《Demi-gods And Semi-devils》


 Chapter - 1 Adventures In the Mountains

    A flash of green, a dark green sword is thrusted out, pointing right at the left shoulder of a middle-aged man. The young man with the sword in his hand didn''t wait for the move to grow old before suddenly tilting the sword sideways as the blade swipes towards the right shoulder of the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man holds up his sword to parry. "Zeng"! The two swords meet, each individual sword vibrates, creating a slight hum. The humming did not stop before the flashes began again, another three moves have been exchanged. Suddenly, the middle-aged man''s sword sliced straight down, heading towards the young man''s forehead. The young man stepped to his right to dodge the blow while leading his opponent''s sword on with his left hand, and then the green sword is thrusted toward the thighs of the middle-aged man.


    Both fighters are quick as a flash, fighting with all of their skills.


    On the east side of the atrium there sat 2 people. One is a Taoist nun of around 40 years of age, face as cold as iron, mouth closed shut. The other is an old man a bit over 50, stroking his beard with his right hand, face full of pride. They are seated about 2 meters apart, behind each stood about 20 or so male and female disciples. The west side is occupied by about 10 guests. Everyone''s complete attention is on the two people fighting in the middle of the atrium.


    The fight has gone on for about 70 exchanges now, the moves keep on getting faster and tighter, but no winner has emerged yet. Suddenly the middle-aged man thrusted his sword out again with great force, too much force, and he started to teeter as if he was going to fall. A young man wearing green in the west of the atrium couldn''t help but let out a little laugh. However, he immediately realized that it was very out of place and quickly covered his mouth with his hand.


    Right at this time, the young man in the atrium sends his left palm out, aiming for the back of the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man took a step forward to avoid the strike. He swung his sword in a circle close to the ground and shouted: "Gotcha!" The young man''s left leg was hit and his leg gave out. However, he pointed his sword at the ground and used it like a crutch as he balanced himself and seemed ready to continue. The middle-aged man has already sheathed his sword, saying with a smile: "Brother Chu, thanks for letting me win, are you hurt bad?" The young man''s face turned white as a sheet, biting his lips, he replied: "Thanks for pulling back, Brother Gong."


    The old man with the bearded face is alit with pride. He smiled and said: "The East Faction has won three rounds, looks like the ''Sword Lake Palace'' (Jian Hu Gong) is going to belong to the East Faction for another five years. Sister Xing, shall we continue with the match?" The middle-aged nun barely controlled her anger: "Brother Zuo''s disciples are worthy of his name. But has Brother Zuo made any progress on the ''No Measure Jade Cliff'' (Wu Liang Yu Bi)?" The bearded man shot her a look and said in a serious voice: "Has martial sister forgotten the rules of our sect?" The nun hmphed, but did not reply.


    The old man''s surname is Zuo, first name ZiMu, he is the head of the No Measure Sword (Wu Liang Jian) sect''s East Faction. The nun''s surname is Xin, Taoist name is ShuangQing (double clear), is the head of the West Faction.


    No Measure Sword sect used to be in factions of East, North, and West. The North Faction in the last decades has weakened much, while the East and West has flourished. No Measure Sword was started in the No Measure Mountains in southern China during the reign of the 5th Emperor of Tang. The head of the sect resides in the Sword Lake Palace. Ever since the factions started during the rule of the Emperor Ren Zong (Benevolent Ruler) of Sung, there has been a contest every 5 years during which the disciples of the 3 factions compete in the atrium of Sword Lake Palace. First faction to three wins is declared the winner and wins the rights to reside in the palace for 5 years. In the 5 years between contests, the losing factions study and trains hard in hopes of avenging the shame of losing last time. The winner, of course, does not slack off either. The North Faction won 40 years ago but was immediately beaten in the next contest 5 years later. The head of the faction, in a fit of rage, moved disciples to the west side of the mountain range, never to compete again, as well as losing all contacts with the other 2 factions. In the 35 years since, both factions have won and lost with the East winning 4 times while the West winning twice. That round between that middle-aged man named Gong and the young man named Zu is the fourth round of this year''s contest. The win by Gong is the third for the East in four matches, thus making the fifth match unnecessary.


    The west side of the atrium sits guests from other sects, including invited witnesses that are invited by either faction. The rest are just guest who are here to watch a show. Everyone here has at least somewhat a name in the YuNan area with the lone exception being the young man wearing green sitting at the end, who just happened to be the one that let out that solitary laugh.


    The young man came with Ma WuDe. Ma WuDe is a big tea merchant in the area. He loves company and gets along with most everyone. If anyone in the world ever came to him for help (mostly financially), he would always do all he can without exception. Hence, he is well like and well respected with many. However, his kungfu is only average. Zuo ZiMu vaguely remembers the young man being introduced with the surname of Duan. Duan is the surname of the Emperor in DaLi, inside of DaLi borders there are tens of thousands of people with the surname of Duan. Therefore, when the young man was introduced Zuo ZiMu didn''t really pay much attention to it, figuring that he probably is a disciple of Ma WuDe''s. This Ma WuDe''s kungfu is average to begin with, how good can his disciple be? So Zuo didn''t even bother with the "Much admired" phrase, just plainly cupped his fist and led them to the atrium. Who knew that this young man is so brazen as to laugh at one of Zuo ZiMu''s favorite disciples.


    So now, Zuo ZiMu smiles and says: "The 4 disciples of Sister Xin that fought this year all had very good sword skills. Particularly in that 4th match, our win was especially lucky. Disciple Chu''s skill is at such a level at such a young age. Looks like his future is limitless. In 5 years time, it seems like East and West are going to switch places. Ha Ha Ha." Suddenly he turns his eyes to the young man named Duan: "My lacking disciple used a fake move, "Teetering Step", to win earlier. This young gentleman does not seem to be impressed. Please demonstrate to my disciple how it should done. Mr. Ma is famous throughout the area, his disciple''s kungfu should be very good as well."


    Ma WuDe blushed a little from that comment: "This young man is not my disciple. With the little kungfu that I know, how can I possibly be somebody''s master? Please don''t think too much of it Mr. Zuo. This young man came into my town, heard that I was coming to visit No Measure Mountain, so he asked to come along. He says that he has long heard of the scenic beauty of No Measure Mountain and wanted to see and experience it for himself."


    This got Zuo ZiMu thinking: "If he is your disciple, then out of respect to you, I wouldn''t go too hard on him. But since he is just a normal guest and visitor, there is no need to be polite. Someone is actually brazen enough to laugh at No Measure Sword East Faction''s kungfu, if I do not make him regret it, then where do I put my face?" So he sneers: "Don''t know how we should address you, Mr. Duan, or which famous person is your master."


    The young man named Duan smiled a little: "My given name is Yu and I have never learned any kungfu in my life. But if I saw someone fall, doesn''t matter if he meant to or not, I couldn''t help but to laugh a little." Zuo ZiMu couldn''t help but get angrier for he does not have any respect in his tone of voice: "What is so funny about it?" Duan Yu lightly flicked the fan in his hand, casually replied: "A person standing or sitting is not funny, lying in bed, no humor there at all either. Lying on the ground, on the other hand, hehe, is very funny. Unless he''s a three year old baby, then we''ll make an exception." The more he talked, the less respectful he seemed to become. Zuo ZiMu turns to Ma WuDe: "Mr. Ma, is this Mr. Duan a friend of yours?"


    In truth, Ma WuDe just met Duan Yu as well and doesn''t know a thing about Duan Yu''s background or past. However, he was born friendly and Duan Yu insisted upon coming to No Measure Mountain. Ma WuDe felt awkward to refuse, so he brought him along. At this time, he could tell that Zuo ZiMu''s voice is full of anger and won''t hold back if he gets started. Duan Yu seems like a nice guy, no point in getting him into trouble. So he says: "Although Mr. Duan and I are casual acquaintances, we still came here together. To me, Mr. Duan seems very gentlemanly and does not know a single bit of kungfu. So his laugh a moment ago must have been just reactionary and he did not mean anything. How about this? I''m kind of hungry right now, so Mr. Zuo, why don''t you get some wine and the two us then toast you 3 shots each as an apology. Such a good day today, Mr. Zuo, why fuss with someone of a younger generation?"


    Zuo ZiMu plainly replied: "Mr. Duan, since you are not a friend of Mr. Ma, then if I, in any way, offend you it doesn''t have anything to do Mr. Ma. GuangJie, this gentleman was just laughing at you, why don''t you go and ask for some advice."


    GuangJie is the given name of that middle-aged man named Gong; he had been waiting for his master to say something. At once he unsheathed his sword, jumped into the middle of the atrium, flips his sword over, and offered the handle up to Duan Yu: "Mr. Duan, please!" Duan Yu replies: "Very good, go on and practice, I''ll watch." He did not move at all from his seat. Gong GuangJie''s face turned purple: "You... what did you say?" Duan Yu answers: "You have a sword in your hand and is swinging it here and there, want to practice? Then go ahead and practice. I never liked watching others fight and such, but since I wanted to come here and you aren''t really fighting then I guess it wouldn''t hurt to watch." Gong GuangJie screamed at him: "My master is telling you to come out here and fight it out with me!"


    Duan Yu lightly waved the fan in his hand and shook his head casually: "Your master is YOUR master, your master is not MY master. Your master can command you, but your master can''t command me. Your master told you to fight with someone, and you have done so already. Your master told you to fight with me; first of all, I don''t know how, second, I''m scared to lose, third, I''m scared it would hurt, fourth, I''m scared I might die; so no fighting. If I say we don''t fight, then we don''t fight."


    This whole speech, full of "your master" and "my master", came out so smoothly that it seemed to be a poem. Numerous people in the atrium could not help but crack up somewhat upon hearing it. No Measure Sword West Faction is divided half male and half female and more than several female disciples start to laugh coquettishly. The serious atmosphere that so engulfed the atrium a moment ago is gone in a flash.


    Gong GuangJie walked up to Duan Yu, points the sword at Duan Yu''s chest, asked loudly: "You really don''t know, or are you pretending?" The sword is merely inches away from Duan Yu''s chest, only a small push is needed for the sword to penetrate his heart. But Duan Yu''s face is still calm and shows no signs of fear: "Of course I don''t know, Why would I pretend?" Gong GuangJie replies: "How dare you cause trouble here in No Measure Mountain, here in Sword Lake Palace? My guess is that you are tired of living. Who is your master? Who told you to come here? If you don''t tell me the truth, don''t blame me if I don''t hold back!"


    Duan Yu casually replies: "Hero, why are you being so ferocious? I have never liked fighting with others. Your sect is the No Measure Sword, in the middle of No Measure Mountain. It is said in Buddhist canon: ''There are four things that are of no measure: kindness, sadness, happiness, and sacrifice.'' As to what that means, I think everyone knows: happiness leads to kindness; eliminating bitterness leads to sadness; being with friends and leaving bitterness leads to happiness; leaving everything so that worry and affection are equal as one leads to sacrifice. No measure is of Buddha, amida Buddha. Amida Buddha..."


    {Note: I''ll be using the phrase Without Measure instead of No Measure because I think it is a better translation of the original phrase.}


    As he just sits there muttering to himself, Gong GuangJie has pulled back his sword. Suddenly, he threw his arm out and landed a solid slap on Duan Yu''s face. Duan Yu tried to tilt his head to avoid the strike, but the slap was too quick. On his white gentlemanly looking face, one can clearly see five red fingerprints.


    This caught everyone by surprise. Seeing Duan Yu''s casual attitude and all the playing around he does with his talking, everyone assumed that he must be someone with spectacular skills. Who knew he couldn''t even dodge a very average slap from Gong GuangJie? Obviously, he does not know any kungfu. In this world, a master pretending to be stupid, jesting with others to amuse himself is very common place. How can someone that does not know kungfu be so brazen and foolish to do so? Even Gong GuangJie stood there dumbfounded for a moment, then immediately he grabbed Duan Yu''s chest and lifted him up: "I was wondering what kind of extraordinary person you are, it turns out you are just a sack of shit!" He threw Duan Yu down, Duan Yu rolled along the floor, finally coming to a stop when his head hit a leg of a table with a loud "Bang".


    Ma WuDe did not have the heart to see this, scrambled over and helped Duan Yu up, all the while saying to Duan Yu: "So you really do not know any kungfu, then why cause trouble here?"


    Duan Yu answered while rubbing his forehead: "I only came here to visit the mountains and to check out the landscape, who knew they were going to fight? You chop me, I chop you, what''s so great about that? A monkey show would be better! Goodbye, Mr. Ma. Goodbye, I''m getting out of here!"


    A young disciple of Zuo ZiMu''s jumped out right in front of from behind Zuo ZiMu, blocking Duan Yu''s exit: "Because you don''t know any kungfu, if you leave like this, it really is no bother. But why did you say that our little contest is worse than a monkey show? Seems rather harsh don''t you think? I give you 2 choices: either we spar a little and let you have a taste of this ''worse than monkey'' sword skill; or you can go and kowtow 8 times to my master, and then say ''Bullshit!'' three times." Duan Yu laughed: "You crapped? How come it doesn''t stink?"


    The young man did not take well to that comment, responding by simply throwing a ferocious punch straight at Duan Yu''s face. Just as it looked as if Duan Yu is going to get his face smashed, an object came flying through the air and wrapped around the young man''s arm. This object felt cold and slippery to the touch yet somehow firm, as soon as it wrapped around the young man''s arm it started to slide. The young man pulled back his arm in shock, looking down he finds out that the object was a snake. The snake is about 2 foot long and green with red markings. The young man let out a huge scream and started to try to shake the snake off, however the snake seems to be quite comfortable on his arm and did not want to leave no matter what. Suddenly Gong GuangJie screamed: "Snake! Snake!" Everyone turns in time to see his face filled with fear, his hands were inside of is sleeves, reaching and grabbing for something in his back. But of course he could not reach it, so in panic he started to rip his cloth off.


    This drastic change happened so quickly and was so unexpected that nobody has recovered from the initial shock when they suddenly heard a single solitary laugh coming from above their heads. All at once everyone looked up and saw a young girl sitting on a roof beam with snakes in her hand.


    She had dimples like flowers. This girl looked to be around 16 or 17, dressed in green. In her hands were 10 or so foot long snakes. These snakes vary in colors, but from their triangular heads, it was obvious they were poisonous. But this girl did not seem to mind at all, as if they were toys in her hand. Everyone only glanced at her for a moment, for Gong GuangJie and his martial brother''s screaming and yelping made everyone turn their eyes back on to them.


    Only Duan Yu kept his eyes on the girl, the girl''s feet were swinging back and forth, as if it was lots of fun sitting there on top of the beam. So he asked: "Miss, are you the one that rescued me?" The girl answered: "That bad man hit you, why didn''t you hit back?" Duan Yu shook his head: "I don''t know how to hit back...."


    Suddenly everyone collectively let out an "Ah!" Duan Yu turned to see Zuo ZiMu holding a blood stained sword in his hand. A red snake is lying on the ground, in 2 pieces, obviously killed by him. Gong GuangJie by now is half-naked, but still jumping around like a clown. He is trying to grab a small green snake that is crawling around on his back. A couple of times it looked as if he almost got it, but he never came up with it.


    Zuo ZiMu commanded: "GuangJie, stand still and don''t move!" Gong GuangJie froze, and then a flash of white, and the snake is on the ground in 2 pieces. Zuo ZiMu''s sword speed was blinding, most of the people present did not see what happened until the snake is on the ground, yet Gong GuangJie''s back is left unharmed. Everyone present could not help but cheer.


    The girl sitting on the beam shouted down: "Hey! Hey! Old man with the beard, what did you kill my 2 pet snakes for? If you keep this up I''m going to stop being so courteous."


    Zuo ZiMu replied angrily: "Which household did you crawl out of? What are you doing here?" All the while secretly marveling at the girl, this girl who stealthily climbed up onto the beam without anybody noticing! Although everyone''s attention was focused on the contest between the factions, but that still should not excuse letting a person climb up onto the beam unnoticed. If a word of this gets out, how much face would No Measure Sword lose? The girl''s feet swung back and forth, her shoes are of light green color with a couple of delicate yellow flowers sewn on the sides, and basically dressed as a little girl. Zuo ZiMu continued: "Jump down this instant!"


    Suddenly Duan Yu blurted out: "From that high?! She''ll get hurt! Go tell some people to bring a ladder!" A couple of people snickered a bit at that comment. The female disciples under the West Faction all thought: "This guy has the look of a well educated gentleman, but it turns out he''s as dense as a piece of wood. The girl got up there without anyone noticing, why would she need a ladder to get down?"


    The girl replied: "First you have to compensate for my snakes, then I''ll get down to talk to you." Zuo ZiMu answers: "What''s the big deal about 2 little snakes? You can just go and easily catch 2 more just anywhere." He is not worried about the girl because of her young age. What worries him is that this girl might have someone very powerful, such as her father or master, backing her up. Therefore, he is actually reasonably polite towards her. The girl grinned and replied: "If it''s so easy, why don''t you go and catch them for me."


    Zuo ZiMu switched the subject: "Jump down." The young girl simply answered "No". Zuo ZiMu threatened: "If you don''t come down, then I''m going to have to make you come down." The girl let out a little laugh before answering: "Hehe, come and try then. If you can make me get down, then you are really something." Zuo ZiMu is still a leader of a sect, no matter what he can''t be seen actually fighting a little girl. So he turned to ShuangQing: "Sister Xin, could you please send one of your female disciples up there to get her down?"


    ShuangQing replied coldly: "We don''t have anyone here in the West Faction with that level of Qing Gong (lightness kungfu)." Zuo ZiMu''s face dropped one more shade and was just about to answer back when he was interrupted by the young girl: "If you don''t compensate me for my snakes, then I''m going to show you a thing or two!" Reaching into her pouch, she took out a furry thing and tossed it at Gong GuangJie.


    Gong GuangJie figured this was some weird flying weapon, so he dared not grab it with his hands and just tried to get out of the way. But who would have guessed that this furry little thing was alive? With a twist in midair, it landed squarely on Gong GuangJie''s back. It is only now that everyone saw what the thing was, a gray colored marten! {A cute weasel-like creature that can climb trees} This marten was amazingly quick, crawling all over Guang GongJie''s back, chest, face, and neck as if it were flat ground. Gong GuangJie tried to grab the little creature, but it was way too fast for him. So he just ended up looking like a clown with a furry ball shooting up and down his body.


    Duan Yu couldn''t help but laugh: "Truly amazing, now THIS is interesting."


    This marten is only about a foot or so long, its eyes are blood red, and it has claws as sharp as razors. Very soon, Gong GuangJie''s upper body is covered with countless streaks of scratch marks.


    The young girl hissed a couple of times, a white shadow flew right at Gong GuangJie''s face. Suddenly the marten has pounced onto Gong GuangJie''s face and stopped there, its furry tail swiping back and forth across his eyes. Gong GuangJie immediately tried to grab the marten. But by the time his hands got there the marten was already behind his neck and Gong GuangJie almost dug his own eyes out.


    Zuo ZiMu stepped up and his sword came flying in. At this time the marten has ended up on Gong GuangJie''s face once again, Zuo ZiMu aimed his sword at the marten, but the marten has already scrambled to the back of Gong GuangJie''s neck. Zuo ZiMu''s sword stopped just in time so that it is just touching the eyelid of Gong GuangJie. Although he missed the marten, the people present gasped in admiration. For if the sword had gone just a bit further, Gong GuangJie''s eye would have been gone. ShuangQing thought to herself: "Brother Zuo''s sword skill is indeed extraordinary, even I can''t match him. Just this ''Plundered Crossing of the Golden Needle'' (Jin Zhen Du Jie) is proof enough of that."


    Swish! Swoosh! Zuo ZiMu linked together 4 more moves one after another, but although his moves were fast to a rare degree, the marten is still one step faster. That young girl shouted down: "Old man with the beard, your sword skills are actually pretty good." She then hissed a couple of more times, the marten suddenly scurried downwards and disappeared. Zuo ZiMu was taken aback for a moment. Gong GuangJie suddenly start grabbing and scratching is legs, it turns out the marten has gotten into his trousers.


    By this time Duan Yu has almost doubled over in laughter, clapping his hand, he commented: "Now this is a real eye-opener, this trip was worth it after all."


    Gong GuangJie literally ripped his trousers off, revealing a pair of hairy legs. The young girl shouted: "Like to bully other people don''t you? Well let''s see how you like it if you are stripped naked!" Then she hissed twice more. This marten turned out to be quite obedient as it immediately crawled into Gong GuangJie''s underwear. With all the girls present in the atrium, there is no way Gong GuangJie is going to take off his underwear. So all he could do was hop around for a bit and smacking his butt and thighs with his hands. Suddenly he let out a scream and start desperately, albeit very awkwardly, making his way out of the atrium as fast as he could.


    Just as he is about to exit through the door, someone suddenly popped in from outside. Bang! Both of them were in a hurry and they ran right into one another. Gong GuangJie was knocked a step back, but the person that was entering the atrium fell back and landed in his back.


    Zuo ZiMu cried out involuntarily: "Brother Rong?!"


    Now, Gong GuangJie had to ignore the marten that''s moving all around his pants as he reached down to try and help the person up. Suddenly the marten moved onto a particularly sensitive spot, forcing Gong GuangJie to shriek and grab for the marten, thus making the man fall down again.


    The young girl let out a rather coquettish laugh: "Alright, I think you have had enough." She let out a rather long hiss. That marten suddenly appeared from Gong GuangJie''s underwear, crawled up the walls, jumped on the beam, and returned to the young girl''s lap. The young girl grabbed a snake by its tail and dangled it in front of the marten: "Good boy, here''s your reward." The marten grabbed the snake and devoured it. Turns out that the snakes were food for the marten.


    Duan Yu was simply amazed by all of this, he has never even heard of anything remotely close to this. The marten finished eating the snake and crawled back into the young girl''s pouch.


    Gong GuangJie helped that man up again, asked in surprise: "Martial Uncle Rong, you... you alright? What''s the matter?" Zuo ZiMu ran up to his martial brother. Rong ZiJu''s eyes are wide open in a stare and his face is one of indignation and hate; however, he is not breathing. Zuo ZiMu is shocked tremendously, he immediately tried to rescue his martial brother by giving him some of his own inner force. But he was not able to do anything. Zuo ZiMu knows that although Rong ZiJu''s kungfu is not as strong as his own, it is still much stronger than Gong GuangJie. The fact that not only was he not able to avoid Gong GuangJie, but was killed by it, means that he must have already been gravely injured. So he immediately opened up Rong ZiJu''s shirt, exposing his chest. On his chest, written in big black letters, were the words: "Divine Farmer Clan here to exterminate No Measure Sword" (Shen Yi Bang Zhu Mie Wu Liang Jian). More than just several persons screamed involuntarily.


    The nine words {Note: it is actually eight characters in Chinese} were not written by ink, nor is it carved out using a sharp object. A poison that caused the flesh to rot was applied in the patterns of the words on Rong ZiJu''s chest, the rotten flesh sank into his chest and formed the words.


    How can Zuo ZiMu not be furious? He gave the sword in his hand a shake, making it hum, and shouted: "Well let''s see if it is Divine Farmer destroying No Measure or No Measure eliminating Divine Farmer? If this murder is not avenged, how can I call myself a man?" He turns around and inspects Rong ZiJu''s body; but other than the words, he shows no sign of injury. He commands: "GuangHao, GuangJie, go check outside."


    Gan GuangHao and Gong GuangJie are two of his proudest disciples, they pulled out their sword and ran outside.


    By now the atrium is in a mess, everyone gathered around Rong ZiJu''s body discussing and analyzing the situation, completely ignoring Duan Yu and the girl on the beam. Ma WuDe commented: "Divine Farmer Clan''s behavior is just getting worse and worse. Brother Zuo, how did you become enemies with them?" {Note: Ma WuDe is addressing Zuo ZiMu as a brother out of friendship, not actual martial or real brotherhood}


    Zuo ZiMu thought about his martial brother''s tragic and terrible death, swallowed hard, and answered: "For some herbs. Autumn of last year, four lodge heads of Divine Farmer Clan came to visit, asking access to the back mountains in our control to collect some herbs. Collecting herbs is really no big deal. Divine Farmer Clan originally started collecting and selling herbs, and there is no grudge whatsoever between us 2 clans. But Mr. Ma, you know very well that our back mountains are forbidden to outsiders. Not even the best of friends is allowed to go there, not to mention a clan that we never had any contact with like Divine Farmer. This is the rule ever since the start of our sect, we dare not disobey it. Actually, it really isn''t anything serious...."


    The young girl on the beam put the snakes in her hand into a little bamboo basket she has tied around her waist. She took out some melon seeds and started eating them, her 2 feet are still swinging back and forth. Suddenly, she took a melon seed and threw it at Duan Yu, hitting him right on the forehead. Laughing, she asked: "Want some melon seeds? Come on up!"


    Duan Yu answered: "I can''t without any ladders." The young girl replied: "Well that''s no problem." She untied a green silk ribbon from her waist and dangled it down: "Grab a hold of the belt and I''ll pull you up." Duan Yu answered: "I''m heavy, you can''t lift me." The young girl giggled and replied: "Oh give it a try, won''t kill ya." Duan Yu grabbed on to the ribbon that is by now right in front of him. The young girl cautioned: "Hold on tight." She lightly lifted her hand and Duan Yu''s feet are off the floor. Hand over hand, the young girl easily lifted Duan Yu up onto the beam.


    Duan Yu said: "Such an interesting marten you got, so obedient as well." The young girl took out the marten from her pouch, holding it up to Duan Yu. The marten''s furs were shiny and its red eyes stared at Duan Yu in wonder, just as cute as can be. Duan Yu asked: "Can I touch it?" The young girl answered: "Go right ahead." Duan Yu started to stroke the back of the marten, feeling the smoothness and warmth of the marten.


    Suddenly the marten hissed and jumped back into the young girl''s pouch. Catching Duan Yu completely by surprise, he lost his balance and almost fell off. The young girl grabbed his collar and pulled him in right next to her. With a smile she said: "You really don''t know any kungfu, how strange." Duan Yu asked: "What''s so strange about it?" The girl answered: "Well you don''t know any kungfu, and you came here all by yourself, then you are bound to be bullied by these bad people. Why did you come here?"


    Duan Yu was just about to answer when footsteps interrupted him. Gan GuangHao and Gong GuangJie just came rushing back into the atrium.


    By now, Gong GuangJie has put on another pair of pants, although he still hasn''t put a shirt back on yet. Both of them have a look of panic on their faces. Walking up to Zuo ZiMu, Gan GuangHao reported: "Master, Divine Farmer Clan is gathered on the mountain top facing ours. They have blocked every path and say that no one is allowed to pass. We saw that the enemies are here en masse, without specific orders from our master, we did not dare to start fighting." Zuo ZiMu nodded: "Mm, how many of them were there?" Gan GuangHao replied: "Around 70 or 80." Zuo ZiMu let out a little sneer: "70 or 80, and they want to exterminate No Measure Sword? I''m afraid it might not be that easy."


    Gong GuangJie held up a letter: "They have shot this arrow up with this letter attached to it."


    Zuo ZiMu glanced at it, seeing that the envelope read: "Written To: Zuo ZiMu." He did not feel like touching the letter, so he commanded: "Open it up and see what it says." Gong GuangJie opened the seal and took out the letter.


    The young girl leaned over and whispered in Duan Yu''s ear: "That bad man that hit you is about to die." Duan Yu was quite taken aback: "Really?" The girl whispered: "There is poison on the seal and the letter." Duan Yu still can''t quite believe it: "You sure?"


    Gong GuangJie started to read: "Divine Farmer Clan writing to Zuo.... the person reading this letter (he dared not to speak his master''s name out loud, so he stopped once he read "Zuo"). We give you 2 hours of time to cut off your own right hand, destroy all your swords and weapons, and give up the Sword Lake Palace. Or else not a dog of No Measure Sword would live."


    No Measure Sword West Faction''s leader ShuangQing snickered: "Who the hell do Divine Farm Clan think they are? Talking shit like that!"


    Suddenly Gong GuangJie fell straight backwards. Gan GuangHao, who was standing beside him, automatically reacted by reaching down in trying to help him get up. Zuo ZiMu took two quick steps forward, placed a palm on his chest and lightly exerted some inner force, which shook Gan GuangHao back two steps. Zuo ZiMu shouted in the midst of the move: "Might be poison, don''t touch him!" Looking down, Gong GuangJie''s face twitched none stop, the hand that was holding the letter has already turned pitch black. His feet twitched a couple of times and then all movement stopped.


    In such a short amount of time, No Measure Sword has lost two top fighters. Everyone present is struck dumb with shock and astonishment.


    Duan Yu leans over and whispers: "Are you in Divine Farmer Clan?" The young girl angrily rebuked: "Pei! Of course not, why are you talking nonsense?" Duan Yu asked: "Then how did you know that there was poison on the letter?" The girl laughed and replied: "This kind of poison is kid''s play, you can spot it a mile away. The only people that they can get are the clueless ones." Everyone in the atrium heard her last comment and all looked up. She is still sitting there eating the melon seeds, her feet still swinging back and forth.


    Zuo ZiMu turns and inspected the letter in Gong GuangJie''s hand, he could not see anything out of the norm. He tilts his head and looked even closer, finally he see that both the seal and the letter has faint traces of phosphorescence. His heart went cold all of a sudden, turning around, he addressed the girl: "May we have the honor of knowing your name?" The girl replied: "My name? Can''t tell you. This is a secret of the highest degree, strictly on a ''need to know'' basis." Zuo ZiMu suppressed his anger and indignation with great effort, asked again: "Then who is your father? Which hero is your master?" The girl answered with a smile: "Hehe, I''m not falling for that. If I tell you who my dad is, then you would know my surname, and then could check up on who I am. My master is my mom. My mom''s name is even more top secret than mine, can''t tell ya."


    From her dialect, Zuo ZiMu can tell she''s definitely from inside of Yu Nan province, maybe even local. Thinking to himself: "In the martial world in Yu Nan, which pair of husband and wife that''s good at Qing Gong could be her parent?" The girl hasn''t fought yet, so he can''t make a call based on her techniques, so he turns to her again: "Miss, please come down so we can discuss this together. Divine Farmer Clan isn''t letting anyone through, probably will kill you too."


    The girl laughed and responded: "They won''t kill me, Divine Farmer Clan will only kill No Measure Sword''s people. I heard the news out there, so I came here in hopes of catching a good show. Old man with a beard, your sword skills are not bad, but you don''t know anything about poison, you can''t beat Divine Farmer Clan."


    Her last sentence hit the nail on the head. If only real kungfu is used, the 2 factions of No Measure Sword and the 8 or so guests here in the atrium might be able to take on Divine Farmer Clan. But nobody here understands a thing about poison, so the whole situation changes when poison is thrown in the equation.


    The girl''s tone of voice seems to show that she is really looking forward to this, as if more of No Measure Sword dies the happier she''ll be. Zuo ZiMu could not help but sneer, asked: "What did miss hear out there?" He is used to giving orders and being insufferably arrogant, so he asked this question as if the young girl better answer with the greatest humility.


    The girl suddenly asked out of nowhere: "Want some melon seeds?"


    Zuo ZiMu''s face turned a slight purple, if it wasn''t because the enemies are at the gates, he would have snapped a long time ago. So he restrained himself with the greatest of effort and answered: "No!"


    Naturally, Duan Yu cut in: "What kind of melon seeds are you eating? Laurel? Rose? Pine?" The girl replied: "Woah! What''s the big deal about melon seeds? Why have so many different kinds? I don''t know about all those kinds of melon seeds, but these are made my mom. She made them by frying gall bladders of snakes. Eating them improves your eyesight, want to give it a try?" She gave a handful to Duan Yu and continued: "People who aren''t used to them think they are somewhat bitter, but actually they taste really good." Duan Yu didn''t want to go against her wishes, so he put one in his mouth. It is somewhat bitter, but there is a bit of spiciness to it with very sweet after-taste. Afterwards the back of his tongue feels clean and refreshed, so he picked up another one and put it in his mouth. He put all of the shells on the beam besides him, but the girl didn''t seem to care and just casually spits them out. The random falling shells has caused quite a few people below to get annoyed and move further away.


    Zuo ZiMu asked again: "Miss, what did you hear out there? If you can tell us, I... I will be forever grateful." Because he is the one in need, he tried to sound as polite as he can. The young girl asked in return: "The Divine Farmer Clan people talked about some ''No Measure Jade Cliff'', what in the world is that?" Zuo ZiMu was taken aback for a moment, quickly recovered and replied: "''No Measure Jade Cliff''? Do we have some precious jade or jade stone? Never heard of it before, Sister Xin, have you heard of this before?" Before ShuangQing could respond, the young girl cut in: "Of course she never heard of it before. Stop playing around as if I''m a kid, if you don''t want to say it, then don''t. Hmph! Not like I really care!"


    A bit awkwardly, Zuo ZiMu continued: "Oh yeah, I think I know. Divine Farmer Clan was probably talking about this smooth cliff face of the White Dragon Peak in our No Measure Mountain. This rock is very smooth like a mirror, you can even make out individual hairs in the reflection. Some people say it is a big piece of jade, but in reality, it''s really nothing more than a really smooth and really clean piece of rock."


    The young girl replied: "Well if that''s all why didn''t you say it earlier? Then how did you and Divine Farmer Clan become enemies? Why would they not even allow a dog of No Measure Sword live?"


    Zuo ZiMu sees that he can''t get anything out of the girl without first letting his secrets out. Because the urgentness of the situation and with all the outsiders present, he can''t very well grab the girl and force her to tell can he? He suggested: "Miss, please come down so I can tell you everything." The girl''s feet continued to swing back and forth again: "If you are going to tell, what difference does it make if I come down? And I don''t believe more than half of what you say anyways. So go right ahead."


    Rage flashed on Zuo ZiMu''s face, but he quickly recovered and began: "Last year Divine Farmer Clan came to ask for access to our back mountains to collect some herbs and I refused. So they snuck in and ran into Brother Rong and a couple of disciples, who scolded the perpetrators for trespassing. They replied: "What is this place? The Imperial Gardens? Why can''t we come here? Did No Measure Sword buy up all of No Measure Mountain?" Words were exchanged and the conversation became very heated until they finally started fighting. Brother Rong did not hold anything back and killed two of them. That''s how it all started. Then on the banks of the Lan Cang River we two sides got together again, a couple more of lives were lost there." The young nodded: "Oh, so that''s it? What kind of herbs were they looking for?" Zuo ZiMu replied: "I''m not quite sure which kind."


    The young girl triumphantly replied: "Figured you wouldn''t know. Since you have told me how all this got started, I should probably tell two things. That day I was out catching snakes for my marten Lightning..." Duan Yu cuts it: "Your marten''s name is Lightning?" The young girl answered: "Yeah, of course. When he gets going, isn''t he quick as lightning?" Duan Yu nodded in agreement: "That''s right! Lightning... such a good name!" Zuo ZiMu glared at Duan Yu for interrupting, but the girl is just getting to the important part and might get mad if he goes after Duan Yu, so he kept his mouth shut.


    The young girl continued to talk to Duan Yu: "Lightning loves to eat poisonous snakes, he doesn''t eat anything else really. I had him since he was born, he''s four now. He only listens to me and nobody else, not even my parents. If I want him to frighten people then he would, if I tell him to bite he goes and do it. Such a good boy!" She reaches into her pouch with her left hand, petting the marten.


    Duan Yu isn''t a complete fool: "Mr. Zuo is just as anxious as can be. Why don''t you tell him what he wants to know."


    The girl let out a little laugh, looked down at Zuo ZiMu, and continued: "So there I was hiding in the bushes searching for snakes, when a couple of men came walking by. One of them said: ''This time, if we don''t kill all of No Measure Sword, take over No Measure Mountain and the Sword Lake Palace, all of our heads will be taking a nice little trip.'' I heard that there will be some fighting, figured it would be pretty interesting, so I kept on listening. They just stayed there chatting, saying something about orders from the Nimble Vulture Palace of Misty Peak to take over Sword Lake Palace and check up on ''No Measure Jade Cliff''."


    As she said this, Zuo ZiMu and ShuangQing shot a look at one another at the same time.


    The girl asked: "What exactly is Nimble Vulture Palace of Misty Peak? Why does Divine Farmer Clan listen to its command?" Zuo ZiMu replied: "This is the first time we have heard of the Nimble Vulture Palace of Misty Peak. We had no idea that Divine Farmer Clan was actually obeying orders when they were stirring up troubles with us." Thinking that the Divine Farmer Clan would obey them, then that Misty Peak-whatever must be quite formidable. Of all the mountains and peaks in Yu Nan, Zuo ZiMu has never heard of one called Misty Peak. The more he thought about all of this the more worried he got.


    The girl ate two more melon seeds before continuing: "So then one guy said: ''If the herb Heaven''s Link of No Measure Mountain can cure the illness of our clan leader then we would gladly take on whatever hardships that may come our way to get our hands on it.'' Another guy sighed: "Only the Kid Elder of Heaven Mountain (Tian Shan Tong Lao) herself can cure this Life-Death Insignia that is in me. Heaven''s Link may have amazing healing powers, but I''m just hoping that it would ease some of the pain when this Life-Death Insignia breaks out, it really is worse than death itself when....'' They walked away and I can''t hear them anymore. Am I clear enough on what happened?"


    Zuo ZiMu was deep in thought and did not answer. ShuangQing suggested: "Brother Zuo, Heaven''s Link is nothing special. If Si KongXuan (head of Divine Farmer Clan) want some to numb the pain, then why don''t you give him some and all would be solved?" Zuo ZiMu snapped back: "Like it would make a difference if we give them some Heaven''s Link? Didn''t you hear? They are after No Measure Mountain and the Sword Lake Palace!" ShuangQing hmphed at him again, but did not reply.


    The girl put her right arm under Duan Yu''s armpits and said: "Going down?" Before Duan Yu could answer she''s already leapt off of the beam. Duan Yu just managed to let a little yelp out before he was in midair as well. The girl gently landed on the floor with Duan Yu, her left arm still around his right arm. She suggested: "Wonder what Divine Farmer Clan looks like? Let''s go outside and have a look."


    Zuo ZiMu jumped forth: "Hold on, I still have a couple of question I want to ask. You said that when the Life-Death Insignia on Si KongXuan breaks out, it is worse than death itself. What is Life-Death Insignia? And who is the Kid Elder of Heaven Mountain?"


    The young girl replied: "First of all, I don''t know the answers to your questions. Second of all, with an attitude like that, even if I knew the answers I wouldn''t tell ya."


    At a crucial time like this, Zuo ZiMu really don''t want to make more enemies. But with the existence of No Measure Sword in jeopardy here, he can''t afford not to get to the bottom of all this. So he jumped in front of Duan Yu and the girl and said: "Miss, Divine Farmer Clan is right outside, if you go out and something unfortunate happens to you then my conscience will not let me live in peace." The girl answered with a smile: "Why would you care since you didn''t really invite me here? Besides, you don''t even know my name, if Divine Farmer Clan kills me my parents can''t really blame it on you." All the while she''s tugging on Duan Yu''s arm and walking towards the door.


    Zuo ZiMu unsheathed the sword from his waist: "Miss, please stay." The girl asked: "Using force now?" Zuo ZiMu replied: "I just want to get some clear answers regarding the questions I asked earlier." The girl replied: "And if I don''t tell you? Are you going to kill me?" Zuo ZiMu replied: "Well you have left me with no choice." He brought his sword up to chest level, blocking the exit of the two.


    The girl turned to Duan Yu: "This old man wants to kill me, what do you think we should do?" Duan Yu flicked the fan in his hand, then answered: "Well, we should do whatever you think we should do." The girl asked: "If he just stabs me and kills me, then what?" Duan Yu replied: "''Share the blessings, share the hardships.'' Melon seeds we ate together, sword blades we take on together." The young girl replied: "Now there''s a couple of good sentences. You are turning out to be quite a friend, I guess us meeting is not in vain after all. Let''s go." She started to walk toward the door, as if the sinisterly green sword in Zuo ZiMu''s hand is not there.


    The sword in Zuo ZiMu''s hand moved toward the left shoulder of the girl. He had no intentions of harming her really, just wanted to stop her from leaving.


    The young girl tapped the pouch around her waist and hissed. Suddenly a white flash leapt out of the bag onto Zuo ZiMu''s right arm. Zuo ZiMu immediately tried to snatch it off with his hand. But the marten was just too quick for him; before he knew it, the marten has already bitten his wrist and jumped back into the girl''s pouch.


    Zuo ZiMu let out a loud cry and let his sword drop to the floor. Feeling his right wrist go numb, he screamed: "Poison, poison! You... The little bastard marten has poison!" His left hand grabbing just above his right wrist, trying desperately to prevent the poison from spreading upwards.


    The disciples of No Measure Sword East Faction scrambled up, three of them went to support their master, the rest of them all drew their swords and surrounded Duan Yu and the girl. Pointing their swords at the two of them, someone threatened: "Quickly hand over the cure, or else this girl will die a most horrible death."


    The girl laughed: "I don''t have any cure. But you guys just need to get some Heaven''s Link, fry it in some thick oil, then feed him a bowl and he should be alright. But within the next 6 hours, he is not allowed to move much, or else the poison goes straight to the heart, and that''s not good. What the hell do you guys think you are doing blocking my way? Want to give my marten a try?" As she said this she reached into her pouch and took out her marten. Holding the marten up in her right hand, she started to walk out with her left arm still around Duan Yu''s arm.


    The disciples have all seen the sorry plight that their master is in, they know that with what little kungfu they have, there is no way they can avoid being bitten by the marten, much less catching it. So they all just stood there and watched the two of them walk out of the atrium.


    All the guests that were invited saw the speed of the marten as well. Nobody walked out and tried to stop them.


    The girl walked out shoulder to shoulder with Duan Yu. The disciples of No Measure Sword are either inside the atrium or just outside guarding against possible attacks. The two of them did not run into a single person since walking out of Sword Lake Palace.


    The girl said quietly: "Lightning has ate upwards of thousands of poisonous snakes in his life, so his teeth are extremely poisonous. That old man that just got bit should have immediately chopped his arm off, if he waits just a couple of hours more, he would die within 8 days." Duan Yu turned to her and asked: "But you said all he needed to do was drink a big bowl of soup made from Heaven''s Link?" The girl let out a little laugh and answered: "I was just messing with them. If I don''t, would they have let us out?" Duan Yu was quite taken aback by this: "Wait here for me for a moment while I go back and tell him." The girl pulled him back: "Dummy, if you go back and tell them, do you think they would let us live? Lightning is really something, but he and I can''t hold them off if they all came at us. You said it yourself: ''Melon seeds we ate together, sword blades we take on together.'' I can''t just ran away by myself and leave you here to die."


    Duan Yu scratched his head: "Then why don''t you just give him some cure?" The young girl replied: "Ay! What''s with all the fuss? They hit you and you are still this nice to them?" Duan Yu raised his hand and felt his cheek, he replied: "It was only one slap, and it stopped hurting a long time ago, so what''s the point in remembering it? Pity the person that hit me died, Mencius read: ''A compassionate heart is the epitome of humanity.'' Buddha taught: Save one human life is better than the 7th level of enlightenment.'' Although Mr. Zuo was very malicious, he was still very polite towards you."


    That young girl let out a cute little laugh before replying: "At that time I had something that he wanted, of course he is going to be polite to me. I know you are talking for him so I can give him the cure, but I really don''t have it. Only my dad has the cure. Besides, soon there won''t be a dog left of No Measure Sword after Divine Farmer Clan gets through with them. By the time I get the cure from my dad and return, that Zuo ZiMu''s head won''t be attached to his neck anymore. At that point, I''m afraid it won''t make much of a difference whether or not he is poisoned."


    Duan Yu shook his head a bit, but decided to stop talking about the cure. The moon has just risen; under the moonlight, Duan Yu notices that the young girl''s face, which is white with faint signs of red, is even more tender and enchanting. He had to ask: "You couldn''t tell your name to that old man with a beard, but can you tell me?" The young girl smiled and answered: "My surname is Zhong, my mom and dad call me simply ''Ling-Er" , so you can call me that too if you want to. Let''s go sit down over there on the hillside. So tell me, why in the world you came to No Measure Mountain."


    The two of them walked side by side toward the hillside to the northwest. Duan Yu started to talk as they walked: "I ran away from home, wandered all over the place. By the time I arrived in Pu Er I have ran out of money. I heard from people there that a Mr. Ma WuDe is very good to guests and visitors, so I went to visit him to get a couple of free meals. Just so happens he was about to leave to come to No Measure Mountain. I heard many times of No Measure Mountain''s beauty and serenity. So I decided to follow him here to check it out." Zhong Ling nodded her head and asked: "So why did you run away from home?" Duan Yu replied: "My dad wanted to teach me kungfu, I didn''t want to learn. So he started to force me, so I had no choice but to run away."


    Zhong Ling stared at him in disbelief, sizing him up over and again. Still not quite believing him, she asked: "Why don''t you want to learn kungfu? Don''t want to put in the hard work?" Duan Yu replied: "I don''t care about putting in the hard work. It just doesn''t make any sense in my head to learn it. So I disobeyed my dad, so my dad got mad and got in an argument again with my mom...." Zhong Ling smiled: "Your mom is always taking your side and argues with your dad, right?" Duan Yu answered: "Of course!" Zhong Ling sighed: "My mom is the same." She stared toward the west spellbound, as if looking at something very far away. After a long while, she asked: "Why doesn''t it make sense to you?"


    Duan Yu replied: "I have been studying Buddhism since I was a kid. Dad even hired a teacher to come and teach me The Four Books and the Five Classics, as well as poetry, lyrics, songs, and prose. He also invited a very wise monk to come and teach me Buddhist scriptures. For the last 10 years, I have been taught that a follower of Confucianism should have a merciful heart, pushing himself to help others. In addition, a disciple of Buddha must not kill nor rage but should be merciful and benevolent in mind and action. Suddenly my dad wanted me to learn kungfu, to learn how to beat and kill people. Naturally, I felt it was wrong and didn''t listen. My dad and I debated and argued about this for 3 days and I still won''t listen. He had many of scripture quotes remembered wrong, and some of his interpretations were off too." {Note: The Four Books are The Great Doctrine, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects of Confucious, and Mencius. The Five Classics are The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Changes, The Book of Rites, and The Spring and Autumn Annals.}


    Zhong Ling added: "So your dad got really angry and beat you, right?"


    Duan Yu shook his head: "My dad didn''t hit me at all. He just merely hit 2 pressure points on my body and in an instant it felt like there thousands and thousands of ants and mosquitoes biting down on me. My dad said: ''How does it feel? I am your dad, so I''ll stop this after a bit, but what if I was your enemy, then you are in for a fate worse than death. Just try and see if you can kill yourself.'' At that time, I can''t even lift a finger, how was I suppose to commit suicide? Besides, I''m doing pretty good living, why would I want to kill myself? Afterwards my mom came and started to argue with my dad and my dad released my pressure points. The next day I ran away."


    Zhong Ling listened to all of this in disbelieve, suddenly she said rather loudly: "Your dad knows how to hit pressure points, not only that but it''s also one of the top kungfus in the world! Did he just stabbed somewhere on your body with on finger and then you couldn''t move and felt numb and itchy all over?" Duan Yu answered: "Yeah, what''s so strange about that?" Zhong Ling''s face is just full of shock and disbelief: "You asked me what''s so strange about that? You actually asked me what''s so strange about that?! People would be willing to kowtow to your dad 10000 times and beg for 10 or 20 years just to learn a fraction of your dad''s pressure point hitting kungfu. Yet you actually don''t want to learn it, of course it is strange!"


    Duan Yu replied: "I really don''t see what''s the big deal about this pressure point hitting kungfu." Zhong Ling sighed: "You must not say that. And you must not let others know about this!" Duan Yu asked: "Why?"


    Zhong Ling answered: "You don''t know any kungfu and don''t understand anything about the martial world either do you? Your family''s pressure point hitting kungfu has no match in this world, it''s called ''1 Yang Zhi''. Other people in this world, when they hear the phrase ''1 Yang Zhi'', they almost drool in envy. If people knew your dad knows this, some of them probably would kidnap you and force your dad to exchange the manual for ''1 Yang Zhi'' as ransom. Then what?"


    Duan Yu scratched his head: "Didn''t even think about that. My dad will probably get really mad and go fight it out with them." Zhong Ling said: "Right, most people wouldn''t dare to go fight against your family. But for the secrets of ''1 Yang Zhi'', you never know. Besides, you are in their hands so that really makes the situation very difficult. Tell you what, don''t even tell people that your surname is Duan."


    Duan Yu replied: "There are tens of thousands of people with the surname of Duan in DaLi, I don''t think every single one of them knows this kungfu. Besides, if my surname is not Duan, then what is it?" Zhong Ling smiled: "Why don''t you just momentarily use mine?" Duan Yu smiled back: "That works, but you are going to have to call me ''big brother'' now. How old are you?" Zhong Ling answered: "16! How about you?" Duan Yu replied: "I''m 3 years older than you."


    Zhong Ling plucked a piece of grass from the ground and slowly tore it to pieces. Suddenly she shook her head and said: "You actually turned down learning ''1 Yang Zhi''! I still can''t believe that! You are lying to me aren''t you?"


    Duan Yu laughed at that a bit, and replied: "You make it sound so marvelous and wonderful, but can it feed you and help you make a living? I say that your marten of yours, Lightning, is alot more formidable. I just don''t like the fact that he can kill with just merely a bite." Zhong Ling sighed: "If he can''t kill with just a bite, then what good is he for?" Duan Yu replied: "You are such a young girl, why are you thinking about killing and fighting all the time?"


    Zhong Ling asked: "You really don''t get it? Or are you just pulling my leg?" Duan Yu answered with a question of his own: "What do you mean?" Zhong Ling pointed to the east: "Look over there."


    Duan Yu looked over and sees about 10 or so clouds of greenish smoke coming from half way up the mountain that she was pointing to. But he can''t really figure out what that means.


    Zhong Ling continued: "You don''t want to kill others. But others want to kill you. You aren''t going to just hand them your head on a platter are you? That smoke is coming from Divine Farmer Clan preparing their poison, which will soon be used against No Measure Sword. I don''t want to get involved with this mess, let''s try and get away from here."


    Duan Yu shook the fan in his hand: "This kind of fighting and quarreling in the martial world is getting more and more out of hand. Somebody in No Measure Sword killed someone in Divine Farmer Clan, but now Divine Farmer Clan got Rong ZiJu and Gong GuangJie, an eye for an eye, I say they are about even. Even if there are some injustice, they should go to the local magistrate and let them handle it, not just go out and kill! Does our DaLi not have laws anymore?"


    Zhong Ling clicked her tongue 3 times and a bit of disdain and scorn shown up on her face. She replied: "From what you say, you would think that you are a relative of the king or some big shot official or something. We normal people aren''t going to listen to that." She looked up at the sky for a bit, pointed to the southwest, and whispered: "We''ll wait until the moon goes behind a cloud, then we''ll sneak out in that direction. I don''t think the Divine Farmer Clan will catch us if we do that." Duan Yu replied: "No! I''m going to go talk to their leader and tell him not to kill people just because he wants to." Some pity surfaced in Zhong Ling''s eyes: "Big Brother, you really don''t understand how things work do you? Divine Farmer Clan is dark, evil, and mean. They are very good at using poison, you just saw how they killed 2 people back there. Let''s not cause more trouble and get out of here." Duan Yu answered: "No! I''m going to have to get involved in this, if you are afraid, then just wait here for me." He stood up and started walking to the east.


    Zhong Ling waited until he has walked 10 yards or so, then she suddenly chased up to him, her right hand coming out aiming for his shoulder. Duan Yu heard the footsteps and was just about to turn around when she grabbed his right shoulder. Zhong Ling followed with a slight hook with her leg. Duan Yu couldn''t keep his balance and fell straight forward, his nose smashed against a rock and started to bleed. He hurriedly stood back up and angrily asked: "What the hell was that for? Damn that hurts!" Zhong Ling said: "I wanted to see once and for all whether you really don''t know any kungfu or just pretending. I was doing this for your own good."


    Duan Yu replied with some indignation: "What''s so good about it?" He wiped his nose with his hand, immediately his hand was covered in blood. Some blood fell onto his chest and caused a couple of red spots on his shirt. He really wasn''t that hurt, but seeing so much blood come out, he couldn''t help but to start muttering: "Ouch! Ouch!"


    Zhong Ling is starting to get a little worried as well, she quickly took out her handckerchief out and tried to wipe some of the blood off. Duan Yu is still mad at her, so he tried to push her away, saying: "Get away from me, who needs your sympathy?" He doesn''t know any kungfu and his moves have no coordination. So as he naturally tried to push her away, his palm headed straight toward her chest. Zhong Ling just reacted and naturally grabbed his wrist, borrowed the force of his push, led his move by her, and added a little push of her own at the end, all in one motion. Duan Yu had no chance and fell over again, this time he banged his head against a rock and fainted.


    Zhong Ling sees that he is not moving, so she shouted at him: "Get up! I''m not finished talking to you!" Seeing that he''s still not moving, she starts to get worried, and quickly went over to him. Noticing that Duan Yu has fainted, she immediated pinched his philtrum, and then started to massage his chest with great effort.


    After a while, Duan Yu finally started to come around. Feeling as if he is leaning against something soft and noticing a very faint, sweet, and serene smell, he slowly opened his eyes and saw the beautiful eyes of Zhong Ling looking down at him with great concern. Seeing that he has come around, Zhong Ling let out a huge sigh of relief and said: "Thank goodness you didn''t die." Noticing that he is lying in her lap with his head leaned up against her stomach, Duan Yu''s heart skipped a beat. However, he immediately felt the throbbing pain on the back of his head and let out a big "Ouch!"


    This gave Zhong Ling quite a scare: "What''s the matter?" Duan Yu answered: "My... my head hurts like hell." Zhong Ling said: "You are not dead, no need to scream bloody hell." Duan Yu replied: "If I''m dead, how could I scream bloody hell?"


    Zhong Ling laughed at that comment, she held his head up. The back of his head has an egg size bump where it banged against the rock, although it''s not bleeding, she figure it still hurts alot. She said: "Well who told you to make such a perverted move? If it were anyone else, I would have immediately killed him. You only got a bump on your head, you should be thankful."


    Duan Yu sat up: "Me? Perverted? What in the world? Where did you get that idea?"


    Zhong Ling is young and hencefore only kind of understand man-woman relationships but not really. She blushed and said: "I''m not telling you, all in all you were in the wrong. Who told you to send your palm toward th... there...." Duan Yu suddenly realized what she was talking about and felt very embarrassed, he tried to think of something to say to explain. But he decided that excuses are not right, so he said: "I... I didn''t mean to do that." After saying that, he stood up.


    Zhong Ling got up as well: "Since you didn''t mean to, I''ll guess I''ll let that one slide. Good thing you finally came around, you scared the hell out of me right then and there." Duan Yu said: "Back in the Sword Lake Palace, if you didn''t show up and help me, I was sure to get a couple of slaps on the face. Now that I fell twice, I say everything is even. When it comes down to it, it''s all fate, I can''t avoid it." Zhong Ling replied: "Why are you talking like that? Are you still mad at me?" Duan Yu answered: "Well you don''t expect me to cheer: ''Great, wonderful!'' or turn around and thank you when you hit me do you?" Zhong Ling grabbed his hand, said in an apologetic tone: "Please don''t be mad at me. I swear I won''t hit you ever again." Duan Yu said: "Only if you let me hit you really hard twice."


    Zhong Ling really don''t want to, but seeing how he has turned around and is about to walk off, she relented: "Alright, I''ll let you hit me twice. Just... just don''t hit me too hard." Duan Yu replied: "If I don''t hit you hard, then how can I get my justice? It has to be hard, if you don''t want me to hit you, then just forget it."


    Zhong Ling sighed, closed her eyes, and quietly said: "Alright! But after you hit me, you can''t be mad anymore."


    After a while, Duan Yu still haven''t hit her yet. So she opened her eyes and saw Duan Yu looking at her, sort of smiling but not quite. Zhong Ling asked in surprise: "What are you waiting for?" Duan Yu stuck out his right pinky, lightly flicked once on her right cheek, and then lightly flicked on her left cheek. Smiling, he said: "Alright. That''s as hard as I could hit you. Did it hurt much?" Zhong Ling can''t be any happier: "I knew all along that you were a good person!"


    She''s standing just a feet or so away from Duan Yu, her fragrance permeates the air. The more Duan Yu look at her the prettier she becomes. He didn''t want to move away. After a long while, he finally said: "Alright, now that I got my revenge, I need to go find that SiKong Xuan now."


    Zhong Ling anxiously said: "Dummy, don''t go! You don''t know a thing about the rules of the martial world, if you somehow offend him accidentally, I can''t get you out of it this time." Duan Yu smiled and shook his head: "Don''t worry, I''ll be back soon, just wait for me here." He turns around and starts to walk toward the green smoke.


    Zhong Ling stood there trying to decide what to do, then she said: "Alright, like you said: ''Melon seeds ate together, sword blades we take on together''!" She chased up to him and they walked side-by-side toward the smoke.


    Soon, they see 2 men dressed in yellow running up to them. The older one on the left spoke up: "Who is it? What are you here for?" Both men had a medicine bag hanging off their shoulders, each had a wider than usual sabre in hand. Duan Yu answered: "I am Duan Yu, I wish to talk to Master SiKong of you clan." The old man asked: "What for?" Duan Yu replied: "I will tell Master SiKong when I see him." The old man asked: "May I humbly ask which sect are you from and who your master is?"


    Duan Yu answered: "I''m not of any sect. My master''s surname is Meng, his name is ShuSheng, and he has styled himself XuRu. My master''s specialty is logic of changes, and has had some remarkable success in the field of talks of the divine and systems of diction." He was, of course, refering to his teacher that was invited by his dad to teach him the 4 Books and the 5 Classics. That old man, hearing the "talks of the divine" and the "systems of diction", thought they were some weird and strange kungfu. Duan Yu standing there casually fanning himself with the fan in his hand have all the looks of a kungfu master who does not want to show himself. Although the old man has never heard of anyone in the martial world named Meng ShuSheng, but since Duan Yu said he "has had some remarkable success" he probably isn''t just some nobody. So he politely said to Duan Yu: "If that''s the case, then please wait here for a second while I go and report to my master."


    Zhong Ling waited until he hurriedly ran up and around the hill, then turned to Duan Yu and asked: "What was all that lie about ''logics of changes''? What kind of kungfu is that? What if SiKong Xuan tests you later? How are you going to cover that?" Duan Yu replied: "I remember most all of the ''Cycle of Changes''. It probably wouldn''t be that bad if SiKong Xuan wants to test me on the meanings and philosophies within it." Zhong Ling just stared at him, not sure how to respond.


    The old man came back and said with a stone cold face: "What the hell are you talking about? Master tells you to go see him!" From his looks, he probably got a good bit of scolding from SiKong Xuan. Duan Yu nodded and started to walk up with Zhong Ling.


    Soon the 3 of them soon made their way around the mountain side and came up to 20 or so men sitting around in a pile of scattered rocks. Duan Yu walked up, seeing a short and skinny old man sitting on the tallest rock, he has a goatee beard and has a arrogant expression on his face. Duan Yu figured that he probably is the head of the Divine Farmer Clan SiKong Xuan, so he cupped his fist and said: "Duan Yu is honored to meet Master SiKong."


    SiKong Xuan just merely nodded his head, not even getting up, he asked: "Mr. Duan, why are you coming to see me?"


    Duan Yu replied: "I heard that your clan and No Measure Sword has become mortal enemies. Having just witnessed 2 people of No Measure Sword dying a most horrible of deaths, my heart could not bear it and decided to come here in an attempt to try and stop all this killing. ''Enemies are easy to make but hard to break'', and besides, this kind of vigilante killing is against the law. If any governor or officials find out, it could be a lot of trouble. I hope that Master SiKong would stop before it is too late and not trouble No Measure Sword anymore."


    SiKong Xuan just sat there and listened to him talked. Now that Duan Yu stopped talking, SiKong Xuan still did not respond, just looked at Duan Yu sideways.


    Duan Yu continued: "What I just said is a plea for Master SiKong to think it all through before acting." SiKong Xuan is still looking at him with curiosity, suddenly he let out a hearty laugh and said: "Who do you think you are? Actually coming here and try to distract me. Who told you to come here?" Duan Yu answered: "Nobody told me to come here, I came here because I wanted to."


    SiKong Xuan hmphed and replied: "I have been walking around in the martial world for 40 years, and never once has seen anyone as brazen as you little bastard. Ah-Sheng, seize these two little kids for me." The tall man besides him answered and grabbed Duan Yu''s right arm.


    Zhong Ling immediately shouted out: "Hold on! Master SiKong, Mr. Duan has only been trying to politely persuade you, if you don''t want to listen then don''t, why come to blows?" She turns to Duan Yu: "Big Brother, Divine Farmer Clan won''t listen to you. We don''t need to get involved in other people''s business, let''s go."


    Ah-Sheng has already grabbed Duan Yu''s arm and twisted them behind his back, he looked at SiKong Xuan, waiting for his instructions on what to do next. SiKong Xuan coldly said: "The thing that the Divine Farmer Clan hates the most is other people meddling in our affairs. There must be something more to you two babies coming here and wasting my time. Ah-Hong, seize the girl." Another man answered as he extends his hands toward Zhong Ling.


    Zhong Ling stepped three steps to the side and said: "Master SiKong, in truth, I''m not scared of you. It''s just that my mom and dad does not want me to make trouble. So let my Big Brother Duan go, or else when you force me to respond in kind, it would not be much fun."


    SiKong Xuan laughed heartily at that comment: "Well aren''t we boasting a little too much? Ah-Hong! What are you waiting for?" Ah-Hong answered again as he tries to grab Zhong Ling''s wrist. Zhong Ling pulled her right arm back and sent her left palm out. The palm is like a knife as it heads toward Ah-Hong''s forehead. Ah-Hong lowered his head to avoid the move, but Zhong Ling''s right fist came in from underneath in an uppercut. It caught him squarely on the jaw and knocked him onto his back.


    SiKong Xuan casually observed: "Seems like the girl can do a thing or two, but not enough to be able to get away with it here." He shot a look over at a tall old man besides him and waved his right hand. The old man immediately stood up and stepped up to Zhong Ling. He is a whole two feet taller than Zhong Ling and his hands came in from above, like talons, straight for her shoulders.


    Zhong Ling immediately dodges out of the way, but the man''s left hand merely missed her face by inches. Feeling the piercing wind caused by the move, Zhong Ling started to get a little scared, she spoke up: "Master SiKong, tell him to stop. Else don''t blame me for being impolite, and when my dad scolds me for this in the future, you won''t be in such a good shape either." As she is talking, she dodged three more moves from the old man. SiKong Xuan commanded: "Grab her!" The old man led on with his left hand while his right hand drew a little circle, suddenly he flipped his palm down and grabbed onto Zhong Ling''s right arm.


    Zhong Ling let out a little scream and squirmed in pain. She shook her left hand and hissed a couple of time. A flash white shot out. The old man let out a muted groan, let her arm go, and sat down on the ground. The marten has bit him on the back of his hand and has already jumped back into Zhong Ling''s waiting hands.


    A middle-aged man jumped out from beside SiKong Xuan and helped the old man up. The old man''s whole body was shaking and the back of his hand has turned pitch-black. Zhong Ling hissed twice more and her marten scrambled towards Ah-Sheng''s face. Ah-Sheng tried to bat it away, but the marten instead just bit him on his hand. Ah-Sheng''s kungfu is not as good as the old man''s, so he is even less able to tolerate it. Immediately he curled up into a ball and started to scream. Zhong Ling grabbed Duan Yu''s arm, started to walk off quickly, and whispered: "We are in trouble now, let''s get out of here!"


    The men sitting around SiKong Xuan are all the top fighters in the Divine Farmer Clan, these men have dealt with poison for most of their lives and has seen pretty much every kind of poison there is. But this marten''s lightning speed and incredible poison is something that none of them has ever heard of. SiKong Xuan shouted: "Seize this girl this instant! Don''t let her get away!" Four men answered his order and jumped up. They split into 2 groups and came at the 2 of them from opposite sides.


    Zhong Ling hissed several more times and the marten jumped from one person to the next. In an blink of an eye, all 4 men are either rolling on the ground or curled up into a ball.


    The members of the Divine Farmer Clan all know that this little marten is indeed something to be reckoned with, but nobody wanted to seem cowardly in front of the leader. So seven or eight more men came chasing after them. Zhong Ling threatened: "If you don''t want to live then come on!" The men are all holding a weapon, be it a medicine back or a short sabre, all hoping to try and bat away the marten with his weapon. But the marten is faster than any flying weapon in the world, and soon all of the men were rolling on the ground as well.


    SiKong Xuan tossed off his robe, reached into his bosom and took out a small bottle. He applied the contents of the bottle to his hands and arms, and started chasing after Duan Yu and Zhong Ling. He jumped in front of the 2 of them and said: "Stop!"


    The marten jumped from Zhong Ling''s hands towards his nose. SiKong Xuan held his palm up vertically, but couldn''t help but feel nervous. He is not sure whether or not this medicine that works against snake poison will work against this poisonous marten that he has never heard of before. If it doesn''t then his life and the entire clan is destroyed. The marten was just about to bite down on his hand when suddenly it twisted in the air, and bounced back to Zhong Ling by rebounding off of his hand with its back feet. Turns out that inside the marten there is stored a great amount of snake poison, which is exactly what the medicine that SiKong Xuan applied works the best against. SiKong Xuan was delighted, immediately he struck out with his left palm. The palm wind was fierce, Zhong Ling could not get out of the way and almost fell over. Duan Yu, on the other hand, was completely overwhelmed by what is left of the palm wind and fell back on the ground.


    Zhong Ling anxiously hissed a couple of more times, urging the marten to attack. The marten jumped out again, but it could not bear the medicine on SiKong Xuan''s palms. So it instead went after his head and legs, but SiKong Xuan waved his arms around, protecting his body, making it impossible to get close.


    SiKong Xuan is nevertheless still afraid of the marten, and he kept on giving orders to his men.


    Twenty of so clan members surrounded them, each with an herb in hand. They lit the herb and smoke started to fill the air. Duan Yu just got up when he suddenly felt light headed and fell back down again. In a daze, he saw that Zhong Ling also fell down from the smoke. Two clan members stepped forth to seize Zhong Ling, but the marten, in protecting its master, bit both of them. Everyone stepped back in fear, still surrounding the 2 of them, but nobody dared to seize them.


    SiKong Xuan ordered: "Start burning Manly Yellow on the east side and Deer Musk on the south side. The others get out of the way."


    The clan members followed the orders and started to burn Manly Yellow and Deer Musk. There is not a herb or poison that the Divine Farmer Clan is not equipped with, not only that, all they have are the best picks of the drugs. The pure Manly Yellow and Deer Musk they burned immediately let out a mace like cloud of smoke, carried by the southeasterly wind, the smoke slowly descended upon Zhong Ling. However, the marten turned out to be immune to the smoke, still jumping back and forth among the clan members. Before anyone knew it 5 more clan members had been bitten.


    Suddenly, an idea popped up in SiKong Xuan''s mind. He ordered: "Start piling up dirt, let''s bury this girl and her marten alive." The clan members immediately started to dig up dirt and throwing it onto Zhong Ling''s body.


    Duan Yu thought to himself that he is the cause of all this trouble. How could he live on if Zhong Ling is going to die. So he summoned up all his strength and flipped on top of Zhong Ling''s body. Holding her tight, he shouted: "We are dying together!" The dirt kept on raining down on his head.


    The words "We are dying together" hit home with SiKong Xuan. He looked around, seeing 20 or so clan members rolling on the ground in pain, 7 or 8 of them are very important members of the clan, and 2 of them are actually his martial brothers. Although his anger would be vented if he killed the girl right now, all these people would probably die too. The marten''s poison is unlike anything he has ever seen before, he probably has to get the remedy from her in order to cure it. So he ordered: "Don''t bury their heads, leave them alive."


    Soon, the 2 of them are buried up to their heads. Zhong Ling felt like an enormous weight has been placed on her body. and Duan Yu has held on to her the entire time. Only their head is not covered by dirt, neither one of them could move an inch.


    SiKong Xuan asked: "Little girl, do you want to live or die?" Zhong Ling answered: "Of course I want to live. If you kill me and Big Brother Duan here, then alot of you guys would die too." SiKong Xuan replied: "Good, then quickly hand over the cure for that marten poison of yours, that way I''ll let you live." Zhong Ling shook her head: "Not just my life, both of our lives." SiKong Xuan replied: "Alright, I''ll let both of you live. Where is the cure?" Zhong Ling answered: "I don''t have it on me. Only my dad can cure Lightning''s poison. I told you earlier not to make me to use force, or else my dad would be mad at me and you wouldn''t get anything good out of it either." SiKong Xuan replied angrily: "Still bullshiting at a time like this? See if I just leave you 2 here and let you 2 die of hunger!"


    Zhong Ling replied: "Everything I have told you is true, why don''t you believe me? Ay! All in all, this whole matter is really troublesome. Probably won''t be able to hide it from my dad, what do I do then?" SiKong Xuan asked: "What''s your dad''s name?" Zhong Ling answered: "You are not a baby, how come you are so unreasonable? Like I can just go around telling everyone my dad''s name."


    SiKong Xuan has been making a living in the martial world for decades now and has earned a name and some fame in the world. But today he has just about ran out of ideas regarding these 2 little kids. He bit down and ordered: "Bring me a torch! Let''s light the little girl''s hair on fire and see if she''ll talk!" A clan member handed over the torch, SiKong Xuan grabbed a hold of it and walked up to the 2 of them.


    In the light of the fire, Zhong Ling could not help but get scared by his hideous expression. She shouted out: "Hey! Hey! Don''t burn my hair. If the hair is on fire, then the head is going to hurt like crazy. If you don''t believe me, then why don''t you try it on your beard?" A hideous grin appeared on SiKong Xuan''s face: "Of course it hurts, I don''t need to burn my beard to know that." Holding up the torch, he gave it a shake right in front of Zhong Ling''s face. Zhong Ling let out a little scream.


    Duan Yu hugged her tightly and shouted: "Goat beard, I started this whole mess, why don''t you burn my hair instead!" Zhong Ling shouted back: "No! It''ll hurt you too." SiKong Xuan offered: "Well if you are scared of getting hurt, then hand over the cure so I can start working on my brothers."


    Zhong Ling replied: "How dumb are you really? I have already told you, only my dad can cure Lightning''s poison, even my mom does not know how. My Lightning is very very rare, his bite is filled with strange and exotic poison. You think it''s that easy to cure?"


    SiKong Xuan can hear the people that have been bitten groaning all around him, so he knows that the poison is very strong. These men are care very much for face, they wouldn''t even mutter a sound even if a hand or a foot is broken or cut off. The medicine for snake venom has already been applied to every one of them. But from the continued groans, it is obvious that the clan''s anti-venom that has always worked before is having no effect. Several people have tried to apply some medicines that work against scorpion, centipede, or spider poisons, but that has only increased the volume of their groans. SiKong Xuan stared down at Zhong Ling with rage and shouted: "Who is your old man? Tell me his name now!"


    Zhong Ling asked: "You really want me to say it? Aren''t you scared to find out?"


    This set SiKong Xuan off, he lifted up the torch and was just about to set Zhong Ling''s hair on fire. All of the sudden he felt an incredible amount of pain coming from the back of his head, something has bit him there. Shocked, SiKong Xuan immediately took a breath to protect his head and heart, he tossed the torch away and tried to grab whatever is on the back of his head. Suddenly the back of his hand was bitten as well. Turns out that the marten has dug its way out of the dirt and taken advantage of the fact that SiKong Xuan was distracted and attacked. After being bit twice in a row, SiKong Xuan is scared nearly out of his wits. Immediately he sat down and started to try to force the poison out using his inner force. The clan members were busily trying to cover the marten with dirt again, but this time the marten jumped up and bit two more men. A couple of more white flashes in the dark and the marten has jumped into the bushes and disappeared.


    SiKong Xuan''s underlings hurriedly took out medicines and herbs that works against snake venom and start applying it to their master. Some of the medicines were taken orally along with a ginseng they had available. SiKong Xuan had to divide his strength against the 2 places where he was bitten and soon it became obvious to him that he can''t keep this up. Biting down hard, he grabbed the dagger around his waist with his left hand and cut of his right arm at the elbow. The clan members all trembled at the sight and scrambled to put some drugs that stops bleeding on the wound. But blood gushing out of the wound washed away the medicines as soon as they were applied. Eventually someone tore a piece of clothing off and tightly bandaged up SiKong Xuan''s elbow, finally stopping the bleeding.


    After witnessing such a harrowing scene, Zhong Ling''s face turned white as she stopped shouting. SiKong Xuan asked in a low voice: "After being bitten by that devil marten, how many days do you have?" Zhong Ling answered in a shaky voice: "My dad said up to 7 days, but... but since Master SiKong your inner strength is so strong and is so good at kungfu. Maybe... I''m sure you''ll live for longer than that."


    SiKong Xuan didn''t reply, instead he ordered: "Pull that guy out of there." The clan members pulled Duan Yu out of the dirt pile. Zhong Ling panicked: "Hey! Hey! This has nothing to do with him! Don''t hurt him!" She tried to take advantage of the moment and struggle out of the dirt pile, but the clan members immediately filled the space left by Duan Yu with more dirt. Zhong Ling sees there is nothing more she can do, so she started crying.


    Duan Yu is quite scared himself, but he forced himself to calm down. Smiling, he said: "Miss Zhong, a true man faces death like it''s nothing, don''t show any weaknesses in front of these bad people." Zhong Ling answered between sobs: "I''m not a man! I don''t want to face your death like it''s nothing! I want to show weakness!"


    SiKong Xuan ordered in a heavy voice: "Give this fellow some Intestine Fragmenter (Duan Chang San), give him the 7 days worth of dosage." A clan member poured out of a medicine bottle about half a bottle worth of red powder, and forced them into Duan Yu''s mouth. Zhong Ling cried out: "That''s poison, don''t eat it!" Duan Yu knew it was a very potent poison when he heard the words "Intestine Fragmenter". But figuring that since he is in the hands of others, there is nothing he can do to refuse to take the poison. So he swallowed the powder, smacked his lips, smiled, and said: "Taste pretty sweet. Master SiKong, how about you eat the other half of the bottle?"


    SiKong Xuan just hmphed at him in anger. Zhong Ling let out a little laugh in the middle of a sob, and then went right on crying.


    SiKong Xuan said to Duan Yu: "This Intestine Fragmenter will break out after 7 days, splitting your intestines into inch long pieces. Go and get the cure for the marten''s poison, if you get back here in 7 days, then I''ll give you the cure for it and let the girl go too." Zhong Ling cuts in: "Just the drug does not work, you have to have my dad use his unique inner strength to force the poison out." SiKong Xuan replied: "Then he is just going to get your dad here to get you out." Zhong Ling replied: "Easy for you to say. Like my dad would leave the mountain, he wouldn''t even take a step out of the valley." SiKong Xuan did not reply to her last comment.


    Duan Yu offered: "How about this? Why don''t all of us go to Miss Zhong''s home? Then you can ask your dad to cure the poison, wouldn''t that be fast and effective?" Zhong Ling replied: "No, no! My dad has sworn that if someone takes one step in my family valley, no matter who it is, only death awaits him."


    SiKong Xuan thought to himself: "The No Measure Sword matter is not settled yet, can''t leave this place. If I did, it''s not like the Kid Elder of Heaven Mountain would let me live. I would only die a lot worse of a death." By now the itch and numbness from the marten bite at the back of his head is getting worse and worse, he finally let out several groans of pain.


    Zhong Ling said: "Master SiKong, sorry about this." SiKong Xuan angrily replied: "Sorry my ass!" Duan Yu cuts in (he seems to have a habit of this): "Master SiKong, using such vulgar language toward Miss Zhong is not the conduct of a gentlemen."


    SiKong Xuan angrily rebuked: "Your grandma wasn''t one either!" However, he thought to himself: "When the ''Life-Death Insignia'' in my body breaks out, the suffering is really unbearable. Better to die like this, at least it''s straightforward and clear cut." So he turned to Zhong Ling: "I don''t care about all the details, don''t invite your dad for the cure is fine as well. We''ll just all die together here." His words were filled with sadness and resignation.


    Zhong Ling thought about all this for a bit and said: "Let me out of here, and I''ll write a letter to my dad asking him to come here and rescue you. And you send a person who is not afraid to die to deliever it." SiKong Xuan responded: "I want this fellow named Duan to go, why send anyone else?" Zhong Ling replied: "Man you got bad memory! If someone takes one step in my family valley, no matter whom it is, that someone will die. Didn''t I already tell you about this? I don''t want my Big Brother Duan to die, don''t you know?" SiKong Xuan answered: "He can''t die, then the people in my clan should? If he can''t go then don''t go, let''s all die together. See which one of us dies first."


    Zhong Ling started to sob again: "What kind of a person are you? Bullying a little girl like me? People in the martial world will all find out about this and they all say that Master SiKong of Divine Farmer Clan has dragged his name through dirt and is not a real man."


    SiKong Xuan only sat there and worried about using his inner strength to combat the poison, completely ignoring her.


    Duan Yu spoke up: "Then just let me go then. Miss Zhong, since I''m going to tell him the news and telling him to save you, I don''t think he would do much harm to me." Zhong Ling''s face suddenly lit up: "I got it! Follow my plan. Don''t tell my dad where I am, that way if he kills you, then he wouldn''t know where I am. Just leave as soon as you lead him here, or else it would not be good." Duan Yu nodded: "This plan seems to work."


    Zhong Ling turned to SiKong Xuan: "Master SiKong, Big Brother Duan is going to leave as soon as he arrives. So how are you going to give the cure for ''Intestine Fragmenter''?" SiKong Xuan pointed to a huge rock far to the northwest: "I''ll instruct someone to wait there with the cure. When Mr. Duan gets to that rock, he''ll get the cure." Since he wants Duan Yu to go and save his life, his words became considerably more polite. So he ordered his men to dig Zhong Ling out, but first they handcuffed her hands and then dug out her lower body.


    Zhong Ling asked: "If you don''t take the cuffs off, how can I write a letter?" SiKong Xuan replied: "A weird girl like you, writing a letter probably would lead to more tricks. Just give Mr. Duan something on you that proves that his words are true and that would do."


    Zhong Ling laughed and said: "I hate writing, so happy to hear that you don''t want me to write. What do I have on me? Um, Big Brother Duan, take the pair of shoes that I have on. My mom and dad will recognize those."


    Duan Yu nodded and bent down to take off her shoes. As his left hand held her bare foot, feeling its fine skin and smoothness, his heart shook and he couldn''t help but look up at her face. They smiled at each other. Under the fire light, he sees that there are still tears on her cheeks and yet her eyes are filled with happiness. He was spellbound.


    SiKong Xuan is getting a little impatient, so he shouted: "Go already! What are you 2 kids doing staring at each other? Brother Duan, get done with it already. When you get the person here, then of course I would let the girl go so she can be your wife. Then you''ll have plenty of time to feel her foot."


    Duan Yu and Zhong Ling both blushed like crazy. Duan Yu hurriedly took of Zhong Ling''s shoes and put them in his shirt. But he still can''t refrain from taking another look at Zhong Ling. At this, Zhong Ling let out a coquettish laugh.


    SiKong Xuan spoke up again: "Brother Duan, please go and come quickly! All of our lives is in your hands. If there is some hold-up then none of us will live. Miss Zhong, how long does it take to get to your dad''s place?" Zhong Ling answered: "Two days if he hurries. I would say he would be back in 4 days at the most." SiKong Xuan felt a little better, but still urged: "Then go quickly!"


    Zhong Ling spoke up: "I''m going to tell Big Brother Duan how to go, all of you get away. I don''t want any of you listening in." SiKong Xuan waved his hand and all the clan members walked away. Zhong Ling added: "You too." SiKong Xuan thought to himself: "Once I''m cured, if I don''t show you little baby a little something then SiKong Xuan has mistaken himself for a man!" But he got up and walked off.


    Zhong Ling sighed: "Big Brother Duan, we have only met today, and already we have to be separated." Duan Yu smiled and replied: "It''s only for 4 days, no big deal really."


    Zhong Ling stared at Duan Yu with the two big eyes of hers for a while. Finally, she said: "First go see my mom, tell her about the situation and let her go talk to my dad. This way it''ll be much easier." She then drew out directions to her home on the ground with her feet. As it turns out, Zhong Ling lives in a valley on the west shore of the LanCang River, not very far away. It is very well hidden and the entrance has several traps, switches, and secret codes. Without specific directions, it is very hard to find and enter the valley. Duan Yu always had a good memory and easily memorized all the direction that Zhong Ling gave him. After she finished, he said: "Alright, I''m going now." He turned around and started to walk.


    After about 10 steps or so, Zhong Ling suddenly remembered something and called out: "Hey! Come back here!" Duan Yu asked: "What?" Zhong Ling said to him after he walked back: "Don''t say that your surname is Duan, and especially don''t say that your dad knows ''1 Yang Zhi''. Because... Because my dad might start getting ideas." Duan Yu smiled and thought that this little girl is just worrying too much, but it is all in good intentions towards him. So he just said "Alright," as he turned and walked off.

 Chapter - 2 The Jade Cliff Under the Moonlight

    After all that mess, the moon has risen to the middle of the sky. Duan Yu kept on walking west. Even though he does not know any kungfu, his youth enabled him to keep this up. After about 10 kilometers he has already arrived in the back mountains of No Measure Mountain. He suddenly heard the sound of water running. Feeling thirsty, he went searching and found the creek. Under the moonlight the creek water looked clear and beautiful. Just as he put his into the creek, he heard sound of a branch cracking followed by the footsteps of 2 people. Duan Yu immediately lied down by the creek, not daring to make a noise.


    Someone said: "There is a creek here, let''s get a couple of drinks here before continuing." The voice sounded familiar to Duan Yu as he suddenly recognized it as Gan GuangHao, the disciple of Zuo ZiMu. Duan Yu became even more still. The 2 of them walked up to the creek and started drinking. After a bit, Gan GuangHao spoke up: "Sister Ge, looks like we are already out of danger. Let''s rest a while before going on." The girl seemed to have agreed as it sounded like both of them sat down by the creek.


    The girl spoke up: "You sure that the Divine Farmer Clan won''t have anyone this way?" Her voice is shaky, obviously scared. Gan GuangHao tried to calm her: "Don''t worry, this path is as hidden as can be. Even some of us in the East Faction don''t know about it, not to mention the Divine Farmer Clan." The girl asked: "Then how did you know about this?" Gan GuangHao replied: "Every 5 days, my master would take some of us here to try to crack the secret of the ''No Measure Jade Cliff''. All these years, all we did was stare at the rock like a bunch of retards. Master kept on saying something to the effect of ''to get things done you must show perseverance and determination'' and ''good things come to those with aspirations''. But I really just can''t stand it anymore, so sometimes I excuse myself to do that kind of personal business to come out here and wander around. That''s how I found this path."


    The girl laughed a little and said: "So you don''t want to put in the work and ran off. I say in your faction, you probably have the least perseverance and determination." Gan GuangHao laughed and replied: "Sister Ge, in the competition 5 years ago, when I lost to you...." The girl cuts in: "Don''t you say that you lost to me again. You pretended that your inner strength was weaker and let me win on purpose. Others can''t tell, but don''t you think I know?"


    Duan Yu thought to himself: "So this girl is a disciple of the West Faction of No Measure Sword."


    Gan GuangHao replied: "The moment I saw you, I swore to myself that I will spend the rest of my life with you no matter what. Luckily such a rare chance came today with the Divine Farmer Clan coming to attack. Not to mention that pair of bastard guy and girl and their stinking marten. The entire Sword Lake Palace was a mess, giving us such a great opportunity to run away. Wouldn''t you say that this is ''good things come to those with aspirations''?" The girl laughed a bit and tenderly replied: "I say ''good things came to those with aspirations'' for me as well." Gan GuangHao replied: "Sister Ge, if you treat me this way, then I would listen to whatever you say for the rest of my life."


    The girl sighed: "With us betraying our masters and running off like this, we can''t ever stand in the martial world ever again. We should go as far away as we can, find a nice and secret place and hide there away from our masters and sect members. I''m scared just thinking about them finding us." Gan GuangHao replied: "I say you don''t have that much to worry about. Seems like the Divine Farmer Clan came prepared this time. Besides the 2 of us, I don''t think anyone else would be able to escape." The girl sighed again: "Hopefully."


    Duan Yu became very angry and thought to himself: "The 2 of you becoming husband and wife and running off when seeing that there is trouble is really no big deal. But why wish death upon your master and martial brothers? Such evil hearts." But he was still wise enough to figure out that if they found out he is here they would kill him to keep this quiet. So he still did not make a noise.


    The girl asked: "What is the big deal about this ''No Measure Jade Cliff''? You have lived here for 10 years now, haven''t you at least found something?"


    Gan GuangHao replied: "Since we are together now, I have nothing to hide from you. Master said that a long while back, at that time his master was the head of the East Faction, under the moonlight, he often sees faint reflections practicing swords on the cliff. Sometimes it''s a man, sometimes it''s a woman, and then other times they are sparring. The kind of sword skill they were displaying was something that he has never even dreamed of, much less heard of or seen. It is as if they were angels. He hoped to learn a couple of moves, but not only are the reflections on the cliff just too fast and too amazing, but they also seem supernatural as if nonexistent. He just can''t make out anything clearly, much less learn a move or 2. The angels don''t appear regularly either, sometimes they appear every night, sometimes there are months between appearances. My master''s master became so obsessed with the reflections on the cliff that he actually became worse and worse at our own sect''s sword skills and doesn''t even train his students anymore. That''s how the West Faction won later on. Sister Ge, when your master''s master came to live in Sword Lake Palace, did she see anything?"


    The girl replied: "I heard from my master that her master saw the images on the cliff as well. But grand master only saw the woman and never seen any of man angel. Maybe it was because her master was a woman so only the female angel appeared to her. But after 2 years, she was gone as well. Her master also said that the sword skills were incredible, but they were just too fast and the reflections were too blurry for her to see it clearly. The cliff is separated by the canyon and the Sword Lake, so she couldn''t get closer to have a better look. Grand master obviously received a gift from the heavens, yet she just cannot learn even a move or 2. For that you can just imagine how she felt inside. After the reflections stopped appearing, she would spend days upon days staring at the cliff. She just got weaker and weaker until she died of illness about half a year later. She died lying on the peak, and would not let her disciples move her back to Sword Lake Palace. Master said that even as she drew her last breath she was still staring at the cliff." She paused a bit before continuing: "Brother Gan, do you really believe there are angels? Or are our grandmasters lying to us?"


    Gan GuangHao replied: "I don''t think both our grandmasters made up such a story to deceive their disciples. Even if we believed it, then what? Besides, Martial Uncle Sheng told me that he saw the images with his very own two eyes. But are there really angels in the world? That I do not know."


    The girl asked: "Is it possible that it''s two masters practicing swords in front of the cliff and was reflected onto the cliff?" Gan GuangHao answered: "Grandmaster thought about that as well at the time. But right in front of the cliff is the Sword Lake, and west of the lake is the canyon. Even if the 2 master martial artist knew how to walk on water and were practicing on the lake, grandmaster would have seen them. If they were practicing on this side of the lake, then they really are too far away to cast any kind of reflection onto the cliff." The girl said: "After my grandmaster died, her disciples performed rites and prayed in front of the cliff every night, hoping the angels would appear again. But they never did see it again. My master also wants to just get one glance at the angels, but it just so happens that we have lost both contests to your East Faction in the last 10 years."


    Gan GuangHao replied: "From now on, there is no East or West Faction between us. We East and West is connected in marriage and merge as one...." The girl moaned a couple of times and said: "S... stop that!" Obviously Gan GuangHao is trying to get a little closer with her, but the girl is refusing. Gan GuangHao spoke up: "From this day forth, if I ever betray your heart in anyway, then let me fall into this creek and become a turtle." The girl coquettishly laughed: "You turn into a turtle? Then what does that say about me?"{Note, in Chinese street talk, a turtle is a man whose wife is cheating on him.}


    When Duan Yu heard that, he can''t help but let out a laugh. As soon as the laughter came out he knew he was in trouble. So he jumped up and started to run. Gan GuangHao''s voice came from behind him: "Who is it?" His voice was followed by the sound of his footsteps, coming after him. {Duan Yu seems to have problems controlling his sense of humor doesn''t he?}


    Duan Yu can''t believe his luck and ran for his life. Suddenly, a flash of white came from the west. A girl with a sword in hand is coming down the slope as if to cut him off. Duan Yu let out an "Ai-Yo!" and turned toward the east. All the while he kept on praying: "Great Benevolent and Merciful Bodhisattva, please bless and protect your humble disciple Duan Yu out of this mess!" He can still hear the footsteps of Gan GuangHao chasing after him so he kept right on running. After a while, he started having trouble keeping this up and his breathing became very hard, Gan GuangHao suddenly spoke up: "Sister Ge, block that pass over there."


    Duan Yu thought to himself: "You giving your life away is really no big deal. But if you die you are taking Miss Zhong''s life with you, as well as all the people in the Divine Farmer Clan. Now that indeed is a sin. Amida Buddha and Bodhisattva." Then his thoughts turned: "Duan Yu my good man, so what if they become turtles, what does that have to do with you? Why did you laugh for no reason whatsoever? With that laugh you have killed dozens of lives! Only unrivaled beauties can bring down cities with a smile or a laugh. Who do you think you are with this little laugh of yours? What are you planning on bringing down?" Even though he is blaming and scolding himself in his mind, his legs had not let up yet. By now he doesn''t really care where he is going, just as long as it is deeper into the woods.


    {A little commentary by me. Duan Yu here refers to a idiom saying that unrivaled beauties destroys cities and kingdoms with a smile, it comes from a true story very early in Chinese history. However, it also is a basic concept in ancient Chinese culture. As expected in such chauvinisticic society as ancient China was, many failures of kings and lords are not blamed on themselves but on women whom they associate with. There are many examples of this. In 771 BC, King Zhou You''s own personal ignorance and foolishness that led to his demise was blamed on his consort Bao Si (who''s famous smile was worth 1000 gold pieces). At the end of the Spring and Autumn period, the fall of the state of Wu was not blamed on the Lord of Yue, who put an end to Wu in revenge for an earlier loss, but on the fact the Lord of Wu was infatuated with Xi Shi, a girl from the state of Yue. In A.D. 755, An LuShan, a trusted official of the Emperor of Tang rebelled and almost overthrew the Tang dynasty. The Emperor of Tang''s failure as a ruler was not blamed, his favorite consort, Consort Yang, was! Jin Yong himself delved into this particular phenomenon of Chinese history in Duke of Mt. Deer and its story about Chen YuanYuan. To me, the section during which Chen YuanYuan reflected on her life was the best part of all of Duke of Mt. Deer and one of the most thought provoking and poignant sections that I have ever read. Actually all of this is not really commentary but merely some observations that I have made. }


    After running for a while more, Duan Yu''s legs felt completely numb and soft. Suddenly he heard the sound of water running, very loud sound in fact, as if the tides were just coming in. He looked up and saw a huge waterfall falling off of a cliff to the northwest. Over the water noise, he heard Gan GuangHao''s voice: "Just ahead of you is the restricted area of our sect, no one can enter. If you just go forward a few more meters, you would be trespassing and will die without a burial place!" Duan Yu thought to himself: "Even if I don''t trespass into the restricted area, it''s not like you''ll let me go. Best I could hope for is dying with a burial place. Really not much difference between having a burial place and not having one." So he picked up his speed even more. Gan GuangHao shouted even louder: "Stop now! Don''t you want to live? Just ahead is....."


    Duan Yu laughed and replied back: "I want to live, that''s why I''m runnin...." Before he could finish his sentence, his foot suddenly had nothing to step on. He doesn''t know any kungfu and is in such a hurry, how could he possibly pull back from that? So he just fell. He screamed: "Ai-Yo!" But by now his body is already more than 20 meters below the top of the cliff where he lost his footing.


    Duan Yu wildly waved his arm around, desperately hoping to be able to grab onto something. But as he is doing so, he fell another 200 meters or so. Suddenly his bottom hit something and his body was sprung back upwards. Turns out that he fell onto an old pine tree that was growing out of the face of the cliff. With a terrible rumble, the huge trunk of the pine snapped, but the force of Duan Yu''s fall had been mostly cancelled out.


    Duan Yu started to fall down again. This time he reached out with both his arms and grabbed onto another trunk of the pine tree. So there he is, hanging in midair, swinging back and forth. He looked down and did not see the bottom of the canyon, merely clouds. At this moment, his body has been swung against the cliff. He immediately reached out with his left hand and grabbed onto a shorter branch close to the face of the cliff and found a place for his foot to balance himself. Only now was he finally able to calm down and slowly move his body completely up against the face of the cliff. He looked up to the old pine tree and said: "Grandfather pine, thank you so much for your display of your abilities that saved my life. Back then your ancestor helped Qing ShiHuang (first emperor in Chinese history) get out of the rain and was granted the title of ''5th Rank Senior Official''. But how can saving a life compare with protecting against the rain? I''m going to give you the position of ''6th Rank Senior Official''. No, on second thought, definitely ''7th'' or ''8th Rank Senior Official''!"


    He looked around him carefully and saw that the cliff has a huge crack in it, one which he might be able to use to scale down. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself and thought: "Gan GuangHao and that Sister Ge of his surely would have thought that I am dead by now. No way in the world could they have guessed that I would be rescued by an ''8th Ranked Senior Official''. They have probably already left the mountain to work on their ''merging of East and West Factions''. Who knows what kind of danger is on the bottom of this cliff, but my life is living on borrowed time anyway, doesn''t really matter where I lose it again. But since Bodhisattva is protecting me, it''s better not to lose it for her."


    So he started to slowly descend along the crack. Inside the crack grew a lot of weeds and small plants, so there really is no danger of losing his footing and falling again. The only problem is this cliff seemed to go on forever, after a while, his clothing were full of holes and rips from the plants along the crack, not to mention his hands and feet. After what seemed like forever, he still haven''t reached the bottom, but fortunately as the cliff gets to the bottom it became less and less steep, not straight down anymore. So by then Duan Yu was able to just half-roll and half-crawl down, which is much faster.


    But the sound of water splashing just kept on getting louder and louder, Duan Yu started to worry again: "What if the bottom of this is white water rapids?" Large water pellets were hitting his face, which was actually kind of painful.


    Before he had too much time to think all this over, and it wasn''t like he had much choice in the matter, he has reached the bottom of the cliff. When he stood up, he could not help but to scream in astonishment. For on the cliff on the left side there is a waterfall falling from the sky like a jade dragon falling from the sky into a big and unusually clear lake. Despite of the waterfall, the lake is not filled up, meaning that there must be a way for the water to leave the valley. The water where the waterfall enters the lake is in turmoil; however, merely a little bit over 20 meters away from the waterfall the waters become calm and flat as a mirror. The moon shines down onto the lake as there is also a moon shining back from the lake.


    Facing this scene, Duan Yu was left agaping, not even able to sigh in astonishment. He looked over to the side and saw several bushes of camelias by the lake shore, looking as if they are alive under the moonlight. The camelias of YuNan are the best in the world and Duan Yu has always loved them. So now he actually stopped thinking about the predicament he is in and walked over to get a closer look at the flowers. All the while muttering to himself: "Even though there''s lots of flowers here, there are only a couple of types really. And only these few ''Feathered Shirt, Rainbow Skirt'' are better than the ones at my house. These ''Lotus Every Step'' over here, on the other hand, aren''t pure at all."


    After enjoying the camelias for a while, he walked over to the lake and drank some water. The water felt clean and soothing on the tongue with an unusual sweetness as a cool and smooth string of water went all the way into his stomach. After recovering from the drink, he stood up and walked along side the lake shore hoping to find a way out.


    The lake is oval in shape, and more than half of it is hidden underneath bushes of flowers and trees. He walked from west to east and then back again to circle the lake once, which a trip of about 1 and a half kilometers. It turns out that the cliff surrounds the lake on all 4 sides with no paths out. The side that he fell from is the least steep portion of all, so it is impossible to climb on the others. Looking up, he sees that the cliff extends to above the clouds. Getting down from halfway was almost impossible, but climbing back up really is impossible. Duan Yu thought to himself: "Even someone with the best kungfu in the world won''t be able to get up there, so it''s obvious there is not much difference between knowing or not knowing kungfu."


    By now it was getting close to dawn, but the entire place remained incredibly still. Not a single trace or sign of an animal, not to mention humans; the only thing that could be heard was a couple of birds chirping at each other. Duan Yu started to worry again: "It is no big deal if I starve to death here, but then that would mean that Miss Zong would die as well. I can''t let her down like that. Not to mention my mom and dad are probably worried sick about me."


    He sat down by the lake and worried in vain, unable to come up with a single idea as to what to do. In desperation, he started to imagine: "What if I can turn into a fish, then I could swim up the waterfall and get out of here." He turned to look at the waterfall more closely, suddenly he noticed that the cliff besides it is smooth like jade. He figured that this is probably due to the fact that a long time ago the flow of water was much more than it is now and wore the cliff to its present smooth state. Then the water flow decreased and exposed this smooth as glass and bright as a mirror part of the cliff.


    Suddenly, the conversation between Gan GuangHao and that Sister Xin of his flashed in Duan Yu''s mind: "So this must be the ''No Measure Jade Cliff'' that they were talking about. They said that back then, when the moon is bright, the head of both East and West Factions often saw images of angels practicing swords on the cliff. This cliff is right besides the cliff, for the image to reflect onto it, they really have to be practicing in the middle of the lake. If I stand here on the east of the lake my image could reflect onto the cliff as well, but the cliff on this side is straight up and blocks out the moonlight, which would make that impossible. Ah! I get it! Must be because there are some waterfowls flying close to the surface of the lake so their images were reflected onto the cliff. From afar, then of course, the movements are incredible, fast, and strange. They have already assumed that it was angels practicing swords, so that is what they thought they saw everytime. Of course, they can''t make anything out of the display of ''sword skills'' and eventually went down the wrong path and became obsessed."


    Once he figured all this out, he couldn''t help but laugh a little. It has been 15 to 16 hours since the dinner at Sword Lake Palace and he is getting very hungry. So he walked over to some bushes that had greenish red wild fruits grown all over them. He picked one off and bit down, it tasted just as sour as can be. But as hungry as he was, he didn''t care and ate 10 or so in a row. After filling up somewhat, he suddenly felt tired and sore all over his body. So he lied down on the grassy knoll and had a great sleep.


    This was one of the best sleeps that he has ever had. By the time he woke up, the sun is already slightly to the west. There was a rainbow in the middle of the lake, just as beautiful as can be. Duan Yu knew that rainbows in this place is common because of the waterfall so he thought to himself: "To be able to see such a scene before I die means that my fortune is not bad. And to think that I would die here among the flowers on the lakeside, not bad elegance there either. Such a beautiful lake, too bad the camelias aren''t really of great standards."


    After sleeping, his spirits has picked up greatly: "Maybe there is an exit in this place hidden behind the trees and the bushes. I was too much in a hurry last night and might have missed it." So he once again walked alongside the lake in search of an exit, all the while humming favorite tunes of his. He carefully searched everywhere with the greatest care but behind all the bushes and trees were still just faces of the cliff, going straight up into the clouds. He didn''t even find a snake hole, not to mention a real exit.


    The tunes that he was humming got quieter and quieter while the heart became heavier and heavier. When he got back to where he fell asleep his legs felt weak and he had to sit down. He thought: "Miss Zhong tried to save me, but ended up giving her life away as well."


    Now that he is thinking about Zhong Ling, he took out her shoes from his shirt and looked them over. Remembering back to her small and smooth feet as well as her beautiful face, he had to bring the shoes up to his lips and kiss it several times. Putting the shoes back into his shirt, he thought to himself: "Seems like I don''t have a chance, and that means neither does Miss Zhong. If she was here and the 2 of us can spend what''s left of our lives together here on the shore of this lake, that would be great. Too bad she is with that goat beard SiKong Xuan, no fun there. I wonder if she''s thinking about me right now as well?" {I relate to Duan Yu on many levels, as I think what he thinks about here is exactly what I would be thinking as well}


    Nothing to do, so he went over to the fruit trees to eat more fruits. Suddenly, he realized: "I have searched everywhere but here! The cliff might pull a ''Far as the edge of the world, but close to be in front of my eyes''!" He pulled the fruit tree branches aside, but shook his head in disappointment. Behind the tree is another bare rock covered with vines, no exit whatsoever. But a closer look revealed that this rock is smooth to the point that it looks just like a copper mirror, only it is much smaller than the one by the waterfall. Duan Yu suddenly thought to himself: "Could this be the real ''No Measure Jade Cliff''?" So he pulled some of the vines off the rock. But besides being unusually smooth, there is nothing special about the rock.


    Suddenly an idea popped in his head: "Nobody would ever know that I died here. No harm in carving a couple of words on this rock. Um, how about ''Duan Yu of DaLi died at this place''. Could be quite fun."


    So he pulled off all the vines off the rock. Then he took off his robe, dipped it in water in the lake, and wetted the rock. Then he used some grass to brush the rock a bit. By now the rock really does look like a piece of jade.


    He found a rather sharp rock on the ground and started to carve on the rock. But this rock turned out to be unusually hard. After much work, he barely carved out "Duan", but the word was carved shallow and tilted, without the slightest trace of writing technique and skill. Duan Yu threw down the sharp rock and thought to himself: "If someone sees this later, they would think that this ''Duan Yu'' doesn''t even know how to write his own name. If I carve these 8 words, what kind of stinking legacy is that to leave behind?" Besides, he wrist was very sore.


    After it got dark again, he ate some more of the sour fruits and fell asleep. He dreamt that a pair of flowery shoes was flying around in front of his eyes. The shoes were green with yellow flowers, Zhong Ling''s pair. He immediately tried to grab them, but the shoes kept on flying around like a pair of butterflies, he can never seem to catch them. After a while, the shoes flew higher and higher. Duan Yu anxiously shouted: "Shoes! Please don''t fly off!" This shock woke him up. Finding out that it was all a dream, he rubbed his eyes, felt his shirt to make sure that the pair of shoes are still where they should be, and stood up. He looked up at the full moon, the silvery light shined down onto the lake making it look like a layer of silver. His eyes followed along the surface of the lake. Suddenly his whole body shook, for on the jade cliff opposite of him was an image of a person!


    Needless to say, he was surprised beyond belief. Immediately he took a deep breath and shouted: "Angel! Save me! Angel, save me!" The image shook a bit, but did not reply. Duan Yu has by now calmed down a little and looked at the image more carefully. The image is very faint and hard to see clearly, but the person is wearing a robe and a scarf, obviously a man. He ran forward several steps to the lake''s shore and shouted: "Angel! Save me!" The image shook somewhat and got bigger. When Duan Yu stopped, the image stopped moving as well.


    After the initial puzzlement, he immediately understood: "It''s my own reflection." He jumped to the left, the image on the cliff jumped to the left as well. He took a step right and so did the image. By now there is no doubt in his mind that it is his own image, but he is still puzzled: "The moon is on the southwest, how does it manage to shine my image on to the cliff?"


    He turned around, only to see that on the rock which he had carved "Duan" earlier in the day there was also an image of him. Only this image is alot smaller, but much more pronounced. He immediately understood the whole situation: "So the moon shines my reflection onto this little rock, which in turn reflects my image onto the big cliff. It is as if I was standing between 2 mirrors, the big mirror would reflect my image in the small mirror as well."


    Now that he has thought about this, he can''t help but think there is nothing special about this "Mystery of the Angel Images" that has puzzled "No Measure Sword" for decades: "There really were someone standing here practicing swords and their image got reflected onto the cliff. There used to be a man and a woman, but later on something happened to the guy, either he left or died, and only the woman was left here. She lived here all alone and after about 2 years she died of loneliness." Thinking about a beautiful woman losing her love, living in this canyon all alone, and finally dying in sadness, he couldn''t help but be a little depressed.


    Figuring all of this out, his excitement earlier has now subsided. With nothing else to do, he started to wave his arm and legs wildly, pretending to be practicing kungfu: "Hopefully Zuo ZiMu and ShuangQing just so happens to be at the top of the cliff. When they see that ''Angel'' suddenly appeared on the cliff again, they would think that the angel is trying to teach them kungfu. Then they will try hard to learn this ''kungfu'' that I''m showing them so they can pass it on to posterity. Hahaha!" The more he thought about it the funnier he felt, so he started laughing heartily.


    Suddenly a thought popped in his head and he stopped laughing: "These 2 people only practice swords in his canyon once in a while. If they don''t live here, then there must be a path in and out of here. Else no matter how good their kungfu is, it is still way too much trouble to climb the cliff twice everytime they want to practice swords. Maybe once in a long while, certainly not ''often''." A ray of hope appeared to him: "I''ll go and carefully look for a way out. Didn''t Gan GuangHao say: ''Good things come to those with aspirations''? Hehe, he aspires to marry his Sister Ge, then I will aspire to get out of here."


    So he sat down with his arm around his knees. Looking at the moon reflected in the lake, surrounded by all this quiety serenity, he started thinking: "''Good things come to those with aspirations''. That saying is true. But Confucious also said: ''Those who like are better off than those who know, those who are happy are better off than those who like.'' That saying fits my style much better. Mom and dad sometimes call me ''obsessive'' because I always get obsessed about stuff when I was little. Like when I was 7, I stared at that ''18 Scholar'' Camelia plant from dawn to dusk, even sneaking up in the middle of the night to stare at it. All I did was think about it, even while eating and learning. When the flower wilts, I cried for several days straight. Later, when I started to learn Go, it was the same, constantly forgetting about eat and sleep. All day everyday, all I did was think about how to play the game. This time dad told me to learn kungfu, just so happens I am interested in the ''Book of Changes''. Even when I''m eating, I would wonder whether the chopsticks I''m using are ''Big Haves'' or ''Colleague''. I don''t want to learn kungfu, was it really because I don''t want to learn how to beat and kill people? Or could it possibly because I don''t want to put down ''Book of Changes''? Dad said I was ''unreasonable'', maybe I really was being very unreasonable. Mom knows how I am the best, so she said to dad: ''One day when this kid gets interested in kungfu, you can''t even force him to stop for a minute to eat. You can lead a horse to water but you can''t make him drink. If he doesn''t want to learn there is nothing you can do to make him.'' Ah! It is almost impossible to make me aspire to do something. Hopefully one day I''ll become obsessed with kungfu, that would make my mom, dad, and uncle all very happy. I just won''t beat or kill anyone once I learn it, that''s all. It''s not like you have to kill to learn kungfu. My uncle''s kungfu is so powerful, but he is so benevolent and merciful that I don''t think he killed a single person in his life. Even if he wants to kill someone, it''s not like he has to do it himself."


    Sitting there by the lake, deep in thought, he lost all track of time. Suddenly, he noticed faint rainbow colors reflecting off of the smooth rock by his side. Looking at it closer, he saw an image of a sword underneath the "Duan" he carved on the rock. The image of the sword was unusually clear for a reflection, he can clearly make out the handle, hand guard, and sword point. The sword is pointing downwards, the reflection also emits a rainbowlike aura, moving and flashing around.


    He wondered: "Why is there extra colors in the reflection?" He looked up to look for the moon but can''t see it. Turns out that the moon has dipped below the clff on the westside. That cliff face has a hole in it, the moonlight is shining through the hole. Inside the cave itself there were some colorful likes emitting out. Suddenly, he understood: "I get it! There''s a sword hanging inside of the cave, on the sword there are many precious stones and gems. The moonlight shines on the sword and the gems making the jade reflect their image. No wonder it is so amazingly spectacular and colorful."


    He thought some more: "One has to hollow out the sword body to inlay it with gems, only then can the moonlight shine through the gems and create such an image. If the sword is not hollowed out, then the moonlight can''t shine through the gems. Obviously, creating this sword took alot of work." The hole that the sword is in is about 20 meters above the ground, no way for him to go and get a closer look. Looking at it from the bottom, only the varied colored lights from the gems can be seen. But the reflection on the stone looked like a scene from a beautiful dream, as if something stolen from the gods.


    Soon, the moon moved. The colors got lighter and lighter until it disappeared completely and the rock turned back to a gray color. Duan Yu thought: "That sword was probably placed there by that pair or masters. Such a steep and deep cliff, nobody in No Measure Sword would even dare to climb down to inspect the place. But if you stand on the top of the cliff, there is no way that you can see this hole and the sword. Even if No Measure Sword stood up there and stared at the cliff for another hundred years, they probably still won''t know about this. Yet, even if you can get the sword, what''s the big deal about that?" Aftre thinking about it a bit more, he fell asleep.


    In the middle of a dream, he suddenly jumped up: "To place a sword at that place, how much effort and work would it take? Even if you are a kungfu master, it would still be alot of trouble. To go through so much work, there must be something behind it. Maybe there are some secrets in that hole on the cliff, maybe some secret kungfu manual is hidden there." Once his thoughts went on to kungfu, some excitement went out of his sails: "Those kind of kungfu manuals, No Measure Sword treats them like treasures, but if you put them in front of me, I wouldn''t even open them up to read."


    The next day, he slowly walked around the lake and enjoyed the view. This is his 3rd day inside this canyon. He figured in 4 more days the "Intestine Fragmenter" would take effect, by then there really is no point in looking for a way out anymore.


    He woke up at midnight that night and waited for the moon to dip west. After 3 or 4 hours, the moonlight start coming through the hole in the cliff, once again displaying all the beautiful colors upon the little smooth rock. The image of the sword on the rock is tilted toward the north, pointing at another big rock. Duan Yu''s mind lit up: "Maybe there''s something about this rock." He walked over to the rock and pushed. The moss on the rock felt wet and soft, yet that rock seemed to have moved a little when he pushed. He pushed even harder, now it is obvious that the rock is rocking. This rock is chest high and weigh at least a ton if not 2. Logically he can never be able to move it. He felt around the bottom of the rock. Turns out this giant rock was sitting on top of a small piece of rock, but unsure whether this situation man-made or natural. His heart skipped a beat: "Something fishy is going on here!"


    He placed his hands on the right side of the rock and pushed. The rock swayed out of place but then returned to its original position. There were some sounds of vines snapping coming out from underneath the rock as if the 2 rocks were tied together by some vines. By now there was not enough moonlight to see clearly, so he thought: "Wait until day comes, then I''ll come and figure it all out."


    So he laid down beside the rock and took a little nap and when he woke up, the sun had come out. He stood up and inspected around the rock. Then he laid down and got rid of all the vines and tiny stones between the 2 rocks. Once again he pushed, this time the big rock slowly rotated like a door. After a quarter turn, a meter high cave appeared behind it.


    In his excitement, he did not even check whether or not there are dangers inside the cave before lowering his head and entering. After more than 10 steps, there is no longer any light in the cave. He held both of his hands out and felt around before every step. But the ground felt flat and smooth, as if he was walking on a stone path. It was as if the path was designed and made by human, he could not help but get even more excited about this. Only thing is that the path continued to head downwards, obviously he was going lower and lower. Suddenly, his hands came in contact with some cold, ring-like object. As soon as he touched it, the object let out a loud and clear "Dang!" He touched it once more, turned out the object was a door ring.


    Where there''s a door ring, there must be a door. His hands felt around, finding several door nails. In surprise and excitement he thought: "If there is someone living behind this door, wouldn''t that be weird?" He found the door ring again and knocked 3 times. After waiting for a while, nobody came. He knocked the door ring 3 times more, still nobody. So he pushed the door. The door seemed to be made of iron and copper, heavy as can be, but it wasn''t locked. So when he pushed, it slowly opened. He spoke up: "I am Duan Yu, please forgive me for showing up and barging in uninvited." No sound came from inside, so he stepped in.


    No matter how hard he stared, he still could not see anything. The smell of mildew surrounded him, seemed like nobody has been living here for a very long time. He continued to walk forward. "Bang"! His head suddenly bumped into something. Luckily he was walking very slowly, so it didn''t hurt much. He felt around with his hand, turns out it was another door. He slowly pushed this door open and some light hit his eyes.


    He shut his eyes as his heart raced like crazy. Only after a bit did he slowly open his eyes and saw a round shaped room. The light was coming from the left, but it was too dim and hazy to be sunlight.


    He walked toward the window that was the source of light. Suddenly a shrimp swam by outside of the window. Surprised and curious, he took several more steps towards it and saw a colorful carp casually swim by the window as well. He looked at the window closely and saw it actually is a huge piece of crystal that was imbedded into the wall. The crystal is about size of a tray and the light was coming through it.


    He put his head up against the crystal and looked out. Fishes and shrimps swam about without any bounds being seen. He suddenly figured out where he was, actually below the lake now. It must have taken a lot of effort and work to build this room so that the light from outside would come in, not to mention this tray-size crystal. After calming down some, he immediately started to worry: "Crap! I''m below the bottom of the lake now! I couldn''t see a thing the entire way down, don''t know how many twists and turns I took to end up here. How am I suppose to get out now?"


    Turning around, he noticed that there is a stone table in the middle of the room with a stool by it. On top of the table was a copper mirror, beside the mirror were some combs and earring type of things. It looked as if this was a beautiful woman''s living place. The mirror is green with rust and the table is covered in inches of dust. Don''t know how long it has been since someone been here.


    Seeing this scene, he became lost in his thoughts: "A girl must have lived here many years ago. Don''t know what happened to her to make her want to leave the world like this. Hmm, most likely she''s the girl whose image was reflected onto the cliff." Snapping out of his trance, he looked around some more. There were mirrors all over the room and embedded into the wall as well. He did a little count, there were more than 30 mirrors in total. He thought some more: "The girl probably was an unrivaled beauty. Her partner died, so she just lived here all by herself. Only thing to do was to sit and look at herself all day everyday. Such a story, how can one not be sad?"


    Walking around in the room, once in a while he would click his tongue, then other times he would let out a long sigh, only thinking about the former master of this room. After a long while, he suddenly had a thought: "Ay! I''m so busy thinking about the sadness of the former owner that I forgot about my problems." He started to talk to himself: "I, Duan Yu, am a stinking male. If I die in this place, then I could very well offend the beautiful lady. It is best to die outside by the lake. Else if others come here in the future and find my body here and mistake it for the lady''s body, then isn''t that... isn''t that...." Before he thought about what that really is or isn''t, he suddenly noticed that a mirror on the east wall was reflecting the light onto what seemed like a crack on the southwest wall. He immediate ran over and pushed hard on that piece of rock. As expected, it really was a door. As it slowly opened, it revealed an entrance. Looking into the entrance, he saw another flight of stone stairs.


    In excitement, he let out a yell and danced around for a while before moving on. After walking another 10 or so steps downward, he faintly saw another door in front of him. He pushed the door open. Light hit his eyes as he let out a scream: "Ai-Yo!"


    In front of him was a beautiful girl dressed in formal clothing holding a sword in her hand. The point of the sword pointed right at his chest.


    After a long time, the girl did not move at all. He looked at the girl closely, noticing that even though her expression looked real, she does not seem to be alive. Summoning his courage he looked her over closely again. Only now did he see that she is a statue made from white jade. This statue is the same size as an actual human. The light yellow colored silk shirt she has on were lightly moving in the wind. The most interesting feature were her pupils, they are alive with spirit and expression. All Duan Yu could say was: "So sorry, so sorry. It is so rude to stare at miss like I am." He knew it was rude, but he still could not take his eyes off of her eyes. After staring for who knows how long, he finally figured out that the eyes were made from some kind of black gem. But the more he stared the deeper her pupils seemed to become. The fact that the statue looks so very human-like was mainly because of the spirit and delicacy of its eyes.


    The white jade on the statue''s face has a faint sign of redness, making it even more human like. Duan Yu stepped aside to look at the statue, but noticed that her eyes followed him as if she was alive. In shock, he leaned his head to the right, the eyes of the statue still followed him. No matter where he stands, the statue''s eyes are always looking at him. The expression in her eyes were even harder to figure out, seemingly love and happiness but not really, seemingly sincerely in love, yet also seemed silently depressed.


    He was spellbound for a long time. With a deep bow, he said: "Dear Goddess, Duan Yu was fortunate enough to see your beauty today, I can die without no regrets now. Goddess, you have separated yourself from the world to live here by yourself, hope it wasn''t too lonely." The colors from the statue''s eyes changed, as if she heard what he said and was truly touched.


    By now Duan Yu was completely spellbound. It''s almost as if he was possessed, as if he can''t ever take his eyes off the statue again. He muttered: "Don''t know how I should address dear Goddess." He thought: "I should look around to see if she left her name around here."


    Looking around, he saw a lot of writings on the wall to the east but he didn''t really pay attention to them and immediately went back to staring at the statue. This time he noticed that the hair on the statue is actually real human hair, curled up in a bun. The hair around her temples were like a fog. By her temple was a jade hairpin. On the hairpin was 2 pinky sized crystals, shiny and colorful. The walls of the room were full of gems and crystals as well. On the wall on the west side, 6 large crystals were embedded into the walls. Beyond the crystals was the faint glow of water, making this room several times brighter than the previous room.


    He stared blankly at the statue for a long time again before turning away. He noticed that the east wall has been smoothed out and several lines of words has been carved onto it. The lines were all taken from ZhuangZi (Toaist philosopher, contemporary of Mencius, a favorite of Oscar Wilde), mostly from the books of "Carefree Travels", "Principles of Nuturing", "Autumn Waters", and "Epitome of Happiness". The calligraphy was elegant and refined. The words seemed to be carved with a really sharp tool for every stroke is about half-an-inch deep. At the end was another line: "Dedicated to Dear QiuShui (Autumn Waters) from Carefree Man. No sun and moon in this cave, truly the Epitome of Happiness in the mortal world."


    Duan Yu stared at these words for a while, thinking: "This ''Carefree Man'' and ''Dear QiuShui'' are probably the 2 masters that were practicing swords decades ago. And this statue is probably that ''Dear QiuShui'' as well. Carefree Man was able to live with her here in this serene cave, that really is the epitome of happiness in the mortal world. Actually, who says it''s merely epitome of happiness in the mortal world, does heaven have such joys?"


    His eyes moved onto the other lines on the wall: "Small and insignificant mountain, immortals dwell within, skin like ice and snow, graceful virgin, no need for foods, and shows joy in breeze." He turned to the statue and thought: ."Using these words by ZhuangZi to describe Dear Goddess could not be anymore appropriate." He walked to in front of the statue and stared. Seeing her ice-like skin, he did not dare to even lift a finger and touch her. It was as if his heart was possessed. He even faintly smelled some musk like incense fragrance. From love was born respect, from respect came obsession. {ZhuangZi needs to learn to write coherently, that''s what I say. Hopefully my translation was not just out there.}


    After who knows how long, he suddenly blurted out: "Dear Goddess, if you are willing to say even one word to me. Then I would happily and without regret die 1000, no, 10000 times." Suddenly he kneeled.


    When he kneeled, he noticed that there were 2 mats in front of the statue, seemingly placed for people to kowtow to the statue. His knees were resting on the bigger mat while there is a much smaller one just in front of the statue, seeming made for people to kowtow. So he did. Suddenly he noticed that there seemed to be words sewn onto the inside portion of the statue''s shoes. He looked harder and recognized that on the right shoe was sewn: "Kowtow one thousand times, then obey my orders", and the left shoes read: "Whoso follows my instructions, will never have regrets".


    These 16 words were literally smaller than the head of a fly. The shoes were green like the lake, and the 16 words were sewn using a thin green line, only slightly darker than the shoes. Add in the hazy and confusing lighting of the room, there is no way these words can be seen without first kowtowing followed by a careful look. Duan Yu felt that kowtowing 1000 times was actually very natural of a thing, adding on top that he would be get a chance to obey the statue, he really couldn''t ask for anything more. As for following her instructions, he wouldn''t mind jumping in boiling oil or burning seas, of course he would not regret it. So without a bit of hesitation, with his mind not all there, he started to really honestly kowtowing to the statue. All the while he counted out loud: "5, 10, 15, 20...."


    When he got to 500, his waist was sore, his bones hurt, and his forehead felt numb. But he told himself that he would not stop until he gets to 1000 no matter what. Can''t even accomplish the first instructions he got from Dear Goddess, then how does he get off saying "will never have regret"? By the time he got to 800, the smaller mat had been worn through, exposing something underneath. He didn''t bother and still went on kowtowing one after another. When he finished, he stood up. Suddenly he felt his waist give out and fell flat on his back.


    He just lied there, resting. Even though he is worn and sore all over, he still felt great in his heart for he has done something that the statue asked of him. Only after a long while did he finally, and slowly, got up. He touched where the smaller mat was worn through. It felt smooth and soft to the touch, turned out there was a silk bundle underneath. He thought: "So Dear Goddess had this planned out a long time ago. If I didn''t kowtow 1000 times, the mat wouldn''t have been worn through, and the treasure that she has rewarded to me wouldn''t have appeared." He never cared for jade, crystals, or pearls, but since this silk bundle was given to him by Dear Goddess, he would treasure it like no other even if its only a pile of dried up leaves. He grabbed it with his right hand, but immediately put his left hand on it as well, and held it up to his chest.


    The silk bundle was about a foot long and on it were written these words: "You have already kowtow 1000 times, meaning that you have admitted as my subject and will listen to my command without regrets. This volume is the essence of our Carefree Sect''s kungfu (Xiao Yao Pai). From this day forth, you shall, from 5am to 7am, 11pm to 1am, and 5pm to 7pm, follow and practice the instructions within. Then you can rightfully read the collection and all the kungfus of every sect in the world will be yours to use. Learn what you can and want, afterwards leave and kill all of the disciples and descendants of the Carefree Sect. If one fall through the holes, even the heavens will curse you." {Written in very fancy book Chinese, I tried to get the gist of it without breaking out with Shakespearian imitations}


    His hands that were holding up the bundle could not shaking violently as the thought ran across his mind: "What does she mean? I don''t want to learn kungfu, as for killing all of the disciples of Carefree Sect, I have even less urge to do that. But how can I not obey Dear Goddess''s instructions? I have already kowtowed to her 1000 times, which means I am now a willing subject of hers. But she wants me to learn kungfu and kill, what should I do?" {As the Chinese would describe Duan Yu: Idiot Scholar!}


    His mind was a mess as he thought to himself: "She tells me to learn the kungfu of the Carefree Sect and kill all the disciples of the Carefree Sect, how strange. Hm, probably her martial brothers and sisters did something horrible to her, so she wants revenge. Yet she was not able to before her death, so she wants to have a disciple to finish this wish of hers. Those people did bad things to Dear Goddess, then without a doubt they are the most evil and sinister people in the world. When Confucius said: ''Revenge with righteousness'', he was talking about this kind of stuff. Dad also said that even if I don''t want to kill bad people, when they meet me they would want to kill me, so if I don''t know any kungfu, then all I can do is wait to be killed. There is a lot of sense in what he said." When his father was forcing him to learn kungfu, he whipped out all kinds of philosophies and arguments of Confucius and Buddhism to say that it''s not right to learn kungfu. His father''s knowledge in this subject is not on par with him, so he could not argue with him. Yet at this moment, he is obsessed with the statue, so he naturally feels that there are some sense in what his father said.


    He thought some more: "Dear Goddess has been gone for several decades now, don''t know if there still is a Carefree Sect in this world. As the saying goes: ''Evil only begets evil''. Maybe every single one of them have already got what''s coming to them and there is no need for me to kill them anymore. If there are no more disciples of Carefree Sect, then Dear Goddess''s wish has come to fruition and she need not be full of hate up in heaven where she resides."


    Once he thought of this, his heart relaxed and he stopped worrying. He silently prayed: "Dear Goddess, whatever instructions you leave behind, Duan Yu will obey without a question. But hopefully your powers knows no bounds and the disciples of Carefree Sect have already met their ends." Nervously, he opened up the bundle. Inside was one single roll of silk scroll.


    He unrolled the scroll. The first line read: "Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness" (Bei Ming Shen Gong). The handwriting was beautiful and elegant yet powerful, same as the words written on the outside of the silk bundle. After it was written:


    "ZhuangZi''s ''Carefree Travels'' read: ''Beyond the northern boundaries is the sea of darkness, a sea of heaven. There are fishes within thousands of kilometers long, but no one known really how long.'' Also read: ''If the accumulated water is not enough, then it is no matter that the boat''s big. If the water from the overturned cup is more than that can be held by the depression, then even cabbage leaves can be a boat; set the cup inside and become as one, then if the water is little then the boat is big.'' In our sect''s kungfu,accumulating inner force is most important. Once inner force is strong, then all of the kungfus of all the sects are ours to use. Just like the northern darkness, able to hold all boats no matter the size, able to contain all fishes big or small. For this reason, inner force is most basic and first, while moves are last. Using the diagrams below and diligently learn inner force training and meditation."


    {Note: the phrase that said "fishes within" in Chinese is "YuYan", Wang YuYan''s name is a play off of this line. ZhuangZi''s phrases need to make some sense, I tried to go for the literal meaning because they are supposed to be very meaningful quotes with many levels. It would be better if he had not used rare words and weird ways to say the simplest of concepts.}


    Duan Yu praised: "Dear Goddess could not have made it any clearer with this passage!" He thought some more: "Since this ''Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness'' is inner force kungfu, learning it should be no harm to anyone." So he unrolled some more of the scroll with his left hand. "Ah!" He suddenly screamed as his hearted raced a mile a minute. In an instant he blushed to the roots of his ears and his whole body felt like it was burning up.


    For on the scroll there was a drawing of a naked female, not a single strand of clothing on her body, face exactly like that of the statue''s. Duan Yu felt as if one glance would be disrespect and obscene towards Dear Goddess, so he immediately rolled up the scroll. Only after a long while did he think: "Dear Goddess instructed: ''Using the diagrams below and diligently learn.'' I''m only following her instructions, can''t be counted as disrespect."


    His hands still shaking, he unrolled the scroll again. The face of the female was smiling beautifully and sweetly. The ends of her eyebrows, the corner of her eyes, and her rosy cheeks all exuded a seductive charm. When compared to that serious expression of the jade statue, although their looks are the same, the feeling they give off are completely different. He could almost hear his heart beating heavily as his eyes moved onto the woman''s body and saw a thin green line. The line started on her left shoulders, moved horizontally until below her chin, then slanted downwards to her right breast. When he saw a slight sign of mound of her breast, his heart skipped at least 5 beats and he immediately shut his eyes. After a long wait, he slowly opened his eyes and looked down again. The green line passed underneath the armpits, followed her right arm, passing her wrist and finally came to a stop on her right thumb. The more he followed the line the more relaxed he became, figuring looking at Dear Goddess''s arm and fingers is nothing bad. But even when just looking at her beautiful and shapely arm and legs, his heart could not help but start picking up again.


    There was another green line that started at the base of the neck and went downwards, past the chest and stomach all the way until a few inches above the navel. Duan Yu dared not to look at that line very closely and turned his attention back to the green line on the arm. This time he noticed a lot of small words by the line, starting from "Cloudy Gate" all the way to "Less Merchant". He often listens in on his parents talking about kungfu, although he never really paid much attention to it, he has heard them talk about it too often. So he recognizes these small words as names of pressure points on the body.


    He unrolled the scroll a bit further and read: "Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness is about using other''s inner strength as my own. The sea of the Northern Darkness did not create itself. It said: ''All the rivers empties into the ocean, the ocean is because it can contain the rivers.'' The vast open seas was accumulated. So ''Scripture of the Lunar Hand and Lungs'' is the first lesson of the Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness" followed by detailed instructions as to how to practice this kungfu.


    It concludes the section with: "When others practice inner strength, the path that they take is from Cloudy Gate to Less Merchant. But our Carefree Sect''s kungfu is from Less Merchant to Cloudy Gate, if thumb comes in contact with others, then their inner force will gush into my body and be stored at Cloudy Gate as well as other pressure points. But if the opponent''s inner force is stronger than mine, then the water of the sea will empty into the rivers and will lead to life threatening dangers, you have been forewarned. The other skills of our sect, has not been developed fully and are only able to weaken the opponent''s inner force but cannot make it available for own use. It is as if stealing a fortune yet misplacing it, such a waste of something so precious."


    Duan Yu let out a long sigh as some part of him felt that there is something not quite right with this skill. Using other''s inner strength for your own use, isn''t that just like stealing something precious from others? But then he also thought: "Dear Goddess could not have picked a better metaphor. Rivers empty into the sea because it is the rivers themselves doing the emptying, not because the sea is stealing the river''s waters. My thinking Dear Goddess stealing from others, how disrespectful is that? Punishment is called for. Definitely called for!"


    So he lifted his hand up and slapped himself once on both cheeks. The first slap on his left cheek was rather hard and very painful, so naturally he took off a lot of force on the second slap on his right cheek. He thought to himself: "Bad, evil people came to make trouble to Dear Goddess, so Dear Goddess took their inner strength for herself. That''s only taking away bad, evil people''s ability to do bad, evil things. Like grabbing the butcher knife away from the butcher, not killing him. How could a person such as Dear Goddess ever do a single bad thing?"


    So he unrolled some more of the scroll. There were many many more drawings of naked females on the scroll, some standing and some sitting, some showing her frontside while others show her back. Although the face remained the same, her expressions changed as well, sometimes happy and sometimes worried, sometimes full of loving tenderness while other times filled with jealous disdain; not a single expression was the same as another one. There were a total of 36 drawings in total, every one of them have several colorful lines with pressure points clearly labeled and training instructions.


    At the very end of the scroll were the words: "Minute Ice Ripple Step" (Lin Buo Wei Bu), following it were countless number of foot prints, each labeled with position names from the Book of Changes. Only a few days ago, Duan Yu was still diligently reading and studying the Book of Changes for all his worth. So upon seeing these names, his spirit and interest immediately picked up, as if he was meeting an old friend. The footprints on the scroll were densely packed and numerous, not quite sure if there are thousands of them or just hundreds. There were green lines connecting every step with another, and on the lines were arrows as well. Obviously a very complicated foot skill. At the end were written: "If suddenly meeting a strong foe, this can be used for protection as well as accumulating inner strength. Then take the foe''s life."


    Duan Yu thought: "Dear Goddess left this step skill, so it will no doubt be perfect and refined. If I can use it to run away when I run into a strong foe, that would be great. Then there would be no need to ''take the foe''s life''."


    He rolled up the scroll, clasped his hands and bowed towards it. Only then did he carefully put it in his shirt. Turning to the statue, he said: "Dear Goddess, you have instructed me to train 3 times a day, Duan Yu dare not disobey. From this day forth I''ll be sure to be extra polite and courteous to everyone I meet, then others won''t come at me. Of course, then I wouldn''t need to steal their inner strength. As for this ''Minute Ice Ripple Step'', I will definitely work extra hard on it. If things do not seem right, I''m out of there, then there would be no need to steal inner strength." As for that section about "kill all disciples of the Carefree Sect", he dared not to even think about that.


    Seeing that there is a door on the left, he slowly walked through it. Inside was another stone room with a stone bed. By the bed was a small wooden cradle. He stared blankly at the cradle: "Could it be possible that Dear Goddess had a baby? No way, no way! Such a beautiful girl, how could she have a baby?" Just the very thought that this "graceful as a virgin" Dear Goddess of his actually might have a baby put him on the verge of tears because of the disappointment. But his thoughts immediately turned: "Ah! That''s right! This is the cradle that Dear Goddess used when she was a baby, her mom and dad made it for her. That Carefree Man and Dear QiuShui were probably her parents. Yes, that must be it." Not willing to think about this anymore and find holes in his assumption, he immediately cheered up.


    There were no quilts, pillows, or clothing in the room. There is only a 7 stringed zither hanging on a wall in this room. The strings are all broken. Left of the bed was a stone table, on which were carved a 19 x 19 square of the Go board. On the board there are about 200 or so stones. Both sides were well placed for the match, obviously this game has not ended. Zither is here, game is not over, yet the beauty is gone. Duan Yu silently stood there in the room. Before he knew it, 2 streaks of tear ran down his cheeks.


    Suddenly his heart turned cold: "Ai-Yo! If there is a match, then there must have been 2 people playing. Then Dear Goddess would most likely be that "Dear QiuShui" and she would be playing against her husband Carefree Man here. Ay! This is... This is.... Ah! I got it, this game was not played by 2 people. Dear Goddess was here all by herself and play against herself out of boredom and loneliness. Dear Goddess, why didn''t you call out several times then? Duan Yu would have heard your voice and naturally jumped down here to play the game with you." He walked closer and looked the game over carefully. The more he looked the more surprised he became.


    The changes and turns in this game was incredible and complex, almost as if it is what a Go player would call a puzzle, traps within traps, and can lead to many different outcomes. Duan Yu has been working hard on the game of Go for years. Back when he was obsessed, he spent entire days playing against a Mr. Huo from accounting. He was born smart and in merely a year''s time, he had turned a 4 stone handicap on himself to a 3 stone handicap on Mr. Huo. His skills are among the best in all of DaLi. Yet he cannot figure out how this match would turn out, it seems like the black side has the game in hand, but there is still some chance for the whites to come back. He stared for a long time as the board got blurrier and blurrier. Seeing there is 2 candle-holders on the table, each with half a candle remaining in it, he grabbed the fire knife and fire stone of the tray on the candle shelf and lit the candles so he could look at the match some more. He looked and thought about the match so much that he began to feel dizzy and nauseous.


    He stood up and yawned. Astounded, he thought: "This match is really something. Even if I take 7 or 8 more days I still may not be able to figure it out. By then my life would be gone and Miss Zhong would have long been buried alive by the Divine Farmer Clan." Knowing that if he look at the table again, who knows how long it would be before he can move on again. So he turned around and reached behind him to take ahold of a candle-holder so as to make sure that he does not lay another glance on the board. Suddenly excitement shot through his heart: "That''s right! Such a complicated game, must be a puzzle laid down by Dear Goddess herself and cannot be done by 2 people playing. Wonderful!"


    He lifted his head up and saw that there is another cave entrance at the end of the stone bed. By the entrance were written: "Blessed Reading Ground". Remembering what Dear Goddess wrote on the outside of the silk bundle, he thought: "So ''Blessed Reading Ground'' is here. Dear Goddess told me that the collection of every kungfu of every sect would belong to me. I don''t want to learn kungfu, so it''s no big deal if I don''t look through this collection but it''s an order from Dear Goddess, I can''t disobey." So he walked through the door with the candle.


    Once he had the chance to look around, he immediately let out a long sigh and felt a lot better. Turns out that this "Blessed Reading Ground" is a huge room, several times bigger than the room outside. Inside the room was filled with rows and rows of book shelves, but there was not a single book on the shelves. He held up the candle and walked closer. Labels dotted the shelves, all of them saying things such as: "KunLun", "ShaoLin", "QingCheng of SiChuan", "PengLai of ShanDong", etc. There is even a "Duan''s of DaLi" label. But under "ShaoLin" there was a note: "Missing Sutra of Changing Nerves", under "Beggar Clan" was a note: "Missing 18 Dragon Subduing Palms", and the "Duan''s of DaLi" was noted with: "Regrettably Missing 1 Yang Zhi, 6 Veined Divine Sword".


    A long time ago these shelves were undoubtedly filled with diagrams and instructions on all of the kungfus of every sect but someone has moved the books away a long time ago. A burden that Duan Yu has been carrying in his heart lifted as he could not be any happier: "Now that the books aren''t here anymore, I can''t learn any of them. This doesn''t count as disobeying Dear Goddess." But then he felt ashamed: "Duan Yu my good man, you are happy because you can''t follow the instructions left by Dear Goddess, that is not being loyal to her. Not seeing the kungfu books, you should be sad, frustrated, and mad, not happy. Dear Goddess in heaven, please forgive me."


    {Is there any doubt now that Carefree Sect is the most powerful sect and that Duan Yu, Xu Zhu, Li QiuShui, Tian Shan Tong Lao are about the most powerful characters in all of JY canon? The sweeper monk in ShaoLin is up there, but he seemed to be a freak of nature and had some prior knowledge and skill before joining ShaoLin, after all, he had only been sweeping for some 40 years while he looked to be much older. Also any idea where the books are moved to? It never said in the book but I am pretty certain I know where the collection is.}


    Seeing no other ways out of this "Blessed Reading Ground", he returned back to the room of the jade statue. He just barely looked at the eyes of the jade statue and became spellbound once again. He stared blankly for a long time before finally clasping his hands and bowing deeply, almost to the ground. He said: "Dear Goddess, I have important matters that I must attend to, so I have to temporarily leave. After I have saved Miss Zhong, then I will come back to be with you again."


    With great effort and struggle, he walked out of the room with a candle in hand looking for another exit. There was another flight of steps heading upwards on the side that he did not notice before because as soon as he entered the room his attention fell onto the statue. He quickly walked to the end of the steps. There was a door that was barely large enough to fit through a head. He stuck his head out and took a look around. What he saw sent his heart racing out with fear.


    What he saw was fearsome rapids as water roared passed him with great speed and noise, for he had came upon a river. The towering and jagged cliff stood by the bank of the river. From the looks of it he had reached the LanCang River. Excited and surprised, he slowly climbed out of the hole. Looking around him, he saw that he is more than 30 meters above the rapids. So no matter how high up the water gets, it would never reach the hole and flood the cave. But to get to the river banks is no easy task either. So he put his hands and legs to full use as he awkwardly and pathetically started climbing up. All the while he was taking care to remember all the details of his surrounding, so as to be able to return here once he finished saving lives. He thought: "Every year from now on, I have got to spend several months in this cave to keep Dear Goddess company."


    The banks of the river is covered by rocks, not even a small path could be found. He walked like this for about 4 kilometers when he came upon a wild peach tree. Peaches were all over this tree; he picked them and had himself a good meal. Once his stomach filled up, his spirit did as well and he walked another 5 kilometers when he came upon a small trail. Following this trail until it was almost dusk, he finally came upon an iron chained bridge. On a rock by the bridge were carved: "Well-Doer''s Crossing".


    He could not be happier, for "Well-Doer''s Crossing" was one of the places that he had to pass according to Zhong Ling. He has made it onto the right path! So he grabbed the iron chains for support as he stepped onto to a plank of wood. This bridge is comprised of 4 iron chains, the 2 at the bottom have planks of wood laid on top to walk on while the 2 on the side are for support. As soon as he stepped onto the bridge, the chains started to shake. When he got to the middle, the shaking got even worse. Glancing down, the river was rushing by like stampeding horses below his feet. One bad step could lead to falling into the river, then no matter how good of a swimmer you are, you would not survive. He dared not to take another look down. Staring straight ahead, he nervously and shakily began to pray: "Amida Buddha! Amida Buddha!" One step at a time, he finally made it to the other end.


    Only after sitting down and resting by the bridge for a while did he continue on as Zhong Ling had directed him. After walking quickly for more than an hour, he came upon a huge and dark forest. He knew he had arrived at the entrance of "Valley of Ten Thousand Calamities", Zhong Ling''s home. Walking up a little closer, he came upon 9 huge pine trees lined up on the left. He counted to the fourth tree from the right. Following Zhong Ling''s direction, he went around, behind the pine tree, pulling away the tall grass, and as expected, an hole appeared before him. He thought: "This ''Valley of Ten Thousand Calamity is really well hidden indeed. Had I not been told by Miss Zhong, who could have figured out that the entrance is actually inside a pine tree?"


    He walked into the hole, while keeping the grass out of the way with his left hand, his right hand found a big iron ring. With a mighty pull, he lifted up the block of wood, revealing a series of steps. He walked down several steps, turned around, used both hands to gently let the wooden block fall back into place, and continued on down the steps. After 30 or so steps the path took a turn to the right, and then after several meters it turned upwards. He thought to himself: "Building stone steps in a place like this is not easy at all but when compared with the steps at Dear Goddess''s place, these come up way short." After about 30 steps upwards, he reached level ground.


    In front of him was a great field of grass, at the other end was another collection of pine trees. He walked over the field of grass and saw that one of the pines had a 3 meter long 1 meter wide section pared off and a layer of white paint was painted on. On it was written: "Those with the Surname of Duan will die without exception". Nine of the words were black, the word "die", however, was blood red.


    Duan Yu thought: "Wonder why the master of this valley hate us Duan''s so much? Even if a guy with the surname of Duan wronged him, there are thousands of Duan''s in the world, is he going to kill them all?" At this time the light is dark, these 10 words looked fearsome and threatening, especially that red "die", for it looked as if it was written in blood. He thought some more: "So this is why Miss Zhong told me not to say that my surname is Duan. She told me to bang on the 6th word 3 times, meaning banging on this ''Duan'' word. She didn''t say ''Duan'' because she was afraid that I would get mad. If I have to bang on it I''ll bang on it, what''s the big deal? She saved my life, not only is it ok to bang on that ''Duan'' word 3 times, even if I have to bang Duan Yu''s head 3 times I would do it."


    Noticing there is nail nailed on the tree with a small iron hammer hanging from it, he grabbed it and banged on that ''Duan'' word. "Zheng"! A loud sound of metal meeting metal came when the hammer fell. Taking Duan Yu by surprise, he was momentarily startled before realizing that behind the ''Duan'' was a iron board and behind that was hollow. Because the outside was painted white, he didn''t notice it. He banged the hammer twice more and hung it back up.


    After a while, a young girl''s voice came from behind the pine: "Miss, you are back!" Her voice was full of happiness and excitement.


    Duan Yu replied: "I''m here because Miss Zhong asked me to come here to meet with the master of this valley." The girl let out a surprised "Yi!" Then she asked: "You... You are an outsider? Where''s miss?" Duan Yu did not see her body, but he answered: "Miss Zhong is in danger, I came here especially to report that." That girl asked anxiously: "What kind of danger?" Duan Yu answered: "She is captured and it may be life-threatening." That girl replied: "Ai-Yo! You... You... You wait here for a little bit, I''m going to report to the Madame." Duan Yu replied: "That would be great." He thought to himself: "Miss Zhong told me to see her mother first anyway."


    After waiting for a while, he heard hurried footsteps come from behind the tree. The girl from before said: "Madame request your presence." She came out from behind the tree. She was about 16 or 17 and is dressed like a servant. She spoke up again: "Honored guest... sir, please follow me." Duan Yu asked: "How do I address you?" The servant girl shook her head, meaning that she can''t talk anymore. Seeing fear on her face, Duan Yu dared not say anymore.


    The servant girl led him through the woods, followed a small trail toward the left, and arrived in front of a house. She pushed the door open, waved her hands at Duan Yu, and stepped to the side to let him in first. Walking in, Duan Yu noticed that he has entered a small lounge with a huge candle alit on the table in the middle of the room. Even though the room is rather small, it was very elegantly decorated. After he sat down, the servant girl came with a cup: "Sir, please try the tea. Madame will be out very soon."


    He took 2 sips of the tea when he noticed that there were 4 hanging scrolls on the east wall. On them were drawings of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum (Mei Lan Zhu Ju). But they were hung in the order of: orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum. On the west wall was 4 scrolls of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter; but their order was wrong as well: Winter, Summer, Spring, and Autumn. He mused: "Miss Zhong''s parents are both martial type of people. No surprise there if they don''t know much about books, paintings, and things such as those."


    Hearing sounds of jewelry clanking, a mistress had walked out from the back. She was wearing a silk shirt that was of a light green color and looked about 36 or 37 years old. Seeing that her face was pretty and delicate with a faint resemblance of Zhong Ling between her eyebrows, Duan Yu knew that this was Madame Zhong. So he stood up, clasped his hands, and bowed: "Humble Duan Yu respectfully salutes to Madame." As soon as he said it he grimaced: "Ai-Yo! Why did you blurt out your real name? I was concentrating entirely on how much she looked like Zhong Ling and completely forgot about making up a fake name."


    Madame Zhong was a bit taken aback, but she bowed in return nevertheless: "Many fortunes to you!" She followed with: "You... your surname is Duan?" There was surprise in her expression. Duan Yu figured that since he had already blurted out his own name, it is too late to lie about that, so he replied: "Yes, my humble surname is Duan." Madame Zhong continued with her questions: "Don''t know where your hometown is or what your father is known as?"


    Duan Yu thought: "Got to tell two big lies here, or else she might guess who I am." So he replied: "I am from the city of LinAn in HeNan province. My father''s given name is ''Long''." There were some traces of suspicion on Madame Zhong''s face: "But you are speaking in the DaLi dialect." Duan Yu replied: "I moved to DaLi 3 years ago and learned the local dialect. I''m afraid it is not very good, please excuse my bad accents."


    Madame Zhong took a deep breath and replied: "Very convincing dialect, not the least bit different from the locals. Please sit down."


    The 2 of them sat down. Miss Zhong kept on looking up and down nonstop, sizing him up. All this attention made Duan Yu very uncomfortable, so he spoke up: "I ran into some troubles on the way here, causing my clothing to get torn. Your daughter is in danger, that is why I came here. Only that the news was very urgent, so I had no chance to switch into something more clean and appropriate, please forgive my rudeness."


    Madame Zhong seemed to have suddenly been snapped out of a trance by his words. She anxiously asked: "What''s happened to my daughter?"


    Duan Yu took out the pair of shoes from his shirt and said: "Miss Zhong told me to come here with these as proof and see you." Madame Zhong took the shoes over into her hand and replied: "Thank you so much, don''t know what kind of trouble my daughter has run into?" So Duan Yu told her everything that has happened from Sword Lake Palace to now, leaving out only the section regarding Dear Goddess.


    Madame Zhong was quiet the entire time, but her face got darker and darker. When Duan Yu finished, she sighed and said: "As soon as she leaves the house she runs into trouble." Duan Yu replied: "All of this started because of me, Miss Zhong has no fault in this matter."


    Madame Zhong looked at him and then quietly said: "Yes, that''s right. Not really that surprising really, back then... back then I was the same...." Duan Yu asked: "What?" Surprised, Madame Zhong''s cheeks suddenly turned red. Even though she''s almost at middle age, when she gets bashful and shy she looks just like a young girl. She bashfully replied: "I... I just remembered something else." After saying that, her face turned even redder, so she immediately tried to change the subject: "I... I think this matter... is a bit... a bit troublesome."


    Seeing how bashful she is, Duan Yu thought: "Of course this matter is rather troublesome, but you don''t need to blush like this. Compared to you, your daughter is much more natural about these things."


    Suddenly, a burly male voice came from outside the door: "Everything was going well, how did JinXi-Er get killed?"


    This startled Madame Zhong, she turned and whispered: "My husband is here, he... he is always suspicious. Mr. Duan, could you go hide for a bit." Duan Yu replied: "I still should really meet his acquaintance, wouldn''t it be better...." Madame Zhong covered his mouth with her left hand and grabbed his arm with her right. She pulled him to the east winged room and whispered: "Stay here, don''t make a sound no matter what. My husband''s temper is short and violent. Just a little bit of misunderstanding could cost you your life, then even I can''t help you."


    Even though she looked weak and bashful, her kungfu is first rate. This little push-pull left Duan Yu no chance to refuse as he obediently followed her into the room. But he was secretly angry with her: "I came this far to tell you about your daughter, for better or worse I''m still a guest. Making me hide and sneak around like this, isn''t that making me out to be a thief?" Madame Zhong smiled at him tenderly. As soon as Duan Yu saw the smile, all his rage disappeared as he nodded in agreement. Madame Zhong turned around, walked out, and shut the door on her way out.


    Soon he heard 2 people walk in followed by a man calling out: "Wife!" Duan Yu peeked out from the crack between the door and the wall. He saw a man of around 30 dressed in servant clothing, face full of panic and terror; there was another tall and thin man, he was wearing black and facing outwards so Duan Yu cannot make out his face. But he could see his fan-sized hands at his side, the back of the hand was covered with veins. Duan Yu thought: "Wah! Miss Zhong''s dad has got some big hands!"


    Madame Zhong asked: "JinXi-Er died? How?" The servant replied: "Master send me and JinXi-Er to the north manor to welcome the guests. Master told us there would be 4 of them. At noon today one of them arrived, said his surname was Yue. Master instructed to call the one whose name is Yue as ''Third Sir''. But the man immediately went into a rage and shouted: ''I''m Yue number 2, why are you calling me ''Third''? Trying to degrade me?" And with one slap he smacked JinXiEr''s face so hard he fell over bleeding." Madame Zhong frowned: "Such flagrant violence! Since when did good ol'' third Yue turn to second?"


    Master Zhong replied: "Yue Number 3 always had a weird and short temper, not to mention his deranged personality." As he replied, he turned around.


    Peeking through the crack, Duan Yu was in for a shock. For his face was stretched out long like a horse. His eyes were unusually high with his huge, round nose and mouth squeezed closed to one another. So between his eyes and nose, there was a huge area of nothing. With Zhong Ling being as pretty and enchanting as she is, who could have guessed that her father would be this ugly? Duan Yu mused: "Thank goodness she resembles her mother and not in the least bit like her father."


    Master Zhong''s face was full of worry and concern, but as soon as he turned around and faced his wife, his face turned happy and tender, adding a bit of appeal to that horrid face of his. He continued on: "Yue Number 3''s temperament is exactly what I thought might offend and frighten you. That''s why I didn''t let him enter this valley. This is a small matter, no need to fret about it too much."


    This is all very strange to Duan Yu: "Just a bit ago, Madame Zhong was very frightened when she heard that her husband is coming. But from how he is treating her, it seemed like he has nothing but love and respect for her."


    Madame Zhong replied: "Small matter? JinXi-Er has loyally and whole heartedly served us for all these years and now is killed by that pig of a friend of yours. My heart can''t take it as well as yours can." Master Zhong smiled at her in an attempt to make her feel better: "Yes, yes. You sympathize with the servants, that''s because of your kind heart."


    Madame Zhong asked that servant: "LaiFu-Er, what happened after that?"


    LaiFu-Er answered: "When JinXi-Er was hit onto the floor, he hadn''t died yet. I immediately started to yell: ''Second Sir, Second Sir! Please don''t get mad at us ignorant fools.'' He laughed and seemed very happy. I helped JinXi-Er up and started setting up the table for that man named Yue. He asked: ''How come Zhong... Zhong... isn''t here to see me?'' I replied: ''Master haven''t found out about Second Sir''s honored arrival, or else he would have came here much earlier to welcome you. I''m going to report this to him right now.'' He nodded, then he saw that JinXi-Er was standing there shaking, so he asked: ''I just slapped you, I bet you are cursing me deep down inside aren''t you?'' JinXi-Er replied: ''No, no! I wouldn''t dare, never ever dare!'' That man said: ''Deep down inside, you are probably calling me an evil person, so evil that I can''t get any more evil, right? Hahaha.'' JinXi-Er replied: ''No, no! Second Sir is a great person, not at all evil.'' That man''s eyebrows turned sideways and he shouted: ''You are saying I''m not evil at all?'' JinXi-Er is so scared that his whole body was shaking: ''You... Second Sir... is not evil at all, not... not a trace of evilness.'' That guys screamed in rage, suddenly he grabbed JinXi-Er, and snapped his neck...." His voice was shaking, obviously still shocked by what he saw.


    Madame Zhong sighed and waved her hand: "You have had enough shock for one day, why don''t you go and get some rest." LaiFu-Er bowed: "Yes ma''am." And walked out.


    Madame Zhong shook her head and let out a long sigh: "I''m not feeling very well and would like a little bit of peace and quiet." Master Zhong replied: "Alright, I''m going to go see Yue Number 3 to make sure he doesn''t cause more trouble." Madame Zhong observed: "I say it''s best if you call him ''Yue Number 2'' instead." Master Zhong replied: "Hmph, Yue Number 3 might be vicious, but I''m not scared of him at all. I''m not fussing over JinXi-Er''s murder only because he is giving me a lot of face by coming all this way to help me."


    Madame Zhong shook her head and said: "We have been living here in peace and quiet for 10 years now. In these 10 years, I have not left the valley at all, are you still not satisfied? Why must you go invite ''The 4 Arch-Villains'' here to make a mess of everything? You... you give me all that sweet talk all the time when in reality you don''t care about me at all!" Master Zhong immediately replied: "I... Since when did I not care about you? I invited the 4 of them here for you." Madame Zhong humphed: "For me? Well let me thank you. If you really care about me, then listen to me and send these ''4 Arch-Villains'' on their way."


    Duan Yu was just feeling rather odd about this whole situation in the neighboring room: "That Yue Number 3 killed for no reason at all, he really is downright evil. Could there really be 3 more people who are as evil as he is?"


    Master Zhong was pacing back and forth in the hall. He spoke up with a bit of anger in his voice: "That guy named Duan disgraced me too much, if I don''t avenge this wrong, then how can I, Zhong WanChou, have face to live in this world?"


    Duan Yu mused: "So your name is Zhong WanChou? Ten-Thousand Enmities? This name seems rather inappropriate. As the saying goes: ''Enemies are easy to make and hard to make up to.'' Holding one enmity already is not a good thing, much less 10,000 enmities. No wonder your face got pulled that long. The fact that you were able to marry such a flowery and goddess-like wife with your looks means that you have about all the luck in the world. You should change your name to ''Ten-Thousand Fortunes'', Zhong WanXin."


    Madame Zhong frowned and coldly replied: "Actually, the one you really hate is me and not that other person. If you really wanted to cause trouble for him, why don''t you go to their house and fight it out with him? Asking for help like this, there won''t be much glory in it even if you win." The veins on Zhong WanChou''s forehead were all clearly visible as he shouted: "He has all kinds of dogs and sidekicks under him, you know that! I wanted to duel it out with him, but he never shows his face, what can I do?" Madame Zhong lowered her head as drops of tear quietly landed on her sleeves.


    Zhong WanChou panicked: "I''m so sorry, Ah-Bao. Ah-Bao, please don''t get mad, I was wrong to yell at you like that." Madame Zhong did not reply, but even more tears are appearing. Zhong WanChou scratched his head in distress: "Ah-Bao, please don''t get mad at me. I couldn''t control myself, I''m so sorry."


    Madame Zhong quietly replied: "You still can''t forget that matter no matter what. What''s the point of me going on like this? Why don''t you just kill me and end all of this. That way, you don''t have to keep on getting mad about this. Then just go marry another pretty wife and that''ll be that."


    Zhong WanChou lifted his hands up and slapped himself twice: "I was wrong, I need to be punished!"


    Seeing the big hand of his hitting that long horse-like face, Duan Yu could not help but laugh at this comical scene. Even before he stopped laughing, he knew that he had really done it this time and hoped against hope that Zhong WanChou did not hear him. But Zhong WanChou immediately shouted: "Who''s there?" "Peng!" Someone had kicked open the door and jumped into the room. Duan Yu felt suddenly felt someone grab the back of his neck and threw him into the middle of the outside room. His eyes went black from the fall as he felt as if every bone in his body had just snapped.


    Zhong WanChou grabbed the back of his neck with his left hand and lifted him up: "Who are you? What are you doing in my wife''s room?" Seeing Duan Yu''s handsome face, he immediately became suspicious. He turned to Madame Zhong and said: "Ah-Bao, you... you... again... again...."


    Madame Zhong rebuked: "''Again'' this, ''again'' that, ''again'' what? Put him down, he is here to report an emergency." Zhong WanChou asked: "What kind of emergency?" He still had Duan Yu in midair and turned to him: "Stinking bastard, I can tell from your appearence that you are not a good person. What are you doing secretly hiding in my wife''s room? Tell me, tell me now! If you even tell half a lie, I''ll make sure your head end up like this table!" He brought his fist down hard onto a pear wood table, smashing half of it to bits.


    After being painfully thrown on the floor, lifted up in the air, and hearing from Zhong WanChou''s tone of voice that he suspect that there maybe something indecent going on between him and Madame Zhong, Duan Yu got mad instead of scared. He shouted back: "My surname is Duan! If you want to kill me then hurry it up! I don''t know what kind of rubbish you are talking about!"


    Zhong WanChou lifted his right fist up and shouted in rage: "Your name is Duan too? Another one named Duan, a... another one named Duan." By now, the rage in him has turned to sadness and disappointment, and tears were filling those big, rounded eyes of his.


    Suddenly, Duan Yu felt very sorry for this man; figuring that he knows that his appearance does not match his wife''s, and that is the reason why he gets jealous and mad for no reason whatsoever, actually a very pathetic situation for him. Unexpectedly, even though his life is in the other man''s hands, he started to console him: "My surname is Duan, but I have never seen Madame Zhong before in my life. You have no need to be suspicious or sad."


    Happiness returned to Zhong WanChou''s face as he asked in a crackled voice: "Really? You''ve never seen... never seen Ah-Bao before?" Duan Yu replied: "I only came here for the first time not an hour ago." Zhong WanChou laughed sillily a couple of times and said: "Yes, of course! Ah-Bao hasn''t left the valley in 10 years. Ten years ago, your were only 8 or 9, of course you can''t... can''t... cant...." But he still had Duan Yu up in the air.


    A shade of red appeared on Madame Zhong''s face as she spoke up: "Aren''t you going to put Mr. Duan down?" Zhong WanChou immediately replied: "Yes, of course." He gently put Duan Yu down, but suddenly a look suspicion appeared on his face again: "Mr. Duan? Mr. Duan? Who... Who''s your father?"


    Duan Yu figured: "If I lie about it this time, it would actually seem like I have something to hide or whatever." So he said in an earnest tone: "Back then I did not tell Madame Zhong the truth when I shouldn''t have. My name is Duan Yu, styled HeYu. I''m from DaLi. My father''s given name is first-Zheng-then-Chun."


    Zhong WanChou hadn''t really figured out what "First-Zheng-then-Chun" meant when Madame Wang asked with her voice shaking: "Your father is... is Duan... Duan ZhengChun?" Duan Yu nodded: "Yes!"


    Zhong WanChou screamed: "Duan ZhengChun!" His scream was so loud that it seemed like the whole world was trembling. His face was red with rage and his entire body was shaking as he yelled: "You... You are the son of that dog, Duan ZhengChun?"


    Duan Yu was furious and shouted back: "How dare you insult my father?"


    Zhong WanChou shouted back: "Why wouldn''t I dare? Duan ZhengChun, you are a dog, a bastard, a turtle egg!"


    Suddenly, Duan Yu pieced it together: "That''s why he wrote outside: ''Those who enter with the surname of Duan will die.'' Must be because he hates my dad so much that he hates everyone named Duan." So he calmly and coldly replied: "Master Zhong, if you have a grudge or hatred for my father, then you should get it over with once and for all in the view of the world. If you got guts then go and insult my father to his face. Insulting him behind his back is not the way of a real man. My father is in DaLi, if you want to find him then you''ll find him easily. What''s the point in putting up a sign in front of your house saying ''Those who enter with the surname of Duan will die''?"


    Zhong WanChou''s face turned many different shades in a row, as if every single word of what Duan Yu just said went straight into his heart. Rage shot out from his eyes as he looked like he was about to kill. After staying motionless for a while, he suddenly threw out 2 punches and smashed 2 chairs to pieces. He followed by throwing a kick at the wall, instantly creating a huge hole in the wall. All the while he screamed: "I''m not afraid of not being able to beat your father, I... I''m scared... scared that your father would find out that Ah-Bao is here...." When he got to here, there were faint traces of sobs in his voice. He covered his face with his hands and screamed: "I''m a coward, I''m a coward!" Suddenly he ran out of the room, but smashing noises kept on coming from outside as he kept on running into fences, flower pots, chairs, and such.


    Duan Yu was in shock for a long time, he thought: "So what if my dad knows that your wife lives here? Would he come here and kill her?" He thought that he was way too harsh with what he said, hurting Zhong WanChou like that. Regretting what he said and feeling bad about the whole situation, he turned around and saw that Madame Zhong was staring at him.


    As soon as their eyes met, Madame Zhong immediated turned her eyes away. Her pale face suddenly turned a shade of pink. After a little silence, she asked in a faint voice: "Mr. Duan, how has you father been? Is he doing ok?"


    Since she was inquiring about his father, Duan Yu stood up and answered very politely and formally: "Father has been very good and healthy, he is doing great."


    Madame Zhong replied: "That''s great. I......... I also...."


    Once again, Duan Yu saw that there were little tear droplets on her long eye lashes. She didn''t even finish the sentence before having to turn away to wipe away the tears with her sleeve. Duan Yu felt sorry for her and tried to console: "Auntie, even though Master Zhong has quite a temper, he has nothing but love and respect for you. The 2 of you have a full and beautiful marriage, this is a little disagreement, no need for Auntie to be sad like this."


    Madame Zhong turned around and gave him a little smile: "At such a little age, what do you know about whether or not a marriage is full or beautiful?"


    Seeing the faint traces of innocence and tenderness in her smile, Duan Yu''s heart shook a bit as he was immediately reminded of Zhong Ling. He turned his eyes toward Zhong Ling''s pair of flower shoes on the table and thought: "Miss Zhong with that Goat Beard, she''s probably suffering every moment of it. Got to get her out of there as soon as possible." He spoke up: "I was just very rude to Master Zhong, could Auntie please go on my behalf and ask Master Zhong for forgiveness. And also ask him to leave and save his beloved daughter at once."


    Madame Zhong replied: "My husband is busy taking care of some friends that had just arrived from very far away. It is truly very hard for him to leave right now. I''m sure you just heard as well how peculiar these friends are, killing at the slightest provocation. If we aren''t polite enough too them, who knows what kind of troubles that would bring to us? Hm. The way things are now, let me go with you instead." Excited, Duan Yu replied: "If Auntie herself can go, then there is nothing more that could be asked for." Remembering something that Zhong Ling told him, he asked: "Can Auntie cure that marten, Lightning''s poison?" Madame Zhong shook her head: "No, I can''t." Duan Yu hesitated: "Then... this...."


    Madame Zhong walked back into her room, left a brief little note, hurriedly tied a belt around her waist, and hung a sword off of it. Returning to the hall, she said: "Let''s go!" And she immediately started to walk out.


    Duan Yu casually and naturally picked up the flowery shoes and put it inside his shirt. Madame Zhong shook her head in silence, as if she wanted to say something. But she finally decided against it and kept on walking.


    Once the 2 of them got outside of the hole in the tree, Madame Zhong picked up her speed. Even though she looked delicate and frail, she was walking much faster than Duan Yu.


    Duan Yu still did''t feel assured: "Auntie, since you don''t know how to cure, I''m afraid that Divine Farmer Clan might not let your beloved daughter off so easily."


    Madame Zhong casually replied: "Who said we are asking them to let her go? Divine Farmer Clan dared to detain my daughter and threaten me, they must have grown tired of living. I don''t know how to save someone, but that doesn''t mean that I don''t know how to kill someone."


    Duan Yu involuntarily shuddered as he felt that the disregard for human life in these last several casual sentences were as prevalent as the actions of that Yue Number 3.


    Madame Zhong asked: "How many concubines does your father keep?" Duan Yu answered: "None, he doesn''t keep any. My mom won''t allow it." Madame Zhong asked: "Is your father really scared of your mother?" Duan Yu laughed and replied: "Not really afraid. It is mostly love and respect, much like how Master Zhong is like to Auntie." Madame Zhong replied: "Um, does your father practice kungfu everyday? In these years, has his kungfu gotten much better again?" Duan Yu replied: "Dad practices everyday. But as for how good he is, I haven''t the slightest clue." Madame Zhong commented: "He hasn''t slacked off on his kungfu, then I... I can set my mind to rest. How come you don''t know any kungfu at all?"


    Amidst the conversation, the 2 of them had walked another half a kilometer or so. Duan Yu was just about to answer when he heard a man screaming: "Ah-Bao! Where... Where are you going?" Duan Yu turned around and saw Zhong WanChou chasing up from behind with blinding speed.


    Madame Zhong grabbed Duan Yu''s arm and shouted: "Hurry up!" She started to run forward with great speed. Duan Yu''s foot was off the ground as he was almost being carried by Madame Zhong. The 3 of them covered 50 meters or so in a flash. Athough Madame Zhong''s Qing Gong is not weaker than her husband, she was nevertheless dragging another person and Zhong WanChou gradually began to gain ground on her. After another 50 meters or so Duan Yu could have swore he can feel Zhong WanChou''s breath on the back of his neck. Suddenly there was a ripping sound and he felt cold air blowing on his back. Part of the back of his shirt was torn off by Zhong WanChou.


    Madame Zhong directed some inner force into her left arm and threw Duan Yu up over ten meters ahead while shouting: "Get out of here!" Her right hand had already stabbed back with the the sword. Considering Zhong WanChou''s kungfu, this move naturally shouldn''t hit him. Besides, Madame Zhong had no intentions of injuring her husband, she just wanted to stop his pursuit. But when she struck out with her sword, she suddenly felt some slight resistance on the sword as it had stabbed her husband in the chest.


    Turns out that Zhong WanChou did not dodge nor parry, but instead leaned forward and ran onto the sword.


    Madame Zhong was shocked and immediately turned around. Her husband was staring at her with a furious face but with tears in his eyes. With blood gushing out where he had been stabbed, he said in a shaking voice: "Ah-Bao, you...... are finally going to leave me?"


    Even though her sword missed her husband''s heart, it nevertheless was several inches deep in his chest and life-threatening. In panic, Madame Zhong immediately pulled the sword out and jumped forth to press hard on his wound. But blood was gushing out so much that they were shooting out through the little spaces between her fingers.


    Madame Zhong angrily said: "I didn''t want to harm you, why didn''t you get out of the way!"


    Zhong WanChou forced a wry smile and said: "You... You... are leaving me, I... might as well die." He then broke into a coughing fit. Madame Zhong replied: "Who said I was leaving you? I''m just going out for a couple of days and then I''ll be back. I''m going to save our daughter. Didn''t I explain everything in that note that I left?" Master Zhong replied: "What note?" Madame Zhong scoffed: "Ay! You are just too careless for your own good." So she briefly explained Zhong Ling''s capture by the Divine Farmer Clan.


    Duan Yu had been scared out of his wit by what he saw. When he had recovered from the shock, he immediately tore off a piece of clothing and tried to bandage up the wound for Zhong WanChou. Suddenly, Zhong WanChou''s left foot came flying in and sent him rolling along the ground. Zhong WanChou shouted: "Little bastard! I don''t want to see you ever again!" He turned to Madame Zhong: "You are lying, I don''t believe you. He obviously came... came to get you. This little bastard is his son... he also insulted me...." He began coughing again, causing the blood to gush out of his chest even more. He pointed at Duan Yu and shouted: "Come on! Even though I''m wounded, I''m still not afraid of your 1 Yang Zhi! Come on!"


    Duan Yu''s left cheek had hit a particularly sharp rock when he fell down. So when he pitifully got back up, half of his face was covered in blood. He replied: "I don''t know 1 Yang Zhi. And even if I could, I wouldn''t use it on you." Zhong WanChou coughed some more before angrily replying: "Little bastard, what are you pretending to be? Go... Go get your old man here!" His coughing got even worse now that he is mad.


    Madame Zhong spoke up: "You are always suspicious about everything. Since you can''t trust me, then I might as well die right in front of you and end it all." She picked up the sword on the ground and brought it up to her throat.


    Zhong WanChou grabbed the sword out of her hand, but happiness filled his face as he said in a shaking voice: "Ah-Bao, you really weren''t running off with this little bastard?"


    Madame Zhong angrily replied: "He is Mr. Duan, would you stop with the little bastard, big bastard talk? I was going with Mr. Duan to get rid of Divine Farmer Clan and save our daughter." Hearing that she wasn''t leaving him, Zhong WanChou was happy beyond belief, add that on top the slightly angry expression on her face, and immediately his love and affection returned: "If that''s the case, then it''s all my fault. But... But since I have already chased all this way, why didn''t you just stop and tell me all this?" Madame Zhong''s face turned just a little redder as she replied: "I didn''t want you to see Mr. Duan again." Zhong WanChou''s suspicion was suddenly aroused again: "This little.... This Mr. Duan isn''t your son is he?"


    Angry and embarrased, Madame Zhong replied: "Pei! Why are you just talking nonsense? First he''s my lover, now he''s my son. To tell you the truth, he''s my old man, your father-in-law." After saying that, she laughed despite of herself.


    Zhong WanChou was taken aback for a moment before he realized that his wife was joking. That sent him into a wild laughter, which caused the blood to flow out even faster out of his wound.


    With tears rolling down her cheeks, Madame Zhong said: "What... What should I do?" This made Zhong WanChou even happier as he put his arm around her waist and said: "Ah-Bao, with you worrying so much about me. Even if I die right now I would not feel wronged." Madame Zhong''s cheeks were burning red as she lightly pushed him away: "Mr. Duan is here, how can you still act like that?" Zhong WanChou heartily laughed. After several laughs, he coughed several times.


    Seeing the pale and exhausted expression on her husband''s face, Madame Zhong wasdeeply worried and said: "I can''t go save Ling-Er now, she caused the troubleherself, she''ll just have to see what fate she is dealt." She helped herhusband up and then turned to Duan Yu: "Mr. Duan, go tell SiKong Xuan: myhusband is that ''Divine Horse King'' Zhong WanChou who shocked the martial worldyears a go. I''m Chan BaoBao and have a rather unpleasant nickname: ''PrettyMedicine Fork''. If he dares to even touch a single strand of hair on ourdaughter, remind him that the 2 of us are tough and merciless." For everysentence she said, Zhong WanChou would add after it an "Yes, that''s right!"


    Duan Yu had figured that Zhong WanChou could not go himself and that MadameZhong cannot leave her husband to save her daughter after witnessing what hesaw. Just using Divine Horse King Zhong WanChou and Pretty Medicine Fork ChanBaoBao''s name probably could not scare SiKong Xuan into submission. So it seemsthat the "Intestine Fragmenter" in his belly would not be cured. He figured:"Since things are like this, then there is no point and nothing good will comein saying anymore." So he replied: "Alright, I will go and tell themimmediately."


    Seeing how he just naturally and suavely got up to leave as soon as he said hewould, Madame Zhong was once again reminded of someone in her mind, she criedout: "Mr. Duan, I have one more sentence to say to you." She gently put herhusband down and run up to Duan Yu. She took an object out of her shirt,stuffed it in Duan Yu''s hand, and whispered: "Take this to your father and ask him to please save our daughter."


    Duan Yu replied: "If my dad would come out, then of course Miss Zhong would besaved. But the journey to DaLi is not a short one, I''m afraid that I might notmake it in time." Madame Zhong said: "Then I''ll lend you a good horse,please wait here for a bit. Please don''t forget to tell your dad exactly:"''Please save our daughter''." She did not wait for Duan Yu to reply beforerunning to her husband''s side, helping him up, and starting to walk back the way they came.


    Duan Yu held his hand up and saw that what Madame Zhong stuffed in his hand wasa delicately made golden box. He opened it and saw that there was a piece ofpaper inside. The paper was faintly yellow, obviously very old, with severalfaint traces of spilled blood on it. On it was written: "Girl born between 1and 3am, February 5th, year of Geng-Shen". The calligraphy was soft and weak,obviously written by a female, and the style was rather lacking, other than thatthere was nothing in the box. Duan Yu wondered: "Who''s birth certificate isthis? Madame Zhong wants me to give this to my dad, what for? The year ofGeng-Shen, Geng-Shen...." He did a bit of counting backwards with his fingers,that was exactly 16 years ago, ".... Could it be Miss Zhong''s? Madame Zhongwants to marry her daughter off to me so that my dad would go save hisdaughter-in-law?"


    Deep in his thoughts, he was suddenly interrupted by a man''s voice: "Mr. Duan!"

 Chapter - 3 Fast Horse And Faint Fragrance

    Duan Yu turned around and saw a man dressed in servant clothing walking quickly towards him, turned to be the LaiFe-Er that he saw a bit ago on the other side of the wall. He walked up closer and bowed before speaking: "LaiFu-Er humbly came following orders from the Madame to go with sir to borrow the horse." Duan Yu nodded: "Alright, sorry to trouble you."


    So LaiFu-Er walked in front leading the way as they made their way through the pine tree woods, turned north onto another small path, and after walking for another 3 or 4 kilometers, they arrived in front of a big house. LaiFu-Er went up, took the ring on the door in hand, gently knocked twice, paused, then knocked 4 times, and finally he knocked 3 more times. That door cracked open just a little. LaiFu-Er stood outside the door and whispered with the doorman for a while. By now it was dark, Duan Yu looked up at the scattered stars in the sky; suddenly his mind wandered to that cave and the Dear Goddess that lived in it.


    Suddenly there came from inside the door a long and loud horse neigh, Duan Yu could not help but comment: "Excellent horse! Excellent indeed!" The door opened and a horse head poked out, the pair of horse eyes glowed in the dark as they looked around, obviously this was not an usual horse; with a couple more hoof beats, the black horse had walked out of the door. The hoof beats were landing very lightly on the ground, the horse was thin and slight but its legs were long as it had an air of proud arrogance. A little maid with her hair down was leading the horse out, in the darkness Duan Yu could not see her face, but she seemed to be around 14 or 15.


    LaiFu-Er spoke up: "Mr. Duan, Madame was worried that you might not get to DaLi in time, so we came here to borrow a horse from the Young Miss here. This horse''s leg power is truly amazing, this Young Miss here is a good friend with our Young Miss as well, only upon hearing that sir was going to save Young Miss did she let us borrow this horse, this really is giving us a tremendous amount of face." Duan Yu had seen quite a lot of great horses, he only needed to hear its neigh to know that this horse was truly one in a million, so he replied: "Many thanks!" He reached over to grabbed the reins. The little maid tenderly stroked the fur and mane of the horse while gently saying: "Now Black Rose, Young Miss is letting this young sir borrow you to ride for a bit, so you better be good and come back soon." The black horse turned its head and gently rubbed against her arm, showing a great amount of affection. The maid handed the reins over to Duan Yu and admonished: "Don''t use whips on this horse, the better you treat it, the faster it''ll run."


    Duan Yu replied: "Alright!" He thought: "The horse''s name is Black Rose, so it''s got to be a mare." So he said: "Miss Black Rose, please forgive me for any rudeness of mine." He bowed towards the horse as he said this. The maid let out a little laugh and said: "Quite an interesting guy you are that''s for sure. Hey, careful, don''t fall down." Duan Yu nimbly hopped onto the horse''s back and turned to the maid: "Many thanks to the Young Miss of the house!" The maid replied with a laugh: "What? No thanks for me?" Duan Yu cupped his fist and said: "Many thanks to my sweet sister. When I return I''ll bring some delicious preserved fruits for you." The maid replied: "No need for the fruits. Just be careful and don''t hurt the horse."


    LaiFu-Er instructed: "Ride north from here and you will find the highway leading to DaLi. Sir, please take care." Duan Yu waved his hand, the horse started moving her legs, after a few gallops he was already some 50 meters away.


    Black Rose did not need any urging as she was flying in the night, Duan Yu felt as if the trees at his sides were backing up as they sped past him; what''s more amazing was that the back of the horse was unusually steady without even the slightest of dips. He thought: "At this rate, I am sure to reach DaLi by tomorrow afternoon."


    In the amount of time to boil some tea, they had already traveled more than 5 kilometers; the cool breeze blew through the night, bringing smells of grass and trees to Duan Yu''s face. Duan Yu mused: "Galloping in the night, one of the joys of life indeed." But suddenly there came a shout from ahead: "Bitch, stop!" A flash of blade being swung shot through the darkness as a sabre came flying down. But the black horse was so fast that the sabre missed by several meters. Duan Yu turned his head and saw 2 huge men, one with a sabre in hand while another had a spear, chasing after him. The 2 of them were cursing profusely at him: "Bitch! Dressing up like a man! Think you can fool your old man?" In a blink of an eye, the horse had left them way behind. Although the 2 men were fast, soon even their cursing could not be heard anymore.


    Duan Yu thought: "Those 2 ruffians were calling me ''bitch'', and saying that I''m ''dressing up like a man'', what for? Oh I get it, they are looking for Black Rose''s owner, so they saw the horse and didn''t bother with checking out the rider, such rudeness." After galloping for a few more kilometers, a thought suddenly occurred to him: "Ai-Yo, this is not good! I was lucky that this horse was fast to be able to escape their ambush. Seems like that these 2 men''s kungfu aren''t that shabby, if the young miss that lent me this horse came walking out without any precaution, she might be ambushed. I have to go back and report this!" So he immediately pulled the horse to a stop and said: "Black Rose, someone wants to harm your master, we have to go back and report that, to tell her to be careful and not leave the house."


    So he turned the horse around and started on the way back, when getting close to where the 2 men ambushed him, he urged: "Faster, faster!" Black Rose seemed to have understood him as she really did pick up her speed. But the 2 men were gone. Duan Yu became even more worried: "Maybe the 2 of them went to attack that young miss in the house, that would be even worse!" So he kept on urging "Faster", it was as if Black Rose''s hooves were not even touching the ground anymore as they went flying back the way they came.


    When they arrived back at the house, a pair of sticks suddenly popped out of the ground and swung towards the horse''s legs. Black Rose didn''t wait for Duan Yu to react and jumped over them herself, she then kicked her hind legs back and knocked down one of the men with a stick.


    In one flurry, Black Rose had arrived in front of the house, 4 or 5 men jumped out from the darkness and grabbed onto Black Rose''s reins. Duan Yu felt something gripping his right arm as he was dragged down of the horse. Someone demanded: "Boy, what are you doing here? Where do you think you are going?"


    Duan Yu was grumbling to himself: "This can''t be good, not good at all, the entire house is surrounded, I wonder if they have done anything to the owner?" Feeling the grip on his right arm tighten like a vise, so much so that the right side of his body was numb, he replied: "I''m here to see the master of this place, what do you think you are doing, acting this rudely?" Another voice, which was old and raspy, observed: "This little bastard was riding that bitch''s black horse, he must be a friend of that bitch, let him go in and we can wipe all of them out in one strike." Duan Yu''s mind was a mess as he couldn''t calm down: "This is called asking for it. Well, since it''s already like this, only thing to do is to go in and hope for the best." Feeling the grip on his right arm loosen, he adjusted his clothing a bit and walked right through the door.


    He walked through a yard with roses planted on each side of the stone path that caused the whole place to permeate with a delicious fragrance; the stone path twisted and turned through a round door as Duan Yu followed the path, seeing that there were men placed here and there all along the path for an ambush. Suddenly he heard a light cough from up above, he looked up and saw that there were 7 or 8 men standing on top of the wall as well, the weapons in their hands flashed brilliantly in the night; overwhelmed, he thought: "There can''t be that many men in the house, yet so many enemies showed up, are they going to kill everyone for real?" The men were staring at him murderously through the darkness, some of them had their hands on their weapons, making them even more threatening. Duan Yu could only try to stay calm and force himself to smile back. The stone path led to a huge parlor that had lamp light shining through the rows of windows. He walked up to it and spoke in a loud voice: "I humbly request an audience with the master of this place."


    A very raspy voice shouted back: "Who the hell is it? Get in here now!"


    Duan Yu was feeling a bit offended as he pushed open the door and walked in; he saw around 17 or 18 people in the parlor, some standing, some sitting. In the middle sat a girl wearing black, her back was facing towards the door so her face could not be seen, her body look slender and elegant, her shiny dark black hair was done in the style of a girl. Two old women sat in the grand chair on the east side, they had nothing in their hands; the rest of the men and women present all had weapons in hand. A person was lying in front of the old woman that sat closer to the door, blood was pouring out of his forehead, obviously dead; this person happens to be the person that led Duan Yu here for the horse, LaiFu-Er. Duan Yu thought how polite and respectful this person treated himself and his terrible fate of being suddenly killed here, which was partly caused by himself, he felt terrible.


    The old woman that sat farther from the door was short in stature and had a head of white hair, she demanded in a raspy voice: "Hey boy! What are you doing here?"


    When Duan Yu pushed open the door and stepped in, he had already made up his mind: "Since I''m in such mortal danger, if I''m able to escape then it really is fortune of fortunes, but seeing the murderous looks on these people, it would not help a bit if I tell them what they want to hear." Now he was even more determined after seeing LaiFu-Er''s body on the floor, so he held his head up high and said: "Gramps had only lived a couple more years, why are you being so rude and going ''boy this'' or ''boy that'' all the time?"


    That old woman''s face was short and wide, filled with wrinkles, and her white color eye brows were slanting downwards; the pair of eyes that she had narrowed to a crack suddenly looked murderous as she sized up Duan Yu a couple of times. The old woman that sat closer to the door shouted back: "Stinking boy, how dare you! Grandma Rui was actually addressing you herself, that''s giving you a lot of face already! Do you have any idea who this gramps is? You can''t see Mount Tai if it was right in front of you!" This old woman was very fat, her belly stuck out as if she was 7 or 8 months pregnant, only some of her hair was white and her face was ugly and ferocious, when she talked her voice was rougher than most men; she had a wide-bladed dagger on each side of her hips, one of the daggers was covered with blood; obviously she was the one that killed LaiFu-Er.


    When Duan Yu saw this, he became even angrier as he replied loudly: "From your accent I can see you are from around here, and yet you dared to cause trouble and kill here in DaLi, you have to know that even though DaLi is a small country, it still has laws. As for who Grandma Rui is, I have no clue, but even if she''s the Queen Mom of the Great Song she can''t come here to DaLi and kill as she pleases!"


    The fat old woman was furious, she jumped up out of her chair and with a flick of her wrist, a dagger had appeared in each of her hands. She shouted: "Well I just happen to want to kill you, what can you do about it? There isn''t a single decent person in all of DaLi, they should all be killed." Duan Yu yawned and snickered: "Such wonderful logic, funny, very funny!" The old woman took step forward and the dagger in her left hand came chopping down towards his forehead.


    "Dang"! An iron crutch came out of nowhere and parried the dagger away; unexpectedly, it came from Grandma Rui. She said in a low voice: "Be patient Grandma Ping, let''s find out what we can and then we can still kill him!" She put her iron crutch back on the side of the chair and turned towards Duan Yu: "Who are you?" Duan Yu replied: "I am a citizen of DaLi. This fat gramps here said that everyone in DaLi should die, then I guess I''m someone who should die as well." Grandma Ping was still furious: "Call me Grandma Ping, what''s with all those fat comments?" Duan Yu snickered: "Why don''t you take a look at your tummy, is it fat or not?"


    Grandma Ping was livid: "You little bastard!" She swung her dagger hard twice at the air in front of her. The sight and sound of those 2 swings made Duan Yu suddenly break out in a cold sweat in fear, but he was still able to make his face look like he didn''t care.


    Grandma Rui observed: "You look rather clean and refined, are you a friend of this little bitch?" She pointed at the back of the girl in back. Duan Yu replied: "I have never seen this young miss before in my life. But Grandma Rui, I urge you to be a bit more tactful in your choice of words and not just come out cursing everyone. This young miss is showing quite a lot of character not to make a fuss over this with you, but you don''t come out very well anyway." Grandma Rui replied: "Pei! How dare you tell me how to behave! If you never met this bitch before, then what are you doing here?"


    Duan Yu replied: "I''m here to give her a message." Grandma Rui asked: "What message?" Duan Yu sighed: "I''m a step too late, so the message really doesn''t matter anymore." Grandma Rui demanded severely: "What message? Tell me." Duan Yu replied: "When I see the master of this place, I would automatically say it, why would I tell you?" Grandma Rui faintly sneered for a while before responding: "You want to say it, then go ahead and say it. A little bit more hesitation, then both of you are going off to the nether world." Duan Yu asked: "Who is the master? I have thank the master for letting me borrow the horse."


    Just as he finished saying this, everyone in the parlor''s eyes turned towards the girl in black sitting in the middle.


    Duan Yu was quite surprised: "Can she be the master of this place? She''s a girl and is surrounded by so many powerful enemies, this is not looking good."


    The girl slowly spoke up: "Letting you borrow the horse was giving someone else face, no need for you to thank me. What are you doing back here and not off to save her?" Even though she''s talking, she did not turn around and her face was still facing inward.


    Duan Yu replied: "I was riding on Black Rose when I was ambushed on the path by someone who mistook me for Miss. They were calling out some rude names as well. I felt that this does not seem right and had to come back and give a message to Miss."


    The girl asked: "What message?" Her voice was clear and beautiful, but her tone of voice was cold without the slightest hint of warmth and unspeakably uncomfortable to the ear. As if she did not care for anything in the world, as if she was filled with hatred for everyone in the world, as if she hoped to be able to kill everyone in the world.


    Feeling that she was being rather impolite, Duan Yu wasn''t feeling all that great inside. But figuring that since she had fallen into enemy hands and her life hung in the balance, he forgave her for acting a little out of character. He actually felt a bit of sympathy for her as he gently replied: "Those 2 low-lives intended to harm Miss, I was able to avoid their ambush because of the speed of my ride. But I thought Miss might not know that you have enemies coming, so I came running back to report this and urge Miss to leave as soon as possible to avoid the danger. But alas, I was still too late, they are already here."


    The girl sneered: "What are you trying to get on my good side and pretending to care?" This made Duan Yu quite angry as he replied much louder than he needed to: "I have never seen Miss before in my life. But how could I not get involved when I know that Miss is in danger? How could Miss say ''trying to get on my good side''?" The girl asked: "Do you know how I am?" Duan Yu replied: "Not at all."


    The girl commented: "I heard from LaiFu-Er that even though you don''t know any kungfu, you actually dared to go up against and argue with Master of the Valley of 10,000 Calamities to his face. You got some guts, now that you are involved in this mess, what do you plan to do?" Duan Yu was taken aback for a moment before answering: "I had planned to leave as soon as I report this matter to Miss and head straight home." When he got to here, he sighed: "But it looks like Miss is in grave danger, and I''m not much better off either. How did Miss become enemy with this lot anyway?"


    The girl in black let out a snicker and said: "What right do you have to ask me?" Duan Yu was taken aback for a moment again and replied: "I shouldn''t ask about other people''s private business. Alright, I have told you what I wanted, so I don''t owe you anything either." The girl in black asked: "You didn''t think that you were going to lose your life here did you? Are you regretting coming back?" Noticing that she was obviously mocking him, Duan Yu replied, again, much louder than he needed to: "A real man only hopes to do the right thing in terms of honor and friendship and takes consequences as they come, what''s there to regret about?"


    The girl in black humphed and replied: "With what little that you can do, you still call yourself a real man?" Duan Yu rebuked: "The measure of a man is not in his kungfu skill. If one''s kungfu is the best in the world, but his actions are despicable, then he does not deserve to be call a real man either." The girl in black sneered: "Hehe, you saw something you didn''t like and came back to tell me, turns out you were trying to be a real man. Too bad in a bit when you are chopped to pieces by sabres, you probably won''t look too much like a real man."


    Grandma Ping suddenly cut in: "Little bitch, quit wasting time! Get up and fight!" She banged her daggers together, creating a piercing hum.


    The girl in black coldly replied: "You have already lived for so long, what''s waiting a couple more minutes to die? How come that old bitch Wang from SuZhou doesn''t come and kill me herself if she wanted to but instead send you servants?"


    Grandma Rui replied: "Even seeing a noble person like our Madame is out of the question for a little bitch like you. If you know what''s good for you, then just go with us and kowtow a couple of times to Madame. Maybe Madame will be merciful and let you keep your life. Don''t even think about trying to escape this time, you can''t. Where''s your master?" The girl in black suddenly shrieked: "My master is behind you!"


    Grandma Rui, Grandma Ping, and the rest of the people were all shocked as all of them spun around. There was nobody there.


    Seeing that everyone of them fell of it, Duan Yu busted out laughing. Grandma Ping angrily demanded: "What are you laughing at?" Duan Yu managed to get out in between his laughs: "Funny, funny!" Grandma Ping asked further: "What''s funny?" Duan Yu replied: "Haha, so funny!" Grandma Ping asked again: "What''s so funny?" Duan Yu was still laughing: "Hehe, so funny, so very funny!" Grandma Ping asked yet again: "What''s so very funny?" Grandma Rui cut in: "Grandma Ping, just ignore this little bastard!" Turning toward the girl in black, she continued: "Miss, you have ran from just south of the Yangtze all the way to DaLi, and we have chased you all the way here as well. Do you think we can possibly stop this? Even if every single one of us dies by your hand, we still have to somehow bring you back there. Go ahead if you please!"


    From her tone of voice, Duan Yu detected that GrandmaRui was rather scared of this girl in black, he was secretly shocked.Looking around at the other 17 or 18 people in the parlor, he noticed thatall of them were holding their weapons tightly and looking at her in anger,yet none of them dared to make a move. Grandma Ping was clutchingher twin daggers tightly and had walked almost up to the girl''s back ona few occasions before hastily retreating.


    The girl in black spoke up: "Ay! Messenger Boy,all these people are fighting me, any ideas what I should do?" DuanYu thought out loud: "Um, Black Rose is right outside, if you can somehowbreak through them, you can escape riding on the horse. That horseis amazingly fast, there is no way they can catch up to you." Thegirl in black asked: "Then how about yourself?" Duan Yu replied seriously:"I don''t have anything to do with them, no gratitude nor revenge is owedbetween us; you never know, maybe they would leave me alone."


    The girl in black snickered and said: "If they are thatreasonable, then they wouldn''t gang up on me like this. Your lifeis gone; if I can escape, got any last wishes that you would like for meto do for you?"


    With a tinge of pain in his heart, Duan Yu said: "Yourgood friend, Miss Zhong, is captured by Divine Farmer Clan in No MeasureMountain. Her mother gave me this box to give to my father and askhim to save her. If... If... Miss can escape, then could you do thisfor me? I would be indescribably grateful." As he was talking,he walked up and held out the delicate box. When he got to about1 meter behind her, he was suddenly hit with a sweet fragrance, very muchlike orchid but not quite and similiar musk but not. Although thefragrance wasn''t strong, it was refreshing and sweet, he couldn''t helpbut be dazed when he smelled it.


    The girl in black still didn''t turn around and asked:"Zhong Ling is very pretty, do you have feelings for her?" Duan Yuimmediately replied: "No, no. Miss Zhong is so young and so innocentand pure. How... how I can get that kind of ideas?" The girlin black reached back with her left arm and took the box out of his hand.Duan Yu noticed that she was wearing a very thin black glove so that nota single bit of her skin was exposed. He added: "My father livesin the city of DaLi, you only need...." The girl cut him off: "We can talkabout this later." Putting the box inside her shirt, she suddenlysaid: "The old man named Zhu, get the hell out of my sight!" An oldman with white beard asked in a trembling voice: "What did you say?"The girl replied: "Get out of the parlor now, I don''t want to kill youtoday." The old man pointed his sword at her and shouted: "What thehell are you saying?" His voice was still trembling, although itwas unclear if it was caused by anger or by fear.


    The girl in black replied: "You are not a servant of thatWang bitch, you just got dragged along by those 2 grandmas. Thisentire trip you have been pretty good to me, those guys kept on tryingto take down my mask but you kept on getting in the way. Hmph, youcan actually be considered as not deserving to die. So get the hellout of my sight!" The old man''s face turned to a dirt color as thepoint of the sword in his hand slowly began to point lower and lower.


    Duan Yu cut in: "Miss, if you want him to leave, thenjust tell him so, no need to be so impolite. You might anger thisgentleman named Zhu." But to his surprise, the old man with the surnameof Zhu hesitated for a bit and then looked frightened for a while beforehe suddenly dropped his sword, turned around, and actually began to runoff with his hands covering his face. Just as he was about to pushthe parlor door open, Grandma Ping flicked her right hand, and a daggercame flying out, hitting him smack in the middle of his back. Theold man fell down and crawl several of meters more on the ground beforehe finally stopped moving.


    Furious, Duan Yu shouted: "Hey, fat grandma, this oldgentleman was one of you guys! Why did you have to do that to him?"


    Grandma Ping took out another dagger from her waist withher right hand and, with a dagger in both hands, stared at the girl inblack, as if she didn''t hear what Duan Yu said at all. All the peoplein that parlor had took a couple of steps forward as they were all preparedto pounce at the slightest provocation or command.


    Seeing such a scene, Duan Yu was overwhelmed with indignationas he shouted: "All of you guys, what do you think you are doing gangingup against a completely unarmed girl?" He charged up a few steps,got between the girl and the others, and shouted: "Let''s see which oneof you dares to do something now!" Even though he didn''t know a lickof kungfu, this type of righteousness still carried quite a mighty andintimidating air with it.


    Seeing how fearless he was, Grandma Rui couldn''t helpbut wonder if this young man wasn''t pretending that he didn''t know anykungfu then he must have someone very powerful behind him. She wasfollowing her orders when she came all the way from just south of the Yangtzeto here in DaLi to capture this girl in black, so she was unfamiliar withlocal customs or people and did not want to make any enemies. Soshe actually sounded very polite when she said: "Why must sir meddle inthis matter?" Duan Yu replied: "That''s right, I won''t allow you peopleto unfairly gang up on her." Grandma Rui asked: "What sect or clandoes sir belong to? And what is sir''s relationship with this littlebitch? Who''s order are you following, coming here and getting inthe middle of all this?"


    Duan Yu shook his head: "I have never met this girl before.But everything in this world still has to be measure in terms of reason.I urge everyone to stop all this nonsense when the time comes. Allthese people ganging up against one single girl isn''t all that gloriousis it?" He then whispered: "Run Miss! I''ll try and stop themsomehow."


    The girl in black whispered back: "You are giving yourlife away for me, sure you won''t regret it?" Duan Yu replied: "Noregrets of any kind." The girl asked again: "Aren''t you scared todie?" Duan Yu sighed: "Of course I''m scared, but... but...."


    The girl in black suddenly yelled: "You''re not even strongenough to kill a chicken, why pretend to be a hero?" She suddenlyflicked her right arm as 2 colorful strips of cloth shot out and grabbeda hold Duan Yu''s legs. Suddenly seeing her attacking Duan Yu shockedGrandma Rui, Grandma Ping, and everyone else present. While theywere still recovering from their shock, the girl in black flicked her leftarm repeatedly. "Dong", "Feng", "Bang" was all Duan Yu could hearas he thought he saw people fall down and the reflections off of bladesflashed into his eyes before all the candle-light in the parlor was putout and darkness descended. Then he felt himself flying.


    All this change came too fast as he could not make outwhere he was. But all around him was screams: "Don''t let her getaway!" "Watch out for her poison arrows!" "Let loose your daggers!Let loose your daggers!" What followed was sounds of metal clankingbefore his body suddenly took off again and there were hoof beats.He was on the back of a horse, but his arms and legs were tied up and hecouldn''t move. There was someone leaning up against his back.There was a faint fragrance in the air, the fragrance that belonged tothe girl in black. The hoof beats were light and steady as the soundsof shouting got further and further away. Black Rose was entirelyblack and the girl was wearing only black, so they just disappeared inthe darkness of the night; the only sign of them was the faint fragrancepermeating through the air, adding a feel of mystery to them.


    After Black Rose ran for a while, the shouting could notbe heard anymore. Only then did Duan Yu spoke up: "Miss, I didn''t expectyou to be so amazing, can I get off now?" The girl humphed but didnot reply. Duan Yu''s arms and legs were bounded very tightly andit felt as if they were getting tighter with every step Black Rose takes,causing more and more pain. On top of that his foot was above hishead as he was lying sideways on the horse, making him feeling dazed andvery uncomfortable. He had to speak up again: "Miss, let me down!"


    "Pa"! The girl suddenly slapped him hard on hischeek. Coldly, she commanded: "Shut up! Do not talk unlessspoken to!" In anger, Duan Yu asked: "Why?" "Pa, Pa!"He was slapped twice more, this time even harder than the first one, somuch so that his right ear was ringing.


    Duan Yu shouted: "How dare you hit people for no reason!Put me down, I don''t want to be with you!" Suddenly his body flewout again and smack onto the ground. But his arms and legs were stilltied and the other end was still in the girl''s hands. Duan Yu wasbeing pulled along the ground by Black Rose.


    The girl in black quietly give a little command and BlackRose slowed down a bit. She then asked: "Give up? Willing toobey my commands now?"


    Duan Yu shouted back: "No! No way! Never!Just a little bit ago I was about to die and I wasn''t even afraid then.This little torture from you, what have I... I...." He was goingto say "what have I got to be scared of?" But right at that timehe just happened to be pulled into 2 little dirt mounds on the road; afterthose 2 little mounds, there was no way he could have finished his sentence.


    The girl in black mocked: "How about now"? She gave the piece of cloth a pull and pulled him onto the horse again. Finally, Duan Yu was able to say: "What have I got to be scared of? Nothing! I don''t like being pulled around by you!" The girl humphed and replied: "How dare you talk in front of me? If I want to torture you, then it would be to the point where you don''t know if you are alive or dead anymore, nothing like this weak stuff!" She flicked her left arm and threw him back onto the ground again.


    Furious, Duan Yu thought to himself: "So it turns out there was a good reason that those people were calling you ''little bitch''!" He shouted at her: "If you don''t stop now, then I''m going to start saying some unpleasant stuff!" The girl asked: "If you dare then go ahead. I have been cursed at too many times in my life to care." Duan Yu noticed a hint of sadness in what she said, so he didn''t have the heart to make himself utter the words ''little bitch'' which were on the tip of his tongue.


    After a little bit of waiting, the girl in black, noticing that he hadn''t said anything, spoke up: "Hmph! Figured you wouldn''t dare to curse at me!"


    Duan Yu replied: "I pitied you and couldn''t bring myself to curse at you, not like I was afraid or anything!"


    The girl gave a little command to urge the horse to run faster and Black Rose began to gallop. Now Duan Yu was in for it, his face, arms, and legs were just covered with blood from cuts and scratches from rocks and stones on the path by the time the girl shouted: "Give up?" Duan Yu shouted at the top of his lungs: "You evil witch!" The girl shouted back: "I have been a witch all along, no need for you to remind me, didn''t you know?"


    Duan Yu yelled back: ¡°I¡­ I¡­ was so¡­ was so¡­ so nicetowards you¡­.¡± But suddenly his hand ran smack into a rock that wasjutting out of the ground and he fainted. After who knows how much time,he suddenly felt coolness around his head, causing him to wake up andswallow a mouthful of water. He immediately closed his mouth but couldn¡¯thelp but cough from the water, causing even more water to enter his mouthand nose. Turns out that he was still being pulled by the horse, only thatthe girl noticed that he had fainted and dragged him across a small creekso that the cold water could wake him up. Luckily this creek was rathernarrow and soon he was out of it. Duan Yu was in torture, his cloths weresoaked through, the water he swallowed was making him feel bloated, andthen his body was covered with cuts. The girl spoke up: ¡°Give up?¡± Duan Yuthought to himself: ¡°There are actually this kind of unreasonable woman inthe world? It must be destined that I, Duan Yu, would suffer in her hands;if that¡¯s the case, then there is really no need to say anything more toher.¡± The girl asked several more time: ¡°Give up? Had enough yet?¡± Duan Yudid not reply at all and just pretended as if he didn¡¯t hear her. The girlbegan losing her patience: ¡°Are you deaf? Why aren¡¯t you answering me?¡±Duan Yu still did not reply. The girl pulled her horse to a stop andturned around to see if he was conscious. By now dawn was drawing near andthere were hints of light from the east. But her eyes were huge as theystared at him in anger: ¡°Oh! So you are conscious but were pretending tobe dead! Well if we are going to fight then let¡¯s fight fair and squareand see who is more powerful!¡± She jumped down off her horse and, with alight little flick, grabbed a small branch off a tree and smacked DuanYu¡¯s face with it.


    This was the first time Duan Yu was face to face withher. Her face was entirely covered with a black mask and all he could seewas her eyes, a pair of bright and shiny eyes. Duan Yu smiled and mused:¡°Well of course you are more powerful. You are an evil witch, like thereis anybody in the world who is more powerful?¡±


    The girl spoke up: ¡°Didn¡¯t think you can still smile!What are you smiling at?¡± Duan Yu made a face at her and smiled some more.¡°Pa, Pa, Pa, Pa!¡± The girl smacked him 7 or 8 more times with the branch.Duan Yu had already resigned to his fate so he didn¡¯t care anymore and,with all his might and effort, kept on smiling. Now the girl wasn¡¯tholding anything back and the branches were hitting the most painfulplaces on his body, he almost yelped several times but somehow managed tohold it all back in.


    Seeing how stubborn he was, the girl was even morefurious: ¡°Alright, you like being a deaf-mute, then I¡¯ll grant your wishand make you a real deaf-mute!¡± She reached into her shirt and grabbed adagger out. The dagger was about 15 centimeters long and looked sharp andintimidating. She took several steps towards him, placed the dagger by his leftear, and asked menacingly: ¡°Did you hear what I said? Do you want to keepthis ear or not?¡± Seeing that Duan Yu was still not replying, a murderouslook suddenly appeared in her eyes as she raised the dagger and brought itdown toward his ear.


    In a panic, Duan Yu shouted: ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Are you forreal? This would make me go deaf in that ear, do you know how to curethat?¡± The girl replied: ¡°Pei! I can kill people and make them come backto life! Don¡¯t believe me? Then let¡¯s give it a try!¡± Duan Yu immediatelyreplied: ¡°I believe you, I believe you! No need to try it out.¡±


    Seeing that he finally spoke up, the girl felt as she has won and decided to stop torturing him. So she picked him up and put him on to the back of the horse and then jumped on behind him. This time she actually put him with his head up and foot down, giving him a little special treatment. Even though he wasn''t upside down anymore, his hands and legs were still tightly bounded. But compared to the upside down position he was in earlier, this was heaven, so he did not dare to say anything to the girl in fear of upsetting her.


    After travelling for more than an hour, Duan Yu was starting to get impatient about the fact that his hands were still tied. But he could not gesture to the girl because his hands were tied together, and he couldn''t come up with a appropriate gesture even if his hands were free. So he had to speak up: "I have to go, could miss please kindly untie me?" The girl replied: "Oh! So you are not a mute anymore are you? Why are you talking to me now?" Duan Yu replied, quite frankly: "I can''t help it and wouldn''t dare to shame miss. Miss smells so good, but if I proceed to become "Stinky", wouldn''t that really make this ride less enjoyable?" The girl could not help but let out a little peal of laughter. Figuring he has had enough, she cut loose the rope that was tied around his hands and legs and began to walk off.


    After being tied up for so long, Duan Yu''s arms and legs went numb a long time ago and he could not move at all. All he could do for a while was roll around on the ground before he could finally stand up. After taking care of his business, he noticed that Black Rose was just standing there eating grass, looking just as tame and obedient as can be. He thought: "What are you waiting for? Run!" So he secretly got onto the saddle as Black Rose did not show the least bit of resistance. With one jerk of the reins, the horse started to gallop northward.


    Hearing hoofbeats, the girl came chasing after them. But with Black Rose''s blazing speed, the girl wouldn''t have been able to chase them down no matter how great her Qing Gong was. Duan Yu turned around, cupped his fist, and saluted: "Miss, we will meet again!" Just in the time he said those words, Black Rose put another 50 or so meters between them. The next time he turned around, the girl was already not in sight. Finally escaping from the clutches of this devious girl, he could not feel any happier as he continually urged on: "Good horsey, good horsey! Faster, faster!"


    After running for a bit, Duan Yu calculated: "So that''s a day wasted, am I still able to save Miss Zhong in time? No choice left but keep on running without stopping for food or sleep. Wonder if Black Rose could hold up?" He was still pondering that question when suddenly there came a loud and clear whistle from behind.


    When Black Rose heard the whistle, she immediately turned around and started running back. Shocked, Duan Yu began to beg: "Good horsey, nice horsey! Don''t go back!" He pulled on the reins as hard as he could trying to make Black Rose turn around. But even when her head was pulled almost sideways, Black Rose was still running forward, not listening to his commands at all.


    In a blink of an eye, Black Rose had returned to the girl in black''s side and stopped. Duan Yu wasn''t sure if he felt like crying or laughing as he just sat there completely speechless with a peculiar expression on his face. Coldly, the girl said: "I didn''t really want to kill you, but even if I don''t count the fact that you ran away on your own, there is still the fact that you stole my horse! How do you count yourself as a real man?"


    Duan Yu jumped off the horse and replied back with all the aplomb of someone who knew he was in the right: "I''m not your slave, I can leave and go whenever I want, how could you call that ''run away''? You lent me Black Rose earlier, I haven''t given her back yet, so that can''t be counted as stealing either. If you want to kill then go right ahead. ZenZi said: ''Reversing thyself, millions of men can''t do, tis enlightenment!'' I came back by myself, so of course I''m a real man!"


    The girl replied: "What are you talking about? Even if you reverse thyself I''m still going to poke a hole in you with my sword!" Obviously not understanding what he said, she grabbed the handle of her sword and pulled it out halfway: "How dare you do that? Think I can''t kill you? Is that why you are being so hardheaded and fighting me every step of the way?"


    Duan Yu rebuked: "I have done nothing wrong towards Miss in my heart, who is the one being stubborn and antagonistic here?"


    The girl stared at him with that icy stare of hers and Duan Yu stared back right back at her without the slightest hint of backing off in his stare. The 2 of them stood there staring at each other for a long time before the girl finally slammed her sword completely back into the sheath and commanded: "Go away! You can temporarily keep that head of yours for me to take whenever I feel like it in the future." Duan Yu had already figured that he was going to die and was hugely surprised that she would let him go. Still in shock, he did not say another word and started to limp off because of the numbness that was still in his legs.


    After walking for several dozen meters, he still did not hear any hoofbeats; so he turned around and saw that the girl was still standing there in a trance. He figured: "She''s probably thinking about how to get me next time, like what a cat does to a mouse. Only when she had enough fun with me will she finally kill me. Alright, it''s not like I can escape anyway, whatever happens happens." Surprisingly, after walking for a long time, he still did not hear any hoofbeats.


    After walking through several forks in the road, he began to feel safer and safer. Because of that, he began to notice the pain from all the scratches and bumps on his body. He mused: "Such weird moods that girl has, maybe it''s because her parents died when she was little and she had to endure all kinds of stuff in her life... maybe it''s because she is indescribably ugly, to the point that she could not face others. Either way she is a tragic character. Ai-yo! That golden box that Madame Zhong gave me is still on her!" But he did not dare to even think about going back and getting it from her, so he figured: "When I finally meet father, I''ll just promise him that I''ll be willing to learn kungfu and, without a doubt, father would be willing to go save Miss Zhong, even if my dad doesn''t go himself, he would just send some people to do it for her. That golden box really doesn''t have much use now that I think about it. Pity that I don''t have a ride anymore, if I try to walk to DaLi like this, more likely than not I would just die from that poison before I even get there. Miss Zhong is probably about to die from waiting for me to go save her. When she sees that I hadn''t returned and her father did not come and save her, she would probably figure that I didn''t deliver my message to her. The least I should do is somehow make it back to No Measure Mountain and die with her, that way at least she would know that I did not betray her."


    Now that he made up his mind, he immediately looked around to figure out which direction No Measure Mountain was and began walking in that direction. The banks of LanCang River were desolate, he did not see or meet any signs of human life for several kilometers. The entire day he had to resort to eating wild fruits and sleeping in a ditch on the side of a hill.


    It was in the afternoon the next day when he crossed another iron-chained bridge and crossed LanCang River again. Afterwards he walked for another 20 or so kilometers and finally reached a little town. All the money he had were lost a long time ago, probably when he fell down the cliff. Noticing that his clothing were just absolutely ruined and feeling very hungry, he suddenly remembered that the piece of jade that was on his hat was valuable, so he tore it down and went to the pawn shop in town. The pawn shop was not an ideal place to exchange jewelry, but this was the only decent pawn shop in town. The shopkeeper did not treat Duan Yu condescendingly because he acted rather wealthy despite his appearence. Still, he did not understand a thing about jade and was only willing to offer 2 taels of silver for it. Duan Yu did not bother with arguing and took his offer. He wanted to go buy some new clothes, but there wasn''t a place in town that sells clothing so he found a little restaurant and ordered some food.


    As he sat down, he noticed that both of his kneecaps were protruding out of holes in his pants and that the front and back of his robe were torn off; not to mention that there was a hole in the back of his pants, revealing much of his behind, which was feeling very cold sitting on the bench. He mused: "This is really quite impolite to be like this, best to take care of this as soon as possible." The waiter brought the dishes to his table and said: "So sorry, but we don''t have any meat or fish today. Please forgive us, here is some vegetable and tofu to go down with the rice." Duan Yu replied as he brought the bowl of rice up to his mouth: "It''s alright, it''s alright." He had been wearing the best of clothes and eating the best of foods all his life. But because he hadn''t eaten anything for days, this little meal of rice and vegetables was one of the best he ever had in his life.


    By the time he made it to the third bowl, he suddenly heard someone outside saying: "Dear, there''s a little restaurant here, let''s see what they have." A girl replied with a laugh: "What kind of look is that to give me? Looks like you haven''t eaten in days."


    The voices were strangely familiar to Duan Yu before he suddenly realized that they belonged to Gan GuangHao of No Measure Mountain and his Sister Ge. Panicking, he immediately turned so he faced inward, thinking: "''Dear''? Hm, they must have gotten married. It is just like that saying, this Brother Gan here gained a wife, now I''m going to get it."


    Gan GuangHao laughed and replied: "Newly weds can never get enough of anything, including food." That Sister Ge laughed and replied in a light voice: "Pei! You are so bad! If we were old, then we would be full all the time?" Her voice was filled with tenderness. The 2 of them walked in the restaurant and sat down. Gan GuangHao shouted at the top of his lungs: "Waiter, bring some wine and rice, and then cook us a dish of beef... eh!"


    Duan Yu heard footsteps approaching from behind followed by a huge hand slapping him on the shoulder and turning him around. Suddenly, he was staring straight at Gan GuangHao''s face and vice versa. Forcing a smile, Duan Yu said: "Brother Gan, Sister Gan, congratulations. Wish you 2 would live for a 100 years and grow old together, bringing the East and West Factions of No Measure Sword together as one."


    Gan GuangHao busted out laughing as he turned around and shot a glance at Sister Ge. Duan Yu followed his eyesight and saw that Sister Ge had an egg shaped face with a couple of blemishes on her left cheek. She was somewhat attractive, but the expression on her face was one of murder as she lowered her voice and instructed: "Get to the bottom of this, find out how he got here and are there anybody from No Measure Sword around here?"


    The smile on Gan GuangHao''s face immediately disappeared as he viciously demanded: "Did you hear what my dear said to you? Well?" Duan Yu calculated: "If I just make up some stuff, maybe I''ll scare the bejesus out of them and they''ll runaway without killing me." So he said: "There were 4 elder disciples from your sect hurriedly walking by just a bit earlier with swords in hand. They were heading east, as if they were chasing someone or something."


    Gan GuangHao was shocked as he turned around to Sister Ge: "Let''s go!" That Sister Ge stood up and made a chop motion with her right hand. Gan GuangHao nodded, pulled out his sword, and swung it down towards the middle of Duan Yu''s head.


    This move was so quick that even though Duan Yu, knowing that things weren''t looking up the moment he saw Sister Ge''s gesture, ducked as soon as he saw the gesture, he still could not get out of the way. Just as it looked as if the blade was touching his skin, there suddenly came a light sound of something flying through the air as Gan GuangHao fell backwards, dropping the sword onto the ground. Another sound followed quickly and Sister Ge, who was halfway out of the door when she heard Gan GuangHao''s groan, did not even have a chance to turn before collapsing onto the ground. The 2 of them twitched around for a bit on the ground before becoming motionless. There was a small black arrow stuck in Gan GuangHao''s throat and that Sister Ge was hit on the back of her head. As for those 2 light sounds, they were precisely the sound of the projectiles that the girl in black used last night had made.


    In shock and surprise, Duan Yu turned around, but there was nobody behind him. Then he heard a slight horse neigh outside and saw that girl slowly approaching on the Black Rose.


    Duan Yu shouted before shooting out of the door: "Thank you so much for saving me!" The girl did not even look at him as she and her horse kept on trotting along. Duan Yu added: "If you hadn''t shot out those 2 arrows, this head of mine would have been disconnected from my neck a long time ago." The girl still did not respond.


    The owner of that little restaurant came running out shouting: "Mi... Mister, some... someone has been killed!" Duan Yu suddenly realized: "Ai-yo! I haven''t paid!" He was just about to reach for the silver when he noticed that Black Rose was already several meters away, so he shouted: "There are some money on the dead people, they were paying everyone because they just married, just take some!" He turned around and went chasing after the girl.


    Having the horse walking slowly, the girl soon was out of the town. Duan Yu, trying to keep up, spoke up: "Miss, why don''t you be a good person all the way to the end, you know: "Send Buddha all the way to the West." Why don''t you go save Miss Zhong with me?" The girl replied coldly: "Zhong Ling is my friend, I was going to go save her anyway. But what I hate most is people begging me. You are begging me to go save her, so I won''t!" Duan Yu immediately tried to retract what he said: "Alright, alright, I won''t beg Miss to." The girl replied: "But you already begged me." Duan Yu replied: "What I just said didn''t count." The girl rebuked: "Hmph, a real man can''t go back on his words!"


    Duan Yu thought to himself: "Before I always called myself a real man in front of her, seems like she doesn''t like that. Oh well, to save Miss Zhong, I guess I can''t be a real man anymore." So he said: "I''m not a real man, I... I''m a small, pitiful bug who was saved by Miss."


    The girl let out a peal of laughter and sized him up for a bit before saying: "Well you are quite nice towards that little devil. Last night you were willing to give up your life to be a real man, but now you were willing to be a little bug. Hmph, I''m not going!"


    Panicking, Duan Yu asked: "Wh... What''s that for?" The girl replied: "My master told me that all men in this world are evil, all they do is lie and not one of them have good intentions in their hearts. So I shouldn''t listen or trust a single sentence from a man." Duan Yu replied: "That''s not always true, like... like...." He couldn''t come up with an example on the spot, so he just said: "Like Miss''s father, now he must have been a great man!" The girl rebuked: "My master told me that my father was not a good man."


    Duan Yu suddenly noticed that she had just urged Black Rose to walk faster so much so that he was having a difficult time keeping up, so he shouted: "Miss, please wait up!"


    Suddenly there was a flash of shadows and 4 figures jumped out from the woods on the side of the road, blocking the way. Black Rose immediately stopped and took 2 steps back. All 4 of them were young girls, their clothing were all jade green and both of them had a hook-like sword in each hand. The one in the middle demanded: "You 2 are Gan GuangHao and Ge GuangPei of No Measure Sword, right?"


    Duan Yu replied: "No, not at all. Gan GuangHao and Miss... Mrs. Ge already... already...." The girl cut him off: "Already? Already what? A pair of male and female, young, traveling together, you 2 are obviously running away or eloping. How could you not be those 2 traitors from No Measure Sword?" With a laugh, Duan Yu replied: "Miss, that seems to be stretching it a bit don''t you think? Ge GuangPei has some blemishes on her face, but Miss here is pretty like the flower and the moon. Big, big difference." The girl turned to the girl in black and demanded: "Take off your mask!"


    The girl in black suddenly shot out 4 arrows. "Zeng," "Zeng!" Two of the girls in green knocked the 2 of the arrows down with the hook-like sabre they had in hand while the other 2 girls were hit and down onto the ground. These 4 arrows came out of nowhere, without the slightest of warning, and were flying at an amazing speed, yet 2 of them still were knocked out of the air. The girl in black immediately hopped off the horse. With her sword already pulled out by the time she landed, she stepped forward with her right foot as soon as her left foot landed and made 2 moves, attacking the 2 girls who were still standing. The 2 girls also jumped forth and began attacking, one of them fighting the girl in black while the other turned her sabre toward Duan Yu.


    "Ai-yo!" Duan Yu screamed before scrambling underneath Black Rose''s belly. Not expecting that he would pull such an unorthodox move, the girl was taken aback for a split second. Just as she recovered as was getting ready to stab Duan Yu, a pain suddenly shot up her back and she collapsed immediately. Turned out that the girl in black caught her with another arrow in that little opening. But because of this little bit of distraction caused by shooting out another arrow, the girl in black was also hit by the hook-like sabre on her left shoulder. With a loud tearing sound, the hook at the end of the sabre hooked onto her sleeve and tore off half of the sleeve, revealing a snow-white shoulder. There was a half-meter long cut on her shoulder, which immediately began gushing blood.


    The girl in black tried to counter with her sword, but the girl in green''s kung fu was superb and the twin hooked-sabres in her hand were dancing as her moves were fast and clever. Soon, the girl in black''s left leg was hit as well, tearing open her trouser leg. The girl in black countered by launching 2 more arrows, both of which were knocked down by the hooked-sabres. The girl in green demanded several times: "Who are you? Your sword techniques aren''t those of No Measure Sword''s, who are you?" The girl in black did not reply as her moves sped up. Suddenly she let out a little yelp as her sword was caught in between hooks of the twin hooked-sabres. The girl in green turned her wrist, the girl in black could not keep her grip on the sword as she had to let go and immediately jump back in defense. The girl in green quickly followed with several thrusts of her hooked-sabres, all of which were dodged by the girl in black.


    Duan Yu had started to panic a long time ago, but he couldn''t do anything except look on. But now, seeing that the girl in black was in grave danger, all coherent thought went out of his head as he grabbed a corpse that was lying on the ground. Grabbing the stomach of the body with both hands, he turned it into a huge battering ram and charged toward the girl in green.


    Startled, the girl in green suddenly noticed that the thing that was coming at her was her sister''s head. As a wave of bitter sadness washed over her, she swung at Duan Yu''s face with the hooked-sabre in her right hand. But with an entire corpse in between them, the move came up about 1/4 of a meter short. "Bang!" The head of the corpse hit her squarely in the chest, it was also at that precise moment when a small arrow shot into her right eye, causing her to collapse onto the ground.


    Out of the corner of his eye, Duan Yu saw that the girl was half-kneeling on her left knee, so he shouted: "Miss, are... are you alright?" He ran over and tried to help her up. The girl slowly stood up and was immediately startled because, in a panic, Duan Yu had forgotten to put down the corpse. So here he was, running at the girl with a head of a corpse aimed straight at her chest. The girl gave the corpse a push on its head and, with a shout, Duan Yu fell backwards, the corpse neatly landing on top of him.


    Seeing the peculiar position that Duan Yu was in, the girl could not help but let out a bit of laugh. Then she began to worry, knowing that she was in grave danger just a moment ago. If she had not killed 2 of them using surprise right off and gotten Duan Yu''s help, she probably couldn''t even defeat one of the girls. Where did these 4 girls come from? How come their kungfu was so good? She turned to Duan Yu: "Hey, dummy, what are you doing with a corpse?"


    Duan Yu got back up and put down the corpse: "Terrible, just terrible. Ay! So sorry. You took us for someone else, all you had to do was ask us politely and all of this would have been cleared up. But you had to talk all that nonsense, causing Miss here to get mad. Miss, actually you didn''t really need to kill, wouldn''t it have been better if you just took your mask off and let them see?"


    The girl angrily rebuked: "Shut up! I don''t need to listen to you! Who told them to call us e... elo... whatever!" Duan Yu replied: "Yes, yes of course. They were definitely wrong to suggest what they suggested. But Miss, you didn''t have to kill them. Ah! You... you better wrap your wounds up a little." He just caught a glimpse of her snow white thighs because her pants were ripped, not daring to look at it anymore, he immediately turned his head the other way.


    Getting tired of hearing him telling her she should not have killed, the girl was just about to slap him again when he suddenly mentioned her wounds. Immediately she began to feel the pain from her wounds on her arm and leg, luckily the wounds were not deep and were not to the bone. So she immediately applied some blood-clotter and bandaged her wounds up using cloth she tore from the corpse''s clothing. Duan Yu, meanwhile, moved all the bodies into a pile of hay and said: "I should dig a grave for you, but I don''t have a hoe or a shovel. Ay! Misses were so young, although all of you aren''t that pretty, but you weren''t ugly either...."


    Hearing him talk about their looks, the girl was reminded of something: "Hey! How do you know that I don''t have blemishes on my face and is pretty like a flower or the moon or whatever?" Duan Yu smiled: "Of course, that goes without saying." The girl replied: "What do you mean of course?" Duan Yu replied: "Of course, means that it could only be like that." The girl rebuked: "Whatever! You couldn''t even dream of what I look like, my face is covered with pots and blemishes!" Duan Yu smiled: "Maybe, maybe not."


    The girl suddenly realized that it could be a problem that her sleeve and pants were ripped. So she took a robe off of one of the bodies and put it on. "Ai-yo!" Duan Yu shouted as he suddenly remembered the huge holes he had on the back of his pants. How could he be travelling with a girl with a bare butt? He immediately begin walking backwards; making sure he didn''t turn his butt towards the girl in black, he also took a robe off of a body and put it on. The girl let out a peal of laughter. Duan Yu blushed so much that even the base of his ear was red thinking about the hole that was on his pants and what that meant.


    The girl pulled out her arrows out from the bodies and placed them back inside her shirt, and then added a couple of kicks onto the body of that girl that injured her.


    Duan Yu suggested: "Miss, your arrows seal up the victim''s throats as soon as the poison enters the blood. Such powerful and devious poison. I urge Miss not to use it ever again unless you have no other choice. To kill is against the way of heaven, if...." The girl cut him off: "If you talk anymore nonsense, I''ll give you a taste of this poison." With a flick of her right arm and a sound of arrow piercing the air, a poison arrow flew past barely past Duan Yu and stuck into the ground.


    His face white as a sheet, Duan Yu dared not say a thing. The girl continued: "Let''s see if you can still talk nonsense after the poison sealed up your throat!" She reached for another arrow and flicked her arm again. Duan Yu was scared out of his wits and docked.


    With a little laugh, the girl put the arrow back into her shirt and gave him a mean looking stare: "You look like a girl with this robe on. Put the hood up. That way if we run into anyone else, they wouldn''t say we are el... that are a man and a woman." Duan Yu nodded, took the bandana off his head, placed it inside his shirt, put up the hood, and pulled it down over most of his face. The girl let out a hearty laugh at the sight.


    Hearing her sweet and innocent laugh, Duan Yu mused: "From her actions and expressions, you would figure that she''s younger than me. Then why is she so cruel and murderous?" He looked up and saw that on the front of her robe was sewn a black vulture. The vulture had its head help up high, looking very proud and powerful, the exact same vulture was on his robe as well. He shook his head and sighed: "Girls actually having this on their robes rather than flowers or butterflies. Ay! Such demeanors."


    The girl shot him a look: "Are you mocking me!" Duan Yu immediately replied: "No, no, not at all, I wouldn''t dare!" The girl probed further: "So what''s your answer? ''No'' or ''Wouldn''t dare''?" Duan Yu replied: "I wouldn''t dare." The girl nodded and did not ask any further.


    Duan Yu turned around and asked her: "Are you hurt bad? Do you want to rest a bit?" The girl angrily replied: "Of course it hurts! Let me take a couple of swipes on you and you can see for yourself!" Duan Yu thought to himself: "Well, epitome of bitchness." The girl continued: "Are you really worried that my wounds are hurting? There isn''t a man in the world that''s this nice. You just want me to go save Zhong Ling as quickly as possible, just that you can''t say it out loud. Heh, let''s go!" She walked to Black Rose''s side and hopped on. Pointing northwest, she asked: "Sword Lake Palace of No Measure Mountain is in that direction right?" Duan Yu replied: "I guess, seems like it."


    The 2 of them started to slowly walk in that direction. After a while, the girl suddenly asked: "Who''s birthdate was that inside of the golden box?" Duan Yu thought: "So you have opened it up already." "I don''t know," he replied. "It''s Zhong Ling''s," the girl said. "Isn''t it?" Duan Yu answered: "I really don''t know." The girl angrily demanded: "You are still lying. Madame Zhong has already matched Zhong Ling to you hasn''t she? Tell me the truth!" Duan Yu, in a panic, replied: "No, she really hasn''t. If I, Duan Yu, am lying, then I will die by your arrows this instant."


    "So your name is Duan Yu?" Duan Yu replied: "Yeah, ''Yu'' as in ''ming yu'', famed name." The girl snorted: "Hmph, is your fame any good? I don''t think so." Duan Yu replied with a laugh: "Well the ''ming yu ting huai'', name is terrible, is this one also." The girl replied: "That''s more like it!" Duan Yu naturally asked: "So what is Miss''s surname?" The girl rebuked: "Why should I tell you? You told me your name on your own, I didn''t ask you."


    After another long stretch of silent walking, the girl spoke up again: "Later on after we saved Zhong Ling, that little devil will surely tell me my name, you are not allowed to hear it!" Trying hard not to burst out laughing, Duan Yu replied: "Alright, I won''t hear it." The girl seemed to have felt that this matter was a bit hard to accomplish, so she added: "Even if you did hear it, you are not allowed to remember it!" Duan Yu offered: "Alright, even if I do happen to remember, I would try my hardest to forget it." The girl rebuked: "Pei! You are lying, think I can''t tell?"


    Through all this talking, the sky slowly turned dark and soon the moon rose from the east. The 2 of them hurried along the path under the moonlight. Around 10, Duan Yu suddenly saw a bonfire in the mountainside facing them, at the base of the peak just north of the bonfire was several large buildings. Recognizing that''s the Sword Lake Palace, Duan Yu pointed at the bonfire and said: "Divine Farmer Clan is right over there. Let''s sneak up on them, grab Zhong Ling and run. How about that?"


    Coldly, the girl asked: "And how exactly do we run away?" Duan Yu replied: "You and Zhong Ling would ride on Black Rose, there''s no way that Divine Farmer Clan can catch up to you." The girl asked: "Then what about you?" Duan Yu replied: "I was forced to take the Intestine Fragmenter by the Divine Farmer Clan, SiKong Xuan told me that after 7 days the poison would break out and I would die. So I have to somehow get the cure first before I can run away."


    The girl observed: "So you were poisoned by them. Then you should be in a hurry to get the cure, why did you come back to deliver me a message?" Duan Yu replied: "I figured that with Black Rose''s speed, reporting that message wouldn''t take much time at all." The girl was puzzled: "Are you really that nice? Or are you just an idiot?" Duan Yu laughed: "Mostly likely half and half."


    The girl humphed at that remark and asked: "So how are you going to get the cure?" Duan Yu thought out loud: "The original agreement was the cure of Lightning''s poison for the cure for the Intestine Fragmenter. They are not going to get the cure to Lightning''s poison, so it would be very difficult to trick them into giving me the cure for the Intestine Fragmenter. Miss, do you have any ideas?" The girl rebuked: "Only men knows how to trick people, I don''t know how to. I''m going to just ask them straightforward to hand over Zhong Ling and the cure or else!"


    A wave of coldness shot through Duan Yu''s heart, knowing that she''s probably going to start killing big time again, he thought: "It''s best if... best if...." But exactly was the best outcome, he had no idea at all.


    The 2 of them began walking towards the fire. When they got to about 20 meters away from it, 2 men suddenly jumped out of the darkness with a bag of drugs in hand, ready to throw. One of them demanded: "Who is it? What are you doing here?"


    The girl demanded in return: "Where''s SiKong Xuan? Tell him to come here!"


    In the moonlight, the 2 men noticed that the girl and Duan Yu were both wearing a green robe with a black vulture on their chest. The 2 of them were shocked and immediately kneeled down: "Yes, yes of course! We did not know that Holy Emissaries from the Nimble Vulture Palace would be arriving, so... so sorry for getting in your way, please forgive us." His voice was shaking, as if he was scared to death.


    Duan Yu was immensely puzzled: "What emissary from Nimble Vulture Peak?" Then he suddenly understood: "Oh! That''s right! They are thinking we are somebody else because we have this green robe on!" Then he remembered that several days ago back in the Sword Lake Palace Zhong Ling said that she overheard SiKong Xuan talking with his underlings, saying something about following orders from Kid Elder of Heaven Mountain of Nimble Vulture Palace to come and take over Sword Lake Palace of No Measure Mountain. "So it turns out that Divine Farmer Clan is a subsidiary of Nimble Vulture Palace, no wonder these 2 men are so scared."


    Of course, the girl did not understand what''s going on, so she asked: "What Nim...." Afraid that she might expose the 2 of them, Duan Yu raised the pitch of his voice and said: "Get SiKong Xuan here now!" The 2 men replied: "Yes, yes, right away!" They immediately stood up and took a couple of steps backwards before finally turning around and starting to run toward the fire.


    Duan Yu whispered to the girl: "Nimble Vulture Palace are their superiors." He put up the face mask of the hood and covered the bottom half of his face, leaving only his eyes visible.


    The girl was about to ask something else but was cut off because SiKong Xuan had hurried arrived and said out loud: "Your humble servant SiKong Xuan welcome the Holy Emissaries. Please forgive us for not welcoming you earlier. How is the Kid Elder? May she live for 10,000 years!"


    Duan Yu was thinking to himself: "Who''s Kid Elder? She isn''t the king or the mother of the king, so wishing her to live 10,000 years just doesn''t seem right does it?" So he just nodded and replied: "Get up." SiKong Xuan kowtowed twice more before standing back up. By this time there was a huge crowd of people behind him, all of them in the Divine Farmer Clan.


    {Note: in ancient China, it was custom to bless the Emperor and only the Emperor with a 10,000 year life-span and any other member of the royal family with a 1000 year life-span. To wish that upon anyone other than royalty or to wish a different life-span to royalty was almost treason.}


    Duan Yu spoke up: "Where''s that girl from the Zhong family? Bring her here!" Two clan members didn''t even wait for their master to issue the orders before dashing towards the fire and carrying Zhong Ling over. Duan Yu ordered: "Untie her." SiKong Xuan answered: "Yes, Miss." He pulled out a dagger and cut loose the rope around Zhong Ling''s hands and legs. Seeing her still doing very well and unharmed, Duan Yu could barely contain himself as he had to force himself to maintain the high pitch of his voice when he said: "Zhong Ling, come here." Zhong Ling replied: "Who are you?" SiKong Xuan shouted at her: "How dare you be so rude in front of the Holy Emissaries? She told you to go over there!" Zhong Ling figured: "Who cares who the hell you are, you told him to untie me and this old Goat Beard is so scared of you, so there shouldn''t be much harm in doing what you told me." So she walked over to Duan Yu.


    Duan Yu reached out with her left hand, took her hand into his, and pulled her over to his side. He squeezed her hand and made a gesture to her, but figuring that she probably wouldn''t understand, he turned to SiKong Xuan: "Hand over the cure for Intestine Fragmenter!"


    SiKong Xuan wasn''t quite sure what was going on, but he still ordered: "Bring my medicine box! Hurry, hurry!" With a little pause, he immediately understood: "Ai-yo! That bastard named Duan must have gone and begged these emissaries, that''s why they are asking for the cure." When the medicine box arrived, he opened it up and took out a small bottle. Holding it up respectfully, he said: "This medicine needs to be taken for 3 straight days, once each day, and about a gram or so each time." Happy beyond words, Duan Yu took it.


    Zhong Ling suddenly spoke up: "Hey, Goat Beard, got any of the medicine left? Remember that you promised Big Brother Duan to cure him? If you give all you got to them, what would happen if my Big Brother Duan comes with my dad?"


    The girl in black couldn''t stand this any longer and commanded: "Zhong Ling, be quiet! Your Big Brother Duan will be just fine!" Finding her voice very familiar, Zhong Ling turned towards her. When Zhong Ling laid her eyes on her mask, she immediately recognized her and uttered: "Ah, Mu...." But she realized soon enough that something was going on and put her hand over her mouth in time.


    SiKong Xuan was quite worried as well as he kneeled and said: "Holy Emissaries, your servant had been bitten by this little girl''s poisonous marten, please show some mercy." Duan Yu figured that if he did not somehow cure him then they would have a fight to the death on their hands. So he turned to the girl in black and said: "Sister, why don''t you give him some of Kid Elder''s Cure-All Elixir?" Hearing that there was a Cure-All Elixir here, SiKong Xuan could not believe his ears as he kowtowed loudly several times all the while saying: "Your humble servant will be forever grateful for the mercy and benevolence of the Kid Elder and the Holy Emissaries. There are a total of 19 of us that has been bitten."


    The girl thought: "What is he talking about? ''Cure-All Elixir''? But since I''m wounded on my leg and arm, it would be quite troublesome to protect 2 people now. So I guess I''ll just go along with this Duan guy and play this Goat Beard for a bit." So she reached into her shirt and took out a small bottle: "Put your hand out." SiKong Xuan obeyed and lowered his head as well, not daring to look at the emissary directly. The girl poured a little bit of some green powder in his hand and instructed: "Take some orally and everything should be alright then." All the while she was thinking: "This fragrance powder of mine didn''t come easily, can''t let you get too much of that."


    As soon as she opened the bottle, SiKong Xuan could smell a delicious and refreshing fragrance. He had spent his entire life around medicine and herbs, yet he could not make out what the powder was made of. By the time the powder was poured onto his hand, the smell had made him feel all warm and fuzzy all over. Figuring the Kid Elder must be amazing as this powder was, as expected, almost magical in its effects, he thanked them repeatedly, but with the powder in his hand, he could not kowtow.


    Seeing that everything had been accomplished without a hitch, Duan Yu said: "Sister, let''s go!" Lost in the moment, he actually forgot to mask his voice, but luckily SiKong Xuan and his underlings did not notice.


    SiKong Xuan reported: "Holy Emissaries, Zuo ZiMuo of No Measure Mountain actually dared to refuse our threats. Because of your servant''s wound and loss of arm, this matter was not resolved quickly and I am ashamed. I will order my men to attack right now and we will take over Sword Lake Palace. I humbly request that the Holy Emissaries to stay and observe the battle."


    Duan Yu replied: "No need. I think there really isn''t any need to attack this Sword Lake Palace anymore either, why don''t you guys go home?"


    SiKong Xuan was shocked, because he knew the Kid Elder''s temperament very well. The nicer the emissaries she sent are, the worse the punishment as the emissary would almost always talk sarcastically opposite of what they mean. Figuring that the emissary must be criticizing him for failing to accomplish his mission, he panicked: "I realize my fault, I realize my mistake, please forgive me! Could the Holy Emissary please say a couple of good things on my behalf to the Kid Elder? I beg of you!"


    Afraid to say anything more, Duan Yu just waved his hand somewhat and, dragging Zhong Ling with him, began to walk away. SiKong Xuan kept on his knees and spoke loudly: "The Divine Farmer Clan is honored to send the Holy Emissaries on their way. May the Kid Elder live forever!" The clan members behind him repeated altogether: "The Divine Farmer Clan is honored to send the Holy Emissaries on their way. May the Kid Elder live forever!" Already several meters away, Duan Yu thought the sight of all these men on their knees together were quite humorous and shouted back: "May Mr. SiKong Xuan live forever as well!"


    To SiKong Xuan, that sentence was filled with sarcasm and he almost fainted from the shock. The 2 men behind him noticed that their leader was shaking and immediately jumped up to support him fearing that he might drop some of the "Cure-All Elixir" in his hands.


    Duan Yu and the 2 girls walked for several dozen meters until they couldn''t hear the Divine Farmer Clan anymore. Zhong Ling whistled repeatedly trying to get her marten back but to no avail. So she turned to the girl in black: "Sister Mu, thank you and this other sister so much, but I have to stay here."


    The girl asked: "What for? Waiting for that poisonous marten of yours?" Zhong Ling replied: "No, I''m waiting for my Big Brother Duan, he went to get my father here to cure those poisoned guys in the Divine Farmer Clan." Turning to Duan Yu, she said: "Sister, can you give me some of the cure for Intestine Fragmenter?" The girl interrupted: "That Duan guy won''t be coming around here again." In a panic, Zhong Ling replied: "No way, that can''t be. He said he would! Even if my father won''t come, Big Brother Duan would still come back!" The girl retorted: "Hmph! Men only know how to lie, you shouldn''t believe anything he said." Zhong Ling began to sniff a little: "Big Brother Duan would nev... never lie to me."


    Duan Yu couldn''t control himself any longer and, with a laugh, took off his mask: "Miss Zhong, your Big Brother Duan really didn''t lie to you."


    Zhong Ling stared at him, rendered utterly speechless, for a long time before finally becoming overwhelmed with joy and jumped onto him with her arms around his neck while screaming: "You didn''t lie to me, I knew you wouldn''t!"


    The girl suddenly grabbed her by the back of her collar, pulled her aside, and coldly commented: "Don''t do that!" Zhong Ling was quite surprised by that, but being as happy as she was, she didn''t care. So she asked: "Sister Mu, how did you 2 meet?" The girl just humphed and didn''t respond.


    Worried about SiKong Xuan come chasing up after finding how ineffective the powder was, Duan Yu spoke up: "Why don''t we get going? We can talk about on the way." The girl in black climbed onto her horse and was out in front while Duan Yu briefly told Zhong Ling what had happened, judiciously leaving out the part about how the girl tortured him and only saying that she saved his life. After listening to the whole story, Zhong Ling yelled out to the girl: "Sister Mu, thank you so much for saving Big Brother Duan, I don''t know if I can ever pay you back for that." A bit peeved, the girl rebuked: "I saved him by my own accord, what does it have to do with you?" Zhong Ling stuck her tongue out at Duan Yu and made a face at that remark.


    The girl continued: "Hey, Duan Yu, I know that little devil Zhong Ling is going to tell you my name, so I''m going to tell you now. My name is Mu WanQing." Duan Yu replied: "Ah, ''Firewood is pure and flowery, pity to the pure willows.'' (Huo Mu Qing Hua, Wan Xi Qing Yang) Such a good name and surname." Mu WanQing replied: "Better than your ''one piece of wood, terrible fame (Yi Duan Mu Tou, Ming Yu Ji Huai).''" Duan Yu burst out laughing at that comment.


    {Duan Yu quoted a piece of poetry that I''m not too sure about the meaning of, so I just kind of went with the literal meanings of the word, sorry if it is off. If you know what it really means, please e-mail me. Thanks.}


    Zhong Ling grabbed Duan Yu''s left hand and gently said: "Big Brother Duan, you are so good to me." Duan Yu replied: "Only thing is that it''s a shame that you can''t find your marten." Zhong Ling whistled a couple of more times before replying: "No big deal really, after those bad guys leave, I''ll come back here and look for him. Will you come and keep me company?" Duan Yu nodded and replied: "Of course!" Thinking about that jade statue in that cave, he added: "From now on I would come back here from time to time." Furious, Mu WanQing cut in: "I don''t permit you to come back. If she want to look for her marten, then let her come herself." Duan Yu stuck his tongue out at Zhong Ling and made a face. The 2 of them looked at each other and smiled.


    The 3 of them did not talk for a long while and just walked. After several kilometers, Mu WanQing suddenly asked: "Zhong Ling, is your birthday the 5th of February?" She was still facing forward on her horse, not even turning around. Zhong Ling answered: "Yes it is! Sister Mu, how did you know?" Becoming furious, Mu WanQing shouted: "Still claiming that you aren''t lying Duan Yu?" With a jerk of the reins, she and Black Rose began to gallop away.


    Suddenly, there came a low and faint whistle from the northwest that was followed by 4 claps from the northeast corner. A row of silhouettes came flying this way from directly in front of them and stopped about 50 or so meters away from the 3 of them. A slight paused followed before a hoarse voice shouted: "Little Whore! Where do you think you are running off to?" The voice belonged to none other than Grandma Rui. Before they could respond, someone started to snicker from behind them. Duan Yu whipped his head around in panic and saw the faint figure of Grandma Ping standing there with the daggers in her hands were almost glowing under the moonlight. There was a man to the left and right of her. The man to her left had a face of white beard and a huge shovel in his hand while the man to her right was a relatively young man that carried a sword. Duan Yu sort of remembered seeing these 2 men among those who were present in the hall where he first met Mu WanQing.


    Mu WanQing sneered: "You ghosts still haven''t disappeared yet? Quite an accomplishment for you guys, chasing me all the way here." Grandma Ping replied: "We''ll chase you to the end of the world if we have to, you Little Whore!" A small sound came from Mu WanQing as she shot out a small arrow. The swordsman''s eye-sight and coordination turned out to be excellent as he knocked the arrow down with his sword. Before anyone else could react, Mu WanQing had launched herself off of her horse and was flying towards the white-bearded old man.


    For a man as old as him, his reaction was incredibly fast. With a flick of his right hand, he swung the shovel at Mu WanQing. Still off the ground, Mu WanQing pushed off the face of the shovel with her left foot and flew back towards Grandma Ping. Grandma Ping held up her dagger to block the strike. "Zeng!" The blade of her dagger had been sliced off by the sword, creating a bright flash in the darkness. Grandma Rui immediately attacked Mu WanQing''s back in hopes of rescuing Grandma Ping. Not in a hurry to kill Grandma Ping just yet, Mu WanQing rotated her sword sideways, pushed off of Grandma Ping''s shoulder with the flat side of the sword, and gently flew off like a feather. Had it not for Grandma Rui''s intervention, she would not have rotated the sword and Grandma Ping would have been sliced in two.


    That entire exchange, with all the sudden changes and reverses, took only a couple of seconds. Even though she had just barely escaped death, Grandma Ping was not the least bit scared as she immediately swung her dagger at Mu WanQing 3 more times, making Mu WanQing dodge and lose the initiative. At the same time, Grandma Rui and 2 other men charged up and attacked as well. The sword in Mu WanQing''s hand flashed repeatedly as she weaved her way among those 4 attackers. Standing several meters away was Zhong Ling, waving at Duan Yu incessantly: "Big Brother Duan, come here!" Duan Yu asked after he made his way over: "What?" Zhong Ling suggested: "Let''s get out of here!" Duan Yu replied: "They are ganging up on Miss Mu, how could we leave just like that?" Zhong Ling replied: "Sister Mu''s kungfu is really very good, she could get out of this by herself with no problem at all." Duan Yu shook his head: "She came here to save your life, how could you just leave her like this?" Zhong Ling stumped her foot and replied: "You idiot! Like you can help her out by staying here! Ay! If only Lightning is here!"


    At this time, Mu WanQing was fending off the 4 attackers with all her might. Because Grandma Rui''s iron staff and the old man''s iron shovel were very noisy because of their length, Mu WanQing was paying very close attention to all the sounds around her and heard this entire exchange between Zhong Ling and Duan Yu.


    Duan Yu continued: "Miss Zhong, why don''t you leave first? I can''t bear to wrong Miss Mu in any way. In the unlikely event that she''s overwhelmed, I could try and talk us out it." Zhong Ling replied: "Other than just giving that life of yours away, you really aren''t good for anything here. Go! Sister Mu won''t be angry at your for it." Duan Yu replied: "If Miss Mu hadn''t saved me, I would have died a long time ago. There''s really not much difference in dying half a day earlier or later." Frustrated, Zhong Ling grabbed his arm and started to walk away: "You idiot! I can''t win arguing with you like this!"


    Duan Yu shouted: "I don''t want to leave! I don''t want to leave!" But he wasn''t strong enough and was being dragged away.


    Mu WanQing suddenly shouted: "Zhong Ling, you get yourself out of here! Leave him here!" Zhong Ling began to pull him even harder. "Shoo!" A small arrow suddenly shot into Zhong Ling''s hair and got stuck into one of the hair buns in her hair. Mu WanQing threatened: "If you don''t let go, the next one is going straight for your eye!" Zhong Ling knew that she was the type that would go through with whatever she says; and although the 2 of them had been good friends, they still haven''t been together long enough to establish any real deep friendship. So she let go, knowing that she was really about to shoot at her eye.


    Mu WanQing commanded further: "Zhong Ling, go to your parent''s place now! Go! If you wait for your Big Brother Duan at all, then I''m going to shoot 3 more arrows at you!" She parried away several more attacks as she said this.


    Not daring to disobey her, Zhong Ling turned to Duan Yu: "Big Brother Duan, please be careful!" She then covered her face, turned, and disappeared into darkness.


    After ordering Zhong Ling away, Mu WanQing went back to concentrating on fending off the attackers. Feeling a faint pain on her leg where she had been hooked, she suddenly changed her fighting style. This time the sword flashed through the darkness over and over again like a meteor shower, ever-changing and unpredictable. Suddenly, the old man screamed in pain for he had been hit in his chest. Mu WanQing followed that with 3 more thrusts, forcing Grandma Rui and that swordsman to jump out of the fighting circle. Then, spinning the blade of her sword around, she turned towards Grandma Ping. In a blink of an eye, Grandma Ping had already been hit 3 times. Ignoring the wounds, Grandma Ping continued to attack like a wild tiger. By now, the other 3 attackers had rejoined the fight. Grandma Ping rolled to a stop at Mu WanQing''s foot and swung at her calf with the dagger in her right hand. Mu WanQing gave her a nice kick, sending her rolling off. At this precise moment, Grandma Rui''s iron staff came flying in towards her forehead. Mu WanQing hurriedly brought her sword back, parried the staff away, and moved right into a thrust towards the center of her foes.


    Grandma Rui turned her body sideways and brought her staff back to protect herself. Mu WanQing let out a little sigh of relief and was just about start another attack when a huge amount of pain shot through her. Turned out that the old man, unable to lift his shovel after being injured, pulled out an iron spike, charged in, and was able to stab it into her shoulder. Mu WanQing smacked him over her shoulders and pretty much flattened his entire face, killing him in an instant. But Grandma Rui had charged forth and began attacking again. Grandma Ping screamed: "The Little Whore is hurt, don''t worry about catching her life, just kill her!"


    Seeing that Mu WanQing was wounded, Duan Yu began to panic. So he, as he did last time, wanted to run over and grabbed the old man''s corpse. But with the 4 fighters in the way, he could not reach the corpse. In desperation, he ripped off the robe he had on and, wildly waving it, charged into the melee and was able to cover up Grandma Ping''s head. Shocked that she suddenly lost her sight, she immediately reached with her hand and tried to tear the cloth away. However, in a panic, she had forgot that she was holding a dagger and was cut face, causing her to squeal like a pig. Unable to find enough time to pull out the spike that''s imbedded in her left shoulder, Mu WanQing, fighting off the pain as much as she could, hurriedly swung at Grandma Rui twice, then turned and thrusted at the swordsman. These 3 moves were incredible as Grandma Rui''s right cheek had been slashed as was the swordsman''s forehead. Although the wounds were harmless, the parts that were hit were vital. And so, in shock, both of them jumped back and felt their wounds with their hands to check on it.


    Mu WanQing cursed to herself: "Damn it! Should have killed them!" She took a deep breath and whistled. Black Rose arrived almost instantaneously. She hopped onto the saddle, grabbed Duan Yu by his collar, and lifted him up as well. Black Rose began to gallop west as fast as she could.


    They hadn''t even gone 100 meters when there suddenly came a huge amount of shouting behind the woods as several men came charging out, blocking their way. The tall man in the middle yelled: "Little Whore! Your old man here''s been waiting for you for a long time now!" He reached up in an attempt to grab a hold of Black Rose''s manes. Mu WanQing slightly flicked her right hand and 3 arrows shot out, hitting 3 men in the crowd. Taking advantage of the old man''s momentary surprise, she pulled on the reins and Black Rose leapt over the head of the men. The men came chasing after her, but, fearing her poisonous arrows, they held their weapons out in front of them and kept getting further and further back. But they were still cursing like crazy: "Whore! She ran away again!" "No matter where you ran off to, we''ll still find you and gut you!" "Come on everyone! After her!"


    Mu WanQing let Black Rose to run as she pleased through the mountain and arrived hill lock. Seeing that there was a cliff in front of her, she had no choice but to stop to try and find another way. No Measure Mountain''s paths twists and weaves their way up and down the mountain, making it very difficult to navigate through them.


    Suddenly, there came shouting from ahead: "That horse is coming back around!" "This way!" "The Little Whore is back!" Because of her wound, Mu WanQing was in no condition to fight. So she immediately stopped Black Rose and began to run to the right. This time she no longer had time to pick a path and Black Rose was running through the wilderness. Luckily, Black Rose was amazingly strong and agile and was able to traverse through the rocky hillside with no problem whatsoever. After galloping for a long time, Black Rose suddenly mis-stepped with her front legs and bumped her right-front knee on a rock, causing her to limp and slow down.


    Worried, Duan Yu suggested: "Miss Mu, let me off. That way you can get away easier and faster with just you riding. They have no enmities or quarrels with me, so it wouldn''t be much of a problem if they caught me." Mu WanQing replied: "Hmph! What do you know? You are from DaLi, they would kill you as soon as they catch you." Duan Yu replied: "That''s strange, are they planning to kill everyone in DaLi? Miss, please listen to me and escape by yourself."


    With her left shoulder just throbbing in pain, Mu WanQing had no patience to listen to Duan Yu ramble. So she shouted: "Shut up! Don''t say another word!" Duan Yu replied: "Alright, then could you let me sit behind you instead?" Mu WanQing asked: "Why?" Duan Yu replied: "I left my robe over that fat grandma''s head." Mu WanQing wondered: "So?" Duan Yu answered: "There''s several holes on the back of my pants, sitting in front of miss with this bare... bare... towards miss... hehe. That''s... just too inappropriate."


    Barely able to bear the pain on her shoulder, Mu WanQing grabbed his shoulders and, gritting her teeth, squeezed so hard that his bones were cracking and commanded: "Shut up!" Unable to handle the pain, Duan Yu immediately complied: "Alright, alright, I''ll shut up."

 Chapter - 4 High Cliffs And Faraway Persons

    After several kilometers, Black Rose found another mountain path. But the mountain path gradually got steeper, causing Black Rose''s gallop to get even slower and allowing the cursing and shouting behind them begin to get closer and closer.


    "Black Rose, so sorry to make you work so hard today." Duan Yu shouted. "But could you please run just a little faster?" After several more kilometers, he could actually see the reflections off the blades of sabres and swords behind them.


    "Faster, faster!" Mu WanQing urged Black Rose continuously and Black Rose''s speed picked up. Suddenly, a deep, bottomless gorge dozens of meters wide appeared in front of them. Black Rose let out a long neigh and took several steps back.


    Seeing that there''s no where left to go, Mu WanQing asked: "I''m going to try and jump this gorge. Do you want to stay here or chance it with me?"


    "If there''s one less person on the horse, then it would be easier for Black Rose to jump this." Duan Yu thought. So he replied: "Why don''t miss go first and then pull me over?"


    "Not enough time for that!" Mu WanQing replied as the pursuers closed in. Backing up the horse several more steps, she gently patted on its belly a couple of times and shouted: "Shh! Jump it!"


    Black Rose shot forth towards the edge of the gorge. Just inches from the end of the path, she jumped. Duan Yu felt as if he was flying through the air, only carried by the clouds; but his heart beat so fast that it felt as if it was about to jump out of his mouth.


    Because of being urged by her master, Black Rose had jumped with all her might and her front hooves landed on the other side. But because the distance between the sides was just too wide and, after running all night and being injured, she was tired, her hindlegs did not reach the other side and she began to fall.


    With lightning quick reactions, Mu WanQing immediately grabbed Duan Yu and jumped up off the saddle. Duan Yu landed first and Mu WanQing came crashing down right after, landing neatly into his arms. Fearing that she might be hurt, Duan Yu held onto her as tight as he could. Black Rose''s desperate scream could be heard as she fell further down into the gorge.


    Overwhelmed with despair, Mu WanQing struggled out of Duan Yu''s embrace and ran to the edge of the cliff. But all that could be seen were clouds and fog, not a trace or sign of Black Rose anywhere. She suddenly felt light headed as the whole world began to spin around her. Her legs gave out from under her as she collapsed onto the ground.


    Shocked and afraid that she might fall or roll over the edge, Duan Yu scrambled over as fast as he could. Her eyes were close tight, she had obviously fainted from what just happened. He was at a lost about what to do next when he suddenly heard someone shouting.


    "Shoot! Shoot! Kill the 2 of them!"


    Duan Yu looked up and saw that 7 or 8 men already arrived at the other side of the gorge. So he immediately picked Mu WanQing up and ran in the other direction. "Soow!" An arrow suddenly whistled by, grazing his ear.


    He stumbled around for several more steps before he crouched down to make himself smaller and continued to ran away. "Soow!" Another arrow flew right over his head, right where it would have been normally. He suddenly caught the sight of a huge rock to his left, so he dove behind it. And just in time it appeared, as an endless cacophony of projectiles hitting the rock arose as soon as he jumped behind the rock. Duan Yu stayed as still as he could, not daring to move a muscle.


    "Smash!" A huge rock suddenly sailed over the rock and landed just beside him. The person who tossed the rock must have been incredibly strong as to be able to toss such a huge piece of stone more than 30 meters. Fortunately for Duan Yu, the distance made it almost impossible to aim the throw.


    Figuring that this place wasn''t safe after all, Duan Yu immediately picked Mu WanQing up again. In one breath, he ran as fast as he could for about another 40 meters or so. Only then did he feel safe from all the projectiles and stop.


    He caught his breath and gently laid Mu WanQing down onto the grass. He then jumped behind another rock and stuck his head out to take a peek at the other side of the gorge.


    By now the other side was filled with people as every one of them was pointing one way or another as if they were planning something. Once in a while Duan Yu would hear a sentence or 2 of what they said, filled with cursing and rude comments, that was carried over by the wind.


    "If they went around the mountain and came up from the other side, then the 2 of us would be completely defenseless." Duan Yu thought to himself.


    So he walked over to the other end of the mountain top, looked down, and scared himself so much that he almost lost his balance. Several hundred meters below the edge of the cliff a huge, jade colored river was roaring by. Turned out they had arrived at the shores of LanCang River. The rapids were furious, no way to get up from this side. But if those guys get to the bottom of the gorge, they could climb up this side and the 2 of them would still be killed. He took a deep breath and sighed, figuring that whatever happens happens and that he''ll worry about what to do when the time comes. Suddenly, something he said just a little bit before popped back into his head: "There''s really not much to be gained from dying half a day earlier or later."


    He returned to Mu WanQing''s side. Noticing that she still haven''t come to, he was trying hard to figure out how to wake her up when he noticed that there was an iron spike sticking out from the back of her left shoulder and the blood from the wound covered most of her shirt. He was busy running for his life earlier and sitting in front of her on the horse before that, so he had no idea that she had suffered such a horrendous wound.


    "Is she dead?" was the first thought that popped into his head. So he immediately moved her veil aside and put his finger underneath her nose to check her breathing. He was greatly relieved when he felt a faint breath.


    "Got to pull that spike out and stop the bleeding." He decided. So he grabbed the spike, bit down hard, and pulled. The spike came out rather easily. But he did not know what to expect and had his entire face covered by a spray of blood.


    Mu WanQing screamed in pain as it woke her up, but she then immediately fainted again.


    Duan Yu pushed down on her wound as much as he could, trying to stop the bleeding. But the blood was almost squirting out and it looked hopeless. At his wit''s end, he pulled a handful of grass from the ground, stuffed them into his mouth, chewed them into a pulp, and smeared it over her wound. But the blood just washed the pulp off the wound.


    "When she was wounded by those hooks," he suddenly remembered, "she used some herbs or medicine from her shirt and the bleeding stopped soon after."


    He gently reached into her shirt and took out the objects one by one. There was one comb made out of yellow poplar, a small mirror, 2 pink handkerchiefs, 3 small wooden boxes, and one porcelain flask. He was taken aback when he saw these female items. Only now did he realize that this was a girl in front of him and realized how inappropriate it was for him to reach into her shirt and feel around. Also, it was very difficult to link these female items with this merciless killer.


    He had seen Mu WanQing pour some green powder out of the porcelain flask to SiKong Xuan as the Kid Elder''s magical medicine but did not know whether or not it could stop bleeding. So he popped open one of the boxes and was immediately engulfed by a faint fragrance. The box was filled with blush. The second box was half filled with a white powder and the third box had in it a yellow powder. He put both of them up to his nose and sniffed them. The white powder was odorless but the yellow powder was so spicy that it made him sneeze from just one sniff.


    "This is either the blood clotter or a deadly poison." He thought to himself. "Better be on the cautious side, it would be terrible if I misused it." So he poked Mu WanQing for a while until she slowly cracked open her eyes.


    Ecstatic, he asked: "Miss Mu, which of these medicines stops bleeding?"


    "The red one." She replied before closing her eyes again.


    "The red one?" Duan Yu asked to make sure, but she did not reply. Duan Yu was quite puzzled, that red one was clearly blush, how could it stop bleeding? But since she said so, then might as well try it out; it''s can''t be any worse than applying poison onto the wound.


    So he tore off a bit of the cloth around the wound, scooped up a bit of the blush with his finger and applied it onto the wound. When his fingers touched the wound, Mu WanQing, even though she''s half-conscious, twitched from the pain.


    "It''s ok, it''s ok." Duan Yu comforted. "Let''s stop the bleeding first."


    Strangely, the blush turned out to be incredibly effective. Soon, the bleeding significantly slowed down and stopped. After a while, a yellowish liquid oozed out from the wound.


    "Making blood clotters like blush," Duan Yu thought out loud to himself, "girls these days are really something."


    Only now did he finally calm down from all that work and he noticed that the other side of the gorge had quieted down.


    "Are they really going to come up from the bottom of the gorge?" He wondered. Crawling to the edge of the cliff, he looked down and his heart began beating fast again. As he expected, he saw about a dozen or so men slowly climbing down the cliff facing him towards the bottom of the gorge. Even though the gorge is deep, there''s still a bottom, and as soon as they reach it they could climb up this side. From the looks of it, they would arrive in about 5 or 6 hours.


    Although the outlook was grim, he couldn''t just give in and wait here to die. Looking around again, he realized that they were on the very top of a peak with sheer cliffs on 3 sides and a river on the other. He sighed and dragged Mu WanQing underneath a rock that was jutting out of the ground so she wouldn''t catch anything from the cold mountain winds. After that, he started to gather rocks and put them by the very edge of the cliff. Luckily, there were all kinds of rocks all over the place and he was able to quickly gather quite an impressive mound. Satisfied with his own work, he sat down at Mu WanQing''s side to rest himself.


    As soon as he sat down he felt the sand on the ground rumbling, rather painfully, against his bare skin. His thoughts began to wander as he compared his situation with a particular line of teaching he had read in the Book of Changes. Somehow his thoughts led him to compare himself to a large goat.


    {Note: Here Duan Yu''s specific thoughts were filled with old Chinese terms that uses characters that aren''t even in dictionaries anymore. I''m sorry I could not translate his thoughts word for word, but the gist of it was that he somehow compared himself to a large goat.}


    Having not slept at all last night, he was as tired as he could ever remember being. After analyzing a couple more phrases from the Book of Changes, he was just about to fall asleep. However, knowing that enemies were approaching, he did not dare to let himself sleep. As wave after wave of the fragrance from Mu WanQing hit him, he suddenly realized that when he put his fingers underneath her nose to make sure that she was alive he had actually removed her veil and saw her face. But he was too occupied with her well-being at the time to pay attention to what she looked like. And now for no good reason he couldn''t bring himself to remove the veil to take another look. Thinking back some more, he seemed to remember that her skin was white and smooth, at least nothing like her claim of having a pot-covered face.


    At this time Mu WanQing was still passed out, if he quietly removed her veil again there was no way she would know. He wanted to, but did not dare to. His mind was racing: "I''m living and dying with her right here, most probably dying actually. If I don''t even know what she looked like before I die, then won''t my death be a little too much in vain?"


    But deep down he was also afraid that she might actually turn out to really have a pot-covered face: "If she wasn''t just incredibly ugly, why would she always have a veil on and not let anyone else see her real face? This particular miss''s actions are so rough and rash, she probably has no relation whatsoever with the words ''beautiful and elegant''."


    He just could not make up his mind. In trying to make up his mind, he just got sleepier and sleepier until he actually fell asleep.


    After what seemed like forever, a crackling sound suddenly woke him up. Running to the edge of the cliff, he was able to see 5 or 6 men climbing up the cliff. Luckily, the cliff was so steep that their progress slowed to almost a halt. Duan Yu''s mind was screaming to himself: "Wow that was close! Too close!"


    He picked up a rock and threw it over the edge. "Stop! Or else I''m going to let you guys have it!" He shouted.


    From his position above them, he could easily hit them with rocks; and because the climbers were still about 100 meters away from him, they could not hit him with their projectiles. When they heard him, they stopped, but only for a second before they resumed climbing, only this time they were zig-zagging and temporarily hiding behind certain rocks. In a flurry, Duan Yu tossed 5 or 6 rocks over the edge in a row. Two screams went up as 2 men were hit and fell to their deaths. Only then did the rest of the climbers realize the predicament they were in and began to scramble down the cliff. One of them was too hasty in his retreat, lost his footing, and also fell to his death.


    Duan Yu had studied Buddhism with highly respected monks ever since he was little. He even refused to learn kungfu. So this was the first time he had taken a life, and it scared his face white. He had intended to just scare those climbers away, but ended up killing 2 men and indirectly causing the death of another. Even though he knew that if he didn''t do what he did and the climbers made it to the top, both Mu WanQing and him would have been dead, he still could not help feeling terrible.


    He just stood there, completely still from the shock, for a long while before he returned to where Mu WanQing was. She had sat up and was leaning up against the rock. Surprised and ecstatic, Duan Yu said: "Miss Mu, you... you are ok now!"


    Mu WanQing did not reply. She just stared at him from behind the mask, there was viciousness in that stare.


    "You just sit there and rest for a bit, I''m going to get some water for you." Duan Yu said in a soft voice.


    "Were people trying to climb up to here?" She asked.


    Tears rolled out of Duan Yu''s eyes. He wiped them off with his sleeve and replied in between his sobs: "I accidentally killed 2 of them and... and scared... scared another one to fall."


    "So?" Mu WanQing asked, not knowing what to make of his crying.


    "The Heavens want us to live, I... I killed for no good reason, I deserve to die." Duan Yu replied between sobs. "Those 3 men could have parents, wives, or kids, they would surely be destroyed when they hear the news. How... how could I have done this to them? To their families?"


    "You got them too." Mu WanQing said with a sneer.


    "I have parents, but no wives or kids." Duan Yu replied, not understanding what she was trying to say.


    Mu WanQing''s eyes suddenly flashed a very peculiar look, but only for a brief instant before turning back to the cold, steely look they had before. "After they make it up the cliff, are they going to kill you? Are they going to kill me?" She demanded.


    "Mostly likely."


    "Hmph! You would prefer being killed over killing others?"


    "If it was just me, then I would never kill anyone. But... but I can''t let them hurt you." Duan Yu said after he thought about it for a bit.


    "Why?" Mu WanQing fiercely demanded.


    "You saved my life before, I have to save yours too."


    "I''m going to ask you a question, and if you don''t tell me the whole truth, the arrows in my sleeve are going straight through you throat!" She lifted her right arm slightly off the ground as she said that so it aimed towards Duan Yu.


    "So those arrows of yours that killed all those people came from your sleeve." Duan Yu observed.


    "Idiot," Mu WanQing shouted. "Are you or are you not going to listen to me?"


    "You are not going kill me, why should I listen to you?"


    "If you really get on my nerves, I very well could decide to kill you," Mu WanQing replied viciously. "Now tell me, did you see my face?"


    Duan Yu shook his head: "No."


    "Really?" Mu WanQing asked. Her voice was getting lower and her forehead was covered in sweat, obviously she was using up all strength to sustain this conversation. Nevertheless, the tone of her voice was still very threatening.


    "Why should I lie to you? You can''t just not believe everything I say." Duan Yu replied.


    "You could have done it while I was passed out."


    "I was too occupied with that wound on your back, it didn''t even cross my mind."


    Angry, Mu WanQing''s breathing became labored as she demanded: "You... saw the skin on my back? You... you applied herbs to my back?"


    "Yes," Duan Yu answered. "That blush of yours works wonders. I can''t believe it''s actually a blood-clotter."


    "Could you come here help me sit up a little?" Mu WanQing suddenly asked.


    "Alright, you shouldn''t talk so much. Just rest until you are alright and then we can try and find a way to escape." Duan Yu said as he walked over to her side to give her a hand.


    His hands was just about to touch her arm when suddenly, "Smack!" He was slapped so hard on his left cheek that it left felt as if it was on fire. Although Mu WanQing was injured, her moves still packed quite a punch.


    Duan Yu, caught totally off guard, was dizzy and got spun in a complete circle. Covering his cheeks with his hands, he angrily shouted: "Why... why did you hit me?"


    "How... how dare you? How dare you... touch my skin? How dare you... look at my back...." Mu WanQing shouted back in equal fury before passing out from both anger and exhaustion.


    Shocked, Duan Yu completely forgot about that slap as he scrambled forward and got her to sat back up again. Only then did he notice that blood was once again spilling out of the wound on her back; turned out that she had put too much force into that slap, and the wound that was just beginning to heal ripped open again.


    "Miss Mu got mad at me for touching her skin, but if I don''t do anything, she would surely die from blood loss. Oh well, I guess the worse that could happen is getting slapped a couple more times." Duan Yu decided.


    So he ripped off a piece of his shirt and began wiping away the blood around the wound. But with her snow-white and baby smooth skin in his sights coupled with wave after wave of her fragrance, he did not dare to look more than he had to as he hurriedly applied the blush onto the wound again.


    This time it didn''t take as long for Mu WanQing to come to. As soon as she opened her eyes, she shot a murderous look at Duan Yu, who, scared that she might hit him again, was standing a good distance away.


    "You... again...." Mu WanQing said, knowing that Duan Yu re-applied the blush from the coolness she felt around the wound.


    "I... I can''t just let you die," Duan Yu argued.


    Too exhausted to respond, all Mu WanQing could do was try and bring her labored breathing under control.


    Suddenly noticing the sound of water running to his left, Duan Yu walked over and found a small but clean mountain creek. He bent down, washed his hands, and took a good sip of the water. Then he cupped some water in his hands, walked over to Mu WanQing''s side, and said: "Come on, drink some water, you''ll feel better."


    Mu WanQing hesitated, but losing all that blood had made her incredibly thirsty, so she pulled back a little corner of her veil, revealing her mouth.


    It was high noon at that moment and the sun shone down directly onto her face. Duan Yu noticed that her chin was quite small, her face was white and, just like her back, smooth as silk, with not even a trace of a blemish was to be found. Her cherry-like mouth sat cutely in the middle and, with her lips quite thin, revealed 2 rows of jade-like teeth. He suddenly realized: "She... she''s actually incredibly beautiful!"


    Some of the water had leaked through the cracks between his fingers and spilled onto Mu WanQing''s face. To Duan Yu, they looked like little dew drops on the morning flowers. Taken by surprise by the whole situation, he did not dare to look anymore and turned his head away.


    Mu WanQing finished the water he had brought her and said: "More, go get me more."


    Duan Yu obeyed her and got her more water. After a total of 3 trips, her thirst was finally quench.


    Duan Yu, being extra safe, crawled to the edge of the cliff and looked around. He saw 7 or 8 men standing on the other side of the gorge looking over on this side with bows and arrows in hand. Looking down the face of the cliff, he saw that nobody else was trying to climb up. But knowing that the enemy wouldn''t just give up, he figured they would eventually figure out another way to attack.


    He shook his head, drank some more water from the creek, then washed off some of Mu WanQing''s blood that had spilled onto his face. Then it occurred to him: "The cure for Intestine Fragmenter! Not that it would really make a difference now, but I guess it couldn''t hurt to use it."


    So he took out the little porcelain bottle out from inside his shirt, dumped some of the powder onto his hand, and swallowed it with a mouthful of mountain water. He thought: "This medicine tastes horrible, but at least it''s better than how that Intestine Fragmenter tasted. Ay, who knew Miss Mu is that beautiful. Hopefully this situation is like it''s written: ''lose horse'', ''worry not for evil''."


    {Again, Duan Yu is quoting from a book that he read, most likely the Book of Changes, which seemed to be his favorite.}


    But then he thought: "There''s water here, but no food. Our enemy don''t have to get up here, they just have to wait a few days and the 2 of us will die of starvation."


    Depressed and showing it on his face, he returned to Mu WanQing''s side and commented: "Too bad there isn''t any fruit on this hill, or else we can at least pick them to combat hunger."


    "Useless talk!" Mu WanQing replied. "All that talking isn''t going to help us is it?"


    After a pause, she suddenly asked: "How did you meet that little girl of the Zhongs?"


    Duan Yu told her, as good as he can remember it, how he first met Zhong Ling in Sword Lake Palace, how he was made fun of, and how she came to his rescue, etc., etc.


    Mu WanQing did not utter a word during the entire story. After he finished, she snickered: "You don''t know any kungfu, yet you keep on meddling in other people''s business in the martial world, are you tired of living or something?"


    "I got myself into this mess, so I deserve whatever I have coming, nothing to say about that. But I just don''t feel right about dragging miss into this as well." Duan Yu replied, rather apologetically.


    "What are you talking about? These enemies are mine, if you didn''t exist they would still gang up on me wouldn''t they? If it wasn''t for you, I wouldn''t have to worry about you... I... I would be able to go out in style and die in battle, at least it would be much better than starving to death here."


    Mu WanQing paused after she said "worry about you" because she felt rather foolish to actually saying that she worried about him and was blushing feverishly. Luckily the veil covered her face and Duan Yu attributed the change in her voice to the fact that she, being exhausted, was finding it difficult to speak. So he tried to comfort her: "Miss, just rest a couple of days for your back to recover. Then when you try and bust out, they might not be able to stop you."


    Mu WanQing let out a cold laugh and said: "Easy for you to say, is it possible for this wound of mine to heal in a couple of days? There really is quite a lot of them out there...."


    Suddenly, from the other side of the gorge, there came a howl so loud that it shook the entire mountain. Mu WanQing snapped up, grabbed Duan Yu''s arm for support, and asked in a shaking voice: "Who... who is that? How can his inner strength be that strong?"


    The howl circled the mountain endlessly, lasting for what seemed like forever. With all the echoes it caused in the mountains, it was literally like an army of ghosts, crying and screaming upon their return to claim their lost souls. Even though it was in the middle of the day, Duan Yu suddenly felt as if the entire sky darkened right in front of him. Only after an eternity did the howls and noises gradually cease.


    "This guy''s kungfu is so good that there''s no possible way for me to beat him." Mu WanQing said. "Just... just leave, don''t worry about me anymore."


    "Miss Mu, is that how you think of me? I, Duan Yu, might be ''a piece of wood'', but I''m not that kind of a person." Duan Yu answered with a smile.


    Mu WanQing stared at him for a long time, stared at him with what actually seemed like care and worry. "That ''piece of wood'' business was just me messing with you, don''t worry about it." She said in a gentle and tender voice. "Why do you want to die with me? What... what good would it do? Just run away and think of me once in a while, and that would be good enough for me."


    Duan Yu had never heard her talk like this before. Once that howl went up, she seemed to have turned into a different person. It''s just that she was so used to talking in that cold, uncaring way that all those nice and sweet things came out rather stiff and awkward for her. He had to smile: "Miss Mu, why couldn''t you talk like this all the time? You were really like a beautiful and elegant lady just then."


    Mu WanQing humphed and, suddenly turning vicious, demanded: "How do you know whether or not I''m pretty? You saw my face didn''t you?"


    Her fist tightened like an iron clamp around Duan Yu''s arm.


    "When I got you water, I saw half of your face." Duan Yu finally said with a sigh. "But just that half of your face is enough to make you a rare beauty."


    Despite Mu WanQing''s personality, she''s still just a girl. So she couldn''t help but feel good when he complimented her looks. Besides, she had been wearing that veil for so long that nobody had ever complimented on her looks before, all anybody ever noticed was her kungfu. Feeling warm and fuzzy, she loosened her grip and instructed: "Go find a cave or something to hide in. No matter what you see, don''t come out. He''ll be here any minute now."


    Quite taken aback by that revelation, Duan Yu jumped up and shouted: "I can''t let him get up here!"


    He ran over to the edge of the cliff and looked down. His eyes suddenly blurred as he saw what looks to be a man in yellow making his way up the face of the cliff at an incredible speed. The cliff was almost a sheer drop, yet this man was moving as if he was on flat ground.


    Terrified, Duan Yu shouted down: "Hey! Stop! Or else I''ll start throwing rocks down at you!"


    That man let out a huge laugh and actually began to move even faster.


    Seeing that he was making his way up the mountain that fast, yet not wanting to kill again, Duan Yu picked up a rock and threw it a couple of meters to the side of the man. The rock wasn''t really that big, but after dropping such a long distance, it carried quite a force with it. "You see that? Had I hit you, you would be dead by now! Turn around!" Duan Yu shouted.


    "Stinking bastard! Don''t want to live anymore? How dare you greet me so rudely?" That man let out a cold snicker and said.


    Seeing him moving even faster, Duan Yu had no other choice. He picked up a couple more rock and aimed it at the man''s head. Closing his eyes so he didn''t have to watch the man die, he dropped the rocks. All he heard was the sound of the rocks falling through the air and the man''s loud laugh. Confused, Duan Yu opened his eyes and saw that the man was still alright and the rocks had already fallen past him. Now Duan Yu was terrified. In a near panic, he grabbed a whole pile of rocks and dumped the entire load onto the man at once.


    That man waited until the rocks were almost about to hit his head, and then he reached up with a hand and casually pushed them out of the way. Once in a while he would give a little hop sideways and avoid a potentially troublesome rock. Duan Yu dumped about 30 or so rocks as fast as he could at him, but all he was able to do was slow the man''s progress a bit. Not being able to do a thing as he got closer and closer, so close in fact that Duan Yu could just about make out the man''s frightening face, Duan Yu scrambled back to Mu WanQing''s side and shouted: "Miss... Miss Mu, that... that man''s too strong, let''s get out of here!"


    "Too late," Mu WanQing coldly replied.


    Duan Yu was just about to reply when a huge force suddenly hit him from behind, sending him flying. He fell into a little group of trees and was almost completely knocked out. Luckily, he had landed into an area that was literally covered with little trees, thus he only suffered minor scratches on his face and not much more. By the time he had gotten up from the fall, that person was already standing at Mu WanQing''s side.


    Duan Yu scrambled up and positioned himself in front of Mu WanQing, blocking the man''s path. "Who are you? And why are you trying to hurt others?" He asked.


    Mu WanQing was caught completely by surprise. "Ru... Run! Get out of here!" She shouted at him.


    That man let out a hearty laugh and said: "Too late to run away now! Your old man here is the Divine Croc of the South Seas; in terms of kungfu, I rank number... number... hehe I''m sure you 2 kids have heard about me, right?"


    Duan Yu''s heart was pounding, but he forced himself to not panic and began sizing up the man in front of him. The first thing he noticed was his unusually large head. Two rows of white and menacing teeth can be seen in his huge mouth, yet his eyes were unexpectedly small and round, like 2 peas. Still, the force in his stare was positively menacing as they looked Duan Yu up and down over and over again, causing Duan Yu to shudder involuntarily. He had an average built, but his legs were skinny, almost to the bone. He carried a beard that looked as if it was made out of iron, every single strand was stiff and straight. Despite the beard, it was impossible to tell how old he was. He had on a silk robe which drooped down to his knees. The silk was of a very high quality and expensive, yet the pants he had on was made of very cheap and rough material and was so dirty that it was difficult to make out its original. His fingers were long and pointy, which reminded Duan Yu of chicken paws. At first glance, Duan Yu had thought that this man was just indescribably ugly, but the more he looked at him, the more he felt that it was only because the man''s looks, built, and even clothing just simply didn''t match.


    "Come here," Mu WanQing instructed. "Stand beside me."


    "You... you sure he won''t harm you?" Duan Yu asked.


    Mu WanQing let out a little cold laugh and said: "With that little bit of stuff you know, what chance do you have of stopping ''the Divine Croc of the South Seas''?"


    Despite her tone of voice, Mu WanQing couldn''t help but be touched that Duan Yu would actually put himself in danger to protect her.


    Duan Yu figured that she was right. If this man wanted to get him out of the way, all he had to do was simply lift his arm. So it was probably best not to anger him yet. Thus he backed up until he was even with Mu WanQing and said: "Oh, so you are ''The Divine Croc of the South Seas'' who''s kungfu is ranked number... number... that is... I have much admired your famed and illustrious name. I have humbly been able to meet several brave men and heroes these last couple of days, and I have to say that your amazing kungfu has to be the best among them. Not one of those rocks I tossed down hit! Sir, your kungfu is truly amazing."


    "Even though I''m brown-nosing, his kungfu really is something else, so all this kissing up isn''t that bad." DuanYu reasoned.


    Divine Croc of the South Seas was on cloud nine from all the praise that Duan Yu tossed at him. So he let out another, rather stiff, laugh and replied: "Your kungfu might not be anything to brag about, but at least you know what''s good when you see it. I guess I''ll let you live just for that. Now get out of my way."


    Ecstatic, Duan Yu suggested: "Then could you, sir, please let Miss Mu go too?"


    Divine Croc''s eyes bugged out, reached out with one arm, and gave Duan Yu a shove that pushed him back several steps before he was able to recover his balance. In a heavy and vicious voice, he said: "Take one more step forward, and your old man here is going to kill you!"


    "Men like him is capable of doing anything. I better just stay here for now." Duan Yu thought to himself.


    Divine Croc opened his eyes wide and sized Mu WanQing up several times before asking: "Did you kill ''Little Devil'' Sun SanBa?"


    "Yes," Mu WanQing replied.


    "Did you know that he was my beloved disciple?"


    Duan Yu was screaming on the inside: "Oh bad! This is bad! Miss Mu killed his beloved disciple, that''s not the kind of thing that you can just make it go away. Even if I kiss up to him ten times as much it would still be of no use."


    "Not when I killed him, but I did find out several days later." Mu WanQing replied.


    "Are of scared of me?" Divine Croc of the South Seas asked.


    "No!"


    Divine Croc let out a thunderous roar of fury that shook the entire mountain. "How could you be not scared of me? How... how dare you! Who''s protection are you hiding under?" He demanded.


    "Yours!" Mu WanQing replied coldly.


    Divine Croc was taken aback for a moment by this. "Damn rubbish! What do you mean you are hiding under my protection?"


    "You are one of the ''4 Arch-Villains." How could a man at such a lofty position stoop so low as to attack a severely wounded girl?" Mu WanQing''s reply actually seemed to include a bit of praise.


    Divine Croc paused a bit in surprise before bursting out laughing heartily: "That''s a pretty good point!"


    Upon hearing the words "4 Arch-Villains," Duan Yu suddenly realized that this man was actually a friend of Zhong Ling''s father, Zhong WanChou. Hoping to get to a better position using Zhong WanChou''s name, he cut in right as he heard the man make that last comment.


    "Every where in the martial world you hear people say that the Divine Croc of the South Seas is a great hero and a brave man. Not only that, some people say that Divine Croc wouldn''t even fight if his opponent was just a single man. The more foes he fights at one time, the happier he is. This, obviously, shows how great of a fighter he really is."


    Divine Croc was smiling so much as he was listening to that that his round eyes became just 2 slits. Nodding profusely, he asked: "That''s another pretty good point, who did you hear that from?"


    "No Measure Sword Sect''s head of their East Faction Zuo ZiMu, head of their West Faction Xin ShuangQing, the head of the Divine Farmer Clan SiKong Xuan, the master of Thousand-Enmities Valley Zhong WanChou, his wife Gan BaoBao, and then there''s Grandma Rui and Grandma Ping from just south of the Yangtze. Hehe, too many, too many. I can''t remember all of them."


    Divine Croc nodded and said: "You, little fella, is quite a character eh? Next time you hear somebody praising me, better remember his name for me, ok?" Turning to Mu WanQing, he inquired: "I heard that your kungfu is pretty good, how did you get hurt so bad? Who did it?"


    Looking weak and wronged, Mu WanQing replied: "There were 4 of them and they ganged up on me. I''m not like you, the more enemies the better, I can''t handle that many of them."


    "Yet another good point. Four fighters ganging up on one girl? Have they got no shame?" Divine Croc replied.


    "That''s right!" Duan Yu immediately cut in. "A real hero wouldn''t even fight if there was just one foe, where did they get off fighting 4 against 1? It''s a shame that you, sir, wasn''t there, or else you would grab one in each hand and snap the bones in half."


    "No! No! No!" Divine Croc shook his head vehemently.


    Every time he shook his head and said the first "No!", Duan Yu''s heart skipped a beat, he said 3 straight "No!" in a row, so Duan Yu''s heart skipped 3 straight beats. He could not figure out where exactly he had said something wrong.


    "I don''t snap their bones in half. I just go ''Crack!'' and snap their neck. Snapping their bones doesn''t necessarily kill then, no fun in that. But snap their necks and those sons of turtles will die. Don''t believe me? Then let me snap your neck and you''ll see." Divine Croc continued.


    "I believe! I believe you! No need to prove it to me." Duan Yu immediately replied. Then he suddenly remembered that one of the servants in the Zhong family was welcoming a "Yue Number Two" of the 4 Arch-Villains who, because he mistakenly said "Yue Number Three" and called him a "great man," had his neck snapped by the man. So the man in front of him must be Yue Two.


    "That''s right! You are as evil as evil can get. Some people call you Yue Number Two, I say you should be Yue Number One. When Yue Number One grabs somebody''s neck, that man is dead for sure!" Duan Yu praised.


    Happy beyond words, Divine Croc grabbed Duan Yu''s shoulders and shook him out of joy. "That''s right. That''s so right! You are a pretty smart little fella, actually know that I''m as evil as evil can get. Yue Number One is out of the question, Number Two is pretty good anyway."


    Duan Yu felt as if his shoulders were about to be squeezed into little pieces. Nevertheless, he forced a smile on his face and said: "Says who? I say the words ''Yue Number One'' without the slightest of doubts in my heart."


    "Duan Yu, Duan Yu. What won''t you do to save Miss Mu? Kissing up like a coward, where are all those morals you got from all those books now?" He thought to himself. "But if it was just for me, then I would never say anything like this. Scared of death, what kind of a man would I be then? It''s only because I''m trying to save Miss Mu do I force myself to stoop down to such a level. It is written in the Book of Changes: ''If going along helps those who are true, then real gentlemen should do it''. That''s the real logic behind conquering the hard with a soft touch." Having reasoned himself to that point, he felt a lot better.


    Divine Croc let go of Duan Yu''s shoulders and turned to Mu WanQing: "Yue Number Two is a real man and would never hurt a girl...."


    "He still wouldn''t claim to the title of Number One. Wonder how evil that Number One guy is." Duan Yu thought to himself, but afraid of upsetting him, he kept quiet and did not ask.


    Divine Croc continued: "... Come next time when you have got helpers, then I''ll kill you. I can''t kill you today, but I have to ask you a question. I heard that you said you had always worn the veil so as to not allow anyone to see your face, and if anyone saw your face, then you''ll have to either kill him or marry him. Is this true?"


    This was a complete shock to Duan Yu, and then he saw Mu WanQing nod, which made this whole matter even more confusing and shocking to him.


    "Why the hell did you make up such a messed up rule?" Divine Croc asked.


    "That is what I swore in front of my master. If I didn''t, my master wouldn''t have taught me kungfu." Mu WanQing replied.


    "And who the hell is your master? Talk about messed up! Wow, ridiculous stuff, just ridiculous!" Divine Croc replied.


    "Out of respect to your seniority, I have been very polite towards you. But you are wrong to talk about my master in such a rude manner." Mu WanQing replied with pride.


    Divine Croc reached out and struck a huge piece of rock that was sitting right beside him with his palm. Immediately the rock shattered, sending small pieces flying off and hitting Duan Yu, giving him quite a sting. "How could a person be that good at kungfu? If that had hit a person, there''s no way the person would survive." Duan Yu thought to himself as he turned and looked at Mu WanQing.


    But Mu WanQing kept her stare, not showing the slightest hint of fear, not even a blink.


    Divine Croc traded stares with her for a long time before finally breaking the standstill: "Alright, I guess you have point. Who is your master? Who is so... hehe... such... hehe...."


    "Master is known as the ''Guest of Secluded Valley''." Mu WanQing answered.


    "''Guest of Secluded Valley''? Never heard of it, must not be anyone important!" Divine Croc mumble to himself while trying to recall where he had heard of the name before.


    "My master lives alone in a secluded valley, that''s the reason for the name ''Guest of Secluded Valley''. How could that compare with the famous name of yours?"


    "Another good point." Divine Croc nodded before suddenly raising his voice in a shout: "My disciple Sun SanBa, did he see your face? Is that why you killed him?"


    "You know what kind of a person your disciple is," Mu WanQing replied coldly. "Had he even learned a tenth of you kungfu, then I wouldn''t have been able to kill him."


    "Another good point." Divine Croc nodded. But his thoughts turned to the fact that his sect had always, by rule and tradition, passed their kungfu down through one disciple and one disciple only. The death of Sun SanBa meant that more than 10 years of hard work in his teaching Sun SanBa had been completely in vain. The more he thought about it, the madder he got until he finally screamed: "TaMaDe!"


    Seeing his complexion suddenly turn into a burnt yellow color and his expression turn animalistic, both Mu WanQing and Duan Yu was scared, and that was before they heard him scream: "I must avenge my disciple!"


    "Second Master Yue, you already said that you wouldn''t hurt her." Duan Yu immediately cut in, bumping him up to a more respectable "Second Master Yue". "Besides, it''s probably for the best that your disciple died. He couldn''t even learn a tenth of your kungfu, had he lived, he could have lost you a lot of face."


    "Yet another good point. I can''t afford to lose any face." Divine Croc nodded and turned to Mu WanQing. "Did my disciple see your face?"


    "No!" Mu WanQing said, grinding her teeth together.


    "Alright, so that my disciple may rest in peace, I''m going to take a look and see whether or not you look like an ugly monster or a beautiful goddess."


    This gave Mu WanQing the scare of her life. She had sworn in front of her master, if Divine Croc removed her veil by force, there was no way she could kill him, but how could she marry him? Almost panicking, she replied: "You are a famous man in the martial world, how could you stoop so low to do such an evil thing?"


    "I''m as evil as evil can get, the more evil the action the better. I only have one rule in my life, and that''s never kill anyone who can''t fight back. Other than that, everything goes, nothing is off limits. So why don''t you just be a good girl, take off the veil yourself, and save me the trouble." Divine Croc replied with a sneer.


    "You really have to see my face?" Mu WanQing asked, her voice was shaking.


    Growing impatient, Divine Croc threatened: "If you keep on stalling, not only am I going to take off your veil, I''m going to rip off all your clothes too. I said I won''t snap your neck, but snapping your arms and legs aren''t out of the question is it?"


    "I can''t kill him, so the only way left is suicide." Mu WanQing decided.


    She turned to Duan Yu and shot him a look, telling him to run. Duan Yu shook his head. With a little quiver of his beard, Divine Croc reached out with those chicken-claw like hand of his, trying to grab Mu WanQing''s veil.


    Mu WanQing flicked her sleeve. "Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!" Three small arrows shot out with lightning quickness and hit Divine Croc''s belly. But with a pop, each of the arrows fell harmlessly down to the ground, it was as if he had on some kind of armor underneath his shirt. With another twitch, Mu WanQing shot out 3 more poisonous arrows, 2 at his chest and 1 headed toward his face. As if they hit a hard rock, the 2 arrows flying towards his chest fell down onto the ground. The third arrow was just about to hit his face when Divine Croc reached up with his middle finger and, with a gentle flick, the arrow disappeared from sight.


    Mu WanQing took out her sword and brought it up to her neck. However, because of her severe wounds, she was not able to move fast enough as Divine Croc, with one swift move, took the sword out of her hand and threw it onto the ground. With a cold laugh, he said: "My rule is only ''Never kill anyone who can''t fight back''. You shot 6 arrows at me, so you made the first move. I''m going to take a look at your face and then kill you. You made the first move, so you can''t accuse me for breaking my rule."


    "No! You are wrong!" Duan Yu suddenly shouted.


    "What!" Divine Croc turned his head towards Duan Yu.


    "You call yourself a real man, how could you bully a severely wounded girl?"


    "She just shot 6 poisonous arrows at me, didn''t you see that? This is a severely wounded girl bullying a real man, not a real man bullying a severely wounded girl."


    "No, you are still wrong."


    "Bullshit! What do you mean still wrong?" Divine Croc shouted in anger.


    "Your rule is 7 words, ''Never kill anyone who can''t fight back'', right?"


    "That''s right!" Divine Croc''s eyes looked as if they were going to pop out.


    "Can those 7 words be changed?"


    "My rules, so of course they can''t be changed!" Divine Croc answered impatiently.


    "Not one word?''


    "Not even half a word!"


    "If it''s changed, then what?"


    "Then I''m a tortoise son of a turtle!"


    "Ok, very good! You haven''t hit Miss Mu, yet Miss Mu tried to hit you with arrows, that''s not ''fighting you'', that''s ''striking first''. If you hit her, in her condition, there is no way that she could fight back. That''s why she tried to ambush you, because she can''t fight back. If you killed her, then you have changed your rule, and if you change your rule, then you are a tortoise son of a turtle."


    Duan Yu had been reading Confucius and Buddhist books ever since he learned how to read, and had analyzed all those ambiguous saying in those books down to the bone. Sayings such as "Is isn''t, but have not to", and "White horse is no horse, hard rock is no rock", he analyzed and thought about them until there was nothing left to think about anymore. That''s why at this crucial moment, he was able to just grab a hold of Divine Croc''s rule and run with it.


    Divine Croc let out a furious howl and grabbed Duan Yu by the shoulders.


    "How dare you call me a tortoise son of a turtle?" He shouted as he was about to bring his palm down on Duan Yu''s head.


    "If you change your rule, only then are you a tortoise son of a turtle!" Duan Yu shouted back in a hurry. "If you don''t change your rules, then you won''t be a tortoise son of a turtle! Whether or not you are a tortoise son of a turtle is completely up to you."


    Seeing that even though his life hung by the thinnest of threads, Duan Yu was still shouting "tortoise son of a turtle" non-stop. Mu WanQing knew that Divine Croc would undoubtedly explode in anger and break his neck. Suddenly overwhelmed with sadness, tears filled her eyes as she turned away, not wanting to watch any further.


    But unexpectedly, those few words stopped Divine Croc in his tracks. "If I break his neck, then wouldn''t that be killing someone who couldn''t fight back? Doesn''t that make me a tortoise son of a turtle?" He thought to himself.


    Staring at Duan Yu with that pair of small eyes of his, he gradually tightened his grip. Soon, Duan Yu''s bones were creaking, hurting him so much that he almost fainted. "Come on! Kill me! I can''t fight back!" Duan Yu shouted at the top of his lungs.


    "I''m not going to fall for that!" Divine Croc replied. "You really want me to be a tortoise son of a turtle don''t you?"


    As he said that, Divine Croc lifted Duan Yu off the ground and slammed him down hard back onto the ground. Duan Yu temporarily blacked out from the impact before recovering to feel as if all of his internal organs had exploded.


    "I''m not going to fall for that! I''m not going to kill you 2 little devils!" Divine Croc mumbled to himself before suddenly reaching out and grabbing the green silk cape that Mu WanQing was wearing.


    With a loud rip, he tore it off. Mu WanQing let out a shocked yell as she instinctively shrank back. Divine Croc merely raised his arm up and tossed the cape aside. The cape caught the wind and started to fly off. Like a giant lotus leaf, it gently glided over the edge of the cliff and into the raging currents of the LanCang River. "If you don''t take off your veil now, I''m going to rip off your shirt next!" Divine Croc said with a sinister smile.


    "Come here," Mu WanQing gestured towards Duan Yu, who limped over to her side as quickly as he could.


    Mu WanQing turned towards him so as to face away from Divine Croc. "You are the first man in this world to see my face." She said gently and slowly removed her veil.


    Duan Yu''s entire body shook. What he saw before him was more elegant than the shiny moon on a cloudless night and more beautiful than the lonesome flower that blossoms in the middle of a blizzard. A beauty fit for legends. The only thing was that her face was incredibly pale, which was most likely due to the fact that she was wearing the veil for such a long time. Even that thin pair of lips lacked color, but to Duan Yu, it just made her seem even more vulnerable and lovely. How could this be the same person be that monster who wouldn''t even blink when she killed?


    Mu WanQing put her veil down on the ground. "If you want to see my face, you are going to have to ask my husband first." She said to Divine Croc without turning around.


    "You are married? Who''s your husband?" Divine Croc didn''t quite believe what he just heard.


    "I swore that if a man ever saw my face, I would either kill him or marry him." Mu WanQing said as she pointed at Duan Yu. "He had already seen my face, and I don''t want to kill him. So I can only marry him."


    "This... this is...." Duan Yu was rendered completely speechless from this turn of events.


    After recovering from the initial shock, the Divine Croc turned to Duan Yu. He sized Duan Yu up and down with those pea like eyes of his, sending chills down Duan Yu''s spine as he was afraid that Divine Croc would, in a fit of rage, would snap his neck in an instant. Suddenly, Divine Croc began clicking his tongue over and over again out of excitement. "Amazing! Simply amazing! Quick! Turn around!" He said as his face lit up.


    Too scared to disobey him, Duan Yu turned around. "Amazing! Wonderful! You look just like me! You are just like me!" Divine Croc commented.


    There was not a thing that he could have said that would have shocked Duan Yu and Mu WanQing more than those 5 words: "You look just like me". The 2 of them thought to themselves: "What are you talking about? You are a kungfu master, and ugly. There is not even a similarity, not to mention the words ''just like''?"


    Divine Croc practically jumped behind Duan Yu as he proceeded to grab the back of Duan Yu''s head, squeeze his arms and legs, and even poke his waist a couple of times. After a couple of pokes and grabs, he cracked open a huge smile: "Just like me! Almost exactly like me!" Grabbing Duan Yu''s arm, he continued. "Come on with me!"


    "Go with you to where?" Duan Yu asked, completely befuddled.


    "Oh just come with me!" Divine Croc replied. "Quick, kowtow! Then beg me to take you on as a disciple. As long as you beg, I will immediately take you in."


    "What! This... this...." For the second time in just minutes, Duan Yu was rendered completely speechless by the surprising turn of events.


    Divine Croc began jumping around and waving his arms like crazy, as if he had just found the most precious jewel in the world. "Your arms and legs are extraordinarily long, the back of your head is protruding out, and your waist is very soft and flexible; plus you are smart, young, and male. You are truly an amazing specimen for learning kungfu." He turned around as he spoke. "See? This is the back of my head, isn''t it just like yours?"


    Duan Yu felt the back of his head, it really did seem as if the back of their heads were very alike. Who knew that when he said "You are just like me!" he was only talking about the back of their heads?


    Turning back around with the biggest possible smile on his face, Divine Croc continued: "We South Sea Sect had always had this rule, each man can only take one disciple. That dead disciple of mine, ''Little Devil'' Sun SanBa, the back of his head was nowhere near as good as yours. So he sucked, couldn''t even learn a tenth of my kungfu. It''s best that he died, this way is all clean and neat, because I don''t have to kill him now so I can take you as a disciple instead."


    Duan Yu involuntarily shuddered. He was thinking to himself how cruel this man in front of him was, willing to kill his very own disciple so as to be able to change disciples just because he noticed someone else was better suited for kungfu. Even if he did want to learn kungfu, which he didn''t, he would never choose this person to be his master. But if he refused, then disaster would be upon him. Just as he wasn''t sure what he should do, Divine Croc suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs: "What do you think you guys are doing sneaking around like that! Get the hell out here now! Every single one of you!"


    A dozen or so people came crawling out of the bushes, among them were Grandma Rui, Grandma Ping, and that swordsman. Since Divine Croc had climbed onto this ledge, Duan Yu had not been able to toss more rocks and thus keep them away. So this group was able to sneak up the cliff as well.


    Even though they were holding their breaths and not moving while they were in the bush, they had no chance of escaping Divine Croc''s sensitive ears. Because he was so overjoyed at discovering such a spectacular treasure in Duan Yu, he didn''t really get angry right away. So he shot a mean look towards Grandma Rui, with a smile still lingering on his face, and shouted: "What are you doing here? Did you come to congratulate your old man here on finding a price disciple?"


    "We are here to catch this little whore," Grandma Rui pointed to Mu WanQing and said, "to avenge the deaths of our companions."


    "She''s my disciple''s wife!" Divine Croc yelled back, "How dare you try and capture her? TaMaDe! Get the hell out of here!"


    Everyone was speechless as they just stood there, staring at each other.


    Duan Yu finally summed up his courage and spoke up: "I can''t be your disciple, I already have a master."


    This made Divine Croc furious: "Who''s your master? How can his kungfu be any better than mine?"


    "You probably can''t do a single bit of my master''s kungfu! The ''Gua-Xiang'' and the ''Xi-Ci'' of ''Zhou-Yi'', do you know anything about them? How about the reasons behind ''Ming-Yi'' and ''Wei-Ji''? Can you explain them to me?"


    Divine Croc of the South Seas just scratched his head. Gua-Xiang? Xi-Ci? He really never ever heard of any of them. Ming-Yi? Wei-Ji? For all he knows they really might be some kind of incredible kungfu.


    {Note: Once again, all those things that Duan Yu just quoted are ideas from the Book of Changes.}


    Seeing the troubled look on his face, Duan Yu continued: "Looks like you don''t know any of these high level stuffs. So, while I''m grateful that you would actually consider me as a disciple, I could only accept it in my thoughts and not in my actions. How about next time I invite my master along and the 2 of you can duel it out and see who is really better. If you beat him, then I could still ask to be your disciple."


    "Alright! Who''s your master? It''s not like I''m scared of him or something. When do you want this duel to happen?"


    Duan Yu only really wanted to ward him off for a while with that line of defense, but unexpectedly, Divine Croc was actually really demanding a duel. He was just in middle of trying to figure out what to say next when a sharp and metallic whistle came piercing through the mountains, apparently originating from very far away. The shrill lasted for an incredible, a disturbingly long amount of time. It was amazing that the person who was blowing the whistle could have such a long breath, as if his breath had no end. At first, what everyone on the ledge noticed was the almost unbearable pitch of the whistle, but the longer they listened the more shocked they became, until all they could do was stare at each other, again.


    Divine Croc patted his head some and shouted: "I don''t have time to talk to you right now, Big Brother is calling me. When does your master want to fight me? Where at? Well? Come on!"


    "This... uh... I... can''t really just arrange a fight for my master." Duan Yu stuttered before suddenly turning around and pointing to Grandma Rui: "As soon as you leave, these people will kill the 2 of us. How will I be able to tell my master then?"


    Without even turning around, Divine Croc reached back with his left hand and grabbed that sword-wielding man by the chest. Then, with a simple lean to his left, his right hand fell onto the top of the man''s head, his left hand rotated right, his right hand rotated left, and his arms intersected. "Crack!" That man''s neck snapped. His eyes stared out behind him as his head softly fell down. The sword in his right hand was half pulled out, which was already amazingly quick; but he still nevertheless died before he even pulled his sword out.


    This was the same man, during the fight against Mu WanQing before, whose quickness stood out and was able to knock down those poison arrows that she fired at almost point blank range. But now, against just a simple twist from Divine Croc, he didn''t even have a fighting chance. All the spectators were so shocked that they couldn''t even move. Divine Croc then casually flicked his arm and tossed the corpse to the side. Three men who were with Grandma Rui suddenly, and simultaneously, let out a huge howl and charged. Divine Croc lifted up his right foot and kicked 3 times. All 3 of the men took off and flew over the cliff. The bloodcurdling shrieking came shooting up from the bottom of cliff and echoed all around the mountains until every hair on Duan Yu''s body was standing on its end. Everyone of the group with Grandma Rui was scared out of their wits. "''Crack'' and one neck is snapped. Hehe, so much fun!" Divine Croc said with a laugh. "One is not enough, I have to do it again. Whoever gets left behind will get his neck snapped."


    Scared beyond description, Grandma Rui, Grandma Ping, and the rest of the people in her group all scrambled to the edge of the cliff as fast as they could and began to climb down.


    "Can your master do that?" Divine Croc turned towards Duan Yu with a strange laugh. "If you become my disciple, I would immediately teach you how to do that. Your wife''s kungfu is pretty good, so if she doesn''t listen to you, then you can just ''Crack'' and snap her neck in half."


    Suddenly the metallic shrill picked up again, only this time it was in an endless number of short screeches. "Alright, alright! I''m coming! You and your grandmother, what''s the hurry?" Divine Croc yelled at the direction of the whistle, as if the other person could hear him. "Be a good boy and wait here, don''t you go anywhere." He instructed Duan Yu before he hurriedly ran to the edge and jumped over the edge.


    "That''ll surely kill him wouldn''t it?" A surprised Duan Yu thought to himself.


    So Duan Yu ran to the edge of the cliff and looked down. Divine Croc was making his way down the cliff a huge hop at a time. For every 30 meters or so that he fell, he would just reach out with his hand and push off of the cliff, enabling him to fall another 30 meters or so without hitting anything. Soon, he disappeared among the white clouds that surrounded the cliff.


    Duan Yu stuck his tongue out and made a face out of a mixture of surprise, worry, and relief. Nothing else to do, he returned back to Mu WanQing''s side. "That was so clever of you Miss, just like that, you had that evil-doer stumped." He said with a smile.


    "Stumped?" Mu WanQing was quite puzzled.


    "This... well, had Miss not lied and said that I was the first man to see your face, then you would... would...."


    "Who lied? I can''t go back on something I swore on. From this day forth, you are my husband. But I won''t permit you to become his disciple and learn that neck breaking skill of his to use it on me."


    Duan Yu was startled for a moment before replying: "You were in danger and were merely stalling, why take it so seriously? How can I be Miss''s... Miss''s... that... husband?"


    Using the rock that she had been leaning on as support, Mu WanQing slowly and shakily stood up. "What? You don''t want me as your wife?" She demanded. "You don''t think I''m good enough, is that it?"


    "Miss, the most important thing right now is for you to get better. Please don''t worry too much about all this talk." Duan Yu replied, figuring that it''s best not to anger her even more at this moment.


    Mu WanQing took a step forward and slapped him hard on the cheeks. But as she did, her leg suddenly gave out and she lost her balance, falling into him. Duan Yu instinctively wrapped his arms around her and caught her.


    Wrapped in his arms, the sudden realization that he was her husband hit Mu WanQing, causing her to feel all warm and fuzzy inside, instantly her anger was gone. "Let me go!" She demanded, blushing hard.


    Duan Yu helped her to sit down by that rock again. "She has a weird personality to begin with, and now that she''s wounded she''s probably confused as well. I guess the best thing to do now is to go along with whatever she says. Didn''t the ''Trap'' dialogue talk about ''saying without sincerity''? Well, now that I''m ''trapped'' here, I might as well go along with ''saying without sincerity'' as well. Otherwise, not only will I become that devil of a monster''s disciple, I''ll turn into this little devil of a girl''s spouse. Then wouldn''t I, Duan Yu, become a little servant of a devil?" As he thought about this, he couldn''t help but crack a laugh at his own reasoning inside.


    Having made up his mind to just go along, he said in a tender voice: "Don''t be mad. I''m going to get something for you to eat."


    "As bare as this ledge is, where are you going to find anything edible?" Mu WanQing replied. "Good thing those guys were all scared off. Let me rest for a bit until I get some strength back. Then I''ll carry you down."


    "N... no... no!" Duan Yu waved his hand from side to side as fast as he could. "Absolutely no. You can''t even walk, how can you carry me?"


    "You would rather die than to owe me anything? Darling, even though I, Mu WanQing, is a girl that kills without blinking, I am still capable of sacrificing my life for my husband." She was dead serious and resolute when she said those words.


    "Alright, thank you. Why don''t you rest up a little first and then we''ll worry about the rest. From now on, can you not wear that veil anymore?"


    "If you don''t want me to, then I won''t." Mu WanQing replied as she took her veil off.


    Once again, Duan Yu was startled by her beauty. Only this time he was rudely interrupted by an incredibly sharp and shooting pain in his belly that forced him scream out in pain. It felt as if there was a small dagger spinning and dicing inside his belly, chopping his intestines to little pieces. Doubling over, huge beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.


    "What... What''s the matter?" Mu WanQing was just as shocked.


    "That... that Intestine Fragmenter...." Duan Yu replied in between groans.


    "Ai-Yo! Didn''t you take the remedy?"


    "I did!"


    "Maybe you didn''t take enough." Mu WanQing said as she took the little bottle from inside his shirt and poured out some more powder for him. But seeing no signs of improvement from him, she sat down besides him and tried to comfort him: "Is it getting better?"


    Nearly passing out from the pain, Duan Yu replied: "It''s getting worse and worse. Maybe that remedy is a fake... fake one."


    "How could that SiKong Xuan use poison to hurt people? Once this is over we''ll go and kill every single person in that Divine Farmer Clan."


    "We... we also gave... gave him the fake medicine. SiKong Xuan''s just responding, we... we can''t really blame him."


    "What do you mean can''t blame him? It''s not a big deal if we give him some fake medicine, but how could he give us the fake medicine?" As she said this, Mu WanQing wiped off the sweat off of his forehead with her sleeves.


    Seeing his ash white face, her heart was suddenly overwhelmed and tears began to fall from her eyes. "You... you can''t die." She shakily said between sobs as she leaned down and rubbed her right cheek against his left cheek. "Dar... darling, please don''t die."


    Duan Yu, being hugged by her like this, had never been this close to a young girl in his life. On his cheek he felt her tender and smooth skin, in his ear he heard her gentle and desperate calls of "Darling", and from his nose he smelled her faint and sweet fragrance. How could he not feel as if he was in heaven? Coincidentally, the pain in his belly seemed to subside just at this moment. Turned out what SiKong Xuan had given him wasn''t fake. This is actually because the Intestine Fragmenter, being as incredibly lethal as it is, was just beginning to kick in. Even though the cure had already eliminated most of the poison, a couple waves of almost unbearable pain could not have been avoided. Of course, SiKong Xuan had known this all along, it was just that he was too afraid to bring this up earlier in fear of annoying the Holy Emissaries from the Nimble Vulture Palace.


    "Is the pain getting better?" Mu WanQing asked, noticing that he had stopped groaning.


    "It is a little better. But... but...." Duan Yu replied.


    "But what?"


    "If you leave me, it''ll probably start hurting again."


    Mu WanQing blushed and pushed off of him. "So you were faking it all along." She scolded, in a girlish way.


    Duan Yu blush furiously as well. But another pain shot through his belly again, causing him to start groaning again.


    Mu WanQing grabbed a hold of his hand: "Darling, if you die, I don''t want to live on either. We''ll meet again in the afterlife and be husband and wife then."


