Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Power of Hell

Winning or losing—Tang Long truly didn’t care much. Yet Jiang Xue’s little display of pride stirred something deep within him.

It wasn’t enough for the girl to simply win; she wasn’t satisfied with victory alone. She wanted Tang Long to admit defeat, to be thoroughly convinced of her superiority. Was that possible?

Clearly not!

Tang Long had a temperament all his own. When things went smoothly, you could climb onto his neck and he’d just chuckle, saying nothing—after all, some people are soft in the right places. But if you insisted on sitting atop his neck and then tried to pee on him, how could he tolerate that?

If he didn’t show you some measure of his strength, you’d never realize the Lord of Horses has three eyes!

“Got one!” Tang Long turned his head back, his gaze focusing on the fishing rod in his hands, staring at the bobber. Concentrating, he gradually increased his mental intensity, sending his intent toward the school of fish beneath the water.

Before becoming a “legendary king of soldiers,” Tang Long hadn’t believed in special abilities. But sometimes, you have to admit the world is vast—there are many things beyond imagination. Some are more fantastical than any film, so incredible they defy scientific explanation.

For example, last time in Africa, Tang Long received a mysterious escort mission: he had to deliver a metal box to a primitive tribe deep in the tropical rainforest within a specified time. When the task came, he was vacationing in the Maldives with friends.

The journey was arduous, beset by bloody ambushes from hostile forces—a mountain of corpses with every step, but that’s a story for another time. After overcoming countless difficulties and reaching the remote tribe, many unbelievable events unfolded.

Inside the metal box were three seeds. One black seed was bestowed upon Tang Long by the tribe’s wise elder, granting him a miraculous ability:

He could communicate with animals.

Not with words or gestures, but through a communion of spirit. When Tang Long concentrated his mind, he could interact with animals for brief periods—even exert control over them.

However, the stronger the animal, the more mental effort was required—his attention had to be sharply focused, and it became harder to restrain them.

Years as a king of soldiers had forged Tang Long’s formidable willpower. As the tribe’s wise elder said, his intent was exceptionally powerful—far beyond ordinary men.

He once tested this power with lions on the African savanna, ultimately making the pride’s king submit at his feet.

Yet the flaw in this ability was clear: it couldn’t last and only allowed short-term communication.

The wise elder told Tang Long it was a power belonging to the demons of “hell.” The tribe gave it to him because no one strong enough remained to control it—possessing this power would only lead to being manipulated, becoming a puppet of hell’s demon.

Tang Long’s “bloody sharpness of the soldier’s blade” could suppress this infernal force, but the elder hoped he’d rarely use it—or not at all—to prevent hell’s power from awakening in the human world.

Demons, hellish forces—all nonsense in Tang Long’s eyes. The elder didn’t grant him power for nothing; as an exchange… he borrowed a seed from Tang Long.

The metal box Tang Long escorted contained three seeds: one black, one white, one mottled.

The black seed held the hell demon’s power; the white and mottled seeds had other mysteries, but the elder didn’t explain, and Tang Long didn’t know where the seeds came from.

In that tribe was a “Black Pearl” maiden. Had she not been stunningly beautiful, Tang Long would have felt no loss in lending her the seed—he was not one to compromise easily.

The elder explained that “borrowing the seed” meant borrowing the neutralized power, not the actual offspring. The “Black Pearl” maiden would not become pregnant.

Tang Long stayed in that magical tribe for about two months—almost three—enjoying the true privileges of an ancient “emperor.” It was exhilarating, and yet, after leaving the tribe, he felt utterly drained.

Later, passing through that forest, Tang Long missed the “black beauty” maiden and wanted to visit the tribe again, reminisce, but discovered the tribe was gone.

Whether they had relocated or used some illusion, he couldn’t find his way back.

That African tribal mission became one of the most memorable tasks in Tang Long’s career as a king of soldiers.

With time, aside from occasionally reminiscing about that “black beauty,” he almost forgot the so-called “hell demon’s power” within him.

Tang Long still trusted science. To him, “hell’s power” was just some mysterious magnetic field transmitting his intent to animals. The black seed was certainly mystical, but not as magical as people imagined.

At Tang Long’s level, everyone had a few cards up their sleeve. These tricks were merely “little flourishes,” not life-saving aces.

He seldom remembered to use it, but today, with Jiang Xue pressing him, Tang Long’s competitive spirit was awakened, and his ability came to mind.

