8:50 PM.
Binjiang Celestial Sea, underground arena.
The arena was built in the style of a Beast Fighting Arena. In the center was a twenty-meter square dueling area enclosed by five-meter-high walls, flanked by tiered spectator seats.
By now, the stands were already filled with people in all sorts of attire. Most wore various masks, and they gathered in small groups of three to five, whispering to one another.
"So this is the 'real world' you wanted to show me? I never thought a place like this existed in Wuhai."
Yu Yajie, wearing a "Celestial Rakshasa" mask, observed her surroundings in surprise.
"Uncle Yu is just too strict with you. He never lets you know about anything."
Sitting next to Yu Yajie was Wen Caiwei. She had short hair, wore a casual women's outfit, and had on a "Night Dancer" mask.
"What? Isn't this just underground bare-knuckle boxing? Why do I need to know about it? And what does this have to do with my dad? He's in the pharmaceutical business—what connection could he have with illegal fights?"
Yu Yajie asked, puzzled.
"Underground boxing? Dueling matches are much more interesting than that. Many of those illegal fights still use protective gear and gloves. Even the ones that claim to be no-holds-barred have referees and rules. But dueling matches are different. They have truly no rules, no restrictions, no weight classes, and no referee. Once the Duel Masters enter the arena, the fight only ends when one is down or concedes. During the fight, anything from grappling and choking to biting, eye-gouging, or groin strikes is allowed."
Wen Caiwei said with a smile.
"Wouldn't that be incredibly bloody?"
Yu Yajie frowned and shifted in her seat, feeling a little uncomfortable.
For someone who had lived her entire life under her father's protection, this was a world she had never encountered.
"Normally, the death rate in ordinary dueling matches is only about twenty percent, though the maiming rate is over fifty percent. However, this is a high-level match. For Duel Masters at this level, the killing power of a single punch or kick is terrifying, and they know the human body's weaknesses like the back of their hand. The death rate in these duels rises to fifty percent, and the rate of permanent injury is also extremely high."
Wen Caiwei said calmly.
"Is that so? Then I think I'll leave. I don't really like this kind of scene..."
Yu Yajie didn't know why Wen Caiwei had brought her to a place like this, but her discomfort made her want to leave immediately. She stood up and prepared to walk out.
"Wait."
Wen Caiwei grabbed Yu Yajie, who was about to leave. "Don't you want to know why I brought you here, and why I said Uncle Yu hasn't told you anything?"
At her words, Yu Yajie froze. After a moment of silence, she sat back down.
"This match has a deeper meaning beyond just spectating and betting."
"The Luo Group and the Heng'an Group have some disputes over Tianhe Country's seafood export business that can't be settled above board. This dueling match is being pushed by these two groups from behind the scenes. When it comes to physical industries and international trade, beneath the normal business practices, there are often more primitive and violent unspoken rules. Throughout human history, beneath the veneer of civilization, some core principles have never really changed."
Wen Caiwei said calmly, "Decisive Fist is one such form. A high-level dueling match is an effective demonstration of a corporation's network, martial prowess, and influence. In many physical industries and international trade chains, these things can be more useful than mere financial power. For example, if you're running a business or trading in a war-torn region with only money, you're just a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered. But with the right connections, force, and influence, everything changes."
Listening to Wen Caiwei, Yu Yajie felt her worldview crumbling. She had always thought that with the progress of the times, civilization had become the global norm.
But the truth was, despite the cloak of civilization, certain human traits were hard to change in a short time. Survival of the fittest was the fundamental law.
"My dad... is he also involved in this?"
Yu Yajie asked in a low voice.
"Of course. When your family's business gets this big, some things are unavoidable."
"Yajie, you'll be a senior in college next year, about to enter the real world. Although Uncle Yu wants you to live a happy, carefree life, you're his only daughter. The future shares of the group need to be inherited by you. Since you were born into this environment, there are some things you need to understand."
Wen Caiwei nodded, then sighed. "This was Uncle Yu's idea, too."
Yu Yajie opened her mouth, her expression complex. Just as she was about to say something, the atmosphere in the arena suddenly grew feverish.
Everyone's attention was focused on the dueling area in the center, which resembled an ancient Beast Fighting Arena.
The iron gates at the entrances on the left and right sides of the arena slowly rose, revealing two figures in the dim light.
The figure on the left was very tall, with frighteningly broad shoulder blades. His facial expression was stiff, as if he were wearing a mask made of human skin.
The man on the right was slightly shorter. His skin was dark, and his muscles were lean and hard as forged steel. He had the typical face of someone from Southern Myanmar: high cheekbones, small, narrow eyes, upturned eyebrows, thick lips, and a slightly protruding jaw. His sweeping gaze gave off an extremely fierce impression.
"The match is about to start. We can talk about other things later."
Seeing the Duel Masters appear, a glimmer of excitement flashed in Wen Caiwei's eyes as she whispered to Yu Yajie.
"Since this is your first time, you probably don't know the scene. Let me fill you in. The one on the right is a Boxer from Southern Myanmar, Wu He Mountain. According to the data, his master was the Southern Myanmar Martial Arts master Baldan, and the Martial Arts school he cultivates is the Steel Claw Fierce Tiger Flow Boxing Technique, which evolved from Southern Myanmar's ancient Fierce Tiger Fist.
Southern Myanmar's Ancient Fist Technique is known for its brutality, and this Wu He Mountain has grasped its essence. Judging by his record since his debut—28 wins and 2 losses in 30 fights—his opponents' maiming rate is over eighty percent. He can already be considered a top-tier expert among Duel Masters.
It's said he has trained his fingers to be like a tiger's claws, able to easily tear through joints and rip skin. In 12 of his 30 dueling matches, the opponents' injuries were caused by him literally tearing off their hands, arms, lower legs, or other body parts."
Wen Caiwei took out her phone, pulled up Wu He Mountain's data through a special channel, and said to Yu Yajie.
"That's insane!"
Yu Yajie couldn't help but swallow hard.
'Tearing a human body apart with bare hands... That seems like something you would only see in those over-the-top dramas about the Tianhe Rebellion...'
She herself practiced Taekwondo to stay in shape and could even break three boards at once, but she knew those boards were specially made to be brittle. Her Taekwondo instructors, who claimed to be black belts, were physically strong, but still within the realm of what an ordinary person could comprehend.
'But tearing a human body apart with bare hands... that was beyond an ordinary person's comprehension. It was something only an extremely ferocious beast, like a chimpanzee, could do.'
'How could a human compare to a wild beast?'
"Mm, the skills these top-tier Duel Masters possess are beyond what ordinary people can imagine. Otherwise, those big corporations wouldn't dare to bet so much on them. You could say that when these top-tier Duel Masters get serious, killing a person might be easier for them than killing a chicken is for you. It's a good thing we live in an age of firearms, which limits their destructive power.
But in modern society, not many people can train to this level. 'As rare as a phoenix feather' would be an apt description. The Talent and grueling training required are unimaginable to us. In today's world, it's really not cost-effective. The Heng'an Group must have paid a hefty price to hire this man."
Wen Caiwei said with a nod.
"What about the other one?"
Yu Yajie asked. After hearing Wen Caiwei's words, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of curiosity about this world she had never known. It was as if some string had been plucked deep inside her.
It was the instinctual worship of pure violence, strength, and power, branded deep into the human subconscious and genes.