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Chapter 29: The First Participants

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"Young Master Bon Sa is asking too much," Kyu Cao refuted immediately.

Behind him, Wonlai and the others stared at the monkey oddly.

It could be said they four were the closest to the cat here, and also the ones who believed in him the most.

Although they had no proof, they had accepted the notion that Senior Cao's standing was no lower than Bon Sa's.

So thinking like this, it was indeed a bit too much to ask the cat to become a subordinate.

The cat's expression and tone was still monotonous, but Bon Sa got the feeling that the cat was merely stating a fact, neither enraged nor offended.

"Hmph, fine!" He had actually expected as much, so there were no changes in Bon Sa's demeanor. "Then you will owe me a favor. This will make us the same."

Kyu Cao thought this was reasonable so he nodded his head.

Everyone close who was paying attention was becoming more and more confused.

They'd thought that this, rather than a duel, would be a show where an ignorant noble would be taught the difference between Heaven and Earth.

Yet, the party that they'd believed to be overwhelmingly superior, was actually giving this cat a lot of face, practically treating him as an equal.

Just who was this cat?

Some of those who recognized Wonlai and his group and saw them standing behind the cat began to regret not having approached him when they had the chance.

"I think that should cover all the details. No need to stretch this any longer. Let's begin."

"All right."

Both parties moved up on the slope to the edge of the duel's area, where they actually stood side to side to observe from a vantage point.

The watching trainees gave them some space and prudently stood at some distance. Thanks to the terrain, this was actually like observing from elevated stands, so everyone more or less would have a good view of the matches.

Wonlai and the others continued to stand behind Kyu Cao, having begun to grow worried because the cat's team was still nowhere to be seen.

Bon Sa was currently thinking something similar, and he turned to the cat with an inquisitive look. "Is that your team? This duel is a duel between teams of ten members."

Kyu Cao glanced at the monkey, before responding flatly, "We never established it was mandatory to come with a complete team."

Hearing the cat response, Bon Sa narrowed his eyes, before huffing derisively.

If the cat thought that he could win with half a team, then he was simply being too overconfident.

"Well then, why don't you choose your first participant first?" he said with an annoyed tone.

With this place being a quiet forest and a Cultivator's senses being very good, Bon Sa didn't have to speak loudly for everyone present to make out his words.

Hundreds of eyes turned toward the cat, expectations blooming in the chests of these hot-blooded youths wanting to see what the first move of this duel would be.

"Brother Cao, are Brother's subordinates late? If that's the case... we might not be of much help, but we at least could go and delay for time for Brother Cao's subordinates to arrive."

Suddenly, Kyu Cao could hear Wonlai's voice in his ears, causing one of these to flick reflexively.

Wonlai's voice sounded somewhat strange; it didn't feel like it was coming from around him, but rather it seemed to appear inside his ear, with mute quality to it.

This was just like when they separated from Bon Sa back then when they first crossed paths.

That time, Kyu Cao had heard the monkey's voice directly inside his ears too, without it being heard by the others.

This should be a Cultivator's technique, he reasoned. It would be interesting to try to learn it once this was over.

"It is all right," Kyu Cao said aloud, but softly enough so that only they could hear him. He didn't turn around either. "You four being here is reassuring... I don't understand why that is so, though."

The four's hearts shook, and before they could respond they saw the cat walking forward into the duel's area.

Their eyes widened realizing what the cat was doing.

Bon Sa and his team too were taken aback, and the same could be said for everyone watching.

It was common knowledge that a duel of teams between nobles was mostly a battle between the subordinates, as those of noble birth couldn't allow themselves to look too badly.

If their subordinates lost, they would lose face.

However, in this case, the failure at least could be blamed on the subordinates' performance.

However pitiful it might sound, it was a valid method to mitigate the damage.

But if a noble fought directly and lost, then they would be truly losing face. And in this case, the repercussions could even extend to their family and damage their reputation.

Unless it was an important matter, or the individual was truly confident in his abilities, not many nobles would actually do this casually in a duel of teams.