Beneath the water, a massive catfish weighing twenty or thirty kilograms swished its tail, scattered the smaller fish, and sensed Tang Long’s call.

“Take the bait!” Tang Long commanded, and the bobber sank.

He flicked his wrist, lifting the rod from the water, pulling out a grass carp weighing about two or three pounds.

Just as Tang Long caught his fish, Jiang Xue’s rod hooked one as well—the force on her hands changed her expression, and she quickly steadied the rod.

A big fish!

Jiang Xue was delighted.

As she tried to pull the fish up in one go, the force on the rod eased—the fish escaped!

She reeled in an empty hook.

Tang Long laughed, putting his fish in the basket. “One to one, a tie!”

Jiang Xue gritted her teeth in secret. The fish was too big, the hook too small; otherwise, the big one wouldn’t have gotten away.

“Let’s continue!” Jiang Xue said, expressionless, re-baiting her hook.

Tang Long chuckled inwardly. No matter how skilled you are, you’re still like the Monkey King who can’t escape Buddha’s palm.

Nine baits in succession; wins and losses alternated.

Tang Long could have won effortlessly, but that would have been too obvious—one shouldn’t be too shameless.

So he didn’t command the big catfish to chase off the fish under Jiang Xue’s hook. Although she still caught fish, none were as large as Tang Long’s.

“The last bait!” Tang Long grinned, speaking easily.

Jiang Xue, however, furrowed her brow. Though she’d caught nearly as many fish as Tang Long, their weight was far less.

“This last bait, I’m sure I’ll win!” Jiang Xue said with focused determination; there wasn’t a hint of joking in her face.

Tang Long touched his nose. This contest meant nothing to him; he just wanted to play along, but he hadn’t expected Jiang Xue to care so much.

He hesitated. Should he defeat this goddess-like classmate?

After all, she was a friend of Yutou Village, organizing classmates to help with the trial, contributing both people and effort. If he made her cry over a loss, wouldn’t that be unkind?

Tang Long blinked; losing just meant promising Jiang Xue a request. Why not… let her win?

Originally, Tang Long planned to use the last bait to catch the big catfish.

“Got one!” Jiang Xue’s face changed; she stood from her stool, gripping the rod with both hands, calling out in delight.

Tang Long knew exactly what she’d hooked—he’d commanded the big catfish to bite. How could he not know what Jiang Xue was reeling in?

The rod bent in a deep arc; the fish’s shadow darted in the distance, all signs that Jiang Xue had hooked a big one.

Tang Long, closest to her, put down his rod and went to help, standing behind her. Together, spending ten minutes, they finally dragged the massive catfish onto the shore.

“Your family’s ‘ancestral’ fishing skills are amazing; you actually caught such a big fish. I admit defeat,” Tang Long praised sincerely with a smile.

Jiang Xue shook her head happily. She hadn’t expected to catch such a big fish herself.

Looking up with her bright, watery eyes, she said to Tang Long, “If you hadn’t helped, the fish might have gotten away. So I shouldn’t count this as my win—it’s a draw!”

Tang Long burst out laughing, shaking his head. “A loss is a loss. Are you saying I can’t handle defeat? It’s just a promise. Go on, tell me what you want!”

Jiang Xue blushed, winked at Tang Long, and smiled. “I haven’t decided yet. Let me keep it for now—I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

“Alright, whenever you decide, just tell me!” Tang Long didn't mind. Although he hadn’t won, Jiang Xue at least respected him now, and everyone was pleased—wasn’t that good enough?

“Your fishing skills are great too. If I hadn’t been lucky, I wouldn’t have beaten you!” Jiang Xue said sweetly.

With the big fish as her trump card, she was guaranteed victory in both number and weight.

The nearby classmates watching the excitement all cheered—it turned out fishing could be so fun. Soon, more students grabbed rods and started fishing.

Zhao Xiaoyue ran over, curious. “What are you two talking about?”

She’d been swimming with the group earlier, playing in the water, and now, wearing her swimsuit, drew every boy’s gaze—many secretly swallowed.

Zhao Xiaoyue didn’t care. Her swimsuit was quite conservative, but her figure still stood out.

As she ran up to Tang Long, hugging him and wrapping her arms around him, he could only look helpless.

Don’t bother telling her to mind her reputation—she never cared and would retort, “When I wore split pants as a kid, I played with Brother Tang Long just like this. Who says you get a say!”

No one could do anything about her.