Chapter 673: Already A Walking Corpse
A piece of news spread throughout Chongque City, shocking everyone with its astonishing content and sheer amount of information.
Nan Wushuang, the president of the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild, had demanded an explanation from the Exploding Star Gang after his only son was killed by Li Qingchen, the Hall Master of Red Shield Hall. If no resolution was reached, there would be no end to their conflict.
Tensions between the two major factions escalated to the brink of open war. However, Gao Xinghan, the Grand Overseer of the Inner Division, one of the Four Divisions, personally intervened after making inquiries. He was attempting to mediate between the two sides.
In the end, under the oversight of official forces, the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild and the Exploding Star Gang agreed to settle their grievances through a life-or-death duel at Jiuyang Tower.
Such duels at Jiuyang Tower were common. This method served as the ultimate resolution for grudges that could not be settled through conventional means within the world of gangs and even among the major powers of Chongque City.
The winner took all. The loser accepted their fate. Tens of thousands of life-or-death duels took place in Chongque City every year. For instance, the recent battle between the Exploding Star Gang and the Twin Shadow Tower had followed this exact format.
However, what made this particular duel so shocking, the thing that had sent an enormous ripple throughout Chongque City, was not just the fight itself, but also the external wagers.
Both the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild and the Exploding Star Gang had placed astronomical stakes on the outcome of the duel. The former had wagered the five-hundred-year operational rights to three A+ grade stargate ports, while the latter had staked the ownership of a celestial jade trading market and the operational rights to an A+ grade major weapons auction house.
The authorities of Chongque City had a strict system and set standards for the division of commercial sectors. They issued different licenses to regulate business operations. Only those who obtained the necessary licenses were allowed to conduct commercial activities within the city.
An A+ grade market license, whether for a stargate or a trading hub, was considered a highly coveted asset. Even in the worst market conditions, a business operating under such a license would generate a minimum annual revenue of five hundred thousand kilograms of celestial jade.
With such staggering stakes, this duel became the largest and most extravagant life-or-death match held in Chongque City's arena in nearly a century. It was also the most reckless.