Super Gene Ⅱ: Evolution - Chapter 1096: 1096: You Set the Rules

Chapter 1096: Chapter 1096: You Set the Rules

“Do you think if we propped the table back up now, we could pretend like nothing happened?” Lin Shen glanced at the table overturned by Wei Wufu. The tabletop was already shattered, plates broken everywhere, food and wine spilled all over the floor. It was beyond saving.

Now Lin Shen finally understood why Di Esi had yielded. With thousands of Upper Gods gathered here, even if the three of them had a hundred lives, it still wouldn’t be enough to survive.

“They say ten temples may be ruined, but one marriage should not be broken—seems there’s some wisdom to that saying. Karma sure hits fast. If I’d known this would happen, I might’ve advised Di Esi to consummate the marriage earlier. Forget if she’s a rich beauty or not; with thousands of Upper Gods backing him, he could walk sideways in the Celestial Court, and no one would dare to mess with him.” Lin Shen’s thoughts wandered.

But it was just a fleeting thought—he knew there was no way they could win this. Neither he, the small beast, nor his other pets could turn the situation around.

At this point, Lin Shen could only pin his hopes on the Jade Emperor. He prayed his earlier speculations weren’t wrong and he could summon the Jade Emperor using the spell “Urgently, by heavenly decree!”

Just as a massive battle was about to erupt, with thousands of Divine Souls charging forward and Lin Shen preparing to summon the Jade Emperor, a cold voice suddenly cut through the tension: “Stand down.”

The seemingly endless Divine Souls, a tumultuous tide of Demons and Ghosts, took a step back involuntarily. The crowd parted, and a bride clad in wedding robes, with a red veil covering her face, slowly walked forward.

“Husband, we have already bowed at the altar and are bound in marriage. Must you truly be so cold and heartless, abandoning me without a care?” the bride asked Di Esi.

Di Esi replied, “A union requires mutual affection and support to endure. There was no harmony between us, forcing this will only lead to disaster. Why persist?”

“How can you be so certain we cannot grow to love one another, having never given it a chance?” the bride responded.

“The future is unknowable, both to you and me. Why cling to it?” Di Esi said.

“So, would you rather die than even attempt to be with me?” The bride’s tone was calm and chilly, her voice devoid of any apparent emotion.

“I am but an ordinary man. My life is not so precious. To live or to die—it’s all insignificant,” Di Esi replied evenly.

Lin Shen desperately wanted to tell Di Esi to stop being so blunt and start sweet-talking her. Who knows? Maybe saying something nice could defuse the whole situation.

The bride paused to reflect on Di Esi’s words before speaking again: “Your life holds no importance. But what about the lives of your friends?”

“To meet amidst the mountains and streams in this lifetime is already a profound fate. To share the same day, month, and year for our journey to the afterlife—that is its own form of perfection.” Di Esi believed Lin Shen and Wei Wufu had already resolved themselves to die. When he turned to look at them, his eyes were filled with a calm acceptance, the serenity of one who would willingly die with his closest companions.

Cold sweat dripped from Lin Shen’s forehead—he had no intent to die. If he’d known how terrifying the Yan Family’s power in Immortal-Returning City was, he certainly wouldn’t have let Wei Wufu flip the table so quickly. At the very least, they should’ve tried negotiating first. If talks broke down, only then would flipping the table have been an option.

The bride stared silently at Di Esi, while the woman standing beside her snarled angrily, “Master, if they are so eager to embrace death, let’s grant their wish!”

The crowd was full of people with darkened expressions, their gaze cold as ice, fixated on Lin Shen, Wei Wufu, and Di Esi. It seemed that with just one command from the bride, they would rip the three of them apart.

Lin Shen noticed countless Paper Men streaming in from the edges of the palace. Each one looked different—many held Mourning Sticks in their hands, draped in funeral garb—not unlike the one he had killed earlier. He wasn’t sure if their strength was similar, but they certainly looked tough to deal with.

Lin Shen was baffled. These Paper Men were Deformed Species, and judging by their appearance, they all obeyed the Yan Family’s commands.

But taming Deformed Species was typically something that was only possible right after their birth—only then could they be trained successfully.

As a result, the number of such pets was generally limited. But here, there were tens of thousands of them encircling the area. Lin Shen couldn’t fathom how the Yan Family managed to tame such a large number of Deformed Species.

The bride remained silent, and the menacing Divine Beings and Paper Men merely held their positions, ready to act but not charging forward.

“I don’t want to kill you, nor do I wish harm upon your friends. But if I let you leave freely, I will lose my face as the City Lord of Immortal-Returning City.” The bride finally spoke slowly. “Let’s do this—I’ll make a bet with you. If you win, you three may leave freely, and I won’t stop you. If you lose, your friends can go as they please, but you must stay with me for three years. If, at the end of those three years, you still refuse to become my real husband, I’ll let you go freely as well. Do you dare to gamble with me?”

Just moments ago, there had seemed no way out, and Di Esi had resolved to fight till death. But now, upon hearing Yan Li’s proposal, he hesitated.

Di Esi looked at Lin Shen and Wei Wufu, while Lin Shen turned to Yan Li and asked, “What do you want to bet?”

Although Lin Shen wanted to save his own life, if Yan Li set up a bet that ensured Di Esi’s failure, he wouldn’t want Di Esi to sacrifice himself just to let the others leave alive.

After all, they weren’t at a dead end yet—Lin Shen hadn’t even tried summoning the Jade Emperor.

And if the Jade Emperor couldn’t be summoned, they could always compromise then.

Yan Li answered lightly, “You decide what to bet on. As long as any of you can surpass me in anything, you can leave immediately. I will not stop you.”

“Anything?” Lin Shen asked quickly.

If it were a contest of strength, Lin Shen suspected the three of them combined wouldn’t be a match for Yan Li.

But if Yan Li was letting them choose the contest, she might be too overconfident. Lin Shen refused to believe the three of them couldn’t devise something they’d win at.

If all else failed, Lin Shen thought, he’d challenge her to a bet about who could pee higher—no way he’d lose that.

“Yes, anything. But you’re limited to three attempts. We can’t keep betting endlessly,” Yan Li clarified.

“Di Esi, what do you think? I think it’s worth a try,” Lin Shen said, feeling confident.

“Alright, let’s bet,” Di Esi nodded slightly, convinced that under such terms, it was impossible for them to lose.

“Since you agree, let’s put it in writing.” Yan Li instructed someone to bring paper and ink, and she drafted a contract with Di Esi.

If Di Esi and his companions won, they could leave unhindered. If they lost, Lin Shen and Wei Wufu would be free to leave, but Di Esi would have to stay with Yan Li for three years.

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