Chapter 16: "Brothers of the Martial World"

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“You’re always just about gambling!” Guo Zhenhu said irritably, his tone filled with helplessness and reproach towards Meng Yang’s gambling addiction.

“Does this loss count or not?” Meng Yang paid no heed to Guo Zhenhu’s attitude, still grinning mischievously, his mind lingering on the recent bet. His expression was both exasperating and amusing.

Guo Zhenhu looked at this complete gambler before him and naturally understood his thoughts. He replied with a scowl, “What’s there to be happy about? You didn’t catch a single antelope. What did I lose?” He paused, then added, “Even if I lose, I won’t lose my pants.”

As soon as he said this, almost everyone burst into laughter.

Everyone knew he was referring to the embarrassing incident when Meng Yang lost his pants at the flying car casino not long ago. That story had spread wildly in their circle, and now, with Guo Zhenhu bringing it up, it instantly became the group’s joke.

But, to be fair, throughout the journey, everyone’s adrenaline had been surging thanks to the gambling activities Meng Yang organized, which drove away much of the loneliness and troubles of the trip, sometimes even making them lose themselves in excitement.

Guo Zhenhu was well aware that this time Meng Yang had set up a wager: the prize was a sumptuous five-star luxury meal and a soak at the six-star Baoshan hot springs. According to their agreement, whoever caught a live Tibetan antelope first would be treated by Meng Yang; if he lost, he would pay in full himself.

Little Miao Miao pointed this out, and Bao Xiaotong joined in teasing, “Right, Second Senior Brother, that doesn’t count—it was pure luck. Catching an antelope isn’t much of a skill. Next time, let’s bet on catching a wild man!”

Her tone was full of fearless bravado, as if there was nothing in the world she wouldn’t dare to do.

Guo Zhenhu smiled indulgently at Bao Xiaotong. “Junior Sister, I can’t always win. But with the car broken like this, the rest of our trip won’t be so easy.” Then he turned to Meng Yang, half-jokingly saying, “You gambler! Even if I admit defeat, I’ll only treat you all to a five-star meal and a soak at the six-star hot springs. Don’t expect me to pull out a five-carat natural diamond!”

Meng Yang’s grin stretched from ear to ear upon hearing Guo Zhenhu concede, hastily responding, “Of course, of course! If I lose, I won’t give it either!”

Everyone couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

They all knew that the five-carat natural diamond was an extra stake Meng Yang had whimsically added—a pure joke.

“Brother Hu, it’s our turn to rake you over the coals,” said Ye Qing with a mischievous grin, looking delighted as if he had already enjoyed the feast and the hot springs.

Guo Zhenhu glanced at this somewhat extreme fellow and replied calmly, “I’m no pet to be slaughtered easily. It won’t be so easy to get the better of me.”

Everyone understood that this was a veiled reference to Ye Qing’s recent troubles.

Ye Qing had threatened a girl’s superior over her and even killed the superior’s pet, resulting in a criminal intimidation charge from the police. Now he was with Boss Bao, basically hiding from compensation payments, trying to evade them as long as possible.

“Don’t worry, Gazi, I’ll make sure you’re satisfied,” Guo Zhenhu said to Ye Qing firmly, as if ready for this “betting feast.”

The brothers all felt energized by this, as if injected with adrenaline. No one had ever beaten Guo Zhenhu in their bets, so now that an opportunity had appeared, they couldn’t restrain themselves, talking all at once, “When do we start?”

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The scene was as lively as a group of children eagerly awaiting a feast.

Looking at this crowd, Guo Zhenhu recalled the criteria Bao Tianxi had set for selecting team members: “First, fearlessness; second, loyalty; third, endurance; fourth, martial skill.” In fact, Bao Tianxi had a hidden fifth rule: “No bargaining.”

When Guo Zhenhu first heard these conditions, he had doubts: such requirements were too harsh—where would anyone find people like that nowadays? Yet, after a single call from Bao Tianxi, this whole group had indeed gathered.

Honestly, in this day and age, it was difficult enough to find a group with extraordinary skills, let alone such daredevils. Though they were not the life-or-death comrades Guo Zhenhu had in his team and mostly came for the money, they were all fiercely loyal to Boss Bao.

Everyone understood that as long as they followed Boss Bao, they wouldn’t suffer losses—after all, Bao had a solid reputation after so many years in the underworld.

Of course, Bao had also planned carefully.