    "No, no!" Duan Yu replied, not wanting her to do anything like that. "First you have to avenge me. Then you''ll have to visit and clean my tomb every year. I want you to do that at least 30...no, 40 years. Only then will I rest in peace."


    {It is a Chinese tradition to visit and clean a dead relative or friend''s tomb every year on a particular date to pay respects to the dead.}


    "You know, you are a really weird person. What difference will it make to you if I visit and clean your tomb once you are dead? It''s not like you get anything good out of it."


    "But if you die with me, I will get even less out of that. Ok, listen to me. As beautiful as you are, if you just visit and clean my tomb once a year, I would be happy to just catch a glimpse of you in the afterlife. But if you die along with me, we''ll all just turn into a pile of white bones, nothing pretty to look at there." Duan Yu replied.


    Hearing him praise her, Mu WanQing was happy for a moment. But then she turned to the thought that she had just gave her life to him today and now she was going to watch him die. She couldn''t stop the tears from falling once again.


    Duan Yu reached over and held her around her waist. Feeling a tender and warm softness around his fingers, a light went on in his head and he lowered his head to kiss her on the lips. It was the first kiss of his life, so he didn''t dare to prolong it too much before lifting his head back up and resume staring back at her beautiful face. Sighing, he said: "It''s a shame that I won''t live too much longer and can''t stare at your beautiful face more."


    The kiss caused Mu WanQing''s heart to beat like crazy, her face blushed crazily as her bashfulness took over. The white face became even more colorful and beautiful because of it. "You are the first man in this world to see my face." She said. "After you die, I will carve up my face so as to not let another man see my real face."


    Duan Yu wanted to tell her no, but for some reason, a wave of envy suddenly washed over him as he really did not want any other man to see such a beautiful face. So the words made it to the tip of his tongue but just wouldn''t come out. Instead, he asked: "Why did you take such a harsh oath? Such a strange oath, it''s kind of... kind of good!"


    "You are now my husband, so it shouldn''t be a problem for you to know." Mu WanQing replied. "I was an orphan and never knew my father or mother. Once I was born I was abandoned and left in the wild. Luckily, I was saved by my master. She brought me up, took care of me, and taught me martial arts. She told me that all men in this world are liars and if one of them ever saw my face, they would undoubtly try anything they can come up with to lead me into traps. So ever since I was 14, I wore a black veil. I have lived all 18 years of my life in the mountains with my master."


    "Oh, so you are 18," Duan Yu cut in, "one year younger than me."


    Mu WanQing nodded and continued: "This Spring, a person came to visit us. He was a messenger from my master''s martial sister, ''Pretty Medicine Fork'' Gan BaoBao."


    "''Pretty Medicine Fork'' Gan BaoBao?" Duan Yu interrupted her again. "Isn''t she Zhong Ling''s mom?"


    "Right, she''s my martial-aunt." Mu WanQing replied before her face suddenly darkened. "I forbid you from thinking about that little devil, Zhong Ling. You are my husband, you can only think about me."


    Duan Yu stuck his tongue out a little and made a face.


    "What was that for? I''m your wife. So that means I only think of you and you alone. To me, other men are pigs, are dogs, are dirty swines."


    "But I can''t do that." Duan Yu replied with a smile.


    "Why not?" Mu WanQing fiercely demanded with her hands raised, ready to strike.


    "My mom, and your master, aren''t they all women? How can I pretend that they are dirty swines?"


    Mu WanQing was rendered speechless for a long while before finally nodding ever so slightly: "But I won''t allow you keep thinking about that little devil Zhong Ling."


    "But I didn''t keep thinking about her. You mentioned Madame Zhong, which reminded me of Zhong Ling." Duan Yu argued. "So what did that letter to your master say?"


    "I don''t know. After Master read the letter, she became very angry and distraught and tore the letter to pieces. Then she told the messenger: ''I understand now, go back.'' After he left, Master cried for several days straight, not even eating. I tried to console her, but she wouldn''t listen, she wouldn''t even tell me why, other than that 2 women wronged her.


    "I said: ''Master, don''t be distraught. If those 2 evil women wronged you, then we''ll just kill them.''


    "''That''s right!'' Master agreed. So right away the 2 of us left the mountain to kill those 2 women. Master then said that she had no idea that all these years that these 2 women were the cause of all her sorrows, and that luckily Gan BaoBao finally explained it all to her and told her where the 2 women lived."


    "Madame Zhong seemed so innocent and shy, but who knew she would be so sinister and scheming?" Duan Yu thought. "She''s using you! She hates those 2 women herself, but instead she has set your master up to kill them."


    "Once we left the mountain," Mu WanQing continued, "Master made me swear that if any man saw my face, if I couldn''t kill him, then I would have to marry him. If that man won''t take me as his wife, or he leaves me after he marries me, then I have to kill that heartless man myself. If I go back on my word, my master would kill herself as soon as she finds out. My master can go through with anything she says, so this is no empty threat made just to scare me."


    Inside, Duan Yu couldn''t describe how surprised he was: "All oaths sworn in the world says something to the effect of if I go back on my word, this would happen to me. But her master actually used her own suicide as a threat, better not let her break his oath."


    "My master is like both my mother and father," Mu WanQing continued, "I owe so much to her. How can I not listen and obey her? Besides, she only did this because she was looking out for me. I didn''t even think twice, I immediately kneeled and took the oath. The first thing the 2 of us did when we made it down the mountain was to go to SuZhou to kill the woman named Wang that lived there. But she lived in a really strange place, every way you turn you always end up in this little river bay or something like that. My master and I killed quite a number of that woman''s underlings, but we still weren''t able to see her. Later on my master suggested that we split up, and if we don''t meet up in a month, then we''ll head to DaLi separately and meet there because the second woman lived there. But unexpectedly that woman named Wang had a lot of very powerful servants, Grandma Rui and Grandma Ping those 2 old bags are the leaders of them. I can''t beat all of them by myself, so I fought them off the best I can as I made my way towards DaLi and found Martial Aunt Gan. She said that it was best if I stayed with her at her Valley of Ten Thousand Calamities until my master showed up, then we''ll all go into DaLi and kill that other woman. But my master wasn''t able to make it before Grandma Rui and her gang of servants showed up. You should know all about what happened after that."


    She was very tired from talking this much, so she closed eyes and took a break. After a bit, she continued: "At first, I thought you were just like my master said, a liar with no heart and no feelings like all the other men in this world. But after you borrowed Black Rose, you actually came back to warn me about the coming danger, I know that was not easy just by itself. And then when all those servants surrounded me, and even though you didn''t know any kungfu, you still tried to protect me. I... I''m not heartless you know, naturally, I was very grateful."


    "Uh-huh," Duan Yu mused. "You dragged me around behind your horse, dragged me through water, and slapped me at the slightest provocation, turns out that it was because you were grateful! Wow! Of course! If you weren''t grateful, you would have killed me with an arrow a long time ago."


    "When you cared for my wounds, you saw my bare back," Mu WanQing continued, "and I saw your bare bottom. I had already figured that I probably have to marry you anyway. And then Divine Croc of the Southern Seas kept on forcing me and I had no choice but to let you see my face." She stopped and turned to look at Duan Yu, her eyes filled with love and tenderness.


    "Can it... can it be that she really developed feelings for me?" the realization finally shot through Duan Yu''s mind as he said. "So what if you saw my bare... bare that, don''t worry about that. Also, you were in danger just then and had no other choice, in that situation you don''t have to follow your oath that closely do you?"


    "I swore to it, how can it be changed?" Mu WanQing shouted. "Do you think that bare bottom of yours look good or something? It was ugly as death! If you don''t want to marry me, then come out and say it. That way I can just kill you right now and not worry about breaking my oath."


    Duan Yu didn''t know how to respond to that. Suddenly, his belly began hurting again, doubling him over once again.


    "Say it, are you or are you not going to marry me?" Mu WanQing demanded.


    "My... my belly... belly hurts!" Duan Yu groaned.


    "Do you or do you not want to be my husband?"


    Figuring that with this pain, he couldn''t live much longer anyways, Duan Yu decided that there was no point in hurting her before dying and and causing her great sadness, nodded as much as he can with the pain and replied: "I... I''ll marry you."


    Mu WanQing''s finger had wrapped around the arrow-firing trigger within her sleeve. Hearing him say those words, she was overjoyed, making her face look like a newly blossomed flower. Taking her finger off the trigger, she hugged Duan Yu and smiled.


    "Darling, let me rub your tummy for you."


    "No, no! We are not married yet!" Duan Yu objected. "Men and women... men and women shouldn''t... that is... you shouldn''t do this."


    "Pei! Then why did you kiss me just then?"


    "That''s because you were so beautiful that I couldn''t help myself. Please forgive me!"


    "No need to ask for forgiveness," Mu WanQing smiled even wider. "I liked it too when you kissed me."


    "She''s so innocent and naive, and it''s all real. Not like Madame Zhong''s fakery. Zhong Ling''s so young that her innocence is real too." Duan Yu mused.


    "Oh I know! You are starving, that only makes the pain worse." Mu WanQing continued. "Let me go cut off some meet off of that guy for you."


    Before Duan Yu''s mind registered what she meant, she stood up using the rock for support and looked as if she was about to walk over to that swordsman whose neck Divine Croc had snapped.


    So shocked that he forgot about his belly ache, Duan Yu shouted: "Human flesh is inedible. I would rather die than eat that!"


    "Why not? When I was with my master, we ate tiger meat and leopard meat. Are you saying that we shouldn''t eat all of them?" Mu WanQing was rather confused.


    "Of course you can eat tigers and leopards, but not humans!"


    "Is human flesh poisonous? I didn''t know anything about that."


    "It''s not poisonous. It''s just that you are human, I''m human, and that guy is human too. We can''t eat humans!"


    "How come? I saw jackals and wolves eat other jackals and wolves when they were hungry all the time."


    "That''s right. But if we humans eat human, then aren''t we no better than those wolves?" sighed Duan Yu.


    Mu WanQing had stayed with her master all her life and never had any meaningful contact with another person. Her master was an eccentric character and never talked to her about the world outside. As a result, she was completely clueless about the rules, etiquette, or morals of the world. So at this point, hearing Duan Yu saying that "humans can''t eat humans", she could only stare at him with her elegant eyes in confused trust.


    "Killing all those people wasn''t right of you either. Confucius wrote: ''Do onto others as you would have do onto you.'' If you you don''t want to be killed then you shouldn''t kill others. If others are in trouble, then you should help them. That''s what it means to be human."


    "But if I was in trouble, would others come and help me? How come that other than my master and you, everyone else I met want to bully me, harm me, and kill me? If tigers or leopards want to bite me or eat me, I would kill them. If people wanted to kill me, then naturally I would kill them. How is that any different?"


    Duan Yu had no answers for her questions. All he could say was: "So you really don''t know anything about how the world works."


    "You don''t know any martial arts, yet you meddle in the matters of the martial world. Seems to me that you don''t know that much about how the world works either."


    "Can''t deny that!" All Duan Yu could do was force a smile and nod in agreement.


    Suddenly, Mu WanQing let out a little yelp and jumped into Duan Yu''s arms. "He... he''s back...."


    Duan Yu turned around just in time to see a yellow figure jump up over the edge of the cliff as Divine Croc of the Southern Seas landing on the mountain top.


    As soon as he saw Duan Yu, he smiled. "You haven''t kowtowed to me and officially become my disciple yet. So I have to be careful. Some shameless dude could come along and steal you from me. Number 1 said that everything world always favors those who make the first move. Only when you actually have the thing you covet should you consider it as yours, else if somebody took it from you, it''s much harder to snatch it back. Number 1 is always correct, I can''t beat him, so I got to join him. Hey! Kid, get over here and become my disciple!" Divine Croc ranted.


    Noticing how he freely admitted that he lost to "Number One" despite being very competitive, Duan Yu was quite surprised. But with Divine Croc''s left eye was swollen and the corner of his mouth split open, Duan Yu had to be convinced that it was "Number One" who had done this to him. Knowing that he could not become his disciple, Duan Yu instead decided to try to change the subject and waste time.


    "That was Number One who blew the whistle just then wasn''t it? Did you guys have a fight?"


    "That''s right!"


    "Then you must have won and beat Number One black and blue, right?"


    "No, not at all," Divine Croc violently shook his head. "His martial arts skills are way better than mine. We haven''t met in so many years and I figured that even if I couldn''t beat him this time and become Number One of the ''4 Arch-Villains'', I would at least be able to last 100 or 200 moves with him. But who knew that after 3 punches and 2 kicks he had knocked me down for good. So Number One is still his place to take, I''ll just settle with being second. But I was still able to land a couple of good kicks on him. He actually said to me: ''Yue Number Three, your kungfu has improved quite a bit.'' Number One actually praised my kungfu, and what Number One says is always correct."


    "But you are Number Two, not Number Three," Duan Yu pointed out.


    "It''s been a long time since we met," Divine Croc''s face changed color as he replied. "Number One just said it without thinking. He forgot about it."


    "But ''what Number One says is always correct.'' How could he mistakenly mis-rank you?"


    Unfortunately, this seemed to have hit a sensitive spot for Divine Croc as he suddenly howled and shouted in fury: "I''m Number Two, not Number Three. Now get over here, kneel down, and beg to become my disciple. Then I''ll pretend not wanting to, and then you beg some more, kowtowing over and over again, forcing to me acquiesce and accept you as a disciple even though I''m really actually happy inside. This is our South Seas Sect''s rules, later on when you accept a disciple, you got to do the same thing, don''t forget it."


    "Can this rule be changed?" asked Duan Yu.


    "Of course not!"


    "If it is changed, then you are still a tortoise son of a turtle?"


    "That''s right!"


    "This rule is really great, I agree. But you have to be sure not to change it, or else you would be a tortoise son of a turtle then."


    "Good, now kneel down and beg me."


    "No, I won''t kneel down and kowtow to you, nor will I beg to become your disciple."


    Divine Croc was so furious that his face turned burnt yellow. He snarled, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, as if he was about to pounce onto Duan Yu. "You are not going to kowtow and beg?" He shouted.


    "No kowtowing, no begging."


    "Then I''m going to snap your neck into two!" Divine Croc shouted as he took a step forward.


    "Go ahead and snap. I can''t fight back anyway!" Duan Yu replied as Divine Croc grabbed his shirt with his left hand and put his right hand on top of Duan Yu''s head. "I can''t fight back. What does that make you if you kill me?"


    "A tortoise son of a turtle?"


    "That''s right."


    "I can''t kill him, and he isn''t willing to beg me, what can I do?" Divine Croc was stumped. He look around and suddenly noticed the Mu WanQing''s concerned expression. An idea came to him as he scurried over to her and picked her body up by the back of her neck before taking a couple of steps back toward the cliff. Once he had arrived at the edge of the cliff, he took a step back with his left foot but kept his right toe on the edge in a move called "Rooster Stands on One Foot." It looked as if he was about to fall down the cliff along with Mu WanQing as he teetered there on the edge of the cliff.


    Not realizing he was playing around with him and genuinely afraid for Mu WanQing''s life, Duan Yu shouted: "Careful, stop that! You... let her go!"


    "Boy, you are just like me. I have to have you as a disciple! I have to go over to that peak over there to wait for a couple of people..." smiling a sinister smile, Divine Croc paused for a moment to point to a faraway peak before continuing. "So I don''t have time to waste here with you. So quickly come and beg to become my disciple, then I''ll let your wife go. Otherwise, hehehe! Geh!"


    He made a gesture with his hands as if he was snapping Mu WanQing''s neck before suddenly turning around and jumping off the cliff. Pressing his right hand against the face of the cliff, he began to make his way down, carrying Mu WanQing with him.


    "Hey, hey! Careful!" Duan Yu shouted and ran to the edge of the cliff as fast as he could. Looking down, he saw that Divine Croc had already fell almost 50 meters with Mu WanQing. As soon as Duan Yu sat back down from relief, his belly began hurting again.


    Grabbed by the back of her shirt and dropping along with Divine Croc, Mu WanQing noticed that his hand was flat against the face of the cliff. Whenever the speed of their fall became too fast, their bodies would suddenly slow up a bit, as if he was using the power of his palm as a brake. Mu WanQing had no strength at all at this moment, but even if she did, there was no way she was going to struggle to free herself in midair. After a while, she decided to just close her eyes all together. After what seemed like forever, she felt her body suddenly bounce upward, signaling that they have landed. Not hesitating for even a moment, Divine Croc began to walk as soon as he landed. He was about average height, and with Mu WanQing being a rather tall woman, the two of them were about the same height if lined up next to one another. However, Divine Croc was carrying her like a baby, as if she weighed nothing at all. Walking swiftly through the rock filled, foggy valley, he made his way out in no time at all.


    Upon reaching the end of the valley, he finally turned to Mu WanQing. "You are my disciple''s wife, so I won''t trouble you just yet. But if that boy doesn''t become my disciple, hehe, then he won''t be my disciple anymore, and you won''t be my disciple''s wife anymore. When the Divine Croc sees a pretty young girl, he has always first enjoyed her then killed her without exception," he said in a rather loud voice.


    Mu WanQing involuntarily shuddered. "My husband don''t know any martial arts, how is he suppose to get down from the cliff? If he was too worried about me and accidentally slips on his way down, where would you go find another disciple? Where will you go and find another talent like him?"


    "A very good point. I didn''t think about how he''s suppose to get down," Divine Croc nodded in agreement before suddenly letting out a drawn out howl.


    Soon, 2 men wearing yellow appeared on the mountain side and bowed to Divine Croc. "Go to the top of that cliff over there and look after that boy there. If he says he want to become my disciple, then carry him down. If he refuses, then just stay there by his side until he does, but don''t hurt him. He''s my hand picked successor, and definitely do not let anyone else take him in as a disciple!" Divine Croc instructed.


    "Yes sir!"


    After leaving his instructions, Divine Croc picked up Mu WanQing and began walking off again. Mu WanQing was slightly relieved, knowing she would be safe until whenever Duan Yu arrives. But her darling was stubborn as a bull and probably would rather die before becoming the disciple of someone as cruel and vicious as this Divine Croc.


    "His feelings towards me seems to be very chivalrous but not loving. He probably wouldn''t become this evil man''s disciple just for me," Mu WanQing thought to herself. "Ay! I just wish that he''s safe and sound and wouldn''t fall off of the cliff. I wonder if his belly is still hurting?"


    Like her emotions and thoughts, Divine Croc was carrying her up and down as he made his way through the mountains. This man''s stamina was truly astounding, as soon as he made it up a peak he would immediately walk back down without the slightest pause to rest. After making his way over 4 peaks in a row, he finally stopped atop of the highest peak around.


    The first thing he did after he put Mu WanQing back down was pull his pants open and take a piss at the bottom of a tree. Mu WanQing, disgusted, immediately walked to a distance and pulled out her veil. Afraid that he might lose his control and throw all that master-disciple thing out of the window if he looked at her one too many times, she put on her veil, sat down on the side of a rather large rock, and tried to get some much needed rest.


    After finishing his business and readjusting his pants, Divine Croc walked up to her.


    "I see that you have put on your veil. That''s probably for the best, or if I look at your a bit more, something might happen," he commented.


    "Well, at least you still can tell what is right and wrong," Mu WanQing mused.


    "Why aren''t you talking to me? And why are you pretending to be asleep? Think you are too good to talk to me?"


    Mu WanQing shook her head and opened her eyes. "Mr. Yue, what''s your given name? In the future when my husband become your disciple, I have to know your given name at least."


    "My name is Yue... Yue.... Oh dammit! My dad picked my name for me and it''s a terrible name! My dad did not do a single thing well in his life that bitch son of a tortoise!"


    Mu WanQing almost cracked up at that remark: "If your father is a bitch son of a tortoise, what does that make you? Cursing at even your father, I guess you really don''t have any manners at all." But then she was reminded that she didn''t even know who her father was at all, even then her master told her that her father was a traitorous man. Realizing that she was not necessarily much better off than Divine Croc, she fell silent in sadness.


    He paced in one direction for a bit, then turned around and paced back in the other direction, not letting Mu WanQing one moment of peace. Tired of watching him just walk back and forth, Mu WanQing closed her eyes. But she could still here his footsteps pacing around endlessly.


    "You just finished climbing several mountain peaks, aren''t you tired?" She asked him. "Why don''t you sit down and rest a bit?"


    "Who asked you? Your daddy here just don''t like sitting!"


    Mu WanQing had no choice but to try and ignore him. Immediately her thoughts went to Duan Yu, leaving her heart warm and sweet one moment but cold and bitter another.


    Suddenly, the sounds of crying gently drifted through the air, the sound was unspeakably sad and wretched. Faintly, it sounded like a woman was crying: "My baby, my baby!"


    Divine Croc spat in the general direction of the sound. "Pei! She''s mourning again!" He commented before shouting. "What are you mourning for? I''ve been waiting here forever!"


    "My baby! Your mother misses you so!" The voice seemed to continue on.


    "Is that your mother?" Mu WanQing was greatly confused by this turn of events.


    "Like hell she''s my mom! What''s wrong with you?" Divine Croc looked insulted at the mere question. "That bitch right there is ''No Evil Left Undone'' Second Madame Yie. The word ''evil'' is second in her nickname. One of these days, I''m going to exchange my nickname, ''Vicious Demon Evil Fiend'', with hers!"


    Mu WanQing suddenly had an epiphany: "So if the word ''evil'' comes second in the nickname, it means that person is the second among the ''Arch-Villains''."


    "What what is the number one''s nickname? What is number 4''s?"


    "Can you stop asking me question? Your daddy here don''t want to talk to you anymore!" Divine Croc impatiently replied.


    "Number One''s nickname is ''Evil Overflowing the Cup'', Number Four is called ''To the Core Evil''." A serene female voice suddenly answered.


    {I know the nicknames are a little bad, but I''m working on it, and it''s hard to make the word evil appear in the right places. I''m open to suggestions. :o)}


    Mu WanQing was shocked by the speed of Second Madame Yie, the sound of her voice hadn''t faded yet and she had already quietly made it up the mountain. Immediately Mu WanQing turned to get a good look at her. She was wearing a light green dress. Her hair was long and dancing in the wind. She looked about 40 and her face graceful and elegant. But both side of her face had 3 blood red scars that went from the bottom of her eyes all the way down to her chin as if somebody had just scratched her face open. In her arms was a 2 or 3 year old baby, a cute, chubby looking boy.


    Mu WanQing had thought that this "No Evil Left Undone" Second Madame Yie would have been a terrifying woman because she was ranked ahead of Divine Croc. But she turned out to be quite good looking. In her surprise, Mu WanQing had to look her over again. Second Madam Yie shot her a sweet smile, but it caused Mu WanQing''s entire body to shudder, for her smiled seemed to hide beneath it an infinite amount of suffering and sadness. Almost starting to cry right then and there, Mu WanQing immediately looked away.


    "Third Sister, why isn''t Number One and Number Four here yet?" asked Divine Croc.


    "From the beat-up look on your face, it''s obvious that you''ve just been taught a lesson by Number One, and yet you are thick skinned enough to ask why Number One isn''t here yet?" Second Madame Yie quietly answered. "And besides, you are obviously third, yet you are so determined to get ahead of me. If you call me ''Third Sister'' one more time, your older sister is going to have to get serious."


    "Then get serious! What do I care?" Divine Croc angrily answered. "Do you want a fight?"


    "If you want to fight, then I guess I''ll keep you company then," Second Madame Yie answered with a slight smile.


    "Mommy! Mommy! I want my mommy!" The kid in her arms suddenly began to ball.


    "Good boy, I''m your mommy, stop crying." Second Madame Yie tried to console the boy.


    But the boy just began to cry even louder: "I want my mommy! I want my mommy! You are not my mommy!"


    Second Madam Yie began to rock him in her arms and start singing a little lullaby. "Rock rock rock, rock to grandma''s bridge, grandma calls me angel...."


    But the kid wouldn''t stop crying. Divine Croc was getting really annoyed listening to this.


    "Why are you trying to console the kid? If you going to kill him, then you might as well hurry up and kill him."


    "... a bag of candy, a bag of fruit, eat a bag and keep a bag." Second Madame Yie kept on singing with a smile on her face.


    Mu WanQing was shaking uncontrollably as the more she thought about what Divine Croc said the more frightened she became. According to Divine Croc, Second Madame Yie was going to kill the child, she was furious and afraid at the same time. Second Madame Yie endlessly tried to comfort the kid with another lullaby: "Good kid, mommy''s good little boy, good little boys go to sleep soon." Her voice was filled with warmth and care that Mu WanQing could not bring herself to believe what Divine Croc just said.


    "You kill a kid every day but yet you still put on this little act every time, have you no shame?" Divine Croc was furious.


    "Don''t be so loud, you are going to scare my little baby," Second Master Yie quietly told him.


    Divine Croc suddenly reached out and tried to grab the kid, wanting to fling him to his death so he doesn''t have to listen to another minute of his crying. But even though he was fast, Second Madame Yie was faster still. Her body stepped aside like a ghost or apparition and Divine Croc''s move came up empty.


    "Ai-yo! Third Brother, why are you trying to bully my baby for no reason?"


    "I want to throw that little devil as far as I can so he will shut up!"


    "My little darling baby, mommy loves you. Don''t be afraid of your ugly monstrous third uncle, he can''t beat your mommy." Second Madame Yie softly tried to comfort the kid. "You are so cute, mommy has to play around with you for the night before killing you. Your mommy can''t bring herself to part with you yet."


    Mu WanQing almost threw up after hearing that. "This Second Madame Yie should indeed be ranked ahead of Divine Croc. This Yue Number Thew is stuck being ''Vicious Demon Evil Fiend,'' he''s not going to get past her for the rest of his life!" She thought.


    After failing on his first attempt, it seemed as if Divine Croc knew that any other attempt would just be futile as he just paced back and forth, cursing fiercely at her under his breath. Suddenly, he shouted: "Get the hell out of here! Where is that kid? Why isn''t he here to ask me to become his master?"


    Two yellow shirt men slowly stepped out from behind a rock and stopped as far away from Divine Croc as they could. It was the 2 men that Divine Croc instructed to look after Duan Yu.


    "Your... your humble servant climbed up that cliff, but... but he''s not there. We can''t... can''t find him anywhere." One of them stuttered out.


    Mu WanQing was shocked: "Did... did he fall off the cliff?"

 Chapter - 5 Subtle Steps And Hanging Threads

    The day break solved her problem for her, because she could not escape any more.


    "If that heartless jerk comes, he comes; if he doesn''t, he doesn''t. All I can do is wait here for death to come." Her thoughts were just turning towards the morose when she suddenly heard a sharp crack behind her. Turning around, she saw an object fell out of the sky and land in the relatively dense area of grass about 100 meters away.


    "What could that be?" She immediately flattened herself against the ground. Only when no other sound could be heard from the bush did she, as silently as she could, crawl over to take a peek.


    When she finally made it to the thicket and pushed the tall grass aside, what she saw made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Laid side to side within the thicket of grass was the bodies of 6 infants, some on their side, others facing up. Among them was the infant that she saw Second Madame Yie holding in her hands days ago.


    "There are six bodies, and she''s been here for 6 days. So it true, that evil wench does kill an infant every day. But why?" It was hard to tell how Second Madame Yie killed the babies because there were no blood or obvious injuries on the bodies. One of the babies was wearing bright and colorful cloths, but the other 5 were wearing cloths made of rough materials typical of farmers, presumably farmers of the No Measure Mountains. Ever since she had left her hide out with her master, Mu Wan Qing had killed quite a number of people. But all of her victims had been people of the pugilistic world who did not have good intentions towards her. Witnessing first hand the murders of these innocent infants made her entire body tremble in fear.


    Suddenly a shadow flashed across her view. A person was shooting down the mountain side like a bird, landing every so often, but only momentarily, before taking off again. It was none other than Second Madame Yie. Watching the speed with which she flew, Mu Wan Qing realized that it was a speed that even her master could never hope to obtain. With that realization, a sense of hopelessness shot through her. Her legs gave out from underneath her, making her sit down onto the ground.


    She sat there dumbstruck for a while before coming around again. She lined the bodies of the 6 infants up and covered them with little rocks and dirt. Suddenly, a freezing sensation ambushed her from behind. She immediately tapped the ground with her left foot and shot forward. A laughter and inexplicably switches from sharp and thick could be heard coming from behind her.


    "Little lady, your hubby just ditched ya, so why don''t you follow me instead?" It was Yun Zhong He.


    He arrived at the same time as his voice, reaching out trying to grab Mu Wan Qing''s waist. Just as it looked like his claws were going to catch her when a sideways palm came in and parried away his hand. The palm was from none other than the Divine Croc.


    "Number Four, you better keep away from my Southern Sea Sect!" He yelled in anger.


    "Your disciple isn''t showing up, so this little missy isn''t related to your sect." Yun Zhong He quickly hopped about 20 or so meters out of the way. Only now did Mu Wan Qing get a good look at him. He was extremely tall, but also extremely thin, reminding her of a long bamboo stick. Even his face looked impossibly long.


    "How the hell do you know my disciple won''t show up? Did you kill him?" The Divine Croc replied in anger. "That''s right! You must have saw how great my disciple is and kidnapped him for yourself! You messed my plans you bastard, I''m going to strangle you dry!"


    Being the unreasonable brute that he was, he did not even wait for Yun Zhong He to answer his charges before throwing himself at Yun Zhong He.


    "I don''t know what shape or color your disciple is as I have never seen him before, how could I try and take him in?" Yun Zhong He yelled as he swiftly dodged Divine Croc''s initial flurry.


    "Bullshit!" Divine Croc angrily shouted. "Who''s going to believe that shit? You lost your fight and took it out on my disciple!"


    "Is your disciple a man or a woman?"


    "A man, of course! What would I do with a female disciple?"


    "Well then! Yun Zhong He only goes after women and is never interested in men. You know all about that don''t you?"


    Divine Croc was in mid-air when he heard this remark. Finding some reason in it, he immediately switched to "Thousand Ton Boulder" and dove back to Earth.


    "So where did my disciple go?" He inquired, placing his right foot up on a piece of rock that happened to be by his feet. "Why hasn''t he shown up yet?"


    "Hehe, that''s your Southern Seas Sect''s own business, what does it have to do with me?" Yun Zhong He joked.


    "How dare you make fun of me!" The Divine Croc was already terribly frustrated by the absense of Duan Yu, so his temper was very touchy at the moment.


    "If I could get the two of them in a fight, it would be very advantageous for me." Mu Wan Qing decided.


    "That''s right, this Yun Zhong He must have harmed your disciple!" So she shouted. "Or else how could he get down from the cliff all by himself? This Yun Zhong He''s lightness kungfu is amazing, so he must have went up the cliff, took your disciple somewhere, and killed him to make sure that Southern Seas Sect would not produce a powerful figure. Why else would the body be missing?"


    The Divine Croc slapped his own foreheard as if he had just had an epiphany.


    "You see? Even my disciple''s wife says so. Are you still saying you are innocent?"


    "My husband told me that he could only dream to be so lucky as to have a master as great as you and he has to drive himself so as to bring fame and glory to the great Southern Seas Sect as well as the Divine Croc of the Southern Seas. So famous so that all those ''No Evil Left Undone'' and ''Evil Overflowing the Cup'' would be so envious of you. But who could have guessed that this Yun Zhong He would be so cruel as to kill you disciple. You''ll never be able to find a disciple so like you again!" For every point she made, the Divine Croc slapped his forehead. She continued. "My husband''s back of the head is shaped just like yours, not to mention that he is a physical specimen just like you. He''s the perfect successor to the Southern Seas Sect. But yet this Yun Zhong He just want to trouble you. So why haven''t you avenged your disciple?"


    By this time, Divine Croc''s eyes were literally on fire as he threw himself at Yun Zhong He. Yun Zhong He knew that Mu Wan Qing was intentionally trying to instigate something but did not have a chance to defend himself. Knowing that his kungfu was not up to par with Divine Croc, he immediately turned and ran when he saw Divine Croc coming at him. Divine Croc landed and took off, once again flying towards him.


    "He''s running because he''s guilty!" Mu Wan Qing poured gasoline on the fire. "If he didn''t kill your disciple, then he wouldn''t be running!"


    "That''s right, that makes sense!" Divine Croc shouted. "Give me back my disciple!"


    One ran, the other chased. In a blink of an eye the two of them disappeared over the top of the mountain.


    Mu Wan Qing was just padding herself on her back when she realized that the Divine Croc''s shouts were getting closer once again as the two men worked their way back around to this side of the mountain again.


    It was obvious that Yun Zhong He was much faster than Divine Croc. With his long and lanky body, he looked like a bamboo in the wind, shaking left and right, yet a good distance was always maintained between him and Divine Croc. The two of them flashed by in front of Mu Wan Qing and instantly disappeared around to the other side of the mountain again. By the second time the two men made their way back around, Yun Zhong He suddenly changed directions and floated to just Mu Wan Qing''s side. He reached out and tried to grab her shoulder. Caught off guard, Mu Wan Qing immediately flicked up her right arm and sent a poisonous arrow flying towards his face. Yun Zhong He slid to his left a little and dodged the arrow. Somehow, with the way his body was twisted, his long arms arrived in front of Mu Wan Qing''s face. Mu Wan Qing tried to get out of the way, but she was still a step too slow. A gust of coolness hit her face as her veil ended up in Yun Zhong He''s hand.


    Yun Zhong He was momentarily dumb struck by Mu Wan Qing''s beauty, and then an evil smile crept onto his face.


    "Woah, hot damn! This littl girlie here is quite something here. Could be a bit more coy, or else she would be perfect...." While he was busy talking, Divine Croc arrive with his palm howled as his aimed for Yun Zhong He''s back. Yun Zhong He gathered his power into his right palm and countered.


    "Hong!" A huge explosion of sound could be heard as the power of their strikes met. Mu Wan Qing suddenly felt as if all the air was squeezed out of her as she found it impossible to breath due to the air pressure. Within a radius of several meters, the dust and dirt on the ground swirled about in a frenzy. Using the power of Divine Croc''s strike, Yun Zhong He shot back and was instantly 5 meters away.


    "Eat my palm!" Divine Croc screamed.


    "You can''t catch me, and I can''t beat you." Yun Zhong He laughingly observed. "We can keep this up for another day and would still be like this."


    Once again, the two disappeared, still in chase. But the dirt and dust around Mu Wan Qing have yet to settle.


    "I have to figure out a way to get in Yun Zhong He''s way, or else these two would never fight." She decided.


    Translated by Pacifian


    And so she waited for both men to chase around the mountain for the very third time; and as they approached, she leapt upwards.


    Chi


    sounds reverberated continuously in the air. The next instant, approximately six to seven poisonous arrows raced towards Yun Zhong He.


    "Return my husband''s life!"


    Hearing the swishing sounds of arrows slicing through the air, Yun Zhonghe understood the severity of the situation he was in. Soaring skyward and diving downward, he simultaneously evaded the flurry of arrows which were directed at him. The next moment, Mu Wan Qing unsheathed her sword and slashed twice at his direction, viciously. How would Yun Zhong He not understand her intentions behind all these? Not in the least concerned with defending himself, Yun Zhong He simply floated away; behind him, all Mu Wan Qing''s strikes landed on air.


    However, with her interference, the Divine Croc''s palms finally managed to reach Yun Zhong He. The palm winds generated from his forceful palm strikes completely enveloped Yun Zhong He''s body.


    "Number Three," Yun Zhong He said, baring a ferocious grin. "I have given way to you countless times; if not for the sake of preserving the friendship between us - the four Arched Villains, do you for once really believe I''m afraid of you?"


    That said, his hands reached for his waist, each grasping a steel handle. This handle was at least three feet in length, and at the tip of it lay a human hand. The fingers on the steel handle extended in all directions, and the fingertips glowed in a scintillatingly blue colour. The left claw headed for the right, whilst the right claw went for the left. Instantly, Yun Zhong He''s body was sealed in a tight defensive position.


    The Divine Croc said gleefully, "Excellent! We haven''t met each other for seven years, and now you have trained yourself with such an unorthodox weapon! Now, watch mine!" Done with speaking, he released the contents of his backpack, and from it he pulled out two weapons.


    Mu Wan Qing retreated hastily: she knew it was useless for her to join in the battle.


    The Divine Croc held a strange-looking scissors with a short handle and a long blade in his right hand, the blade was full of serrated blades, resembling the ferocious jaws of a crocodile. On the other hand, he wielded a soft whip that has razor spikes all over; it looked almost indistinguishable from the tail of a crocodile.


    Yun Zhong He glanced at the bizarre weaponry the Divine Croc was using. Without warning, his right steel claw flew out, charging towards the Divine Croc''s face. The Divine Croc flipped the Croc Tail Whip in his right hand, and a noisy


    pa


    resounded, causing the steel claw to propel away forcefully. However, Yun Zhong He''s reflexes were amazingly quick; deftly, he flung the other steel claw even before he withdrew his right hand.


    Crack! The Croc Jaws Scissors extended itself, clipped Yun Zhong He''s left steel claw and gave it a brutal twist. Even though Yun Zhonghe''s steel claw was made of pure steel, the Croc Jaws Scissors seemed to be casted from some unknown material. It broke two fingers out of the five on the Steel Claw with absurd ease. Fortunately, Yun Zhong He had retracted his hand swiftly, preventing the other three fingers from being snipped away. However, the Claw skill he was practising all along required the use of all ten fingers. Now that he had two fingers missing, the power displayed in his moves was greatly weakened. A crestfallen look fell over Yun Zhong He''s face.


    The Divine Croc laughed nastily as he advanced, snatching the offensive position with a nimbly-curling Croc-Tail whip.


    All of a sudden, a green shadow intervened; this new apparition slipped ethereally and elegantly between the two fighters.


    This person was none other than Second Madam Ye.


    Her left palm swept across horizontally, pressing itself onto the Croc Tail Whip, and manoeuvred it aside. Yun Zhong He quickly seized this opportunity to leap away from danger.


    "Number Three, Number Four, why are the both of you fighting with each other?" Second Madam Ye asked. Turning around, she saw Mu Wan Qing''s face; suddenly, her expression changed dramatically.


    Mu Wan Qing saw that Second Madam Ye was holding an infant in her arms. It was a boy, approximately around the age of three to four, he was dressed in clothes made of brocade, and looked really adorable. She immediately understood the purpose of Second Madam Ye descent of the mountain: she wanted to search for her child. The peculiar look in her eyes scared Mu Wan Qing; she looked away immediately, not daring to face Second Madam Ye.


    Suddenly, the infant cried, "Daddy! Daddy! Shan Shan wants Daddy!"


    "Shan Shan be obedient. Daddy will come soon." said Second Madam Ye soothingly.


    The scene of the six grisly remains she saw on the grass plains earlier swam into view; after hearing Secong Madam Ye''s affectionate words of comfort to the infant, Mu Wan Qing felt her hair rise on end.


    "Second sister, Number Three''s recent Croc Jaws Scissors and Croc Tail Whip kung fu is quite amazing," laughed Yun Zhong He; "I have only played with him for a short while, yet I still found it difficult to even defend myself. What skills have you been practising these seven years? Are you able to challenge Number Three''s dual formidable weapons? I am afraid you, too, are unable to do so."


    He made no mention on Divine Croc wronging him, nor did he say anything about how the Divine Croc had blatantly claimed about his non-existent murder of Duan Yu - even when he had absolutely no idea how Duan Yu looked like. All he wanted to do was to get both Second Madam Ye and Divine Croc in battle with each other by casually saying a few simple sentences.


    As Second Madam Ye ascended the mountain, she had already seen the two men battling with their lives - she knew their spar wasn''t all that friendly. A faint smile lifted the sides of her lips as she replied, "For seven years I have been practising my internal energy kung fu industriously - my physical combat skills have thus became somewhat rusty. Naturally, I am not a match for either of you."


    From the waist of the mountain below, a cry rang. "That madam up there, what are you trying to do with my child? Return him to me!"


    Before the voice ceased, a man has already leaped towards the peak, his body movements fluid and agile. He was in his forties, and wore bronze-coloured clothes of satin, his hand wielding a long sword.


    The Divine Croc hollered, "Who are you, punk? How dare you make so much noise here! Were you the one who stole my disciple?"


    "This mister is the renowned master of the East Faction "No Measure Sword", Zuo Zi Mu. His swordplay is not worth a single comment, but his baby sure is an adorable one," explained a laughing Second Madam Ye.


    Realization dawned on Mu Wan Qing.


    Second Madam Ye was unable to search for a kid in Mt. No Measure; as a result, she decided to do with the child of the master of No Measure Sword sect.


    "Mister Zuo, your darling son is so lovable and interesting. Once I''m done hugging him, I will return him to you tomorrow. Fret not."


    Second Madam Ye then kissed Shan Shan''s cheek and ruffled his hair gently, her eyes filled with motherly warmth. Shan Shan saw his father and began to cry, "Daddy! Daddy!"


    Zuo Zi Mu extended his left hand and walked closer towards his child, as he implored, "My child is extremely playful; there is nothing fun about him, so please return him immediately, and I will be eternally grateful to you."


    The moment he saw his son, his tone changed abruptly from rough to soft. He feared that this woman might suddenly exert force and strangle his son to death.


    The Divine Croc chuckled, "This madam is "No Evil Left Undone", Third Madam Ye. Even if the Emperor''s son landed in her arms, chances of her returning the baby are zero."


    Cold sweat poured down Zuo''s back, as he began to tremble. "You¡­ You are Third Madam Ye? So Second Madam Ye ¡­ Second Madam Ye is related to you in¡­ in what way?"


    He has heard of the dreaded name of the "Four Arched Villains", and remembered the person ranked second among the Four Villains was a lady called Second Madam Ye, who loved snatching an infant by day to play and tease until evening, which she would then brutally torture the poor kid to death. The last thing he wanted was that this "Third Madam Ye" was somehow related to Second Madam Ye, say, as sisters, and that both of them somehow shared the same insane habit.


    Second Madam Ye gave a coquettish laughter and said, "Don''t listen to his nonsense. I am Second Madam Ye. Since when have there been a Third Madam Ye?"


    All colour drained out of Zuo Zi Mu''s face. When he realized his child has been snatched away, he tried all his might to chase the abductor; however, he realized her kung fu was way above his. Initially, he thought since he had not been acquainted with this lady who snatched his child, she wouldn''t harm Shan Shan since they haven''t had any past grudges or feuds. It was only until this point that he knew this lady was in fact Second Madam Ye - he felt all the words he had initially wanted to say glued themselves to his throat, be they pleading or demanding.


    Second Madam Ye held Shan Shan''s palm and examined it closely under the sun. Following that, she checked the colour of his blood and clucked her tongue in praise - as though he was an animal in the market, awaiting to be fed and eventually slaughtered for food. "What a healthy young boy he is! Look at his glowing smooth skin, and his blood - scarlet and crystal clear, almost transparent! After all, he is the child of a wulin pugilist; therefore he is undoubtedly much more special compared with those children raised in a farm."


    Watching the hungry, ravenous look in her eyes, which looked as though she was about to eat Shan Shan alive in no time, Zuo Zi Mu wasn''t willing to give up without a fight, even though he knew he was no match for her. Overwhelmed with fury, he unleashed the stance "White Rainbow pierces the Sun".


    His sword lunged at Second Madam Ye''s throat.


    A faint laughter emitted from Second Madam Ye; she gently held the infant at the path of the sword. Had Zuo Zi Mu continued this strike, his child would undoubtedly be killed.


    Fortunately, he was quite experienced in the fields of swordplay. While this stance was at its peak of motion, he swiftly retracted the force behind the sword, and the tip of the blade wavered briefly in the air, before a second flash of light blinked. This time round, the sword went for Second Madam''s right shoulder.


    Instead of evading this strike, Second Madam Ye shifted Shan Shan''s body once again, and held him in front of her. In the swift blink of an eye, Zuo Zi Mu stabbed four times, yet all Second Madam Ye did was to lazily change the position of Shan Shan''s body. All four vicious stances he pulled on her could only be used halfway and had to be forcibly stopped by the user himself. After all these stances have completed, Shan Shan began to bawl in fright.


    After being chased round the mountain thrice - all thanks to Divine Croc - plus having to tolerate the heart-wrenching pain of watching two precious fingers of his Steel Claw snipped off, Yun Zhong He felt himself boiling with anger. With the unbearable fury threatening to erupt from within him, he soared into the air, thrusting out his Left Steel Claw towards Zuo Zi Mu''s head.


    Lifting his sword, Zuo Zi Mu performed the stroke "Ten Thousand Plants Vie for Glamour" in an effort to parry Yun Zhong He''s move. In an instant, madly-dancing sword sparks enshrouded the top of his head, shielding his upper body against Yun Zhong He''s attacks.


    A


    dang


    sound echoed in the air: both weapons clashed with each other.


    Following that, Zuo Zi Mu unleashed the stance "Pushes Boat towards the Water Current", sending the blade of his sword towards Yun Zhong He''s throat. All of a sudden, the fingers of a Steel Claw closed onto the blade, trapping the sword.


    Zuo Zi Mu would never anticipate this even in his wildest dreams, but he was unwilling to release his sword just like this. He immediately channeled his internal energy, trying fruitlessly to release the sword from his opponent''s grip.


    With a


    pu


    , Yun Zhong He''s right Steel Claw sank into Zuo Zi Mu''s shoulder. Fortunately, with two fingers on the Steel Claw snipped off, the damage inflicted on Zuo Zi Mu wasn''t too bad. However, it was enough to cause some severe bleeding. Now that he had three steel fingers firmly closed on to his opponent''s shoulder bone, Yun Zhong He took this opportunity to leap forward and kicked him forcefully.


    These movements were like a leap of a rabbit or the swooping down of a crane: not only were they incredibly nifty, they were also totally unpredictable - impossible to block. Even the leader of a powerful sect like Zuo Zi Mu had absolutely no chance of defending himself.


    "Number Four," the Divine Croc praised, "these few strokes aren''t too bad, at least they aren''t too embarrassing."


    Second Madam Ye giggled again, "Leader Zuo, have you seen our Number One before?"


    Zuo Zi Mu''s right shoulder bone remained clutched onto painfully by Yun Zhong He''s Steel Claw; he wasn''t able to move an inch. He tried hard to bear the pain and answered with gritted teeth, "Who is your Number One? I have never seen him before."


    The Divine Croc joined in the interrogation. "Have you seen my disciple before?"


    "Who is your disciple? I have never seen him before."


    The Divine Croc roared furiously. "Since you do not know who my disciple is, how could you say you have never seen him before? Fart your mother''s ****** ***** ***! Third sister, quick! Let''s devour his son alive!"


    Second Madam Ye laughed, "Your second sister doesn''t eat little infants. Leader Zuo, please leave, we don''t want to take your life."


    "Since you don''t want to take my life, second ¡­ Second Madam Ye, please return my child to me, I will go search for three to four kids for you to play with. I shall be eternally grateful to you."


    "That''s fine with me, go search for eight little kids and I shall return your son to you. We have four people here in total, each of us shall carry two children each, and that should be enough to satisfy my needs for eight days. Number Four, release him."


    Yun Zhong He smirked as he released the trigger. Teeth still gritted, Zuo Zi Mu stood up, and bowed deeply towards Second Madam Ye; he then extended his arms to hug his child.


    Second Madam Ye laughed. "Being a man from the pugilistic fraternity, how could you not know the basic rules? Until you finally get eight kids prepared for an exchange, do you think I will casually return the child to you?"


    Seeing Shan Shan in her hands, Zuo Zi Mu felt displeased, but as a victim of circumstances, he could only nod and said gloomily, "I will pick eight fattest children for you to play with, please treat my child with good care."


    Second Madam Ye ignored him. She cradled the child, humming a tune, before saying, "Little grandson, your nanny adores you so much."


    Zuo Zi Mu understood the meaning behind calling Shan Shan "grandson": Second Madam Ye was implying she was now his mother. Unable to laugh nor cry, he turned to his son and said, "Shan Shan be obedient. Daddy will come and hug you as soon as I can."


    Seeing his father leave, Shan Shan bawled noisily, struggling to jump into his father''s arms. Zuo Zi Mu couldn''t bear to leave his child; he cast a sideways glance at Shan Shan a few more times, before holding on to his injured shoulder and turned around, slowly descending the mountain.


    Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound shook the air; it seemed to be coming from behind the mountain. The whistling kept sounding continually; it seemed like it will never fade.


    Both the Divine Croc and Yun Zhong He had glee written all over their faces.


    "Number One is finally here!"


    Both leapt towards the direction of the whistling sound, vanishing from sight almost instantly like gases diffusing into the air. However, Second Madam Ye seemed oblivious of the sound; instead she continued playing with Shan Shan, until her gaze fell on Mu Wan Qing.


    She simpered, "Miss Mu, you have such gorgeous eyes on your mesmerizing face, this is absolutely intolerable. Leader Zuo, help do me a favour and dig out this lady''s eyeballs."


    Now that his son was being held captive, Zuo Zi Mu had no choice but to obey. "Miss Mu, it''s best that you follow according to Second Madam Ye''s instructions, it will save you much pain and suffering," said Zuo, as he brandished his sword at her direction, before stabbing the sword towards her.


    "Despicable lowlife!" Mu Wan Qing shrieked. She pulled out her sword and swung it at Zuo''s left shoulder. Three strokes were exchanged; suddenly, Mu Wan Qing''s body swerved as she threw out her left arm.


    Chi! Chi! Chi!


    Three poisonous arrows flew towards Second Madam Ye, attempting to attack her off-guard.


    "Don''t hurt my child!" Zuo Zi Mu yelled.


    What Mu Wan Qing did not expect was that as speedy her poison arrows might be, all it took of Second Madam Ye was a mere whisk of her left sleeve and all three arrows were wrapped, instantly, into a harmless bundle; she then disposed them off easily by throwing the arrows aside. When that was done, she conveniently removed Shan Shan''s shoe and flung it towards Mu Wan Qing''s back.


    Mu Wan Qing heard something soaring towards her from behind. She hastily swung her sword to the back, trying to knock it away. Unfortunately, her injury caused her to hold the sword at a wrong angle, such that the shoe was able to slide down the surface of her sword upon contact and struck her right waist with a loud


    pu


    sound.


    As Second Madam Ye tossed the shoe, she imbued her internal energy into the shoe, Mu Wan Qing tried desperately to use her own internal energy to resist that of Second Madam Ye. However, in the process of all this she was unable to take even a single breath and thus became momentarily paralyzed. No longer being able to hold onto her sword, she released her grip on the weapon as it fell with a loud "qiang-lang". The very next thing she knew, a second shoe was soaring towards her, striking her chest.


    Mu Wan Qing''s eyes saw nothing but darkness; she was unable to hold on any longer and collapsed. Zuo Zi Mu''s sword swerved abruptly and aimed towards her chest; meanwhile, he extended his left hand to gouge out her right eye.


    "Brother Duan!" cried Mu Wan Qing as she jumped towards the blade; she''d rather die under the sword than undergo the excruciating torture - and humiliation - of getting her eyes gorged out.


    Zuo Zi Mu pulled back his sword to prevent killing her; suddenly he felt something mighty tugging at his wrists. In an instant, he lost control of the sword; it flew towards the skies upon release. The powerful force he''d just experienced forced him back several steps.


    All three of them gasped as they watched the sword flying in mid-air. A soft, thin rope wrapped around the blade of the sword, an iron metal handle was attached to the other end of the rope; it was held onto by a soldier in yellow garments. This man appeared to be around in his thirties; the heroism expressed in his facial features was impressive yet frightening. A cold sneer spread across his face.


    Second Madam Ye recognized this man as the very person who battled with Yun Zhong He seven days ago, and knew that his martial arts are not weak; in fact, his martial arts were only a notch weaker than hers. She was not afraid of him; however, she feared that his companions have arrived too.


    And indeed, another yellow-clothed soldier stood at the East, an axe tied to his waist.


    Before she could say another word, noises rumbled loudly from behind her. She turned around and saw two more yellow-clothed soldiers standing at the South-East and the South-West direction. Like the two soldiers who first arrived, they had uncarved gems on their collar and looked like military officers. The soldier at the North-East wielded a pair of judge pens, while the other at the North-West held a staff forged using refined copper, which was so tall it reached his eyebrows.


    All four men stood around the corners of the peak, forming an enclosed wall around the three.


    Zuo Zi Mu called out loudly, "So the four honorable Dali palace guardians Chu, Gu, Fu, Zhu have arrived. Zuo Zi Mu from No Measure Sword pays his respect here." After speaking, he bowed courteously to them.


    Palace guardian Zhu Dan Chen, the man wielding the pair of judge pens clasped his fist respectfully in the direction of Zuo Zi Mu. The other three military officers, however, ignored him.


    Chu Wan Li, the palace guardian who arrived first among the four, brandished the metal handle in his hand, causing the sword trapped in mid-air by his rope to vibrate vigorously. The reflection caused by the sun rays made the sword sparkle beautifully like stars in the night, as he sneered, "No Measure Sword is quite a powerful sect in Dali, but nobody expected the leader of the sect to be such a despicable creature. Where is Young Master Duan?"


    Initially, all that Mu Wan Qing could think of was suicide and more suicide. Now that a potential saviour has arrived, these thoughts were replaced immediately by relief and joy. Hearing this palace guardian enquiring about Duan Yu, she suddenly felt as if this stranger were a close relative of hers.


    Zuo Zi Mu murmured, "Young... Young Master Duan? Ah yes, I saw him a few days ago, but I have no clue to where he is now."


    "Young Master Duan has been tortured to death by this evil lady''s brother," Mu Wan Qing pointed an accusing finger at Second Madam Ye, before adding, "That man was named something like ''To The Core Evil'' Yun Zhong He; he looks so skinny and tall I could compare him to a bamboo."


    "What? That man killed Young Master?" Chu Wan Li gasped.


    Grief and fury overwhelmed Fu Si Gui, the palace guardian weilding the copper staff. "Young Master Duan," he bellowed, the copper staff in his hands lunging towards the top of Second Madam Ye''s head. It looked almost ready to slam down onto her head. "I will avenge your death!"


    With a flash Second Madam Ye evaded Fu Si Gui''s moves as her body streaked about, while she shrieked, "Aiyo! My little babies, you, Dali''s four palace guardians surnamed Chu, Gu, Fu and Zhu. How could you kiddies die so young? How can mummy not feel miserable? You little unfortunate babies, wait for mummy while in hell!"


    Chu, Gu, Fu and Zhu palace guardians were only slightly younger than her, yet Second Madam Ye kept calling out "my little children" and "unfortunate babies", claiming to be their mother.


    Fu Si Gui looked murderous; he swung his copper staff viciously about, creating fierce swishing noises in the air. In an instant, his copper staff dissolved into a yellow mist which enclosed Second Madam Ye in between.


    Holding onto Zuo Zi Mu''s son, Second Madam Ye''s weaving body penetrated every opening in the flurry of her opponent''s stances, evading every single stroke of the copper staff. As she dodged about, the child in her arms started crying.


    Zuo Zi Mu anxiously cried for everybody to stop fighting, now that he feared that his child might get hurt. "Both of you stop fighting! Both of you stop fighting!"


    Another palace guardian withdrew his axe and bellowed, "''No Evil left Undone'' Second Madam Ye certainly lives up to her name. Allow me Gu Du Cheng to challenge your amazing skills."


    As soon as his voice can be heard, Gu Du Cheng went rolling on the floor. His hand shot out suddenly, as he hacked at her legs with the strongest move of his "Viciously Intersecting Eighteen Axes". Axes seemed to appear from both sides of her body; they closed in towards her and began striking brutally from all directions.


    Second Madam Ye laughed, "This child is such an obstruction. You kill him first."


    With that, she shifted Shan Shan towards the blade of the axe. Gu Du Cheng gasped and withdrew his axe immediately. Without missing a beat, Second Madam Ye seized this chance to launch a flying kick at his shoulder. Fortunately, this kick only caused him to stagger without suffering from any injury, for Gu Du Cheng had quite a muscular build. Recovering from the pain, he immediately jumped up and attack.


    However, Second Madam Ye had the child as a form of shield; as such, Gu Du Cheng and Fu Si Gui''s attacks met with restrictions everywhere: neither of them had the intention of harming the little infant.


    Zuo Zi Mu shouted again, "Careful, my child is in her hands! Careful! Careful! Brother Fu, your staff is a little bit too high. Brother Gu, your axe mustn''t¡­ mustn''t get too close to my child."


    Amidst all the mess, the melodious sound of a flute resounded in the air from the mountain ridge. It sounded clear, loud and intense. Shortly after, the music seemed to be coming from nearby. From behind the mountain, a middle-aged man sauntered into view, wearing large robes and sleeves. He had three tufts of beard and had a lofty appearance. He walked gracefully towards them, playing the metal flute in his hands as he did so.


    Zhu Dan Chen darted towards his side and whispered something into his ear. The stranger continued playing the flute; the tune was melodious and relaxing; this stranger calmly walked towards the site where they were battling earlier.


    Suddenly, the flute rang loudly, causing the people around him to clutch their ears for dear life as if their eardrums were about to explode. He then covered all the holes in the flute with all ten fingers, as he gathered energy and blew into it with force. A ferocious gust of wind burst out from the other end of the flute, searing towards Second Madam Ye''s face.


    Shocked, Second Madam Ye turned around and evaded the blow; as she did so, she felt one end of the flute pressing at her throat.


    Both movements were frighteningly quick; even for a person with such speedy reflexes like Second Madam Ye, she was rendered quite helpless when faced with such a situation. Raising her waist slightly, she forced herself to retreat many feet backwards. As she did so, she suddenly hurled Shan Shan''s body downwards while extending her arms, trying to grab the metal flute.


    Before the infant touched the floor, the stranger wearing huge robes threw out his sleeve; they curled around the infant and lifted it, harmlessly.


    The very moment when Second Madam Ye''s hand grabbed the metal flute, she felt as though she were holding a burning piece of coal! She gasped in shock and leapt backwards, releasing the flute immediately as she did so; she wondered whether the flute was coated with poison.


    The stranger flung his sleeves; Shan Shan''s body flew steadily towards Zuo Zi Mu.


    Second Madam Ye glanced sideways and noticed the stranger''s palms was as scarlet as blood.


    Her eyes widened in surprise.


    The flute was actually not coated with poison at all; instead, it was his internal energy all along which made the metal flute burn as though it had just came out of a furnace.


    Retreating a few steps in fear, she laughed, "This mister''s kung fu is indeed almighty, it is unimaginable that such a small country like Dali have such a powerful figure. May I ask for your honorable name?"


    The stranger returned a faint smile. "It is such an honour to have Second Madam Ye''s arrival here at our tiny boundary. It is fortunate, indeed fortunate of us, and hence we, the citizens of Dali, should welcome you gracefully as your host."


    Surprise and happiness welled inside Zuo Zi Mu''s heart as he hugged his son tightly, blurting out, "Your excellency must be Lord... Lord Gao?"


    The stranger did not reply, instead he returned another faint smile, before facing Second Madam Ye and inquired her politely, "Where is Mister Duan? Please do tell."


    "I do not know his whereabouts, and even if I do, why should I tell you?" sneered Second Madam Ye.


    With that, she sprang into the air; her soaring body was about to land onto the peak of a mountain nearby.


    "Halt!" The wide-robed stranger cried, his body soaring after her.


    Suddenly, several gleaming lights dazzled before his eyes. Upon closer look, they were in actual fact seven to eight hidden projectiles speeding towards him in mid-air - each of them aiming for them various acupoints on his head.


    Waving his metal flute swiftly, the stranger made every single projectile drop simultaneously onto the floor below. It was, however, too late to apprehend Second Madam Ye as she took this opportunity to escape. Her shadow weaved and flashed about, and it was impossible to catch her anymore owing to the now huge distance between her and himself. He turned to look at the "hidden projectiles" on the ground; they were in fact a variety of mere accessories that a child has on him or her. There was a longevity tablet, mini-lock, gold and silver items, etc.


    "These are objects of the many children she has killed. If this menace isn''t removed, heaps of infants will fall prey in the country of Dali." He mused.


    Chu Wan Li waved the metal handle in his hands. The soft rope uncurled itself, sending the sword flying towards Zuo Zi Mu, hilt facing him. Embarrassed, Zuo Zi Mu extended his arm and caught onto his sword. Under such embarrassing circumstances, he couldn''t say a word.


    Chu Wan Li then turned around to ask Mu Wan Qing, "What has truly happened to Mister Duan? Had he really been killed by Yun Zhong He?"


    These people seem to be Brother Duan''s friends, I''ll better tell them the truth, and we shall go search for him at the other side of the cliff.


    Mu Wan Qing thought. As she opened her mouth to speak, she heard somebody crying out anxiously from the waist of the mountain, sounding half-dead, "Miss Mu... Miss Mu... Are you still there? Divine Croc, here I come, I beseech you not to hurt Miss Mu! Regarding the matter of acknowledging you as master, we shall discuss that in the future... Miss Mu, Miss Mu, are you alright?"


    The wide-robed stranger and the military officers cried in joy. "Young Master is here!"


    During the long suffering wait for Duan Yu for seven long days, the emotional agony in her heart was able to rival her physical pain; until now was she finally able to hear his voice again; as surprise and relief overwhelmed her, she lost consciousness.


    Everything is in a state of blur. Mu Wan Qing heard someone calling softly, anxiously into her ear.


    "Miss Mu, Miss Mu, please... please wake up!" All feelings and memories flooded back into her mind. She began to gain consciousness, and soon found herself in the arms of somebody. Somebody was hugging her tightly, she instinctively tried to jump away from this person''s arms, but then a thought entered her mind: This must be Brother Duan. Her heart was full of sweetness, yet at the same time she tasted bitterness, and as she slowly opened her eyes, she saw a pair of clear eyes, like that of a river during autumn.


    Who else could it be besides Duan Yu?


    His voice was full of relief. "Ah, you have finally awakened!"


    Tears rolled down Mu Wan Qing''s cheeks as she raised her hand and gave him a painful slap. However, she continued to lean on his body, as her now depleted body made leaping out of his arms impossible.


    Carressing his own face, Duan Yu laughed, "You fierce lady! How dare you hit me for no reason?" Later, he added, "Where is Divine Croc? Wasn''t he waiting for me earlier?"


    "He has been waiting for you for seven days and seven nights, wasn''t that enough? He left."


    Upon hearing these words, Duan Yu looked as though he was revitalized; he cheered gleefully. "Excellent! Excellent! I was in such a loss earlier, if he was to force me to become his disciple, I¡­ I don''t know what I am supposed to do."


    "Since you are unwilling to become his disciple, why bother coming here?"


    Duan Yu replied in surprise. "Eh? You were held hostage by him, right? If I am not to come, won''t he be going to harm you then? How could I let this happen?"


    Sweetness filled Mu Wan Qing''s heart, her following words in stark contrast to her feelings. "Hmph! You, totally evil and heartless creep, why haven''t you search for me during these seven days?"


    Duan Yu sighed, "I was held captive and couldn''t escape. However, I thought of you whole day and night everyday, the anxiety in my heart was tormenting me so badly. The moment I could escape, I went searching for you immediately."


    *


    That very day when the Divine Croc abducted Mu Wan Qing, leaving a flustered, agonised Duan Yu alone at the mountain peak.


    I''d better beg that villain to keep me under his tutelage; in this case Miss Mu''s life wouldn''t be in such danger,


    Duan Yu thought.


    But if I were to become a disciple of that villain, and learn that noisy-cracking neck-breaking skill, things will become terrible. After teaching me these skills, he would get me to perform this horrid skill on innocent people, and I will be breaking the necks of one after another, that is totally horrible! Fortunately, this villain is quite reasonable, albeit cruel and vicious, if I were to debate with him once more, there is a possibility of getting him to release Miss Mu and not keeping me under his tutelage.


    As he paced back and forth, his mind was filled with a never-ending stream of thoughts; suddenly, he felt a pain in his abdomen. A thought struck him.


    Aiyoh! This is not good! How could I have forgotten? I have already acknowledged Dear Goddess as my master, so I''m a disciple of Xiao Yao Sect. As a disciple of Xiao Yao Sect, how can I change sects? Right, I am going to reason with that villain, and I must hear him say once again ''This makes sense''.


    What if


    , he suddenly thought,


    that villain wanted me to display the kung fu of Xiao Yao Sect, I couldn''t do anything at all; the Divine Croc surely wouldn''t be convinced of my being a disciple of Xiao Yao Sect.


    Dear Goddess had instructed me to practice the divine martial arts in that scroll thrice everyday--morning, afternoon and night.


    However, having experienced the most dangerous and busiest times of his life, he barely even touched it.


    I deserved death


    , he mused.


    Guilt-stricken, he reached into his robes to pull out the scroll. Suddenly he heard footsteps from behind; as he turned to look, he gasped in shock. In front of him were a huge crowd of very familiar people, all of whom were walking along the side of the cliff.


    The first person was the leader of Divine Farmer Clan, Si Kong Xuan. Behind him stood Zuo Zi Mu, the leader of the East Faction and Xin Shuang Qing, leader of West Faction of No Measure Sword. The rest were disciples of the three Sects. The sight of everybody crowding together puzzled Duan Yu. Weren''t these people fighting their all with each other earlier?


    Not bad,


    he thought,


    these guys were finally able to convert their enmity towards one another into one of friendshipfriendship.


    The huge crowd of people made two rows at each side of the cliff, as they bowed courteously, as though awaiting the arrival of someone of high power and authority.


    Shades of green flashed; eight ladies appeared, all of them leaping up the side of the cliff. They all wore a emerald cape that had a large vulture embroidered onto it.


    I am going to die,


    Duan Yu thought in fear. He could recognise the clothing the ladies were wearing, anytime.


    Four ladies stood at each side. One more lady dressed in green walked up the peak of the mountain. She was only in her twenties, her facial features clear and beautiful. However, her eyebrows seemed to conceal a murderous air. She glared at Duan Yu and snapped, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"


    Duan Yu felt immense relief upon hearing these words.


    This lady has yet to know it was me and Miss Mu who had killed her four friends and attempted to disguise ourselves as the sacred heralds of the Nimble Vulture Palace. Since that cape has been wrapped on the obese Granny Ping, and Miss Mu''s cape has disappeared into the Lan Chan River, these ladies have no evidence at all, so I can easily push away all charges made against me then.


    "I am Duan Yu from the country of Dali, and had once become a guest in Mister Zuo''s No Measure palace with a friend of mine¡­."


    "Buddy Duan," Zuo Zi Mu interrupted hastily. "No Measure Sword has currently been submitted to the great subordinates of Nimble Vulture Palace. No Measure Palace has now been renamed No Measure Cave; hence the three words ''No Measure Palace'' will now cease to exist."


    What a brilliant idea,


    Duan Yu thought amusedly to himself,


    now that you were defeated by others, you admitted defeat and surrendered!


    "Congratulations! Congratulations!" Duan Yu smiled, "Mister Zuo has finally forsaken the dark side and has now seen the light! This is something worth celebrating¡­"


    When have I been in the "dark side", and what "light" have I seen?


    Zuo Zi Mu thought to himself; however, these words cannot be spoken aloud; all he could do was to return a forced smile.


    Duan Yu continued, "I have earlier witnessed a misunderstanding that occured between this Leader Si Kong and Leader Zuo, and had attempted to clear the dispute. Unfortunately, things were messed up even further: I had to retrieve an antidote under the orders of Leader Si Kong. Little did I expect to meet the Divine Croc Yue Number Three, who said I am of high intelligence and forced me to become a disciple of his. I told him I know no kung fu, yet this villain was such an unreasonable creep; he abducted me and brought me here, and gave me no other choices besides acknowledging him as my master. I feel so helpless¡­"


    Following that, he bowed courteously and said, "How am I to escape from this impossibly high precipice? Answering Missy''s question pertaining to what am I doing here, I just have to say I am awaiting death."


    Nothing Duan Yu has just said was false, the earlier part of what he had said was true, the later part was not false in every aspect; all he did was to omit a huge portion of what happened in the middle.


    Confucius omitted the words "Spring Autumn" in his work, he narrates but doesn''t create it


    , Duan Yu mused.


    Omitting portions of text is not against the way of the sages, only when one lies then he wouldn''t be a true gentleman.


    "En," the lady replied softly, before continuing, "So the Four Villains have indeed arrived at Dali. What kind of ''high intelligence'' do you possess which made Yue Number Three wants nothing better than to make you his disciple?"


    Before the reply came, her gaze swept towards Sikong Xuan and Zuo Zi Mu and inquired, "his words aren''t false, are they?"


    "Indeed, " Zuo Zi Mu replied.


    "Reporting Sacred Herald," Si Kong Xuan spoke, "This lad knows no kung fu, all he knew was to create a mess out of everything."


    "According to the both of you, there were two creeps who had the audacity to disguise as my sisters and escaped to this peak. Where are they?" The lady spoke, once again turning towards Duan Yu. "Mister Duan, did you happen to see two ladies dressed in a green cape just like us?"


    "Nope," Duan Yu replied. "I have not seen anybody dressed up like you, sister."


    The two impostors disguising as you people weren''t "two ladies"


    , Duan Yu thought, searching for an excuse to justify his statement so as to not make it a lie and go against his principles:


    They were a man and a lady, and without a mirror, I can''t see how I look like, as for Miss Mu, she is only "one" lady, not "two ladies"


    .


    Nodding her head, the lady turned towards Si Kong Xuan and said, "You must have been a subordinate of Nimble Vulture Palace for quite a long time?"


    Si Kong Xuan replied tremulously, "Yes¡­. I have been a subordinate for - for eight years¡­."


    The lady spoke again, "What a fool you have been, not even able to recognize us sisters. What help can you do for Kid Nanny? Regarding this year''s antidote for your Life-Death Insignia, you won''t have any hope."


    A despondent look fell over his ashen face; he knelt on the floor and began kowtowing to the lady as he begged, "Have mercy Sacred Herald! Have mercy Sacred Herald!"


    This goatie hasn''t died yet; Miss Mu must have given him some fake antidote, or did the people from the Nimble Vulture Palace give him some miraculous medicine?


    Duan Yu thought in puzzlement,


    and what on earth is the "antidote for Life-Death Insignia"?


    Ignoring Sikong Xuan, the lady turned her attention towards Xin Shuang Qing. "Bring Mister Duan down with you. If the Four Villains dare to create any trouble, tell them to find me at Obscure Peak, Nimble Vulture Palace! I shall leave the matter of apprehending the two impostors to the people of No Measure Cave. Hehe¡­. What audacity! Those two traitors Gan Guang Hao and Ge Guang Pei must be brought back and slain. If any of you sees my four sisters, inform them to return to Nimble Vulture Palace, I shan''t wait for them any longer."


    Every sentence she spoke, Xin Shuang Qing replied another, making sure his eyes do not meet the lady''s ones. After she finished speaking, the lady walked down the peak herself without even giving a final look at the crowd. The eight women accompanying her followed closely and left.


    Si Kong Xuan was kneeling on the floor all this while, the moment the nine women left the peak, he immediately leapt towards the side of the cliff, yelling "Sacred Herald Fu, please pass this message of mine to Kid Nanny, Si Kong Xuan has let her down."


    As he said so, he sprang to the other side of the cliff and dived towards River Lan Chan miles below. Everybody called aloud in shock. Divine Farmer Clan members rushed quickly towards the side of the cliff.


    Turbid waves billowed and surged past fiercely; their Clan leader was nowhere to be seen. Many of the clan disciples began to weepy and started pounding their chests in agony.


    Seeing the way their leader Si Kong Xuan had ended, the disciples of No Measure Sword stared at each other in dismay.


    Leader Si Kong''s death is partly my fault


    , a remorseful Duan Yu thought sadly.


    "Take care of Mister Duan as you bring him down," ordered Xin Shuang Qing, as he pointed towards two male disciples of the East Faction of No Measure Sword. The two men, named Yu Guang Biao and Wu Guang Sheng, bowed and complied.


    Duan Yu finally reached the foot of the hill after a very long walk as he was being hauled by the two men. He took a deep breath and cupped his hands courteously to Zuo Zi Mu and Xin Shuang Qing, saying "I thank the both of you sincerely for escorting me down the mountain, let''s part our ways here."


    His eyes darted around and he spotted the mountain the Divine Croc was pointing at earlier, as he thought in dismay, climbing up this mountain must be harder than descending that mountain by manifolds.


    I doubt the people of No Measure Sword will be that nice to carry me up that hill, I''ll just have to save Miss Mu with all I can,


    he mused.


    To his shock, Xin Shuang Qing said, "Please do not hurry away and do accompany me back to No Measure Cave."


    "No," Duan Yu said in alarm, "No, I have many things to do for the moment, I can''t comply today. Apologies. Apologies."


    "Hng!" Xin Shuang Qing humphed and made a hand signal. Both Yu and Wu immediately stretched their arms and locked his arms tightly with theirs and continued moving ahead.


    "Hey! Hey! Leader Xin, Leader Zuo, I have never offended the both of you in any way. That Sacred Herald sister has commanded the both of you to escort me down the mountain, now we have descended the mountain and I have thanked you people. What more do you want from me?"


    (Briefly edited by lilchilipepper)


    Neither Xin Shuang Qing nor Zuo Zi Mu bothered to listen. Seized tightly captive between Yu and Wu, Duan Yu had no choice save to follow them back to the No Measure Cave.


    The two men brought Duan Yu past five houses and through a large garden before stopping in front of three small houses. Wu Guang Sheng opened the door, while Yu Guang Biao pushed him firmly forwards. As soon as Duan Yu stumbled into the house, the door closed behind him with a resounding clicking sound. The door had been locked, and he was now efficiently trapped within.


    "How unreasonable can you No Measure Sword people get? How can you all treat me like a criminal? It''s not as if No Measure Sword is the authorities. How could you imprison people for absolutely no reason?" Duan Yu called out.


    The noises outside ceased instantly. Despite all of his shouting and screaming, nobody seemed to notice him at all.


    Duan Yu sighed,


    Since things happened this way, let it be. All I can do now is to await my fate.


    The descent from the mountain had exhausted him sorely, and, upon seeing a bed and a table in the room, he immediately reclined on the bed and fell asleep.


    Before long, a person came to serve him food; surprisingly, it did not taste awful. Turning to the servant who brought the food, Duan Yu spoke, "Go and report to your two leaders. Tell them I have a word to¡­" Before he could finish saying what he wanted to say, he heard Yu Guang Biao roaring gruffly outside the door.


    "That little lad whose surname is Duan, you had better keep your mouth shut. I could care less whether you want to sleep or lie down, but if I hear just one more sound coming from you, expect no more mercy from us. You speak one sentence, and I will return it with a slap. Two sentences, two slaps, another three will get you three from me. Surely you know how to count?"


    Duan Yu instantly fell silent.


    These barbarians will truly not hesitate to do something they have threatened. When Miss Mu slapped me, my cheeks were certainly in pain, but there was sweetness in my heart. If these guys slapped me, things definitely would be far different.


    He finished three large bowls of rice and rested on the bed again.


    I wonder if Miss Mu is alright now,


    he thought in worry.


    It would be best if she manages to shoot Divine Croc to death with her poisonous arrows, and then comes to rescue me. Ay, how could I actually hope for her to kill people?


    Another string of thoughts swam around in his head before he finally gave a weary yawn and fell asleep.


    This time, he slept until the following morning. Scanning the area around him, Duan Yu noticed that the furniture was crude and simple, as though they were placed here long ago. Metal chains lined the inside of the windows; it could not have been any more evident that this was the place in which the No Measure Sword held captives.


    All the thoughts of his current dilemma-namely, locked in a room while pressed for time-vanished as he stared at the cavernous space before him. The first notion that came to his mind was to practice the Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness as Dear Goddess had instructed him.


    He reached into his robes, removed the scroll, and placed it on the table. Remembering the nude pictures in the paintings, his heart began palpitating furiously. He straightened his robes and set himself in a meditating position-endeavoring with great difficulty to stop his face from reddening any further-as he thought silently,


    Dear Goddess, I am here to follow your instructions and to practice the divine art you have told me to. I''m not trying to steal a look at your ethereal figure. Forgive me for being disrespectful...


    He slowly unrolled the scroll and began reading the words that appeared behind the first painting. To him, reading these words was as simple as eating rice at home; he skimmed through the words, and he instantly understood the meaning. After the second reading, he had them all memorized, and, by the third time, he had it all inside him. He dared not glance longer than necessary at the exposed paintings; rather he quickly studied the various meridians and acupoints on the picture before commencing his training.


    The words on the scroll read: "Our sect''s internal energy is a total contrast to those of other sects, for internal energy cultivated using our methods flows in the opposite direction. As such, those who have already had practised internal energy training must forget those learnt in the past, and start training on the martial arts here diligently. If one has any stray thoughts left in one''s mind, this may lead to two opposite forces clashing with each other, which would immediately result in fire deviation. The victim will go mad and vomit blood, which he or she would then become fully paralyzed; nothing could possibly be more dangerous than this."


    The words repeatedly reiterated this point, emphasizing the severity of the situation. However, Duan Yu never began any internal energy training before; therefore, he could conveniently move on without having to bother with this dangerous stage at all.


    Within one hour, Duan Yu had managed to follow the written instructions and memorized all the channels, meridians, and acupoints of the Lung Meridians* correctly. However, his body did not possess even the slightest trace of internal energy; as a result, he naturally would not be able to channel his non-existent internal energy to move through his meridians.


    (End of editing work)


    Following that, Duan Yu commenced his cultivation on his "Ren Meridians". This particular meridian route begins at the ''Yin Gathering'' pressure point located in the perineum. The route moves up various pressure points like the ''Crooked Bone'', ''Centre Extremity'', ''Closed Energy'', ''Rock Entrance'', going past the abdomen, chest, the throat and ends at the ''Broken Foundation'' pressure point which resides at the space between his lower jaws.


    Although there were numerous pressure points along the Ren Meridians, the path of the meridian was entirely straight, which made it easy for Duan Yu to practice. In an instant, Duan Yu memorized the positions and names for the various pressure points. He reached out his hands to touch those pressure points he had just learnt. As it was mentioned in the scroll earlier, he had to cultivate his internal energy through his meridians - in the reverse way. As such, he had to cultivate his internal energy from his ''Broken Foundation'' pressure point, down the ''Liquid Receiving'', ''Incorrupt Fountain'', ''Abrupt Heavens'' pressure points to his ''Yin Gathering'' pressure point.


    **The words in the painting read: The Ren Meridians and the Lungs Meridians are the cornerstones in the cultivation of our Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness. The ''Less Merchant'' pressure point located at the thumb and the ''Shan Zhong'' pressure point between the breasts are the most vital points of our skill, the former collecting internal energy whilst the latter accumulates and stores them.


    The human body has four oceans: namely the ''Ocean of the Water and Rice'' in the stomach, the ''Ocean of the Twelve Channels'' in the Chong Meridians, the ''Ocean of Energies'' in the Shan Zhong pressure point, and finally, the ''Ocean of the Marrow'' in the Brain. The practice of storing food and water in the stomach is known throughout every human being the moment they were born; hence no special training is needed. However, the marvellous ability to absorb others'' internal energy and store it in our own body can only be achieved by our Carefree Sect''s Divine Skill of Northern Darkness.


    Within a day, food and water collected in the stomach is absorbed and assimilated, however, the internal energy which a human absorbs accumulates after each absorption, becoming thicker and more abundant, resembling that of the enormous Ethereal Lake in the Dark North that could even float a gargantuan sea-monster whose size spans a thousand li.**


    Duan Yu rolled the scroll and thought deeply:


    This kung fu is purely beneficial to oneself at the expense of others. By absorbing the internal energy that others had practised industriously for years and using it as my own, wouldn''t it be as cruel as consuming the flesh and blood of a fellow human being? Wouldn''t it be as if I was to purloin the wealth of others and take them as my own, wouldn''t I be cheating or doing something illegal then? But I have promised Dear Goddess to practise this martial arts, I can''t break my promise¡­. Never mind, I will not absorb anybody''s internal energy in my entire life.


    Another occurred to him:


    Uncle had constantly reminded me that when humans were first born into this world, they had neither food nor any clothes, and had nothing to use for survival. Even a bowl of porridge, rice or even a thread of clothing all had to be obtained by something else. The act of obtaining things from somebody else cannot be helped, but the real question is how are we able to repay those who had given us. What we obtained must be minimal, and we must always give out much, much more than what we take in. If one was to take in something from the wealthy and the evil, and give that stuff obtained to the poor and the needy, there would be nothing to feel guilty over; on the other hand, it is more of a charitable act done by a kind soul. This golden rule is the same in Buddhism and Confucianism. There is nothing wrong in offering ointment from the affluent to those who badly needs it, so long as my intention was purely for doing something for the needy. Doing as much charity as I can do to every soul under the skies would be like having Buddha in every household. The question is not about obtaining or not obtaining, but rather, to do charity or to do evil.


    The moment Duan Yu understood this point, he no longer had any qualms on practising the Divine Skill of Northern Darkness anymore.


    Translated by ani411


    While Duan Yu had no misgivings in his heart about that matter, he thought again, "In short, I should just do more good deeds in my life and never do bad things. Elephants can carry heavy loads of tons, crickets and ants can only drag little things; if you have a strong ability, you can do great good deeds, but you would also be able to do horribly bad things. With Divine Croc''s abilities, if you only do good deeds, wouldn''t it be greatly beneficial to everyone?" the moment he thought of this point, he felt that even if Divine Croc was his master, but he only twisted bad people''s necks, it will seem as though "This sentence seems to be logical."


    The scroll also had ways to cultivate the many other channels and meridians; all of them were for absorbing the internal energy of others. Although Duan Yu had no more qualms about that, he still felt that practicing it went against his personal character, just being greedy of much and determined to meet one''s desires alone was already not a good thing and thus, he decided to ignore it.


    At the end of the scroll, he saw again "Graceful Steps upon the Waves" these words and immediately thought of the sentences in...


    Translated by Pacifian


    Duan Yu further unrolled the scroll till its very end, and on it he saw the five words "Graceful Steps upon the Waves". These words reminded him of a poem he read in the past: The Goddess Luo.


    Graceful Steps upon the Waves,


    Dust settles on her gauze stockings¡­.


    Passionate fluttering eyelids and vivacious glances;


    Euphoria moisturizing her jade-like countenance.


    She has yet to say the delicate speech,


    Her breath possesses the fragrance of the Tranquil Orchid.


    An air of Grandeur and Elegance;


    I lost my soul in the presence of such beauty!


    Those unforgettable words of aesthetic elegance created by Cao Zhi flowed gently, unhurriedly across his mind:


    Voluptuousness, Slenderness ¨C flawlessly combined, she is;


    Complementing elements of loftiness and daintiness,


    Sculpted shoulders,


    Waist of delicate silk,


    Ravishingly long neck with a lovely chin,


    Her unblemished substance now revealed,


    Her fragrance needed no further enhancing,


    Cosmetics, totally redundant!


    Her hair flailed loftily like the clouds,


    Her slender brows arched slightly, gracefully.


    Radiant, sparkling lips of vermillion,


    coupled with spotless teeth brimming with freshness.


    With captivating, crystal-clear glances,


    Those two alluring dimples on her cheeks,


    A posture of magnificence and carefreeness,


    A demeanour of tranquility and elegance.


    With tender passions and graceful manner,


    Words just cannot depict her charm¡­.


    The moment he thought of Dear Goddess'' elegant posture, he recalled again a few verses:


    Pure as the twilight ¨C the morning sun;


    Dazzling as the lotus sprouting from nature''s waves!


    To him, following Dear Goddess'' instructions is the happiest and most blissful thing to do on Earth. Even if he was to die a hundred times, suffer ten thousand trials and tribulations, he would not regret the tiniest bit. I shall practice this "Graceful Steps upon the Waves" first, Duan Yu mused, since this is a skill to flee and not to harm others, learning it would only bring good and no harm.


    All steps were clearly illustrated in the scroll; given its wealth of details, not even a single positioning of the sixty-four trigrams of the Scripture of Changes has been missed out. Ever since Duan Yu was young, he had already familiarized himself with the Scripture of Changes, therefore felt no difficulty in learning these steps.


    However, the footwork on the scroll is inconceivably weird. After moving a step, it was impossible to progress onto the next one. It was only until when Duan Yu thought of somersaulting into the air, could he finally be able to form a miraculous, yet strangely natural connection between the two steps. There were even weirder cases: such as leaping forwards and backwards, or fleeing to the left and dodging towards the right, only so could he be able to follow the instructions written in the scroll.


    The moment the enormous potential behind his bookworm-ish nature is unleashed, he found immeasurable joy in analyzing, and eventually solving, any problems with an insurmountable level of difficulty. Such is the joy that he was unable to express his feelings at that moment, he thought unconsciously:


    Never did I once expect to find such pleasure with no limits in martial arts; this is definitely not beneath studying books and memorizing scriptures.


    In this way, a day has passed. He has grasped roughly twenty to thirty per cent of the intricacies of the footwork illustrated in the scroll. After dinner, he learnt more ten-odd steps before retiring to bed. In his semi-consciousness, the myriad of thoughts floating in his mind comprises the terms of the various acupoints such as: ''Less Merchant'', ''Shan Zhong'', ''Closed Energies'' and ''Centre Extremity'', along with other Scripture of Changes'' trigrams like ''Concording People'', ''Great Possessing'', ''Converting The Maiden'', ''Not-yet Fording'' and so on.


    During midnight, Duan Yu was awoken by a sudden series of thunderous croaks, each sounding like a ''Jiang-ang'' noise. Not long after, another series of similar croaks ensued. The sound was similar to the mooing of a cow, but there were elements of melancholy and absolute misery to it. Duan Yu wondered what kinds of animal can produce such noises, but then again, he remembered that strange beasts and venomous insects are aplenty on Mt. No Measure. As soon as he heard the croaking noises died down, he could not care any less about the matter and slept soundly as soon as his head touched the pillow.


    Somebody spoke nearby. "The ''Venomous Crimson Bullfrog'' hasn''t appeared for quite some time, but now, it suddenly croaked again tonight. I wonder whether this means good or bad for us."


    Another voice replied. "Our East Faction has been reduced to such a miserable state; things can''t be anymore good for us. We owe our lives to heaven if this bad news isn''t so extreme."


    Duan Yu knew those two disciples that spoke were Yu Guang Biao and Wu Guang Sheng. They must be sent to sleep in the room near mine so as to prevent me from escaping, he thought.


    Wu Guang Sheng''s voice can be heard once more. "We, the No Measure Sword, have already belonged to Nimble Vulture Palace; even though this spells the lack of freedom for us, as we are now being controlled by those of higher authority, we could at least have a powerful backing. So, all in all, we have half of each: good and bad. However, what I truly cannot stand is this: The West Faction has always inferior to us, why did that Sacred Herald pass the position of No Measure Cave to Senior Martial Uncle Xin, leaving us at their beck and call?"


    "What else could we do? Everybody - Heavenly Mountain Kid Nanny included - in Nimble Vulture Palace is female, and they say we guys aren''t in the least bit trustworthy. Sacred herald Fu is considered kind enough: by placing Martial Uncle Xin as our leader, Nimble Vulture Palace will view us in a new light. Watch how cruelly Sacred Herald Fu has dealt with the Leader of Divine Farming Clan, as compared to her treatment of Martial Uncle Xin, they are miles apart!"


    "This, I don''t understand," Wu Guang Sheng said. "Senior Apprentice Brother Yu, why did Sacred Herald Fu treat that lad so courteously? She addressed him as ''Mister Duan'', ''Mister Duan'', doesn''t that sound a little too affectionate?"


    Hearing his name being mentioned, Duan Yu erased all temptations of sleeping from his mind, and began to listen more attentively to the ongoing conversation.


    He heard a laugh - Yu Guang Biao''s voice. "These words can only be said here in secret. A young maiden, politely calling a white-faced lad ''Mister Duan'', ''Mister Duan''¡­." The moment the three words "Mister Duan" were spoken aloud, he pressed his windpipe and the results were immediate: he spoke using a tone simlar to that of Sacred Herald Fu, with the addition of some tenderly whining created by none other than he himself.


    "Guess what''s going on?"


    Wu Guang Sheng spoke excitedly. "So ¡­ so Sacred Herald Fu is infatuated with that white-faced lad?"


    "Keep your voice softer," Yu Guang Biao cautioned. "Don''t wake that little white-faced kid." Following that, he laughed. "I am not the ''sacred'' parasite residing in Sacred Herald Fu''s stomach, how am I to understand her intentions? I guess Martial Uncle Xin must be thinking along these lines too, no wonder she made us keep a close watch on him, preventing his escape."


    "How long must we keep him here?" Wu Guang Sheng asked.


    Yu Guang Biao responded, "Sacred Herald Fu said on the mountain peak, ''Xin Shuang Qing, bring Mister Duan down with you. If the Four Villains dare to create any trouble, tell them to find me at Obscure Peak, Nimble Vulture Palace.''" These words were spoken once again using the tone of the lady dressed in green.


    He continued further, "So what if we brought Mister Duan down the mountain? She wouldn''t explain further, nobody dare query her. Suppose if one day Sacred Herald Fu sent people over here to pass on a message: Xin Shuang Qin, bring that Mister Duan up Nimble Vulture Peak to meet me. And it all happens that that little white-faced lad was killed by us, or set free, wouldn''t things be disastrous for us?"


    Wu Guang Sheng asked. "What if Sacred Herald Fu was to forget this entire matter, aren''t we supposed to keep that white-faced lad in here for ever, just to wait for Sacred Herald Fu''s instructions?"


    Yu Guang Biao laughed. "That''s right."


    Duan Yu''s heart was filled with cries of ''T''is bad''. This Sacred Herald sister by the surname of Fu addressed me as "Mister Duan" merely because she saw me as a scholarly man, hence was slightly more courteous in her speech, Duan Yu thought, flustered.


    Where have you guys been thinking all these rubbish? Even until my beard has grown white and I am still under prison, that Sacred Herald sister wouldn''t even think of seeing me, this white-faced oldie.


    As Duan Yu was lost in his thoughts of worry, he heard Wu Guang Sheng speak again. "Then wouldn''t the both of us be -"


    His words were cut off completely, by three thunderous ''Ji-ang'' croaks. Clealy, that Venomous Crimson Bullfrog was croaking again. Wu Guang Sheng kept his mouth tightly shut. After a long while, when he was finally certain that the Venomous Crimson Bullfrog did not croak any further, he continued, "Every time the Venomous Crimson Bullfrog croaks, my heart would leap like mad and I would have goose bumps all over. I wonder how many lives the God of Plague would want to claim this time round."


    Yu Guang Biao said, "Everybody called the Venomous Crimson Bullfrog the creature of transport of the God of plague; that would be merely a saying. The Manjusri Bodhisattva rides a lion; the Samantabhadra rides on a white elephant; the Lord Supreme rides a green ox¡­. This Venomous Crimson Bullfrog is the king of all poisons, its powers are divine and all-reaching, and the formidableness of its toxicity is known throughout many generations. Calling it the creature of transport for the God of Plague simply wouldn''t be enough!"


    "Senior Apprentice Brother Yu," continued Wu Guang Sheng. "How do you think that Venomous Crimson Bullfrog looks like?"


    Yu Guang Biao grinned. "Why, aren''t you interested in finding out?"


    "That would be something you''ve got to tell me after you have seen it." Wu Guang Sheng said, returning the grin.


    "The moment I spot the Venomous Crimson Bullfrog, the toxic gases it emitted would instantly blind my eyes. Following that, it would creep into my brain. By then, I''m afraid I wouldn''t have much time left to describe the looks of the King of All Poisons for you to know. How about having the both of us take a look?"


    With that said, footsteps were heard, followed by the sound of someone unlocking the door.


    Wu Guang Sheng was immediately seized with fear. "Don''t¡­ Don''t kid¡­" His trembling voice was easily noticeable. He rushed over to the door and locked the door again. Yu Guang Biao laughed at the sight.


    "Hahaha! Now, really, you didn''t for a moment think I would actually dare to take a look? Have a look at how laughably frightened you have became."


    Wu Guang Sheng was still recovering from the shock. "This joke had better not be played, or else certain things we wouldn''t want to happen really do. Let all be peaceful. Let''s go to sleep!"


    Yu Guang Biao changed topic. "You guess whether that immoral couple ¨C Gan Guang Hao and Ge Guang Pei ¨C managed to escape?


    "We haven''t heard the slightest thing about them for so long, most probably they did manage to escape after all."


    "I know


    everything


    about Gan Guang Hao''s capabilities. That person is greedy and lazy and flirtatious - he is totally uninterested in practicing swordplay; all that he is capable of would be to sweet-talk ladies. All of us combed the whole of North, South, East and West; even the Sacred Herald from Nimble Vulture Palace came here personally to search for them. Yet, in the end, that couple managed to escape. I just can''t believe this."


    "However much you disbelieve, you just got to."


    Yu Guang Sheng was deep in his thoughts. "I say, this couple must have been hiding deep inside the mountains, and met the Venomous Crimson Bullfrog."


    Wu Guang Sheng gasped loudly in surprise; even the most insensitive of people could sense the dread in his voice.


    Yu Guang Biao continued. "Yes. They must be searching themselves silly for a deserted area to hide themselves in. Yet, the moment they ran into the the Venomous Crimson Bullfrog, their brains would be filled with those toxins and hence, got themselves dissolved into a bloody heap as a result. No wonder we couldn''t find them."


    Wu Guang Sheng said, nodding, "You''ve got a point there."


    "What do you mean I have got a point?" Yu Guang Sheng snapped. "If they hadn''t ran into the Venomous Crimson Bullfrog, then there wouldn''t be anymore points left, would there?"


    "Perhaps they couldn''t tolerate it any more. Deep inside the deserted mountains or ridges, they started doing this thing and that thing. And in the midst of all darkness, they unleashed the move ''Flipping the carp over'' and oh, how could it be? ¨C they fell into somewhere miles deep into the valley!"


    At this point, both men started cackling nastily.


    Duan Yu sank deep into his thoughts:


    At that food stall Miss Mu shot both Gan and Ge to their deaths, how could it be that the No Measure Sword disciples weren''t able to find them? Hmm¡­ Right. It must be that the stall owner was afraid of attracting trouble, so he quickly buried the corpses somewhere. So when the No Measure Sword disciples came to investigate, everybody naturally kept silent, seeing their fierce looks and their weapons and all.


    Wu Guang Sheng spoke again, "The East and the West Factions of No Measure Sword merely lost two disciples. How big a matter could it be? The Emperor isn''t in the least worried yet the eunuchs are. Why would the Sacred Heralds of Nimble Vulture Palace be so anxious? Why must they be in such a hurry in apprehending those two people?"


    "This, you need to use your brains more to find the answer."


    Silence ensued. "You know my mind isn''t in the slightest quick. After thinking this to that, here to there, I just couldn''t figure it out."


    "Let me pose you a question, then," Yu Guang Biao said: "the Nimble Vulture Palace is so keen on taking over our No Measure Palace - why is this so?"


    Wu Guang Sheng was lost in his thoughts. "Senior Apprentice Tang once said, the reasons most likely have something to do with the No Measure Jade Wall. The very moment Sacred Herald Fu arrives here, she would enquire non-stop about the divine silhouette, swordplay, and everything else up the No Measure Jade Wall." After an afterthought, he added, "That''s right! All of us had to abide by the instructions Sacred Herald Fu set for us ¨C the swearing of oath of never to divulge the slightest thing about the divine silhouette at the Jade Wall; yet both Gan Guang Hao and Ge Guang Pei had already escaped from No Measure Palace. Neither of them made the oath! There is no telling whether they wouldn''t mention it to the outside world!"


    At this point, he slapped his thigh in revelation, exclaiming, "Right! Right! Nimble Vulture Palace went through all this effort just to silence those two rascals."


    "Hush! Don''t make so much noise; there is somebody next door, have you forgotten?" Yu Guang Biao whispered warningly.


    An abashed-looking Wu Guang Sheng nodded. "Indeed, indeed."


    For a moment, neither spoke. Finally, Wu Guang Sheng broke the silence. "That rat Gan Guang Hao sure has infinite blessings; having the fortune to cuddle Ge Guang Pei, such a white and fleshy little cute gunnysack in his arms; having the luck to skin her as if she were a sheep¡­. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Damn it. Even if he really did get dissolved into a bloody mass, he didn''t¡­ didn''t really¡­. Hehe¡­"


    From then on, the two men''s conversation has been reduced to a lowly mixture of vulgarities and obscenities. Duan Yu was unwilling to eavesdrop any further, but the lewd and dirty jokes and laughters continually coursed through the wall separating them ¨C much to Duan Yu''s dismay; so trying to shut the noises away was impossible. The only way out for him would be to concentrate on the various channels, meridians and acupoints. Indeed, all it took was a short while of deep concentration, and the vulgarities nearby vanished without a trace as if they had been switched off, no matter how loud they were.


    The following day, Duan Yu continued his training on the ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves''. He followed the footwork illustrated in the scroll very closely, and began trying them out step by step. This footwork was either inclined to the left or slanted to the right: none of the steps taught was to advance and retreat directly. Even though he was confined to a small area, all he need was to remove the table and chairs and he could perform the footwork without any obstructions; after a period of training, he had learned more ten-odd steps.


    Suddenly, an idea struck him.


    Later, when somebody comes to give me lunch, all I need is to perform these weird, diagonal steps and it would take me no time at all to move round him and escape past the door. It is unlikely that he would be able to catch me. By then, I would be able to escape this place instantly and avoid the horrible fate that awaits me if I stayed ¨C wait till the day I became an Oldie White-faced?


    He was brimming with joy as he thought about this.


    I must train this set of footwork very diligently to the extent of total familiarization


    , he thought firmly,


    Should I take a wrong step by accident and fail to escape, they might shackle my legs together from that point onwards to prevent me from escaping. By then, even how delightfully incredible ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'' might be, every step I take would be restrained by the metal chains; I will really have to become Oldie White-faced no matter how much I dread it.


    Lost in thoughts, Duan Yu involuntarily made dizzy circles with his head.


    Without further ado, he speedily ran through the hundred-over steps he had learnt in his head. "I need to reach a stage whereby I need not even think about the steps in my mind; the mere lifting of my legs would result in a rapid succession of the following steps."


    Suddenly, he sighed. "I, Duan Yu, a stinky male, had to learn those graceful and delicate ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'' from the Tranquil Lady Goddess Luo. What qualities of ''Dust settles on her gauze stockings'' do I possess? More likely mine''s a poor imitation in the form of ''Dust settles on his naked bottom'', I guess."


    Chuckling merrily at himself, Duan Yu stepped on the position of ''Central Confirmation'', followed shortly by an immediate turning towards the ''Already Fording'' spot. What he didn''t expect was that the moment he changed positions from ''Exultation'' to ''Venom'', a sudden blast of blazing energy surged upwards ¨C towards his


    dantian


    , paralysing him instantly. His body rocked forwards as he lay resting against the tabletop ¨C lifting a finger suddenly became an impossible feat.


    Feeling stupefied, Duan Yu attempted to grasp the table by its sides and lift himself; little did he know that not a single of his muscles or bones complied. Not even a tiny finger. His current situation was reminiscent of a horrible nightmare gone wrong: the more anxious he was, the more helpless he became.


    He had absolutely no idea that ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'' is an extremely profound branch of martial arts. The reason for this skill being taught near the end of the scroll was for the practitioner to master ''Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness'' and absorb fairly substantial amounts of internal energy before he or she could start training on the intricate footwork.


    Every single step of the ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'' was designed as such that when a step was made, the momentum and movement of the practitioner''s entire body blended entirely and intimately with his or her internal energy; it amounts to much, much more than the mere lifting of limbs and moving about. Duan Yu had hardly any internal energy. Before then, he would always made a step before a momentary pause, with which he used to contemplate the next step. Then he would follow by retreating another step, which he then paused to think again. As such, he has had consistent intervals of rest in his blood flow, therefore no such obstructions occurred.


    This time, however, he had memorized the steps and even attempted to try them all at once in one single breath; the blood flow in his channels and meridians went topsy-turvy, paralysing him in the process. In fact, he almost suffered from fire-deviation. Fortunately for him, he only moved a few steps, and was trying it out at a comfortable pace; therefore the extent of internal injury hadn''t reached the fatal stage of the utter destruction of his own channels due to the immense blood pressure.


    Flustered, Duan Yu struggled even harder to move; but the more he did so, he felt the suffocating pressure at his chest and abdomen intensify. To add to all these, he began feeling somewhat nauseous, but he could hardly vomit. He let out a sad sigh, ceased struggling and allowed nature to take its course. As he did so, the frustratingly painful feeling inside him began to subside.


    Lying immobile against the table, Duan Yu saw the scroll in front of his eyes. Having nothing else to do, he studied those unfamiliar steps he had yet to try and thought them out in his mind, imagining himself trying them out step by step. About an hour later, he had learnt another twenty-odd steps, and to his surprise, the pain in his chest had almost fully dissipated.


    It was almost noon. Duan Yu had finally understood all the steps that were illustrated in the scroll. In his mind, he decided to try them out by imagining himself starting on ''Bright Concealment'', moving along several other positions like ''Adornments'', ''Already Fording'', ''Dwelling People''; and eventually completed stepping ¨C or rather, imagining himself stepping ¨C on the positions of all sixty-four Trigrams and ended nicely on the position ''Without Embroilments'' after moving in the direction of a huge circle.


    The fact that he had finally completed learning the entire footwork was overwhelming; ecstasy welling inside him, Duan Yu leapt into the air clapping his hands, exclaiming in delight. "Amazing! Amazing!"


    The moment these two words left his lips, Duan Yu realised he could finally move again. Unknown to him, his internal energy had unconsciously followed the thoughts in his head; as he completed one full cycle of ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'', his blood flow did the same, unclogging blocked meridians in the process.


    He could barely contain his excitement and surprise that were threatening to burst from within. In his head, he tried to go through all the positions of the sixty-four Trigrams in his head a few more times. For fear that he might commit the same mistake as before; he moved each step very slowly -- every step made had to be followed by a few deep breaths.


    In this way, all sixty-four positions had been completed. Duan Yu saw that he had finished one huge circle; meanwhile, his body was bursting with renewed vitality and vigour. Unable to bear his excitement any longer, Duan Yu gave a cry in joy.


    "Amazing! Amazing! Utterly amazing!"


    From outside the door, came a roar of annoyance. It was Yu Guang Biao''s voice. "Why are you screaming your head off? Whatever your old man, I, have said, I don''t eat them back! You say a sentence, you eat a palm!"


    Having said that, he unlocked the door and flounced inside. "Earlier, you made three sentences, so you shall eat three palms! However, on account that you are a first-time offender, I shall discount you two slaps; just one palm would suffice."


    He advanced threateningly towards Duan Yu, his right palm poised to strike Duan Yu''s cheek.


    This palm didn''t contain any hidden stances beneath it; neither was it anything special. But Duan Yu, lacking martial arts, couldn''t block it with his arms. Slightly tilting his head to one side, Duan Yu instinctively moved his feet diagonally and landed on the position of ''Swallow'' from his current position, ''Well''. And voila! Duan Yu managed to evade the slap.


    Yu Guang Biao was furious. He thrust out his fist forcefully and rapidly towards Duan Yu. Meanwhile, Duan Yu was still contemplating which step to move (he has hardly familiarised himself with the ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'' footwork) when the blow struck his chest with a loud


    peng


    . The fist has struck his ''Shan Zhong'' acupoint.


    The ''Shan Zhong'' acupoint is vital to the human''s body. The moment Yu Guang Biao threw out his fist, he instantly regretted his actions and feared he might inflict too heavy a damage for Duan Yu to handle; if anything happens to Duan Yu, he might not be able to account for it.


    What he did not expect, however, was that the moment the fist came in contact with Duan Yu''s chest, Yu Guang Biao felt his arm suddenly depleted of energy. What was even worse was that he felt some sort of emptiness in his heart! Yu Guang Biao could barely register this strange phenomenon when everything reverted back to normal. Seeing Duan Yu unhurt, Yu Guang Biao, relieved, said, "Although you have managed to dodge my slap, your chest received my knuckle sandwich; that still counts as one slap."


    With that he disappeared from view as he left the room shortly after. Clunk! The door was locked once again.


    The strike might be loud, but strangely enough, Duan Yu felt absolutely no pain in that strike. Unknown to him, whatever energy that was present in Yu Guang Biao''s fist earlier has been transferred into his ''Ocean of Energies'' in his ''Shan Zhong'' acupoint, where it will be stored permanently.


    It just happened so coincidentally. Had Yu Guang Biao''s fist struck anywhere except his chest, Duan Yu would have been considered extremely lucky to have avoided injury, yet no matter what, he would not be spared from the excruciating pain. However, the ''Ocean of Energies'' in his ''Shan Zhong'' acupoint was the exact location where the ''Pure Energies of Northern Darkness'' would be accumulated and stored.


    The number of times he had tried cultivating this skill is too little; he has zero foundation in this skill. It would thus be impossible for him to perform the various feats needed to absorb internal energies from other sources at this stage: using the ''Less Merchant'' acupoint to leech the internal energies of other people, channeling these energies via his Lung Meridians up to the ''Sky Shock'' acupoint in his Ren Meridians, and sending them once again for permanent storage in his ''Shan Zhong'' acupoint. Even if he had reached that stage after plenty of training, he would rather die than to do what he considers an immoral act ¨C stealing stuff from others'' for his own benefit.


    In this case, however, it was the other party himself who had forced his own internal energies right inside Duan Yu''s ''Shan Zhong'' acupoint. Duan Yu could not resist the energy transferring process; the moment the fist touches the chest, the internal energy would gain entry into his body. It was as though gold coins and gold bars flew towards his backpack from outside the heavens, yet, the foolish lad was oblivious to all this. In fact, he even thought:


    What an unreasonable brute. How much could a few sentences of ''Amazing!'' offend him so much? He hit me for absolutely no reason.


    The internal energy that was originally Yu Guang Biao''s continually revolved and vibrated in Duan Yu''s ''Ocean of Energies''. In an instant, Duan Yu felt his chest tighten. He immediately thought of the two channels in his body ¨C the Lung Meridians and the Ren Meridians, and the effect was immediate: a faint warmth began to spread throughout these two channels. It circulated the channels once before dissipating back into the ''Shan Zhong'' acupoint, bringing the pain along with it.


    Unbeknownst to Duan Yu, the tiny warm circulation he has just experienced in just a short time had earned him some amounts of internal energy, which, upon storage, can no longer leave his body.


    From a helpless lad without the tiniest trace of internal energy, Duan Yu finally acquired a little. All these began thanks to Yu Guang Biao''s forceful punch at Duan Yu''s chest.


    Also, Duan Yu should thank heavens for the fact that Yu Guang Biao''s internal energy was mediocre, and that he had not put in all his energy in that single strike. Had it been a martial arts expert the likes of the Divine Croc who struck his ''Shan Zhong'' acupoint instead, Duan Yu, having no internal energy foundation at all, couldn''t immediately absorb all force into his ''Ocean of Energies''; when that happens, his meridians and channels would have all been destroyed into smithereens, and he would die immediately after vomitting huge amounts of blood. Also, he amount of internal energy Yu Guang Biao lost is too slight ¨C he hasn''t noticed anything.


    Right after lunch, Duan Yu got down very quickly to his ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'' training. Each step he moved, he would take in a deep breath, followed by another step, and from there the cycle goes on. Sixty-four Hexagrams were completed in no time. Duan Yu felt no paralysis in his muscles, and speculated that so long as he maintains a constant, uninterrupted series of smooth intervals in his breathing, there wouldn''t be any harm.


    His second try was bolder than before: two steps before taking in a deep breath; rinse and repeat.


    ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'' is indeed an extremely profound skill. It enables its practitioner to cultivate internal energy through kinetic motion. One round of stepping all sixty-four positions would enable his internal energy to revolve smoothly around his body, leading to a slight growth of internal energy with every round made.


    Duan Yu, however, barely knew that he was cultivating internal energy; he only wished he could familiarize himself with the footwork even better with every round, or that he could move at a quicker pace. "Earlier, when that Brother Yu tried to slap my face, I managed to dodge it by moving from ''Well'' to ''Swallow''. Following that I should keep it up by sliding to the position of ''Venom'', in this way could I be able to evade that punch on my chest. Regrettably, I was busy thinking what step I should move when his fist struck. This ''busy thinking'' suggests that I am not fully familiarized with this skill yet. Should I want to depend on this footwork and escape this place without being caught, I must immerse myself into this skill till any further training is pointless; every step made must be done without thinking. The phrases ''busy thinking'' and ''without thinking'' have only one dissimilar word, but it makes a world of difference between life and death."


    Immediately, he trained himself even more arduously on the footwork once more. Every day, from morning to night, with the exception of daily needs such as eating, sleeping and using the toilet, the rest of the time was spent on moving repeatedly in huge circles.


    There were times when he thought:


    The only reason I am practicing this skill so hard is merely to escape this horrid place and rescue Miss Mu; I did not abide by Divine Goddess''s instructions and train the ''Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness''.


    Guilt-stricken, Duan Yu spared some time to cultivate the Lung and Ren Meridians. He did so reluctantly and shoddily; all he wanted was to peace his mind. As for the rest of the channels and meridians, he shelved them aside temporarily.


    After several days of training, Duan Yu made marked improvement in his ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves''. He need no longer count his steps and breaths, and could now glide to next step with rapid ease. To top it all, he suffered no more obstructions in his internal flow. As he moved, his mind and heart relaxed. Several lines from the poem ''Goddess Luo'' came to mind ¨C those that were related to the ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'':


    She resembles the concealed moon behind the frail clouds; her floating grace, the returning snow from the flowing wind.


    The body suddenly gains freedom; to roam the world, to enjoy life.


    The Divine Brilliance converges and unites: the emergence of light and darkness.


    The body, light as a feather, stands upright like a crane; seems ready to fly yet but has yet to.


    Her body is as swift as a soaring teal; floating rapidly ¨C goddess-like.


    Movements without following norms: maybe perilous, maybe safe; Irregular movements and pauses: maybe departing; maybe arriving.


    These last twenty words are easily the cruxes of this complex footwork. Although Duan Yu understood this point, trying to reach the realm of ''Movements without following norms: maybe perilous, maybe safe; Irregular movements and pauses: maybe departing, maybe arriving'' would require God-knows-how-much diligent practice needed, not to mention how many years and months Duan Yu would have wasted just to acquire this phenomenal accomplishment.


    Given his current martial arts, should his enemies stretch their hands and try to grab him, Duan Yu knows not of his chances of success in evading them. He has half a mind to stay for a couple of days to half a month to improve his chances of success. However, he realised that he had been separated from Mu Wan Qing for seven whole days; he thought of her having to accompany the unreasonable Divine Croc for so long, where every single day felt like years. Duan Yu finally decided to leave this place that day. He wished the servant bringing in food had better not know any kung fu; escaping this place would therefore be much easier.


    Sitting on his bed, Duan Yu locked himself in deep concentration, refreshing his memory on the ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'' while awaiting patiently the arrival for the servant. Finally, he heard the sound of the door being unlocked coupled with loud footsteps, and he saw the servant bringing in the food. Duan Yu walked towards him unhurriedly.


    It all happened in a split second. Duan Yu quickly toppled the plates of food over the servant''s head.


    Ping! Ping! Pang! Pang!


    And rice and bowls and vegetables and plates rained heavily down the poor fellow''s head¡­.


    ''Aiyoh!'' The poor servant screamed in horror.


    Wasting no time, Duan Yu rocketed out of the door in just a few steps.


    Unfortunately, Yu Guang Biao happened to be guarding outside the door. Hearing the servant''s scream, he rushed inside without delay. The narrow doorway caused both men to crash into each another on their way in, or in Duan Yu''s case, out.


    Duan Yu hastily leaped towards the position of ''Beholder'' from his current (''Preparation'') in a bid for not wasting anymore precious time. Unfortunately for him, however, while on his way out, his left foot landed on the doorstep.


    Duan Yu was instantly overwhelmed with shock and confusion. Nowhere in the instructions under ''Graceful Steps under the Waves'' taught him ''What to do in the case of stepping on the doorstep, which results in one foot higher than the other?''


    He stumbled, struggling with might to step on the position of ''Comparison''. Till this day, never in his wildest dreams could he dream that he would step on Yu Guang Biao''s foot! ''What to do when you accidentally step on others'' foots, causing others to scream in pain and fury?'' was also not recorded in the secret footwork manual!


    Duan Yu thought depressingly:


    Well, the Goddess Luo''s ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'' in the Luo Waters embodies the ''sleekness and elegance of a swan in startled flight'' and the ''restrained grace of a roaming dragon'', certainly she wouldn''t land herself in drastic situations such as stepping on doorsteps and crushing the feet of others.


    In his fluster, Duan Yu felt someone''s fingers closing over his wrist. The next moment he was dragged back inside by a fuming Yu Guang Biao.


    All hard work over the last few days have came to naught. Things just had to happen against his wishes. Filled with resentment, Duan Yu raised his right hand to prise his left wrist away from Yu Guang Biao''s grip. However, the five fingers encasing Duan Yu''s wrist felt like iron; they simply refused to budge.


    Suddenly, Yu Guang Biao made a ''yi?'' sound in surprise. His fingers felt enervated and were about to release his grip in no time. Yu Guang Biao circulated his internal energy into his arm and held on firmly, but in no time at all, his fingers were weakened by an invisible force.


    "Damnit!" He cursed.


    He imbued more internal energy into his arm; only to find that this time, his entire arm drooped downwards. He wasn''t aware that in Duan Yu''s endeavour in forcing him to release his grip, Duan Yu had accidentally used his own thumb to prise Yu''s thumb away. In this way, both ''Less Merchant'' acupoints of the two men had connected themselves. As he used his energy to hold onto Duan''s wrist tightly, whatever energy applied has flowed continuously into Duan Yu''s thumb. Unknown to him, every bout of internal transferrence into his arm would result in a loss of internal energy.


    Duan Yu was clueless about what was going on. He only felt Yu Guang Biao''s fingers relaxed and tightened inexplicably. It seems almost as if by using more strength Duan Yu could prise away Yu Guang Biao''s fingers and make an escape. But at this point of time, how was he to know how to remove his right thumb from between his left thumb and Yu Guang Biao''s thumb?


    That fateful day when Yu Guang Biao punched him hard in the chest, all the internal energy in his fist has been transferred into his ''Ocean of Energies''. Although the internal energy in Yu Guang Biao''s punch was too little to be even noticeable, Duan Yu has used whatever little of these energies to clear the path in his Lung and Ren Meridians. Now, whatever energy Yu Guang Biao has on his body began moving along these channels slowly into Duan Yu''s ''Ocean of Energies''. This fitted exactly the ''Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness''s'' theory of converging a hundred streams to form an ocean meant.


    If both men did not use any energy at all and merely touched each other''s thumbs instead, Duan Yu wouldn''t be able to unleash the ''Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness'' as he did not know how. This time, however, both men were fighting for their lives. It was similar to the previous scenario wherein Yu Guang Biao struck his chest; in both cases, Yu Guang Biao had forcibly inserted his own internal energies down Duan Yu''s ''Ocean of Energies''. This can be likened to a scenario of pouring wine to a cup; even if the wine cup was unable to tolerate the wine, it simply cannot do anything.


    Initially, Yu Guang Biao''s internal energy was way more abundant than Duan Yu''s. Had he understood what was happening and released his hold on Duan Yu immediately, the most Duan Yu could do would be to leave this place and escape. But Yu Guang Biao was under strict orders by his superiors to prevent Duan Yu from escaping; how could he let this white-faced dolt leave so easily?


    His arm went numb again; Yu Guang Biao tried to replenish it with more internal energy. However, he felt that his one arm was no longer able to hold on any more. He stretched out his left arm in an attempt to assist his right one. Unknown to him, this only made the flood of internal energy gushing out of him flow even faster. Shortly afterwards, half of his internal energy has been transferred into Duan Yu''s body.


    One is losing energy; the other increasing. Yu Guang Biao''s strength was no longer Duan Yu''s match. His internal energy cascaded out of his thumb even more rapidly as time passes. Eventually, his energy leak was like that of water from a reservoir bursting out from a dam: spewing in enormous quantities at an alarming rate. He could no longer do anything except to helplessly watch his energy drain away and himself wither. He tried desperately to release his hand and escape this nightmare, but he couldn''t: this time, it was Duan Yu who grabbed his five fingers firmly in place, unwilling to let go; try as he might, Yu Guang Biao simply couldn''t do anything given his depleted strength.


    The person who was once the captive suddenly became captor; yet, he was oblivious of this at all. In a frenzy, Duan Yu held on to Yu Guang Biao''s for dear life: he didn''t realize his struggle for ''prising away his fingers'' had suddenly became ''grabbing tightly onto his fingers''.


    Yu Guang Biao was on the verge of collapsing. Fearful, he screamed, "Junior Wu! Wu Guang Sheng! Come quickly! Come quickly!"


    Wu Guang Sheng happened to be at the toilet at that time. Hearing his senior apprentice''s voice, he rushed towards Yu Guang Biao without a moment''s hesitation. A hilarious scene, indeed, watching him totter hastily while clutching onto his pants.


    "This lad wanna escape. I - I can''t do anything to stop him!" Yu Guang Biao yelled.


    Wu Guang Biao no longer cared about his pants; he released them and prepared to hurl himself at Duan Yu.


    Yu Guang Biao saw this and immediately cried out, "Get me out of here first!" He sounded as if he was about to cry soon.


    "All right!" Wu Guang Sheng replied. He stretched out his arms and held on firmly to Yu''s shoulders, trying to yank him away from Duan Yu. At the same time, he asked, "Are you injured?"


    Given Yu Guang Biao''s martial arts, how couldn''t he handle this sissy scholar by himself?


    Wu Guang Sheng thought, puzzled.


    The words barely left his lips when he felt his both arms ached painfully - it was as if there weren''t any energy left in them! He quickly mustered his strength into his arms. But all the energy he summoned was gone almost as soon as they entered his arm.


    What happened in fact was that Duan Yu had leeched Yu Guang Biao''s internal energy dry; now he further proceeded to absorb Wu Guang Sheng''s one. Yu Guang Biao''s body now became the path for transferring Wu''s internal energy over to Duan Yu.


    Seeing more people rushing over to Yu Guang Biao''s aid, in addition to Yu Guang Biao''s tenacious grip closing over his wrist suddenly becoming more rigid, a terror-stricken Duan Yu used even more force if possible to prise away Yu Guang Biao''s fingers. Wu Guang Sheng, sensing his limbs began to ache for no apparent reason, kept calling out, "How strange! How strange!" Even as he said so, he did not release his hold a single bit.


    The servant bringing in food for Duan Yu saw all three men lay in a mess on the floor, coupled with blanched faces belonging to Wu Guang Sheng and Yu Guang Biao, who looked almost as if they were about to collapse any time soon. He fumbled out of the room by crawling over their backs, screaming, "Somebody, come quickly! That white-faced lad by the surname of Duan is trying to escape!"


    The disciples of No Measure Sword nearby heard the cry and rushed over immediately. Two men appeared at the scene, followed shortly by another three, all bellowing in unison. "What happened? Where''s that kid?"


    Duan Yu was crushed under both Yu Guang Biao and Wu Guang Sheng; naturally, the newcomers could not spot him.


    Yu Guang Biao couldn''t even catch his breath; to him, speaking was a total impossibility. Wu Guang Sheng already had eighty per cent of his internal energy drained away; he could only choke, "Senior Brother Yu is¡­ trapped by that laddie¡­. Come¡­ come and help quickly¡­."


    Two disciples immediately leapt forward; each of them grabbing Wu Guang Sheng''s arm each and started pulling with all their might. However, as they pulled, they felt their arms became suddenly devoid of energy. Both men''s internal energies were now flowing through Wu Guang Sheng''s body into Yu Guang Biao''s body, which would then later flow right inside Duan Yu''s thumb. Currently, Duan Yu''s ''Shan Zhong'' acupoint had already accumulated both energies of Yu and Wu; now, with the tiny portion of energy collected from the two newcomers, his internal energy had surpassed the energies of the two men put together. Once the men felt their arms ache, they instinctively channeled more energy to their arms. Yet, the more they did so, the more presents they forced down Duan Yu''s thumb.


    As the amount of internal energy Duan Yu collected grew, his internal energy absorption accelerated too. Initially, his internal energy growth was that of tiny droplets; now they flushed like water streams.


    The other three disciples stood there, dumbstruck. One of them laughed, "What childish game are you guys playing? Stacking the Arhats?"


    He moved forwards to heave his fellow disciples. Little did he know by his second pull, his entire arm glued itself to the arm of his fellow disciple! He shrieked in astonishment, "This is demonic! Devilish!"


    His fellow disciples who were still standing behind him rushed over to his side and too began pulling. All three of them pulled with all their might; the stack of human bodies moved ever so slightly, and the next thing they knew, a pang of ache coursed through their wrists and arm. Instantly, they felt themselves enervated by Duan Yu''s draining force.


    A huge pile of No Measure Sword disciples lay at the doorway of the room where Duan Yu was earlier held captive. The weight of their bodies crushed Duan Yu so painfully he could barely breathe. Seeing that it was impossible to escape, he had no choice but to surrender himself.


    "Let go of me! I am not leaving anymore!" He yelled.


    It was no use. The other parties'' internal energy just had to surge into his body; Duan Yu felt his ''Shan Zhong'' acupoint nearly bursting with all the myriad of energies churning inside him. The pain in his chest began growing more intense by the second.


    He stopped trying to prise Yu Guang Biao''s thumb; however, Yu''s thumb was crushing his thumb so forcefully that he couldn''t move. He screamed again, "I am going to be crushed to my death! I am going to be crushed to my death!"


    Yu Guang Biao and Wu Guang Sheng looked lifeless; the five disciples who came trying to prevent Duan Yu from escaping were flabbergasted and at a loss of what to do. Seized by a sudden bout of panic attack, they struggled and pulled with more strength. As they did so, their internal energy gushed out at an even faster rate.


    Eight men huddled together messily; six were screaming their voices hoarse, yet none of them was able to hear what the other was yelling. After a while, it became four people yelling out loud. Shortly after, the number of people shouting has been reduced to three. Eventually, Duan Yu was the only person yelling, "You are crushing me to death! Let go of me! I want to escape no more!"


    Every cry he made, the pain in his chest subsided a little. To lessen the pain even further, he continued raving like mad, his voice hoarse yet his energy abundant. The more he shouted, the louder he became.


    Suddenly, somebody bellowed, "That evil witch stole my baby! Everybody, chase after her, quick! The four of you guard the door; the three of you, guard the rooftops; you four guys, seal the East Door; those five, guard the West Door. Don''t ¨C don''t let that evil witch bring my kid away!" Although it sounded like a command, the voice sounded fearful and anxious.


    Duan Yu immediately recognized the voice as Zuo Zi Mu''s.


    What woman stole his child away?


    Duan Yu thought. A thought struck him.


    Ah! It had to be Miss Mu! She stole his son and wanted to use it in exchange for her husband. This ''exchange for the general with the horse'' tactic is useful for sure.


    Finally, he stopped yelling. It was at this point he was aware that Yu Guang Biao''s fingers that were closing over his wrist had relaxed. He struggled and heaved with all he could; the seven people lying over him tumbled to the ground, one after another.


    Duan Yu felt immensely delighted.


    Their master''s kid has been snatched away by Miss Mu; now everybody''s mind is in a whirl and frenzy. None of them could bother about catching me any longer,


    he thought. Crawling out from under a pile of human bodies, Duan Yu wondered,


    Why aren''t these people lying immobile on the floor? Yes. They must be fearful that their master would punish them severely, hence they pretended to be injured.


    He must be very intent on escaping, to the point that he had no idea how weak the logic in his conjecture was. Finally, he got the freedom he wanted so much; his legs sprinted so quickly as if there were wings attached to them. Never in his dreams would he ever have dreamt that all the internal energy of the seven disciples has now become his own ¡­.


    The distance he covered was disproportionate to the footsteps he took; he reached the back of the house in no time at all. The assorted positions such as ''Not-yet Fording'', ''Already Fording'' were all discarded at the back of his mind. The elegant postures of ''Concealed Moon behind the Frail Clouds; returning snow from the flowing wind'' turned into garbage created by Cao Zi Jian. Duan Yu ran amok like a dog which owners have died, and frenzied as though he were a fish that was trapped in a net where there is a gaping hole large enough for it to escape.


    No Measure Sword disciples had their swords ready and were scampering in all directions, yelling as loud as their lungs would allow. "Don''t let that evil witch get away!" "Quick! Snatch our little junior apprentice back!" "You go there! I''ll go this way!"


    Miss Mu''s ''exchange for the general with the horse'' tactic is ingenious; now it even became ''attracting the tiger to leave the mountain


    , Duan Yu thought gleefully.


    Now I must employ the thirty-sixth tactic.


    He dived into a dense patch of grass, and crawled more than ten zhang away. He thought inwardly:


    My hands and feet are touching the ground at the same time; what other skill am I using if it isn''t the ''(un)Graceful Crawling upon the Waves''?


    The noises and yells decreased in volume; seeing that no one has noticed him, Duan Yu finally stood up and fled to the dense forest at the back of the mountain. Even though he was running for a long long time, he felt just indescribably energetic. He found it very strange and warned himself: Better not be so scared; otherwise I would run until all my energy has depleted.


    A large tree stood nearby and he took the opportunity to rest under the shade. But he felt spirited and full of vigour; what''s there to rest when he had too much energy to spare?


    When people get lucky, they would feel as if their bodies were packed with dynamic energy; still, they will break down eventually


    , Duan Yu thought.


    He remembered the instructions stated for the ''Vibration'' Trigram, number six two: Don''t chase; harmonize after seven days. Suddenly, he remembered: Today is the seventh day of my captivity! I must be careful of the two words ''Don''t chase'', Duan Yu thought warily. He circulated the internal energy collected in his ''Shan Zhong'' acupoint to the Lung Meridians; however, he just had too much internal energy. Back and forth the energies went; there were simply no end to it all.


    He suddenly became frightened. "This isn''t good", he told himself, "There must be some danger awaiting me." Since the pain in his chest has now fully dissipated, he ended his internal energy circulation, stood up and started walking again. He thought:


    how am I to meet Miss Mu to tell her I am no longer in danger? I must also tell her to return the baby to Zuo Zi Mu; otherwise he would care for his son too much and live with fear from then onwards.


    Walking a few more li, Duan Yu suddenly heard the sounds of something going ''ji'' ''ji''. A grey shadow flashed past before his eyes. He saw that it was a tiny animal that soared past him in a speed few animals could ever possess, and vaguely recognized it as Zhong Ling''s pet marten Lightning. The object simply leaped too fast for the naked eye to observe carefully. But Duan Yu knew this animal that could travel at lightning speed could only be the Lightning marten.


    Duan Yu was pleased at seeing it. He thought inwardly:


    Miss Zhong went everywhere yet she couldn''t find you; all along you had hid yourself here, I shall bring you back to your rightful owner; she will be too pleased to be able to speak.


    He whistled loudly, imitating Zhong Ling''s whistling voice. The shadow flashed. An animal fell from the trees above and sat several zhang in front of him. A pair of quivering, sparkling eyes stared back at him. It was indeed Lightning. Duan Yu whistled once more; Lightning moved two steps closer and lay immobile on the floor.


    "Good marten, good marten. I shall bring you back to your owner." Duan Yu called out loudly. He whistled again and moved few steps forward. Lightning remained immobile. Duan Yu had touched its back before; he knew this animal was speedy as the wind, and had poisonous fangs; but it obeys its master before everything else. He saw the marten''s eyes continued quivering, and couldn''t help commenting how cute it was.


    Duan Yu whistled and moved forward again, before squatting down before the animal and said, "Obedient marten!" He slowly stretched his hand and caressed its back; Lightning lay unmovable on the floor all this while. Duan Yu caressed the marten''s fur, which felt smooth, gentle and soft. In a gentle voice, he spoke, "Good marten, let''s go home!"


    That said, his hand went over to carry the marten.


    In an instant, his arms trembled, followed shortly by a sharp pain in his left thigh. A gray shadow flashed once more, and Lightning reappeared several zhang in front of him. It stood on the floor, staring back at Duan Yu with its quivering eyes.


    Duan Yu shrieked in horror. "Aiyo! You bit me!"


    A tiny hole appeared in his left trousers. Duan Yu rolled up his pants and saw two rows of teeth marks imprinted on his left thigh. Fresh blood seeped out from the wound¡­.


    He could remember the horrific scene of Divine Farmer Clan Leader Si Kong Xuan slicing off his arm as if it has happened only a few minutes ago; fear gripped his heart and he was so sure his soul was about to leap out of his own body. He cried in disbelief, "You¡­you¡­. How could you be so unreasonable? I am your master''s good pal! Aiyoh!"


    A pain shot through his left thigh, numbing it. Duan Yu involuntarily knelt down on the floor; his arms held on to the area above his wound, trying ¨C but failing ¨C to prevent the venom in his left thigh from spreading any further. Sure enough, the same numbing pain that coursed through his left leg did the same to his right thigh. No longer in control of his legs, Duan Yu collapsed onto the floor.


    The shock was too much for him to handle; he used his arms to push himself against the floor, trying to get up. Unfortunately, his arms felt numb and enervated. With all the strength he could muster, Duan Yu crawled a few steps forward. Right in front of him, Lightning the marten looked on impassively; all this while, it did not seem to move a single inch.


    Duan Yu thought bitterly to himself,


    I am just too rash. This marten has been brought up by Miss Zhong; naturally, it would only listen to what she says. It is highly possible my whistle sounds different from hers. What ¡­ what should I do?


    He knew perfectly well the only thing to do to preserve his life would be to follow what Si Kong Xuan did when he was bitten: hack at the injured area with a weapon. However, he hadn''t had any weapons with him; moreover, he lacked the courage and instinct of a seasoned warrior like Si Kong Xuan. Furthermore, he had just learnt the skill ''Graceful Steps upon the Waves'': without a leg, he could only perform the skill ''(Un)graceful one-legged bouncing upon the Waves''. To him, that would have been meaningless.


    He sighed and complained for a moment; his limbs gradually became stiffer and more immovable by the second. He knew the venom had spreaded throughout his entire body. Soon, he found himself unable to close his eyes and mouth. He was, however, still aware of his surroundings.


    He mused sadly:


    If I were to die like this, wouldn''t I look ugly? My corpse would have a gaping mouth, would I become an idiot ghost or a hungry one in future? Fortunately, there is one good news amongst all this bad ones: When Miss Mu sees my grotesque corpse with my mouth wide open and my naked bottom, she might vomit at the ugly sight. Perhaps she might think less about me after my death. This would be better for her health.


    Three thunderous ''Jiang-ang'' growls reverberated noisily in the air. Then, came the sounds of


    pu pu pu


    . Something leaped out of the tall grasses.


    Duan Yu froze, dreadfully.


    Aiyo! The King of all Poisons, the "Venomous Crimson Bullfrog" is here! Those two men said the moment one sees this creature, his or her own body immediately gets dissolved into a thick pool of blood. What am I going to do?


    And then he thought,


    What a silly blockhead I am. Given a choice between turning into a thick pool of blood and dying as a corpse with a wide mouth and a naked bottom, which would be preferable? Definitely the former.


    ''Jiang-ang'' noises echoed continually in the air; the newcomer has arrived at Duan Yu''s right. Duan Yu was unable to look at it as his neck bones had stiffen so badly he couldn''t even turn his head; he could only await his fate: to dissolve into a pool of blood.


    Pu


    sounds were made again; fortunately for Duan Yu, the creature suddenly leapt at the direction where the marten Lightning was instead.


    No words could describe Duan Yu''s astonishment as the creature came into view. It was only a toad ¨C a very tiny one. It couldn''t have been longer than two cun*. Its body gleamed a crimson bloodlike colour from top to bottom and a golden aura radiated off its sparkling, glimmering eyes.


    It opened its mouth wide; the flabby skin underneath its neck vibrated ferociously. A thunderous croak projected ¨C the ''Jiang-ang'' noise he has once compared to that of a buffalo''s growl. It was incredible how a tiny little creature like that could produce such a sonorious cry. If not for the fact that the creature was right before his very eyes, Duan Yu would never have believed such a phenomenon existed.


    He thought inwardly,


    No wonder it is called the ''Venomous Crimson Bullfrog''. Its growl resembles a bull''s; its body crimson all over; there can''t be a better name to describe it. Even so, there must be a mistake going on regarding the rumour going on about dissolving into a pool of blood upon seeing it. Furthermore, the name ''Venomous Crimson Bullfrog'' was surely coined by one who has seen it before. How can a pool of blood think of such a suitable name?


    Upon seeing the Bullfrog, the Lightning marten seemed to look slightly apprehensive. It turned his head as if to run, yet it dared not. In an instant it leapt into the air. The Bullfrog widened its mouth, projecting a thunderous ''Jiang-ang'' growl, and a faint spray of scarlet mist shot towards Lightning.


    Lightning happened to be in mid-air at the time; as the mist struck it, the marten somersaulted into the air and plunged towards the ground. Then suddenly, it pounced forward and sank its teeth into the Bullfrog''s back.


    In the end, Lightning emerges victorious over the toad.


    Duan Yu thought proudly.


    He was wrong. Just as soon as the thought flashed in his mind, the marten fell limply and lay supine on the floor. Its legs quivered its last, and it would never move again.


    Aiyoh!


    Duan Yu thought sadly. Should he be able to speak, he would have cried out loud. Although Lightning had bitten him to ''death'', he knew that it was entirely his fault for rashly trying to tame the marten even when he had neither experience nor knowledge of doing so. As such, he didn''t blame the marten at all. Seeing it die before his very eyes, Duan Yu felt miserable.


    Sigh. If Miss Zhong knows about this, she would feel so sad.


    He watched helplessly as the Bullfrog leaped onto the marten''s body, creeping towards its cheeks and began sucking at it. It started off with the marten''s left cheek, followed by its right.


    Duan Yu thought to himself:


    The Venomous Crimson Bullfrog sure isn''t given the title "King of All Poisons" for nothing. The fatal venoms in Lightning''s fangs did entirely no effect to the toad; instead, the poor marten got itself poisoned. Now, this Bullfrog is going to extract the venoms in Lightning''s toxic glands. Lightning the marten is hyperactive and extremely cute; the Venomous Crimson Bullfrog has a scarlet body and golden eyes, its beauty almost unsurpassable. Who on Earth would suspect that beneath the exterior of such sheer beauty lay a river of venom so thick and deadly¡­. No, Dear Goddess, I wasn''t referring to you....


    The Bullfrog jumped off the marten''s body when it''s done, letting out two thunderous ''Jiang-ang'' croaks. Suddenly, soft ''xiao xiao'' hisses could be heard. The next instant, a huge centipede swam into view. Its body had brilliant spots of scarlet and black all over; it must have been seven to eight cun long.


    The Bullfrog reacted quickly. It pounced at the nimble centipede, but missed it narrowly, as its poor victim was now fleeing for its life. Dissatisfied, the Bullfrog tried again a couple of times, yet none of its attempts succeeded.


    It croaked out loud, ready to fire a blast of poisonous mist. Suddenly, the centipede changed its direction mid-way and headed for Duan Yu''s mouth, which happened to be wide open ¡­.


    Duan Yu was stunned beyond words. Most unfortunately, he couldn''t move. Not even close his mouth. He can''t do anything except yell like mad in his mind,


    Hey! This is my mouth, brother! Don''t be mistaken; it isn''t a centipede hole¡­.


    He heard a faint hiss; the centipede crawled unceremoniously up its tongue. Duan Yu almost fainted from the fright. He felt a moving sensation with many, many legs crawling down his throat, and went further down his gullet. It wasn''t long before it disappeared right into Duan Yu''s stomach.


    Worst still, such catastrophes never end so early. The Bullfrog jumped into the air and landed right on Duan Yu''s tongue! Duan Yu felt something icy at his throat, and sure enough, the Bullfrog went inside his stomach to chase after the centipede. Having a rather smooth skin, the Bullfrog slid down his gullet rapidly.


    He could hear ''Jiang-ang'' croaks emitting from his own stomach. They sounded depressing. Duan Yu felt nothing could possibly be worse ¨C or more hilarious ¨C than this. He wanted to bawl out loud, yet at the same time, felt like bursting out laughing too. However, his muscles had stiffened so badly he could do neither of these.


    At this point, tears dropped onto the ground beneath.


    Suddenly, he felt a continuous lurching motion in his belly. The pain was unbearable. He wondered whether the Bullfrog had succeeded in catching the centipede, he could only yell out in his mind,


    Brother Bullfrog, go and catch the centipede quickly and climb out immediately once you''re done. There is nothing fun to do in my lowly stomach.


    A few moments passed, and his stomach finally stopped lurching. Vanishing along with it were the ''Jiang-ang'' croaks. The pain, however, had not. Quite the contrary, it seemed to grow even more intense. Another few moments passed and Duan Yu suddenly closed his mouth and his teeth rammed painfully onto his tongue. Under excruciating pain, Duan Yu felt his tongue went back into his mouth.


    Duan Yu, feeling surprised, called out loud, "Brother Bullfrog, come out quickly!" He widened his mouth, waiting for it to come out, but even after a long long time, nothing happened.


    "Jiang-ang! Jiang-ang! Jiang-ang!" Duan Yu croaked, hoping desperately that the Bullfrog would be attracted to the sound and would then get out from there. However, it appeared as if the toad was oblivious of the sound. Perhaps ... it could tell there''s something amiss with the croaks; therefore it was unwilling to be fooled by him and preferred resting in his stomach.


    Now unnerved and frantic, Duan Yu inserted his hand deep inside his mouth and tried digging out the Bullfrog. Needless to say, it was impossible for anyone to attempt this. After quite a while, Duan Yu became aware that he could move his limbs again! He stood upright and stretched his back; the paralyzing feeling in his limbs had disappeared without a trace.


    "This is strange! This is strange!" Duan Yu remarked aloud.


    This King of Poisons must be intending to stay in my stomach permanently; what am I to do if it really decides to treat my stomach as its cosy home? Allow me to congratulate it for its new home.


    Duan Yu decided.


    He did a handstand and supported his legs with a huge tree trunk nearby. He widened his mouth and shook his own body hard for quite a while. Still, nothing happened. It seemed as if the Bullfrog was insistent on using his stomach as a home and had decided to live there till it dies.


    Duan Yu was left with no way out. He, however, had a rough idea of what has just happened,


    This King of Poisons and that centipede must have become food digested in my stomach. It must be that their venoms have neutralized the marten''s venom in my body. To think that I have digested such a venomous creature, and at this point of time my stomach stopped hurting anymore. This sure is very weird.


    He did not know that typical venoms from snakes and toads are only fatal when they come into contact with one''s blood. Yet, if they were to be consumed, so long as his of her mouth, throat, digestive tract and the various digestive organs weren''t damaged internally, there would be no harm done. Similarly, if he were to get bitten by a poisonous snake, he could suck the venom out of his wound and save his own life.


    However, the various poisons and venoms in this world are varied ¨C too varied for one to generalize the whole of them in a single breath. The Venomous Crimson Bullfrog may possess powerful toxins in its body; however, it is absolutely harmless when placed in the stomach of a person. Rather, its body had been dissolved by Duan Yu''s digestive juices. To the Bullfrog, Duan Yu''s digestive juices are the toxic venoms ¨C it was they which dissolved the poor creature into a thick pool of blood.


    Duan Yu stood upright and walked a few steps. Suddenly, his stomach burned as if they were coals in it; a gust of blazing heat had erupted within his abdomen. ''Aiyoh!'' He yelped.


    The sudden gust of energy rocketed wildly inside him; however, it met with walls everywhere and thus cannot be released away. Duan Yu attempted vomitting it out, but no matter how hard he try, he couldn''t succeed.


    This time, he took an extremely deep breath and exhaled all the air in him with all he could, hoping that the venomous gas the Bullfrog has dissolved into will too leave his body.


    Little did he know that his endeavour to expel the air within him had transformed the blazing heat into a coil of heat, which flowed unhurriedly into his Ren Meridians.


    All right,


    Duan Yu thought,


    Let us get this done and over with. Brother Bullfrog, you have flatly refused to spare me and tried haunting me ¨C now my ''Ocean of Energies'' shall become your place of burial. Whenever you feel like poisoning me, I shall return your favour anytime you wish.


    He continued to inhale and exhale deeply. Indeed, he felt the warmth within him channel along the meridians he had cultivated and disappear inside his ''Ocean of Energies''. Soon, he no longer felt anything strange.


    Despite his struggling with life and death for so long, Duan Yu felt as energetic as before. He gathered rocks and sand and piled them onto the body of the dead marten. When he was done, he prayed silently:


    Little brother Lightning, I will surely bring your master Miss Zhong to offer her prayers in front of your grave and at the same time offer you some poisonous snakes we could catch. Earlier you bit me unintentionally, I won''t tell any of this to your master, for she will berate you if she knows about it ¨C don''t worry.


    Out of the woods, Duan Yu saw Zuo Zi Mu running frantically with his sword in position.


    He must be chasing after Miss Mu, I shan''t not interfere.


    With that, he silently stalked the panicky man. At this point of time he had the combined internal energies of the seven No Measure Sword disciples; following Zuo Zi Mu up the mountain was no difficult task. Besides, Zuo Zi Mu was too bothered for the safety of his child to notice somebody following him.


    Fearing that Zuo Zi Mu might suddenly turn behind and act rashly towards him ¨C or perhaps even use this opportunity to hold him hostage for exchange of his child, just like the ''exchange for the general with the horse'' tactic Miss Mu employed against Zuo Zi Mu ¨C he maintained a fairly wide distance between himself and the man before him.


    Soon after, Duan Yu reached the waist of the mountain. Knowing that his reunion with Mu Wan Qing is coming soon, his heart burned with longing. He, however, feared that the Divine Croc might lose patience and harm her; no longer able to control himself, he yelled out to her at the top of his voice.

 Chapter - 6 Descendants Into the Courtyard

    Duan Yu hugged Mu Wanqing to his bosom, feeling both happy and concerned, he asked, "Miss Mu, how is your injury? Did that evil person bully you?" Mu Wanqing said angrily, "Who am I to you? Still calling me Miss Mu?"


    Seeing Mu Wanqing angry, yet prettier at the same time; this seven days he had missed her really badly; he tightened his arms and said gently, "Sister Wan! Sister Wan! Can I call you that?" lowering his head at the same time and kissed her. Mu Wanqing exclaimed, "Ah!" blushed deeply and jumped up saying "There are other people here! How could you¡­you do that? Aye, where are those people?" looking around, realised that Chu, Gu, Fu, Zhu these four people were gone; Zuo Zi Mu had left with his son, leaving not a single person in their surroundings.


    Duan Yu asked, "Who else is here? Is it Divine Croc?" looking frightened. Mu Wanqing asked, "How long have you been here?" Duan Yu replied, "Only for a while. I came up this peak." Mu Wanqing said, "Ok¡­"mumbling, "This is strange. How come everyone just disappeared in an instant? Suddenly, someone behind a rock recited, "Moving thousands of miles with a sword, daring to speak¡­" during the reciting, a person came out; it was one of the four royal guards Zhu Dan Chen. Duan Yu said happily, "Brother Zhu!" Zhu Dan Chen walked two steps in front, bowed and replied happily "Young master, luckily you are safe and well, just now what the young lady said made us so anxious!" Duan Yu made a polite hand gesture and said, "So all of you have met? Why are you¡­you here? This is too coincidental."


    Zhu Dan Chen replied with a smile, "The four of us were ordered to escort young master home, it was not a coincidence. Young master, you are so daring to wander alone in the martial arts world. We went to Ma Wu De''s home to find you and also rushed to Mt. No Measure. These few days all of us have been worried enough. Duan Yu replied with a laugh, "I went through quite a lot of suffering too. Uncle and father must be really angry, right?" Zhu Dan Chen replied, "They are of course not very happy. But when we left the two masters'' anger had been appeased and they have missed you greatly these few days. After Marquis Shan Chan found out that the four evil ones were coming to Dali, he became worried that young master will bump into them, thus he personally rushed out."


    Duan yu said, "Uncle Gao is finding me too? How can I not feel bad? Where is he?" Zhu Dan Chen replied, "Just now we were all here. Lord Gao chased away an evil woman, heard young master''s cries, heaved a sigh of relief and then he ordered me to wait here for young master. Then they went to chase after the evil woman. Young master, let''s go back home, so that the two masters will not be too worried. Duan Yu said, "So you¡­you were here all along?" thinking about how his intimate actions with Mu Wanqing had been seen and heard by him, leading him to blush in embarrassment.


    Zhu Dan Chen said, ''Just now I was sitting behind the rock reading Wang Chang Ling''s poetry collection, his wu jue "Moving thousands of miles with a sword, daring to speak¡­.Once a man of honour, not breaking his promises¡­"in these simple twenty words which are unconventional and very worthy of admiration." and took out a book; it was "Wang Chang Ling''s poetry collection". Duan Yu nodded and replied, ''Wang Chang Ling''s speciality is qi jue, not wu jue. But this literary piece is of high quality. Isn''t his other piece: "song guo si cang" even better?'' he then recited "Reflection of the door in the green water, leaving the heart of the master. The bright moon¡­, the deep spring night." Zhu Dan Chen bowed again and said "Thank you young master." using the poetry lines to change the topic. He used those lines to say that he will, like the others repay young master in death. Duan Yu used those lines to say that as master, he is devoted to his subordinates and will treat them as good friends. Looking at each other, the two of them smiled.


    Mu Wanqing did not know poetry and thought "This bookworm has forgotten where he is, he gets so interested once he talks about poetry. This military officer sure knows how to flatter people by bringing a book with him. She did not know that Zhu Dan Chen was of both literary and military capacity and usually read books of poetry.


    Duan Yu turned and said, "Miss Mu¡­Mu, this is Zhu Dan Chen, 4th brother Zhu, my good friend." Zhu dan chen bowed with respect and said, "Greetings, Miss Mu."


    Mu Wanqing returned the greeting and seeing him treat her with respect, was overjoyed and said, "4th brother Zhu."


    Zhu Dan Chen said with a laugh, "I do not dare to be called that." thinking "This young lady is really pretty, just now when she slapped young master, she had been so agile, it seems as though her kungfu is not bad. Young master was slapped, yet he still smiled, not caring much. For this young lady, he actually left home for such a long period of time; thus, he must be very infatuated with her. I wonder what the background of this young lady is. Young master is so young and therefore, does not know how dangerous the martial arts world is, he should not be smitten with her beauty, maybe even causing him to lose his reputation." and said with a smile, "The two old masters miss young master and hope that you will go back home immediately. If Miss Mu is free, please go too as our guest." He was worried that Duan Yu would refuse to go home, but if the young lady would go together, he would most likely agree to do so.


    Duan Yu stuttered, "What would¡­would I say to Uncle and Father?" Mu Wanqing blushed and turned her head away.


    Zhu Dan Chen said, "The four evil ones have such high martial arts abilities, just now when the Marquis Shan Chan managed to force Second Madam Ye to retreat, it was by the element of surprise and also by luck. Young Master should not be in such a perilous situation, let''s leave quickly!" Duan Yu thought of Divine Croc''s fierce expression and could not help feeling scared. He said with a nod, "Ok, let''s go. 4th Brother Zhu, since the opponent is so powerful, you should go and help Uncle Gao. I will go home together with Miss Mu." Zhu Dan Chen said with a laugh, "It was not easy to find Young Master; I should personally escort you home. Miss Mu is well-versed in martial arts, but I think she has not recovered from her injury, it will be bad if you meet strong opponents on your way home, and thus it will be better if I go with the both of you."


    Mu Wanqing said rudely, "You do not need to be so polite when you talk to me. I am a wild woman that has never studied before. I only understand half of what you are saying." Zhu Dan Chen said with a laugh, "Of course, of course. Although I am a military officer, I like to act as if I am a scholar, this is a bad habit that refuses to go away, please do not blame me, lady."


    Duan Yu was not willing to go home just like that, but since Zhu Dan Chen found him, he knew that he would have no choice but to do so; he would just have to try to leave secretly during the journey, thus, the three of them went down the peak. Mu Wanqing wanted to ask Duan Yu where he had gone to during those seven days and seven nights but because Zhu Dan Chen was near, talking was not convenient, thus she had to resist the urge. Zhu dan chen brought dried food which he gave the two of them to eat.


    The three of them reached the bottom of the peak and after travelling for miles, they found five horses tied to a tree. It turned out to be what Gu du cheng and the others rode here. Zhu Dan Chen led three of the horses to them and after Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing got on the horses, he got on one horse himself and followed them behind. That night, the three of them rested at an inn, each of them taking separate rooms. Zhu Dan Chen then bought a new set on clothes for Duan Yu to change into so that he did not have to suffer the misery of the holes in his trousers.


    Mu Wanqing closed the door of her room, staring at the red candle on the table, she sat down, feeling both happy and worried. She thought, "Husband Duan came to find me despite of the danger, showing how devoted he is to me. These few days I have been cursing him, thinking he was heartless; I have misunderstood him. Zhu Dan Chen treats him with so much respect, thus, he must be some important officer''s son. I, being a lady, although we have been engaged, should not go to his home for no apparent reason, isn''t that awkward? It seems like his uncle and father are very fierce towards him, if they look down on me and treat me with disrespect, what should I do? Hey, I should use my poison darts to kill his whole family, except him." While she was thinking about this, she suddenly heard two soft taps on the window.


    Mu Wanqing extinguished the candle flame with a wave of her left hand. Outside the window, Duan Yu said, "It''s me." Hearing Duan Yu look for her in the deep night, her heart started pounding and her cheeks started burning, she whispered, "What do you want?" Duan Yu replied, "You open the window and I tell you." Mu Wanqing said, "I will not open." She knew martial arts, yet now she was scared of this weak scholar, it was strange. Duan Yu did not understand why she refused to open the window and he said, "Then you come out quickly and let''s leave quickly." Mu Wanqing made a hole in the window paper and asked, "Why?" Duan Yu replied, "4th Brother Zhu is asleep, let''s not wake him up. I do not wish to go home."


    Mu Wanqing was overjoyed, she had been worried about meeting Duan Yu''s parents. She then pushed open the window lightly and jumped out. Duan Yu whispered, "I go and get the horses." Mu Wanqing shook her hands and wrapped her arm around Duan Yu''s waist before taking a deep breath and leapt over the wall. She then whispered, "4th brother Zhu will find out when he hears the sound of the hooves." Duan Yu said softly with a laugh, "Luckily you thought of that."


    Holding hands, the two of them started travelling towards the east. After walking for miles, they did not hear anyone chasing them from the back and they were relieved. Mu Wanqing said, "Why do you not wish to go home?" Duan Yu replied, "Once I get home, Uncle and Father will definitely lock me up and I will not be able to go out. It will be difficult even to see you once. Mu Wanqing was very pleased and said, "It''s best not to go to your house. From now on, the both of us shall wander in the world, isn''t that carefree? Now where do we go?" Duan Yu said, "Firstly, we must not be caught by 4th brother Zhu and Uncle Gao. Secondly, we must avoid that Divine Croc. Mu Wanqing said, "True. Let''s travel in the northwest direction, its best if we find a village family where we can lie low for some time. After the injury on my back has fully healed, we would not be afraid of anything anymore." Thus, the two of them traveled in the northwest direction, not daring to slow down, only hoping to leave Mt. No Measure as far as possible.


    After they traveled till dawn, Mu Wanqing said, "Those servants in Gu su Wang family must still be looking for me. If we travel during the day, we would be easily noticed. We should find somewhere to rest, daytime, we eat and sleep, nighttime, we travel." Duan Yu did not know much about the martial arts world, thus he replied, "You decide." Mu Wanqing said, "After the meal, tell me where you have been these seven days and seven nights. If you dare to lie to me, be careful your..." Before she could finish her sentence, "Aye!" she said.


    In front of them, three horses were tied to a willow tree in the shade and a person was sitting on a rock, holding a book in his hand, reciting, of course it was Zhu Dan Chen, who else could it be? Seeing this, Duan Yu was very shocked, he grabbed Mu Wanqing''s hand and said hurriedly, "Let''s go!"


    Mu Wanqing was very sure that last night when they secretly escaped, Zhu Dan Chen had found out, he knew Duan Yu did not know qing gong and could not travel fast, he then predicted where the two of them will head and rode on the horse to block their way; she frowned and said, "Blockhead, since we have been caught by him, how can we escape?" then, she walked in front and said mockingly, "Reading in the early morning, you want to be the top scholar?"


    Zhu Dan Chen said to Duan Yu with a laugh, "Young master, what poem do you think I am reading?" then he recited "Birds chirp on the ancient tree in the winter, monkeys calling in the desolate mountains, since your eyes are injured, feeling frightened and shocked, isn''t it dangerous? Remember the debt of gratitude of your homeland. No two promises,...winning words..., ...in your life, who will determine your title?"


    Duan Yu replied, "This is Wei Zheng''s "Xu Huai"? Zhu Dan Chen said with a laugh, "Young Master is of great literary ability, worthy of admiration, worthy of admiration." Duan Yu understood that he was using this poem to tell him that I chased after you despite of everything is because he owns Duan Yu''s uncle and father a debt of gratitude, not daring to fail in his mission; he is also hinting that since Duan Yu had agreed to go home, he should not go back on his word.


    Mu Wanqing untied the horse and said, "To go to Dali, is the direction we are travelling in right?" Zhu Dan Chen replied, "Since we are free, we travel to the east or travel to the west, we will still get to Dali." The day before he allowed Duan Yu to ride on the horse with the strongest legs, but now he led that horse to himself, in case the two of them decide to escape on the horses, he will still be able to catch up on the horse.


    After Duan Yu got on the horseback, he directed it to the east. Afraid that Duan Yu would get annoyed with him, Zhu Dan Chen kept chatting with him about poetry and books but he did not know about "Yi jing", otherwise he will be able to cater to Duan Yu''s pleasure. Despite that, Duan Yu was already in high spirits and kept talking a lot. However, Mu Wanqing could not join in the conversation. Not long after, they reached the main road and after they travelled till noon, they stopped at a shop to eat noodles.


    Suddenly a shadow flashed past and a tall and thin person walked in the door, once he sat down, he hit the table and called, "Wine and beef, quick, quick!"


    Mu Wanqing did not need to look at his face; she only heard how his voice was suddenly low and suddenly high, very unpleasant to the ears, before she knew that "Desperate Evil" Yun Zhong He had arrived, luckily her face was facing towards the inside, not towards him. She then stuck her finger into the soup and wrote on the table, "The Fourth Bad One". Also using the soup, Zhu Dan Chen wrote on the table, "Leave quickly! Don''t need to wait for me!" Mu Wanqing pulled Duan Yu''s sleeve and the two of them walked into the inside. Zhu Dan Chen moved swiftly into a dark corner.


    When Yun Zhong He just reached the shop, he had been staring intently at the main road; when he heard someone moving behind him, he turned back and saw Mu Wanqing just disappearing behind a cupboard and then he shouted, "Who is it? Stop there!" He got up from his seat, his long arm trying to grab Mu Wanqing''s back.


    Holding a bowl of soup, Zhu Dan Chen suddenly rushed out from the dark corner and exclaimed, "Ah Yo!" pretending to lose hold of the bowl; a bowl of hot soup splashed towards Yun Zhong He. Not only were they quite near to each other, Zhu Dan Chen was also quick in the splashing and there was no space in the little shop to move around, thus, even though Yun Zhong He did turn around and avoided half of the soup, the other half of the soup still splashed on his face; instantly, his vision blurred and in his anger, he attacked Zhu Dan Chen, hoping to scratch open his chest. But once the bowl left Zhu Dan Chen''s hands, he had conveniently taken a table and threw it together with the bowls, plates and cups towards Yun Zhong He. Yun Zhong He''s five fingers stuck into the table and with strong force, the bowls, plates and cups flew towards him.


    Meeting a strong enemy in a small shop, even though he had strong kungfu, he was still in a flurry. He quickly tried to spread his inner energy over his whole body, those plates and bowls that hit him all bounced back but he was still dripping with soup, making him look very embarrassing. Outside the door, there was the clatter of the hooves, two people were leaving, riding on horses towards the north. Yun Zhong He wiped the soup from his eyes with his sleeve, suddenly, he felt something flying towards his chest. He took a deep breath and his chest contracted a few centimetres and his left palm attacked from the air and turning it, he caught the judge''s brush that the enemy had attacked with. Zhu Dan Chen quickly wielded his inner energy, hoping to snatch it back. His inner energy was not strong enough, this seizing originally would not have succeeded, and a favourite weapon would have certainly landed into the hands of the enemy, luckily Yun Zhong He''s hands were oily and his fingers were slippery, thus, he could not hold it tight enough and Zhu Dan Chen actually managed to get back his weapon.


    After many moves, Zhu Dan Chen knew that the enemy had good reflexes and strong kungfu, thus, he shouted, "The person with the metal stick and the person with the broad axe, block the door quickly, the bamboo pole would not be able to escape!" He had once heard from Zhu Wan Li and Gu Du Cheng that that night they had met a bamboo pole-like person and with the strength of the two of them, they had managed with an effort to win, thus, Zhu Dan Chen tried to make an empty show of strength. Yun Zhong He did not know that it was a trick and thought, "Oh No! The person with the metal stick and the person with the broad axe are lying in ambush outside, I am alone, one against three, I will definitely lose!" thus, he did not want to fight, immediately, he rushed into the backyard and leapt over the wall. Zhu Dan Chen shouted, "The bamboo pole is escaping, quick, chase after him, we must not let him escape this time!" rushed to the horse, got on it and chased after Duan Yu.


    Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing galloped many kilometres on the horses and then slowed to a trot. Not long after, Zhu Dan Chen managed to catch up with them. The two of them stopped their horses to wait for him, about to question him, when Mu Wanqing cried, "Oh No! The person is chasing after us!" on the road, there was a bamboo-like person darting here and there towards them.


    Zhu Dan Chen said, "That person''s qing gong is so good!" and whipped Duan Yu''s horse, the three horses galloped even more quickly. In an instant, had left Yun Zhong He far behind. After many kilometres, Mu Wanqing heard the gasping of breath of her horse and had to slow down. However, once she slowed down, Yun Zhong He would be able to catch up with her. Although he could not sprint as fast as a horse, he had really high endurance.


    Zhu Dan Chen knew that his ploy had been seen through by Yun Zhong He; empty showing of strength was not going to work anymore. He knew that within twenty kilometres, he will definitely catch up with them. Once they reached Dali city, obviously they will not be afraid of anything but the three horses were galloping slower and slower and the situation was getting desperate. After galloping for some kilometres, Duan Yu''s horse suddenly kneeled down, throwing Duan Yu off. Mu Wanqing jumped off her horse and before Duan Yu had reached the ground, she had already grabbed him and jumped back on to her horse. Zhu Dan Chen was far behind them, so as to defend them against the enemy, thus, when Duan Yu fell off the horse; he was unable to save him, seeing Mu Wanqing saving him at the last moment, he could not help saying, "Good skills!"


    Suddenly, Zhu Dan Chen was attacked behind. He used his judge''s brush to fight off the iron fingers. Yun Zhong He used the momentum to scratch the horse''s back until it was dripping with blood. The horse felt painful and galloped even faster. It was not long before there was a long distance between them and Yun Zhong He. However, now there were two people riding on one horse and one horse injured; it was difficult to maintain this for long. Zhu Dan Chen and Mu Wanqing were secretly anxious.


    On the other hand, Duan Yu did not know the severity and asked, "Is this person very powerful? Surely, it does not mean that Fourth Brother Zhu cannot defeat him?" Mu Wanqing shook her head and said, "It is a pity I am injured and cannot use my strength to help Fourth Brother Zhu to fight against the evil person." suddenly, she had an idea and said, "I pretend to fall off the horse and get injured. Then I lie on the floor and catch him unaware by shooting two darts at him, it may work. You ride on the horse and just go, do not need to wait for me." Duan Yu was very anxious and using his left hand to grab her neck and his right hand to grab her waist, he said, "No! No! How can I let you take the risk?" Mu Wanqing''s face turned red and said, "Blockhead, let go of me! Fourth Brother Zhu can see us!" Duan Yu was shocked and said, "Sorry! Don''t be offended." Mu Wanqing said, "You are my husband, why say sorry?"


    While they were talking, they turned their heads and say Yun Zhong He getting closer and Zhu Dan Chen kept waving his hand, asking them to escape quickly. Then he leapt off his horse and blocked the way. Although he knew he was not the match of Yun Zhong He, he still had to block him, so as to prevent him from catching up with Duan Yu. Unexpectedly, Yun Zhong He only wanted to catch up with Mu Wanqing, suddenly, he ran diagonally into the fields at the side and bypassed Zhu Dan Chen, running straight towards Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing.


    Mu Wanqing kept whipping the horse but it was already vomiting white foam and was about to die. Duan Yu said, "If only we were riding your Black Rose, I am sure that evil guy would not be able to catch up with us." Mu Wanqing said, "Do I need you to remind me of that?"


    That horse went over a hill and in front of them was a straight road, no place to hide. In the west, within the green willows, next to the small lake, there was the side of a yellow wall exposed. Duan Yu said happily, "Good! Let''s go there!" Mu Wanqing said, "No! That is a dead end and there is no road to escape." Duan Yu said, "You listen to me, I would not be wrong." Using the reins to turn the horse, they headed towards the green willows.


    As they got nearer, Mu Wanqing realised that that wall was actually a monastery and "Yu Xu Monastery" seemed to be written on its signboard; thinking quickly, "This blockhead escaped until here where there is no other road. I should hide in a dark corner and shoot the bamboo pole with a dart." in the blink of an eye, they had reached the front of the monastery, suddenly, they heard someone laughing behind them, it was Yun Zhong He who was only metres away from them.


    Duan Yu shouted, "Mother, mother, come quickly! Mum!" Mu Wanqing got angry and snapped, "Blockhead, shut up!"...


    Yu held onto Grace tightly- feelings of relief, concern- and yes, love- all rolled into one, threatening to overwhelm him all at once. Neither spoke for a while. Finally, Yu asked, "How are your wounds, Miss Mu?"


    "Miss Mu?" she teased. "Is that all I am to you?" For a girl who rarely smiled, up until now, her mirth only made her even more beautiful. Yu was so happy he wanted to faint. He held her even more tightly, whispering softly, "Gracie! How about that- Gracie? Would you like me to call you that?" Dipping his head, he kissed her lips gently.


    "Oh!" Grace leapt up, blushing furiously, suddenly remembering that they weren''t really alone- but in fact, had a hidden audience! "Not here, not now!" she exclaimed. "There''s people around, you know!" She looked around, only to see that the robed man and the four knights- Chu, Ku, Fu and Zhu- had vanished. Even Zuo Zhimu had taken his son and disappeared.


    "Who''s here?" Yu asked, puzzled, then gasped. "No- don''t tell me that it''s the Croc!"


    "How long have you been here?" Grace asked.


    "Not long."


    "Hmm." Grace was perplexed. "Strange. They sure left quickly."


    Her muse was broken by an eloquent voice that came from behind some boulders.


    "Battles fought;


    Over a thousand miles,


    A word to say-"


    The voice was followed by the actual speaker- Chu Danchen.


    "Brother Chu!" Yu cried out happily. The latter bowed respectfully, at the same time breathing a sigh of relief. "Sir, thank God that you really are safe. This young lady here had sure given us quite a fright earlier!"


    Yu nodded in reply. "So you two have met then? What a coincidence." he seemed perplexed. "How''d you get here?"


    "Sir, it''s definitely no coincidence that we''re here." Chu smiled, amused. "The four of us have been ordered to find you and bring you home. May I be so bold to say, sir, that you really have been quite foolhardy in running off like that and travelling alone! We followed your trail to Ma Wude''s place, then to Mt Wuliang. My God- you really had us worried sick!"


    "Ah, well." Yu looked slightly sheepish. "Well, it hasn''t really been as fun as I thought it was going to be. Say, my father and uncle must be furious- were they?"


    "Well, they certainly weren''t thrilled." Chu said dryly. "Although, by the time we left, their lordships seemed to have been calmed down, somewhat. And for the last few days, I''m sure they''re probably just worried sick- like the rest of us! To make it worse, the Duke of Shanchan got the news that four very nasty characters have arrived in Dali! He left after us, to personally make sure that you''d be safe."


    "Err... So Uncle Gao is looking for me too..." Yu shifted uncomfortably at the thought.


    "Yes, sir, he has indeed. In fact, he was just here, fighting off a truly unpleasant woman. He heard you calling out, and told me to stay here, to wait for you. He and the others have gone to chase after her." Chu paused. "Sir, let''s go home then, shall we? Your family is really worried about you."


    Yu wasn''t interested in going home. He''d just realised that Chu had bene lurking behind those rocks the whole time, while he was having (what he thought was) a private tete-a-tete with Grace! Yu''s face burned with embarrassment.


    Chu read his mind. He held up a bound volume. "I''ve been reading awhile." Grace was taken aback. She hadn''t seen that many fighting men who could read- let alone carry around with them a book. What she didn''t know was that Chu had only gotten to his elite rank by being not only skilled in the martial arts, but also being well versed in the classics.


    "Ah." Yu changed the subject hurriedly. "Grace, this is Chu Danchen. He''s one of my greatest friends! Brother Chu, let me introduce you to Grace, Grace Mu."


    "Miss Mu." Chu bowed deeply.


    Miss Mu was pleased by the respect he''d shown her- respect like that doesn''t come her way very often! "Brother Chu." She smiled.


    Chu eyed Grace carefully. "She''s no doubt a pretty one- obviously not too bad in kungfu, either, judging by the way she''d slapped Yu so nimbly! And he didn''t seem to mind either. Huh, so this is why he''d taken off like that. And it doesn''t look as if they''d just met. Hmph, next chance I get, I better warn him. A pretty face- nice times out of ten they can''t be trusted."


    "So!" Chu said brightly. "Should we go? Miss Mu, you''re more than welcomed to come with us, as our guest." Chu had a feeling that Yu isn''t overly enthusiastic in returning- but he''d be more than happy to do so, if Grace can be persuaded to go with him.


    Yu looked at Grace, then at Chu, reddening. "Um, I don''t know... How am I going to explain... ahhhh..." Grace turned away, uncomfortable.


    "We''ll deal with that question later." Chu said a little more forcefully, although maintaining his deferential tone. "Those four villains are skilled fighters, and it took Lord Gao all his power- and an element of luck!- to defeat just one of them. This place is dangerous- I strongly suggest that we leave, as quickly as possible."


    Yu nodded, mentally shuddering at the thought of the return of even one of the four Evil Ones. Especially that crazy, obsessive Croc. "In that case, I''ll go with Grace. Why don''t you help Uncle Gao instead?"


    Chu chuckled. "I''d have failed miserably in my duty, if I were to desert my post now. I trust Miss Mu''s ability implicitly- however, she is obviously still significantly incapacitated, trauma from which she remains to recover fully."


    Grace humphed- Chu''s long words and sentences leaving her somewhat muddled. "I didn''t understand half of what you were talking about."


    Chu smiled. "I apologise, Miss Mu. I''ve always been long-winded- it''s an old habit of mine. Please forgive me."


    Yu didn''t want to go home at all- with or without Grace. But the current situation seemed to left him with little choice. He decided to play it by ear- there''ll be plenty of opportunities to make an escape later on. The three of them made their way down the hillside. Along the way, Grace peppered Yu with questions as to his whereabouts for the past week. Yu didn''t want to give too much details with Chu around- he did work for his parents and uncle, after all. He hinted strongly to Grace to keep quiet.


    At the bottom of the mountain, the three mounted horses that''d been left by the rest of the rescue party. Yu and Grace rode ahead, followed by Chu. They lodged at a small rural inn that night. Despite his reluctance in following Chu home, Yu was still greatly relieved at being back in civilisation, especially after he''d changed out of his dirty, tattered clothing that''d seen so much adventure in the last few weeks.


    Grace, left alone in her room, was unable to sleep. She stared at the burning candle, her mind in turmoil. She was delighted that Yu had come back- he''s obviously devoted to her! She felt vaguely guilty at having cursed him wrongly for the past few days. On the other hand, Yu''s background perplexed her. The deference shown to him by a highly skilled and respected warrior such as Chu means that Yu is no ordinary person, but a son of highly ranked nobility. And a girl such as herself can''t just become engaged to someone like that- and turn up on the doorstep, unintroduced and uninvited. To make it worse, Yu''s parents and uncle seemed terribly strict.


    "Huh." she tossed her head. Since when did she become timid like that? "So what if they looked down on me? I''ll just kill them all. They can''t stop me taking Yu, then, can they?" she thought.


    A soft tap on the window made her turn. Yu was whispering outside. "Grace! It''s me."


    Grace blushed. It''s past midnight- what did the man want? "What''s the matter?"


    "Open the window."


    "No."


    "Then come out." Yu hissed. "We''ve got no time left."


    Grace slit the window paper with a finger. "What are you talking about?"


    "Brother Chu''s asleep- what are we waiting for? Let''s go! And keep your voice down- I don''t want to go home."


    Grace was thrilled. All her anxieties about meeting Yu''s parents vanished. She opened the window, and leapt out.


    "I''ll get the horses."


    Grace shook her head. "The horses will wake Chu up." She grabbed him around the waist, and jumped lightly, "flying" over the wall of the inn''s courtyard.


    They headed east, hand in hand, feeling liberated and happy. No pursuers appeared. The two relaxed, and their walk slowed to a stroll.


    "So why don''t you want to go home?"


    "Because I''ll never see you again." Yu said. "As soon as I step through the door, my father and uncle will be sure to lock me up- and I''ll never be able to get out again."


    Grace''s heart soared at his words. "That''s great! You don''t have to go back- ever! We''ll wander the world, just you and I! Where should we go?"


    "Any place where we won''t be found- by Chu, Uncle Gao, or anyone else for that matter! Especially the Croc."


    "You''re right. How about the northwest? It''s isolated there. We''ll find a small village, stay there for a bit, until my wounds have healed completely, then we''ll go wherever we want to!"


    So decided, the two turned and headed in their chosen direction. They walked briskly, hoping to put as much distance between themselves and familiar territory, as quickly as possible.


    Dawn soon broke. "Let''s take a break, get something to eat, and have a rest. We''ll attract too much attention by travelling during the day." Grace said. "The Wangs are still after me- we better lay low for a while." Yu readily agreed.


    "After we''ve had a rest, you can tell me how you spent the last seven days." Grace said with mock severity. "And if you lied-" she broke off abruptly. "Wha-"


    In front of them, a man was reclining against the trunk of a sweeping willow, seemingly at great leisure. He was reading a book, and appeared to be reciting verses from it. Chu! Yu gaped, grabbed Grace''s hand, and hissed, "Run!"


    Grace felt a stab of frustration. Chu obviously guessed that Yu would sneak out in the middle of the night, and had pre-empted him, knowing that they wouldn''t have travelled far, with Yu being unschooled in the art of "flying".


    "Don''t be silly. He got us- where would we run to?" Grace snapped. She marched up to the knight crossly. "Hey, you. What are you reading so early? You trying to top the imperial exams or something?"


    Chu smiled. "Sir, why don''t you take a guess at what I''m reading?" he asked rhetorically, reciting the lines of yet another famous poem, which depicts the loyalty of a Tang warrior to his monarch. Yu recognised it right away- and its sublimal message. Chu was tactfully rebuking him for breaking his word, and deserting someone he''d claimed as his good friend, whilst the said friend remained as loyal as ever.


    Grace didn''t know what went on in their highbrow conversation, but guessed as much. She untied the horses from their tether, and asked, "Actually, we were on our way to Dali City. Are we going the right way?"


    "From where you were, it doesn''t matter which direction you head in."


    Duan Yu laughingly replied, "If it weren''t for me heading out this time, how could I have brought mother back? I think I really have performed an awe-inspiring act of great merit. So let''s just consider myself as having redeemed myself. Father, don''t be angry." The man in purple robes, upon hearing this response, answered, "Even if I don''t beat you up, your uncle will not let you off lightly!" Applying pressure to his horse''s sides, the white horse suddenly flew towards the direction of the Sage of the Hollow Jade.


    Mu Wanqing saw that the squadron of cavalry was clothed in fine brocade, wearing shining helmets, and their weapons glimmering in the light. Twenty people in front held aloft a banner, upon which was written six words: "DaLi''s ''South-Subduing Prince Duan''". On the side of the tiger-headed banner were the words, "Great General Duan, Protector of the Country". Even though she was a person who feared neither heaven nor earth, upon seeing this majestic, awe-inspiring show, she couldn''t help but feel great respect. Turning to Duan Yu, she asked, "Hey, this "South-Subduing Prince", "Great General Who Protects the Country", is your dad, right?"


    Laughing, Duan Yu nodded his head. In a low voice, he responded, "Yes, that would be your father-in-law."


    Mu Wanqing reined in her horse in a daze. All of a sudden, her heart was filled with confusion. She was stupefied for a long period of time, before finally spurring her horse to gallop forward to Duan Yu''s side. On the main street, there were people everywhere. Suddenly, in her heart, she was feeling an inexpressible solitude, making her want to stay close to Duan Yu. Only then did she calm down a little.


    The South-Subduing Prince slowed his horse down roughly ten feet away from the Sage of the Hollow Jade. The two exchanged glances for some time; I look at you, you stare at me. Neither of them opened their mouths. Duan Yu spoke. "Mother, dad personally came to receive you and escort you home." The Sage of the Hollow Jade replied, "Go tell your aunt that I''m back. I''ll stay with her for a few days. After we''ve beaten off our enemies, I''ll return to the Hollow Jade Monastery."


    The South-Subduing Prince laughed. "Wife, you''re still angry at me? Let''s go home. Afterwards, I''ll slowly make everything up to you." The Sage of the Hollow Jade''s face was unmoved. "I''m not going home. I''m entering the palace."


    Duan Yu said, "That works too. Let''s all enter the palace first and pay a visit to uncle and auntie. Mother, this time your son snuck outside to have some fun, and uncle definitely is going to be furious. Dad probably isn''t going to speak up on my behalf, this time. It''ll have to be you who begs for clemency on my behalf." The Sage of Hollow Jade responded, "The older you grow, the less responsible you get. It is going to be necessary to allow your uncle to thrash you and teach you a lesson."


    Duan Yu laughingly responded, "The blows may fall on the son''s body, but the pain will occur in the mother''s heart. It''s best if I don''t get beaten!" The Sage of Hollow Jade let out a small laugh. "Hah! The harder you get beaten, the better. I have no sympathy for you at all!"


    Initially, there was an aura of awkwardness between the South-Subduing Prince and the Sage of Hollow Jade. But with Duan Yu cracking jokes and being so light-hearted, he managed to get a laugh out of the Sage of Hollow Jade, breaking the icy tone of the meeting. Duan Yu said, "Dad! You have a good horse. Why aren''t you letting mother ride it?" The Sage of Hollow Jade replied, "I refuse!" With a kick, she spurred her horse to gallop forwards and away from them.


    Duan Yu spurred his own horse onwards as well, overtaking her and grabbing the reins of his mother''s horse. The South-Subduing Prince had already dismounted and walked it over towards them. Giggling, Duan Yu hugged his mother and placed her on the saddle of his father''s horse.


    With a laugh, Duan Yu said, "Mother, a peerless, unequalled beauty such as yourself, riding this white horse, becomes even more attractive. You are like the Bodhisattva Guanyin herself, having descended upon the mortal world!" Laughing, the Sage of Hollow Jade replied, "That girl of yours surnamed ''Mu'' is the real peerless beauty without equal. You''re just making fun of your mother, this old lady."


    The South-Subduing Prince turned to look at Mu Wanqing. Duan Yu said, "She...she is Miss Mu. She is your son''s...your son''s...your son''s good friend." The South-Subduing Prince saw the expression on his son''s face and immediately understood his real meaning. He saw that Mu Wanqing had a clear, pure complexion and was very beautiful, and secretly cheered. "Yu''er, you have pretty good eyesight!" He saw Mu Wanqing''s gaze was cloudy and distant, and she did not come forward to pay her respects. He thought to himself, "So she''s a girl from the countryside who doesn''t understand proprietry."


    His heart still filled with anxiety over the state of Gao Shengtai''s injuries, he quickly strode over to the latter''s side. "Younger brother Tai, how are your internal injuries?" He stretched out his finger to touch Gao Shengtai''s wrist, feeling for his pulse. Gao Shengtai replied, "My ''du '' meridian received some injuries, but it''s no big deal. You...there is no need for you to waste your energy."


    Before he even finished speaking, the South-Subduing Prince had already extended the forefinger of his right hand and struck three times at the back of his neck, then pressed on his waist with his free hand.


    From the top of the South-Subduing Prince''s head arose thin wisps of white smoke. It wasn''t until the amount of time it would take to drink a cup of tea had passed before he would release his hold. Gao Shengtai said, "Elder brother Chun, with powerful enemies so close by, how can you pick this time to waste your internal energy on me?" The South-Subduing Prince laughed. "Your internal injuries are not light. The sooner we start to heal you, the sooner you''ll get better. After I take you to see our elder brother, he won''t let me help you, and would involve himself instead."


    Mu Wanqing saw that originally, Gao Shengtai''s face was terrifyingly white. But in such a short time, color began to appear in his cheeks. In her heart, she wondered, "So husband Duan''s father''s internal energy has reached an extremely profound level. Why is that that husband Duan...husband Duan doesn''t know any martial arts at all?"


    Chu Wanli came over with a horse, and helped the South-Subduing Prince mount. The South-Subduing Prince and Gao Shengtai moved slowly, as the former inquired in a quiet voice regarding the enemy''s status. Duan Yu talked and laughed with his mother. Under the iron-clad guardsmen''s protection, they galloped towards the city of Dali. With everyone else occupied, it was unavoidable that Mu Wanqing was neglected.


    At dusk, the party entered the city of Dali via the southern gate. Wherever the two flags "South-Subduing" and "Protecting Country" went, the common people would loudly cheer, "May the South-Subduing Prince live a thousand years! May the great general live a thousand years!" The South-Subduing Prince waved to the people in response.


    Mu Wanqing saw the teeming masses of people in Dali. The streets were newly paved and flat, and the marketplace was bustling. After crossing a number of intersections, they arrived at a large stone path, at the end of which was a towering palace, covered in an uncountable number of golden tiles. The sun shone off the gleaming tiles, a beautiful sight, causing one to become dazzled.


    Upon reaching a memorial arch, the entire party dismounted. Mu Wanqing saw that on the memorial arch was written four large words in gold. "Saintly Road, Broad Compassion". She thought to herself, "We must have arrived at the imperial palace of Dali. Husband Duan''s uncle lives in the middle of the Imperial Palace. He must be a very high official. Most likely, he''s also another prince, or general, or something like that."


    Passing by the memorial arch, Mu Wanqing saw an inscribed board with the words, "Palace of Saintly Compassion", written in gold. A court eunuch quickly appeared and said, "Prince, I must report that the Emperor and the Empress are awaiting you at your home. Will the lord prince and the imperial concubine please return to the South-Subduing Palace and appear before his majesty."


    The South-Subduing Prince replied, "Understood." Duan Yu laughed. "Marvelous, marvelous!" The Sage of Hollow Jade glanced at him, angrily asking, "What''s so marvelous? I''ll just wait at the imperial palace for the Empress to return!" But the eunuch replied, "The Empress instructed me to request that the imperial concubine immediately visit her, as she has urgent matters to discuss." The Sage of Hollow Jade muttered in a low voice, "What type of urgent matter does she want to discuss? She''s full of devilish schemes."


    Duan Yu knew that the Empress had planned this all out. She had anticipated that Duan Yu''s mother would be unwilling to return to her own manor, and the Empress went to the South-Subduing Prince Palace herself to wait for her, with the warm intention of reconciling Duan Yu''s parents. Duan Yu was extremely pleased.


    After exiting, the party remounted and headed eastwards. After traveling for two li, they arrived in front of a large mansion. Two large flags fluttered in front of the gate. On each flag was written respectively the words "South-Subduing" and "Protecting Country". At the top of the gate were the words, "South-Subduing Palace". In front of the gate was a large number of imperial guards. They immediately came to attention and saluted. "We respectfully welcome the Prince and the imperial concubine back to their palace."


    The South-Subduing Prince was the first to enter. After taking only one step, the Sage of Hollow Jade suddenly came to a halt. Her eyes suddenly reddening, tears began to fall. Half pushing, half tugging, Duan Yu escorted his mother through the gate. He said, "Father, your son has brought mother home! This is a deed of great merit. What award do you have for me?" His heart filled with happiness, the South-Subduing Prince replied, "Ask your mother for a reward! Whatever your mother wishes to reward you with, I will comply!" The Sage of Hollow Jade smiled between her tears. "I''ll reward you with a good caning!" Duan Yu stuck out his tongue.


    Upon reaching the great hall, Gao Shengtai rose to his feet. The South-Subduing Prince said, "Younger brother Tai, you are injured. Please, sit down." Duan Yu said to Mu Wanqing, "Rest here for a bit. After I pay my respects to the Emperor and the Empress, I''ll come keep you company."


    Mu Wanqing was unwilling to let him leave her, but had no way to stop him. All she could do was nod her head unhappily. She took a seat at the head chair. Everyone else remained standing. It wasn''t until after the South-Subduing Prince and his wife had entered the inner hall that Gao Shengtai finally sat down. But Chu Wanli, Gu Ducheng, Zhu Danchen, and the rest all remained on their feet.


    Mu Wanqing paid them no attention, her eyes focused on that great hall. She saw a large horizontal plaque upon which were written the four words, "Pillar Which Supports the Nation". It was signed by the "Imperial Pen of Dingmao". The pillar was covered with calligraphy. It would be difficult to read it all in a short time, and some of the characters, she didn''t even recognize.


    A servant brought green tea, respectfully offering it to her on a plate. Mu Wanqing thought to herself, "These people really are weird." She saw that only herself and Gao Shengtai had been offered tea. Zhu Danchen and the others, when fighting off the enemy, had been awe-inspiring figures, but upon reaching the South-Subduing Palace, became so quietly respectful. They didn''t even dare breathe too loudly, much less have the aura of heroes who were highly skilled in martial arts.


    After waiting for some time, Mu Wanqing became impatient. She loudly shouted, "Duan Yu! Duan Yu! What are you doing in there? Why haven''t you come out yet?"


    The great hall was filled with people, but none of them had dared make so much as a peep. With Mu Wanqing''s sudden shout, everyone was startled for a moment. Gao Shengtai laughingly whispered, "Miss, be patient. The young prince will be back soon." Mu Wanqing asked, "Young prince? What young prince?" Gao Shengtai responded, "Young master Duan is the son of the South-Subduing Prince. Of course he is the young prince." Mu Wanqing mused aloud to herself. "Young prince...young prince. That bookworm is a prince? He doesn''t look the part!"


    A eunuch exited the inner hall. "The Emperor has issued a request. Will the Marquis of Virtuous Enlightenment and Mu Wanqing please enter the hall." Upon seeing the eunuch enter, Gao Shengtai had already respectfully risen to his feet. Mu Wanqing remained seated. Upon hearing the eunuch utter her name, she wasn''t happy. She muttered to herself, "He doesn''t even address me as ''Miss''. Is my name so casually called out by the likes of you?" Gao Shengtai said, "Miss Mu, let us go pay our respects to the Emperor."


    Even though Mu Wanqing feared neither heaven nor earth, upon hearing that she was to go meet the Emperor, she was still a bit uneasy at heart. All she could do was follow behind Gao Shengtai. They passed through a long corridor and a large courtyard. It was as though they were walking through an unending room. But at last, they arrived outside a flower pavilion.


    The eunuch reported, "The Marquis of Virtuous Enlightenment and Mu Wanqing have come to pay their respects to the Emperor and Empress." Then he left.


    Gao Shengtai gave Mu Wanqing a meaningful look, then entered the flower pavilion and knelt before a man and a woman who were sitting in the center.


    Mu Wanqing did not kneel. Seeing that the male had a long beard and wore a golden robe, with a clear and intelligent appearance, she asked, "So you are the Emperor?"


    The man who sat in the middle was indeed the Emperor of the country of Dali, Duan Zhengming. His imperial reign name was "Baoding". The country of Dali was established in the second year of Heavenly Fortune, of the Later Jin dynasty of the Five Dynasties period. Thus, it was actually founded twenty three years before Zhao Kuangyin founded the Song Dynasty.


    The people of Dali''s Duan dynasty was originally from the Wuwei region. Their first ancestor was Duan Jianwei. He assisted the Nanzhao''s Meng clan and became known as the "Official of Pureness and Peace." Six generations later, his descendant Duan Siping became the governor of Tonghai. In the ''Dingyou'' year, Duan Siping founded the nation, and became the Great Ancestor of the Duan dynasty, known as the ''Saintly Emperor of Martial Prowess and Learning''. Duan Zhengming was the fourteenth Emperor in the line, which had been in power for a hundred and fifty years.


    At this time, the Northern Song was ruled by Emperor Zhezong in the city of Bianliang [now known as Kaifeng]. Being young in years, the Empress Dowager attended to state affairs. She appointed and trusted famous statesmen and repealed severe laws, resulting in the rejoicing of the common people and pacifying the land. She was the most brilliant and humane female lord in Chinese history, which would proclaim her as being the ''female Yao and Shun'' [famously benevolent Chinese emperors].


    The country of Dali was located in southern Xinjiang, and thus every Emperor was a devout adherent to Buddhism. Even though they had raised themselves to the level of being a ruler, towards the Song dynasty, they were always deferential and unfailingly patient, never raising arms against them. Emperor Baoding had reigned for eleven years and espoused three precepts. To protect order, to uphold peace, and secure the blessings of heaven, creating a heaven-like place to live. The borders were safe, the country was prosperous, and the people lived in peace.


    Emperor Baoding, upon seeing that Mu Wanqing not only did not kneel, but even cheekily asked him directly if he was the Emperor, couldn''t help but laugh. "I am indeed the Emperor. Do you find the city of Dali to be a fun place?" Mu Wanqing replied, "As soon as I entered the city, I was brought to come see you. I haven''t explored it yet." Emperor Baoding let out a slight smile. "Tomorrow, Yu''er will take you out to tour the city and show you the sights of Dali." Mu Wanqing replied, "Great. Will you be coming with us as well?" After she said this, everybody present couldn''t help but laugh slightly.


    Emperor Baoding turned to look at the Empress who sat by his side and merrily asked, "Empress, this little sister wants us to accompany her sightseeing. What do you think?" The Empress smiled a little, but did not respond. Mu Wanqing cast a few glances at her. "Are you the Empress? You really are quite pretty." Emperor Baoding roared with laughter. "Yu''er, this Miss Mu is very innocent and naive. How amusing!"


    Mu Wanqing asked, "Why do you called him "Yu''er" [child Yu]? Are you the ''uncle'' which he kept on talking about? He snuck out of the city to have some fun, and was very afraid that you would be angry at him. Don''t beat him, okay?" Emperor Baoding laughed. "I was going to give him fifty hard strokes of the cane, but since you ask for mercy on his behalf, I''ll spare him. Yu''er, quickly thank Miss Mu!"


    Seeing that Mu Wanqing had put the Emperor in a merry mood, Duan Yu was happy. He knew that his uncle had an even temperament. Duan Yu bowed deeply towards Mu Wanqing, and said, "Many thanks to Miss Mu for asking for clemency on my behalf!" Mu Wanqing returned his bow and whispered, "As long as your uncle has agreed to not beat you, my heart is at ease. There''s no need to thank me." Then she immediately turned towards Emperor Baoding and said, "I always thought that Emperors were really fierce and scary people. I never would have imagined that you...you...you are very nice."


    Aside from being praised by his parents when he was a child, for the past ten years, everyone who met Emperor Baoding would be extremely respectful and fearful. Nobody would ever call him "very nice". But he saw that Mu Wanqing was like a piece of muddied gold or uncut jade, totally unaware of propriety and custom, and liked her all the more. He said to the Empress, "Do you have anything to bestow upon her?"


    The Empress removed a jade bracelet from her left wrist and handed it over. "I''ll give this to you as a gift."


    Mu Wanqing accepted the gift and wore it on her own wrist. Suddenly, she laughed. "Thanks! Next time, I''ll also find something pretty and give it to you!" The Empress laughed slightly. "Then I''ll thank you in advance."


    Suddenly, a ''ge'' sound could be heard on the roof of the pavilion, followed by another ''ge'' sound coming from the top of an adjacent room.


    Mu Wanqing was startled and knew that an enemy had arrived. That person had arrived so very quickly. But suddenly, like raindrops hitting the ground, the sound of other people arriving on the roof was heard as well. Chu Wanli''s voice sounded out, "Sir, what desire do you have that causes you to arrive at the prince''s manor in the dead of night?"


    A loud, coarse, husky voice replied, "I came to find my apprentice! Quick, go have my obedient apprentice come out and pay me a visit!" It was the Divine Crocodile of the Southern Seas.


    Mu Wanqing''s sense of startlement deepened. Although the prince''s palace was heavily protected, with guards clustered as thickly as the clouds, and although the South-Subduing Prince, Gao Shengtai, the Sage of Hollow Jade, and Chu, Gu, Fu, and Zhu all possessed excellent martial arts, but the Divine Crocodile of the Southern Seas really was too formidable. If Yun Zhong''e and Ye Erniang, along with that as-yet unseen ''most evil man in the world'' appeared, then the Four Evils would be working in harmony, and it would be difficult to prevent them from kidnapping Duan Yu.


    Chu Wanli shouted in reply, "Sir, who is your apprentice? How could your apprentice be in the palace of the South-Subduing Prince? Withdraw and depart!" But suddenly, a mocking laugh was heard, and a large hand appeared which ripped apart the large plaque above the room, tearing it in two. Like a shadowy blur, the Divine Crocodile of the Southern Seas suddenly appeared in the middle of the pavilion.


    Casting his gaze across the people present, he spotted Duan Yu and laughed loudly, then shouted, "Number four wasn''t wrong! My obedient apprentice really is here after all! Quick, beg for me to make you my apprentice, then come with me to learn martial arts!" While speaking, he extended his chicken-claw like hands and reached for Duan Yu''s shoulders.


    The South-Subduing Prince saw that this claw came swiftly and with great power, and was afraid that his beloved son would be hurt. Immediately, he struck out with a counter-palm. With a ''peng'' sound, their two hands collided and he fully blocked the energy of the strike. The Divine Crocodile was secretly alarmed and asked, "Who the heck are you? I came here to take my apprentice away, what business is it of yours?" Smiling, the South-Subduing Prince replied, "I am Duan Zhengchun. This child is my son. When, precisely, did he kowtow and accept you as his master?"


    Duan Yu laughed. "He wanted to accept me as his apprentice. I told him that I had accepted another master long ago, but he wouldn''t believe me."


    The Divine Crocodile looked at Duan Yu, then looked at the South-Subduing Prince, Duan Zhengchun, and said, "The old guy''s martial arts is pretty damn good, but the kid doesn''t know any at all. I refuse to believe you two are father and son! Duan Zhengchun, we''re not bad, but even if he really is your son, you haven''t been teaching martial arts properly. Your son really is worthless! What a pity! What a pity!"


    Duan Zhengchun responded, "What''s a pity?" The Divine Crocodile responded, "Your son is really similar to me. He''s an exceptionally rare prospect for studying martial arts. He only needs to study with me for ten years, and I guarantee that he will become an incredible expert in the wulin."


    Duan Zhengchun was half-furious, half-amused. From his earlier exchange of palms with the Divine Crocodile, he knew that this person''s martial arts was extremely formidable, and just as he was formulating a proper response, Duan Yu interjected.


    "Yue Number Three! Your martial arts are crap. You aren''t fit to be my master! Go back to the "Ten Thousand Crocodile Island" of the Southern Seas and practice martial arts for another twenty years before coming here to discuss martial arts with others!" The Divine Crocodile angrily responded, "A little brat like you, do you have the stature to claim my martial arts are bad?!"


    Duan Yu responded, "Let me ask you. ''Wind and thunder, increase. A gentleman should act in virtuous ways, and if he commits an error, must rectify it.'' What does this mean?" The Divine Crocodile was stupefied, then indignantly responded, "That doesn''t have any meaning. You''re just talking rubbish!"


    Duan Yu said, "You don''t even understand these most basic of sentences, how can you be fit to discuss martial arts philosophy? I''ll ask you another question. ''To injure those above, to benefit those below, the people speak without boundaries. Ones self, top and bottom, below. Arriving at great brightness''. What does that mean?"


    Emperor Baoding, the South-Subduing Prince, Gao Shengtai, and others, upon hearing him recite from the Book of Changes [I-Ching] to tease this person, couldn''t control their laughter. Even though Mu Wanqing had no idea what he was talking about, but guessed that it was something akin to ''a sour scholar dropping a satchel'', and that he was mocking the Divine Crocodile.


    In his startlement, the Divine Crocodile noticed that upon the face of every person present was suppressed laughter. He guessed that whatever it was that Duan Yu said, it probably was insulting. With a loud roar, he extended his palm, preparing to strike. Duan Zhengchun took a half-step forward, standing between him and his son.


    Duan Yu laughed. "What I have said are all secrets of martial arts practice, and their subtleties are boundless and without end. You probably wouldn''t understand anyways. You ''frog in a well'' [reference to a Chinese parable], actually want to be my master? The people under heaven would laugh so hard, their mouths would become permanently askew! Haha! The masters I have kowtowed to, some are Daoist immortals from jade caverns, others are elite scholars and erudites, and still others are learned elder monks. You? Even if you studied for another ten years, you might not be able to get me to accept you as my student!"


    The Divine Crocodile loudly roared, "Who is the teacher you have accepted? Tell him to get out here and show me his abilities!"


    Duan Zhengchun saw that only one of the Four Evils had arrived. Although his martial arts was formidable, the Divine Crocodile was still a level beneath himself. He might as well take the opportunity to allow this idiot to be teased a bit. Thus, although the Emperor, Empress, and imperial concubine were all in attendance, he did not step in to curb his son''s nonsense.


    Duan Yu, seeing amusement on the face of his uncle and seeing that his father wasn''t going to step in, became even more animated. He said to the Divine Crocodile, "Fine. You have the courage to stay here. I''ll go invite my master. Don''t get scared and hop away!" The Divine Crocodile angrily replied, "I, Yue Number Two, have wandered the jianghu for such a long time. Who am I afraid of? Hurry, go!" Turning, Duan Yu left.


    The Divine Crocodile took a look at every person''s face, only to see that there was a smile on each of their faces. He thought to himself, "My apprentice''s martial arts are so crappy, not worth a dog''s fart. How good can his teacher be? Your old man aint scared of him one bit!"


    He suddenly heard the sound of boots as two people entered the room. From outside, Duan Yu called out, "Has that Yue Number Three fellow ran off yet? Father, don''t let him flee! My master is coming." The Divine Crocodile roared back, "Why would I run away? Damn it! Quickly, have your teacher enter! You aren''t willing to accept such an illustrious teacher as myself, it''s most likely because your current teacher won''t agree. First I''ll snap the neck of your worthless teacher. Then, without a teacher, you''ll have to accept me as your teacher! Haha, this idea of mine is so extremely brilliant!"


    Just as he was praising himself, Duan Yu brought a person in. Upon seeing that person, everyone present couldn''t resist laughing their heads off.


    __________________


    Who is that person? Why is everyone laughing?


    This person wore a small hat and a long gown, with a yellow, rat-like mustache, and squinty red eyes. He had a shrunken set of shoulders, appearing to be a humble thing. The Sage of Hollow Jade and the others recognized him as Mr. Huo, one of the palace''s accountants. This person always seemed to be half-asleep, half-awake. He loved to go gambling with the palace''s servants.


    At the moment, he was covered with the scent of alcohol and his front was covered in grease. Duan Yu was grabbing his arm, trying to pull him in, but he was cowering and reluctant. As soon as he entered the flower pavilion, he knelt before the Emperor and the Empress. Emperor Baoding did not recognize him, and merely said, "Forget it."


    Holding onto Mr. Huo''s arm, Duan Yu said to the Divine Crocodile, "Yue Number Three, amongst all of my masters, this one has the most shallow martial arts. First you need to overcome him, before you can go on to challenge my other masters." The Divine Crocodile screamed loudly, "If I can''t crush him to a pulp within three stances, I''ll accept you as my master!"


    Duan Yu''s eyes suddenly gleamed. "Are you serious? A man''s word is his bond. If a man breaks his word, then he isn''t a man at all. He''s a bastard son of a turtle!" The Divine Crocodile yelled, "Come, come, come!" Duan Yu answered, "If we''re only competing three stances, then there''s no need to fight with my master. I''ll take on those three stances of yours myself."


    After hearing the report from Yun Zhonghe, the Divine Crocodile immediately rushed to Dali. His sole goal was to abduct Duan Yu and make him the heir of the martial arts of the Southern Seas sect. After exchanging a set of palms with Duan Zhengchun, his heart was filled with fear, thinking to himself that to kidnap Duan Yu while surrounded by so many elite fighters would be a difficult task indeed. He might not even be able to take his apprentice''s father.


    Fortunately, at this moment, Duan Yu himself volunteered to fight him. He couldn''t ask for a better opportunity. With a single stance, he could subdue Duan Yu. After that, no matter how good Duan Zhengchun and the other''s martial arts were, they wouldn''t dare move against him. All they would be able to do would be to watch dumbly as he took his apprentice away. The Divine Crocodile replied, "Fine, come take three stances from me. I won''t use any internal energy and promise not to hurt you at all."


    Duan Yu answered, "Let''s set all the conditions now. What happens if you can''t beat me in those three stances?"


    The Divine Crocodile laughed loudly. He knew that Duan Yu was a frail, scholarly weakling who didn''t even have the strength to tie up a chicken. Forget three stances, the kid couldn''t even take on one. "If I can''t hit you in three stances, I''ll accept you as my master." Duan Yu laughed. "Everyone here can bear witness. You won''t go back on your words, will you?" The Divine Crocodile angrily replied, "The words of Yue Number Two are totally trustworthy! If I say this is this, then it is. If I say that is that, then it is."


    Duan Yu teased, "Yue Number Three!" The Divine Crocodile retorted, "Yue Number Two!" Duan Yu again said, "Yue Number Three!" The Divine Crocodile said, "Quick, make your move and stop wasting time!" Duan Yu strode forward two steps to face the Divine Crocodile.


    Of the people in the palace, everyone from the Emperor and Empress on down, with the exception of Mu Wanqing, had watched Duan Yu grow up. They all knew that he loved scholastics and hated fighting. This time, Emperor Baoding and Duan Zhengchun wanted to force him to learn martial arts. Instead, he actually snuck away from home. Forget about exchanging blows with first class masters, even if he were to fight with your average bodyguard or escort, he would definitely not be a match.


    Everyone present knew that he was just teasing this idiot, but in the end, his words became hard, and it looked like he was actually going to fight the idiot. Although the Divine Crocodile had promised not to harm him due to wanting to take him on as an apprentice, the Divine Crocodile''s temperament was violent and murderous. What if he suddenly became enraged and started to fight for real? Duan Yu was of royal descent, how could he possibly be allowed to take on the risk? The Sage of Hollow Jade was the first to speak and to block Duan Yu. "Yu''er, stop fooling around. There''s no need to waste time on a wild, uncouth man such as him." The Empress also spoke. "Marquis of Virtuous Enlightenment, issue an order to have this madman apprehended."


    The Marquis of Virtuous Enlightenment, Gao Shengtai, replied, "Your servant, Gao Shengtai, will obey." Turning, he shouted, "Chu Wanli, Gu Ducheng, Fu Sigui, Zhu Danchen! The four of you, listen to the imperial decree! The Empress orders you to apprehend this unruly man!" Chu Wanli and the other three respectfully replied, "Your servants shall follow the decree."


    The Divine Crocodile, seeing that a brawl was about to erupt, loudly shouted, "So you people want to mob me, huh? Fine! All of you, come at once! You there! Are you the Emperor and the Empress? Why don''t the two of you come as well?"


    Duan Yu frantically waved his hands. "Wait, wait! Let me fight with him for three stances first!"


    Emperor Baoding knew that this nephew of his was often capable of exceeding expectations. Perhaps he had some sort of plan or trick up his sleeve. The Divine Crocodile definitely would not take his life, and with himself, the Marquis of Virtuous Enlightenment, his brothers, and others present, there definitely wouldn''t be any problems. "Everybody, stop. We might as well let this uncouth madman experience the martial talents of the young prince of Dali."


    Chu Wanli and the other three were just about to charge, but as soon as they heard the Emperor''s decree, they immediately stood down.


    Duan Yu repeated, "Yue Number Three, we have to agree in advance. If you can''t beat me in three stances, you''ll have to take me on as your master. Even if I become your master, you need to be aware that your intelligence is lacking. There''s no way I can teach you martial arts. Do you agree to this?" The Divine Crocodile angrily replied, "Who wants you to teach me martial arts? What type of crappy martial arts can you possibly know?"


    Duan Yu said, "Good! So you''ve agreed. After I become your master, you''ll have to obey my commands. If I tell you to do something, you must do it. Otherwise, you''ll be known as an unfilial person who disobeys his master and insults his ancestors, which is totally contrary to the rules of the wulin. Do you agree?" The Divine Crocodile actually wasn''t angry; instead, he laughed. "Naturally. After you lose and take me on as your master, you also would have to obey me."


    Duan Yu had been silently pondering ten or so steps of the "Graceful Steps Upon the Waves" [Ling Bo Wei Bu] martial arts he had learned. He felt that to avoid three stances would not be difficult. However, he had never fought with anyone before, and the Divine Crocodile''s martial arts was extremely high, leaving him without absolute confidence in victory. It''d be best to leave himself an avenue of retreat.


    "Fine," Duan Yu said. "But if you want to take me on as your apprentice, you still need to defeat my masters one by one. Only after proving that your martial arts are superior will I accept you as my master." He thought to himself, "If I am grabbed by him underneath three stances, I''ll just point at all the elite martial artists here one by one and describe them all as being my masters, and force him to fight them one by one by one." The Divine Crocodile replied, "Fine! Fine! You keep on talking but you refuse to fight. You aren''t like me at all! The students of the Southern Seas sect are never hesitant when it comes to a battle!"


    Duan Yu pointed behind the Divine Crocodile with a faint smile. "One of my masters has been standing behind you for a long time, now." The Divine Crocodile hadn''t sensed anyone behind him. Swiveling his head, he didn''t see anybody. At this time, Duan Yu suddenly advanced one step, moving as though he were floating on the breeze. Clumsily, he reached out towards the Divine Crocodile''s chest, attempting to strike at his Shanzhong acupoint with his thumb. This was an extremely clumsy and ungainly move, but Duan Yu''s body was filled with the internal energy of seven disciples of the Wuliang sword sect. Although he couldn''t use all of that internal energy, the power of this claw was not small.


    The Divine Crocodile felt some pain at the pit his stomach as Duan Yu suddenly seized his Shenque acupoint, located at his navel, with his left hand. The scroll for the "Divine Art of the Northern Darkness" [Beiming Shengong] included drawings of numerous myriads of acupoints on it. Duan Yu, however, had only mastered the acupoints on two of the drawings. The "Ren" meridians, and the "Lunar Lung" scripture. The Shanzhong acupoint and Shenque acupoints were two major acupoints of the "Ren" meridians.


    Startled, the Divine Crocodile immediately exerted his internal energy to resist. To his great shock, he felt it flow outwards from his Shanzhong acupoint, causing him to feel as though his entire body had lost half of its strength, frightening him even further. Duan Yu had already flipped him around, causing his feet to point upwards and his head to point downwards. With a ''teng'' sound, his big bald head collided with the floor. Fortunately for him, the floor of the flower pavilion was carpeted, and so he was not injured. In his great anger, he exercised the skill "The Carp Stands Erect" and rose to his feet, then sent out his left hand in a claw attack towards Duan Yu.


    Upon seeing this series of events, every person present was extremely shocked. Duan Zhengchun, seeing that the Divine Crocodile sent out that claw with extreme force, was just about to intervene when Duan Yu suddenly sidestepped towards the left. His footwork was strange to the extreme. With but a single step, he managed to dodge the opponent''s attack, which had struck with the speed of a peal of thunder or a flash of lightning. Duang Zhengchun exclaimed, "Incredible!" The Divine Crocodile''s second palm attack came slamming down towards Duan Yu, who did not try to block or counter. Instead, he took two oblique steps and once again completely dodged the attack.


    The Divine Crocodile had missed two attacks in a row. He was both startled and angry. Duan Yu was standing right in front of him, not more than a meter away. Suddenly, with a crazy howl, he sent out a two-handed attack, grabbing at Duan Yu''s chest and stomach. He used all of his energy in this attack; arms, hands, and his claws. In his anger, he had completely forgotten that if this double blow connected, his "future heir to the Southern Seas sect" would suffer tremendous physical damage.


    Emperor Baoding, Duan Zhengchun, the Sage of Hollow Jade, and Gao Shengtai shouted in unison, "Careful!" Only to see Duan Yu take a step to the left, then a step to the right. With breeze-like ease, he had already managed to somehow appear behind the Divine Crocodile. With his two hands, he patted the Divine Crocodile on his bald head.


    The Divine Crocodile felt that his opponent''s attack was totally mysterious and unpredictable. Somehow, the kid had managed to pat him on the top of his head! He darkly exclaimed, "My life comes to an end!" But as soon as his opponent touched the top of his head, he realized that there was no power behind this blow at all. With a sneer, he reversed his left hand and sent it upwards. Suddenly, five bloody lines appeared on the back of Duan Yu''s hand. Duan Yu hastily retracted his hand, but the Divine Crocodile''s power hadn''t diminished yet. The clawing attack slid down from Duan Yu''s retracted hand, resulting in five bloody cuts also being made on the Divine Crocodile''s head.


    Actually, after having avoided three separate attacks in a row, Duan Yu had already won this battle. Only, he was far too mischievous, and so patted the Divine Crocodile on his head. He wasn''t aware that his internal energy was now quite strong, and also didn''t know how to utilize it either. Consequently, he was almost captured instead. With a series of interconnected steps, he flew backwards and hid behind his father, so terrified that his face was pale and bloodless.


    The Sage of Hollow Jade cast him a glance and thought to herself, "Hmph. Your father and your uncle taught you such a marvelous skill, and you''ve been hiding it from me all along."


    Mu Wanqing said loudly, "Divine Crocodile of the Southern Seas! Not only were you unable to hit him within three strokes, but you took a nasty tumble yourself instead! Quick, get over here and pay respects to your master!" Red-faced, the Divine Crocodile scratched his ear. "He wasn''t fighting with me for real. This one doesn''t count." Mu Wanqing pointed directly at his face. "Have you no shame? If you aren''t going to accept him as your master, then you must be a bastard son of a turtle! What''s your choice? Are you going to accept him as your master, or be a bastard son of a turtle?" The Divine Crocodile angrily replied, "Neither! I want to fight him again!"


    Duan Zhengchun saw that his son''s footwork was miraculous to the extreme, but was unable to discern the secret behind it. Quietly, he whispered to his son, "Don''t fight with him head on. Just take an opportunity to seize his acupoints." Duan Yu whispered back, "Your son is afraid now. I don''t know if I can do it." Duan Zhengchun replied softly, "Don''t be afraid. I''ll secretly assist you from the side."


    With his father supporting him, Duan Yu''s courage arose, and he reappeared from behind Duan Zhengchun''s back. "You weren''t able to hit me in three stances. Time to accept me as your master!" The Divine Crocodile let out a thunderous bellow, then struck out at him with a powerful palm.


    Duan Yu took a single step towards the northeast and easily avoided the attack. With a loud sound, ''ka-la!'', this palm attack from the Divine Crocodile shattered a tea table. With all his willpower, Duan Yu focused, then softly recited, "See my body, advance and retreat. Follow his back, do not capture him. Go to the front courtyard, see nobody present. Hide both sides of the urn, go to a strategic place. Peel, disadvantageous to go towards the construct. The ram and goat touch the border, they cannot retreat, nor can they be fulfilled."


    He ignored the origins of the Divine Crocodiles palms, focusing only on his own footwork, retreating and dodging with strange, slanted steps. The twin palms of the Divine Crocodile became faster and faster, and the force of his blows stronger and stronger. A ceaseless stream of cracking sounds continually could be heard from within the flower pavilion as the chairs, tables, teapots, and teacups were shattered one after another. But he couldn''t land a single blow on Duan Yu''s body.


    More than three stances passed in the blink of an eye. The two brothers, Emperor Baoding and the South-Subduing Prince, could easily tell that Duan Yu''s technique was shallow, and that he possessed no martial arts at all. Only, they could not discern how he received instruction from an elite martial artist and received an almost divine footwork skill, striding in the positions of Fuxi''s 64 trigrams. His first step would always be unimaginably queer. If he were really to fight with the Divine Crocodile, he would die underneath the opponent''s very first palm. But he didn''t bother to fight, and just focused on walking around. Although the Divine Crocodile palms were extremely fierce, he couldn''t lay a single finger on Duan Yu.


    After watching for a while, the two brothers exchanged glances. A hint of worry had appeared on both of their faces. They both thought, "If the Divine Crocodile just closed his eyes and ignored Yu''er''s footwork, opting instead to randomly flail out with punches and palms, he''ll hit him sooner or later." But they saw that the Divine Crocodile''s face grow more and more yellow, his eyes bulging more and more wide, not having thought of this method. His palm attacks fluctuated rapidly, but always would miss Duan Yu''s body by a third or two thirds of a meter.


    If the fight continued, although Duan Yu would not be hurt, actually beating the opponent would be impossible as well. After watching a while, Emperor Baoding suddenly said, "Yu''er, slow your footsteps by a half. Face him directly, and grab the acupoint on his chest."


    Duan Yu answered, "Yes!" He slowed down his footsteps, then turned to face the Divine Crocodile and walked towards him. But upon facing the furious yellow countenance of the Divine Crocodile, fear suddenly struck him. His footsteps faltered just a little, causing him to move slightly out of position. The Divine Crocodile sent out a claw towards the left side of Duan Yu''s head, connecting and causing blood to immediately flow from his left ear. Feeling pain from his wounded ear, Duan Yu became even more timid. He increased the speed of his footsteps, hurriedly backing up and once again hiding behind Duan Zhengchun. With a forced smile, he called out, "Uncle, that won''t work!"


    Duan Zhengchun roared furiously, "The members of the Dali Duan dynasty face their enemies boldly. Which one is cowardly and retreats to hide? Go out there and fight! Your uncle''s instructions were good." The Sage of Hollow Jade, doting on her son, interjected, "Yu''er has already fought with him for sixty stances or more. The Duan family has produced such a wonderful scion, and you still think it isn''t enough? Yu''er, you won long ago. No need to fight any more." Duan Zhengchun said, "Do not be afraid. I can guarantee that he won''t die." The Sage of Hollow Jade felt bitterness in her heart, and her eyes began to fill with tears.


    Seeing his mother in such a state, Duan Yu couldn''t bear it. His courage rose again, and he boldly strode forwards. He loudly proclaimed, "I''ll fight with you some more!" This time, he hardened his heart and began to walk in a circular pattern, with each step slower than the previous. He didn''t make eye contact with the Divine Crocodile, and instead just struck out at the latter''s chest with a palm.


    The Divine Crocodile saw that there was no strength at all behind his blow. With a loud laugh, he slanted his body slightly and returned a claw attack against Duan Yu''s shoulder and head. But he didn''t imagine Duan Yu''s footwork would be so incredibly profound and ever-changing that the two moved their positions at exactly the same moment. As the two ran into each other, the Divine Crocodile''s chest was somehow right where Duan Yu''s finger was. Duan Yu clearly saw the location of his acupoints, and with his right hand immediately seized the enemy''s Shanzhong acupoint, while his left hand grasped the opponent''s Shenque acupoint.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t able to use his internal energy at all. Although Duan Yu had grabbed two of the opponent''s acupoints, if the Divine Crocodile just ignored him and shrugged him off without the use of internal energy, there would be nothing Duan Yu could do at all. But when the vital acupoints of the Divine Crocodile were seized, the Divine Crocodile''s heart suddenly leapt, and he extended both his hands in a frontal attack against his enemy.


    This attack actually served the purpose of defense. He was attacking Duan Yu''s eyes. In martial arts learning, this was considered "an attack which absolutely must be defended against". No matter how strong the enemy was, he would still have to retract his hands to defend himself, and thus the person originally in danger would have escaped from the dangerous situation. Originally, this was a brilliant way of fighting. Unfortunately, Duan Yu didn''t understand anything about fighting an enemy. As the opponent''s claw attack arrived, he didn''t think to immediately let go and retreat backwards. His two hands remained firmly attached to the Divine Crocodile''s acupoints.


    This mistake which Duan Yu made became a benefit for him instead. As a result, the Divine Crocodile''s internal energy was thrown into turmoil, the flow of which was being blocked at two separate major acupoints. At the same time, once again his internal energy began to flood out of him from his Shanzhong acupoint. As his fingers reached a distance of six inches away from Duan Yu''s eyes, they became disobedient and refused to budge a single inch further. Taking a deep breath, he once again tried to generate his internal energy.


    Duan Yu suddenly felt an enormous surge of energy coming towards him from the Shaoshang acupoint on his left thumb. The Divine Crocodile''s internal energy was very powerful, on a totally different level from those seven low level disciples of the Wuliang sect. Duan Yu felt his entire body tremble and his footing became unsteady. He knew that the situation was extremely dangerous. As soon as he removed his hands from his opponent''s acupoints, his life would be in jeopardy. Although he felt extremely uncomfortable, he just forced himself to ignore it.


    Duan Zhengchun and Duan Yu were no more than a meter or two''s distance away from each other. Seeing his son''s face grow more and more red, Duan Zhengchun struck out with his forefinger towards the Dazhue acupoint on his son''s back. The Dali Duan dynasty''s "Solitary Solar Finger" [Yiyangzhi] was world-renown; it really was nothing to trifle with. A sudden surge of warm, soft energy streamed towards Duan Yu, arousing the internal energy which already resided in Duan Yu''s body.


    The Divine Crocodile''s entire body was shaking violently, and he slowly fell down. Duan Zhengchun supported his son and kept him standing. Duan Yu''s internal energy began to circulate and smoothed out again. The energy from the Divine Crocodile''s Shoutaiyingfei acupoint slowly and unhurriedly began to collect in the ocean of internal energy in Duan Yu''s body. For the moment, Duan Yu was unable to speak.


    Duan Zhengchun secretly used his "Solitary Solar Finger" to assist his son, and with their combined efforts, managed to subdue the Divine Crocodile of the Southern Seas. Everybody in the pavilion understood this, of course, but there would nonetheless be no way for the Divine Crocodile to deny that he had lost to Duan Yu.


    But this man''s ability really was incredible. As soon as Duan Yu''s hands left his acupoints, with a deep breath and circulation of his energy, the Divine Crocodile leapt to his feet. Narrowing his pair of bean-like eyes, he glared at Duan Yu. An utterly strange look was on his face, a mixture of astonishment, sadness, and wrath.


    Mu Wanqing shouted, "Yue Number Three! It seems to me that you really are willing to be a bastard son of a turtle! Are you ready to kowtow to your master yet?" The Divine Crocodile angrily roared back, "I''m going to blow your mind and do something you don''t expect at all! Fine, I''ll accept him as my master. Yue Number Two will definitely not be a bastard son of a turtle!" While speaking, he suddenly immediately knelt down on the spot. Dong, dong, dong dong. Dong, dong, dong dong. His head knocking against the ground, he kowtowed to Duan Yu eight times in a row. Loudly, he proclaimed, "Master! Your disciple, Yue Number Two, is paying his respects to you!"


    Stupefied, Duan Yu didn''t immediately respond. Not waiting for him to answer, the Divine Crocodile jumped to his feet then flew to the top of the pavilion. There was an "Ah!" cry from the top, followed by a "peng" sound. Suddenly, a person dropped from the top of the pavilion. It was one of the imperial bodyguards, and fresh blood dripped from his chest. His heart had already been torn out by the Divine Crocodile. His arms and legs flailing madly, he hadn''t died yet. It was an extremely frightful sight. Although this bodyguard''s martial arts was not as good as that of Chu Wanli and the others, it wasn''t ordinary either. Unexpectedly, the Divine Crocodile was able to easily rip his heart out as quickly as another man might lift his hands. Even though the Four Great Bodyguards were nearby, they were unable to save him. The faces of every person present changed color.


    Mu Wanqing angrily said, "Husband Duan, this disciple you have taken acts too outrageously! Next time you meet him, you need to teach him a lesson." Duan Yu''s heart was thumping frantically. "I won only because I was lucky, and because my father lent his aid. If I see him again, I''m afraid that it will be my heart that gets torn out by him. What ability do I have to discipline him?"


    Gu Ducheng and Fu Sigui took out the corpse of the guardsman. Duan Zhengchun issued orders to provide for his bereaved family, and to arrange for a proper burial.


    That Mr. Huo, who was 70% awake and 30% drunken, was so terrified that his body was trembling nonstop. He also withdrew.


    Emperor Baoding said, "Yu''er, that set of footsteps you learned was derived from Fuxi''s 64 trigrams, was it not? Who taught it to you? He must truly be a brilliant master." Duan Yu replied, "I learned it by accident in a mountain cave. I don''t know if I learned it properly or not. Will uncle please instruct me?" Emperor Baoding asked, "How exactly did you learn it in a mountain cave?"


    Duan Yu then explained how he fell into the Wuliang mountain ravine and entered the cavern, and discovered the painting with the instructions for the "Graceful Steps on the Waves". With regards to the jade sculpture and the paintings of naked women and what not, he naturally did not bring them up. These naked paintings of his Dear Goddess, how could he show them to his uncle, aunt, father, and mother? And if Mu Wanqing found out that he was infatuated with his Dear Goddess, she would be furious. Leaving out details in a story would be like Confucius whittling away at unnecessary parts of the Spring and Autumn period, just the wish of the storyteller.


    After Duan Yu was finished, Emperor Baoding said, "Within this sixty four trigram footwork is hidden a first-class internal energy. Try walking the entire thing from the beginning." Duan Yu said, "Yes!" After a moment''s thought, he began the footwork. Emperor Baoding, Duan Zhengchun, and Gao Shengtai all had very profound internal energy. But despite that, they were only able to understand twenty to thirty percent of the profound secrets of the internal energy method hidden within the footwork. After finishing all sixty four trigram footsteps, Duan Yu had walked in a circle, and was back at his original position.


    Emperor Baoding exclaimed, "Superb! This set of footwork has no equal under heaven. That Yu''er was able to learn it is his incredible good fortune. Tonight, your mother will return to her palace. Yu''er, be sure to drink a few cups of wine with your mother." Turning his head, he said to the Empress, "Let us leave." The Empress, rising to her feet, agreed. "Yes, let''s."


    Duan Zhengchun and the others respectfully escorted the Emperor and the Empress out, all the way to the outside of the decorate arch of the South-Subduing Palace.

 Chapter - 7 Boundless Regrets of Profligate Love

    Duan Zhengchun and the others returned to his palace, where a feast had been prepared. At the banquet table, aside from Duan Zhengchun and his wife, and Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing, no one else was present save the servants, which numbered seventeen or eighteen. In her entire life, how could Mu Wanqing have seen or experienced such splendor and luxury? She had neither heard of nor ever seen any of the dishes which were being presented.


    She saw that Duan Zhengchun and his wife were treating her like a member of the family. It were as though two generations of husband and wife were happily dining together. Her affection was won by this display.


    Duan Yu saw that his mother was continuing to treat his father somewhat coolly. She neither drank, nor ate any meat. The only dishes she touched were some vegetarian dishes. Duan Yu poured out a cup of wine, then, holding it with both hands, rose to his feet. "Mother, your son would like to offer you a cup. My respectful congratulations on you and father reconciling. Finally, our family of three can enjoy domestic bliss again."


    The Sage of Hollow Jade replied, "I don''t drink wine." Duan Yu poured out yet another cup of wine, then winked towards Mu Wanqing. "Miss Mu would also like to offer you a cup." Taking the cup with both hands, Mu Wanqing also rose to her feet.


    The Sage of Hollow Jade felt that it wouldn''t be appropriate to act too coldly towards Mu Wanqing. She let out a small smile. "Miss, this son of mine is extremely naughty. We, his parents, aren''t able to control him. In the future, you''ll have to help us keep him under control." Mu Wanqing replied, "If he''s disobedient, I''ll grab him by his ears and beat him!"


    The Sage of Hollow Jade let out a surprised laugh, then glanced at her husband out of the corner of her eye. Duan Zhengchun laughed. "That''s how it should be."


    The Sage of Hollow Jade extended her left hand to accept the wine cup from Mu Wanqing. Underneath the flickering candlelight, Mu Wanqing saw that her hand was delicate and fine, as clear and lustrous as fine jade. On the back of the Sage''s hand, she saw some sort of mark, as red as the color of blood. Mu Wanqing''s entire body began to tremble. "You...your name...is your name, Dao Baifeng?"


    The Sage of Hollow Jade smiled. "My family name is very rare and unusual. How did you know?" Mu Wanqing''s voice shook. "You...you are Dao Baifeng? A woman of the Baiyi tribe? Once, you wielded a soft whip as your weapon? Am I right?" The Sage of Hollow Jade saw that her expression seemed strange, but didn''t harbor any misgivings against the girl. Smiling, she said, "Yu''er really is good to you. He even told you my full name. Your husband is also half Baiyi, which is probably why he acts so wildly."


    Mu Wanqing asked, "You truly are Dao Baifeng?" The Sage of Hollow Jade smiled a little. "Yes, I am."


    Mu Wanqing shouted, "A master''s benevolence is very profound, a master''s orders cannot be disobeyed!" With a lift of her right hand, she shot out two poisoned quarrels towards Dao Baifeng''s chest. During the banquet, the four of them had talked and laughed together as though they were part of one family. Who could have foreseen that Mu Wanqing would suddenly attack?


    Dao Baifeng''s martial arts were roughly at the same level as Mu Wanqing to begin with. But at this moment, the distance between them was extremely short, and this attack was so unexpected that she wasn''t able to defend herself. It seemed as though those two poisoned quarrels would hit her no matter what. Duan Zhengchun was sitting on the other side of the table, behind Mu Wanqing. He called out, "Aiyo!" He immediately struck out with a finger, but this finger could only hit Mu Wanqing, and could not save his wife.


    Duan Yu had seen Mu Wanqing kill people with those poisoned quarrels many times, and knew that the venom was extremely lethal. In a very short time, the victim''s blood would coagulate and choke off the victim''s throat. As soon as he saw her wave her sleeves, he immediately knew something was wrong. He was sitting by his mother''s side, but unfortunately did not know any martial arts. There was no way for him to deflect this attack. He sprang to his feet, immediately executing his "Graceful Steps Upon the Waves". With a slanting horizontal motion, he quickly positioned himself in front of his mother. Bo, bo! The two poisoned quarrels struck him directly in the middle of his stomach. At the same time, Mu Wanqing''s back and heart suddenly felt numb, and she fell face-first towards the table, unable to move.


    Duan Zhengchun, seeing the desperate situation, flew towards Duan Yu and immediately sealed the eight acupoints surrounding the area where Duan Yu had been struck by the quarrels. This would prevent the poison from spreading throughout the rest of his body for a time. With a flip of his hand and a cracking sound, he immediately dislocated Mu Wanqing''s right arm, preventing her from firing off any more quarrels. Then he unsealed her acupoints. In a stern voice, he said, "Give me the antidote!"


    Mu Wanqing''s voice trembled. "I...I only wanted to kill Dao Baifeng. I didn''t want to harm my darling Duan." Resisting the pain from her dislocated right arm, she reached towards the bosom of her clothes and withdrew two bottles filled with an extract of flowers. "The antidote in the red bottle should be taken internally, and the antidote in the white bottle should be applied externally. Hurry! If you take too long, we won''t be able to save him!"


    Dao Baifeng saw that her concern for Duan Yu was genuine and unfeigned. She had already roughly guessed the reasons behind the girl''s actions. Stretching out her hand, she immediately snatched the medicine. She placed two red pills within her son''s mouth. The other bottle was filled with a white powder. She grabbed the end of the quarrels and lightly pulled the two out, then applied a layer of the medicinal powder on top of the wound. Mu Wanqing said, "Thank heaven! He...his life won''t be in danger now, otherwise I...I..."


    The three people were extremely anxious. They did not know that Duan Yu had consumed the "King of Ten Thousand Poisons", the Cinnabar Toad, and that he was immune to all poisons. The venom on Mu Wanqing''s quarrels couldn''t do anything to him. Even if the antidote had not been applied, he would have been fine. However, after being shot with the quarrel, Duan Yu felt twinges of pain in his chest. After seeing the lethal effectiveness of the poisoned quarrels so many times, Duan Yu truly believed that he was definitely going to die. In his panic, he fainted within his mother''s arms.


    Watching carefully, Duan Zhengchun and his wife noticed that within a twinkling of the eye, the color of the blood flowing from Duan Yu''s wound had changed. First, it had changed from black to purplish; then, it had turned from purplish to red. Only now did they let out a sigh of relief, knowing that their son''s life was saved.


    Dao Baifeng carried her son to his bedroom and covered him with a quilt. She took his pulse, and felt that his pulse was strong and steady. There wasn''t the slightest sign of any weakness, causing her to be extremely happy. So assured, she returned once more to the dinner hall.


    Duan Zhengchun asked, "No problems?" Dao Baifeng did not answer. Instead, she turned to Mu Wanqing and said, "Go tell the ''Asura Sabre'' [In Buddhist mythology, Asuras are malevolent spirits], Qin Hongmian¡­" As soon as Duan Zhengchun heard the six words, " ''The Asura Sabre'', Qin Hongmian", he said, "You¡­you¡­" Dao Baifeng paid no mind to her husband, continuing to address Mu Wanqing. "Tell her that if she wants to take my life, she should make her attempts openly and honestly. Acting with such maliciousness and deceptiveness, isn''t she afraid that people will laugh their heads off?" Mu Wanqing replied, "I don''t know who this ''Asura Sabre'', Qin Hongmian is." Baffled, Dao Baifeng asked, "Then who is it that ordered you to kill me?"


    Mu Wanqing said, "My master. She ordered me to kill two people. The first person was you. She told me I could identify you by a red mark on your hand. She told me that you are named Dao Baifeng, are of the Baiyi tribe, are very beautiful, and wield a soft whip as your weapon. She¡­she didn''t tell me that you dressed up like a nun. I saw that your weapon was a flywhisk, and are called the ''Sage of Hollow Jade''. I never thought¡­never thought that you are the person whom Master wishes to kill. Much less that you are Duan Yu''s mother¡­" And as she finished, teardrops cascaded down her face.


    Dao Baifeng said, "The second person your master asked you to kill, is it the "Lovely Poisonist" Gan Baobao?" Mu Wanqing replied, "No, no! The "Lovely Poisonist" Gan Baobao is my martial uncle. She sent people to deliver a message to my master. She said that two people had caused great pain to my master all her life, and that this great wrong must be avenged no matter what¡­" Dao Baifeng said, "Ah, I understand. The other woman is surnamed Wang and lives in Suzhou, right?" Surprised, Mu Wanqing said, "Right. How did you know? I went with my Master to Suzhou to kill her, but this evil woman had a lot of flunkies under her command. Her dwelling was also very strange. Not only was I unable to find her, but her flunkies chased me all the way to Dali instead."


    Duan Zhengchun listened with his head bowed. The color of his face alternated from blue to red.


    A tear suddenly rolled down Dao Baifeng''s cheek. She said towards Duan Zhengchun, "Please take good care of Yu''er and instruct him well. I¡­I''m leaving now." Duan Zhengchun said, "Dearest phoenix [the ''feng'' character in Baifeng stands for phoenix], that''s all in the past. Why are you taking it to heart?" Dao Baifeng said softly, "You aren''t taking it to heart, but I am, and so are other people." Suddenly, her body flew into the air, and she leapt towards a window.


    Duan Zhengchun extended his hand to grasp at her sleeve, but Dao Baifeng waved her own and shot a palm towards his face. Duan Zhengchun turned his face to avoid the blow. With a tearing sound, he ripped off half of her sleeves with his hand. Turning her head, Dao Baifeng said angrily, "Are you really intending to fight me?" Duan Zhengchun said, "Dearest phoenix, you¡­" With a kick of her legs, Dao Baifeng shot into the air, landing on the top of a nearby room. Within a few movements, she had already moved a hundred feet away.


    From far away, Chu Wanli''s voice could be faintly heard. "Who is it?" Dao Baifeng replied, "It''s me." Chu Wanli said, "Ah, so it is the princess¡­" After this, nothing more could be heard. Dao Baifeng was far away.


    Duan Zhengchun sadly remained standing for a long time. Then, with a sigh, he returned to the warm pavilion. He saw that Mu Wanqing''s face was extremely pale, but that she had not fled. Duan Zhengchun reached out and took a hold of her right arm with his hands. With a "ka" sound, he popped her dislocated arm back in place. Mu Wanqing thought to herself, "I attacked his wife with poison quarrels. I wonder how he is going to torture me?" But Duan Zhengchun only sat down dispiritedly and slowly poured himself a cup of tea. With a ''gu'' sound, he drained it all in one go.


    Duan Zhengchun stared at the window from which his wife had fled as though he were in a trance. After a long time passed, he slowly poured himself a second cup of tea. ''Gu''. He drained this one in one go as well. Pouring a cup, draining a cup. He repeated this twelve or thirteen times. After finishing the pot of tea, he reached out and grabbed another pot, this one filled with wine. As with before, he poured very slowly, but drank extremely quickly.


    Finally, Mu Wanqing became impatient. "What type of strange, vicious way of punishing me are you devising? Whatever it is, hurry up and use it!"


    Duan Zhengchun lifted his head to stare at her. After some time had passed, he shook his head and sighed. "So similar. So very similar! I should have realized a long time ago. Your appearance. Your temper¡­"


    Mu Wanqing had no idea what he was babbling about. "What are you talking about?" She asked. "You''re full of rubbish!"


    Duan Zhengchun did not reply. Rising to his feet, he sent a backwards palm with his left hand. With a swishing sound, a candle was extinguished by his palm wind. He immediately followed this with another backwards palm with his right hand. A second candle was unexpectedly snuffed out. In this manner, he sent out five palms behind him and extinguished five candles. All throughout, his gaze was towards the front, and yet the palms flowed out like rolling clouds or running water, with natural ease.


    Mu Wanqing said in shock, "This is¡­this is the ''Five Gentle Smoke Palms''. How do you know this skill?" Duan Zhengchun laughed bitterly. "Did your master teach it to you?" Mu Wanqing said, "My master told me that she would never teach this to anyone, and that she would take it to her coffin with her." Duan Zhengchun nodded. "Huh. She said that she would never teach it to anybody, and that she would take it to the grave?" Mu Wanqing said, "Right! But whenever she thought I wasn''t watching, she would often practice this set of palms by herself. So I''m used to seeing it by now." Duan Zhengchun said, "She would often practice this set of palm strokes by herself?" Mu Wanqing nodded. "Yes. Every time after she was done practicing this set of palms, she would become very angry and curse me out. How¡­how is it that you know it as well? And it seems as though you''re even more skilled in it than my master!"


    Duan Zhengchun let out a sigh. "This ''Five Gentle Smoke Palms'' was taught by me to your master."


    Mu Wanqing was shocked, but she couldn''t help but believe him. She saw in the past that when her master practiced this art, that often there would be one candle that she couldn''t extinguish, and would force her to have to send out a second or third palm. Her skill definitely was not as high as that of Duan Zhengchun, who exercised the set of palms as his heart desired, as though he were effortlessly wiping away wine. She stuttered, "So you are my master''s master¡­so you would be my grandmaster?"


    Duan Zhengchun shook his head. "No!" Resting his cheek on one hand, he mused to himself, "So every time after she practiced this set of palms, she would be angry. She said that she wouldn''t teach anyone this skill, and would take it to her grave¡­" Mu Wanqing asked, "Then you¡­" Duan Zhengchun waved his hand, signaling for her to stop asking. After a while, he suddenly asked, "You are eighteen this year. You were born in September, right?" Mu Wanqing sprang to her feet. Shocked, she asked, "How do you know everything about me? What relation do you have with my master?!"


    A look of great pain was on Duan Zhengchun''s face. In a hoarse voice, he said, "I¡­I unforgivably wronged your master. Wan''er, you¡­" My Wanqing asked, "Why? From what I''ve seen, you have a kind disposition and are a good person." Duan Zhengchun said, "Your master has never told you her name?" Mu Wanqing said, "My master told me that she is called the ''Guest of the Secluded Valley''. Her real name or her surname, I have no idea." Duan Zhengchun softly repeated to himself, " ''Guest of the Secluded Valley''¡­''Guest of the Secluded Valley''..." Suddenly, he remembered Du Fu''s [one of China''s most famous poets] poem, ''Beautiful Maiden''. Every single word in the poem suddenly tingled in his heart. "A peerless beauty, residing in an empty valley. She proclaims herself as being from a good family, but is fallen like rotted trees or decayed grass. Her husband is a philanderer, and his new woman is as beautiful as jade. Hearing the new woman laugh, the previous wife can but cry¡­"


    After a long time, he asked again. "How has your master lived her life, all these years? Where have you lived?" Mu Wanqing replied, "My master and I have lived in a deep valley which was hidden behind a tall mountain. My master said that it was called the ''Secluded Valley''. It wasn''t until now that the two of us left it." Duan Zhengchun said, "Who are your parents? Your master never told you?" Mu Wanqing said, "My master told me that I am an orphan who was abandoned by my parents. She found me by the side of a road and took me in and raised me." Duan Zhengchun asked, "Do you hate your mother and father?" Mu Wanqing inclined her head. She lightly bit at the pinky of her left hand.


    Seeing this, Duan Zhengchun felt an boundless distress in his heart. Mu Wanqing saw two large tears roll down his face. Very much surprised, she asked, "Why are you crying?" Duan Zhengchun turned is face away, drying his tears. With a strong laugh, he said, "How was I crying? I drank too much. The alcohol is taking effect." Mu Wanqing didn''t believe him. "I clearly saw you cry. Only women cry. Men cry as well? I''ve never seen a male cry, besides little children."


    Duan Zhengchun saw that she was inexperienced with worldly affairs, and felt even more miserable. "Wan''er, in the future, I promise to take good care of you. I will try to make up for my past mistakes. If there''s anything you desire, just let me know, and I will definitely obtain it for you."


    Mu Wanqing had just shot poisoned quarrels towards his wife. She was feeling very worried, but upon hearing Duan Zhengchun''s words, happily said, "I shot quarrels towards your wife. You aren''t going to blame me?" Duan Zhengchun said, "It is as you yourself said. ''A master''s benevolence is very profound, a master''s orders cannot be disobeyed.'' The affairs of the previous generation have nothing to do with you. Naturally, I won''t blame you. But you must never be disrespectful to my wife again." Mu Wanqing asked, "In the future, if my master starts to ask questions, what shall I say?"


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Take me to see your master. I''ll personally explain to her." Mu Wanqing clapped her hands. "Great, great!" But immediately, she wrinkled her forehead. "My master often says that all men are people who are faithless and unkind. She never meets men."


    A strange expression flashed across Duan Zhengchun''s face. "Your master never meets with men?" Mu Wanqing said, "Yes. Whenever my master needs rice or salt, she always has Granny Liang go shop for her. Once, when Granny Liang was sick, she had her son do it instead. Master was extremely angry. She ordered him to place it far away outside, and would not allow him to enter the room."


    Duan Zhengchun sighed. "Hongmian, Hongmian. Why must you make your own life so miserable?"


    Mu Wanqing said, "You said the words ''Hongmian'' again. Who, exactly, is ''Hongmian''?" Duan Zhengchun hesitated for a moment. "This can''t be hidden from you forever. Your master''s real name is Qin Hongmian. Her nickname is the ''Asura Sabre''." Mu Wanqing nodded. "Ah. No wonder your wife, upon seeing me shoot out those short quarrels, asked me in such an angry manner as to what my relationship was with the ''Asura Sabre'', Qin Hongmian. At that time, I really didn''t know. I wasn''t trying to deceive her on purpose. So my master''s name is Qin Hongmian? It''s a very pretty name. I don''t know why she didn''t tell me it."


    Duan Zhengcun said, "I hurt your arm just a while ago. Does it still pain you?" Mu Wanqing saw that a warm, caring expression was on his face. She smiled slightly. "It''s much better now. Let''s go take a look¡­take a look at your son. Okay? I''m afraid that the toxin on the quarrel won''t disappear immediately." Duan Zhengchun said, "Alright!" As he stood up, he added, "If there''s anything you desire, just tell me."


    Suddenly, Mu Wanqing flushed, as a blushing red colored her face. Lowering her head, she said, "I''m just afraid¡­afraid that I shot quarrels towards your wife, and she''ll resent me." Duan Zhengchun said, "Let''s slowly beg her forgiveness. Maybe in the future, she won''t be so angry." Mu Wanqing said, "I''m not the type of person who begs others. But for the sake of my darling Duan, it''s no big deal to beg her." She suddenly summoned all her courage and said, "South-Subduing Prince, if I tell you my wish, will you really¡­will you really achieve it for me?"


    Duan Zhengchun said, "So long as it is within my power, I will definitely make your wish become a reality." Mu Wanqing said, "The words you have said, you can''t go back on!" A slight smile appearing on his face, Duan Zhengchun walked to her side. Extending his hand, he lightly stroked her hair. His eyes overflowing with love, he said, "I naturally won''t go back on my word." Mu Wanqing said, "You must make sure my marriage with him goes through. Don''t let him renege on it." After saying this, her face glowed radiantly.


    The expression on Duan Zhengchun''s face immediately changed. He slowly backed away and sat down in a chair. Quite some time passed without him saying a single word. Mu Wanqing felt something was amiss. Her body quivering, she said, "You¡­you won''t allow it?" Duan Zhengchun said, "You definitely cannot marry Yu''er." His voice was sluggish and slow, but the tone was extremely certain. Mu Wanqing''s heart froze. Sadly, she said, "Why? He¡­he personally agreed to marry me." Duan Zhengchun only replied, "Karmic sin¡­karmic sin!" Mu Wanqing said, "If he doesn''t want me, I¡­I will kill him, then kill myself. I swore a heavy oath in front of my master." Duan Zhengchun slowly shook his head. "Can''t!" Mu Wanqing impatiently said, "I''m going to go ask him right now. Why can''t I?"


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Yu''er¡­he himself¡­he himself doesn''t know." He saw the look of intense suffering on Mu Wanqing''s face, identical to the expression which would appear on the face of Qin Hongmian eighteen years ago, when she received the sad news of the passing of a beloved person. He could no longer hold himself back, and the words rushed out of him. "You may not marry Yu''er, and you may not kill him either!" Mu Wanqing said, "Why?" Duan Zhengchun said, "Because¡­because¡­because Duan Yu is your brother by blood!"


    Mu Wanqing''s eyes widened. She could hardly believe her ears. Her voice shaking, she said, "Wha¡­what? You''re telling me Duan Yu is my brother?" Duan Zhengchun said, "Wan''er, do you know who your master is? She is your birth mother. I¡­I am your father."


    Mu Wanqing was both terror-stricken and furious. Not a hint of color could be seen on her face. Stamping her feet, she said, "I don''t believe you! I don''t believe you! I¡­I don''t believe you!"


    Suddenly, a female voice let out a long sigh from outside the window. "Wan''er, let''s go home." Mu Wanqing suddenly came to her senses, and called out, "Master!" The window suddenly opened. Outside stood a middle-aged woman. She had a sharp face and two slender eyebrows. Her appearance was extremely attractive. But in her eyes was a mixture of stubbornness and maliciousness.


    Duan Zhengchun saw that his former lover Qin Hongmian had suddenly appeared. He was filled with a mixture of surprise and joy. He called out, "Hongmian, Hongmian. These many past years, I''ve¡­I''ve missed you so painfully."


    Qin Hongmian called out, "Wan''er, come out! A home belonging to such a heartless, faithless man. We can''t even stay here as guests."


    Seeing the expressions on Duan Zhengchun and Qin Hongmian''s faces, Mu Wanqing''s heart grew still colder. "Master, he¡­he lied to me. He said you are my mother, and that he is¡­he is my father." Qin Hongmian replied, "Your mother died long ago. Your father is also dead."


    Duan Zhengchun rushed to the window. "Hongmian, come in. Let me gaze upon you a bit longer. Don''t leave me. Let''s always be together from now on." Qin Hongmian''s gaze suddenly brightened, and she happily replied, "You just said that we''d always be together from now on. Are these words of yours sincere?" Duan Zhengchun replied, "Absolutely! Hongmian, there hasn''t been a single day that passed where I did not think of you." Qin Hongmian said, "You can bear parting with Dao Baifeng?" Duan Zhengchun hesitated, unable to respond. An awkward expression appeared on his face. Qin Hongmian said, "If you have any pity at all for our daughter, come with me now. You must never think of Dao Baifeng again, and you must never come back here."


    Listening to the two speak, Mu Wanqing felt her heart sink lower and lower. Tears began to gather at the corner of her eyes. The forms of both her master and Duan Zhengchun appeared only as blurs. She knew that the two people standing before her really were her parents. Even if she wanted to deny it, she couldn''t. These past few days, she had truly fallen deep in love. But it turned out that the man of her dreams, her darling Duan, was actually her step-brother, who had the same father but a different mother. Her dreams of ''flying together like mandarin ducks'', of ''growing old white hairs together'', all evaporated like mist.


    She heard Duan Zhengchun gently respond, "But I am the South-Subduing Prince of Dali. I administer critical affairs of state both civil and military. I can''t leave for even a day¡­" Only to hear Qin Hongmian harshly say, "Eighteen years ago, these were the words you used. Now, today, eighteen years later, you are using the same words. Duan Zhengchun, oh, Duan Zhengchun! You heartless, faithless man. I¡­I hate you so much."


    Suddenly, from the rooftops of the eastern rooms, could be heard three ''pa'' sounds of palms being exchanged. From the west as well could be heard the sounds of people exchanging palms. Immediately afterwards, Gao Shengtai and Chu Wanli''s voices said simultaneously, "Assassins! Brothers, remain on guard at your positions. Do not act rashly!"


    Qin Hongmian loudly shouted, "Wan''er! You still aren''t coming out?"


    Mu Wanqing replied, "Yes!" She flew out of the building from the window, throwing herself in the arms of this woman who doubled as her birth mother and as her benevolent master.


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Hongmian, are you really going to just leave me like this?" An extreme sense of misery and bitterness permeated his voice.


    Qin Hongmian''s voice suddenly turned soft and gentle. "Brother Chun, you''ve been a prince for decades now. Haven''t you had enough? Come with me. From now on, I''ll be obedient to you and listen to your every word. I won''t dare to curse at you even slightly, or hit you a single time. Look at our adorable daughter. Can you possibly not cherish her?" Duan Zhengchun was suddenly moved, and blurted out without thinking, "Alright! I''ll go with you!" Qin Hongmian was ecstatic. She stretched out her right hand and waited for him to take it.


    Suddenly, a female voice rang out icily behind her. "Martial sister, you¡­you''ve been deceived by him once again. He''ll humor you a few days. After that, he''ll go back to being the prince here." Turning his head, shock filled Duan Zhengchun''s heart. He called out, "Baobao [this can also translate as ''precious'' or ''babe'']! It''s you! You came as well!"


    Mu Wanqing turned her head, and saw that the woman who spoke wore a green silk blouse. It was Madame Zhong of the "Ten Thousand Calamity Gorge", her own martial uncle, the "Lovely Poisonist" Gan Baobao. Four people stood behind her. One was Ye Erniang, another was Yun Zhonghe, and the third was the Divine Crocodile of the Southern Seas, who had so recently arrived and departed. What surprised her all the more was that the fourth person was Duan Yu. The Divine Crocodile''s big, meaty hand was clamped on his neck. Whenever he wanted to, he could snap Duan Yu''s neck. Mu Wanqing called out, "My darling Duan! Are you alright?!"


    Duan Yu had been resting in bed. Slipping in and out of consciousness, he had been abducted from his room by the Divine Crocodile. He hadn''t been poisoned at all. The lethality of Mu Wanqing''s poisoned quarrels rested in the word ''poison'', not in the word ''quarrel''. A minor quarrel wound would cause him no real harm. Stunned into wakefulness by his abduction, he overheard the conversation between his father, Mu Wanqing, and Qin Hongmian. Although he didn''t hear everything, he managed to guess eighty or ninety percent of it. Hearing Mu Wanqing continue to address him as ''her darling Duan'', sourness filled his heart. "Little sister, from now on, there will be sibling love between the two of us. Things will be the same."


    Mu Wanqing angrily replied, "No. No, it isn''t the same. You are the first man to ever see my face." But she suddenly remembered that both of them were sired by Duan Zhengchun. Brothers and sisters cannot wed. If anyone in the world had tried to disrupt her marriage, she could shoot out those poisoned quarrels and kill them. But the thing which was preventing her marriage was natural law and the will of heaven. No matter how high her martial arts level was, or how great her power, there was no way to get around it. Suddenly, she felt that everything around her had turned to gray ash. With a kick of her legs, she rapidly began to run away. Qin Hongmian urgently called, "Wan''er! Where are you going?"


    Mu Wanqing didn''t even care about her master now. She said, "You harmed me. I''m not going to pay attention to you anymore." And she sped up her footsteps.


    As she ran, a palace guardsman extended his arms towards her, barking out, "Who is it?" With a wave of her sleeves, Mu Wanqing shot out her poisoned quarrels, striking the guardsman directly on the throat. She didn''t pause at all, and in an instant, disappeared within the darkness of the night.


    Duan Zhengchun saw that his son had been taken captive by the Divine Crocodile, and had no idea where his daughter had run off to. Extending a finger, he struck towards the Divine Crocodile. Ye Erniang intercepted him with a palm of her own, chopping towards his wrist veins. Duan Zhengchun flipped his hand, reversing it into a hooking attack. With a laugh, Ye Erniang flicked her middle finger towards the back of his hand. Within the blink of an eye, these two pugilists had exchanged three stances. In his mind, Duan Zhengchun was secretly startled. "So this b.itch is this powerful?"


    Extending her hand, Qin Hongmian reached out and pressed her palm against the top of Duan Yu''s head. She called out, "Do you want to preserve son''s life or not?" Shocked, Duan Zhengchun stayed his hand. He knew that she had always had a terrible temper. She hated his wife, Dao Baifeng, to the core. He feared that in her anger, she might exert her strength and take Duan Yu''s life.


    He hurriedly replied, "Hongmian, my son was struck by your daughter''s poison arrows. His wounds are not light." Qin Hongmian replied, "He''s already taken the antidote. He won''t die. I''m going to take him away from here for now. I want to see if you want to be the prince more, or if you want your son more." The Divine Crocodile laughed uproariously. "In the end, this kid will still have to take me as his master." Duan Zhengchun replied, "Hongmian, I''ll agree to anything. Just let go of my son."


    The love which Qin Hongmian felt for Duan Zhengchun hadn''t waned even a little in the eighteen years which had passed. Hearing him speak so anxiously, her heart softened. "You really...really will agree to anything?" Duan Zhengchun replied, "Yes, yes!" Madame Zhong interjected, "Martial sister, are you going to believe the words of this heartless man again? Mr. Yue Number Two, let''s go."


    The Divine Crocodile straightened his body. While carrying Duan Yu, he suddenly rose in the air. In the blink of an eye, he landed on the roof of the adjoining room. Immediately afterwards, Ye Erniang and Yun Zhonghe followed him, then each struck a palace guardsmen and threw them to the ground.


    Madame Zhong called out, "Duan Zhengchun! Are we going to have a fight today?"


    If Duan Zhengchun summoned all the forces in his palace, he wouldn''t necessarily be unable to defeat these people. But his son had fallen into their hands. It would be difficult to obtain victory via force of arms. Not to mention, the relationship between him and the two sisters standing before him was anything but ordinary. In a soft voice, he said, "Baobao, you...you''ve also come to make things difficult for me?"


    Madame Zhong replied, "I am the wife of Zhong Wanchou. What type of nonsense are you speaking? You have no right to address me in such a way."


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Baobao, all these years, I''ve often been thinking of you." Madame Zhong''s eyes suddenly reddened. "That day I found out that Duan Yu was your son, my heart...my heart was filled with such agony." Her voice had softened as well. Qin Hongmian called out, "Martial sister! Are you also going to fall for his lies?" Madame Zhong pulled at Qin Hongmian''s hand and yelled, "Alright. Let''s go!"


    Turning her head, she said, "If you come pay your respects at the Ten-Thousand Calamities Gorge holding Dao Baifeng''s head in your hand, maybe we''ll return your son to you."


    Duan Zhengchun said, "The Ten-Thousand Calamities Gorge?!" He saw that the Divine Crocodile was getting farther and farther away, and that Gao Shengtai and Chu Wanli were leading men to intercept him from all sides. With a sigh, Duan Zhengchun called out, "Worthy brother Gao, let them go." Gao Shengtai called back, "But the young prince..." Duan Zhengchun replied, "We''ll slowly think of a way to get him back."


    As he was speaking, he flew to Gao Shengtai''s side. He called out, "The assassins have retreated. Everyone, return to your original position." With a sway of his body, he then arrived next to Madame Zhong. In a soft voice, he said, "Baobao, have you been well, these past years?" Madame Zhong replied, "Why wouldn''t I be well?" Noiselessly, Duan Zhengchun sent out a silent finger and struck her on her ''Zhangmen'' acupoint at her waist. Madame Zhong didn''t manage to react in time, and her body immediately turned soft. Duan Zhengchun stretched out his left hand and caught her. Pretending to be alarmed, he called out, "Oh no! Baobao, what happened?"


    Qin Hongmian was unaware of the trickery which had just occurred. She rushed over to their side and asked, "Martial sister, are you alright?" Duan Zhengchun then struck out with his "Solitary Solar Finger" and sealed off the ''Zhangmen'' acupoint on her waist as well. Their vital acupoints struck, Qin Hongmian and Madame Zhong were now trapped in Duan Zhengchun''s embrace, and he hugged one of them with each arm. [Translator''s note: ROFL!!! What a player...]


    The two simultaneously cast him hateful glares, thinking to themselves, "Tricked by him again. Am I really as silly as this? All my life, I''ve been deceived by him. At a critical point such as this, I still wasn''t vigilant against him." Duan Zhengchun called out, "Worthy brother Gao, your internal injuries haven''t fully healed yet. Hurry back to your room and rest. Wanli, you take command of the guards and have them remain vigilant." Gao Shengtai and Chu Wanli bowed and obeyed.


    Clasping one woman under each arm, Duan Zhengchun returned with them to the insides of the warm pavilion. He ordered the cooks and maids to restart the banquet, once more preparing cups and plates.


    After everyone else retired, Duan Zhengchun struck the ''Huantiao'' and ''Ququan'' acupoints on the two women''s legs, preventing them from walking. Then, with a smile, he released the ''Zhangmen'' acupoint on their waist. Qin Hongmian shouted loudly, "Duan Zhengchun! You still are trying to bully people..." Duan Zhengchun turned around and clasped his hands to greet them. "I am sorry for my offense. I''ll offer you my apologies right here and now." Qin Hongmian angrily responded, "Who wants your apologies?! Release us immediately!"


    Duan Zhengchun replied, "The three of us haven''t met for over ten years. It''s rare that we can meet like this. We have countless things to say to each other. Hongmian, you''re always so impetuous. Baobao, you''re even more beautiful than before. You look as though you are even younger than when we were together in the past." Madame Zhong did not reply. Qin Hongmian angrily said, "Let me go now! So my martial sister is even more beautiful than before. I guess that means I''m even uglier and more freakish than before! Why would you want to stare at an ugly old hag like me?"


    Duan Zhengchun quickly replied, "Hongmian, take a look in a mirror and see for yourself. If you are an ugly old hag, then when those literary men write essays describing ''peerless beauties'', they would have to include the line, "A face which can mesmerize fish and geese, bearing the appearance of an ugly old hag."


    Qin Hongmian couldn''t help but let out a laugh. She was about to stamp her foot coquettishly, but her legs were paralyzed. Her anger renewed, she replied, "Nobody came here to exchange jokes with you! Grinning and smiling like an idiotic monkey. What type of prince are you?"


    Under the candlelight, Duan Zhengchun saw the angry expression on her face and suddenly recalled one evening long ago. His heart was suddenly moved, and he walked forwards and kissed her on the cheek. Qin Hongmian''s upper body was not paralyzed, and with a clear, cracking sound, she slapped him on the face. If Duan Zhengchun had wanted to dodge, it wouldn''t be difficult at all. But he purposefully let her hit him. In a low voice, he whispered by her ear, "To die beneath the asura sabres, even as a ghost I would roam carefree."


    Qin Hongmian''s entire body trembled. Tears began to flow down her face, and she began to cry loudly. "You...you are saying these lascivious words again..." In the past, Qin Hongmian wielded a pair of asura sabres as she roamed the jianghu, which is why her nickname became the "Asura Sabre". The day she gave herself to Duan Zhengchun, he had kissed her on the cheek, and she had slapped him on the face. His response was precisely the same two lines which he just uttered. "To die beneath the asura sabres, even as a ghost I would roam carefree." These words had been replayed in her heart thousands of times. At this moment, hearing him once more say these words, she felt both happy and angry, sweet and bitter, as a hundred emotions flooded her.


    Madame Zhong said in a low voice, "Martial sister, this fellow excels in using sweet and honeyed words to please others. Are you really going to fall for it again?" Qin Hongmian said, "Right. Right! I''ll never believe your lies again!"


    These words were directed towards Duan Zhengchun. Duan Zhengchun walked to Madame Zhong''s side. Laughing, he said, "Baobao, let me kiss your face as well. Will you allow me to?" Madame Zhong replied in a stately voice, "I am a married woman. I will not allow anyone to ruin the good name of my husband. If you so much as touch me, I will immediately bite my tongue off and swallow it, suffocating myself and dying in front of you."


    Seeing the cold expression on her face, and hearing how resolute and unhesitating her words were, Duan Zhengchun didn''t dare to behave with impropriety. He asked, "Baobao, what type of husband did you marry yourself to?" Madame Zhong said, "My husband is ugly in appearance, has a strange temperament, inferior martial arts compared to you, inferior talent compared to you, and certainly does not have your riches and glorious life. But he loves me whole-heartedly, and I treat him the same way. If I, Gan Baobao, do anything to betray him, let heaven punish me and the earth extinguish me, and let ten thousand calamities prevent me from being reincarnated. I''ll tell you something right now. The place where I live with him is called the ''Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge''. The name comes from this deadly oath I have sworn."


    Duan Zhengchun couldn''t help but feel respect in his heart, and no longer dared to bring up their old love from bygone days. But even though he no longer spoke of it, he saw that Gan Baobao''s white, tender face was as beautiful as it was in the past, as was her slightly lifted, cherry-red lips. How could he forget about their former passion? Hearing how devoted she was to her husband from her speech, he couldn''t help but feel sourness in his heart. He let out a long sigh. "Baobao, I am an unlucky man. I don''t have the fortune to be treated so well by you. Initially...initially, I knew you before he did. Alas! It is my own fault."


    Madame Zhong heard the desolate sound of his voice and the profound, sincere emotions in it. These words were not said to deceive her. Once again, her eyes reddened.


    The three people silently faced each other, all of their thoughts wandering to the past. In all three of their hearts was a mixture of joy and sorrow.


    After a long while, Duan Zhengchun gently asked, "You''ve kidnapped my son. Why? Baobao, where is your Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge?"


    From outside the window, a grating voice said, "Do not tell him." Duan Zhengchun was startled, and thought to himself, "Chu Wanli and the others are standing guard outside. How did this person manage to sneak his way in?" Madame Zhong''s face dropped. "Your injuries aren''t healed yet. What are you doing here?"


    Following her words, a female voice rang out. "Mr. Zhong, please enter." Upon hearing this voice, Duan Zhengchun was even more surprised. He couldn''t help but blush fiercely, his face turning red all the way to his ears.


    The curtained door to the warm pavilion was parted, and Dao Baifeng walked in. A furious expression was on her face, and behind her followed an exceptionally ugly man with a long, horse-like face.


    As it turned out, Qin Hongmian''s mission of assassination in Gusu was a failure, and she was parted from her beloved daughter. Consequently, as had been agreed upon, she came south to Dali to visit with her martial sister. The Wang family of Gusu sent Granny Rui and Granny Ping to pursue and attack Mu Wanqing. But because Qin Hongmian fell behind by a bit, her journey was peaceful and undisturbed. After arriving at the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge, in order to ascertain the situation, she came out with Madame Zhong.


    On the road, she came upon the ''Three Evils'', Ye Erniang, the Divine Crocodile of the Southern Seas, and Yun Zhonghe. These ''Three Evils'' had been invited by Zhong Wanchou to help assist him in his efforts against Duan Zhengchun, and immediately began discussing the situation with Madame Zhong. Naturally, the matter of the Divine Crocodile having accepted Duan Yu as his master was glossed over. Upon hearing that Mu Wanqing was currently residing within Dali''s South-Subduing Palace, Qin Hongmian immediately accompanied them to the palace.


    Zhong Wanchou loved his wife even more than his own life, and was an extremely jealous person to begin with. Ever since she had left, he had been very restless and could not find any peace of mind. He no longer cared that his injury was as-yet not fully healed, and secret left at midnight to follow her. Outside the South-Subduing Palace, he ran into Dao Baifeng, who was about to leave. Both were filled with a belly full of anger. Each began to insult the other, and soon, the two came to blows. After fighting for some time, Dao Baifeng was slowly finding it hard to sustain herself. Then suddenly a person dressed in black flitted past, her face covered with sobs. It was Mu Wanqing. Both of them called out to her, but she ignored them both and fled.


    Zhong Wanchou shouted, "I''m going to go find my wife. I don''t have the time to spare, fighting you!" Dao Baifeng asked, "Where are you going to find your wife?" Zhong Wanchou replied, "The home of Duan Zhengchun, that thieving dog. If my wife meets up with him, everything will become disastrous!"


    Dao Baifeng asked him, "Why will everything become disastrous?" Zhong Wanchou replied, "Duan Zhengchun is full of sweet and honeyed words. He''s a pretty boy who knows how to deceive women. I definitely must kill him!"


    Dao Baifeng thought to herself, "Zhengchun is in his forties now, and has a large beard. How can he be considered a ''pretty boy''? But he really does have a playboy''s heart. This horse-faced man''s words can''t be ignored." Inquiring as to who his wife was, she realized that the person was Gan Baobao. She knew long ago that the ''Lovely Poisonist'' Gan Baobao was one of her husband''s former flames. Her jealousy became all the greater, and she immediately accompanied Zhong Wanchou and returned to the palace.


    Even though the palace was tightly guarded, upon seeing the princess, the guardsmen would naturally give way. And so the two easily made their way to the warm pavilion without a single person issuing a warning call. The words which Duan Zhengchun had said to Gan Baobao and Qin Hongmian, his teasing and his flirting, had been heard by both of them from outside the window. Listening, Dao Baifeng was so infuriated that her chest felt as though it would explode. Zhong Wanchou, on the other hand, listening to how properly his wife behaved, was filled with ecstatic joy.


    Zhong Wanchou rushed to his wife''s side, filled with affection and happiness. He winded around her multiple times, then said, "Baobao, thank you...thank you for being so good to me. If he dares to bully you, I''ll fight to the death with him." A long time passed before he realized that his wife''s acupoints had been sealed. Turning his head, he barked towards Duan Zhengchun, "Hurry up and unseal my wife''s acupoints!"


    Duan Zhengchun replied, "My son has been abducted by you. Once you release my son, I naturally will release your lady wife."


    Zhong Wanchou stretched out his hands and struck the acupoints on his wife''s waist. But no matter how he pinched or struck, he was unable to unseal them. Although his internal energy was very strong, the technique behind the Duan family''s "Solitary Solar Finger" was unparalleled under heaven, and outsiders could not hope to counter it. He exerted so much effort that all his muscles bulged.


    Madame Zhong was pinched and struck by him repeatedly, causing her to feel both ticklish and pained, but the sealed acupoint on her leg wasn''t even slightly opened. Madame Zhong furiously said, "You idiot, stop making a fool out of yourself." Zhong Wanchou angrily stopped his efforts. His fury bottled up with nowhere to go, he exploded, "Duan Zhengchun, come and f.ucking fight with me for three hundred stances!" Grinding his fists and stretching out his palms, he was about to go forward and start fighting.


    Madame Zhong said coldly, "Prince Duan, your son has been kidnapped by the Divine Crocodile and the others. Even if my husband wanted them to release him, these evil people might not necessarily do so. Let me and my martial sister go back, and wait for a chance to rescue him. This could conceivably work. At the very least, I can keep them from mistreating your son."


    Duan Zhengchun shook his head. "I can''t trust in that. Mr. Zhong, go back home. Come back to me with my son, and I will release your wife to you."


    Zhong Wanchou was infuriated, and loudly roared, "Your South-Subduing Palace is a shameless place! If my wife is left here, she will be subject to ten thousand dangers." Duan Zhengchun''s face reddened. He shouted out, "If such rude words continue to spew forth from your mouth, do not blame me from being discourteous as well!"


    After entering the room, Dao Baifeng didn''t say a single word. Now, she suddenly spoke. "What is the purpose behind you keeping these two women here? Is it really for Yu''er? Or is it for your own sake."


    Duan Zhengchun let out a sigh. "Even you do not trust me." He pointed backwards and struck Qin Hongmian''s waist, unsealing her acupoint. Taking another step, he struck towards Madame Zhong''s waist as well.


    But Zhong Wanchou stepped between his wife and Duan Zhengchun. Shaking his two hands hurriedly, he yelled loudly, "You are a sly and sneaky chap. You are an expert at taking advantage of women! You aren''t allowed to touch my wife''s body at all." Duan Zhengchun laughed bitterly, "Although my acupoint-sealing skill is shallow and superficial, outsiders cannot break it easily. If too much time passes, I''m afraid that Madame Zhong''s legs will become permanently crippled." Zhong Wanchou angrily retorted, "My beautiful, flower-like wife, as precious as a piece of jade, is currently in perfectly good health. If she becomes a cripple, I''ll tear your bastard dog''s son into a thousand pieces!" Duan Zhengchun laughed. "You want me to unseal her acupoint, but you won''t let me touch her body. What exactly do you want me to do?"


    Zhong Wanchou was speechless for a moment. Suddenly, he let out an indignant shout. "Who told you to seal my wife''s acupoints? Wait. Crap! When you sealed her acupoints, you already touched her body! I''m going to go poke your wife''s body as well!"


    Madame Zhang glared at him. She angrily said, "You''re talking rubbish again. Aren''t you afraid of others laughing at you?" Zhong Wanchou said, "What''s there to laugh at? I refuse to let others take such a big advantage over me!"


    Just as the dispute was at its noisiest, the curtained door was parted, and a man wearing a yellow satin gown entered. Three long strands of a beard was on his face, which was fine and attractive. It was the Emperor of Dali, Duan Zhengming.


    Duan Zhengchun cried, "Imperial brother!" Emperor Baoding nodded. Stretching out with a finger, he pointed towards Madame Zhong. Madame Zhong only felt a warm sensation in the top her dantian [the place where internal energy accumulates] as two warm currents of energy streamed towards her leg. Immediately, her acupoints were unsealed and her blood began to flow unimpeded, and she rose to her feet.


    Zhong Wanchou seeing that Emperor Baoding possessed the godlike ability to "Seal Acupoints Through Air", was shocked. Utter amazement filled his face, and his jaw hung open slackly. He couldn''t say a single word. He never would have imagined that someone possessed such an unfathomable ability.


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Imperial brother, Yu''er was kidnapped by them." Emperor Baoding nodded. "The Marquis of Virtuous Enlightenment has already informed me. Younger brother Chun, if an offspring of the Duan dynasty has been kidnapped by others, then his parents and his uncles will naturally go and rescue him. It is not acceptable for us to hold others hostage."


    Duan Zhengchun''s face reddened. "Understood!" Emperor Baoding''s speech was straightforward and upright, keeping in with his dignity and status. The hidden meaning of his words was thus; "You wanted to keep them hostage, so as to exchange them for your son. Isn''t this an act which would tarnish the honorable name of Dali''s Duan dynasty? How can we, the majestic, royal scions of Dali''s Duan dynasty, use this sort of method against a few female commoners?"


    The Emperor was silent for a few moments, then spoke to Zhong Wanchou. "The three of you may leave at your leisure. Within three days, the Duan family will send delegates to your Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge to retrieve our people.


    Zhong Wanchou replied, "My Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge is truly a hidden, secretive place. You might not be able to even find it. Would you like for me to give you directions?" He wanted for Emperor Baoding to ask for his assistance, so he could refuse and make things hard for him.


    Who would have thought that Emperor Baoding would pay him no mind. With a sweep of his sleeves, Emperor Baoding said, "Escort our guests out."


    Zhong Wanchou had an explosive temper, but in front of this majestically composed Emperor Baoding, he found himself utterly bewildered. Upon hearing him say, "Escort our guests out," Zhong Wanchou said, "Fine, we''ll leave! All my life, your old man hates those surnamed Duan the most! There isn''t a single good person in the world, who has the surname Duan!"


    Grabbing his wife by the hand, he turned to leave the room in a towering rage. Madame Zhong grabbed Qin Hongmian by her sleeve. "Sister, let''s go." Qin Hongmian cast a glance at Duan Zhengchun, but saw that he was silent. She couldn''t prevent her heart from being filled with a sour pain. She glared fiercely at Dao Baifeng, then lowered her head and left. After the three of them left the room, they leapt up to the rooftops.


    Standing at the corner of the eaves, Gao Shengtai bowed slightly, and said, "Escorting our guests out!" From the rooftops, Zhong Wanchou spat, then vehemently replied, "You guys are all false hypocrites. Not a single one of you is a good person!" Exerting his internal energy, he flew from one rooftop to another. Very shortly, he arrived at the palace walls. Once more exerting his energy, he jumped up, extending his left foot to step on the top of the wall.


    But suddenly, another person appeared, standing right at the place where he was about to alight. Wearing a broad gown and a loose girdle, it was Gao Shengtai, who had come to escort the guests out as he said he would. Gao Shengtai was initially behind him, but somehow he arrived at the wall before Zhong Wanchou did. He then saw where Zhong Wanchou was about to step, and took the position before Zhong Wanchou had a chance to.


    Zhong Wanchou''s body was in mid-air. There was no way for him to retreat, nor was there a way for him to change directions. He shouted, "Scram!" He shot out twin palms to attack Gao Shengtai. He thought to himself, "The power of my twin palms is enough to shatter tablets and crack open boulders. If the opponent wants to take it head on, I''ll definitely be able to knock him off the wall. Even if his internal strength is on par with mine, I''ll be able to borrow his energy and change direction to stand next to him on top of the wall." But just moments before his twin palms would have struck the other on his stomach, Gao Shengtai''s body suddenly leaned backwards, as though he were an iron bridge. Both of his feet remained firmly planted on the top of the wall, but he had gotten out of the way of Zhong Wanchou''s twin palms.


    Zhong Wanchou, having missed his attack, secretly cried out to himself, "Oh no!" His body had already passed by Gao Shengtai''s reclined form. With his attack having missed, his chest, abdomen, and lower body were totally open to a counter-attack. At this point, the enemy could arbitrarily strike him as he pleased. Fortunately, Gao Shengtai did not strike him at all. As Zhong Wanchou''s feet landed on the ground, he said to himself, "Thank goodness!" Immediately afterwards, Madame Zhong and Qin Hongmian also passed the wall.


    Gao Shengtai straightened his body and turned around to face them. "Forgive me for not escorting you any further!" Zhong Wanchou let out a ''hngh'' sound. Suddenly, his trousers began to fall down. He hastily extended his hand and caught them just in the nick of time, else he would have been utterly humiliated. Only then did he realize that his belt had been broken by Gao Shengtai with a flick of the finger when he flew over Gao Shengtai''s reclining form. If it weren''t for the fact that Gao Shengtai was showing mercy, he would have been struck by this finger on his dantian and turned into a corpse on the spot. He was half alarmed, half angered. With a cough, he turned to once more face the wall and spat out a dense mouthful of phlegm. ''Pah!'' The phlegm was shot out with great accuracy and great power.


    Mu Wanqing left the South-Subduing Palace in a daze. She had heard but ignored the hails of Dao Baifeng and Zhong Wanchou. Covering up her face, she sprinted away. She only felt that in all the vastness of the earth, there wasn''t a single place for her to take shelter. In the middle of a wild, mountainous terrain, she blindly ran and leapt about in a state of confusion until the coming of dawn. She was now so exhausted that both of her legs were limp and painful. Only now did she come to a halt. Leaning against a large tree, she stamped her feet and shouted, "I''d rather die! I don''t want to live anymore!"


    Even though she was filled with resentment and anger, she had no idea who it was her hatred should be directed towards. "My darling Duan wasn''t fickle or unfaithful to me. It was just that the stars were misaligned, and he turned out to be my brother by the same father. My master turned out to be my mother. These past years, she toiled and labored so hard to bring me up and raise me. Her benevolence towards me is as weighty as a mountain, how can I possibly blame her? The South-Subduing Prince is my father. But although he was not faithful to my mother, perhaps he had many hidden difficulties which prevented him from being with her. He showed me a pleasant demeanor and showered me with love. He even said that if there was anything I desired, that I needed to only let him know, and he would strive with all his ability to make it happen. Alas, this desire of mine he was simply unable to fulfill. Mother wasn''t able to marry father, this was no doubt due to Dao Baifeng''s interference. That must be why she wanted me to kill her. But if I were in her shoes, I definitely wouldn''t let my darling Duan have a second woman either. And she even entered a convent and became a nun. No doubt, father was faithless towards her as well, causing her to be so broken-hearted. I shot two quarrels towards her outside the Temple of Hollow Jade, but she wasn''t angry with me at all. At the palace, I shot two more quarrels towards her and even harmed her beloved only child, but she still didn''t make trouble for me. It seems¡­it seems she isn''t a cruel, vicious woman either."


    No matter what she thought, she was filled with sorrow. "I need to forget about darling Duan, and never think about him again." This was something that was easily said. But to forget about him just like that was something she simply could not do. Every time Duan Yu''s attractive features and slender figure sprang to the fore of her mind, her chest felt as though someone had struck her with a fist. After awhile, she tried to console herself. "In the future, I''ll just view him as my elder brother. I used to be a fatherless, motherless orphan. Now all of a sudden, I not only have a father and a mother, but also such a wonderful elder brother. I should be ecstatic. Stupid girl, what are you so sad about?"


    But she had already been fallen into love''s trap. The more deeply she become entangled, the more deeply it bound her. When she miserably waited for Duan Yu at the peak of Mt. Wuliang for seven days and seven nights, she had become immersed in the webs of love, and would never be able to extricate herself again.


    She heard the roaring sound of water unceasing galloping and surging forth. Suddenly, Mu Wanqing''s heart became severed from all earthly desires and dreams. She sought only death. She headed towards the sound of running water. After crossing a mountain, she saw the grandiose, majestic sight of the Lancang river falling down from the mountain peak. She took a deep breath. She thought to herself, "All I need to do is steel myself and jump, and I will never have any cares or worries again." Following the mountain slope, she arrived by the side of the river. The morning sun was just rising. Casting its gentle glow upon the jade-like river, it appeared as though a layer of gold had been sheathed on the water. If she really jumped down, then she would never be able to see this beautiful and wondrous sight again, nor any of the other wonderful things in the world.


    Standing quietly by the river, her thoughts swirled about like the waves. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that several hundred feet away, someone was sitting on top of a large rock. This person was completely still, and was wearing a green gown that was the same color as that of the green cliffs. This was why, even though she had been at the riverside for a long time, she hadn''t noticed him. Mu Wanqing cast him a few glances, then thought to himself, "Probably just a corpse."


    She could kill with but a lift of her hand, and so naturally wasn''t afraid of a corpse. Feeling curious, she quickly walked towards the body to investigate. The man in a green gown was old, with a long beard that stretched down to his chest. He had a pitch-black face, and both of his eyes were wide open and fixed on the center of the river.


    Mu Wanqing said, "So it isn''t a corpse after all!" After she took a closer look, she noticed that within the eyes of the corpse was a look of great intelligence, and that there was some color in his face. Mu Wanqing extended her hand, waving it beneath his nose to test for breath. It seemed as though there was a sign of breathing, and yet there also wasn''t. Next she touched his face. Strangely, it felt both warm and cold. When she extended a hand to touch his chest, it seemed as though his heart was both still and beating. Absolutely baffled, she said, "This person is so strange. If I want to call him a dead person, he seems to have the characteristics of the living. But were I to call him a living person, he seems so much more like a dead person."


    Suddenly, a voice said, "I am a living person!"


    Mu Wanqing was very surprised. She quickly turned her head, but saw no one behind her. The stones scattered by the riverside were all no bigger than eggs. There was no place for anyone to hide. And while she was inspecting that freak, she had clearly seen that when the sound of that voice entered her ears, that person had not moved his lips at all. She loudly shouted, "Who is playing tricks on me? Are you tired of living?" Retreating two steps, her back was now towards the river, her eyes closely scanning the other three directions.


    She saw nothing, but heard a voice say, "I truly am tired of living." Mu Wanqing''s surprise was not small at all. The only person in front of her was this freak, but she clearly saw that his lips hadn''t moved. Deciding he wasn''t the one who had spoken, she loudly said, "Who is speaking?"


    That voice replied, "You are speaking!" Mu Wanqing said, "Who is the person who is speaking with me?" That voice said, "Nobody is speaking with you." Mu Wanqing hurriedly spun around three times, but saw nothing aside from her own shadow.


    By now, she had already figured out that the voice must be coming from the freak in a green gown. Summoning her courage, she walked towards him and pressed his lips shut with her hands. Then she asked, "Are you the one speaking to me?" That voice replied, "No!" Mu Wanqing didn''t feel the slightest vibration from her fingers on his lips. She asked, "A person is clearly speaking to me. Why are you saying there isn''t?" That voice replied, "I am not a person. I am not even myself. I no longer exist in this world."


    Mu Wanqing suddenly felt her hair stand on end. She thought to herself, "Can it really be a ghost?" She asked, "You¡­are you a ghost?" That voice replied, "You yourself said that you do not want to live anymore, and were going to kill yourself and become a ghost. Why are you afraid of a ghost then?" Mu Wanqing forcefully replied, "Who says I''m afraid of ghosts? I fear neither heaven nor earth!" That voice replied, "There is one thing you are afraid of." Mu Wanqing made a ''hngh'' sound. "I fear nothing!"


    That voice said, "You fear it, you fear it. You fear a perfectly fine husband suddenly turning into your own brother by blood."


    These words were like a cudgel strike to her head. Mu Wanqing''s legs suddenly felt weak, and she sat down on the ground. After being dazed for a long time, she murmured, "You''re a ghost. You''re a ghost." That voice said, "I have a method to change Duan Yu from being your brother to being your husband again." Quivering, Mu Wanqing replied, "You¡­you''re lying to me. This is the will of the heavens. You¡­you can''t change it." That voice said, "Heaven? The lord of heaven deserves to die. He is an a.sshole! No need for us to pay attention to him. I have a way to turn your brother into your husband. Do you want it or not?"


    Originally, Mu Wanqing''s had been utterly disheartened, and she had felt utterly detached from the world. These words truly came as though they had descended from the skies. Even though she half-believed, half-doubted, she urgently said, "I want it! I want it!" But that voice fell silent.


    After a while, Mu Wanqing said, "Who are you? Let me see you. Is that alright?" That voice replied, "You''ve been staring at me for a very long time now. Haven''t you stared enough?" After a moment, it continued, "Even I do not know if I am still myself. Alas!" Only when letting out this long sigh did he betray the feeling of deep sorrow and depression in his heart.


    No doubt was left in Mu Wanqing''s mind at all that the voice came from the old man in a green gown who sat before her. She asked, "How can you speak without your lips moving?" The man replied, "I am a living corpse. My lips cannot move. My voice comes from my abdomen."


    Although Mu Wanqing was highly disciplined, she still had a childish personality at times. Just moments ago, she was feeling extremely sorrowful, but upon hearing that this person claimed that he could speak with his abdomen, she couldn''t help but feel fascinated. "Speaking with your stomach? That''d truly be a bizarre thing!" The man in the green robe replied, "Extend your hand and rest it against my belly. Then you''ll understand." Mu Wanqing extended her hand and placed it against his stomach. The man in the green robe said, "My stomach is vibrating when I speak. Can you feel it?" Mu Wanqing indeed felt the man''s stomach quiver with every word he spoke. Laughing, she said, "Haha, that''s so very weird!" She didn''t know that the man in the green robe practiced a form of ventriloquism. There were thousands of puppetmasters and ventriloquists in the world, but to be able to speak with such clarity was truly no easy feat. It could only be achieved with a deep and profound internal energy.


    Mu Wanqing circled around him a few times. Closely examining him, she asked, "If your mouth isn''t able to move, how do you eat?" The man in the green robe stretched out his hands. One hand gripped his upper lip, whereas the other gripped his lower lip. He pulled his mouth open, then held his mouth open with his left hand while tossing something in his mouth with his right. With a gulping sound, he swallowed it. "That is how."


    Mu Wanqing sighed. "Alas! What a pity! If you eat like this, how can you possibly taste your food?" Suddenly, she saw that all of the flesh on his face was stiffened, and he could not close his eyes. Neither expressions of anger nor joy could be seen on this man''s face. This was the reason why, when she first saw him, she thought that he was a corpse.


    Although her fear had dissipated, she suddenly thought to herself, this person is himself in such dire straits. How can he possibly counter the will of heaven and change her brother into her husband? Evidently, all the words he said earlier were just nonsense. She muttered to herself for a long time, then sighed. Turning her body, she began to walk away. Only to hear that voice say, "I am going to make Duan Yu into your husband. You cannot leave." Mu Wanqing laughed dully, then took a few steps towards the west. Suddenly, she stopped and turned around. "The two of us don''t know each other. How can you know what is in my heart? Can it be that you¡­you know my darling Duan?"


    The man in the green robe replied, "That which is in your heart, I naturally am aware of." From the sleeves of his arms he suddenly withdrew a pair of thin black metal canes. "Let''s go!" Tapping the rock on which he sat with his left cane, he suddenly rose into the air. With ease and grace, he landed on the cane over ten feet away. Mu Wanqing saw that both of his feet remained in midair, and that he supported himself only on that one metal cane. Despite that, his body remained exceptionally steady. Curious, she asked, "Your two legs¡­" The man in the green robe said, "My legs were crippled long ago. Enough. From now on, you are no longer allowed to ask questions about me."


    Mu Wanqing said, "And if I keep on asking?" Just after the fourth word had left her mouth, she felt her legs turn soft. She fell down. The man in green had moved as quickly as a gust of wind and had arrived by her side, then tapped her twice at the back of her knees with a steel cane. He had followed that with a single blow from the cane which had caused pain so deep, it reached her marrow. "Ah!" She let out a loud cry. The man in green tapped her two more times, releasing her sealed acupoints. His movements were so fast as to be unbelievable. Mu Wanqing leapt to her feet. Angrily, she said, "You are so impolite!" Unfastening her sleeves, she was about to shoot a quarrel at him.


    The man in green said, "If you shoot a quarrel at me, I will spank you. If you shoot ten quarrels at me, I will spank you ten times. If you don''t believe me, try for yourself." Mu Wanqing thought to herself, "If that quarrel of mine hit him, he would have died on the spot. How could he possibly hit me back? But this man possesses an incredible, godlike ability. His martial arts is even better than that of the Divine Crocodile. I probably wouldn''t be able to hit him with my quarrels. It looks like he''ll be able to do as he says he will. If he really ended up spanking me, what a humiliation that would be!" She heard the man say, "If you no longer dare to attack me, then obediently listen to my instructions. You may not disobey." Mu Wanqing said, "I''m not going to listen to your commands!" But although she was outwardly defiant, her left hand released the mechanism for shooting out quarrels.


    The man in green strode forward, using those two thin black metal canes in lieu of his arms and legs. Walking behind him, Mu Wanqing saw that those two canes were each roughly three feet long. His strides were twice as long as that of ordinary people. Summoning her energy, Mu Wanqing followed him rapidly, only managing to follow him with an effort. The man in green climbed mountains and traversed ravines as though he were walking on flat plains. He did not travel on the mountain paths, but rather made his own way. No matter how rough the terrain was, he would pass through it with ease with the tap of a cane. This put great hardship on Mu Wanqing. Her sleeves and skirts were ripped and torn into many slices by thorns and bushes, but she did not complain or give any signs of weakness.


    After crossing several mountain peaks, far off in the distance a large dense copse of trees could be seen. Mu Wanqing thought to herself, "We''ve arrived at the Ten-Thousand Calamities Gorge." She asked, "What are we doing here?" The man in green turned around. Suddenly, his metal canes flew out. With a ''sou'' sound, one knocked on her right leg. Then he said, "Are you going to keep babbling?" Based on Mu Wanqing''s temperament, in the past if someone mistreated her like this, even if she knew she was not their match she wouldn''t put up with this. But she saw that the man in green''s martial arts were so very incredible, and faintly thought in her heart that perhaps he really could help her achieve her dream. She only replied, "Don''t think I''m afraid of you! I''m just giving way to you for the time being."


    The man in green said, "Let''s go!" He did not pass into the forest but rather circled behind the gorge, taking a sloped path. He appeared to be very familiar with the layout of the area. Mu Wanqing wanted to ask him how, but was afraid that he would wave the stick and whack her again. She could only swallow back the question, just as it had almost exited her lips. She saw that as the road they took continued to twist and turn, it took them farther away from the gorge proper and deeper into the rear of the gorge. In the past, when she came to the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge to meet with her martial uncle Gan Baobao, she had stayed at the gorge for many days. But she had never come here before. She never would have imagined that the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge could have such a wild, desolate, hidden and remote place.


    After traveling for several kilometers they arrived within a large wooded area. All around them were ancient trees that stretched far up in the sky. Although the sun was shining brightly, within the woodland it was as dark as dusk. The deeper they went, the more dense the forest growth, until it was necessary to turn their bodies sideways to squeeze through the trees. After walking for a few hundred more feet, she saw two enormous trees which had grown into each other, forming a large, interlinked wall that was impassable. The man in green extended his left cane and lightly waved it behind Mu Wanqing''s back. Mu Wanqing''s body suddenly rose high up in the air and floated onto the top of the tree wall. Mu Wanqing could only accept this, and she obediently made her way past the tree branches, jumping down on the other side of the tree wall.


    A large, empty space appeared before her eyes, with a single lonely stone house in the middle. The appearance of that house was extremely strange. It looked as though it had been formed from boulders which weighed over a hundred thousand jin, much like a little mountain that had an entrance to a cave on its side. The man in green shouted, "Enter!" Mu Wanqing gazed towards the stone house. It was extremely dark inside. Who knew what type of monster might be in there? How could she dare to rashly enter? But she suddenly felt a palm press against her back. She quickly tried to dodge, but the man in green had already exerted his force, pushing her into the stone house.


    Mu Wanqing used her left palm to protect her body, executing the stance "Dawn Wind Whisks the Willow" to protect her face. She was afraid that some sort of monster might attack from within the darkness. But all she heard was a rumbling sound as the entrance to the house was suddenly sealed by a heavy object. She was shocked. As she rushed to the entrance to push the object away, she felt that the material under her hand was rough and coarse. It was a gigantic boulder.


    She exerted all her strength with her two arms, but couldn''t budge the boulder at all. She tried even harder, but felt like ''a dragonfly trying to push a stone column''. How could she move it? She loudly shouted, "Hey! Why are you imprisoning me here?" Only to hear the man in green reply, "Have you already forgotten the matter which you begged me about?" His voice penetrated the huge boulder via some small cavities on the top of it, and was extremely clear. Mu Wanqing calmed herself down. She saw although the boulder was blocking the entrance, many small openings around it were exposed. Some were a third of a foot wide, others were perhaps one foot. But none of them would allow her to escape.


    Mu Wanqing shouted loudly, "Let me out! Let me out!" Nothing came in response from outside. Pressing her eye against a crack, she peered outside. The man in green was in midair, flying over the distant tree wall as though he were a large green bird.


    Turning around, she opened her eyes widely. She saw that the room had both a bed and a table, and that someone was sitting on the bed. She was startled, and called out, "You¡­you¡­"


    That person stood up, then walked forward two steps. He called, "Sister Wan. You came as well?" His voice was filled with surprised joy. It was Duan Yu.


    In the middle of her despair, Mu Wanqing suddenly saw her beloved darling. She was so happy that she rushed towards him, throwing herself into his embrace. Although the light in the stone house was faint, Duan Yu could see that her face was deathly pale, and that two teardrops had forced their way out of her eyes. He held her firmly in his arms. Her two cherry-red lips were quivering, and he couldn''t resist lowering his head to give her a kiss.


    But just as their lips met, they immediately both thought to themselves, "We''re brother and sister. We definitely can''t act like this!" Both their bodies shook, and they released each other''s arms, each retreating a few steps. The two of them both backed into the stone walls, staring at each other with stricken eyes. "Wah!" Mu Wanqing suddenly began to cry.


    In a soft voice, Duan Yu consoled her. "Sister Wan, this is our destiny as is willed by heaven. Don''t feel so agonized. To have such a wonderful sister as you fills me with joy." Mu Wanqing repeatedly stomped on the floor. Crying, she said, "I insist on feeling agonized! I refuse to be joyful! If you''re really so happy, then you have no conscience!" Duan Yu sighed. "What can be done? Perhaps it would be better if we had never met."


    Mu Wanqing said, "It isn''t as though I wanted to meet you. Who told you to come looking for me? Even if it weren''t for you, I probably still wouldn''t have been killed. You harmed my Black Rose and caused her to die. You harmed me and caused me to be unhappy for so long. You harmed me and caused my master to become my mother; you harmed me and caused your father to become my father; you harmed me and somehow caused yourself to become my elder brother! I don''t want it. I don''t want any of it! Now you''ve harmed me and caused me to be imprisoned in here. I want out. I want out!"


    Duan Yu said, "Sister Wan, it''s all my fault. Don''t be angry. Let''s slowly think of a way to escape." Mu Wanqing said, "I''m not escaping. Dying inside here, dying outside of here¡­it''s all the same to me. I''m not leaving! I''m not leaving!" Just moments ago, she was loudly shouting, "I want out!" But within the blink of an eye, it had changed to, "I''m not leaving!" Duan Yu knew that her heart was greatly disturbed, and that for now, there would be no way to get through to her. He fell silent.


    Mu Wanqing was throwing a fit, but saw that Duan Yu ignored her. She asked, "Why aren''t you talking?" Duan Yu replied, "What do you want me to say?" Mu Wanqing said, "Tell me what you are doing here." Duan Yu said, "My apprentice kidnapped me¡­" My Wanqing asked, confused, "Your apprentice?..." Suddenly, she remembered that the Divine Crocodile had accepted Duan Yu as his master. She couldn''t help but laugh through her tears. "You should act as a master would, and order him to release you." Duan Yu replied, "I ordered him to do so more than a few times, and put on the demeanor of very stern and imposing master. But he said that he would only release me if I bowed to him and accepted him as master as well." Mu Wanqing said, "Hah! Most likely, you didn''t act the part out properly." Duan Yu said, "That''s probably how it is. Sister Wan, who is it that caught you?"


    Mu Wanqing briefly summarized her meeting with the man in green. But with regards to the matter of ''turning her brother into her husband'', she left it out. Duan Yu, hearing that this person couldn''t move his lips but could speak with his stomach, was crippled but could move as though he were flying, couldn''t help but feel vastly amused. He couldn''t help but repeatedly ask Mu Wanqing''s questions, his tongue clicking incessantly.


    The two of them chatted for a long time. Then suddenly, with a cracking sound, a bowl was passed into the room via a hole in the boulder. A voice said, "Eat!" Duan Yu reached out and took the bowl. He saw that inside it was a dish of fragrantly cooked ''red-roasted pork''. Next, the man passed in ten or so steamed buns. Duan Yu put both the dishes and the steamed buns on the table. In a low voice, he whispered, "Do you think there is any poison in the food?" Mu Wanqing replied, "If they wanted to kill us, it would be an easy task. No need for them to poison us."


    Duan Yu thought that this made sense. He was also extremely hungry, and said, "Then let''s eat!" Clamping some of the pork inside a steamed bun, he handed one to Mu Wanqing. Then he started to eat as well. The person outside said, "After eating, put the bowl outside. Someone will come to take it." After he finished speaking, he immediately left. Mu Wanqing peered past the boulder. She saw that person pull himself up past the tree wall, then descend on the other side. She thought to herself, "The person who delivered food has only an ordinary skill." Walking back to Duan Yu''s side, she started to eat the pork and the steamed buns.


    While eating, Duan Yu said, "Don''t be worried. My father and uncle will definitely come to rescue us. Although the Divine Crocodile and Ye Erniang''s martial arts might be high, they aren''t necessarily a match for my father. And if my uncle himself comes? It will be like the wind scattering the leaves. They''ll flee at the mere sight of his oncoming force." Mu Wanqing let out a ''hngh'' sound. "He''s just the Emperor of Dali. What''s so special about his martial arts? I don''t believe he can beat the man in the green robe. He''ll probably just lead a few thousand armored cavalry and invade this place." Duan Yu repeatedly shook his head. "Not so, not so! The ancestor of the Duan lineage used to be a respected figure within the wulin of the Central Plains. Even though he became the Emperor of Dali, he wouldn''t dare forget about the rules of the wulin. If he took advantage of his position to bully others, and achieved victory by superior force of numbers, wouldn''t Dali''s Duan dynasty be derided by all the heroes of the world?"


    Mu Wanqing nodded. "I understand. Even after the people of your family became Emperors and princes, they were unwilling to throw away their standing as heroes of the jianghu." Duan Yu said, "My uncle and my father often tell me, this is the meaning of the saying, ''A person must not forget his origins''." Mu Wanqing made a contemptuous sound. "Pei! Their mouths are full of righteousness and morality, but they act in shameless and despicable ways. Since your father already had your mother, why would he come after my master as well?"


    Startled, Duan Yu said, "Eh?! How can you insult my father? He''s your father too, you know. Besides, of the princes and dukes in the world, how many of them don''t had multiple wives? Even if they had eight or ten wives, it still wouldn''t be a big deal."


    Actually, during the Northern Song dynasty, the north was occupied by the Khitan, the center was occupied by the Great Song, the northwest was occupied by the Western Xia, the southwest ruled by Tibet, and the south by Dali. The princes and dukes of these five countries all had, in addition to a ''formal wife'', a large number of concubines. At the very least, they would have three or four; some even had dozens. Even high ranking nobles or officials would have a few concubines. This is how it had been since ancient times, since the beginning of the imperial system. Most people had long since accepted it as a matter of course. [Translator''s note: Jinyong and his bloody history lessons....]


    Hearing his words, anger swelled in Mu Wanqing''s heart. She dealt Duan Yu a heavy blow right on his cheeks. A loud cracking sound could be heard, loud, sharp and clear. This blow knocked him silly, causing the half-eaten steamed bun in his hand to fall to the ground. All he could say was, "You...you..."


    Mu Wanqing angrily said, "I refuse to acknowledge him as my father! If a man takes on multiple wives, then he has no conscience. If a person has split desires and a split mind when it comes to love, then that person is faithless and heartless." Gently caressing his swollen cheeks, Duan Yu let out a bitter laugh. "I''m your elder brother. As my little sister, how can you be so disrespectful towards me?" The grief and anger in Mu Wanqing''s heart was difficult to bear. Upon hearing these words, she struck at him again.


    This time, Duan Yu was prepared. With a slip of the foot, he exercised his "Graceful Steps Upon the Waves" and dodged behind her. Mu Wanqing sent out a palm backwards, but Duan Yu avoided that one as well. Although the square room was only around ten feet in diameter, the "Graceful Steps Upon the Waves" truly was a wondrous skill. Mu Wanqing''s palm attacks came faster and faster now, but she wasn''t able to hit him again.


    Mu Wanqing was all the more infuriated by this. Suddenly, she let out a loud cry of pain and pretended to fall down. Alarmed, Duan Yu asked, "What''s wrong?" He bent over her, extending a hand to help her up. Mu Wanqing leaned gently against his body. She hooked her left arm around his neck, then suddenly tightened her grip. She laughed. "Can you still run away from me now?" She slapped him once again with her right hand, this time on his left cheeks. The ringing sound was extremely sharp and clear.


    Duan Yu was hurt, but only let out a single cry. "Ow!" Suddenly, he felt a warm stream rapidly rise up from his dantian. His blood vessels began to rapidly expand, filling him with an irresistibly sensual sensation. He suddenly was aware that the girl whom he had embraced within his bosom was delicately panting. Waves of fragrant scents filled the air, throwing his mind into great turmoil. He placed a kiss on her lips. Upon being kissed, Mu Wanqing''s entire body immediately went soft. Duan Yu, still holding her body in his arms, set her down on top of the bed, then undid one of his buttons. Mu Wanqing said in a low voice, "But you...you are my elder brother..."


    Although Duan Yu''s mind was in turmoil, this sentence struck him like a thunderbolt out of the clear sky. Stunned for a moment, he quickly released her and took three steps back. Attacking with both palms, he struck himself on his mouth four times. He cursed at himself. "I deserve to die. I deserve to die!"


    Mu Wanqing saw that both of his eyes were bloodshot, and had a strange light in them. The flesh of his face was moving and churning, and his nostrils were dilating, then contracting. Frightened, she said, "Ah! Darling Duan, there was poison in the food! We have been deceived!" Duan Yu felt as though his entire body was boiling up, as though he had been placed within a steamer and was being thoroughly steamed. Upon hearing Mu Wanqing cry that the food was poisoned, he was actually relieved. "So it was poison which threw my mind into chaos and caused me to act in such a depraved way towards younger sister Wan. It isn''t as though I was an insane creature who had never read the classical scriptures, acting in ways which imitate beasts."


    But the heat coming from his body was truly hard to resist. Slowly, he removed one article of clothing after another, until he wore but a single shirt and trousers. He sat down on his knees. His eyes focused on his nose, and his nose pointed towards his heart. With a powerful effort, he restrained the capricious desires the drug was causing.


    After consuming the Cinnabar Toad, he had become immune to all poisons. But the drug which had been put in the bowl of pork wasn''t a poison which would actually harm a person''s life. Rather, it was an aphrodisiac designed to generate lust. The desire for men and women to be together is inborn. This aphrodisiac only aroused the natural lusts which are innate to every person, intensifying them and making them difficult to control. The Cinnabar Toad''s venom could, using the principle of ''fighting poison with poison'', counteract thousands of toxin, but this aphrodisiac was not actually poisonous. Thus, the Cinnabar Toad could do nothing for Duan Yu.


    Mu Wanqing was also feeling somewhat hot. After some time, it was more than she could bear, and she also removed her outer garments.


    Duan Yu called out, "You can''t take anything else off! Rest your back against the stone wall. It''ll help cool you down."


    Both of them leaned back against the stone walls. Although their backs were cool, every inch of their chest, stomach, limbs, face, and necks felt as though they were being rolling in fire. Duan Yu saw that Mu Wanqing''s cheeks were a fiery red, and that she appeared unspeakably lovable and glamorous. Tears glimmered in her eyes, and it was obvious that she would like to do nothing better than to throw herself in his embrace. Duan Yu thought to himself, "At this moment, we need to be resolute in fighting off the effects of this drug. But our strength has limits. If we engaged in depraved, incestuous acts, we will have lost all face for the Duan family. Even a hundred deaths would not redeem such a heavy offense." He said, "Give me one of your poisoned quarrels."


    Mu Wanqing asked, "For what?" Duan Yu said, "If...if I become unable to withstand the strength of this drug, I''ll use the quarrel to stab myself to death, so I won''t harm you." Mu Wanqing said, "I''m not giving it to you." Neither of them knew that the poison the quarrel could do nothing to Duan Yu. Duan Yu said, "You need to promise me something." Mu Wanqing said, "What?" Duan Yu said, "If I so much as extend my hand and touch your body, you must shoot your quarrels and kill me." Mu Wanqing said, "I refuse to promise you that." Duan Yu said, "I''m begging you. Promise me. The reputation of Dali''s Duan dynasty, pure and clean for the past hundreds of years, cannot be ruined by my hand. Otherwise, how can I face my ancestors after death?"


    Suddenly, a voice spoke from outside the stone room. "Dali''s Duan dynasty used to be awe-inspiring in the past. But then the kingship passed into Duan Zhengming''s hands. His mouth is filled with righteousness and moral platitudes, but he has the heart of a wolf and the innards of a dog. He''s long since lost the Duan dynasty''s pure reputation!"


    Duan Yu angrily replied, "Who are you? You''re full of s.hit!" Mu Wanqing said in a low voice, "He''s the freak in the green gown." Only to hear the man in green say, "Miss Mu, I promised that I''d help you turn your brother into your husband. I''ve taken this task to heart, and I will definitely accomplish it." Mu Wanqing angrily said, "You''re poisoned the food to harm us! What does this have to do with my request?"


    The man in green replied, "In that bowl of red-cooked pork, I placed a large quantity of the ''Yin and Yang Conjoining'' powder. After being ingested, if yin and yang do not enter into a harmonious relationship, and the male and female do not become man and wife, then their flesh and skin will crack and split. They will bleed from their seven orifices, then die. The potency of this ''Conjoining Powder'' grows with every day. On the eighth day, even if you were the Great Golden Immortal Luo [a Taoist deity] himself, you still wouldn''t be able to hold it off."


    Duan Yu angrily replied, "There are neither enmities nor grievances between the two of us. Why did you cook up such a poisonous plot to harm me? You are trying to force me to lose all face as a man, and cause my parents and my uncle to suffer shame for the rest of their entire life. I...I would rather die a hundred times than engage in such a shameless, depraved, incestuous act!" The man in green replied, "Although neither enmities nor grievances exist between us, the grievances between your uncle and I are as deep as the oceans of the four seas. Duan Zhengming, Duan Zhengchun. I can imagine nothing better than for those two kids to lose all face and suffer lifelong shame, and be unable to face others in the future. Wonderful. Wonderful! Heh heh, heh heh." His lips could not move, so the sound of laughter emanated from his larynx, sounding all the more hideous and strange.


    Duan Yu was about to continue arguing, but, out of the corner of his eye, saw Mu Wanqing''s beautiful face, which looked like the slumbering spring or a lovely cherry, and her slender body, which appeared as though it were a blooming hibiscus flower. His heart beat so frantically that even he was almost able to hear it. His brain was once more confused, and he thought to himself, "Little sister Wan and I originally had agreed to wed. If the two of us had not returned to Dali, who would have known that we were siblings? This is a karmic retribution born from the affairs of the heart of the previous generation. What does it have to do with the two of us?"


    When his thought process arrived at this point, he shakily rose to his feet, only to see that Mu Wanqing, her hand supporting her against the wall, was also slowly rising to her feet. Suddenly, within his heart a sudden thought flashed by, striking upon it like a ray of sunlight on a flintstone. "Cannot! Cannot! Duan Yu, ah, Duan Yu! This is the critical moment, where your actions will determine if you am a man or a beast. If you make the wrong choice now, not only will you suffer a complete and utter fall from grace, but you will also destroy your uncle and your father as well."


    He immediately cried out loudly, "Sister Wan! I am your elder brother, and you are my younger sister! You know that, right? Do you understand the Book of Changes?"


    In the midst of her fuzzy-headedness, Mu Wanqing heard him ask such a strange question. "Huh? Book of Changes? I don''t know what you''re talking about." Duan Yu replied, "Alright, I''ll teach you! The study of the Book of Changes is extremely difficult and abstruse. Listen carefully!" Mu Wanqing was confused. She asked, "What good is it going to do me?" Duan Yu replied, "After you learn it, it will benefit you greatly! Maybe the two of us can use it to escape from our current predicament."


    He felt that his desires were driving him mad. At the critical juncture between being a man and a beast, a thousand things rested upon this one decision. If Mu Wanqing rushed over to him and tried to seduce him even but a little, his mental walls and willpower would surely crumble. The reason he wanted to teach her the Book of Changes was out of the hope that with one of them teaching, and the other learning, their attention would be focused somewhere else, and they wouldn''t think about the affairs between males and females.


    He said, "The basics of the Book of Changes rest in the Taiji, the Absolute Ultimate. From Taiji is born Liangyi [two mutually correlated opposites, aka Yin and Yang], and Liangyi gives birth to Sixiang [the four images]. In turn, the Sixiang gives birth to the Bagua [the eight divinatory Trigrams]. Do you know what the Bagua trigram looks like?" Mu Wanqing replied, "No, I don''t. This is so annoying! My darling Duan, come over here. I have something I want to tell you."


    Duan Yu said, "I''m your brother. Don''t call me ''darling Duan''. Call me ''elder brother''. I''ll tell you the secret mantra of the Bagua diagram. Concentrate and do your best to remember it. ''Qian'' is three links, ''Kun'' is six pieces, ''Zhen'' stares at the cup, ''Gen'' overflows the bowl. Within ''Li'' is emptiness, within ''Kan'' is fullness. Above ''Dui'' is deficiency, below ''Xun'' is absoluteness [the eight trigrams of the Bagua are ''Qian'', ''Kun'', ''Zhen'', ''''Gen'', ''Li'', ''Kan'', ''Kuang'', and ''Gen'']."


    Mu Wanqing repeated it after him once, then asked, "What''s this ''cup'' and ''water'' and food bowl stuff all about? What are you talking about?" Duan Yu replied, "This is the shape of the Bagua diagram. You must understand the hidden meaning of the Bagua. All living things in the world, bar none, are encompassed by it. Let''s use a family as an example. ''Qian'' is the father, ''Kun'' is the mother, ''Zhen'' is the eldest son, ''Xun'' is the eldest daughter. We''re siblings, so I would be the ''Zhen'' trigram, and you would be the ''Xun'' trigram...."


    Mu Wanqing lazily said, "No. You are the ''Qian'' trigram, and I am the ''Kun'' trigram. We''ll become husband and wife. Only in the future, when we have children, will the ''Zhen'' trigram and the ''Xun'' trigram appear." Duan Yu, hearing her speak so sluggishly yet flirtatiously, couldn''t help but be moved. He quickly said, "Don''t think crazy thoughts! Keep listening to me speak." Mu Wanqing replied, "If you...if you come sit next to me, I''ll listen to you speak."


    Only to hear the man in green say from outside the room, "Excellent. Excellent! After the two of you become husband and wife and give birth to sons and daughters, I will release you two. Not only will I not kill you, but I will teach you two all the martial arts I possess, and set you two to rampage across all the land under heaven."


    Duan Yu angrily replied, "At the last hour, the two of us will kill ourselves by smashing our heads against the stone walls. The scions of Dali''s Duan dynasty would rather die than be disgraced! You want to revenge yourself upon my body? Forget it!"


    The man in green replied, "You dying is fine. You living is fine. I don''t care. If you two choose the path of death instead, I will strip your bodies naked, removing every stitch of clothing. I''ll write on your bodies that you two are the nephew and niece of Dali''s Duan Zhengming, and Duan Zhengchun''s children. I will write that while you two secretly had conjugal relations with each other, you were discovered by others, and that in your shame and anger, you committed suicide. I will preserve your bodies with salt, then hang your bodies up above Dali''s main gate for three days. Then I will go to the city of Kaifeng, Luoyang, Lin''an, and Guangzhou and publicly expose your bodies there as well."


    Duan Yu was absolutely livid. He loudly roared, "How exactly did my Duan family offend you, for you to retaliate in such a malicious way against us?"


    The man in green replied, "Why should I discuss my own affairs with a little kid like you?"


    After saying this, he fell silent. Duan Yu realized that every time he spoke with Mu Wanqing, he increased the danger of their situation by another degree. Turning, he sat facing the wall, and began to deeply ponder the secrets behind the ''Graceful Steps on the Waves''."


    After pondering the dazzlingly complicated footwork for a long time, he suddenly thought to himself, "The dear Goddess in the stone cavern is ten times more beautiful than sister Wan. If I must marry, only by marrying that dear Goddess will I have not married in vain." In a dazed state, he turned his head, then saw Mu Wanqing''s beautiful face slowly turn into that of the stone cavern''s jade statue. Duan Yu shouted loudly, "Dearest Goddess! I''m suffering so miserably right now. Please come rescue me!" He knelt down on the spot and embraced Mu Wanqing''s calf.


    At this moment, a voice came from outside. "Time to eat!" A lit red candle was tossed in. The person laughed. "Quick, catch! It is your first night of spring-like lust in the marital chambers. How can there not be a flower-scented candle?" Startled, Duan Yu rose to his feet. By the glow of the candle, he saw Mu Wanqing''s eyelashes ripple, beautiful beyond description. With a single breath he blew the candle out. He shouted back, "There''s poison in the food. Take it away! We''re not eating!"


    That person replied, "You were poisoned long ago, and consumed a sufficiently large dose. There''s no need to add more." Then he sent in the rice and the dishes.


    Duan Yu accepted the food, placing it on the table. He thought to himself, "After a person dies, all comes to an end. With regards to issues that come up after his death, how can he possibly be concerned?" Then he had a second thought. "Father, mother, and my uncle have loved me so dearly. How can I allow the Duan family to be laughed at by the world?" Suddenly, he heard Mu Wanqing gently say, "My darling Duan, I am going to commit suicide with my poisoned quarrels, so I won''t end up harming you." Duan Yu shouted, "Wait! Even after the two of us, brother and sister, die, this evil man will not be done with us. This man is vicious and dangerous. Compared to the baby-murdering Ye Erniang or the heart-ripping Divine Crocodile, he''s even more evil! Who can this man possibly be?"


