From the fusion of Tongbei Quan to the Longevity Martial Saint

Fang Qing was immersed in the ecstasy of his harvest, unable to extricate himself, when Kuang Shisan, arms crossed, spoke again, his voice pulling him back from his wandering thoughts.

"However, after today's match, you've really shown your true colors. If you want to bet on a 1-to-10 winning streak later, the odds probably won't be so favorable."

Upon hearing this, Fang Qing nodded and quickly calmed down. He understood the principle. Betting platforms are not charity venues; the top ten bookmakers are all shrewd and calculating, and the odds they offer are closely related to the challenger's strength and record.

If I win decisively today, and then try to go "one-for-ten" again in the next game, the bookmaker will definitely lower the odds significantly to reduce the risk.

To encounter such a favorable opportunity as a 1 to 10 ratio again would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

He unconsciously rubbed his chin, his eyes darting around, his mind racing.

It seems I need to find a way to properly conceal my newly revealed strength, at least... to make the bookmakers misjudge and raise the odds again next time.

Even if it's not a 1:10 odds, a 1:5 odds is tempting enough.

To feign weakness to the enemy? Various thoughts swirled in his mind.

Kuang Shisan took in his expression, shrugged, and said with a hint of teasing:

"It seems the betting odds those ten monsters offered you were seriously distorted this time; you lost a lot of money. There's no need for me to fight you anymore today."

As he spoke, his gaze inadvertently swept over the few sheets of draft paper he had taken from Fang Qing.

At first it was just a casual glance, but the next second, his gaze was suddenly fixed as if drawn by a magnet.

He moved closer, extended two fingers, and picked up the top sheet of paper that was covered in messy scribbles.

After only a few glances, Kuang Shisan's eyes, which always carried a hint of wildness and unruliness, gradually brightened, becoming brighter and brighter, until finally they seemed to ignite like two small flames.

"Fang Qing!" His voice suddenly rose, filled with incredulous astonishment. "What you drew... is that a thunderbolt? No, the structure... is completely different from what's on the market!"

Fang Qing's thoughts were still preoccupied with how to cleverly manipulate the odds, and he answered absentmindedly upon hearing this:

"Yes, a minor modification. Most of the firecrackers on the market use a tinderbox to ignite the exposed fuse, which is prone to failure in windy, rainy, or humid weather. Mine has been modified to be triggered by a pull cord."

He pointed to an inconspicuous ring-shaped structure on the sketch:

"Look, there's a pull ring here. When in use, pull the ring, and the internal fuse slowly burns through friction or a specific delayed-action rock powder fuse, eventually igniting the main charge. In this way, even if it's windy and rainy outside, or the environment is humid, as long as the pull ring is pulled, the fuse inside will start, making it much more reliable."

"Pull ring...internal time-delay fuse..."

Kuang Shisan murmured these words repeatedly, his eyes fixed on the simple sketch, his fingers gripping the edge of the paper tightly.

He felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, as if a tiny electric current was coursing up his spine to the back of his head. For years, he had been obsessed with improving the power of the explosive, researching countless gunpowder ratios, experimenting with various filling methods, and his mind was filled with a thousand ideas every day to enhance the explosive effect…

But I never thought that such a clever innovation could be made by igniting this neglected link!

Fang Qing's seemingly casual strokes were like a lightning bolt piercing the darkness, a completely new direction!

Kuang Shisan's hand holding the sketch began to tremble uncontrollably, and his breathing became heavy. He suddenly looked up at Fang Qing, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins and an almost fanatical yearning:

"This...this method...is brilliant! How come I didn't think of that! Fang Qing...no, Brother Fang! You're my own brother! Quickly, quickly explain to me in detail how this pull-string structure is implemented?"

"What are the components of the delayed-action rock powder you mentioned? How is the friction ignition device set up? How is the sealing handled? Tell me quickly!"

Fang Qing was startled by Kuang Shisan's sudden and intense reaction, which snapped him out of his reverie.

Seeing the other party's posture as if they were about to pounce, Fang Qing's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly remembered Zhanbo's warning.

This Mad Thirteen is the biggest troublemaker in the reserve camp, a madman whose behavior defies common sense! He's even capable of doing something as simple as stuffing a thunderbolt into the bed of the Salt Inspector, Lord Lin...

"Oh no!" Fang Qing thought to himself, a cold sweat instantly breaking out on his back.

He rushed forward and reached out to snatch the sketch back from Kuang Shisan's hand.

"Thirteenth Brother, these are just wild ideas; don't take them seriously!"

However, Kuang Shisan was completely obsessed with the new technology solution. His five fingers were like iron clamps, gripping the paper tightly until his knuckles turned white.

Fang Qing tugged at it twice, but it didn't budge. What chilled Fang Qing even more was that, with Kuang Shisan's expertise and professional eye in this area, he probably only needed one glance to memorize most of the core principles of this wire structure.

Even if we manage to get the sketches back now, it's just burying our heads in the sand. What we need to see, Kurumi already has in his mind.

