Zongman: All Heavens and Worlds Begin with the Devil's Curse

The problem is how to select the most versatile player for your team, since you'll be competing against 113 other players.

"So, who do you think Devil's Tail will send?" a gentle voice interjected in the discussion.

The little boy, who had been listening attentively to the other mages' discussion, suddenly turned his head to the side.

A middle-aged man sat down behind him at some point and smiled gently at him.

Although it's said to be sitting, it's actually just floating above the seat.

Zhou Lan has always been good at watching plays from the audience, and he chose a seat with a pretty good view.

The other mages naturally led him into the conversation as well.

"Laxus, I still think that guy is very strong."

"The unknown is the strongest, I choose the guy who's all masked."

"Fool, Wendy from the Cat Lodge used to be the Sky Dragon Slayer Mage. She had the word 'sky' in her name. How could she not be able to solve the aerial maze?"

"What do you think?" Zhou Lan asked, looking at the little boy in front of her.

"If you ask me..." the boy hesitated for a moment, then looked at Ximu, who was standing at the very front of Devil's Tail, "I want to choose him."

Chapter 356 The President is Making Money

"Choose that guy?!"

The mages standing nearby were suddenly stunned; none of them had expected that Devil's Tail would send Ximu to make an appearance.

Without a doubt, the qualifying rounds are the most important tournament, as they directly determine whether a team can continue to the main tournament.

Therefore, the contestants to be considered must be the strongest or the most balanced and versatile.

But Ximu, although it seems like everyone is standing behind him, is still too young no matter what.

Unless he is truly possessed by some kind of magic that reverses aging or by some ancient relic.

But in the end, those are just legends passed down in ancient magical books.

The boy's eyes remained firm in the face of the other mages' doubts.

Zhou Lan, however, became interested and smiled, asking, "What's the reason?"

The boy shook his head; he couldn't explain it himself.

He probably felt that Ximu looked to be about the same age as him and wanted to support the idea of ​​a "peer," or refute the adults' belittling views.

After a moment of silence, Zhou Lan nodded and smiled, "You have good taste."

Hearing the conversation between the two, several archmages turned their gazes toward them, their eyes revealing a hint of disdain.

"Want to take a gamble? Just a small bet," a mage suggested.

They trusted their own judgment, rather than the mutual agreement of the two people, one big and one small.

Zhou Lan also became interested and said loudly, "Okay."

He didn't stand on ceremony at all.

When he was powerful, he could overwhelm all the heroes, so much so that they dared not utter a sound.

When things are going well, he can leisurely open a betting pool with a few mediocre mages and praise a little guy's good taste.

This became increasingly apparent after he received He Xiangu's "gift" and completed his own transformation in the previous world.

Those who are truly great are neither those who stand tall among the crowd, eternally suppressing all directions, nor those who abandon their own dignity to mingle with street vendors.

A strong person, possessing both mental fortitude and physical strength, must take care of both aspects of themselves.

It is the so-called unity of Yin and Yang, self-harmony, possessing both aspects, and encompassing everything.

So Zhou Lan placed a bet with them with great interest.

There were many more of these small betting pools in the audience, serving as a little bit of entertainment.

"Haha, you'll lose, my friend." After the bets were placed, one of the archmages said cheerfully, "Although such grand events don't happen often, I've followed quite a few archmage competitions. Although they're different from this Grand Magic Tournament, they lead to the same goal. I'm pretty good at judging people!"

Anticipating that he would make money, the mage smiled.

This is much faster money-making than taking on commissions from the guild.

Upon hearing the old gambler's words, the boy instantly lost his composure.

He quickly looked at Zhou Lan, his eyes flashing.

"My lord, you don't need to..."

Zhou Lan raised her hand to interrupt the boy before he could speak, and instead looked at the old gambler, asking with a smile, "Since you say you have a good eye for people, then can you tell who I am and what my identity is?"

"Next round of betting, still with money as the stake. If you guess right, I'll give you the money, and vice versa."

He casually rolled up his sleeves and smiled at the other person.

"Row!"

The old gambler got excited and started rubbing his chin, scrutinizing Zhou Lan carefully.

"Your Excellency... your attire is not that of an ordinary person. Although your every move is measured and controlled, I can sense that there is not a trace of magic leaking from your body..."

"I guess you must be someone from some noble family or conglomerate, here to watch the show."

The old gambler offered his guess.

Zhou Lan smiled and shook her head: "You guessed wrong."

"Impossible!" the old gambler exclaimed. "I've seen at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, people. There's no way I could be wrong!"