And this duel, although it involved a direct descendant of one of the Great Clans, nobody actually thought it was this serious.

There was the possibility that the cat was actually trying to gain some face by directly facing the other party's subordinates, but that only made sense if he were actually a minor noble of much lower status.

So, in the end, which was the case?

All murmurs quieted down as the cat advanced toward the rock platforms, and took position on one of them.

Next, under the high number of stares, Kyu Cao began to unhurriedly take off his outer long robe. He slipped his naked arms out from the long sleeves, and then, with a wave of his paw, the long robe fluttered in the air before it abruptly disappeared.

Most blinked their eyes in surprise and confusion, wondering what had happened. But those with some knowledge came to realize what had actually occurred, and their eyes opened wide as if they wanted to pop them out, their shock beyond belief.

Such phenomenon, there was one idea which immediately came to their minds.

That the cat had most likely stored his robe in an extra space ring.

An extra space ring!

There existed many curious and useful artifacts out there which were made from rare and strange precious materials.

But the most convenient, and also the most rare and expensive, had to be the extra space ring.

This ring was made from an extremely rare stone which, after going through an arduous manufacturing process at paws from both a Grandmaster Crafter and a Grandmaster Formation Writer, it would become a truly magical object that contained a isolated space within where one could store things.

This kind of artifact was incomparably precious, and thus expensive. Only the theriopes with the most monstrous backgrounds could afford to have one.

It was one of those stories that the commoner mothers told their children about the might of the powerful clans.

And this cat, he actually had one!

As word of this spread, so did the shock, and the crowd's hearts simultaneously trembled like a spreading earthquake.

Suddenly, many found that they couldn't make heads or tails of this cat.

Bon Sa had a better grasp of the cat's identity, but even he was greatly surprised.

It had to be said, that even he didn't have one of those.

Could the cat indeed be an important guest from another country like his big brother had suggested? A prince? That was supposed to be a joke though.

"That's not necessary the case. Even a Grand Marshal should have enough power to acquire one or two extra space rings. One obviously for him, and the other... his direct descendant would be the most suitable option," Bon Sa thought like this and calmed himself down.

However, why would he purposely reveal that he owns an extra space ring, and why would he personally go into the duel field in the first round, Bon Sa could not be sure.

"You, go," he spoke toward one of the two brown wearing youths.

This young theriope belonged to the dog race, with fur that was brown, black and tawny in a pattern, with rather average features.

The dog quickly jumped down the slope and toward the rocks, where he came to stand on the one directly opposite to the cat. His expression was one of vigilance.

"My name is Dougo Feng. Kindly give me some pointers," the dog saluted and spoke rather politely. He no longer considered the cat in front of him as an anybody noble who was overstepping his bounds.

"Kyu Cao. Kindly give me some pointers," Kyu Cao saluted back expressionlessly.

The dog, Dougo Feng, then took a stance while fixing his gaze on his opponent. On the other side, a rock away, Kyu Cao did the same.

"Mmh?"

Just behind Bon Sa, outside the ring, the black buck Ku Ro let out a bemused grunt.

"What is it?" Having not missed the goat's sound, Bon Sa mutedly asked without turning his eyes away from the duel area.

"No, it's nothing. At least, not something that I am sure now."

"I see." Since that was the case. Bon Sa put the matter aside and focused on the match that was about to start.

Dougo Feng observed the cat, not recognizing such stance, but he didn't linger on this.

The cat didn't make the first move. He only stared back; right now, those fiery blue eyes had become incredibly piercing, as if trying to see through every aspect of him.

Because his opponent had come without a weapon, Dougo Feng too had not taken out his sword, and with only his bare fists he shot forward toward the cat.

The cat didn't back up, seemingly decided to receive the attack.

The short gap between the rocks was covered in an instant, the dog's body moving fast like an arrow.

Once he was in front of the cat, he launched a palm strike toward this one's chest.

