The rumor that Liu Yutong might be the young mistress of the Righteous Alliance was no secret in the underworld—many had heard of it.
So, theoretically, with her status, the Ten Thousand Dragons Society indeed had the potential to annex the Righteous Alliance.
Zhao Tianxing, a naturally suspicious man, took the attitude of "better safe than sorry" upon hearing this news and quickly set up this scheme with the goal of excluding the Ten Thousand Dragons Society—preferably along with the Righteous Alliance.
As long as he succeeded in kicking them out, Zhao Tianxing was confident he could secure victory in this martial arts tournament.
Afterward, by promising certain benefits, he could rally the other bosses present to form an alliance.
That way, even if the Ten Thousand Dragons Society and the Righteous Alliance truly merged and grew stronger in the future, their alliance would still hold enough influence to avoid being at their mercy.
Of course, the most important thing was revenge.
The Ten Thousand Dragons Society had swindled sixty million from him—an amount that felt like having his flesh carved out.
If he didn’t settle this score, how could Zhao Tianxing continue to operate in Bright Pearl City? Where would his dignity be? And how would he get his money back?
So, he had to make the Ten Thousand Dragons Society pay.
If necessary, he wouldn’t hesitate to buy Liu Yutong’s life!
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Zhao Tianxing’s eyes before he spoke, "I never expected the young mistress of the Ten Thousand Dragons Society to be so young. But isn’t it inappropriate for a woman to be in a place like this?"
Liu Yutong remained composed. "Oh? Boss Zhao, is this somewhere I’m not allowed to be?"
Zhao Tianxing forced a smile. "You jest, Miss Liu. Is there anywhere in Bright Pearl City you can’t go? But as far as I recall, I don’t remember sending an invitation to the Ten Thousand Dragons Society for tonight’s tournament. So, Miss Liu, are you here representing the Ten Thousand Dragons Society… or the Righteous Alliance?"
He asked this deliberately.
If Liu Yutong represented the Ten Thousand Dragons Society, then by the rules, she had no right to be at the table.
After all, since its inception, the tournament had never granted the Ten Thousand Dragons Society a spot—simply because they were considered too young and inexperienced in the underworld.
Of course, even if she had the right, Liu Yutong wouldn’t participate. She had no interest in mingling with these people.
If she claimed to represent the Righteous Alliance, it would almost be a public admission that the Ten Thousand Dragons Society had swallowed the Righteous Alliance whole.
The bosses in the VIP room wouldn’t need Zhao Tianxing to spell it out—they’d immediately grasp the severity of the situation and naturally seek an alliance with him.
Two birds with one stone!
Liu Yutong smiled faintly. "Boss Zhao, I, Liu Yutong, am standing here today representing neither the Ten Thousand Dragons Society nor the Righteous Alliance. I’m simply here as a spectator."
"Oh?" Zhao Tianxing was genuinely surprised.
He hadn’t expected that answer.
But he recovered quickly. "In that case, Miss Liu, please enjoy the show. See for yourself what the heroes of Bright Pearl City are truly capable of."
"Very well, I’ll be watching closely."
With that, Liu Yutong walked past Zhao Tianxing, followed by Yun Cheng and the others.
Under the gaze of everyone present, she casually took a seat on the only main sofa in the room—as if it had been reserved just for her—without the slightest hesitation.
Zhao Tianxing’s lips twitched, but he didn’t dare to openly confront her and demand she leave.
After all, he had noticed the many black-clad men downstairs, all bearing the insignia of the Ten Thousand Dragons Society.
If things escalated into a fight here, it would be messy.
So, he let her have the seat—consider it chivalry.
Meanwhile, the group of thugs who had been ready to attack Chu Yang also held back due to Liu Yutong’s presence, deciding to spare the Righteous Alliance underling for now.
Zhao Tianxing then sent someone downstairs to fetch a few stools as makeshift seating.
Having new sofas or chairs brought in would take too long, especially since the tournament was about to begin.
Thus, the VIP room on the second floor presented a rather ridiculous scene.
Liu Yutong, the "spectator," sat leisurely on the only spacious and comfortable sofa, while around her, Zhao Tianxing, Liao Dapao, and other underworld bosses—usually surrounded by flunkies—had to endure the humiliation of sitting on cheap plastic stools hastily brought up from the general spectator area.
These stools, originally meant for low-ranking members below, were so short they barely reached mid-calf and were of abysmal quality.
One of the heavier bosses had just sat down when a loud crack echoed through the room—his stool had split beneath him.
His face instantly turned green.
The other bosses didn’t look much better.
After years of power in Bright Pearl City, they had never been subjected to such humiliation, especially not in a setting like this. It was downright embarrassing!
And it didn’t take long before discomfort set in.
Zhao Tianxing and several others began fidgeting, shifting uncomfortably as if sitting on nails—much like restless schoolchildren.
In contrast, Liu Yutong reclined elegantly in the plush leather sofa.
With a mere gesture, Yun Cheng would hand her a cup of hot tea, which she sipped while watching the impending tournament below.
Gao Min, standing behind Liu Yutong, nearly burst out laughing at the sight.
Who knew these feared underworld figures could look so pitiful?
Her young mistress’s methods were truly impressive!
On the other side, Scarface repeatedly fought the urge to kneel and grovel before Liu Yutong, the "family head," but restrained himself.
Before this, she had made it clear that the Ten Thousand Dragons Society would not involve itself in any underworld affairs.
So, the Righteous Alliance had to be represented by him alone.
Still, with the young mistress personally present, backed by her formidable bodyguard Yun Cheng and the heavy reinforcements stationed downstairs, he felt much more at ease.
When he got the chance, he’d definitely ask her if he could upgrade to a BenZ—otherwise, he’d be the laughingstock of the underworld.
A BenZ would at least save him from traffic jams and boost his image.
Of course, this was just his own wishful thinking.
The Righteous Alliance had once owned a few cars, but they were all personal property of the branch leaders.
After Pan Xing’s faction "voluntarily" handed theirs over to the Ten Thousand Dragons Society, Scarface had been left with no choice but to hitch rides with Chu Yang. Most of the time, the so-called leader of the Righteous Alliance had to make do with a measly two-wheeler—utterly humiliating.
This was also because the Righteous Alliance’s finances were practically drained.
Following its takeover, all illegal operations—gambling dens included—had been shut down under his orders.
Or rather, under the young mistress’s orders.
As for whether the subordinate factions would secretly continue their operations despite the orders to stop, that remained uncertain.
But none of that mattered.
Sooner or later, both the internal rot within the Righteous Union Society and the other underworld bosses would be dealt with.
Liu Yutong seemed completely oblivious to the resentment and discomfort of the powerful figures around her. She took an elegant sip of tea from her cup, her gaze drifting down to the now-empty octagonal cage fighting ring below. Addressing Zhao Tianxing, she said,
"Boss Zhao, everyone’s here now. Shall we begin? I’d love to see just how impressive the champions under your esteemed leaders truly are."
Zhao Tianxing had finally reached his limit—or perhaps sitting on that wretched little stool had become unbearable. He stood abruptly and strode to the railing, shouting down to the arena below,
"Begin!"