"This is a huge problem..." Fang Qing's mind raced. "I have to guide his dangerous thoughts onto the right path. I absolutely cannot let him actually pull off such a crazy scheme!"

In a flash, Fang Qing had an idea. Instead of trying to snatch the sketch, he grabbed Kuang Shisan's shoulder with considerable force, almost dragging him to the large hole in the wall that had been blasted open by the thunderbolt.

"Mine Thirteen, don't panic, listen to me."

Fang Qing pointed to the neighboring room, still filled with smoke and dust and a complete mess, through the hole, and said in a deliberately low voice with a seductive undertone:

"Come on, now look at this hole and use your imagination. Imagine... that the opposite side isn't this dilapidated house, but the Loyalty Hall where the salt bandits of Tiger Beach gathered! It's packed with those fierce and ruthless bandits!"

Kuang Shisan paused for a moment, then followed Fang Qing's finger and looked behind the hole.

Looking at the scene of broken bricks and tiles scattered on the ground, with smoke and dust still lingering, the fervor on his face faded slightly, and his eyes gradually focused, as if he was truly beginning to try to immerse himself in the scene described by Fang Qing.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva before slowly nodding.

Seeing this, Fang Qing seized the opportunity and quickly grabbed an empty teacup from the nearby table, stuffing it into Kuang Shisan's free hand:

"Right now, what you're holding isn't a teacup. Imagine this is a finished pull-tab! Look, doesn't the handle of this teacup resemble a pull ring?"

Kuang Shisan looked down at the teacup in his hand, his fingers involuntarily hooking the handle.

"Yes, that's it, pull the tab!"

Fang Qing patiently guided him:

"Now, imagine that all the elite bandits of Tiger Beach are drinking and eating meat in the hall on the other side of the hole, completely unsuspecting."

"And you, Kuang Shisan, as an elite member of the Salt Patrol Reserve Battalion, bear the heavy responsibility of annihilating these salt bandits!"

"Behind you stand countless comrades—the Silver Guards, the Bronze Guards, the Iron Guards—all watching you! Even the Salt Inspector, Lord Lin, has personally come to oversee the battle!"

"Now, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is in your hands!"

Fang Qing patted Kuang Shisan heavily on the shoulder, his tone full of encouragement:

"All you need to do is pull this ring, count to three silently, and then toss it gently..."

"Bang! You are the number one hero in the bandit suppression! From now on, your fame will soar in the reserve battalion, no, in the entire salt patrol system, and you will rise rapidly through the ranks!"

"Just imagine how magnificent that would be!"

He stared intently at Kuang Shisan's profile, observing every subtle change in his expression.

Fang Qing has paved the way to this point, personally opening the door to merit and fame. Any normal person would know what to do at this moment.

Pull the tab, throw the thunderbolt into that bandit's den, and you'll have done an unparalleled feat!

Kuang Shisan's breathing became heavy again, and a blush of excitement even appeared on his cheeks.

He stared intently at the "thunderbolt" in his hand, then looked at the hole, his eyes struggling and shifting violently.

"Yes... pull the tab..." Kuang Shisan murmured, his fingers exerting a slight force as he made a pulling motion.

"Wait three seconds... wait until it smokes..."

Fang Qing's lips couldn't help but curl upwards, and the expectant light in her eyes grew stronger:

"And then? Mad Thirteen, what are you going to do next? To achieve great things! To make a name for yourself!"

Kuang Shisan suddenly raised his head, the flush of excitement on his face still lingering, but for some reason, it was mixed with an extremely strange, even somewhat awkward, expression.

He glanced quickly left and right, as if about to reveal some earth-shattering secret, then suddenly leaned close to Fang Qing's ear and, with barely suppressed excitement, spoke rapidly:

"Then...then I'll rush through this hole as fast as I can! With all my skills, I'll personally take down all those salt bandits at Tiger Beach, from top to bottom, and beat them until they're crying for their parents! Prove that my close combat skills are top-notch!"

Fang Qing's smile froze slightly, but he felt that although the idea was unconventional, it was still within the scope of bandit suppression and was barely acceptable.

He nodded, signaling Kuang Shisan to continue.

Kuang Shisan licked his slightly chapped lips, his eyes becoming unusually eerie and burning:

"Then, I'll crawl back through this hole as fast as I can... while everyone's attention is focused on my bravery..."

He paused, lowering his voice even further, yet with a trembling excitement:

"I'll take this pull-string spitting firecracker that's already been pulled and is hissing and smoking..."

"With a whoosh, it was neatly stuffed into the very back of the bed of Lord Lin, the Salt Inspector who was overseeing the operation from behind! Hehe..."

At the end, Kuang Shisan laughed triumphantly.

I've never seen him this excited before, not even after we wiped out the salt bandits!

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Fang Qing maintained a forced, encouraging smile.

At this moment, these smiles froze rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Then it finally disappeared without a trace.

His arm, which was around Kuang Shisan's shoulder, seemed to have suddenly lost all its strength, and slowly and heavily slid down.

The air in the room seemed to have turned icy cold.

Madman... This guy is a complete, incurable madman!

……