Chapter Twenty-Seven: King Cobra

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After eighteen matches during the day, everyone was exhausted. The organizers announced that the most thrilling duel would take place in the evening. Now, only nine snakes remained on the field, with the lowest starting bet set at half a million.

Boss Hong invited all the gamblers to dine in his own cafeteria. The snake park’s cafeteria was spacious, with two floors, each accommodating about three hundred and twenty people.

The dishes were abundant, with snake cuisine being the most distinctive feature. Ten people per table, with snake meat dishes as well as seafood, seasonal vegetables, and a variety of drinks freely available. For a while, the dining hall was lively and bustling; people called out to friends and companions, laughter and merriment filled the air. Those who had won money were all smiles, while those who had lost were still sporting enough to accept their losses, clinking glasses with their acquaintances.

Of course, many people also went into the city of Foshan. The evening’s betting and duels wouldn’t resume until eight o’clock, so there was still plenty of time.

While guests feasted in the dining hall, Li Ying was teaching Sha Le’er how to perform. That night, they would stage a dramatic act in the snake fighting hall—Sha Le’er as the protagonist, with Li Ying in a supporting role.

By seven o’clock, guests had already gathered in the snake fighting hall. The big players hadn’t arrived yet, and Sha Le’er strolled with Li Ying, with the little snake Jin’er perched on his shoulder.

“Sister, are we deceiving people?”

“What do you think?” Li Ying gazed at him, her smile ambiguous.

“I’m not sure…”

“Well, I don’t care. If you can't pull this off, you have to compensate me—half a million, at least. Did you hear me?” Li Ying smiled charmingly. Watching her smile, Sha Le’er felt his bones go soft.

“Sister, I’ll do whatever you say.”

“Nonsense. If I asked you to die, would you obey?”

“If you wanted me dead, I’d do it.” Le’er grinned foolishly. “But I know you care about me; everything you do is for me. You’d never let me die.”

Listening to Le’er, Li Ying’s eyes grew misty. She reached out and took his hand.

“Silly boy… Just listen to me tonight and do as I say, alright? If you mess this up, neither of us will have any money.”

“Don’t worry, sister. I’m not that foolish.” Le’er grinned, gazing at Li Ying. She feared he might back out at the last moment or make a mistake on stage.

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As they talked, Li Ying led Le’er into the snake fighting arena. The place was roaring with voices, but Boss Hong and the other big shots had yet to arrive. Le’er hid the little snake in his clothes, so no one could see it.

At eight o’clock sharp, the betting duel began. Boss Hong released two snakes: a black mamba and his only taipan. The starting bet for the black mamba was half a million; for the taipan, eight hundred thousand.

At this moment, Li Ying became the host of the betting table. She wore a white dress, ethereal as a fairy, and as she stood beside the snake cage, the applause surged like a tide.

The black mamba entered the cage first, marking the night’s debut duel. Boss Hong’s black mamba ranked sixth among the remaining snakes; there were three black mambas left in the competition.

“Alright, let my snake fight Boss Hong’s black mamba.”

The speaker was Mr. Liu, a prominent snake breeder from Hubei, well-known nationwide. He was as plump as the Laughing Buddha, his eyes disappearing into folds when he smiled.

His snake was also a black mamba. Among fighting snakes, black mambas were the most popular—ferocious by nature, needing little special training to fight well. Moreover, Mr. Liu’s black mamba had won fourth place in the previous competition, a well-trained snake.

As a big boss, not having a snake in the match would be laughable, and he couldn’t challenge low-tier snakes either. Boss Hong was even more formidable than Mr. Liu, so matching his snake against Boss Hong’s gave Mr. Liu face. The remaining snakes were all formidable—the strongest being the king cobra of Mr. Zhe Dongwang from Zhejiang, and the taipan of the lady boss, Long Hehua. Boss Hong had also brought out his taipan, but he didn’t think it stood a chance against these snakes.

Compared to Boss Hong’s black mamba, Mr. Liu believed his own snake was stronger. His black mamba had seen many battles—fourth place in the previous tournament, third the one before—so he felt confident.

