A decisive battle to span a dreamland (2)
The conductor lifted his baton, and the members of the orchestra straightened up, preparing to begin.
Master nodded, and Ah Yi and I leaped aside and stood next to the stone lions, to keep watch over the heaven-shaking battle.
Are you here to fight for Lan Jin? said Master coldly, lifting up his iron sword.
Hes coming, dont worry. His smile suddenly inverted, and his upper body leaned over. His waist twisted and he hunched his back. His arms flailed almost as if they had no bones. His fine white coat draped onto the ground like a funeral curtain or a quivering sheepskin. It seemed like his skeleton was changing, and his body began to shrink in on itself.
From within the sheepskin shone a hateful pair of wolfs eyes, glowing blue. The wolfs bones cracked and popped, and then from within the sleeve of the long coat emerged a blood red saber.
Lan Jin.
Its you, said Master with a tone of pain. Ive waited for this day for 300 years!
Take out your practice sword. There is nothing better than crossing blades with you. Out of his eyes shot a warlike spirit that I cant even describe. His blood red saber pointed toward the ground. It was so red that it seemed any moment blood would drip off of it onto the ground.
How frightening!
Out from Lan Jins body shot an aura of death so powerful it seemed it could topple the mountains and drain the seas. I almost fell over.
Ah Yi squatted down.
Even he could sense Lan Jins fierce aura of death.
Masters eyes narrowed. Lan Jin! Suddenly, his own aura of death exploded out, filled with sorrow. A sorrow to fill the heaven and earth.
Two matchless auras of death, exploding out and smashing into each other!
Lan Jins blood red saber dashed up the steps.
Masters awe-inspiring iron sword shot down.
Ten Thousand Torrents and a Thousand Crags drifted in the night air.
Stone steps shattered under the feet of the peerless experts.
Master had waited 300 years, not to see the brilliance of crossing swords.
But to take Lan Jins life!
Blades flew.
The iron sword didnt dance about. Master instantly pursued Lan Jins vital points, swift and fierce.
Like a viper, Lan Jins saber blocked Masters iron sword, preventing him from landing any deadly blows.
They didnt avoid each others' blows; saber blocked sword, sword blocked saber. Sparks surrounded them like fireflies, deadly fireflies.
In mere moments, surrounded by the momentous Ten Thousand Torrents and a Thousand Crags, they exchanged over a hundred moves. The scary thing was, neither of them moved their feet from the broken stone steps. Neither of them took a step back, neither of them tried to evade. They just tried to kill.
Masters chin was split. Blood seeped from his right shoulder. His left ear had already flown off to who knows where. But his feet remained planted on the ground, and his eyes focused, not on the flying red saber, but on a pair of blue eyes.
The iron sword in his hand moved without consideration for himself; every blow was meant to destroy the enemy, or at least wound him. I simply couldnt believe it. It seemed Lan Jin couldnt either.
He let out a strange cry, then leaped to the side to avoid the violent maelstrom of Masters sword.
Master looked at him, but didnt pursue him.
Master, he said Ah Yi, looking at Master nervously.
The ground surrounding Master was splattered with blood. And yet, it seemed Lan Jin wasnt injured at all.
It all had come from Master. His right shoulder, right forearm, left ear, chin, and left thigh were all soaked with blood.
But Master was smiling.
Lan Jin, youve become weak! he laughed. Blood dripped down his forehead.
Lan Jins eyes filled with disdain. He pointed his saber out at the level of his chest. Didnt you see the blood on the ground? Whose is it?
Master let out a sigh and then laughingly said, Didnt you see someone run away from my sword? Which bastard was it?
Die, said Lan Jin coldly. He lowered his left shoulder, and then his body spun toward Master. Master leaped into the air, chopping his iron sword mercilessly toward Lan Jins head.
Lan Jin did not try to meet the stance. Instead, the white coat shot backwards as he avoided the sudden attack.
Youre just addicted to being a bastard! shouted Master, flying back down, his iron sword flying toward Lan Jins throat. Lan Jin suddenly shrank down and then shot past Master on the left. Master slid to the right, but Lan Jins saber had already slashed the left side of his chest. Master smiled, and his left finger shot out and up, but Lan Jin jumped backwards as fast as a bullet.
It looked like some of Masters ribs had been broken, and I was worried that the broken bones might damage his organs.
Lan Jin didnt seem to be in good shape either. His face was pale and his chest heaved as he breathed. It looked like he might have been injured by Masters invisible Qi sword.
Come again! cried out Master, lifting up his iron sword with his left hand and holding out his palm with the other. His sleeves rippled. It was the Twin Consummate Palm and Sword technique!
The saber in Lan Jins right hand slashed at a vertical angle, and the finger of his left hand stabbed forward with Qi. Master and he connected, light blazed forth, and the stone stairs were once again smashed, sending pieces flying onto the square. Even my face was hit by some of the shrapnel, and I started to bleed.
Sword Qi, palm Qi, sword energy, palm energy, when they were all mixed together, you would be dead beyond dead.
Bam!
They both shouted out as their palms met in mid-air, and then they shot away from each other with a bang.
Masters feet slammed into the rubble on the ground, and after he stabilized himself, two streams of blood shot out from his nose.
Lan Jins left knee was bent at a strange angle and his sword emitted a low humming sound. Bubbles of blood emerged from his ears.
And then the two of them stood there, motionless. Master stabbed his iron sword into the stone steps and then sealed some of the acupuncture points around his chest. He slowly closed his eyes. Lan Jin also stabbed his blood red saber into the ground, then squatted and stared at Master, breathing heavily.
Two word-class experts, standing behind their weapons. Fighting, then kneeling. What were they waiting for?
Once they drew their weapons, one of them would die.
And then, the orchestras Ten Thousand Torrents and a Thousand Crags started to sound a bit off-key.
My god! yelled the woman with the cello. She dropped her instrument and began to run away.
I cant handle it! yelled the fat man with the drum. He stopped playing and started to run.
Get back here! said the conductor, his face pale. We took the money, we have to keep going!