Chapter 22 Bargaining

After saying that, Jiang Cheng took the initiative to walk towards the stone door. He had only taken two steps when he turned his head, stared at Chen Ran, and said, "Brother Chen, won't you come and take a look with me?"

Chen Ran licked his lips and replied with a smile, "If Brother Hao would take his hand out of his pocket, I wouldn't mind going with you."

Jiang Cheng pondered for a moment, smacked his lips, and reluctantly agreed, "Is that so?"

He slowly took his hand out of his pocket, revealing a wooden dagger pressed against his muscular forearm.

Chen Ran couldn't help but smile.

So did Jiang Cheng.

The two rather handsome young men smiled at each other in the room illuminated only by the flame in the middle.

The firelight projected their shadows on the wall, and with the wind blowing in from who knows where, the shadows trembled slightly, creating a scene that was even a little ambiguous for a time.

"Don't mind it," Jiang Cheng slightly stretched his shoulders, held the dagger upside down, and shook it. "Su Xiaoxiao gave me this dagger. The reason is probably that she has always had a crush on me and doesn't want anything to happen to me."

Chen Ran's eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment, he softly asked, "You...you knew each other before?"

"Not really," Jiang Cheng shook his head, his eyes full of playfulness. "Just a brief encounter. Brother Chen might not know me very well."

He leaned forward slightly, deliberately putting on a mysterious look, and whispered, "I don't like women who are too proactive. I like them to be passive."

He swallowed and continued in a lewd tone, "Men or women, either is fine."

Chen Ran narrowed his eyes and nodded after a long while. "I understand."

Jiang Cheng widened his eyes in surprise. "What do you understand? You don't want to..." His mouth formed an O-shape, his eyes constantly scanning Chen Ran up and down.

After a long time, Chen Ran spoke again, "Brother Hao, won't you reconsider my proposal?"

"I can't help it," Jiang Cheng spread his hands helplessly. "You know what kind of relationship I have with that fatty. How do you expect me to help you out?"

"Or..." Jiang Cheng swallowed and tentatively suggested, "Brother Chen, why don't you...spend a couple of nights with me first, and I'll check the goods?"

Chen Ran took a deep breath and slowly pulled his hands out of his pockets. "I won't trouble Brother Hao," he said with a smile. "It seems it's easier to just take you both down together."

"Oh?"

When Chen Ran slowly turned his hands over, Jiang Cheng's face suddenly turned awkward. He saw that...each of the other's hands held a dagger, and their workmanship and length were obviously superior to the one in his hand.

In comparison, the one in his hand looked like a bargain bin item.

"Wait!"

Just a second before Chen Ran was about to attack, Jiang Cheng suddenly relented.

"I have a suggestion," he said righteously. "I think you and I are both rare and fiery good men in this world, so I propose that we both drop our weapons."

"How about hand-to-hand combat?" Jiang Cheng shouted loudly. "Let's resolve our differences in the most manly way."

Chen Ran ignored him and attacked directly.

He had learned from a master who devoted himself to studying the Assassin's Creed stabbing technique, so he had a perfect grasp of the power and timing of close-range stabs.

And in the duel on the day he completed his training, he blinded both of his teacher's eyes.

He still remembered the last words his teacher said as he knelt on the blood-stained floor. He said that only death was the final destination of an assassin, and he thanked his beloved disciple for only destroying his eyes.

"Goodbye."

Chen Ran bowed before closing the door of his teacher's Luoting room.

He was absolutely confident in dealing with Jiang Cheng, but he preferred to watch the fighting between friends, relatives... He liked to see the hesitant look in their eyes after hearing his proposal.

Like pitiful prey.

They needed to learn reverence, the determination that everything must give way in the face of life.

His understanding of teaching was simple and practical. He never tried to influence them with endless words. He didn't have the time, his patience was limited, and he was more used to directly destroying their bodies, wills, and spirits.

Only through destruction can there be a new birth.

Only then would it be clean and thorough.

He never hoped that the man in front of him would betray his teammates outside. Saying so was just a comfort out of boredom, and also to test how much of a surprise the man in front of him could give him.

On him, he actually smelled a rare and special scent.

Chen Ran grinned. It was...the scent of deep red.

He was qualified to become a disciple.

During the fight, this man who called himself Hao Shuai gave him more and more surprises. He was very strong, but his understanding of daggers was obviously lacking.

His footwork was also too slow for his thrusts.

The balance of victory and defeat had been destined from the beginning, but it was just a little troublesome. He very kindly left wounds on the latter's arms and legs, and finally, he carved a knife mark on his face.

Not deep, but still, blood flowed out slowly.

The hem of his windbreaker-like coat swung open, and Chen Ran sheathed his knife very smartly. There was a place on each side of his waist for inserting daggers.

"Brother Hao," Chen Ran tilted his head, his eyes smiling but not smiling as he looked at him. "Now you still have a chance to consider the suggestion I made earlier."

He smiled gently. "Our agreement still stands."

Jiang Cheng leaned against the wall. He wasn't badly injured, but that was only because the former hadn't used his full strength. His right hand, clutching the dagger, trembled slightly. The knife cut on his right arm accurately cut open the muscles he used to exert force when wielding the knife.

"Hoo—" He let out a long breath.

Chen Ran tilted his head and stared at him, his beautiful eyes seemed to be able to talk.

"Wait for me for a while," Jiang Cheng coughed hard twice, as if his throat was blocked by phlegm, "Just 10 minutes will do."

Chen Ran shook his head slightly. "No."

"Then...5 minutes?"

"Not even one minute," Chen Ran looked at him and said, exhaling, "Brother Hao, you have to make a choice now, will you be the lab rat, or the fat brother outside?"

"Oh," he smiled. "Don't think about waiting for the fat brother outside to save you. He probably has enough trouble of his own."

"You're talking about the painting you left on the ground outside, right?" Jiang Cheng leaned against the wall, panting as he spoke. "Forget about it, I destroyed the painting."

"Because you used the fuel here, he might be in a hallucination for a while, but it won't be long." Because straightening his arms would hurt a lot, Jiang Cheng changed his posture and raised his chin, signaling Chen Ran to look at the flame in the middle.

"It should be about time," In the next moment, Jiang Cheng suddenly straightened his back, raised his head, and said loudly and confidently to Chen Ran, "Are you convinced that you lost to me, Hao Shuai?"