Legend of The Young Master

Chapter 134: Poor Taste

The leader, with his silver hair and striking features, resembled a sculpture of the revered Sage Qingyu. He was stunning to behold. In comparison, Guan felt inadequately attired and somewhat unsophisticated. Innkeeper Liang Jineng stood defiantly before this radiant figure, hands on hips.

"That is the chamber I desire, Master Innkeeper!" the foreign noble declared, his face adorned with a smile.

Liang Jineng shook his head. "That room is already occupied by a distinguished guest, a lord from the Yuanjing clan. First come, first served, Master. Fairness prevails." The foreign noble shook his head dismissively. "Then evict him."

Tian, the second attendant, fetched Guan's traditional robe while Zhi secured the sash, and then Tian brought over his ceremonial blade.

"Follow me," Guan ordered the visibly nervous young man, and swiftly descended the stairs. The common room was deserted; every patron had gathered in the courtyard to witness the unfolding drama.

As Guan stepped through the doorway, the foreign noble turned to face him, offering a smile.

"Perhaps I have no intention of vacating my chamber," Guan declared, disliking the slight tremor in his voice. This was merely a misunderstanding, but one where he had to maintain his dignity.

"You?" The foreign noble's tone was not mocking but genuinely incredulous. "You are a servant of this kingdom? Ah, Zhuang, this tiny noble has pride!"

Upon closer inspection, Guan noticed that the men in the courtyard were towering figures. Even the shortest among them stood a head taller than Guan, who was by no means a small man.

"No, but my clan serves the emperor. I am Yuanjing Guan of the Yuanjing clan," Guan responded. He sought a wittier retort but prioritized diffusing the tension over making a clever remark.

The one named Zhuang chuckled, and the others joined in the laughter.

The striking foreign noble leaned down from his mount. "Instruct your attendants to remove your belongings from that corner room," he said, adding condescendingly, "I would consider it a favor."

Guan felt his anger rise. "No," he retorted.

"That was poorly phrased and lacks courtesy," the foreign noble replied, his expression turning into a frown. "I insist on having that room. Why make this complicated? If you are a man of honor, you can graciously concede the room, acknowledging my superiority. Or challenge me; that too would be honorable." He nodded to himself. "But to stand here and deny me the room—that angers me."

Guan spat, "Then let us duel, esteemed noble. State your name and title, and I shall choose the weapons and the location. The Empire hosts many martial arts tournaments, I am at Qi adept level, perhaps—"

Before he could finish, the foreign noble dismounted, handing his reins to Zhuang. He unsheathed his sword. "Then let us do it now."

Guan felt a momentary panic. He wasn't proud of it, but he was unarmored and only had his ceremonial blade—a fine weapon but designed for single-handed use, mainly to signify one's status and fend off commoners. Besides, this noble was a Qi master, and he was merely Qi adept. The difference in their power was like heaven and earth.

"Prepare!" the foreign noble shouted. Guan swiftly drew his blade from the scabbard that his attendant held, raising it just in time to parry the first powerful downward strike from his opponent. He mentally thanked his esteemed master for the training, then dodged as the larger man swung at him again, his blade gliding off Guan's like water off a lotus leaf.

Quick as a panther, the foreign noble lunged forward, striking Guan's face with his hand enforced by Qi, sending him sprawling. A quick turn of his head saved him from losing teeth. He was no match for the foreign noble, but as a noble member of the Yuanjing clan, he had to fight—he rolled with the impact, spat out blood, and sprang to his feet, aiming a swift strike at his opponent's lower body.

A single-handed blade has its merits in a duel against a heavier weapon. It's faster, especially if the person wielding it is smaller in stature. Guan was not known for his blade work but for his fists. Channeling his anger into the fist of his other hand, Guan unleashed a series of three rapid strikes along different angles, aiming to overwhelm the towering man.

His Qi-imbued fist clanged against the Qi armor on his opponent's wrist. The third strike was supposed to be a duel-ending blow under normal circumstances.Except his opponent was clad in Qi-enforced armor and was a Qi master. The towering noble instead of backing lunged forward, forcing Guan to retreat a couple of steps.

Just then, his second attendant let out a horrified scream. The young attendant, unprepared for the sudden clash, had frozen in place. As he tried to turn and flee, he became entangled in Guan's defensive maneuvers. Guan nearly stumbled, and the foreign noble's elongated blade reached out, piercing through the second attendant.

Seizing the moment, the foreign noble delivered a brutal kick to Guan's lower abdomen as he turned to look at his attendant, whose head was nearly cleaved in two. Guan collapsed, gasping in agony. The towering man showed no mercy; he knelt on Guan's back and shoved his face into the courtyard's mud, wrenching the sword from Guan's grip. "Surrender," he commanded.

In that instant, Guan vowed to avenge this humiliation, regardless of the cost to his life and honor. "I'd rather go to the Netherworld," he spat, his mouth filled with mud and blood.

The foreign noble chuckled. "By the laws of combat, you are now my captive. I shall present you to your clan to demonstrate how strong I am."

"Coward!" Guan bellowed, even as a part of him considered feigning unconsciousness as a wiser option.

A Qi-infused hand flipped him over and yanked him to his feet. "Empty my room of your belongings," he said, "I'll pretend I didn't hear your insolence."

Guan spat out blood. "If you think you can parade me before the clan without facing charges of murder—"

The foreign noble sniffed disdainfully. "You're the one who got your own attendant killed," he said, allowing himself a slight, chilling smile. For the first time, Guan felt genuine fear. "And labeling a man who has bested you in combat as a 'coward' is in poor taste."