    Only to hear that man in a green gown say in a low voice, "Kid, you have some experience after all. This old man is the chief of the Four Great Evils. I am known as ''Evil Beyond Human Capacity!''"

 Chapter - 8 Hiss of the Tiger, Moan of the Dragon

    Within the warm pavilion of the South-Subduing Palace, the Marquis of Virtuous Enlightenment Gao Shengtai, returned and reported that Zhong Wanchou, his wife, and Qin Hongmian had departed the palace grounds. The South-Subduing Princess Dao Baifeng, concerned about her son, said, "Emperor, do you know the location of the so-called Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge?" Duan Zhengming, also known as the Emperor Baoding, replied, "Today isn''t the first time that I''ve heard of this place. But up until now, it has had no interactions with Dali".


    Dao Baifeng worriedly said, "From what Zhong Wanchou said, it seems this place is very remote and hidden. I''m worried we might not be able to find it. If Yu''er remains in enemy hands for too long..." Emperor Baoding let out a small smile. "Yu''er has been sheltered all his life. He doesn''t understand how dangerous and sinister the world can be. For him to undergo some hardships and gain some endurance and experience may not necessarily be an altogether bad thing." Dao Baifeng''s mind was filled with anxiety, but she did not dare rebut him.


    Emperor Baoding said to Duan Zhengchun, "Little brother Chun, could I trouble you to have some wine and dishes brought out?" Duan Zhengchun said, "Yes!" He sent the orders, and in a short amount of time an entire banquet was prepared with all sorts of exotic delicacies. Emperor Baoding ordered everyone present to partake of the banquet, feasting and drinking.


    Dali was a small, rustic nation of the south where hundreds of minorities lived. The Han people were not necessarily in the majority. The South-Subduing Princess, Dao Baifeng, was herself of the Baiyi tribe. The people of the country accepted the teachings of the central plains as profound, but even the daily rituals of the imperial court were much more casual and simpler than that of the far away Song dynasty. In addition, Emperor Baoding had a very compassionate, gentle character. Aside from when he was visiting monasteries or temples, he never liked to stand on ceremony. Thus Duan Zhengchun, his wife, and Gao Shengtai sat next to him at the head of the table and kept him company.


    While eating and drinking, Emperor Baoding refused to bring up the previous matter. Dao Baifeng''s eyebrows were tightly knit with worry. To her, the food had no taste at all. At dawnbreak, the guards outside said, "Minister Ba has come to pay his respects to the Emperor." Duan Zhengming said, "Enter!" The curtain screen was parted, and a short, skinny black man entered. He knelt before Emperor Baoding and said, "Reporting to your majesty, to arrive at the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge, one must first pass the ''Benevolent Man''s Crossing'', then go through the ''Iron Rope Bridge''. To enter the gorge itself, one needs to pass through a hole in a gigantic tree."


    Dao Baifeng clapped her hands and laughed. "If I had known that Minister Ba had been sent out, why would I possibly have worried about being unable to locate the enemy''s lair? I wouldn''t have had to be worried for so long either!" That black man bowed slightly and said, "Princess, you flatter me. Ba Tianshi is embarassed and not deserving of such praise."


    Although the skinny black man, Ba Tianshi, had a rustic appearance, he was an extremely intelligent and capable person. He had gained great merit from accomplishing many tasks for Emperor Baoding. Presently, his position was that of the ''Sikong'', Minister of Soil and Water. The three ministerial positions of ''Situ'', Minister of Education, ''Sima'', Minister of War, and ''Sikong'', Minister of Soil and Water, were the foremost positions in the imperial court, of exceeding glory and honor. Ba Tianshi''s martial arts were absolutely outstanding, and he was an expert in qinggong. This time, he had been sent out by Emperor Baoding''s decree to locate and investigate the enemy''s base of operations. He secretly followed behind Zhong Wanchou''s party and actually managed to find the location of the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge.


    Emperor Baoding smiled a little. "Tianshi, sit down and eat your fill. Then we''ll go together." Ba Tianshi knew that the Emperor hated when others acted too worshipfully or formally towards him, and that he loved and addressed his subjects and his officials as though they were his brothers or friends. If he acted too formally or respectfully towards the Emperor, he might actually cause the Emperor to be angry with him. He immediately assented.


    Lifting up his rice bowl, he began to eat. He didn''t touch a single drop of wine, but the quantity of food he ate was astonishing. In a twinkling of an eye he consumed eight large bowlfuls of food. Duan Zhengchun, Gao Shengtai, and himself had known each other for a long time, and so the other two weren''t surprised at all. After Ba Tianshi had finished eating, he stood up and wiped away the grease from his lips. "Your vassal, Ba Tianshi, will lead the way."


    He left, taking the position of vanguard. Emperor Baoding, Duan Zhengchun, his wife, and Gao Shengtai followed behind him. After leaving the South-Subduing Palace, they found the Four Imperial Guards, Chu, Gu, Fu, and Zhu standing outside the door, waiting for them with horses already prepared. Dozens of swordsmen who had sworn to follow Emperor Baoding were there as well.


    Before founding their country, the Duan family was originally part of the wulin of the central plain''s. In the past hundreds of years, their descendants had never lost the customs and manners of their ancestors. Although the two brothers Duan Zhengmin and Duan Zhengchun had boundless riches, they often strolled about incognito in plain clothes. If any members of the wulin community came to visit or to carry out a vendetta against them, they always treated the visitors according to the rules of the wulin, never putting on imperial airs.


    Thus, everyone present was long since used to the sight of Emperor Baoding was personally leading an expedition, and weren''t startled. From Emperor Baoding on down, everyone changed into ordinary clothes. They no longer appeared like gentry, dressed in fine red silks, but rather just a group of ordinary people roaming about.


    Dao Baifeng saw that out of the people whom Ba Tianshi had selected, twenty or so of them were carrying large hatchets and long saws. Laughing, she asked, "Minister Ba, are we disguising ourselves as carpenters on our way to building a large house?" Ba Tianshi replied, "We''re sawing down trees and tearing apart houses!"


    The party were riding on fine stallions, and thus moved like the wind. They arrived at the forest outside the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge before noon. Ba Tianshi ordered his men to chop down the obstructing trees one at a time. Arriving at the mouth of the gorge, Emperor Baoding pointed at the large tree upon which was painted the words, "Any person surnamed Duan who enters this gorge shall be mercilessly killed." He laughed. "What a great enmity the master of the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge has with our family!"


    But Duan Zhengchun knew that Zhong Wanchou was afraid that he would enter the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge to seek out Gan Baobao. He glanced at his wife out of the corner of his eye, and saw that she only smiled coldly.


    Four men carrying large hatchets rushed over to that large tree. In a short period of time, that large tree, with a trunk so wide that many people would be needed to wrap their arms around it, was felled.


    Ba Tianshi ordered everyone present to wait with their horses at the mouth of the gorge.


    The Four Imperial Guards, Chu, Gu, Fu, and Zhu led the way. Behind them was Ba Tianshi and Gao Shengtai. Following them was the South-Subduing Prince and Princess. Last of all was Emperor Baoding. Upon entering the gorge, they noticed that everything was quiet and still. No one came to greet them. According to the rules of the jianghu, Ba Tianshi, holding the name placards of the two brothers Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun, strode boldly forth and made his way to the front of the main house. In a clear voice, he said, "The two brothers of Dali''s Duan dynasy have come to pay a visit to the gorge-master Zhong!"


    Just as the sound of his voice was dying away, a long shadow suddenly appeared from the trees to the left. It rushed towards Ba Tianshi with rapid speed, extending his hand and snatching at the two name placards in Ba Tianshi''s hands. Ba Tianshi retreated three steps to the right and shouted, "Who are you, honored sir?" It was none other than ''Thoroughly Cruel and Evil'', Yun Zhonghe! His first snatching attempt having missed, he sped up even more, once more pouncing towards Ba Tianshi.


    Ba Tianshi saw that his qinggong was exceptionally formidable and wanted to compete with him a bit. He immediately rushed forward three more steps, and Yun Zhonghe pursued for three steps. With a kick of his feet, Ba Tianshi begin to run quickly, with Yun Zhonghe chasing directly after him. A short man, pursued by a tall man. In the blink of an eye, they had circled the room three times. Yun Zhonghe''s stride was unnaturally long, but Ba Tianshi kept jumping and leaping about. The rise and fall of his footsteps were much quicker than that of Yun Zhonghe. Throughout the race, a distance of a few meters was maintained between the two. Yun Zhonghe knew that he would not be able to catch up, but Ba Tianshi, in turn, knew he wouldn''t be able to shake him off. Both of them had long fancied themselves as having the best qinggong in the world. At this moment, upon meeting such a formidable opponent, both of them were secretly startled. Their movements became faster and faster. The lapels of their clothes fluttered in the wind, releasing a series of ''hu'' sounds. Although there were only two people chasing after each other, from an outsider''s perspective, it looked as though five or six people were running around in a circle. As the contest continued and as the distance between their two bodies grew slightly, it turned into a circular race around the room. No one could tell if Yun Zhonghe was chasing Ba Tianshi, or if Ba Tianshi was chasing Yun Zhonghe. If Ba Tianshi managed to catch up to Yun Zhonghe, then he naturally would have won this qinggong competition. But with a burst of strength, Yun Zhonghe once more increased the distance between himself and Ba Tianshi.


    But suddenly, the main door opened with a cracking sound, and Zhong Wanchou walked out. Ba Tianshi did not stop. Secretly generating his internal energy, he shot out with his left hand. The name placards smoothly flew towards Zhong Wanchou.


    Extending his hand, Zhong Wanchou received the placards. He roared, "You! The one surnamed Duan! Since you have come to visit me in accordance with the rules of the jianghu, why did you destroy the trees that served as my gate?"


    Chu Wanli called back, "How could a person of the Emperor''s stature lower himself to tunnel his way through the hole in that tree?"


    Dao Baifeng was worried for her beloved son the entire time. She couldn''t help but call out, "Where''s my son? Have you hidden him here?" Suddenly, a sharp female voice came out from the room. "You came a bit late. We''ve already ripped apart the stomach and torn the chest of that kid surnamed Duan, and fed his body to the dogs!" This woman gripped a blade in each hand. The blades were as thin as a willow leaf and gleamed with a blue light. It was the deadly Asura Sabres, which would quickly take the life of any person whose blood it tasted!


    Eighteen years ago, these two women hated and were jealous of each other, laying down a deep enmity and a strong feud. Dao Baifeng knew that Qin Hongmian was lying, but upon hearing her claim that her beloved only son had died in such a miserable fashion, felt the flames of her old hatred rise and stir anew. She coldly replied, "My question was directed towards gorge-master Zhong. No one will speak with such a cheap s.lut as yourself, to avoid lowering their own dignity!"


    Suddenly, with two ''dang'' sounds, Qin Hongmian struck out with her twin sabres, her attack coming as fast as the wind. This attack, the ''Character Ten Chop'' [the Chinese character for ''ten'' is a cross, so this would be a cross chop], was her finest skill with which she had become famous in former days. No one knows how many heroes had died under this venomous stance of her Asura sabres. Dao Baifeng pulled out her flywhisk and hurriedly moved backwards, spinning around as she did so and sending the tail of her flywhick towards Qin Hongmian''s heart.


    Duan Zhengchun felt extremely awkward and conflicted. One was his current beloved wife; the other was his former sweetheart. His love towards Dao Baifeng was truly deep and profound, but was also unable to forget what he and Qin Hongmian had once shared. He knew that if the two women started fighting, they would be using vicious, life-taking techniques. No matter who was harmed, he would have hated the outcome. He called out, "Stay your hand!" Slanting his body, he quickly moved closer, pulling out his sword and trying to separate the two women.


    As soon as Zhong Wanchou saw Duan Zhengchun, his belly had filled with anger. With a clattering sound, he pulled out his large ringed sabre and chopped towards him. Chu Wanli called out, "Prince, no need to personally deal with this. I''ll take care of him!" Striking out with his iron staff, he attacked Zhong Wanchou''s neck. His previous iron staff had been broken in two by Ye Erniang, so he had ordered a new one be forged.


    Zhong Wanchou cursed at him. "I always knew that the one surnamed Duan only knew how to rely on winning via superior numbers!" Duan Zhengchun laughed. "Wanli, stand down. I was just about to test out gorge-master Zhong''s martial arts!" His long sword struck out, deflecting Chu Wanli''s iron staff. At the same time, he dragged his sword down the back of Zhong Wanchou''s large-ringed sabre, nicking his fingers. In one stroke, he ''deflected,'' ''dragged down'', and ''nicked'', not revealing even half of a flaw or opening. Zhong Wanchou was startled. "What a formidable sword skill this thief surnamed Duan has!" He immediately clamped down his anger. In front of such a powerful opponent, he dared not be careless or reckless.


    Duan Zhengchun''s straight sword continued to attack. Zhong Wanchou saw that the power in his attack was lively and powerful, difficult for him to block. He leapt three steps backwards. Duan Zhengchun had only wanted him to stop intervening, and with him gone, moved sideways to stand next to Dao Baifeng and Qin Hongmian. Qin Hongmian''s sabre techniques were becoming slightly disorganized, and Dao Baifeng kept advancing and pressing onwards. With a series of ''chi'' sounds, Qin Hongmian suddenly shot out three poisoned quarrels. Her quarrels were identical to those shot out by Mu Wanqing, but her skill in shooting them out was much higher.


    These quarrels were aimed to three parts of Dao Baifeng''s body; the left, the right, and the center. This was an extremely difficult attack to dodge. Dao Baifeng leapt into the air and all three quarrels passed by underneath her feet. But just as her body was in mid-air, three more quarrels were shot out. The first was aimed at her abdomen. The second was aimed between her two legs. The third was aimed at her foot. At the moment, Dao Baifeng was unable to ascend any higher, and as her body descended, these three quarrels were perfectly positioned to strike at her head, chest, and stomach. This attack was vicious to the extreme.


    Fear filled Dao Baifeng''s heart and she attacked hurriedly with her flywhisk, managing to deflect the first poisoned quarrel. Her body was descending rapidly, and it seemed as though the second and third quarrels, aimed at her chest and stomach, would be impossible for her to dodge or deflect. Suddenly, a white light flashed, and the hilt of a long sword flashed by her face, chopping these two poisoned quarrels into four pieces. At the same time, someone placed his own body protectively in front of hers. It was Duan Zhengchun who had rushed over and saved her life. If he had been even slightly slower and been unable to chop the quarrels in half, then they would have struck his own body instead.


    Upon seeing those, both Dao Baifeng and Qin Hongmian were so terrified that their faces turned pale, and their hearts thumped frantically. Dao Baifeng called out, "I don''t want your help!" She sidestepped past her husband, striking towards Qin Hongmian with her flywhisk. She despised the venomous, cruel techniques which Qin Hongmian employed, and her flywhisk attacked with extreme speed. It swept towards Qin Hongmian, preventing her from using those poisoned quarrels again. Moments ago, Qin Hongmian had almost hit Duan Zhengchun with those poisoned quarrels and saw him protect his wife''s body without a care for his own life, showing extreme bias in this fight. In her heart, panic had intermingled with bitter misery, and for the moment she was unable to block the attack of the flywhisk.


    Dao Baifeng''s flywhisk technique, "Phoenix Alights on the Parasol Tree", descended towards the crown of her head. Qin Hongmian hurriedly dodged to the right, just as Dao Baifeng struck out with her left palm in that direction. It seemed as though she was about to be struck right on the pit of her stomach and suffer a severe enough injury that she would vomit blood. The palm was only inches away from her abdomen, but suddenly a male palm appeared and blocked, diverting Dao Baifeng''s palm. It was Duan Zhengchun who had saved her. He said, "Dearest phoenix, don''t be so fierce against her."


    Qin Hongmian was startled, then angrily replied, "What''s with the ''dearest phoenix'', ''beloved peacock'' crap? You''re so affectionate towards her!" Her left sabre chopped towards Duan Zhengchun''s neck. Dao Baifeng was also furious at her husband rescuing his former mistress. She withdrew her attacking flywhisk, redirecting it and sending it sweeping towards Duan Zhengchun''s face.


    The two women struck at the same time, and saw each other''s attack at the same time as well. They simultaneously cried out, "Oh no!" Both of them wanted to protect their lover. Dao Baifeng''s flywhisk changed direction once again to block the Asura sabre; Qin Hongmian, on the other hand, sent out a flying kick towards Dao Baifeng, wanting to force her to retract the flywhisk.


    Duan Zhengchun slanted his body to dodge, but with a ''peng'' sound, Qin Hongmian''s kick landed on his buttocks. Dao Baifeng angrily said, "Why are you kicking my husband?" Qin Hongmian said, "My darling Duan, I didn''t do that on purpose! You...are you hurt?" Duan Zhengchun decided to put on an act, and loudly cried, "Ouch! Ouch!! You kicked me to death!" He squatted down.


    Zhong Wanchou, seeing the situation, thought to seize the advantage and raised his sabre to hack at Duan Zhengchun. Dao Baifeng called out, "Stay your hand!" Qin Hongmian cried out, "Hit him!" The flywhisk and the Asura sabres struck out at Zhong Wanchou simultaneously, forcing him to retract his strike to defend against them. He loudly shouted out, "The stinking thief surnamed Duan! You useless pretty boy, you''re relying on women to save your life! What type of hero are you?" Duan Zhengchun burst out into loud laughter. He suddenly leapt up, and with three ''shua'' sounds, sent out three sword attacks that forced Zhong Wanchou to stumble and stagger backwards.


    Qin Hongmian was startled, then angrily called out, "You aren''t injured at all! You were faking it!" Dao Baifeng was also angry. "This bastard excels at scamming others. How could you have believed him?" Qin Hongmian cried out, "Beware my sabres!" Dao Baifeng also cried out, "Hit him!" The two women joined together to attack Duan Zhengchun.


    Emperor Baoding, seeing his brother getting entangled in the dispute with the two women, turned his head away and laughed secretly. He said to Chu Wanli, "Go inside and check the place out." Chu Wanli replied, "Yes sir!"


    The Four Imperial Guardians Chu, Gu, Fu, and Zhu rushed into the room. Right as Gu Ducheng''s left foot crossed over the threshold, he felt a cold wind rush towards the crown of his skull. Before his left foot had touched the floor, his right foot had already leapt backwards. He saw an extremely thin but broad sabre slice downwards in front of his face. The distance between him and the blade was but a few inches. If he had been but a moment slower to dodge, even if he had lucked out and his head wasn''t split in twain, his nose would have been sliced off at the very least. Cold sweat trickled down his back. He saw that the hidden figure was a middle aged woman with elegant features. It was ''No Evil Left Undone'', Ye Erniang. Her thin sabre was rectangular in shape. In all four directions, the blade was surpassingly sharp. Holding on to the short sabre-handle, she brandished it about, forming a circular halo about her.


    Gu Ducheng was extremely startled at first. After calming himself, he let out a loud cry, then with a wave of his broad axe, chopped towards her thin blade. Ye Erniang''s thin sabre continually spun around, not daring to directly meet such a heavy weapon as an axe. Gu Ducheng executed the seventy two strokes of his "Chaotic Whirlwind Hatchet" technique, his twin axes chopping upwards and downwards towards her. Ye Erniang was possessed of a weird temperament, and alternated between gently cooing towards Gu Ducheng and speaking boldly towards him. Zhu Dancheng, seeing how leisurely she fought and how strange her sabre techniques were, conjectured that if the battle went on for too long, Gu Ducheng wouldn''t be able to hold out much longer. Immediately, he struck out with his twin judge''s pens in a pincer attack towards her.


    At this time, Ba Tianshi and Yun Zhonghe were still happily running around in circles. Their qinggong abilities were on par, and it would take a long time before victory or defeat could be determined. At this time, what they were really competing in was the relative superiority of their internal energy. After having ran over a hundred circles, Ba Tianshi knew that although Yun Zhonghe''s skill in his lower legs was abundant and graceful, he was unable to center himself perfectly. In this respect, Yun Zhonghe was inferior to his own movements, with its elegant and perfectly executed leaps and bounds which had no left-over energy. All he had to do was to come to a sudden halt and strike with three palms, and Yun Zhonghe surely would not be able to take it. But Ba Tianshi was determined to defeat Yun Zhonghe solely through superior qinggong, and not through superior fighting ability. Thus, he continued to run with all his might.


    Suddenly, a coarse voice let fly a stream of curses. "Goddamnit, you guys are kicking up such a racket that your old man here can''t even sleep. What type of rabbit whelp has come?" The Divine Crocodile of the Southern Seas suddenly appeared, Crocodile Maw Scissors in hand, as he leapt closer and closer.


    Fu Sigui called out, "Your master''s father has come!" The Divine Crocodile yelled back, "What are you talking about, ''my master''s father''?" Fu Sigui pointed towards Duan Zhengchun. "The South-Subduing Prince is the father of young lord Duan. Young lord Duan is your master. Are you trying to deny it?" Although the Divine Crocodile had done many vile things, he had one good quality. He never reneged on anything he said or agreed to. Upon hearing these words, he was so angry that his face turned bright yellow, but couldn''t deny them. He angrily replied, "What ****ing business is it of yours, you son of a turtle, with regards to what goes on between me and my master?" Fu Sigui laughed. "I''m not your son. Why are you calling me the son of a turtle?"


    The Divine Crocodile was confused. Only after a long moment had passed did he realize that the other person had insulted him and called him a turtle in a roundabout way. After coming to this realization, with a series of loud ''wa'' cries, he repeatedly opened then chomped closed the two sides of his Crocodile Maw Scissors, then attacked Fu Sigui. He was a dim-witted person, but truly capable in martial arts. The Crocodile Maw Scissors were filled with a forest of white ''teeth'', similar to the sharp needles on top of a wolf''s fang cudgel. Fu Sigui received three of his attacks using his copper truncheon, and already felt his two arms turn sore. Chu Wanli waved his long pole, flourishing the soft steel-wire whip attached to the top of the pole and attacking the face of the Divine Crocodile. The Divine Crocodile drew his Crocodile''s Tail Whip and blocked the attack.


    Watching the battle scene, Emperor Baoding felt that none of his people were in any real danger. He said to Gao Shengtai, "Stay here and watch over things."


    Gao Shengtai replied, "Yes sir!" He stepped aside.


    Emperor Baoding entered the room and called out, "Yu''er! Are you here?" But no one responded. He opened the door to a side-room and called out again. "Yu''er! Yu''er!" Only to see a fifteen or sixteen year old girl come out from behind the door and ask, "You...who are you?" Emperor Baoding replied, "Where is Duan Yu?" The girl replied, "Why are you looking for him?" Emperor Baoding replied, "I''m going to rescue him."


    The girl shook her head. "You won''t be able to rescue him. He''s been locked inside a stone house, and sealed in with a large boulder. Someone is guarding him too." Emperor Baoding replied, "Take me to him. I''ll knock down the guard and push aside the boulder. Then I''ll rescue him." The girl shook her head again. "I can''t! If I took you there, my daddy will kill me." Emperor Baoding asked, "Who is your father?" The girl replied, "My surname is Zhong. My daddy is the master of this gorge." The girl was Zhong Ling, who had escaped from Mt. Wuliang.


    Emperor Baoding nodded. He thought that for such a little girl, using words to threaten her or martial arts to force her to reveal the secret would be degrading to his stature and position. Since Duan Yu was definitely in the gorge, it wouldn''t be too hard to locate him. He immediately exited the room, intending to find someone else to take him to Duan Yu.


    Inside the stone room, upon hearing that the freak in green was actually the most vile man in the world, he who was known as ''Evil Beyond Human Capacity'', Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing were terrified. In their shared fright, they rushed over and embraced each other. Duan Yu said in a low voice, "So we fell into the hands of ''Evil Beyond Human Capacity'', the most evil man in the entire world. This is really, really bad." With a ''wu'' sound, Mu Wanqing rested her head against his chest. Duan Yu gently stroked her hair. He consoled her, "Don''t be afraid."


    Both of their clothes were moist with sweat, as though they had just climbed out of a pool of water. Their bodies were burning hot, as though filled with steam. Smelling each other''s breath, they were even more attracted towards each other. One was a healthy and vigorous male youth; the other was a young woman filled with deep love. Even if they hadn''t been excited by the aphrodisiac, it would be difficult for them to control themselves. Much less now, having eaten the ''Yin and Yang Conjoining Powder'', which had an abnormally powerful effect and possessed a despotic might. It was enough to turn an honorable scholar into a lewd lowlife, a chaste woman into a prostitute. It bewildered minds, turning even virtuous sages into beasts. At this moment, everything depended on one thing remaining bright in Duan Yu''s mind; the pure and honorable reputation of the Duan dynasty. Only this allowed him to restrain himself.


    The man in green was extremely pleased. His strange voice laughed. "You two, brother and sister! Hurry up and become husband and wife. The sooner you two have a baby, the sooner you will escape your imprisonment. I''m leaving!" After speaking, he leapt over the tree wall.


    Duan Yu yelled loudly, "Yue Number Three! Yue Number Three! Your master is in trouble! Hurry up and help out!" He called out for a long time, but how could there be any response?


    Duan Yu thought to himself, "We''re in such a critical state. I can''t even accept him as my master now, even if I wanted to. If I had made a wrong choice and accepted an evil man as my master, that would only be my personal business. I wouldn''t have implicated my uncle and my father in this." Following this train of thought, he loudly shouted, "Divine Crocodile of the Southern Seas! I''m willing to accept you as my master now! I''m willing to be the heir of the Southern Seas sect! Quick, come and rescue your apprentice! If I die, you won''t have a student anymore!"


    He wildly shouted and cried out for a time, but never heard the Divine Crocodile''s voice. He suddenly thought to himself, "Oh no! Not good! The one person whom the Divine Crocodile fears the most is his superior, the most evil person in the world, ''Evil Beyond Human Capacity''. Even if he heard me shouting, he wouldn''t dare to come rescue us." His heart was filled with pure bitterness.


    Mu Wanqing softly said, "My darling Duan, after we become husband and wife, do you want for our first baby to be a boy or a girl?" Duan Yu replied, in a dazed voice, "A boy!"


    Suddenly, the sound of a female voice drifted in from outside the stone house. "Mr. Duan, you''re her big brother! You definitely can''t marry her!" Duan Yu was startled. "You...are you Miss Zhong?" That girl was indeed Zhong Ling. "Yes, it''s me! I eavesdropped on what that evil man in green said. I''ll definitely find a way to rescue you and Miss Mu!" Duan Yu was ecstatic. "That''s great! Quick, find and steal the antidote to the poison for me!" Mu Wanqing angrily shouted, "Zhong Ling! You little devil, scram! Who wants you to save us?" Zhong Ling said, "It''d be best if I first thought of some way to push this boulder away and rescued you two." Duan Yu replied, "No, no! You go find the antidote. I...I can''t hold on much longer. I''m...I''m about to die." Frightened, Zhong Ling cried, "What''s wrong? What do you mean, you can''t hold on much longer? Does your tummy hurt?" Duan Yu replied, "It isn''t my stomach that hurts." Zhong Ling asked again, "Is it your head that hurts?" Duan Yu replied, "That isn''t it either." Zhong Ling asked, "So where exactly do you feel uncomfortable?!"


    Duan Yu was filled with uncontrollable lust. How could he possibly explain this to the little girl? He only replied, "My entire body is uncomfortable. Just think of a way to steal the antidote for me." Zhong Ling wrinkled her forehead. "If you can''t tell me the symptoms, I won''t be able to find the antidote for you. My father has lots of antidotes, but I need to know if it is your stomach that hurts, your head that hurts, or your heart that hurts." Duan Yu let out a sigh. "I''m not hurting, precisely. I just...I was poisoned by something called the ''Yin and Yang Conjoining'' powder." Zhong Ling clapped her hands. "Since you know the name of the poison, it''ll be no problem at all. Big brother Duan, I''ll go and get the antidote from my daddy right now!"


    She hurriedly climbed over the tree wall, intending to go find her parents and convince them into giving her the antidote for the ''Yin and Yang Conjoining'' powder. The ''Yin and Yang Conjoining'' powder actually belonged to the man in the green, but as soon as Zhong Wanchou heard the name of it, he knew what type of thing it had to be. His horse-like face stretching in disapproval, he said, "Little girl, why are you asking about such inappropriate things? If you keep on talking such rubbish, I''ll grab you by the ear and give you a spanking." Zhong Ling hurriedly replied, "I''m not talking rubbish."


    Just then, Emperor Baoding and the rest of the party had entered the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge. Zhong Wanchou had hurriedly rushed out to confront the enemies, leaving Zhong Ling by herself in the room. She heard the sounds of a ferocious fight brewing outside, with weapons clashing, but ignored them. She focused her energies on rummaging through her father''s secret medicine cabinet. Zhong Wanchou had over a hundred medicine bottles with the names of the medicine written on them, but none of them were the antidote for the ''Yin and Yang Conjoining'' powder. She had no idea what to do. Suddenly, she heard someone entering the house. Exiting the room to see who it was, she had run into Emperor Baoding.


    Emperor Baoding looked for someone to lead him to Duan Yu, but couldn''t find anyone at all. Suddenly, he heard someone running towards him from behind. Turning his head, he saw Zhong Ling rushing towards him. He immediately stopped and waited for her. Zhong Ling ran towards him and said, "I couldn''t find the antidote! I guess it''ll be best to take you there. I wonder if you can push the boulder aside." Emperor Baoding was baffled. "Antidote? Boulder?" Zhong Ling said, "Just follow me. As soon as you see everything, you''ll understand."


    Although the pathways within the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge were complex and winding, with Zhong Ling leading the way, Emperor Baoding arrived at the tree wall in a matter of moments. Emperor Baoding grasped Zhong Ling''s arm. His body did not jump or flex, but suddenly levitated into the sky, smoothly and steadily flying past the tree wall. Zhong Ling clapped her hands excitedly. "Wonderful, wonderful! You fly so wonderfully! Wait! Oh no!"


    Someone was in front of the stone house. It was the man in green!


    Zhong Ling was absolutely terrified of this half-dead, half-living person. She whispered, "Hurry, let''s leave. We''ll come back after this person has left." Upon seeing this freak, Emperor Baoding was also extremely astonished. He comforted Zhong Ling. "With me here, you don''t need to be afraid. Duan Yu is inside this stone house, right?" Hiding behind him, Zhong Ling nodded.


    Emperor Baoding casually strolled forward. "Honored sir, please step aside." But the man in green seemed to have neither heard nor saw him, sitting there unmoving.


    Emperor Baoding said, "Honored sir, if you refuse to move, then please do not blame me for offending you!" Leaning sideways, he flashed past the man in green from the left. Slanting his right palm, he pressed it against the side of the boulder. Just as he was about to exert his energy to push it aside, he saw the man in green take out a thin steel cane and point it at his ''Quepen'' acupoint. When the steel cane reached within a foot of his body, it came to a halt, then began to quiver. If Emperor Baoding exerted any energy on the boulder, the steel cane would immediately attack, and he would be unable to dodge it at all.


    Emperor Baoding''s heart was filled with cold fear. He thought to himself, "This man''s acupoint sealing technique is extremely brilliant. Who can he be?" His right palm fluttered slightly, then chopped towards the steel cane. His left palm snaked underneath his right palm, resting itself against the boulder once more. The man in green shifted the position of his steel cane. It was now pointing at his ''Tianchi'' acupoint. Emperor Baoding''s palm moved as swiftly as the wind, shifting positions seven times. But each time, the man in green would simply move his cane to point at a different acupoint, adapting to the situation.


    The two exchanged many stances. Each time, the man in green''s threatened attack would prevent Emperor Baoding from exerting any energy to pushing the stone aside. His knowledge of the various acupoints on a persons body was extremely accurate. Emperor Baoding felt that it was on par with his own, and above that of his brother, Duan Zhengchun. Suddenly, he turned his palm into a finger, and with a ''chi'' sound, exercised the power of his ''Solitary Solar Finger''. He pointed at the steel cane. If his attack managed to connect with it, the cane would definitely be bent and warped. But suddenly, a ''chi'' sound came from the cane as well as it pointed back. Their energy streams met in the middle of the air. Emperor Baoding moved one step back while the man in green''s body trembled. A red light flashed across Emperor Baoding''s face. At the same time, a faint layer of even distributed blue light appeared on the man in green''s face as well.


    Emperor Baoding was astounded. He thought to himself, "Not only is this man''s martial arts extremely high, but he definitely must have some sort of past relationship with me. His cane technique is clearly related to the ''Solitary Solar Finger.'' Immediately, he cupped his hands towards him. "Senior, what is your respected name? I hope you can tell me." Only to hear a voice sound out. "Are you Duan Zhengming, or Duan Zhengchun." Emperor Baoding saw that he was able to speak without his lips moving and was all the more flabbergasted. He replied, "I am Duan Zhengming." The man in green let out a ''hngh'' of contempt. "So you are the current Baoding emperor of the country of Dali?" Emperor Baoding replied, "Exactly so." The man in green asked, "How does your martial arts compare with mine? Who is superior, who is inferior?"


    Emperor Baoding hesitated for a long moment, then said, "In martial arts, you are slightly better than me. But if the two of us are really to fight, I can defeat you." The man in green replied, "Correct. After all, my body is crippled. Sigh! I would never have thought that after becoming an emperor, you would have continued to practice martial arts so assiduously and not slack off in the slightest." Although the voice which emanated from his abdomen was extremely strange, one could still discern a sense of anger and despair.


    Unable to guess the origins of this person, countless questions flooded into Emperor Baoding''s heart. Suddenly, he heard an urgent cry from inside the room. It was Duan Yu''s voice. Emperor Baoding called out, "Yu''er! Are you alright? Don''t panic, I''ve come to rescue you!" Zhong Ling cried out in fear, "Mr. Duan! Mr. Duan!"


    Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing were suffering the powerful effects of the aphrodisiac. It was become harder and harder to resist their lustful desires. As time passed, Mu Wanqing had become so dazed that she had long-since forgotten that Duan Yu was her elder brother. She cried out, "My darling Duan, hold me. Hug me." She was a virgin, and thus had only a smattering of knowledge with regards to conjugal relations between men and women. All she knew was that her body felt so very dry and hot, and that only Duan Yu holding her would make her feel better. She threw herself at Duan Yu. Duan Yu cried out, "I can''t do that!" He dodged sideways, his feet unconsciously moving in the pattern of the ''Graceful Steps Upon the Waves''. Mu Wanqing, having missed her mark, fell onto the bed and fainted.


    Duan Yu walked a few more steps, and his internal energy automatically began to flow along his meridians. He walked faster and faster. An incredible suffocating feeling welled up in his stomach, making him feel as though he could hardly breathe. He couldn''t help but let out a loud cry. Suddenly, the feeling of suffocation diminished. He immediately walked a few more steps, then let out another cry. The feeling of lust diminished a bit. He heard but ignored the conversation between Emperor Baoding and the man in green, as well as Emperor Baoding''s exhortations to him to not panic.


    The man in green said, "This kid''s self control is not bad. After taking my ''Yin and Yang Conjoining'' powder, he can actually hold out for so long." Emperor Baoding was startled. "What type of poison is that?" The man in green replied, "It isn''t poison. It''s just a very strong type of aphrodisiac." Emperor Baoding asked, "What are your intentions, for you to feed him something like that?" The man in green replied, "Inside the room, there is a female as well. His sister!"


    As soon as Emperor Baoding heard this, he immediately understood this person''s treacherous plot. Even if his level of self-cultivation were much higher, he wouldn''t have been able to control the huge surge of anger he felt. Waving his sleeves, with a ''chi'' sound he struck out with a finger towards the man in green. The man in green blocked that attack with his steel cane. Emperor Baoding struck again with a second finger, this one aimed at his ''Qitu'' acupoint, right beneath his larynx. That was a fatal acupoint, and he expected the man in green to fiercely defend and counterattack.


    Who would have thought that the man in green only let out two cold chuckles. He neither defended nor dodged. Emperor Baoding, seeing him ignore the attack, felt the situation was extremely strange and retracted his attack. He asked, "Why are you willing to die?" The man in green replied, "It couldn''t be better if I died under your hands. Your sins will become yet another level deeper." Emperor Baoding asked, "Who are you?" The man in green whispered a single sentence.


    Upon hearing that sentence, the color of Emperor Baoding''s face changed. He said, "I don''t believe you!" The man in green switched the steel cane in his right hand to his left hand, then with his right hand, pointed at Emperor Baoding with a ''chi'' sound. Emperor Baoding slanted his body, dodging the attack, then returned a finger. The man in green then struck out with his middle finger. Emperor Baoding''s countenance grew heavy, and countered the attack with his own middle finger. The man in green''s third attack came with a sweeping motion from his ringer finger, then his fourth attack came from his pinky finger. In each case, Emperor Baoding countered with the exact same stance. When the time came for the fifth attack, the man in green pressed forward with his thumb. The thumb is the shortest of all fingers, and thus is the most ineffective and clumsy of them as well. But the power from this finger of his was the strongest yet. Emperor Baoding dared not to ignore it, and struck out with his own thumb as well.


    Watching from the side, Zhong Ling felt quite curious and baffled. She forgot how afraid of the man in green she was. Laughing, she said, "What are you guys doing? Playing rock, paper, scissors? He''s pointing at you, then you''re pointing at him. Who is winning?" While speaking, she walked closer to them. Suddenly, a powerful gust suddenly appeared, pushing at her. Startled, Zhong Ling suddenly felt her left shoulder hurt, so badly that she almost fainted. Turning his hand over, Emperor Baoding waved his palm towards her, smoothly pushing her body backwards, then leapt backwards as well and supported her. He said, "Stand here and don''t move." Startled, Zhong Ling asked, "Is he trying to kill me?" Emperor Baoding shook his head. "No. We''re competing martial arts. Other people can''t get close to us." Stretching out his hand, he gently patted her on the back a few times.


    The man in green said, "Do you believe me yet?" Emperor Baoding rushed forward, then bowed towards the person. "Zhengming pays his respects to his senior!" The man in green said, "You only refer to me as your senior. Are you refusing to fully recognize me, or is there still doubt in your heart?" Emperor Baoding replied, "I, Zhengming, am the guardian of an entire country. My words and actions must therefore be correspondingly serious and certain. I, Zhengming, have no sons. A heavy national responsibility is therefore laid upon the shoulders of this boy, Duan Yu. I ask for you, senior, to please release him." The man in green replied, "I want for Dali''s Duan dynasty to collapse and engage in evil, incestuous acts, then come to an end. Such a rare opportunity as this, do you expect me to so easily let it slip away?" Emperor Baoding said in a stern voice, "I, Duan Zhengming, definitely will not allow it!"


    The man in green laughed. "Heh, heh. You claim you are the emperor of Dali, but in my eyes, you are nothing but a rebel who coveted and stole the throne. If you have the courage to do so, feel free to go back and call out the national army and the imperial bodyguards. Let me tell you this. My influence is vastly less than yours, but for me to kill Duan Yu first would be accomplished as easily as turning over my hand. If you want to fight with me, you might be able to overcome me after several hundred stances. But if you want to actually kill me, that will be an incredibly difficult thing for you to accomplish. And as long as I am not dead, you will not be able to rescue Duan Yu."


    The color of Emperor Baoding''s face alternated between blue and white. He knew that this man''s words definitely were not false. There was no need to call for the national army or the imperial guards; all he needed was a single helper, and this man in green wouldn''t be able to hold out against them. But this would badly injure the reputation of the Duan family, and would not be in keeping with his own station. He couldn''t kill this man either. He said, "What do you want, before you are willing to release him?" The man in green said, "Something that is easily done, very easily done. All you need to do is to go to Tianlongsi, the Heavenly Dragon Monastery, and become a monk. Give the title of emperor back to me, and I will dissolve the drugs in Duan Yu''s body. I will return to you your good nephew, who is utterly without moral flaw or deficit, a rare dragon amongst men." Emperor Baoding replied, "How can I casually discard the inheritance which my ancestors have passed down to me?"


    The man in green laughed. "Heh, heh. So it was meant to be your inheritance, and not my inheritance? To return a possession to its original owner cannot be considered as ''casually discarding'' it. For me to not pursue the matter of you conspiring to seize my throne is already a sign of my magnanimousness. If you aren''t willing to do as I suggest, then you might as well wait for a while. After Duan Yu and his sister have a son together, I''ll release them." Emperor Baoding replied, "Better that you kill them instead!"


    The man in green replied, "Aside from this, there are two more options." Emperor Baoding asked, "What are they?" The man in green said, "The first option is to come up with a devious plot to murder me. Then, you can let him out." Emperor Baoding said, "I cannot plot against you." The man in green said, "Even if you wanted to scheme against me, you might not succeed. The second option is for you to call out Duan Yu and have him fight me himself, using the ''Solitary Solar Finger''. If he is able to defeat me, then he can leave, of course. Hah hah."


    Emperor Baoding felt his temper rising, and almost flared out. Only with a powerful effort did he manage to curb it. "Duan Yu doesn''t know a single shred of martial arts, much less know the ''Solitary Solar Finger''." The man in green replied, "The nephew of Dali''s Duan Zhengming doesn''t know the ''Solitary Solar Finger?'' Who can believe that?" Emperor Baoding replied, "Ever since he was young, Duan Yu studied the classics and Buddhist texts. He has a merciful character, and steadfastly refused to learn martial arts." The man in green said, "Yet another hypocrite putting on airs of false righteousness. If a person like this becomes the monarch of Dali, it definitely will not be a good thing. Better for me to kill him first!"


    Emperor Baoding asked forcefully, "Senior, are there truly no other options available?" The man in green replied, "Years ago, if other options were available, would I have fallen to such a state? Half living, half dead. Others gave me no options back then. Why should I give you other options now?"


    Emperor Baoding lowered his head and hesitated for a long moment. With a powerful effort, he raised his head. A resolute, unyielding expression was on his face. He called out, "Yu''er, I''ll think of a way to rescue you. Never forget that you are a scion of the Duan family!"


    Only to hear Duan Yu call out in reply, "Uncle, you...come in and kill me with a single finger." At this time, he had halted his footsteps, and was resting against the large boulder which was blocking the doorway. He clearly heard the second half of the conversation between Emperor Baoding and the man in green. Emperor Baoding said in a stern voice, "What? Have you acted in a way which would destroy the reputation of my Duan family?" Duan Yu replied, "No! No, I haven''t. Your nephew...your nephew is suffering from extreme heat. I won''t be able to live much longer."


    Emperor Baoding sighed. "Life and death are determined by fate. Let things take their course!" Grasping Zhong Ling''s arm, he ran across the open plains, then flew over the tree wall. He said, "Little girl, thank you for leading the way. In the future, I will definitely repay you." Retracing his steps, he returned to the main building.


    Emperor Baoding saw that despite Chu Wanli and Fu Sigui teaming up against the Divine Crocodile, victory or defeat was still yet to be determined. But Zhu Danchen and Gu Ducheng, under the pressure of Ye Erniang''s rectangular sabre, were find it difficult to cope. To the side, although Yun Zhonghe''s feet movements hadn''t slowed in the slightest, he was panting heavily, as though he were feeling weary. But Ba Tianshi showed great ease and relaxation with his ceaseless leaps and bounds.


    His hands folded behind his back, Gao Shengtai was casually strolling about as though he were utterly indifferent to the life-and-death battles which were being played out before him. But in actuality, his senses were keenly attuned, and he was keeping track of the entire overall situation. So long as no one appeared to be in imminent danger, there was not yet a need for him to intervene.


    Duan Zhengchun, Dao Baifeng, Qin Hongmian, and Zhong Wanchou had disappeared.


    Emperor Baoding asked, "Where is younger brother Chun?" Gao Shengtai responded, "After the South-Subduing Prince chased away gorge-master Zhong, he left with the princess to locate young lord Duan." Emperor Baoding called out loudly, "At this moment, there have been unexpected developments in the situation. Everybody, withdraw!"


    Ba Tianshi suddenly halted in his footsteps. Yun Zhonghe directly rushed towards him, and immediately, with a ''peng'' sound, Ba Tianshi sent out a palm towards Yun Zhonghe, who blocked with his own twin palms. Yun Zhonghe felt as though his mind, his qi, and his blood were all thrown into turmoil, and almost vomited blood on the spot. He forcefully suppressed the urge, but his vision had turned blurry. He was unable to see clearly where his opponent had gone. Ba Tianshi, however, did not follow up on his victory and press home the attack. With a clear, cold laugh, he said, "Thanks for the lesson!"


    Suddenly, Duan Zhengchun''s voice could be heard from behind the copse of trees to the west. "He isn''t here either. Let''s return to the back of the house and check again." Dao Baifeng''s voice followed. "Let''s just find someone and interrogate them. Can it be that this place really has no servants at all?" Next came Qin Hongmian''s voice. "My martial-sister told them to all go into hiding."


    Emperor Baoding, Gao Shengtai, and Ba Tianshi exchanged incredulous glances and smiles. All three of them felt that the South-Subduing Prince''s ability truly was vast and godlike. None of them had a clue as to what brilliant technique he used to cause these two women, who previously had been locked in a battle of life and death, to set aside their differences and work together to search for Duan Yu.


    Only to hear Duan Zhengchun say, "Then let''s go find your martial-sister. She certainly knows where Yu''er has been imprisoned." Dao Baifeng angrily said, "I won''t allow you to go see Gan Baobao! You scheming bastard!" Qin Hongmian said, "My martial-sister has already sworn to never see you ever again."


    While chatting, the three of them exited the tree line. Seeing Emperor Baoding, Duan Zhengchun said, "Elder brother, did you resc-...did you locate Yu''er yet?" At first, he was going to ask if Duan Yu had been rescued, but seeing that his son wasn''t here, he changed the sentence midstream. Emperor Baoding nodded. "I found him. Let''s talk about it when we get back home."


    Chu Wanli, Zhu Danchen, and the others had heard the emperor''s order to cease fighting, and had every intention of doing so, but Ye Erniang and the Divine Crocodile were enjoying the battle. They had no intention of stopping, and continued to embroil their opponents in this deadly battle. Emperor Baoding''s brows furrowed slightly. "Let''s go."


    Gao Shengtai replied, "Yes sir!" He withdrew his iron flute from his breast pockets, and with a ''ting'' sound, pointed it at the Divine Crocodile''s throat. Following that, he raised his arm and flipped his hand, sweeping the flute against Ye Erniang. These two attacks with the flute were both aimed at critical cracks in the enemy''s defense. The Divine Crocodile managed to dodge by somersaulting away. With a clapping sound, the iron flute repeatedly struck Ye Erniang''s left arm. Ye Erniang let out a loud cry, then hastily glided away, beating a retreat.


    Actually, Gao Shengtai''s level of martial arts wasn''t that much superior to these two. But he had been watching the fights progress for a long time, and had long since devised masterful strokes to deal with those two. Although his attack seemed as though it was meant to deal purely with the Divine Crocodile, it was actually a feint. His fierce, unexpected, genuine attack was actually aimed towards Ye Erniang, repaying her for the injury that palm of her had inflicted upon him. Although it appeared as though he executed these strokes as casually as another might write a few lines of free verse, in actuality, he had contemplated this attack in his heart many times. He had gathered all of his power, then struck out with full force with this attack.


    The Divine Crocodile''s bean-like eyes widened. He felt both alarmed and respectful. "Sonufa*****, what a guy! I couldn''t tell that you..." He didn''t complete the line of thought, but the meaning was naturally, "I couldn''t tell that you''re actually this fearsome. Looks like your old man here isn''t your match, kid."


    Dao Baifeng asked Emperor Baoding, "Emperor, how is Yu''er?" Emperor Baoding''s mind was filled with worry, but didn''t allow a single flicker of it to show on his expression. He said, in a voice devoid of passion, "He''s fine. This is an excellent opportunity for him to build up his self-discipline and to temper his character. He''ll come out in a few days. We''ll discuss this at length when we return to the palace." After these words, he turned and immediately left.


    Ba Tianshi took the front and led the way, while Duan Zhengchun and his wife stayed behind the emperor. Following them was Chu, Gu, Fu, and Zhu, the Four Imperial Guards, with Gao Shengtai bringing up the rear. With that outstandingly brilliant attack earlier, he had managed to cow those two people. Although the Divine Crocodile was violent and ferocious, he didn''t dare to go up and challenge him.


    After walking thirty or so meters, Duan Zhengchun couldn''t help but turn his head and gaze back at Qin Hongmian. Qin Hongmian was also watching his receding figure. Their two pairs of eyes met, and both of them were struck dumb.


    Suddenly, Zhong Wanchou brandished his large-ringed sabre and rushed out, flustered and exasperated, from the back room. He called out, "Duan Zhengchun! On this visit, you weren''t able to see my wife. Consider that your good fortune! I won''t give you trouble on your way out. My wife has already sworn an oath that she will never see you again in the future. But...but...but I can''t rely on that alone! If she sees you again, maybe she''ll ****ing...she''ll...bah, to put it briefly, you aren''t allowed to come here again!" After fighting with Duan Zhengchun and being unable to achieve victory after many stances, he had immediately retreated, going back to guard his wife, so as to prevent Duan Zhengchun for coming for her and seducing her. After hearing his wife swear an oath that she definitely would never see Duan Zhengchun again, he was hugely relieved, and then hurriedly ran out again to make this demand towards Duan Zhengchun.


    Duan Zhengchun''s heart was saddened. He secretly said to himself, "Why? Why is it that you refuse to see me in the future? You are already another man''s wife. How could I possibly act to ruin your chastity? Although the second son of Dali''s Duan dynasty is dissolute and lascivious, he isn''t a shameless, contemptible thug. Just let me see you again. Even if the two of us stood far away from each other and didn''t say a single word to each other, I would be happy." Turning his head, he saw that his wife was gazing at him coldly. His own heart suddenly trembled, and he sped up his footsteps, leaving the gorge.


    The party returned to Dali. Emperor Baoding said, "Everybody, let us discuss the situation at the palace." Arriving at the royal study in the imperial palace, Emperor Baoding sat on a chair covered with leopard fur in the middle of the room. Duan Zhengchun and his wife sat on the ground next to him. Gao Shengtai and the others cupped their hands, awaiting further orders.


    Emperor Baoding ordered that stools be brought for each of them, then ordered for them to be seated. Dismissing the servants, he explained how it was that Duan Yu fell into the enemy''s hands. Everyone knew that the man in green was the key to the situation. Upon hearing Emperor Baoding say that not only did this person know the ''Solitary Solar Finger'', but that his skill in it was above the emperor''s own, everyone present didn''t dare to interrupt. Each of them lowered their heads in thought. They all knew that the ''Solitary Solar Finger'' was something which was passed down from one generation to the next within the Duan family. Only the sons were trained in it, and not the daughters, much less outsiders. If the man in green knew this art, he must be the offspring of the royal line.


    (Note: This rule was unbroken until a later descendant of the Duan family, Duan Zhixing, also known as master Yideng, broke the ancestral proscriptions by teaching this divine art to Wang Chongyang in order to subdue Ouyang Feng. He later passed the teachings of it to his four disciples: The fisherman, the woodcutter, the farmer, and the scholar. For a comprehensive overview, see ''Legend of the Eagle-Shooting Heroes''.) [Translator''s note: This note was not put in by me, but was included in the text of my copy of the novel.]


    Emperor Baoding said to Duan Zhengchun, "Younger brother Chun, try and guess who this person is." Duan Zhengchun lowered his head. "I can''t guess it. Can it be that someone from the Heavenly Dragon Monastery has returned to the secular world?" Emperor Baoding said, "No. It is Crown Prince Yanqing!"


    After these words were spoken, everyone present was extremely shocked. Duan Zhengchun said, "Crown Prince Yanqing left the mortal world long ago! This man surely must be an imposter who is faking his identity!" Emperor Baoding replied, "His identity can be faked, but the ''Solitary Solar Finger'' cannot be. It''s a commonplace occurrence in the wulin for someone to secretly learn the martial arts of another sect. But how could anyone possibly manage to pilfer his way into this type of internal energy learning? This person is definitely Crown Prince Yanqing. There is no mistaking it!"


    Duan Zhengchun pondered this for a long time. He asked, "Then he is a noble figure within our Duan family. Why would he choose to destroy pristine and pure reputation of our house?" Emperor Baoding sighed. "This person''s entire body is crippled. His temperament is strange as well. Nothing can be understood through conventional reasoning. Much less, I now sit on Dali''s imperial throne. His heart is naturally filled with resentment and melancholy. He wants for us brothers to have our reputations swept away."


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Elder brother, you assumed the throne long ago. The ministers and the common folk alike support you, and the borders are peaceful. Forget about Crown Prince Yanqing, even if Emperor Shangde [Duan Yanqing''s father] was reborn, he couldn''t reclaim the throne."


    Gao Shengtai rose to his feet. "The South-Subduing Prince''s words are absolutely correct. Let''s just have Crown Prince Yanqing deliver young lord Duan into our hands. In fact, there''s no need for us to recognize him as a Crown Prince at all. We should only view him as the leader of the four most evil villains in all the world, whom every man must condemn and punish. Although he possesses a high level of martial arts, in the end, he can''t overmatch all of us."


    [This excerpt is translated partially by Laviathan, partially by me.]


    More than ten years ago during the fifth year in the reign of the Emperor Shangde Duan Lianyi, a great and sudden upheaval occurred in the court of Dali. The Emperor Shangde was killed by the treacherous official Yang Yizhen. Consequently, Duan Shouhui, the nephew of the deceased emperor, sought the assistance of the eminent monks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple and the loyal minister Gao Zhisheng to have Yang Yizhen killed. After ascending the throne, Duan Shouhui became the Shangming emperor. Emperor Shangming did not want to be an emperor. After reigning for but a single year, he abdicated and became a Buddhist monk at the Heavenly Dragon Temple, giving his position to his younger cousin Duan Zhengming, who became the Baoding emperor. The Emperor Shangde had a son, whom the court addressed as Prince Yanqing. During the coup of Yang Yizhen, the situation had been so chaotic that no one knew where Prince Yanqing had gone. He was soon presumed dead, killed by Yang. Therefore, no one had expected that Prince Yanqing would suddenly reappear so many years after the incident.


    [Excerpt completed.]


    After hearing Gao Shengtai''s words, Emperor Baoding shook his head. "The position of emperor originally belonged to Crown Prince Yanqing. It was only because he could not be found that Emperor Shangming accepted the throne, then passed it to me. Since Crown Prince Yanqing has appeared, I should resign my position to him." Turning his head, he said to Gao Shengtai, "If your esteemed father was still alive, he would be of like mind." Gao Shengtai was the son of Gao Zhisheng, a minister who had rendered outstanding service. The wiping out of the rebel forces in the past was completely due to the great efforts Gao Zhisheng had exerted.


    Gao Shengtai took a step forward, then knelt down. "My late father was loyal to his lord and loved his citizens. This freak in green claims to be the leader of the Four Evils. If he became the monarch of Dali, who can imagine how much the people would suffer under his reign? Even if I, your servant, were threatened with ten thousand deaths, I cannot accept your abdication!"


    Also kneeling down, Ba Tianshi said, "Earlier, I heard the monstrous voice of the Divine Crocodile calling out and saying that their leader, the head of the Four Evils, was known as...what was it again? ''Evil Beyond Human Capacity''? If this person is not Crown Prince Yanqing, he naturally cannot be allowed to achieve his goals. But even if he is Crown Prince Yanqing, how can such a vicious, treacherous knave be allowed to rule over the people of Dali? If that were to happen, the country would certainly collapse, and many lives would be lost."


    Emperor Baoding waved his arm. "The two of you, please rise. Your words are full of sense and reason. But Yu''er has fallen into his clutches. Aside from me abdicating, what method is there for us to get Yu''er back home?"


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Elder brother, we, the subjects, should be the ones giving away our lives to help protect our emperor. Even though you love Yu''er, how can you throw away your important position for him? Even if Yu''er manages to escape using your method, he would become the greatest sinner of all Dali."


    Emperor Baoding rose to his feet. With his left hand, he stroked his long beard, while he lightly tapped his forehead with two fingers of his right hand. He began to pace in a circle in the study room. Everyone here knew that he always pondered in such a way when he was unsure as to how to best deal with an important issue. No one dared to make a sound, for fear of derailing his train of thought. Emperor Baoding walked back and forth. Only after a long time had passed did he speak again. "Crown Prince Yanqing is a poisonous and vile schemer. He fed Yu''er the ''Yin and Yang Conjoining'' powder. The strength of this drug is very profound. It''s difficult for ordinary people to resist. I fear...I fear that his brain has already been fully bewildered by this drug." He sighed. "This is is a villainous plot indeed. We can''t hold Yu''er responsible for what he does."


    Duan Zhengchun lowered his head. His sense of shame was boundless. He thought to himself that the root of this disaster came from his dissolute, lascivious way.


    Emperor Baoding returned to his seat. "Minister Ba, issue a decree. Have the Imperial Hanlin Academy prepare a written edict, conferring up on my brother, Zhengchun, the position of Huang Taidi, ''Imperial Crown Brother''. [This is a title conferred upon a sibling of an Emperor which puts that sibling first in the line of succession for the throne, above that of even the Emperor''s own children.]


    Duan Zhengchun was startled, then hurriedly knelt down. "Elder brother, you have always been benevolent and upright, and have governed the people virtuously. The heavens will surely protect you, and you will have countless sons and grandsons. Please rescind your edict!"


    Extending his hand, Emperor Baoding lifted Duan Zhengchun up. "You and I are brothers. The country of Dali should''ve been administered by the both of us to begin with. Forget about the fact that I don''t have sons or grandsons. Even if I had both, I would transfer my throne to you. Younger brother Chun, I made the decision to make you my heir long ago. Everyone in the country knows that. Today, we''ll make it official, to let Crown Prince Yanqing know that he will not achieve his heart''s desire!"


    Duan Zhengchun declined multiple times, but Emperor Baoding refused to allow him to. He had no choice but to kowtow and thank the emperor. Gao Shengtai and the others rushed forward to congratulate him. As Emperor Baoding was without sons, the imperial throne would definitely go to Duan Zhengchun in the future. This is something which had been long anticipated, and no one was surprised at all. Emperor Baoding said, "Everyone, go get some rest. This affair with Crown Prince Yanqing can only be told to Minister of Education Hua, and Minister of War Fan. Besides those two, this secret cannot be divulged." Everyone agreed in one voice, then left after paying their respects. Ba Tianshi immediately left for the Imperial Hanlin Academy to publicly declare the imperial order.


    Emperor Baoding ate some food, then took a little nap. When he woke up, he faintly heard the sounds of celebration from outside, as firecrackers exploded ceaselessly. A servant helped him into his robes, then reported, "After hearing that your majesty conferred the position of ''Imperial Crown Brother'' upon the South-Subduing Prince, the common people were filled with joy and started to celebrate. It''s quite lively outside." In the past few years, military ventures had become outmoded in Dali, and the imperial court was pure and bright. The citizens lived and worked in peace and happiness. They absolutely loved and respected such rulers as Emperor Baoding, the South-Subduing Prince, and the Marquis of Virtuous Enlightenment.


    Emperor Baoding said, "Send forth my decree. Tomorrow, hang out colored lanterns in celebration everywhere. Cancel the usual curfews. Reward the entire army, and bestow a gift of wine and meat to all the elderly and all the orphans." After this edict was passed out, the joy of the common people only increased even more, to the point of the entire city boiling with it.


    At the fall of night, Emperor Baoding changed into cheap clothes and left the palace by himself. He covered much of his face with a big hat, hiding his features behind it. Everywhere he went, he only saw the common people clapping and singing songs of praise, with young men and women singing and dancing together.


    At the time, the people of the central plains considered the people of Dali to be barbarians, as their etiquettes and customs were very different from that of China proper. The streets were filled with young men and women holding hands, flirting, and laughing together as though they were in a secluded area. No one thought this was strange at all. Emperor Baoding secretly prayed, "If only the people of Dali can forever be so happy."


    After leaving the city, he hastened his steps, traveling more than twenty li before he entered a mountain range. The farther he walked, the more barren was the land around him. After passing through four mountain cavities, he arrived in front of a small monastery. At the monastery gates were written the words, "Flower Gathering Monastery". The national religion of Dali was Buddhism. There were tens of large monasteries outside the nation''s capitals, and over a hundred small ones. The ''Flower Gathering Monastery'' was far away from civilization, and few joss sticks were burning in front of it. Even if one was a citizen of Dali, one might not know of the place.


    Emperor Baoding stood silently in front of the monastery for a short moment, then strode forward and lightly knocked three times at the gate. After quite some time, the monastery gates opened and a novice monk came out. He politely asked, "A respected guest has brightened our doorway. What worthy purpose has led you here?" Emperor Baoding replied, "I''d like to trouble you to inform Master Huangmei [lit. ''Yellow Brows''] that an old friend, Duan Zhengming, is requesting to see him." The novice monk said, "Please, enter."


    Turning, he respectfully waved him in. Emperor Baoding lifted up his foot, preparing to step inside the monastery. He suddenly heard two clear ''ding'' sounds emanate from a chime the inner courtyard. All of a sudden, his entire body felt cool and pure. His thoughts became tranquil, and his spirit filled with peace.


    Freed of anxiety, he entered the monastery and headed for the inner courtyard. The novice monk said, "Respected guest, please wait here. I will go report to my master." Emperor Baoding said, "Alright." Folding his hands behind his back, he stood in the middle of the courtyard.


    There was a gingko tree standing in the courtyard. He watched as a single yellow leaf slowly drifted down from it. In his entire life, there had been extremely few instances of him standing outside and waiting for someone else. But as soon as he entered the ''Flower Gathering Monastery'', customs and conventions died away. He totally forgot that he was the emperor.


    Suddenly, an aged voice laughed. "My worthy younger brother Duan, what problems do you have in your heart?" Emperor Baoding turned around, seeing a tall, lofty old monk with a face full of wrinkles push open the door from a small residence. On this old monk''s face was two long, sickly yellow eyebrows, the tails of which sagged downwards. It was the Yellow Browed Monk.


    Cupping his hands, Emperor Baoding said, "Excuse me for disrupting your meditations." The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. "Please, enter." Emperor Baoding strode forward and entered the small residence. Two middle-aged monks immediately cupped their hands, paying their respects to him. Emperor Baoding knew that they must be the disciples of the Yellow Browed Monk, and quickly returned their salute. He sat down on a prayer mat to the left of the main prayer mat, which the Yellow Browed Monk took.


    After the Yellow Browed Monk seated himself, Emperor Baoding said, "I have a nephew named Duan Yu. When he was seven, I carried him here, and we listened to you, martial brother, expound on the scriptures." The Yellow Browed Monk let out a small smile. "That child has an extremely remarkable comprehension. He''s a good kid. Good kid!" Emperor Baoding said, "He has been enlightened by Buddhism doctrine and has a merciful heart. He was unwilling to learn martial arts in order to avoid killing others." The Yellow Browed Monk said, "If one doesn''t know martial arts, one can still kill others. If one learns martial arts, one still might kill others."


    Emperor Baoding replied, "Yes!" Thereupon he related the story of how Duan Yu was firmly opposed to learning martial arts and ran away from home, how he met Mu Wanqing, and how he was trapped by ''The Most Evil Man in the World'', Crown Prince Yanqing, inside the stone house. A small smile on his lips, the Yellowed Browed Monk listened quietly, not interjecting a single time. The faces of his two disciples, who were standing behind him and waiting on him, didn''t change in the slightest.


    After Emperor Baoding was finished, the Yellow Browed Monk slowly said, "This Crown Prince Yanqing is your older male cousin. It''s inappropriate for you to fight with him. It''s even inappropriate for you to send your subordinates to fight with him." Emperor Baoding replied, "Martial brother, you see things clearly." The Yellow Browed Monk said, "The elder monks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple are extremely virtuous, and their martial arts exceed yours as well, worthy brother. But by entering Buddhist orders, they have severed their ties with the Duan dynasty. It''s also inappropriate for them to side with you, worthy brother, in an internicine dispute. Thus, you cannot request aid from the Heavenly Dragon Temple as well." Emperor Baoding said, "Exactly so."


    The Yellow Browed Monk nodded. He extended his middle finger slowly, then pointed towards Emperor Baoding. Emperor Baoding let out a small smile, then pointed out with his own finger as well. Aiming at the Yellow Browed Monk''s middle finger, he pointed towards it. Their figures swayed, and they immediately withdrew their fingers. The Yellow Browed Monk said, "Worthy brother Duan, the force from my ''Vajra Finger'' cannot overcome your ''Solitary Solar Finger''." Emperor Baoding replied, "Martial brother, your wisdom is deep and your intelligence is vast. You can achieve victory without purely relying on the power of your fingers." The Yellow Browed Monk lowered his head and was silent.


    Emperor Baoding rose to his feet. "Five years ago, you told me to revoke the salt taxes. But I did not, for two reasons. First, the country did not need it. And secondly, I desired for Duan Zhengchun to assume the throne after me, and intended for him to do it in my stead, thereby winning the hearts of the populace. But tomorrow, I will immediately order for the salt taxes to be abrogated."


    The Yellow Browed Monk stood up, then knelt and respectfully prostrated himself before the Emperor. "Worthy brother, you take such care of your people. This old monk is endlessly gratified." Emperor Baoding also knelt down and returned the bow. He said nothing more, and quickly glided away from the monastery.


    Returning to the palace, Emperor Baoding immediately ordered the servants to summon Minister Ba. He ordered him to abolish the salt tax. Ba Tianshi kowtowed, thanking the Emperor for his benevolence. "Majesty, your great benevolence is the utmost fortune of the common people." Emperor Baoding said, "Make sure that our own use of salts is reduced and restrained whenever possible in the palace. Go discuss this with ministers Hua and Fan and see if you can think of any areas where we can cut back." Ba Tianshi agreed and left the palace.


    Ba Tianshi immediately arranged for a meeting with Minister Hua Hegen, and together they arrived at the manor of Fan Hua, the Minister of War. He informed them of the abolishment of the salt tax. With regards to the matter of Duan Yu being kidnapped, he had already informed them earlier.


    Fan Hua muttered to himself, "The South-Subduing Prince''s son has fallen into the hands of a vile man. For the Emperor to suddenly decide to abolish the salt tax¡­he must be using this as a method of beseeching heaven for its help to return the South-Subduing Prince''s son safe and sound. If we cannot help alleviate his concerns as a Emperor and as an uncle, what face will we have to remain in the leadership position of the imperial court?"


    Ba Tianshi said, "Exactly so. Second brother, what brilliant scheme have you thought of to rescue the child?" Fan Hua replied, "Since our opponent is Crown Prince Yanqing, the Emperor will do everything possible to avoid directly confronting him as an enemy. I do have a plan, but I''m afraid it will be burdensome for our elder brother." Minister Hua Hegen hurriedly said, "So what if it requires hard work? Second brother, hurry and explain."


    Fan Hua explained, "The Emperor himself said that Crown Prince Yanqing''s martial arts ability was slightly above that of his own. Naturally, it won''t be possible for us to forcibly break Duan Yu out of the house. Elder brother, why don''t you once more take up that old profession of yours from twenty years ago?" Minister Hua''s entire face blushed red. He laughed. "Second brother, you''re making fun of me again."


    The Minister of Education Hua Hegen was originally named Hua Egen. He was of lowly birth. Although he had now risen to the stature of being one of the three most powerful ministers of Dali, before his rise, he was in the business of graverobbing. His best skill was in looting the tombs of princes and rich merchants. After they died, these wealthy people would often be buried with many riches and precious treasures. Hua Egen would tunnel his way into the tombs and steal the treasures. Although it required a tremendous amount of effort, he was never detected by anyone.


    Once, upon tunneling his way into a particular tomb, he discovered a secret martial arts manual. Practicing in accordance with it, he managed to learn an extraordinarily powerful set of exterior martial arts. Following that, he abandoned his mean job and became an assistant to Emperor Baoding, rendering outstanding service and finally rose to the prestigious level of Minister of Education. He felt that the deeds attached to his old name were too vulgar, and therefore changed his name to Hegen. Aside from Ba Tianshi and Fan Hua, those two dear friends of his whom he had undergone life and death experiences with, very few people knew of his origins.


    Fan Hua said, "How would I dare mock you, elder brother? I was thinking of us secretly sneaking inside the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge, then digging a tunnel straight into the stone house where the South-Subduing Prince''s son is kept. That way, without a single soul knowing, we would be able to rescue him."


    Hua Hegen slapped his thigh. "Brilliant! Brilliant!" He was born addicted to the hobby of tomb-robbing. Although in the past twenty years he didn''t dare do such a thing, whenever he thought about the old days and reminisced, his hands couldn''t help but itch. But he was a high official of exceeding rank and glory. How could he possibly go back to grave-robbing again? But now, upon hearing Fan Hua''s words, he couldn''t help but be hugely delighted.


    Fan Hua laughed. "Elder brother, don''t be too happy this early. There are plenty of difficulties with regards to this plan. The Four Evils are residing with this gorge; in addition, Zhong Wanchou, his wife, and the Asura Sabre are also exceptionally formidable people. To keep this hidden from them really is no simple task. In addition, Crown Prince Yanqing has personally decided to serve as garrison for the stone house. If the tunnel is dug past him, how could he not feel it?


    Hua Hegen mumbled to himself for a long while, then said, "The tunnel must be dug from the back of the stone house, so as to avoid Crown Prince Yanqing." Ba Tianshi said, "The South-Subduing Prince''s son is in imminent danger. Digging a tunnel is no small task. I''m worried that we won''t be able to complete it in time." Hua Hegen said, "Let us three brothers do it together. I''ll have to request that you lower your stations and dignity, and learn the arts of being a petty graverobbing thief from me." Ba Tianshi laughed. "It seems that the three great ministers of Dali are now unshakeably duty-bound to engage in the unsavory business of tomb raiding." All three of them laughed, clapping their hands together.


    Hua Hegen said, "There''s no time to waste. If we''re going to do it, let''s do it!" Ba Tianshi immediately whipped out the map of the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge. Hua Hegen drafted out a proposed tunnel route. The issues of what to do with the dirt they dug out, or how to avoid being detected, were things that he was incomparably skilled at.


    Duan Yu had felt hot and agitated for every moment within the past day and night. He began to use the ''Graceful Steps Upon the Waves'', walking about quickly within the room. He only needed to complete one or two revolutions before feeling a sense of coolness. But Mu Wanqing''s entire body felt as though it were scorching, and her senses were addled. At least half the time, she would just dazedly lean against the stone wall.


    At midday, Duan Yu once more began to stride about the room. Suddenly, he heard an aged voice speak from outside. "So very many people have been engrossed by the nineteen horizontal and vertical lines. Layman, would you be in the mood to discuss some things with this old monk?" Duan Yu felt strange. He immediately slowed down his footsteps, and after taking ten more, came to a halt altogether. He peered outside via the hole through which food was delivered.


    He saw an old monk with sallow yellow eyebrows and a face filled with wrinkles. In his left hand, he held a steel muyu instrument [Buddhist percussion instrument used to beat a rhythym while chanting prayers] the size of a rice bowl. In his right hand, he held a hammer. He repeatedly struck the muyu with the hamer several times, producing a series of loud clangs. From the sound of it, the hammer must have been made of steel as well. While doing so, he chanted Buddhist prayers. "Amituofo! Amituofo!"


    Bowing his head, he pointed the hammer at a blue stone in front of the stone house and began to draw a line. With a ''chi'' sound, bits of stone began to fly everywhere, and a straight line immediately appeared. Duan Yu felt strange. He vaguely felt as though he had seen this old monk before in the past. The power in his hands was incredible. With but a casual wave of the hand, a deep mark had been made in the blue stone. The results were similar to that which a stonemason might have achieved using hammer and chisel over a long period of time. The line carved was extremely straight as well. If a stonemason had wanted to carve out a line so straight, he would have had to draw it out first.


    A gloomy voice in front of the stone house spoke. "Power of the Vajra Finger. Good skill!" It was the man in green, "Evil Beyond Human Capacity." Stretching out his left cane, he also carved out a horizontal line on the stone. This straight line intersected perfectly with the one carved out by the Yellow Browed Monk. His line was also carved deeply within the stone and very straight, without any crookedness or curvature.


    The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. "Benefactor, you are willing to grant your instructions to me? Excellent, excellent." He carved out a second vertical line with his steel hammer. Following him, the man in green carved out a horizontal line with his steel cane. And thus, in such a manner, these two exerted their energies to carve. They carved slower and slower, unwilling for there to be the slightest difference in the depth of their respective lines, or crookedness in their lines. If that had happened, they would have lost to their opponent.


    In the time it would take to cook a bowl of rice, the nineteen horizontal and vertical lines of a Go chessboard had been neatly carved out on the stone. The Yellow Browed Monk thought to himself, "Mr. Zhengming spoke truly. Crown Prince Yanqing''s internal energy really is formidable." Crown Prince Yanqing didn''t know that the Yellow Browed Monk had come with a specific purpose in mind. He was shocked, wondering to himself, "Where did such a powerful old monk come from? Hm, he must be a helper whom Duan Zhengming called for. With him keeping me entangled, if Duan Zhengming were to go rescue Duan Yu, I would be unable to prevent him from doing so."


    The Yellow Browed Monk said, "Benefactor Duan, your strength is deep and profound. Admirable, admirable. Your skill at chess is surely tenfold that of this old monk''s as well. This old monk would like to request that you allow me a handicap of four stones." The man in green was startled. He thought to himself, "The power of your fingers is so very profound. You must be a famous man of high status. You came to challenge me. How could you immediately ask for me to give way to you?" He replied, "Master, no need to be courteous. Victory and defeat must naturally be determined on an even playing field." The Yellow Browed Monk replied, "You really must allow me the handicap of four stones." The man in green said emotionlessly, "Since you claim that you have little skill in chess, there is no need for you to force yourself to play." The Yellow Browed Monk replied, "Then just let me have an advantage of three stones instead?" The man in green replied, "I will give you a handicap of one stone, if you give me the same."


    The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. "Evidently, your accomplishments in the field of chess are limited. I''ll allow you the handicap of three stones instead." The man in green replied, "That is also unnecessary. We shall simply play." In the Yellow Browed Monk''s heart, a feeling of dread grew. "This man is neither conceited nor rash. He is somber to the extreme. A truly formidable opponent. No matter how I badgered him, he wouldn''t react to me." As it happened, the Yellow Browed Monk wasn''t certain of victory. He knew that all chess players liked to outdo others. Generally, when he requested a handicap of three or four stones, his opponents would agree. He himself was beyond such worldly things, and cared little for such empty things as reputations. If Crown Prince Yanqing, desiring to flaunt his abilities in chess, had agreed to allow a handicap, the Yellow Browed Monk would have gained a massive advantage, and naturally would have had an increased chance of success in this battle. He didn''t expect that Crown Prince Yanqing neither allowed others to take advantage of him, nor would take advantage of others. He wasn''t the least bit negligent, showing an unparalleled solemnity and sternness.


    The Yellow Browed Monk said, "Fine. You''re the host. I''m the guest. I''ll take the first move." The man in green said, "No! A powerful dragon cannot crush a snake in his own haunts [lit., a powerful force must give way to a weaker one if on the weaker one''s turf]. I will go first." The Yellow Browed Monk said, "Then the only way we can determine who will go first is via a guessing game. Please guess if my age this year is even or odd. If you guess correctly, you may go first. If not, I go first." The man in green said, "Even if I guess correctly, you will deny it." The Yellow Browed Monk said, "Fine! Then guess something which I won''t be able to deny. When I am seventy years old, will the number of toes on my feet be even, or odd?"


    This riddle was extremely bizarre. The man in green thought to himself, "Everyone has ten toes. Of course the number will be even. He''s purposefully trying to lead me into saying that the number of toes he has when he is seventy will be an odd number. It is written in the Art of War that lies are hidden within the truth, and the truth is hidden within lies. He has ten toes, but purposefully made the exact number seem mysterious so as to deceive me. How can I fall for such a trick?" He said, "The number is even." The Yellow Browed Monk replied, "Wrong. It is odd." The man in green said, "Remove your shoes and prove it."


    The Yellow Browed Monk took off his left shoe, revealing five toes in perfectly good shape. The man in green, observing his opponent''s countenance, saw a small smile on his face. He thought to himself, "So he really only has four toes on his right feet." He watched as the monk unhurriedly removed his right shoe as well, then slowly began to remove his socks. He was just about to say, "No need to check. Just go ahead and play the first stone." But suddenly, he thought to himself, "Wait. I can''t fall for a trick." He watched as the monk removed the sock from his right foot as well. Once again, five perfect, undamaged toes were revealed. Where was any disfigurement? There was none at all.


    Countless thoughts flashed through the mind of the man in green, as he wondered what was the meaning behind this move of his opponent. Only to see the Yellow Browed Monk casually wave his small steel hammer downwards. With a ''ka'' sound, he chopped off the pinky toe of his right foot. His two disciples stood behind him. Upon seeing their master disfigure himself, causing blood to flow in front of him, they couldn''t help but let out an ''ah'' cry. Uncertaintly, the elder disciple took out the ''Golden Salve'' medicine from his breastpocket, applying it to his master''s wounds. Ripping off part of his clothes, he bound up the wound.


    The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. "This old monk is sixty nine years old. When I am seventy years old, the number of toes on my feet will be odd."


    The man in green said, "So it will be. You may move first." He was known as ''The Most Evil Man in the World''. What type of vile or brutal atrocity had he not committed? Why would he care about the mere chopping off of a pinky toe? But upon seeing this old monk be willing to part with his own toe and resort to such extreme methods in order to gain the small advantage of moving first, he knew that he would definitely prove the victor in this game of chess. Even if he lost, the terms which he would exact would be harsh beyond imagining.


    The Yellow Browed Monk replied, "Thank you for giving way." Extending his steel mallet, he drew two circles on a diagonal line of the inside of the board, symbolizing white chess pieces. The man in green extended his own cane and lightly pressed on the line of the opposing diagonal. The circular indentation served to symbolize the black chess pieces. Together, the four formed a square within the middle of the board. To place two black and two white chess pieces on the board in such a fashion, forming a ''shizi'', was a rule in the ancient Chinese art of Go. The white pieces would be placed first, followed by the black pieces, opposite of what later generations would do. Following this, the Yellow Browed Monk placed a white piece in the ''Ping'' quadrant, where the sixth vertical and third horizontal lines intersected. The man in green answered with a piece at where the ninth vertical and third horizontal lines intersected. These two starting moves came extremely quickly. The Yellow Browed Monk didn''t dare to be the slightest bit negligent, for fear of losing the advantage which he had purchased using his own pinky toe.


    By the time the seventeeth or eighteenth stones were laid, the two sides were in diametric opposition to each other, engaging in a fierce struggle. At the same time, the power from each person''s finger continued to be used up. They focused on the game, striving for victory, while also generating their internal energies. The game began to slow down.


    The second disciple of the Yellow Browed Monk, Pochen, was also an expert at this game. He saw his master and the man in green utilize marvelous military tactics, and many variations were used. A threat to the Yellow Browed Monk''s pieces in the lower right corner of the board appeared. If the Yellow Browed Monk did not move to cope with the threat, he would be exposing those pieces to extreme hidden dangers. But if he used a piece to guard that corner, he would have lost the offensive.


    The Yellow Browed Monk was unable to make up his mind for a long time. Suddenly, a voice cried out from the stone house. "Counterattack at the ''Qu'' quadrant, and you won''t lose the offensive." As it happened, Duan Yu excelled at chess ever since his youth. At this moment, seeing the vicious battle which those two were engaged in, he couldn''t help but blurt out what the next move should be. A common saying described this situation most aptly: "The spectators see clearly, the players'' eyes are clouded." Duan Yu''s skill in chess was higher than that of the Yellow Browed Monk. With him being in the position of a spectator, it was all the more easier for him to see the key to solving the dilemma.


    The Yellow Browed Monk said, "This old monk was going to make that move all along. Only, I was unable to follow through with that choice. Young benefactor, your words have removed the doubt in my mind." He immediately placed a piece at the ''Qu'' position, where the seventh vertical line met the third horizontal. According to ancient Chinese rules of playing Go, the chessboard was divided into the quadrants of "Ping", "Shang", "Qu", and "Ru". The "Qu" quadrant was in the upper right corner.


    The man in green said emotionlessly, "The onlooker who does not speak is of noble character; the player who makes his own move is a true man." Duan Yu yelled back, "You imprisoned me in this room. You aren''t a gentleman of noble character to begin with!" The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. "I''m a true monk, not a true man." The man in green said, "Shameless. Shameless." After thinking for a moment, he pressed his cane down and created an indentation within the ''Qu'' quadrant.


    After their armies had exchanged countless attacks, the Yellow Browed Monk''s forces were once more in danger. His disciple, Pochen, was worried while watching. Duan Yu, however, didn''t make a sound. Thus Pochen walked next to the stone house. In a low voice, he whispered, "Mr. Duan, how should this next move be played?" Duan Yu replied, "I already thought of a solution. The problem is, the solution must be implemented across seven moves. If I say it and the opponent hears me, he''ll counter it. That is why I hesitated to speak." Pochen extended his right palm. With his left hand, he wrote on his right palm, "Please write it out." Following that, he immediately extended his hand into the hole in the boulder. But as he did so, he said, "Since this is the case, there''s nothing that can be done." He knew that the internal strength of the man in green was astonishing. No matter in how low a voice Duan Yu whispered, he would overhear.


    Duan Yu thought to himself that this strategy was brilliant. He immediately stretched out his finger and wrote out the seven moves. He said, "The venerable master is an expert at chess. He certainly has a wonderful move in mind. There''s no need for me to give any more advice." Pochen thought for a while, then realized that these seven moves truly were extremely clever. He returned to his master''s side. Extending his finger, he began to write out those moves on his master''s back. The billowing folds of the sleeves of his cassock hid his hands, rendering the man in green unable to see his chicanery. The Yellow Browed Monk thought for another moment, then made his move as instructed.


    The man in green let out a ''heng'' sound. "Another instructed you to make this move. Based upon your own accomplishments in chess, master, you could never have formulated such a move." The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. "The game of chess originated as a battle of the wits. A person must be modest and not reveal their real skill to the opponent. If the depths of my chess abilities could be see easily and totally seen through by you, benefactor, would we even need to play this match?" The man in green replied, "Crafty, cunning schemer, playing tricks with your sleeves." He had seen Pochen walk back and forth, then cover the Yellow Browed Monk''s back with his sleeves. He knew that there must be something odd about that action. But he was too busy concentrating on the changes and variations within the chess game, and so could not spare any more attention to other things.


    The Yellow Browed Monk''s next six moves were all acccording to Duan Yu''s instructions. He did not need to use his energy to think of them, and only needed to exert his energy to draw the actual pieces on the board. Correspondingly, the six circles which he drew with his steel hammer were extremely round and deep, giving him the appearance of being full of vigor and an unending source of energy. The man in green, seeing that each of these six moves were more powerful than the previous, was forced to ponder deeply in order to defend against each one of them. He was totally forced to the defensive, and the indentations which his steel canes made began to show some differences in depth. After the Yellow Browed Monk played his sixth piece, the man in green simply sat there for a long moment. Then, suddenly, he played a piece in the ''Ru'' quadrant.


    This move was strange to the extreme. It was completely different from what Duan Yu had anticipated. The Yellow Browed Monk was stunned. He thought to himself, "This seven-step strategy of Mr. Duan was carefully devised and perfect in the details. By the time I laid down the seventh piece, I would have advanced from being one move ahead to being two moves ahead. But now, I''ll no longer be able to make the seventh move. All my previous efforts were wasted."


    As it happened, the man in green saw that the battleground was becoming more and more disadvantageous to him. No matter what defense he might use, he would still be in trouble. So instead, he decided to ignore the threat to his own pieces, and attack the opponent''s pieces in a different area instead. This was known as "defending without defending". Truly, it was a formidable move. Furrowing his forehead, the Yellow Browed Monk tried to devise a good reply.


    Pochen saw the sudden change in the battlefield of chess pieces and that his master''s pieces were once again in great danger. He immediately ran next to the stone house. Duan Yu had long ago come up with a strategy, and wrote six countermoves on Pochen''s palm, one after the other. Pochen then rushed back to the Yellow Browed Monk''s side, once more writing down the moves on his master''s back.


    The man in green was known as "The Most Evil Man in the World." How could he possibly ignore his opponent''s constant cheating and trickery? He stretched out his left steel cane, pointing it at Pochen''s shoulder. He shouted, "Junior disciple, stand farther back!" And as he pointed, a ''chi'' sound emanated from the cane.


    The Yellow Browed Monk saw that his disciple wouldn''t be able to resist the enemy''s power, and that it would be difficult for him to avoid sustaining a heavy injury. He thrust out his own left palm in a snatching attack towards the cane. The man in green''s cane trembled, then pointed towards the acupoint beneath the left side of the monk''s chest. The Yellow Browed Monk turned the snatching attack into a chopping attack on the cane. But once again, the steel cane changed position.


    In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged over eight stances. The Yellow Browed Monk thought to himself that his arm couldn''t reach long enough. He struck with his finger at the steel cane. The man in green didn''t budge a single step, and the monk''s finger and the steel cane touched. Both of them generated their power and began to compete in internal energy. Immediately, the steel cane and the monk''s fingers came to a halt, neither of them moving in the slightest.


    The man in green said, "Master, it is your move. You have delayed for so very long now. Are you preparing to forfeit?" The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. "Sir, you are an elite master of a senior generation. Why would you launch a sneak attack against my disciple? I''m afraid you really are lowering your own status!" With his right hand, the monk drew another small circle on the blue stone with his steel hammer. The man in green didn''t even take time to think. With a casual wave of his hand, he made his own move. And so, their left hands remained locked in a fierce internal energy competition, with neither side daring to slacken off in the slightest. Their right hands continued to play chess. Each side continued to advance their own pieces, continuing to counter each move of the other.


    Five years ago, the Yellow Browed Monk had pled on the behalf of the commoners of Dali, asking Emperor Baoding to abolish the salt tax. Only now did Emperor Baoding agree. The two of them had reached a tacit understanding that the Yellow Browed Monk would rescue Duan Yu in Emperor Baoding''s place. The Yellow Browed Monk thought to himself, "It is of little consequence if I lose my life. But if I cannot rescue Duan Yu, how can I possibly face my worthy brother, Zhengming?"


    When martial arts exponents were cultivating their internal energy, they couldn''t allow themselves to be distracted in the slightest. This is what is described as "Reflecting the brilliance of emptiness, forgetting both myself and the world." But in playing chess, one must strive to outdo someone else. Each game of chess had three hundred and sixty one possible moves, and every single move had to be carefully contemplated. It truly did require that one calculate out ever minor detail, and haggle over every minor point. These two principles were directly opposite to each other, highly incompatible. Although the Yellow Browed Monk was a master at chan meditation, his skills in chess were inferior to his opponent. While secretly generating internal energy to resist the opponent, he neglected the game. If he focused on the game of chess instead, he would find himself disadvantaged in the internal energy competition. It seemed as though today, he found himself in an inextricably dangerous and strange situation. His only option was to die fighting, so as to repay his bosom friend. His own safety was no longer a concern for him. As the ancients said, "An army burning with righteousness is guaranteed victory." But although the Yellow Browed Monk certainly was filled with righteousness, the words ''guaranteed'' and ''victory'' really did not apply.


    The three ministers of Dali, ''Minister of Education'' Hua Hegen, ''Minister of War'' Fan Hua, and ''Minister of Soil and Water'' Ba Tianshi, led thirty subordinates who possessed martial arts in their expedition. They brought along timber, shovels, kongming lanterns, and other tools, and snuck into the forest at the back of the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge. After selecting a suitable location, they began to dig the tunnel. The thirty three men dug for an entire night, tunneling out a passageway that was several hundred feet long. The following day, they continued to dig, all the way until late afternoon. They calculated that they shouldn''t be too far from the stone house. Hua Hegen ordered his subordinates to withdraw and dispose of the dirt, leaving only the three of them as they continued to dig. They knew that Crown Prince Yanqing''s martial arts were extremely profound, and so they dug as quietly as possible, not daring to make even the slightest of sounds. Under the circumstances, their forward progress slowed greatly. They didn''t know that at this moment, Crown Prince Yanqing was exhausting all of his energy and concentration in competing in both chess and internal energy with the Yellow Browed Monk. There was no chance that he might hear them digging a tunnel.


    They continued to dig until the ''shenpai'' hour [3 PM to 5 PM], then stopped, calculating that they should be beneath Duan Yu. They were now no more than ten feet away from Crown Prince Yanqing. Consequently, it was now all the more important for them to proceed with caution. They definitely could not risk making a single sound. Hua Hegen put down his iron shovel and began to dig using his ten fingers. He executed his ''Exceeding Claw Skill'', and his ten fingers became much akin to a pair of steel claws, tearing through large chunks of dirt. Fan Hua and Ba Tianshi stood behind him, taking the dirt which his claws dislodged and disposing of it. At this point in time, Hua Hegen was no longer digging forwards; rather, he had begun to dig upwards. The architectural feat had been completed. But as to whether or not Duan Yu could be rescued, they would find out very soon. All three of them couldn''t help but have their heart''s beat faster.


    Digging upwards was a much less taxing proposition than digging forwards. Once the dirt and mud was loosened, they would fall down of their own accord. After Hua Hegen had dug sufficiently upwards to allow himself to straighten his body, his digging speed increased even further. After digging for a while, he would stop and listen carefully, trying to hear any movement above him. In such a manner, he dug for the length of time which might take two joss sticks to burn down. By then, he judged that he could be no more than a foot away from the surface. He dug even more slowly now. As he gently brushed aside the remaining mud and dirt, his hand came into contact with a flat wooden plank. He was ecstatic. "So the stone house has a wooden floor. That makes it much easier to deal with."


    Pouring power into his fingers, he slowly carved out a two-foot long square in the wooden board. He then withdrew the support his free hand had been providing the wooden plank, and the wooden square lightly fell down, creating an aperture which a single person could easily pass through. Hua Hegen lifted up his iron shovel, waving it in a circle above the floor in order to guard against a sneak attack. Suddenly, he heard a loud ''ah'' sound, as a female voice screamed loudly.


    Hua Hegen said in a low voice, "Miss Mu, don''t scream. I''m a friend. I''m here to rescue you." With a leap, he jumped out of the hole.


    But when he saw the insides of the room, he was hugely startled. What type of ''stone house'' was this? The room was bright and clean, and all sorts of bottles and jars covered every single cabinet and table. A young girl with a terrified expression on her face was standing in one corner. Hua Hegen immediately knew that he had miscalculated, and dug into the wrong place. The location of the stone house was only known by Emperor Baoding, who had described it to Ba Tianshi, who in turn described it to him. Afraid of being caught, he hadn''t dared to personally inspect the terrain. Operating on the basis of thirdhand information, he hadn''t been too far off, but nonetheless a huge error had been made.


    Hua Hegen had dug himself directly into Zhong Wanchou''s house. That young girl was Zhong Ling. She was in the process of rummaging through her father''s belongings, trying to find the antidote for Duan Yu. All of a sudden, a big man suddenly jumped up out of the floor. How could she not be terrified?


    Hua Hegen''s thoughts moved quickly. "Since we dug to the wrong place, we''ll have to start digging anew. I''ve already left behind traces of my passing. If I kill this girl in order to silence her, after finding her corpse Zhong Wanchou will certainly search the area. He''ll find me before I can manage to tunnel my way to the stone house. The only option is to temporarily take her into the tunnel. If others go looking for her, they''ll definitely search outside of the gorge."


    But at this very moment, footsteps could be heard outside the room as someone walked nearby. Hua Hegen waved his hands towards Zhong Ling, signifying that she wasn''t to cause a disturbance. Turning his body, he extended his left leg towards the hole, as though he were preparing to go back down. But suddenly, he spun around and leapt towards Zhong Ling, covering her mouth with his left hand while hugging her around the waist with his right. He carried her within the hole, passing her downwards. Fan Hua received Zhong Ling from Hua Hegen, then grabbed a big handful of mud and covered her mouth with it. Hua Hegen jumped back into the tunnel, then placed the wooden square which he had cut out back to its original position. Pressing his ears against the cracks, he listened to any sounds which might come from above.


    He heard the sound of two people walking into the room. A male voice said, "You must have lingering affection for him. Otherwise, why would you keep on trying to prevent me from ruining the reputation of the Duan family?" A displeased female voice replied, "What ''lingering'' affection are you babbling about? I never had any affection for him to begin with." The male voice said, "If that''s true, I couldn''t be happier. Excellent, excellent!" Utter happiness was in his voice. The woman said, "However, Miss Mu is my martial sister''s daughter. She''s one of our people. How can you mistreat her so?"


    By now, Hua Hegen had already realized that the two people speaking had to be gorge-master Zhong and his wife. Hearing that the topic of their conversation had to do with Duan Yu, he became all the more attentive in his eavesdropping.


    He heard Zhong Wanchou say, "Your martial sister wanted to sneakily release Duan Yu. Fortunately, she was discovered by Ye Erniang. Your martial sister is already one of our enemies. Why care about her daughter? Wife, the people who are now at our halls are all famous members of Dali''s wulin community. But you didn''t pay the slightest attention to them. You walked into the room, widened your eyes, and glared at them. Isn''t that a little¡­a bit¡­eh, not polite." Madame Zhong angrily replied, "What''s the point of you inviting those fellows into our house? We don''t have much of a relationship with any of them. Do you think they will dare offend the Emperor of Dali for our behalf?"


    Zhong Wanchou said, "I didn''t invite them here for the purpose of asking them to loan us their fists in battle and rebel against Duan Zhengming. As it happened, they all were present within Dali. I invited them here to drink wine and serve as witnesses for what will happen. Duan Zhengchun''s own son has shared a room with his own sister and engaged in licentious, incestuous acts, as though they were animals. The guests that I invited today even include some heroes from the Central Plains to our north. Early tomorrow morning, we''ll open the door to the stone house and give everybody something to see. The heir of the Duan family''s ''Solitary Solar Finger'', in such a state¡­won''t that be so very amusing? Won''t this be spread far and wide throughout the jianghu?" As he spoke, he began to laugh loudly, utterly delighted.


    Madame Zhong let out a ''heng'' sound. "Contemptible and despicable! Brazen and shameless!" Zhong Wanchou said, "Who are you cursing as being despicable and shameless?" Madame Zhong said, "Whoever performs despicable and shameless acts is a despicable and shameless person. There''s no need for me to curse them as being such!" Zhong Wanchou said, "Right! That evil fellow, Duan Zhengchun, describes himself as being a dissolute playboy, and has brought many sins upon his own head. In the end, his own children will fall in love and engage in an illicit sexual relationship. He really is extremely despicable and shameless!" Madame Zhong let out a cold smile, but did not respond. Zhong Wanchou asked, "Why did you just smile coldly like that? Can it be that those two words, ''despicable'' and ''shameless'', were not directed towards Duan Zhengchun?"


    Madame Zhong smiled coldly again. "You aren''t able to overcome the Duan family with your own abilities, and hide yourself here in this gorge, not daring to show yourself. Fine, whatever. As the saying goes, knowing how to avoid being shamed is something akin to courage. This is still something which a man might do. But I never would have imagined that you would use such despicable means to manipulate his children instead. The heroes of the world won''t be laughing at him, no. They will be laughing at you! Zhong Wanchou!"


    Zhong Wanchou leapt to his feet. He angrily said, "You''re calling ME shameless and despicable?"


    Tears flowed down Madame Zhong''s face. Her voice choked with sobs, she said, "I didn''t imagine that the husband whom I married, the good man to whom I entrusted my entire being, would be¡­would be a person like this. I¡­.I¡­my life is so bitter!"


    Seeing his wife cry, Zhong Wanchou couldn''t help but be flustered. "Fine. Fine! If you want to curse at me, then curse at me as much as you want!" He stalked back and forth across the room. He wanted to offer his wife some sort of apology, but couldn''t immediately think of anything appropriate to say. Finally, he said, "This wasn''t my idea! Duan Yu was captured by the Divine Crocodile. Mu Wanqing was seized by ''Evil Beyond Human Capacity''. The ''Yin and Yang Conjoining'' powder belongs to him as well. How could I use such a despicable and shameless sort of drug?" At the moment, he wanted to disavow all responsibility. Madame Zhong laughed coldly. "As long as you know what the words ''despicable'' and ''shameless'' mean. If you don''t approve of this idea, then you should release Miss Mu." Zhong Wanchou said, "That won''t work, that won''t work. If I release Mu Wanqing, what type of performance can Duan Yu put on by himself?"


    Madame Zhong said, "Fine! If you want to be despicable and shameless, I''m going to do something despicable and shameless as well for you to see!" Zhong Wanchou was startled, and hurriedly asked, "You¡­you¡­what are you going to do?" Madame Zhong let out a ''heng'' sound. "Just go imagine it by yourself." In a trembling voice, Zhong Wanchou said, "You¡­are you going to find Duan Zhengchun¡­find Duan Zhengchun, that evil thief, and commit adultery with him again?" Madame Zhong angrily roared, "What do you mean, AGAIN?" Zhong Wanchou hurriedly laughed. "Wife, don''t be angry. I misspoke. Of course you never¡­never¡­never did that with him. When you said you would do something despicable and shameless for me to watch, that was¡­that was just a joke. Right?" But Madame Zhong did not respond.


    Zhong Wanchou''s mind was greatly disturbed. Casting his gaze wildly about the room, he saw that all the bottles and jars were all jumbled about. He said, "Humph. What a mischievious kid Zhong Ling is. At her tender age, she actually came and asked me about the ''Yin and Yang Conjoining'' powder. Where did she hear about it, anyhow? Now she came here and made a mess of things." As he spoke, he went into the room and began to straighten and reorganize the medicine cabinets. One foot strode on top of the piece of wood which had been cut away earlier. Hua Hegen hurriedly exerted his strength to keep the piece of wood from collapsing, in order to prevent Zhong Wanchou from discovering them.


    Madame Zhong said, "Where is Ling''er, anyhow? Where''d she go? Why did you need to take her to the grand hall to meet the guests, anyhow?" Zhong Wanchou laughed. "The two of us made such a beautiful little girl together. How can I not introduce her to my friends?" Madame Zhong said, "What, are you a monkey showing off your treasure? I saw the wicked look in the eyes of that Yun Zhonghe fellow as he stared nonstop at our daughter. You need to be careful." Zhong Wanchou laughed. "I only need to be careful about you. You are a lovely woman with the complexion of a flower and are as beautiful as the moon. Who wouldn''t be scheming to steal you away?"


    Madame Zhong spat, then shouted, "Ling''er! Ling''er!" A serving girl walked towards her. "The young miss was just here a moment ago." Madame Zhong nodded. "Go find that young lady. I have something to tell her."


    Underneath the floor and within the tunnel, Zhong Ling clearly heard every single word her parents exchanged. Unfortunately, there was no way for her to respond. Her heart was filled with fear, and in addition, her mouth was covered with mud, making her feel even worse.


    Zhong Wanchou said, "Take a rest. I''ll go keep our guests company." An icy expression on her face, Madame Zhong coldly replied, "Why don''t you rest instead. I''ll go keep them company." Zhong Wanchou said, "Let''s go together." Madame Zhong said, "The guests want to see my ''flower-like complexion'' and my ''moon-like beauty''. Why would they be interested in seeing your long, horse-like face? One day, even I''ll be tired of seeing that face, and then you''ll know how it feels."


    These past few days, Zhong Wanchou had been getting blamed for everything he did. No matter what he said, his wife would abruptly ridicule him. He clearly saw that after his wife had met with Duan Zhengchun again, old passions once more began to rise in her thoughts. Even though he was unhappy, he never dared to snap back at her. He could only let out a laugh, then walk towards the great hall. While walking, he thought to himself, "She''s going to do something shameful and despicable for me to see? Then she said that one day, even she''ll be sick of seeing my face. Hmm. That means, she isn''t sick of seeing my face yet. Things aren''t so very bad! I''m just worried about Duan Zhengchun, that thieving scoundrel¡­"

 Chapter - 9 The Luan And Feng Who Exchange Nests

    [Luan is the male counterpart to the female feng, which is commonly translated as ''phoenix''. The phrase ''luan and feng'' thus is a reference to a husband and wife.]


    Upon hearing that Emperor Baoding had abolished the salt tariff, the tens of thousands of citizens of Dali felt extremely grateful. Yunnan did not produce a great deal of salt. Throughout the country, only the cities of Baijing, Heijing, Yulong, and six others produced salt. Every year, they would need to import salt from Shu [modern day Sichuan]. The salt tariff was extremely heavy, often forcing many of the poorer citizens at the outlying regions of the country to go without. Emperor Baoding knew that as soon as he abolished the salt tariff, the Yellow Browed Monk would certainly try to think of a way to rescue Duan Yu, so as to show his gratitude.


    He had always admired the Yellow Browed Monk''s intelligence and martial arts, and also knew that the monk''s two disciples were not weak either. With the three of them working together, they would certainly achieve victory. Much to his surprise, after waiting an entire day and an entire night, he hadn''t received any news of success at all. He was just about to send out Ba Tianshi to investigate when he discovered that Ba Tianshi, Minister of Education Hua, and Minister of War Fan had all disappeared as well.


    Emperor Baoding pondered to himself, "Can it be that Crown Prince Yanqing truly is this formidable? Can it really be possible that the Yellow Browed Monk, his two disciples, and my three ministers have all fallen to him within the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge?" He immediately sent for his Imperial Crown Brother Duan Zhengchun, the South-Subduing Princess Dao Baifeng, the Marquis of Virtuous Enlightenment Gao Shengtai, and the Four Imperial Bodyguards to once more make their way to the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge.


    Her heart aching for her beloved son, Dao Baifeng asked Emperor Baoding to call out the imperial army and totally obliviate the gorge. Emperor Baoding replied, "Unless we''re completely out of all other options, we must act in accordance with the customs and rules of the jianghu. The centuries-old instructions of the Duan family ancestors cannot be cast aside."


    The party arrived at the entrance to the gorge, only to see Yun Zhonghe approach them with a little smile on his face. Cupping his hands politely, he said in a deep voice, "We Four Evils and gorge-master Zhong anticipated that you, sir, would once more honor us with your presence today. I have been respectfully waiting for you here for a long time. If you have brought your armored soldiers here, we will simply escaped, taking with us your beloved son and your precious daughter. But if you have come here in accordance with the rules of the jianghu, intending to greet friends based upon your martial ability, then please enter the main lounge and enjoy some tea."


    Emperor Baoding saw that he was extremely calm and showed not a single hint of fear, acting in a manner far different from the previous day, where he had immediately rushed out and launched and attack. This made him feel all the more alarmed. Instantly, he cupped his hands as well. "It couldn''t be better if that is truly the case." Yun Zhonghe escorted the party inside the lounge. Upon stepping foot within, Emperor Baoding saw that room was filled with heroes of the jianghu. Ye Erniang and the Divine Crocodile were there as well, but Crown Prince Yanqing was nowhere to be seen. Once again, he secretly prepared for the worst.


    Yun Zhonghe cried out loudly, "Master Duan, the head of the Duan family of the southern skies has arrived!" He didn''t use the phrase, ''His majesty, the Emperor of Dali'', but rather introduced him in accordance with his wulin title, showing that everything would proceed in accordance with the rules of the jianghu.


    Not only was Duan Zhengming the ruler of a country, but he was also an extremely esteemed expert in the wulin, of great prestige and stature. As soon as the crowd heard that he had arrived, they all immediately rose to their feet. Only the Divine Crocodile remained sitting. He loudly shouted, "I was wondering who showed up. So its the ole emperor, eh? How ya doing?"


    Zhong Wanchou quickly rushed forward and said, "I, Zhong Wanchou, did not come to welcome a distant guest. Please forgive me." Emperor Baoding said, "You''re too polite, too polite."


    Presently, everyone retook their seats. Their positions were in accordance with the rules of the jianghu. Duan Zhengchun, his wife, and Gao Shengtai no longer needed to act in accordance with the rules governing how a subject should behave in front of his ruler, and so sat next to Emperor Baoding. Chu Wanli and the other three guards stood behind Emperor Baoding.


    Servants of the gorge came to them, offering them tea. Emperor Baoding, seeing that the Yellow Browed Monk, Ba Tianshi, and the others were not here, was busy formulating a way which would allow him to inquire about their whereabouts. Suddenly, he heard Zhong Wanchou speak. "Master Duan, you''ve really given me a huge amount of face! It''s so seldom that so many good friends would be gathered in one place. Come, let me introduce them to you."


    Following this, he began to introduce the other guests one by one. Some were heroes from the Central Plains to the north. The rest were all outstanding members of Dali''s wulin community. They included Xin Shuangqing, Zuo Zimu, and Ma Wude amongst others. Emperor Baoding had never met most of the people present, but had heard of their names. These heroes of the jianghu all respectively paid their respects to Emperor Baoding. Some were extremely respectful; others intentionally acted arrogantly. Others addressed him using the language that a wulin person who was of a junior generation to him might use.


    Zhong Wanchou said, "It is a rare thing for Master Duan to come here. Why not stay here for a few additional days? That way, you could get to know all the friends here better." Emperor Baoding replied, "It would be enough if you could pardon Duan Yu for his offense, gorge master Zhong. He has been detained at your noble residence. Today, I have come here for two reasons. Firstly, to ask for clemency on his behalf. Secondly, to offer my apologies. Gorge master Zhong, I hope that you will give me some face and forgive the ignorance of the child. I will be extremely grateful."


    Upon hearing his words, everyone secretly felt admiration for him. They thought to themselves, "We''ve long heard that Emperor Duan acts in accordance with the rules of the wulin. His reputation is well earned. This place falls within the borders of the country of Dali. He only needs to send out a few hundred cavalrymen and would immediately be able to take his nephew back. Who would have thought that he would come in person, and instead ask in such respectful language?"


    Zhong Wanchou laughed loudly, but did not immediately respond. Ma Wude said, "Ah, so Duan Yu offended gorge master Zhong. Some time ago, he went to the city of Pu''er, then went sight-seeing with me and my brothers at Mt. Wuliang. I didn''t take good care of him, and this was the cause of so many problems. I would also like to request clemency on his behalf."


    The Divine Crocodile suddenly shouted loudly, "What right do you have to meddle in the affairs of my apprentice?!" Gao Shengtai said coldly, "The young lord Duan is your master. You''ve even knelt down and kowtowed to him. Are you reneging on that?" The Divine Crocodile''s entire face turned red. He cursed, "**** your grandmother. I''m not reneging! Today, I''m going to kill the brat who is my master only in name. I wasn''t careful and somehow ended up accepting that brat as my master. I''m dying of shame!"


    No one in the crowd knew what he was talking about, and each and every one of them was flabbergasted.


    Dao Baifeng said, "Gorge master Zhong, whether or not Duan Yu will be released lies in a single word from you." Zhong Wanchou laughed. "Release, release, release! Of course I will release him! What good does it do me to keep your honorable son?" Yun Zhonghe interjected, "Duan Yu is romantic and handsome. Madame Zhong, the ''Lovely Poisonist'', is an extremely beautiful woman. To keep him within the gorge would be like leading a wolf into a sheep pen, or like raising a tiger with your children. Naturally, gorge master Zhong will release him. He can''t help but release him. He doesn''t dare not release him!"


    Upon hearing these words, everyone present was startled. They realized that this ''Thoroughly Cruel and Evil'' Yun Zhonghe spoke without the slightest scruples, as though he really didn''t give a damn about gorge master Zhong. His nickname, ''Thoroughly Cruel and Evil'', really was not mistakenly given.


    Zhong Wanchou was furious. Turning his head, he said, "Brother Yun, after finishing the business at hand, I would like to experience your brilliant moves!" Yun Zhonghe replied, "Wonderful, wonderful! I''ve long wanted to kill the husband, seize the wife, then settle down within this gorge."


    The face of every person present turned pale. Xin Shuangqing, lady of the Wuliang Cave, spoke. "The good and noble heroes of the world haven''t been exterminated. No matter how high the martial arts of you ''Four Evils'' are, you won''t escape justice in the end!" In a coquettish, delicate voice, Ye Erniang said, "Daoist friend Xin, I, Ye Erniang, haven''t offended you. Why rope me in with him?"


    Zuo Zimu, suddenly recalling how she had abducted his son, couldn''t help but have lingering fears. He snuck a sideways glance at her. Ye Erniang laughed. "Mr. Zuo, your little boy must be even fatter and cuter now, right?" Zuo Zimu didn''t dare to not respond. He said in a low voice, "Last time, he was exposed to the cold. He hasn''t fully recovered from the illness yet." Ye Erniang laughed again. "Oh, I''m sorry. It''s all my fault. Later, when I have a chance, I''ll head over to your mountain and pay a visit to my cute little grandson." Zuo Zimu was terrified. He quickly replied, "I wouldn''t dare to trouble you to come."


    Emperor Baoding thought to himself, "These Four Evils have perpetrated many atrocities and committed many outrages. Many people have formed grudges and enmities against them. These jianghu heroes clearly aren''t their allies. This makes things much more easier to handle. After rescuing Yu''er, I should take the chance to eliminate these evil people. Although the leader of the Four Evils, Crown Prince Yanqing, is a member of the Duan family, making it inappropriate for me to personally deal with him, there will still be a day when he truly is called to account for his monstrous crimes [another possible meaning of the title, ''E Guan Man Ying'']."


    Dao Baifeng, hearing everyone speak, saw that the conversation was getting derailed. She suddenly stood up. "Gorge master Zhong, as you have agreed to return my son, please return him to me and let the two of us, mother and son, meet."


    Zhong Wanchou also stood up. "Alright!" Suddenly turning his head, he shot a glance towards Duan Zhengchun. He sighed. "Duan Zhengchun, you have such a wonderful wife and son. Why aren''t you satisfied and remain so greedy? Today, when your reputation is trampled underfoot and when you lose all face, you will have no one to blame save yourself. You cannot blame me, Zhong Wanchou!"


    Duan Zhengchun, after hearing that Zhong Wanchou was willing to release his son, immediately suspected some sort of conspiracy or trap, as he did not believe the matter would be settled so easily. Now, upon hearing Zhong Wanchou''s words, he immediately stood up and walked to Zhong Wanchou''s side. "Gorge master Zhong, if you have maliciously harmed him, then I assure you that I, Duan Zhengchun, will also have a method to make you bitterly repent your actions for the rest of your life."


    Zhong Wanchou saw that he had a majestic appearance and an awe-inspiring presence, with a magnificent and lofty aura. He felt that he himself truly was vastly inferior to this man. A feeling of shame suddenly filled his chest, and it engendered a jealous flame in his heart. He loudly said, "Since things have already come to this point, I''m going to take this all the way to the end, even if the final result is that I become destitute and homeless, and have my corpse broken into a thousand pieces. If you want your son back, come with me!" And as he spoke, he strode away from the hall entrance.


    The group of people followed Zhong Wanchou as he arrived at the giant tree wall. Yun Zhonghe, showing off his qinggong abilities, was the first to leap over the wall. Duan Zhengchun thought to himself, "We''ve almost reached the point of no return. We might as well demonstrate our power and prestige, so as to cause the other side to know how much disaster will be in store for them and perhaps retreat." He called out, "Ducheng, chop the tree down, so that everyone will find it easier to pass."


    Gu Ducheng responded, "Yes sir!" He raised his steel hatchets. With a series of quick ''ca'' sounds, he immediately chopped down one of the trees. Fu Sigui launched a twin palm attack on the tree. With a loud crash, it fell down to the side. The steel hatchet, gleaming with bright light, continued to chop away. The chopping sounds went on non-stop, and the large trees were felled one after another in succession. In short time, all that could be seen were five tree stumps.


    It had not been easy at all for Zhong Wanchou to plant and cultivate this wall of trees. He had labored mightily, and it had cost him a great deal of blood and sweat. After seeing them chopped down by Gu Ducheng, he couldn''t help but become agitated and furious. But then he had second thoughts. "Today, the Duan family of Dali is going to lose a huge amount of face. Why quibble over such a small things as this?" He immediately walked past the cleared stumps.


    Only to see that past the chopped down wall, the Yellow Browed Monk and Duan Yanqing were both pressing against a steel cane. A cloud of white mist hover over their heads, showing that they were in the middle of an internal energy competition. The Yellow Browed Monk suddenly stretched out his right hand and used a small steel hammer to draw a circle on a blue stone in front of him. The man in green thought for a moment, then stretched out his right steel cane and pressed it downwards on the blue stone. Staring at them, Emperor Baoding immediately realized that his martial brother, the Yellow Browed Monk, was competing in both chess and internal energy with Crown Prince Yanqing. It was a competition of both intelligence and strength. The competition was as fresh and original as it was deadly. He thought to himself, "He never gave me an update. It seems as though it is because this competition has been going on for one day and one night, without victory or defeat having been achieved.


    Glancing at the chess game, he saw that the two sides were locked into a ''Life or Death Knot''. Victory and defeat would completely depend on the resolution of this knot. However, the Yellow Browed Monk was in the weaker position, barely keeping his pieces alive with strenuous effort. His two disciples, Pochi and Pochen, had fallen unmoving to the ground. Earlier, upon seeing their master in a critical situation, had attacked the man in green from both sides in a pincer attack. But both of them had been felled by his steel cane.


    Duan Zhengchun walked forward and unsealed their acupoints. "Wanli, you four go and push aside the stone and rescue Yu''er." Chu Wanli and the other three replied in the affirmative and walked forwards as well.


    Zhong Wanchou called out, "Wait! Do you know who else, in addition to Duan Yu, is in this stone house?" Duan Zhengchun angrily said, "If you used ruthless tricks to coerce my son, then you should remember that you yourself have a wife and daughter!" With a cold expression on his face, Zhong Wanchou laughed. "Right on. I, Zhong Wanchou, do indeed have both a wife and a daughter. Fortunately, I don''t have a son, much less a son who will engage in depraved, incestuous acts with his own sister." Duan Zhengchun''s face turned ashen. He called out, "You''re full of crap! What are you babbling about?" Zhong Wanchou said, "Mu Wanqing is your daughter, is she not?" Duan Zhengchun angrily replied, "What business is it of yours as to what her origins or family are, you busybody?"


    Zhong Wanchou laughed. "I''m not necessarily a busybody. Dali''s Duan family serve as the rulers of the southern world and dominate it. Your name is also famous and prestigious within the wulin. Heroes and noble men present! Open wide your eyes and watch as Duan Zhengchun''s son and daughter become husband and wife, fornicating like animals. He made a hand signal towards the Divine Crocodile, and the two of them prepared to push aside the boulder which was blocking the door.


    Duan Zhengchun called out, "Wait!" He extended his hands to halt them. But Yun Zhonghe and Ye Erniang each sent out a palm to attack him from two sides, forcing him to block. Slanting his body, Gao Shengtai surged forwards and blocked Yun Zhonghe''s palm attack. But unexpectedly, both Ye Erniang''s attack and Yun Zhonghe''s attacks were feints. Although they waved their right hands in a false attack, they simultaneously pressed their left palms against the boulder as well and exerted their force. That giant boulder weighed thousands of jin, but, faced with the combined efforts of Ye Erniang, Zhong Wanchou, Yun Zhonghe, and the Divine Crocodile, immediately rolled aside.


    This trick was something which the four of them had long ago planned out. It was very difficult to discern, and there was no way for Duan Zhengchun to stop them. And, in all honesty, Duan Zhengchun was worried sick about his son, and thus didn''t use all of his efforts to stop them from rolling the boulder aside. After the boulder was rolled aside, a doorway was exposed. The insides of the house was dim and dark, and the circumstances inside could not be seen.


    Zhong Wanchou laughed. "A lonely man and a single woman, completely naked, together inside a dark room. What type of good things might they possibly be doing aside? Haha, haha. Everyone, take a good look!"


    In the middle of Zhong Wanchou''s laughter, a young man with tousled hair, naked from the waist up, walked out. He was only wearing a pair of shorts, exposing most of his legs as well. It was Duan Yu. In his arms, he held a woman. The woman cuddled into his arms. She, too, was only wearing her underwear, exposing her arms and her thighs, as well as much of the pure white flesh of her back.


    Emperor Baoding''s entire face was flooded with shame. Duan Zhengchun lowered his head, unable to look. Tears filled Dao Baifeng''s eyes. She mumbled to herself, "Karma...this is karma..." Gao Shengtai removed his own gown, preparing to give it to Duan Yu to wear instead. Ma Wude, wholeheartedly trying to ingratiate himself with the two brothers of the Duan family, hurriedly stepped forward and stood in front of Duan Yu, concealing him. The Divine Crocodile called out, "Sonufab.itch, f.uck off!"


    Extremely delighted, Zhong Wanchou continued to laugh loudly. Then, suddenly, his laughter came to an abrupt halt. He fell silent for a long moment, then let out a wretched shout. "Ling''er? Is that...is that you?"


    Upon hearing his loud cry, the hearts of the entire crowd trembled. Zhong Wanchou suddenly pounced towards Duan Yu, snatching at the woman whom he was holding in his arms. At this time, everyone present could now see this girl''s face. Her age was certainly younger than that of Mu Wanqing, and her figure was also smaller and slimmer. A look of youthfulness remained on her face. It wasn''t Mu Wanqing. It was Zhong Wanchou''s own daughter, Zhong Ling! When the group of heroes had first arrived at the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge, Zhong Wanchou had brought her to the grand hall to introduce her to the guests, with the intention of showing off his beautiful, adorable daughter.


    Somewhat confused and bewildered, Duan Yu saw that there were many people in front of him. He recognized his uncle and his parents, and immediately released Zhong Ling, allowing Zhong Wanchou to take her away from him. He called out, "Mother! Uncle! Father!" Dao Baifeng rushed towards him, embracing him within her arms. "Yu''er, are you...are you alright?" Bewildered, Duan Yu replied, "I...I...I''m not sure."


    Not only had Zhong Wanchou failed to harm his enemy, he had harmed himself instead. How could he have imagined that the woman whom Duan Yu carried out in his arms would actually be his own daughter? Dazed, he let go of his daughter. Zhong Ling was only wearing some form-hugging undergarments. Seeing so many eyes on her, her entire face blushed red. Zhong Wanchou took off his own gown, wrapping it around her, then slapped her on the face, causing her left cheeks to redden even more. He scolded her, "Shameless! Who told you to get together with that little swine?" Zhong Ling''s face was a picture of grievance at being falsely accused, and started to cry. How could she explain everything in such a short time?


    Zhong Wanchou suddenly thought to himself, "Mu Wanqing clearly was imprisoned within the stone house. I doubt she was able to push the boulder aside. She must be within the house still. I''ll go drag her out and have her help shoulder some of the humiliation which Ling''er is suffering." He loudly cried out, "Miss Mu, hurry up and come out!" He called out three times, but heard no sound within the house.


    Zhong Wanchou rushed inside the house. The stone room was only ten feet wide and long. It was obvious at first glance that there wasn''t even a shadow of a person within. Zhong Wanchou was so angry that he felt as though his chest would explode. He left the room, then struck out with another palm towards his daughter. He screamed, "Stupid girl, I''m going to kill you!"


    But suddenly, a hand stretched out from the side, with the ring finger and the little finger striking towards his wrist. Zhong Wanchou hurriedly withdrew his hand to escape the blow, then turned his head. The person who had interfered was Duan Zhengchun. He angrily said, "I''m teaching my daughter a lesson. What business is it of yours?"


    Chuckling, Duan Zhengchun said, "Gorge master Zhong, you really treated my son incredibly well during his stay here! You were afraid that he would get lonely by himself, and ordered your precious daughter to come here and keep him company. I am incredibly grateful towards you. This being the case, your precious daughter is already a member of my Duan family. How can I not interfere?"


    Zhong Wanchou roared, "How is she a member of your Duan family?" Duan Zhengchun laughed. "Within this stone room, your daughter attended to the needs of my son, Duan Yu. They''ve been together quite some time now. As you said. A lonely man and a single woman, completely naked, together inside a dark room. What type of good things might they possibly be doing aside? My son is the heir to the South-Subduing Palace. Although he might not be able to take on your daughter as his chief wife, he can still take her on as a concubine. For the nobility, what''s wrong with having three wives or four concubines? It looks like you and me have become in-laws! Ha ha ha ha, he he he!"


    Zhong Wanchou was unable to suppress the violent rage which filled him, and rushed towards Duan Zhengchun. ''Hu'', ''hu'', ''hu''. He struck out with three palms. His laughter not stopping, Duan Zhengchun neutralized each of his attacks.


    Everybody present thought to themselves, "Dali''s Duan family really is formidable! I wonder what method they used to abscond with gorge master Zhong''s daughter, then imprison her within the stone room. Zhong Wanchou is a citizen of Dali, but repeatedly sets himself against the Duan family and stirs up trouble for them. Isn''t he really asking for trouble?"


    As it happened, this entire scene was planned out by Hua Hegen and the other two. After kidnapping Zhong Ling and taking her down into the tunnel, Hua Hegen''s original idea was to simply prevent her from leaking out their plans. Only after hearing Zhong Wanchou and his wife speak did he realize that Zhong Wanchou and Crown Prince Yanqing had created such a devious, ruthless plan to destroy the reputation of the Duan family. The three of them discussed the situation in a low voice within the tunnel. All three of them knew that this was a matter of the gravest importance. Moreover, time was of the essence. As soon as Madame Zhong left, Ba Tianshi quietly left the tunnel and scouted out the area. He found the exact location of and distance to the stone house, and informed Hua Hegen. All of them sped up their excavating pace. They were busy for yet another night, digging until dawn break. Only then did they arrive at the stone house.


    Hua Hegen dug his way into the stone house, only to see Duan Yu running around the room madly, as though he had gone insane. He stretched out his hand to grab him, but Duan Yu''s movements were both fast and bizarre, and he wasn''t able to get a hold of him. Ba Tianshi and Fan Hua also entered the room and surrounded Duan Yu. The room really was too small, and there was nowhere Duan Yu might go. Hua Hegen stretched out his hand and grabbed Duan Yu''s wrist, but his entire body immediately shook. He felt as though he had grabbed onto a hot coal. He quickly tugged hard, trying to knock Duan Yu into the tunnel so that they might quickly escape. But as soon as he exerted his strength, he felt his internal energy flow out of him and into Duan Yu. He couldn''t keep from uttering a startled ''aiyo''.


    Ba Tianshi and Fan Hua grabbed him and pulled at him hard. Only with their combined efforts did they manage to separate the two and shake off the internal-energy leeching ''Divine Art of the Northern Darkness''. The internal energy of the three chief ministers of Dali was much greater than that of the Wuliang disciples, and they had reacted more quickly as well. Only for this reason were they spared. Their bodies were covered with cold sweat. They thought to themselves, "The heretical skills of Crown Prince Yanqing truly are formidable!" They no longer dared to touch Duan Yu''s body.


    Just as they were at a loss as to what to do, they heard voices from outside the room. They realized that both Emperor Baoding and the South-Subduing Prince had arrived, and heard Zhong Wanchou''s loud mockery. Fan Hua suddenly was struck by a brainwave. "Zhong Wanchou is hateful and vile. Let''s play a big prank on him!" He immediately stripped off much of Zhong Ling''s outer garments, then dressed Mu Wanqing with them. Then, he put Zhong Ling in Duan Yu''s arms. Duan Yu dazedly accepted her. Hua Hegen and the other two grabbed Mu Wanqing then returned to the tunnel, covering the hole as they left, not leaving behind the slightest bit of evidence that they had ever been there.


    Emperor Baoding saw that his nephew was totally fine. He would never have imagined that things would have turned out this way. He was both gratified and amused. For the moment, he wasn''t able to think of the reason why this all happened. He suddenly remembered that the Yellow Browed Monk and Duan Yanqing had reached a critical juncture of life and death in their internal energy competition. If they were disturbed in the slightest, their lives would immediately be in danger. He quickly walked back to the two men and their competition. Beads of sweat the size of a pea were rolling down the Yellow Browed Monk''s head, falling down onto the chessboard below. But Crown Prince Yanqing sat there nonchalantly, the expression on his face unchanged, as though nothing had happened at all. Clearly, victory and defeat had already been determined.


    Duan Yu''s mind slowly became clearer. He was also concerned about the outcome of the chess match, and walked over to stand next to the two men. He saw that the Yellow Browed Monk''s resources were exhausted. Crown Prince Yanqing would only need to make one more indentation, and the Yellow Browed Monk would be out of moves and would be forced to admit defeat. He saw Crown Prince Yanqing extend his steel cane, preparing to push down on the chess board. The place he was pointing at was precisely the critical point of the match. After making this move, there would be nothing more that the Yellow Browed Monk could do at all.


    Duan Yu was extremely worried. He thought to himself, "Let me go muddle up the situation a bit." He stretched out his hand and grabbed at the cane. Just as Crown Prince Yanqing''s steel cane was about to press down at the ''Shang'' quadrant, where the third vertical and seventh horizontal line intersected, he felt a shock in his arm. The energy from his right arm, which was as tightly wound and directed as a bowstring, suddenly was diverted and flew away from him.


    The sense of startlement he felt was not small. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Duan Yu had grabbed onto the tip of his cane. Duan Yu had only wanted to pull the steel cane aside and prevent him from striking the critical point in the chess match, but the steel cane, hovering in midair, didn''t even budge. He immediately exerted as much force as he could, and Crown Prince Yanqing''s internal energy suddenly entered his body via his ''Shaoshang'' acupoint.


    Greatly startled, Crown Prince Yanqing thought to himself, "It''s the ''Energy Dissolving Art'' [Hua Gong Fa] of that old freak Ding from Xingxiuhai [a plateau in Qinhai]." He immediately gathered his internal energy within his dantian, then transferred it to his arm. An incomparably powerful burst of energy erupted from his steel cane, shaking off Duan Yu''s fingers.


    Duan Yu only felt half his body go sore, and wanted to faint. His body trembled, and only by gripping the blue stone in front of him did he manage to stabilize himself. But a small part of that violent burst of energy from Crown Prince Yanqing had entered the ocean of energy within Duan Yu''s dantian, then disappeared. Crown Prince Yanqing was greatly startled, and his steel cane drooped downwards slightly. The tip of it just so happened to precisely alight upon the ''Shang'' quadrant, at the point where the seventh vertical and eighth horizontal lines connected.


    After Duan Yu''s interference, his internal energy did not flow smoothly. Although his steel cane sagged, it still carried a tremendous force and he involuntarily pressed downwards. Crown Prince Yanqing secretly cried out, "Not good!" He hurriedly lifted his cane, but at the point where the seventh vertical and eighth horizontal lines intersected, a small indentation had already appeared.


    When experts played chess, they had to make sure that they would not regret making even a single mistaken move. Much less in this game, a large stone was the chessboard and indentations and circles served as the pieces. How could a move be taken back? But the move he had just made, at the point where the seventh and eighth lines intersected, was where one of his ''eyes'' were. As anyone who knows even a little bit about chess would know, having a safe pocket of two eyes meant those pieces were safe, but a single eye by itself was doomed. Crown Prince Yanqing had long ago turned that part of the board into a pocket of two eyes, making it a safe base of operations from which he could launch attacks at the Yellow Browed Monk''s pieces. What sense would there be for him to kill one of his own eyes and doom his position? And yet, he had already made the move. Although it was totally counter to the logic of chess, the move was made due to his own internal energy being weakened and unstable.


    Crown Prince Yanqing secretly sighed. "A single failed move will result in defeat across the entire playing field. Is this truly the will of heaven?" He was a person of extraordinarily high status and dignity. He definitely would not get into a dispute with the Yellow Browed Monk over this matter. He immediately rose up, pressing both of his hands down against the blue stone chessboard, staring at it and not moving for a long time.


    Most of the heroes present had never seen him before. Upon noticing his strange appearance, everyone''s attention was drawn towards him. He stared at the chessboard for a long time. Suddenly, without saying a word, he propped himself up with his steel canes. Their tips pressed against the earth as though he was stepping on the ground. Each step he took was very large, and he quickly departed.


    Suddenly, a series of cracking sounds could be heard. The blue stone trembled, then split into six or seven pieces. And so this brilliant game of chess, the likes of had never been seen before and which might never be seen again, was erased from the world. The group of people couldn''t help but let out cries of surprise. Aside from Emperor Baoding, the Yellow Browed Monk, and the three remaining Evils, everyone present thought to themselves, "That person seemed neither like a human being, nor like a ghost. That living corpse who wore green had such an amazing level of martial arts."


    The Yellow Browed monk managed to win this game of chess by sheer chance. Both of his hands rested against his knees, and he himself was entranced in a daze as he replayed the thrilling events in his mind. He couldn''t understand at all why Crown Prince Yanqing, just as victory was within his reach, would suddenly harm his own side and seal off one of his own eyes. Could it be that upon seeing Duan Zhengming and other experts arrive, he feared coming under attack and thus conceded the match? But he had many helpers on his side as well. He wouldn''t necessarily have been defeated.


    Emperor Baoding, Duan Zhengchun, and Gao Shengtai also did not understand what had happened. But luckily, Duan Yu had been safely recovered, and the pure name of the Duan family was not damaged in the slightest. With Crown Prince Yanqing having conceded the match, a total victory had been achieved. Although there were many details of this encounter which they did not understand, at the moment it was not necessarily to thoroughly investigate everything.


    Duan Zhengchun smiled towards Zhong Wanchou. "Gorge master Zhong, now that your daughter has become my son''s concubine, in the coming days, I will send someone to escort her to our palace. We will naturally take good care of these two lovebirds and treat her as though she were our own daughter. Set your mind at ease."


    Zhong Wanchou was already in the middle of an uncontrollable fury. Upon hearing Duan Zhengchun speak in such a mocking tone towards him, he pulled out his sabre with a ''shua'' sound and chopped at Zhong Ling''s head with a loud shout. "I''m dying of anger! I''m going to kill you first!"


    But suddenly, a long shadow flashed by. With matchless speed, it seized Zhong Ling, then it flew away like a gust of wind, floating tens of feet away. With a ''ta'' sound, Zhong Wanchou''s sabre connected with the ground. He saw that the man holding Zhong Ling was none other than ''Thoroughly Cruel and Evil'' Yun Zhonghe. He angrily said, "What...what are you doing?!"


    Yun Zhonghe laughed. "You don''t even want this daughter anymore. Just pretend that she''s dead and that you chopped her to death. Let me have her." Even as he spoke, he further flew tens of more feet away. He knew very well that aside from Emperor Baoding and the Yellow Browed Monk, whose martial arts were far above his own, even Duan Zhengchun and Gao Shengtai were incredible figures. And so, as soon as he hatched the scheme to kidnap Zhong Ling, he immediately fled. Seeing that Ba Tianshi was not present, he knew that as long as he could utilize his qinggong, not a single person present could catch up to him.


    Zhong Wanchou knew that his qinggong abilities were incredible. He was so worried that he was literally hopping mad, jumping up and down as he cursed. Emperor Baoding had seen Yun Zhonghe run around in circles with Ba Tianshi the other day. Today, seeing Yun Zhonghe move as though he were unburdened despite carrying Zhong Ling, he knew that there was nothing he could do either.


    Duan Yu suddenly had a idea flash by his head. "Yue Number Three! Your master has an order for you! Quick, get this young girl back!" The Divine Crocodile was startled, then angrily replied, "Bastard, whaddya talking about?" Duan Yu said, "You accepted me as your master, and even kowtowed to me. Are you going back on your words? Are your promises worth nothing more than a fart? You must really want to be a bastard son of a turtle!"


    The Divine Crocodile furrowed his eyebrows as storm clouds gathered across his face. He thundered, "Of course I won''t go back on my words! So what if you are my master? If you piss me off, I''ll even kill you, my ''master''!" Duan Yu replied, "It''s good that recognize me as your master! Miss Zhong is my wife. That makes her your master-wife. Go get her back for me! If Yun Zhonghe disgraces her, then he''s disgracing your master-wife! You''ll lose so much face that you won''t be able to be considered a hero or a real man!"


    The Divine Crocodile was startled. He thought to himself, "Huh, these words make a lot of sense." But he suddenly thought to himself that Mu Wanqing was Duan Yu''s wife. How was it that this little girl surnamed Zhong was also his wife? He asked, "How many master-wives do I have, anyhow?" Duan Yu replied, "Stop asking! The bottom line is, if you aren''t able to get back this master-wife, you''ll lose a huge amount of face. All of the heroes present have seen with their own eyes that you can''t even overcome the Fourth Evil, Yun Zhonghe. That drops you down to the position of being the Fifth Evil. Heck, maybe you''ll become the Sixth Evil!"


    To the Divine Crocodile, being ranked beneath Yun Zhonghe was literally a fate worse than death. He''d feel less miserable if he were killed. He let out an insane roar, then rushed towards Yun Zhonghe. He screamed, "Put down my master-wife right now!"


    Running and leaping forwards, Yun Zhonghe called out, "Yue Number Three, you really are a gigantic idiot! You''ve fallen for his trick!" The Divine Crocodile loved more than anything else to think of himself as an awe-inspiring person. Hearing Yun Zhonghe claim in front of so many people that he had been tricked only infuriated him all the more. He loudly roared to the heavens, "How could I, Yue Number Two, fall for someone else''s tricks?" He immediately sped up his pursuit. In the blink of an eye, the two of them, one in the front, the other in hot pursuit, passed outside the gorge.


    In the middle of his earlier, blind rage, Zhong Wanchou had chopped towards his daughter. But at this moment, seeing his daughter being abducted by a thug, he was greatly agitated. After all, the love between a father and his daughter was deep. Not to mention, he realized that if his wife asked him what had happened, he would be incapable of giving her an answer. In a fit of desperation, he, too, chased after them.


    Emperor Baoding quickly bade the crowd of heroes farewell, and with the rest of his party also left the gorge. They returned to the city of Dali and returned to the South-Subduing Palace. Hua Hegen, Fan Hua, and Ba Tianshi emerged from the palace to welcome them. Next to them was a bright and beautiful young lady, dressed in the most gorgeous of clothes and ornaments. It was Mu Wanqing.


    Fan Hua gave a brief report to Emperor Baoding about Hua Hegen digging out a tunnel, putting Zhong Ling in the stone house, and rescuing Mu Wanqing. Only now did everyone realize that this was why Zhong Wanchou, in trying to harm others, ended up harming himself. Everyone laughed uproariously.


    Although the power of the ''Yin and Yang Conjoining'' powder was very fierce, it wasn''t poisonous. After taking a dose of counteracting medicine, then drinking a big bowl full of cold water, the powder''s effect was dissolved.


    At noon, the palace prepared a banquet. During the banquet, everyone happily and animatedly discussed all the events which had transpired at the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge. Everyone agreed that the contributions of the Yellow Browed Monk and Hua Hegen were the greatest. If the Yellow Browed Monk hadn''t kept Duan Yanqing distracted, he certainly would have discovered the tunnel being dug.


    Dao Baifeng said, "Brother Hua, I would like to trouble you to do something else for me as well." Hua Hegen replied, "Princess, say the word. I will obey your order." Dao Baifeng said, "Please send someone to collapse the tunnel." Hua Hegen was startled. He replied, "Yes ma''am!" But he did not understand what she was thinking. Dao Baifeng gave Duan Zhengchun a hard stare. "This tunnel passes by Madame Zhong''s bedroom. If you don''t collapse it, I''m afraid that one of the gentlemen currently present will henceforth go tunnel his way there every night from now on." Everyone present burst into loud laughter.


    Every once in a while, Mu Wanqing would steal glances towards Duan Yu. Every time their gazes crossed, they would quickly turn their heads away from each other. She knew that for the rest of her life, she could forget about being wife and husband with him. Thinking back to the situation of the past few days, where they shared a room, she felt all the more miserable. She heard everyone discuss how Zhong Ling would become Duan Yu''s concubine, and how despite being kidnapped by Yun Zhonghe, the Divine Crocodile and Zhong Wanchou would surely bring her back. She also heard Emperor Baoding order the Four Imperial Bodyguards to send out search teams to find news regarding Zhong Ling and to protect her. The more Mu Wanqing heard, the angrier she got. From her bosom, she retrieved a tiny golden case. It was the letter which Madame Zhong had given to Duan Yu, requesting his father come and rescue Zhong Ling. She handed it over to Duan Zhengchun and said, "Gan Baobao asked me to give this to you."


    Duan Zhengchun was startled. "Huh?" Mu Wanqing indignantly said, "It''s the little girl''s astrological birth horoscope." Pointing towards Duan Yu with the golden box, she said, "Gan Baobao told him to give it to you." Duan Zhengchun took the box, his heart aching. He had immediately recognized the golden box as the gift which he had given to Gan Baobao on the night when they had first requited their passions for each other. Opening the cover of the box, he saw a small piece of red paper with words written on it. There were nine words in total. "December 5th, year of the Sheep, the ''chou'' hour [1AM-3AM]." The handwriting was in a trembling scrawl. It was definitely Gan Baobao''s personal writing.


    Dao Baifeng coldly said, "How very lovely. She''s even sent the girl''s birth horoscope over to us."


    Duan Zhengchun turned over the red paper, only to see several lines of small words written on it. "Broken-heartedly waiting, every hope has turned to dust. A child cannot be without a father. Sixteen years ago, I thought about you every morning and longed for you every evening, hoping that you would come to me. But now I am out of alternatives. As of the May of the ''Yiwei'' year [32nd year of a 60 year cycle], I belong to the Zhong clan." Every single word was extremely fine and slender. If one didn''t squint, the words would be nearly invisible.


    Duan Zhengchun''s eyes reddened as he recalled how very badly he had let down Gan Baobao. Suddenly, his heart trembled, and in an instant he understood the hidden meaning behind the words of these few lines. "Baobao married Zhong Wanchou in May of the ''Yiwei'' year, but Zhong Ling was born on December 5th of the ''Gai'' year. Most likely, she isn''t Zhong Wanchou''s daughter. After waiting for me and seeing me not come, she wrote that a child cannot be without a father. Then she said that she had no alternative to marrying, because she couldn''t give birth to a child without having a husband. That means that Zhong Ling is my daughter. It was precisely...it was precisely sixteen years ago, in the spring, when the two of us shared a joyous time lasting not even a full month. That must be when she conceived Zhong Ling...."


    After understanding everything, he suddenly blurted out, "Oh, no! This won''t do!"


    Dao Baifeng asked, "What won''t do?" Duan Zhengchun shook his head. With a forced smile, he said, "This fellow, Zhong Wanchou...this fellow really has a malicious heart, to come up with such a poisonous plot to harm my Duan family. We definitely cannot...definitely cannot become in-laws with him. No matter what, we cannot do this!"


    Hearing him hemming and hawing, Dao Baifeng knew that his words were insincere. She took the red piece of paper from his hands and read it. She pondered it for a moment, then suddenly broke out into loud laughter. "So she...so she...ha ha...so that little girl Zhong Ling is also your daughter!" Her anger rising, she sent out a palm. Duan Zhengchun leaned his head to the side to avoid it.


    Everyone in the hall felt extremely awkward and embarassed. Emperor Baoding let out a small smile. "Since this is the case, then it looks like we''ll have to abandon the idea of marriage..."


    Suddenly, one of the family warriors entered the hall. In his hands, he respectfully pro-offered a name placard. Bowing, he said, "Master Guo Yanzhi of the Hulao Pass has come to see you, lord." Duan Zhengchun thought to himself that Guo Yanzhi was the eldest disciple of Ke Baisui leader of the ''Hidden Ox'' sect. He was nicknamed the ''Soul Pursuing Whip''. Supposedly, his martial arts were quite good, but he never had any relations with the Duan family. Why would he come from such a long distance? He immediately rose to his feet and said to Emperor Baoding, "I don''t know what this man has come here for. Your brother will go take a look."


    Emperor Baoding nodded, a small smile on his lips. "The arrival of ''Soul Pursuing Whip'' is very fortuitous for you. You can seize the opportunity to sneak away."


    Duan Zhengchun left the flower pavilion. Gao Shengtai and the Four Imperial Bodyguards followed behind him. Entering the hall, he saw a middle-aged man of great height seated on a chair to the west. The man was wearing a mourning garment. He wore a hat on his head, and his face was covered with dust and dirt. His eyes were red and swollen. It was evident that a tragedy had happened, and that a family member must have died.


    Upon seeing Duan Zhengchun enter, he quickly rose to his feet and bowed. "Guo Yanzhi of Henan pays his respects to the prince." Duan Zhengchun returned the salute. "Master Guo, you honor Dali with your presence. Please forgive your little brother Duan Zhengchun for not having come out and welcomed you to the city personally." Guo Yanzhi thought to himself, "Everyone says that despite being rich and powerful, the Duan brothers of Dali are not arrogant at all. That really is the case." He said, "Guo Yanzhi is only a common, ordinary person. For me to beg an audience from the prince is really quite presumptuous of me." Duan Zhengchun replied, "The position of ''prince'' is just something set up to show the common people. I have long admired the reputation of Master Guo. Let us address each other as friends and as brothers. There''s no need for us to adhere to such false propriety." After introducing him to Gao Shengtai, all three of them sat down.


    Guo Yanzhi said, "Prince, my martial-uncle has resided within your palace for a long time now, and has long been away from home. Please tell him that I would like to see him." Duan Zhengchun said, "Brother Guo, your martial-uncle?" He thought to himself, "There''s no member of the ''Hidden Ox'' sect in my palace." Guo Yanzhi said, "My martial-uncle changed his name and surname, hiding himself within your palace to avoid a calamity. He didn''t dare expose himself to you, prince. This really was very disrespectful. I hope that you, prince, will be forgiving and merciful, and won''t blame him. Allow me to thank you in advance."


    As he spoke, he rose to his feet and profoundly saluted Duan Zhengchun with cupped hands. While returning the courtesy, Duan Zhengchun was deeply pondering the situation, but could not come to a realization as to who his martial-uncle might be.


    Gao Shengtai was also wondering to himself, "Who is it? Who could it be?" Suddenly, he thought of that person''s surname and nickname. "It must be him!" He spoke to a nearby servant. "Go to the accounting rooms and tell Mr. Huo that the ''Soul Pursuing Whip'' of Henan, Master Guo, has arrived. He has important news to report to the ''Golden Abacus'', the venerable senior Cui. Please invite him to the great hall to chat with us."


    The servant nodded and left. After a short time, the sound of footsteps coming from the back hall could be heard. All alone, a man appeared, slowly shambling forwards. He said, "Now, thanks to you, I won''t be able to have free meals here anymore."


    Upon hearing the seven words, ''the Golden Abacus, venerable senior Cui'', the expression on Duan Zhengchun''s face changed slightly. He thought to himself, "Can it be that the ''Golden Abacus'', Cui Baiquan, really is hidden here? How could I have been unaware of this, and why wouldn''t worthy brother Gao have told me?" Only to see an old man with a humble appearance emerge with a grin on his face. It was Mr. Huo of the accounting room, who assisted in all sorts of menial tasks. Every day, the man was either intoxicated or gambling. He was extremely lazy. The only reason why they had allowed him to stay for the past ten or so years was because he was totally honest with regards to the accounting. Duan Zhengchun was hugely surprised. "So Mr. Huo really is Cui Baiquan? I have eyes but am blind as a bat. How can I possibly recover the face I have lost?" Fortunately, Gao Shengtai had managed to come up with the right person in a single try, leading Guo Yanzi to assume that the people of the South-Subduing Palace had long since known about the situation.


    Originally, Mr. Huo was always seventy percent drunken, thirty percent awake, with a confused and uncomprehending expression perpetually on his face. But seeing Guo Yanzhi wearing mourning clothes, he couldn''t help but feel startled. He asked, "You...why are you..." Guo Yanzhi rushed forward a few steps. He fell to his knees and began to cry loudly. "Martial uncle Cui, my mas...master has been murdered!" The face of Mr. Huo, of Cui Baiquan, immediately change. His skinny yellow visage turned, in a twinkling of an eye, sinister and predatory. Slowly, he said, "Who is our enemy." Guo Yanzhi replied, crying, "Your nephew is useless. I wasn''t able to definitively identify our enemy. But from what I know, I guess that it is probable that the murderer was a member of Gusu''s Murong family." A look of dread flashed across Cui Baiquan''s face, but it quickly vanished. In a low voice, he said, "We need to carefully calculate our response."


    Duan Zhengchun and Gao Shengtai exchanged a glance. They thought to themselves, "''Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong.'' If the ''Hidden Ox'' sect has become enemies with the Murong clan, then it will be very difficult for them to avenge their loss."


    A distressed look was on Cui Baiquan''s face. He said, "Worthy nephew Guo, please recount the story of how my martial brother died as clearly as possible." Guo Yanzhi said, "The murder of one''s master is like the murder of one''s father. Every day that vengeance is delayed, your nephew finds it hard to eat or sleep. Martial uncle, please go with me immediately, and I will report it to you on the road, so as to avoid wasting any more time."


    Seeing the expression his face, Cui Baiquan realized that it was because he felt there were too many people in the hall, making it inconvenient to speak, rather than really being worried about time. He thought to himself, "For ten years or so, I''ve hidden myself here and not revealed myself at all. I never would have thought that Marquis Gao had long ago realized my true identity and seen past my masquerade. If I do not apologize to Prince Duan, then I will have deeply offended the Duan family. In addition, I want to seek revenge upon Gusu''s Murong family on behalf of my martial brother, but that''s something I cannot accomplish by myself. If the Duan family is willing to send people to assist me, things may be different. The difference between ''friends'' and ''enemies'' is huge." He abruptly walked over to Duan Zhengchun''s side, then knelt before him on both knees. He repeatedly kowtowed, banging his head against the ground with a series of ''dong'' sounds.


    This was something which was totally unexpected by everyone present. Duan Zhengchun hurriedly stretched out his hand to lift Cui Baiquan up, only to find that it was as though Cui Baiquan''s body had been nailed to the floor, not budging in the slightest. Duan Zhengchun thought to himself, "Nicely done, you ''drunkard''. So your martial arts is this profound. You totally deceived me!" Exerting his strength through both his arms, he lifted Cui Baiquan upwards. Cui Baiquan no longer resisted, and rose to his feet. As soon as he stood up, he felt as though the hundred bones in his body were filled with unspeakable discomfort, as though a tiny boat was being thrown about by killer waves in the ocean. He knew that it was Duan Zhengchun''s way of reprimanding him. He thought to himself, "If I generate my energy to resist, then the South-Subduing Prince will be all the more upset with me. Perhaps he will even suspect me all the more of having crafty ulterior motives for having snuck my way into his palace. While his internal energy is raging inside my body, I might as well fall down." He collapsed, head facing the sky and cutting a sorry figure indeed as he let out a cry. "Ow!"


    Duan Zhengchun let out a small smile and extended his hand to help him up. With a light touch, he dispelled the nauseous feeling in his body.


    Cui Baiquan said, "Prince, Cui Baiquan was pressed so heavily by his enemy that he had nowhere to turn. For this reason only did I hide myself within your manor and rely on your aid. Only by hiding myself under your glorious name have I managed to live until today. Cui Baiquan never revealed the truth to you, prince, and I deserve to die a thousand deaths for my offense."


    Gao Shengtai replied, "Brother, why be so modest? The prince knew your true identity long ago. But since you, brother Cui, were unwilling to reveal your true identity, the prince did not want to break your disguise either. Forget about the prince, even others know about the situation. That day, when Duan Yu was fighting against the Divine Crocodile, didn''t he grab brother Cui and claim you were his master? He knew that within this palace, only brother Cui could handle that vile fellow surnamed Yue."


    Actually, that day when Duan Yu had grabbed Cui Baiquan and claimed he was his master, he was purely putting on a show for entertainment. As Cui Baiquan''s appearance was the most unsightly and humble within the palace, he had picked him to mock the Divine Crocodile. But at the moment, upon hearing these words, Cui Baiquan believed and did not doubt them. He secretly felt ashamed.


    Gao Shengtai continued, "The prince has always been a welcome and hospitable host. Brother Cui, you came to Dali without any malicious intent. But even if you had come with an intent on causing harm, the prince would have courteously welcomed you and thrown a banquet on your behalf. Brother Cui, why stand on such ceremony?" The implicit meaning of this statement was that the only reason Cui had not been exposed was because he had not come with an evil intent; if he had, he would have been disposed of long ago.


    Cui Baiquan said, "Marquis Gao is brilliant and wise. Although your words are very kind, I, the one surnamed Cui, should make clear to you the reason why I sought refuge within your palace and why I must depart now. Otherwise, my actions would be too inglorious. Only, this matter involves others. If I may be so bold, I would like to explain."


    Duan Zhengchun nodded. He said to Guo Yanzhi, "Brother Guo, although the enmity between you and your master''s killer is deep, there''s no need to quibble over such a small amount of time. Let''s slowly discuss the situation." Before Guo Yanzhi had a chance to respond, Cui Baiquan had already hurriedly said, "Naturally, I will obey the requests of the prince."


    At this moment, a family warrior entered the hall. Bowing at the entrance, he said, "Reporting to the prince! The abbot of Shaolin has sent two eminent monks with a letter for you." Ever since Shaolin had been founded in the Tang dynasty, it had been the Mt. Tai and the Big Dipper of the wulin [meaning that it held a position of extreme eminence]. Upon hearing these words, Duan Zhengchun immediately stood up and left the hall to personally welcome the guests.


    He saw a pair of middle-aged monks be escorted by two of his family warriors, making their way past the small yard. One of the monks, who had a dry and shriveled up appearance, bowed towards Duan Zhengchun, then said, "The junior monks of Shaolin, Huizhen and Huiguan, pay their respects to the prince." Duan Zhengchun cupped his hands, returning the courtesy. "For you to have travelled such a distance to brighten my doorway must have been very difficult on you. Please, come inside and have some tea."


    After entering the pavilion, the two monks did not sit. Huizhen said, "Prince, this humble monk has come here on the instructions of my abbot to deliver a letter to Emperor Baoding or the South-Subduing Prince." As he spoke, he withdrew a wrapped bundle from his breast. Slowly he unwrapped it, removing a yellow parchment from within, then pro-offering it respectfully to Duan Zhengchun.


    Duan Zhengchun accepted it, then said, "My imperial brother actually is inside at this very moment. This is the perfect time for you to meet him." He said to Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi, "Gentlemen, please take some refreshments for now. We will speak shortly." He then brought Huizhen and Huiguan deeper within the palace.


    Actually, at this moment, Emperor Baoding had already retired into the warm pavilion and was having a tranquil conversation with the Yellow Browed Monk. Duan Yu sat next to them and listened quietly. Upon seeing Huizhen and Huiguan, he rose to his feet. Duan Zhengchun handed the scroll over to Emperor Baoding, who opened it. The letter was addressed to them two, and was filled with such flowery language as "long respected your illustrious name, but never had the fortune to meet you," "rule over the south, acting with vast benevolence," "admired by thousands of people, of exceptional ability and wisdom," "guardian of the Buddhist truth, glorifying the saintly path," etc. etc. etc. Finally, it came to the meat of the letter. "My younger martial brother, Master Xuanbei, will be heading towards your respected area with his four disciples. On the basis of our shared worship of Buddha and of our friendship within the wulin, I respectfully request that you take good care of him." The letter was signed, "The lowly disciple of the Shaolin monastery, Xuanci, pays a hundred respects."


    Emperor Baoding rose while he read the letter to show the respect he held for Shaolin. Huizhen and Huiguan politely stood off to their side. Emperor Baoding said, "The two of you, please be seated. All of us followers of Buddha''s teachings and, as members of the wulin, share the same heart and arteries. Whatever the abbot of Shaolin requests, we will certainly exert all of our efforts to comply with. Master Xuanbei''s understanding of Buddhism is extremely subtle, and his martial arts level is deep and profound. I admire him to the extreme. Might I ask when he will grace my humble abode? We eagerly anticipate his arrival."


    Huizhen and Huiguan suddenly felt to their knees. With a series of ''dong'' sounds, they kowtowed repeatedly. They began to cry bitterly.


    Emperor Baoding and Duan Zhengchun were both startled. They thought to themselves, "Can it be that Master Xuanbei has died?" Emperor Baoding stretched his hand out and helped them up. "Both of us are members of the wulin. You cannot be so polite towards me." Huizhen stood up and indeed said, "My master has passed on to Nirvana." Emperor Baoding thought to himself, "This letter must have been intended for Master Xuanbei to personally present to me. Can it be that he died within the borders of Dali?" He said, "Master Xuanbei has returned to the western heavens. The Buddhist family has lost an eminent monk, and the wulin has lost a skilled exponent. This is mournful news indeed. May I ask when Master Xuanbei entered Nirvana?"


    Huizhen replied, "A month ago, my martial uncle, the abbot, received a letter stating that the ''Four Greatest Evils of the World'' were headed towards Dali with the intention of making trouble for your majesty and for the South-Subduing Prince. The Duan dynasty of Dali reigns supreme over the southern world. Naturally, you wouldn''t fear such a trifling group as the ''Four Evils''. But the abbot feared that you two might not know of this news and fall into their ambush. Thus, he sent Master Xuanbei and we four disciples to come here and inform you. This is why we came."


    Emperor Baoding felt a deep sense of gratitude. He thought to himself, "No wonder Shaolin has been held in the utmost respect for the past hundreds of years. He has taken it upon himself to safeguard the wulin. Although we are located in the distant south, he has so much concern over our well-being. Although in his letter, he asked that we take good care of Master Xuanbei, his actual intent was to station him here to assist us." He immediately bowed slightly and said, "Abbot Fangzheng is a man of great kindness and thoughtfulness. I do not know how we brothers can repay him."


    Huizhen replied, "Your majesty, you are too modest. Our group rushed southwards upon receiving his directive. On the 28th of last month, we arrived at Dali''s Liangzhou prefecture and took shelter for the night at Shenjie monastery. Who would have imagined that on the morning of the 29th, as we four disciples woke up, we saw that our master¡­our master had been murdered. He died in the main hall of the Shenjie monastery¡­." As he came to this point, he was sobbing so much that no further words could come out.


    Emperor Baoding let out a long sigh. He asked, "Was Master Xuanbei killed by means of poison or hidden weaponry?" Huizhen replied, "No." Emperor Baoding, the Yellow Browed Monk, Duan Zhengchun, and Gao Shengtai were all startled. They thought to themselves, "With Xuanbei''s level of martial arts, unless he was struck by hidden weaponry coated with a poison that would kill on contact, even if the enemy had ambushed him from behind, he wouldn''t be completely defenseless and die on the spot. Within Dali, what evil master martial artist has such a high and vicious level of ability?"


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Today is the third. The 28th of last month was four days ago. Yu''er was kidnapped on the night of the 27th. Emperor Baoding nodded. "It wasn''t the ''Four Evils''." For the past few days, Duan Yanqing had been focused on keeping guard over Duan Yu. He definitely wouldn''t have had the time to travel such a great distance to commit murder at the Shenjie monastery. In addition, even if it were Duan Yanqing, he wouldn''t have been able to silently and stealthily kill Xuanbei in the blink of an eye.


    Huizhen said, "As we propped up our master, we felt that his entire body was icy cold. He had gone to Nirvana hours ago. There was no trace of any battle having occurred within the main hall. We rushed out of the temple, and the monks of Shenjie monastery assisted us as well. But within a ten-li radius, we couldn''t find a single trace of the murderer''s passing.


    Emperor Baoding gloomily said, "Master Xuanbei not only died on behalf of the Duan family, but perished within the borders of Dali. No matter how one views it, we two brothers definitely cannot let this go unpunished."


    Huizhen and Huiguan immediately dropped to their knees, kowtowing in thanks. Huizhen spoke again. "After the four of us discussed the situation with Abbot Wuye of Shenjie monastery, we decided to temporarily keep our master''s remains at Shenjie monastery. We didn''t dare to cremate him on the spot, so as to allow our martial-uncle, the abbot, to see him with his own eyes. The other two disciples rushed back to Shaolin to report the situation to the abbot. This humble monk and Huiguan rushed to Dali to report the situation to your imperial majesty, and to the South-Subduing Prince."


    Emperor Baoding said, "Abbot Wuye is of venerable age and eminent virtue. His knowledge is broad and he knows many anecdotes regarding the wulin. What did he have to say?"


    Huizhen replied, "Abbot Wuye said: ''There is an eighty or ninety percent chance that the murdered was a member of Gusu''s Murong family."


    Duan Zhengchun and Gao Shengtai exchanged glances. Both of them thought to themselves, "Once again, it''s Gusu''s Murong family!"


    Up til now, the Yellow Browed Monk had been silent. He interjected, "Did Master Xuanbei die due to a strike to the chest, with the enemy technique being the ''Great Veda Sceptre''?" Huizhen was startled. "Great master, your guess is just so. How¡­how did you¡­" The Yellow Browed Monk replied, "I''ve long heard that Master Xuanbei was an expert at Shaolins ''Great Veda Sceptre'' technique. When fighting opponents, their ribs would snap from his blows. This martial arts skill, although fearfully powerful, is too tyrannous and brutal. It really does not seem like a Buddhist martial arts at all¡­alas!" Duan Yu interrupted, "Right! This martial arts is too brutal and ruthless."


    Hearing the Yellow Browed Monk criticize their teacher, Huizhen and Huigen naturally felt resentment. But knowing that he was of a senior generation, they did not dare to contradict him. Upon hearing Duan Yu chattering from the side, they were so furious that their eyes bulged out. Duan Yu pretended not to notice, paying them no mind.


    Duan Zhengchun asked, "Martial brother, how did you know that Xuanbei died from the ''Great Veda Sceptre''? The Yellow Browed Monk sighed. "For Abbot Wuye of Shenjie monastery to be so certain that the murdered was of the Murong family, he certainly must have had corroborating evidence. Gusu''s Murong family is known for something called, ''Using the opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent.'' Have you heard of this?" Duan Zhengchum mumbled to himself, "I have heard this saying before, but never really understand its meaning." The Yellow Browed Monk murmured, "''Using the opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent.'' Hm. ''Using the opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent¡­" Suddenly, a look of dread flashed across his face. Emperor Baoding and Duan Zhengchun, in the decades they had known him, had never seen him be afraid. The other day, when he was engaged in a life and death duel with Crown Prince Yanqing, he was clearly in a losing position. Although he was in an extremely difficult situation, that look of utter calmness never left his face. For him to now show fear indicated that their opponent definitely was no one to look down upon.


    For a period of time, there only silence within the warm pavilion. After a long moment, the Yellow Browed Monk said slowly, "This old monk has heard that within the world, there is a person known as Murong Bo. His personal name is ''Bo'', abundant, and his martial arts knowledge and abilities truly are abundant and profound to the extreme. It seemed as though he knew every single unique and consummate skill of every sect within the wulin. He knew every one of them, and could use them as well. In addition, whenever he wanted to kill someone, he would use the same skills which that person had gained fame with."


    Duan Yu said, "This really is strange beyond imagining! There are so many martial arts in the world. How can he possibly comprehensively learn them all?" The Yellow Browed Monk replied, "Worthy nephew, your comment is correct. The body of learning is as vast as the sea. How could a single person know everything? But Murong Bo did not have many enemies to begin with. In addition, it was said that if Murong Bo was unable to kill his enemy with their own martial arts, he would not kill them at all."


    Emperor Baoding said, "I too have heard that there is such a strange man in the central plains. Hebei''s Three Warriors of the Luo Family excelled in using flying awls. Eventually, all three of them died due to flying awls. Daoist Zhangxu of Shandong, when killing his opponents, would chop off all four of their limbs, causing them to cry out in agony for a long time before passing away. Daoist Zhangxu himself met with such a bitter end. The phrase describing Murong Bo, ''Using the opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent'', came from Daoist Zhangxu''s dying lips." After pausing for a moment, he continued. "That year, within the busy streets of Jinan, who knows how many people watched as Daoist Zhangxu rolled about on the floor, limbless and howling." As he said this, it seemed as though he was dimly seeing in his mind the sight of Daoist Zhangxu''s cruel death. His face was filled with both resentment and with an unbearable look.


    Duan Zhengchun nodded. "Then it must be so." He suddenly thought of something, and said, "Master Guo Yanzhi''s master, Ke Baisui, was said to be a master of the soft whip. The powerful force release from his whip was pure and hard. When killing his opponents, he could often crush their skull with a single whip. Can it be that he¡­he¡­" Slapping his hands together three times, he called for a servant. "Invite Mr. Cui and Master Guo inside. Tell them I have something to discuss with them." The servant replied, "Yes sir!" But he didn''t know who Mr. Cui was, and hesitated to leave. Duan Yu laughed. "Mr. Cui is the Mr. Huo of the accounting room." Only now did the servant loudly reply, "Yes sir!" Turning his body, he left.


    After a short period of time, Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi arrived at the warm pavilion. Duan Zhengchun said, "Brother Guo, there''s something I must ask you. Please do not be offended." Guo Yanzhi replied, "I will not." Duan Zhengchun said, "Might I asked, how was old master Ke ambushed and murdered? Was he fatally wounded by punches and kicks, or by martial weaponry?" Suddenly, Guo Yanzhi''s entire face flushed red. A look of deep shame on his face, he stammered for a long moment. Finally, he spoke. "My respected master was slain by the soft whip technique, the ''Thousand Rendings of the Heavenly Spirit''. The murderer''s power was extremely hard and ferocious. Even my master himself could not¡­could not¡­"


    Emperor Baoding, Duan Zhengchun, the Yellow Browed Monk, and the others exchanged glances. They couldn''t help but feel a chill in their hearts.


    Huizhen walked towards Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi. After saluting them, he said, "This humble monk and his brother share the same enmity with you two brothers. If we do not eradicate Gusu''s Murong family¡­" As he came to this point, he halted. Whether or not they could actually wipe out Gusu''s Murong family was hard to say. He clenched his teeth. "¡­then this humble monk will simply give his life to them instead." Tears filling his eyes, Guo Yanzhi said, "Shaolin also has a deep enmity with Gusu''s Murong family?" Huizhen gave a brief summary of how his master, Xuanbei, died at the hands of Gusu''s Murong family.


    Guo Yanzhi''s face was filled with grief and indignation as he listened, and he gnashed his teeth with hate. Cui Baiquan, on the other hand, simply looked crestfallen and was silent, as though the death of his brother was not a matter of great importance at all. Huiguan said, "Mr. Cui, are you afraid of Gusu''s Murong family?" Huizhen quickly interjected, "Martial brother, do not be so rude!" Cui Baiquan glanced to the east, then to the west, as though he were afraid that the walls might have grown eyes or ears, or as though a powerful enemy had arrived and was about to launch a sneak attack. A look of utter terror was on his face. Huiguan let out a ''heng'', then muttered to himself, "If a real man is faced with death, then so be it. What''s the point of being afraid?" Huizhen also did not approve of Cui Baiquan''s attitude. Thus, having already reprimanding his martial brother once, he no longer said anything.


    The Yellow Browed Monk coughed lightly. "This matter¡­" Cui Baiquan''s entire body shuddered. He jumped up, so hurriedly that he overturned his teacup. With a ''ping'' and a ''pang'', it crashed to the floor, breaking into tiny pieces. After calming himself down and collecting himself, he noticed that all eyes were on him. He flushed with same. "Sorry, I''m very sorry!" Guo Yanzhi knitted his brow, then bent over and began to pick up the broken pieces of the shattered teacup.


    Duan Zhengchun thought to himself, "This Cui Baiquan fellow is useless." He said to the Yellow Browed Monk, "Martial brother, what were you going to say?"


    The Yellow Browed Monk took another sip of tea, then said unhurriedly, "Benefactor Cui, I take it that you have met Murong Bo before?" Upon hearing the three words, ''Murong Bo'', Cui Baiquan let out a little ''ah'' cry of fear. His two arms propping him up on the arms of the chair, he stammered, "I never¡­I¡­I saw him¡­I didn''t¡­" Huiguan loudly said, "Mr. Cui, have you met Murong Bo before or not?" Cui Baiquan stared towards the sky, as though his spirit had fled his body. Duan Zhengchun and all the others were secretly shaking their heads. Seeing his martial uncle shame himself in front of all these people, Guo Yanzhi felt all the more humiliated and miserable. Only after a long time did Cui Baiquan say, in a quavering voice, "I didn''t¡­well¡­I kind of¡­it seems there was¡­this¡­"


    The Yellow Browed Monk interjected, "This humble monk has a personal experience which I will relate to everyone, so that everyone might know the details. This was something that happened forty three years ago, when I was young and in the prime of my strength. I had just entered the martial world, and had gained a little bit of fame within the jianghu. I really was a ''newborn calf who did not fear a tiger'' [Chinese saying meant that an ignorant person knows no fear]! I felt that despite the vastness of the world, aside from my own master, no one had higher martial arts skill than me. That year, I was escorting a retiring official and his family back to their old homes. We were travelling from Bianliang back to Shandong. At a mountain pass near the Blue Leopard Ridge, we came upon four bandits. After they saw us, their first move was not to go after our belongings, but rather for that official''s daughter. At the time, I was young and impetuous. Naturally, I showed no mercy with my blows, and every strike was a vicious one. I exercised the power of my Vajra Fingers, and drove each finger into an enemy heart with each attack. All four of the bandits died before they had so much as a chance to grunt."


    "I really thought that I was something incredible, and began to brag and boast to that retiring official. I said things like, ''Even if eight or ten bandits came, I would take their lives with my Vajra Finger.'' At that moment, I heard the sound of hoofsteps, and two people rode past on a donkey. Suddenly, one of the persons on the back of the donkey let out a ''heng''. It was a female''s voice, but that ''heng'' was filled with contempt and disdain. I turned around and saw a thirty six year old married woman on the donkey. The other person was a fifteen year old lad with delicate and extremely attractive features. Both of them were wearing white mourning clothes, showing great filial piety. That youth said, "Ma, what''s so impressive about the Vajra Finger, for someone to come here to brag about it?"


    The origins of the Yellow Browed Monk, even Emperor Baoding and his brother were not too clear about. But everyone here very much respected his display at the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge, where he used the power of his Vajra Finger to carve out a chessboard, carve out chess moves, and struggle unyieldingly against Crown Prince Yanqing. His Vajra Finger was even more venerated. At this moment, hearing him recount these events, they all thought to themselves that it was just a young, ignorant kid whose words were full of nonsense.


    They didn''t expect that the Yellow Browed Monk would let out a light sigh before continuing. "At that time, I was angry upon hearing these words. But I thought to myself, why be upset over the wild ramblings of a little kid? I glared at him, but paid him no attention. Only to hear the woman upbraid him. She said, ''This person''s Vajra Finger comes from the orthodox teachings of the Putian Damo Courtyard of Fujian. He''s achieved a thirty percent proficiency in it. What does a little kid like you know? When you strike with your fingers, you aren''t as accurate as he is."


    "As I heard this, I was both startled and angry. Very few people of the jianghu knew where my martial arts originated from, yet this woman was able to determine it with a single sentence. In addition, she claimed that my Vajra Fingers had only reached a level of thirty percent proficiency. Of course I couldn''t take this lying down. Alas, at that time, I really had no idea as to how high the heaven is, or how deep the earth is. Based on my level of actual ability at that time, for someone to say that I had reached thirty percent proficiency was already giving me too much credit. At most, I had reached perhaps twenty six or twenty seven percent proficiency. I loudly said, "Madame, what is your respected surname? Your son belittled my Vajra Finger. Does he wish to exchange a few stances and pointers with me?" That kid brought the donkey to a halt and was about to respond. Suddenly, the lady''s eyes reddened and tears appeared in her eyes. "What words did your father say to you just before he died? Have you already forgotten?" That youth replied, "Understood. I don''t dare forget." They spurred the donkey on and galloped forwards.


    "The more I thought about it, the less I could accept their words. I spurred on my own horse to catch up to them. I called out, ''Hey! You came here and spewed nonsense about my martial arts, but refused to exchange a few pointers with me. Do you really plan to just get away that easily?'' I was riding an extremely fine stallion. As I spoke, I passed by their donkey, then came to a halt in front of them. That woman said to her son, ''See? You said a bunch of rubbish, and now other people are upset.'' That youth was clearly very obedient towards his mother, and did not dare to even glance at me. I saw that they were afraid of me, and thought to myself that they were just a widow and an orphan, with no martial abilities. Why lower myself to their level? But from the woman''s words, it seemed as though that youth also knew the Vajra Finger. It took me over fifteen years to begin to master this set of martial arts. How could this little kid possibly know it? Naturally, they were just blowing hot air. I said, ''Today, I''ll let you guys go. In the future, be more careful when speaking.''"


    "The woman still didn''t even so much as glance at me. She said to the youth, ''The words of this uncle are correct. In the future, be more careful when you speak.'' It would have been so much better if I had just let the matter drop here. But that that time, I was young and strong-headed, and did not move my horse away, continuing to block the road. The woman got off the donkey and began to walk in front of it. The youth patted the donkey, then also got off and began to lead it past me. I let out a big laugh and aimed a blow at the donkey with my whip, saying, ''Hurry, scram!'' But before my whip reached a foot of the body of the donkey, the youth turned around. With a ''chi'' sound, he pointed, projecting his internal energy through the air and knocking my whip out of my hand. This terrified me so badly that I was totally stunned. The power of his finger was extremely strong, far surpassing my own."


    "I heard the woman say, ''Since you have already attacked, you might as well finish the job.'' The youth said, ''Yes!'' He turned the donkey around and rushed towards me. Stretching out my left palm, I executed the technique, ''Cloud-Barring Hand'' and pushed towards him. Suddenly, with a ''chi'' sound, he pointed at me with his finger. I felt some pain on the left side of my chest. Then, all my energy left my body."


    As the Yellow Browed Monk came to this point in the story, he slowly began to remove his robes, exposing his thin, bony chest. Everyone could see that on the left side of his chest, above his heart, there was a hole roughly an inch deep. Although the hole was long since scabbed over, it was nonetheless clear to everybody how severe the injury he suffered was. Everyone was absolutely astonished that with such a deep wound over his heart, he not only did not die, but had managed to survive to this very day.


    The Yellow Browed Monk pointed towards the right side of his chest and said, "Everyone, please take a look." The flesh and skin there were slightly undulating upwards and downwards. Only now did everyone realize that his body structure was a bit different from everyone else''s; his heart was closer to the right side than the left. The reason he managed to just barely survive was for this reason.


    The Yellow Browed Monk once more put on his cloth robes, then continued. "For a person to have a heart like mine is really an extremely rare occurrence. That youth, seeing that I did not immediately die upon being struck by his finger on my heart, pulled his donkey back a few steps. A look of great surprise was on his face. I saw the blood flowing from my chest and knew that my life certainly would be lost. I no longer had any fear, and immediately boomed out, ''Little crook, you claim that you know how to use the Vajra Finger. Hmph! The Vajra Finger of the Damo Courtyard, is there such a thing as it injuring the opponent and drawing the opponent''s blood but not taking the opponent''s life? Your technique is totally wrong. It definitely is not the Vajra Finger!'' That youth leapt towards me, once more about to strike at me. At that moment, I couldn''t defend myself in the slightest. All I could do was stand there and wait for death. I never would have imagined that the woman would suddenly flick her whip and capture her son''s arm with it. I dimly and hazily heard her reprimand her son. ''The Murong family of Gusu actually has such a useless scion as you. Since your finger strike was not perfect, you cannot kill this man. I''ll punish you. For the next seven days¡­'' As to what sort of punishment she would assign him for the next seven days, I do not know. By that time, I had already fainted."


    Cui Baiquan said in a trembling voice, "Ma¡­master, afterwards¡­afterwards, did you ever meet them again?"


    The Yellow Browed Monk said, "I am embarrassed to say this. But after that day, I felt extremely downhearted. Such a young man already achieved such great attainment in martial arts. Even if I practiced hard for the rest of my life, I might not be able to catch up to him. After the injury to my chest was healed, I left the territory of the Great Song, and came to far-away Dali. I hid myself under his majesty''s protection, and after a few years became a monk. Over these many years, I have passed beyond the point of caring about life or death, and no longer care about my past honors or humiliations. But when I occasionally think back on that event, my heart cannot help but quiver with fear. I really am like a little bird terrified by the twang of a bowstring."


    Duan Yu asked, "Master, if that youth lived to this day, he would be in his sixties. He would be Murong Bo, right?"


    The Yellow Browed Monk shook his head. "I''m embarrassed to say this, but I don''t know. As to whether or not the skill he used to attack me truly was the Vajra Finger, I also could not tell for sure. I only felt that it seemed somewhat different. But regardless of whether or not it was the Vajra Finger, it was extremely powerful¡­extremely powerful¡­"


    No one spoke. The disdain they had felt towards Cui Baiquan was mostly gone now. They all thought to themselves that for a martial artist of the Yellow Browed Monk''s caliber to be in dread of Murong Bo, it was excusable for Cui Baiquan to be terrified out of his wits.


    Cui Baiquan said, "Sir, you have an extremely high status, and yet you do not conceal your past inglories at all. What type of person am I, to not speak for fear of being shamed? I was just about to explain to the prince my reasons for hiding myself here. As no one here is an outsider, I will tell everyone the story." As he said this, his face became extremely agitated. He felt his tongue and his throat become dry. He grabbed his bowl of tea and gulped it down, then took Guo Yanzhi''s bowl of tea and drank that down as well. Only then could he continue. "This¡­this event of mine, happened¡­happened eighteen years ago¡­" After he said this, he couldn''t help but start glancing outside the window again.


    He calmed himself down, then said, "Within the regional capital city of Nanyang, there was a local tyrant surnamed ''Cai''. He was rich but cruel and oppressed the common people. A friend of my martial brother and I was framed and harmed by him. His entire family died at Cai''s hands." Guo Yanzhi said, "Martial uncle, are you talking about that crook, Cai Qingtu?" Cui Baiquan said, "Right. Whenever your master speaks of Cai Qingtu, he always gnashes his teeth with hate. Your master wrote many letters of condemnation and complaint to the local officials, but each time Cai Qingtu would bribe the high officials to suppress and quash the complaints. If your master were to use his soft whip, he could have destroyed Cai Qingtu in a heartbeat. But although he was a lofty hero in the world of the jianghu, in his own hometown, he had a family and a business. He wasn''t willing to break the law. I, Cui Baiquan, was totally different. I thieved chickens and stole dogs, *****d and gambled, committed murder and arson. I did everything. That night, I couldn''t suppress my anger. I snuck into Cai Qingtu''s house and wiped out everyone in his household, numbering over thirty people."


    "I started killing at the main gate, and killed all the way until I reached the backyard courtyard. I didn''t even spare the female slave gardeners. Entering the courtyard, I saw some light at the window of a small building. I rushed up the building and kicked down the door. It was a study room, and all four walls were filled with books. A pair of two, man and woman, were seated there and were reading."


    "The male was in his forties and had handsome features. He wore the clothes of a scholar. The woman appeared very young, but as her back was towards me, I didn''t see her face. I saw that she wore a light green outer garment. Judging by the candlelight, she seemed quite pretty and charming. Goddamnit¡­" Up til now, his words had been refined, not at all in keeping with his normal behavior. He stunned everyone in suddenly letting out such an uncouth remark. Swimming in his memories, Cui Baiquan continued, "¡­I had just killed thirty odd people in a short amount of time and was in a great mood. I suddenly saw those two bastards, and goddamnit, I thought it was weird. Everyone in Cai Qingtu''s family was vicious and thuggish. Where did these two attractive, refined bastards come from? Isn''t this like Emperor Tangming and Yang Guifei from the opera skits? I thought it was weird, and wasn''t planning to immediately kill them. The man said, "Wife, everything from ''guimei'' to ''wuwang'' is not lined up correctly [tortoise sister to martial king]."


    Duan Yu, upon hearing the words, ''guimei'' to ''wuwang'', thought to himself, "What the heck is this? What is he talking about?" After thinking for a moment, he came to a realization. "Oh, he means, from ''guimei'' to ''wuwang'' [tortoise sister to no rashness]. The man is talking about the I-Ching." His interested was roused.


    Cui Baiquan continued, "That woman muttered to herself for a while, then said, ''If you go from the northeast corner and slant towards ''dage'' [elder brother], then turn at ''zizi'' [elder sister]¡­is this route possible?" Duan Yu thought to himself, "Elder brother? Elder sister? Oh, he means ''large road'' and ''already crossed''." Suddenly, he was startled all the more. "This woman is clearly talking about the steps within the ''Graceful Steps Upon the Waves''. Her positioning is a bit off though, so she isn''t totally correct. Can it be that this woman has some sort of relationship with the Dear Goddess of the mountain cave?"


    Cui Baiquan continued, "These two kept on talking incessantly, babbling about turtle sisters, brothers-in-law, older sisters, yadda yadda. I got impatient and yelled, ''Goddamnit, both of you bastards, roll the hell out!'' But both of them acted as though they were deaf and hadn''t heard my words at all. They simply continued to stare intently at that book. The woman said in a soft voice, ''There are nine steps that need to be taken from here to the elder sister''s house. They can''t be taken.'' I yelled again, ''Take them, take them, take them! Take as many steps as you need to your grandmother''s house! I''ll send you to meet all eighteen generations of your ancestors!'' Just as I was about to enter the room, that man suddenly clapped his hands and laughed. ''Brilliant, brilliant! The grandmother is the ''kun''. Eighteen generations of ancestors¡­hey, two times nine is eighteen! They should revolve around the ''kun'' position. We''ve thought through this part of the footwork!'' He reached out and grabbed an abacus on the table. I don''t know what he did, but suddenly three abacus beads flew out towards me. I only felt some pain in my chest, then found my body to be paralyzed and unable to move any more."


    "These two still ignored me, and continued to talking about their little brothers and their little swine. My heart was filled with unspeakable fear. My bandit nickname was the ''Golden Abacus'', because I always carry with me an abacus forged from gold. Hidden within was a secret spring mechanism which would shoot out seventy seven abacus beads when the mechanism was activated. But the abacus on the table was an ordinary one made from mahogany. The bamboo cross-pieces of the abacus had been broken into countless pieces; clearly, he had used his internal energy to shatter the bamboo cross-pieces, then used his internal energy to agitate the beads and shoot them out. This display of martial arts prowess really was goddamn incredible."


    "The more the man and the woman spoke, the happier their voices became. I, on the other hand, grew steadily more afraid. I committed over thirty bloody murders in this house, and now I was stuck here, unable to move, unable to speak. It would be alright if I had to pay with my own life for my murders. But if I were found here, I would be implicating brother Ke as well. The four hours that I spent there were more agonizing than that of ten or twenty years of torture. It wasn''t until the chickens began to crow that the man laughed and said, ''Wife, it looks like we won''t be able to figure out the next few steps tonight. Let''s go!'' The woman said, ''This ''Golden Abacus'', Master Cui, helped you to come up with such a miraculous solution. We should give him some sort of reward!'' I was startled once more. So they had known my identity all along. The man said, ''Since this is the case, let''s let him live a few more years. We''ll take his life the next time we meet him! He dared to insult you and insult me. We can''t just pretend that didn''t happen.'' As he spoke, he picked up his book, then sent out a palm and lightly tapped me on the back, unsealing my acupoints. Following this, the two of them flew out of the window. I lowered my head and saw that three holes had appeared in the chest of my clothes. Three abacus beads were neatly and perfectly nailed into my chest. Even if one had used a ruler and other tools, it would be extremely difficult to place them so accurately. Look, look, look. Everyone, take a look at my predicament for yourself." And as he spoke, he removed his upper body garments.


    As everyone looked at him, they couldn''t help but laugh. Two of the abacus beads were planted precisely on top of his nipples, with the other one in between them. Can it be that he wasn''t able to think of a way to remove them, despite all these years having passed? Cui Baiquan shook his head, rebuttoning his clothes. "For these three beads to be placed on my body is really a heavy punishment. At first, I wanted to dig them out with a knife. But as soon as I used the slightest bit of force, I agitated my own meridians and passed out. It took four hours before I was able to wake up. How about using sandpaper or a filing knife to slowly destroy it? It was still so agonizing that I screamed like a goddamn pig. This punishment has followed my spirit and never left my body. Whenever it is about to rain, these three points of my chest are filled with so much unbearable ****ing pain. It''s more accurate than tortoise shell divinations!" Everyone present was both astonished and amused.


    Cui Baiquan let out a sigh. "This man said that the next time he saw me, he would take my life. I can''t let him take my life, but if I ever met him again, I can''t prevent him from taking it either. The only thing I could do was to make sure he would never see me again. I had no other choice but to escape far away. I ended up arriving at the South-Subduing Palace. There were many experts here, including Prince Duan, Gao Shengtai, Chu Wanli, and the other bodyguards. Surely, they wouldn''t stand by and do nothing and simply watch as my life was taken away. When these three beads on my chest began to hurt, I had no choice but to drown the pain in alcohol for a while. Any lofty aspirations, grand ideals, or dreams of becoming a famous man of my time had become totally out of ****ing reach, more distant than the ninth level of the heavens."


    Everyone thought to themselves, "This person''s situation is largely the same as that of the Yellow Browed Monk. The only difference is that one left the secular world and became a monk, whereas the other hid his identity and lived incognito." Duan Yu asked, "Mr. Huo, how do you know that those two belonged to Gusu''s Murong lineage?" He was used to calling this person ''Mr. Huo'', and wasn''t able to instantly change his mode of address.


    Cui Baiquan scratched his head and said, "That was the hypothesis of my martial brother. After being hit by these three abacus beads, I went to discuss the situation with him. He told me that in the wulin, only Gusu''s Murong family would ''Use the opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent.'' I use abacus beads to attack others, and so he used abacus beads to attack me. Gusu''s Murong family isn''t a flourishing one. ****! It''s a good thing there''s not a lot of them in the world. If they had thousands of sons and hundreds of grandsons, there would be no others left in the jianghu. Only their family would be left."


    These words were extremely disrespectful to Dali''s Duan family, but no one cared. He continued, "The only famous person from their family is Murong Bo. Forty three years ago, the kid who used the Vajra Finger to harm this respected monk was aged fifteen or sixteen. Eighteen years ago, the man who drilled these three beads into my chest was in his forties. It seems likely that they both were the same person, Murong Bo. I never would have imagined that my martial brother would lose his life to him as well. Yanzhi, how did your master offend him?"


    Guo Yanzhi replied, "These past few years, my master had been focused on his business. He would often say, ''harmony brings prosperity''. He never quarreled with anybody. There''s no way that he could''ve offended Gusu''s Murong family. We''re located in Nanyang; they''re located in Suzhou. There''s a huge distance between us."


    Cui Baiquan said, "Most likely, Murong Bo wasn''t able to find me, shrinking, cowardly turtle that I am, and went to ask your master for my location. Your master was a loyal, filial man. He would rather die than reveal my location, and lost his life under Murong Bo''s hands. Brother Ke! I harmed you!" As he spoke, tears began to fall from his eyes and he had a runny nose. Sobbing, he said, "Murong Bo¡­Bo, Bo, Bo! I''ll rip your skin off [Bo is a homonym for another Chinese character, meaning to skin]!" After crying for a bit, he turned to Duan Zhengchun and said, "Prince Duan, all I have to say, I have. Thank you for taking care of me over the past few years and not exposing my identity. I feel extremely grateful towards you, but it will be difficult for me to repay you. I am heading to Gusu right now!" Astonished, Duan Zhengchun said, "You are going to Gusu?"


    Cui Baiquan said, "Right! My martial brother and I are as close as blood brothers. How can I not avenge his murder? Yanzhi, let''s go!" As he spoke, he clasped his hands towards every person, then turned around and left. Guo Yanzhi also paid his respects to everyone present, then followed him out.


    This turn of events was completely out of everyone''s expectations. They saw how terrified Cui Baiquan was of Gusu''s Murong family. But when he spoke of going to avenge his martial brother, despite the fact that he knew he was going to his death, he didn''t show an iota of fear. Everyone secretly felt respect for him within their hearts. Duan Zhengchun called out, "Gentlemen, please wait. Brother Guo has travelled such a long distance to get here. Please take a night''s rest at my humble abode first, then leave on the morrow." Cui Baiquan halted, turned around, and said, "Yes! We''ll follow your orders, prince, and trouble you for one last meal. Yanzhi, let''s go drinking!" He led Guo Yanzhi away.


    Emperor Baoding said to Duan Zhengchun, "Brother Chun, tomorrow, go with Ministers Hua, Fan, and Ba to the Shenjie monastery of Luliang prefecture. Hold a memorial service on my behalf for master Xuanbei." Duan Zhengchun agreed. Huizhen and Huiguan kowtowed, showing their thanks. Emperor Baoding said to Duan Zhengchun, "After paying your respects to Abbot Wuye, wait at the Shenjie monastery for the arrival of the other master monks of Shaolin, then give them my return letter for Abbot Xuanci." He said to Ba Tianshi, "Prepare a pair of letters. One will go to Abbot Xuanci, the other will go to Abbot Wuye. Also prepare gifts for both of them." Ba Tianshi bowed and acknowledged the order. Emperor Baoding continued, "Escort these two eminment monks to their rooms so that they can have some rest." After Ba Tianshi escorted Huizhen and Huiguan out, Emperor Baoding said, "Dali''s Duan family came from the wulin of the central plains. We have never dared to forget our origins, despite the passage of centuries. When friends from the wulin of the central plains come here, we always happily welcome them with lavish ceremony. But our ancestors laid down an extremely strict rule. The scions of the Duan family are completely forbidden from getting involved in the enmities of the jianghu of the central plains. Although we will not and cannot ignore the death of master Xuanbei, we will leave the question of getting revenge up to Shaolin. We cannot interfere." Duan Zhengchun said, "Yes, your brother understands."


    The Yellow Browed Monk said, "It really is very difficult to decide what our proper course of action here is. We must assist Shaolin, but we cannot get involved in any revenge killings. Although Gusu''s Murong family does not have many people, as a famous, aristocratic wulin family, they certainly have a huge number of friends and affiliates. For Shaolin to be open enemies of Gusu''s Murong family would be an shocking, earth-shattering event of wulin. Blood will spray like rain, and the wind will reek of flesh. Who knows how many people will perish. For the past few years, the country of Dali has been peaceful and prosperous. If we get too deeply involved in this spat, I''m afraid that in future years, there will be many people who come to Dali for the purpose of settling scores."


    Emperor Baoding said, "Master, your words are most correct. Our only option is to act totally in accordance with the righteous path, while also showing as much forebearance as we can. Brother Chun, you must always remember these four words: ''Maintain righteousness, exercise forebearance.''" Duan Zhengchun cupped his hands in acknowledgement of the lesson.


    The Yellow Browed Monk said, "My two worthy brothers, I must depart now. I need to take a stroll at the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge." Everyone was astonished. Emperor Baoding said, "Martial brother, what business do you have at the Ten Thousand Calmities Gorge? Who do you want to take with you?" The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. "I won''t even take my two disciples. My two worthy brothers, why don''t you try to guess why I am going there?" Seeing a cheerful smile on his face, Emperor Baoding and Duan Zhengchun felt that it probably wasn''t some dangerous affair. And yet, they still weren''t able to guess what it might be. The Yellow Browed Monk smiled towards Duan Yu. "Worthy nephew, I''ll wager you can guess what it is."


    Duan Yu was startled. "Why is it that I can guess what it is, despite my uncle and father being unable to?" But suddenly, the answer came to him. Laughing, he said, "Master, you are going to investigate that game of chess!" The Yellow Browed Monk laughed loudly. "Precisely. I have no idea as to how, precisely, I defeated Crown Prince Yanqing in that game of chess. Why did he kill one of his own eyes?" Duan Yu shook his head. "I don''t know either." The Yellow Browed Monk said, "Can it be that there was some oddity within the stone house, or on the blue stone? This humble monk must go take a second look!"


    For students of chess, after each game, regardless of victory or defeat, they would go and ponder and deliberate the moves of that match. They would consider where they made weak moves or unwise moves, or where they attacked to aggressively or moved too sluggishly. They wouldn''t feel comfortable until after they had totally understood the intricacies of the game. Not to mention, the Yellow Browed Monk won this game of chess in an extremely strange manner. If he couldn''t discover the secret to this game of chess, it would most likely vex him for the rest of his life.


    Emperor Baoding immediately returned to his own palace. The Yellow Browed Monk instructed his two disciples to return to the Flower Gathering Monastery, then went by himself to the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge. He reassembled the blue stone chessboard which was shattered by Crown Prince Yanqing, then began pondering each move step by step.


    After escorting Emperor Baoding and the Yellow Browed Monk out of the palace, Duan Zhengchun returned to his own room, intending to discuss the day''s events with his wife. Unfortunately, Dao Baifeng, still angry with him over the discovery that he had another illegitimate daughter, in the form of Zhong Ling, had locked the door and wouldn''t let him in. Duan Zhengchun begged her from outside to open up for a long time. She replied, "If you don''t leave immediately, I''m going back to the Hollow Jade Monastery!"


    Helpless, Duan Zhengchun could only return to the study room, sitting down gloomily. He suddenly thought of Zhong Ling, and wondered if Zhong Wanchou and the Divine Crocodile could rescue her. Chu Wanli and the others had left to investigate, but hadn''t returned to make a report yet. His mind was uneasy. He stroked the golden box which Gan Baobao had returned to him. Staring at her slender, fine handwriting, his mind returned to a time seventeen years past, where the two of them had shared joy and happiness so overwhelming, it had penetrated to their marrows. Then he thought of how she had painfully waited for him for so long, before she finally was forced to marry Zhong Wanchou. He couldn''t help but feel a deep ache within his heart. "At that time, she was only a seventeen year old girl. Her parents had always treated her unkindly. She was carrying my child within her, out of wedlock. What else could she do?"


    The more he thought, the more miserable he felt. Suddenly, he remembered the words which Dao Baifeng had earlier said to Minister Hua. "This tunnel passes by Madame Zhong''s bedroom. If you don''t collapse it, I''m afraid that one of the gentlemen currently present will henceforth go tunnel his way there every night from now on." He immediately ordered one of his servants to secretly summon two of Minister Hua''s most able family warriors, admonishing him to keep everything secret.


    Within his own study room, Duan Yu''s mind was fully occupied with running through all the strange events which had recently transpired. First, his wedding engagement with Mu Wanqing, then his discovery that she was his sister. Even more bizarre, Zhong Ling was also his sister. Zhong Ling had been kidnapped by Yun Zhonghe, and whether or not she had escaped his clutches was as of yet unknown. His heart was filled with worry. Then, he thought of Murong Bo and his wife studying the art of the ''Graceful Steps Upon the Waves''. He wondered what sort of connection they might have with his Dear Goddess from the cave. Could it be that they were disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect [literally, ''Carefree'' Sect]? Are they the people whom the Dear Goddess has ordered me to kill? They have attained such an incredibly high level of martial arts. For someone to expect me to try and kill them will be a joke of colossal proportions.


    His mind wandered to his imprisonment within the stone house. Thank goodness he hadn''t committed any incestuous acts. It really was a stroke of luck. In addition, he had become much more familiar with the footwork of the ''Graceful Steps Upon the Waves'' as well. However, he had been slacking with regards to doing the homework which the Dear Goddess had assigned him. He immediately reached within his bosom, intending to pull the manuscript out. As soon as his fingers brushed its surface, he realized that something was wrong. He quickly extracted the manuscript, then let out a series of cries, "Aiyo! Aiyo!" The scroll had long since been torn into many scattered pieces. Upon unwrapping it, he found that all the pieces were jumbled together. How could this be readable at all? Of the scattered pieces of parchment, perhaps only thirty percent of the original remained. The damage done to the actual diagrams and instructions was even more severe. Duan Yu''s entire body trembled, as though he had been thrown into a room built of ice. He thought to himself, "How¡­how could this have happened."


    Only after a long time had passed did he vaguely recollect that after being imprisoned by the man in green, his entire body had suddenly turned unbearably hot. He had wildly ripped and torn at his clothes. Later, as he ran and jumped about madly, he had continued to wildly tear at his clothes. In his dazed state, how could he tell the difference between clothes and manuscripts? Naturally, he tore at everything, ripping them into little pieces then casting them aside.


    He stared stupidly at the image of the naked girl on the scroll, whose arms and legs had been torn off with the parchment they were drawn upon. And yet, there was a feel of relief in his heart as well. "The manuscript has been destroyed. I can no longer learn the martial arts written within it. It''s not that I refuse to obey Dear Goddess''s orders, but that I am unable to. All that stuff about exterminating the disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect no longer apply." He threw the remaining scraps of parchment into the fireplace, then lit the fire and burned them to ash. He thought to himself, "The naked pictures are badly damaged. Each time I look at them, I would be profaning the memory of the Dear Goddess. It is heaven''s will that it be destroyed in flame."


    He saw that it was now late at night, and headed to his mother''s room. He wanted to have a good conversation with her and share a meal. Arriving at her room, he saw that the door was shut tightly. The female servant in charge of waiting on the princess giggled, "The princess is sleeping. Please come back tomorrow." Duan Yu thought to himself, "Oh, right. Father must be inside." Turning away, he left, intending to find Mu Wanqing and have a conversation with her instead. But after taking a few steps, he decided that it would be best for him to avoid her for now. For him to visit her now would only make her feel sadder. Bored and aimless, he strolled towards the inner garden.


    By now, the moon appeared. He sat for a while at the pavilion by the side of the pond, watching as the curved crescent moon rose up into the sky from the east. He thought to himself that at this moment, the moonlight would also be descending upon the jade cliffs of Mt. Wuliang. After a few more hours, a multicolored long sword would appear on those jade cliffs, pointing to the abode of the Dear Goddess. Just as he was beginning to fall into a spellbound trance, he heard a soft whistle come from outside of the walls. Listening, he heard the sound a few more times. In the past, he wouldn''t have paid such a thing any mind. But in the past few days, he had undergone many things and broaded his experiences. He thought to himself, "Can it be that a person of the jianghu is sending a secret signal?"


    After a short period of time, the whistle came again. Suddenly, a shadow flashed by the peony flower terrace. As it reached the wall, it leapt on top of it. Duan Yu involuntarily cried out, "Sister Wan!" The person was Mu Wanqing. He watched as she leapt down from the wall, to the other side.


    Duan Yu cried out a second time, "Sister Wan!" He rushed to the spot where Mu Wanqing had leapt onto the wall, but he himself, of course, didn''t have that sort of ability. There was a door next to him, leading out of the garden, but it was bolted and locked shut with an iron padlock. He could do nothing but loudly shout out, "Sister Wan! Sister Wan!"


    Only to hear Mu Wanqing loudly shout back from the other side of the wall, "Why do you keep on calling my name? I never want to see you again! I''m leaving with my mom!" Duan Yu anxiously said, "Don''t leave! No matter what, you mustn''t leave!" Mu Wanqing did not reply.


    After a while, he heard the voice of an older woman say from the other side, "Wan''er, let''s go! Alas! It''s useless." Mu Wanqing was still silent. Duan Yu knew that this woman must be Qin Hongmian. He shouted, "Aunt Qin, please come in."


    Qin Hongmian said, "Come in? For what purpose? So that your mother can kill me?"


    Duan Yu wasn''t able to formulate a reply. He hit the door hard, calling out, "Sister Wan, Sister Wan! Don''t go! Let''s slowly think of an idea." Mu Wanqing replied, "What idea can we come up with? Heaven itself has no ideas!" After pondering a moment, she called out, "I have an idea. Are you interested?" Duan Yu happily replied, "Great! What''s the plan?"


    With two ''chi'' sounds, the blade of a thin blue sabre was inserted within the openings at the side of the doorway, then cut the henges off. Following that, with a pair of ''peng'' sounds, the gate was pushed open. Mu Wanqing stood in the doorway. Within her hands, she held that thin blue asura sabre. She said, "Stretch out your neck and let me chop it in half. Then I''ll immediately kill myself. When we reincarnate, we won''t be brother and sister. That way, we can become man and wife."


    Duan Yu was so frightened that he was stupefied. In a quavering voice, he replied, "This¡­this isn''t¡­isn''t workable!"


    Mu Wanqing said, "I''m willing. Why aren''t you? Alternately, you can kill me first, then take your own life." As she spoke, she handed an asura sabre over towards him. Duan Yu hurriedly took two steps back. "No way, no way!"


    Mu Wanqing slowly turned around. Grasping her mother''s arm, she quickly walked away. Duan Yu blankly stared as their silhouettes disappeared within the darkness of the night. For a long, long time, he did not move.


    Slowly, the moon rose until it was in the middle of the sky, but he continued to stand there without moving. He suddenly felt a tightness at the back of his neck, and then he was lifted up in the sky by someone. A quiet voice laughed. "Do you wanna die, or do you wanna live? If you wanna be my master, you''ll be a dead master. But if you''re willing to be my apprentice, you''ll be a living apprentice." It was the Divine Crocodile''s voice.


    Duan Zhengchun, with two of Hua Hegen''s most skilled subordinates, swiftly rode to the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge. These two subordinates, having helped Hua Hegen dig the tunnel, knew where the entrance to it was. They led him to it, then shifted away the branches and twigs which they had used to camouflage the entrance. One of them said, "Let this humble one guide you." Duan Zhengchun said, "No need! The two of you shall just wait for me here."


    Just as he was about to crawl into the tunnel, he suddenly a shadow flash by from behind a large tree to the west. The movement was extremely quick. Duan Zhengchun immediately utilized his energy and charged over there. He cried out in a low voice, "Who are you?" Behind the large tree, a man whispered back, "Prince, I am Cui Baiquan!" He stepped out from behind the tree.


    Surprised, Duan Zhengchun said, "Brother Cui, what are you doing here?" Cui Baiquan said, "This humble one heard that your honored daughter had been abducted. I came with my martial nephew Guo in order to look for her. I saw some clues on the road and deduced that the young miss most likely fled back here. But that villain is continuing to pursue her and not letting up."


    Duan Zhengchun''s mind was suddenly enlightened. "This Cui Baiquan is a man who distinguishes between benevolence and mistreatment. He had hidden himself in my manor for all these years, and consequently feels that he owes me a debt of gratitude. He is about to go seek out Gusu''s Murong family for revenge; this is tantamount to throwing his life away. He hoped to be able to find my daughter Ling''er, and in this way repay the gift of protection which I had given him for the past ten or so years."


    He immediately bowed deeply. "Brother Cui, I can''t thank you enough for the righteousness you have displayed." Cui Baiquan replied, "I''ll go search for her over there." In a flash, he entered the forested woods, demonstrating an exceptionally capable skill in qinggong.


    Duan Zhengchun thought to himself, "Brother Cui''s martial arts is not inferior at all to Wanli or Danchen." Returning to the tunnel entrance, he entered the tunnel. After crawling for a while, he came to a fork in the tunnel. The two subordinates had already told him earlier that the northeastern tunnel led to the stone house which had previously imprisoned Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing, and that the northwestern tunnel led to Madame Zhong''s bedroom. He immediately crawled in the northwestern direction. Arriving at the end of the tunnel, he gently lifted up the board above his head by a few inches. Bright light appeared before him. He slowly peered into the crack, only to see a pair of purple, flower-embroidered shoes resting on the floor. Duan Zhengchun felt a great shock in his heart, then pushed the board up another two inches.


    He heard Gan Baobao let out a long sigh. After a while, she quietly said, "If you weren''t a prince, but were instead a farmer or a hunter, or a philandering little thief, or a bandit who plundered homes, I would still have followed you...I would have followed you my entire life..." Following this, a few teardrops fell, descending on the floorboard next to her flower-embroidered shoes.


    Duan Zhengchun felt a gush of warm feeling rise from the pit of his stomach. He thought to himself, "I won''t be a prince anymore. I''ll be a thief or a bandit and have you follow me for the rest of our lives. What''s so good about being a prince anyhow?"


    Only to hear Gan Baobao continue, "Can it be...can it be that I really will never see you again for the rest of my life? Not even once? I...I''m better off dead. Brother Chun, brother Chun...do you miss me at all?" These soft laments were truly heart-rending and deeply moving. Duan Zhengchun couldn''t resist from quietly whispering, "Baobao...my beloved Baobao..." Gan Baobao was startled. She stood up, then immediately let out a sigh. She mumbled to herself, "I''m dreaming again. I dreamed that you were calling to me." Duan Zhengchun said in a low voice, "Beloved Baobao, I really am calling out to you. I''ve always been thinking of you and missing you."


    Gao Baobao let out a startled cry. "Brother Chun, is it really you?" Duan Zhengchun pushed the floorboard aside and crawled out. In a low voice, he said, "Beloved Baobao, it really is me!" Gan Baobao, upon suddenly seeing Duan Zhengchun appear before her, lost all color in her face. She took a few steps forward, her entire body trembling. Duan Zhengchun rushed forwards and embraced her in her arms. Gan Baobao''s body suddenly swayed, and then she passed out.


    Duan Zhengchun hurriedly massaged her ''Renzhong'' acupoint. Slowly, Gan Baobao began to come to. She felt that her body was in Duan Zhengchun''s embrace, while he was kissing her face. She was filled with such joy that her entire body was about to explode from it. Her mind in a daze, she whispered, "Brother Chun, Brother Chun...I''m dreaming again." Duan Zhengchun tightly embraced her warm, soft body. He whispered in her ear, "Beloved Baobao, you aren''t dreaming. I''m the one dreaming."


    Suddenly, a coarse voice erupted from outside the door. "Who?! Who''s inside the room?! I heard a male voice!" It was Zhong Wanchou''s voice. Duan Zhengchun and Gan Baobao were both startled. Gan Baobao loudly replied, "I''m inside! What''s this nonsense about a male voice or a female voice? You''re babbling again!"


    Duan Zhengchun whispered into her ear, "Run away with me. I''ll be a thief or a bandit. I won''t be a prince anymore." Absolutely jubilant, Gan Baobao whispered back, "I''ll be a thief''s wife or a bandit''s wife. Even if it''s just for one day, it would be wonderful."


    Without his wife''s permission, Zhong Wanchou didn''t dare to enter his wife''s room. But from a window, he saw a man''s shadow inside the room. He loudly cried out, "You have a man inside your room! I...I see him!" He no longer cared about whether or not his wife had given permission and knocked the door open with a flying kick.


    The back of Duan Yu''s neck had been seized by the Divine Crocodile. Held up in mid-air, he couldn''t move in the slightest. He had only finished practicing one part of the ''Divine Art of the Northern Darkness'', the ''Shoutaiyinfei'' part. He could only use the ''Shaoshang'' acupoint on his thumb to fight with people. In addition, the opponent was using all his might in seizing him; how could he drain his energy away, with all of his other acupoints unable to draw internal energy? He was just about to shout, but the Divine Crocodile stretched out his left hand and covered his mouth.


    Holding him, the Divine Crocodile raced away. He did not stop until he had arrived in a quiet, secluded place, far away from the South Subduing Palace. He put Duan Yu back down, but did not release the back of his neck, fearing that if he did, Duan Yu would utilize that bizarre set of footwork to flee.


    Duan Yu let out a bitter smile. "Evidently, you changed your mind. You don''t want to be my disciple after all; you''d rather be a bastard son of a turtle." The Divine Crocodile replied, "Says who? First, return to me my eight kowtows and expel me from your sect, releasing me from your tutelage. Then kowtow to me eight more times and accept me as your master. We''ll do this orderly and by the book. That way, there''ll be no issue of me being a bastard son of a turtle."


    Duan Yu couldn''t help but laugh silently to himself. "No way! At this moment, I''ve been captured by you and don''t have the ability to defend myself. Go ahead and kill me!" The Divine Crocodile spat. "Bah! I won''t fall for your trick! Your old man definitely won''t kill you while you are helpless and give people a reason to call me a bastard son of a turtle! Do you think I''m stupid or something?" Duan Yu replied, "You are so sharp! So extremely smart!"


    The Divine Crocodile had come up with a ''brilliant plan'' that would allow him to flawlessly and properly achieve his hearts desire in terms of formalities. How could he have known that the other person would rather die than kowtow to him eighteen times? The brilliant plan he had spent days concocting was now totally useless. He couldn''t help but feel extremely anxious and indecisive.


    Duan Yu said, "According to the rules of the Southern Seas sect, can a disciple kill his own master?" The Divine Crocodile replied, "Of course he can''t! A master can kill his disciple, but a disciple killing his master is unheard of!" Duan Yu continued, "So does a disciple have to listen to and obey his master, or does the master have to obey the disciple?" The Divine Crocodile replied, "Naturally, the disciple has to obey the master. After you accept me as your master, you''ll need to obey me in all things." Duan Yu laughed. "Right now, you are still my disciple. I told you to go rescue your master-wife. Have you accomplished this or not?"


    The Divine Crocodile said, "****! I started to fight with Number Four just as my master-wife''s old man rushed over. He took the opportunity to seize her back." Duan Yu, hearing that Zhong Ling had already escaped Yun Zhonghe''s vile grasp, was filled with joy.


    The Divine Crocodile continued, "Next, I started to fight with my master-wife''s old man. After we battled for a bit, he didn''t want to fight anymore. My master-wife had already run away as well. Number Four said that we should go to the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge and kill Zhong Wanchou." Duan Yu asked, "Why''s that?" The Divine Crocodile replied, "This important task cannot go undone! Otherwise I, Yue Number Two, will never be able to raise my head in the jianghu ever again, and be looked down upon by everyone." Baffled, Duan Yu said, "What type of logic is that? Number Four was just messing with you. You don''t need to listen to him."


    The Divine Crocodile replied, "No, no! Number Four is looking after my well-being. If you don''t understand the logic of this, let me instruct you. That little girl is now my master-wife, putting her a generation up above me. That means her old man is two generations above me. ****! What type of shitty creature is Zhong Wanchou, for him to be two generations my senior? I gotta kill him! Number Four also said that the reason he was planning to kill Zhong Wanchou and steal his wife was because of his loyalty to our group, the ''Four Great Evils''. He was totally doing this for my sake, charging ahead without caring about his own safety and risking everything for me."


    Duan Yu was all the more baffled. He asked, "How so?" The Divine Crocodile replied, "Zhong Wanchou''s wife, being my master-wife''s mother, is also two generations above me. But if Number Four made her his wife instead, she would become the wife of the junior brother of I, Yue Number Two. That would make her my sister-in-law. Her daughter would naturally be a generation beneath me, making her my niece. You would be my niece''s husband, making you my nephew-in-law. Naturally, you''d also be one generation lower than me. I''d address you as ''master'', and you''d address me as ''uncle''. Wouldn''t that put both of us in a great position? Haha! What a brilliant idea!"


    Duan Yu burst into loud laughter. The Divine Crocodile said, "Let''s go, let''s go! Let''s quickly go and take care of this important bit of business. There can never be a person in the world who is two generations above Yue Number Two!" Grabbing Duan Yu by the hand, he flew towards the direction of the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge.


    Duan Zhengchun heard Zhong Wanchou kick down the door to enter the room. A thought flashed by his mind. "I can''t kill him!" He gently pried himself loose from Gan Baobao''s embrace and jumped back into the tunnel, hurriedly replacing the wooden board.


    With his large sabre in hand, Zhong Wanchou rushed into the bedroom, only to see Gan Baobao by herself in the room. He hurriedly checked the wardrobe, underneath the bed, and behind the door. He checked every conceivable place where a person might hide. Forget about finding a male, he wasn''t even able to find half the shadow of a ghost. He was filled with total astonishment. Gan Baobao furiously said, "You''ve come to bully me again! Quick, just go ahead and kill me cleanly with a cut of your sabre!" Not finding a man inside the room, Zhong Wanchou had been filled with happiness. He hurriedly threw aside his sabre and laughed heartily. "Wife, my vision must''ve been blurry. I must''ve drank a few too many cups of wine earlier!" But even as he was saying this, he continued to peer here and there.


    Suddenly, the sound of frantic footsteps came from outside. Zhong Ling cried loudly, "Mother! Mother!" She flew into the room. Yun Zhonghe''s voice pursued her in. "Even if you run to the ends of the world, I''ll still find and capture you!" With quick footsteps, he followed her in.


    Zhong Ling cried out, "Daddy, this bad man¡­this bad man is chasing me again!" In the course of running away from Yun Zhonghe, she had long since exhausted herself. Fortunately, she was familiar with every nook and cranny of her own home, and so was able to dodge here and hide there. Yun Zhonghe on the other hand, in this twisting maze of secret paths and passageways, wasn''t able to utilize his qinggong abilities fully. This was the only reason she was able to escape into her mother''s bedroom. Yun Zhonghe, seeing both Zhong Wanchou and his wife in the room, was very pleasantly surprised. He thought to himself that this was an excellent opportunity to kill Zhong Wanchou, then carry off both Madame Zhong and Zhong Ling.


    Zhong Wanchou fired off three palms in a row, but all three were sidestepped by Yun Zhonghe. Yun Zhonghe circled past the table to pursue Zhong Ling. He thought to himself, "First, let me take care of the little girl. The next step after that would be to kill her father and capture her mother. That way, I won''t give her a chance to run away." Zhong Ling cried out, "Hey, you bamboo-pole, if you keep on chasing me, I''m going to start tickling you!" Yun Zhonghe was startled, then called out, "You''ll tickle me? I''d like to see you try!" As he spoke, he threw himself through the air towards her.


    That day when Zhong Ling had been abducted by Yun Zhonghe, she had struggled with all her might. But how could she escape his grasp? She was terrified to death. She heard the Divine Crocodile rush after them from far away, and heard him loudly call out, "Master-wife! Master-wife! Stretch out your hand and scratch his armpit! This skinny bamboo pole is terrified of being tickled!" Zhong Ling thought to herself, "Tickling? I''m an expert at that skill!" Stretching out her hand, she was just about to tickle his armpit. But Yun Zhonghe had also heard the Divine Crocodile''s shout. Even before she had startled to tickle him, he couldn''t help but begin to laugh. While laughing, he was no longer able to run as quickly as before, and the Divine Crocodile was able to catch up to him.


    Yun Zhonghe said, "Yue Number Three! You''ve fallen for that guy''s tricks!" The Divine Crocodile retorted, "What are you babbling about, tricks this and tricks that? Hurry up and let go of my master-wife, or I''ll give you a taste of my crocodile fang scissors!" Out of options, Yun Zhonghe was forced to put Zhong Ling down. Catching him off-guard, Zhong Ling startled to tickle him. Turning his waist away, Yun Zhonghe laughed so hard that he ran out of breath. The more he laughed, the more vigorously Zhong Ling tickled. Between laughs, Yun Zhonghe began to cough. The Divine Crocodile said, "Master-wife, please spare him! If you keep on doing this and if this goes on for much longer, he''ll suffocate to death from laughter!" Zhong Ling thought this was really bizarre. This evil person''s martial arts skill was of such a high level. How could he be literally tickled to death by someone? She replied, "I don''t believe you! I want to try and see if he can really be tickled to death!" The Divine Crocodile said, "That won''t do! If you tickle him to death, he won''t be able to come to life again. The weak spot of Yun Zhonghe''s martial arts is at the ''Tianquan'' [Heavenly Spring] acupoint underneath his armpit. It can''t be touched!"


    Upon hearing his words, Zhong Ling ceased her assaults on the crook of his armpit. Yun Zhonghe rose to his feet, then suddenly spat towards the Divine Crocodile. He cursed, "You damned crocodile, you ugly alligator! Why''d you expose the weak spot of my martial arts to an outside?!" Zhong Ling said, "Wow, now you''re cussing at people?" She stretched out her hand to tickle him again, but unexpectedly, it didn''t work this time. Yun Zhonghe sent out a flying kick that sent her flying far away.


    The Divine Crocodile helped Zhong Ling stand up. He said, "Master-wife, does it hurt?" Before Zhong Ling had a chance to respond, Zhong Wanchou rushed towards them, his large sabre in hand. He cried out, "Stupid girl! What''s the point of you dying here?" The Divine Crocodile turned his head and barked out, "****, man! Why the hell are you screaming obscenities?" Zhong Wanchou angrily replied, "I''m scolding my daughter! What the hell does it have to do with you?" The Divine Crocodile was totally enraged. Pointing at Zhong Wanchou, he roared, "You¡­you thieving dog! You want to take advantage of me? I¡­I, Yue Number Two, am going to go all out on you!" Zhong Wanchou replied, "How am I taking advantage of you?" The Divine Crocodile replied, "She''s my master-wife. That means she''s a generation above me. There''s nothing I can do about that. But you dare to call yourself her father. This¡­this¡­you¡­doesn''t this mean you''re two generations above me!? Yue Number Two is a respected senior in the Southern Seas. Everyone politely addresses me as ''grandpa'' or ''ancestor''. But ever since I arrived at the Central Plains, I''ve become a generation or two lower than everybody. This old man won''t stand for it! I won''t stand for it no matter what!"


    Zhong Wanchou replied, "If you won''t stand for it, then you won''t stand for it. She''s my birth daughter. That naturally makes me her old man. What''s this crap about ''calling myself'' her father?" The Divine Crocodile craned his head to glance at both him and his daughter, then said, "Naturally, you''re ''calling yourself'' her old man. My master-wife is spectacularly beautiful. But you''re as ugly as sin. How could you possibly be her old man? She definitely wasn''t conceived by you, she was conceived by some other bloke! You''re not really her ''old man'', you are a fake ''old man''!" Listening to his words, Zhong Wanchou was so enraged that his face turned black with rage. Raising up his sabre, he chopped at the Divine Crocodile.


    Zhong Ling hurriedly said, "Daddy, this person rescued me from the hands of that bad man! Don''t kill him!"


    The flames of Zhong Wanchou''s fury towered above the sky. He roared out, "Damn girl! I always suspected that you weren''t really my daughter! Even this huge dumbass knows it to be true! How can it be false? First I''ll kill him, then I''ll kill you, and last of all I''ll kill your mother!"


    Zhong Ling saw that the two had begun to fight, and that victory or defeat would take some time to be determined. She loudly cried out, "Hey, Yue Number Three! You aren''t allowed to hurt my daddy!" She called out again, "Daddy, you can''t hurt Yue Number Three!" Then she walked away.


    By the time she reached the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge, she was totally exhausted. As soon as she arrived at her own room she immediately fell asleep. She remained asleep until midnight, when she was awoken by Yun Zhonghe''s shouts and calls. He was searching through every single room, one after the other. She had hurriedly gotten up and ran away.


    At this time, Zhong Ling suspected that she wouldn''t be able to get close enough to Yun Zhonghe to tickle him without being captured. She suddenly saw the plank covering the tunnel. Remembering how she was kidnapped via this tunnel by Hua Hegen, she immediately ran over there and lifted up the wooden plank then threw herself into the tunnel.


    Yun Zhonghe hurriedly jumped in after her. After crawling for less than ten feet, his hand suddenly fell upon a thin, slender ankle. He heard Zhong Ling call out, "Aiyo!" Kicking frantically, she tried to kick him loose. But how could Yun Zhonghe, as ecstatic as he was, let her go? Exerting some of his upper body strength, he gave a strong pull, trying to pull her towards him. But unexpectedly, Zhong Ling let out another cry of ''Aiyo'' and didn''t budge in the slightest. It seemed as though someone in front of her had grabbed her as well. At this moment, Yun Zhonghe felt a tight grasp settle around his own two ankles, and was himself being pulled out by someone else. He heard Zhong Wanchou call out, "Get out, get out!"


    Zhong Wanchou, worried about his daughter, had also rushed into the tunnel. Zhong Wanchou gave two tugs but was unable to budge him. He was just about to exercise his strength when he, too, felt his ankles being seized by someone else. A surge of energy ran through his body, trying to pull him out. The Divine Crocodile''s hoarse voice was heard. "You ugly, horse-faced bastard, how dare you ''call yourself'' my master-wife''s father?! You want to put yourself two generations above me? I''m going to kill you today, no matter what!"


    As it were, the Divine Crocodile had just arrived, with Duan Yu in tow. From outside the room, he had watched as Zhong Ling, Yun Zhonghe, and Zhong Wanchou successively jumped into the hole. He thought to himself that there was nothing more important, at this moment in time, than killing this "fellow who dares calls himself my master-wife''s father". He immediately rushed into the house and jumped into the tunnel as well, seizing hold of Zhong Wanchou''s feet.


    Duan Yu hurriedly rushed into the room as well. He said to Madame Zhong, "Aunt Zhong, the important thing right now is to help little sister Zhong Ling." Just as he was about to jump into the tunnel as well, somebody suddenly gave his body a push. He immediately fell down.


    A female voice cried out, "Number Three, Number Four, get out of there now! Our leader has sent instructions forbidding you guys from killing each other!" It was "No Evil Left Undone", Ye Erniang. She had received orders from Duan Yanqing to come and collect Yun Zhonghe and the Divine Crocodile. But she had arrived a bit late, and saw Yun Zhonghe wriggling into the tunnel, followed shortly by Zhong Wanchou and the Divine Crocodile. She knew that, earlier, the Divine Crocodile was trying to pursue and kill Yun Zhonghe. Yun Zhonghe''s martial arts was inferior to the Divine Crocodile. If he were to be really killed, their leader would definitely be absolutely infuriated. After calling out a few more times, and seeing that the Divine Crocodile did not respond, she too jumped into the hole after them. Grabbing the Divine Crocodile''s feet, she prepared to exert her strength and pull him out.


    Duan Yu cried out, "Hey hey, you guys can''t kill sister Zhong Ling! Originally, she was my fianc¨¦e. Now she''s my sister!" But the cries and shouts coming from the tunnel were chaotic and muddled. He couldn''t tell who was calling out what. He thought to himself that with three of the most evil people in the world in that tunnel, Zhong Ling was in a very precarious situation. He felt that she had treated him with loyalty and affection; even though he did not know martial arts, he was willing to stake his life in order to rescue her. He immediately threw himself towards the tunnel opening. Grabbing onto Ye Erniang''s ankles, he prepared to pull her out.


    As he clenched his hands around her ankles, his hands naturally settled around the location on Ye Erniang''s ankles, known as the "Shouyishu". This was the location of a major acupoint, the ''Sanyinjiao'' [''Three Lunar Crossings''] acupoint of the ''Zutaiyinpijing'' [''Lunar Foot and Spleen Channel'']. The intersections were of the ''Zushaoyinshenjing'' [''Younger Lunar Foot and Kidney Channel''], the ''Zutaiyinpijing'', and the ''Zujueyinxinbaojing'' [''Lunar Foot and Pericardium Channel'']. The ''Shaoshang'' acupoint of his thumb was resting on the ''Sanyinjiao'' acupoint of Ye Erniang''s ankle. As the two of them simultaneously exerted their energy, Ye Erniang''s internal energy immediately rushed out and entered Duan Yu''s body.


    In the narrow confines of the tunnel, it wasn''t easy to turn around. Yun Zhonghe had seized Zhong Ling''s ankles, Zhong Wanchou had viciously grabbed on to Yun Zhonghe''s ankles, the Divine Crocodile had latched on to Zhong Wanchou''s ankles, Ye Erniang had snatched the Divine Crocodile''s ankles, and at the very end of the chain, Duan Yu was holding on to Ye Erniang''s ankles. Aside from Zhong Ling, everybody in the tunnel was using all of their strength to pull out the person in front of them. Zhong Ling did not have much internal energy, and at first, it seemed as though she was going to be easily pulled out by Yun Zhonghe. But somehow, it seemed as though someone in front of her had tightly grabbed onto her, preventing her from being pulled out!


    Everyone in this human chain had the ''Shaoshang'' acupoint on their thumbs attached to the ''Sanyinjiao'' ankle acupoints of the person in front of them. As Ye Erniang''s internal energy flowed towards Duan Yu, it carried with it the internal energies of the Divine Crocodile, Zhong Wanchou, Yun Zhonghe, and Zhong Ling. Zhong Ling didn''t have much internal energy to begin with, so it was no big deal for her. But the other four people were terrified out of their wits and starting to kick like crazy, trying to escape the hold of the person behind them. But they were so tightly grabbed that they couldn''t shake loose no matter what. The more urgently they exercised their internal energy, the more quickly it flew away from them.


    Yun Zhonghe only felt that a stream of energy was flowing from Zhong Ling''s ankle to him, and then passing through his own ankle further down the chain. He thought to himself that it was extremely strange that the little kid had such profound internal energy. Fortunately for him, even while internal energy was dissipating from his ankles, he was receiving a constant injection from his hands around her own. Naturally, no matter what he was unwilling to let go of Zhong Ling''s ankles, for fear that once he did, he wouldn''t be able to catch her again. Zhong Wanchou and the rest had the exact same ideas as well. As their hearts began to grow more and more fearful, their grips grew tighter and tighter as well. It was similar to how a drowning person will grab onto anything they can and refuse to let go no matter what.


    Nobody in the tunnel could see a single thing. It was filled with the clamor of their shouts. "Our leader has summoned you!" "Let go of me!" "Your old man is gonna butcher you!" "Whaddya grabbing on to me for? Let go now!" "Mom! Mom! Daddy!" Towards the end, they began to feel that although the stream of energy entering their body from their hands was beginning to weaken, the energy flowing out of their bodies from their feet did not slacken in the slightest. This caused them to be all the more fearful.


    Duan Yu pulled for a long time, and noticed that the internal energy continuously gushed forth into him. He had experienced this before at Mt. Wuliang. At the moment, he was able to handle the feeling of dry heat as he stored up the gush of internal energy within the ''Ocean of Energies'' at his ''Shanzhong'' acupoint. But after a while, he began to feel as though the ''Ocean of Energies'' at his ''Shanzhong'' acupoint was becoming bloated and swollen. Slowly, he began to grow afraid as well. But he thought to himself that with Zhong Ling in such a precarious situation, he had to hang on no matter what. He clenched his teeth together and did not let go.


    Seeing so many strange events occur in succession, Gan Baobao was totally flustered and did not know what to do. In her heart, that spiritually transcendent feeling she had when Duan Zhengchun held her in his arms had not yet totally dissipated. Sitting on a chair stupidly, she softly cried out, "Brother Chun, Brother Chun¡­he addressed me as his ''Beloved Baobao'', he held me, he kissed me. This time, it wasn''t a dream. It was real!"


    The heat in Duan Yu''s chest was proving difficult to endure, but the energy which was entering his body from his hands was only growing stronger and stronger. At this point in time, roughly half of the internal energy of the people in the tunnel had entered his body. Finally, he was able to slowly drag Ye Erniang out of the tunnel, followed by the Divine Crocodile, Zhong Wanchou, Yun Zhonghe, and Zhong Ling. Upon seeing Zhong Ling, Duan Yu felt a great sense of relief in his heart. He immediately let go of Ye Erniang, then rushed forward to help Zhong Ling up. He called out, "Sister Ling, sister Ling, you aren''t hurt, are you?"


    Ye Erniang and the other three had lost half of their internal energies. They released each other, then simply sat there on the floorboards, huffing and panting.


    Zhong Wanchou suddenly cried out, "There''s a man! There''s a man in that tunnel! It''s Duan Zhengchun, Duan Zhengchun!" He suddenly understood what had happened. He thought to himself, "It must have been Duan Zhengchun who dug the damn tunnel underneath my wife''s bedroom. Earlier, I heard a man''s voice and saw a man''s shadow. It''s definitely Duan Zhengchun!" The flames of his jealousy roaring, he rushed forwards, pushing Duan Yu aside and grabbing Zhong Ling by the back of her neck, intending to toss her aside, then jump back down into the tunnel and drag Duan Zhengchun out.


    Upon hearing him loudly cry out the words "Duan Zhengchun!", Gan Baobao immediately awoke from her stupor. Rising to her feet, her heart was filled with grief and bitterness.


    Zhong Wanchou had forgotten that he had lost a large part of his internal energy. Although he grabbed her back the back of her neck, not only was he unable to budge her, his own two feet suddenly buckled and he fell to a sitting position on the ground. But he was unwilling to give up; no matter what, he was going to pull Zhong Ling from the tunnel. There was no way he was going to let Duan Zhengchun slip away!


    After pulling for a while, he saw a pair of hands emerge from the tunnel. These hands were wrapped around Zhong Ling''s own wrists. Zhong Wanchou loudly cried out, "Duan Zhengchun, get up! You and I are going to fight to the death!" Exerting all his strength, he pulled Zhong Ling backwards. And indeed, a person slowly emerged from the tunnel.


    This person really was a male!


    Zhong Wanchou loudly called out, "Duan Zhengchun!" Letting go of Zhong Ling, he threw himself forward and seized the man by the chest. He lifted the man up, only to see that this man was repulsive and ugly, with knitted brows, a miserable face, a crooked mouth, and slanted shoulders. His body was extremely thin and gaunt. He was totally different from Duan Zhengchun. Duan Yu cried out, "Mr. Huo, what are you doing here?" This person was the ''Golden Abacus'', Cui Baiquan!


    Zhong Wanchou cried out, "It isn''t Duan Zhengchun!" Lifting his face towards the sky, he fell over backwards. But even then, he wouldn''t relinquish his tight grip on Cui Baiquan. But suddenly, two more hands reached out from the tunnel, grabbing on to Cui Baiquan''s ankles. Zhong Wanchou loudly cried, "Duan Zhengchun!" Using all his might, he pulled a second person out of the hole.


    Only to see that this person was bald, with incense burn-scars on the top of his head. It was a monk. His face was filled with wrinkles, and eyebrows were long and yellow. Not only was it a monk, but it was an extremely old monk. Duan Yu cried out, "Master Huangmei! What are you doing here?" This old monk was the Yellow Browed Monk.


    Zhong Wanchou exerted all the remaining strength he had to pull the Yellow Browed Monk out of the tunnel. But nobody was grabbing onto his feet. Zhong Wanchou rushed into the tunnel. After a long period of time, he breathlessly emerged from it, shouting, "Nobody left, there''s nobody left in the tunnel." He glanced at Cui Baiquan, then peered at the Yellow Browed Monk. There was no way in hell either of these two could be the secret lover of his wife. He felt a huge sense of relief. He cried out, "Wife, I''m sorry, I¡­I wrongly blamed you yet again!" By now, he had totally exhausted all of his internal energy, and simply lay there at the tunnel entrance, panting. He was incapable of standing up again.


    The Yellow Browed Monk, Cui Baiquan, Ye Erniang, the Divine Crocodile, and Yun Zhonghe sat down on the floor, regulating their breaths and circulating their internal energy. Amongst the five, the Yellow Browed Monk''s internal energy was far and away the best. After a short period of time, he stood up. He shouted loudly, "You three evil creatures! Today, I''ll spare your lives. If you dare come to Dali again to cause trouble, don''t blame this old monk for being merciless!"


    Neither Ye Erniang, nor the Divine Crocodile, nor Yun Zhonghe had any idea as to what had happened in the tunnel. They all thought to themselves that it was some trick which the Yellow Browed Monk had performed. They thought to themselves that not even their leader had been able to overcome this old monk, who was able to take away half of their internal energy in the twinkling of an eye. How could they dare to make so much as a peep? After regulating their breathing for a long period of time, they slowly rose to their feet. They fractionally bowed towards the Yellow Browed Monk, then left the room and departed. At this moment, these three evil people didn''t have the slightest evil aura about them.


    After bidding Zhong Wanchou and Madame Zhong farewell, the Yellow Browed Monk, Cui Baiquan, and Duan Yu left the gorge. As they arrived at the mouth of the gorge, they saw Duan Zhengchun waiting with two of his household warriors. As Duan Zhengchun and Duan Yu, father and son, saw each other, they both felt very surprised.


    As it happened, after Duan Zhengchun saw Zhong Wanchou rush into the room, he had felt extremely guilty and ashamed in his heart. He hurriedly exited the tunnel. As he left, he saw Cui Baiquan standing guard off to the side. Knowing the prince''s dissolute temperament, Cui Baiquan didn''t ask too many questions. He immediately volunteered himself to enter the tunnel and keep an eye on things, so as to make sure that Madame Zhong would not be harmed by her husband. But instead, he found Zhong Ling, whose ankles had been grabbed by Yun Zhonghe. He immediately grabbed her wrists to help her out. Just as he felt as though he would no longer be able to hold on, someone seized him by his ankles. As it happened, the Yellow Browed Monk was in the middle of pondering that game of chess. Hearing some commotion down in the tunnel, he had entered the tunnel from the stone house. Following the sound of the voices, he had discerned Cui Baiquan''s identity and location, and had decided to give him a hand. But in that short period of time, both he and Cui Baiquan had lost a small half of their internal energy to Duan Yu as well.

 Chapter - 10 Sword Qi And Lines of Jade Smoke

    Early in the morning, Duan Zhengchun bid his wife and son farewell. Upon hearing Duan Yu say that Mu Wanqing had already slipped away with her mother the previous night, he seemed dazed for a long time. He let out a sigh, then inquired as to the status of Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi. He was informed that the two had left early in the morning, travelling northwards. Following this, he took the three ministers and four imperial guards to meet with Emperor Baoding, before departing with the monks Huizhen and Huiguan for Luliang prefecture. Duan Yu escorted him for ten li past the eastern gate before turning back.


    By now, it was afternoon. Emperor Baoding was within his palace, reading and reciting Buddhist scriptures, when a eunuch named Zhanshi from Duan Zhengchun''s palace entered with a message. "Reporting to your majesty. Your imperial brother''s son has fallen ill to some sort of strange disease. The imperial doctor has already been dispatched to investigate." Emperor Baoding had been worried all along that Duan Yu might not have escaped from Crown Prince Yanqing''s poison without injury. He immediately sent two of his own eunuch''s to further investigate the situation. After an hour had passed, the two eunuch''s returned with news. "Your Imperial Crown Brother''s son''s disease is a serious one. His mind seems to be deranged."


    Emperor Baoding was inwardly alarmed. He immediately left his palace, heading towards the South Subduing Palace to personally investigate. As soon as he reached Duan Yu''s bedchamber, he could hear a cacophonous series of sounds without end. Peng peng, ping pang, ka la, qiang lang. It was as though many household utensils were being smashed. The servants outside the room immediately knelt upon seeing the Emperor. A look of panic was on their faces.


    Upon entering the room, Emperor Baoding saw Duan Yu dancing in the middle of the room like a madman, tossing and throwing about all sorts of household items, including the tables and the chairs. The two imperial physicians were dodging this way and that way, a pitiable sight. Emperor Baoding cried out, "Yu''er, what''s wrong?"


    Duan Yu was still quite clear-headed. However, the internal energy flowing throughout his body was simply too powerful, raging as though it were preparing to burst forth from his chest. If he waved his arms about and destroyed some things, he felt slightly more comfortable. Upon seeing Emperor Baoding enter the room, he called out, "Uncle, I''m about to die!" His two hands frantically drew circles in the air as he spoke.


    Dao Baifeng was standing off to one side, tears flowing. She said, "Elder brother, Yu''er was perfectly fine this morning when he saw his father off. I don''t know how or why, but he''s suddenly gone mad." Emperor Baoding consoled her, "Sister-in-law, it must be that the drugs he was poisoned with in the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge have not fully been eradicated yet. It won''t be too hard to cure." He said to Duan Yu, "How are you feeling?"


    Repeatedly stamping his feet, Duan Yu replied, "My entire body feels swollen and is incredibly painful." Emperor Baoding saw that the skin on his face and his hands seemed unblemished and perfectly normal, without the slightest sign of swelling at all. This, clearly, was a case of Duan Yu''s mind being confused. He couldn''t help but furrow his forehead.


    As it were, this was caused by his draining of a small half of the internal energy reserves of those five master martial artists last night. At the time, he hadn''t noticed anything amiss, and after he had seen his father off, he went home and took a small nap. In the midst of his slumber, his internal energy began to circulate improperly, and instantly began to rush about wildly. Duan Yu had immediately jumped up and began to exercise the steps of the Graceful Steps Upon the Waves. But as he moved faster and faster, the energy in his body only grew more and more agitated, growing even wilder and even less controllable. Right away, he began to shout and howl, terrifying everyone in the household.


    An imperial physician opined, "Your majesty, his pulse is incredibly strong and vigorous right now. It seems as though his blood vessels have become enormously dilated. In your humble servant''s opinion, a little bit of bloodletting may prove helpful. May we try it?" Thinking to himself that this idea might have some merit, Emperor Baoding nodded. "Fine. Go ahead and bleed him a little." The imperial physician replied, "Yes sir!" Opening his medicine bag, he retrieved from within a porcelain box a particularly large and fat leech. Leeches were considered to be an excellent way to bleed a patient, as it could draw away a patient''s blood conveniently but not cause pain. Grabbing onto Duan Yu''s forearm, the imperial physician carefully placed the leech directly on top of a blood vessel. But as soon as the leech touched Duan Yu''s body, it began to writhe and squirm. No matter what the imperial physician did, it refused to bite Duan Yu. The imperial physician was startled. He forcefully pressed the leech down against Duan Yu''s blood vessels. After some time passed, the leech''s body grew stiff. It had actually died. The imperial physician, having humiliated himself in front of the emperor, began to sweat. He hurriedly withdrew a second leech from his medicine bag, but to no effect; it, too, ossified and died.


    A worried look on his face, the other physician interjected, "Your majesty, he must have been poisoned by some sort of powerful toxin. Even the leech was poisoned to death." He had no idea that Duan Yu had swallowed the "King of Ten Thousand Poisons", the Cinnabar Toad. Any sort of serpent or vermin, upon smelling Duan Yu, would fearfully scurry far away. Even the most venomous of vipers would be cowed into submission, much less a mere leech.


    Emperor Baoding was extremely worried. He asked, "What sort of poison is it, for it to be so incredibly lethal?" The physician replied, "In your humble servant''s opinion, your nephew''s pulse seems to be incredibly dry. He must have been poisoned by some sort of extremely hot poison. But as to exactly what that poison might be? Well¡­that is¡­.forgive your humble servant''s inadequacy¡­" The other physician said, "I disagree. His pulse appears to have a deficiency of Yin. The toxin must be cold in nature. A hot toxin may neutralize it." In reality, Duan Yu''s body was not only bursting with powerful, vigorous, masculine Yang internal energy from the Yellow Browed Monk, the Divine Crocodile, and Zhong Wanchou, but also with the soft Yin internal energy from Ye Erniang and Yun Zhonghe. Each of the physicians could only grasp half of the problem, and thus were unable to come up with the real answer as to why he was so ill.


    Emperor Baoding listened as the two physicians debated each other incessantly. They were the finest medical minds Dali had to offer, and yet their diagnoses differed so radically. However, it was unarguable that his nephew''s illness was bizarre to the extreme. Stretching out the ''Shi'', ''Zhong'', and ''Wuming'' fingers [the index finger, the middle finger, and the ring finger, respectively], he gently touched the "Lique" acupoint on Duan Yu''s wrist. The scions of the Duan family had a strange characteristic; unlike ordinary people, whose pulses flowed through the "Cunkou" point, theirs flowed through the "Lique" point. This was what physicians termed the "Reversed Juncture Pulse".


    Upon seeing Emperor Baoding demonstrate a profound knowledge of medicine with this simple movement, the two famous physicians were in awe. One of them said, "This is written in medical books: ''A Reversed Juncture Pulse on the left hand is the sign of nobility; one on the right hand is a symbol of wealth. For both hands to have a reversed juncture is a sign of great nobility and great wealth.'' His highness, the South Subduing Prince, and his nephew all have ''Reversed Juncture Pulses'' on both hands."


    The other one opined, "One needn''t test their acupoints to know that these three are of great nobility and wealth." The first one replied, "That isn''t the point. For his nephew to have two ''Reversed Juncture Pulses'' is a sign that although this illness is certainly fearful, it will not prove to be a serious problem." The second physician disagreed. He secretly thought to himself, "What, no one who is both rich and noble can die young?" But he didn''t dare say this aloud.


    Emperor Baoding found that his nephew''s pulse was both strong and quick. If it continued, how could his heart possibly stand the strain? He exerted the slightest bit of pressure with his finger, trying to discover any irregularities within Duan Yu''s internal energy''s circulatory system. Immediately, his own internal energy began to flow towards Duan Yu, disappearing without a trace. Greatly astonished, he hurriedly released Duan Yu.


    He was unaware that Duan Yu had already learned the "Divine Art of the Northern Darkness" and mastered the ''Shoutaiyinfei'' channels of absorption. The ''Lieque'' acupoint just so happened to be part of that set of meridian channels. When he exerted his internal energy, he only filled Duan Yu''s body with even more internal energy.


    Duan Yu cried out, "Ow!" His entire body began to violently shake, trembling without end.


    Emperor Baoding retreated two steps. He said, "Yu''er, did you somehow come across Ding Chunqiu of Xingxiuhai?" Duan Yu replied, "Ding¡­Ding Chunqiu? Your nephew doesn''t know the person." Emperor Baoding replied, "Rumors say that he is an old man with the appearance similar to that of a Taoist divinity in paintings." Duan Yu replied, "I''ve never met him before!" Emperor Baoding said, "This man is learned in heretic and evil martial arts, and is a master at dissolving and destroying the internal energy of others with some sort of skill called the "Great Art of Energy Dissipating. He can cause the internal energy which a martial artist has cultivated all his life to be destroyed in a day. There is nobody in the wulin world who does not utterly despise him. If¡­if you never met him, how could you have learned this evil skill?" Duan Yu hurriedly replied, "I have never¡­never learned such a skill. ''Ding Chunqiu'' and the ''Great Art of Energy Dissipating''¡­this is the first time I''ve ever heard of either."


    Emperor Baoding felt that Duan Yu wouldn''t lie to him, much less try to dissipate his own internal energy. Suddenly, another thought hit him. "I know! It must be that Crown Prince Yanqing learned this heretic skill. Somehow, he must have found a way to implant the art within Yu''er''s body, with the intention of using Yu''er to harm me and brother Chun. Hmph, this man claims to be the ''Most Evil Man in the World''. He lives up to the reputation!"


    He saw Duan Yu randomly scratch and tear at his body, ripping his clothes to utter shreds. Bloody lines began to appear on Duan Yu''s body. It was only with an effort that he managed to refrain from howling out, but continuous groans escaped from his lips. Dao Baifeng repeatedly tried to console him, "Yu''er, just endure it for a bit longer. Everything will be alright soon." Emperor Baoding thought to himself, "What a difficult problem¡­I must seek advice from the Heavenly Dragon Monastery." He said, "Yu''er, I am going to take you to pay your respects to a number of elders. I''m sure that they will have some way to cure this vile poison!" Duan Yu replied, "Yes sir!" Dao Baifeng hurriedly retrieved a new set of garments for her son to change into. Emperor Baoding escorted him out of the palace. Each mounting a chariot, they rode for Mt. Diancang.


    The Heavenly Dragon Monastery was located outside of the city of Dali, being situated in the northern peaks of the Diancang mountains. Its formal name was the ''Sublime Sage Monastery'' [Chongsheng Si], but the citizens had become accustomed to simply calling it the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. Its was built on the shoulders of Mt. Diancang, facing the waters of a river, an utterly lovely sight The monastery had three pagodas which were built during the Tang dynasty. The largest one was sixteen stories high, stretching over seventy meters. At the top, the following words were inscribed in metal: "Virtuously Built by Yuchi Jing, Loyal Officer of the Great Tang." Of the five treasures of the Heavenly Dragon Monastery, the three pagodas were considered to be the chief.


    Many of the ancestors of the Duan family who became Emperor eventually discarded their thrones and became monks here, at the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. Thus, the Heavenly Dragon Monastery became the family temple for the imperial family of Dali. It was the most respected and venerated monastery in all of Dali. After each former Emperor came here, upon their birthdays, their sons and grandsons would come to the monastery to pay their respects. And each time they paid their respects, they would build a new building as a gift. The temple possessed three pavilions, seven storied buildings, nine halls, and a hundred mansions, all of them huge in size and majestic in beauty. Even the most famous Buddhist mountain temples of the central plains, such as Wutai, Putuo, Jiuhua, or Emei could not match its splendid opulence. Only, it was situated too far to the south, and thus its fame was not as great.


    During the journey, Duan Yu listened to his uncle''s instructions and suppressed the incessantly clashing and raging energy streams within him. As the pain subsided slightly, he arrived with his uncle in front of the monastery. Emperor Baoding was very familiar with the Heavenly Dragon Monastery, having often come here, and immediately searched for the abbot of the monastery, master Benyin.


    In terms of familial relationship, Abbot Benyin would be considered Emperor Baoding''s uncle. However, as a monk, he did not need to pay Emperor Baoding the respects due to a king, nor did Emperor Baoding need to treat him as he might ordinarily treat a family elder. The two met with each other on equal terms. Emperor Baoding explained how Duan Yu was kidnapped by Crown Prince Yanqing, how he had been poisoned with a vile venom, and how he had been afflicted with an evil skill that caused him to dissolve the internal energy of others.


    Abbot Benyin mumbled to himself for a short period of time, then said, "Please accompany me to Muni [as in Sakyamuni] Pavilion and meet with my three apprentice-brothers." Emperor Baoding said, "I have disturbed the tranquil meditations of so many master monks. My sin is grievous indeed!" Abbot Benyin replied, "The son of the South Subduing Prince shall one day be the heir to the throne of Dali, which will be a true blessing to the people of the country. Your experience and internal energy can only be above that of my own. For you to come and ask me for help can only mean that this is a difficult problem indeed. I cannot help you by myself, and must consult with my apprentice-brothers."


    Two young apprentice monks led the way, with Abbot Benyin directly behind him and Emperor Baoding with his nephew in the rearmost position. They took a left at the Auspicious Crane Gate, passed by the Billowing Heaven Gate, the Jade Pavilion of the Pure Capital, the Boundless Hall, the Three Principals Temple, the Great Tushita [a heavenly realm] Courtyard, the Rain and Flowers Courtyard, and the Prana Terrace. Finally, they arrived at a long corridor. The two apprentice monks respectfully stood outside the doorway, halting their steps. Following the corridor, the three headed westwards, arriving at a number of rooms. Although Duan Yu had often come to the Heavenly Dragon Monastery, he had never come here before. Those rooms were all built out of pinewood. The wooden pillars were simple and unadorned and in perfect shape. They looked totally different from the splendid and majestic buildings which the three had passed on their way here.


    Abbot Benyin clapped his hands together a few times, then said, "Amitabha! Benyin has come across a difficult problem which I cannot solve. Forgive me for interrupting your studies, my apprentice-brothers." From within a room, someone spoke, "Please enter, abbot!" Slowly, Benyin stretched out his hand and pushed the door open. The door creaked and squeaked as it opened; clearly, it was opened or closed only very rarely. Duan Yu followed Abbot Benyin as the latter walked walked inside. Earlier, he had heard Benyin say he would consult with ''three apprentice-brothers'', but there were four monks inside, seated on cattail hassocks. Of the three monks that could be seen, two of them had withered appearances, with the third one possessed of a large frame. The fourth monk was situated towards the east, and was facing the wall, still and unmoving.


    Emperor Baoding recognized the two withered, skinny monks; one was named Benguan, the other was named Benxiang. They were Abbot Benyin''s elder apprentice-brothers. The large, stalwart monk was named Bencan; he was Benyin''s younger apprentice-brother. He only knew that Muni Pavilion housed three elder monks with the names ''Guan,'' ''Xiang'', and ''Can''; but did not recognize the fourth monk. He immediately bowed low and paid his respects. A slight smile on their lips, Benguan and the other two returned his salute. Perhaps the monk facing the wall was rooted to the floor, or his studies had reached a critical juncture and rendered him unable to turn his attention away; regardless, he did not pay the slightest attention to Emperor Baoding. Emperor Baoding knew that the two characters, ''Mu'' and ''Ni'', referred to stillness and quiet. In the Muni Pavilion, the fewer words that he spoke, the better. Thus he was succinct and terse in describing the evil poison flowing in Duan Yu''s body. He finished by saying, "I earnestly hope that you four can benevolently give me some pointers."


    Benguan mumbled to himself for some time while measuring up Duan Yu. He said, "Apprentice brothers, what do you think?" Bencan replied, "Even though it would cost some energy, it might not render us incapable of mastering the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''."


    Upon hearing the four words, "Liu Mai Shen Jian" [Six Meridians Divine Sword]", Emperor Baoding felt a shock in his heart. He thought to himself, "In my youth, my father once told me that the Duan family''s ancestral homeland had an infinitely powerful skill known as the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians.'' But according to my father, this was just a legend, and no one in our family history was recorded as actually having mastered this technique. Moreover, no one actually knows if this technique is really as powerful as the legends say. From the words of master Benguan, it seems as though such a wondrous skill actually exists!"


    His thoughts turned in another direction. "Judging from his words, they intend to drive away the poison from Duan Yu''s body by using their own internal energy, but doing so would tire them out and obstruct their attempts at mastering the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. But Yu''er has been poisoned with an evil toxin and an evil skill has been implanted in his body; both are deadly and strange to the extreme. If the five of us do not combine our strengths, how can he be cured?" Although he felt extremely apologetic, in the end, he did not decline the suggestion. Benxiang did not say a single word. He rose to his feet, lowered his head, furrowed his eyebrows, then took a slanted position at the northeast side of the room. Benguan and Bencan each returned to their respective positions as well. Abbot Benyin said, "Shanzai, Shanzai!" [Shanzai is a Buddhist exclamation, usually signifying a good deed being done]. He took a position towards the west-southwest.


    Emperor Baoding said, "Yu''er, these four elders of yours have decided to use their own internal energy to drive out the poison in your veins, not caring about the loss of their own strength. Quickly kowtow and thank them!" From the expression on his uncle''s face as well as that of the four monks, Duan Yu knew that this was no small matter indeed. He immediately fell to his knees and kowtowed to each of the monks in turn. Each of them smiled faintly and nodded in response. Emperor Baoding said, "Yu''er, rest on your knees. Don''t think about anything at all, and definitely don''t exert so much as an ounce of your internal energy. If you feel some strange sensations, don''t be alarmed; this is normal." Duan Yu acknowledged the instructions, then sat down as instructed.


    Benguan held up his right thumb and, exercising a precise amount of force, pressed it against the "Fengfu" acupoint behind Duan Yu''s skull. The force of his Solitary Solar Finger gradually emerged. The "Fengfu" acupoint was roughly an inch beneath the hairline, and belonged to the "Du" meridians. Next, Benxiang struck the "Zigong" acupoint of Duan Yu''s "Ren" meridians. Bencan struck the "Daheng" acupoint of his "Yinwei" meridians. Abbot Benyin struck his "Youmen" acupoint of his "Chong" meridians. Finally, Emperor Baoding struck his "Qingming" acupoint of his "Yinjiao" meridians. A human body has seven channels and eight meridians; of the eight meridians, the five of them ignored the "Yangwei" and the "Yangjiao" meridians. All five of them exercised the Solitary Solar Finger, attempting to purify his body of any toxins or evil energies with their pure Yang energy, driving them out through the acupoints of his "Yangwei" and "Yangjiao" meridians.


    These five masters of the Solitary Solar Finger had each achieved a very close level of attainment within it. With a ''chi-chi'' sound, five streams of pure Yang energy entered Duan Yu''s body at the same time. Duan Yu''s body suddenly trembled and was filled with an incredibly warm sensation that was indescribably comfortable, as though he were soaking in the sunlight during winter. The five people''s fingers moved in unison. They felt as though after their energies entered Duan Yu''s body, they would gradually vanish, never to reappear. Duan Yu had not fully mastered all of the aspects of the "Divine Art of the Northern Darkness", but with the five masters pouring the pure Yang energy of their Solitary Solar Finger into his body, he was helpless to resist, and the energy began to collect in his ''sea of energy'' at his "Shanzhong" acupoint. The five elite experts of the Duan family gazed at each other, startlement and bewilderment covering each and every one of their faces.


    Suddenly, a powerful cry was heard. "WUHUA!" Everyone''s ears shook with the sound, a buzzing noise filling them. Emperor Baoding knew that this was an extremely high-level Buddhist technique known as the "Lion''s Roar" [Shizi Hou]. Within the roar was hidden an extremely deep internal force, easily capable of terrifying opponents or astonishing friends. The monk who was facing the wall spoke. "A powerful opponent is arriving in but a few days, and the centuries-old fame of the Heavenly Dragon Monastery is dangling above a precipice. As for this mewling babe, regardless of whether he has been poisoned or afflicted with some evil skill; is it really worth it to waste internal energy over him at this critical juncture?" These sentences were filled with an awe-inspiring dignity and majesty.


    Abbot Benyin said, "Martial-uncle, your instructions are wise!" With a wave of his left hand, the five people retreated at the same time.


    Upon hearing Abbot Benyin address that man as ''martial-uncle'', Emperor Baoding hurriedly said, "I was unaware that elder Kurong was present, and am guilty of being remiss in paying my proper respects." As it were, elder Kurong was of the highest ranking generation in the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. He had secluded himself into isolated meditation for decades now, and none of the monks of the Heavenly Dragon Monastery had ever seen his actual face. Emperor Baoding, as well, had only heard of him but had never met him before. In the past, he had heard that elder Kurong was in secluded meditation at the Two Trees Courtyard, but no one had mentioned him in over ten years. He had assumed that elder Kurong had achieved nirvana [i.e. died].


    Elder Kurong continued, "One must consider a matter''s relative importance and urgency. The date of our appointment with the Shining King of the Great Wheel, from the Great Snowy Mountain, is almost upon us. Zhengming, why don''t you join us in discussing the matter." Emperor Baoding replied, "Yes!" In his heart, he thought to himself, "The Great Snowy Mountain''s Shining King of the Great Wheel possesses a deep and erudite understanding of the dharma. I wonder what he connection he has with us?"


    From within his bosom, Abbot Benyin withdrew a resplendent golden letter, passing it over to Emperor Baoding. Emperor Baoding accepted the letter. It weighed heavily in his hand. This letter was exceptionally bizarre; its ''envelope'' was actually an extremely thin layer gold beaten into the shape of a envelope, with the words written in Sanskrit using platinum [''white gold'']. Emperor Baoding could read it. The words were, "Respectfully Presented to the Sublime Sage Monastery".


    He withdrew the actual letter from the envelope; it, too, was made out of an exceptionally thin sheet of beaten gold. Once again, the words were written in Sanskrit. The general meaning was, "Many years ago, I had a chance meeting with the honorable Murong Bo. In the course of our meeting, we conversed at length about the various martial arts in the world. Mr. Murong held your temple''s "Divine Sword of the Six Meridians" in the highest esteem, and deeply regretted not having the opportunity to visit you to see it himself. I recently have heard that Mr. Murong passed away; my sorrow is boundless. I respectfully request that your revered monastery transmit to me the manuscript of the "Divine Sword of the Six Meridians", so that I might burn it in sacrifice before Mr. Murong''s tomb. I will arrive in a number of days; I hope that my wish might be granted."


    The letter was signed, "Jiumozhi, disciple of the Great Wheel Temple of the Great Snowy Mountain, pays his deepest respects." The words on the letter were also written using platinum; the carefulness and worksmanship displayed was nothing short of exquisite. Clearly, it had been crafted by a master artisan who had expended boundless efforts in making it. The letter and envelope alone could be considered an overwhelmingly priceless treasure, displaying the obvious wealth and opulence of the Shining King of the Great Wheel.


    Emperor Baoding had heard before that Jiumozhi, the Shining King of the Great Wheel, was the national protector and dharma king [an extremely high rank in Tibetan Buddhism; the Golden Wheel Monk of ROCH was originally also titled ''dharma king''] of the nation of Tibet. He had heard that the man possessed a staggering intellect and a clear understanding of Buddhism. Every five years, he would hold lectures where he would expound at length on various scriptures. Many high monks and men of great virtue of the western regions would converge at the Great Wheel Monastery of the Great Snowy Mountain to ask for clarifications regarding difficult-to-understand parts of various scriptures. After the discussions were complete and the people began to depart, there would not be a single person who was not joyful and full of praise. Emperor Baoding himself had once desired to travel there to listen to the readings of the scriptures. This letter described him as having discussed martial arts with Gusu''s Murong Bo, and even becoming intimate friends with him; clearly, then, the man was also an extremely skilled martial artist. For such a man of great intelligence and wisdom, it would be perfectly normal for him not to practice martial arts. If he really were to be a martial artist as well, then he must be a formidable character indeed.


    Abbot Benyin said, "The ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' is a precious treasure of our monastery, passed down from generation to generation. It represents the highest level of martial arts learning which the Duan family of Dali possesses. Zhengming, Dali''s Duan family''s most advanced martial arts technique resides here, in the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. You are not a monk, but a secular man; therefore, even though you are our nephew and possess a deep understanding of many abstruse martial arts concepts, we could not divulge it to you." Emperor Baoding said, "Yes, I understand this rule." Benguan said, "Not even Zhengming and Zhengchun knew that our monastery possessed the manuscript for learning the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. I wonder how it is that Gusu''s Murong family learned of it."


    Duan Yu, listening, suddenly thought of the ''Blessed Reading Ground'' within the cave near Mt. Wuliang, and its empty shelves. One of the shelves had been marked "the Duan family of Dali", with two additional markings on it: "Solitary Solar Finger, missing" and "Divine Sword of the Six Meridians, missing." He thought to himself, "My Dear Goddess scoured the land for the martial arts manuscripts of every family and school in the world, but was never able to acquire my family''s "Solitary Solar Finger" and "Divine Sword of the Six Meridians." He felt delight in his heart, but also some melancholy as he imagined how much the Dear Goddess must have regretted their absence.


    He heard Benguan angrily say, "The Shining King of the Great Wheel can be considered a world-famous monk of high standing. He must have lost his wits! How can he demand this manuscript from our monastery? Zhengming, as our brother abbot knows, ''If he comes, he comes not with good intentions, but with ill will.'' This matter is of the utmost importance, and we ourselves dare not handle it by ourselves. Thus, we invited martial-uncle Kurong to lead us in handling the situation."


    Benyin said, "Although our monastery does indeed have this manuscript, I am ashamed to admit that none of us are capable of learning the divine skill written upon it. We can''t even be said to have a rudimentary knowledge of it. Martial-uncle Kurong has been practicing that which is known as ''withered [''Ku'', like his name] meditation''. This is a totally different type of divine skill which our monastery possesses. He, too, is lacking in understanding in the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. But although we are incapable of learning this skill, no one in the world knows about it. Can it be that the Shining King of the Great Wheel is totally confident in himself and is not afraid of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' at all?


    Kurong icily said, "I doubt that he dares to look down upon the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. The respect which he holds for Murong Bo, and the respect which Murong Bo held for the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', hmph¡­I am sure the Shining King of the Great Wheel himself knows which one he holds in greater import. But most likely, he has guessed that, as our monastery has not produced any exceptionally astonishing martial artists, though the manuscript may be priceless, no one can master its skills, and thus he is not worried."


    Benguan loudly shouted, "If he himself admires the skill and asked for a chance to borrow it and read it, on account of us respecting him as an eminent Buddhist monk, at most we would gently and tactfully refuse. There''s no big deal. What really pisses me off is that he''s going to go burn it in front of some dead guy. He''s really thinking too little of the Heavenly Dragon Monastery!"


    Benxiang let out a sigh. "Martial brother, there is no need for you to work yourself into such a rage. I do not think that the Shining King of the Great Wheel is such an ignorant and presumptuous man. It seems he wishes to imitate the story of ''Wu Jizha hanging a sword on the tomb''. It appears he held Mr. Murong in the utmost of esteem. Alas, an excellent friend passes away, and can never be seen again¡­" And he slowly began to shake his head. Emperor Baoding said, "Master Benxiang, what was the character of Mr. Murong Bo?" Benxiang said, "I do not know. But for such an extraordinary character as the Shining King of the Great Wheel to hold him in such esteem, he must have been an incredible person indeed." And as he spoke, he seemed to be carried away and carefree.


    [Here is a quick summary of the story of Wu Jizha: Wu Jizha was a man of the Zhou dynasty who had a good friend named Xu Jun. Jizha had a precious sword created for him that he needed for a special mission; his friend Xu Jun saw the sword and wanted it very much for himself, but said nothing, as it would be inappropriate. Wu Jizha saw that his friend wanted it and intended to gift him the sword, but could not do so immediately, as he needed it for the mission. He vowed to himself that he would give Xu Jun the sword when he returned, but by the time he completed the mission, Xu Jun was dead. Besides himself with grief, Wu Jizha went to Xu Jun''s tomb and hung his sword over a tree overlooking the tomb. When people asked him what was the point of him doing so, he replied, ''Although Xu Jun has departed, the promise I made him in my heart still binds me. I promised myself that when I returned, I would make a gift of the sword to him; how could I allow such a paltry thing as death stand in the way of me keeping my oath?'']


    Abbot Benyiin continued, "Martial-uncle Kurong believes that, based upon his judgement of our enemy''s capabilities, unless we are able to quickly master the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', the precious manuscript will be forcibly taken from us, and the Heavenly Dragon Monastery will suffer a crushing blow. Unfortunately, the divine technique written on the scroll is heavily dependent upon one''s internal energy reserve, and so there''s no way to simply hasten one''s learning of it. Zhengming, it''s not that we don''t care about Duan Yu or his condition. Only, we fear that if we exhaust too much internal energy and our powerful enemy suddenly arrives, we won''t be able to fend him off. It seems that although Duan Yu''s problem is very severe, he won''t be at risk of losing his life for many days yet. Let''s have him quietly rest here for the next few days. If his condition suddenly takes a dangerous turn for the worse, we will immediately come up with a solution to cure him. After we have driven off our enemy, we will exert all of our energies into curing him and driving out the poison in his body. What do you think?"


    Although Emperor Baoding was worried about Duan Yu, he also was capable of understanding the big picture. He knew that the Heavenly Dragon Monastery was a fundamental root and supporting structure of Dali''s Duan family. Whenever the imperial family was in trouble, the Heavenly Dragon Monastery would lend its support, and each time they would pull through. In the past, when the treacherous official Yang Yizhen murdered Emperor Shangde and stole the throne, it was the Heavenly Dragon Monastery who, along with loyal official Gao Zhisheng, put down rebellion and restored peace. Dali was established in the second year of Heavenly Fortune, of the Later Jin dynasty of the Five Dynasties period; it had existed for a hundred and fifty eight years now. It had undergone many trials and tribulations. One of the major reasons why the state had been able to survive them all was the calming and steadying influence of the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. Today, the Heavenly Dragon Monastery was in trouble; this was identical to the state itself being in danger. He immediately said, "Abbot, your benevolence is greatly appreciated, and my gratitude towards you is boundless. But if I might ask, how do you intend to defend against the Shining King of the Great Wheel, and how can I, Zhengming, offer my humble assistance?"


    Benyin mumbled to himself, "You are a master amongst the secular members of the Duan family. If you can work together with us to defeat this powerful opponent, it will add to our prestige. But for you, a secular person, to get involved in a dispute between Buddhist disciples¡­no doubt, the Shining King of the Great Wheel will laugh at us, mocking the Heavenly Dragon Monastery for not being able to take care of ourselves."


    Kurong suddenly said, "If each of us were to try to individually learn the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', it would be impossible. Simply put, our internal energy is not strong enough. I had once thought of a workaround, where six of us each master a single one of the six meridians, and all six of us strike in unison. Although there is no glory in us fighting him six against one, in the end, we aren''t challenging him to a duel, but trying to protect our monastery and our scriptures. Even if a hundred of us were to fight him at the same time, it would be acceptable. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn''t think of a sixth person in the Heavenly Dragon Monastery who was skilled enough to join us. I have worried about this conundrum for a long time. Zhengming, why don''t you take the sixth position? Only, you''ll have to shave your head and switch into monastery robes." He spoke more and more quickly, as though he were getting very excited; however, his tone of voice was as icy and cold as ever.


    Emperor Baoding said, "I have always desired to fully devote myself to the Buddha and his teachings. Only, with regards to the secret manuscript, well, I''ve never seen it before. For me to try and learn it so hastily, I''m afraid that¡­"


    Bencan said, "You long ago learned the fundamentals to this skill. You only need to learn the sword techniques." Emperor Baoding did not understand. He said, "Abbot, please explain." Abbot Benyin said, "Be seated." Emperor Baoding knelt down on one of the cattail hassocks.


    Benyin said, "The ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' is not an actual, physical sword. It is the transformation of the energy of the Solitary Solar Finger into sword qi. It has substance, but is invisible; it can be described as ''invisible sword qi''. The ''Six Meridians'' refer to the six meridians near the hand from which the energy is executed; the "Taiyinfei" channels [Lunar Lung], the "Jueyinxinbao" channels [Yin Pericardium], the "Shaoyinxin" channels [Lesser Yin Heart], the "Taiyangxiaochang" channels [Solar Intestine], the "Yangmingwei" channels [Brilliant Yang Stomach], and the "Shaoyangsanjiao" channels [Three Lesser Yang Cavities]. And as he spoke, he withdrew a rolled up scroll from behind Benguan''s hassock.


    Bencan took the scroll over, unfurling it and hanging it up on the wall. The passage of many years had turned the paper a sickly yellowish-brown color. A picture of a naked male was on the paper, with all of his acupoints clearly marked out. Red and black lines were used to indicate how the internal energy was supposed to flow amongst the six meridians. Emperor Baoding was a superb expert of the Solitary Solar Finger; at a single glance, he could tell that the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' was indeed based upon the Solitary Solar Finger as its foundation.


    Duan Yu was lying on the floor, resting. Upon seeing the naked male picture on the scroll, his thoughts instantly turned to the scroll which he accidentally tore up. He thought to himself, "The acupoints of men and women are identical. Dear Goddess was so strange. Why did she draw a scroll of a naked woman instead of a man, much less use give that naked woman her own features?" He faintly felt that it was inappropriate, as though his Dear Goddess had intended to use her beauty and features to lure men into staring at the scroll and seduce them into learning its martial arts. In his delirium, he had accidentally torn up the scroll; perhaps this was actually to his benefit and had aided him in avoiding some sort of catastrophe. But thinking in such a way would profane the Dear Goddess'' purity, and so the thought only flashed by his mind, and he dared not ponder on it longer.


    Benyin said, "Zhengming, you are the absolute ruler of the country of Dali. For you to change into a monk''s attire is a critical stopgap measure, but if our enemy realizes who you actually are, a huge blow will be dealt to the prestige of Dali. I leave it to you to decide whether or not the advantages outweigh the disadvantages." Emperor Baoding folded his hands together. "Guard the dharma, protect the monastery. Honor and duty leave no other options." Benyin replied, "Excellent. However, the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' may not be passed down to secular disciples. You must enter the monastery gates and become an actual monk; after our opponent has been driven off, I will permit you to return to the secular world and unfrock you." Emperor Baoding rose to his feet, then knelt down on both knees. "Great master, please be benevolent [and accept me as a disciple]."


    Elder Kurong said, "Come over here. I will shave you."


    Emperor Baoding moved forwards until he was kneeling before elder Kurong. Seeing his uncle prepare to be shaven and join the ranks of the monks, Duan Yu was secretly shocked. He watched as elder Kurong stretched his hand out and pressed his palm against the top of Emperor Baoding''s head. There was not so much as a single shred of muscle on his hand; the only thing which lay underneath his skin was bone. Elder Kurong still did not turn around, as he recited, "Within this dust-speck of a world, there are three concealed truths. All accomplishments are predetermined by karma. These accomplishments are meaningless and do not even add to the dust. And yet, it is difficult to stop thinking of the present. [This translation is probably totally off; can someone who understands Buddhism help retranslate this?]." He lifted his hand up. All of Emperor Baoding''s black hair fell off, leaving his head totally bald, without so much as a single strand of hair on top. Even if a razor had been used, such a clean shave would not have been possible. Duan Yu was totally shocked, and Emperor Baoding, Benguan, Benyin, and the others were also extremely impressed. "Elder Kurong has long practiced the art of ''Withered Meditation''. He has reached such an incredibly high level of strength!"


    Elder Kurong said, "Upon entering Buddha''s doorway, you shall now be known as Benchen [Chen means dust, like what he was talking about earlier]." Emperor Baoding joined his palms together. "Master, thank you for granting me a name." Buddhists do not adhere to secular rules regarding generational gaps. Originally, Abbot Benyin was Emperor Baoding''s uncle, but now that Emperor Baoding had been shaved by elder Kurong himself and brought into the monastery, he became Benyin''s younger apprentice-brother, on the same generational level. Emperor Baoding immediately changed into monastic shoes and clothes, his appearance completely changing into that of a learned and eminent monk.


    Elder Kurong said, "That ''Shining King of the Great Wheel'' might arrive this very night. Benyin, transmit the secrets of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' to Benchen." Benyin replied, "Yes!" Pointing to the manuscript, he said, "Brother Benchen, you shall focus on the ''Shoushaoyangsanjiao'' meridians. After your qi is collected at the dantian, circulate it upwards, through your shoulders and arms. Once it reaches the ''Qinglengyuan'' point [Chilly Pool], curve the qi to pass through the ''Tianjing'' point [Heavenly Well], then the ''Sidu'' [Four Recitations] point, the ''Sanyang'' path [Three Yang], then the Huizong [Ancestral Assembly], Waiguan [Outer Gate], Yangchi [Yang Moat], Zhongzhu [Central Islet], and Yemen [Liquid Door] points. Condense the internal energy, then fire it out from the ''Guanchong'' acupoint [Vigorous Gate] of your ring finger."


    Emperor Baoding followed the instructions and circulated his internal energy as ordered. With a ''chi-chi'' sound, his internal energy burst out from the ''Guanchong'' acupoint of his ring finger.


    Elder Kurong happily said, "Your cultivation of internal energy is extraordinary indeed. Although the sword techniques themselves have many heavy and complicated changes, your sword qi has already taken form. You can now execute it at will."


    Benyin said, "Originally, the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' was supposed to be executed by a single person. But in this day and age, martial arts has declined, and there is now no one capable of gathering and cultivating such a powerful, vigorous internal energy. All we can do is divide up the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' amongst ourselves. My martial-uncle has specialized in the ''Shaoshang'' sword of the thumb; I specialize in the ''Shangyang'' sword of the index finger; brother Benguan specializes in the ''Zhongchong'' sword of the middle finger; brother Benchen specializes in the ''Guanchong'' sword of the ring finger, brother Benxiang specializes in the ''Shaochong'' sword of the pinky finger, and brother Bencan specializes in the ''Shaoze'' sword of the left pinky. We must attend to the matter of combining these six swords at once."


    He once more retrieved the manuscripts of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', hanging them on the four walls of the room. The picture describing the ''Shaoshang'' sword he hung next to elder Kurong. Every single picture was filled with criss-crossing lines, circles, and arcs. Each of the six focused on their respective manuscripts, and began poking and pointing in the air as they sketched out the movements.


    Duan Yu slowly sat up. He felt as though the energy in his body was swaying, and even more difficult to bear than before. As it happened, just a short time ago, Emperor Baoding and the other four monks had poured a substantial amount of internal energy into his body. Seeing how his uncle and the other elders were concentrating so hard on their practice, he didn''t dare to make a sound and disturb them. Sitting down for a long while, he began to feel bored. By accident, his gaze came to rest upon the manuscript which was resting above elder Kurong. After staring at it for only a short while, he began to feel his right arm begin to tremble uncontrollably, as though something was trying to burst forth from his skin and escape. That small, mouselike creature that was trying to escape precisely from the ''Kongzui'' acupoint, as illustrated on the manuscript.


    He had successfully completed the practice of the ''Shoutaiyinfei'' channels. The acupoints illustrated on that manuscript were identical with those on the illustration of the naked girl. However, the lines that were drawn were totally different. According to the pathways drawn by the red lines, the energy from the ''Zikongzui'' point passed to the ''Dayuan'' point, then immediately jumped to the ''Chize'' point, then dropped down to the ''Yuji'' point. Unexpectedly, as he tried to channel the wildly rushing internal energy as according to the manuscript, it actually obeyed, although it took many twists and turns as it moved towards his upper arm. As the internal energy flowed through his meridians, he felt the nausea and pain of his body immediately lessen. Immediately, he dedicated his mind to channeling the energy into his ''Shanzhong'' acupoint.


    However, this gush of energy was different, and could not be easily channeled towards his ''Shanzhong'' acupoint as instructed by the naked female pictures. After a short period of time, he began to cry out, "Ow, ow!" in pain. Hearing his cries, Emperor Baoding immediately turned his head. "How are you feeling?" Duan Yu replied, "In my body, there are innumerable flows of qi that are running amuck. It is extremely painful. I was thinking about grandmaster Kurong''s manuscript, and the energy began to flow towards my ''Shanzhong'' acupoint. Ow! But my ''Shanzhong'' acupoint has been totally filled to the brim, and can''t take in any more energy! My¡­my¡­my chest is about to explode!"


    This feeling which he had, only he himself could tell, due to it being caused by the internal circulation of qi. Thus, even though he proclaimed that his chest was about to explode, to outsiders, his chest seemed perfectly normal. Emperor Baoding was an expert martial artist, and knew that for a person to experience the feeling of his ''Shanzhong'' acupoint being filled to the brim with energy would require at least twenty years of practice that resulted in an internal energy of unmatched power and vigor. As Duan Yu had never practiced martial arts, this sensation must have been caused by the evil toxins in his body. Emperor Baoding was inwardly fearful, knowing that unless the internal energy was dispersed, Duan Yu''s entire body would become paralyzed. But if the toxins were dispersed with the qi and settled deep within his body, it would become almost impossible to eradicate in the future.


    Normally, when settling grave and important affairs, he would be both impartial and swift in passing judgement, uttering only a single sentence in verdict. But the matter in front of him would affect the entirety of Duan Yu''s life. If only a slight mistake were made, his life would be immediately at risk. Seeing that Duan Yu''s eyes had a dazed look, giving him the appearance of madness, he realized that he had no time to be irresolute. He decided to himself, "At this point in time, even if we have to have Duan Yu ''drink poison to quench his thirst'', there are no other options." He said, "Yu''er, I will teach you how to disperse your internal energy." Immediately, he began to demonstrate while speaking and taught him the method to do so.


    Not waiting for Emperor Baoding to finish speaking, Duan Yu immediately began to follow his instructions step by step. The martial arts techniques of Dali''s Duan family were incomparably marvelous. He followed the instructions precisely, and the wildly rushing internal energy in his body began to disperse, settling down into his internal organs. According to traditional Chinese medicine, a person''s organs were divided into the "Five Internal Organs and the Six Hollow Organs." "Internal Organs" referred to ''storage'', and "Hollow Organs" referred to ''home''. The original term had the secondary meaning of storing and accumulating energy. Duan Yu first drained all of the internal energy of seven disciples of Mt. Wuliang''s Sword sect, then absorbed some of the energy of masters such as Duan Yanqing, the Yellow Browed Monk, Ye Erniang, the Divine Crocodile, Yun Zhonghe, Zhong Wanchou, and Cui Baiquan. This day, he gained a small portion of the internal energy of Emperor Baoding, Benguan, Benxiang, Benyin, and Bencan, five master martial artists of the Duan family. His internal energy was now incomparably deep and profound; the phrase, ''Shocking the ancients and overawing contemporaries'' could be used to describe it. He had no equal in the entire world. Now, under his uncle''s instructions, he began to store away this powerful internal energy within his organs, and his entire body began to feel more and more comfortable. His entire body felt light and carefree, as though he was about to fly away into the sky.


    Upon seeing the boundless joy and pleasure on Duan Yu''s face, Emperor Baoding feared that he had deeply fire deviated, and that the toxin in his body would forevermore give him trouble. No matter how hard they tried to remove it, most likely it would exhaust and tire him for the rest of his life. He couldn''t help but inwardly sigh.


    Aftering hearing Emperor Baoding finish teaching Duan Yu how to disperse his internal energy, elder Kurong said, "Benchen, as a man sows, so shall he reap. This is true for everything in the world. Good fortune or trouble, calamity or blessing, all arise from the heart. There''s no need for you to worry too much about others. Hurry up and start focusing on mastering the ''Shaoshang'' sword!" Emperor Baoding said, "Yes!" Putting away his feelings, he once more began to intensively study the ''Shaoshang'' sword techniques.


    The internal energy in Duan Yu''s body was extremely abundant. There was far too much of it for it to be totally stored within a short period of time. But the more he practiced the dispersion technique, the more familiar he became with it, and the more familiar he became with it, the more quickly the dispersal proceeded. The seven of them each concentrated on their own designated martial arts, and none of them noticed as light gradually appeared from the east.


    By the time he heard the roosters announce the arrival of down, Duan Yu felt as though his limbs and his bones no longer contained the slightest bit of internal energy. He rose to his feet and stretched a bit. He saw that his uncle and the five elder monks were still totally, unmovingly dedicated to practicing the sword techniques. He didn''t dare to open the door to go out and take a walk, much less make a noise and disturb them. In his boredom, he casually started to check out the manuscript which his uncle was focusing on, as well as the ''Shaoshang'' sword manuscript again. Although he had heard that the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' could not be transmitted to secular disciples, he felt that he could not possibly understand such a high level martial arts, and so there should be no problem with him just glancing at it. As he was focusing on the manuscript, suddenly he felt a burst of internal energy pour forth from his dantian on its own accord, gushing towards his arms and pouring forth from the ring finger''s ''Guanchong'' acupoint. But he didn''t know how to actually release the energy from his finger, and consequently felt as though the tip of his ring finger was becoming more and more swollen. He thought to himself, "I better let this burst of energy dissipate." Just as he thought this, that gush of energy really did return to his dantian.


    Duan Yu didn''t know that he had accidentally learned a secret high level technique; all he felt was that the internal energy in his arm flowed up and down as according to his hearts desire. He felt that it was very funny. Out of the three monks of the Muni Pavilion, he felt that master Benxiang was the nicest and most amiable. Turning his head, he stared at Benxiang''s "Shoushaoyinxin Channels" manuscript. The energy from this manuscript was generated from the ''Jiquan'' [Utmost Spring] acupoint of the armpit, then flowed three inches upwards into the ''Qingling'' [Green Spirit] acupoint, where it condensed as it passed through the ''Shaohai'' [Young Ocean] acupoint, the ''Jingling'' [Spirit Channel] acupoint, ''Tongli'' [Open Within] acupoint, ''Shenmen'' [Divine Door] acupoint, and the ''Shaofuzhu'' [Lesser Residence] acupoint, before exiting via the pinky finger''s "Shaochong" acupoint. As he pondered the manuscript, a gush of energy really did pass through the channels as instructed by the drawing. Only, the speed of that gush of energy could not be controlled; sometimes it was extremely quick, but at other moments, it came to a complete halt. He guessed that it was probably due to him not being very good, and did not overthink it.


    In the course of half a day, Duan Yu had already circulated his internal energy through every single passageway as drawn by the paintings. He felt as energetic and vigorous. Without anything to do, he once more began to study the ''Shaoshang'', ''Shangyang'', ''Zhongchong'', ''Guanchong'', ''Shaochong'', and ''Shaoze'' sword pictures. He saw that the red lines and black lines intercrossed in numerous and complicated ways. He thought to himself, "How could anyone memorize such annoyingly complex sword techniques? Besides, martial grand-uncle has already stated that non-monks are not allowed to learn it." He immediately stopped looking at them. He felt a bit hungry, and thought to himself, "Why haven''t the apprentice monks brought any vegetarian dishes and rice yet? I might as well secretly creep outside and look for some food." But at that very moment, he suddenly detected a gentle, fragrant scent of white sandalwood, and heard from the sound of a Buddhist chant waft in from afar.


    Elder Kurong said, "Shanzai, shanzai! The Shining King of the Great Wheel has graced us with his presence. How well have you learned your respective skills?" Bencan replied, "Although I still have not mastered it, I believe I know enough to fight our enemy." Kurong said, "Excellent! Benyin, I don''t want to walk. Invite the Shining King of the Great Wheel to come to the Muni Pavilion to hold discourse with us." Abbot Benyin said, "Yes!" He left. Benguan retrieved five cassocks, arranging them in a row on the east side. On the west side, he put a single cassock. He sat down on the first cassock, Benxiang sat down on the second, Bencan the fourth, and Emperor Baoding the fifth, leaving the central cassock for Abbot Benyin. Duan Yu had no place to sit, and so stood behind Emperor Baoding. Kurong, Benguan, and the others reviewed the techniques on the manuscripts one last time before finally gathering them up and placing them in front of elder Kurong.


    Emperor Baoding said, "Yu''er, very shortly a fierce battle will erupt here. Sword qi will be freely flying across the room, and things will become very dangerous. Your uncle won''t be able to divert any attention to protecting you. Why don''t you go outside and take a walk?" A burst of misery suddenly filled Duan Yu''s heart. "From everyone''s tone of voice, it seems as though this ''Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel''s'' martial arts is at an extraordinarily high level. My uncle only just learned the ''Shaochong'' sword; I don''t know if he''ll be able to win or not. If some sort of mistake or error occurs, what sort of unthinkable thing might happen?" He replied, "Uncle, I¡­I want to stay with you. My heart is ill at ease, imagining you sword-fighting with others." By the time he finished the last few words, his voice was already choked with sobs. Emperor Baoding''s heart was moved as well. "This child really has a filial heart."


    Elder Kurong said, "Yu''er, come sit by my side. No matter how powerful the Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel is, I guarantee that he won''t be able to harm a single hair on your head." Although his tone of voice was as calm and icy as ever, his words conveyed an extremely proud and lofty confidence.


    Duan Yu replied, "Yes!" He walked in front of elder Kurong, but did not dare stare at his face. He, too, knelt and stared at the wall. Elder Kurong''s body frame was much larger than that of Duan Yu, totally covering Duan Yu''s smaller body. Emperor Baoding was both moved and relieved. Previously, elder Kurong had demonstrated the ''Art of the Withered Meditation'' in shaving his head, displaying a power that more than allowed for him to show disdain for the heroes of this age. It would be more than enough to protect Duan Yu.


    In a very short amount of time, all sound disappeared from the Muni Pavilion.


    After a long period of time, Abbot Benyin''s voice could be heard. "Enlightened Lord, you grace us with your dharmic knowledge. The Muni Pavilion is this way." Duan Yu heard another voice answered him. "Abbot, thank you for going to the trouble of guiding me." The second voice was extremely gentle and mild, refined and courteous. It definitely did not belong to a vicious, violent tyrant who took what he wanted. From the sounds of the footsteps, around ten people were headed their way. He heard Benyin push open the wooden door while saying, "Enlightened Lord, please enter!"


    The Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel replied, "Excuse me!" He entered the room, then immediately folded his hands in a gesture of respect towards elder Kurong. He said, "I, Jiumozhi, a junior from Tibet, pay my respects to an eminent monk of an elder generation. Eternal or not eternal//twin trees bloom and wither//north and south, east and west//not false, not empty!"


    Duan Yu wondered to himself, "What did those four lines mean?" But elder Kurong felt a shock in his heart. "The Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel is reputed to possess a vast and boundless learning. He lives up to his reputation! As soon as he saw me, he laid bare the history behind my practice of ''Withered Meditation.''


    In a past age, the great forefather of Buddhism, Sakyamuni, passed away from the world between the twin Sal trees of the city of Kusinara. He was surrounded in every direction by twin Sal trees. Each twin tree had one side which was blooming, and another side which was withered. They became known as the "Four Withered, Four Blooming." According to Buddhist scriptures, the twin trees to the east had the meaning of, "Eternal and ephemeral." Those to the south had the meaning of "Joyful and joyless." The twin trees to the west signified "Myself and not myself," and the twin trees to the north signified "Peaceful and restless." The flourishing and blooming trees symbolized the truth and reality of nirvana: "Eternal, joyful, myself, peaceful." The withered trees symbolized the real world: "Ephemeral, joyless, not myself, and restless." The Tathagata Buddha passed away between these eight states of existence; the hidden meaning of this was, ''neither withered nor blooming, neither false nor empty.''


    Elder Kurong had been quietly practicing the art of ''Withered Meditation'' for decades now, but had only managed to reach the level of being ''half withered, half blooming''. He was unable to progress to the next level of being ''neither withered nor blooming, but also withered and also blooming.'' Upon hearing the words of the Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel, he immediately became stern and said, "Enlightened Lord, you have come from afar but I did not come out to greet you. Forgive my discourtesy."


    Jiumozhi, the Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel, replied, "This junior monk has long heard of and admired the glorious fame of the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. For me to be able to see its stately and grand structures is a source of great joy to me."


    Abbot Benyin said, "Enlightened Lord, please be seated." Jiumozhi thanked him and sat down.


    Duan Yu thought to himself, "I wonder what this ''Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel'' looks like?" He quietly turned his head and snuck a look past elder Kurong''s side. He saw a monk wearing a white cassock seated on a hassock in the western corner. He was not yet fifty years of age. His face was inclined upwards and seemed to have a precious light emanating from it, similar to that of brilliant pearls or precious jade, a natural sheen. After taking but a few glances at him, Duan Yu felt a sense of veneration and kinship towards him. Taking a glance outside the door, he saw eight or nine brutes with savage and fearful appearances. Clearly, they were not from the Central Plains; thus, they must be attendants or servants which the Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel brought from Tibet.


    Jiumozhi folded his hands together and said, "Thus spoketh the Buddha: ''Without birth, there is no death; without filth, there is no purity.'' My mind is slow and dull; I am unable to see past love and hate, life and death. In all my life, I have had an extremely close bosom friend; he is a man of the Great Song''s Gusu''s province, surnamed Murong, with his personal name being Bo. In the distant past, I met with him by chance and discussed martial arts and swordplay with him. Mr. Murong had a deep knowledge regarding every single martial arts form in the entire world. He gave me pointers and tips for many days. I have always remembered this. I will never dare to forget the great benevolence and deep kindness which Mr. Murong showed me in transmitting to me so many high-level skills and techniques. Unexpectedly, heaven did not extend a gift of long life to the great hero, and Mr. Murong has departed to the Western Heaven to enjoy bliss. I have a presumptuous request which I hope all of you elders can grant."


    Abbot Benyin said, "Enlightened Lord, your close relationship with Mr. Murong was no doubt predestined. Now that the karmic ties which bound you have come to an end, why try to force it? Mr. Murong is now joying the delights of the Western Heaven, greeting Buddha before his lotus pool. How could he possibly still care about the martial arts learning of the mortal world? Enlightened Lord, isn''t it a bit pointless for you to act in such a way?"


    Jiumozhi replied, "Abbot, your advice is very cogent. But from birth my disposition has been silly and wild. Despite secluding myself in solitary meditation for over forty days, I nonetheless found it impossible to forget my former friendship with him. In the past, when Mr. Murong was discussing the sword techniques of the world with me, he was resolute in his opinion that the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' was the best in the world. The fact that he never had a chance to see it with his own eyes was his greatest regret in all his life."


    Abbot Benyin said, "Our monastery is secluded here in the distant south. For us to be esteemed so highly by Mr. Murong is a great honor for us. But why is it that in the past, Mr. Murong himself did not come personally to ask for a chance to see the manuscript of this skill?"


    Jiumozhi let out a long sigh. A grieved expression was on his face, and he did not speak for a long time. Finally, he said, "Mr. Murong knew that this manuscript was the most precious treasure of this venerable monastery, transmitted down generation to generation. Naturally, he would not be permitted to view it. He knew that the Duan family, despite being the rulers of Dali, had never forgotten the code of righteousness and their former ties with the jianghu. He knew that the Duan family loved the common man and was filled with benevolence. He could not bring himself to steal or forcibly take the manuscript." Benyin thanked him, saying, "Mr. Murong praised us too highly. Since Mr. Murong esteemed Dali''s Duan family so highly, you yourself as his close friend, Enlightened Lord, should take his wishes into consideration."


    Jiumozhi replied, "But that day, I made a regrettable boast; I said to him, ''I am the national instructor of Tibet, without any relations with Dali as well, and Tibet itself has no diplomatic relations with Dali. Mr. Murong, if it''s inconvenient for you to retrieve it, allow me to do so for you!'' After a man has made a promise, he cannot go back on it no matter what! I made this promise to Mr. Murong, and no matter what, I cannot renege on it!" And as he spoke, he lightly clapped three times. From outside, two of his men brought a wooden chest into the room, setting it down on the floor. Jiumozhi simply flicked his sleeve, and the chest calmly opened by itself, exposing a brilliant, gleaming, small golden box. Jiumozhi withdrew the golden box and held it within his hand.


    Abbot Benying thought to himself, "Does he think that we monastic folks might be moved by precious treasures and gifts? Besides, after administering Dali for over a hundred and fifty years, how could the Duan family lack for gold or silver ornaments?" He watched as Jiumozhi opened the lid of the golden box and withdrew the contents. It was actually a trio of old, worn books. As Jiumozhi casually turned the books over, Benyin shot them a look. The books had both pictures and words, written in cinnabar ink. Jiumozhi stared at the books for a long time. Suddenly, tears began to fall from his eyes, splattering on his clothes. He had a look of uncontrollable grief on his face. Benyin and the rest were all totally astonished.


    Elder Kurong said, "Enlightened Lord, you miss your old friend and are unable to sever your attachments. Aren''t you ashamed to be called an ''eminent monk''?" Hanging his head, Jiumozhi said, "Master, you possess great wisdom and remarkable ability. I cannot measure up to you. These three books are filled with top-level martial arts techniques, and were written down by Mr. Murong himself. They explain the essence and training methodology behind Shaolin''s 72 Ultimate Techniques, as well as the way by which one might defeat them."


    Everyone who was listening was shocked. They thought to themselves, "The fame of Shaolin''s 72 Ultimate Techniques shakes the world. Supposedly, aside from an extremely wise monk who managed to learn twenty three of these techniques at the beginning of the Song dynasty, no one has ever learned more than twenty. For Mr. Murong to be able to understand the essence of Shaolin''s 72 Ultimate Techniques is very difficult to believe. The claim that he actually managed to figure out the weaknesses of each technique is even less believable."


    Jiumozhi continued, "Mr. Murong gifted these three scrolls to me. I studied them intently, and reaped great benefits from them. My desire is that I might exchange these three precious scrolls for your venerable monastery''s scroll of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. If all of the eminent monks here would be willing to permit me to fulfill my promise, my gratitude would be boundless."


    Abbot Benyin was silent. He thought to himself, "If the skills written on these three scrolls really are that of the 72 Ultimate Techniques of Shaolin, then after acquiring them, we would not merely be on par with Shaolin in terms of martial arts knowledge, but surpass them. The Heavenly Dragon Monastery would have a thorough understanding of Shaolin''s best techniques, but Shaolin would have no knowledge of ours."


    Jiumozhi continued, "After your respected monastery gifts me with the original scroll of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', please feel free to keep a copy of it for yourself. This means that despite allowing me to pay my respects to Mr. Murong, you yourselves would not suffer any loss at all. Secondly, immediately after you give me the scroll, I will seal it. I will not sneak a single glance at it, and personally take it to the grave of Mr. Murong where I will burn it. Thus, you have no need to worry about your elite arts being leaked out. Third, although the martial arts understanding of you, respected reverends, is deep and requires nothing from outside, as the saying goes, a stone from another mountain can be used to polish one''s own precious jade. Shaolin''s 72 Ultimate Techniques have many hidden secrets, and in particular, their "Flower Plucking Finger" [Nianhua Zhi], "Pattra Leaf Finger" [Duoluoye Zhi], and the "Formless Raiding Finger" [Wuxiang Jie Zhi] have many similarities to your own ''Solitary Yang Finger''.


    When Abbot Benyin and the others had first read the golden letter which he had sent them, they believed that he intended to forcibly demand they hand over their precious treasure to them. Such would be an unreasonable, tyrannical act. But now, hearing him speak tirelessly, they began to feel as though his words were very reasonable. It seemed to them that agreeing to his request would bring great benefit to the Heavenly Dragon Temple, without them incurring any losses. It now seemed that he was actually bringing them a great gift instead. Benxiang was a person who liked to get along with others; in his heart, he had already acquiesced. But because Benyin was the abbot, and because Kurong was of an elder generation, it was not for him to speak.


    Jiumozhi said, "I am young and my learning is shallow; my words alone might not be enough to win the trust of all of the senior monks here. Please permit me to show some meager skill that I possess with the three finger techniques of Shaolin''s 72 Ultimate Techniques." As he spoke, he rose to his feet. "In the past, I only casually skimmed through the manual and learned the techniques to a superficial degree. My technique is very sloppy; I hope that all of you will give me some pointers. This technique is the "Flower Plucking Finger." He gently touched his right hand''s thumb with his index finger, as though he had just plucked a fresh, lovely flower. A small smile was on his face, as he gently flicked all five digits of his left hand towards the right.


    Aside from Duan Yu, everyone present was a martial arts expert who had specialized in and analyzed finger techniques for all their life. They saw that the movements of Jiumozhi''s fingers were incomparably gentle. Each time he flicked out the fingers of his left hand, it was as though he were flicking away dewdrops from the flower that he was holding with his right hand, but was afraid that he might cause the flower petals to fall. The entire time, an amiable, kind, gentle expression was on his face, giving him an appearance of great wisdom.


    According to the legends of Zen Buddhism, Sakyamuni expounded on the Buddhist doctrine at an assembly at Mt. Ling. His fingers plucked a golden Sal flower and showed them to everyone present. Everyone was silent, not understanding; only the Arhat Mah¨¡k¨¡?yapa showed a faint smile on his face. Sakyamuni thus knew that Mah¨¡k¨¡?yapa had truly understood his mind, and said, "I possess the true Dharma eye, the path to Nirvana, the form of the formless, and the subtle dharma way, which can be neither written down nor taught. I entrust them to Mah¨¡k¨¡?yapa." The most important precept in Zen Buddhism was that of achieving enlightenment via inner understanding. Shaolin belonged to the Zen school of Buddhism, and so they naturally spared no efforts in studying and refining this "Flower Plucking Finger".


    But there seemed to be nothing remarkable whatsoever in Jiumozhi''s flicking movements. After flicking for a few dozen times in succession, he lifted up the right sleeve of his robe and puffed at it. In the blink of an eye, a cascade of chess-piece sized pieces of round cloth descended, revealing dozens of holes within his sleeves. Apparently, the dozens of finger flicks he had demonstrated earlier had all been through-the-air strikes against his own sleeves. The soft energy released had damaged the cloth, but at first, it had seemed totally unharmed. Only after he gently breathed on it was the effect revealed. Benyin, Benguan, Benxiang, Bencan, and Emperor Baoding all glanced at each other a few times. All of them were secretly astonished. "Based on our level of skill, using the ''Single Solitary Finger'' to strike through the air and puncture holes in clothing is not difficult at all. But to execute such a divine technique with such gentle, soft movements, while holding such a placid, smiling expression on our faces is impossible for us. The ''Flower Plucking Finger'' is totally different from our ''Single Solitary Finger''; it emphasizes the use of soft ''Yin'' energy. There is definitely a great deal we could learn from it, as it is like unto a mirror of our own skills."


    Jiumozhi said, with a small smile, "I''ve embarrassed myself. My skill in the ''Flower Plucking Finger'' is far inferior to that of master Xuandu of Shaolin. My skill in the ''Pattra Leaf Finger'' is even more laughable." He immediately turned his body around and began to circle around the wooden box on the floor. He struck out in repeated succession with all ten of his digits. The onlookers watched as scraps of wood on the chest began to fly off the chest and dance around. In the blink of an eye, the wooden chest had been reduced to a pile of wooden scraps.


    Emperor Baoding and the others thought that there was nothing special about him destroying a wooden chest with his fingers. But the chest''s hinges, copper strips, iron locks, padlocks, and other metal components also completely disinitegrated under the pressure of the force of Jiumozhi''s fingers. This caused them to be involuntarily shocked yet again.


    Smiling, Jiumozhi said, "In exercising this ''Pattra Leaf Finger'' technique, I had a tyrannical air. My cultivation in it is shallow indeed!" As he spoke, he folded his hands within the folds of his clothes. Suddenly, that pile of wood and metal scraps began to jump about and dance. It was as though some person wielding a thin, invisible stick was beating them and stirring them up. When they looked at Jiumozhi, they saw that a calm, smiling expression remained on his face. None of his clothes, from his sleeves to lower him of his gown, were moving or fluttering in the slightest. Evidently, he was secretly projecting his finger energy from within his clothes, and yet didn''t reveal a trace of it at all. Benxiang couldn''t control himself and praised, "The ''Formless Raiding Finger'' lives up to its name! Admirable, admirable indeed!" Jiumozhi bowed and said, "Master, you praise me too highly. The jumping of the wooden chips is still visible. For the technique to truly match up to its name, it must be both formless and invisible. Even if one spent all of his life assiduously practicing this technique, he might not be able to achieve such a level." Master Benxiang said, "Amongst the scrolls left behind by Mr. Murong, did he include a method by which one can defeat this ''Formless Raiding Finger''?" Jiumozhi replied, "He did. The method by which one can defeat this technique arises from your own honorable religious name." Benxiang mumbled to himself for some time, then said, "Right, one must use the ''True Form'' [Benxiang] to overcome the ''Formless'' [Wuxiang]. Brilliant, this extremely brilliant."


    Benyin said, "Martial-uncle, the Enlightened Lord has come to us from afar, and his request appears to be genuine and sincere. How should we handle this situation? We respectfully await your instructions."


    Elder Kurong said, "Benyin, what is the purpose of our study of martial arts?"


    Abbot Benyin never would have imagined that elder Kurong would have replied to him with such a question. After being stunned a brief moment, he replied, "To improve our dharma and to protect our nation." Elder Kurong asked, "When an evil opponent appears, whom we are unable to dissuade using Buddhism due to our shallow understanding of dharma, and forces us to use force to subdue him, what type of martial arts would we use?" Benyin replied, "If we have no choice but to use force, we would naturally use the ''Single Solitary Finger''." Elder Kurong asked, "What level of proficiency have you attained in your mastery of the ''Single Solitary Finger?''" Sweat began to appear on Abbot Benyin''s forehead. "Your disciple is slow and stupid by nature, and due to my position am unable to settle down to properly advance. I have only reached the forth level."


    Elder Kurong continued, "In your opinion, how does our ''Single Solitary Finger'' compare with Shaolin''s ''Flower Plucking Finger'', ''Pattra Leaf Finger'', and ''Formless Raiding Finger?'' Which is stronger, and which is weaker?" Benyin replied, "There is no such thing as ''strength'' or ''weakness'' in techniques, only in each individual''s learning and power." Elder Kurong replied, "Precisely so. And what if our ''Single Solitary Finger'' is practiced to the highest level?" Benyin replied, "The depth of the skill is so profound that I dare not wildly speculate." Elder Kurong said, "If you managed to live for another hundred years, what level could you attain?" The sweat on Benyin''s forehead dripped down in a steady stream. In a trembling voice, he said, "Your disciple does not know." Elder Kurong asked, "Can you master the highest level?" Benyin replied, "I definitely cannot." Elder Kurong fell silent at this point and spoke no more.


    Benyin said, "Martial-uncle, your words are wise. We are not yet even able to fully master the highest levels of our own martial arts skills. What uses have we for books containing the skills and techniques of others? Enlightened Lord, you have made an arduous journey to come here. Let us welcome you properly with a vegetarian meal." In speaking these words, he was tacitly refusing the request of the Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel.


    Jiumozhi let out a long sigh. "It''s all my fault; I shouldn''t have opened my mouth and made such a foolish promise. Otherwise, with Mr. Murong dead, what does it matter whether or not I am able to obtain the scroll of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''? Today, this young monk is going to be wildly bold and say a few audacious words that may display an exaggerated opinion of my own abilities. If the technique of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' really is as amazing and profound as Mr. Murong believed, I fear that even if your venerable monastery has the scroll, it does not have anyone capable of learning it. If someone here is capable of learning it, then in all likelihood it is not nearly as amazing as Mr. Murong believed it to be."


    Elder Kurong said, "This old monk is confused about something. I hope that the Enlightened Lord may instruct me." Jiumozhi said, "I wouldn''t dare!" Elder Kurong said, "The fact that the ''Divine Scroll of the Six Meridians'' is hidden within our humble temple is concealed even from the secular members of the Duan family. Might I ask, how is it that Mr. Murong learned of this?" Jiumozhi replied, "Mr. Murong''s understanding of the martial arts of the world was extremely deep and broad. He even had at his fingertips many skills belonging to various sects which had long been forgotten by even the leaders of the sects themselves. The characters used to describe Mr. Murong, ''Using the opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent'', comes from this. But all his life, Mr. Murong was never able to learn any of the secrets of the ''Single Solitary Finger'' or the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. This troubled him all his life, and he took this regret with him to his grave."


    Elder Kurong grunted, then fell silent. Emperor Baoding and the others thought to themselves, "If he really learns the secrets of the ''Single Solitary Finger'' and the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', then I fear that he might really be able to use our own techniques against us in the future.


    Abbot Benyin said, "It has been well over a decade since my martial-uncle has received any guests. Enlightened Lord, as you are an eminent monk of this era, my martial-uncle made an exception and has accompanied you for a long time. Enlightened Lord, please." As he spoke, he rose to his feet, signifying the meeting was at an end.


    But Jiumozhi did not rise with him. He unhurriedly said, "The scroll of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' is only a tool with an undeserved reputation, and has no practical use. Why must your precious temple hold it in such importance, to the point where you would be willing to harm the friendship between the Heavenly Dragon Temple and the Great Wheel Temple, as well as the diplomatic relations of Dali and Tibet?"


    Benyin''s face changed slightly. He said in an awe-inspiring way, "Enlightened Lord, are you saying that if the Heavenly Dragon Temple does not hand the manuscript over, that Dali and Tibet will face each other with weapons and armies?" Emperor Baoding had always kept a strong garrison of forces to the northwestern boundaries of the country, so as to keep Tibet from invading. Upon hearing Jiumozhi''s words, he became totally engrossed in the conversation.


    Jiumozhi replied, "The master of my country has long yearned for Dali''s local environment and people. He has long desired to meet with your honored country''s master and compete with him. However, I felt that doing so would cause great loss of innocent life, which is greatly in contradiction with the heart of Buddha''s teachings. For many years, I have spared no effort in dissuading him from such a course."


    Benyin and the others were all aware that a veiled threat was hidden within Jiumozhi''s words. He was the national protector and dharma king of Tibet. Everyone in Tibet from the king to the commoners was Buddhist, much like the country of Dali. Jiumozhi always had the trust of the Tibetan king. Whether there would be peace or war with a nation could hinge on a single word from him. It really would not be worth it for the people of their two countries to be forced to endure suffering over a simple manuscript. Tibet was powerful whereas Dali was weak; if war really did break out, the overall situation would be very dangerous. But how could the Heavenly Dragon Temple freely give up their most precious treasure to him, by virtue of him trying to intimidate them?


    Elder Kurong said, "Since you, Enlightened Lord, desire this manuscript so much, far be it for this old monk to deny you. But we dare not agree to exchange it for Shaolin''s 72 Ultimate Techniques. Enlightened Lord, as you have mastered all of Shaolin''s 72 Ultimate Techniques in addition to the martial arts of the Great Snowy Mountain''s Great Wheel Monastery, you are no doubt peerless and without equal in the world."


    Jiumozhi clapped his hands together. "Master, do you mean for me to put my incompetence on display?" Elder Kurong said, "Enlightened Lord, you said that our monastery''s manuscript of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' is a useless tool, undeserving of its fame, which cannot be used. We will use the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' to experience your elite skills. If it really is as you said, Enlightened Lord, and the technique is unusable and undeserving of its fame, why should we value it? In such a case, Enlightened Lord, feel free to take it!"


    Jiumozhi was secretly startled. In the past, when he discussed the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' with Mr. Murong, he learned enough to know that it totally depended on converting internal energy into invisible sword qi. They both felt that no matter how astonishing the techniques were, for a single person to have enough internal energy to use all six of his meridians to create sword qi was most likely impossible. Now, judging from elder Kurong''s words, not only was he capable of using the technique, but all of the other monks around him were as well. The Heavenly Dragon Temple''s centuries-long fame clearly was no little thing indeed. His expression had been very polite and respectful all along; now, he became even more polite. Bowing forwards slightly, he said, "It is this humble monk''s greatest fortune for you, honored reverends, to be willing to display such a consummate skill in front of me."


    Abbot Benyin said, "Enlightened Lord, what weapons do you wish to use? Please feel free to take them out now."


    Jiumozhi clapped his hands together. From outside entered a very tall and large man. Jiumozhi spoke a few words of Tibetan to him, and the man nodded while responding. He withdrew a stick of fragrant Tibetan incense from an outside box, handing it to Jiumozhi before retreating from the room.


    Everyone present was baffled. The stick of incense would snap at a blow; how could it possibly be used as a weapon? Only to see Jiumozhi hold the stick of incense with his left hand while reaching down to pick up some of the wooden scraps with his right. He gently fixed the stick of incense within the pile of scraps. He repeated this five more times, until he had created a row of six sticks of incense. There was roughly one foot of distance between each stick. Jiumozhi knelt down five feet behind the line of incense. Suddenly, he rubbed his palms together a few times, then thrust them outwards. All six pieces of incense suddenly lit with fire in unison. Everyone present was shocked, thinking to themselves that this person''s internal energy strength had reached an inconceivably high level. But then, they smelled a scent of sulfur from the incense and guessed that the incense had been tipped with gunpowder. Jiumozhi hadn''t actually set them alight with his internal energy; rather, he has used his internal energy to generate friction-based heat to agitate the gunpowder. Although this was still no easy task, it was something which Emperor Baoding and the others could do as well, if they exerted their internal strength.


    The smoke from the Tibetan incense was dark green in color. Six lines of the dark green smoke lazily curled upwards towards the ceiling. Jiumozhi cupped his hands together as though he were holding a sphere. He generated his internal energy, and the six lines of smoke slowly began to curve outwards. Each line headed towards one of the six monks; one to Kurong, one to Benguan, one to Benyin, one to Benxiang, one to Bencan, and one to Empeor Baoding. This type of palm energy which he was releasing was called the "Blazing Flame Sabre". Although it had no form and no substance and was invisible, it could still take a person''s life. It was an incomparably powerful technique indeed. At this moment in time, he only wanted to gain the manuscript, not to take someone''s life. Thus, he lit these six sticks of incense, so as to reveal the direction and heading of his palm energy. In this way, not only could he display his power and confidence, he could also demonstrate his merciful and benevolent heart. They would only be competing in terms of comparing their relative martial arts proficiencies, rather than trying to kill or injure each other.


    Once the six lines of smoke arrived within a meter of Benyin and the others, they came to a halt and became unmoving. Benyin and the others were astonished yet again; it was not too difficult for a person to cause smoke to move using his internal energy, but to cause the drifting, aimless smoke to come to a sudden halt and freeze in the middle of the air was ten times more difficult. Bencan extended the pinky of his left hand, and a stream of energy erupted from his ''Shaochong'' acupoint, rushing towards the line of jade smoke in front of him. As soon as that line of smoke came into contact with this stream of energy, it rushed back towards Jiumozhi with incomparable speed. When it reached within two feet of Jiumozhi''s body, he increased the energy of his "Blazing Flame Sabre", and it could advance no further. Jiumozhi nodded. "Impressive and worthy of the praise which is heaped on it. The ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' really does have a technique known as the ''Shaoze Sword''." The internal energy of the two clashed repeatedly for many moves. Master Bencan knew that if he remained seated without moving, it would be very difficult to give free rein to the full power of the technique. He immediately rose to his feet and took three diagonal steps towards the left, with the internal energy from his pinky now attacking diagonally as well. Jiumozhi thrust out his own left hand and immediately blocked the attack.


    Benguan''s middle finger suddenly straightened, and the power of his ''Zhongchong Sword'' rushed forth. Jiumozhi exclaimed, "Excellent! This is the ''Zhongchong Sword'' technique!" With a wave of his palm, he blocked the attack. Despite fighting against the two of them simultaneously, he did not seem the slightest bit nervous.


    Seated in front of Elder Kurong, Duan Yu continually snuck side glances towards this battle, the likes of which wulin might see only once every thousand years. Although he did not understand martial arts, he could still tell that these eminent monks were using their internal energy to compete in a sword competition with each other. The situation was even more dangerous than if they were wielding actual, physical swords against each other. Fortunately for him, Jiumozhi had prepared those six sticks of incense, and so he was able to see some of their sword and sabre techniques of the three via the movement of the smoke. After watching for over ten stances, he suddenly realized, "I know! That''s master Benguan''s ''Zhongchong Sword'' technique! It is totally identical to the technique which was drawn on his manuscript." He gently unscrolled the manuscript teaching the ''Zhongchong Sword'' technique, comparing the movements of the smoke to the sword techniques contained in the manuscript. With it serving as reference, he now understood everything he saw, including Bencan''s ''Shaoze Sword'' techniques. The techniques of the ''Zhongchong Sword'' were majestic and imposing, with large, grand motions; in contrast, the ''Shaoze Sword'' flickered here and there, its changes and movements small and refined.


    Abbot Benyin saw that his two martial-brothers could not gain the slightest advantage, despite having joined forces. He thought to himself, "We have not yet thoroughly finished our studies of this technique, and can easily run out of attacking strokes. The earlier all six of us join in, the better. The Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel is intelligent to the extreme; right now, it seems as though he is simply observing Bencan and Benguan''s techniques. He isn''t using all of his abilities." He immediately said, "Brothers Benxiang and Benshen, let us join in as well." He stretched out his index finger, attacking with the ''Shangyang Sword'' technique. Following him was Benxiang''s ''Shaochong Sword'' technique and Emperor Baoding''s ''Guanchong Sword'' technique. In unison, the three streams of sword qi attacked the the three lines of jade smoke in front of them.


    Duan Yu''s eyes wandered left and right; he would check out the ''Shaochong Sword'' technique, then the ''Guanchong Sword'' technique, and then the ''Shangyang Sword'' technique. After he compared them to the illustrated manual, he could understand what was going on in general, but by and large everything seemed confused and jumbled to him. Just as he was raptly studying the instructions for the ''Shaochong Sword'' technique, he saw Elder Kurong stretch his finger onto the drawings and write, "Only study one at a time. Move on to the next one only after you are done with the previous." Duan Yu''s heart jumped; he realized that Elder Kurong was giving him pointers. Turning around, he smiled slightly towards Elder Kurong, so as to express his appreciation.


