Duncan was unceremoniously herded towards the backyard without leaving him time to see anything else. The route that they led him through was a side path that Duncan inferred to be reserved for servants.
As he made his way in, Duncan noticed that even the servants here were dressed better than him. It made him realize how truly poor he was compared to the people living here.
But, Duncan didn't mind it that much as he was currently more eager to see the strength of a cultivator. Albeit being a child, the receptionist had told him that the Young Master of the Wang clan was in the second stage of the Qi Gathering realm.
This was someone who had stepped foot onto the road of cultivation that Duncan yearned to walk. By checking out the difference between them, Duncan could roughly grasp an idea of how strong a typical cultivator could be.
While his estimates could be wrong, he will not be searching blindly anymore. And if he can make a good impression, he would be able to clarify his doubts regarding cultivation. Who knows, he might even obtain a cultivation manual.
Just thinking about this made Duncan's mood soar. He was determined to showcase his abilities to the best so that he would obtain at least some benefits from this mission apart from the promised reward.
When compared to this, Duncan didn't have time to think about his poor status. So, when he stepped foot into the backyard, Duncan was way more determined and focused than he had ever been in his entire life.
But, the Young Master didn't immediately come out to meet him. Rather, the servant who led him in started enquiring about his achievements in MA.
Initially, the servant looked a little angry when she learned that he had been a mercenary only for three months. But, when he had started explaining his battles with the wild animals and his kills, the servant's face was somewhat mollified. Still, she looked a little put out by his relatively low experience.
Then, the servant vanished inside leaving him alone in the courtyard. Duncan waited patiently for more than an hour before there was movement from the inside getting closer to the backyard.
Out came a young child who looked not even five years old.
If Duncan was being relatively objective, he would describe the child to be cute and very handsome in a childish sort of way. His skin looked unblemished and his face was really beautiful.
For a child, he looked way more gorgeous than the other kids Duncan had seen in the streets. His rich dress and well-kept appearance only accentuated the cuteness the child possessed.
However, Duncan couldn't help but sigh as he saw this cute child. Sparring with such a child looked entirely alien to Duncan at this point. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this moment, because Duncan's thoughts earlier were too naïve and it was clear he couldn't get anything out of this child.
When the said child posed arrogantly in front of him, Duncan had to try very hard to not laugh. While it was very cute, Duncan couldn't help but be disappointed with what he saw considering his expectations.
"What was I thinking? A child is a child. No way can he be something else. I will just gently accompany the kid for some time. Looks like this avenue will also be a bust," Duncan lamented to himself in his mind.
"You," the child, Young Master, pointed at him arrogantly, "I heard that you have battled wild beasts before and even killed a wolf on your own. Are you sure you aren't lying? Because, if I find out that you have been lying, I will whip you until you beg for death."
Duncan merely squinted his eyes in exasperation. No matter how he saw, this Young Master didn't have any overbearing aura that a cultivator usually possessed in Duncan's mind.
Letting out a huge sigh, that echoed his exasperation with the situation, Duncan merely nodded in reply to the child.
While he did find this whole scene hilarious, he didn't want to create trouble for himself by insulting the Young Master of the influential Wang clan. So, he endured it and decided to just accompany this Young Master for a while.
At least, the pay was good. With it, he could enjoy more wine and even have some money left over to visit Granny Jiao.
"Good, then prepare yourself," the child once more stated arrogantly, "I will test your strength now. If it is unsatisfactory, hmmph, I will show you what happens to someone when they lie to me."
Duncan's eyes couldn't help but twitch by this point. A part of him wanted to beat this unruly child into a crying mess by now, but he knew that he couldn't actually do that. So, he merely gestured for the child to attack.
Duncan stood there calmly as he saw the child preparing for his attack. He watched the child start doing some martial arts movements to initiate his attack, but the entire thing looked ridiculous to Duncan at this point.
When the child threw a punch, Duncan couldn't help but sneer in his heart as he realized that there was nothing special about it. He calmly sidestepped the attack and looked at the child.
The child looked perplexed for a moment before he followed it with a roundhouse kick. Duncan had to say that he was impressed by the child's flexibility. He could even perform such a maneuver despite his young age. It was indeed impressive.
