Duel

Arran woke up early the next morning, well before the first light of dawn. The previous night he had not felt too worried, but now, the confrontation was coming awfully close.

After some thought, he put on the armored coat he had bought the previous day. He did not think Lord Jiang would let it come to violence, but then, it was better to be needlessly prepared than to need it and not be prepared.

He ate breakfast with Jiang Fei and Magistrate Huang, and much like the previous day, they were the only ones in the large dining hall. By now, Arran was beginning to think that the people in Magistrate Huang's household were trying to avoid them.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Even Magistrate Huang himself was visibly uncomfortable being around Arran and Jiang Fei, clearly still afraid of their powers. That the rest of the household would be even more timid did not seem far-fetched at all.

They left after the meal, Arran silently chuckling as he imagined the relief Magistrate Huang's servants and family members would feel on being rid of them.

The walk to the City Hall took them the better part of an hour, with the streets still empty this early in the morning. A few people shot furtive glances in their direction, but quickly looked away as soon as Arran noticed them.

The building was massive and square, lacking any trace of decoration or elegance. To Arran's eyes it looked like a prison or even a fortress, and he had a hard time imagining Magistrate Huang governing the city from a place like that.

Inside they found large open hallways with few people inside them, and those few people who were there quickly scurried away when they saw the group approach. The one exception was a gaunt elderly man, who came running up to them just moments after they entered.

"Lord Magistrate," the gaunt man said with a respectful bow, "the Redstone leader is here. He's waiting for you in the court hall."

"Any sign of Lord Jiang?" Magistrate Huang's forehead creased in worry.

The gaunt man shook his head, but right at that moment, a voice sounded. When he heard it belonged to Lord Jiang, Arran let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Magistrate Huang," Lord Jiang said. All heads turned toward him, and he gave both Arran and Jiang Fei small nods. "Would you please escort us to the court hall?"

"Of course, Lord Jiang." Magistrate Huang bowed so deeply it looked as if he was about to fall over.

"Uncle Bear!" Jiang Fei said, looking relieved. "Yesterday, we—"

"I already know what happened," Lord Jiang interrupted her. "Now, it is time for us to deal with the situation."

They followed Magistrate Huang down the hallways, eventually stepping into a vast hall that Arran understood should be the court hall. Inside, he saw two men — the arrogant young man from the previous day, and an older man. The second man was unusually tall, with a sharp face and close-cropped black hair.

"Elder Redstone," Lord Jiang said in a flat voice.

"Lord Bear," the tall man said, bowing slightly. "I was starting to think you would stay holed up in your estate forever."

"That was my plan," Lord Jiang said. "But it seems there was an altercation between your men and my guests."

"Your guest assaulted one of my nephews, and his brother asked me to demand compensation," Elder Redstone said, gesturing toward the young man at his side. "But since you came in person, we have more important matters to discuss."

"Oh?" Lord Jiang replied. "And what might those matters be?"

"Some months ago, you killed an Academy mage," Elder Redstone said. "This caused a great deal of trouble for the clan. Although we reached an understanding with the Academy, the Council of Elders has sent me to retrieve you, so that the clan's Elders can decide on a proper punishment for your actions."

"If the Council wishes to see me, then naturally, I will come," Lord Jiang said.

A pleased look appeared on Elder Redstone's face. "If that is the case, then I think we can forget about the matter of your guest."

At this, the young man at his side scowled, and it looked like he was about to speak up. Yet before he could, Lord Jiang spoke.

"Certainly not," Lord Jiang said. "A guest in my city assaulted one of the future leaders of the Jiang Clan. Such a crime cannot go unpunished."

The answer seemed to take Elder Redstone by surprise, but after a moment's thought, he nodded. "You are right, of course. What do you have in mind?"

"Your nephew has quite the reputation as a swordsman," Lord Jiang said, nodding toward the young man next to Elder Redstone. "Perhaps the matter could be settled through a duel?"

Elder Redstone nodded again. "A proper solution," he said. "Very well."

