Inspired by the exciting Swordsman stories on this forum I have written this short story.
Enjoy
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He stood alone on the flat plateau of Repentance Cliff a white cloak draped loosely on his shoulders protecting him from the night air. The sky was clear allowing the full moon and stars to illuminate the cliff in an ethereal silver glow. The celestial bodies revealed a man well past middle age, with a clean shaven face and long black hair streaked with silver, held in place by a simple black ribbon. His features were handsome with an exotic air emphasized by his beautiful emerald eyes.
At a distance his clothing seemed plain, but on closer inspection the quality of the material and the skill in the stitching was clear.
His relaxed pose and steady breathing gave no indication of his epic feat accomplished mere moments ago when he had scaled the cliff face. Of course for a man of his abilities climbing the hundreds of feet of rock had been no more difficult than taking a stroll.
He stood facing a solitary pavilion which along with a large rock that had the name of the location engraved on it, were the only landmarks on the otherwise desolate cliff. The pavilion housed a stone table and four stone chairs. The man had placed two sheathed swords on the table along with a jade bottle and three jade cups.
One of the swords had a hilt of gold bounded in deer hide and large enough to be gripped by two hands. The pommel was a rare black pearl and the circular guard made of tempered steel. The sheath was made of brown lacquered wood which had been polished to a smooth shine. The name of this magnificent weapon was Swimming Dragon.
The other blade had an ivory hilt of the same length wrapped in shark skin and a sheath of stained black wood. Like the man the blade looked simple, crude even, to the casual observer. But if someone was to pick it up they would have been awed by the intricate carvings on the hilt and sheath depicting predatory animals in frightening realism. This was Maiden's Tears which along with Swimming Dragon were the man's family heirlooms.
The owner of these renowned swords was Bai Nianfei, whose fame eclipsed even those of his prized weapons.
From his position Bai Nianfei had the cliff edge to his left and the mouth of a large cave to his right. He allowed his mind to wander as he enjoyed the cool air.
Suddenly Bai Nianfei's ears pricked up. His senses had been homed to an almost supernatural sharpness allowing him to hear the near silent footsteps approaching from the cave and the cliff edge. A smile played on his lips as he awaited his companions.
The first arrival came from the cave. A man about the same age as Bai Nianfei emerged from the cave mouth. Wearing a well worn hemp robe the man looked like a hermit, an image further enhanced by his thick beard and uncombed hair. This was Feng Qingyang the patriarch of the Mount Hua School whose domain they were in.
A few heartbeats after Feng Qingyang's appearance the last of the companions joined them. Rising from the edge of the cliff like a great bird of prey Lin Yuantu floated onto the plateau. The founder of the Fuwei Escort Agency whose 72 Evil Resisting Sword had rocked the Martial Arts world stood out in stark contrast to the other men. While Bai Nianfei looked the picture of dignified austerity and Feng Qingyang the classic wild eccentric, Lin Yuantu's appeared almost gaudy. Dressed in a bright red robe with flowers and birds sewn in gold thread he practically shone with his own light. Sporting a well groomed moustache Lin Yuantu looked every inch the wealthy gentleman.
Bai Nianfei turned to his right inclining his head to Feng Qingyang as a show of respect to the man whose domain they were in. Receiving the same gesture back Bai Nianfei turned to Lin Yuantu and repeated the motion all the while suppressing a chuckle at the perfume wafting of the man.
Lin Yuantu returned the gesture and they proceeded to the pavilion, thus began the meeting of the three greatest warriors of the age.
Being a mutual friend of both Feng Qingyang and Lin Yuantu, Bai Nianfei played host and made the introductions. Soon wine and conversation flowed. Despite their varying appearances the three of them talked like the best of friends, discussing every subject under heaven. All of them were men of the world, each had experienced all the joys and pains the Martial Arts World could offer. Here they could share their experiences with like minded people who could understand the sorrows each of them carried in their hearts.
As the moon reached it's zenith the conversation trailed off. Feng Qingyang and Lin Yuantu turned towards Bai Nianfei who gave them a slight nod. With tense silence Feng Qingyang and Lin Yuantu stepped out of the pavilion each of them picking up one of the swords as they left.
