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Chapter 31: Sorry I Broke Your Arm

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"What is he planning?" Bon Sa asked himself.

It had already been unexpected enough that the cat had stepped in for the first match. Yet now, he also wanted to fight the second.

He'd stopped looking down on the cat long ago. And while it was really surprising that this one was a novice in battle, because of Ku Ro's assessment he didn't underestimate the cat's abilities right away.

Bon Sa might be hot-blooded and temperament at times, but he was definitely no foolish.

The cat had to have some kind of intention in all of this.

Glancing to the side, he could see that the cat's team members looked on with shocked and taut expressions; this could only mean, they most likely didn't know anything about the cat's plan.

"Whatever, with my ace card there's no way I can lose in the end, so I might as well probe him a bit more." Since guessing would be a waste of his metal power, Bon Sa decided for this course of action. He looked back toward the other brown-armored youth, a swarthy looking snake, and hollered, "You. Go!"

The snake nodded firmly, and with a steady slithering that didn't bob his upper section he went down into the duel area. Then, he propped himself up one of the rocks and stood facing the expressionlessly cat; his long abdomen curled a bit over the rock to steady himself.

His gaze was sharp with seriousness, and even a tinge if fierceness shone in his eyes.

It would be a lie if what had happened to the dog didn't shake him a little.

Both he and Dougo Feng had been clear of their role in this duel from the beginning. Yet they had accepted, because it was also a chance to stand out and make an impression.

However, that had occurred to the dog.

So while he was confident that the cat before him wasn't his opponent, he wouldn't be careless.

"My name is Lao Laofan. Please give me some pointers,"

"Kyu Cao. Please give me some pointers."

Just like Dougo Feng before, Lao Laofan didn't take out his weapon. Unlike the dog, however, who had done so to even things, the snake feared that using his weapon would look like he was bullying the cat and embarrass himself.

He shoot forward to the other rock with a speed that was even faster than the dog's previously.

Those from the snake race were exceptional with their start movement, becoming a traceless blur. Against a snake, it was not uncommon to be defeated before one noticed in the first move.

Lao Laofan arrived to the other rock instantly like a ghost, and he rose his arm, planning to deliver a palm strike.

Seeing the snake appearing in front of the cat so fast that they barely registered it and ready an attack, the crowds felt that this match was already about the end.

Yet, who would have thought, that the cat would jump backward in a timely manner, and that palm would only strike empty air.

Lao Laofan was surprised at first that the cat had managed to evade, but then concluded that this one must have had planned his retreat even before he decided to attack. Like this, it was indeed possible to outmaneuver him.

But even if the opponent had expect his move, it was still not easy to evade a snake's burst of momentum, so he had to admit that this cat's reflexes were not bad.

"His movements have changed," at the upper side of the duel area, the black buck was closely observing Young Master Kyu Cao's movements.

"Nn." In front of him, Bon Sa only muttered in agreement. He could tell as well that Kyu Cao had suddenly modified his movement style, making this one sharper and less clumsy. "Your opinion?"

"It would look like he's begun to evade with foresight, and not only reacting... This familiarity, it seems this is actually how he usually does it."

Once again, the buck's analysis was spot on.

How could Kyu Cao, who had seriously trained this past week, even to the point of being reckless, still move so clumsily?

Would not that meant that all his work had been for naught?

It also had to be said, that even before this, the level he'd obtained hadn't been low, honoring those four's belief that he was a martial arts talent.

These last few days, Kyu Cao had continued to spar with his "acquaintances", the pack of thunderlightning gray wolves, practicing mostly his evasive and countering skills.

This was because he deemed that it would be best to focus on one aspect, and this one seemed more useful for what he had planned.

While this also meant that he was lacking when it came to take the initiative, if it was surviving the onslaught of his opponent, Kyu Cao was now pretty confident in coming out unscathed against someone of similar strength.

Then, as for why his previous bad performance...

"So what, was he playing around before?" Thinking of this possibility, Bon Sa's tail wanted to lash out with indignation.

Actually, because Kyu Cao thought that sparring against a theriope would be much different to fighting a ferocious beast, he had decided to get a close feel of how the dog fought...

But yes, it was bit of that.

Of course, he was only capable of thinking this way because he was confident that he could turn the situation over at any time, with the help of his Treading the Frozen World movement skill.

But the others had no way of knowing this.

"..." Certain that anything he could say would be only a guess, the buck decided to keep silent.

"Then let's see what else he has to show," concluded the monkey with a huff.

On the duel field, Lao Laofan pursued relentlessly the cat, but was greatly surprised to see that this one's movements were simply incomparable to during the duel with Dougo Feng.

It was like he was fighting against a different theriope altogether.

He was actually having trouble keeping up.

The cat retreated again, jumping backward and down the slope to the rock below.

Lao Laofan clenched his fangs and only hesitated a moment, before propelling himself down the slope like a spear being thrown.

Seeing this, Kyu Cao raised a fist and surprisingly jumped up to intercept the snake.

His paw, which was previously of a creamy white, began to quickly dim in color, becoming an ashen gray.

Because this change was somewhat minute taking into account the cat's fur coloration, if Lao Laofan hadn't been focusing on that fist he might have missed it.

But when he became aware of it, he was greatly startled.

Hastily, the snake also raised a fist, which he launched to meet the cat's one.

The two fists connected with a disastrous sound, and although it was not an overly loud one, for the watching audience, it was like a thunder that shook their whole bodies.