Lord Jiang turned to Arran. "Draw your sword," he said, "and face your victim's brother." Head turned away from Elder Redstone, he gave Arran a wink.

Arran was puzzled by what had just happened, but understanding that Lord Jiang had a plan, he did as the man said.

Across the room, the arrogant-looking young man drew his sword as well, stepping forward with a thin smile on his lips.

"Begin," Lord Jiang said, and the fight started.

Arran's opponent attacked immediately with a series of perfectly executed strikes, and at once, Arran understood that the young man was a better swordsman than he was.

Relying on his strength and speed to defend, he managed to ward off the attack, but he was surprised to discover that his opponent was also unusually strong and fast.

At once, he knew that his opponent must practice some type of Body Refinement, although it was obvious to Arran that the young man's techniques were inferior to his own.

They exchanged blows several times, with Arran using his superior strength and speed to avoid any real danger. Even if his opponent was more skilled, the physical difference was simply too great for him to overcome.

Still, Arran did not show his true strength, afraid that the young man would have some unexpected card up his sleeve. Instead, he feigned weakness, allowing his opponent to grow overconfident as he believed he was gaining the upper hand.

"Stop playing and kill him," Lord Jiang's voice sounded.

A grin appeared on the face of Arran's opponent, and Arran realized the young man thought the words were meant for him. Indeed, a moment later his foe darted forward, striking several times and forcing Arran to defend.

At that moment, Arran stopped holding back.

He struck once at full force, and although his opponent narrowly managed to parry Arran's blow, the sheer force of it caused him to stagger backward. A look of shock appeared on his face.

Again Arran struck with all his strength, and his opponent's sword was sent to the side, his arms unable to withstand the power of Arran's strike. The shock on his face turned to panic when he realized what was happening, but it was too late.

Exploiting the opening he had created with his previous strike, Arran struck a heavy overhand blow, this time using Lord Jiang's technique to send a sudden burst of power into his arms and shoulders as he brought down the starmetal sword.

His opponent managed to raise his sword just before the blow landed, but against Arran's strength, it was no use — he might as well have tried to stop a charging bull with a straw. His parry did not slow Arran's sword in the slightest as it swept towards his neck, and the blow cut deep into his body.

In an instant, the fight was over.

As Arran pulled his sword free, his opponent's lifeless body fell to the ground, cleaved from neck to waist. Blood and guts spilled to the floor, and Arran had to suppress a surge of nausea.

"You!" Elder Redstone screamed. Arran thought the man's rage was directed at him, but when he looked, he saw that Elder Redstone had turned toward Lord Jiang. "You taught him the clan's secrets!"

Arran was startled when he saw that Elder Redstone completely ignored the death of his nephew. Instead, what angered the man was seeing Arran use Lord Jiang's techniques.

"I did teach him," Lord Jiang said. "What of it? I created the techniques, and I will share them as I please."

"Those techniques are reserved for the clan's heirs! When I bring you before the Council, they will have your head for this!" Elder Redstone's face was crimson with rage.

"You're not bringing me to the Council," Lord Jiang said.

"You—" A sudden hint of worry appeared on Elder Redstone's face. "You said you would—"

"I said I would visit the Council," Lord Jiang said, moving toward Elder Redstone. "I did not say you would be there."

"You… you can't…" Elder Redstone's face drained of color, the earlier crimson now rapidly turning into a pale white. "The clan wouldn't let you…"

"You came to my home, insulted my guests, and threatened me," Lord Jiang said, his voice icy. "And you expect to walk away from here?"

"I'm an Elder of the Jiang Clan," Elder Redstone said, his voice now shaking with fear. "You wouldn't—"

Elder Redstone's words were cut off when Lord Jiang slapped him in the face. The sound of the slap was painfully loud, hurting Arran's ears as it shook the windows of the hall. A moment later, Elder Redstone's tall body slumped to the ground, his neck twisted in an unnatural angle.

Shocked, Arran realized that Lord Jiang had killed the man with a single slap to the face.

"Too long have I stood by as the clan grew weak and foolish," Lord Jiang said. "No more. The time has come for change."