The cheering crowd surrounding the arena abruptly fell silent, staring blankly at the two figures standing on the stage.
Most of them lacked the keen eye to perceive the subtle exchange that had just occurred as the two fighters crossed paths.
Only a handful narrowed their eyes, their gazes turning grave as they looked at Yang Kai.
The outcome had been decided!
There were no restrictions in an arena duel — bare fists or bladed weapons alike, the victor reigned supreme. So Yang Kai drawing his blade had broken no rules.
Lü Anguo had not fallen. He reached up and wiped his neck, finding it slick and wet. Looking down, his hand came away drenched in blood.
Only now did a thin thread of pain finally reach him from his neck.
His expression shifted. He knew his opponent had shown mercy — otherwise it wouldn't have been a mere superficial wound, but a clean decapitation. Still, he found it difficult to accept such a result.
In that lightning-fast instant just moments ago, he hadn't even seen how Yang Kai had drawn his blade.
That dazzling slash, swift as a bolt of lightning, had severed any chance of resistance before he could even react.
The goateed elder from before must have received a cue from someone, for he hurried onto the stage and loudly declared: "Yang Kai wins!"
After making the announcement, he offered no further remarks and simply had both fighters descend.
For the remainder of the afternoon, challengers continued to leap onto the stage one after another — some displaying flashy but hollow techniques, others showing genuine skill.
Yang Kai observed their words and expressions, realizing that this arena tournament seemed to be some form of selection process. What exactly was being selected, however, he wasn't entirely sure.
Fortunately, the people nearby were gossiping freely, and Yang Kai managed to piece together a rough picture by listening in.
The Meng family was a renowned trading house in White Jade City. Their clan's enterprises were wealthy enough to rival nations, which naturally attracted considerable envy. Just a few days ago, a bandit gang from nearby Precious Field Peak had issued an ultimatum: the Meng family was to provide a monthly tribute of a hundred thousand taels in silver along with ten beautiful handmaidens, or face total annihilation.
Precious Field Peak had originally been home to a small bandit contingent — not particularly formidable. But a group of desperate outlaws had somehow drifted into the area, and the Peak's power had suddenly surged. Eager to make a name for themselves, these newcomers had set their sights on the most famous and wealthiest family nearby: the Meng.
Though White Jade City had its own City Lord and garrison, the Meng family dared not rely entirely on outside protection. Hence, today they had set up this arena, offering generous rewards, to recruit capable fighters as household guards for defense.
Piecing together this information in fragments, Yang Kai began to understand his situation — he had apparently arrived to answer a call for household guards.
Sister Qu was in the Meng family? That was the guess Yang Kai immediately formed; otherwise there was no explaining why he had ended up in an arena tournament the moment he entered this Reincarnation Realm.
With that thought, he found himself growing somewhat expectant.
It was nearly evening by the time the tournament concluded.
The Meng family had their own experts hidden throughout, observing the martial prowess of each participant and making their judgments. Those who passed would be brought into the Meng household; those who didn't would receive a small sum of money and be sent on their way.
Yang Kai had performed well. The goateed elder stood on the stage and called out his name, indicating he had qualified.
Lü Anguo, whom Yang Kai had defeated, was also among the selected. Though he had lost, his strength was not to be underestimated — he had simply run into a far superior opponent in Yang Kai.
The Meng family's experts did possess sharp judgment. They hadn't recruited based solely on the outcome of a single bout, but had formed their own assessments.
Those who were eliminated bore no resentment. They knew their own capabilities, and had entered the tournament merely for the chance to earn some drinking money from the Meng family. Now that they received their dismissal pay, they were naturally grateful.
A considerable number had been retained — some forty or fifty people in all. Led by a young servant in blue robes, they entered through a side gate of the Meng Estate and were ushered into a courtyard.
Here, they would undergo half a month of training. The head guard would instruct them on which areas of the estate they could enter and which were off-limits, what rules they had to follow, and what consequences awaited those who broke them.
On the very first day, one person violated the rules. No one knew quite how it happened — perhaps he had taken a wrong turn looking for the latrine — but he ended up near the inner quarters. The guards stationed there seized him immediately.
The head guard, intending to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, dragged the man before everyone and beat him into a cripple before throwing him out.
Those who had entered the estate alongside him all fell into fearful silence. Only then did they realize that the Meng family's money was not so easily earned. Here, the rules were everything, and violating them would bring dire consequences.
The Meng family was wealthy, and their estate was enormous. However, Yang Kai and the others were confined to that single courtyard. After the incident on the first day, no one dared wander off freely again.
Three days later, another internal competition was held, eliminating another dozen or more.
After spending three days getting a general feel for the place, Yang Kai decided it was time to act. The role of household guard held no interest for him. If Qu Huachang was indeed somewhere in the Meng family, he needed to search for her.
Qu Huachang was a woman. Yang Kai didn't know what her exact position in the Meng household might be, but as a female, she would surely be residing in the inner quarters.
Under the cover of night, he slipped out silently and made his way deeper into the estate's interior.
The corners of the Meng Estate's perimeter were dotted with hidden guards, but Yang Kai detected them all with ease. Avoiding their notice was no challenge at all.