"Haasss!"

A wretched hiss of pain escaped from Lao Laofan's mouth as he was shot backward, where he tumbled on the slope's face.

His long body coiled on itself as the pain made his muscles constrict.

He clutched on his forearm, and looked down to his arm.

Although it didn't look any different, a pain that wrecked him to the bone told him otherwise, and he didn't dare to move even a finger.

The angle and the position of the rocks made it a bit hard for some to see the scene, but everyone else could, and after observing a bit they became speechless.

It appeared that the snake arm, it was broken!

Broken? But how?! How could that simple looking exchange result in such outcome?

As everyone was wondering, Kyu Cao quickly sprinted up to the snake's side.

He crouched down, and seeing the arm's condition he wordlessly reached out with his paws and began to examine it.

Lao Laofan hoarsely hissed with pain and anger at the sudden handling.

He wanted to wretch his arm free, but when he noticed the cat's expression, or more like lack of one, emitting a calm and solemn atmosphere, the idea was quickly snuffed out like a candle with a calm breeze.

Because he couldn't use his Qi to probe, Kyu Cao used the more conventional methods, but these were effective nonetheless.

The arm was fractured, but not badly damaged, he concluded; the use of some good pills should ensure a quick recovery.

Letting go, Kyu Cao stood up. Lao Laofan too straightened, still grasping his arm. But worse than the injury, was now the weight in his heart.

No arguing about it, he'd lost.

With his arm injured like this, continuing would only be inviting to be humiliated.

And since this duel had not reached such level of conflict, it was simply not worth it.

The snake then looked at the cat meaningfully.

The fight he'd just fought, it'd been completely different to what he had expected; a world apart from how the previous match had played.

Not only had been his opponent's movement much more skilled, the strength he had felt behind that punch was enough to make him nervously swallow a gulp of saliva just remembering.

Now that he thought about, the cat paw had turned ashen back then. Was that a martial art?

Then, although not very flashy, it was a frightful one.

However, it had also been a reckless move, he believed.

"I apologize for breaking your arm."

"Eh?"

The snake's mind blanket out for a moment, even forgetting his arm, as he tried to understand what the cat had just said.

Apologize? For breaking his arm?

Lao Laofan had to take a moment to think straight again.

He stared closely at the cat's face, but it was the same impassive expression, not really one tha others would believe to joke or mock.

Then the cat raised his paw, and Lao Laofan noticed that he was now holding small jade bottle.

"These are some Bone Mending Pellets. They should help to recover your arm. Take them." He held the bottle in front of him, signaling him to take them.

... He really was serious.

Lao Laofan gingerly raised his good arm, and took the bottle.

The snake stared at it silently, and then bowed.

"I thank the Young Master for his graciousness... If the Young Master does not mind, may I ask him a question?"

"A question? All right, you may."

"Is the Young Master a Cultivator?" Lao Laofan asked cryptically.

He saw the cat blink his eyes, and the snake thought that he even saw a semblance of perplexity on that impassive face. "A Cultivator? Yes. Since I practice Cultivation I am indeed a Cultivator. Is that not the case?"

"Yes, Young Master is right. That's indeed the case," Lao Laofan responded succinctly.

Just like that, his feelings of frustration greatly deflated.

When someone drowned in the sea, would you get angry at the sea itself?

No, it was pointless. The sea would remain indifferent and calm.

This more or less described what Lao Laofan felt right now.

The snake bowed once again, then made a turn to return with his team.

So the cat was not even a Cultivator, he mused.

In truth, just practicing Cultivation didn't really make one a Cultivator. At least, not in the eyes of other Cultivators.

Cultivation was the way of going against the Law of Heaven.

It required much more than just talent to walk the path of a Cultivator.

If something the snake believed to have gleamed from his brief encounter, was that the cat probably had a casual disposition toward Cultivation.

Yet still, this cat's level still seemed to be higher than his, because that punch had been no joke. And even then he didn't believe that'd been all of his strength.

It was kind of a pity.

But if someday that cat awoke to the true heart of a Cultivator, his achievements surely would be immeasurable. Like the endless sea, who realized that it could rise and cover the lands.

"Young Master, I have failed. I will accept whatever punishment Young Master deems appropriate." Once he arrived in front of the monkey, Lao Laofan bowed deeply and spoke those words.

"Return." Not really bothering himself with the snake, Bon Sa dismissed him indifferently. It could be tell that the monkey was in rapt thinking.

Lao Laofan was clearly in better mental state than the dog previously, despite having come out worse for wear, and when those eyes of disdain from the "true" subordinates fell on him, he just ignored them. He also inwardly sneered at them. "Just wait for your turn, then we'll see if you can kept your tail high... but is he planning to continue fighting?" The snake looked down to the duel area, where the cat again didn't look like having the intention of coming out.

Sure enough, the audience too noticed this, and the chatter didn't' make itself wait.

"He won again!?"

"Shit, did you see how he moved? Is that the same guy?"

"Bwahaha, now who said that he was just a lucky cat? He was obviously only hiding his strength."

"Do you think he plans to take on another opponent?"

While still many thought that wanting to go against three opponents was biting more than what he could chew, now that they realized that the cat was a wolf in sheep clothing they very much were interested in seeing him try.

Bon Sa was still analyzing everything in his mind, his fierce eyes never straying from that seemingly regular figure.

He, too, wondered what Kyu Cao would do. But he said nothing.

It was the cat's turn to pick after all.