The next second, he quickly calmed himself down and continued, "Well, I'm not trying to renege on my debt, but I can't be sure if you're lying to me based on just what you're saying. Why don't you give me a hint?"

“Okay.” Zhou Lan looked down and said softly, “I am the guild leader.”

"hiss--"

The old gambler gasped; the result of this guess was completely different from his judgment.

"That shouldn't be the case." The old gambler's questioning gaze swept over Zhou Lan.

During his travels across the continent, he had met many guild leaders, not just a few.

Most of those guys are arrogant and haughty. Even if they have a better personality, you can tell at a glance that they are not important.

That air of superiority that comes with long-standing arrogance is not something that can be easily erased.

Let's leave the past behind and focus on the present.

The old gambler looked towards the far end of the audience seats, where the seats were reserved for members of various guilds.

Among them, the one who appeared to be the most distinguished, surrounded by the crowd, was the leader of the association.

Although I don't know why they look so tired and listless now.

But a subtle, overbearing aura can never be erased.

The old gambler shifted his gaze from the guild seat back to Zhou Lan.

"My friend, it's not that I don't believe you, and I don't need this little bit of money, it's just that..."

"It doesn't seem like it." He shrugged, his face full of helplessness.

The boy beside him nodded in agreement.

In his eyes, Zhou Lan seemed more like an elder in the family who was sometimes serious but usually gentle.

It's really hard to have any connection with the leader of a huge guild.

Zhou Lan smiled silently.

"Logically speaking, that's true, but..."

As he was speaking, a man's figure squeezed in from the crowded passageway not far away, looking hurried.

He skipped across the seating area and trotted over to Zhou Lan, coming into everyone's view.

The man was dressed in a standard uniform, including two emblems on his collar, which indicated his identity as an organizer and a staff member of the Magic Council.

"What happened?" Everyone looked at the man and asked hurriedly.

The man, panting, shook his head.

He bowed respectfully to Zhou Lan and said, "President Zhou Lan, what brings you here? As a participating team, Devil's Tail has a special seat..."

……

The man suddenly realized that as soon as he spoke, an eerie silence fell around him.

Everyone was staring at him as if there was something dirty on his face.

He touched his cheek and continued, "Lord Zhou Lan, let me take you over there."

If his colleague hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't have known that Zhou Lan had randomly found a seat in the audience after leaving the meeting room.

You must know that this is an incredibly important figure, someone the council specifically instructed to treat with utmost care.

Especially since he had just lost his temper in the conference room not long ago.

"No need, this place is fine." Zhou Lan waved her hand gently, then looked at the old gambler with a smile in her eyes.

"Give me the money." He only said two words.

then.

While many guilds were discussing who to send to take on the important task of advancing to the next round.

The Guild Demon's Tail, led by Zhou Lan, the second guild leader of this newly established guild that has just amazed everyone.

They are earning membership fees in the audience.

"Oh, right."

Zhou Lan looked at the messenger and said with a smile, "Please inform my team that Ximu will be sent up later."

Chapter 357 Oh... then it's alright.

"This...this..."

In the audience, the old gambler choked up several times, unable to express himself clearly for a moment.

They've really stopped acting altogether.

They set up two betting pools: one was on Zhou Lan's identity, and the other was on who Devil's Tail would send to participate in the qualifying rounds.

Now.

A win-win situation has emerged.

That is, Zhou Lan won twice by herself.

The old gambler sighed and shook his head helplessly.

How can you play like this? He's the one placing the bets, while they're the ones managing the betting. He can only accept his fate.

As for defaulting on the debt? That's even more impossible.

Who knows just how much power the leader of a guild that can hold the mainland in the air has?

It's not so much that a small amount of money was enough to make the acquaintance of such an important person.

"You really have no airs, haha." The old gambler chuckled dryly a few times and presented his bets with a cupped hand.

Zhou Lan smiled but remained silent.

In any case, he did a pretty good job as the guild leader; at least he earned some start-up capital for the guild.

Nearby, several archmages and the little boy stared at Zhou Lan with surprised looks, speechless.

The guild leader of that radiant guild in the audience was simply sitting right next to them, watching the show without any airs.

They even happily started a betting pool with them.

Envious glances fell on Zhou Lan, while he gestured with his eyes for the Magic Council's envoy to leave.

The messenger received the order, so he pushed through the crowd again and ran towards the audience below the stage.

There are many such messengers, mostly tasked with relaying messages from other guild leaders.