Chapter 645: Bing Yang
Reclaiming corpses, strengthening Tranquil Hill, and contributing to the cause of the Dueling God they worshipped, this was the shared conviction among duelists.
There was another benefit that He Gai Tou valued greatly.
It was that through this matter, he could curry favor with Mei Lin.
He Gai Tou desired closeness with Mei Lin.
This wasn't born of romantic affection, but rather his inherent shrewdness and skill in maneuvering.
He Gai Tou understood that among duelists, those with military backgrounds formed the largest faction, and he sought to integrate into it.
But he wasn't from the military. On the contrary, he was a prisoner.
At least he had been.
Thus, he naturally lacked the trust of Mei Lin and others.
He Gai Tou's bloodline potential had been fully tapped. He could only reach gold level; advancement beyond that was impossible.
Unable to strengthen himself, he channeled his energy into cultivating connections.
Though gambling wasn't banned in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, his line of work still fell within the gray economy. Once operations grew too large, they risked crackdowns. They might even be targeted and absorbed by major nobles.
What He Gai Tou truly coveted was Mei Lin's military connections.
He sought to climb higher, finding a powerful protector.
This was why He Gai Tou annually delivered gold coins to the prison warden before him.
Leaning back in his leather chair at a slight angle, the warden opened a drawer and retrieved a metal box.
He placed the box on the desk.
The lid sprang open automatically, revealing neatly arranged cigars inside.
Each cigar was only as thick as an adult's finger, slightly slimmer than standard market cigars, a product unique to the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
“Care for one?”
“I don't smoke,” He Gai Tou declined.
No lighter was needed. The warden placed the cigar directly in his mouth. After a few puffs, it ignited itself.
These specially crafted cigars were magic dishes in themselves.
Cigar production represented a unique branch within the culinary arts of magic.
The Ice Prison Warden drew in a breath, exhaling a puff of frost before continuing their earlier discussion: “If we form this partnership, and Long Fu accepts Bing Yang's challenge, who would you bet on?”
He Gai Tou answered without hesitation: “Long Fu, of course.”
“Even if Bing Yang was once a gold level, his combat strength still falls short compared to Long Fu.”
The Ice Prison Warden nodded slightly, acknowledging He Gai Tou's point.
He Gai Tou continued, “In fact, this collaboration doesn't conflict with your plan to earn merit, Lord Warden.”
“Bing Yang has consumed excessive amounts of the [Beautiful Future] magic potion. He's already nearing death.”
“Even if he's willing to downgrade his level to survive, the potion's effects remain overwhelmingly potent.”
“Once you approve his nomination, I'll aggressively promote him, shape public opinion, and rapidly inflate his odds.”
At this point, He Gai Tou adjusted his posture. “There's significant potential here.”
"When Bing Yang falls in battle, per national policy, you, the warden, can nominate Shi Liu as his replacement. As a gold level powerhouse, he could still vie for the ultimate crown."
The Ice Prison Warden did not respond, instead taking a deep puff of his cigar.
He parted his lips slightly, the mist from his mouth flowing into his nostrils and then into his lungs, circulating so swiftly it brought him a refreshingly clear sense of relief.
Only after a dozen seconds did he exhale the smoke.
“If I get involved this time, how much could I earn?”
"Hard to estimate precisely. But I'd say at least this much."
He Gai Tou held up his fingers, forming the number eight.
A sharp gleam flashed in the Ice Prison Warden's eyes. "Only eighty thousand gold coins? Hmph. This is a nationwide gamble. That's far too little for me."
He Gai Tou shook his head with a bitter smile. “This is already substantial.”
"Lord Warden, you may be overestimating me. Though I own a gambling house, it's not large. How many years have I truly been involved in this business?"
“My Lord, you know the truth.”
"Had you partnered with me years ago, the gambling house would certainly not be its current size. If we'd done this deal back then, our profits would've at least doubled!"
He Gai Tou shook his head. “But now, this current betting pool is already my limit.”
“Though it's nationwide, constrained by my gambling house, the scale of bets we receive won't be huge.”
The warden snorted coldly, narrowing his eyes. For a moment, he focused only on smoking, saying nothing.
He puffed on his cigarette while deep in thought.
In truth, he participated in the gambling events He Gai Tou organized every year.
Of course, he placed his bets.
Over the years, he's won more than he's lost. That was how He Gai Tou managed to funnel him 3,000 gold pieces annually on average.
As the house, He Gai Tou naturally had some leeway to manipulate the outcomes of the games.
To placate investigations from the royal family and others, he had staged numerous losing rounds. Moreover, since the Ice Prison Warden funded his own bets, any winnings were purely a testament to his skill. This had nothing to do with bribery.
He Gai Tou had long sought to curry favor with the Ice Prison Warden, but over the past two decades, his repeated overtures had been consistently rejected.