Even though he couldn't know his opponent's level, Dougo Feng was now clear that the cat was someone he couldn't afford to injure too much.

Kyu Cao didn't respond immediately. Only when the palm was very close did he turn his body to the side to evade.

Dougo Feng was unaffected by this, and he immediately followed with another palm strike with his other paw.

His next attack was evaded too by a short margin, but then he launched a third. A short series of palms followed, the cat evading each one with unconventional movements before this one appeared to slightly lose his balance and jumped back to put some distance.

Of course Dougo Feng wouldn't allow his opponent to recover, and he swiftly followed. With another palm strike, he began his second offensive. One which the cat only received passively and evading, with an impassive face that never changed.

Seeing the match start, and the first exchange of movements begin, the spectators keenly observed with surging excitement and curiosity.

But soon, the faces of many began to turn odd.

"Oi, Ku Ro. This cat..."

"Yes. He doesn't know how to fight."

Hearing this confirmation via ultrasound transmission, Bon Sa's frown deepened.

What was going on here?

"I briefly thought before that his stance was unusual, but it seems, it was that way because it was no proper stance at all," continued the black buck. "Even now, the reason he's been dodging by such short margin, is because he needs to react to his enemy's movements, and his footwork is practically non-existent. Because of this, after a series of attacks he has to retreat, otherwise he would be overwhelmed."

The match had only just started, yet the cat already appeared to be at a huge disadvantage.

While he'd picked the participants for this duel with the intentions to win, Bon Sa had not brought each of his best followers.

He had carefully considered the other party's possible identity, and the level that this duel possible reach, so he had actually brought two subordinates that while they could be considered good among the crowds, for this duel they could actually only serve as cannon fodder.

This was because according to the situation, these two could be used properly, either as scouts, or as offerings.

But never had he expected, that against this cannon fodder, that cat Kyu Cao would fall immediately into a precarious situation.

Without, it was true that this cat didn't know how to fight!

How was this possible?!

As the faces of everyone around were being filled with various expressions, the dog threw another palm strike to his chest.

Kyu Cao was about to sidestep, when he caught a fast movement at the lower corner of his vision, and he reflexively changed his response to a backward jump.

However, quicker than he could retreat, an impact accompanied by a stinging pain assaulted his stomach. The force propelled him backward, lifting him from the ground and launching him out the rock platform horizontally.

Kyu Cao didn't have to think much to deduce what had happened.

After his kick connected, Dougo Feng stared as the cat flew backward toward the corner of one of the rocks in an awkward position.

Seeing this, he first thought that this would not end well, but to his surprise the cat managed to find a foothold on the rock's side and stop himself. Then, this one jumped up to the rock's top in a rather smooth manner.

The fight then entered an implicit respite.

As the one fighting, Dougo Feng was the most baffled by the cat's performance.

How could this young master, who owned something like an extra space ring, do not even know the basics of fighting?

Was he actually only a pampered, spoiled young master that never had raised a finger in his life? Then what was he doing here trying to fight inside the duel's area? Was he playing around?

But no matter how much Dougo Feng observed the cat, this one's impregnable face made impossible to tell what this one was thinking.

The cat looked down to his stomach, where a dirty print if a footpaw could be faintly discerned, ruining the impeccable and expensive waistcoat.

"So I also must be mindful of simultaneous kicks..."

The cat seemed to mutter something, but Dougo Feng couldn't catch it. Then, the cat raised his head, sweeping him with his indifferent yet piercing gaze.

The cat gave a couple of step forward, before returning to the same rock as him with an unhurried jump.

Surprisingly, his opponent took the initiative to approach this time. But before he could get too close, Dougo Feng stepped forward and threw a palm strike; this one containing much more force behind that any before.

At this point, this unsightly fight, he intended to finish it now.

However, Dougo Feng's eyes widened as he witnessed the cat raising an arm and too form a palm with his paw, which was quickly sent with a trajectory that would collide with his.

This guy, a complete newbie, now dared to think of retaliating?!