Chapter 5: A Friendly Duel With a Crowd

By noon half of Heron Lake town had climbed the hill to watch the duel.

They brought folding stools, steamed buns and small children on their shoulders.

Wei Xiaoman had set up a table at the edge of the courtyard and was selling paper fans that said GO HEIR.

Lu Chengfeng bowed to every side of the yard in turn.

"It's a friendly duel," he told the crowd. "First touch to a sleeve ribbon, no blood, no grudges."

Each of them had a red ribbon tied to the left sleeve.

Mian's was tied in a bow, because Xiaoman had done it, and it looked like a present.

"Do I have to win?" he asked.

"You have to not be hit," said Shouyi, one step behind his shoulder.

"That's the same thing."

"It is not. Watch his feet, not his sword."

"What do I do about his sword?"

"Let it be a surprise to both of you."

The gong sounded, and Lu came in.

He spun and he leaped, and his long hair flew out behind him.

His sword flashed gold in a way that had clearly been rehearsed in a mirror.

Mian had never seen anything so loud.

He stood very still, and he watched.

Then Lu's blade came across in a high bright arc, and Mian's body did what it always did.

He lifted his own sword and made the same arc, a half-beat late.

Lu's eyes went wide.

He tried a low sweep, and Mian made the same sweep back.

He tried a feint and a double step, and Mian made those too.

He was always a little behind and had no force at all.

"Oh, that's marvelous," Lu said, delighted, and attacked harder.

The crowd began to cheer for both of them without knowing why.

Lu leaped.

Mian leaped, and then regretted it, because he had not leaped in five years.

They landed at the same moment, back to back, with the same flourish.

"Stop copying me," Lu gasped, laughing.