Chapter 5: Betting

Zuan stared at her delicate white little fist and momentarily questioned his existence.

“There’s no satisfaction in beating up a weakling like you myself,” Chu Huizhao whistled toward the outside. “Lickdog, come in!”

Zuan: “???”

Even such a young girl has a simp already? Aren’t men in this world afraid of spending the next three years in jail?

When he heard a dog bark from afar, Zuan realized he had misunderstood—she was calling an actual dog. But still, who names a dog like that? Clearly a family tradition.

His smile quickly vanished when a creature the size of a leopard bounded in, blinking its green eyes while staring directly at him.

Although it resembled a dog, wasn’t this thing way too huge?

“Good boy, Lickdog.” Chu Huizhao crouched down affectionately, petting the beast's head. The monster wagged its tail energetically, clearly enjoying the attention.

Zuan couldn’t help but gulp. “You call that a dog?” Noticing traces of blood at its mouth, he finally understood the crunching sounds he heard earlier outside.

“Hmph, scared now, are you?” Chu Huizhao sneered, pointing at him. “Lickdog, bite him! Bite him hard!”

The massive dog obeyed immediately and lunged at Zuan with practiced ease, clearly not its first time.

Zuan’s soul nearly fled from his body. If that beast bit him, he’d probably lose an arm. Worst of all, he knew how terrifying rabies was. Who knew what viruses that mouth carried? There was no rabies vaccine in this world—one bite, and you’re dead.

Not to mention, it had just eaten a rat. It might even be carrying the plague!

Zuan's body moved before his brain could catch up. He leapt aside just as the stool by the bed was shattered to pieces by the dog’s pounce.

Damn it!

Zuan knew his body wasn’t as sturdy as the stool. Now he ran for his life. He aimed to rush toward Chu Huizhao and use her body as cover since she said she wouldn’t lay a hand on him—but she had already run out of the room and was watching gleefully through the window.

She even shut the door!

Zuan cursed her entire family while circling the table. He couldn’t outrun the beast in a straight sprint, so all he could do was circle and dodge erratically.

Thankfully, the dog was too big to crawl under the table, giving him some breathing room.

But his body was weak to begin with—he had just been struck by lightning, punched in the gut, and now chased by a monster. Soon, his lungs felt like they’d explode. Cold sweat ran down his back as the beast's foul breath closed in. He was running on sheer willpower.

It was a miracle he’d lasted this long. Likely thanks to the “Phoenix Nirvana Sutra” he had cultivated earlier, which slightly improved his constitution. But just slightly—he was still no match for a monster like this.

“Stupid dog! Why are you chasing from behind? Just jump over the table already!” The girl outside stomped her feet. Her voice, once sweet and pleasant, now sounded like a demon’s.

As if it understood her, the beast barked and leapt directly onto the table, pouncing toward Zuan.

In panic, Zuan lifted the table to shield himself. The dog smashed through it instantly, jaws snapping.

Fortunately, its body got stuck behind the broken table. Zuan fell to the ground, pushing back with all his strength. He dug his heels into the beast’s belly, straining every muscle, but the dog's massive head was inching closer.

Its foul breath filled his nose, and saliva dripped on his face. Its front paws clawed away at the table like paper, ripping holes everywhere.

Seeing its knife-like teeth and claws, Zuan’s heart turned cold. I’m going to die… killed by a dog. What a disgrace for someone who transmigrated.

Wait… knives?

A spark of inspiration hit him—he had drawn a poisoned dagger earlier!

He mentally pressed [B] like crazy, summoning the dagger from his inventory. Just as he gripped it, the table finally collapsed, and the beast’s jaws came down—right onto the dagger.

Since it was named “Lickdog,” it probably loved to lick things. The monster instinctively licked the blade—its tongue got sliced, and a strange, dark rune enveloped its entire body. It froze and fell dead on the spot.

“It’s really dead?” Zuan sighed in relief. He collapsed on the ground, too exhausted to even lift a finger.

“Lickdog, what’s wrong?” Chu Huizhao had been smugly watching from the window. Seeing her beloved pet suddenly fall, she rushed in to check. No matter how she called, the dog didn’t respond.

“You killed my Lickdog!” she shrieked, hair standing on end.

Rage +233!

