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Chapter 30: I'll Continue

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"He has extraordinary reflexes," the black buck silently informed his master.

As a bodyguard, this buck's ability to analyze the opponent was admirably sharp.

He'd noticed, that while that kick had connected and the cat had been pushed back in a spectacular fashion, this one had still managed to barely react and jump back on time. So aside from some pain because he probably didn't know how to receive the impact, the cat had received no significant damage.

However, good reflexes were not enough to win this fight. And when the black buck saw the cat trying to retaliate, he found it a bit pitiful.

Many of the spectators were also surprised by this move.

This duel had turned out outside of everyone expectations, thought not because of the good reasons.

They had realized, that this cat was a complete amateur!

By now everyone believed in their hearts that this match had simply already lost all suspense, and that the cat's loss was imminent.

Some watched with pity, but most with mockery, as the cat palm advanced to meet the dog's, expecting a scene of this one being repelled pathetically.

Things didn't go as expected though, much to their shock.

Kyu Cao's palm evaded the dog's at the last moment, then it became a blade which continued forward. His arm slithered around his opponent's like a swimming viper, moving up the outstretched limb.

Their arms were so close that the strands of fur touched against each other intimately.

Dougo Feng's pupils clenched, and before he could act a countermeasure, the tips of the cat's fingers were resting against his throat, emitting a suffocating pressure which seemed to cut his air source.

There was also a presence of heat, as if someone had put a hot towel soaking into the skin; but the reality wasn't as harmless though. For Dougo Feng, the feeling was more like a blade that had been maliciously put to bath under the sun, held against his throat to taunt him and remind him that any cut would spread his equally hot blood.

As for Kyu Cao, he'd managed to avoid most of the palm strike, letting it slide over his shoulder.

A deep silence washed over the crowd like a huge cold wave, freezing their earlier expressions.

Bon Sa, who had been quite discontent by how things were progressing, could only blink his eyes as he caught up with what had happened.

Behind him, the buck's cold expression had a hint of surprise. Just now, he'd judged that the cat was someone that had no experience fighting, but the movement just now had been executed with some true skill.

Had the cat being feigning this entire time? The buck got the feeling that this was not entirely the case. But then what?

However, the most shocked, was obviously Dougo Feng.

He stood immobile, not daring to make a move, as well as too astonished to think of doing one.

The dog kept wondering what had happened, as he exchanged stares with the cat.

This one's expression presented not a single change from before, quite indifferent, as if the current situation was completely unrelated to him, giving Dougo Feng an additional uncomfortable feeling.

"If I am not mistaken, this deadlock usually is equivalent to a conclusion, is not it?"

Dougo Feng was shook awake by the cat's sudden question, and he finally comprehended the result.

He'd lost.

Because this was a non-lethal duel, he knew the cat's paw would not continue. Technically, it was an actual option for him to shrug it off and make a counter now.

But the martial world had its own principles.

In the true world, and in a true fight, the cat wouldn't have stopped, and he, Dougo Feng, would not be longer breathing.

It was normal to kill others in a fight.

It was simply normal to kill others.

Anyone could die at any moment.

So it was standard to take each spar as seriously as a real battle.

The Bloody Army was quite strict in this matter as well.

Members who fought against each other were absolutely forbidden from killing their opponent, otherwise they would be executed themselves. But in exchange, any sure-kill move was meritorious enough to obtain the victory.

And Dougo Feng had no doubt that this was a sure-kill move.

Once he reached this conclusion, the dog was completely aghast.

He had lost, against this newbie?!

His heart was unwilling to accept this.

If he thought the cat had been concealing his skills all this time, he would have thought differently.

But he was hundred percent sure that this was not the case.

It was truly difficult for him, a proud warrior, to accept that he had lost against someone who obviously didn't know how to fight.

Careless, he was too careless!

"If this is not enough, should I continue?"

Dougo Feng's internal dilemma was interrupted once again by the cat's voice.

He was just trying to understand what this one meant, when the cat took a step forward, bringing their bodies closer.

But what Dougo Feng's attention focused on, was the sudden, painful feeling of tightness around his throat.

"Gwaagh!"

A garbled moan came out of the dog's maw; he grip on his throat was not gentle at all, with a force that apparently threatened to crush his windpipe.

Those fingers in particular dug on his flesh painfully, emitting that uncomfortable heat. He could swear they felt more like hot iron poles trying to pierce his throat from side to side.

"I... It's, my loss."

Catching up with the situation, he let out those words with some difficulty.

Kyu Cao immediately released his grip, then stepped back.

Dougo Feng could only back down bitterly, truly un unwilling to admit such outcome.

Then, he saw how the cat appeared to slightly shake his paw, and a fine white powder gently fell, riding the gentle breezes.

This quickly got the dog's attention, and he involuntarily took his own paw to throat.

Surprisingly, his more sensitive pads came in touch with something hot, the same kind from when the cat held him.

Looking down to see his paw, Dougo Feng found traces of some whitish gray powder, probably of the same kind as the one on the cat's paw.

It appeared to be ashes.

Then he realized. These ashes... were actually emitting traces of Qi!

He looked up again toward the cat, but only found this one staring at him with an unconcerned look; it was one that gave one the impression that, no matter what happened, the cat would remain unaffected.

A chill went up the dog's tail.

