"You!"
Holt was furious, and the young man beside him was brimming with fighting spirit, openly revealing his murderous intent towards Link!
"Bruno, I didn't expect your son to be so ill-mannered. It seems your Launes family has forgotten the decorum of being a noble!" Holt said in a deep voice, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at Link.
"Why should I care about decorum when dealing with someone like you?" Bruno retorted, unfazed. His relationship with Holt had long been one of bitter enmity, a well-known fact in noble circles. He had no intention of pretending to be polite.
"Hmm?" Holt's brows furrowed at Bruno's words.
"You're courting death..."
Suddenly, the young man beside Holt could no longer contain himself. He stepped forward, his fighting spirit surging around him!
"Barton, calm down!" Holt quickly intervened, blocking him. He then turned to Bruno and coldly asked, "Bruno, your son is here for the entrance examination of the Imperial Academy of Cultivation, right?"
"What's it to you?" Bruno scoffed.
"Coincidentally, this is my son, Barton. He is also here for the entrance examination of the Imperial Academy of Cultivation!" Holt narrowed his eyes, a grand scheme brewing in his mind.
"Holt, just say what you want. No need to beat around the bush!" Bruno, clearly familiar with his old rival, directly inquired.
"Haha, I didn't expect that after all these years, my old friend Bruno is still so straightforward. Very well, I'll get straight to the point!"
As expected, Holt's voice turned sinister: "I believe your son won't even pass the first round of the examination and will be eliminated on the spot. Do you believe it?"
"I don't believe it!" Before Bruno could respond, Link interjected.
"Hmm?" Holt raised an eyebrow, looking at Link with curiosity. "It seems you have a lot of confidence in yourself!"
At this point, he suddenly shifted his tone: "Then I wonder if you dare to bet with me?"
"Bet on what?" Link asked nonchalantly, not taking Holt seriously at all!
What a joke! With Link's current strength, even the so-called 'Three Glorious Ones' were hardly a concern for him!
Why should he pay any attention to a mere viscount family?
"Well... let's bet 5,000 gold coins. Do you have the guts, Baron Bruno?"
After a moment of contemplation, Holt finally announced a figure, fixing his gaze on Bruno.
"What? 5,000 gold coins?" Bruno was taken aback. That was no small sum; even for the entire Launes family, it would be a significant blow!
Just as Bruno hesitated, Link scoffed and grinned, "5,000 gold coins is nothing. If we're going to bet, let's make it bigger!"
"Hmm?" Holt instinctively asked, "What do you want to bet?"
"I bet your entire family!" Link laughed heartily, his words shocking everyone.
"What?" Holt frowned, pressing for clarification. "What do you mean by that?"
"My meaning is simple. You want to bet on whether I can pass the first round of the examination, right? Fine, I accept. However, the stakes must include your entire family, which means if you lose, you will have to hand over your entire family, including your noble title, to me!" Link declared loudly.
"And if you lose?" Holt glared at him.
"If I lose, the entire Launes family will disband, and all assets within the estate, including land and titles, will be handed over to you!" Link said without a moment's hesitation.
"Son, no!" Bruno's scalp tingled in shock, and he quickly tried to intervene.
But Link would never miss an opportunity to take advantage of such a willing fool, ignoring Bruno's concerns entirely.
"Don't worry, Dad. I know what I'm doing!"
Casting a reassuring glance at Bruno, Link turned back to Holt and asked nonchalantly, "So, what do you say, Viscount Holt? Do you have the guts?"
"This..."
Now it was Holt's turn to hesitate, as he couldn't quite grasp where Link's confidence was coming from.
"Father, agree to it. Once the first round of the examination begins, I will take him down directly and give him no chance!"
At that moment, Barton's voice came from the side, lowered to a whisper.