After waiting for so long, it was finally Ba Yue's turn to go up the stage to fight. When Ba Yue got up the stage and saw her opponent, she has a smile on her.
What a coincidence, she thought to herself because her opponent was someone she knows. It was the 2nd prince, Mak Lok Feng!
"What are you doing here Ba Yue? This is not a place for you to come and play, I don't want to accidentally hurt your pretty face," said Prince Feng as he looked at Ba Yue with his leering eyes.
"You don't have worry about me, you should worry more about yourself. If the 2nd prince actually loses the fight here to me, who was still a useless person not too long ago. I wonder what other would think of you."
"You know it's not possible." and then in a very low voice, he said, "if you lose to me today, how about you ditch that idiot brother of mine and come to me. I can "take care" of you the way my idiot brother never can do." He said it in a very low voice, so the people at the bottom of the stage can't hear it.
But one person did hear it and he's sitting all the way in the back seat. So far back that no one can see him or pay any attention to him even when they notice him.
The man that was sitting there had beautiful long silver-white hair with a pair of blue eyes. He had a mask on as usual with 2 of his men standing behind him.
He had killing intents in his beautiful blue eyes. Without turning around, he tells the men behind him to do something. He told them that after the competition ends today, go spread the rumors of Mok Lok Feng has been going to the brothels and accepting briberies from government officials in town. And also to make sure the emperor gets wind of this news and prepare some evidence.
The men that were standing behind the masked man only answered "yes Master" and nodded their head as to show they know what to do. These two men are the same men that were watching Ba Yue in the Black Forest before, Gao Sing and Junzhi.
The fight has finally started when the referee said, "BEGIN!"
Prince Feng just stood there waiting for Ba Yue to attack, he's not worried about a woman hurting him, especially Ba Yue! Even if she can train martial art now, it wasn't even that long ago.
He doesn't believe she's strong at all, he even starts to wonder if there's any way to take advance of her body while they fight without making it too obvious.
But Ba Yue didn't give him much time to think at all because her punch is coming! She was fast, so fast that Prince Feng barely avoids the punch. He had cold sweats! If he was a little slower, he would have gotten hit by her. He can't be defeated by Ba Yue, he will the laughing stock of the royal family!
"Is that all you have got," said Ba Yue with her eyes looking down at him. She wants him to get the feeling of being looked down on. Just like how he looked down on the old Ba Yue and many others.
"I'm just getting started and plus I didn't want to hurt you," says Prince Feng as he starts to breathe a little heavy.
"Since you don't want to hurt me then let me come over to hurt you now, okay." Said Ba Yue with a playful voice as she ran quickly over to Prince Feng.
With her fast movement and skills, she landed a few hits on Prince Feng, but nothing too serious "yet"!
She was ready to hit Prince Feng again when he suddenly raised his arm and shout "I GIVE UP"!
Everyone that's watching the fight was confused why the 2nd prince gave up so early into the fight. But only he knows that Ba Yue is strong, way stronger than he thought! He doesn't want to lose by getting beat up badly by Ba Yue, he'll lose face even more!
"Ba Yue, you are my imperial younger brother's fiancee. I don't want to hurt you because he will be sad if you got hurt. As a gentleman, I'll let you win this round," said Prince Feng very loudly making sure everyone watching the fight could hear him. He then rushes to leave the stage quickly.
The masked man in the back had a slight smile on his face when he heard Ba Yue had won. And he also knows that the 2nd prince is trying to save his face by saying that, It was better to give up that way then to have Ba Yue really beaten him.
Ba Yue was dumbfounded by what had just happened, she didn't expect him to give up so easily. She wasn't done playing with him yet and especially she hadn't given a real good beating yet!
As she walks down the stage, she got mixed emotions. She was happy that she had won but at the same time, she was not too happy with the way she won.
Finally, the elimination round is over, and there were only 10 competitors left. Those that have lost, give up or has a draw, is not allowed to continue the final round of the competition.
The final 10 competitors were also considered the top 10 martial artists of the Fu Country. They will fight in the final round to determine their ranking. But only the top 1st ranking can get the prize of reward.
Of the 10 competitors, all 3 Ba siblings have advanced to the final round. And what's even more surprising is that Tang Wen Yi has also advanced to the final round. So she's not that weak after all, though Ba Yue.
