Chapter 17: Demon Arena (15)
Yan Wuzhen was plotting against Tang Mobai — but the team of experts backing Tang Mobai was also calculating against Yan Wuzhen.
Ever since the signing of that agreement, the experts had profiled Yan Wuzhen’s personality and predicted that a direct confrontation was inevitable. They had made preparations long ago.
Moreover, when Yan Wuzhen deliberately sat next to Tang Mobai in the cafeteria earlier, that had already been a setup. Yan Wuzhen’s reputation as an “information broker” was well-known in the arena. Naturally, the sudden rise of Tang Mobai — who was seen with such a figure — would draw suspicion from the veterans. This little trick of Yan Wuzhen’s hadn’t escaped the experts’ notice.
He wanted to swallow Tang Mobai whole — but the expert team, too, wanted to use the “spider’s” fame as a stepping stone to build a safer environment for Tang Mobai.
It was simply a matter of who could outplay the other.
Inside the arena, Yan Wuzhen’s eyes were fixed on Tang Mobai’s confused expression. Confirming his suspicions, he smiled faintly.
To devour the lamb completely, one must first strip it of all protection.
“Oh, no need to answer — I already know you won’t tell me the truth. Let me guess.” Yan Wuzhen pressed a finger to his temple. “Your trump card… must be the ‘Qualification Trial.’”
“The advancement rule for the Revival Matches is: one hundred soul coins can be exchanged for a single ‘Qualification Trial.’ If you receive over 60% of the votes from those present, you earn Revival rights. The trial can only be held once per day, and only one person can participate each time.”
“You should have more than a hundred coins by now, right? You can easily trigger the Qualification Trial — and if you succeed, you can leave this place… but the key word is if.”
Yan Wuzhen carefully watched Tang Mobai’s expression, his eyes gleaming with malice as he enunciated each word, “Unfortunately, you probably think the people backing you can ensure your success. In other Revival Match arenas, having guild streamers could indeed help you pass — but here, things are different.”
Tang Mobai frowned. “Why?”
Yan Wuzhen casually shrugged. “You’ll see soon enough.”
See what?
Tang Mobai didn’t ask. At that moment, the final ongoing duel came to an end, and the once-noisy arena gradually fell silent.
A figure strode out from the waiting tunnel, standing tall and proud as she shouted toward the sky:
“Lost Paradise, I want to hold a Qualification Trial!”
Qualification Trial?
The declaration drew everyone’s attention — even Tang Mobai’s. Although he had learned the rules from the beginning, this was the first time he had actually witnessed someone invoking the trial.
From the tunnel emerged a well-built woman with a scar across her brow and her hair tied into a high ponytail. She wore only a form-fitting athletic top and black shorts reaching mid-thigh, revealing tanned skin and strong legs. Yet no one dared to whistle — clearly, she was a dangerous veteran of the arena.
“Qiong,” Yan Wuzhen’s voice came from the side. “Third-in-command of the Watchtower in the Hunger Hell District. During an expedition, she was ambushed by the Blood Guild. She used up all her points saving her guild leader and ended up in the Revival Matches. The Watchtower’s been trying to buy her back ever since. Looks like they’ve finally saved enough.”
“Buy her back?”
“Of course — everything has a price.” Yan Wuzhen’s voice was cool and precise, like a scalpel cutting to the bone. “In this demon arena, isolated from Lost Paradise, even the live-stream can’t help us. The only channel left… is the newcomers sent here periodically.”
“They send her money through betting schemes outside, and control the new participants inside to secure votes for her. The Watchtower’s leaders sure are generous.”
Following Yan Wuzhen’s gaze, Tang Mobai saw several figures in black cloaks emerge from the tunnel, surrounding Qiong from a distance.
Player 009 said flatly, “You confirm you wish to attempt the Qualification Trial?”
“Confirmed.”
“Then let’s begin.”
Yan Wuzhen’s smile deepened. “Don’t you think there are a few too many people in the audience today?”
The arena hosted battles almost every day, but even newcomers like Tang Mobai didn’t always stay to watch from the stands. Yet now, the seats on all sides were nearly full.
“What, did the village start handing out gold bars?” Tang Mobai muttered.
No way all these people came just to watch his fight — he wasn’t that popular.
Then he recalled that the Qualification Trial required anonymous voting by all present, and success meant securing over 60% of the votes. His lips twitched as an uneasy realization crept in.
Wait — don’t tell me this is a setup?
“Not they,” Yan Wuzhen corrected with amusement. “We. Don’t make it sound so ugly. It’s just the candidate’s way of paying us a little ‘celebration gift,’ isn’t it?”
