Zhang Qin also looked at Ling Zhenfei with concern, feeling embarrassed for having to borrow five hundred thousand from him and knowing that if Ling Zhenfei lost money, she would be beyond consolation…

"Heh heh, kid, are you scared? Haha, if you don't dare, just give me the five hundred thousand for Zhao Shuang and scram early!"

Hearing the advice from Zhao Shuang and his wife, Hong Du glared at Ling Zhenfei, speaking provocatively.

"Scared? Haha, in this young master's dictionary, there's never been such a word as 'scared'!"

Ling Zhenfei let out a cold laugh and stood up, saying, "Hong Du, enough chatter, just do as you said, use whatever tricks you have! Let's see how I'm going to deal with you today!"

Although Hong Du also ran a gambling den, the government had been cracking down on gambling recently, so he had temporarily shut down his casino and opened this cockfighting arena behind the farmers market instead.

On the surface, this place was a cockfighting arena, but its nature was still that of a gambling den.

Although the gamblers didn't directly participate in gambling, they would place bets on the fighting cocks they favored in order to win the prize.

Of course, this betting method was only suited for the casual gamblers, with not very large stakes. The real quick money, however, was in directly buying fighting cocks to gamble.

There were no caps on this type of betting, which could range from tens of thousands to just a few thousand yuan.

In the backyard, there was a specialized place for selling fighting cocks, which looked more or less identical from the outside and could not be distinguished in terms of superiority. It was only after they were actually brought into the ring that one would know who was the true King of the Fighting Cocks.

The method of gambling proposed by Hong Du was to play cockfighting with Ling Zhenfei.

After they made the agreement, both went off to pick their cocks.

Fighting cocks, unlike ordinary roosters, were hefty with well-developed skeletons and a fierce nature, born to fight.

These cocks were mostly robust, and although they varied in size and plumpness, their true fighting strength couldn't be judged just by looking at them.

Typically, those knowledgeable in cockfighting wouldn't consider the size of the cocks, but would choose the ones with short and sparse feathers, small and straight head, deep-set eyes with thick skin, and large and strong toes. Because such cocks were powerful yet steady, they usually had a greater chance of winning when they entered the ring.

As someone who operated a cockfighting arena, Hong Du naturally was well aware of this. Therefore, as soon as he entered the arena, he picked a cock he believed had a high chance of winning and subtly gave a signal to his underling.

That underling got the hint and took the cock backstage.

"Hey, what are you doing? The cocks have already been chosen, it's not allowed to tamper with them."

Zhao Shuang had always been paying attention, and seeing the underling taking the cock away, knew they were definitely up to some mischief, having previously suffered a loss from the same issue.

"This cock hasn't eaten yet, I'm having someone feed it before the fight, what, is that a problem?" Hong Du stretched out his hand to block Zhao Shuang and said coldly to Ling Zhenfei.

"Haha, are the cocks made of iron and the food steel, can they fight without a meal?"

Ling Zhenfei, upon hearing this, merely laughed nonchalantly and, while patting Zhao Shuang on the shoulder, said, "Zhao Shuang, don't be so tense, let them feed the cock, we'll also pick one!"

"But they…"

Zhao Shuang wanted to say that Hong Du might be up to no good with that cock, but without evidence, he didn't feel he could make the claim and could only anxiously watch Ling Zhenfei.

"Alright, time is running out. Let's quickly pick a cock!"

Seeing that Hong Du's lackey had already taken the rooster away, Ling Zhenfei said no more and leisurely walked to a row of chicken cages to start selecting a fighting cock.

"Hmph!"

Hong Du stood not far away, watching Ling Zhenfei with an air that screamed 'amateur' and could not help but let out a series of cold snorts.

Zhao Shuang had guessed correctly. Hong Du had his lackey take the fighting cock down, not just to feed it—rather, he injected the cock with a kind of drug that could excite and strengthen its muscles.

Of course, before the cockfight, a neutral party would inspect both cocks to see if any stimulants had been administered. However, the drug that Hong Du possessed was an imported new variety, completely different from the various stimulants available on the market.

This drug was colorless and tasteless; even if the inspectors used the highest inspection methods and tools, they would be unable to detect it once administered to the fighting cock.

Prior to this, Hong Du had already won countless fights with cocks treated with this drug, including the previous victory over Zhao Shuang. He was undefeated, which was precisely why he was so confident he would beat Ling Zhenfei.

Ling Zhenfei walked in circles in front of the cages, looking completely unconcerned and nonchalant.

A saying goes, "The Emperor is not in a hurry, but the eunuch is." Seeing his laid-back demeanor, Zhao Shuang became so anxious that he broke out in a sweat and leaned in to whisper, "Brother, I suspect Hong Du definitely injected his cock with some sort of stimulant. We better not bet with him..."

Hearing this, Ling Zhenfei turned his head, looked at Hong Du who was proudly standing not far away watching him, then glanced at Zhao Shuang, and calmly patted Zhao Shuang's shoulder, whispering with a smile, "Don't worry, even if he plays tricks with his chicken, I can still beat him!"

"This..."

Zhao Shuang, though half-doubtful, saw Ling Zhenfei's certainty and forcefully swallowed the words he was about to say.

As he hesitated, Ling Zhenfei appeared to casually select a cock from the cage.

By all appearances, this fighting cock did not seem a match for Hong Du's, whether it was in size or temperament—nobody, not even a layman, would choose such a cock for a fight!

Yet, Ling Zhenfei had chosen precisely this one, causing both Zhao Shuang and his wife Zhang Qin to feel a wave of puzzlement and confusion.

After exchanging bewildered glances for a while, Zhao Shuang was just about to speak and persuade Ling Zhenfei again when Zhang Qin promptly took hold of him and gave him a meaningful look.

In truth, Ling Zhenfei had also figured that Hong Du would definitely pull some tricks with his fighting cock, but what did it matter what the kid attempted to do?

With the space spiritual spring at his disposal, all it would take was to stealthily infuse some Inner Strength into the cock he had chosen and feed it a bit of the water of the spiritual spring. It wouldn't matter if Hong Du brought not only his kind but even the fiercest of beasts, his own cock would still be able to fight for a few rounds.

As for deliberately picking a seemingly ordinary cock, it was merely a ruse to lull Hong Du into a false sense of security.

When he caught the cock, Ling Zhenfei used his fingertips to inject a surge of Inner Strength into its body and discreetly took out some water of the spiritual spring, feeding it to the cock while no one was paying attention.

Perhaps the cock hadn't yet adjusted to the Inner Strength being infused into its body; it had been flapping its wings and fluttering, but as soon as the Inner Strength and water from the spiritual spring entered its body, the cock appeared somewhat sluggish, standing there dazed and motionless.

However, this was just what could be observed with the naked eye; through the Perspective Divine Eye, Ling Zhenfei distinctly saw that the Inner Strength was gradually merging with the spiritual spring and starting to circulate slowly within the cock's body.

The bird's entire physiology was slowly being activated, and even in its eyes, there emerged a fervent Combat Will that only Ling Zhenfei could perceive.

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