    But as soon as he turned around, the smile on his face immediately froze and became stiff. The face he saw was extremely bizarre. The left side of Elder Kurong''s face was healthy and rosy; the skin was smooth and the flesh was abundant, like the face of a young baby. But the right side of his face was like a withered bone; aside from a layer of sallow skin, there wasn''t so much as a single scrap of flesh. With the bones on prominent display, it seemed very much like half of a skeleton''s skull. In his startlement, he immediately turned back, his heart pounding madly in his chest. He knew that this was the result of Elder Kurong practicing the ''Withered Glory Meditation'' art, but this half-withered, half-healthy face was simply too terrifying. For the moment, he felt as though he couldn''t calm down no matter what, only to see Elder Kurong''s index finger once more tracing words on the scroll. "Do not waste such a good opportunity. Focus all your attention on studying the sword techniques. Watch by yourself and learn by yourself. That does not count as violating our ancestral commandments."


    Duan Yu realized, "Grand martial-uncle Kurong said to my uncle that the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' cannot be taught to secular disciples. Only after he shaved his head and became a monk could he be taught the technique. But for him to now write, ''Watch by yourself and learn by yourself, that does not count as violating our ancestral commandments'' implies that the commandments of the ancestors of the Duan family do not specifically forbid secular members of the family from studying the techniques independently. He ordered me to ''Not waste such a good opportunity'' and to ''focus all my attention on studying the techniques''. Naturally, he wants me to study and learn by myself right now." He immediately nodded, then began to carefully study his uncle''s execution of the ''Guanchong Sword'' technique. After more or less understanding it, he moved on to the ''Shaochong Sword'' technique and the ''Shangyang Sword'' technique.


    For ordinary people, the ring finger is the least dexterous, whereas the index finger is the most nimble. Thus, the ''Guanchong Sword'' technique strove to achieve victory in a sluggish, simple, and unsophisticated way, whereas the techniques of the ''Shangyang Sword'' were ingenious, lively, and difficult to ascertain. The ''Shaochong Sword'' was similar to the ''Shaoze Sword'' technique in that it used the pinky; however, one was on the left hand, whereas one was on the right hand. Thus, in terms of technique, the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' had techniques that were ''skilled'' as well as ''clumsy'', ''nimble'' as well as ''sluggish''. And yet, the ''clumsy'' techniques were not any less wonderful, nor the ''sluggish'' techniques contain any less might. They were just displayed in different ways.


    At first, Duan Yu had just been curious. He was simply comparing the movements of the jade smoke to the techniques written down on the scrolls; it was something akin to guessing riddles. Only now, after receiving directions from Elder Kurong, did he settle down and seriously watch the battle. By the time he more or less understood the techniques of the ''Shangyang Sword'', ''Shaochong Sword'', and ''Guanchong Sword'', Benguan and Bencan were beginning to repeat their respective sets of movements and attacks. Duan Yu no longer needed to refer to the manuscript each time. The movements of the jade smoke were identical to the sword techniques which he had memorized. He felt as though the lines and techniques drawn on the paper were rigid and inflexible, whereas the movement of the jade smoke underwent boundless changes and transformations. The techniques were much richer and more diverse by far than the ones actually written on the scroll.


    After watching for a while longer, he saw that Benyin, Benxiang, and Emperor Baoding''s techniques had been exhausted as well. Benxiang flicked out his pinky, striking with the ''Parting Flowers, Flicking Willows'' technique. It was the second time he had used this technique. Jiumozhi nodded slightly. Following this, Benyin and Emperor Baoding could not help but repeat previously used techniques as well. Suddenly, a ''chi-chi'' sound could be heard from in front of Jiumozhi, and the power of his ''Blazing Flame Sabre'' increased dramatically, forcing back the internal energy of the five.


    As it were, Jiumozhi initially remained on the defensive, desiring to see the techniques of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' in its entirety before counterattacking. Now that he had changed from defense to offense, the five lines of smoke whirled about in the air with incomparable nimbleness. But that sixth line of smoke remained calmly unmoving in front of Elder Kurong, still three feet away from him and not moving in the slightest. Elder Kurong desired to know the exact extent of his abilities and see how long he could hold out, fighting with five lines of smoke but holding the sixth stock still. This was why that entire time he hadn''t extended his own hand to attack. And, sure enough, Jiumozhi really did expend a rather considerable amount of energy keeping that sixth stream of smoke still. But now, that line of jade smoke finally began to inch its way towards the back of Elder Kurong''s skull.


    Alarmed, Duan Yu said, "Grand martial-uncle, the jade smoke is attacking!" Elder Kurong nodded, then unrolled the ''Shaoshang Sword'' manuscript and placed it in front of Duan Yu. Duan Yu saw that the illustrations of the ''Shaoshang Sword'' manuscript were made in the splash-ink style, similar to the style used for scenic paintings. The horizontal and vertical lines were tilted and few in number, but the sword technique was strong and vigorous, with the capability of shattering the earth and battering the heavens, containing within it the power of the wind and the rain. Duan Yu studied the sword manuscript, but could not forget about the stream of jade smoke that was floating towards the back of Elder Kurong''s skull. Turning around, he saw that the jade smoke was now only three or four inches away. He cried out in alarm, "Careful!"


    Elder Kurong flipped his hands over, then extended the thumbs of both hands. With two ''chi-chi'' sounds, they launched separate surprise attacks on Jiumozhi''s right shoulder and the right side of his chest. He did not ward off his enemy''s assault; rather, he sent two brilliant attacks of his own to counter-attack his opponent. His judgement was that Jiumozhi''s ''Blazing Flame Sabre'' internal energy was still not fully released. As it was advancing towards him only slowly, for it to actually harm him would still take it a short while. If, despite moving after Jiumozhi did, his attack arrived first, he would be able to catch Jiumozhi offguard.


    Jiumozhi was a careful and contemplative person. Long ago, he had prepared a stream of palm energy which protected his chest. But he had only anticipated a single, ferocious attack from the ''Shaoshang Sword'', and did not foresee Elder Kurong would launch twin surprise attacks at the same time and threaten two different areas. Jiumozhi raised his palm and used it to block the attack on the right side of his chest. Following that, he kicked upwards with his right foot, hurriedly propelling himself backwards. But no matter how quickly he retreated, he could not move faster than the sword qi, which arrived with the speed of the thunder and the lightning. With a soft sound, the top of the robe on his shoulder split open, and fresh blood spilled forth. Elder Kurong reversed his thumbs, retracting his internal energy and pulling back towards him. All six sticks of incense snapped simultaneously. Benyin, Emperor Baoding, and the rest also withdrew their fingers and dissipated their sword energy. Each of them had fought for a long time without achieving success and had been secretly anxious for a long time now. Only now did they feel relieved.


    Jiumozhi walked back inside the room. A small smile on his lips, he said, "Elder Kurong, your Meditation Arts are extraordinary indeed. This humble monk admires you greatly. But as for that ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', well, it seems it really is nothing more than a tool with an undeserved reputation." Abbot Benyin said, "How is it nothing more than a useless tool? I must ask that you enlighten us." Jiumozhi said, "What the venerable Mr. Murong admired was the sword techniques of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', not the sword formation. This sword formation of the Heavenly Dragon Temple really is very powerful, but if we were to compare it with Shaolin''s ''Arhat Sword Formation'' or Kunlun sect''s ''Chaos Sword Formation'', it can only be said to be on the same level, and cannot be said to be the most unparalleled sword technique in the world." By describing it as a ''Sword Formation'' instead of as a ''Sword Technique'', he was pointing out the fact that all six of them fought in unison with a pre-planned formation, rather than one of them using the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' by himself, as he, Jiumozhi, had done with his ''Blazing Flame Sabre''.


    Abbot Benyin felt that his words were indeed reasonable, and was at a loss for a response. But Bencan only coldly sneered, "Regardless of whether it was a ''Sword Technique'' or a ''Sword Formation'', were you, Enlightened Lord, the victor in that competition? Or was the Heavenly Dragon Temple the victor in that competition."


    Jiumozhi did not reply. Closing his eyes, he silently meditated for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Opening his eyes, he said, "In the first round, your respected monastery took the upper hand. But in the second round, I believe I am guaranteed victory." Benyin was startled. He asked, "Enlightened Lord, you want to compete in another round?" Jiumozhi replied, "A man must live up to his words. Since I have already given my word to Mr. Murong, how can I back off at the first sight of difficulty?" Benyin asked, "And why is it that you are guaranteed of victory, Enlightened Lord?"


    Jiumozhi smiled slightly. "Everyone here has a profound and deep understanding of martial arts. Can it be that you cannot guess? Please prepare to receive my stances!" As he spoke, his two palms slowly pushed outwards. Elder Kurong, Benyin, Emperor Baoding, and the other three simultaneously felt as though two streams of internal energy were suddenly attacking from different directions. Benyin and the others all felt that they could not use the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' to block this energy attack. Each of them faced two streams of energy, and pushed out with palms to block the attack. Only Elder Kurong continued to thrust out the thumbs of both of his hands, using the ''Shaoyang Sword'' technique to receive the opponent''s energy.


    After pushing out this twin burst of palm energy, Jiumozhi immediately halted his attack. "Excuse me for offending you!"


    Benyin, Benguan, and the others all traded glances. All of them understood, "With a single palm, he was able to send out so many streams of internal energy. If Elder Kurong were to launch another concerted double-attack on him, he would be able to withstand it. But we, on the other hand, would have to give up the sword techniques and use palm techniques. It seems our ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' inferior to his ''Blazing Flame Sabre.''"


    Just at this very moment, smoke could be seen rising up from in front of Elder Kurong. Four distinct lines of black smoke drifted upwards, then moved towards Jiumozhi. Jiumozhi held a deep, secret dread of this old monk who sat facing the wall and never turned around a single time. Now, seeing the smoke head towards him and not knowing what the old monk''s intention was, Jiumozhi once again executed his ''Blazing Flame Sabre'' technique to ward off all four lines of smoke. He did not immediately launch a counterattack, both so that he would not be caught off-guard by a simultaneous attack from Benyin and the others, as well as to enable himself to calmly see if Elder Kurong had any other fearsome techniques.


    The black smoke grew thicker and thicker, showing that the attack was extremely aggressive. Jiumozhi was secretly surprised. "To launch an all-out attack like this is like the saying that a windstorm cannot last all morning, and a rainstorm cannot last all evening. How can this possibly be sustained? Elder Kurong is an eminent monk of this age. How could he use such a rash, aggressive method to fight his opponent?" He felt that Elder Kurong couldn''t possibly be that inexperienced; thus, he must have some other trick up his sleeve. He immediately tightened his defenses and raised his guard mentally, preparing himself to immediately act as according to the situation. After a short period of time, the four lines of smoke suddenly began to split. One became two, two became four, four became eight, eight became sixteen, rushing towards Jiumozhi from all directions. Jiumozhi thought to himself, "An arrow at the end of its flight is a spent force. Nothing worth even talking about." He executed his ''Blazing Flame Sabre'' technique and blocked every single line. As soon as his internal energy touched the lines of smoke, they split and fell apart, filling the entire room with smoke in the blink of an eye. Jiumozhi was not worried in the slightest, generating his internal energy to protect his entire body.


    As the smoke and the mist thinned by degrees, he could hazily see that Benyin and the other five monks were on their knees, a solemn expression on their faces. A look of great grief and indignation could be seen on the faces of Bencan and Benguan in particular. In a moment of clarity, Jiumozhi suddenly realized the truth. He secretly cried out, "Oh no! This old monk, Kurong, knows that they aren''t a match for me, so he actually burned the manuscript of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians!''"


    His guess was correct. Elder Kurong had used the force of his ''Solitary Yang Finger'' to set the six manuscripts ablaze. Afraid that Jiumozhi would prevent him from doing so and snatch the manuscripts by force, he used his internal energy to push the smoke towards Jiumozhi, forcing Jiumozhi to stay on the defense and exert his efforts towards protecting himself. By the time the smoke dissipated, the drawings had been long since reduced to ashes. Benyin and the others were experts of the ''Solitary Yang Finger'' who had spent many years mastering it. As soon as they saw the black smoke, they knew what caused it. They thought to themselves that their martial-uncle would rather die with glory than live with dishonor [lit., ''would rather be a broken jade vessel than an unbroken clay pot''] and was willing to destroy this most precious treasure of their monastery rather than let it fall into enemy hands. Fortunately, the six of them had each memorized a portion of the technique. Once their powerful enemy departed, they would simply recreate it from memory. Only, a priceless artifact which had been handed down to them by their ancestors had been totally destroyed.


    Now, the Heavenly Dragon Temple and the Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel had formed between them a long, deep, and bitter enmity. It would be difficult for there to be any sort of peace between them.


    Jiumozhi was both startled and angry. He usually had a very high opinion of his own intelligence and stratagems, but today he had been defeated by Elder Kurong twice in a row and witnessed the destruction of the manual of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', earning himself a bitter enemy without any reward at all. He stood up and folded his palms together. "Elder Kurong, why did you need to be rigid and inflexible to such an extent? That you would rather shatter the manuscript than allow it to fall in the hands of others shows your lofty style and temperament. That your venerable monastery''s most precious treasure was destroyed in part due to the actions of this humble monk is a source of great regret for me. Fortunately, it was impossible for any one person to fully learn the martial arts on this manuscript. Thus, it does not really matter whether or not it was destroyed. I take my leave now."


    He turned around slightly. Not waiting for Elder Kurong or Abbot Benyin to reply, he suddenly struck out and seized Emperor Baoding''s wrist, grabbing his wrist acupoints and saying, "My humble country''s ruler has long wished to meet with Emperor Baoding. Your majesty, I''ll have to invite you to make a journey to Tibet with me."


    Everyone was greatly startled by this totally unexpected turn of events. This sneak attack was executed so unexpectedly that despite Emperor Baoding''s own formidable level of martial arts, Emperor Baoding fell to it. Jiumozhi had seized the "Lieque" and "Pianli" acupoints on his wrist. Emperor Baoding hurriedly exerted his internal energy to protect himself. In the blink of an eye, he had made seven attempts to break lose, but was unable to each time. Abbot Benyin and everyone else present felt that this ambush was too despicable and contemptible, totally not in keeping with his station as an elite martial artist. However, they managed to control their anger, and yet remained unable to think of a plan for rescue. With Emperor Baoding''s acupoints under the control of the opponent, his life could be taken at any point in time.


    Elder Kurong laughed. "He once was Emperor Baoding, but has since abdicated and become a monk. His religious name is Benchen. Benchen, since the ruler of Tibet wishes to meet you, you might as well go." Helpless, Emperor Baoding could only say, "Yes!" He knew what Elder Kurong was trying to do. Jiumozhi considered him the ruler of a country, and thus a priceless hostage. But with Elder Kurong describing him as having already abdicated his throne, he was no longer a priceless royal hostage, but only a monk of the Heavenly Dragon Monastery, making him a useless personage of little importance. Perhaps, in that case, Jiumozhi would release him.


    Ever since Jiumozhi had entered the Muni Pavilion, Emperor Baoding had not said a single word or revealed a single hint of his real origins. But, in order to execute even a single sword of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', one must be a first class master martial artist, with an extraordinarily deep and profound internal energy cultivation. The people within the wulin who could be considered first class masters were well aware of who the others were. Jiumozhi had not come to Dali unprepared. Before arriving, he had carefully made inquiries regarding the appearance and ages of each and every member of Dali''s Duan family, as well as the disciples of the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. He had an eighty or ninety percent understanding of each person''s temperament, habits, and achievements in martial arts. He knew that aside from Elder Kurong, the Heavenly Dragon Monastery had four more martial arts masters. Now, a ''Benchen'' had appeared out of nowhere, a person he had never heard of before, and with an extremely powerful internal energy that was not one whit inferior to the four other ''Ben'' generation monks. Seeing his majestic poise and judging from his features that he came from a luxurious background, Jiumozhi guessed that he was Emperor Baoding.


    Hearing Elder Kurong say that Emperor Baoding had already abdicated the throne and become a monk, Jiumozhi''s heart was swayed. "I''ve long heard that in each succeeding dynasty, the Duan''s of Dali would often abdicate and join the monastery. It is not altogether unbelievable that Emperor Baoding might do the same and join the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. But if an Emperor were to abdicate and become a monastery, there would be grand ceremonies held throughout the country, with gifts of food being given to monks and rituals made before the Buddha. Pagodas would be renovated and new temples would be built. It would be a huge public affair, not something kept so low-key and under wraps. Even my Tibet would, upon hearing the news, send an envoy to congratulate the new monarch. There''s some trickery involved here."


    He replied, "Regardless of whether or not Emperor Baoding has abdicated, he still needs to make a trip with me and pay a visit to my humble country''s ruler." As he spoke, he tugged on Emperor Baoding''s hand, intending to immediately exit.


    Benyin loudly shouted, "Wait a moment!" His form flickered, and he, along with Bencan and the other monks, simultaneously moved in front of the door. Jiumozhi said, "I have no intentions of harming Emperor Baoding, but if all of you force me to, then there''s no other options I can take." His right hand feinted towards the back of Emperor Baoding''s heart. The power of his ''Blazing Flame Sabre'' was all-conquering and unstoppable. With Emperor Baoding''s meridians already under Jiumozhi''s control, Emperor Baoding was helpless to resist and had no way to defend himself. If all of the monks of the Heavenly Dragon Monastery were to attack at once, not only would they fear ''breaking the dishes in order to pelt the rat'', they still could not be certain of victory. And yet, Abbot Benyin and the others were still hesitant. Emperor Baoding was the ruler of Dali. How could they allow an enemy to kidnap him and march him away under duress?


    Jiumozhi loudly shouted, "I''ve long heard of the fame of the eminent monks of the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. I never would have imagined that they would be so irresolute over such a small matter, like little boys or girls. Please make way for me!"


    After seeing his uncle being captured, Duan Yu was extremely anxious. At first, he thought to himself that with his uncle''s level of martial arts, there was no need to fear. He thought that his uncle was just being patient for now, and when the right moment came, he would free himself. But the more he watched, the more Duan Yu felt that something wasn''t right. There was a look of great arrogance on Jiumozhi''s face and his words were proud and overbearing, whereas Benyin, Benguan, and the others looked anxious, angry, and helpless. As he watched Jiumozhi head towards the exit with Emperor Baoding in tow, Duan Yu was filled with fear and worry. Without pausing to think, he shouted, "Hey you! Let go of my uncle!" Following this, he came out from behind Elder Kurong.


    Jiumozhi had long ago seen a young man hiding behind Elder Kurong, but was unable to guess who that person might be, much less the reason why he was sitting in front of Elder Kurong. Now, seeing him come out, his curiosity compelled him to turn his head and ask, "Might I ask who you are, sir?"


    Duan Yu replied, "Don''t ask me who I am! Let go of my uncle first!" Stretching out his right hand, he seized Emperor Baoding''s left hand.


    Emperor Baoding said, "Yu''er, don''t mind me! Leave quickly and go to your father, and tell him to immediately ascend the throne and take on this heavy responsibility! I am an old monk who is like a lazy cloud or an untamed crane; what is there to be concerned about?"


    Duan Yu exerted all his strength to pull at Emperor Baoding''s wrist while shouting, "Quickly let go of my uncle!" The ''Shaoshang'' acupoint of his thumb was touching the acupoints on Emperor Baoding''s wrist. With him now exerting his strength, Emperor Baoding''s entire body trembled, and he immediately felt his internal energy flowing outwards.


    At this exact same point in time, Jiumozhi also felt his internal energy being drawn away from him. His countenance immediately changed drastically. He thought to himself, "How is it that the Duan dynasty of Dali learned the ''Great Art of Energy Dissipation?''" He immediately gathered his internal energy to fight against this evil, heterodox martial arts.


    Emperor Baoding immediately felt as though two fierce and powerful streams of energy were jerking at his body. He immediately used the technique of ''Borrowing a Sabre to Strike a Knife'', forcing these two streams of internal energy to directly face each other. At this moment in time, these two streams of energy were principally facing off against each other ,with very little focused on his wrists. With a wave of his hand, he broke free from Jiumozhi''s grip. Together with Duan Yu, he floated backwards and retreated. He cried out to himself, "How shameful! That I was able to escape is all thanks to Yu''er."


    Jiumozhi was more than a little bit startled by this turn of events. He thought to himself, "Another powerful martial artist suddenly appeared in the Central Plains. How could I have been totally unaware of this? This person is very young and is only around twenty years of age. How could he have reached such a level of martial arts? He addressed Emperor Baoding as uncle; he must be of a younger generation in Dali''s Duan family." He slowly nodded and said, "I''ve always thought that the Duan family of Dali only specialized in their own ancestral martial arts. Only now do I know that a learned member of their latter generation made friends with the Old Man of Xingxiu and studied the strange martial arts technique known as the ''Great Art of Energy Dissipation.'' Strange, how very strange!"


    Although his martial arts learning was profound and vast, even he mistook Duan Yu''s ''Divine Art of the Northern Darkness'' as the ''Great Art of Energy Dissipation''. Only, wanting to conduct himself according to the dignity of his station, he changed ''Old Freak'' into ''Old Man'' in referring to Ding Chunqiu. Likewise, the people of Wulin all considered the ''Great Art of Energy Dissipation'' as a vile art and an evil skill; he chose to describe it as a ''strange martial arts technique''. Just now, in their brief exchange, he felt that Duan Yu''s internal energy cultivation was definitely not inferior at all to that of Ding Chunqiu, the Old Freak of Xingxiu. He definitely was not Ding Chunqiu''s disciple or student, and thus used the phrase "made friends with".


    Emperor Baoding let out a cold laugh. "I''ve long heard that the Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel was wise and farsighted, flexible and accommodating, with extraordinary understanding and knowledge. I wouldn''t have imagined he would say such absurd things. The Old Freak of Xingxiu is an expert at plotting and sneak-attacking, despicable and without shame. How can the the sons of the Duan family possibly have any relationship with him?" Jiumozhi''s face reddened slightly, and his heart trembled. The eight words Emperor Baoding had used, ''Plotting and sneak-attacking, despicable and without shame'', were clearly meant to refer to his own earlier actions.


    Duan Yu said, "As you, the Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel, have come from afar and are a guest of the Heavenly Dragon Monastery, we have received you with proprietry and respect. But you dare to offend my uncle? The only reason we had been showing forebearance and restraint at every turn is because everyone here is a disciple of Buddha, but you have only become more and more overbearing and arrogant. Who, amongst Buddhist disciples, is as flagrant in breaking monastic principles as you are?"


    Everyone, hearing Duan Yu righteously castigate Jiumozhi, felt secretly grateful towards him. At the same time, they became even more on guard, fearing that Jiumozhi might suddenly fly into a rage and suddenly launch an attack against Duan Yu to harm him.


    They did not expect that Jiumozhi would remain calm and composed. He said, "Today, I have become acquainted with so many eminent personages. It has been my great fortune. I ask that you exchange a few stances with me as well, so as to allow this humble monk to gained great benefit from your tutelage." Duan Yu said, "I don''t know martial arts and I''ve never learned it." Jiumozhi laughed. "Wise, wise. I take my leave!" Leaning slightly, with a sweep of his sleeves he struck out with both arms and simultaneously launched four attacks using his ''Blazing Flame Sabre'' technique, chopping towards Duan Yu.


    The enemy had just launched an attack on him using his most ferocious skill, but Duan Yu remained muddle headed and ignorant. Emperor Baoding and Benxiang struck out with their fingers simultaneously, receiving and blocking these four attacks from Jiumozhi''s ''Blazing Flame Sabre''. Only, under the sudden assault of Jiumozhi''s vigorous internal energy, both of their bodies swayed. Benxiang let out a ''wa'' cry and vomited out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    Only after seeing Benxiang vomit blood did Duan Yu understand that Jiumozhi had just then launched yet another sneak attack. He was absolutely enraged. Pointing at Jiumozhi''s nose, he cursed, "You couth, unreasonable barbarian monk!" With his exertion of energy from his right index finger, his mind and his internal energy connected, and he naturally executed an attack from the ''Shangyang Sword'' technique. His internal energy was extremely powerful. In this day and age, extremely few people had reached such a level. Just previously, he had studied the manuscripts of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' while hiding in front of Elder Kurong, and also watched the invisible sword fighting of the seven elder monks. Now, as he struck out with his finger, his mind unconsciously followed the instructions on the manual. With a ''chi'' sound, a simple, vigorous, and incomparably powerful energy stabbed towards Jiumozhi.


    Startled, Jiumozhi hurriedly used a palm strike from the ''Blazing Flame Blade'' technique to receive the attack. Duan Yu''s attack not only surprised Jiumozhi; it was also wildly out of the expectations of Elder Kurong, Abbot Benyin, and the others. The ones who were the most surprised of all were Emperor Baoding and Duan Yu himself. Duan Yu thought to himself, "Huh. That was weird. I just pointed at him. Why did this monk act so hurriedly to ''block'' my point? Oh, I get it, I get it. It must be that I accidentally pointed at him in accordance with the techniques of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', and he thought that I knew how to use it. Haha, since that''s the case, I might as well scare him a bit!" He loudly said, "What''s so remarkable about this ''Shangyang Sword'' technique! Take a look at the ''Zhongchong Sword'' techniques!" As he spoke, he struck out with his middle finger. But this time, although his technique was correct, the internal energy did not rush out as it did before. He was just pointing aimlessly in the air, without any actual effect.


    Jiumozhi, seeing him strike out with his middle finger, immediately gathered his internal energy to resist the attack. He didn''t expect that the ''attack'' didn''t contain an ounce of internal energy. At first, he thought that his opponent was trying to confuse him, interchanging ''solid'' with ''void''. He saw Duan Yu strike out a second time, but once again it was empty and without any power behind it at all. He couldn''t help but feel delight in his heart. He thought to himself, "I was just wondering how someone who could use the ''Shaoshang Sword'' technique could also be able to use the ''Zhongchong Sword'' technique. Looks like I was right. This kid is just bluffing. Scared me for a moment!"


    During this trip to the Heavenly Dragon Monastery, he had fallen flat on his face, so to speak, several times in a row now. He thought to himself that if he didn''t show off his power a bit, the fame and prestige of the ''Enlightened Lord of the Great Wheel'' would suffer more than a bit of harm. His left palm immediately chopped towards both the left and the right, sealing off any rescue paths which Emperor Baoding and the others might use to aid Duan Yu. Then, he chopped out with his right palm, striking at Duan Yu''s right shoulder. This technique, ''White Rainbow Pierces the Sun'', was a marvelous and brilliant technique from his ''Blazing Flame Sabre'' skill. He was intending to cut off Duan Yu''s right arm with a single chop. Emperor Baoding, Benyin, Bencan, and the others cried out in unison, "Careful!" Each of them struck out with a finger towards Jiumozhi.


    The three of them were naturally using the first-class martial arts principle of ''forcing an enemy into a position where he cannot help but withdraw to defend himself'' in their attack. Jiumozhi had already used his internal energy to protect all the critical points on his body. He didn''t draw back his attack on Duan Yu in the slightest, and chopped perfectly straight down. Hearing the alarmed cries from Emperor Baoding and the others, Duan Yu knew that he was in a bad situation. He pushed outwards vigorously with both hands. His mind in a state of panic, his internal energy natural flowed out. The ''Shaochong Sword'' of his right hand and the ''Shaoze Sword'' of his left hand simultaneously struck out, dissolving the power of the stroke of the ''Blazing Flame Sabre'' aimed at him. There was still plenty of energy left over from his strike, and with a ''chi chi'' sound, the the two attacks counter-assaulted Jiumozhi. Jiumozhi didn''t have time to think, immediately sending internal energy to his left hand to ward off the attack.


    After being provoked into striking out for the past few times, Duan Yu had the vague notion that it was necessary for one to first gather his internal energy, and then agitate it to strike out with a finger; only then could his internal strength and power be unleashed. But as to why this was the cause, he had no clue at all. He lightly struck out with his middle finger, once more shooting forth the ''Zhongchong Sword''. In a blink of an eye, all of the techniques he had learned from the six manuscripts rushed to the front of his mind. All ten of his fingers struck out continuously, attacking here and there in an inexhaustible onslaught.


    Jiumozhi was astounded, and hurriedly generated his internal energy to resist the attacks. Sword qi criss crossed the small room, and sabre energy danced in the air. It was as though countless miniature thunderbolts or raging gales were repeatedly clashing against each other midair. After fighting for a while, Jiumozhi felt as though his opponent''s internal energy was only growing stronger and stronger, and his sword techniques were boundless without fathom, as though creating new stances on the spot. It was totally different from his earlier fight with Benyin, Benxiang, and the others, where they were rigidly sticking to a pre-set formula; in contrast, the variations were much more difficult to predict and fathom. He was not aware that Duan Yu was not able to memorize all of the complicated changes and transformations within the sword techniques of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', and was simply randomly piercing and stabbing about in a critical situation, much less inventing new stances on the spot. In his heart, he was both shocked and regretful. "The Heavenly Dragon Monastery actually has such a young and extraordinarily skilled master as this person. Today, I really did bring about my own humiliation!" Suddenly, he struck out three times, with three ''chi'' sounds, before calling out, "Hold your hand!"


    Duan Yu''s internal strength could not be generated or retracted at will. Upon hearing his opponent call for him to halt, he did not know how to cease, and so his only option was to raise his fingers and point them at the ceiling. He thought to himself, "I should stop exerting my strength and hear what he has to say."


    Jiumozhi saw that a perplexed look was on Duan Yu''s face as he stopped fighting. Earlier, when he was withdrawing his internal energy, Duan Yu acted as though he were baffled and did not know what the hell he was doing at all. Jiumozhi''s heart was swayed, and he immediately leapt forwards, striking towards Duan Yu''s face with his fist.


    Only through great fortune and luck did Duan Yu manage to learn this highest of martial arts techniques, the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. He didn''t know any of the most basic empty handed or weapon based martial arts at all. Within this punch of Jiumozhi''s was hidden seven or eight separate techniques. This was already a very powerful fist skill to begin with; now, backed up by the might of the Blazing Flame Sabre''s energy, it became an infathomably deep and powerful stroke, impossible for even he himself to measure its strength.


    In the martial world, there was no martial artist at all who understood deep martial arts but not superficial ones, who could comprehend complex martial arts not but not simple ones. Duan Yu was the only exception. Seeing Jiumozhi punch towards his face, he awkwardly stretched out his arm to block. Jiumozhi''s right palm flipped over, seizing the ''Shenfeng'' acupoint on his chest. Duan Yu''s entire body immediately felt limp and he could no longer move. The ''Shenfeng'' acupoint belonged to the ''Zushaoyinshen'' group of acupoints, which he had never practiced in his study of the Divine Art of the Northern Darkness.


    Although Jiumozhi discovered huge, gaping flaws in Duan Yu''s study of martial arts, he was unable to overcome Duan Yu''s ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', and intended to use other high-level martial arts to defeat him. But he never would have expected to be able to so easily capture him in a single attack. He was actually afraid that Duan Yu was just play-acting and had some strange trick in mind. With his one hand on Duan Yu''s ''Shenfeng'' acupoint, he immediately struck out with his other hand and sealed his ''Jiquan'', ''Dazhui,'' and ''Jingmen'' acupoints. This acupoints belonged to the ''Jingmai'' group, which Duan Yu also had never learned.


    Jiumozhi retreated three steps. He said, "This young benefactor has memorized the method by which one might learn the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. The original manuscript has already been burned by Elder Kurong. That makes this young benefactor a living manuscript. Burning him alive as a sacrifice in front of Mr. Murong''s tomb will be just as good." Spreading out his left palm, he hurriedly made five chops in a row, then seized Duan Yu and dragged him out of the doorway and away from the Muni Pavilion.


    Emperor Baoding, Benyin, Benguan and the others wanted to rush forward and reclaim him, but were all sealed out by this chain of five chops which Jiumozhi made. There was no way for them to rescue him.


    With a toss, Jiumozhi handed Duan Yu off to the nine escorts which stood guard outside the pavilion. He called out, "Let''s go quickly!" Two of the escorts stretched their hands out simultaneously and caught Duan Yu. They did not leave the way they came in. Rather, apparently on their own intiative, they made their way out via the grove which surrounded the Muni Pavilion. Jiumozhi generated the power of his ''Blazing Flame Blade'' and simply repeatedly hacked at the doorway of the Muni Pavilion.


    Emperor Baoding and the others all urgently clashed the force of their Single Solitary Finger against Jiumozhi''s power, but were temporarily unable to break his invisible net of sabre strikes. Jiumozhi heard the sound of hoofsteps and knew that his nine subordinates had already departed northwards with Duan Yu. He laughed long and loudly. "Burning a living manual is superior to burning a lifeless manuscript! Now that Mr. Murong has someone to accompany him in the underworld, he won''t feel lonely anymore!" He made diagonal cuts with his right hand. With a ''ka la la'' sound, two of the pillars of the Muni Pavilion were chopped in half. His body swayed slightly, then, as though his body were nothing more than a breath of thin smoke, he flew towards the grove as well. In an instant, his location became indiscernable.


    Emperor Baoding and Bencan rushed out at the same time, only to see that Jiumozhi was already long gone. Emperor Baoding said, "Hurry! Chase him!" His gown fluttering in the wind, he had already moved many meters. Master Bencan and him were running shoulder to shoulder, picking up speed and pursuing northwards.

 Chapter - 11 Crazy All Along

    After Duan Yu had his acupoints sealed by Jiumozhi, he was unable to move whatsoever. Jiumozhi''s subordinates had tossed him sideways onto the saddle of a horse, facing downwards. All he saw was the ground continuously move and the hoofs of the horse rising up and down. His mouth and nose were filled with the dirt and dust of the road. He heard his captors loudly shouting, but as they were speaking in a barbaric language that he could not understand, he did not know what they were saying. Counting the number of horse-legs that he could see, all in all there were ten horses.


    After galloping for ten or so li, they arrived at a fork in the road. He heard Jiumozhi jabber a few indistinct words. Five horses took the road on the left, whereas Jiumozhi, Duan Yu, and the other horses took the right. After galloping for many more li, they arrived at yet another fork. Once again, they split into two separate groups. Duan Yu knew that Jiumozhi was trying to confuse the pursuing forces and render them uncertain as to in which direction they should chase.


    After travelling for another period of time, Jiumozhi leapt off his horse. He retrieved a leather belt and tied it to Duan Yu''s waist. Then, supporting Duan Yu''s body with his left hand, he began to make his way through the mountain passes on foot. His two remaining servants rode off westwards with all the horses. Duan Yu was secretly anguished. "Uncle must have sent out the heavy cavalry to pursue us by now, but at most they will capture the nine servants of this barbarian monk. They won''t be able to rescue me."


    Although Jiumozhi was carrying someone in one arm, his steps remained light and easy. He climbed higher and higher. Six hours later, he had passed into a desolate region of untamed mountains and wild ridges. Duan Yu saw that the sun was setting in the west, and its light continuously came from the left. Jiumozhi was taking them to the north.


    At nightfall, Jiumozhi tied his body to a branch on a large tree, using the belt which he had wrapped around Duan Yu''s waist earlier. He didn''t say a single word to Duan Yu; for the matter, he didn''t even glance at him. His back facing Duan Yu, he handed him a few dry flour-biscuits that were used as field rations. He unsealed the acupoints on Duan Yu''s upper arm, so as to let him hold the food. Duan Yu secretly extended his left hand, intending to generate his internal energy and use the ''Shaoze Sword'' technique to attack him. However, his major acupoints all remained sealed, causing all of his internal energy to be blocked and stifled. His finger stabbed and pointed impotently, without a single bit of power behind it.


    Many days passed in such a manner, as Jiumozhi carried him northwards. Duan Yu repeatedly tried to provoke Jiumozhi into speaking, asking why he was being kidnapped and why they were headed north. But Jiumozhi never responded. Duan Yu''s belly was full of resentment. He thought to himself that in the past when his little sister Mu Wanqing had captured him, although he suffered quite a bit, he wasn''t as bored senseless and depressed as he was right now. Not to mention, being captured by a beautiful girl who smelled wonderful and had a lovely voice even when she was shouting at him, was totally different from being carried by this barbarian monk who pretended to be deaf and dumb. This wasn''t even in the same league.


    After travelling in such a manner for ten or so days, Duan Yu thought that they had probably left the boundaries of Dali by now. It seemed to him that the direction in which they were travelling changed to be northeast, but they continued to avoid travelling on major roads, continuing to travel through desolate mountain passes. By now though, the terrain became smoother and smoother. The mountain ridges grew fewer in number, and more sources of running water appeared. In a single day, they would often have to ford multiple rivers. Finally, Jiumozhi bought a pair of horses, splitting them with Duan Yu. But Duan Yu''s six major acupoints naturally remained sealed.


    Once, when Duan Yu was taking a leak, he thought to himself, "If I exercise the steps of the ''Graceful Steps Upon the Waves'', this barbarian monk wouldn''t necessarily be able to follow me, right?" But after taking only two steps, the sealed acupoints prevented his internal energy from flowing through them, and he immediately fell flat on his face. He sighed, then crawled to his feet, knowing that his last hope of escape had just disappeared.


    That night, the two made an overnight rest stop at an inn in a small city. Jiumozhi ordered the inn servants to bring him paper, a brush, an inkstick, and an inkstone. He placed it on the table, lit a lamp, then said, "This humble monk has offended you greatly in inviting your illustrious personage to grace me with this visit northwards. I feel deeply apologetic about this." Duan Yu said, "Mmhmm. You are too polite." Jiumozhi asked, "Do you know why I have acted in such a way?"


    Duan Yu was thinking about this very subject during the entire trip. After seeing all those things placed on the desk, he guessed about eighty or ninety percent. He replied, "Can''t be done." Jiumozhi asked, "What can''t be done?" Duan Yu replied, "You envy and covet my family''s ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' and want to force me to write it out for you. This just can''t be done."


    Jiumozhi shook his head. "You misunderstand. In past years, this humble monk made a promise to Mr. Murong that I would borrow your venerable monastery''s manuscript and let him peruse it. My inability to fulfill this promise has always weighed heavily on my heart. Fortunately, you have memorized this technique in your heart. Without any other alternatives, I was forced to take you to Mr. Murong''s grave and burn you in sacrifice. In this way, I would finally be able to fulfill my promise. But you, young prince, are as a dragon amongst men, and I have no enmity with you whatsoever. How could I dare to harm you? There is a way by which both of us can be satisfied. All you need to do is write out the instructions and draw out the diagrams, without omitting anything at all. I won''t take a single peek at it and immediately seal it, then take it to Mr. Murong''s tomb and burn it to ashes. After having fulfilled this important wish, I will respectfully escort you back to Dali."


    Jiumozhi had said these words before, that day when he had arrived at the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. At the time, Benyin and the others all were inclined to agree, and Duan Yu had also felt that this was acceptable. But afterwards, Jiumozhi had first launched a sneak attack on Emperor Baoding, then kidnapped himself, Duan Yu. He used guileful and deceitful methods to avoid pursuing forces, and showed not a single care at all for the safety and well-being of his nine subordinates. He had clearly revealed his ruthlessness and committed many crimes. How could Duan Yu trust him now? He long ago had decided that the Divine Crocodile and the other three members of the ''Four Great Evils'', in openly proclaiming to be evil people, were far superior to this ''holy monk'' from Tibet. Although he had very little real-world experience, Duan Yu had already mulled over this matter for the past twenty days or so and understood the critical points. He said, "Master Jiumozhi, you cannot deceive me with these words of yours."


    Jiumozhi folded his hands together. "Amitabha. Everything I have done is because of the promise I made previously to Mr. Murong. This should show how highly I value my word. How can I break another promise to fulfill this one?"


    Duan Yu shook his head. "No one knows whether or not you really made a promise to Mr. Murong in the past. After getting the manuscript for the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', you will definitely give it a close read. Who knows if you''ll actually take it to Mr. Murong''s grave or not, afterwards? Even if you really plan to burn it in sacrifice, based on your intelligence, great master, after reading it a few times, you''ll have memorized it completely. Maybe, fearing that you might forget or misremember some parts, you''ll even make a duplicate copy before incinerating the original."


    Jiumozhi''s eyes widened greatly, and he fixed Duan Yu with an evil, vicious stare. But in the blink of an eye, the expression on his face turned kind and amiable. He slowly said, "Both of us are disciples of Buddha. How can you say such brash, untrue things? What a sin, what a sin. I''m afraid that I am forced to resort to compelling you a little bit. I do this to save your life. Please don''t blame me." As he spoke, he extended the palm of his left hand, gently pressing it against Duan Yu''s chest. "When you are unable to withstand the pain and are willing to write to write it out for me, all you need to do is nod and I will immediately release you."


    Duan Yu laughed bitterly. "If I don''t write the manuscript, you won''t be able to bring yourself to kill me, because then you won''t be able to obtain it. If I actually do write the manuscript out for you, how could you allow me to remain living? Writing it is equivalent to committing suicide. Master Jiumozhi, I understood this point thirteen days ago."


    Jiumozhi let out a sigh. "Buddha, show mercy." He began to generate energy in his palm. He expected that with this stream of internal energy passing into Duan Yu''s ''Shanzhong'' acupoint, Duan Yu would feel as though thousands of ants were gnawing on his entire body. Even though this little princeling who had been pampered since childhood was keeping a stiff upper lip for the moment, once he suffered the torture of being in a half-dead, half-living state, he would definitely give in. He didn''t expect that as soon as he generated his internal energy, it flowed away from him and disappeared. In his startlement, he generated even more power, but this time, it only disappeared even more quickly, turbulently pouring out of his body. Jiumozhi was extremely shocked. He hurriedly pushed Duan Yu''s forehead hard with his right hand. Duan Yu let out an ''Ah!'' cry, then fell over on top of the table, the back of his head colliding heavily with the wall.


    Jiumozhi knew all along that Duan Yu had learned the ''Great Art of Energy Dissipation'' from the Old Freak of Xingxiu, but with one''s critical acupoints sealed, no internal-energy techniques should have been executable, regardless of whether it was orthodox or heterodox. How could he have known that when he forcefully inserted his internal energy into Duan Yu''s ''Shanzhong'' acupoint, it was like that day when Duan Yu was paralyzed, his mouth wide open, and helpless to do anything when the Cinnabar Toad hopped in? It had nothing to do with whether or not Duan Yu''s acupoints were sealed or not. Groaning and spluttering, Duan Yu sat up. "You falsely title yourself as an eminent and enlightened monk. Do eminent monks beat people up in such a manner?"


    Jiumozhi said in a severe tone, "Who, exactly, taught you this ''Great Art of Energy Dissipation''?" Duan Yu shook his head. "The ''Great Art of Energy Dissipation'' is a reckless waste of resources. It is akin to throwing away a thousand pieces of gold rather than keeping it for one''s own use. Such a heterodox skill is laughable! Laughable!" Without intending to, he quoted the words written within the jade cave from which he learned the ''Divine Art of the Northern Darkness.''


    Jiumozhi did not understood what had happened, but did not dare to touch Duan Yu''s body. However, when he had earlier sealed Duan Yu''s ''Shenfeng'', ''Dazhui'', ''Xuanshu'', and ''Jingmen'' acupoints, he hadn''t met with any problems. Jiumozhi thought that this person''s martial arts was strange and inconceivably bizarre. It must have been some byproduct or alteration generated by his practice of the ''Single Solitary Finger'' and the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. Only, as he had just started to learn this new technique, he still was not very proficient at it. Following this line of thought, he found himself all the more awed by and covetuous of the martial arts learning of Dali''s Duan family. He suddenly raised his hand and struck out in the air with a stance from his ''Blazing Sabre'', aiming the attack just slightly above Duan Yu''s head. He shouted, "You really don''t intend to write? If I aimed that strike just one foot lower, what would have happened to your head?"


    Duan Yu was extremely afraid. He worried that if Jiumozhi really did get angry and poked out one of his eyes or chopped off one of his arms, what could he do about it? Some words which he had been pondering the entire trip instantly rose to the forefront of his mind, and he automatically said, "If I can''t take it anymore, then I''ll be forced to write whatever comes to mind, and it won''t necessarily be accurate. If you damage my limbs, then I will hate you to the bone and what I write will be even more inaccurate. How about this. The manuscript that I write out, you intend to burn in front of Mr. Murong''s tombstone, right? You''ll immediately seal it and won''t peek at it at all, right? So whether it is accurate or not has nothing to do with you. I''ll just write something at random. It will just be me deceiving Mr. Murong''s ghost. In the future, after his ghost in the underworld practices what I wrote and fire-deviates, damaging his ghostly meridians, he won''t blame you, right?" After saying this, he went to the table, picking up the brush and spreading the paper, preparing to write.


    Jiumozhi was extremely angry. With these few words, Duan Yu had torn apart his fa?ade of seeking the manuscript of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' on behalf of Mr. Murong. At the same time, Duan Yu had also made it clear that if he, Jiumozhi, used force to coerce, the ''manual'' which Duan Yu would write out would definitely be incomplete and inaccurate. The wrong sentences would be more common than the right sentences. Not only would the manual be useless, anyone who tried to practice according to its instructions would suffer great harm. In the course of his two battles against the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' at the Heavenly Dragon Monastery, he naturally learned what the real movements of the sword techniques were. But the main essence of the skill lay not in the movements, but purely in the internal energy formulas. There would be no way for him to discern the true instructions from the false instructions for this aspect. He barely managed to avoid flying into an utter rage out of shame, but his anger was too great, and with a ''chi'' sound, he struck out with a stroke from the ''Blazing Sabre'' and chopped the pen in Duan Yu''s hand in half.


    Duan Yu began to laugh loudly. Jiumozhi angrily said, "Little bastard, the Buddha is trying to save your life, but you obstinately persist on the wrong path. Looks like the only option is to take you to Mr. Murong''s tomb and burn you to death there. The sword techniques which you memorized in your heart cannot be false, am I right?"


    Duan Yu laughed, "I suppose that on my deathbed, I''ll just have to intentionally misremember a few of the strokes. Right, this is a great idea! From now on, I''ll try my best to misremember the technique. The more I misremember it, the better. At the very end, even I will be confused about how it was supposed to go."


    Jiumozhi glared furiously at him. It was as though there was a ''Blazing Sabre'' in his eyes that was about to burst out. He deeply wanted to simply wave his hand, then strike out with the invisible qi of his ''Blazing Sabre'' and chop this little bastard''s head off.


    After this, they headed eastwards for another twenty days or so. Duan Yu listened to the accents of the other roadside travelers, and felt their speech was soft, elegant, and refined. There were no longer any spices in the food either.


    This day, they finally arrived outside the great gates of the city of Suzhou. Duan Yu thought to himself, "We''re about to go to Murong Bo''s tombstone now. Since this barbarian monk hasn''t gotten the manuscript, he won''t actually kill me just yet. But to be placed upon Murong Bo''s tomb and be burnt a little, then baked a little, would put me in a half-dead state. That''s something to avoid as well." Turning his mind from the subject, he began to check out the scenery. It was March now. Apricot flowers bloomed on both sides of the road, green willows hung over the lake, and a warm spring wind blew against his body. It was an intoxicating, almost giddy feeling. Duan Yu couldn''t help but feel his heart calm down and be at peace. Opening his mouth, he recited, "The waves are vast, and the willows are listening. A lonely village rests on a distant plain of fragrant grass, and the rays of the setting sun glow as apricot flowers fly across the sky."


    Jiumozhi sneered, "You''re at death''s door right now, and you still have such aimless, sentimental thoughts in your mind, to the point where you are reciting poems and ballads?" Duan Yu laughed, "Thus spoketh the Buddha: ''Neither the world nor your life is eternal, and that which is not ephemeral is bitter. '' Nobody lives forever. At most, one might live a few years longer than others. What''s so great about that?"


    Jiumozhi ignored him. He asked a passerby for the location of the ''Canhe Manor''. But although he asked seven or eight people, none of them knew; moreover, the language barrier made it even more difficult for them to communicate. The last person he met was an old man who said, "Inside or outside of Suzhou, there isn''t a single manor called the ''Canhe Manor''. Master monk, you must have misheard." Jiumozhi said, "The lord of the manor is surnamed ''Murong''. Might I ask, where does he live?" That old man said, "Within the walls of Gusu, there are those surnamed Gu, Lu, Shen, Zhang, Zhou, Wen¡­those are all famous manor lords. There''s nobody surnamed Murong. Never heard of''m."


    Just as Jiumozhi was uncertain as to how to proceed, he overheard a voice from a small eastern alleyway say, "I''ve heard that the Murong family lives thirty li west of the city, in a place called the Basin of Swallows. Let''s go check it out." Another person said, "Right, when we arrive at the edges, we need to be careful." Their accent marked them as being from Henan''s central prefecture. The two spoke in a very low voice, but Jiumozhi''s cultivation of internal strength was very profound, and he heard their words clearly. He thought to himself, "Can it be that these two are intentionally letting me hear their words? If not, how can there be such a coincidence?" Glancing sideways, he saw that one speaker, dressed in mourning clothes, had a grand, imposing air, whereas the other was small, gaunt, and short, with the appearance of a chronically ill old pickpocket.


    Jiumozhi could immediately tell that these two men possessed martial arts. Before he had decided whether or not to go meet with them, Duan Yu already shouted out, "Mr. Huo, Mr. Huo, you came here as well?" That small, sickly looking person was the ''Golden Abacus'', Cui Baiquan. The other man was his martial nephew, the ''Soul Pursuing Whip'', Guo Yanzhi.


    After leaving Dali, the two of them wholeheartedly wished to avenge Ke Baisui. They knew that the Murong family had an extremely high level of martial arts, and that there was less than a ten percent chance of success, but they nonetheless courageously came to Suzhou. After learning that the Murong family lived at the Basin of Swallows, and that Murong Bo had died many years ago, they realized that the person who killed Ke Baisui must be another member of the Murong family. They felt that their chances of gaining revenge had improved somewhat and rushed to the lakeside just as Jiumozhi and Duan Yu passed by.


    Cui Baiquan, suddenly hearing Duan Yu call out to him, was stunned. He quickly made his way to him, seeing that Duan Yu was with a mounted monk whose left hand was gripping the reins of Duan Yu''s horse. Duan Yu''s arms hung limply at his sides. Clearly, his acupoints had been sealed. He asked curiously, "Young prince, it''s you! Hey, master monk, why are you giving this young gentleman a hard time? Don''t you know who he is?"


    Jiumozhi didn''t think very highly of these two men, but he thought to himself that this was the first time he entered the Central Plains, and Mr. Murong''s home was not easy to find. With these two leading the way, things would be much easier. He said, "I need to go to the Murong family''s home, and would like to trouble you two to guide me."


    Cui Baiquan replied, "Master monk, how should I properly address you? Why is it that you dare to offend the young prince of the Duan family? What is your noble purpose for paying a visit to the Murong family''s home?" Jiumozhi replied, "You shall know when we arrive." Cui Baiquan replied, "Master monk, are you a friend of the Murong family?" Jiumozhi replied, "Correct. If you, Mr. Huo, know the location of Mr. Murong''s Canhe Manor, I''ll like to ask you to lead me there." Jiumozhi heard Duan Yu address this man as ''Mr. Huo'', and actually thought his surname was ''Huo''. Cui Baiquan scratched his head. He said to Duan Yu, "Prince, let me unseal the acupoints on your arm first." As he spoke, he took a few steps forward and stretched out his hand, planning to unseal Duan Yu''s acupoints.


    Duan Yu thought to himself that Jiumozhi''s proficiency in martial arts was extremely high, and that there was perhaps no one superior to him in all the world. Cui and Guo definitely would not be able to defeat him. If they made a rash attempt at rescuing him, the only result would be two more deaths. It would be best to tell the two of them to escape as quickly as possible. He said, "Wait! This master monk defeated my uncle and five other elite fighters of Dali by himself, then took me captive. He is an extremely close bosom friend of Mr. Murong, and intends to burn me as a sacrifice to Mr. Murong on the altar of his tomb. The two of you don''t have anything to do with Gusu''s Murong family. It''d be best if you hurried away and left."


    Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi, hearing that this monk had defeated the likes of experts such as Emperor Baoding, felt great shock in their hearts. After hearing that he was a bosom friend of the Murong family, they only felt even more trepidation. But Cui Baiquan also thought to himself that he had hid himself at the South-Subduing Palace for more than ten years. Today, when the young prince was in peril, how could he just look on with folded arms? They had already arrived at Suzhou. He had long since regarded his own life as expendable, since going on this voyage of revenge. There was no difference between dying to enemy abacus beads and dying at the hands of this man. He immediately placed his hand in his bosom, withdrawing a magnificent golden abacus. Raising it high in the air, he shook it, creating many clanking sounds. "Master monk, Mr. Murong is a good friend of yours, but this young prince is a good friend of mine. I urge you to let him go." With the flick of his hand, Guo Yanzhi also drew the soft whip from his waist. The two of them simultaneously rushed towards Jiumozhi''s horse.


    Duan Yu loudly shouted, "You two, hurry and leave! You can''t defeat him!"


    Jiumozhi laughed dully. "You really want to fight?" Cui Baiquan replied, "This is what is known as a mosquito attacking a tiger on its head. I know that I cannot beat you, but I still need to try. Life and death-ow, ow!"


    Before he finished the sentence, Jiumozhi had already reached out and seized Guo Yanzhi''s soft whip. Then, with a clapping sound, he reversed the whip and wrapped it around Cui Baiquan''s golden abacus. With a powerful tug of the whip, he ripped both weapons out of their owner''s hands and sent them flying towards the right, into the lake. Jiumozhi had calculated his use of energy perfectly. Just as it seemed as though the two weapons were about to sink into the depths of the lake, the tip of the whip floated up and wrapped around a willow that was overhanging the lake. The willow branch was soft and supple. It continuously rose and fell in a wave-like motion. The golden abacus slowly slapped against the surface of the water, creating one gentle ripple after another.


    Jiumozhi folded his hands together. "Gentlemen, I''ll have to trouble you to lead the way, please." The two of them stared at each other, not knowing what to do. Jiumozhi added, "If the two of you are unwilling to guide us, then I''d like for you to instruct me as to how to get to the Basin of the Swallows, and allow me to search for it on my own." Seeing how awe-inspiring his martial arts was, but how mild his countenance was, the two of them felt that it wouldn''t be appropriate to become hostile against him, but it wouldn''t be appropriate not to either.


    Just at this moment, a rowing sound was heard, and a small boat appeared on the lake. A young maiden in green was holding a pair of oars and slowly paddling towards them. She was sing a little ditty as she rowed. "The fragrance of lotus blossoms fills the lake, and a playful young girl tarries picking the flowers. At night, she brings her boat to the beach to play in the water. Laughing, she removes her red skirt and drapes it over the ducks." The sound of the song was incomparably tender and sweet, joyous and pleasing to one''s senses.


    In Dali, Duan Yu often chanted the poems and essays of the ancients, and long since understood the people and the songs of Jiangnan [South of the (Yangtze) River]. Now, listening to this song, he couldn''t help but feel intoxicated by it. He saw that the girl had a pair of delicate hands, with skin as white and luminous as jade. Her reflection could be seen in the green waves, which seemed almost transparent. Even Guo Yanzhi and Cui Baiquan, who were on the verge of confronting a powerful enemy, couldn''t help but turn their heads and take a glance at her.


    Only Jiumozhi ignored her. He said, "Since you two are unwilling to inform me where Canhe Manor is located then I must bid you farewell."


    At this time, the girl in the boat had already reached shore. Hearing Jiumozhi''s words, she replied, "Master monk, you are going to Canhe Manor? Might I ask what business you have there?" Her voice was extremely sweet and very clear, causing listeners to feel unspeakably comfortable. This girl was around sixteen or seventeen years of age, with a gentle, soft face and a delicate body.


    Duan Yu thought to himself, "I never would have imagined that the girls of Jiangnan were this beautiful." Actually, this girl wasn''t really all that beautiful. She couldn''t compare to Mu Wanqing. But even though on a ten-point scale, she might only rank an eight in appearance, she ranked twelve in terms of gentleness and softness. Thus, she was not one whit inferior to perfect beauties.


    Jiumozhi said, "This humble monk desires to visit the Canhe Manor. Can you point me in its direction, miss?" The maiden smiled slightly. "The name, ''Canhe Manor'', is not known to outsiders. Master monk, where did you hear it from?" Jiumozhi replied, "I am an old bosom friend of Mr. Murong in a distant land. I have come for the sole purpose of paying my respects before his tomb, and carry out an agreement of the past. I hope to inquire as to the location of young master Murong, his son, as well." The maiden mumbled to herself, "Such an unfortunate coincidence, hey! Young master Murong went on a journey the day before yesterday. If you came just three days earlier, you would have met him, hey." Jiumozhi said, "For me not to be able to meet the young master is a source of great sorrow. But I have come travelled tens of thousands of li from Tibet to come to the Central Plains. I would like to pay my respects before Mr. Murong''s tomb, and also fulfill my previous agreement with him." The maiden said, "Master, as you are a friend of old master Murong, please take a cup of green tea first. Meanwhile, I will go deliver the news. Whatcha think?" Jiumozhi replied, "Miss, what is your position within the young master''s residence? How should I address you?"


    The maiden smiled sweetly. "Aww, I''m just a minor servant girl who takes care of the young master, playing the zither and the flute for him. I''m called Ah Bi. Don''t be so polite and call me ''miss'' this and ''lady'' that. Just go ahead and call me Ah Bi, hey?" Her voice was filled with a heavy Suzhou accent. Originally, it was difficult to understand her words, but as she was a servant of an aristocratic wulin family, she had heard a great deal of Mandarin, and so she added a lot of Mandarin phrases and words into her speech. With a bit of effort, Duan Yu, Jiumozhi, and the others could manage to somewhat understand her. Jiumozhi immediately said, in a respectful tone, "I wouldn''t dare." (Author''s note: The Wu dialect which Ah Bi spoke cannot be reproduced in a book; only some of its charm can be conveyed. If her dialogue was actually written in the Wu dialect, readers wouldn''t be able to understand her at all. It wasn''t easy for Duan Yu and Jiumozhi to understand her.)


    Ah Bi said, "From here to the Pavilion of Zither Melodies of the Basin of Swallows is all water. If all of you want to go there, I can row you over. Is that alright?" Her words, ''Is that alright'', were eagerly solicitous, soft in its inquiring, making it difficult for others to refuse her.


    Jiumozhi replied, "If that''s the case, then thank you for your labors." Dragging Duan Yu by the hand, he easily leapt into the boat. The small boat barely dipped downwards, and did not shake or sway in the slightest. Ah Bi smiled a little towards Duan Yu and Jiumozhi, as if to say, "Nice abilities!"


    Guo Yanzhi said in a low voice, "Martial-uncle, what?..." The two of them came to seek revenge on the Murong family, but now were in a very difficult and awkward position.


    Ah Bi laughed a little. "Gentlesirs, why dontcha come? Since you''ve already come to Suzhou, hey, if you don''t have any pressing business, why dontcha come over to our place to drink some tea and eat something? Don''t be worried about the boat being small; even if more people came, it still wouldn''t sink." She gently paddled the boat, approaching the willow tree. Extending her delicate hand, she retrieved the golden abacus and the soft whip. She casually played with the abacus a bit, striking it and causing a series of clanging sounds.


    After listening for just a brief moment, Duan Yu delightedly said, "Miss, you are playing the song, ''Gathering Mulberries'', right?" As it were, when she started to play with the abacus, her fingers danced across it both quickly and slowly, with force and gently. She used a rhythm that was unexpectedly two strains from the gentle, easy song, ''Gathering Mulberries''. Ah Bi smiled beautifully. "Young master, you have a thorough understanding of music. Why don''t you come play a melody as well?" Duan Yu saw that she was innocent, friendly, and unpretentious. Smiling, he said, "I don''t know how to play the abacus." Turning his head, he said to Cui Baiquan, "Mr. Huo, this young miss is beating out such a lovely melody on your abacus."


    Cui Baiquan forced out a smile. "That''s so, that''s so. This young lady really is a proper person. Even such a vulgar object as this possession of mine becomes a musical instrument in her hands." Ah Bi said, "Aww, I''m very sorry, yeah? Does this belong to Mr. Huo? This abacus is made exquisitely. You must have a lot of money at home. Even your abacus is made out of gold! Uncle Huo, lemme give it back to ya." Holding the abacus in her left hand, she stretched her arm out towards him, but Cui Baiquan was on the shore and unable to receive it. He really could not bear to part with this old friend of his, which had never left his side for an instant in many years. With a leap, he too jumped into the boat, stretching out his arm and receiving the abacus. Leaning his head slightly, he shot a glance at Jiumozhi. A gentle, amible smile was on Jiumozhi''s face the entire time, without the slightest hint of anger.


    With her left hand, Ah Bi held the tip of the whip, using the five fingers of her right hand to strap the other end around her hand. She scratched the whip with her fingernail, instantly creating a series of crystal clear ''ding'', ''ling'', ''dong'', ''long'' sounds. It was as though she were testing out a new pipa instrument. A weapon which had done battle all across the land, competing against both heroes and villains, once more became a musical instrument in her tender, pure white hands.


    Duan Yu cried out, "Brilliant, brilliant! Miss, why don''t you play a song for him?" Ah Bi said to Guo Yanzhi, "Does this soft whip belong to you, sir? I very rudely toyed around with a bit. I''m so very sorry. Why don''t you come on the boat as well? In a bit, I''ll peel some fresh crimson water chestnuts for you to eat." Guo Yanzhi held a deep and abiding hatred for the entire Murong family for the death of his master. But seeing this innocent, unaffected maiden speak and smile so sweetly, he couldn''t release upon her the anger and hatred he felt. He thought to himself, "Since she''s invited me onto the boat, I might as well go. At the very least, I''ll kill some of their people and so avenge my benevolent master''s death." He immediately nodded and also jumped onto the boat.


    Ah Bi carefully coiled up the soft whip, then handed it to Guo Yanzhi. Pulling at the oars, the boat began to move westwards.


    Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi exchanged a few glances. They thought to themselves, "Today, we are entering a tiger''s den. Who knows if we will live or die? The Murong family''s techniques are very sinister and deadly. This girl appears to be gentle, kind, and sweet; she doesn''t seem to be putting on an act. But who knows if this is a trick by which the Murong family uses to deceive their enemies? After we lower our guard, perhaps they will make their move."


    The boat glided across the waters. After making several turns, they arrived at a particularly large lake. As far as the eye could see, mist covered the surface of the water, which stretched out unendingly in every direction. Guo Yanzhi was secretly apprehensive. "This large lake is probably Lake Taihu, the Grand Lake. Neither I nor martial-uncle Cui know how to swim. All this little girl needs to do is overturn the boat, and the two of us will become food for the turtles and the fish. How could we possibly gain vengeance?" Cui Baiquan had thought of the same thing. He decided that if he could get his hands on the oars, it wouldn''t be an easy task for the girl to overturn the boat even if she wanted to. He said, "Miss, let me help you row the boat. Just tell me what direction we should go." Ah Bi smiled. "Aww, I vould not dare! If the young master found out, he''d berate me for slighting our guests." Seeing that she was unwilling, Cui Baiquan became all the more suspicious. He laughed, "To tell you the truth, we want to hear you, young miss, display your consummate skills in playing songs on the soft whip. We are unrefined people, but young master Duan here is a thorough expert in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."


    Ah Bi glanced at Duan Yu. She laughed, "My playing is so poor, how can it be considered a consummate skill? This young gentleman appears to be very refined. He''ll laugh''n''laugh''n''laugh some more. I aint gonna!"


    Cui Baiquan took the soft whip from Guo Yanzhi and put it in her hands. "Play, play!" At the same time, he took the wooden oar from her hands. Ah Bi laughed. "Alrighty! Could you lend me your golden abacus again as well?" Cui Baiquan felt extremely apprehensive. "Can it be that she has some underhanded plot in taking both of our weapons?" But at this point in time, he could not credibly refuse, and could only hand the abacus over to her. Ah Bi put the golden abacus on a wooden plank in front of her. She held the handle of the soft whip in her left hand, then gently stepped on the tip of the whip with her left foot, pulling it taut. The five fingers of her right hand plucked rapidly in succession, immediately generating a tinkling sound from the soft whip. Although the sound wasn''t as clear and strong as that of a pipa instrument, it was still very bright and crisp nonetheless.


    While she was playing the soft whip with the five fingers of her right hand, she managed to simultaneously stretch her fingers out and play with the golden abacus. The clanging sound of the abacus beads, when combined with the tinkling sounds from the soft whip, became even more clear in their harmonizing. Just at this moment, a pair of swallows flit past them overhead, heading westwards. Duan Yu thought to himself, "The Murong family lives at the ''Basin of Swallows''. I would imagine there must be many swallows here."


    Ah Bi began to sing. "Two divinities appear at an auspicious hour, and a thousand families once more see the graceful dancing of a pair of swallows. The nest of the phoenix is certainly near, for why else does the river mist follow us even now? As messy as a rich lady''s boudoir, flying low over the green shores, drawing a picture with gentle strokes, singing a song of the turning of this world. For whom do I come, and for whom do I depart? My master''s benevolence is as priceless as a string of pearls."


    Hearing how graceful and supple her voice was, Duan Yu couldn''t help but be moved. He thought to himself, "If I stayed in the southern lands of Dali all of my life, how could I have heard such a celestial melody? ''For whom do I come, and for whom do I depart? My master''s benevolence is as priceless as a string of pearls.'' Young lord Murong must be an extraordinary person to have a servant girl such as her."


    After finishing her song, she returned the soft whip and abacus to Cui and Guo. She laughed, "Please don''t mock me for my poor singing. Master Huo, just paddle towards the small harbor towards our right!"


    Cui Baiquan felt relieved after she returned their weapons to her. He immediately complied and paddled the boat towards the harbor. The surface of the water was covered with water lotuses. If it hadn''t been for her guidance, he never would have discovered that there was a way in. After paddling for a while longer, Ah Bi said, "Paddle in that direction, please." Here, the surface of the water was covered with water chestnut leaves. The crimson water chestnuts surged up and down with the waves, forming a stupendously colorful sight. Ah Bi casually plucked a few of the water chestnuts out from the water and offered some to each person.


    Although Duan Yu could move his arms, after having his major acupoints sealed, he couldn''t exert the slightest bit of strength. He couldn''t even peel the chestnut. Ah Bi laughed. "Young gentlemen, you aren''t from Jiangnan and you don''t know how to peel chestnuts. Lemme help ya!" She peeled many chestnuts in a row and placed them in his palm. Duan Yu saw that the skin of the chestnuts looked bright and clean, and put them in his mouth. They tasted savory, crisp, and outstandingly sweet and clear. He laughed, "The tastes of these chestnuts are clear and not dirty at all, just like the song you sang, miss." Ah Bi''s blushed slightly. She laughed, "This is the first time I''ve heard anyone compare my singing to these water chestnuts. Many thanks!"


    Before they finished paddling past the pool of water chestnuts, Ah Bi directed them to make another course change, having the small boat pass through a pond of reeds and wild rice. By now, even Jiumozhi was beginning to feel suspicious. He secretly began memorizing the twists and turns they made, so as to not get lost on his way out. But as he stared at the lake, all the water chestnuts, lotus leaves, and reeds looked identical. Moreover, once the wind blew, the shape and configuration of the chestnuts and leaves would suddenly change. Even if he really did memorize how everything looked, in a blink of an eye it all would look differently. Jiumozhi, Guo Yanzhi, and Cui Baiquan continuously cast side-glances at Ah Bi, trying to discern from her eyes how she was managing to discern where they should go. But all she did was cheerfully and carelessly pick chestnuts and play with the water before casually pointing out where they should go next. It was as though these countless complex interlocking channels, which were almost like a chessboard, were as familiar to her as the lines on the palm of her hand, something which she knew since birth and had no need to memorize.


    And so, twisting and curving, they paddled for almost four hours. Off in the distance, green willows could be seen growing thickly, revealing a corner of upturned eaves. Ah Bi said, "Go there! Master Huo! You must be tired, after helping me row for half a day!" Cui Baiquan smiled wryly. "As long as there are red water chestnuts to eat and beautiful songs to hear, even if I rowed for another eight or ten years, I wouldn''t be tired." Ah Bi clapped her hands and laughed. "You just wanna listen to songs and eat chestnuts? Easy breezy! Just don''t leave this lake for the rest of your life, yeah!"


    Hearing her say the words, ''Don''t leave this lake for the rest of your life, yeah'', Cui Baiquan couldn''t help but feel startled. He cast her a side glance, but saw her smiling cheerfully, without any malicious undercurrent at all. Still, he couldn''t help but continue to feel uneasy. Ah Bi took over the wooden paddle, and begin to row them towards the copse of willows. A large pine tree branch, carved into the shape of a ladder, touched the water''s surface. Ah Bi fastened the boat to the branch. The melodious call of little birds could be heard above them. Imitating the sound of the birds, Ah Bi also let out a few calls, before turning and laughing, "Please come ashore."


    As they left the boat, four or five rooms could be seen, scattered alongside the river and constructed upon an area that seemed like an island or a peninsula. The rooms were small and exquisitely constructed, appearing very refined and proper. Above the house was a plaque with two words written on it: "Zither Melody". The calligraphy of the plaque was extremely natural and unrestrained. Jiumozhi said, "Would this place be the Canhe Manor of the Basin of Swallows?" Ah Bi shook her head. "No. This is the place which the young master has given us to live in. It''s a very small place and totally unsuitable for receiving guests. But you, master monk, said that you wanted to visit the mausoleum of old master Murong. This is something which I don''t have the authority to allow. Please wait here for a bit while I go and consult with my elder sister, Ah Zhu.


    Listening to her words, Jiumozhi felt unhappy and his face sunk. He was the national protector and dharma king of Tibet, an extremely venerated and respected personage. Not only was he greatly respected and honored in Tibet, if he were to pay a visit to the imperial courts of the Great Song, Dali, or the Western Xia, the monarchs of each kingdom would personally receive him with great courtesy and proprietry. Moreover, he was a bosom friend of Mr. Murong and personally came to pay his respects to him. Since young master Murong was unaware of this, he could not be blamed for leaving. But for this underling to not invite him to the main hall and receive him with proper ceremony and instead take him to the living quarters of the servants was simply too infuriating. But, seeing the smiles and laughter on Ah Bi''s face, it didn''t seem as though she had the slightest intention of disrespecting him. He thought to himself, "This little girl doesn''t know anything. Why should I lower myself to be bothered by her?" After this thought, he became calm and good-tempered again.


    Cui Baiquan asked, "Who is this elder sister Ah Zhu of yours?" Ah Bi smiled, "Ah Zhu is simply Ah Zhu. She''s a month older than me, so puts on the air of being my elder sister. I don''t have the option to not call her elder sister, since she''s a month older than me after all. But you don''t need to call her elder sister Ah Zhu, because if you do, she''ll become all the more giddy and happy." As she chirped and tittered in her gentle, clear voice, she led the four of them into the house.


    Arriving within the main hall, Ah Bi bade them sit. A male servant served them green tea and pastries. Duan Yu, holding the teacup in his hand, smelled a fragrant, aromatic scent. He removed the lid on his teacup and saw extremely fine grains of jade-green tea leaves floating on top of the tea. They appeared almost like little pearls rolled into slender hairs. Duan Yu had never seen anything like them before. Taking a sip, he felt as though his mouth was filled with a delicate fragrance which soaked into his tongue and his saliva. Jiumozhi, Cui, and Guo, seeing how strange the tea looked, did not dare to drink. These pearl-shaped tea leaves were a special local product grown in mountain peaks nearby Lake Taihu. Later generations gave it the name, "Bi Luo Chun" tea, meaning "Jade-Green Spirals of Spring". During the Northern Song dynasty, it didn''t have such a refined, elegant name yet. The local people called it "Xia Sha Ren Xiang", or "Extremely Scary Fragrance." This was supposed to mean that the tea was so fragrant and rapturuous, it would scare people who tasted it. Jiumozhi had always resided in the western regions and in Tibet, and was used to drinking bitter-tasting black brick tea. Now, seeing this jade-green tea that had hair-like things in it, he couldn''t help but suspect it was poisoned.


    Four different types of light refreshments were served. Rose pine nut candies, soft fuling [a type of edible fungus] cakes, jade green sweetcakes, and dumplings filled with ham and powdered lotus. Each pastry appeared elegant and was properly made, appearing so lovely that they appeared as though they weren''t meant to be eaten, but toys to look at and play with instead.


    Duan Yu praised, "These delicacies are so delightfully made that they must taste wonderful as well. But how can anyone bear to eat them?" Ah Bi smiled a little. "Young gentleman, please feel free to eat. We have more." Duan Yu began to eat, and each time he ate one, he would praise it. Jiumozhi, Cui, and Guo still did not dare to eat. Duan Yu felt some suspicion in his heart. "This Jiumozhi fellow claims to be an old friend of Murong Bo. Why is he afraid to eat? Moreover, it doesn''t appear as though they are very hospitable in welcoming him either."


    Jiumozhi''s patience was truly impressive. He waited until after Duan Yu had eaten all the dishes, tasted all the tea, and praised everything profusely before saying, "Miss, can you please go and inform your elder sister, Ah Zhu?"


    Ah Bi smiled. "Ah Zhu''s hamlet is four-nines away by water. We won''t be able to make it there tonight. The four of you, please take a rest here tonight, and tomorrow morning we will go to the ''Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds''." Cui Baiquan asked, "What do you mean by ''four nines away''?" Ah Bi replied, "A ''nine-waterway'' is nine li in length, two are eighteen li, and four would be thirty six li. Just use your abacus and you''ll be able to calculate it." As it turned out, in the Jiangnan region, when people discussed the distance of a journey or a road, they counted them by ''one-nine'' and ''two-nines''.


    Jiumozhi said, "Miss, if this is the case, why didn''t you take us directly to the ''Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds''? Wouldn''t that have been quicker?" Ah Bi laughed. "No one ever comes here to chat and gossip with me. I''m so bored, y''know? Finally, some guests came over, isn''t that great? No matter what, I gotta get y''all to stay here a night, yeah?"


    All this time, Guo Yanzhi was controlling his temper and not speaking. Now, he suddenly rose to his feet and shouted, "Where do the family members of the Murong family live? I, Guo Yanzhi, did not come to the Canhe Manor to drink tea or eat delicacies, much less to serve as a diversion for you to relieve your boredom. I came here on a mission of killing and vengeance, to bleed and to die. Since I, the one surnamed Guo, came here, I had no intentions of leaving. Miss, please go convey the word that I am the disciples of Ke Baisui, of the ''Hidden Ox'' sect, and have come to avenge my master!" After he spoke, he flashed his whip. With a cracking sound, a red sandalwood tea table and a mottled bamboo chair were shattered into many pieces. Ah Bi seemed neither startled nor angry. She said, "There''s plenty of heroes and valiant men who have come to visit the young master, at least several every month. Lots of those respected sirs came with such tyrannical, angry, and ferocious attitudes, but this little girl hasn''t heard of¡­"


    Before she finished her words, an old person with silver hair and a grey beard walked out holding a walking stick. This person said, "Ah Bi, who is kicking up such a ruckus out here?" This person was speaking in perfect, pure, unaccented Mandarin.


    Cui Baiquan rose up from the chair, and both he and Guo Yanzhi stood straight and erect. He shouted, "In whose hands, exactly, did my martial-brother Ke Baisui perish?"


    Duan Yu saw that this old person was hunched over, with a face full of wrinkles. If he wasn''t ninety, he had to be at least eighty. He said in hoarse voice, "Ke Baisui, Ke Baisui, right. A man a hundred years of age should''ve died long ago!" [Baisui, his name, literally means ''a hundred years old''; this is a play on words.]


    Ever since Guo Yanzhi arrived at Suzhou, his every waking moment was consumed with the thought of going to the Murong family and getting into a big battle, with lots of killing and chopping to avenge his master. But, after Jiumozhi took his weapon away from him, his drive was snapped. Then, after meeting such an innocent, lovely lass as Ah Bi, he was unable to vent his anger out on her. Now, hearing that old man speak so rudely, he lashed out with his soft whip to strike the old man on the back of his heart. He saw that Jiumozhi was seated at the west seat of honor. In order to prevent him from helping out, Guo Yanzhi launched this attack of his from the east.


    He didn''t imagine that Jiumozhi would stretch out his arm and pull the whip towards him from far away, as though by magnetic force. He said, "Hero Guo, we have come from afar and are guests. If there''s anything you have to say, just say it. There''s no need to use force." He rolled the soft whip into a coil, then returned the weapon to him.


    Guo Yanzhi''s face was suffused with red. It wouldn''t be good for him to refuse, but it would also be embarassing for him to accept. After a moment, he thought to himself, "Today, the most important thing is avenging my master. I can suffer some momentary humiliation in order to keep my weapon in my hands." He reached out and accepted it.


    Jiumozhi said to the old man, "Elder benefactor, might I inquire as to what is your respected name? Are you a relative of Mr. Murong, or a friend?" The old man cracked a smile. "This old fellow is an old servant of the master. What ''respected name'' might I have? I heard that you, great master, are a dear friend of our passed away master. Might I ask what instructions you have for me?" Jiumozhi replied, "My business can only be divulged to the young master himself." The old man said, "That''s unfortunate. The young master left just two days ago. No one knows when he will be back." Jiumozhi asked, "Where did the young master go?" The old man inclined his head, then stretched out with a hand and knocked on his forehead. "As to this, I''m old and muddle-headed. I think he said he was going to the Western Xia. He also said something about the kingdom of Liao, and maybe Tibet as well. Or it could be Dali."


    After hearing this, Jiumozhi felt displeasure in his heart. During this era, the world was divided into five nations. Aside from the nation of the Great Song where they currently were, this old man had named all four of the other countries as possible locations. He knew that this old man was only pretending to be muddle-headed. He said, "Since this is so, I won''t wait for the young master to return. Old steward, I''d like to ask that I be taken directly to Mr. Murong''s mausoleum to pay my respects, and give thanks for our old friendship." That old man''s hands waved violently. "I can''t make this decision on my own, and I''m not the steward."


    Jiumozhi asked, "Then who is the steward of your venerable manor? Please invite him out for us to meet." That old man nodded repeatedly. "Great, great! Let me go invite the steward." Turning around, he shuffled his way out while mumbling to himself, "In this day and age, there''s all sorts of bad people in the world. They dress up as monks and Taoists and beg for alms. What haven''t I seen? I won''t be tricked!"


    Duan Yu burst out in laughter. Ah Bi hurriedly said to Jiumozhi, "Great master, please don''t be angry, old Uncle Huang is an old muddle-head. He thinks he''s very clever, but whenever he speaks he can''t help but offend people."


    Cui Baiquan tugged on Guo Yanzhi''s shirt-sleeves. Walking to one side, he said in a low voice, "This evil baldy claims to be an old friend of Mr. Murong, but these people here clearly are not treating him like a respected guest. Let''s not act too rashly and figure out exactly what is going on first." Guo Yanzhi replied, "Yes!" They returned to their original seats. But Guo Yanzhi''s original seat had already been shattered by him into many pieces, leaving him no place to sit. Ah Bi carried her own seat over towards him. She said with a smile, "Great Hero Guo, please sit!" Guo Yanzhi nodded. He thought to himself, "Even if I am able to totally eradicate the entirety of the Murong family, I must spare this little girl."


    Ever since that old man entered, Duan Yu felt that something felt off and was unnatural. But as to what exactly was wrong, he could not say. He carefully examined the pavilion''s furnishings, furniture, scenery, calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, then looked at Ah Bi, Jiumozhi, Cui Baiquan, and Guo Yanzhi. He couldn''t find anything out of the ordinary, but more and more he felt as though something was off.


    After a long time passed, the sound of footsteps could be heard, and a thin old man of fifty years or so entered. His skin was sallow in color, and a straggly mountain-goat like beard could be seen on his chin. He looked extremely shrewd and capable. The clothes he wore were very tasteful. On one hand, he wore a marble ring. Evidently, this was the steward for the Murong family. The skinny fellow bowed towards Jiumozhi and said, "This humble servant, Sun San, pays his respects to everyone. We feel extremely honored, venerable sir, that you wish to pay your respects before the mausoleum of our late master. But with our young master having left, there is no one to welcome you properly, much to our shame. I will simply convey your kind intentions to our young master, once he returns."


    At this point, Duan Yu suddenly smelled a light fragrant scent. His heart swayed. "Strange, strange."


    Earlier, when that old male servant had come to the room, Duan Yu smelled a fragrant scent. The fragrance seemed vaguely familiar to the scent which Mu Wanqing''s body also had. Although it was very different, both were feminine smells. Originally, Duan Yu thought that this fragrance was coming from Ah Bi, and so did not think too much of it. But as soon as that old servant left the room, the fragrance disappeared. But as soon as the self-claimed ''Sun San'' entered the room, Duan Yu once again smelled this scent. Duan Yu suddenly understood that the reason he felt awkward earlier was because he smelled the fragrant scent of a seventeen, eighteen year old girl on the body of an eighty, ninety year old man. He thought to himself, "Can it be that in the inner pavilion is grown some sort of strange flowers or remarkable grass, and so anyone who comes here from that pavilion is covered by that scent? The other possibility is that both that old servant and this skinny fellow are actually women in disguise."


    Although the scent made Duan Yu feel suspicious, it was very light and nearly unnoticeable. Jiumozhi and the other two didn''t smell the fragrance at all. The only reason Duan Yu himself was able to notice it was because he and Mu Wanqing underwent a rare life-and-death situation together at the mountain cliff. Nobody else would pay any attention to this faint, virginal smell, but to him this scent made a deep impression within his heart and his very bones. It was a much stronger scent to him than that of musk, white sandalwood, or flowery perfume. Although Jiumozhi possessed an extremely deep reservoir of internal energy, he had strictly followed Buddhist prohibitions against sexual encounters all his life. Rosy cheeks and verdant temples were nothing more to him than skeletal bones and colorless skulls. Fragrant powders and rouge were even less to him. He had no idea that men and women had different scents.


    Although Duan Yu suspected that Sun San was actually a woman in disguise, he couldn''t spot a single flaw or giveaway. Not only did this person have the bearing and demeanor of a man, his shape and his voice weren''t womanly at all. Suddenly, he thought to himself, "If a woman is imitating a man, she can''t fake his Adam''s apple." He secretly glanced at Sun San''s throat, but saw that his goat-like beard perfectly covered his larynx. Duan Yu rose to his feet. He pretended to examine the calligraphy and painting on the walls, and casually strolled past Sun San''s side. He snuck a side-glance, and saw that Sun San''s throat didn''t have the slightest bulge at all, and that his chest seemed full and plump. Although Duan Yu still couldn''t be absolutely certain that Sun San was a woman, such a skinny man definitely should not have so much flesh and muscle on his chest. Duan Yu, having discovered a secret, felt very amused. "There''s a lot more to be played out in this drama. Let''s see what she has planned next."


    Jiumozhi sighed, "I met with your deceased master by the boundaries of Sichuan. We discussed martial arts and very much admired each other''s abilities, and became friends. I wouldn''t have imagined that the heavens themselves would be envious of his talents and leave such a useless, mediocre fellow as myself alive, while taking the life of your deceased master and sending him to meet Buddha in the Western Paradise. The only reason I have left Tibet and come to the Central Plains is to pay my respects before his mausoleum, due to our ancient friendship. It does not matter whether or not someone is here to welcome me properly. Steward, I would simply like to trouble you to lead the way." Sun San wrinkled his forehead, as though he felt extremely awkward. "This¡­this¡­" Jiumozhi said, "I don''t know if there is some difficulty in my request, and humbly request your instruction."


    Sun San said, "Great master, since you are a bosom friend of my deceased master, you surely must know his temperament. My deceased master hated when people came to pay visits to him. He said that of those visitors who came to the manor, if they didn''t come on a mission of vengeance, then they came to try and convince him to take them on as a student. A level below this would be those who came to beg for money, or try to cause trouble and pilfer something from us. He said that monks and nuns were even less trustworthy¡­ack, sorry!" As he said this, he suddenly seemed to realize that with these words, he must have offended Jiumozhi. He hurriedly pressed his hands over his mouth.


    The manner in which she acted was totally in accordance with that of a young maiden. Her round eyes widened, and the black pupils of her eyes spun. Although she quickly drooped her eyelids down, Duan Yu, who was paying close attention, couldn''t help but feel a sense of glee. "Not only is Sun San female, she''s a young girl." Casting a side-glance at Ah Bi, he noticed a trace of a sly smile tugging at the corner of her lips. He no longer had any more doubt in his heart. "Sun San and old Huang clearly are the same person, perhaps that sister Ah Zhu she was speaking about."


    Jiumozhi heaved a sigh. "In this world, there are more deceitful people than there are honest people. It is not unreasonable for Mr. Murong to refuse to meet with most folk." Sun San said, "Right. Our deceased master''s last words were, ''If anyone wishes to conduct memorial ceremonies at my tomb or sweep my grave, politely turn them away. Hmph, those evil baldies probably just want to dig into my tomb.'' Ack, great master, please don''t think too much. The ''thieving baldies'' our deceased master spoke of probably was not you."


    Duan Yu was secretly amused. "The phrase, ''Cursing about ''evil baldies'' in front of a monk'' applies to this situation perfectly." Then he thought, "This evil baldy has totally maintained his composure and not batted an eyelid. The more evil and loathsome a person is, the better his temper is. This evil baldy really is a remarkable person."


    Jiumozhi said, "These last words of your deceased master are understandable. His might shook the world, and he left behind many enemies. It''s reasonable for him to guard against enemies who did not dare attempt revenge on him when he was living, but who would try to disturb his bones after his death."


    Sun San said, "If someone wishes to disturb the bones of our deceased master, haha, that would really be like ''an elderly cat smelling salted fish.''" Jiumozhi was startled. "What do you mean, ''an elderly cat smelling salted fish''?" Sun San replied, "This is called, ''smelling dried fish, smelling dried fish''. Meaning, ''don''t even think about it, don''t even think about it.''" [Obviously, this is a linguistic wordplay; the phrases ''smelling dried fish'' and ''don''t even think about it'' sound exactly the same in Mandarin Chinese.] Jiumozhi replied, "Ah, so that''s how it is. I was very good bosom friends with Mr. Murong. My only desire is to pay my respects before his tomb. Steward, no need to be too skeptical."


    Sun San said, "The honest truth is, I don''t have the authority to grant you your wish. If I were to go against my deceased master''s last command, when the young master returns and finds out, he''ll break my old legs. How about this, I''ll go invite the old mistress and ask her to come up with a plan. What do you think?" Jiumozhi replied, "The old mistress? Who are you referring to?" Sun San said, "Old Mistress Murong. She was our deceased master''s aunt. Every time an old friend of the old master came, they would kowtow to her and pay their respects. With the young master not at home, everything needs to go through the old mistress." Jiumozhi replied, "That''s very good to know. Please inform the old mistress that Jiumozhi of Tibet has come to pay his respects to her." Sun San said, "Great master, you are too polite. You flatter us too much." As he spoke, he entered the main pavilion.


    Duan Yu thought to himself, "This girl is both intelligent and strange. I wonder why she is playing all these pranks on this evil baldy?" After a long period of time, a clattering of rings and ornaments could be heard as an old lady tottered out of the inner pavilion. Before she herself arrived, that light fragrance arrived first. Duan Yu couldn''t help but smile. He thought to himself, "This time, she''s dressed up as an old lady." The old lady wore an ancient, copper-colored satin skirt and coat, wearing jade bracelets around her wrists, and pearls and jade ornaments in her hair. Her appearance was graceful and luxurious, but had many wrinkles on her face. Her eyes seemed confused and misty, as though they could no longer see. Duan Yu secretly cheered, "This young lass is incredible. Whatever she dresses up as, she looks like. What''s even more amazing is that she was able to change in such a short period of time. Her movements are so swift. It really must be acclaimed as the height of perfection in the art."


    The old lady supported herself on her walking stick, entering the pavilion with faltering steps. She said, "Ah Bi, have friends of your old master arrived? Why haven''t they kowtowed to me?" Her head turned left and right, as though she had very poor eyesight and couldn''t tell who was present. Ah Bi gestured towards Jiumozhi and said in a low voice, "Quick, kowtow. As soon as you kowtow, the old mistress will be happy and will agree to anything." The old lady turned her head around, cupping her hands around her ears so as to hear more clearly. She loudly said, "Girl, what did you just say? Did they kowtow yet?"


    Jiumozhi said, "Old mistress, how are you? This humble monk has come to pay his respects to you." He bowed deeply, his hands folded together. His twin hands exerted power, and a deep booming sound came from the bricks on the floor, as though someone had kowtowed."


    Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi looked at each other. Both of them were equally struck dumb with amazement. "This monk''s internal energy is so profound! I fear that we won''t be able to take even a single stance from him."


    The old madame nodded. "Excellent, excellent. In this world, there are more deceitful people than there are honest people. Even for something like kowtowing, some evil scoundrels want to be deceitful. Even when they clearly have not kowtowed, they make booming sounds on the floor as though they have, so as to deceive this old lady''s bad eyes. But you, kid, you are great, you are very obedient. You kowtowed very loudly." Duan Yu couldn''t resist a snort of amusement. The old lady slowly turned around and said, "Ah Bi, did someone just fart?" She reached out her hand and pinched her nose. Ah Bi, holding in laughter, said, "Old mistress, that isn''t the case. Young master Duan let out a laugh." The old lady said, "Broken? What''s broken? [Duan Yu''s surname, ''Duan'', sounds the same as the Chinese character for ''broken'' or ''snapped'']" Ah Bi replied, "Nothing''s broken. His surname is ''Duan''. He''s the young master of the Duan family." The old lady nodded. "Right, young master this and young master that. Day in and day out, you are always thinking about your young master." Ah Bi''s face reddened. "The old mistress''s ears aren''t good. She needs to be more careful when gossiping."


    The old lady turned towards Duan Yu. "Kid, why haven''t you kowtowed yet?" Duan Yu said, "Old mistress, there''s something I want to tell you." The old lady said, "What is it?"


    Duan Yu replied, "I have a niece who is very intelligent and clever, but who is also extremely mischievious. She loves dressing up as a little monkey to mess around. One day she''ll dress up as a male monkey, the next day a female monkey. She knows how to do acrobatics too. Old mistress, you''d love to meet her. It''s too bad that I didn''t bring her along to have her kowtow to you."


    The old lady really was the other servant girl of the Murong family, Ah Zhu, dressed up in disguise. Her abilities in the arts of disguise and makeup were godlike. Not only could she make herself look different, her words and her mannerisms were impeccable as well, not revealing a single flaw. Thus, even extremely intelligent people such as Jiumozhi or experienced jianghu veterans such as Cui Baiquan didn''t suspect her in the slightest. Unexpected, Duan Yu was able to ferret out the truth, using the faint aroma which her body gave off and which she had no way of hiding.


    Hearing him speak thusly, Ah Zhu was startled, but didn''t change her demeanor in the slightest, continuing to appear like a senile, doddering old lady with bad vision and half-deaf ears. She said, "Good kid, good kid, you are really smart. I''ve never met such a smart child as you before. Good kid, don''t talk too much. This old lady will definitely take care of you."


    Duan Yu thought to himself, "What she means is that she wants me to not reveal her secret. She''s trying to fend off this evil baldy, Jiumozhi. That makes her a friend, not an enemy." He said, "Old mistress, please put your heart at ease. Now that I am at your manor, naturally I am at your disposal and will obey your commands."


    Ah Zhu replied, "You are an obedient kid to listen to my words. Great, first kowtow three times to this old lady. I definitely will give you great benefits if you do so."


    Duan Yu was startled. "I am the regal son of the Imperial Crown Brother of Dali. How can I kowtow to a little girl like you?"


    Ah Zhu, seeing the awkward look on his face, sneered. "Good kid, let me tell you right now, the best choice for you is to obediently kowtow a few times to your granny."


    Duan Yu turned his head, and saw Ah Bi, lips pursed in a smile, casting side-glances at him. Her skin was as white as freshly peeled water chestnuts, and a small, fine black mole was at the corner of her lips, making her look all the more charming and lovely. His heart was suddenly stirred. "Sister Ah Bi, I heard that there is a sister Ah Zhu in your respect manor. Is she¡­is she was beautiful as you are?" Ah Bi smiled. "Aha! How could an ugly freak like me be worthy of such praise? If sister Ah Zhu heardja askin'' questions like that, she''d definitely be real unhappy-like, yeah? How can I compare to her? Sister Ah Zhu is ten times more beautiful than I am." Duan Yu asked, "Truly?" Ah Bi grinned, "Why would I lie to ya?" Duan Yu said, "For a person to be ten times more beautiful than you is totally impossible, unless¡­unless it''s the goddess of the jade cavern. For a person to even be on your level would make them a rare beauty." Ah Bi''s cheeks flushed red. She bashfully said, "The old mistress asked you to kowtow. Who asked you to praise me so highly?"


    Duan Yu said, "The old mistress must have originally been a nationally famous, heaven-like beauty as well. To tell you the truth, I don''t really care if I get any benefits, but am more than willing to kowtow a few times to a world class beauty." As he spoke, he fell to his knees. He thought to himself, "Since I am going to kowtow, I might as well do so loudly. I already kowtowed a few thousand times to the jade statue. What''s the big deal if I kowtow to a beautiful lady of the jianghu a few times?" He immediately kowtowed loudly three times.


    Ah Zhu was extremely delighted. She though to herself, "This young master clearly knows that I''m just a little servant girl, but is actually willing to kowtow to me. This is really rare." She said, "Good kid, very good, very good. It''s too bad that I didn''t bring you a meeting-present." Ah Bi interjected, "Old mistress, just don''t forget about it an'' jes'' give it to''m next time."


    Ah Zhu glanced at Ah Bi. She said towards Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi, "Why haven''t these two guests kowtowed to me?" Guo Yanzhi let out a ''hmph'' sound. In a rough voice and with a rough attitude, he said, "Do you know martial arts or not?" Ah Zhu said, "What did you say?" Guo Yanzhi replied, "I asked if you know martial arts or not. If you possess a high level of martial arts, then I, Guo Yanzhi, am willing to die underneath your hand, Mistress Murong! But if you aren''t a member of the wulin, then there''s no need for me to bother wasting my breath with you." Ah Zhu shook her head. "What''s this about a hundred-legged centipede? Naturally, we have centipedes here. When they bite people, it''s very painful!" [Centipede sounds similar to martial arts]. Turning towards Jiumozhi, she said, "Great monk, I hear you want to go check out my nephew''s tomb. What type of treasure do you intend to pilfer from the tomb?"


    Although Jiumozhi still did not realize that she was actually a girl, he had long sinced figured out that she was just pretending to be deaf and dumb, and that she wasn''t as near-sighted or as muddle-headed as she pretended to be. He became more guarded, and thought to himself, "Mr. Murong was such an extraordinary figure. His family members must be exceptional as well." He pretended to not have heard the words, "pilfer from the tomb", and said, "This humble monk was a close bosom friend of Mr. Murong. After hearing the horrible news of his passing, I have rushed here from Tibet to pay my respects before his tomb. In the past, I made a promise to Mr. Murong to bring him the manuscript for the Duan family of Dali''s ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' and let him check it out. For me to still have not carried out my promise fills my heart with shame."


    Ah Zhu and Ah Bi exchanged glances. They both thought to themselves, "Finally, this monk has brought up the relevant issues." Ah Zhu asked, "And what happens if you are able to bring the manuscript for the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''? What happens if you are not?" Jiumozhi replied, "In the past, Mr. Murong and I made an agreement; as long as I was able to retrieve the manual of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' for him to read for a few days, he would allow me to read for a few days in the ''Water Pavilion of Bestowal and Repayment''. Ah Zhu suddenly felt afraid. "For this monk to actually know the name, ''Water Pavilion of Bestowal and Repayment''¡­maybe he is telling the truth after all." She immediately pretended to be confused and said, "What''s this about porridge and boiled dumplings? Do you want some porridge and chicken broth dumplings? That''s easily done. You are a monk. Can you eat meat or fish?"


    Jiumozhi turned his head towards Ah Bi. "I don''t know if this old mistress is truly confused or just faking it. For her to be so unwelcoming cannot help but to give a feeling of coldness in one''s heart."


    Ah Zhu said, "Oh, so your heart is feeling cold? Ah Bi, quick, go and make a bowl of hot chicken and duck blood soup so as to warm this great master''s heart and lungs." Ah Bi held in her laughter. "The master doesn''t eat meat." Ah Zhu nodded. "Then don''t use real chickens and real ducks. Use vegetarian chicken and vegetarian duck meat [usually made from tofu and veggies]." Ah Bi said, "Old mistress, vegetarian chicken doesn''t have any blood." Ah Zhu said, "Then what are we to do?"


    The two of them exchanged one phrase after another, and all their words were full of nonsense. Most people of Suzhou had quick teeth and clever mouths. In later generations, the story-telling abilities of Suzhou people became famous throughout the world because of this. These two girls were used to messing around and teasing each other, and they now rendered Jiumozhi unable to do anything.


    Originally, he came to Gusu with the intention of discussing an important matter with young master Murong. Unexpectedly, the young master was not present, and everyone he met intertwined falsehoods with obfuscations, sometimes seeming to do so inadvertently, other times seeming to act in such a way on purpose, intermixing lies with truth. This rendered him unable to decide how to handle the situation. After a brief moment of pondering, he concluded that madame Murong, Sun San, old servant Huang, and Ah Bi were all trying to ward him off. Since they would not let him visit the mausoleum, they definitely would not be willing to allow him to enter the ''Water Pavilion of Bestowal and Repayment'' and read secret martial arts manuals. At this moment, he decided, what he should do would be to clearly explain the situation and ignore their play-acting and deception. That way, in the future, regardless of whether they treated him with respect or came to blows with him, he would have already claimed the moral high ground. He immediately said in a calm, even-tempered voice, "I have brought the manuscript for the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. Thus, I make the daring request that we act in accordance with the agreement and I be allowed to go read in the ''Water Pavilion of Bestowal and Repayment''." Ah Bi said, "Old master Murong has already passed away. First, there''s no evidence of this agreement. Secondly, even if you brought the manual, there is nobody present who is capable of reading it. Any agreements made in the past are naturally no longer valid now." Ah Zhu said, "What sword manual? Where is it? Let me check it out first."


    Pointing to Duan Yu, Jiumozhi said, "Within this young gentleman''s mind lies the fully memorized manuscript for the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. I have brought him here; this is the same as bringing an actual manuscript." Ah Bi smiled. "I thought there really was a manual. So you were playing a joke on us, great master." Jiumozhi said, "I wouldn''t dare. The original manual for the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' has been burnt to ash by elder Kurong at the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. Fortunately, this gentleman has fully memorized it all." Ah Bi replied, "If young master Duan memorized it, then it''s his business. Even if we were to invite someone to the ''Water Pavilion of Bestowal and Repayment'' to read, it would be him. What does it have to do with you, great master?" Jiumozhi replied, "In order to fulfill my promise of latter days, I intend to immolate him in front of Mr. Murong''s mausoleum."


    Upon hearing these words, everyone was astonished. But seeing the calm, placid, serious expression on the face, he definitely did not appear to be making a joke. This astonished them all the more. Ah Bi said, "Great master, you must be jesting! How can he allow you to just casually cremate him like that?" Jiumozhi said dully, "If I want to immolate him, I don''t think he would be able to resist." Ah Bi smiled. "Great master, you say that young gentleman Duan has memorized the manual for the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', but that clearly cannot be true. If young gentleman Duan really memorized such a fearful martial arts as the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', how could he be so easily controlled by you?" Jiumozhi nodded. "Miss, you know only half the story. I have sealed all of his major acupoints, and he is unable to exert any energy at all."


    Ah Zhu shook her head continuously. "I believe you even less now. Unseal his acupoints and let him show off the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' first. I think that ninety nine percent of your words are lies." Jiumozhi nodded. "Good idea. We can demonstrate."


    Duan Yu praised Ah Bi as being beautiful, and was absolutely charmed by her vocal and instrumental musical skills. Ah Bi naturally liked him. In addition, not only did he not reveal Ah Zhu''s disguise, he also kowtowed to her three times; this made Ah Zhu happy with him as well. Thus, upon hearing that his acupoints had been sealed, both of the girls wanted to trick Jiumozhi into unsealing his acupoints. They didn''t expect that Jiumozhi would immediately agree. He stretched out his palm towards Duan Yu''s body and tapped his hand a few times towards Duan Yu''s back, chest, and legs. Duan Yu instantly felt as though his acupoints became unsealed, and the flow of his blood became unimpeded. As soon as he generated his internal energy, he could feel his qi beginning to circulate throughout his body. He experimentally generated his energy in accordance with the directions for the ''Zhongchong Sword'' technique, inciting his internal energy to pass to the middle finger of his right hand. He felt a roasting hot sensation at the tip of his middle finger, and knew that all he needed to do would be to extend his finger and sword qi would immediately shoot out.


    Jiumozhi said, "Young master Duan, mistress Murong does not believe that you have practiced the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. Please show off your ability. Do as I do, and chop off a branch from this osmanthus tree." As he spoke, he sent out a slanting palm strike with his left palm. His palm released its stored up internal energy; it was a stroke from his ''Blazing Sabre'' technique. With a light cracking sound, a single branch of the osmanthus tree broke in half and fell to the ground, as though someone had chopped it with a sabre or a sword.


    Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi couldn''t help but let out an ''Ah!'' cry of alarm. Although they knew that this barbarian monk possessed some extremely unusual skills, they thought that his skills were simply heterodox and evil. Only now, when they watched him chop off a tree branch, did they realize how profound his internal energy was. His internal energy was at a level that was rarely heard of and rarely seen.


    Duan Yu shook his head. "I don''t know any martial arts at all, much less any ''Divine Sword of the Seven Meridians'' or ''Heavenly Sabre of the Eight Channels''. Why did you have to go and ruin a perfectly fine osmanthus tree?" Jiumozhi replied, "Young master Duan, why so modest? Your level of martial arts is highest amounts the elite martial artists of Dali''s Duan family. In this day and age, aside from young master Murong and my humble self, I''m afraid no one is superior to you. Gusu''s Murong mansion is a repository of martial arts learning in the world. Why don''t you show a few stances and have the old mistress give you some advice? That would be a very good thing for you." Duan Yu replied, "Big monk, this entire trip you have taken such wonderful care of me, tugging me here and pulling me there, dragging me all the way to Jiangnan. At first, I didn''t want to say another word to you at all. But now that I''m at Gusu and have met such beautiful, heavenly girls here, the anger in my heart has dissipated. From now on, let''s make a clean break. Neither of us needs to bother with the other."


    Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, hearing him speak in a pedantic, bookworm like manner, couldn''t help but secretly laugh. They couldn''t help but feel secretly happy as well upon hearing him praise them.


    Jiumozhi said, "Young master, if you refuse to display your ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', won''t you be making me to look like a liar?"


    Duan Yu said, "Well, you were full of nonsense to begin with. If you had an agreement with Mr. Murong, why didn''t you come to Dali earlier? Why would you wait until Mr. Murong passed away and became unable to refute your words before coming to the Murong manor and cause an endless ruckus? You know what I think? I think you covet the high-level martial arts skills of the Murong family of Gusu, and came up with a false story to trick the old mistress into allowing you into their library and secretly study their private martial arts, and figure out the secrets behind their ''Using the opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent''. How can you possibly not realize that these people, being of a long-standing, famous, aristocratic wulin family, would see right through this trick of yours? If you could really steal away their martial arts techniques based solely upon your lies and rubbish, wouldn''t anybody be able to? Who isn''t able to make up this sort of nonsense?"


    Ah Zhu and Ah Bi agreed in one voice.


    Jiumozhi shook his head. "Young master Duan, your conjectures are incorrect. Although it is true that I made my agreement with Mr. Murong a long time ago, for nine years I sequestered myself in solitary meditation while I mastered the ''Blazing Sabre'' technique, and thus could not go to Dali. If I had not mastered the ''Blazing Sabre'' technique, I would not have been able to leave the Heavenly Dragon Monastery alive.


    Duan Yu said, "Great master, you possess great fame, great power, and such an incredible level of martial arts. Wouldn''t it be wonderful if you just stayed peacefully in Tibet as its dharma king and national protector? Why come to Jiangnan to deceive people? I recommend you return as soon as possible."


    Jiumozhi said, "Young master, if you refuse to display the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', please do not blame me for being discourteous." Duan Yu said, "You''ve been acting impolite all along. Can it be that you''ve found a way to be even more impolite still? At worst, you can kill me with a single chop of your sabre. What''s the big deal?" Jiumozhi replied, "Very good! Ware my sabre!" He raised his left palm and a powerful wind rushed towards Duan Yu''s face.


    Duan Yu had long since hatched a plan. As his martial arts was far inferior to that of Jiumozhi, whether or not he fought back made no difference at all. If Jiumozhi wanted him to show that he knew the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', he would refuse to do so no matter what. Thus, upon seeing Jiumozhi convert his internal energy into a sabre blade and chop towards him, Duan Yu toughened his spine and neither blocked nor parried. Jiumozhi was startled. Duan Yu was his only source of the manual of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''; no matter what, he couldn''t kill him before he acquired it for himself. He hurriedly lifted his hands higher, and with a ''shua'' sound, a cool wind passed over Duan Yu''s head, taking with it a large chunk of his hair.


    Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi were simultaneously shocked. Ah Zhu and Ah Bi''s faces couldn''t help but turn pale as well. Jiumozhi said in an awe-inspiring voice, "Young master Duan, would you really rather die than fight back?"


    Duan Yu had long since thrown his fear of death into the wind. He laughed loudly and said, "Greed, wrath, lust, desire, foolishness. Master monk, you possess all of these flaws, and yet you falsely claim to be an eminent Buddhist monk. You really are not deserving of the title!"


    Jiumozhi suddenly hacked a palm towards Ah Bi while shouting, "Unspeakable! I''ll first kill this servant girl of the Murong manor to display my power."


    This stroke came very quickly. Ah Bi was shocked, and hurriedly slanted her body to avoid it. Crack! A chair behind her was split into two by this gush of internal energy. Jiumozhi followed that strike with another from his right palm. Ah Bi fell down on the floor and hurriedly rolled away. Although her movements were quick, she was already in a very precarious situation. Jiumozhi let out a fierce roar, and shot out his third sabre attack.


    Ah Bi was so terrified that her face turned pale. She had no idea what to do against this invisible internal energy attack. Ah Zhu didn''t have any time to think. She shot out her palms and attacked Jiumozhi''s back. When she was earlier moving about and speaking, she had the mannerisms of a seventy or eighty year old lady. But now, when she attacked, she displayed strong, vigorous, and quick movements.


    In a single glance, Jiumozhi understood everything. With a laugh, he said, "So there are sixteen or seventeen year old grannies in the world? How long, exactly, did you intend to deceive this monk?" He struck a palm backwards and with a cracking sound, shattered the wooden staff in her hands into three pieces. Following this, he once more chopped towards Ah Bi. In her terror, Ah Bi grabbed a table and used it as a shield. With two clattering sounds, the red sandalwood table instantly disintegrated, leaving only a pair of table legs in her hands.


    Seeing Ah Bi forced to the wall, without any place to flee and Jiumozhi striking with yet another palm, Duan Yu no longer cared about whether or not he could defeat Jiumozhi; his only intention was to save her life. He struck out with his middle finger, and his internal energy surged forth from his ''Zhongchong'' acupoint with a ''chi-chi'' sneering sound. It was the ''Zhongchong Sword'' technique. Jiumozhi didn''t really want to kill Ah Bi; he just wanted to force Duan Yu''s hand. Otherwise, how could Ah Bi manage to dodge the wondrous, brilliant stances of the ''Blazing Sabre'' technique for so long? Seeing Duan Yu strike out at him, he immediately sent out a hacking palm towards Ah Zhu. A powerful gust of wind roared towards her, sending her staggering back. The shoulder of her dress was mangled by his internal energy. She let out an ''Ah!'', crying in startlement. Duan Yu followed his first attack with a ''Shaoze Sword'' attack from his left hand, blocking Jiumozhi''s attack on Ah Zhu with the ''Blazing Sabre'' technique.


    In the blink of an eye, Ah Bi and Ah Zhu both escaped a very dangerous situation, as Duan Yu used his ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' to totally block both of Jiumozhi''s sabre strikes. Jiumozhi, wanting both to show off his own ability as well as to prove that Duan Yu really knew the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', intentionally let Duan Yu''s internal energy block his own. Having drained the internal energy of so many elite martial artists, at this point in time, Duan Yu''s internal energy was actually more powerful than that of Jiumozhi. Unfortunately, he didn''t know any martial arts at all, and wasn''t able to execute any of the sword techniques which he had memorized at the Heavenly Dragon Monastery. Jiumozhi tricked his powerful internal energy into being dispersed east and west, to the point where the doors and the windows were filled with holes. All the while, Jiumozhi was saying, "The ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'' really is very formidable! No wonder Mr. Murong admired it so much in the past."


    Cui Baiquan was extremely startled. "I always believed that prince Duan has no skill in martial arts. Who would have imagined that he possesses such a refined, exquisite technique? The Duan family of Dali really lives up to its fame. Fortunately, I did not do a single bad thing during my time at the South-Subduing Palace. Otherwise, how could this old life of mine remained for so long?" The more he thought, the more nervous he grew, until his forehead and his clothes were soaked with sweat.


    Jiumozhi fought with Duan Yu for a while. With each stroke, he was capable of taking Duan Yu''s life. However, he wanted to play around with Duan Yu for a bit. But towards the end, he felt less and less contempt towards Duan Yu. He felt that Duan Yu''s internal energy was exceedingly strong and vigorous, and definitely not below his own at all. But for some reason, once the energy was actually used by Duan Yu, the end result was not that impressive at all. It was akin to a three year old kid from an exceedingly rich family who owned tens of thousands of strings of cash, but was unable to use it properly. After throwing out a few more strokes, Jiumozhi''s heart was suddenly shaken. "What if in the future, he grows intelligent, suddenly learning how to properly use his abilities as well as the fundamentals of martial arts? With his level of internal energy and this sword technique, what an extremely fearful opponent he would be!"


    Duan Yu had long known that his continued existence lay solely under the control of Jiumozhi. He shouted, "Sister Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, hurry up and run away! If you take any longer, you won''t have a chance to escape!" Ah Zhu asked, "Young master Duan, why are you rescuing us?" Duan Yu replied, "This monk relies on his high level of martial arts to bully and oppress others. Unfortunately, I don''t know any martial arts at all. It is difficult for me to fight him off. Hurry up and run away!"


    Jiumozhi laughed. "Far too late for that." Taking a step forwards, he struck out with the fingers of both hands, pointing towards Duan Yu''s acupoints. Duan Yu let out a cry. "Aiyo!" He tried to avoid the attack, but how could he? Once more, three of his vital acupoints were sealed, and his limbs immediately felt numb and heavy. Falling on the floor, he shouted loudly, "Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, hurry up and leave!"


    Jiumozhi laughed, "You are at the brink of death and unable to protect yourself. You still have the desire to enjoy perfume and cherish jade?" He returned to his original seat and said to Ah Zhu, "Young miss, there''s no need for you to continue play-acting and fooling around. Who, exactly, is in charge of the manor''s matter? Young master Duan fully memorized the entirety of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', but does not know martial arts and thus finds it difficult to actually use it. Tomorrow, I will take him to Mr. Murong''s mausoleum and burn him in sacrifice. In the underworld, Mr. Murong will understand that his old friend did not renege upon their earlier agreement."


    Ah Zhu knew that no one currently at the Pavilion of Zither Melodies was a match for this monk. Wrinkling her forehead, she laughed. "Fine! Master monk, we''ll believe your words. The old master''s mausoleum is a day''s journey away by water. Tonight, it is too late to leave. Tomorrow morning, the two of us will personally escort you and young master Duan to pay your respects at the tomb. The four of you, please wait just a short moment. Dinner will be served soon." After she spoke, she grabbed Ah Bi by the wrist and retreated into the inner pavilion.


    After an hour passed, a male servant came out and said, "Miss Ah Zhu would like to invite the four of you to the ''Dwelling for Listening to the Rain'' for supper." Jiumozhi said, "Many thanks!" Stretching out his hand, he seized Duan Yu''s arm and followed the man in. They winded their way through hundreds of feet of paved cobblestone alleys and a few stone parks before arriving by the waterside. Beneath the willow trees lay a small boat. The male servant pointed to a cabin with windows on all four sides that was situated in the middle of the water. "It is right there." Jiumozhi, Duan Yu, Cui Baiquan, and Guo Yanzhi stepped onto the boat, and the male servant rowed them there. They arrived after a brief period of time.


    Duan Yu walked up the wooden oak stairs of and entered the ''Dwelling for Listening to the Rain''. He saw Ah Bi waiting to attend to the guests, wearing light green clothing. By her side stood a young maiden who wore a light red yarncloth garment. She was also around sixteen or seventeen years of age, and she aimed an expression that seemed like a smile yet wasn''t quite towards Duan Yu. Her face was full of mischieviousness and cleverness. Ah Bi had a ''melon seed'' face and was elegant and beautiful. This maiden had a ''goose egg'' face. Her eyes were lively and intelligent, and she displayed a different type of stirring aura.


    As soon as he entered the room, Duan Yu once again smelled that faint fragrance. Laughing, he said, "Sister Ah Zhu, you are such a beautiful woman. It must have been tough for to so convincingly portray an old lady." That maiden was indeed Ah Zhu. She batted him a glance, then laughed, "You kowtowed to me three times and aren''t content in your heart. Am I right?" Duan Yu shook his head repeatedly. "There was a lot of reason for me to kowtow three times to you. Only, my guesses were a bit off." Ah Zhu asked, "What did you guess wrong?" Duan Yu replied, "I guessed from the beginning that you were just like Ah Bi, that both of you were beauties the likes of which are rarely seen in the world. But in my heart, I imagined that you must have been about on par with Ah Bi. I didn''t imagine that upon actually seeing you¡­well¡­well¡­" Ah Zhu interjected, "You found that I was far inferior to Ah Bi?" Ah Bi said at the same time, "You were greatly startled, because she is ten times more beautiful than me, right?"


    Duan Yu shook his head. "Neither. I just felt that the heavens are really capable and are truly worthy of mankind''s admiration. After wracking their brains and creating such a beautiful girl as sister Ah Bi, they should have totally exhausted all of their ability to portray the spirit and beauty of Jiangnan. Who would have imagined that they would be able to create a sister Ah Zhu as well? The two of you look totally different, yet each of you possess you own unique beauty. It makes me want to say a few things in praise, but I couldn''t manage to say a single word at all."


    Ah Zhu laughed. "Bah! You glibly just said a lot of things in praising us, and still want to claim that you couldn''t manage to say a single word?"


    Ah Bi smiled slightly, then turned her head and spoke to Jiumozhi and the rest. "I''m afraid that we don''t have the resources to properly welcome you four esteemed personages. I''ll have to ask that you just make do with our watery wine and do your best to enjoy some of our local Jiangnan dishes." She immediately invited the four of them to be seated, with her and Ah Bi taking seats to the right.


    Duan Yu saw that the ''Dwelling for Listening to the Rain'' was surrounded by water on all four sides. Glancing out the window, he saw mist covering the waters of the lake. Turning back to the table, he saw that all of the dishes on the table were made of exquisite porcelain. In his heart, he couldn''t help but exclaim in praise.


    Shortly afterwards, the male servants brought some dishes made from fruits and vegetables. Four vegetarian dishes were especially prepared for Jiumozhi. Next came a number of cooked dishes; white water chestnuts with shrimp meat, lotus leaf and winter bamboo shoot soup, cherry ham, dragon well vegetable leaves with chicken, and the like. Every dish was extremely unique. In the middle of the fish, shrimp, and meat were intermixed flower petals and fresh fruit. The dishes were extremely beautiful, and gave off a natural, pure fragrance. Duan Yu tried a few chopsticks of every single dish. All of them were wonderful and tasty. He praised, "Only such a wonderful landscape as this place can produce such talented people. In turn, only such talented people can be so intelligent and wise as to produce such elegant dishes."


    Ah Zhu said, "Guess if I cooked the dishes, or if Ah Bi cooked the dishes?" Duan Yu replied, "The cherry ham and the plum blossom duck are fragrant, tender, and rosy. I think you made them. The lotus leaf and winter bamboo shoot soup and the round jade fish slices are verdant and cleanly chopped. Naturally, they were made by sister Ah Bi."


    Ah Zhu clapped her hands and laughed. "Your guessing abilities are really good! Ah Bi, what should we reward him with?" Ah Bi smiled. "If young master Duan has any instructions for us to carry out, we would naturally do so to the best of our abilities. What''s all this talk about giving him ''rewards'' and ''awards''? We''re just servant girls. We aren''t worthy of such." Ah Zhu replied, "Hah, as soon as you open your mouth you flatter others. No wonder every says you''re good and I''m bad." Duan Yu laughed, "Gentle and refined, lively and clever. The two are equally good. Sister Ah Bi, earlier, when I heard you playing songs on the soft whip, I felt relaxed and carefree. I''d like to ask you to play some melodies on actual instruments. If you do so, even if I am turned into ash tomorrow by this great monk, my time on this earth won''t have been spent in vain.


    Ah Bi slowly rose to her feet. "As long as you don''t find it unpleasant to hear, I am willing to embarrass myself to give some joy to our guests." As she spoke, she went behind a screen, then came out with a precious jade zither. Ah Bi sat up straight on a brocade seat and placed the jade zither in front of her. She waved towards Duan Yu and laughed, "Young master Duan, why don''t you come over and see if you can identify what type of zither this is."


    Walking to her, Duan Yu saw that her zither was a foot shorter than ordinary seven-stringed zithers. In addition, it had nine strings, each of which had a different color. He muttered to himself, "This is the first time I''ve seen this nine-stringed zither." Ah Zhu walked towards them and plucked a single string on the zither. The sound was very loud and clear. The string was made out of metal. Duan Yu said, "Sister, this zither is¡­"


    Just as he spoke these four words, the floor suddenly disappeared underneath him. His body fell straight down. He couldn''t help but let out a loud cry of alarm. Next, he felt as though he landed on a soft location. At the same time, he seemed to hear someone else say ''Aiyo!'' and ''Not good!'', followed by two splashing sounds. His body suddenly swayed, as the thing he was resting on began to move. This strange event happened very quickly and was totally unexpected. Startled and frightened, he hurriedly sat up. He saw that he was sitting in the middle of a small boat, with Ah Bi and Ah Zhu each sitting on one end of the boat. Each of them had an oar and were hurriedly paddling. Turning around, he saw that Jiumozhi, Cui Baiquan, and Guo Yanzhi''s heads had just popped above the surface of the water. After but a short period of rowing by Ah Bi and Ah Zhu, the small boat was far away from the ''Dwelling for Listening to the Rain''.


    Suddenly, a drenched person shot up from the surface of the lake. It was Jiumozhi. He landed on the side of the ''Dwelling for Listening to the Rain''. He easily snapped off part of a wooden pillar, aimed it at Ah Bi, then urgently cast it towards her. The makeshift missile made a whirring sound as it tore through the air with great force. Ah Bi cried out, "Young master Duan, duck!" Duan Yu and the two girls ducked at the same time, as half of a wooden pillar flew right over their heads. The powerful wind made by its passing actually hurt their neck.


    Flexing her body, Ah Zhu turned the boat slightly sideways. Suddenly, a series of loud splashing sounds could be heard, and the small boat suddenly lifted up in the air before immediately falling down again. A large amount of lake water entered the boat and all three of them became wet. Turning his head, Duan Yu saw that Jiumozhi had already wrecked the wooden portion of the ''Dwelling for Listening to the Rain'', and was repeatedly tossing stone vessels, incense burners, and other objects towards them. Watching the trajectories of the missiles, Ah Bi turned the boat to avoid them. Meanwhile, Ah Zhu kept on paddling forward with all her might. With each stroke of the oar, the boat travelled several feet further away from the ''Dwelling for Listening to the Rain''. Jiumozhi continued to lob missiles at them, but the distance between the boat and where they landed grew greater and greater. Even if his strength was greater, he couldn''t compete with the ceaseless tugging of the oars by the two maidens. Turning his head again, Duan Yu saw that Cui Baiquan and Guo Yanzhi had managed to scramble onto the steps of the ''Dwelling for Listening to the Rain''. He felt delighted, but upon seeing Jiumozhi leap into a small boat, let out a cry of alarm.


    Ah Zhu cried out, "That evil monk is following us!" She exerted all her might to paddle as fast she could, but after turning her head to take another glance, burst into loud laughter. Duan Yu also turned his head and saw that Jiumozhi''s boat was just spinning in place. Evidently, although Jiumozhi possessed a very high level of martial arts, he didn''t know how to row a boat.


    The three of them immediately felt relieved. But after a short period of time, they saw that Jiumozhi had managed to stabilize the boat and was now hurriedly paddling after them. Ah Bi sighed, "This great master is really intelligent. Anything he doesn''t know, he learns in a flash." Ah Zhu replied, "Let''s play hide and seek with him." Tugging on her oar, she brought the boat into the middle of a dense forest of water chestnuts. The great lake had hundreds of harbors and thousands of waterways. After making several turns, their boat entered a small river. They thought to themselves that it was very unlikely that Jiumozhi would be able to locate them.


    Duan Yu said, "Unfortunately, my acupoints are sealed, and I can''t help you two row." Ah Bi comforted him, "Young master Duan, don''t be worried. The monk won''t be able to chase after us, yeah."


    Duan Yu said, "The secret mechanism in the ''Dwelling for Listening to the Rain'' is really interesting. This boat was precisely placed underneath the location where you play the zither, right?" Ah Bi smiled. "Right. That''s why I invited you to come check out the zither. Sister Ah Zhu''s plucking of the zither was the sign for the male servants outside to remove the planks underneath us and have everyone go plop, plop, plop!" The three of them laughed loudly in unison. Ah Bi hurriedly covered her mouth and said with a smile, "Don''t let that monk hear us."


    From far away, a voice could be heard. "Miss Ah Zhu, Miss Ah Bi, please row the boat back. Please hurry back, I am a friend of your master and definitely will not give you a hard time." It was Jiumozhi''s voice. His voice was gentle and amiable, capable of causing people to naturally obey his instructions.


    Ah Zhu was startled. "The great master asked for us to come back and says he definitely won''t hurt us." As she spoke, she stopped paddling, as though she was seriously considering it. Ah Bi chimed in, "If that''s the case, let''s go back!" Duan Yu''s internal energy was very strong, and so wasn''t bewildered in the slightest by Jiumozhi''s voice. He hurriedly said, "He''s lying. How can you trust his words?" Jiumozhi''s pleasant, amiable words entered their ears. "Young misses, your master has returned. He says he wants to see both of you, and that you are to return immediately. Yes, return immediately." Ah Zhu was compelled to agree. "Yes!" Lifting up the oar, she turned the boat around.


    Duan Yu thought to himself, "If young master Murong had really returned, he himself would call out to Ah Zhu and Ah Bi. Why would he rely on Jiumozhi? This is no doubt an evil technique meant to delude the minds of others." Having come to this conclusion, he reached down and grabbed a few water chestnut leaves, rolled them together, then stuck them into Ah Bi and Ah Zhu''s ears.


    Her wits returned to her, Ah Zhu involuntarily cried out, "Ack! Close one!" Ah Bi was also frightened. "This monk knows some sort of soul-affecting technique. We almost fell for his trick." Turning the boat around, Ah Zhu hurriedly began paddling again. She cried out, "Ah Bi, paddle as fast as you can!"


    The two of them paddled the boat directly into the middle of the water chestnut fields. After a long time, Jiumozhi''s voice grew faint and indistinct, until finally he could no longer be heard. Duan Yu gestured to the two of them, signaling that they could now remove the leaves from their ears.


    Patting her chest, Ah Bi let out a long sigh. "Whew, that was real scary-like, yeah! Sister Ah Zhu, whaddya think we should do?" Ah Zhu said, "Let''s just paddle around in circles and waste the monk''s time. If we get hungry, we can pluck water chestnuts and lotus roots to eat. Even if we face off against him for ten days or half a month, we wouldn''t be in the slightest danger." Ah Bi smiled. "What an interesting idea. Young master Duan, would you be too bored though?" Duan Yu clapped his hands and laughed. "There''s no shortage of sights to see on this lake. With the two of you accompanying me in touring this place for ten days, I would be happier than a celestial being." Ah Bi''s smooth lips gently smiled. "We''re heading towards the southeast right now. There''s a lot of tributaries to this river. Aside from local fisherman, nobody can easily remember the routes. After we enter Lake Baiqu [Baiqu means ''Hundred Melodies''], the monk will definitely become unable to catch up to us." Duan Yu lay down on the boat, gazing upon the many glittering stars in the sky. Aside from the rustle of the oars and the boat brushing against the water caltrops, there was no sound at all. There was a gentle breeze on the lake, which carried with it a faint aroma. He thought to himself, "Even if I lived the rest of my life like this, I wouldn''t mind." Then he thought to himself, "With Ah Zhu and Ah Bi being such nice people, young master Murong can''t be some sort of horrible villain either. I wonder if he really was the one to kill master Xuanbei of Shaolin and Mr. Huo''s martial brother. Alas, although my family has a lot of servant girls, none of them can match sister Ah Zhu or sister Ah Bi."


    After a long time, just as he was about to close his eyes and fall asleep, he suddenly hear Ah Bi let out a quiet laugh and say in a low voice, "Sister Ah Zhu, come over here." Ah Zhu also spoke in a low voice, "Whaddya want?" Ah Bi said, "Come over here, I have somethin'' to say." Ah Zhu lowered the oar and walked to the stern of the boat. Ah Bi pulled her over by the shoulder and quietly laughed into her ear, "Help me think of something so I aint gonna be shamin'' mahself." Ah Zhu laughed, "Whassa matter?" Ah Bi said, "Quiet, quiet. Is young master Duan a''sleepin'' yet?" Ah Zhu replied, "Dunno, jus'' go''n''ask''m." Ah Bi said, "Can''t, can''t. Ah Zhu, Ah Zhu, I¡­I¡­I need to relieve myself."


    Their voices were as soft as the buzzing of mosquitoes, but Duan Yu''s internal energy was extremely profound. Naturally, he heard every word clearly. Upon hearing Ah Bi say these words, he didn''t dare move in the slightest. He pretended to let out light snores and be asleep, so as to prevent Ah Bi from being embarrassed.


    Ah Zhu laughed quietly. "Young master Duan is a''sleepin''. Just go ahead and relieve yourself." Ah Bi bashfully said, "Aint gonna try. What if I''m half-way through and young master Duan suddenly wakes up? It''d be unthinkable!" Ah Zhu couldn''t help but let out a peal of laughter. She hurriedly covered her mouth, then said in a low voice, "Whaddya mean, it''d be unthinkable? Everyone needs to relieve themselves from time to time. Nuthin'' weird about it." Ah Bi shook her body, then said in a pleading voice, "Please, sister Ah Zhu, help me think of an idea." Ah Zhu replied, "I''ll stand in front of you. You go ahead and relieve yourself. Even if young master Duan wakes up, he won''t be able to see nuthin'', yeah?" Ah Bi replied, "But there would be noise! I can''t have him hear either. I¡­I¡­" Ah Zhu laughed. "Yer sis is outta ideas. I guess you can just relieve yourself on yourself. He won''t smell anything." Ah Bi said, "I can''t! When someone''s in front of me, I can''t go." Ah Zhu said, "There''s no place to go. Just go ahead and do it." Ah Bi was so anxious she began to cry. "I can''t, I just can''t!"


    Ah Zhu suddenly let out another peal of laughter. "It''s all your fault. If you hadn''t said anything, I would''ve been fine. But now I need to go too! From here to Madame Wang''s residence lies only a half-nine away. Let''s paddle there and relieve ourselves." Ah Bi said, "Madame Wang forbid us from entering. If she catches us, she''ll slap us upside the head a few times." Ah Zhu said, "Aint no need to worry. Madame Wang and our old mistress cursed at and insulted each other, but our old mistress has already passed away, yeah. We''re just a pair of servant girls. How could we have offended her, and why would she slap us upside the head, yeah? Let''s just quietly sneak on land and relieve ourselves, then immediately leave. How would she ever know we were there?" Ah Bi replied, "That be so." After mumbling to herself a moment, she said, "Then we need ta have young master Duan go ashore and relieve himself first. Otherwise¡­otherwise, if we just rush ashore, it''d be real awkward-like, yeah?"


    Ah Zhu let out a soft laugh. "You really know how to take care of people. Careful, if the young master finds out, he''ll be jealous." Ah Bi sighed. "How could the young master take this sorta small matter to heart, yeah? We''re just a pair of little servant girls. The young master has never taken us to heart." Ah Zhu said, "And I don''t want you takin''m to heart, yeah? Sister Ah Bi, stop daydreaming about him day and night. Aint no use." Ah Bi let out a quiet sigh and did not reply. Ah Zhu clapped her on the shoulder, then said in a low voice, "You are thinking of relieving yourself, but also thinking about the young master. The two thoughts are getting mixed together, yeah? Aint that a laugh!" Ah Bi let out a soft laugh. "Sis, you''re gossiping. Don''t you have something to do?"


    Ah Zhu returned to the front of the boat and began paddling again. After they paddled for some time, the sky began to brighten.


    Duan Yu''s internal energy was very vigorous, and his internal energy could not remain sealed forever. Previously, Jiumozhi would reseal his acupoints after every few hours had passed. Now, after so much time had passed, he gradually felt his internal energy circulation begin to smooth out as the sealed acupoints began to unlock. Letting out a lazy yawn, he sat up and said, "I took a long nap, while you two were working so hard. There''s something I need to say which is a bit inappropriate. Please don''t be offended. I, uh, I need to relieve myself." He thought that it would be best for he himself to broach the topic first, so as to allow the girls to not feel awkward.


    Ah Zhu and Ah Bi simultaneously let out a burst of laughter. Ah Zhu said, "Not too far away is the abode of a relative of ours, the Wang family. Just go ashore there to relieve yourself." Duan Yu said, "If that''s the case, wonderful." Ah Zhu immediately adopted a stern expression. "But Madame Wang has a very strange temperament. She doesn''t allow strange men to visit. As soon as you take care of business, immediately return to the boat. We don''t want to cause any unnecessary trouble." Duan Yu replied, "Alright, understood."

 Chapter - 12 Forevermore Intoxicated

    The small boat weaved its way past a copse of weeping willows. Far in the distant, a reflection of crimson blossoming flowers could be seen in the water, as glorious as rosy clouds in the sky. Duan Yu let out an exclamatory ''Ah!'' of appreciation.


    Ah Zhu asked, "What''s wrong?" Pointing to the blossoming flowers, Duan Yu said, "These are the camellia flowers native to Dali. How is it that this type of ''Dian tea-leaves'' exist in the middle of Lake Taihu as well?" Camellia flowers of Yunnan province were the most famous of all, and were known as ''Dian tea-leaves'' [Dian is another name for Yunnan]. Ah Zhu asked, "Really? This place is known as the Highland Manor of the Mantuo Flowers. It''s filled with camellia leaves." Duan Yu thought to himself, "Camellia flowers are also known as ''jade leaves'', but a third name for them is ''mantuo flowers''. Since this place is named after camellia flowers, it should be interesting for me to see what famous techniques they use to cultivate them here."


    Rowing the oars, Ah Zhu sent the boat speeding directly towards the midst of the camellia flowers. As soon as they reached the shore, Duan Yu cast a glance at the land, but all he could see was red and white camellia flowers, with no buildings anywhere in sight. Duan Yu was raised in Dali, where camellia flowers were commonly seen everywhere. He didn''t think the sight was particularly extraordinary at all, and thought to himself, "Although there are a lot of camellia flowers here, none of them appear to be of a high quality. I imagine that the best specimens are probably within the manor itself.


    Ah Zhu pulled the boat ashore and smiled. "Young gentleman Duan, we''ll go inside for a bit. We''ll come back out very shortly." Holding Ah Bi''s hand, she prepared to jump ashore. But suddenly, the scattered sounds of footsteps could be heard, and a servant girl dressed in green appeared.


    The girl was holding a bunch of flowers and plants in her hands. Upon seeing Ah Bi and Ah Zhu, she hurriedly rushed towards them, her face filled with happiness. "Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, you two are really too daring! You snuck over here again! The madame said, ''Use a knife to cut a cross on the faces of those two girls and ruin their flower-like, pure-as-jade complexions.''" Ah Zhu laughed. "Sister Youcao, is the madame at home?" [The exact phrase Ah Zhu uses is not ''madame'', but ''maternal uncle''s wife'', which is her relationship to Murong Fu.] The servant girl, Youcao, cast a few glances at Duan Yu, turned her head towards Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, then laughed, "The madame also said, ''Those two brats also brought a strange man to the Highland Manor of the Camellias. Go and chop off that man''s legs immediately!" Before she finished the sentence, she began to laugh out loud.


    Patting her heart, Ah Bi said, "Sister Youcao, don''t scare us! Is that really true?"


    Ah Zhu laughed, "Ah Bi, don''t be scared. If the madame was really at home, how would this girl have the courage to be so impish and mischievious? Little sister Youcao, where did the madame go?" Youcao laughed, "Pooh! How old are you? Are you fit to be my big sister? Clever little demon that you are, you actually managed to guess that the madame isn''t at home." She let out a light sigh. "Sister Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, it''s such a rare occasion that you two can come visit. I really want to keep you two here for a few days, but¡­" As she spoke, she shook her head. Ah Bi said, "I really want to spend some extra time with you too! Sister Youcao, whenever you are able to come pay a visit to us, I''ll accompany you three days and three nights without even getting sleepy, alright?" As they spoke, Ah Zhu and Ah Bi went ashore. Ah Bi whispered quietly into Youcao''s ears. Youcao let out a sudden laugh, then glanced at Duan Yu. Ah Bi immediately blushed scarlet. Pulling Ah Zhu with one hand and Ah Bi with the other, she laughed, "Let''s go inside." Ah Bi turned her head and said, "Young gentleman Duan, please wait and rest here for a bit. We''ll be back soon."


    Duan Yu replied, "Okay!" He watched as the three girls happily walked hand-in-hand into the forest of flowers.


    He too walked ashore. After first checking to make sure no one was about, he relieved himself by the side of a tall tree. He sat next to the boat for a while, slowly growing bored. He thought to himself, "Why don''t I go check out what types of extraordinary camellia flowers they have here?" He began to stroll around and view the sights. Aside from camellia flowers, there were no other flowers or plants here, not even the most commonly seen plants such as the morning-glory, climbing roses, or red roses. But all of the camellia flowers were very mundane and not the least bit extraordinary. The only thing extraordinary was their quantity. After walking for one or two hundred meters, the diversity of the camellias improved, and occasionally there were some high-quality ones, but even those were not planted properly. He thought to himself, "This manor is named after camellia flowers, but they have absolutely ruined these perfectly fine camellias."


    Then, he thought to himself, "I need to go back. If Ah Zhu and Ah Bi can''t find me upon returning, they''d be really worried." Turning around, he headed back, but after taking a few steps, he exclaimed to himself, "How terrible!" During his journey through the sea of flowers, he had only paid attention to the scenery, and not to the path he had taken. Two small roads forked away from each other, one headed east, the other headed west. He didn''t know which one was the road he had originally taken. It would be a bit difficult for him to retrace his steps and return to the place where the boat was anchored. He thought to himself, "Let me go to the water''s edge first."


    But the farther he walked, the more he felt he was going in the wrong direction. All of the camellias he saw were new ones that he hadn''t seen previously. Just as he was starting to get worried, he suddenly heard someone speaking from a forested area to his left. It was Ah Zhu''s voice. Duan Yu was overjoyed. He thought to himself, "I''ll wait here for them a while. After they''re done chatting, we''ll leave together."


    He heard Ah Zhu say, "The young master is in good health and has a healthy appetite. These past two months, he has been practicing the ''Dog Beating Staff'' technique of the Beggar''s Clan. It seems he will soon spar with the members of the Beggar''s Clan." Duan Yu thought to himself, "Ah Zhu is talking about the affairs of young master Murong. I shouldn''t eavesdrop on other people''s private affairs, and should walk a bit farther away. But I can''t go too far, or else I won''t know when they are done talking."


    Just at this moment, he heard the sound of a gentle sigh from a female voice.


    Instantly, Duan Yu''s entire body involuntarily trembled. His heart began to beat frantically, and he thought to himself, "What an incredibly lovely sigh that was! How can there be such a beautiful sound in the world?" That voice gently asked, "Where is he headed this time?" After having heard her let out a sigh, Duan Yu''s mind was shaken. Now, hearing her say this sentence, he felt as though all the blood in his body was boiling. He felt a sour, bitter feeling in his heart, and an unspeakable degree of envy and jealousy. "She clearly is asking about young master Murong. She''s so concerned about him and cares so much about him. Young master Murong, how is it that you have been blessed with such incredibly good fortune?"


    Ah Zhu said, "When the young master left, he said he was headed to Luoyang to meet with some masters of the Beggar''s Clan. Big Brother Deng went with him as well. Miss, set your heart at ease."


    The female slowly said, "The Beggar''s Clan possesses two divine skills: The ''Dog Beating Staff'' technique, and the ''Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms'' technique. These two are secret skills which are not taught to others. Even if we compile all of the information in your ''Water Pavilion of Bestowal and Repayment'' and our ''Jade Cavern Library'', we would only be able to piece together some fragmentary, incomplete staff techniques and palm techniques. We would have no information at all about how the internal energy is supposed to be generated. How, exactly, does your young master practice the technique?" [Note: The ''library'' in ''Jade Cavern Library'' comes from a character ''huan'' that is typically used to refer to a library of fairies and immortal sages that contains many precious, rare, and often mystical books. The name is a very elegant one, but very difficult to reproduce while being both ''fluid'' and ''complete in meaning'', and I have translated it on the basis of the former.]


    Ah Zhu said, "The young master said, ''The internal energy component of the ''Dog Beating Staff'' was invented by human beings. Why can''t I figure out how it works on my own? Since I possess the staff techniques, it shouldn''t be too hard for me to understand the internal energy component.''" Duan Yu said, "Young master Murong''s words make some sense. He probably is an extremely talented, extremely ambitious person."


    That female let out yet another soft sigh. "Even if he''s able to figure it out, it would take eight or ten years. How can it be accomplished in such a short time? Did you see the young master practicing the technique? Were there any sluggish, awkward-looking parts?" Ah Zhu replied, "The staff technique was executed extremely quickly by the young master. From the beginning to the end, he executed it smoothly and gracefully." The female let out a cry. "That''s not good! He¡­he really executed the technique very quickly?" Ah Zhu said, "Yes, why? Is that wrong?" The female said, "Naturally, that''s wrong. Although I don''t know the internal energy component to the Dog Beating Staff, judging from the staff techniques themselves, there are several parts where the slower the techniques are executed, the better. There are some other parts which fluctuate between being slow and being fast; in the fast movements there is hidden slowness, and within the slow movements quickness is hidden. There''s no question about that. He¡­if he just focuses on executing the technique very quickly in fighting with the experts of the Beggar''s Clan, I fear¡­I fear¡­you two¡­can you think of a way to bring a message to him?"


    Ah Zhu let out a groan. "We don''t know what route the young master is taking or where he is passing by. We don''t even know if he''s already met with the elders of the Beggar''s Clan. Before he left, the young master said that the Beggar''s Clan was wrongly accusing him of having murdered their Vice-Clan Leader, a man surnamed Ma. His purpose in going to Luoyang was to defend himself against these chargers, and not necessarily to fight against them. Otherwise, he and brother Deng, despite being heroes, would be unable to overcome the sheer advantage in numbers which the Beggar''s Clan possesses. I''m just worried that he wouldn''t be able to fully explain everything, and that the two sides will become estranged¡­" Ah Bi said, "Miss, is it really so improper for him to execute the Dog Beating Staff technique very quickly?" The female said, "Naturally, it is definitely improper. What else is there to say? He¡­why didn''t he come and visit me before leaving?" As she spoke, she lightly stamped her feet, seemingly very agitated and deeply concerned, but her voice remained tender, soft, and lovely to hear.


    Duan Yu was extremely astonished. He thought to himself, "In Dali, everyone spoke of ''Gusu''s Murong family'' with the utmost reverence and fear. But from the words of this girl, it sounds as though young master Murong needs her advice and her pointers on martial arts. Can it be that such a young girl possesses such an incredibly high level of ability?" Lost in thought, he suddenly bumped his head into a tree branch. He couldn''t help but let out a cry. He hurriedly shut his mouth, but it was too late. The female asked, "Who is it?"


    Duan Yu knew that he was unable to hide, and so coughed and said from within the thicket, "I am Duan Yu. I was touring your respected manor''s camellias, and accidentally arrived here. Please forgive me."


    The female said in a low voice, "Ah Zhu, is it the gentleman who arrived with you two?" Ah Zhu hurriedly said, "It is. Miss, don''t mind him. We''ll leave immediately." The female said, "Wait. I''m going to write him a letter and explain to him that if he really gets into a fight against the Beggar''s Clan, he must not use the Dog Beating Staff technique no matter what. He needs to use his own original skills. Even if he''s unable to ''Use the opponent''s skills, and exercise them upon the opponent'', there''s no other option. Take the letter and think of a way to get it to him." Ah Zhu hesitantly said, "This¡­.well¡­the madame once gave orders¡­"


    The female said, "What? You only obey the madame''s commands and ignore mine?" In her voice was the slightest hint of anger. Ah Zhu hurriedly said, "Miss, as long as you keep the madame from finding out, your humble servant will naturally follow your orders, especially seeing as how this is beneficial to our master." The female said, "Come with me to the study room to prepare the letter." Ah Zhu still seemed very hesitant, and only reluctantly said, "Alright."


    After hearing that first sigh, Duan Yu was becoming only more and more enthralled by this girl. Hearing that she was about to leave, he feared that he would never be able to meet her again. This would be something which he would regret all his life. Even if it were to mean risking being blamed as too forward and bold, he had to see this girl with his own eyes. Summoning up his courage, he said, "Sister Ah Bi, can you stay here with me for a bit?" As he spoke, he walked out from the thicket.


    Upon hearing him walk towards them, the female let out a startled cry and hurriedly turned her back to him.


    After leaving the thicket, Duan Yu saw a maiden who wore a pale, pinkish gray garment. Her face was turned towards the flowers, her form was slim and slender, with long hair hanging over her back and gently tied together with a silvery hairpin. Gazing at this maiden''s back, Duan Yu couldn''t help but feel as though she was enveloped by light mist and clouds, as though she really weren''t a person of the mortal world at all. He deeply bowed and said, "Duan Yu pays his respects to you, miss."


    The girl stamped on the ground with her left foot. "Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, this is all your fault. You know I do not associate with male strangers." As she spoke, she walked forwards. After a few twists and turns, her form gradually disappeared within the dense growth of camellia flowers.


    A small smile on her lips, Ah Bi said, "Young gentleman Duan, this young lady has a really bad temper. Let''s leave quickly." Ah Zhu also softly laughed, "Thank you very much for rescuing us from this predicament. If you hadn''t, Ms. Wang would have forced us to deliver a message on her behalf. Our petty little lives would have been put at risk."


    Duan Yu had summoned all of his courage to rush out like that, but then was scolded by the girl. He felt deeply snubbed, and was worried that Ah Zhu and Ah Bi would blame him as well. He didn''t expect that the two of them would actually be grateful towards him instead. Only, although that maiden was by now far away, her pretty shadow still seemed to be before his eyes, filling his heart with melancholy. He dully watched as her back disappeared into the clusters of flowers.


    Ah Bi gently tugged on his sleeves, but Duan Yu still remained in a daze. Ah Zhu laughed, "Young gentleman Duan, let''s go!" Duan Yu''s entire body jumped. Only after calming himself did he say, "Right, right. Are we really leaving?" Ah Zhu and Ah Bi walked in the front, leaving him with no option but to follow them. With each step he took, he looked back, filled with a reluctance to leave.


    The three of them returned to their small boat. Ah Zhu and Ah Bi picked up their oars and rowed out. Duan Yu gazed at the camellias on the shore, thinking to himself, "If I, Duan Yu, am an unlucky man, how could I have had the great fortune to hear that girl''s sighs and her words, much less see her goddess-like form? But if I am a lucky man, why is it that I didn''t even have the chance to see her face?" As the camellias grew more and more distant, his heart became more and more downcast as well.


    Suddenly, Ah Zhu let out a startled cry. "The madame¡­the madame has returned." Turning his head, Duan Yu saw a fast ship flying towards them. In the blink of an eye, it drew near. On the front of the ship''s bow was painted an innumerable amount of multicolored flowers. When the boat drew nearer, it became evident that these, too, were camellia flowers. Ah Zhu and Ah Bi stood up, bowing their heads and staring at their feet, appearing to be extremely respectful. Ah Bi repeatedly gestured towards Duan Yu, telling him to stand up as well. Smiling, Duan Yu shook his head. "After the master comes out and speaks, I will naturally rise to my feet. A real man cannot be too humble and modest."


    A female voice shouted out from the fast ship, "What male has the audacity to charge into the Highland Manor of the Camellias? Can it be that he doesn''t know that any male who comes uninvited will have both his legs cut off?" The voice was very stately and majestic, but was also very clear, melodious, and pleasing to the ear. Duan Yu replied in a loud and clear voice, "I am Duan Yu. I temporarily took refuge in your honored abode, and had no intention of charging in. I sincerely thank you." The woman said, "Your last name is Duan?"


    In her voice was a hint of astonishment. Duan Yu replied, "Precisely so!"


    The woman said, "Hmph! Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, so it''s you two brats. That boy, Murong Fu, refuses to learn how to act properly. Sneaking and sly, he specializes in doing bad things!" Ah Zhu replied, "Reporting to madame, this servant was pursued by enemies and passed by the Highland Manor of the Camellias. Our young master has left, and this matter truly has nothing to do with him at all." The woman laughed coldly. "Hmph. Nothing more than sweet words and blandishments. Don''t be so hasty to leave. Come with me." Ah Zhu and Ah Bi replied simultaneously, "Yes, madame." They paddled their small boat towards the fast ship. Actually, they had not travelled too far from the manor, and in a short time both ships successively docked at the shore.


    The sound of jewelry clinking against each other could be heard, and many females in green clothes exited the fast ship. All of them were dressed as servants, and each of them wielded a longsword in their hands. In the twinkling of an eye, their bared swords covered the ground like frost, light of their blades reflecting onto the flowers. Nine pairs of servants came out in total. The eighteen of them formed two lines, holding their swords at waist-level, pointed upwards. After they finished lining up, a woman left the ship.


    Upon seeing this woman''s appearance, Duan Yu couldn''t help but let out an involuntarily cry of startlement. He was temporarily tongue-tied, feeling as though he had entered the dream world. This woman was dressed in light yellow. In her clothes and in her decorations, she seemed exceedingly similar to the jade statue within the cavern with Mt. Wuliang of Dali. Only, this female was a beautiful married woman who appeared to be not quite forty years of age, whereas the jade statue portrayed a girl of eighteen or nineteen. After his initial surprise, Duan Yu took another look at this beautiful woman. Compared to the jade statue, her eyebrows, lips, and nose were not as peerlessly gorgeous, and obviously there was an age difference as well. In addition, her face showed the marks of hardship suffered during her journey through life. Nonetheless, there was still a fifty or sixty percent resemblance. Seeing him stare at Madame Wang without blinking, Ah Zhu and Ah Bi felt that he was really being too impolite, and in their hearts both of them were groaning. They repeatedly gestured towards him, telling him not to stare, but Duan Yu''s eyes remained fixed on Madame Wang''s face.


    The woman glanced at him, then coldly said, "This person is totally without courtesy. Later, chop off both his legs, gouge out his eyes, and rip out his tongue." A servant bowed and said, "Yes!"


    Duan Yu''s heart sunk. "If she really wants to kill me, fine. But to chop off my legs, gouge out my eyes, and tear out my tongue, putting me in a half-dead, half-living state, would be a really, really bad thing." Only now did fear truly enter his heart. Turning around, he glanced at Ah Zhu and Ah Bi. Both of their faces had turned a deathly pale color and were transfixed with fear.


    After Madame Wang left the cabin, two more servant girls followed her out, each holding a set of metal chains in their hands. They dragged two chained males from within the cabin. Both of the males were bound by their hands and appeared to be very dejected. One man had a delicate and pretty face, seeming like a scion of a wealthy family. The other person, Duan Yu recognized. He was a disciple of Mt. Wuliang''s Sword Sect named Tang Guangxiong. Duan Yu was amazed. "This person resides in Dali. How is it that he was captured by Madame Wang and brought to Jiangnan?"


    Madame Wang said to Tang Guangxiong, "You are obviously from Dali. Why do you deny it?" Tang Guangxiong said, "I''m from Yunnan. My hometown is within the borders of the Great Song and is not part of Dali." Madame Wang asked, "How far is your hometown from Dali?" Tang Guangxiong said, "Four hundred li or so." Madame Wang said, "If you aren''t over five hundred li away, you might as well be considered a person of Dali. Bury him alive beneath our camellias as fertilizer." Tang Guangxiong loudly shouted, "What on earth have I done? Tell me clearly, otherwise I will not be able to close my eyes even in death." Madame Wang coldly laughed, "Anyone I meet who is from Dali or who has the surname Duan will be buried alive. Why did you come to Suzhou? After you did come to Suzhou, how dare you speak with a Dali accent and make a loud commotion at the upstairs of the tavern? Even though you aren''t from Dali yourself, you are a neighbor of Dali. I''ll treat you the same way I would treat them."


    Duan Yu said to himself, "Ah hah, you obviously are directing that to me. There''s no need for you to ask, I''ll just admit it point-blank." He loudly shouted, "I am from Dali, and my surname is Duan. If you want to bury me, go ahead and be quick about it!" Madame Wang coldly said, "You already reported your name, saying that you are called Duan Yu. Hmph. No person from Dali who is of the Duan family will be allowed to die so easily."


    She waved her hand, and a slave girl pulled Tang Guangming away. Tang Guangming must have had his acupoints sealed or sustained severe injuries; he wasn''t able to resist in the slightest. He only shouted, "There''s no such rule in the world! There are millions of people within Dali, can you kill them all?" But as he was dragged deeper and deeper into the sea of flowers, his voice gradually grew faint, then disappeared.


    Madame Wang inclined her head slightly and said to the delicate looking man, "What do you have to say yourself?" That man suddenly fell to both his knees, kneeling in front of her. "My father is an official in Beijing, and I am his only son. Madame, I beg you to spare my life. If you have any instructions, my father will definitely carry them out." Madame Wang coldly said, "Your father is a powerful official within the imperial court. Do you think I don''t know that? There''s an easy way for you to be spared. This very day, go back to your home and immediately kill your official wife. Then, tomorrow, immediately marry your secret lover, Ms. Miao, and take her as your wife. The wedding ceremony needs to be complete and done properly; the six ceremonial rites must be conducted, and the three documents must be completed. Will you accept?" The man said, "This¡­I can''t really bear to kill my wife, and my father and mother would definitely not allow me to formally marry Ms. Miao. Isn''t this my¡­" Madame Wang said, "Take him away and bury him alive!" The servant holding his chain said, "Yes!" Tugging at the chain, she started to drag him away. The man was so frightened, his entire body quivered. "I¡­I agree, alright?" Madame Wang said, "Xiaocui, escort him to Suzhou. I want you to personally witness him killing his wife and marrying Ms. Miao returning." Xiaocui replied, "Yes!" She dragged the man towards another small boat on the shore.


    The man begged, "Madame, be merciful. My wife has no enmity with you, and you don''t know Ms. Miao. Why must you help her like this and force me to kill my wife? I¡­I''ve never been acquainted with you, much less¡­much less have dared to offend you." Madame Wang said, "Since you already have a wife, you shouldn''t have entangled yourself with another maiden. Since you deceived the girl with your flower words and lies, then you definitely must take her as your wife. If I don''t hear about these types of things happening, then no matter. But if I do find out, then of course I will handle the situation. You aren''t the first one I''ve done this to. What do you have to grumble about? Xiaocui, how many times have we done this?" Xiaocui said, "I have done this seven times at places such as Changshou, Danyang, Wuxi, and Jiaxing. Xiaolan and Xiaoshi have also overseen a few of these events."


    Hearing that this was how she always handled this sort of affairs, that man could only moan and groan. Rowing the oars, Xiaocui propelled her boat off into the distance.


    Seeing how this Madame Wang handled matters in totally irrational ways, Duan Yu was boggled, totally struck dumb. The only thing which filled his mind was four words. "This is absolutely preposterous." Unconsciously, he blurted those words out. "This is absolutely preposterous. This is absolutely preposterous!" Madame Wang let out a humph. "There are even more absolutely preposterous things in the world. Many more!"


    Duan Yu was both disappointed and miserable. That day, when he found the statue of his dear goddess within the jade cavern of Mt. Wuliang, his heart was filled with admiration. The person in front of him appeared similar to the jade statue, but in speech and demeanor acted as though she were a demoness or an evil spirit.


    Lowering his head, he was lost in thought. Four servant girls left the cabin of the fast ship, each holding a vase of flowers. Duan Yu, upon seeing them, was startled. All four vases were filled with rare, famous, and extremely difficult to obtain breeds of camellia flowers. Dali possessed more and better camellia flowers than any other place in the world, and within the South-Subduing Palace alone were innumerable camellias. Duan Yu was long since used to seeing them. When bored, he would listen to the ten famous gardeners who served at the palace comment on and appraise the camellias. Naturally, he fully understood the differences between superb breeds of camellias and poor breeds. His understanding in this field was as deep as that of a farmer''s understanding of the differences between beans and wheat, or a fisherman''s understanding of the difference between fish and shrimp. After strolling about the Highland Manor of the Camellias for some time, he was unable to find a single truly outstanding breed of camellias, and had long since decided that the manor did not live up to its name. But at this moment, seeing those four vases, he inwardly said, "Now that is more like it."


    Madame Wang said, "Xiaocha, it was very difficult for us to obtain these four ''Full Moon'' [Manyue] camellias. They need to be taken good care of." The servant named Xiaocha said, "Yes!" Duan Yu felt that these words were too amateurish and let out a sneer. Madame Wang said, "Because the wind on the lake was too strong, we''ve kept these four flowers within the cabin for many days now. It''s been a while since they''ve gotten some sunlight. Quick, take them to a place where they can drink in some sunlight. Add some extra fertilizer as well." Xiaocha repeated, "Yes!" Duan Yu could no longer hold in his mirth, and began to roar with laughter.


    Madame Wang felt that his laughter was weird and asked, "What are you laughing at?" Duan Yu replied, "I laugh at the fact that you know nothing about camellias, but insist on planting them. For such an exquisite specimen to fall into your hands is truly a waste, like burning a zither for firewood or cooking a crane for meat. This really disheartens me! What a pity, what a waste. I feel so sorry for it." Madame Wang angrily said, "I don''t know anything about camellias? So you do?" But suddenly, her heart stirred. "Wait," she said to herself, "He''s from Dali and his surname is Duan. Maybe he really does understand camellias." But her words were still stubborn. "The name of this manor is the ''Highland Manor of the Camellias''. Camellias populate this place, inside and out. See how exuberant and brilliant they are! Why do you say that I don''t understand camellias?" Duan Yu smiled, "Commonplace flowers of low quality will naturally flourish. But the four vases of camellias you have there are are exquisite specimens. If amateurs like you are able to properly plant and take care of them, then my surname isn''t Duan!"


    Madame Wang exceedingly loved camellia flowers. She didn''t care about the cost; wherever she went, she would purchase beautiful specimens to take home. But when the new camellias arrived, not a single one of the famous and rare specimens would thrive or flourish. Usually, within a year or so, they would wither and die or be at death''s gate. She was always vexed by this problem. Now, hearing Duan Yu''s words, her anger turned to joy. She took two steps forward and asked, "What is so special about these four vases of camellias? What must I do to make them flourish?" Duan Yu replied, "If you want to consult me, then you need to follow the proper etiquette for asking advice. If you want to threaten and compel me into answering, go ahead and chop off my legs first. You can always ask me afterwards."


    Madame Wang angrily said, "What''s so difficult about chopping your legs off? Xiaoshi, chop his left foot off first!" The servant girl named Xiaoshi replied in the affirmative, then advanced towards Duan Yu, sword in hand. Ah Bi hurriedly said, "Madame, don''t ya be doin'' that, yeah. If ya hurt this fella, he''s real stubborn-like and would rather die and speak." Madame Wang only wanted to scare Duan Yu in the first place. With a wave of her hand, she beckoned Xiaoshi back.


    Duan Yu laughed, "Go ahead and chop off my legs, then place them next to those four vases of white camellias. They really will serve as a superb fertilizer. These white flowers will grow bigger and bigger. Maybe they''ll flourish into a sea of camellias! Haha, beautiful, wonderful, brilliant!"


    Madame Wang originally really was thinking of doing just that, but Duan Yu''s every word was filled with irony and sarcasm, rendering her speechless. After being stunned for a moment, she said, "What are you babbling about? What, exactly, is so special about these four vases of mine? Tell me. If you are correct, I''ll pay the proper respects to you then."


    Duan Yu replied, "For starters, Madame Wang, you made the mistake of calling these flowers ''Full Moon'' camellias. If you don''t even recognize what the exact breed of flowers you have are, how can you be said to understand flowers? One of the flowers is named ''Red Makeup, White Wrappings''. Another is called ''Clawing a Beautiful Woman''s Face''." Intrigued, Madame Wang asked, "''Clawing A Beautiful Woman''s Face?'' Is there really such a weird flower name? Which one is it?"


    Duan Yu said, "If you want to ask for my advice, you need to follow proper etiquette."


    Duan Yu had mocked her mercilessly, without her being able to defend herself, but upon hearing that one of her four vases of flowers had such a unique name, Madame Wang was filled with delight. Smiling, she said, "Fine! Xiaoshi, order the cooks to prepare a banquet at the ''Pavilion of Glorious Clouds'' in order to entertain young gentleman Duan." After acknowledging the order, Xiaoshi left.


    Ah Zhu and Ah Bi gazed at each other. Seeing that Duan Yu had not only escaped death, but was also now being treated as a guest by Madame Wang, both of them were overjoyed at the surprise.


    The servant who had taken Tang Guangxiong returned and reported, "That person surnamed Tang from Dali has already been buried beneath a red camellia in front of the ''Pavilion of Rosy Clouds''." Duan Yu''s heart went cold. Madame Wang didn''t seem to care at all. She simply nodded, then said, "Young gentleman Duan, please come this way!" Duan Yu said, "I dared to disturb you; I am very blessed indeed that you, my host, are so forgiving." Madame Wang said, "An able and worthy person has come, bringing great honor and glory to the flowers and ramparts of the Highland Manor of Camellias." The two of them spoke courteously to each other as they walked, not revealing a shred of the life-and-death danger Duan Yu had been in just moments ago.


    With Madame Wang accompanying Duan Yu, the two passed by a forest of flowers, a stone bridge, and a small alleyway before arriving in front of a small pavilion. Below the eaves of the pavilion, Duan Yu saw an inscribed wooden board with the words, "Pavilion of Glorious Clouds", written in blackish-green ink in the seal-script style. Camellia flowers blossomed all around the pavilion. But in Dali, these camellia flowers were considered to be third or fourth class rubbish. Their appearance totally clashed with the refined-looking and elegantly constructed pavilion.


    Madame Wang actually seemed to be very pleased with herself. "Young gentleman Duan, in your Dali there are many camellia flowers, but I''m afraid that compared to my place, there still aren''t quite as many." Duan Yu nodded. "It''s true that we don''t plant this sort of camellia flowers in Dali." Madame Wang chortled, "Really?" Duan Yu replied, "In Dali, even country bumpkins know that these camellias are not of very high quality, and too mundane to plant." The color of Madame Wang''s face changed, and she angrily said, "What did you just say? You say that these flowers of mine are of poor quality? Aren''t these words of yours too¡­too infuriating and insulting?"


    Duan Yu said, "Madame, if you don''t believe me, that''s your choice." Pointing to a gorgeous, five-colored camellia in front of the pavilion, he said, "This flower, you no doubt treat as a precious treasure, right? Hm. Actually, the jade railing next to the camellia is made from actual Hotan jade. It''s very beautiful, very beautiful." He was gushing with praise for the jade railing next to the camellia while not saying much about the flower itself; this was akin to a person, while viewing someone else''s calligraphy, praise how dark the ink was and how famous and rare the paper was.


    This camellia was both red and white, both violet and yellow. The variety of colors it possessed were magnificent and resplendent. Madame Wang had always treated it as a treasure. Now, seeing Duan Yu showing such disdain for it, she immediately furrowed her eyebrows, emitting a murderous look from her eyes. Duan Yu said, "Madame, if I may ask, what is this flower known as here in Jiangnan?" Madame Wang vehemently said, "We don''t have any particularly special name for it. We just call it the ''Five-Colored Cammelia''." Duan Yu smiled. "But we in Dali have a name for it. We call it the ''Failed Scholar''."


    Madame Wang spat. "Bah! Such an ugly name! You must have made that up. This flower is gorgeous to behold. Why would it be called a ''Failed Scholar''?" Duan Yu said, "Madame, please take a look and count for yourself. How many colors do the blossoms of this camellia flower have?" Madame Wang said, "I counted them long ago. There''s at least fifteen or sixteen." Duan Yu said, "There are exactly seventeen colors. In Dali, there is famous camellia flower called the ''Eighteen Scholars''. It is one of one of the highest grade camellias in the world. Each plant has precisely eighteen flowers, and each flower is of a different color. The red flower is totally red; the violent flowers are totally purple. There''s not a single hint of intermingled color. In addition, the shape of each of the eighteen blossoms is different as well, with each possessing their own unique beauty. When they bloom, they bloom at the same time; when they wither, all eighteen flowers wither at the same time. Madame, have you seen it before?" Madame Wang had been listening, stunned. She shook her head. "Camellias like this actually exist? I''ve never even heard of it!"


    Duan Yu said, "Compared to the ''Eighteen Scholars'', there are some other famous flowers that are similar to it in quality. The ''Thirteen Grand Protectors'' are camellia plants that have thirteen blossoms, each with a totally different color. The ''Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea'' refers to camellia plants with eight different colored blossoms. The ''Seven Celestial Maidens'' refers to camellia plants with seven different colored blossoms. The ''Three Heroes of Hardship'' have three blossoms, and the ''Two Qiao Sisters'' have two blossoms; one red, one white. For all of these camellia flowers, the color of each blossom must be pure. If there''s a hint of white within a red flower, or a blush of red in a white flower, it is considered a low-grade version." Madame Wang couldn''t help but be carried away and raptured by his explanations. Lifting her head up, she quietly whispered to herself, "Why didn''t he ever tell me this?"


    [Translator''s note: All of the above refer to famous historical or mythical personages in ancient China, each with many legends attached to them. The ''Thirteen Grand Protectors'' refers to a group of thirteen legendary warriors during the Five Dynasties period who protected Li Cunxu, who proclaimed himself Emperor Zhuangzhong of the Later Tang dynasty. The ''Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea'' is a very famous story in its own right. The ''Seven Celestial Maidens'' are all daughters of the emperor of Heaven. The ''Three Heroes of Hardship'' refers to Li Jing (who later became deified) and his two sworn brothers. The ''Two Qiao Sisters'' refers to two lengendarily beautiful sisters of the Qiao family during the Three Kingdoms period. The younger sister married Zhou Yu; the older sister was married to Sun Ce, Sun Quan''s older brother.]


    Duan Yu continued, "Within the ''Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea'', there must be a deep violet flower and a light red flower. These two represent Iron-Crutched Li and Female Celestial He. If this isn''t the case, even if all eight flowers have different colors, they cannot be called the ''Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea''. They would simply be called the ''Eight Precious Adornments''. They are also considered to be famous flowers, but are a level inferior to the ''Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea''." Madame Wang said, "So that''s how it is."


    Duan Yu continued, "Now, let''s talk about the ''Three Heroes of Hardship''. There''s differences between high quality and low quality versions of these flowers as well. In authentic versions, the violet flower must be the largest in size, symbolizing Qiu Ranke. The white flower is second, symbolizing Li Jing. The red flower is the most delicate and the smallest, as it represents lady Hong Fu. If the red flower is larger than the violet flower or the white flower, then the flower is considered to be of a low quality, and has a much lower status ranking." Duan Yu spoke of these flowers as though he were enumerating his own family''s valuables, because these flowers were indeed treasures of the Duan family. Naturally, he was very familiar with them. Madame Wang listened to him talk with keen pleasure. She sighed, "I haven''t even seen low quality flowers, much less high quality ones."


    Duan Yu pointed towards the five-colored camellia. "This flower not only has one less color than the ''Eighteen Scholars'', but the flowers are not pure in color. They bloom at different times, and are all of different sizes. In every aspect, it attempts to imitate the ''Eighteen Scholars'', but is never able to match up. Isn''t that a sad, miserable thing? Thus, we call this flower a ''Failed Scholar''." Madame Wang couldn''t help but let out a breath, then laughed, "This flower''s name is really too acrimonious and unkind. Most likely, you scholars came up with it."


    By this point in time, Madame Wang had full faith of Duan Yu''s knowledge of camellia flowers. She immediately escorted him into the ''Pavilion of Glorious Clouds''. Duan Yu saw that the furnishings upstairs were rich and beautiful, with a large painting of a peacock spreading its feathers in the middle of the room and two matching poetic lines carved in wood at each side of the painting. The lines read, "A dense cloud of leaves coats the land, even the snow is jealous of the camellia''s beauty." Very shortly, the banquet began. Madame Wang invited Duan Yu to take the seat of honor, while she herself took a right-hand seat to keep him company.


    The dishes prepared at the banquet were very different from the ones which Ah Zhu and Ah Bi had earlier prepared. The dishes Ah Zhu and Ah Bi prepared were very light and refined, showing great craftsmanship in simple dishes. But the banquet dishes at the ''Pavilion of Glorious Clouds'' emphasized luxuriousness, with such rarities as bear paws and shark fins. Every dish was made from rare and precious ingredients. Duan Yu, being a scion of the royal family, had become accustomed to eating rare and precious dishes since birth. In his mind, the banquet here was actually inferior to the food the two girls prepared at the ''Pavilion of Zither Melodies.''


    After three rounds of drinks, Madame Wang asked, "The Duan family of Dali is a famous, aristocratic family of the martial world. Why is it that you do not study martial arts?" Duan Yu replied, "There are a large number of people in Dali who have the surname Duan. Only the royal descendants of the imperial family study martial arts. Commoners like me do not study martial arts." Whether he would live or die was wholly under the control of this woman. Being in such a humiliating position, he had decided that no matter what he could not reveal his real identity, for fear of degrading the fame and prestige of his uncle and his father. Madame Wang said, "You are a commoner?" Duan Yu replied, "I am." Madame Wang said, "Do you know any members of the royal Duan family?" Duan Yu replied, "None whatsoever."


    Madame Wang was lost in thought for some time, then changed the topic. "Earlier, you were speaking about the various merits and qualities of camellia flowers, causing me to suddenly see the light. The flower artisans of Suzhou from whom I acquired these four vases of flowers called these flowers ''Full Moon'' flowers, but you said that one is named ''Red Makeup, White Wrappings'', and that another is named ''Clawing a Beautiful Woman''s Face''. I don''t know how they can be told apart, and would like to ask for your advice."


    Duan Yu replied, "The plant with the large white flowers with faint black spots is the one known as the ''Full Moon'' flower. Those faint black spots are the cassia twigs which grow on the moon. That other plant with white flowers which has two olive-pit sized black spots on the petals is known as the ''Beautiful Eyes'' flower." Madame Wang happily said, "This is a very good name."


    Duan Yu continued, "The plant with white flowers that are sprinkled with red dots is known as ''Red Makeup, White Wrappings''. Lastly, the plant with white flowers covered by a faint green sheen and thin, hair-like strips of red is known as ''Clawing a Beautiful Woman''s Face''. However, if too many of those red lines appear, the flower is no longer known as ''Clawing a Beautiful Woman''s Face'', but rather it is called ''Resting On a Lovely Railing''. Madame, please consider this. A beautiful woman must be gentle, refined, and warm. If by chance a scratch occasionally appears on her face, it can''t be because she damaged herself while putting on makeup, nor can it be that she got into a fight with someone else. The only possible explanation is that while she was playing with her pet parrot, it scratched her. This is very normal and understandable. Thus, this flower must have a green sheen, which represents the green feathers of a parrot. But if her entire face is scratched and clawed, the only explanation is that this woman always gets into fights with others, in which case, how can she be considered to be beautiful?"


    Up till now, Madame Wang was repeatedly nodding as he spoke, very pleased. Suddenly, her face sunk with anger as she shouted, "How dare you! Are you mocking me?"


    Duan Yu was startled, then hurriedly said, "I wouldn''t dare! I don''t know how I offended you, madame." Madame Wang angrily said, "Whose stories did you listen to, for you to come here and concoct these wild lies to insult me? Who says that a woman can no longer be considered beautiful after learning martial arts? What''s so good about being gentle, refined, prim and proper?" Duan Yu was startled. "My words were based upon the standard, accepted explanation for the naming of this flower. There are many women who know martial arts that are both beautiful and stately." He didn''t expect that Madame Wang found these words grating to the ear as well, as she yelled, "So are you saying that I''m not stately?"


    Duan Yu replied, "Whether or not you are stately, you yourself know best, madame. How would I dare comment wildly? But for you to demand that a man murder his wife and wed another woman is definitely not proper at all." By now, he himself was getting angry as well, and no longer cared about what he was saying.


    Madame Wang gestured with her hand, and the four girls who were serving them stepped forward in unison. Bowing, they said, "Yes, madame?" Madame Wang said, "Take this man into your custody and away from my sight. I command that he be given the task of watering my camellias!" The four servants said in unison, "Yes, madame!"


    Madame Wang said, "Duan Yu, you are a person from Dali, and your family name is Duan. I should have killed you long ago. For the moment, I''ll postpone your execution, but I''ll punish you by giving you the task of taking care of all of the camellias in this manor. You need to take especial care with the four which we have brought home today. Let me be clear. If a single one of these four vases of camellia flowers dies, I will chop off one of your hands. If two die, I will chop off both. If all four die, I will turn you into a limbless cripple." Duan Yu asked, "And if all four live?" Madame Wang said, "After all four flowers begin to flourish, your job will be to cultivate other famous camellias for me. ''Eighteen Scholars'', ''Thirteen Grand Protectors'', ''Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea'', ''Seven Celestial Maidens'', ''Three Heroes of Hardship'', and the ''Two Qiao Sisters''. I want several of each! If you can''t accomplish it, I''ll tear your eyeballs out."


    Duan Yu loudly objected, "These famous flowers are rarely seen, even in Dali. It will be almost impossible to find them in Jiangnan. If you can get several of each just like that, how can they be considered to be rare and precious breeds? Just go ahead and kill me now! I refuse to accept the torture of having you cut off my hands today and gouge out my eyes tomorrow." Madame Wang loudly rebuked him, "You must be tired of living, to act so rudely in front of me. Take him away!"


    The four servant girls walked towards him. Two of them grabbed him by his arms, one by his chest, with the last grabbing him by the back. All five of them descended from the top floor of the pavilion. All four of the servant girls knew martial arts, and Duan Yu found himself totally unable to resist. All he could do was secretly lament, "Damnit, damnit!"


    Pushing and tugging, the four servants pulled him to a flower nursery. One servant stuck a gardening hoe in his hand, while another grabbed a watering pail. She said, "If you listen to the madame''s orders and obediently water the flowers, you can keep your life. But the way you keep offending her, you are tremendously lucky that she didn''t immediately order for you to be buried alive." Another servant said, "Aside from doing your duties to preserve the flowers, you aren''t allowed to run about wildly within the manor. If you break into one of the restricted areas, no one will be able to save you. It''s the equivalent of asking to die." The four servants lectured him in extremely solemn tones for some time before leaving. Duan Yu could only blankly stand there, not sure whether he should laugh or cry.


    At Dali, he was only inferior in rank to his uncle and to his father. In the future, after his father ascended to the throne, he would become the crown prince. How could it have happened that he was kidnapped and brought to Jiangnan, almost be burned to death, then risk having his arms and legs chopped off or his eyes gouged out. As if that wasn''t enough, now he was forced into being someone else''s gardener. Even though he had an amiable temperament, and, in his palace, often chatted with the gardeners while watching them prune the flowers, work the earth, and spread the fertilizer, he was still a prince. In his heart, he felt that gardener''s were very lowly people.


    Fortunately, he was a happy person and a lively spirit by nature. Upon meeting any problems or setbacks, at most he would only be dispirited for a short while before becoming happy again. He said to himself, "At the jade cavern of Mt. Wuliang, I already kowtowed and accepted the dear goddess as my master. Aside from the age issue, this Madame Wang looks very similar to her. Why don''t I just think of her as my martial-uncle? It''s natural for a pupil to labor hard and obey the commands of his master. Not to mention, cultivating flowers is an artistic sort of work done by literati. It''s definitely much more elegant and sophisticated than waving around sabres or poking around with spears. And it''s definitely ten thousand times better than being burned alive by Jiumozhi in front of Mr. Murong''s tomb. The only problem is, these flowers are really too inferior in quality. Having the prince of Dali take care of them is a waste of talent, like killing a scrawny chicken using a giant blade meant for butchering cattle. Haha, actually, can I be really be considered a cattle-butchering blade? What sort of flower-planting talent do I have, anyhow?"


    Then, he thought to himself, "If I stay at the Highland Manor of the Camellias for a bit longer, there''s always the chance that I might have the good fortune of seeing that girl who wore the pale pinkish grey dress. This can be called, ''Duan Yu, how do you know that planting flowers won''t be a lucky thing for you?''"


    Considering the question of whether he was lucky or unlucky, Duan Yu grabbed a handful of grass. "Let''s see how long it will be before I have the chance to see that girl." He began to pass the grass from his left hand to his right, then from his right hand to his left, trying to tell his fortune. After divining for some time, he ended up with a ''Gen'' divinatory symbol, with an upper ''Gen'' and a lower ''Gen''. He thought to himself, "''You shall see her back, but you will not win her body; you shall go to her courtyard, but you will not see her person. No fault.'' This divination is really appropriate. Even though I won''t see her, in the end, it won''t be my fault."


    He started over. This time, he ended up with a ''Kun'' divinatry symbol, along with an upper ''Dui'' and a lower ''Kan'' symbol. He inwardly groaned, "''Hard-pressed down amongst plants, as though you had entered a secluded valley. You will not present yourself within three years.'' I won''t even see her within three years. I really am very hard-pressed." Then he thought, "If I can''t see her within three years, that means I''ll see her in the fourth year. There''s plenty of time in the future. Why think of myself as being hard-pressed?"


    Since his divinations were very unfavorable, he dared divine no more. Humming a little melody, he picked up the hoe and began to stroll about aimlessly. He thought to himself, "Madame Wang told me to make those four vases of white flowers flourish. These four plants truly are famous breeds. I need to find a very graceful place to plant them, so as to show them off in the proper setting." While strolling about, he reviewed the local scenery. Suddenly, he burst out in loud laughter. "Madame Wang doesn''t know a damn thing about camellias, but insists on planting them, and even calls this place the Highland Manor of the Camellias. She doesn''t even know that camellias prefer the moon, not the sun, and planted them in places where there is a lot of sun. Even if the flowers manage to somehow survive, there is no way they can flourish. Then she smothers them with fertilizer, by which point, any and all famous breeds of camellias will have been killed by her. What a waste, what a waste! But so funny, so very funny!"


    He avoided the sunlight, only going to shadowy areas underneath trees and other large plants. After passing a small hill, he heard the gurgling of water. To his left-hand side was a row of green bamboo plants. The entire place was very quiet and secluded. The area was hidden in the shadow of the hill, where the sun could not reach. Madame Wang, knowing that this place was not suitable for planting flowers, did not plant a single camellia here. Duan Yu was overjoyed. "There''s no better place than this."


    Returning to his starting place, he carried the flower vases one by one to where the bamboo plants were. He shattered each porcelain vase then planted each camellia along with the mud in the vases. Although he had never done this before, he had seen this done many times. Surprisingly, although he was just making it up as he went along, he did it perfectly. Within an hour''s time, he finished transplanting the four white camellias next to the bamboo. He planted the ''Clawing a Beautiful Woman''s Face'' to the left, the ''Red Makeup, White Wrappings'' and the ''Full Moon'' to the right, and the ''Beautiful Eyes'' flower right behind a large boulder. He said to himself, "This is like the saying, ''Only after you call and entreat her to come out many times does she appear, carrying a pipa and covering half her face.'' when these plants are placed in an appropriate setting do their true beauty and charm shine." In Chinese history, flowers have always been compared to beautiful women. The art of cultivating flowers is equivalent to the art of a beautiful woman using makeup. Duan Yu came from a royal family and read many books; naturally, his understanding of these things was a level above most people.


    Stretching his hands into the small stream, he washed away the dirt and mud. Taking a seat on top of the boulder, then stared at that ''Beautiful Eyes'' camellia plant, turning his head this way and that to view it from every angle. Just as he was feeling proud of himself, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from a distance. Two females were walking his way. One of them said, "This place is the most quiet and secluded place here. No one ever comes¡­"


    The sound of her voice was very pleasing to the ear. Duan Yu''s heart thumped loudly. The voice obviously belonged to the girl who wore the pale pinkish grey dress which he had seen earlier in the day. Duan Yu held his breath, not daring to make the slightest sound. He thought to himself, "She said she refuses to meet with any male strangers, and I, Duan Yu, am obviously a male stranger. For me to be able to listen to her say a few words and hear her goddess-like voice is already my infinite good fortune. No matter what, I can''t let her know I am here." His head was originally leaning towards one side; now, he didn''t even dare straighten his neck, and so he just left his head in that inclined position rather than risk his neck straightening and making even the slightest bit of noise, scaring that girl.


    That maiden continued, "Xiaoming, what have you¡­have you heard, regarding news of him?" Duan Yu couldn''t help but feel a sour feeling in his heart. The ''him'' the maiden was referring to obviously couldn''t be himself, Duan Yu; rather, it was young master Murong. From Madame Wang''s earlier words, young master Murong seemed to have the given name of ''Fu'', ''recover''. The maiden''s question seemed to be filled with concern and tender affection for him. Duan Yu could not control the feelings of jealousy from springing forth from his core as they once more hurt his heart. Xiaoming mumbled haltingly for a long time, appearing to be very uncomfortable.


    The maiden said, "Tell me! I definitely will take good care of you afterwards." Xiaoming said, "I''m afraid¡­I''m afraid the madame will blame me." The maiden said, "Silly girl, after you tell me, do you really think I will go tell the madame?" Xiaoming asked, "What if the madame asks you?" The maiden said, "Naturally, I still won''t tell her." Xiaoming hesitated for another period of time before saying, "Your cousin, the young-master went to Shaolin." The maiden said, "Shaolin? Why is it that Ah Zhu and Ah Bi said he was going to Luoyang to meet with the Beggar''s Clan?" Duan Yu thought to himself, "Her cousin, the young master? Oh, young master Murong is her maternal cousin. The two of them must share the innocent affection of cousins, which they have had since childhood. Then¡­then¡­"


    Xiaoming said, "This time, when the madame was out travelling, she came across second master Gongye. He said that the all the leaders of the Beggar''s Clan have come to Jiangnan, intending to put on a huge show of force and question the young master about something which had to do with one of their masters. Second master Gongye said that he received a letter from the young master. The young master wrote that he had arrived in Luoyang but was unable to find any of the leaders of the beggars, and so went to Mt. Song to visit Shaolin." The maiden said, "Why did he go to Shaolin?" Xiaoming said, "Second master Gongye said that in the letter, the young master wrote that an old Shaolin monk died in Dali, and that Shaolin was falsely accusing Gusu''s Murong family of having done the deed. The young master was very angry. Fortunately, Shaolin isn''t very far away from Luoyang, so he decided to go there and clear up the matter.


    The maiden said, "If he''s unable to clear things up, then won''t things end up in violence? Since the madame found out about this news, why did she come back home instead of rushing to Shaolin to help the young master out?" Xiaoming said, "This¡­well, I don''t know. I imagine that it is probably because the madame doesn''t like the young master." The maiden angrily said, "Hmph. Even if she doesn''t like him, he''s one of us. If Gusu''s Murong family loses face to outsiders, will our Wang family gain anything from it?" Xiaoming did not dare to reply.


    The maiden walked back and forth near the copse of bamboo plants. Suddenly, she saw the three white camellia plants which Duan Yu had planted, as well as the shattered remains of the porcelain vases. She let out a startled sound, then asked, "Who is planting camellias here?"


    Duan Yu moved quickly, emerging from behind the boulder. Bowing deeply, he said, "In accordance with the madame''s orders, your humble servant came here to cultivate camellia flowers. I''m sorry to have disturbed you." Although he bowed very deeply, he stared straight ahead at her. He was afraid that the maiden would just repeat the words, "I don''t associate with male strangers," then leave again, with him once more missing a wonderful opportunity.


    As soon as he saw the young lady, he felt a buzzing sound in his ears. He felt as though his vision was becoming blurry, and his legs went weak. He couldn''t help but sink to his knees. If he didn''t exert all of his energy to keep himself straight, he would have kowtowed to her. Finally, he managed to cry out, "Dear goddess! I¡­I have been so miserable, dreaming about you! Master, your disciple, Duan Yu, pays respects to you!


    The girl in front of him looked totally identical to the jade statue of the jade cavern. There were no differences whatsoever. Although Madame Wang looked very similar to the jade statue, she was obviously older, and was not as beautiful. But the girl in front of him, aside from her choice of clothes, looked exactly the same as the statue. Face, eyes, nose, lips, ears, skin color, body figure, hands, feet; there was not a single difference. It was as though the jade statue had come to life. In his dreams, he had longed for the jade statue a thousand or ten thousand times. Now, seeing her before his own very eyes, he really did not know where he was. Was he on earth, or was he in heaven?


    The young maiden thought he was a lunatic. Letting out a soft cry, she retreated two steps. Shocked, she said, "You¡­you¡­"


    Duan Yu rose to his feet. His eyes remained locked on the young maiden, and now he saw her even more clearly than before. Only now did he realize that there were still some differences between the girl in front of him and the jade statue. The jade statue was gorgeous, seductive, and arousing; it had the power to entrance one''s senses and steal one''s soul. The maiden in front of him, on the other hand, was dignified and sedate, with a hint of childishness. In terms of appearances, the jade statue actually appeared to be more animate and alive than the girl in front of him. He said, "Ever since that day in the jade cavern, when I kowtowed to your celestial statue, dear goddess, I felt that I was the luckiest of men. I never would have imagined that today, I would be able to see your appearance with mine own eyes. Goddesses really do exist on earth. The world isn''t an empty place at all!"


    The maiden said to Xiaoming, "What is he talking about? He¡­who is he?" Xiaoming said, "He''s that bookworm which Ah Zhu and Ah Bi brought. He claimed to know how to plant camellias. The madame actually believed his rubbish." The maiden said to Duan Yu, "Bookworm, did you overhear the conversation I had with her just then?"


    Duan Yu laughed, "Your humble servant has the surname of Duan, with the given name of Yu. I am a citizen of Dali, not a bookworm. Dear goddess, I accidentally overheard the conversation between you and sister Xiaoming. But neither of you need to worry; your humble servant won''t leak a single word of your conversation. I guarantee that I will not cause sister Xiaoming to be blamed by Madame Wang."


    The maiden''s face sank. "Who are you calling your ''dear goddess''? You refuse to admit you are a bookworm? When did you ever meet me?" Duan Yu replied, "If I''m not to call you ''dear goddess'', how should I address you?" The maiden said, "My family name is Wang. You can just call me Miss Wang."


    Duan Yu shook his head. "No way. There''s hundreds of millions of Miss Wang''s in the world. Miss, how could I address a celestial personage such as yourself simply as ''Miss Wang''? But how am I to address you then? This is a really tough problem. How about Celestial Maiden Wang? That seems too vulgar. Princess of the Camellias? But the Great Song, Dali, Liao, Tibet, and the Western Xia all have many princesses. Which one can compare to you?"


    The maiden felt as though his words were filled with poetic diction. She all the more felt he was a total bookworm. Nonetheless, seeing him so enraptured by her and hearing him pour forth so many praises of her beauty, she couldn''t help but be a little delighted. Smiling she said, "Your luck is not bad at all. My mom didn''t chop your legs off."


    Duan Yu said, "The madame''s looks are comparable to yours, dear goddess. Only, her temperament is a bit too weird, and she randomly wants to kill people. It''s really a bit at odds with her goddess-like appearance."


    The maiden knitted her eyebrows slightly. "Hurry up and go plant camellias. Don''t just stand here and jibber jabber. The two of us have important things to talk about." Her attitude indicated that she thought of him simply as a common gardener.


    Duan Yu didn''t think about disobeying. He just wanted to exchange a few more words with her and cast a few more glances towards her. He thought to himself, "The only way I can lure her into being whole-heartedly willing to chat with me is by discussing young master Murong. Aside from this, she won''t care about anything else." He said, "Shaolin is the Mt. Taishan and the Big Dipper of the martial community [meaning, holds an utmost position of height and power]. Within the monastery itself, if there aren''t a thousand eminent monks and expert fighters, there are at least eight hundred. Many of them have practiced the 72 Ultimate Techniques. Recently, Master Xuanbei was violently murdered in Dali''s Luliang prefecture, within the Shenjie Monastery. The many monks there were firm in their assertion that it was Gusu''s Murong family which did the deed. For young master Murong to enter such an extremely risky situation by himself is very unwise.


    That maiden''s body actually trembled. Duan Yu didn''t dare look directly at her face. He thought to himself, "She cares so much about that little brat, Murong Fu. If I see her expression, I might be so pissed that I would start crying." He watched the lower hem of her pale, pinkish grey dress gently tremble. He heard her insurpassably gentle voice say, "Why do the monks of Shaolin falsely accuse Gusu''s Murong family? Do you know? You¡­hurry and tell me."


    Hearing her beg him in such a trembling voice, Duan Yu''s heart softened, and he wanted to immediately tell her everything. But then, he reconsidered. "Actually, my knowledge in this matter is limited. All I really know is that master Xuanbei was killed by a blow from the ''Great Veda Sceptre'' technique, and that everyone agreed that only the Murong family ''uses the opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent.'' I would finish explaining all of that in a few sentences. After I''m done explaining, she''ll shoo me off to go plant camellias again, by which point it will be very difficult to come up with any other topics of conversation. I need to make a mountain out of a molehill and spend a long time talking about a simple matter. I''ll just tell her a little bit each day, but also talk about all sorts of random matters and ramble on and off. I''ll stretch the conversation out as long as I can, so as to get her to come talk to me every day. If she can''t find me, her heart will itch and she''ll be discomfited."


    Duan Yu coughed and said, "I myself do not know martial arts. I don''t even know the most basic of techniques, such as ''Golden Pheasant Stands Alone'', or ''Black Tiger Stealing the Heart''. But I know a family friend by the surname of Zhu, whose full name is Zhu Danchen. His nickname is ''Student of Calligraphy''. He might look like a weak and scholarly bookworm like me, but he really is very good at martial arts. One day, I saw him fold his fan, invert it, then with a puffing sound, point the fan towards the shoulder of this big muscular fellow. That fellow immediately curled up into a ball, as though he had turned into a puddle of mud, totally unable to move."


    The maiden said, "Right, this is the ''Cool and Refreshing Fan'' technique''s acupoint sealing skill. It is the thirty eighth technique, the ''Bone-Piercing Fan'' technique. Invert the fan, then diagonally attack the shoulder acupoint. This Mr. Zhu belongs to a branch of the Mt. Kunlun school of martial arts, and is a disciple of the Three Reasons Temple. Practitioners of this school of martial arts are even more formidable when using judge pens as opposed to fans. Let''s get back to the main topic. There''s no need to discuss martial arts with me."


    If Zhu Danchen himself had been here and heard these words, he would have admired this girl from the depths of his heart. Not only had the maiden properly identified the technique he had used, she even managed to discern the origins of his martial arts and clearly explain where he had studied it. If another famous martial arts expert, such as Duan Yu''s uncle, Duan Zhengming, or his father, Duan Zhengchun, they would have been astonished as well and wondered, "How is it that such a young girl has such a broad, deep, and incisive understanding of martial arts?" But Duan Yu did not know martial arts at all, so when the girl casually made those comments, he just casually listened, without even knowing if her words were correct or not. He stared at her thin eyebrows as they rose and her red lips as they moved. Whether or not her words were correct, he did not care one bit.


    The maiden asked, "So what about Mr. Zhu?" Duan Yu pointed at a bluestone bench near the bamboo plants and said, "This story will take some time in the telling. Miss, why don''t you move over there and take a seat? Then, I''ll slowly report the events to you." The maiden said, "You ramble on and on. Why can''t you just speak casually and quickly? I don''t have the energy to listen to you." Duan Yu replied, "Miss, if you don''t have the time today, you can come find me tomorrow. If you don''t have free time tomorrow, it''ll be fine if we wait a few more days. As long as the madame does not chop off my tongue, all you need to do is ask and I will tell you what you want to know."


    The maiden lightly stomped her foot on the ground, then turned around and ignored him. She asked Xiaoming, "What else did the madame say?" Xiaoming replied, "The madame said, ''Hmph, the problems are becoming bigger and bigger. He''s become foes with the Beggar''s Clan and enemies with Shaolin. I''m afraid that Gusu''s Murong family will die¡­die without even a place to be buried." The maiden hurriedly said, "Mother clearly knows that my cousin is in a dangerous, critical situation. Why doesn''t she care?" Xiaoming said, "Right. Miss, I''m afraid that the madame will go looking for me. I need to leave! No matter what, please don''t tell the madame what I told you. I want to be alive to serve you for a few more years." The maiden said, "Put your heart at ease. Why would I harm you?" Xiaoming paid her respects and left. Seeing a look of dread and fear on her face, Duan Yu thought to himself, "To Madame Wang, killing people is as big a deal as cutting the grass. She really does make others swoon with fear."


    The maiden slowly walked to the bluestone bench, then lightly and elegantly sat down, but did not ask Duan Yu to sit as well. Duan Yu naturally did not dare to rashly sit next to her. One of the white camellias was situated very close to her, only two branch-lengths away. A beautiful woman and a famous flower; the two brought out the best of each other''s beauty. Duan Yu sighed, "''The beautiful flower collapses the country, but both are beautiful.'' Inferior, far inferior. In the past, the poet Li Bai used peony flowers as a metaphor for the beauty of Precious Consort Yang [Yang Guifei]. If he had the fortune to see you, miss, he would realize that although the flower is very beautiful, it is not tender when angry, does not have a soft voice, has no joyful laughter, and is without worries and cares. The flowers are far inferior!"


    The maiden quietly said, "You keep on telling me that I am beautiful, but I don''t know if it''s true or not." Duan Yu was totally astonished. "Only those who have no eyes cannot see beauty when beauty is placed before them. If this is the case for men, how much more must it be for you? I imagine that you have been called beautiful too many times in your life, and are bored of hearing it."


    The maiden slowly shook her head, revealing a look of loneliness. She said, "No one has ever told me whether or not I am beautiful. Within the Highland Manor of the Camellias, aside from my mother and myself, everyone here is a servant. They only know me as the young missus. Why would they care if I am beautiful or ugly?" Duan Yu said, "What about outsiders?" The maiden said, "What outsiders?" Duan Yu said, "When you go outside and others see your goddess-like beauty, surely they are startled and gasp in admiration, then prostrate themselves in reverence?" The maiden said, "I never go outside. Why would I go outside? Mother doesn''t allow me to, anyhow. When I go to my aunt''s house to read at the ''Water Pavilion of Bestowal and Repayment'', I don''t meet any outsiders there either. Although, some of his friends, like big brother Deng, second brother Gongye, third brother Bao, or fourth brother Feng, they¡­they aren''t dull-witted fellows like you." As she spoke, a small smile appeared.


    Duan Yu said, "Can it be that young master Murong¡­that he too has never told you how beautiful you are?"


    The maiden slowly lowered her head. An indescribably soft, almost inaudible sound could be heard, followed by a few more. A few teardrops fell onto the grass, crystal clear and sparkling, appearing as though they were the early morning dew. Duan Yu no longer dared to ask any more questions, nor did he dare to say any comforting words.


    After a long time, the maiden let out a quiet sigh. "He¡­he''s a very busy person. Every day of every year, from dawn til dusk, he is always busy, without a single moment of free time. When we are together, either we are discussing martial arts or important affairs of state. I¡­I hate martial arts."


    Duan Yu slapped his thigh and declared, "Not bad, not bad! I hate martial arts as well. My uncle and my father both told me to learn martial arts, but I refused to learn no matter what, and chose to sneak away from home instead."


    The maiden let out a long sigh. "In order to be able to often meet with him, despite hating martial arts, I forced myself to not only read boxing treatises and sabre manuals, but also to memorize them, so that if there was something he did not understand, I could explain it to him. But I myself do not learn them. It isn''t very refined for girls to brandish sabres and wave cudgels about¡­" Duan Yu agreed from the bottom of his heart. "Right, right! How could a girl like you, a peerless beauty, get into physical battles with others? That''d really be totally inappropriate. Ack!..." He suddenly realized that these words he said were offensive to his own mother. The maiden didn''t really pay much attention to what he said and continued, "All of the political leaders of every dynasty have always been engaged in power struggles. Today, I try to kill you; tomorrow, you try to kill me. I really don''t want to know about those things. But he loves talking about those matters, so I have no choice but to read those types of books to be able to tell him about these things."


    Duan Yu asked curiously, "Why is it that you have to read books and then explain them to him? Can''t he read them himself?" The maiden glanced at him. "What, you think he''s an idiot? That he doesn''t know how to read?" Duan Yu hastily said, "No, no! He''s the best person in the whole wide world, alright?" Although Duan Yu said these words, in his heart he felt sour.


    The maiden smiled beautifully. "He''s my maternal cousin. Aside from my aunt, my uncle, and him, very few people come to visit this place. But after my uncle passed away, my mother got into a spat with my aunt. Now, my mother doesn''t even allow my cousin to come visit. I honestly don''t know if he''s the best person in the whole world. I am not able to get to know the good people or the bad people of the world." Duan Yu said, "Why not ask your daddy?"


    The maiden said, "My father died a long time ago. He passed away even before I was born. I¡­I''ve never seen his face." As she spoke, her eyes reddened as though tears once more wanted to emerge.


    Duan Yu said, "Right, so your aunt would be your father''s older sister, and your uncle is your aunt''s husband, so he¡­he¡­he is your aunt''s son." The maiden laughed out loud. "You are so muddle-headed. I''m my mother''s daughter, and he is my cousin."


    Seeing that he was able to coax a laugh from her, Duan Yu was very happy. He said, "Oh, I know! It must be that your cousin is too busy to read books, so you have to read them for him." The maiden said, "You could put it like that, but there''s another reason as well. Let me ask you, why is it that the monks of Shaolin are falsely accusing my cousin of having killed one of their people?"


    Duan Yu saw that a single tear still quivered at the end of her long eyelashes. He thought to himself, "The ancients wrote, ''Pear flowers blossom when the spring brings rain.'' This is a metaphor for a beautiful woman crying. But although pear flowers are all very beautiful, pear trees themselves are too fat and heavy. In addition, after a rainstorm, every pear flower would have ''tears'' on them. That''s an excessive amount of sadness. Miss Wang is like a camellia flower covered with faint dew; only this can be considered truly beautiful beauty."


    The maiden waited for a while, but Duan Yu still did not reply. She stretched her hand out and gently tapped the back of his hand. "What''s wrong with you?" Duan Yu''s entire body trembled, and he shot to his feet, calling out, "Aiyo!" The maiden was frightened for a moment, and asked, "What''s wrong?" His entire face burning red, Duan Yu replied, "When you tapped your fingers on the back of my hand, it felt as though my acupoints were being sealed."


    The maiden opened her eyes wide, not knowing that he was joking. She said, "There''s no acupoints on this side of the hand. The ''Ye Men'' [Liquid Gate], ''Zhong Zhu'' [Central Islet], and the ''Yang Chi'' [Yang Moat] acupoints are all on the palm of the hand. The ''Qian Huo'' [First Opening] and the ''Yang Lao'' [Providing For the Elderly] acupoints are on the wrist. All of them are very far away." As she spoke, she used the back of her own hand to demonstrate.


    As Duan Yu watched as she pointed towards the tender, delicate, snowy-white back of her hand, he felt his throat become dry. His head felt dizzy and he asked, "Mi¡­miss, what is your name?"


    The maiden smiled. "You are a really weird fellow, you know that? Fine, I guess there''s no harm in telling you. Even if I don''t tell you, those two little rascals, Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, will tell you." Stretching a finger out, she drew three characters on the back of her own hand: "Wang Yuyan." [Yuyan means ''Beautiful Speech'' or ''Beautiful Language'']


    Duan Yu called out, "Wonderful, wonderful! Beautiful smiles and speech, and a kind, amiable personality." He thought to himself, "Let''s make things clear from the start. If she''s like her mother, being perfectly fine one moment then suddenly angry the next and having me go plant flowers, then the name is insuitable for her."


    Wang Yuyan smiled. "People always have nice names. All of those vile, wicked, evil people in history had beautiful names as well. Cao Cao did not necessarily display any upright conduct [De Cao means Upright Conduct], and Zhu Quanzhong was totally disloyal [Quanzhong means Totally Loyal]. Your name is Duan Yu. Is your name, Yu, such a good name? I''m afraid you''re a little ''buying fame¡­''[Gu Ming]" Duan Yu interjected, "¡­and fishing for praise'' [Diao Yu]!" The two of them laughed loudly together. [The phrase, ''Gu Ming Diao Yu'', means fishing for compliments and praise.]


    Wang Yuyan''s beautiful face had always seemed to carry a hint of anxiety, but now, caught in the midst of joyful laughter, she became all the more charming and beautiful. Duan Yu thought to himself, "If I can spend the rest of my life making her laugh and wreathing her face in smiles, there would be nothing more I would ask for from life."


    Unexpectedly, she was only happy for a brief period of time before once again that faint look of sorrow and worry settled across her face. She quietly said, "He¡­he''s always so serious. He never talks about such silly things with me. Alas! The nation of Yan, the nation of Yan¡­is it really that important?"


    ''The nation of Yan, the nation of Yan''; these words, upon entering Duan Yu''s ears, suddenly interlinked with many previously separate terms and phrases. The ''Murong lineage'', the ''Basin of Swallows,'' the ''Canhe Manor'', the ''nation of Yan''¡­Duan Yu suddenly blurted out, "Is this young master Murong the descendant of Murong clan of the Xianbei people, who carved out the ''Yan'' empire during the time when the five Hu minority nationalities spread chaos in China? He is of the Hu minority, and is not a Chinese person?"


    Wang Yuyan nodded. "Right. He is the descendant of the former princes of the Murong family which ruled the nation of Yan. But that was centuries ago. There''s no need to constantly bear in mind ancient history and the affairs of your ancestors. He wants to be a Hu person, not a Chinese person. He doesn''t want to learn Chinese characters or read Chinese books. But I don''t see what''s so bad about Chinese books. Once, I said to him, ''Cousin, if you say that Chinese books are bad, what books do the Xianbei people have? I want to take a look.'' But he immediately flew into a rage because there''s no such thing as Xianbei-language books to begin with."


    She slightly raised her head, staring at the lazy, distant clouds in the sky. In her soft voice, she said, "He¡­he is ten years older than me. He''s always just thought of me as a younger sister. He thinks that I don''t know anything aside from reading books and memorizing martial arts techniques. He has never realized that I read books for his sake, memorize martial arts for his sake. If it weren''t for him, I''d rather raise a few chicks to play with, or play the zither, or practice calligraphy."


    In a quivering voice, Duan Yu said, "He truly doesn''t know that you¡­that you are this good to him?"


    Wang Yuyan replied, "Of course he knows that I am good to him. He''s always treated me very well as well. But¡­but it''s as though we are actual brothers and sisters. Aside from serious matters, he never discusses anything with me. He never tells me what he is thinking, nor does he ever ask me if I have anything on my mind." Her jade-like cheeks blushed a faint red, and a bashful look appeared in her eyes and on her face.


    At first, Duan Yu wanted to tease her and ask her, "What sort of things do you have on your mind?" But seeing the tender, bashful look on her beautiful face, he didn''t dare run the risk of offending this beautiful lady. He said, "You don''t need to always discuss history and martial arts with him. Aren''t there a lot of evening songs and love poems in the books you read?" As soon as he said this, he felt regretful. "Just let her continue to stare at him with soft eyes and tender glances, but be unable to communicate with him. Isn''t that a good thing? Why should I teach her techniques to communicate with him? I really am a total idiot."


    Wang Yuyan became all the more bashful. She hurriedly said, "How¡­how could I do that? I am a prim and proper maiden. How could I bring up these¡­these poems and songs, and have my cousin look down upon me?"


    Duan Yu let out a long breath, then said, "Absolutely, you are absolutely right." In his heart, he cursed at himself, "Duan Yu, you bastard, you really aren''t an upright and honest gentleman."


    Wang Yuyan had never revealed these thoughts of hers to anyone else. She kept them in her heart, examining and re-examining them many times over by herself. Today, by chance, she ran into a fellow like Duan Yu, who was naturally easygoing and unrestrained in temperament. For some reason, she felt that he was very trustworthy and divulged to him all of the tender and soft feelings she had towards Murong Fu. Actually, the likes of Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, and even Xiaocha, Xiaoming, and Youcao all naturally knew that she was secretly in love with her cousin. It was just that none of them spoke aloud regarding it. After talking for so long, the gloomy feeling in her heart dissipated slightly. She said, "I digressed a lot in our conversation, and we didn''t get to the main topic. Why, exactly, is Shaolin making things difficult for my cousin?"


    Knowing that he was unable to dodge the question any longer, Duan Yu said, "The abbot of Shaolin is known as master Xuanci. He has a junior martial-brother named Xuanbei. Master Xuanbei is most proficient at using the ''Veda Sceptre'' style." Wang Yuyan nodded. "That is the forty-eighth fighting style amongst Shaolin''s 72 Ultimate Techniques. Within the style, there are only a total of nineteen individual stances, but all of them are very fearsome and overpowering when executed."


    Duan Yu continued, "When master Xuanbei came to Dali, he was somehow killed by someone within the Shenjie monastery in Dali''s Luliang prefecture. Moreover, the technique which the killer used against him was the technique which master Xuanbei himself was famous for; the ''Veda Sceptre'' technique. They said that only Gusu''s Murong family harms others in such a manner, which they called ''using the opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent.''" Wang Yuyan nodded. "That''s not unreasonable."


    Duan Yu said, "Aside from Shaolin, there are others who also are seeking revenge upon the Murong lineage." Wang Yuyan said, "Who else?" Duan Yu said, "Within the Hidden Ox sect, there was a man named Ke Baisui who specialized in a technique known as the ''Thousand Ruptures on the Soul of Heaven''." Wang Yuyan said, "Oh! That is the fourth variation of the ninth stance of the Hidden Ox sect''s ''Ever-Victorious Soft Whip'' technique. Although the technique is extremely strange, it can''t really considered a top-tier martial arts technique; all that can be said in its favor is that the force it unleashes is extremely hard and fierce." Duan Yu said, "This person was killed by the ''Thousand Ruptures on the Soul of Heaven'' technique. His martial-brother and his apprentice are naturally seeking revenge upon the Murong family."


    Wang Yuyan mumbled to herself, "It''s possible that my cousin killed Ke Baisui, but he definitely did not kill Xuanbei. My cousin doesn''t know the ''Veda Sceptre'' technique. It is extremely difficult to learn. But if you ever meet my cousin, don''t tell him that he doesn''t know this technique, and definitely don''t tell him that I told you so. Otherwise, he''ll fly into a rage."


    Just as they spoke to this point, the sound of two pairs of feet rushing towards them could be heard. It was Xiaoming and Youcao.


    There was look of dread on Youcao''s face. Totally flustered, she said, "Miss, bad¡­bad news! The madame ordered that Ah Zhu and Ah Bi¡­" Her voice choked, and for the moment she couldn''t say anything. Xiaoming stepped in, "That their right hands be chopped off, to punish them for their offense of arrogantly barging into the Highland Manor of the Camellias. She also said that if she ever sees them again, she''ll immediately have their heads chopped off. What¡­what are we to do?"


    Duan Yu hurriedly said, "Miss Wang, quick, you''ve got to think of a way to rescue them!"


    Wang Yuyan was very anxious as well. Knitting her eyebrows, she said, "Ah Zhu and Ah Bi are my cousin''s trusted servants. If I allow them to be crippled, how can I face my cousin? Youcao, where are they?" Youcao, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi were extremely good friends. Hearing that Wang Yuyan seemed inclined towards helping them, she felt a ray of hope. She hurriedly said, "The madame ordered that the two of them be taken to the ''Flower Fertilizer Shed''. I begged granny Yan to delay the execution of the sentence by an hour. If you go beg the madame immediately, there''s still a chance." Wang Yuyan thought to herself, "Most likely, begging my mother to show mercy is useless. But except for this, there are no other options." She immediately nodded, then left with Youcao and Xiaoming.


    Watching her slim and graceful back disappear, Duan Yu wanted to run after her and say a few more words to her. But after taking a single step, he felt as though he had no words to say. As he stood there, stupefied, he began to reminisce about the conversation he just had with her. He couldn''t help but go crazy over it.


    Wang Yuyan walked swiftly to the main rooms. Seeing her mother reclining on a bed, lost in a trance while staring at a camellia painting that was hanging on the wall, she called out, "Mother!"


    Madame Wang slowly turned her head. A grim expression was on her face. "What do you want to talk to me about? If it has to do with the Murong family, I don''t want to hear it." Wang Yuyan said, "Mother, Ah Zhu and Ah Bi didn''t come here on purpose this time. Can''t you let them off the hook, just this once?" Madame Wang said, "How do you know they didn''t come here on purpose? Are you afraid that if I chop their hands off, your cousin will never speak to you ever again?" Tears began to gather in Wang Yuyan''s eyes. "My cousin is your nephew. Why¡­why must you hate him so much? Even if my aunt offended you, you don''t need to resent my cousin." She had summoned up all her courage to say these words, but as soon as she did, her heart began thumping wildly in her chest. Even she herself was shocked at how daring she had been in directly contradicting her mother.


    Frozen lightning was in Madame Wang''s eyes. She swept her gaze across her daughter''s face a few times, but did not immediately respond. Following this, she closed her eyes. Wang Yuyan didn''t dare to so much as take a loud breath, unsure as to just what exactly her mother was planning.


    After a long time, Madame Wang opened her eyes. She said, "How do you know that your aunt offended me? How did she offend me?" Hearing how icy her mother''s tone was, Wang Yuyan was so frightened that she couldn''t even speak. Madame Wang said, "Go ahead and tell me. You are growing older, and no longer need to obey me anyhow." Both angry and anxious, Wang Yuyan began to cry. "Mother, for you¡­for you to hate her family so much, she must have offended you somehow. But you never told me how she offended you. Now that she''s passed away, you¡­you don''t need to cling to your hatred of her." Madame Wang snapped at her, "Have you heard anyone talk about this?" Wang Yuyan shook her head. "You never allow me to leave, nor do you allow outsiders to come. Who would talk to me about this?"


    Madame Wang let out a quiet sigh. Her tense, taut face immediately loosened, and the tone of her voice became gentle as well. She said, "I do this for your own good. There are too many bad people in the outside world, each of whom kills more than the next. It''s best for a young lady like you to not meet with bad people." As she said this, she suddenly thought of something and added, "The new gardener who is surnamed Duan is very glib and very sly. He''s not a good person. If he says so much as a single sentence to you, immediately order the servant girls to kill him. Don''t allow him to say a second sentence. Understood?" Wang Yuyan thought to herself, "What''s this about one sentence or two sentences? We''ve probably talked for more than one hundred or two hundred sentences!"


    Madame Wang said, "What is it? Look at how soft-hearted and gentle you are; the gods only know how much suffering you will have to endure in your life because of it." She clapped twice and Xiaoming entered. Madame Wang said, "Pass the word down. If anyone talks to the gardener surnamed Duan, both of their tongues will be cut out." Xiaoming looked stupefied. Madame Wang''s attitude seemed to be that of one who was ordering a chicken or a dog to be slaughtered. She replied, "Yes!" She hurriedly retreated. Madame Wang waved a hand towards her daughter. "You leave as well!"


    Wang Yuyan replied, "Yes." As she passed through the doorway, she turned her head and said, "Mother, please show mercy to Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, and just order them to never come here again, under any circumstances." Madame Wang said coldly, "How often do I go back on my word? No matter what you say, I won''t change my mind."


    Madame Wang clenched her teeth. In a low voice, she said, "I know why you hate auntie and why you dislike my cousin." With a few quiet steps, she hurriedly exited.


    Madame Wang said, "Get back!" These words were particularly loud or clear, but were filled with an awe-inspiring dignity. Wang Yuyan returned to the room, head lowered and silent. Madame Wang stared at the quivering lines of blue smoke rising from the incense-burners in the room. In a low voice, she said, "Yan''er, what do you know? No need to lie to me. It''s best if you just say everything." Wang Yuyan bit her lower lip. "Auntie blamed you for killing people indiscriminately, to the point where you offended the local government authorities as well as created many vendettas with people of the martial world."


    Madame Wang said, "Correct. These are the affairs of the Wang family. What did they have to do with her Murong family? She was nothing more than your father''s elder sister. What authority did she have to try and govern me? Hmph, over the past few hundred years, the only thing the Murong family has done is dream about ''restoring the Yan dynasty''. All they can think about is uniting the heroes of the world under their banner. They fawn on people and try to make alliances. Heh heh, and now, they''ve even offended both the Beggar''s Clan and Shaolin."


    Wang Yuyan said, "Mother, my cousin definitely did not kill master Xuanbei of Shaolin. He doesn''t know how to use¡­" But just as she was about to say ''the Veda Sceptre technique'', she hurriedly paused. As soon as her mother found out where she had heard those words from, it would be almost impossible for Duan Yu to escape death. Instead, she said, "¡­I''m afraid his martial arts level isn''t good enough."


    Madame Wang said, "True. Right now, he went to pay a visit to Shaolin. Those blabbermouth servant girls naturally have already told you this. ''Nothern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong.'' This saying is really famous and resounding. But can one Murong Fu, plus a Deng Baichun, really get any good results from this trip to Shaolin by themselves? He really doesn''t know his own limits!" Wang Yuyan took a few steps forward. In a supplicating voice, she said, "Mother, can you please think of a way to rescue him? Can you send some people to go give him a helping hand? He¡­he''s the last descendant of the Murong lineage. If something bad happens to him, the Murong family line will come to an end and their lineage be extinct." Madame Wang sneered, "Gusu''s Murong family. Hmph. What does the Murong family has to do with me? Your auntie claimed that her Murong family''s ''Water Pavilion of Bestowal and Repayment'' is superior to our ''Jade Cavern Library''. Fine. Then let her precious son, Murong Fu, go to Shaolin and display his power and might." With a wave of her hand, she said, "Leave, leave!" Madame Wang said, "Mother, my cousin¡­" Madame Wang snapped, "You grow more and more impudent!"


    Tears glistened in Wang Yuyan''s eyes. Lowering her head, she left. Her mind was running wild and she had no idea what to do. As she walked to a porch in the west wing of the house, she heard someone say in a low voice, "Miss, what''s wrong?" Wang Yuyan raised her head. It was Duan Yu. She hurriedly said, "You¡­don''t talk to me!"


    After Wang Yuyan had left earlier, Duan Yu had stood there in a daze for a while before slowly following her footstep in a befuddled way. He waited for her from a distance. After seeing her come out from Madame Wang''s room, he couldn''t prevent himself from following her. Seeing a grieved expression on Wang Yuyan''s face, he knew that Madame Wang did not agree to her request. He said, "Even if the madame did not agree, we still need to think of something." Wang Yuyan replied, "If mother doesn''t agree, what''s the point of coming up with any ideas? She¡­she¡­she¡­my cousin is in a very dangerous situation, but she intends to fold her hands in her sleeves and ignore him." The more she spoke, the more miserable she felt, until she couldn''t help but once more begin to shed tears.


    Duan Yu replied, "Right, young master Murong really is in a lot of trouble¡­" He suddenly thought of something and asked, "You know so much about martial arts. Why don''t you go yourself and help him out?" Wang Yuyan opened her dark, liquid eyes, and stared at him as though this was the most bizarre idea in the entire world. After a long time, she said, "I¡­I understand martial arts, but don''t practice them. Besides, how could I go? Mother definitely wouldn''t allow it." Duan Yu smiled. "Your mother naturally won''t let you go, but aren''t you able to sneak out by yourself? I once left home by myself once. Afterwards, when I came back home, my mother and father didn''t scold me too harshly."


    After hearing these words, Wang Yuyan suddenly saw the light. Her eyes brightened, and she thought to herself, "Right! If I sneak out to go help my cousin, even if mother severely punishes me when I return, it''s no big deal. Even if she wants to kill me, I''ll have already helped my cousin." When she thought about having the chance to undergo trials and tribulations on behalf of her cousin, her heart was filled with both misery and sweetness. Then she thought, "This person said he secretly ran away before. Hm, right, why didn''t I ever think of anything like this?" Duan Yu, sneaking glances at her, saw that she seemed to be half-convinced. He immediately exerted all his effort to convince her. He said, "You always stay here, within the Highland Manor of the Camellias. Don''t you want to check out the dazzling outside world and see its myriad temptations?"


    Wang Yuyan shook her head. "What does it have worth checking? I''m just worried about my cousin. But I''ve never practiced martial arts. If he really meets up with any problems, I won''t be able to help." Duan Yu replied, "Why wouldn''t you be of help? You''d be of tremendous help! When your cousin is fighting others, you can give watch and give him a few words of advice from the sidelines. This is known as ''the bystander sees most clearly''. When someone else was playing a game of chess and about to lose, I gave him some advice from the sidelines and he immediately managed a complete comeback. This just happened very recently." Wang Yuyan felt he made a lot of sense, but wasn''t able to summon up enough courage. She hesitantly said, "I''ve never been away from home. I don''t even know if Shaolin is to the east or to the west."


    Duan Yu immediately jumped at the opportunity. "I''ll accompany you. If any problems arise on the road, just let me deal with them." He naturally didn''t bring up the point that his own experience in the martial world was brilliantly shallow.


    Wang Yuyan furrowed her eyebrows. Inclining her head to one side, she mumbled to herself indecisively. Duan Yu asked, "What''s happening with Ah Zhu and Ah Bi?" Wang Yuyan said, "Mother won''t let them off." Duan Yu said, "In for a penny, in for a pound! [Lit. ''Either don''t act at all, or don''t stop once you do!''] If Ah Zhu and Ah Bi have their right hands chopped off, your cousin will definitely blame you. Why don''t we go rescue them, then the two of us will immediately set off." Wang Yuyan stuck out her tongue. "How can my mother possibly forgive such an enormous outrage? You really have way too much courage!"


    Duan Yu knew very well that right now that nothing could move her mind aside from her cousin. He immediately used the tactic of retreating to seize an advantage. He said, "If that''s the case, then let''s go immediately and just let your mother chop off Ah Zhu and Ah Bi''s hands. In the future, when your cousin asks you about it, you can just deny knowing about it. I definitely won''t divulge the secret."


    Wang Yuyan hurriedly said, "How can I do that? Isn''t that lying to him?" She felt very hesitant. "Alas! Ah Zhu and Ah Bi are his two trusted servants. If anything bad were to happen to them, the grudge between the Murong family and my Wang family will only grow all the more deep." Stamping her left foot, she said, "You, come with me."


    Hearing the four words ''You, come with me'', Duan Yu was so happy he could have died at that moment with no complaints. In his entire life, he''d never heard four more beautiful words. Seeing that she was walking towards the northwest, he followed her from behind.


    In a short amount of time, they arrived outside of a large stone room. Wang Yuyan said, "Granny Yan, please come out. I want to talk to you."


    A strange laughter emanated from the stone room. A shriveled, dry voice said, "My dear young miss, have you come to see how granny makes flower fertilizer?"


    Earlier, Duan Yu had heard Youcao and Xiaoming say that Ah Zhu and Ah Bi had been taken to the ''Flower Fertilizer Shed''. Then, he hadn''t really paid it too much mind. Now, upon hearing this extremely sinister voice say the words, ''flower fertilizer'', his heart froze. "What is the ''Flower Fertilizer Shed''? Is it where fertilizer for the flowers is kept? Damn, right, Madame Wang is incomparably ruthless. She buries people alive and uses them as fertilizer for her flowers. If we came too late, Ah Zhu and Ah Bi''s right hands will have already been chopped off and turned into fertilizer. What will we do then?" His heart thumped frantically, and all the blood disappeared from his face.


    Wang Yuyan said, "Granny Yan, my mother has something to discuss with you. Please come out." The woman in the stone room said, "I''m busy. What pressing business does the madame have, that she sends you to personally come tell me?" Wang Yuyan said, "My mother said¡­hey, are they here yet?"


    As she spoke, she entered the stone room. She saw that Ah Zhu and Ah Bi were bound against two iron pillars. Something was jammed into their mouths, preventing them from saying anything despite their eyes being filled with tears. Duan Yu glanced inside as well. Seeing that Ah Zhu and Ah Bi were not yet harmed, he felt half-relieved. After glancing around the rest of the shed, his heart, which had just barely began to calm down, began to beat wildly again. An old lady with a crooked back who was holding a long, bright, and gleaming sabre in her hands stood next to them. By their side was a boiling cauldron of water that was emitting steady streams of water vapour.


    Wang Yuyan said, "Granny Yan, mother orders that they be released for now. There''s something important she wants to question them about first."


    Granny Yan turned around. Duan Yu saw that she had an extremely ugly face, filled with malice. She nodded. "Fine. After she''s done asking questions, escort them back and have their hands chopped off then." She muttered to herself, "The thing which I, Granny Yan, hate seeing the most is pretty girls. These two girls must have a hand chopped off. Only then will they really be good looking. I''ll go talk to the madame; we should chop off both their hands. We''ve been running a bit low on fertilizer." Duan Yu was furious. He thought to himself that this old woman was filled with evil and maliciousness. Who knows how many people she had already killed? If it weren''t for the fact that he didn''t have the strength to truss up a chicken, he would have given her a few strong blows to her mouth and knock two or three of her teeth out before freeing Ah Zhu and Ah Bi.


    Although Granny Yan was getting on in years, her ears remained sharp. She immediately heard the sound of Duan Yu''s harsh breathing and asked, "Who is outside?" Sticking her head outside, she saw Duan Yu. She fiercely asked, "Who are you?" Duan Yu laughed, "I''m the person who the madame ordered to be her gardener. Granny Yan, might I ask if you have any fresh fertilizer for me?" Granny Yan replied, "Wait a short while. We''ll have some soon." Turning her head, she said, "Miss, your cousin likes these two girls very much, doesn''t he?"


    Wang Yuyan said, "Yes. It''s best for you not to hurt them." Granny Yan nodded. "Miss, isn''t it true that the madame ordered that these two girls each have their right hands be chopped off and be expelled from the manor, and also told them that if she ever sees them again, she''ll chop their heads off?" Wang Yuyan said, "Yes." As soon as she said this, she immediately knew something was wrong and hurriedly covered her mouth with her hands. Duan Yu secretly groaned bitterly. "Man. This young lady doesn''t even know how to tell a lie."


    Fortunately, it seemed as though Granny Yan was old and muddle-headed, not noticing this huge flaw in the story. She said, "Miss, this rope was tied very tightly. Come and help me untie it."


    Wang Yuyan said, "Alright!" Walking to Ah Zhu side, she reached out to untie the rope fastening her wrists. Suddenly, with a clanking sound, an arcing steel hoop shot out of the metal pillar, trapping her slender waist....


    Wang Yuyan let out a startled cry. Although there was a few inches of free space between her waist and the hoop, there was no way she would be able to escape.


    Shocked, Duan Yu rushed into the room. He shouted, "What are you doing? Free the young lady!"


    Granny Yan let out a series of strange, grumbling laughs. "Since the madame already said that if she ever saw these girls again, she would chop off their heads, why would she summon them to ask them questions? The madame has so many servants; why does she need to send you to come personally? There are a lot of irregularities here. Miss, wait here a while. Let me personally go ask the madame, and then we''ll see."


    Wang Yuyan angrily said, "What on earth do you think you''re doing? Let me go immediately!" Granny Yan said, "Miss, I am totally devoted and loyal to the madame. I don''t dare to do anything wrong. Old Mrs. Murong truly was far too impolite to the madame. She made a lot of malicious remarks and slandered the madame''s stainless reputation. It isn''t only the madame who was angry; even us servants hate her to the bone. That day, all the madame had to do was nod and we would have dug a tomb for her, then dragged her corpse to the ''Flower Fertilizer Shed'' and turned her into ordinary fertilizer. Miss, let me tell you this. There isn''t a single good person in the Murong family. There''s no way the madame would have consented to spare these two girls. But since you gave me these orders, I am going to go to the madame and figure everything out. If things really are the way you say they are, I''ll come back and immediately kneel before you and apologize. You can just go ahead and use wooden rods to beat me in accordance with our household rules." Want Yuyan was very worried. She said, "Hey, hey, don''t go ask the madame! My mother will be angry!"


    Granny Yan harbored no more doubt in her heart, knowing that the young lady was certainly making mischief behind her mother''s back. In order to protect her cousin''s servants, she had transmitted false orders. She decided to seize the opportunity to win some merit. She said, "Excellent, excellent! Miss, wait here a bit. This old granny will be right back." Wang Yuyan cried out, "Don''t leave! Free me first!" Granny Yan ignored her, quickly leaving the stone room.


    Seeing the situation had reached a critical point, Duan Yu stretched out both his hands, blocking her way. Laughing, he said, "Wouldn''t it be better if you released her, then went to speak with the madame? You are a servant, after all. In the long run, it does you no good to offend the young miss."


    Narrowing her eyes, Granny Yan inclined her head to one side before saying, "You are behaving very inappropriately, you little punk." With a flip of her hand, she seized Duan Yu by the wrist, then dragged him next to the metal pillar as well. She activated the pillar, and with a clanking sound, it shot out another metal hoop which settled around Duan Yu''s waist as well. Panic-stricken, Duan Yu stretched his hand out and grabbed her by the wrists, refusing to let go no matter what.


    As soon as she was seized by him, Granny Yan felt as though her internal energy was continuously flowing out of her in a steady stream. She felt unspeakably uncomfortable, and angrily shouted, "Let go!" But as exerted her energy to shout loudly, her internal energy began to flow out of her more quickly. She struggled ferociously, but was unable to free herself from Duan Yu''s grip. Shocked, she said, "Little bastard¡­what are you doing? Let go of me now!"


    Duan Yu was directly facing her hideous face, with only a few inches separating them. With his back forced against the metal pillar, there was no way for him to lean his head backwards. Seeing that her filthy yellow teeth looked as though they were about to bite his throat out, he was both terrified and nauseated. But he knew that at this critical moment, if he released her, not only would Wang Yuyan receive a heavy punishment, but he himself along with Ah Zhu and Ah Bi would be unable to keep their lives. All he could do was shut his eyes and not look at her.


    Granny Yan said, "You¡­are you going to let go or not?" Her voice was already weak. Originally, Duan Yu fully absorbed the internal energy of the seven disciples of Mt. Wuliang''s Sword sect, then drained a portion of the internal energy of many high-calibre martial artists. With his internal energy having grown more powerful, the suctioning power of the Divine Art of the Northern Darkness grew greater as well. At this point, draining Granny Yan''s internal energy took but a short amount of time. Although Granny Yan appeared to be very ferocious, her actual internal energy reserves was limited. In less than the time it would take to drink a cup of tea, she was totally worn out and looked exhausted. All she could do was gasp out, "Let¡­go of me, let¡­let¡­let go."


    Duan Yu replied, "First, activate the mechanism to release me." Granny Yan said, "Yes, yes!" Squatting down, she stretched out her right hand to activate a mechanism that was hidden underneath the nearby table. With a cracking sound, the metal hoop which had encircled Duan Yu''s waist retracted. Pointing at Wang Yuyan, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi, Duan Yu ordered that they be immediately released as well.


    Granny Yan tugged at the mechanism which controlled Wang Yuyan''s metal hoop, but even after some time passed, it refused to move. Duan Yu angrily said, "Why aren''t you releasing the young miss immediately?" Granny Yan frowned, "I¡­I don''t have any energy left in me at all."


    Stretching his own hand out, Duan Yu felt for the mechanism underneath the table. Finding it, he tugged on it, and with a clanking sound, the metal hoop surrounding Wang Yuyan slowly retracted into the pillar. Duan Yu was elated, but still did not yet dare to release Granny Yan from his hold. Picking up the long sabre which had fallen to the floor, he sawed through the ropes which bound Ah Bi.


    After being released, Ah Bi took the sabre away from him and cut away the ropes binding Ah Zhu. They were both startled and elated, and removed the rough walnuts from their mouths. For the moment, they remained speechless.


    Wang Yuyan glanced at Duan Yu a few times, a look of surprise on her face, mixed with some disdain. "How is it that you know the Great Art of Energy Dissipation? Why would you learn such a filthy technique?"


    Duan Yu shook his head. "This isn''t the Great Art of Energy Dissipation." He decided that not only was there no time to explain everything clearly, even if he did she might not believe him. It would be best just to make something up. He said, "This is a technique of Dali''s Duan family, which is known as the ''Six Suns Melting the Snow'' technique. It''s derived from a combination of the ''Solitary Solar Finger'' and the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. It is orthodox where the Great Art of Energy Dissipation is heretical, and benevolent where the latter is vile. The two can''t be mentioned in the same sentence."


    Wang Yuyan immediately believed him. Smiling sweetly, she said, "Please forgive me for my ignorance. I''ve long heard of Dali''s ''Solitary Solar Finger'' and the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians'', but this is the first time I have heard of your ''Six Suns Melting the Snow'' technique. In the future, I''ll have to ask you to explain it to me."


    Duan Yu, hearing that this beautiful woman was willing to hear him explain the technique to her, was absolutely delighted. He hurriedly said, "Miss, all you have to do is ask, and I naturally will explain everything to you, without daring to hide anything."


    Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, in their wildest imaginings, wouldn''t have dreamed that Duan Yu would be able to rush here to save them at this most critical of moments. Now, seeing him chat so amiably with the young miss, they were even more astonished. Ah Zhu said, "Young gentleman Duan, miss, thank you both of rescuing us. We need to take this Granny Yan away with us, or else she might reveal what happened here."


    Granny Yan was terrified. She thought to herself that if she were to be taken away by these girls, she would have less than a ten percent chance of survival at best. She cried out, "Miss, miss! The old mistress of the Murong family accused the madame of having a secret lover, and said that you¡­" Ah Zhu pinched her cheeks with her left hand, then shoved the walnuts which she had just spat out into Granny Yan''s own mouth.


    Duan Yu laughed. "Brilliant! This is the signature trait of the Murong family, well-known as ''using the opponent''s technique, exercising it upon the opponent.''" Wang Yuyan said, "I''m coming with you. I''m going to see how he¡­" As she spoke, her entire face reddened, and she said in a low voice, "See how he¡­how he is doing." She had been irresolute previously, but the unexpected events which had just occurred helped her make her up mind. Ah Zhu happily said, "Miss, if you are willing to help out, that would be wonderful. In that case, there''s no need to take Granny Yan with us." The two girls dragged Granny Yan next to the metal pillar, activated the mechanism, and trapped her with the steel hoop. The four of them quietly left the stone room, quickly moving towards the lakeside.


    Fortunately, they didn''t encounter any servants on their way. The four of them got onto the boat which Ah Zhu and Ah Bi had rowed over here and immediately began to row towards the middle of the lake. Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, and Duan Yu all rowed simultaneously. It wasn''t until they could no longer see so much as the slightest shadow of the Highland Manor of the Camellias that they slightly relaxed. But, afraid that Madame Wang might pursue them in her fast ship, they did not stop rowing.


    After they rowed for a long time, the sun began to set and the misty water vapour began to thicken and settle across the face of the lake. Ah Zhu said, "Miss, we''re relatively close to the place where we servants live. Tonight, we''ll have to ask that you settle for the inconvenience of temporarily staying here for a night. Then, we''ll discuss what''s the best way for finding the young master. Is that alright?" Wang Yuyan said, "Alright, we''ll do things your way." The farther they were from the Highland Manor of the Camellias, the more taciturn she grew.


    Duan Yu watched her dress be gently fluttered by the clean lake wind. It was dusk, and there was a slight chill in the air. Suddenly, a dreary, desolate feeling entered his heart. The earlier joyfulness of their escape gradually faded away.


    After they rowed for another long period of time, it was so dark that he could not see anybody''s eyes or nose clearly. Towards the eastern horizon, bright lights and lit lamps could be seen. Ah Bi said, "That place over there with the bright lights is sister Ah Zhu''s ''Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds''." They began to row the boat in that direction. Duan Yu suddenly thought to himself, "In this lifetime, I''m afraid that I will never experience the emotions of tonight a second time. Wouldn''t it be wonderful if this small boat would never be able to reach those lights?" Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the sky. A bright comet with a long tail streaked across the heavens.


    Wang Yuyan whispered a few soft words which Duan Yu couldn''t quite make out. In the middle of the darkness, he could only hear the sound of her sigh. Ah Bi said in a soft voice, "Miss, don''t worry. All his life, the young master has turned bad luck into good fortune. He''s never met with any real calamity." Wang Yuyan said, "Shaolin has been famous for hundreds of years. This isn''t a trivial matter at all. I can only hope that the eminent monks within the monastery will listen to reason and are willing to allow my cousin to explain. I''m just afraid¡­afraid that my cousin has a bad temper, and begins to get into a verbal battle with the monks of Shaolin, alas¡­" She paused for a moment, then quietly said, "Every time a meteor flashes across the sky, I''m never able to complete my wish."


    There is a traditional belief in the Jiangnan that whenever a shooting star streaks across the sky, if a person manages to make a wish before the shooting star disappears, anything they ask for, no matter how difficult it is to accomplish, will come to pass in a satisfactory manner. But shooting stars always disappear very quickly. Oftentimes before the wish-maker has finished saying but a few words, the shooting star will have already disappeared. Over the course of centuries, it is unknown as to how many young men and women have placed their hopes and dreams on shooting stars, and how many have been disappointed. Although Wang Yuyan had a very deep understanding of martial arts, she still possessed the sentiments and feelings of a young person. In this, there was very little difference between her and the young daughters of farmers and peasants who lived on the lake.


    Upon hearing her words, Duan Yu felt a fresh stab of pain in his heart. He clearly knew that the wish she wanted to make had to do with young master Murong, and that she was certainly wishing for him to be safe and unharmed, and that he would accomplish all his goals. Staring at his feet, he thought to himself, "In the whole wide world, what girl would be like Wang Yuyan and secretly make wishes on my behalf? Sister Wan once deeply loved me, but now that she knows I am her elder brother, she surely views me in a different light. I wonder where she is now? Has she met up with a husband-and-lord who pleases her? And what of Zhong Ling? Does she know that I am her elder brother by blood? Even if she doesn''t know, when she thinks of me, at most her heart will be moved at that moment. Shortly afterwards, she''ll have thrust the thought from her mind. She definitely wouldn''t be like how Wang Yuyan is right now, thinking of her beloved with an aching longing that penetrates her mind and which has settled into her very bones."

 Chapter - 13 Giving Pointers to Extraordinary Men At the Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds

    The boat drew closer and closer to the shore. Suddenly, Ah Zhu said in a low voice, "Ah Bi, look. This doesn''t seem right." Ah Bi nodded. "Right. Why are so many lanterns lit?" She let out two quiet laughs, then said, "Sister Ah Zhu, is your home celebrating the lantern festival? There''s so many bright lanterns and lamps. Maybe it''s a birthday party for you?" Ah Zhu remained silent, eyes transfixed on those bright lights.


    From far away, Duan Yu could see eight or nine buildings on the islet. Two of those buildings were two-storeyed buildings. There was light emanating from the windows of every building. He thought to himself, "As Ah Zhu''s home is known as the ''Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds'', I imagine it should be much similar to Ah Bi''s ''Pavilion of Zither Melodies''. The reason there are so many bright lights here is no doubt because sister Ah Zhu likes to keep things noisy and lively.


    When the boat came within one li of the shore, Ah Zhu halted her oar and said, "Miss Wang, enemies have come to my home." Wang Yuyan was startled. "What? Enemies have come? How do you know? Who are they?" Ah Zhu replied, "I don''t know who they are, exactly. But take a whiff. The smell of alcohol reeks to high heaven. It must be that wicked visitors are causing trouble here." Wang Yuyan and Ah Bi both sniffed hard, but neither could notice any scent. Duan Yu, in turn was attenuated to the scent of maidens, but otherwise was normal and had no special smelling abilities.


    Ah Zhu''s nose was extremely sensitive. She said, "Oh no, oh no! They''ve destroyed my jasmine nectar and my rose nectar. Ack! They''ve even ruined my winter plum nectar¡­" At this point, it seemed as though she was about to cry.


    Duan Yu was astonished. "Are your eyes so keen that you''ve seen them?" Sobbing, Ah Zhu choked out, "No. I smelled them. It took me a lot of care and effort to distil those nectars. These evil visitors must have taken them for alcohol and drank them!" Ah Bi said, "Sister Ah Zhu, what should we do? Should we avoid them, or should we go and fight?" Ah Zhu said, "I don''t know if the opponent''s are very powerful¡­" Duan Yu said, "Right. If the enemies are very powerful, the best choice would be for us to avoid them. If they are just ordinary characters, it would be best for us to go teach them a lesson and prevent sister Ah Zhu''s precious treasures from being ruined even more." Ah Zhu was feeling very unhappy. Now, listening to Duan Yu''s pointless speech, she replied, "Avoid the strong, bully the weak. Who doesn''t understand this logic? But how do you know if the opponent is very powerful, or just ordinary?" Duan Yu opened his mouth to respond, but had no idea what to say.


    Ah Zhu said, "Let''s go take a closer look and find out. However, all of us need to change our clothes and dress up as aged fisherman and old ladies." Pointing to the east, she said, "An old fisherman and his wife live there. They both know me. Let''s go borrow their clothes." Clapping his hands, Duan Yu laughed, "Wonderful, wonderful!" With a tug of the oar, Ah Zhu sent the boat eastward. When she thought about putting on new disguises, her spirit was instantly invigorated, and she no longer was to distraught about enemies having come to her home.


    Ah Zhu first disguised herself, Wang Yuyan, and Ah Bi. She disguised herself as an old fishwife and turned Wang Yuyan and Ah Bi into middle-aged fishwives. Lastly, she began to work on Duan Yu, changing him into a forty-year old fisherman. Ah Zhu''s disguising skills were truly matchless and incomparably wondrous. She obtained some flour and some mud, then spread a little here and pasted a little there. In the blink of an eye, everyone''s appearances totally changed. Next, she borrowed a fishing boat, a fishing net, a fishing pole, some living fish, and the like, before paddling the boat towards the ''Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds''.


    Although Duan Yu, Wang Yuyan, and Ah Bi''s appearances had been changed, their voices remained the same. It was the weak point in their disguise. Even if they had years, they wouldn''t be able to master Ah Zhu''s skills in disguise. Wang Yuyan laughed, "Ah Zhu, if anything happens, you''ll have to take the lead in dealing with it. We''ll just have to pretend to be mute." Ah Zhu laughed, "Right. I promise to keep you from being exposed."


    The fishing boat slowly glided towards the back of the pavilion. Duan Yu saw that weeping willows grew all around the pavilion, but bursts of loud, uncouth yelling sounds continuously emanated from within the building. Such wild shouts and screams were totally at odds with the quiet, ingenious, and tasteful layout of the building and the surrounding plants.


    Ah Zhu let out another sigh. She was totally unhappy. Ah Bi whispered into her ear, "Sister Ah Zhu, after we chase the enemies away, I''ll come help you fix the place up." Ah Zhu squeezed her hand to show her thanks.


    The four of them entered the kitchen from the rear. The chef, old Gu, was so busy that his head was covered with sweat. He was unceasingly spitting his saliva into the boiling cauldron, then rubbing his dirty hands together and causing the mud and the dirt on his hands to fall into the cauldron as well. Ah Zhu was half-amused, half-angry. She called out, "Old Gu! What are you doing?" Old Gu was so startled, he jumped. Frightened, he said, "You¡­you¡­" Ah Zhu laughed, "I am miss Ah Zhu." Old Gu was overjoyed. "Miss Ah Zhu, a lot of bad men came. They forced me to cook dishes and broil vegetables for them. Watch!" As he spoke, he blew his nose and dripped his snot into the middle of the vegetables, then began to laugh. Ah Zhu wrinkled her forehead. "You cook such nasty dishes!" Old Gu hurriedly said, "Miss, when I cook for you, I wash my hands clean before I do anything else. But when I am forced to cook for scoundrels, I''ll make the dishes as disgusting as possible." Ah Zhu said, "The next time I see food which you have cooked, I''ll think of this and be nauseated." Old Gu said, "No, no. That''s different, that''s totally different." Although Ah Zhu was a servant to young master Murong, she was the master of the ''Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds''. She had her own servant, chef, boatman, gardener, and other subordinates.


    Ah Zhu asked, "How many enemies are there?" Old Gu said, "First came a gang of around eighteen or nineteen people. Then came a second gang of around twenty." Ah Zhu said, "There''s two separate groups? What type of people are they? How are they dressed? Judging from their accents, where are they from?" Lao Gu cursed, "F*ck their mothers¡­" As soon as the vulgarity left his mouth, he hurriedly covered his lips with his hands, a look of terror on his face. He said, "Miss Ah Zhu, old Gu deserves to die. I¡­I''m so angry, I''ve gone stupid. One of the two groups of bad men consists of rough fellows from the north. They look like bandits. The second group comes from Sichuan. They all wear white gowns, but I don''t know where they are from." Ah Zhu said, "Who are they looking for? Have they hurt anyone?" Old Gu said, "The first group of bandits came looking for the old master. The second group of weirdos came looking for the young master. We told them that the old master had passed away, and that the young master wasn''t at home. They didn''t believe us and ransacked the place searching for him. The servant girls have all run away already. I''m the only one who stayed, because I was too pissed. ***¡­." He was just about to curse again, but just as the vulgarity began to escape his lips, he managed to retract it in time. Ah Zhu saw that his left eye was blackened, and half of his face was heavily swollen. He must have taken a few nasty blows. She no longer blamed him for taking out his resentment on the dishes by spitting and blowing his nose into them.


    Ah Zhu muttered to herself, "We need to check it out ourselves. Old Gu wasn''t able to make things clear." The four of them left the kitchen from a side entrance. They passed by a jasmine flower terrace and two jade cavern gates before arriving outside the flower pavilion. They were still a number of meters away from the window, but could already hear an uproar from within the building.


    Ah Zhu quietly snuck to the window, then used her fingernail to poke a hole in the paper window screen. She peeped into the crack. The inside of the main hall was very bright, but only the lanterns on the east side had been lit. There, eighteen or nineteen coarse and burly men were having a little party. The tables were covered with dinner dishes and cups, and the chairs were scattered across the floor. A few people were sitting on the tables. Others were holding chicken drumsticks or pig feet in their hands and chomping away happily. Others brandished their sabres, chopping the meat on the dishes with them and then spearing the meat with the tips of their weapons before delivering the meat to their mouths.


    Ah Zhu glanced towards the east side of the room. At first, she didn''t notice anything. But after taking a few more glances, she couldn''t help but feel cold as goosebumps appeared on her flesh. More than twenty or so men dressed in white gowns sat there solemnly. They lit a single candle on the table in front of them. The candlelight did not spread more than a few feet in circumference. She saw that the seven or so people closest to the candlelight had frozen looks on their face, displaying neither happiness nor anger, as though they were but corpses. The entire time, those people sat there without speaking or moving. If it weren''t for the fact that a few of them would blink every so often, she really might have taken them all for dead people.


    Sneaking forward as well, Ah Bi grasped Ah Zhu''s hand. Ah Zhu''s hand was icy cold and quivering as well. Ah Bi immediately poked a second hole in the window to take a look for herself. She peered directly into the gaze of a yellow, sallow-faced individual, and their eyes met. That person who seemed half-dead, half-living stared at her. Startled, Ah Bi couldn''t help but let out a quiet cry. With a pair of slamming sounds, the two windows were shattered. Four people jumped out of the windows simultaneously. Two of them were northerners, with the other two being the weirdos from Sichuan. They shouted in unison, "Who are you?"


    Ah Zhu replied, "We caught a number of fresh fish and came to ask if Old Gu wanted them or not. The shrimp we have is still living and jumping about." The words she spoke were of the native Suzhou dialect. The four men initially did not understand, but seeing as how the four of them were dressed in fishermen''s garbs and carrying live fish and shrimp, they figured out what Ah Zhu was saying. One of the men snatched a fish away from Ah Zhu, then shouted loudly, "Cook! Cook! Take this and go make some broth for us to drink to help dilute the alcohol!" The other northerner reached out for the fresh fish Duan Yu was holding.


    Seeing that they were fish-sellers, the two Sichuanese men paid them no more mind. They returned to their seats. When they two passed by her, Ah Bi smelled a heavy, masculine musk, and couldn''t resist stretching her hand out to cover her nose. One of the Sichuanese men shot her a glance and saw that when she covered her nose, her arms slid out of her sleeves slightly, revealing skin that was as white as snow and as tender and smooth as rouge. Instantly, he became highly suspicious. "How could a middle-aged fishwife have such white and tender skin?" With a backhand, he grabbed Ah Bi by the wrist and asked, "G''dammit, how old are you?" Startled, Ah Bi wrested away from his grasp. "Whaddya doin'', yeah? Touchin'' people like that." Her voice was soft, tender, clear and melodious, and her movements were nimble and dexterous. The Sichuanese man only felt that his arm suddenly went numb, and with a stagger he crashed out of the room.


    Now, their secret had been totally revealed. As the four men outside of the building cried out at the same time, ten more people exited the room, fully surrounding Duan Yu and the others. One of the men reached for Duan Yu''s beard, tearing it off. Another man tried to grab Ah Bi, but she dodged and gave him a shove, knocking him to the floor instead.


    The men began to loudly roar, "Spy, it''s a spy!" "They are crooks in disguise!" "Hang them up and flog them!" They pressed the four of them into the room, then reported to an old man who sat at the east side, "Stronghold-master Yao, we captured two spies in disguise!"


    That old man had a large, imposing build, with a grey beard that stretched to the pit of his stomach. He shouted, "Spies, who sent you? Sneaking around and disguising yourselves¡­what foul deeds are you plotting?"


    Wang Yuyan said, "It isn''t any fun dressing up as an old lady. Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, I''m not going to maintain the disguise anymore." As she spoke, she stretched her hand out and rubbed the mud away from her face. The mud and flour fell away, taking her ''wrinkles'' with them. Before their awestruck, gaping eyes, the men watched as a middle-aged fishwife was suddenly transformed into a maiden of unsurpassing beauty. In the blink of an eye, silence reigned, and not even a whisper could be heard. The Sichuanese people to the west also had their eyes glued onto her.


    Wang Yuyan said, "All of you, remove your disguises as well." She laughed towards Ah Bi, "It''s all your fault. You revealed our secret!" Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, and Duan Yu immediately rubbed away the mud and flour from their faces as well. Everyone stared at Wang Yuyan, then at Ah Zhu and Ah Bi. None of them could believe that there were such beautiful women in the world, who looked as though they had been chiseled from pure, white jade.


    After a long moment, that large old man said, "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Ah Zhu laughed. "I''m the master of this place. Isn''t it a bit odd for outsiders to ask me what I am doing here? Who are you? What are you doing here?" That old man nodded. "Right. So you are the master of this place? Wonderful. You are the young miss of the Murong family? Murong Bo is your daddy, then?" Ah Zhu smiled. "I''m just a servant. How could I have the fortune of being the old master''s daughter? Sir, who might you be? What business have you here?" That old man heard he say she was but a servant girl, but did not immediately believe her. He muttered to himself for a while before saying, "Please invite your master to come, and I will tell him the purpose of this visit." Ah Zhu replied, "Our old master has passed away. The young master is out on a journey. Sir, what important task do you have here? Just tell us. Can it be that you cannot even reveal your name to us?" That old man said, "Fine. I am Yao Bodang, and I lead the Qin family stronghold of the province of Yunnan." [The term ''stronghold'' in its Chinese context usually refers to a mountain stronghold of bandits.] Ah Zhu replied, "Pleased to meet you, pleased to meet you." Yao Bodang laughed. "You are just a little girl. Why would you be pleased to meet me?"


    Wang Yuyan said, "The Qin family stronghold of Yunnan province is most famous for its ''Five Tigers Shattering the Gate'' sabre technique. In the years after elder Qin Gongwang invented the sixty-four stances of this technique, his descendants forgot five of the stances. I hear that only fifty nine of the stances have been passed down. Stronghold-master Yao, how many stances have you learned?"


    Yao Bodang was greatly astonished. He blurted out without thinking, "How is it that you know that that the Qin family''s ''Five Tigers Shattering the Gate'' sabre technique originally had sixty four stances?" Wang Yuyan replied, "That''s what the books say, so it probably isn''t wrong, right? The five stances that you have lost are the stances, ''White Tiger Leaps Over a Ravine'', ''Birthing the Wind With a Roar'', ''Free-Flowing Chopping Pounce'', ''Powerfully Tyrannizing Many Mountains'', and¡­right, that fifth stance is named, ''Lion Emerges From the Appearance of Defeat''. Am I right?" Yao Bodang stroked his beard. He was aware that five of the most exquisite stances of his school of martial arts had become lost, but no one knew what the names of the techniques which had been lost. Now, hearing her speak with such certainty, he was both shocked and suspicious. He didn''t know how to respond to her words.


    From the west side of the room, a thirty year old man wearing white said in a deliberately strange voice, "Stronghold-master Yao is an important person with many matters to deal with. He has already forgotten the five stances which the Qin family''s ''Five Tigers Shattering the Gate Technique'' is missing. Young miss, what relationship do you have with Mr. Murong, Murong Bo?" Wang Yuyan replied, "Old master Murong is my aunt''s husband. Sir, what is your respected name and surname?" That man smiled coldly, "Miss, you are well-learned and are intimately familiar with stronghold-master Yao''s martial arts technique. I would like to invite you to guess what my own origin is." Wang Yuyan smiled. "First, you need to demonstrate some of your abilities. I can''t guess anything just based on a few words."


    That man nodded. "True." He stretched his left hand into the sleeves of his right arm, and did the opposite for his right hand, as though his hands were chilled by winter''s cold. He immediately snapped his hands out. Each hand was holding a strange weapon. In his left hand, he was holding a metal awl which was six or seven inches long. The tip of the awl was split in two. In his right hand, he wielded a small, eight-faced mace. The shaft of the mace was over a foot long, and the head of the mace was smaller than most people''s fists. Both weapons were small and exquisitely made, appearing almost as though they were children''s toys. They seemed to be totally useless for actually fighting off opponents. As the men who sat at the east side of the room saw the weapons, some of them immediately began to loudly laugh. One of them laughed, "You''re actually humiliating yourself by displaying the toys and baubles which Sichuanese babies play with?" The people who sat at the west side all glared at him angrily.


    Wang Yuyan said, "Right. This is the ''Thunder God''s Explosion''. Sir, I imagine that you are an expert in qinggong and hidden weapons. The books say that the ''Thunder God''s Explosion'' is the unique weaponry of Sichuan''s Qingcheng sect, located on Mt. Qingcheng. Within the ''Qing'' character, there are nine attacks; within the ''Cheng'' character, there are eighteen destroying strokes. The strangeness and cunning of the techniques are difficult to fathom. Sir, I would like to guess that your surname is Sima, right?"


    That entire time, the man''s face was very somber. But upon hearing this girl say those words, he couldn''t help but be shaken. He exchanged a few glances with three of his assistants that stood next to him. After a long time, he family said, "Gusu''s Murong family is well-known for having a deep, broad, and profound understanding of martial arts. You really live up to your reputation! I am Sima Lin. Miss, might I ask you if there truly are nine strikes within the ''Qing'' character, and eighteen destroying strokes within the ''Cheng'' character?"


    Wang Yuyan replied, "This is an extremely good question. In my opinion, it would be more appropriate to say that there are ten strikes within the ''Qing'' character. Although the ''iron Bodhisattva strike'' and the ''iron lotus seed strike'' seem superficially similar, they have totally separate usages and really shouldn''t be mixed together. With regards to the eighteen destroying strokes of the ''Cheng'' character, it seems as though there is nothing particularly special or exquisite about the ''armor destroying'', ''shield destroying'', and ''tablet destroying'' stances. It seems as though they were simply thrown in there to fill up the spaces needed for there to be a total of eighteen stances, whereas in actuality they can be discarded or perhaps merged together. In which case, there would be a total of ''fifteen destroying strokes'' or ''sixteen destroying strokes'', which would actually be more refined."


    Listening to her words, Sima Lin was struck dumb. He had only learned seven of the techniques within the ''Qing'' character, and knew nothing of the differences between the ''iron Bodhisattva strike'' and the ''iron lotus seed strike''. In addition, the ''armor destroying'', ''shield destroying'', and ''tablet destroying'' stances were the stances which he felt the most proud mastering about all his life, and which had always be considered a unique, consummate skill of his sect. He never would have imagined that this girl would say that they could be abolished. At first, he was startled; then, he was extremely angry. He thought to himself, "It''s natural that the Murong family has long since known of my name and my martial arts. They want to humiliate me, and so have spun these lies and ordered this maiden to come here with scorching, humiliating words." He didn''t immediately flare up. He only said, "Thank you for your advice, miss. I''ve suddenly seen the light." Immediately, he turned to an assistant by his side and said, "Apprentice-brother Zhu, why don''t you ask this young miss for a few pointers?"


    His assistant, Zhu Baokun, was an ugly man with a face full of pock marks. He appeared to be somewhat older than Sima Lin. Aside from the white gown he wore, he also tied up his hair with a strip of white cloth, as though he were in morning. Underneath the flickering light of the candle, he appeared very sinister and secretive. He rose to his feet, cupping his hands respectfully, then withdrew his weapons as well. He also withdrew a small mace and a short awl, both of which were identical to Sima Lin''s ''Thunder God''s Explosion'' weapons. He said, "Miss, please advise me."


    All the onlookers thought to himself, "Your weapons are totally the same as that of Sima Lin. If this girl knows his martial arts, then obviously she knows yours as well." Wang Yuyan also said, "Sir, as you wield the ''Thunder God''s Explosion'' weapons, naturally you belong to the Qingcheng sect as well." Sima Lin said, "This martial-brother of mine already possessed some martial arts before entering our school. Miss, I''d like to test your wisdom and see if you can discover what sect he originally came from." He thought to himself, "Even I am not too sure about the origins of brother Zhu''s martial arts. It''d be rather strange if you could!" Wang Yuyan thought to herself, "This is a difficult question."


    Before she had a chance to say anything, the Qin family stronghold''s Yao Bodang interjected, "Sect-leader Sima, what''s the point in having this young lady guess about the origins of your martial-brother? Isn''t this extremely uninteresting?" Astounded, Sima Lin said, "Why is this extremely uninteresting?" Yao Bodang laughed. "Your apprentice-brother face is now filled with pock marks, which seem to be meticulously carved into his skin. Thus, his true features can''t be too exquisite to look at." Everyone on the western side of the room exploded into laughter. [True features and true origins can share the same characters.]


    All his life, the thing which Zhu Baokun hated the most was others making fun of his pockmarked face. Now, hearing Yao Bodang so openly ridicule him, he could he hold his temper? Without caring that Yao Bodang was a famous hero of the north and the master of a stronghold, he aimed the steel awl in his left hand towards Yao Bodang''s chest, then struck the awl with the steel mace in his right hand. A violent ''chi'' sound split the air with a sharp roar as a host of hidden weapons shot forth from the awl and towards Yao Bodang''s chest.


    As soon as the Qin family stronghold and the Qingcheng sect had entered the pavilion, they had taken each other''s measure. Neither side offered any greetings to the other. They glared at each other and humphed at each other. In all likelihood, if Wang Yuyan and the others had not arrived, they would have gotten into a fight with each other by now. In insulting Zhu Baokun, Yao Bodang originally only wanted to tease him a little. He never would have imagined that the other party would attack so quickly. The secret weapons flew towards him with great haste. He didn''t even have the time to draw out his sabre. With his left hand, he snatched a candlestick which lay on top of the table in front of him, then chopped at the hidden weapons. With a clanging sound, the hidden weapons were redirected upwards, and with a thudding sound embedded themselves into the ceiling. Now, they could be clearly seen. The hidden weapons were three-inch long steel needles. Although the needles were short, the force behind them was tremendous. Yao Bodang''s left hand went numb, and the candlestick slipped from his grasp. With a clanking sound, it hit the floor.


    The bandits of the Qin family stronghold pulled out their sabres. In a loud voice, they cried out, "So you are using hidden weapons to harm others?" "What a valiant hero you are!" "Shameless! I''ll f*ck your grandmother, hard!" A very fat person was filled with the most obscenities, even cursing eighteen generation''s worth of the other party''s ancestors. But the people of Qingcheng sect only continued to sit there in that strange silence, as though neither seeing nor hearing the words from the Qin family stronghold.


    Earlier, when Yao Bodang snatched the candlestick to block the hidden weapons, he didn''t have a very firm grip. But having his weapon being shaken from his hand by tiny steel needles despite his decades of internal energy training was, by the accepted rules of wulin, a loss for him. He thought to himself, "The opponent''s martial arts are extremely strange. From what the young lady said, within the Qingcheng sect''s martial arts, the ''Qing'' character has nine strikes, all of which are based upon hidden weaponry. If I''m not careful, I''m going to be in trouble." He immediately waved his arm and quieted the noisy calls of his subordinates. He laughed, "Brother Zhu, this technique of yours was extremely handsome, but also extremely vicious! What is it called?"


    Zhu Baokun let out a cold laugh, but did not respond.


    The fat man amongst the Qin family stronghold said, "Most likely, it is called, ''No sense of shame or face, launching ambushes against others!''" Another middle-aged person laughed, "He never had any face to begin with. The name you just gave is very good. It''s quite appropriate and suits them. Clearly, you are well-learned and lettered! Well-learned indeed!" Within his words was a hidden ridicule directed once more to Zhu Baokun''s pock-marks.


    Wang Yuyan shook her head. In a soft voice, she said, "Stronghold-master Yao, now you are at fault." Yao Bodang said, "How?" Wang Yuyan said, "It''s possible for anyone to suffer an illness or be wounded. When a person is young and trips and falls, it''s possible that his leg might become crippled. When fighting with others, it''s possible to lose a hand or an eye. It''s extremely ordinary for the people of wulin to have wounds or scars on them, am I right?" Yao Bodang could only nod his head. Wang Yuyan continued, "When he was young, Mr. Zhu suffered from a foul disease which left him with some scars. What''s so funny about that? In judging whether a male is a true, stalwart man, the first thing to consider is his character and his moral quality. The second thing to consider is his ability and his competence. The third would be his learning and his martial arts abilities. What does his facial appearance have to do with anything?"


    Yao Bodang was rendered speechless. He broke out in loud laughter, then said, "There is some reason in your words, miss. By that logic, this old man is at fault for mocking brother Zhu."


    Wang Yuyan laughed, "Old master, for you to be able to freely admit to your mistakes shows that you are an upright, honest, and honorable man." She turned her face to Zhu Baokun, then shook her head and said, "Won''t do, that won''t work." When she said these words, a gentle, tender, sympathizing look was on her face, as though she were an older sister who was watching her younger brother exhaust himself trying to do something which he didn''t have the strength to do. Her words were both admonishing and intimate.


    Zhu Baokun, upon hearing her say that it was very normal for people of the wulin to have battle scars or wounds, and that a man should be judged first and foremost by his character and his accomplishments, felt very happy. All his life, he had been unhappy about his pockmarked face. He had never heard anyone address the issue so sincerely and reasonably. Now, hearing her say, "Won''t do, that won''t work," he asked, "Miss, what do you mean?" He thought to himself, "Is she saying that this needle technique of mine, the ''Lord of Heaven Replenishes the Heart'', won''t do, and won''t work? She doesn''t know that there are twelve steel needles hidden within my awl. If I didn''t stop and instead repeatedly struck it with my mace, I would have taken that old fellow''s life a long time ago. Only, I cannot reveal my secret in front of Sima Lin."


    Only to hear Wang Yuyan said, "This ''Lord of Heaven Replenishes the Heart'' needle technique of yours truly is a overbearing hidden weapon technique¡­" Zhu Baokun''s body trembled, and he let out a soft cry. Sima Lin and two other experts of Qingcheng sect also let out a simultaneous shout of, "What?!" The expression on Zhu Baokun''s face changed, and he said, "Miss, you are wrong. This was not the ''Lord of Heaven Replenishes the Heart'' needle technique. It is our Qingcheng sect''s hidden weaponry technique, the fourth strike within the ''Qing'' character, named the ''Green Hornet'' nail technique." Wang Yuyan smiled. "It did appear as though you used the ''Green Hornet'' strike. When you executed the ''Lord of Heaven Replenishes the Heart'' needle technique, the tools and techniques you used are the same as that of the ''Green Hornet'' nail technique. But the essential nature of hidden weaponry lies neither in the tools nor in the technique, but in the hidden weapon''s force and power. Everyone uses steel needles, but the force which Shaolin disciples release is unique to Shaolin, and the force which the Kunlun sect releases is unique to Kunlun. This cannot be faked. Yours is¡­"


    Suddenly, a murderous look filled Zhu Baokun''s eyes. He suddenly raised the steel awl to his chest. All he needed to do was to strike the awl with his mace, and the steel needles would instantly shoot towards Wang Yuyan...


    Half the people watching let out cries of alarm. Earlier, when he attacked Yao Bodang, his movements were very fast and the power released was very strong. Very few hidden weapon techniques could compare to it. Obviously, there was an extremely powerful release mechanism hidden within the awl, as it was definitely impossible for any human force to create such an effect. Moreover, the tip of the awl was curved and split, making it difficult for others to believe that steel needles could shoot out from it. No one knew that the hollow cavity within the awl was straight. Fortunately, Yao Bodang was quick of eye and fleet of hand and thus managed to avoid disaster. If he released the hidden weapons towards Wang Yuyan, how could a beautiful, delicate woman such as her possibly avoid or dodge it? But seeing how beautiful and gentle she appeared, Zhu Baokun couldn''t bear to kill her. In addition, he was still grateful for how she had argued on his behalf earlier. He shouted, "Miss, don''t talk too much and bring disaster upon yourself!"


    Just at this moment, a person rushed forward and placed himself in front of Wang Yuyan. It was Duan Yu.


    Wang Yuyan smiled. "Young gentleman Duan, many thanks! Mr. Zhu, many thanks to you as well for not killing me. But even if you kill me, there''s no point. The Qingcheng sect and the Penglai sect have been enemies for generations. Your scheme was already tried over eighty years ago, by your venerable sect''s seventh sect leader, Haifeng Zi. I''m afraid that his intelligence and martial arts is not one whit inferior to your own."


    Upon hearing these words, the gaze of every member present of the Qingcheng sect turned towards Zhu Baokun. They mercilessly glared at him, all of them thinking to themselves, "Can it be that he is a member of our mortal enemy, the Penglai sect, who is in our sect undercover? How is it that he speaks with the Sichuanese accent, and doesn''t have the slightest trace of a Shandong accent?"


    The eastern peninsula of the Shandong province was lorded over by the Penglai sect. Although they were located in the east, and Sichuan''s Qingcheng sect was located in the west, hundreds of years ago a bitter enmity was laid down by experts of their respective sects. From that time forth, each would make retaliatory attacks upon the other, committing many cruel and vicious revenge killings. Both sects possessed consummate martial arts techniques that could counter and restrain the other. In fact, the enmity laid down centuries ago was created by disagreements in a discussion on martial arts. After over ten violent battles and killings, in the end the Penglai sect was unable to defeat the Qingcheng sect, but the Qingcheng sect was also unable to overcome the Penglai sect. Every time the two came to battle, masters and experts from both sides would suffer wounds and often perish together, ending the battle in common ruin.


    The Haifeng Zi which Wang Yuyan spoke of was an outstanding talent within the Penglai sect. He carefully examined the strengths and weaknesses of the martial arts of both schools, knowing that although it would not be too hard for him to surpass the Qingcheng sect based upon his own abilities, in the future, after he died and the Qingcheng sect produced a wise and talented student of its own, the Qingcheng would once more have surpassed his own sect. In order to finish the job once and for all, he sent his most talented disciple to sneak into the Qingcheng sect and steal their martial arts. In this way, he would ''know himself and know his enemy, proving victorious in every battle''. But his disciple had not fully mastered his martial arts and was discovered and executed by disciples of the Qingcheng sect. After this, the enmity between the two groups became only deeper as both sides began to guard against the other side stealing their secrets.


    Within these past few decades, the Qingcheng sect set down a rule where they would not accept northerners as students. No students who spoke with any northern accents were accepted. Forget about having a Shandong accent, even if the applicant had the slightest Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, or Shaanxi accent. Later on, the rules became even more rigid, and they began to only accept disciples from Sichuan alone.


    The ''Green Hornet'' nail technique was a hidden weapon technique unique to the Qingcheng sect, whereas the ''Lord of Heaven Replenishes the Heart'' needle technique belonged to the Penglai sect. Zhu Baokun clearly used the ''Green Hornet'' nail technique, but Wang Yuyan continued to insist that he used the ''Lord of Heaven Replenishes the Heart'' needle technique. This caused everyone in the Qingcheng sect to be filled with shock and dread. It must be known that the Penglai sect had a rule which was similar to that of the Qingcheng sect; they would only accept disciples from Shandong. Moreover, the people from the eastern part of Shandong were considered better. People from western Shandong or southern Shandong would find it extremely difficult to be allowed into the Penglai sect. It wouldn''t be impossible for a person to put on a disguise and not reveal himself, but it would be extremely difficult for a person to change his manner of speaking so completely that in a thousand words, he wouldn''t say a single word with a slightly strange accent. Zhu Baokun came from the Zhu family of the Guan county of Sichuan, a famous, aristocratic family of western Sichuan. How could he be a disciple of the Penglai sect? Everyone present would never have imagined it in their wildest dreams. Earlier, when Sima Lin wanted Wang Yuyan to guess his origins, all he wanted to do was stump this girl with a tough riddle. He did not suspect Zhu Baokun at all. How could he have imagined that he would receive such a soul-shaking response?


    The person who was most startled of all was naturally Zhu Baokun himself. As it was, his original teacher was a Daoist priest named Dulingzi. In youth, Dulingzi had been greatly harmed by the Qingcheng sect, and incessantly schemed to revenge himself upon the Qingcheng sect. He snuck around all of Sichuan, trying to find ways by which he could cause them harm. One year, he met the young Zhu Baokun at the Guan county. At this point, Zhu Baokun was still but a child, but showed an extremely good bone structure and had a very good foundation for learning martial arts. Thus, Dulingzi came up with a plot. He ordered people to disguise themselves as Jiangnan pirates and had them sneak into the Zhu family, tie up the family members, and then, after looting the place, prepare to rape the two daughters of the Zhu family and execute the rest. Dulingzi himself was outside the entire time. He waited until the critical moment, then stepped forth bravely, chased away all the fake bandits, retrieved all of their belongings, and preserved the chastity of the two daughters of the Zhu family. The master of the Zhu family was naturally filled with boundless gratitude towards Dulingzi.


    Dulingzi deliberately provoked him, saying, "If one does not possess first-class martial arts, no matter how rich you are, you can still be bullied by robbers and bandits. This group of bandits possessed some decent abilities. They''ve been beaten off today, but it is likely that they will come back for another try some other day." The Zhu family was an extremely powerful and well-known aristocratic family in the area. Before the master''s very eyes, the guards and martial arts instructors he had invited were knocked down with three punches and two kicks. Now, hearing that the bandits would come back again soon, he was so frightened that his soul almost left him, and he begged Dulingzi to stay. Dulingzi insincerely refused for a while, then ''reluctantly'' agreed to stay. After a short period of time had passed, he managed to convince Zhu Baokun to kowtow to him as his disciple.


    Aside from his single-minded enmity towards the Qingcheng sect, Dulingzi himself was not really a bad person, and possessed extremely capable martial arts. He exhorted the Zhu family to carefully guard the secret of his presence, and secretly taught Zhu Baokun martial arts. After ten years or so, Zhu Baokun became one of the most outstanding individuals within the Penglai sect. This Dulingzi fellow really was patient. After settling down in the Zhu family household, he immediately disguised himself as a mute person. From beginning to end, he did not say a single word to a single person. When teaching Zhu Baokun martial arts, he would only demonstrate the techniques using his hands and feet, or manually write down the instructions for Zhu Baokun to read. He wouldn''t say a single word or reveal his Shandong accent. Thus, although Zhu Baokun had associated with him for over ten years, he had never heard a single word spoken with the Shandong accent.


    After Zhu Baokun fully completed his martial arts training, Dulingzi wrote down the entire ins and outs of the situation and told his student to act as he saw fit. Although, he naturally left out the part where he had people dress up as robbers to attack the Zhu family. In Zhu Baokun''s heart, not only had his master saved his entire family, over the past ten years, his master had treated him with great benevolence and kindness, passing down to him all of the Penglai sect''s martial arts techniques. He had long since felt boundless gratitude towards his master, and once he understood what his master wanted, he didn''t hesitate in the slightest. He immediately headed towards Mt. Qingcheng, putting himself under the ''tutelage'' of the Qingcheng sect''s then-leader, Sima Wei. Sima Wei was Sima Lin''s father.


    At this point in time, Zhu Baokun was no longer a child, and moreover declared himself as having learned some low level martial arts from the guards which his family had hired. At first, Sima Wei was unwilling to accept him. But the Zhu family was a very rich family in western Sichuan, possessing both wealth and power. Although the Qingcheng sect belonged to the martial world, in the end, they were still located in Sichuan. They were unwilling to become estranged from the powerful and wealthy local noble clans. In addition, accepting a member of the Zhu family as a disciple would only enhance their sect''s prestige. Thus, Sima Wei agreed in the end. While teaching him their skills, they found that Zhu Baokun already possessed quite impressive martial arts. But whenever they tried to question him, Zhu Baokun, in accordance with what his master Dulingzi had taught him to do, would make up something and throw them off. Sima Wei, wanting to give his father some face, did not pursue the matter too much. He thought to himself that for a scion of a rich family to reach such a level of martial arts was already very difficult.


    After entering the Qingcheng sect, Zhu Baokun focused on a specific number of martial arts techniques as instructed by Dulingzi. On New Year''s Day and during other festivals, he gave very lavish gifts to his master and his fellow apprentices. Whenever his master needed anything done, he wouldn''t wait for any actual request to be made before perfectly fulfilling his master''s wants. After all, his family had plenty of money, which made these things easy. Sima Wei always felt rather awkward about this, and thus poured his energy in teaching Zhu Baokun martial arts, holding nothing back and keeping nothing hidden. Thus, within seven or eight years, Zhu Baokun had learned the ultimate skills of the Qingcheng sect.


    Three or four years ago, Dulingzi had originally ordered Zhu Baokun to go to Mt. Penglai and display the martial arts of the Qingcheng sect, with the aim of overturning the Qingcheng sect with this knowledge. But after staying with the Qingcheng sect for so many years, Zhu Baokun felt that Sima Wei treated him very well. When teaching him martial arts, Sima Wei treated him as though he were his own son. Zhu Baokun could not bear the thought of him personally causing the destruction of the Qingcheng sect and slaughtering Sima Wei''s entire family. He secretly decided, "I cannot make my move until after master Sima Wei passes away first. Martial-brother Sima Lin''s treatment of me is nothing special; it''s no big deal if I kill him." Thus, he delayed for a few years. Dulingzi tried to hasten him several times, but each time, Zhu Baokun would reply that he had not fully learned the nine strikes of the ''Qing'' character and the eighteen destroying strokes of the ''Cheng'' character. After having expended so much blood and sweat on this scheme, he was unwilling to ''fail to build a mound for the lack of one last pail of dirt''. He only exhorted Zhu Baokun to learn the secrets as quickly as possible, so that they could launch an attack.


    However, during the past winter, Sima Wei was killed within the eastern Sichuan city of Baidi by an enemy who used Qingcheng sect''s own ''Moon Destroying Awl'' technique of the eighteen destroying strokes of the ''Cheng'' character. The ''Moon Destroying Awl'' technique pierced through Sima Wei''s ear, driving through his brain and causing his death. Although the ''Moon Destroying Awl'' technique had the word ''Awl'' in its name, in actuality it did not use an awl. Instead, the practitioner would form his five fingers into a claw, then use profound internal strength to drive the claw through the opponent''s ear.


    Sima Lin and Zhu Baokun were in Chengdu when they received this news. They rushed to Baidi overnight. After discovering how Sima Wei died, the two of them were both sorrowful and afraid. They all thought to themselves that within the Qingcheng sect, aside from Sima Wei himself, only Sima Lin, Zhu Baokun, and two other venerable experts could use the ''Moon Destroying Awl'' technique. But when this calamity happened, all four of them were clearly in Chengdu, as they were together during that period of time. None of them could suspect each other. Thus, aside from the famous family which would ''use the opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent'', that being Gusu''s Murong family, no one else could have killed him. The Qingcheng sect immediately turned out in full force, gathering all of their experts and going to Gusu, intending to exact revenge upon the Murong family.


    Before heading out, Zhu Baokun secretly asked Dulingzi if it was the Penglai sect which did the deed. Dulingzi wrote, "Sima Lin''s level of martial arts is very close to that of my own. If I were to kill him, I would have to use the ''Lord of Heaven Replenishes the Heart'' technique to kill him. If a group of people were to besiege him, they would have to use our ''Iron Crutch'' formation." Zhu Baokun thought to himself that this made sense. By now, he was fully aware that neither of his two masters was inferior to the other in martial arts. When it comes to using the ''Moon Destroying Awl'' to kill Sima Wei, not only did Dulingzi not know this technique, even if he knew it, his proficiency in it couldn''t possibly be superior to Sima Wei''s. With no more doubt in his mind, he came with Sima Lin to Jiangnan to seek revenge. Dulingzi did not try to obstruct him, only telling him to be careful. He was to keep his eyes and ears open, but not to throw away his life on behalf of the Qingcheng sect.


    After arriving in Suzhou, they sent people inquiring all over the place. It was only with great difficulty that they arrived at the ''Water Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds''. The Qin family stronghold of Yunnan had arrived just before them. The rules of the Qingcheng sect were extremely rigid; without the sect-leader''s permission, no one dared to rashly say or do anything. Seeing how unorthodox and wild the people of the Qin family stronghold, they felt contempt towards them in their heart. Thus, both sides spoke very insultingly towards the other. The Qingcheng sect had come on a mission of revenge, and thus did not disturb a single blade of grass, and ate only the food they themselves had brought. They actually got something good out of this, as none of the members of the Qingcheng sect tasted old Gu''s snot, saliva, or the mud from his hands.


    After Wang Yuyan and the other three had arrived, strange things started to happen. When Zhu Baokun used the Qingcheng sect''s ''Green Hornet'' nail technique to shoot out the steel needles in the past, not even Sima Wei would be suspicious in the slightest. He never could have imagined that this little girl, Wang Yuyan, would expose the truth of the matter in a single sentence. Zhu Baokun did not manage to act quickly enough to silence her; still remembering her kind words from earlier, he hesitated for but a moment and lost the opportunity. In addition, Sima Lin and the others had already heard the words, ''Lord of Heaven Replenishing the Heart needle technique''. Even if he killed Wang Yuyan, it would only serve to make him look all the more treacherous and wicked.


    At this moment, Zhu Baokun''s mind was thrown in confusion, and cold sweat began to drip from his head. Turning around, he saw that Sima Lin and the others all had their hands folded within their sleeves, and were staring at him with fierce glares.


    Sima Lin icily said, "Mr. Zhu, so you belong to the Penglai sect?" He no longer address Zhu Baokun as ''martial-brother'', instead calling him ''Mr. Zhu''. Clearly, he no longer considered him as being part of the same school.


    Zhu Baokun could neither admit to it nor deny it. An extremely awkward look was on his face.


    Sima Lin''s eyes opened wide, and he glared at Zhu Baokun. "You came to the Qingcheng sect to steal our skills, then, after learning the ''Moon Destroying Awl'', used it to murder my father. You brutal, unscrupulous, cold-blooded cur, you are far too vile!" Sweeping his arms from his sleeves, he withdrew the ''Thunder God''s Explosion'' from his sleeves. He thought to himself that after Zhu Baokun had learned their martial arts, he must have taught it to the masters of the Penglai sect. Although Zhu Baokun was in Chengdu when his father died, after the Penglai sect''s experts learned this technique, any of them could have killed his father.


    Zhu Baokun''s face was ashen. He thought to himself that although it was true that his master Dulingzi had sent him into the Qingcheng sect with this intention, to date he had not divulged a single secret of the Qingcheng sect. But with the situation having reached this point, how could he possibly explain? It seemed that a violent battle was about to occur. The enemy had more people and a stronger force. The skills of Sima Lin and the two other experts were not one whit inferior to his own. Today, it seemed as though he was about to lose his life. He thought to himself, "Although I did not do this, I did have the intention of betraying my master. Even if I am killed by the Qingcheng sect, it would be no more than receiving just punishment for my deeds." He immediately hardened his heart, then said, "Our master definitely was not harmed by me."


    Sima Lin shouted, "Naturally, you yourself did not do the deed, but you taught the technique to the person who did. What''s the difference between this and you personally killing him?" He said to the two tall, thin old men by his side, "Martial-uncles Jiang and Meng, when dealing with traitors like this, there''s no need for us to adhere to the martial world''s rules of one-on-one duels. Let''s fight him together!" The two old men nodded, then withdrew their hands from their sleeves. They, too, were wielding the ''Thunder God''s Explosion'' weapons.


    Zhu Baokun took a few steps back, resting his back against one of the room''s pillars to prevent himself from being encircled. Sima Lin loudly cried, "Kill this traitor and avenge my father!" He charged forward, lifting his mace and delivering a powerful blow towards the top of Zhu Baokun''s skull. Zhu Baokun sidestepped and let the blow pass by him, then countered with an awl-strike. The old man surnamed Jiang shouted, "You are fine fellow, you traitor! You still have the stones to use the martial arts techniques of our sect!" With his left hand, he struck out with the awl towards Zhu Baokun''s throat, while with his right hand he struck out with his mace three times, using the ''Phoenix Nodding'' technique.


    The followers of the Qin family stronghold saw that the old man surnamed Jiang wielded the mace with superb skill, and that his techniques were extremely strange. All of them were extremely intrigued. Yao Bodang and the others secretly nodded, thinking to themselves, "The fame of the Qingcheng sect shakes western Sichuan. It looks like this isn''t due to luck." Sima Lin was impatient in desiring to avenge his father, and thus his attacks were too rash and hasty. Zhu Baokun was consequently able to defend against them. But the two old men generated their internal energy, executing their attacks in accordance with the four critical points of the Qingcheng style: ''Steady'', ''Ruthless'', ''Secret'', and ''Fierce''. Their awls pierced and their maces struck, with each blow directed towards his vital points. Zhu Baokun was besieged on all sides, and was instantly surrounded by danger.


    Zhu Baokun knew by heart all of the mace and awl techniques which the three men were employing. After seeing each stance, he would be able to guess what the next three or four stances would be. This was the only reason why he was able to hold out against the three of them at the same time without being defeated. After ten or more stances, he felt sourness in his heart. He secretly thought to himself, "Master Sima truly treated me extremely well. I know every single one of these techniques which Sima Lin and these two martial-uncles are using. When teaching someone about the weak points in one''s own techniques, it''s very easy and common for the teacher to intentionally hold things back and not teach the student the most important points. At this critical life-and-death juncture, the three of them are naturally holding nothing back and going all out. It seems I really have been taught everything that he knew about Qingcheng sect''s martial arts." His heart swelling with feelings of gratitude and indebtedness towards his master, he couldn''t help but cry out, "I definitely did not cause my master''s death¡­"


    With his thoughts going astray, Sima Lin rushed forward and was now only a few feet away from him. Qingcheng sect''s weapons were all short, and thus they were naturally most deadly when used in close hand to hand combat. If Sima Lin was fighting a member of any other sect, when he charged in he would have gained a seventy or eighty percent chance of winning. But since Zhu Baokun knew the same martial arts as he did, neither of them gained an advantage. Beneath the flickering candlelight, everyone present felt as though their vision was blurring. All they could see was that both Sima Lin and Zhu Baokun executed their stances very quickly. Their hands weaving and waving about, in the blink of an eye they had each executed seven or eight stances. The steel awls pierced upwards and jabbed downwards, while the steel maces struck horizontally and smashed vertically downwards. It was as though both of them had gone insane. But each of them was so familiar with the other''s techniques that whenever one of them executed an attack, the counterattack came to the other as naturally as breathing. They had been instructed by the same teacher, and thus their techniques and styles were identical. Sima Li was young and strong, but Zhu Baokun possessed an abundance of varied experiences. In a short period of time, tens of stances had been exchanged. The onlookers could hear the clinking and clanging sounds as their weapons clashes, but could no longer tell what attacks and defenses each were using.


    The two elders, seeing that Sima Li was unable to achieve victory despite a long battle, suddenly let out a sharp whistle, then rolled on the floor towards them, attacking Zhu Baokun''s lower extremities.


    Most of the people who use short weapons, save for females, knew various rolling and jumping techniques which would cause the opponent to be uncertain as to how to respond. Zhu Baokun, too, was originally very familiar with this attack of theirs, known as the ''Thunder God''s Earth Explosion'', but with his hands occupied defending against Sima Li''s awl and mace, he had nothing left to guard against the two elders. All he could do was run around and try to dodge or jump away. Elder Jiang''s steel mace struck at him from the left, while elder Meng''s awl stabbed from the right. Zhu Baokun leapt up and delivered a flying kick to elder Meng''s lower jaw. Elder Meng cursed, "Son of a tortoise, so you are going all out?" He dodged to the side. Elder Jiang charged forwards, delivering a sweeping attack with his mace, just as Sima Lin''s mace struck towards Zhu Baokun''s forehead. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Zhu Baokun had to choose between the lesser of two evils. Lifting his weapon, he blocked Sima Lin''s attack, while receiving a stiff blow to his left leg from Elder Jiang''s mace.


    Although the mace was small, the crushing force of its blows was very formidable. Zhu Baokun felt the pain in the very marrow of his bones. For the moment, he couldn''t even be sure as to whether or not his leg bone was already snapped. With a clanging sound, two maces met and sparks exploded. He then let out a cry as elder Meng''s awl pierced his left leg as well.


    He was actually capable of dodging this strike, but if he had done so, the ''Thunder God''s Earth Explosion'' technique which the two elders were using would have united and transformed into the ''Earth Goddess''s Thunder Web'' attack, which he would have been unable to resist. Since his left leg might already be broken, he might as well just let it receive some more punishment. Within a few more strokes, bright blood began to splash from his leg, spraying red dots all across the walls.


    Wang Yuyan saw Ah Zhu crease her forehead and pucker her lips in a frown. She knew that Ah Zhu hated watching this bunch of people battle against each other here and dirty her clean and tidy house. Smiling, she called out, "Hey, stop fighting! If you have problems, let''s talk them out. Why be so unreasonable?" Sima Lin and the others wanted to execute the ''evil traitor who murdered their master'' on the spot. Zhu Baokun was willing to stop fighting, but how could he? Seeing how the four of them continued to fight violently and ignore her words, and how it was primarily Sima Lin and the two elders who kept the fight going, she said, "All of you, stop fighting!" Sima Lin roared back, "I will not live under the same sky with the man who murdered my father! How can I not avenge him? What are you babbling about?" Wang Yuyan said, "If you don''t stop, I''m going to help him!"


    Sima Lin''s heart went cold. He thought to himself, "This beautiful girl sees very clearly and thoroughly. I imagine her martial arts skills are excellent as well. If she helps the other side, things would get a bit troublesome." Then he thought, "With so many experts of our Qingcheng sect here, if push comes to shove we can mob them. Can it be that we''ll all be defeated by such a delicate-looking girl?" He added more force to his blows, pelting vicious blows towards Zhu Baokun like the beating of the rain or the raging of the wind.


    Wang Yuyan said, "Mr. Zhu, first use, the ''Force of Li Cunxiao Striking the Tiger'', then use ''Zhang Guolao Riding the Donkey Backwards''!" [As the reader will have guessed, Li Cunxiao and Zhang Guolao are famous legendary figures.] Zhu Baokun was startled. He thought to himself, "The first stance belongs to the Qingcheng sect, but the second comes from the Penglai sect. These two definitely cannot be mixed together. How can I use them in succession?" But right now, the situation was critical. How could he have the time to ponder in depth? He executed the ''Force of Li Cunxiao Striking the Tiger'' technique, and with a pair of ''dang'' sounds, just managed to block two mace blows from Sima Lin and elder Jiang. Following this, he turned around and took three crooked steps backwards, each step taken precisely before an ambushing awl attack by elder Jiang. This stance which elder Jiang used was a combination attack using both the mace and the awl, with three strikes in total. It was extremely sinister and vicious. Each step Zhu Baokun took, he staggered as though he were drunk, and the execution was totally unorthodox. But at the most critical moment of each attack, he managed to avoid the opponent''s ruthless strikes. It was as though the two of them had practiced this in advance and were now showing off their abilities.


    These three ambushing strikes were extremely ingenious, but the dodges were even more exquisite. All of the members of the Qin family stronghold watching were rapt and breathless. After every dodge, they let out an exclamation in unison, and by the time all three attacks were dodged, they had let out three mighty shouts. The faces of the disciples of the Qingcheng sect were very gloomy to begin with, but now they looked all the more terrible to behold.


    Duan Yu shouted out, "Wonderful, wonderful! Brother Zhu, whatever Miss Wang tells you to do, do it. I promise you won''t lose out by doing so!"


    When Zhu Baokun executed this ''Zhang Guolao Riding the Donkey Backwards'' technique, he had no idea what the results might be. His head was filled with a murky fog, and he felt that life and death were the same, and had long since cast away any hopes of living. He didn''t imagine that these two techniques from the Qingcheng sect and the Penglai sect could actually be executed together and allow him to evade those three vicious blows. The panic in his heart was far greater than even that of the members of the Qin family stronghold, or of the members of the Qingcheng sect.


    He heard Wang Yuyan call out, "First execute ''Han Xiangzi Embraces the Snow of the Blue Gate'', then execute the ''Crooked Path Opens to the Netherworld''!" The first technique belonged to the Penglai sect, and the second belonged to the Qingcheng sect. Without even thinking, Zhu Baokun drew a circle in front of him using his mace and his awl in a defensive sealing movement. Just at this moment, Sima Lin and elder Meng thrust at him with their awls. The three of them had actually executed their attacks at the same time, but in the eyes of outsiders, it seemed as though Zhu Baokun had completed his defensive movement first, while Sima Lin and elder Meng, despite seeing his defensive movement and finding no flaws in his defense, still insisted on using a large amount of energy in a useless attack. Their two awls connected with his mace, and with a clanging sound, the two awls were flicked aside. Zhu Baokun didn''t hesitate at all, and immediately stooped down and launched a backwards piercing strike with his awl.


    Elder Jiang was just about to strike him from behind. He never imagined that Zhu Baokun''s awl would strike at him at this moment, from this angle. The ''Crooked Path Opens to the Netherworld'' technique belonged to the Qingcheng sect, and elder Jiang knew it by heart. Using the attack in such a manner was totally antithetical to the basic principles of Qingcheng sect martial arts. If Zhu Baokun, while practicing martial arts, had normally executed the technique in such a way, elder Jiang would have burst into loud laughter. But by using such an unreasonable attack, elder Jiang was put into a position where he was about to commit suicide, as he was rushing forwards with his body in line with the tip of the awl. He knew that he was in a disastrous position, but couldn''t retract his charging force in time. With a puffing sound, the awl pierced into his waist. His body swayed, and he fell to the floor. Two disciples of the Qingcheng sect ran forwards, grabbed him, then carried him away.


    Sima Lin cursed, "Zhu Baokun, you son of a turtle, you just hurt martial-uncle Jiang with your own hands. You can''t claim this is false as well, right?" Wang Yuyan said, "I told him to hurt elder Jiang. Please, stay your hands!" Sima Lin angrily said, "If you''re really so capable, tell him how to kill me!" Wang Yuyan smiled. "Mr. Zhu, first use the technique, ''Iron-Crutched Li Passes Through a Tunnel Into the Front Yard Beneath the Moon,'' then use the technique, ''Iron-Crutched Li Discusses the Way in a Jade Cavern.''"


    Zhu Baokun replied, "Yes!" He thought to himself, "Within the Penglai sect''s martial arts techniques, there are only the stances, ''Lu Chunyang Passes Through a Tunnel Into the Front Yard Beneath the Moon'' and ''Han Zhongli Discusses the Way in a Jade Cavern.'' How did Iron-Crutched Li get mixed up into this? Most likely, this girl''s understanding of our school''s martial arts technique still has its limits, and she misspoke." But at this critical moment, Sima Lin and elder Meng definitely would not give him the chance to ask her to clarify. All he could do was use his normal techniques and execute ''Lu Chunyang Passes Through a Tunnel Into the Front Yard Beneath the Moon''.


    This technique, ''Passing Through a Tunnel Into the Front Yard Beneath the Moon'', was originally meant to be executed by taking a large step forward, and was possessed of natural grace and elegance, as though someone were flying through the air. But after his left leg received two serious wounds, when he took a large step he was limping. How could he appear to be like Lu Chunyang? He looked one hundred percent like Iron-Crutched Li. But even though he was forced to limp forwards, he still received a great advantage from this motion. The two awl strikes which Sima Lin had just struck out with hit nothing but the air. Next, when he executed the ''Han Zhongli Discusses the Way in a Jade Cavern'' technique, his left leg was still limping and his entire body was inclined towards the left. He used the mace in his right hand as a fan, sweeping it across his body. Just at this moment, elder Meng''s head came into contact with his mace. With a clapping sound, the mace hit him right in the mouth. Ten of his teeth were immediately knocked out of his mouth and fell to the floor. It was so painful that he yelled and jumped up like a madman. He threw away his weapons, pressing both hands to his mouth as he sat down on the floor.


    Sima Lin was secretly shocked, but for the moment didn''t know what to do. Should he continue to fight, or temporarily withdraw and gain his revenge another day? The two techniques which Wang Yuyan had instructed Zhu Baokun use were simply too miraculous. She had calculated that after those three earlier techniques, elder Meng would charge towards Zhu Baokun''s right hand side. When Zhu Baokun struck out with his hammer at that moment, it was perfectly aligned with elder Meng''s mouth. Since Zhu Baokun''s leg was crippled, ''Han Zhongli Discusses the Way in a Jade Cavern'' turned into ''Iron-Crutched Li Discusses the Way in a Jade Cavern,'' and the mace struck out at an angle. If he hadn''t been crippled and the mace came out normally, it would have missed by a few inches. Her calculations were extremely ingenious and her predictions of the opponent''s actions were very accurate. It truly was shocking and astonishing.


    Sima Lin thought to himself, "If I want to kill Zhu Baokun, this son of a turtle, first I''ll need to think of a way to shut this girl''s mouth and keep her from giving him advice." But just as he was trying to think of a strategy by which he could harm Wang Yuyan, he heard her say, "Mr. Zhu, you are a disciple of the Penglai sect. For you to deceive your way into the Qingcheng sect in order to steal their martial arts is extremely inappropriate. However, I do believe that you were not the one who harmed the old master, Sima Wei. Based on your level of martial arts, even if you taught another expert the skills of the Qingcheng sect, he definitely would not be able to use the ''Moon Destroying Awl'' technique to kill old master Sima Wei. But you are still to blame for stealing other people''s martial arts secrets. Quick, go apologize to sect-leader Sima, and we''ll consider this matter settled."


    Zhu Baokun thought that her words were just. In addition, she had saved his life, as he had only escaped from danger based on her advice. He could not disobey her commands, and immediately bowed deeply towards Sima Lin. He said, "Martial-brother sect-leader, it is your junior brother''s fault¡­"


    Sima Lin leapt to one side, then fiercely cursed, "You bastard, you son of a turtle, you still have the face and the audacity to call me your martial-brother sect-leader?"


    Wang Yuyan called out, "Quick! ''Sauntering About the East China Sea!''


    Zhu Baokun''s heart went cold. He immediately rose up and leapt three feet into the air. With a number of ''chi'' sounds, over ten ''Green Hornet'' nail projectiles passed underneath his feet, just barely missing him. If it hadn''t been for Wang Yuyan''s warning, as well as her specifically instructing him to use ''Sauntering About the East China Sea'' technique rather than simply saying ''Beware his hidden projectiles!'', his focus would have been on the opponent. How could he have guessed that Sima Lin would shoot out ''Green Hornet'' nails from his sleeves? By then, it would have been too late to dodge.


    The technique Sima Lin had just used was named ''Heaven and Earth Within the Sleeves''. This was an ultimate skill which the Sima family passed down only to their children and not to the other disciples of the Qingcheng sect. This was a household rule, and not even the two elders knew this technique. Sima Wei did not pass this skill to Zhu Baokun because he had to obey the ancestral rules. This couldn''t be considered ''hiding'' something from him. Zhu Baokun couldn''t have imagined that Sima Lin, without batting an eye, only needed to tuck his hands inside his sleeves and the hidden weaponry would erupt from the ''Green Hornet'' nail mechanism hidden within. Wang Yuyan not only exposed this trick, but even instructed him on how to avoid the hidden weapons, using the Penglai sect''s technique, ''Sauntering About the East China Sea''.


    This never-fail trick which Sima Lin had just executed had actually been defeated, as though by ghosts or demons. Pointing towards Wang Yuyan, he cried out, "You aren''t a human, you''re a ghost, a ghost!"


    All the teeth in elder Meng''s mouth had been knocked loose, and he had actually swallowed three of his teeth earlier. Although he was very old, he was very sharp-eyed, his hair was still dark, and his teeth were firm and hard. He prided himself on these things. Whenever he lost a tooth, he grieved deeply. Now, he loudly cried out in an indistinct voice, "Capture that girl, capture that girl!"


    The rules of the Qingcheng sect were extremely rigid. Although elder Meng had a very high status, all actions had to be approved by the sect-leader first. Every disciple turned their gaze towards Sima Lin. If he said a single word of approval, they would throw themselves at Wang Yuyan.


    Sima Lin said icily, "Miss Wang, how is it that you are so very familiar with the martial arts of our sect?" Wang Yuyan said, "I read them in a book. The techniques of the Qingcheng sect specialize in trickery, deception, viciousness, and ruthlessness. There aren''t a lot of changes or transformations in the techniques. They aren''t too hard to memorize." Sima Lin said, "What book is this?" Wang Yuyan said, "Oh, it wasn''t a particularly special book. There are two volumes of the tome which discusses the martial arts of the Qingcheng sect. The first volume is called <>. The second is called, <>. You are the sect-leader of the Qingcheng sect. Naturally, you''ve read them both."


    Sima Lin secretly cried, "How embarrassing!" When he was young and first starting to learn martial arts, his father said to him, "In our schools martial arts, there originally were the <> and the <>. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, they were lost, leaving us with incomplete fragments, so that all these years, we have not been able to surpass the Penglai sect, and causing us to only be able to stalemate them. If anyone is able to uncover these two sets of martial arts in their entirety, not only would we be able to destroy the Penglai sect with ease, it wouldn''t be unthinkable for us to rule over the world." Now, hearing her say that she read these books, he couldn''t help but feel a fire ignite in his chest. He said, "Might you be willing to lend this book to me to read, so that I might see what similarities this book has with the teachings of my sect?"


    Before Wang Yuyan had a chance to reply, Yao Bodang began to laugh loudly. "Miss, don''t fall for this kid''s trick. His understanding of the martial arts of the Qingcheng sect is very shallow. He only knows three or four of the strikes of the ''Qing'' character, and at most eleven or twelve of the ''Cheng'' character''s destroying strokes. He wants to trick you into letting him check out your strange and wondrous martial arts treatises. No matter what, you can''t lend it to him!"


    Sima Lin''s intentions were laid bare by Yao Bodang. Sinister lines of anger appeared on his young face. He said, "I personally wish to borrow some books from Miss Wang. What does this have to do with your Qin family?"


    Yao Bodang laughed. "Naturally, this affects the Qin family stronghold. Miss Wang has memorized so many strange and exotic martial arts in the world. Whoever gets her will become matchless in the world. When I, Yao Bodang, see gold, silver, pearls, treasure, or beautiful women, I''ve always stretched my hand out and taken them. How can it be that I''ll let such a rare, once-in-a-lifetime treasure such as Miss Wang slip away from my grasp? Brother Sima, if your Qingcheng sect wishes to borrow books from her, why don''t you come and ask me if I am willing to allow it? Hah hah, hah hah! Why don''t you take a guess? Do you think I will agree?"


    These words Yao Bodang spoke were extremely rude and arrogant, but after Sima Lin and the two elders heard them, their hearts were swayed. They thought to themselves, "This young girl''s understanding of martial arts truly is boundless and unfathomable. Judging from her fragile, delicate appearance, it''d be impossible for her to personally fight and achieve victory. But she obviously has read many weird and remarkable martial arts manuals, and has understood how to apply what she has learned as well. If we can manage to take her back to the Qingcheng sect, we would be able to learn more than just the ''Nine Strikes of the ''Qing'' Character'' and the ''Eighteen Destroying Strokes of the ''Cheng'' Character''. It seems as though stronghold-master Yao has the same though. Looks like we need to prepare for a major battle."


    Yao Bodang continued, "Miss Wang, we originally came to cause trouble for the Murong family. From the looks of it, you seem to belong to the Murong family?"


    Once Wang Yuyan heard the words, ''you seem to belong to the Murong family'', she felt both bashful and happy. Her entire face blushed, and she swayed once before saying, "Young master Murong is my cousin. What business do you have with him? How has he offended you?"


    Yao Bodang laughed loudly. "You are Murong Fu''s cousin? That couldn''t be better. The ancestor''s of Gusu''s Murong family owes my Yao family a million taels of gold and ten million taels of silver. It''s been centuries, and they owe us interest on the interest. How shall we settle this debt?" Wang Yuyan was astonished. "How can there be such a thing? My uncle''s family has always been rich. How can they owe your family money?" Yao Bodang replied, "Whether they owe us or not, what does a little girl like you know? I went looking for Murong Bo to get our money back. He agreed to pay us back, but he didn''t pay us back a single copper before his feet stiffened and he dropped dead. Since the old fellow died, the only option is to go find his son. Who would have imagined that upon his creditors arriving, Murong Fu would actually hide himself away? The only choice I have is to find something to serve as a mortgage."


    Wang Yuyan replied, "My cousin is generous and straightforward. If he borrowed money from you, he would have repaid you long ago. Even if he didn''t borrow money from you, if you asked him for some gold and silver, he would not refuse you. What is this nonsense about him being afraid of you and hiding himself away?"


    Yao Bodang wrinkled his forehead. He said, "How about this. It''s hard to fully debate matters like this in a short period of time. Tonight, why don''t you temporarily come north with me, Miss? You can stay at the Qin family stronghold for a year or so. I guarantee that the people of the Qin family stronghold won''t touch a hair on your head. The wife of Yao Bodang is a famous for being a jealous old tigress. I''ve always been extremely well-disciplined when it comes to dealing with other women. Put your mind at rest. There''s no need for you to pack either, we''ll leave immediately. After your cousin has coughed up the money to repay this debt, I will naturally escort you back to Gusu and allow you and your cousin to be married. The Qin family stronghold will give you a very lavish wedding gift, and I, Yao Bodang, will have to come and drink a wedding toast as well." As he spoke, his lips split into another loud laugh.


    These words were extremely boorish, and the last few words were all the more mocking, but in Wang Yuyan''s ears, they sounded very sweet and made her very happy. Smiling, she said, "You love to talk rubbish. Why would I go with you to the Qin family stronghold? If my uncle''s family really borrowed money from you, most likely it was something which happened a long time ago which my cousin doesn''t know about. All you have to do is produce evidence, and my cousin will definitely repay you."


    Yao Bodang''s original intention was to carry off Wang Yuyan and force her to reveal martial arts secrets. Everything he said earlier about a million taels of gold and ten million taels of silver were all nonsense. Now, hearing how innocent she was in taking his nonsensical story to be true, he said, "It is best if you come with me. The Qin family stronghold is a very fun place. We''ve raised a pack of black hunting panthers, giant hawks, and deer. Everything is new and exciting. I guarantee that you won''t be bored of the place within half a year. As soon as your cousin receives the news, he will immediately come there to find you. Even if he doesn''t pay me back, I guess I can just forget about it and let the two of you go back to Gusu. What do you think?" These words he spoke caused Wang Yuyan''s heart to actually be moved.


    Sima Lin, seeing her gaze wander and a beaming expression on her face, thought to himself, "If she actually agrees to go to the Qin family stronghold, it wouldn''t be appropriate for me to prevent her from doing so afterwards." Without waiting for her to respond, he immediately interjected, "Yunnan is a place of bitter cold, located beyond the Great Wall. Miss Wang, how could a delicate and tender Jiangnan beauty such as you suffer such torment? My hometown of Chengdu is a city of legendary beauty, known as the City of Silk and Satin. The silk which we produce is famous world-wide. Moreover, we have beautiful scenery and ten times as many diverting things to do as Yunnan. Miss Wang, in accordance with your beauty, you should come to Chengdu and buy some silk dresses. It would be like a red rose on a field of green plants, each multiplying the beauty of the other. Young master Murong is both handsome and talented. Naturally, he would like it if you dressed up beautifully for him." Since he was now certain that his father had been harmed by the people from the Penglai sect, he held no more grudges against the Murong family.


    Yao Bodang shouted, "Farting, farting, your dog of a mother is letting out a smelly fart! Can it be that the city of Suzhou lacks silks or brocade? Open your dog eyes and take a close look at these three beautiful girls. Which of them don''t know how to dress up?" Sima Lin let out a cold snort. "It stinks in here. It really does stink." Yao Bodang angrily shouted, "Are you talking about me?" Sima Lin said, "I wouldn''t dare! I''m saying that a filthy dog naturally lets out nauseating farts."


    With a swishing sound, Yao Bodang drew the short-hilted broadsword from his and called out, "Sima Lin, my Qin family stronghold, compared to your Qingcheng sect, is probably about on par and matched with each other. But if the Qin family stronghold unites with the Penglai sect, we''d probably be able to wipe out your Qingcheng sect. Am I right?"


    The look on Sima Lin''s face changed. He thought to himself, "His words are not false. After the passing of my father, the strength of my Qingcheng sect is already diminished. In addition, this traitor, Zhu Baokun, has stolen our secret martial arts techniques. If the Qin family stronghold becomes our enemies as well, then things will become very difficult. As the saying goes, ''he who strikes first becomes the master, he who strikes second suffers disaster''. Goddamnit, the only option we have today is to launch a surprise attack on them." He immediately said lightly, "What do you propose?"


    Seeing him fold his hands into his sleeves, Yao Bodang knew that could shoot forth his insidious hidden weapons at any point in time. Instantly, he became all the more cautious. He said, "I am inviting Miss Wang to stay in Yunnan as my guest until young master Murong comes to escort her back home. But you have chosen to meddle in my business and refuse to accept this. Am I right?"


    Sima Lin said, "Your home, Yunnan, is too crappy a place for Miss Wang. I want to invite Miss Wang to come to Chengdu to enjoy herself." Yao Bodang said, "Fine. Let us determine victory or defeat through battle. Whoever wins will be Miss Wang''s host." Sima Lin said, "Precisely so. After all, even if the losers want to be Miss Wang''s host, they can''t possibly invite her down to the underworld." The meaning of his words was that this wasn''t a competition of martial arts, but a life-and-death struggle which would determine who would live and who would be destroyed. Yao Bodang loudly laughed, then shouted, "The life that I, Yao Bodang have lived, has always been one of lapping blood from the tip of my broadsword. Sect-leader Sima, you want to use the word ''death'' to frighten me? I have not taken it to heart in the slightest!" Sima Lin said, "How shall we compete? Shall the two of us duel with each other, or shall everyone just charge at the other side?"


    Yao Bodang said, "Why don''t you just let this old fellow that I am play with you a bit¡­" Sima Lin suddenly turned his head towards the left, a look of utmost astonishment on his face, as though something bizarre had just happened. Yao Bodang''s gaze had been on him this entire time, fearing that he was planning some sort of trick. But now, he couldn''t help but turn his gaze to the left as well. Suddenly, three sneering sounds could be heard. Snapping his attention back, he saw that the hidden weapons were now less than a meter away from his chest. He felt sourness in his heart, knowing that he was in deep trouble....


    Just at this critical, lethal moment, something flashed by his chest. With a clattering sound, it knocked aside all of the poisoned nails. The poison nails were shot out extremely quickly, and despite Yao Bodang being focused upon his opponent, he still would have been unable to avoid them. But the object which knocked aside the poison nails was several times faster than the nails. It was sent out later, but arrived earlier, knocking the poisoned nails aside. As to what exactly was tossed out, no one had seen clearly.


    Wang Yuyan cried out in a happy voice, "Is it Uncle Bao who''s arrived?"


    An extremely strange voice replied, "Tis not so, tis not so. It isn''t Uncle Bao who''s arrived."


    Wang Yuyan laughed, "You claim not to be Uncle Bao? Even before you yourself appear, your ''tis not so, tis not so'' comments arrive!" That voice replied, "Tis not so, tis not so! I am not Uncle Bao!" Wang Yuyan laughed. "Tis not so, tis not so? Then who are you?" That voice replied, "The kinsmen of the Murong family call me ''third brother'', but you addressed me as me ''uncle''. Tis not so, tis not so! You addressed me incorrectly!" Wang Yuyan''s body swayed with laughter as she pressed her hands to her face. "You still aren''t coming out?"


    The voice did not reply. After a while, Wang Yuyan saw that there wasn''t a single bit of movement, and cried out, "Hey, come out! Come help us shoo out these random people away!" But still, no sound could be heard. Clearly, the person surnamed Bao had left long ago. Wang Yuyan felt a bit disappointed, and asked Ah Zhu, "Where did he go?" Ah Zhu smiled. "Third brother Bao always had this sort of weird temper. Earlier, miss, you said, ''You still aren''t coming out?'' Originally, he was planning to come out, but after hearing you say that, he would do the opposite to make things awkward for you. I''m afraid he might not come back at all today."


    Earlier, there was a 99% chance of death for Yao Bodang, if it hadn''t been for the help of the man surnamed Bao. Naturally, he felt indebted to him. Originally, he held no grudges against the Qingcheng sect and felt no enmity towards them, but now, it was unavoidable that he would want to kill Sima Lin. Brandishing his short-handled broadsword, he shouted, "Shameless scoundrel! You secretly shoot out hidden weapons. Do you think you can hurt this old man with them?" With a sweep of his broadsword, he chopped towards the crown of Sima Lin''s head. Sima Lin''s hands left his sleeves. In his left hand he wielded a steel awl, and in his right hand he wielded a steel mace, and his two weapons began to tussle against Yao Bodang''s broadsword.


    Yao Bodang possessed great physical strength, and his sabre techniques were ruthless and vicious. By contrast, Sima Lin specialized in using small, quick weapons and clever techniques. This was the first time a member of the Qin family stronghold and a member of Qingcheng sect had fought against each other. With each of them being the leader of their respective organization, this was more than just a life-and-death battle; this was something which would determine the prestige or downfall of their sects. Both of them were forced to be very careful, not daring to slacken off in the slightest.


    After seventy or so stances had been exchanged, Wang Yuyan suddenly said to Ah Zhu, "Check it out. It seems as though the Qin family stronghold is missing more than just five strokes from their ''Five Tigers Shattering the Gate'' sabre style. Why isn''t leader Yao using the techniques ''Carrying the Son Through the River'' or ''Valuing Integrity, Guarding Righteousness''?" Ah Zhu didn''t know anything about the ''Five Tigers Shattering the Gate'' sabre style, and found it difficult to respond.


    In the middle of this fierce battle, these four sentences drifted into Yao Bodang''s ears. He was greatly shocked. "This little lady''s eyesight is incredible. It originally was the case that only fifty nine strokes remained of the sixty four strokes of the ''Five Tigers Shattering the Gate'' sabre style. But when my master learned this style, he was not intelligent enough to learn those two stances, ''Carrying the Son Through the River'' and ''Valuing Integrity, Guarding Righteousness.'' Thus, those two stances were lost, leaving behind only fifty seven strokes. In order to save face, I slightly modified the alternate forms of two other strokes, so as to keep the number of stances at fifty nine. She actually saw through it."


    As it were, the people of the mountain strongholds were a motley, disorderly array. Anyone could mingle together with them, but when Yunnan''s Qin family led raids to loot and plunder, the leaders were always disciples of the ''Five Tigers Shattering the Gate'' school. The experts of other sects, knowing that the members of the Qin family stockade would not treat them as one of their own, would not go and try to join forces with them. Yao Bodang''s master came from the Qin family. He was not only the chief of the Qin family stockade, but also the leader of the sect-leader of the ''Five Tigers Shattering the Gate'' school of martial arts. His own martial arts level, as well as that of his son, Qin Boqi, was very mediocre. Thus, he gave his own rank and station to that of his head apprentice, Yao Bodang. Several months ago, while in Shaanxi, Qin Boqi was killed by a sabre technique which utilized three horizontal chops and a vertical chop, known as the "Four Knife-Strokes of the ''Wang'' Character" [The ''Wang'' character, meaning ''King'', is written in Chinese with three parallel horizontal strokes and a vertical stroke which bisects all three]. This was the hardest and most fierce technique within the ''Five Tigers Shattering the Gate'' sabre style. Everyone believed that the killer must have been Gusu''s Murong family. Yao Bodang, remembering his master''s benevolence, marshaled the many experts of his stronghold and came to Suzhou to seek revenge on behalf of his martial-brother. Unexpectedly, he almost lost his life to the poison nails of the Qingcheng sect before he even had a chance to meet with the master of the place, and his life was actually rescued by one of Murong Fu''s friends.


