The Duel

"Finally, the main character has arrived." Li Han mockingly announce the arriving of his opponent, the Holy Sword.

He does not come alone; Yang family have a lot of martial artists that surely interested to see this duel as well. Alongside them there also come general Yun's party and the Jade Sword. They are close with the Yang family, so they choose to sleep at their residence.

Yang Fei Xia is the total opposite of Li Han. He is tidy and clean, wearing white attire with blue strips which meticulously fit his body. His skin is milky white and extremely smooth, just like a girl. Although his tall and muscular posture giving him the manly vibe he needs.

When he walks forward all eyes are locked at him. All men envy him and women adore him. While his appearance can put anyone in shame, everyone knows that the "perfect" in his nickname doesn't come from it. Born in the famous family, later to become one of the best swordsmen. He just got everything that everyone ever dreams of.

To add salt to other men wounds, is the beautiful lady that walk alongside him. Mei Hua Shen, his soon to be wife. One sentence to describe her, is that she never looks inferior walking beside her fiancée. That fact simply attested her beauty and charisma.

Yang Fei Xia, his very presence is an undeniable evidence that the God never just at all. How can He create someone so flawless like him? While He create other humans… well the way they are.

"Long time no see, I never expect us to meet in this circumstance." Yang Fei Xia politely greet his opponent.

"It is you who issue the challenge, I can only except. Just let me finish my breakfast before we begin though." These to throw casual banter, even when they are about to fight each other. Next the Holy Sword start to introduce three of the witnesses he invites, then they continue to have casual chat with each other.

Their friendly chatter along with Jade Sword who invite himself in their discussion make the audiences confused. These are the conversation of three friends rather than someone who is going to fight each other.

"Why do you guys have to fight each other anyway. Why don't we solve this problem over dinner? Both of you are friends for as long as I knew. It does not have to go this way." Suddenly a girl broke their friendly chat with teary eyes.

Yang Lei Wen is Yang Fei Xia little sister, she knows both them for some time and close with them. All this time she never agrees for his brother decision to help the government. Their father might be an official, but they are not. There is a reason as why they refuse a good position in the government, why now they choose to help them do their dirty work anyway? Their friendly chatter reminds her of the good old day, she can't hold it anymore.

Other Yang family member immediately pull her off, but her outburst has made the three swords realize how long the time already flows.

"Hmm, I guess both of you have to start. The audiences seem bored of our little chat already." The Jade Sword back off the stage, realizing it already too long for them to chat with each other.

"Wait a minute, let me finish my breakfast first. Let's start when the shadow of my sword leaves this hairpin." Like nothing important is going to happen Li Han throw a hairpin into the ground. The female constable never realizes when did he took it from her, but at this point there is nothing she can do about it.

Slowly but sure the sun moves along with the sword's shadow. The hypes are building around the audiences, who gets more and more tense with the shadow shrinking. They look more excited than the two who is going to fight. Even when the Holy Sword start to unsheathes his sword he still put a smile in his face.

"Soon." Some audiences cannot hide their excitement and mumbling it out just as the shadow almost move to the hairpin's tip. Time felt move so slow and getting slower for every second they wait. If by now the girl constable try to take her hairpin back, she will get beaten up to death by them.

The two total opposite warriors in front of them take a glance into the shadow, they face looks calm, but their muscle start to tenses. Yang Fei Xia taller and bigger than his opponents, his flexible sword also longer and look as good as the owner. Li Han wipe the chicken's grease in his left hand to his own rugged shirt, while licking the other hand. Even if he is not ugly by any means, his action makes him look unattractive for all female watching, especially when he is matched up against Yang Fei Xia.

No words are spoken. When the shadow leaves the hairpin, a sound of "BANG!" heard loudly. So loud people thought the thunder strikes the ground. With the sound Li Han vanished along with his sword. Some audiences swear they still could see its shadows even when the sword already gone.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Some people still have their eyes on the hairpin, when the two duelists already exchange a dozen moves. Everyone already sees how fast Li Han moves, they just now see that Yang Fei Xia also have an incredibly speed that enabled him to match his opponent.

The pace of their fight makes those no skilled enough unable to observe what really happen. For them these two are just two blurry figures that moving that circling around like a whirlwind. Most of them started to move back into the crowds, afraid of some wild "chi" emanates from their fight might hurt them. With their skill, even a wind produced by their sword can kill someone unlucky enough around them, without the benefit of learning their moves these crowds move back just to eavesdrop other experts mumbling what happen in it.

