Loud roars filled up the arena as a glass sphere descended from the dark cloudy sky.
The announcer shushes the crowd. "Here's how it goes. Our lovely ghosts will be playing a simple round of tag. Each ghost has blue mark on their neck, in the shape of a flower. If another player manages to tap your mark…."
"You instantly get dropped in the pit!"
Zhang Xiyu felt a creeping sensation over his neck. When he covered it with his hand, he could see the blue light reflecting off it.
The glass ball came down to around twenty feet above the ground and stopped its descent.
From his place, he could make out that there was something else inside the enclosed sphere.
"Last to remain standing would be escorted with respect with a special gift." A spotlight pointed at the sphere.
"The special prize! For this year is!"
"A teleportation stone! You can use it to teleport anywhere! And I mean…." The announcer giggled.
"Anywhere! Does that also include leaving the pit anytime you want? Well, that's for the winner to find out!"
I won't need it if I never go into it.
A gong resounded in the arena and the gates were opened. Through this gate hundreds of ghosts piled out into the previously empty ring. The huge space now barely had any space for standing let alone hiding. The representative players were still not allowed to enter the ground. In order to please the princes, they will only enter when most of the population has been purged.
The gong was banged again. "Start!"
In just a few seconds, several ghosts vanished into thin air. The new ghosts cowered, afraid to move even a finger while the older residents of hell rushed to kill the competition. The numbers quickly dwindled down to the ghosts who were trained for this fight. All sorts of brawling ensued, from wrestling to pulling out weapons provided by their master. This is when things started to get bloody. The smarter ones who knew that they had to go to the pit sooner or later, decided to get there in their prime condition because the conditions were only going to get tougher. But the majority, influenced by the hard headed nature of hell, were digging their nails deep into their opponent's skull. Bloodlust reigned deep in their conscience. They had to be the last one standing. Kill them now or kill them later, it makes no difference.
Fools. Everyone thought. The real threat has yet to step on the stage, what are they worked up about?
But even so, the audience cheered with wine dripping down their faces. Kill! Kill! Kill! Punch Him! Gut that bastard!
Later in life, Zhang Xiyu would barely remember anything about this show. As of now, he averted his eyes away from this mess. How can I leave?
While he was scanning the area his eyes suddenly met with the second prince's representative. It was like looking at one's mirror image. Zhang Xiyu awkwardly looked away only to find Liu Lei's player slowly inching towards him like a kid who has read too many assassin stories.
He suddenly felt a burst of anger deep in his belly. His fate cruelly remained with Liu Lei, his wife, and now his servant. Liu Lei's player steadily pulled out a small dagger from his bag. They were prohibited from joining the arena, but there is no rule that says you can't eliminate the other representatives by your side.
Oh. So, you are going to play like that...
Zhang Xiyu fiddled with the wooden armrest of his chair. Meanwhile, the metallic sound of the dagger was buried under the boisterous cheers as it swiftly made its way towards Zhang Xiyu's skull.
Splash. Blood gushed out like a waterfall all over his face.
Zhang Xiyu wiped it off with his hand indifferently. Fortunately, it did not belong to him. The crowd turned still at such a development.
"What happened over there?"
"Move bitch! I can't see what's going on!"
"Oh my hell! Look! The representative is dead already!" A demon gasped in surprise.
The goblet of wine slipped through Liu Lei's fingers, his feet scrambling towards the glass window. "My…. My player…."
Yuan Hai suppressed his grin and walked over to get a better look. His player has done a mighty fine job at skewering the poor guy. Just look at the creativity! Zhang Xiyu had used a rotten piece of wood and rammed it directly through his eyeball, piercing straight out of his skull. That too with such grace!
Ren Jiang, the first prince, looked over at the commotion happening both inside and outside the box, and waved his hand at the announcer.
"Here comes the second part of the program! The moment you all have been waiting for! Give it up for the seven representatives!"
The organising team blankly looked at the body which once belonged to the sixth representative.
What use is there in staring at a corpse? The team thought.
And so, they stared at the person responsible for this mess.
Zhang Xiyu felt their slight pressure but what can he even do about it? He deeply exhaled and under such scrutiny, he kicked the corpse down the platform. The body rolled down obediently, leaving a sticky trail of blood.
There. I solved it. Zhang Xiyu leisurely strolls down the stairs.
Liu Lei was crushing his teeth, his fists clenched to keep himself from going down and beating the crap out of this brat. While he was doing an alright job of keeping his emotions at bay, Aika had no qualms in letting the entire box know that she was livid.
She screeched, "Yuan Hai! Your player killed our player! Make it up to us!"
Yuan Hai did not even care to look at her. Why would he turn his head behind him where people of lower status were seated? Do these random concubines and mistresses even deserve his attention? No, so what he did was spare a warning glance at her relatively intelligent husband.
Liu Lei immediately put a silencing spell on his woman.
"There's something strange…." Yuan Hai turned to the speaker; the man was dressed in white from head to toe. Even his long hair resembled the snow. He seemed to be disinterested in the show before him and was instead fixated on the clouds above them.
"I feel something approaching our realm." Liu Xue, the seventh prince, furrowed his eyebrows.
"It will take a while though." Ren Jiang quietly remarked.
In the meanwhile, Zhang Xiyu was now roaming the perimeter of the arena while trying to not draw any attention towards him. Once in a while, a ghost would pounce on him so then he would just stab them in the gut. He would not tag any ghosts out nor would he kill them, not out of the kindness deep down in his heart but to hide behind them and buy himself more time.
