The Shameless Young Miss

Tournament

In the end, there were 130 participants joining the tournament between all five countries.  The participants were all given a number between 1-65.  Their opponent would have the same number as the participant.  

The tournament was held in the largest fighting hall in the city, each country had their own seating section and fighting entrance.  The tournament was going to be held everyday until a winner was announced. 

Lihua sat in the Imperial Family box, right in the middle of the seating area.  Takeshi, wore a white robe, matching Lihua, that made him look even more Godly then before.  

"Shouldn't you be collecting eyes right now?"  Takeshi teased her as he noticed how many eyes were upon his body.  

"Then shall I remove my veil and butterfly marking?"  Lihua answered back.  "Should I show the everyone how unsightly your Lady Wife is?"  

"Don't you dare."  Takeshi answered seriously.  "Then I'll be the one collecting eyes."  

Lihua laughs at Takeshi's mood swing.  "What number do you have?"  

Takeshi took out the wooden pendant and gave it to Lihua.  Lihua took it and saw that it had the number 1 on it.  

"Was this a coincidence? Or was this planned out?"  

"I just took whatever number they gave me."  Takeshi said.  

But before she could ask him anymore questions, loud drums were struck in succession gathering everyone's attention.  A man in red walked his way towards the middle of the arena and waved his hand so everyone could quiet down as he talked.  

"Every 20 years the mysterious Phantom Mirage opens it's doors and lets us mere mortals enter its dangerous dimension.  In the Phantom Mirage, there are treasures beyond compare to our world, however there also resides danger beyond what we are capable of imagining.  Every 20 years, when the mirage lifts to show us it's dangerous beauty, it is our only chance to take hold of our fate and send in our fastest, strongest, and most talented individuals to seek their fortune in the Phantom Mirage.

It is with their courageousness and strength that represents their Country and Kingdom that will help them on their way when they enter the Phantom Mirage.  First place contestant,  will take 30 people with them into the Phantom Mirage.  Second place winner, will take 25 people.  Third place, 20 people.  Forth place, 15.  Fifth place, 10. 

Should there be contestants from the same country in the top five, it is the country's blessing to have such great talent. Should a country not place in the top five, then it is up to them to raise their talent to become better so they can stand on stage in 20 years.

Rules are simple, either make your opponent concede in their defeat or death.   

Let the Phantom Mirage Tournament commence."  

Loud cheers echoed in the arena as the first random number was called.  The fighting round all depended on the participants.  Should the competitors be on the same martial stage, then it would take longer, however should the participant get paired up with someone from a higher martial stage, then it would end quickly.  The possibility of fighting someone from the same country was also a possibility.  The numbers were randomly given and would be randomly called during the tournament. The winners from the first round would then be given a number between 130-195 and their second opponent would have the same number for the second round.  But the second round to the tournament would only commence after the first round is finish.  

From what Lihua could tell, the participants that entered to fight the tournament were from Water Bound Martial Stage and higher.  The strongest from each country were Sky Bound Martial Stage fighters, except Cara Country with Takeshi being at Heavenly Dragon Martial Stage.  

As the first fight commenced, Lihua sat still as she searched for her family in the Imperial box where Prince Haneul sat.  Her son, Thorin sat next to him as they whispered to each other while her grandchildren sat with their comrades who were participating with each other.  Their attention were on the fight that was in front of them.  

  Lihua wasn't interested in the fighting, unless it was her grandchildren or Takeshi, so she opt for cultivating and spying on the Chen Estate and the Lei Estate where she left a spider in the private home of Minister Chen and Prime Minister Lei.  

"Let me know when my kiddies fight,"  Lihua whispers to Takeshi.  "Or when you fight.  I'm going to do some reconnaissance in our enemies home."  

Takeshi nods as he pulls Lihua's head to rest on his shoulder, as if she was resting instead of cultivating and using her strange powers.  As she check in on the Lei residence, she found that there were even lesser servants than before.  Madam Tori was in the middle of fighting with Madam Jessie about helping with house chores while Prime Minister Lei sat in his study with his arms crossed, listening to them complain about their load of work with the strange disease that had befallen everyone in the estate.  Even their new son-in-law was affected.  

"We have been cursed!"  Madam Jessie yelled.  "It's the only possible answer!  No doctor can cure our skin disease. We have had bad luck for several months now, with out rest.  We must have been cursed to have such bad luck!"   

Prime Minister Lei rolled his eyes, because he didn't believe in curses and bad luck, however it was the only reasonable answer that he could come up with at the time.  

"We should hire a holy man to bless our home before we fall into more ruin."  Madame Tori said agreeing with Madame Jessie for the first time that morning. "But you also have to keep to your word that you are in charge of cooking!" 

"I woke up late!"  Jessie shouted. "If I woke up late, then why don't you start cooking?" 

"Because it's not my JOB!" Tori yelled back.  

"Ladies!" Leo yelled. "Ladies!  Lets not fight over petty things.  I'll go seek a holy man to bless our home and cleanse the filthy air that hovers above our Lei Clan Estate.  Hopefully, it'll turn our luck around and we can go back to our glory days.  Until then, please look after one another, for that is all we have left."  

Lihua came back to her body to see that the people fighting in the arena were different people.  

"Did I miss anything?"  Lihua asks.  

"Nothing special."  Takeshi said.  "You?"  

"The Lei's are going to hire a holy man to cleanse their estate from bad luck."  Lihua tells him.  

"What are your thoughts?"  

"I'm debating if I should hire an actor to play the holy man and have him make the Lei's do stupid things to mess with them or should I just ignore it and let them hire the holy man so their defenses will be down for me to strike when they are at their weakest?"  

Takeshi laughs at both ideas, he never wants to be on the opposite side to her evil plans.  "The latter sounds better."  

"I was thinking the same thing."  Lihua tells him.  "I should just end their misery shouldn't I?"  

"If you do, we can go to Bido Kingdom and visit our family."  Takeshi tells her.  

"Sure, once we both settle our debts."  Lihua agrees.