Storywise, this novel has initial premise for a duel between two swordsmen, Yan 13 and The Third Master of Xie Family (the title of the book is The Third Master). But then to make it a long story, the duel can't be happening at the first part. Then the sub-plots appeared and rolling continuously.
Long story short, the duel was inevitable. The surprise at the end of duel was made this wuxia story uncommon.
Honestly, I made this review because the movie adaptation. I had heard there was a movie adaptation based on this book. Then I got opportunity to watch it, and I was disappointed. The movie version didn't even try to show the aspect that made this wuxia memorable. The last duel on the movie was just as ordinary as other wuxia movies.
It's a good read from Gu Long, with his distinctive writing style. There're lots of betraying and plot twists in such a short novel, sometimes resulting in confusion for readers. The Third young master is a good character, with his personalities unravel mostly through other characters, but I find him a bit lack of motivation and development. His nemeis, on the other hand, is well built and much easier to sympathize.