While he didn't know what this ash exactly was, because of the traces of Qi it was obvious it was no ordinary ash.

If the cat had used it on him, how would have he ended? Or had the ash already taken effect?

The dog wanted to ask, but realized he couldn't. This was practically asking the other party if they had poisoned him, which would be extremely rude.

It appeared the cat really had nothing to say on the matter, so Dougo Feng gave a martial salute which the cat responded back, then he began to return to the others with a weighted steps that had nothing to do with the steepness of the slope.

After the shock waned, everyone stared incredulously at the duel field.

"He won?"

"No kidding, he won!"

"Did you see that last movement, it seemed to be really tricky."

"What are you talking about? This cat doesn't even know how to fight, how could he do such movement deliberately, he surely just lucked out."

"Tsk, tsk, that dog sure was careless. Now he can only walk back with his tail between his legs."

Most believed the result had all been due the cat's luck, as well as the dog's carelessness, and even the most experienced trainees were skeptical of otherwise.

Only a minority actually saw correctly the outcome.

"What do you think, was it really luck?" Bon Sa wasn't completely sure as well, so he sent a ultrasound message to the more experienced Ku Ro.

"I don't believe so. I don't think he was feigning having difficulty before, but that move just now was executed skillfully, if rough... I would dare to say he is someone who has been practicing martial arts for not very long, and has only been focusing on countering attacks."

"I see..." muttered the monkey.

Were they wrong about their suspicions of this cat?

Why would he be someone who didn't know how to fight, if he was part of a military family?

Bon Sa thought it over a bit, before a question suddenly appeared in his mind. "Can you tell what his Cultivation level is?"

"I cannot tell exactly. It shouldn't be lower than the dog's, but with the way he's fighting it's difficult to determine. I can only ascertain that he hasn't been serious yet," the black buck responded with certainty.

Bon Sa's eyes only narrowed. He was discovering that this cat was a bit queer.

Dougo Feng arrived in front of the monkey.

His eyes were cast down and his ears dropped. After such shameful performance, he had no face to stand before the young master.

Bon Sa didn't pay attention to the dog and just spoke curtly, "Return to your place."

While it was better than being reprimanded, Dougo Feng couldn't feel better because of this, and he meekly moved back to the group's behind.

Coldness could be seen in the yellow-clothed youths' eyes as they looked at the dog.

As true subordinates that belonged to the Goldcloud Clan, they found the dog's mistake as a great wrongdoing to their young master.

Ku Ro and the cyan clothed monkey only ignored him, while the tiger just threw a glance equal to noticing a piece of trash on the side of road, before ignoring it.

Meanwhile, in a completely opposite mood to the dog's, not far away Wonlai and the band were looking toward the cat on the rock with relieved faces, as well as some marvel.

Ku Ro's suspicions were of course true, these four would dare testify about it.

But they also knew that the cat was no average individual.

And while they had trusted the cat to somehow manage it, they had not really expected such a resolution.

"Looks like Senior Cao didn't waste this last week," remarked Bi Gong with elated humor.

"Obviously not, but I really wonder what level has he reached." There was some helplessness in Ti Ping's ultrasound transmission. From the four, it was him who could not shake the feeling that he cat was some kind of monster the most.

The day they had spent the night at the forest together, they had of course asked the cat about a few things.

They came to learn that Kyu Cao, apart from some basic training, had never really ventured to practice combat techniques, and had not even sparred once against someone.

Yet, seeing how unruffled had he come out from his deathly encounter with the three-clawed woody grizzly, they had immediately noticed he had a natural predisposition toward battle.

It didn't matter if he had started late. At least when it came to martial arts and experience, he could more easily catch up with the rest, opposite to Cultivation.

And they were sure the cat would.

"Nevertheless, it will be still really difficult for Brother Cao to fight against the most powerful members of Bon Sa's team with so little experience. Just where are Brother Cao's teammates?"

"Senior Cao is one to make things go his way when he wants. Let's wait a bit more." although Li Ling was trying to reassure the others, traces of anxiousness could be seen in her crystalline eyes.

The first march was over, and the first victory had gone to the cat, Kyu Cao.

Everyone stared attentively toward the duel area, where Kyu Cao was still standing on the same rock.

He didn't look hurried, nor with the intention to move, making many of the present confused.

"I believe it is your turn to choose first," the cat's monotonous voice abruptly rode the air with surprising words.

But then everyone nodded. Since he'd chosen first on the first match, it was only fair for the monkey to do the same in the next one.

Subconsciously, after the extra space ring's appearance, everyone had accepted the cat as someone with similar standing to Bon Sa, and were no longer looking down on him, at least because of his background.

However, how could the next match proceed, if he was still in the field?

"Why are you still standing there?" Bon Sa asked suspiciously.

"I just thought it would be more convenient this way," Kyu Cao responded undisturbed as always.

More convenient? "What do you mean with more convenient... You wouldn't be saying you will be fight again?"

"It is your turn to choose first... but yes, I am."

As soon as these words were uttered, an uproar ran among the hundreds of spectators.

"This cat will be fighting again? Is he crazy?!"

"He luckily managed to win the previous match, but now he is thinking of taking on another opponent. Does he believe his luck will last that much?"

"He's obviously only a newbie... but this is interesting."

"Who knows, maybe he can pull another miracle."

Opinions varied, but everyone was in agreement with something.

This duel had become a bit more interesting.