CHAPTER 7

SWORDSMAN CAI

Riding on his white horse, Mark arrived at the town of Ikronion. It was unlike the farming villages he'd seen before, surrounded by tall wooden walls and bustling with people. Hoping to find a well-paying job, he ventured further towards the town.

As he approached the outskirts of Ikronion, he noticed a crowd gathering around two men. The first was a lanky lad, while the second, with long black hair, a fair face, and almond-shaped eyes, wore a flowing white gown. Both men gripped swords, preparing for combat.

Mark dismounted and walked up to the crowd. "What's happening?" he asked one of the onlookers.

"Sh!" the person hushed him. "The fight is about to begin. This Wen Cai guy came all the way from Archon Hanying's realm, boasting that his fighting skills surpass anyone from Archon Anthemios' domain. Ha! What nerve.”

The skinny guy rushed at Cai, who effortlessly dodged the attack and sliced at the man's leg. A loud cry escaped the man. Cai stepped back, wearing a confident grin, anticipating the next move. Sure enough, the lad attacked again, and Cai skillfully blocked, kicking the man's chest, sending him crashing to the ground. A sharp thud echoed as the man's face met the dirt, breaking his nose. Blood oozed onto the grimy ground. Cai didn't strike again but waited for the man to rise. Visibly furious, the man charged once more. Cai smoothly evaded, using the sword handle to smack the man's head, making him tumble to the ground.

Mark noticed Cai could have ended the fight thrice already, but he seemed content toying with his opponent.

The man struggled to his feet, sweat streaming down his face, his broken nose still bleeding. Shaking, he swung his sword horizontally, but Cai swiftly kicked it from his grip. Then, with a powerful backkick, he sent the man's tooth flying as he collapsed to the ground. "I've won," Cai declared, and coins rained into a cup on the ground from the crowd. "Any brave souls left to challenge me, or shall I move on?"

At first, the crowd remained silent, fear evident in their faces. Then, Mark stepped forward. "So, if I beat you, I get the cash, right?" he inquired. "I'm not fighting for free."

Cai grinned. "Indeed. But," he stressed the word, "only if you win. Fair's fair, so I ask that you fight without armor, just like me."

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Mark nodded, shedding his chainmail and stepping into the fray. He leveled his sword at Cai. "Alright, let's get this show on the road."

Mark and Cai stood motionless, each waiting for the other to make a move. After a few tense moments, Mark decided to take the initiative. He lunged at Cai, sword in hand, aiming for a strike. Cai swiftly countered, launching a horizontal attack. Mark leaped, dodging the blow, and retaliated with a downward slash. Cai deftly blocked the attack and stepped back. "Impressive moves," he conceded.

Mark approached slowly with his sword, but Cai responded with swift kicks. Mark had to move quickly to dodge the kicks and then attempted a vertical downward strike with his sword. However, Cai blocked the attack with such force that Mark's sword slipped from his grasp, flew through the air, and landed on the ground. Unarmed, Mark struggled to avoid Cai's slashes. He attempted to retrieve his sword from the ground, but Cai charged at him. Mark tried to sidestep, but Cai's sword grazed his chest, tearing through cloth and flesh, causing blood to trickle from his wound. Gritting his teeth, Mark took a step back.

The crowd was captivated by the fight, cheering loudly. Cai wore a confident smile. "Come on," he taunted. "Don't tell me you're afraid?"

Mark recognized that Cai was intentionally trying to provoke him, hoping to catch him off guard. However, Mark simply grinned, dismissing Cai's words. He refused to let them affect his mindset. Suddenly, he leaped and rolled to the ground, swiftly retrieving his sword. Just in time, he parried a slash from Cai's sword aimed at his face. Mark swiftly got back on his feet, taking a few steps backward.

This time, Mark chose to wait patiently for Cai's attack. After a tense moment, Cai struck with a powerful thrust, but Mark skillfully parried it. Cai responded with a flurry of slashes and thrusts, executing moves so fast that the crowd struggled to keep up. Mark deftly parried each strike.

As Mark parried another of Cai's slashes, he simultaneously kicked Cai's chest, sending him crashing to the ground. Just as Cai attempted to rise, Mark kicked his hand, causing his sword to fall. Mark took a few steps back and tossed away his own sword. "To make this fight fair," he declared.

Cai leaped forward, aiming a kick at Mark's face, but Mark swiftly deflected it with his hand. Undeterred, Cai followed up with a backkick, but Mark seized his leg with one hand and used his elbow to snap it. A loud crunch echoed as Cai screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground. Despite his efforts to rise, his broken leg made it impossible to maintain proper balance.

Cai approached him cautiously. Mark attempted punches, but Cai skillfully parried each blow with lightning-fast hand movements. Determined to end the fight, Mark delivered a swift kick to Cai's other leg, sending him tumbling to the ground. Before Cai could regain his footing, Mark seized him by the hair and delivered a powerful punch to his face, shattering his nose and causing blood to spray, staining Mark's face. With Cai unconscious on the ground, the crowd erupted into cheers.

Grinning, Mark collected the coins from the cup on the ground, accepting additional coins from those who had bet against him. "That was quite a fight," he acknowledged. Retrieving his sword and donning his chainmail armor, he led his horse into Ikronion, ready to seek out his next job. Such is the life of a wanderer – always in motion.