment facilities.

There was also a projector inside, currently showing the fighting happening outside.

With nothing better to do, he decided to place some bets to make some money.

By eight o'clock that evening, the money on his card had reached 13 million.

At that moment, a notification came through telling him to get ready; it would be his turn to enter the arena soon, and his opponent's information had been sent over.

Betting in advance was allowed here, so he scanned the code and placed a bet on himself, putting all his money on the line in one go.

He went all in with 13 million, planning to earn enough money for his university martial arts training during the summer break.

That way, he wouldn't have to worry about not having enough money to Cultivate later on.

The saying goes, "Literature for the poor, martial arts for the rich." He didn't know how much money he would need in the future, but he knew he might become a bottomless pit.

The 100-unit Energy Bar he was currently eating to recover was becoming much less effective. He estimated that in two days, it would be useless. And he had only been using them for a few days!

Soon, he'd need 500-unit ones, then 1,000, then 10,000. Perhaps in special places, there were even more expensive ones—maybe even 100,000?

And there were the legendary Energy Bar made from Star Beast meat.

Eating dozens or hundreds a day was practically eating money. A bottomless pit.

So, getting enough money was more important than anything else.

...

A bell rang in the lounge, and Lu Qingfeng walked out.

He was wearing a plain T-shirt, loose shorts, and sneakers, with a ghost-face mask on.

He walked down the passage flanked by rising flames.

As the host introduced them, the information for both fighters appeared on the big screen.

Alias: The Butcher, Level 2 Cancerous Mutation (No Special Ability). Specialty: Traditional Martial Arts, Eight Extremities Fist. Record: 0 wins, 0 losses.

Vs.

Alias: Zhu Ganglie, Level 2 Cancerous Mutation (No Special Ability). Specialty: Freestyle Fighting, Muay Thai. Record: 1 win, 0 losses.

The current odds were one-to-one.

The audience was stunned, but they weren't stupid. They frantically placed bets on Zhu Ganglie, and before long, the odds had shifted to 5-to-1.

Most people didn't think much of Traditional Martial Arts, but some thought that since he dared to step onto a life-or-death arena, maybe he wasn't just writing nonsense? Who would dare to step onto this arena without some real skill?

The two stepped onto the arena, and Lu Qingfeng looked at Zhu Ganglie.

He was tall, estimated at two meters, and very burly, exuding a sense of overwhelming pressure.

He felt like he was going to get rich today. Looking at their physiques, most people probably thought he would lose, though he didn't know the odds had already hit 5-to-1. After all, he was only about 1.8 meters tall and on the leaner side.

Although their physical strength was the same, the power and speed gained through training couldn't be detected. This, of course, also included his Qi.

As the bell rang, the two walked toward the center of the arena.

Zhu Ganglie wasn't stupid either. He knew that anyone who could step onto this arena couldn't possibly be here just to die, so he was cautious from the start.

As for Lu Qingfeng, he stood where he was, eyes fixed on his opponent, not taking any stance.

Seeing this, Zhu Ganglie stepped forward to test him.

Lu Qingfeng's gaze sharpened; he had made his move, so he wouldn't be polite anymore.

He used the footwork of the Eight Extremities Fist, channeling his Qi through the soles of his feet and lunging forward, closing the distance instantly.

Seeing this, Zhu Ganglie smashed an elbow strike down toward Lu Qingfeng.

Why is the Eight Extremities Fist called fierce? Because this fist technique is purely offensive, a technique designed to crash into an opponent's chest to kill.

Just as Zhu Ganglie's elbow strike was about to land, Lu Qingfeng rapidly crashed into his chest—Eight Extremities Fist, Heart-Piercing Elbow.

"Snap..." Before his elbow strike could land, he went flying.

His Qi erupted. He slammed into the ring ropes, bounced back, and collapsed onto the mat, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth, motionless.

Lu Qingfeng knew that even if an immortal came, he couldn't be saved. His hidden energy had erupted, shattering his internal organs.

Don't ask why he didn't hold back. What is National Martial Arts? Martial arts that kill are what you call National Martial Arts. Every move is a lethal strike, with no room left for mercy.

This was respect for his opponent, and respect for himself. To determine the winner, and to decide life and death. This is Traditional Martial Arts.

Why did he choose the name "The Butcher"? Because when he stepped onto the stage, he never intended to hold back.

If he didn't use his Qi, he might not win. If he used his Qi, the opponent would either die or be crippled—it wasn't something he could control.

Since one chooses to step onto the arena, one must be prepared for death.

The audience was dead silent. Everyone was momentarily stunned, unable to process what had happened.

Lu Qingfeng stood waiting for the verdict.

Before long, the referee snapped out of it, climbed onto the stage to check on Zhu Ganglie, and seeing that he wasn't moving, declared The Butcher the winner.

The audience erupted into thunderous cheers.

Someone said: "Holy... I know that move! Eight Extremities Fist, Heart-Piercing Elbow, that's insanely fierce."

Others were skeptical: "Could it be staged? After all, 5-to-1 odds are rare."

"Buddy, Monster Factory makes money from commissions, not from this stuff, so it's fair."

"Staged my ass, didn't you see Zhu Ganglie go stone cold?"

"Damn, is Traditional Martial Arts actually capable of fighting? I still don't believe it."

"I don't believe it either, but why is it so exciting? A one-hit kill, I hadn't even gotten my fill, and it's over?"

"You think this is child's play? That's what a life-or-death arena is like. When you fight, you decide life and death quickly. One-hit finishes happen here all the time."

Hearing that he had won, Lu Qingfeng turned and stepped off the ring.

Returning to the lounge, the middle-aged man was already there waiting for him, having arrived the moment he won.

He was very happy now; after all, the fighter he recruited had won, so his bonus would be higher. Plus, since he hadn't died, it proved there would be a chance for him to fight again.

"Hello. The total betting amount this time was one billion, and you get a commission of 10 million."

He took out his wristband, tapped it against Lu Qingfeng's, and the money arrived instantly.

This wasn't much. What he had bet himself was far more: 13 million × 5 × 0.9 = 58.5 million + 13 million = 71.5 million. This wave made him filthy rich.

Adding the 10 million in his hand, he now had 81.5 million. Next time, he could bet even more and earn even more.

"Can you arrange another fight for me tonight?" Lu Qingfeng asked, turning his head.

The middle-aged man shook his head.

"It's too late. The personnel are all arranged in advance. It'll have to be tomorrow. If you want to come, send me a message in advance, and I'll arrange it."

Lu Qingfeng nodded and turned to leave.

Why not keep betting? Because watching others always carried a certain risk. He couldn't guarantee he would see the outcome perfectly; he wasn't an immortal, after all. Who knows, maybe they were hiding a lethal move.

Only when he fought himself did he have 100% certainty. If he lost, what use would money be? He'd be dead anyway, right?

So, even if he favored someone else, he wouldn't bet too much. If he could predict things with 100% accuracy, he might as well be a fortune teller; why bother practicing martial arts?