Chapter 443 - Winner Takes Hao Ren~
Translator: Noodletown Translated Editor: Noodletown Translated
Xie Yujia took a moment to think, “Using Hao Ren as a bet?”
Hao Ren was with Grandma. He heard his name, so he turned around and looked at Xie Yujia and Zhao Yanzi.
“Are you scared?” Zhao Yanzi opened her cute little mouth and looked at Yujia with her head slanted.
“I bet on the yellow,” Xie Yujia said with composure.
“I bet on the purple,” Zhao Yanzi immediately responded.
The two stared at each other firmly, almost to the extent that sparks might appear between the two.
“I bet on the white,” Su Han suddenly said.
Both Xie Yujia and Zhao Yanzi turned around and were surprised.
Su Han’s hands were behind her back, and she faced the river. In her white clothes, she looked extremely calm.
Dong! Dong! Dang! Dang, Dang!
Dong! Dong! Dang! Dang, Dang!
Drums sounded from either side of the river, and the drummers on the seven dragon boats hit their drums forcefully as well, making incredibly loud noises.
The red dragon boat was in the lead while the rest kept trying to catch up.
The dragon boats were rowing toward the Xuchuan Bridge, and thousands of residents on the bridge watched and cheered.
This was the first time the East Ocean City collaborated with the surrounding cities to host a dragon boat race, so many news channels and residents were interested in this event.
Monday was a holiday for everyone because of the Dragon Boat Festival, and people took advantage of the holiday and came by the river to watch the race. With so many people watching the match, the small businesses set up a lot of cultural and food stands by the Yellow Dragon River.
These exceptional events held in the city were proof that the mayor was a person with a great vision.
“Hurry up, purple boat!” Zhao Yanzi looked over at the boats aiming toward the Xuchuan Bridge and couldn’t help but shout.
Xie Yujia didn’t say anything, but her eyes were set on the yellow dragon boat.
Zhao Yanzi was always aggressive, and Xie Yujia did not want to lose to her.
Zeng Xin, Zeng Yitao, along with a few scientists who were all not famous, were standing on the side of a platform. They were completely ignored by Hao Ren’s group.
Hao Ren looked up at the sky and saw a red-light beam flashing through the sky.
“It’s going to rain soon,” Hao Ren said.
The few scientists who were ignored couldn’t help but say, “It’s so sunny right now. How could it rain?”
Hao Ren turned and stared at them for a few seconds.
“If it really rains, then you guys shouldn’t stay here,” he said.
Hao Ren really disliked these people. Conqueror Group hired such people, and that was probably why they weren’t as competitive as Mingri Group in the business world.
“Hao Ren!” Yue Yang looked at him as if she were scolding him.
“These people obviously lack experience, so there is no need to argue with them.” This was the thought in her mind.
However, those people continued to argue with Hao Ren. “What if it doesn’t rain…”
Before they could finish their sentence, the sky turned cloudy.
Whoosh! A shower of rain poured from the sky.
The entire Yellow Dragon River was covered and turned into a blur, and the festive atmosphere of the Dragon Boat Festival was intensified.
The so-called ‘scientists’ froze on the spot. They never thought that the rain would just suddenly pour down when it was so sunny a moment before.
Hao Ren stared at them.
The pressure from a Gen-level cultivator wasn’t something mortals could withstand. They were so scared that they walked toward the stairs to escape.
“Humph!” Zeng Xin lightly snorted, stopping Hao Ren’s pressure. He dragged Zeng Yitao with him, and they walked steadily toward the stairs.
There was no purpose for them to stay here anymore, and Inspector Su Han was there so he couldn’t get mad at the mortals in front of her.
Zeng Yitao turned his head to look at Zhao Yanzi. He was unwilling to let Zhao Yanzi go, but the latter didn’t even look at him. She put her hands above her head to shield off some rain while her eyes locked on the race.
Qin Shaoyang didn’t look like he was in a good mood as well, and he also walked down the stairs. Not only was Hao Ren a lot more powerful and now a level 3 inspector, but the East Ocean City was also now Hao Ren’s territory.
Theoretically, inspectors could go anywhere. However, if they entered a big city, they would have to respect the regional inspector. This was to prevent any negative effects on the regional inspector’s power.
If Qin Shaoyang was a level 4 Inspector, he could use his superior ranking to suppress Hao Ren. However, Qin Shaoyang was also only a level 3 inspector now. If Hao Yan and Su Han combined forces, Qin Shaoyang would have no place in the East Ocean City!
