Vol-2: 104. Slapping Faces is More Fun Than Hitting People, Hehehe!

104. Slapping Faces is More Fun Than Hitting People, Hehehe!

Yet, despite everything, Li Aozi remained calm. He found a young man who didn't look like a swordsmith and bought something from him that could hardly be called a 'weapon.'

It was a bronze greatsword resembling a box, covered with dark gold mysterious runes. The hilt was even chipped in places. At 1.5 meters long, it looked more like a flattened iron bar than a sword, though it was finely crafted and would make a nice decoration.

Law III sent the image back home for expert evaluation, and the experts' feedback was surprisingly good: "An excellent piece of craftsmanship with good investment potential, valued at least at 2 million Debis."

"Only 2 million," one of the Law III agents scoffed.

That was nothing compared to the items Yanagimon had chosen.

Aside from 'Tsu: Shadow's Edge' and this weapon called 'Dust-Sealed Sanctuary,' the rest of Li Aozi's selections had low value.

Even more laughably, Li Aozi had already prepaid for those two weapons, directly buying them, which only made people chuckle—this behavior clearly exposed Li Aozi's thinking: he believed the eight pieces of junk he picked were worth more than the two most valuable items.

"No doubt, that's the mindset of a gambler."

"He's already lost. Poor guy, that's 1.9 billion Debis…"

"Though, with looks like his, money probably isn't a concern. After all, he's Li Aozi."

Li Aozi pushed his cart to the judges' table, joining Yanagimon for the appraisal. Compared to the smug Yanagimon, even the judges couldn't help but subtly remind Li Aozi:

"Your taste in the last two weapons is pretty good."

The implication was clear—the other eight were garbage, not worth their time.

"I know. These are my choices. I trust in Tianhuan craftsmanship."

Li Aozi's calm attitude made the judges shake their heads. Seeing his determination, they began the official appraisal.

Li Aozi's evaluation was quick, and within a minute, the total value was announced: 3.3 billion Tianhuan Zhub, roughly 17 million Debis. Surprisingly, it wasn't bad; one of the sets was undervalued, and Li Aozi had snagged it at a discount, worth 7 million Debis.

The two "masterpiece" weapons Li Aozi picked together were valued at 9 million Debis.

Li Aozi wasn't surprised by the results—ordinary people couldn't activate or comprehend the true value of "masterpieces."

Since Li Aozi had already paid for the last two weapons, they were handed directly to him. As for the remaining 8 million Debis worth of weapons, according to the rules, the victor would cover the cost.

Next, it was Yanagimon's turn. The judges gave Li Aozi a sympathetic look before announcing:

"Wind Demon Scythe Weasel Greatbow, plus 20 matching arrows, total: 20 billion Zhub."

"Famed Sword: Black Autumn Silhouette, 9.3916 billion Zhub."

"Hundred-Eyed Butterfly Knife Set, 6.9 billion Zhub."

......

"Total: 106.85 billion Zhub. Yanagimon Shinsuke, you have excellent taste."

Yanagimon's smile widened. Things were going even better than expected—this amounted to a whopping 5 billion Debis!

"No doubt about it, I've won completely."

He confidently approached Li Aozi, mockingly saying:

"Surely, someone of your Red Arrow status won't dodge or run from paying, right?"

Li Aozi remained calm: "I won't."

"Ah, as expected of an imperial citizen. With estates and mansions, you don't even blink at losing billions."

He moved closer, gleefully whispering:

"By the way, Li-san, today we have the grand onmyoji, shrine maidens, and the strongest Gamma-tier warriors in the country here. You might want to reconsider running from this huge debt."

"Is that so?" Li Aozi smiled. "Are you so sure you've won?"

"Of course," Yanagimon spread his hands. "I've won fair and square, with so many witnesses—this is strength!"

Li Aozi glanced at him: "Aren't you worried that your actions might ruin other guests' perceptions of the Kowloon Gathering? By doing this, you're telling everyone that Tianhuan has an unfair advantage at international events, using this method to make others pay for you—don't you think that's a bit shameless?"

"Only cowards care about others' opinions. Unfortunately, I'm the stronger player in this game."

Yanagimon Shinsuke sneered, releasing his peak Beta-tier aura without reservation. The oppressive force caused many present to react instinctively, watching him cautiously as if facing a predator.

He leaned down, speaking to Li Aozi with disdain:

"I'm a Beta-tier elite, a retainer of the Hojo family. Both my strength and power surpass yours. Pay up, you pretty vase. Tianhuan isn't a place for your imperial kind."

"So, you're saying it's acceptable for the strong to win by unfair rules?"