Before setting out, everyone signed a life-and-death agreement. But no one cared, as long as the pay was good, they would follow orders no matter what.

Guo Zhenhu thought to himself that with such a group of brothers steeped in the ways of the underworld, he would never lack manpower for any future task. What surprised him, however, was that none of these people, male or female—including himself—had a family.

Could it be that their obsession with adventure had delayed settling down? Guo Zhenhu shook his head.

It seemed humanity’s downfall wouldn’t come from AI or artificial intelligence, but from the absence of love.

He pushed these thoughts aside for now, as there were more important matters awaiting them.

Just then, Bao Xiaotong said nonchalantly, “Second Senior Brother, the broken car is no big deal. We can squeeze in and travel slowly.”

From the start, Xiaotong hadn’t put much stock in Bao Tianxi’s talk about the hidden treasure. The legend was too ancient, as intangible as a mirage on the horizon, hard to believe. She had come mainly to relax; bound by countless rules and restrictions in daily life, she was suffocated.

For her, any hardship encountered on the journey was irrelevant. As long as she could escape the dull routine and experience this unknown, thrilling trip, she was content.

To her, no matter how tough the road ahead, it was just another kind of adventure, adding to the fun.

As she spoke, Boss Bao Tianxi, the monk Xing Sengfu, the rat Deng Da, and the Chang brothers, Chang Xing and Chang Wang, arrived. These men were lifelong companions who had grown up together.

Bao Tianxi hurried forward, gripping Guo Zhenhu’s hand tightly, concern etched on his face. “Brother, are you okay?”

Guo Zhenhu spread his hands confidently. “Big Brother, don’t worry, I’m fine. But it’s thanks to this big smoking pipe.” He waved his hand toward the exceptionally sturdy pipe.

Speaking of this pipe, it was an antique gifted by Bao Tianxi. No one knew what material it was made from, only that it seemed like a divine weapon born of some otherworldly craft—extraordinarily tough and, at crucial moments, had saved Guo Zhenhu’s life.

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When Guo Zhenhu returned from the military, he was filled with despair and confusion, sinking into gloom. Whether by Bao Xiaotong’s deliberate arrangement or chance, her brother Bao Tianxi found him and invited him to be his bodyguard.

Hearing it was Xiaotong’s brother, Guo Zhenhu accepted without hesitation. In his heart, just seeing his little junior sister gave him hope; no matter how hard or tiring, it was worth it.

Bao Tianxi was generous and honorable, especially valuing Guo Zhenhu’s presence. At an auction, Guo Zhenhu’s gaze was fixed on that big smoking pipe. Seeing this, Bao Tianxi bid without hesitation and won it for him.

Others didn’t understand Guo Zhenhu’s attachment to the pipe. On the surface, it was a pastime. But only Guo Zhenhu knew it was a rare ancient weapon, his most reliable ally in life-or-death moments.

Bao Tianxi let out a long breath, half-joking, “Wow, you really scared me. Only you have this skill; anyone else would have been done for today. If anything happened to you, my treasure hunt would be completely doomed! Ha ha ha…”

Just then, Meng Yang suddenly shouted excitedly, “I won! Who’s betting on me? Let’s keep gambling!”

Hao Xiaoyu frowned and shouted loudly, “Monkey Brother, people almost died just now! Why are you still only thinking about gambling? I don’t understand what kind of people you all are!”

Meng Yang shrugged it off, “It’s nothing, no worries!”

The honest old cat Li Yanzhong muttered, “You actually put up the five-carat natural diamond the boss gave you as a bet. That thing’s worth between 500,000 and 800,000 yuan!” His tone clearly showed his concern for money.

Guo Zhenhu knew Li Yanzhong came from a poor family. Earlier, to help his sick mother recover, he had no choice but to kill a neighbor’s dog and now dared not return home. He had joined the treasure hunt hoping to earn money to explain to his family.

Guo Zhenhu sighed, “Money is an external thing, but sometimes, you really can’t do without it.”

Meng Yang looked nonchalant, “I can afford to lose! The boss already said if this treasure hunt succeeds, he’ll double the daily 5,000 yuan pay.”

This was indeed Bao Tianxi’s promise. He knew treasure hunting was extremely risky, and without high pay, no one would follow him on such an adventure.

“Monkey Brother, what’s the next bet?” Suddenly, a gruff voice came from somewhere.

The unexpected voice startled Meng Yang, who quickly covered his ears and complained loudly, “Iron Hand, can’t you speak softer? You’re almost deafening me!”