For those skilled enough, they can see that the Lightning Sword indeed is faster than his opponent. It just the Holy Sword's movement is more efficient than him. He is making less moves and less distance with his sword to cope up for his lack of speed. Making a perfect judgement and execution with every move he makes. The Perfect Sword really have his "Perfect" status on the line her, one simple mistake and his life will be gone.

To maintain this meticulous and precise movement for so long under those pressure making the audiences cannot help but to admire him even more. The pace of this fight makes the crowds can only hold their breath and tighten their eyes. One wink can lose them a lot of great movements execute by the duelists.

While mostly on the offensive side the Lightning Sword is not without his own danger. The Holy Sword always looking for a way to counter and every counter he done is executed with great precision. Moving at his speed it is hard to stop suddenly and change the course of his sword and Yang Fei Xia always able to found the hardest angle for him to defense.

For countless time the crowds almost screamed "Hit", so sure he cannot get back in time to defend. For their surprise, every single time he always able to get his sword to the right place at the very last moment. Such inhuman speed that keep him alive all this time, a little bit late and the fight will be over in no time.

As the fight goes more and more tense the sky gone rampage as well. Real thunder starts to roar, along with the loud sound produced by Li Han as he moves. Rain drops heavily and winds blows hard. The crowds start to get their eyes hurts by it and feels the fights goes even more faster.

Whether they really go faster or is it their eyes that getting tired, some of crowds can no longer follow the fights. To able to see their movements, the crowds have to tighten every muscle in their eyes. Just like any other muscles it can get tired too and surprisingly it gets tired even faster than the one who is actually fighting each other.

"Hold on, why don't we take a break for a while. I still left one of my chicken legs, with this rain I'm afraid it will be washed away if do not eat it right now." Being on the offensive all this time, Li Han suddenly stop and ask for a break.

They are tired as well and injured. While fighting with such speed, it is hard to see their injuries. But, when the rain starts, people can see the red liquid started to smear all over them. They are still human after all.

Yang Fei Xia do not mind a little rest. He sits cross-legged on the ground and closing his eyes, believing his opponent won't take an advantage of this. Li Han to everyone surprise is really finished his remaining chicken leg casually.

Maybe it because of the chewing sounds that stops, but Yang Fei Xia just open his eyes right when Li Han finished his chicken. He stands up and prepare his stance once again.

"Ready."

Li Han currently washing is hands with the rain, but he nodded anyway. With that nod the epic battle starts off once again.

Less and less people still able to follow their movement. If they cannot even follow them fighting, they know their fate are grim if they ever have to fight against any of them.

The fight continues at the same high tempo. Is the Perfect Sword going to make a mistake or is it the Fast Sword that is going to be late? The audiences can only guess, they already lost all confidence to make a prediction.

Both of the fighter tired as well. They know they have to end the fight quickly so they start to make riskier move.

A loud "BANG" heard, louder than ever and Lightning sword starts to move faster than even before. Holy Sword try to block with all his might. He tilts his body to the left a little bit, creating an opening for a counterattack later.

BANG! BANG! BANG! Lightning Sword gives him no chance to counter. For every move he does a loud sound accompanies it, making his sword change its trajectories at insane speed.

Even for the Holy Sword this change is too fast to handle. He knows with that speed his opponent will lose his breath in not time. Also, to put up with it he will has a hard time to focus on his movement, so he is prone mistakes more than before. As long as he can wait until that time happen, he will win. But can he wait that long. Although he can avoid fatal wounds, he still racking several wounds while trying to defend himself. Accumulated with his previous wounds, it will soon impede his movements badly.

All these movements in this speed has to be planned beforehand. There is no time to think about it and executed it at the same time. Yang Fei Xia try to calculate all those movement and come up with a bold decision. It is so risky since he is also does not have enough time to make a perfect calculation, part of this decision relies on his instinct. With that in mind he makes an all offensive move. A simple stab putting all his strength and speed into it.

"He has to be there." That is his thought right now. That stab makes him open to any attack and it cannot be retracted. Whether it miss or not, this fight will end.

Yang Fei Xia's sword pierced through the chest of Li Han. While Li Han's sword only slightly thrust into his opponent's stomach. Holy Sword has longer reach with his arm and weapon, which made the difference in that result.

Holy Sword already retract his sword letting his opponent fall to the ground. The supposedly immortal Lightning Sword shiver a few times before finally stops moving at all.

No-one knows how Holy Sword feels now. He just won an epic duel, but killed his friend at the process. He stands still there looking at his opponent's body, silence.

The crowd goes silent with him. One of the strongest swordsmen they ever seen has fallen.

With that the duel is over.