Within a few hours, Zhang Xiyu will realise that there was someone on that ground who was actively working against his plan.
Yuan Hai looked at his little player helplessly, noticing his futile struggle to find a way out of the arena. It was cute, how he went around in circles, not realising that he was wasting his energy and that his time was running out.
Is this what it feels like to have a pet?
Zhang Xiyu also felt that there was something different about the arena now. What is it? Why does it feel so wrong?
It feels... so…empty?
Jolted by the reality he figured it out, the arena was empty.
Heaps of corpses covered the entire ground, but there was no one remotely alive.
Zhang Xiyu thought, 'No, it cannot be. Wouldn't they have declared me the winner otherwise?'
Now that his cover was blown, he had to change his goal.
No matter how many are left, kill them. Get that teleportation stone.
He towards the centre of the ground. I am not going down without securing an escape.
Zhang Xiyu pulled out a longsword from his back and stood under the sphere with broad shoulders. Now he just needs to wait.
From the corner of his eyes, he faintly made out a figure drenched with blood, his movements reminding him of a cursed spirit. He saw the man sprinting after a crying ghost. The ghost begged him to stop but his blade knew no mercy. Zhang Xiyu looked at all the corpses under his feet.
Did he kill all of them?
Zhang Xiyu dazedly watched the man slice down the remaining life force that were unlucky enough to face him. Is this ghost possessed?
At last, all of them were dead. The man slouched down over his sword, trying to catch his breath. He looked certain that he was the last one standing.
"Oh boy oh boy oh boy! Look at this progression! We just saw a live demonstration of how mortals are rapidly increasing the population of our hell!" the announcer said.
"Trash! The lot of them!"
"I say why do we even bother with them!"
The announcer clears his throat. "And now! We have the final two remaining! Let's get that tension up!" Horns blared around.
The man suddenly whipped his head around in a frenzy. It was clear that he wasn't right in his head. Only a murderous aura radiated out of his bloodstained body. Like a hungry predator his eyes swept the entire ground. Where is it?
Where is it?
His sword swiftly blocked the rapid blade that came straight for his throat. The shock was so strong that the man woke up from his daze. Thank God for my reflexes.
His body pivoted backwards while Zhang Xiyu retreated. "You."
Zhang Xiyu looked at him in confusion.
"It's you. Did not find an exit?" The man chuckled.
Zhang Xiyu faintly recalled that he had seen this man at the beginning of the competition. He is the second prince's representative.
Is he this strong?
"I saw you teetering around. You helped me out a lot though. Stabbed them. Weakened my opponents."
"Oh."
"Oh indeed." The man smiled. One would call him an attractive man with that personable smile. But right then, any sane person would run as fast as they can from him.
"I was hoping you would find a way out that's why I didn't disturb you."
"Am I supposed to feel grateful?"
"No, but you can at least let me rest for a few minutes before you pounce on me. Seeing how your goal has now aligned with mine."
Zhang Xiyu did not lower his guard but nor did he advance any further. It felt like a long time ago since he had a normal conversation with a normal guy. To think that one of his last conversations on earth was with Heng. Ugh.
"What's your name?" The man sat down over a corpse.
"Zhang Xiyu."
"The Zhang Family? Nice." He looked around at the heckling demons.
"My name's Yutao. Nice to meet you."
Zhang Xiyu slowly lowered his sword down. "I have heard of you. I think you died on an espionage mission to Japan. Was that you?"
"In the flesh. Not exactly how that went though." Yutao grinned.
"What about you?"
"Arson. Poisoning."
"Damn. You got both? What are you, a minister?"
"Scholar-official."
"Ah. The elite academic debates do not tend to end well."
"Alright! Will you fucking fight already!", a demon yelled.
"Stop the banter. I want to go home. It's taking so long."
"Looks like we have to end our break here." Yutao stood up and dusted his knees. He pulled his sword back up. "I don't feel like killing you. So, I guess you will get tagged."
"Thanks for the generosity. I have full intention of killing you though." Zhang Xiyu thrusted the blade towards his face, Yutao barely parried the attack when he saw a pommel flying towards him. He scrambled back, now cracking his neck. Why was he feeling annoyed?
Zhang Xiyu cut again, his longsword clashing down on Yutao's sword. Yutao moved forward and forced their swords down into a lock, their blades now clashing nearer to the hilt.
"You are pretty good for a weak scholar."
Zhang Xiyu ignored him and tried to disengage his sword from the forte. But Yutao had other plans. Yutao used his left hand to grab on to the hilt of Zhang Xiyu's sword. He swiftly kicked him in the chest, disarming him in the process. Lucky for him, his fall was cushioned by a random body but the air was knocked out of his lungs. Whilst he struggled to get on his feet, Yutao had already gone in for the kill, his sword now rested only a few inches from Zhang Xiyu's heart.
"I'll be there soon kid."
Zhang Xiyu gave him a blank look. Yutao's hand nimbly covered Zhang Xiyu's vulnerable neck.
With that, Zhang Xiyu got transported to the infamous Kaigan Pit. The place where he lived for almost fifteen decades.
But that's a story for later. Right now, Yutao was crowned the winner of the first round, giving him a heavy advantage over the rest of the contenders. He too was then escorted to the deep pit where the main show took place.
"Day One of The Kaigan Pit has now come to an end! Tune in tomorrow for the main show! Till then!"
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