The first of the final round starts with Ba Jing and Ho Wai. Ho Wai was just one of the regular people that are not part of any of the families. Regular people can join the competition too, but not that many will join. They usually don't have the time and money to further their training so many regular folks give up after reaching a certain level.
They had an intense good fight, but Ba Jing had won just by a tad. If Ho Wai had the same background and training as Ba Jing, he might be even stronger.
Ba Yue has been eyeing for talents that she can recruit. And this Ho Wai has definitely caught her eyes.
The second of the final round was Tang Wen Yi and Li Mei Ting. Li Mei Ting is Li San San and Li Dong Man's younger sister. These two are not in a friendly term even though Tang Wen Yi and Li Dong Man had a more than friendly relationship.
When Li San San got married and the position for one of the four big beauties had an opening, Li Mei Ting though that she is beautiful and talented enough to fill that spot. But instead of her, Tang Wen Yi got selected as the next best person to be one of the four big beauties.
Li Mei Ting was mad and angry, people had always compared her with Tang Wen Yi since their age and family background is so similar. So when she found out that her older brother is wooing Tang Wen Yi, she was against it. She rather her brother marries the ugly Ba Yue, at least that way she doesn't have to see that Tang Wen Yi all the time and Ba Yue is easier to control.
That's what she thought until she saw the new Ba Yue at the emperor's banquet. If Tang Wen Yi is someone she rivals with, then Ba Yue is someone that she hates and jealous of.
With Tang Wen Yi, at least they are not too far apart and can rival each other, but Ba Yue is on a completely different level. Not only is Ba Yue so beautiful that they can't compare, but she can also train martial art now too. Why! Why is she so perfect now? She should stay and continue to be her fatty useless self!
Back at the stage, the fight has already begun. Tang Wen Yi and Li Mei Ting were fighting with everything they had learned but still aren't able to take each other down. If they end up as a draw, they both will be considered a loss and can't advance to the next round to have a better ranking.
Just when everyone that's watching the battle though that it will end up as a draw, Li Mei Ting had won!
No one knew what happened, all they see was Li Mei Ting ran toward Tang Wen Yi to attack and Tang Wen Yi just stood still there for a few second then tries to defend herself. But it was too late, the attack from Li Mei Ting had landed and it had knocked her out cold.
Most people didn't see what had really happened, but a few people did see it. One of the people that saw it clearly was Ba Yue and of course the masked man and his men too in the back.
Li Mei Ting had a super tiny needle on her ring that she wore on her right hand. It was so tiny that Ba Yue might not have even noticed it if she weren't for a little flash she saw earlier on Li Mei Ting's hand. Most people would concentrate on the fight and wouldn't notice such small detail, but Ba Yue is very good in observing details.
She did see Li Mei Ting's hand with the ring touched Tang Wen Yi. After not too long later, Tang Wen Yi froze for a few seconds. If she guessed correctly, there must be some numbing drugs rubbed on the ring with the needle.
The needle pierced through Tang Wen Yi's skin, but since they're in a fight and the needle is so small, she probably didn't even feel it. The dosage of the drug should be very lite so it will only paralyze someone for a few seconds. The person that got paralyze might not even know what had happened to him/her since the effect only lasted a few seconds.
Li Mei Ting walked down the stage with all smiles on her face. But she noticed a stare that was staring right at her. She turned to the direction that she felt the stare and saw Ba Yue. She then stared right back at her with provocation in her eyes!
Ba Yue just smile and turn her head away. Usually, she won't do anything to anyone if that person doesn't provoke her or crosses her bottom line.
Like Tang Wen Yi, she didn't do anything that has crossed the line yet. So she doesn't plan to do anything to her just because of Li Dong Man.
On the other hand, Li Mei Ting has been provoking and saying bad things about her when she was still Li Hei Yi. With the addition of being the daughter of the man that had plotted to kill her parents and being Li San San and Li Dong Man's younger sister. She had no plans to let her off that easily even without her current provocation.
With the Li family, she knows that not everyone is bad, especially her grandfather. She understands then back then those high-level martial artists was just under her uncle's order and is not their personal wish to harm her. The Li family has been around for over 100 years, she won't ruin it just because of a few bad insects!