Chapter 18: The Actor

“Well, now things are getting interesting.”

Wu Qiwei gripped the Phantom Blade tightly, waiting as she charged toward him. As Ye Tang drew close, she unleashed a triple slash—the first two strikes crossed, and with a swift spin, she carved a crescent arc with a backhanded swing. Wu Qiwei dodged rapidly, then brought his sword down toward her head. But as his blade struck Ye Tang, two shadows darted to either side. He froze in surprise, watching as the afterimages circled him. Suddenly, Ye Tang burst from the mirage, sword gripped fiercely as she cleaved downward. He reacted in an instant, parrying to his left to block her direct strike.

A thunderous clang echoed as their swords collided, sparks crackling like electricity. Dust billowed from the ground. Wu Qiwei launched a relentless defense, but Ye Tang’s speed was overwhelming—she darted around him, giving him no chance to escape. Relying on his experience, he blocked again and again, but a moment’s distraction left him vulnerable. A blade struck his back, and as he whirled to counter, pain flared in his left hand. Seizing the moment, Ye Tang leapt from another afterimage and landed a fierce kick to his face.

Just then, she caught sight of Ma Jinlong behind her, aiming a pistol at Qin Ling’s head. She hesitated, and that split second allowed Wu Qiwei to seize the opportunity and counterattack. After the kick, she tumbled across the ground.

“Wu Qiwei, send this girl to hell at once.” Ma Jinlong, sensing things had gone awry, grinned maliciously and leveled the gun at Qin Ling. He knew that as long as Qin Ling was his hostage, his opponents would hesitate—and hesitation meant defeat.

Wu Qiwei’s face twisted into mockery. “You heard him. Your time is up.”

“Wu Qiwei, enough playing around. Finish them off—make it as brutal as possible! Hahahaha…”

“I understand, boss.”

Suddenly, Wu Qiwei raised one hand to the sky. A surge of power began to gather. Ye Tang, spotting Du Bin descending from a tree, shouted in warning, “Get out of here! It’s dangerous!”

“What’s with you people and your freakish powers? If this kind of strength were used in war, I can’t even imagine the consequences.”

A massive energy sphere formed in Wu Qiwei’s hand. With a flick, he sent it rolling across the ground—a blazing orb, trailing fire, igniting everything it touched.

“This is bad. If that hits, I’m dead for sure.” Ye Tang glanced back to see a four-meter-wide fireball barreling toward her. She summoned all her strength for one last desperate bid, launching her own crimson sphere. The two fireballs collided, the impact roaring as neither side yielded. As her fireball began to falter, Ye Tang charged him, sword in hand. She was upon him, swinging her red-bladed sword. Wu Qiwei grinned, drawing the Phantom Blade to meet her blow. Their blades clashed, generating a massive magnetic field.

“Trying to take me down with you? Fine. Let’s see if I can split you in two!”

“Ha!” Ye Tang spun, harnessing her momentum, and drove her sword straight into his chest, thunder cracking in time with the strike.

Wu Qiwei staggered as blood poured from his chest and gushed from his mouth, his expression stunned. “Such power at your age—you truly are the chosen heir those old men selected with such care.”

Ye Tang withdrew her sword, and Wu Qiwei collapsed to the ground, sword falling from his grasp as his blood pooled beneath him. The sudden turn left everyone around them chilled to the bone. Ma Jinlong shouted in disbelief, “Impossible! This can’t be happening…”

“The game’s over. I win again. You now owe me two billion, one hundred twenty million dollars. I hope you can sell off enough assets this month to pay up. Farewell, Mr. Ma Jinlong.”

“Mr. Ma, if you ever have another thrilling wager, don’t forget to invite me. Oh, wait—you’re bankrupt, so you can’t play anymore.” Mr. Huang flicked away his cigar with satisfaction, kicking a man when he was down.

“A rare bit of free entertainment! Hahaha…”

Unable to accept his bankruptcy, Ma Jinlong spat blood in fury. Still, he turned to his men and barked, “Quick, prepare the jet—I’m going to the Middle East to see my brother. With his help, I’ll rise again!”

At that moment, a fat man suddenly appeared, hacking at several men with a cleaver. It was Hu Guozheng. Worried about his friends, he’d left Li Sisi behind to climb the mountain, only to find Qin Ling taken hostage and Du Bin in dire straits. He’d waited for the right moment, and now, at last, he could play the hero.

Ma Jinlong backed away in shock. “Let me go and I’ll give you a million!”

“Damn you! You gamble billions, and now you think I’m a beggar for a measly million?”

Cornered, Ma Jinlong, though officially bankrupt, still had funds stashed away. Desperate, he vaulted over the railing, trying to escape by jumping down a floor. Hu Guozheng hadn’t meant to kill anyone, and was startled by the move. He tried to save Ma Jinlong, but it was too late—the man slipped and fell to his death.

Hu Guozheng helplessly untied Qin Ling, who immediately threw herself into his arms and wept. After comforting her, he led her to the meadow. Qin Ling, deeply moved, took Ye Tang’s hand. “Thank you, Miss Ye—but your injury…”

“It’s just a scratch. I’ll be fine.” Ye Tang pressed her wound, barely managing to stand; she disliked being touched and felt a wave of dizziness.

“Careful—don’t move that wound. Do you have the strength to walk?” Du Bin steadied her as she almost collapsed.

“I’m fine.” Ye Tang, dazed and disoriented, stubbornly pressed on, but another wave of vertigo struck. Leaning heavily on Du Bin, she refused to give in. Seeing her insist, Du Bin lifted her onto his back. “Let me carry you down the mountain.”

As Ye Tang tried to refuse, she fainted. Sensing something odd, Qin Ling muttered in confusion, “Last time they met, they were fighting. How did things change so much? I really don’t get it.”

Hu Guozheng overheard and chuckled to himself, secretly hoping it was true. With Ma Jinlong dead and the place deserted, there was no reason to stay. The group retraced their steps down the mountain, none of them noticing that not long after their departure, Wu Qiwei, who had lain motionless, suddenly rose as if completely unscathed.

On Ma Jinlong’s computer, the connection reestablished. Zeng Yilong appeared on the screen. “Well done, Wu Qiwei. Your acting was remarkable.”

“This game was interesting, but faking defeat was tough. Good thing I’m a decent actor. You really used your own woman as bait.”

Wu Qiwei picked up the Phantom Blade and smiled.

“It doesn’t matter. Compared to our future plans, this sacrifice is worthwhile.”

“Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease.”

“A year from now, the Death Arena will be held on Nansha Island—a global high-stakes game. Don’t you have an heir as well? The two heirs can face off again.”

“Not a bad idea. In a clash between heirs, one is bound to fall. You’re calculating as ever.”

“You’re no slouch yourself—tricking Ma Jinlong into capturing my woman to lure out the Ye family heir. No wonder that idiot went bankrupt without ever realizing this was all our stage play. All we had to do was let him gamble until he got careless.”

“Now you’ve taken over his entire business chain—your net worth has quadrupled.”

“We both got what we wanted.” Zeng Yilong smiled and ended the video call. Wu Qiwei turned and walked into the villa’s laboratory, retrieved a stack of genetic research files from the archive, and left.