Standing twenty feet apart the legendary swordsmen faced each other and slowly drew their weapons. Bai Nianfei felt on odd mixture of awe and despair as the swords were drawn. The moonlight danced of the blade of Swimming Dragon, refracting of the crushed gems worked into the steel it bathed the cliff in a rainbow of majestic light.
Maiden's Tears worked her magic a moment later when her blade sliced through the wind. The small grooves expertly carved into the metal channelled the air into a beautiful yet sad whistle, like the song of a young woman for her departed lover.
Bai Nianfei forced clarity into his mind, determined to do his duty as the judge to this epic fight, a contest the world had not seen in a hundred years.
Lin Yuantu moved with impossible speed, eating up the distance between him and Feng Qingyang in the blink of an eye. Swimming Dragon became a streak of purple lightning as it sped towards Feng Qingyang's throat. The move was so fast that it nearly escaped even Bai Nianfei's veteran gaze.
Most men would have been cowed by such an attack but not Feng Qingyang. With the perfect timing gained through a lifetime of combat he lunged Maiden's Tears forward at exactly the same height as Lin Yuantu's attack parrying Swimming Dragon away and aiming the tip of Maiden's Tears at Lin Yuantu's exposed neck.
However if Feng Qingyang thought to end this duel quickly he was to be disappointed as Lin Yuantu leapt backwards allowing Maiden's Tears to find nothing but empty air.
After this initial exchange the duel began in earnest. Bai Nianfei remained statue still as he marvelled at the amazing display of skill being played out before him. The only part of him that showed any animation were his emerald eyes. They moved as if possessed as he followed the master swordmen.
Feng Qingyang was constantly on the attack trying to corner Lin Yuantu so that he could bring his superior technique to bare. But no matter how hard he pressed Lin Yuantu would always slip away. His unbelievable speed made Lin Yuantu as elusive as the wind while he darted around the plateau, always staying just out of reach on Feng Qingyang.
Lin Yuantu's actions were not restricted solely to eluding his opponent. Many times he tried to overwhelm Feng Qingyang with a series of rapid attacks. But no matter how blindingly fast his attacks were, Feng Qingyang would always neutralise them with a careful positioning of his sword or a turn of his body.
So they fought for over two hundred moves until finally Feng Qingyang seemed to gain the upper hand. Having trapped Lin Yuantu on the wrong side of the plateau Feng Qingyang was gradually pushing him towards the edge of the cliff. Three times Lin Yuantu went on the offensive trying to force Feng Qingyang back, but each time Feng Qingyang met the attacks head on and his superior skills forced Lin Yuantu to retreat.
Lin Yuantu took a step back and found open air as he foot dangled of the cliff edge. Feng Qingyang lunged forward, victory filling his heart. Incredibly Lin Yuantu leapt into the air with his single foot that was still on solid ground. Rising to the height of Feng Qingyang's shoulders he stepped onto the flat of Maiden's Tears blade then jumped twenty feet into the night sky.
Using his Qi to lighten his weight Lin Yuantu suspended himself in the air and unleashed wave after wave of sword Qi at Feng Qingyang. Each wave was launched from a different angle and channelled through Swimming Dragon no two wave manifested itself in the same colour.
Feng Qingyang backed away and Maiden's Tears became a shard of moonlight as he concentrated his Qi into the blade. As each wave reached him Feng Qingyang would dissipate it with his Qi charged sword always striking the waves in a position that caused the energy to unravel harmlessly.
Lin Yuantu dived towards Feng Qingyang with the ferocity of an eagle Swimming Dragon leaving a streak of gold in his wake. Feng Qingyang thrust the glowing Maiden's Tears upwards and the points of the two swords met. A powerful wave of Qi energy rippled out from the point of contact and both men were hurled backwards.
Bai Nianfei slammed his palm onto the stone table and a Qi bubble sprung up around the pavilion protecting him from the oncoming wave which left deep scares on the rock-face.
The duellist faced each other in defensive positions ready to continue their contest. Bai Nianfei's steady clapping filled the air and they turned to face him. Picking up the jade bottle Bai Nianfei filled the cups signalling the end of the duel.