The General of Xianren had a tall, lean build. His eyelashes were long, and his eyes, with pupils that were white, as if they had lost their colour, held a gentle quality. His jawline was sharp and angular. The General looked intimidating, Zhe could only wonder how he was on the battlefield. It was only their first meeting, but he could tell that he was strong. Very strong. He was glad that they were on the same side.
The General explained the situation. There were a total of twelve kidnappings, all of them from Xianren, and they were either children or in their late teens. Eleven females and one male. In the past, the people of Xianren were hunted for their antlers, but that practice had been banned long ago. Yet, there are still those who would go after them.
There was evidence that the kidnappers were humans, skilled swordsmen at that, so skilled in fact that you would think they were part of the military force, yet they were mere bandits. It was obvious that the thought didn't sit well with the higher-ups—if it were to be found out that bandits of such high calibre were hiding here, it would cause much distress to the common folk. As such, they needed to dispose of them immediately.
'Still, isn't it too much to dispatch the Council of Six?'
The Council of Six, of which the General himself was a part of, were the six strongest warriors of the Qing Huan Alliance, and even on an international level, they were rivalled by few. It wouldn't be a stretch to call them the pinnacle of strength, and what Zhe found confusing is that three members of the Council, including the General, were to be dispatched to take care of these bandits. Surely they couldn't be that skilled?
'It isn't,' said the General. 'From what we could gather, there is at least one person with them that is in the same league as the Council.'
Which would imply that they weren't ordinary bandits.
Zhe clenched his sword.
'General, what are the chances of this being a form of terrorism?'
'It's more likely that someone from the Council is involved. There aren't many people who can rival us. In fact, you could count those who can on your fingers.'
'If they were from a different nation, it would have been easy to trace them back to said nation, as such none would dare…is what you're saying?'
'Correct. Moreover, the swordsman in question appeared to know the streets too well to be considered a foreigner.'
'I understand, that makes sense.'
If it is a member of the Council, that would be troublesome. Damn it, Li. I haven't fought real humans, and now you're putting me up against a Boss Enemy?
Li did say that he would be just below a member of the Council, but even "just below" was too much of a gap between, and Zhe was afraid that he might become a liability.
'It would be troublesome if word got out,' said Li. 'How many people know about this?'
'Only the three of us.'
So, not even the Council?
'General,' said Zhe, 'what did you tell the members of the Council? Those that will accompany us?'
'They'll accompany us. That's all.'
I guess it makes sense; he is the General after all.
Still, he couldn't help but be amazed at the fact that the rest would blindly follow his orders, just like that.
'Lord Zhe, I've heard from Her Highness of your skills, and I do not doubt her words, yet I believe that it would be wise for us to have a spar before we leave, so that I can know exactly how skilled you are.'
He nodded.
* * *
In the same building, there was a giant hall meant specifically for sparring. It was a circular room, with seats for spectators, and in the middle was a circular area with wooden flooring. There was a rack right next to it, with different weapons, such as daggers, knives, and right next to the rack were swords in their own mounts on the wall. There was a giant rectangular outline, meant for people to spar in, and right now in that very outline, the tip of a spear clashed with a katana.
The two of them immediately retracted as soon as their weapons clashed. Zhe was quick to take a stance, a defensive one at that. He could feel everything, he could see everything; it was as if his entire body was in an enhanced state, like that of a prey being chased by a predator.
Just below my ass!
The General simply walked, yet Zhe couldn't see any openings in the way he walked. It was clear that the General wasn't fighting seriously. No, this wasn't even a "fight" for him. This was child's play.
In that case—
The General disappeared from his sight.
Huh?
A presence! Behind me! Damn it, I need to move. Screw it, my legs are too slow. He'll slice my legs. Yes! My legs! I need to jump. No, my body is too slow. In that case—
Just as the spear was about to hit his left leg, Zhe somehow managed to push himself towards the right and barely dodge the strike. Zhe was used to it. This wasn't the first time that his thoughts were faster than his body. No, this has happened several times in the past.
Now!
'Burn!'
Black flames engulfed his katana. He sliced through the air, launching those very flames towards the General. He dodged those flames with ease, but they were merely a distraction. Zhe plunged the sword into the wooden floor. 'Burn!' he shouted.
This is the only way we'll be on equal grounds.
Black flames surrounded Zhe, growing into a whirlpool that stretched up to the ceiling. Zhe couldn't see anything outside, his vision was blocked by the very flames he summoned. He could feel the heat. Sweat dripped down his forehead. He closed his eyes. Right then, it felt as if the world had grown quiet. No, it was more so the tiny sounds, the ones that you usually wouldn't hear, like the sound of sweat dripping down your face and hitting the ground, or the slight shift of the wind—he could sense everything around him. He could hear it, his body could feel it.
The wind shifted.
There!