"And what if I am?" Yanagimon shrugged. "The strong are always justified—"

Before he could finish, golden rings rapidly expanded in Li Aozi's pupils.

"Kneel."

Thud!

Eighty times gravity instantly crashed down, making every bone in Yanagimon's body unbearably heavy. No human could withstand Li Aozi's command, and his fragile knees buckled, deforming under the pressure. Even as a Beta-tier peak samurai, he had no chance to resist.

Yanagimon's knees slammed into the ground, his clothes clinging to his back, shredded by the sheer force. His body was nearly flattened, and white mist sprayed from his pores—his body fluids evaporating under the pressure.

"Ugh—"

Though physically strong, Yanagimon didn't die on the spot, but his eyes bulged from his head in horror. The immense pressure had aged him fifty years in an instant. He stared at Li Aozi in terror, letting out a desperate, hoarse scream:

"What are you doing?! Are all Red Arrow people barbarians who can't accept defeat?!"

The security guards, seeing such a sudden change, panicked and hurried to contact the Gamma-tier warriors.

Sensing this, Yanagimon tried to buy time, shouting:

"This is the sacred Kowloon Festival! The grand onmyoji and shrine maidens are here, and so is the King of the Ring! Are you trying to completely destroy the Red Arrow Empire's reputation?!"

Li Aozi lifted his foot, stepping on Yanagimon's bowed head:

"How odd. Wasn't it you who said 'only cowards care about others' opinions' just now?"

"Y-You're just a sore loser—"

"Sore loser? Who said I lost? If I had lost, how could I possibly be standing over the head of a so-called victor?"

Tilting his head, Li Aozi calmly turned to the judges' table and said:

"Judges, the total value of my selected items is 3.3 billion plus 106 billion Zhub. Clearly, I've won."

As he spoke, Li Aozi used gravity to pull all of Yanagimon's chosen weapons to his feet:

"Mr. Yanagimon was kind enough to pick out all these treasures for me, and now he's even using his hair to clean my shoes. He's really so gentle, it makes me want to cry."

"You!" Yanagimon was stunned.

This was outright absurdity... calling a deer a horse, turning black into white—it was robbery!

"Tell me, did I lose?"

Li Aozi spread his hands, innocently asking:

"Where did I lose?"

The Law III agents were surprised but found this development favorable to their cause, chuckling quietly.

"This works too, let the world see that Li Aozi is just a savage, unreasonable bandit!"

Yanagimon, still pinned under Li Aozi's foot, tried to struggle and argue, but Li Aozi suddenly said something cryptic:

"Indeed, I am a barbarian."

The next moment, Yanagimon's neck twisted, and his entire body was flattened to the ground. Under 180 times gravity, he was crushed into a bloody smear, his flesh and blood slowly seeping into the soil, the air filling with the stench of blood.

The entire Kowloon Gathering fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared at Li Aozi. The intense visual impact and the overwhelming bloodshed left many completely stunned.

Their first reaction was disbelief: How could someone kill at Tianhuan's most sacred festival?

Their second reaction was to run: How could someone kill at Tianhuan's most sacred festival?!

Gamma-tier auras instantly filled the venue, and four powerful presences locked onto Li Aozi. Even the Law III agents stopped hiding and immediately sent messages to call in reinforcements.

"Madman!"

Someone noticed Li Aozi's eyes turning red and black and screamed in terror:

"He has the curse! Run!"

"You've come this far." Li Aozi smiled, raising his hand. "Why not stay for a little chat before leaving?"

[Dominator Form Activated]

Red-black crystalline spikes sprouted and grew, bone armor spreading like a web across his body. Crimson cracks erupted with searing flames, and layers of stone gathered like armor, forming a knightly appearance. In an instant, the armor turned deathly gray, with tendrils wrapping around the joints, and an ethereal stardust-like glow enveloped the exterior.

[Dominate All]

"Xia Jianjing, I've bought us some time. Your turn."

Li Aozi gave a quick order into his terminal, then looked up to the sky.

In the sky, four Gamma-tier powerhouses rose, but they didn't immediately attack. Instead, they called out cautiously: "Li Aozi, we invited you as a guest to our festival, and yet you've turned it into a bloodbath. You'd better have an explanation!"

"An explanation?" Li Aozi shrugged. He reached out, grabbing the two "masterpiece" weapons in each hand:

"Fine, I'll tell the truth."

He gave a slight smirk and, in a very calm and sincere tone, said:

"Gentlemen, the truth is, I came here to rob you."

The next moment, Li Aozi raised his hand and slammed it down, unleashing gravity that crushed everyone within a 50-meter radius to the ground. He roared:

"Long live the garbage! Anaerobic spirit forever! Tianhuan scum, your granddaddy from the outside world has arrived!"