The first bout: Lu Yang against Lu Song.
Lu Yang tightened his grip on his sword.
Last time, he had lost, and the defeat had left him seething. This time, he refused to lose again.
He struck first, his sword flashing like a bolt of silk as it shot straight for Lu Song's throat.
Lu Song did not retreat. His saber swept across, and sparks flew as the blades clashed.
They traded blows, exchanging nearly a hundred moves.
Lu Yang fought better than last time. His swordplay carried greater weight and more variations.
But after a hundred moves, Lu Song abruptly changed his attack, knocking Lu Yang's sword aside with a slash before slamming the back of his saber into his shoulder.
Lu Yang grunted and staggered backward.
Lu Song did not pursue him. He lowered his saber and stood with his hands clasped in salute. Lu Yang steadied himself, glanced toward Lu Ya, and lowered his head.
"Thank you for the bout." Lu Song turned and walked back to the Lu Family's ranks, his steps unhurried.
"Lu Yang lost again."
"The Lu Family lost because of him last time. If he'd won, those ten Fire Dates would have been theirs."
"Things look shaky for the Lu Family again..."
The murmurs stabbed into Lu Yang's ears, making his face burn red with shame. But he could not argue. He had lost, and he had to bear it.
For the second bout, Lu Ying stepped forward.
She wore a vermilion fighting outfit and wielded a narrow sword.
Her opponent also used a sword. Their rankings were close, as were their abilities. Last time, they had exchanged nearly two hundred moves before the victor emerged.
This time, they were equally hard-pressed to gain the upper hand. At last, on the two hundred