    Yao Bodang hated Sima Lin''s vile, treacherous techniques techniques. Now, hearing Wang Yuyan expose the flaws in his martial arts, he felt very ashamed. He wanted to defeat Sima Lin as quickly as possible, so as to maintain his own dignity and prestige within his sect. But this anxiousness to achieve a quick victory made him rash and impatient. He executed several risky attacks, all of which were dodged by Sima Lin. Letting out a loud roar, Yao Bodang brandished his sabre in a mighty downwards chop. Just as Sima Lin leapt to the left, Yao Bodang suddenly kicked out with his right leg. Sima Lin''s body was in midair, leaving him with no place to dodge. Instead, he delivered a powerful thrust towards Yao Bodang''s foot using the steel awl in his left hand, intending to force Yao Bodang to retract this kick. Although Yao Bodang indeed did not follow through with his right kick, his left leg suddenly struck out as well in a tandem strike, attacking the left side of Sima Lin''s waist.


    Sima Lin struck diagonally with his steel mace. With a clapping sound, by chance it managed to strike Yao Bodang precisely on the bridge of his nose. Blood immediately began to flow from the wound. But at the same time, Yao Bodang''s left leg struck Sima Lin on his waist.


    Unfortunately, since Yao Bodang was struck first, he was startled, causing the power of this kick to have less than 20% of his normal force. Although Sima Lin was hit, he suffered no ill effects at all, aside from some temporary pain. And so, in the twinkling of an eye, victory and defeat had been determined. Letting out a tiger''s roar, Yao Bodang charged forward with his sabre. But feeling pain so severe that it seemed his head had been split in twain, Yao Bodang''s footsteps became staggered and his footing became unsure.


    Sima Lin''s winning of this battle was highly due to luck. He knew that if he spared Yao Bodang''s life, Yao Bodang would cause him no end of trouble in the future. Immediately, he made up his mind to be ruthless. The mace in his hand flashed through the air in an attack. Just as Yao Bodang brandished his knife to defend, the steel awl in Sima Lin''s left hand pierced directly towards Yao Bodang''s heart.


    The deputy-leader of the Qin family stronghold, seeing that things were going south, let out a loud cry then threw his short-hilted broadsword directly towards Sima Lin. In the blink of an eye, the room was filled with the sound of wind blowing as over ten short-hilted broadswords flew through the air towards Sima Lin.


    As it so happened, within the martial arts of the Qin family stronghold, there was a consummate technique which involved throwing their broadswords at an opponent. Each broadsword weighed roughly between three and five kilograms. When thrown at an opponent, they carried an extremely powerful force. Now, with over ten broadswords flying towards him, Sima Lin found himself in a hopeless situation, neither able to deflect them nor able to dodge them.


    Just when it seemed as though he was about to fall prey to the flying broadswords, a shadow of a man appeared in the room, flying towards Sima Lin''s side. Stretching out his hands, the shadow plunged them into the midst of those flying broadswords, snatching and grabbing at them until he had seized all of them. He clasped them to his chest with his left hand, then let out a long laugh, seating himself on a chair in the middle of the room. Following this, he hurled all of the broadswords down to his feet with a clanking sound.


    Everyone was struck dumb with astonishment. The man seated in the chair was middle-aged, thin and gaunt, extremely tall, and wore a long, grey gown. There was a stubborn, perverse look to his features. Having seen his skill in seizing the broadswords, everyone here was both fearful and awed. Nobody dared to say a word.


    Only Duan Yu was laughing. "This brother''s movements are really quick! I imagine your martial arts is at a very high level. Sir, might I ask what your undoubtedly famous name is?"


    Before that man had a chance to reply, Wang Yuyan rushed forward and laughed, "Third brother Bao! I thought you weren''t going to come back, and was starting to worry. Wonderful, wonderful!"


    Duan Yu said, "Oh, so it''s Mr. Bao." Mr. Bao tossed him a sideways glance, then icily said, "Boy, who are you? How dare you prattle on and on in front of me?" Duan Yu replied, "My name is Duan Yu. I''ve never studied martial arts and am not a warrior, but during my time stumbling about the jianghu, I''ve somehow managed to avoid death up ''til now. It''s really rather remarkable." Mr. Bao turned and stared at him, not knowing how to respond.


    Sima Lin stepped forward. Bowing deeply, he said, "Sima Lin of the Qingcheng sect greatly appreciates your assistance. I will never dare to forget your great benevolence and kindness. Mr. Bao, might I ask what your full name is, so that I might forever remember it in my heart?" Mr. Bao''s eyes flashed, and he suddenly struck out with a kick, knocking Sima Lin backwards into a somersault. He shouted, "You think you are worthy of knowing my name? I didn''t have any intention to save you. It''s just that this is the home of sister Ah Zhu. If they dismembered you, you little brat, into many pieces here, it would''ve dirtied this place, the ''Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds.'' **** off, **** off now!"


    When Sima Lin saw him kick out, he wanted to dodge, but could not do so in time. The fall he took was very humiliating. After hearing Mr. Bao speak such bullying words, according to the rules of the jianghu, if Sima Lin didn''t immediately attack and go all out, he would at least have to arrange a future date for a duel. No matter what, he could not allow himself to be humiliated so badly in front of everyone without even a response. He gathered himself, then said, "Mr. Bao, today I, Sima Lin, was besieged by many enemies and almost lost my life. I am indebted to you for your saving of my life. I, Sima Lin, am a person who can distinguish between benevolence and enmity. I will repay benevolence with benevolence, and enmity with vengeance. Please, sir! Your move." Sima Lin knew all too well that no matter how long or how arduously he trained, he wouldn''t be able to achieve Mr. Bao''s level of martial arts. Thus, he could only use the eight words, ''repay benevolence with benevolence, and enmity with vengeance'', to indistinctly put up a muddled response.


    Mr. Bao wasn''t even paying attention to what he was saying. He turned towards Wang Yuyan and said, "Miss Wang, how is it that the madame allowed you to come here?" Wang Yuyan laughed, "Why don''t you guess how this happened?" Mr. Bao mumbled to himself, "This is a bit hard to guess."


    Sima Lin, seeing how Mr. Bao totally ignored his display in favor of talking to Wang Yuyan, felt even more belittled and humiliated than when he had been kicked earlier. He couldn''t help but feel hatred towards Mr. Bao. He no longer cared at all about the benevolence which Mr. Bao had shown him earlier. With a wave of his left hand, he led all the disciples of the Qingcheng sect away.


    Mr. Bao said, "Hold. Stay here and listen to my instructions." Sima Lin turned around. "What?" Mr. Bao said, "I heard that you came to Gusu in order to avenge the death of your father. You came looking for the wrong person. Your father, Sima Wei, was not killed by young master Murong." Sima Lin said, "Why do you say that? Mr. Bao, how do you know this?"


    Mr. Bao angrily replied, "If I say that young master Murong didn''t kill him, then naturally young master Murong didn''t kill him. Even if he really killed him, if I say he didn''t, then the killing doesn''t count. Can it be that my words hold no weight?"


    Sima Lin thought to himself, "These words of his are really far too peremptory." He replied, "I cannot exist in the same world with a man who murdered my father. Although my skill in martial arts is low, I must avenge his death, even if it results in my body being smashed into powder. Mr. Bao, if you know who murdered him, please inform me." Mr. Bao loudly laughed. "Your father isn''t my son. Why should I know or care as to who killed him? I''m telling you that young master Murong didn''t kill him, but it seems you won''t believe me. Fine! Let''s just say I killed him. If you want to avenge him, come kill me!" Sima Lin''s face turned ashen pale. "How can the murder of my father be treated as a game? Mr. Bao, I know that I am not your match. If you want to kill me, go ahead, but you are not allowed to humiliate me thusly!" Mr. Bao laughed, "I refuse to kill you, but insist on humiliating you. What are you going to do about it?"


    Sima Lin was so furious, his chest was about to explode. However, he still did not have the courage to rush forward and stake his life in an all-out-attack. He was caught between a rock and a hard place, with neither advancing nor retreating being a good option. He felt extremely awkward.


    Mr. Bao laughed, "Your father''s level of martial arts is too trifling. Why would brother Murong bother to personally deal with him? Young master Murong''s level of martial arts is ten times higher than mine. Think about it. Is your father fit to die underneath his hands?"


    Before Sima Lin had a chance to respond, Zhu Baokun drew out his weapons then loudly shouted, "Mr. Bao, Mr. Sima Wei was my instructor and master. I will not allow you to besmirch his reputation, after his death!" Mr. Bao laughed, "You are a spy who snuck into the Qingcheng sect to steal their martial arts secrets. What does this have to do with you?" Zhu Baokun loudly shouted, "Master Sima Wei treated me with the utmost kindness and decency. I, Zhu Baokun, am ashamed that I was not able to repay him. Today, in dying to protect my departed master''s reputation, I will slightly atone for my sins of deceiving him! Mr. Bao, apologize immediately to sect-master Sima Wei!"


    Mr. Bao laughed. "I, Bao the Third, have never admitted to making any mistakes in my life, and have never apologized. Even when I know I am in the wrong, I''ll argue and debate until my dying breath. Even when he was alive, Sima Wei didn''t have much of a reputation. Now that he''s dead, his reputation is even worse. This sort of person should have been killed long ago! It''s great that he was killed! Great!"


    Zhu Baokun angrily roared, "Draw your weapons!"


    Mr. Bao laughed, "Sima Wei''s son and disciples are a bunch of worthless trash. Aside from using hidden weapons to harm others, what else are they good for?"


    Zhu Baokun shouted, "On guard!" He struck out with the technique, "Ascending to Heaven, Descending Past Hell", a simultaneous attack using both the steel awl in his left hand and the steel mace in his right.


    Mr. Bao didn''t even leave the chair. He waved the sleeve of his left arm, and a powerful gust of wind struck outwards. As Zhu Baokun hurriedly dodged, Mr. Bao kicked with his right leg, sending Zhu Baokun collapsing to the floor. Mr. Bao kicked out again with his right leg, striking him directly on the buttocks and knocking him out of the room.


    Zhu Baokun flew through the air, landing on his shoulder and his head. He immediately flipped to his feet, then hobbled and staggered towards Mr. Bao, once more stabbing at Mr. Bao''s chest with the steel awl. Mr. Bao seized him by the wrist. With burst of force, he threw him up into the air. With a crashing sound, Zhu Baokun slammed into the ceiling. Falling to the floor, Zhu Baokun flipped to his feet, then rushed towards Mr. Bao a third time. Frowning, Mr. Bao said, "You really don''t know what''s good for you. What, you think I won''t kill you?" Zhu Baokun cried out, "It''s best if you killed me¡­"


    Mr. Bao struck out with both arms, capturing both of Zhu Baokun''s hands. With a cracking sound, he shattered both of Zhu Baokun''s arms, also causing Zhu Baokun''s awl to pierce into his own left side, while his mace hit his right shoulder. Blood immediately began to flow from his new wounds. These wounds he sustained were grievous. Although he still wanted to fight, he no longer had the ability to.


    Everyone in the Qingcheng sect stared at each other, uncertain as to whether or not they should go forward and assist. Most of their hatred towards him had dissipated upon seeing Zhu Baokun truly be willing to sacrifice his own life in order to protect his master''s reputation.


    This entire time, Ah Zhu was silently watching from the sidelines. Now, she suddenly said, "Master Sima, Master Zhu, if Gusu''s Murong family truly did kill Sima Wei, how could we leave the rest of you alive? If third brother Bao truly wanted to exterminate all of you, I''m afraid it wouldn''t be too hard for him to accomplish. At the very least, he wouldn''t have saved master Sima''s life, and miss Wang wouldn''t have tried so hard to help master Zhu. I suggest that all of you go back home and launch a careful investigation as to who really killed Mr. Sima."


    Sima Lin felt that these words were extremely reasonable. He wanted to say a few words in response, but Mr. Bao angrily said, "These is sister Ah Zhu''s place. The hostess has asked you to leave this place. Why haven''t you scrammed yet?!" Sima Lin replied, "Fine! We''ll meet again someday." With a slight nod, he left. Zhu Baokun and the others followed him out.


    Yao Bodang saw that Mr. Bao''s martial arts was very high, and that he had a very weird temperament. He very much wanted to make the acquaintance of this incredible wulin figure, and also wanted to convince Wang Yuyan to divulge more martial arts secrets to him. He immediately rose to his feet and was about to speak, when Mr. Bao loudly said, "Yao Bodang, I''m telling you right now that your worthless martial-brother, Qin Boqi, wouldn''t be worthy of being chopped at a single time by young master Murong, even if he practiced martial arts for thirty more years. And even if he practiced for one or two hundred years, young master Murong would disdain chopping at him four times. I won''t allow you to say a single word more. Roll the **** out, now!" Shocked, Yao Bodang''s face turned ghastly pale. He tightly gripped the hilt of his broadsword. Mr. Bao said, "Your level of martial arts is way too pitiful. Don''t display your meager skills in front of me. If I tell you to roll the **** out, you should roll the **** out. There''s no room for you to say anything else."


    Earlier, the bandits of the Qin family stronghold had thrown their broadswords towards Sima Lin. These broadswords were intercepted by Mr. Bao, and were now piled around his feet. As they watched him humiliate Yao Bodang, all of them wanted to attack and kill him. But unarmed and without their weapons, they were like toothless, fangless tigers.


    Mr. Bao let out a loud laugh, then struck out with a series of kicks. Each kick landed on the handle of a broadsword, sending all of the ten-plus broadswords slowly flying towards the bandits of the Qin family stronghold. Each of them caught the broadswords, but as they did so, they were shocked. It had been extremely easy for them to catch their weapons. Clearly, Mr. Bao was intentionally returning their weapons to them. They couldn''t help but realize that for Mr. Bao to make it so easy for them to catch their weapons, he could have easily made it extremely difficult for them to do so as well. It wouldn''t have been hard at all for him to spin the broadswords around and pierce their bodies with them. Each of them wielded their weapons in their hands, but all of them looked extremely miserable.


    Mr. Bao said, "Yao Bodang, are you going to roll the **** out or not?" Yao Bodang laughed bitterly. "Mr. Bao, you have saved my life today. The only reason I am alive is because of your kindness. If you have any orders for me, I will carry them out. I bid you farewell." As he spoke, he bowed politely, then waved with his left hand. "Everyone, let''s go!"


    Mr. Bao said, "I told you to roll the **** out, not walk out!" Yao Bodang was stunned. "I don''t understand what you mean." Mr. Bao said, "Rolling means you roll. Are you going to roll or not?" Yao Bodang thought to himself that this person was extremely strange, clearly insane and unwilling to listen to reason. Paying no more attention to him, he hurriedly walked towards the main doorway.


    Mr. Bao shouted, "Tis not so, tis not so! This is striding, this is jogging, this is walking, this is running. No matter how you spin it, it isn''t rolling!" With a flicker of his shadow, he appeared behind Yao Bodang. His left hand flashed out, seizing Yao Bodang by the back of his neck. Yao Bodang tried to defend with his right elbow, but Mr. Bao lifted him up with his left hand, raising him above the floor. Thus, Yao Bodang''s right elbow missed him.


    Next, Mr. Bao stretched out his right hand, grabbing Yao Bodang by the buttocks. He loudly shouted, "This is the home of my sister, Ah Zhu! It''s not the type of place where you can come and go as you please! Roll your mother****in'' *** out!" His hands loosened, rolling Yao Bodang''s huge form out of the building with a throwing motion.


    Yao Bodang''s acupoints had been sealed by him, rendering Yao Bodang unable to stand up. All he could do was helplessly roll on the floor like a giant log until his body exited the building. Fortunately, the doorway was very wide and his head did not collide with anything. The bandits of the Qin family let out a cry of alarm, and rushed out afterwards in unison, stopping his roll. Yao Bodang said, "Quick, let''s go, let''s go!" All of them ran away as though a swarm of bees were after them.


    Mr. Bao looked at Duan Yu up and down, but wasn''t able to figure out what sort of fellow he was. He asked Wang Yuyan, "What type of person is he? Should I roll him out too?"


    Wang Yuyan said, "Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, and I were seized by Granny Yan and were in an extremely dangerous situation. It was our great fortune that young gentleman Duan rescued us. In addition, he knows the circumstances of how elder Xuanbei was killed by someone using a blow from the ''Veda Sceptre'' technique. We can ask him about it." Mr. Bao said, "So what you''re saying is that you''d like for him to stay?" Wang Yuyan said, "Correct." Mr. Bao grinned. "You aren''t afraid that brother Murong will drink vinegar?" [Drinking vinegar means getting jealous] Wang Yuyan''s eyes widened. "What do you mean, drink vinegar?" Mr. Bao pointed towards Duan Yu. "This fellow is glib and sly. Don''t fall for his tricks!" Wang Yuyan still didn''t understand. "What tricks did I fall for? Are you saying he''ll make up false stories about Shaolin? I don''t think that''s the case."


    Seeing how innocent and na?ve she was, Mr. Bao felt it was inappropriate to say anything else. He let out three cold snickers towards Duan Yu, then said, "I heard that monk Xuanbei was killed in Dali by someone using a blow from the ''Veda Sceptre'' technique, and that a bunch of stupid *******s are claiming someone from our Murong family did this. What exactly is going on? Tell me the truth." Duan Yu felt very unhappy. He coldly replied, "What do you think you''re doing, interrogating a prisoner? If I don''t tell you, what will you do, beat me up?" Mr. Bao was startled, but instead of being angry, he laughed while mumbling repeatedly, "Bold youngster, bold youngster!" He suddenly walked forwards, then seized Duan Yu by his upper arm. He need to only use the slightest bit of force for Duan Yu to feel pain deep within his bones. Duan Yu loudly cried out, "Hey, what are you doing?"


    Mr. Bao replied, "I am interrogating a prisoner and cruelly beating him!" Duan Yu let him do what he want, pretending as though the arm no longer belonged to him. Smiling, Duan Yu said, "Go ahead and beat me up. I won''t pay attention to you." Mr. Bao added more force to his grip, causing Duan Yu''s bones to groan in protest, as though they were about to snap. Duan Yu expended enormous effort to resist the pain, continuing to ignore him.


    Ah Bi hurriedly said, "Third brother, this young gentleman is extremely stubborn and has an extremely haughty temper when roused. He is our savior and benefactor. Don''t hurt him." Mr. Bao nodded. "Wonderful, wonderful. Stubborn and has a haughty temper, eh? That''s a very appealing trait to me, Mr. ''Tis not so, tis not so!''" As he spoke, he slowly released Duan Yu''s arm.


    Ah Zhu laughed. "Speaking of appealing, everyone must be hungry. Old Gu! Old Gu!" Raising her voice, she shouted. Old Gu stuck his head in from a side door. Seeing that Yao Bodang, Sima Lin, and the others had left, he was overjoyed and happily skipped inside. Ah Zhu said, "First, go brush your teeth twice, wash your face twice, then wash your hands three times. Lastly, prepare a few exquisite dishes for us. If they''re even slightly dirty, Mr. Bao will make things rough for you!" Old Gu grinned. "I guarantee they''ll be clean. I guarantee it!"


    The servants of the ''Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds'' prepared a banquet for them within a flowery pavilion. Ah Zhu arranged for Mr. Bao to take the head seat, with Duan Yu seated next to him and Wang Yuyan taking the third seat. Ah Zhu and Ah Bi took the seats on the right hand side, accompanying them. Not waiting for the tea to be served, Wang Yuyan said, "Third brother, he¡­he¡­"


    Mr. Bao tossed a glance at Duan Yu, then said, "Miss Wang, there''s an outsider seated here. There are some things we cannot talk about. Moreover, the fellow here is a sly, glib, pretty-faced playboy. I don''t trust him at all¡­"


    Duan Yu''s temper rose as he listened. He suddenly rose to his feet, intending to immediately leave.


    Ah Bi hurriedly said, "Young gentleman Duan, don''t be angry. Mr. Bao always has had this sort of attitude. His formal name is Bao Butong [Butong means different, or contrary]. He insists on arguing or offending people for a bit. Only then can he swallow his food. The day he doesn''t offend people with his words is the day the sun rises from the west. Please sit."


    Duan Yu glanced at Wang Yuyan. It seemed to him as though she wanted him to sit as well. Although he couldn''t be certain of it, in the end, he wasn''t willing to give up the chance to enjoy a banquet with her. He once more sat down, then said, "Mr. Bao says that I am a pretty-faced playboy, and that I thus am very untrustworthy. I imagine, then, that your young master Murong''s appearance is similar to that of Mr. Bao''s?"


    Bao Butong laughed loudly. "Excellent question! Our young master is much more handsome than you, brother Duan¡­" Wang Yuyan, hearing these words, immediately broke out into a radiant smile which seemed to come from the depths of her heart. Bao Butong continued, "Our young master has a vigorous, heroic spirit to his appearance. Although he is very handsome, it''s totally different from your useless pretty-face, brother Duan. Totally different! As for my humble self, I am heroic but not handsome. I have an average degree of heroism and vitality, but an extraordinary amount of ugliness. Thus, I can be described as an ugly hero." Duan Yu and the others all broke out into laughter.


    After drinking a cup of wine, Bao Butong said, "The young master sent me to Fujian to handle some business. He wanted me to secretly help Shaolin out in an important matter. As to what that matter is, we''ll have to wait until brother Duan leaves before I can tell you. Since we are trying to become friends with the Shaolin sect, there is no way that we would kill one of their monks. In addition, the young master has never been to Dali. Although Gusu''s Murong family is very powerful, I''m afraid we haven''t yet mastered the ability to strike a person from thousands of miles away using the blows of the ''Veda Sceptre'' technique."


    Duan Yu nodded. "Brother Bao''s words are very reasonable."


    Bao Butong shook his head. "Tis not so, tis not so!" Duan Yu was startled. He thought to himself, "I said your words are reasonable. Why would you disagree?" Bao Butong said, "It''s not that my words are reasonable. This is just how the truth of the matter is. Brother Duan, when you say that my words are reasonable, you leave open the implication that I am simply good at talking, and things aren''t actually the way I say they are. Thus, these words of yours are really incorrect!" Smiling, Duan Yu did not reply, deciding there was no need to argue with him.


    Bao Butong said, "Yesterday, I returned to Suzhou. I ran across fourth brother Feng, and the two of us pondered over the situation for a bit. It must be that some son of a turtle has a grudge against Gusu''s Murong family and is secretly harming others with the intention of having others making out the bill for these crimes to Gusu''s Murong family. To tell you the truth, originally, this wasn''t a big deal at all. What can be better than a nice big brawl?" Ah Zhu laughed. "Fourth brother must have been exceedingly happy. He can''t ask for anything better than a fight!" Bao Butong shook his head. "Tis not so, tis not so! How can you say that he can''t ask for anything better than a fight? He always asks for fights! Wherever he goes, he likes to get into fights!"


    Seeing how he rebutted Ah Zhu thusly, only now did Duan Yu believe Ah Bi''s earlier words. This person really did take a perverse joy in arguing against others.


    Wang Yuyan said, "Did you and fourth brother Feng figure anything out? Who is secretly causing trouble for us?" Bao Butong replied, "Number one, it can''t be Shaolin. Number two, it can''t be the Beggar''s Sect. Their vice-chief, Ma Dayuan, was killed by someone using the ''Throat Locking Technique''. Ma Dayuan became famous because of his skill in the ''Throat Locking Technique''. It''s no big deal for someone to kill Ma Dayuan, but for someone to use the ''Throat Locking Technique'' to kill him is clearly trouble for Gusu''s Murong family. Duan Yu nodded. Bao Butong said, "Brother Duan, you''ve been repeatedly nodding. You must be secretly saying to yourself that these words of mine are very reasonable."


    Duan Yu replied, "Tis not so, tis not so! First, I only nodded once, and was not repeatedly nodding. Secondly, it''s not that your words are reasonable; this is simply how the truth of the matter is."


    Bao Butong laughed loudly. "This is the technique known as, ''using an opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent.'' Do you want to place yourself in service to Gusu''s Murong family? What''s the meaning behind this? Have you taken a fancy to my little sister, Ah Bi?"


    Ah Bi''s face immediately turned red. Annoyed, she said, "Third brother, you''re talking wildly again. I haven''t offended you." Bao Butong replied, "Tis not so, tis not so. If he''s taken a fancy to you, it''s because of your gentleness and adorableness. I said those words precisely because you haven''t offended me. If you had offended me, I would''ve reversed it and said that you took a fancy to this pretty boy, but this pretty boy didn''t take a fancy to you." Ah Bi was even more embarrassed. Ah Zhu said, "Third brother, stop bullying sister Ah Bi. If you keep on bullying her, then next time I''m going to bully your Liangliang."


    Bao Butong laughed loudly. "My daughter''s name is Bao Buliang. For you to call her Liangliang is flattering her, not bullying her. Sister Ah Bi, I don''t dare bully you anymore." It seemed as though he was actually a bit fearful when others threatened to bully his daughter. [The character ''Liang'' means ''beautiful''; thus, her given name, ''Buliang'', means ''not beautiful''. Ah Zhu referred to her as ''Liangliang'' rather than by her given name, ''Buliang'', hence Bao Butong''s claim that Ah Zhu was ''flattering'' his daughter.]


    Turning his head towards Wang Yuyan, he said, "Sooner or later, we''ll figure out which son of a turtle is causing problems for us. Fourth brother Feng also just came back. He was in Jiangxi. I don''t know the details of what he was doing too much. We two brothers went to pay a visit to the ''Manor of Blue Clouds''. Brother Deng''s wife informed us that she received the news that a large group of experts from the Beggar''s Clan had arrived in Jiangnan, most likely to cause us trouble. Fourth brother immediately wanted to go and fight with them. It was tough for her to convince him not to go." Ah Zhu smiled. "She''s really talented. She actually managed to restrain fourth brother and convince him not to go fight." Bao Butong said, "Tis not so, tis not so. It''s not that she''s talented. Rather, her words were very reasonable. She said, ''We need to place primary importance on carrying out the young master''s grand mission. We cannot run around cultivating powerful foes.''"


    As he said this, Wang Yuyan, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi all grew solemn as they exchanged a few looks.


    Duan Yu pretended not to notice. Extending his chopsticks, he picked up a piece of stir-fried chicken, put it in his mouth, then said, "Old Gu''s techniques really aren''t that bad, but compared to sisters Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, he''s still a ways off." Ah Bi smiled. "Old Gu is inferior to Ah Zhu, but much superior to me." Bao Butong said, "Tis not so, tis not so! Each of you have your own strengths." Ah Zhu laughed. "Third brother, today your sister wasn''t able to personally go to the kitchen and cook something for you. Next time you come, I''ll make it up to you¡­"


    Just as she was speaking, two clear, melodious sounds of a silver bell being run could be heard. Bao Butong, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi simultaneously said, "Second brother has sent us a message!" The three of them left the banquet, heading to the eaves of the room. Raising their heads, they saw a white pigeon fly in a circle above them before rushing downwards, coming to a rest on Ah Zhu''s hand. Ah Bi stretched out her hand, untying a small bamboo tube which was tied to the bird''s leg. She removed a scroll from within the tube. Bao Butong snatched it away from her. After skimming through it, he said, "If that''s the case, let''s go now!" He said towards Wang Yuyan, "Hey, are you coming or not?"


    Wang Yuyan replied, "Coming where? What''s going on?"


    Bao Butong displayed the letter in his hand. He said, "Second brother sent us a message. He said that the Western Xia''s ''League of Elites'' sent out a large number of experts who have arrived in Jiangnan. We don''t know what their intentions are. He wants me to take Ah Zhu and Ah Bi to go investigate." Wang Yuyan said, "Naturally, I''ll go with you. Can it be that the Western Xia''s ''League of Elites'' wants to cause us trouble as well? Our list of enemies is growing larger and larger." As she spoke, she frowned slightly.


    Bao Butong replied, "They aren''t necessarily enemies. However, they definitely haven''t come here for the sake of tourism, and it''s not a religious visit either. It''s been a long time since we''ve met with real experts. Now, both the Beggar''s Clan and the League of Elites are here. Heh heh, now things are getting fun." As he spoke, a delighted look was on his face, clearly showing his great joy at the possibility of getting into a big fight.


    Wang Yuyan walked forwards, intending to take a look at the message. Bao Butong handed it over to her. There were seven or eight lines of characters on the letter, all written very elegantly and with great vigor. Although she recognized every single character, there was no unity or coherence in the sentences. Although she had read many books, she''d never seen a writing style like this. Frowning, she said, "What''s this?"


    Ah Zhu smiled. "This is a weird toy which second brother Gongye thought up. It''s derived from poems and song melodies. Words with the ''flat tone'' are read with the ''entering tone'', and words with the ''entering tone'' are read with the ''falling-rising'' tone. ''Yidong'' thusly becomes ''Sanjiang''. We''re used to reading it and can understand it, but outsiders won''t be able to make anything out of it at all."


    Ah Bi saw that Wang Yuyan looked a bit uncomfortable after hearing the word, ''outsiders''. She hurriedly said, "Miss Wang, you aren''t an outsider! Miss Wang, if you want to learn how to read it, I''ll just teach you later." Wang Yuyan immediately looked very happy.


    Bao Butong said, "I''ve long heard that the Western Xia''s ''League of Elites'' has accumulated a large number of experts. They have people from all over the western regions of China. If miss Wang comes with us, all you''ll need to do is glance at them and you''ll know what their origins are. After we handle this matter, we''ll go to Henan to meet with the young master."


    Wang Yuyan was overjoyed. Clapping, she cried, "Wonderful, wonderful! I''m coming with you!"


    Ah Bi said, "Let''s take care of business here and go to Henan as fast as we can. We don''t want to be late and miss him when he is on the way back. Also, there''s that Tibetan monk. I don''t know how much damage he''s caused over there." Bao Butong said, "Second brother Gongye''s wife has already sent someone to go investigate. That monk already left. Put your heart at ease. Next time, I''ll help you beat that monk up." Duan Yu thought to himself, "No matter what he says, there''s no way he can defeat that monk. Forget about beating him up, you should be thanking the heavens if he doesn''t beat you up."


    Bao Butong said, "I''m just afraid that if miss Wang comes us, the next time madame Wang sees me, she''ll give me a fierce scolding¡­" Suddenly, he turned his head towards Duan Yu and said, "You''re always here listening! I''m unable to speak freely and comfortable with you here. If you please, beat it. As we''re discussing private matters, we don''t need your extra set of ears and lips. When we go fight with others, we don''t need you to stand by the side and cheer either."


    Duan Yu clearly knew that his presence here could only irritate others. Now, seeing as how Bao Butong was openly shooing him off in an extremely impolite way, even though he was reluctant to part with Wang Yuyan, he couldn''t be so shameless as to still stay. Rising to his feet, he said, "Miss Wang, Ah Zhu, Ah Bi. I''ll take my leave now. May we meet again."


    Wang Yuyan said, "It''s the middle of the night. Where can you go? Moreover, you aren''t familiar with the waterways of Lake Taihu. It''s best if you stay here overnight and leave tomorrow."


    Duan Yu could tell that although she was inviting him to stay, her attention was elsewhere. Clearly, all she wanted to do was fly as quickly as possible to young master Murong''s side. He couldn''t help but feel both furious and snubbed. He was the son of a royal family, impulsive and stubborn. Although he had undergone many thrilling events and suffered many torments recently, he had never before received such a frosty reception. He immediately replied, "There''s not much of a difference between leaving today and tomorrow. I take my leave."


    Ah Zhu said, "If that''s the case, I''ll send someone to escort you out of the lake."


    Seeing how even Ah Zhu did not try to convince him to stay, Duan Yu felt all the more unhappy. He thought to himself, "What''s so extraordinary about this young master Murong fellow, for everyone to act as though he were some sort of celestial phoenix amongst men. They don''t care at all about Shaolin, the Beggar''s Sect, or the Western Xia''s ''League of Elites''. They just want to reach his side as soon as possible." He replied, "No need. Just loan me a boat. I''ll paddle myself out."


    Ah Bi mumbled to herself, "But you don''t know the waterways. I don''t think this is a good idea. Be careful, and don''t run into that monk again."


    Duan Yu stormily said, "It''s best if all of you hurry and go meet up with your young master Murong. If I meet that monk again, at most I''ll be burnt to death by him. I''m not your cousin or your young master. No need to worry about me." As he spoke, he quickly strode out of the room. As he left, he heard Bao Butong say, "We don''t know what the origins are of that Tibetan monk either. We need to investigate." Wang Yuyan replied, "My cousin most likely knows. If we find him¡­"


    Ah Zhu and Ah Bi escorted Duan Yu out. Ah Bi said, "Young gentleman Duan, in the future, after you meet with our young master, perhaps you will become good friends with him. Our young master really likes to make friends." Duan Yu laughed coldly. "I''m not fit to be his friend." Hearing a large amount of resentment in his voice, Ah Bi felt very confused. She asked, "Young gentleman Duan, why are you unhappy? Is it that our reception of you was too simple and brief?" Ah Zhu said, "Third brother Bao has always been like this. Young gentleman Duan, please don''t be too upset. Allow Ah Bi and I pay our apologies to you." As she spoke, she grinned and curtsied towards him as Ah Bi did the same.


    Duan Yu returned the courtesy, then took large steps towards the waterline. Arriving next to a small craft, he immediately tugged at the oars, sailing away into the lake. He felt a deep depression in his heart. As to why he felt this way, even he himself could not say. All he knew was that if he stayed ashore for another moment longer, he would lose control of himself. It was even possible that he would begin to cry. He vaguely heard Ah Bi say, "Sister Ah Zhu, does the young master have enough spare clothing? Let''s each sew a new set of clothing for him tonight." Ah Zhu replied, "Alright! You are so attentive and thoughtful."

 Chapter - 14 Intensely Drinking a Thousand Cups, And the Affairs of Men

    Duan Yu had been bullied by the Divine Farmers clan and the Mt. Wuliang Sword sect, coerced by the Divine Crocodile of the Southern Seas, imprisoned by Crown Prince Yanqing, kidnapped by Jiumozhi, then was forced to become a gardener at the Highland Manor of the Camellias. The misery and humiliation he had undergone in recent times was significant indeed, but never before had he felt such anger and indignation.


    In all fairness, there was no one within the Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds who was truly impolite to him or intentionally tried to embarrass him. Although Bao Butong asked him to leave, he showed forbearance when he did so; he did not break Duan Yu''s arms as he did Zhu Baokun, nor did he kick him away like a ball as he did to Yao Bodang. Wang Yuyan verbally expressed the desire for him to stay a bit longer, and Ah Zhu and Ah Bi solicitously escorted him off. But all of this only increased the unspeakable misery in his heart.


    The evening wind rolled across the surface of the lake, carrying with it the scent of water chestnut leaves. Tugging mightily at the oars, Duan Yu wasn''t sure whom his anger and hatred should be directed towards. He really couldn''t say why he was as angry as this. Previously, Mu Wanqing, the Divine Crocodile, Crown Prince Yanqing, Jiumozhi, and madame Wang had all exceptionally humiliated him, but he had maintained his calm and did not feel too wronged. In his innermost heart, he indistinctly felt as though perhaps it were because he deeply yearned for Wang Yuyan, but within her heart, she didn''t care about Duan Yu in the slightest. Even Ah Zhu and Ah Bi thought very lightly of him. Ever since he was young, he had been pampered and treated as a precious, beloved treasure by others. Within Dali, everyone from the Emperor on down felt that he was an extraordinary person. Even enemies had treated him thus; the Divine Crocodile, for example, had whole-heartedly wanted him to become his disciple. Jiumozhi, in expending so much effort to abduct him from Dali to Jiangnan, showed that he valued Duan Yu highly. And, of course, the young maidens such as Zhong Ling and Mu Wanqing fell in love with him almost at first sight.


    He had never before been looked down upon or treated as coldly as he had been today. Although they were polite to him, it was polite indifference. Within their hearts, young master Murong was naturally much more important to them than he was. Over the past few days, whenever someone even mentioned young master Murong''s name, a sensation would be created and everyone would become absorbed in listening closely. It seemed as though Wang Yuyan, Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, Bao Butong, and even this ''elder brother Deng'', ''second brother Gongye'', and ''fourth brother Feng'' all lived for him.


    Duan Yu had never before tasted the bitter fruit of envy or jealously. Now, as he was paddling a boat in middle of the lake all by his lonesome, it seemed to him as though young master Murong''s shadow appeared in the sky and was smirking at him. He seemed to hear young master Murong speak and ridicule him, saying, "Duan Yu, oh, Duan Yu. How can you ever compare to even a single strand of hair on my body? You are interested in my cousin, something which is like an insane shrimp of a toad being desirous of a heavenly swan. Isn''t this disgraceful and ludicrous?"


    As his heart filled with anger, the strength with which he pulled at the oars increased as well. After rowing for about two hours, his powerful internal energy slowly began to come out. The more he rowed, the more vigorous he became, and the gloomy feeling in his heart slowly faded away as well. After rowing for two more hours, the night sky was slowly beginning to brighten. A small mountain peak appeared to the north, surrounded by clouds and mist. Approximating his current location, he decided that the ''Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds'' and the ''Pavilion of Zither Melodies'' were located to the east. All he had to do was keep rowing northwards, and he would not accidentally return to his place of origin.


    But with each rowing motion, he felt an attachment and longing in his heart. He couldn''t prevent himself from thinking that with every meter the boat travelled, he was becoming a meter away from Wang Yuyan.


    Close to noon, he arrived at the base of that small mountain peak. Going ashore, he asked the locals where he was, and was told that he had arrived at Mr. Maji [Maji means ''Horse Tracks''], and was now very close to Wuxi.


    He had seen the name ''Wuxi'' before within a book. He knew that it was a large city that had become famous during the ''Spring and Autumn'' period. He immediately returned to his boat and began rowing north again. After some time, he arrived at the city of Wuxi.


    As he entered the city, he saw that pedestrians were hurry about here and there, giving an appearance of a bustling market. Compared to Dali, it had its own unique style. As he leisurely strolled about, he suddenly smelled something delicious. It was the smell of caramel and soy sauce mixed into cooked meat. He hadn''t eaten for quite some time and had spent the past few hours rowing a boat. He was famished, and immediately began to follow the delicious smell. After turning a cover, he saw a huge wine-house across the street. On its gold-lettered signboard were written the words, "The Pine and the Crane." The shop sign itself was very aged, long since blackened by mist and smoke. But in contrast, the golden characters on it were gleaming and bright. The fragrant scent of wine and meat flowed out of the wine-house, and the chef''s chopping sounds mixed with the calls of the customers and the staff.


    As he entered the place, a waiter came and greeted him. Duan Yu ordered a kettle of wine and four types of food to go with the wine. Leaning against the railing, he poured himself a few cups and began to drink. Suddenly, he felt cold and dreary. He couldn''t help but let out a loud sigh.


    A large man sitting towards the west turned his head towards him. The man''s two eyes, radiating frozen lightning, flashed across Duan Yu''s face. Duan Yu saw that this person had an extremely large and tall physique, was thirty years or so of age, and wore an old grey gown that was already a bit tattered. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, a high nose and broad lips, with a face that had the shape of the ''Guo'' character. He looked as though he had endured many hardships, and when he turned around to look at Duan Yu, he displayed an aura of power and influence.


    Duan Yu secretly praised, "What a man! He must be a fervent person from the northern nations of Yan and Zhao which are sung about in those elegies. Neither Jiangnan nor Dali can produce a person such as this. Bao Butong tooted his own horn about having a vigorous, heroic spirit. But only this man can be described as having a vigorous spirit and a heroic aura!" [Yan and Zhao are nations which existed during the Warring States period. They can roughly be approximated to be towards the north, near Beijing.]


    On the big fellow''s table was a plate of cooked beef, a large bowl of soup, and two kettles of wine. Aside from those three, there was nothing else. Even in eating and drinking, he appeared to be very unrestrained and displayed a heroic spirit.


    After glancing at Duan Yu a few times, that man turned his head back and went back to eating and drinking. Duan Yu was feeling a bit lonely and bored. Wanting to make a new friend, he called a server over. Pointing to the back of the big fellow, he said, "Put all of that gentleman''s things on my tab."


    Hearing Duan Yu give those instructions, the big fellow turned around and smiled. He nodded, but didn''t say anything. Duan Yu wanted to strike up a conversation with him and relieve his own sense of loneliness, but couldn''t find an appropriate way to begin.


    After drinking three more cups of wine, Duan Yu heard the sound of footsteps on the stairway. Two men appeared from downstairs. One had a lame foot and propped himself up on a crutch, yet still walked very quickly. The other was an elder with a frowning, worried face. The two walked to the big fellow''s table, then very politely bowed towards him. The big fellow nodded, but did not stand up or return their salute. The man with a lame foot said in a low voice, "I have a report, elder brother. The other party has arranged for us to meet with them at the crack of dawn tomorrow, at the wayside pavilion of Mt. Hui." The big fellow nodded, then said, "That''s a bit rushed." The elder said, "I originally told them that we should meet up in three days time. But it seemed as though they knew that we haven''t gathered all our forces yet, ridiculing and mocking us. They said that if we don''t have the guts to face them, it''s fine if we don''t show up tomorrow."


    The big fellow said, "Fine. Send down the word for everyone to arrive at Mt. Hui at midnight tonight. We''ll get there first and wait for them there." The two bowed, then left.


    The three spoke in very quiet tones, and none of the other guests could hear what they were saying. But Duan Yu had abundant internal energy and very acute hearing. Although he did not intend to intentionally eavesdrop on them, he naturally overheard every single word. Intentionally or unintentionally, that big fellow glanced at Duan Yu yet again. He saw that Duan Yu''s head was lowered and he was looking away, as though he had overheard his words. Instantly, his twin eyes were filled with a ferocious light. He let out a deep ''humph''. Startled, Duan Yu''s left hand quivered. With a cracking sound, the wine cup he was holding fell to the floor and shattered. That big fellow smiled. "Brother, why are you so nervous? Why don''t you come over and have a few cups with me?"


    Duan Yu laughed. "Wonderful, wonderful!" He instructed the server to bring over his cup and his chopsticks, then moved to the big fellow''s table and asked him his name. The big fellow smirked, "Brother, why ask when you clearly already know the answer? There''s no need for us to rigidly stick to the proper forms. Won''t it be a wonderful thing for us to drink a few large bowls of wine now? Afterwards, when we are clearly divided as enemies, we won''t have the chance." Duan Yu laughed. "Brother, it seems as though you''ve mistaken me for someone else, perhaps an enemy. However, I love to hear the words, ''no need to rigidly stick to the proper forms''. Let''s drink!" Pouring a cup of wine, he drained it at one go.


    That big fellow smiled. "Brother, you are easygoing and straightforward. But your wine-glass is too small." He called out, "Bartender! Go bring me two large bowls and ten jin [five kilograms] worth of hard liquor!" Upon hearing the words, ''ten jin worth of hard liquor'', the bartender and Duan Yu both jumped in shock. The bartender laughed, "Sir, will you be able to finish ten jin of hard liquor?" The big fellow pointed towards Duan Yu and said, "This gentleman is treating me. There''s no need for you to be concerned about saving me money! If ten jin aren''t enough, bring twenty jin!" Laughing, the bartender said, "Alright, alright!" After a short period of time, he brought out two large bowls and an enormous jug of liquor, placing them on the table.


    The big fellow said, "Pour us two full bowls!" The bartender poured him two bowls as instructed. As he was pouring, Duan Yu felt the smell of the alcohol assault his nostrils, causing him to feel a bit uncomfortable. While in Dali, he would only drink a few cups of wine occasionally, and had never seen anyone drink like this. He couldn''t help but wrinkle his forehead. The big fellow laughed, "Why don''t the two of us start off by drinking ten bowls together. What do you think?"


    Duan Yu saw that there was more than a hint of ridicule in the big fellow''s eyes. Normally, he would beg to be excused in this sort of situation and admit that he had very low tolerance for alcohol. But the previous night, he had been treated coldly and indifferently within the Waterside Pavilion of Fragrant Sounds. He also thought to himself, "This big fellow is most likely one of young master Murong''s people. If he isn''t big brother Deng or second brother Gongye, he''s probably fourth brother Feng. He''s already arranged to enter into a martial arts competition at Mt. Hui with his opponents, who must be either the Beggar''s Clan or the Western Xia''s ''League of Elites''. Hmph, what''s so special about young master Murong? I refuse to be belittled and held in contempt by his underlings. At worst, I''ll drink myself to death. What''s the big deal?" He immediately puffed his chest out and loudly said, "I''ll risk my life and accompany a gentleman! If I forget myself and act improperly later while drunk, please don''t blame me, brother!" As he spoke, he lifted one of the bowls of liquor and gulped it down.


    He drank down the entire bowl of wine in a fit of pique. Although Wang Yuyan wasn''t nearby, in Duan Yu''s mind, she might as well have been, as he considered himself competing with Murong Fu in drinking. He refused to admit defeat in front of the person he loved. Forget about merely drinking one large bowl of liquor; even if he had to drink a bowl full of poisoned wine, he would have downed it without the slightest hesitation.


    Seeing how casually and straightforwardly Duan Yu was drinking, the big fellow was greatly surprised. Laughing loudly, he said, "Nicely done!" Lifting up his own bowl, he poured the liquor down his throat, then set it down and poured them two more bowls.


    Duan Yu laughed, "Good stuff! Good stuff!" He let out a breath, then drained that bowl in one gulp as well. The big fellow drained his own bowl, then once again poured two more. Each bowl contained at least half a jin of liquor [a quarter kilogram!]. Duan Yu had just drank two jin, and felt as though a raging fire was burning his innards. His head was already becoming confused, but he thought to himself, "What''s so great about Murong Fu? What''s so special about him? How can I lose to one of his underlings?" Taking the third bowl of alcohol, he drained that one as well.


    The big fellow saw that he had become totally wasted in the blink of an eye. He was secretly amused, and knew that after this third bowl, Duan Yu would collapse to the floor very shortly.


    Even before he drank the third bowl, Duan Yu felt as though he was going to throw up. After this third bowl of liquor entered his belly, all his organs seemed to be in a state of turmoil and were writhing. He tightly closed his mouth, refusing to allow any of the alcohol he had just drunk come back out. Suddenly, his dantian vibrated, sending forth a gush of vigorous energy. He felt as though as though the internal energy in his body was agitated, akin to how he felt back at the Heavenly Dragon Monastery when he was unable to control his internal energy. Immediately, he used the technique his uncle had taught him and called that gush of internal energy back to his ''Dazhui'' acupoint.


    As it were, he had so much alcohol in his body that it was beginning to mix with his internal energy. Alcohol is something which has form and substance. Unlike internal energy, it could not hide itself within his acupoints. But Duan Yu had an easygoing disposition, and allowed his internal energy to naturally travel from his ''Tianzong'' acupoint to his ''Jianzhen'' acupoint, then travel to his left arm''s ''Xiaohai'', ''Zhizheng'', and ''Yanglao'' acupoints, then through his left hand''s ''Yanggu'', ''Houhuo'', and ''Qiangu'' acupoints, before rushing out of his pinky finger''s ''Shaoze'' acupoint. The route which his internal energy travelled was precisely that of the Shaoze sword technique of the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. Originally, the Shaoze sword technique was that of a vigorous, invisible sword qi. But at this moment, a stream of alcohol slowly and unhurriedly poured out of his little finger.


    At first, Duan Yu didn''t notice this, but after a while, he began to feel sober. After realizing that alcohol was pouring from his little finger, he secretly cried out, "Extremely miraculous!" His left hand was pointing to the floor, and the big fellow didn''t pay it any attention. He just saw that while just moments ago, Duan Yu was so drunk that his eyes were closing, Duan Yu now seemed alert and vigorous. He couldn''t help but secretly feel amazed. Laughing, the big fellow said, "Brother, it seems you have quite some tolerance for alcohol! Not bad at all." He poured two more bowls of wine.


    Duan Yu laughed, "My capacity for wine is extraordinary because of your presence. As the saying goes, ''When meeting with a bosom friend, a thousand cups of wine is still too few.'' I estimate that there are no more than twenty or so cups worth of wine in each bowl. In order to reach a thousand cups, we''ll still need to drink another forty or fifty bowls. I''m afraid I won''t be able to drink another fifty!" As he spoke, he drank the bowl of liquor in front of him, then immediately began to exercise his internal energy. He rested his left hand on top of the window railing next to their table, forcing the alcohol out from his pinky finger and causing it to flow down the wall. This was a perfect deception, which not even gods or devils could discern. In a short amount of time, he had forced out all of the four bowls worth of liquor from his body.


    The big fellow saw that Duan Yu had just carelessly downed four large bowls of very potent liquor. He was extremely pleased, and said, "Wonderful, wonderful! When meeting with a bosom friend, a thousand cups of wine is still too few. Let me drink a few bowls first!" He immediately poured out two bowls of wine, then drank both of them in succession. Next, he poured two more bowls for Duan Yu. Duan Yu casually and cheerfully drank both while engaging him in conversation. It seemed as though he drank the hard liquor even more easily than others drank water and ate food.


    Drinking in such a manner, the two of them astonished all of the other patrons of ''The Pine and the Crane''. Even the kitchen cook and the fire-starters came out and surrounded them upstairs, watching as they drank.


    The big fellow said, "Bartender! Bring me twenty more jin of liquor!" The bartender stuck out his tongue in disbelief. He too was caught up in the excitement of it and did not try to dissuade him this time. He left, and when he returned, he brought back another huge vase of liquor with him.


    Duan Yu traded bowls with the big fellow, one after the other. In the time it takes to eat a meal, they drank over thirty big bowls of liquor.


    Duan Yu knew that he was playing a deceitful trick with his little finger. The alcohol would simply cycle through his body then immediately pour out from his finger. It could be said that his alcohol tolerance was inexhaustible and infinite. But that big fellow had drank over thirty bowls worth, based purely on actual ability. And yet, he still seemed utterly composed, neither batting an eye nor displaying the slightest hint of intoxication. Duan Yu secretly felt great admiration for him. At first, he viewed the big fellow with animosity, thinking him one of young master Murong''s people. But now, seeing his bold and heroic air, his regal, heroic spirit, Duan Yu couldn''t help but cherish the man. He thought to himself, "If we continue competing like this, it''s impossible for me to lose, but if this fellow keeps drinking the way we are now, he''ll invariably damage his health." As they reached their fourtieth bowl, he said, "My dear brother, we''ve drunk about forty bowls by now, right?"


    The big fellow laughed, "Brother, it seems you are still very sober and clear-headed! You''re still able to keep clear count." Duan Yu laughed, "Both of us have met our match today. I think it won''t be easy for either of us to claim victory. But if we keep on drinking in such a manner, I''m afraid I won''t have enough money to pay for it!" Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an embroidered pouch. As he tossed it onto the table, a light clinking sound could be heard. Clearly, he didn''t have too much money in his pouch. Duan Yu had been abducted by Jiumozhi from Dali, and didn''t have the chance to bring any possessions. The bag was embroidered with silver and gold thread; clearly, it was a rare and precious object. But at a glance, one could tell that it wasn''t filled with very much.


    As soon as he saw it, the big fellow began to laugh loudly. He withdrew an ingot of silver from his own pouch, tossing it onto the table. Grabbing Duan Yu by the hand, he said, "Let''s go!"


    Duan Yu was very happy. While he was in Dali, it was hard for him to make any real friends, due to him being the young prince. Today, he had become friends with this fellow, not because of his scholarly knowledge, nor because of his martial arts, but purely because of his fictitious drinking ability. This was something rare and strange indeed!


    After going downstairs, the big fellow began walking faster and faster. After leaving the city gates, his steps grew larger and larger still as he rushed down the street. Duan Yu gathered his energy then ran alongside him, shoulder to shoulder. Although Duan Yu did not know martial arts, he had an extremely abundant reservoir of internal energy. This sort of quick movement was nothing to him at all. That big fellow glanced at him, then smiled. "Great. Let''s see who is faster." Immediately, he upped his speed, starting to run.


    After running for but a few steps, Duan Yu tripped and almost fell because he was moving too hurriedly. Only after taking a staggering step leftwards did he steady himself. This step happened to be one of the movements of the ''Graceful Steps Upon the Waves''. By unintentionally using this movement, he actually gained a meter or two. Secretly elated, the next step he took was also based on the ''Graceful Steps Upon the Waves'', at which point he caught up to the big fellow. The two travelled forwards, shoulder to shoulder. The wind whistled past them as they flew past all the trees by their side.


    When he was learning the ''Graceful Steps Upon the Waves'', Duan Yu didn''t have any intention of competing in speed with anybody. Now, he was like an arrowed nocked onto a taut bow; he didn''t have any choice but to be shot out. All he could do was to do his utmost; he didn''t actually have any intention to outdo the big fellow. All he did was move in accordance to the footwork he learned while using his incomparably deep internal energy. He no longer cared at all as to whether that big fellow was in front of him or behind him.


    The big fellow lengthened his strides, moving faster and faster. In the blink of an eye, he far outpaced Duan Yu. But if he took the slightest of breathers, Duan Yu would immediately catch up to him. Glancing at him askance, the big fellow saw that Duan Yu''s movements were natural and unrestrained, as though he were taking a stroll within a courtyard. There wasn''t a single bit of a forced aura to his footwork. He secretly admired Duan Yu. Adding more force to his steps, he once more left Duan Yu behind, but very shortly Duan Yu once again caught up to him. After trying this out a few times, the big fellow realized that Duan Yu''s internal energy was extremely vigorous, greater than that of his own. It wouldn''t be too hard for him to outrace Duan Yu in a ten-li long race, but if the race continued for thirty or forty li, it would be very difficult for a victor to be determined. If the race reached sixty li, he would definitely lose. Laughing loudly, he came to a stop and said, "Young master Murong, today I, Qiao Feng, submit to you! Gusu''s Murong family really lives up to its name!"


    Duan Yu rushed past him a few steps, but immediately turned around and came back. Hearing the man address him as ''young master Murong'', he hurriedly replied, "My name is Duan Yu. Brother, you''ve mistaken me for someone else!"


    The big fellow looked astonished. "What? You¡­you aren''t Murong Fu, young master Murong?"


    Duan Yu smiled. "Every day since my arrival in Jiangnan, I have heard of young master Murong''s famous name. I admire him very highly, but to this day I haven''t had the good fortune of meeting him." He thought to himself, "If this fellow misrecognized me as Murong Fu, then clearly he isn''t one of his people." When he came to this realization, he felt all the more warmly towards the man, and asked, "Brother, would your surname, then, be Qiao, and your given name be Feng?"


    The look of shock had not disappeared from the fellow''s face. He said, "Just so. I am Qiao Feng." Duan Yu said, "Your humble brother, I, am a person from Dali. It is my great fortune to be able to make friends with such a hero as yourself during this trip to Jiangnan." Qiao Feng muttered to himself, "Oh, so you are a scion of Dali''s Duan lineage. No wonder, no wonder. Brother Duan, what important business brings you to Jiangnan?"


    Duan Yu replied, "It''s a bit embarrassing to explain. Your humble brother was captured and brought here by an enemy." He immediately gave a brief explanation of how he was kidnapped by Jiumozhi, how he met two of Murong Fu''s servant girls, etc. Although he only briefly summarize the long story, he didn''t hold anything back at all, nor did he try to conceal any of the humiliating things which had happened to him.


    After hearing his story, Qiao Feng was both astonished and pleased. He said, "Brother Duan, you are an extremely straightforward and honest man. I''ve never met anyone like you. Although we''ve just met, I feel as though you are an old friend. What say you and I become sworn blood brothers?" Overjoyed, Duan Yu replied, "That is more than I can wish for." They compared their ages. Qiao Feng was eleven years older than Duan Yu; naturally, he assumed the rank of elder brother. They immediately built a mound of dirt, stuck in a few sticks of incense, then kowtowed eight times towards heaven. Qiao Feng addressed Duan Yu as ''worthy junior brother'', and Duan Yu addressed him as ''elder brother''. Both of them were extremely pleased.


    Duan Yu replied, "At ''The Pine and the Crane'', I secretly overheard you, elder brother, talk about an appointment you''ve made with an enemy for tonight. Although your humble brother doesn''t know any martial arts, I''d still like to go check out the fun. Elder brother, will you agree to this?"


    Qiao Feng interrogated him for a bit and learned he really didn''t know any martial arts at all. He couldn''t help but click his tongue in astonishment. "Worthy brother, with your incredible cultivation of internal energy, learning first-class martial arts would be as easy as taking an item out of a bag. You would face no difficulties at all. With regards to the battle tonight, there''s no reason why you cannot come with us to watch. Only, I''m worried that that enemy will use vicious and sinister techniques. Worthy brother, do not reveal your presence no matter what." Duan Yu happily replied, "Naturally, I''ll listen to your orders, elder brother." Laughing, Qiao Feng said, "It''s still early. Why don''t we two brothers go back to Wuxi and drink for a while longer before going to Mt. Hui." Hearing him say that he wanted to go back and drink even more wine, Duan Yu was shocked. He said, "Elder brother, when I was competing with you in drinking, I was actually deceiving you. Please don''t blame me." He immediately explained how he purged the alcohol from his system via the ''Shaoze'' acupoint. Astonished, Qiao Feng said, "Brother, this¡­is this the outstanding skill, the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''?" Duan Yu replied, "Precisely so. I learned it not too long ago, and am very unskilled with it."


    Qiao Feng was stunned for some time, then sighed, "My master once told me that there is a legend in the martial world that Dali''s Duan family possesses a technique known as the ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians,'' which uses invisible sword qi to kill people. No one knows if this is true or not. So such a divine art actually exists in the world."


    Duan Yu replied, "Actually, aside from using it to compete with you in drinking, this skill isn''t very useful. I was kidnapped by that monk, Jiumozhi, and wasn''t able to defend myself at all. The people of the world overstate and exaggerate the strength of this ''Divine Sword of the Six Meridians''. Elder brother, alcohol is very harmful to the body. You need to know when and where to stop. Today, I think it''s best if we don''t go drinking again." Qiao Feng laughed loudly. "Worthy brother, your advice is wise. Only, your foolish elder brother has a body like an ox. Ever since I was young, I loved to drink alcohol. The more I drink, the more energetic I get. Tonight, we are about to confront a major opponent. I need to drink a lot of hard liquor before going there and mixing it up with them." As the two spoke, they returned to Wuxi. This time, they were not competing in speed, and the two of them casually strolled back in, shoulder to shoulder.


    Overjoyed at having made such a good friend, Duan Yu felt extremely elated. Nonetheless, he still constantly thought about Murong Fu and Wang Yuyan. After casually chatting for a while, he couldn''t help but ask, "Elder brother, earlier you misrecognized me as young master Murong. Can it be that I look somewhat similar to him?"


    Qiao Feng replied, "I''ve long heard of the fame of Gusu''s Murong family. I have come to Jiangnan on their account. I hear that Murong Fu has a handsome, learned appearance, and is about twenty eight or twenty nine years old. He''s several years older than you, but I could not believe that aside from Murong Fu, there could be another handsome young man with such impressive martial arts. Thus, I mistook you for him. I''m very embarrassed."


    Hearing him say that Murong Fu was a handsome young man with impressive martial arts, Duan Yu felt an uncomfortable sourness in his heart. He asked, "Elder brother, have you come from afar to make friends with him?"


    Qiao Feng let out a sigh, and a downcast expression appeared on his face. Shaking his head, he said, "Originally, I had hoped to become friends with him, but I''m afraid I won''t be able to, now." Duan Yu asked, "Why not?" Qiao Feng replied, "I have an extremely close bosom friend who died a violent death two months ago. Everyone says that it was Murong Fu who did the vile deed." Duan Yu nervously said, "Using an opponent''s technique, utilizing it upon the opponent!" Qiao Feng replied, "Right! The injury which my friend died from was inflicted by someone using the skill which he himself became famous for." As he said this, his voice became choked with sobs, and he looked very grieved. After pausing for a while, he said, "But there are many strange things which occur in the martial world, and its people are hard to fathom. I cannot place blame on someone solely based upon rumor and hearsay. Thus, I have come to Jiangnan to ferret out the truth."


    Duan Yu asked, "And what is the truth?" Qiao Feng shook his head. "It is hard to say at the moment. That friend of mine became famous long ago and displayed upright conduct. He had a meek, modest temperament, and handled things very rationally. He wouldn''t have offended young master Murong without a good reason. It''s very hard for a person to puzzle out why someone would have murdered him."


    Duan Yu nodded. He thought to himself, "On the surface, elder brother looks crude and straightforward, but on the inside, he is actually extremely careful and meticulous. He''s not like Mr. Huo, Guo Yanzhi, Sima Lin, and the others, who insist that young master Murong is the killer without even doing any independent investigations." He asked, "Who, then, are the powerful opponents which you have arranged an appointment with?"


    Qiao Feng replied, "They are¡­" Just as he said these two words, two beggarly fellows dressed in tattered clothes rushed towards them. Qiao Feng immediately fell silent. Exercising their qinggong, the two appeared before them in the twinkling of an eye. They bowed in unison. One said, "Chief, four people have rushed into the ''Hall of Great Righteousness''. They''ve demonstrated exceptional skill. Hall-master Jiang, seeing that they seem to have come with evil intentions and concerned that he might not be able to hold them off, ordered the two of us to locate the ''Hall of Great Benevolence'' and request aid.


    Hearing that the two extremely respectfully address Qiao Feng as ''Chief'', Duan Yu thought to himself, "So elder brother is the lord and master of some clan or sect."


    Qiao Feng nodded, then asked, "What type of people are they?" One man replied, "Three of them are females. One of them is a very tall, very skinny middle-aged man who is extremely unreasonable and arrogant." Qiao Feng humphed. "Hall-master Jiang is a bit too careful. There''s only one opponent. Can it be that he can''t hold him off?" The man said, "Chief, it seems as though those three woman also know martial arts." Qiao Feng chuckled, then said, "Fine. I''ll go check it out." A happy expression appeared on the faces of those two, and they replied in unison, "Yes sir!" Letting their hands fall, they retreated behind Qiao Feng.


    Qiao Feng said to Duan Yu, "Brother, shall you come along with us?" Duan Yu replied, "Naturally." The two men led them westwards, following a crooked, winding path, until they arrived at a countryside farmland. The land around them was all very fertile, as there were many rivers intersecting all about the place.


    After walking for a few li, they arrived by a forest filled with apricot trees. A strange voice could be heard coming from that forest. "Brother Murong went to Luoyang to meet with your chief. Why is it that the people of the Beggar''s Clan have come to Wuxi? Aren''t you intentionally avoiding him? It''s not a big deal if you guys are cowards and afraid of dying, but aren''t you guys tiring brother Murong out by causing him to make a trip in vain? Outrageous, this is totally outrageous!"


    As soon as Duan Yu heard this voice, his heart began to beat frantically. It was precisely the voice of "Mr. Tis not so, tis not so": Mr. Bao! He thought to himself, "Is miss Wang with him? Didn''t they say there were three women with him?" Then he thought to himself, "The Beggar''s Clan is the largest clan in all the world. Can it be that today, I have become sworn brothers with their chief?"


    A man who spoke with a northern accent loudly replied, "Did young master Murong make an appointment in advance to meet with our humble clan''s chief?" Mr. Bao replied, "It makes no difference whether they made an appointment or not. Since young master Murong went to Luoyang, the chief of the Beggar''s Clan can''t just up and leave and let him have made the trip in vain. Outrageous, simply outrageous!" The other person said, "Did young master Murong send a message or a scroll informing our humble clan?" Mr. Bao replied, "How should I know? I am neither young master Murong, nor the chief of the Beggar''s Clan. How would I know? This question of yours makes no sense. Outrageous, totally outrageous!"


    Qiao Feng''s face sunk, and he quickly strode into the forest. Following him in, Duan Yu saw that within the forest was two groups of people facing each other. Behind Mr. Bao stood three females. As soon as Duan Yu''s gaze came across one of the maiden''s faces, it froze there.


    Naturally, the young maiden was Wang Yuyan. She let out a soft exclamation. "You came as well?" Duan Yu replied, "I came as well." He stupidly stared at her, utterly enraptured. Wang Yuyan blushed and she turned her head away. She thought to herself, "This person is staring at me like that. He''s so rude." But she knew that Duan Yu greatly admired her beauty, and so she couldn''t help but secretly feel happy instead of being angry with him.


    Standing on the opposite side of Bao Butong was a bunch of beggars in tattered clothing. When the person standing in front saw that Qiao Feng had arrived, a look of great joy appeared on his face. He immediately rushed forward, and led all of the beggar''s behind him into a deep bow. They called out in unison, "Chief, we, your subordinates pay our respects to you!"


    Clasping his fists, Qiao Feng replied, "Brothers, it is good to see you."


    Bao Butong still had a look of arrogance on his face. He said, "Hmph, so this is chief Qiao, leader of the Beggar''s Clan? My name is Bao Butong. I''m sure that you''ve heard of me before." Qiao Feng replied, "So it is Bao the Third! I''ve long admired your illustrious name. It is my good fortune to be able to meet you today." Bao Butong replied, "Tis not so, tis not so! What illustrious name do I have? I only have a stinking name! Everyone knows that I, Bao Butong, like to provoke disputes and insult people with my words. Heh heh, chief Qiao, you are in the wrong for coming so casually to Jiangnan"


    The Beggar''s Clan was the largest clan in the world. The chief of the clan held a position of great venerance and respect; the disciples of the clan treated him as though he were a living divinity. Seeing how impolite Bao Butong was towards their chief, and hearing his reproachful words, everyone present was filled with righteous indignation. Behind hall-master Jiang of the ''Hall of Great Righteousness'' stood six or seven people who were gripping the hilts of their sabres, or clenching their fists. All of them wanted to charge forwards.


    But Qiao Feng only lightly replied, "How am I in the wrong? Mr. Bao, please advise me."


    Bao Butong replied, "My family''s young master Murong knows that you, chief Qiao, are an outstanding personage, and that there are many amazing figures within the Beggar''s Clan. Thus, he personally rushed to Luoyang to pay his respects to you. How could you so contentedly come to Jiangnan instead? Outragous, simply outrageous!"


    Qiao Feng smiled. "If I had known in advance that young master Murong was going to honor us at Luoyang with his presence, I would have respectfully awaited his arrival. Please forgive me for the sin of failing to meet a guest." As he spoke, he cupped his fist in a salute.


    Duan Yu secretly applauded him. "Elder brother''s words are very courteous and totally in keeping with his status as the leader of a clan. If instead he had gotten into a verbal battle with Mr. Bao, he would have lost some status instead."


    Unexpectedly, Bao Butong continued to press the case. Nodding, he said, "You did commit the sin of failing to meet a guest. Although there is the saying that ''the one who commits an offense unknowingly has done nothing wrong'', whether or not the sinner is to be punished lies wholly in the hands of others!" Just as he was feeling very self-satisfied, several people within the apricot forest began to loudly laugh in unison. The sound of their laughter shook the heavens. Within the midst of the laughter, someone said, "I''ve long heard that Jiangnan''s Bao Butong loves to let out dog farts. You really live up to your reputation!"


    Bao Butong replied, "As the saying goes, a loud fart doesn''t stink, and a stinky fart isn''t loud. The dog''s fart I just heard was both stinky and loud. Can it be that it came from the six elders of the Beggar''s Clan?"


    That person replied, "If Bao Butong is aware of who the six elders of the Beggar''s Clan are, how does he dare to continually spout nonsense?" Before the sound of their words had died away, four old men out from behind the apricot forest. Some had white beards and white hair, others had faces which were glowing with health. Each of them held a weapon in their hands, and they formed a rectangle around Bao Butong, Wang Yuyan, and the others.


    Bao Butong naturally knew that the Beggar''s Clan was not only the largest clan in the world, but also the top clan amongst the best large clans. The experts within the clan were as plentiful as the clouds. Its six elders naturally had an even more impressive reputation in the martial world. But he had a naturally arrogant disposition, and ever since he was young had an attitude of fearing neither heaven nor hell. Now, seeing that he had been secretly surrounded by four of the six elders, he quietly groaned to himself, "That''s not good, that''s not good. Looks like today my illustrious reputation will be dragged through the dust." But he didn''t outwardly show any fear at all. He said, "What instruction do you four old fellows intend to offer me? So you want to get into a brawl with Mr. Bao? Why haven''t the other two elders appeared as well to help you out? Hiding and sneaking about, are they intending to ambush me? Good, good, absolutely great! Mr. Bao loves to fight!"


    Suddenly, a voice sounded out from mid-air. "Who is the person who likes to fight more than anyone else in the world? Is it Mr. Bao? Wrong, wrong! It is Jiangnan''s ''Gust of Wind'', Feng Bo''e!"


    Raising his head, Duan Yu saw that a man was standing on a branch of an apricot tree. The branch continuously waved up and down, but the man simply bobbed up and down along with it. The man appeared to be thirty two or thirty three years of age, had a small, thin frame, hollow cheeks, and a rat-like beard split into two strands, and drooping eyebrows. He looked extremely ugly. Duan Yu thought to himself, "It seems that this person is the ''fourth brother Feng'' which Ah Zhu and Ah Bi were talking about." Indeed, he heard Ah Bi call out, "Fourth brother Feng, have you heard any news about the young master?"


    Feng Bo''e called out, "Wonderful. We''ve met up with some excellent opponent''s today! Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, we''ll discuss the young master''s affairs later." He somersaulted down from the branch, throwing himself at the short and stout elder who stood north of their group.


    That elder was wielding a steel staff. He suddenly struck out with it, attacking Feng Bo''e''s chest. This steel staff was as thick as a goose egg, and when it struck out, it carried with it a vigorous wind. The force of it was fierce and awesome indeed. Feng Bo''e shot his body up, stretching out his hand to seize the staff. The elder flipped his hand around. The staff trembled, then the other end shot out and attacked Feng Bo''e''s chest again. Feng Bo''e cried out, "Wonderful!" He suddenly ducked down, snatching at his opponent''s waist. The steel staff had already struck out and could not immediately be retracted to block this blow. Seeing how close the enemy was to him, the elder countered with a flying kick to his stomach.


    Feng Bo''e slanted his body and dodged this kick, then actually continued the motion and attacked the red-faced elder to the east side. With a flash of dazzling white light, a broadsword appeared in Feng Bo''e''s hand and he launched a horizontal chop. The red-faced elder was wielding a demon-headed sabre. The sabre was extremely long, with the back of the sabre being thick and the cutting part sharp and thin. Seeing Feng Bo''e chopping at him, he lifted up his demon-headed sabre to directly blocked the chop with one of his own, intending to slam the edge of his blade against Feng Bo''e''s. Feng Bo''e called out, "Your weapon is too fearful. I''m not going to directly clash mine against it!" He leapt a few meters, then launched a backwards chop towards the white-bearded elder at the south side.


    The white-bearded elder wielded a steel mace in his right hand. The surface of the mace was covered with spikes. It was a weapon designed to penetrate an opponent''s outer defenses. Seeing that Feng Bo''e had launched a backwards chop, but that the red-faced elder had not yet fully retracted the power of the chop from his demon-headed sabre, he felt that if he warded off the blow right now, it could be construed as the two elders launching a pincer attack against Feng Bo''e. He greatly valued his own status and was unwilling to fight against him two on one. Immediately, he sidestepped and dodged the attack instead.


    He didn''t know that Feng Bo''e simply loved fighting. The more thrilling the fight, the more happy he was. He didn''t really care too much about who the winner was or who the loser was, and never followed any of the ordinary rules to fighting. When the white-bearded elder sidestepped the attack, it was obvious to every present that he was intentionally giving way. But Feng Bo''e paid no attention at all to the customary rites and rituals of the martial world. Upon seeing that there was a weakness to be exploited, he struck out with four chops in a row. All of them were advancing and attacking strokes, carrying with them the force of the fluttering wind and and incomparable swiftness.


    The white-bearded elder didn''t expect him to take the opportunity to attack. This was truly impolite, and he hurriedly waved his mace to block. He had to take four steps back before regaining his footing. By this time, he had been backed against an apricot tree and no longer was able to retreat any further. He launched a horizontal strike with his mace. The technique he just used was his best skill for going from defense to offense to kill an opponent. He didn''t expect that Feng Bo''e would shout out, "Lemme fight another one!" Instead of blocking, he simply retreated, his broadsword spinning about in a circle as he launched an attack against the fourth elder. By the time the white-bearded elder''s attack was launched, the opponent was long gone. He was so angry that he repeatedly let out angry breaths, causing his white beard to fly up high.


    The fourth elder had two very long arms. In his left hand, he was carrying a very soft weapon. Seeing Feng Bo''e charge at him, he lifted his left arm and unveiled his weapon. It was a gunnysack used to hold rice. As the wind blew into it, the gunnysack opened and expanded. He struck out with the open in the sack towards Feng Bo''e''s head, trying to cover it.


    Feng Bo''e was both startled and delighted. He cried out, "Wonderful, wonderful! I''ll fight with you!" There was nothing more he liked better than fighting. If his opponent''s utilized unusual techniques or strange weaponry, he would go wild with joy, much like how a person who loved to go sightseeing might react when seeing a famous mountain or a large river, or how a person who loved eating and drinking might react when tasting a wonderful new dish for the first time. He had never even heard of anyone who used a gunnysack as a weapon, much less fought with him. He was so overjoyed that the surplus joy turned into caution, as he carefully jabbed out with his broadsword, wanting to see if he could use his weapon to poke holes in the sack. The long-armed elder tossed the gunnysack to his right arm, then, spinning his fist, launched a punch at Feng Bo''e.


    Feng Bo''e raised his head upwards, dodging the blow, and was just about to launch a counterattack with his broadsword against the elder''s lower parts. But the long-armed elder had mastered an extremely brilliant fist technique known as the "Arm Passing Through". Just when it seemed the energy from his punch had dissipated, new energy appeared and his fist continued forward another half-foot. Fortunately, Feng Bo''e was a person who loved fighting and had been through over a thousand battles, large or small. He could come up with ways to improvise his way out of a bad situation like none other, and as the fist came towards his fast, he opened his mouth and chomped at it. The long-armed elder had expected to be able to knock loose a few of his teeth with this punch. How could he have imagined that just as his fist reached Feng Bo''e, Feng Bo''e would open his mouth and bite at him with all those pearly white teeth? He hurriedly withdrew his hand, but was just a bit too late. He let out a loud cry as Feng Bo''e''s teeth drew blood from the tips of his fingers. Some of the onlookers began to curse violently, while others began laughing loudly.


    Bao Butong said in a perfect deadpan, "Fourth brother Feng, this technique you just used, ''Lu Dongbin Bites the Dog'', really lives up to its reputation! You''ve practiced it to a legendary, mythical level. That you can reach such a level is all due to you spending ten bitter years, braving summer heat and winter frost, practicing this technique and biting to death one thousand eight hundred white dogs, black dogs, and splotchy dogs."


    Wang Yuyan, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi all began to laugh. Duan Yu laughed, "Miss Wang, you know everything there is to know about the martial arts of the world. What school or clan does this technique of biting people belong to?" Wang Yuyan smiled slightly, "This is a skill which is unique to brother Feng. I don''t know it." Bao Butong said, "You don''t know it? Heh heh, you are too ignorant and ill-informed! ''The Nine Great Stances of Lu Dongbin Biting Dogs''. Each stance contains eight orthodox and unorthodox biting techniques. Eight times nine is seventy two, giving this style a total of seventy two biting techniques. This is an extremely high level martial arts technique!" Seeing how delighted Wang Yuyan was in listening to Bao Butong''s nonsense, Duan Yu also wanted to make a few jokes. But suddenly he realized, "That long-armed elder is one of elder brother Qiao''s subordinates. How can I make fun of him?" He hurriedly shut his mouth.


    At this time, the sound of roaring wind could be heard, as the long-armed elder waved his gunnysack about, turning it into a yellow blur and enveloping Feng Bo''e within his techniques. But Feng Bo''e''s own broadsword techniques were brilliant and wondrous, and he used it to impede the enemy''s advance, allowing him to fend the elder off. Only, he did not know all the techniques of the gunnysack, and he had already experienced the power of the ''Arm Passing Through'' fist technique. The ''technique'' he had used to counter it, ''Lu Dongbin Bites the Dog'', only landed by sheer luck earlier and could not be used again. Thus, at this time, he didn''t dare slacken up in the slightest.


    Qiao Feng, seeing how Feng Bo''e was able to take on the long-armed elder''s ''Arm Passing Through'' fist technique for over a hundred stances without being defeated, was secretly astonished. His impression of young master Murong went up another level.


    The three other elders of the Beggar''s Clan retreated to one side, raptly watching the ferocious battle.


    Ah Bi saw that Feng Bo''e would not be able to hold out for long, and grew worried. She asked Wang Yuyan, "Miss Wang, this respected elder uses a gunnysack as his weapon. What type of technique is this?" Frowning, Wang Yuyan said, "I''ve never read about this sort of technique in the books. The fist technique is the ''Arm Passing Through'' fist technique. As for the gunnysack technique, it seems to possess the strength of the ''Thirteen Circling Soft-Whip Strikes of Dabie Mountain'', combined with the techniques of the ''Eighty One Three-Sectioned-Staff Techniques'' of Hubei''s Ruan family. It seems as though that the gunnysack technique is something he himself invented.


    Her voice was not particularly loud, but the words, ''Thirteen Circling Soft-Whip Strikes of Dabie Mountain'' and ''Eighty One Three-Sectioned-Staff Techniques of Hubei''s Ruan family'' thundered in the long-armed elder''s ears. Originally, he was a disciple of Hubei''s Ruan family, having learned the three-sectioned-staff techniques from them. Afterwards, he committed the great offense of killing one of his elders. Thus, he changed his name and abandoned the three-sectioned-staff, refusing to ever use it again, so that no one would ever know of his origins. Unexpectedly, although he had done the best he could to abandon the martial arts he learned as a child, in the midst of a major battle he automatically revealed some of them. He was astonished. "How is it that this girl knows about my origins?" He thought that the shameful deeds which he committed decades ago were known to this girl. With his attention thus diverted, Feng Bo''e launched a series of broadsword attacks which he found difficult to cope with.


    He retreated three steps in a row, hurriedly dodging aside. Seeing that Feng Bo''e''s broadsword was about to arrive, he immediately sent out a flying left kick, striking at Feng Bo''e''s right wrist. With a wave of the broadsword, Feng Bo''e chopped at his foot. The long-armed elder kicked out with his right leg as well in tandem, sending his body into mid-air. Feng Bo''e saw that, despite his great age, this elder was strong and vigorous, not at all inferior to younger people, and couldn''t help but exclaim, "Wonderful!" With a whooshing sound, Feng Bo''e launched a punch at his kneecap. As the long-armed elder''s body was in midair, it was very difficult for him to dodge this attack. If it landed, his kneecap would disinitegrate and his leg would snap.


    Feng Bo''e saw that his opponent refused to change his move, despite his fist almost having reached the elder''s kneecap. Suddenly, he felt as though the sound of the wind had picked up. His opponent had opened the mouth of his gunnysack, and was about to cover Feng Bo''e''s head with it! Although he could shatter the elder''s kneecap with this punch, it would be a huge disaster for his head to be covered with the gunnysack. He immediately changed his punch into a sweeping strike, intending to sweep aside the gunnysack strike. The long-armed elder inclined his right arm slightly to the side and spun the bag about, capturing Feng Bo''e''s fist within it.


    The difference in size between Feng Bo''e''s small fist and the huge opening in the gunnysack was significant. Although it was easy to cover Feng Bo''e''s fist, there was no way it could actually trap it. As soon as Feng Bo''e retracted his hand, it came out from within the gunnysack. Suddenly, he felt slight pain on his upper arm, as though it had been pierced by slender needles. When he took a look, he felt great shock; there was a tiny scorpion attached to his upper arm! This scorpion was smaller than most, but it was multicolored and bright, appearing to be very fearsome. Feng Bo''e knew that he was in trouble, and immediately exerted all his strength to shake the scorpion off. Unfortunately, the scorpion''s stinger was firmly lodged in his arm, and no matter what he did, he could not shake it off.


    Feng Bo''e hurriedly stretched out the broadsword in his right arm, slapping the flat of it against his left arm. With a clapping sound, the multicolored scorpion was smushed. But if the long-armed elder put this scorpion in his bag, its venom definitely wouldn''t be something which could be easily dealt with. Even ordinary beggars were extremely adept at using poisonous substances, much less one of their six elders. He immediately leapt three meters away, withdrawing an antidote from his robes and immediately swallowing it down.


    The long-armed elder did not pursue him. Putting away his gunnysack, he instead turned to stare at Wang Yuyan, thinking to himself, "How did this girl know that I am from Hubei''s Ruan family?" Bao Butong was extremely concerned. He hurriedly said, "Fourth brother, how do you feel?" Feng Bo''e waved his left arm a few times, but felt nothing out of the ordinary. He was very puzzled, thinking to himself, "It''s impossible for the multicolored scorpion in the gunnysack not to have some oddities about it." He said, "No problem¡­" Just as he said these words, with a thudding sound, he fell down, face-forwards....


    Bao Butong hurriedly propped him up, repeatedly asking, "What''s wrong? What''s wrong?" The flesh and muscles on Feng Bo''e''s face had stiffened into an extremely forced smile. Bao Butong was shocked. He immediately sealed the acupoints around Feng Bo''e''s wrist, elbow, and shoulder, intending to stop the progress of the poison. How could he know that the poison of the multicolored scorpion acted extremely quickly? Although it wasn''t so lethal as to ''seal the throat upon touching blood'', it was on a similar level. The venom acted more quickly than even the toxins of vipers. Feng Bo''e opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but all he could muster out was a few horrifying croaking sounds. Seeing how deadly this poison was, Bao Butong feared that it might already be too late to save him. Feeling inconsolable grief and rage, he let out a loud howl and threw himself at the long-armed elder.


    The short and stout elder who wielded the steel staff said, "You want to fight in turns and tire him out? Allow this shorty to spar with the heroes of Gusu''s Murong family!" His steel staff shot out, striking towards Bao Butong. This was an extremely heavy weapon, but he wielded it as though it were as light as a feather. His techniques were very quick and agile, as though he were actually using a sword. Although Bao Butong was extremely angry, his opponent was very powerful and he did not dare to ignore him. He intended to capture the short and stout elder and use him to force the long-armed elder to give Feng Bo''e an antidote to save his life. He immediately began to use seizing and capturing hand techniques, launching raids in between the hollow spaces left by the steel staff''s attacks.


    Ah Zhu and Ah Bi each stood to one side of Feng Bo''e. Tears glimmered in their eyes as they cried out, "Fourth brother! Fourth brother!" Wang Yuyan had no knowledge at all regarding the usage of poison or the curing of poison, and felt very regretful. "In all the martial arts scrolls I''ve read, there was a lot of information regarding the usage of poison. Only, I believed all of that stuff was useless and didn''t even take a look at them. If I had at least glanced at them, I would remember at least a little bit and wouldn''t be totally helpless right now, able to do nothing but watch as fourth brother Feng dies an unnatural death."


    Qiao Feng, seeing how Bao Butong and and the short elder were evenly matched, knew that victory could not be determined for some time. He said to the long armed elder, "Elder Chen, please go ahead and cure Mr. Feng!" The long-armed elder was startled. He said, "Chief, this fellow was extremely impolite and his martial arts is not weak. If I rescue him, there''ll be no end of trouble in the future." Qiao Feng nodded. "What you say is true. But for us to kill a master''s subordinates before even meeting him might be construed as us bullying the weak. It''s best for us to firmly plant ourselves on the moral high ground." Elder Chen angrily said, "Vice-chief Ma was clearly killed by that brat from the Murong family. We''re here to take revenge, not to engage in moral or righteous posturing." A look of slight displeasure appeared on Qiao Feng''s face. "Go and cure his poison first. It won''t be too late for us to slowly discuss other things later."


    Although elder Chen was extremely unwilling to do this, in the end, he did not dare to disobey his chief''s orders. He said, "Yes sir." From within his robes, he withdrew a small bottle. Taking a few steps forward, he said to Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, "My chief puts benevolence and righteousness ahead of all other things. This is the antidote. Take it!"


    Ah Bi was overjoyed. She immediately rushed forward to accept the antidote, then very respectfully curtsied to Qiao Feng and paid her respects to elder Chen as well. "Thank you, chief Qiao. Thank you, elder Chen." As she took the antidote, she asked, "Elder, if I might ask, how should the antidote be applied?" Elder Chen replied, "After drawing out the poison in the wound, apply the antidote directly to the wound." After pausing for a moment, he said, "If the venom isn''t totally drawn out, this medicine will do more harm than good. You should be aware of this." Ah Bi replied, "Understood!" Rushing back to Feng Bo''e''s side, she lifted up her arm and was about to press her open mouth against the wound and suck out the venom.


    Elder Chen loudly shouted, "Hold!" Ah Bi was stunned. "What is it?" Elder Chen said, "Females cannot draw the poison out!" Ah Bi''s face reddened slightly. "What''s wrong with females?" Elder Chen replied, "This poison has a cold Yin nature. Females are Yin by nature. To add even more Yin would be to increase the toxicity of this venom."


    Ah Bi, Ah Zhu, and Wang Yuyan all half-believed, half-doubted him. Although they felt his words were very strange, they weren''t totally unreasonable. If he was telling the truth, then them drawing out the venom would be actually making things worse. On their side, the only man left was Bao Butong, but he was currently embroiled in a huge battle with the short elder. The shadow of the elder''s staff flashed about, and Bao Butong''s palms fluttered about here and there. It would be difficult for the battle to come to an end soon. Ah Zhu called out, "Third brother, stop fighting for now! First come and help rescue fourth brother!"


    There was only a hairs breadth of difference between Bao Butong''s strength and that of the short elder. Even if he wanted to retreat and disengage, it wasn''t something he could do very quickly. When experts competed in martial arts, they risked their lives with every stroke. If someone could advance and retreat freely, they would be able to take their opponent''s life easily. How could it be so easy for him to charge or disengage? Hearing Ah Zhu''s call, Bao Butong knew that there was a change in Feng Bo''e''s condition. Growing anxious, he launched several powerful attacks in a row, hoping to be able to shake the short elder off.


    By now, the short elder had already fought with Bao Butong for over a hundred strokes. Although they were evenly matched, he himself was wielding a large, long, and powerful weapon, whereas Bao Butong was empty handed. Thus, superiority and inferiority had already been determined. Brandishing his steel staff, the short elder had launched many attacks in succession against Bao Butong, but Bao Butong had been able to dissolve all of them. He knew that most likely, if this battle were to continue, he would lose, not win. Seeing how ferocious Bao Butong''s attacks became, he thought that Bao Butong was trying to vanquish him and immediately used all of his energy to counterattack. These four elders of the Beggar''s Clan each had their own unique accomplishments in martial arts. Zhu Baokun and Sima Lin of the Qingcheng sect, along with Yao Bodang of the Qin family stronghold, were all dispatched by Bao Butong in a laughably easy manner, but this short elder really was difficult to deal with. Although Bao Butong had the advantage, for him to actually defeat his opponent by one stance or half a stroke would depend on his opponent''s strength, and clearly the short elder possessed strong stamina.


    Qiao Feng saw that Wang Yuyan and the other two girls looked very frightened. He knew that it was true that females cannot draw out this poison, and also knew how lethal the multicolored scorpion''s venom was. He knew that if he ordered his subordinates to launch an attack, even if the situation was a hundred times more dangerous than it was today, not a single person would dare to complain. But no matter what, he could not give out the order for one of his subordinates to risk his own life to save an enemy. He immediately said, "I will come and draw out his poison myself." As he spoke, he walked towards Feng Bo''e.


    As soon as he saw the anxious look on Wang Yuyan''s face, Duan Yu had the intention of helping Feng Bo''e draw out the poison. Only, Qiao Feng was now his sworn brother, and it would be totally improper for him to go and help his sworn brother''s enemy thusly. Although Qiao Feng had ordered elder Chen to provide the antidote, Duan Yu didn''t know if he was sincere in doing so or not. Seeing as how Qiao Feng was personally walking towards Feng Bo''e and intended to draw out the poison himself, Duan Yu hurriedly said, "Elder brother, let me do it instead." Rushing forward, he immediately executed the ''Graceful Steps Upon the Waves''. With a swaying flicker, he rushed in front of Qiao Feng. Grabbing Feng Bo''e''s upper arm, he pressed his mouth against the wound and began drawing the poison out.


    At this point in time, Feng Bo''e''s arm had already turned totally black. His eyes were wide open; the flesh on his face had become so rigid that he couldn''t even close them. After drawing out a mouthful of poisoned blood, Duan Yu spat it out on the ground. The poisoned blood was as black as ink. Everyone who saw it was astonished. Just as Duan Yu was about to draw out more poison, more black blood began to flow from the wound. Startled, Duan Yu thought to himself, "It''d be best if I let this poisoned blood flow out first." He did not know that this was because he had once ingested the ''King of Ten Thousand Poisons'', the Cinnabar Toad, which could conquer all venoms. The venom of the multicolored scorpion was far inferior to it. As soon as they touched, the venom began to flow out. Feng Bo''e''s body suddenly came to life, and he said, "Many thanks!"


    Ah Zhu and the rest were all overjoyed. Ah Bi said, "Fourth brother, you can speak again!" The flow of black blood slowly lessened, beginning to turn purple. After the purple blood flowed for a bit longer, the blood turned a scarlet red. Ah Bi hurriedly applied the antidote to his arm, and Bao Butong unsealed his acupoints. In a short period of time, Feng Bo''e''s arm, previously swollen grotesquely, looked normal again, and he had no problems speaking or moving.


    Feng Bo''e bowed deeply towards Duan Yu. "Thank you for saving my life." Duan Yu hurriedly returned the courtesy, saying, "There''s no need to be so courteous about such a trifling matter." Feng Bo''e grinned. "My life might be a trifling matter to you, but it''s a rather important matter to me." Taking the small antidote bottle from Ah Zhu, he tossed it towards elder Chen, saying, "I''m giving your antidote back to you!" Turning towards Qiao Feng, Feng Bo''e cupped his fists. "Chief Qiao, you are exceptionally benevolent and righteous. You are worthy of being the leader of the largest clan in the world. I, Feng Bo''e, admire you very much!" Qiao Feng cupped his fists in return. "You are too kind."


    Feng Bo''e picked up his broadsword, then pointed with his left arm towards elder Chen. "Today, I was defeated by you. I, Feng Bo''e, freely admit my inferiority! Next time we meet, let''s fight again! But this today, we''re not fighting anymore." Elder Chen smiled. "I will naturally keep you company next time." Slanting his body, Feng Bo''e called out towards the elder wielding a mace, "I''d like to go a few rounds with you, sir!" Ah Zhu and Ah Bi were astonished. They called out, "Fourth brother, no! Your body isn''t fully recovered yet!" Feng Bo''e replied, "Not getting into a fight when one''s available? That''s not in keeping with my character!" Brandishing his knife, he charged at the mace-wielding elder.


    The mace-wielding elder had white eyebrows and a white beard. He had become famous decades ago. What type of person hadn''t he met? But he couldn''t help but be struck dumb with amazement as he saw Feng Bo''e vigorously charging towards him, just moments after being brought back from the brink of death. Originally, there were many transformations and changes in his mace techniques. Aside from beating, striking, sweeping, and piercing techniques, he also had bizarre techniques to lock up an enemy''s weapons. But now, feeling a bit nervous, his skill decreased by a significant degree and all he could do was to ward off Feng Bo''e''s attacks, without being able to counterattack at all.


    Qiao Feng frowned slightly. "This Feng fellow really doesn''t know what''s good for him. Brother Duan just saved his life. How could he so indiscriminately and rashly charge off into battle?"


    Bao Butong and Feng Bo''e both slowly gained the upper hand in their battles. However, it would still take some time for victory or defeat to be determined. When experts were competing against each other, the situation could change in the blink of an eye. It only took one particularly brilliant stroke or the slightest negligence for a losing position to be turned into an equal one. None of the four dared to be the least bit negligent, and all of the onlookers watched raptly.


    Duan Yu suddenly heard the sound of many people rushing this way from the east, followed by people coming from the north. Duan Yu said to Qiao Feng in a low voice, "Elder brother, people are coming." Qiao Feng also had heard the sounds long ago, and nodded. He thought to himself, "Most likely, other forces under young master Murong''s command have come. So this Bao fellow and Feng fellow arrived first to keep us entangled here while they prepared a large group of men to attack us." He prepared to give a secret command, ordering the ordinary members of the clan to head west and individually disappear off to the south while the four elders, hall-master Jiang, and himself would secure the rear. But suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from the west and the south as well. They had been totally surrounded by enemies.


    Qiao Feng said in a low voice, "Hall-master Jiang, the enemy force is weakest to the south. Later, when I give the hand signal, immediately order all of our brothers to retreat to the south." Hall-master Jiang replied, "Yes sir!"


    Just at this moment, fifty or sixty people burst in from the east. All of them wore ragged clothes, had uncombed hair, and either wielded weapons or broken bowls and bamboo staffs. All of them were members of the Beggar''s Clan. Next, eighty or so disciples of the Beggar''s Clan appeared from the north. All of them had very serious expressions on their face, and when they saw Qiao Feng, they didn''t pay him any courtesies at all. Instead, they seemed to be faintly hostile towards him.


    Bao Butong and Feng Bo''e, seeing so many disciples of the Beggar''s Clan suddenly appear, were both alarmed. They thought to themselves, "How can we rescue miss Wang, Ah Zu, and Ah Bi from this situation?"


    However, the person who was most astonished of all was Qiao Feng. These were all members of his clan, and normally would be extremely respectful towards him. If they saw him from afar, they would immediately rush forward to pay their respects. How could it be that today, they wouldn''t even let out a call of ''Chief''? Just as he was feeling confused, he saw that dozens of additional clan members had rushed here from the west and the south. In a short period of time, the apricot forest was crammed with people. However, aside from the four elders and hall-master Jiang, who had arrived earlier, none of the other leaders of the Beggar''s Clan were present. Qiao Feng was more and more astonished. Slowly, cold sweat began to form on his palms. He had never been shocked than he was today, not even when he was facing the toughest of enemies. He could only think to himself, "Can it be that there has been a riot or rebellion within our ranks? Can it be that the skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elders, along with the various hall-masters, have all been murdered?" But with Bao Butong and Feng Bo''e still fighting with the two elders, and Wang Yuyan and the other two girls still watching, he could not give voice to his thoughts.


    Elder Chen suddenly shouted in a loud voice, "Form the ''Dog Beating Formation!''" From each direction, ten or twenty Beggar''s Clan disciples rushed forwards, all wielding weapons, surrounding Bao Butong and Feng Bo''e.


    Bao Butong saw that in the blink of an eye, the Beggar''s Clan had formed a battle array against them. He knew that although he himself might be able to just barely escape, Feng Bo''e had been greatly exhausted by his battle with the poison and would suffer severe injuries while doing so. It would be harder than hard to rescue Wang Yuyan and the other girls. When faced with a situation like this, he really had no other options but to throw up his hands and admit defeat. For him to admit defeat when so badly outnumbered would not cause any harm to his reputation at all. But Bao Butong had a stubborn, pigheaded nature. He would intentionally do the opposite of what normal people considered to be natural. In addition, Feng Bo''e was a person who loved fighting more than his own life. As long as there was an opportunity to fight, regardless of whether he would win or lose, whether he would live or die, or whether the cause was just or injust, he would fight to the very end. Victory and defeat had already been determined, but Bao Butong and Feng Bo''e continued to fight hard, not yielding in the slightest.


    Wang Yuyan cried out, "Third brother Bao, fourth brother Feng! This won''t work! The two of you aren''t capable of defeating this ''Dog Beating Formation''! It''s best if you stop fighting now!"


    Feng Bo''e replied, "Lemme fight a bit longer! When I am totally helpless, I''ll stop fighting!" As he spoke, his attention was diverted and the white-haired elder landed a hit on his shoulder with his mace. The spikes on the mace tore a bloody wound in his shoulder. Feng Bo''e cursed, "Your grandmother''s! What a nasty stroke!" He launched three swishing suicidal attacks, as though he wanted nothing more but to die with his opponent. The white haired elder thought to himself, "It isn''t as though the two of us have irreconcilable differences. Why must you go all out like that?" He immediately tightened his defenses, no longer attacking.


    The long-armed elder began to sing, "Brothers from the south, come beg for food! Ai-yo-ai-yo-yo¡­" Although he was singing a begging song, what he actually was doing was issuing out combat orders. The tens of beggars at the south all raised their weapons. As soon as the elder stopped singing, they would charge forwards. Qiao Feng knew that once the ''Dog Beating Formation'' was launched, the beggars in the formation would not stop until the enemy had been wounded and killed. He was unwilling to create a deep grudge with Gusu''s Murong family before he had fully investigated the situation. He immediately waved his left hand and shouted, "Wait!" His shadow swaying, he arrived before Feng Bo''e, launching a clawing attack towards his face....


    Feng Bo''e dodged to the right, but Qiao Feng launched an attack with his right hand, seizing him by the wrist and disarming him. Wang Yuyan cried out, "This is a stroke from the ''Dragon Claw Hand'' named the ''Three Pearl-Snatching Strokes''!"


    Then she cried out, "Third brother Bao, his left elbow will collide with your chest, then his right hand will chop at your upper waist, and his left hand will seize your ''Qihu'' acupoint. This is a ''Dragon Claw Hand'' stroke known as ''Copious Amounts of Rain''.


    Just as Wang Yuyan said, ''his left elbow will collide with your chest'', Qiao Feng''s left elbow really did strike out and collide with Bao Butong''s chest. As Wang Yuyan said, ''his right hand will chop at your upper waist'', Qiao Feng''s right hand really did chop at his upper waist. He acted at exactly the same moment that she spoke; the synchronicity was so perfect that it couldn''t even have been trained for. Just as Wang Yuyan said the third sentence, Qiao Feng''s fingers formed a hook and seized Bao Butong''s ''Qihu'' acupoint.


    Bao Butong felt his entire body go limp, rendering him incapable of movement. He indignantly said, "What a nice ''Copious Amounts of Rain''! Little sister, what''s the point of you telling me about it after the fact? If you told me a bit earlier, I could''ve prepared for it!" Wang Yuyan apologized, "He''s simply too powerful. When he executes his attacks, he doesn''t reveal any hints in advance, and I wasn''t able to realize what he was about to do. I''m really sorry." Bao Butong replied, "What''s this ''really sorry, really sorry'' nonsense? Today, we lost this fight and have shamed the Basin of the Swallows!" Turning his head, he saw that Feng Bo''e was standing straight and stiff. When Qiao Feng took away his weapon, he had also sealed his acupoints. Otherwise, how could he simply stand there without fighting so obediently?


    Elder Chen, seeing how his chief had already subdued Feng Bo''e and Bao Butong, stopped singing the song without finishing it. The four elders and various experts of the clan, seeing how Qiao Feng had immediately subdued those two as soon as he acted with such unimaginably wonderful skill, all felt great admiration for him in their heart.


    Qiao Feng unsealed Bao Butong''s ''Qihu'' acupoint, then gently tapped Feng Bo''e on the shoulder, unsealing his sealed acupoint as well before saying, "The two of you, feel free to leave."


    Even if Bao Butong was more stubborn than he already was, he knew that the gap between his level of martial arts and that of his opponent was simply far too wide. Even if the Beggar''s Clan didn''t have the ''Dog Beating Formation'' or the four elders, Qiao Feng would still easily overcome him. At this point in time, if he said anything at all, he would only lose more face. Without saying a single word, he immediately returned to Wang Yuyan''s side.


    Feng Bo''e, on the other hand, spoke. "Chief Qiao, I am definitely inferior to you in martial arts. But I''m not happy with how you beat me using that technique earlier. You caught me a bit off guard." Qiao Feng replied, "True. I did catch you off guard. Let''s go a few more stances, shall we? I''ll receive some strokes from your broadsword." As soon as he finished speaking, he lifted up his hand, making a snatching motion mid-air. A current of air suddenly agitated the broadsword lying on the floor, causing the broadsword to actually jump up and leap into his hand. With a flick of his finger, Qiao Feng spun the broadsword around, then presented it to Feng Bo''e.


    Feng Bo''e immediately froze in utter shock. In a quivering voice, he said, "This¡­this is the ''Dragon Capturing Art''? Someone exists who is actually¡­actually able to use this incredible technique?"


    Qiao Feng smiled. "My proficiency in the skill is very basic. Please don''t laugh at me." As he spoke, he glanced at Wang Yuyan. Earlier, when Wang Yuyan had recognized him using ''Copious Amounts of Rain'', she had predicted with incredible foresight, as though she were a prophet. This had greatly astonished him. At this moment, he was curious as to how this young maiden who had a thorough knowledge of martial arts would comment on his execution of the ''Dragon Capturing Art''.


    Unexpectedly, Wang Yuyan didn''t say a single word. It seemed as though she hadn''t even seen Qiao Feng''s outstanding display. As it turned out, she was lost in thought. "Chief Qiao''s martial arts skill is so incredible. My cousin shares an equal amount of fame with him, and everyone in the martial world knows the saying, ''Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong''. But¡­but my cousin''s proficiency in martial arts, how can it¡­how can it¡­"


    Feng Bo''e shook his head. "I can''t beat you. The difference between our respective skill levels is too great. There''s no fun in fighting you. Chief Qiao, farewell!" Although he had just been defeated, he didn''t look crestfallen at all. The saying, ''Victory is joyful, but defeat is delightful as well'' applied to him. The only thing he wanted to do was fight. The more exciting the battle became, the happier he was. He didn''t care at all about victory or defeat. He could honestly be described as someone was deeply in tune with the ''Way of Battle''.


    After saluting Qiao Feng, he said to Bao Butong, "Third brother, I hear that the young master went to Shaolin. There''re a lot of people there. There must be a lot of fights willing to happen as well! I''m going to go stir up some trouble! You guys take your time." The only thing he was afraid of was missing half a chance to get into a fight. Without even waiting for Bao Butong to respond, he immediately ran off.


    Bao Butong said, "Let''s go, let''s go! As my skill is inferior to others, I have lost all face! Even if I practiced for ten more years, I would still be totally defeated. I might as well stop now, and come to a rest!" He sang the words in a loud voice as he swaggered off. Even in defeat, he looked carefree and unrestrained.


    Wang Yuyan said to Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, "Third brother and fourth brother have both left. Where shall we go to find¡­to find him?" Ah Zhu lowered her head. "The Beggar''s Clan needs to discuss some serious matters here. Let''s go back to Wuxi and discuss things there." Turning her head towards Qiao Feng, she said, "Chief Qiao, the three of us are leaving now!" Qiao Feng nodded. "Ladies, at your leisure."


    From within the group of beggars to the east, walked out a middle-aged beggar with an elegant, refined face. "Chief, we haven''t yet avenged the murder of vice-chief Ma. How can you so casually let our enemies leave?" These words seemed on the surface to be very courteous, but the person appeared very overbearing and aggressive, not acting as though he were a subordinate at all.


    Qiao Feng replied, "We came to Jiangnan for the purpose of avenging the death of vice-chief Ma. But over the past few days, I have done some investigating and now believe that he was not necessarily slain by young master Murong."


    The middle-aged beggar was named Quan Guanqing. He was nicknamed the ''Fully Learned Scholar''. He was wise and full of stratagems, and possessed a high level of martial arts as well. Within the clan, he was an eight-bagged hall-master whose position was inferior only to the six elder''s themselves. He was in charge of the ''Hall of Great Wisdom''. He asked, "Chief, what makes you say that?"


    Wang Yuyan, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi were just about to leave, but upon hearing someone in the Beggar''s Clan bring up Murong Fu, they immediately went to one side and quietly listened, out of their love and solicitude for him.


    Qiao Feng replied, "It is based purely on my own conjecture. I cannot provide any proof." Quan Guanqing said, "What conjectures do you have, chief? Your subordinate would like to hear them." Qiao Feng replied, "When I was in Luoyang and heard that second brother Ma died to the ''Throat Locking Technique'', I suddenly thought of Gusu''s Murong family, famous for ''using an opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent.'' I believed that second brother Ma had unequaled proficiency in the ''Throat Locking Technique'', and that aside from Gusu''s Murong family, no one is capable of using second brother Ma''s own ultimate technique against him." Quan Guanqing said, "Correct." Qiao Feng said, "But over the past few days, more and more I have begun to think that our initial judgment might not be correct. It''s possible that there are other complications to this matter." Quan Guanqing said, "All of the brothers here are willing to listen to your thoughts and help you clarify them."


    Qiao Feng felt that his words seemed to spring from an evil intention, and also noticed that all of the members present had a strange look on their faces. Some tremendous unforeseen event must have occurred within the clan, and he asked, "Where is the skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elder?" Quan Guanqing replied, "Your subordinate has not seen either of the two elders today." Qiao Feng then asked, "And where are the hall-masters of the ''Great Benevolence, ''Great Trustworthiness'', ''Great Valor'', and ''Great Courtesy'' halls?" Quan Guanging turned and looked at a seven-bagged disciple who stood towards the northwest and asked, "Zhang Quanxiang, where is your hall-master?" The seven-bagged disciple replied, "Um¡­um¡­I don''t know."


    Qiao Feng always knew that Quan Guanqing, the hall-master of the ''Hall of Great Wisdom'', was a person who utilized careful planning. He was a very capable and experienced person, and was originally one of his own exceptionally competent personal subordinates. But now that he was conspiring to cause upheaval, he became an exceptionally dangerous enemy. Seeing a look of shame on that seven-bagged disciple, Zhang Quanxiang, how he was unwilling to meet his own gaze, and hearing how he hemmed and hawed, Qiao Feng shouted out, "Zhang Quanxiang! You murdered the master of your hall. Right?!" Zhang Quanxiang was shocked. He hurriedly said, "I didn''t, I didn''t! Hall-master Fang is safe and sound in that place. He isn''t dead, he isn''t dead! This¡­this has nothing to do with me. I didn''t do it!" Qiao Feng said in a severe voice, "Then who did it?" This sentence was not said particularly loudly, but it was filled with dignity and majesty. Zhang Quanxiang couldn''t help but begin to tremble from head to foot, and his gaze turned towards Quan Guanqing.


    Qiao Feng realized that the revolt had already come to pass. Even if the skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elder had not been slain, they were definitely in critical, life-and-death danger. He had to act quickly, before the opportunity faded away. Letting out a long sigh, he turned and asked the four elders, "Four elders, what exactly has happened?"


    The four elders looked at each other, each of them hoping that another person would be the first to speak. Upon seeing this, Qiao Feng knew that the four elders were also complicit in whatever had happened. Smiling slightly, he said, "Within our clan, from myself on down, everyone highly values the code of brotherhood¡­" As he said this, he suddenly took two steps backwards. Each step he took was over three meters long; other people couldn''t move so quickly even if while walking forwards, and their steps would not be as large. After taking those two backward steps, he was within one meter of Quan Guanqing. Without turning around, he shot both hand backwards and seized Quan Guanqing''s ''Zhongting'' and ''Jiuyi'' acupoints, located on his chest.


    Qiao Feng exerted his internal energy through his hands, sending it through Quan Guanqing''s captured acupoints and into his meridians, where it surged to the ''Zhongwei'' and ''Yangtai'' acupoints near his kneejoints. Feeling his legs go soft, Quan Guanqing couldn''t help but fall to his knees.


    Quan Guanqing possessed outstanding martial arts ability, and was not at all inferior to the four elders. How could it be that he was subdued in but a single stroke, without even having the chance to retaliate? Everyone present turned pale. They were all astonished and fearful, uncertain as to how to proceed.


    Qiao Feng had surmised that Quan Guanqing must be the principal troublemaker in this revolt. Qiao Feng knew that if he did not subdue him immediately, there would be no end of problems. Even if he was able to suppress the traitors, it would be difficult to avoid a bloody, fratricidal civil war within the clan itself. While about to face tough opponents, how could the Beggar''s Clan inflict wounds on itself? He saw that of the people present, everyone aside from the hall-master of the ''Great Righteousness'' seemed to have been deluded and mislead by Quan Guanqing. If they began to fight each other, things would become very difficult to handle. Thus, he intentionally turned around to ask a question of the four elders and, while Quan Guanqing was not on his guard, suddenly retreated and sealed his acupoints. Outwardly, this may have appeared as a simple, uninterrupted action, like a hare rearing its head and a hawk descending to slay it, but in actuality Qiao Feng had to draw upon everyone he had ever learned to carry it out. If Qiao Feng''s backwards strikes were off-target even slightly, even though he would have been able to subdue Quan Guanqing, he wouldn''t have had the chance to send his internal energy to Quan Guanqing''s kneejoints, and Quan Guanqing''s co-conspirators might have rushed forward to aid him, forcing a battle. But with Quan Guanqing falling to his knees, everyone present thought that he was actually surrendering to Qiao Feng, and thus no one dared to make any rash moves.


    Qiao Feng turned around. He lightly clapped Quan Guanqing on the shoulder and said, "Since you admit your mistake, there''s no need for you to kneel down. However, I cannot fail to mete out punishment to you for going against your superiors. We''ll slowly discuss how to handle this." With a light tap of his elbow, he sealed Quan Quanqing''s ''Mute'' acupoint, preventing him from speaking.


    Qiao Feng knew that Quan Guanqing was a superb orator. If he was given a chance to speak and incite the people present, it would cause many problems. This was a moment of great crisis, and thus he had to use drastic measures to deal with it. He had subdued Quan Guanqing and forced him to his knees. Now, he turned to Zhang Quanxiang and loudly said, "Lead hall-master Jiang of the ''Hall of Great Righteousness'' to invite the skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elder here. If you obediently listen to my commands, your own offenses will be lessened. Everyone else must immediately sit down. Without my permission, none of you are allowed to rise!"


    Zhang Quanxiang was both shocked and overjoyed. He repeatedly agreed, "Yes! Yes!"


    Hall-master Jiang of the ''Hall of Great Righteousness'' was not part of this revolt. When he saw how Quan Guanqing and the others dared to stage an armed rebellion against their superiors, he was filled with so much rage that his face was swollen red. He breathed heavily and furiously. Only now, upon hearing Qiao Feng order him to go rescue the two elders, did he calm down slightly. He said to the twenty or so members of his hall, "Our clan has unfortunately fallen victim to turmoil. Now is the time when all of us must exert all our efforts to repay our chief''s benevolence. Everyone must protect the chief and obey all his commands!" He was afraid that the four elders would, once he left, launch an attack against Qiao Feng. Although the people of the ''Hall of Great Righteousness'' were far outnumbered by the traitors, the chief couldn''t be allowed to face the traitors all alone.


    But Qiao Feng said, "No! Brother Jiang, take all of the brothers within your hall with you. Nothing can go wrong on this critical mission of saving the two elders." Not daring to disobey him, hall-master Jiang replied, "Yes sir!" Then he said, "Chief, please be careful. I will come back as soon as possible." Smiling, Qiao Feng said, "Everyone here is a brother with whom I have gone through life-and-death experiences with. It''s just that they have some temporary complaints. It is no big deal. Set your mind at rest and go." Then he added, "Send someone to inform the Western Xia''s ''League of Elites'' that our meeting at Mt. Hui must be pushed back by seven days." Hall-master Jiang respectfully bowed, then left with all of his subordinates.


    Although Qiao Feng spoke very casually, he was actually very anxious. With the members of the ''Hall of Great Righteousness'' having departed, aside from Duan Yu and the three girls, each and every one of the two hundred plus people within the apricot forest had participated in this revolt. It would only take one person taking command for all of them to suddenly move against him, making the situation very hard to deal with. Staring at everyone, he saw that there was a look of extremely awkward embarrassment on all of their faces. Some tried to put on a pretense of calmness, while others let their fear show on their faces. But still others seemed itchy and eager to give battle, appearing to be ready to take reckless actions. None of the two hundred people surrounding him spoke, but it was clear that if someone did, there would immediately be great chaos.


    By this time, the sky had slowly become black, as dusk enveloped the world. A mist arose within the apricot forest, billowing hither and to. Qiao Feng thought to himself, "At this time, I need to calm everyone down. The best thing to do would be to change their current state of mind. Once the skill-instructing elder and the rest come, everything will be solved." Glancing at Duan Yu, he said, "Brothers, a joyous thing has happened to me today. I''ve made a new friend. This is brother Duan, Duan Yu. The two of us got along perfectly, and I have become sworn brothers with him."


    Upon hearing that this bookworm had become sworn brothers with the chief of the Beggar''s Clan, Wang Yuyan, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi were all astonished.


    Qiao Feng continued, "Brother, let me introduce to you some of the most important people in my clan." He led Duan Yu to the white-haired elder who wielded the spiked mace. "This is Elder Song. He is a senior statements of our clan, whom everyone respects. When his spiked mace freely roamed across the martial world, you, brother, weren''t even born yet." Duan Yu said, "Pleased to meet you, pleased to meet you. For me to have the good fortune of meeting an eminent, virtuous person is a true blessing." As he spoke, he cupped his fist and saluted the elder. Elder Song forced himself to return the courtesy.


    Next, Qiao Feng led Duan Yu to stand before the short and stout elder who wielded the steel staff. "Elder Xi is an expert of our sect who specializes in armed combat. Ten or so years ago, I often sought advice from him regarding martial arts. The relationship between us can be characterized as half that of a master-disciple relationship, and half that of a deep friendship. The ties of affection that bind us are deep and unabiding." Duan Yu said, "Just earlier, I watched elder Xi fight with that other fellow. He really is superb at martial arts. Admirable, admirable." Elder Xi had a straightforward and frank disposition. Upon hearing how highly Qiao Feng esteemed their friendship, and how Qiao Feng had never forgotten that elder Xi had once instructed him, he himself couldn''t help but feel greatly ashamed for listening to and stupidly believing Quan Guanqing''s words.


    After Qiao Feng had introduced elders Xi and Chen, he was about to introduce Duan Yu to the red-faced elder Wu, who wielded the demon-headed sabre, when suddenly he heard the sound of many footsteps rush in his direction from the northeast. There was a great deal of noise, and some people were repeatedly calling out, "How is the chief? Where are those traitors?" Others were saying, "We fell for their tricks and were imprisoned by them! I''m so angry." All the voices came together in a chaotic roar.


    Qiao Feng was overjoyed, but did not want to be discourteous and risk making elder Wu unhappy. He introduced Duan Yu to elder Wu and explained elder Wu''s status and great fame before turning around. As he did, he saw that the skill-instructing elder, law-enforcing elder, and the hall-masters of the ''Great Benevolence'', ''Great Valor'', ''Great Courtesy'', and ''Great Trustworthiness'' halls had all arrived, along with a large group of their subordinates. All of them had many things they wanted to say, but in front of their chief, none of them dared to speak too rashly.


    Qiao Feng said, "Everyone, please be seated. I have some things I want to say." They all answered in unison, "Yes sir!" Each of them seated themselves in accordance to their own rank and station. To Duan Yu''s eyes, it seemed as though everyone was just scrambling about for a seat, but in actuality, there was a regimented order and method to their seating arrangements.


    Seeing how everyone seated themselves according to regulations, Qiao Feng felt thirty percent relieved. Smiling, he said, "It is the good fortune of our clan that the people of the martial world hold us in high esteem, so as to allow us to be the largest clan in the world for over a century. With so many people in our clan, it''s natural that we have differing opinions and feelings. All we need to do is clearly explain the situation and politely discuss our differences. Everyone here is the closest of brothers and friends to everyone else. There''s no need for us to take any temporary personal disputes too seriously." When he said these words, a very kind and gentle look was on his face. He had long since decided to handle this situation peacefully and cause this great disaster to totally disappear. No matter what, he could not allow the brothers of the Beggar''s Clan to kill and slaughter each other.


    As everyone heard his words, the dangerous, explosive air actually did diminish a bit.


    An old, yellow-faced beggar seated to Qiao Feng''s right rose to his feet. He said, "Elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu. Might I ask, why is it that you ordered for us to be imprisoned within a small boat on Lake Taihu?" This was the law-enforcing elder. His name was Bai Shijing. He had always been incorruptible and impartial, and whenever anyone within the clan who had broken its rules saw him, they all became very nervous, no matter what their rank or station.


    Of the four elders, elder Song was the oldest, and so he was something of their de-facto leader. His face flushed red. Coughing, he said, "This¡­this¡­um¡­we are all old friends who have gone through many trials and tribulations together over the years. Naturally, we had no ill intentions towards you¡­Bai¡­law-enforcing elder Bai, please give me some face and don''t hold it against me."


    Everyone, upon hearing his words, thought that he was becoming old and muddleheaded. To revolt against one''s leaders was an extremely serious offense. How could it be simply waved off with the words, ''please give me some face and don''t hold it against me''?


    Bai Shijing replied, "Elder Song, you say that you had no ill intentions, but that is not the case. The skill-instructing elder and I, along with our brothers, were all imprisoned on three boats and set adrift in the middle of the lake. The boats were filled with firewood, sulfur, and saltpeter. We were told that if we tried to escape, the boats would immediately be set aflame. Elder Song, are you telling me that this is not an example of ill intentions?" Elder Song said, "This¡­this, well, this really was way too excessive. We''re all one big family and are like brothers to each other. How can we be so reckless and rough? In the future, how can we face each other? This¡­isn''t this humiliating?" These last few sentences were directed towards elder Chen.


    Pointing to a man, Bai Shijing said in a fearsome voice, "You tricked us aboard the ship by telling us it was the chief''s command. Tell me, what is the penalty for falsifying the chief''s orders?" The man was so terrified, his entire body was quivering. In a trembling voice, he said, "My station is humble and low. How could I dare commit such a rebellious act? It was all¡­it was all¡­" His eyes looked towards Quan Guanqing, and his meaning was clearly. He was saying, ''it was all due to my hall-master, who ordered me to lie to you.'' But, as one of Quan Guanqing''s subordinates, he didn''t dare to openly accuse him. Bai Shijing replied, "It was the orders of hall-master Quan, right?" The man hung his head, not daring to either say yes or say no. Bai Shijing said, "When hall-master Quan ordered you to lie to me and tell me that our chief wanted me to get on this boat, did you know that this order was false?" Instantly, all the blood drained away from that man''s face, and he didn''t dare to utter a sound.


    Bai Shijing laughed grimly. "Li Chunlai, you''ve always been a tough man who has never been afraid to admit to your actions. Am I right? As a man, if you had the guts to do something, how can you not have the guts to admit to it?" Suddenly, a firm, unyielding look appeared on Li Chunlai''s face. Puffing out his chest, he said in a clear voice, "Elder Bai, your words are correct! I, Li Chunlai, have acted wrongly. Regardless of whether I am to be killed or dismembered, I await your orders! If I so much as wrinkle my forehead when it happens, then you can say I''m not a real man! When I gave you the ''orders'' from the chief, I knew very well that the orders were false."


    Bai Shijing asked, "Did the chief wrong you? Was it I who wronged you?" Li Chunlai replied, "Neither is true. The chief has always acted righteously and loyally by me, and you, elder Bai, are just and impartial. No one can say differently." Bai Shijing said in a severe voice, "Then what is the meaning behind all this? What is the reason for your actions?" Li Chunlai glanced at the kneeling Quan Guanqing, then glanced at Qiao Feng. He loudly said, "I broke our clan''s regulations and deserve death. But I do not dare give the reason for my actions." He flipped his wrist, and a bright flash of steel could be seen. With a puffing sound, he stabbed himself in the heart. His movements were very quick, and his dagger was aimed at his own heart. As the dagger pierced into his heart, he immediately died.


    All the beggars present let out a loud cry of shock, yet all of them remained seated. None of them moved.


    Bai Shijing didn''t even bat an eye. He said, "You knew that the order was false, and yet instead of reporting this to the chief, you lied to me. You deserved to be put to death." Turning towards the skill-instructing elder, he said, "Brother Xiang, which person tricked you into going on the boat?"


    Suddenly, a person jumped to his feet and quickly tried to run away from the apricot forest.

 Chapter - 15 Within the Apricot Forest, Discussing Ones True History

    This person was carrying five cloth bags on his back; he was a five-bagged disciple of the Beggar''s Clan. He ran away extremely frantically. It was obvious that he was the one who transmitted the false order and tricked elder Xiang aboard the boat. The skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elder each let out a sigh, not saying a word. Suddenly, with the flicker of a shadow, someone rushed forward and blocked the fleeing five-bagged beggar. This person''s face was red and vigorous, and he wielded a demon-headed sabre. It was elder Wu. In a fierce voice, he said, "Liu Zhuzhuang, why are you running away?" The five-bagged beggar said in a trembling voice, "I¡­I¡­I¡­" He said the word ''I'' six or seven times, unable to say anything else.


    Elder Wu said, "As we are disciples of the Beggar''s Clan, we must follow our ancestor''s laws. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. When a real man acts, he must be willing to bear the consequences." Turning his head, he said to Qiao Feng, "Chief Qiao, all of us met together and decided to oust you from your position as chief. Elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu all agreed to this. We were afraid that the skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elder would not allow it, and thus devised a way to imprison them. In doing so, we were considering the greater good of our clan and couldn''t help but act in such a way. Today, we lost the momentum and you have seized the advantage. You can just go ahead and deal with us as you see fit! I, Wu Changfeng, have been in the Beggar''s Clan for over thirty years. Everyone knows that I''m not the sort of person to cravenly fear death!" As he spoke, he hurled his demon-headed sabre far away, then folded his arms in front of his chest, a totally fearless look on his face.


    When he clearly explained how their plot was to ''oust the chief'', everyone within the clan was shocked. Although each of the plotters was well aware of what they were trying to do, none of them dared to openly say it. Wu Changfeng was the first person to state it openly and clearly.


    The law-enforcing elder, Bai Shijing, said in a clear voice, "Elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu betrayed the chief and have broken the cardinal rule of the clan. Law-enforcing disciples, take them into custody and bind them!" The law-enforcing disciples under his command took some cow-sinew ropes and first bound elder Wu. Elder Wu continued to smile, not resisting in the slightest. Next, elders Song and Xi also threw away their weapons, allowing themselves to be bound as well.


    Elder Chen had an extremely ugly look on his face. He repeatedly muttered, "Cowards. Cowards! If we all had charged him, we wouldn''t necessarily have lost, but everyone was afraid of Qiao Feng." These words were very true. When Quan Guanqing had been subdued, if the rebels had immediately launched an attack, Qiao Feng would have been hopelessly outnumbered and in dire straits. Even after the skill-instructing elder, law-enforcing elder, and the hall-masters of the ''Great Benevolence,'', ''Great Righteousness'', ''Great Trustworthiness'', and ''Great Loyalty'' halls arrived, the rebels still outnumbered the loyal forces. But with Qiao Feng standing there in such an awe-inspiring manner, no one dared to make a move. Consequently, the opportunity had been lost and now all of them were being bound. After elders Song, Xi, and Wu had been bound, even if elder Chen was still determined to fight, he would be fighting alone. Letting out a sigh, he threw away his gunnysack and allowed the law-enforcing disciples to bind his wrists and his feet with cow sinew rope.


    By now, it was totally dark. Bai Shijing ordered his disciples to light some torches. The light of the torches flickered across the faces of the bound elders, revealing a series of gloomy, dejected expressions.


    Bai Shijing turned to stare at Liu Zhuzhuang. "How could you act in such a manner? Are you fit to be a member of the Beggar''s Clan? Shall you end it yourself, or will you force others to act for you?" Liu Zhuzhuang said, "I¡­I¡­" He wasn''t able to finish his sentence, but he slowly withdrew a dagger from his waist, wanting to slit his own throat. However, his hand shook so badly that he was unable to chop at his own neck. A law-enforcing disciple called out, "You are so useless! It''s unfortunate that you''ve wasted so much time within our clan!" Catching his upper arm, the law-enforcing disciple gave a mighty pull and helped him cut his own larynx. Liu Zhuzhuang gurgled, "I¡­thank you¡­" He immediately passed away.


    Within the Beggar''s Clan, there was a rule that if a person broke the laws of the clan in such a way as to merit the death penalty, so long as he took his own life, all of his sins would have been washed away and everyone would still consider him as being one of their brothers. But if it was one of the law-enforcing disciples who killed him, his honor would be forever besmirched. Earlier, that law-enforcing disciple saw that Liu Zhuzhuang wanted to take his own life, but simply didn''t have the strength to do so. That was the only reason why he had assisted him.


    Wang Yuyan, Duan Yu, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi accidentally oversaw an internal rebellion within the ranks of the Beggar''s Clan. They all felt as though they were outsiders peeping in on the Beggar''s Clan''s secret affairs, which was highly improper. But if they were to leave now, they would run the risk of raising the beggar''s suspicions. All they could do was sit far away and pretend to be indifferent and unconcerned. After seeing how Li Chunlai and Liu Zhuzhuang''s blood splattered across the ground, how their corpses now lay cold on the flower, and how the four awe-inspiring elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu had been bound, it seemed to them as though there must be even more soul-stirring events to come. All of them looked at each other, feeling extremely awkward. Duan Yu was Qiao Feng''s sworn brother, and earlier, when Feng Bo''e had been poisoned, drained away the poison on Qiao Feng''s behalf. Wang Yuyan and the other two girls felt extremely grateful towards Qiao Feng. Now, seeing how he had pacified the rebellion and dealt with the traitors one by one, they all felt happy for him.


    Qiao Feng uncomfortably sat to one side. Although the traitors had been subdued, he didn''t feel the least bit triumphant or happy. He remembered how, thanks to the benevolence of his master, chief Wang, he had been given the position of chief of the Beggar''s Clan. Over the past eight years as chief, Qiao Feng had endured many trials and tribulations, from pacifying internal wrangles to resisting outside foes. He had always used every ounce of his strength to deal with the matters in such a manner as to make the Beggar''s Clan greatly flourish, without harboring the slightest selfish thought. Now, the Beggar''s Clan had a magnificent, glorious reputation in the martial world, something which truly was in large part a product of his efforts. Why would so many people, in such a short period of time, suddenly scheme to revolt against him? If it was simply a matter of Quan Guanqing being ambitious and desiring to rule the clan, why would senior statesmen such as elders Song and Xi or an honest and upright person such as elder Wu all participate? Could it be that he accidentally did something to greatly offend all of the brothers of the clan which even he himself did not know about?


    Bai Shijing said in a clear voice, "Brothers, chief Qiao did not succeed chief Wang by force of arms or trickery or use any inappropriate methods to gain his position. In the past, chief Wang tested him by giving him three tough problems to deal with and ordering him to accomplish seven great deeds on behalf of the clan before passing the ''Dog Beating Stick'' to him. That year, when we were holding our great conference at Mt. Tai, our clan was besieged by enemies and in a very critical situation. It was all thanks to chief Qiao wounding nine powerful enemies in a row that we were able to pull through. Many of the brothers present personally witnessed this. Over the past few years, our clan has flourished and prospered. Everyone here knows that this is all thanks to chief Qiao''s efforts. Chief Qiao treats people justly and benevolently, and handles matters even-handedly and impartially. We should expend every effort to support him as leader. How can it be that there are people who''ve gone stupid and decided to engage in armed rebellion? Quan Guanqing, tell us now!"


    Quan Guanqing had his ''Mute'' acupoint sealed by Qiao Feng. Although he clearly heard all of Bai Shijing''s words, he wasn''t able to reply at all. Qiao Feng walked to him and gently tapped him twice on his back, unsealing his acupoint. Qiao Feng said, "Hall-master Quan, if I, Qiao Feng, have done wrong by our brothers, please go ahead and openly accuse me. Don''t be afraid and don''t have any misgivings." Quan Guanqing immediately leapt to his feet, but because his legs were still numb, immediately sank to his knees again. He loudly shouted, "You haven''t done anything wrong by our brothers yet, but you soon will!" Only after saying these words did he rise to his feet again.


    Bai Shijing roared, "Nonsense! In his conduct and bearing, chief Qiao has always been open and upright. He''s never done anything bad in the past, and never will in the future. Based on these baseless accusations, you actually agitated our brothers and convinced them to betray the chief? To tell you the truth, I myself have heard these rumors before, and simply treated them as utter bullshit. This old man punched the person who was spreading this bullshit and shattered three of his ribs. I can''t believe that there are so many idiots who actually believed your crap. No matter what you say, all you have is these few words. Go ahead and end your own life!"


    Qiao Feng thought to himself, "So there have long been ugly rumors about me spread behind my back which even elder Bai has heard. For him to not bring them to my attention must mean they are extremely vicious rumors indeed. A real man isn''t afraid to confront any words or deeds. Why the need to hide them?" He said in a calm voice, "Elder Bai, no need to be impatient. Allow hall-master Quan to clearly explain everything in detail. For even the likes of elder Song and elder Xi to put themselves against me means that I must have acted improperly in some manner."


    Elder Xi said, "I was wrong in rebelling against you. No need for you to keep bringing it up. Later, after judgment has been passed, I''ll just go ahead and chop at my short neck and give you my head!" He said the words in a cheerful manner, but everyone present felt deep grief in their heart. None of them showed the slightest hint of a smile on their faces.


    Bai Shijing said, "Chief, your instructions are wise. Quan Guanqing, go ahead and speak."


    Quan Guanqing, seeing how all four of the elders who had conspired with him had been subdued, knew that this battle was lost. But he couldn''t at least go without a final struggle, and loudly said, "I believe that vice-chief Ma was murdered according to Qiao Feng''s orders."


    Qiao Feng''s entire body trembled. Shocked, he said, "What?"


    Quan Guanqing said, "You''ve always despised vice-chief Ma and wanted nothing more than to get rid of him. You worried that if you didn''t get rid of him, your position as chief would never be secure."


    Qiao Feng slowly shook his head. "That is not the case. Although I did not have deep ties of friendship with vice-chief Ma and we did not always agree, I''ve never even thought of harming him. Let the emperor Heaven and empress Earth be my judge and scrutinize my words and deeds. If I, Qiao Feng, have ever had the intention of harming Ma Dayuan, then destroy my honor and my reputation, suffer thousands of calamities, and become the laughingstock of the martial world." These words were spoken with the utmost sincerity and were filled with a vast, boundless heroic spirit. Not a single person present doubted him in the slightest.


    But Quan Guanqing said, "Then why is it that, after we have come to Gusu to seek revenge upon Murong Fu, you keep on colluding with the enemy?" Pointing to Wang Yuyan and the other maidens, he said, "These three are the family members and servants of Murong Fu, but you protect them." Pointing at Duan Yu, he said, "This person is Murong Fu''s friend, but you became sworn brothers with him¡­"


    Duan Yu repeatedly shook his hand in denial. "Tis not so, tis not so! I am not a friend of Murong Fu, and have never even seen his face. These three ladies can be said to be his relatives, but can''t be said to be part of his family." He thought to himself that Wang Yuyan could only be considered Murong Fu''s ''relative'', and definitely not a member of his household. This had to be made clear.


    Quan Guanqing said, "''Tis not so, tis not so.'' Bao Butong is Murong Fu''s subordinate, the master of the ''Golden Wind Manor''. ''A Gust of Wind'', Feng Bo''e, is also Murong Fu''s subordinate, the master of the ''Mysterious Frost Manor''. If it hadn''t been for you, Qiao Feng, rescuing them, one would have died from poison, and the other would have been ground to paste. Everyone here saw this with their own eyes. What is there for you to deny?"


    Qiao Feng unhurriedly said, "The Beggar''s Clan, ever since it was founded centuries ago, has always been venerated and respected by the people of the martial world. This is not because of our numbers, or our martial arts ability, but because we act righteously and nobly, and because we support justice and equity. Hall-master Quan, you are blaming me for protecting these three maidens. True, I am protecting them. This is because I cherish the centuries-old spotless reputation of our clan. I refuse to allow the people of the world say, ''The elders of the Beggar''s Clan joined forces to bully three young girls.'' Elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu. Which of them isn''t a senior figure in the martial world? Even if you don''t cherish the reputation of the Beggar''s Clan and the reputations of those four elders, the many brothers of our clan cherish them!"


    After hearing these words, everyone present glanced at those three delicately sweet maidens. They all felt these words were reasonable. If others knew that they had made things difficult for three maidens, it really would greatly damage the Beggar''s Clan prestige.


    Bai Shijing said, "Quan Guanqing, what else do you have to say for yourself?" Turning to Qiao Feng, Bai Shijing said, "Chief, there''s no need to waste time and words with a rebel who can''t see the big picture. Let us go ahead and immediately sentence him in accordance with the crime of revolting against one''s superiors." Qiao Feng thought to himself, "Elder Bai wants to execute Quan Guanqing as quickly as possibly. It seems as though he wishes to avoid allowing him to spew out harmful rumors regarding me." In a clear voice, he said, "For hall-master Quan to convince so many people to conspire to overthrow me, he clearly must have had a compelling case. A real man clearly differentiates between right and wrong. Brothers, if I, Qiao Feng, have done something wrong, please feel free to tell me openly!"


    Elder Wu let out a sigh. "Chief, either you are an evil, unscrupulous person of great ambition who is putting up a front, or you are an honest, bold, straightforward man. I, Wu Changfeng, don''t have the ability to tell. Just go ahead and kill me now." Qiao Feng felt extremely uncertain. He asked, "Elder Wu, why did you say that I am a liar who bullies others? You¡­you¡­why do you doubt me?" Wu Changfeng shook his head. "If this matter is openly discussed, it will cause too much trouble. If the story gets out, the Beggar''s Clan will never be able to raise its head in the martial world again, and everyone will look down at us with scorn. Originally, we wanted to simply kill you with one chop and end the affair thus."


    Qiao Feng was now totally bewildered and couldn''t make head or tail out of it at all. He mumbled to himself, "Why? Why?" Raising his head, he said, "I rescued two of Murong Fu''s high-ranking subordinates, so all of you suspect me, right? But your conspiracy to rebel came before, and my rescuing of them came after. These two things have nothing to do with each other. Besides, it''s hard to say with certainty whether I am right or not, but I simply do not feel that vice-chief Ma was killed by Murong Fu.


    Quan Guanqing asked, "Why do you say that?" He had asked this question earlier, but the tumultuous events had prevented Qiao Feng from answering. Now, he asked again.


    Qiao Feng replied, "I believe that Murong Fu is a great hero and a good man. He wouldn''t kill second brother Ma." Wang Yuyan, hearing Qiao Feng praise Murong Fu as ''a great hero and a good man'', was overjoyed. She thought to herself, "It seems chief Qiao really is a great hero and a good man as well."


    But Duan Yu, on the other hand, frowned, thinking to himself, "Not necessarily, not necessarily! Murong Fu isn''t necessarily a great hero or a good man."


    Quan Guanqing said, "Over the past two months, there have been many experts who were killed using the skill which they themselves were best at. Everyone knows that these murders were committed by Gusu''s Murong family. How can such a person who has murdered so many of our friends in the martial world be considered a great hero and a good man?" Qiao Feng slowly began to pace about as he said, "Brothers, last night, I was drinking wine at the ''Tavern Overseeing the River'' in the city of Jiangyin, next to the Yangtze river. I met a middle-aged scholar who drank over ten large bowls of hard liquor without batting an eye. What an excellent drinking capacity, and what a fine man!"


    When Duan Yu heard this, he couldn''t help but grin. He thought to himself, "So elder brother got into a drinking competition with someone last night as well. This fellow had a good tolerance for alcohol and drank freely, so elder brother liked him. But that doesn''t necessarily mean this fellow was a good man."


    Qiao Feng continued, "I drank three bowls of wine with him, then we began discussing the martial artists of Jiangnan. He bragged that he possessed the second highest level of skill in palm techniques in Jiangnan, with young master Murong being the best. Thus, I exchanged three palms with him. He was able to receive the first and second palms, but when he took my third palm, the wine bowl he was holding in his left hand was obliterated. The porcelain shards from the bowl slashed across his face, making him bleed, but he remained composed and said, ''What a waste, what a waste! What a waste of a perfectly fine bowl of liquor.'' This greatly endeared him to me, and thus I did not send out a fourth palm. I said, ''Sir, your palm techniques are exquisite. You truly deserve the title of being the second best in Jiangnan!'' He replied, ''The second in Jiangnan, but only a fart in the rest of the world!'' I said, ''Brother, no need to be too modest. With regards to palm techniques, you can be considered a first-class master.'' He said, ''You are chief Qiao of the Beggar''s Clan! I freely admit my loss and submit to you. Thank you for showing mercy and not injuring me. Let me offer you another toast!'' The two of us drank three more bowls together. When we departed, I asked him for his name. He said that his last name was ''Gongye'', and his given name was ''Qian''. This is not the ''Qian'' of ''universe'' [Qian Kun], but the ''Qian'' in toasting others. He said that he was a subordinate of young master Murong, in charge of the Scarlet Clouds Manor. He invited me to go to his manor and drink with him for three days straight. Brothers, what do you think of him? Would you consider him a good friend?"


    Wu Changfeng loudly said, "This Gongye Qian fellow is a good man and a good friend! Chief, please introduce us sometime!" He forgot that he had committed a great offense and was now a prisoner, soon to be executed. When he heard about such a hero and such a good man, he immediately had the desire to make friends with him. Qiao Feng smiled, but in his heart, he was sighing. "Wu Changfeng is heroic and straightforward. Unexpectedly, he got mixed up in this rebellion as well." Elder Song said, "Chief, what happened next"


    Qiao Feng replied, "After I bid Gongye Qian farewell, I hastened to Wuxi. Roughly two hours before midnight, I heard the sound of two people loudly arguing in the middle of a small bridge. By now, it was totally dark. I thought it was very strange that people would be getting into a heated argument at this time, and went to go check it out. The bridge was a single-planked bridge. On one side was a man dressed in black. On the other was a countryside villager who was carrying a bucket of feces on a carrying-pole over his shoulder. The two of them were arguing over who should cross first. The man in black yelled at the villager to go back and allow him to cross, as he reached the bridge first. The villager said that he was carrying a bucket of feces and couldn''t retreat. He wanted the man in black to let him go past him. The man in black said, ''We''ve already been arguing here for two hours. Even if we argue all the way to midnight, I still won''t give way!'' The villager said, ''Aren''t you afraid of how bad this bucket smells?'' The man in black said, ''You''re carrying a heavy bucket of crap on your shoulder! As long as you aren''t afraid of being tired out, then let''s just remain here until the end!''"


    "When I saw this situation, I thought it was extremely funny. I thought to myself, ''That fellow in black has a really weird temper. All he had to do was take a few steps back and let him pass. What''s the point of him getting into an in-your-face confrontation with a villager carrying a bucket of crap? Judging from their words, they''ve been at it for over two hours.'' Now that my curiosity had been aroused, I wanted to see how this would end. Would the man in black no longer be able to resist the stench and surrender, or would the villager become so tired that he would admit defeat? I didn''t want to smell the crap, though, so I watched from far away upwind. Both of them were arguing using the local Jiangnan dialect, and I couldn''t be too sure what they were saying. All I knew was that both of them were claiming that they were in the right. That villager really was strong and had a nasty stubborn streak. He moved the bucket of crap from his left shoulder to his right shoulder, then later moved it from his right shoulder to his left shoulder. No matter what, he wouldn''t retreat."


    Duan Yu looked at Wang Yuyan, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi. He saw that all three of them were smiling, happily engrossed in Qiao Feng''s story. He thought to himself, "There has been an attempted revolution in the clan which is yet to be resolved. The situation is extremely critical, and yet elder brother is calmly and leisurely telling stories. It''s natural for Wang Yuyan and the girls to be interested in stories like this, but how could a heroic, bold man like elder brother show such a childish innocence as well?


    Unexpectedly, the hundred-plus members of the Beggar''s Clan present were all solemnly and respectfully listening to Qiao Feng''s story. Not a single person thought Qiao Feng''s words were boring.


    Qiao Feng continued, "After watching for a while, I slowly grew astonished. I noticed that the man in black had an extremely stable footing, not budging in the slightest, as immovable as a mountain. He was actually someone who possessed a high level of martial arts. The villager carrying the bucket of crap was just an ordinary person. Although he was very sturdy and robust, he didn''t know any martial arts at all. The more I watched, the more baffled I was. I thought to myself, ''With the fellow in black''s strong level of martial arts, all he has to do is extend his little finger in a single poke and knock both the villager and his bucket into the river. But instead, he doesn''t use any martial arts at all. For a master such as him, it might be natural for him to exercise self-restraint, but even if he refused to let the other person by, he could easily jump over the villager''s head. But instead, he insists on standing there and arguing with the villager. How amusing!"


    "The man in black suddenly raised his voice and shouted, ''If you don''t let me by, I''m going to start cussing you out!'' The villager said, ''If you want to cuss, then cuss. So you know how to cuss at people. You think I don''t?'' The villager actually seized the initiative and immediately began to cuss. The man in black began to cuss right back at him. Trading cusses back and forth, the two pulled out all sorts of strange, bizarre, and filthy curses to insult the other with. I couldn''t even understand half of these strange local Jiangnan swear words. After cussing for over an hour, the villager became exhausted. The man in black, thanks to his strong internal energy, was perfectly fine and still energetic. I saw the villager''s body began to sway. It seemed that very shortly, he would be so exhausted that he''d fall into the river."


    "Suddenly, the villager stuck his hand into the bucket of feces, grabbed some of it, then tossed it towards the man in black''s face. The man in black never imagined that he would be attacked like this. As he let out a cry of alarm, the crap splattered him in the face. I secretly said to myself, ''Oh no! This villager has just doomed himself, and he can''t blame anyone else for what will happen.'' I saw that the man in black was furious. Lifting his palm, he struck downwards towards the villager''s head.''


    Although Duan Yu was listening to Qiao Feng, his eyes were fixed on Wang Yuyan''s slightly parted, cherry-like lips. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Ah Zhu and Ah Bi smile at each other, but paid them no mind.


    Qiao Feng continued, "All of this happened too quickly. To avoid the stench, I was over a hundred meters away. I wanted to go rescue that villager, but I wouldn''t be able to. Unexpectedly, just before the man in black''s palm was about to strike down on the villager''s skull, he suddenly froze and didn''t follow through, bringing his palm to a halt mid-air. He loudly laughed, ''Old chap, in our contest of patience, who won and who lost?'' That villager was really stubborn. He had clearly lost, but he refused to admit it. He said, ''I''m carrying a big bucket of crap. You gained an advantage from this. If you don''t believe me, how about you take this bucket and I''ll stand here with my hands free. Then, we''ll see who wins and who loses!'' The man in black said, ''That''s fair enough!'' He reached out and pulled the bucket of crap towards himself, straightening his arm and lifting the bucket up with the palm of his left hand."


    "Seeing as how the man in black was carrying the bucket while holding his arm straight, the villager was stupefied. He said, ''You¡­you¡­'' The man in black laughed, ''I''ll help you support the bucket of crap like this without moving. Let''s compete again, and this time, whoever loses has to drink this entire bucket of crap!'' Seeing how incredibly strong the man in black was, the villager no longer dared to argue with him. He hurriedly retreated, but he was so flustered that he lost his footing and fell down towards the river. The man in black stretched out his right hand, grabbing him by his collar and lifting him up. Still supporting the bucket with his left hand while lifting the villager in the air with his right, the man in black laughed loudly. "Fun, fun!" In the twinkling of an eye, he lightly leapt over to the other side of the bridge, placing both the villager and his bucket on the floor. Then he utilized his qinggong and disappeared into the mulberry forest."


    "The man in black had his face splattered with crap by the villager. He wouldn''t have had to use any effort to kill him. Even if he wasn''t willing to kill someone just like that, it would have been very natural for him to give the villager a beating. But he didn''t do that at all. He had a very unique temperament, the like of which is rarely seen in the martial world. Brothers, I witnessed this with my own eyes. I was very far away from him, and I do not believe he knew I was there and was just putting on a show for me. Would you consider a person like this a good friend and a fine man?"


    Elder Wu, elder Chen, and elder Bai all said in unison, "Right! He''s a fine man!" Elder Chen said, "It''s unfortunate that you didn''t manage to get his name, chief. If you had, you could introduce him to us, so as to let us know that within the personages of Jiangnan, there''s actually a hero such as him."


    Qiao Feng slowly said, "This friend actually just exchanged a few stances with elder Chen, and his arm was wounded by your poison scorpion." Elder Chen was shocked. "He is ''A Gust of Wind'', Feng Bo''e!" Qiao Feng nodded. "Correct!"


    Only now did Duan Yu understand that Qiao Feng had carefully and meticulously described this anecdote in order to recount to everyone Feng Bo''e''s character and temperament. Duan Yu now realized that although Feng Bo''e was very ugly and loved to cause trouble and fight, he was by nature a very good person. This truly was an example of how one should not judge a person by their appearance. Earlier, when the girls were raptly listening to the story and Ah Zhu and Ah Bi exchanged smiles, it was because they well knew Feng Bo''e''s temperament. They knew that this gentleman must be Feng Bo''e, and also knew that this gentleman definitely wouldn''t wantonly kill others.


    Qiao Feng continued, "Elder Chen, the Beggar''s Clan considers itself to be the foremost large clan of the world. You yourself are a very important figure within our clan. Your rank and prestige cannot be compared in the same breath with the local Jiangnan martial artist named Feng Bo''e. Feng Bo''e, when feeling insulted and humiliated, could control himself and not harm an innocent. How can the experts of the Beggar''s Clan prove ourselves to be lesser than him?" Elder Chen''s entire face blushed, with even his ears reddening. "Chief, thank you for the lesson. You ordered me to give him the antidote because of your concern for my reputation and prestige. I, Chen Guyan, didn''t understand your noble intentions and harbored a grudge against you. I''m as stupid as a wooden ox or a braying donkey." Qiao Feng replied, "Preserving your reputation and the reputation of our clan was only a secondary concern to me. The most important rule for us martial artists is to not harm innocents. Elder Chen, even if you weren''t a very important figure within our clan and weren''t such an illustrious figure within the martial arts world, you still cannot take the lives of others so easily, without a clear certainty regarding the facts!" Elder Chen bowed his head. "I, Chen Guyan, admit to my wrongdoing."


    Seeing that he had managed to convince Chen Guyan, the most haughty of the four elders, with his words, Qiao Feng felt extremely happy. He slowly said, "Gongye Qian was a heroic man, and Feng Bo''e was a man who knew right from wrong. Bao Butong acts unrestrained and naturally, and these three maidens are gentle, refined, and proper. All of these people are young master Murong''s subordinates, his friends, or his relatives. As the saying goes, ''things of one kind come together, birds of a feather flock together''. Brothers, calm yourselves and think: If young master Murong has friends and associates such as they, can he himself be a wicked, vile, despicable, shameless villain?"


    The people of the Beggar''s Clan highly valued the code of brotherhood and loved friends. They all thought that these words were reasonable, and many people chimed in agreement.


    But Quan Guanqing said, "Chief, are you saying that in your opinion, it definitely was not Murong Fu who killed vice-chief Ma?"


    Qiao Feng replied, "I dare not say that Murong Fu is definitely the person who assassinated vice-chief Ma, but I also dare not say that he definitely was not the person either. There''s no need to rush to complete our vengeance. We need to clearly investigate the situation. If we can prove that it was Murong Fu who did the deed, naturally we will seize him and avenge vice-chief Ma''s death. But if we cannot prove it was him, we must continue to seek the real perpetrator. If we kill a good man solely based on wild conjecture while allowing the real killer to remain free and secretly laugh at how stupid and incompetent the Beggar''s Clan is, not only will we have wronged the person we falsely accused and killed and wronged vice-chief Ma, we''ll also have ruined the Beggar''s Clan''s illustrious name. Brothers, do you think you will enjoy the taste of being ridiculed and insulted as you travel about the martial world?"


    Hearing his words, every person present was moved. This entire time, the skill-instructing elder had remained silent. Now, he stroked his thin, fine beard and said, "Your words are reasonable. In the past, I once killed an innocent man by mistake. To this very day, it troubles me. To this very day, it troubles me!"


    Wu Changfeng loudly said, "Chief, we rebelled against you because we made the mistake of listening to the words of others. We knew that you didn''t get along with vice-chief Ma, and secretly suspected you of conspiring with Gusu''s Murong family to kill him. All sorts of things added up and we couldn''t help but be suspicious. In hindsight, we were all so stupid! Elder Bai, please bring out the knives of law! We''ll take our own lives in accordance with clan regulations!"


    Bai Shijing''s face was as cold as winter. In a heavy voice, he said, "Law-enforcing disciples, please bring out the knives of law."


    Nine of his disciples immediately said, "Yes sir!" Each of them withdrew a yellow cloth bundle from a sack on their backs. They opened the bundles, each retrieving a short knife from within. The nine gleaming, brilliant knifes were placed side by side. They were equal in size and shape. Underneath the blazing light of the torches, a blue light could be seen gleaming from the edges of the knives. A law-enforcing disciple brought over a tree trunk, and all nine of the other law-enforcing disciples stuck the knives into the trunk. The knives slipped into the trunk with ease; clearly, these blades were extraordinary. The nine of them called out in unison, "The knives of law have been assembled!"


    Bai Shijing let out a sigh. "Elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu made the mistake of listening to the lies of others and conspired to rebel. They would have caused great damage to the clan. Their punishment is death by one knife. Quan Guanqing, the hall-master of the ''Hall of Great Wisdom'', spread vicious rumors and created internal dissent. His punishment is death by nine knives. All other disciples who participated in this revolt bear responsibility for their offences as well. In the future, there will be an investigation and they shall each receive punishment."


    As he declared every person''s crime and punishment, no one spoke. In every single organization in the world, the penalty for plotting to overthrow the leader or betraying the organization was death. There was nothing strange about this at all. When the people present had participated in the plot, they knew of this possible outcome.


    Wu Changfeng took large steps forward. Bowing to Qiao Feng, he said, "Chief, Wu Changfeng has wronged you! I hope you understand that I was foolish. After I die, please forgive me, Wu Changfeng!" As he spoke, he walkd to the knives of law and loudly said, "Wu Changfeng will take his own life. Law-enforcing disciples, release me from my bonds!" A law-enforcing disciple said, "Yes sir!" But as he went forward to cut Wu Changfeng loose, Qiao Feng shouted, "Wait!"


    Wu Changfeng''s face immediately turned a deathly, ashen pale. With bated breath, he said, "Chief, is it that my sin is too great, and you will not allow me to take my own life?"


    According to the rules of the Beggar''s Clan, if a person who had broken the laws of the clan took his own life, his reputation would be restored and spotless, and the crimes he had committed would not be revealed to anyone else. If anyone in the world insulted that person''s memory, the Beggar''s Clan would actually intervene on their departed comrade''s behalf. All of the heroes of the martial world greatly valued their reputation and were unwilling to allow it to be besmirched after their deaths. Wu Changfeng, seeing that Qiao Feng was not willing to allow him to take his own life, felt both shame and dread.


    Qiao Feng did not immediately reply. He walked to the knives of law, then said, "Fifteen years ago, the country of Khitan invaded us via the Yanmen Pass [Wild Geese Pass]. After elder Song received this news, he rushed back to inform us of this critical military news. He did not eat for three days, and did not sleep for four nights. Enroute, he rode nine horses to their deaths. He himself was so exhausted that he sustained severe internal injuries and vomited blood. But with his news, our country, the Great Song, was prepared for the attack and the Khitaners were beaten back and forced to retreat. This was a major, meritorious deed which affected the entire country. Although the heroes of the martial world are not aware of the details of this event, we in the Beggar''s Clan are. Law-enforcing elder, I hope you will take into consideration the major contributions which elder Song have made and will allow him to atone for his crimes in some other fashion.


    Bai Shijing replied, "Chief, it is reasonable for you to beg clemency on behalf of elder Song. But it is said thusly in our laws: ''The great crime of betraying the clan cannot be pardoned. No matter how meritorious the offender''s past deeds, it cannot atone for this crime. This is so that those who have done great deeds will not become arrogant and overbearing and risk destroying our clan.'' Chief, your plea is not in keeping with the laws of our clan. We cannot breach the rules which the many successive chiefs of the past have laid down!"


    Elder Song laughed sadly. He took two steps forward, then said, "The law-enforcing elder''s words are totally true. For us to become elders of the clan, we all naturally had to perform many great deeds of valor. If everyone excuses themselves by pointing to their past valors, then all sorts of crimes will be committed. Chief, please be merciful and allow me to take my own life." With two cracking sounds, he shattered the cow sinew-strings which bound his wrists.


    Looks of shock appeared on everyone''s face. The sinew-strings were both hard and tough. Even if a person were to chop at them using a steel sabre, it still might take a while to chop them apart. Elder Song was actually able to shatter them simply by lifting his hands up. He really lived up to his reputation as being one of the elders of the Beggar''s Clan. His hands now free, elder Song stretched them out to snatch a law knife in front of him so as to take his own life. Unexpectedly, a soft stream of energy gushed towards him. His hand was only a foot away from the knives, but he could no longer move his hand forward any further. Qiao Feng was refusing to allow him to withdraw the knife.


    A grieved look on his face, elder Song called out, "Chief, you¡­" Qiao Feng stretched his hand out, pulled out the first knife on the left side. Elder Song said, "Forget it, forget it! I had the intention to kill you. It is just that I be punished! Go ahead and kill me!" The knife blade flashed across his eyes. With a puffing sound, Qiao Feng stabbed himself in his own shoulder with the knife.


    All the beggars let out a loud cry. In unison, they all rose to their feet. Shocked, Duan Yu said, "Elder brother, you!" Even outsiders such as Wang Yuyan were so terrified by this unexpected development that their lovely features changed. The maidens cried out, "Chief Qiao, don''t¡­"


    Qiao Feng said, "Elder Bai, within the regulations of our clan, there is this line: ''When the disciples of our clan commit a crime and cannot be forgiven, if the chief wishes to pardon them, he must shed his own blood on their behalf to wash away their crimes.'' Am I right?"


    Bai Shijing''s face was as rigid and hard as stone. Slowly, he said, "Within our regulations, there is such a line. But for the chief to shed his own blood to wash away their sins, he must consider whether or not it is worth it."


    Qiao Feng replied, "As long as I am not breaching the laws of our ancestors, I am happy." Turning around, he said to elder Xi, "In the past, elder Xi instructed me in martial arts. Although he was not formally my master, he acted in that capacity. However, that is just an act of personal kindness to me. In the past, chief Wang was surrounded by five elite Khitan fighters and trapped within the ''Cave of Sinister Wind'' of Mt. Qilian. The Khitaners intended to force our clan to surrender to them. Chief Wang was short and stout, and also looked something similar to elder Xi. Elder Xi disguised himself as chief Wang and went to die in his place. Only then did chief Wang manage to escape. This is a great deed which benefited both our clan and our country. I absolutely must pardon him for his crimes!" As he spoke, he pulled out a second knife of law. With a light swish, he cut apart the cow sinew-strings binding elder Xi''s wrists, then stabbed himself in the shoulder with this knife as well.


    He slowly turned to walk towards elder Chen. Elder Chen had a very strange temperament. In the past, he had wronged his family clan, changed his name, and fled. He was always afraid that others would rip open this scar of his. He dreaded Qiao Feng''s intelligence, and thus always was distant towards Qiao Feng, not willing to become close friends. Now, seeing Qiao Feng turn his eyes towards him, he loudly said, "Chief Qiao, I don''t have much of a friendship with you. I offended you far too often in the past, and don''t dare ask for you to shed blood on my behalf." Flipping his arms around, he suddenly brought his bound hands to the front. His skill in the ''Arm Passing Through'' technique had reached the acme of perfection, and he was able to retract and advance his arms easily. As he squatted down, he snatched out and grabbed one of the knives.


    Qiao Feng launched a backhanded attack and easily removed the weapon from his grasp. In a clear voice, he said, "Elder Chen! I, Qiao Feng, am a crude, boorish fellow. I don''t like to make friends with people who are cautious, conservative, and prudent. I also don''t like people who don''t drink, don''t laugh, or who are taciturn. This is just my natural disposition. I can''t change it. We have totally different personalities, making it difficult for us to avoid quarrelling. I didn''t like vice-chief Ma''s personality much either, and whenever I saw him, I would avoid him. I''d rather go and drink strong liquor or eat roast meat with low ranking, one-bagged or two-bagged brothers. Everyone knows this temperament of mine. But if you think that I wished to get rid of you or vice-chief Ma, then you are wrong, totally wrong! You and vice-chief Ma are experienced, prudent people who never drink. Those are good traits. I, Qiao Feng, cannot measure up to you!" And as he said this, he stabbed himself in the shoulder with this third knife, before continuing, "Outsiders don''t know who committed the great deed of killing Yelu Bulu, the deputy marshal of the left wing of the Khitan army, but can it be that I also don''t know?"


    All the beggars immediately began to murmur and whisper in mingled shock and admiration. Many years ago, the Khitan nation carried out a major invasion of the Great Song, but many of their generals and leaders kept on being assassinated. Their leadership decapitated, they retreated without winning any victories and the Great Song managed to avoid a catastrophe. Amongst the generals who were killed was Yelu Bulu, the deputy marshal of the left wing of the army. Aside from the highest ranking members of the Beggar''s Clan, nobody was aware that elder Chen was the one who did this great deed.


    Elder Chen, hearing Qiao Feng publicly advertise his great accomplishment, felt consoled. In a low voice, he said, "I, Chen Guyan, whose name is known throughout the world, am deeply moved by my chief''s great benevolence and virtue."


    The Beggar''s Clan had always secretly assisted the Great Song in fighting off its enemies, protecting the nation and defending its citizens. But in order to prevent the enemies from noticing them and focusing their efforts on destroying the Beggar''s Clan, the clan decided that regardless of whether or not their stratagems succeeded, they would not reveal what they had done to outsiders. They even kept the secrets from as many members of the Beggar''s Clan itself as possible. Chen Guyan had always acted arrogantly and rudely. He was older than Qiao Feng, had served in the clan longer, and thus usually was not especially meek or modest in front of him. All the beggars within the clan knew this. Now, seeing how the chief forgave him his crimes and shed blood in order to wash away his sins, all of the beggars present were moved.


    Walking towards Wu Changfeng, Qiao Feng said, "Elder Wu, you once guarded the Yinchou Gorge by yourself, using nothing but your own strength to resist the experts of the Western Xia''s ''League of Elites'' and prevented them from achieving their goal of assassinating the general of the Yang family, Yang Ye [The legend of Yang Ye and of the Yang family generals is a famous Chinese legend]. The ''Golden Medal of Valor'' which Marshall Yang awarded him is in and of itself sufficient to pardon him of his crimes today. Take it out and display it to everyone!" Suddenly, Wu Changfeng''s face flushed, as he looked both embarrassed and uneasy. "That, uh¡­uh¡­" Qiao Feng said, "All of us present are your brothers. Elder Wu, if there''s anything problematic about my request, just go ahead and say it without worry." Wu Changfeng replied, "About that golden medal of mine¡­well¡­to tell you the truth, chief, it¡­um¡­it¡­it disappeared." Astonished, Qiao Feng said, "How did it disappear?"


    Wu Changfeng said, "I lost it. Um¡­" After composing himself, he said in a loud voice, "One day, I really was craving some alcohol, but didn''t have any money on me. I sold the gold medal to a jewelry store." Qiao Feng laughed uproariously. "Forthright and carefree! Only, I''m afraid that by doing so, you''ve wronged Marshall Yang a bit!" As he spoke, he pulled out a fourth knife. First, he used it to cut Wu Changfeng''s bonds. Then, he planted it in his left shoulder.


    Wu Changfeng loudly shouted, "Chief, you have shown me great benevolence and mercy. From this day forth, Wu Changfeng''s life belongs to you. I''ll never listen to anyone who spreads rumors about you ever again!" Qiao Feng clapped him on the shoulder, then laughed, "We''re beggars. If we don''t have food to eat or wine to drink, we should go beg for some. There''s no need for us to sell gold medals." Wu Changfeng laughed, "It''s easy to beg for food, but hard to beg for alcohol. Everyone always says, ''Foul beggar, now that your stomach is full, you want alcohol to drink as well? How shameless! I won''t give you any, I won''t give you any!''"


    All the beggars listening boomed with laughter. Plenty of beggars within the clan had begged for alcohol, only to be refused. In addition, now that Qiao Feng had pardoned the four elders of their crimes, everyone felt as though a great burden had been lifted from them. Now, everyone''s eyes turned to Quan Guanqing. They thought to themselves that he was the chief instigator and agitator of this plot to cause a revolt within the clan. No matter how magnanimous Qiao Feng was, there was no way he could pardon him.


    Qiao Feng walkd to Quan Guanqing. He said, "Hall-master Quan, do you have anything to say?" Quan Guanqing replied, "I rebelled against you for the sake of the safety of our nation, the Great Song, and for the sake of preserving the Beggar''s Clan. Unfortunately, the people to whom I revealed your true history are all cowards who are afraid of death and aren''t willing to reveal themselves. Just go ahead and kill me!" Qiao Feng pondered for a bit, then said, "If there''s anything wrong with my history, go ahead and say it openly." Quan Guanqing shook his head. "If I make empty accustations now, no one will believe me. It''s best if you just kill me now."


    Qiao Feng was filled with suspicion. He loudly said, "A real man says whatever is on his mind. Why hem and haw and refuse to speak when you want to? Quan Guanqing, a real man isn''t afraid of death, much less saying a few words."


    Quan Guanqing laughed bitterly. "Right. If one doesn''t even fear death, what does he have to fear? Qiao Feng, hurry up and kill me with a single chop. That way, I won''t have to stay alive and watch the Beggar''s Clan submit to the barbarians, or the beautiful mountains of the Great Song be annexed by foreigners." Qiao Feng said, "Why would the Beggar''s Clan fall under the control of barbarians? Explain clearly!" Quan Guanqing replied, "No one will believe anything I say now. They''ll assume that I''m a coward who fears death and who made everything up. No matter what, I will die. Why should I leave behind a bad name?"


    Bai Shijing loudly said, "Chief, this person is crafty and deceptive. He''s saying a bunch of garbage, hoping to convince you to spare his life as well. Law-enforcing disciples, take the knives of law and carry out the sentence!"


    A law-enforcing disciple said, "Yes sir!" He stepped forward, pulling out a knife and walking towards Quan Guanqing.


    Qiao Feng never let his gaze waver from Quan Guanqing. Qiao Feng only saw an aggrieved, angry look on his face, and did not see any crafty or deceptive signs. Nor did Qiao Feng see any fear or dread. He began to feel suspicious, and said to the law-enforcing disciple, "Give me the knife of law." The law-enforcing disciple respectfully presented it to him with both hands.


    Receiving the knife, Qiao Feng said, "Hall-master Quan, you say that you know my real history, and that it affects the safety of the Beggar''s Clan. And yet, you are afraid to reveal what you claim the truth is." As he spoke, he wrapped up the knife into a bundle, placing the bundle within his clothes. "You have formented armed rebellion. It will be hard to pardon your crimes. However, I will temporarily grant a stay of execution. After the truth of the matter comes out, I will personally kill you. I, Qiao Feng, am not a fussy person who dithers and dickers. Now that I am determined to kill you, I''ll wager you won''t be able to escape me. Go away now, and leave behind your bags. From now on, you are no longer a member of the Beggar''s Clan."


    The phrase, ''leave behind your bags'', carried with it the implicit meaning of expelling him from the Beggar''s Clan. Aside from brand new members of the Beggar''s Clan who had no formal duties at all, every person in the clan carried anywhere from one to nine cloth bags over their backs. The number of bags they carried signified the rank they held within the clan. When Quan Guanqing heard Qiao Feng order him to leave his bags behind, a murderous look filled his eyes. Turning around, he snatched one of the knives of law, inverted it, then pointed it towards his chest. Being expelled from one''s clan or sect is so humiliating that the depth of the shame is difficult to describe. It was often considered to be even more intolerable than being executed on the spot.


    Qiao Feng coldly watched him, waiting to see if he would actually kill himself or not.


    Quan Guanqing held the law knife with a steady arm, hand not shaking in the slightest. Turning his head, he stared at Qiao Feng. The two locked gazes. Instantly, everyone went silent and no noise could be heard at all within the apricot forest. Quan Quanging suddenly said, "Qiao Feng, you are so calm and self-possessed! Can it be that you really don''t know?" Qiao Feng said, "Know what?"


    Quan Guanqing opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing. He slowly returned the knife of law to its original location, then just as slowly removed the bags from his back, reverently placing them on the floor.


    Just as Quan Guanqing removed his fifth bag, the sound of galloping hoofsteps could be heard as a horse charged towards them from the north, followed by two whistles. The beggars on sentry whistled in report as the horses grew nearer and nearer. Wu Changfeng mumbled to himself, "What sort of critical event has happened?" Before the horse from the north had arrived, the sound of another horse could be heard from the east. Only, it was farther away and its hoofsteps were indistinct. No one could tell in which direction it was headed.


    In a short period of time, the horse from the north arrived at the outskirts of the apricot forest. A man leapt off the back of the horse and ran into the forest. He wore an extremely magnificent wide-sleeved gown, which he hurriedly shucked off and threw away, revealing a tattered uniform of the Beggar''s Clan. Duan Yu only had to think about it for a moment, before immediately understanding: For a member of the Beggar''s Clan to rush about on a horse would be very conspicuous, and government officials would often halt them to investigate. However, a messenger delivering an urgent message absolutely must use a horse. Thus, the beggar dressed up as a rich, prosperous merchant. However, he continued to wear his own original clothes underneath, so as to show that he had not forgotten where his loyalties lie.


    That person walked to hall-master of the ''Hall of Great Righteousness'', respectfully presenting him with a package. "Urgent report on the military situation¡­" After saying these words, he ran out of breath and began panting. Suddenly, the horse he had ridden here let out a mournful neigh, then collapsed on the floor. It had been exhausted to death. The courier''s body swayed, then he suddenly fell down as well. It was obvious that both the courier and his horse had been rushing for a long distance, and both had used up all of their strength.


    The hall-master of the ''Hall of Great Righteousness'' recognized this courier. He was one of the beggars whom had been sent to spy upon the Western Xia''s ''League of Elites''. Seeing how this person had exhausted himself to deliver this message, its contents surely must be of great importance and unusual urgency. Thus, he did not open the pouch itself, and instead offered it to Qiao Feng, saying, "Critical military report regarding the Western Xia. The courier was sent to keep an eye on the Western Xia along with brother Yi Dabiao."


    Qiao Feng took the pouch. Opening it, he saw that there was a wax pellet. He broke open the pellet, retrieving from within a roll of paper. Just as he was about to read what was written on the paper, the sound of hoofsteps grew louder as the horse from the east burst into the apricot forest. Just as it entered the forest, the man on the horse flew out of its saddle, shouting, "Qiao Feng, the message within the wax pellet involves critical military intelligence. You cannot read it!"


    Everyone present was startled. They saw that this person was an extremely old beggar with a white beard which fluttered in the wind, and who wore a turtledove robe which had been repaired over and over again. The skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elder rose to their feet simultaneously. "Elder Xu, what business causes you to grace us with your presence?"


    When the beggars heard that it was elder Xu who had arrived, looks of shock appeared on their face. Elder Xu, at eighty seven years of age, was of an extremely senior generation within the Beggar''s Clan. Even the previous chief, chief Wang, addressed him as ''martial-uncle''. Everyone within the clan was of a lower generation than him. He had retired many years ago, and had long since ceased to pay attention to worldly affairs. Every year, when Qiao Feng, the skill-instructing elder, and the law-enforcing elder went to pay their respects to him, they would only casually discuss some of the affairs of the clan. Unexpectedly, he would suddenly rush here today, and then forbid Qiao Feng from reading the urgent news regarding the Western Xia''s military movements. Everyone present was greatly shocked.


    Qiao Feng immediately bowed forward in a salute. "Elder Xu, have you been well?" Following this, he opened his hand and delivered the roll of paper to elder Xu.


    Qiao Feng was the chief of the Beggar''s Clan. Although it was true that he was of a younger generation than elder Xu, he was still the person in charge when it came to events of great import involving the clan. Even the previous chief, chief Wang, would be subject to his commands, much less a retired elder such as elder Xu. But unexpectedly, when elder Xu forbade Qiao Feng from reading the urgent military news regarding the Western Xia''s movements, Qiao Feng did not defy him in the slightest. Everyone present was shocked.


    Elder Xu said, "Excuse me!" He took the roll of paper from Qiao Feng''s hands, then immediately cast his gaze at the group of beggars. In a clear voice, he said, "The widow of vice-chief Ma Dayuan, madame Ma, is soon to arrive. When she arrives, there are some things which need to be discussed. Everyone, what say ye?" All of the beggars looked at Qiao Feng, wanting to know how he would respond.


    Qiao Feng was filled with doubt and suspicion. He said, "If this is a matter of great importance, then we can simply wait." Elder Xu said, "This is a matter of great importance." After saying these words, he said nothing further. He belatedly paid Qiao Feng the courtesies due to the chief, and then sat down to one side.


    Duan Yu felt some misgivings about the whole situation, and also wanted to seize the opportunity to make some conversation with Wang Yuyan. He said to her in a low voice, "Miss Wang, the Beggar''s Clan has so very many affairs. Should we depart, or should we stay here and watch all the fun?" Wang Yuyan wrinkled her forehead. "We are outsiders. Originally, we shouldn''t get involved in their secret internal issues. However¡­however¡­the matter which they are fighting over involves my cousin. I want to listen." Duan Yu chimed in, "That''s right. It''s said that vice-chief Ma was killed by your cousin and left behind a helpless, pitiable widow." Wang Yuyan hurriedly said, "No! No! My cousin didn''t kill vice-chief Ma. Isn''t that what chief Qiao says as well?" At this moment, the sound of hoofsteps could be heard once more as two riders galloped towards the apricot forest. In setting up their conference here, the beggars of the clan naturally left behind signs for others. In addition, they had people nearby who could lead the way for friends or give out warnings if enemies arrived.


    Everyone was certain that one of the riders must be vice-chief Ma''s widow. Unexpectedly, one of the riders was an old man, and the other an old lady. The man had a small, short figure, while the female was extremely tall and lofty. They formed a total contrast.


    Qiao Feng rose to greet them. "Granny Tan and Grandpa Tan of Mt. Taihang''s Cavern of Flowing Clouds, you honor us with your presence! Qiao Feng apologizes for not welcoming you from afar, and thank you for your forgiveness." Elder Xu and the other six elders all rose up and saluted them as well.


    Upon seeing this, Duan Yu realized that Granny Tan and Grandpa Tan must be wulin figures of great renown and dignitas.


    Granny Tan asked, "Chief Qiao, why are there a number of knives planted on your shoulder?" Lifting up her arm, she immediately pulled out all four knives from his shoulder. The movement of her hands was extremely quick. Right after she pulled out the knives, Grandpa Tan withdrew a small box from his bosom. Opening its lid, he dabbed his finger into some ointment within the box, then spread it on the wounds on Qiao Feng''s shoulder. As soon as he applied this ''Golden Wound'' ointment, the fresh blood which was spewing forth from the wounds instantly came to a halt. The speed which Granny Tan displayed in retrieving the knives was very rarely seen, but it was only a single action. Grandpa Tan''s movements in withdrawing the box, opening the lid, dabbing the ointment, applying it to the wounds, then staunching the bleeding were neat and tidy. Although his movements were very quick, everyone was able to see them clearly and distinctly. It truly appeared almost like magic, or sleight of hand. In addition, the ''Golden Wound'' ointment''s almost divine efficacy in stopping the flow of blood was even more unimaginable. As soon as it was applied, the blood stopped flowing, without even the slightest delay.


    Qiao Feng saw that Granny Tan and Grandpa Tan immediately helped him treat his wounds without even carrying about the how''s and why''s of the situation. Although he felt this was a bit rash of them, he also felt extremely moved. Even as he was in the process of thanking them, he felt that the pain in his shoulders became replaced by itchiness. In a very short amount of time, much of the pain was greatly reduced. He had never even heard of a cure as miraculous as this ''Golden Wound'' ointment, much less have personally seen it before.


    Granny Tan asked again, "Chief Qiao, who in the world has the audacity to stab you with these knives?" Qiao Feng laughed. "I did it to myself." Curious, Granny Tan asked, "Why would you stab yourself? Are you tired of living?" Qiao Feng smiled. "I stabbed myself for the fun of it. The flesh on my shoulders is thick and tough. I didn''t harm the sinews or the bone." Elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu, hearing Qiao Feng conceal the real story, felt both moved and ashamed.


    Granny Tan let out a laugh. "What type of lies are you spewing out? Oh, I know! You clever little imp, you heard that Grandpa Tan created a brand-new, incomparably efficacious ointment for wounds, using a mixture of ''Frozen Jade from the North Pole'' and the ''Mysterious Ice Toad'', and you wanted to give it a test run, right?"


    Qiao Feng was noncommittal. He only smiled a little, then thought to himself, "This old granny is extremely simple and tactless. Who in the world could be so bored as to stab themselves with knives, so as to test out your new medicine?"


    The sound of hoofbeats could be heard once more, as a donkey charged into the apricot forest. On the donkey was seated a man mounted backwards. His back was facing the front of the donkey, while his front was facing the donkey''s tail. Granny Tan''s face was immediately wreathed in smiles. She shouted out, "Martial-brother, what type of crazy game are you up to now? I''ll spank you!"


    When everyone looked at the rider, they saw that he had shrunk his body into a ball, as though he were a seven or eight year old child. Granny Tan stretched out with her palm, slapping at his buttocks. That person immediately rolled down to the ground. As he stretched his hand out to steady himself, he suddenly became both big and strong. Everyone was a bit startled. Grandpa Tan, however, had a rather unhappy look on his face. With a hmph, he tossed a side-glance at the man while saying, "I was wondering who it was. So it''s you." He immediately turned his head to stare at Granny Tan.


    If one were to say that the man who was riding the donkey backwards was very old, it didn''t seem he was all that old. But it would be equally impossible to describing him as young. He appeared to be somewhere from thirty to sixty years of age, and could not be described as ugly or as handsome. He stared raptly at Granny Tan, displaying a boundless concern and fascination with her. In a gentle voice he asked, "Little Juan, has your life been happy recently?"


    Granny Tan was as large as a horse and built like an ox. Her hair was as white as silver, and her face was filled with wrinkles. Unexpectedly, her name was actually ''Little Juan'' (''Juan'' literally means graceful/beautiful). Such a delicate, pretty name was totally opposite to her appearance. Everyone within hearing range thought this was very funny. However, it was true that every old lady was once young. If she was called ''Little Juan'' when she was young, it wouldn''t be appropriate to change it to ''Old Juan'' later on, right? Just as Duan Yu was thinking that exact thought, once more the sound of hoofsteps could be heard as multiple horses sped their way. This time, however, the speed of the horses didn''t seem to be particularly urgent at all.


    Qiao Feng was sizing up the donkey-rider, but was unable to determine just who he was. He was Granny Tan''s elder martial brother, and while riding the donkey, he displayed an extremely brilliant usage of the ''bone shrinking technique''. Naturally, he must be an extraordinary character. However, Qiao Feng had never heard of him before.


    The pack of riders arrived at the apricot forest. Riding in front were five youths, all with thick eyebrows and large eyes. They all looked very similar to each other. The eldest appeared to be over thirty years of age, whereas the youngest was a bit over twenty. Clearly, the five of them were brothers born of the same mother.


    Wu Changfeng loudly called out, "The Five Heroes of Mt. Taishan have arrived! Wonderful, wonderful! What propitious wind has blown all five of you brothers here at the same time?" The third brother of the Five Heroes of Mt. Taishan was named Dan Shushan, and he was extremely close to Wu Changfeng. He immediately seized the first chance to reply and said, "Fourth Uncle Wu, hello! My father came as well." The look on Wu Changfeng''s face changed slightly. He said, "Truly? Your father¡­" He had just acted in a way which violated the rules of the Beggar''s Clan, and still felt uneasy about it. Upon hearing that the ''Iron Faced Judge'' Dan Zheng of Mt. Taishan had suddenly arrived, he couldn''t help but suddenly feel flustered. The ''Iron Faced Judge'' Dan Zheng hated wickedness as though it were his personal foe. If ever he heard that something unfair had occurred within the jianghu, he would definitely intervene. His own skills in martial arts was very formidable, and aside from his five sons, he also had many disciples under his tutelage, numbering over two hundred people. Everyone was in awe of the fame of "Mt. Taishan''s Dan Family".


    Following this, another rider galloped into the apricot forest. The Five Heroes of Mt. Taishan simultaneously brought the horse to a halt, as the rider, an old man who wore a long silk robe, floated down from his mount. He clasped his hands towards Qiao Feng, saying, "Chief Qiao, Dan Zheng has arrived without being invited. Please forgive me for interrupting."


    Qiao Feng had long heard of Dan Zheng, but this was the first time they had met in person. He saw that Dan Zheng''s face was filled with a healthy red glow. The man lived up to his reputation of having ''white hair and a rosy complexion''. However, he had a very mild expression on his face. It didn''t seem as though he were as ruthless a person as the rumors of jianghu made him out to be. Qiao Feng hastily cupped his fists in response and said, "If I knew that you, elder Dan, were going to grace us with your presence, I would have welcomed you long ago."


    The man who rode in on a donkey suddenly let out a weird shout. "Hah, great! So you should welcome the ''Iron Faced Judge'' from afar, but when I, the ''Iron Arsed Judge'' arrived, you didn''t pay me any mind at all!"


    Upon hearing the bizarre nickname of ''Iron Arsed Judge'', everyone present laughed uproariously. Although Wang Yuyan, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi all felt that laughing was improper, they couldn''t help but let out beautiful smiles as well. Upon hearing these words, the Five Heroes of Mt. Taishan knew that this man was trying to mock their father. They immediately became upset. However, the family rules of the Dan family were extremely rigid. Since Dan Zheng himself had not said anything yet, none of his children dared to speak out of turn.


    Dan Zheng possessed very good self-control. He couldn''t immediately determine the origins of this weirdo, and so pretended to not have heard his words. In a clear voice, he called out, "Madame Ma, please come out and speak with us."


    From behind the grove appeared a covered sedan. Two strong men were carrying the sedan, and they moved so quickly as to appear to be flying. Arriving within the forest, they set down the sedan, then parted upon the sedan curtain. From within the sedan, a young madame all dressed in mourning clothes slowly stepped out. The young madame bowed her heads towards Qiao Feng, paying her respects to him. She said, "The widow of the Ma family pays her respects to the chief."


    Qiao Feng returned her salute. "Sister-in-law, I greet you."


    Madame Ma said, "My late husband had the misfortune to pass away. Thankfully, the many uncles of the clan have helped to arrange his funeral rites. I am sincerely grateful to you all." Her voice was extremely clear and melodious. Evidently, she was very young. However, this entire time her eyes stared down at the ground, preventing others from seeing her face.


    Qiao Feng believed that Madame Ma must have found an important clue in the matter of her husband''s death, which is why she had suddenly rushed here. But for her not to bring such important information to the chief of the clan, and to approach the Iron Faced Judge and elder Xu instead, was an indication that something was very fishy here. Turning around, he glanced at the law-enforcing elder, Bai Shijing. Bai Shijing had just turned to glance at him as well. Their gazes met, and both of their eyes were filled with suspicion regarding the proceedings.


    Qiao Feng decided to properly receive the guests first before handling internal affairs. He said to Shan Zheng, "Elder Shan, the married couple of Mt. Taihang''s Cavern of Flowing Clouds are here as well. I wonder if you know them?" Shan Zheng cupped his fists towards them. "I''ve long heard of the great fame of the Tan family. It is my great fortune to meet you." Qiao Feng said, "Elder Tan, could you introduce this other old gentleman to me, so that I might pay him proper respects?"


    Before Grandpa Tan had a chance to reply, the donkey rider replied, "My family name is ''Shuang'', and my personal name is ''Wai''. My nickname is the ''Iron Arsed Judge.''"


    No matter how good ''Iron Faced Judge'' Shan Zheng''s temper was, he couldn''t prevent his rage from rising at this point. He thought to himself, "My family name is ''Shan'' [Single], and he chooses the family name ''Shuang'' [Double]. My personal name is ''Zheng'' [Straight], and he picks the name ''Wai'' [Crooked]. Isn''t this clearly directed at me?" Just as he was about to let loose his rage, Granny Tan said, "Elder Shan, don''t listen to Zhao Qiansun''s nonsense. He''s a bit crazy. There''s no point in getting worked up over him."


    Qiao Feng thought to himself, "This man is named Zhao Qiansun? That can''t be his real name." He said, "Everyone, there''s no seats here, and so I''ll have to ask you all to make do with the ground." After seeing everyone sit down, he said, "If I had known a day ago that I would meet with so many distinguished elders and friends, I would have felt extremely honored and fortunate. Might I ask why all of you have graced us with your presences?"


    Shan Zheng said, "Chief Qiao, your respected clan is the largest clan in the jianghu, and for centuries has had a world-spanning heroic reputation. Whenever anyone in the wulin says the words ''Beggar''s Clan'', they do so with great awe and respect. I, Shan Zheng, have always greatly admired the clan as well." Qiao Feng said, "You are too kind!"


    Zhao Qiansun interjected, "Chief Qiao, your respected clan is the largest clan in the jianghu, and for centuries has had a world-spanning heroic reputation. Whenever anyone in the wulin says the words ''Beggar''s Clan'', they do so with great awe and respect. I, Shuang Wai, have always greatly admired the clan as well." His words were exactly identical to the words of Shan Zheng; only, he change the name from ''Shan Zheng'' to ''Shuang Wai''.


    Qiao Feng knew that many of the elders of the wulin had strange temperaments and dispositions. He didn''t know why Zhao Qiansun was making fun of Shan Zheng every chance that he got, but he decided that the only thing which truly concerned him was not offending anybody. Thus, once more Qiao Feng said, "You are too kind!"


    Shan Zheng smiled a little, then said to his eldest son, Shan Boshan, "Boshan, go ahead and speak to chief Qiao in my stead. If anyone wants to imitate my son, they can go ahead and do it to their heart''s content."


    Everyone who heard these words couldn''t help but let out a burst of laughter. They all thought to themselves that that although the Iron Faced Judge posed as a man of high morals, he was secretly quite caustic. If Zhao Qiansun imitated the words of Shan Boshan, then it would be said that Zhao Qiansun was pretending to be Shan Zheng''s son.


    Unexpectedly, Zhao Qiansun said, "Boshan, go ahead and speak to chief Qiao in my stead. If anyone wants to imitate my son, they can go ahead and do it to their heart''s content." He flipped the situation on its head, as though he were now acknowledging that he himself was Shan Boshan''s father.


    Shan Zheng''s youngest son, Shan Xiaoshan, had the most explosive temper. He loudly cursed, "Mother****er, are you tired of living?"


    Zhao Qiansun mumbled to himself, "Mother****er, four useless sons such as these are already four too many. There really was no need for a fifth. Heh, I wonder who his real father is."


    Hearing how brazenly Zhao Qiansun was provoking him, even if Shan Zheng were a clay figurine, he would warp and bend. Turning his head, he said to Zhao Qiansun, "We are the guests of the Beggar''s Clan for the moment. If we kick up a fuss, it would be disrespectful to our hosts. After the matter at hand is dealt with, I will naturally seek you out and see your incredible skills. Boshan, just speak!" Zhao Qiansun continued to imitate him and said, "We are the guests of the Beggar''s Clan for the moment. If we kick up a fuss, it would be disrespectful to our hosts. After the matter at hand is dealt with, I will naturally seek you out and see your incredible skills. Boshan, your old man is telling you to speak. Just speak!"


    Shan Boshan would have liked nothing better than to rush forward and give him a few nasty chops of the sabre and relieve the hatred in his heart. With a strenuous effort, he reined in his fury and said to Qiao Feng, "Chief Qiao, the two us, father and son, originally would never have dared to get involved in the matters of your venerable clan, but as my father says, ''a gentleman loves men of character¡­''" As he said this, he glanced at Zhao Qiansun, wondering if Zhao Qiansun would be imitating him. If he was, he would be forced to also say, ''But as my father says, ''a gentleman loves men of character''. Thus, Zhao Qiansun would be saying that Shan Zheng was his father.


    Unexpectedly, Zhao Qiansun really did continue to imitate him. He said, "Chief Qiao, the two us, father and son, originally would never have dared to get involved in the matters of your venerable clan, but as my son says, ''a gentleman loves men of character''." He changed the word ''father'' to ''son''. Naturally, he was mocking Shan Zheng. Everyone who heard this frowned, feeling that Zhao Qiansun was going too far. They feared that the situation would immediately explode into a bloody confrontation.


    Shan Zheng lightly said, "Sir, you continue to try and make things difficult for me. However, I have never met you before, and do not know how I might have offended you. I would like to ask that you make things clear. If I am at fault, simply let me know and I will immediately admit my error''s and offer you my apologies."


    Everyone secretly supported Shan Zheng''s words, feeling that he really lived up to his reputation of being a heroic, chivalric figure of the central plains.


    Zhao Qiansun said, "You didn''t offend me, but you offended Little Juan. This is ten times worse than offending me!"


    Shan Zheng said, "Who is ''Little Juan''? When did I offend her?" Zhao Qiansun pointed at Granny Tan. "She''s Little Juan. Little Juan is her maiden name. In the whole wide world, no one but me can address her like that." Shan Zheng was both angry and amused. He said, "Oh, so that is Granny Tan''s maiden name. I didn''t know. Please forgive me for any offense I may have given." Zhao Qiansun said in a haughty, supercilious voice, "As you didn''t know, we won''t blame you. Your first offense is pardoned; if it happens again, you won''t be." Shan Zheng said, "I have long heard of the great fame of the married Tan family, who live in Mt. Taihang''s Cavern of Flowing Clouds, but never had the karmic fortune to meet them. I have never gossiped about anyone behind their back. How could I have offended the granny of the Tan family?"


    Zhao Qiansun angrily said, "Earlier, I was asking Little Juan, ''has your life been happy recently?'' But before she had a chance to reply, your five precious sons swaggered on in and barged their way into our midst, interrupting her response. Even to this very moment, she hasn''t had a chance to reply to me. Brother Shan, why don''t you go and ask what type of person Little Juan is? Or what type of person I, ''Zhao Qian Sun Li, Zhou Wu Zheng Wang'', am? Are we the type of people who would allow others to disrupt our conversations just like that?" [All of the eight words from ''Zhao'' to ''Wang'' are surnames; Zhao Qiansun''s own name is made up of three surnames, which is why Qiao Feng doesn''t believe it could be his real name.]


    Upon hearing these bizarre words, Shan Zheng realized that this fellow really wasn''t very bright. He said, "Brother, there''s something I don''t understand, and I hope you can enlighten me." Zhao Qiansun said, "What is it? If I''m in a good mood, I suppose I can help you with a few pointers." Shan Zheng said, "Many thanks, many thanks. Sir, you said that you are the only person in the whole world who can address Granny Tan by her maiden name, right?" Zhao Qiansun said, "Right on! If you don''t believe me, call her maiden name out again, and see if I, ''Zhao Qian Sun Li, Zhou Wu Zheng Wang, Feng Chen Chu Wei, Jiang Shen Han Yang,'' won''t get into a big fight with you right now!" Shan Zheng said, "Brother, I naturally wouldn''t dare to call her name again. But can it be that even Grandpa Tan is not allowed to call her by her maiden name?"


    Zhao Qiansun''s face turned a ghastly pale color. For a long moment, he did not respond. Everyone thought to themselves that these words of Shan Zheng had stupefied him. Unexpectedly, Zhao Qiansun suddenly burst into sobs, as his tears and snot criss-crossed into a pitiable, heart-broken appearance.


    This was wildly outside of everyone''s expectations. This person feared neither heaven nor hell, and had seemed determined to squabble with the Iron Faced Judge to the very end. Unexpectedly, just these few simple words caused him to break into a large cryfest which he seemed unable to end.


    Seeing how heartbroken Zhao Qiansun was, Shan Zheng began to feel embarrassed. The fury which had curdled up in his heart immediately vanished away. He instead began to console Zhao Qiansun, saying, "Brother Zhao, I''m the one at fault here." Zhao Qiansun sobbed and whimpered, "My surname isn''t Zhao." Startled, Shan Zheng asked, "Sir, what is your surname then?" Zhao Qiansun replied, "I don''t have one. Don''t ask, don''t ask anymore."


    Everyone guessed that Zhao Qiansun must have an extremely painful subject that would be awkward to discuss. As to what it was, since he refused to say, it would be inappropriate for others to ask. All they could do was to let him continue to cry, sob, and weep without stopping.


    With a composed look on her face, Granny Tan said, "You''ve gone crazy again. You are in front of so many friends. Aren''t you afraid of losing face at all?"


    Zhao Qiansun said, "You cast me off, then went off and married this good-for-nothing Grandpa Tan. How can I not be miserable and pained? My heart is shattered, and my guts have been splintered. Why would I care about such a small thing as face?"


    All the onlookers glanced at each other and smiled. None of them were surprised at the revelation. Clearly, Zhao Qiansun and Granny Tan once shared a romantic history together. When Granny Tan married Grandpa Tan, Zhao Qiansun became so heartbroken that he threw away his very name and would go into insane fits of silliness. The Tan couple were clearly in their sixties. How could it be that Zhao Qiansun was still this passionate, still this heartbroken despite the passage of decades? Granny Tan''s face was covered with wrinkles, and her white hair was desolate and dreary. No one present could see how this large and tall old lady, even in her youth, could have caused Zhao Qiansun to be so passionate about her to this very day.


    A bashful look appeared on Granny Tan''s face. She said, "Martial-brother, why do you keep on bringing up these bygone affairs? Today, the Beggar''s Clan has important matters to discuss. Be well-behaved and just listen, alright?"


    These gently persuasive words were very comfortable to Zhao Qiansun''s ears. He said, "If you smile at me, I''ll listen to you." Before Granny Tan had a chance to smile, ten or so bystanders already burst into laughter. Granny Tan didn''t seem to notice at all, and smiled directly at him. Zhao Qiansun stared at her as though stupefied. Clearly, he had been totally dazed by her smile, and it was as though his very soul had been frozen.


    Grandpa Tan sat off to one side, face filled with fury, but there was nothing he could do. Watching this scene, Duan Yu''s heart suddenly trembled. He thought to himself, "The love and passion between these three people is so strong that they don''t pay a care to the fact that others are here and watching. I¡­I¡­in the future, in the future, will I and Miss Wang be the way Zhao Qiansun and Granny Tan are? No! No! Granny Tan clearly holds great affection towards her martial-brother. But the person whom Miss Wang constantly thinks about is her cousin, Murong Fu. Compared to Zhao Qiansun, I am far inferior to him, and my situation is much worse."


    Qiao Feng, on the other hand, was thinking about something else. "So Zhao Qiansun is a false name after all. I''ve always heard it said that Granny Tan and Grandpa Tan were disciples of the master of the Taihang sect. But judging from the words these three have said, it seems as though they don''t come from the same school after all. Does Grandpa Tan belong to the Taihang school, or does Granny Tan belong to the Taihang school? If Grandpa Tan is the one who belongs to the Taihang sect, then which sect did Granny Tan and this Zhao Qiansun fellow come from?"


    Zhao Qiansun said, "I heard that Gusu''s Murong family produced a Murong Fu, who ''uses the opponent''s skills, exercising them upon the opponent.'' I hear that he is brash and audacious, and that he wantonly murders innocents. This old man wants to go a few rounds with him and see what sort of ability that brat has, to reverse his attacks upon me, ''Zhao Qian Sun Li, Zhou Wu Zheng Wang''. Little Juan, you told me to come to Jiangnan. Naturally, I came. Much less I¡­"


    But before he finished speaking, a person could be heard crying loudly. Weeping and bawling, the sound was absolutely identical to that of his own crying a few moments earlier. Everyone present was astonished. That person began to complain while crying, "My dear martial-sister, how did I offend you? Why did you go marry that horrible old man Tan? This old man''s been thinking about you day and night. My stomach has been stretched and my intestines have been knotted. The person I always think about is you, martial-sister Little Juan. When our master was alive, he treated the two of us as though we were his own children. How can you face our master, after you refused to marry me and marry someone else?"


    In both sound and speech pattern, the voice was absolutely identical to that of Zhao Qiansun''s. If it weren''t for the fact that everyone clearly saw how Zhao Qiansun was stunned and gape-mouthed, and how astonished he looked, everyone would have believed that it was he who spoke. Everyone turned to look as one. They saw that this voice came from a young maiden who wore a light red dress.


    That person turned around, revealing herself to be Ah Zhu. Duan Yu, Ah Bi, and Wang Yuyan knew that Ah Zhu had an almost divine ability to mimic the voices of others. They weren''t surprised at all. But everyone else present was both amazed and amused. They all thought that after hearing this, Zhao Qiansun would go crazy with rage. Unexpectedly, these words of Ah Zhu stirred his heart. He had almost stopped crying, but upon hearing her words, his eyes reddened once more, his lips drooped downwards, and once more his tears poured down his face, and he once more started bawling in tune with Ah Zhu.


    Shan Zheng shook his head. In a clear voice, he said, "Although my surname is ''Shan'', ''Single'', I have a wife and four concubines, and my sons and grandchildren fill my home. You, Mr. Shuang Wai, have a surname ''Shuang'', Double'', but you are a solitary, lonely figure. This sort of affair should have been dealt with long ago. There''s no point to bringing it up now. I''m afraid it''s rather too late. Brother Shuang, we were invited to come to Jiangnan by the widow of the late vice-chief Ma of the Beggar''s Clan. Did we come for the purpose of discussing your marriage and matrimonial status?" Zhao Qiansun shook his head. "No." Shan Zheng said, "In that case, it would be best if we discussed the serious business which brought us to the Beggar''s Clan in the first place." Zhao Qiansun suddenly shouted out angrily, "What? The business of the Beggar''s Clan is serious business, but the business between me and Little Juan is not?"


    By this point, Grandpa Tan had reached the ends of his patience. He said, "Ah Hui, Ah Hui! If you don''t hurry and keep him from continuing to act crazy, I won''t be able to restrain myself." After hearing him address her as ''Ah Hui'', everyone present realized, "So Granny Tan has another name after all. ''Little Juan'' is a term which Zhao Qiansun alone uses."


    Stamping her foot, Granny Tan said, "He isn''t going crazy. You harmed him and made him become like this. Aren''t you content yet?" Surprised, Grandpa Tan said, "I¡­I¡­I¡­how did I harm him?" Granny Tan said, "I married you, you horrible old man. Naturally, my martial-brother feels miserable about it¡­" Grandpa Tan said, "When you married me, I was neither horrible nor old." Granny Tan angrily said, "Have you no shame? Are you claiming that in the past, you were handsome and graceful?"


    Elder Xu and Shan Zheng looked at each other, shaking their heads. They thought that these three babies were old, but not at all dignified or mature. The three of them were all senior members of the wulin with a great deal of personal prestige, and yet they were now squabbling over the passions of their youth in front of so many people. It was truly ridiculous.


    Elder Xu let out a cough. "Father and son of Mt. Taishan, husband and wife of Mt. Taihang, and this friend as well, thank you for gracing us with your presences this day. Everyone in our humble clan, from top to bottom, feel very honored. Madame Ma, please tell your tale, starting from the beginning."


    Madame Ma was originally standing still on one side with her head down, her back towards everyone. She had overheard what Elder Xu said, so she slowly turned around and in a quiet voice said: "My husband was unfortunate and passed away, I only know how to cursed my fate at not being able to born any children to continue the Ma bloodline..." Her voice although quiet, yet clear, caused the words that entered the ears of everyone who heard to shed tears. Her tone until this point was emotional, but now it seemed to be choked by tears. All the heroes in the forest after hearing her talked was touched all the way to their soul. With one cry Zhao Qiansun made everyone laughed, Ah Zhu made everyone amazed, but Madame Ma made everyone sorrowful.


    Madame Ma continued, "After I had buried my husband, I went through the belongings he left behind, in the place with the Buddhist scriptures there was a letter that was sealed with wax. On the cover of the letter it was written: "In case that I died peacefully, burn this letter immediately. If opened, then my soul in heaven (yellow river) will not be able to rest in peace. But if I died in a suspicious manner, this letter must be handed over to all the Beggar clan elders to read together. This matter is of utmost importance, must not be failed."


    When Madame Ma talked to this point, the entire forest was quiet, a needle falling to the ground could still be heard. She paused for a moment then continued, "I saw that since my husband wrote seriously thus, I know this matter is important so I immediately searched for Bangzhu to hand over this letter. It was coincidence that Bangzhu along with the clan elders are at Jiang Nan regarding matters of revenge for my dead husband. Because of that I have not yet been able to hand over the letter.


    People there noticed a different shift in her tone, emphasizing "coincidence" and then "because of that". Together everyone looked at Qiao Feng from the corner of their eyes.


    Qiao Feng all afternoon had dealt with the devious plot directed at himself, although he had suppressed Quan Guanqing and the clan elders'' rebellion, he has not yet put this matter to rest. Now after he heard Madame Ma speak, he now felt lighter inside than before, his complexion calm and thought to himself, "Whatever plot these people are planning, come out and say it and be done with it. In this lifetime I have never done anything to be ashamed of so why would I be scared of someone trying to slander me."


    Madame Ma continued, "I know that this letter has implications to the clan, and since Bangzhu and clan elders were not at Luoyang, I dare not delay so I immediately went to Zhengzhou to see Elder Xu and ask him to take charge of this matter. As for what this matter is¡­ Elder Xu, please explain to everyone here.


    ?Elder Xu coughed a few times before speaking, "This matter if spoken out loud involves matters of gratitude and grudges. I foresee that the consequences are very hard to imagine." Those few sentences conveyed a deep worrisome meaning. He slowly opened a clothe bag from his shoulders, took out the letter, and said "This is the will of Ma Dayuan. Great ancestors, grandfather, and father of Dayuan, many generations have belonged to the Beggar clan, and had been if not clan elders then at least 8 bags members. I knew Ma Dayuan since he was little and are very familiar with handwritings of his. The words on this letter are definitely Ma Dayuan''s handwriting. When Madame Ma handed me this letter, the wax seal on it has not been touched. I was afraid it held important matters and dare not delay it so I opened it immediately without waiting for the other Elders. When opening the letter, the Iron Faced Judge of Mt. Taishan Shan Zheng was there as witness."


    Shan Zheng spoke up, "What he said was true. I was there to visit Elder Xu at that moment when he opened the letter."


    Elder Xu opened the envelop taking out the letter and said, "I examined the letter inside and saw that it was not written by Ma Dayuan and was a little surprised. The beginning of the letter was to: Brother Jiantong, and this is even more weird. Jiantong is the name of Wang Bangzhu - the former Bangzhu of the Beggar Clan. If the person who wrote this letter was not a good friend of his, then they would not addressed him as such. Moreover Wang Bangzhu had passed away for a long time, so who would write a letter to him? At this point I have not yet read what was written in the letter but immediately skipped to the end to see the name on the signature. Upon reading it I was even more surprised. At that point I couldn''t contain myself and exclaimed ''So it was him!'' Brother Shan was curious and peeked his head over to see and also exclaimed ''So it was him!''"


    ?Shan Zheng nodded his head hinting that it happened exactly like that.


    Zhao Qiansun sneaked in "Mister Shan, what you did was not right. This is a secret letter of the Beggar Clan. You are not a 1 bag member of the clan, nor a 2 bag, nor even a lowly street beggar who goes around asking for food. How come you dared to peek at a secret letter belonging to others?" Everyone there thought that he was like a madman but now he actually made sense. Shan Zheng''s faced turned red and hurriedly said, "I¡­ I only looked at the signature at the end of the letter and not what was actually written in that letter." Zhao Qiansun replied, "If one stole 1000 gold one is a thief, if one stole 1 copper one is still a thief. The amount of money is different. But stealing a large amount is still stealing and stealing a small amount is still stealing. Sneaking a glance at a letter belonging to others is not an act of a gentlemen. If you are not a gentlemen then you are a shameless person, and a shameless person is someone everyone should look down upon. If you are already a shameless person then you deserved to die."


    Shan Zheng raised his hand to keep his five sons from acting rashly. Just let him talk nonsense and see where this goes. Though he was boiling on the inside, he calmly thought to himself that there was something more to this, and asked himself "This person just met me and he''s already trying to stir up trouble, did he already had grudge with me from the past perchance? In Jianghu there are not many who doesn''t give face to the name Thaishan Shan jia. Why can''t I figure it out?"


    Everyone else was waiting for Elder Xu to say the name of the person in the letter to see what kind of person he is that caused Elder Xu and Shan Zheng to both be shocked. While they all were trying to think of this matter, Zhao Qiansun started speaking out of turn with some other nonsense causing many people to stare at him in anger.


    Granny Tan suddenly spoke up, "What is everyone looking at? Every word my senior martial brother said was the truth." Zhao Qiansun saw Granny Tan spoke up for him, felt estactic inside, and said, "Everyone look here, even Lian Xiaojuan agrees, so how can I be in the wrong. Whatever Lian Xiaojuan have said or done in the past had never been wrong."


    But suddenly another but shockingly similar voice to Zhao Qiansun cut in, "That is right. Whatever Lian Xiaojuan says or do has never been wrong. She married Grandpa Tan, and did not married me¡­ she did not married wrong at all!" The person who said that was A''Zhu. Starting at the moment when Zhao Quinsun talked bad about Murong Fu, she was still holding a grudge inside so she couldn''t help herself from making fun of him. Zhao Quinsun after hearing that didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, and fell victim to the specialty of the Murong famly move ¨C turning one''s special move against them. (I don''t know how to translate this idiom Help??)


    Immediately there were two faces looking at A''Zhu intimately and full with approval, on there right there was Grandpa Tan''s and on the left there was Shan Zheng.


    A person''s shadow flashed and Granny Tan jumped in front of A''Zhu with a raised palm and slapped her hard in the face and piqued "Whether I marry right or wrong, what does it have to do with a lowly servant girl like you?" She raised her hand very fast that even though A''Zhu wanted to dodge it, she couldn''t. Another person even if next to her wouldn''t even be fast enough step in to help. A loud squeak of pain was heard and on the powder white face of A''Zhu there was purple hand print.


    Zhao Qiansun laughed out loud, "This smelly girl deserved her lesson. Who told her to be gossipy about other people''s business."


    A''Zhu with tears running down her cheeks started crying out loud. Grandpa Tan stepped up and stuck his hand into his pocket pulling out a small jade box, opened it, and started spreading ointment onto the face of A''Zhu. Granny Tan slapped her skillfully and quickly, raising her palm and pulling it back in just a single motion. Grandpa Tan applying ointment to her face had to use many different motions but it was even faster than Granny Tan''s slap. A''Zhu didn''t even get a chance to move and the ointment were already on her face, her bruised face suddenly started to heal and feel better. At the same time in her left hand she was holding something. She opened her palm to see a small jade box, seeing that she knew that Granpa Tan just gave her a box of special ointment to treat her injury. A''Zhu, as soon as she started crying had suddenly started smiling.


    Elder Xu had no reason to pay attention to Granny Tan bicker with Grandpa Tan, so he lowered his voice and continued, "My brothers! As for the person who wrote this letter, I can not say at this moment. I have been in the Beggar Clan for over 70 years, have retired to live in seclusion for 30 years and no longer have any dealings with business in Jianghu. I don''t have any conflicts with people nor do people have enmities with me. I have lived in this world for a long time, yet I don''t have any children nor do I have any students thus I harbor no hidden bias nor agendas. I am about to say a few words, will you all be able to believe what I say?" The group of beggars all said together, "If we don''t trust Elder Xu then who can we trust?"


    Elder Xu turned around and looked at Qiao Feng and asked, "What say you Bangzhu?" Qiao Feng replied, "I have always respected Elder Xu, elder should know this already."


    Elder Xu then continued, "After reading this letter, I felt both hurt and anger in my heart. I had doubts that I am mistaken and erred in my thinking so I immediately showed it to brother Shan Zheng. Everyone must keep in mind that Brother Shan and the person who wrote this letter have always been intimate with each other. He can recognize the handwriting of that person. This matter has important implications so I needed to ask Brother Shan to examine this letter to see if it is true or false."


    Shan Zheng looked forward and stared at Zhao Qiansun implying "Do you have anything more to say?" Zhao Qiansun replied, "If Elder Xu showed the letter to you, then of course you have a right to look at it. However it still doesn''t dismiss the fact that the first time you saw it, it was because you sneaked a peak. No different from a thief swearing in front of Buddha that he will never steal again, and even though he changed his ways, it still doesn''t wash away the fact that he was once a thief."


    Elder Xu, paid no attention to Zhao Qiansun trying to stir up trouble, and continued talking, "Brother Shan! Will Brother Shan please announce to everyone here whether this letter is real or fake?"


    Shan Zheng replied, "The person who wrote this letter and I are good friends and have exchanged letters with each other for many years. In my house I still kept many of his old letters, so I led Elder Xu and Madam Ma back to my place to compare them. Not only the handwriting matches, but also the envelop and the wax seal were all of one kind and does not leave any doubt as to who wrote the letter."


    Elder Xu said, "I won''t live for much longer so everything that I do, I must be careful. Especially since this matter has important implications to the Beggar Clan and the reputation and name of a hero, how could I dare be reckless and take liberty of the matter."


    After hearing him say that, everyone turned their faces to look at Qiao Feng, knowing immediately that the hero that he was implying were Qiao Bangzhu himself. With that being said, no one dared to look at him straight in the eyes opting instead to look down at the ground when their eyes meet.


    Elder Xu continued, "I knew that the Tan husband and wife living on Mt. Taishan and the person who wrote the letter knew each other for many years, so I payed a visit to Cavern of Flowing Clouds. Grandpa Tan and Granny Tan shared with me everything to confirm this matter. I truly didn''t dare to come straight out and talk about this matter by myself."


    At this time everyone realized that Elder Xu invited the Tan husband and wife and ShanZheng here to testify and serve as witnesses.


    Elder Xu then continued, "At that time Granny Tan said that she has ''a martial brother that can bear first hand witness to this matter. If we can invite him to testify his account then everything can become clear. This person is mister Zhao Qiansun. But this person acts differently and more eccentric than the average person, he won''t accept just anybody''s invitation.'' But he still holds Granny Tan in high regard. As soon as her invitation letter arrives, Zhao Qiansun immediately agreed to come..."


    ??Grandpa Tan suddenly got angry and stared at Granny Tan then asked, "What?? You were the one to ask him to come? Why didn''t you tell me first before you two carried out covert exchanges behind my back?" Granny Tan became angry and shouted back, "What is this ''covert exchanges'' you mentioned? I wrote a letter and asked Elder Xu to send someone to deliver it. That is the right and honorable thing that I did befitting a wife. You have a perchance for pointless jealousy, if you knew then you will nag incessantly about it bringing down the house, so that''s why I chose not to tell you." Grandpa Tan replied, "Hiding something from your husband violates the moral ethics of husband and wife, and that is not right!"


    Granny Tan not in the mood to argue more, took her palm and punched him in the middle of his face. Grandpa Tan, although his martial arts are higher than his wife, didn''t block nor did he dodge, just stood still for his wife to hit him. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box to rub ointment onto his face to stop the swelling. The person who struck was fast, but the person who applied ointment was even faster. The anger of this husband and wife caused everyone to find it ridiculous.


    Zhao Qiansun seeing this, gave a long sigh and in a sad hurt voice said, "So that''s how it is. So that''s how it is. So regretful. If I had known sooner then in the past I would have allowed her to slap me around a few times. Not a difficult thing to do." His voice was full of regret.


    Granny Tan replied in an equally regretful voice, "Who told you to hit me back when I hit you in the past? You never once yielded to me."


    Zhao Qiansun looked up in a dumb looking stupor, started to reminiscence the old times about a certain martial sister with a volatile temper. A misstep around her and one would be on defense all day. Every time he got hit for a nonsense reason, he could not endure nor yield so back and forth they go thus killing any chance for love before it had a chance to mature. Now seeing Grandpa Tan withstood her beating without a sound, he was finally enlightened, and now repent bitterly with a heart full of grief. Over the past few decades, he was bitter at his martial sister for choosing another man, thinking it was due to some significant reason, but who would have thought that his rival''s only advantage was that he was willing to serve as her whipping post. "Oy, if I only I had known back then, I would let her hit me more then she would be satisfied."


    Elder Xu spoke up, "Mister Zhao Qiansun!! Please give some input and say to everyone whether the contents of this letter is true or false."


    Zhao Qiansun, still lost in his thought, muttered, "I am such an idiot, at that time why couldn''t I figure it out? Studying martial arts are for beating enemies, beating evil, beating lowlife bastards, who would have thought to use it for beating a loved one, beating the person of your dreams. If being beaten was love, being scolded was love, being slapped around was love, then what was such a big deal that I couldn''t endure it back then."


    Everyone seeing him so infatuated found it slightly touching yet also ridiculous. The Beggar Clan is facing an important matter that needs to be resolved. Elder Xu had invited this person from afar to testify, but who knew this person turned out to be a love struck fool, can what he has to say be taken seriously?


    Elder Xu reminded him, "Mister Zhao Qiansun, we all asked you here so you can talk about what is in this letter."


    Zhao Qiansun replied, "Oh right, right, elder is asking about the matter in the letter right? That letter though short, is full of meaning: 40 years ago we were fellow students, the memories still fresh. Every time little sister thinks back, I start missing those days. Although martial brother''s head is now gray, your smiling face is no different from years past..." Elder Xu was asking about the letter Ma Dayuan left behind, but he actually recited Granny Tan''s letter that he memorized by heart.


    Elder Xu was speechless and not knowing what to do, turned to Granny Tan and said, "Madam Tan! Madam please ask him to cooperate."


    Granny Tan witnessed Zhao Qiansun unexpectedly take an ordinary letter of hers and recited it fluently by heart, knew in her soul that he must have read that letter forward and back many times. She was very touched and sweetly said, "Martial brother! Martial brother please talk about the situation at that time."


    Zhao Qiansun replied, "I remembered that scene like it was still in front of my eyes, the memories of it were like it happened yesterday. Martial sister had combed your hair into two braids, each one tied by a red string. That day Shifu taught us the move Stealing Dragon Switching Phoenix...."


    Granny Tan slowly shook her head and said, "Martial brother, Elder Xu is not asking about our past. Martial brother once had participated in the bloody battle at Shi Guqian (Quarry Stone Valley) outside Yanmen Guan Pass. Martial brother please tell everyone what the situation was like at that time."


    Zhao Qiansun shakely said, "Outside Yanmen Guan Pass? At Quarry Stone Valley... I... I...." His complexion suddenly changed color. He suddenly turned towards the southwest direction where there wasn''t a single soul and started running away. His lightness skill was strong and fast. He ran all the way into the forest and it would be hard for anyone to catch him so everyone started to yell "Mister Zhao Qiansun! Don''t run! Please come back!" Zhao Qiansun paid gave no heed and ran even harder.


    Suddenly there was a loud ringing voice, "Martial brother''s head is now gray, your smiling face is now crooked, different from years past..." Zhao Qiansun immediately halted, turned around and asked, "Who said that?" That other person continued, "If it is not so then why upon seeing Grandpa Tan do you feet inferior, turn tail and run away?" Everyone looked to see who spoke, and it was Quan Guanqing.


    Zhao Qiansun angrily yelled back, "Who felt inferior? His kungfu is only good for standing there to take punishment and not hit back. How is that better than me?"


    All of a sudden on the other side of the forest an old man''s voice was heard, "Taking punishment but not dishing it back is the hardest kungfu to learn under heaven. It is not a simple, no?"

 Chapter - 16 (16)

    Old gratitudes, past grievances - friends in morning, becomes foes at midday


    Everyone turned their heads and looked behind the apricot trees. A square faced, big eared monk, dignified in appearance wearing an ash colored robe, stepped out. Elder Xu cried, "Reverend Zhiguang from Mt. Tiantai has arrived! 30 years since we last met, reverend still look as healthy as ever."


    Reverend Zhiguang''s reputation was not well known in recent years so many of the latter generations of the Beggar Clan do not know his name. But Qiao Feng and the six clan elders all stood up and paid him respect, having known of his reputation from before. In the past, the Reverend had sailed the seas to deserted lands and islands looking for medicinal herbs to treat malaria and other illnesses for the common people in the Zhejiang, Fujian Guangdong and Guangxi area. Because of this, the Reverend had caught an illness himself and lost his martial arts, thus the gratitudes of the common people for his deeds are not small. Many people came up to salute him.


    Reverend Zhiguang turned to Zhao Qiansun, smiled and said, "Wugong that is inferior to the opponent when attacked, wanting to retaliate is already hard. Wugong that is superior to the opponent when attacked, and choose not retaliate is even harder." Zhao Qiansun lowered his head as if pondering what was said.


    Elder Xu said, "Reverend Zhiguang''s brilliant wisdom and benevolent grace are so widespread that no one dares to disrespect. In the past ten years Reverend had not involved yourself with any business in Jianghu, but today you grace us with your presence and bringing the Beggar Clan great honor. I am deeply grateful."


    Reverend Zhiguang replied, "Elder Xu of the Beggar Clan and Iron Faced Judge Shan of Mt. Taishan both asked me to come, so how can I refuse? The distance between Mt. Tiantai and Wuxi is not great, moreover this matter deals with the peace and prosperity of the common people thus I came when summoned."


    Qiao Feng thought to himself, "So it turns out he was asked here by Elder Xu and Shan Zheng. Reverend Zhiguang has a reputation of high prestige and a noble character. There''s no way he would be involved with the plot to harm me. Maybe with him here is a good thing."


    Zhao Qiansun suddenly spoke up, "The battle at Quarry Stone Valley outside of Yanmen Guan Pass, Reverend Zhiguang also participated in it. You can speak about it first."


    Reverend Zhiguang hearing the mentioned of Quarry Stone Valley caused his facial complexion to became distorted, showing an uncomfortable restlessness and a hint of fear, like a person who saw a horrible sight and can''t bear to look. His face then switched to a melancholic look full of pity, let out a long sigh, and said, "The sin is really heavy, to speak of this matter brings up feelings of great shame. Everyone, the battle at Quarry Stone Valley took place 30 years ago, so why today bring up this matter?"


    Elder Xu replied, "Only because our clan is facing a impending crisis involving the matter in this letter." After speaking he brought out the letter and handed it over.


    Reverend Zhiguang read the letter from beginning to end, shook his head and said, "Grievances of the past should not be reopened, why bring up this old matter? According to my opinion, this letter should be destroyed so it will bring this matter to an end. That is the best solution."


    Elder Xu retorted, "Vice Chief Ma of our clan died a tragic death. If this matter is not investigated carefully then this injustice suffered by Vice Chief Ma will never be washed away and it will lead to a disintegration of our clan."


    Reverend Zhiguang could only nod his in in agreement, "What you said is true." The reverend looked up at late afternoon sky showing the new moon shining a thin ray of light onto the apricot trees for a long time, then turned to Zhao Qiansun and said, "Okay, the mistake that I committed many years back, I won''t conceal it anymore. I will be straightforward about what happened back then."


    Zhao Qiansun shook his head, "A mistake is a mistake. Why continue to deceive ourselves and others."


    The Reverend turned to the people gathered and spoke, "30 years ago, heroes of realm of rivers and lakes received news that a group of Khitan warriors planned to launch a sneak attack on the Shaolin Temple to steal martial art manuals developed over the past hundreds of years..."


    Everyone gasped softly thinking to themselves, "The ambitions of these Khitan warriors are not small." The unique martial art secrets of Shaolin Temple are the treasures of Great Song. Liao and Great Song had been at war with each other for many years, if these Khitan succeeded in stealing the martial art secrets of Shaolin and train their military in them, the armies of Great Song will not be able to repel their invasions.


    Reverend Zhiguang continued, "This matter was a matter of great crisis. If the Khitans succeeded then Great Song would be facing a calamity with the threat of losing the country, the entire family of the Emperor will be put to the sword. The matter was urgent so our group of heroes did not have time to investigate this matter carefully. We heard that the group of Khitans will travel through Yanmen Guan Pass so beside from sending message to Shaolin to be on full alert, the group all immediately headed out to Yanmen Guan Pass to meet the enemy. If we couldn''t annihilate that group then at least we can foil their plans."


    Hearing of the impending battle with the Khitans, everyone''s blood started to boiled. Great Song over the years have been humiliated by the armies of Liao, having lost many battles, land was invaded, and the common people suffered greatly.


    Reverend Zhiguang slowly turned his head, stared at Qiao Feng and asked, "Qiao Bangzhu, if Bangzhu had known of this news then what would you have done?"


    Qiao Feng dignifiedly replied, "Reverend Zhiguang! My wisdom is limited, my abilities too lacking for people to praise, even brothers in the clan suspect of them that to even speak of it brings shame. But even though I am incompetent, I still am a man, and regarding these matters of principal one know what is right, what is wrong. Our Great Song has constantly been terrorized by armies of Liao, this dishonor upon our country, who here has never thought of cleansing? If I had heard of news such as those, I will immediately lead brothers in our clan to travel day and night to help stop them."


    Those words of his were very heroic and proud, everyone who heard was touched inside and thought to themselves, "Now that is how a true man should act."


    Reverend Zhiguang nodded and said, "Since Qiao Bangzhu said that, when I headed out to Yanmen Guan Pass to ambush the Khitans, there is nothing wrong with that right?"


    Qiao Feng angrily thought to himself, "Who does this old man think he is? Saying that, isn''t it just like looking down on me?" However he betrayed no emotions and just calmly said, "The heroic spirit of all seniors here are fierce, I greatly admire them. I regret that I was not born 30 years earlier so that I could follow the heroes to fight the Khitans."


    Reverend Zhiguang looked at him carefully once more, his facial expressions were strange, and slowly said, "At that time we split up into small groups heading to Yanmen Guan Pass. I and this brother here..." he pointed to Zhao Qiansun and continued, "were in the first group. Our group consisted of 21 people. Brother Leader was younger than I by a few years, however his martial arts were outstanding, and many people revered his status in the martial arts world, thus we all nominated him to be our Leader. Everyone listened to him and carried out his orders. In our group there were Wang Bangzhu of the Beggar Clan, Ten Thousand Wins Saber the hero Wang Laoying, the Great Sword God Priest Yun of Mt. Huashan, they were all first class martial art masters. At that time I have yet to become a monk, and to be grouped together with such heroes I felt very unworthy. Only that my desire to serve my country to kill enemies did not allow for me to be polite and stand in the rear of that group. When it comes to killing enemies and protecting the country, every little strength that can be contributed should be contributed. The martial arts of these brothers were much greater than my own, as for nowadays, as you may know there is no need to compare anymore."


    Zhao Qiansun added, "That''s correct! At that time my martial arts were much greater than yours. As much as this.." As he said that he spread both his arms out wide to show the difference. But seeing that the distance was still not enough, he tried spreading out his finger tips to add a few inches.


    Reverend Zhiguang just continued with his story, "Our group reached Yanmen Guan Pass and waited until near dusk, then went out beyond the Great Wall 10 more miles. We were on guard and very careful the whole time. Suddenly in the northwest direction we heard sounds of horses running, listening to the sound there were at least 10 riders. Brother Leader raised his right hand up and all of us halted. Everyone in the group were both excited and worried, no one dared to say a word. Excited because the news were not false, and the group arrived in time to stop the enemies. However also worried because everyone knows that these Khitans must be very fierce and capable to even dare attack Shaolin, who is the Mount Tai of martial art studies. If they were friendly then they wouldn''t have came, but since they came they couldn''t be friendly at all. These warriors must have been chosen very carefully, 1 chosen out of 10,000 so they must not be ordinary. Great Song had fought many battles with the Khitans, defeats were many but victories few, the outcome of the battle would be hard to imagine."


    "Brother Leader waved his hands and all 21 of us spread out around the mountain road and hid among the boulders. The left side of the mountain was a deep valley where the bottom could not even be seen."


    "The sound of hoofbeats start getting nearer and nearer, there was a sound of 7-8 people together singing a song native to the the people of Liao. The singing was gracefully long, both grand and herioc, but none of us could understand its meaning. I tightened the grip on my saber, my palms were so drenched in cold sweat that I had to dry them on my pants but it soon became wet again. Brother Leader was bending down to the side of me. Knowing that I was nervous, he patted my shoulder, looked at me, and gave a smile. He made a chopping motion with his hand as if to say we will kill all of the Khitan soldiers today. I smiled back at him. Inside I felt much calmer than before."


    "When the person in the lead of the Khitan group were about 50 meters away from us, I peeked out from behind of a boulder. The Khitan warriors were all wearing fur, some holding spears, some with short sabers, others with bows and arrows, and a few have large hawks perched on their shoulders. The whole group was singing as they walked, unbeknown of the ambush up ahead. In a brief second I had took in the appearances of the Khitans in front, they had short hair and thick beards, all looked fierce. As they got closer, my heart was beating so furiously that it felt like it was closed to jumping out of my mouth and out my body..."


    The people hearing Reverend Zhiguang telling the story, though all knew this story took place 30 years ago, they couldn''t help but felt suspenseful. Reverend Zhiguang turned again to Qiao Feng and said, "Qiao Bangzhu, the success or failure of this mission will influence the safety of Great Song along with the lives of millions of people. And we still do not have a grasp on whether we will be successful. The only advantage we had was that the enemies were in the light, while we in the dark. According to Bangzhu, what should we have done?"


    Qiao Feng replied, "There is an old saying ''All''s fair in war." This matter is involving two countries at war, there''s no way we can follow the heroic moral ethics code of Jianghu. The distant dogs had always slaughtered the people of Great Song, have they ever held back? In my opinion we must use concealed projectiles coated with deadly poison."


    Reverend Zhiguang clapped his hand against his thigh and said, "Good! The suggestion of Qiao Bangzhu is exactly like the thinking of our group. Brother Leader seeing the Khitans had came close enough, cried out a sound, and everyone let loose their concealed weapons and projectiles. Flying out there was an abundance of steel darts, steel arrows, flying daggers, iron awls... each and everyone were all coated with deadly poison. The Liao dogs screamed out in confusion, then fell over and screamed no more..."


    In the group of beggars listening, some clapped their hands and cheered.


    Reverend Zhiguang continued, "At that point I had counted clearly. The group of Khitans warriors had 19 people. Our concealed weapons had slain 12, leaving 7 still standing. Our group all to a man jumped out, raising our sabers and swords cut down all remaining in a flash. None was able to escape."


    Some listening in the Beggar Clan group cheered once more. However both Qiao Feng and Duan Yu pondered in their head, "The reverend had said that these Khitans were all chosen carefully among the best of the best warriors, so how can their skills be so mediocre to die in such a short time?"


    Their was a sound of Reverend Zhiguang heaving a long sigh, "Our group just barely raised our arms and had easily killed 19 Khitan warriors, all were ecstatic but also felt uneasy. This group was too ordinary, not a single person lasted more than one move, definitely are not skilled warriors. Was the news that we heard inaccurate? Or did the Khitans planned this so that they could trap us? We exchanged only a few words with each other before we heard the sound of a horse. In the northwest direction there were 2 riders coming this way."


    "This time our group did not bother to ambush anymore, all headed straight to meet the enemy without consulting with anybody. Immediately we saw that the enemy included a man and a woman. The man''s body was powerfully built, his facial expression was solemn. His clothing was more expensive and better looking than all those other 19 Khitans. The woman was young looking, and in her hands was a little baby. The two people were shoulder to shoulder, smiling and talking very intimately, obviously they are husband and wife. The two upon seeing us were greatly surprised and looked around saw the corpse of those 19 warriors all lying on the ground. The man immediately changed his countenance to a fierce and aggressive look, loudly shouting questions at us in a Khitan language that none of us understood what he was trying to say."


    "Shanxi Datong government office''s Iron Tower third brother Fang Daxiong raised his iron rod up and shouted loudly: ''You Khitan dog there, surrender and accept your fate!'' He shouted and at the same time wielded his iron rod to strike down the Khitan man. Brother Leader in his stomach felt uneasy and was about to yelled out, ''Brother Fang, don''t be reckless! Do not kill him. We must capture him alive to question him.''


    "Brother Leader had not finish his sentence before the Khitan''s right hand had moved forward, snatching the iron rod away from Fang Daxiong. A sound of bones breaking emitted from Fang Daxiong''s hands. Seeing that person was about to strike with the rod from midair down, our group started yelling out, knowing that we won''t be fast enough to charge forward to save Fang Daxiong''s life, thus we started shooting our hidden projectiles at the enemy. The Khitan man only needed to wave his left arm once, and a powerful wind forced all the projectiles to harmlessly land on the side. Looks like Fang Daxiong''s life can no longer be saved, however unexpectedly, he threw the iron rod forward, sending both it and third Brother Fang crashing out to the side of the road. His mouth mumbling did not know what to say.


    "In just 1 move, it caused our whole group to stand in shock, witnessing that the level of this person''s martial arts are so high, that it is rare to see one of such caliber in the world. So the news that we received are not false, and fearing that following him there will be more first class masters approaching, thus we must use our large numbers to immediately overwhelm him. 6-7 people charged forward to attack him and 4-5 others moved to take on the female."


    "Unexpected the young married female did not know martial arts. She was slashed just once and lost her arm causing the baby in her hand to fall to the ground. Another person then hacked with a saber cutting off half of her head. The Khitan man''s martial arts although high, but he was also surrounded by six-seven other skilled fighters, so it was impossible for him to rush over to protect his wife and child. The first few moves he just snatched away our weapons and swords, carefully trying not to injure anybody, however when seeing his wife being killed, his eye turned blood red, his face looked fearsome. When I saw his sight then, my hands and feet felt like lead and dared not go forward."


    Zhao Qiansun added, "Can''t blame you for feeling such! Can''t blame you for feeling such!" Ever since he talked to Granny Tan earlier, whoever talked to him were met with either crankiness or rudeness, however the sentences that he just let out seemed like its meaning was partly painful and partly regretful.


    Reverend Zhiguang continued, "The fierce battle then already took place 30 years ago. Over the past 30 years I don''t know how many nightmares I had regarding that sight I saw, every image imprinted deeply in my head. The Khitan man brought both his palms forward, I don''t know what palm techniques he used, but he snatched the weapons right out of the hands of two of our brothers, same time using it to both slash and stab killing those two. He at times fought on the ground, then leaped back to continue on the saddle of his horse, bold and fast like a bird pecking a worm. He moved like a ghost or demon. That''s right, he was no different than a demon, finished killing a person to his west, he turned in a blink and killed a person to his east. In just a moment, out of 21 people in our group, 9 people had already been killed."


    "Now everyone was furious, all eyes were red. Brother Leader with Wang Bangzhu and the rest of us all jumped into the fray, willing to trade our lives for his. Shockingly his martial arts was so strange that one could not even imagine, nor could one even predict from which direction his attacks would be coming from. The setting sun in the sky was shining red like blood. There outside of Yanmen Guan Pass the northern wind blowing furiously mixed with the crying sounds of past heroes right before their death. Limbs -arms and feet, heads, weapons, blood were flying and falling all over the place. Whoever was skilled was only able to protect themselves, no one was able to help anyone other.


    "Seeing the circumstances, I was truly frightened. But seeing that my brothers were falling one by one, that sight can not help but caused one''s blood to boiled. I gathered all my courage, got on a horse and charge directly at him. Both my hands holding a saber aimed for his head and slashed down, knowing that if this move does not connect, then my life will be handed over to him. When the edge of the saber was barely a meter away from him, the Khitan man suddenly grabbed hold of another person and held him up to block. I shockingly looked and saw that the person being held up was the second senior from the Band of 3 Heroes of Jiangxi Du. I hurriedly pulled back my saber but the edge of the saber went right into the head of the horse I was riding, hitting it with a clang. The animal was in such pain that it neigh a loud sound and it jumped up. At that moment the Khitan man sent out a palm strike right at the moment the horse jumped up so that the horse took the full brunt of that strike for me. If not for that my bones would have all been smashed and how could I have survived to this day?"


    "The force of his palm strike was truly terrifying. It sent both horse and rider flying out to the back. My body flying in midair smashed right on top of some tree branches. I was stunned and fazed, not knowing where am I nor did I knew whether I was alive. It was a long time before I was able to look down and saw my brothers still surrounding and fighting the Khitan man. Only 5-6 people were still standing. At that time I also saw this brother here..." Reverend Zhiguang pointed to Zhao Qiansun and continued, "... his body shook once, then fell into a pool of his own blood. I thought he must be dead."


    Zhao Qiansun shook his head and said, "To speak of this story I am very ashamed, but why bother hiding it anymore. It wasn''t because I was injured but because I was so scared that my heart stopped beating. I saw that person holding brother Du''s two legs and tearing his whole body in half. I was so dizzy that I fell unconscious only because of that reason. That''s right I am a coward. Seeing that person killed so many people that I became unconscious."


    Reverend Zhiguang spoke again, "The Khitan man was deadly like a devil while killing numerous brothers. Whoever says that they did not feel fear are being deceitful." He then looked up and stared at the moon hanging the the sky for a time then continued, "At that point our side only still had 4 people still fighting the Khitan man. Brother Leader knowing that the end was near, knowing that all will die, opened his mouth asking: Who are you? Who are you? The other person did not reply. In just a few moment he killed two more people. He then drew out his right foot and it hit Wang Bangzhu right on the vital pressure points on his back, while his left foot went out to finish the move move Twin Ducks Linking Together (not sure if this is the correct name for it. Helppp??) hitting Brother Leader''s vital pressure point on his ribs. He used his legs to hit the pressure points precisely and powerfully knocking them out. His footwork was so impressive it was unthinkable. If I was not almost on death''s door then, seeing the two people I respect most being seriously wounded, a scream would have escaped my mouth."


    "The Khitan man finished taking care of all his enemies then rushed over to the side of his dead wife''s body, holding it while crying, and let out a loud mournful cry for a long time. Hearing his weeping sounds I could barely withstand the sadness. Surprised to see the Khitan dog who was as cruel as a devil could also show a sorrowful sentiment resembling a human, no different from the sound of those of our Han people."


    Zhao Qiansun coldly said, "If that is so then what is so strange about it? Even wild animals have parent-child, husband-wife sentimental relationships, how is that any different than a human''s? The Khitans are still humans, how are they any different than Hans?"


    In the group of beggar clan, someone screamed out, "Liao dogs are evil and cruel, even worse than poisonous snakes and wild beasts. Our Han people are entirely different!" Zhao Qiansun could only smile bitterly and did not answer those words.


    Reverend Zhiguang went on with his story, "The Khitan man sat there and cried, both holding tight and looking at his son for a long time. Then he placed his son into the bosom of his dead wife and walked over to where Brother Leader''s body lied. He let loose his anger by screaming and scolding at Brother Leader. Brother Leader did not submit but just glowered at him. His pressure points were hit, his movements and speech were sealed. He could not even muttered a word. The Khitan man suddenly raised his head and let loose a long scream. He picked up a saber from the ground and started carving words on the face of the mountain. At that time it was dark and I was lying far away so I could not see what was written."


    Zhao Qiansun said, "He was carving words in Khitan. Even if you could see it you still wouldn''t be able to read it."


    Reverend Zhiguang replied, "That is right. Even if I saw it I could not read it. On the cliff it was silent on all sides, the only sounds heard were that of the saber carving into the stone. Listening to the sound of stone chips falling down, I dared not to even breath hard. I did not know how long it was before he finally threw down the saber. He bent down to pick up his wife''s corpse and son, then walked to the edge of the cliff and jumped to the bottom of the canyon."


    Everyone hearing that couldn''t help but let out a sound "Ah." It was unexpected that the story would turn out so.


    Reverend Zhiguang continued, "Everyone hearing this retelling must be surprised. At that time with my own eyes witnessing that, I was even more shocked. A person with a high level of martial arts as him living in the Kingdom of Liao must have a high rank. This time when the group of Khitan warriors coming south of the Yellow River to attack Shaolin Temple, if he is not their Leader then at least he must be one of their important characters. He had captured our group''s Leader along with Wang Bangzhu, and the rest were all killed. It seems like he had won. Who would have thought that he would jump down the cliff to commit suicide instead of taking advantage of his victory and moving forward with his mission."


    "I looked downward and all I could see was clouds and fog. The bottom could not be seen. He is still made of flesh and blood. No matter how powerful his martial arts are, to jump from such height there''s no way one could survive. I startled myself and could not bear but called out a cry. Turns out in this weird event there''s another even weirder. I had just finished yelling when there was a sound of a baby crying. From the bottom of the cliff a black bundle flew up and landed right on top of the body of Wang Bangzhu. The sound of a baby crying did not stop but continued. It seems the bundle that landed on Wang Bangzhu was the little baby from earlier. At that point I had stopped being scared, and jumped down from the tree. I ran up to Wang Bangzhu and saw that the Khitan baby was lying on top of him still crying.


    "I thought to myself for a bit before I understood fully what happened. When the Khitan woman was killed, the baby she was holding fell to the ground causing the baby to fall unconscious and stopped breathing, but not entirely dead yet. The Khitan man when he was crying sorrowfully, touched his son''s nose and saw that he was not breathing so thought that the son had died. Thus he carried the two corpse and jumped down the cliff to die together. The sudden shocked jolted the baby back to life and started crying. The Khitan''s man skills were shockingly scary. He doesn''t want his son to be buried with him at the bottom of the valley, so he immediately used his strength and threw the baby up. He remembered the exact distance and location to throw the baby to land exactly on top of Wang Bangzhu without harming the it. That Khitan man when falling in midair, found out his baby was alive. He was quick witted enough to react and throw the baby up. His skills to be able to throw something that far and that accurate and calculate the exact distance, is formidably fearsome.


    "I looked around at the brothers that died a tragic death, inside was sorrowful and angry, grabbed the baby and planned to throw it against the mountain wall for it to die. Just as I raised my hands to throw, the baby started crying, the face was pulsing red, the bright black eyes were wide staring back at me. If I hadn''t looked into the baby''s eyes I would have threw him already, and that would be the end of the story. However I had saw the eyes of that small child. The child seemed so lovable and innocent that I could no longer follow through. I thought to myself: if I had bullied and kill the baby not yet a year old then that would be a disgraceful deed, not the act of an upright and respectable gentleman."


    In the group of the Beggar Clan, a beggar shouted out, "Reverend Zhiguang! The Liao dogs killed and murder our Han people countless of times. With my own eyes I saw Han babies being speared, and carried around upon a lance on top of a horse to parade around town showing off. If they can kill babies, so why can''t we?"


    Reverend Zhiguang let out a long sigh and replied, "That is right. But as the saying goes the darkness in the hearts of man, who here does not have it. That day I saw that the dead were already too many. I couldn''t bring myself to add more to it by killing a little baby. Everyone can say what I did was wrong, everyone can say what I did was cowardly. But in the end I still let the baby live.


    "After that I went to release the blocked pressure points of Brother Leader and Wang Bangzhu, but my skills were mediocre and plus the pressure point hitting techniques of the Khitan man were top notch, no matter how much strength I exerted, how much I pressed, how much I rubbed or squeezed, I only succeeded in drowning myself in my own sweat. No matter what I did Brother Leader and Wang Bangzhu still could not move nor speak. I did not know what else to do and fearing the Khitans will soon come to help so I threw both Brother Leader and Wang Bangzhu onto two horses. I myself rode a horse holding the Khitan baby in one arm while the reins of the other two horses in the other and ran all night away from Yanmen Guan Pass to look for a doctor specializing in releasing blocked pressure points, but that was useless. The next night after 12 hours have passed, the pressure points released voluntarily.


    "Brother Leader and Wang Bangzhu were still worried about the Khitan warriors coming to attack Shaolin, so they immediately returned to Yanmen Guan Pass to scout out the situation. However they only saw flesh and blood left all over from the fight before. The sight was no different from how I left it. I looked down the cliff at the Quarry Stone Valley and still could not find any clues. We all planned to prepare the corpse of our brothers for burial, but when we counted, there were only 17 dead bodies. The number of people that should have died should be 18 so why is it that we are now missing one?" He stopped talking then looked directly at Zhao Qiansun questioningly.


    Zhao Qiansun remembering smiled and said, "In that bunch there was one corpse that had the ability to come back from dead and able able to walk around to this day. That living corpse is I, Zhao Qian Sun Li Zhou Wu Zheng Wang. (a joke... see Ren Wo Xing''s explanation below)


    Reverend Zhiguang said, "At that time the three of us thought nothing of it, thinking to ourselves that during that fight, this brother here might have died and fallen down the cliff. So not seeing his corpse we did not linger too much on this. After we had properly buried all the brothers, we were all furious inside, so we threw all the Khitan corpse over the side of the cliff down into the Stone Quarry Valley. Brother Leader said to Wang Bangzhu: ''Brother Jiantong, that Khitan man if he wanted to kill the two of us it would be as easy as turning his hand, so why did he just kicked us in our pressure points and allow us to live to now?'' Wang Banzhu replied: ''I have been thinking of that but still can not figure it out. The two of us were part of the people responsible for killing his wife and son, it is only right that he should have ruthlessly killed both of us.''"


    "The three of us discussed back and forth but could not think of a logical reason for what happened. Brother Leader then spoke up: ''He must have carved those letters into the stone with some hidden intent. What a shame that none of us three knows the Khitan language.'' Brother Leader went down to the river and gathered some water to mix with the blood on the ground making ink. Then he colored it all over the stone. After that he imprinted the cliff writing onto a piece of white cloth torn from a gown. The Khitan used only a small saber but were able to carve letters two inches deep into the stone. With this kind of internal power his skills must have been unparalleled in the world, unmatched by anyone. Looking at the writing the three of us were secretly amazed. The memory of the day before still left a lingering fear in all of us. Returning back inside the Great Wall, Wang Bangzhu went to find a peddler who travels between there and Liao. Since that person knew the Khitan language we gave him the white cloth to read. He translated it out for us on paper."


    Zhiguang stopped speaking, looked up at the sky. He sighed and then continued, "After the three of us read the paper, all we could do was look wide-eyed back and forth at each other. We couldn''t believe it. The Khitan man had at that time made up his mind to kill himself, so why would he intentionally lie? We then went to find another person who reads Khitan and had him translate it by mouth one line at a time. What he said was exactly like the previous translation. God! If that was the truth then seventeen of our brothers had died a meaningless death. Those Khitan warriors had committed no crimes and were wrongfully implicated. As for that pair of husband and wife, towards them we had committed a great sin that could never be undone."


    Everyone was eagerly waiting to hear the words that were written on the mountain face, but Zhiguang was silent and had stopped talking. People''s impatience caused their tempers to flare and they irritably asked: "What did those words say?" "What sins had you committed towards them?" "Why do you feel regret towards the husband and wife?"


    Zhiguang replied, "My good friends, it is not because I want to keep the meaning of those Khitan words a secret, but it is because if those words that were written were true, then all the actions of Brother Leader, Wang Bangzhu, and even mine were greatly in the wrong. We are too ashamed to face anybody. I am only a lowly common person in Jianghu, even if I did wrong it will not impact anything in the grand scheme of things. However regarding Brother Leader and Wang Bangzhu, they are different from me, what kind of rank and status do they hold? Moreover Wang Bangzhu had passed away. I do not dare to say anything that might ruin the reputation and prestige of these two people. I beg you all for forgiveness. I cannot say it."


    The previous bangzhu of the Beggar Clan was Wang Jiantong whose reputation and prestige were widespread. From Qiao Feng to clan elders to various disciples, all held deep gratitudes toward him . The members of the Beggar Clan were extremely curious about the story but upon hearing that this matter has implications toward the reputation and prestige of Wang Bangzhu not a single person dared to inquire further.


    Zhiguang continued talking, "The three of us thought for a time, at first not wanting to believe it, but were forced to accept it so we decided to temporarily spare the life of the Khitan baby. We decided that we first off should head to Shaolin to see if there were any new developments. If the Khitan warriors actually did attack Shaolin then we could still kill the baby then. We rushed day and night toward Shaolin without stopping. Arriving there we saw that the number of heroes that had gathered at Shaolin to lend a hand was not small. The news involved the life and death of millions of common citizens, so all it needed was for the news to spread and numerous people came to help."


    Reverend Zhiguang turned his face from left to right looking at each person listening and then continued, "There were many heroes and revered seniors that came to the gathering at Shaolin that year. I need not to go into detail about that. Everyone was on full alert and ready, guarding the temple very tightly. More and more heroes from all corners of the land gathered as time passed. From September at the time of Mid Autumn Moon Festival all the way to December, three months passed without a single enemy movement. To further investigate the matter, we planned to look for the person who originally spread these news, however we could no longer find any traces of this person. Only then did we conclude that the news were actually false and that we all had been tricked. Both sides had suffered tragic and unnecessary deaths in the battle outside of Yanmen Guan Pass."


    "However not long after, Khitan calvary started invading Hebei so the matter about the Khitan warriors coming to attack Shaolin was soon forgotten. It did not matter whether they did or didn''t come, after all no matter what, the Khitans were still the mortal enemies of our Great Song."


    "Brother Leader, Wang Bangzhu, and I all felt ashamed and regretful about the situation outside Yanmen Guan Pass. The only people we told about it to was the Abbot of Shaolin and the families of the people who had died. We did not tell another soul except for those people. As for the Khitan baby, he was given into the care of a family of farmers living at the base of Mount Song. The matter had already passed and deciding what deal with the baby was quite difficult. We felt a lot of guilt for how we treated his parents, so we could not bear to take the baby''s life. However if we foster the Khitan baby till he grows up, and he seeks us out for revenge, then isn''t that like raising a tiger and sowing the seeds for disaster. In the end Brother Leader handed to that peasant family 100 Liang of silver and asked them raised the Khitan baby as their own, and not divulge to the baby any information about his heritage. That husband and wife did not have any children so they were overjoyed and accepted immediately. The couple also did not have any idea that this baby was of Khitan descent, because on the way to Mount Song we had changed the baby''s clothes to fit that of a Han baby. The people of Great Song held great enmity towards people of Liao that ran deep all the way to their bone marrow. So if they saw a baby wearing Khitan clothes then they would cause him harm..."


    Qiao Feng hearing this had grasped about nine tenths of the intent, shakily asked "Reverend Zhiguang, that family... that family at the base of Mount Song... what... what... are their names?"


    Zhiguang replied, "Bangzhu must have already figured it out. I don''t have any more reason to hide it. That person''s surname is Qiao, named Sanhuai."


    A stunned Qiao Feng yelled out, "No! No! Reverend please stop talking nonsense. Stop fabricating these stories to cause me harm. I am a definitely a Han so how can I be a Khitan savage? Sanhuai is... is... the person that is my biological father. Reverend stop talking nonsense..." Suddenly he jumped in front of Zhiguang, the left hand snatched the monk''s chest.


    Shan Zheng and the 4 Elders called out, "Don''t!" and immediately rushed forward to rescue the monk. But Qiao Feng''s lightness skills were great. He jumped and dodged to one side while still maintaining hold of the Reverend with his left hand.


    The sons of Shan Zheng - Shan Zhongshan, Shan Shushan, Shan Jishan - all three at the same time charged at the back of Qiao Feng. Qiao Feng, using only his right hand, caught both Shan Shushan and Shan Zhongshan then threw them far away. He next grabbed Shan Jishan, threw him to the ground, and placed his foot keeping pressure on Jishan''s throat.


    Shan Family''s Five Tigers'' reputation and prestige were renown throughout the whole Shandong region. The five brothers had already been famous for a long time based on their own deeds, definitely not ones who rely on the fortune and fame of their parents. Even then, Qiao Feng easily dispatched the brothers like it was nothing. With his left hand holding Zhiguang, his right hand lashed out to grab, he threw the three Shan brothers around like pieces of straw, not one was able to put up any resistance. People saw this were shocked. Their jaws dropped in disbelief.


    Shan Zheng, Shan Boshan, and Shan Xiaoshan felt anxious seeing their own flesh and blood in danger, wanted to jump in to help. But Qiao Feng had a foot on Shan Jishan''s throat. Knowing that his strength was something worth fearing, and all it needed was a press of the foot and Jishan will lose his life. Because of that, the three father and sons dared not to come any closer. Shan Zhen yelled out, "Qiao Bangzhu, if there is any misunderstanding then let us discuss it, don''t be heavy handed. Our Shan family does not have any enmity with you. Please spare my son." Even the famous Iron Faced Judge were powerless and had to beg Qiao Feng.


    Elder Xu called out, "Qiao Bangzhu, Reverend Zhiguang is a person who everyone in Jianghu respects. You must not harm his life!"


    Qiao Feng''s hot blood had boiled, and he said in a loud voice, "Correct! The Shan family and I have no enmities with each other. I also had always respected Reverend Zhiguang. You people... if you people want to take away my Bangzhu position, then I will surrender it to you with both hands, but why do you have to create lies to slander me? I... what sins have I committed that would cause you people to accuse me as such?" The last few sentences his voice was choked by tears. People who heard were unable to restrain their feelings and started to sympathize with him.


    The bones on Zhiguang''s skeleton let out a creaking sound. Everyone knew that his life was tethering on a needle. Whether he lived or died all were in the hands of Qiao Feng. It was so quiet that one could hear the sounds of the wind beating against the trees, the sound of the insects in the grass, and even the sounds of people breathing. No one dared to make a noise.


    A short time passed before Zhao Qiansun suddenly started laughing, "So laughable! So laughable! Han people are not necessarily a cut above other peoples and aren''t Khitan people also are not pigs or dogs? Obviously you are a Khitan so why pretend to be a Han? What is there to be ashamed of? You even denied your birth parents and heritage, and here you call yourself a real man."


    Qiao Feng opened his eyes wide in anger, angrily asked, "Is senior actually calling me a Khitan?"


    Zhao Qiansun replied, "How can I be sure? But in that battle outside Yanmen Guan Pass, that Khitan man we fought, his appearance and face is exactly like yours. That time I was so frightened. I fell unconscious immediately from terror. That man''s face I will never forget even in a hundred years. Also with my own eyes I saw Reverend Zhiguang carrying that Khitan baby back. I am a good for nothing corpse that came back to life, in this world outside of Xiaojuan (Granny Tan), I don''t involved myself in the business of anybody, nor do I have any involvement in other matters. If you are or if you are not the Bangzhu of the Beggar Clan, what does that trifling thing have to do with me? Why would I bring false charges against you? What advantage is there for me to make up a story about helping to kill your parents years ago? Qiao Bangzhu, my martial arts when compare to yours is very lacking. If I don''t want to live anymore, wouldn''t just killing myself be a better option?"


    Qiao Feng slowly put Reverend Zhiguang down. He then flicked his foot and the large body of Shan Jishan flew out and fell to the ground with a thud. Shan Jishan stood up immediately. He was not in the slightest injured.


    Qiao Feng looked at Zhiguang, seeing his face had a confident aura without the slightest hint of falseness, then asked, "So what happened afterwards?"


    Reverend Zhiguang replied, "What happens afterwards, you should already know. At age seven you went to pick chestnuts in the forest, got chased by a wolf, and was rescued by a monk from Shaolin. The monk killed the wolf and treated your injuries. Then day after day the monk returned to teach you martial arts. Is this correct?"


    Qiao Feng replied, "Correct. It seems the Reverend also knew of this matter." Years ago when Reverend Xuanku passed his martial arts to Qiao Feng, he had ordered him not to tell anyone about it. So in Jianghu everyone had always thought that Qiao Feng was the direct disciple of Wang Bangzhu of the Beggar Clan. Who knew that he and Shaolin Temple had such an old and deep relationship.


    Zhiguang said, "That monk from Shaolin was asked by Brother Leader to teach you martial arts and guide you since childhood to keep you from walking down the wrong path. Regarding this matter, Brother Leader, Wang Bangzhu, and I had many disputes. I wanted you to live the life of a common person, as farmer, and did not want you to learn martial arts to keep you away from being involved with the grudges and enmities of Jianghu. Brother Leader said that if we do that then we will be doing another wrong to your parents. So to make amends we must take care of you and develop you into a great hero."


    Qiao Feng said, "All you... all you seniors, why do you feel you will be doing wrong to my parents? People of Han and people of Khitan have been fighting and harming each other for a long time. It is a common thing. There is nothing to be regretful about."


    Zhiguang sighed and said, "The stone writing outside of Yanmen Guan Pass to this day still has not faded. Why don''t you go and see it. Brother Leader had already made up his mind and Wang Bangzhu went along with it. There was no way I by myself can win the argument. Only when you were sixteen years old did Wang Bangzhu received you as his disciple. After that there were many chances to get along together. Your natural talent is outstanding and progressed furiously. There was no way an average person can keep up with you. Of course if Brother Leader and Wang Bangzhu were not behind the scenes helping out, you would not be where you are today."


    Qiao Feng lowered his head to ponder. Thinking back on his life, he had faced numerous difficulties but each and every time his bad luck had turned into good. He had not faced much pain or hardships. He had met with many lucky opportunities in life. It came even without asking for it. For a long time he had thought that it was all due to his luck. But after listening to Reverend Zhiguang he realized he had a secret benefactor helping him all those years and he was ignorant of it. In his head he was stunned and asked himself, "If what the Reverend said was true then I am a Khitan and not a Han? Wang Bangzhu is not my kind teacher but the culprit who killed my father, killed my mother. The senior who helped me out in secret, he did not do it with pure intentions but probably only wanted to make reprimands to relief him of his guilty conscience. No! No! That can''t be right! Khitan people are evil and ruthless dogs. They are the mortal enemies of our Han people. How can I be one of those savages?"


    Zhiguang continued: ''Chief Wang was very wary of you at first, but later, seeing you make fast progress in learning martial arts, behave generously and chivalrously, treat people with clemency, treat him with great respect and prudence, and act to his liking in every aspect, he gradually became really fond of you. Afterward, as you made more contributions and gained more prestige, from the people at the top to the people at the bottom of the Beggar Society, each and every one honored and submitted to you, even outsiders also knew that the upcoming Chief of the Beggar Society would be no one but you. However Chief Wang had still been undecided about you all along because you''re a Khitan. He tested you with three difficult problems, you got them done one by one, but only after you''d achieved seven feats did he entrust the Dog Beating Stick to you. In the Taishan convention that year, after you defeated nine strong enemies of the Beggar Society in succession, he then all the more resolutely installed you as the Chief of the Beggar Society. As far as laona (ÀÏñÄ ¨C old kasaya, a term a Buddhist monk calls himself with) know, for the past several hundred years, there has never been another Chief of the Beggar Society who had to go through so many hardships like you did.''


    Qiao Feng lowered his head and said: ''I only thought that enshi (¶÷ʦ ¨C kind master) Chief Wang intended to train me, making me undergo many hardships so that I''d be able to take on important missions, but it turns out... but it turns out...'' Saying to here, in his heart he already almost believed that it was true.


    Zhiguang said: ''I only know as far as here. After you had started to serve as the Chief of the Beggar Society, seeing rumors in jianghu all having it that you acted heroically and valued justice, benefited the common people, behaved without partiality, reorganized the Beggar Society and made it thrive, inwardly I felt happy for you. Also, hearing that you''d several times ruined vicious schemes of Khitan people and killed some of their notable figures, I thought that, in that way, our previous fear of nourishing a viper in our own bosoms had become almost as groundless as the fear of the Qi people (è½ÈËÖ®ÓÇ ¨C the fear [of the sky collapsing] of the Qi people ¨C referring to groundless fears). This incident should never have been mentioned, but somehow someone uncovered it? This is unlikely to be any good to the Beggar Society or Chief Qiao yourself.'' Saying to here, he let out a deep sigh. There was a sorrowful expression on his face.


    Elder Xu said: ''Zhiguang dashi (´óʦ ¨C great monk), thank you very much for relating past events making everyone feel as if they were personally on the scene. This letter...'' He raised that letter with his hand and continued: ''was written by that leading hero to Chief Wang. In the letter he made every effort to dissuade Chief Wang from handing over the Chief of the Beggar Society position to Chief Qiao. Chief Qiao, you may as well have a look at it.'' When he finished saying, he held out the letter.


    Zhiguang said: ''Let me take a look first, to see if it''s truly the original letter.'' When he finished saying, he received and held the letter in his hands, read it one time and said: ''Correct, this is really the leading big brother''s original handwriting.'' Once finishing saying, he slightly transferred power into his left-hand fingers to torn off the foot of the letter where there was the sender''s name then put it in his mouth. With a bending of his tongue it was already swallowed into his stomach.


    When Zhiguang torn the letter he had taken several steps towards the bonfire, thus he was a bit further apart from Qiao Feng. Moreover, he was putting the letter paper close to his eyes as if there was insufficient light and he could not see clearly, therefore when he torn off and put the bottom part of the letter in his mouth, the letter paper were just several cun (´ç ¨C Chinese inch ~ 3.33 cm) away from his lips. Qiao Feng could never have expected this old monk of noble character and high prestige to use this cunning trick. With a roar of anger, he struck out with his left palm hitting the monk''s acupuncture points from a distance. His right hand immediately grabbed the letter, but it was still a bit too late, as the signature at the foot of the letter had already been swallowed by the monk down his throat. Qiao Feng struck out another palm to unblock his acupuncture points and angrily asked: ''You... What are you doing?''


    Zhiguang smiled and said: ''Chief Qiao, once you have become aware of who you are, perhaps you will want to seek revenge for the murders of your parents. Chief Wang already passed away so there''s no need to mention him. But laona don''t want to let you know the name of this leading big brother. Laona also participated in the ambush against your father and mother that year, laona shall expiate all the crimes by myself, if you want to kill me or cut me to pieces, please do not hesitate to do so.''


    Seeing Zhiguang lower his eyes and droop his eyebrows, looking merciful and stately, even though Qiao Feng was very sad and angry, he could not help having a feeling of respect for the monk. He then said: ''Whether this matter is true or fake, at the moment I still don''t know. Even if I wanna kill you, there''s no hurry to do so now.'' When he finished saying, he gave Zhao Qiansun a sidelong look.


    Zhao Qiansun shrugged his shoulders as if he was totally unconcerned about it and said: ''That''s right, me included as well, you must give me my share of this debt. Just kill me whenever you like.''


    Grandpa Tan loudly said: ''Chief Qiao, everything should be considered carefully. Don''t act recklessly. If you incited the Hu Han conflict (Hu - ºú ¨C referring to minority people in northern and western China in feudal times), every person of exceptional ability in the Central Plains would become your enemy.'' Even though Zhao Qiansun was Grandpa Tan''s love rival, at that time he still raised his voice in support of him.


    Qiao Feng let out a cold laugh, feeling utterly confused and not knowing how to reply. He then had a look at the letter in the firelight, only seeing it read: ''My elder brother Jianran (½£÷× ¨C sword beard/whiskers ¨C Wang Jiantong''s nickname), after several nights of discussion, your idea of handing over your position has always been unchanged. However, after thinking about it carefully for several days, I still believe that it is inadvisable. Brother Qiao is a man of extraordinary talents. He has made many great contributions and behaved himself courageously and righteously. Not only is he the outstanding figure in the Begger Society, but in the whole of wulin in the Divine Land (ÉñÖÝ ¨C China''s old name) there are only a very few people who can come close to him. If this talent inherits your position, it is only natural to expect that the prestige of the Beggar Society will expand at some time in the future.''


    Reading up to here, Qiao Feng felt that this senior held himself in extremely high esteem, so in his heart he was very grateful to him for that. He continued reading:


    ''But there''s not a day that I don''t think about the bloody battle at Yanmen pass and the shocking situations at that time. This child doesn''t belong to our ethnic group, his father and mother died because of both of us. In the future if he doesn''t know about his origin then there''d be no problem. Otherwise, not only will the Beggar Society be destroyed in his hands, wulin in the Central Plains will also have to face a massive catastrophe. At the present time, the people whose wits and martial arts can rival those of that child are extremely rare. It''s not an outsider''s job to interfere in the Beggar Society''s important internal affairs, but our friendship is far beyond what is usual, moreover, the involvement of this matter is too huge, please give it careful consideration.'' The signature at the foot of it had already been torn off by Zhiguang.


    After reading the letter, Qiao Feng stood in stunned silence. Seeing that, Elder Xu held out another letter paper and said: ''This is Chief Wang''s personal letter, you should recognize his handwriting.''


    Qiao Feng received it. He only saw the letter paper read:


    ''Instructions to Vice-Chief Ma of the Beggar Society, the Elder of Merit Propagation, the Elder of Rule Enforcement, and the other Elders: If Qiao Feng has any deed that is pro-Liao (ÁÉ ¨C a rival empire of Song) and anti-Han, and helps Khitan fight against Great Song (ËÎ ¨C a Chinese dynasty), the whole Society must join forces to kill him, and make no mistake. Poisoning and assassination can both be applied. The killer will get credit for and not be guilty of doing so. Wang Jiantong personally penned.''


    The date written at the end of the letter was: ''Great Song, the 6th Yuanfeng year, the seventh day of the fifth month.'' Qiao Feng remembered clearly that it had been the day he had taken over the Chief of the Beggar Society position.


    Qiao Feng knew without doubt that these several rows of words were really enshi Wang Jiantong''s handwriting, thus, he was no longer uncertain about his origin. However, recalling that enshi had always acted like a kind father, being strict in teaching but also very affectionate, Qiao Feng found it hard to believe that he had secretly written and left behind this order on the day he (Qiao Feng) had taken over the Chief of the Begger Society position. He felt heartbroken. Tears streamed down his face, drop by drop falling on the instructions of Chief Wang.


    Elder Xu slowly said: ''Chief Qiao, please don''t blame us for being disrespectful. Originally only Vice-Chief Ma knew about these instructions of Chief Wang. He kept them very carefully and never told anyone about them. In the past several years you behaved straightforwardly, and didn''t have any action that was pro-Liao and anti-Song and helped Khitan to oppress Han people, so Chief Wang''s instructions were naturally of no use. It wasn''t until the tragic death of Vice-Chief Ma that Madam Ma found out about this order. At first, everyone suspected that Vice-Chief Ma was killed by Murong gongzi (¹«×Ó ¨C young nobleman) of Gusu, if you settled this score for brother Dayuan then there''d be no need to expose your origin. Laoxiu (ÀÏÐà ¨C old senile ¨C a term that old men call themselves modestly) thought about this again and again, because of the big picture I wanted to destroy the letter and Chief Wang''s order, but... but...'' Saying to here, he looked at Madam Ma, and said: ''Firstly, because Madam Ma earnestly wants to avenge her husband''s death, it''s impossible to just let the wrongs that brother Dayuan suffered remain unsolved or let him die with an eternal grievance. Secondly, Chief Qiao supported Hu people, a conduct that has really endangered our Society...''


    Qiao Feng asked: ''I supported Hu people? Where did you get this from?''


    Elder Xu said: ''The two words ''Murong'' are a Hu surname. The Murong clan is the descendant of Xianbei people. Just like Khitan, they are an uncivilized ethnic group.'' Qiao Feng said: ''Huh, so it was because of that, but I didn''t know anything about it.'' Elder Xu continued: ''Thirdly, a lot of people in the Society already know that you''re a Khitan, it''s no good concealing it.''


    Qiao Feng looked into the sky and and let out a sigh. It was not until now that the depressing doubts and suspicions that had been in his mind for quite a while were cleared up. He asked Quan Guanqing: ''Quan Guanqing, you knew that I''m a Khitan descendant so you opposed me, didn''t you?'' Quan Guanqing said: ''Yes.'' Qiao Feng asked again: ''The Four Elders Song, Xi, Chen, Wu listened to you and tried to kill me also because of this reason?'' Quan Guanqing said: ''Correct, but they only half believed me and couldn''t make a decision. When the situation became critical they also chickened out.'' Qiao Feng said: ''The clue about my origin, where did you get it from?'' Quan Guanqing said: ''This matter involves outsiders, so excuse me for not being able to tell you. You should know that paper cannot wrap fire. No matter how you conceal your origin, someone would eventually find out about it. The Elder of Rule Enforcement has also already known about it for a long time.''


    In a twinkling, thoughts in Qiao Feng''s mind surged up like tidal waves, for a moment he thought: ''They''ve gotten jealous, making up all kinds of lies to frame me. Even if I, Qiao Feng, am all by myself, I won''t surrender and will fight bravely to the death.'' But immediately he also thought: ''Enshi''s order is absolutely genuine. Zhiguang dashi is a person of high virtue and good reputation, and doesn''t bear any resentment towards me, why should he set up this dirty plan? Elder Xu is an important senior figure of our Society, how can it be that he has the intention of overthrowing the Society? Impartial Judge Shan Zheng, Grandpa Tan, Granny Tan all are renowned seniors in wulin. This Zhao Qiansun guy is screwy but he''s also not a zilch. How can this matter be false when they all tell the same thing?''


    After listening to the words of the people like Zhiguang and Elder Xu, the mood of the beggar crowd was totally confused. Some people had already heard that he was a Khitan descendant, but they only half believed it, the other were only made aware of it at that moment. They found the evidences authentic, as it seemed even Qiao Feng himself believed so already. Qiao Feng had always been kind and fair to his subordinates, his abilities, virtue and martial arts were admired by everyone, hence no one could have thought he was a Khitan descendant. But the enmity between Liao and Great Song was extremely deep and countless Beggar Society disciples had died at the hands of Liao people over the years, therefore letting a Khitan serve as the Chief of the Beggar Society was really out of the question. However, no one dared to speak out to demand his expulsion from the Society. For a short time, the apricot forest became quiet, only the sounds of everyone''s heavy breaths could be heard.


    Suddenly there was a clear voice of a woman: ''Uncles and brothers, my late husband unfortunately passed away. At the moment I can''t say for sure who murdered him. Thinking that my late husband was always sincere and steady, and though he wasn''t well-spoken he didn''t have any enemy in jianghu, I really can''t imagine why someone had to take his life. But they say that: ''Tardily hiding valuable things induces thieves'' (Âý²Ø»åµÁ ¨C a phrase in The Book of Changes), was it because my late husband had something important in his hands that until somebody else had they wouldn''t be satisfied? Was that they murdered him as a witness because they feared he would let out the secret damaging important affairs?'' It was Ma Dayuan''s widow, Madam Ma, who said these words. The purpose of these several sentences was very clear, directly suggesting that the murderer of Ma Dayuan was Qiao Feng and the purpose of his deed was to cover up the evidences of him being a Khitan.


    Qiao Feng slowly turned his head, looked directly at this timid-looking, dainty elegant woman who was wearing a full-length white mourning dress, and asked: ''You suspect that I murdered Vice-Chief Ma?''


    All the time Madam Ma had been turning her back to Qiao Feng and looking down at the ground, at this moment she suddenly raised her head and looked at him. Seeing her eyes shining like gems and sparkling in the darkness, Qiao Feng was slightly afraid. He heard her say: ''I''m an ignorant woman, showing my face in public is already unwise, how dare I randomly accuse someone else? But my late husband died with a grievance, uncles, I beg of you think about an old friendship, investigate and discover the truth to avenge my late husband.'' As she finished saying she gracefully bent down and unexpectedly kowtowed to Qiao Feng.


    She didn''t state that Qiao Feng was the murderer, but every word she said pointed towards him. Seeing her kowtowing to him, even though Qiao Feng was angry, it was inappropriate for him to have an outburst, he had no alternative but to kneel down to return the salute, and said: ''Saozi (É©×Ó ¨C a term to call a wife of one''s older brother), please stand up.''


    Suddenly, on the left-hand side of the apricot forest the voice of a girl could be heard: ''Madam Ma, there''s a doubt in my mind, may I ask you a question?'' Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and saw a young girl wearing a reddish gown. She was A''Zhu.


    Madam Ma asked: ''What do you want to interrogate me about?'' A''Zhu said: ''I dare not interrogate you. I heard you say that senior Ma had tightly sealed these letters with sealing wax, and when Elder Xu opened it, the painted imprint was still intact. Does that mean before Elder Xu opened the letters no one had seen their contents?'' Madam Ma said: ''That''s correct.'' A''Zhu said: ''Then, besides senior Ma, originally nobody else knew about the letter of that Leading Big Brother and Chief Wang''s order. So, words like tardily hiding valuable things induces thieves, murdered a witness just shouldn''t have been said.''


    Hearing these words of A''Zhu, everyone found them very reasonable.


    Madam Ma said: ''Who are you? Why do you meddle in our Society''s important affairs?'' A''Zhu said: ''I''m just a little girl, how dare I meddle in your Society''s important affairs? But since you all want to frame my young master, I can''t help but to discern based on reasons.'' Madam Ma asked again: ''Who is your young master? Is he Chief Qiao?'' A''Zhu shook her head, smiled and said: ''No. He is Murong gongzi.''


    Madam Ma said: ''Huh, I see.'' She stopped paying attention to A''Zhu, turned towards the Elder of Rule Enforcement and said: ''Elder Bai, the rules of our Society are as firm as a rock, if you violate them, how shall you be punished?'' The muscles on the face of the Elder of Rule Enforcement Bai Shijing slightly twitched, he said solemnly: ''Deliberately breaking the rules, the seriousness of illegal deeds shall be increased by one level.'' Madam Ma said: ''Then how about a person who has a higher rank than even you?'' Bai Shijing knew who she was pointing towards so he could not help casting a glance at Qiao Feng and said: ''The rules of our Society were created by our ancestors. Everyone must comply with them irrespective of rank or position. The same contributions will be rewarded the same, the same offenses will be punished the same.''


    Madam Ma said: ''The young lady is quite right to be suspicious of this. At first I thought so too. But in the evening of the immediate day before I received the sad news about my late husband''s death, someone suddenly sneaked in our house to steal.''


    Everyone was surprised. Someone asked: ''Steal? What was stolen? Did anyone get injured?''


    Madam Ma said: ''No one was harmed. The thief used three sedative-imbued incense sticks to make me and two maids faint and fall to the floor. He then rummaged through everything in my house and stole around ten taels of silver. The next day I received the sad news that my late husband had unluckily been murdered, how could I have the mind to care about the matter of a thief stealing silver? Fortunately, my husband kept these letters in a very secret place so it wasn''t stolen and destroyed by that thief.''


    These several sentences were even clearer, obviously indicating that Qiao Feng either himself went to or sent a person to Ma Dayuan''s house to steal these letters. Since he had wanted to steal the letters, he must have already known about their contents, thus it could be said that the matter of murdering the witness had been made clear. As for how he knew about the contents of the letters, that Leading Hero, Chief Wang, or Vice-Chief Ma accidentally giving some information away was also not something impossible to have happened.


    A''Zhu wholeheartedly wanted to vindicate Murong Fu but also did not want Qiao Feng to be embroiled in this, she said: ''A thief stealing several tens of silver taels isn''t unusual. It''s just that the timing of it was coincidental. That''s all.''


    Madam Ma said: ''What you just said is very true, at first I thought so as well, but later at the window where the thief entered and left the house I picked up an object at the foot of the wall. It was dropped by the thief in his hurry. When I just saw it I got panic and knew that this was no small matter.''


    Elder Song said: ''What was the object? Why is this no small matter?'' Madam Ma slowly took an object, which was eight or nine cun long, out of the cloth bag on her back, passed it to Elder Xu and said: ''Uncles, please be the judge.'' After Elder Xu received that object, she dropped onto the ground and burst into tears.


    Everyone turned to Elder Xu, only seeing him spreading out that object which turned out to be a folding fan. Elder Xu lowered his voice and read aloud a poem written on one side of the fan:


    ''The snow of the North is floating at Yanmen Pass,


    On the sandy plain, grass roots are being blown chaotically in the air;


    I''ll feel ashamed if my feats are judged by the number of enemies I''ve captured,


    I only wish I can personally destroy the enemy country to repay the motherland.''


    (˷ѩƮƮ¿ªÑãÃÅ,ƽɳÀúÂÒ¾íÅî¸ù;¹¦Ãû³Ü¼ÆÇÜÉúÊý,ֱն¥À¼±¨¹ú¶÷.)


    When Qiao Feng heard that poem he was really shocked. As he focused his eyes on the fan, he saw a picture named The Hero Comes out of the Frontier Fortress to Fight the Enemy drawn on the other side of it. This fan really belonged to him. That poem had been written on it by enshi Wang Jiantong and that picture had been drawn on it by Elder Xu. Even though the penmanship was not very refined, it had an air of heroism and righteousness, and when combined with the north wind and heavy snow depicted in the picture, it looked even more heroic and intense. This fan had been given to him on his twenty-fifth birthday as a present by enshi. He had always treasured it and kept it carefully, how come it had been lost at Ma Dayuan''s house? Moreover, as he had a liberal character he never brought such things as folding fan with him.


    Elder Xu turned the fan over, looked carefully at the picture which had been drawn with his own hands, let out a deep sigh, and mumbled: ''Not belonging to our ethnic group, his heart must be different. Chief Wang, ah, Chief Wang, you made a big big mistake about this matter.''


    When Qiao Feng suddenly learned about his origin unexpectedly being a Khitan descendant, all sorts of feelings welled up in his hearts. For the past ten years he had tried his best everyday to devise plans to defeat Liao and kill more Khitan aggressors, therefore when all of a sudden he was confronted with this shocking matter, even though he had weathered many great storms, he could not help feeling at a loss. But after Madam Ma had again and again accused him of plotting the murder of Ma Dayuan and his folding fan had also appeared, he calmed down. In an instant several thoughts ran through his mind: ''Someone stole my folding fan to shift the blame onto me. This kind of trick can''t cause Qiao Feng difficulties.'' He turned to Elder Xu and said: ''Elder Xu, this folding fan is mine.''


    When the people who had relatively high ranks or important positions in the Beggar Society heard Elder Xu reading aloud those verses they immediately knew that it was Qiao Feng''s, but the rest of the Society did not know about that. When they heard the confirmation from Qiao Feng himself, they were all stunned.


    Elder Xu also became very emotional, he mumbled: ''On the whole, Chief Wang considered me a trusted subordinate, yet this important matter of leaving behind an order, he didn''t let me know about it.''


    Madam Ma stood up and said: ''Elder Xu, it was good for you that Chief Wang didn''t tell you.'' Elder Xu did not understand, he asked: ''What?'' Madam Ma mournfully said: ''In the Beggar Society, only Dayuan knew about this matter, he then suffered a grievous death, you... you... had you known about the matter before, you may not have escaped this disaster.''


    Qiao Feng said loudly and clearly: ''Does anyone have something else to say?'' His eyes looked at Madam Ma then turned to Elder Xu, to Bai Shijing, to the Elder of Merit Propagation, then to everyone. No one said anything.


    Qiao Feng waited for a moment, seeing that no one said anything, he said: ''My origin, I''m really ashamed that I myself can''t confirm it. But because so many seniors have affirmed it, I must do my best to find out the truth about it. This Chief of the Beggar Society position, I''m leaving it to a worthy person.'' Saying to here, he reached into a long bag on his right foot and took out a glossy dark-green bamboo stick, which was the Dog Beating Stick, the symbol of the Chief of the Beggar Society, and said: ''This stick was given to me by Chief Wang. When I was in charge of the Beggar Society, even though I didn''t have any contribution, luckily I didn''t commit any serious offense either. Today I give up my position, if any heroic worthy person wants to take on this post, please come to receive this stick.''


    According to the rules of the Beggar Society that had been passed down from generation to generation, when a new Chief assumed their post, the post had to be handed over by the former Chief using the Dog Beating Stick, and before the stick was handed over, the Dog Beating Stick technique had to be passed on. Hence, even if the former Chief suddenly passed away, the successor had already been confirmed and the Dog Beating Stick technique had also already been passed on. Therefore there had never been any dispute over the Chief position. Qiao Feng was in the prime of his life, he had estimated that, in every case, twenty years later he would select a heroic worthy person in the Society to pass on the Dog Beating Stick technique. At this moment, seeing him holding the bamboo stick in his hand and standing fearlessly in front of everybody, who in the beggar crowd dared to come out and receive the stick?


    Qiao Feng successively asked three times, but no one in the Beggar Society said anything. He said: ''Qiao Feng''s origin is unclear, so, no matter what, I dare not be in charge of this Chief position anymore. Elder Xu and the two Elders of Merit Propagation and Rule Enforcement, this Society-stabilizing treasure, the Dog Beating Stick, you three please take care of it together. Later, once you''ve decided on another Chief, it won''t be late for the three of you to hand it over.''


    Elder Xu said: ''It''s sensible to say so. As for the Dog Beating Stick technique, we''re gonna discuss it in the future.'' He went forwards to receive the bamboo stick.


    Suddenly Elder Song loudly said: ''Wait!'' Elder Xu stopped in surprise and asked: ''Brother Song, what do you wanna say?'' Elder Song said: ''As far as I can tell Chief Qiao isn''t a Khitan.'' Elder Xu said: ''How do you do that?'' Elder Song said: ''I find him different than a Khitan.'' Elder Xu said: ''How different?'' Elder Song said: ''Khitan people are very vicious, ruthless, and cruel. But Chief Qiao is a righteous noble hero. Only a moment ago we opposed him, but he still willingly suffered stabs and shed blood for us, and pardoned us for the serious offense of revolt. How can a Khitan be like this?''


    Elder Xu said: ''From his childhood he was taught by eminent Shaolin monks and Chief Wang, so his ferocious Khitan character has already changed.''


    Elder Song said: ''As his character has changed, he''s longer an evil man, what''s improper with him being our Chief? I see that in our Society there''s no one else as heroic as him. If anybody else wants to be the Chief, I''m afraid I myself won''t be content.''


    Many people in the Beggar Society had the same thought as Elder Song''s. Qiao Feng''s kindness had always been in the mind of everyone, merely based on verbal statements and written evidences of some people to remove him from the Chief position certainly made many people who were loyal to him feel discontent. After Elder Song had taken the lead in speaking his mind, several tens of people in the beggar crowd also shouted out: ''Someone''s plotting to frame Chief Qiao. We can''t recklessly believe their words.'' ''Things that happened tens of years ago, just based on the bull of some of you, who can find out if they''re true or fake?'' ''The Chief position can''t be changed so rashly like this!'' ''I wholeheartedly follow Chief Qiao! If they forcefully change the Chief post, even if my head is cut off I''ll still be discontent.''


    Elder Xi loudly said: ''Those who are willing to follow Chief Qiao go with me to this side.'' He pulled Elder Song with his left hand, pulled Elder Wu with his right hand, and walked to the east. After that the three heads of the Great Kindness branch, the Great Faith branch and the Great Righteousness branch also walked to the east. After the heads of these three branches had gone to the east, their subordinates one by one went after them. Quan Guanqing, Elder Chen, the Elder of Merit Propagation, and the heads of the Great Wisdom branch and the Great Courage branch however stood still. Therefore, in a moment, the Beggar Society''s members were divided into two groups, the one in the east consisted of five tenths and the one who stood still consisted of three tenths. The rest of the Society''s members were hesitant, not knowing which group they should follow. The Elder of Rule Enforcement Bai Shijing had always been resolute and decisive in his actions and stood by his word, but at this moment he felt very awkward and hesitant too.


    Quan Guanqing said: ''Brothers, Chief Qiao is outstandingly capable and heroic, who doesn''t admire him? But being the common people of Great Song, how can we listen to and obey the orders of a Khitan? The greater Qiao Feng''s abilities are, the more dangerous he is to everyone.''


    Elder Xi shouted: ''Bullsh!t! Bullsh!t! Fvck you! As far as I can see, you look almost like a Khitan.''


    Quan Guanqing loudly said: ''Everyone here is a good Han who dedicates himself to the service of the motherland, how could we willingly serve as slaves and lackeys of another ethnicity?'' These few sentences of his were really effective, in the group of beggars who had walked to the east, there were more than ten people returning to the west. The beggars in the east then swore and pulled, creating a confusing situation. In an instant, several tens of people engaged in a melee, some using unarmed martial arts and some using weapons. The Elders said loudly to hold back the situation, but each of them had his own bias. Elder Wu and Elder Chen even fiercely pointed at and swore at each other like they would start a fight any moment.


    Qiao Feng shouted: ''Brothers, please stop fighting and hear me.'' His voice was imposing, the wrangle in the beggar crowd immediately stopped. All turned their heads and looked at him.


    Qiao Feng said in a loud and clear voice: ''This Chief of the Beggar Society post, I definitely can no longer hold it...'' Elder Song interrupted: ''Chief, you mustn''t lose heart...'' Qiao Feng shook his head and said: ''It''s not that I''ve lost heart. If the evidence was something else then there might be a plot to frame me, but this is my enshi Chief Wang''s handwriting, other people can''t fake it in any case.'' He raised his voice, saying: ''The Beggar Society is the greatest society in jianghu and has an illustrious prestige, who in wulin doesn''t revere it? If we kill each other, wouldn''t that make outsiders laugh their heads off? Before I go I have one thing to tell you, that is, whoever lands another punch or kick on our Society''s brothers will become an offender of the highest level of our Society.''


    The Beggar Society had always had a high opinion of courage and righteousness, hence hearing him say so everyone secretly felt ashamed.


    Suddenly the voice of a woman was heard: ''Then what if someone kills our Society''s brothers?'' The person who said that was Madam Ma. Qiao Feng said: ''An eye for an eye. For harming or murdering his brothers, he''ll be detested by the whole world.'' Madam Ma said: ''That''s right.''


    Qiao Feng said: ''Who murdered Vice-Chief Ma? Who stole this folding fan of mine to frame me? Eventually, everything will be able to be cleared up by investigation. Madam Ma, with my abilities, if I wanna go to your house to get something I wouldn''t return empty-handed, it''d be even more improbable for me to lose something I bring with me. Needless to say, there were only two or three women in your house. Even if it was the imperial palace, the mansion of a general, or a place guarded by a strong army with thousands of horses, if I wanted to take something I wouldn''t necessarily be unable to get it done.''


    These few sentences sounded very imposing. The beggar crowd had always known about his abilities therefore they all found his words reasonable. No one thought that he had just talked big. Madam Ma lowered her head and said nothing.


    Qiao Feng cupped his hand around his fist in salute to everyone all around and said: ''The verdant hills will never change, the green waters will flow forever, farewell, my good brothers. It''s alright if I''m a Han, it''s also alright if I''m a Khitan, from now on I won''t ever endanger the life of any Han. If I break this vow I shall be like this saber.'' As he finished saying, he leaped towards Shan Zheng and made a grab at the same time.


    Shan Zheng only felt a jerk at his wrist, the saber in his hand could no longer be held firmly. His fingers loosened, the saber had already been snatched by Qiao Feng. Qiao Feng bent his right middle finger with his right thumb and gave the back of the saber a finger flick, a clang was heard, the saber had been broken into two pieces, the top of it had been sent flying away for several chi (³ß ~ 33.33 cm), the handle was still being held in his hand. He turned towards Shan Zheng, said: ''Excuse me!'', then threw the handle on the ground and walked away proudly.


    Everyone was astounded, someone shouted after him: ''Chief, don''t go!'' ''The Beggar Society totally relies on your direction!'' ''Chief, please return quickly!''


    All of a sudden a whizzing sound could be heard. A bamboo stick went down from midair. It was none other than Qiao Feng who had thrown the Dog Beating Stick backwards.


    Elder Xu held out his hand to receive it. As soon as his right hand got hold of the bamboo stick he experienced a shaking which spread from his palm up to his arm, from his arm through his whole body, and made he felt as if he being hit by a thunderbolt. He quickly let go of it. As the leftover force of the throw in the stick was still strong, it passed straight into the ground.


    The beggar crowd exclaimed in unison. Looking at this very important ''seeing the stick is like seeing the Chief'' symbol of their Society, all kinds of thoughts ran through their minds.


    The sun had risen. Through spaces between branches and leaves of apricot trees, rays of golden light came down and illuminated the ''Dog Beating Stick'', making it shine like glossy jade.


    Duan Yu called out: ''Big brother, big brother, I''ll go with you!'' He set out to chase after Qiao Feng but after just three steps, feeling unable to leave Wang Yuyan at this moment, he turned his head and cast a look at her. This one look made he feel even more unable to pull away. Thousands of soft silk threads seemed to have appeared in his heart pulling him back. He turned around, went to and stood before Wang Yuyan, then said: ''Miss Wang, where are the three of you going now?''


    Wang Yuyan said: ''Biaoge (±í¸ç ¨C maternal aunt''s, paternal aunt''s or maternal uncle''s son) has been given a false accusation, perhaps he himself hasn''t known about it, I need to inform him.''


    Duan Yu felt his heart ache with sadness, he said: ''Hum, you are young ladies, there''ll be inconveniences to you on the way, please allow me to escort the three of you?'' He also added another sentence, trying to explain himself away: ''Having heard a lot about Murong gongzi''s illustrious reputation, I also want to meet him once.''


    Elder Xu said loudly and clearly: ''How to avenge Vice-Chief Ma, we should consider the matter carefully. But our Society cannot be without a leader for even one day, Chief... Qiao Feng has already left, deciding who will take over this Chief of the Society post is an urgent important matter that cannot be delayed. Quite incidentally, everyone is here, so we must carry out negotiations immediately.''


    Elder Song said: ''In my opinion, everyone should go find Chief Qiao back, ask him to change his views and not to quit his post...'' When he had not finished saying, someone in the west shouted: ''Qiao Feng is a Khitan barbarian, how can he be our Chief? Today everyone still thought of the old friendship, but the next time we meet he''ll be our enemy, it won''t be possible not to go all-out to the death.'' Elder Wu sneered: ''You''ll fight Chief Qiao all-out to the death? Do you deserve?'' That man said furiously: ''I certainly can''t fight him by myself; but how about ten people? If ten people won''t do; how about one hundred people? Righteous men of the Beggar Society are loyal and devote themselves to the country, don''t tell me that we would shy away from the enemies?'' These few sentences of his were full of strong feelings and emotions. Many people in the beggar group in the west applauded.


    When the applause had not ended, suddenly in the northwest there was a sinister sorrowful voice of a man: ''The Beggar Society had agreed to meet us at Huishan then broke the promise and didn''t show up, it turns out all of you have been sneakily hiding here, ha ha ha, this is so laughable.'' This voice was piercing, the words were pronounced incorrectly as if his mouth was full of tongue and his nose was stuffy, therefore it was very uncomfortable to hear.


    Captain Jiang of the Great Righteousness branch and Captain Fang of the Great Courage branch cried out at the same time: ''A''yo'', and said: ''Elder Xu, we missed the meeting, the enemies have gotten to here to find us!''


    Duan Yu also remembered that on the day when he had first met Qiao Feng at a restaurant he had heard someone reporting to Qiao Feng that they had arranged to meet people of Western Xia''s ''First-class Hall'' in the morning of the following day. At that time Qiao Feng had felt that it would be too pressing, but he had still said yes to the arrangement. It was already past 7 a.m., most of the people in the Beggar Society did not know about this meeting. Even the people who had known about it only focused their minds on important internal affairs of their Society and ignored it. At the moment, hearing their enemies'' mocking words, they suddenly woke up.


    Elder Xu continuously asked: ''What meeting is this? Who are the enemies?'' He had not been taking part in any affair in jianghu or of the Beggar Society for a long time therefore he knew absolutely nothing. The Elder of Rule Enforcement asked Captain Jiang in a low voice: ''Was it Chief Qiao who agreed to meet them?'' Captain Jiang said: ''Yes, but I already followed Chief Qiao''s order, sending one man to Huishan to ask the enemies to postpone the meeting until seven days later.''


    The owner of that sinister sorrowful voice had a really keen sense of hearing, Captain Jiang said these two sentences in a low voice yet he actually heard them, he said: ''This meeting was already decided, how can it possibly be put back to seven or eight days later? Even one hour later is still impossible.''


    Bai Shijing said furiously: ''The Beggar Society is a grand society of Great Song, how could we fear you Western Xia barbarians? We haven''t dealt with you despicable scoundrels properly only because we''re having important affairs. It''s usual to change a date, what do you moan about?''


    Suddenly a whizzing sound was heard. A man flew out of the apricot forest, fell stiffly on the ground and did not make a move. His face had been crushed and was covered with blood. His throat had been slit. He had already been dead for a long time. People in the Beggar Society identified him as Vice-Captain Xie of the Great Righteousness branch.


    Captain Jiang was both shocked and angry, he said: ''Brother Xie was sent by me to change the date.''


    The Elder of Rule Enforcement said: ''Elder Xu, Chief isn''t here, please temporarily act as Chief.'' He did not want to let out the truth that the Beggar Society was leaderless to avoid showing the impression of weakness to the enemies. Elder Xu understood, he thought that at this moment if he himself did not run the show then no one would, he then said loudly and clearly: ''They say two countries which fight each other don''t kill messengers. Why did you kill the messenger that our humble Society sent to change the date of the meeting?''


    That sinister sorrowful voice replied: ''This man looked arrogant, expressed himself insolently, and did not kowtow when he saw our General. How could I let him live?'' When the people of the Beggar Society heard that, they immediately boiled over with anger, many people shouted out swear words.


    Until now Elder Xu still did not know who the enemies were, he heard Bai Shijing call them ''Western Xia barbarians'', but that man had also mentioned something like ''our General'', this really made him find it difficult to get a clue. He said: ''Why don''t you show your face instead of hiding sneakily? Why just talk nonsense and brag foolishly?''


    That man cackled and said: ''Who are hiding sneakily in the apricot forest?''


    Suddenly there were boo-hoo sounds of bugles coming from afar, after that hoofbeats of a troop of horses coming from several li (Àï ¨C 0.5 km) away could be vaguely heard.


    Elder Xu put his mouth close to Bai Shijing''s ear and asked quietly: ''Who are they? What''s the matter?'' Bai Shijing also replied quietly: ''Western Xia has a martial arts hall called ''First-class Hall'' which was set up by the king of that country to recruit people who excel in martial arts and uses special treatments and gifts to temp them to teach martial arts to Western Xia''s officers and troops.''


    Elder Xu nodded and said: ''Hasn''t Western Xia been strengthening its army and practising martial arts because it''s planned to seize our Great Song''s territories?'' Bai Shijing quietly said: ''Absolutely. The people who have entered ''First-class Hall'' all are known for their first-class martial arts. The boss of First-class Hall is a wangye (ÍõÒ¯ ¨C a very high rank of nobility usually held by a king''s/an emperor''s/an empress'' brothers or uncles). He was appointed as the East Conquering General. His name is He Lian Tie Shu or something like that. According to what brother Yi Dabiao, sent to Western Xia by our Society, has reported, recently He Lian Tie Shu has led the warriors of the Hall to Bianliang (the capital of Song) to have an audience with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor of our Great Song. In fact, having an audience was just a sham. Their true motive was to spy upon our country''s actual conditions. Knowing that our Society is one of the great pillars of Great Song''s wulin they wanna destroy our Society, firstly, in order to build their prestige. Later, if they again lead their army to violate the boundary of our country, it''d be easy to push deep into our land.'' Elder Xu was secretly frightened, he whispered: ''This scheme is really cruel and dangerous.''


    Bai Shijing said: ''After this He Lian Tie Shu guy left Bianliang, he went to our nerve center in Luoyang. Incidentally, at that time Chief Qiao had led us to Jiangnan to avenge Vice-Chief Ma so the Western Xia people only attacked an empty place. But they didn''t give up and chased after us to Jiangnan. Eventually they and Chief Qiao decided to have a meeting.''


    Elder Xu thought deeply and whispered: ''So according to what they have planned, they''ll destroy our Beggar Society first, maybe they''ll attack Shaolin Monastery next, then crush the big martial arts schools and societies of the Central Plains.'' Bai Shijing said: ''That''s the plan. But can these Western Xia warriors carry it out so easily? What do they have to be this arrogant? Chief Qiao somewhat knows about the truth, but too bad at this urgent moment he...'' Saying to here, feeling inappropriate, he suddenly stopped.


    At this moment, the horse hoofbeats had drawn near, all of a sudden three bugle sounds were heard, eight horses split into two rows and burst into the forest. Each of the people riding on the horses was holding a lance. A small flag was tied to the head of each lance. The heads of the lances glinted. It could vaguely be noticed that the four small flags on the left-hand side all were embroidered with two white words ''Western Xia'' and the four on the right-hand side were embroidered with two white words ''He Lian'', the flags also had other Western Xia characters embroidered on them. After that, there were eight other horses which split into two rows and ran quickly into the forest. Four of the people riding on these horses were blowing bugles and the other four were beating drums.


    Everyone in the beggar crowd scowled: ''This disposition of troops is totally like a march in a war. Where is the meeting between brave men in jianghu?''


    There were eight Western Xia warriors arriving after the buglers and drummers. Seeing the expressions on their faces Elder Xu knew obviously that they all have top-class martial arts, he thought: ''It seems these are people of First-class Hall.'' Those eight warriors split up and stood on both sides. Then a horse slowly walked into the forest. The man on the horse was wearing a scarlet brocade robe. He was around thirty four or thirty five years old, had an aquiline nose and a splay moustache. Following him closely was a very tall man who shouted as soon as he entered the forest: ''East Conquering General of Western Xia has arrived; the Chief of the Beggar Society goes forward to pay respects.'' This voice which sounded very unusual belonged to no one other than the man who had talked to the beggar crowd a moment ago.


    Elder Xu said: ''The Chief of our Society is not here. Laoxiu will take care of the Society''s affairs on his behalf. The Beggar Society''s brothers are all normal people in jianghu. If you, as a General of Western Xia, use guest ceremony for meeting, then we won''t dare to make friends with a man of such a high position. Please go have audiences with the princes, dukes or officers of our Great Song; you don''t need to meet us beggars who have to beg for food. But if you use the status of a man in wulin for meeting us, then as you are a guest coming from afar, please get off your horse and behave according to common courtesies for guests and hosts.'' These several sentences showed neither inferiority nor superiority. They did not offend the opponents, but also took into consideration the status of the Beggar Society. The beggar crowd thought: ''Sure enough, the older ginger is hotter, Elder Xu is awesome.''


    The big-nosed man said: ''If the Chief of your Society is not here our General can''t treat you with courtesies.'' He cast a glance and saw the Dog Beating Stick driven into the ground. Knowing that it was an important object of the Beggar Society, he said: ''Huh, taking this glossy dark green bamboo stick to make a broom handle is not bad.'' He made a swing with his arm, the horsewhip in his hand shot out to wind around the Dog Beating Stick.


    The beggars shouted in unison: ''Fvck off!''; ''Fvck you!''; ''You Tartar dog!'' When the tip of his horsewhip was about to wind around the Dog Beating Stick, suddenly there was a silhouette moving very quickly, a person leapt out at an oblique angle and stood in front of the Dog Beating Stick. He extended his arm, let the horsewhip wind around it then bent it. The big-nosed man could no longer sit steadily on the saddle and had to jump off his horse to stand on the ground. Both of them exerted their strength at the same time. A snap was heard, the horsewhip was broken into two pieces. That person moved his hand backwards and grabbed the Dog Beating Stick. Without saying a word he returned to where he had come from.


    Everyone looked at him and saw a withered old man with a bent back. He was no one other than the Elder of Merit Propagation. His martial arts were very good. He usually did not like to talk much, but when the important symbol of the Society had been in danger he had protected it bravely. A moment ago, in just one move, the big-nosed man had already been dismounted and his horsewhip had also been broken. It could be said that the big-nosed man had lost.


    Even though this big-nosed man had just suffered a small defeat, he did not bat an eyelid and said: ''You beggars really are too stingy, hating to give away even a bamboo stick.''


    Elder Xu said: ''Brave men of Western Xia, why did you and our poor Society decide to meet?''


    That man said: ''Our General has heard that the Beggar Society of the Central Plains has two great techniques, one being the Cat Beating Stick, the other being the Snake Subduing Eighteen Palms, so he wanna widen his knowledge a bit.''


    As soon as the beggars heard that, they all flew into a rage. This man deliberately called the Dog Beating Stick technique the Cat Beating Stick technique and called the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms technique the Snake Subduing Eighteen Palms technique, his intention of insulting was extremely obvious. It seemed in the meeting today a fierce battle of life or death was already unavoidable.


    While the beggar crowd was cursing, the people such as Elder Xu, the Elder of Merit Propagation, and the Elder of Rule Enforcement secretly felt anxious: ''All along, only the Chief of our Society is able to use the Dog Beating Stick technique and the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms. The enemies already knew about the reputation of these two great techniques yet they still brashly come to challenge, perhaps they''re not easy to deal with.'' Elder Xu said: ''You want to see our Society''s Cat Beating Stick technique and Snake Subduing Eighteen Palms to widen your knowledge, there''s not the slightest problem. As long as there are cowardly cats and snakes with scabies showing up here, we beggars will have our way of dealing with them. You mimic cats or mimic snakes?'' Elder Wu ha-ha laughed and said: ''If the opponents are dragons, we will subdue dragons, if they''re snake, then we beggars can''t be better at catching snakes.''


    The big-nosed man was again defeated in arguing. While he was thinking about what to say, there was a deep gruff voice from behind him: ''Cat Beating is also fine, Snake Subduing is also fine, come, come, come, who''s gonna have a fight with me first?'' As that man finished saying he walked out from the crowd and stood with his arms akimbo.


    The beggars could see that this man looked ugly and ferocious. All of a sudden Duan Yu loudly said: ''Hey, my disciple, you came here as well? Why haven''t you kowtowed after seeing master?'' The ferocious-looking man turned out to be none other than South Sea Divine Alligator Yue Laosan (T/Note: this is prolly not Yue''s real name, it literally means Yue, the third man).


    He was astonished when he saw Duan Yu and immediately looked very awkward. He said: ''You... You...'' Duan Yu said: ''Good disciple, the Beggar Society''s Chief is my sworn big brother so these people are your apprentice uncles, you mustn''t disrespect them. Go home quickly!'' South Sea Divine Alligator let out a roar making the leaves of the apricot trees around rustle and cursed: ''Turtle egg! Bastard!'' (T/Note: turtle egg - Íõ°Ëµ° ¨C basically an equivalent of ''son of a b!tch'')


    Duan Yu said: ''Who did you curse as turtle egg and bastard?'' South Sea Divine Alligator was extremely vicious, however when he himself said something he never broke his words. He had already recognized Duan Yu as his master, but he did not deny that and said: ''I like cursing. How can you control me? I didn''t curse you.'' Duan Yu said: ''Hum, you already saw master, why haven''t you kowtowed to pay respects to me?'' South Sea Divine Alligator repressed his anger, went forwards, kowtowed and said: ''Master, are you all right?'' The more he thought about this the angrier he got. Suddenly he leaped to his feet and ran away while howling furiously.


    Everyone found that howl sounded like retreating tidewater, burst after burst rushing away yet big waves still surging up fiercely. Just hearing this howl they knew that this man''s martial arts were not something to disregard. Probably in the Beggar Society only several people like Elder Xu and the Elder of Merit Propagation could rival him. It was extremely strange that Duan Yu, a gentle and weak student, was unexpectedly his master. Wang Yuyan, A''Zhu and A''Bi knew that Duan Yu did not know martial arts so they were much more surprised.


    Suddenly a man leaped out from the group of the Western Xia warriors. Despite being tall like a bamboo pole, his movements were exceptionally fast. Each of his hands was holding a strange weapon whose handle was about three chi (T/Note: 1 chi ~ 33.33 cm) long and one head was a steel claw with five fingers. Duan Yu recognized him as the fourth member of ''The Four Evils under Heaven'' ''Extreme Ferocity Utmost Evil'' Yun Zhonghe, he thought: ''Could it be that these four evildoers have all joined Western Xia?'' He looked carefully at the Western Xia people and saw ''Not to Stop at Any Crime'' Ye Erniang standing there embracing a child and smiling. But he did not see the leader ''Be Guilty of the Worst Crimes'' Duan Yanqing. Duan Yu thought: ''As long as Prince Yanqing is not here the Beggar Society can handle the second evil and the fourth evil.''


    It turned out after being defeated in Dali ''The Four Evils under Heaven'' had fled northwards and run into envoys of Western Xia''s First-class Hall who had been out to recruit high-level martial arts users. Unwilling to be by themselves, they had all offered their service immediately. These four people had so excellent martial arts that after showing their skills a little they had been recruited right away. This time going eastwards to Bianliang, He Lian Tie Shu brought all of them with him and regarded them quite highly. Thinking that he himself had a high status, even though Duan Yanqing was dependent on First-class Hall he acted freely. He did not accept any restrictive order and go with the others.


    Yun Zhonghe shouted: ''Our General wants to see the Beggar Society''s two great techniques. In the end you beggars have true skills or are just boasting? Quickly come here to fight for real!''


    Elder Xi said: ''I''m fighting him.'' Elder Xu said: ''Okay! This man''s lightness skill is very unusual, brother Xi must be careful.'' Elder Xi said: ''Yes!'' Carrying his steel pole he walked towards Yun Zhonghe, stood facing him from a distance of more than one zhang (T/Note: 1 zhang ~ 3.333 m), and said: ''The use of our Society''s great techniques is dependent on who the opponent is. Why should the Dog Beating Stick technique be used to handle a shrimp like you? Watch out!'' He raised the steel pole, creating a whirring sound, and swung it down at Yun Zhonghe''s left shoulder at an angle. Elder Xi was stubby but the steel pole in his hands were longer than one zhang, once it was brandished, even if the opponent was very tall like Yun Zhonghe, it was still possible for him to strike down from the air. Yun Zhonghe leaned sideways and dodged. A bang was heard, dirt flew on all sides, the steel pole had hit the ground and its head had gone one chi into the ground. Yun Zhonghe knew that his true abilities were far inferior to Elder Xi''s so he applied a hit-and-run tactic using his lightness skill, for a moment he had been in the east, the next moment he already flashed to the west. Elder Xi''s steel pole had been brandished into a white sphere but all the while it had not been able to touch Yun Zhonghe''s clothes.


    While Duan Yu was being absorbed in the fight, suddenly he heard a lovely gentle voice next to him: ''Mr. Duan, who should we help?'' Duan Yu leaned his head to one side and saw that it was Wang Yuyan. He could not help feeling elated and hurriedly asked: ''What... who should what help?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''This lanky man is your disciple''s friend while this stubby beggar is your sworn brother''s subordinate. The more these two have been fighting the fiercer they''ve become, who we should help?'' Duan Yu said: ''My disciple is a villain and this lanky guy''s character is even worse, don''t help him.''


    Wang Yuyan muttered: ''Hum, but the whole Beggar Society have driven your sworn brother away and don''t let him be the Chief. They''ve also falsely accused my biaoge, I hate them.'' In the heart of a young girl like her, whoever treated her biaoge badly was the worst person under heaven. She continued: ''This stubby geezer is using the twenty four Demon Taming Pole stances of Mt. Wutai, but because he''s too short the two stances ''The King of Qin Whips Rock'' and ''The Roc Spreads the Wings'' can''t be executed well. If the right-hand side of his lower body is attacked he won''t be able to defend himself. But this lanky man doesn''t realize that, he thinks the lower body of short people must be stable but in fact that''s not true.''


    Even though her voice was very low, all the high-level martial arts users with fine internal energy at the scene had already heard what she said. The majority of these people knew about Elder Xi''s martial arts and skills but they might not necessarily realize where his stances were flawed. Once Wang Yuyan pointed out, they immediately felt that she was correct because whenever Elder Xi had used the two stances ''The King of Qin Whips Rock'' and ''A Roc Spreads the Wings'', his power had really been excessive but his stability had been deficient, his lower body had been rather vulnerable.


    Yun Zhonghe cast a sidelong glance at Wang Yuyan and praised: ''You little girl are very beautiful. It''s rarer that you have such great insight. Following me and becoming my wife are even more okay.'' While saying he used the steel claws in his hands to attack Elder Xi''s lower body with three swift stances. Elder Xi was too late to ward off the third stance. A sound of tearing was heard, his thigh had just suffered a long cut by Yun Zhonghe''s steel claws and immediately dripped blood.


    Hearing Yun Zhonghe praise herself for being beautiful Wang Yuyan was quite happy, therefore she did not think his flirty and frivolous words were offensive. She smiled and said: ''How shameless. What''s good about you? I''m not marrying you.'' Yun Zhonghe was very pleased, he said: ''Why not? You''re already in love with that pretty boy, right? I''ll kill your love interest first, to see if you''ll marry me?'' These sentences had seriously violated Wang Yuyan''s taboos. She frowned and no longer paid attention to him.


    Yun Zhonghe still wanted to say a few more words to gain advantage but Elder Wu of the Beggar Society leaped out, lifted his demon-headed saber and slashed four times on the left hand side, four times on the right hand side, four times high, four times low, totaling sixteen slashes. The momentum of the saber was extremely fierce. Yun Zhonghe was not familiar with the stances of his saber technique therefore he could only dodge around, jerk his head back and jump up. For the moment he was totally perplexed.


    Wang Yuyan smiled and said: ''This Four Forms Six Harmonies Saber technique of Elder Wu contains the generation principles, the restraint principles and the changes of the Eight Diagrams. That lanky man just doesn''t know that. I wonder if he can use the ''Crane Snake Eight Attacks''. If he can, the Four Forms Six Harmonies Saber technique will be defeated easily.'' (T/Note: Four Forms - ËÄÏó ¨C include Tai Yang, Tai Yin, Shao Yang, Shao Yin; Six Harmonies - ÁùºÏ ¨C include East, West, South, North, Up and Down, referring to the universe) Hearing her say those words to help Yun Zhonghe again, the people of the Beggar Society all had an angry expression on their faces. They saw that Yun Zhonghe immediately changed his fighting style, spreading wide his legs and whipping horizontally with the steel claws, looking like a white crane. Wang Yuyan put her mouth close to Duan Yu''s ear and whispered: ''This lanky man has walked into my trap. Perhaps his left hand would be chopped off.'' Duan Yu was surprised, he asked: ''Really?''


    Everyone only saw that the saber technique of Elder Wu was strict and heavy, chopping sidelong and slashing horizontally as if there was no arrangement of stances. He fought more and more slowly, but all of a sudden he swiftly chopped three times. White light flashed. Yun Zhonghe shouted ''Ah'', the back of his left hand had already been cut by the blade, the steel claw in his left hand could not be hold firmly anymore, a clang was heard, it had already fallen on the ground. However because his lightness skill was very fast, he hurriedly moved backwards and was able to dodge the three later chops of Elder Wu.


    Elder Wu walked towards Wang Yuyan, stood in front of her, held his saber in a straight upright position and said: ''Thanks a lot, Miss!'' Wang Yuyan smiled and said: ''Elder Wu, your ''Wonderful Door Three Powers Saber'' is very refined and subtle!'' Elder Wu was surprised, he thought: ''I didn''t expect you to know this saber technique of mine.'' It turned out Wang Yuyan had deliberately called the saber technique of Elder Wu the ''Four Forms Six Harmonies Saber'' and judging from the stances of Yun Zhonghe she had anticipated that he would surely use the ''Crane Snake Eight Attacks'' to make him involuntarily get into a dominated situation. As expected, his left hand had nearly been chopped off. (T/Note: Three Powers - Èý²Å ¨C Heaven, Earth, Man).


    The name of the big-nosed man who had the queer voice and was standing next to He Lian Tie Shu was Nu Erhai. Seeing Wang Yuyan help Yun Zhonghe injure Elder Xi with just several sentences, then enable Elder Wu to injure Yun Zhonghe with a few sentences again, he turned towards He Lian Tie Shu and said: ''General, this young Han girl is very strange, if we capture and take her back to First-class Hall then force her to tell everything she knows, it''ll prolly be extremely useful.'' He Lian Tie Shu said: ''Very good, you go capture her.'' Nu Erhai scratched his head and thought: ''This character of General is certainly not very nice. Whenever I suggested a ploy to him he always said: ''Very good, you go handle it.'' Making suggestions is easy but handling them is hard. This young girl''s martial arts seem to be fathomless. I don''t wanna make a fool of myself in front of her. Anyway, today is for rounding up and annihilating these beggars, it''d be better to strike first and prevail.'' He made a gesture with his left hand, four of his subordinates immediately walked out.


    Nu Erhai took several steps forwards and said: ''Elder Xu, our General wanna see the Dog Beating Stick technique and the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms, if you have something interesting then show it, but if you really don''t, we can''t afford to wait any longer, we must go now, farewell.'' Elder Xu sneered and said: ''High-level martial arts users of your country''s First-class Hall have boasted that you all have topnotch martial arts but it turns out you''re just mediocre, I''m afraid you don''t deserve to see the Dog Beating Stick technique and the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms.'' Nu Erhai said: ''How to deserve to see them?''


    Elder Xu said: ''First you must beat us good-for-nothing beggars, then the head of the Beggar Society will show up...'' Saying to here, he suddenly coughed loudly then his eyes hurt intensely and could not open, his tears dripped down continuously. Feeling very frightened, he jumped up, held his breath and quickly kicked three times. Nu Erhai had not expected that this old man whose beard was snow-white would attack as soon as he finished saying and that his movements were so fast like this, he hastily dodged but could only avoid getting hit at the crucial points on his chest, the head of his shoulder had still been kicked. He staggered a few steps then made use of the momentum to leap backwards. Elder Xu jumped up the second time, while still being in the air, he felt weary and numb in his arms and legs and fell down heavily.


    The people of the Beggar Society shouted in succession: ''Not good, the Tartars play dirty!'' ''What''s in my eyes?'' ''I can''t open my eyes.'' Everyone felt a sharp pain in the eyes. Tears streamed out of their eyes. Wang Yuyan, A''Zhu and A''Bi could not open their eyes similarly.


    It turned out that in an instant the Western Xia people had already dispersed the ''Sad Weak Clear Wind'' in the apricot forest. The ''Sad Weak Clear Wind'' was a type of colorless odorless poisonous gas. Its liquid form was made from the poisonous animals gathered from Huanxi valley in Mt. Daxue of Western Xia. Most of the time, it was kept in bottles. When it was used, the user had already had the antidote put into their nose. As soon as the stopper of the bottle was removed, the poisonous liquid would evaporate and spread into the air gently like a breeze. Therefore, no matter how careful and precise a person was they would still be unable to detect it. When their eyes hurt sharply, the poison had already entered the brain. After being poisoned the victim''s eyes would drip with tears, hence ''Sad'', their whole body would be unable to move, hence ''Weak'', the poisonous gas was colorless and odorless, hence ''Clear Wind''.