The warden understood clearly: participating in He Gai Tou's gambling operations and serving as his patron were entirely different matters.
The warden possessed self-awareness: “I am a human occupying a high position.”
“The role of Ice Prison Warden is a lucrative post.”
“Countless snow elves eye my seat.”
"Truthfully, accepting He Gai Tou's annual gold coins is already pushing the limit. Do you really think the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's higher-ups can't see through this?"
“Hahaha, as if!”
“It's just that all these actions stay within the game's rules.”
In short, the Ice Prison Warden would never engage in deep cooperation with He Gai Tou.
He smoked half his cigar before declaring, “Eighty thousand is too low. I want at least one hundred twenty thousand.”
“With a gold level powerhouse clearly residing in the Ice Prison, recommending a mere silver level candidate is untenable. It could even trigger an investigation.”
“Moreover, what if Bing Yang wins? My investment would go down the drain, and I'd bear all the risk personally."
He Gai Tou snorted coldly inside.
He could tell the Ice Prison Warden was tempted, but he was making excuses to drive up the price.
What investigation? With the network he'd built in the Kingdom, that was practically impossible.
Besides, it was entirely possible to explain himself.
In the Ice Prison's history, they had indeed fielded prisoners of the silver level before. Back then, the gold level prisoners were relatively weak and lacked competitiveness in the Grand Duel. They settled for the next best option, enlisting skilled silver level fighters, and achieved quite respectable results.
He Gai Tou knew the warden was trying to drive up the price. He immediately put on a smile and engaged in a round of bargaining with him.
Ultimately, He Gai Tou held firm at 100,000 gold coins, refusing to budge an inch.
“Very well then,” the warden exhaled smoke from his cigar. “For your sake, 100,000 gold it is.”
He knew when to stop.
After all, they were both gold levels. He Gai Tou even gave him gold coins yearly, so they had formed a relationship.
“I can recommend Bing Yang, but you'll have to persuade him personally.”
“I must warn you; he might not agree to fight.”
“He consumed massive quantities of the potion [Beautiful Future]. To survive, he'd even accept demotion to a lower level.”
“His imprisonment here stems from his own decision, after securing connections, he deliberately committed a crime and turned himself in. His primary purpose in entering the prison was to utilize its magic formation to suppress the potion's effects and extend his lifespan."
“And now you want him to walk out and participate in a duel?”
“Heh, it won't be that easy.”
On this point, He Gai Tou was brimming with confidence.
"Rest assured, Lord, I've made thorough preparations. Time is limited. Let's proceed now. You'll witness firsthand how I persuade him."
“Very well. Follow me.” The Ice Prison Warden rose to his feet.
He led He Gai Tou deep into the third underground level, stopping before a cell door.
A guard respectfully opened the cell door.
The Ice Prison Warden, He Gai Tou, and the others entered one after another.
The cell was compact yet lavishly furnished.
Bing Yang was dining.
Though the table was small, it was laden with exquisite magic delicacies, exquisitely presented and fragrant.
This felt less like imprisonment and more like a vacation.
After all, Bing Yang had once been a gold level, retaining his former connections and substantial wealth.
A significant portion of his assets came from compensation paid by the Alchemy Guild.
He was a victim of the potion known as the [Beautiful Future]. The incident had caused a massive uproar at the time, stirring nationwide controversy.
Upon seeing the warden and He Gai Tou, Bing Yang dared not act presumptuously. He promptly rose to his feet and bowed in respect.
After all, he was no longer a gold level individual.
"Lord Warden. Oh, and Lord He Gai Tou. I've been hearing a lot about you lately from fellow inmates and guards alike."
He Gai Tou was quite renowned, the most formidable fighter to emerge from the Ice Prison in recent years. Whenever the Grand Duel commenced, he became the talk of the entire prison, the subject of endless discussion.
He Gai Tou appraised the figure before him.
Bing Yang was a snow elf, handsome, slender, and undeniably frail. His face was deeply wrinkled, his eyes dim. Even standing felt like an effort, his movements tremulous, like an old man with little time left.
When he spoke, his teeth were visible.
He Gai Tou noticed immediately that many of Bing Yang's teeth were missing. Though his mouth appeared full, most were alchemy crafted false teeth.
The Ice Prison Warden nodded slightly. “It is he, He Gai Tou, who is looking for you.”
Bing Yang turned to He Gai Tou, curiosity evident in his expression.
Instead of stating his purpose directly, He Gai Tou turned to the small dining table. "The food is excellent, but the wine leaves something to be desired. As it happens, I brought some of my own. Have a taste."
With that, he drew a small metal flask from his robe.
He uncorked it and poured its entire contents into an empty glass stemmed cup.
The quantity was meager to begin with, leaving only a thin layer coating the bottom of the glass once emptied.
It was red wine, radiating a gold level aura.
He Gai Tou handed the glass to Bing Yang. “Drink up. It suits you perfectly.”