"So the trap was there..." Bubai's lips twitched.
Holy Merlin. This madman truly took "art is an explosion" to the highest standard!
But... wasn't he afraid they'd get triggered during battle?
Then again, seeing how that cultivator robe of his didn't even get singed, it was most likely made from spirit worm silk.
Tough stuff. Impervious to water and fire. A decent armor even against other Qi-based attacks.
Those talismans can stay pretty safe inside... until they get detonated.
Of course, in that case, the first to bear the brunt would be the man lighting the match.
This was undoubtedly suicidal behavior and will only happen when a poor soul is desperate.
Now the question is...
Is this all a bluff? Or is this bomber boy really crazy enough to die with him?
There's an old saying: never trust a drowning man not to pull you under with him.
If push comes to shove and this saboteur hugs him to die together—well, that'll suck. Like for real.
Then again, there's another popular saying: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Explosive tags? Meh. So far, he ate those like candy!
And guess what? Stacking more explosive tags didn't exactly make the flames hotter.
At most, it looks more intimidating and perhaps made the cremation more… thorough.
This bomboyash should know this.
So why recycle this same ol' trick to scare him?
An actor's instinct: never believe what an actor wants you to see.
It looked like this was a desperate madman who got nothing else up his sleeves, but...
The more it's like this, the more vigilant he should be!
After all, who's to say this big clan prodigy hadn't cultivated one of those self-destructive arts found in the Book Pavilion or other secret forbidden arts that could turn the table.
Since he didn't possess the power to absolutely crush this saboteur in one go, it was better to play it safe rather than be sorry.
Here's the good news: he still got the upper hand. Which meant…
The initiative was his! He can play this out any way he wants!
Oozing false panic on his face, Bubai threw up his arms in surrender.
"Ohhh, so much explosive tags, so scary~ Alright, you got me, you got me! My legs are now shaking in my boots so hard that they won't listen to me! But…"
He smirked. "At least my hands still do."
His hand then fished out the water ghost's soaked arm from his storage pouch and a little vial.
"This here is Corpse Dissolve Liquid. You should know what it does..."
Bubai gave the jade-white vial a little shake and grinned.
"Think you can catch me before I give your precious arm here a proper bath?"
"You—!!" Wu Dawei's face flashed with anxiousness followed by pure anger. "Good. Very good! How ruthless!"
Bubai only smiled back.
"Oh, don't give me that look. It's only right that we're ruthless to our enemies. As for whether we will stay enemies or not… well, that's up to you, isn't it?"
Looking at that infuriatingly smug smile on the cheeky rat's face, Wu Dawei's teeth almost became fangs from how much he was grinding them.
How he wish he could just throw aside all reasons and just bash that face in!
But... he can't! The other grasped his weakness!
It's not hard to reattach that arm once he gets it back, but that's only if he gets it back intact!
Once it's gone, it's gone!
Of course, for cultivators, there are various ways to replace a completely-lost limb.
For the wealthy, there are heavenly wonders that can cover all boundaries—from regrowing bones to creating something from nothing.
But such precious treasures were reserved for the truly powerful and those scions backed by great clans.
For someone like him, not born under celestial stars or a golden spoon, perhaps he could get a prosthetic at best.
Sure, a master craftsman's prosthetic can be so good that even a fellow cultivator can't tell the difference between a mimic and a real limb.
But no matter how good an imitation was, it can never be the same as the original.
This usually leads to a disharmony between the body and spirit…
And according to a secret manual he'd once read, this lost of harmony could become a chasm that will stall his promotion to a higher realm!
This meant a lost arm might cut off his future road! How can he not be anxious?!
What to do? What to do?
This foul, scheming rat looked greedy and acted all aggressive, but he turned out to be more cautious than a snake!
Even after all his temptations, he still didn't bite the bait.
The most annoying part is that this mentally-ill rat didn't play by the rules!
Who brings out a contraband on stage just to destroy a limb!
What made him most helpless?
By now, he has gotten a good measure of the other's true speed and power.
He knows it's impossible to catch this slippery rat and get his arm back, especially if this cockroach decides to scurry up the wall!
Now what?
Will he really have to give up his arm here? Or does he really have to…
Wu Dawei's heart went through an immense struggle.
On one side was a powerful combat assistant. On the other, his future.
But he didn't struggle for long.
A magic tool can be replaced! Cultivation is most important! Choose the skies over the sword!
Though anger simmered in his guts, Wu Dawei grit his teeth and growled, "You—I'll remember this! I will! Now hand over my arm!"
Bubai jeered back. "Heh. Why don't you be a good boy and toss over your gourd first?"
"You wish!"
"Suit yourself..."
The two beasts then warily locked gazes like wolves ready to lunge. Both unwilling to blink.
The chaotic currents of the water gradually stilled, and everything fell calm.
Minutes passed… Neither moved.
This game of stare-eyes seemed like it'll never end, but somebody will always come to break things up.
"Time's up! Wu Dawei versus Mo Bubai—draw!"
The announcement thundered in both their ears.
Just like that, the invisible string binding their standoff snapped.
Hearing the water gurgling around him as if some drain has been opened, Bubai made a please gesture at the gourd. "After you."
Wu Dawei snorted. He unhooked the empty gourd from his waist and flung it over...
Snap! Bubai caught it one-handed and weighed it in his hand with a smile.
"My. Arm!" Wu Dawei snarled impatiently.
"Oh, right!" Smiling like a merchant who'd just bartered for treasure, Bubai happily obliged and threw the pale-cold arm over like a boomerang. "Here. Catch!"
The spin was wicked, but Wu Dawei accurately snatched it out of the air with nada problemo.
Bubai gave the man a two-finger salute. "Pleasure doing business with you. Haha…"
Those mocking words earned him a murderous look that seemed to want to burn his face into eternal memory.
After a good, long glare, Wu Dawei turned to wade out, sneering to himself.
Just you wait!
So what if he temporarily let this dirty rat keep his gourd?
Once he finds a good chance, it'll still return to his hands, with interest!
Watching that leaving back that was begging for a backstab, Bubai suppressed his own murderous intent.
Releasing a tiger back to the mountain like this sure seemed like a stupid thing to do, but sometimes, gotta compromise for a better turnout.
Besides, this tiger might fatten itself on arrogance and turn into a great leek who'll come back to deliver a bento in the future!
With his overpowered cheat helping him grow, a loser at his hands today won't ever get the chance for a comeback!
Well, assuming they both lived long enough for that to happen.
Yes, everything has always been, and will be, for the sake of survival.
Bubai gaze out at the audience that was in an uproar all around the coliseum. Now... for the final act.
He turned around, but just when he hobbled a step forward, his legs buckled, and... he naturally let himself topple over.
Plop. Perfect.
Bubai rolled over onto his back, letting his battered body float there like a driftwood and get carried around by the draining currents.
He gazed up, past the high arena walls, past the crowd, toward the sky where the white clouds idly drifted.
Ah... Dear Merlin. When can he be free like that?