C24 Life and Death

"Squeak!"

Yu Cen suddenly pressed down on the wooden chair, poised to leap to his feet. "Mayor! What are you talking about?"

Behind him, Yu Yuan reached out, resting a hand on his shoulder, and whispered, "Grandfather, please, there's no need to rush. Let's sit and talk this through."

Confused, Yu Cen resumed his seat, turning to look at Yu Yuan, his eyes brimming with bewilderment. "Did you just say that the mayor promised to ensure your safety?"

"Grandfather, please don't press for details. I'll be alright, trust me," Yu Yuan reassured him gently.

"Mayor?"

Even Huang Chen of the Huang family was taken aback. "Am I hearing things?"

Wasn't it supposed to be his own proposal?

The plan was to goad Yu Wei first, then have Huang Bin provoke Yu Yuan, and finally tempt Yu Yuan into battle with the promise of substantial rewards.

So why had Yuan Lianyao, the mayor, made the suggestion?

"This is not how things are done; it's all wrong," Le Feng, the guard from the Yuan family, muttered as he shook his head, looking at Yuan Lianyao with disbelief.

Wasn't it she who insisted that everything should be done by the book?

Choosing two people to fight without drawing lots was already a breach of protocol.

And now she was calling for a fight to the death?

"This is absurd!"

Le Feng felt a headache brewing.

The clans of the four great families were in an uproar after Yuan Lianyao declared the fight between Yu Yuan and Huang Bin feasible, even stipulating it be a battle to the death.

The chatter and commotion filled the air.

Never before had the tri-realm competition in Asvetaesi been so preposterous and frivolous.

"Everyone, please remain calm!"

Yuan Lianyao sat with a nonchalant air, having procured a wooden chair from somewhere. She settled into it with poise, commanding respect without showing anger. "Huang Chen, I'm aware of the situation with your family. You're in charge now. And Huang Bin, he's your son. We're talking about a life-and-death battle here. Do you consent?"

"Heh! Absolutely!" Huang Chen burst into hearty laughter, his menacing gaze shifting to Yu Wei and then to Yu Cen. "Frankly, even without the mayor's proposal, I would've suggested the same thing!"

"In a life-and-death duel, both parties must consent," Yuan Lianyao affirmed with a nod.

"Brother Yu Wei, if you agree and Yu Yuan emerges victorious, our Huang family will relinquish all mining rights outside the city to the Yu family for the next three years. Should Yu Yuan lose, we won't demand a penny from this battle!" Huang Chen declared resolutely.

The stakes were clear: if Yu Yuan won, the Huang family would cede their interests; if he lost, they wouldn't claim the medicinal garden's profits. It was an obvious attempt to seal Yu Yuan's fate.

"What's your decision?" Yuan Lianyao asked with a soft smile.

"I agree," Yu Wei responded, his tone flat.

Gasps of disbelief echoed among the Yu family members. They were all taken aback by Yu Wei's uncharacteristic behavior.

"What's really happening here?" Yu Cen asked, his eyes filled with confusion as he looked from Yu Wei to Yu Yuan. "Have you discussed something with our uncle?"

Yu Wei's unusual demeanor led Yu Cen to suspect that Yu Yuan was also behaving out of the ordinary.

Yu Yuan gave a slight nod.

"Mayor?" Yu Cen pressed.

"Grandfather, just trust me," Yu Yuan reassured, patting the back of his hand gently. "I'm fortunate and not so easily defeated."

With those words, he strode confidently toward Yuan Lianyao under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Every gaze converged on him in that instant.

"So that's the Yu family's young master who came back from the dead! At last, we meet the Sage in person!"

"Ha, he's quite the looker, no less appealing than Huang Bin!"

"After seventeen years of confusion, he's only just come to his senses, and now Yu Wei is ready to sacrifice him? Even as a Spirit Channel, how could he stand against Huang Bin?"

"I think Yu Wei is doing this deliberately, to get rid of him! Once he's gone, Yu Wei can solidify his position as head of the Yu family!"

"Exactly, he's the old master's own grandson. His awakening poses a direct threat to Yu Wei's leadership!"

Conspiracy theorists among the onlookers were convinced that Yu Wei's agreement with Yuan Lianyao and Huang Chen was driven by ulterior motives, aiming to eliminate Yu Yuan before he could challenge Yu Wei's future status.

"Brother Yu Yuan, give it your all!"

