Siciha hit hard. The agreement was supposed to be that they would exchange a few blows and then Caedith would concede, however she was putting in quite the effort to be convincing. That, up until she punched Caedith in the throat.

While he coughed up blood, she turned towards a certain noble senior among the audience, paying respects with a bow.

"Because I really admire young lord Danphan, I will take care of this Rodent Soul Holder so that the lord won't have to sully his hands in the next round." she declared while forcing Caedith's Core Soul to manifest. It was indeed a small rat, exposed for everyone to see.

"I do appreciate the consideration of those who know their station. Perhaps I should find a place for you as my follower." remarked Danphan with a condescending nod. 

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Siciha deepened the previous bow and unsheathed a thin blade with a mellow pink hue in the metal and a straight notch running through its length. She plunged it meticulously in each of Caedith's meridian, each time the blade growing visibly thicker and brighter with no blood staining it. She didn't even spare the fourth meridian, which only the tiniest minority of people were born with. The whole audience thought that was wasted thoroughness, a pointless effort, a public display of cruelty for its own sake, and they loved it. But it wasn't just malice.

It was an emotionally dry betrayal: the boy didn't even process the breach of trust that had just happened, nor did he experience the shame of being exposed as a rat. His pain eclipsed whatever sorrow and humiliation she intended to inflict upon him.