Douluo Dalu: Sign in to the Flame Princess-Chapter 90 - : Flender Cried

Zhao Ming and Ning Rongrong left the arena, and it was only after they had gone that the audience began to react.

"Did I just see that right?"

"How did the fight end so quickly? I didn't even get a good look!"

"Is the Great Spirit Arena rigged or something? How can someone take down two Spirit Elders so easily without even releasing their martial spirit? That's something only a Spirit King could do!" one middle-aged man exclaimed in disbelief.

Earlier, he had bet 2,000 gold soul coins on the Yunfei sisters, and now it was all gone. No, there had to be something wrong with this match!

"I protest! There's something fishy about this fight!"

Others who had bet everything on the Yunfei duo joined in the outcry. They couldn't believe that two Spirit Elders had lost so quickly—it was beyond what they could accept.

In less than thirty seconds, their entire fortune had disappeared. Anyone in their position would feel the same.

When they heard that one of the members of the "Invincible Duo" was only a Spirit Grandmaster, they rushed to place bets on the Yunfei sisters, thinking it was a sure win. They believed there was no way a team with a Grandmaster could possibly win.

But the result was beyond anyone's expectations.

"Silence!" The host of the eighth arena finally came to his senses, casting a long glance at the direction Zhao Ming and Ning Rongrong had left before coldly addressing the crowd.

"All participating spirit masters undergo rigorous testing. The levels of the Invincible Duo were verified to be accurate. Besides, did you see the age of that young man? Do you really think he could be a Spirit King at such a young age?"

"Any further protests will be treated as a direct challenge to the authority of the Great Spirit Arena!" The host, being a powerful spirit master himself, infused his voice with soul power, and the once rowdy crowd quickly quieted down.

The truth was, they knew that with Zhao Ming's young age, it was impossible for him to be a Spirit King. But they simply couldn't accept the reality of what had just happened.

Of course, not everyone lost.

Quite a few people had noticed the incredible odds and decided to place their bets on Zhao Ming's team.

One person in particular who was laughing the hardest was none other than Flender.

Yes, he hadn't left the Great Spirit Arena. In fact, he had been placing bets on his students all along.

Zhao Ming had been his primary focus. When he saw Zhao Ming teaming up with Ning Rongrong, he knew it was a rare opportunity to make a fortune.

With Ning Rongrong, a mere Spirit Grandmaster, on the team, no sane person would bet on them. The only ones who did were those who had already resigned themselves to losing. Flender had placed all 3,000 gold soul coins he had on Zhao Ming's team.

Now, as he calculated his winnings, he regretted not borrowing money from Zhao Wuji and the others.

But then again, people shouldn't be too greedy. After taxes, he would still walk away with 5,000 gold soul coins.

Fifty thousand gold soul coins!

Just thinking about that amount made Flender grin from ear to ear.

"Flender, what are you doing here?" Zhao Ming asked, approaching Flender with a knowing smile.

After leaving the arena and hearing the cries of despair from the losing gamblers, Zhao Ming realized he had missed a golden opportunity.

That opportunity was gambling.

At first, Zhao Ming felt a bit annoyed, knowing that after today their strengths would be revealed, and future bets wouldn't yield much. After all, the excitement of gambling comes from the unknown.

But then, seeing Flender, Zhao Ming knew he wouldn't walk away empty-handed.

"I was just..." Flender turned around with a beaming smile, thinking it was someone familiar. But when he saw Zhao Ming, the smile froze on his face.

He was so caught up in his success that he had forgotten himself. Being caught by one of his students while gambling wasn't a good look.

"Ahem, I was just watching your match. You did well, Zhao Ming. But Rongrong, your performance was lacking. As an auxiliary spirit master, you should never let your mind wander during a fight. On a real battlefield, that kind of distraction could cost you your life," Flender quickly said, finding a suitable excuse to cover up his actions.

As expected, the naive Ning Rongrong immediately took Flender's words to heart, her face turning pale.

But Zhao Ming wasn't going to let Flender off that easily.

He wasn't here for small talk—he was here to get his cut.

"Ahem, I understand that you were watching us, but isn't this the betting area, Flender?" Zhao Ming asked, pointing out the obvious.

"Impossible! I was just passing by on my way from the one-on-one arena." Flender pointed to Arena Seven, trying to maintain his dignity.

"Oh? But why are you holding a yellow betting slip just like the gamblers over there?" Zhao Ming smirked, pointing to the yellow slip in Flender's hand. It matched the ones the gamblers were clutching as they crowded around the betting area.

"Sixth match... Oh, you've made quite a bit, haven't you?" Zhao Ming teased, his grin widening.

"Ahem." Flender awkwardly coughed, realizing he had been caught red-handed. "Well, I was just trying to earn some extra money for the academy's expenses."

"Oh, I see. That makes sense." Zhao Ming nodded in understanding, leaning in closer to Flender and whispering, "How about four thousand gold coins, and I'll forget I saw anything?"

"Pfft!" Flender nearly spat out blood at Zhao Ming's bold request. He was planning to make five thousand gold coins in total, and now Zhao Ming was asking for four thousand of it! This was worse than robbery! But what could he do? He couldn't let Zhao Ming blackmail him like this.

"Flender, bringing the daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan into the Great Spirit Arena for betting... How would that sound if Ning Fengzhi found out? Oh, and let's not forget the two titled Douluos who protect the clan. They might have a few things to say about this," Zhao Ming added with a sly grin.

At that, Flender's smug smile completely vanished.

All he had done was place a simple bet. How did Zhao Ming manage to make it sound so bad? If word got out, it would indeed be a disaster.

"Fine, fifty-fifty," Flender muttered, holding up five fingers as a compromise.

"Come on, Flender. That's just for Ning Rongrong's share. What about mine? I'd feel terrible if my dear headmaster was making all this money without sharing," Zhao Ming grinned, his expression full of mischief.

"Zhao Ming, Flender, what are you two talking about?" Ning Rongrong asked, blinking her wide, innocent eyes. "Wait, did I hear something about gambling? My dad would never let me near the Spirit Arena!"

"Four thousand, deal!" Flender blurted out in panic, eager to settle the matter before Ning Rongrong caught on. The last thing he wanted was for Ning Fengzhi to get involved.

With Flender's agreement, Zhao Ming started to play along.

"Rongrong, you've misunderstood. Flender has been working tirelessly to fund the academy. This time, he simply took the chance to earn some extra money for us," Zhao Ming explained, patting her on the shoulder. "He even promised five thousand gold coins to improve our meals, right, Flender?"

At that, Flender's forced smile cracked.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is freewebnøvel.coɱ.

Five thousand?

That's another five thousand gone! He wanted to refuse, but seeing Ning Rongrong's expectant eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say no.

"Of course. I, Flender, always keep my word," Flender said through gritted teeth.

"Hehe, I knew you weren't that kind of person," Ning Rongrong giggled, clearly pleased.

Once Zhao Ming and Ning Rongrong were out of sight, Flender's smile dropped, and he was left speechless.

His five thousand gold coins had turned into one thousand. No, wait—after paying for the food, he wouldn't even have one thousand left.

****

If you want to support me or read advanced Chapters (21+), consider checking out my pat.

patr*on.com/Salsita2k