In the circular spectator seating.
The outcome was announced, those who bet on Kun Lan to win would earn a modest sum; they could use their betting slips to exchange for money at the Continent Martial Arts Competition’s designated bank in the arena.
Everyone looked forward to the next match featuring Rag Head, preparing to go all-in on Rag Head’s fight. Even if the odds were low, small earnings were still profits.
The arena, a site of collective revelry, was seething with excitement.
However, the card dealer walking around the field delivered some unfortunate news: the upcoming match featuring Rag Head was canceled. Because he was on a winning streak and showing exceptional performance, he would move directly to the semifinals.
The betting was closed, opening up wagers for the other two competitors.
Meanwhile, in the private viewing box,
Liszt, upon hearing the news, immediately shot to his feet. He had taken a risk of exposing his identity to see that man just once, and now you’re telling me this, damn it.
He moved past Galen, heading straight for the card dealer. He intended to enter the preparatory room for the players backstage to verify the news himself.
Galen, sensing Liszt’s murderous intent and, despite being a low-level Boss who idolized Liszt, knew now was not the time for trouble.
Liszt was about to grab the dealer by the collar and, through a mix of intimidation and bribery—even using some gold—get him to take Liszt backstage.
The attendant of Isis blocked Liszt’s somewhat rash action.
A middle-aged man with a towering physique, clearly a trained fighter, stood in front of Liszt, smiling pleasantly, like the warmth of spring.
"Excuse me, may I take a moment of your time? It’ll be quick."
The middle-aged man was extremely friendly, with a face full of kindness.
Liszt’s eyelid twitched, holding back his impatience. He didn’t understand the man’s background, but his accent sounded somewhat like Archer’s—the way Ji Weng people learned the common language of Cyrus had that particular inflection.
A Ji Weng visitor to Aran, looking for him? What could it be?
He calmed down, thinking that it might be better to sneak in rather than make an outrageous request to the dealer.
Watching her servant’s actions, Isis sat upright with increased heartbeat and a touch of nervousness.
Her companions were unaware of the situation. Isis planned to have her servant ask that man if he had traveled on a passenger ship from Lostra to the Southern Continent eight years ago. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveI★Fire.net
If he had, then there was no escape; she had encountered the man she once had a one-night stand with.
Isis suddenly regretted her decision back then. With her family’s power, even if he were a fugitive, they could have smoothed things over and even kept him as a kept man by her side.
Unfortunately, at that time, she was but an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl, lacking in social experience. Discovering that Liszt was a fugitive, she was inundated by fears that her reputation would be ruined, bringing dishonor to her family. The more she thought, the more frightened she became, leading her to cut ties sharply.
If the current her were to choose, she would have kept Liszt in the manor as a gardener or something similar. Even if she was married, if her husband strayed, she would stray with Liszt.
But now, Liszt probably wouldn’t accept any sort of gardener’s job anyway. Not only had he become famous in the criminal underworld, but many ordinary citizens also knew of him as the villain who dominated the entire East Sea.
Liszt ignored the middle-aged man. He had no time for idle chitchat, possibly some kind of salesman. He pushed past the man and headed towards the arena’s side passageway.
Following behind were Galen and the others, sticking close.
"My mistress would like to ask whether you, eight years ago, boarded a ship departing from Lostra to the north coast of the Southern Continent."
The middle-aged man whispered to Liszt.
Liszt froze on the spot, "Mistress, eight years ago?" That was indeed the case; he and Mika had been caught making counterfeit money, and at that time, they had made a run for it with their buckets.
At the port of Lostra, Liszt had hooked up with a noble lady and managed to slip past the border inspection.
He no longer cared about whether he would expose himself or not. At this moment, he came up with a plan and could conveniently use her. As a foreign distinguished guest, she would likely have no problem wanting to go backstage to see the contestants.
He had to act quickly.
What was that woman’s name again?
"Your family’s young lady, isn’t her name...I...something-s?"
Liszt barely remembered the woman whom he had a fleeting encounter with; he didn’t even know what she looked like anymore, although her name still left a bit of an impression.
The accompanying servant gave a piercing look, confirming that she was indeed the person Miss Isis was searching for, otherwise, he couldn’t possibly deduce all that from such little information.
The command he had received was merely to confirm her identity and not to cause any embarrassment for Isis, he nodded to Isis, indicating that there was no doubt.
An unusual emotion surged through Isis’s heart, and she clenched her fists uncontrollably, feeling a bit nervous, but she also had her speech ready.
"I’ve run into an old classmate and must excuse myself for a moment. See you later."
Isis said calmly to her blonde female companion.
"Why is it that everywhere we go, you have a classmate..."
The blonde woman was speechless. Isis’s education was not low, but then again, for nobles, it was all fast tracked. Education was just a matter of endorsement, they could gold plate wherever they wanted.
In a hidden passageway of the circular arena.
Galen and his two lackeys really knelt for Liszt; worthy of being the Boss of the East Sea, his reach was heaven-high, and he was connected everywhere. Just about anywhere he went, there were high-end people he knew.
And Isis’s accompanying servant didn’t find this strange at all; nobles were no different from ordinary people, just that their desires were more easily satisfied, and thresholds were higher, so they played more extravagantly than commoners.
Isis’s father was out there causing mischief, summoning seven or eight women altogether, something the bodyguards had seen for themselves.
As for Isis having some old lover, he, a servant, had no right to interfere, even if Isis was about to get down to business with Liszt in the corridor right away.
He would just pull up a curtain and put up a ’Construction in progress, please detour’ sign.
Moreover, Liszt was not just some common hooligan but the current magnate of the East Sea. In terms of power, he wasn’t inferior to Isis’s family, even though her father was a Great Noble from Ji Weng with land and real authority.
For the families, this was also considered a blessing, apart from Aran, Liszt’s background was now clean.
"You’ve grown taller."
Liszt engaged in idle chatter; in his memory, Isis was about the size of a high school student who hadn’t yet filled out, but now she had a figure, with an ample chest and hips, likely under the guidance of a special shaping instructor, remarkably well-proportioned.
Isis didn’t know what to say. Upon actually seeing him, she felt somewhat embarrassed, although the memories were clear. Still, they had only spent a few days together, and the feelings weren’t that deep. It was just that her first experience made it feel profound.
It was nothing like the burning desire she expected, ready to rekindle the passion from that night instantly.
"Isn’t it dangerous for you to come to Aran?"
Isis asked calmly. After so many years, she wasn’t a little girl anymore. They were both adults, straightforward, without beating around the bush.
"Not really, my current identity is completely concealed."
Upon further thought, Liszt could even use this woman as a disguise to infiltrate deep into the Aran heartland. He still needed to go to the Imperial City core of Aran to retrieve Sharon.
"I need to ask you for a favor. It’s not for nothing, Gold Dragon or anything else, I can give you. Can you take me...to the backstage preparation room now? I want to see a contestant,"
Liszt made his request, which was but a trivial effort for her.