But very soon they couldn’t laugh anymore, because just as the wolf-dog lunged forward, about to bite the ugly dog’s neck, the ugly dog began pawing the ground with its front legs, tensing its body and tucking its tail as it started emitting low whimpering sounds—the prelude to an attack.

Though the sound wasn’t earth-shattering, it was truly loud enough for the entire arena to hear. Hadn’t they said this dog was fed sporadically, sometimes not at all? How could its cry sound so miserably terrifying yet so full of vigor?!

Guan Shan was also somewhat stunned. With so many gambling dens, he who managed them was already overwhelmed, having no time at all to pay attention to a few dogs—unless it was something like Han Zhi’s ferocious wolf-dog that required personal daily feeding of raw meat to maintain its savagery, he simply couldn’t be bothered with other dogs.

He knew about this ugly dog only because it was truly too ugly, with an appearance never seen before. Even the estate workers who fed the dogs found this dog ugly, always feeding it carelessly and perfunctorily, sometimes giving it food, sometimes not.

What else was there… he suddenly recalled those estate workers complaining to him that dogs kept in the same pen with this ugly dog never fared well. No matter how sleek and glossy they started, they’d eventually be starved down to just bones, so they’d had to confine this ugly dog alone in its own pen—and quite a few people had wanted to eat this dog for a treat. After all, with so many dogs in the yard, this dog wasn’t a valuable breed, wasn’t any champion fighter. If it died, it died—no one would even ask about it. So why had no one managed to eat it?

Guan Shan soon learned the reason. Below came overwhelming sounds of amazement. He came to his senses and looked toward the arena, seeing the ugly dog with its teeth bared, holding a large chunk of skin and flesh in its mouth, arching its body forward and pacing left and right in small ranges.

How was this possible?! He rubbed his eyes, confirming repeatedly before daring to believe he hadn’t seen wrong. It was this shockingly ugly dog—it had actually torn off a chunk of flesh with skin attached from the neck of Han Zhi’s carefully raised wolf-dog!

The wolf-dog, stimulated, suddenly lunged forward like a hungry tiger pouncing on prey, its ferocity fully displayed as it attacked the ugly dog. The ugly dog adopted the same posture and leaped up. The two dogs collided violently, and those watching below could almost hear that powerful, muffled impact.

With a thud, both dogs fell to the ground. The wolf-dog yelped once, then began drooping its ears and tucking its tail as it retreated backward. The fall from mid-air must have hurt it badly—it began whimpering and licking its wounds.

But the ugly dog, protected by its wrinkled, thick fur, rolled once on the ground and climbed back up full of spirit, wobbling as it chased the wolf-dog around the entire arena.

Guan Shan’s gaping mouth never closed. Setting aside whether they’d misjudged and didn’t realize this ugly dog was actually a treasure, just speaking of that wolf-dog—it was personally and carefully raised by Han Zhi, eating only raw meat every day, raised to be incredibly fierce. Yet now, this wolf-dog had actually lost?! Lost to a dog Song Chuyi had casually selected?!

Recalling Song Chuyi’s confident smile at the beginning and her somewhat arrogant attitude then, could this little girl truly possess some kind of sorcery?! Otherwise how had she managed this?!

Song Chuyi had already stood up and smoothed her dress, looking at Han Zhi at her leisure: “The Heir Apparent has lost.”

Han Zhi’s lips curved in a smile, the wine cup in his hand spinning several times at his fingertips, then suddenly he erupted and hurled the cup to the ground where it shattered to pieces.

Qin Chuan and the others quickly surrounded Song Chuyi and Song Yan protectively in the center, watching Han Zhi warily.

“The wolf travels a thousand miles to eat people; the dog travels a thousand miles to eat excrement.” Song Chuyi held Song Yan’s hand as she looked at Han Zhi, her beautiful eyes flashing with mocking amusement: “Surely the Heir Apparent doesn’t want to be a dog that can’t change its habit of eating excrement, going back on his word once again?”

The gambling den that had just been noisily clamorous suddenly quieted down. Everyone thus heard Song Chuyi’s words clearly.

Han Zhi looked at her with an unpredictable expression, then suddenly grinned to reveal a mouthful of gleaming white teeth: “You’re right. This time I truly will be an untrustworthy villain. None of you are leaving today.”

Song Chuyi didn’t even look at him again, lowering her voice to comfort Song Yan: “A’Yan, don’t be afraid.”

Song Yan shook his head resolutely, always keeping his neck raised as he stood before Song Chuyi, his voice firm in response: “Sister, I’m not afraid.”

Not afraid? Han Zhi curled his lips in contemptuous disdain, revealing an extremely mocking smile, though his eyes held a gloomy darkness: “Then you can all go die!”

All go die, all go die! After I’m dead anyway, who cares if floods engulf the world!

He raised his hand toward Guan Shan. Just this gesture, and Guan Shan would lead the nearly thirty roughnecks throughout the gambling den to silently kill Song Chuyi and her brother here.

Afterward, he’d pin it on Wealthy Zhang. Even if the Song family and Cui family refused to let it go and insisted on investigating thoroughly, he wasn’t afraid. At worst, it was just death. After death, who cared what happened to others?

Never again would he have to watch his mother’s moods, never again would he have to struggle between his aunt and mother in difficulty, never again would he have to sacrifice even the person he loved most for the sake of gathering wealth and developing power to help his cousin the Prince.

It should have been merely a matter of waving his hand, but for the first time, Guan Shan didn’t execute Han Zhi’s order. He stomped through the crowd and ran to Han Zhi’s side, glanced at the private box by the window on the second floor, and quietly told Han Zhi: “Heir Apparent, His Highness is waiting for you upstairs.”

How could Prince Dongping be here?! Han Zhi suddenly understood, his eyes shooting toward Song Chuyi like sharp arrows.

But Song Chuyi smiled. Han Zhi was a madman. When madmen acted, they couldn’t be measured by common sense. At critical moments, talking to him about the bigger picture or consequences was completely useless. She naturally couldn’t truly place her life in a madman’s hands, letting a madman decide their life and death.

Since Prince Dongping had come, it became impossible for him to make a move. Prince Dongping wouldn’t permit him to act either.

Han Zhi stood quietly in place for a while, the expression on his face uncertain, the veins on his forehead throbbing. Finally, he turned and strode upstairs with large steps.

Upon entering, he saw his cousin the Prince, who usually wore a smile, standing up with a somber face, almost grinding his teeth as he asked: “Have you lost your mind?!”

He had originally entrusted Han Zhi with seeking out Lai Chenglong precisely because Han Zhi never acted on impulse. But now Han Zhi not only wasn’t handling proper business, but was instead scheming against the Song family and Song Chuyi!

If Song Chuyi and Song Yan truly died here today— His face ashen, he asked again: “Have you lost your mind?!”