With a swish!
As soon as Ying Chen spoke, Huo Sheng's expression changed dramatically, as did everyone else present. They had been so focused on their triumph that they had forgotten a crucial point: they were all in the same boat. If the warships fired simultaneously, they could obliterate Ying Chen into dust, but the others would not escape unscathed either. This was akin to mutual destruction!
"Stop trying to stir up trouble! Do you think warships only have cannons?"
"Warships also have close-defense machine guns! And small missiles!"
"Both of these can be used to kill enemies within a small range! They can completely preserve the lives of most people present!"
"So what you're saying doesn't hold water at all!"
At this moment, Commander Lin stepped forward to defend Huo Sheng. Commander Lin had served in the military and was very familiar with the configuration of the three warships. Hearing Commander Lin's words, the people's hanging hearts finally relaxed. However, a faint trace of worry still lingered. After all, Commander Lin had just said that most people present could be spared, not all. This meant that someone would inevitably perish with Ying Chen. As for who that unlucky person would be, it was hard to say. Anyone but themselves would suffice. With this thought, everyone present tacitly took a step back.
However, if everyone retreated, it meant no one had truly moved. Still, no one was willing to step forward to take the bullet. This led to an awkward silence among the crowd, with everyone looking at each other. Seeing this, Ying Chen couldn't help but sneer, "It seems none of you want to die!"
"Then I'll just pick a few unlucky ones at random to die with me."
As soon as Ying Chen said this, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically. Good heavens, Ying Chen had just turned the tables! He had gone from being on the defensive to being on the offensive! But the people present were in a dire situation, not knowing who Ying Chen would choose to be a sacrifice under the hail of bullets!
"Hmm, I remember a children's game called something like that?"
"Pick a soldier, pick a general."
"Let's do it according to this game! To prevent you from saying I'm cheating, I'll close my eyes and pick randomly. Similarly, you can't cheat. Whoever I pick must honestly stand in front of me."
After speaking, Ying Chen actually closed his eyes. He began to play the so-called children's game!
"Pick a soldier, pick a general, ride a horse to fight. Whoever is picked, goes with me. If you don't go with me, you're a dog."
As Ying Chen's words fell, he finally pointed at someone. The person was instantly terrified. His legs trembled, and he shook his head repeatedly, "No, no, no, I'm not going with you! I don't want to die!"
Ying Chen looked at him mockingly, "We agreed not to cheat. Are you going to cheat?" The man, perhaps dazed by fear or having lost his mind, actually turned and ran wildly into the distance! As he ran, he shouted, "Whoever wants to go with you, go! I definitely won't stay here to wait for death!"
Ying Chen watched the man's fleeing back and chuckled. He stomped lightly on the ground! BOOM! A sound like a thunderclap rang out, and the banquet hall floor exploded like a string of firecrackers. The shattered wooden planks shot forward in a straight line, eventually reaching the fleeing man's feet. With a tearing sound... a wooden spike shot up and pierced directly into the man's body!
The man's fleeing form instantly froze. He looked down at the wooden spike embedded in his body in disbelief, then turned to look at Ying Chen. "You... are so cruel..." With that, he collapsed to the ground with a thud. He had met his end prematurely!
This scene instantly sent a chill down the spines of everyone present. Those who had been thinking of seizing the opportunity to escape quietly withdrew the steps they had already taken. Huo Sheng's face turned red with rage, "Ying! You've gone too far!"
"Killing someone right in front of me, do you really think I wouldn't dare to order the warships to fire?"
"At worst, we'll perish together! I've lived for over sixty years, enjoyed all the glory and wealth, seen all the wonders of the world, and my life has been worth it!"
"And you? A rare talent who cultivates both martial and magical arts, young and with a bright future ahead, I don't believe you'd be willing to die with us!"
"If you have the guts, let's bet again! I bet you don't dare to perish with us!"
Hearing Huo Sheng's hysterical words, Ying Chen chuckled softly, "If your sixty years of life were already worth it, then wouldn't I be even more so?" Huo Sheng, with sixty years of life, felt it was enough; Ying Chen, with over two thousand years of life, was more than enough. If Huo Sheng insisted on comparing them on this point, then he had lost miserably. However, Huo Sheng was right about one thing: Ying Chen truly would not perish with them! Because compared to the fine jade that was Ying Chen, Huo Sheng and the others were merely rough stones!
"Let's forget about betting."
"After all, you are completely under my control, and I have no interest in playing games with you anymore."
Ying Chen waved his hand, rejecting Huo Sheng's gambling invitation. This led Huo Sheng to believe that Ying Chen was afraid of a mutual destruction. He couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Hahahaha, did you all hear that? He's scared! He's afraid of dying! He doesn't dare to drag us all down with him!"
"His excuse is so lame, saying we're completely under his control. May I ask, in this situation, with three warships poised outside, how can he control us?"
"Who gave him the courage? The Jade Emperor or the Buddha?"
"Hahahaha..." Hearing Huo Sheng's words, everyone present also burst into laughter. They were now emboldened! Because they had found Ying Chen's weakness—fear of death! Once a person has a weakness, it can be exploited and destroyed! Ying Chen's expression remained calm as he watched everyone laugh. When they finished laughing, he spoke unhurriedly, "It wasn't the Jade Emperor who gave me courage, nor the Buddha, but someone else."
"Someone you all know."
Everyone was taken aback. Someone we all know? Who could it be? But Ying Chen refused to continue. Instead, he looked at Huo Sheng with a mocking expression, "You thought you were the only one with a backup plan?"
"I'm sorry, I do too."
"From the moment you returned home, your actions have been under my surveillance! Your seemingly flawless plan has actually been exposed long ago!"
"Next, let me show you my backup plan!"
With that, Ying Chen suddenly snapped his fingers. *Snap!* The sound of the snap cut through the sea breeze, traveling far and wide, reaching the depths of the dark and profound ocean.