    Thuds and ''A''yo'' sounds could be heard continuously, the people of the Beggar Society fell down one after another.


    Duan Yu had eaten the Manggu Cinnabar Frog (T/Note: çêôÖì¸ò ¨C the cinnabar frog which bellows like a bull) therefore he was immune to poison. Even though he had breathed the ''Sad Weak Clear Wind'' in, he was neither ''Sad'' nor ''Weak''. Seeing that the beggars, Wang Yuyan, A''Zhu and A''Bi all were having a painful expression on their faces he could not understand why and felt very frightened.


    Nu Erhai cried out loudly and commanded the warriors to tie the people of the Beggar Society up. He himself went towards Wang Yuyan and stretched out his hand to grab her wrist.


    Duan Yu shouted: ''What are you doing?'' At that urgent moment he quickly extended his right forefinger, a beam of internal energy was shot out from the finger tip creating chi-chi sounds. It was none other than the ''Six Meridians Divine Swords'' of the Duan clan in Dali. Nu Erhai did not know about its powers therefore he paid no attention to it and kept approaching Wang Yuyan to grab her wrist. Suddenly a crack was heard, the bone of his right arm had unaccountably been broken into two pieces. His arm hung down loosely. Nu Erhai cried out painfully and stopped walking.


    Duan Yu bent down, gripped the delicate waist of Wang Yuyan then started to use the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps''. Taking three steps forwards at an oblique angle and two strides over to one side, he rushed out of the crowd.


    Ye Erniang made a wave with her right hand. A poisonous needle was fired towards the middle of his back. This poisonous needle was very well-aimed and went with a lot of force. In any case Duan Yu should have many difficulties in dodging it. However, he suddenly moved sideways then suddenly went backwards, therefore when the poisonous needle arrived he had already moved to the right side three chi. Three skilled warriors in the group of Western Xia warriors immediately jumped off their horseback, shouted and chased after him. Duan Yu ran to a horse, put Wang Yuyan lying across the saddle, then jumped onto the horse and spurred it to run away.


    Western Xia warriors had already guarded the key posts all around the apricot forest. Suddenly seeing Duan Yu running out on a horse they immediately fired arrows. Trees in the apricot forest covered him, more than ten wolf-toothed arrows all stuck into the trees.


    Duan Yu cried out: ''Good horse ah good horse, the faster you run the better! When we return, I''ll let you eat chicken, eat meat, eat fish, eat goat.'' He forgot that horses did not eat meat or fish.

 Chapter - 17 Todays Wishes

    Both of them rode a horse together. After running very fast for a while they scanned around and saw that there were mulberry trees everywhere, in a short time they had already outdistanced the Western Xia warriors and no longer saw any sign of them.


    Duan Yu asked: ''Miss Wang, how do you feel?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''I''ve been poisoned. There''s not any strength left in my body.'' Hearing the words: ''Been poisoned'' Duan Yu was startled. He hurriedly asked: ''Is it serious? How can we find the antidote?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''I don''t know. You urge the horse on to a safe place then we''ll talk about it again.'' Duan Yu said: ''Where is safe?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''I don''t know either.'' Duan Yu thought: ''What is it? I''ve already promised to keep her safe from dangers, why do I ask her to give directions?'' Without any feasible idea he had no alternative but to ride the horse aimlessly.


    After running quickly for a meal''s time they did not hear the sounds of the chasing soldiers anymore and gradually became relax, but the rain started to drip down. Duan Yu kept asking after every short period of time: ''Miss Wang, how do you feel?'' Wang Yuyan always replied: ''I''m fine.'' Being able to travel together with the beauty Duan Yu was unspeakably happy, but he also feared that the poison in her body would become more dangerous, therefore he could not help but to smile for a while then to be anxious for a while.


    The rain became heavier and heavier, Duan Yu took off his gown and covered Wang Yuyan with it. But that only worked for a short period of time, before long both of them were soaked through. Duan Yu asked again: ''Miss Wang, how do you feel?'' Wang Yuyan sighed and said: ''Both cold and wet. Let''s find a place to shelter from the rain.'' To Duan Yu, whatever Wang Yuyan said was like an imperial decree. When she wanted to find a place to shelter from the rain, even though Duan Yu knew clearly that they had not escaped from dangers he still continuously said yes, but he also dazedly thought: ''The person Miss Wang constantly has in her mind is her biaoge Murong Fu. Today I and she have encountered dangers together I must do my utmost to protect her. Even if I die for her, someday in the rest of her life she''d once in a while remember me a little bit. When she and Murong Fu get married later and have children, when she tells her descendants about the past in leisure time perhaps she''d mention today''s events. At that time her head would be full of white hair, when she mentions the three words ''Mr. Duan'', her pearly tears would fall down drop by drop¡­'' He lost in thought and could not prevent his eyes from reddening.


    Seeing that he had a distressed look on his face and had not started to look for a shelter, Wang Yuyan asked: ''What''s wrong? There isn''t any rain shelter?'' Duan Yu said: ''At that time you''d tell your children¡­'' Wang Yuyan said: ''What, my children?''


    Duan Yu was startled, only now did he wake up to reality, he smiled and said: ''Sorry, I was daydreaming.'' He looked around and saw a big mill in the northeast. The water of a rivulet was pushing the wooden wheel. The mill was in the process of pounding rice. He then said: ''We can shelter from the rain there.'' and rode the horse to the mill. At this time it was raining heavily with cascading noises, all around was haze of water vapor.


    He jumped off the horse, seeing that Wang Yuyan looked pale he could not help feeling very sorry for her and asked again: ''You have a stomach ache? Have a fever? Have a headache?'' Wang Yuyan shook her head, smiled and said: ''I''m fine.'' Duan Yu said: ''Alas, I wonder what the poison the Western Xia people used was, let me go find the antidote.'' Wang Yuyan said: ''It''s raining heavily like this! Help me get off the horse first and go inside. It won''t be late to talk about it later.'' Duan Yu hastily said: ''Yes, yes! You see, I could be very silly.'' Wang Yuyan smiled and thought: ''You''re just inherently silly.''


    Seeing her smiling expression, Duan Yu could not help but to feel as if he was on cloud nine and almost forgot to go open the door of the mill. After opening the door he came back to help Wang Yuyan to get off the horse. Because his eyes had focused on her lovely face all the time, he did not notice that there was a ditch in front of the mill. His left foot stepped right in the middle of the ditch. Wang Yuyan called: ''Be careful!'' But it was too late. Duan Yu cried out ''Ah'' and fell plump into the mud. He climbed up after struggling for a while. His face, his hands, and his body were covered with mud, he continuously said: ''I''m sorry, I''m sorry. Are you¡­ are you okay?''


    Wang Yuyan said: ''Alas, are you okay? That fall didn''t hurt did it?'' Duan Yu was over the moon when he saw her showing concern for himself. He hastily replied: ''No, no. Even if it did hurt, there''d still be no problem.'' He held out his hands to help Wang Yuyan get off the horse. All of a sudden, seeing that they were covered with mud, he drew them back and said: ''Not good! I go clean up first and will come back to help you.'' Wang Yuyan sighed and said: ''You''re really fussy. My whole body is already drenched, what''s the matter if there''s some more mud?'' Duan Yu smiled apologetically and said: ''I have only messed things up and haven''t cared for you well." Still he cleaned the mud off his hands in the rivulet before helping Wang Yuyan get off the horse and walk into the mill.


    When the two of them entered the mill, they saw the rice-pounding stone pestle being lifted and dropped, continuously hitting rice grains in the stone mortar, but they did not see anybody. Duan Yu shouted: ''Is there anyone here?''


    Suddenly, in the straw stack in a corner of the room, two people shouted at the same time: ''A''yo!'' They stood up, one was male and one was female, both were eighteen or nineteen year old young peasants. Their clothes were untidy, their heads were full of straws, and their faces flushed red and looked totally embarrassed. It turned out they were a couple of lovers. The peasant girl had been here to pound rice, the man had followed her here to be close to her. Because it had been raining heavily they had thought that no one would arrive, and had gotten really unbridled to such a degree that they had not heard anything even though Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan had been talking to each other outside for quite a while.


    Duan Yu held his fist in his hand and said: ''Sorry for disturbing, sorry for disturbing! We only come here to shelter from the rain. If the two of you have something to do, please do as you wish and don''t pay attention to us.''


    Wang Yuyan thought: ''This bookworm is talking nonsense again. They are meeting us here, how can they keep cuddling each other?'' But she could not say those two sentences. After suddenly seeing the expression and attitude of that girl and that man, her face had soon reddened, she did not dare to look at them for long.


    Duan Yu wholeheartedly focused his mind on Wang Yuyan therefore he did not care about this couple of young peasants. He helped Wang Yuyan sit down on a bench and said: ''You''re totally drenched, what''s to be done?''


    There was a layer of rosy light on Wang Yuyan''s face again. An idea sprung up in her mind. She pulled out from the hair on her temples a gold hairpin in which two big pearls were embedded, turned to the peasant girl and said: ''Sister, I give you this hairpin, can you please lend me a set of clothes to change?''


    Even though that peasant girl did not know that the two pearls were precious, but she recognized gold, in her mind she did not believe this was true, and said: ''Let me fetch some clothes for you to change, this¡­ this gold hairpin I don''t dare to take.'' As she finished saying she climbed up the wooden ladder beside her.


    Wang Yuyan said: ''Sister, please come here.'' That peasant girl had already climbed up four or five rungs. She quickly went down, walked to and stood before Wang Yuyan. Wang Yuyan put the gold hairpin in her hand and said: ''I really give you this hairpin. Can you please take me to go change clothes?''


    Seeing that Wang Yuyan was beautiful and amiable the peasant girl had already been totally willing to help her, now being given a gold hairpin she felt very happy. She declined unsuccessfully for a few times before finally accepting it then helping Wang Yuyan climb up to the garret above them to change clothes. The garret was stacked with paddy, straws and farm tools such as sieves and bamboo baskets. That peasant girl had some sets of worn-out clothes which she had been sewing and mending. After that young man had arrived, she had thrown them aside and stopped paying attention to them since. Now they were very suitable for Wang Yuyan to use.


    That young peasant man timidly peeped at Duan Yu, he was still abashed. Duan Yu smiled and asked: ''Big brother, what''s your name?'' That young man said: ''I''m¡­ I''m surnamed Jin.'' Duan Yu said: ''So you''re big brother Jin.'' That young man said: ''No. I''m Jin A''er. Jin A''da is my older brother.'' Duan Yu said: ''Hum, so you''re second brother Jin.'' (T/N: Jin A''er means ''Jin, the second brother'', Jin A''da means ''Jin, the big brother.'')


    Just saying to here, suddenly they heard horse hoofbeats, more than ten horses was galloping towards the mill. Duan Yu was frightened, he rose to his feet and shouted: ''Miss Wang, the enemies have chased to here!''


    Wang Yuyan was being helped by that young peasant girl. She had taken off her wet clothes, wrung water out of them, and was drying herself. Also hearing the horse hoofbeats, she was worried and frightened, and did not know how to deal with this situation.


    The horses ran very fast, in a short period of time they had already arrived at the outside of the door. Someone shouted: ''This horse is ours. That boy and that girl are inside of here.'' Wang Yuyan and Duan Yu, one being up on the garret, one being downstairs, secretly complained at the same time and thought: ''Had we led the horse into the mill, it''d have been so much better.'' They heard a crash. Someone had kicked the door open, three or four Western Xia warriors rushed into the mill.


    Wholeheartedly wanting to protect Wang Yuyan, Duan Yu rushed up the garret. Wang Yuyan had not dressed therefore she had no alternative but to take a wet gown to put before her chest. After being poisoned she felt very weak, therefore after her left hand had raised the gown to her chest, it dropped down. Duan Yu hastily turned around and said in a panicky manner: ''I''m sorry for offending you, Miss, pardon me, pardon me.'' Wang Yuyan hurriedly said: ''What should we do?''


    They heard a warrior ask Jin A''er: ''Is that girl upstairs?'' Jin A''er said: ''Why do you ask about other people''s daughter?'' A thump was heard, that warrior had thrown a punch which had hit and sent him flying away for more than one zhang then falling down. Jin A''er was very stubborn. He immediately shouted abuse at the warrior.


    The peasant girl said: ''Brother A''er, Brother A''er, don''t exchange insults with other people.'' Caring about her lover, she climbed down to persuade him. Unexpectedly that Western Xia warrior brandished his saber then split Jin A''er head in half. The peasant girl was appalled. She fell and rolled down from the wooden ladder. Another warrior gripped her and said with a hideous grin: ''This chick gives herself up to me.'' There was a sound of tearing. He had already torn her clothes. That peasant girl stretched out her hand and gave him a fierce claw in the face, immediately creating five streaks of blood. The warrior raged, with all his strength he threw a punch which hit her chest. Her ribs were all broken. She died immediately.


    Hearing the agonized cries downstairs Duan Yu stuck his head out to have a look. When he saw that the couple of young peasants had suffered sudden unfortunate deaths, he was very sorry and muttered to himself: ''It''s totally my fault for dragging the two of you into this so that you suffered horrible deaths.'' Seeing that warrior quickly climbing up the wooden ladder, he hurriedly gave it a shove towards the outside. The wooden ladder was only loosely connected to the floor of the garret therefore it immediately fell outwards. That warrior quickly jumped down on the ground, held and stopped the ladder, then connected it to the garret''s floor again. While Duan Yu was attempting to shove it one more time, another warrior raised his right hand, a sleeve-hidden arrow was shot at him. Duan Yu did not know how to dodge it. A ''pu'' sound was heard, the sleeve-hidden arrow had stuck into his left shoulder. While Duan Yu was pressing his shoulder with his hand, the first warrior took advantage of that opportunity to connect the ladder to the garret''s floor and climb up. Each of his steps climbed up three rungs.


    Wang Yuyan was sitting on a pile of paddy behind Duan Yu, seeing how that warrior have killed the peasant girl with a palm strike (T/N: Something wrong here, cause she was killed w/ a punch) and the lightness skill he had used to jump off and climb up the ladder, she said: ''You use your left forefinger to press the ''Xiaguan acupuncture point'' on his belly.''


    When he had learned the Beiming Divine Skill (T/N: In Chinese myths, Beiming is the ocean at the northern extremity of the world where sunlight can''t reach) and the Six Meridians Divine Swords in Dali, he had already remembered clearly every acupuncture point on the human body. While he was hearing Wang Yuyan shouting, that warrior had already set his left foot on the edge of the garret. Not having time to think anymore, he extended the forefinger and poked him in the ''Xiaguan acupuncture point'' on his belly. That warrior was running up, his belly was totally unprotected. He uttered a loud cry, then fell directly backwards on the ground from midair and died immediately.


    Duan Yu cried out: ''This''s strange, this''s strange!'' He saw another shaggy-bearded Western Xia warrior brandishing his long saber to protect his body and climbing up the ladder. Duan Yu asked: ''Where to poke him, where to poke him?'' Wang Yuyan said in fright: ''A''yo, this''s bad!'' Duan Yu asked: ''Why bad?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''The movements of his saber are too fast, if you wanna poke him in the ''Shanzhong acupuncture point'' on his chest, when your finger hasn''t touched it, your arm would''ve already been chopped off.''


    When she had just said to here, that shaggy-bearded warrior had already reached the edge of the floor. Duan Yu wanted to protect Wang Yuyan with all his heart therefore he did not think about the possibility that his arm might be chopped off. He stretched his right arm, utilized his internal energy, extended his finger and poked the warrior in the ''Shanzhong acupuncture point'' on his chest. That warrior raised his saber to chop at Duan Yu''s arm, but all of a sudden he screamed out ''Ah'' then fell down on his back. From a small hole on his chest blood was spouting up to two chi''s (t/n: 1 chi ~ 33.33 cm) high. Wang Yuyan and Duan Yu were both surprised and happy. Neither of them had expected the power of that finger attack to actually be this dangerous.


    Because Duan Yu had continuously killed two of them in a very short period of time, the rest of the warriors did not dare to climb up to the garret anymore. They gathered downstairs to discuss.


    Wang Yuyan said: ''Mr. Duan, you should pull the sleeve-hidden arrow out of your shoulder.'' Duan Yu was very happy and thought: ''So she also cares about the arrow wound on my shoulder.'' He held out his hand and plucked the sleeve-hidden arrow from his shoulder. This arrow had gone one cun (t/n: 1 cun ~ 3.333 cm) into his body and already touched the bone in his shoulder therefore using sheer force to pull it out like this was extremely painful, but because he was happy he did not care about that at all. He said: ''Miss Wang, if they go up here to attack again, how you think should we deal with them?'' While saying he turned his head to look at Wang Yuyan. Suddenly seeing that she was still loosely dressed he hastily turned around and said: ''A''yo, I''m sorry.''


    Wang Yuyan felt so ashamed that her face became very red, but she did not have any strength to dress. An idea suddenly appeared in her mind. She then got into the stack of straws, only stuck her head out, smiled and said: ''It''s all right, you can turn around now.''


    Duan Yu slowly turned sideways, his whole body was prepared, if he saw that she was still untidily dressed exposing her skin, he would turn away immediately. When he had just turned half of his head around, he caught a glimpse of a Western Xia warrior on the outside of the window. The warrior was standing on a horse''s back, sticking his head in and looking around wanting to jump into the garret. Duan Yu hastily said: ''There''re enemies on this side.''


    Wang Yuyan thought: ''How are this man''s martial arts?'' She said: ''You throw the sleeve-hidden arrow at him.''


    Duan Yu followed her advice and threw the sleeve-hidden arrow in his hand out. He was totally an amateur in using missiles therefore the sleeve-hidden arrow he threw did not have the least bit of accuracy and was at least two chi''s away from that man''s head. That man at first did not pay attention, but this throw of Duan Yu was extremely powerful, it was just a small sleeve-hidden arrow yet a whizzing sound was heard when it flew out. That man was frightened. He hunkered down to dodge and curled up into a heap on the saddle.


    Wang Yuyan stuck her head out and saw clearly. She said: ''He''s a wrestling expert of Western Xia. Just let him grip you, then hit the top of his skull with your palm, you''ll win.''


    Duan Yu said: ''This''s easy.'' He walked to the window and saw that warrior jumped up from the saddle, broke the window''s lattice and plunged into the garret. Duan Yu said: ''Why do you come here?'' That warrior did not understand the Han language. He glowered at Duan Yu then held out the left hand and gripped his chest immediately. The movements of this man were really fast, right after gripping Duan Yu he straightened his arm and lifted him in the air. Duan Yu sent backwards a palm strike. There was a plop. He had already hit the top of the man''s head. That warrior had originally wanted to throw Duan Yu on the garret''s floor then wrestle him near dead but he had not expected to be hit by this palm strike. His skull was crushed into pieces. He died immediately.


    Duan Yu had killed a man again. He could not help starting to panic. The more he thought the more frightened he got, he shouted: ''I don''t want to kill anymore! I can''t kill anymore. You guys get away quickly!'' He then used his strength to push the corpse of the wrestling expert downstairs.


    In total, there were fifteen Western Xia warriors who had chased him to the mill. At this moment there were twelve left. Four of them were experts of First-class Hall, two being Han, the other two being Western Xia. Those four people saw that Duan Yu''s martial arts seemed to be incomparably excellent for a while then seemed to be laughably childish for another while, which was really suitable to be regarded as ''being fathomless'', therefore for the moment they did not dare to act rashly and gathered to quietly discuss attacking plans. However those eight Western Xia warriors had a different plan, they put straws inside the mill together and wanted to set fire to everything.


    Wang Yuyan said in panic: ''This is bad. They wanna set fire to the mill!'' Duan Yu stamped his feet and said: ''What should we do?'' Seeing the big hydraulic wheel of the mill being pushed by the water of the rivulet, ceaselessly moving up and moving down, his mind was also up and down like the movements of the wheel.


    He heard a Han man called: ''General has ordered us to capture that young girl. We can''t kill her. Don''t torch this mill.'' Then he raised his voice and shouted: ''Hey, little bastard and little puss! Quickly go down here and surrender, or else we''ll torch the mill, burning you alive and turning you into two roast pigs.'' He shouted continuously three times. Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan ignored him. That man took out some tinder, started a fire, then ignited a handful of straws, raised it with his hand and said: ''If you keep resisting, I''ll start burning.'' As he finished saying he raised the kindling and assumed a posture which looked as if he wanted to throw it into the stack of straws.


    Seeing that the situation was desperate, Duan Yu said: ''Let me take them by surprise.'' He climbed on the hydraulic wheel. This wheel was very big, its diameter exceeded two zhang''s (t/n 1 zhang ~ 3.333m), and it was even higher than the roof of the mill. Duan Yu held on to some planks of the wheel, following the rotation of it, he slowly came down.


    That man was still shouting noisily and loudly ordering Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan to surrender, not knowing that Duan Yu had quietly come down from the garret and extended his finger to poke him in his back. He was using the Shaoyang sword technique of the Six Meridians Divine Swords. One poke should do the job, however, while sneakily attacking other people he felt very scared, therefore the momenta of his attacks were inadequate and his internal energy could not be shot out. Whether Duan Yu''s internal energy could be shot out or not had merely been a matter of luck and this time he could not shoot it out. That man felt that his back had suddenly been lightly touched by something. He turned his head around and saw Duan Yu poking at his own back with his finger.


    The man had seen with his own eyes how Duan Yu had continuously killed three people. Now, seeing Duan Yu moving his right hand in a disorderly manner and perhaps using some kind of evil technique he was rather afraid as well, therefore he hastily jumped leftwards. Duan Yu threw another finger attack, but still nothing happened, which was hard to understand. That man shouted loudly: ''Stinking boy, what are you sneakily doing?'' He stretched out his left hand and made a grab at the top of Duan Yu''s head. Duan Yu hurriedly shrunk back and made random grabs with his hands. Fortunately he caught hold of the wheel and was immediately moved upwards by it. That man''s grab missed Duan Yu. A ''pu'' sound was heard. Wood chips were sent flying all around. His grab had broken and created a big gap on a plank of the hydraulic wheel.


    Wang Yuyan said: ''You only need to go around to his back then attack the ''Zhiyang acupuncture point'' at his seventh vertebra, he''ll be in danger. This man is a disciple of Tiger-clawed School in Jinnan. The Zhiyang acupuncture point isn''t trained by his martial arts practice.''


    Duan Yu was in midair, he shouted: ''That''s very good!'' then climbed up the wooden wheel and jumped into the main room of the mill.


    The Western Xia warriors did not wait until his feet touched the ground. Three of them immediately tried to grab him at the same time. Duan Yu continuously shook his right hand and said: ''I''m being outnumbered, even a brave man can''t beat multiple opponents at the same time, I only wanna fight one-on-one.'' As he finished saying he leaned and advanced on one side, using the footwork of the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'', after dodging several times, he was already at the back of that man. He shouted loudly: ''Hit!'' and threw a finger attack, a chi-chi sound was heard, the ''Zhiyang acupuncture point'' of the man was hit. He could not make even a single sound and died instantly.


    After killing that man, Duan Yu wanted to follow the hydraulic wheel again to go up and return to Wang Yuyan''s side. But it was already too late because another Western Xia warrior had blocked his way out and was slashing at him with his saber. Duan Yu shouted: ''A''yo, how terrible! The Tartar soldiers have severed my route of retreat. All around are ambushes, soldiers are besieging Gaixia, my important business has gone bust!'' He strode leftwards, that slash hit nothing. The other eleven in the mill immediately surrounded Duan Yu and attacked him at the same time with their sabers and swords. (T/n: Gaixia ¨C the location where Xiang Yu was besieged by Liu Bang''s army and eventually committed suicide)


    Duan Yu shouted loudly: ''Miss Wang, see you in the next life. I''ve been besieged on all sides. It''s hard to even protect myself. I have no choice but to wait for you on the way to the Underworld.'' Even though he was shouting in a disorderly manner and looked extremely pathetic, the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'' footwork that he was using was incomparably masterful.


    Wang Yuyan was entranced looking at it. She said: ''Mr. Duan, you are following the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'', right? I have heard of it but don''t know its method.''


    Duan Yu happily said: ''Yes, yes! You wanna see it, then I''m gonna perform it from beginning to end one time for you. But I don''t know if I can reach the end before you see my head getting chopped off.'' He then performed the footwork he had learned from the scroll, starting from the first step.


    Those eleven Western Xia warriors tried to punch and kick him and brandished their sabers and swords, but they could not touch even a corner of his clothes. All of them shouted: ''Hey, you block this side!'' ''You guard the northeast corner, don''t hold back when attacking.'' ''A''yo, this''s not good, the little turtle egg has slipped away from here.''


    Duan Yu kept going forwards one step then going backwards one step, moving around the hydraulic wheel and the stone mortar. Even though Wang Yuyan was smart and learned, she was not able to understand the method. She said: ''Dodging the enemies is more important to you, don''t perform for me to see.'' Duan Yu said: ''I can''t miss this good chance! If I don''t perform now, after I die you won''t be able to see it.''


    He did not care about his own life and only wished to perform the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'' from beginning to end for the person he loved to see. Who would have ever expected that a love-smitten person had their own good luck? If he waited for the enemies'' attacks to come before using the footwork to dodge; firstly, because he did not know martial arts while the enemies were experts, and their stances were seemingly false and real at the same time and very unpredictable, he would not be able to dodge when he wanted to; secondly, the enemies had eleven people in total, if he successfully dodged the first man, he would not be able to dodge the second one, even if he successfully dodge the second man, he would not be able to dodge the third one. But he only focused on his own footwork and paid absolutely no attention to the enemies, therefore eleven people of them all pursued and attacked him. Every step of this ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'' went to places that were definitely not expected by other people. They saw his left foot striding eastwards, but to their surprise, in fact his body had moved to the northwest corner. The eleven people attacked faster and faster, but ninety percent of their stances had ended up attacking the people on their own side, the remaining ten percent had totally missed.


    Seeing Duan Yu standing beside the hydraulic wheel, the first, the second, and the third immediately attacked the place where they thought he would move to with their fists, legs, sabers and swords. The fourth, the fifth and the sixth used their weapons to attack the place where he was standing. While Duan Yu was dodging, he suddenly changed direction. Bang bang bing bing, ding dang clang clang, the weapons of the first, the second, the third, the fourth¡­ had all hit the same place. You blocked and fought me, I blocked and fought you. Some Western Xia warriors had been a little bit slow and had been injured by the people on the own side.


    After seeing just a few stances Wang Yuyan already knew the principle, she shouted: ''Mr. Duan, your footsteps are very clever and complicated, for the moment I can''t understand them clearly. It''d be best if after finishing this round you perform another round.'' Duan Yu said: ''Okay, I''ll always follow your instructions.'' Once he finished stepping according to eight times eight equaling sixty four hexagrams, he restarted from the first step of the technique.


    Wang Yuyan considered: ''For the moment Mr. Duan''s life is not in doubt, but how to escape from this difficult situation? I haven''t put clothes on my upper body. This really makes me feel ashamed to death. The only choice is to think of a way to give Mr. Duan directions so that he''d kill all the eleven enemies.'' She immediately stopped watching Duan Yu''s footwork and looked carefully at the stances of those eleven people.


    Suddenly she heard a clack. Someone had put the wooden ladder against the edge of the garret. A Western Xia warrior wanted to climb up to the garret again. Because all eleven of them had been fighting Duan Yu unsuccessfully for a long time, the leader of the Western Xia people had told his subordinate to capture Wang Yuyan first and talk about it later.


    Wang Yuyan panicked. She shouted: ''A''yo!''


    Duan Yu raised his head and saw that Western Xia warrior climbing up to the garret on the ladder. He hastily asked: ''Where to hit him?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''You''d best grab his ''Zhishi acupuncture point''!'' Duan Yu strode forwards and grabbed the ''Zhishi acupuncture point'' on the back of his waist. Not knowing what he should do next, he conveniently made a throw, by lucky coincidence he threw the warrior into the rice-pounding stone mortar. The stone pestle which weighed two hundred jin''s (t/n: 1 jin = 0.5 kg) was driven by the hydraulic wheel. All the while it had been pounding on the stone mortar unceasingly. The grains in the stone mortar had been turned into very fine rice powder for a long time, but because there was no one to look after the mill, the stone pestle still kept pounding as usual. After that Western Xia warrior had fell into the stone mortar, the stone pestle went down, a ''peng'' was heard, it had burst his brain open, his blood splashed on the rice powder.


    That Western Xia expert repeatedly urged his subordinates forwards, there were three other Western Xia warriors trying to be the first to climb up the ladder. Wang Yuyan shouted: ''Do the same thing!'' Duan Yu held out his hand to grab the ''Zhishi acupuncture point'' of another man then made a throw with all his strength, throwing that man into the stone mortar. This time he intentionally threw therefore the power he used was not as perfect as it had been the last time. When the stone pestle fell down, it hit the man''s waist. He let out a miserable bloodcurdling scream, but for the moment it was impossible for him to die. Every time the stone pestle fell down, he let out a miserable scream.


    Duan Yu was dumbfounded. Seeing that two other Western Xia warriors had already been climbing up the ladder, he shouted in panic: ''Don''t do that! Quickly come down.'' He poked chaotically with his left-hand fingers. Because he was frightened, his internal energy was in turmoil. Therefore the power of the Six Meridians Divine Swords was able to be shot out. Two ''chi-chi'' sounds were heard. Two beams of internal energy hit the backs of those two men. They immediately fell down.


    The remaining seven Western Xia warriors saw that Duan Yu could kill people from a distance by poking in the air. They had really never heard of this kind of technique before. They did not know that Duan Yu could not use this technique as he pleased, when he had really wanted to use it he had not necessarily been able to, but when he had used it randomly at urgent moments he had often been successful. The more those seven people thought about this the more frightened they became. All of them had already become rather timid but they were not willing to run away at this point too.


    Wang Yuyan was looking down from a higher position therefore she had observed the fight in the big room clearly. She saw that even though there were seven enemies left, only three of them had rather good martial arts, and that Western Xia man who had shouted and given orders was perhaps the leader of this group. She shouted: ''Mr. Duan, you go kill that man who is wearing yellow clothes and a leather hat first. You need to find a way to hit the ''Yuzhen'' and ''Tianzhu'' acupuncture points at the back of his head.''


    Duan Yu said: ''Yes, Miss.'' and rushed towards that man.


    That Western Xia man was secretly frightened and thought: ''The two acupuncture points Yuzhen and Tianzhu are exactly my weak points, how does this girl know that?'' Seeing Duan Yu charging at him, he immediately chopped horizontally with the saber to prevent him from approaching. Duan Yu charged at the man several times but he was still unable to go to his back and was almost injured by the saber. That man had heard Wang Yuyan shouting that his own back had had weak points therefore he was earnestly defending the weak points on the back of his head otherwise Duan Yu would have been in great danger. Duan Yu shouted: ''Miss Wang, this man is very tough, I can''t go to his back.''


    Wang Yuyan said: ''That man who is robed in gray, his weakness is the ''Lianquan acupuncture point'' on his neck. That yellow-bearded man, I don''t recognize his martial arts stances, you should try hitting him in the chest with some finger attacks.'' Duan Yu said: ''Yes!'' He extended his finger and pushed it quickly towards the man''s chest. Even though these finger attacks of his were technically correct they did not carry any power, but how could that yellow-bearded man know that? He immediately lowered his body and dodged three finger attacks. When Duan Yu attacked the fourth time, he jumped up in the air then from midair delivered his attacks downwards. The power of his palm strikes was fierce and encompassed Duan Yu''s body.


    Duan Yu felt that his breathing had become hurried and also felt dizzy. Very frightened, he closed his eyes and thrust the fingers of both hands chaotically. ''Chi-chi-chi-chi'' sounds were heard continuously, the Six Meridian Divine Swords Shaoshang, Shangyang, Zhongchong, Guanchong, Shaochong and Shaoze were shot out at the same time and pierced six holes in the body of that yellow-bearded man. But the power of his palm strikes did not vanish, a pat was heard, a palm strike had hit Duan Yu'' shoulder. At that moment, Duan Yu''s internal energy surged through his body, even though this palm strike had a lot of force, thanks to the protection of his vigorous internal energy, it did not injure him a little bit, moreover, that yellow-bearded man was sent flying away for one zhang.


    Wang Yuyan did not know that he was not injured, she said in panic: ''Mr. Duan, are you okay? Are you injured?''


    Duan Yu opened the eyes and saw that yellow-bearded man was flat on his back, blood was spouting ceaselessly from the six small holes on his chest, his expression was ferocious, his eyes opened wide and were looking viciously at himself. He had still not died. Duan Yu was so scared that his heart started to pound in his chest, he shouted: ''I don''t wanna kill you. You yourself¡­ yourself were asking for it.'' He was still using the Wave Treading Exquisite Steps and scampering in the main room. During that time he continuously cupped his fist, bowed to the remaining six people and said: ''Brave men, there was no enmity between me, Duan Yu, and you in former days. In the past few days there was no enmity between us either. Please open your net and allow me a way out. I¡­ I¡­ really don''t dare to kill anyone again. This¡­ this¡­ having killed this many people, how can I not feel terribly guilty? Really, I''ve been overly merciless. You run away quickly, okay? Let''s consider that I, Duan Yu, have lost, please¡­ please¡­ I beg your pardon.''


    When he turned around he suddenly saw a Western Xia warrior standing beside the door. No one knew when he had entered the mill. That man was medium in stature. His clothes were the same as those of the other Western Xia warriors, but he had a sallow complexion and a wooden face, looking just like a corpse. Duan Yu felt a chill of fear: ''Is this man a ghost? Could it be that¡­ could it be that¡­ because the souls of the Western Xia warriors killed by me couldn''t vanish, their unfairly-treated ghosts show up?'' He said in a tremulous voice: ''You¡­ Who are you? What¡­ What do you wanna do?''


    That Western Xia warrior stood with his back straightened, neither did he reply nor did he make a move. Duan Yu leaned to one side, made a grab backwards and caught hold of the ''Zhishi acupuncture point'' on the back of the waist of a Western Xia warrior beside himself, then threw that warrior at the mysterious person. That person slightly moved sideways. A ''peng'' sound was heard. The head of that Western Xia warrior had hit the wall. His skull was shattered into pieces and he died. Duan Yu let out a deep breath and said: ''You''re a man, not a ghost.''


    At this moment, besides the incoming mysterious person, there were only five Western Xia warriors left. Among them, one Western Xia man and one Han man were experts of ''First-class Hall''. The other three had mediocre martial arts, seeing that the number of people on their own side had gotten smaller and smaller as the fight had gone on, they all wanted to retreat, one of them went to the door and pushed it. That Western Xia expert shouted: ''What are you doing?'' Shua shua shua, using his saber he chopped three times towards Duan Yu.


    Seeing a blue light flashing and the sharp saber of the opponent being brandished to and fro repeatedly before him, which could cut his own body at any time, Duan Yu was extremely frightened. He shouted: ''You¡­ you''re insolent like this, I can hit your Yuzhen and Tianzhu acupuncture points, you won''t be able to resist, you''d be well advised to¡­ well advised to withdraw, we''d better disperse.'' The saber stances of that man became more and more urgent and every stance was close to vital parts of Duan Yu. Had he not accelerated his steps, any of those stances would have taken his life.


    That Han expert had always stayed behind, seeing that Duan Yu was making every effort to implore and besides trying his best to dodge he could not strike back at all, an idea sprung up in his mind. He went to the stone mortar, grabbed two handfuls of rice flour, which had been pounded to a very fine state, and threw them at Duan Yu in the face. Duan Yu''s footwork was clever therefore those handfuls of rice flour did not hit him. That Han man kept throwing out two handfuls after two handfuls. In the main room rice flour and rice bran fluttered in all directions, in an instant looking like smoke and mist.


    Duan Yu shouted: ''How terrible, how terrible! I can''t see anything!'' Wang Yuyan also knew the situation was extremely dangerous. She thought it was all because of that very clever Wave Treading Exquisite Steps that Duan Yu had been safe from those experts. All along, when attacking him, the enemies had seen him before themselves but suddenly somehow he would have already been at their backs, therefore their weapons, punches and kicks had always missed his body by a hair''s breadth. At the moment, rice flour and rice bran had spread all over the main room like smoke and everyone was executing his stances randomly. Fighting blindly and chaotically like this made it very possible to hit him. If the Western Xia warriors just ignored Duan Yu, rushed forwards and executed any set of martial arts on their own, Duan Yu would soon be cut into seventeen or eighteen pieces.


    Because rice flour had got into his eyes, Duan Yu could not open them. He jumped up with all his strength and landed beside the hydraulic wheel. He grabbed hold of a plank of the wheel and was lifted up. There were two miserable ''Ah'' ''Ah'' cries. Two Western Xia warriors had accidentally been chopped at by that Western Xia expert with his saber and died. After that, two clanks were heard, someone shouted: ''It''s me!'' Another shouted: ''Be careful, it''s me!'' The Western Xia expert and the Han expert had just clashed their saber and sword and exchanged two stances. Then there was another miserable ''Ah'' cry, another Western Xia warrior had been given a kick in his vital part by someone and was sent flying outwards. Hearing that dying cry, Duan Yu could not help but to feel a chill down his spine. His whole body trembled. He shouted in a quavering voice: ''Hey hey, the number of you has gotten fewer and fewer, there''s no need to fight anymore. Don''t kill excessively. I beg you, okay?''


    Hearing the voice, that Han man was able to detect Duan Yu''s direction. He made a wave with the right hand and a steel dart was thrown at him. This steel dart went with great accuracy and power, but because the hydraulic wheel was revolving unceasingly, when it arrived Duan Yu had already been moved down by the wheel. There was a ''pai'' sound. The steel dart had nailed a corner of his sleeve to a plank of the wheel. Frightened, Duan Yu thought: ''I don''t know how to dodge missiles, if the enemies focus on throwing steel darts and sleeve-hidden arrows I''ll suffer a disaster.'' He was so frightened that his hands flagged, his fingers could no longer hold on to the plank. A ''teng'' sound was heard, he had already fallen down.


    In the dense mist the Han expert vaguely saw that, he rushed forwards to grab Duan Yu. Duan Yu remembered Wang Yuyan had said that he needed to poke him in the ''Lianquan acupuncture point'', but firstly, because he was in a state of panic, and secondly, even though he knew the acupuncture points, he had never practiced martial arts in normal times, therefore when he extended his finger to hit the ''Lianquan acupuncture point'' of that man in a disordered manner the direction of his attack was inaccurate, both slanted leftwards and inclined downwards, unexpectedly hitting the ''Qihu acupuncture point'' of that man. The ''Qihu acupuncture point'' was the laughing acupuncture point. The internal energy of that man immediately ran in the opposite direction, he could not help laughing ha-ha loudly. Executing a thrust after a thrust, he attacked Duan Yu nonstop with his sword, but all the while he kept laughing loudly hee-hee, ha-ha, hei-hei, ah-ah...


    The Western Xia expert asked: ''Brother Rong, why are you laughing?'' The Han man was unable to answer and kept laughing loudly. The Western Xia man did not understand the cause of that, he said angrily: ''We''re facing a tough enemy. What the hell are you doing?'' That Han man said: ''Ha-ha, I¡­ this¡­ ha-ha, ah-ah¡­'' He raised his sword and thrusted at the back of Duan Yu. Duan Yu walked to the left at an angle. That Western Xia expert did not see clearly in the dense mist and he happened to also move to this side, therefore all of a sudden both of them had a heavy collision with each other.


    As soon as this Western Xia man bumped into Duan Yu''s body, he quickly turned his left hand over and using a grasping hand technique he grabbed Duan Yu''s right arm. He noticed that his opponent''s strong point was the footwork therefore he thought this grasp was exactly a good chance to obtain advantage. He threw the saber away with his right hand, then withdrew the hand and grabbed Duan Yu''s left wrist. Duan Yu shouted: ''How terrible, how terrible!'' and used all his strength to struggle. But the hands of that Western Xia man were like iron hoops, how could he struggle out of it?


    Thinking that this was a good opportunity, the Han man raised his sword and thrusted at the back of Duan Yu. The Western Xia man thought: ''This''s not good! This thrust of his only needs to pass into the body of the enemy several cun''s (t/n 3.333 cm) to kill him. But if he disregards comradeship and wanna take all the credit for himself, maybe he''ll go for a chi (t/n 33.33 cm), conveniently killing me as well.'' He immediately took a step backwards, pulling Duan Yu along.


    Still laughing nonstop, that Han man took a step forwards wanting to raise his sword and thrust again. Suddenly there was a ''peng'' sound. A plank of the hydraulic wheel had hit the back of his head making him pass out. Even though that Han man had lost consciousness, he was still breathing and kept laughing ha-ha-ha nonstop, but because he only had the air and not the strength, his laughs sounded very strange. The hydraulic wheel slowly revolved, another ''peng'' sound was heard. The second plank had hit his chest. His laughs became a bit lower. After getting hit seven or eight times, the ''ha-ha, ha-ha'' sounds he made sounded just like the snores of someone who was dreaming.


    Seeing that Duan Yu was being gripped and unable to pull away, Wang Yuyan felt extremely anxious. She also thought that there was still a Western Xia warrior with a scary expression standing beside the door, if he conveniently gave Duan Yu a saber or sword stroke, Duan Yu would be killed instantly. She shouted in panic: ''Don''t kill Mr. Duan. We¡­ we should discuss this slowly.''


    That Western Xia man was still gripping Duan Yu. He placed his right arm horizontally and pressed it against the chest of Duan Yu with full power, wanting to crush his ribs or make him unable to breathe and die. Duan Yu was extremely frightened. His left wrist and right arm were being gripped therefore the Beiming Divine Skill which absorbed internal energy could not be used. He had no choice but to extend his left fingers and pushed chaotically with them, but all of his finger attacks only hit the air. He felt the pressure on his chest getting heavier and heavier, and gradually he could no longer breathe.


    At that critical moment, suddenly there were several ''chi-chi'' sounds, that Western Xia expert uttered a soft ''Ah'' cry and said: ''Good skill, you''ve finally poked me¡­ poked me in the Yuzhen¡­'' His hands gradually loosened and his head drooped. He leaned against the wall and died.


    Very surprised, Duan Yu turned that man over to have a look. He really saw a small hole at the ''Yuzhen acupuncture point'' on the back of his head. Blood was oozing from it. This wound had been inflicted on him by his Six Meridians Divine Swords. Duan Yu did not understand for the moment what had happened. He did not know that in that urgent situation his internal energy had condensed and the energy of one of his finger attacks had hit the wall, sprung back, and hit the back of the head of that Western Xia expert. Duan Yu had executed several tens of finger attacks altogether. One after another they had bounced off the wall and hit every place on the back of the enemy. Because that Western Xia man had had a strong internal energy and the power of the rebounded energy had been very weak, they had not been able to damage him at all. But by lucky coincidence the last beam of internal energy had bounced off the wall and hit his ''Yuzhen acupuncture point''. The ''Yuzhen acupuncture point'' had been his weakness and most fragile point therefore even though the rebounded internal energy had been weak he had nevertheless died instantly when it had hit him at that acupuncture point.


    Duan Yu was both surprised and happy. He released the corpse of that Western Xia man and shouted: ''Miss Wang, Miss Wang, all the enemies have been killed!''


    Suddenly he heard an icy voice from behind himself: ''All haven''t necessarily died!'' Duan Yu was frightened. He turned around and saw that it was the Western Xia warrior with a wooden expression. He thought: ''I overlooked you, but your martial arts aren''t good. I can kill you with just a grip on your ''Zhishi acupuncture point.'' He then laughed and said: ''Old chap, you run away quickly, okay? I definitely won''t kill you.'' That man said: ''Do you have the ability to kill me?'' His tone was extremely arrogant. Duan Yu was really unwilling to kill again therefore he cupped his fist and said: ''I''m really not a match for you, please show your mercy and forgive me.''


    That Western Xia warrior said: ''These sentences of yours are merely a jest. They have absolutely no sincere intention of begging for mercy. The Solitary Yang Finger (t/n: Yiyangzhi) and the Six Meridians Divine Swords of the Duan clan are well-known all over the world, in addition to that, this girl has told you important secrets, they''re really no small matter. Let me experience your masterful stances.'' Every word of these few sentences was said monotonously with no high or low sound, no rise or fall of the voice and no pause therefore they sounded very unusual. Perhaps he was a foreigner, because even though he knew the Han language and his use of words and grammar were correct, his tone was obviously very awkward.


    Duan Yu innately disliked martial arts. Today he had killed so many people like this only because the situation had forced him to do so and he had had no alternative. Speaking of fighting, if it was possible to avoid fighting he would try his best to. He immediately gave a deep bow and sincerely said: ''You are very correct to be critical of me. I must confess my intention of begging for mercy was not respectful and sincere. I have never learned martial arts. Just now, it was sheer luck that I killed people. Being able to preserve my life, I''m already perfectly content, how dare I flaunt my skills and vie for superiority?''


    That Western Xia warrior laughed grimly and said: ''You haven''t learned martial arts yet with a raise of your hand you annihilated four experts of First-class Hall and killed eleven warriors. If you learn martial arts, would there still be survivors in wulin?''


    Duan Yu took a glance from the east to the west. Seeing that in the mill corpses were lying in disorder and each of them was covered in blood, he could not help feeling extremely sorry. He covered his face and said: ''How¡­ how did I kill this many people? I¡­ I really don''t wanna kill anyone. What should I do now? What should I do?'' That man let out some grim laughs and glanced at Duan Yu to see if these few sentences arose out of his true feelings. Duan Yu shed tears and said: ''These people all have parents, wives and children. Not long ago every one of them was still full of vim and vigor, now they were all killed by me, I¡­ I¡­ how can I apologize to them?'' Saying to here he could not help but beat his chest and cry loudly. His tears fell down like rain drops. He sobbed: ''They might not necessarily want to kill me. It''s just that they were acting under orders and were assigned to capture people. That''s all. I and they didn''t know each other before, why I could lay my murderous hands on them so quick?'' His heart was inherently benevolent. Since childhood he had chanted Buddhist scriptures and learned Buddhism, and had not dared to harm even ants and mole crickets, how could he have known that today this kind of catastrophe would suddenly happen?


    That Western Xia warrior sneered: ''You''re play-acting like a cat crying over a mouse''s death. You think you''ll be exempted from punishments by it?''


    Duan Yu held back his tears and said: ''That''s right, I already killed people and committed sins. What''s the point of crying? I''d better bury these corpses carefully.''


    Wang Yuyan thought: ''There''re more than ten corpses like this, how long will it take to bury them one by one?'' She shouted: ''Mr. Duan, I''m afraid there''re more enemies coming in large quantities. We should run away as soon as possible.'' Duan Yu said: ''Yes, yes!'' He turned around, wanting to climb up the ladder.


    That Western Xia warrior said: ''You haven''t killed me, how can you go?'' Duan Yu shook his head and said: ''I can''t kill you. Besides, I''m not a match for you either.'' That man said: ''We haven''t fought, how can you know that you''re not a match for me? Miss Wang taught you the Wave Treading Exquisite Steps, ha-ha, you''re sure extraordinary.'' Duan Yu at first had wanted to say that the Wave Treading Exquisite Steps technique had not been taught to him by Wang Yuyan, but he thought that there was no need to tell a stranger about this matter therefore he only said: ''Yes, moreover I haven''t learned any martial arts. I''ve escaped from disasters totally thanks to being given directions by Miss Wang.'' That man said: ''Very good, I''m waiting here. You go ask her to tell you a way to kill me.'' Duan Yu said: ''I don''t wanna kill you.''


    That man said: ''You don''t wanna kill me then I''ll kill you.'' As he finished saying he picked up a saber on the ground, suddenly in the main room a white light flashed, within a more than one zhang (t/n: 3.333 m) radius of him there were full of saber images. When Duan Yu had still not taken a step he had already been hit heavily on his shoulder with the back of the saber. He let out an ''Ah'' shout and staggered. As soon as his footsteps became disordered that Western Xia warrior took advantage of the situation and rushed forwards. The edge of the saber was already put on the back of his neck. Duan Yu was so frightened that his whole body broke into a cold sweat. He only stood motionlessly, stunned.


    That man said: ''You quickly go consult your master to see if she has any way to kill me.'' As he finished saying he withdrew the saber and swiftly extended his left leg cleverly. A ''peng'' sound was heard. He had kicked Duan Yu sending him rolling on the ground.


    Wang Yuyan shouted: ''Mr. Duan, quickly go up here.'' Duan Yu said: ''Yes!'' then climbed up the ladder. He turned his head around and saw that man sitting and holding the saber. There was still a wooden expression which was similar to that of a corpse on his face. Obviously he thought absolutely nothing of Duan Yu and would definitely not take advantage of the time he was climbing up the ladder to sneakily attack from his back. After having climbed up the garret, Duan Yu said in a low voice: ''Miss Wang, I can''t beat him. We should find a way to run away quickly.''


    Wang Yuyan said: ''He''s guarding downstairs, we can''t run away. Please take that gown for me.'' Duan Yu said: ''Yes!'' then held out his hand and took a set of worn-out clothes left by that peasant girl. Wang Yuyan said: ''Close your eyes then come here. Okay! Stop. Put it on for me, you mustn''t open your eyes.'' Duan Yu complied with everything she said. He was a sincere gentleman and esteemed Wang Yuyan as if she was a heavenly god therefore he did not dare to disobey her words at all, but when he thought that at the moment her clothes were not enough to cover her body, his heart unavoidably pounded in his chest.


    Wang Yuyan waited until he finished dressing her then said: ''Okay. Help me stand up.'' Duan Yu had not yet heard the order that he could open his eyes therefore they were still closed tightly. When he heard her say ''Help me stand up'' he immediately put out his right hand and unexpectedly touched her cheek. Feeling that there was something smooth and soft in his palm, he could not refrain from starting with fright. He hastily withdrew his hand and said continuously: ''I''m sorry, I''m sorry.''


    When Wang Yuyan had been having him dressing herself she had already felt so ashamed that her cheeks had become very red. Now seeing him with his eyes closed extending his palm and touching her face in a disorderly manner she blushed even more. She said: ''Hey, I told you to help me stand up!'' Duan Yu said: ''Yes! Yes!'' His eyes were still closed tightly therefore he did not know where he should move his hands to, fearing that if he touched her body his misdemeanor would become serious. He could not help feeling at a loss and totally troubled. Wang Yuyan''s mind was also in turmoil. Only after a good while did she remember that she needed to tell him to open his eyes. She said in a displeased-sounding tone: ''Why don''t you open your eyes?''


    That Western Xia warrior sneered ha-ha downstairs and said: ''I told you to go learn martial arts to kill me, and didn''t tell you two to flirt with and cuddle each other.''


    Duan Yu opened his eyes. Seeing that Wang Yuyan''s beautiful cheeks had turned red like fire, looking extremely charming and shamefaced, he was entranced and gazed fixedly at her therefore he totally did not hear those sentences of the Western Xia warrior. Wang Yuyan said: ''You help me stand up and sit down here.'' Duan Yu hastily said: ''Yes, yes!'' With reverence and awe he supported her body with his hands and helped her sit down on a wooden bench.


    Both hands of Wang Yuyan quivered, trying to pull the clothes on her body together. She bowed her head and considered. After a long time she said: ''He didn''t reveal his martial arts, I¡­ I don''t know how to beat him.'' Duan Yu said: ''Is he very tough?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''Just now when he fought you, he used seventeen types of martial arts of different schools altogether.'' Duan Yu asked in surprise: ''What? He used seventeen different types of martial arts in such a short while?''


    Wang Yuyan said: ''Yes! Just a moment ago, when he used the saber to confine you he slashed one time in the east, it was the Demon Subduing Saber technique of Shaolin Monastery; he chopped one time in the west, it was the Eighteen Ways of Firewood Chopping Saber of the old man surnamed Li in Lishan cave in Guangxi; when he turned the saber and cut one time, it was changed again to the ''Revolving Wind Brushing Willow Saber'' of the Shi clan in Jiangnan. After that he executed eleven saber strokes continuously using eleven different types of saber techniques of different schools. Afterward he turned the saber over and hit your shoulder with its back one time, it was the ''Mercy Saber'' created by monk Xinguan of Tiantong Monastery in Ningbo which only controls the enemy but doesn''t kill them. When he put the saber on your neck, it was a stance of the Golden Saber technique that His Excellency Grandpa Yang of our imperial court used to capture enemies in battle. It was one of the ''Three Unique Stances behind the Mountain'' which originally was a stance for long-handled large chopping sabers but he changed it to using normal saber. Lastly, when he kicked and sent you rolling, it was a Springing Leg stance of the Hui people in Western Xia.'' She talked about one stance after another as if she was counting the valuable items in her family, explaining clearly the origin of each and every stance and the school it belonged to. Duan Yu heard what she said but he knew nothing therefore he could only gaze at her, not knowing how to get a word in.


    Wang Yuyan leaned her head and thought for a long time then said: ''You can''t beat him. Just admit defeat.''


    Duan Yu said: ''I''ve already admitted defeat.'' Then he raised his voice and said: ''Hey, I can''t beat you in any case, are you willing to give up at this point?''


    The Western Xia warrior sneered: ''You want me to spare your life, that''s not hard, you just need to follow my words in one matter.'' Duan Yu hastily asked: ''What''s the matter?'' That man said: ''From now on, every time you see me you must crawl on the the ground, kowtow to me three times and shout: ''Great master, please spare this little dog''s life!''''


    Once hearing that, Duan Yu boiled with anger and said: ''One can kill a gentleman but cannot insult him. If you want me to kowtow to and beg you, don''t imagine that''s possible. If you wanna kill me, then just kill me now.'' That man said: ''You''re really unafraid of death?'' Duan Yu said: ''Naturally I''m afraid of death. But if every time seeing you I must kneel down and kowtow to you, what the heck will that become?'' That man sneered and said: ''There''s nothing wrong with you kowtowing to me when seeing me. If one day I become the Emperor of the Central Plains, you''ll have to kneel down and kowtow to me when seeing me, won''t you?''


    Hearing him say ''If one day I become the Emperor of the Central Plains'', Wang Yuyan felt scared: ''Why does he also say this kind of words?''


    Duan Yu said: ''Kowtowing when seeing the Emperor, that''s another matter. It''s a salute, and certainly not begging for mercy.''


    That Western Xia warrior said: ''So that means you don''t accept this condition of mine?'' Duan Yu shook his head and said: ''I''m very sorry but I can''t obey your order. Old chap, I deeply beg you to be magnanimous a little.'' That man said: ''Okay, you go down here, I''ll kill you in one saber stance.'' Duan Yu cast a look at Wang Yuyan, he felt grieved and said: ''You already insist on killing me, there''s no way I can do anything about it, but I also have one thing to beg you.'' That man said: ''What?'' Duan Yu said: ''This lady is suffering a strange poison. She doesn''t have any strength in her limbs and can''t walk. Can you please at your convenience take her to her home at Mantuo Villa by Tai Lake?''


    That man ha-ha laughed and said: ''Why should I do this? The East Conquering General of Western Xia has given a military order, that is, whoever captures this learned and talented girl will be rewarded with two thousand gold taels and be conferred on with the Marquis of Ten Thousand Houses title (t/n Íò»§ºî ¨C Wanhu Hou).'' Duan Yu said: ''That''s okay. I''ll write a letter, after you''ve taken this lady back to her home, you can bring this letter to Dali to get five thousand gold taels, the Marquis of Ten Thousand Houses title will also be conferred on you accordingly.'' That man ha-ha laughed loudly and said: ''You think I''m a three year old kid? Who the heck are you? Depending on a letter you little boy write can really get me five thousand gold taels and the conferment of the Marquis of Ten Thousand Houses title?''


    Duan Yu thought this matter was really hard for other people to believe. For the moment he did not know what to do, his hands continuously rubbing against each other. He said: ''This¡­ This¡­ What should I do? I won''t regret it if I die, but if I let you wander around this area and fall into the hands of the bandits then even if I died ten thousand times I still wouldn''t be able to redeem myself.''


    Wang Yuyan heard him say that very sincerely therefore she could not help but feel somewhat moved. She said loudly to the Western Xia man: ''Hey, if you''re rude to me, my biaoge (t/n: an older cousin with a different surname than the speaker''s) will avenge me. He will surely throw Western Xia into a state of extreme confusion and won''t spare even fowls and dogs.'' That man said: ''Who''s your biaoge?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''My biaoge is Mr. Murong, a famous figure of wulin in the Central Plains. I think you''ve heard of the reputation of ''Murong of Gusu'' and the ''Paying Him Back Using His Own Methods'' technique (t/n: ÒÔ±ËÖ®µÀ, »¹Ê©±ËÉí). If you''re rude to me, he''ll treat you badly ten times as much.''


    That man sneered and said: ''If Mr. Murong saw you and this pretty boy being intimate with each other like this, how would he still be willing to avenge you?''


    The face of Wang Yuyan became very red. She said: ''Don''t talk rubbish. I and this Mr. Duan don''t have¡­ don''t have any¡­'' Thinking that this kind of matter should not be talked a lot about, she changed the topic of conversation and asked: ''Hey, master soldier, what''s your name? Do you dare to tell me your name?''


    That Western Xia warrior said: ''Why not? When going I don''t change my surname, when sitting I don''t change my given name, it''s Li Yanzong of Western Xia.''


    Wang Yuyan said: ''Hum, your surname is Li, that''s Western Xia''s national surname.''


    That man said: ''The national surname isn''t everything about me. I serve my country with unreserved loyalty, and will take Liao, destroy Song, wipe out Tufan in the west and annex Dali in the south.''


    Duan Yu said: ''Your ambitions really aren''t small. General Li, let me tell you this. You''re proficient at using secret techniques of different schools so if you wanna become the number one martial user under heaven, I think that''s not hard. But if you wanna annex all the lands under heaven, it''s not like being the number one martial arts user under heaven you''ll be able to get that done.''


    Li Yanzong let out a ''humph'' sound and did not reply.


    Wang Yuyan said: ''Speaking of becoming the number one martial arts user under heaven, you may not necessarily be able to achieve that goal.'' Li Yanzong said: ''How do you know?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''In the world at the moment, as far as I know, there''re two people whose martial arts are far above yours.'' Li Yanzong took a step forwards, raised his head and asked: ''Who are they?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''The first person is the former Chief of the Beggar Society Chief Qiao.'' Li Yanzong let out a ''humph'' sound and said: ''His reputation is great, but he may not necessarily be worthy of it.'' Wang Yuyan said: ''The second person is my biaoge, Mr. Murong Murong Fu of Jiangnan.''


    Li Yanzong shook his head and said: ''That''s not necessarily true either. You put Qiao Feng''s name before Murong Fu''s name out of fairness or out of personal reasons?'' Wang Yuyan asked: ''What is out of fairness? And what is out of personal reasons?'' Li Yanzong said: ''If it''s out of fairness, then you really think Qiao Feng''s martial arts are better than Murong Fu''s; if it''s out of personal reasons, then because Murong Fu and you are relatives, you rank a stranger before him.'' Wang Yuyan said: ''Out of fairness or out of personal reasons are just the same. I naturally hope that my biaoge surpasses Chief Qiao, but at the moment it''s still out of the question.'' Li Yanzong said: ''Though it''s still impossible now, what Qiao Feng excels at are just the martial arts of one school. But your biaoge has extensive knowledge about the world''s martial arts, in the future his skills will improve every day so he''ll be able to become the number one martial arts user under heaven.''


    Wang Yuyan sighed and said: ''That still won''t be possible. In the future, the number one martial arts user under heaven will likely be this Mr. Duan.''


    Li Yanzong turned his face upwards, laughed ha-ha and said: ''Turns out you can joke. This bookworm has merely been given directions by you and learned just the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps''. Don''t tell me that depending on those scampering off like a frightened rat skill and withdrawing into passive defense and fleeing like a turtle skill he''ll be able to get the number one martial arts user under heaven title?''


    Wang Yuyan at first had wanted to say: ''His ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'' technique wasn''t taught by me. His internal energy is vigorous. His base is solid. No one can compare with him.'' But she changed her mind: ''This man seems to be narrow-minded. If I speak the truth, perhaps it won''t be possible for him not to kill Mr. Duan. I''d better incite him a bit.'' She then said: ''If he''s willing to follow my instructions and practice martial arts, three years later, perhaps he still won''t be able to surpass Chief Qiao, but if he wanna defeat you, that''ll be as easy as turning his hand over.''


    Li Yanzong said: ''Very good, I believe your words. To not leave behind the cause of trouble of the other day, I''d better kill him in a saber stance today. Mr. Duan, you get down here, I wanna kill you.''


    Duan Yu hastily said: ''I won''t go downstairs, you¡­ you can''t go up here either.''


    Wang Yuyan had not thought that she would overreach herself. To her surprise this man was not incited. She could only sneer and say: ''So you''re afraid and fear that three years later he''ll outstrip you.''


    Li Yanzong said: ''You''re using a provoking trick to make me spare his life. Ha-ha, what kind of man I am? How can it be that I could easily be fooled? Want me to spare his life, it''s not hard. I already said before, he only needs to kowtow and beg for mercy every time he sees me, I definitely won''t kill him''


    Wang Yuyan looked at Duan Yu, thinking that he would definitely not do that kind of kowtowing and begging for mercy thing therefore the only choice left in this situation was to fight with their backs against the wall. She lowered her voice and asked: ''Mr. Duan, sometimes the energy swords in your fingers work and sometimes they don''t. What''s the cause of that?'' Duan Yu said: ''I don''t know.'' Wang Yuyan said: ''You''d better use your full power to try stabbing him in his right wrist with your energy swords, snatching his long sword then clasping your arms around him tightly and using the ''Snow Melting Six Suns Skill'' to remove his internal energy.'' Duan Yu said in surprise: ''What''s the ''Snow Melting Six Suns Skill''?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''That day at Mantuo Villa, when you subdued mama Yan to save me, didn''t you use this kind of divine skill of the Duan clan in Dali?'' Only now could Duan Yu realize what it was. That day Wang Yuyan had mistaken his ''Beiming Divine Skill'' for the ''Energy Dissolving Great Technique'' which was hated by many people in wulin. At that moment, it had been too late for him to explain therefore he had unthinkingly said that it had been a skill called ''Snow Melting Six Suns Skill'' that had been handed down in the Duan clan in Dali from generation to generation. He had blurted it out therefore he had already forgotten about it, but Wang Yuyan remembered clearly every martial arts of various schools in the world, let alone this kind of extraordinary strange skill.


    Duan Yu nodded, thinking that there was really no other way besides this way, but it was not assured, in brief, it boded ill rather than well. He then righted his clothes and said: ''Miss Wang, I''m incompetent and not able to escort you back to your mansion. I''m really ashamed. Someday, after having returned to your mansion in honor and glory, when you and your biaoxiong (t/n: one''s older male cousin with a different surname) get married, don''t forget to pour down some cups of wine on the camellia trees I myself planted at Mantuo Villa, then I''d be considered as having drunk your wedding wine.''


    Hearing him say that in the future she and her biaoge may get married Wang Yuyan was glad, but she also could not bear seeing him going out for other people to oppress like this. She said in a sad voice: ''Mr. Duan, your great kind act of saving my life, as long as I''m alive I won''t dare to forget.''


    Duan Yu thought: ''If I gotta helplessly see you and Mr. Murong get married in the future, I''ll get madly jealous and my mind will be in torment, it''d be hard for me to live. It''d be better to die for you to day so that I''d feel at ease and justified.'' He turned around and smiled to her then step by step went down on the rungs.


    Wang Yuyan looked at his back and thought: ''This man''s very strange, at this moment how can he still smile?''


    After Duan Yu had climbed down the ladder, he stared at Li Yanzong and said: ''General Li, it''s impossible for you not to kill me, so let''s start!'' As he finished saying he took a stride, which was none other than the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps''.


    Li Yanzong brandished his saber. Shua shua shua, he slashed three times using three other saber techniques of different schools. Wang Yuyan did not consider it to be strange. She thought that among weapons saber had the most schools and stances, therefore if a person was really learned, even if he executed seventy or eighty stances continuously, he would not have to go as far as to use the second stance of any saber technique of a school. Once this Wave Treading Exquisite Steps technique of Duan Yu was used, it was really unpredictable and very strange. Li Yanzong wanted to use the movements of the saber to confine Duan Yu, but even though several times obviously he had already surrounded him somehow Duan Yu unexpectedly stepped out of the encirclement like a ghost. Seeing that Duan Yu could manage to defend himself this time, Wang Yuyan felt a bit more optimistic. She only hoped that he would suddenly attack when the enemy was not ready and emerge victorious from danger.


    Duan Yu secretly channeled his internal energy wanting to shoot it out of his five right fingers, but every time it always stopped when it reached his arm and inexplicably went back. Fortunately, he was already extremely skilled at using the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'' therefore even though Li Yanzong had sped up his saber stances, all along he had not hit Duan Yu''s body.


    Li Yanzong had seen with his own eyes how Duan Yu had killed the Western Xia experts with the bizarre energy of his finger attacks. This moment, seeing Duan Yu poking and drawing in the air with his fingers and being deliberately mystifying, he naturally did not know that it was Duan Yu being unable to make his internal energy come out and only thought that this was the executing method before using his evil technique. He thought when Duan Yu finished performing all of his rites and saying his incantations, he would use this murderous invisible evil technique. Therefore he could not help feeling frightened and considered: ''Besides the bizarre footwork this dude''s martial arts are very mediocre, but his evil technique is dangerous, I must kill him before he uses it. But my saber has always missed him, what should I do?'' An idea sprung up in his mind. He already had a plan. He sent a palm strike backwards which hit the hydraulic wheel and broke a large piece off a plank then made a grab with his left hand, held that piece of wood in his hand and threw it at Duan Yu''s foot. Because Duan Yu was running like the wind, that piece of wood certainly did not hit him. But Li Yanzong continuously threw punches and hand chops, breaking all kinds of household utensils in the mill such as bamboo baskets and rice sacks, grabbed and threw them at Duan Yu''s feet.


    There were more than ten corpses lying in the mill in disorder, and in addition to that, there were a lot of broken household utensils like this, where could Duan Yu still put his feet on? His ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'' totally depended on advancing and retreating elegantly like the wind blowing on the water surface, being natural and unimpeded. But this moment, every step he took was hindered by objects, when he did not stumbled, he stepped on the heads and bodies of the corpses, therefore how could this important secret of ''floating freely like riding the wind'' still be achieved? He knew that if he slowed down just a little he would be parted from his life instantly. Therefore he decisively did not look at the ground and only stepped according to the footwork that he had well practiced. Whether his steps were high or low, whether there were strange sounds under his feet, or whether the tips of his toes kicked something weird, he did not care at all.


    Wang Yuyan also realized that the situation was not all right and shouted: ''Mr. Duan, you quickly rush out of here and run away by yourself, if you keep fighting him here, your life will be in danger.''


    Duan Yu shouted: ''Unless I already get killed, that''s unthinkable. As long as I can still breathe I''ll protect you carefully.''


    Li Yanzong sneered and said: ''Your martial arts are worthless, but you''re the sentimental type, treating Miss Wang with deep affection and serious love like this.'' Duan Yu shook his head and said: ''That''s wrong, that''s wrong. Miss Wang is like a god while I, Duan Yu, am just an ordinary man, how can I dare to talk about love or something like that? As she values me, she''s willing to follow me to find her biaoge. I must repay her for this kind appreciation of me.'' Li Yanzong said: ''Hum, she''s following you to search for her biaoge Mr. Murong, so in her heart she thinks nothing of you at all. You have such wishful thinking, isn''t that like a toad wanting to eat swan meat? Ha-ha, ha-ha! This can make me laugh to death!''


    Duan Yu was not angry at all. He said solemnly: ''You say I''m like a toad and Miss Wang is like a swan, these comparisons are very correct. But I, the toad, am different than the other toads. As long as I see the swan several times, I am already satisfied and don''t have any other wish.''


    When Li Yanzong heard Duan Yu say ''I, the toad, am different than the other toads'', he could not help laughing loudly. It was strange that even though his laughs were resonant his facial muscles were still stiff as usual, and his face did not have any smiling expression. Duan Yu had seen people like Prince Yanqing did not even move their lips while speaking therefore even though Li Yanzong had a strange appearance, he did not find it very surprising. He said: ''Speaking of wooden expression, you''re still very far behind Prince Yanqing. You''re not qualified to become his disciple as well.'' Li Yanzong said: ''Who''s Prince Yanqing?'' Duan Yu said: ''He''s a Dali expert. Your martial arts are quite inferior to his.'' Actually he could not tell whether other people''s martial arts were good or bad at all, but he thought that anyway I was going to die at your hands soon, there was no harm in saying a few words that were unpleasant to the ear to make you angry.


    Li Yanzong let out a ''humph'' sound and said: ''My martial arts are good or bad, how could a boy like you understand?'' His mouth talked yet all the while the saber in his hand had still been brandished with great ease and more and more urgently.


    Seeing that Duan Yu was swaying, his footsteps suddenly became disorderly, and the situation was very difficult, Wang Yuyan shouted: ''Mr. Duan, you quickly run to the outside, if you wanna hold him back, the outside is still the same.'' Duan Yu said: ''You can''t move, if you stay here alone my mind won''t be at ease. There''re many corpses here, a young girl like you is certainly scared, I''d better say here with you.'' Wang Yuyan sighed and thought: ''You''re so silly, taking into consideration even whether I''m afraid of corpses but disregarding the chance that you yourself will get killed in a flash.''


    At that moment, whenever Duan Yu put his feet down he kicked or tripped on something. Several times the blade of the enemy passed by and missed the top of his head and his body by a hair''s breadth. He was so scared that he trembled uncontrollably and continuously thought: ''If in a slash like this he cuts off half of my head, it certainly won''t be fun. A gentleman is flexible. For the sake of Miss Wang, I''d better kneel down, kowtow and beg him to spare my life.'' Even though he thought so, in the end he could not say it.


    Li Yanzong sneered: ''I see that you are already extremely frightened and only wanna run away.'' Duan Yu said: ''Life and death are important matters, who aren''t frightened? After the death, everything will be ended. I already thought of running away but I can''t run away.'' Li Yanzong said: ''Why?'' Duan Yu said: ''It''s no use talking much. I''m counting from one to ten, if you still won''t be able to kill me, you mustn''t follow and cling to me like a leech. You can''t kill me, I can''t kill you either. If we keep playing hide and seek tediously like this, it would make Miss Wang, a bystander, feel very bored and unhappy.''


    He opened his mouth and counted without waiting for Li Yanzong to agree: ''One; two; three¡­'' Li Yanzong said: ''What''s your stupid game?'' Duan Yu kept counting: ''Four; five; six¡­'' Li Yanzong laughed and said: ''Why on earth are there humdrum dudes like you? You''ve really disgraced the words ''Martial arts''.'' Hu-hu-hu he slashed continuously three times. Duan Yu accelerated his footsteps, his mouth also counted faster: ''Seven; eight; nine; ten; eleven; twelve; thirteen¡­ Okay, I''ve counted to thirteen yet you still haven''t killed me, why haven''t you admitted defeat? I see that you''re already hungry. Your mouth is dry too. Just go to Songhe Tower in Wuxi, have some cups of wine and eat some delicacies, how pleasant!'' Seeing that the enemy was unwilling to give up, he wanted to use wine and food to tempt him.


    Li Yanzong thought: ''I''ve met countless tough enemies in my life, but none of them is like this dude. Saying that he''s skilled is not correct but saying that he''s stupid isn''t correct either, his martial arts aren''t good and aren''t bad. He''s rare in the world. If I keep being entangled with him, who knows where it''ll all end? I''m afraid if I become slightly careless and get hit with his evil technique, I''ll lose my life here instead. I must think of another surprising plan.'' He knew that Duan Yu cared about Wang Yuyan very much therefore he suddenly raised his head, looked at the garret and shouted: ''Very good, very good, you guys quickly kill the girl then come down to help me.''


    Duan Yu was very frightened, thinking that there were really enemies having climbed up to the garret to attack Wang Yuyan. He hastily raised his head. His footsteps became slightly slower. Li Yanzong made a sweep of his own leg which hit Duan Yu and sent him falling. His left foot stepped on the chest of Duan Yu and his steel saber was put on his neck. Duan Yu extended his finger wanting to poke, but Li Yanzong''s right hand slightly increased pressure, the blade of the saber immediately went into his flesh several fen''s (t/n: 1 fen = 0.3333 cm). He shouted: ''Make a move, and I''ll cut your head off in an instant.''


    At this moment, seeing clearly that there was no enemy on the garret Duan Yu immediately felt relaxed. He smiled and said: ''So you fooled me, Miss Wang is not in danger.'' After that he sighed and said: ''What a pity, what a pity.'' Li Yanzong asked: ''Pity what?'' Duan Yu said: ''Your martial arts are very good. At first you could be regarded as a brave man so if I, Duan Yu, had died at your hands, it''d have made sense. But unexpectedly you couldn''t beat me with martial arts. Instead you used a trick and followed the way of despicable scoundrels. Don''t tell me that I won''t die an unfair death?''


    Li Yanzong said: ''I''ve never been incited by other people. If you think you''ll die an unfair death and feel discontent, then bring a lawsuit to the King of Hell!''


    Wang Yuyan shouted: ''General Li, hold on.'' Li Yanzong said: ''What?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''If you kill him, then unless you also kill me immediately, there''ll be one day I''ll kill you to avenge Mr. Duan.'' Li Yanzong was startled and said: ''Didn''t you say you wanted your biaoge to find me?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''My biaoge''s martial arts may not necessarily be better than yours but I have the ability to kill you.'' Li Yanzong sneered and said: ''How do you know?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''Though your knowledge about martial arts is extensive, it''s still less than half of mine. At first when I saw that your saber technique had many varieties I had a high opinion of you, but after seeing fifty stances, I thought your saber technique was merely like that. It''s seemingly unkind to say that ''all your tricks have been exhausted'', but in brief, your knowledge is still far inferior to mine.'' (T/n: All your tricks have been exhausted - ǭ¿¼¼Çî ¨C Taken from Liao Zongyuan''s ''Three Warnings: The Donkey of Qian'' (Qian - Guizhou province) which literally means ''The tricks of the Donkey of Qian have been exhausted.'')


    Li Yanzong said: ''The saber technique I''ve used so far doesn''t have two stances belonging to the same school. How do you know that my knowledge is far inferior to yours? How do you know if I still have many unused martial arts?''


    Wang Yuyan said: ''Just now when you used the ''Flying Sand in the Great Desert'' stance of Yushu School in Qinghai, Mr. Duan quickly stepped over, had you used the seventeenth stance of the ''Feathered Raiment Saber'' of Taiyi School then used the ''Clear Wind Slowly Coming'' stance of Lingfei School you''d have already flattened him. Why did you gotta be flashy and use the Hao Clan''s Saber Technique of Shanxi? And why did you gotta use a trick, fooling him into losing concentration because of caring about me, to get a victory? I see that you don''t know anything about saber techniques of Taoist schools (t/n: Taiyi School - Ì«ÒÒÅÉ ¨C is a Taoist school).'' Li Yanzong said without thinking: ''Saber techniques of Taoist schools?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''Yes. I guess you think Taoists are only good at swordsmanship, but you don''t know that the saber techniques of famous Taoist schools have softness in hardness, which is another achievement.'' Li Yanzong sneered and said: ''Your words are really conceited. Saying like this, you must be passionately in love with this Duan-surnamed boy.''


    Wang Yuyan blushed and said: ''Passionately in love what? I never have anything called ''love'' for him. But he already dies for me so I certainly should be determined to avenge him.''


    Li Yanzong asked: ''You won''t regret saying this in any way?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''Of course I won''t regret at all.''


    Li Yanzong let out some sneers, took out from his bosom a porcelain bottle and threw it onto Duan Yu''s body. A ''shua'' sound was heard, he had already put the saber back in its sheath. His silhouette then flashed, in an instant he was already on the outside. There was a neigh, followed by hoofbeats ''clop-clop''. Unexpectedly the rider made the horse run farther and farther, and thus he left.


    Duan Yu stood up and stroked the trace of saber on his neck. It still felt a little pain. He felt as if he was dreaming. Wang Yuyan had not expected this to happen either. Both of them, one upstairs, one downstairs, gazed at each other, feeling both happy and surprised.


    After a long while, Duan Yu said: ''He left.'' Wang Yuyan also said: ''He left.'' Duan Yu laughed: ''Excellent, excellent! He unexpectedly didn''t kill me. Miss Wang, your accomplishments in martial arts outclass his, he was afraid of you.'' Wang Yuyan said: ''Not necessarily, had he killed you, after that he''d have needed only one saber stance to kill me, wouldn''t that have been neat and tidy?'' Duan Yu scratched his head and said: ''That''s right. But¡­ But¡­ Hum, he saw that you''re just like a goddess, how could he dare to kill you?''


    Wang Yuyan blushed and thought: ''A bookworm like you regards me as a god. But how could this kind of cruel and merciless Western Xia warrior care about me?''


    Seeing that she suddenly had a shy expression, Duan Yu did not understand why and said: ''I wanted to disregard my life and keep you safe by all means. Unexpectedly, you''re safe and sound, and I can still continue living my little life, this can be considered utmost luck.''


    He took a step forwards, a ''dang'' sound was heard, a small porcelain bottle had dropped on the ground. It was the bottle that Li Yanzong had thrown onto his body. He picked it up, had a look and saw that there were ten seal characters written on the bottle: ''A breath will instantly remove the Sad Weak Clear Wind.'' Duan Yu muttered: ''What''s the ''Sad Weak Clear Wind''? Hum, this''s likely the antidote.'' He pulled the stopper out of the bottle. An unbearably strange stinking smell went straight into his nose. Feeling dizzy and almost passing out, he was frightened and hastily put the stopper back in the bottle, then shouted: ''I''m fooled. I''m fooled. How stinking! It''s like going into an abalone and fish market!'' (T/n: An abalone and fish market - ±«ÓãÖ®ËÁ ¨C taken from the Analects of Confucius to emphasize the idea that Duan Yu was a bookworm.)


    Wang Yuyan said: ''Please take it for me to sniff, maybe fighting poison with poison will prove effective.'' Duan Yu said: ''Yes!'' then brought the porcelain bottle to Wang Yuyan and said: ''This thing is very stinking and hard to bear, do you really wanna try?'' Wang Yuyan nodded. Duan Yu held the stopper in his hand but he had not removed it yet.


    In a very short time, countless thoughts spun in his mind: ''If this antidote is really useful and removes the poison inside her, she won''t need to depend on my help. Her abilities are one hundred times better than mine, why would she want me to go with her? Even if she doesn''t forbid me to follow her, when she meets the person of her heart Murong Fu, would I just stand to the side and helplessly watch them being affectionate endlessly towards each other? Hear them talking about love? Could it be that I, Duan Yu, really have this ability? Would I be able to stay calm and maintain my composure? Would I be able not to show any sulky expression and not to say any resentful word?''


    Seeing him having a dazed expression and not saying a word, Wang Yuyan smiled and said: ''What are you thinking? Just take it for me to sniff. I''m not afraid of the stink.'' Duan Yu hastily said: ''Yes, yes!'' then removed the stopper of the bottle and moved the bottle to Wang Yuyan''s nose. Wang Yuyan took a deep breath then said in fright: ''A''yo, it''s really stinking.'' Duan Yu said: ''Yes. I already said it likely wasn''t useful.'' He wanted to put the bottle into his bosom but Wang Yuyan said: ''Let me try sniffing it one more time.'' Duan Yu put the porcelain bottle next to Wang Yuyan''s nose again. He himself did not know if he was hoping that the antidote would be effective or not.


    Wang Yuyan frowned, covered up her nostrils with her hand, smiled and said: ''I''d rather be unable to move my limbs than sniff this stinking thing¡­ Ah! My hand, my hand can move already!'' It turned out she had already unconsciously raised her right hand and covered her nostrils with it. Previously, it had been very strenuous and difficult for her to even press and keep the clothes wrapping around her body immobile.


    As she was happy, she took the bottle in Duan Yu'' hand and sniffed it deeply. Knowing that this stinking gas was very effective, she did not fear it anymore and took several sniffs. The softness and weakness in her limbs gradually faded away. She turned towards Duan Yu and said: ''Can you please go downstairs? I wanna change clothes.''


    Duan Yu hastily said: ''Yes, yes!'' and quickly went downstairs. Seeing that corpses were lying everywhere, and except for the couple of young peasants the rest had been killed at his own hands, he felt extremely regretful. He saw that the eyes of a Western Xia warrior were still wide opened and looking at him. Really, that man had died with an everlasting grievance. He made a deep bow and said: ''Old chap, if I hadn''t killed you, then you would''ve killed me. At that time lying here wouldn''t have been you but would''ve been Duan Yu instead. I had no alternative, but my mind really is extremely unease and regretful. In the future when I''ve returned to Dali, I will definitely invite eminent monks to chant scriptures and release the souls of all of you from suffering.'' He turned around, cast a look at the corpses of the couple of young peasants, then turned his head towards the corpses of the Western Xia warriors and said: ''I was the person you wanna kill and Miss Wang was the person you wanna capture, why did you gotta kill innocent people?''


    Wang Yuyan had finished changing clothes. She took the wet clothes and went down using the ladder. Her limbs were still slightly aching and weak. Seeing Duan Yu looking at the corpses and mumbling endlessly she smiled and asked: ''What are you saying?'' Duan Yu said: ''I only feel that having killed this many people, my mind is deeply regretful and uneasy.''


    Wang Yuyan muttered: ''Mr. Duan, you think why that Western Xia warrior surnamed Li gave me the antidote?''


    Duan Yu said: ''This¡­ this¡­ I don''t know either¡­ Ah¡­ I already know. He¡­ he¡­'' He said the word ''He'' continuously several times. Inwardly he wanted to continue saying: ''He must have started to admire you.'' But he thought if he said that a rude and cruel Western Xia warrior like this man had started to admire Wang Yuyan, wouldn''t that offend the belle? She is incomparably beautiful and all people have a love for beauty, if everyone admired her, what would be so rare about this great admiration I, Duan Yu, have for her? Wouldn''t I and every other man in the world be exactly alike? Alas, being willing to die for her, what''s so amazing about it? Let alone I haven''t died for her. Thinking to here, he said: ''I¡­ I don''t know.''


    Wang Yuyan said: ''Maybe there''re Western Xia warriors coming in large quantities. We must leave quickly. You say where should we go to?'' In her heart she naturally wanted to go find her biaoge, but she found it embarrassing to say it straightforwardly like that.


    Duan Yu knew clearly what her worries were therefore he said: ''Where do you wanna go to?'' Asking this question he felt greatly distressed in his heart. He only waited for her to say ''I wanna go find my biaoge'' to put on a bold face and say: ''I''ll go with you.''


    Wang Yuyan twiddled with the porcelain bottle in her hand, blushed and said: ''This¡­ this¡­'' After a while she continued: ''The brave men of the Beggar Society have been poisoned with this ''Sad Weak Clear Wind'' poison, if my biaoge was here, he might take the antidote for them to sniff. Besides, I''m afraid A''Zhu and A''Bi have already fallen into the hands of the enemies¡­''


    Duan Yu jumped up and said loudly: ''Yes! The two ladies A''Zhu and A''Bi are in danger. We must immediately go forwards and think of a way to save them.''


    Wang Yuyan thought: ''This matter is very dangerous. Depending on the abilities of two of us, how can we save people from the hands of Western Xia warriors? But A''Zhu and A''Bi are trusted maids of my biaoge, I already know that they''ve fallen into the hands of the enemy, how is it possible not to save them? There''s no choice but to play it by ear.'' She then said: ''Very good, let''s go.''


    Duan Yu pointed at the corpses lying in disorder on the ground and said: ''We must bury them properly and investigate the name of each one, then at the grave of each person we must set up a tombstone. Someday, when their families come here to look for their remains to move to their native lands, there''ll be a piece of evidence.''


    Wang Yuyan giggled and said: ''Okay, you stay here to take care of their funeral arrangements. Dressing and laying them in coffins, burying them, issuing obits, receiving condolences, reading funeral addresses, making couplets, performing memorial services, releasing hungry ghosts, it seems there''re also things like the first seventh day, the second seventh day and so on. After seven times seven equaling forty nine days, you go notify their families'' members one after another for them to come here for moving the remains and reburial.'' (T/n: Things that need to be done in a traditional Chinese funeral.)


    Duan Yu noticed that there was a mocking undertone in her words. After thinking, he himself also found what he wanted to do unsuitable. He also smiled and said: ''In your opinion, what should we do?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''Burning up everything with a fire, wouldn''t that be better?'' Duan Yu said: ''This¡­ hum, doesn''t it seem to be too disrespectful?'' He muttered to himself for a long while, then seeing that there was not any better way he had no choice but to go find kindling and ignited the stack of straws in the mill. In a short period of time after they got to the outside of the mill a fierce flame rose high into the air and blazed chaotically.


    Duan Yu respectfully knelt down, kowtowed and said: ''Forms and bodies are impermanent, and cannot be maintained forever. You brothers today lost your lives at my hands. Perhaps that''s the karmic retribution for your previous lives. I hope your souls will go to the Paradise and escape from the sufferings of the Samsara forever. Please don''t blame me, please don''t blame me.'' Only after mumbling for a long while did he stand up.


    There were ten horses tethered under the tree outside of the mill. They were the horses that the Western Xia warriors had ridden. Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan each rode a horse and ran along the wide road. They vaguely heard ''tang-tang'' sounds of gongs and a hullabaloo of people shouting, peasants in the neighborhood was rushing to the mill to fight fire.


    Duan Yu said: ''Oh well, a big mill was burnt because of me, I feel extremely sorry.'' Wang Yuyan said: ''Why are you saying so many womanish words like this? Though my mother is a woman, she acts straightforwardly and resolutely. When she says she''ll do something, she''ll definitely do it. You''re a man, yet you have so many worries and rules.'' Duan Yu thought: ''Your mother frequently kills people, uses human flesh to make a fertilizer for flowers, how can I be a match for her?'' He said: ''I killed so many people like this for the first time and set other people''s house on fire, so unavoidably I feel somewhat frightened and disturbed.'' Wang Yuyan said: ''Hum! That''s right, someday when you''ve got used to it, you wouldn''t be concerned.'' Duan Yu was startled. He waved his hand repeatedly and said: ''Absolutely impossible, absolutely impossible. One time is already excessive, how can it be done once more? (T/n: һ֮ΪÉõ,Æä¿ÉÔÙºõ ¨C Duan Yu took this sentence directly from Zuo Zhuan ×ó´«) Things like killing people and committing arson can''t be done again.''


    Wang Yuyan and he were riding their horses side by side. She turned her head and looked at him. Feeling very surprised, she said: ''In jianghu, things like killing people and committing arson happen every day. Mr. Duan, from now on you wash your hands of them and no longer get involved in jianghu right?'' Duan Yu said: ''My bofu (²®¸¸ ¨C father''s elder brother) and my father wanted me to learn martial arts. I said I wouldn''t agree to learn anything. Unexpectedly the situation became critical and eventually still forced me to learn. Alas, I don''t know how I should act.'' Wang Yuyan smiled and said: ''So your ambitions are to study and become an official then in the future become a scholar or prime minister, right?'' Duan Yu said: ''That''s not true either. There ain''t anything interesting about being an official.'' Wang Yuyan said: ''So what do you wanna do? Could it be that you, you''re just like my biaoge, day and night wanting to be an emperor?'' Duan Yu asked in surprise: ''Mr. Murong wants to be an emperor?''


    Wang Yuyan blushed because she had unconsciously revealed the secret of her biaoge. After the battle in the mill, in which she and Duan Yu had gone through trials and tribulations together and narrowly escaped death, she felt that his nature was affable and she could talk about just anything in front of him, but the high ambition to wholeheartedly restore the former state of Yan of Murong Fu after all should not be let out. She said: ''These words were blurted out by me. Please make sure you don''t tell anyone else about them. Furthermore, you shouldn''t mention them in front of my biaoge either, or else he might blame me a lot.''


    Duan Yu felt grieved in his heart and thought: ''Why are you so worried like this? If your biaoge wanna blame you, then just let him blame.'' But he had to reply: ''Okay, I just don''t care about your biaoge''s unimportant businesses. If he was an emperor, fine, if he was a beggar, also fine, I don''t care at all.''


    Wang Yuyan blushed again, feeling that his tone was sulky, she softly said: ''Mr. Duan, are you angry?''


    Since they had become acquainted with each other, Duan Yu had always seen that she totally thought and talked about her biaoge Mr. Murong. This was the first time she had talked to him sincerely with gentle words like this therefore he could not help but feel elated and burst with joy, almost falling down from the saddle. He hastily sat stably, smiled and said: ''No, no. What am I angry about? Miss Wang, all my life, I will never ever be angry with you.''


    Wang Yuyan devoted all of her affections to her biaoge. Even though Duan Yu had disregarded his own life to save her, she only felt grateful for his kindness and admired his heroic and righteous heart. At this moment, hearing him saying ''all my life, I will never ever be angry with you'' in an extremely sincere manner, just like taking an oath, she suddenly realized: ''He¡­ he¡­ Is he confessing his affection for me?'' She could not help feeling ashamed to the extent that all of her face became very red. She slowly bowed her head and softly said: ''You''re not angry, then that''s good.''


    Duan Yu was delighted, for the moment he did not know what to say. After a while, he said: ''I don''t want anything. I only hope it''d be like this forever. This can make me perfectly satisfied. I have no other demand.'' The words ''it''d be like this forever'' only meant riding two horses side by side with her.


    Wang Yuyan did not like to hear him talk like that again, her pretty face slightly darkened, she said solemnly: ''Mr. Duan, your great kindness of saving my life today, I will never forget. But my heart¡­ my heart has long belonged to another person. I hope you''ll talk with politeness so that at some future time we''ll still be able to see each other.''


    These few sentences hit Duan Yu like an extremely heavy stick, making him see flashes of light fluttering before his eyes and almost pass out.


    The meaning of her words could not be clearer: ''My heart has long belonged to Mr. Murong. From now on, you can''t say any word of admiration, if not I can''t see you again. Don''t flatter yourself that because you did me a kindness you can vainly covet me.'' These few sentences were not immoderate at all and Duan Yu also already knew her feelings, but this time she personally said them, therefore when he heard her words, the taste was really hard to bear. He took a furtive glance at Wang Yuyan to see her expression. Seeing that she looked solemn, really no different to the jade statue in the stone cave in Dali, he could not help but feel that a catastrophe was about to befall him. He thought: ''Duan Yu ah Duan Yu, you''ve already met this lady, but her heart has long belonged to another man. In this life, you''re destined to suffer all kinds of torments and to be indescribably miserable.''


    Two of them kept riding side by side in silence. No one said a word again.


    Wang Yuyan thought: ''He''s likely being angry, very angry. But I''d better pretend that I don''t know about it. If this time I apologized to him, later he''d likely always follow me and say these dubious words. If they reached biaoge, biaoge would definitely be unhappy.'' Duan Yu thought: ''If I say a sentence that reveals my feelings for her once more, wouldn''t that be frivolous and boring, and be disrespectful to her? From now on, Duan Yu''d rather die than say half of any of these sentences again.'' Wang Yuyan thought: ''He doesn''t say a sentence and just rides the horse straight forwards, most probably he knows where to go to save A''Zhu and A''Bi.'' Duan Yu also thought like this: ''She doesn''t say a sentence and just rides the horse straight forwards, most probably she knows where to go to save A''Zhu and A''Bi.''


    After going for roughly a meal''s time, they arrived at an intersection. Two of them coincidentally said at the same time: ''Turn left or turn right?'' After exchanging a questioning look, they asked at the same time again: ''You don''t know the way? Alas, I thought that you knew.'' After saying those two sentences, both of them found this totally amusing and laughed heartily together. The heavy atmosphere of just a moment ago was swept away.


    But they knew nothing about affairs in jianghu, after discussing for a long time, they still could not figure out where they should go to save people. In the end Duan Yu said: ''They captured a large number of the Beggar Society''s members. Regardless of whether they have killed them or are still keeping them prisoners, there''re always some traces we can look for. We''d better return to the apricot forest to see first then talk later.'' Wang Yuyan said: ''Return to the apricot forest? If those Western Xia warriors are still there, wouldn''t we hurl ourselves willingly into the net?'' Duan Yu said: ''I think after such heavy rain just now they''re certainly gone. Okay, you''ll wait for me outside of the apricot forest. I''ll quietly go inside to have a look. If the enemies really are still there, we''ll turn around and run away immediately.''


    Very soon two of them agreed that Duan Yu would use the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'' to rush to A''Zhu and A''Bi, let them sniff that bottle of the stinking antidote, then after the detoxification think of a way to save them.


    After identifying the way, two of them made the horses run very fast, in a short time they already arrived at the outside of the forest. They got off the horses and tied them to an apricot tree. Duan Yu held the porcelain bottle in his hand and walked on tiptoe into the forest.


    There was full of mud inside the forest, the underbrush was still soaking with beads of water. Duan Yu scanned around, and there was not a single soul in sight. He shouted: ''Miss Wang, there''s no one here.'' Wang Yuyan ran into the forest and said: ''They''re really gone. Let''s go into Wuxi city to scout for information.'' Duan Yu said: ''Very good.'' Thinking that he would be able to ride horses side by side with her on another stretch of road, he felt very happy and could not refrain from showing a smiling expression on his face.


    Wang Yuyan said in surprise: ''I said something wrong?'' Duan Yu hastily said: ''No. Let''s go into Wuxi city.'' Wang Yuyan said: ''Then why are you smiling?'' Duan Yu turned his head away, not daring to look squarely at Wang Yuyan, smiled and said: ''Sometimes I can smile foolishly, you don''t need to pay attention to it.'' Wang Yuyan found it funny and also let out some laughs. As soon as this happened, Duan Yu could not help laughing loudly ha-ha.

 Chapter - 18 The Hero Had to Exhaust His Tears Because of the Hu-han Gratitude And Rancor.

    Two of them gently controlled the bridles and let the horses run slowly to Wuxi. After going for several li (t/n: 0.5 km) they suddenly saw a corpse hanging on a roadside pine tree. Judging from the clothes, it was a Western Xia warrior. Going for several more zhang''s (t/n: 3.333 m), they saw two corpses of Western Xia warriors lying beside a hillside. The blood on the wounds had not yet been dry. They had died not long ago. Duan Yu said: ''These Western Xia men had met opponents, Miss Wang, you think who killed them?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''This man''s martial arts are extremely good, killing people just by raising his hands, and without the slightest effort. He''s really terrific. Yi, who''s there?''


    They saw on the wide road there were two horses coming side by side. One of the two people riding the horses was wearing a red gown, and the other was wearing a green gown. They were none other than A''Zhu and A''Bi. Duan Yu was very happy. He shouted: ''Miss A''Zhu, Miss A''Bi, you have escaped from dangers! Good, extremely good! Wonderful!''


    The four people rode their horses and gathered. They all felt very happy. A''Zhu said: ''Miss Wang, Mr. Duan, why do you return? I and Sister A''Bi were thinking of going to look for ''you''.'' (T/n: you ¨C plural) Duan Yu said: ''We were also looking for you.'' As he finished saying he cast a look at Wang Yuyan, thinking that if he could be grouped together with her in ''we'', that would really be a great honor. Wang Yuyan said: ''How did you escape? Have you sniffed that stinking bottle?'' A''Zhu smiled and said: ''It''s really extremely stinking, Miss, you''ve also sniffed it? It was also Chief Qiao who saved you?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''No. Mr. Duan saved me. You were saved by Chief Qiao?''


    Hearing her personally say the sentence ''Mr. Duan saved me'', Duan Yu felt buoyant as if he was on cloud nine, after that he felt giddy, and almost fell down from horseback.


    A''Zhu said: ''Yes, after I and A''Bi were poisoned, we were in a daze and could not move. Together with the Beggar Society''s people, we were tied up by those Western Xia barbarians then put on horseback. After going for a while, it started to rain heavily so they divided the task of finding a rain shelter among themselves then dispersed. Several Western Xia warriors took me and A''Bi into a summerhouse over there to avoid the rain. Only when the heavy rain had stopped did they go out. At that time, in the back there was someone coming on a horse. He was Chief Qiao. Seeing two of us being tied up by Western Xia men he was very surprised. When he hadn''t asked any question, I and A''Bi already shouted: ''Chief Qiao, save me!'' As soon as those Western Xia warriors heard the two words ''Chief Qiao'', they one after another drew their weapons to kill him. As a result, some were hung on a pine tree, some rolled down a hillside, and some fell into a brook.''


    Wang Yuyan smiled and said: ''That''s what happened just now, right?''


    A''Zhu said: ''Yes. I said: ''Chief Qiao, I and my sister are poisoned, sorry to trouble you, but could you search for the antidote on the Western Xia barbarians'' bodies please?'' Chief Qiao ferreted out a small porcelain bottle on the corpse of a Western Xia warrior. Whether it was sweet or stinking, there''s no need to talk much about that.''


    Wang Yuyan asked: ''Where''s Chief Qiao?'' A''Zhu said: ''Hearing that the Beggar Society''s people had all been poisoned and captured he said he wanted to go save them and hurriedly left. He also asked about Mr Duan, looking very concerned.'' Duan Yu sighed and said: ''This sworn big brother of mine really has a deep and serious sense of personal loyalty.'' A''Zhu said: ''The Beggar Society''s people couldn''t tell good and bad apart and drove away a good Chief. Now they''re suffering from their own actions, serves them right. In my opinion, Chief Qiao doesn''t need to save them at all. Just let them taste some misfortunes. See if they''ll still rashly expel people?'' Duan Yu said: ''My sword big brother is a faithful man. He''d rather have other people turn their backs on him but he himself won''t agree to turn his back on them.''


    A''Bi said: ''Miss Wang, where are we going now?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''At first I and Mr Duan discussed that we had to go save you two. Now all the four of us are safe. This really can''t be better. The Beggar Society''s affairs aren''t related to us at all. In my opinion, let''s to Shaolin Monastery to look for your young master, is that okay?'' What the two pretty girls A''Zhu and A''Bi cared for the most was also Mr Murong, hearing her say so they clapped their hands and cheered at the same time. Duan Yu felt very grieved but he calmly said: ''This young master of yours, I really admire him very much, and must meet him by all means. Anyway there''s nothing to do so I''ll follow you to Shaolin Monastery one time.''


    Immediately the four people turned their horses and went towards the north. Wang Yuyan and the two pretty girls A''Zhu and A''Bi continuously smiled and talked about things like how dangerous it had been in the mill, how Duan Yu had dealt with the enemies, and how Li Yanzong, a Western Xia warrior, had spared their lives and given them the antidote in detail. A''Zhu and A''Bi were surprised ceaselessly.


    Whenever the three young girls talked to an interesting part, they chuckled and often turned their heads and looked at Duan Yu. They used their sleeves to cover up their mouths but also did not dare to laugh freely. Duan Yu knew they were talking about his own foolish actions, but thinking that even though he had acted like a clown, in the end he had protected Wang Yuyan carefully, he could not help feeling both ashamed and somewhat proud; seeing that the three young girls were very close to each other and were treating him as a complete outsider, he thought that at this moment it was already like this, wait until they met Mr Murong, he himself would naturally have no place to take shelter, Murong Fu would probably be like Bao Butong and would drive himself away without any courtesy. The more he thought the more bored and apathetic he felt.


    After going for several li''s (t/n: 1 li = 0.5 km) and passing through a big wood of mulberry trees, they suddenly heard the sounds of two boys crying at the edge of the wood. The four people urged their horses forward and saw that they were two fourteen or fifteen year old little Buddhist novices. Their Buddhist robes were full of bloodstains. One of them was even injured in the forehead. A''Bi softly asked: ''Little monks, who bullied you? Why are you injured?''


    The Buddhist novice who was not injured in the forehead cried and said: ''There were lots and lots of foreign villains coming to the temple. They killed our master and chased the two of us away.'' When the four people heard the two words ''foreign villains'', they all looked at each other and thought: ''Are they those Western Xia men?'' A''Zhu asked: ''Where''s your temple? Who are the foreign villains?'' That little Buddhist novice said: ''We''re from Tianning Temple, over there¡­'' As he finished saying he pointed to the northeast and said again: ''Those foreigners had captured more than one hundred beggars and went into the temple to avoid the rain. They demanded wine and meat and also wanted to kill fowls and cattle. Our master said that was a sin and did not let them kill the cattle in the temple. They then killed our master and more than ten apprentice brothers in the temple, boohoo, boohoo.'' A''Zhu asked: ''Have they gone?'' The little Buddhist novice pointed to the wisp of kitchen smoke that was rising and waving in the wind behind the mulberry wood and said: ''They''re cooking cattle meat. What a sin. Bodhisattva bless, please throw these foreigners into the Avici Hell.'' A''Zhu said: ''You should quickly run a little far away from here. If you two get caught by those foreigners, they''ll butcher and eat you.'' Frightened, the two little Buddhist novices staggered away.


    Duan Yu disapproved of that and said: ''The two of them already have no way out. Sister A''Zhu, why did you need to threaten them?'' A''Zhu smiled and said: ''This wasn''t threatening. What I said was the truth.'' A''Bi said: ''The Beggar Society''s people have already been kept prisoners in that Tianning Temple but Chief Qiao has pursued in the direction of Wuxi city. He''s certainly rushed for nothing.''


    A''Zhu suddenly had an odd idea and said: ''Miss Wang, I wanna disguise myself as Chief Qiao and sneak in the temple, then throw that stinking bottle for the beggars to sniff. After they''ve escaped from danger, they''ll sure feel very grateful to Chief Qiao.'' Wang Yuyan smiled and said: ''Chief Qiao is big in stature and is a tall muscular man. How can you disguise yourself as him?'' A''Zhu smiled and said: ''The harder it gets, the more obvious A''Zhu''s skills are.'' Wang Yuyan smiled and said: ''You can make yourself look like Chief Qiao, but you can''t immitate his unmatched extraordinary skills. There''re full of Western Xia''s First-class Hall''s experts in Tianning Temple, how can you come and go freely? In my opinion, disguishing yourself as a cook or an old peasant woman who sells vegetables would make it a bit easier to sneak in.'' A''Zhu said: ''You want me to disguise as an old peasant woman. There''s nothing interesting about it. I''m not going.''


    Wang Yuyan looked at Duan Yu, wanting to say something but not being able to say it. Duan Yu asked: ''Miss, what do you wanna say?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''I just wanted to ask you to disguise as a person, and go with A''Zhu to Tianning Temple, but after considering I find it inappropriate.'' Duan Yu said: ''Who do you want me to disguise as?'' Wang Yuyan said: ''The brave men of the Beggar Society have a very suspicious mind. They''ve wrongly accused my biaoge and Chief Qiao of colluding with each other and killing their Vice-Chief Ma. If¡­ if¡­ my biaoge and Chief Qiao free them from difficult situations, then they won''t blindly suspect anymore.'' Duan Yu felt very sad and said: ''You want me to disguise as your biaoge?'' The white face of Wang Yuyan reddened. She said: ''The enemies in Tianning Temple are very strong so it''ll be very dangerous for you two to go like this. Not going is still better.''


    Duan Yu thought: ''I''ll do whatever you want me to do. Even if my body is ground to dust I won''t hesitate.'' Suddenly he also thought: ''When I''ve disguised as her biaoge, maybe her manner towards me will be a bit different. It''ll also be good to conveniently enjoy her tenderness in a short while.'' Thinking to here, he could not help feeling very excited and said: ''What''s so dangerous about it? Running away is exactly my speciality.''


    Wang Yuyan said: ''I already said it was inappropriate. My biaoge kills the enemies as easily as turning his hand over, and has never run away.'' As soon as Duan Yu heard that, he felt a stream of cold air running straight down from the top of his head. He thought: ''Your biaoge is a great hero and a great person of exceptional abilities. I''m just not suitable to disguise as him. If I imitate him and make a fool of myself in front of other people, that''ll certainly desecrate his reputation.'' Seeing that he was being in low spirits, A''Bi said to console him: ''The enemies outnumber us so it''s urgent that we temporarily step aside. We only wanna save people, and not to become well-known by competing in martial arts.''


    A''Zhu''s pair of clever eyes looked at Duan Yu from the head to the feet to size him up. After quite a while she nodded and said: ''Mr Duan, it''s really quite hard for you to disguise as our young master. Luckily, the Beggar Society''s people have never known our young master, so we only need a person that generally looks and sounds like him.'' Duan Yu said: ''Your skills are great, it''s suitable for you to disguise as Chief Qiao. Otherwise, because Chief Qiao was the man that the Beggar Society''s people met daily, if there''s a little bit of flaw, our true identities will immediately be exposed.'' A''Zhu smiled and said: ''Chief Qiao is a stately man but it''s easy for me to disguise as him. Our young master is almost the same as you in stature, his age is also not older than yours too much, both of you are young masters of influential families and like to study, but if we want you to give up your true appearance and change into a Mr Murong, that''s really very hard.''


    Duan Yu sighed and said: ''Mr Murong is a phoenix or dragon among people, how can other people imitate him perfectly (Duan Yu''s words are ºªµ¦Ñ§²½ ¨C learn to walk the Handan style ¨C taken from ''Zhuangzi ¨C Autumn Water'')? I think it''d still be better if in disguise I don''t look very similar to him, otherwise when I run away, wouldn''t that damage Mr Murong''s distinct and good reputation?''


    Wang Yuyan blushed and said in a low voice: ''Mr Duan, I made a slip of the tongue, are you still angry with me?'' Duan Yu hastily said: ''No, no, how do I dare to be angry with you?''


    Wang Yuyan gave a charming smile and said: ''Sister A''Zhu, where''re you two going to disguise?'' A''Zhu said: ''To able to buy the things for application we gotta go to a small town.''


    The four people turned their horses and went westward. After going for seven or eight li''s, they arrived in a small town called Ma Lang Qiao. That town was very small and did not have any inn. A''Zhu came up with an idea. She hired a boat and anchored it in the middle of a river. After that she went buy clothes and necessary things, and disguised on the boat. In Jiangnan, there were small rivers everywhere, and there were a lot of boats, no less than the livestock of the North.


    She helped Duan Yu change clothes and made up for him first, letting him hold a folding fan in his right hand, wear a blue robe and wear a ring on his right finger. A''Zhu said: ''Our young master wears a Han-dynasty jade ring, but where to buy it here? Use Qingtian stone to imitate is also okay.'' Duan Yu could only force a smile and thought: ''Murong Fu is a precious jade item. I''m a lowly stone. In the viewpoints of these three young girls, the respective positions of the two of us are also like that.'' A''Zhu spread flour on his face, made his nose look higher, and made his cheeks look rather fuller. Then she took a pen and altered his eyebrows and the edge of his eyes. After disguising Duan Yu, she smiled to Wang Yuyan: ''Miss Wang, do you think there''s still any dissimilarity?''


    Wang Yuyan did not answer and only looked at him in a trance. Her eyes were filled with affectionate feelings. Obviously she was smitten and her mind was wandering high in the air.


    As soon as seeing this infatuated look of hers, Duan Yu could not help feeling as if he was floating. But he immediately thought: ''She''s looking at Murong Fu and not looking at Duan Yu at all.'' He also thought: ''I wonder how handsome that Murong Fu guy is. How can he be one hundred times better-looking than me? It''s a pity I can''t see myself.'' For a while he felt happy, then for another while he felt sad.


    The two people looked at each other, thoughts surging in their respective minds. They did not know that A''Zhu and A''Bi had already gone to the back of the cabin to disguise themselves.


    After a good while, they suddenly heard the husky voice of a man: ''Ah, so you''re here, it was so painful for your big brother to find you.'' Frightened, Duan Yu raised his head and saw the person who had just said was Qiao Feng. He could not help feeling very happy and said: ''Big brother, it''s you, this''s very good. We''re about to disguise as you to go save people, now you''ve personally come here, sister A''Zhu doesn''t need to disguise anymore.''


    Qiao Feng said: ''The Beggar Society''s people have expelled me from the Society, whether they''re dead or alive, I don''t care. Good brother, come here, come here, let''s disembark and go for a drink. We''ll drink twenty bowls of wine.'' Duan Yu hastily said: ''Big brother, the Beggar Society''s brave men are all your former good brothers, can you please still go save them?'' Qiao Feng angrily said: ''What does a bookworm like you know? Come here. Go for a drink with me!'' As he finished saying he grabbed Duan Yu''s hand. Duan Yu had no choice but to say: ''Okay, I''ll go for a drink with you first. After drinking wine we''ll save people!''


    Qiao Feng suddenly giggled in a lovely manner, his laughs sounded clear and graceful. It was really suprising that a big and tall man could be uttering this kind of girlish laugh. Duan Yu was startled but he immediately understood, smiled and said: ''Sister A''Zhu, your disguising skills are really extremely fantastic. Even the voice and words are imitated so well like this.''


    A''Zhu changed to Qiao Feng''s voice and said: ''Good brother, let''s go. Make sure you bring that stinking bottle.'' She turned towards Wang Yuyan and A''Bi and said: ''The two ladies had better wait here.'' As she finished saying she held Duan Yu''s hand and strode onshore. No one knew what she had applied to her hand. It was a delicate small white hand, yet when held out, it unexpectedly looked swarthy. Even though it was smaller than Qiao Feng''s hand, in short periods of time it was still hard for other people to distinguish.


    Wang Yuyan looked at the back of Duan Yu. She only thought: ''If he really was biaoge, that''d be so good. Biaoge, at this moment are you also thinking about me?''


    A''Zhu and Duan Yu rode their horses towards Tianning Temple. When they were about five li''s away from the temple, fearing that the Western Xia warriors in the temple could hear the hoofbeats, they tied the horses in the cattle stall of a farmhouse and went forwards on foot.


    A''Zhu said: ''Brother Murong, after arriving at the temple, I''ll talk big, brag and terrify them, you''ll seize the opportunity to remove the poison in the Beggar Society''s people with the stinking bottle.'' She said these few sentences in a deep gruff voice, just like the way Qiao Feng spoke. Duan Yu smiled and replied.


    The two people strode to the outside of Tianning Temple. They only saw more than ten Western Xia warriors standing at the gate of the temple, holding long sabers in their hands and looking very fierce. When A''Zhu and Duan Yu saw that, they got nervous and could not help feeling terrified. A''Zhu said in a low voice: ''Mr Duan, after a while you must pull me and run away at high speed, otherwise if they wanna find and challenge me in martial arts, that can be hard to handle.'' Duan Yu said: ''Okay.'' But he said this word in a trembling voice. In fact, he also felt extremely scared.


    While the two people were discussing in a low voice and sticking their heads out and looking around, a Western Xia warrior at the gate already saw them and shouted loudly: ''Two bastards standing over there, it''s not nice to be sneaky, are you spies?'' As he was shouting, four other warriors rushed out.


    A''Zhu had no alternative but to hold forth her chest and stride forwards. She said in a rough voice: ''Quickly inform your General that Qiao Feng of the Beggar Society and Murong Fu of Jiangnan come to pay General He Lian of Western Xia a visit.''


    The head warrior was astonished when he heard that. He hastily cupped his fist in his hand, bowed and said: ''So it''s Chief Qiao of the Beggar Society visiting. Please pardon us for being disrespectful. I will report right away.'' He immediately turned around and quickly stepped inside the temple. The rest respectfully dangled their hands and stood to the sides.


    Before long, sounds of bugles were heard, the gate of was opened wide. The Hall Master of First-class Hall of Western Xia He Lian Tie Shu led the experts like Nu Erhai out to welcome. Ye Erniang, South Sea Divine Alligator and Yun Zhonghe were also among them. Duan Yu lowered his head and did not dare to look directly at them, his heart pounding.


    He Lian Tie Shu said: ''I have long admired the great reputation of ''Murong of Gusu'' with the ''Paying Him Back Using His Own Methods'' technique. Today, being able to meet the worthy, I felt honored, ah, really honored.'' As he finished saying he cupped his fist in his hand to Duan Yu in salute. Because ''First-class Hall'' of Western Xia and the Beggar Society had become the enemies of each other, he thought there was no need to act polite towards Qiao Feng.


    Duan Yu hastily returned the salute and said: ''General He Lian''s reputation has reached the edges of the seas so I have long been looking forward to meeting the heroes and great men of First-class Hall. Today our arrival is very sudden, hopefully you''ll be magnanimous enough to forgive this.'' He was already very good at saying these fanciful polite words therefore they sounded grandiose and did not have any flaw.


    He Lian Tie Shu said: ''I''ve often heard people in wulin say: ''North Qiao Feng, South Murong'', and when talking about heroes of the Central Plains, they choose the two of you as the leading figures. Today the two of you visit here at the same time, how fortunate! Please, please.'' He then bent his body and invited the two people to enter the main hall of the temple.


    A''Zhu and Duan Yu put on a bold face and went side by side with He Lian Tie Shu. Duan Yu thought: ''Judging from the words and manner of this Western Xia general, it seems he respects Mr Murong more than he respects my big brother Qiao. Could it be that this Murong Fu guy''s martial arts and personality are one level above big brother Qiao''s? As I see, this''s improbable, improbable.''


    Suddenly there was a strange voice: ''Improbable, improbable.'' Startled, Duan Yu turned his head and looked at that person. It was South Sea Divine Alligator. He was squinting at Duan Yu at a slant with a pair of eyes which were as small as beans, and only shook his head. Duan Yu''s heart palpitated. He thought: ''Terrible, terrible! Perhaps I was recognized by him.'' He heard South Sea Divine Alligator say: ''Looks like you have less than three taels of bones (t/n: in ancient China, 1 tael ~ 38 g), what the heck are you capable of? Hey, I ask you. They say you can ''Pay Him Back Using His Own Methods'', I, Yue Laoer (t/n: Yue the Second), certainly don''t believe so.'' Duan Yu immediately felt relieved: ''So he doesn''t recognize me at all.'' He heard South Sea Divine Alligator say again: ''I don''t need you to show your skills either. I only ask you, do you know what Yue Laoer''s special skills are? What fvcking skills you''ll use to deal with me to be regarded as fvcking ''Paying Your Father Back Using Your Father''s Own Methods''?'' Saying to here he stood with arms akimbo, looking arrogant.


    He Lian Tie Shu at first had wanted to talk to stop him, but he changed his mind. Murong Fu had a great reputation, but whether the name matched the reality, there was no harm in checking it out through this crazy South Sea Divine Alligator. Therefore at that moment he did not interrupt him at all.


    While talking, they had already entered the main hall. He Lian Tie Shu invited Duan Yu to sit at the top but Duan Yu gave the top position up to A''Zhu.


    South Sea Divine Alligator said loudly: ''Hey, Mr Murong, you say, what''s my best skill?'' Duan Yu smiled and thought: ''If other people ask me, I really won''t be able answer. But you asked me, that''s a lucky coincidence.'' He instantly opened his folding fan, flapped it gently several times and said: ''South Sea Divine Alligator Yue Laosan (t/n: Yue the Third), originally your best skill was twisting off other people''s necks in a clack sound. In recent years your skills have improved. At the moment the martial arts that you''re most pleased with are the Alligator-Tailed Whip and the Alligator-Mouthed Scissors. To deal with you, naturally I''ll use the Alligator-Tailed Whip and the Alligator-Mouthed Scissors.''


    He mentioned the names of the Alligator-Tailed Whip and the Alligator-Mouthed Scissors in one go. Certainly South Sea Divine Alligator was so surprised that his jaw dropped. Even Ye Erniang and Yun Zhonghe were also extremely surprised. South Sea Divine Alligator had just practiced these two weapons recently and had never put them to use in front of other people. He had only used them once when fighting Yun Zhonghe atop Mt. Wuliang in Dali. At that time, no one else besides Mu Wanqing had seen the weapons. But they could never have thought Mu Wanqing had already told this fake Mr Murong of the present about that from beginning to end.


    South Sea Divine Alligator tilted his head and looked carefully at Duan Yu. Even though he was ferocious and ruthless, he admired heroes and brave men. After a while, he gave a thumb up and said: ''Good skill!'' Duan Yu laughed and said: ''That''s a laugh.'' South Sea Divine Alligator thought: ''He could mention even the weapons I''ve mastered recently, there''s no need to ask him about my remaining martial arts. Too bad big brother is not here, otherwise he''d put him to the test. Ah, I got it!'' He said loudly: ''Mr Murong, you can use my martial arts, there''s nothing strange and rare about that, but if my master comes here, you sure won''t know his martial arts.'' Duan Yu smiled and said: ''Who''s your master? What extraordinary skills does he have?'' South Sea Divine Alligator laughed and said boastfully: ''Needless to say, the master who first taught me martial arts passed away long ago. But the skills of my newly recognized master are no small matter. Let''s not talk about the other things, just the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'' alone, I believe no second person in the world knows.''


    Duan Yu muttered: ''The ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'', hum, that''s truly an amazing technique. Who would have expected Mr Duan of Dali to accept you as his disciple? But I somewhat don''t believe this.'' South Sea Divine Alligator hastily said: ''Why do I need to fool you? A lot of people here personally heard Mr Duan call me disciple.'' Duan Yu laughed up his sleeve: ''At first you''d rather die than agree to call me master, but now you fear that I don''t recognize you as disciple.'' He then said: ''Hum, if so, you most probably have already acquired your master''s unique skill? Congrats! Congrats!''


    South Sea Divine Alligator shook his head continuously and said: ''I haven''t, I haven''t! You claim that you know every martial arts technique in the world. If you can walk three steps of the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'', Yue Laoer will be convinced.''


    Duan Yu smiled and said: ''Though the Wave Treading Exquisite Steps is hard, I''ve also already learned several steps. Master Yue, come here and try to catch me.'' As he finished saying, his robe fluttered, he went to and stood in the middle of the main hall.


    The Western Xia people had never heard of the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'' technique, hearing South Sea Divine Alligator say that it was extremely mysterious and fantastic like this, they all hoped to increase their knowledge. They immediately split up and stood in the four corners of the main hall to see how Duan Yu would perform.


    South Sea Divine Alligator let out a fierce roar and reached out his left hand. His right hand passed below his left palm to grab Duan Yu. Duan Yu took two steps obliquely then backed off by half a step. His body was like the wind stirring lotus leaves, gently dodging it. A ''pu'' sound was heard, South Sea Divine Alligator had been too late to withdraw his force and his five right fingers had stuck into a column in the main hall by several cun''s (1 cun = 3.333 cm). Seeing that his internal energy was this good, all the bystanders went pale. Because the first attack had missed, South Sea Divine Alligator roared more fiercely and jumped up then struck down from the air. Duan Yu did not pay any attention to that, and only concerned himself with the Eight Diagrams-based footwork that he was using to walk freely and comfortably. South Sea Divine Alligator sped up his attacks and roared more and more loudly, looking totally like a ferocious beast.


    When Duan Yu caught a glimpse of that ferocious face, his heart skipped a beat. He hastily turned his head away, took out from his sleeve a towel, blindfolded himself and said: ''Even if I''m blindfolded, you still won''t be able to catch me.''


    South Sea Divine Alligator''s palms danced in the air and fiercely attacked Duan Yu, but they always missed his body by small distances. The bystanders all felt scared for Duan Yu, their palms excreting cold sweats. A''Zhu cared about Duan Yu therefore she was filled with even more apprehension. Suddenly she shouted loudly in a rough voice: ''South Sea Divine Alligator, how is Mr Murong''s Wave Treading Exquisite Steps compared to your master''s?''


    South Sea Divine Alligator was startled. All the energy in his chest was instantly discharged. He stopped moving and said: ''Excellent, excellent! You can walk this strange footwork while having your eyes encased. I''m afraid even my master couldn''t do so. Okay! Murong of Gusu deserves his reputation. I, South Sea Divine Alligator, have respect for you.''


    Duan Yu pulled off the towel on his eyes and returned to his seat. Immediately there was a round of thunderous applause in the main hall.


    Waiting until the two people had settled into their seats, He Lian Tie Shu raised his teacup and said: ''Please have some tea. As the two heroes are visiting us, I''m wondering what you have to instruct us.''


    A''Zhu said: ''Some brothers of my Society somehow offended General. I heard that General sent experts to use high-level martial arts to capture and take them here. May I be bold to request that General release them?'' She specially stressed the words ''sent experts to use high-level martial arts to capture and take them here'' to ridicule the Western Xia people for using the despicable method of poisoning to capture people.


    He Lian Tie Shu smiled and said: ''That''s not wrong. Just now Mr Murong displayed his abilities. Sure enough, he deserves his reputation. Chief Qiao and Mr Murong are equally famous, so you too need to show off your skills to everyone and make us Western Xia people sincerely admire. Only then will we release every brave man of your Society.''


    A''Zhu was very worried and thought: ''If I imitate Chief Qiao''s skills, wouldn''t this immediately be exposed?'' While trying to find a pretext to decline suddenly she felt achy and weak in her limbs, which was the same as when she had been poisoned with the poisonous gas in the evening of the previous day. She could not help feeling very frightened: ''How terrible, who would''ve expected these Western Xia villains to use the old trick again even at this moment? What should I do?''


    Duan Yu was immune to harmful substances therefore he did not felt anything. Seeing that A''Zhu was weak and being paralyzed on her chair, he knew that she was being affected by the poisonous gas again. He hastily took out from his bosom that stinking bottle, removed its stopper and placed it at the tip of her nose. A''Zhu took some deep sniffs. Because she was not seriously poisoned, the numbness in her limbs quickly disappeared. She stretched out her hand to hold the bottle and kept sniffing nonstop. She found it strange as to why the enemies had not yet started to interfere. When looking at those Western Xia warriors, she only saw that every one of them was weak and being paralyzed on their chair. They were not budging at all and were only moving their eyeballs around chaotically.


    Duan Yu said: ''How strange, these people get caught in their own trap. Could it be that they poisoned then were poisoned by themselves?'' A''Zhu went to He Lian Tie Shu and pushed him.


    The body of the general was immediately bent and he sat on the chair in a sloping posture. He was really poisoned. But he could still say, therefore he shouted: ''Hey, who used the ''Sad Weak Clear Wind'' without permission? Quickly take the antidote here, quickly take the antidote here!'' He shouted several times, but because all of his subordinates were being weak, they only said: ''Sir, subordinate can''t move.'' Nu Erhai said: ''There must be an infiltrator, if not, how can they know the complicated using method of this ''Sad Weak Clear Wind''?'' He Lian Tie Shu angrily said: ''Correct! Who? You quickly investigate to clear this up then smash him to ten thousand pieces for me.'' Nu Erhai said: ''Yes, sir! But in the current situation, we must get the antidote first.'' He Lian Tie Shu said: ''That''s right. You go and take the antidote here.''


    Nu Erhai wrinkled his eyebrows, looked askance at the porcelain bottle in A''Zhu''s hand and said: ''Chief Qiao, sorry to trouble you, but could you please let us sniff the antidote in this bottle? Our General will definitely reward you generously.''


    A''Zhu laughed and said: ''Who comes here to get your General''s generous rewards? I wanna urgently go rescue our Society''s brothers.''


    Nu Erhai said again: ''Mr Murong, there''s also a vial on my body. Could you please take it out, remove the stopper and let me sniff it a bit?''


    Duan Yu reached into his bosom and fished out a vial. It really was the antidote. He laughed and said: ''I''ve taken out the antidote but I won''t let you sniff.'' Then he went alongside A''Zhu to the back hall. When they pushed open the door of the west room they saw that it was crammed with people, all of whom were the Beggar Society''s members who had been captured.


    As soon as A''Zhu went in, Elder Wu called out: ''Chief Qiao, it''s you. Thank heavens.'' A''Zhu took the antidote for him to sniff and said: ''This is the antidote. You go remove the poison in the bodies of all brothers one by one.'' Elder Wu was very happy. He waited until his limbs could move to detoxify Elder Song. Duan Yu then used the antidote of Nu Erhai to detoxify Elder Xu.


    A''Zhu said: ''The Beggar Society has a lot of people. If detoxifying one by one like this, when will it finish? Elder Wu, you go search the bodies of those Western Xia people to see if they still have the antidote.''


    Elder Wu said: ''Yes!'' then trotted towards the main hall. Swear words, yells, and pops of beating suddenly could be heard from the main hall. Obviously on the one hand Elder Wu was searching for the antidote, and on the other hand he was beating them to vent his anger. Before long he returned, carrying six small porcelain bottles with both hands, smiled and said: ''I focused on searching the barbarians with flashy expensive clothes. As expected, the ones with nice clothes had the antidote on their bodies. Ha-ha, those dudes have been miserable.'' Duan Yu laughed and said: ''Why?'' Elder Wu laughed and said: ''I gave each of them two slaps in the mouth. With those who had the antidote, I specially used some more force.''


    Suddenly he remembered that he had never seen Duan Yu, therefore he asked: ''Brother, what, may I ask, is your name? Thank you very much for helping us.'' Duan Yu said: ''My compound surname is Murong. I came to help too late, putting everybody to great inconvenience for a short while. This is my fault, my fault.''


    Hearing that this man in front of them is the famous ''Murong of Gusu'', the Beggar Society''s people all were extremely astonished.


    Elder Song said: ''We''ve been blinded and wrongly accused Mr Murong of killing Vice-Chief Ma. Today, if he and Chief Qiao hadn''t saved us, everybody would have fallen into the hands of these Western Xia bastards. If that happened, would we still be able to have a good end?'' Elder Wu also said: ''Chief Qiao, a senior doesn''t mind juniors'' faults, it''d be better if you return to be our Chief.''


    Quan Guanqing said coldly: ''Master Qiao and Mr Murong really are intimate friends.'' Calling Qiao Feng as ''Master Qiao'' instead of ''Chief Qiao'', certainly he no longer recognized him as the Chief. Moreover he had said that he and Mr Murong really were intimate friends, which was a very dangerous sentence. The Beggar Society''s people had been suspecting Qiao Feng of making use of Murong Fu to eliminate Ma Dayuan but Qiao Feng had always denied that he and Murong Fu knew each other. Today the two of them had gone to Tianning Temple together. They had also spoken to and laughed with each other, looking fairly close. Obviously this was not the first time they had met.


    A''Zhu thought that these people all were old acquaintances of Qiao Feng, if she dragged this situation out a little longer, they would surely recognize her flaws. Therefore she said: ''It won''t be late to slowly discuss the important affairs of the Society. I go see those Western Xia bastards.'' As she finished saying she walked towards the main hall. Soon afterward Duan Yu followed her.


    When the two people had arrived at the main hall, they heard He Lian Tie Shu shouting abuse: ''Quickly find out the name of this Western Xia bastard. After returning, search and confiscate his house, kill all the males and females, old people and young people in his family, not sparing even a single fowl or dog. Fvck him, he''s a Western Xia man, why did he help strangers by stealing my ''Sad Weak Clear Wind'' and spreading it carelessly?'' Duan Yu was surprised and thought: ''Who''s the Western Xia man he was cursing?'' He noticed that after He Lian Tie Shu let out a cursing sentence, Nu Erhai would reply with a sentence. He Lian said again: ''He wrote these eight characters on the wall, isn''t it obvious that he wanna ridicule us?''


    Duan Yu and A''Zhu raised their heads and saw four rows of words which looked like flying dragons and dancing snakes written on the whitewashed wall:


    ''Paying Him Back, Using His Own Methods, Narcotic Poisonous Wind, I Fully Return To You.'' [ÒÔ±ËÖ®µÀ,»¹Ê©±ËÉí,ÃÔÈ˶¾·ç,Ô­èµ¹é¾ý]


    The ink strokes were still dripping wet. Obviously the writer of these words had left not long ago.


    Duan Yu uttered an ''Ah'' sound and said: ''This¡­ Ah¡­ Was it Mr Murong who wrote this?'' A''Zhu said in a low voice: ''Don''t forget you''re Mr Murong. Our young master can write different styles of calligraphy, I can''t recognize if these words were written by him.''


    Duan Yu turned towards Nu Erhai and asked: ''Who wrote this?''


    Nu Erhai did not answer and secretly felt anxious, not knowing how the Beggar Society''s people would handle them. After capturing the Beggar Society''s people, they themselves had done just about everything, including beating and insulting, therefore they only needed to ''Pay Him Back, Using His Own Methods'', that would already be very hard to bear.


    Seeing that the Beggar Society''s people were coming to the main hall in succession, A''Zhu said in a low voice: ''The important business has been done, let''s go!'' She then said loudly: ''I have another important business and must go handle it with Mr Murong. See you later.'' As she finished saying she trotted out of the hall. The people like Elder Wu screamed out: ''Chief, please wait, Chief, please wait.'' A''Zhu did not dare to stay there anymore. She and Duan Yu went faster and faster. The Beggar Society''s people had always revered Qiao Feng therefore no one dared to go forwards to stop them.


    After the two people had gone for about a li (0.5 km), A''Zhu laughed and said: ''Mr Duan, it was really a lucky coincidence. That hideous disciple of yours by chance wanted you to perform the Wave Treading Exquisite Steps technique. He also said that you were even better than his master.'' Duan Yu let out an ''Um'' sound. A''Zhu continued: ''I wonder who released the narcotic drug? That Western Xia general kept saying that there was an infiltrator. I think it was probably Western Xia men themselves who did that.''


    Duan Yu suddenly recalled a person and said: ''Could it be Li Yanzong, the Western Xia warrior we met in the mill?'' A''Zhu had never seen Li Yanzong therefore she was unable to reply. She only said: ''Let''s go and talk to Miss Wang, asking her to consider it in detail.''


    While they were going, they heard hoofbeats. On the main road a person was galloping towards them. From afar Duan Yu saw that it was no one other than Qiao Feng. He happily said: ''He''s big brother Qiao!'' When he was about to call out, A''Zhu hastily pulled his sleeve and said: ''Don''t shout. The real person has arrived!'' then turned her body away. Duan Yu immediately understood: ''A''Zhu is disguising as big brother Qiao, it wouldn''t be very nice if she''s seen by him.'' Before long, Qiao Feng had already come close. Duan Yu did not dare to face him directly and thought: ''When big brother Qiao meets the brave men of the Beggar Society, the truth will immediately come out. I wonder if he will blame A''Zhu for playing a trick like this or not.''


    After saving A''Zhu and A''Bi, Qiao Feng had known that the Beggar Society''s brothers had been captured by Western Xia men. Feeling very anxious, he had been searched for them all over the place. But unlike in the North where there were only roads, in Jiangnan, there were paddy fields and mulberry groves everywhere, and waterways and land routes also intersected each other. Qiao Feng had searched for a very long time, and with great difficulty he had run into the two little Buddhist novices of Tianning Temple. He had asked them clearly about the direction, only then had he rushed for Tianning Temple. When he saw the vigorous expression and the handsome appearance of Duan Yu he thought: ''This young nobleman and my brother Duan Yu look equally bright.'' As A''Zhu had already turned her body away he did not pay attention to her. Worrying about the Beggar Society''s brothers, he spurred the horse on to full speed and swept past them.


    When he arrived at Tianning Temple, he saw more than ten disciples of the Beggar Society binding the Western Xia warriors and leading them out from the inside of the temple. Qiao Feng was very happy and thought: ''So the Beggar Society''s brothers have turned the losing situation around and won instead.''


    Seeing that Qiao Feng had gone then returned, the beggars one after another moved forwards to welcome him and said: ''Chief, how to deal with these barbarians? Please give us instructions.'' Qiao Feng said: ''I''m already no longer a member of the Beggar Society, don''t mention the word ''Chief'' again. Was anyone injured?''


    After the people like Elder Xu were informed, they all quickly ran out to welcome him. When they saw Qiao Feng, their faces either had an ashamed expression or lit up with happiness. Elder Song said loudly: ''Chief, yesterday in the apricot forest, our Society''s spy in Western Xia sent back an urgent piece of military information. Elder Xu himself decided not to let you see, do you know what it was? Elder Xu, quickly take it out for Chief to see.'' His words sounded rather rude.


    With an ashamed look on his face, Elder Xu took out a small paper ball that originally had been concealed in a wax ball and sighed: ''I was wrong.'' Then he held it out to Qiao Feng.


    Qiao Feng shook his head and did not receive it. Elder Song forced his way forwards, grabbed and opened that thin crinkled paper then read loudly:


    ''Report to Chief: Subordinate has found out that General He Lian Tie Shu of Western Xia has led the experts of First-class Hall to the Central Plains to deal with our Society. They have a dangerous type of poisonous gas. When released it totally odorless and make people involuntarily unable to move. When we meet them, make sure we plug up our nostrils first, or defeat their leader first to snatch the awfully stinking antidote. Otherwise it''d be extremely unsafe. Urgent! Urgent! Subordinate Yi Dabiao of the Great Faith branch urgently reports.''


    As Elder Song finished reading, he and such people as Elder Wu and Elder Xi glowered at Elder Xu simultaneously. Bai Shijing said: ''This urgent report by Brother Yi Dabiao arrived in time. Too bad we didn''t open and read it in time. Fortunately all brothers only suffered a terror and no one was injured. Chief, we all apologize. Alas, really, needless to say, you''re very noble and righteous.''


    Elder Wu said: ''Chief, when you just left, everyone was instantly caught in this situation. If you and Mr Murong hadn''t come and rescued us in time, the whole Beggar Society would''ve been wiped out. If you don''t return to take charge of important matters and to be our Chief, that won''t work.'' Qiao Feng said in surprise: ''What Mr Murong?'' Elder Wu said: ''People like Quan Guanqing talk nonsense, please don''t listen to him. What''s wrong with making friends? I believe that you and Mr Murong have only known each other since today.'' Qiao Feng said: ''Mr Murong? Do you mean Murong Fu? I''ve never seen him.''


    Elder Xu and the four Elders Song, Xi, Chen and Wu looked blankly at each other. All of them were nonplussed and thought: ''Just a moment ago you and Mr Murong hand in hand came in and detoxified everyone. Why at this moment do you suddenly say you don''t know Mr Murong?'' After thinking for a short while Elder Xi suddenly understood and said: ''Ah, that''s right, just now that young master claimed that his compound surname was Murong, but he didn''t say that he was Murong Fu at all. There''re countless people with the compound surname ''Murong'' in the world, what''s so strange about that?'' Elder Chen said: ''But he himself wrote ''Paying Him Back, Using His Own Methods'' on the wall. If he wasn''t Murong Fu then who was he?''


    All of a sudden there was a strange voice: ''That bratty young master could use all kinds of martial arts, moreover his skills were even better than those of the original owners, how come he wasn''t Murong Fu? Of course it was him! It was definitely him!'' Everyone looked at the speaker and saw that he had eyes which looked like those of a rat, a short beard and a sallow face. He was South Sea Divine Alligator. After being poisoned he had been tied up, but he could not help interrupting and putting in his opinion.


    Qiao Feng asked in surprise: ''So Murong Fu came here?'' South Sea Divine Alligator said furiously: ''You''re talking your mother''s stinking farts! Just now you and Murong Fu came here hand in hand then played some goddamn stealthy trick, using anesthetic to make your father go numb. You quickly let me go, otherwise, humph! Humph humph¡­'' He uttered several ''humph humph'' sounds in succession, but as for what would happen ''otherwise'', he could not say it. After pondering, he merely uttered ''humph humph'' sounds.


    Qiao Feng said: ''I see that you''re also an expert in wulin, why are you talking nonsense like this? When did I ever come here? Stuff like I and Murong Fu came here hand in hand is extremely ridiculous.''


    South Sea Divine Alligator gasped with anger and shouted: ''Qiao Feng, fvck you Qiao Feng. What a shame that despite being a Chief of the Beggar Society you dare to tell this brazen lie! My big and little fellows, Qiao Feng came here just now, didn''t him? Didn''t our General invite him to sit at the top and to drink tea?'' The Western Xia people all said: ''Yes, Murong Fu performed the ''Wave Treading Exquisite Steps'', Qiao Feng stood on a side and applauded, how come this was fake?''


    Elder Wu pulled Qiao Feng''s sleeve and said in a low voice: ''Chief, straightforward men don''t do sneaky things. What happened just now can''t be denied.'' Qiao Feng forced a smile and said: ''Fourth brother Wu, don''t tell me that just a moment ago you also saw me coming here?'' Elder Wu passed the small porcelain bottle containing the antidote to him and said: ''Chief, I return the bottle to you, maybe it''ll still be useful in the future.'' Qiao Feng said: ''Return to me? Why return it to me?'' Elder Wu said: ''You gave me this antidote just a moment ago, have you forgotten?'' Qiao Feng said: ''What? Fourth brother Wu, you really saw me just now?'' Seeing him continuously denying, Elder Wu felt both unhappy and uneasy.


    Even though Qiao Feng was smart and capable, how could he guess that someone had disguised as himself and just a short while ago had come to Tianning Temple and rescued everybody? He thought that there was certainly an important conspiracy concealed in this matter. As straightforward people, both Elder Wu and Elder Song definitely could not do anything that was despicable, but the schemer who had been toying with him had dangerous plots. They could have set things up appropriately to make his own conduct and deeds appeared to be absurd and wicked in all respects in everyone''s eyes.


    Being saved by him, at first everyone in the Beggar Society had felt grateful for that, but now hearing him absolutely deny doing so, they were greatly amazed. Some people thought that for the past several days he had encountered a lot of unforeseen events, as a result his mind was in confusion; some thought that he had really made use of Murong Fu and killed Ma Dayuan, now fearing his evil scheme would be exposed, he bluntly insistently denied that he knew that man with the Murong surname; some thought that he had been conspiring to be the Chief of the Beggar Society again and was setting up some stratagem; there were even more people resolutely believing that he was exerting himself for Khitan by both opposing Western Xia and causing trouble to Great Song. Everyone had a different guess therefore there were all kinds of expressions on the faces of the beggars such as sorry, respectful, grieved, scornful and hostile.


    Qiao Feng let out a deep sigh and said: ''Everybody has escaped from dangers so Qiao Feng is leaving now.'' As he finished saying he cupped his fist in his hand, turned around and got on the horse. Raising the whip, he galloped away.


    Suddenly he heard Elder Xu shout: ''Qiao Feng, leave the Dog Beating Stick behind.'' Qiao Feng abruptly reined the horse and said: ''The Dog Beating Stick? In the apricot forest didn''t I already hand it over?'' Elder Xu said: ''We slipped up and was captured so the Dog Beating Stick fell into the hands of the Western Xia bastards. Now we have ransacked everywhere but still can''t find it. Most prolly you''ve taken it.''


    Qiao Feng turned his face skywards and let out a stream of laughs, which sounded sorrowful and disappointed, then said loudly: ''I, Qiao Feng, and the Beggar Society no longer have any connection with each other, what do I take the Dog Beating Stick for? Elder Xu, you''ve overly undervalued me.'' He gave the horse a nip with his legs. It immediately galloped towards the north with its four hooves looking like flying.


    When Qiao Feng had been a child he had been loved and raised by his parents. Later, he had been taught martial arts by a Shaolin monk Xuan Ku dashi (dashi = great monk, an honorific title for monks), then he had acknowledged Chief Wang of the Beggar Society as his master. When going in jianghu, even though he had experienced a lot of hardships and dangers, his masters and friends had invariably treated him with genuine sincerity. But for the past two days, a storm had suddenly taken place in the world. A Chief who had all along been renowned, illustrious, sincere, benevolent and righteous was unexpectedly regarded as a traitor to the country who harmed the people, and as a shameless untrustworthy scoundrel. He let the horse go aimlessly as it pleased. His mind was extremely confused: ''If I''m really a Khitan, for the past ten years I''ve killed not just a few Khitan people and ruined not just a few Khitan schemes, how come I''m not a greatly disloyal man? If my parents were really killed by Han people outside of Yanmen Pass, as I''ve regarded the murder of my parents as master and for the past thirty years called other people father and mother, how come I''m not a greatly unfilial son? Qiao Feng ah Qiao Feng, you''re this disloyal and unfilial, how do you dare to live in the world? If Sir Sanhuai isn''t my father then I''m certainly not Qiao Feng either? What''s my surname? What''s the first name that my natural father gave me? Ha-ha, not only am I disloyal and unfilial, but I also don''t have first name and surname.''


    He also had another thought: ''However, maybe all of these are due to a very treacherous arch-villain framing me. I, Qiao Feng, am confidently a dazhangfu (t/n: basically means a man of resolve or success), but I''ve been manipulated by others to the point that my reputation has totally been lost and can''t be redeemed. If I packed up and left my responsibilities at this point because of the temporary indignation and from now on became indifferent to the Beggar Society, wouldn''t that make the villain''s scheme successful? Hum, all in all, I must investigate and make things clear.''


    In his mind he planned, the first step was returning to Mt Shaoshi in Henan and asking Sir Sanhuai about my own life and origin, the second step would be entering Shaolin Monastery, visiting my first martial arts enshi (kind master) Xuan Ku dashi and begging him to reveal the truth, these two people had always cherished me very much so they definitely would not hold back anything.


    After planning like that he did not feel worried anymore. In the past, as the Chief of the Beggar Society, he had been able to consider the whole country his home when travelling in jianghu. Now, not only could he not go to the branches everywhere for accommodation, in order to avoid causing troubles, wherever he went he did not use roads so that he would not meet former subordinates in the Beggar Society. After going for just two days, the money on his body had been used up therefore he had to sell the horse that he had seized from the Western Xia people for travelling expenses.


    One day, he arrived at the foot of Mt Song then went towards Mt Shaoshi. This was the place where he had been staying during his boyhood therefore he was already familiar with the scenery everywhere. Because the Beggar Society was the biggest society in jianghu and Shaolin School was the biggest school in wulin, if the Beggar Society''s Chief came to Shaolin, this would bring about all kinds of formalities and extravagances and disturb a great deal of people. Hence ever since he had taken up the post of the Beggar Society''s Chief, he had never returned here. Every year he had only sent people to respectfully give his parents and enshi food and clothing, and to inquire after them. At this moment, when he was returning to his old land, thinking that his own origin was very enigmatic and that in two or four hours it would be made clear, even though he was a calm and stable man, he could not refrain from getting anxious.


    His old home was located beside a mountain slope on the south side of Mt Shaoshi. Qiao Feng quickly went around the mountain slope. He only saw that there were a straw hat and a teapot put under the big jujube tree beside the vegetable garden. The handle of the teapot had already been broken. Qiao Feng knew that it belonged to his father Qiao Sanhuai. He suddenly felt a burst of warm thoughts in his heart: ''Dad is diligent and thrifty, this broken teapot has been used for several decades but he''s still unwilling to throw it away.''


    As he looked at the big jujube tree he also recalled that in his childhood every time jujubes had been ripe father had always held his small hand then knocked jujubes from the tree together with him. The red ripe jujubes had been so plump that their skin had been cracked. They had been both sweet and juicy. Ever since he had left his old land, he had never tasted such delicious jujubes again. Qiao Feng thought: ''Even if they aren''t my real parents, in this life, it''s hard for me to repay this kindness of nurturing. No matter what my real origin is, I definitely won''t change what I''ve addressed them as.''


    He went to and stopped before the three-room earthen house, only seeing a bamboo mat on which there were full of vegetables spread for sunning outside of it and a mother hen which was leading a flock of chicks pecking food in the grass. He could not help beaming: ''Tonight mom will surely kill chicken and prepare a meal to treat the son that she hasn''t seen for a long time.'' He called out: ''Dad! Mom! This son has returned.''


    He called a few times but did not hear any reply. He thought: ''Ah, that''s right, the two oldsters'' ears have been deaf and can''t hear.'' He pushed the door open and strode into the house. Inside the main room, such things as wooden table, wooden bench, plow, harrow and hoe did not look very different than they had been when he had left home, but he saw no one.


    Qiao Feng called several more times: ''Dad! Mom!'', but still, he did not hear any reply. He felt a bit surprised and talked to himself: ''Where have they gone?'' When he stuck his head in the bedroom, he could not help jumping out of his skin because he saw Qiao Sanhuai and his wife lying motionlessly on the ground.


    Qiao Feng hurriedly jumped into the room. First he helped his mother sit up only to find that her breathing had already stopped, but her body was still a little bit warm, obviously she had been dead for less than two hours. Next, when he carried his father, he noticed the same things. Being both panicky and grieved, Qiao Feng carried the corpse of his father and ran out of the house. After examining it carefully in the sunshine, he discovered that all the ribs in his chest had been broken. It was clear that he had been stricken dead by the palm force of a martial arts expert. He looked at the corpse of his mother again and found that she had died in the same way. Qiao Feng was confused: ''My dad and mom are faithful generous honest peasants. Why could some martial arts expert use such a cruel means to murder them? Certainly it was because of me.''


    He examined carefully the three rooms inside the house, as well as the area in front of it, the area behind it, and the roof to know what kind of man the murderer was. But the murderer did not leave behind even a single footprint. Qiao Feng''s face was covered with tears. The more he thought, the sadder he became. He could not help bursting out crying.


    When he had cried for just a short while, suddenly he heard someone say at his back: ''What a pity, what a pity. We''ve come late by a step.'' Qiao Feng immediately turned around and saw four middle-aged monks dressed in clothes of Shaolin Monastery. Even though Qiao Feng had learned martial arts of Shaolin School, Xuan Ku dashi, the person who had taught him martial arts, had come to his house directly every night to teach him, therefore he did not know any monk of Shaolin Monastery. Now he was feeling miserable, hence even though he had seen the strangers, for the moment it was hard for him to hold back his tears.


    A rather tall monk with a completely furious look loudly said: ''Qiao Feng, you''re really lower than pigs and dogs. Even if Qiao Sanhuai and his wife aren''t your real parents, the kindness of bringing you up for more than ten years is no trivial matter. How could you have the heart to murder them?'' Qiao Feng sobbed: ''I returned home just a moment ago. Seeing that my parents have been murdered I only wanna find out who the killer is to revenge my parents. Dashi, how could you say so?'' That monk said furiously: ''The cruel heart of Khitan people is hard to change. You''ve really acted like an animal! You killed your foster parents with your own hands, what a pity we came to help too late. Surnamed Qiao, if you wanna go to Mt Shaoshi to act wildly, you''re still this far short of that.'' As he finished saying, he threw a palm attack towards Qiao Feng''s chest, creating a ''hu'' sound.


    When Qiao Feng was about to dodge, he heard the sound of wind gently moving at his back. He knew that someone was launching a sneak attack at the back. Unwilling to fight these Shaolin monks without clear reasons like this, he made a pressing with his left foot and gently leaped out for one zhang (3.333 m). As expected, a kick of another Shaolin monk missed him and hit the air.


    Seeing that he had dodged so easily like this, the four Shaolin monks all had an astonished look on their faces. That tall and big monk scolded: ''Your martial arts are good. So what? You think that having killed your foster parents you can hide your origin? Too bad you''re a descendant of the evil Khitan race. This has spread in wulin for a long time. Who in jianghu doesn''t know about it? Committing this severe betrayal, you''ve only increased the amount of your sins.'' Another monk scolded: ''First you killed Ma Dayuan, next you killed Qiao Sanhuai and his wife, humph humph, how can these scandals be hidden?''


    Even though Qiao Feng heard the two monks revile him so, he was only grieved and did not have the slightest feeling of anger. All his life he had faced important matters, decided important doubtful cases and met not just a few difficult affairs, therefore at this moment he was very capable of repressing his anger. He cupped his fist in his hand in salute and said: ''May I ask, what are the religious names of the four dashi''s''? Are you eminent monks of Shaolin Monastery?''


    A monk with a medium height who had the most pleasant temperament said: ''We all are Shaolin disciples. Alas, your foster father and mother were faithful and generous all their lives, but they ended up being repaid this miserably. Qiao Feng, you Khitan people have acted too savagely.''


    Qiao Feng thought: ''They''re already unwilling to reveal their religious names. It''s no use asking them more. That tall monk said they had come to help too late so they must have come here to help after receiving a message. But who secretly let them know? Who predicted that my parents were going to encounter dangers?'' He then said: ''The four of you are charitable and descended from the mountain to save my parents. What a pity you were a tad late¡­''


    That tall monk had a fiery temper. He raised the fist which was as big as an alms bowl (t/n: rice bowls that monks used in old times) and threw a punch at Qiao Feng, making a ''hu'' sound. He shouted loudly: ''We let you commit this unfilial thing only because we were a tad late, yet you''re still showing your complacency and saying mocking words?''


    Qiao Feng knew obviously that the four of them had good intentions because they had immediately come to save his own parents after receiving the message. Hence he was unwilling to fight them, but if he did not subdue them, he would not ever be able to make the truth become clear. He said: ''I appreciate the kindness of the four of you. Today I have no choice but to offend you!'' As he finished saying he turned around like the wind and stretched his hand to attack the shoulder of the third monk. That monk shouted: ''You really wanna fight?'' When this sentence was still unfinished, his shoulder had already been hit by Qiao Feng. His body immediately became weak. He flopped down on the ground.


    Qiao Feng had learned martial arts of Shaolin School therefore he was totally familiar with the martial arts stances of the four monks. He continuously used palm attacks to knock them down one by one and said: ''Sorry for offending! May I ask the four masters, you said that you had come to help too late, how did you know that my parents were gonna suffer misfortune? Who informed you four masters of this information?''


    That tall monk said furiously: ''You only wanna know about the informer to go murder him. How can Shaolin disciples yield to the oppressive interrogation of you lowly Khitan dog? Even if you use cruel torture, don''t imagine that you''ll be able to wring half a word outta my mouth.''


    Qiao Feng thought: ''The misunderstanding has become deeper and deeper. No matter what I''ll ask them about, they''ll all think that I''ll be interrogating them.'' He stretched out his hand and gave each of them a few rubs on the back, releasing the blocked acupuncture points of the four monks, and said: ''If I wanna kill witnesses, at this moment I would''ve taken the lives of the four of you. Who''s right? Who''s wrong? What''s the truth? I always hope there''ll be a day when everything will come to light.''


    Suddenly, he heard a man sneer and say beside the mountain slope: ''Wanna kill witnesses? That wouldn''t have necessarily been so easy!''


    Qiao Feng raised his head and saw more than ten Shaolin monks standing next to the mountain slope, holding weapons in their hands. The two leading monks both were about fifty years old. Each of them was holding a convenient shovel (fang bian chan - ·½±ã²ù) whose one head was a crescent blade made of refined steel which radiated a gloomy blue cold light. Those two monks had shining eyes which looked like shooting at other people. At first sight, it could be known that their internal energies were very profound. Even though Qiao Feng did not fear them, he knew the martial arts of the people who had just arrived were not bad and if he had to fight them, unless he killed and wounded some people, it would be difficult to retreat unharmed. He cupped his fist in his hand and said: ''Qiao Feng has to be rude. Dashi''s, I beg for your forgiveness.'' Suddenly his body flew backwards. His back hit and broke the door. He entered the earthen house.


    This incident happened extremely fast. All the monks exclaimed in unison. Five or six people rushed forwards at the same time but when they just reached the edge of the door, a stream of internal energy was shot out from the inside. These five or six people raised their left palms and hastily used their internal energies to resist. A loud ''peng'' sound was heard. Dust flew upwards. All of them were forced to take four or five steps back by the power of the palm attack sent out from the inside. After standing stably, they all felt their blood and internal energies tumbling up and down in their chests. They looked at each other blankly and in their heart they totally understood: ''Though this palm attack of Qiao Feng''s was ferocious, he still has spare power. If he sends out the second palm attack, I may not be able to ward it off.'' They all firmly believed that he was extremely ruthless and malicious, and hence they only thought that he was gathering up his power to strike again, but they could never have expected that he had actually showed mercy with that palm attack and had not wanted to harm other people.


    The monks collected power and put on their guards. After a long while, the two leading monks lifted their convenient shovels and executed the ''Two Dragons Entering the Cave'' stance simultaneously. The movement of the shovels produced powerful winds. Along with the shovels, the two monks entered the earthen house side by side. Clang clang clang, the two shovels clashed, creating a glittering net to protect their bodies. But they saw that the inside of the house was empty. Where was Qiao Feng? Even stranger was that the corpses of Qiao Sanhuai and his wife had also disappeared without a trace.


    The two monks who used convenient shovels were the ''Precept Maintaining monk'' and the ''Rule Protecting monk'' of the ''Institute of Precepts'' of Shaolin Monastery whose duty was supervising the conduct of the disciples of their school. They normally traveled in jianghu to examine the achievements and mistakes of the disciples of the school therefore their martial arts were no doubt very good, and they had vast knowledge which could be matched by even fewer people. Seeing that in an instant Qiao Feng had gone in a direction unbeknown to them, the two already knew that it had been extremely hard. But who could have expected that he would be able to take along the the corpses of Qiao Sanhuai and his wife? This was even more unimaginable. All the monks ransacked the areas in front of and behind the house, the head of the earthen bed (t/n: in Northern China, it was common for people to use beds made of clay or brick which were connected to kitchen stoves for warmth) and the kitchen one time. The two monks from the Institute of Precepts then rapidly chased down the mountain, but after chasing for more than twenty li''s (1 li = 0.5 km), there was still no trace of Qiao Feng at all.


    No one could have expected Qiao Feng to clasp the corpses of his parents and rush up Mt Shaoshi. He fled to a steep slope which was dense with forest trees and hard for people to reach. After burying his parents, he knelt down and respectfully kowtowed eight times, praying in his mind: ''Dad, mom, who carried out this murderous scheme and took your lives? I''ll definitely capture the killer, take them to your graves and cut their heart out alive as a sacrifice to you.''


    He thought this time returning home he had been late by just a step, thus not being able to meet his parents again, otherwise seeing that he himself had already grown up to be this vigorous and imposing they would have surely been very joyful. Had the three of them been able to meet for one day or half a day, then at least they would have had a short-lived happiness. Thinking to here, he could not help crying without being able to make any noise. Since childhood he had been resilient and wept very little, but today he was extremely grieved and indignant therefore he could not prevent his tears from streaming down.


    All of a sudden a thought appeared in his mind. Inwardly, he called: ''A''yo, no good, perhaps my first enshi (kind master) Xuan Ku dashi (great monk) is gonna meet with serious dangers too.''


    He suddenly understood several matters: ''It really wasn''t by coincidence that the murderer of my parents did the killing within one hour before I returned home like this. He already had premeditated plots. After the killing he immediately told the monks of Shaolin Monastery that I was going up Mt Shaoshi to kill my parents to eliminate witnesses. Those Shaolin monks cherish heroism and righteousness and wholeheartedly wanted to save my parents, but they have bumped into me. In this world there''s still one person who knows my origin, that is, master Xuan Ku. I must beware of that thug laying his murderous hands on him again and framing me for that.''


    Thinking that Xuan Ku dashi might be in danger because of himself, he could not help feeling extremely anxious and immediately dashed towards Shaolin Monastery. He knew clearly that the monastery was filled with experts and each of the few elderly monks of the Damo Hall had significant skills, if he himself showed up, the monks would attack together right away and it would not be easy to escape, and hence he only chose unfrequented trails to rush on. Caught on thorns and weeds, his trouser legs became ragged and his calves were dripping with blood, but he had to follow this way. Using these trails to go up the mountain, the distance was increased by a half. Only after running quickly for two hours had he arrived at the back of Shaolin Monastery. At that moment, it was already at dusk. He felt both happy and worried. Feeling happy because in the dark it would be easy to hide, and feeling worried because if the murderer took advantage of the dark to attack sneakily, it would be difficult to detect traces of him.


    When traveling in jianghu for the past recent years he had rarely met a match, but he had never met an enemy who undoubtedly had excellent martial arts, elaborate plans and cruel calculations like this time. Even though Shaolin Monastery was an extremely dangerous place, they did not guard against someone going to the monastery to attack Xuan Ku dashi, therefore if someone launched a surprise attack, it would be hard to escape their sneaky scheme. How come Qiao Feng did not know that he himself was being under very serious suspicion? If at this moment Xuan Ku dashi had been murdered without anyone seeing the appearance of the killer and he himself was seen sneakily entering the monastery then even with one hundred mouths he would not be able to explain it away. If at this moment he only cared about himself and disregarded other people, the farther he got away from Shaolin the better it would be for him. But firstly, he thought about the safety of enshi Xuan Ku dashi, and secondly, he wanted to seize the opportunity to catch the real muderer and take revenge for the deaths of his parents, hence he did not pay attention to great risks and dangers.


    He had lived at Mt Shaoshi for more than ten years, but he had never entered Shaolin Monastery, therefore he did not know anything about the directions, halls and institutes inside the monastery, and certainly he did not know where Xuan Ku dashi lived. He thought: ''I only hope enshi is totally safe. Upon seeing him I''ll report the course of events to him and beg laorenjia (ÀÏÈË¼Ò - polite term to address old people) to take care, after that I''ll ask about my origin, maybe enshi would be able to guess who the real murderer is.''


    There were far more than several tens of halls and compounds in Shaolin Monastery which were located scattered on mountain slopes from the east to the west. Xuan Ku dashi did not hold any position in the monastery and there were at least more than twenty monks with the generation name ''Xuan'' who wore similar clothes to each other, where to find him in the dark? Qiao Feng secretly planned: ''The only way is catching a Shaolin monk then forcing him to take me to see Xuan Ku dashi. After that, I''ll explain that I had no choice and seriously apologize to him. But Shaolin monks generally respect their masters and treasure righteousness, if he thinks that I wanna harm Xuan Ku dashi, probably he''d rather die than submit and definitely be unwilling to reveal his whereabouts. Hum, I might as well find a cook and ask him to lead me, but these people may not know the place of my master.''


    For the moment he hesitated and had no plan. Every time he passed by a hall or a wing-room he stooped down beside a window to listen, hoping that he would be able to have a clue. Even though he was tall and big in stature, his movements were quick, leaping up and drooping down like a lynx without being noticed by anyone.


    He kept going and listening like this. When he reached the side of a small house, suddenly he heard someone say inside: ''Abbot has important matters to discuss, shishu (apprentice uncle who is younger than one''s master) please go to the ''Institute of Faith Attestation'' immediately.'' Another aged voice said: ''Yes! I''m going right now.'' Qiao Feng thought: ''Abbot''s gathering people to discuss important matters, maybe my master will go as well. I''d better follow these people to the ''Institute of Faith Attestation''.'' A ''ya'' sound was heard, the door was pushed open and two monks came out, the aged one going westwards, and the junior one hurriedly going eastwards, perhaps he was going to notify other people.


    Qiao Feng thought because the Abbot had invited this elderly monk to go discuss important matters, the rank or status of this person had to be high, and because Shaolin Monastery was different than other cloisters, it was certain that all the people with high ranks or status here also possessed profound martial arts. Not daring to follow closely behind the monk, Qiao Feng only looked at his back and followed him from a distance. He saw him go straight toward the west and walk into a westernmost house. Qiao Feng waited until the monk had entered the house, only then did he go around to the back of it. After listening out and knowing clearly that there was no one around, he bent down beside a window.


    He felt both grieved and indignant, thinking to himself: ''Since I started to travel in jianghu, when treating fellow orthodox people in wulin, has there ever been even a single matter in which I wasn''t straightforward and didn''t have superiority? Yet today I''ve been forced to be this sneaky. If by any chance I''m discovered, though I''ve always have an illustrious name, where will I be able to hide my face then?'' But he immediately had another thought: ''In those years, master went down from the mountain every night to teach me martial arts, even if there were strong winds and heavy rain, he never skipped a night. I must repay such a serious kindness even if my body would be ground to dust, much less this tiny humiliation.''


    He heard footsteps outside the house then four people successively came in. Before long, two other people came in. Their shadows fell on the paper of the window. There were more than ten people gathering in total. Qiao Feng thought: ''If they discuss important secret matters of Shaolin and are overheard by me, then even if it''s unintentional, it''d still be improper. I''d better get away from this place. If master is inside the house, there''re lots of experts here like this, no matter how dangerous the murderer is they''d not be able to harm him. After the monks finish discussing and disperse I''ll think of a way to meet master.''


    When he was about to go away quietly, he heard more than ten monks inside the house start to chant at the same time. Qiao Feng did not know what Buddhist sutra they were chanting, but he felt their voices were stately and solemn, and the chanting tones of some people also had an air of considerable sorrow and distress. This passage of sutra kept being chanted for a very long time. He gradually felt uneasy and thought: ''It seems they''re performing some kind of Buddhist memorial service, or meditating or studying sutras, perhaps my master isn''t here.'' He tilted his ear to listen carefully, and as expected, he did not hear the composed thick voice of Xuan Ku dashi in the chorus of the monks chanting sutra.


    When he still could not decide whether or not he should wait for a while, the sound of chanting stopped and a dignified voice was heard: ''Xuan Ku shidi (younger apprentice brother), would you still like to say something?'' Qiao Feng was very happy: ''Master really is here, laorenjia (term to call old people politely) is safe and sound too. So, just now he didn''t chant sutra together with other people.''


    A person started to say in a deep and powerful voice. Hearing the voice, Qiao Feng knew that he was no one other than his first master Xuan Ku dashi, who said: ''The day xiaodi (I, this little brother) was initiated into monkhood, my late master named me Xuan Ku. The seven sufferings (Ku) that the Buddha mentioned are birth, aging, illness, death, contact with the hated ones, separation from the loved ones, and frustrated desires. Xiaodi has made great efforts to escape from these seven sufferings, but I could only assist myself, and not other people. I feel ashamed of this. The suffering of contact with the hated ones is a state that the human life is bound to have. I deserve to get this retribution for the causes I sowed before. Shixiong''s (older apprentice brother) and shidi''s, seeing me repay my former karma like this, you should feel happy for me.'' Qiao Feng noticed that his voice was calm, but what he said was the language of Buddhism, therefore he himself did not understand what he meant.


    That dignified voice continued: ''Xuan Bei shidi lost his life at the hands of a villain several months ago. Having been chasing down the murderer with all our power, we seem to have violated the precept of not being angry. But taming demon and punishing villain are deeds that help the people everywhere. As martial arts learners, our real intentions are spreading Buddhist teachings and following the infinitely compassionate merciful heart of the Buddha to free all living creatures from sufferings¡­'' Qiao Feng thought: ''The person with the dignified voice is most prolly the Abbot of Shaolin Monastery Xuan Ci dashi.'' He heard him continue: ''¡­ Eliminating a villain is equal to saving countless people. Shidi, is that person Murong of Gusu?''


    Qiao Feng thought: ''This matter involves the Murong clan of Gusu again. I''ve heard that Xuan Bei dashi of Shaolin School was sneakily killed in Dali. Could it be that they''re suspecting Mr Murong of committing the murder?''


    He heard Xuan Ku Dashi say: ''Abbot Shixiong, xiaodi is unwilling to make you and other shixiong''s and shidi''s worry about me because that would increase the retribution for my sins. If that person can put down the butcher knife, naturally it won''t be too late for him to repent of his sins and find a way out. But if he persists in his wrongdoings, alas, he''ll only make himself suffer for nothing. There''s also no need to talk about how that person looks like.''


    Abbot Xuan Ci dashi said: ''That''s right! Shidi has great understanding and wise opinions. Being an overly intolerant shixiong, my level has fallen behind to some extent.'' Xuan Ku said: ''Xiaodi wants to meditate for a while to ruminate and repent.'' Xuan Ci said: ''Alright! You take good care.''


    A ''ya'' sound of the door opening was heard. A tall and skinny elderly monk slowly walked out first. After he had gone out for one zhang (3.333 m), there were seventeen other monks in total continuously following behind him. All of the eighteen monks were having their palms put together and their heads lowered in meditation, looking stately.


    After the monks had gone far away, the inside of the house was totally quiet. Intimidated by the situation around, for the moment Qiao Feng did not dare to appear to knock the door. Suddenly he heard Xuan Ku Dashi say: ''Good visitor coming from afar, why are you hesitant about entering?''


    Qiao Feng was frightened and thought: ''I''ve been holding my breath, even if other people were very close to me, they wouldn''t necessarily be able to notice that I''ve been hiding here. To have such hearing, master''s internal energy cultivation is really outstanding.'' Without delay he respectfully walked to the door and said: ''How are you, master? Disciple Qiao Feng pays his respects to you.''


    Xuan Ku softly uttered an ''Ah'' sound and said: ''Feng''er? I''m thinking about you and only hoping that I can meet you one time. Quickly come in.'' His voice was filled with happiness.


    Qiao Feng was very happy. He hurriedly came in then immediately knelt down, kowtowed and said: ''Master, normally I''ve rarely been at your service, making you miss me a lot. Seeing that you are healthy, this child is extremely happy.'' As he finished saying, he raised his head and looked at Xuan Ku.


    Xuan Ku dashi at first was having a smiling expression on his face. When he saw Qiao Feng''s face in the light of the oil lamp, all of a sudden his expression changed greatly. He stood up and said in a trembling voice: ''You¡­ You¡­ so it was you. So you''re Qiao Feng. I¡­ I developed such a good disciple with my own hands?'' But his facial expression was both horrified and painful, and was also mixed with deep pity and regret.


    Seeing that in the blink of an eye his master was already having a very strange expression, Qiao Feng was extremely astonished. He said: ''Master, I''m Qiao Feng.''


    Xuan Ku dashi said: ''Good, good, good!'' After uttering the three ''Good'' words continuously, he did not say anything else.


    Qiao Feng did not dare to ask more and quietly waited to see if he had something to teach or instruct. He waited for a good while, but Xuan Ku dashi remained silent all along. Qiao Feng looked at his master''s face again, only seeing that his facial muscles were stiff and motionless, and his expression was exactly the same as it had been a moment ago. He could not refrain from jumping up in fright. When Qiao Feng reached out his hand to touch his master''s palm, he felt that it was rather cold. He hastily checked his master''s breathing, but it turned out to have already stopped for quite a while. This made Qiao Feng so frightened that he was dumbstruck. His mind was in chaos: ''As soon as master saw me he was frightened to death like this? Definitely improbable, what''s so frightful about me? Prolly he was already injured.'' But he did not dare to inspect his master''s body.


    After regaining composure, he decided in his mind: ''If I quietly left at this moment, how could it be considered the action of a tough brave man like Qiao Feng? Even if today''s incidents are extremely dangerous, I should investigate and clear up everything.'' He walked out of the house and shouted loudly and clearly: ''Abbot Dashi, Xuan Ku dashi has passed away. Xuan Ku dashi has passed away.'' The sound of these two sentences went very far and echoed through the valley. Hence the entire monastery could hear them. Even though the shouting voice was powerful, it was extremely sad.


    Abbot Xuan Ci and the other people had not got back to their respective rooms yet. Suddenly hearing the shouting of Qiao Feng, they turned around at the same time and quickly came back to the ''Institute of Faith Attestation.'' They only saw a tall and big man standing beside the door and wiping tears from his face with his sleeves. All the monks found this strange. Xuan Ci put his palms together and asked: ''Shizhu (Ê©Ö÷ ¨C literally almsgiver/benefactor ¨C a term that Buddhist monks/Taoists call normal people with), who are you?'' Concerned about Xuan Ku''s safety, he rushed into the house without waiting for Qiao Feng to reply. Seeing that Xuan Ku was still standing upright motionlessly without falling, he was even more startled. The other monks came in together. They then lowered their heads and chanted sutra.


    Qiao Feng was the last to enter the house. He knelt down and secretly prayed: ''Master, I came to inform you too late so you were already murdered by someone. The animosity between me and that villain has become deeper by one level. Even if I''d have to go through all difficulties, I''d find this villain and smash them into ten thousand pieces to avenge you, enshi.''


    Abbot Xuan Ci had finished chanting sutra. He sized up Qiao Feng and asked: ''Shizhu, who are you? Are you the person who shouted just now?''


    Qiao Feng said: ''This disciple is Qiao Feng. Seeing that my master had passed away I couldn''t bear the grief so I disturbed Abbot.''


    When Xuan Ci heard Qiao Feng''s name, he was frightened and his body trembled. A strange expression appeared on his face. After gazing at Qiao Feng for a long time, he said: ''Shizhu, you¡­ you¡­ are you the Beggar Society''s¡­ former Chief?''


    Hearing he said the five words ''the Beggar Society''s former Chief'', Qiao Feng thought: ''Messages in jianghu spread very fast. He already knows that I''m no longer the Beggar Society''s Chief. He must know the reasons why I was expelled from the Beggar Society as well.'' He then said: ''Yes.''


    Xuan Ci said: ''Shizhu, why do you trespass on our Monastery late at night? How could you see Xuan Ku shidi pass away?''


    Qiao Feng was having thousands and thousands of words that he wanted to say but for the moment he did not know what he should say. He had no alternative but to reply: ''Xuan Ku dashi was the first enshi of this disciple. But what are the injuries that my enshi suffered? And who murdered him?''


    With tears welling up in his eyes, Abbot Xuan Ci said: ''Xuan Ku shidi was taken by surprise by someone. His chest took a serious palm attack. All his ribs were broken and his five internal organs were crushed. He could endure until now only thanks to having profound internal energy. We asked him who the enemy was but he said he didn''t know him. We also asked him how the murderer looked like and how old he was. But he said the suffering of contact with the hated ones was one of the seven sufferings of Buddhists, and meeting the enemy was the opportunity to free himself, so he resolutely didn''t say anything about the appearance of the murderer.''


    Qiao Feng suddenly understood: ''So just now the monks already knew that master had been seriously injured. They chanted sutra to see him off to the Western Pure Land.'' Tears welled up in his eyes. He said: ''You''re eminent monks so you think of mercy and forget hatred. Being an ordinary man, I''ll catch this murderer and make him suffer the death of thousands of cuts to avenge my master, that''s for sure. Your monastery is strictly guarded, how could that murderer penetrate into here?''


    While Xuan Ci was pondering and had not replied, all of a sudden, an elderly monk who was short and small in stature coldly said: ''When shizhu penetrated into Shaolin, we couldn''t stop or detect you. That murderer of course could also come and go as he pleased, as if entering a deserted place.''


    Qiao Feng bent down, cupped his fist in his hand and said: ''Because the matter was urgent, I didn''t have time to inform and make an appointment at the main entrance. I was being too disrespectful. Masters, I sincerely beg for your forgiveness. Having deep roots in Shaolin School, by no means do I dare to have the slightest intention of looking down on or offending it.'' His last sentence hinted that if Shaolin School lost face, he would also be humiliated as a result. In his mind, he knew that after sneaking in Shaolin''s backyard, only when he himself had shouted had someone been aware of it. If this incident became known about by outsiders, it would really inflict huge damage on Shaolin School''s prestige.


    Right at this moment, a little Buddhist novice, who was holding a bowl of steaming hot medicine in both hands, entered the house and said to the corpse of Xuan Ku: ''Master, please take medicine.'' He was the Buddhist novice who served Xuan Ku. He had just decocted a dose of a medicine that cured injuries effectively called the ''Nine Changes Rejuvenation Mixture'' at the ''Institute of Medical King'' and was bringing it to his master for him to take. Because he saw that Xuan Ku was standing upright without falling, he did not know that his master had died. Feeling grieved, Qiao Feng said in a voice choked with emotion: ''Master has¡­''


    That little Buddhist novice turned his head and looked at him. Suddenly he cried out loudly: ''It''s you! You''ve¡­ come again!'' A ''qiang'' sound was heard, the bowl of medicine had been accidentally dropped on the ground. Porcelain fragments and medical liquid flew on all sides. That little Buddhist novice jumped backward two steps, leaned against the wall and squealed: ''It''s him. It''s him who injured master!''


    As soon as he screamed so, everyone, without exception, was very frightened. Qiao Feng was even more terrified. He said loudly: ''What did you say?'' That little Buddhist novice was only twelve or thirteen years old. Seeing Qiao Feng, he was extremely scared and hid behind Abbot Xuan Ci. He pulled the Abbot''s sleeve and shouted: ''Abbot, Abbot!'' Xuan Ci said: ''Qing Song, there''s no need to be scared. Just tell us. You say it''s him who injured master?'' The little Buddhist novice Qing Song said: ''Yes, when he hit master in the chest using his palm I was watching from the window. Master, Master, why don''t you strike back at him?'' Until this moment, he still did not know that Xuan Ku had died.


    Abbot Xuan Ci said: ''You should watch carefully. Don''t mistake other people for him.'' Qing Song said: ''I saw very clearly, he was wearing gray clothes made directly of cotton and had a square face, his eyebrows were slanted like this, his mouth and ears were big, it''s exactly him. Master, beat him, beat him.''


    Qiao Feng felt a chill run down his spine. He thought: ''That''s right. The murderer disguised as me to shift the blame onto me. Hearing me return, at first master was extremely joyful, but as soon as he saw my face, seeing me and his murderer look exactly alike, he then said: ''So it was you. So you''re Qiao Feng. I developed such a good disciple with my own hands.'' Master and I haven''t met for more than ten years. From a child I already became an adult. My appearance wasn''t the same long ago.'' Recalling that Xuan Ku dashi had continuously said three ''Good'' words before dying, he felt as if a knife was piercing his heart: ''Master took serious attacks, but he didn''t know who the enemy was. When he saw me, realizing that I and the murderer have similar appearances, he was very sad and died because of grief. Having suffered serious injuries, master was already on the brink of death so certainly he couldn''t think carefully that: if I had really harmed him, why would I come to meet him the second time?''


    Suddenly, a hubbub of human voices could be heard then a group of people trotted towards the ''Institute of Faith Attestation'' before stopping outside it. Two monks bent forward and respectfully came in. They were the Precept Maintaining monk and the Rule Protecting monk who had fought against Qiao Feng at the foot of Mt Shaoshi. When that Precept Maintaining monk had just said: ''Abbot¡­'' he saw Qiao Feng. An amazed and angry expression appeared on his face, showing that he did not know when Qiao Feng had come here. The other monks also frowned and fiercely goggled at Qiao Feng with glaring eyes.


    With a stately expression, Abbot Xuan Ci slowly said: ''Shizhu, you no longer belong to the Beggar Society, but you''re a famous figure in wulin. Today arriving at our monastery why did you strike dead Xuan Ku shidi? I hope to be counseled by you about that.''


    Qiao Feng let out a deep sigh, knelt and bowed down to the corpse of Xuan Ku and said: ''Master, at your dying moment you still said that this disciple harmed you so that you died with a grievance. I never dare to offend you, but the villain attacked you only because of me. Even if I died today to apologize to you I really wouldn''t resent it, but from now on the great wrong you suffered may not be avenged. I''ve violated the sanctity of Shaolin, please forgive me, master.'' All of a sudden, two ''hu-hu'' sounds were heard, he had blown out two long gusts of air. The two oil lamps in the hall were immediately extinguished. In an instant, the hall went pitch dark.


    When praying, Qiao Feng had already devised a plan to escape. Right after blowing out the oil lamps, he swung at the Rule Protecting monk with his left palm and hit his back. This palm attack only used Yin soft power therefore it did not injure his internal organs, but it sent his corpulent body flying out, breaking open the door of the hall in the process.


    Hearing the sound of wind in the dark, all the monks thought that Qiao Feng was running away through the door. Each of them grasped at the body of the Rule Protecting monk using a grasping hand technique. They all thought the same, not wanting to use severe attacks to kill Qiao Feng, and only wanting to capture him to interrogate more about why he had killed Xuan Ku dashi. These more than ten high-level monks were first-class experts of Shaolin Monastery. First-class experts of Shaolin Monastery were naturally also first-class experts in wulin. The respective grasping hand techniques they used were different from each other, each of which had its own uniqueness. In a short period of time, the best grasping hand techniques of Shaolin School such as the Dragon Capturing technique, the Eagle-Clawed technique, the Tiger Catching technique, the Diamond Finger technique, the Stone Holding Palm technique¡­ all were executed on the body of the Rule Protecting monk. The monks really had excellent martial arts, in the dark they could only hear the sound of wind, yet their stances did not miss even by a hair''s breadth. This time, that Rule Protecting monk tasted all kinds of sufferings. In a very short time, the important acupuncture points on his whole body were hit by various grasping hand techniques, his body was held up in the air and he was unable to talk. Perhaps no one had ever undergone this kind of experience before.


    These high-level monks were very experienced therefore their improvisation methods were also remarkable. Some people immediately jumped onto the roof to guard there. And in a short while, the important places in the passages and at the front door and back door of the Institute of Faith Attestation were also occupied by experts. Needless to say, Qiao Feng was a tall and big man. Even if he morphed into a wild cat or a mouse, he would possibly not be able to escape either.


    The little Buddhist novice Qing Song used a fire-striking knife and a flint to light the oil lamps in the hall. The monks then immediately discovered that they had wrongly caught the Rule Protecting monk.


    The head of the Damo Institute (in an earlier paragraph JY called this building the Damo Hall) Xuan Ku ordered that every monk in the monastery keep watch on his own position and not act chaotically. The monks all thought that even if Qiao Feng had been bolder he would never dare to penetrate into an extremely dangerous place like Shaolin Monastery alone to commit murder, he definitely had strong aid, it was likely that he had other schemes to take advantage of the confusion, and they themselves were not allowed to fall victim to the tactic of luring the tiger out of the mountain.


    More than 10 high-level monks in the Institute of Faith Attestation and the monks who were led by the Precept Maintaining monk then searched carefully everywhere in the vicinity of the Institute of Faith Attestation. Almost every stone was turned over, and every thicket was hit with stick. This time, even though the monks were lenient and cherished the lives of all living creatures, many toads, shrews, grasshoppers and ants were still accidentally injured.


    After busying themselves for more than 2 hours, the only thing they had not done was digging up the ground, but where could they find Qiao Feng? All the monks constantly clicked their tongues saying that this was strange, and sometimes they unavoidably said a few insulting sentences. Even though the 10 precepts of Buddhism warned against using ''Evil Words'', they were unable to pay attention to it. Right after that, they moved the corpse of Xuan Ku dashi into the ''Sarira Institute'' for cremation and carried the Rule Protecting monk to the ''Institute of Medical King'' to cure the injuries. They were all in very low spirits and rather silent, feeling that this time they had really lost face. Shaolin Monastery was packed with experts, and in terms of martial arts and reputation, each of these more than 10 high-level monks had a resounding name in wulin, yet they had let Qiao Feng, with bare hands and being alone, come and go as he pleased. They could not have even the least idea how he had escaped, much less killing or capturing him.


    It turned out that Qiao Feng had anticipated that as soon as an unforeseen event happened, the monks would certainly search everywhere all around, but they would definitely not care about the room in which they had just gathered a moment ago. Therefore, after sending the Rule Protecting monk flying out with a palm attack, he had immediately bent his body and got into the space underneath the bed on which Xuan Ku dashi had usually slept before his death. With his 10 fingers inserted into the bed base, he had been pressing his body close to it. Even though someone had already glanced at the space under the bed, he had not seen him. After the body of Xuan Ku dashi had been moved out, the execution monk shut the door of the Institute of Faith Attestation, hence no one came in anymore.


    Lying horizontally underneath the bed, Qiao Feng heard the monks cause a commotion for a long time then the sounds of human voice gradually disappear. He thought: ''Waiting until dawn, it won''t be easy to escape. If I don''t leave here now, then when should I?'' He then quietly came out from under the bed, gently pushed open the door, jinked and hid behind a tree.


    He thought, even though by now the human voices had stopped, how could it be that the high-level monks of Shaolin had given up and loosened their guard at this point? The Institute of Faith Attestation was located at the western extremity of Shaolin Monastery so he only had to go westward to enter a cluster of mountains. As soon as they came out of Shaolin Monastery, the monks would have to spread out, so even if he met them, they would definitely not be able to intercept him. But he did not want to fight Shaolin monks at all and only hoped that someday he would be able to capture the real murderer, take them to the monastery and explain the whole thing. If today he fought and defeated one more monk, he would make another enemy for nothing. If he accidentally wounded or killed someone, the consequence of it would be even more unthinkable. He thought he himself had vanished from the western part of the monastery so the monks would certainly guard the paths in the west most tightly, therefore he should go through the monastery and leave from its eastern part.


    He immediately stooped and quietly went under the cover of the trees. After going past four buildings, he hid behind a sacred fig tree. Suddenly he saw two monks waiting in ambush behind a tree right in front of him. Those 2 monks were not moving a bit therefore it was hard to detect them in the dark, but with his sharp eyesight he had seen the flashes of the precept knife (½äµ¶ ¨C jie dao ¨C a Buddhist''s knife that, according to the precepts of Buddhism, must not be used to harm living creatures) that a monk was holding in his hand. He thought: ''How dangerous! Had I gone a little bit too fast just now, I would definitely have been spotted.'' He waited behind the tree for a while, but those 2 monks remained motionless all along. This ''Waiting for windfalls'' method was unexpectedly very dangerous. If he made a move, he would be seen by those 2 monks instantly, but he also could not afford to be locked in a long stalemate and stay motionless all the while.


    He slightly considered then picked up a small stone and flicked it out. He used his power very skillfully, making the stone go slowly at first but go fast afterward. When the stone started to fly out, there was no sound at all, but after it had gone for 7 or 8 zhang''s (1 zhang = 3.333m), the sound of the air being pierced through became intense. The stone hit a big tree, making a strange sound. Those 2 monks stooped down and rushed towards that big tree.


    Qiao Feng waited until the 2 monks went past him then he jumped up and climbed into a compound at his side. In the moonlight he saw clearly a horizontally inscribed board which read ''Bodhi Institute''. He knew when those 2 monks saw nothing unusual, they would definitely return, therefore he did not stop and walked fast straight towards the backyard, passed through the front hall of the Bodhi Institute, then leaned his body and entered the rear sanctum.


    In the blink of an eye, he saw the shape of a man, who was exceptionally fast, flashing by from behind him. He had rarely seen a lightness skill this fast.


    ''What a skill! Who''s this man?'' Startled, Qiao Feng withdrew his palms to protect his body and turned around. He could not help but burst out laughing as what he saw before him was only a man whose one palm was being placed in an obliquely upward position to protect his front, his chest being drawn in and his back being stretched. It turned out that there was a screen placed in front of the Buddha statues in the rear sanctum, and a very big copper mirror was installed on the screen. The mirror had been polished to a high gloss and Qiao Feng''s own image was reflected in it. The copper mirror was engraved with 4 Buddhist metrical lines. As there were several oil lamps in front of the Buddha statues, in the dim light, he could vaguely see them: ''All the elements that have a form; Are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows; like dew and also like lightning; Like this should they be contemplated.'' [Ò»ÇÐÓÐΪ·¨,ÈçÃλÃÅÝÓ°,Èç¶ÒàÈçµç,µ±×÷ÈçÊǹÛ.] (These 4 lines were taken from the Diamond Sutra)


    Qiao Feng smiled and turned around. When he was about to take a step, suddenly his mind felt as if being heavily hit by something. He was dumbstruck. He only knew that at this moment he had just thought of an abnormal important matter. But he was confused and could not ascertain what that matter was.


    After standing there in a trance for a short while, he unconsciously turned around again and looked at the copper mirror. Seeing his own back, he came to realize all of a sudden: ''A little while ago I had a view of my own back, where did that happen? I''ve never seen such a big copper mirror, how could I see my own back clearly like this?'' When he was still entranced, suddenly he heard footsteps outside the institute. Some people were walking towards the sanctum.


    At that pressing moment, having nowhere to hide, he saw 3 Buddha statues standing side by side in the sanctum. Without delay he leaped on the altar and hid behind the third statue. He heard the footsteps of 6 people in total who came in the rear sanctum abreast in 2 rows. Each of them sat down on a bulrush mat. From behind the Buddha statue Qiao Feng peeped out and saw that all the 6 people were middle-aged monks. He thought: ''If I run away from the rear sanctum now, if these 6 monks'' martial arts are mediocre, they won''t be able to detect me, but if just one of them has profound internal energy, and keen eyes and ears, he''ll notice me right away. For the moment I''d better quietly wait and see here for a while.'' Suddenly he heard a monk on the right-hand side say: ''Shixiong (older apprentice bro), this Bodhi Institute is an empty place, what sutra does it have? Why did master tell us to guard here, saying something like to prevent the enemy from stealing?'' A monk on the right-hand side smiled and said: ''This is the secret of the Bodhi Institute. It''s no use talking much about it.'' The monk on the right-hand side said: ''Humph, I see that you may not know either.'' The monk on the left-hand side could not bear the incitement. He said: ''How come I don''t know? ''Yi Meng Ru Shi''¡­'' (Ò»ÃÎÈçÊÇ ¨C literally ''A Dream like This'', I use the pinyin for the sake of faithfulness) When he had just said half of the sentence, he suddenly became cautious and stopped talking. The monk on the right-hand side said: ''What''s ''Yi Meng Ru Shi''?'' The monk who was sitting on the second bulrush mat said: ''Zhi Qing shidi (younger apprentice bro), normally you''re not gossipy and meddlesome, why do you keep asking nonstop today? If you wanna know about the secret of the Bodhi Institute, then just go ask your own master.''


    The monk named Zhi Qing did not ask anymore. After a while, he said: ''I''m going to the back to pass water.'' As he finished saying he stood up. From the right-hand side he went to the side door on the left. When he passed by the back of the monk who was number 5 counting from the left, suddenly he raised his right foot and kicked that monk in the ''Xuanshu acupuncture point'' on the back. The Xuanshu acupuncture point was located beneath the 13th vertebra. That monk was sitting cross-legged on a bulrush mat therefore his Xuanshu acupuncture point was right on the edge of the mat. After he was hit by Zhi Qing''s tiptoe, his body slowly fell rightwards. Zhi Qing had kicked very fast without making any sound. Next he kicked the 4th monk in the ''Xuanshu acupuncture point'' then kicked the 3rd monk. In a very short time he had continuously downed 3 monks with his kicks.


    From behind the Buddha statue Qiao Feng saw that clearly. He was very surprised because he did not understand why infighting suddenly arose among these Shaolin monks. He saw Zhi Qing raise his foot and kick the 2nd monk on the left-hand side. When the tiptoe just touched his acupuncture point, 2 of the 3 monks whose acupuncture points had been hit by him fell down from the bulrush mats. Their heads hit the brick floor of the sanctum, creating peng peng sounds. The monk on the left-hand side was startled and jumped to his feet to look carefully. Catching a glimpse of Zhi Qing knocking down the monk behind him with a kick, he was even more frightened and asked: ''Zhi Qing, what are you doing?'' Zhi Qing pointed outside and said: ''You see. Who''s coming?'' That monk turned around and looked outside. Zhi Qing then raised the right foot and quickly threw a kick at his back.


    As this kick was executed very fast, it should be impossible to miss. But this sneak attack was reflected clearly in the copper mirror in front of them therefore that monk slanted his body and dodged it. He struck back with his palm and asked: ''Are you crazy?'' Zhi Qing executed his stances like the wind. When they exchanged the 8th stances, that monk''s lower abdomen took a punch then he received a kick. Seeing Zhi Qing use Yin, soft and ruthless stances, which were absolutely not techniques of Shaolin School, Qiao Feng felt even more surprised.


    That monk knew that he was no match for Zhi Qing, therefore he shouted loudly: ''Spy. Spy¡­'' Zhi Qing strode forwards and hit him in the chest with his left fist. That monk immediately fell down and lost consciousness.


    Zhi Qing quickly ran to the copper mirror. He extended his right forefinger and gave the word ''Yi'' (Ò» - A) in the first line of the Buddhist verse a push. Through the mirror Qiao Feng saw him follow that by pushing the word ''Meng'' (ÃÎ ¨C Dream) in the 2nd line. He thought: ''That monk said the secret was ''Yi Meng Ru Shi''. There''re 4 ''Ru'' words (Èç ¨C Like) on the mirror, which one should be pushed?''


    He only saw Zhi Qing extend his finger and push the 1st ''Ru'' word in the 3rd line, then push the word ''Shi'' (ÊÇ - This) in the 4th line. When his finger had not yet left the surface of the mirror, chugging sounds were heard. The copper mirror already slowly turned over.


    This was a good chance for Qiao Feng if he wanted to run away at this moment, but he got curious and wanted to see exactly why this Shaolin monk wanted to harm his fellow disciples and what there was behind the copper mirror. He thought maybe they had something to do with the murder of Xuan Ku dashi.


    Before being hit by Zhi Qing, the first monk on the left-hand side had shouted loudly. There were more than 100 monks being on patrol all around in Shaolin Monastery, hence as soon as they heard the shouting, they rushed to where it had started. Not just a few footsteps were heard on all sides east, south, west, and north of the Bodhi Institute.


    Qiao Feng hesitated: ''I mustn''t let them spot any trail of me.'' But he thought after the monks arrived, they would focus their eyes on Zhi Qing, he would have a great chance to extricate himself therefore there was no need to hurriedly escape. He saw Zhi Qing reach into a small hole behind the copper mirror to search but find nothing. At this moment, the footsteps from the north had already drawn near the outside of the Bodhi Institute.


    Zhi Qing stamped his foot. Obviously he was totally disappointed. When he was about to turn around and leave, suddenly he lowered his body to look at the back of the mirror then cried out happily in a low voice: ''It is here!'' He stretched out his hand to take out from the back of the copper mirror a small package and put it into his bosom. He then wanted to find a way to flee, but at this moment there were a lot of monks gathering all around and there was no way out already. Zhi Qing swept around then immediately rushed out through the front door of the Bodhi Institute.


    Qiao Feng thought: ''Going out like this, it''s impossible for this man not to be captured instantly.'' At this moment, he suddenly felt the sound of wind. Someone was rushing into the place where he was hiding. Qiao Feng located this person by hearing the wind. Stretching out his left hand, he grabbed the left wrist of the enemy. He then raised his right hand and exerted pressure on the Shendao acupuncture point on his back, sending out his internal energy. The whole body of that man immediately went numb, felt exhausted and became unable to move. After catching the enemy, Qiao Feng looked carefully at his face and saw that this man was unexpectedly Zhi Qing. He was startled but immediately understood: ''That''s right! This man is just like me, also wanting to hide behind the Buddha statues. Luckily he also chooses the 3rd statue, perhaps because this statue has the portliest body. Why did he rush out of the front door first then quietly come in through the back door? Ah, there''re 5 monks lying on the floor, when outsiders enter and ask, those 5 monks will all say that he has escaped through the front door, everyone will then be unlikely to search in this Bodhi Institute. Oh dear, this man is really good at scheming.''


    Qiao Feng considered, his hand still holding Zhi Qing. He then put his lips next to Zhi Qing''s ear and said in a low voice: ''If you make a noise, I''ll take your life in a palm attack, get it?'' Zhi Qing nodded.


    At this moment, 7 or 8 monks rushed in through the main entrance, 3 of whom were holding torches. The sanctum immediately lit up. Seeing that there were 5 monks lying on the floor of the sanctum, they immediately clamored: ''That villain Qiao Feng''s carried out a murderous scheme again!'' ''Hum, they''re Zhi Zhan and Zhi Yuan shixiong''s!'' ''A''yo! No good! Why was this copper mirror lifted up? Qiao Feng has stolen the sutra of the Bodhi Institute!'' ''Hurry up and report to Abbot.'' Hearing these people commenting noisily, Qiao Feng could not refrain from smiling bitterly: ''This debt is again passed on to me.'' In a short period of time, there were more and more monks gathering in the sanctum.


    Qiao Feng felt Zhi Qing struggling, wanting to pull free. He understood his intention: ''The monks are gathering in the sanctum. Zhi Zhan, Zhi Yuan and the others haven''t regained consciousness. If this Zhi Qing guy wants to escape, this moment is a good chance. Even if he arrogantly appears in the sanctum, no one would have a doubt as they all think that I''m the culprit.'' He immediately had another thought: ''It seems this Zhi Qing guy isn''t clever enough. A little while ago, why did he need to hide here? Had he come out from the sanctum, why would someone possibly have had interrogated him?''


    Suddenly, the human voices in the sanctum stopped, no one said a word anymore. After that all the monks said in unison: ''Paying my respects to Abbot. Paying my respects to the Damo Institute''s Chairman. Paying my respects to the Nagarjuna Institute''s Chairman.'' (Lol, this sounds so weird! Could someone please help me find an English equivalent of ²Î¼û that is officially used in face-to-face formal meetings?)


    Soft pai-pai sounds were heard. Someone had used his palm to wake Zhi Zhan, Zhi Yuan and the other 3 monks up. Then someone asked: ''Is it Qiao Feng who did this? How could he know about the secret of the copper mirror?'' Zhi Zhan said: ''It''s not Qiao Feng. It''s Zhi Qing¡­'' All of a sudden, he jumped up and scolded: ''Good, good! Why did you sneakily attack your fellow disciples?''


    From behind the Buddha statue Qiao Feng was unable to see who he was scolding.


    He only heard one man cry out in fear: ''Zhi Zhan shixiong, why do you pull me?!'' Zhi Zhan angrily said: ''You kicked the 5 of us down and stole the hidden sutra. How daring! Abbot, the traitor Zhi Qing illegally opened the copper mirror of the Bodhi Institute and stole the sutra!'' That man cried out: ''What? What? I''ve always been with Abbot, how could I come here to steal that hidden sutra thing?''


    An aged hoarse voice sternly said: ''Close the copper mirror first then relate what happened.''


    Zhi Yuan went put the copper mirror back to its original position. This time, Qiao Feng saw clearly in the mirror the situation of the monks in the sanctum. He saw a monk gesticulating, looking very agitated. When Qiao Feng looked at him, he could not help feeling startled as it turned out this man was Zhi Qing. Surprised, Qiao Feng involuntarily turned his head and looked at the monk at his side who had been captured by himself. He saw that this man''s appearance was completely the same as that of the Zhi Qing in the sanctum. If looking at them carefully, he might notice some tiny differences, but in a glance, it was really impossible to tell them apart. Qiao Feng considered: ''In the world, people with similar appearances like this are extremely rare. That''s right, perhaps they are twin brothers. This plan is unexpectedly pretty clever. One became a monk at Shaolin Monastery and one waited outside. When there was an opportunity, the other one disguised as a monk and came in the monastery to steal sutra. That real Zhi Qing didn''t get away from the Abbot even by a single step so of course nobody would suspect him.''


    Qiao Feng only heard Zhi Zhan successively related things like how Zhi Qing had asked about the secret of the copper mirror, how he himself should not have blurted out the 4 words, how Zhi Qing had pretended to go outside to pass water then sneakily kicked down 4 monks, and how Zhi Qing had fought against and flattened himself. While Zhi Zhan was recounting, Zhi Yuan and the other 3 monks repeatedly chimed in and confirmed that there was nothing false in his words.


    Abbot Xuan Ci had all along had a disapproving expression on his face. Waiting until Zhi Zhan had finished relating, he slowly asked: ''Did you see clearly? Was it really Zhi Qing without a doubt?'' Zhi Zhan, Zhi Yuan and the other monks said in unison: ''Abbot, there''s no enmity between us and Zhi Qing, why should we frame him?'' Xuan Ci sighed and said: ''There''s definitely something strange about this. A short while ago Zhi Qing was always at my side without leaving. The Chairman of the Damo Institute was also with us.''


    As soon as the Abbot said so, none of the monks in the sanctum dared to make any sound. The Chairman of the Damo Institute Xuan Nan dashi said: ''Correct. I also saw Zhi Qing accompany Abbot Shixiong. How come he could go to the Bodhi Institute to steal sutra?'' The Chairman of the Nagarjuna Institute Xuan Ji asked: ''Zhi Zhan, when that Zhi Qing fought you, was there anything unusual about his stances?'' He was the person with the aged hoarse voice.


    Zhi Zhan uttered a loud cry and said: ''A''yo! Why haven''t I thought about this? When that Zhi Qing fought this disciple, what he was using weren''t the martial arts of our school.'' Xuan Ji said: ''Then can you recognize what school those martial arts belong to?'' Seeing that Zhi Zhan was having a blank expression and was unable to answer, Xuan Ji asked again: ''Was it Long Fist or a close-quarters technique? A Grasping hand technique? Ditang (Ground Tumbling Fist), Liuhe (Six Harmonies Fist), Tongbi (Full Arm Fist)?'' Zhi Zhan said: ''He¡­ He used very vicious martial arts. I was unaccountably hit by him several times.''


    The Abbot and the elderly monks with the highest rank such as Xuan Ji and Xuan Nan looked at each other. They thought that today opponents of extremely good abilities had come to the monastery and used deceitful tricks to make everyone feel as if being in a thick fog, therefore the immediate plan was, on the one hand, speeding up inspection, and on the other hand, dealing with everything calmly and facing the fearful with no fear, otherwise turbulence would arise in the monastery and the disaster would perhaps become even harder to put in order.


    Xuan Ci put his palms together and said: ''The sutra hidden in the Bodhi Institute is a Mahayana sutra written by an eminent monk of an older generation in our monastery to promulgate Buddhism and assist human beings. If a Buddhist disciple acquires it and studies it intensively, he would naturally gain quite a few marvelous benefits. But if an ordinary person acquires it and doesn''t value it, the sin really wouldn''t be trivial. Shidi''s and shizhi''s (apprentice nephews), please return to your own institutes to rest. The ones who have duties carry them out as usual.''


    Following his order, the monks dispersed. Only the people such as Zhi Zhan and Zhi Yuan were still nagging nonstop at Zhi Qing. Xuan Ji gave them a stare. Scared, Zhi Zhan and other people did not dare to talk anymore and went out side by side together with Zhi Qing.


    After those monks had left, there were only three monks Xuan Ci, Xuan Nan and Xuan Ji in the sanctum. They were sitting on the bulrush mats in front of the Buddha statues. Xuan Ci suddenly said: ''Amitabha, how sinful, how sinful!'' As he finished saying these 8 words, all of a sudden the 3 monks jumped up and went around to the back of the Buddha statue. From 3 different directions they sent their palm attacks towards Qiao Feng at the same time.


    It was unexpected to Qiao Feng that these 3 monks had already discovered his own place by looking in the copper mirror. It was even more unexpected to him that these 3 senile elderly monks struck as soon as they finished saying and their palm attacks were fast and fierce like this. In an instant, he already felt his breathing had become heavy and the air in his chest was blocked. The joint attack of the 3 high-level monks of Shaolin Monastery was really no small matter. When he tried to tell the directions of the palm attacks apart at that urgent moment, he only felt that the 5 directions above him, below him, on his left, on his right, and at his back were already enveloped by the palm force of the 3 monks, if he was determined to break through, it would be impossible not to use hard techniques, if he did not injure the opponents, he himself would be injured. At that moment, not having time to think carefully, he channeled internal energy into his 2 palms and pushed out forwards. With loud ka-la-la sounds, the Buddha statue in front of him was pushed down. Qiao Feng conveniently lifted Zhi Qing up and leaped forwards. He suddenly felt a swift and fierce palm wind at his back. The palm force had not yet arrived but the wind force had already reached him.


    Qiao Feng was unwilling to clash palms with or try his power against high-level Shaolin monks therefore his right hand grabbed the screen in front of him on which the copper mirror was installed, then he turned his wrist and moved his arm backwards, using the screen to cover his back like a shield. Only a loud ''deng'' sound was heard, a palm attack of Xuan Nan had hit the copper mirror, causing a shock that made Qiao Feng feel a little pain and numbness in his right arm. The screen around the mirror was broken into several pieces.


    Qiao Feng made use of the force of this palm attack of Xuan Nan and jumped forwards more than 1 zhang (3.333 m). Suddenly he heard someone at his back taking a deep breath. The sound of the breath was louder than usual. Qiao Feng knew instantly that a high-level Shaolin monk was going to use a type of martial arts akin to the ''Air Splitting Divine Fist.'' Despite not fearing him, he himself did not want to waste internal energy together with him either, hence, without delay, he blocked his back with the copper mirror and also channeled internal energy into his right arm.


    At that moment, he only felt the palm wind of the opponent coming at a slanting angle, the direction of the palm attack was really bizarre. Qiao Feng was very surprised but he immediately understood. That elderly monk''s palm force was not for hitting his back, but instead, was aimed at Zhi Qing''s back. As Qiao Feng and Zhi Qing did not know each other, he at first had no intention of saving him, but because he was already carrying him in his hand, the idea of taking care of him involuntarily appeared in his mind. Therefore, he pushed the copper mirror to shield Zhi Qing with it. Only a low unclear ''pai'' sound was heard then the sound from the copper mirror disappeared. It turned out this mirror had already been cracked by the palm force of Xuan Nan before, therefore, at this moment, when it was again hit by the Air Splitting Palm of Abbot Xuan Ci, it sounded like a gong getting broken.


    When moving the mirror backwards to block the attack, Qiao Feng had already lifted Zhi Qing and jumped up towards the roof. He felt that his body was very light, really being out of proportion with his tall and big stature. But when that sound, which was rather like the sound of a gong getting broken, was heard, unexpectedly he could not stand firmly on the eaves, his knees became weak and he fell back. Ever since he had started to travel in jianghu he had never met such a formidable opponent, therefore he could not help being startled. He immediately turned around and stood on the ground like a lofty mountain, showing a mighty bearing and paying absolutely no attention to the fact that he was being surrounded by strong enemies.


    Xian Ci said: ''Amitabha, Qiao shizhu (almsgiver), besides coming to Shaolin Monastery and committing murder, you''ve also destroyed Buddha statues.''


    Xuan Ji shouted loudly: ''Take one palm attack of mine!'' He moved his 2 palms inwards from the sides in circles then slowly pushed them out towards Qiao Feng. When his palm force had not yet arrived, Qiao Feng already felt his breathing had become difficult in his chest. In an instant, Xuan Ji''s palm force came fiercely like a raging tidal wave.


    Qiao Feng threw the copper mirror away and struck back with an ''Arrogant Dragon Having Remorse'' stance in the ''18 Dragon Subduing Palms''. When the 2 streams of palm force met each other, they produced chi-chi sounds. Both Xuan Nan and Qiao Feng had to move back 3 steps. For a very short time, Qiao Feng felt his whole body had no strength and he also let Zhi Qing slip out of his hand. But as soon as he channeled his internal energy, he felt vigorous again. Without waiting for Xuan Ji to send out the 2nd palm attack, he shouted: ''I must take my leave!'' He then lifted Zhi Qing up and leaped onto the roof.


    The 2 monks Xuan Nan and Xuan Ji both uttered a ''yi'' sound simultaneously and felt extremely astonished. The palm attack sent out by Xuan Ji just now had really gathered all of his power and was called ''One Hit Two Disperse''. The words ''Two Disperse'' (Á½É¢) indicated that if using it to hit a rock, the rock would be broken into pieces which would then disperse, and if using it to hit a person, that person would become so frightened that their soul would leave their body and disperse. This palm technique only had 1 stance because the palm force was too powerful, and hence when facing the enemy, there would be no need to use the 2nd stance as the enemy would already be killed by the 1st stance. But because this one palm stance used such an extremely powerful internal energy as the basis, if a user of it wanted to change the stance or switch to a different one, they would not be able to do so. Unexpectedly, after Qiao Feng had taken this stance, not only had he not dropped dead on the spot, he had also recovered in a very short period of time then jumped onto the roof while carrying a person and run away.


    Xuan Nan sighed and said: ''This man''s martial arts are really outstanding!'' Xuan Ji said: ''We must eliminate him as soon as possible to prevent him from becoming an extremely great danger.'' Xuan Nan continuously nodded. But Abbot Xuan Ci looked at the horizon in the path in which Qiao Feng had just left, entranced.


    Just before running away, Qiao Feng had turned his head around and cast a glance, only seeing that the copper mirror had been broken into dozens of pieces, which had scattered on the ground, by that punch of Abbot Xuan Ci. His back had been reflected in every piece. Qiao Feng had again been startled without a reason: ''Why do I always feel uneasy every time I have a view of my own back? In the end what''s unusual about this?'' In that moment, he had been eager to get away from Shaolin, and hence even though this suspicion had appeared in his mind, when hurriedly rushing away, he had also forgotten it.


    As he was extremely familiar with the paths at Mt Shaoshi, he fled to the back of the mountain and chose precipitous narrow tracks to go along. After running away quickly for several li''s (0.5 km), hearing no Shaolin monk chasing him, he felt a little bit calm. He then put Zhi Qing down on the ground and shouted loudly: ''Walk by yourself! But don''t think about escaping.'' Unexpectedly, when Zhi Qing''s feet touched the ground, he immediately became weak, paralyzed and exhausted. He then curled up into a heap, looking as if he was already dead. Startled, Qiao Feng stretched out his hand to check Zhi Qing''s breathing, only feeling that his breathing was unclear and extremely weak. When he checked his pulse next, he also found that it was beating extremely slowly. It seemed he was going to die very soon.


    Qiao Feng thought: ''There''re countless doubts and suspicions in my mind that I''m going to ask you about. I mustn''t let you die so easily like this. After falling into my hands, this monk fears that his schemes would be exposed so he has prolly taken a fierce poison to kill himself.'' He then held out his hand to touch Zhi Qing''s chest and check the monk''s heartbeat, only to feel that his hand was touching something pliant. This monk was unexpectedly a female!


    Qiao Feng hastily withdrew his hand. He felt more and more strange: ''He¡­ He''s a female in disguise?'' In the dark it was unable to examine carefully the appearance of this person. Unlike Duan Yu, who liked to read books, was familiar with decencies and had a lot of scruples, he was an open-minded tolerant man and did not stick to trivial matters, therefore he held Zhi Qing''s back, lifted him up and shouted: ''Are you male or female? If you don''t tell the truth, I''m gonna undress you to find out about it!'' Zhi Qing''s lips made a few movements. He wanted to say but was unable to utter any sound at all. Obviously he was at his last gasp and his life was hanging by a thread.


    Qiao Feng thought: ''Regardless of whether this person is male or female, good or bad, I mustn''t let him die at this point.'' He held out his right palm, putting it on Zhi Qing''s back. He then circulated his internal energy in his dantian (the point which is located ~ 5 cm below the navel), channeled it from his abdomen into his arm, from his arm into his palm and transferred it into Zhi Qing''s body. Even if he was unable to save his life, at least he also needed to ask and get some clues from him. Before long, Zhi Qing''s pulse gradually became stronger, and his breathing was also getting smoother. Seeing that he was unable to die at the moment, Qiao Feng was somewhat relieved and thought: ''This place isn''t far from Shaolin. I can''t stay here for too long.'' He immediately bent his arms to carry Zhi Qing horizontally in them and strode westwards.


    At this moment, he again felt that Zhi Qing''s body was very light, which was out of proportion to his tall and big stature. He thought: ''It''s not proper for me to remove your clothes, but don''t tell me that I can''t take off your footwear?'' He then stretched out his hand and pulled the Buddhist shoe off his right foot. When he pinched his sole, he only felt that his hand was touching something solid. Obviously it was not human flesh. He slightly pulled it with force. Following his hand, an object fell away, which turned out to be a wooden false foot. Only when he touched Zhi Qing''s foot once more was it a soft delicate sole. Qiao Feng uttered a ''humph'' sound and murmured: ''This person''s really a female.''


    He immediately used his lightness skill and went faster and faster. Running quickly until dawn, estimating that he was already more than 50 li''s (0.5 km) away from Shaolin Monastery, he carried Zhi Qing into a grove on the right-hand side. Seeing a clear brook, which ran through the grove, he went to the side of it, scooped up some clear water and splashed it on Zhi Qing''s face. Then he used the sleeve of her Buddhist robe to give her face a few wipes. All of a sudden, the flesh on her face fell down piece after piece. Qiao Feng was frightened and jumped to his feet: ''Why is her skin rotten like this?'' Looking carefully with his doubtful eyes, he saw that under the rotten flesh on her face the smooth translucent skin was exposed.


    Being carried in Qiao Feng''s arms while he had been running, Zhi Qing had always been in a daze. At this moment, after her face had been wet by clear water, she opened her eyes, looked at Qiao Feng, forced a smile and softly said: ''Chief Qiao!'' But because she was too weak, after uttering these words, she closed her eyes again.


    Seeing that her face had different colors and was uneven, making it unable for him to see her real face clearly, Qiao Feng soaked the sleeve of her Buddhist robe in the brook until it was drenching then used force to swab her face several times with it. The gray dust continuously fell down under his hand, exposing the dainty face of a young girl. Qiao Feng could not refrain from shouting out: ''It''s Ms A''Zhu!''


    The person who had disguised as Zhi Qing and blended in with the monks at the Bodhi Institute was no one other than Murong Fu''s maid A''Zhu. Her disguising and making-up skills were really unmatched. She had walked on wooden feet to make her body look taller, used cotton to make her shoulders look higher and her abdomen curve outwards, used flour to make her cheeks look puffy, worn a Buddhist hat, and put on a Buddhist robe. Even the people who met Zhi Qing daily such as Zhi Zhan and Zhi Yuan had not been able to discover that she had been the fake one.


    When feeling confused and not being able to think clearly, she heard Qiao Feng call her ''Ms A''Zhu''. She wanted to reply and explain why she had sneaked in Shaolin Monastery, but she had no strength at all. Her tongue did not obey her orders either, therefore she could not even reply with a ''yes'' sound.


    Qiao Feng at first had firmly believed that Zhi Qing had been treacherous and vicious, and that the deaths of his father and mother must have had an enormous connection with him, hence he had not hesitated to spend his internal energy to save his life, wanting to investigate him and bring to light all the true facts. He had resolved that if Zhi Qing had not said, he would use all kinds of cruel unendurable tortures to force him to say the truth. Who could have expected that this person''s true identity was the young girl A''Zhu, who was dainty, clever, lovely and delightful? Really, no one could have expected this, even in a dream. Even though Qiao Feng had met A''Zhu and A''Bi a few times, and had saved the 2 of them from the hands of Western Xia warriors, he did not know that A''Zhu was very proficient at making-up. If Duan Yu had switched with Qiao Feng, he would have already guessed correctly.


    At this moment Qiao Feng already knew clearly that she was not poisoned, but was injured by palm force. After considering a little, he already knew the reason. Before Abbot Xuan Ci had sent out an Air Splitting Palm attack, he had used the copper mirror to cover his back. Even though the attack had not hit A''Zhu, because he had been carrying her in his left hand, the extremely swift and fierce palm force had transferred to her body as a result. After understanding this matter, he could not help feeling sorry inwardly: ''If I hadn''t meddled in other people''s affairs, letting her come and go as her pleased, she would''ve already escaped and definitely wouldn''t have met with this disaster.'' He had a very high opinion of Murong Fu, and as they said, if a person liked someone they would like even his house and the crow on the roof of his house (the English equivalent of this proverb is ''Love me, love my dog'', but ''dog'' gives a negative connotation in a Chinese context, so I don''t use it here), therefore it was unavoidable that Qiao Feng also respected Murong Fu''s maid. He thought: ''She suffered this serious injury all because of me. My sense of honor doesn''t allow me not to cure her. I must go to a town and ask a doctor to treat her.'' He then said: ''Ms A''Zhu, I''m gonna carry you to a town to treat your injury.'' A''Zhu said: ''There''s vulnerary in my bosom.'' As she finished saying she moved her right hand, but did not have any strength to reach into her bosom.


    Qiao Feng stretched out his hand and took out all the things in her bosom. Besides some pieces of silver, he saw a gold lock which was very finely crafted. On the lock, two lines of small characters were engraved: ''Stars in the sky, which are twinkling, will glitter forever, and forever well will you be.'' (ÌìÉÏÐÇ, ÁÁ¾§¾§, ÓÀ²ÓÀÃ, ³¤°²Äþ ¨C There''s a hidden message in this poem, I''ll explain in a later chapter) In addition, there was a small case made of white jade, which had been given to her by Grandpa Tan in the apricot forest. Qiao Feng felt happy as he knew this vulnerary was highly effective. He said: ''Saving your life is important, please forgive me.'' Holding out his hands, he unfastened her gown then repeatedly applied all the Cold Jade Icy Toad Ointment in the case onto her chest. A''Zhu could not refrain from getting embarrassed. She felt a sharp pain in the injury again and passed out immediately.


    Qiao Feng fastened her gown and put the white jade case and the gold lock back into her bosom, but he took the silver pieces. He then stretched out his hand to grab her body and walked quickly towards the north.


    After going for more than 20 li''s (0.5 km) he arrived in a densely populated big town called Xu Jia Ji. Qiao Feng went to the biggest inn and booked 2 rooms. He then helped A''Zhu settle down and invited a doctor to come and examine the condition of her injury.


    That doctor felt A''Zhu''s pulse then continuously shook his head and said: ''The lady''s illness is incurable. This prescription is merely the best I can do. That''s all.'' Qiao Feng saw that the prescription had some licorice, peppermint, Chinese bellflower, pinellia ternata, all of which were mild medicines which might not necessarily be able to cure even a common stomach ache.


    He did not go buy medicines either and thought: ''If even the effective medicine of Grandpa Tan of Chongxiao Cave can''t cure her then what''s the use of the medicines of a quack in this town?'' He then channeled his internal energy and transferred it into her body. In an instant, A''Zhu''s face became ruddy. She said: ''Chief Qiao, luckily you saved me. Had I fallen into the hands of those bald thieves, my life would''ve been threatened.'' Hearing she talk with abundant energy, Qiao Feng was very happy and said: ''Ms A''Zhu, I was really worried that you wouldn''t be able to get well.'' A''Zhu said: ''Don''t call me Ms or something. Calling me A''Zhu straight out is okay. Chief Qiao, why did you come to Shaolin Monastery?'' Qiao Feng said: ''I''m no longer a chief already. Later on don''t call me Chief¡­'' A''Zhu said: ''Oh, I''m sorry. I''m gonna call you great master Qiao.''


    Qiao Feng said: ''Let me ask you first. Why did you come to Shaolin Monastery?'' A''Zhu laughed and said: ''Oh, speaking of that, please don''t laugh at me for playing the goat. I heard that our young master had come to Shaolin Monastery so I wanted to find him and talked to him about Ms Wang. Who would''ve known that when I just entered the monastery, that monk Zhi Qing, who was on guard at the main entrance, aggressively said that women couldn''t enter Shaolin Monastery? I had a quarrel with him. He instead scolded me. But I wanted to come in, besides I also disguised as him, to see what he could do.''


    Qiao Feng smiled and said: ''You disguised, made up, and in the end entered Shaolin Monastery. Those monks couldn''t discover that you''re female at all. It''d have been better if after entering you had let them see your true appearance. They would''ve exploded in the bellies with anger without being able to do anything to you.'' At first he had greatly respected Shaolin Monastery, but he could not help feeling angry because, firstly, Xuan Ku were already dead, and secondly, the monks had wrongly accused him of the 3 most serious crimes under heaven, which were patricide, matricide and killing his master, without asking about the rights and wrongs of him.


    A''Zhu sat up, clapped her hands, laughed and said: ''Great master Qiao, that''s a good idea. After I get well, I''ll disguise as a man to enter the monastery then change to female clothes, swagger to the middle of the Great Mighty Sanctum and sit there, making all the monks so angry that they would roll on the floor. How interesting would that be! Ah¡­'' Suddenly, she could not take even a breath. Her body then loosened and collapsed. She lay motionless on the bed.


    Qiao Feng was startled. He put his forefinger next to her nostrils and felt that her breathing seemed to have completely stopped. Feeling anxious, he hastily put his palm on the ''Lingtai acupuncture point'' on her back and sent his internal energy into her body. Within the time to finish a cup of tea, A''Zhu slowly turned her body over, laughed apologetically and said: ''A''yo, why did I fall asleep during conversation? Great master Qiao, I''m really sorry.'' Qiao Feng knew that her condition was far from good. He said: ''You haven''t recovered yet. You''d better sleep for a while to rest.'' A''Zhu said: ''I''m not tired, but you''ve been busy for half a night, so please rest for a while.'' Qiao Feng said: ''Okay, I''ll see you after a while.''


    He went to the parlor to order 5 Jin''s of wine and 2 Jin''s of beef (1 Jin = 0.6 kg) then ate and drank alone. Because at this moment he felt very sad, it was easy for him to get drunk. After drinking up 5 Jin''s of wine, he unexpectedly felt slightly intoxicated. He then took 2 steamed buns to A''Zhu''s room for her to eat. After he entered the room, he called several times but did not hear any reply. He went to the bed and saw that her eyes were slightly closed and her cheeks were sunken. It looked like she was already dead. He stretched out his hand and touched her forehead. Fortunately it was still warm. He then hastily used his internal energy to save her. A''Zhu slowly woke up. She received the buns and happily ate them.


    This time, Qiao Feng knew that she was now totally depending on his internal energy to stay alive, if he did not transfer internal energy into her body, she would be exhausted within 2 hours and die. He did not know what he should do.


    Seeing that he was having a thoughtful and worried look, A''Zhu said: ''Great master Qiao, am I so seriously injured that even the effective medicine of Sir Tan can''t cure me?'' Qiao Feng hastily said: ''No, no! It''s nothing, after several days, you''ll get well.'' A''Zhu said: ''Please don''t deceive me. I myself know it. I only feel empty, not having even the least bit of strength.'' Qiao Feng said: ''Set your mind at rest and recover. I''ll surely have a way to cure you.'' Hearing his tone, A''Zhu knew that her injury was really serious therefore she could not help but get scared and her hand started to tremble. The bun half of which she had eaten then fell on the floor. Qiao Feng only thought that her internal energy had run out again, hence he immediately put his palm on her Lingtai acupuncture point.


    At this moment, A''Zhu was still in full possession of all her faculties, she felt a warm stream of internal energy being channeled into her body from his palm and her whole body instantly felt comfortable. After thinking a little, she already understood that actually she had almost died for several times and every time Qiao Feng had used his internal energy to bring her back to life, hence she felt both grateful to him and frightened. Even though she was clever, after all she was still very young. With tears streaming down, she said: ''Great master Qiao, I don''t wanna die, please don''t ignore and leave me behind in here.''


    Finding her words pitiable, Qiao Feng consoled her: ''That''s definitely impossible. Don''t worry. What kind of man is Qiao Feng? How can I abandon a friend who''s in jeopardy?'' A''Zhu said: ''I don''t deserve to be your friend. Great master Qiao, am I gonna die? After a person die will they become a ghost?'' Qiao Feng said: ''You don''t need to think too much. You''re so young like this, suffering a bit of minor injury, how could you die?'' A''Zhu said: ''You''re not fobbing me off, are you?'' Qiao Feng said: ''No, I''m not.'' A''Zhu said: ''You''re a well-known hero in wulin. They all say: ''North Qiao Feng, South Murong'', you and my young master, one in the north, one in the south, are equally famous. In your life, have you ever failed to keep your words?'' Qiao Feng smiled and said: ''When I was little I often lied, but afterward, when traveling in jianghu, I no longer deceived other people.'' A''Zhu said: ''You said the condition of my injury wasn''t serious. It''s deceiving me, isn''t it?''


    Qiao Feng thought: ''If you know that the condition of your injury is serious, you''ll be anxious, making it harder to save you. Because of you I have no choice but to deceive you.'' He then said: ''I can''t deceive you.'' A''Zhu let out a sigh and said: ''Okay, I feel at ease then. Great master Qiao, I have one matter to beg you.'' Qiao Feng asked: ''What''s the matter?'' A''Zhu said: ''Tonight you stay in my room with me, and don''t leave me.'' She thought if Qiao Feng went away this time, she herself would possibly not be able to endure till dawn. Qiao Feng said: ''Very good. Even if you hadn''t said that, I''d still sit here with you. Don''t say anymore, just sleep quietly for a while.''


    A''Zhu closed her eyes, but after a while, she opened them again and said: ''Great master Qiao, I can''t sleep. I beg you one thing, is that okay?'' Qiao Feng asked: ''What is it?'' A''Zhu said: ''When I was little, every time I couldn''t sleep my mother would sing for me to hear at the side of my bed. She would only need to sing 3 songs, I''d then sleep soundly.'' Qiao Feng smiled and said: ''It''s not easy to find your mother now.'' A''Zhu let out a sigh and said quietly: ''I don''t know where my father and mother are. I don''t know if they still live in this world either. Great master Qiao, you sing a few songs for me to hear, is that okay?''


    Qiao Feng could not help but smile bitterly. He was such a mighty man therefore if he sang to coax a young girl to sleep, this would really be outrageous. He then said: ''I really can''t sing.'' A''Zhu said: ''When you were little, your mother sang songs to you, didn''t she?'' Scratching his head, Qiao Feng said: ''That seems to have happened, but I already forgot everything. Even if I remembered I wouldn''t be able to sing.'' A''Zhu sighed and said: ''If you''re unwilling to sing then I can''t do anything about it.'' Qiao Feng said apologetically: ''It''s not that I''m unwilling to sing, but I really can''t sing.'' A''Zhu suddenly came up with another idea. She clapped her hands, laughed and said: ''Ah, I got it, great master Qiao, I beg you another matter, this time you can''t say no.''


    Qiao Feng felt this young girl was innocent and simple, but her words and behavior were often beyond people''s expectations. After she had said she would ask him for another thing, he had no idea what whimsical thing it would be. Hence, he said: ''You say it first. If I can promise then I''ll promise. If I can''t promise then I won''t promise.'' A''Zhu said: ''This matter, everyone in the world can do, as long as they are at least 4 or 5 years old. You think it''s easy or not?'' Not wanting to be fooled, Qiao Feng said: ''In the end, what is it? You gotta say it clearly first.'' A''Zhu gave a charming smile and said: ''Alright! Please tell several tales to me, it doesn''t matter if they''re about a rabbit gege (elder bro) or a wolf popo (husband''s mother/grandmother), I''ll always be able to fall asleep.''


    Qiao Feng frowned. An awkward expression appeared on his face. Not long ago, he had still been the Chief of the number one large society in jianghu who had had great might and been in charge of extraordinary people. But during the past few days, he had been dismissed from the Chief post and expelled from the Society. The 3 dearest people to him, who were his parents and master, had passed away in one day. In addition, he did not know if he was a Hu man or a Han man, his origin was unclear, and yet he was bearing the 3 heinous crimes which were betrayal and murdering his parents. After receiving such blows one after another, of course he had no one to share his worries, but who could have expected that, at this inn, he would have to keep a young girl company and would be asked to sing and tell tales by her like this? In the past, had he heard only half a sentence regarding these kinds of mushy trivialities, he would have covered his ears and run away quickly. In his life, he had only liked drinking wine and betting with his brothers and speaking loudly and openly. Besides engaging in carousals, he had only talked about serious national affairs and military affairs, and about heroes in the world. Those things such as telling a tale, a rabbit gege and a wolf popo were really jokes and absurdities to him.


    However, in a glance, seeing that there was an earnest expectant look in A''Zhu''s eyes and that her face was haggard, he thought: ''Suffering such a serious injury, it''s perhaps already hard for her to recover. If she couldn''t take a breath, she would die at any moment. She wants to hear a tale then I''ll conveniently tell her one.'' He then said: ''Okay, I''m gonna tell you a tale. But I''m afraid you''ll think that it''s not good.''


    A''Zhu was very happy. She said: ''It''ll definitely be interesting. Please tell me quickly.''


    Even though Qiao Feng had agreed to tell a tale, he really did not know what to tell. Only after a while did he say: ''Hum, I''m gonna tell a tale of a wolf. Once upon a time, there was an old man. While walking in the mountains, he saw a wolf which had been tied up by men and put into a cloth bag. That wolf begged him to set it free. The old man then untied the cloth bag and released the wolf. The wolf¡­'' A''Zhu continued: ''The wolf said it was hungry and wanted to eat the old man, right?'' Qiao Feng: ''Oh, so you''ve already heard this tale?'' A''Zhu said: ''This is the tale of a wolf in the mountains. I don''t like to hear the stories in books. I want you to talk about the countryside, and not the stories written in books.''


    Qiao Feng considered and said: ''Not a story written in books but a story in the countryside. Okay, I''m gonna tell you a story of a country kid.''


    ''A long long time ago, there was a poor family in the mountains. The father and the mother had only 1 child. When that child turned 7, his body was very tall and big, and he could already help his father chop firewood in the mountains. One day, the father got sick, but because their family was very poor, they couldn''t afford to invite a doctor or buy medicine. But the father''s illness got more serious with each passing day. Not using medicine was out of the question. So, the mother took the only 6 hens and a basket of eggs of the family to the market and sold them.''


    ''The hens and the eggs were sold for 4 silver qian (1 qian = 1/10 tael = ~ 4 g). But the doctor said it was too far to go into the mountains and he didn''t want to see the patient. The mother made every effort to beg him, but that doctor always shook his head and refused. The mother then knelt down and begged him sincerely. The doctor said: ''Going to your house in the mountains to see the patient isn''t worth the trouble of being affected by the miasma and the poverty. What illness can your 4 silver qian cure?'' The mother then pulled a corner of his gown. The doctor used his strength to pull free. Unexpectedly, the mother was grabbing too tight, therefore, with a ''chi'' sound, a long seam was torn in the gown. The doctor was very angry so he pushed the mother down on the floor then threw a heavy kick at her. He also pulled her and demanded that she paid for the damage to the gown, saying that this gown was newly made and that it was worth 2 silver taels.''


    Hearing him say to here, A''Zhu softly said: ''This doctor really was too despicable.''


    Qiao Feng raised his head, looking at the twilight, which was gradually getting dark, through the window, and slowly said: ''That child was at the mother''s side. Seeing the mother being bullied, he rushed forwards then both hit and bit the doctor. But he was just a little child, what strength did he have? So, he was lifted up by the doctor and thrown out through the main door. The mother hastily went outside to take care of the child. The doctor was afraid that the woman would pester him again so he shut the door. The child''s forehead hit a stone and bled a lot. The mother was afraid of having problems so she didn''t dare to stay in front of the doctor''s house. She only wept and pulled the child''s hand to go home.''


    ''When that child went by an ironware shop, he saw several sharp knives which were used for killing pigs and cattle being put on the stall. The blacksmith was very busy inviting customers to buy plows, rakes and hoes so the child stole a knife and hid it in his body. Even the mother didn''t see that.''


    ''After they got home, the mother didn''t tell the father about what had happened as she was afraid that the father would get angry and his illness would become more serious. She wanted to take out the 4 silver qian to hand over to the father, but to her surprise, when she reached into her bosom, she didn''t find any silver.''


    ''The mother both panicked and found this strange. When she went outside to ask the child, she saw that he was holding a shining new knife and sharpening it by rubbing it against a stone. The mother asked him: ''Where did you get the knife from?'' The child didn''t dare to say that he''d stolen it so he lied: ''Other people gave me.'' The mother of course didn''t believe it. At the market, a new sharp knife like this had to be sold for 1.5 qian or 2 qian of silver, how could someone casually give it to a child? She asked who gave it to him, but that child couldn''t answer. The mother sighed and said: ''Son, dad and mom are poor so normally we can''t buy you any toy. We''ve really wronged you. You''ve bought the knife to play, to boys, there''s nothing wrong with this. But you give mom the remaining money. Dad is sick, so we''ll buy a Jin (~ 600 g) of meat and simmer a soup for him to eat.'' As soon as the child heard that, he goggled and asked: ''What remaining money?'' The mother said: ''Our 4 Qian (~ 4 g) of silver, you took them and bought the knife, didn''t you?'' The child was anxious and cried out: ''I didn''t take the money, I didn''t take the money.'' The father and the mother had never smacked or scolded him. Even though he was just a several year old child, they''d treated him like a guest and always been polite to him¡­''


    Telling to here, Qiao Feng suddenly shivered with fear: ''Why was it like this? Parents in the world never treat their children like this. Even if they spoil or take a pity on their children, they definitely can''t respect them and be polite like this.'' He talked to himself: ''Why was it so strange like this?''


    A''Zhu asked: ''What was strange?'' When she said the last 2 words, her breath was already feeble like a silk thread. Qiao Feng knew the internal energy in her body had exhausted. He immediately pressed his palm on her back and sent internal energy into her body.


    A''Zhu gradually regained her energy. She sighed and said: ''Great master Qiao, every time you transfer energy to me, your internal energy decreases. To martial arts users, internal energy is the most important thing. You treat me like this, how can A''Zhu¡­ repay you?'' Qiao Feng laughed and said: ''So, I only need to breathe in meditation for several shichen (1 shichen = 2 hours) then not only will my internal energy be restored but I''ll also be able to talk about repaying? I and your master Mr Murong have a deep telepathic friendship despite being thousands of li (0.5 km) apart. Even though we''ve never met, I always regard him as a friend. You''re a member of his family, why do you need to regard me as an outsider?'' A''Zhu said sadly: ''My energy will gradually disappear in every 2 hours. You can''t¡­ you can''t forever¡­'' Qiao Feng said: ''Don''t worry. We can always find a doctor with brilliant medical knowledge to treat your injury.''


    A''Zhu smiled and said: ''I''m afraid that doctor would hate me for being poor and fear that he would be affected by miasma and poverty so that he wouldn''t treat me. Great master Qiao, you haven''t finished telling your story yet. What was so strange?''


    Qiao Feng said: ''Oh, it was just a slip of the tongue. Seeing that the child didn''t admit, the mother didn''t say either. She went back into the house. After a while, when the child finished sharpening the knife, he came into the house. He heard the mother talking in a low voice to the father that he himself had stolen money and bought a knife but was unwilling to admit. His father said: ''Ever since staying with us, this child hasn''t got any toy. If he wants something then let him be. We''ve rather wronged him all along.'' When the 2 of them talked to here they saw the child enter the house and stopped talking. With a kind and pleasant expression, the father patted his head and said: ''Poppet, later on watch your step, how could you fall and have your head so badly injured?'' As for the missing 4 qian of silver and the matter of him buying a new knife, the father didn''t mention a single sentence. He didn''t even have the least bit of an unhappy expression.''


    ''Even though the child was only 7, he was already very sensible. He thought: ''Dad and mom suspect me of stealing money to buy the knife, if they gave me a good beating or a good scolding, I wouldn''t mind at all. But unluckily they still treat me this well.'' He felt uneasy so he said to his father: ''Dad, I didn''t steal money. I didn''t buy this knife either.'' The father said: ''Your mom is meddlesome. What''s so urgent about the missing money? Why questioned and made a fuss? Women are just small-minded. Good child, does your head hurt?'' The child had no choice but to answer: ''I''m still fine!'' He wanted to offer an explanation but had no way to argue. He was sulky and skipped the dinner to go to bed.''


    ''He tossed and turned in bed and couldn''t fall asleep. He heard the mother softly crying. He thought it was because she was worried that the father''s illness was serious and also felt angry about being insulted and beaten by the doctor during the day. The child quietly got up then climbed out through the window. During the night, he rushed to the town and went to the outside of the doctor''s house. The front door and back door of that house were tightly shut so there was no way to go inside. But the child''s body was small, so he crept into the house through the dog hole. He saw lamplight passing through the paper of a room''s window. The doctor hadn''t gone to bed yet and was decocting medicine. The child pushed the door of the room open¡­''


    Feeling worried about that child, A''Zhu said: ''This child entered other people''s house at night. Perhaps he was gonna be in big trouble.''


    Qiao Feng shook his head and said: ''No. Hearing the sound of the door opening, the doctor raised his head and asked: ''Who?'' The child didn''t say anything. He came near him, drew the sharp knife and gave a thrust. His body was short so this thrust pierced the doctor''s belly. That doctor could only groan with several ''hum'' sounds then fell down.''


    A''Zhu uttered an ''Ah'' sound and said in a shocked voice: ''This child stabbed dead the doctor?''


    Qiao Feng nodded and said: ''Correct. The child then crawled out through the dog hole again and returned home. In the night he made a round trip of several tens of li (0.5 km) so he was terribly tired. Only in the early morning of the next day did the family of the doctor find out that he was dead with his belly broken and his gut sticking out, looking very nasty. But all the front and back doors were still being locked tightly and were bolted from the inside, how could an outside murderer enter the house? Everyone suspected that people in the doctor''s family had done this. The district chief (zhixian ¨C Song dynasty''s district-level top-ranking official) then tortured and investigated the doctor''s brothers, wife and children, causing a disturbance for a few years, so the doctor''s family was broken up. Since then, this incident has become a doubtful case in Xu Jia Ji.''


    A''Zhu asked: ''You said Xu Jia Ji? Did that doctor¡­ live in this town?''


    Qiao Feng said: ''Yes. This doctor was surnamed Deng. At first he was the most famous doctor in this town. Even the several districts around knew about his reputation. His house was located to the west of the town. Originally it was surrounded by tall and big white walls, but now everything has been ruined. Just a moment ago, when I was going to invite the doctor to see your illness, I also went to the front of that house to have a look.''


    A''Zhu asked: ''How about the sick father? Did he recover from the illness?'' Qiao Feng said: ''Afterward, a monk from Shaolin Monastery brought medicine to their house and cured his illness.'' A''Zhu said: ''It turns out there''re still good monks in Shaolin Monastery.'' Qiao Feng said: ''Of course there are. Shaolin Monastery has several high monks that are benevolent and knightly. They really make other people revere them.'' As he finished saying, he felt sad because he thought of his first enshi (kind master) Xuan Ku dashi.


    A''Zhu let out an ''En'' sound and muttered to herself: ''That doctor looked down on the poor and thought nothing of their lives. He was of course despicable, but his fault didn''t deserve death. This child was also too barbaric. I really can''t believe this, how could a 7 year old child dare to kill a person? Ah, great master Qiao, you said this was a tale and not true, right?'' Qiao Feng said: ''It''s a real incident.'' A''Zhu let out a sigh and said softly: ''This kind of cruel child seems like a Khitan villain!''


    Qiao Feng suddenly trembled all over. He jumped to his feet and said: ''You¡­. What did you say?''


    Seeing that his face had changed color, A''Zhu was scared and suddenly understood everything. She said: ''Great master Qiao, great master Qiao, I''m sorry, I¡­ I didn''t mean to hurt you with words. I really didn''t say it on purpose¡­'' Qiao Feng stood in a state of shock for a short while then sat down dispiritedly and said: ''You already guessed it?'' A''Zhu nodded. Qiao Feng said: ''Words that are said unconsciously are often sincere words. I acted without mercy like this, was it really because of the Khitan origin?'' A''Zhu gently said: ''Great master Qiao, A''Zhu talked nonsense. You don''t need to think about it. That doctor kicked your mother and you''ve been heroic and righteous since childhood so there''s nothing odd about you killing him.''


    Qiao Feng hugged his head with his hands and said: ''It wasn''t merely because of him kicking my mother. It was also because he made me face a false accusation. My mother''s 4 silver qian must''ve fallen on the floor during the struggle in the doctor''s house. I¡­ In my life, what I can''t stand the most is being wrongly accused by other people.''


    However, within this day he had suffered 3 great injustices. It was unable to know if he himself was a Khitan, but Qiao Sanhuai and wife and Xuan Ku dashi obviously were not murdered by him, yet the 3 heinous crimes which were patricide, matricide and killing his master all had been put on his head. In the end, who was the murderer? Who shifted the blame onto him like this?


    At this moment, Qiao Feng thought about another matter: ''Why did dad and mom both say that I was treated unfairly by staying with them? If the parents are poor, the child naturally will be poor, why is there anything fair or unfair about that? Perhaps I''m not their real son, but someone entrusted me to them. Most prolly the person who put me into their fosterage has a very high status, that''s why dad and mom were very polite to me. Not only being polite, they also respected me deeply. Who was the person that entrusted me to them? Prolly he was Chief Wong.'' His parents had treated him completely differently than how normal parents treated their children. As he was astute, he should have been aware of this long ago, but because it had been like that since childhood, he was accustomed to it. Even a more astute person would not have been able to figure them out as they would only think that his parents had been particularly benign. At this moment, when considering, he felt that everything confirmed that he himself was a Khitan barbarian.


    A''Zhu consoled him: ''Great master Qiao, they say you''re Khitan but in my opinion they''re definitely slandering and starting a rumor. Needless to say, you''re kind-hearted, righteous and well-known in the whole world. To just a negligible little maid like me, you''ve also watched over with all your heart. Khitan people are cruel like tigers and wolves. You''re like the sky and they''re like the earth, how can they compare with you?''


    Qiao Feng said: ''A''Zhu, if I''m really a Khitan, will you still let me watch over you?''


    At that time Han people in the Central Plains detested Khitan people and regarded them as poisonous serpents and ferocious beasts, hence A''Zhu was startled. She then said: ''Don''t let your imagination run away with you. That''s definitely impossible. If the Khitan ethnic group can produce such a good person like you then we won''t detest Khitan people.''


    Qiao Feng did not say anything and thought: ''If I''m really a Khitan then even such a little maid like A''Zhu won''t pay attention to me.'' In an instant, he felt that even though the world was big, he himself had nowhere to take shelter. His thoughts surged up like tidewater and his chest burned with righteous indignation. He knew that because he had transferred energy to A''Zhu repeatedly, his internal energy had been spent quite a lot. Without delay, he sat cross-legged on a chair beside the bed then slowly breathed and channeled his internal energy.


    A''Zhu also closed her eyes.

 Chapter - 19 Isll Go, Despite a Myriad of Foes.

    Qiao Feng channeled his internal energy for a long time. Suddenly, he heard two soft ''ge-ge'' sounds high above in the northwest corner. He knew that there was a person in wulin walking on the roof. After that, there were also 2 sounds up in the southeast corner. When hearing the sounds in the northwest, Qiao Feng had still not paid any attention to them, but when there were 2 people gathering together like this, he knew it was likely they had come because of him. He lowered his voice and said to A''Zhu: ''I go out for a while and will come back immediately, don''t be afraid.'' A''Zhu nodded. Qiao Feng did not blow out the candle. As the door of the room was half closed, he turned his body sideways and went out. He then went around to the window at the backyard and stood next to the wall.


    He only heard someone say in a room in the east of the inn: ''Is that 8th master Xiang? Please come down.'' The man on the northwest corner laughed and said: ''Qi the Sixth of Guanxi has also arrived.'' The man in the room said: ''Very good, very good! Please come in together.'' 2 people jumped down from the roof in succession and walked into the room.


    Qiao Feng thought: ''Qi the Sixth of Guanxi is called ''Fast Saber Qi Liu'' (Liu = Six). He''s a famous brave man in Guanxi. That 8th master Xiang is most prolly Xiang Wanghai of Xiangdong. I''ve heard that these people are generous in aiding the needy and their martial arts are remarkable. These 2 people aren''t the treacherous vicious type and have no dispute with me either. Definitely they''ve come here not because of me. It turns out I''ve had a silly suspicion. The voice of the man in the room sounds somewhat familiar, but who is he?''


    He heard Xiang Wanghai say: ''''Yama''s Foe'' Divine doctor Xue suddenly sends out hero invitation cards to invite every fellow in jianghu, the situation is also very urgent because it says ''To the hero who sees this card, your esteemed presence is requested.'' Big brother Bao, do you know what this is for?''


    When Qiao Feng heard the words ''Yama''s Foe Divine doctor Xue'', he immediately had a mixed feeling of happiness and fright: ''Divine doctor Xue is around here? I only knew that he was far away in Ganzhou. If he is around here, the little maid A''Zhu can be saved.''


    He had heard that Divine doctor Xue was the number one wizard in medical circles nowadays. Because the 2 words ''Divine doctor'' were too famous, everyone did not even know what his original real name was. The tales of him in jianghu were even more exaggerating, saying that he could even bring the dead back to life, as for the people who were alive, no matter how serious the injuries or illnesses they suffered were, he always had methods to cure them, and for this reason Yama of Hell also had a serious headache as every time he sent Wuchang little demons to capture people, Divine doctor Xue would often stay at the side and thwart them or block the way and snatch the people. Not only did Divine doctor Xue have godlike medical knowledge, his martial arts were also outstanding. He liked making friends with fellows in jianghu. When he cured a person of an illness, he often consulted them about 1 martial arts stance or two. The person involved felt grateful to him for saving their life therefore naturally they would not hold back anything when passing on their knowledge and only teach him their proudest skills.


    He heard Fast Saber Qi Liu ask: ''Shopkeeper Bao, recently have you bought or sold something good?'' Qiao Feng thought: ''No wonder the voice of the man in the room sounds familiar. It turns out he''s ''No Capital'' Bao Qianling. This man robs the rich to aid the poor. He has quite a heroic reputation. That year, when I assumed the Beggar Society''s Chief post, he also participated in the ceremony.''


    Already knowing that there were 3 people Xiang Wanghai, Qi Liu and Bao Qianling in the room, he did not want to hear other people''s private matters and thought: ''Tomorrow morning I''ll visit Bao Qianling''s room and ask him about where Divine doctor Xue is staying.'' When he was about to return to A''Zhu''s room, suddenly he heard Bao Qianling sighed and said: ''Oh, for the past several days I''ve been in a very bad mood and uninterested in buying or selling. Today, hearing that he killed his father, mother and master, I was even more furious.'' As he finished saying he stretched out his hand and gave the table a heavy slap.


    When Qiao Feng heard the words ''killed his father, mother, and master'', he was scared: ''They''re talking about me.''


    Xiang Wanghai said: ''This Qiao Feng guy has always had a big reputation and been hypocritical. Not just a few people have been fooled by him. Who would have expected he could commit monstrous crimes like this?'' Bao Qianling said: ''That year, when he assumed the Beggar Society''s Chief post, I and he also had a chance to meet each other. I''ve always totally admired the conduct of this man in the past. Hearing Zhao the Third say he belonged to the Khitan barbaric ethnic group, I still tried my best to argue that he didn''t, for this reason I and Zhao the Third quarreled to the point that we turned purple with rage and almost had a fight with each other. Oh, barbaric people really are the same as animals. He could hide it for a period of time, but later on, the ferocious character eventually broke open.'' Qi Liu said: ''Who could have expected that he has roots in Shaolin Monastery? Xuan Ku dashi was his master.'' Bao Qianling said: ''This matter at first was very secret. Even in Shaolin School, very few people knew about it. But Qiao Feng already killed his master so Shaolin School can no longer conceal the truth. This Qiao surnamed vicious traitor only thought that after killing his father, mother and master he''d be able to hide his origin and he''d rather die than admit it to anyone. But he couldn''t have expected that he would overreach himself and his sins would become more and more serious.''


    Standing outside the door, hearing Bao Qianling assessing his mind like this, Qiao Feng thought: ''''No Capital'' Bao Qianling and I can be regarded as having some friendship. This man is definitely not the type to make irresponsible remarks. If even he is saying like this, of course other people''s words are even more unbearable. Oh, I, Qiao Feng, have suffered this unjustifiable injustice, why should I bother clearing myself of it? From now on I''ll just conceal my identity, more than 10 years later, friends in jianghu would all forget that there''s a person like me, that''s all.'' In an instant, he could not help but feeling utterly disheartened.


    He heard Xiang Wanghai continue: ''My guess is that Divine doctor Xue sends out hero invitation cards to confer with other people about how to deal with Qiao Feng. This ''Yama''s Foe'' hates evil like an enemy, I''ve also heard that he and the 2 dashi Xuan Nan and Xuan Ji of Shaolin Monastery have a really deep friendship.'' Bao Qianling said: ''Correct! I think recently in jianghu, besides Qiao Feng doing evil, there''s no other major affair. Brother Xiang, brother Qi, come on, come on, come on, let''s drink up several Jin (600 g) of white spirit, tonight we''re gonna have a long talk.''


    Qiao Feng thought even if they talked till dawn, they would merely make an extra effort to angrily scold him hence he did not want to hear anymore and returned to A''Zhu''s room immediately.


    Seeing that his face was pale and was having a very ugly expression, A''Zhu asked: ''Great master Qiao, did you meet enemies?'' She was worried that he had suffered internal injuries. Qiao Feng shook his head. A''Zhu was still uneasy, she asked: ''You''re not injured, right?''


    Ever since Qiao Feng had started to step into jianghu, he had only been respected by friends and feared by enemies. He had never been despised and looked down upon like he had for the past several days. Hearing A''Zhu ask him so, he could not help but sense his pride rising. He said loudly: ''No, I''m not. It''s not difficult for those ignorant narrow-minded lowlifes to defame and spread false rumors about me, but if they want to fight and injure me, it may not necessarily be easy.'' Suddenly, heroic and mettlesome feelings surged up in his heart. He said: ''A''Zhu, tomorrow I''m gonna find the best doctor under heaven to treat the injury for you. Just relax and sleep.''


    Seeing his proud expression, A''Zhu had a lot of respect and admiration for him but she was also scared. She felt that the man in front of her was totally different than Mr Murong but they also had very many similarities as both of them did not fear Heaven and Hell, and were both prideful and majestic. But Qiao Feng was straightforward and heroic like a mighty lion, while Mr Murong was refined and unaffected like a phoenix.


    After making up his mind, Qiao Feng was no longer worried. He then fell asleep soon after sitting down on the chair.


    A''Zhu saw the dim lamplight beaming on his face. After a while, she could hear him snoring. Suddenly, his facial muscles twitched slightly and he ground his teeth. The muscles on both sides of his square face stuck out. A''Zhu felt that the brawny man in front of her was very pitiable and really was much unhappier than she herself was.


    Early in the morning of the next day, Qiao Feng transferred his internal energy to A''Zhu, paid the rent and asked the inn attendant to go hire a mule wagon. He helped A''Zhu take a sit in the wagon then went to the outside of Bao Qianling''s room and said loudly: ''Brother Bao, this little brother Qiao Feng pays a visit.''


    After cursing Qiao Feng for half a night, the 3 people Bao Qianling, Xiang Wanghai and Qi Liu had been very tired and fallen asleep. At this moment they had not yet waken up. Suddenly hearing the shout by Qiao Feng, they were all frightened and immediately jumped out of the earthen bed simultaneously, taking out the saber, drawing the sword, and touching the whip. As soon as the 3 people held weapons in their hands, they were dumbfounded because they saw that there was a small piece of white paper on which 4 small words ''Qiao Feng paying respects'' were written sticking to the weapon of each of them. The 3 people looked at each other, gasping with astonishment. They knew that the previous night Qiao Feng had played a trick on them, had he wanted to take their lives, it would have been as easy as turning his hand over. Among them, Bao Qianling was even more embarrassed as his nickname was ''No Capital''; he had gone to thousands of houses in the daytime and had broken through hundreds of doors at nighttime; leaping onto roofs, vaulting over walls and stealing other people''s money were his best skills, yet during the night he had been played a prank on by Qiao Feng without knowing anything about it until now.


    Bao Qianling wound the flexible whip back around his waist, knowing that if Qiao Feng had wanted to harm them he would have done it the night before. He immediately ran to the door and said: ''The head on Bao Qianling''s neck, brother Qiao can take it whenever you want to. I, Bao, specialize in doing business without capital, even if my entire home is lost at the hands of brother Qiao, it''s still nothing. You killed even your father, mother and master, and only have a nodding acquaintance with me, why should you show mercy to me?'' As soon as he had seen the piece of paper on his flexible whip, he had already made a decision. He knew the situation today was very dangerous, if he himself argued insolently with Qiao Feng to the end, there would really be no way to flee for his life; therefore it would be better to hand over himself to him.


    Qiao Feng cupped his fist in his hand and said: ''Several years have flown by since the day we bid farewell to each other in Qingzhou prefecture in Shandong. Brother Bao''s demeanor is still the same as before. This is really pleasing and commendable.'' Bao Qianling ha-ha laughed and said: ''I''ve just been dragging out an ignoble life. Until now, on the whole, I haven''t died yet.'' Qiao Feng said: ''Hearing that ''Yama''s Foe'' Divine doctor Xue has sent out hero invitation cards, I rather like to go to increase my knowledge. May I go with the 3 of you?''


    Bao Qianling was astonished and thought: ''Divine doctor Xue has sent out hero invitation cards only to deal with you. Having the nerve to go alone, you must be impatient not to live. In the end, what''s your intention? I''ve long heard that Chief Qiao of the Beggar Society is bold but cautious, and both brave and resourceful. If it''s not because he''s secure in the knowledge that he has strong backing, he definitely won''t hurl himself into the net. I mustn''t fall into his trap.''


    Seeing that he was hesitant about replying, Qiao Feng said: ''I have a matter to beg Divine doctor Xue. Hopefully, brother Bao will lead the way.''


    Bao Qianling thought: ''I''m worried about not being able to escape from his murderous hands. If I lead him to the hero banquet, extraordinary people will jointly attack him, even if he had 3 heads and 6 arms, he would be hopelessly outnumbered. But going with him is really like facing an almost certain death.'' Even though he was worried, he still thought that it would be good to lead Qiao Feng to the meeting of heroes, hence he said: ''This great banquet for heroes will be held at Juxian Manor which is 70 li (0.5 km) away to the northeast of here. Brother Qiao wants to go there. This can''t be better. But I''m gonna make it clear that, in the first place, this meeting isn''t a nice meeting and this banquet isn''t a nice banquet. If brother Qiao goes there, it''ll bode ill rather than well for you. Please don''t blame Bao Qianling me for not telling you in advance.''


    Qiao Feng smiled half-heartedly and said: ''I appreciate brother Bao''s good intentions. The hero banquet will be held at Juxian Manor so the organizers are the You Clan''s 2 Heroes, aren''t they? It''s also easy to ask about the location of Juxian Manor so the 3 of you please go ahead. It won''t be late if this little brother slowly goes 2 hours later. This will also allow time for everyone to prepare.''


    Bao Qianling turned around and looked at Qi Liu and Xiang Wanghai. The 2 of them slowly nodded. Bao Qianling said: ''If so, the 3 of us will respectfully wait for brother Qiao''s arrival at Juxian Manor.''


    The 3 people Bao, Qi and Xiang hurriedly paid the rent then got on their horses and whipped them towards Juxian Manor. They urged the horses on all the way and sometimes they turned their heads around to take a peep, fearing that Qiao Feng would suddenly ride a fast horse and catch up with them from the back. Fortunately, all along they did not see him. Bao Qianling was certainly a very clever person and Qi Liu and Xiang Wanghai were also extraordinary people in jianghu who had a lot of experience and extensive knowledge. But after the 3 of them discussed and made guesses on the way, they still could not understand what Qiao Feng''s intentions were when he had said he would go to the hero banquet alone.


    Qi Liu suddenly said: ''Big brother Bao, did you see that big wagon beside Qiao Feng? I''m afraid there''s something strange in it.'' Xiang Wanghai said: ''Could it be that there''s someone formidable hiding in the wagon?'' Bao Qianling said: ''Even if the inside of the wagon was to be packed with people to the point that the air couldn''t pass through, it''d only be possible to shove 7 or 8 people into it. Adding Qiao Feng, there''d still be less than 10 people. If they went to the hero banquet, it''d be like a small boat going into the ocean. What would it be able to achieve?''


    While they were talking, they gradually met more wulin fellows on the way, all of whom were rushing to Juxian Manor to attend the hero banquet. This time, the invitation to the hero banquet had been issued shortly before the opening and the invitation cards did not have the names of the guests, but whoever saw one of them would be welcomed as long as they were a person in wulin. The people who had received the invitation cards had used fast horses to forward them to their fellows in the same night, one person forwarding to another, therefore within 1 day and 1 night the invitation cards had been spread very far. Because the time was too limited, most of the people who went to Juxian Manor were from within several hundreds of li of Shaolin Monastery. But Henan was a central region, hence besides local martial arts people, the well-known experts in wulin of the North and the South who had received the message all went to the meeting. The number of people was really not small.


    This time, the invitation to the hero banquet was jointly issued by the You Clan''s 2 Heroes of Juxian Manor and ''Yama''s Foe'' Divine doctor Xue. The You Clan''s 2 Heroes You Ji and You Ju were rich and powerful and had a wide circle of acquaintances, remarkable martial arts and resounding names, but they were not a formidable force in wulin; they could not be regarded as being people of noble character and high prestige to invite so many heroes and extraordinary people. But Divine doctor Xue was the person that everybody wanted to make friends with. Even though in general martial arts users were vainglorious, very few people were confident that they could fight without equal under heaven; even if they really flattered themselves that they were the #1 in martial arts nowadays, it was still difficult not to get sick or suffer injuries. If they could make friends with this Divine doctor Xue, they themselves would have an extra life because as long as they did not get killed on the spot and Divine doctor Xue was willing to treat them, they would narrowly escape death. Therefore, if the You Clan''s 2 Heroes invited guests, the people who received the invitation cards would only feel that they themselves were honored, but these were also the invitation cards by Divine doctor Xue, hence they were like a life saving talisman. They all thought, if today they got in touch and made friends with him, in the future, if they met unforeseen disasters or accidents he would not be able to ignore them; moreover, as people whose lives were put on the tip of the saber, who could be sure that they would not meet unforeseen disasters? The signatures on the invitation cards were 3 names ''Xue Muhua, You Ji, You Ju'', followed by a line of small words: ''You Ji and You Ju''s additional explanation: Mr Xue Muhua is addressed as ''Divine doctor Xue''.'' If there had not been this line of small words, probably the receivers of the invitation cards would not have known what kind of highly able person Xue Muhua was, and hence the number of people going to Juxian Manor would perhaps have been even less than 3/10th of what it was at the moment.


    When the 3 people Bao Qianling, Qi Liu and Xiang Wanghai arrived at the manor, the 2nd brother You Ju personally came out to welcome. After entering the hall, they saw that there were already full of people sitting in the hall. Bao Qianling was not acquainted with all of them but as soon as he entered the hall, there were human voices all around, mostly saying: ''Shopkeeper Bao, are you enjoying prosperity?'' ''Old chap Bao, how has your business been doing?'' Bao Qianling continuously folded his hands in salute and greeted all the heroes. He really did not dare to be careless as even though many of these heroes in jianghu were generous and open-minded, there were also not just a few narrow-minded people. If he forgot to give someone a nod or a smile in return, he would possibly unconsciously displease them, thus causing endless future troubles; even if it led to a fatal disaster, this also would not be something strange.


    You Ju led him to the top position in the east. Divine doctor Xue stood up and said: ''Brother Bao, brother Qi, brother Xiang, the esteemed presence of the 3 of you here really makes me feel as if my face is covered in gold. I extremely appreciate it.'' Bao Qianling promptly returned the salute and said: ''Once Master Xue has beckoned, even if Bao Qianling was so sick that I couldn''t move, I would still ask other people to carry me here.'' The big brother You Ji laughed and said: ''If you were really bedridden, you''d wanna ask other people to take you here to meet Master Xue even more!'' The people around all laughed heartily. You Ju said: ''The 3 of you have had a tiring journey, please go to the rear hall to have a snack.''


    Bao Qianling said: ''It won''t be late to have a snack later. May I ask a question? Is Qiao Feng among the guests that Master Xue and the 2 Masters You invite this time?''


    When Divine doctor Xue and the You Clan''s 2 Heroes heard the 2 words ''Qiao Feng'', their faces slightly changed colors. You Ji said: ''This time we''ve sent out invitation cards without guest names. Whoever sees them is invited. Brother Bao has mentioned Qiao Feng, what''s your intention? Brother Bao and that Qiao Feng guy have quite a friendship, right?''


    Bao Qianling said: ''That Qiao Feng guy said he was going to Juxian Manor to attend the great banquet for heroes.''


    As soon as he said so, the crowd was startled. At first everyone in the big hall had been talking noisily and in a high-flown way, but all of a sudden, everyone became quiet. The people who were standing far from Bao Qianling could not hear what he had just said, but suddenly finding that no one was saying anymore they themselves also stopped saying what they had not yet finished. The big hall fell silent instantly, but the distant sounds of people drinking wine in the rear hall and of people talking and laughing in the corridor could be heard.


    Divine doctor Xue asked: ''Brother Bao, how do you know that Qiao Feng guy is gonna come here?''


    Bao Qianling said: ''I, brother Qi and brother Xiang personally heard that. It''s a shame to say, but last night the 3 of us took a serious tumble.'' Xiang Wanghai continuously gave him signals with his eyes, wanting to tell him not to relate the shameful incident of the night before. But Bao Qianling knew Divine doctor Xue and the You Clan''s 2 Heroes were undoubtedly highly capable, there were also many intelligent people in the hero meeting, if he himself hid a bit, it would definitely cause other people to be suspicious. This matter was very important; he himself had become entangled in the maelstrom, if he dealt with it just a bit improperly, his status and reputation would instantly go out the window. He slowly took the flexible whip out from his waist. The piece of paper which had the 4 words ''Qiao Feng paying respects'' was still sticking to it. He passed the flexible whip to Divine doctor Xue using both hands and said: ''Qiao Feng ordered the 3 of us to pass on a message that today he was going to Juxian Manor.'' After that, he recounted things such as how they had met Qiao Feng and what he had said, not holding back even a single word. Xiang Wanghai continuously stamped, his whole face reddened with shame.


    After Bao Qianling calmly recounted everything, he said: ''This Qiao Feng guy is from the Khitan dog ethnicity, we should still eliminate him even if he was noble and righteous, let alone the fact that his evil has become obvious and he''s an increasingly intense danger. If he runs off to distant parts, it''ll be hard to hunt him down. But Heaven really has its will, who could have expected that he would willingly hurl himself into the net?''


    You Ju muttered: ''I''ve usually heard that Qiao Feng is both brave and resourceful. His abilities are sufficient for him to successfully do evil. He''s not a reckless lout. Could it be that he really dares to go to this great banquet for heroes?''


    Bao Qianling said: ''I''m afraid he has other wicked plans. We mustn''t be without caution. The more people the more ideas. Let''s plan together, everyone.''


    While he was saying, many more heroes and extraordinary people arrived at the outside, including ''Impartial Judge'' Shan Zheng and his 5 sons, Grandpa Tan, Granny Tan and Zhao Qiansun. Before long, the 2 high-level monks of Shaolin School Xuan Nan and Xuan Ji also arrived. Divine doctor Xue and the You Clan''s brothers welcomed and sincerely received them one by one. When mentioning the evil of Qiao Feng, they all raged.


    Suddenly, the housekeeper who received guests came in and reported: ''Elder Xu of the Beggar Society has led the Elder of Merit Propagation, the Elder of Rule Enforcement and the 4 Elders Song, Xi, Chen and Wu to our Manor for a visit.''


    Everyone shivered with fear. The Beggar Society was the number 1 large society in jianghu and could not be held in contempt. Xiang Wanghai said: ''As expected, the Beggar Society has come here in great force to express support for Qiao Feng.'' Shan Zheng said: ''Qiao Feng has already been expelled from the society. He''s no longer the Beggar Society''s Chief. I saw with my own eyes that they turned their backs on and became the enemies of one another.'' Xiang Wanghai said: ''But at this point they haven''t necessarily forgotten all the old feelings.'' You Ji said: ''All of the Beggar Society''s elders are proud brave men. How could they disregard rights and wrongs to protect their enemy? If they still helped Qiao Feng, wouldn''t they become Han traitors to the country?'' Everyone nodded in approval and said: ''Definitely not even a good-for-nothing would wanna be a Han traitor to the country.''


    Divine doctor Xue and the You Clan''s 2 Heroes went out of the manor to welcome. Seeing that there were only 12 or 13 people of the Beggar Society coming, they felt relaxed and thought: ''Needless to say, these beggars are unlikely to protect Qiao Feng. Even if they were up to no good this time, with these 12 or 13 people, what would they be able to achieve?'' They greeted the people such as Elder Xu perfunctorily then invited them to enter the big hall. They could see a worried expression on the faces of all of the Beggar Society''s people. Obivously these people were bearing a very heavy load on their minds.


    After splitting into hosts and guests, everyone sat down. Elder Xu started the conversation: ''Brother Xue and the 2 laodi (younger male friend) of the You Family, today you invite all the heroes to gather here, is it because of the newly emerging cause of trouble in wulin Qiao Feng?''


    After the heroes heard him call Qiao Feng ''the newly emerging cause of trouble in wulin'', they looked at each other, and without prior consultation they all let out a sigh of relief. You Ji said: ''It''s exactly for this reason. Elder Xu and every elder of your noble society come here together. This is really a great luck to wulin. If we want to kill this foreign dog, we must get the nod from the elders of your noble society. Otherwise, it would provoke misunderstanding and damage the harmony, making everyone unavoidably regret.''


    Elder Xu let out a deep sigh and said: ''This man is extremely ruthless and vicious, and acts strangely. Originally, he achieved quite a few great feats for our society. Recently, when we made mistakes and were plotted against by crooks, it was also him who saved us. But when a dazhangfu (an ambitious or successful man) conducts himself he should attach most importance to the general situation, so we have no choice but to banish those few small kindnesses from our minds. He''s a mortal enemy of our Great Song. The Elders of our Society have been treated well by him, but we can''t abandon public righteousness because of personal gratitude. They say righteousness must be placed above family loyalty, let alone the fact that now he isn''t a relative of our Society''s people''s.''


    As soon as he said that, everyone in the crowd applauded and cheered.


    You Ji then mentioned that Qiao Feng also wanted to attend the great banquet for heroes. When the elders heard that, all of them were astonished. Having followed Qiao Feng for a long time, they knew that he always acted with both valor and strategy, if he really single-handedly came to Juxian Manor, it would be extremely unusual.


    Xiang Wanghai suddenly said: ''I think that Qiao Feng guy has deliberately created a diversionary front to make everyone kick their heels in here, but he has slipped away to somewhere no one knows. This is called the tactic of escaping by using crafty schemes.'' Elder Wu stretched out his hand, gave the table a heavy slap and scolded: ''Escaping your mother by using crafty schemes! What kind of man is Qiao Feng? Once he says something, how could he not keep his words?'' Scolded by him, Xiang Wanghai''s face reddened. He said angrily: ''You wanna appear in public to support Qiao Feng, right? I, Xiang, am the first to disapprove of it. Come here; come here; come here. Let''s have a fight.''


    After hearing all kinds of news that Qiao Feng had killed his parents and master then caused a big disturbance at Shaolin Monastery, Elder Wu had been very depressed, his heart had been filled with resentment and rage and he did not know who he should vent his feelings on. Hence this Xiang Wanghai guy unreasonably challenging Elder Wu was really most welcomed by him. In a flash, he jumped into the courtyard in front of the big hall and said loudly: ''Qiao Feng is from the Khitan dog ethnicity or is completely a Han man? At this moment it''s still unclear. If he''s really a Khitan barbarian I''ll be the 1st to fight him to the death. Wanna kill Qiao Feng? Even if counting to the person numbered 1000, it still wouldn''t be your turn, you stinking turtle egg (~ s.o.b). Who the heck are you to gab in here? Escaping your grandmother by using stinking crafty schemes! Come here, your father''s gonna teach you a lesson.''


    Xiang Wanghai''s face had already turned livid. A ''shua'' sound was heard, he had drawn the saber out of its sheath. As soon as he looked at the blade, he remembered the piece of paper which read ''Qiao Feng paying respects'' and could not help feeling at a loss.


    You Ji said: ''The two of you are my honorable guests. Please have some consideration for my face. We cannot lose harmony.'' Elder Xu also said: ''Brother Wu, you shouldn''t be rash in your actions. You must take into account the reputation of the whole Society''s.''


    Suddenly someone in the crowd said in a soft voice: ''Having produced such a person as Qiao Feng, the Beggar Society really has a very good reputation. You must take it into account and preserve it carefully!''


    As soon as the Beggar Society''s extraordinary men heard that, they shouted furiously: ''Who''s saying that?'' ''Come out if you have skills. What kind of brave man would hide in the crowd to be a dwarf?'' ''Which goddamn turtle egg is that?''


    But after saying those sentences that person kept silent, hence no one knew who had just said those words. Being ridiculed with those 2 sentences, the extraordinary people from the Beggar Society were totally annoyed but because they could not find anyone who admitted saying so, they could not do anything either. Even though the Beggar Society was the number 1 large society in jianghu, the extraordinary men of the Society were all beggars. After all, they were not upper-class people who paid particular attention to formalities, hence some of them shouted and some even cursed other people''s 18 generations of ancestors.


    Divine doctor Xue frowned and said: ''All of you please calm down and hear this senile old man say a few words.'' The beggars gradually became quiet.


    Suddenly, in the crowd, that cold voice said again: ''Very good, very good, Qiao Feng has sent this many formidable guys to here to carry out undercover tasks. After a while, there''ll definitely be a good play to watch.''


    As soon as the people such as Elder Wu heard that, they got even angrier. Shua-shua sounds were heard continuously; dazzling lights of sabers were seen; many people had taken out their weapons. The rest of the guests only thought that the Beggar Society''s people wanted to fight therefore many of them also took out their weapons. With a lot of shouting and cursing, the hall was plunged into disorder. Divine doctor Xue and the You Clan''s brothers advised everyone to calm down, but the shouts by the 3 of them only added to the uproar in the hall.


    In this chaos, a servant hurriedly ran into the hall. He ran up to You Ji''s side and whispered something to him. You Yi''s face darkened as he asked the servant something. The servant, his face full of fear and surprise, pointed to the outside. You Ji turned and whispered something to Divine Doctor Xue, causing his face to drop as well. You Ju walked up to his older brother''s side and You Ji told him as well. You Ju''s face dropped immediately.


    One man told 2, 2 men told 4, and just like that the word spread among the crowd. In an instant, the noisy and chaotic hall was in complete silence.


    Because everyone had heard the words by now: "Qiao Feng is here!"


    Divine Doctor Xue nodded towards the You brothers and shot a look towards Xuan Nan and Xuan Ju, the 2 ShaoLin representatives before declaring: "Let him in!"


    The servant turned and walked out.


    Everyone''s heart was beating a mile a minute, despite of the fact that all of them knew that with their numeric advantage, they could overwhelm Qiao Feng and chop him into a million pieces in an instant. But this man was just too famous, and coming here all by himself like this, obviously he wasn''t afraid, don''t know what kind of devious plot he is pulling.


    In the silence, the only sounds one can hear is the steady beat of horse hooves and the low rumble of wheels on stone-slabs as a donkey carriage approached the front door. But it didn''t stop there and just walked in through the door. The You brothers were both frowning heavily, feeling that they have been slighted by this show of manners, or lack thereof. "Ge-Dong". "Ge-Dong". The wheels of the carriage hopped over the door sill. A huge man, with a whip in his hand, was sitting on the driver''s seat. The curtains of the carriage were down, hiding something in the carriage. But everyone was staring at the driver.


    Square-faced and tall with a wide chest and huge shoulders, his eyes weren''t angry but demanded attention and instilled fear. Who else could it be but former leader of the Beggar Clan Qiao Feng?


    Qiao Feng put the whip down besides him and hopped off the carriage. Cupping his fist, he said: "I heard that Divine Doctor Xue and the You Brothers were hosting a Gathering of Heroes here at JuXian Mansion. I can''t consider myself a ''hero'' and don''t dare attend such a gathering. It''s just that there''s an emergency I have to ask of Divine Doctor Xue. I hope you will forgive me for such an intrusion."


    He bowed deeply, looking very sincere.


    The more polite Qiao Feng acted, the more convinced the rest of them were that he''s got something up his sleeves. You Ju gave his left hand a slight flick and 4 of his disciples immediately snuck out from the sides to inspect the surrounding areas.


    "What does Brother Qiao want of me?" Divine Doctor Xue cupped his fist back and asked.


    Qiao Feng took 2 steps back, moved the carriage curtains aside and helped Ah-Zhu out.


    "Because of my rash actions, this girl was hit by another''s palm and was severely injured. In this world, nobody but Divine Doctor Xue could help her. That''s why I was so rude to come here, to ask Divine Doctor Xue to save her life."


    When everyone saw the carriage, they all got suspicious about what was inside. Some guessed that it was probably some poison or bomb, others thought it was some poisonous snakes or ferocious beasts, and still others guessed it was Divine Doctor Xue''s parents or relatives that Qiao Feng was going to use to blackmail him. Nobody could have guessed that it would be a 16 or 17 year old girl that would be stepping out of the carriage asking Divine Doctor Xue for help. Everyone was surprised.


    The girl was wearing a light yellow colored shirt and had a very pronounced forehead, making her look very unattractive. Turned out that Ah-Zhu decided that the MuRong family of GuSu had too many enemies out in the martial world and there was a chance if Divine Doctor Xue found out who she was that he would refuse to help her. So she went out and bought a new set of clothes and put on a disguise in the carriage. However, since she was going to see the doctor, she couldn''t disguise herself as a man or an old woman.


    This turn of events caught Divine Doctor Xue off guard as well. In his life, he had seen plenty of people coming to him from faraway to seek his medical help, it happens almost every day. But presently, with everyone trying to figure out how to catch and kill Qiao Feng, this despicable and incorrigible villain would just walk up in here and trap himself. It was quite a hard pill to swallow.


    Looking Ah-Zhu over, he decided that Qiao Feng could not possibly be doing this out of lust because of her unattractiveness and young age. Suddenly, an idea hit him: "Maybe this little gal is his younger sister? Um, not possible. This man killed his parents and his master as well, there''s no way he would take such a risk over his younger sister. Maybe it''s his daughter? I don''t remember hearing that Qiao Feng got married." {Qiao Feng didn''t do it, he was framed}


    Being the great doctor he was, he could always tell the health of people with one glance as well as their bodily characteristics. Seeing Qiao Feng and Ah-Zhu standing side by side, with one big and strong, the other small and weak, the two of them had nothing in common. Therefore he decided that they were not related at all.


    "What is this young miss''s surname?" He said after humming a little while his thought worked itself out. "And what relation is she with you, sir?"


    Qiao Feng was taken a back a bit. He had called Ah-Zhu nothing but "Ah-Zhu" ever since they met, but was her surname really "Zhu"? He didn''t know. So he turned to Ah-Zhu and asked.


    "Is your surname Zhu?"


    "My surname is Wan," Ah-Zhu replied with a smile.


    Qiao Feng nodded. "Divine Doctor Xue, her surname is actually Wan. I just found that out myself."


    "So... this young miss and you aren''t well acquainted?" Divine Doctor Xue found that this was getting stranger and stranger.


    "She''s a maid of a friend of mine." {Ah-Zhu is MuRong Fu''s maid}


    "Who is that friend of yours sir? Must be very important to you sir, or else how could you care so much for your friend''s maid?"


    "That friend is only my friend in spirit," Qiao Feng shook his head, "I have never met him before."


    An audible gasp escaped from nearly everyone present when they heard this. Most of them didn''t believe him, thinking that he must be carrying out some plan and was just using this as an excuse to get in. But still, a good number of them knew that Qiao Feng had always been a very straightforward man, no matter what kind of terrible things he might have done, he probably wouldn''t lie in front of everyone because of the pride he had in who he was.


    Divine Doctor Xue reached out and felt Ah-Zhu''s pulse. Noticing that her pulse was indeed very weak but the life force {for lack of a better word} inside her was very strong, totally opposite of what one would expect. He switched and felt Ah-Zhu pulse through her left wrist. By then he had already figured out everything.


    "Had this girl not been fed the incredible Elixir of Master Tan of Mount TaiHeng and not received your constant infusion of inner force, she would have died a long time ago from the Abbot Xuan Ci''s Buddha''s Great Warrior Attendant Palm." He said to Qiao Feng. {That''s what Da Jin Gang Zhang translates to}


    This caused quite a stir from the crowd. Master Tan and Grandma Tan looked at each other, wondering: "How did she get fed our Elixir?" {Ah-Zhu stole it from them, I think, don''t quite remember}


    XuanNan and XuanJu was even more astonished: "When did our Abbot hit a girl with Buddha''s Great Warrior Attendant Palm? And if she really did get hit by it, how in the world could she have survived?"


    "Doctor Xue," XuanNan had to speak up, "our Abbot had not left the premise of our humble temple for years now. And women aren''t allowed into ShaoLin Temple. So this Buddha''s Great Warrior Attendant Palm could not have come from my elder martial brother."


    Divine Doctor Xue frowned: "Is there anyone else in the world who knows this Buddha''s Great Warrior Attendant Palm?"


    That question quieted both XuanNan and XuanJu. They have been at ShaoLin for several decades now and were taught by the same master as XuanCi, they worked as hard as possible and tried as hard as they might. But this Buddha''s Great Warrior Attendant Palm still required some natural born talent and neither was able to master it. But neither one was bitter nor regret trying, for they knew that only once several centuries in the history of ShaoLin does someone with enough martial arts genius come along to master this palm skill. There were times when nobody among the hundreds of monks in the temple knew it, but it was never lost because of the great pains that the monks of the past generations took to to record down the details of training for such a skill.


    "Did she really get hit by Buddha''s Great Warrior Attendant Palm?" XuanJu wanted to ask. But he stopped himself before he did. For asking such a question would be questioning the skills of Divine Doctor Xue, which would have been incredibly rude and unseemly. So instead he turned to Qiao Feng.


    "Last night you snuck into ShaoLin and killed my martial brother XuanKu. At that time you had been hit once by Abbot''s Buddha''s Great Warrior Attendant Palm. Had that palm hit this girl, how could she have survived?" He inquired accusingly.


    "Father XuanKu is my master and I am indebted to him forever." Qiao Feng shook his head in response. "Until I repay him for everything he has done for me, I would rather die than harm him one bit."


    "Still won''t own up to it?" XuanJu angrily replied. "Then what about that ShaoLin disciple that you kidnapped? Did you not do that either?"


    "The ''ShaoLin disciple'' I took with me is right in front of you at this moment." Qiao Feng thought to himself. Instead he replied: "If Father insist on accusing me of kidnapping a ShaoLin disciple, then could you please tell me what is the name of the ShaoLin disciple that I have kidnapped."


    XuanJu and XuanNan looked at each other, again, in stunned silence as neither one of them could say a thing. Last night, along with XuanCi, they had quite clearly saw Qiao Feng take a ShaoLin disciple with him as he was escaping. Yet when they checked afterwards, nobody was missing. This was one riddle that they could not figure out for the life of them.


    "Brother Qiao, all by himself, snuck into and out of ShaoLin last night without a single injury and still was able to kidnap a ShaoLin disciple with him. That''s rather hard to believe." Divine Doctor Xue cut in. "There must be something going on here that you are not telling us about."


    "I didn''t kill Father XuanKu, and I certainly did not kidnap a ShaoLin disciple last night either. There''s a lot of things that you guys don''t understand, and there''s a lot of things that I don''t understand either." Qiao Feng replied.


    "No matter what," XuanNan declared, "this young miss could not have been injured by my martial brother, the Abbot. The Abbot is a respected and enlightened leader of a sect. How could he possibly bring himself to hit a young miss such as her? No matter what this young miss is guilty of, my martial brother would not stoop to her level and hit her." {This is sort of a put down, but not really. Etiquette and protocol calls for the leader of a sect to ignore the misgivings of youths and people in a lower position}


    Qiao Feng figured: "It''s probably better that they insist that Ah-Zhu wasn''t injured by Abbot XuanCi. Otherwise Divine Doctor Xue might, because of ShaoLin, refuse to heal her." So he decided to just push the boat down the river and go along with it.


    "Of course, Abbot XuanCi is forever benevolent and would never hurt a girl like her so. Most likely it''s somebody disguising as a ShaoLin master causing trouble, hurting people, and spreading rumors." Qiao Feng said.


    XuanJu and XuanNan looked at each other, again, and slowly nodded: "This bastard Qiao Feng may be villainous, but these couple of words are very reasonable."


    Ah-Zhu was giggling inside: "What Master Qiao said is completely true, there really was somebody disguised as a ShaoLin monk, causing trouble and spreading rumors. Only the person who the pretender was trying to be wasn''t Abbot XuanCi but Monk ZhiQing."


    But how could XuanJu, XuanNan, Divine Doctor Xue, and the rest of them figure out the real meaning behind Qiao Feng''s words?


    Seeing XuanJu and XuanNan''s reaction, Divine Doctor Xue decided that it was ok to move on.


    "So, it seems that there''s actually another person in the world that knows Buddha''s Great Warrior Attendant Palm," He continued his diagnoses. "When this person made his move, something was in the way and much of the power of his strike was dissipated. That''s how Miss Wan was able to survive the strike. That person''s strike power is probably on par with that of Abbot XuanCi''s"


    Qiao Feng had to admire the doctor: "Much Abbot XuanCi''s strike''s power was indeed blocked with my bronze shield. Divine Doctor Xue is truly amazing to be able to describe all of this just by simply measuring Ah-Zhu''s pulse. Looks like there''s hope that he would heal Ah-Zhu."


    Smiling, he said: "If this young girl would die from Buddha''s Great Attendant Palm, then it would cause ShaoLin to lose some face. So I beg Divine Doctor Xue to cure her." He bowed as he finished.


    "Who hit you? Where were you when you got hurt? Where is that person now?" XuanJu asked Ah-Zhu before Divine Doctor Xue could reply. He was worried over the reputation of ShaoLin and decided that he must get to the bottom of this.


    Ah-Zhu, unlike the serious and measured Qiao Feng, was a fun loving girl who tells harmless lies and makes stuff up all the time. So at this point, she figured: "These monks are all afraid of master, so why don''t I just bring him into this and scare them a little?" {Ah-Zhu is really just Huang Rong without any knowledge of kungfu}


    "That person is a young gentleman, very handsome and suave looking, around 28 or 29 years old. This Master Qiao and I was just talking about how amazing Divine Doctor Xue is. He''s not just the best in the world, he''s just about the best there ever was and ever will be. There''s nobody like him before and almost surely nobody as good will come in the future. Even the gods and goddesses in the heavens aren''t as great."


    There isn''t a single person in this world who doesn''t like hearing his own praise. Divine Doctor Xue had heard so many praise like this in his life time that he had lost count a long time ago. But this is the first time that he had ever heard praise from an articulate young girl. Plus the fact that she was exaggerating shamelessly. He could not help but stroke his beard and smile at the praise.


    Qiao Feng, however, was frowning: "What is she talking about? This gal is making stuff up like crazy."


    "That''s when I said: ''With Divine Doctor Xue in the world, we don''t have to bother learning kungfu anymore.''" Ah-Zhu continued. "Master Qiao asked: ''Why not?'' I said: ''Divine Doctor Xue could even resurrect a dead person, then what''s the point of learning kungfu? You kill one, he cures one; you kill 2, he heals a pair. Aren''t we just wasting our efforts for nothing?''"


    She was articulate and her voice was easy on the ear. And even though she''s injured, and was imitating the QingCheng Sect disciples in their SiChuan dialect, this spiel sounded like marbles rolling around in a jade bowl and was a pleasure to listen to.


    Everyone smiled at her talk, some even laughed out loud.


    But Ah-Zhu didn''t smile at all as she continued: "There was this young gentleman sitting by us listening to us talk. He suddenly snickered and said: ''The strike powers of people in this world are mostly weak and completely devoid of inner force. That doctor named Xue is not worthy of such a lofty of status. Let''s see if he can''t heal this palm strike of mine.'' As he said that, he struck out towards me through air. I thought he was joking with me because he was so far way. But Master Qiao was shock...."


    "And he stuck his arm out to block it?" XuanJu interrupted.


    "No!" Ah-Zhu shook her head and continued. "Had Master Qiao stuck his arm out to block, then I wouldn''t have been hurt. But Master Qiao was too far away from me to do that, so instead he picked up a chair and threw it over. His timing was just right and with a huge crack, the chair was smashed into pieces by the force of that young gentleman''s palm strength. That young gentleman spoke is such a soft SuZhou dialect, but there was nothing soft about his kungfu. I immediately felt as if I was weightless, as if I had flown into the clouds, without a single ounce of strength left in my body. Then I heard that he say: ''Go and tell that Divine Doctor Xue of yours to go flip a couple more medical books and get a little practice. That way when he has to do the same thing for Abbot XuanCi in the future he would know what to do.''"


    "What did he mean by that?" XuanNan frowned.


    "He seemed to say that he would use this Buddha''s Great Warrior Attendant Palm on Abbot XuanCi in the future." Ah-Zhu replied.


    "Ooooh!" Almost everyone in the crowd uttered in unison. Several more people simultaneously added: "Using your own method, back onto yourself!"


    "So it is GuSu MuRong!" A couple of other people chimed in, making sure to add the "so it is" part in so as to tell everyone else that they suspected as much a long time ago.


    Nobody knew that Ah-Zhu was doing because of ShaoLin''s wrongful accusation of her Master MuRong. Figuring that sooner of later he and ShaoLin''s misunderstanding was going to come to a head, she figured that she might as well make something up to boast her Master MuRong a bit and scare ShaoLin at the same time.


    Suddenly, You Ju cut in: "Brother Qiao just said a while ago that it was somebody disguised as a ShaoLin master in order to cause trouble who injured this young miss. But this young miss said it was a young gentleman who injured her instead. Who''s telling the truth here?"


    "There''s also some people disguised as ShaoLin monks as well." Ah-Zhu immediately replied. "I saw 2 monks who claimed they were from ShaoLin, but they stole black dog from a family, killed it, and ate it."


    She knew she had made a mistake in her lies, so she immediately went off on a tangent and changed the subject.


    Knowing that she wasn''t really telling the truth, Divine Doctor Xue couldn''t make up her mind whether or not to try and treat her. He looked over at XuanJu and XuanNan before turning towards You Ji and You Ju, and then finally turned his eyes towards Qiao Feng and Ah-Zhu.


    "Divine Doctor Xue," Qiao Feng spoke up, "if you save this girl today. I, Qiao Feng, would be forever indebted to you."


    "Forever indebted to me?" Divine Doctor Xue sneered. "Do you actually plan on walking out of JuXian Mansion alive today?"


    "Dead or alive, it doesn''t really matter. But this young girl''s injuries had to be treated by you, doctor."


    "Why should I save her?" Divine Doctor Xue casually asked.


    "Save one life, 7 steps closer to Paradise. Divine Doctor Xue is a respected member of the martial world and surely could not bare to let an innocent girl like her die needlessly."


    "If anyone else asked me, I would treat this girl. Hmph. But if you asked me, then I wouldn''t."


    Qiao Feng''s face immediately stiffened as he sincerely declared: "The heroes are gathered today at JuXian Mansion to discuss how to get me, I know that."


    "Ai-yo!" Ah-Zhu cut in. "Master Qiao, if that''s the case, then you shouldn''t have taken such a risk for me."


    "I thought that since everyone here is a real man and know the difference between right and wrong." Qiao Feng continued. "The person you want to kill is me and me alone. This young girl has nothing to do with this. Divine Doctor Xue would actually move his hatred of me onto this young Miss Wan. How could that be right?"


    Divine Doctor Xue had no comeback for what he said. Only after a long pause did he finally say: "Whether or not to treat a person is my decision and mine alone, others can''t force me to do it. Qiao Feng, with your terrible crimes, we were just talking about how to catch you, chop you into a million pieces so as to avenge your parents and master. But instead you came walking in instead. That''s better than anything we could hope for. Why don''t you just end it yourself right here?"


    He flicked his right hand a little. Everyone in the crowd gave a shout and unsheathed their weapons. The hall shimmered in the almost blinding reflected light of the weapons. There were countless amounts of sabres and daggers, axes and whips. This was followed by another loud cheer from up above as the ceiling was suddenly filled with people as well, guarding every piece of the room.


    Qiao Feng had been in plenty of huge battles and fights in his life. But he was usually leading the Beggar Clan into to battle and hence usually had the numerical superiority over his foes. Never had he ever been trapped in such a predicament all by himself, not to mention there''s a severely injured girl at his side. How exact does he get out of this? He had no idea and his heart began to pound.


    Ah-Zhu was even more frightened as she began to cry. "Master Qiao, just get out of here. Don''t worry about me. They have no issues with me and wouldn''t hurt me."


    "That''s right, these people are all good people. They would never harm her for no reason. It''s probably best for me to get out of here as soon as possible." Qiao Feng thought. "A real man should treat other''s life like his own. Divine Doctor Xue hasn''t promised to treat her yet. Her life is not saved yet, how could I be so afraid to die and leave her like this?"


    Looking around, he could see that there was several famous martial arts masters present, quite a number of them he knew personally, all of them possessing great skills. But with this, the blood in his veins began to warm up: "So what if I died here? Real men should live joylessly and die fearlessly."


    He let out a hearty laugh: "You all say that I am Khitan and want to get rid of this stone from your shoes. Hehe, am I Han or am I Khitan? Even I don''t know."


    "That''s right, you are a mutt, a bastard! Only that even you yourself don''t know what kind of bastard you are!" A thin and squeaky voice suddenly said from amidst the crowd. This was the same person who had made fun of the Beggar Clan earlier. But since he just says a couple of words at a time, nobody knew who it was. Everyone looked to where the voice came from, but saw no lips moving. If you say that it came from a short person, there was no short person present either.


    Hearing those words, Qiao Feng quietly observed for a long time before nodding a bit and moving on. Turning around to Divine Doctor Xue: "If I was Han, how could I forgive you for your insult today? If I really am a Khitan, the sworn enemy of everything that is of the Great Song, the first person I would kill would be you, so to avoid me killing one hero of the Great Song and you saving one patriot of Great Song. Right?"


    "That''s right." Divine Doctor Xue replied. "No matter what happens, you are going to kill me."


    "I ask you to save this girl today and exchange one life for another. If you save her, I would never even touch your hair."


    "In all my life, I have only listened to other beg, not threats." Divine Doctor Xue coldly sneered.


    "A life for another. It is as fair of an exchange as you can get, it''s not threat."


    "Aren''t you the least bit ashamed?" That squeaky voice suddenly said. "You are going to become meat sauce under everyone''s lives and you are still talking about showing mercy and letting others live? You...."


    "Get the hell out of here!" Qiao Feng suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs, causing the roof tiles to shake and the dust to come falling off of the ceiling bars. Everyone''s ears were buzzing from the scream and their hearts pounding.


    A man stumbled out from the crowd as if he was drunk. He was wearing a green robe and his face was deathly gray. Nobody recognized him.


    "Ah!" Master Tan suddenly shouted. "That''s Tan Qing, the Soul Chasing Cane! That''s right, he''s "Overflowing Evil" Duan YanQing''s disciple."


    The Beggar Clan members, upon hearing that he''s Wan YanQing''s disciple, began cursing at him furiously. Turned out that soon after the West Xia martial arts master were captured using their own "Gentle Breeze of Sadness," Duan YanQing arrived. Nobody within the Beggar Clan was able to stand up to him as he cured those West Xia kungfu masters using an extremely bad smelling antidote and turned them towards the Beggar Clan, causing the Beggar Clan to take on huge losses. Everyone in the clan hates and fear Duan YanQing, knowing that without Qiao Feng, there''s nobody in the clan that could stand up to this "World''s Evilest Man" in the future. {If you read that part of the book, you don''t feel sorry for the Beggar Clan after all, they deserved to be defeated and taught a lesson the way they treated Qiao Feng.}


    Tan Qing''s face was contorted almost beyond recognition, as if he was in great pain. His hands kept on grasping his chest as a voice came emanating from within his body: "I... I don''t owe you anything and you not me, why... why did you have to do that?"


    His voice was squeaky and sharp, but was staggered as if he couldn''t catch his breath. But his lips did not move at all, to the amazement to most everyone present. A few of the people present knew that he was using a skill to talk out of his stomach which, when used in conjunction with a high level of inner strength, could be used as a depressant which would confuse and even kill whoever that hears him. But when up against a person with stronger inner force, this skill would not only not work, but would backfire and hurt the practitioner.


    "You are Duan YanQing''s disciple?" Divine Doctor Xue angrily shouted at him. "This is a gathering of heroes, only the heroes of the world are allowed. How did such a low-life scum like you get in?"


    "Gathering of heroes my *** !" A voice suddenly said. "Looks more like a gathering of zeroes to me!"


    When he said the first word, he was still far away, on top of the tall walls outside. But by the time he said the word "me," he had arrived with his voice. Jumping off of the tall wall, one could see that he unusually tall and incredibly fast. The people stationed on the roof tried to stop him by throwing their swords or hitting him through the air with their palm strikes, but all for naught as they were too slow and he was able to dodge out of the way. Quite a number of people in the hall recognized that he was "Evil Extreme" Yun ZhongHe. With a flick of his body, Yun ZhongHe had arrived inside of the hall. Grabbing a hold to Tan Qing, he shot directly towards Divine Doctor Xue. Fearing that he would kill Divine Doctor Xue, everyone in the hall immediately rushed up to protect him. But Yun ZhongHe had expected this and played a trick with them, feigning attack so as to retreat. Seeing everyone rush up to protect Divine Doctor Xue, he immediately jumped back and hopped onto the wall again.


    There''s plenty of martial arts masters in the room, and those whose kungfu are better than Yun ZhongHe number in the 40s if not the 50s. But because he had grabbed the initiative and caught everyone off guard, plus his superiors lightness kungfu, nobody was able to catch up to him once he had hopped onto the wall. Several people reached into their shirts for projectiles and those people on the roof tried to stop him again, but all looked too late.


    "Stay here!" Qiao Feng shouted and struck out a palm strike through air. The force of the strike was like a formless blade, flying through air and hit Yun ZhongHe squarely in his back.


    Yun ZhongHe let out a suppressed moan as he fell flatly onto the ground, blood spilling out of his mouth like a fountain. Tan Qing was still standing though, just that he would stumble left a bit and then jump to the right, all the while humming a little tune. Quite a comic scene, only that nobody was laughing. Everyone was shocked by the horror that was playing out in front of their eyes.


    Divine Doctor Xue knew that even though Yun ZhongHe was hurt badly, he could still be saved. But Tan Qing had already lost his soul and no amount of medicine of miracle cures in this world could save him anymore. Reflecting how Qiao Feng, with a casual scream and a palm strike, would inflict such incredible damage, he realized that if Qiao Feng want to take his life, there probably isn''t anyone that could stop him. While he was reflecting, Tan Qing had stopped stumbling around and just stood there. The humming had seized as well and his eyes were wide open, but he wasn''t breezing anymore.


    Back when Tan Qing had insulted the Beggar Clan, the clan members were furious but had nobody to take it out on, so they were forced to swallow all that anger. But now, seeing how Qiao Feng took care of him, all of them cheered on the inside. The more straightforward ones like Elder Song and Elder Wu almost let out a shout of praise but held back, realizing that Qiao Feng was from Khitan.


    But deep inside every one of their heart they thought: "If he was our leader, the Beggar Clan would never lose. Otherwise... Ay! The going is going get really tough from here on out, the Beggar Clan would never be return to its former glories."


    Yun ZhongHe struggled up and stumbled out of the door. He took a couple of steps before throwing up another mouthful of blood. Seeing how badly he''s injured, nobody felt like troubling him anymore as everyone thought: "He called this the ''Gathering of Zeroes'', yet none of us could do anything about him. Ironically it was Qiao Feng who struck and made him pay for such an insult."


    "Honorable Brothers You, I have met up with many friends here today who, after today, will be friends no longer." Qiao Feng turned towards the You Brothers. "I could not but feel sad, so I would like to ask you for some wine."


    Everyone was caught off guard by his request. "Let''s see what the hell he''s going to do here." You Ju thought to himself as he instructed the servants to go fetch some wine.


    Because this was a planned gathering at JuXian Mansion, there was plenty of wine in stock and soon the servants came in with flasks of wine and cups to drink as well.


    "These cups are just too small. Could you get something big to drink out of?" Qiao Feng replied.


    Two servants went off and returned with several huge bowls and a newly opened jug of white wine. They placed them on the table in front of Qiao Feng and filled one bowl up with wine.


    "Fill them all up!" Qiao Feng commanded and the 2 servants obeyed.


    Lifting up one bowl in his hand, Qiao Feng turned towards the crowd: "Of the many heroes gathered here today, there are many who are old friends of mine. But since you are suspicious of me, I propose we drink our friendship away. If any friend wishes to take Qiao Feng''s life, then come up and have a drink with me. Afterwards, our old friendship will history. If you kill me it''s not betrayal, if I kill you it''s not cross. Let the heroes of the world be our witness."


    A coldness shot through everyone as the hall was completely silent. "If I go up and drink with him, he would undoubtedly try a sneak attack on me," each of them thought. "That close, how can I block that strike power of his?"


    In this stunned silence, a woman dressed in funeral clothing suddenly walked out. It was Ma DaYuan''s widow Madame Ma. "My husband died in your hands, this friendship that you spoke off ended a long time ago." she said in a grave voice as she lifted the bowl up to her lips and took a sip.


    "I cannot drink the entire bowl. But the vengeance of my husband will be like this wine." She said as she slowly poured the wine that was left in the bowl onto the ground.


    Qiao Feng looked her straight in the face and couldn''t help but notice how beautiful and elegant she looked. It was dark that night in the apricot woods and the firelight was flickering, so he didn''t get a chance to get a good look at her. Never could he had guessed that such a formidable woman would look so fragile and delicate. Without a word he picked up another bowl, drank its entire content in one breath, and signalled the servant at his side to fill the bowls again.


    After Madame Ma walked back into the crowd. Elder Xu walked up and, without saying a word, drank an entire bowl of wine with Qiao Feng doing the same. Then came the Scribe Elder, after whom Enforcer Elder Bai ShiJing walked up. Just as he lifted up his bowl and was about to drink, Qiao Feng stopped him.


    "Hold on!"


    "Brother Qiao, do you have something you want to say?" Bai ShiJing had always admired Qiao Feng and treated him with the utmost respect, and even now he was still the same, just that now he doesn''t refer to Qiao Feng as "chief" anymore.


    "We have been like brothers for so long now. Who could have known that we would end up being enemies?" Qiao Feng sighed.


    "Brother Qiao''s birth, I had heard rumors about it for a long time." Bai ShiJing replied, fighting back tears. "Back then I would not have believed it even if it meant my life. But now... now it really is true. If it wasn''t because our country is at war, Bai ShiJing I would rather die than be Brother Qiao''s enemy."


    "I understand." Qiao Feng nodded. "Soon we will be friends no more and be enemies in battle. But I have a favor to ask."


    "If it doesn''t hurt my country, I would give my all."


    Qiao Feng smiled and pointed to Ah-Zhu: "All brothers of the Beggar Clan, if you still feel the slightest beholden to me for what happened in the past, then all I ask of you is to insure this young miss''s safety."


    Everyone got the sense that it was almost as if he was asking others to take care of his orphan. For after drinking with his friend one-by-one, he would fight. Being surrounded by so many masters, even if he kills a good number of his foes, it was highly unlikely he was going to survive. Even though everyone in the crowd hates him for being Khitan and for committing such heinous crimes, they couldn''t help but admire the courage in his actions.


    Bai ShiJing had always had a good relationship with Qiao Feng, and upon hearing what is equivalent to his last wishes, he had to reply: "Don''t worry Brother Qiao. Bai ShiJing I would personally beg Divine Doctor Xue to treat her. If anything should happen to Miss Wan, then I would kill myself so as to as for repent for Brother Qiao."


    {Hate to give the story away, but LIES, ALL LIES!!}


    He brought the bowl to his lips and drank the strong wine down in one breath. Qiao Feng did the same.


    Elder Song, Elder Xi, and the rest of the Beggar Clan all came up and drank the wine with him. After the everyone in the Beggar Clan finished, the heroes and masters from other sects all walked up and drank.


    The longer this spectacle went on, the more amazed everyone became. Qiao Feng had already drank at least 40 or 50 bowls of wine by now. The hug jug of strong wine had long since been killed and the servants had to go and fetch another jug. But Qiao Feng still looked sober and alert, other than the fact his belly was protruded a bit, there was no sign of anything different about him.


    "Forget the fight, at this rate, he would drink to death," everyone thought.


    But Qiao Feng was one of those people who grows more alert the more he drinks. These last couple of days all the frustrations from the false accusations had been bottled up inside him, finally he just decided to just let it all out and drink to satisfaction before ending it all with a fight.


    After even Bao QianLin and Fast Sabre Qi Liu had drank with him, Xiang WangHai walked up and picked a bowl up. "Hey you! I''m going to drink a bowl with you," he said in a rude tone.


    Feeling the effects of the wine, Qiao Feng looked at him out of the corner of his eye and replied: "I''m drinking this friendship-ending drink with the heroes of the world to say that our friendships are a thing of the past. What have you done to deserve this drink? What friendship did I have with you?"


    Not waiting for an answer, Qiao Feng took a step forward and grabbed his chest with his right hand. With a simple wave of his arm, Qiao Feng threw him out of the hall. Xiang WanHai hit the marble walls outside with a loud "bang" and instantly fainted.


    At this, the hall descended into chaos.


    Qiao Feng jumped out of the hall and into the yard before turning around to face the crowd. "Who want to come out here and fight to the death first?" He shouted at the top of his lungs.


    Seeing him standing there in all his glory, nobody dared to ran forth and challenge him.


    "If you guys aren''t going to start this off, then I''m going to!" Qiao Feng shouted.


    "Bang!" "Bang!" Two men were already hit by his palm through the air and fell to the ground. Going along with his own momentum, he charged back into the hall and, with a flurry of fists and kicks mixed with palms and elbows, instantly took down several other fighters.


    "Everyone, back up against the wall, don''t get into a melee!" You Ji shouted.


    There were more than 300 fighters within the hall. If they all charged up at once, there was no way Qiao Feng could fend them off no matter how good he was. It was just that when everyone was stuck together pushing against one another, only 5 or 6 men was at Qiao Feng''s side and could truly fight him. And even then, with all the weapons waving around, a lot of people were actually trying to protect themselves instead of attacking. But with You Ji''s shout, the middle of the hall immediately emptied.


    "Let''s see how great the You Brothers of JuXian Mansion are!" Qiao Feng shouted as he lifted his left palm and sent a huge wine jug flying towards You Ji''s face. You Ji put up both hands and was about to conjure up some inner force to bat the jug away. But unexpectedly Qiao Feng followed up with a right fist, which, with a loud bang, smashed the wine jug in a million pieces in mid-air. The sharp broken pieces and shards of the jug, pushed by the force of Qiao Feng''s palm, were like hundreds of metal darts or daggers. Three pieces hit You Ji in the face, which was soon covered in blood. Several people at his sides were hit as well. The shouting and cursing of pain and warnings were deafening.


    "Daddy! Daddy!" Suddenly a boy''s cry could be heard coming from a corner of the hall. You Ji recognized the voice as that of his only son, You DanZhi''s. Despite his predicament, he still found time to look over and see that You DanZhi''s left cheek was covered in blood, having been hit by one of the piece of the jug.


    "What are you doing here? Get back inside!" You Ji yelled.


    "Yes sir!" You DanZhi replied and snuck back behind a column but still stuck out his head to watch the fight.


    {He was introduced as a wounded character, is there any doubt that Jin Yong created YDZ to suffer?}


    Qiao Feng kicked with his left foot and another jug flew off. Just as he was about to add another palm strike to smash it, he suddenly felt a soft and gentle palm force approaching him from behind. Even those the force of the strike was gentle and soft, it was very powerful and backed up with a quite strong inner force. Knowing that it had came from a strong foe, Qiao Fend did not dare to wait any longer and immediately returned a palm strike back in response.


    The 2 forces met and both sides were slightly taken aback and needed a moment to collect themselves. When Qiao Feng took a good look at who his foe was, he saw a weird looking ugly man. It was none other than Zhao QianSun. "He has a tremendous inner force, got to be careful of him." Qiao Feng told himself as he drew in another breath and unleashed a second, mountain-splitting palm strike out at him.


    Knowing that he could not stand up to this strike with just one palm, Zhao QianSun brought up both of his palm in an effort to block the incoming strike.


    {Yet even more evidence that having 2 hands is a huge advantage to only one hand, are you paying attention those of you who maintain Yang Guo can beat Guo Jing?}


    "Don''t you want to live anymore?" A female voice came from the side as he was suddenly pulled over to the side and just avoided Qiao Feng''s strike.


    But the force of the Qiao Feng''s palm still came rolling in, hitting the 3 men behind Zhao QianSun head on and sent them flying into the wall, kicking up a huge amount of dust and knocking loose a couple pieces of the wall.


    Turning around, Zhao QianSun saw that it was Grandma Tan who had pulled him away. He was overjoyed: "Xiao Juan, you saved me!"


    {Their relationship, or lack there of, was the source of quite a bit of comedy earlier in the book. Anyhoot, Juan means beautiful and graceful and Xiao means little. It is quite an affectionate term, too affectionate for a man to use on another man''s wife.}


    "I''ll attack his left and you attack his right." Grandma Tan said.


    Just as Zhao QianSun nodded his head and said "ok," a short and skinny old man charged toward Qiao Feng. It was Grandpa Tan.


    Even though he had quite a small built, his kungfu was quite formidable. As his left palm struck out, his right palm immediately followed, at which he pulled back his left hand and struck out with it again. Three palm strikes in a row, just like 3 consecutive waves, one after another, each building on the other until it was released all at once with a force 3 times more powerful than his normal palm strike.


    "Wonderful! ''Three Rolling Waves of the Yangtze!''" Qiao Feng shouted as he waved out his left palm.


    The 2 forces collided violently, pushing many spectators on the side away. At this time, Zhao QianSun and Grandma Tan''s attacks arrived as well. They were soon followed by the Beggar Clan as Elder Xu, Elder Cheng, and many other elders joined the foray.


    "Brother Qiao, Khitan is the sworn nemesis of our Great Song. We are only doing this for our country, forgive us!" Scribe Elder shouted.


    "We have already drank our friendship away, why so polite? En guarde!" Qiao Feng replied with a laugh as he stuck his left foot out at him.


    Despite what he said, because of what they went through together, not only could he not bring himself to take away the lives of his Beggar Clan brothers, he did not want to make them look back in front of others. So as he stuck his foot half way out, he suddenly switched directions.


    Fast Sabre Qi Liu let out an unusual yelp and took off. He didn''t jump, but was kicked by Qiao Feng in his stomach. He was prepared to slash down with his sabre onto Qiao Feng''s head, but because his body took off, this slash went astray. With a loud thud, his sabre came down upon one of the support beams on the ceiling. With the force he put into the chop, the cut was several centimeters deep and his sabre actually got stuck within the cut. This particular sabre was the prized weapon of Fast Sabre Qi Liu, it was the weapon that made him famous. So, facing such a formidable foe, he could not bring himself to let go of the sabre as he grasped the handle of the sabre tightly as he could with his right hand. In doing this, he doomed himself to hang in the air. It was quite an unusual situation, but everyone down in the hall was staring death in the face and nobody dared to even spare a moment to even take a look at him, much less laugh at his predicament.


    Ever since he joined the martial world, Qiao Feng had never lost a single one of his hundreds of battles. Not only that, even though he had fought against many a martial arts masters, he had never been in much danger. By now the effects of the wine, with the help of his huge exertion of inner force, had really taken hold. As his palms danced around the air, none of the master present was able get close to him.


    Despite his astonishing medical skills, Divine Doctor Xue''s kungfu left something to be desired. He was a true genius when it came to medicine, it was as if he knew it all without even being taught. Even so, he had been interested in martial arts as a small kid and his master was an even more amazing and knowledgeable master. However, a number of years ago, Divine Doctor Xue and all 7 of his martial brothers were all kicked out by his master at the same time. Not willing to find another master, he instead took to another route, exchanging his medical services of kungfu. Picking up a move here, a skill here, rarely would you find a person with more knowledge in kungfu as he. But unfortunately, the broadness of his knowledge was also his downfall. In essence, he bit off more than he could chew and never really mastered any single kungfu. But because of his renowned medicinal skills, whenever he asked others about kungfu advice and such, people, not really being serious, would always add a couple of words of praise along with their critique so as to get on his good side. So he couldn''t help but be a little arrogant, figuring that he had mastered most of all the martial arts in the world. But watching this fight, he realized that the speed with which Qiao Feng strikes and the force with which the strikes land were beyond anything he could have imagined before. His faced turned deathly pale and his heart were just about to leap out of his throat, he was not even able to utter a sound, much less join in on the fight.


    Flattening himself against the wall, he wanted to quietly sneak out for the life of him. But he could not bring himself to do it. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw XuanNan standing at his side. He suddenly remembered something and felt terrible about it.


    "I was incredibly rude before, I ask for Father''s forgiveness," he turned toward XuanNan.


    XuanNan''s attention was entirely fixated upon Qiao Feng and didn''t hear Divine Doctor Xue at all. Only after he had repeated it twice did XuanNan finally snapped out of his trance.


    "How were you rude?"


    "I had said: ''Qiao Feng, all by himself, snuck into and out of ShaoLin last night without a single injury and still was able to kidnap a ShaoLin disciple with him. That''s rather hard to believe.''" Divine Doctor Xue replied.


    "What''s wrong with that?"


    "Well, with such amazing skills, Qiao Feng is indeed practically unmatched in the world. Only now do I realize that if he wanted to enter ShaoLin and to cause trouble, it is almost impossible to stop him." Divine Doctor Xue said in sincere voice.


    He meant to be apologetic, but in XuanNan''s ears, they sounded caustic.


    "Hmph, Divine Doctor Xue want to see exactly what ShaoLin kungfu is all about?" XuanNan replied.


    Not waiting for an answer, he slowly stepped forward and twirled his sleeves up. Underneath the sleeves, the sound of a fist strike could be heard shooting out. This was one of the 72 Supreme Skills of ShaoLin, "Heaven Within the Sleeve," in which even though the sleeves are twirled up in a knot, the force of the fist would still shoot out from inside the sleeves. ShaoLin monks had always been based strictly to Buddhist teachings to learn and practice martial arts for self improvement. Even getting angry was forbidden, much less striking someone. But ShaoLin Sect had been the leader of martial arts in the world for centuries now, how could it not join in the fight? With the fist hidden within the sleeve, this "Heaven Within the Sleeve" was a very graceful move. The sleeve served as a screen for the force of the fist so the foe could not see where the fists were coming from, therefore making it easier to catch him off guard. But few people knew that the sleeves contain a huge variety of viciously strong moves. If the foe concentrate solely upon figuring out the moves of the fist behind the sleeves, then he would turn the diversion into the real thing and attack with the sleeve.


    Qiao Feng was watching his attack as two sleeves flew up with the wind as if they were 2 huge sails. The force of the attack was truly amazing.


    "''Heaven Within the Sleeve''! Incredible!" Qiao Feng shouted as he, with a swoosh, swatted at the sleeves. The force of XuanNan''s sleeves were applied over a large area while Qiao Feng''s strike was concentrated. With a string of loud tearing sounds, the 2 forces met. Suddenly the hall seemed to be filled with gray colored butterflies.


    Caught by surprise, everyone paused to collect themselves. Turned out that the gray butterflies was actually what used to be XuanNan''s sleeves. When one turned one''s gaze to XuanNan, one could see that his incredibly skinny arms were now completely exposed. When those 2 forces met head on, how could XuanNan''s sleeves possibly take that kind of pressure? Thus they instantaneously torn to shreds. Now that he lost his sleeves, his sleeves naturally lost their "Heavens". In his fury, his face turned a metallic green color. With a simple palm strike, Qiao Feng was able to defeat the very skill that had made him famous. Not able to stand such humiliation, waving his arms wildly, he charged without abandoned. Everyone recognized that what he was using was "Founder''s Long Fist." It was this fist skill, along with a cane skill, that was used by the Founder of Song dynasty, Song TaiZu Zhao KuangYin to conquer and unite all of China under the Great Song. None of the Emperors since then had been as fierce or brave as Song TaiZu. These set of "Founder''s Long Fist" and "Founder''s Cane" was the most popular skills in the martial world, even if one didn''t practice it, one was familiar with it.