As Oldman Zeng’s group left, the platform had more space. The needle that was poking Hao Ren on the inside was finally taken out.
As Qin Shaoyang officially left East Ocean City, Hao Ren and Su Han became the managers of East Ocean City. They were in charge of managing all the dragon cultivators within the East Ocean region.
All cultivators who were above Xun-level had to get permission from the regional inspectors before they could enter East Ocean City.
That meant if the high-ranking elders from the West Ocean Dragon Clan were to enter the East Ocean region without permission, it would be seen as trespassing. The Dragon God Shrine had the right to request the West Ocean Dragon Clan to explain themselves.
With the remaining powers of the West Ocean Dragon Clan, they were not the Dragon God Shrine’s opponent. Also, the low-leveled cultivators weren’t brave enough to attack mortals.
The benefit of all this was that Hao Ren could ensure the safety of his family!
Dong! Dong! Dang! Dang, Dang!
Just as the race was at its halfway point, the cheer grew louder. Mayor Wu looked over at the river, acting as if he didn’t see Zeng Xin and his group leave.
Just when Zeng Xin walked down half of the stairs, he heard a voice from the back, “Oldman, if you dare to do anything to the people around me, I won’t let you go easily.”
Zeng Xin could tell it was Zhen Congming; he was angry but also a little scared. Zhen Congming had powerful dharma treasures, but that didn’t mean he was invincible. The one that Zeng Xin was afraid of was Zhen Congming’s master, Qiu Niu.
The stronger the cultivator, the more isolated they were. Therefore, they had less friends and protect the people around them more. If the West Ocean Dragon Clan were to pick a fight with Little Daoist Zhen, this little boy wouldn’t even need to fight the West Ocean Dragon Palace. All he had to do was hurt one of his arms on his own and go to Qiu Niu and say that it was the West Ocean Dragon Palace that wounded him.
The West Ocean Dragon Clan was weak at the moment, and it did not want to pick a fight with someone like Qiu Niu. They decided to come to East Ocean City this time because they wanted to change its strategic direction and try to develop on land more. Zeng Xin had never thought that his plans would be shattered so easily.
Dong! Dong! Dang! Dang, Dang!
Dong! Dong! Dang! Dang, Dang!
The fast and furious drum beats were as if they were sending Zeng Xin and his group off.
Hao Ren watched as the people of West Ocean faded into the crowd, and then he looked back at the dragon boats.
The red dragon boat was still leading, but it was starting to slow down.
This light drizzle didn’t have any effect on the race but added an extra element to an elegant scene.
Pa!
Zhen Congming suddenly opened an umbrella.
His storage space was different from Hao Ren’s necklace; he was able to store anything in there, regardless if it possessed nature essence or not.
He held the umbrella over Wu Luoxue, helping her block out most of the rain.
Wu Luoxue turned and looked at Zhen Congming, but he purposely stared toward the river with his back straight.
Wu Luoxue was slim, and she wore a pair of white leather boots which made her look a bit taller. Zhen Congming had handsome facial features and a strong body. As long as he hid his vicious expression, he was a good-looking kid.
The two leaned against the fence under the umbrella. They didn’t say anything but still looked good together.
Wu Luoxue stared at Zhen Congming for a few seconds and then looked back at the river. She wasn’t familiar with Zhen Congming and was also not interested in him.
“Umm…” Zhen Congming couldn’t hold it any longer. “It’s raining. Be careful and don’t catch a cold.”
“Mhm.” Wu Luoxue nodded lightly and didn’t say anything else.
Zhen Congming was rattling like a cat. He wanted to act cool but also wanted to talk to her.
The seven boats on the river passed through the Xuchuan Bridge where Hao Ren and the others were standing.
“Hahaha… the purple one is catching up,” Zhao Yanzi said happily.
The yellow dragon boat that Xie Yujia chose was far in the back.
The drizzles turned into showers, and the strong men on the boats increased their pace and rhythm.
They were all soaking wet with their t-shirts stuck to their bodies, making them look especially muscular.
“Hey, ha! Dong, dong! Hey, ha! Dong, dong!”
Each dragon boat had 100 strong men on it, and they rowed with the drum beats while shouting.
The residents were so absorbed in the exciting race that they didn’t find covers and continued to watch the race.
“Gongzi…” Lu Linlin and Lu Lili were leaning toward Hao Ren. They were wearing dresses made of chiffon fabric; if they got wet, they would become see through. The two sisters were a little bit embarrassed.
Their shoulders were already wet, and one could see the fabric sticking to their skin. Their faces and shoulders were all wet, and they looked especially innocent.