From the Zhao family's side, an uplifting cheer suddenly rang out.

Yu Yuan glanced over and saw Zhao Yafu beaming. She waved vigorously and said, "I knew you'd win! Once this is all settled, I'd love to discuss some things with you."

"Sure thing!" Yu Yuan nodded in agreement.

As he walked past Yu Wei, Yu Wei looked at him intently and cautioned, "Be careful."

Yu Yuan grunted in acknowledgment, sparing little time for conversation. He turned to Yuan Lianyao and inquired, "Where's the platform for the first fight?"

"Right there." Yuan Lianyao gestured towards a platform across from her. She mysteriously produced a handful of sunflower seeds and began to crack them open, casually remarking, "No fuss about it. First to fall, it's all over."

With a whoosh, Huang Bin leaped onto the platform, positioning himself at the center. He inhaled deeply and bellowed, "Yu Yuan, I told you at the city gates that I'd let you pass then. But if you dare enter the fray of the Spirit Channel, I won't hold back. I'll really finish you!"

"Heh." Zhao Xi lifted his head, giving Huang Bin a scrutinizing look, then shook his head discreetly. "Big brother, and Yafu, are you keeping something from me?"

"Not at all," Zhao Dongsheng feigned ignorance.

"You seem to be giving that Yu family lad too much credit. It's all very peculiar," Zhao Xi said, his gaze fixed on Zhao Yafu with curiosity. "Don't tell me you've taken a liking to that fool? I don't recall you two ever crossing paths before."

"It's our first meeting," Zhao Yafu stated plainly, then suddenly burst into giggles. "But I must say, I have quite a favorable impression of Brother Yu Yuan."

"A favorable impression?" Zhao Xi's brow furrowed, and his curiosity deepened as he watched Yu Yuan.

In contrast to Huang Bin's haste, Yu Yuan ascended the steps to the platform with a measured pace.

Throughout it all, Yu Yuan remained exceptionally serene.

To Huang Bin's loud challenges, he was as a deaf man, seemingly oblivious.

Zhao Xi's eyes narrowed, and his expression shifted subtly. "How odd!"

"What have you noticed?" Zhao Dongsheng inquired with interest.

"Huang Bin is in a state of panic, despite his superior level and combat strength, the clear favorite to win," Zhao Xi mused, his voice low. "But look at Yu Yuan, so composed, so collected. It's as if, to him, this fight where one must die is hardly worth noting."

"Hmm, it's just the beginning," Zhao Dongsheng mumbled indistinctly.

"What's really going on?" Zhao Xi felt a growing unease deep within. He glanced subconsciously at the overcast sky, an oppressive feeling weighing on him instinctively. "Big brother, don't assume I'm indifferent or that my mind isn't sharp."

"You're truly my brother; your intuition is impressive," Zhao Dongsheng acknowledged with a nod. "We'll just have to wait and see how things unfold."

With that, Zhao Xi's mood darkened even further.

...

"Lili, Yuan won't be in any trouble, will he?"

As Yu Yuan prepared to take the stage, the patriarch's anxiety was palpable, and he turned to Yu Lili, who was nearest, with his concerns.

Yu Lili bowed her head slightly, reassuring him, "He should be alright."

"You and Wei, are you keeping something from me?" Yu Cen's suspicions grew increasingly heavy.

"Let's not talk about it now. I'm not fully in the loop either. But Yuan has crafted a handy spiritual weapon for me, and I trust his judgment," Yu Lili explained.

"A spiritual weapon?" Yu Cen was taken aback once more.

"Please, no more questions," Yu Lili implored, her anxiety evident.

Yu Cen let out a resigned sigh.

...

"Proceed!"

Yu Yuan took his place on the stage with a calm and collected demeanor, gazing at Huang Bin with a look of pity. "Remember, it's not someone else who is responsible for your demise, but your own father and grandfather."

His gaze shifted to a gaunt elder of the Huang family.

The old man squinted, silent from the start until now, having delegated all decisions to his son, Huang Chen, while he himself remained on the sidelines as if uninvolved.

"Am I going to die?" Huang Bin let out a bizarre laugh. "Me, die? It seems your foolish illness hasn't been cured!"

"Stop the chatter; I've been waiting too long," the mayor, impatiently cracking sunflower seeds, interjected. "We're on a tight schedule, don't delay us."

Her words were directed at Yu Yuan, though few in the crowd could grasp her meaning.

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