    Seeing such a famous ShaoLin monk, whose kungfu prowess was world famous, use such a plain, everyday skill surprised everyone. But after he had gone through 3 moves, everyone couldn''t help but praise: "ShaoLin Sect''s fame and acclaim is indeed well merited. The same ''Crossing Thousand Kilometers'' would be so powerful when he uses it."


    Because of their admiration, none of them seemed to mind how strange XuanNan looked without any sleeves.


    Qiao Feng was surrounded by several scores of people, but as soon as XuanNan struck, the others, feeling that they were merely getting in the way, temporarily backed off. They still surrounded him in the middle of several rings, so as to not let escape. But everyone was completely mesmerized by the fight between XuanNan and him.


    Noticing that others have backed off, an idea suddenly popped into Qiao Feng''s head. With a loud swoosh, he struck out with his palm with a "Charging the Formation and Killing the General", yet another move from "Founder''s Long Fist". The move was looked completely natural and poised. There was a hint of give within the unyielding force of the strike as well as a hint of firmness within its softness. The state of perfection in mastery that all kungfu practitioner wish for had been clearly exemplified by this move. Of all the people gathered here in this "Gathering of Heroes", even if their kungfu skill weren''t good, they were at least extremely knowledgeable, so everyone knew and understood the essence of "Founder''s Long Fist." Upon seeing Qiao Feng''s move, quite a number of them could not help but cheer in admiration!


    {Ok, I''m convinced, Qiao Feng is the better than Duan Yu and Xu Zhu, by a mile!}


    Many people immediately regretted the cheer, for it was in praise and support of their sworn enemy. But now that the sound had left their mouth, they couldn''t take it back. Qiao Feng followed with a "New Moon''s Majesty", which was just as refined, it was hard to tell whether this move was better or worse than his last move. Another cheer went up in the hall as a number people still couldn''t hold it back in, but because several people realized the paradox the cheering created and held back, the cheer this time was quieter than last. Nevertheless, there were still quite a number of "oohs" and "ahhs" uttered in admiration. Everyone had been too involved in battle with Qiao Feng to worry about anything else, but now that they were an outside observer, they finally realized how amazing his kungfu really was.


    After Qiao Feng and XuanNan exchanged 7 or 8 moves, it had became obvious who was better. Despite the fact that both were using the same simple fist techniques, every one of Qiao Feng''s moves came after XuanNan''s move. As soon as XuanNan made a move, Qiao Feng would follow it up, but for some reason, maybe it was his youth or maybe he was just quicker, every one of Qiao Feng''s moves would arrive at its objective before XuanNan''s move. There''s only 64 moves in "Founder''s Long Fist," but each one of them could effectively counter another. Qiao Feng would recognize his opponent''s move before countering with the move that would cancel it. In this situation, how could XuanNan not lose? Everyone present understood the reason behind this, but to be able to "move later but arrive faster", especially when facing such a master such as XuanNan, had they not witnessed it themselves, none of them could have imagined it was possible.


    Seeing XuanNan in trouble, Xuan Ju shouted: "You barbaric Khitan dog! How dare you use such despicable methods?"


    "I''m using our country''s founder''s fist, how dare you call me ''despicable''?" Qiao Feng answered righteously.


    Everyone immediately understood why he was using "Founder''s Long Fist." If he had used other fist styles to defeat "Founder''s Long Fist", then others would not say that it was because of his superior skills but rather accuse him of humiliating the founder of their country by using the skills of another race or country, which would only add to the hatred towards him. But now that everyone''s using "Founder''s Long Fist", the only thing that made difference was each person''s skills and nothing else.


    Seeing that XuanNan was moments away from being in mortal danger, XuanJu didn''t bother to reply and just simply pointed his finger at Qiao Feng''s Whirled-Pearl Point and attacked using ShaoLin Sect''s acclaimed pressure point hitting skill, "Tangutan Buddha Finger."


    {Whirled Pearl Point is the part of the scalp where your hair goes into a whirl.}


    Hearing the sound of his finger slashing through the air, Qiao Feng stepped aside to dodge the move.


    "I have heard of the power of ''Tangutan Buddha Finger'' for a long time, and it really is as powerful as the rumors say. You are using the kungfus of those Tangut barbarians against the martial arts of our Founder that I''m using. If you defeat me, then aren''t you selling out to those barbarians and bringing shame to our great China?" Qiao Feng said.


    XuanJu was quite taken aback by this. ShaoLin Sect''s founder Bodhidarma was indeed a Tangut. Today everyone was teaming up against Qiao Feng for being of Khitan birth, yet because ShaoLin kungfu had been established in China for so long that every single sect or style of kungfu had at least a little bit of relationship with ShaoLin Sect. So much so that everyone had forgot the close relationship ShaoLin has with the barbarians. But now, reminded by Qiao Feng''s words, everyone remembered.


    Some of the wiser people among the crowd wondered: "We treat Bodhidarma with reverence like a divinity, yet why do we hate the Khitan people so much? They are all people of different races than us. Hmm, these 2 races are obviously different. The Tangut people do not slaughter us fellow Chinamen while the Khitan people are despicable and vicious. But in this sense, it doesn''t mean that everyone of a different race is evil, there are good and bad people within them as well. But does that mean there are some good people within the Khitan?"


    In reality, with such a huge fight at full swing, there were plenty of brutes who never thought such thoughts. Even though all of the more thoughtful people had thought such thoughts, they didn''t have time to dwell it over, only feeling a little bit at the bottom of their hearts that: "Qiao Feng may not have to be killed, and we may not be as in the right."


    Fighting 2 against 1, XuanNan and XuanJu still had to defend more than they attacked. Frustrated by the fact that whatever he did was always countered by his foe, XuanNan changed his style as soon as XuanJu joined him in the fight, switching instead to ShaoLin''s "Arhat Fist".


    "So you are going to use the martial arts of the Tangut? Let''s see which is better, your foreign kungfu better or that of our Great Song!" Qiao Feng coldly snickered as his fist were loudly swung about in the style of "Founder''s Long Fist."


    Everybody present had a sick feeling in their stomach. They were attacking Qiao Feng because he was a foreigner, yet instead they were using foreign kungfu while he was using the fist of the founder of their country.


    "Who cares about fist style? This man killed his father, his mother, and his master. He deserves to die!" Zhao QianSun suddenly shouted as he charged into the fight, followed closely by Grandpa Tan, Grandma Tan, Elder Xu, Elder Cheng, and scores of others.


    Everyone of them were kungfu masters, and despite the great number of them, they attack was well organized, essentially taking turns one after another attacking Qiao Feng.


    Fighting them off, Qiao Feng declared: "You say that I am Khitan, but then Grandpa Qiao SanKui and Grandma Qiao can''t be my father or mother anymore. Forget the fact that they always treated me with great love and care without the slightest intention of harm, even if I did kill them, how could I be guilty of ''killing my father and mother''? Father XuanKu is my savior and master, if ShaoLin Sect admits that he''s my master, then I would be a ShaoLin disciple. How could you gang up on a ShaoLin disciple like this?"


    "Hmph! How could you stoop so low as to resort to such sophistry and equivocation?" XuanJu replied.


    "If it justified and consistent, then it isn''t sophistry or equivocation. If you guys don''t regard me as a ShaoLin disciple, then don''t accuse me of killing my master. As the saying goes, ''One could always trump up charges if one''s out to condemn me'' (yu jia zhi zui, he huan wu ci). If you guys want to kill me, then just do it like a man. Why bother accusing me of all these inconsistent and deceitful charges?"


    Even as he was debating, he never stopped fighting: fist hitting Dan ShuShan, kick landing on Zhao QianSun, elbowing a green clothed man that he didn''t see the face of, and palm striking a white bearded old man that he didn''t know the name of. While arguing, he knocked down 4 people in a row. Knowing that these people weren''t bad people, he held back with his strikes, of the 18 or so people that he had knocked down, none had lost their life. As for his brothers in the Beggar Clan, he didn''t even touch them, when Elder Xu attacked him, he just ducked out of the way.


    But with so many people at the gathering, as soon as he knocked 10 people down, another 10 people took their place. "If this keeps up, I''ll eventually die of exhaustion. It''s probably the best to find a place to escape first." Qiao Feng figured as he carefully surveyed for an escape route as he fought.


    Zhao QianSun was lying on the ground, unable to move. But he was still able to see that Qiao Feng was looking to escape.


    "Everyone, attack him! Don''t let this despicable dog bastard get away!" He shouted.


    Adrenaline pumping, Qiao Feng could feel his fury gradually taking over, hearing Zhao QianSun''s words finally sent him over the edge.


    "This dog bastard is going to start off his killing spree with you!" He howled as his palm came screaming down upon Zhao QianSun.


    "No!" XuanNan and XuanJu simultaneously shouted as both of them stuck out with their right hand, trying to save Zhao QianSun''s life.


    Suddenly a human form appeared in mid air as a sickening scream reverberated around the hall. XuanNan and XuanJu''s blows landed on the person''s chest as Qiao Feng''s palm landed squarely in the middle of the back. Caught in the middle of those 3 powerful and violent forces, the person''s ribs immediately shattered and internal organs collapsed. Blood gushing out of the person''s mouth, the body collapsed onto the ground like a pile of mud.


    Not only was XuanNan and XuanJu shocked, Qiao Feng was caught by surprise as well. Turned out that this person was Fast Sabre Qi Liu. He had been hanging in midair for quite some time now. Rattling back and forth, he was finally able to pry loose his sabre and fall. Quite unfortunately, he just happened to fall in between those 3 strikes, it was as if 2 gigantic steel slabs came slamming together on him. There was no chance of him surviving.


    "Amida Buddha," XuanNan was first to say something. "Qiao Feng, have you not sinned enough?"


    "I only half responsible! You 2 are just as responsible as I for his death, why are you guys dumping it all on me?" Qiao Feng screamed in fury.


    "Amida Buddha. Amida Budda. Had you not sinned first, would there have even been a fight today?" XuanNan replied.


    "Alright, ok, it''s all my fault. So what!" Qiao Feng screamed back as he finally let his anger take over, which instantly turned him into a wild beast.


    He grabbed somebody with his right hand, who happened to be Chan Zheng''s second son Chan ZhongShan. Snatching his sabre with his left hand, he let go of his body and immediately slammed down with his right hand, caving in the top of Chan ZhongShan''s head. The rest of the people gasped in horror and anger.


    Now that the killing started, Qiao Feng''s fighting became even more desperate and violent. Slashing ferociously with the sabre in his left hand and switching periodically between palm and fist with his right, he was not to be stopped. Slowly but surely, the white walls was becoming more and more covered with small droplets of blood as the hall began to fill up with corpses. By now he did not worry about past friendships anymore, even that of the Beggar Clan. Not even waiting to make out his foe''s faces anymore, his eyes were blood-shot as he killed whoever that he happens into. It was like this that Elder Xi died under his sabre.


    Of the people that were at the gathering, 9 out 10 of them had killed before. After all, to become known in the martial world required more than just making friends and talking a good show. And those who had not killed before had witnessed such events many times before. But none of them had ever seen such a violent and horrifying battle as the one that was unfolding in front of their eyes. There was only one foe, but he was like a crazed tiger, a possessed demon, charging back and forth, attacking and chopping left and right indiscriminately. Many a master had stepped up to challenge him, but all were mowed down by his faster, stronger, fiercer, better moves. Nobody present was a coward who was afraid to die, but in front of them was an crazed opponent whose kungfu skills nobody could stand against as their eyes were filled with images of blood and flesh were flying across the hall, of human heads were rolling on the floor and their ears were filled with the desperate and stunned screams of death, most of them wanted to run away as soon and as quickly as possible. Was Qiao Feng guilty or wasn''t he? They did not care for it anymore.


    Seeing the situation quickly deteriorate, the Brothers You each brought up their circular shield with their left hand and a weapon in their right hand, one had a short spear while the other had a sabre. With a whistle, the 2 of them attacked Qiao Feng from 2 sides with the shields protecting their body.


    Even though Qiao Feng was letting it all out for the fight, he was still completely coherent and not a least bit panicked as he easily and quickly picked apart every opponent''s move, hence why he still hadn''t been wounded. Noticing that the You Brothers were charging in, he immediately chopped down the 2 men by his side and, trying to grab the initiative, attacked You Ji. You Ji brought his shield up at the last moment. With a loud clang, Qiao Feng''s sabre bounced back. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the blade of the sabre had curled up, rendering it completely useless. The shields in the You Brothers'' hands were melded using the finest of metals that had been melted and reshaped over hundreds of times, even priceless swords could not penetrate them, much less that ordinary iron sabre that Qiao Feng grabbed out of Chan ZhungShan''s hands.


    Immediately after deflecting his foe''s attack away, You Ji immediately struck the short spear in his right hand from underneath the shield, like a snake striking out of its hole, aiming towards Qiao Feng''s stomach. At this precise a moment, there was a cold flash as the shield that was in You Ju''s hand came flying in at Qiao Feng''s torso.


    With one glance, Qiao Feng could tell that the edges of the shield were incredibly sharp, like those of an ax. If it hit him, it would surely slice him in two. A truly vicious move.


    "Excellent!" Qiao Feng shouted as he threw down the sabre in his hand and punched out with his left fist.


    With a tremendous bang, his fist landed squarely in the middle of You Ji''s shield. He then shot out his right fist, which was followed by an equally deafening bang as it hit You Ju''s shield directly at its center.


    The You Brothers felt half of their bodies go numb as Qiao Feng''s overwhelming power shook them to their very core. Stars appeared in their eyes as they, losing all their strength in their arms, dropped their shields and weapons onto the floor. The place where the base of their thumb and index finger came together bursted and split open, covering their hands in blood.


    "Great, thanks for lending me 2 weapons!" Qiao Feng chuckled. He bent down, picked up the shields, and gave each a twirl. The shields were truly amazing devices that could be used to attack or defend. Several dying screams went up as 5 people fell by the shields. The You Brothers'' faces looked shamed and defeated.


    "Brother, remember what master said? ''Shield lives, we live. Shield dies, we die!''" You Ji shouted.


    "After such humiliation, how could us brothers have any face left to live on this world?" You Ju replied.


    With a slight nod toward each other, both of them picked up their weapons and stabbed them into their hearts, dying instantly.


    "No!" Everyone shouted in dismay. But with Qiao Feng waving his shields around as he was, who had enough courage to venture to within 10 meters of him to drag the bodies out. Who could have ventured within 10 meters him?


    The screams of a young man could be heard above the chaos: "Daddy! Daddy!" It was that of You Ju''s son, You DanZhi.


    Qiao Feng paused in shock, never expecting that the You Brothers, the Masters of JuXian Mansion would commit suicide. His back felt cold as he suddenly sobered up a great deal.


    "Why did you do that, Brothers You? Here, let me return these shields back to you." Qiao Feng said with regret as he bent down and laid the shields at the You Brother''s side.


    He hadn''t quite straightened himself back up yet when a girl suddenly shouted: "Watch out!"


    Qiao Feng immediately side-stepped to the left letting a green flash shoot by as a sword barely missed him. Had it not been for Ah-Zhu''s timely warning, even though he probably would not have been hit, he would have been at a very disadvantageous position. The perpetrator of the sneak attack was Grandpa Tan, who, as soon as he missed, dashed away to safety.


    As everyone was concentrated on fighting Qiao Feng, Ah-Zhu curled up in a corner as she became weaker and weaker. Seeing everyone ganging up on Qiao Feng, remembering that it was because he was trying to save her that he put himself into such great danger, she could not but be greatly moved and worried. Noticing Grandpa Tan sneaking up from behind Qiao Feng as he laid down the shields, she had to call out and warn him.


    "Oh is that it you little devil you!" Grandma Tan was furious. "We don''t bother you so you go and help him?" With a flash, her palm came crashing down at the top of Ah-Zhu''s head.


    Just as her palm was about to hit Ah-Zhu, Qiao Feng arrived. Grabbing Grandma Tan by her collar from behind, he forcefully pulled Grandma Tan to a stop and tossed her aside, sending her crashing onto a priceless carved pear wood chair. Even though she was not hit, Ah-Zhu was severely frightened and her body just gave out.


    "The life force in her body is about to be completely drained." Qiao Feng thought to himself. "But at this moment, how could I help her?"


    "Her life force is about to run out, are you going to prolong her life with your own inner force?" Divine Doctor Xue coldly spoke out. "If she stops breathing, then even real divine goddesses couldn''t bring her back to life."


    Qiao Feng was in a bind, he knew that what Divine Doctor Xue said was the truth, but if he help Ah-Zhu, the people around him would immediately bear down upon him. Some of the people lost sons, others lost friends, so none of them would be the least bit hesitant at finishing him off. But was he supposed to just watch her die and do nothing?


    He had taken such a risk to get her here to Gathering Virtue Mansion and it would a shame if it was all for naught if she died because she ran out of life force before Divine Doctor Xue could treat her. However, if he was going to keep her alive by transferring his inner force into her, it would be the equivalent of exchanging his own life for hers. For all she was, Ah-Zhu was still just merely a maid that he met in his travels. He had no real feelings toward her, just that helping people out and saving people were something that he''d normally do. But to exchange his life for hers was too much to ask.


    "She''s not a relative of mine, and I am not beholden to her at all. I had tried my best to get to here and done all that I could. I got to get out of here as soon as possible. Whether or not Divine Doctor Xue could save her would be just depend on fate and her luck." Qiao Feng thought.


    So he picked the 2 shields up from the floor and continuously performed "Roc Spreading Wings" several times, creating 2 rings of white light around him that rolled towards the exit as he charged.


    Despite the numerical advantage, Qiao Feng''s moves were too vicious and those 2 shields too great of weapons. So nobody was able to get within several meters of Qiao Feng''s body to stop him.


    Having made it to the exit in several steps, Qiao Feng had just stepped over the threshold with his left foot, he suddenly heard a raspy old man shout defiantly: "Kill the girl first, then let''s worry about getting him for revenge!"


    It was Iron Faced Judge Chan Zheng that said that. His eldest son Chan BoShan immediately responded with a "yes" and lifted up his sabre in preparation to bring it down upon Ah-Zhu''s head. In the heat of the moment, Qiao Feng didn''t have to think and just threw the shield in his left hand out. It whirled violently as it exploded through the air.


    "Watch out!" Seven or eight different people shouted at the same time. Chan BoShan immediately brought his sabre around in an attempt to parry. Qiao Feng''s toss was too forceful and the edge of the shield too sharp.


    "Crash!" Chan BoShan''s body and sabre were cut in half. Still going strong, the shield kept on flying. "Zeng!" It cut through one of the huge columns that supported the hall, sending dust and roof tiles into the air and onto the ground.


    {Chan Zheng had 5 sons, they were introduced earlier in the book.}


    Chan Zheng and the 3 of his sons who were still alive screamed in sadness and fury. But with Qiao Feng standing there in all his menace and glory, they did not dare to go up to him. Instead, they, along with 6 or 7 others, charged toward Ah-Zhu.


    "Have you know shame!" Qiao Feng cursed at them and let loose 4 straight palm strikes, which shook those people enough to stop them.


    Quickly flying to her side, Qiao Feng picked Ah-Zhu up with his left arm and shielded from the others her with the shield he had left.


    "Master Qiao, I''m not going to make it." Ah-Zhu pleaded. "Don''t worry about me, just... leave!"


    Seeing so many "heroes" stooping so low as to pick on Ah-Zhu, a defenseless and dying girl, aroused Qiao Feng''s indomitable sense of pride.


    "Now that it has come to this, they would never let you live. Let''s die together!" He replied in a booming voice.


    Reaching out with his right hand, he snatched a sword from someone and began slicing and dicing his way towards the door. Carrying Ah-Zhu, his movements were slowed on top of the fact that he had now one less hand to fight with, putting him in a very disadvantageous position. But he had long put his life on the backburner as he made the sword dance around him. He had only taken 2 steps before a pain shot up from his back, someone had slashed his back with a sabre.


    {Ok, even more evidence that fighting with one arm stinks, JY explicitly stated so here. Qiao Feng was not even touched, now he got hurt after only 2 steps.}


    He lifted his leg and kicked back, sending that man flying for almost 100 meters before crashing into another person, killing both of them instantly. At that moment, a spear stabbed Qiao Feng on his right shoulder, which was soon followed by a sword thrusting into his right chest.


    Qiao Feng let out a thunderous howl and screamed: "Qiao Feng would rather kill himself than to die in the hands of you low lives!"


    But the other fighters were, by now, so completely absorbed in the fight that there was no way that they were going to allow him the luxury of ending his own life. A dozen or so people charged up together. Gathering his strength and spirit, Qiao Feng suddenly reached out with his right hand, grabbed XuanJu by the "Mid-Chest Pressure Point", and lifted his body up in the air. Everyone involuntarily gasped in shock and instinctively took a couple of steps back.


    His pressure point being hit, XuanJu was completely paralyzed and could not move despite his incredible kungfu skills. Looking down, he saw that his neck was only centimeters away from the edge of the the shield, Qiao Feng only needs to lift his left arm a little or give his right arm a push and his head would have been chopped off. Resigning himself to his fate, XuanJu sighed and closed his eyes, awaiting death.


    The incredible pain on his back, his chest, and his right shoulder felt like someone had poured acid on the wounds. Qiao Feng gritted his teeth and said: "All the martial arts in my body had originally come from ShaoLin. How can I kill a high monk of ShaoLin? Qiao Feng is doomed to die today anyway, what''s the good in killing one more?"


    Gently, he put XuanJu down onto the ground and let go. "Well? Come on! Finish this!" He said at the top of his lungs.


    The fighters looked at each other, all moved by his courage and spirit. Nobody could bring himself to take his life. Still some more thought: "He wouldn''t even harm XuanJu, how could he possibly take the life of his master Father XuanKu?"


    However, Iron Faced Judge Chan Zheng, heartbroken and furious over the death of 2 of his sons, did not hesitate. With a loud yell, he charged up and thrust his sabre directly at Qiao Feng''s heart.


    Qiao Feng knew that with his severe wounds, he could not possibly fight his way out anymore, so he just stood there motionlessly. In that instant, an infinite amount of thoughts flashed through his mind: "Am I really Han or am I Khitan? Who killed my parents and master? I have always lived honorably and tried to the do the right thing in my life, why did I kill all these heroes and good men today for no good reason? I wanted to save Ah-Zhu, but ended up giving my own life away, would all the heroes in the world laugh at me for such stupid actions?"


    Seeing Chan Zheng''s dark and contorted face, eyes bugging out and charging at him with a sabre aimed at his heart, Qiao Feng''s heart was suddenly overwhelmed by sadness and anger. Not able to hold it back anymore, he suddenly snapped out and howled up into the heavens like a proud and dying beast.

 Chapter - 20 Standing In Sadness At Yanmen, No Word Was Left On the Cliff.

    Hearing this deafening bellow by Qiao Feng, Shan Zheng suddenly felt dizzy, stumbled and was unable to stand firmly on his feet. The extraordinary people could not help but take several steps backward either. Shan Xiaoshan rushed up from one side and thrust straight forward with his saber.


    The tip of the saber was less than 1 chi (33.33 cm) away from Qiao Feng''s chest but he had no intention of resisting. Seeing that, and not having the heart to look on, the people from the Beggar Society such as Elder Wu and Bai Shijing all closed their eyes.


    All of a sudden, there was a ''hu'' sound in mid air, a person leaped down in an exceptionally rapid fashion and bumped themselves on Shan Xiaoshan''s steel saber just in time. Shan Xiaoshan was unable to withstand this great force therefore his arm dropped. Amidst the simultaneous shocked exclamations by the extraordinary people, another person jumped down in an equally rapid manner but their head went ahead of their feet. This person bumped into the head of Shan Xiaoshan just in time. With a ''peng'' sound the tops of 2 skulls hit against each other and the heads of both people were burst open at the same time.


    Only now did everyone see clearly that the 2 people who had just successively leaped down were the people who had been guarding on the roof to prevent Qiao Feng from escaping. But they had been captured and thrown down like missiles by someone. The hall was immediately plunged into chaos with everyone exclaiming and shouting. Suddenly a long rope was flung down from a corner of the roof with fierce force and swept horizontally towards the head of everyone. When the extraordinary people raised their weapons to block the long rope, the tip of it suddenly turned back. It then wound around Qiao Feng''s waist and immediately lifted him up.


    At this moment, the 3 wounds on Qiao Feng''s body were bleeding profusely and his left hand which was carrying A''Zhu no longer had the slightest strength, hence when he was wound around by the long rope, A''Zhu immediately rolled down on the ground. Everyone saw that at the other end of the long rope was a man in black who was standing on the roof and had an imposing stature. His face was being covered with black cloth with only his eyes shown.


    That man clasped Qiao Feng to his side using his left arm, flung the long rope and made it wind around a very high flagpole outside the entrance of Juxian Manor. The extraordinary people shouted loudly. In a very short time, a great variety of missiles such as steel darts, sleeve-hidden arrows, flying knives, iron awls, flying-locust stones, and hand-swung arrows were thrown at Qiao Feng and that man. That gritty man in black pulled the long rope, leisurely got off the ground and landed on the top of the flagpole. Teng-teng, pai-pai, ca-ca sounds were heard continuously, dozens of missiles had hit the top of the flagpole. Everyone only saw that the long rope was flung from the top of flagpole and wound around a big tree which was 8 or 9 zhang (3.333 m) away. Clasping Qiao Feng, that man swung off the top of the flagpole. In an instant he already passed that big tree and landed on a place which was 10 zhang away from the flagpole on the ground. He then flung the long rope again, winding it around another distant big tree. After hoisting and landing in this way several times, he already disappeared into thin air.


    The extraordinary people gasped with astonishment and looked at each other. They only heard horse hoofbeats galloping farther and farther, it was already too late to chase after him.


    Qiao Feng had suffered serious injuries but he was still in full command of his senses. He had seen clearly every act and every move how this man had used the long rope to save himself from danger, hence he felt deeply grateful to him for saving his life and thought: ''Flinging the rope accurately and powerfully like this, I can do as well. But using the long rope as a weapon and swinging it to attack dozens of people at the same time, I can''t use this ''Celestial Maiden Scatters Flowers'' stance in flexible whip techniques as perfectly as he did.''


    The man in black put him on horseback. Both of them rode the same horse and went northward. That man took out jinchuang medicine (medicine for treating wounds caused by metal objects) and applied it onto Qiao Feng''s 3 wounds. Having shed too much blood Qiao Feng was very weak, hence he almost passed out several times, but every such time he took a breath and circulated his internal energy, his spirit then rose back. That man urged the horse straight northwest. After going for a while, the path became more and more rugged, afterward, there was no longer any path and the horse merely went by stumbling over disorderly piles of rocks.


    After going for more than 1 hour further, the horse could no longer walk, that man then carried Qiao Feng horizontally in his hands, got off the horse and climbed up a mountain peak. Qiao Feng''s body was very heavy but that man carried him effortlessly. Even though they were in a very precipitous place, he easily used the long rope to wind around branches to jump over ravines. After that man had passed 8 dangerous ravines in a row, he went down all the way, going deep into an abyss from which the sky could not be seen. Finally, he stopped and put Qiao Feng down.


    Qiao Feng strained to stand firmly and said: ''This great debt of gratitude can''t be paid using words. Kind brother, could you please let Qiao Feng see your true face?''


    That man''s pair of glaring eyes roved over his face. After a long time, he said: ''In the cave, there''re enough dry provisions to use in half a month. You stay here to care for your injuries. The enemies won''t be able to come here.''


    Qiao Feng replied: ''Yes!'' and thought: ''Hearing the voice of this man, it seems he''s not young anymore.''


    That man sized Qiao Feng up for a while then suddenly waved his right hand, with a ''pai'' sound, he gave Qiao Feng a slap in the face. His action was very fast, and firstly, Qiao Feng had not expected that the man would hit him, and secondly, this palm attack was executed extremely brilliantly, therefore he was unable to dodge it.


    That man followed it up with the 2nd palm attack. The 2 palms attacks were only a flash apart, however once Qiao Feng had this marginal amount of time, how could he let the man hit him again? But because the man had saved his life, Qiao Feng did not want to fight him; moreover he had no strength to dodge, hence he extended his left forefinger and put it next to his own cheek, pointing at the center of the palm of that man.


    This forefinger pointed at the ''Laogong acupuncture point'' in the center of that man''s palm; if this palm attack by him kept coming, then when the palm had not yet reached Qiao Feng''s cheek, it would have already bumped into the forefinger first. When the palm of that man''s was less than 1 chi away from Qiao Feng''s cheek, he immediately turned it over and used the back of the hand to attack. This change of stances was done exceptionally fast. Qiao Feng also very quickly moved the forefinger and pointed at the ''Erjian acupuncture point'' on the back of the man''s hand.


    That man let out a stream of laughs, forcefully withdrew his right hand then chopped horizontally with his left hand. Qiao Feng extended his left forefinger and pointed at the ''Houhuo acupuncture point'' on the edge of his palm. The arm of that man was suddenly lifted a little bit but kept coming with no decrease in momentum. Without delay, Qiao Feng moved his finger and pointed at the ''Qiangu acupuncture point'' on the edge of that man''s palm. In an instant, the 2 palms of that man danced in the air, changing stances more than 10 times in a row. Qiao Feng only defended and did not attack; his fingers were always pointed so that if the man hit him, the acupuncture points on his palms would bump into the fingers first. That man had taken Qiao Feng by surprise with the 1st palm attack and hit him, but after that he was unable to hit Qiao Feng again. The 2 of them attacked and defended without touching each other but every stance was a top-class martial arts skill that was rarely seen at the present time.


    After that man used the 20th stance, seeing that Qiao Feng was still able to change stances very fast and locate the acupuncture points very accurately despite having suffered serious injuries, he suddenly withdrew his palms, jumped backward and said: ''No one is more stupid than you are. I shouldn''t have saved you.'' Qiao Feng said: ''I''m sincerely waiting for your instructions.''


    That man scolded: ''You stinking dumbass. Having practiced and become unequaled in martial arts under heaven, why did you wanna waste your life for a skeletal chick? She isn''t your relative or friend, didn''t do you any favor or have any relationship with you, and isn''t a gorgeous woman either; she''s just a lowly slave girl, nothing more. Why on Earth there''s such an idiot like you?''


    Qiao Feng let out a sigh and said: ''Savior, your criticisms are true. It was really senseless of Qiao Feng to do this useless thing with my useful body. But at that moment I couldn''t hold back my fury, my barbaric nature broke out so I wasn''t thinking of the consequences.''


    That man said: ''Ha-ha, so it was because of the barbaric nature breaking out.'' He turned his head toward the sky and let out a long stream of laughs.


    Qiao Feng felt that there were a lot of desolation and indignation in his long stream of laughs. Suddenly that man jumped to his feet and leaped out for more than 1 zhang. With just a slight shake of his body, he disappeared behind a big rock. Qiao Feng called out: ''Savior, savior!'' But he only saw that the man continuously leaped then went around past a ravine, he was already very far. As soon as Qiao Feng took a stride, he tottered. He hastily stretched out his hands and put them against the cliff to support his body.


    After composing himself, he turned around and really saw a cave behind the stone wall. Supporting himself on the cliff, he slowly walked into the cave. He only saw a lot of dry provisions such as cooked meat, roast rice, jujubes, peanuts, and dried fish put on the ground; what even better was that there was a big jar of wine. When he opened the jar, the bouquet rushed into his nose. He reached into the jar and took out a scoop of wine to drink. The wine had a sweet taste; it was a first-class wine. Qiao Feng felt grateful: ''It''s rare to see someone as thoughtful as this savior is. He knows that I like drinking and even has wine for me in here. It''s hard to go on the mountain paths yet he carried this big jar of wine to here. Didn''t this take too much trouble?''


    The jinchuang medicine that man had applied onto him was very effective. At this moment the wounds had already stopped bleeding. Several shichen (1 shichen = 2 hours) later, the pain was gradually relieved. He was a robust man with a profound internal energy and the wounds he had suffered were merely external, therefore even though they were not minor injuries, after 7 or 8 days they were already almost half healed.


    During these 7 or 8 days, he only thought about 2 matters: ''Who''s the enemy that harmed me? Who''s that savior?'' Both of these people had very outstanding martial arts, perhaps not below those of his own at all. In wulin, the people who possessed these skills were very rare and could be counted on the fingers of 1 hand. He bent his fingers and could count every one of them out, but after thinking carefully he found that none of them was similar to these 2 people. It was understandable that he could not guess who the enemy was, but because he had exchanged 20 stances with the savior, he should be able to guess what school his martial arts belonged to. However, all the stances used by that man had been completely normal yet at the same time had shown enormous skills in their simplicity, just like the ''Founder''s Long Fist'' Qiao Feng himself had used at Juxian Manor, hence the stances did not give away anything about his identity.


    In 2 days, he already drank up that jar of wine. Enduring until the 20th day, he felt that the wounds had 70% or 80% healed up. By now, his addiction of wine had become so strong that he could no longer keep enduring. Thinking that he could already jump over the ravines without any difficulty, he went out of the cave and tramped over hills and dales to return to jianghu.


    He thought: ''A''Zhu has fallen into the hands of them. If she''s dead, then she''s already dead. If she''s still alive, there''s also no need for me to take care of her again. The most important and urgent thing at the moment is finding out what kind of man I am. Dad, mom and master passed away in 1 day so the mystery of my origin has become harder to clear up. I must go to the outside of Yanmen Pass to see the writing left behind on that stone wall.''


    After calculating, he went northwest. When arriving in a town, the 1st thing he did was drinking 20 bowls of wine. In only 3 days, the remaining several taels of silver fragments were all changed into good wine, which he drank until nothing left.


    At that time, Great Song was ruling the Central Plains. It divided the country into 15 regions. The main capital was Daliang; Dongjing (the eastern capital) was Kaifeng prefecture; Xijing (the western capital) was Luoyang in Henan prefecture; Nanjing (the southern capital) was Songzhou; Daming was Beijing (the northern capital, and NOT today''s Beijing); in total, there were 4 regional capitals. For the moment, Qiao Feng was in Ruzhou in the Xijing region. That day, when he got to Liang County, his silver had been used up; hence he snuck in the county''s office and stole several hundred taels of silver from the public treasury during the night. On the way he ate and drank a lot; chickens, ducks, fish, sorghum, and good wine all were paid by government officials of Great Song. One day, he arrived in Daizhou in the Hedong region.


    Yanmen Pass was located 30 li (0.5 km) to the north of Daizhou on the rugged Yanmen path. Previously, when carrying out heroic deeds in jianghu, Qiao Feng had also been to here. But at that time, due to having important matters, he had gone past it without paying attention. When he arrived in Daizhou, it was already early 11 a.m. He had a quick meal and drank around 10 bowls of wine in the city then went out of it and headed north.


    His steps were fast therefore he traveled these 30 li in less than 1 hour. When he had climbed up the mountain, he saw that both the eastern cliff and the western cliff were high and steep; the path between them was winding and rugged. This was really a very dangerous place. He thought: ''Wild geese travel south and return north can''t fly over the high mountains, all of them gotta go between the 2 peaks, so this place is called Yanmen (Wild Geese''s Gate). Today I came here from the south, if the writing on the stone wall states clearly that I''m really a Khitan then after I go out of Yanmen Pass this time, I''ll forever become a man in the North of the pass and no longer enter the pass again. I''ll be inferior to the wild geese that, once every year, go to the south from the north and return.'' Thinking to here, he could not help but feel grieved.


    Yanmen Pass was an important military post of Great Song''s in the north. There were more than 40 passes in Shanxi, and Yanmen was the most imposing and secure one. Beyond several tens of li (0.5 km) outside the pass was the Liao Empire. Because there was always a large number of soldiers defending below the pass, Qiao Feng thought if he went out through it, he would unavoidably be interrogated and examined by the guarding officers and soldiers. Therefore he made a detour via the high ridge in the west of the pass.


    After reaching the highest peak, he scanned widely around but saw nothing other than mountains and mountains, the towering Mt Wutai in the east, the Ningwu Mountain range in the west, Mt Zhengyang and Mt Shigu standing upright in the south, and in the north being Mt Shuozhou and Mt Mayi. With seemingly boundless long slopes and steep mountain sides combined with vast lonely cold forests, the scene was very gloomy. Qiao Feng remembered that while going past Yanmen Pass that year he had heard his comrades say that General Li Mu of the State of Zhao during the Warring States Period and General Zhi Du of the Han Dynasty both had garrisoned Yanmen to defend against Xiongnu invasions. If he himself was really Xiongnu and a Khitan descendant, then for the last thousands of years, the people who had been invading China all were his ancestors.


    He looked at the terrain in the north and thought: ''That day when people such as Chief Wang and Zhao Qiansun ambushed the Khitan warriors outside Yanmen Pass, they must have chosen the most advantageous mountain slope within more than 10 li of here. No place has better terrain than the mountain slope in the corner to the northwest of here does. Ten to one they set up the ambush there.''


    He quickly ran down the mountain and went to that mountain slope. Suddenly he felt a burst of causeless sorrow. He only saw that there was a large piece of rock on that mountain slope. Zhiguang dashi had said the extraordinary people of the Central Plains had hid behind a large rock and shot poisonous missiles out. It seemed it was this large piece of rock.


    There was a deep ravine several steps outside the mountain path. Clouds and mists enveloped the ravine, making it impossible for anyone to see the bottom. Qiao Feng thought: ''If Zhiguang dashi''s words are true, then after my mother was killed by them, my father jumped into the ravine to commit suicide from here. After jumping into the mouth of the ravine, he couldn''t bear to make me die with him so he tossed me up onto the body of Chief Wang''s. He¡­ what did he write on the stone wall?''


    Qiao Feng turned around and looked at the cliff on the right-hand side, only seeing that it was naturally flat and glossy, but right in the middle of the big stone wall, there were full of cuts caused by axes and chisels. Obviously, someone had deliberately scraped away the writing that had been left behind.


    Qiao Feng stood in a trance in front of the stone wall then suddenly he could not refrain from getting furious. He only wanted to brandish a saber and raise his palms to massacre, but he suddenly remembered 1 matter: ''When I left the Beggar Society, I broke Shan Zheng''s steel saber and vowed that it didn''t matter if I was a Han or a Khitan, I definitely wouldn''t kill any Han person. But at Juxian Manor, how many people did I kill in one go? Yet in this moment I wanted to kill again, wouldn''t this seriously violate the vow? Alas, when things already became like that, if I hadn''t offended other people, they would offend me. If I had passively waited for death and let other people cut and kill me, how could it be the action of a true man?''


    He had run thousands of li to here because he wanted to find out about his own origin but from beginning to end he had not achieved the slightest result. Getting more and more irascible, he shouted loudly: ''I''m not a Han, I''m not a Han! I''m a Khitan barbarian, I''m a Khitan barbarian!'' He then raised his palms and repeatedly hit the stone wall. He only heard the valley resounding with his shouts, each of which echoed back: ''¡­not a Han, not a Han! ...Khitan barbarian, Khitan barbarian!''


    Stone bits from the stone wall scattered all around. The grief and fury in Qiao Feng''s heart could not be expressed, he kept striking out with one palm attack after another, it seemed he wanted to vent all kinds of grievances he had suffered for the past more than 1 month on the stone wall. Afterward, his palms bled, the marks of his gory fingers were printed on the stone wall one by one, but he kept on hitting.


    While he was hitting, suddenly he heard the pleasing clear voice of a girl from behind: ''Great master Qiao, if you kept hitting, this mountain peak would be knocked down by you.''


    Startled, Qiao Feng turned his head around and saw a young girl standing under a flower tree beside the mountain slope, leaning against it. The girl was wearing a reddish gown and was smiling. She was no one other than A''Zhu.


    That day he had saved her merely because he had been stimulated by the indignation of that moment but in fact he had not cared about this little maid. Afterward, busy enough with his own affairs, he had ignored and forgotten the matter concerning her life and death. Unexpectedly, she suddely appeared here, hence Qiao Feng was astonished, but after that he also felt happy. He went upwards to greet her, laughed and said: ''A''Zhu, have you gotten well?'' However, because his mood suddenly changed from being furious to being happy, his smiling expression was rather forced.


    A''Zhu said: ''Great master Qiao, how are you?'' She gazed at Qiao Feng for a short while then suddenly threw herself into his bosom and sobbed: ''Great master Qiao, I¡­ I''ve been waiting for you here for 5 days and 5 nights. I only feared that you wouldn''t come. You¡­ You''ve really come. Thank Heavens, in the end you''re safe and sound.''


    She said these few sentences in an intermittent manner, but her words were filled with gladness and solace. As soon as Qiao Feng heard them, he knew that she cared about himself very much. He felt moved and asked: ''Why have you been waiting for me here for 5 days and 5 nights? I¡­ How did you know that I''d come here?''


    A''Zhu slowly raised her head. Suddenly remembering that she was leaning against the bosom of a man, she blushed and took 2 steps backward. When she recalled that just a moment ago she had been unable to control her feelings, her face reddened even more. She suddenly turned around and went quickly to the back of the tree.


    Qiao Feng called out: ''Hey, A''Zhu, A''Zhu, what are you doing?'' A''Zhu did not reply. She only felt that her heart was beating chaotically. After a good while, she walked out from behind the tree, her face still looked rather embarrassed. For the moment, she stammered and was unable to say clearly. Finding her expression strange, Qiao Feng said: ''A''Zhu, if you have something that is hard to say, feel free to tell me. The 2 of us are friends in adversity who went through life-and-death situations together, what do you still worry about?'' A''Zhu''s face reddened again. She said: ''Nothing.''


    Qiao Feng gently pulled her shoulder and turned her face towards the sunlight. He saw that even though her countenance was still very haggard, a reddish color could vaguely be seen under her pale cheeks; they no longer had the gray color of when she had been seriously injured that day. Qiao Feng then put out his finger to feel her pulse. A''Zhu''s whole body shook when her wrist touched his finger. Qiao Feng asked: ''What''s wrong? You''re still unwell?'' A''Zhu blushed again and hurriedly said: ''No, no¡­ nothing.'' Qiao Feng checked her pulse but found that it was beating steadily and comfortably. He praised: ''Divine doctor Xue could bring the dying back to life. He really lives up to his reputation.''


    A''Zhu said: ''Luckily, only because your good friend Elder Bai Shijing promised to teach Divine doctor Xue 7 stances of the ''Silk Thread Winding Grasping Hand Technique'' did he treat my injury. More importantly, they wanted to interrogate me about the whereabouts of that master in black. If I had died at that moment, they wouldn''t have been able to ask anything. When the condition of my injury got better a bit, every day 7 or 8 people came and asked me: ''What''s the relationship between the evil traitor Qiao Feng and you?'' ''Where has he escaped to?'' ''Who''s the man in black that saved him?'' At first I didn''t know anything about these matters, but when I honestly said that I didn''t know, they insisted that I was lying. They also threatened me a lot, saying they''d starve and torture me. So, I secretly made up some stories and told them. The story about the master in black was the most absurd. One day I said he was from Mt Kunlun, the next day I again said he had once learned martial arts in the East Sea. It was very interesting talking nonsense to them.'' Saying to here, recalling that during those days she had talked nonsense to and made a fool of many current well-known heroes and extraordinary people, she still had some lingering enjoyment, and a smiling expression appeared on her face, making it look like a spring flower which had just opened.


    Qiao Feng smiled and said: ''Did they believe you?'' A''Zhu said: ''Some did and some didn''t. The majority of them half believed half doubted. I guessed they didn''t know the identity of the master in black either and no one would be able to argue that my words were incorrect, so my stories became more and more curious, making them very suspicious and filled with anxiety.'' Qiao Feng sighed and said: ''In the end, what''s the identity of this master in black? I don''t know it either. Perhaps if I heard you talking through your hat, I''d also half believe half doubt.''


    Surprised, A''Zhu said: ''You don''t know him either? Then why was he willing to risk saving you from an extremely dangerous place? Ah, of course, every great hero who saves people in danger is just like that.''


    Qiao Feng sighed and said: ''I don''t know who I should take revenge on, and don''t know who I should pay my debt of gratitude either. I don''t know if I''m Han or Hu and don''t know if in the end my conduct and deeds are right or wrong. Qiao Feng ah Qiao Feng, you''re really a man for nothing.''


    Seeing his miserable expression, A''Zhu could not help putting out her hands and holding his hands. She soothed him: ''Great master Qiao, why do you have to make yourself suffer? There''ll be one day when everything will come to light. As long as you have a clear conscience, and act and behave according to the law of Heaven and Earth, that''s good enough.''


    Qiao Feng said: ''But I myself have a guilty conscience. Because of it I feel very sorry. That day in the apricot forest I flicked the saber and took a vow that I''d never kill a Han, but¡­ but¡­''


    A''Zhu said: ''At Juxian Manor, those people disregarded rights and wrongs to jointly attack you, if you hadn''t struck back, could it be that you''d have confusedly let them cut you into 17 or 28 pieces? There''s no such thing under heaven!''


    Qiao Feng said: ''You''re right.'' He was a broad-minded brave man therefore he only felt grieved and lonely for a limited time; after a while, he cast these feelings aside and said: ''Zhiguang dashi and Zhao Qiansun both said there were words written on this stone wall, but someone has scraped them off.''


    A''Zhu said: ''Yes, I guessed you''d definitely go out of Yanmen Pass to see the words left behind on this stone wall, that''s why after I escaped from danger I went to here immediately to wait for you.''


    Qiao Feng asked: ''How could you escape? It''s also Elder Bai who saved you?'' A''Zhu smiled: ''No, it isn''t. You remember that I once disguised as a Shaolin monk, right? Even his shixiongdi (apprentice younger and older bros) couldn''t discover it.'' Qiao Feng said: ''Yes, this mischievous skill of yours is really good.'' A''Zhu said: ''That day, when the condition of my injury was already very good, Divine doctor Xue said there was no need to treat the injury anymore and after resting for 7 or 8 days I''d fully recover. The stories I made up gradually had more and more flaws. Also, I already got somewhat bored with making them up and was worried about you, so in the evening of that day, I disguised as a person.'' Qiao Feng asked: ''Disguised again? Who did you disguise as?''


    A''Zhu said: ''I disguised as Divine doctor Xue.''


    Slightly startled, Qiao Feng said: ''How could you disguise as Divine doctor Xue?'' A''Zhu said: ''He met me every day and talked to me the most so I was familiar with his appearance and manner the most. Besides, he often stayed with me alone. In the evening of that day, I pretended to fall in a faint. He came to feel my pulse. I then turned my hand over and grabbed the inner surface of his wrist. He could no longer move, and had no choice but to let me arrange.''


    Qiao Feng could not help but burst out laughing and thought: ''This Divine doctor Xue only focused on treating illness. He didn''t expect to be fooled by this imp at all.''


    A''Zhu said: ''I blocked his acupuncture points, removed his clothes and footwear. As my acupuncture point blocking skill isn''t first-class, I feared he would unblock the acupuncture points, so I torn the bed sheet, tied up his limbs then put him on the bed and used the quilt to cover him. If someone looked in from outside the window, they''d only think that I was sleeping deeply with my head covered by the quilt. No one would suspect. After I put on his clothes, shoes and hat and piled wrinkles onto my face, I already looked 70% similar to him, but I lacked a beard.''


    Qiao Feng said: ''Oh, Divine doctor Xue''s beard is half black half white, it''s not easy to fake it.'' A''Zhu said: ''It was impossible to make a copy, so in the end I used the real one.'' Qiao Feng asked in surprise: ''The real one?'' A''Zhu said: ''Yes, the real one. I took out a small knife from his medicine chest and shaved off his beard, then stuck every single thread on my face. There wasn''t the slightest difference in color and appearance. Divine doctor Xue must''ve been extremely angry, but what could he do? Treating my injury wasn''t his true goal so me shaving off his beard doesn''t count as requiting kindness with enmity, let alone the fact that after having his beard shaved off, it seemed he became younger by more than 10 years, looking very handsome.''


    As she spoke to here, the 2 of them looked at each other and burst out laughing.


    A''Zhu continued after she finished laughing: ''After disguising as Divine doctor Xue, I swaggered out of Juxian Manor. Of course no one dared to ask me anything. I asked people to prepare horse and take silver for me then went off. When I was 30 li (0.5 km) away from the manor, I pulled off the beard and changed into a young guy. Those people must have discovered it no sooner than the early morning of the next day. But on the way I already changed my appearance, they certainly wouldn''t be able to find me.''


    Qiao Feng applauded and said: ''Brilliant! Brilliant!'' Suddenly he recalled that at Shaolin Monastery when seeing his own back in the copper mirror in the Bodhi Institute he had been dumbfounded and vaguely felt uneasy about something. At this moment, when he heard her talking about how she had disguised and escaped from danger, not only did this uneasy feeling suddenly emerge again, but it was also more intense than it had been that day at Shaolin Monastery. He considered and said: ''You turn around for me.'' A''Zhu did not understand what his intention was but she still turned around.


    Qiao Feng considered for a long while then took off his coat and wrapped it around her body.


    Blushed, A''Zhu turned her head around, looked at him affectionately and said: ''I''m not cold.''


    When Qiao Feng saw her being wrapped in his coat, his mind suddenly became clear. He turned his hand over, grabbed her wrist and said sternly: ''It turns out to be you! Who incited you? Quickly tell me.'' A''Zhu was frightened and said in a trembling voice: ''Great master Qiao, what''s the matter?'' Qiao Feng said: ''You once disguised as me and pretended to be me, right?''


    It turned out in this moment he suddenly recalled that day in Wuxi when he had been rushing to rescue his Beggar Society brothers, he had seen the back of a person on the road. At that moment, he had not taken notice of it, but when seeing his own back in the copper mirror in the Bodhi Institute, he had started to vaguely remember that the back of that man and his own back had looked exactly alike. As a result, that uneasy feeling had emerged. But he had been confused and totally had not known the cause of it.


    That day when he had rushed to rescue the Beggar Society''s extraordinary people, by the time of his arrival, everyone had already escaped from danger and all of them had said they had met him not long ago. Even though he had denied that, no one had believed him. At that time, he had been baffled and thought there had been no reason for it other than someone imitating him; but if someone had wanted to imitate him to the extent that the people who had met him on a day-to-day basis such as Bai Shijing and Elder Wu had not been able to discover it, would it not be easier said than done? This moment, as soon as he saw the back of A''Zhu who was being wrapped in his coat, everything from beginning to end was confirmed further and he immediately understood. Even though A''Zhu was not having cotton padding on her body, and her small delicate back was very different than his majestic appearance, but if there were to be someone to imitate him and fool the Beggar Society people, aside from her, who else under heaven could?


    A''Zhu did not panic at all. She giggled and said: ''Okay, I have no choice but to confess.'' Then she told him how she disguised as him and saved the Beggar Society people using the antidote.


    Qiao Feng let go of her wrist and said sternly: ''You disguised as me and saved people, what was your intention?''


    A''Zhu was very surprised and said: ''I just wanted to play a joke. You saved me and A''Bi from the hands of the Western Xia people so both of us are very grateful to you. Seeing those beggars treat you badly like that, I thought if I disguised as you and cured them of the poison, making them feel ashamed, it would be a good thing.'' She let out a sigh and continued: ''But who could have known at Juxian Manor they were still so cruel to you and didn''t remember anything about the kindness and friendship of the past?''


    Qiao Feng''s expression became grimmer and grimmer. He gnashed his teeth and asked: ''Then why did you disguise as me and kill my parents? Why did you sneak in Shaolin Monastery and kill my master?''


    A''Zhu jumped out of her skin and called out: ''There''s no such thing. Who said I killed your parents, and killed your master?''


    Qiao Feng said: ''My master was injured by someone. As he saw me, he immediately said that it was me who had harmed him. Don''t tell me that it still wasn''t you?'' As he said to here, he slightly raised his right palm and his face was covered with a murderous look. If her answer was just a little bit clumsy, this palm would strike down, and then, even 10 A''Zhu''s would die violently in an instant.


    Seeing that his face was covered with a murderous look and his eyes were filled with rage, A''Zhu was extremely scared and could not help taking 2 steps backward. If she took another 2 steps backward, she would fall into the bottomless abyss.


    Qiao Feng said sternly: ''Stand there, don''t move!''


    A''Zhu was so frightened that tears rolled down her cheeks drop by drop. She quavered: ''I didn''t¡­ I didn''t kill your parents, and didn''t¡­ didn''t kill your master. Your master had such great¡­ great skills, how could I kill him?''


    Her last sentence was very powerful. As soon as Qiao Feng heard it, he slightly shivered and knew that he had wrongly blamed her. He put out his left hand with lightning speed, grabbed her shoulder and pulled her close to the cliff so that she would not slip and fall into the ravine. He said: ''That''s right. My master wasn''t killed by you.'' His master Xuan Ku dashi was a brother of high-level monks such as Xuan Ci, Xuan Ji and Xuan Nan; his martial arts attainments were first-class nowadays. He passed away not because of being poisoned or being injured by weapons or missiles, but because his inner organs had been crushed by extremely fierce palm force. A''Zhu was very young, how could she have such profound internal energy? Had her internal energy been sufficient to strike dead Xuan Ku dashi, then that Great Diamond Palm attack by Xuan Ci would not have been able to strike her near dead.


    A''Zhu smiled through tears, tapped herself on the chest and said: ''You almost scared me to death. Your words were very unreasonable. If I had the ability to kill your master, then why didn''t I help you massacre those bad eggs at Juxian Manor?''


    Seeing that she was slightly angry, Qiao Feng felt regretful and said: ''Recently, I''ve been in a doubtful mood so I just talked nonsense, please don''t blame me.''


    A''Zhu smiled and said: ''Who blames you? If I blamed you then I wouldn''t talk to you.'' Then she immediately stopped smiling and said softly: ''Great master Qiao, no matter how you treat me, in this life, I''ll never be angry with you.''


    Qiao Feng shook his head and said indifferently: ''Even though I saved you, you don''t need to keep it in mind.'' He frowned, entranced, then suddenly asked: ''A''Zhu, who taught you these disguising and making-up skills? Does your master have any other disciple?'' A''Zhu shook her head and said: ''Nobody taught me. Since childhood I''ve liked to disguise as other people to play. The more I imitated, the better I could disguise. And I don''t have any master. Could it be that I must have a master in order to play a game?''


    Qiao Feng let out a sigh and said: ''Then this really strange. Who could expect that in the world there''s 1 man who looks exactly like me, to such an extent that my master mistook him for me?'' A''Zhu said: ''Because there is this clue, it''d be easy. We just need to find this man, then torture and force him to answer.'' Qiao Feng said: ''Correct. But it''s extremely difficult to find 1 man in the boundless sea of people in the world. He probably also has good disguising and making-up skills like you do.''


    He came near the cliff and gazed at the marks caused by axes and chisels on the stone wall, wanting to find out what words had been carved on it originally. But after looking at them carefully, he still could not recognize a single word. He said: ''I must find Zhiguang dashi and ask him what words were written on this stone wall. If I can''t bring this matter to light, I won''t be able to eat and sleep calmly.''


    A''Zhu said: ''I''m afraid he won''t be willing to say.'' Qiao Feng said: ''He''ll probably be unwilling to say, but I''ll force and beg him. Only after he says will I stop.'' A''Zhu muttered: ''Zhiguang dashi seems to be very resolute and unafraid of death. Perhaps forcing and begging him wouldn''t work. It''d be better¡­'' Qiao Feng nodded and said: ''Correct. It''d be better to ask Zhao Qiansun. Oh, probably this Zhao Qiansun guy would rather die than submit as well. But I already have a way to deal with him.''


    As he spoke to here, he turned toward one side, looked at the abyss and said: ''I wanna go down to have a look.'' A''Zhu jumped in fright. She looked at the mouth of that valley which was covered in clouds and mists and took several steps away from it for fear of carelessly falling down into it. She then said: ''No, no! You must not go down. What''s good to see down there?'' Qiao Feng said: ''In the end I''m Han or Hu? This matter has always been whirling around my head. I wanna go down to investigate and clear it up, and to take a look at the corpse of that Khitan man.'' A''Zhu said: ''It''s been 30 years since that man fell down. There''re only several pieces of white bones left. What else will you be able to see?'' Qiao Feng said: ''I just wanna have a look at that man''s remains. I think if he''s really my real father then I should collect his bones, bring them up and bury them properly.''


    A''Zhu screamed: ''Impossible, impossible! You''re benevolent, heroic and righteous. How can you be a descendant of the inhuman vicious Khitans?''


    Qiao Feng said: ''You wait for me here for 1 day and 1 night. If by this time tomorrow I haven''t gone up then you won''t need to wait anymore.''


    Very worried, A''Zhu burst into tears and called out: ''Great master Qiao, please don''t go down!''


    Qiao Feng''s intention was very firm. In spite of A''Zhu, he did not change his mind a little bit. He said: ''At Juxian Manor, so many heroes and brave men couldn''t kill me. Don''t tell me that this trifling valley could take my life?''


    Unable to think of any word to dissuade him, A''Zhu had no choice but to say: ''Maybe there''re very many poisonous snakes, poisonous insects or ferocious monsters down there.''


    ''Ha-ha,'' Qiao Feng laughed out loud, patted her shoulder and said: ''If there were monsters then it couldn''t be better. I''d capture them for you to play.'' He looked all around the mouth of the valley to find a cliff where he could manage to put his feet on to gradually climb down.


    At this moment, suddenly he vaguely heard the sounds of horse hooves which were galloping southward in the northeast corner. Judging by the sounds, there were more than 20 horses. Without delay, Qiao Feng quickly walked back to the mountain slope and looked in the direction of the horse hoofbeats. From a height, he saw that these more than 20 cavalrymen wearing yellow clothes and armor. All of them were Great Song''s servicemen. They were arranged in a line and coming quickly along the mountain path on the high slope below.


    After seeing clearly those people, he paid no attention to them. But the place where he and A''Zhu were staying at was on the important path to enter the pass from the north of the Great Wall; that year, extraordinary people of the Central Plains had selected this place to ambush the Khitan warriors for this reason. He thought because this place was a strategic point for frontier defense, if Great Song servicemen saw unfamiliar people here, they would likely interrogate and examine; hence it would be better to stay away from them to avoid troubles. He then returned to the original place, pulled A''Zhu to the back of the big rock to hide and said: ''These are Great Song servicemen!''


    Not long after that, those more than 20 cavalrymen went up the ridge. Hiding behind the rock, Qiao Feng already saw that the leading person was an officer. He could not refrain from feeling rather moved: ''That year, people such as Chief Wang, Zhiguang dashi and Zhao Qiansun prolly also ambushed behind this big rock, and in this way they saw the Khitan warriors going up the ridge. Today, the peak and the rock are still the same, but most of the warriors of both sides Song and Liao that year have turned into white bones.''


    While his mind was wandering, suddenly he heard several crying sounds of children. Qiao Feng was astonished and felt as if he was in dreamland: ''Why are there also children?'' After that he heard the screams of several women.


    He stuck his head out and saw clearly that most of those Great Song servicemen were having a kidnapped woman on each of their horses. All of the women and children were wearing Khitan pastoral attire. Quite a few Great Song servicemen stretched out their hands and groped the Khitan women, looking extremely licentious and repulsive. Some women who resisted were immediately shouted abuse at and hit by those servicemen. Qiao Feng found this strange and did not understand the reason for this. He saw that after passing by the big rock, these people galloping straight towards Yanmen Pass.


    A''Zhu asked: ''Great master Qiao, what are they doing?'' Qiao Feng shook his head and thought: ''Why are defending troops at this frontier pass so obscene?'' A''Zhu continued: ''This kind of serviceman looks just like bandits.''


    After that, more than 30 other servicemen went up the ridge, driving along several hundreds head of cattle and sheep and more than 10 Khitan women. He heard 1 officer say: ''Gathering crops this time, our harvest isn''t very good, I wonder if commander-in-chief will get angry?'' Another officer said: ''We couldn''t snatch a lot of cattle and sheep from Liao dogs, but 2 or 3 women among the ones we snatched look not bad. Let commander-in-chief enjoy them, he''ll be in a good mood.'' The 1st officer said: ''30 something women aren''t enough for everyone. Tomorrow we should work hard and snatch some more.'' A soldier laughed and said: ''Hearing the rumors, all the Liao dogs must''ve already run away. If we wanna gather crops again, we need to wait for 2 or 3 months.''


    Hearing to here, Qiao Feng could not refrain from getting extremely furious. He thought that the misdeeds of these servicemen were even worse than those of the most despicable robbers.


    Suddenly, a baby who was being carried in the bosom of a Khitan woman started to cry loudly. That Khitan woman held out her hand and pushed away the hand of a Great Song officer then turned her head back to coax the crying baby. That officer was very angry. He grabbed that baby and threw him on the ground. After that he urged the horse forwards; the horse trampled on the body of the baby, immediately breaking his belly and making his intestines stick out. That Khitan woman was so frightened that she was stunned and unable to let out any sound of crying. The servicemen laughed loudly and passed by in large numbers.


    In his life, Qiao Feng had seen not just a few ruthless cruel things, but this was the 1st time he had seen someone openly kill a baby for fun like this. He was extremely furious but did not unleash his feelings right away as he wanted to see the whole story.


    After this group of servicemen passed by, more than 10 other servicemen came while shouting. All of these Great Song servicemen were riding horses and holding high spears in their hands. The head of almost every spear was piercing through 1 gory severed head. There was a long rope fastened to the tail of one of the horses, tying up 5 Khitan men. Qiao Feng saw that those people were wearing clothes of ordinary herdsmen. 2 of them were very old with their heads full of white hairs. The other 3 were 15 or 16 year old youngsters. He immediately understood that these Great Song servicemen had gone out to pillage, all the strong Khitan herdsmen had escaped but they had captured the women, the children, the old and the weak.


    He heard 1 officer laugh and say: ''Cutting off 14 heads and capturing 5 Liao dogs, this contribution is not big and not small, but I''ll certainly be promoted by 1 rank and rewarded with 100 taels of silver.'' Another man said: ''Hey Gao, there''s a Khitan small town 50 li to the west of here. Do you dare to go there to gather crops?'' The one called Gao said: ''Why the heck do I not dare? Are you looking down on me for being a rookie? As a rookie, your father needs to make more contributions at the frontier.'' While they were talking, the line of men, who were running fast, already came near the big rock.


    When seeing the corpse of the child on the ground, 1 old Khitan man suddenly screamed out, rushed over to hug the corpse, repeatedly kissed it and cried out sorrowfully. Even though Qiao Feng did not understand this old man''s language, seeing his expression, he knew that the baby who had been trampled to death by horses was his relative. The private who was dragging the old man continuously pulled the rope, urging him to go fast. Getting furious like crazy, that old Khitan man fiercely rushed at him. Frightened, that private brandished his saber and quickly slashed at the old man. The old Khitan man exerted his strength and gave him a pull, dragging him down from horseback, then opened his mouth and bit the private''s neck. At this moment, another Great Song officer on horseback ruthlessly chopped at the back of the old man with his saber 1 time then he stooped down, grabbed his neck and pulled him away. Only now was the private who had fallen on the ground able to stand up. He was very angry therefore he brandished his saber and chopped several more times at the old Khitan man. That old man shook a few times but he did not tumble down. The servicemen, either raising spears or lifting long sabers, then surrounded him.


    That old man turned towards the north, unfastened the clothes on the upper part of his body, stood upright and suddenly started to cry out loudly in a grieved voice, sounding like the howl of a wolf. Temporarily, the servicemen all had a frightened expression on their faces.


    Qiao Feng was scared. He suddenly felt that there seemed to be a spiritual connection between him and this old Khitan man. He himself had also let out these several howls which sounded like those of a dying wolf''s. That had been at Juxian Manor, after successively being hit by saber and spear, seeing Shan Zheng thrusting at him with his saber, he himself had known that he had been about to die, hence he had been unable to hold back his grief and indignation and cried out violently like a wild beast.


    At this moment, when he heard those cries, a sense of closeness involuntarily arose in his heart. Not thinking anymore, he leaped out from the behind the big rock, grabbed those Great Song servicemen and threw them off the cliff one by one. The more Qiao Feng fought, the more ardent he became. He even shoved all the horses that they rode down the ravine by giving each horse 1 palm attack. The cries by men and the neighs by horses were heard for a while then soon fell silent.


    A''Zhu and those 4 Khitan men were dumbfounded when they saw that he was such miraculously mighty.


    After killing all of those more than 10 servicemen, Qiao Feng let out a long howl which shook the valley. Seeing that the old Khitan man was still standing upright after receiving several saber slashes, he respected him for being a brave man. He then went up to the old man and saw that he was facing north with his bare chest being exposed, but he no longer breathed and was already dead. As soon as Qiao Feng looked at the old man''s chest, ''Ah,'' he uttered an exclamation and took 1 step backwards, his body tottered as if he was about to fall over.


    A''Zhu was very scared. She called out: ''Great master Qiao, you¡­ you¡­ are you alright?'' Only chi-chi-chi sounds were heard, Qiao Feng had ripped open the clothes that covered his own front, showing a hairy chest.


    A''Zhu immediately saw that there was a decorative design tattooed on his chest, which was a blue wolf head with its mouth wide opened showing its teeth, looking ferocious. When she looked at the old Khitan man again, she saw that his chest also had a wolf head tattoo whose appearance was exactly the same as that of the wolf head on Qiao Feng''s chest.


    Suddenly, those 4 Khitan men started to shout at the same time.


    When Qiao Feng had begun to understand things at the age of 2 or 3, he had already seen this blue wolf head tattoo on his chest. Because he had known it since childhood, he had not in the least thought that it had been unusual. Later, when he had grown up, he had asked his parents about it. Qiao Sanhuai and his wife both had said that the picture had been beautiful and praised it for a while, but they had said nothing about its origin. During the Northern Song Dynasty, it was very common to have a tattoo on the body; some people even had their whole bodies covered with tattoos from the neck to the feet. Great Song received the country from the Chai clan of the Later Zhou Dynasty. The founder of the Later Zhou Dynasty Guo Wei had a sparrow tattoo on his neck, and for this reason he was called ''Guo Sparrow.'' At that time, having tattoos had become a prevailing fashion and 8 or 9/10th of the Beggar Society brothers had tattoos on their bodies, hence Qiao Feng had never had the least bit of suspicion. But at this moment, when he saw that the blue wolf tattoo on the chest of the dead old Khitan man and his own tattoo were unexpectedly exactly alike, he was extremely shocked.


    The 4 Khitan people surrounded him and talked in a language he did not understand. They continuously pointed at the wolf head on his chest. Because Qiao Feng did not understand what they were saying, he had no idea how to reply. Suddenly 1 old man unfastened his clothes and showed his chest, which unexpectedly also had this wolf head tattoo. The other 3 youngsters also unfastened their clothes, and their chests all had the wolf head tattoo as well.


    In an instant, Qiao Feng finally knew absolutely that he himself was a Khitan. The wolf head on the chest had to be the symbol of their tribe, perhaps each of them had been tattooed with it since childhood. He had always detested Khitan people, thinking that they were brutal, despicable, faithless and unrighteous, and thinking that they were accustomed to killing Han people and did not stop at any crime. But at this moment he had no choice but to admit that he himself was a Khitan man who was just like an animal, hence he felt extremely distressed.


    He stood in a trance for a long time then suddenly he let out a shout and ran like crazy towards the forest.


    A''Zhu called out: ''Great master Qiao, great master Qiao!'' and went after him.


    Only after chasing him for more than 10 li (0.5 km) did A''Zhu see him sitting under a big tree and hugging his head. His face was very pale, a thick blue vein stuck out on his forehead. A''Zhu went to his side and sat down next to him.


    Qiao Feng shrank his body and said: ''I''m a Khitan barbarian who is lower than pigs and dogs. From now on, you don''t need to see me again.''


    Like all other Han people, A''Zhu of course also detested Khitan people to the marrow, but in her heart, Qiao Feng was like a heavenly god. Needless to say, he was just a Khitan. Even if he was a demon or a ferocious beast, she would not be willing to leave him. She thought: ''He''s unhappy now. I must nicely advise and console him.'' She then softly said: ''There''re good ones and bad ones among Han people, so naturally there''re also good ones and bad ones among Khitan people. Great master Qiao, please don''t pay attention to this kind of thing. A''Zhu''s life was saved by you. If you''re Han, that''s fine by me. If you''re Khitan, that''s also fine. Han or Khitan, it makes no difference to me.''


    Qiao Feng coldly said: ''I don''t need you to take pity on me. In your mind, you look down on me. You don''t need to hypocritically say any nice word. I saved your life not because of my true feelings. It''s just that I temporarily wanted to show off my skills and defeat other people. This matter has been written off in 1 stroke. Please go away quickly.''


    A''Zhu was anxious and flustered and thought: ''He already knows that he himself is a Khitan barbarian. Perhaps he''ll return to the northern deserts and from now on never put his foot on the Central Plains again.'' For the moment, not being able to control her feelings, she stood up and said: ''Great master Qiao, if you cast me aside and leave, I''ll jump into this valley. A''Zhu will definitely do what she has promised. You''re a Khitan hero so you look down on this lowly slave girl. I''d better finish myself.''


    Hearing she say very sincerely, Qiao Feng felt touched. He had only thought that if he was a barbarian, all the Han people under heaven would avoid him like avoiding snakes and scorpions. Never could he have expected that A''Zhu still treated him the same as before, hence he could not help holding out his hand to pull her hand and said gently: ''A''Zhu, you''re Mr Murong''s maid, and not my maid. I¡­ How can I look down on you?''


    A''Zhu said: ''I don''t need you to take pity on me. In your mind, you look down on me. You don''t need to hypocritically say any nice word.'' She imitated these few sentences of Qiao Feng and there was no dissimilarity between her voice and tone to those of his, but her eyes were filled with a mischievous look.


    Qiao Feng ha-ha laughed out loud. He was on the edge of despair and disappointment, therefore when he was joked with and consoled by this smart young girl he could not help feeling that his worries had largely disappeared.


    A''Zhu suddenly adopted a stern expression and said: ''Great master Qiao, I serve Mr Murong but I do not sell myself to him. It was only because I have been without parents since childhood and was wandering about outside, one day I was bullied and humiliated by other people, seeing that, Old Master Murong saved me and took me to his home. I was alone and homeless so I became a maid in his home. Actually Mr Murong doesn''t regard me as his maid at all. He even bought a few maids to serve me. A''Bi meizi (younger sister) is also like me. It''s just that her father sent her to Old Master Murong''s home in Yanzi hamlet (Yanzi = Swallow - bird) to take refuge. In those days, Old Master Murong and Madam Murong once said that the day I and A''Bi wanted to leave Yanzi hamlet, his Murong family would happily see us off¡­'' Saying to here, she slightly blushed. It turned out during that time Madam Murong had said: ''The days that the 2 little girls A''Zhu and A''Bi have homes to return to, the whole Murong family will see them off with dowries, decorated sedan chairs and musical performances. There''ll be no difference to when our daughter gets married.'' She paused for a short while then continued talking to Qiao Feng: ''From now on, I''m gonna serve you and become your maid. Mr Murong definitely won''t take offense.''


    Shaking his hands continuously, Qiao Feng said: ''No, no! I''m a barbaric Hu man, how can I have any maid? You''re used to living in a rich and honorable family in Jiangnan, what''s so good about following me to wander about and suffer hardships? You see, I''m such an insolent sort of fellow, do I deserve to be served by you?''


    A''Zhu gave a charming smile and said: ''If so, let''s consider that I''m a servant who has been captured by you, when you''re happy you''ll smile at me, when you''re sad you''ll beat me and scold me, is that okay?'' Qiao Feng smiled and said: ''If I gave you a punch, I''m afraid you''d die instantly.'' A''Zhu said: ''Of course you only beat me gently and must not hit too hard.'' Qiao Feng laughed ha-ha and said: ''If beating gently then it''d be better not to beat. I don''t wanna have any servant either.'' A''Zhu said: ''You''re a great Khitan hero, what''s wrong with you capturing some Han women and making them your servants? You see, didn''t those Great Song servicemen also kidnap many Khitan people?''


    Qiao Feng was speechless. Seeing that he was knitting his brows tightly and the look in his eyes was very gloomy, A''Zhu was afraid that she had said something wrong making him unhappy.


    After a while, Qiao Feng slowly said: ''I''ve always thought that Khitan people are ferocious and ruthless, and savagely harm Han people. But today I''ve seen with my own eyes how Great Song servicemen killed Khitan people regardless of age and sex. I¡­ I¡­ A''Zhu, I''m a Khitan. From now on, I''m no longer ashamed to be a Khitan, and I don''t feel honored to be a Great Song man either.''


    Hearing him say so, A''Zhu knew that he had untied this knot of depression in his mind. She was very happy and said: ''I already said there''re good ones and bad ones among Hu people, and there''re also the good and the bad among Han people. Hu people don''t have the craftiness of Han people''s so maybe they even have a bit fewer baddies.''


    When Qiao Feng looked at the ravine on the left-hand side, he remembered what had happened that year and said: ''A''Zhu, my father and mother were murdered without any reason by these Han people. I''m not allowed not to settle this score.''


    A''Zhu nodded and secretly felt scared. She knew that the words ''I''m not allowed not to settle this score'' that he had just mentioned lightly were bound to involve countless fierce battles, blood and lives.


    Qiao Feng pointed at the ravine and said: ''That year, after my mother was killed by them, my father was so sad that he didn''t wanna live, so he jumped into the ravine from beside the rock over there. While he was in mid air, unwilling to make me die with him, he tossed me up. Only thanks to that can Qiao Feng be here today. A''Zhu, my father loved me very much, didn''t he?'' With her eyes moistened with tears, A''Zhu said: ''Yes.''


    Qiao Feng said: ''My parents'' intense and deep-seated score, how can I not settle it? In the past I didn''t know about it so I went as far as considering the enemies my friends. It was very unfilial of me to do so. Today, if I don''t find and kill the main murderer that harmed my parents, how could I, Qiao, still have the face to live in the world? In the end, who is the ''leading big brother'' that they mentioned? The letter that he wrote to Chief Wang had his signature, but monk Zhiguang torn off the signature and swallowed it. Obviously this ''leading big brother'' buster is still alive, otherwise they wouldn''t have to cover up for him.''


    He asked himself and answered himself. After thinking deeply, he knew that A''Zhu was unable to help him find the archenemy but having 1 person at his side to hear him talk would automatically relieve many of his worries. He continued: ''This leading big brother buster could command the extraordinary people of the Central Plains so he must be a person with very good martial arts and high reputation. Judging by his tone in the letter, the friendship between him and Chief Wang is very unusual. He called Chief Wang elder brother, so he must be a bit younger than Chief Wang, but of course he''s much older than me. It shouldn''t be hard to find a person like this at all. Alas, only monk Zhiguang, Elder Xu and Madam Ma of the Beggar Society, and Impartial Judge Shan Zheng have read that letter. That Zhao Qiansun guy certainly also knows who he is. Zhao Qiansun already told his shimei (younger apprentice sister) Granny Tan about that. Perhaps Granny Tan doesn''t hide that from her husband. Both monk Zhiguang and Zhao Qiansun are accomplices in the murders of my parents so I''ll certainly kill them. As for this ''leading big brother'' mofo, humph, I¡­ I will kill his whole family from the old to the young, and won''t spare even fowls and dogs!''


    A''Zhu felt a shiver of fear. She wanted to say: ''Killing that leading villain would already be enough. You spare his whole family, ok?'' But when she was about to say these sentences, she did not dare to open her lips. She only felt that Qiao Feng had intense might therefore she did not in the least dare to refuse to follow him.


    Qiao Feng continued: ''Monk Zhiguang wanders about the whole country. Zhao Qiansun also roams around. It won''t be easy to find these 2 people. That Impartial Judge Shan Zheng guy didn''t take part in the battle that killed my parents. I already killed 2 of his sons, his youngest son also died because of me, so there''s no need to find him anymore. A''Zhu, let''s go find Elder Xu of the Beggar Society.''


    Hearing him say the word ''let''s'' A''Zhu could not help feeling elated because it meant that he agreed to let her go with him. She smiled charmingly and thought: ''Even if it''s going to the ends of the world, I''ll still go with you.''

 Chapter - 21 Thousands of Li Were Hazy Like a Dream.

    The 2 of them immediately went southward, bypassed Yanmen Pass via the mountain ridge and came to a small town. They went to an inn. Without waiting for Qiao Feng to say anything, A''Zhu told the waiter of the inn to bring them 20 Jin (0.6 kg) of wine. Seeing that the 2 of them did not look like a married couple or siblings, the waiter already felt surprised, hearing her tell him to take out 20 Jin of wine, he was even more astonished, hence he only looked at them in a trance without going to fetch wine and also without replying. Qiao Feng gave him a stare; he was not angry yet his look was commanding. That waiter was frightened. Only now did he turn around while mumbling: ''20 Jin of wine? Use wine to bathe?''


    A''Zhu laughed and said: ''Great master Qiao, we''re going to find Elder Xu but it looks like in 2 days we''ll be detected by other people. There''d be lots of fun if we fought and killed all the way but I''m afraid Elder Xu would flee at the mere sight of us coming towards him. Then, we wouldn''t be able to find him.''


    ''Ha-ha,'' Qiao Feng laughed and said: ''You don''t need to flatter me, if we fought all the way, there''d be more and more enemies coming, and eventually the 2 of us wouldn''t be able to avoid getting killed¡­'' A''Zhu said: ''There''re unlikely to be dangers. It''s just that if every one of them flees at the sight of us, it may be hard to handle.'' Qiao Feng said: ''Then according to you, is there any way for us? How about resting in the inns during daytime and going quickly at nighttime?''


    A''Zhu smiled and said: ''If you wanna make it impossible for them to recognize us, it couldn''t be easier. But I don''t know if Great hero Qiao who is famous all over the land under heaven is willing to disguise?'' Speaking to the last, it was the word ''disguise'' yet again.


    Qiao Feng laughed and said: ''I''m not a Han so basically I don''t wanna wear these Han clothes already. But if putting on Khitan clothes, it''ll be very hard to travel in the Central Plains. A''Zhu, who you think should I disguise as?''


    A''Zhu said: ''You''re imposing in stature, as soon as we stop or go out you''ll make everyone take notice. It''d be best if you disguise as an ordinary-looking man in jianghu who doesn''t have any unusual characteristic. It''s possible to run across several hundreds of men of this type on roads every day, so no one would keep their eye on you.''


    Qiao Feng slapped his leg and said: ''Brilliant! Brilliant! After drinking wine we''re gonna disguise.''


    When he drank up 20 Jin of wine, A''Zhu immediately started to disguise. A great variety of things such as flour, paste and ink glue were combined and the extraordinary features of Qiao Feng''s face disappeared one by one. Next, A''Zhu gave him a sparse mustache on the upper lip. When looking in a mirror, even Qiao Feng could not recognize himself. After that, A''Zhu disguised herself as a middle-aged man.


    A''Zhu laughed and said: ''Your appearance has been changed completely, but as soon as you talk or drink wine, other people would know who you are.'' Qiao Feng nodded and said: ''Um, then I must talk less and drink less wine.''


    Going south this time, he really talked very little, he also drank only 2 or 3 Jin of wine each meal as a formality.


    That day, arriving in Sanjia town in Jinnan, while the 2 of them were eating noodles in a small noodle shop, they suddenly heard 2 beggars talking to each other on the outside. 1 beggar said: ''Elder Xu died a really miserable death. All the bones in his chest and his back were broken. That evil traitor Qiao Feng must''ve committed murder again.'' Qiao Feng was slightly shocked and thought: ''Elder Xu has died?'' He and A''Zhu looked at each other.


    He heard another beggar say: ''The day after tomorrow the session for receiving condolence will start in Weihui, Henan. All the Elders and brothers of the Society will go to the memorial ceremony. We must discuss a way to capture Qiao Feng.'' The 1st beggar then said a few slangy sentences of the Society. Qiao Feng certainly understood what he meant. The beggar said that Qiao Feng had a formidable influence hence they were not allowed to talk as they pleased and to be overheard by his subordinates.


    After eating noodles, Qiao Feng and A''Zhu left Sanjia town and went to the outskirts. Qiao Feng said: ''We should go to Weihui to have a look. Maybe we''ll see a clue.'' A''Zhu said: ''Yes, we must go to Weihui. Great master Qiao, most of the people who''ll go the memorial ceremony are your former subordinates, so don''t give yourself away in your words and behaviors.'' Qiao Feng nodded: ''I know.'' They immediately turned to the east and went towards Weihui.


    On the 3rd day, they arrived in Weihui and entered the city. They only saw that there were full of the Beggar Society''s disciples on the streets and alleys. Some occupied tables in restaurants and ate with no manners, some slaughtered dogs and pigs in alleys and some even importuned and expropriated on streets. Qiao Feng felt unhappy when he saw that the Beggar Society which was known as the number 1 large society in jianghu was slack in rules and no longer had the strict and thriving atmosphere of the days when he had been in charge of it; if this situation continued, soon it would be regarded with contempt by the common people. Even though he and the Beggar Society were no longer friends and had become the enemies of each other, seeing that his painstaking efforts in many years had been nullified in a very short time, he still felt sorry for it.


    Hearing several disciples of the Beggar Society say some slangy sentences, he knew that the memorial tablet of Elder Xu was placed in an abandoned garden in the west of the city. Qiao Feng and A''Zhu bought some incense sticks, candles, joss money, a pig head, a bull head and a goat head then went to the abandoned garden along with other people and kowtowed to Elder Xu''s memorial tablet.


    He saw that Elder Xu''s memorial tablet was imbued with fresh blood. That was a custom of the Beggar Society which meant that the deceased had been killed by someone and the members of the society had to avenge him. All the people in the mourning hall inveighed against Qiao Feng, but they did not know that he was beside them. Seeing that all around him were the leading people of the society, Qiao Feng feared that his flaws would be noticed by someone. Not wanting to stay here for long, he immediately took leave and walked out alongside A''Zhu. He thought: ''Elder Xu''s already dead. The number of people who know that leading big brother in the world has been reduced by 1.''


    Suddenly he caught a glimpse of a person at the end of the alley, who was a woman with a tall and big stature. With his sharp eyes, Qiao Feng recognized her as Granny Tan. He thought: ''Very good, she must''ve come here to attend Elder Xu''s memorial ceremony. I''ve wanted to find her.'' After that, he saw another person flash by the alley. This person also had a very good lightness skill, but he was Zhao Qiansun.


    Qiao Feng was surprised: ''These 2 people are sneaky. Is there anything strange?'' He knew that these 2 people had originally been shixiongmei (apprentice brother and apprentice younger sister) of each other and the emotional entanglement between them had not been broken off until now. He thought: ''Both of them are 60 or 70 years old already. Could it be that they''re still secretly dating and having an affair?'' At first he did not like to meddle in other people''s business, but he thought that Zhao Qiansun knew who the ''leading big brother'' was and that Grandpa Tan and Granny Tan were also likely to know him, if he could find some chinks in their armors, he would be able to seize the opportunity and force them to reveal the truth. Hence he immediately put his mouth close to A''Zhu''s ear and said: ''You wait for me in the inn.'' A''Zhu nodded. Without delay, Qiao Feng chased in the direction that Zhao Qiansun had gone.


    Zhao Qiansun only chose secluded places to go along, sometimes hiding in the corners of walls on the eastern side and sometimes shrinking under the edges of roofs on the western side. With a stealthy behavior, he went out of the Eastern gate of the city. Qiao Feng followed Zhao Qiansun from a distance and all along did not let him detect himself. He saw that Zhao Qiansun went to the side of a canal, bent his body and got into a big wooden boat. Qiao Feng raised his internal energy and ran very quickly. After leaping several times, he already reached the side of the boat. He gently jumped onto the roof of the boat and put his ear against it to listen.


    In the cabin, Granny Tan let out a deep sigh and said: ''Shige (elder apprentice bro), you and I are already this old. It''s too late to regret the things of our young years. What''s the point in mentioning past events again?'' Zhao Qiansun said: ''This life of mine has been ruined. It''s already too late to regret. Xiao Juan, I''ve arranged to meet up with you here for no other reason than to beg you to sing those several songs of the past once again.'' Granny Tan said: ''Alas, you''re always silly to the point of being laughable. When my hubby came to Weihui and saw you again, he was already very displeased. He''s a suspicious man so you''d better trouble me less.'' Zhao Qiansun said: ''What are you afraid of? Us shixiongmei are on the up and up. What''s wrong with talking about past events?'' Granny Tan sighed and softly said: ''Those songs of the past, those songs of the past¡­''


    Seeing that her mind had been stirred, Zhao Qiansun pleaded more: ''Xiao Juan, today the 2 of us have met but I don''t know when we''ll meet again. I''m afraid my life is not long, when you want to sing to me again I won''t have the blessing of coming to hear you.'' Granny Tan said: ''Shige, don''t say that. If you definitely want to hear me, then I''m gonna gently sing a song.'' Zhao Qiansun said happily: ''Good, many thanks, Xiao Juan, thank you very much.''


    Granny Tan leisurely sang: ''At that time, when you went over on the bridge, I was washing clothes next to it¡­''


    When she had just sung 2 sentences, with ''ka-la'' sounds, the door of the cabin was pushed open and a man rushed in. After Qiao Feng had been disguised, both Zhao Qiansun and Granny Tan were not able to recognize him. The 2 of them jumped out of their skin at first, but when they saw that he was not Grandpa Tan, they immediately calmed down and shouted: ''Who?''


    Qiao Feng coldly looked at the 2 of them and said: ''One is frivolous and immoral, seducing a married woman; the other is slvtty and shameless, secretly meeting the boyfriend without the husband''s knowledge¡­''


    When he had not yet finished saying, Granny Tan and Zhao Qiansun split up and attacked simultaneously from the left and right sides. Qiao Feng slightly leaned to one side, turned his hand over and grabbed Granny Tan''s wrist. After that, he struck out with his elbow, aiming at Zhao Qiansun''s left side. His attack was delivered later but came earlier than Zhao Qiansun''s. As experts in wulin, both Zhao Qiansun and Granny Tan only thought that in 1 stance they would be able to subdue the enemy and never could they have expected that this mediocre-looking man had such extraordinary martial arts that he could go on the offensive from a defensive position in just 1 stance. The space in the cabin was narrow hence their limbs could not be used to the fullest, but Qiao Feng was good at both long-range and close-quarters combats, in the cabin which was less than 1 zhang square, he still executed grasping hand techniques and short-range skills very cleverly. Fighting to the 7th bout, Zhao Qiansun was hit by a finger attack in the waist. Scared, Granny Tan fought a bit more slowly. She was instantly hit by a palm attack in the back and collapsed on the floor.


    Qiao Feng coldly said: ''The 2 of you please have a rest here. In the abandoned garden in Weihui city, not just a few heroes and brave men are paying respects to Elder Xu''s memorial tablet, I''ll invite them to here to comment on this matter.''


    Zhao Qiansun and Granny Tan were frightened and tried to channel their internal energies, but their acupuncture points were already blocked, and they was unable to move even the tips of their little fingers. The 2 of them were already old, they no longer had any sexual desire, they arranged to meet each other here only to talk about the past, and there was nothing unethical between them. But that time was in the Northern Song Dynasty, everyone was very serious about protecting the rules of etiquette, and if any hero or brave man in jianghu violated a taboo about sex, they would be despised by the many. When there were 1 man and 1 woman quietly meeting up in this boat, who was willing to believe that it was only to sing a song and to talk some silly sentences? If everyone came here to see, afterward how would the 2 of them be able to live? Even Grandpa Tan would no longer have any honor and glory.


    Granny Tan hastily said: ''Hero, we haven''t done anything that offended you, if you could show some mercy, I¡­ I''ll definitely repay your kindness.'' Qiao Feng said: ''There''s no need to repay me. I only ask you 1 sentence, please answer in 3 words. If you say the truth, I''ll immediately unblock your acupuncture points and leave, and I''ll never mention the incident of today to anyone else.'' Granny Tan said: ''As long as I know, I''ll certainly inform you.''


    Qiao Feng said: ''Someone wrote a letter to Chief Wang of the Beggar Society, talking about the Qiao Feng matter. Many people call the writer of the letter ''leading big brother'', who''s this man?''


    Granny Tan hesitated. When she had not yet replied, Zhao Qiansun shouted loudly: ''Xiao Juan, you mustn''t say. No matter what, you mustn''t say.'' Glaring at him, Qiao Feng asked: ''You''d rather lose all your reputation than say it?'' Zhao Qiansun said: ''Then Laozi (your father here ¨C arrogantly calling oneself) would die, that''s all. I''m indebted to this leading big brother so Laozi definitely won''t say his name.'' Qiao Feng said: ''Then if Xiao Juan loses all her reputation, you won''t care either?'' Zhao Qiansun said: ''If Grandpa Tan knows about today''s incident, I''ll immediately kill myself in front of him and use death to express my regret, that''s all.''


    Qiao Feng turned towards Granny Tan and said: ''You may not necessarily be indebted to that man. If you say, everyone will be safe and sound, you''ll save Grandpa Tan''s and your reputations, and you''ll save your shige''s life as well.''


    Hearing him threaten to take Zhao Qiansun''s life Granny Tan could not help but shiver and said: ''Ok, I''m gonna tell you. That man is¡­''


    Zhao Qiansun hurriedly called out: ''Xiao Juan, you mustn''t say. I beg you, beg you. This man is prolly Qiao Feng''s subordinate, if you say, that leading big brother''s life is gonna be in danger.''


    Qiao Feng said: ''I''m Qiao Feng. If you two don''t say, there''ll be endless future problems.''


    Frightened, Zhao Qiansun said: ''No wonder your martial arts are so good. Xiao Juan, in my life I''ve never begged anything from you. This is the only thing I beg from you, you must agree, no matter what.''


    Granny Tan thought that for the past several decades he had been cherishing her, had very deep feelings for her, she herself had let him down many times, and he had never said what he had wanted to beg from her, but this time, in order to cover up for the person who he was indebted to, he was willing to die, hence she herself simply could not ruin his righteous act. She then said: ''Chief Qiao, today''s matter, doing good deeds or doing evil with it is totally up to you. I and my shixiong have a clear conscience which can be expressed to Heaven and the Sun. Please forgive me for not being able to tell you what you want to know.'' Even though she said these sentences politely, her words showed her determination not to reveal the truth at any cost.


    Zhao Qiansun happily said: ''Xiao Juan, thank you very much. Thank you very much.''


    Qiao Feng knew that it was useless to force them again. He uttered a ''humph'' sound, pulled out a jade hairpin from Granny Tan''s head then jumped out of the cabin, returned straight to Weihui city and asked about the place where Grandpa Tan was staying at. Because he was in disguise, no one was able to recognize him. Grandpa Tan and Granny Tan were staying at Rugui inn in Weihui city. This was not a secret matter therefore he knew about it immediately after asking.


    When he entered the inn, he saw Grandpa Tan putting his hands together at his back and walking back and forth in his room, looking very fretful. Qiao Feng stretched out his hand and right at the middle of his palm was that jade hairpin of Granny Tan''s.


    After seeing that Zhao Qiansun had followed them very closely to Weihui, Grandpa Tan had always felt depressed and worried, and now, because he had not seen his wife for half a day, he was worried about her and was wondering where she had gone to. Suddenly seeing his wife''s jade hairpin, he was both surprised and happy, and asked: ''Who are you? Did my wife ask you to come here? What do you want to instruct me?'' As he finished saying he held out his hand and took that jade hairpin. Qiao Feng let him take the hairpin then said: ''Your honorable wife has been captured by other people. She is about to be put in danger.'' Grandpa Tan was frightened and said: ''My wife''s martial arts are very good. How could she be captured easily by other people?'' Qiao Feng said: ''It''s Qiao Feng.''


    As Grandpa Tan heard the 3 words ''It''s Qiao Feng'', he was no longer doubtful about this, but he was even more anxious and worried and hastily asked: ''Qiao Feng, alas! If it''s him then this''s really troublesome. My¡­ my wife, where''s she?'' Qiao Feng said: ''If you want to see your honorable wife alive, it''s very easy, if you want to see her dead, it''s also easy.'' Grandpa Tan was a stable man, even though he was worried, he still maintained his composure and asked: ''Please instruct me.''


    Qiao Feng said: ''Qiao Feng has 1 matter to ask Grandpa Tan, if you say the truth, he will immediately let your honorable wife go and won''t dare to harm a single hair of hers. But if you don''t say, he''ll have no choice but to put her to death and bury her corpse and Zhao Qiansun''s corpse in the same grave.''


    Hearing the last sentence, Grandpa Tan could no longer restrain himself. He then let out a furious shout and sent a palm attack towards Qiao Feng''s face. Qiao Feng slanted his body and slightly moved backward, that palm attack hit the air. Grandpa Tan was frightened, thinking that this palm attack of his had been fast like lightning and had not been something trivial but unexpectedly this man had dodged it so easily as if nothing had happened. Immediately he stretched his right palm out obliquely and struck out horizontally with his left palm. Qiao Feng saw that the inside of the room was narrow which made it impossible for him to dodge therefore he immediately held up his right arm to receive the attack. With a ''pai'' sound, the palm attack hit his arm. Qiao Feng''s body did not shake. He turned his right arm over and pressed down onto Grandpa Tan''s shoulder.


    In an instant, Grandpa Tan felt as if there was a rock which weighed several thousand Jin put on his shoulder. He immediately channeled his internal energy in order to stand upright but the weight on his shoulder was like that of a mountain or a mound, pressing him down to the point that his backbone produced ka-ka-ka sounds nonstop and were almost broken, hence he had no choice but to bend his knees and kneel down. Not willing to yield, he exerted himself and made another effort to stand up, but he was unable to take another breath, his knees became weak and he knelt down. He really could not help kneeling down like this, but his knees and joints had already become weak, thus when pressed down by such heavy force, it was impossible for him not to bend his knees.


    Qiao Feng intended to defeat Grandpa Tan''s pride hence after he had knelt down the pressure still did not decrease, making Grandpa Tan''s back bend like a bow and his forehead almost touch the floor. The whole face of Grandpa Tan had become very red and he could barely sustain the pressure. He used all his strength to resist and hold his body up. Suddenly Qiao Feng''s arm let go of him. The pressure on the shoulder of Grandpa Tan suddenly disappeared which was unanticipated by him hence it was too late for him to take back his strength. As a result, he immediately jumped up for over 1 zhang. With a ''peng'' sound, the top of his head hit a beam heavily and all but broke it.


    When Grandpa Tan was falling down from mid air, Qiao Feng did not wait until his feet touch the floor to stretch out his own right hand and grab his chest. Qiao Feng''s arm was very long while Grandpa Tan was short and small in stature hence no matter how he punched or kicked, he was unable to touch Qiao Feng''s body. Moreover, when his feet were in mid air, even if his martial arts were much better, he would not be able to use them. As soon as Grandpa Tan was in that urgent situation, he understood and shouted: ''So you''re Qiao Feng!''


    Qiao Feng said: ''Of course it''s me!''


    Grandpa Tan said furiously: ''You¡­ You¡­ Fvck you! Why do you wanna get that brat Zhao Qiansun involved in this?'' What Grandpa Tan was angry about the most was Qiao Feng''s words that after killing Granny Tan he would bury her corpse and Zhao Qiansun''s in the same grave.


    Qiao Feng said: ''Your wife wants to drag him in. Why does it have anything to do with me? Do you wanna know where Granny Tan is now? Do you wanna know who she is saying loving words and singing love songs to?'' Hearing that, Grandpa Tan immediately guessed that his wife and Zhao Qiansun were staying together and could not help but want to go see the whole story. He then said: ''Where''s she? Please take me there.'' Qiao Feng laughed coldly and said: ''What have you done for me? Why do I gotta take you there?''


    Recalling what Qiao Feng had said previously, Grandpa Tan asked: ''You said you wanna ask me something. What do you wanna ask?''


    Qiao Feng said: ''That day in the apricot forest outside Wuxi city, Elder Xu brought along a letter which was written to the former Chief of the Beggar Society Wang Jiantong. Who wrote this letter?''


    Grandpa Tan''s limbs slightly trembled. At this moment, he was still being lifted up by Qiao Feng and his body was in the air. If Qiao Feng sent internal energy out from the palm, he would take his life instantly. But unexpectedly he did not fear and said sternly: ''This man killed your father so you bear a huge grudge against him. I definitely can''t reveal his name. Otherwise you''d find and take your revenge on him, and then wouldn''t it mean I''ve caused him to get killed?'' Qiao Feng said: ''If you don''t say, you''ll get killed first.'' Grandpa Tan laughed ha-ha and said: ''What kind of man do you think I am? How could I be mortally afraid of death and sell off my friends?'' Seeing him take care to preserve personal loyalty, Qiao Feng rather admired him. Had this been a different matter, he would have already stopped questioning him. But how could the grudge involving the deaths of his parents be something ordinary? Therefore he said: ''You don''t care about your own life, but do you not cherish even your wife''s life? Grandpa Tan and Granny Tan''s reputation going through the floor, leaving behind a world-scale disgrace, don''t tell me that you ain''t afraid of it either?''


    People in wulin cherished reputation the most and it was usual for brave men in jianghu to attach more importance to their names than to their lives. After hearing these 2 sentences, Grandpa Tan said: ''I, Tan, sit firmly and stand upright, all my life I''ve never done anything wrong to my friends, how could you say the words ''reputation going through the floor, leaving behind a world-scale disgrace'' to me?''


    Qiao Feng sternly said: ''Granny Tan may not sit firmly and stand upright and Zhao Qiansun may do wrong to his friends.''


    In an instant, Grandpa Tan''s face completely reddened then turned livid. He frowned and glared fiercely at Qiao Feng with glaring eyes.


    Qiao Feng unloosed his hand and put Grandpa Tan down on the floor then turned around and went out. Silent as the grave, Grandpa Tan followed him. The 2 of them, 1 ahead and 1 behind, went out of Weihui city. On the way, not just a few brave men in jianghu recognized Grandpa Tan and respectfully made way and saluted him. Grandpa Tan only let out a ''humph'' sound and walked past them. Not long afterward, the 2 of them arrived at the side of that big wooden boat.


    In a flash, Qiao Feng jumped onto the head of the boat. He pointed into the cabin and said: ''You come and see by yourself!''


    After that, Grandpa Tan got on the boat. When he looked into the cabin, he saw his wife and Zhao Qiansun were leaning on each other affectionately and cuddling up in a corner of the cabin. Boiling with anger, Grandpa Tan sent a fierce palm attack towards Zhao Qiansun''s head. A ''peng'' sound was heard, Zhao Qiansun did not make a move, nor did he strike back, and he did not dodge the attack either. When Grandpa Tan''s palm touched the top of Zhao Qiansun''s head, he felt something wrong. He hastily stretched out his hand to touch his wife''s cheek and felt that it was ice-cold. It turned out Granny Tan had already been dead for a long time. The whole body of Grandpa Tan trembled but he was unwilling to give up, he held out his hand again to check her breathing, but she no longer breathed. Dumbfounded, he touched Zhao Qiansun''s forehead and also felt that it was ice-cold. Grandpa Tan was extremely grieved and indignant, he turned around and glared fiercely at Qiao Feng, his eyes looked as if spouting fire.


    Seeing that Granny Tan and Zhao Qiansun suddenly had died together unnaturally, Qiao Feng was also very astonished. When leaving the boat, he had only blocked some acupuncture points of the 2 of them, how could the 2 experts suddenly die like this? He lifted the corpse of Zhao Qiansun up and took a quick look at it. He saw that there was not any wound caused by weapons on the corpse, nor was there any bloodstain. He then pulled the clothes on Zhao Qiansun''s chest, with a ''chi'' sound, they were torn off. He saw a big black bruise on the chest of the corpse. Obviously Zhao Qiansun had been hit by a heavy palm attack. What stranger was that unexpectedly it looked like this serious injury had been caused by his own palm attack.


    Grandpa Tan carried Granny Tan, turned around and unfastened her clothes to see the bruise on her chest. Her injury and the injury that Zhao Qiansun had suffered were exactly alike. Grandpa Tan wanted to cry but no tear came out. He said in a low voice to Qiao Feng: ''You''re a beast in human face, such savagery!''


    Amazed, Qiao Feng was speechless for a period of time, he only thought: ''Who used heavy palm attacks to kill Granny Tand and Zhao Qiansun? The killer''s internal energy is profound and very extraordinary. Could it be that it''s also my adversary who came here? But how could he know that the 2 of them were in this boat?''


    Feeling grieved at the violent death of his beloved wife, Grandpa Tan channeled internal energy into his 2 arms and struck towards Qiao Feng with all his strength. Qiao Feng dodged to one side, only loud ka-la-la sounds were heard, the palm force of Grandpa Tan had struck down one side of the boat''s hood. Qiao Feng put out his right hand, grabbed Grandpa Tan''s shoulder and said: ''Grandpa Tan, I definitely didn''t killed your wife, do you believe me?'' Grandpa Tan said: ''If it wasn''t you then who?'' Qiao Feng said: ''Now your life is in my hands. If I wanna kill you, it''d be as easy as turning my hand over. What''s the good of deceiving you?'' Grandpa Tan said: ''You only wanna find out who killed your father. My martial arts aren''t as good as yours but how can I be fooled by you?'' Qiao Feng said: ''Okay, you tell me the name of the enemy that killed my father, I''ll bear the responsibility to avenge your wife''s death on behalf of you.''


    Grandpa Tan laughed wildly in a sorrowful voice. He tried to use his strength continuously 3 times to break loose from the enemy''s grasp, however the power of the palm that Qiao Feng was lightly putting on his shoulder varied according to his power. Grandpa Tan struggled with powerful force but the force of the enemy''s palm became stronger accordingly, therefore from beginning to end he was unable to escape from it. Grandpa Tan flew into a rage. He put his tongue between his 2 sets of teeth and gave it a powerful bite, severing it. With his mouth being filled with fresh blood, he spouted it towards Qiao Feng. Qiao Feng hastily dodged to one side. Grandpa Tan quickly ran over, sent the corpse of Zhao Qiansun away in a fierce kick and carried the corpse of Granny Tan tightly in his arms. His neck then loosened up and he died.


    Seeing this kind of devastation, Qiao Feng also felt sorrowful and rather sorry for them. Even though he had not killed the Tans and Zhao Qiansun with his own hands, they had died because of him. If he wanted to obliterate the corpses and destroy the evidence, he only needed to stamp his foot to create a hole in the bilge of the boat, and the boat would sink to the bottom of the river. But he thought: ''If I hid these 3 corpses, wouldn''t it look like I have a guilty conscience?'' Hence he immediately got out of the cabin and disembarked, wanting to look for a footprint or clue on the river bank, but no trace was found.


    He hurriedly returned to the inn. All along, A''Zhu had been waiting for him at the gate. Seeing him return unharmed, she was very happy, but seeing that he had a doubtful expression, she knew that his stalking of Zhao Qiansun and Granny Tan had been in vain. She said in a low voice: ''How was it?'' Qiao Feng said: ''All died!'' A''Zhu was slightly shocked. She asked: ''Granny Tan and Zhao Qiansun?'' Qiao Feng said: ''Grandpa Tan as well. The 3 of them died altogether.''


    A''Zhu only thought that he had killed them, even though she felt uneasy, it was inconvenient for her to be critical of him. She said: ''Zhao Qiansun is an accomplice in the murders of your parents, there''s¡­ there''s nothing wrong with killing him.''


    Qiao Feng shook his head and said: ''I didn''t kill them'' A''Zhu let out a sigh and said: ''If you didn''t kill them then that''s very good. I''ve always thought that Grandpa Tan and Granny Tan didn''t do anything that offended you so they could be spared. But who killed them?''


    Qiao Feng shook his head and said: ''I don''t know!'' He then counted on the fingers and said: ''There''re only 3 people who know that prime criminal left in the world. We should act immediately and mustn''t let the enemy go ahead of us all the time. We''ve always been in a disadvantageous position already.''


    A''Zhu said: ''Correct. That Madam Ma hates you to the marrow, she''ll be unwilling to tell you in any case, let alone the fact that forcing and questioning a widow aren''t the deeds of a real man. Monk Zhiguang''s temple is in Jiangnan, which is far from here. So, let''s go to Tai''an in Shandong to find the Shan family!''


    A trace of pity showed up in Qiao Feng''s eyes. He said: ''A''Zhu, it''s been hard on you for the past few days.'' A''Zhu called out loudly: ''Innkeeper, innkeeper, quickly bring us the bill.'' Surprised, Qiao Feng said: ''It won''t be late to pay the bill tomorrow morning.'' A''Zhu said: ''No, we must go quickly tonight. Don''t let the enemy be ahead of us at every step.'' Qiao Feng felt grateful to her and nodded.


    In the dim twilight, they went out of Weihui city. On the way they already heard other people noisily spreading the news that the Khitan demon Qiao Feng somehow had suddenly laid his murderous hands on Grandpa Tan, Granny Tan and Zhao Qiansun. When saying, these people looked around for fear that Qiao Feng would show up beside them at any time. They really did not know that Qiao Feng was right beside them, if he wanted to harm other people, these people truly would not be able to escape.


    On the way they changed horses and went east quickly without stopping. Going to the 2nd day, even though A''Zhu had not said any ''tired'' word, she sat on horseback with a drowsy look, and several times she almost fell down from the horse. Seeing that she was really unable to keep enduring, Qiao Feng abandoned the horses and switched to carriage. The 2 of them slept in the big carriage for 6 or 8 hours. After sleeping enough, they abandoned the carriage and used horses again, running at full speed. They kept going nonstop like this, A''Zhu happily said: ''In any case, this time we''re gonna arrive ahead of that prime villain.'' Both she and Qiao Feng did not know who the enemy was, hence when they mentioned that man they always called him the ''prime villain''.


    But Qiao Feng was secretly worried because he felt that the ''prime villain'' had always arrived earlier than himself at every single step, this man was not below himself in martial arts, his wits and schemes were far superior to those of his own, much less the fact that thus far he had only seen a dense fog before his own eyes, while the enemy could see clearly everything he did. All his life he had never met such a formidable enemy. However, the stronger the enemy was, the higher Qiao Feng''s mettle was, and he was not the least afraid.


    Impartial Judge Shan Zheng resided outside the Eastern gate of Tai''an city in Shandong. He was widely known within Tai''an. When Qiao Feng and A''Zhu arrived in Tai''an, it was already at twilight. After asking clearly where the Shan family was, they immediately went there through the city. After they came out of the Eastern gate and went for 1 li (0.5 km), they saw thick smoke rising in the sky; there was a fire somewhere. After that, they heard ''dang-dang'' sounds of gongs and the sounds of people shouting from afar: ''Fire! Fire! Quickly fight fire.''


    Qiao Feng did not pay attention to that and urged the horse on, getting closer and closer to the fire. He heard someone shouted: ''Quickly fight fire, quickly fight fire! It''s the impartial Shan family!''


    Qiao Feng and A''Zhu were frightened, they reined in and looked at each other. Both of them thought: ''Could it be that the prime villain has arrived earlier than us again?'' A''Zhu consoled him: ''Shan Zheng has very good martial arts, even if his house was burned, he definitely wouldn''t be burned to death inside.''


    Qiao Feng shook his head. After he had killed the Shan Clan''s 2 Tigers, the Shan family had had a deep hatred towards him. Arriving in Tai''an this time, even though he had no intention of killing other people, he thought Shan Zheng and his descendants would definitely not forgive himself, therefore originally he had prepared to get into a big battle. Unexpectedly, when he had not yet arrived at the manor, the opponent had already met with a disaster. Therefore he could not help feeling sad and sympathetic to him.


    The horses gradually came near the Shan manor. Qiao Feng and A''Zhu only felt the broiling heat and saw red flames dancing boisterously. This was really a big fire.


    At this time, villagers all around had flocked to here to fight fire, some carrying water and some scattering sand. Fortunately, there were deep trenches around the Shan manor and no one lived in the vicinity of the manor therefore the fire did not spread.


    Qiao Feng and A''Zhu galloped to the side of the scene and got off the horses. They heard 1 man sigh: ''Old Master Shan was such a good person. He always helped the poor and disaster-stricken people in this region, for the past several decades he had so many meritorious and virtuous acts, why is it that not only was his house burned down but no one in his whole family of 30 something people could escape either?'' Another man said: ''His enemies must''ve set fire to the manor then blocked the doors to prevent them from escaping. Otherwise, as even a 5 year old child in the Shan family knew martial arts, how come they couldn''t escape?'' The 1st man said: ''I''ve heard that Great master Shan, 2nd master Shan and 5th master Shan were killed in Henan by a villain called Qiao Feng or something. This time someone came here to commit arson, could it be that it is this prime villain as well?''


    When mentioning that enemy in their conversations A''Zhu and Qiao Feng had called him the ''prime villain'', at this moment, hearing those 2 villagers also say ''prime villain'', they could not refrain from looking at each other.


    The man who was rather younger said: ''Of course it''s Qiao Feng.'' When he said to here, he lowered his voice and continued: ''He must''ve led a large number of subordinates and broken into the manor then ruthlessly slaughtered the Shan family. Oh, Heaven really doesn''t have eyes.'' The older man said: ''This Qiao Feng guy has done many evils. In the future he''ll certainly die 100 times more miserably than the Shan family''s masters did.''


    Hearing them cursing Qiao Feng, A''Zhu was annoyed. She stretched out her hand and slapped the horse on the side of its neck. Startled, the horse shot out its left hoof, which kicked that man right in his bottom. That man shouted ''Ah'' and fell flat on his face. A''Zhu said: ''What nonsense did you say?'' After receiving a kick by the horse, that man remembered that the ''prime villain'' Qiao Feng had very many subordinates, hence he was so frightened that he did not dare to utter a word and hurriedly went away.


    Qiao Feng smiled but his smiling expression carried 30% sadness. He and A''Zhu went to another side of the fire. They could hear everyone discussing in quick succession. All of them said the same that no one among the 30 something people of the Shan family was able to escape, irrespective of being male, female, old or young. When Qiao Feng smelled the foul-smelling air of burned corpses which was coming out gust after gust from the fire, he knew that what they said were not false; all the men, women, old people and young people in Shan Zheng''s whole family had really been buried in the fire.


    A''Zhu said in a low voice: ''This prime villain is really ruthless. He killed Shan Zheng and his sons; it couldn''t be helped. But why did he gotta kill his whole family? Why did he need to burn down even the house?'' Qiao Feng uttered a ''humph'' sound and said: ''This is called cutting the weeds and digging up the roots. If it had been me, I would''ve burned the house as well.'' A''Zhu was startled and asked: ''What?'' Qiao Feng said: ''That evening in the apricot forest Shan Zheng said some sentences, most prolly you heard them as well. He said: ''There''re several letters by that leading big brother hidden in my house, I already compared this letter with the handwriting of them. This is really a genuine letter.'''' A''Zhu sighed and said: ''That''s right. Even though he already killed Shan Zheng, he was afraid that you''d go into the Shan family''s manor and successfully find those letters, and then you''d still be able to know his name. But if he burned the manor to the ground with a handful of kindling, there wouldn''t be any letter left.''


    At this moment, there were more and more people gathering to fight fire, but the fire was being intense, when pailfuls of water were splashed on the fire, they instantly changed into white air, but they was not able to hold back the fire. Flames and heat were spurted out gust after gust, making everyone repeatedly go backwards. The crowd on the one hand lamented, and on the other hand they severely cursed Qiao Feng. The offensive language of the peasants was certainly extremely unpleasant to hear.


    A''Zhu feared that after hearing these irrational words of abuse Qiao Feng would get furious and start another massacre, and then these peasants would really be wretched. She stole a look at him and saw a strange expression on his face; he seemed to be sad and also seemed to be regretful, but above all, he looked sympathetic; it seemed he was thinking that these peasants were very silly and not worth killing. She heard him let out a deep sigh and say dejectedly: ''Let''s go to Mt Tiantai!''


    He really had no alternative but to mention Mt Tiantai. Even though Zhiguang dashi (great monk) had taken part in the battle that killed his parents that year; afterward, he had developed a strong ambition to go to remote or alien places to gather tree bark to cure people in the region consisting of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi of malaria and illnesses caused by miasma; countless people had been saved, but for that reason he himself had had a serious illness and after recovering he had lost all of his martial arts. There was no one in jianghu who did not respect Zhiguang dashi for this deed of saving the common people; when mentioning him, everyone called him the ''Living Buddha of 10,000 Families''. Were it not because Qiao Feng had no other choice, he definitely would be unwilling to make things difficult for Zhiguang dashi.


    The 2 of them left Tai''an and chose ways to go south. But this time Qiao Feng did not go quickly as if his life was at risk. He thought that if he himself handled pressing matters leisurely, maybe he would be able to protect Zhiguang dashi''s life; and that if he went at double speed as before, when he arrived at Mt Tiantai, probably he would also see the corpse of Zhiguang dashi, and maybe even the temple where the monk lived would already be burned to the ground; furthermore, Zhiguang usually roamed everywhere, hence he might not be staying at the temple on Mt Tiantai.


    Mt Tiantai was in Zhedong. This time, on the way going south from Tai''an, Qiao Feng and A''Zhu went slowly as if they went sightseeing and talked about strange things and anecdotes in jianghu. If their minds were not full of worries, this would have been a joyful sightseeing trip.


    That day, after arriving in Zhenjiang, the 2 of them went to Jinshan temple to get a view of the river (this is Yangzi River). While watching the water of the river rapidly rolling east unceasingly, Qiao Feng suddenly remembered a matter and said: ''Maybe the ''leading big brother'' and the ''prime villain'' are the same person.'' A''Zhu clapped her hands and said: ''That''s right. Why have we never thought of this before?'' Qiao Feng said: ''Of course they may be 2 different people as well, but these 2 people must have a close relationship, otherwise that prime villain wouldn''t go as far as using every possible means to hide that leading big brother''s identity. But when even people such as Chief Wang were willing to follow that ''leading big brother'', he must be an extraordinary person. That ''prime villain'' must be extraordinary like this too. How come there''re such 2 extraordinary people in the world without me knowing even 1 of them? So my guess is that these 2 people are most likely the same man. If I kill that ''prime villain'', I''d get revenge for the murders of my parents.''


    A''Zhu nodded in approval and said: ''Great master Qiao, in the apricot forest that evening, those people related what had happened that year, I''m afraid¡­ I''m afraid¡­'' Saying to here, her voice could not help getting somewhat shaky.


    Qiao Feng continued: ''You''re afraid that the prime villain was present in the apricot forest?'' A''Zhu said in a trembling voice: ''Yes. In the apricot forest, that Impartial Judge Shan Zheng guy said that there were letters written by the leading big brother hidden in his house. His whole family was then burned to the ground¡­ Oh, when thinking about this matter, I''m very scared.'' She slightly shivered and leaned on one side of Qiao Feng.


    Qiao Feng said: ''This man is extremely cruel and merciless. People like him are rare in the world. Zhao Qiansun''d rather lose all reputation than reveal his identity, and Shan Zheng was also on friendly terms with him. Who could''ve expected that he would murder these 2 people? There wasn''t any such formidable person in the apricot forest that evening, was there?'' After pondering for a long time, he continued: ''There''s another matter that I find strange.'' A''Zhu asked: ''What is it?''


    Qiao Feng looked at a sailboat on the river and said: ''This prime villain''s intelligence and planning skill are better than mine in all respects. In terms of martial arts, it seems he''s not below me either. If he wants to take my life, I''m afraid he wouldn''t have any difficulties. Why does he need to be afraid that I''ll find out who my enemy is like this?''


    A''Zhu said: ''Great master Qiao, you''re just too modest. Even though that prime villain is formidable, he''s in fact extremely afraid of you. I guess in these days he''s been shaking with the fear that you''ll find out who he is. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have to murder the 2 old masters Qiao, Xuan Ku dashi, Zhao Qiansun, Granny Tan and the whole family of Impartial Judge.''


    Qiao Feng nodded and said: ''That may be true as well.'' He then smiled at her and said: ''As he doesn''t dare to come to attack me, he certainly wouldn''t dare to approach you. You don''t need to be afraid.'' After a long while, he sighed and said: ''This person is really good at scheming. It''s a shame that I, Qiao Feng, am called a hero when I''ve been a toy in other people''s hands without any power to strike back.''


    After crossing Changjiang River (aka Yangzi River), one day they crossed Qiantang River and arrived in Tiantai county seat. Qiao Feng and A''Zhu rested at an inn for 1 night. In the morning of the next day, just as they wanted to ask people in the inn about the way to go to Mt Tiantai, the innkeeper hurriedly came in, saying: ''Great master Qiao, a master from Zhiguan Temple on Mt Tiantai comes to pay you a visit.''


    Qiao Feng was frightened because when checking in he had conveniently said that his surname had been Guan. So he asked: ''Why do you call me Great master Qiao?'' The innkeeper replied: ''The master from Zhiguan Temple told me about Great master Qiao''s appearance. There''s not the least bit of inaccuracy.'' Qiao Feng and A''Zhu looked at each other and both of them were amazed. They had already disguised themselves; moreover, they looked rather different as compared to when they had been in Tai''an, Shandong; yet unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived in Tiantai, they were recognized by other people. Qiao Feng said: ''Okay, invite him to come here.''


    The innkeeper turned around and went out. Before long, he conducted back a short and stout monk who was around 30 years of age. The monk put his palms together to Qiao Feng in salute, saying: ''My master Zhiguang has ordered my little self Pozhe to invite Great master Qiao and Miss Ruan to visit our humble temple.'' Seeing that the monk even knew A''Zhu''s surname was Ruan, Qiao Feng was more astonished, so he asked: ''How could you know my surname, master?''


    Monk Pozhe said: ''My master told me that there are a hero surnamed Qiao and a lady surnamed Ruan staying at Qinggai inn in Tiantai county seat and ordered my little self to welcome and conduct you up the mountain. This is Great master Qiao. Where is Miss Ruan then?'' A''Zhu had disguised herself as a middle-aged man therefore monk Pozhe was unable to recognize her and thought that Miss Ruan was not here.


    Qiao Feng asked again: ''We arrived at here yesterday evening. How could your honorable master know about it? Could it be that he really has divination skill?''


    When Pozhe had not yet replied, the innkeeper interposed: ''The old divine monk at Zhiguan Temple has great magical powers, just by performing a quick calculation on his fingers, he already knew that Great master Qiao was gonna come. Needless to say, he can see clearly what are going to happen in 1 day or 2. The old master can predict even the matters of 500 years later with the accuracy as high as 60% or 70% as well.''


    Qiao Feng knew that Zhiguang dashi had a resounding reputation and the ordinary and ignorant people worshiped him, hence he did not talk much, saying: ''Miss Ruan will come later. Please take the 2 of us to your honorable master so that we can pay our respects to him.'' Monk Pozhe said: ''Yes.'' When Qiao Feng wanted to pay the bill for the room and the food, the innkeeper hastily said: ''Great master, you''re a guest of Zhiguan Temple, it''s a great honor for us to have you in this small inn. No matter what, we don''t dare to accept these several Qian (~ 0.4 g) of silver for the rent and food.''


    Qiao Feng said: ''We thank you for your hospitality then.'' Inwardly, he thought: ''Monk Zhiguang is kind to the people so I''ve written off the grudge concerning his murders of my parents. I only hope he''ll agree to reveal the identities of the ''leading big brother'' and the prime villain. Then I''ll be perfectly satisfied.'' Without losing any time, he followed Pozhe to come out of the county seat and go towards Mt Tiantai.


    Mt Tiantai had a beautiful and tranquil landscape but the mountain paths were rather steep, rugged and hard to go along. According to legend, during the Han Dynasty, Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao went into Mt Tiantai by accident and met celestial maidens. Thus it was clear that the landscape here had to be extremely beautiful; but the mountain paths were winding and tortuous, and very hard to recognize. Going behind monk Pozhe, Qiao Feng saw that his footwork was very good, but he obviously did not know martial arts. However, in spite of that, Qiao Feng did not loosen up his caution at all, thinking: ''The opponents already know it''s me, how can they not be on strict guard? Even though monk Zhiguang is a person of high virtue, other people may not think the same as him.''


    Unexpectedly, he had a pleasant and uneventful journey to Zhiguan Temple. Among the cloisters on Mt Tiantai, Guoqing Temple was very famous in the world; in the Sui Dynasty, Zhizhe dashi, an eminent monk, used to stay at this temple and made the Tiantai school of Buddhism greatly flourish; hence it had been an important place of Buddhism for the past several hundred years. However, in wulin, Zhiguan Temple had a more resounding name. At first sight, Qiao Feng noticed that it was merely a common small temple, and most of the plaster and the paint on the outside of the temple had already peeled off. Had it not been for monk Pozhe''s leading, had Qiao Feng and A''Zhu come here by themselves, they would not have believed that this ordinary temple was the famous Zhiguan Temple.


    Monk Pozhe pushed the door of the temple open and said loudly: ''Master, great master Qiao has arrived.''


    There was the voice of Zhiguang, saying: ''Honored guests from afar, this old monk is sorry for being late in welcoming you.'' As he finished, he walked to the door and put his palms together in salute.


    Before seeing Zhiguang, Qiao Feng had always been worried that the prime villain would go ahead of himself and kill the monk. Now seeing Zhiguang with his own eyes, Qiao Feng was at ease. Without delay, he and A''Zhu removed their disguises and met the monk with their real faces. Qiao Feng made a deep bow and said: ''Dashi, I''m deeply sorry for disturbing your serene ascetic life.''


    Zhiguang said: ''That''s fine, that''s fine! Qiao shizhu (almsgiver), originally you''re surnamed Xiao, do you know about it?''


    Qiao Feng''s body trembled. Even though he knew that he himself was a Khitan, he had never known the surname of his father. In this moment, hearing Zhiguang say that his surname was ''Xiao'', he could not help having a cold sweat because he knew that his origin was becoming clear step by step. He immediately bowed, saying: ''My humble self is unfilial, so I come here to entreat dashi (great monk) to advise me.''


    Zhiguang nodded and said: ''Pray be seated.''


    After the 3 of them had sat firmly on the chairs, Pozhe brought tea out. Seeing that the appearances of the 2 had changed and that A''Zhu had turned into a girl, he was exceedingly surprised. However, he did not dare to ask anything due to his master''s presence.


    Zhiguang continued: ''On the stone wall outside of Yanmen Pass, your father left behind a piece of writing, calling himself Xiao Yuanshan. In the writing he called you ''Feng''er.'' We retained your name, but because we entrusted you to Qiao Sanhuai for nurture, you had to go with his surname.''


    Tears streamed down Qiao Feng''s face. He stood up, saying: ''I''ve never known my father''s surname until today. It''s all thanks to dashi''s favor that I know it. Please accept a bow of mine.'' As he finished saying, he bowed down. A''Zhu also stood up.


    Zhiguang put his palms together to return the salute and said: ''How can it be called a favor?''


    The national surname of the Liao Empire was Yelu, and the surname of the empresses of successive Liao dynasties had always been Xiao. Because the Xiao clan had been the clan of empresses from generation to generation, it had had a lot of generals and officials in the imperial courts, and in the Liao Empire it enjoyed great ascendancy. At times, when a Liao emperor was too young, a Xiao empress dowager would assume power and make the clan even more powerful and influential. When Qiao Feng suddenly knew that he himself was from a great Khitan clan, for a period of time all sorts of feelings welled up in his heart, and he was in a trance for a long time. Then he turned to A''Zhu, sighed and said: ''From now on, I''m Xiao Feng, and not Qiao Feng.'' A''Zhu said: ''Yes, Great master Xiao.''


    Zhiguang said: ''Hero Xiao, you''ve most probably seen the words left behind on the stone wall outside of Yanmen Pass, haven''t you?'' Xiao Feng shook his head, saying: ''No, I haven''t. When I arrived at the outside of Yanmen Pass, the words on the stone wall had already been scraped off completely by someone. There was no trace left.''


    Zhiguang gently let out a sigh and said: ''The matter was well in the past, the words on the cliff could be scraped off, but how could these several tens of people be brought back to life?'' He took out from his sleeve a very large piece of cloth, saying: ''Xiao shizhu, this is a rubbing of the writing left behind on the cliff.''


    Xiao Feng trembled with fear, received the large cloth and opened it. He saw that it was made of many rags of clothes stitched together. All the words on the cloth were white hollow ones, the strokes were strange, they looked very similar to Han characters but he did not know a single word. Qiao Feng knew that it was the Khitan language. However, the strokes were powerful and sturdy, looking like saber chops and axe hacks. That day, Zhiguang had said that this piece of writing had been engraved on the rock by his father just before his death. Qiao Feng''s vision could not help getting blurred, and his tears streamed down and fell onto the cloth drop by drop. He said: ''Dashi, could you interpret it please?''


    Zhiguang dashi said: ''At that time, after we had made a rubbing, we asked people who knew the Khitan language inside of Yanmen Pass to explain it. Several people all said the same, so most probably they were correct. Xiao shizhu, this line of words says: ''Feng''er is exactly 1 year old. I and my wife were going to my mother-in-law''s house to attend a banquet. On the way suddenly we encountered the Southern Dynasty''s bandits¡­'''' Hearing to here, Xiao Feng felt an ache in his heart. He heard Zhiguang continue: ''''Things happened quickly, my wife was killed by the bandits, making me lose the desire to live on in the world. My master in martial arts is a Han in the Southern Dynasty, I once took a vow in front of him that I would never kill Han people, but today unexpectedly I''ve killed more than 10 of them. I''m both ashamed and sorrowful; after my death, I won''t have the face to meet my enshi (kind master). - Xiao Yuanshan''s last words.''''


    After Zhiguang finished, Xiao Feng respectfully received the large cloth which had the rubbing, saying: ''These are the last words left behind by my predecessor. Dashi, please bestow it on me.'' Zhiguang said: ''I should respectfully give it to you.''


    Qiao Feng''s mind was in chaos. Thinking of his father''s sorrow at that time, he understood that his father had jumped off the cliff to commit suicide not only because of being grieved at the miserable death of his mother, but also because he had broken a vow by killing many Han people and felt ashamed of it before his school.


    Zhiguang slowly uttered a sigh and said: ''At first we only thought that your father was leading Khitan warriors to Shaolin Monastery to rob sutras. Only after we studied the writing on the stone wall did we know that it was a misunderstanding, a huge mistake. Your father was already determined to commit suicide so there was no reason for him to leave false words to deceive other people before his death. If he had been going to Shaolin Monastery to rob sutras, why was he taking along a lady who didn''t know the least bit of martial arts and was embracing a baby of just over 1 year of age? After the incident, we investigated the source of this news about a Shaolin sutra robbery, it turned out that it came from the mouth of an ignorant absurd person. This person deliberately played a trick on the leading big brother and wanted him to rush thousands of li (1 li = 0.5 km) about to make fun of him.''


    Xiao Feng said: ''Oh, so it was only to play a joke. What happened to this absurd person?''


    Zhiguang said: ''After finding out about the truth, the leading big brother was very angry, but that absurd person had already run away. No one knew his whereabouts. From then on, he has disappeared into thin air. It''s been 30 years since that incident, perhaps he is no more in the world.''


    Qiao Feng said: ''Dashi, thank you very much for letting me know about the cause and the aftermath of this incident, making Xiao Feng become a new man. I only want to ask you about another matter.'' Zhiguang asked: ''Xiao shizhu (almsgiver), what do you want to ask?'' Qiao Feng said: ''Who is this leading big brother after all?''


    Zhiguang said: ''I''ve heard that Xiao shizhu has killed 4 people, Elder Xu of the Beggar Society, Grandpa Tan, Granny Tan and Zhao Qiansun, to investigate this matter, and you''ve killed the whole family of Impartial Judge Shan Zheng then burned the Shan family''s manor to the ground as well. I expected that sooner or later you would come to this place. Please wait for a little while; this old monk is going to show you 1 object.'' As he finished saying he stood up.


    When Qiao Feng was about to explain that he had not killed Elder Xu and the other people, Zhiguang had already turned around then walked into the rear hall.


    After a while, monk Pozhe walked into the parlor and said: ''My master invites the 2 of you to the meditation room to talk.'' Following him, Qiao Feng and A''Zhu passed through an alley which ran in the shade of dense bamboos to arrive at the front of a small house. Monk Pozhe pushed the door open, saying: ''Please!'' Qiao Feng and A''Zhu walked in.


    They saw Zhiguang sitting cross-legged on a bulrush mat. He smiled at Xiao Feng, extended his finger and wrote on the floor. The floor of this small house had not been swept for a long time hence there was a thick layer of dust on it. They saw him write on the dust:


    ''All things are the same; all creatures are equal.


    Sages and animals are treated evenly.


    Han or Khitan is reality and also fantasy.


    Kindness, enmity, honor and disgrace all are mere dust.''


    As he finished writing, he slightly smiled and closed his eyes.


    Looking at the 8 sentences on the floor, Qiao Feng was entranced, thinking: ''From a Buddhist''s viewpoint, not only are humanitarians and villains the same, but there is also no difference between animals, hungry ghosts, emperors and generals, so whether I''m a Han or a Khitan is really not worth mentioning. But I''m not a Buddhist, how can I be detached like this?'' So he said: ''Dashi, in the end who is that leading big brother? Please tell me.'' He asked several times but Zhiguang only smiled without replying.


    When Qiao Feng fixed his eyes on Zhiguang, he could not help but jump out of his skin because he saw that despite having a smiling expression, the monk seemed to be stiff and motionless.


    Qiao Feng called out ''Zhiguang dashi'' a few times but still the monk did not make any movement, hence he stretched out his hand to check his breathing. It turned out the monk''s breathing had already stopped. He had already passed away. Qiao Feng was so sad that he was speechless. He knelt down and bowed several times. Then he waved to A''Zhu, saying: ''Let''s go!''


    The 2 of them quietly went out of Zhiguan Temple. Crestfallen, they returned to Tiantai county seat.


    When they had gone for more than 10 li, Xiao Feng said: ''A''Zhu, I had no intention of harming Zhiguang dashi, he¡­ he¡­ why did he gotta make himself suffer like this?'' A''Zhu said: ''This eminent monk understood the world thoroughly and was greatly enlightened so life and death were the same to him.'' Xiao Feng asked: ''Can you guess why he knew that we were going to Zhiguan Temple?'' A''Zhu replied: ''I think¡­ I think that it''s a deed of that prime villain again.'' Xiao Feng said: ''I think so too. This prime villain told Zhiguang dashi in advance that we were going to find him to take revenge. Zhiguang dashi thought that he wouldn''t be able to escape from my murderous hands so after that conversation with us he immediately took poison to commit suicide.''


    The 2 of them looked at each other and did not say anything for a long while.


    A''Zhu suddenly said: ''Great master Xiao, there''re some undue words that I would like to say, please don''t take offense at them.'' Xiao Feng said: ''Why do you need to stand on this kind of ceremony? Of course I don''t mind them.'' A''Zhu said: ''I think those words that Zhiguang dashi wrote on the floor are very reasonable. ''Han or Khitan is reality and also fantasy. Kindness, enmity, honor and disgrace all are mere dust.'' In fact, it doesn''t matter if you''re a Han or a Khitan. Is there any difference between them? Perhaps you''re already tired of living by the tip of the saber in jianghu. It''d be better to go to the outside of Yanmen Pass to go hunting and do pasture, and from now on pay no attention to the kindness, enmity, honor and disgrace in wulin in the Central Plains.''


    Xiao Feng let out a sigh and said: ''I''m tired of this business which involves struggling for survival on the tips of the sabers already. It''d really be a lot happier to go to the prairies in the North of the Great Wall to gallop on horseback, set free eagles, release dogs, chase rabbits, and from now on have no worry. A''Zhu, will you come to see me after I''ve returned to the North of the Great Wall?''


    A''Zhu blushed and said in a low voice: ''I said ''do pasture'', didn''t I? You''ll gallop on horseback and go hunting, and I''ll put cows and sheep out to pasture.'' As she said to here, she lowered her head.


    Even though Xiao Feng was a straightforward man, he understood clearly the implication of these several sentences of hers; she meant that she wanted to live together with him in the North of the Great Wall for life and would not return to the Central Plains again. Orginally Xiao Feng saved her merely because of the mettle of the moment; only after she went to the outside of Yanmen Pass in pursuit of him then went together with him to Weihui, Tai''an and Tiantai, rushing about thousands of li, did he feel that she was very tender and amiable. At this moment, hearing her express her feelings, he could not help but be moved, so he put out his bulky palm and held her small hand, saying: ''A''Zhu, you treat me so well. Don''t you detest and reject me because of my lowly Khitan origin?''


    A''Zhu replied: ''The Han are human, the Khitan are also human. How can one be high and the other be low? I¡­ I like to be a Khitan, this is my heartfelt desire, there''s not the least bit of constraint imposed on me.'' As she said towards the end, her voice became as low as the buzzing noise of a mosquito and almost inaudible.


    Very happy, Xiao Feng suddenly grabbed her waist and threw her up in the air. While she was falling down, he gently caught her and put her on the ground. Then he looked at her with a smiling expression and said loudly: ''A''Zhu, from now on you''ll follow me to ride on horseback and go hunting, and pasture cattle and sheep. You will never regret this?''


    A''Zhu adopted a stern countenance, saying: ''Even if it was following you to commit murder, arson and robbery, I would never regret it. Even if following you meant to experience various sufferings and all kinds of torments, I would still be glad about it.''


    Xiao Feng said loudly: ''Once I, Xiao Feng, have today; needless to say, I don''t like to be reinstated as the Beggar Society''s Chief; even if they were to ask me to be the emperor, I wouldn''t care either. A''Zhu, let''s go to Xinyang to find Madam Ma. It won''t matter if she is willing to tell us or not. This is the last person that we''re gonna find. After a question, we''re gonna left for the North of the Great Wall to go hunting and pasture cattle and sheep!''


    A''Zhu said: ''Great master Xiao¡­'' Xiao Feng said: ''From today on, don''t call me great master, 2nd master or something. You call me big brother!'' Totally blushed, A''Zhu said in a low voice: ''How can I deserve it?'' Xiao Feng said: ''Are you willing to call me so?'' A''Zhu smiled and said: ''Extremely willing, but I don''t deserve it.'' Xiao Feng laughed and said: ''Now you try calling me so 1 time then.'' A''Zhu softly said: ''Big¡­ big brother!''


    ''Ha-ha,'' Xiao Feng laughed loudly and said: ''That''s right! From now on, I, Xiao Feng, am no longer alone and despised as a lowly barbarian because at least in the world there''s a person¡­ there''s a person¡­'' For the moment, he did not know what he should say.


    A''Zhu continued: ''There''s a person who deeply respects you, admires you, appreciates you, is willing to stay by your side forever and through all eternity to endure misfortunes, humiliations, dangers and tribulations together with you.'' She said very sincerely.


    Xiao Feng let out a long volley of laughs, which echoed throughout the valley. Thinking that A''Zhu had said she would ''endure misfortunes, humiliations, dangers and tribulations together with him'', he felt grateful to her because even though she knew clearly that there would likely be a lot of trials in the future, she was still willing to put up with them with no regret, and so 2 streams of tears rolled down on his cheeks even though he was having a smiling expression.


    The house of the former Vice Chief of the Beggar Society Ma Dayuan was located in Xinyang village, Henan. From Mt Tiantai in Jiangnan to Xinyang, Xiao Feng and A''Zhu would have to travel thousands of li, and this was not a journey that they could finish in 1 day.


    Ever since the 2 of them had opened their hearts to each other on Mt Tiantai, they had found themselves very attached to each other. On the way they rode the horses slowly and saw that the natural scenic views were large, wide and totally charming. A''Zhu was not good at drinking wine but in order to make Xiao Feng happier, she always forced herself to drink several cups of wine with him, which made her loveable face become rosy, making her looked even sweeter. At first, Xiao Feng was full of indignation but thanks to A''Zhu laughing and talking to him, and wittily joking with him nonstop, most of his grief and indignation disappeared. In this northward journey from Jiangnan to the Middle Land (Zhongzhou ¨C ancient name of Henan) his state of mind was very different than it had been when they had been hastening to Shandong from Yanmen Pass. Sometimes Xiao Feng recalled and felt that this thousands-of-li journey was hazy just like a great series of dreams; at first, there had been continuous nightmares, but towards the end, they had become nice dreams; were it not for the delightful loveable little girl A''Zhu at his side, he really would wonder if he was still in a dream.


    One day, they arrived in Guangzhou; it would take them no more than 2 days to reach Xinyang from here. A''Zhu said: ''Big brother, how should we inquire Madam Ma, you think?''


    In the apricot forest and at Juxian Manor those days, Madam Ma''s words and expression had been full of hostility towards Xiao Feng; even though Xiao Feng had been very unhappy at those times, after those incidents he thought that because she had lost her husband and firmly believed that he himself had killed him, it was normal for her to abominate himself, and if she did not hate himself, it would be unreasonable. He also thought that because she was a widow who did not know martial arts, if he threatened her, his hero status would be lost, let alone asking her by force. Hearing A''Zhu ask so, he could not help hesitating and did not know how to reply. After being at a loss for a while, he said: ''I think we''ll have no choice but to ask her amicably and hope that she''ll be reasonable and no longer wrongly accuse me of killing her husband. A''Zhu, it''d be better if you go talk to her. Is that ok? You''re clever in your words and both of you are female. I''m afraid if she sees my face she''ll be full of hatred and everything will immediately come to a standstill.''


    A''Zhu smiled, saying: ''I have a plan, but I''m afraid you''ll think that it''s not good.'' Xiao Feng hastily said: ''What is the plan?'' A''Zhu said: ''You''re a great hero, a real man, so you can''t extort the truth from her. But how about letting me trick her?''


    Xiao Feng happily said: ''It''d be the best if you can trick her into revealing the truth. A''Zhu, you know, days and nights I''ve been hoping that I''ll be able to personally cut the prime murderer of my father to death. I''m a Khitan so his exposure of my true origin was a thing that should be done as it allowed me to know who my ancestors are. I should''ve been very grateful to him. But why did he kill my foster parents? Kill my enshi (kind master)? Force me to harm my friends, bear infamy and become the the enemy of the heroes in the world? If I can''t chop him into pieces, how would I be able to put myself at ease and ride on horseback, go hunting, and pasture cattle and sheep with you for life?'' Towards the end, his voice became louder and louder. For the past few days, his expression was no longer gloomy as before, despite that, however, his hatred towards the prime villain had not yet diminished in the least.


    A''Zhu said: ''This prime villain has maliciously done you so much harm. I only hope that I''ll be able to slash at him several times to help you vent your anger. After capturing him, we''ll also arrange a great banquet for heroes and extraordinary people in the world then explain the injustices you''ve suffered in front of everyone to restore your clear reputation.''


    Xiao Feng sighed and said: ''That''s not necessary. By killing so many people at Juxian Manor, I''ve caused a deep hatred of me in the world''s heroes. And I''m not asking for forgiveness from other people either. I, Xiao Feng, only hope to put a stop to this matter to give myself peace of mind, then I and you will gallop to the North of the Great Wall and become friends with tigers, wolves, cattle and sheep for life and never see these heroes and brave men of the Central Plains again.''


    A''Zhu happily said: ''Thank heavens for that. That''s what I''ve been eager for.'' She smiled, saying: ''Big brother, I wanna disguise as a person and trick Madam Ma into revealing the name of the prime villain.''


    Xiao Feng slapped his thigh and cried: ''Yes! Yes! Why haven''t I thought of this? Nothing can be better than your masterful disguising skill in dealing with this matter. Who do you wanna disguise as?''


    A''Zhu said: ''I would need to ask you about that. When Vice-Chief Ma was still alive, who in the Beggar Society was he friendliest with? I''m gonna disguise as this person. Thinking that this is her husband''s close friend, I think Madam Ma won''t hide the truth.''


    Xiao Feng said: ''Oh, the people closest to Brother Ma in the Beggar Society are Captain Wang, Quan Guanqing and Elder Chen; besides, he had a deep friendship with the Elder of Rule Enforcement Bai Shijing too.'' A''Zhu made a ''hum'' sound and tilted her head to recall the appearances of these people. Xiao Feng continued: ''Unlike me who am fond of drinking and roughhousing, Brother Ma was a calm and prudent man so he rarely drank or talked with me. Quan Guanqing and Bai Shijing have similar personalities to his so they often studied martial arts together.''


    A''Zhu said: ''I don''t know who Captain Wang is. The jute bag of Elder Chen''s is full of poisonous snakes and scorpions. I got goosebumps as soon as I saw it. My disguising skill can''t make me look like him. Quan Guanqing has a very tall frame so it''ll take quite a while to disguise as him. I''m afraid if I stay in Madam Ma''s house for a long time to slowly and tactfully sound her out I''ll give myself away. It''d be better if I disguise as Elder Bai. He talked to me several times at Juxian Manor so imitating him is the easiest.''


    Xiao Feng smiled, saying: ''Elder Bai treated you very well and tried his best to ask Divine Doctor Xue to cure your injury. Wouldn''t it be wrong to disguise as him to deceive other people?''


    A''Zhu laughed and said: ''I''ll disguise as Elder Bai only to do good, and not to do evil or harm his reputation.''


    They immediately disguised in a small inn. A''Zhu changed Xiao Feng into a 5-bag disciple of the Beggar Society who would be considered to be Elder Bai''s attendant. She told him to speak as little as possible for fear that Madam Ma was meticulous and would recognize the flaws. Xiao Feng saw that after disguising herself as Elder Bai, A''Zhu had a frosty face which looked solemn even without being angry. This was really the Elder of Rule Enforcement that was awed by tens of thousand of Beggar Society disciples from the north to the south. Not only did she bear a close resemblance to Bai Shijing, her behavior and words were also exactly the same as those of his. Xiao Feng and Bai Shijing had been friends for almost 10 years, yet he was unable to see any difference between his appearance and A''Zhu''s disguise.


    The 2 of them went to Xinyang. On the way, when Xiao Feng saw Beggar Society disciples, he would use the Society''s argot to talk with them and ask about movements of the leading people of the Society; he also made public that Elder Bai had arrived in Xinyang to let Madam Ma know about their visit in advance. As long as she already had first impressions of it in her mind, even if there were flaws in A''Zhu''s disguise, she would not be able to recognize them.


    Ma Dayuan''s house was in the western suburb of Xinyang and was 30 li (0.5 km) or so away from the city. After asking local Beggar Society disciples about the way to get there, Xiao Feng and A''Zhu went to the Ma family. They deliberately went slowly and stalled; only at dusk did they arrive. During the day, everything could be seen clearly so their disguises might have been recognized easily, but in the evening, everything looked indistinct so it would be easy for them to trick Madam Ma.


    When they arrived at the outside of Ma Dayuan''s house, they saw a brooklet go around 3 small tiled houses. Beside the houses were 2 weeping willow trees, and in front of them was a piece of flat ground which looked like a drying ground of a farmhouse but there was a pit at each of its 4 corners. Very familiar with Ma Dayuan''s martial arts, Xiao Feng knew that Ma Dayuan had normally used these 4 pits to practice his skills. He could not help feeling sad because now they had been separated by life and death. When he was about to knock the door, suddenly there was a grinding noise, the door was opened, and a woman walked out in a full-length white mourning dress. She was Madam Ma.


    Madam Ma cast a glance at Xiao Feng then bowed to A''Zhu in salute, saying: ''Elder Bai''s exalted presence at this humble house is really beyond my expectations. Please come in for some tea.''


    A''Zhu said: ''Dimei (younger sis-in-law), there''s an important matter that I must consult with you so I''ve come here without being invited. Please forgive me.''


    With her whole body being covered in a white mourning dress, Madam Ma''s expression resembled a smile yet she was not smiling and the corners of her mouth had a trace of hidden bitterness. In this moment, the sun which was setting towards the back of the mountains was illuminating her face with a dull yellow light. Meeting her this time, Xiao Feng was not stirred up as two times before. He saw that even though there were vague wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and she was around 35 or 36 and not wearing make-up, her complexion did not seem to be less white and delicate than that of A''Zhu''s.


    The 2 of them immediately followed Madam Ma into the house. They saw that the hall was rather small, there was a table in the center, and on both sides of the table were put 4 chairs so there was very little space left. An aged maid servant brought tea out. Then Madam Ma asked Xiao Feng''s name. A''Zhu conveniently made up a name for him.


    Madam Ma asked: ''Elder Bai, I''m wondering what you want to instruct me in this exalted visit?'' A''Zhu replied: ''Elder Xu passed away in Weihui. Dimei must have heard about it.'' Madam Ma suddenly raised her head. With a strange expression in her eyes, she said: ''Of course I know about it.'' A''Zhu said: ''We all suspect that Qiao Feng killed him. After that, the 3 seniors Grandpa Tan, Granny Tan and Zhao Qiansun were also killed outside the city of Weihui. Then the Shan family of Impartial Judge in Tai''an, Shandong was burned to the ground. Not long ago, while going to Jiangnan to investigate a matter involving a 7-bag disciple that violated the Society''s rules, I received a message on the way that old monk Zhiguang of Zhiguan Temple on Mt Tiantai had suddenly passed away too.'' Madam Ma trembled all over and her face changed color, saying: ''This¡­ This was also done by Qiao Feng?''


    A''Zhu said: ''I personally came to Zhiguan Temple to investigate. Though I couldn''t get any result, it''s 9 out of 10 that it was a deed of this fellow Qiao Feng. I''ve expected that his next step will most likely be troubling you so I''ve hastily come here to advise dimei to take refuge somewhere else for about a year to avoid Qiao Feng''s assault.''


    With tears welling up in her eyes, Madam Ma said: ''Ever since Master Ma was unluckily murdered, it''s become pointless for me to live on in this world. If that fellow surnamed Qiao wants to harm me, he''ll be most welcome. Why the need to seek refuge somewhere else?''


    A''Zhu said: ''Dimei (younger sis-in-law), why do you say that? Brother Ma hasn''t been avenged and the murderer hasn''t been captured. There''s a heavy burden on you. Where''s Brother Ma''s memorial tablet? I should give a bow to him.''


    Madam Ma said: ''I dare not accept the honor.'' But still, she conducted the 2 of them to the rear hall. A''Zhu took a bow first then Xiao Feng respectfully kowtowed to the memorial tablet. Inwardly, he prayed: ''Big brother Ma, if you have supernatural powers after death, today you should induce your wife to say the name of the real murderer so that I can avenge you and get rid of the injustice you suffered.''


    Madam Ma knelt down beside the memorial tablet to return the salute, tears rolling down on her cheeks. After kowtowing, Xiao Feng stood up. He saw that there were several elegiac couplets hung in the mourning hall, among which were the ones presented by Elder Xu and Elder Bai, but the couplet he himself gave her was not hung here. The pieces of white cloth in the mourning hall had accumulated dust, adding to the gloomy atmosphere. Xiao Feng thought: ''Madam Ma has no child, there''s only an aged maid servant beside her every day. It''s really hard for her to pass the time during these lonely days.''


    He heard A''Zhu console her with patronizing but tactful words such as ''Dimei, you should take care of yourself. Brother Ma''s score is everyone''s score. If you have any difficulty, just tell me, I''ll certainly help you.'' He secretly praised: ''This little girl''s imitation is perfect. The Beggar Society''s Chief was expelled, the Vice-Chief is dead, Elder Xu was murdered and the Elder of Merit Propagation was killed by me so Elder Bai now has the most revered position. The tone of a Chief that she uses in conversation really matches her status.'' Madam Ma thanked A''Zhu but her tone sounded very cold. Xiao Feng felt worried. He saw that she was very bored and her expression was desolate, perhaps because her husband had passed away, she no longer had any joy in life. He was afraid that she might commit suicide to follow her husband. This woman had an unyielding temperament so she was capable of anything.


    Madam Ma invited the 2 of them back to the guest hall. Before long, the aged maid servant set the table for dinner. There were 4 dishes, green cabbage, turnip, tofu and cucumber. All were vegetarian dishes. Also, there were 3 bowls of steaming hot cooked rice, but there was no wine. A''Zhu cast a look at Xiao Feng, thinking: ''No wine for you tonight.'' Staying calm and collected, Xiao Feng lifted up a rice bowl and ate. Madam Ma said: ''After my late husband passed away, this widow has become a vegetarian. This isolated residence doesn''t have meat, fish or wine, I''m sorry for treating the 2 of you in this cold manner.'' A''Zhu sighed and said: ''Brother Ma has died and cannot come back to life. Dimei, you don''t need to make yourself suffer.'' Seeing that Madam Ma was so loyal to her deceased husband, Xiao Feng exceedingly respected her.


    After the dinner, Madam Ma said: ''Elder Bai, you came here from afar so I should ask you to stay. But it''s inconvenient for a widow like me. I''m wondering if you still have something to instruct me.'' Her tone hinted that she wanted the guests to leave. A''Zhu said: ''I come to Xinyang this time to advise dimei to leave your house to avoid danger. Do you have any plan?'' Madam Ma let out a sigh and said: ''That fellow Qiao Feng murdered Master Ma. If he comes to kill me, it''ll only be as good as ordering me to follow Master Ma to the Underworld. Even though I''m a weak woman, to tell you the truth, when I''m not afraid of even death, I''m not afraid of anything.'' A''Zhu asked: ''Does that mean dimei is unwilling to take refuge somewhere else?'' Madam Ma replied: ''Elder Bai, thank you very much for your kindness. This little woman is really unwilling to leave Master Ma''s house.''


    A''Zhu said: ''At first I wanted to stay around here for a few days to protect dimei; though I''m definitely no match for that fellow Qiao Feng, in case of emergency, I''d be able to lend a helping hand. But on the way I heard a very important secret message.''


    Madam Ma said: ''Oh, it must be extremely important.'' It goes without saying that women are always very curious, hence when hearing about an important secret, they will certaintly be pleased to know about it even though it may have nothing to do with them; even if they say that they are not interested, their expression will always show that they really want to know. Who could have expected that Madam Ma''s was still indifferent? It looked like it did not matter to her if A''Zhu said it or not because her husband was already dead, thus nothing in the world could stir up her mind. Xiao Feng thought: ''They always compare the heart of a widow to a withered plant or cold ash. That expression is best used with Madam Ma.''


    A''Zhu waved to Xiao Feng, saying: ''You wait for me outside. I have some secrets to tell Madam Ma.''


    Xiao Feng nodded and walked out of the house. He secretly praised A''Zhu''s smartness because he knew that if one wanted other people to reveal their secrets, he must reveal his own secrets first to make them trust him. He understood that A''Zhu dismissed him because she wanted to earn Madam Ma''s trust and to express that this matter was so secret that not even a trusted subordinate was allowed to hear.


    He walked out of the main door. It was dark and quiet outside and he could only hear the vague tinkle coming from the kitchen. The aged maid servant was washing dishes. He immediately went around the corner of the house then squatted down beside the window of the guest hall and held his breath to listen. Even if Madam Ma did not say the name of that man, as long as she revealed some clues, he would still have something to investigate, which would be better than the present when he was totally at a loss. Moreover, this time Elder Bai had shown his kindness first by going thousands of li to give her an alarm, and when he was about to leave, he talked about an important secret matter, he was also the head of the Society so it was unlikely that Madam Ma would hide something from him.


    Only after a long time did he hear Madam Ma sigh softly and ask in a quiet voice: ''You¡­ Why do you come here again?'' Afraid of spoiling the overall situation, Xiao Feng did not dare to rashly stick his head out to look into the guest hall through the window, but he felt surprised: ''What does she mean by this sentence?''


    He heard A''Zhu reply: ''I really heard the message that Qiao Feng wanted to harm you so I come to tell you.'' Madam Ma said: ''Oh, thank you very much for your kindness, Elder Bai.'' A''Zhu lowered her voice and said: ''Dimei, ever since Brother Ma unfortunately passed away, some Elders of our Society have remembered his contributions and wanted to invite you to come out of your seclusion to hold an Elder post.''


    Hearing she say in a very cordial manner, Xiao Feng could not help secretly laughing, but he praised that this was a very good idea because if Madam Ma accepted it, ''Elder Bai'' would immediately become her superior, and then when he asked something, she would not be able to refuse to answer. Even if she did not accept to be an Elder, knowing that the Beggar Society had high regard for her, at the very least she would be happy for a while.


    He heard Madam Ma say: ''What kind of virtue and ability do I have to be an Elder of our Society? I''m not even a disciple of the Society. The post of an Elder is too high for and too far away from me.'' A''Zhu said: ''I and the people such as Elder Wu have done our utmost to recommend you. Everyone said that if Madam Ma also gave some ideas, it''d be much easier to capture Qiao Feng. I also got a very important message that is closely related to the murder of Brother Ma.'' Madam Ma asked: ''Really?'' Her voice still sounded rather indifferent.


    A''Zhu replied: ''That day, at the memorial ceremony for Elder Xu in Weihui city, I met Zhao Qiansun. He mentioned a matter to me, saying that he knew who the real murderer of Brother Ma was.''


    Suddenly there was a bang. A teacup had been broken into pieces. Madam Ma uttered an exclamation then continued saying: ''You¡­ What are you joking about?'' Her voice was extremely angry but it also sounded somewhat panicky.


    A''Zhu said: ''This is a serious important matter, how can I be joking? That Zhao Qiansun really told me in person that he knew who actually killed brother Ma Dayuan. He said that it was definitely not Qiao Feng, nor the Murong Clan of Gusu, but he knew absolutely that it was that another person.''


    Madam Ma said in a quavering voice: ''How could he know? How could he know? You''re talking nonsense. Isn''t it unreasonable?''


    A''Zhu said: ''It''s true. Don''t worry, I''m gonna slowly tell you. Zhao Qiansun said: ''Last year, in the 8th month¡­'''' When she had not yet finished, Madam Ma let out an ''Ah'' sound of exclamation and passed out. A''Zhu hastily cried: ''Dimei, dimei!'' and used force to press on the philtrum between her nose and her upper lip. Madam Ma slowly regained consciousness. She complained: ''You¡­ Why did you need to scare me?''


    A''Zhu said: ''I didn''t scare you. That Zhao Qiansun really said so. It''s a pity he''s already dead. Otherwise, I''d be able to call him here to testify. He said that on the mid-autumn day in the 8th month last year, Grandpa Tan, Granny Tan and that murderer of Brother Ma celebrated the festival together in the house of that ''leading big brother''.''


    Madam Ma uttered a sigh and asked: ''Did he really say so?''


    A''Zhu said: ''Yes. I asked who the real murderer was but he said that it was inconvenient for him to say this person''s name. I went ask Grandpa Tan. He angrily stared at me and didn''t say anything. Granny Tan said that it was totally correct and it was her who told Zhao Qiansun about it. I don''t blame Grandpa Tan for getting angry. He must''ve gotten mad because his wife told Zhao Qiansun everything. And Zhao Qiansun was unwilling to say the name of the murderer because he was afraid that he would get his old lover Granny Tan involved in this.'' Madam Ma asked: ''Oh, so what?''


    A''Zhu said: ''Zhao Qiansun said, everyone suspected that Qiao Feng and Murong Fu killed Brother Ma but let the real murderer go unpunished and walk around at will, if Brother Ma knew about this in the Underworld, he would suffer a wrong and feel bitter about it.'' Madam Ma said: ''Yes, it''s a pity that Zhao Qiansun is already dead. Grandpa Tan and Granny Tan didn''t tell you the truth, did they?'' A''Zhu replied: ''They didn''t. When things have become like this, I have no choice but to go ask the leading big brother.'' Madam Ma said: ''Good. You should go ask him.'' A''Zhu said: ''It''s really laughable to say, but I don''t know who this leading big brother is and where his house is.''


    Madam Ma said: ''Oh, so you''ve beaten around the bush to tactfully ask me about the name of this leading big brother.''


    A''Zhu said: ''If it''s unsuitable, there''s no need for dimei to tell me. I may think of a way to find out about him by myself. Then we''ll find the real murderer and make him pay for his crimes.'' Xiao Feng knew that A''Zhu was pretending that she did not care in order not to make Madam Ma suspect, but still, he could not help feeling exceedingly anxious.


    He heard Madam Ma say indifferently: ''The name of this leading big brother certainly must be concealed from other people so that Qiao Feng wouldn''t know about it and find him to avenge his parents'' deaths. But Elder Bai is on our own side, why should I hide it from you? He is¡­'' She lowered her voice while saying the words ''He is'', then became silent.


    Xiao Feng seemed to be able to hear even his own heartbeats but all along he did not hear Madam Ma say the name of that ''leading big brother''. After a long time, he heard her softly sigh and and say: ''The Moon in the sky is so round, and so bright.'' Xiao Feng knew clearly that the sky was being shrouded in dark clouds and there was no Moon, but he still looked up, thinking: ''Today is the 2nd day of the month, even if there was a Moon, in no way would it be round. What does she mean by saying those words?'' He heard A''Zhu say: ''On the 15th day, the Moon will naturally be both round and bright. Alas, but too bad brother Ma won''t be able to see it again.'' Madam Ma said: ''You like to eat salty moon cakes or sugary ones?'' Xiao Feng found this even stranger, thinking: ''After the death of her husband, Madam Ma''s mind has become somewhat dim.'' A''Zhu said: ''We''re beggars, how can we be picky in eating moon cakes? If we couldn''t find the real murderer and settle this big score for Brother Ma, not to mention moon cakes, even dainties of every kind wouldn''t taste any good.''


    Madam Ma remained silent, after a long while, she coldly said: ''Elder Bai wholeheartedly only wants to find the real murderer and avenge his brother Ma Dayuan. That makes this little woman feel very grateful.'' A''Zhu said: ''It is what a person in my position should do. Who among the tens of thousands of the Beggar Society disciples doesn''t think of settling this score?'' Madam Ma said: ''This leading big brother has a revered position and a great reputation, and he can mobilize tens of thousands of people with a word. What he likes the most is sheltering his friends. If you go ask him who the real murderer is, he''ll be unwilling to say regardless.''


    Xiao Feng felt happy in his heart, thinking: ''Come what may, it''s been a worthwhile trip to us. Even if Madam Ma doesn''t say the name of that person, basing on this ''¡­ has a revered position and a great reputation, and he can mobilize tens of thousands of people with a word'' sentence, I can always guess who he is. How many people are there in wulin having this kind of status?''


    While he was pondering about who this man was, he heard A''Zhu say: ''Previously, in wulin, the Beggar Society''s Chief could mobilize tens of thousands of people with a word. Oh, there''re Shaolin disciples all over the world so the Abbot of Shaolin School can mobilize tens of thousands of people with a word too¡­'' Madam Ma said: ''You don''t need to guess carelessly. I''m gonna give you another clue. You must go southwest.'' A''Zhu muttered to herself: ''Go southwest? Does the southwest have any VIP? It seems not.''


    Madam Ma extended her finger and with a ''pai'' sound she tore the window''s paper, the hole was just above the top of Xiao Feng''s head. He heard her follow that by saying: ''This little woman doesn''t know martial arts. But Elder Bai, you must know who is the best at this skill under Heaven.'' A''Zhu said: ''Oh, this is an acupuncture point blocking skill, isn''t it? The Diamond Finger of Shaolin School and the Soul Seizing Finger of the Zheng family in Cangzhou, Hebei are the most formidable ones.''


    Xiao Feng cried in his mind: ''Wrong, wrong! Among acupuncture point blocking skills, the Purely Yang Finger of the Duan Clan in Dali is the number 1 under Heaven. Besides, she said the southwest.''


    Sure enough, he heard Madam Ma say: ''Elder Bai is experienced and knowledgeable, how could you not guess correctly? Could it be that after your journey you''ve become so fatigued and woozy that you''ve forgotten even the famous Purely Yang Finger?'' He tone was rather derisive.


    A''Zhu said: ''Of course I know about the Purely Yang Finger of the Duan family, but the Duan Clan is the sovereign imperial clan in Dali, they haven''t had any contact with the wulin of the Central Plains for a long time. If you say that there''s a connection between the leading big brother and them, it must be a false rumor.''


    Madam Ma said: ''The Duan Clan has royal authority in Dali, but there''s not only 1 person in the clan. The people who are not the Emperor have often visited the Central Plains. This leading big brother is the younger full brother of the current emperor of Dali. His surname is Duan, and given name Zhengchun. He was conferred on with the title the South-Stabilizing Prince.''


    Hearing Madam Ma say the 3 words ''Duan Zhengchun'', Xiao Feng could not help shaking all over because finally he already knew the name which for the past several months he had rushed about thousands of li and tried his best to find out about.


    He heard A''Zhu say: ''This Prince Duan has a revered status and a lot of power, how could he take part in the fighting and killings in Jianghu?'' Madam Ma said: ''Of course Prince Duan disdains to get involved in the common fighting and killings in Jianghu. But if it was an important matter that was related to the rise or fall, the existence or disappearance of Dali, do you think he would concern himself with it or not?'' A''Zhu replied: ''Sure he would take part in it.'' Madam Ma said: ''I heard Elder Xu said: Great Song is the northern wall of Dali, once the Khitan destroys Great Song, the 2nd step would be nothing but swallowing up Dali. Because Great Song and Dali are closely related and mutually dependent like the lips and teeth, Dali is definitely unwilling to let Great Song be ruined at the hands of the Liao Empire.'' A''Zhu said: ''Yes, your words are correct.''


    Madam Ma said: ''Elder Xu said, that year, this Prince Duan was being a guest at the headquarters of the Beggar Society. While he and Chief Wang were drinking and discussing martial arts with each other, suddenly they heard that Khitan warriors were coming to Shaolin in great force to rob sutras. Because of his sense of honor, Prince Duan couldn''t refuse to lead everybody and rush to the outside of Yanmen Pass to intercept them. In name, this deed of his was for the sake of Great Song, but in fact it was for the sake of Dali. I heard that at that time this Prince Duan was still young but he excelled in martial arts and was very benevolent and righteous. In Dali, he is below only one person and above all the others; he uses money as if it is dirt; other people don''t need to open their mouths, he can conveniently give his friends hundreds or thousands of taels of silver. If he hadn''t led the martial arts users of the Central Plains then who, you think, would have? Someday in the future he''d become the Emperor of Dali. With such exalted status, and the others being ordinary people, how could they order him about?''


    A''Zhu said: ''So the leading big brother is the South-Stabilizing Prince of Dali, and everyone would rather die than say his name only to protect him.'' Madam Ma said: ''Elder Bai, you must not tell this secret to the 2nd person. Prince Duan and our Society have a deep friendship, if this information leaks out, there''ll be a huge disaster. The Duan Clan wields great power in a region and is very formidable, but if Qiao Feng deliberately seeks revenge and waits in the dark for 8 or 10 years, it''ll be hard for Duan Zhengchun to deal with him.''


    A''Zhu said: ''Dimei, you''re right. I''ll keep my mouth shut like a bottle and in no way reveal it.'' Madam Ma said: ''Elder Bai, it''d be best if you take an oath, so that I can be at ease.'' A''Zhu said: ''All right. If Bai Shijing tells anyone else that Duan Zhengchun is the ''leading big brother'', Bai Shijing shall suffer the disaster of ten thousand cuts and lose all reputation and become the laughing stock for the whole world.'' Her oath sounded very serious but in fact she was very crafty and pushed everything to ''Bai Shijing''; the person who would suffer 10,000 cuts was Bai Shijing, the person who would lose all reputation was Bai Shijing, and it had nothing to do with A''Zhu herself.


    Hearing that, Madam Ma seemed to be very pleased, saying: ''This''s good.''


    A''Zhu said: ''Then I''ll go to Dali to pay a visit to the South-Stabilizing Prince then indirectly mention last year''s Mid-Autumn Festival and ask about who were in his mansion at that time, then we''ll be able to find out who really murdered Brother Ma. But at the moment I still firmly believe that it''s Qiao Feng. Zhao Qiansun, Grandpa Tan and Granny Tan are 3 dimwits. Their words aren''t very dependable.''


    Madam Ma said: ''Elder Bai, I beg of you find out the truth about the murderer.'' A''Zhu said: ''Brother Ma and I are just like full brothers. I''m certainly gonna do my utmost.'' Her tears dripping down, Madam Ma said: ''Elder Bai is so serious about friendship. If my late husband could know about this in the Underworld, he would certainly be very grateful.'' A''Zhu said: ''Dimei (younger sis-in-law), you take care of yourself. I take my leave.'' After bidding farewell, she immediately went out. Madam Ma said: ''This little woman is a widow so it''s unsuitable for me to see you off far. Elder Bai, please forgive me.'' A''Zhu said: ''That''s fine, that''s fine. Dimei doesn''t need to stand on ceremony.''


    After getting to the outside, A''Zhu saw Xiao Feng standing in waiting in the distance. The 2 of them exchanged a look then, silent as the grave, went straight along the road.


    The crescent new moon shone on the road leading back to Xinyang. The 2 of them went side by side. Only after going 10 li (0.5 km) or so did Xiao Feng let out a long breath and say: ''A''Zhu, thank you very much.''


    A''Zhu smiled indifferently and did not say anything. Even though her face was full of wrinkles, and she was in disguise as Bai Shijing, from the look in her eyes, Xiao Feng still sensed that her mind was being filled with worries. He asked: ''Today we''re highly successful, why aren''t you happy?''


    A''Zhu replied: ''I''m thinking that the Duan Clan in Dali has many people and great power, if you go there to get revenge by yourself, it''d be extremely dangerous.''


    Xiao Feng said: ''Oh, so you''re worrying about me. Don''t worry. I''m in the dark and he''s in the light. If I can''t get revenge in 3 to 5 years, then just like what Madam Ma said, I''ll wait for 8 to 10 years. There''ll be 1 day when I''ll chop Duan Zhengchun into 17 or 18 pieces to feed dogs.'' Saying to here, he could not help but grind his teeth, showing all the enmity that filled his bosom.


    A''Zhu said: ''Big brother, you must be careful.'' Xiao Feng said: ''Of course I will. It''s not important if I die, but if I can''t avenge the deaths of my parents, I won''t be able to die with my eyes closed.'' He slowly stretched out his hand and pulled her hand, saying: ''If I die at the hands of Duan Zhengchun, who will pasture cattle and sheep with you outside Yanmen Pass?''


    A''Zhu said: ''Alas, I''m always very worried, and I feel that there''s something wrong in this matter. That Madam Ma, that¡­ Madam Ma, she looks so pure and noble, but when I saw her, somehow I felt scared and disgusted by her.''


    Xiao Feng laughed and said: ''That woman is very smart and capable. You were afraid that she''d discover that you were in disguise so it was unavoidable that you felt scared.''


    After the 2 of them had returned to the inn in Xinyang, Xiao Feng immediately ordered 10 Jin (600 g) of wine to carouse to his heart''s content. He continuously calculated in his mind how to get revenge. Thinking of the Duan Clan in Dali, he involuntarily recalled the new sworn brother Duan Yu and could not help shivering with fear. In a trance, he raised the wine bowl but did not drink, and the expression on his face greatly changed.


    Thinking that he had detected something, A''Zhu looked around, but she did not see anything unusual so she asked in a low voice: ''Big brother, what''s wrong?'' Startled, Xiao Feng said: ''No¡­ nothing.'' Then he raised the wine bowl and tossed it off. When the wine reached his throat, suddenly he chocked and coughed, and spewed wine onto the clothes that covered his chest. His drinking capacity was rare in the world and his internal energy was profound so chocking while drinking was something that had never happened. A''Zhu was secretly worried but it was unsuitable for her to ask much.


    She did not know that while drinking Xiao Feng suddenly remembered the drinking contest between himself and Duan Yu in Wuxi city that day during which the opponent had used the high-level internal energy of the ''6 Meridians Divine Sword'' to force the wine out through the fingers. Xiao Feng himself knew that he could not match this kind of extraordinary skill and internal energy. Duan Yu obviously did not understand martial arts yet his internal energy was already so unusual. As the leader of the Duan Clan in Dali, that big enemy Duan Zhengchun had to be 10 times as good as Duan Yu, and so how could Xiao Feng get revenge for the deaths of his parents? He did not know the adventures through which Duan Yu had coincidentally obtained his extraordinary skills and absorbed the internal energies of other people. In terms of internal energy alone, Duan Yu was already many times better than his father. As for the ''6 Meridians Divine Sword'', at the present time, no one other than Duan Yu was capable of using them all. Both Xiao Feng and A''Zhu knew Duan Yu very well, but Duan was the national surname of Dali, just like the surname Zhao in Great Song, the national surname Li of Western Xia, and the national surname Yelu of Liao, hence there were tens of thousands of people with this surname, Duan Yu had never mentioned that he was a prince of Dali, and thus Xiao Feng and A''Zhu did not expect that he was a descendant of the Emperor.


    Even though A''Zhu did not know what Xiao Feng was thinking in detail, she guessed that he was worrying about how to get revenge, so she said: ''Big brother, getting revenge is an important matter and can''t be done in one day. We should plan before taking action. Even if the enemies are numerous and we are few, if we can''t win by force, don''t tell me that we can''t win by wits.''


    Xiao Feng was happy, thinking that A''Zhu was sharp and crafty, really a great assistant, he immediately poured a bowl of wine, tossed it off and said: ''I won''t live under the same sky with the enemy that killed my parents. To settle this score, there''s no need to care about any custom and morality in Jianghu, and any means is usable regardless of its viciousness. That''s right, if it''s impossible to win by force, we''ll beat him by strategy.''


    A''Zhu continued: ''Big brother, besides your parents, you must also avenge your foster parents Old Master Qiao and Old Madam Qiao, and your master Venerable (from now on I''m gonna translate dashi as Venerable) Xuan Ku.''


    Xiao Feng held out his hand and gave the table a hit, saying loudly: ''Yes, there''s not only 1 score, but many.''


    A''Zhu said: ''When you learned martial arts from Venerable Xuan Ku in the past, you must have been still young, so you haven''t learned all the profound internal energy techniques of Shaolin School. Otherwise, even if the Purely Yang Finger of the Duan Clan in Dali was more formidable, it wouldn''t necessarily be superior to the ''Muscle Changing Sutra'' (Yijin Jing) by Damo the Old Ancestor of Shaolin School. I once heard Old Master Murong discuss martial arts in the world, and he said that the most fearsome skill of the Duan Clan in Dali was not the Purely Yang Finger but something called ''6 Meridians Divine Sword''.''


    Xiao Feng frowned, saying: ''Yes, Master Murong is a wizard in wulin, his words are really insightful. What I was worried about just now was not the Purely Yang Finger, but this 6 Meridians Divine Sword.''


    A''Zhu said: ''That day, while Old Master Murong and Mister Murong were discussing martial arts in the world, I stood on one side to pour tea and heard several sentences. Old Master Murong said: ''Each of the 72 elite skills of Shaolin School has its own excellence, but to defeat the enemy and win the battle, only 1 skill is already enough, there''s no need to use 72 skills.''''


    Xiao Feng nodded, saying: ''What Senior Murong discussed is very true.'' A''Zhu continued: ''At that time, Mister Murong said: ''Yes, jiumu (maternal uncle''s wife) Wang and biaomei (younger female cousin with different surname) like to boast that they know many martial arts in the world, but what''s the use of being a jack of all trades and master of none?'' Old Master Murong said: ''Speaking of the word ''master'', it''s easier said than done. In fact the only truly elite skill of Shaolin School is the ''Muscle Changing Sutra''. As long as this sutra is successfully practiced, any skill, no matter how ordinary it is, can become a marvel from rubbish in the hands of the user.''''


    When a user had a good basis and a powerful internal energy, they would be able to unleash enormous power despite using only ordinary stances. Xiao Feng certainly understood this matter deeply. That day when he fought the heroes at Juxian Manor, using just the ''Founder''s Long Fist'', a set of martial arts that was known to everyone, he was able to battle many heroes and brave fellows in the world and make all the first-class experts there helplessly admire him. Now, after hearing A''Zhu relate Master Murong''s words, he could not refrain from drinking 2 big bowls of wine continuously and saying: ''He understood my heart, he understood my heart. It''s a pity Master Murong already passed away. Otherwise, I''d definitely go to his manor to meet this wizard of the world.''


    A''Zhu smiled charmingly, saying: ''When Old Master Murong was still alive, he never met any stranger, but you''d certainly be an exception.'' Xiao Feng raised his head and smiled, knowing that the words ''you''d certainly be an exception'' meant to say: ''You''re my intimate darling so Master Murong naturally would regard you with special respect.'' Seeing the look in his eyes, A''Zhu could not refrain from lowering her head. Her cheeks reddened, but in her young heart, she secretly felt happy.


    Xiao Feng drank another bowl of wine and asked: ''Old Master Murong wasn''t very old when he passed away, was he?'' A''Zhu replied: ''Around 50 years old. He couldn''t be considered old.'' Xiao Feng said: ''Oh, with his profound internal energy, the age of 50 was when his martial arts reached the peak of perfection. How could he suddenly pass away?'' A''Zhu shook her head, saying: ''The Old Master died from some illness. All of us didn''t know anything. He died very fast. In the morning he suddenly fell ill, and in the evening, the Young Master wailed loudly and came out to tell everyone that the Old Master had died.''


    Xiao Feng said: ''Oh, I wonder what the violent illness he suffered is. What a pity, what a pity. What a pity Divine Docter Xue wasn''t around there at that time. Otherwise, you should''ve invited him at any rate, and he would''ve been able to save Master Murong''s life.'' He had never been acquainted with the father and son of the Murong Clan, but after hearing other people mention their words, deeds and natures, he could not help but rather admire them. A''Zhu''s connection with them made him feel closer to them and value them even more.


    A''Zhu continued: ''That day Old Master Murong discussed the ''Muscle Changing Sutra'' with the Young Master. He said: ''I''ve never seen the ''Muscle Changing Sutra'' created by Damo the Old Ancestor, but judging from the way of martial arts, the great reputation that Shaolin School has enjoyed should come from this ''Muscle Changing Sutra.'' It''s impossible to say that those 72 elite skills are not formidable, but it can''t be said that you can become the leader of the world in martial arts thanks to them.'' The Old Master specially warned the Young Master that he weren''t allowed to be overconfident about the martial arts that had been handed down by their ancestors and to make light of Shaolin disciples, because when there was already this sutra in the monastery, maybe the talented bright monks would be able to master it.''


    Xiao Feng nodded in approval, thinking: ''The Murong Clan of Gusu is famous in the whole world, yet they aren''t arrogant. This is hard to come by.''


    A''Zhu said: ''The Old Master also said that all his life he had looked at almost all martial arts under heaven but it was a pity he had never seen the sword manual of the 6 Meridians Divine Sword of the Duan Clan in Dali and the ''Muscle Changing Sutra'' of Shaolin School, and that was unavoidably a great regret of his life. Big brother, Old Master Murong already mentioned these 2 martial arts in the same breath, guessing from this, if you want to deal with the 6 Meridians Divine Sword of the Duan Clan in Dali, it seems you must start with the ''Muscle Changing Sutra'' of Shaolin School. If we can steal the ''Muscle Changing Sutra'' from the Bodhi Institute of Shaolin Monastery and put effort in practicing it for several years, then I think we wouldn''t need to be worried about that 6 Meridians Divine Sword or 7 Meridians Demonic Saber.'' As she said to here, her expression resembled a smile yet she was not smiling.


    Xiao Feng rose, laughing and saying: ''Little imp¡­ You¡­ It turns out you¡­''


    A''Zhu laughed and said: ''Big brother, at first I stole this sutra to give the Young Master, after reading it he would incinerate it in front of the Old Master''s grave to fulfill his father''s desire. Now I give it to you.'' As she finished, she took out an oilcloth packet and put it in Xiao Feng''s hand.


    That night, Xiao Feng saw with his own eyes that she disguised as monk Zhi Qing and stole the sutra from the copper mirror in the Bodhi Institute, but he could never have expected that it was the secret internal energy manual ''Muscle Changing Sutra'' of Shaolin School. When A''Zhu was captured by the extraordinary fellows at Juxian Manor, thinking that she was a female, they did not search her body; as for the high-level Shaolin monks such as Xuan Ji and Xuan Nan, even in their dreams, they could never have expected that the lost sutra of their monastery was on her body.


    Xiao Feng shook his head and said: ''You took a huge risk and narrowly escaped death to steal this sutra from Shaolin Monastery with the original intention of giving it to Mister Murong. How can I seize it for myself?''


    A''Zhu said: ''Big brother, you''re wrong about this.'' Xiao Feng asked in surprise: ''How can I be wrong?'' A''Zhu said: ''I stole this sutra all on my own and not because I received an order from Mister Murong. I can give it to anyone. Moreover, after you''ve read it, it still won''t be late for us to give it to Mister Murong. You bear an absolutely irreconcilable grudge against the murderer of your parents. To get revenge, one can do any sinister, cruel, despicable or dirty thing. Why are you still fussy about borrowing a sutra to have a look?''


    Hearing these words, Xiao Feng was awestruck and startled. He made a deep bow to her, saying: ''Xianmei (literally ''virtuous younger sis'', affectionately calling a younger sis), you''re right in criticizing me. How can a person who''s dealing with important matters keep worrying about trivial things?''


    A''Zhu puckered her lips and smiled, saying: ''As a Shaolin disciple, it''s only reasonable for you to use Shaolin martial arts to avenge your enshi (kind master) Venerable Xuan Ku. What''s wrong about it?''


    Xiao Feng continuously commended her. He felt both grateful to her and happy. Wasting no time, he opened the oilcloth packet, and saw a booklet whose paper had turned yellow. There were several sinuous bizarre characters written on the cover of the booklet. He cried inwardly: ''No good!'' When he turned to the 1st page, he saw that it was filled with words, but these words were crooked. Some had the shape of a circle, some had the shape of a hook, and he did not know any of them.


    ''A''yo,'' uttered A''Zhu, and said: ''So it''s totally in Sanskrit. What bad luck. I originally wanted to burn the sutra as a sacrifice to the Old Master. As a maid, I shouldn''t read it before that, that''s why after the sutra came to my hands, I''ve never dared to open and take a look at it. Alas, no wonder those monks let me steal their secret martial arts manual without paying any attention. It turns out no one understands the sutra¡­'' As she finished, she let out a deep sigh, sounding exceedingly dispirited.


    Xiao Feng consoled her: ''There''s no need to worry too much about gain and loss.'' Then he put the ''Muscle Changing Sutra'' back into the packet and returned it to A''Zhu.


    A''Zhu said: ''Isn''t it the same if you keep it? Don''t tell me that there''s still difference between us?''


    Xiao Feng smiled and put the packet in his bosom. He poured another big bowl of wine. When he was about to drink again, suddenly he heard footsteps outside the door, then someone snarled loudly. Slightly surprised, Xiao Feng rushed out of the door. He saw a big fellow who was covered with blood from head to toe on the main street. The fellow was holding 2 broad axes and was brandishing them up and down chaotically.

 Chapter - 22 A Pair of Starry Eyes.

    The big fellow had a thick beard and a very powerful appearance, but the look in his eyes was chaotic and he was behaving like crazy. Obviously this was a madman. Xiao Feng saw that the pair of broad axes in his hands seemed to be made of pure steel and very heavy. When the man separated them, brought them together, attacked and defended with them, his movements were rather disciplined, and the defense at his front was excellent and strict, just like the style of a master. Xiao Feng was acquainted with very many people of wulin in the Central Plains but he did not know this big fellow. He thought: ''This big fellow''s skill in using axes is very outstanding. How come I''ve never heard of such a man?''


    That man brandished his broad axes faster and faster, and repeatedly roared loudly: ''Quick, quick, quickly go and report to our Lord that the enemy has come.''


    He was standing at a place where there were roads on all sides and was chopping horizontally and hacking vertically with his 2 shining axes so passersby certainly stayed away from him. Who dared come near him? Xiao Feng saw that he was having a hysterical expression and kept executing move after move with the axes. Gradually, he no longer had enough strength, but he desperately continued and only shouted: ''Brother Fu, quickly retreat! Don''t care about me. It''s important to report to our Lord.''


    Xiao Feng thought: ''This man loyally protects his Lord. He''s a brave man. But losing energy like this, he''ll certainly suffer very serious internal injuries.'' He walked up to that big fellow at once and said: ''Old chap, can I treat you to a cup of wine?''


    The big fellow glowered at Xiao Feng then all of a sudden he shouted: ''Prime villain, don''t harm my Lord!'' As he finished, he raised the axes and brought them down towards Xiao Feng''s head. Seeing that Xiao Feng was in an extremely dangerous situation, all the bystanders cried ''A''yo.''


    Hearing the words ''prime villain'' Xiao Feng was also startled: ''I and A''Zhu are looking for the prime villain to get revenge. So the enemy of this man is also a prime villain. Even though he calls him the prime villain, that man may not necessarily be the one that I and A''Zhu call the prime villain. Anyway, I''m gonna save him first then talk later.'' He immediately moved straight forward and stretched out his hand to block an acupuncture point on the part of the ribs around his waist.


    Unexpectedly, even though this man had lost sanity, his martial arts remained intact, so he turned the axe in his right hand around and tried to hit Xiao Feng directly in the lower abdomen with the handle. This move was very effective and clever. Were Xiao Feng not very many times better than the man in martial arts, he would be hit by him. He immediately stretched out his left hand, grabbed the handle of the axe and snatched it. Already very weary, how could that big fellow withstand that? His whole body shook, and at once he threw himself on Xiao Feng. Who would have expected that he would disregard his own life and want to perish together with his adversary?


    Xiao Feng moved his right arm over and gripped that man. He slightly exerted his power and rendered him immobile. All of the idle men who were watching for fun on the street applauded when they saw Xiao Feng subdue the madman. Half dragging, half carrying, Xiao Feng took that big fellow in the main hall of the inn. He pushed him down on a seat and said: ''Old chap, drink first and talk later!'' Then he ordered the bartender to fetch wine.


    That big fellow fixed his eyes on Xiao Feng. Only after a good while did he ask: ''You¡­ Are you a good person or a villain?''


    Xiao Feng was startled, not knowing what to reply.


    A''Zhu laughed and said: ''Of course he''s a good person. I''m a good person too. And you''re also a good person. We''re friends. We''ll go fight the prime villain together.'' The big fellow stared at her for a while then stared at Xiao Feng for a while. It seemed he both believed and did not believe them. After a short while, he said: ''That¡­ That prime villain?'' A''Zhu continued: ''We''re friends, let''s fight the prime villain together!''


    That big fellow suddenly rose and said loudly: ''No, no! The prime villain is very formidable. Quick, quickly go report to the Lord and ask him to think of a way to hide. I''m gonna hold back the prime villain and you''re gonna report.'' As he finished speaking, he rose and grabbed the broad axes.


    Xiao Feng stretched out his hand and pressed down on the man''s shoulder, saying: ''Old chap, the prime villain hasn''t come. Who''s your Lord? Where is he?''


    The big fellow shouted loudly: ''Prime villain, come here, come here, come here, your father''s gonna fight you 300 bouts. Don''t you dare harm our Lord?!''


    Xiao Feng and A''Zhu exchanged a look, both being at the end of their wits. A''Zhu suddenly said loudly: ''A''yo, no good. Let''s quickly go report to our Lord. Where is the Lord? Where has he gone to? We mustn''t let the prime villain find him.''


    The big fellow said: ''Yes, yes, you go report. He''s gone to the Square Bamboo Forest by the Little Mirror Lake. You¡­ You quickly go the Square Bamboo Forest by the Little Mirror Lake to report to the Lord. Go, go!'' As he finished, he urged continuously, looking very anxious.


    While Xiao Feng and A''Zhu were still uncertain about their plan, suddenly the bartender said: ''Go to the Little Mirror Lake? It''s not gonna be a short journey.'' Hearing that there was really a place with the name ''Little Mirror Lake'', Xiao Feng hurriedly asked: ''Where is it? How far is it from here?'' That bartender replied: ''If you ask other people, they may not necessarily know. Luckily for you, you''ve asked me, the very right person. I''m a man from the area around the Little Mirror Lake. This is really as coincidental as you can get. You''re totally lucky!''


    Hearing him babbling on about irrelevant subjects, Xiao Feng stretched out his hand, gave the table a hit and said loudly: ''Quickly say, quickly say!'' The bartender at first wanted to mooch a tip before saying, but after being thus frightened by Xiao Feng, he no longer dared keep other people guessing, saying: ''This master is so impatient, ha-ha, if it were not for you meeting me by chance, even if you were more impatient, it''d still be useless, right?'' He wanted to make some complaints, but seeing that Xiao Feng was not having a nice expression, he said: ''The Little Mirror Lake is to the northwest of here. First you go straight west. After going 7 and a half li (0.5 km), you''ll see around 10 big willow trees. 4 trees each row. There''re 4 rows in total. One times 4 equals 4. Two times 4 equals 8. Three times 4 equals 12. Four times 4 equals 16. There''re 16 willow trees altogether. Then you quickly go north. After going 9 and a half li, you''ll see a big bluestone bridge. You mustn''t cross the bridge. It''ll be a mistake if you cross it. I say you can''t cross the bridge but you''ll need to cross a bridge. But you can''t cross that big bluestone bridge on the left-hand side. You must cross the small wooden bridge on the right-hand side. After crossing the small bridge, you go west for a while then go north for a while then go northwest for a while. In short, it won''t go wrong if you follow that footpath. Going like this for 21 and a half li, you''ll see a big lake that looks like a mirror. It''s the Little Mirror Lake. To get there from here, everyone says that it''s 40 li, but in fact it''s only 38 and a half li. It''s less than 40 li.''


    Xiao Feng was able to repress his temper to hear the bartender say till the end. A''Zhu said: ''This big brother said so clearly and plainly. One li is one coin. At first I wanted to give you 40 coins, but it''d be a little bit wrong. How about not giving you? But I must give you. One times 8 equals 8. Two times 8 equals 16. Three times 8 equals 24. Four times 8 equals 32. Five times 8 equals 40. 40 li of road minus 1.5 li should be 38.5 li,'' then she counted out 39 coins and ground the last coin on the blade of an axe, creating an imprint. Next she pressed it with 2 of her fingers. With a snap, the coin was broken in half. Then she gave the bartender 38.5 coins.


    Xiao Feng could not help laughing, thinking: ''This young girl is always up to mischief whenever she''s got a chance.''


    The big fellow was still glaring at them and repeatedly urged: ''Go report, quick. There''s no time for delay. The prime villain is very formidable.'' Xiao Feng asked: ''Who''s your Lord?'' The big fellow mumbled: ''My Lord¡­ my Lord¡­ he¡­. I mustn''t tell other people where he is. You''d better not go.'' Xiao Feng said loudly: ''What''s your surname?'' The big fellow replied thoughtlessly: ''My surname is Gu. A''yo, My surname isn''t Gu.''


    Xiao Feng became suspicious: ''Could it be that this man is playing some trick and deliberately lures me into going to the Little Mirror Lake? Why is he both surnamed Gu and not surnamed Gu?'' He had another thought: ''If the enemy sends him to trick me into going, I''ll most welcome it. I''m about to go find him. Even if the Little Mirror Lake is as dangerous as a dragon''s pool or a tiger''s den, what''s there for me to fear?'' He turned to A''Zhu and said: ''Let''s go to the Little Mirror Lake to have a look and see if something happens. If this brother''s Lord is there, I think we''ll find him.''


    That bartender cut in: ''There''s only a wilderness around the Little Mirror Lake, nothing to see. If you two want to go sightseeing and widen your knowledge, I guarantee that the pavilions, terraces and towers in the gardens of the rich families here will greatly expand your horizons¡­'' Xiao Feng waved his hand and told him to stop blabbering on. Then he turned to the big fellow and said: ''Old chap, you''re very tired, just rest here a little. I''m gonna report to your honored Lord on your behalf that the prime villain will come in no time.''


    That big fellow said: ''Thanks a lot, thanks a lot! I, Gu, sincerely appreciate it. I''ll stop the prime villain. I mustn''t let him pass.'' As he finished, he stood up and stretched out his hands to lift the broad axes, but his strength had been used up and his 2 arms were numb and aching, so after taking fast hold of the handles, he was unable to lift the axes up.


    ''Have a rest, old chap,'' said Xiao Feng. After paying for the wine and the rent, he and A''Zhu went out of the door. Following the words of the bartender, they went westward along the main road. After going 7 or 8 li, as expected, they saw 4 rows of trees on the roadside. There were 16 big willow trees in total. A''Zhu laughed and said: ''That bartender is talkative, but there''re good things in his garrulousness. Like this, we definitely won''t go wrong, right? Oh, who''s there?''


    She extended her finger and pointed to a willow tree. A peasant was sitting under the tree by leaning against it. His feet were being immersed in the muddy water in the ditch beside the tree. This should be just a common scene in the countryside, but one side of the peasant''s face was being covered with blood, and on his shoulder was resting a glittering staff which was made of refined copper and did not seem to be light.


    Xiao Feng walked up to that peasant and noticed that he was breathing heavily. Obviously he had suffered serious internal injuries. Xiao Feng came straight to the point, asking: ''Big brother, a broad-axe wielding friend entrusted us with the mission of going to the Little Mirror Lake and delivering a message. May I ask if the Little Mirror Lake is on this side?'' That peasant raised his head, asking: ''Is the broad-axe wielding friend dead or alive?'' Xiao Feng replied: ''He only exhausted his power. There''s no big problem.'' The peasant let out a sigh of relief and said: ''Thank Heavens and Earth. You two please go north. I''ll definitely never forget this kindness of delivering the message.'' Judging from the way the peasant talked, Xiao Feng knew that he was no common peasant in the countryside, so he asked: ''May I ask you respected surname? What is the broad-axe wielding friend to you?'' That peasant replied: ''My surname is Fu. Sir, please go quickly to the Little Mirror Lake. That prime villain already rushed past here. It''s a shame that I couldn''t hold him back.''


    Xiao Feng thought: ''This man''s serious injury really isn''t false. If this is the enemy''s plan to trick me, he must''ve spent a big amount of money.'' Seeing the honest appearance of the man, Xiao Feng took a liking to him. He said: ''Big brother Fu, your injury is serious. What weapon did the prime villain use to harm you?'' That man replied: ''It''s an iron staff.''


    Seeing fresh blood oozing unceasingly from his chest, Xiao Feng unfastened his clothes to take a look. He saw a hole in the man''s chest. Even though the hole was not bigger than a fingertip, it was very deep. Xiao Feng extended his finger and blocked several important acupuncture points around the wound to help the peasant stop bleeding and reduce his pain. A''Zhu torn the front of his robe and bandage his wound.


    That man with the surname Fu said: ''I can''t repay you two for this great debt of gratitude with words. I only hope you would go to the Little Mirror Lake as quickly as possible and report to my humble Lord.'' Xiao Feng asked: ''What''s the name of your honored Lord? How does he look like?''


    That man said: ''Sir, when you reach the side of the Little Mirror Lake, you''ll see a bamboo forest to the west of it. All the bamboo trees are square. There''re several bamboo houses in the forest. Please call out some words from the outside of the houses: ''The number 1 villain under Heaven has come. Hide quickly!'' That''ll be okay. It''d be best if you don''t enter the houses. As for the name of my humble Lord, someday in the future I, Fu, will certainly inform you.''


    Xiao Feng thought: ''Who''s the number 1 villain under Heaven? Could it be that he''s Duan Yanqing of the ''4 Arch-Villains''? Judging from the words of this man, obviously he''s unwilling to say so there''s no need to ask him more.'' However, this time he was no longer on the alert. He thought: ''If the enemies want to trick me into advancing, of course every sentence would sound reasonable. They definitely wouldn''t make me suspect. This man hesitates in speech and is unwilling to say the truth so he doesn''t have any ill will.'' He then said: ''Alright. I''m gonna follow your instructions.'' That big fellow struggled to crawl up then knelt down to express his gratitude.


    Xiao Feng said: ''You and I feel like old friends at the 1st meeting. Brother Fu doesn''t need to be excessively courteous.'' He raised the man up with his right hand. Then he gave his own face a wipe with his left hand, removing the make-up, and met him with his true face, saying: ''I''m Xiao Feng, a Khitan. We''ll meet again some day.'' Without waiting for the man to say anything, he held A''Zhu''s hand and went with quick steps.


    A''Zhu asked: ''So we don''t need to disguise and make up anymore?'' Xiao Feng replied: ''I don''t know why, but I like this straightforward big fellow very much. I wanted to make friend with him, so I couldn''t meet him with a false face.''


    A''Zhu said: ''Alright, I''m gonna revert to wearing female clothes as well.'' She went to the side of a brook and hurriedly washed the make-up off her face. Then she took off her hat, revealing her black hair, and removed her baggy robe, showing the original female clothes inside.


    The 2 of them went 9.5 li without taking a break. They saw a lofty bluestone bridge in the distance. When they came near the bridge, they only saw a scholar bending down on the surface of it. This man had spread a large sheet of white paper on the bridge, and using the bluestone of the bridge as inkstone he had prepared a big puddle of ink. The scholar was holding the brush in his hand and was writing on the paper. Xiao Feng and A''Zhu found it strange. Who could have expected that someone would take paper, ink, brush and inkstone to a bridge in the wilderness to write?


    Only when they got near him did they see that he really was not writing, but drawing. What he was drawing was the scenery around. The small bridge, the running water, the old trees and the distant mountains all could be found in the picture. He was bending down on the bridge and was not facing Xiao Feng and A''Zhu, but what strange was that the scenery in the picture was obviously directed towards the 2 of them. They saw that every stroke of his was executed in the opposite way to normal and he was drawing contrariwise.


    Xiao Feng did not understand painting and calligraphy at all but A''Zhu had lived in Mister Murong''s home for a long time and had seen a great many excellent works of painting and calligraphy. She saw that even though the ''inverse drawing technique'' of that scholar could not be considered superb, it was really hard to draw in reverse like this. When she was about to go forwards to ask him several sentences, Xiao Feng lightly pulled a corner of her gown, shook his head and walk towards the small bridge on the left-hand side.


    That scholar asked: ''Why didn''t you two pay any attention when seeing me drawing in reverse? Could it be that this trifling skill of mine has defiled the eyes of you two?'' A''Zhu replied: ''Confucius did not take a seat on an askew mat and did not eat irregular meat. An upright gentleman doesn''t see ''inverse drawing''.'' ''Ha-ha!'' That man loudly laughed and withdrew the sheet of white paper, saying: ''Right on, please cross the bridge.''


    Xiao Feng had already guessed what the scholar''s intentions were. He had spread the sheet of white paper on the bridge to catch other people''s eyes. Firstly, he wanted to delay them. And secondly, he wanted to make what was false look like the true one, deliberately tricking other people into crossing the bluestone bridge. So Xiao Feng said: ''We want to go to the Little Mirror Lake. If we stepped on the bluestone bridge, we would go the wrong way.'' That scholar said: ''If you follow the bluestone bridge, it''ll merely be going around in a circle. After going an extra 50 or 60 li, you''ll still arrive. The 2 of you had better go up the bluestone bridge.'' Xiao Feng said: ''When everything is all right, why go an extra 50 or 60 li?'' That scholar laughed and said: ''More haste and less speed. Could it be that you don''t understand the reason behind this sentence?''


    A''Zhu also realized that this scholar was intentionally delaying them. She stopped bothering herself with him and immediately stepped on the wooden bridge. Xiao Feng followed her. When the 2 of them got to the middle of the bridge, suddenly they felt that the board of the bridge under their feet was rather weak, with ka-la-la sounds it snapped, and their bodies fell downwards the river. Xiao Feng stretched out his left hand and gripped A''Zhu''s body by the waist. His right foot slightly pressed on the board. Thus making use of it, he leaped forward and arrived at the other shore. After that, he sent a palm attack backwards in case the enemy sneakily attacked from behind.


    ''Ha-ha,'' the scholar laughed loudly and said: ''Good skill, good skill! Why are you two quickly going to the Little Mirror Lake?''


    Noticing that there was panic in his laughter, Xiao Feng thought: ''This man looks handsome and refined, yet he''s on the prime villain''s side.'' He paid no attention to him and went forwards with A''Zhu without delay.


    After going several zhang (1 zhang = 3.333 m), he heard footsteps at his back and turned his head around to take a look. It was none other than the scholar who was catching up from behind. Xiao Feng turned around and asked with a darkened face: ''Sir, what do you want to instruct me?'' That scholar replied: ''I also want to go to the Little Mirror Lake. It just so happens that I and you two have the same journey.'' Xiao Feng said: ''This can''t be better,'' then put his left hand on A''Zhu''s waist. Raising his internal energy, he took her along and went as if floating. His movements were really smooth and noiseless and did not stir up even light dust. The scholar quickly rushed after Xiao Feng but the distance between them became farther and farther. Seeing that his martial arts were mediocre, Xiao Feng did not care about him anymore. He continued raising his internal energy and going as if floating. Even though he was taking A''Zhu along, he was still much faster than the scholar. Within the time to finish a meal, Xiao Feng already left the scholar far behind himself and did not see any trace of him anymore.


    After crossing the small wooden bridge, the path became very narrow. Sometimes the grass was as high as the waist and it was very hard to recognize the path. If the bartender had not said clearly, Xiao Feng would really have had a hard time finding this path. After going for less than 1 hour, he saw a clear lake. Xiao Feng slowed down and went up to the lake. He saw that its water was blue like jade and its surface was calm like a mirror. It was really worthy of the 3 words the ''Little Mirror Lake.''


    When Xiao Feng was about to look for the Square Bamboo Forest, suddenly he heard 2 sounds of chuckling in a thicket of flowers on the left of the lake, then a stone flew out. Looking in the flying direction of the stone, Xiao Feng saw a fisherman who was wearing a large bamboo hat and was fishing beside the lake. His fishing rod had just lifted up a black carp when that stone arrived. Without the least bit of inaccuracy, the stone hit the fishing line squarely. A ''chi'' sound was heard, the fishing line was broken in two and the black carp fell back into the lake.


    Xiao Feng was secretly startled: ''The power of this person''s hand is very strange. The fishing line is soft and isn''t affected by blunt force. There''s nothing unusual if missiles such as flying knife and sleeve-hidden arrow are used to cut it off. But obviously it was a round stone. Who could have expected that the fishing line would be broken? This person''s Yin soft skill in using missiles definitely doesn''t belong to the Central Plains.'' The person who had thrown the stone did not seem to possess high-level martial arts, but they had an air of intense evil. It was simply an unorthodox technique. Xiao Feng thought: ''This is probably a subordinate of that prime villain. Judging from the laughter, this person seems to be a young girl.''


    That fisherman was also startled when his fishing line was broken. He said loudly and clearly: ''Who played a trick on surnamed Chu me? Please show yourself.''


    With several se-se sounds, the thicket of flowers was split apart and a young girl came out. She was dressed in all-purple clothes and was only 15 or 16 years old. Compared to A''Zhu, she was still younger by a few years. She had a pair of big shiny black eyes and her face was full of mischievousness. As soon as she saw A''Zhu, she ignored the fisherman, skipped up to her, pulled her hand, laughed and said: ''This zizi (older sister) will be very pretty when grown-up. I like you very much!'' She sounded somewhat tongue-tied when saying, and her pronunciation was not correct, just like a foreigner who had just started to learn the language of the Central Plains.


    Seeing that the young girl was lively and innocent, A''Zhu laughed and said: ''It''s just you who''ll be pretty when grown-up. I like you even more.'' A''Zhu had lived in Gusu for a long time, and now she was saying in Mandarin of the Middle Land (Henan). Therefore, even though she sounded gentle and lovely, her pronunciation was also not very accurate.


    The fisherman at first was about to get mad. But seeing that the young girl was so lively and lovely, the anger that was filling his bosom disappeared. He said: ''This girl is so naughty. But the technique that you used to break the fishing line is very good.''


    That young girl said: ''What''s so interesting about angling? It''s boring to death. If you wanna eat fish, wouldn''t using this fishing rod to jab at the fish be better?'' As she finished, she received the fishing rod in the hand of the fisherman and conveniently gave the water a poke. The tip of the fishing rod pierced through the abdomen of a fish. When the fishing rod was lifted up, the fish was still writhing and twisting. From the wound, fresh blood fell into the green water drop after drop. The red and the green served as foils to each other, looking bright and beautiful, but there was also cruelty in the beauty of the colors.


    Xiao Feng saw that when she executed this convenient poke, first her right hand slightly bent to the left, then drew a small arc and thrust out from the right side. This move was rather clever and undoubtedly pleasing to the eye. However, if she used it to attack and defend when facing an enemy, she would be a little late. Xiao Feng was really unable to guess what school or family possessed this martial arts technique.


    That young girl continuously lifted the rod up and thrust it down. She pierced through 6 black carps and white fish in a row, creating a chain of fish on the rod. Then she gave it a shake, flinging all the fish into the lake. With a displeased expression on his face, the fisherman said: ''You''re a very young girl, yet you act so cruelly. If you want to catch fish, then that''s fine. But you stabbed dead the fish not for food. Why did you kill them for no reason?''


    The young girl clapped her hands, laughed and said: ''I like killing for no reason. What do you wanna do?'' Then she exerted herself to break the fishing rod in two with both hands. Unexpectedly, this fishing rod was very tough and firm, and the young girl was unable to bend it. That fisherman sneered: ''You want to snap my fishing rod? It''s not so easy.'' That young girl pointed to the back of the fisherman, saying: ''Who''s coming?''


    The fisherman turned his head around to have a look, but he saw no one. Knowing that he had been fooled, he hastily turned his head back, but he was already a little late. He only saw his fishing rod fly off more than 10 zhang (3.333 m) then, with a ''chi'' sound, pass into the center of the lake and disappear without a trace at once. Furious, the fisherman shouted loudly: ''Where are you from, brat?'' and stretched out his hand and to grab her shoulder.


    The young girl laughed and said: ''Help me! Help me!'' and hid at the back of Xiao Feng. The fisherman jinked sideways to come and catch her. His movements were light and neat. In a glance, Xiao Feng saw that there was an object in the hand of the young girl''s. It seemed to be a transparent cloth and was indistinct. Xiao Feng did not know what it was. The fisherman rushed at her, but somehow he suddenly slipped and threw himself on the ground. After that, his body became a heap. Only now was Xiao Feng able to see clearly that what the young girl was having in her hand was a sheet of exceedingly thin silk fishing net. The silk threads were as thin as hair, and they were also transparent, yet they were exceptionally tough and pliable. Moreover, when they came into contact with something, they immediately contracted. In the fishing net, the more the fisherman struggled, the tighter it became. In a short while, he become a cylindrical glutinous rice cake and was wrapped around by the net to the point of being immovable.


    The fisherman cursed loudly and severely: ''Brat, what dirty trick are you playing? What are you plotting by using evil techniques to capture me like this?''


    Inwardly, Xiao Feng was astonished. He knew that the girl really was not using any evil technique, but this fishing net was rather evil indeed.


    The fisherman kept cursing loudly. That young girl laughed and said: ''If you curse another sentence, I''ll hit you in the buttocks.'' The fisherman was startled and stopped talking at once. His face has swollen to a deep red.


    At that time, in the west of the lake, someone said from a distance: ''Brother Chu, what happened?'' Then a person went out along the lakeside path with quick steps. Xiao Feng saw that this man had a rectangular face and was between 40 and 50 years old. He was mighty in appearance, but was wearing rather rakish and informal attire consisting of a light robe and a loose belt.


    This man came near. Seeing the fisherman being bound, he was very surprised, so he asked: ''What happened?'' The fisherman replied: ''This little girl used evil techniques¡­'' The middle-aged man turned his head and looked at A''Zhu. That young girl laughed and said: ''Not her. It''s me!'' The middle-aged man uttered an exclamation of doubt then stooped down, lifted the huge body of the fisherman up and stretched out his hand to pull at the fishing net. Who would have known that the threads of the net had a very strange nature? The more force he used to pull, the tighter the fishing net became. And so, no matter what the middle-aged man did, he was unable to untie it.


    That young girl laughed and said: ''If you say to me ''Miss, I''ve lost to you!'' 3 times in a row, I''ll set him free.'' The middle-aged man said: ''You have offended my brother Chu. This won''t have any good result.'' The young girl said laughingly: ''Really? I just don''t want any good result. The worse the result is, the more interesting it will be.''


    The middle-aged man held out his left hand to grab her shoulder. The young girl suddenly slightly fell back and jinked towards one side to dodge. Unexpectedly, even though her movements were fast, that man was even faster. He slightly lowered his hand and caught her shoulder.


    The young girl tilted her shoulder to get rid of his power, but the left palm of this middle-aged man seemed to have been firmly fixed to her shoulder. The young girl scolded in a sulky voice: ''Let go of me!'' She waved her fist to hit him, but before the fist had gone 1 chi (33.33 cm), her arm became powerless and drooped down weakly. Very astonished, the girl cried: ''What evil technique are you using? Quickly let go of me.'' The middle-aged man smiled, saying: ''If you say ''Master, I''ve lost to you'' 3 times in a row then untie the fishing net around my brother''s body, I''ll let you go.'' The young girl said angrily: ''You''ve offended me. This won''t have any good result.'' The middle-aged man smiled, saying: ''The worse the result it, the more interesting it will be.''


    The young girl again exerted all her strength to struggle, but she was unable to get free, and contrary to her expectations, her whole body ached and became weak. Even her feet did not have any strength. She laughed and said: ''How shameless. You can only copy other people''s words. Alright, I''m gonna say to you. ''Master, I''ve lost to you! Master, I''ve lost to you! Master, I''ve lost to you!'''' She did not pronounce the syllable ''m?s'' of the word ''master'' clearly and pronounced it as ''b?s'' instead, therefore it sounded like she said ''Bastard, I''ve lost to you (The 2 words in the original are ÏÈÉú - xian1sheng5 - master, and ÐóÉú - chu4sheng5 - beast).'' The middle-aged man did not notice it. He raised his palm and let go of her shoulder, saying: ''Untie the fishing net, quick.''


    The young girl laughed and said: ''This can''t be easier.'' Then she went to the side of the fisherman and bent down to untie the fishing net around him. She slightly raised her left hand at the opening of the sleeve and a dark green flash was fired at the middle-aged man.


    ''Ah,'' A''Zhu cried in fear because she saw that the missile firing technique of the young girl was very vicious. Moreover, the girl and the middle-aged man were just a small distance apart so it appeared that it was impossible for the missiles to miss him. But Xiao Feng only smiled slightly. Seeing that this middle-aged man tamed the young girl as soon as he showed his skill, Xiao Feng knew clearly that his internal energy was profound and his martial arts were excellent, therefore these petty missiles naturally would not be able to harm him. Sure enough, the middle-aged man swung the sleeve of his robe and sent out a stream of internal energy which pushed all the cluster of green thin needles aside. The needles then stuck in the mud beside the lake, one after another.


    Seeing the color of the thin needles, the middle-aged man knew at once that they had been suffused with an extremely fierce poison. As soon as this poison got into the blood of a victim, their throat would be blocked and they would die instantly. This was the 1st time he and she had met each other, and there was no enmity between them, why did she use such a vicious move? The man got angry and wanted to teach this kid a lesson. He waved his right sleeve. The force of the sleeve contained his palm force. With a ''hu'' sound, the body of that young girl was lifted up, and with a ''pu'' sound, she fell into the lake. Following that, the man slightly pressed the tips of his feet on the ground and jumped onto a rowboat under a willow tree. Holding the oars and pushing it several times, he reached the place where that young girl had just fallen down. Now, he only waited for her to emerge to grab her hair and lift her up.


    But when that young girl fell into the water, she only uttered an ''A''yo!'' sound. After she had fallen into the lake, no trace of her could be seen at this point. Naturally, when a person is drowning, they will definitely emerge and submerge a few times, and only after drinking water to the full will they no longer resurface. However, that young girl was like a big piece of stone, and thus she sank without rising. The middle-aged man waited for a short while, but all along the girl did not rise to the surface.


    The more the man waited, the more worried he became. In fact he had no intention of harming her. It was just that seeing that she was very young yet her actions were so malicious, he wanted to discipline her once. If she was drowned, he would feel deeply sorry for her. That fisherman had excellent skills in swimming, so he should have been able to get into the water and save her. Unfortunately, he was being wrapped around by the fishing net and thus being unable to move. Both Xiao Feng and A''Zhu did not know how to swim so they did not know what to do either. They heard the middle-aged man call loudly: ''A''Xing, A''Xing! Come out, quick!''


    From a distant bamboo thicket, the calls of a woman were heard: ''What happened? I won''t come out!''


    Xiao Feng thought: ''This woman''s voice sounds flirtatious. But it has 3/10s of stubbornness. I''m afraid she''s the naughty type. She, A''Zhu and the young girl that fell into the lake would be like the legs of a tripod cauldron.''


    That middle-aged man called: ''There''s a drowning person. Quickly come to the rescue.'' That woman called: ''Were you drowned?'' The middle-aged man called: ''Don''t joke. If I were drowned, how can I be talking to you? Quickly come to the rescue!'' That woman called: ''If you were drowned, I''d come to save you instantly. But if someone else is drowned, I''d love to see and have a jolly time!'' The middle-aged man asked: ''Will you come or not?'' and repeatedly stamped his feet at the prow of the boat, looking exceedingly anxious. That woman said: ''If that''s a man, I''ll save him at once. But if that''s a woman, even if 100 women died, I''d only clap my hands and cheer. I definitely won''t save her.'' The voice sounded closer and closer. In a short while, she already got to the side of the lake.


    Xiao Feng and A''Zhu looked at her and saw that she was wearing a greenish swimsuit which clung to her body, making her delicate waist become more obvious. She had a pair of big shiny black eyes which were brilliant and sparkling like stars. The look in her eyes was very lively and nimble. It seemed as if with a pair of eyes alone she was already capable of speech. The woman was beautiful, and the corners of her mouth resembled a smile without smiling. She was around 35 or 36 years old. When Xiao Feng had heard her voice and tone before, he had only thought that she had been 21 or 22 years old at most. He could never have expected that she would be a woman who was not very young at all. The swimsuit on her body was worn neatly. Perhaps when hearing that middle-aged man call her to the rescue, she had at once changed clothes. And while she had been teasing him, making him worried, she had changed clothes very fast.


    Seeing that she had come, the middle-aged man was totally happy, saying: ''A''Xing, quick, quick, I accidentally threw her into the lake. I could never have expected that she wouldn''t resurface.'' That beautiful woman said: ''I''m gonna ask clearly first. If that''s a man, I''ll save him right away. But if that''s a woman, then you''d better not say anything.''


    Both Xiao Feng and A''Zhu found this very strange, thinking: ''There''re women who are unwilling to get into the water to save men to avoid embracing or getting entangled with them underwater, thus losing their own dignity. Why is this woman the exact opposite, only saving men and not women?''


    The middle-aged man stamped his feet, saying: ''Oh dear! She''s just a 14 or 15 year old little girl. Don''t be suspicious.'' The beautiful woman said: ''Humph, a little girl, so what? To a man like you, a 14 or 15 year old little girl and a 70 or 80 year old aged woman both will be¡­'' She at first wanted to say ''both will be accepted'', but in a glance, she saw Xiao Feng and A''Zhu, so she slightly blushed and stretched out her hand and covered her own mouth, and the word ''accepted'' was withdrawn at once, but her eyes were filled with amusement.


    The middle-aged man took a deep bow at the prow of the boat, saying: ''A''Xing, please save her quickly. I''ll follow everything that you say.'' That beautiful woman asked: ''You''ll really follow me in everything?'' The middle-aged man hastily replied: ''Yes. Oh, this little girl hasn''t resurfaced. Could it be that she has really died¡­?'' The beautiful woman said: ''If I ask you to stay here forever, will you also follow me?'' An awkward expression appeared on the face of the middle-aged man. He said: ''This¡­ this¡­'' The beautiful woman said: ''Even if you said without keeping your words and only sweet talked to make me happy for a short while, it''d be good enough for me. Yet you''re unwilling to do even such a thing.'' When she said to here, her eyes reddened and her voice was somewhat choked with emotion.


    Xiao Feng and A''Zhu looked at each other. Both of them found this strange. This man and this woman were no longer young, but their words and actions were the same as those of passionate young lovers. Also, they did not look like a husband and a wife, especially that woman, for in front of strangers she was still showing no restraint in conversation, and while the life of a stranger was hanging by a thread, she was still talking about these matters of no urgency.


    The middle-aged man let out a sigh and rowed the rowboat back, saying: ''Forget it, forget it. There''s no need to save her. This little girl used poisonous missiles to sneakily attack me. She deserves to die. Let''s go back!''


    That woman tilted her head, saying: ''Why no need to save her? I''ll still save her. She shot missiles at you, right? That''s very good. Why didn''t she shoot you dead? What a pity, what a pity!'' She giggled then suddenly jumped up and plunged into the lake. Her skills in swimming were really outstanding. With a soft ''chi'' sound, and without causing water to fly up into the air, she got to the bottom of the lake. After that, a ''ka-la'' sound was heard when the surface of the lake disintegrated. The beautiful woman was already holding that purple-gowned young girl in her hands and her head emerged from the water. The middle-aged man exulted. He hastily rowed the rowboat back to pick them up.


    After the middle-aged man had come near the beautiful woman, he stretched out his hands to receive the purple-gowned young girl. Seeing that her eyes were closing tightly and that she did not seem to be breathing, he could not help having a concerned expression. The beautiful woman shouted: ''Don''t touch her. You''re a lady-killer, very unreliable.'' The middle-aged man feigned anger, saying: ''Nonsense. In my life, I''ve never been a lady-killer.''


    The beautiful woman uttered a sound of sneering, then holding the young girl in her hands, she jumped in the boat. She laughed and said: ''Right, right. You''ve never been a lady-killer, and you''re only fond of very ugly women like Wuyan, Mo Mu (2 very ugly women according to legend). A''yo¡­'' She touched that young girl''s chest, and to her surprise, she immediately noticed that the girl''s heart had already stopped beating. Needless to say, her breathing had ceased for a long time. But her belly was not bulging so obviously she had not drunk much water.


    Familiar with swimming, the beautiful woman at first had thought that being under water for such a little while would not kill the girl. Never could she have expected that this young girl was physically delicate and would die. She could not help looking rather apologetic. She carried the young girl in her arms and disembarked, saying: ''Quick, quick! We must find a way to save her!'' Then, carrying the young girl, she ran very quickly towards the bamboo forest.


    The middle-aged man bent down, lifted the fisherman up then turned to Xiao Feng and said: ''Brother, may I ask your exalted name, and the noble purpose of your arrival at this place?''


    Seeing that he had a natural and graceful bearing and that despite the young girl''s tragic death, he was still so imperturbable, Xiao Feng secretly admired him. He replied: ''I am Xiao Feng, a Khitan. I was entrusted by 2 friends with the task of going to here to pass on a message.''


    Of course there was no one in Jianghu who did not know the name Qiao Feng, but he already knew his real surname so at this moment he called himself Xiao Feng, and adding the 2 words ''a Khitan'', he had stated his own origin straight out. The middle-aged man was undoubtedly very unfamiliar with the name Xiao Feng. Hearing the words ''a Khitan'', he was not surprised in the least either. He asked: ''Who are the 2 friends that requested brother Xiao to do this? And what is the message that you are delivering?'' Xiao Feng replied: ''One wields a pair of broad axes. The other wields a copper staff and calls himself surnamed Fu. Both of them are injured¡­''


    Frightened, the middle-aged man asked: ''How are the injuries of these two? Where are they now? Brother Xiao, these 2 people are my close brothers. Sorry to trouble you, but could you give me directions? I¡­ I¡­ must go save them at once.'' The fisherman said: ''Please take me with you.'' Seeing that they valued righteousness, Xiao Feng admired them in his heart, saying: ''The injuries of these 2 people are serious but their lives ain''t in danger. They''re being in the town over there¡­'' That middle-aged man took a deep bow, saying: ''Thank you very much! Thank you very much!'' Then, without saying anymore, he lifted the fisherman up and started to go towards the path along which Xiao Feng had come.


    Right at this moment, they heard the calls of that beautiful woman coming from the inside of the bamboo forest: ''Quickly come here, quickly come here. You come and see¡­ see what this is!'' Her voice sounded exceptionally panic-stricken.


    The middle-aged man stopped going. While he was hesitating, suddenly he saw a man quickly running towards them on the path and calling: ''My Lord, did someone come to make trouble?'' He was none other than the scholar who had drawn in reverse on the bluestone bridge. Xiao Feng thought: ''I thought he was trying to stop me from passing on the message. But it turns out he and those broad axe user and copper staff user are on the same side. The person that they call ''the Lord'' is this middle-aged man, then.''


    At this moment, the scholar had already noticed Xiao Feng and A''Zhu. Seeing the 2 of them standing beside the middle-aged man, he could not refrain from being startled. When he came near them, seeing that the fisherman was being bound, he was both shocked and angry. He asked: ''What¡­ what happened?''


    They heard the voice of the beautiful woman inside the bamboo forest become more panic-stricken: ''Why haven''t you come? A''yo, I¡­ I¡­''


    That middle-aged man said: ''I go have a look.'' Then he lifted the fisherman up and walked quickly towards the bamboo forest. As soon as he moved, anyone could see at once that he had an extraordinary internal energy. His steps were light and long, yet they were exceptionally fast. Xiao Feng put one hand on A''Zhu''s waist then he went alongside him at an appropriate speed. The middle-aged man cast a look at Xiao Feng. An admiring expression was visible on his face.


    They arrived at the bamboo forest in an instant. Sure enough, each of the bamboo trees was square. After going several zhang (3.333 m) into the bamboo forest, they saw 3 small houses with bamboo roofs. The structure of the houses was very delicate.


    Hearing footsteps, the beautiful woman rushed out, crying: ''You¡­ you quickly come and see. What is this?'' She was holding a gold lock in her hand.


    Xiao Feng saw that this gold lock was a common piece of jewelry for women and there was nothing special or unusual about it. That day, when A''Zhu was injured, Xiao Feng took vulnerary out from her bosom and saw a gold lock which looked almost the same as this lock. Unexpectedly, when the middle-aged man looked at the gold lock several times, his face changed colors greatly at once. He asked in a quavering voice: ''Where¡­ where did you get this?''


    The beautiful woman replied: ''I took it from her neck. I once drew a mark on their left shoulders. You¡­ you go and see yourself¡­'' As she finished, she wept without being able to make any sound.


    The middle-aged man quickly rushed into the house. A''Zhu also slightly shook her body and rushed in. She was even a step ahead of the beautiful woman. Xiao Feng followed behind that woman to go straight to the inner room. He saw that it was the bedchamber of a woman with delicate and elegant furnishings. Xiao Feng had no time to scan but he saw that purple-gowned young girl lying flat on the bed, stiff and motionless. She was already dead.


    The middle-aged man pulled the sleeve of the young girl up and looked carefully at her shoulder. After taking a look, he immediately pulled the sleeve down. Xiao Feng was standing at his back so he did not see what the mark on the shoulder of the young girl was. He only saw that the back of the middle-aged man was continuously trembling. Obviously his mind was in a state of extreme discomposure.


    The beautiful woman grabbed the middle-aged man''s robe and wept, saying: ''She''s your own daughter, yet you killed her with your own hands. You didn''t bring her up yet you killed her¡­ You¡­ you''re such a heartless father¡­''


    Xiao Feng was very astonished: ''What? This young girl is their daughter? Ah, that''s right. Probably not long after giving birth to this young girl, they put her under a fosterage elsewhere. Both this gold lock and the mark on the left shoulder are the marks of identification that her parents left her.'' Suddenly he saw tears streaming down A''Zhu''s face and her body shaking slightly and leaning towards the bed.


    Xiao Feng was frightened. He hurriedly held out his hand to support her. When he stooped down, he saw the eyeballs of the young girl lying on the bed slightly move. She already closed her eyes but the movements of her eyeballs could still be seen behind the eyelids. Caring about A''Zhu, Xiao Feng only asked: ''What''s wrong?'' A''Zhu stood up straight, wiped the tears and said with a forced laugh: ''I saw that this¡­ this girl had an unfortunate tragic death so I feel sorry for her.''


    Xiao Feng stretched out his hand and felt the pulse of the young girl. That beautiful woman wept, saying: ''The heart already stopped. The breathing has already gone too. You can''t save her life.'' Xiao Feng slightly channeled his internal energy, pushed it on the wrist of the young girl then immediately loosened his grip. He felt an opposing stream of internal energy emerge in the body of that young girl. Obviously she was channeling her internal energy to resist.


    ''Ha-ha,'' Xiao Feng laughed loudly and said: ''It''s really rare to see such a naughty girl in the world.'' That beautiful woman said angrily: ''Who are you? Quickly get out of here! My daughter has died. What nonsense are you talking here?'' Xiao Feng laughed and said: ''What if I can bring your dead daughter back to life?'' Then he stretched out his hand and thrust at an acupuncture point on the waist of the young girl.


    This finger attack hit the ''Jingmen acupuncture point'' on the waist of the young girl. This point is at the end of the last rib of the human body. Xiao Feng passed his internal energy into the acupuncture point, immediately making the girl feel unbearably tingly and itchy. Unable to endure that, the young girl jumped up on the bed, giggled in a lovely manner and reached for Xiao Feng''s shoulder with her left hand to support herself.


    Seeing the girl come back to life from death, all the people in the room were both surprised and happy. The middle-aged man laughed and said: ''So you scared me¡­'' The beautiful woman smiled though tears and cried: ''My miserable daughter!'' and expanded her arms to embrace her.


    Unexpectedly, Xiao Feng hit the young girl with the back of his hand, sending her falling. After that, he held out his hand, grabbed her left wrist, sneered and said: ''So young, yet so vicious!''


    The beautiful woman cried: ''Why did you hit my daughter?'' If she had not had regard for Xiao Feng''s status as the person who had ''revived'' her daughter, she would have fought him at once.


    After grabbing her wrist, Xiao Feng turned her palm over, saying: ''Please see.''


    Everyone saw that the young girl was holding a glistening green thin needle in a space between her fingers. At first sight, they already knew that the needle had been suffused with an intense poison. Pretending to reach for Xiao Feng''s shoulder to support herself, she wanted to stick this thin needle in his body. Fortunately, he had sharp eyes and was nimble, therefore he was not caught in her snare, but it was really an extremely dangerous situation.


    This palm attack only made one cheek of the young girl''s swell up considerably. Xiao Feng certainly did not use all his power. Otherwise her skull would have been shattered into small pieces easily. With her wrist being gripped, it was already too late for her to hide the poisonous needle even if she wanted to. Moreover, the left side of her body was being powerless, aching and tingling. Suddenly, her small mouth twitched slightly and she wept loudly, crying: ''You bully me! You bully me!''


    The middle-aged man said: ''Alright, alright! Don''t cry! He just gave you a gentle hit. What''s the big deal? Frequently using intensely poisonous missiles to harm other people, you should be taught a lesson.''


    The young girl wept, saying: ''This Green Phosphorous Needle of mine isn''t the scariest. I still have very many unused missiles.''


    Xiao Feng said coldly: ''Why didn''t you use the Invisible Dust, the Carefree Powder, the Blissful Thorn, or the Heart Piercing Nail?''


    The young girl stopped crying. There was an extremely surprised expression on her face. She asked in a quavering voice: ''You¡­ How do you know?''


    Xiao Feng replied: ''I know your master is the Old Fiend of Xingxiu (Xingxiu = Constellation. This is a school name and a place name so I use the pinyin) so I know you have lots of evil poisonous missiles.''


    As soon as he said so, everyone was shocked. The ''Old Fiend of Xingxiu'' Ding Chunqiu was an unorthodox expert that everyone in wulin would frown when they heard his name. This man stopped at nothing in doing evil and killed people like flies. His ''Energy Dissolving Great Technique'' was specially developed for destroying other people''s internal energies so it was an even greater taboo to martial arts learners under Heaven. Unfortunately, his martial arts were extremely good therefore no one had been able to do anything about him. All in all, it was only because he had seldom come to the Central Plains that he had not yet become a catastrophe.


    The expression of the middle-aged man''s was both sympathetic and worried. He asked in a warm voice: ''A''Zi, why did you accept the Old Fiend of Xingxiu as your master?''


    With her big round shiny black eyes wide open, the young girl sized up that middle-aged man, asking: ''How do you know my name?'' The middle-aged man sighed and said: ''Could it be that you didn''t hear what we talked just now?'' The young girl shook her head and smiled, saying: ''When I play possum, my heart and breathing are stopped, and my eyes and ears are closed, so I can''t see or hear anything.''


    Xiao Feng let go of her wrist and said: ''Humph, it''s the ''Chelonian Breathing Skill'' of the Old Fiend of Xingxiu.'' The young girl A''Zi goggled at him, saying: ''Bah! It seems you know everything.'' Then she stuck out her tongue and made a face.


    The beautiful woman pulled A''Zi and looked her up and down. Her face was being radiant with ineffable happiness. The middle-aged man smiled, saying: ''Why did you play possum? You really made us jump out of our skin.'' A''Zi was very pleased with herself, saying: ''Who told you to throw me into the lake? You''re not a good guy.'' The middle-aged man looked at Xiao Feng then, with an awkward expression, he forced a smile and said: ''So stubborn, so stubborn.''


    Xiao Feng knew that when he and his daughter met each other for the 1st time, they would certainly have many things to say--things that they could not let strangers hear. Therefore he pulled a corner of A''Zhu''s gown and walked outside into the bamboo forest. He saw that A''Zhu''s eyes had become reddish and her body was shaking continuously. So he asked: ''A''Zhu, are you sick?'' and stretched out his hand and felt her pulse, only to find that it was beating very fast. Obviously her mind was being in great turmoil. A''Zhu shook her head, saying: ''It''s nothing.'' Presently, she said: ''Big brother, please go out first, I¡­ I need to go to the toilet.'' Xiao Feng nodded and walked far away.


    Xiao Feng walked to the side of the lake and waited here for quite a while, but all along he did not see A''Zhu come out from the bamboo forest. Suddenly he heard footsteps. 3 people were coming at a trotting speed. A thought emerged in his mind: ''Could it be it''s the prime villain coming?'' From a distance he only saw 3 people rushing along the path beside the lake. 2 of them were carrying someone on each of their backs, and a short and small fellow was going as if flying. When rushing, it seemed as if his feet did not touch the ground. After rushing away for a distance, he stopped to wait for his companions at the back. Those 2 people had solid steps. It was obvious that their martial arts were rather remarkable. When the 3 people had drawn near, Xiao Feng saw that the 2 fellows being carried on the back of others'' were none other than the people they had met on the way--the mad axe user and the big fellow with the surname Fu. He heard the short and small fellow shout: ''My Lord, my Lord, the prime villain has caught up. We should run quickly!''


    Leading the beautiful woman with 1 hand, and leading A''Zi with the other hand, the middle-aged man walked out from the bamboo forest. There were tear stains on the face of the middle-aged man and the beautiful woman, but A''Zi was grinning complacently as if nothing had happened. After that, A''Zhu also walked out from the bamboo forest then went to the side of Xiao Feng.


    That middle-aged man let go of the 2 females he was leading, rushed to the side of the 2 wounded fellows and checked their pulses. Seeing that their lives were definitely not in danger, he had a joyful look on his face at once, saying: ''You 3 have gone through hardships. I''m just feeling at ease that both brother GU and brother Fu have no big problem.'' The 3 people bowed in salute in an exceedingly respectful and cautious manner.


    Xiao Feng was inwardly surprised: ''These 3 people''s martial arts and bearing are really out of the ordinary. Even if they aren''t lords who wield absolute power in a region, they can easily be the heads of some schools, but why are they so respectful when seeing this middle-aged man? What is his background?''


    That short fellow said: ''My Lord, this subject has set up a diversion beside the bluestone bridge to hold back the prime villain. But I''m afraid he will see through the stratagem at once. Please set off forthwith, my Lord.'' The middle-aged man said: ''It''s unfortunate for my family to have produced such an evil rebel. Since you and he have met each other here, I''m afraid even if I want to avoid him I won''t be able to. Perhaps I''ll have no choice but to try to deal with him once.'' A fellow with thick eyebrows and big eyes said: ''Your subjects are going to share the task of resisting the enemy and eliminating evil among ourselves. Please attach most importance to the country and quickly return to Dali so as not to make His Majesty concerned about your welfare, my Lord.'' A fellow of middling size said: ''My Lord, you should not display your temporary valor in dealing with today''s matter. If you make any slight slip, my Lord, how shall we have the face to return to Dali and meet His Majesty? We shall have no choice but to commit suicide together.''


    Hearing up to here, Xiao Feng was slightly scared: ''What is with all these subjects, His Majesty, and return-to-Dali things? Could it be that they''re from the House of Duan in Dali?'' His heart pounding chaotically, he thought: ''Could it be that the net of Heaven are vast and today that villain Duan Zhengchun will fall into my hands by chance?''


    While he was being doubtful, suddenly he heard a long roar in the distance. After that, there were shouts which sounded like metals being ground against each other: ''The son of a turtle (~ s.o.b) surnamed Duan, you can''t escape. Be obedient and be tied, quick. Maybe your father here will have some consideration for your son and spare your life.''


    The voice of a woman was heard: ''But Yue the Third you won''t have the chance to decide if his life will be spared or not. Don''t tell me that big bro won''t be able to handle him?'' A sinister-sounding voice said: ''If this surnamed Duan fellow knows right and wrong, that''ll always be more convenient than not.'' This man was trying hard to send his words far away. He obviously did not have enough energy in his stomach. It seemed he had been injured and had not yet healed.


    Hearing these people say ''surnamed Duan'' again and again, Xiao Feng felt even more suspicious. Suddenly, a small hand was stretched over, and held his hand. Xiao Feng cast a sideways look at A''Zhu who was standing at his side. He saw that her face was pale, and the center of her palm was full of ice-cold sweat, so he asked in a low voice: ''How are you?'' A''Zhu replied in a quavering voice: ''I''m very afraid.'' Xiao Feng smiled, saying: ''Beside your big brother, what are you still afraid of?'' With his mouth slightly protruding in the direction of the middle-aged man, he said softly into her ear: ''It seems this man is from the House of Duan in Dali.'' A''Zhu made no comment, her lips moving slightly.


    The middle-aged man was Duan Zhengchun, the Crown Brother (No idea what the English equivalent of »ÊÌ«µÜ is) of the State of Dali. In his youth he traveled the Central Plains and enjoyed the pursuit of romance so it was unavoidable that he had relationships everywhere. In fact, it was common for the rich and the people of high social status to have 3 or 4 wives. Duan Zhengchun was a prince, so it was also normal for him to have romantic relationships with many people. But the House of Duan originated from a well-known family in the Central Plains. Even though they had become the sovereign power in Dali, they had always followed the teachings of their ancestors in all daily life matters and in eating and drinking. Never had they dared forget their origin and be overly lavish. Duan Zhengchun''s first wife, Lady Dao Baifeng, was the daughter of a powerful Baiyi headman in Yunnan. The House of Duan married one of their sons to her in order to win over the Baiyi, thus strengthening their imperial throne. There were not many Han people in Yunnan at that time, therefore, without the support of the Baiyi the throne of the Duan clan would not be stable. The Baiyi had always practiced monogamy. Being held in high regard since childhood, Dao Baifeng was even more unwilling to let Duan Zhengchun marry the 2nd wife. Because of his never-ending romantic relationships everywhere, she was so angry that she entered into religion and became a Taoist priestess. In the past, Duan Zhengchun had a love story with each of the 3 women Qin Hongmian--Mu Wanqing''s mother, Gan Baobao--Zhong Wanchou''s wife, and Ruan Xingzhu--A''Zi''s mother.


    This time, Duan Zhengchun complied with an order of his brother Emperor to go to Shenjie Temple in Luliangzhou to investigate the circumstances of the murder of Venerable Xuan Bei of Shaolin Monastery. He discovered very many doubtful points, and thought that it might not be the murderous work of the Murong Clan of Gusu. But no high-level Shaolin came there for more than half a month, so he took the 3 Dukes Fan Hua, Hua Hegen and Ba Tianshi, as well as the 4 Grand Bodyguards, to the Central Plains to find out about the truth. Making use of the opportunity, he paid Ruan Xingzhu, who was living in seclusion beside the Little Mirror Lake, a visit. And in these days, they were always in each other''s company and were happy like immortals.


    When Duan Zhengchun and his old flame rekindled their love, the 3 Dukes and the 4 Bodyguards, who came along to protect him, scattered all around to guard. They could never have thought that their archenemy would successfully find and come to this place.


    Duan Yanqing''s martial arts were formidable hence GU Ducheng and Fu Sigui of the 4 Grand Bodyguards were successively injured. Zhu Danchen mistook Xiao Feng for their enemy and failed to stop him at the bluestone bridge. As for Chu Wanli, he was being caught in A''Zi''s Flexible Silk Net. After rescuing the 2 people GU and Fu, the Minister of War Fan Hua, the Minister of Education Hua Hegen and the Minister of Works Ba Tianshi quickly went to Duan Zhengchun to protect him and ward off the strong enemy together.


    Zhu Danchen continuously tried to unloose the fishing net that was wrapping around Chu Wanli. This net, however, could not be untied with hands and nor could its threads be damaged by knives. Zhu Danchen had been so busy with it that he had sweated all over, yet he still had no way that worked. Duan Zhengchun turned to A''Zi, saying: ''Release uncle Chu, quick. The archenemy is coming. Don''t be naughty anymore.'' A''Zi laughed and said: ''What will you reward me with, Dad?'' Duan Zhengchun frowned, saying: ''If you don''t listen to me, I''ll ask your mother to beat your palms. You''ve offended uncle Chu. Why haven''t you made amends?'' A''Zi said: ''You threw me into the lake, making me play possum for a long time. Why haven''t you made amends to me? I''ll ask Mom to beat your palms, too!''


    Seeing that South-Stabilizing Prince suddenly had another daughter who not only was arrogant and naughty but also was not in the least well-behaved towards her father, the people such as Fan Hua and Ba Tianshi were secretly on the alert, thinking: ''This girl isn''t a legitimate child at all, but she''s still South-Stabilizing Prince''s daughter. Even if she offends me, I shouldn''t take her seriously and should only think that it''s bad luck. Being tied by her in this way, brother Chu must find it very hard to endure.''


    Duan Zhengchun said angrily: ''If you don''t listen to Dad, see if later I''ll be fond of you or not?'' A''Zi twitched her small mouth and said: ''Of course you''re not fond of me. Otherwise, how could you abandon me for 10-odd years and ignore me all along?'' For a short period of time, Duan Zhengchun was unable to say anything and only sighed sadly. Ruan Xingzhu said: ''A''Zi, my precious, Mom has something for you. You quickly release uncle Chu.'' A''Zi held out her hand, saying: ''You give me first. Let me see if it''s good or not.''


    Seeing that this little girl was cunning, discourteous and insolent, Xiao Feng was very angry. In his heart, he respected Chu Wanli for being a brave fellow, thinking: ''You''re a servant of their family so you don''t dare express your emotions. But I don''t need to show respect for them.'' Then he bent down and lifted Chu Wanli up, saying: ''Brother Chu, it seems these flexible threads will loosen at once when touching water. I''m gonna immerse you in water.''


    A''Zi was furious, crying: ''Bad egg, who told you to be meddlesome again!?'' But having been given a slap in the face by Xiao Feng, she was rather afraid of him and did not dare stretch out her hands to stop him.


    After lifting Chu Wanli up, with several steps, Xiao Feng rushed to the side of the lake and immersed him in the water. As expected, the Flexible Silk Net loosened up when coming into contact with the water. Xiao Feng held out his hand and untied the fishing net. Chu Wanli said in a low voice: ''Thanks a lot for helping me, brother Xiao.'' Xiao Feng smiled, saying: ''This naughty little girl is very hard to deal with. I already gave her a heavy slap in the face to vent your anger for you.'' Chu Wanli shook his head, looking very dispirited.


    Xiao Feng crumpled the Flexible Silk Net up into a piece which was not bigger than a fist. The net was really an unusual thing. A''Zi came near him, held out her hand and said: ''Give it back to me!'' Xiao Feng slightly waved his hand, assuming a posture which looked as if he wanted to hit her. A''Zi was so frightened that she retreated several steps. But Xiao Feng only wanted to scare her. He then took the opportunity to put the Flexible Silk Net in his bosom. He thought that the middle-aged man in front of him was probably his own archenemy, and that A''Zi was the man''s daughter and this Flexible Silk Net was a useful thing so he certainly should not return it to her.


    A''Zi went to Duan Zhengchun and pulled a corner of his robe, saying: ''Dad, he stole my fishing net! He stole my fishing net!'' Duan Zhengchun saw that Xiao Feng had acted unusually, but he thought that he probably wanted to discipline A''Zi a little, and that he had such outstanding martial arts so it was very unlikely that he coveted an object of a child''s.


    Suddenly, Ba Tianshi said loudly and clearly: ''Brother Yun, I trust that you''ve been well since we parted? Other people''s martial arts become stronger and stronger through practice, why have brother Yun''s become worse and worse? Get down!'' As he finished saying, he brandished his hand and hit a tree. With a crack, a branch fell down following his palm attack. And at the same time, a man fell down. This man was both thin and tall. He was none other than ''Extreme Ferocity Utmost Evil'' Yun Zhonghe. After being hit by a palm attack of Xiao Feng at Juxian Manor, he had been seriously injured and almost lost his life. With great difficulty, he had recuperated, but his martial arts had become much worse than before. That day in Dali, he and Ba Tianshi had had a lightness skill contest and they had not been far apart. However, today, as soon as Ba Tianshi heard the footsteps of Yun Zhonghe when he went up the tree, he knew that his lightness skill was not as good as it had been in the past.


    As soon as Yun Zhonghe saw Xiao Feng, he was frightened, so he turned around and ran to meet 3 people who were coming along the path beside the lake. Among those 3 people, the one on the left-hand side had disheveled hair and short clothes--he was the ''Fiendish Devil'' South Sea Divine Alligator. The one on the right-hand side was a woman who was embracing a child--she was ''Stop at No Evil'' Ye Erniang. The one in the middle was wearing a green robe and was supporting himself on 2 thin iron canes and his face looked like a corpse''s--he was none other than the leader of the 4 Evils, known as ''Full of the Worst Evils'' Duan Yanqing.


    Duan Yanqing had seldom showed his face in the Central Plains so Xiao Feng and the ''Number 1 Arch-Villain under Heaven'' were not at all acquainted with each other. However, Duan Zhengchun had experienced his artifice in Dali, so he knew that even though the ones such as Ye Erniang and Yue the Third were powerful, they were not hard to handle, but Duan Yanqing was really no small matter. He had strong techniques of both the orthodox system and the heterodox system of martial arts. Without doubt he was proficient at the Purely Yang Finger of the Duan family, and he had also mastered unorthodox skills from head to toe, orthodoxy and heterodoxy boosting each other. Not even such an expert as Yellow-Eyebrowed Monk was a match for him, so Duan Zhengchun certainly knew that he himself was not his equal in martial arts.


    Fan Hua said loudly: ''My Lord, this Duan Yanqing is up to no good. You should attach most importance to the country, my Lord. Please quickly go and request high-level monks of Tianlong Monastery to come here.'' Tianlong Monastery was far way in Dali, how was it possible to request them to come? At present, the Lord and the servants of Dali were being faced with a deadly great danger, so those words were meant to request Duan Zhengchun to quickly flee back to Dali at once. At the same time, they were a false show of strength and might make Duan Yanqing think that high-level monks of Tianlong Monastery were nearby, thus becoming somewhat afraid of them. Duan Yanqing was of the direct line of descent of the Duan Clan so he certainly knew very well that the monks of Tianlong Monastery were redoubtable.


    Duan Zhengchun knew clearly that the situation was extremely dangerous, but among the people of Dali here he had the best martial arts, if he abandoned the others and retreated, how would he still have the face to see the heroes under Heaven? Moreover, his lover and daughter were around, how could he lose face like that? So, he smiled, saying: ''A matter of the Duan Clan in Dali, yet we have to go to Great Song to settle, ha-ha, so laughable, so laughable.''


    Ye Erniang laughed and said: ''Duan Zhengchun, every time I see you, you''re always together with some loose and attractive women, both old and young. Your bliss ain''t bad, eh?'' Duan Zhengchun smiled, saying: ''YE Erniang, you''re also very loose and attractive!''


    South Sea Divine Alligator said angrily: ''This son of a turtle has enjoyed enough happiness. He has a son, but the dude''s unwilling to accept me as master. He can''t be a father. Let this father here cut him down at 1 stroke!'' Then he drew out from his side the Alligator-Mouthed Scissors and rushed at Duan Zhengchun.


    Hearing Ye Erniang call the middle-aged man Duan Zhengchun and him admit it without concealing anything, Xiao Feng was sure that he had guessed correctly. He turned to A''Zhu and said in a low voice: ''It''s really him!'' A''Zhu said in a trembling voice: ''You want to¡­ launch a joint attack from the side, taking advantage of his precarious situation?'' Xiao Feng''s mind had been fired up. He was both angry and pleased, saying coldly: ''My parents'' wrongs, my benevolent master''s wrong, my adopted father and mother''s wrongs, and the wrongs I''ve suffered, humph, such knots of intense and deep-seated hatred. Humph, could it be that we''ll still be paying attention to virtue, morality and jianghu customs?'' He said these few sentences very softly but his face was full of enmity, looking resolute and decisive as if chopping nails and cutting iron.


    Seeing South Sea Divine Alligator charge up, Fan Hua said in a low voice: ''Big brother Hua, dear brother Zhu, you two attack this lout jointly! Hit him fast and hard. The faster you beat him the better. Eliminate the accomplices first then everyone will cooperate to handle the boss.'' Hua Hegen and Zhu Danchen replied in agreement and came out. They felt that there was a loss of dignity in using 2 people to fight 1 enemy. Furthermore, Hua Hegen''s martial arts were not inferior to South Sea Divine Alligator''s, so it was unnecessary for someone to help him. But hearing Fan Hua say so, both of them also felt that his words were reasonable. Duan Yanqing was really too formidable. In one-on-one combat, no one could be a match for him, so there was no alternative for them but to rush at him at the same time. Perhaps only then would they be able to defend themselves. Without delay, Hua Hegen grasped his steel shovel and Zhu Danchen brandished his iron brushes and attacked South Sea Divine Alligator from the left and the right in a pincer movement.


    Fan Hua continued: ''Brother Ba, you go fight your old friend. I and brother Chu handle that woman.'' Ba Tianshi replied in agreement, came out and rushed at Yun Zhonghe. Fan Hua and Zhu Wanli also jumped forward in pairs at once. The original weapon of Chu Wanli''s was an iron fishing rod, but it had been thrown into the lake by A''Zi, so in this moment he was raising Fu Sigui''s copper staff. He shouted loudly and rushed up.


    Fan Hua went straight at Ye Erniang. Ye Erniang gave a charming smile. Seeing Fan Hua''s movements, she knew that he was a strong opponent, so she did not dare to be careless in dealing with him. She threw the baby she was embracing on the ground. When she turned around, there was already a saber which was both broad and thin in her hand. But no one could have known where she had hidden it previously.


    Chu Wanli, however, rushed at Duan Yanqing, shouting like crazy. Fan Hua was very frightened, calling: ''Brother Chu, brother Chu, come to this side!'' It seemed Chu Wanli did not hear anything. He raised the copper staff and ferociously swung it horizontally at Duan Yanqing.


    Duan Yanqing sneered slightly. Unexpectedly, he did not dodge, but thrust at Chu Wanli''s face with the iron cane in his left hand. This stance is mentioned lightly on paper, but it was executed without the least bit of inaccuracy in timing and position. Compared to the move of the staff of Chu Wanli''s, it arrived just a little faster. Coming out later but arriving earlier, it was no doubt swift and fierce. Besides its neutralizing purpose, this stance was also for attacking, so it should be impossible for Chu Wanli not to dodge. In 1 stance, Duan Yanqing had reversed the positions of the host and the guest. However, who would have thought that Chu Wanli would not seem to see the coming iron staff? He put more power in his hands and kept swinging the copper staff at Duan Yanqing''s waist swiftly. Duan Yanqing was scared, thinking: ''Could it be that this fellow is mad?'' He was unwilling to become entangled with Chu Wanli in a situation that would see both sides injured. Even if he could poke him to death on the spot with this stance, his own waist would be hit by the staff and he would certainly be injured. So he hastily pushed his right cane against the ground, jumped up and dodged.


    Chu Wanli quickly put the copper staff up and thrust at his lower abdomen. This copper staff of Fu Sigui''s was thick, long and heavy, so steadiness was the criterion for judging the martial arts of a user of it. But speed and lightness were the strong points of Chu Wanli''s martial arts, so he had difficulties in using this copper staff. However, he brandished it in a disorderly manner with every move aimed for a vital part of Duan Yanqing''s and gave absolutely no thought to his own life and death. ''A desperado bests 10,000 fellows,'' as the saying goes. Even though Duan Yanqing had powerful martial arts, when facing this madman who fought recklessly with no regard for his life, he was forced to retreat again and again.


    In a very short time, the green lawn beside the Little Mirror Lake was already splattered all over with fresh blood. It turned out while retreating Duan Yanqing had executed his stances continuously. Each of his stances had hit Chu Wanli''s body and pierced a hole in the place where it had hit. However, Chu Wanli did not seem to be in pain and kept brandishing the copper staff faster.


    Duan Zhengchun called: ''Brother Chu, fall back. I''m gonna fight this villain!'' He moved his hand backwards and received a long sword from Ruan Xingzhu''s hand. Then he rushed up, wanting to fight Duan Yanqing in a two-on-one. Chu Wanli cried: ''Fall back, my Lord.'' But Duan Zhengchun would be unwilling to listen. He put the sword up then thrust at Duan Yanqing. Duan Yanqing, propping his right cane on the ground, first blocked Chu Wanli''s copper staff with his left cane, then taking advantage of the opportunity he thrust at the place between Duan Zhengchun''s eyebrows. Duan Zhengchun retreated 1 step in a sloping direction.


    Chu Wanli, sounding like a wounded beast, suddenly changed his offence. He grasped 1 end of the copper staff with both hands, brandished it at high speed, creating a circle of yellow light which looked like a huge copper tray, and whirled it towards the iron cane that Duan Yanqing was propping on the ground. Such a way of fighting was not any martial arts technique.


    The people such as Fan Hua, Hua Hegen and Zhu Danchen all shouted loudly: ''Brother Chu, big brother Chu, quickly fall back to have a rest.'' Chu Wanli, screaming out, suddenly jumped up and thrust and whipped at Duan Yanqing chaotically with the staff. At this moment, seeing that his actions were bizarre, everyone, from Fan Hua to Ye Erniang and South Sea Divine Alligator, stopped fighting. Zhu Danchen called: ''Big brother Chu, move back!'' and rushed forwards to pull him. But he was hit right in the face by a backward elbow attack from Chu Wanli. At once, his nose turned black and his mouth swelled up.


    Meeting such an opponent was not what Duan Yanqing wished for. By now, he and Chu Wanli had exchanged 30 stances or so, and he had pierced more than 10 deep holes in Chu Wanli''s body. Chu Wanli, however, was still shouting and fighting violently. Duan Yanqing and the bystanders all were astounded and felt that this matter was very far from what was usual. Zhu Danchen knew that if Chu Wanli kept fighting, he would certainly die. Tears rolled down his face. He wanted to rushed forwards to help him, but when he had just taken a step, suddenly he heard a ''hu'' sound. Chu Wanli had thrown the copper staff at the enemy with all his might. And it went with great force. Duan Yanqing thrust out with his iron cane and hit the copper staff right in the middle, then, with a light upward movement of the iron cane, the copper staff flew to his back. When the copper staff had not yet fallen on the ground, Chu Wanli spread his 10 fingers and rushed at Duan Yanqing.


    Duan Yanqing, sneering slightly, made a thrust of the cane at chest high. The 4 people Duan Zhengchun, Fan Hua, Hua Hegen and Zhu Danchen exclaimed in unison and went forwards to help him at the same time. But this thrust of the cane by Duan Yanqing was too swift. With a ''pu'' sound, the cane stuck in Chu Wanli''s chest squarely then pierced from the chest through to the back. After his right cane had pierced through Chu Wanli, he pressed his left cane on the ground and floated away several zhang (3.333 m).


    Blood spurted out wildly from the wounds on Chu Wanli''s chest and back but he still wanted to chase after Duan Yanqing. However, after taking 1 step, he had no strength to lift his foot, so he turned around and talked to Duan Zhengchun: ''My Lord, Chu Wanli prefers death to dishonor. All my life I''ve never let the House of Duan of Dali down.''


    Duan Zhengchun fell on his right knee and said tearfully: ''Brother Chu, it''s because I fathered my daughter but didn''t teach her that she offended you. Zhengchun is extremely ashamed of that.''


    Chu Wanli turned to Zhu Danchen and smiled, saying: ''Good brother, this elder brother must go first. You¡­ you¡­'' When he had just said 2 ''you'' words, his breathing stopped, and he died. But his body still stood upright without falling.


    Hearing he say the words ''prefers death to dishonor'' in his dying moment, everyone knew that he disregarded his life and recklessly attacked Duan Yanqing like that because the intention of dying had geminated in him long ago as a result of the humiliation of being caught in A''Zi''s fishing net. People in wulin all knew the principle of ''There are still people stronger than strong people and there are still mountains higher than high mountains.'' It was not a burning shame when a person was bested in martial arts, because if they practiced intensely for 10 years, it was not like there would not be a day when they would have their revenge. However, because Chu Wanli was a servant of the Duan Clan and A''Zi was Duan Zhengchun''s daughter, there was no way for Chu Wanli to get rid of this humiliation in his life, thus he was willing to lose his life in battle. Zhu Danchen wept loudly. Even though Fu Sigui and GU Ducheng had not yet recovered from their serious injuries, they both rose and wanted to fight Duan Yanqing to the death.


    Suddenly, there was the clear voice of a girl: ''This man''s martial arts were too bad. Bringing about his own death like that for nothing, wasn''t he a big fool?'' It was none other than A''Zi who said that.


    The people such as Duan Zhengchun were being sorrowful, so hearing these cold and unkind mocking words of her they could not help getting furious. The people such as Fan Hua glowered at her, but because she was their Lord''s daughter, it was inconvenient for them to express their emotions. Duan Zhengchun''s anger surged up. He turned his hand and swung it at her face in a heavy slap.


    Ruan Xingzhu raised her hand to block it, saying sulkily: "You abandoned your own daughter to other people for 10-odd years, not knowing if she was dead or alive. Today you''ve met her again, yet you still have the heart to beat her?"


    Duan Zhengchun had always felt ashamed that he had not treated Ruan Xingzhu well. Moreover, he had always been obedient to her, and was unwilling to dispute with her in front of other people. Hence when this palm attack was about to hit her arm, he hurriedly drew it back. He said angrily to A''Zi: ''Uncle Chu was harmed to death by you, do you know that?''


    A''Zi slightly twitched her small mouth and said: ''They call you ''Lord'' so I''m his little master. Killing 1 vassal or 2--What''s so serious about it?'' Her expression was very disdainful.


    At that time, the dividing line between rulers and subjects were very strict, so as much that ''when a ruler wanted a subject to die, the subject was not allowed not to die.'' The people such as Chu Wanli were officials in the imperial court of the State of Dali, so they certainly deeply revered the Duan Clan. However, the House of Duan had its origin in the wulin of the Central Plains and had always complied with jianghu customs, therefore even though the people such as Hua Hegen and Chu Wanli were subjects, Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun had always treated them like brothers. In his youth, Duan Zhengchun had frequently travelled jianghu in the Central Plains. Chu Wanli had followed him to go through life-or-death situations and experience not a few dangers. How could he be the same as an ordinary vassal? Hearing those words of A''Zi, the people such as Fan Hua was even unhappier. So long as it was not at a court or a temple, even Emperor Baoding always added the word ''brother'' when he addressed them, much less Duan Zhengchun, who had not yet been enthroned, and A''Zi, who was merely an illegitimate daughter with no proper status of his?


    Not only was Duan Zhengchun distressed at the death of Chu Wanli, he also felt ashamed to have such a daughter. Putting up his sword, he floated out and pointed at Duan Yanqing, saying: ''If you want to kill me--then just come to take my life. The Duan Clan uses ''benevolance and righteousness'' to manage state affairs. If you kill innocent people excessively, even if you get the country, it won''t last long.''


    From the bottom of his heart, Xiao Feng secretly sneered: ''The words from your mouth are so pleasant to hear. At this moment you''re still acting the gentleman.''


    With a press of his iron cane, Duan Yanqing was already in front of Duan Zhengchun. He asked: ''You wanna fight me one-on-one with no outsider involved, right?'' Duan Zhengchun replied: ''Yes! You only want to kill me then go to Dali and kill my Emperor elder brother. Whether you can achieve your goals--depends on your fortune. My subordinates and family members have nothing to do with the matter between you and me.'' He knew Duan Yanqing''s martial arts were really too formidable so today he himself would probably lose his life here. But he hoped that Duan Yanqing would not make things difficult for Ruan Xingzhu, A''Zi and the people such as Fan Hua. Duan Yanqing said: ''Kill your family, but spare your subordinates. It was because my Emperor father was benevolent and didn''t kill your brother and you in the past that there is this disaster of usurpation and rebellion of today.''


    Duan Zhengchun thought: ''I, Duan Zhengchun, will die with honor and won''t leave behind anything for other people to sneer at.'' He folded his hands in salute to Chu Wanli''s corpse, saying: ''Brother Chu, today Duan Zhengchun is going to fight the enemy with you side by side.'' Then he turned to Fan Hua and said: ''Minister of War Fan, after I have died, my tomb and brother Chu''s will be side by side, and with no master-vassal separation.''


    Duan Yanqing said: ''Ha-ha, hypocrite, you''re still trying to win the hearts of other people. You think they''d help you with all their strength?''


    Duan Zhengchun did not say anything. With his left hand forming a sword, he thrust out with the long sword in his right hand. This ''That Sharpness Cuts Metal'' stance was the starting stance of the ''Duan Family Sword.'' Duan Yanqing certainly knew its variations profoundly. He reacted calmly at once with a stance of his cane. As soon as the two fought, they both used the martial arts of the Duan family that had been handed down from generation to generation. Duan Yanqing used his canes like swords. His purpose was to kill Duan Zhengchun with the ''Duan Family Sword'' swordsmanship. He and Duan Zhengchun became the enemies of each other not because of any personal enmity, but because they both contended for the throne of Dali. Now, all the 3 Dukes of Dali were here, if he used heterodox martial arts to kill Duan Zhengchun, the court officials of Dali would certainly disapprove of him. But if he used the orthodox ''Duan Family Sword'' of his family to defeat the enemy and win the battle, his actions would be perfectly justifiable, and no one would be able to have a word of dissent. The fight for the throne between the brothers of the Duan Clan had nothing to do with the officials, so in the future if he ascended the throne and became the Emperor, it would be very convenient for him.


    Seeing Duan Yanqing using their family''s skills with the canes, Duan Zhengchun was somewhat calm. Holding his breath and concentrating his mind, he did his best to execute his sword stances properly. His footwork stable, his sword movements were light and quick, and there was no stance that was not up to standard in offence and defence. Duan Yanqing used the ''Duan Family Sword'' with the canes. His swordsmanship had big and liberal movements, and looked dignified. Even though its stances were extremely light, swift and elegant, those qualities came at no cost to its kingly air.


    Xiao Feng thought: ''This good chance today is hard to come by. I''ve always worried about the Purely Yang Finger and the ''Six Meridians Divine Sword'' of the Duan Clan. Luckily this thief Duan Zhengchun has been found by a tough enemy, and his enemy is exactly a member of his clan. In the blink of an eye I''ll be able to see clearly how powerful these 2 elite skills of the Duan family are.''


    After watching more than 20 stances, he saw that the iron canes in Duan Yanqing''s hands seemed to have become heavier gradually. His movements were more sluggish and less smooth than before. But when Duan Zhengchun''s long sword clashed with a cane, it rebounded off farther and farther. Xiao Feng secretly approved, thinking: ''Real skills have been put into play. Using these thin light iron canes just like a 60 or 70 Jin (0.6 kg) Buddhist staff made of refined iron--this achievement is very outstanding.'' The people with good martial arts were often capable of ''lifting heavy objects as if they were light'' and using heavy weapons like nothing, but ''lifting light objects as if they were heavy'' was a skill of the next level. Even though it seemed ''as if they were heavy'', they were not ''really heavy.'' They had to have the fierceness of heavy weapons and the intrinsic deftness of light weapons. Seeing Duan Yanqing using the thin iron canes like steel staves, moreover they were getting heavier and heavier with apparently no end, inwardly Xiao Feng praised him for possessing an exceptional internal energy.


    Duan Zhengchun did his best to receive the enemy''s stances but he gradually felt that the canes were becoming heavier, which pressed him so much that he was unable to channel his inner breath as he pleased. The martial arts of the House of Duan paid particular attention to internal energy. Therefore, having an unsmooth inner breathing was an indication of inferiority and defeat. But Duan Zhengchun did not panic in the least. Actually, he did not hope that he would be able to win this match of mortal combat by luck. He thought that he had enjoyed a very happy life, so if he lost his life beside the Little Mirror Lake today, there would not be any wrong. Morever, with Ruan Xingzhu watching him with her affectionate eyes by his side, if he died he would be a romantically successful ghost.


    All his life, he had had romantic relationships everywhere. In fact, the affection he had for Ruan Xingzhu was not greater than the affection he had for his wife Dao Baifeng or for any other woman of his. But whenever he was together with a lover, he always treated her wholeheartedly, and even if he had to lose his life for her, he would not hesitate. As for having a new happiness after parting from her, that was a different matter.


    The internal energy in the iron canes of Duan Yanqing''s became heavier constantly. After exchanging 60 stances or so, the Duan Family Sword technique had been used completely. Seeing that there were several beads of sweat on Duan Zhengchun''s nose, but the sound of his breathing was still gentle, long and steady, Xiao Feng thought: ''I''ve heard that this fellow is amorous and has quite a few lovers. Who''d have thought that he''d have such a lasting internal energy? I mustn''t regard him lightly.'' By now, the internal energy in Duan Yanqing''s canes had been brought into play to the max. When the iron canes were sent out in attacks, chi-chi sounds could be heard. When Duan Zhengchun warded off a sword stance, his body would shake. And when he warded off another sword stance, his body would shake again.


    All the stances that the 2 of them used were the ones that they had learned and achived mastery of since the age of 13 or 14. Even the people such as Fan Hua and Ba Tianshi had also seen and been used to these stances for the past several decades. Hence this sword fight was not a battle of stances, but a battle of internal energy. Watching to this point, the people such as Fan Hua knew that Duan Zhengchun could not endure this. They gave each other hints with the eyes and grasped their weapons, wanting to go into action together to help him.


    Suddenly a girl giggled and said: ''So laughable, so laughable! Every one of the people known as heroes and exceptional men of Dali now wants to charge forwards together and rely on number to win. Wouldn''t it turn them into shameless pigmies?''


    Everyone was startled. Seeing that those few sentences were obviously the work of A''Zi, they all were extremely puzzled. The person who was facing danger was her father, and she was not ignorant of it, but why could she say those mocking words?


    Ruan Xingzhu said angrily: ''A''Zi, what do you know? Your father is the South-Stabilizing Prince of the State of Dali. The fellow who''s fighting him is the traitor of the Duan family. These friends all were subjects of the State of Dali. Eliminating the cruel ones and suppressing the rebels are everyone''s duties.'' Her swimming skills were masterful, but her martial arts were mediocre. Seeing that her beau had been in danger repeatedly, she was anxious, calling: ''Let''s charge side by side, everyone. The enemy is an evil traitor. Why still care about jianghu customs?''


    A''Zi laughed and said: ''Mom, your words are very funny. They''re just an unreasonable sophism. It''s because my Dad is such a hero and brave man that I accepted him. If he was a shameless fellow who wants to rely on other people''s help in fighting, why would I accept a fellow of this sort as father?''


    These few sentences went into everyone''s ears clearly. Fan Hua and the people such as Ba Tianshi and Hua Hegen looked at each other in blank dismay. They all felt that it was undoubtedly improper to go forwards to help, but it would be no good if they did not go into action.


    Even though Duan Zhengchun was a man who fond of pursuing romance, he cherish the reputation of being ''a hero and brave man'' very much. He often made fun of himself, saying: ''''It''s hard for a hero to pass the beauty pass,'' even if I can''t pass the beauty pass, I''m still a hero. How can''t I see that the Conqueror of Chu (Xiang Yu) had Yu Ji, the Supreme Ancestor of Han (Liu Bang) had Lady Qi, and Li Shimin had Wu Zetian?'' So he simply disdained to do mean and cowardly things. Even though he was being in an intense fight, hearing A''Zi''s words, he said loudly at once: ''What''s so important about life and death, victory and defeat? Whoever goes forward to help will make things difficult for Duan Zhengchun.''


    Opening his mouth to say, it was unavoidable that his internal energy became impure. But Duan Yanqing did not seize the opportunity to press forward. Instead, he retreated 1 step, propped his canes on the ground and waited for Duan Zhengchun to finish saying before resuming fighting. The people such as Fan Hua were secretly frightened when they saw Duan Yanqing had such leisurely and refined behavior and that he did not try to gain any unfair advantage. Obviously he was secure in the knowledge that he had strong backing, so he did not need to take advantage of this situation.


    Duan Zhengchun smiled, saying: ''Let''s continue!'' He made a swing of the left sleeve and, making use of the wind created by the sleeve, sent out the long sword.


    Ruan Xingzhu said: ''A''Zi, you see, your father''s swordsmanship is so swift and fierce. If he really wants to finish this zombie off, he''ll be more than good enough. But he''s got the status of a prince, so in fact he can still leave it to his subordinates. He doesn''t need to do it himself.'' A''Zi said: ''If Dad could finish him off, then nothing would be better. I''m only afraid that you''re talking tough, but feeble inside, Mom. Your words sound completely impressive, but in your heart, you''re extremely scared.'' These few sentences described exactly her mother''s state of mind. Ruan Xingzhu glowered at her daughter, thinking: ''This brat really doesn''t know what''s good or bad, and talks inconsiderately.''


    They saw Duan Zhengchun execute 3 swift stances continuously with his long sword. The internal energy in Duan Yanqing''s iron canes became stronger, forcing the enemy''s sword back one stance after another. In the 4th stance, ''Golden Horse Rises into the Air'', Duan Zhengchun swung his sword out horizontally. Duan Yanqing replied with the ''Green Jade Rooster Heralds Dawn'' stance by thrusting out with the iron cane in his left hand. When the cane and the sword came into contact with each other, they immediately stuck together. Making ''gu-gu'' sounds in his throat, Duan Yanqing suddenly pushed his right cane against the ground and his body rose into the air. The head of the cane in his left hand was still sticking together with the tip of Duan Zhengchun''s sword.


    In an instant, 1 man stood on the ground with both his feet, absolutely still like a deep abyss or a lofty mountain, and the other was in mid-air with his whole body, floating freely like a willow branch in the wind.


    ''Oh,'' all the bystanders exclaimed. They knew that the 2 of them had reached the important moment--fighting with internal energy. Standing on the ground, Duan Zhengchun was able to borrow force through his feet, which was to his advantage. However, Duan Yanqing was pressing down from a higher position, so the weight of his whole body was put on the enemy''s long sword, also adding to his internal energy.


    After a short while, everyone saw that the long sword gradually bent and slowly turned into an arc. The thin iron cane, however, was still as straight as an arrow.


    Xiao Feng saw that the long sword in Duan Zhengchun''s hand became more and more curved, and if it was bent a little more, perhaps it would be broken into two. He thought: ''All along, the 2 haven''t used their most profound technique ''Six Meridians Divine Sword.'' Could it be Duan Zhengchun knows he isn''t as good at this technique as his enemy, so he thinks it''d be better to hide his clumsiness? But judging from his expression when using internal energy, it seems he has used up all his reserve of power. It doesn''t look like he still has some unused special skill at all.''


    Duan Zhengchun, seeing that the long sword in his hand could snap at any moment, took a deep breath and quickly pushed out with his right finger. It was none other than the Purely Yang Finger technique. His accomplishment in finger force was still rather inferior to that of his elder brother Duan Zhengming, and the finger force was unable to go farther than 3 Chi (33.33 cm). The cane and the sword were sticking together, and the total length of 2 weapons was as great as 8 Chi, so this finger attack was certainly unable to injure the enemy. Hence the finger force was totally not aimed at Duan Yanqing, but was aimed at his iron cane.


    Xiao Feng slightly frowned, thinking: ''It seems this fellow can''t use the 6 Meridians Divine Sword. He''s still not good as my sworn brother. This finger attack is merely a very good acupuncture point blocking skill, nothing more. What''s so fantastic about it?'' But he saw that whenever Duan Zhengchun''s finger hit Duan Yanqing''s iron cane, it slightly shook and Duan Zhengchun''s long sword became somewhat straighter. He continuously poked 3 times so the long sword in his hand became less bent 3 times, gradually reverting to its original state.


    A''Zi, however, said again: ''Mom, you see, Dad is using both his finger and the sword, but he can only match a thin cane of that fellow''s. If the enemy attacks with the other cane, could it be that Dad has 3 hands to handle it? If he doesn''t, then crawling on the ground and raising his feet will also be good. Even though he''ll look ugly, it''ll still be better than getting stabbed to death by that fellow.''


    Ruan Xingzhu was already laden with sorrow watching the fight, yet her daughter, at her side, had always said words that were unpleasant to hear. Before she had replied, she saw Duan Yanqing raised the iron cane in his right hand, and sure enough, with a ''chi'' sound, he thrust at Duan Zhengchun''s left forefinger with it.


    The technique and internal energy of this cane attack of Duan Yanqing were the same as those of the Purely Yang Finger. But using the cane like a finger, he could reach farther thanks to its length. Still, Duan Zhengchun did not dodge it. His finger force and Duan Yanqing''s cane force clashed. He felt a burst of ache and tingle in his arm at once. He retracted his finger. When he was about to channel his internal energy again to send out the 2nd finger stance, unexpectedly, the black cane before him moved very quickly. The 2nd cane stance of Duan Yanqing was already coming. Duan Zhengchun was shocked: ''He channels his inner breath so quick. It seems it goes as he pleases. This achievement in the Purely Yang Finger is much profounder than mine.'' He returned it at once with a finger stance. But he was still late by the blink of an eye, so his body slightly shook.


    Seeing that he himself had fought Duan Zhengchun for a long time, Duan Yanqing was very afraid that a long delay might cause trouble. If Duan Zhengchun''s subordinates charged at him at the same time, it would eventually require plenty of action. So, he brandished his cane like the wind at once and sent out 9 stances in an instant. Duan Zhengchun did all he could to fend them off, but when the 9th cane stance came, his internal energy was no longer constant. And so, with a soft ''pu'' sound, the tip of the iron cane pierced his shoulder. His body slightly shook, and with a ''pai'' sound, the long sword in his right hand snapped.


    Duan Yanqing suddenly uttered a strange sound from his throat and thrust the iron cane in his right hand at the enemy''s head. Determined to take Duan Zhengchun''s life immediately with this stance of the cane, he put all his power into the hand, so when the cane went out, it made loud noises.


    The 3 people Fan Hua, Hua Hegen and Ba Tianshi leaped out at the same time and attacked Duan Yanqing from both sides. The 3 Dukes of Dali saw that the situation was extremely dangerous, and it was definitely too late to save Duan Zhengchun, so they all attacked Duan Yanqing''s vital parts directly to force him to retract the cane to save himself. Having already expected this move, Duan Yanqing pressed the iron cane in his left hand on the ground to support his body then channelled enough internal energy into the iron cane in his right hand and swung it out horizontally. In just a shock, he repelled all the 3 weapons. Then he aimed directly at Duan Zhengchun''s head again.


    ''Ah,'' Ruan Xingzhu uttered a sharp cry and quickly rushed over. Seeing that her beau was about to die a gruesome death, she also had no intention of living.


    When Duan Yanqing''s iron cane was just 3 cun (3.333 cm) away from Duan Zhengchun''s ''Baihui acupuncture point'', suddenly Duan Zhengchun''s body flew away to one side, and so the cane hit empty air. By now, the 3 people Fan Hua, Hua Hegen and Ba Tianshi had been forced to retreat simultaneously by Duan Yanqing''s iron cane. Ba Tianshi was fast in his reaction. He turned his hand over and grabbed Ruan Xingzhu''s wrist so that she would not die in vain at the hands of Duan Yanqing. All of them looked towards Duan Zhengchun at the same time.


    This cane stance of Duan Yanqing missed the enemy, but he saw a big fellow stretch out his hand, grab the back side of Duan Zhengchun''s neck then forcefully pull him away in the blink of an eye at the very moment when his life was hanging by a thread. This extraordinary hand technique was really beyond imagination. Duan Yanqing had powerful martial arts, but he thought to himself that he was unable to do so. Because his facial muscles were stiff, even though he was amazed, his face did not change colors. He only let out a ''humph'' sound from his nostrils.


    The person who went into action and saved Duan Zhengchun was, of course, Xiao Feng. While the 2 Duans were battling each other, he stood to one side and fixed his eyes on the fight. As he saw that Duan Zhengchun was about to be killed by the opponent, he suddenly thought that if Duan Yanqing thrust that cane down, his own intense and deep-seated grievances would become impossible to redress. For the past several days, he had made many vows and taken many oaths, that, in any case, it was impossible for him not to get his revenge. Seeing the enemy before him, how could he let him die at the hands of a stranger? Hence he leaped forward and pulled Duan Zhengchun away.


    Duan Yanqing''s mind was astute. Not waiting for Xiao Feng to put Duan Zhengchun down, he swung the iron cane in his right hand out like fierce winds and rainstorms, one stance after another. All of the thrusts were aimed at Duan Zhengchun''s vital parts. He was determined to remove this obstacle that was standing before his imperial throne first. How to deal with Xiao Feng would be a matter of the next step.


    Flashing left, ducking right, Xiao Feng dodged through the spaces between the stances of the cane while still lifting Duan Zhengchun. Duan Yanqing executed 27 stances continuously with his cane, but all along he had not touched a corner of Duan Zhengchun''s robe. He was very astonished in his heart and knew that he himself was no match for Xiao Feng. Letting out a strange howl, he suddenly floated out several zhang and asked: ''Who are you, sir? Why do you interfere with this?''


    When Xiao Feng had not yet replied, Yun Zhonghe called: ''Big bro, he''s the former Chief of the Beggar Society Qiao Feng. Your good disciple Soul Chasing Staff Tan Qing died at the hands of this villain.''


    After these words were said, not only was Duan Yanqing shocked, but even the extraordinary people of Dali were also shocked, and their expressions changed. The name Qiao Feng resounded in the world. There was no one in wulin who had never heard of ''North Qiao Feng, South Murong.'' But when he introduced himself to Fu Sigui and Duan Zhengchun, he only claimed to be ''Xiao Feng, a Khitan.'' So, everyone did not know that he was the famous Qiao Feng. Now, after hearing these words of Yun Zhonghe, they all thought to themselves: ''So it is him. Chivalrous and brave, he really deserves his reputation.''


    Duan Yanqing had already heard Yun Zhonghe relate in details how not only had his satisfying disciple Tan Qing failed to harm other people at Juxian Manor but he had also been killed by Qiao Feng. At this moment, hearing that the big fellow before him was the killer of his disciple, he was both angry and anxious. He held out an iron cane and wrote on a bluestone flagstone: ''Sir, what''s the enmity between us? Having killed my disciple, now you''ve spoiled my important business again.''


    ''Chi-chi'' sounds were heard continuously, as if he was writing on sand. Every stroke of the 17 words went deep into the stone. When combined with high-level internal energy, his ventriloquism technique could capture the hearts of other people and mix up their minds. It was an extremely formidable heterodox technique. But this technique simply used mental force to control the enemy, if the enemy''s internal energy cultivation was better than his, he would be harm by them. He already knew how Tan Qing had died, and now he saw the skills that Xiao Feng used to save Duan Zhengchun, so he dared not rashly use his ventriloquism technique to talk to Xiao Feng.


    Seeing that Duan Yanqing had finished writing, Xiao Feng, without saying anything, walked forward, pressed his foot against the ground and made several sweeps, immediately erasing completely all the 17 words on the flagstone. It was already very hard for one man to use an iron cane to write on a flagstone, but the other man used his foot to remove the words. This skill with the sole of the foot was much more difficult than concentrating internal energy in the tip of the cane. With 1 person writing and the other erasing, a bluestone flagstone on the lakeside path unexpectedly seemed just like a beach.


    Seeing Xiao Feng erase those words, Duan Yanqing knew that, first, he wanted to display his skills, and second, he wanted to say that there was no enmity between them, and that if he himself could ignore the antipathy that he had unintentionally caused in the past, then both of them should stop. Knowing that he himself was no match for Xiao Feng, Duan Yanqing thought it would be better to get away as soon as possible, to avoid tasting the present deficiencies. Using the iron cane in his right hand, he drew a stroke from the top down at once, followed by an upward stroke, expressing the intention of ''writing off at one stroke.'' Then he immediately gave the ground a poke with an iron cane, leaped backward, turned around and went away as if floating.


    South Sea Divine Alligator looked Xiao Feng up and down with his strange eyes wide open. His heart full of disrespect, he cursed: ''Fvck, what''s so amazing about this dog bastard¡­'' Before he had finished saying, his body suddenly rose into the air and flew towards the center of the lake. A plop was heard when water was splashed on all sides as a result of him falling into the lake.


    Xiao Feng exceedingly hated being called ''bastard'' by other people. While still carrying Duan Zhengchun with his left hand, he rushed over and threw South Sea Divine Alligator into the lake with his right hand. This action of his was extremely fast and did not allow South Sea Divine Alligator the smallest room for resisting.


    South Sea Divine Alligator had lived at the South China Sea for a long time, and called himself ''Divine Alligator'', so his swimming skills were certainly excellent. Pushing his feet against the bottom of the lake, he jumped up to the surface and cried: ''How did you pull that?'' As he finished this sentence, his body sunk to the bottom again. He pushed his feet against the bottom of the lake once more, jumped up to the surface and cried: ''You sneakily attacked your father!'' Finishing this sentence, he sunk again. In the 3rd time of jumping up, he cried: ''Your father won''t let you get away!'' His temper was extremely irascible so he could not wait until he had come ashore to start cursing Xiao Feng. He kept jumping up, letting out a sentence of abuse and sinking.


    A''Zi laughed and said: ''Everyone sees, this fellow emerges from the water and submerges. Doesn''t he look like a big black turtle (Play on words: black turtle = cuckold)?'' It happened that South Sea Divine Alligator jumped up to the surface right in this moment. Hearing she said so, he cursed: ''It''s just you who are a black turtle¡­'' A''Zi raised her hand. A ''chi'' sound was heard as she fired a flying awl at him. When the flying awl came, South Sea Divine Alligator had already sunk to the bottom of the lake.


    South Sea Divine Alligator swam to the shore and climbed up, dripping wet. Unexpectedly, he was not afraid in the slightest. He walked up to Xiao Feng brazenly, tilted his head and glowered at him, saying: ''What''s the technique you threw me into the lake with? Your father doesn''t know this technique.'' Ye Erniang, standing at a place 7 or 8 zhang away, called: ''Third, go quickly. Don''t make a fool of yourself here.'' South Sea Divine Alligator said angrily: ''I was thrown into the lake by him and don''t even know the technique he used. How can this not be a burning shame? Of course I must ask clearly.''


    A''Zi said very solemnly: ''Alright, I''m telling you. This technique of his is called the ''Turtle Throwing Skill''.''


    South Sea Divine Alligator said: ''Oh, so it''s called the ''Turtle Throwing Skill''. As I already know the name of this skill, I''ll beg other people to teach it to me and train hard so that later I won''t be at this disadvantage.'' As he finished saying, he left with quick steps. By now, Ye Erniang and Yun Zhonghe had already gone far.

 Chapter - 23 The Promise Made About the Cattle And Sheep of the Northern Land Came to Naught.

    Xiao Feng put Duan Zhengchun lightly on the ground and retreated several steps.


    Ruan Xingzhu took a deep bow to express her gratitude and said: ''Chief Qiao, first you saved my daughter. Now you''ve saved him¡­ him¡­ I really don''t know how to thank you.'' The people such as Fan Hua and Zhu Danchen also came over to thank him.


    Xiao Feng said sternly: ''Xiao Feng saved him totally out of self-interest. All of you need not mention it. Prince Duan, I ask you 1 question. Please answer honestly. That year you made a big mistake that in your heart you''ve been ashamed of, right? Though this mistake might not have stemmed from your true intentions, you harmed a child to the point of being wretched for life and not knowing its own parents. Is that right?'' Every time thinking about the fact that both his parents had died tragically outside Yanmen Pass, he was in agony, so he was unwilling to state it clearly in front of everybody.


    Duan Zhengchun''s face reddened greatly all over then immediately turned pale. He lowered his head, saying: ''Yes, all my life I''ve been troubled by this matter. Every time thinking about it, I feel very uneasy. But the blunder was already made. It''s hard to make up for it. Heaven has shown pity on me and today allows me to meet a parentless child of that year again. But¡­ but¡­ alas, I''ve wronged other people all the time.''


    Xiao Feng said in a severe voice: ''You already know that you made a big mistake and made other people suffer, but why have you still continuously committed one wrongdoing after another since then?''


    Duan Zhengchun shook his head and said in a low voice: ''My conduct has been improper, my virtue has been deficient, and in my life I''ve really done too many absurd things. I feel deeply ashamed thinking about them.''


    After hearing Madam Ma say Duan Zhengchun''s name in Xinyang, Xiao Feng had day and night thought that after finding Duan Zhengchun he would execute him by dismemberment. He had been determined that he would only take Duan Zhengchun''s life after making him taste sufficient bits and pieces of suffering. But just now, seeing that Duan Zhengchun was benevolent and righteous to his friends, bold and generous to his enemies, and did not look like a despicable evildoer, he could not help but become suspicious, thinking: ''His killing of my parents outside Yanmen Pass was due to misunderstanding. Everyone can make this kind of mistake. But he killed my foster parents--Qiao Sanhuai and his wife--, and harmed my benevolent master Xuan Ku. Those are absolutely unforgivable crimes. Could there still be other details in this?'' He was never rash in his actions, so he asked Duan Zhengchun directly, wanting him to personally answer before he himself determined. Duan Zhengchun, with a deeply embarrassed expression, had said that he had committed grave mistakes which had made him feel uneasy through his life, and that today he had met a parentless child of that year again. As for the matters such as murdering Qiao Sanhuai and his wife, and murdering Venerable Xuan Ku, he had admitted that ''his conduct had been improper, and his virtue had been deficient.'' Observing all of this, Xiao Feng knew clearly and firmly at once. His face seemed to be covered by a layer of grim frost, and he made a ''humph'' sound with his nose.


    Suddenly, Ruan Xingzhu said: ''He¡­ he''s always been like this. I don''t¡­ don''t blame him.'' Xiao Feng turned to her and saw that she was having a smiling expression and looking at Duan Zhengchun with her pair of starry eyes which was exuding tenderness and love. His anger surging up, he let out a ''humph'' sound and said: ''Well, so he''s always been like this.'' Then he turned his head back and said to Duan Zhengchun: ''Tonight, at the 3rd watch (midnight to 2 a.m), I''ll be waiting on that bluestone bridge. I have something to discuss a little with you, sir.''


    Duan Zhengchun said: ''I''ll definitely arrive on time. I dare not repay this great debt of gratitude with words, but you''ve come here from afar, why not go into that small house over there to for a few cups?'' Xiao Feng said: ''How is your injury, sir? Do you need to rest for a few days?'' Unexpectedly, he seemed to turn a deaf ear to the invitation to drink wine. Slightly baffled, Duan Zhengchun said: ''Brother Qiao, many thanks for your solicitude. This minor injury is not significant.''


    Xiao Feng nodded, saying: ''Then that''s good. A''Zhu, let''s go.'' When he had walked 2 steps, he turned his head around and said to Duan Zhengchun: ''There''s no need to take those good subordinate friends of yours along.'' Seeing that the people such as Fan Hua and Hua Hegen all were completely loyal brave fellows, he felt that it would certainly be a pity if they went to the bluestone bridge with Duan Zhengchun and thus unavoidably died at his own hands one by one.


    Duan Zhengchun thought that this man''s words and actions were rather strange. Even the Emperor, also his brother, only smiled about all of these many romantic demerits of his. This man, however, had denounced him in stern words in front of everybody. This was a bit too unduly, but Xiao Feng was the person who had saved his life, so he said: ''Just as you instruct, honorable brother.''


    Pulling A''Zhu''s hand, Xiao Feng left immediately without turning his head around.


    Xiao Feng and A''Zhu went to a farmhouse and bought some rice to cook and 2 chickens to boil to eat their fill. Because there was no wine, the meal was unavoidably somewhat unexciting. Seeing that A''Zhu seemed to be full of worries and all along she had not said anything, he asked: ''I''ve found my archenemy. You should feel happy for me.''


    A''Zhu smiled, saying: ''Yes, I should be happy.'' Seeing that her smile was very unnatural, Xiao Feng said: ''Tonight, after killing this fellow, we''ll immediately go north to the outside of Yanmen Pass to gallop on horseback, go hunting, and pasture cattle and sheep, then we''ll never go any step inside the Pass. Oh, A''Zhu, before seeing Duan Zhengchun, I took an oath that I''d kill his whole family without sparing even fowls and dogs. But unexpectedly this fellow has personal loyalty, so I think only the one who did the deed should be responsible for it. There''s no need to find the other members of his family.'' A''Zhu said: ''Having this humane thought, you''d amass a lot of credit in the Underworld and future blessing.'' Xiao Feng burst out laughing and said: ''My pair of hands has killed many people. What credit in the Underworld or future blessing would there still be for me?''


    Seeing A''Zhu''s elegant eyebrows wrinkling, he asked again: ''A''Zhu, why aren''t you happy? You don''t want me to kill again, right?'' A''Zhu replied: ''It''s not that I''m unhappy, but somehow my stomach is aching very much.'' Xiao Feng stretched out his hand to check her pulse and felt that it was beating unsteadily and hastily. He said softly: ''The journey has been hard on you. I''m afraid you''ve caught a cold. I''m gonna ask the granny to cook a bowl of ginger soup for you to drink.''


    When the ginger soup had not yet been done, A''Zhu shivered all over repeatedly and said in a quavering voice: ''I''m cold, I''m cold.'' Xiao Feng, sympathizing with her very much, removed his robe and wrapped it around her body. A''Zhu said: ''Big brother, after getting your revenge tonight, you will have fulfilled your great goal. Naturally I should go with you. Hopefully I would get somewhat better.'' Xiao Feng said: ''No! No! You stay here to rest and have a sleep. When you wake up I''ll have already brought Duan Zhengchun''s head back.''


    A''Zhu sighed and said: ''I''m feeling very ill, big brother, it can''t be helped. I''m unable to go with you. I really want to accompany you and be together with you. I really don''t want to be separate from you¡­ You¡­ You''re such a lonely man. I''m not treating you well.''


    Hearing her say in a deeply tender manner, Xiao Feng was touched. He held her hand and said: ''We''ll only be separate from each other for a while. What''s the big deal? A''Zhu, you treat me really well. I don''t know how I should repay your kindness.''


    A''Zhu said: ''We won''t be separate for just a while. I feel that it will be very long, very long. Big brother, after you leave me, I''ll be all alone. And you''ll be all by yourself, too. You had better take me beyond Yanmen Pass immediately. We''ll go pasture cattle and sheep like this. And you''ll take revenge on Duan Zhengchun 1 year later. Is that all right? Let me be with you for 1 year first.''


    Xiao Feng gently stroked her beautiful hair, saying: ''We''ve found him with great difficulty. After settling this score tonight, we''ll never return to the Central Plains. Duan Zhengchun''s martial arts are far inferior to mine. He can''t use the ''6 Meridians Divine Sword'' either. But if we waited for 1 year, we''d have to go to Dali. The Duan Family of Dali has very many experts, if your big brother encountered a master of the ''6 Meridians Divine Sword'', I''d probably lose. It''s not that I don''t want to listen to you, but there''re many problems in this.''


    A''Zhu nodded and said in a low voice: ''That''s right. I shouldn''t ask you to wait for 1 year then go to Dali to find him and get your revenge. You absolutely mustn''t go into the tiger''s den alone.''


    ''Ha-ha,'' Xiao Feng laughed and lifted the empty bowl up and took a gulp. He was in the habit of drinking with big bowls. At the moment there was nothing in the bowl, but doing so was still good enough. He said: ''If I, Xiao Feng, was alone, even if the Duan Family in Dali is a dragon''s lair or tiger''s den, I''d still rush in without worrying the least about life and death and dangers. But now I already have little A''Zhu. I want to take care of you and be with you for life, so Xiao Feng''s life is very precious.''


    A''Zhu leaned on his bosom, her back slightly shaking. Xiao Feng gently caressed her hair. There was a feeling of quietude and warmth in his heart. He thought: ''Having such a wife, what is still there to regret?'' In an instant, he could not help letting his mind gallop to the frontier and his heart fly beyond the Pass. He thought that 1 month later, he and A''Zhu would ride on horseback together in the prairies, go hunting and do shepherding without having to take precautions against being harmed by the enemy, and without worry and anxiety. How carefree and relaxed would they be! But he had not yet repaid the man in black for the great kindness of saving his life at Juxian Manor that day, so he was unavoidably uneasy. However, because this kind of great hero of course did benevolent deeds without hoping for requital, Xiao Feng thought that in this lifetime he would have no choice but to owe him this debt of gratitude.


    Xiao Feng noticed that it was gradually getting dark. Leaning on his bosom, A''Zhu was already sleeping deeply. He took out 3 Qian of silver (~ 4 g), gave it to the farmer, and asked him to prepare a vacant room. Then he carried A''Zhu and set her down on the bed, covered her with a quilt, lowered the bed''s curtain, and sit in the hall of the farmhouse with his eyes closed in meditation. Not long after, he felt asleep deeply.


    After sleeping for more than 4 hours, he opened the door and walked out. He saw that the new moon was hanging above the tops of the trees at an oblique angle, and in the northwest corner, dark clouds were gathering. It appeared there would likely be a big thunderstorm tonight.


    Xiao Feng put on his robe and went towards the bluestone bridge. After going 5 li or so (0.5 km) he arrived at the river bank. He could see the reflection of the moon in the river, but half of the sky in the west side was already full of dark clouds. At times, there were several bolts of lightning shot out from the clouds, illuminating the surroundings. But after the lightning was gone, it seemed to be even darker. In a distant graveyard, will-o''-the-wisps were fluttering to and fro on the grass.


    Xiao Feng went faster and faster. Before long, he arrived at the bluestone bridge. Taking a look in the direction of the Ursa Major, he noticed that it was not yet past the second watch (10 p.m ¨C 12 p.m), still early. He thought: ''Because I want to settle the big score, I couldn''t remain calm and have unexpectedly arrived 1 watch earlier.'' In his life, he had had many appointments in which his life had been at stake, and he had met not just a few opponents who were better at martial arts and more renowned than Duan Zhengchun. However, tonight he felt unusually uneasy in his heart, and he was lacking the indomitable, do-or-die spirit of the past.


    Standing at the side of the bridge and looking at the water which was slowly flowing under it, he thought: ''That''s right. In the past I came and went alone and didn''t have to take care of anyone. But tonight I have A''Zhu in my mind. Oh, this''s really known as ''when immersed in love, a hero loses heart.'''' As he thought to here, some tender feelings could not help emerging from the bottom of his heart. The trace of a smile was visible on his mouth. He thought: ''If A''Zhu was standing here with me, it''d be much better.''


    Knowing Duan Zhengchun''s martial arts were nowhere near as good as his own, he thought there was no need to be worried about the outcome of the duel tonight. Seeing that the time of the appointment had not yet come, he sat down beneath a tree beside the bridge to concentrate his mind and do breathing. Gradually, his Lingtai (an acupuncture point at the middle of the back) became empty and clear, and miscellaneous thoughts no longer existed.


    Suddenly, lightning flashed, followed by a boom of thunder. Then a bolt of lightning struck down from the mass of clouds. Xiao Feng opened his eyes and thought: ''There''s going to be heavy rain in an instant. Is it already near the 3rd watch?''


    Right at this moment, he saw a man walking slowly on the road leading to the Little Mirror Lake. It was none other than Duan Zhengchun.


    He walked up to Xiao Feng, took a deep bow with hands clasped and said: ''What, may I ask, does Chief Qiao want to instruct me by summoning me?''


    Xiao Feng slightly tilted his head and looked askance at him. Suddenly, he was burning with rage. He said: ''Prince Duan, the purpose of my making an appointment with you here--could it be you don''t know what it is?''


    Duan Zhengchun sighed and said: ''You do this because of the incident outside Yanmen Pass that year when I listened to the words of an evildoer by mistake, was stirred up by them and harmed your mother to death, causing your father to commit suicide. It was really a big mistake.''


    Xiao Feng said sternly: ''Why did you also harm my foster parents--Qiao Sanhuai and his wife--, and murder my benevolent master Venerable Xuan Ku?''


    Duan Zhengchun slowly nodded and said sorrowfully: ''I only hoped to conceal this matter. Who would have thought that I would sink more and more deeply and eventually wouldn''t be able to extricate myself from this?''


    Xiao Feng said: ''Ha, who''d have thought you''re a straightforward fellow? Will you punish yourself, or gotta wait for me to go into action?''


    Duan Zhengchun said: ''Chief Qiao, if you hadn''t shown your skills and saved me, today at noon I would have lost my life beside the Little Mirror Lake. It''s all thanks to your favor, sir, that I could live a half more day. Chief Qiao, if you want to take my life, then you should just do it.''


    At this moment, there was a bang of thunder, and raindrops, big as soya beans, suddenly poured down noisily.


    Hearing his bold and generous words, Xiao Feng could not refrain from feeling touched. Usually, Xiao Feng liked to make friends with heroes and brave men, so after he had seen Duan Zhengchun, observing that this man had a heroic bearing and was straightforward, he had taken a liking to him. If this was an ordinary mistake, then even if it was a great insult to Xiao Feng himself, he would have already dismissed it with a laugh, and gone drinking tens of bowls of spirit with Duan Zhengchun. But the deaths of his parents did not allow him to live under the same sky with the enemy, how could he let Duan Zhengchun pass at this juncture? He raised 1 hand and said: ''As a son and a disciple, I''m not allowed not to get revenge for the deaths of my parents and master. You killed my father, mother, foster father, foster mother, and my first benevolent master, 5 people altogether, so I''ll attack you with 5 blows of my palms. After you''ve undergone 5 palm attacks of mine, whether you''ll be dead or alive, the enmity in the past will be written off at 1 stroke.''


    Duan Zhengchun forced a smile and said: ''Exchanging 1 life for only 1 palm attack, this retribution is a bit too easy on me. I deeply appreciate your great kindness.''


    Xiao Feng thought: ''Don''t you think that your Dali Duan Clan''s martial arts are preeminent. I''m afraid you won''t be able to withstand the force of 1 blow of my palm.'' Then he said: ''Watch out for this palm.'' His left hand moved in a circle, and his right palm struck out with a ''hu'' sound.


    Suddenly lightning flashed, followed by a boom of thunder in mid air. The thunder strengthened the force of the palm, so this palm attack of Xiao Feng was executed with the power of heaven and earth, and wind and thunder. With a ''peng'' sound, it hit Duan Zhengchun''s chest squarely. At once, Xiao Feng saw he stood unsteadily and fell down. A ''pai'' sound was heard as he bumped against the railing of the bluestone bridge. He drooped weakly, motionless.


    Xiao Feng was startled: ''Why didn''t he raise his hands to meet my attack? And why is he so bad?'' He jumped forwards, grabbed the back of Duan Zhengchun''s collar and lifted him up. He was alarmed. His ears heard ceaseless rolls of thunder, and the heavy rain was sprinkling water on his face and his body, but he felt nothing. He only thought: ''How has he become so light?''


    Today at noon, when going into action and saving Duan Zhengchun, he had lifted him up for quite a while. A person with excellent martial arts could immediately detect the difference of even 1 Jin or half a Jin (0.6 kg) in weight in their hands. But at this moment, Xiao Feng felt that Duan Zhengchun''s body had suddenly become lighter by tens of Jin. A burst of indescribable fear suddenly emerged in his heart. He broke into a cold sweat all over.


    At this moment, a bolt of lightning flashed again. Xiao Feng stretched out his hand and made a grab at Duan Zhengchun''s face. In his hand was a pile of squishy matter which fell away after just a wipe of his hand. In the light of flashes he could see clearly, and so he shouted involuntarily: ''A''Zhu, A''Zhu, so it''s you!''


    He felt that his whole body had not the slightest strength, so he could not help but kneel down, hugging A''Zhu''s legs. He knew that the palm attack just now had been executed with all his power, so not even a first-class hero or bold man in wulin would be able to remain unharmed without using their palm attacks to receive it, to say nothing of this fragile little girl A''Zhu. This blow of the palm certainly had broken all her ribs and crushed her 5 internal organs. Even if Divine Doctor Xue was here and gave her immediate treatment, he would still surely have a hard time snatching her life back.


    A''Zhu leaned against the railing of the bridge. Her body slowly slid down and fell on Xiao Feng''s body. She said in a low voice: ''Big brother, I¡­ I¡­ treated you very badly. Are you angry with me?''


    Xiao Feng said loudly: ''I''m not angry with you. I''m angry with myself.'' As he finished, he raised his hand and brought it down on his own head in a fierce blow.


    A''Zhu made a slight move with her left hand, wanting to prevent him from hitting himself. But she was unable to raise her arm, so she said: ''Big brother, you must promise me that you''ll never ever harm yourself.''


    Xiao Feng cried: ''Why are you doing this? Why? Why?''


    A''Zhu replied in a low voice: ''Big brother, unfasten my gown, and take a look at my left shoulder.'' On their thousand-of-li journey, Xiao Feng and she had travelled together and lodged in the same inns, but from beginning to end, they had always controlled themselves and observed etiquette. At this moment, hearing her tell him to unfasten her gown, he was startled. A''Zhu said: ''I''ve already belonged to you. My¡­ my¡­ whole body is yours. Just take a look¡­ take a look at my left shoulder, then you''ll understand.''


    Xiao Feng''s eyes were full of tears. Noticing that she was of sound mind when saying those words, he still had a faint hope. Immediately, he propped her up with his left palm put against her back, then hurriedly channelled his internal energy and constantly transferred it into her body, hoping that he could make up for his blunder. His right hand slowly undid her gown, exposing her left shoulder.


    A long bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Everything before his eyes was lit up. He saw that the skin of her shoulder was whiter than snow, but there was a ''Duan'' character, deep red as blood, tattooed on it.


    Xiao Feng was both amazed and grieved. Not daring to look at it for long, he pulled her gown and covered her shoulder. Then he gently embraced her, saying: ''There''s a ''Duan'' character on your shoulder--what does it mean?''


    A''Zhu replied: ''When my father and mother gave me to other people, they tattooed it on my shoulder so that¡­ so that we would recognize each other someday.'' Xiao Feng said in a tremulous voice: ''This ''Duan'' character, this ''Duan'' character¡­'' A''Zhu said: ''Today, when they discovered an identification mark on Miss A''Zi''s shoulder, they knew at once she was their daughter. You¡­ You¡­ Did you see the mark?'' Xiao Feng replied: ''No. It was improper for me to see it.'' A''Zhu said: ''She¡­ She is also tattooed with a red ''Duan'' character on the shoulder, which is the same as mine.''


    Xiao Feng suddenly understood. He said in a quavering voice: ''You¡­ You''re their daughter too?''


    A''Zhu said: ''At first I didn''t know. Only when I saw the word on A''Zi''s shoulder did I know that. She has a gold lock too, which is the same as my gold lock. Both are engraved on with 12 characters. The characters on her lock are:


    ''Lakeside bamboos are emerald green. They herald quietude and plenty of happiness.''


    (ºþ±ßÖñ,Ó¯Ó¯ÂÌ,±¨Æ½°²,¶àϲÀÖ ¨C Pinyin of the 1st 3 words: Hu Bian ZHU - Bamboo)


    And the characters on my lock are:


    ''Celestial stars are sparkling. They''ll glitter forever. You''ll be well forever also.''


    (ÌìÉÏÐÇ,ÁÁ¾§¾§,ÓÀ²ÓÀÃ,³¤°²Äþ ¨C Pinyin of the 1st 3 words: Tian Liang XING - Star)


    I¡­ I have never understood the meaning of the poem. I only thought it used nice words that rhyme. But it turns out it contains the name of my mother. My mother is that woman Ruan¡­ Ruan Xingzhu. This pair of locks was given to my mother by my father. After giving birth to me and my sister, she gave each of us 1 lock, tying them around our necks.''


    Xiao Feng said: ''Now I understand. I''ll think of a way to cure your injury at once. Let''s slowly talk about this matter later.''


    A''Zhu said: ''No! No! I must say to you clearly. If I''m delayed for another while, there won''t be enough time. Big brother, please wait until I''ve finished.'' Xiao Feng could not bear to go against her will. He had no choice but to say: ''Alright, I''m gonna listen to you to the finish. But don''t exert yourself excessively.'' A''Zhu smiled, saying: ''Big brother, you''re really nice, taking me into consideration in everything. How can you dote on me so much?'' Xiao Feng said: ''Later on I''ll dote on you 100 times as much, 1000 times as much.''


    A''Zhu smiled and said: ''This is enough, this is enough. I wouldn''t like you to treat me too well. If I became unruly, then who would control me? Big brother, I¡­ I hid at the back of the bamboo house and eavesdropped on the conversation between my father, mother and younger sister A''Zi. It turns out my father is already married. He and my mother aren''t legit husband and wife. They gave birth to me first, and 1 year later they gave birth to my younger sister. After that my father wanted to return to Dali. My mother didn''t let him go. The 2 of them had a big quarrel. My mother even hit him, but my father didn''t strike back. After that¡­ after that¡­ there was no way, so they couldn''t help but break up. My maternal grandfather was very strict when it comes to family education, if he''d known about this affair, he surely would''ve killed my mother. My mother dared not take me and my sister home, so she had no choice but to send us into other people''s houses. But she hoped we would be able to recognize each other someday, so she tattooed a ''Duan'' character on my and my sister''s shoulders. The person who adopted me only knows that my mother''s surname is Ruan. In fact, in fact, my surname is Duan¡­''


    Feeling even sorrier for her, Xiao Feng said in a low voice: ''You''re such a miserable child.''


    A''Zhu said: ''When my mother gave me to another family, I was just over 1 year old. So of course I couldn''t recognize my father. I couldn''t even recognize my mother''s face. Big brother, you''re also like this. In the apricot forest in the evening of that day, when I heard them talking about your origin, in my heart I felt very sorry for you because both of us are similarly miserable children.''


    Lightning flashed nonstop. 1 crash of thunder was heard after another. Suddenly, a big tree on the river bank was struck by lightning and fell down with ''ka-la-la'' sounds. However, because the 2 of them were paying no attention to external things, even though Heaven and Earth were changing greatly, they were still totally unaware of that.


    A''Zhu continued: ''Who''d have thought the person who harmed your parents to death is my father? Alas, Heaven''s predestination is really too cruel to us. Besides, besides¡­ it was I myself who tactfully discovered the name of my father from Madam Ma. If I hadn''t disguised as Bai Shijing and tricked her, she surely wouldn''t have been willing to say my father''s name. They say that there is Heaven''s will in the dark. I''ve never believed it. But¡­ but¡­ in your opinion, can I believe it now?''


    Xiao Feng raised his head. The dark clouds, which were all over the sky, had been blocking the Moon insomuch that there was not the slightest hint of light. A long bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, brightly illuminating the surroundings. It seemed as if Heaven had just suddenly opened its eyes.


    He lowered his head dispiritedly, nonplussed in his heart. He asked: ''Do you know for sure Duan Zhengchun is your father?''


    A''Zhu said: ''This can''t be wrong. I heard my parents hug my younger sister, cry bitterly and tell her how they had abandoned me and my younger sister. My father even said that, in this life, he''d find and bring me back, no matter what. They couldn''t have guessed that the daughter they gave birth to was crouching outside the window. Big brother, just now I pretended that I was ill, but I disguised myself as you then went and told my father that the appointment at the bluestone bridge tonight was canceled, and every mistake was written off at 1 stroke. Then I disguised as my father and went to meet you¡­ to let you¡­ to let you¡­'' As she said to here, her breathing was already faint like the threads of a cobweb.


    Xiao Feng transferred more internal energy through his palm to keep A''Zhu from exhaustion. He said tearfully: ''Why didn''t you tell me? If I had known he is your father¡­'' But he could not say the words following that, because he himself did not know what he should have done if he had known beforehand that Duan Zhengchun was the father of his beloved either.


    A''Zhu said: ''I tossed and turned and considered for a very long time. Big brother, I wanted to be with you for life so much. But how could that be possible? Could I beg you not to seek revenge for the deaths of your 5 relatives? Even if I talked rot and begged you, you would still give your consent. So, in the end, that was out of the question.''


    Her voice became lower and lower as she said. It was still thundering endlessly, but to Xiao Feng, every word A''Zhu said was more soul-shattering than the sky-shaking thunder. He held his head in his hands tightly, saying: ''You could''ve told your father to run away and not to keep this appointment! Or if your father is a hero or brave man and is unwilling to break this appointment, you could''ve disguised as me and made another appointment with your father so that we''d meet at a distant place and in the distant future. Why should you, should you make yourself suffer like this?''


    A''Zhu said: ''I want you to know that it may not be due to his true intentions at all that a person killed others. Of course you don''t wanna harm me, but you hit me with a blow of the palm. My father harmed your parents to death, and that''s also a blunder he made without intent.''


    Xiao Feng had always been looking intently at her with his head lowered. During the several times when lightning flashed, he saw that the look in her eyes was infinitely tender. His heart was stirred. Suddenly, he realized that the deep love she had for himself was really beyond his previous imagination. And he suddenly understood: ''Though Duan Zhengchun is her real father, he didn''t bring her up at all. If she had merely wanted to make me understand that unintentional mistakes could be forgiven, she wouldn''t have had to lose her life in vain like this.'' He said tremulously: ''A''Zhu, A''Zhu, you surely have another reason. It wasn''t because you wanted to save your father, and nor was it because you wanted me to know that it was an unintentional blunder. This''s for my sake! This''s for my sake!'' Then he rose, embracing her.


    A''Zhu had a smiling expression on her face. Seeing that Xiao Feng had eventually understood her underlying intention, she could not help feeling happy. She knew that she was at the end of her life. Even though she had not hoped that her lover would know the intention concealed at the bottom of her heart, he had eventually realized it¡­


    Xiao Feng said: ''This''s totally for my sake, A''Zhu, is that right?'' A''Zhu said in a low voice: ''Yes.'' Xiao Feng said loudly: ''Why? Why?'' A''Zhu said: ''The Duan Family of Dali has the 6 Meridians Divine Sword. If you killed their South-Stabilizing Prince, how could they be willing to leave you alone? Big brother, we can''t read the words in that ''Muscle Changing Sutra''¡­''


    Xiao Feng suddenly understood. His eyes could not help brimming with tears. Then tears rolled down his face.


    A''Zhu said: ''I have 1 thing to beg you, big brother, are you willing to promise me it?'' Xiao Feng replied: ''I''ll promise you even 100 or 1000 things, not to mention 1 thing.'' A''Zhu said: ''I only have 1 younger sister. The 2 of us haven''t been able to be together since childhood. Keep an eye on her, I beg of you. I''m worried she would go down the wrong road.'' Xiao Feng forced a laugh and said: ''Wait till you''ve gotten well, we''ll find her so that you''ll have a reunion.'' A''Zhu said softly: ''Wait till I''ve gotten well¡­ Big brother, then I and you will go outside Yanmen Pass to ride on horseback, go hunting, and pasture cattle and sheep. Do you think my younger sister will be willing to go there?''


    Xiao Feng replied: ''Of course she''ll go. Her elder sister and her brother-in-law invite her, how will she still not go?''


    Suddenly a ''hu-la'' sound was heard. From the cavity under the bridge, a person moved out, saying: ''How shameless! What is elder sister? What is brother-in-law? I won''t go.'' This person was small and slender, and was wearing a suit of waterproof clothes. She was none other than A''Zi.


    After accidentally hit A''Zhu with a palm attack, Xiao Feng had totally focused his mind on her. Otherwise, with his skills, he definitely would have noticed that there was a person hiding in the water beneath the bridge. But because, firstly, it had been thundering and raining heavily, and secondly, his mind had been in great turmoil, so he had been unable to detect A''Zi until she showed herself. He could not help being slightly shocked and called: ''A''Zi, A''Zi, you quickly come and see your elder sister.''


    A''Zhu slightly pouted her small lips, saying: ''Originally I hid under the bridge to see you and my father fight and to have a jolly time. Who''d have thought you''d hit my elder sister? You two haven''t finished rattling on and saying loving words. I don''t like to hear. You two can talk about love, but why drag me into this?'' As she finished saying, she moved towards them.


    A''Zhu said: ''Good sister, later on big brother Xiao will look after you, you¡­ you''ll look after him, too¡­''


    A''Zi said with a giggle: ''This ugly rustic barbarian--I''ll ignore him.''


    Suddenly Xiao Feng felt A''Zhu, who was leaning on his bosom, slightly tremble. Her head drooped and her beautiful hair spread over her shoulder. She was motionless. Horror-stricken, he called: ''A''Zhu, A''Zhu.'' He checked her pulse at once, but it had already stopped beating. It seemed as if his heart had also already stopped. He held out his hand and checked her breathing, but she no longer breathed. He called loudly: ''A''Zhu! A''Zhu!'' However, even if he called 1,000 or 10,000 times, A''Zhu would not be able to answer him. He hastily transferred his internal energy into her body, but all the while A''Zhu did not move at all.