“I’ll go buy umbrellas,” Hao Ren said immediately.
The owners of the little carts that sold umbrellas were delighted to see the sudden rain. They now were able to sell cheap ten-yuan umbrellas for 30-yuan. With the higher price, people were still willing to purchase them.
Hao Ren went down the stairs and through the crowd to reach these vendors.
“30 each. Do you want it? This rain is going to last for a while. There are so many people now, and you wouldn’t be able to go back even if you want to soon!” The vendors urged while waving the foldable umbrellas.
These cheap umbrellas were expensive now for the majority of people. Also, most of them didn’t think the rain was that heavy, and the dragon boat race was almost over. That was why a lot of people asked, but few actually bought.
There were two umbrellas left when Hao Ren went over to this vendor, and he bought two umbrellas and also bought two drinks.
He quickly returned to the platform.
He first put up one umbrella for Grandma, and he then put up another and handed it to Lu Linlin.
“Thank you, Gongzi!” Lu Linlin and Lu Lili said with cute smiles. They used one umbrella together and even squeezed Hao Ren in between them.
“Hey, these are for you two.” Hao Ren gave them the two bottles of drinks he was holding.
Lu Linlin and Lu Lili followed him everywhere, and they never asked for anything in return. Hao Ren remembered all of this.
Lu Linlin and Lu Lili each took a drink, and they were extremely touched.
“Gongzi didn’t buy drinks for anyone else; only us!” they thought.
After finishing what he had to do, Hao Ren looked back toward the direction of the Wuchuan Bridge.
The seven dragon boats separately passed by the Xuchuan Bridge and were racing toward the finish line; there was only one-third of the race left.
It was approximately three kilometers from the Xinchuan Bridge to the Xuchuan Bridge, then another three kilometers to get from the Xuchuan Bridge to the Wuchuan Bridge. The dragon boats had to travel for six kilometers to finish the race, and this required skill, perseverance, and explosive force.
The red boat was currently first while the purple boat was right behind it.
Green, black, blue, and white followed respectively with a few meters between each. The yellow boat that Xie Yujia chose was last.
Hao Ren was focused on the race and didn’t notice that Lu Linlin and Lu Lili’s heads were slowly closing in toward him.
“Bo! Bo!”
They took the opportunity to kiss Hao Ren on the cheeks lightly when no one was looking.
Hao Ren’s shoulders shivered. He was shocked and looked at them speechlessly.
Lu Linlin covered her mouth and laughed while Lu Lili’s face turned red.
“Thanks for the drinks, Gongzi!” They said sweetly.
Hao Ren shook his head but smiled. He then walked a few steps over to Grandma and stood next to her.
“Ah, looks like the red one is going to win,” Grandma stared at a far point on the river and said.
Ever since Lu Linlin and Lu Lili helped improve Grandma’s health, she no longer suffered from blurriness and bad hearing. She could clearly see that those dots on the river were the dragon boats.
Dong, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong… The drum sounds from both the dragon boats and the shores resonated in the area, and the rhythm became even faster.
Listening to the sound of the rain hitting the ground, the audience anxiously watched the race which was coming to an end.
Zhao Yanzi stood on her tiptoe as she opened her eyes wide; she was extremely anxious.
Xie Yujia clasped the railing since she was anxious as well.
“Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!”
The strong men on the dragon boats continued to use their full force to move forward.
The seven dragon boats continued to move forward in the rain.
The few dragon boats that had fallen behind started to rush forward and catch up.
The purple and the red dragon boats were extremely close, and the yellow and the white dragon boats were slowly catching up as well.
Dong, dong, dong, dong, dong, dong… The drum beats on the shores were getting faster and faster.
The dragon boats were close to the finish line. It was hard to determine who was going to win because if anyone on the boats didn’t have enough strength to finish, the speed of the boats would fall.
Just when the red dragon boat was only 200 meters away from the finish line, Su Han moved her arm.
A strange gust of wind suddenly blew on the surface of the river, and the white dragon boat continued with its speed while the other six boats were slowed down a little.
Whoosh!
The white dragon boat crossed the finish line without any blockage; it was as fast as an arrow that was shot from a bow.
“Ah…” Zhao Yanzi was at first startled but then thought to herself for a while. Then she turned her head to the side raised her brows, and said, “You cheated, Sister Su.”
It felt like Su Han didn’t hear Zhao Yanzi. As she looked away, a relaxed and proud smile appeared on her face.
Right now, she could take Hao Ren with her. After all, Zhao Yanzi didn’t say that they couldn’t cheat.
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