Warming Up

The duel itself will take part at the Twin Stars Mountain, the residence of the Yang family. The most respected family in this town, which filled with generations of warriors that famous both in martial world and the government military.

With every generation they never lack a member to represent their greatness. This generation they have Yang Fei Xia as their proudest representative. With a nickname such as Perfect Sword, his prowess doesn't need to be questioned. This time even Reverend Huang come to attend his invitation. While this duel having so much attendance to watch it, only three people are actually invited to watch as witnesses. Reverend Huang accompanied by General Yun and Ma Dong Luo.

General Yun was a friend of Yang Fei Xia's late father. Even if he is working for the government, his neutrality doesn't need to be questioned. Ma Dong Luo is the leader of Seven Flower Path Sect, which considered as one of the biggest sects in Central Plain, if not the biggest. Although this time Ma Dong Luo does not attend himself because of health issue, he sent his grandson Ma Fu Song as his representative. Regarded as the crown prince of the sect, there is no question about their respect to the Yang family.

In the morning, everyone starts to arrive at the mountain. At the peak a sword that impaled at the ground take everyone's attention. It is placed at the center to make sure everyone sees it. Once they seen it, they cannot take their eyes of it. This is no ordinary sword, a short sword, lean and sturdy. One look and you know this sword is aimed for speed instead of technique and strength, designed to minimize the air traction that may impede its speed.

What make it special are the few words engraved in it "Fastest Under the Heaven", these words confirmed the sword's owner. The only one can claimed to be the fastest sword is none other than the Lightning Sword himself. They heard about this sword in stories, but for most of them this is the first time they seen it.

After admiring the sword, they notice a movement on top of rock piles near the edge of a cliff. Few of them recognize the figure that moved, it is the beggar from the Red Apple Inn yesterday. He washed up and look better, but his clothes still giving him the beggar's vibe. His eyes still half closed and there is a chicken leg hanging in his mouth.

Han Bei gets angry as soon as she sees him. When she sees the chicken, she lost it immediately "Ungrateful brat, you should pay for the chicken! You…"

Most of the crowds still try to figures out what happened, shocked by her shouts. Before she even finished her sentence, they once again shocked by another woman shouts.

"That is his sword, get it!" She is the youngest and only female of the White Tiger Constables.

She races towards it as she speaks, followed by the leanest and most likely their fastest member. He closed in to the sword faster than her, before a projectile thrown to obstruct him. He draws his sword to block the projectile, but surprised at how he thrown back by the small projectile.

While the lean constable forced backwards by the projectile, the girl takes the lead. She also draws her sword, in case of another projectile thrown at her. BANG! Suddenly a loud sound heard. It is not a projectile thrown at her. It is a man that shows up in front of her.

The beggar vanished with the sound before and magically show up in front of her. At this moment the lean constable realizes the projectile thrown at him before actually is a chicken bone. How can a chicken bone have contained such force? He does not have the time to think about it, now his friend been attacked.

The girl is not in actual danger. It just the beggar's face just shows up right in front of her, with him pouting his lips. She will actually kiss him if she does not stop right away, it just at her speed stopping at once is not that easy. However, the thought of her kissing a beggar given her the motivation to do it. Before she can completely stop, the beggars slip his right hand at her waist and pulls her to him. She had to utilize everything she learned to finally able to somersault backwards and escape this shameless beggar. Yet, she does not realize that her sword has been taken by him when she did it.

The lean constable angered by the disgusting behavior of the beggar and starts to attack right away. The beggar easily blocks it and quickly followed by a counter attack.

It is fast, too fast, too fast for the constable. The beggar's sword going to pierce his chest and there is nothing he can do to stops it. He always thinks himself as fast, he is indeed one of the fastest swordsmen in his brigade. It just that the speed of the sword in front of him is inhuman. He knows he doesn't have the time to blocks it nor dodges it. He might not even have the time to close his eyes and accept his fate.

At this critical moment his body suddenly pulled backwards. Saved. Sweat pours out all over him, he might even pee himself a little bit. But, he is safe, being alive is more important than his image right now.

"Sometimes even a tiger might mistake a dragon for a snake. Young hero, yesterday you spare a life of an innkeeper. Today can you please show the same kindness to this poor fellow." It was Reverend Huang that using his "chi" to pull the constable back. He is also the on ask forgiveness for him.

"How can I'm not giving face to Reverend Huang, if you ask for mercy then it will be given. Besides I never intend to kill anyone, I just want to have a little warm up before the real fight begin."

From Han Bei shouts until the time Reverend Huang pulled the constable from the death, everything happened in just a few seconds. Most people in the crowds unable to process these events in time. What happened? Who is this beggar? How can he just teleport there? Is he even a human?

Those with faster eyes can see him moves at an irrational speed. It is so fast that he looks blurred the whole time. With that speed they can guess who he is at once. The Lightning Sword.

Everyone expect him to be really fast, but nothing can prepare them from what they see or did not see. How on earth they will be able to block his attack if they are the one stand at the receiving end, when they cannot see his movement at all. Thinking of it makes them shivered, this "beggar" is scary beyond belief.

There is no need to say how scared the five constables are. They know who he is, they are not idiots after all. The problem is of course how they are going to capture him at all. In one move he just disarmed one of their members and almost kill the other with another move. They had chase him for almost a year, yet they not even knew his face. Now the person is right in front of them, but they do not have the slightest confidence that they be able to capture him.

Speed is not everything in martial arts, there is also strength and technique that plays important roles in it. The lean constable is fastest out the five, yet in terms of overall strength he will be placed third at best. However, the speed this "beggar" has simply out of this world. Forget about the strength and technique, nothing is matter, when he attacks. With his speed, they will die before able to make any move.

"Would you like to take your sword back little lady?" Li Han offer her sword to her in playful manner. He put it at one of his fingers trying to balance it.

A weapon is often regarded as the most important object and even for some cases an identity. To have her weapon taken easily like that is a huge humiliation for her. Not to mention it was used to attack her partner and now her sword treated like a toy by this "beggar".

Enduring this humiliation, she moves forward to take the sword. She does not say anything, she even tilts her to the side unable to see him directly.

When her hand almost reaches it, the "beggar" pulls his hand, letting the sword fall to the ground. Again, he moves forward to put himself right in front of there just in-between her and her sword.

"How rude? You can always say please and give a kiss before take it. Are the constables never taught about gratitude?"

The female constable shocked by him. She retreated back a little, while letting out a girlish scream. Her face blushing red afterwards, never before she is treated this disrespectful. If anyone tried to do even half of that disrespect manner, she would surely make them regret it. Not this "beggar" though, there is nothing she can do to him.

She felt helpless and embarrassed like never before. To be disrespected as such in front of many people and even jumped scared because of it. She cannot take it any longer, tears start to pour of her cheeks and she run back to her friends.

The Han family perhaps the second group that is most shocked by the "beggar". Just seconds ago, Han Bei just ask this inhuman being to pay her back. How about if she angered him, they certainly do not have the ability to fight with him. Not to mention how embarrassed they are, they just boast to him a story about himself yesterday. Now there he is, the only person that came to this town not to watch the duel.

The Lightning Sword does not look like a hero everyone thought he was. He is a beggar, a thief, a bully and womanizer. People might agree or disagree with those predicates, but one thing for sure he is a great swordsman and he does not care how other people look at him.