Zuan had no strength to respond, but instinctively stowed the poisoned dagger back in his inventory. Better to stay cautious—never reveal your trump card.

With the dog's body and table in the way, she likely didn’t see what really happened.

“Pay with your life for Lickdog!” Chu Huizhao’s eyes brimmed with tears. With her parents busy and her sister away, Lickdog had been her only companion.

Her boot slammed into Zuan’s body.

Rage +101010…

Zuan grunted in pain. He was too weak to dodge, and luckily, she kicked his butt—where the most padding was.

Seeing him still conscious, Chu Huizhao grew more furious. She pulled out a whip from her waist and lashed it down hard.

“AAARGH!” The pain snapped Zuan back upright despite his weakness.

Pleased, Chu Huizhao said smugly, “Know the meaning of pain now? My sister gave me this gift—the Whip of Wailing. It amplifies pain tenfold. No one can endure it.”

“Whip of Wailing?” Zuan gulped. Just the name sounded nasty. Ten times the pain? No wonder it was unbearable.

But to his surprise, he noticed the golden substance in the first rune on his body had increased significantly—far more than from the earlier punch. It was almost full now. Apparently, that punch plus the whip had fueled it.

What a perverse cultivation method!

Zuan cursed the creator. That person was definitely a hardcore masochist.

Still, he was curious—what would happen if the rune were fully filled? At this rate, a few more lashes might be enough.

But remembering that soul-searing pain made him shudder. He couldn’t endure even one more strike.

And his body was too fragile—lightning, dog bites, beatings… One more lash, and he might literally die.

Seeing him silent, Chu Huizhao assumed he was scared and didn’t strike again. Instead, she said, “Heh, if you kneel and apologize, then lick my shoe clean, maybe I’ll be merciful.”

She sat on the chair, crossing her legs. Her long, slender legs were beautiful—leg fetishists from his past life would’ve gone crazy.

“Ptui!” Zuan spat in fury. Maybe some perverts would enjoy this, but he certainly wasn’t one of them.

Chu Huizhao sneered, “Got some backbone, huh? How about a wager?”

“What kind of wager?” Zuan eyed her warily. This sadistic girl was dangerous.

She raised her whip. “If you can endure three lashes without crying out, I’ll drop the matter of you killing my dog. Deal?”

Her eyes sparkled with twisted excitement. A whip that magnified pain tenfold? This was her way of giving false hope—only to crush it.

She really is a sadist! Zuan was about to refuse when he suddenly remembered the Rich Lady's Pleasure Ball he had drawn earlier. He thought it was useless at the time—but maybe it was perfect for this situation.

“Alright, deal!” he said grimly. His only concern now was whether the keyboard could be trusted. If it didn’t work, he was done for.

“Wait, what if you lose?” Chu Huizhao asked.

“What do you want?” Zuan asked, thinking this girl is basically a little devil.

Her eyes gleamed with excitement. “Then I grant you the privilege of kneeling and licking my shoes.”

Zuan nearly blacked out. How can anyone in the Chu family be this twisted? “That’s not fair. If I win, you should lick mine.”

Chu Huizhao sneered. “You don’t get to make demands. Pay for killing my Lickdog first. If you win, we’ll talk.”

“Fine!” Zuan was furious. He’d redefine the word “perversion” for her soon enough.

Chu Huizhao raised her whip, but Zuan said quickly, “Wait!”

“Changing your mind?” she frowned.

“I need a drink of water first,” Zuan replied. He needed time to use the Pleasure Ball. She didn’t stop him, clearly enjoying the suspense.

As he drank, he discreetly summoned the Rich Lady’s Pleasure Ball. It sparkled in his hand. How do I even use this thing? Do I… rub it somewhere...?

“Rub it on any patch of skin,” a message appeared on his virtual screen.

Zuan didn’t hesitate. He turned his back to Chu Huizhao and rubbed it on his hand. Immediately, a new message appeared:

Success! For one hour, any pain inflicted by a woman wealthier than you will be converted into pleasure.
Note: This does not reduce actual damage, but you will not die from fatal injury as long as she is the one attacking.
Durability: 2/3

Zuan wanted to cry. This thing is so useless—and not even permanent? Only two uses left. This keyboard vendor was truly a scammer.

“Hurry up already, stop dawdling!” Chu Huizhao’s impatient voice came from behind.