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 .
"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 . "
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