When Mr. Liu’s black mamba entered the cage, applause thundered. This snake was recognized by many, its body scarred from multiple battles, surviving three matches without dying; even the previous first and second place winners hadn’t achieved such glory. More importantly, this black mamba was only eight years old—not old at all.

Li Ying, her voice as sweet as a warbler, introduced the two snakes. Boss Hong’s snake had never fought before. The odds were even, one to one. Most people bet on Mr. Liu’s black mamba. The snake’s reputation preceded it; they believed it could do the impossible once more.

Indeed, Boss Hong’s black mamba lost, and lost badly—killed by Mr. Liu’s black mamba’s venomous fangs.

Mr. Ji from Henan Province wanted to challenge Boss Hong’s taipan, but Boss Hong firmly declined.

“Sorry, my taipan is newly acquired and hasn’t been trained yet.”

Mr. Ji raised a king cobra. Boss Hong knew his taipan wasn’t a match for the king cobra and directly refused the challenge.

The king cobra doesn’t even make the world’s top ten most venomous snakes, but it ranks first for ferocity. This species prefers eating other snakes and is notorious for its savage nature. Mr. Ji’s king cobra sat in the iron cage for a long time, with no snake daring to challenge it.

Mr. Zhe Dongwang from Zhejiang also had a king cobra, but Mr. Ji didn’t dare let his snake compete with Zhe’s. Zhe’s king cobra was four and a half meters long, as thick as a sapling—not a snake most could subdue.

In the snake breeding world, Zhe Dongwang was unmatched in wealth and experience. Compared to him, Boss Hong was second-rate. Nearly every time Zhe attended a snake gambling event, the king snake never slipped from his grasp. If he said his snake was second, no one dared claim first. This time, he hadn’t come himself; his son, Zhe Fuhai, arrived, bringing money, snakes, and three top-tier bodyguards.

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His king cobra was placed in the iron cage. Within, its thick, long body coiled upon itself, forming a mound, its head raised high to survey the crowd, flicking a black tongue, its gaze cold.

Li Ying stood not far from the cage, introducing the colossal king cobra to everyone. It was the snake’s first time participating in a gambling duel—no victories, no defeats—but capturing it had taken tremendous effort. Zhe had hired twelve snake-catching experts, both Chinese and foreign, but even then, five of the top catchers were bitten during the hunt.

“My god, that’s impressive,”

The crowd buzzed with discussion. The snake’s dominance left everyone awe-struck.

The starting bet for this snake was two million. Anyone wishing to challenge it had to put up two million on the betting table, matching Zhe’s own stake.

All eyes were fixed on the king cobra in the iron cage. Zhe Fuhai sat beside his three bodyguards, immensely proud as he watched the snake. During training at home, this snake had defeated their previous taipan—which had won first place in the last competition—in just three rounds. However, this news hadn’t left the family, only a handful knew.

If others learned of it, who knows what madness might ensue?

Who dared to challenge this snake? Such a ferocious beast was the pinnacle of its kind. None of the snakes in the arena could compare to its size, and it was a king cobra of unrivaled ferocity. Any ordinary snake would likely be devoured, bones and skin alike.

The atmosphere in the casino grew tense. Everyone was here to gamble and have fun, but with such a terrifying snake, who would dare compete? Without a bet, what was the point?

Yet, someone walked toward the snake cage. It was Sha Le’er, with a golden little snake draped on his shoulder.

“Boss Hong, let my Jin’er fight it!”

Le’er pointed to his little snake, then to the giant king in the cage. The crowd was first shocked, then burst into laughter—wasn’t this courting death? That little snake? Beautiful, perhaps, but not nearly enough for the king cobra’s appetite.

Boss Hong feigned surprise, looking at Sha Le’er. Li Ying openly scolded Le’er, telling him not to cause trouble.

But Le’er’s demeanor was resolute.

The little snake glanced coldly at the cobra in the cage, then curled up to rest, placing its head beneath its tiny body, unmoving.