A gift? More like bribery!
Just then, a translucent panel appeared before Tang Mobai, asking:
[Would you like to vote for Qiong?]
[If this participant receives over 60% of the votes, she will immediately return to Lost Paradise.]
[Yes / No]
Before Tang Mobai could react, the crowd erupted in laughter and shouts. Someone hidden among the audience yelled mockingly:
“The vote’s about to start, Qiong! You’re from the Watchtower, right? Don’t tell me you’re too cheap to hand out the red packets — or we won’t be holding back!”
“Shut up, Manster!” Qiong barked coldly. Without another word, she unstrapped the bundle from her back, revealing a pile of gleaming silver coins. She grabbed a handful and hurled the small pouch hard toward the densest section of the stands.
In the next instant, the silver-glinting coins fell like raindrops. The stands erupted into chaos — shouting, scrambling, and roaring.
Tang Mobai and Yan Wuzhen stood farther away, so only a few coins rolled their way. They bent down to pick them up, and upon inspection, Tang Mobai confirmed — they really were soul coins.
Judging by the number she had just thrown, it must’ve been around a hundred coins.
Damn, the village really is handing out cash, huh?
“Not enough!”
Only one section of the audience had gotten a share of the loot, but the arena had stands on all four sides. On another side, Manster stared greedily at the bulging sack at Qiong’s feet, “That little bit won’t cut it! You really think you can pass the Qualification Trial like that?”
Tang Mobai couldn’t help but twitch his lips, “At that rate, what if next time he can’t afford to pay the bribes?” Stop escalating the prices, you lunatics! You’re ruining your own market!
“He’s not worried,” Yan Wuzhen said calmly. “Manster keeps his betting crowd entertained through sheer cruelty. He gave up on ever escaping this place long ago.”
“Besides, he’s got plenty of enemies outside. It’s safer for him to stay here.”
Tang Mobai muttered, “Makes sense.”
Now he finally understood the twisted cruelty of the Qualification Trial. Come on — who could even collect over a hundred coins? Only those who’d crushed all their opponents in the arena. And then what? The people you defeated are the ones voting on whether you pass?
Of course they’d all vote against you! Whoever came up with this rule was a genius — an evil genius! How could anyone possibly pass this?!
Looking at the coins he’d painstakingly earned, Tang Mobai suddenly felt naïve. Qiong alone had already thrown out nearly a hundred coins — and that was probably just the beginning.
“You want more? Fine,” Qiong said coldly. “But anyone who takes my coins must sign a contract, guaranteeing they’ll vote for me. Once I leave, all the remaining coins here are yours.”
Manster burst into laughter, “You’re thinking too much, Qiong. You don’t even have enough coins to buy that many contracts. How do you plan to make sure we keep our word? Voting is anonymous — how would you know who voted yes or no?”
“Even if you control enough people to reach sixty percent, don’t you think the rest of us will want payback? This is the perfect chance!” Manster shouted, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.
“And you scavengers who just grabbed a few coins — are you really going to sit there and watch Qiong walk free? Watch her go from one of us to one of them? Tomorrow she’ll be sitting at the Demon Casino bar, sipping drinks and laughing while we bleed in the pit! Can you stomach that?!”
Holy hell, Tang Mobai thought, leaning back instinctively. So this is Lost Paradise… not necessarily to help yourself, but always to drag others down. No wonder they call it a hell full of demons.
“It’s just like the Spider’s Thread…” he murmured.
“What?” Yan Wuzhen glanced at him, puzzled.
“It’s a story from our side,” Tang Mobai explained. “A thief once saved a spider. Out of pity, the Buddha dropped a spider’s thread into Hell after the thief died, giving him a chance to climb out. But as he climbed, countless sinners tried to grab the same thread to escape too. Fearing it would snap, the thief shouted at them to let go. And at that moment, the spider’s thread broke — along with his only hope of salvation.”
Yan Wuzhen listened quietly, then gave a faint, cold smile, “That Buddha sounds cruel.”
“If Hell is meant for sinners,” he said softly, “why would anyone expect them to act selflessly — to pretend they don’t see the only hope dangling before them? Why expect that thief to repent, surrounded by evil, and willingly give up his escape?”
“In the end, human nature always gives the same answer.”
Outside the screen, the experts watching also sighed.
In truth, ever since they first heard the rules, someone had already guessed that this so-called Qualification Trial could never be easily passed.
The “one hundred coins” was merely the entry fee. A hundred coins could never fill the black hole of human greed.
That was why, from the very beginning, none of them had ever expected Tang Mobai to leave the Revival Match by conventional means.
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
