# Chapter 493: Betting with One's Life
"What...?" Earth Rabbit looked at Chen Junnan with interest. "Trying to bluff me again? You got lost, but you lied to me after entering the game venue... Are you going to use the same trick again?"
"You almost made me forget about that." Chen Junnan smiled. "Let me apologize to you, little master... I don't actually like lying... but a friend of mine taught me a lot of little tricks, and I always end up using them without thinking."
"It won't work on me," Earth Rabbit said. "I just want you to understand that you're a self-righteous fool. Ever since you entered this room, all your schemes have been under my control."
"Is that so?" Chen Junnan nodded. "But I still want to tell you... If you don't agree to rebel, I'll gamble with you right here..."
He left out the last word, and dramatically moved his lips, silently mouthing the word "life" to the other party.
"You..." Upon hearing this, Earth Rabbit decisively narrowed his red eyes, then awkwardly reached up to straighten his shirt sleeves. "Are you saying you want to fight me to the death...?"
"That's right. Isn't that a coincidence?" Chen Junnan laughed. "You want our lives, and we want yours."
Cold sweat was still pouring down Chen Junnan's face. This time, he had absolutely no confidence that he could kill the muscular man in front of him. After all, coming to blows with a "Zodiac" was extremely dangerous.
Earth Rabbit accurately caught Chen Junnan's micro-expressions, but he knew the man in front of him wasn't honest, and he couldn't tell if he was putting on an act.
"But if you're killed by me now... you'll come back to life sooner or later. Once you choose to 'gamble,' the nature of this matter changes." Earth Rabbit's tone softened a little, but it still didn't sound like he was backing down. "Are you confident you can kill me here?"
He turned to look at Jiang Shi, who was already immobilized behind him, then looked back at Chen Junnan and further away at Cui Shisi and the others. "Fighting me to the death? Are you all that confident in your 'Echoes'?"
He paused for a few seconds, then furrowed his brow. "No... many of you don't even seem to have 'Echoes' at all. Where do you get your confidence?"
"I don't really have any confidence," Chen Junnan said, scratching his head and casually wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "I'm used to putting harsh words out there first. After all, only in desperate situations can I unleash my driving force. They say 'the cart will find its way around the hill when it gets there,' but if I find that the road ends at a single-log bridge, then I have no choice but to improve my driving skills and show everyone a one-sided performance in the face of danger."
"So can I take that as you bragging?" Earth Rabbit said with a smile. "I really don't believe you have that kind of courage... If you could kill me, there would be no need to send a kid here as a punching bag, and there would be no need to 'gamble' with me. After all, in this game, you could kill me without gambling."
"You seem to think you're pretty smart, huh?" Chen Junnan said. "You've analyzed so much for me. Why don't you just speak your mind? Little master's brain is getting dizzy."
"Heh..." Earth Rabbit stretched lazily, cracking his joints. "I'm saying... you don't dare."
"I don't dare...? Provocation won't work on me." Chen Junnan shook his head. "Since this is a negotiation, I have to offer you a tempting price. How about we change the bet?"
"Go ahead." Earth Rabbit looked at Chen Junnan mockingly. In his eyes, this man was already backing down.
"If I can win your game... you agree to one request, and I won't take any of the rewards from this game," Chen Junnan said. "If I can't win, and you can kill all of us, then little master will announce a fight to the death with you at the last moment... That way, not only can you kill me, but you can also get rid of me forever."
Earth Rabbit was a bit confused by Chen Junnan's words. He thought carefully about what the other meant.
In just a few seconds, both the "Cat" team behind him and Earth Rabbit in front were frozen in place.
Seeing that no one responded, Chen Junnan continued, "Earth Rabbit, little master Chen Junnan's words aren't that hard to understand, are they?"
Earth Rabbit understood, but he couldn't comprehend it.
"You're saying that if you're about to lose... you'll announce a fight to the death with me, and then completely become an original resident...?"
"That's right." Chen Junnan nodded decisively. "Although I don't fully understand how you Zodiacs operate, winning in such a life-or-death fight is a good thing for you too, right?"
"But isn't this too absurd?" Earth Rabbit retorted. "Would you willingly offer up your life like that? What's the purpose?"
"The purpose is to get you to agree to my request..." Chen Junnan smiled. "As long as you dare to agree, I dare to place the bet. Only a high-stakes gamble can lead to a great victory."
"I... you..." Earth Rabbit swallowed his saliva, feeling that he really couldn't figure out the current situation. Why was this man so confident?
Was he really that powerful?
But from another perspective, this bet was risk-free for him. Even if the other party did win the game by some stroke of luck, he wouldn't die because of it. But the other party would fall into eternal doom with just one mistake.
"Mr. Rabbit Cub." Chen Junnan stepped back to the center of the room. "As long as you can push me to the brink... then little master's life is yours. But if you can never kill me, that proves you can't even defeat an ordinary participant, and you can only humbly agree to one of my requests... Are you willing to match the bet?"
"Damn it..." Earth Rabbit was shaking with anger, the white fur on his face all bunched up together. "Fine... just you wait..."
Earth Rabbit reached out and pulled out the bamboo-shaped remote hanging around his neck, pressed a button on it, then looked up at the corner of the room's ceiling. After waiting a few seconds, the broadcast sounded.
"The 'Zodiac's' turn is over. Now let the 'Participants' begin their actions."
Upon hearing this, Chen Junnan didn't hesitate. He directly closed the door in front of him and locked it.
"Captain!" The several people behind him stepped forward, showing anxious expressions. "What are you doing?"
"Didn't I just say? I've always wanted to gamble my life with an Earth-level Zodiac, so I can show off to Lao Qi when I get back." Chen Junnan laughed. "I finally made it back to Lao Qi's team, so I have to bring him a gift."
Cui Shisi asked with concern, "But do you have confidence...? This doesn't sound like a life-or-death gamble, just using 'gambling your life' as the 'stake'..."
"I really have no confidence at all," Chen Junnan said. "But you all need to remember this: if little master fails, make sure to tell Lao Qi about my heroic performance."
Cui Shisi, Ma Shier, and Wu Shisan could only look at each other nervously. They hadn't participated in a game for many years—not to mention "gambling with their lives," they rarely even participated in ordinary bets.
Was it necessary to make such a huge bet this time?
"Then what do we do next...?" Cui Shisi said. "Captain, how can we help you?"
"You don't need to help me. Everything proceeds according to the original plan." Chen Junnan was silent for a moment before speaking. "You go find the last 'artifact' first. Once you find it, head for the exit. I'll find a way for you to get the last two artifacts. Whether I win or not this time, I'll find a way to get you out."
"You don't need to consider us so much...?" Cui Shisi said. "Captain, you're the one in the most danger right now, yet you're still protecting us..."
"I'm protecting your grandma," Chen Junnan said. "If you all die here too, how will that kid Lao Qi ever know how heroic I was?"
(Starting next Monday [August 21, 2023], a special event for "Ten Days of Eternity" will be launched!!! The prizes are very, very rich!! Including but not limited to iPhone 14, Switch, signed books, signed merchandise, etc. I will also be updating at an unprecedented rate during the event. Let everyone get warmed up in advance. Open the book circle on Monday, find the pinned post, and check the event details!)