When he was the child's age, Duncan could hardly string together such fluid movements. All he had known at that time was to throw a punch and kick someone's shin. If worse comes to worst, he would bite.
Duncan stepped back smoothly letting the leg pass him by. Normally, he would close in and attack his opponent at this time, but doing that might be bullying this child. So, he refrained from his actions and watched the child once more attack.
Duncan effortlessly evaded the several attacks the child made. By now, he was wondering why the receptionist lady had been so worried about this job while evading the attacks easily. It was clear that the child needed the most now was instructors who will guide him not sparring partners.
Just then, the child jumped back with an unsightly look on his face. It was clear that he hadn't expected to miss all his attacks. He gritted his teeth and looked at Duncan angrily.
"Is evading like a coward all you know? Why don't you face me like a man?" the child asked angrily.
Duncan felt like bonking the rude child on his head. But, he held back his urges and merely motioned him to continue. The child let out an angry snort and attacked once more.
This time, Duncan didn't evade. He gently tried to block the blow. However, his eyes immediately shrunk as he made contact with the child's fist.
The moment he made contact, the power that came from the fist was something that he didn't expect at all. It was way more powerful than an ordinary man's fist. It truly stumped him for a moment.
As a result, his block was ineffective and the fist landed squarely on his arm. The arm stung as Duncan quickly jumped back to assess the peculiarity. He could clearly see that the attack looked the same. But, there was a strong power within it.
While the attack was relatively faster than normal attacks by children and had a fluidity to it that came with training, the speed and technique weren't something that he needed to worry about as they were inferior to his standards.
However, the power contained in the attack was entirely another matter. It was more than what an ordinary person could produce. In fact, if his body hadn't been strengthened for the past three months, he would be barely able to resist it.
One had to know that Duncan had been working in the mine for most of his life. The harsh conditions there caused his body to grow stronger to adapt to the lifestyle. So, he was relatively stronger than an ordinary mortal.
The mere idea of a kid having the same strength he did from working in the mines for over eight years was baffling to him. While the kid wasn't in his league at present, the power he exhibited was enough for Duncan to take a second look at him.
"What? Did you get injured just from my mere punch?" the Young Master sneered.
"No, you just caught me off-guard with your power, Young Master," Duncan replied with a smile. "You are really a mighty figure."
"I really am. I am not some mortal like you. I am a cultivator at the second stage of the Qi Gathering realm. My power is not something you can withstand," the Young Master stated arrogantly.
"No need to worry Young Master," Duncan replied with a smile. "I am sturdier than ordinary men. I have even battled wild beasts. I am sure I will be able to handle your power."
"Ignorant fool, let me show you the difference between you and cultivators like me," the Young Master sneered and once more launched an attack.
This time, Duncan was ready. So, when the attack arrived, he blocked it with his full force and gently nudged the body of the child back causing him to lose balance and stumble.
Duncan calmly watched the child stagger and regain his balance. He was looking at Duncan with an unsightly expression on his face.
"You!!!" the Young Master said angrily. "How dare you lay your hands on me?"
Duncan frowned as he realized that this mission might be more difficult than it was on the surface. While he might prevail, the problem would be that he might end up offending the Young Master of the Wang clan who was not mature enough yet.
And offending the Young Master might result in the entire Wang clan is out for his blood. Even if it was just a mere wealthy family, it wasn't something he could bear. Not to mention a cultivating clan like the Wang clan.
He should have listened to the advice of Granny Jiao and stayed away from the cultivators. He should have known better when this job hadn't been picked up for four months despite its high pay. Sure enough, there was trouble.
Right now, the Young Master was looking at him with murder in his eyes. It was clear that he didn't expect Duncan to fight back. Duncan knew that he couldn't let the situation escalate. If needed, he needed to get beaten up by this child to escape this calamity.
Just as he wanted to say something to diffuse the situation, another voice sounded from the side.
"Enough, you asked for a sparring partner. Now, that he is here, you better hone your skills," an imposing voice came from the side causing both the Young Master and Duncan to look over.