Chapter 60: Mandarin Duck Blades
Before the weapon rack beside the high platform of the Martial Arts Field, He Yan was deep in thought.
She hadn't used blades much in the past—they were rather inconvenient. Most of the blades on the rack were willow-leaf sabers and ring-pommel broadswords, none of which felt quite right in her hand. After much deliberation, she reached down and picked up a small pair from the lowest shelf.
The recruits watching her movements were stunned.
Someone who didn't understand asked, "Why are those blades so small? They're not even as long as a person's arm."
Jiang Jiao, being more knowledgeable, explained, "Those are Mandarin Duck Blades—not one, but a pair."
Indeed, Mandarin Duck Blades weren't large, only about the length of a forearm. The two blades shared a single sheath and could be concealed in sleeves or boots. The blades were thick and wide, with only the last few inches near the tip sharpened, making them suitable for reverse-grip techniques and parrying.
He Yan slowly drew the blades from their sheath—one slightly longer, the other slightly shorter. Since few people used Mandarin Duck Blades these days, the pair was still relatively new.
Not bad, she thought approvingly, twirling them in her hands. They felt just right.
Wang Ba had also made his way to the foot of the platform and immediately spotted the blades in He Yan's hands. After a moment of shock, he muttered, "He's actually using Mandarin Duck Blades?"
Huang Xiong on the platform was equally puzzled. He had watched He Yan deliberate before finally choosing these blades, and now his gaze toward her had changed. "Twin blades?" he asked.
He Yan nodded. "Twin blades."
"To think someone as young as you knows how to use twin blades?" Huang Xiong exclaimed. "Truly, there's nothing you can't do!"
He Yan replied modestly, "Just a matter of necessity."
The recruits below found this hard to swallow. Du Mao nudged Liang Ping and asked, "What exactly does He Yan's family do? How does 'necessity' make him proficient in every martial art under the sun? Was he kidnapped as a child and forced to perform on the streets?"
"How should I know?" Liang Ping retorted irritably. Who in a respectable family would use Mandarin Duck Blades? Those were typically favored by outlaws!
Just what kind of person was he?
Without further ado, Huang Xiong slowly drew his long saber from its sheath and gave He Yan a slight nod. "Brother He, I await your instruction."
He Yan thought to herself, Why "brother"? Even in her previous life, at nineteen, she would have called Huang Xiong "uncle." Now Cheng Li Su called her "big brother," and if she followed that logic, she'd have to call Xiao Jue "uncle." So now she was calling Xiao Jue "uncle" but Huang Xiong "big brother"?
Huang Xiong was old enough to be Xiao Jue's father—and then some!
As she pondered this, Xiao Mai's warning cry of "Brother He, watch out!" came from below. Huang Xiong was already charging at her, his golden-backed broadsword whistling through the air.
The burly man angled the blade to his left, shifted his right foot slightly, and pivoted forward, bringing the sword down toward He Yan.
Startled, He Yan crouched low to evade, using the back of her blade to deflect his strike. The "yuān" blade led while the "yāng" blade followed as she closed in on Huang Xiong.
Huang Xiong's brute strength was formidable. With a single powerful swing, he knocked He Yan's blades aside. Seizing the moment, He Yan hurled one blade at him. Huang Xiong dodged by tilting his head, and He Yan flipped backward to catch the thrown blade midair. Both retreated a few steps, locking eyes in a tense standoff.
Huang Xiong was no Jiang Jiao. Jiang Jiao was still young, but Huang Xiong had wielded his blade for thirty years—man and weapon had long since become one. He Yan had already realized during their exchange that this man's skill surpassed hers.
She needed to end this quickly, or she'd be eating her words. He Yan calculated her next move.Huang Xiong's heart was also in turmoil. Over the years, he had crossed blades with countless opponents, both skilled and mediocre. But how old was this youth? That earlier move of tossing and catching the blade had been executed with seamless fluidity. How did he manage it? Had he been wielding a blade since the age of three?
He Yan thought to herself: Huang Xiong was burly, his blade techniques fierce yet clumsy, losing out in agility. Given this, her choice of dual blades was perfect—she could exploit speed to break his defenses.
Her eyes flickered as she shouted, "Again!" and charged forward.
Huang Xiong gripped his blade in his right hand, stepping diagonally with his left, thrusting straight at He Yan.
He Yan met him with her own blade, locking steel against steel. Though she appeared slender, her strength was no less. The two blades clashed, but He Yan still had another. With a flourish, she twisted her elbow, raising the back of her second blade overhead before slashing toward Huang Xiong.
Huang Xiong barely dodged, a corner of his clothing sliced clean off. The crowd below the Martial Arts Field erupted in gasps.
From that moment on, everyone noticed—He Yan's movements were accelerating.
Her footwork was impossibly nimble, one blade entangling Huang Xiong's golden-backed broadsword while the other darted like a waiting serpent. Though Huang Xiong avoided direct hits, he could no longer gain the upper hand. A single blade was fierce, but dual blades were agile—soft overcoming hard, the weak prevailing over the strong.
"You asked for guidance earlier," she said, somehow finding breath to speak. "I just remembered a chant for dual blades. Let me recite it for you."
Huang Xiong faltered—just as her second blade slipped through another opening.
"June winds birth strength in both arms, left and right move as one." She wielded a blade in each hand, her stance crisp and commanding.
"Before me, twin blades intertwine; later, a lone sword from Yuyang." The flashing steel made it hard to see the youth's expression, but his amused voice carried clearly.
"A single hand swift as lightning—only past the beat does mastery begin." Step by step, she pressed forward, yet never lost control.
"Now I see past blades were lacking, clumsy when forced to split focus." Her blade swept toward Huang Xiong's throat, narrowly avoided.
"Today, sword arts guide my right blade; past the beat, the left takes lead." Left and right, she moved with effortless precision. The blades were her hands, her hands the blades' edge.
On the Martial Arts Field, she chanted and danced. Against her unhurried recitation, her movements were lightning-fast.
The ringing clash of steel sent hearts clenching with each strike.
This was the scene Cheng Li Su and the others walked into.
"Uncle, look! I told you my big brother would win!" he exclaimed excitedly.
His shout drew the crowd's attention. Those who recognized Xiao Jue immediately cried out in awe, "It's the Commander! Commander Xiao! General Feng Yun has come to the Martial Arts Field!"
General Feng Yun?
At the name, the recruits' eyes instantly snapped toward Xiao Jue. The commotion reached the field—He Yan's ears pricked. Xiao Jue?
She glanced sideways and, sure enough, spotted him near the field's edge, standing beside Shen Han and Cheng Li Su.
The young man wore a deep blue robe embroidered with cranes, his demeanor elegant and poised, his features like a painting—utterly out of place among the rough-hewn recruits. Where they were coarse and unrefined, he was moonlight and clear breeze. From this distance, He Yan couldn't make out his expression, but she imagined it was that same aloof, untouchable demeanor.To think Xiao Jue had personally come to watch her compete. Did this mean yesterday's impromptu arena spectacle had finally reached the right ears? Had Xiao Jue noticed she was such an extraordinary talent?
"Big brother, watch out!" Cheng Li Su's alarmed cry exploded in her ears as she pondered. Looking up, she saw the golden-backed broadsword already swinging toward her face.
(End of Chapter)
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