At the very rear of the Du'an tribe, adjacent to the temple, lay the death arena.
This death arena was massive, with bloodstains that refused to be scrubbed clean on its mottled stone walls.
The entire arena was semi-circular and open, bearing a striking resemblance to the coliseums of medieval Western Europe. It was a wonder how these savages of the Du'an tribe had managed to construct such a grand edifice.
The sky was overcast, clouds obscuring the sun, and snowflakes drifted down towards the ground.
Ada and I walked along the rudimentary stone path towards the death arena. Along the way, Ada recounted the rules of the death match. Du'an tribespeople passed by, casting curious glances my way.
Their gazes held a sense of alienation, tinged with a subtle, almost imperceptible fear.
It made sense. After all, Gui Du Si was a warrior of the Du'an tribe, born and bred here. Compared to me, an outsider of unknown origin, the tribespeople of Du'an would naturally support Gui Du Si.
I even saw a child wearing a leather cap trying to pick up small stones from the ground to throw at me, only to be scooped up by a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and quickly ushered away.
"Brother Ada, it seems the people of Du'an tribe do not welcome me."
A wry smile touched my lips. Although I had anticipated this, it still felt a little disheartening.
"Don't mind them. As long as you defeat Gui Du Si, they will naturally worship you."
"In the Du'an tribe, strength commands respect. They will side with whoever wins!"
Ada gently patted my shoulder with his broad hands, offering comfort.
I returned his gaze with a reassuring look. I knew Ada said this to prevent me from being distracted by this cold reception, and I wasn't so fragile.
In the blink of an eye, Ada and I had reached the gates of the death arena.
Aside from the passage leading to the spectator stands, there were two small gates on the left and right, secured by railings.
"Brother, you go to the left. Once everyone has arrived, you and Gui Du Si will fight to the death."
I nodded at Ada and walked directly into the left railing gate.
Entering through the gate led to a narrow passage. Though the walls bore the marks of time, they were still clean, indicating frequent cleaning.
I followed the passage into a small room. Inside, there was only a stone table, upon which lay a set of rough animal hide clothing and a bone hunting knife. Besides these two items, there was a bowl of water and a dark, unappetizing-looking flatbread.
This was the rule of the death match: each participant, apart from this set of clothes and one knife, was not allowed to bring anything else.
The rule was quite peculiar, and I was bewildered when I first heard it. It was only after Ada's explanation that I finally understood.
In the death arena, only the bravest and strongest warriors could survive.
Especially under the witness of all the tribespeople, if someone were to launch a sneak attack mid-fight and win, they would be scorned by everyone, even in victory.
The death matches did not always have this rule. Until one occasion, when one of the combatants was the chieftain's son. Relying on his father's position, he equipped himself with the most luxurious gear, while his opponent was left with only ragged clothes and a bone knife.
The outcome was, as expected, not in favor of the latter. The opponent was cut down like a mere vegetable. However, the chieftain's son did not escape unscathed.
He was known for bullying and oppressing others in the tribe, committing all sorts of wicked deeds.
The reason he was forced into a death match was that he had forcibly taken his opponent's sister. With no other recourse, the opponent could only gamble his life against him.
Years later, the chieftain at the time was overthrown, and his son was publicly hanged.
Someone brought up this incident, and ever since, the death match became the most "fair" event in the Du'an tribe.
I found a clean spot and sat down. I did not touch the food or water. Casually, I took off my clothes and put on the robe from the table.
Facing an impending death match, one could not be too cautious at such a time. Especially with food and water, these were the easiest things to tamper with. I would not entrust my safety to Gui Du Si's integrity.
I could now faintly hear the clamor from outside. This small room, besides the passage I entered through, had a wall sealed with wood directly in front of me. Faint light emanated from it.
Time ticked by, second by second. I knew the death match was imminent.
Gui Du Si was the final hurdle to gaining Hu Tu's trust, and so far, the greatest crisis I had faced.
I slowly closed my eyes and took a deep breath, filtering out all the distracting noises from outside.
Luo Yaqin, Shangguan Yao, Guan Hai'er...
The figures of these people involuntarily surfaced in my mind, those I loved and who loved me.
Gradually, the figures in my mind began to change. Familiar yet unfamiliar faces became clearer. There was Li Degui, who had been arrogant upon our arrival on the island, and Gui Lichí, who had failed in his attempt to assassinate me.
Finally, only one figure remained.
A man with a poker face stared at me with eyes full of hatred and arrogance!
Gui Du Si!!!
*Bang!*
I slowly opened my eyes. The wooden wall before me had fallen, and directly opposite me stood Gui Du Si, clad in simple animal hide.
"Heh!"
A surge of excitement coursed through me. Gui Du Si was the only one in my sight.
Bring it on!
Let us decide victory and defeat, and life and death!