    A''Zi, seeing that A''Zhu had stopped breathing and died, was also shocked. She stopped grinning cheekily and and said angrily: ''You beat my elder sister to death. You¡­ you beat my elder sister to death.''


    Xiao Feng said: ''Yes, it''s I who beat your elder sister to death. You should take revenge for your elder sister. Quick, quickly kill me!'' With his 2 hands drooped, he lowered A''Zhu''s body. Then he held forth his chest, crying: ''Quickly kill me.'' He really hoped A''Zi would draw a knife and stick it in his chest, thus finishing all his troubles with death and freeing him from endless sufferings.


    A''Zi, seeing his facial muscles twitching and his frightening expression, could not help being extremely scared. She retreated several steps and cried: ''You¡­ Don''t kill me.''


    Following her, Xiao Feng walked forwards several steps. He reached for his chest and, with a ''chi'' sound, ripped the cloth that covered the chest, exposing his skin. He said: ''You have poisonous needles, poisonous thorns, poisonous awls¡­ quickly puncture me to death.''


    In the light of a flash, A''Zi saw that deep blue wolf head tattoo on his chest with fangs bared and teeth shown, looking ferocious, so she was even more frightened. She suddenly uttered an exclamation, turned around and ran away very fast.


    Xiao Feng stood in a daze on the bridge. He was extremely grieved and infinitely remorseful. He raised his hand and with a ''peng'' sound he hit the stone railing, causing stone bits to scatter around. He kept dealing 1 blow of the palm after another. Then, a loud ''hu-la-la'' sound was heard as a block of the stone railing fell into the river. He wanted to wail but was unable to weep anyway. A bolt of lightning flashed by, shining clearly on A''Zhu''s face. Those deep love and deep concerns still remained on the tips of her eyebrows and the corners of her mouth.


    Xiao Feng let out a scream: ''A''Zhu!'' Then, carrying her body, he rushed into the wilderness.


    It kept thundering and raining heavily. He ran up the mountain for a while then ran down the valley for another while, totally not knowing where he was. His mind was in chaos, insomuch that it seemed to have gone blank.


    The thunder gradually stopped, but it kept raining heavily unceasingly. In the East, dawn was breaking and the sky slowly lightened. Xiao Feng had been rushing around for 4 hours, but he was not tired in the least. He only wanted to punish himself as much as possible, and only wanted to die immediately to be with A''Zhu forever. Uttering hoarse cries of distress, he rushed around chaotically. Unconsciously, he suddenly returned to the bluestone bridge.


    He mumbled to himself: ''I''ll go find Duan Zhengchun, find Duan Zhengchun, and ask him to kill me in revenge for his daughter''s death.''


    Before long, he arrived at the side of the lake. Xiao Feng yelled: ''Duan Zhengchun, I killed your daughter. Come and kill me. I definitely won''t strike back. You quickly come out and kill me.'' Carrying A''Zhu horizontally in his arms, he stood before the Square Bamboo Forest. After he had waited awhile, the forest was still silent, and no one came out.


    He walked into the forest and stopped before the bamboo house. After kicking the door open, he walked into the house and said loudly: ''Duan Zhengchun, be quick and kill me!'' The house was empty and without anyone. He searched one time everywhere, from the rooms in the wing to the backyard, but did not find Duan Zhengchun and his subordinates. Even the owner of the bamboo house Ruan Xingzhu and A''Zi were not here either. The utensils and furnishings in the house were still the same as before. It seemed everyone had gone away hurriedly, and in their hurry they had not had enough time to take along anything.


    He thought: ''That''s right. A''Zi brought the news. She only thought I still wanted to revenge myself on her father. Even if Duan Zhengchun was unwilling to run away, that surnamed Ruan woman and his subordinates would certainly force him to run far and fly high. Ha-ha, I''ve come here not to kill you, but to ask you to kill me, ask you to kill me.''


    He yelled several times again: ''Duan Zhengchun, Duan Zhengchun!'' His voice went very far, but he could only hear the rustle of high winds brushing bamboos. There was not the least bit of human voice.


    There was nobody beside the Little Mirror Lake and in the Square Bamboo Forest, only silence. Xiao Feng felt that it seemed there was only him left under Heaven. Ever since A''Zhu had breathed her last, he had not yet put her down for even a minute. For many times he had channelled his internal energy into her body with the hope that Heaven would show pity on him and let her survive the serious injury, just like when she had taken a palm attack of Abbot Xuan Ci previously. But that time, the force of Abbot Xuan Ci''s Great Diamond Palm hit the copper mirror in Xiao Feng''s hand, so A''Zhu was only affected by the shock. This time, Xiao Feng''s palm attack hit her squarely in the chest, how could he save her life? No matter how much internal energy he had channelled into her body, A''Zhu had always been motionless.


    Carrying A''Zhu, he sat down before the house in a daze from the morn to midday then to sundown. By now, it had stopped raining, making visible the azure sky, and the setting sun was illuminating his body and A''Zhu''s with its dull light.


    When he was beset by exceptional fellows at Juxian Manor, even though he was utterly isolated and the situation there was extremely dangerous, he did not waver in his determination in the least. Now, having made an irredeemable blunder with his own hands, he felt more and more lonesome. He felt that he should not live on in the world. ''A''Zhu has died in her father''s place, so I can''t find Duan Zhengchun to get revenge. What else do I have to do? The great undertaking of the Beggar Society, the grand ambitions and lofty goals of the past all are not worth caring. I''m a Khitan, what great undertaking and grand ambition can I have?''


    He walked to the backyard and saw a gardening hoe put at a corner of a wall. He thought: ''Will I stay here with A''Zhu forever?'' He was still carrying A''Zhu in his left hand and did not want to let go of her for even a short while regardless. Lifting up the hoe with his right hand, he went into the Square Bamboo Forest, dug a hole then dug another hole. The 2 holes were side by side.


    He thought: ''When her parents return, they''ll probably dig up the grave to see what actually happened. I must put up a tablet in front of the grave.'' He broke a bamboo section, cut it into two, went into the kitchen, smoothed them with a kitchen knife then walked into the room in the west wing. He saw paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones on the table. Putting A''Zhu horizontal on his knees, he ground ink, picked up a brush, and wrote on a piece of bamboo: ''The grave of a rash Khitan Xiao Feng.''


    Then he picked up the other piece of bamboo and muttered to himself: ''What do I write, ''The grave of Madam Duan of the Xiao Family''? Though she and I had a promise of marriage, we haven''t got married. At her death she was still a young lady who was pure like jade and clear like ice. Wouldn''t calling her ''Madam'' mean disrespect to her?''


    Temporarily unable to decide, he raised his head and considered for a while. By chance, he saw a calligraphic scroll hanging on the wall. It had quite a few columns of words. He conveniently read from the top down:


    We are too bashful and drunk to sing,


    Your elegant hands fasten fragrant silk.


    Leaning on the flower in the candlelight,


    I secretly pass on my deep thoughts.


    The aroma of wine has risen to your eyes.


    Mistaking red for emerald, I am in a daze,


    Lovingly turning around,


    You wrinkle your eyebrows.


    Meeting awhile but long we shall part.


    The spring has ended again,


    How melancholy!


    As he was not a learned man, the words he knew were limited. However, this poem did not have any difficult character, so he could see that it was a romantic amorous poem. It seemed the poem talked about drinking wine, getting shy, singing, how the people in the poem met each other for a while but would separate for a long time, and how sad they felt about that. He looked confusedly at the scroll and was in no mood to understand what the poem was about. He only absently read it from start to finish. And he saw 2 rows of words written below the poem: ''A record of the visit I paid Zhu mei (~ my dear Zhu) in my youth to supplement the wall. Having a partner with eyes bright like stars and a waist slender like a bamboo in my company, I have lost my awareness of Heaven and Earth, years and months. Duan the Second of Dali scrawling in his intoxication.''


    Xiao Feng mumbled: ''He was really happy. Having a partner with eyes bright like stars and a waist slender like a bamboo in his company, he lost his awareness of Heaven and Earth, years and months. Duan the Second of Dali scrawled in his intoxication. Duan the Second of Dali, hum, so this scroll was written by Duan Zhengchun to give his lover Ruan Xingzhu, and was also about the affair between A''Zhu''s father and mother. How can they hang it openly here? Have they no shame? Ah, that''s right. Duan Zhengchun''s subordinates can''t come in this room.''


    At once, he stopped paying attention to the scroll, thinking: ''What should I write on A''Zhu''s grave tablet?'' He knew that with his shallow command of language, even if he considered more, he would not come up with anything. So he wrote 4 words ''The grave of A''Zhu''. Then he put the brush down and rose to his feet. He wanted to plant the bamboo tablets before the holes, bury A''Zhu carefully then commit suicide.


    He turned around and carried A''Zhu''s body in his arms. His eyes caught sight of the scroll on the wall again. Suddenly he jumped up and exclaimed: ''A''yo''. Then he said loudly: ''Wrong, wrong, this matter is wrong!''


    He took 1 step towards the scroll and looked at the several rows of words on it again. He saw that the handwriting was round, smooth, elegant and unconstrained. It seemed as if there was a voice saying loudly in his mind: ''That letter! The letter the leading big brother wrote to Chief Wang--its words ain''t like this. They''re totally different to this.''


    Having only a limited knowledge of characters, he should not be able to recognize a person''s handwriting. But the characters on this scroll were beautiful and skillful, and had neat spacing. The characters on that letter, on the other hand, were skewed and angular. At first sight, anybody could know that it was the handwriting of a man of martial arts in jianghu. The difference between the 2 styles of writing really was so big that anyone could recognize it. He gazed at the characters on the scroll with his eyes wide open. It seemed he wanted to look for the big secrets and big schemes hidden in these several rows of characters.


    His mind was in a whirl and full of thoughts of the letter that he had seen in the apricot forest outside the city of Wuxi that evening--the letter that the leading big brother wrote to Chief Wang. Venerable Zhiguang had torn off the signature of the letter and swallowed it into his stomach to make him unable to know who had written the letter. But the handwriting of the letter had been engraved deeply and very clearly on his mind. The writer of the letter and ''Duan the Second of Dali'' who wrote this scroll were definitely not the same person. There was absolutely no doubt about it.


    But could the ''leading big brother'' entrust the task of writing the letter to another person? After pondering a little, he knew this was definitely impossible. Because Duan Zhengchun was capable of easily writing this kind of nice-looking characters, he certainly was a man who was familiar with penmanship. If he wanted to write a letter to Chief Wang to discuss such an important matter, what reasons could he have to ask another person to write the letter on his behalf? And he had no reason to ask another person to write an amorous poem for his own lover on his behalf.


    The more he thought, the more doubtful he became. He thought repeatedly: ''Could it be that leading big brother isn''t Duan Zhengchun? Could it be this scroll wasn''t written by Duan Zhengchun? Impossible, impossible, besides Duan Zhengchun, how can there be another ''Duan the Second of Dali'' who wrote this kind of amorous poem and hung it here? Could it be Madam Ma lied? That''s also impossible. She and Duan Zhengchun don''t know each other, one in the North, one in the South, one is a widow of a rustic fellow, and one is a member of the nobility. What enmity between them can there be that she could make up lies on purpose to trick me?''


    After he had known that the ''leading big brother'' was Duan Zhengchun, all the doubts and suspicions in his mind had been swept away, and he had only been thinking about how to get revenge. At this moment, when he saw the calligraphic scroll, all kinds of doubts and suspicions emerged in his mind: ''If that letter wasn''t written by Duan Zhengchun, then the leading big brother isn''t him. If it''s not him, then who''s the leading big brother? Why did Madam Ma wanna lie to other people? What cunning schemes and conspiracies are there in this? I killed A''Zhu by mistake. But A''Zhu was willing to die for me. This way, a layer of unredressed wrong has been added to her unredressed wrong. Why didn''t I see this scroll before? But this scroll has been hung in a room in the wings, how could I see it? If I had died to follow A''Zhu without seeing it, that would''ve been a case of death ending all troubles. Why didn''t I see it earlier or later? Why did I see it just a short while before my death?''


    The setting sun was about to disappear behind the mountains. The last sunbeams gradually got away from his insteps. Suddenly he heard 2 people advancing towards the bamboo forest from the side of the Little Mirror Lake. These 2 people were still far. Concentrating his mind and listening, he noticed that the incoming people were 2 women. He thought: ''Probably A''Zi and her mother are coming. Hum, I want to ask Madam Duan if this scroll was written by Duan Zhengchun. Of course she extremely hates me for killing A''Zhu. She surely wants to kill me. I¡­ I¡­'' At first he wanted to ''strike back under no circumstances'', but he immediately changed his mind: ''If A''Zhu really died unjustly, then it''s another person who killed my father and mother, and so this prime villain has borne one more blood debt, and one more life. Could it be that A''Zhu wasn''t harmed to death by him? If I don''t settle this score, how will I be able to die easily?''


    He heard the 2 women draw closer and closer and go into the bamboo forest. Then, after a short while, he also heard the sounds of their conversation. One woman said: ''Be careful. This harlot doesn''t have good martial arts but she''s up to all cunning tricks.'' The other woman, who was young, replied: ''She''s all by herself. Mom, you and I will always be able to finish her off.'' The considerably older woman said: ''Say no more. Once we go into action, let''s use the most dangerous skills. There''s no need to hesitate.'' The young woman said: ''If father knows¡­'' That senior woman said: ''Humph, you still call him father?'' After that, there was no sound of talking, but he heard the 2 women going with stealthy steps. One of them went to the main entrance, and the other went to the back of the house. Apparently they wanted to jointly attack from the front and the rear.


    Xiao Feng was rather mystified, thinking: ''Judging from their voices, these 2 women aren''t Ruan Xingzhu and A''Zi. But they''re a mother and a daughter, too. They''ve come here to kill a lone woman. Oh, probably they want to kill Ruan Xingzhu. But that girl''s father disapproves of this.'' This matter had flashed through his mind, but he did not paid attention to it any longer. He was still sitting in a trance.


    After quite a while, a creaky ''ya'' sound was heard as someone shoved open the door and came in. Xiao Feng did not raise his head the least. He saw a pair of fine feet in black shoes walked up to him and stopped at a distance of about 4 Chi (33.33 cm). After that, the side window was pushed open and a person leaped in and stood next to him. Hearing the sound of that person''s leap, he knew they did not excel in martial arts.


    Still, he did not raise his head. With A''Zhu in his arms, he pondered deeply: ''The ''leading big brother'' is Duan Zhengchun, or he is not? Is there anything unusual in Venerable Zhiguang''s words? Did Elder Xu have any cunning scheme? Is there any flaw in Madam Ma''s words?'' Truly, thoughts were surging up in his mind like tidewater, and he was utterly confused.


    He heard the young woman ask: ''Hey, who are you? Where''s that harlot Ruan?''


    Her voice was cold and her tone was totally disrespectful. Xiao Feng did not pay attention to her. He was only thinking about all kinds of suspicions. The older woman said: ''Is there any connection between you, sir, and that harlot Ruan Xingzhu? Who''s this woman? Quickly say.'' Xiao Feng still paid no attention to her. The young woman said loudly: ''Are you deaf or dumb? Why don''t you say a word?'' Her tone was brimming with anger. Still, Xiao Feng ignored her and kept sitting motionless and like a stone statue.


    That young woman made a stamp. The long sword in her hand slightly shook, and the blade shook. With a buzzing noise, she thrust the sword at Xiao Feng''s temple at an angle. When its tip was only several Cun (3.333 cm) away from his temple, she shouted: ''If you keep acting the fool, I''ll let you taste a bit of misery.''


    Xiao Feng was in a very dangerous situation but he did not care about it in the least. He was only considering all kinds of unanswered doubts and suspicions. That young girl slightly pushed her arm forwards. The long sword was thrust forwards, and it went past the side of his neck at a distance of around 1 cun. Xiao Feng heard clearly the approaching direction of the sword, so he did not dodge or parry it, as if he was totally unaware of it. The 2 women looked at each other in amazement. The young girl said: ''Mom, could this fellow be an idiot? The girl he was carrying seems to be dead already.'' The woman said: ''He''s probably acting fool. There can''t be any good thing in the house of this harlot. Give him a hack of the saber first. Then we''ll torture and interrogate him.'' Just as she finished saying, she brought the saber in her left hand down on Xiao Feng''s shoulder.


    Xiao Feng waited until the saber was half a chi away from his shoulder to turn over his right hand, stretch it out forwards and catch the back of the blade with 2 of his fingers. The saber seemed to be fixed to the air and stopped coming down. He slightly pressed forwards with his fingers. The handle of the saber at once hit an important acupuncture point on the shoulder of that woman, rendering her immobile. Then, conveniently, he slightly shook his hand, his internal energy was channelled in the blade, and the steel saber was snapped in two with a ''pai'' sound. He tossed the section in his hand on the floor conveniently. All along, he did not raise his head and look at the woman.


    The young girl, seeing that her mother had been subdued by him, was very frightened. She leaped backwards. Continuous ''chi-chi'' sounds were heard as she shot 7 short arrows at him. Xiao Feng picked up the broken saber and knocked all the arrows down with one stroke. Then he slightly waved his hand, and the broken saber flew out. With a ''pai'' sound, the handle of the saber hit her waist. ''Ah,'' that young girl cried. An acupuncture point of hers had been hit squarely. And she was immediately rendered motionless.


    That woman asked in fright: ''Are you injured?'' The young girl replied: ''My waist is hurting a lot, but I''m not injured. Mom, he''s blocked my ''Jingmen acupuncture point.'' The woman said: ''He hit my ''Zhongfu acupuncture point''. This¡­ this fellow''s martial arts are very formidable.'' The young girl said: ''Mom, who is this fellow? How could he best the 2 of us without standing up? I think he probably used some evil technique.''


    The woman dared not be fierce anymore. She said to Xiao Feng mildly: ''There''s no enmity between me, my daughter and you, sir. Just now we went into action rashly and offended you. It was our fault. I pray that you are magnanimous and will go easy on us.'' The young girl hastily said: ''No, no, we''ve been defeated, that''s all. Why should we ask for forgiveness? I don''t like it. If you have the guts then just kill me with a hack of the saber.''


    Xiao Feng vaguely heard the words of the mother and her daughter. He only knew that the mother had begged for mercy and the daughter was very stubborn, but he paid no attention to what they had said, not even a single sentence.


    By now it was already pitch-dark inside the house. After a while, it got completely dark. Xiao Feng had always sat at the original place, carrying A''Zhu and not making a move. Ordinarily he was very quick-witted, and when encountering difficulties, he had always been very fast in decision-making. If there was something that he was unable to understand, he would put it aside at once and temporarily ignore it, and he would definitely not hesitate or waver. But having accidentally killed A''Zhu today, he was exceedingly grieved and had become dazed and benighted. It seemed as if he was just a demented madman.


    That woman said in a low voice: ''Try to rush your internal energy to the Huantiao acupuncture point. Maybe that would affect the channels and you''d be able to open the blocked acupuncture point.'' The young girl said: ''I already tried it. Totally useless¡­'' The woman suddenly said: ''Hush! Someone is coming!''


    The crunch of footsteps was heard. Then someone pushed the door open and came in. It was also a woman. With several ''ca-ca'' sounds, that woman used a fire-striking knife and a flint to set the kindling afire. Next she lit the oil lamp. When she turned around and suddenly saw Xiao Feng, A''Zhu, and the 2 women, she could not help exclaiming an ''Ah'' sound. Never could she have thought that there were other people in the house. So, when suddenly seeing 4 people, either sitting or standing, of whom all were being motionless, she jumped out of her skin at once. Her hands loosened and the fire-striking knife and the flint dropped, making 2 clanking noises.


    Suddenly, the woman who had entered the house earlier shouted severely: ''Ruan Xingzhu, it''s you!''


    The woman who had just entered the house was none other than Ruan Xingzhu. Turning around, she saw that the person who had just said was a middle-aged woman with a young girl, who was wearing only black clothes, beside her. These 2 people were rather beautiful, especially the young girl. But she had never seen both of them. Ruan Xingzhu said: ''Right, I''m Ruan. Who are you two?''


    The middle-aged woman did not answer. She only continuously looked at her carefully. Her face was full of fury.


    Ruan Xingzhu turned around and said to Xiao Feng: ''Chief Qiao, you already killed my daughter, what are you still doing here? My¡­ my¡­ my poor daughter!'' As she finished saying, she wept loudly and rushed to A''Zhu''s body.


    Xiao Feng kept sitting in a daze. After a good while, he said: ''Madam Duan, my sin is very serious. I beg you to draw a knife and kill me.''


    Ruan Xingzhu sobbed: ''Even if I killed you with a slash of the knife, I wouldn''t be able to revive my poor daughter. Chief Qiao, you said I and A''Zhu''s father made a blunder that we''ve been ashamed of and harmed a child to the point of being wretched for life and not knowing its own parents. These words are true. But¡­ if you wanted to defend somebody against an injustice, you should''ve found Prince Duan and killed him. Why did you kill my A''Zhu?''


    In this moment, Xiao Feng''s mind was rather slow. Only after a short while did he shiver with fear in his heart, asking: ''What''s the blunder that you''ve been ashamed of?'' Ruan Xingzhu wept, saying: ''You already know clearly. Why do you insist on asking me? Both A''Zhu¡­ A''Zhu and A''Zi are my daughters. I didn''t dare bring them home so I gave them to other people.''


    Xiao Feng said in a quavering voice: ''Yesterday I asked Duan Zhengchun if he had made a blunder that he''d been ashamed of. He admitted frankly. So this shameful matter was only giving A''Zhu¡­ and A''Zi to strangers?'' Ruan Xingzhu said angrily: ''I already did this shameful thing, how can it still be insufficient? What bad kind of woman who specializes in doing shameful things do you think I am?'' Xiao Feng said: ''Yesterday Duan Zhengchun also said ''Heaven has shown pity on me and today allows me to meet a¡­ a parentless child of that year again.'' When he said now he had met this parentless child again, he was talking about A''Zi, and not¡­ and not me?'' Ruan Xingzhu said angrily: ''Why should he want to talk about you? Are you the child he abandoned to other people? You¡­ What rot are you talking? Could I give birth to an animal like you?'' She detested Xiao Feng, but afraid of his outstanding martial arts she dared not go into action and only scolded him.


    Xiao Feng said: ''Then, when I asked why he has still continuously committed one wrongdoing after another since, why did he admit that his conduct had been improper and his virtue had been deficient?'' Ruan Xingzhu''s cheeks, which were being covered with tears, slightly reddened. She said: ''He has a loose nature. It''s always been so. After he''s played around with 1 woman, he''d play around with the 2nd woman, the 3rd woman, the 4th woman, debauching himself with one after another, but¡­ who needs you to meddle in other people''s business?''


    Xiao Feng mumbled: ''Wrong, wrong, completely wrong!'' After being in a daze for a long time, suddenly he stretched out his hand and slapped himself heavily in the face, making continuous pai-pai-pai-pai sounds. Frightened, Ruan Xingzhu jumped to her feet and retreated some steps. She only saw that Xiao Feng kept beating himself with all his strength and every blow of the palm was very heavy. After a short while, his cheeks had already swollen up considerably.


    Then, a soft ''ya'' sound was heard as someone else pushed the door open and came in. This person cried: ''Mom, have you taken that scroll¡­'' She was none other than A''Zi. Before she had finished saying, she saw other people in the house, and saw Xiao Feng was repeatedly beating himself with his right hand while carrying A''Zhu with his left hand. So she could not help being so frightened that she was dumbfounded.


    Xiao Feng cheeks swelled then their skin broke. After that, his face and his hand were full of fresh blood, then blood spattered ceaselessly on the walls, the table, the chairs¡­ Everything was spattered with blood. Even A''Zhu''s body and that scroll hanging on the wall were also covered with small red drops of blood.


    Because Ruan Xingzhu could not bear to see this brutal sight, she covered up her eyes with both hands. However, she still heard the continuous ''pai-pai'' sounds, so she called out: ''Don''t beat anymore, don''t beat anymore!''


    A''Zi squealed: ''Hey, don''t dirty the words my father wrote, or I''ll ask you for compensation.''


    She jumped onto the table, stretched out her hands and took the scroll that was hanging on the wall. It turned out she and her mother returned only to fetch this calligraphic scroll.


    Startled, Xiao Feng stopped beating and asked: ''Is this ''Duan the Second of Dali'' really Duan Zhengchun?'' Ruan Xingzhu countered: ''Other than him, whom else?'' When she mentioned Duan Zhengchun''s name, she could not help showing a feeling of passionate pride on her face.


    These several words cleared up a doubt in Xiao Feng''s mind: This scroll was really written by Duan Zhengchun. That letter to Chief Wang was not written by him. And so the leading big brother probably is not Duan Zhengchun.


    A thought immediately emerged in his mind: ''There must be very important secret facts in Madam Ma''s setting up Duan Zhengchun. I should untie this knot first, and everything will come to light.'' As he thought so, his intention of committing suicide disappeared at once. The beating he had given himself just now had left his face covered with fresh blood, but thanks to it, he had been able to vent the remorse and sorrow in his heart. Thereupon, he rose, carrying A''Zhu''s body in his arms.


    A''Zi, having seen the 2 bamboo tablets he had written on the table, said laughingly: ''Ha-ha, no wonder I saw 2 holes outside. I''ve been puzzled. So you want to die and be buried together with my sister? Well, well, well, you''re really too passionate!''


    Xiao Feng replied: ''I accidentally fell into the cruel trap of a villain and harmed A''Zhu to death. Now I must find that villain and avenge her first. Then I''ll follow her to the Underworld.'' A''Zi asked: ''Who''s that villain?'' Xiao Feng replied: ''At the moment I have no clue. I''ll go investigate this.'' As he finished, he went out with large strides, carrying A''Zhu. A''Zi laughed and said: ''Are you going to find the villain while carrying my sister like this?''


    Xiao Feng was slightly nonplussed. Temporarily, he had no idea. He thought if he carried A''Zhu''s body to go on a thousand-li long journey, it would eventually be improper, but it was difficult for him to let go of her because he was really attached to her. He looked at A''Zhu''s face in a daze. Tears rolled straight down his gory damaged face. Mixed with fresh blood, the tears became reddish drops and fell onto A''Zhu''s pale face. Truly, this was dripping with tears of blood.


    When Ruan Xingzhu saw his heartrending situation, all her abhorrence of him vanished in an instant. She said: ''Chief Qiao, this blunder was already done. It''s already impossible to redeem. You¡­ you¡­'' Originally she wanted to advise him to restrain his grief, but she herself could not refrain from bursting into tears. She said tearfully: ''It''s all because I''m no good. It''s all because I''m no good¡­ Why did I give my nice daughter to other people?''


    Suddenly, the young girl who had been rendered motionless by Xiao Feng interrupted: ''Of course it''s all because you''re no good! Other people were being happy husband and wife, why did you come and break up their family?''


    Ruan Xingzhu raised her head and asked the young girl: ''Why do you say that, Miss? Who are you?''


    The young girl replied: ''You''re a fox spirit (~ a wanton woman). You''ve made my mother so miserable. You harmed me¡­ harmed me¡­''


    A''Zi stretched out her hand to slap her in the face. Unable to move, that young girl saw the incoming blow of the palm, but she could not dodge it.


    Ruan Xingzhu hurriedly held out her hand and pulled A''Zi''s arm, saying: ''A''Zi, you can''t act rudely.'' Then she turned to the middle-aged woman and surveyed her. Seeing that the woman was holding a steel saber in her right hand and there was broken saber on the floor, she suddenly understood, so she said: ''That''s right. You use 2 sabers. You¡­ You''re Sura Saber Qin¡­ Qin Hongmian¡­ elder sister Qin.''


    This middle-aged woman was none other than another lover of Duan Zhengchun''s--Sura Saber Qin Hongmian, and the young girl wearing black clothes was her daughter Mu Wanqing. Qin Hongmian did not blame Duan Zhengchun for having love affairs everywhere, but she loathed the other women for being prurient and seductive and snatching her beau. Therefore, after receiving a message from her shimei (younger female fellow disciple) Gan Baobao, she and her daughter Mu Wanqing had at once gone to assassinate Duan Zhengchun''s wife Dao Baifeng and another lover of his, with the result that they had failed to kill either. When she learned that Duan Zhengchun had another mistress called Ruan Xingzhu, who was living in seclusion beside the Little Mirror Lake, she immediately took her daughter along to go to kill this woman.


    Qin Hongmian, seeing that Ruan Xingzhu had recognized herself, shouted: ''Right, I''m Qin Hongmian, who needs a harlot like you to call me elder sister?''


    Temporarily, Ruan Xingzhu was unable to guess why Qin Hongmian had come here. She was also afraid that if this love rival and Duan Zhengchun met each other, they would rekindle their old feelings, so she laughed and said: ''That''s right. I said incorrectly. You''re much younger than me, and you have such a great beauty too. No wonder Duan lang (~ dear Duan) is so fascinated by you. You''re my younger sister, not elder sister. Younger sister Qin, Duan lang misses you every day. You''re engraved upon his mind. I really envy you your good fortune.''


    When Qin Hongmian heard Ruan Xingzhu praise her for being young and beautiful, the anger in her heart disappeared three-tenths. And when she heard Ruan Xingzhu say that Duan Zhengchun missed her every day, her anger disappeared another three-tenths. She said: ''Who wants you to sweet talk like this? You''re sure used to flattering other people.''


    Ruan Xingzhu said: ''This young lady is your precious daughter, right? Well, well, well, younger sister Qin, it''s a hard job to give birth to such a beauty¡­''


    Noticing that the 2 women were harping on about romantic matters, Xiao Feng became impatient and did not want to hear more. As a straightforward and resolute fellow, after the heartbreaking sorrow was gone, he at once pondered how to handle important businesses in the future.


    Carrying A''Zhu''s body, he walked to the side of a hole and set her down in it. He grabbed the soil with his pair of big hands and slowly scattered it on her body. But all along he did not scatter soil on her face.


    He looked at A''Zhu without blinking. With just several more handfuls of soil scattered on her, he would never be able to see her again. His ears seemed to vaguely hear her voice promising to go outside Yanmen Pass to ride on horseback, go hunting, pasture cattle and sheep, and be with him for life. Less than 1 day before, she had still been saying these words which sometimes were affectionate, sometimes were witty, sometimes were serious, and sometimes were mischievous. But from today on, he would never hear them again. From now on, the vow to pasture cattle and sheep at the frontier had come to naught.


    Xiao Feng knelt beside the grave for a very long time. But still, he was unwilling to scatter soil on A''Zhu''s face.


    Suddenly he rose. With a long howl, he stopped looking at A''Zhu and pushed out his 2 hands at the same time, shoving all the soil beside the grave onto her body and face. Then he turned around and walked into the room in the wing.


    He saw Ruan Xingzhu and Qin Hongmian were still talking unceasingly. Even though Ruan Xingzhu was being grieved, she was still artfully persuasive in speech and made Qin Hongmian totally pleased. The enmity between the 2 women had already been removed. Ruan Xingzhu said: ''Chief Qiao, this younger sister of mine offended you, but it was unintentional. I beg you to unblock their acupuncture points.''


    Ruan Xingzhu was A''Zhu''s mother so Xiao Feng certainly listened to her to a reasonable extent, let alone the fact that he already wanted to release these 2 people. At once, he came near, stretched out his hands and gave Qin Hongmian and Mu Wanqing a tap each on their shoulders. The 2 of them only felt a stream of internal energy run from their shoulders to their blocked acupuncture points. In an instant, they were already able to move their limbs freely as usual. The mother and the daughter exchanged a look. In their hearts, they exceedingly admired Xiao Feng for the depth of his internal energy.


    Xiao Feng turned to A''Zi and said: ''Younger sister A''Zi, could you please let me have a look at your father''s calligraphic scroll?''


    A''Zi said: ''I don''t want you to call me younger sister this, younger sister that.'' Despite saying so, she dared not disobey him and still handed the scroll over to him.


    Xiao Feng unfolded the scroll and studied the words Duan Zhengchun had written several times again. Ruan Xingzhu''s face turned a deep red all over. She said bashfully: ''What''s so interesting about these things?'' Xiao Feng asked: ''Where''s Prince Duan, now?'' Ruan Xingzhu''s face changed color greatly. She retreated several steps and said in a tremulous voice: ''Don''t¡­ don''t¡­ don''t go find him again.'' Xiao Feng said: ''I won''t find to make things difficult for him. I only want to ask him some things.'' Ruan Xingzhu of course was unwilling to believe him. So she said: ''You already accidentally killed A''Zhu. You shouldn''t find him again.''


    Xiao Feng knew that by no means would she be willing to say, so he did not ask her anymore. He rolled up the scroll, returned it to A''Zi and said: ''With her last words, A''Zhu told me to take care of her younger sister. Madam Duan, later on, if A''Zi encounters any difficulty, as long as Xiao Feng can offer any help, just tell me, I definitely won''t decline.''


    Ruan Xingzhu was very glad, thinking: ''If A''Zi has a supporter of great abilities like him, in her life, misfortune will turn into luckiness and accidents will turn into good things.'' So she said: ''I thank you very much, then. A''Zi, quickly thank big brother Qiao.'' She changed ''Chief Qiao'' to ''big brother Qiao'' to make A''Zi and him become closer.


    A''Zi immediately pouted her lips and said with a scornful expression: ''What difficulty will I have to ask him to help? I have a master who is without equal under Heaven and many shixiongs (older male fellow disciples), why should I be afraid of being bullied by someone? He''s like a clay Bodhisattva fording a river, unable to protect himself. He can''t handle his own matters and only makes mistakes, how can he still want to help me with my problems? Humph, the more he''ll help, the more problems he''ll create, won''t he?'' She let out a torrent of words with her clear and carefree voice. Several times Ruan Xingzhu gave her hints with the eyes to stop her, but A''Zi pretended that she did not see them.


    Ruan Xingzhu stamped her feet and said: ''Alas, this child makes insolent irresponsible remarks. Chief Qiao, please show some consideration for A''Zhu and don''t take offence at them.'' Xiao Feng said: ''My surname is Xiao, not Qiao.'' A''Zi said: ''Mom, this fellow doesn''t even know his own surname. He''s a big idiot¡­'' Ruan Xingzhu shouted: ''A''Zi!''


    Xiao Feng took a bow with his hands folded, saying: ''I must now bid you farewell.'' Then he turned to Mu Wanqing and said: ''Miss Duan, don''t use these poisonous missiles of yours anymore. They are useless. On the contrary, if you meet an enemy of better skills, you''ll unavoidably be harmed by them.''


    Before Mu Wanqing had replied, A''Zi said: ''Elder sister, don''t listen to his nonsense. At worst these missiles will miss the enemy, what harms can they have?''


    Paying no attention to her, Xiao Feng turned around and walked out. When his left foot passed through the door, he took a swing with his right sleeve, causing a gust of wind with a buzzing sound. All the 7 short arrows that Mu Wanqing had shot at him earlier and had been knocked down by him got off the floor at the same time and flew fiercely towards A''Zi like lightning. ''Aiyo,'' A''Zi only uttered an exclamation. How could she dodge in time? The 7 short arrows skimmed across the top of her head, the sides of her neck and the sides of her body before, with a ''pai'' sound, sticking deep up to the feathers in the wall behind her simultaneously.


    Ruan Xingzhu hastily rushed forwards, embraced A''Zi and cried in fear: ''Younger sis Qin, quickly take out the antidote.'' Qin Hongmian said: ''Where''s she wounded? Where''s she wounded?'' Mu Wanqing hastily took the antidote out from her bosom and went examine the condition of A''Zi''s injuries.


    After a short while, A''Zi somewhat regained her composure. Only then did she say: ''They¡­ they didn''t hit me.'' Then the 4 women looked at the 7 short arrows on the wall at the same time, and all of them gasped with astonishment and their faces changed color.


    It turned out Xiao Feng remembered A''Zhu''s last words, which asked him to take care of A''Zi, but he heard her say ''I have a master who is without equal under Heaven and many shixiongs, why should I be afraid of being bullied by someone?'' For this reason, he swept away the arrows with the wind of his sleeve and gave her a scare, lest the little girl, who was ignorant of the immensity of the world and impertinent due to her strong backing insomuch that she looked down on the heroes and bold men under Heaven, unavoidably suffered in the future.


    He walked out of the bamboo forest, went to the side of the Little Mirror Lake, found a big tree with luxuriant branches and foliage, and jumped onto it. He wanted to find Duan Zhengchun to ask clearly why Madam Ma deliberately cast the blame on him, but Ruan Xingzhu simply was unwilling to reveal his whereabouts, so he himself had no choice but to follow in secret.


    Before long, he saw the 4 women come out. Qin Hongmian and daughter went ahead of Ruan Xingzhu and her daughter. It looked like Ruan Xingzhu was seeing the guests out.


    The 4 women walked to the side of the lake. Qin Hongmian said: ''Elder sister Ruan, you and I feel like old friends at the 1st meeting. Because the former ill will between us has been dispelled, a matter of hatred in my mind has been eliminated. Now I want to go find that lowly slave surnamed Kang. Do you know where she is?'' Startled, Ruan Xingzhu asked: ''Younger sister, why do you want to find her?'' Qin Hongmian said resentfully: ''Originally I and Duan lang were living happy days. It was all because of the tricks of this lowly slavish fox spirit¡­'' Ruan Xingzhu thought for a little while and said: ''That Kang¡­ this harlot Kang Min, hum, I don''t know where she is. When you''ve found her, please give her several more stabs of the saber on my behalf.'' Qin Hongmian said: ''That goes without saying. I''m just afraid it won''t be easy to find her. Alright, see you later! Humph, if you meet Duan lang¡­'' Ruan Xingzhu slightly shivered and said: ''What should I do?'' Qin Hongmian said: ''You give him 2 heavy slaps in the face for me, 1 slap to settle my account, and 1 slap to settle my daughter''s account.''


    Ruan Xingzhu laughed gently and said: ''How can I meet this heartless damnable fellow? Younger sister, when you see him, give him 2 slaps in the face for me as well, 1 for me, and 1 for A''Zi. No, slapping won''t be enough. Next you give him 2 kicks for me. He fathered his daughters but didn''t take care of them, making me and my daughter so wretched and lonely¡­'' As she finished, she shed tears. Qin Hongmian consoled: ''Sister, don''t be sad. After we''ve killed that harlot Kang, we''ll return to be your companions.''


    Xiao Feng, hiding on the tree, heard very clearly the conversation between the 2 women. He thought that Duan Zhengchun was not bad at martial arts and rather benevolent and loyal to his friends, but he had abandoned himself to his love of feminine beauty, so he did not count as a hero. He saw Qin Hongmian pull Mu Wanqing, salute Ruan Xingzhu and her daughter and leave at once, then Ruan Xingzhu hold A''Zi hand and go back into the bamboo forest.


    Xiao Feng considered: ''Ruan Xingzhu sure will go find Duan Zhengchun, but she''s unwilling to go together with Qin Hongmian, that''s all. She said that she came to take this scroll so Duan Zhengchun is definitely waiting not far up ahead. I''m just going to observe from here.''


    Suddenly there were soft sounds in a thicket, and 2 people in black clothes quietly walked out, but they were Qin Hongmian and her daughter returning. He heard Qin Hongmian say in a low voice: ''Wan''er, how could you be so careless and easily tricked by them? There''s a pair of male shoes under the couch in elder sister Ruan''s bedroom. The toe caps are embroidered with 2 words, the left shoe has the word ''Mountain'', and the right shoe has the word ''River.'' Of course they''re your father''s shoes. The shoes are very new, and the mud on their sole isn''t dry yet. Obviously your father is near here.'' Mu Wanqing said: ''Ah! So this woman surnamed Ruan fooled us.'' Qin Hongmian said: ''Yes, how can she be willing to let that unfaithful fellow meet us?'' Mu Wanqing said: ''Father has no conscience. Mom, you need not meet him.''


    After keeping silent for quite a while, Qin Hongmian said: ''I want to see him, but I don''t want to meet him. We''ve been separate for so many days, he''s already old, and your mother''s already old too.'' These few sentences were very simple, but the words contained deep emotions.


    Mu Wanqing said: ''Alright!'' Her voice sounded very sorrowful. Ever since she and Duan Yu had parted company, her memory of him had grown day by day, but knowing clearly this was a love that would go nowhere, she dared not show the load on her mind before her mother.


    Qin Hongmian said: ''We only need to keep watch from here. I think your father will arrive soon.'' As she finished, she pushed the long grass apart and hid herself in it. After that, Mu Wanqing hid behind a tree.


    In the dull starlight, Xiao Feng saw that Qin Hongmian''s pale face was slightly red. Obviously she was deeply stirred. He thought: ''Love wears people out to such an extent.'' But he also immediately thought of A''Zhu, and could not help feeling a burst of pain in his chest.


    Not long after, quick footsteps were heard on the path. Xiao Feng thought: ''This person isn''t Duan Zhengchun. Probably his subordinate.'' Sure enough, when that person rushed near him, he recognized that it was Zhu Danchen, the fellow who had drawn in reverse on the bridge.


    Ruan Xingzhu had already heard the footsteps, but she was unable to know who this person was. She only thought that it was Duan Zhengchun, so she called: ''Duan lang, Duan lang!'' and quickly came out to meet him. A''Zi came out with her.


    Zhu Danchen bowed down to the ground, saying: ''My Lord has ordered this subordinate to report that he has an urgent matter so he is unable to return today.''


    Startled, Ruan Xingzhu asked: ''What''s the matter? When will he return?'' Zhu Danchen replied: ''This matter is related to the Murong Family of Gusu. It seems the whereabouts of Mister Murong has been discovered. My Lord has gone north on a ten-thousand-li journey to find this man. My Lord said that: After handling his important matter, he would return to the side of the Little Mirror Lake at once for a reunion. Madam needs not worry.'' Tears welling up in her eyes, Ruan Xingzhu said in a voice choked with emotions: ''He''s always said he''d return at once, but everytime he wouldn''t see me for 3 years or 5 years. I had a really hard time waiting for him to come here, yet¡­''


    Zhu Danchen was exceedingly upset and indignant about how A''Zi had angered Chu Wanli to death. Duan Zhengchun''s words had been passed on, so he was unwilling to remain here any longer. He bow slightly, turned around and left. From start to finish, he did not cast a look at A''Zi.


    Ruan Xingzhu, waiting until he had gone, said to A''Zi in a low voice: ''Your lightness skill is much better than mine. Quickly follow him, and leave identification marks on the way for me. I''ll follow soon after.'' A''Zi pouted her lips, laughed and said: ''You ask me to trail father, so what''s the reward?'' Ruan Xingzhu said: ''Everything Mom has is already yours. What reward do you still want?'' A''Zi said: ''Alright, I''ll write a ''Duan'' character on the corners of the walls then draw an arrow so that you''d know.'' Ruan Xingzhu hugged her daughter''s shoulders and said with gladness: ''Good daughter!'' A''Zi laughed and said: ''Infatuated mommy!'' Then she raised herself up and chased after Zhu Danchen.


    Ruan Xingzhu stood beside the Little Mirror Lake for a long time. The she went along the small path. As soon as she had gone, Qin Hongmian and her daughter successively appeared. The 2 of them made gestures with their hands and followed behind her.


    Xiao Feng thought: ''A''Zi already leaves signs on the way. It''ll be very easy to find Duan Zhengchun.'' When he had taken several steps, suddenly, in the moonlight, he saw his own reflection in the lake. He felt sad, disappointed, and very lonely, and his heart ached. He wanted to return to the bamboo forest to sit in front of A''Zhu''s grave again for a while. However, in an instant, his heroic spirit surged up, and he sent out a blow of the palm. The energy wind of his attack hit the lake and splashed water all around. The reflection in the lake also turned into a mass of fragments. With a long howl, he left with big strides.


    During the several days later, he set out at daybreak and slept at night, drinking very much, but eating little. Every time he arrived in a town, he saw a ''Duan'' character and an arrow showing the direction left by A''Zi at the foot of a wall. Sometimes Ruan Xingzhu, after seeing them, scraped them off, but the vestige of the signs could still be recognized.


    On the way to the north, it gradually got cold. That day, not long after he had gone outside, it started to snow heavily. Snowflakes floated to and fro, up and down in the air. Xiao Feng kept going until noon. Then he went into a small wine shop and consumed 12 or 13 bowls of spirit. When his addiction to wine had not yet been slaked, the shop was already out of wine. Very disappointed, he ran for a while with big strides and came towards a big city. As he drew near, he was slightly shocked. It turned out he had arrived in Xinyang.


    On the way he had only searched for the signs left by A''Zi, and thought of his own worries, so he had paid no attention to his surroundings, insomuch that he had unexpectedly returned to Xinyang. If he really wanted to find Duan Zhengchun, it would be as easy as rasing his hand. Only rushing faster in 1 day or half a day and he would definitely catch up with Duan Zhengchun. But ever since the death of A''Zhu, his mind had always been empty. He did not know how he should pass the time. In his mind, he had always thought: ''What should I do after catching up with Duan Zhengchun? When I''ve found the prime villain and got revenge, what should I do? When I''ve returned to the outside of Yanmen Pass alone to go hunting and pasture sheep in the great desert of wind and sand, what should I do?'' As a result, he had not been in hot pursuit all along.


    After entering the city of Xinyang, he saw a ''Duan'' character written in charcoal at the foot of the city wall. Beside the character was an arrow pointing westward. He felt a burst of distress in his mind as he recalled that day he and A''Zhu, side by side, had gone to Madam Ma''s house in the west of the city of Xinyang to tactfully sound her out. Today, thinking back, he felt that every step at that time had pushed A''Zhu closer to the Underworld by 1 step.


    After he had gone 5 or 6 li (0.5 km), the north wind became fierce, and the snow fell more heavily.


    Following the signs left by A''Zi, he went westward. These signs were new and had been left not long before. Some of the signs were left by scraping away the bark of trees and writing on them. On the boles, the resin at the places scraped by the knife had not yet congealed. The direction of the signs was none other than Ma Dayuan''s house. Xiao Feng was secretly mystified, thinking: ''Could it be that Duan Zhengchun knows Madam Ma framed him, so he finds her to settle the score? That''s right, when A''Zhu talked to me in her dying moment at the bluestone bridge, she mentioned Madam Ma. A''Zi heard it, and she must''ve told her father. But we only said Madam Ma, how can he know that she is this Madam Ma?''


    On the way, he had been depressed and rather dazed. But this moment, as he met a very unusual matter, his spirit rose at once, and the vigilance that he had had when engaging in battles with strong enemies in former days were restored. Seeing an abandoned shrine by the roadside, he immediately entered it, closed the door, lay down and slept for 6 hours. Only at the 2nd watch (10 p.m to 12 p.m) did he come out and go towards the house of Ma Dayuan.


    When approaching the house, he hid behind a tree and looked carefully at the surroundings. After he had observed for a while, a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth because he saw 2 people hiding on the northeast side of the house of the Ma Family. Judging from appearance, they were Ruan Xingzhu and A''Zi. After that, he saw Qin Hongmian and her daughter hiding in the southeast corner of the house. In this moment, the heavy snow had not yet ceased so the 4 women all were piled on with a layer of white snow. A dull yellow light came out through the window of the room in the east wing, and there was only silence. Xiao Feng broke a branch off and threw it to the east. A soft ''pai'' sound was heard as it fell on the ground. Ruan Xingzhu and the other 3 women all looked in the direction of the sound. With a gentle leap, he already arrived at the underside of the window of the room in the east wing.


    The weather was cold and the ground was frozen. All the windows of the Ma Family house had wooden boards. Xiao Feng waited for a while. He heard a gust of north wind coming whistling. Waiting until this gust of wind was about to reach the window, he lightly sent out a blow of the palm. His palm force and that gust of wind hit the wooden board of the window at the same time. With a ''ka-la'' sound, the wooden board was broken. Even the window paper inside was also left with a crack. Even though the people such as Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu were in the area around the house, they were not aware of this because the palm wind and the north wind totally coincided with each other. If there was someone in the room, they would not be able to detect this either. Xiao Feng put his eye next to the crack and looked inside. At first sight, he was dumbfounded, as if he did not believe his own eyes.


    He saw Duan Zhengchun, wearing a short jacket and a small hat, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the earthen bed, holding a wine cup in his hand, grinning and looking at a woman who was sitting by the side of the small bed table.


    That woman was wearing white mourning attire and had a light make-up on. The tips of her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes were brimming with passion. Her pair of watery glistening eyes looked as if they were about to shed water. Like smiling without smiling, like being angry without being angry, she looked sideways at Duan Zhengchun. She was none other than the widow of Ma Dayuan--Madam Ma.

 Chapter - 24 An Old Union Under the Candlelight

    If Xiao Feng wasn''t personally witnessing the scene at this moment, he would certainly dismiss it as a ridiculous lie if anyone told him about it. After his first time seeing Madam Ma outside Wuxi in the apricot forest, he met her twice more and always felt that she was as cold as ice and frost. She appeared severe and not to be offended, and even her smile was never to be seen. But who would have expected that she would actually become like this? Even more strange was that she had framed Duan Zhengchun with her words, so there must certainly be great enmity and hatred between them. But judging from the atmosphere in the small room, with intoxication and fragrance, delicate passion, the two of them glancing at each other, and a gentle and secret love, how could there be any hatred?


    On the table, a large flower vase was filled with red plum blossoms, and a great fire was roaring on the heatable brick bed. The buttons at Madam Ma''s neck came loose and exposed the snow white back of her neck and also the edge of her red satin chest garment. Yet the two lit candles by the bed were white, and the red firelight shone on her rosy cheeks. There was wind and snow outside the room, but indoors it was as warm as spring.


    He heard Duan Zhengchun say, "Come, drink a cup with me, let''s drink enough to become a couple."


    Madam Ma snorted and said in a bored voice, "What couple? I''m alone in this cold and desolate place, thinking and hoping day and night, always remembering you, my enemy. But you...you...casted me aside to the back of your mind. When did you ever think of visiting me?" After saying this, the rims of her eyes became red.


    Xiao Feng thought, "She speaks almost like Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu. Could it be...could it be that she is also Duan Zhengchun''s former lover?"


    Duan Zhengchun said in a low and soft voice, "When I was in Dali, was there ever a day when I didn''t think of you, Little Kang? I wished to grow wings and fly here, hold you in my embrace, and pity you well. That day when I heard the news that you married Deputy Chief Ma, I didn''t eat anything for three days and nights. Since you had a home, if I came to visit you again, I would inevitably tire you. Deputy Chief Ma was a hero of great status in the Beggar Clan, so if I did this and that with you again, it would be doing him a great wrong. Wouldn''t that...that make me a despicable little man?"


    Madam Ma said, "Who wanted you to offer politeness to me? I was only thinking of you, wondering if you were healthy and happy, if all your matters were going smoothly. As long as you were well, I would be happy, and life would be meaningful. You were far away in Dali, so probing for news about you was so difficult. My body was in Xinyang, but when was this heart of mine ever not by your side?"


    Her voice became lower and lower, and Xiao Feng felt that amidst the intimacy there was bitterness, softness, and lingering emotions revolving endlessly. Hearing it really took away one''s breath, seized one''s spirit, and faded one''s soul. Yet her words seemed pure and natural, and didn''t have any intentional vixen charm. In his life he had indeed met many people, but he hadn''t expected that in the world there was actually such a splendidly charming woman. Although Xiao Feng was astonished, his face involuntarily reddened. He had previously met two of Duan Zhengchun''s other lovers; Qin Hongmian was bright and straightforward, Ruan Xingzhu was smart and beautiful, and this Madam Ma was extremely gentle and intimate, yet another type.


    Duan Chengchun smiled, held out his hand to pull her over, and embraced her. Madam Ma let out an "oh" sound, half willing and half unwillingly, and slightly resisted by shoving with her hands.


    Xiao Feng wrinkled his brows, unwilling to watch their shameful performance. Suddenly he heard people beside him treading forcefully on the accumulated snow underfoot, producing a rubbing sound. He thought to himself, "This isn''t good, these two have overturned the vinegar jug (vinegar = jealousy), and will spoil my important matters." His figure like the wind, he drifted behind Qin Hongmian and the others, and one by one sealed the acupuncture points on the backs of the four.


    These four didn''t know who had done it, and were already unable to move a single step. This time Xiao Feng sealed their mute acupuncture point, which caused them to be unable to speak. Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu heard their lover and the woman beside him sharing words of love. Their fury was like fire, their envy like the tide, but they collapsed on the snowy ground, the two of them suffering torment.


    Xiao Feng continued to watch through the slit in the window, and saw that Madam Ma was already sitting beside Duan Zhengchun, her head leaning against his shoulder. Her body seemed as if it had only a few bones, she had trouble supporting herself, and a mass of long black hair draped down, covering half of Duan Zhengchun''s face. Her eyes opened and closed a little, only exposing slits, and she said, "The head of my household was harmed by someone; you should have heard the rumors, but did you not dare come visit me? The head of my household is already dead, so you don''t need to continue avoiding the suspicions!" Her voice was both reproachful and coquettish.


    Duan Zhengchun smiled and said, "Didn''t I come already? Once I received the news, I immediately left on the same night, traveling night and day. My horse''s hooves pounded incessantly as I rushed over from Dali, afraid that I would be late."


    Madam Ma asked, "Afraid of what?"


    Duan Zhengchun smiled and said, "Afraid that you wouldn''t be able to endure the loneliness and would marry someone again. Wouldn''t I have rushed here for nothing? You caused me ten years of yearning."


    Madam Ma spit and said, "Pei, you don''t even know how to say proper words, and set me up as someone who is unable to endure loneliness and marries again? When did you ever think of me, what ten years of yearning, are you not afraid of your tongue rotting?"


    Duan Zhengchun held out his arms, embraced her even tighter, and said, "If I didn''t yearn for you, then why would I rush over from Dali?"


    Madam Ma smiled and said, "Fine, I''ll take it that you missed me. Duan Lang, how are you going to arrange for me in the future?" She held out her arms and wrapped them around Duan Zhengchun''s neck, placed her cheek on his face, and continuously rubbed softly, her beautiful hair constantly trembling like water ripples.


    Duan Zhengchun said, "At present we have wine, at present we''ll get drunk. Why mention future matters? Come, let me carry you. After being separated for ten years, have you gotten lighter or heavier?" He picked up Madam Ma.


    Madam Ma asked, "Then you''re still unwilling to bring me to Dali?"


    Duan Zhengchun''s brows creased slightly. He said, "What''s so good about Dali? It''s hot and humid, and malaria is in the air. If you go, you won''t be used to the climate and will get sick."


    Madam Ma sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Hmm, you''re only coaxing me with empty happiness."


    Duan Zhengchun smiled and said, "How is it empty happiness? I''ll immediately give you true happiness."


    Madam Ma struggled slightly and dropped down. She poured a cup of wine and said, "Duan Lang, drink another cup."


    Duan Zhengchun said, "I won''t drink anymore; I''ve had enough wine."


    Madam Ma''s left hand reached over and caressed his face. She said, "No, I won''t let you off easily. I want you to get dazedly drunk."


    Duan Zhengchun smiled and said, "What''s so good about being dazedly drunk?" He took the cup and finished it in one gulp.


    Xiao Feng was impatient from listening to their flirtatious talk. When he saw Duan Zhengchun drinking, his wine addiction couldn''t help but flare up, and he lightly swallowed his saliva. He saw Duan Zhengchun yawning a few times and looking considerably tired.


    Madam Ma smiled enchantingly and said, "Duan Lang, let me tell you a story, all right?"


    Xiao Feng''s spirits were roused and he thought, "She''s going to tell a story; maybe some clues can be found."


    But Duan Zhengchun said, "But there''s no hurry to talk. Come, I''ll take off your clothes, and you can softly tell me by the pillow."


    Madam Ma gave him a cold stare and said, "Think of it! Duan Lang, when I was young my family was very poor. I wanted new clothes, but daddy couldn''t afford them. All day long I would think, if I could be like neighbor Sister Jiang, who got flowery clothes and shoes at New Year''s, then I would be happy."


    Duan Zhengchun said, "When you were young you must have definitely been rather pretty. Such a cute little girl, even if you wore ragged clothing, you would be very beautiful."


    Madam Ma said, "No, I only loved to wear flowery clothes."


    Duan Zhengchun said, "You''re wearing snow white mourning clothes and look even smarter. What''s so good about flowery clothes?"


    Madam Ma said, "You grew up in luxury, and naturally wouldn''t understand the suffering of children from poor families. At that time, even if I had a pair of new shoes, I would be exceedingly happy. When I was seven, my daddy told me that on the twelfth month, he would sell our three lambs and fourteen chickens in town for the New Year, and then cut a piece of flowery cloth and sew a set of new clothes for me. Starting from the eighth month when my daddy told me these words, I looked forward to it, and carefully fed the chickens and tended the sheep..."


    When Xiao Feng heard the words "tended the sheep," his eyes brimmed with hot tears.


    Madam Ma continued, "With great difficulty I waited until the twelfth month, and every day I would urge daddy to sell the sheep and chickens. Daddy always said, ''Don''t be so impatient. Near the end of the year, the chickens and sheep will sell for the best price.'' After a few days, it snowed heavily for several days and nights. That evening, with a "kualala" sound, the sheep pen collapsed due to the snow. Fortunately the sheep weren''t crushed to death. Daddy moved the sheep to one side and said that now the sheep needed to be sold earlier. Unexpectedly, it was in the middle of that night when the sheep cried out and the wolves howled noisily. Daddy said, ''This isn''t good, there are wolves!'' He carried a spear and went out to drive the wolves away. But the three sheep were being dragged by the hungry wolves, and most of the chickens had been eaten by the wolves. Daddy shouted loudly, drove away the wolves, and wanted to get the sheep back.


    "Right away he chased them into the mountains, and I was extremely worried, not knowing if daddy could get the sheep back. After I waited for a long time, daddy returned, limping. He said that he slipped on the snow on the mountain cliff and injured his leg. The spear fell below the cliff, so naturally he could not get the sheep back.


    "I was so disappointed and sat down in the snow, crying loudly. Every day I tended the sheep well just because I wanted to wear flowery clothes. But in the end all my hopes and efforts came to nothing. I cried and shouted, ''Daddy, go get the sheep back, I want to wear new clothes, I want to wear new clothes!''"


    Xiao Feng''s heart sunk after hearing this. "This woman is inherently cold! Her daddy was injured, but she didn''t care for her daddy''s injury, and only thought of her flowery clothes. Besides, chasing after hungry wolves on a snowy night is dangerous. Although she was young at that time, it was still wrong of her."


    He heard her continue, "My daddy said, ''Little girl, let''s raise sheep again one of these days, and when we sell them next year, I will definitely buy you flowery clothes.'' I only cried loudly and didn''t comply. But what was the use of not complying? It was New Year''s in less than half a month, and neighbor Sister Jiang wore a new coat with a yellow bottom and red flowers, and trousers with green chrysanthemums. When I saw them, I became sentimental, and was so angry that I refused to eat. Daddy constantly coaxed me, but I paid no attention to him."


    Duan Zhengchun smiled and said, "If I had known at that time, I would have definitely given you ten, twenty sets of new clothes." He stretched and the candle flame flickered and shone on his face, full of helpless intoxication and lust.


    Madam Ma said, "If I had ten, twenty sets, then I would not want them so badly. That night on New Year''s Eve, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, so I quietly got up and made my way to neighbor Uncle Jiang''s home. The adults were staying up late on the New Year and hadn''t gone to bed yet. The candle burned brightly, and I saw Sister Jiang asleep on her bed. Her new clothes and trousers were draped over her and seemed even more pretty under the red candle flame. I stared blankly for a long time before I quietly entered the room and picked up her new set of clothes and trousers."


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Stealing new clothes? Aiyo, I only knew that our Little Kang stole men, but it looks like she also stole clothes."


    Madam Ma''s starry eyes shone, and smiling sweetly, she said, "I didn''t steal the new clothes and trousers! I picked up the scissors in the needlework basket on the table, and cut her new clothes into pieces, and her trousers into strips, never to be sewn back together. After I thoroughly cut the new clothes and trousers, my heart felt indescribably happy, even more overjoyed than if I had new clothes myself."


    Duan Zhengchun''s face had contained a smiling expression all along, but after hearing this, his face gradually changed color. Rather unhappily, he said, "Little Kang, don''t talk about these old matters. Let''s sleep!"


    Madam Ma said, "No, it''s rare that I have a few days together with you. After today, I''m afraid that the two of us will never meet again, so I want to talk to you more. Duan Lang, do you know why I told you this story? I want you to understand my temperament, which has been the same since childhood. If there is something that I think about day and night but cannot obtain it, yet someone else with good luck gets it, then no matter what I must destroy it. When I was a child I used stupid methods, but as I slowly grew up and became smarter, I used clever methods."


    Duan Zhengchun shook his head and said, "Don''t say anymore. If you let me hear these mood-spoiling words, I will no longer be interested, so don''t blame me later."


    Madam Ma smiled slightly and stood up, slowly untying the white hair tie. Her long hair hung down to her waist, soft as silk. She picked up a comb made from yellow poplar wood, suddenly turned around and smiled, her expression infinitely flirtatious, and said, "Duan Lang, hold me!" Her voice was extremely soft and intimate.


    Although Xiao Feng loathed and detested this woman, when he saw her glance under the candlelight and heard her say "hold me," his heart couldn''t help but palpitate with eagerness.


    Duan Zhengchun laughed, leaned against the bed, and wanted to stand up and hold her. But he had drunk too much wine and actually couldn''t stand up. Smiling, he said, "I only drank six or seven cups of wine, yet I actually got this seriously intoxicated. Little Kang, you have the countenance of a flower and a face like the moon, causing one to be intoxicated from one glance. Truly equal to three catties of strong wine, hehe."


    When Xiao Feng heard this, he was surprised. "After only drinking six or seven cups of wine, how can he be drunk? Duan Zhengchun''s internal energy is powerful, so even if he has no liquor tolerance at all, it still doesn''t make sense. Something''s strange here."


    He heard Madam Ma laugh delicately and say intimately, "Duan Lang, come over, I have no strength, you...you should quickly come and hold me."


    Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu, who were lying outside the window, heard every word of Madam Ma''s coquettish flirting. Their envy was like a fire attacking their hearts and exploding through their chests, but they couldn''t raise their hands to cover their ears.


    Duan Zhengchun leaned his left hand against the bed and tried to exert strength to stand up. But as soon as his body straightened, his knees weakened and he sat down again. He smiled and said, "I don''t have any strength either, how strange. When I see you, I''m like a mouse seeing a cat, and my entire body weakens."


    Madam Ma smiled gently and said, "I won''t let you get away with it. You only drank a little bit, yet you pretend to be intoxicated to deceive me. Transfer your breath and use your internal energy, shouldn''t that be enough?"


    Duan Zhengchun transferred his inner breath and tried to take a real breath, but how could he have expected that his elixir field (dantian) was boundlessly empty, and he couldn''t even fathom anything accurately. He took three breaths in succession, but unexpectedly the profound internal energy that he had cultivated for over ten years had suddenly vanished, and he didn''t know when it had left his body. He started to panic, knowing that the situation was far from good. But he was experienced in the risks of Jianghu, so his face remained calm and collected. Smiling, he said, "I only have the Yi Yang Finger and Six Meridians Divine Sword left. I''m so intoxicated that I can only kill people, not hold people."


    Xiao Feng thought, "Although this person is greedy for beauty and lascivious, he isn''t stupid. He already knows that he''s trapped in a dangerous situation, but still says he can "only kill people, not hold people." Actually he knows the Yi Yang Finger but not the Six Meridians Divine Sword. Clearly he''s being falsely intimidating. If he doesn''t have internal energy, he also can''t use his Yi Yang Finger."


    Madam Ma said softly, "Aiyo, I''m feeling dizzy. Duan Lang, could it be...could it be that you put something in the wine?"


    Duan Zhengchun originally suspected that she had drugged the wine, but when he heard her say this, his suspicion of her immediately disappeared. He beckoned with his hand and said, "Little Kang, come over, I have something to tell you."


    Madam Ma seemed as if she was going to take a step to walk over, but she couldn''t stand up and leaned against the table. Her face like peach blossoms, she panted heavily and said charmingly, "Duan Lang, I can''t even take a single step. You were afraid that I wouldn''t do it with you, so you put an aphrodisiac in the wine, didn''t you? You''re so indecent."


    Duan Zhengchun shook his head, made a gesture with his hand, dipped a finger in the wine, and wrote on the table, "We''ve already fallen into the enemy''s venomous plan. Try hard to remain composed and calm." He said, "Now my internal energy has returned. These few cups of poisoned wine can''t bewilder me."


    Madam Ma wrote on the table, "Is this true or false?"


    Duan Zhengchun wrote, "Must not show weakness." Loudly he said, "Little Kang, what enemy do you have who uses this venomous plan to harm me?"


    From outside the window, Xiao Feng saw his words "Must not show weakness." Knowing that the situation was far from good, he thought, "Although Duan Zhengchun is skilled and formidable, in the end he still falls into the hands of a woman. This poison was obviously put in by Madam Ma. When she heard you say ''I can only kill people, not hold people,'' fearing that your martial arts were strong, she pretended to be poisoned herself. When she asked if what you said was true or false, how could you be fooled so easily?"


    Madam Ma''s face showed worry, and she wrote on the table, "Is it true or false that your internal energy has completely vanished?" But she said, "If there is a villain who wants to ruin our plans, then that''s too bad. Feeling bored, he just happens to do this for amusement. You should just sit here and ignore it, and see if he has the guts to take action!"


    Duan Zhengchun wrote, "I can only hope that the effect of the medicine wears off earlier and the enemy arrives later." He said, "Right, whoever plays around with us will fail. Little Kang, do you want to see my lingkong pressure point hitting method?"


    Madam Ma smiled and said, "I''ve never seen it before. Since your internal energy hasn''t vanished, then use your Yi Yang Finger to poke a hole in the paper window, all right?"


    Duan Zhengchun knit his brows slightly and winked to convey a hint. He thought, "I have no internal energy, so how can I hit the lingkong pressure point? I''m intimidating the enemy, but how come you don''t understand?"


    Yet Madam Ma repeatedly urged, "Hurry up, you only need to poke a small hole in the paper window to force the enemy to retreat. Otherwise everything will be ruined, so don''t let the enemy see through our plan!"


    Duan Zhengchun trembled and thought, "She has always been intelligent and clever, so why is she deliberately acting stupid now?"


    Just as he was muttering to himself, Madam Ma said softly, "Duan Lang, you''ve been poisoned by the strong ''Ten Fragrance Bewitching Powder.'' Even if your martial arts are as high as the sky, your internal energy will still completely vanish. If you can still hit the lingkong pressure point and use your internal energy breath to prick a small hole in the paper window, then that would be a miracle."


    Duan Zhengchun was alarmed and said, "I''ve...I''ve been poisoned by the strong ''Ten Fragrance Bewitching Powder''? How...how do you know?"


    Madam Ma laughed delicately and said, "When I was pouring wine for you, hehe, it seemed like I wasn''t careful and a packet of poison fell into the wine cup. Ai, as soon as I saw you, my spirit and soul were upside-down and I was bewildered. Duan Lang, don''t blame me."


    Duan Zhengchun forced a smile and said, "Mm, so that''s what happened, not a problem." At this moment his thoughts were already as clear as snow. He knew that he was already controlled by Madam Ma, so if he furiously scolded her, it would be of no avail. Thus, he could only pretend that there was no problem, and he did his utmost to remain calm. He tried to make sense of the perilous situation and thought, "She''s always had deep passion for me and would definitely not harm my life. It''s probably only that she wants me to promise to never return home and stay with her for a lifetime. Or she wants me to bring her back to Dali so that we can properly become husband and wife. It''s a way of expressing her love for me; although her method is excessive, it definitely has no evil intent."


    Sure enough Madam Ma asked, "Duan Lang, are you willing for us to become husband and wife?"


    Duan Zhengchun smiled and said, "You''re too formidable. Fine, I surrender. Tomorrow, we''ll return to Dali together, and I''ll take you as the South-Subduing King''s side concubine."


    When Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu heard this, once again their envy was like a fire attacking their hearts. Both of them thought, "What''s so good about this sl*t? You don''t promise me, yet you promise her."


    Madam Ma sighed and said, "Duan Lang, when I asked you a while earlier about how you would arrange for me in the future, you said that Dali was hot, humid, and full of malaria, and that if I went there, I would get sick. Now you''re forced to promise me, but you''re not really sincere."


    Duan Zhengchun sighed and said, "Little Kang, let me tell you, I''m the younger brother of the Dali Emperor. My older brother has no sons, so after his thousand-year reign, he will give the title of Emperor to me. In the Central Plains I am only a man with martial arts, but when I return to Dali, I cannot do as I please. Don''t you agree?"


    Madam Ma said, "Yes, but so what?"


    Duan Zhengchun said, "There are difficulties in between in the first place, but you treated me thus, and actually didn''t hesitate to use poisoning methods. Naturally I would change my mind. It isn''t as if I don''t want to have a good person like you by my side every day. Since I promised to take you back to Dali, I definitely won''t go back on my word."


    Madam Ma softly let out an "oh" sound and said, "These words are reasonable. In the future when you become Emperor, can you make me Empress?"


    Duan Zhengchun hesitated and said, "I already have a first wife, so Empress won''t do..."


    Madam Ma said, "Yes, I''m an inauspicious widow, so how could I become an Empress? Wouldn''t that be a joke to the thousands upon thousands of Dali people?" She picked up the comb again and slowly combed her hair. Smiling, she said, "Duan Lang, when I told you that story just now, did you understand my meaning?"


    The cold sweat on Duan Zhengchun''s forehead dripped down, and he strived to suppress his fearful state of mind. But the internal energy that he had diligently cultivated for over ten years had completely vanished to who knows where. Now he was like a drowning man, his hands desperately clawing for life, but unable to grab even a single straw.


    Madam Ma asked, "Duan Lang, your body is very hot, isn''t it? I''ll wipe your sweat." She took out a silk handkerchief from her bosom, walked over to his side, and lightly wiped the cold sweat on his forehead. She said softly, "Duan Lang, you need to take care of your body. After drinking it''s easy to catch a cold, so if you''re unwell, wouldn''t that make me more worried?"


    When Duan Zhengchun inside and Xiao Feng outside the window heard this, both felt a fear that was difficult to describe. Duan Zhengchun forced a smile and said, "That night when you were dripping with fragrant sweat, I also wiped your sweat. I''ve kept that handkerchief with me for over ten years."


    Madam Ma''s expression was bashful and she said softly, "Aren''t you afraid of being shameful, having the nerve to bring up old affairs from over ten years ago? Take it out for me to see."


    It wasn''t actually true that Duan Zhengchun had kept that old handkerchief with him for over ten years, but unexpectedly it was actually in his bosom at that moment. It was easy for him to make women happy, and this set of skills was an important reason that caused every woman who had a romantic ill-fated relationship with him to believe that the woman he truly loved was herself. Only because of all kinds of difficult to repel misfortunes in fate were they unable to forge a blissful marriage. He wanted to take out this handkerchief from his bosom to make her care for their old affection, but who would have known that his fingers could only move slightly, and everything above his palm was completely numb. The toxicity of this ''Ten Fragrance Bewitching Powder'' was so strong that he actually had no strength to take out the handkerchief.


    Madam Ma said, "Take it out for me to see! Humph, you''re deceiving me again."


    Duan Zhengchun smiled bitterly and said, "Haha, I''m so intoxicated that I can''t even move my hands, so take it out for me."


    Madam Ma said, "As if I''ll be fooled! You want to trick me into coming over so that you can use the Yi Yang Finger to kill me."


    Duan Zhengchun smiled and said, "Such an unparalleled and exceptional beauty like you, even if I am a vicious convict who cannot be unpardoned from ten evils, I would still be unwilling to mark your face with even half a fingernail scratch."


    Madam Ma smiled and said, "Really? Duan Lang, I''m always slightly uneasy, so I must use a rope to bind your hands, and then...then I will use a thread of soft silk to firmly bind your heart."


    Duan Zhengchun said, "You''ve bound my heart long ago. Otherwise, how could I obediently hand myself over?"


    Madam Ma scoffed and said, "You were originally a good person, so it''s no wonder that you caused me to get this lovesickness that can never be cured." While saying this, she pulled open a drawer beside the bed and took out a rope made from ox tendons.


    Duan Zhengchun was even more scared and thought, "So she had actually prepared everything long ago, yet I was completely in the dark. Duan Zhengchun ah Duan Zhengchun, today you will lose your life here, but who can you blame?"


    Madam Ma said, "I''ll bind your hands first. Duan Lang, I like you beyond words. Are you angry at me?"


    Duan Zhengchun knew Madam Ma''s temper well. Although she was a woman, she was even more firm and persistent than ordinary men. Malicious insults wouldn''t make her angry, and strenuous and earnest lament wouldn''t make her change her mind. At present there was no better option than delaying the time and looking for an opportunity to turn peril into safety and escape from the predicament. Thus he smiled and said, "As soon as I see your watery eyes, even anger as big as the sky will melt into nothing. Little Kang, come over and let me smell the jasmine flower in your hair."


    Over ten years ago, because of these very words, Duan Zhengchun and Madam Ma began their ill-fated relationship. Now that their old affair was mentioned again, Madam Ma''s body slanted and fell softly onto his bosom. Her amorous feelings were unlimited, and she was extremely delicate and bashful. She held out her hand to gently caress Duan Zhengchun''s cheek and said intimately, "Duan Lang, Duan Lang, that night when I gave my body to you, I told you that if you were ever unfaithful, what would happen?"


    Duan Zhengchun only felt that there were gold stars dancing in front of his eyes, and beads of sweat as large as soy beans oozed down his forehead drop by drop.


    Madam Ma said, "Heartless man, my dear man, have you so easily forgotten the curse you gambled on?"


    Duan Zhengchun smiled bitterly and said, "I said that I would let you bite off all the flesh on my body mouthful by mouthful." Originally this vow was purely a joke, just flirtatious talk between a man and a woman when together, but as Duan Zhengchun said this, the flesh on his entire body couldn''t help but tremble.


    Madam Ma smiled enchantingly and said, "After so many years, you actually haven''t forgotten the words you said to me. My Duan Lang is really conscientious. Duan Lang, I want to bind your hands and play a new game with you. Are you willing or not? If you''re willing, I''ll bind you; if you''re unwilling, I won''t bind you. All along I''ve always obeyed you in everything, only hoping to make you happy."


    Duan Zhengchun knew that even if he said he wouldn''t let her bind him, she would definitely find another grotesque method. Smiling bitterly, he said, "Since you want to bind me, then bind me. For me to die under a peony flower, even becoming a ghost will be romantic. Nothing can be happier than dying under your hands."


    Xiao Feng, listening outside the window, couldn''t help but admire his astonishing ability to make teasing remarks in such a critical situation. He saw Madam Ma pulling his hands behind his back, using the ox tendon rope to bind them firmly, and tying seven or eight tight knots in succession. Even if Duan Zhengchun''s internal energy wasn''t damaged, he wouldn''t be capable of struggling free in a short time, not to mention that now his martial arts had completely vanished.


    Madam Ma smiled delicately and said, "I hate your legs the most. With one step you left without a trace." Saying this, she lightly twisted his thigh.


    Duan Zhengchun smiled and said, "That year when we met, it was these legs that brought me over. Although these legs have greatly sinned, their contribution isn''t small either."


    Madam Ma said, "Fine! I''ll bind them too." Saying this, she picked up another ox tendon rope and bound his feet.


    She took a pair of scissors and slowly cut open the layers of clothing on his right shoulder, revealing snow white skin. Although Duan Zhengchun was no longer young, he took excellent care of himself. He had lived in wealth and splendor his entire life and had profound internal energy, so the skin on his shoulder was still smooth and sturdy.


    Madam Ma held out her hand to gently caress his shoulder, puckered her cherry-like lips, and kissed his cheek, gradually kissing from his neck to his shoulder. She groaned intimately with "oh oh oh" sounds, a gentle and sweet love beyond words.


    Amidst this, Duan Zhengchun loudly shouted out "ah," his voice piercing the quiet night. Madam Ma raised her head, her mouth filled with blood, having already bitten off a chunk of flesh from his shoulder.


    Madam Ma spit out the small chunk of flesh onto the ground, smiled charmingly, and said, "Hitting is passion, scolding is love. I love you to death, so I bit you. Duan Lang, you said so yourself that if you cease to be faithful, you would let me bite off the flesh on your body mouthful by mouthful."


    Duan Zhengchun laughed and said, "Yes, Little Kang, how can the words that I said before not count? Sometimes I wonder, what would be the best way for me to die in the future? Dying in bed from illness seems too mediocre. Dying in the battlefield defending the country is of course great, but although valiant, it''s not romantic. It''s like everything is fine except for one small defect, and not how Duan Zhengchun usually behaves. Little Kang, the method you thought of today is formidable and has fulfilled my dream of Duan Zhengchun losing his life to the little cherry-like mouth and pearl-like teeth of the most beautiful woman of this era. Think, if Duan Zhengchun and you didn''t have a romance in which our feelings were carved into our bones, then if it was a second man, even if he gave you enough jewels to fill a bed, you definitely wouldn''t be willing to take a single bite of his body. Little Kang, do you agree?"


    Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu had long since been scared out of their wits. They knew that Duan Zhengchun''s life was coming to an end at any time, but seeing that Xiao Feng was still crouching under the window and watching what was happening but not helping, they scolded him a thousand times in their hearts.


    But Xiao Feng was still trying to fathom Madam Ma''s real intentions, not knowing if she seriously wanted to kill Duan Zhengchun, or if she was only trying to scare him a little, make him suffer some romantic sins, and then forgive him so that hereafter he would always loyally stay with her. If she was doing this all as an awkward joke between lovers, and he rudely and impetuously charged into the room to rescue him, then he would lose a golden opportunity to find out the truth. Thus he still held his breath and observed calmly.


    Madam Ma smiled and said, "Yes, even if it''s the son of heaven of Great Song or the emperor of the Khitans, it would be easy for him to kill me, but he can forget about ordering me to take a bite of him. Duan Lang, originally I wanted to slowly bite you to death, bite you thousands of times, but I''m afraid that your subordinates will rush over to rescue you. How about this, I''ll pierce this knife into your chest, only by half an inch, so it won''t take your life. If someone comes to rescue you, I''ll hit the knife handle, and you won''t need to suffer being torn into scraps." Saying this, she took out a dazzling dagger, cut open the clothing on Duan Zhengchun''s chest, and aimed the dagger point at his heart. She let go lightly and inserted the dagger into his chest, surely enough only piercing a little.


    This time, Duan Zhengchun made no sound. Blood immediately flowed out of his chest. He said, "Little Kang, your ten fingers are even whiter and softer than when you were seventeen."


    When Madam Ma pierced the dagger into Duan Zhengchun''s body, Xiao Feng observed her hands without blinking. If he saw her exert too much force and endanger Duan Zhengchun''s life, he would immediately charge in with a palm and cause her body to quake. But he saw that she only pierced lightly, so he still did nothing.


    Madam Ma said, "When I was seventeen, I had to cook and do laundry, so naturally my hands were rougher. Over the last few years I didn''t need to do any hard labor, so my skin really became more fragile. Duan Lang, where should I bite you next? I''ll bite you wherever you tell me to; I always obey you."


    Duan Zhengchun smiled and said, "Little Kang, even after you bite me to death, I won''t leave your side."


    Madam Ma asked, "What are you up to?"


    Duan Zhengchun said, "When a wife conspires to murder her husband, her dead husband''s spirit will never scatter and will always linger by her side to prevent a second man from getting close to her."


    Duan Zhengchun originally only wanted to scare her a little with these words to warn her not to be too malicious. Unexpectedly, after Madam Ma heard this, her complexion changed greatly, and she couldn''t help but take a look behind her. Duan Zhengchun seized the chance to say, "Yi! Who''s that person behind you?"


    Madam Ma was scared and asked, "Who''s behind me? Nonsense."


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Mm, it''s a man smiling at you. He''s holding onto his throat as if it hurts a lot. Who''s that, wearing ragged clothes, continuously shedding tears..."


    Madam Ma quickly turned around, saw no one, and said in a trembling voice, "You''re deceiving me...you''re deceiving me!"


    Duan Zhengchun originally spoke thoughtlessly, but when he saw her abnormally alarmed, he immediately became suspicious. He began having second thoughts and faintly felt that perhaps there was something fishy about Ma Dayuan''s death. He knew that Ma Dayuan had died under the ''Throat-Lock Capturing Technique,'' so he deliberately said that the person seemed as if his throat hurt a lot, was shedding tears, and wore ragged clothing. Sure enough, Madam Ma was greatly alarmed. Duan Zhengchun guessed another thirty percent and said, "Ah, how strange, how come this man disappeared in the blink of an eye? Who is he?"


    Madam Ma''s complexion was already extremely frightened, but at this moment she was still as calm as usual and said, "Duan Lang, now that you have reached this stage today, what''s the point in scaring me? You know that not cursing won''t do. The two of us were once together; now let me give you a straightforward breakup." Saying this, she took a step forward and held out her hand to push the dagger handle.


    Duan Zhengchun, knowing that he could no longer stall for time, stared behind her and shouted loudly, "Ma Dayuan, Ma Dayuan, hurry and kill your wife!"


    Madam Ma, upon seeing that his face showed an abnormally terrified expression, and furthermore upon hearing him shout ''Ma Dayuan,'' couldn''t help but tremble all over and turned around to take a look. Duan Zhengchun exerted all of his effort to stick out his head and strike her chin. Madam Ma immediately fell down and fainted.


    Duan Zhengchun didn''t actually use his internal energy in this strike. Although Madam Ma fainted for a moment, she woke up after a short while and leisurely stood up. Stroking her lower jaw, she smiled and said, "Duan Lang, you love so barbarically and struck me so painfully here. You fabricated these words to scare me, but I won''t be fooled by you."


    With this strike, Duan Zhengchun had already exhausted all the strength that he had gathered for a long time. Inwardly he sighed and thought, "My fate is thus; what can a man say!" Having second thoughts, he said, "Little Kang, you''ll kill me just like this? Then when members of the Beggar Clan accuse you of murdering your husband, who will come to help you?"


    Madam Ma laughed and said, "Who said I killed my husband? It''s not like you''re my husband. If you were really my husband, there wouldn''t be enough time to pity and love you, so how would I be willing to harm you? After I kill you, I''ll escape far away and won''t stay here. How would I be able to deal with your Dali subjects when they come searching for you?" She sighed serenely and said, "Duan Lang, I truly miss you and love you, and only hope to hold you in my bosom, kiss you, and dote on you. But only because I cannot have you, I must destroy you. This is my natural temperament and can''t be helped."


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Mm, yes, that day you deliberately deceived that young lady and wanted to use Qiao Feng to kill me."


    Madam Ma said, "Yes, Qiao Feng that manservant is so useless. He couldn''t even kill you and let you escape."


    Xiao Feng thought, "The skill of A''Zhu''s disguise as Bai Shijing was so divine that even I couldn''t tell the difference. Madam Ma and Bai Shijing aren''t familiar with each other, so how did she see through the scheme?"


    Madam Ma said, "Duan Lang, I want to take another bite of you."


    Duan Zhengchun smiled and said, "Come bite me then. There''s nothing I like better." Xiao Feng, seeing that he couldn''t delay any longer, extended his fist, pressed it above the clay wall behind Duan Zhengchun, and secretly applied force. The clay wall wasn''t very firm in the first place, so he inserted his fist slowly and finally pierced a hole soundlessly, his palm pressing against Duan Zhengchun''s back.


    At this moment, Madam Ma bit off another chunk of flesh from Duan Zhengchun''s shoulder. Duan Zhengchun shouted out loudly, his body trembling. Suddenly he felt that his hands were free. The ox tendon rope that bound his wrists had already been torn off by Xiao Feng''s fingers. At the same time, extremely profound internal energy rushed into all of his channels.


    Duan Zhengchun was startled, knowing that strong assistance had arrived from outside. His breath could move at will, and the internal energy was transferred from his back to his arm, then to his finger. With a "chi" sound, the remarkable Yi Yang Finger was activated. Madam Ma was hit under the ribs by his finger, and shrieking "aiyo," she fell on the bed.


    Xiao Feng, seeing that Duan Zhengchun had already gotten Madam Ma under control, withdrew his hand immediately.


    Duan Zhengchun wanted to express thanks, but suddenly the doorway curtain was lifted and a person walked in. That person said, "Little Kang, your old affection for him hasn''t ceased, right? How could you not cleanly do him in after destroying his great martial arts?"


    When Xiao Feng saw that person through the window, he was dazed, alarmed, and angry. In this short period of time, many suspicions existed in his mind, and now all of them were unraveled. That day when Madam Ma was in the apricot forest in Wuxi, she had taken out the folding fan that he often used, and falsely accused him of going into the Ma home to steal a letter and losing it there. Where did she obtain this folding fan? If it had been stolen by someone, it was bound to be someone extremely close to him. In that case, who was it?


    This great secret that he was a Khitan had been concealed for so many years. How could it have been so suddenly revealed? A''Zhu''s disguise as Bai Shijing was originally flawless, so how could Madam Ma have seen through it?


    So the person who had walked in was actually the Beggar Clan''s Law Enforcement Elder, Bai Shijing.


    Frightened, Madam Ma said, "He...he hasn''t lost his martial arts, and he sealed...sealed my acupuncture point."


    Bai Shijing leaped forward and grabbed Duan Zhengchun''s hands. With two "kala" sounds, he twisted and broke his wrists. Duan Zhengchun had absolutely no strength to resist. The internal energy breath that Xiao Feng had transferred to him only lasted for a short while; as soon as Xiao Feng withdrew his hand, he became a crippled person again.


    After seeing Bai Shijing, Xiao Feng''s thoughts bubbled forth like a tide in an instant. He didn''t expect that he would have to help Duan Zhengchun again, and also didn''t expect that Bai Shijing would immediately use evil methods. When he awoke from his daze, Duan Zhengchun''s wrists had already been broken. He thought, "This person is loose and lascivious, so letting him suffer a little more today is a good thing. On account of A''Zhu, I will always save his life in the end."


    Bai Shijing said, "Surnamed Duan, look at how you don''t use your good skills. After eating the Ten Fragrance Bewitching Powder, you still have thirty percent of your martial arts left."


    Although Duan Zhengchun didn''t know who had extended his palm to help him from outside the wall, but it was bound to be a highly skilled person. It was true that at present he had another strong enemy, but great assistance was behind him, so he didn''t panic. Judging from Bai Shijing''s tone, it was obvious that he didn''t know that he had a helper. Thus he asked, "Honored sir, are you an elder of the Beggar Clan? You and I are total strangers, so why would you immediately use evil methods?"


    Bai Shijing walked over to Madam Ma''s side and massaged her waist a few times. The Duan family''s Yi Yang Finger''s pressure point martial arts was exceedingly marvelous, so although Bai Shijing''s martial arts wasn''t weak, he was unable to unseal her acupuncture point. Frowning, he asked, "How are you feeling?" His tone was deeply concerned.


    Madam Ma said, "My hands and feet are limp and painful, so I can''t take a single step. Shijing, do him in, and then let''s leave quickly. I don''t want to stay in this room...this room any longer."


    Duan Zhengchun suddenly laughed loudly and said, "Little Kang, how could it be that you...you haven''t improved at all? Haha, haha!"


    Madam Ma smiled and said, "Duan Lang, you have such a good personality that even when death is imminent, you can still laugh so happily and freely."


    Bai Shijing said angrily, "You still call him ''Duan Lang''? You sl*t." With a slap of his hand, he heavily struck her by her ear. Madam Ma''s snow white right cheek immediately became red and swollen, and it was so painful that her tears flowed.


    Duan Zhengchun shouted angrily, "Stop, why are you hitting her?"


    Bai Shijing laughed coldly and said, "On what basis do you have the right to care? She''s mine. If I want to hit her I''ll hit her, if I want to scold her I''ll scold her."


    Duan Zhengchun said, "Such a flower-like and jade-like beauty, how can you bear to hit her? Even if she''s yours, you should gain her favor in a low voice and coax her to be happy."


    Madam Ma glared at Bai Shijing and said, "Listen! Listen to how he treats me, but how do you treat me? You''re not even ashamed."


    Bai Shijing scolded, "Little wh*re, see if I don''t roast you. Surnamed Duan, I''m certainly not going to listen to you. You know how to gain women''s favor, but how come she wants to harm you? Please, next year on this day is your anniversary of death." Saying this, he took one step forward and held out his hand to push in the dagger in his chest.


    Xiao Feng''s right palm extended into the hole in the clay wall again. If Bai Shijing walked another half step closer, he would immediately send out his palm.


    At this moment, a gust of strong wind blew open the doorway curtain. With a "hu" sound, the strong wind blew everywhere and extinguished the flames of the two candles at the same time. The room was immediately plunged into darkness.


    Madam Ma cried out "ah" in fear. Bai Shijing knew that an enemy had arrived, and at this moment he had no time to kill Duan Zhengchun. It was more urgent to face the enemy, so he shouted loudly, "Who''s there?" He protected his chest with both palms and turned his body around. The gust of strong wind that extinguished the candle flames had obviously been sent out by a person of extremely high martial arts. But after the candle flames were extinguished, there was even less movement. Bai Shijing, Duan Zhengchun, Madam Ma, and Xiao Feng stared and faintly saw that the room already contained another person.


    Madam Ma was the first to lose her calm and shouted sharply, "Someone''s here, someone''s here!" This person blocked the door, hands drooping down, facial features unclear, and stood motionless.


    Bai Shijing asked loudly, "Who is it?" He took one step forward. That person was silent and motionless. Bai Shijing shouted loudly, "If you don''t respond, then I won''t be polite." He knew from the newcomer''s palm strength in extinguishing the candle flames that his martial arts were extremely powerful, so he didn''t dare to hastily make a move. That person still remained motionless, and in the darkness seemed like an eerie ghost.


    Upon seeing the newcomer''s appearance, Duan Zhengchun and Xiao Feng had the same suspicions in their minds. "This person''s martial arts are formidable. Who could it be?"


    Madam Ma shouted sharply, "Go light the candle flames! I''m scared, I''m scared!"


    Bai Shijing shouted loudly, "Wh*re, stop talking nonsense!" If he acted as she said and turned around to light the candle flames, he would be immediately betraying his crucial back to the enemy. He protected his chest with both palms with the intention of waiting for his opponent to make a move first. Unexpectedly, that person was motionless all along. The two of them were in opposition in this way for practically two hours. Of course Xiao Feng wouldn''t make any sounds, and Duan Zhengchun said nothing. It was silent all around; even the sound of falling snowflakes could practically be heard.


    Finally Bai Shijing was unable to keep his calm and shouted, "Since you won''t respond, I''ll have to commit an offense." At this moment, seeing that his opponent still made no moves, he immediately flipped over his hands and took out a cleaved armor steel awl from his bosom and leaped up. Light flashed in the darkness and the steel awl was swiftly thrust at that person''s chest.


    With a flash, that person tilted his body and dodged out of the way. Bai Shijing felt a gust of strong wind pressing directly towards him, and his opponent''s fingers had already grabbed his own throat. This move was extremely fast; he hadn''t yet withdrawn his own steel awl when his opponent''s fingers had already sharply caught his throat. This time, he was seriously so scared that his spirit was no longer attached to his body, and he hastily leaped back. In a trembling voice he said, "You...you..."


    What he was truly afraid of was not that his opponent''s martial arts were powerful, but rather that just now, that person had actually used the ''Throat-Lock Capturing Technique.'' This set of martial arts was the supreme skill of Ma Dayuan''s family. Apart from members of the Ma family, no one was able to use it. Bai Shijing and Ma Dayuan were friends for a long time, so naturally he understood his family''s martial arts. His back dripped with cold sweat and he stared at that person, only seeing that his figure was extremely tall, the same as Ma Dayuan, but his appearance was unclear in the darkness. That person was still silent and motionless, gloomy and ghostly from head to toe. Bai Shijing felt a faint pain in his neck, and believed that it had been pricked by his fingernail. He composed himself and asked, "Honored sir, is your surname Ma?" That person seemed deaf and ignored him.


    Bai Shijing said, "Little wh*re, light the candles."


    Madam Ma said, "I can''t move. You should light them."


    But how could Bai Shijing dare to move casually and give him a loophole? He thought, "This person''s martial arts are obviously better than mine. If he wants to rescue Duan Zhengchun, he doesn''t need to wait for others to come and help him. Why doesn''t he pursue and attack after one move?"


    It was silent again for a long time. Suddenly, Bai Shijing detected a strange occurrence. Although everyone was silent and motionless in the room, there was still the sound of breathing. There was the sound of Madam Ma''s breathing, Duan Zhengchun''s breathing, and his own breathing, but the person standing opposite him made no breathing sounds.


    Bai Shijing held his breath and listened carefully. With his cultivated internal energy, he should have been able to hear the sound of breathing of any person in the room, but the person opposite him didn''t breathe. After a very long time, that person still didn''t breathe. If he was a living person, how could he not breathe?


    Bai Shijing heard the sound of his own heartbeat: pu, pu, pu, pu...he heard the sound of his heartbeat becoming louder and louder and felt his chest violently trembling. His heart seemed as if it was going to jump out of its cavity. Unable to exercise restraint any longer, he charged at that person with a loud shout. His cleaved armor awl slashed repeatedly, thrusting towards that person.


    With a brush of that person''s left hand, he obstructed Bai Shijing''s right arm. His right hand stretched forward to grab at his throat. Bai Shijing was already guarded against his use of the ''Throat-Lock Capturing Technique'' again, so he lowered his head and dodged under his armpit. But that person didn''t pursue and attack, and instead only blankly stood at the doorway. Bai Shijing raised the awl to stab at his leg, and that person leaped straight up to avoid it. Madam Ma, upon seeing that this person''s figure was stiff and that he didn''t bend his knees when leaping up, couldn''t help but blurt out, "Zombie, zombie!"


    With a "teng" sound, that person fell down heavily. Bai Shijing felt even more scared and thought, "If this person is a martial arts expert, then how can he be so clumsy in his rising and falling movements? Could it be that there are really zombies in this world?"


    Bai Shijing hesitated slightly, raised his monkey-like body, and with three "chi" sounds, the cleaved armor awl was thrust at that person''s lower body three times. Indeed that person''s knees were unable to bend. He only dodged stiffly jump by jump, apparently unable to even take steps. When Bai Shijing thrust to the left, he dodged by leaping to the right; when he thrust to the right, he just dodged to the left. Bai Shijing discovered his opponent''s weakness, and the fear in his heart disappeared. But he felt more and more that he wasn''t a living person, and he thrust the awl several times again. Although his opponent''s movements were clumsy, the exquisite variations of his awl technique were all along unable to harm him.


    Suddenly, his neck felt cold, and a large ice-cold hand touched him. Bai Shijing was extremely shocked and violently brandished the awl to thrust behind him. With a light "chi" sound, he thrust into the empty air, but that person''s large hand had already grabbed the back of his neck. Bai Shijing''s entire body was limp and painful, he was no longer able to take a single step, and he could only repeatedly pant for breath with "hu hu hu" sounds.


    Madam Ma shouted loudly, "Shijing, Shijing, what''s wrong?"


    How could Bai Shijing still have spare energy to respond? He only felt that his body''s internal energy was in the process of being squeezed out bit by bit by the large hand on the back of his neck.


    Suddenly, a large hand as ice-cold as iron touched his face. This hand was seriously not a human hand and completely lacked any warmth. Bai Shijing also couldn''t help but shout out, "Zombie! Zombie!" His voice was shrill and terrified. Starting from his forehead, that large hand slowly moved down and touched his eyes, the fingers sliding back and forth over his eyeballs. Bai Shijing was so scared that he nearly fainted. With only a slight exertion of force, his opponent''s fingers could immediately dig out his eyeballs. But this cold hand moved down again, touching his nose and then touching his mouth. Inch by inch it moved down and finally caught his throat. Two ice-cold fingers clasped his Adam''s apple, gradually tightening.


    Bai Shijing was infinitely surprised and shouted, "Brother Dayuan, spare me! Spare me!"


    Madam Ma shouted sharply, "What...what did you say?"


    Bai Shijing shouted, "Brother Dayuan, it was all this cheap wh*re''s idea, it was she who forced me to do it, it has...it has nothing to do with me!"


    Madam Ma said angrily, "So what if it was my idea? Ma Dayuan, you were a useless weakling in life, and now what can you do in death? I''m not afraid of you."


    Bai Shijing felt that when he had spoken up and blamed someone else, the fingers on his throat had loosened slightly. When he stopped talking, the ice-cold fingers slowly tightened again. His heart was frenzied, and when he heard Madam Ma calling him ''Ma Dayuan,'' he was even more convinced that this monster was precisely Ma Dayuan''s zombie. He shouted, "Brother Dayuan, spare me! Your wife stealthily read Chief Wang''s will and urged you again and again to expose the secret of Qiao Feng''s birth, but you were certainly unwilling...so she...she conceived a scheme to harm you..."


    Xiao Feng''s heart trembled; he obviously didn''t believe in ghosts, and was certain that it was a famous martial arts expert deliberately pretending to be a ghost to make Bai Shijing and Madam Ma frenzied. That way he could seize the chance to demand a confession from the two of them. Sure enough, Bai Shijing was both mentally and physically exhausted, and let it out. Judging from what he said, Ma Dayuan was killed by the two of them, with Madam Ma being the chief schemer. The reason for Madam Ma wanting to kill her husband lay in her wanting to expose the secret of his own birth, but Ma Dayuan hadn''t allowed it. "Why does she hate me so much? Why must she overthrow me? If she wanted to make her husband the chief, then she shouldn''t have harmed her husband."


    Madam Ma shouted sharply, "Ma Dayuan, you should just strangle me to death. I hate seeing your worthless appearance! You''re a coward who can''t undertake any great matters!"


    With a light "kala" sound, a piece of Bai Shijing''s throat cartilage was broken. Bai Shijing struggled desperately, but was completely unable to escape from that person''s palm. After another "kala" sound, his throat shattered. He loudly inhaled a few breaths, but the breaths could never be absorbed into his body again. His limbs convulsed, and his breathing promptly stopped.


    After strangling Bai Shijing to death, that person turned around and went out the door, disappearing without a trace.


    Xiao Feng thought, "Who is this person? I need to chase after him and investigate clearly." At once he floated over to the front door. Under the reflection of the white snow, a faint human shadow could be seen gradually going in a northeast direction. Had his eyesight not been exceptionally good, he really wouldn''t have been able to see it.


    Xiao Feng thought, "This person''s movements are so fast!" He bent over and tapped the shoulder of A''Zi, who lay beside his feet. His internal energy was sent out and he unsealed her acupuncture point. He thought, "Madam Ma doesn''t know martial arts. This little girl is enough to rescue her father." He didn''t have time to unseal the acupuncture points of Ruan Xingzhu and the others. Taking large strides, he rapidly pursued the person ahead of him.


    After a while of swift running, the distance between them was no more than a hundred feet. At this moment he saw clearly that sure enough, that person was a martial arts expert. At this moment he wasn''t jumping with straightened legs, and his footsteps were relaxed, as if he were gliding on the snow. Xiao Feng''s qinggong originated from Shaolin, and he had also been educated by Chief Wang of the Beggar Clan, a purely masculine sect. He took one large stride, covering ten feet, and his body leaped into the air. He took another stride, and although his movements weren''t very elegant or graceful, they were extremely suitable for hastening on a long journey. After more pursuing, he became closer to that person by ten feet.


    After running for approximately the time it took for half an incense stick to burn, the footsteps of the person ahead suddenly accelerated. Like a sailboat that had absorbed a lot of wind, he galloped fiercely with the flow, and in just a moment, the distance between him and Xiao Feng lengthened again. Xiao Feng was secretly apprehensive and thought, "This person is seriously formidable, and is truly one of the top experts in Wulin. Had he not been this kind of person, he wouldn''t have been able to kill Bai Shijing when he raised his hand."


    He was naturally different from others, and was truly a genius in martial arts. The martial arts of the masters he had learned from, Great Master Xuan Ku and Chief Wang, were already extremely high. But Xiao Feng was like blue emerging from green, and far surpassed his two masters. Any ordinary move in his hands would naturally send out unparalleled tremendous power. Everyone who knew him well said that this kind of martial arts gift was inherent, and couldn''t be obtained by being taught or by painstaking practice. Xiao Feng himself couldn''t explain why, and was only aware that once he learned any move, he could use it, and once he could use it, he could master it. When facing the enemy, he naturally had many ingenious variations. But apart from martial arts, he was nothing more than average and no different than ordinary people whether in studying books or in craftsmanship. In his entire life he rarely encountered a worthy match. Many powerful enemies had more profound internal energy and more ingenious moves than he did, but once they fought, they would always lose at the most crucial moment by one and a half stances, and moreover be sincerely convinced in their loss and ready to concede. Knowing that in the end they could never match him, no one had ever sought him for revenge to expunge their humiliation.


    Now that he had encountered an opponent with such superior qinggong, his heroic ambition couldn''t help but suddenly arise. He accelerated his footsteps and caught up again. The two of them galloped northeast, one ahead and one behind, Xiao Feng all along unable to overtake him, and that person also unable to throw him off. After two hours, after four hours, the two of them had already run a hundred or more li, and were still neither too near nor too distant.


    After another hour, the sky gradually brightened, and the heavy snow had already ceased. Xiao Feng saw a small town below a distant hillside, the houses lined up closely like the scales on a fish, and heard the sound of chickens heralding the break of day. His wine addiction suddenly arose and he shouted, "Brother ahead of me, I invite you to drink twenty bowls of wine. Then let''s continue to compete in foot strength, all right?" That person didn''t respond, and still ran rapidly with energy. Xiao Feng smiled and said, "You put to death Bai Shijing, that wicked traitor. You''re truly a formidable hero. Xiao Feng concedes defeat; my qinggong is inferior to yours. Let''s buy wine to drink and not compete, not compete." He spoke as he ran, his feet not slowing in the slightest.


    That person suddenly halted and said, "Qiao Feng''s power shakes Jianghu. Sure enough your reputation is well-deserved. While you spoke, you still transferred your real breath naturally. Truly heroic, truly gallant!"


    Xiao Feng heard his indistinct voice, which was conspicuously old, so his age should be much greater than his own. He said, "Senior overpraises me. Junior claims connections of higher status and wishes to be friends with senior. I wonder if you''ll dislike it?"


    That person sighed and said, "I''m getting old and useless! Don''t chase after me. If we run for another two hours, I''ll lose to you!" As he said this, he walked slowly onward.


    Xiao Feng wanted to chase after him and talk to him more, but he had only taken one stride when he thought, "He asked me to not chase after him." He then recalled that the heroes in the Central Plains despised him, and was afraid that this person also disdained and hated Khitans. At once he stopped and saw that person''s rear view gradually getting distant. After he entered a forest, he sighed and thought, "This person''s qinggong is wonderful and his internal energy is long-lasting. What a pity that I couldn''t meet him!" He then thought, "His voice was indistinct, and he had obviously deliberately lowered his voice so that I couldn''t recognize it. He didn''t even want me to hear his voice clearly, let alone meet him."


    After thinking for a long time, he finally entered the small town, went to a small wine shop, bought wine, and drank. Every time he drank one or two bowls, he clapped the table and boasted, "Good man, good fellow, ai, what a pity, what a pity!"


    He said "good man, good fellow" to praise that person''s formidable martial arts, and also because he had handled killing Bai Shijing extremely appropriately. He then stated that it was a pity because he was sighing that he had been unable to become friends with him. He usually loved friends as much as his life. This time, after being expelled from the Beggar Clan and furthermore developing deep enmity with the heroes of the Central Plains, and having cleanly broken off from his former friends, he was extremely depressed. Today, having unexpectedly encountered a hero whose martial arts were at a level similar to his own, yet having no chance to get to know him, he could only wash away his worries with wine. But the many suspicions that had accumulated in his heart for a long time were already solved, so he also felt greatly happy.


    After drinking more than twenty bowls of wine and paying the wine money, he rose and left, thinking, "I wonder how Duan Zhengchun is doing? Ruan Xingzhu and Qin Hongmian''s acupuncture points have been sealed by me, so I must return and help them." Thus he took large strides and returned to the Ma home.


    On the way back he never used his full strength, so his journey by foot was far slower. By the time he returned to the Ma home, it was already past noon. He didn''t see a single person on the snowy ground outside the house. Ruan Xingzhu and the others weren''t there; he presumed that A''Zi had already carried them into the house. He pushed open the door and entered the room, seeing Bai Shijing''s corpse still fallen beside the door. Duan Zhengchun wasn''t there. A woman was leaning on the side of the bed, her entire body covered with blood. She was precisely Madam Ma.


    She heard the sound of footsteps, turned around, and said in a low voice, "Be charitable, quick, quickly kill me!"


    Xiao Feng saw that her face was gray and defeated. In only one night, it seemed as if she had gotten older by twenty or thirty years, and she had become extremely ugly. He asked, "Where is Duan Zhengchun?"


    Madam Ma said, "He was saved by this...this evil person! Ah!" Suddenly, she let out a great shout, her voice sharp and extremely earsplitting.


    Xiao Feng was caught off guard and given a scare by her. He retreated a step and asked, "What are you doing?"


    Madam Ma gasped for breath and asked, "You''re...you''re Chief...Qiao?"


    Xiao Feng laughed bitterly and said, "I''ve long since ceased to be chief of the Beggar Clan. Don''t tell me that you didn''t know?"


    Madam Ma said, "Yes, you''re Chief Qiao. Chief Qiao, please be charitable and quickly kill me."


    Xiao Feng frowned and said, "I don''t want to kill you. You killed your husband, so naturally there will be members of the Beggar Clan who will do you in."


    Madam Ma pleaded, "I...I really can''t bear it any longer. That little sl*t''s methods are so venomous. I...I won''t let her off even when I become a ghost. You...you take a look...at my body."


    She was leaning in the dark, so Xiao Feng couldn''t see clearly. Having heard what she said, he went over and pushed open the window. Bright light entered the room, and after one glance, he couldn''t help but slightly tremble. He saw Madam Ma''s shoulders, arms, chest, thighs, everywhere cut by someone''s knife into strips of wounds. There were actually densely packed ants crawling on the wounds. Upon seeing her wounds, Xiao Feng knew that the tendons of her four limbs and waist joints had been broken by someone, and she would never be able to move a single step. Acupuncture points could be unsealed and movement restored, but since her tendons and veins were broken, then they could never be healed, and from now on she would be a paralyzed cripple. But how could there actually be so many ants on her wounds?


    Madam Ma said in a trembling voice, "That little sl*t broken the tendons of my hands and feet, and cut wounds on me from head to toe, then...then she poured sweetened honey water on the wounds...she said that the sweetened honey water would attract ants that would bite my entire body, making me ache, numb, and itch for several days and nights and causing me to suffer all kinds of miseries. She said that she would make me unable to beg for either life or death."


    Xiao Feng felt that he couldn''t take another look at her wounds without doing something. He definitely wasn''t a person with a soft heart, but he killed and burned, always fond of being frank and straightforward. He never used malicious methods to torment enemies. He sighed, turned around, and went into the kitchen. He came out carrying a large barrel of water and splashed it on her body, exempting her from the suffering of her body being gnawed by a pack of ants.


    Madam Ma said, "Thank you. You have a good conscience. I won''t be able to live. Be charitable and kill me with one strike of the blade."


    Xiao Feng asked, "Who...who slashed you?"


    Madam Ma gnashed her teeth and said, "It was that little sl*t. She''s so young, not past fifteen or sixteen years of age, but her heart and methods are so venomous..."


    Xiao Feng was alarmed and asked, "It was A''Zi?"


    Madam Ma said, "Correct, I heard that sl*tty woman call her that. She told her to quickly kill me. But this A''Zi, this little sl*t, insisted on slowly and deliberately punishing me. She said that she wanted to avenge her father and give vent to her mother''s anger, and wanted me to suffer such endless misery..."


    Xiao Feng thought, "I was afraid that Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu would drink vinegar (be jealous) and kill Madam Ma. Without her alive, I wouldn''t be able to interrogate her. Who would''ve thought that A''Zi, this little girl, is so cruel and malicious." He frowned and said, "Duan Zhengchun had a love affair with you in past days, but when he saw his daughter tormenting you so cruelly, don''t tell me that he actually didn''t put a stop to it?"


    Madam Ma said, "At that time he was already unconscious and unaware of all human affairs. That was...that was caused by the Ten Fragrance Bewitching Powder."


    Xiao Feng nodded and said, "That''s right. Considering that he''s a hero who can distinguish right from wrong, how could he condone his daughter committing outrages? Hmm, what about those women?"


    Madam Ma groaned and said, "Don''t ask, don''t ask, quickly kill me."


    Xiao Feng snorted and said, "If you don''t respond, then I''ll pour some more sweetened honey water on your wounds and leave, letting you perish on your own."


    Madam Ma said, "You men...are all so heartless and malicious..."


    Xiao Feng asked, "So your method of murdering Brother Ma wasn''t malicious?"


    Madam Ma was surprised and asked, "How...how do you know everything? Who told you?"


    Xiao Feng said coldly, "It''s me asking you, not you asking me. It''s you pleading with me, not me pleading with you. Hurry up and speak!"


    Madam Ma said, "Fine, I''ll tell you everything. A''Zi that little sl*t punished me and her mother repeatedly shouted for her to stop, but A''Zi only laughed happily and didn''t listen. Her mother''s acupuncture point had already been sealed by someone, so she was unable to take a single step. Not much later, five or six of Duan Zhengchun''s subordinates arrived. A''Zi that little sl*t carried her mother, father, Qin Hongmian, and Qin Hongmian''s daughter out of the room one by one, but didn''t allow anyone to enter the room so as to prevent them from seeing me. Duan Zhengchun''s subordinates rode on horseback, so they picked them up and left."


    Xiao Feng nodded and thought, "Since Duan Zhengchun was picked up by his subordinates and Ruan Xingzhu and the other two''s sealed acupuncture points will naturally unseal after several hours, I don''t need to pay attention to them."


    Madam Ma said, "I''ve told you everything, you...you should quickly kill me."


    Xiao Feng said, "It''s not likely that you told everything, right? Isn''t dying easy? Living is what''s difficult. Why did you murder Brother Ma?"


    Madam Ma''s eyes glinted viciously and she asked hatefully, "Do you have to ask no matter what?"


    Xiao Feng said, "Correct, I have to ask no matter what. I''m a hard-hearted man and won''t take pity on you."


    Madam Ma spat and said, "Of course your heart is as hard as steel. Don''t tell me that if you didn''t say so, I wouldn''t know? You caused me to fall into my present condition. You''re haughty and arrogant, you animal who puts yourself above other people! You Khitan prisoner of war who is worse than pigs and dogs, after death you''ll fall into the eighteenth level of hell and be tormented by evil spirits every day. Why don''t you dare to spill sweetened honey water on my wounds? You mixed breed dog, you bastard..." The more she cursed him, the more vicious she became. Clearly all the complaints and anger that she had accumulated in her heart had to be vented no matter what. Later she cursed him with obscene language, filthy and vile beyond imagination.


    From childhood Xiao Feng had hung out with other beggars, so he was used to hearing all sorts of vulgar language. When he was tipsy and merry with the others, he would often use vulgar words to curse people. But it was really far beyond his expectations to hear Madam Ma, who had always been refined and elegant, now cursing him so vigorously and fiercely. Moreover, he had never even heard of many of these dirty and obscene words.


    He didn''t make a sound and waited as she cursed heartily. Her face had originally been pale, but during the excitement of her venomous cursing, her entire face became very red and her eyes revealed a happy expression. After cursing him for quite a while, her voice gradually lowered and she finally said, "Qiao Feng, you traitorous dog, you caused me to reach this stage today. See if you don''t die a terrible death in the future."


    Xiao Feng asked calmly, "Are you done cursing?"


    Madam Ma said, "For now I won''t curse you, but I''ll continue after I take a rest. You mixed breed dog without a father or mother! As long as this old woman still has one breath remaining, I''ll never finish cursing you."


    Xiao Feng said, "Very good, just curse me. The first time I met you was in the apricot forest outside Wuxi. At that time Brother Ma had already been killed by you. In the past you and I were total strangers, so how could you say that it was I who caused you to reach this stage today?"


    Madam Ma said hatefully, "Ha, you say that the first time you met me was outside Wuxi. It''s precisely these words, correct, all because of these words. You haughty, arrogant guy who thinks your martial arts are number one in the world!"


    She started another bout of cursing that lasted for quite a while.


    Xiao Feng let her curse him freely. When her voice weakened, he asked, "Are you done cursing?"


    Madam Ma said hatefully, "I''ll never have enough of it, you...you guy who puts yourself above everyone else, even if you''re the emperor, you''re not necessarily extraordinary."


    Xiao Feng said, "Correct, even if I''m the emperor, what''s so extraordinary about that? I''ve never considered myself to be unequalled in the world, just now...just now, the martial arts of that person were better than mine."


    Madam Ma didn''t pay attention to who he was talking about. She only mumbled curses, and after cursing for another while, she said, "You say that you met me for the first time outside Wuxi, humph, so you didn''t see me at the Hundred Flower Gathering in Luoyang?"


    Xiao Feng stared blankly. The Hundred Flower Gathering in Luoyang took place two years ago. He had gone with many brothers of the Beggar Clan to the gathering, played rock-paper-scissors and drank wine, and had a carefree time. But no matter what he couldn''t remember having met her at the gathering. He said, "That time Brother Ma went, but he didn''t take you to meet me."


    Madam Ma cursed, "What kind of thing are you? You''re only the leader of a bunch of beggars. What''s so special about that? That day at the Hundred Flower Gathering, I stood beside that yellow peony. Which of the heroes at the gathering didn''t take a look at me? If you seriously didn''t see me, then fine, I wouldn''t blame you. But you clearly saw me yet ignored me. Your gaze swept past my face and didn''t even stop for a moment, as if I were no different from an ordinary woman. Hypocrite, shameless man."


    Xiao Feng slowly understood and said, "Right, I remember now. That day beside the peony flower, it seemed like there really were several woman. At that time I was solely engrossed in drinking wine, and didn''t spare any effort to look at whatever peonies, men, or women there were. If it was a senior female hero, then of course I would go up and pay my respects. But you''re my sister-in-law, so if I didn''t look at you, what kind of serious lacking in manners would that be? Why should you remember it and hate me so much?"


    Madam Ma said fiercely, "Don''t tell me that you weren''t born with eyeballs? No matter how famous they were, all the heroes looked at me from head to toe. Some of the people of virtue and prestige, even if they didn''t dare to look at me directly, when other people weren''t paying attention, they still always secretly looked at me a few times. Only you, only you...humph, out of the more than one thousand men at the Hundred Flower Gathering, only you didn''t look at me the entire time. You were the great leader of the Beggar Clan, a hero famous throughout the world. At the Hundred Flower Gathering, the men considered you to be in first place, and the women naturally considered me to be number one. Since you actually didn''t properly take a few looks at me, no matter how beautiful I was, what was the point? When over a thousand men toppled over for me, how could I feel good?"


    Xiao Feng sighed and said, "As a child I didn''t like to play with girls. After I grew older, even more so I didn''t spare any effort to look at women. It''s not like I didn''t look at only you. Originally I didn''t even pay attention to a woman who''s a hundred times more beautiful than you. Afterwards, it was too late..."


    Madam Ma said sharply, "What? A woman who''s a hundred times more beautiful than me? Who is it? Who is it?"


    Xiao Feng said, "It''s Duan Zhengchun''s daughter, A''Zi''s older sister."


    Madam Ma spat a mouthful of saliva and said, "Pei, this kind of sl*tty woman, how could you still mention her..."


    She hadn''t finished her sentence when Xiao Feng grabbed her hair, lifted her body, and heavily threw her back down onto the ground. He said, "If you dare to say another half a sentence that disrespects her, humph, I''ll let you have a taste of my venomous methods."


    When Madam Ma was thrown down by him, she practically fainted, and all the bones in her body rattled. Suddenly she laughed loudly and said, "So...so our Great Chief Qiao was enchanted by this little b*tch, haha, haha, so funny. You can no longer be the chief of the Beggar Clan, so now you want to be the husband of the princess of Dali. Chief Qiao, I know that you won''t look at any women."


    Xiao Feng''s knees weakened and he sat down on a chair. He said slowly, "I only hope to look at her one more time, but...but...I can never see her again."


    Madam Ma smiled coldly and said, "Why? If you want her, on the basis of your martial arts, don''t tell me that you can''t snatch her?"


    Xiao Feng shook his head and said nothing. After a long time, he finally said, "Even if I have heavenly skills, I can''t snatch her back."


    Madam Ma was extremely happy and asked, "Why? Haha, haha."


    Xiao Feng said in a low voice, "She''s dead."


    Madam Ma''s laughter suddenly stopped, and she felt slightly apologetic, feeling that this arrogant and haughty Chief Qiao was somewhat pitiful. But immediately her face revealed a smile, and her smile became more and more happy.


    Xiao Feng saw her smile and immediately realized that she was happy because he was brokenhearted. He stood up and said, "You murdered your husband, and even death can''t wipe out your crime. What else do you have to say?"


    When Madam Ma heard that he was going to kill her, she suddenly became afraid and pleaded, "You...you spare me, don''t kill me."


    Xiao Feng said, "Fine, I don''t need to in the first place." He stepped out.


    Upon seeing that he had stepped out of the room without even turning around, the anger in Madam Ma''s heart grew again. She said loudly, "Qiao Feng, you dog traitor, back then I was angry that you didn''t even take one look at me, so I told Ma Dayuan to expose your scar. Ma Dayuan was unwilling no matter what, so I told Bai Shijing to kill Ma Dayuan. The way you...you treat me today, your heart is still not the slightest bit moved."


    Xiao Feng turned around and said coldly, "You murdered your husband just because I never took one look at you. Humph, who would believe such a huge lie?"


    Madam Ma said, "I''ll be dead any moment now. Why would I deceive you? Originally, what method did I have? I could only hate you for a lifetime. Not only did those smelly beggars revere you as a deity, but who in the world dared to offend you? But heaven has eyes, and that day let me discover Chief Wang''s will in Ma Dayuan''s safe. What was so hard about stealthily tearing open this letter without damaging the envelope''s sealing wax, and then sealing it again after reading it? I stealthily read that letter and found out information worth celebrating. Can you imagine how happy I was at that moment? Haha, that was precisely the golden opportunity for me to vent the resentment in my heart. I wanted you to suffer a complete defeat and fall from grace, to never be able to flaunt around as a hero. I wanted Ma Dayuan to expose you in public and let all the heroes of the world know that you''re a Khitan prisoner of war. I wanted you to not only be unable to remain chief of the Beggar Clan, but also unable to stand in the Central Plains, and even your life would be difficult to protect."


    Xiao Feng was fully aware that her entire body already couldn''t move, and that she would never be able to harm people again. But when such malicious speech reached his ears, he felt a chill on his back. He made a "humph" sound and said, "Ma Dayuan was unwilling to comply with your words, so you killed him?"


    Madam Ma said, "Yes, not only did he not obey my words, but instead he ferociously scolded me. He said that from then on he wouldn''t allow me to leave the house. If I disclosed even one word, he would chop this old woman into mincemeat. He had always obeyed me in everything in the past. When was he ever this hateful and severe? All along I had never cared for him or held him in regard. He offended me thus, so naturally this old woman had sufferings in store for him. After over a month, Bai Shijing stayed over as a guest. That day was the fourteenth of the eighth month; he came to my home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. He took one look at me, then took another look. Humph humph, this old pervert! I defiled my body and tempted this old pervert to be crazy about me. I ordered the old pervert to kill Ma Dayuan, that useless weakling, but he was unwilling, so I said that I would expose that he had raped me. This old traitor was always honest and incorruptible in front of other people. But in front of this old woman, what disgrace did he lack? I told him, ''If you kill Ma Dayuan, I''ll naturally follow you for life. Otherwise, you should straightforwardly kill me with one palm!'' He was unwilling to kill me, so he had to kill Ma Dayuan."


    Xiao Feng took a breath and said, "Bai Shijing was an unswervingly good man, but was ruined by you like this. You...you also gave the Ten Fragrance Bewitching Powder to Brother Ma to consume, and then you ordered Bai Shijing to break his throat, pretending that it was Gusu Murong who used the ''Throat-Lock Capturing Technique'' to kill him, right?"


    Madam Ma said, "Yes, haha, how could it not be? But I don''t know ''Gusu Murong'' or whoever. That was the old pervert''s idea."


    Xiao Feng nodded.


    Madam Ma continued, "I ordered the old pervert to take the initiative to expose the secret of your birth. Pei, this old pervert was actually loyal to you, and was forced by me so fiercely that he picked up a knife, wanting to commit suicide. Fine, I let him off that time and sought Quan Guanqing, that neither dead nor alive guy. This old woman only slept with him for three nights before he obeyed me in everything. He beat his chest and said that he would take care of everything and would be sure to succeed. This old woman presumed that Quan Guanqing that guy alone couldn''t topple you. Thus I also sought Elder Xu''s involvement. You know everything that happened later, so you don''t need me to say it again, right?"


    Finally, the last suspicion in his heart had been unraveled, as to why Quan Guanqing was the chief conspirator against him, yet Bai Shijing was the one who had been captured as a traitor. He asked, "Was it Bai Shijing who stole my fan?"


    Madam Ma said, "Actually that wasn''t him. The old pervert wouldn''t do anything that wronged you no matter what. It was Quan Guanqing who persuaded Elder Chen. After you left your home, he entered your house and stole it."


    Xiao Feng said, "Although Miss Duan''s disguise as Bai Shijing was flawless, you still saw through her."


    Madam Ma asked, surprised, "This little girl was precisely Duan Zhengchun''s daughter? She was your beloved? Was she really exceedingly beautiful?"


    Xiao Feng didn''t respond, and raised his head towards the horizon.


    Madam Ma said, "This little...little girl really scared me, and even mentioned the fifteenth of the eighth month, which is precisely the date of Ma Dayuan''s death. But later I made two flirtatious remarks. When I said that the moon in the sky was so round and white, the old pervert had said on that day, ''There are some things on your body even rounder and whiter than the moon in the sky.'' When I asked her if she liked to eat salty or sweet mooncakes, the old pervert had said on that day, ''The mooncakes on your body are naturally sweeter than honey and sugar.'' But your Miss Duan''s response didn''t fit, so I immediately saw through her."


    Xiao Feng finally understood why Madam Ma had suddenly mentioned the moon and mooncakes that night. So it had actually been the shameless talk between Madam Ma and Bai Shijing when they were privately communicating on the fourteenth night of the eighth month last year. Madam Ma laughed and said, "Qiao Feng, your disguise was terrible. As soon as I was aware that the little girl was up to no good, and then thought about your figure, hei hei, how could I not know that you were Qiao Feng? I was just about to kill Duan Zhengchun, so by lucky coincidence I could use you to kill him."


    Xiao Feng gnashed his teeth and said, "You caused Miss Duan''s death, so this debt must fall onto you."


    Madam Ma said, "It was she who deceived me first, not me who went to deceive her. I was merely beating her at her own game. If she didn''t come to find me, then after Bai Shijing became the chief of the Beggar Clan, naturally I would have ways to make the Beggar Clan and the Duan family of Dali become enemies. This Duan Zhengchun then, hei hei, sooner or later wouldn''t be able to escape from my palm."


    Xiao Feng said, "You''re so vicious! You wanted to kill your own husband, you wanted to kill a man whom you had a love affair with, and you also wanted to kill a man who didn''t look at you."


    Madam Ma asked, "Why won''t you look at beauty that''s in front of you? Don''t tell me that I''m not beautiful enough? How could there be such a hypocrite like you in this world?" She was pleased with herself and her cheeks flushed as she said this. She was extremely excited, but finally her physical strength gradually weakened, and her speech was already somewhat discontinuous.


    Xiao Feng said, "I''ll ask you one more thing. Who''s the Leading Big Brother who wrote the letter to Chief Wang? You''ve read that letter and seen the signature."


    Madam Ma laughed coldly and said, "Hei hei, hei hei, Qiao Feng, in the end is it you pleading with me, or me pleading with you? Ma Dayuan is dead, Elder Xu is dead, Zhao Qiansun is dead, the Stern-Faced Magistrate Shan Zheng is dead, Grandpa and Granny Tan are dead, Great Master Zhi Guang of Mount Tiantai is dead. In this world, only I and that Leading Big Brother himself know who he is."


    Xiao Feng''s heartbeat accelerated and he said, "Correct, it''s Qiao Feng earnestly pleading with you. Please inform me of this person''s name."


    Madam Ma said, "I''ll be dead at any moment now. What benefit can you give me?"


    Xiao Feng said, "To the best of my ability, I will obey whatever Madam commands."


    Madam Ma smiled and said, "What else would I want? Qiao Feng, I hated and resented you for disdaining to look at me carefully, to the extent that it led to such a disaster. It''s not difficult for me to tell you the name of that Leading Big Brother, but you must hold me in your bosom and look at me carefully for a long time."


    Xiao Feng knit his brows tightly and was really very unwilling. But it was true that she was the only one in the world who knew this big secret. His enmity as deep as the ocean depended on the several words that could come from her lips. Not to mention that her condition wasn''t extremely difficult. Even if it was something extremely difficult and awkward, he could only force himself to do it. Her life hung on a thread, and she could stop breathing at any time. Threatening her would be completely useless. He thought, "If I insisted on refusing and she took her last breath, then I would never know the identity of the enemy who killed my parents. What''s the harm in holding her and taking a few looks at her?" He said, "Fine, I''ll comply." He stooped and held her in his bosom, and looked at her cheeks with shining eyes.


    At this time, Madam Ma''s face was entirely covered with bloodstains mixed with mud and dirt. Moreover, her complexion was wan and sallow because of the torment she suffered that night, so she was extremely ugly. Xiao Feng was already extremely reluctant to hold her in his bosom, and having to also look at her face, he couldn''t help but knit his eyebrows.


    Madam Ma asked angrily, "What? Do you hate looking at me?"


    Xiao Feng could only say, "No!" This word defied his heart. Ordinarily, even if he met tremendous calamity, he wouldn''t keep his real thoughts to himself. But at this moment, he really had no other alternative.


    Madam Ma said softly, "If you don''t hate me, then kiss my face."


    Xiao Feng said firmly, "I absolutely can''t. You''re the wife of Brother Ma. Xiao Feng attaches most importance to loyalty. How could I insult my friend''s widow?"


    Madam Ma said sweetly and intimately, "If you regard loyalty, then why are you holding me in your bosom..."


    At this moment, someone outside the window giggled and said, "Qiao Feng, you''re too shameless! You killed my older sister, and now you''re holding my daddy''s lover, kissing and carrying on a clandestine love affair. Aren''t you ashamed?" It was precisely A''Zi''s voice.


    Xiao Feng had a clear conscience, so naturally he didn''t take seriously the talk of an ignorant child. He said to Madam Ma, "Hurry up and say it, who is that Leading Big Brother?"


    Madam Ma said intimately, "I told you to look at me, but you turned around. What are you doing?" Her voice was flirtatious.


    A''Zi walked into the room, smiled, and said, "How come you''re still not dead? What man would be willing to look at such an ugly wretch?"


    Madam Ma asked, "What? You...you say that I look like an ugly wretch? Mirror, mirror, I want a mirror!" Her voice carried extreme panic.


    Xiao Feng said, "Hurry up and say it, hurry up and say it. If you say it, I''ll give you the mirror."


    A''Zi easily picked up a bright mirror from the table and aimed it at her. Smiling, she said, "Take a look at yourself. Beautiful or not beautiful?"


    Madam Ma looked into the mirror and saw her face entirely covered with bloodstains and dust. Fear, cruelty, malice, hatred, suffering, anger, all kinds of ugly feelings were gathered on her facial features. How was she in the slightest the formerly delicate beauty who attracted people''s tender affections? She opened her eyes wide and never closed them again. She was conceited in her beauty throughout her life, but before she died, she saw herself with such an ugly appearance in the mirror.


    Xiao Feng said, "A''Zi, take the mirror away and don''t offend her."


    A''Zi laughed and said, "I want to let her know how ugly she is!"


    Xiao Feng said, "It would be terrible if you anger her to death!" He felt that Madam Ma''s body was motionless, and he could no longer hear the sound of her breathing. He hurriedly tested her breathing, but she had already stopped breathing. Xiao Feng was alarmed and shouted, "Aiyo, this isn''t good, her breathing''s stopped!" He shouted out as if he were facing an imminent catastrophe.


    A''Zi pursed her lips and said, "Did you seriously like her? Is it worth making such a fuss when this kind of woman dies?"


    Xiao Feng said, "What does a child like you know? I wanted to ask her something. She was the only person in the world who knew. If you hadn''t interrupted, she would''ve already said it."


    A''Zi said, "Aiyo, so I was bad again and spoiled your important matters, right?"


    Xiao Feng sighed, thinking that a dead person couldn''t come back to life. Getting angry would be useless. A''Zi, this little girl, was arrogant and willful by nature. Even her parents couldn''t control her, let alone other people. On account of A''Zhu, he couldn''t argue with her on anything. Presently he placed Madam Ma on the couch and said, "Let''s go!"


    They investigated everywhere. There were no other people in the house. The old maidservant had already fled to whereabouts unknown. Thus, they obtained fuel and ignited a fire in the firewood room. In a moment, the flames rose.


    The two of them stood beside the house, looking at the flames coming out from the window. Xiao Feng asked, "Aren''t you going back to where your daddy and mommy are?"


    A''Zi said, "No, I''m not going to where my daddy and mommy are. Whenever my daddy''s subordinates see me, they puff their beards and glare at me. I told daddy to kill them all, but daddy was really willful and didn''t comply."


    Xiao Feng thought, "You killed Chu Wanli, so naturally his friends would hate you. How could Duan Zhengchun kill his loyal and devoted subordinates for you? You''re the one who''s acting willfully, yet you say it''s your daddy who''s acting willfully. You''re really a child who talks nonsense." He said, "Fine, I''m leaving!" He turned around and headed north.


    A''Zi said, "Hey, hey, slow down, wait for me."


    Xiao Feng immediately halted his footsteps, turned around, and asked, "Where are you going? Are you going back to your martial master?"


    A''Zi said, "No, at this moment I''m not going back to my martial master. I wouldn''t dare."


    Xiao Feng asked, surprised, "Why wouldn''t you dare? What trouble did you get into this time?"


    A''Zi said, "I didn''t get into trouble. I took a manual from my martial master. If I return, he''ll snatch it back. After I master it, I''ll return, and when my martial master takes it, I won''t be worried."


    Xiao Feng asked, "Is it a martial arts manual? Since it''s your martial master''s, if you plead with him to let you take a look, he won''t refuse forever. Besides, if you practice it on your own, you definitely won''t be able to understand many parts of it. Wouldn''t it be better to have your martial master give you pointers?"


    A''Zi pursed her lips and said, "My martial master said he wouldn''t give it to me, so he won''t give it to me. It''s useless no matter how much I plead with him."


    Xiao Feng really disliked this arrogant, willful, and spoiled little girl. Then he thought that she didn''t need to be entangled with her notorious martial master, the Old Freak of Xingxiuhai, Ding Chunqiu. He said, "Fine, do whatever you want. I won''t care about you."


    A''Zi asked, "Where are you going?"


    Xiao Feng looked at the raging flames in the rooms of the Ma house, sighed deeply, and said, "I was originally going to seek revenge, but I don''t know who my enemy is. In my life, this huge revenge can never be sought."


    A''Zi said, "Oh, I understand, Madam Ma originally knew, but what a pity that I angered her to death. From now on, you won''t be able to know who your enemy is. So fun, so fun! Qiao Feng''s fame for fighting prowess is outstanding, but thanks to my punishment, he''s helpless."


    Xiao Feng looked at her sideways and saw that her entire face was full of joy in calamity and delight in disaster. The raging flames shone on her face, making her cheeks seem as red and lovely as apples. Who would''ve thought that concealed underneath those innocent cheeks was vast and limitless malice? In a split second, his hot anger arose, and he wanted to heavily slap her in the face. But he immediately recalled that A''Zhu had pleaded with him before she died, and asked him to take care of her only younger sister in the world. He thought, "A''Zhu only made this one request of me before she died. How can I not comply? Even if this little girl is a huge traitor and evildoer, I''ll do my best to correct her errors. Besides, she''s merely young and ignorant, willful and naughty."


    A''Zi raised her head and asked, "What? Do you want to beat me to death? How come you''re not beating me? My older sister has already been beaten to death by you. So what if you also beat me to death?"


    These words pierced Xiao Feng''s heart like a dagger, and his chest ached. He remained silent and turned around uncaringly, taking large strides on the snowy ground.


    A''Zi laughed and said, "Hey, slow down, where are you going?"


    Xiao Feng said, "I can''t reside in the Central Plains, and I can''t seek revenge for the deaths of my parents. I''m going north of the pass, never to return."


    A''Zi inclined her head and asked, "Which path are you taking?"


    Xiao Feng said, "I''m going to Yanmen Pass first."


    A''Zi clapped her hands and said, "That''s great. I''m going to Jinyang, so it just so happens that I''m taking the same path as you."


    Xiao Feng asked, "What are you going to Jinyang for? How can a little girl go alone on such a distant journey?"


    A''Zi laughed and said, "Hey, what''s there to fear about a distant journey? I came to this place from Xingxiuhai. Isn''t that even farther away? I have you as a companion, so how would I be alone?"


    Xiao Feng shook his head and said, "I won''t accompany you."


    A''Zi asked, "Why?"


    Xiao Feng said, "I''m a man and you''re a young girl. Lodging on the journey would be inappropriate."


    A''Zi said, "That''s really a ridiculous argument. I don''t think it''s inappropriate, so why would it be inappropriate for you? When you were with my older sister, didn''t you also travel during the day and lodge at night, one man and one woman, on a long and difficult journey?"


    Xiao Feng said in a low and calm voice, "Your older sister and I already had a promise of marriage, so it''s not the same."


    A''Zi clapped her hands, laughed, and said, "Aiyo, I really couldn''t tell, I knew that my older sister was well-behaved, but who would''ve thought that you were just like my daddy, and my older sister just like my mommy? You didn''t worship heaven and earth to become husband and wife, but you already became a pair."


    Xiao Feng shouted angrily, "Nonsense! Until death, your older sister was all along a proper girl, as clear as ice and as clean as jade. I strictly adhered to etiquette and respected her deeply."


    A''Zi said, "What''s the point in scaring me in a loud voice? My older sister was still beaten to death by you. Let''s go."


    When Xiao Feng heard her say "My older sister was still beaten to death by you," his heart softened, and he said, "You should still return to the Little Mirror Lake and be with your mother. Otherwise, find a secluded place and after mastering the martial arts in that manual, return to your martial master. What''s fun about going to Jinyang?"


    A''Zi said in deadly earnest, "I''m not going there to have fun. I have an important matter to attend to."


    Xiao Feng shook his head and said, "I''m not taking you there." Saying this, he took large strides and left.


    A''Zi used her qinggong and chased after him, shouting, "Wait for me, wait for me!" Xiao Feng ignored her and continued on his own.


    Not long afterwards, the north wind shifted and it started snowing again. Xiao Feng charged into the wind and snow, taking rapid steps. When he thought of the injustice that had sunk to the bottom of the ocean, and of never being able to seek his huge revenge, his heart naturally became melancholy. But amidst having no alternatives, he abandoned the load of worries in his heart, which was actually a great relief.

 Chapter - 25 Gray Journey Through the Snow

    Xiao Feng traveled over ten li and saw a small temple by the roadside. He entered the hall, leaned against the wall, and napped for over four hours. His exhaustion gone, he continued heading north. After walking another forty li, he arrived at the northern crossroad, Changtai Pass.


    Naturally, the first thing to do was to find a wine shop. He ordered ten catties of white wine, two catties of beef, and a fat chicken. After pouring and drinking ten catties of wine, he ordered another five catties. As he was drinking, he heard the sound of footsteps, and a person walked in. It was precisely A''Zi. Xiao Feng thought, "This little girl is here to ruin my passion for drinking." He turned around and pretended that he hadn''t seen her.


    A''Zi smiled and sat down at the table opposite him. She called out, "Proprietor, proprietor, bring the wine."


    The bartender walked over, smiled, and said, "Little Miss, are you also going to drink wine?"


    A''Zi reprimanded, "Miss should just be Miss. Why do you need to add a "little" to it? Why wouldn''t I drink wine? Get me ten catties of white wine first. In addition, prepare another five catties to serve later. Get two catties of beef and a fat chicken. Hurry, hurry!"


    The bartender stuck out his tongue and didn''t withdraw it for a long time. He cried out, "Aiyo, my goodness! Is Miss serious or joking? You''re so small. How can you eat this much?" As he said this, he looked sideways at Xiao Feng and thought, "She''s directing this at you! Whatever you drink, she''ll also drink; whatever you eat, she''ll also eat."


    A''Zi said, "Who says I''m so small? You don''t have eyes, right? Are you afraid that after eating, I won''t have money to pay up?" As she said this, she took out a silver ingot from her bosom. With a "dang" sound, she tossed it onto the table and said, "If I can''t finish eating or drinking, then wouldn''t I feed it to the dogs? What do you need to worry about?"


    The bartender smiled and said, "Yes, yes!" He looked sideways at Xiao Feng again and thought, "She''s really getting at you now and beating around the bush cursing you."


    A while later, the meat and wine were brought up. The bartender carried a large bowl and placed it in front of her. Smiling, he said, "Miss, I''ll pour wine for you now."


    A''Zi nodded and said, "Okay."


    The bartender poured a full bowl of wine for her and thought, "It''d be a wonder if you finish drinking this bowl and don''t roll around on the ground intoxicated."


    A''Zi held the bowl in her hands, brought it to her lips, and licked a bit. She frowned and said, "So pungent, so pungent. This inferior wine tastes really bad. Were it not for a few big idiots in this world who are willing to drink it, how could your wine be sold?"


    The bartender casted another sidelong glance at Xiao Feng, saw that he had ignored her all along, and unconsciously laughed inwardly.


    A''Zi tore a chicken leg, took a bite, and said, "Pei, it''s smelly!"


    The bartender cried out, feeling wronged, "This delicious fat chicken was still making "ge ge ge" sounds this morning. It''s fresh and hot. How can it be smelly?"


    A''Zi said, "Mm, maybe it''s because your body''s smelly, or else the other customer in your shop is smelly." Snowflakes were drifting outside, there was no one traveling on the road, and Xiao Feng and she were the only two customers in the shop.


    The bartender smiled and said, "It''s my body that''s smelly, of course it''s my body that''s smelly. Miss, you should take care when you speak. Don''t accidentally offend another gentleman."


    A''Zi said, "What? If I offend someone else, could he beat me to death with one palm?" As she said this, she picked up her chopsticks and held a piece of beef. She took a bite, didn''t even chew it, and spit it out. She cried out, "Aiyo, this beef is sour. It''s not beef, but human flesh. You people sell human flesh. What an evil shop, what an evil shop!"


    The bartender panicked and said hurriedly, "Aiyo, Miss, be charitable and don''t stir up trouble. This is fresh yellow beef. How can you say it''s human flesh? How can human flesh have such a rough texture? How can it have such a splendid red color?"


    A''Zi said, "Okay, so you know the texture and color of human flesh. I''m asking you, how many people have your shop killed?"


    The bartender smiled and said, "Miss, you really like to joke around. Changtai Pass is such a large city in Menyang prefecture, and we''re a sixty-year-old shop. Where''s the reasoning of killing people and selling human flesh?"


    A''Zi said, "Fine, even if it''s not human flesh, it''s still smelly, and only a fool would eat it. Aiyo, my boots have gotten so dirty from the snowy ground." Saying this, she snatched a large piece of delicious simmer-fried beef from the plate and wiped it on her left boot.


    The outer layer of the boot had originally been splashed with mud. After the wiping, half the mud was removed while beef grease was smeared on, making the surface shine like a mirror.


    Upon seeing her use the beef that had been diligently cooked by the great chef to wipe her boot, the bartender felt his heart ache greatly. He stood to the side and sighed continuously.


    A''Zi asked, "Why are you sighing?"


    The bartender said, "This shop''s simmer-fried beef has always been considered the best in the town of Changtai. If it''s mentioned to anyone within a hundred li, he''ll give a thumbs-up and swallow his saliva with "gu gu gu" sounds. Yet Miss uses it to wipe her leather boot. This...this..."


    A''Zi glared at him and asked, "This what?"


    The bartender said, "It seems too much of a grievance."


    A''Zi said, "Are you saying it''s a grievance for my boot? Beef comes from cattle, and leather boots also come from cattle, so it can''t be considered a grievance. Hey, what other specialty dishes does your shop have? Name a few of them."


    The bartender said, "Naturally there are specialty dishes, but the prices aren''t so cheap."


    A''Zi took out a silver ingot from her bosom, threw it on the table with a "dang" sound, and asked, "Is this enough?"


    The bartender saw that this silver ingot weighed five taels, which was enough to buy two entire tables'' worth of food and wine. He smiled hurriedly and said, "It''s enough, excuse me, how could it not be enough? The shop''s specialty dishes include carp cooked in wine, sliced white lamb, pork marinated in soybean paste..."


    A''Zi said, "Very good, give me three portions of each kind."


    The bartender said, "If Miss wants to try the flavors, I think one portion of each kind is enough..."


    A''Zi said calmly, "I said I want three portions so it''s three portions. Is it any of your business?"


    The bartender said, "Yes, yes!" He called out, lengthening his words, "Three portions of carp cooked in wine! Three portions of sliced white lamb..."


    Xiao Feng watched from the side, knowing that this little girl was clearly stirring up trouble for the bartender when she was actually making fun of him. Presently he ignored her and minded his own business, drinking wine and appreciating the snow.


    A while later, the sliced white lamb was brought up. A''Zi said, "Leave one portion here, bring one portion over to that gentleman, and place one portion on that table. Place a bowl and chopsticks over there, and pour good wine."


    The bartender asked, "Is there another customer coming?"


    A''Zi glared at him and said, "You''re so talkative. Be careful or else I''ll cut off your tongue!"


    The bartender stuck out his tongue, smiled, and said, "I''m afraid that Miss doesn''t have the ability to cut off my tongue."


    Xiao Feng''s heart jumped and he glared at him, thinking, "Aren''t you asking for death? How can you dare to say such words to this rebellious little devil?"


    The bartender brought the lamb to Xiao Feng''s table. Xiao Feng said nothing, picked up his chopsticks, and ate it. A while later, the carp cooked in wine and pork marinated in soybean sauce were brought up in succession. There were still three portions, one for Xiao Feng, one for A''Zi, and one was placed on another table. Xiao Feng refused nothing and ate them one after the other.


    A''Zi only took one bite of each portion and said, "It''s smelly and only fit for pigs and dogs to eat." She snatched the lamb, carp, and pork to wipe her boots. Although the bartender''s heart ached, he couldn''t do anything.


    Xiao Feng gazed outside the window and thought, "This little devil is seriously hateful. Now that she''s following me around, there will be no end of trouble. A''Zhu entrusted me to take care of her, but this ghost spirit can take care of herself just fine, and I definitely don''t need to worry about her. I should just avoid her. Out of sight, out of mind."


    As he was thinking, a person in the distance suddenly walked over on the snowy ground. It was midwinter in the twelfth month, but this person only wore a garment of yellow hemp cloth, as if he didn''t feel the frigid cold at all. In a moment he was nearby and it could be seen that he was around forty years old, with shining yellow hoops hanging from his ears. He had a lion-like nose and a broad mouth. His appearance was rather vicious and strange, and clearly he wasn''t from the Central Plains.


    This person arrived at the wine shop, lifted the curtain, and entered. When he saw A''Zi, he stared blankly, and then his face revealed a happy expression. He wanted to talk but restrained himself and sat down at a table.


    A''Zi said, "There''s wine and meat. Why won''t you eat it?"


    That person saw the unoccupied table filled with food and wine and said, "Is that for me? Many thanks, younger martial sister." As he said this, he walked over and sat down. He took out a small gold knife from his bosom, cut the beef, and used his hands to eat it. After eating a few pieces of meat, he drank a bowl of wine. His wine tolerance wasn''t bad.


    Xiao Feng thought, "So he''s actually a disciple of the Old Freak of Xingxiuhai." He originally didn''t like this person''s appearance or bearing, but upon seeing that his wine tolerance was quite good, he felt that he wasn''t actually extremely hateful.


    Upon seeing that he had finished drinking the wine, A''Zi said to the bartender, "Bring this wine over and give it to that gentleman." As she said this, she dipped her hands into the bowl of wine in front of her. She stirred a little and washed off the meat grease on her hands, then pushed forward the bowl of wine.


    The bartender thought, "Can this wine still be drunk?"


    A''Zi saw his hesitation and noticed that he hadn''t picked up the bowl of wine. She urged, "Hurry up and bring it over. He''s waiting for his wine."


    The bartender smiled and said, "Miss, you''re at it again. How can this bowl of wine still be drunk?"


    A''Zi''s face hardened and she said, "Who says it can''t be drunk? Are you contemptuous that my hands are dirty? Let''s do this. You drink a mouthful of the wine, and I''ll give you a silver ingot." Saying this, she took out a small silver ingot weighing one tael from her bosom and placed it on the table.


    The bartender was delighted and said, "It''s great to get a tael of silver for drinking a mouthful of wine. To say nothing of Miss merely washing her hands, even if it''s water in which Miss washes her feet, I''ll still drink it. Saying this, he picked up the bowl of wine and drank a big mouthful.


    Unexpectedly, when the wine entered his mouth, he felt like his tongue was being burned by red hot iron, and he was in acute pain. With a "wa" sound, the bartender opened his mouth and spouted out the wine. He was in so much pain that he bounced on his legs and shouted loudly, "My mother! Aiyo, my mother!" When Xiao Feng saw him like this, he was greatly alarmed. He heard his shouting become more and more indistinct. Clearly his tongue had swelled.


    The wine shop''s shopkeeper, great chef, and other bartenders rushed over when they heard the shouting. "What''s going on? What''s going on?" The bartender tore at his face with his hands. He was already unable to speak and stuck out his tongue, which had swelled to three times its normal size and was entirely black.


    Xiao Feng was alarmed again and thought, "He''s been acutely poisoned. This little devil soaked her fingers in the wine for a moment, poisoning the bowl of wine so terribly."


    When everyone saw the unusual condition of the bartender''s tongue, they all became frightened. They blurted out simultaneously, "What kind of poison did he come across?" "Was he pinched by a scorpion?" "Aiyo, this is disastrous. Hurry, hurry and ask for a physician!"


    The bartender pointed a finger at A''Zi. Suddenly he walked over and knelt down on the ground in front of her. He kowtowed, making "dong dong dong" sounds.


    A''Zi smiled and said, "Aiyo, I can''t afford this. What are you pleading with me for?" The bartender raised his head, pointed to his tongue, and kowtowed again.


    A''Zi smiled and said, "You want me to cure you, right?" The bartender was in so much pain that his brow beaded with sweat. He scratched his body everywhere with his hands, kowtowed, and cupped his hands in obeisance.


    A''Zi reached into her bosom and took out a gold knife, exactly the same as the knife that the lion-nosed man had used. She grabbed the back of the bartender''s neck with her left hand and brandished the gold knife with her right hand. With a light "chi" sound, she cut off a small section of the tip of his tongue. All the spectators shouted loudly and saw that the cut tongue was gushing blood. The bartender was greatly startled, but as the blood flowed out, the poison was removed. The pain on his tongue immediately disappeared, and after a moment, the swelling also receded. A''Zi took out a small bottle from her bosom, pulled out the stopper, used her pinky fingernail to gather some yellow medicinal powder, and flicked it onto his tongue. The blood flowing out of his tongue immediately slowed.


    The bartender didn''t dare to be angry but was unwilling to give thanks. His expression was extremely awkward, and he said, "You...you..." Now that a section of his tongue had been cut off, naturally he couldn''t speak clearly.


    A''Zi held that small ingot of silver in her hand, smiled, and said, "I said that if you drank a mouthful of wine, I would give you a tael of silver. Just now you spat out the mouthful of wine, so that doesn''t count. Drink again."


    The bartender flapped his hands and said unclearly, "I...I don''t want it. I won''t drink."


    A''Zi put the silver back in her bosom, smiled, and said, "What did you say a moment ago? It seemed as if you said, ''You want to cut off my tongue? I''m afraid that Miss doesn''t have this ability.'' Right? But now you kowtowed and begged me to cut it. I was almost about to ask you, ''Does Miss have this ability or not?''"


    Only now did the bartender suddenly realize that this matter had occurred only because he had said one wrong sentence. His hatred and resentment reached their peak and he wanted to make a move immediately and ferociously beat her. But upon seeing that at both of the other two tables sat a tall and strong man who was clearly on her side, he felt timid.


    A''Zi asked, "Are you going to drink it or not?"


    The bartender said angrily, "I...I, your father..." He recalled that if he spoke thoughtlessly and cursed at her, he would very likely suffer again at her hands. Both scared and angry, he ran quickly into the inner room and didn''t come out again.


    The shopkeeper and everyone else discussed continuously and glared at A''Zi. All of them returned to their original places and substituted another bartender to take care of the customers. After seeing the circumstances from a moment ago, the bartender trembled with fear and apprehension, and didn''t dare to say a single word.


    Xiao Feng was extremely angry: "That bartender only cracked a joke and you punished him to be handicapped for the rest of his life. In the future he''ll never be able to speak clearly again. She''s so young, yet her behavior is so vicious."


    A''Zi said, "Bartender, bring this bowl of wine to that gentleman''s table for him to drink." Saying this, she pointed at the lion-nosed man. When the bartender saw her pointing at that bowl of wine, his entire body was already shaking. Upon hearing her ordering him to bring the wine to a customer, he became even more frightened. A''Zi smiled and said, "Ah, right, since you''re unwilling to give the wine to the customer, then you must want to drink it yourself. That''s fine, just drink it yourself."


    The bartender was so scared that his complexion was an inhuman color. He said hurriedly, "No, no, this lowly person...this lowly person won''t drink it."


    A''Zi said, "Then hurry and bring it over."


    The bartender said, "Yes, yes." He firmly held the bowl of wine in his hands and moved with fear and trepidation to the lion-nosed man''s table. Out of fear that he would accidentally spill even half a drop, his hands trembled. When the bottom of the bowl hit the tabletop, it made "ta ta ta" sounds.


    The lion-nosed man held the bowl of wine in his hands and stared at the wine within the bowl. He was approximately a foot away from the bowl, but he neither moved it closer nor placed it back onto the table. A''Zi smiled and said, "Second Elder Martial Brother, what''s wrong? Little sister treats you to drink wine, but are you unwilling to give me face?"


    Xiao Feng thought, "The acute poison in this bowl of wine is incomparable. Of course this person wouldn''t give into provocation and lose his life for nothing. Even a person with strong internal energy may not necessarily be able to withstand the acute poison within the wine."


    The lion-nosed man stared in thought for a long time before raising the bowl to his lips and directly drank it into his stomach with "gu du" sounds. Xiao Feng was alarmed and thought, "Could it be that this person actually has incomparably profound internal energy and can dissolve this kind of acute poison?" Amidst his bewilderment, he saw that he had already finished that large bowl of wine and placed it back onto the table. His thumbs were dripping wet with wine, and he casually wiped them on his lapel. Xiao Feng pondered for a while and understood: "That''s right, before drinking the wine he had inserted his thumbs into the wine and held the bowl for a long time without drinking. Most likely he had applied the antidote on his thumbs and dissolved the acute poison within the wine."


    Upon seeing that he had finished the bowl of poisoned wine, A''Zi''s expression immediately became frightened. She forced a smile and said, "Second Elder Martial Brother, your ability to dissolve poison has greatly improved. Congratulations."


    The lion-nosed man didn''t pay any attention to her. He swallowed and chewed fiercely, eating eighty to ninety percent of the dishes on the table. He patted his stomach, stood up, and said, "Let''s go."


    A''Zi said, "Please do as you wish. I''m sure we''ll meet again someday."


    The lion-nosed man stared at her with strange eyes and said, "What ''I''m sure we''ll meet again someday''? You''re leaving with me."


    A''Zi shook her head and said, "I''m not going." She walked over to Xiao Feng''s side and said, "I have an agreement with this big brother. We''re going to take a turn in Jiangnan."


    The lion-nosed man stared at Xiao Feng and asked, "Who''s this guy?"


    A''Zi said, "What guy? Speak more politely. He''s my brother-in-law and I''m his sister-in-law. The two of us are relatives."


    The lion-nosed man said, "You gave me a problem and I solved it, so you should listen to me. Don''t tell me that you dare to violate the rules of our sect?"


    Xiao Feng thought, "So actually A''Zi told him to drink the poisoned wine in order to give him a difficult problem, but didn''t expect that this person actually solved it."


    A''Zi said, "Who said I gave you a problem? Are you talking about drinking this bowl of wine? Haha, so funny, I gave this bowl of wine to the bartender. Who would''ve thought that you of the magnificent Xingxiu Sect would drink the leftover wine that the smelly bartender drank. The smelly bartender drank it and didn''t die either. What''s so extraordinary about you drinking it after him? Let me ask you, did the smelly bartender die? If even this kind of person can drink it, then how could I give such an easy problem?" These words were plausible but misleading, and it wasn''t easy to refute her.


    The lion-nosed man restrained his anger and said, "Master has commanded me to take you back. Are you going to disobey master''s command?"


    A''Zi smiled and said, "Master dotes on me the most. Second Elder Martial Brother, please go back and report to master that I met my brother-in-law along the way and will go to Jiangnan with him to have fun. I''ll buy master some fun ancient jewels and then return."


    The lion-nosed man shook his head and said, "That won''t do. You took master''s..." When he said this, he looked askance at Xiao Feng, seemingly afraid of divulging a secret. He paused and then said, "Master is thundering with anger and wants you to quickly return."


    A''Zi pleaded, "Second Elder Martial Brother, I''m fully aware that master is furious and forcing me to return. Isn''t he intentionally going to make me suffer? The next time master punishes you, I won''t plead for leniency for you."


    These words seemed to emotionally move the lion-nosed man. He became hesitant immediately and recalled that the Old Freak of Xingxiu rather doted on her and really took into consideration her words. He whispered, "Since you insist on not returning, then give that thing to me. I''ll bring it back to master so that I have something to account for. His anger will also subside a little."


    A''Zi said, "What are you talking about? What thing? I don''t know anything."


    The lion-nosed man''s face sunk, and he said, "Younger Martial Sister, I won''t make a move to offend you. Remember our friendship under the same sect. You should differentiate between good and bad."


    A''Zi smiled and said, "Of course I can differentiate between good and bad. You kept me company and ate food and drank wine, which is good; you want to force me to return to master, which is bad."


    The lion-nosed man said, "What will you choose? If you don''t hand over that thing, then go back with me."


    A''Zi said, "I''m not going back and I don''t know what you''re talking about. You want something that I have? Fine..." Saying this, she pulled out a pearl hairpin from her hair. She said, "If you want an identifying object to have something to account for to bring back to master, then take this pearl hairpin."


    The lion-nosed man said, "You really want to force me to have no choice but to make a move, right?" Saying this, he took a step forward.


    A''Zi saw that he had easily finished drinking the poisoned wine, which meant that his poison skills were far better than hers and that he also had internal energy, so she was absolutely not his match. The martial arts of the Xingxiu Sect were sinister and vicious, and not a single move gave any leeway. As soon as the enemy was hit, even if he didn''t die he would be seriously injured. After being injured, he would suffer all kinds of torment and die extremely miserably. Except when martial brothers fought with their lives for ranking within the sect, they never exchanged moves or practiced together. Because if they exchanged moves, they had to distinguish relative superiority, and once they distinguished relative superiority there would be casualties. The martial master and disciples never performed their martial arts. After the Old Freak of Xingxiu passed down his secret skills, everyone practiced separately. As for who was stronger or weaker, each person only knew his own level. Only upon confrontation would who was stronger or weaker be revealed.


    In accordance with the rules of the Xingxiu Sect, her test using the poisoned wine was equivalent to comparing their skills under the same sect, so it was no small matter. If the lion-nosed man had acceded, he would be subjected to her control for the rest of his life. Now that he had drank the poisoned wine into his stomach without the slightest hesitation, unless A''Zi had another way to turn the tide, she would have to obediently listen to him or else she would be killed immediately. Upon seeing that the situation was urgent, she pulled on Xiao Feng''s sleeve with her left hand and shouted, "Brother-in-law, he''s going to kill me." "Brother-in-law," yet another "brother-in-law." Hearing this, his heart palpitated, and he remembered A''Zhu''s dying words of entrustment. He wanted to make a move to send the lion-nosed man away, but upon taking a glance at the pool of blood on the ground, he thought of A''Zi''s vicious handling of that bartender. It would be good to let her suffer a little and receive some discipline, so he gazed out the window and ignored her.


    The lion-nosed man didn''t want to kill A''Zi just like that. He only wanted to show how formidable he was and make her afraid so that she would obediently return with him. Presently he extended his right hand and grabbed Xiao Feng''s left wrist.


    Xiao Feng saw his right shoulder move slightly and knew that he would make a move against himself. But he took no notice of it and allowed him to grab his wrist. When the skin of his wrist came into contact with his palm, he felt extremely hot and knew that his opponent''s palm had accumulated acute poison. He transferred vital breath above his wrist, smiled, and said, "How about it? You want to drink a bowl of wine with me, right?" He extended his right hand, poured two large bowls of wine, and said, "Please!"


    The lion-nosed man continuously transferred his internal energy, yet he saw that Xiao Feng was cool and collected as if he hadn''t felt anything at all. He thought, "Don''t be pleased with yourself. Later I''ll let you know how formidable my poison palm is." He said, "Drinking wine is drinking wine. Why wouldn''t I dare?" He raised a bowl of wine and drank one big mouthful. When the wine reached his throat, counter-flowing internal breath rushed up from his chest. He couldn''t help but make a "wa" sound and spouted out the full mouthful of wine. His lapel was dripping wet with wine and he immediately coughed loudly, not stopping until a long time later.


    Now he couldn''t help but pale in fright. This kind of counter-flowing internal breath had clearly been secretly transferred from his opponent''s vigorous internal energy into his own body. If he wanted to take his life, it would be as easy as flipping his hand. In this moment of fright, he hurriedly released his hold on Xiao Feng''s wrist. Unexpectedly, there was actually an extremely sticky force on Xiao Feng''s wrist, and his palm was stuck onto his wrist, unable to break away. The lion-nosed man was greatly alarmed and tried to shake off forcefully. Xiao Feng didn''t budge. It was like shaking off from an obelisk.


    Xiao Feng poured another bowl of wine and said, "Old chap, you didn''t get to drink the wine just now. After you finish drinking this bowl, how about we part ways?" The lion-nosed man struggled forcefully again but was still unable to break away. His left hand immediately struck violently at Xiao Feng''s face. The palm hadn''t arrived when Xiao Feng already smelled a rotten fishy odor as if emanating from a large pile of dead fish. Presently he struck out his right hand and lightly pushed. The lion-nosed man had used his full strength in this palm. When his palm arrived midway, it actually became crooked, but he was unable to retract it. Fully aware that his opponent had already made his palm crooked, he still involuntarily struck down and heavily hit his own right shoulder. With a "kala" sound, even his shoulder joint was struck.


    A''Zi laughed and said, "Second Elder Martial Brother, there''s no need to stand on ceremony. How come you hit yourself? This makes me too embarrassed."


    The lion-nosed man was extremely angry, but his right hand was stuck above Xiao Feng''s wrist and he was unable to break away. He didn''t dare strike with his left hand again. He struggled to break away for the third time but failed, so presently he summoned his internal energy, wanting to penetrate the acute poison accumulated in his palm into his enemy''s body. Who would''ve thought that once this internal energy hit his opponent''s wrist, it immediately bounced back, and moreover didn''t stop at his palm and didn''t even go upward. The lion-nosed man was greatly alarmed and hurriedly transferred his internal energy to resist. But this acute poison-infused internal energy was like the oceans and lakes flowing backward into the rivers. In an instant it passed his elbow joint, charged toward his armpit, and slowly rushed toward his chest. Naturally the lion-nosed man understood how formidable the toxicity of his own palm was. If it invaded his heart, he would immediately meet a violent death. He was so worried that his entire face was full of sweat that dripped down drop by drop.


    A''Zi laughed and said, "Second Elder Martial Brother, your internal energy is seriously superior. In such cold weather you can still be dripping with sweat. Little Sister truly admires you so much."


    How would the lion-nosed man have the leisure to pay attention to her ridicule? Fully aware that he was already so unfortunate, but unwilling to wait for death with hands tied, he desperately summoned his energy. If he could hold on for another moment, then all the better.


    Xiao Feng thought, "This person has no enmity with me. Although he directly approached me with an evil scheme, why should I kill him?" Suddenly he retracted his internal energy.


    The lion-nosed man suddenly felt that the sticky force on his palm was gone. The poison-infused internal energy that had nearly reached his heart rushed back into his palm. Surprised, he hurriedly retreated two steps, his face drained of blood. He panted for breath and didn''t dare go near Xiao Feng again. He had just narrowly escaped from mortal danger and returned from the gates of hell. The bartender was completely unaware and went over to pour wine for him.


    The lion-nosed man raised his palm and struck him in the face. With an "ah" sound, the bartender collapsed face-up. The lion-nosed man rushed out the door and swiftly ran southwest. Only high-pitched whistling sounds could be heard from a distance.


    Xiao Feng looked at the bartender and saw that his face had become completely black and that he had instantly met a violent death. He couldn''t help but become extremely angry and said, "This guy is so abominable. I spared his life, yet how could he make a move to harm someone instead?" He pressed down on the table and wanted to chase after him.


    A''Zi said, "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, sit down. I want to talk to you."


    If A''Zi painstakingly called him by "hey," "Chief Qiao," or "Big Brother Qiao," he definitely wouldn''t pay attention. But when she called him "brother-in-law" twice, he immediately thought of A''Zhu and his heart ached. "What?" he asked.


    A''Zi said, "Second Elder Martial Brother isn''t abominable. Because he couldn''t make a move to injure you, the poison couldn''t be discharged, so he had no choice but to kill someone else."


    Xiao Feng knew that among the martial arts of unorthodox sects was the "discharging poison" technique. After the poison was accumulated in the palm, if it couldn''t be used on the enemy''s body, it had to be struck on a cow or horse and kill a domestic animal or else the poison would return to the body. Xiao Feng said, "To discharge the poison, couldn''t he have struck an animal?" A''Zi had explained it so casually as if the reason was only natural.


    Xiao Feng''s heart turned cold. "This little girl''s temper is so vicious. Why should I pay attention to her?" Upon seeing that the wine shop''s shopkeeper and other staff were rushing out again, and unwilling to create more difficulties, he sidestepped out the shop door and headed north.


    He heard A''Zi following him soon afterward. Presently he accelerated his footsteps and after a few strides he had cast her far away. Suddenly he heard A''Zi say delicately, "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, wait for me, I...I can''t keep up."


    Xiao Feng had previously always spoken face-to-face with her, and when seeing her expression and bearing, loathing would arise in his heart. At this moment she was calling from behind him and actually sounded just like the delicate voice of A''Zhu when she was alive. These two sisters born of the same parents had lived separately since childhood, but they had the same father and mother, and even the tones of their voices were extremely similar. Xiao Feng''s heart quaked and he came to a stop and turned around. Through eyes blurred by tears, he saw a young maiden dashing over the snowy ground. It was truly as if A''Zhu had been revived. He spread his arms and called in a low voice, "A''Zhu, A''Zhu!"


    In an instant, he thought in a daze of when he and A''Zhu had returned to the Central Plains from Yanmen Pass together. The journey''s atmosphere had been intimate, charming, and gentle. Suddenly, a soft body pounced onto his bosom and called, "Brother-in-law, why didn''t you wait for me?"


    Xiao Feng was startled and returned to his senses. He lightly pushed her away and said, "Why are you following me?"


    A''Zi said, "You sent away my elder martial brother for me, so naturally I came to thank you."


    Xiao Feng said indifferently, "You don''t need to thank me. I didn''t deliberately help you. It was he who made a move on me, so I had to defend myself to avoid dying by his hand." Saying this, he turned around and continued walking.


    A''Zi threw herself forward to grab his arm. Xiao Feng tilted his body slightly, so A''Zi grabbed empty air and stumbled forward. With her martial arts, she could easily steady herself, but she seized the chance to act coquettishly and fell on the snowy ground. She shouted, "Aiyo! Aiyo! What a painful fall."


    Xiao Feng was fully aware that she was pretending, but upon hearing her delicate voice, the image of A''Zhu flooded his mind, and he couldn''t help but sense a moist fragrance. At once he turned around and pulled her up by grabbing the back of her neck, only to see A''Zi laughing delicately. She said, "Brother-in-law, my older sister told you to take care of me. Why aren''t you obeying her? I''m a little girl, alone and helpless. So many people want to bully me, yet you take no notice of it."


    She said these words in a lovely and pitiful manner. Xiao Feng was fully aware that she was faking ninety percent of it, but his heart still softened. He said, "What''s so good about following me? I''m not in a good mood, so I won''t talk with you. If you commit outrages, I''ll discipline you."


    A''Zi said, "If you''re not in a good mood, I can relieve your melancholy, so wouldn''t your mood slowly improve? When you drink wine, I''ll pour it for you. When you change your clothes, I''ll mend and wash them for you. If my conduct is wrong and you''re willing to discipline me, then there really isn''t anything better than that. Ever since childhood my father and mother didn''t want me and no one disciplined me, so I don''t understand anything..." Saying this, the rims of her eyes became red.


    Xiao Feng thought, "The two sisters are both talented in acting. Their abilities to deceive people are extremely brilliant and have really reached perfection. Fortunately I''ve long since known of her vicious conduct and definitely won''t be fooled by her. What conspiracy is behind her determination to follow me? Did her martial master send her to harm me?" His heart shivered with cold. "Could it be that my great enemy is connected to the Old Freak of Xingxiu? Or could it even be the man himself?" But then he had second thoughts. "Xiao Feng is a magnificent man, so how can he be afraid of a little girl''s stealthy evil schemes? It would be better to beat her at her own game and allow her to come along with me. I''ll watch out for any sly tricks she has up her sleeve. Perhaps I can even find out some information about how to seek my revenge from her." He said, "Since it''s like this, you can come along with me. Let''s make it clear first that if you injure or kill any more innocent people, I won''t spare you."


    A''Zi stuck out her tongue and said, "What if other people try to harm me first? What if the person I injure or kill is bad?"


    Xiao Feng thought, "This little girl is so cunning. If she makes a move and injures someone, she''ll use dishonest rhetoric and say it was the other person who made a move first. If it was clearly a good person, then she''ll say she made a mistake." He said, "Don''t bother with people regardless of whether they''re good or bad. Since you''re traveling with me, naturally no one will harm you. In short, you''re not allowed to fight with other people."


    A''Zi said happily, "Okay! I definitely won''t fight. You can take care of everything." Immediately afterwards she sighed and said, "Ai, you''re merely my brother-in-law, yet you discipline me so strictly. If my older sister was still alive and had married you, she''d still be disciplined to death by you."


    Xiao Feng''s anger arose and he was about to loudly berate her, but sadness followed. He saw a spark of cunning flash in A''Zi''s eyes. He thought, "Why is she so pleased with herself after I said those words?" He couldn''t figure it out at the time, so he chose to take no notice of it and strode onward. After walking a few li, he suddenly thought, "Aiyo, most likely she has a great enemy who wants to make things difficult for her, so she wants to trick me into protecting her. Actually, regardless of whether she''s right or wrong, even if I hadn''t said anything, as long as she''s with me I definitely won''t let her suffer."


    After they walked several more li, A''Zi said, "Brother-in-law, I''ll sing a tune for you to hear, all right?"


    Xiao Feng made up his mind, "No matter what idea she comes up with, I won''t allow it. The more I interact with her, the more advantageous it is for her." He said, "No."


    A''Zi pouted and said, "You''re so imperious. I''ll tell you a joke then, all right?"


    Xiao Feng said, "No."


    A''Zi said, "I''ll give you a riddle to guess, all right?"


    Xiao Feng said, "No."


    A''Zi said, "Then tell me a joke, all right?"


    Xiao Feng said, "No."


    A''Zi said, "Sing a tune for me, all right?"


    Xiao Feng said, "No."


    She asked seventeen or eighteen things in a row, but Xiao Feng didn''t even think before flatly rejecting them.


    A''Zi said, "I won''t play the flute for you then, all right?"


    Xiao Feng still said, "No!"


    As soon as the word came out of his mouth, he realized he''d been fooled. Her question had been "I won''t play the flute for you," and he had said "No," which meant he wanted her to play the flute. Since the word had already come out of his mouth, he paid no more attention to it. He thought, "If you want to play the flute, then play."


    A''Zi sighed and said, "You don''t want this, you don''t want that. You''re so difficult to serve. But you just had to want me to play the flute, so I can only obey you." Saying this, she took out a jade flute from her bosom.


    This jade flute was strangely short, only about seven inches long, and was pure white, sparkling, and lovely. A''Zi placed it on her lips and lightly blew into it. A sharp whistling sound came out. Originally the sound of the flute should be clear and loud, but the sound emitted by this white jade flute was extremely sad and shrill, completely lacking in a cheerful melody.


    During this time, Xiao Feng''s heart changed slightly. He already knew her reason and sneered inwardly, "Right, so you''ve actually planned with comrades? An ambush is lying nearby to attack me. How could Xiao Feng fear you gang of rogues? I shouldn''t be careless, that''s all." He knew that the martial arts of the Old Freak of Xingxiu''s sect were extremely insidious. If he was negligent, he would be plotted against. He heard the sound of A''Zi''s flute getting higher, getting lower. Like the killing of a pig and the weeping of a ghost, it was extremely unpleasant to hear. Such a lively and beautiful little girl holding such a sparkling and lovely jade flute actually blew out such a sad and shrill sound. It showed even further how sinister the Xingxiu Sect was.


    Xiao Feng ignored her and hastened on his journey. Before long he climbed a long mountain ridge. The mountain road was narrow and could only fit one person. He thought, "If an enemy were to lay an ambush, this would definitely be the place." Sure enough, after he had made only one turn in the mountain ridge, he saw four people blocking the path in front of him. All four people wore garments of yellow hemp cloth, their apparel and adornment exactly the same as the lion-nosed man he had met in the wine shop. The four people couldn''t stand side by side, so they were lined up one in front of the other. Each person held a long steel rod.


    A''Zi stopped playing her flute, halted her steps, and shouted, "Hello Third Elder Martial Brother, Fourth Elder Martial Brother, Seventh Elder Martial Brother, and Eighth Elder Martial Brother. What a coincidence that everyone is gathered here!"


    Xiao Feng also halted his steps and leaned against the mountain wall. He thought, "How are they going to mystify and deceive?"


    The foremost of the four people was a fat middle-aged man. He first sized Xiao Feng up and down for a long time before saying, "Hello, Little Martial Sister. How could you injure Second Elder Martial Brother?"


    Alarmed, A''Zi asked, "Second Elder Martial Brother is injured? Who injured him? Is his injury serious?"


    The person in the very back said loudly, "What are you being insincerely courteous for? He said it was you who ordered someone to injure him." He was a dwarf, and furthermore in the very back, so his entire body was obstructed by the three people in front of him. Xiao Feng couldn''t see his appearance, but heard him speaking extremely fast, so he obviously had an impulsive temper. The steel rod this person held was actually the longest and largest, so it could be assumed that his bodily strength wasn''t weak. It was predestined that he was short, but he was outstanding in other areas.


    A''Zi said, "Eighth Elder Martial Brother, what did you say? Second Elder Martial Brother said that it was you who ordered someone to injure him? Aiyo, how could you use such an evil scheme? If master finds out, how could he let you off? Don''t tell me you''re not afraid?"


    The dwarf flew into a rage and struck the mountain rocks with his steel rod, making "dang dang" sounds. He said loudly, "It was you who injured him, not me."


    A''Zi said, "What ''It was you who injured him, not me''? It seems like you''ve confessed. Third Elder Martial Brother, Fourth Elder Martial Brother, and Seventh Elder Martial Brother, you''ve heard this with your own ears. Eighth Elder Martial Brother said it was he who killed Second Elder Martial Brother. Right, he must have used the ''Three Hidden Centipede Claws'' to kill Second Elder Martial Brother."


    The dwarf shouted, "Who said Second Elder Martial Brother is dead? He''s not dead, and his injury wasn''t from the ''Three Hidden Centipede Claws''..."


    A''Zi interrupted, "It wasn''t the ''Three Hidden Centipede Claws''? Then it must have been the ''Marrow-Sucking Palm,'' your expert skill. Second Elder Martial Brother accidentally fell for your scheme. You''re...you''re too ferocious."


    The dwarf stamped with fury and said angrily, "Third Elder Martial Brother, hurry and make a move. Take this little sl*t back and ask master to deal with her. She...she...she''s speaking nonsense, I don''t know what she''s saying, what things..." He had trouble speaking in the first place, and now that he was anxious, he spoke extremely fast and was even more unintelligible.


    The fat man said, "It''s not necessary to make a move. Little Martial Sister has always been well-behaved and obedient. Little Martial Sister, come with us." This fat man spoke slowly and deliberately, and seemed extremely amiable.


    A''Zi smiled and said, "Okay, I''ll do whatever Third Elder Martial Brother tells me to do. I''ve always obeyed you."


    The fat man laughed and said, "Then there''s nothing better. Let''s go."


    A''Zi said, "Okay, please do as you wish."


    The dwarf in the back shouted, "Hey, hey, what please do as you wish? We want you to come with us."


    A''Zi smiled and said, "You can go first and I''ll come soon after."


    The dwarf said, "Won''t do, won''t do! You have to come with us."


    A''Zi said, "That''s fine, but unfortunately my brother-in-law won''t agree." Saying this, she pointed at Xiao Feng.


    Xiao Feng thought, "Here it comes, here it comes. This act is nearly over." He leaned lazily against the mountain wall, hands folded over his chest, as if he didn''t care about anything happening in front of him.


    The dwarf said, "Who''s your brother-in-law? How come I can''t see him?"


    A''Zi smiled and said, "You''re too tall, so he can''t see you either."


    With a "dang" sound, the dwarf plopped his steel rod on the ground and flew over. Both his body and his rod rose above the heads of his three elder martial brothers. He landed in front of A''Zi and said, "Hurry and go back with us!" Saying this, he grabbed at A''Zi''s shoulder. Although this person''s stature was short, he had a thick waist and broad arms. He looked rather imposing from the side and his movements were extremely nimble. A''Zi didn''t dodge and allowed him to grab her. The dwarf''s large hand was just about to touch her shoulder when he suddenly hesitated and stopped. He asked, "Have you already used it?"


    A''Zi asked, "Used what?"


    The dwarf said, "The Divine Wood King Cauldron, of course..."


    As soon as he said ''Divine Wood King Cauldron,'' the other three people shouted loudly in unison, "Eighth Younger Martial Brother, what are you saying?" Their voices were extremely strict and severe. The dwarf took a step back, fear showing on his face.


    Xiao Feng pondered, "What''s the Divine Wood King Cauldron? These four people''s expressions are extremely solemn. They''re definitely not acting. They lay an ambush here, but why didn''t they make a move, but instead they argue among themselves? Could it be that they''re worried they can''t defeat me, so they''re waiting for reinforcements?"


    The dwarf said, "It''s the Divine...Divine...that thing."


    A''Zi pointed and said, "I gave it to my brother-in-law." As soon as she said this, the four people''s gazes simultaneously fell on Xiao Feng, and all of their faces showed anger.


    Xiao Feng said, "These people are seriously troublesome. I''m disinclined to pay attention to them any longer." He stood up straight slowly, suddenly spread his arms and legs, and leaped up over the four people''s heads, vertically flying past them. This was both marvelous and rapid, and the four people neither saw him running before leaping nor bending his knees. Their vision had blurred and the wind rustled above their heads when Xiao Feng was already behind the four people. The four people shouted loudly and gave chase soon after, but in an instant Xiao Feng was already tens of feet away.


    Suddenly with a fierce "hu" sound, a heavy weapon was thrown at his back. Xiao Feng didn''t need to turn his head to know that someone had thrown a steel rod at him. He stretched his left hand behind his back and caught the steel rod. The four people shouted loudly and angrily, and another two steel rods landed in his hand. The weight was already a hundred and sixty or seventy catties, but Xiao Feng didn''t slow down in the slightest. With a "hu" sound, another steel rod was thrown at him. The sound of this steel rod flying was the loudest, so obviously it was the heaviest and probably thrown by the dwarf. Xiao Feng thought, "These barbarians can''t tell good from bad. I must show them what''s formidable."


    As he heard the steel rod flying toward the back of his head at a distance of no more than two feet away, he stretched his left hand behind his back and lightly caught it again.


    It was already extremely difficult for the enemy to dodge and avoid the four people''s steel rods. It was expected that out of the four rods, one or two would definitely hit him. Otherwise, how could they rashly dispose of their weapons? But how could they have known that Xiao Feng would catch one after another like they were nothing? Everyone was both alarmed and angry, and hurriedly rushed over while shouting loudly. Xiao Feng let them chase him for a while and then suddenly halted his steps. The four people were running spontaneously and had trouble slowing down. They nearly collided into his body and stopped hastily, panting for breath.


    Judging from how they hurled their steel rods and ran, Xiao Feng had already estimated that the martial arts of the four people were only average. He smiled slightly and asked, "What might be the reason behind all of you chasing me?"


    The dwarf said, "You...you...who are you? Your...your martial arts are very formidable."


    Xiao Feng laughed and said, "It''s not really formidable." As he said this, he transferred his energy to his palm and noiselessly pressed a steel rod into the snowy ground. The earth on the mountain road was extremely firm and hard, yet the steel rod was gradually shortening. Before it was two feet from the ground, Xiao Feng released his hand, lowered his right foot, and pressed the steel rod down to the very bottom flat surface.


    Of the four people, some of them had opened their eyes wide, and some of them had opened their mouths wide, unable to close them again.


    One after the other, Xiao Feng pressed two more steel rods into the snowy ground. When he was about to insert the fourth steel rod, the dwarf leaped forward and shouted, "Don''t touch my weapon!"


    Xiao Feng laughed and said, "Fine, I''ll return it to you!" He raised the steel rod in his right hand, aimed at the mountain wall, and thrust with force. With a "dang" sound, it was inserted straight into the mountain wall. The steel rod was about eight feet long, and five feet had been inserted into the rock. The steel rod had been inserted into extremely firm and hard black rock.


    After transferring his energy and actually throwing so deeply into the rock, Xiao Feng felt happy and thought, "These past few months I''ve experienced so many worries and hardships. My martial arts didn''t decline, but actually improved. Half a year ago, I''m afraid I wouldn''t have been able to insert it so deeply."


    The four people shouted loudly in alarm simultaneously, their faces showing admiration.


    A''Zi hurried over and shouted, "Brother-in-law, your martial arts of the hands are so great. Hurry and teach me."


    The dwarf said angrily, "You''re a disciple of the Xingxiu Sect. How could you ask an outsider to teach you skills?"


    A''Zi said, "He''s my brother-in-law, so how could he be an outsider?"


    The dwarf was anxious to get his weapon back and leaped, stretching his hand to grab his steel rod. How would he have known that Xiao Feng had already estimated the limit of his qinggong skills long ago? The steel rod was inserted horizontally into the mountain wall, about fourteen or fifteen feet above the ground. The dwarf''s fingers fell short by a few feet, and he was unable to touch the steel rod.


    A''Zi clapped, laughed, and said, "All right, Eighth Elder Martial Brother, as long as you can pull out your weapon, I''ll go with you to meet master. Otherwise, you don''t even need to think about it."


    With that leap, the dwarf had used all of his energy, so it was the limit of his qinggong. Even leaping another inch higher would be extremely challenging. When he heard A''Zi saying such provoking words, he became enraged and leaped with force. Unexpectedly, the tips of his fingers actually touched the steel rod.


    A''Zi laughed and said, "Touching it doesn''t count. You have to pull it out."


    In his anger, the dwarf''s martial arts had unexpectedly improved greatly. His legs pushed off the ground with force, and his short and broad body swiftly ascended. His hands actually grabbed ahold of the steel rod. But now his body was suspended in midair, shaking and dangling and unable to get down. He used force to shake the steel rod, but five feet of this eight-foot-long steel rod had sunk into the firm rock. Even if he shook for three days and nights, he wouldn''t necessarily be able to get it out. His appearance was extremely comical and ridiculous.


    Xiao Feng laughed and said, "I''ll be leaving now!" Saying this, he turned around and walked away.


    The dwarf wasn''t willing to let go no matter what. He was perfectly aware of his level of martial arts. When he had leaped and pulled himself up onto the steel rod just now, he was really just lucky. If he released his hands, landed, and leaped up for a second time, most likely he wouldn''t be able to pull up. This steel rod was his cherished weapon. Its weight suited his hands, and it would be difficult to forge another one. He shook it with force several times again, but the steel rod still didn''t move in the slightest. He shouted, "Hey, you''d better leave behind the Divine Wood King Cauldron. Otherwise, it''ll cause no end of trouble."


    Xiao Feng said, "Divine Wood King Cauldron, what kind of thing is that?"


    The third disciple of the Xingxiu Sect took a step forward and said, "Your martial arts have reached perfection, and we''re all full of admiration. As for that little cauldron, our sect regards it highly, but it''s useless to outsiders who obtain it, so please return it. We will certainly thank you with a gift."


    Upon seeing that they didn''t seem to be faking it and didn''t seem likely to be laying in ambush to attack him, Xiao Feng said, "A''Zi, take out that Divine Wood King Cauldron and let me take a look and see just what kind of thing it is."


    A''Zi said, "Aiyo, I already gave it to you. It''s entirely up to you whether or not to hand it over. Brother-in-law, you should still keep it."


    Hearing this, Xiao Feng had already guessed that she had stolen a treasure of her sect. Clearly, she said that she had already given it to him in order to get him to obstruct calamity for her. Presently he decided to beat her at her own game. Laughing, he said, "You''ve given me too many objects. I can''t figure out which one''s called ''Divine Wood King Cauldron.''"


    The dwarf, hanging in midair, answered at once, "It''s a tiny wooden cauldron about six inches in height and has a dark yellow color."


    Xiao Feng said, "Mm, isn''t it just a thing? I''ve seen it before, but it''s just a tiny thing. What kind of usefulness can it have?"


    The dwarf said, "What do you know? How can it be just a tiny thing? This Divine Wood..."


    He was going to continue, but the fat man shouted loudly, "Younger Martial Brother, don''t talk nonsense." He turned toward Xiao Feng and said, "Although it''s a useless thing, our master...our master received it from his father, so he can''t lose it. Please return it. We can''t thank you enough."


    Xiao Feng said, "I put it aside in passing, and don''t know where I put it. I don''t know if it can still be found. If it''s a really important object, then I''ll return to Xinyang to search for it. It''s just that the distance is too far, and backtracking is too troublesome."


    The dwarf rushed to say, "It''s very important. How could it not be important? Let''s quickly...quickly return to Xinyang to get it." Saying this, he leaped down, not even bothering with his own weapon.


    Xiao Feng stretched his hand and lightly struck his own forehead. He said, "Ai, I haven''t drunk enough wine these last few days, so my memory isn''t very good. As for this wooden cauldron, I don''t know if I left it in Xinyang or in Dali. Mm, or else it''s in Jinyang..."


    The dwarf shouted loudly, "Hey, hey, what are you saying? Is it Dali or is it Jinyang? You talk about this place and that, but this isn''t for fun."


    The fat man knew that Xiao Feng was deliberately making things difficult. He said, "You don''t need to amuse yourself. Just return the cauldron intact and we''ll certainly thank you heavily with a gift. We definitely won''t go back on our words."


    Xiao Feng suddenly said in alarm, "Aiyo, this isn''t good. I''ve remembered."


    The four people asked in alarm simultaneously, "What is it?"


    Xiao Feng said, "That wooden cauldron had been in Madam Ma''s home. Just now I set it on fire, burning the house down to the extent that the roof tiles no longer exist. As for this wooden cauldron, after being burned in the great fire, would it break?"


    The dwarf said loudly, "How would it not break? This...this...Third Elder Martial Brother, Fourth Elder Martial Brother, what''s there to be done? I don''t care. If master blames someone, it''s none of my business. Little Martial Sister, go tell master yourself. I don''t care."


    A''Zi laughed and said, "I remember that it didn''t seem to be in Madam Ma''s home. Elder Martial Brothers, Little Sister takes her leave. You can discuss with my brother-in-law." Saying this, she tilted her body, and in a flash she rushed in front of Xiao Feng.


    Xiao Feng turned around and spread his arms to block the four people. He said, "If you tell me clearly the uses and origins of the Divine Wood King Cauldron, maybe I can help you search for it. Otherwise, forgive me for not accompanying you."


    The dwarf continuously rubbed his hands and said, "Third Senior Martial Brother, we have no choice and can only tell him, right?"


    The fat man said, "Fine, I''ll tell you..."


    Xiao Feng''s figure suddenly flashed, and he leaped to the dwarf''s side. He reached and propped his hand below his internal organs and said, "Let''s talk up there. I''ll only listen to you and not to him." He knew that the fat man appeared to be honest and considerate, but he was actually extremely cunning and wouldn''t say half a sentence of truth. On the contrary, the dwarf had a straightforward heart and a fast mouth, and wouldn''t lie. He grabbed the dwarf''s body and ran up the mountain wall. The mountain wall was extremely precipitous, and originally it wouldn''t have been possible to climb up. But Xiao Feng summoned his qi and climbed straight up, rushing up more than a hundred feet in one breath. He saw a protruding rock and placed the dwarf on the rock. Pressing one foot on the rock and one foot high in the air, he said, "Tell me!"


    The dwarf''s body was in midair, and when he looked downward, he couldn''t help but feel dizzy. He said hurriedly, "Hurry...hurry and put me down."


    Xiao Feng smiled and said, "Jump down yourself."


    The dwarf said, "I''m Chuchenzi."


    Xiao Feng smiled slightly and thought, "This name is quite elegant, but what a pity that your stature doesn''t seem to be very well-matched with that of your martial brothers." He said, "I''ll be leaving now. I''m sure we''ll meet again someday."


    Chuchenzi said loudly, "You can''t, you can''t, aiyo, I''ll...I''ll fall to my death." He pressed his hands against the mountain wall and secretly circulated his internal energy, wanting to grab onto the rock. But his hands were slippery, so how could he hold on? Although his martial arts weren''t weak, he was at high elevation and surrounded by air on three sides, so he couldn''t help being alarmed.


    Xiao Feng said, "Hurry and tell me what''s the usefulness of the Divine Wood King Cauldron! If you don''t tell me, then I''ll descend."


    Chuchenzi said hurriedly, "Do I have no choice but to say it?"


    Xiao Feng said, "It''s fine if you don''t say it. Goodbye then."


    Chuchenzi pulled on his sleeve and said, "I''ll say it, I''ll say it. This Divine Wood King Cauldron is one of the three treasures of my sect and is used to practice the "Great Transformation Skill." Master said that as soon as any pugilists from the Central Plains hear of our "Great Transformation Skill," they would be so scared that their souls would scatter. If they ever see this Divine Wood King Cauldron, they would smash it to pieces. This...this is a rare treasure and extremely important..."


    Xiao Feng had long heard of the "Great Transformation Skill," and knew that it was nasty and sinister sorcery. Upon hearing that this was the usefulness of the Divine Wood King Cauldron, he didn''t bother asking further. He propped his hand under Chuchenzi''s armpit and ran straight down the mountain.


    Swiftly charging down this precipitous mountain wall was even more rapid and dangerous than going up. Chuchenzi was so scared that he shouted loudly. He hadn''t even finished one shout when his legs already touched the ground. He was so scared that his face was the color of dirt and his knees were shaking.


    The fat man asked, "Eighth Junior Martial Brother, did you say it?" Chuchenzi''s teeth chattered with "gege" sounds, but he still didn''t speak.


    Xiao Feng said to A''Zi, "Hand it over."


    A''Zi asked, "Hand what over?"


    Xiao Feng said, "The Divine Wood King Cauldron!"


    A''Zi said, "Didn''t you say you left it at Madam Ma''s home? How come you''re asking me for it?"


    Xiao Feng assessed her and saw that her waist was slender and her clothes were extremely thin. She didn''t seem to be hiding a large cauldron that was six inches in height. He thought, "This girl is extremely cunning. She follows me like a ghost and is extremely annoying." He said, "This kind of thing is useless to me. I definitely wouldn''t take it and not return it. It doesn''t matter if you believe me or not. I''ll be leaving now." Saying this, he took large strides and left the five people far behind.


    The four people quaked from his divine might. They hadn''t even decided whether or not to pursue him when Xiao Feng had already gone so far that his whereabouts were unknown.


    Xiao Feng ran over seventy li in one stretch. He found a restaurant and drank wine and ate a meal. That night, he lodged at the Zhou Wang Inn, circulated his energy for a while, and fell asleep. At midnight, as he was dreaming, he suddenly heard several sharp whistles and woke up at once. After a short while he heard several whistles from the southwest, followed by several answering whistles from the northeast. The whistles were sharp, sad, and shrill, and precisely came from the jade flutes played by people of the sect from Xingxiuhai. Xiao Feng thought, "These people are nearby. I don''t need to pay attention to them."


    Suddenly, two "jiji" flute sounds could be heard from an extremely close distance within the small inn. Immediately afterward, someone said, "Hurry and get up. Great Senior Martial Brother has arrived, most likely having already captured Little Martial Sister."


    Another person said, "Once captured, do you think she''ll be able to live?"


    The previous person said, "Who knows? Hurry and leave, hurry and leave!" The two opened the window and leaped out of the room.


    Xiao Feng thought, "Yet another two disciples of the Xingxiu Sect. I didn''t expect that even this small inn concealed these kinds of people. They probably arrived before me and made no noise, so I wasn''t aware of them. Those two people said they didn''t know if A''Zi would live. Although this little girl is wicked, I still can''t let her die violently. Otherwise, how could I face A''Zhu?" Presently he also leaped out the window.


    He heard the incessant flute sounds answering one another and gradually moving in a southwest direction. He followed the sounds and soon caught up with the two people who had left the inn. He followed the two people from over a hundred feet away, neither too close nor too far. He climbed over two mountain peaks and saw a pile of flames in the valley ahead. Approximately a foot above the flames, the color was pure jade green, ghostly and eerie, and extremely different from ordinary flames. The two people ran directly toward the flames and prostrated themselves on the ground before it.


    Xiao Feng quietly approached and hid himself behind a rock. He saw over ten people gathered beside the flames, all of them wearing hemp garments of the same color. Illuminated under the green flames was A''Zi, her hands bound in iron shackles. The green fire shining on her snow-white face made her look extremely strange. Everyone gazed at the flames in silence, placed their left palms on their chests, and mumbled indecipherably. Xiao Feng knew that every evil, unorthodox sect had their own strange ceremonies, so he didn''t pay any attention. He had heard that Xingxiu disciple saying a moment ago that "Great Senior Martial Brother has arrived, most likely having already captured Little Martial Sister." He saw that there were old and young among the more than ten people who wore identical apparel. Considering their actions and expressions, none of them in particular seemed to exhibit an arrogant manner.


    Suddenly, several gentle "wuwuwu" flute sounds drifted from the northeast. Everyone turned around, and facing the direction of the flute sounds, simultaneously bowed in greeting. A''Zi''s small mouth tilted up slightly, but she didn''t turn around. Xiao Feng looked in the direction of the flute sounds, but only saw the shadow of a person clothed in white drifting over. His feet were extremely fast and nimble, and soon he walked up to the flames and blew at it. The flames were suddenly extinguished, then immediately brightened, and with a "peng" sound, soared tens of feet into midair before slowly descending. Everyone shouted loudly, "Great Senior Martial Brother''s miraculous abilities allow us to expand our horizons."


    When Xiao Feng looked at that "Great Senior Martial Brother," he felt slightly astonished that this person was everyone''s great senior martial brother. He thought it should have been a fifty- or sixty-year-old elder, but it was actually a twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old youth. He was tall and thin, and his green face was suffused with yellow, but his facial features were rather handsome. Upon seeing his qinggong that enabled him to drift over and his fire-blowing skill a moment ago, Xiao Feng knew that his internal energy wasn''t weak. But blowing out this green fire, then igniting it again, wasn''t internal energy. He presumed that a unique fire-kindling powder had been hidden within the flute.


    He heard him saying to A''Zi, "Little Martial Sister, you have quite some face. So many people have been mobilized because of you, having hurried thousands of li from Xingxiuhai to the Central Plains."


    A''Zi said, "Since even Great Senior Martial Brother has set out, Junior Martial Sister naturally has quite some face. But considering my patron, I''m afraid your numbers still aren''t enough."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother snorted and said, "Ever since you were little, Junior Martial Sister, you were raised by our master. You have no father or mother, so where did so many relatives come from?"


    A''Zi said, "It''s just that the names of my daddy and mommy are a big secret, so I can''t just casually let people know."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother said, "Then who is Junior Martial Sister''s father?"


    A''Zi said, "I''d scare you if I said it. If you want me to say it, then hurry and open my shackles."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother said, "Opening your shackles isn''t a problem. Hand over the Divine Wood King Cauldron first."


    A''Zi said, "The Divine Wood King Cauldron is with my brother-in-law. Third Senior Martial Brother, Fourth Senior Martial Brother, Seventh Senior Martial Brother, and Eighth Senior Martial Brother weren''t willing to demand it from my brother-in-law, so what could I have done?"


    The Great Senior Martial Brother looked over at the four people Xiao Feng had encountered earlier that day. His face showed a smile and his expression was gentle, but the four people''s complexions changed greatly, and they seemed extremely frightened.


    Chuchenzi said, "Great...Great...Great Senior Martial Brother, this has nothing to do with me. Her...her brother-in-law''s abilities were too great. We...we couldn''t catch up to him."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother said, "Third Junior Martial Brother, you speak."


    The fat man said, "Yes, yes!" He spoke of how they had encountered Xiao Feng, how he had caught the four people''s steel rods, how he had carried Chuchenzi up the mountain wall and forcibly interrogated him, and everything else. Indeed he concealed nothing. He usually spoke very slowly and in a cool and collected manner, but when facing the Great Senior Martial Brother at this moment, his voice trembled, as if a great calamity was ahead.


    The Great Senior Martial Brother waited for him to finish, nodded his head, and said to Chuchenzi, "What did you tell him?"


    Chuchenzi said, "I...I..."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother said, "What did you say? Tell me."


    Chuchenzi said, "I said...I said...that this Divine Wood King Cauldron is one of the three treasures of our sect, and that it''s...it''s...for practicing that great skill. I also said that Master stated that as soon as martial artists of the Central Plains hear of our Great Energy-Dissolving Skill, they would be so scared that their souls would fly away and scatter. If they saw this Divine Wood King Cauldron, they would definitely smash it to pieces. I said that this was a rare treasure and extremely important, thus...thus I asked him to return it."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother said, "Very good. What did he say?"


    Chuchenzi said, "He...he said nothing and just brought me down."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother said, "You''re very good. You told him that this Divine Wood King Cauldron is used for practicing our ''Great Energy-Dissolving Skill.'' I''m afraid he doesn''t know what the ''Great Energy-Dissolving Skill'' is. When knowledgeable martial artists hear this name, they would be so scared that their souls would fly away and scatter. Wonderful, wonderful. Is he a martial artist from the Central Plains?"


    Chuchenzi said, "I...don''t know...know."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother said, "Do you know or not know?" His voice was gentle, but such an unyielding and irascible person like Chuchenzi was so scared that it seemed as if his soul had left his body.


    Teeth chattering with "gege" sounds, he said, "I...gege...I...gege...don''t...don''t...know...gege ...know...gege...know." These "gege" sounds were from his upper teeth and lower teeth striking against each other, and it was difficult for him to prevent it.


    The Great Senior Martial Brother said, "So was he so scared that his soul flew away and scattered? Or was he not scared at all?"


    Chuchenzi said, "It seemed like he...he...gege...was fine...and didn''t seem...to be afraid."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother said, "Can you guess why he wasn''t afraid?"


    Chuchenzi said, "I can''t figure it out. Please...inform me, Great...Senior Martial Brother."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother said, "Martial artists of the Central Plains are most afraid of our Great Energy-Dissolving Skill. The Divine Wood King Cauldron is necessary in order to practice this Great Energy-Dissolving Skill. Since this king cauldron has fallen into his hands, then we can''t practice our Great Energy-Dissolving Skill, so therefore he''s not afraid."


    Chuchenzi said, "Yes, Great Senior Martial Brother is brilliant at understanding the enemy. Junior Martial Brother...Junior Martial Brother can''t compare."


    When Xiao Feng had encountered the Xingxiu Sect disciples earlier that day, he had felt that this Chuchenzi was the most straightforward and honest, so he had a fairly good opinion of him. When he saw him tremendously frightened of this Great Senior Martial Brother, he was quite inclined to rescue him. But who would''ve thought that the more he listened, the more he became unreasonable. This dwarf''s words were contemptible as he desperately fawned and flattered. Xiao Feng thought, "This person isn''t a good man. His life or death isn''t important to me."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother turned toward A''Zi and asked, "Who is Little Sister''s brother-in-law?"


    A''Zi said, "Oh, him? I''m afraid if I say it, you''ll get scared."


    The Great Senior Martial Brother said, "But there''s no harm in saying it. If he''s really a famous hero, then I, Zhaixingzi, will just keep him in mind."


    When Xiao Feng heard him announcing his own name, he thought, "Zhaixingzi! How boastful! Judging from his motion of floating over a moment ago, his qinggong is extremely good, but he can''t surpass Ba Tianshi of the Dali Kingdom or Yun Zhonghe of the Four Great Evils."


    A''Zi said, "Oh, him? Great Senior Martial Brother, who are the best martial artists of the Central Plains?"


    The Great Senior Martial Brother Zhaixingzi said, "Everyone says, ''Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong.'' Don''t tell me that both of them are your brother-in-laws?"


    Xiao Feng''s anger surged. He thought, "You''re babbling nonsense, fellow. See if I don''t make you know what''s good and bad."


    A''Zi laughed and said, "Great Senior Martial Brother, your words are really amusing. I only have one older sister, so how could I have two brother-in-laws?"


    Zhaixingzi smiled and said, "I didn''t know you only have one older sister. Mm, even if you only have one older sister, it''s not strange if you have two brother-in-laws."


    A''Zi said, "My brother-in-law has a huge temper. Next time I see him, I''ll tell him these words, and you''ll be in for some suffering. I''m telling you, my brother-in-law is the Chief of the Beggar Sect, ''Northern Qiao Feng'' whose might shakes the Central Plains."


    As soon as she said this, people of the Xingxiu Sect who had seen Xiao Feng were all alarmed and couldn''t help but say "oh" in unison. The lion-nosed Second Senior Martial Brother said, "No wonder, no wonder. I accept my defeat at his hands."


    Zhaixingzi knitted his brows slightly and said, "It''ll be difficult now that the Divine Wood King Cauldron has fallen into the Beggar Clan''s hands."


    Although Chuchenzi was afraid, his talkative temperament didn''t change. He said, "Great Senior Martial Brother, this Qiao Feng has long ceased to be the Chief of the Beggar Clan. You''ve just arrived from the west, so it may be assumed that you haven''t heard of this recent major event in the Central Plains and Wulin. That Qiao Feng, that Qiao Feng, has already been expelled from the clan by everyone in the Beggar Clan!" Since this matter didn''t concern himself, he spoke much more smoothly.


    Zhaixingzi exhaled, and his taut face immediately relaxed. He asked, "So Qiao Feng was expelled from the Beggar Clan? Is this true?"


    The fat third disciple said, "Everyone in Jianghu says so, and they also say that he''s not a Han but a Khitan. All the heroes of the Central Plains want to kill him to be satisfied. It''s said that this person killed his father, mother, martial master, and friends. He''s despicable and lowly, and doesn''t shrink from any crime."


    Behind the mountain rock, Xiao Feng heard him recount his unfortunate experiences these past few months, and his heart couldn''t help but ache. Although his martial arts were unparalleled in the world and his courage and insight were outstanding, his reputation in Jianghu was so unpleasant. It was an extremely tasteless feeling to be despised by all the heroes in the land.


    Zhaixingzi asked A''Zi, "How could your older sister marry this kind of person? Don''t tell me that all the people in the land have died off? Or was she first raped and then married, forced into becoming his wife?"


    A''Zi laughed softly and said, "I don''t know how she married him, but my older sister was struck by him with one palm."


    Everyone said "oh." These people were hard-hearted and malicious in conduct, but upon hearing that Qiao Feng had not only killed his father, mother, martial master, and friends but also his wife with vicious methods rare in the land, they couldn''t help but feel ashamed for being inferior, and conceded defeat.


    Zhaixingzi said, "The Beggar Clan is strong in numbers and indeed difficult to deal with. Since Qiao Feng has already been expelled from the clan, why should we be afraid of him? Haha!" He sneered, "What ''Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong''? That''s just the flaunting speech of martial artists in the Central Plains. I don''t believe these two fellows can withstand the remarkable feats and marvelous techniques of our Xingxiu Sect!"


    The fat man said, "Precisely, precisely, we junior martial brothers all agree. Great Senior Martial Brother''s martial arts are as good as divine. Now that we''ve arrived in the Central Plains, we''ll slaughter ''Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong'' together. We''ll discourage the morale of martial artists in the Central Plains and let them know how formidable our Xingxiu Sect is."


    Zhaixingzi asked, "Where''s Qiao Feng?"


    A''Zi said, "He said he''s leaving through Yanmen Gate. Let''s pursue and find him."


    Zhaixingzi said, "Right! Second, third, fourth, seventh, and eighth junior martial brothers, you five failed to overcome the enemy. What punishment do you deserve?"


    The five people bowed and said, "We respectfully receive Great Senior Martial Brother''s punishment."


    Zhaixingzi said, "Now that we''ve arrived in the Central Plains, we have many matters to take care of. If I punish you for your mistakes, our power will inevitably weaken. Mm, let me see, how about this..." Before he finished speaking, he raised his left hand and five blue fire sparks flew out of his sleeve, making "chi chi" sounds.


    Xiao Feng''s nose caught a whiff of the smell of burned flesh. He thought, "Good fellow, aren''t you burning people?" The flames subsided, but the expressions of pain on the five people''s faces became more and more terrible. Xiao Feng thought, "This person threw out fire bullets made of sulfur and phosphorous, and I expect they contained poison. So after the flames were extinguished, the poison seeped into their flesh, causing them to be in even more pain."


    Zhaixingzi said, "These are ''Heart-Melting Bullets.'' After you undergo some practice, your endurance will increase. The next time you encounter a powerful enemy, you won''t immediately surrender and make our Xingxiu Sect lose face."


    The lion-nosed man and fat man said, "Yes, yes, many thanks for Great Senior Martial Brother''s discipline." The other three people circulated their internal energy to resist the pain and were unable to speak. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn passed, the low groans and gasps of the five people gradually ceased. During this time, the disciples of the Xingxiu Sect looked at the five people gnashing their teeth and resisting the pain with great difficulty. All of them trembled with fear and apprehension.


    Zhaixingzi''s gaze slowly turned toward Chuchenzi. He said, "Eighth Junior Martial Brother, you divulged our sect''s great secret and made our sect''s great treasures vulnerable to destruction. What punishment do you deserve to suffer?"


    Chuchenzi''s complexion changed greatly, and he suddenly dropped to his knees on the ground. He pleaded, "Great Senior...Great Senior Martial Brother, at that time I...I spoke out recklessly...if you...you spare me, in the future...in the future I''ll work like an ox and horse without daring to complain...without...without daring to think of complaining." Saying this, he repeatedly kowtowed.


    Zhaixingzi sighed and said, "Eighth Junior Martial Brother, you and I are under the same sect. If it was within my power, I originally wanted to spare you. It''s just that...ai, if I spare you this time, then who will be willing to obey Master''s orders in the future? Make the first move! You know the rules of our sect. As long as you can defeat the enforcer, all of your wrongdoings will be exempted. I''m ready. Make your move!"


    How would Chuchenzi dare to oppose him? He repeatedly kowtowed, making thudding sounds.


    Zhaixingzi said, "If you''re unwilling to make the first move, then receive my move!"


    Chuchenzi shouted loudly, stooped to pick up two big rocks, and threw them forcefully at Zhaixingzi. He shouted, "Great Senior Martial Brother, excuse my offense!" Immediately afterward, he picked up and threw two more rocks. He leaped eastward with "hu hu" sounds and threw two more rocks. Like a ball of flesh, his body vertically rose a great distance. He knew that his martial arts were far inferior to Zhaixingzi''s, but he hoped that he would block these six rocks so that he would have a chance to escape. He waved his sleeve and blocked the first rock and sent it in the opposite direction, toward Chuchenzi''s back.


    Xiao Feng thought, "This skill of borrowing energy is quite impressive. This is real skill, not an evil technique." Chuchenzi heard the wind behind his back changing from light to rapid, so he slanted his body and dodged by leaping to the left. But the second rock that Zhaixingzi had brushed away followed immediately afterward, so he didn''t even have the chance to catch his breath.


    Chuchenzi''s left foot had just landed on the ground when a light wind attacked his back. The third rock had already been pushed over. Every rock that had been thrown over forced Chuchenzi to take a large jump. After taking six large jumps, he returned to being beside the flames.


    With a fierce smashing sound, the sixth rock fell far away. Chuchenzi''s face was pale. He flipped his hand, retrieved a dagger from his bosom, and thrust it toward his own chest. Zhaixingzi lightly waved his sleeve and a blue fire spark flew toward his wrist. With "chi chi" sounds, it burned the acupuncture point on his wrist. Chuchenzi''s hand loosened and the dagger fell to the ground. Everyone shouted loudly, "Great Senior Martial Brother is merciful! Great Senior Martial Brother is merciful!" Zhaixingzi waved his sleeve and a light breeze flew out toward Chuchenzi''s body. His body burned upon contact. His clothes and hair ignited first. He rolled around on the ground, shrieking miserably. But he didn''t die immediately, and the burned stench overflowed in all directions. The situation was horrific. Everyone in the Xingxiu Sect was so afraid that they didn''t even dare to take large breaths.


    Zhaixingzi said, "No one''s talking, mm. You all think that I was too cruel and that Chuchenzi died unjustly, right?"


    Everyone immediately scrambled to say, "Chuchenzi''s death can''t even wipe out his crimes. It was extremely benevolent of Great Senior Martial Brother to help him melt his body and bones."


    "Great Senior Martial Brother is wise and resolute, and handled it extremely appropriately without being too lenient or too harsh. We admire you very much."


    "This fellow divulged the secret of our sect, and caused calamity for Master''s treasures for practicing martial arts. He should''ve died by a thousand cuts and suffered for seven days and nights before being killed. Great Senior Martial Brother gave consideration to our sect''s code of brotherhood. Even upon becoming a ghost, this fellow will be grateful for Great Senior Martial Brother''s kindness."


    "We''ve all committed wrongs. Please forgive us, Great Senior Martial Brother."


    Countless shameless words mingled with Chuchenzi''s wild shrieks. Xiao Feng felt indescribable loathing and detestation. He turned his body, leaped from his right foot, and quietly landed twenty feet away. Even with such martial arts, Zhaixingzi didn''t notice. Xiao Feng was just about to leave when he heard Zhaixingzi asking softly, "Little Martial Sister, you stole Master''s precious cauldron and handed it over to someone else. What punishment do you deserve to receive?"


    Xiao Feng was alarmed and thought, "I''m afraid that the punishment A''Zi receives will be ten times more wretched than Chuchenzi''s. If I wave my sleeve and leave, how can I be at ease?" At once he turned around and quietly returned to his original hiding place.


    A''Zi said, "It''s true that I''ve violated Master''s rules. Great Senior Martial Brother, do you want the precious cauldron back?"


    Zhaixingzi said, "This is one of the three treasures of our sect, so of course it must be reclaimed. How can it fall into the hands of an outsider?"


    A''Zi said, "My brother-in-law doesn''t have a very good temper. I gave the precious cauldron to him, so if I ask him to give it back, he''ll definitely return it to me intact. If an outsider asks him for it, do you think he''ll give it back?"


    Zhaixingzi made an "mm" sound and said, "That''s hard to say. If the precious cauldron is damaged, then your wrongdoings will increase."


    A''Zi said, "If you ask him for it, he won''t give it back no matter what. No matter how good Great Senior Martial Brother''s martial arts are, at most you can only kill him. Reclaiming the precious cauldron is a million times harder."


    Zhaixingzi muttered, "Then what do you have in mind?"


    A''Zi said, "Release me and let me leave through Yanmen Gate alone to get the precious cauldron back from my brother-in-law. This is called using an achievement to atone for a wrongdoing. But I need to be promised that I won''t be punished in the future."


    Zhaixingzi said, "This sounds reasonable. But Little Martial Sister, wouldn''t Great Senior Martial Brother''s face be completely peeled by you? Afterward, I''d never be able to remain as the Xingxiu Sect''s Great Senior Martial Brother. If I set you free to escape without a trace with your brother-in-law, where would I find you? We must have this precious cauldron, but as long as the secret isn''t divulged, the one surnamed Qiao won''t necessarily destroy it hastily. Little Martial Sister, make your move. As long as you can defeat me, you''ll become the Xingxiu Sect''s Great Senior Martial Sister, and I''ll have to listen to your orders and receive your discipline."


    Only now did Xiao Feng realize, "So actually their ranking is determined by their martial arts, not their order of joining the sect. Thus he''s the Great Senior Martial Brother even though he''s so young. Many people who are older than him are his junior disciple brothers. In that case, these people must frequently fight and kill each other. What code of brotherhood under the same sect can possibly exist?"


    But he didn''t know that this rule was precisely responsible for the Xingxiu Sect''s martial arts becoming stronger with each generation. The Great Senior Martial Brother had enormous power. If a junior martial brother refused to obey, he could use martial arts to rebel, and martial arts would determine who was superior and who was inferior. If the Great Senior Martial Brother triumphed, then naturally the junior martial brother would be killed or punished without resistance. If the junior martial brother triumphed, he would be promoted to Great Senior Martial Brother immediately and execute the former Great Senior Martial Brother. The master would watch with his hands in his sleeves and definitely wouldn''t intervene. Under this rule, everyone strived to improve for self-preservation. On the surface, they had to remain calm and collected in order to make it seem like their martial arts were weak. This would prevent provoking the Great Senior Martial Brother''s suspicion and jealousy. Chuchenzi''s bodily strength was formidable. His steel rod was long, thick, and extremely heavy. Although he ranked eighth, he had provoked the Great Senior Martial Brother''s jealousy long ago. Thus he had found an excuse to exterminate him. Members of other sects often practiced to a certain level and then ceased to improve, while members of the Xingxiu Sect didn''t dare to be lazy for even half a day, and were always diligently practicing. Naturally the Great Senior Martial Brother was always anxious and apprehensive, fearful that every junior martial brother would challenge him. On the other hand, the junior martial brothers were always worried that the Great Senior Martial Brother would target them. However, as long as their martial arts were strong enough and the Great Senior Martial Brother wasn''t certain of victory, he wouldn''t rashly initiate a dispute.


    A''Zi had originally thought that Zhaixingzi wouldn''t harm her on account of the precious cauldron. Unexpectedly, he wasn''t fooled and wanted to make a move immediately. She was now so scared that her pretty face had lost color. Fate had dropped down on her in the blink of an eye. She said in a trembling voice, "My hands and feet have been shackled by them, so how can I make moves or return your moves? You want to harm me but don''t do it openly and honestly, and instead use such a crafty scheme."


    Zhaixingzi said, "Fine! I''ll release you first." Saying this, he waved his sleeve and a gust of strong energy shot into the flames. A fine spark of green fire separated from the flames like a liquid thread and shot toward the iron shackles on A''Zi''s hands.


    Xiao Feng saw extremely clearly that this thread of fire wasn''t directed at A''Zi''s body. After two "chi chi" sounds, A''Zi''s hands parted, and the iron shackles broke. But the two iron rings were still bound around her hands. The green fire suddenly withdrew and then shot forward again, this time aiming for the iron shackles on her feet. After just a moment, the iron shackles burned and broke. The first time Xiao Feng saw the green fire melting the iron shackles, he couldn''t help feeling amazed at Zhaixingzi''s impressive internal energy. When he saw the green fire burning the iron shackles on her feet, this time he saw clearly that wherever the green fire went, the iron shackles would immediately change color. It seemed that there was something eccentric about the flames, and it wasn''t purely related to internal energy.


    Members of the Xingxiu Sect praised unceasingly, "Great Senior Martial Brother''s internal energy is seriously exceptional."


    "We''ve never seen or even heard of such prowess. At present, apart from Master, Great Senior Martial Brother is certainly unrivalled in the world."


    "What ''Qiao Feng in the North, Murong in the South''? They''re not even fit to wipe Great Senior Martial Brother''s boots."


    "Little Martial Sister, now you know who''s formidable, right? What a pity that it''s too late for regret."


    They scrambled to continuously make such remarks, which made Zhaixingzi smile. He nodded slightly and looked sideways at A''Zi. Although A''Zi was clever, she couldn''t think of any brilliant schemes to help her escape from the difficult situation before her. She only hoped that they would speak endlessly and Zhaixingzi would delay in making his move. But the repetitive remarks had been tossed about for a long time, and when they couldn''t think of anything new to say, their voices gradually lowered.


    Zhaixingzi said slowly, "Little Martial Sister, just make your move!"


    A''Zi said in a trembling voice, "I won''t make a move."


    Zhaixingzi said, "Why? I think it''s better if you make a move."


    A''Zi said, "I won''t fight with you. I know clearly that I can''t defeat you, so why should I waste my energy? If you want to kill me, then don''t hesitate."


    Zhaixingzi sighed and said, "I don''t actually want to kill you. It would be a pity to kill such a cute and pretty little girl like you. But I have no choice but to carry it out. Little Martial Sister, just make your move. If you kill me, you can become the Great Senior Martial Sister. In the Xingxiu Sect, apart from Master, everyone must obey your orders."


    A''Zi said, "A little girl like me will never, ever be able to surpass you. You don''t need to be jealous of me."


    Zhaixingzi sighed and said, "If you didn''t commit such a huge crime, naturally I would never make things difficult for you. Now...mm...however much I would like to help you, I can''t. Little Martial Sister, receive my move!" Saying this, he waved his sleeve, and a gust of strong wind rushed toward the flames. A green fire spark shot out at A''Zi, as if he didn''t want to kill her immediately, but instead wanted to use the flames to do it extremely slowly.


    A''Zi cried out in fear and jumped two steps to the right. The flames followed her. A''Zi retreated another step, her back already leaning against the large rock that Xiao Feng was hiding behind. Zhaixingzi circulated his internal energy and the flames pressed upon her. A''Zi had nowhere left to retreat and was just about to jump sideways. Zhaixingzi waved his sleeve and two gusts of strong wind attacked the left and right sides separately. This caused her to be unable to dodge while the green flames closed in on her.


    Xiao Feng saw that the green fire was only two feet away from her face. It came closer by an inch, then another inch. He said in a low voice, "Don''t be afraid. I''ll help you." Saying this, he reached out from behind the large rock and pressed his hands against her back. He said, "Circulate your energy and strike at the flames."


    A''Zi had been so scared that her soul might as well have scattered. Upon suddenly hearing Xiao Feng''s voice, she was really overjoyed, and sent out her palm without even thinking. By that time, Xiao Feng''s internal energy had already poured into her body, so the strength of her palm was vigorous. The green flames suddenly withdrew two feet.


    Zhaixingzi was shocked. A''Zi had been meat at the altar ready to be sacrificed, so he wanted to show off his martial arts and make the green fire hover around her face. He wanted her to loudly cry out in fear and take her life only after displaying enough of his might in front of the sect members. Who would''ve thought that at such a young age, she had such formidable internal energy? It was really beyond his expectations. After Master imparted the Xingxiu Sect''s martial arts, everyone practiced alone. What level they reached couldn''t be known unless they fought enemies together or destroyed each other. Thus, when A''Zi sent out her palm and forced back the green fire, everyone said "oh" in astonishment, but no one suspected that someone was secretly helping her. They only thought that A''Zi was naturally intelligent and had secretly practiced her martial arts to a profound level.


    Zhaixingzi circulated his energy and shot the green fire back at A''Zi''s face again. This time, the energy he used was extremely ferocious, and the green fire''s speed was extremely fast. A''Zi squeaked, not knowing how the energy that had supported her had already disappeared. She dodged and the green fire shot at the rock, making "chi chi" sounds.


    Xiao Feng said in a low voice, "Send out your left palm to partition the flames!"


    A''Zi thought, "This technique is quite marvelous!" She raised her left hand, and with the force of her palm pushed toward the middle of the flames. The green fire immediately broke into two sections. The front half of the flames, lacking energy close behind it, burned on the rock for a while and gradually weakened.


    Zhaixingzi thought, "If these flames are extinguished, then I would be showing a loss in front of all these sect members. How can I prevent this?"


    At once he circulated his palm energy and shot the green fire at the rock again, intending to revive the green fire that had lost its roots.


    A''Zi felt the abundant internal energy from his palms pouring into her back. If she didn''t expel it, her own body could even explode. She waved her right hand hurriedly and struck directly. Xiao Feng''s internal energy was incomparably profound, so even though the power in A''Zi''s body decreased, if she was good at making use of it and could catch Zhaixingzi off-guard, she could very likely secure victory in one strike. But she was extremely alarmed and the palm she sent out was too rushed. With a "hu" sound, the thin thread of green fire was extinguished, but although she had won, she hadn''t been able to harm Zhaixingzi at all.


    ZhaiXingZi was startled, he slanted his left palm and slap, a stream of green flame rise up from the bonfire and shoot towards AhZi. However the flame is much thicker this time, its power relentless, it shine jade green light on AhZi''s head and face. AhZi send out her palm force to resist the green flame and prevent it from coming closer. At once the green flame stop in midair and remain motionless, the flame advance 1-2 inch but retreat 1-2 inch. Amid the darkness, the flame is like a green snake reclining in the air, it sway lightly, its color bright and weird, the ray of light flickered indefinitely.


    ZhaiXingZi shouted out in a stern voice, his palm force is even more vigorous, two ''chi chi'' sound emit from the green flame, two stream of fire burst out from the flame and attack the left and right of AhZi. The green flame is made of saltpeter sulfur, muscovite and various substance, the mixture is then ignited, it''s nothing unusual, under the influence of internal energy it can be turn into flame and used to injure others, its power extremely fierce. Xiao Feng made a tiny movement with his left palm, a burst of palm force push out lightly, two ends of AhZi''s belt rise up, one float and one brush, the two stream of fire was reflected and shoot incomparably fast towards ZhaiXingZi.


    ZhaiXingZi was so frighten that he became stupefied, while staring blankly the two flame already reach the front of his body, he hastily leap up, a stream of flame flew under his feet. Two younger martial brother cheered: "Excellent skill, senior martial brother is amazing!" They have yet to finish their applause as the 2nd flame shoot towards his abdomen. ZhaiXingZi is in midair, how can he rise up further? There is a ''chi'' sound, the flame burnt his belly. With an "Ah" sound ZhaiXingZi cry out loudly and fell down, the stream of green flame also return back into the bonfire.


    The crowd of disciples gaze at AhZi, their faces showed reverence, they had the same thoughts: "It seems junior martial sister''s power is not weak, senior martial brother might not be able to score a victory, it''s best if i don''t cheer so loudly." After their Master impart the martial arts of XingXiu Sect, everyone will train by themselves, nobody knows each other''s attainment until they fight against the enemy or against each other. Unexpectedly AhZi was able to reverse the flame and use it to injure senior martial brother, although everyone was in awe but nobody suspected someone was hiding nearby and providing assistance, they assume AhZi was gifted with innate talent and secretly trained her skills to extremely profound level.


    ZhaiXingZi''s expression is gloomy, he bite the tip of his tongue forcefully and spray a mouthful of blood at the bonfire. The bonfire suddenly became dark, immediately after it became very bright, the light is so bright that everyone can hardly open their eyes. The crowd of disciples cannot help but cheer loudly: "Senior martial brother''s internal energy is truly powerful, it broaden our horizons." ZhaiXingZi spins his body violently, his like a spinning top and revolve around 10 times, he brush out his sleeves, the entire bonfire rise up off the ground, a mountain of firewall press down towards AhZi.


    Xiao Feng knew that ZhaiXingZi employed an extremely powerful heterodox skill as he condense his entire lifetime of internal energy into this attack. The green flame arrive rapidly, it''s about to land on AhZi''s body, Xiao Feng had no alternative but to send out both of his palm, he smack two burst of strong wind towards AhZi''s sleeves. Under the reflection of the green flame, the purple colored sleeves of AhZi floated up and move outward, the force delivered by Xiao Feng pushed towards the green flame wall.


    The green firewall is at a standstill in the air, little by little it move towards ZhaiXingZi. ZhaiXingZi is greatly alarmed, he bite down the tip of his tongue again and spray another mouthful of blood at the flame, the flame flourished and reverse back, however it advance only 2 chi before being reverse back again by Xiao Feng''s internal energy. ZhaiXingZi''s face did not have the slightest bit of color, he spit mouthful after mouthful of blood at the flame repeatedly. For every mouthful of blood he spray, his internal energy will decrease by a small portion, however before the vigorous internal energy of Xiao Feng how can the green flame advance another half chi?


    Xiao Feng detected the opposing internal energy is getting weaker and weaker, it''s akin to an oil lamp on the verge of drying up, he gathered his energy and said to AhZi: "Ask him to admit defeat, there is no need to fight anymore."


    AhZi shouted out: "Senior martial brother, quickly kneel down and beg for forgiveness, i may spare your life. Admit defeat!"


    ZhaiXingZi is abnormally frighten, he knew his life will end in an instant, after listening to AhZi''s words he quickly nod his head. AhZi said: "Why don''t you open your mouth to speak? You refuse to admit defeat?" ZhaiXingZi nod his head again and again, but he did not open his mouth to speak, his focusing all his strength to resist the opposing palm force, if he open his mouth his energy will halt and the green flame will sweep towards him and burn him to death immediately.


    The crowd of disciples started mocking and abusing him: " ZhaiXingZi, you lost in a fight, why don''t you kneel down and kowtow!"


    "Little martial sister is magnanimous and spared your life, you still afraid of losing face? Open your mouth and speak!"


    "Little martial sister tidied up Sect matters today, such glorious achievement, its truly the great restoration of our XingXiu Sect."


    "You conspired against our revered Master and aligned yourself with Shaolin, fortunately little martial sister exposed your deceit. Such disgraceful bastard, utterly shameless!"


    "ZhaiXingZi, you stole the [Divine Wooden King Tripod], yet you made false counter-charge and accuse little martial sister, you must be tired of living."


    This bunch of disciples act pragmatically and take advantage of the situation, they flatter the strong and take advantage of the weak, once they see ZhaiXingZi occupy a disadvantaged position they immediately became hostile, just a few moments ago, these people praised their senior martial brother as a great hero unrivalled through all ages, but now they curse and berate him, his worse off than pigs and dogs.


    Xiao Feng thought to himself: "The disciples of Old Freak Of XingXiu have such low moral quality, AhZi associate with them since childhood, naturally her conduct will be improper as well." Seeing ZhaiXingZi extremely sorrowful state, at once he refrain from meting out harsh punishment, he withdraw his internal energy and AhZi''s sleeves hang down.


    ZhaiXingZi''s expression is meek, his body sway about, suddenly both his knees soften and he sat down on the ground. AhZi said: "Senior martial brother, how are you? Convince of my ability?" ZhaiXingZi said softly: "I admit defeat. You....don''t....don''t call me senior martial brother, you are our senior martial sister!"


    The crowd of disciples cheered: "Wonderful, wonderful! Senior martial sister''s martial art is unrivalled, XingXiu Sect have such a head-disciple, our XingXiu Sect will be even more renown under the heaven."


    AhZi beamed and said to ZhaiXingZi: "The rules of our Sect, the head-disciple has changed, how should the previous head-disciple be taken care of?" Cold sweat rain down ZhaiXingZi''s forehead, his voice trembled: "Senior...senior martial sister, i beg you....beg you...." AhZi smile delicately and said: "I really want to spare you, but it''s a pity, i cannot break the rules of our Sect. Please make a move!"


    ZhaiXingZi knew his fate had been decided, he plead no longer, he gathered his energy to both his palms and push out towards the bonfire, but he exhausted his internal energy, the fire trembled faintly and remain motionless.


    AhZi smiled and said: "Amusing, amusing, really amusing! Senior martial brother, where did your internal energy go?" She move forward two steps and send out both her palms, a stream of green flame spit out and shoot towards ZhaiXingZi. AhZi''s internal energy is mediocre, this stream of green flame is slow and unhurried, it''s also extremely loose and weak, but at this moment ZhaiXingZi did not have the slightest bit of power to resist, he did not even have energy to stand up and run away. The green flame landed on his body, in a split second his hair and clothes caught fire, amid his wretched cries his entire body is engulf by the raging flames.


    The crowd of disciples praised loudly, they praised senior martial sister''s superb power and skill, she got rid of a scum that has plagued XingXiu Sect for many years, she followed revered Master''s decree and rendered great service.


    Although Xiao Feng have seen quite a few savage acts in the martial arts fraternity, but AhZi is a young, pretty, innocent and adorable maiden, unexpectedly she is capable of such sinister action. He felt an indescribable sense of loathing and disgust, he sigh softly and walk away.


    AhZi shouted out: "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, don''t go, wait for me." The disciples of XingXiu Sect saw someone suddenly appear from behind the rock, the 2nd and 3rd disciple recognize the person as Xiao Feng, they turn pale in shock.


    AhZi shouted again: " Brother-in-law, wait for me." She rush towards Xiao Feng''s side. At this moment, ZhaiXingZi''s blood-curdling screech is getting louder and louder, his voice sharp and intense, adding the echoes from the ravine it''s even more unpleasant. Xiaog Feng frown and said: "Follow me for what? You became the head-disciple of XingXiu Sect and became the senior martial sister of these group of people, aren''t you contented?" AhZi smiled and said: "It won''t do." She lowered her voice and continued: "This senior martial sister position is faked, why would i cherish it? Brother-in-law, let me follow you to YanMen Pass." Xiao Feng listen to ZhaiXingZi''s wretched wail, his unwilling to remain in this place any longer, he quicken his steps and head northwards.


    AhZi turn her head around and shouted out: "Second martial brother, i have some matters to attend to in the north. All of you stay nearby here and wait for me to return, nobody is allowed to leave without permission, do you understand?" The group of disciples rush forward a few steps, they bow respectfully and said: "We solemnly adhere to the decree of senior martial sister, disciples don''t dare to disobey." Immediately after they praise in succession:


    "We wish senior martial sister to have a pleasant journey."


    "Senior martial sister will achieve victory in a single move."


    "Senior martial sister possess divine martial arts, is there anything she can''t achieve in this world? Our best wishes is simply unnecessary."


    AhZi dismiss them with a few wave of her hand, she cannot help but reveal a smiling expression on her face.


    *****************


    Xiao Feng gaze into the distance, the great stretch of land, mountain and river, a vast expanse of whiteness, in a distant place a mountain peak had yet to be covered by white snow, he felt a sense of desolation, he pondered: "This place, once i leave, i will never come back again." He took large strides, with a screeching noise, his movement on the snow is extremely fast. He saw AhZi doing her utmost to keep up, she wanted to travel side-by-side with him, under the reflection of the white snow, her pretty face is filled with innocence and lovely smiles, it''s like receiving some new fascinating doll or some delicious candy, if he did not personally witness the scene just now, who would believe she could kill her own senior martial brother and obtain the title of head-disciple of the number one demonic sect under the heaven. Xiao Feng sigh softly, he felt everything is dull and tasteless in this mundane world.


    AhZi ask: "Brother-in-law, many thanks for your help just now! Why did you sigh? I am too naughty?" Xiao Feng said: " You are not naughty, you are simply too ruthless and frightening. Even for adult man, this kind of act is unthinkable, you are just a young girl, you should not commit such merciless act." AhZi said in surprise: "Why ask a question when you already know the answer, or you really not aware of it?" she incline her head and look at Xiao Feng, a curious expression written on her face. Xiao Feng said: "Aware of what?"


    AhZi said: "This is really strange, how come you are not aware? My senior martial sister position is fake, you earn it for me, they simply can''t discern the truth. If i don''t kill him, eventually he will see through the guise, at that time you might not be at my side, i will surely die by his hands. Since i want to survive, i must kill him."


    Xiao Feng said: "Fine! Then why are you so determined to follow me to YanMen Pass?" AhZi said: "Brother-in-law, let me be honest with you, ok? Will you hear me out?" Xiao Feng pondered: "Oh, so you have not been honest with me all this time, now you finally admit it." He said: "Good, i was afraid that you are not honest with me." AhZi chuckled a few times, she held onto his arm and said: "You are afraid of me?" Xiao Feng sigh and said: "There are many things i am afraid of from you, afraid you might get into trouble, afraid you harm others casually, afraid you commit some weird stuff....." AhZi said: "Are you afraid that i might be bullied by others, or killed by others?" Xiao Feng said: "Your sister entrusted you to me, naturally i have to take care of you." AhZi said: "What if my sister did not entrust me to you? What if i am not AhZhu''s sister?" Xiao Feng snorted and said: "Then why would i even bother about you?"


    AhZi said: "My sister is really that good? In your heart you really don''t have the slightest bit of regards for me?" Xiao Feng said: "I don''t look down on you. But your sister is a thousand times better than you, AhZi, you simply can''t be compared with her." as he said it, the rim of his eyes turn red, his voice rather sore.


    AhZi pouted, she said angrily: "Since AhZhu is better than me in every aspect, then you ask her to accompany you, i won''t accompany you anymore." she turn around and walk away.


    Xiao Feng pay no heed to her, he continued moving forward, however he cannot help but feel sadness in his heart: "If AhZhu can accompany me and walk on this snow ground, if she suddenly get angry and walk away, naturally i will immediately chase after her and apologise to her nicely. No, i won''t even make her angry in the first place, i will simply adhere to her wishes. Sigh, AhZhu is so yielding and considerate towards me, would she even get angry at me?"


    Suddenly he heard the sound of footsteps, AhZi hurriedly ran back and said: "Brother-in-law you are really heartless, you really did not wait for me at all, you don''t have the slightest bit of kindness." Xiao Feng smiled and said: "You can even talk about kindness. AhZi, who told you about the word ''kindness''?" AhZi said: "I heard it from mother, she said we should not be cruel and overbearing toward others, we must be kind and benevolent." Xiao Feng said: "Your mother is correct, it''s a pity you was not by her side from childhood, you followed your Master and learnt a belly full of evil thoughts." AhZi smiled and said: "Fine! Brother-in-law, from now on i will follow you, i will learn something good from you."


    Xiao Feng had a huge fright, he wave his hands repeatedly and said hurriedly: "Won''t do, won''t do! What good can you learn from a crude man like me? AhZi, just go! If you follow me, i will be distraught with anxiety, i can never calm down and think through things properly." AhZi said: "What kind of things you want to think about, why don''t you tell me, i can help you think. Your character is too good, you will be easily tricked by others." Xiao Feng found it vexing yet funny, he said: "You are just a little girl, what do you know? Don''t tell me you can understand things i don''t know about?" AhZi said: "Naturally, there are many things you will never be able to think of."


    She grab a handful of snow from the ground and knead it into a ball, she toss it out to a distant place and said: "What will you do when you go to YanMen Pass?" Xiao Feng shakes his head and said: "Nothing. Hunting and shepherding throughout my entire life, that''s all." AhZi said: "Who will cook for you? Who will make clothes for you?" Xiao Feng was stumped for words, he never thought of such matters before, he blurted out: "Eating and wearing clothes, isn''t that easy? We Khitans eat mutton and beef, wear sheepskin and cowhide, everywhere is our home, we are flexible and adaptable, there is nothing to worry about." AhZi said: "When you are lonely, who will talk with you?" Xiao Feng said: "I will return to my own clan, naturally i will get to know friends from the same clan." AhZi said: "They will only talk about hunting, riding, slaughtering cow and sheep, how can it be interesting?"


    Xiao Feng sigh, he knew her words are correct, he remain silent and did not reply.


    AhZi said: "You definitely have to go to Liao Empire? Why don''t you stay here, drink wine, get into fights, live or die, isn''t that more enjoyable?"


    When Xiao Feng heard her words, his chest warm up, his heroic spirit soar, he lifted his head and gave a long whistle and said: "Your words are correct!"


    AhZi pull his arm and said: "Brother-in-law, then please don''t leave, i also won''t go back to XingXiu Sea anymore, i will follow you, drink wine and get into fights." Xiao Feng laugh and said: "You are the senior martial sister of XingXiu Sect, if they lose their head-disciple, lose their senior martial sister, then what will they do?" AhZi said: "This senior martial sister''s position is fake, my life will end immediately once they uncover the truth, although its fun but its nothing amazing. Its more interesting to follow you and drink wine and get into fights." Xiao Feng gave a slight smile and said: "Talking about drinking wine, your wine capacity is too weak, i am afraid you will be intoxicated just after one bowl of wine. Your fighting ability is also out of question, you won''t be able to help me, instead i have to help you."


    AhZi is depress, she lock her brows and pace around a few times, suddenly she sat down on the ground and burst into tears. Xiao Feng was frightened by her, he inquired hurriedly: "You....you...what are you doing?" AhZi ignored him, she cried loudly, its really sorrowful.


    Xiao Feng knew she always occupy the upper hand when dealing with others, even when captured by XingXiu Sect she is still stubborn and unyielding, he did not expect her to cry like a common girl, he cannot help but be at a loss and ask: "Hey, hey, AhZi, what happen?" AhZi sob and sniffled: "Go away, don''t talk to me, let me cry to death here, only then you will be happy." Xiao Feng laugh and said: "You are perfectly fine, you won''t die by crying." AhZi weep and said: "I must cry to death, i will cry to death and let you see!"


    Xiao Feng laugh and said: "Slowly sit here and cry, i cannot accompany you anymore." he stretch his legs and move away, he only move a few steps when her crying stop suddenly, there is no sound at all. Xiao Feng was somewhat baffled, he turn around and saw her lie prostrate on the snow ground, she is motionless. Xiao Feng sniggered inwardly: "Little girl throwing a tantrum, there is no reason for me to bother about her." at once he left without a backward glance.


    He move for a few li, he turn his head and look back again, the terrain is flat and vast, there are no trees or hill obstructing, AhZi is still lying on the ground motionless. Xiao Feng hesitated: "This girl''s temper is extremely odd, maybe she will really lie down there and never get up again." he pondered: "I killed her elder sister, even if i disobey AhZhu''s words, i won''t take care of her or protect her, but i cannot anger her to death." as he thought about AhZhu, he cannot help but feel his chest warm up, at once he turn back and travel with quick steps.


    He rush towards AhZi''s side, she still lie prostrate on the ground, maintaining the exact same position as before, she did not move the slightest bit. Xiao Feng move forward two steps, he was stumped for words, she is embedded inside the thick snow cover, unexpectedly the snow surrounding her body did not melt at all, could it be that she really died? He was startled, he extended his hands and touch her cheek, her flesh is ice-cold, he checked her breath, she is not breathing. Xiao Feng saw her feign death before to deceive her parents, he knew her XingXiu Sect had a skill known as [Turtle Breath Skill], it can be use to shut off breathing, he did not panic, he extended his finger and touch the side of her torso twice, his internal energy penetrated through her acupoints.


    AhZi cried out softly and open her eyes slowly, suddenly she open up her cherry lips and a shimmering blue needle shot out towards Xiao Feng''s eyebrows.


    Xiao Feng is separated from her by merely a few chi, he never expect her to launch such sneak attack, the poison needle is exceptionally swift and fierce, no matter how high his martial arts, its impossible for him to evade it at such a hurried moment. He did not waste time thinking, he wave his right hand and generated an extremely thick and strong palm wind and chop back.


    This palm contain his entire lifetime of internal energy, the steel needle arrive swiftly within a few chi, in order to use formless and shapeless palm wind to deflect the needle, the palm force must naturally be shockingly huge. As he slap out his palm, he spare no effort and slanted his body to the right at the same time, he detected a faint fishy stench, the poison needle flew past the side of his cheek, the distance apart is merely an inch, the danger is simply beyond compare.


    At the same time, AhZi''s body was push away by his palm, she did not groan as her body flew horizontally, with a ''Pa'' sound she landed around ten feet away. After landing, her body slide on the snow ground for another ten feet before coming to a stop.

 Chapter - 26 Killing Bear And Beating Tiger Bare-handed

    Xiao Feng escaped danger by a hair breath, and he secretly cried out: "Shame!" The first thought that came to his mind was: "This evil vamp really has a vicious heart, she actually employ this sneaky trick against me." The hidden weapons from XingXiu Sect is extremely powerful and sinister to the extreme, if you got shot by their weapons, the chances of survival is minimal¡­and his heart shivered when he thought about it.


    However, after seeing AhZi sent crashing over ten feet by his palm, he was in shock: "Oh no, how can she withstand my palm strike? I am afraid I killed her!" His body flashed and he was by her side, only to see her eyes closed, two stream of blood flow from the corner of her lip. Her face was akin to gold paper, she stopped breathing for real this time!


    Xiao Feng was stunned, he thought: "I killed her again, I killed AhZhu''s sister. She...she implored me to take care of her sister on her deathbed, but ... but ... I killed her!" This shock should only have lasted for a moment, but he was in a trace-like state, and it seems like an eternity to him. He shook his head, quickly placed his palm on AhZi back, and desperately channelled his internal energy into her. After a while, AhZi moved slightly. Xiao Feng was overjoyed and exclaimed: "AhZi, AhZi, don''t die. I will do whatever it takes to save you!"


    But AhZi only ever move so slightly, and she stopped moving again. Xiao Feng was extremely anxious, immediately he crossed his legs and sat on the snow, he lifted AhZi gently and placed her in front of him, pressing both his palms on her vest, he slowly channelled his internal energy into her body. He knows that AhZi injury''s was severe, at the moment he can only keep her breathing, and stop her from dying temporarily, and so the energy had to be channelled slowly. After some time, traces of white smoke emerged from his head, and he is exerting himself fully.


    After continuously channelling his energy for half hour, AhZi body moved slightly, she called out softly: "Brother-in-law!" Xiao Feng was overjoyed, but he continued to channel his energy and did not speak to her. Her body warmed up gradually, and her faint breathing could also be detected. Xiao Feng feared his effort might go to waste, and he did not stop his delivery of internal energy, only when it reaches noon, when AhZi was breathing uniformly again, did he carried her and trotted off quickly, however he found that her face did not have the slightest bit of colour.


    He opened up his step, moving fast yet stable, his left hand still pressing on AhZi''s vest, as he continuously channelled his internal energy into her. After walking for a long time, he reached a small town, but there was no inn in the town. There was no choice and he could only travel further north, after rushing for over 20 li, did he found a humble inn. This inn did not have a waiter and was managed solely by its owner. Xiao Feng ask the owner to fetch a bowl of hot soup, and using a spoon, he slowly fed it into AhZi mouth. But she only drank three mouthfuls before vomiting everything out, the soup laced with her fresh blood.


    Xiao Feng was extremely anxious, and he thought that AhZi''s injury would most likely be incurable, the battle between Hades and Divine Physician Xue was unknown, even if he had Divine Physician Xue by his side right now, he might not be able to cure her. When AhZhu was injured by Shaolin Temple''s Head abbot, although he did not suffer the palm, the experience was no less thrilling, only by applying the mystical ointment from Taihang Mountain''s Elder Tan, and receiving treatment from the Divine Physician, was her life preserved. Although he knew that he could not hope to preserve AhZi''s life, he refused to give in, and thought: "Even if I tire myself to the extreme, and deplete all my internal energy, I must preserve her life to the very end. I am not doing this for AhZi''s sake, but to live up to AhZhu''s exhortations."


    He knew that AhZi plotted against him earlier, and if he did not retaliate with his palm, he would have died by her hands. He had extremely high martial arts, and in the event of danger, he will instinctively strike out to neutralize the danger. He was forced to wound AhZi, even if AhZhu was present, she will never utter the slightest bit of blame, as AhZi created this mess and there was nothing an outsider could do. Nevertheless, since AhZhu did not know about this, Xiao Feng could not help but feel that he let her down.


    He did not sleep a wink that night, until the next day, he was continuously using his internal energy to sustain AhZi''s life. The day AhZhu was wounded, Xiao Feng only sent out his energy when he felt her breath weaken. However, currently, his palm was inseparable from AhZi, else her breathing will cease immediately.


    The second night was exactly the same situation. Although Xiao Feng had strong internal energy, but after two-day and two-night of channelling, he is extremely tired. The two pot of wine stored in the inn had been emptied, and he wanted the owner to go out and buy more of it, but he did not carry much silvers with him. It did not matter if he did not eat for a day, however he will be depress if he did not get to drink wine, he was getting physically and mentally exhausted, and he hope to use the wine to perk up, he thought: "AhZi must have carried some money on her."


    Untying her clothes'' bag, he saw three small gold ingots and a few broken silvers. He took a silver, tie up the clothes'' bag, and saw a purple ribbon connecting the bag to her waist. Xiao Feng thought: "This little girl is very careful, she feared losing her clothe bag. However, with all these stuff connecting to her, it can be very uncomfortable." he reach out and untied the ribbon from her waist. The ribbon was well tied and requires one hand. With much effort, the ribbon was untied and upon tugging, he felt an object connected to the other end of the ribbon. However, the object was hidden in her skirt.


    He let go of the ribbon, there was a "Pai" sound, and something fell out ¨C it was a little yellow wooden tripod.


    Xiao Feng sighed, bent over to pick it up and place it on the table. The carvings on the wooden tripod were extremely meticulous, the wood quality was akin to polished jade, and red threads seem to be ingrained into the wood texture. Xiao Feng knew this object was used to practice the "Great Energy Dissolving Skill" of the XingXiu Sect, he was disgusted and ignored the object after giving it two glances, he thought: "This little girl is really cunning, she kept saying that this Divine Wooden King Tripod had been handed to me, but she kept it hidden in her skirt. Firstly, she knew that her sect members would believe that I took it, secondly, it is not convenient to search her skirt, and eventually no one detected it. Sigh, she can hardly live right now, what is the use of such object?"


    He summoned the inn owner, ordered him to take the silver to buy wine and meat, and continued to use his internal energy to keep AhZi alive.


    By the morning of the fourth day, he really cannot take it anymore, gripping AhZi''s palm with both hands, cradling her in his bosom, he channelled the energy through her palm, and after a while, he can no longer keep his eyes open and he finally drifted asleep. But he is constantly thinking about AhZi''s life and death, and after a short nap, he snapped awake, fortunately while he fell asleep, his energy was flowing continuously into her, as long as their palm remain connected, her breathing will not stop.


    This went on for another two days, although her breath can be maintained, her injuries did not have the slightest bit of improvement, and so they have to keep staying in this small inn, so how can this problem be resolved? AhZi occasionally opened her eyes, her gaze hazy and lifeless, an obviously sign that she is still unconscious, and naturally she is in no condition to speak. Xiao Feng thought hard but could not come up with any idea, he thought: "I can only carry her and continue travelling, try our luck along the way, I cannot stay in this inn and endure to no avail."


    He hugged AhZi with his left hand, his right hand took her clothes'' bag and held it in his chest, seeing the wooden tripod on the table, he pondered: "Such a harmful object, it would be better to destroy it!" As he was about to strike with his palm, another thought came to him: "AhZi braved countless hardships to acquire this object. Seeing her injury is incurable. On her deathbed, I will take it out and let her glance at it, so that she may die in peace of mind, rather than having a gnawing regret till the end."


    He reach out for the wooden tripod, once in his hand, he feel something squirm and move inside the tripod, feeling extremely curious, he examined the tripod, there are five coins-sized holes by the sides, the neck of the tripod had a fine slit, and it seems to divide into two section. Using his pinky and ring finger to grip the tripod''s body, the thumb and middle finger to grip the upper section of the wood tripod and giving it a left turn, the section can be spun. After turning a few rounds, the tripod''s cover opened, peering into the interior, he cannot help but be surprised, and somewhat nausea, there are two poisonous bugs gnawing at each other, one scorpion, and the other a centipede, the bugs were rolling around and duelling fiercely.


    A few days ago, the tripod was placed on the table and there were no poisonous insects, naturally the centipede and scorpion came shortly after and climb into the tripod. Xiao Feng knew that this was XingXiu Sect weird technique in collecting poisonous bugs and creatures, tipping the tripod, the centipede and scorpion fell to the ground, he step on the bugs and killed them, replace the lid on the tripod and kept it in the clothes'' bag. After settling his bills, he hugged AhZi, running against the wind and snow he travelled northward.


    His feud with the heroes of Central Plains was deep, but he did not thought of disguising himself, as he travelled north, he got closer and closer to Song Dynasty capital of Kaifeng, it was inevitable that he would meet with martial artists from central plains, firstly he did not wish to kill them out of resentment, secondly he was carrying AhZi and it was not convenient to fight with them, thus he avoided the main road and chose desolate mountain routes. After travelling for a few hundred li, he was still safe and sound.


    On this day, he reached a town, he saw a pharmacy with a wooden plaque "Generational Confucian Doctors Providing Treatment For Kings", he wondered: "There won''t be any famous doctor in this small town, but there is no harm in seeking diagnosis." Thus, holding onto AhZi, he entered to seek medical treatment. That Confucian doctor took AhZi''s pulse, glance at Xiao Feng, took AhZi''s pulse again, glance at Xiao Feng again, the look on his face was strange, suddenly he stretched out a finger to take Xiao Feng pulse.


    Xiao Feng was angered and said: "Doctor, the consultation is for my sister''s illness, I am not seeking treatment" the doctor shook his head and said: "I think you may be sick, distraught and confused, you are in need of some medical treatment." Xiao Feng said: "I am distraught and confused?" The doctor replied:" The girl pulse had stopped, she is dead, but the body had not yet stiff. You are seeking what kind of treatment for her? Aren''t you distraught and confused? Buddy, the dead cannot be revived, you cannot be too sad, take your sister''s body and quickly bury her, let her rest peacefully."


    Xiao Feng did not know whether to laugh or cry, but the doctor''s words were not completely unreasonable, AhZi is indeed dead, but she is totally reliant on his internal energy to maintain her chance of survival, how would a normal doctor understand this? He stood up and turned towards the door.


    A housekeeper hurriedly tripped into the pharmacy and shouted: "Quick, quick, I want the best old mountain ginseng. Our venerable master suddenly suffered a stroke, his on his last breath; he needs the ginseng to hang on to his life." The pharmacy shopkeeper said: "Yes, Yes! We have the best old mountain ginseng."


    Xiao Feng listened to the words "Old mountain ginseng, hang onto life" at once he remembered, as a person was on his last breath, if you feed him a few mouthfuls of ginseng broth, he will be able to hang on and live for a few more moments, long enough for him to say his last words, but he did not know he could also use it on AhZi. The owner took out a red wooden box, carefully pushing open the cover, revealing three finger-thick ginsengs. Xiao Feng heard people say, the thicker the ginseng the better; the deeper the wrinkle on the skin, the more valuable, if it is shaped like a person, head, hand and foot all intact, then is of the highest quality that come once in a blue moon. The three ginseng seems to be common object, not something remarkable. The housekeeper plucks one of them and hurried away quickly.


    Xiao Feng took out one gold ingot and bought the remaining two ginsengs. The pharmacy has utensils for brewing medicine; the ginseng broth was brewed immediately, and slowly fed to AhZi. This time round, she did not vomit. After feeding a few more mouthfuls, Xiao Feng noticed her pulse strengthen slightly, and her breathing seems a little smoother, and he could not help but feel delighted.


    That Confucian doctor was watching at the sides, but shook his head repeatedly and said: "Buddy, this ginseng was not acquired easily; it''s a pity that it is wasted. The ginseng is not a fungus of immortality; if it can revive the dead, then rich people will never die!"


    For the past few days Xiao Feng could not leave AhZi for the slightest moment, he was bored and vexed, hearing the endless nagging from the doctor, the cold snide remarks, he could not help but feel his anger rising, he wanted to strike out with his palm, but as his arm moved slightly, he immediately restrained himself: "Randomly attacking a person without martial arts, can one be considered an honourable hero?" He promptly stayed his hand, picked up AhZi and rushed out of the pharmacy, he heard the doctor still sneering: "This guy is really confused, running around with a dead person, it seems that he will not live for long!" This doctor did not know that he had just came back from the gates of hell, if Xiao Feng had struck out in his fit of rage, even if ten imperial doctor was around, they will not be able to save him.


    Once out of the pharmacy, Xiao Feng wondered: "There''s a saying that old mountain ginseng is produced in the Changbai Mountains along the bitter cold of the land, I should try my luck there. Although to revive AhZi is an extremely difficult task, but as long as I can make her live for an extra day, AhZhu''s spirit will be gratified."


    Turning to the right, he headed on the north-east path. As he encountered pharmacy along the way, he went in to buy the ginseng, and when he ran out of gold and silver, he just strode in and grab the ginseng, how could a few pharmacies''s attendants hope to stop him? After consuming large amount of ginseng, AhZi could occasionally opened her eyes, and gently cry out: "Brother-in-law!" During the night, even if he did not transmit his internal energy into her for a few hours, she could still carry on breathing on her own.


    As the weather gradually grew cold, Xiao Feng holding onto to AhZi, finally reached the Changbai Mountain, although the Changbai Mountain produces considerable amount of ginseng, but if one is not familiar with the terrain and the ginseng harvesting art, even if they search for years, they might not find even one ginseng. As Xiao Feng continued travelling north, travellers gradually thin out, eventually, all he could see was forest and tall grass, snow piled high as slope; he did not see a single soul around for a few days. He could not help but secretly cry out: "Oh no! Oh no! There is snow everywhere, but how to dig the ginseng? I should return to places where ginseng is sold, if I have money I will buy it, else I will just rob." So, holding on to AhZi, he starts trekking back again.


    At that time the weather was freezing, and snow accumulated several feet off the ground, it was extremely difficult to travel, if not for his unsurpassed martial arts, as one travels while carrying another person, even if they don''t freeze to death, they will get trapped in the snow and be unable to free themselves.


    During the third day, the sky became gloomy, and it seems that a blizzard will strike soon, as he observe the surroundings, he was surrounded by white snow, not to mentioned that there is no sign of footprint, there is also no sign of footprints of wild beast. Xiao Feng was at a loss, it was as if he was surrounded by boundless sea. The sound of wind was sharp, and it came whistling in his ears.


    Xiao Feng knew he was lost, he leap several times up the trees and look around, his surrounding is full of snow covered forest, how can he determine his bearings? Afraid that AhZi might catch a cold; he undid his robe and wrapped her in his bosom. Although he had never been afraid of anything, but in this vast surroundings, it seems that he is the only one left in the world and he cannot help but feel frightened. Even if he was the only one left in this world it would not bother him, the world maybe vast but it cannot trap him, however in his arm he is carrying an unconscious, half-dead AhZi!


    He did not eat for three consecutive days now, and he wanted to hunt a chicken or wild hare, but he could not see the slightest shadow around, he wondered: "I can''t escape by rushing around randomly, I should rest a night in the forest, once the storm settle, the moon and stars will be visible and I will be able to identify the correct direction." He found a shelter in the forest, gathered some dried branches, and set a fire. As the fire burned brightly, he felt the warmth in his body. His belly growl from hunger, seeing some fungus growing on the roots of a tree, gray coloured and seemingly non-toxic, he bake them over the fire and ate it to alleviate his hunger.


    After eating over 20 fungus, he felt more energetic, he supported AhZi on his bosom to warm her with the fire, as he was about to close his eyes and fall asleep, he heard a fierce and loud hooting shout, but it is actually the roar of a tiger. Xiao Feng was overjoyed: "A large worm has arrived at the doorstep; we can eat tiger meat now!" He strained his ear and heard two tigers dashing on the snow covered ground, but he immediately heard someone calling out, it seems that someone is chasing the tigers.


    After hearing the shout of people, he was overjoyed, he heard the two tigers dashing westward, immediately he lay AhZi gently by the fire, using his lightness martial arts, he pursued them on the slanting road. Currently it was snowing heavily, the northern wind blows strongly, churning and filling the sky with snow.


    After rushing over ten li, he saw two brightly-coloured tigers came roaring, followed closely by a large man wearing a beast-hide and carrying a large iron fork. The two tigers were huge, after running for a while, one of the tiger turned around, roared and rushed towards the hunter. That man readied his tiger-hunting-fork, aimed and attacked the tiger''s throat. The tiger''s movement was nimble, with a blink of an eye, it avoided the fork, and the second tiger also sprang towards the hunter.


    The hunter''s reaction was extremely fast; he reversed the fork and with a "Pai" sound, hit the tiger''s waist with the fork''s handle. The tiger roar out in pain, hanging out its tail, it turn around and ran. The other tiger did not want to fight anymore and followed suit. Xiao Feng saw the hunter was vigorous and skilful, had strong muscular strength, but it seem that he did not know any martial arts, only that he was familiar with the habits of wild animal, when the tiger was about to attack, he directed the fork at the tiger''s vital spot, anticipating the movement of the enemy, but it will not be easy to kill two tigers with that one stroke.


    Xiao Feng shouted: "Brother, I will help you hunt the tiger." He rushed out and blocked the path of the two tigers. Seeing Xiao Feng rushed out suddenly, the hunter was shocked, he cheered and shouted loudly, but he was not speaking the language of Han people. Xiao Feng did not understand what he was saying, and he ignored it for the moment, he lifted his right hand, aimed and strike the forehead of the first tiger, with a "Bang" sound, the tiger somersaulted and fell down, and with a thundering roar, it pounced towards Xiao Feng again.


    Xiao Feng used 70% of his power in that previous palm strike, even for outstanding martial artists, their brain will burst immediately if they received that strike, but the tiger''s head was strong and its bones were thick, this once in a century rock-shattering palm strike only made the tiger somersaulted when struck on the head, and it even recovered and pounced back immediately. Xiao Feng praised: "Good chap, hats off to you!" he turned sideways, his right hand slating from top-to-bottom, and with a "Ca" sound, he chopped towards the tiger''s waist. With this chop, he added another 10% of his power, as the tiger rush forward a few steps, its footsteps faltered, it knew that it might die and tried to flee desperately. Xiao Feng move forward two-step, with a hold from his right hand, he caught the tiger''s tail, with a loud shout, his left hand also grip the tiger''s tail, and with his best effort, he strained both his hands and pulled back, the tiger was spontaneously rushing forward, but because of this pull, the two forces collide and the tiger flew into mid-air.


    The hunter armed with his fork, was currently fighting fiercely with the second tiger, suddenly seeing Xiao Feng fling the tiger into mid-air, he was shock to the extreme. The tiger opened its big mouth in mid-air, stretched out it claws, and descended. Xiao Feng gave a grunt, and push out with both his palm, there was a muffled bang, as it landed on the tiger''s belly. The tiger''s belly is its soft spot, and this move "Twin Palm Parting Cloud" is one of Xiao Feng''s proudest move, the tiger''s five internal organs was shattered, after rolling around for a while, it fell down on the snow and died.


    The hunter admired Xiao Feng from the bottom of his heart, killing a tiger empty handed, he has an iron fork, if he can''t even kill the tiger he is fighting, won''t he be underestimated? Immediately he jab his fork left, jab his fork right, and rained jab after jab on the tiger''s body. The tiger suffered numerous jabs, and became even more enraged, revealing a dense row of white teeth, it pounced towards the hunter.


    The hunter dodged sideways, thrusting his iron fork, and with a "Pu" sound, buried it into the tiger''s forehead, lifting up with both hands, the tiger gave a miserable howl and collapsed onto the ground. Exerting his strength in both arms, the hunter firmly nails the tiger onto the snow covered ground. But a "Ke-La-La" sound was heard, the back of his upper body clothing split, exposing his bare back, the muscles were well-built, and he looked very imposing. Xiao Feng saw him and secretly praised: "Good man!" the tiger''s belly was facing the sky, its four paws scratching and clawing randomly, after a while, it stopped moving altogether.


    The hunter raised his fork, laughed, turned around, gave Xiao Feng the thumbs-up, and said a few words. Xiao Feng did not understand his words, but judging from his expression, he knew that the hunter was praising him as an amazing hero, and so he copied the hunter, giving two thumbs-up, he said: "Hero! Hero!"


    The man was overjoyed, pointing to his nose tip, he said: "WanYan AguDa!" Xiao Feng knew this was his name and thus he also pointed to the tip of his nose and said: "Xiao Feng!" the man replied: "Xiao Feng? Khitan?" Xiao Feng nodded, and said: "Khitan! You?" he stretches out his finger in inquiry. The man replied: "WanYan AguDa! Jurchen!"


    Xiao Feng knew that to the east of Liao Empire, north of Korea, there is a tribe called the Jurchen, the tribe was brave and skilful in battle, and so WanYan AguDa came from this Jurchen tribe. Although language was a barrier, but to meet a companion in this vast snow sea, Xiao Feng is naturally happy, he started gesturing, signalling that he have another companion, lifting the dead tiger, he walked to where AhZi is lying. Dragging his dead tiger, AguDa follow suit.


    The tiger just died and its blood have not yet coagulated, Xiao Feng put down the tiger, cut open its throat, and poured the tiger''s blood into AhZi''s mouth. AhZi open her mouth and is able to swallow the tiger''s blood, only after drinking around ten mouthfuls did she stop. Xiao Feng was extremely happy, he tore off two sets of tiger''s leg, and started roasting them over the fire. AguDa saw him bare-handed tearing of the tiger''s body, as if he was tearing a cooked chicken, such hand-strength has never been seen before, and is completely unheard of, he stared at Xiao Feng''s hands blankly, and after a while, he stretch out his palm to gently stroke Xiao Feng''s wrist and arm, his face filled with upmost admiration.


    After the tiger meat was grilled, Xiao Feng and AguDa eat their fill. AguDa gestured and asked about his intentions, Xiao Feng gestured that is digging ginseng for AhZi medical treatment, and he eventually got lost. AguDa laughed, and with a burst of gestures, said that ginseng is easy to acquire, as long as Xiao Feng follow him, he can have any amount of ginseng. Xiao Feng was overjoyed, stood up, picked up AhZi with his left hand, and his right hand held up the dead tiger. AguDa gave a thumb-up and praised: "Great strength!"


    AguDa know this area and was very familiar with the terrain, he will not get lost even in this heavy blizzard. They walked for two days, in the afternoon of the third day; Xiao Feng saw many footprints in the snow. AguDa gestured in succession, saying that they are nearing the tribe. Sure enough, after crossing two hill-depressions, he saw a dense mass of skin tents on the slope of the south-east mountain. AguDa whistled with his mouth, and someone came out of the tent to welcome him.


    As Xiao Feng approached with AguDa, he saw a campfire at the front of every tent unit, the campfire was surrounded by women, they were mending beast skins and pickling beast meat. AguDa led Xiao Feng to the largest tent in the middle; he raised the curtain and entered. Xiao Feng followed. The tent had more than ten people sitting around, drinking merrily, upon seeing AguDa, the crowd cheered. AguDa, pointing to Xiao Feng, gestured and narrated, Xiao Feng watched his expression and knew that he was narrating how he killed a tiger empty-handed. The crowd gathered around Xiao Feng, gave thumb-ups, and praise him.


    As the atmosphere was getting rowdy, a Han salesman selling cosmetics walked over, and said to Xiao Feng: "Sir, do you know Han language?"


    Xiao Feng happily replied: "I know. I know."


    Asking about the situation, he found out that this was the tent of the Jurchen''s chief. The black-bearded old man in the middle of the crowd is the tribe''s chief HeLiBu. He has eleven sons; all of them are competent heroes. AguDa is his second son. This Han salesman is called Xu Zhuocheng, and he comes here every winter to stock up on ginsengs, beast furs, and he only leaves during the beginning of spring. Xu Zhuocheng knew the language of the Jurchen, and he became Xiao Feng''s interpreter. The Jurchen and Khitan are at war with each other, but they always admired good heroes. WanYan AguDa is intelligent and skilful, and he has the adoration of his father and fellow tribesmen, and he kept on praising Xiao Feng endlessly, thus the tribesmen did not bear any grudge against Xiao Feng although he is a Khitan, and they treated Xiao Feng as an honoured guest.


    AguDa gave up his own tent for Xiao Feng and AhZi. Xiao Feng tried to decline his good intentions, but AguDa insisted, seeing his sincerity Xiao Feng eventually accepted and lived in the tent. The Jurchen tribe held a large feast to welcome Xiao Feng, the meat of the two tigers also became the delicacy of the feast. Xiao Feng did not drink wine for over half a month now, as numerous bags of Jurchen''s wine was taken out, Xiao Feng drank bags after bags of wine, and he was totally unrestrained. The Jurchen''s wine is spicy, the taste is extremely strong, the alcohol content is fierce, ordinary people will be drunk by drinking half a bag, Xiao Feng drank well over ten bags, and his complexion did not changed at all. The Jurchen tribe measures a true hero by his wine tolerance, the crowd did not see with their own eyes how Xiao Feng killed a tiger bare-handed, but such drinking prowess, even ten Jurchen warrior cannot hope to compare, naturally everyone was in awe.


    Xu Zhuocheng saw that Xiao Feng was well-respected, and he was flattering towards him. Xiao Feng had nothing to do while staying in the tent, thus he followed AguDa and went hunting during the day, at night, he followed Xu Zhuocheng and learned Jurchen''s language. When he learnt 40-50% of the language, he thought: He is a Khitan but he cannot speak Khitan''s language and this seemed unreasonable, and thus he also learned Khitan''s language. Xu Zhuocheng had travelled around the world, be it Khitan, Western Xia, or Jurchen, he can speak their language fluently. Xiao Feng was not gifted in learning language, but Jurchen and Khitan language were similar and easily comparable, after a long period of time, he could convey his intention correctly, and no longer require an interpreter.


    After a few months, spring came, AhZi consume ginseng every day, and her injury had some significant improvement. The ginsengs dug out by the Jurchen tribesmen are rare and of the highest quality, they are even more valuable than real gold. Every time Xiao Feng went hunting, he will be able to hunt a lot of wild animals, and harvest some ginseng for AhZi to eat. Even for wealthy family, if their young miss eat ginseng every day, the family will most probably go broke. Every day, Xiao Feng will still use his internal energy to help regulate her breathing, however he only have to do it once or twice - a huge improvement from previous situation where his palm was inseparable from her body. Sometimes, with much effort, AhZi can speak a few words, however her four limbs is still weak and she is unable to move, all her daily needs and necessities were taken care of by Xiao Feng. Mindful of AhZhu''s devotion, Xiao Feng willingly commit to these tasks, the more he tend to AhZi, the more he feel that he fulfilled AhZhu''s wish, and he felt gratified from the bottom of his heart.


    On this day, AguDa led a dozen tribesmen to the North Mountains to hunt bears, and he invited Xiao Feng to accompany him, he said: "The bear has thick fur, lots of grease, its paw delicious, and the bear''s gall is extremely effective in treating injuries." Xiao Feng saw that AhZi was in much better shape, and so he could go hunting without worries, and he gladly joined the hunting party. Before the sun had risen, the party headed off towards north.


    Actually, it was early summer now, the snow had melted, the ground is muddy and the forest is filled with rotten branches and leaves, it''s extremely hard to travel, but the Jurchens were nimble, and could still travel fast. Till noon, an old hunter called out: "Bear! Bear!" Everybody look to the direction he was pointing, there was a big footprint in the distant mud ground, not far from the footprint, is the bear foot track. Everyone was excited, and they follow the foot track and started chasing.


    The bear footprint was several inches deep in the mud, even a child could track it easily; everyone was cheering loudly and moved forward quickly.


    The footprints go all the way west and eventually left the muddy forest, to a grass plain, the crowd moved even faster on the plain.


    As they were dashing forward, they suddenly hear the sound of horns, dirt was rising at the front, and a large troop of people were galloping over. They saw a big black bear turn and ran, 80 to 70 people on high horses were chasing behind, cheering, and some of them were armed with spears, while some others had bow and arrow, their expressions brave and fierce.


    AguDa cried out: "Khitan people! They have more men, retreat! Retreat!" Xiao Feng knew that it was his own tribesmen, and he had an intimate feeling in his heart, seeing AguDa running away, he did not move at all, stood there and tried to observe the situation.


    The Khitan people cried out: "Jurchen barbarians! Shoot them! Shoot them!" there was a "SouSou" sound and endless arrows were shot towards them.


    Xiao Feng was annoyed: "Why did they shoot for no reason upon meeting each other, they don''t even try to clarify the situation." He reach out his hand and pluck the few arrows that was shot towards him. But an "Ah" sound was heard, the old Jurchen hunter scream as he was shot in the back, he collapse and died.


    AguDa rallied his men to a slope, proning on the ground, drawing their bow and arrows, they shot down two Khitans. Meanwhile, Xiao Feng did not know which side he should help.


    The arrows shot by the Khitans were all smack down by him, and they shouted: "What?" they did not say anything more and started killing people! AguDa shouted from the slope: "Xiao Feng, Xiao Feng, come here they do not know you are a Khitan!"


    At this moment, two Khitan armed with long spears, were riding horses and charging towards Xiao Feng, the two spears were raised and thrust towards his left and right.


    Xiao Feng did not wish to harm his own tribesmen, he seized the spears with each of his hands and with a gentle flick, the two Khitan dismounted from their horses. Xiao Feng lifted both men with the spear''s shaft and toss them. The two men gave an "Ah Ah" cry in mid-air, they flew back to their original position, fell down on the ground and took quite a while before climbing back up again. AguDa and the Jurchen tribesmen applauded loudly.


    Among the Khitan troop, a red robed middle-aged man cried out loudly, giving commands. Several dozen Khitans spread out into two wings, and they came flanking, cutting off AguDa''s escape route. The red robed man is still surrounded by 10 people.


    AguDa saw that the situation was disadvantageous, with a loud roar, he signal his tribesmen and Xiao Feng to escape. The Khitans were raining arrows at them and they shot down a few more Jurchen tribesmen. With their bow and crossbow, the Jurchen hunter also shot down 10 Khitan riders instantly, but they were too heavily outnumbered and could only shoot and run.


    Xiao Feng saw that the Khitans were unreasonable, although it is his own people, he cannot care for them at this moment, he grabbed a bow, and "Sou Sou Sou Sou", fired 4 arrows in succession, each of the arrows hit the Khitan on their shoulder or their foot, four Khitan fell off their horses, but no one died.


    The red robed man gave a few cry, and the Khitans came charging with the horses, valiant and strong to the extreme.


    Xiao Feng saw that from the original hunting party, only AguDa and five youth survived, they are still running and shooting, the rest of the tribesmen have been shot dead by the Khitans.


    There is nowhere to hide in this great grass plain, if the fighting continues, even AguDa will be killed. During all these times, the Jurchen treated him like a distinguished guest, if he can''t protect his friends in times of danger, how can he still be considered an honourable hero?


    If he go on a killing spree, he could slaughter the Khitan until they decide to retreat, however he would be killing countless people from his own tribe, only by capturing the red robed man, forcing him to issue an order to retreat, can he prevent both sides from killing each other.


    His mind was set, he shouted in Khitan language: "Hey, you better retreat! I am not going to hold back if you don''t pull back your troops." "Hu Hu Hu" sound was heard, and three spear was thrown towards Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng thought: "You people really don''t know what is good for you!"


    Lowering his body, he sprinted towards the red robed man. AguDa saw him taking the risk, and cried: "It''s useless, Xiao Feng come back quickly!"


    Xiao Feng ignored him, he summon his vigour and burst forth quickly. The Khitans cried out, sending their spears and arrows to greet him. Xiao Feng caught a spear, split it into two, taking half a spear and using it as a long sword, he pushed aside all the weapons thrown at him, his step was akin to flying and he was right next to the red robed man.


    The red robed man had a beard, his expression powerful, seeing Xiao Feng arrived, he was not frighten at all, he got 3 javelin from his left and right guard, with a "Sou" sound a javelin was thrown at Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng reach out and caught the first javelin, anticipating the second javelin, he caught it again. Both his arm vibrated, and the two javelin surge and shot out, the left and right guard of the red robed man was shot down from their horses. The red robed man shouted: "Good skills!" the third javelin was already thrown. Xiao Feng extend his left palm, wheeling the spear head, he re-directed the javelin and shot it back like the wind, plunging it into the chest of the red robed man''s horse.


    The red robed man call out "Ah Yo!" and jump off the horse back. Xiao Feng flick his body, stretch out his left arm, and seize the man''s right shoulder. He heard the sharp wind of a golden blade behind his back, with a single step, he shot forward a few feet, two "Tuo Tuo" sound was heard, and two spears pierced into the ground. Xiao Feng held onto the red robed man and leap to the left, reaching the back of a Khitan rider, he knocked the rider off the horseback with a single palm, mounted the horse and speed away.


    The red robed man waved his fist and tried to punch Xiao Feng face. Xiao Feng held him under his left arm and the man could not move anymore. Xiao Feng shouted: "Ask your men to retreat, else I will crush you to death immediately." The red robed man was helpless, and he can only cry out: "Everyone retreat, stop fighting."


    The Khitan surrounded Xiao Feng, wanting to save the man. Xiao Feng used the broken spear and held it against the red robed man''s right cheek, and shouted: "Do you want me to kill him?"


    An old Khitan warrior shouted: "Quickly release our leader, else we will dismember you by five horses."


    Xiao Feng laughed, making a "Hu" sound with his palm, he split the air in front of the old Khitan. He intend to use this palm to display his power and intimidate the crowd, so as to avoid unnecessary killing, thus he used full strength from his hand, however he heard a very loud bang, the old Khitan was caught by the palm force, he flew off his horse and fell several feet away, fresh blood spurting from him mouth, it seems he will not survive.


    The Khitan have never seen such display of air-splitting palm skill, the palm force came out of nowhere, it''s akin to witchcraft, the Khitan simultaneously rein in their horses and back-off, their expression unusually terrified, fearing that Xiao Feng might strike at them with his palm.


    Xiao Feng shouted: "If you still don''t retreat, I''ll kill him with a single palm!" and he raises his palm, mimicking as if he was about to strike the head of the red robed man.


    The red robed man cried: "You lot back away, everyone move back!" Everyone took their horses and move back, but they still refuse to leave.


    Xiao Feng wondered: "This area is all flatland and wilderness, if I release their leader, these Khitan will chase with their horses and we will not be able to escape successfully." He said to the red robed man: "You call them to send eight horses over." The red robed man complied and conveyed the order. The Khitan pulled eight horses and hand them over to AguDa.


    AguDa hate these Khitan for killing his companions and he punch them, "Bang", he flipped one of the Khitan riders off his horse. Although the Khitan have more people, they did not retaliate. Xiao Feng said: "You set another order, ask your men to kill the horses they are mounting, they cannot keep even one horse"


    The red robed man is straightforward, he did not bicker and argue, he ordered loudly: "Everyone dismount, kill the horses." The men did not hesitate, they dismount and using their sword or spear, killed all the horses.


    Xiao Feng did not expect the men to be so compliant, he secretly admired them, thinking: "It seems this red robed man is really high ranking, any words coming from him, his troops did not even show any intention to disobey. The Khitan''s military is so firm, no wonder when they fought with the Song, they have more victories than defeats." He said: "Ask your men to return, they are not allowed to pursue. If one of them pursue, I''ll cut off one of your hand; If two people pursue, I''ll cut off both your hands; If four people pursue, I''ll cut off your four limbs! "


    The red robed man was so furious that his beard flared, but as he was the hostage, there was nothing he could do, he could only order: "Everyone go back, gather our men and horses, and destroy the Jurchen nests!" All the warrior said in unison: "Yes, sir! " and they bowed together.


    Xiao Feng rein in the horse, waited for AguDa and the five men to mount their horses, and they sped off east and retrace their previous route. After riding for countless li, Xiao Feng saw that the Khitan really did not pursue, he jump to another mount and let the red robed man ride on a horse by himself.


    The eight of them rode non-stop until they reach their big camp. AguDa reported to his father HeLiBu on how they met the enemy, how they got rescued by Xiao Feng, and how they captured the Khitan''s leader. HeLiBu said happily: "Well done, bring forward that Khitan dog."


    The red robed man entered the tent, his expression still mighty and powerful, upright and unyielding. HeLiBu knew that he was a Khitan noble and asked: "What is your name? What is your position in Liao Kingdom?" The man proudly said: "I am not captured by you, are you fit to ask me?" Khitan and Jurchen have the same practice, the enemy will be enslaved to his captor. HeLiBu laughed and said: "Well said!"


    The red robed man walk towards Xiao Feng, bending his right knee he knelt down, prostrate before him and said: "Master, you really are an amazing hero, I cannot defeat you, even though I have more men, I still lost. Being captured by you, I have no complaints. If you let me go back, I will offer you 50 liang gold, 500 liang silver and 30 gallant horses."


    AguDa''s uncle PoLaSu said: "You are a Khitan noble, this kind of ransom is insufficient, brother Xiao Feng, you ask him to send 500 liang gold, 5000 liang silver and three hundred gallant horse to redeem himself." This PoLaSu is intelligent and capable, he increased the original ransom tenfold, it''s clear he is making an outrageous demand. Base on Jurchen crude lifestyle, the original ransom of 50 liang gold, 500 liang silver and 30 gallant horse is already a huge wealth, the Jurchen and Khitan fought for decades, and they have never heard of such high ransom, if this red robed man refuse to increase the ransom, then they will just accept the original amount which is already considered a large fortune.


    Unexpectedly, the red robed man did not hesitate, he promised: "Fine, so be it!"


    One of the store keepers got a huge shock, he could hardly believe his ears. Khitan and Jurchen, there will of course be tribesmen who lie and deceive others, but for business transaction or when making a vow, one will always honour his words, they will never take it back, moreover this is a ransom, if the Khitan did not have sufficient money, or he regret his words, this red robed man will not be able to return to his tribe, thus empty promises are totally ineffective. PoLaSu was afraid that after being captured he got shocked to the extreme and was in a confuse state, he said: "Hello, did you listen clearly? I am talking about 500 liang gold, 5000 liang silver and three hundred gallant horse?"


    The red robed man had an air of arrogance, and he coldly said: "500 liang gold, 5000 liang silver and three hundred gallant horse, how is this significant? My great Liao Kingdom is wealthier than the rest of the world, this meagre sum means nothing in our eyes. "He turned to Xiao Feng, his expression became respectful and said: "Master, I will only listen to your bidding, I will no longer care about the words of others." PoLaSu said: "Brother Xiao Feng, you ask him, what is his official position in Liao Kingdom?" Before Xiao Feng could ask, the person replied: "Master, if you are determined to ask my origin, I will fabricate something to cheat you, you will not be able to separate the truth from the lies. However, you are an honourable hero, I am also an honourable hero, I do not want to lie to you, and thus you need not ask anymore."


    Xiao Feng reverse his left hand, took out the blade from his waist, his right palm strike the back of the blade, with a "Pai" sound, one section of the blade immediately bent down, he shouted in a stern voice: "You dare not say? If I strike my palm on the back of your head, what do you think will happen?"


    The red robed man did not panic, he gave a thumb-up with his right hand and said: "Good skills, good martial art! Today I really saw the number one hero in this world, this is worthwhile. Hero Xiao Feng, it''s impossible to coerce me against my will with your physical strength. Just kill me if you wish. Although the Khitan cannot beat you, but our moral integrity is no less sturdy than yours."


    Xiao Feng laughed, and said: "Good, Good! I will not kill you here. If I killed you with one chop of my blade, you will not be convinced, let go far far away, we will battle each other again."


    HeLiBu and PoLaSu chorus: "Brother Xiao Feng, it''s a pity to kill this man, it''s better to keep him and collect the ransom. If you are angry, we can beat him severely with a stick or whip."


    Xiao Feng said: "No! He wants to pretend to be a brave man, I won''t allow him to pretend." He borrowed two spears and two bows from the Jurchen, took the red robed man by the wrist, walk out of the tent, mounted a horse and said: "Mount the horse!" The red robed man did not cower, he have no doubt that he will die during their battle, Xiao Feng said that he wants to duel him again, but it''s akin to a cat which caught a rat, it just want to tease the rat one last time before killing, however he was not frightened, he mounted a horse and rode north.


    Xiao Feng followed on his horse, both of them rode for a few li. Xiao Feng said: "Turn and travel westward!" The red robed man replied: "The scenery here is extremely beautiful, I choose to die here." Xiao Feng said: "Catch!" as he threw the spear and bow over. The man caught it, and shouted loudly: "Hero Xiao Feng, I know I am not your match, but the Khitan people rather die than surrender! I will attack now!" Xiao Feng said: "Wait, catch!" He threw his own spear and bow over, being empty-handed, he gave a smile. The red robed man was furious and shouted: "You are fighting me with your bare hands, aren''t you insulting me a bit too much!"


    Xiao Feng shook his head and said: "No! In his life, Xiao Feng respect heroes, value brave men. Although your martial art is inferior to mine, you are a brave hero, Xiao Feng will befriend you! You can return to your tribe now."


    The red robed man got a huge shock and asked: "What ... what?" Xiao Feng smiled slightly: "I said Xiao Feng will treat you like a good friend, I will let you return home safely!" The red robed man just returned from the gates of hell, naturally he was overjoyed and asked: "You will really release me? ... You ... what is your intention? When I return home, I will multiple the ransom tenfold again and deliver it to you." Xiao Feng was angered and said: "I treat you as a friend, why are you not treating me as a friend? Xiao Feng is a dignified man, why would I hanker after material wealth? "


    The red robed man said: "Yes, yes!" He threw down the weaponry, dismounted, fell to his knees, head bowed and worshipped: "Expressing my gratitude towards benefactor for sparing my life." Xiao Feng knelt down and returned the salute: "Xiao Feng never kills a friend, and he will not accept worship from a friend. If he is a slave, after receiving his worship, Xiao Feng will not spare his life" The red robed man was even more excited, stood up and said: "Hero Xiao, you claim that you treat me as a friend, but I want to be your sworn brother, what say you?"


    After becoming an accomplished martial artist, Xiao Feng joined the Beggar clan immediately. Seniority and rankings was observed strictly, after the clan-leader and vice-clan-leader, there is the martial-art imparting elder, rule enforcement elder, four protector elders, various incense-chief, eight-pouch disciples, seven-pouch disciples, and other disciples in descending order. He can only accumulate his clan contributions, he did not have anyone to swear brotherhood with, only in Wuxi where he competed wine drinking with DuanYu and due to mutual admiration, did he finally sworn brotherhood. As he listened to the red robed man, he recalled that he was formerly associated with heroes all over the central plains, till now where he did not even have a proper place to live, he really became down-and-out, he cannot help but sigh, but as he saw the heroic aura of this red robed man, who can also be considered a good brave man, he replied: "Very good, very good, Xiao Feng is 31 years old this year. Respected brother, how old are you?" The man laughed: "I am called YeLu Ji. Benefactor, I am older than you by 13-years." Xiao Feng said:" Elder Brother, how can you address your little brother as benefactor? You are the elder brother, please accept my respect." As he said this, he paid his respect. YeLu Ji quickly returned the courtesy.


    Both of them inserted 3 arrows into the ground, lit the arrow tail feathers to represent incense, worship 8 times to heaven, and they became sworn brothers.


    Yelu Ji was extremely happy and said: "Brother, you surname is Xiao, it may be similar to our Khitan people." Xiao Feng said: "I will not hide the truth from elder brother, little brother is a Khitan." As he said this, he undid his robes, revealing the green wolf-head tattoo on his chest.


    Yelu Ji saw it and rejoiced: "Really good, you descended from the previous generation of our Khitan tribe. Brother, the Jurchen land is cold and harsh, why don''t you follow me and return to our capital, we will enjoy the riches together." Xiao Feng said: "I thank elder brother good intentions, but younger brother has always been poor and lowly, the rich life does not suit me. Little brother is currently residing with the Jurchen, hunting and drinking wine, I am carefree and happy. In the future, if I miss brother, I will naturally go to Liao Kingdom and pay you a visit." He and AhZi have been separated for a long time, he was worried about her injuries, and said: "Brother, please go back early to avoid worrying your family and subordinates." Both of them paid their respect and parted with each other.


    Xiao Feng turned his horse around, and he was greeted by a dozen tribesmen led by AguDa. AguDa saw that Xiao Feng did not return after going out for a long time, fearing the devious trick of the red robed man, he brought his men and came to assist. Xiao Feng narrated that he had released him back to Liao Kingdom. AguDa is also a great and wise hero, seeing Xiao Feng value human ties more than material wealth and also being open-minded and generous, he could only marvel at Xiao Feng''s character.


    One day, Xiao Feng, AhZi and AguDa were engaged in idle chats, they talked about the origins of AhZi''s injury, Xiao Feng knew that the injury was erroneously inflicted by his palm force, although her life was sustained by ginseng, her injury still did not recover after such a long time and this was extremely worrying. AguDa said: "Brother Xiao, it seems your sister suffered external injuries, for bruises and falls, we Jurchen have always been using a medicine mixture of tiger tendon, tiger bones and bear gall, and it is efficacious, why don''t we try it?" Xiao Feng was extremely happy and said: "We do not have anything, but for tiger tendon and tiger bone, we have the most, as for bear gall, I can try to kill a bear for it." Immediately he ask about the medicine formula, he mixed the tiger tendon and tiger bone into a cream, and fed it to AhZi.


    This early morning, Xiao Feng went alone into the remote mountains to hunt bears. As he was hunting alone, he could freely executed his lightness martial arts, and this was much convenient than following a hunting party. During the first day, he did not spot any black bear but he hunted one on the second day. He removed the bear gall, ran back to camp, and fed it to AhZI. Tiger tendons, tiger bones, bear gall, all these ingredients are hard to find. Although Divine Physician Xue possess amazing medical knowledge, there is a limit to how much medicine he can prescribe, it''s really beyond his financial ability to prescribe old mountain ginseng to be eaten for meals, and to be like Xiao Feng, finding 1 or 2 bear gall everyday to feed AhZi, it is really difficult to accomplish.


    This day, Xiao Feng was at the tent''s entrance concocting the tiger bone paste, a Jurchen hurriedly came over and said: "Brother Xiao, a dozen Khitan came bearing gift for you." Xiao Feng nodded, he knew it was gifted by his sworn brother Yelu Ji. He heard the trampling of horse hoof, one line of horse slowly came over, the horsebacks packed full of items.


    The Khitan captain listened to Yelu Ji description of Xiao Feng''s appearance, as soon as he saw Xiao Feng, he leaped off the horse and knelt down before him and said: "After parting with Master Xiao, my Lord miss you terribly, he ordered subordinate to deliver these gifts, and he invites Master Xiao to stay in Liao capital" he gave a few kowtow, presented the gift''s list with both hands, looking extremely respectful.


    Xiao Feng received the gift list, smiled and said: "Thank you for the effort, please rise!" He opened the gift list, only to see Khitan text, he said: "I don''t understand the writing, I don''t want to peruse it anymore." The attendant said: "This meagre gift is 5000 liang gold, 50 000 liang silver, 2000 roll of brocade, 1000 dan of high-quality wheat, 1000 fat cow, 5000 fat sheep, 3000 gallant horse, in addition there is an assortment of accessories and jewelleries."


    Xiao Feng was startled when he heard it, there was so much gifts, it was ten times more than what PoLaSu asked for in ransom, he had just seen 10 over horses carrying these items, but the gift amount is simply too great, base on his estimate, it would require countless horse carriage to store them.


    The attendant bowed and said: "My master feared the animal might lose their way during the journey, thus we prepared extra cattle, sheep and horses. Relying on my Lord and Master Xiao good fortune, subordinate did not meet any disaster or wild beasts, the losses are minimal." Xiao Feng sighed: "Such thoughtfulness from Brother Yelu Ji, if I refuse to accept, I will be letting down his good intentions, but if I accept, it wouldn''t really seem right " The attendant replied: "My Lord repeatedly reminded me, if Master Xiao refuse the gift, I will be heavily punished when I return."


    Suddenly he heard the blowing of trumpets, the Jurchens in the encampment took out their blades and bows, all of them rush out of their tents. Someone shouted: "The enemy is striking, prepare to engage them." Xiao Feng look towards the direction where the trumpet sound came from, he saw dust cloud gathering, it seems there are countless cavalry coming towards them.


    The attendant shouted: "Everyone please do not panic, all these are Master Xiao''s sheep, cattle and horses." His using Jurchen''s language to shout repeatedly, but none of the Jurchens believed him, HeLiBu, PoLaSu, AguDa organized the tribesmen, they formed a contingent to the west of the camp.


    For the first time, Xiao Feng saw the Jurchens arranging their formation to prepare for war, he thought: "The Jurchens are few in number, but all of them are ferocious and agile. Although Brother YeLu Ji''s men are amazing, they cannot compare against these brave and agile Jurchens, as for the Song troops, there no need to even compare."


    The attendant said: "I will go and greet my subordinate and ask them to stop advancing, so as to avoid any misunderstanding." He turned around and mounted his horse and travelled west ward. AguDa wave his hand and four Jurchen hunters mounted their horses, they tailed the attendant. As the five men slowly advanced with their horses, they reach the vicinity, but they saw cattle, sheep and horses blanketing the mountains and plains, 100 Khitan herdsmen were herding the animals with sticks, there are no soldiers.


    The four the Jurchen hunters smiled and turn around to report to HeLiBu. After a while, the livestock came near, the cows moo and the horses neigh, they were making a huge racket that drown out the voices of every one. That night Xiao Feng invited the Jurchens to slaughter the sheep and cattle in honour of the foreign guests. The next day he gifted a lot of gold, silver and satin to the group of travellers. When the Khitans left, he gifted all the gold, silver, brocade, cattle, sheep and horses to AguDa, and ask him to redistribute to the tribesmen. The Jurchens lived together as a tribe, they do not own any private property, whatever an individual owns it is equivalent to the tribe owning it, even though Xiao Feng is generous, no body found it strange, but acquiring so much wealth out of the blue, everyone was naturally happy. The tribe threw huge banquets for several days, everyone is grateful to Xiao Feng.


    Summer past and autumn arrived, AhZi''s injury had some improvement again. As she regain full consciousness, she became bored having to lie in the tent every day, and she often ask Xiao Feng to take her on horse riding trips to relieve her boredom. Both of them rode on the same horse, and she lean on Xiao Feng''s chest, it did not require any effort from her part. Xiao Feng was always accommodating towards her, in the course of this few months, except during blizzard, the two of them was always out roaming about. Eventually they got bored roaming the vicinity, they took a tent and camped far out and did not return to the tribe for a few days. Xiao Feng took this opportunity to hunt tigers and bears, and dig for ginseng. Due to AhZi sneak attack on Xiao Feng with a poison needle, the bear and tiger of Changbai Mountain suffered a big misfortune, countless animals have to die by Xiao Feng''s palm for her treatment.


    In order to dig for ginseng easily, Xiao Feng had to travel east or north. On this day, AhZi said they have seen all the scenery in the east and north, and she wanted to travel to the west. Xiao Feng said: "There is only big grass plains in the west, there is no scenery." AhZi replied: "Big grass plain is good, it like the ocean, I have never seen a real ocean. Although our XingXiu Sea can be considered a sea, but it has border and shores"


    Xiao Feng heard her mention the three words "XingXiu Sea", and his heart grew cold, after living with the Jurchen for all these years, he gradually forgot all the events in the martial world. When AhZi was immobilized, there is no one to mess things up, and he focus only on saving her life, but now that she recovered, her viciousness flare up again, how should he resolve this?


    He turn around and glance at AhZi, her snow-white face still did not have the slightest bit of colour, her cheeks slightly pinched, her big pair of eye sunken, he appearance is extremely haggard and her body emaciated. Xiao Feng could not help but feel guilty: "She survived but became a walking skeleton, why do I only remember her flaws?" he laughed and said: "Since you like to travel west, let us travel west. AhZi, once there is great improvement in your injuries, I''ll take you to the Korean borders to look at the ocean, the boundless clear water as far as the eye can see, the scenery will truly be amazing."


    AhZi clapped and grinned: "Of course, of course, actually we don''t have to wait until I recover completely, we can go now." Xiao Feng gave a "Yi" sound, he was shock and happy: "AhZi, your hand can move again." AhZi smiled and said: "I could move my hands 14 days ago, and today they became much more nimble." Xiao Feng said happily: "Wonderful! You naughty girl, how long do you intend to keep it from me?" AhZi flashed a sly look in her eyes, smiled and said: "I would rather not move forever, only then will you accompany me like this every day. Once I recovered, you will naturally chase me away again."


    Xiao Feng listen to her speak her sincere feelings, his sense of pity rose spontaneously, and he said: "I am a boorish man, I accidentally injured you and you ended up in this sorry state. What good will it do for you to accompany me every day?"


    AhZi did not reply, after a long pause, she whispered: "Brother-in-law, why did you exert so much strength when you hit me with your palm that day?" Xiao Feng did not wish to bring up the past, he shake his head and said: "The incident had long passed, why bring it up again? AhZi, I injure you to such a state, I feel terribly apologetic, do you hate me? "AhZi said: "I do not hate you. Why would I hate you? I originally wanted you to accompany me, aren''t you accompanying me now? I am very happy."


    As Xiao Feng listen to her, he thought that her intention was bizarre, but her recent conduct was indeed excellent, and thus it must be due to his attentive care which got rid of her vicious temperament, and he went back to the tribe to prepare the horses, carriage, tents, dried rations and other things for their journey west.


    The next morning, the two of them headed west. After travelling about 10 li, AhZi asked: "Brother-in-law, have you guessed it?" Xiao Feng said: "Guess what?" AhZi said: "Do you know the reason why I attack you with the poison needle that day?" Xiao Feng shook his head and said: "You thoughts are difficult to pin down, how can I guess?"AhZi sighed and said: "Since you can''t guess then just forget it. Brother-in-law, there are so many geese here, why do they arrange in formation and fly south? "


    Xiao Feng looked up, he saw two formation of geese, and they lined up to form an arrowhead and they flew south, he said: "The weather is getting cold, geese are afraid of the cold, they are flying south to take refuge against the cold. AhZi said: "Then why do they fly back during spring? Flying back and forth yearly, isn''t it tiring? If they are cold, just stay in the south permanently and don''t come back."


    Xiao Feng devote himself to the study of martial arts, he never gave a thought about the habits of animals and pests, under her questioning he did not know how to reply, he shake his head and laughed: "I do not know why they are not afraid of hardships, I guess these wild geese are born in the north, they are nostalgic and return home."


    AhZi nodded: "It must be true. Look at the last geese, its body is not large, but it is also flying south. Eventually, when it father, mother, sister and brother-in-law all return north, it will naturally follow them back."


    Xiao Feng heard her say "Sister, Brother-in-law" these 4 words, his heart was moved, and he turn his head to look at her, only to see her staring blanking at the geese formation, apparently her words were unintentional, he wondered: "With a casual word, she associated me with her parents, it seems that in her heart, she treat me as her closest relative. I cannot abandon her casually. When she recovered, I have to escort her to Dali and hand her over to her parents, only then will I complete the task I have been entrusted with."


    The two of them gossip along the way. When AhZi got tired, Xiao Feng immediately carried her off the horse and let her rest in the carriage. At dusk, he set up the camp in the woods. As they travelled for a few days, they finally reached the borders of the grass plains.


    AhZi gaze into the distant, the grass plain was boundless and vast, she said happily: "The borders only cannot be seen in the west, but to be truly like an ocean, the borders must not be seen in all four direction." Xiao Feng knew that she wanted to travel to the center of the grass plain, not wanting to go against her wish, he whipped the horse and travelled west.


    Travelling west on the grass plain for a few day, when you look to all four direction, the borders of the grass plain really cannot be seen anymore. The weather is currently crisp autumn, along with the smell of the green grass, it is really refreshing and carefree. Many small beasts reside in the grass, Xiao Feng can hunt them for food easily and he felt carefree.


    After a few days, in the afternoon, countless tents can be seen in the far distance, there are also banners and flags, it seems like a military camp, or it may be a tribe gathering. Xiao Feng said: "There''s alot of people at the front, I don''t know what they are doing, let''s just go back, we don''t want to stir up trouble." AhZi said: "No! No! I want to go and watch. I can''t move my legs, how to stir up trouble for you?" Xiao Feng smiled and said: "Trouble will definitely come, it does not have to be cause by you, sometimes people just want to provoke you and you can never avoid such thing. AhZi laughed and replied: "Let''s just go and take a look, there is no harm."


    Xiao Feng knows her child-like disposition, she just love to watch rowdy spectacle, he guided the horse over slowly. The terrain of the grass plain is flat, although the tents can be spotted far away, but the route to it is quite far. After travelling for seven li, the "Wu Wu" call of the bungle can be heard loudly, followed closely by a gathering dust cloud, two cavalry ranks scattered off, a troop went north, and the other gallop south.


    Xiao Feng was slightly surprised, and said: "Not good, it is the Khitan cavalry!" AhZi said: "It''s your own people, it can''t be better, why did you say it''s not good?" Xiao Feng said:" I don''t know them, let''s just go back." He turn the horse and head back, after travelling a few steps, they heard the "Peng Peng" sound of the drums, and several troops of cavalry rush forward. Xiao Feng pondered: "It doesn''t seem like there are any enemy around, are they practising their tactical deployment?"


    Suddenly he heard a loud cry: "Shoot the dear, shoot the deer!" West, north, south, the call to shoot the dear was shouted from all three directions. Xiao Feng said: "They are hunting in the vicinity, their numbers is really not small." He carried AhZi onto the horseback immediately, rein in the horse, and observe afar on the eastern road.


    The Khitan horsemen are wearing brocade robe, coupled with metal armour. The robes came in various colour team, red team, green team, yellow team, purple team, the flag of the team are of the same colour, the cavalry gallop back and forth, displaying a strong military presence, it is truly a magnificent sight. Xiao Feng and AhZi secretly applauded. The soldiers advance and retreat according to military orders, armed with spears they cornered the deer, they only gave a glace when they spotted Xiao Feng and AhZi, and ignored them subsequently.


    Four troops of cavalry surrounded from all four sides and trapped ten deers in the middle. Occasionally, a deer will escape from a gap in the cavalry rank, and a small squad will break off to chase and force the deer back into the encirclement.

 Chapter - 27 Quelling the Rebellion with Golden Axe

    As Xiao Feng watch, he suddenly heard someone shout: "Is that venerable Master Xiao?" Xiao Feng thought: "Who recognize me?" Turning his head, he saw someone rode out of the green cavalry troop, it was the captain sent by YeLu Ji to deliver the gifts a few months ago.


    He rode toward Xiao Feng until he was within 10 zhang, quickly dismounted, rush forward and knelt down with his right knee and said: "My Lord is waiting for you not far away. His Lordship talked about Master Xiao frequently, he misses you terribly. What good fortune brought Master Xiao here? I invite you to meet my Lord with haste." Xiao Feng heard that YeLu Ji is near the vicinity, with great joy he said: "I was just roaming around freely, I did not know my sworn brother is near, this cannot be better. Good, please lead me to meet him."


    The attendant blew a whistle, two horsemen came riding swiftly. The attendant said: "Report quickly, say Master Xiao from Changbai Mountain is coming!" The two riders received the order and sped off quickly. The rest of the troops continued to shoot the deers, the attendant led a troop of green-robed cavalry to protect Xiao Feng and AhZi and they travelled west. When YeLu Ji sent large quantity of gold, silver, cattle and sheep, Xiao Feng knew instantly that he was a Khitan noble, after seeing such a sight, he expect that his sworn brother must be some general or high ranking official.


    On the grass plains, troops travelled back and forth endlessly, all of them wearing brightly colored armor. The attendant said: "Master Xiao arrived at a good time, tomorrow morning, it will be bustling with activity here." Xiao Feng saw AhZi lit up and he ask: "What kind of activity?" The attendant replied that there will be a martial arts competition. There are 2 vacant positions for commanding officers of Yongchang and Taihe military. The Khitan soldiers will showcase their martial art skills, whoever is lucky, they will become the commanding officers.


    Once Xiao Feng heard that there will be a martial arts competition, he was naturally exuberant and in high-spirits, he laughed: "This truly is a coincidence, I will finally get to see Khitan''s martial arts." AhZi smiled and said: "Captain, just display your skills tomorrow, I will congratulate you in becoming the commanding officer." The attendant replied: "I am a lowly person, why would I dare to try?" AhZi smiled and said: "What''s so difficult about winning the commanding officer post? As long as my brother-in-law is willing to teach you 2 or 3 moves, you will definitely win the commanding officer post." The attendant happily said: "If Master Xiao is willing to give directions to me, it will really save my life. But as for the commanding officer position, i do not have the fate and i do not wish to hanker after it."


    They travelled around 10 li as they gossip along the way, suddenly they saw a cavalry troop gallop over. The attendant said: "It''s the flying bear squadron from the fur-skin army of the main camp." The squadron officers wear bear skin clothes, black bear skin robe, white bear skin hat, and they look very mighty. As the squadron neared, they cried in unison, dismount at the same time, separated in two columns and said: "Respectfully welcome Master Xiao!" Xiao Feng replied: "I don''t dare! I don''t dare!" and raise his hands to salute, he move forward and the flying bear squadron followed closely behind.


    After travelling for 10 li, they saw another squadron, clothed with tiger skin, the flying tiger squad came over to welcome them. Xiao Feng thought: "I don''t know what ranking official my Brother YeLu is, he can organize such grand stuff." But the attendant refused to comment, and YeLu Ji refused to reveal the last time they met, and thus Xiao Feng did not want to probe further.


    As they travelled until dusk, they reach a large tent, a troop wearing leopard skin clothes, the flying leopard squadron greeted and escorted Xiao Feng and AhZi to the center of the large tent. Xiao Feng thought that he would be able to meet YeLu Ji when he entered the tent, the rugs and items in the tent were all exquisite, the table was filled with dishes and fruits, however there was no one in the tent. The leader of the flying leopard squadron said: "His Lordship invites Master Xiao to rest here for tonight. He will meet you another day." Xiao Feng did not inquire further, sat down, and start drinking wine. Four army sergeants refilled the wine and cut the meats, respectfully serving him.


    After waking up the next morning, they travelled west for 200 li, and they rest in another large tent during night fall.


    In the afternoon of the third day, the attendant said: "After crossing that mountainside, we will reach our destination." Xiao Feng saw the atmosphere of the mountain was magnificent, the "Hua Hua" sound of flowing water as it flows swiftly from the mountainside to down south. As the group crossed the mountainside, they saw flags fluttering before their eyes, tents were packed closely and filled the entire grassland, tens of thousands of cavalry circled a vast open space in the center. The officers of the flying bear squadron, flying tiger and flying leopard took out their horns, they blew and a "Wu Wu Wu" sound reverberated.


    Suddenly the drums rang out loudly, "Peng Peng Peng" cannon fire came from the mountain, officers and soldiers at the open space split into two column, a majestic yellow horse gallop towards Xiao Feng, and someone shouted: "Brother Xiao, brother misses you terribly!" Xiao Feng mounted a horse and met up with him, both dismounted at the same time, their hands grasping, their joy cannot be contained.


    From all four directions, the soldiers shouted in unison: "Long live the king! Long live the king! Long live the king!"


    Xiao Feng was shocked: "Why do the soldiers keep cheering long live the king!" He look around, every single soldiers were bowing, their blade leaning on the ground, YeLu Ji was holding his hand and standing in the middle, looking to the east and west, his expression pleased. Stunned, Xiao Feng said: "Brother, you ... you are ..." YeLu Ji laughed and said: "At that time, if you knew i am the current emperor of Great Liao, I''m afraid you will refuse to swear brotherhood with me. Brother Xiao, my real full name is YeLu HongJi. I survive due to your grace, I will remember it forever and never forget it."


    Although Xiao Feng is open-minded and heroic, he have never seen an emperor before in his life, seeing such splendor, he cannot help but feel embarrassed and said: "Subordinate did not know your majesty, I greatly offended you, I deserve to die!" and he knelt down immediately. He is a Khitan, he should kneel down and worship when meeting Khitan''s emperor.


    YeLu HongJi quickly held out his hand and propped him up, smiling he said: "You are not guilty as you do not know about it, brother, you are my sworn brother, we will only talk about our brotherhood today, it won''t be late to pay respect to the monarch tomorrow." He waved his left hand, and the troops started drumming music to welcome the honoured guest. YeLu HongJi held onto Xiao Feng hands and both of them entered a big tent.


    The tent of Liao emperor was made of several layers of leather with numerous flying gold ribbons, it was glorious and brilliant, the residence was known as the great leather tent. YeLu HongJi sat in the middle, and ordered Xiao Feng to sit at the first seat across his, after a while civil and military officials came in to pay their respect, Lord of Northern Chancellery, Chancellor of Northern Chancellery, Chancellor of Southern Chancellery, and many more, generals of the great leather tent, junior generals, cavalry commanders, infantry commanders, etc, Xiao Feng can''t possibly remember all of them at the moment.


    A banquet was held in the tent that night, the Khitan people respected women, and thus AhZI was also invited to feast in the great leather tent. Wine as deep as pond, meat piled as high as mountain, AhZi was jubilant when she saw all these.


    Everyone drank to their heart''s content, the Khitan''s warrior entertained the emperor by duelling in front of him, their upper body naked, it was an intense fight as they wrestled fiercely. Xiao Feng saw that these Khitan warriors are skilful, had strong muscular strength, a set of martial art moves can be seen in their tossing and lifting, although the variations is not as ingenious as martial arts from Central Plains, but if employed in a real battlefield, its actually more effective than martial arts from Central Plains.


    The various Liao officials all approached Xiao Feng to propose a toast. Xiao Feng could not refuse and emptied every cup of wine toasted, eventually he drank over 300 cups, his expression completely unchanged, the crowd was astonished.


    YeLu HongJi was proud of his own bravery and prowess, the deed by Xiao Feng in capturing him was known throughout Liao Empire, thus he intended Xiao Feng to showcase his superhuman abilities to cover up the humiliation of being captured, he did not expect that Xiao Feng did not need to take part in tomorrow''s martial art competition to display his abilities, the current display of drinking prowess was sufficient to convince the crowd and gained everyone''s admiration. YeLu HongJi was overjoyed, he said: "Brother, you are the number one hero in my Liao Empire!"


    Suddenly AhZi interrupted and said: "He is not number one!" YeLu HongJi laughed and said: "Little girl, how did he become number two? Then who is the number one hero?" AhZi said: "The number one hero is naturally your majesty. Although my brother-in-law ability is great, he have to obey you and he cannot go against you, aren''t you the number one hero? " She is XingXiu Elder favoured disciple, proficient in the art of flattery, all these words are a piece of cake for her.


    YeLu HongJi laughed and said: "Well said, well said. Brother Xiao, i want to confer an extremely high-rank post for you, let me think, what should i confer you? "At this moment, his already 80 to 90% drunk, he drum his forehead with his finger. Xiao Feng quickly said: "No, no, subordinate is careless, not suitable for riches, I have always been roaming the four corners of earth, never staying for certain, I really don''t want to be an official." YeLu HongJi replied: "No problem, I''ll confer you a high-rank post that do not require any work done, you only need to drink wine ....." before he could finish speaking, the "Wu Wu Wu" sound of bugle came from afar, the sound was sharp and urgent.


    The Liao people were originally sitting on the floor, drinking wine and eating meat, but upon hearing this bugle, they stood up in unison, their face frightened and devoid of color. The bugle call came quickly, the original call was 10 li away, the second call came a few li closer, the third call came even closer by a few more li. Xiao Feng pondered: "Even with the fastest horse, or the highest level of lightness martial arts, it can''t be faster than this bugle call. Yes, signal station must have been pre-arranged and used to deliver urgent military news, once the first bugle call is heard, they will relay it to the next station, so forth and so on." The bugle call was delivered quickly and it stopped abruptly when it reached the great leather tent. Hundreds of officers and men in the tents where originally cheering and partying, it was extremely noisy and chaotic, upon hearing the call they became mute.


    YeLu HongJi expression was calm, he slowly lifted his golden cup, drank all the wine and said: "There a rebellion in the capital, de-camp, we will return immediately."


    The marching generals immediately went out to issue orders, once they heard the single word "De-camp", they relay the words and it became ten, and this ten became hundred, hundred became thousand, the word became louder and louder, it was serious and orderly, and it seems there was no hint of panic. Xiao Feng pondered: "My great Liao Empire has been established for over two hundred years, our Empire shook the entire world by force, currently there is civil strife, but no one panic, it seems every generation of Liao leader is competent in commanding the army."


    The sound of horse hoof was heard, the advance party gallop off, followed by the left and right vanguard, the forward troops, left troops, right troops, troop after troop headed south back to the capital.


    YeLu HongJi held Xiao Feng''s hand and said: "Let''s go take a look." He went out of the tent alone, in the middle of the night, lanterns were hung on every military banner, red, yellow, blue and white, all these coloured lanterns illuminated the area, the remaining ten thousands of troops were travelling down south, no one spoke a word and only the neighing of horses can be heard. Xiao Feng was greatly impressed and thought: "Look at the way he has control of the army, who can go against him? That day the emperor bravely went out hunting alone and he accidently got captured by me, if his army really did press on and attack, although the Jurchens are strong and valiant, they will hopelessly be outnumbered and defeated."


    Once the two of them left the tent, the guards de-tent immediately and kept everything neatly, luggage and supplies all loaded onto the horse carriage. The commander-in-chief of the main army issued his orders, and the main army moved off immediately. The Lord of Northern Chancellery, chancellor, advisers and tutors all of them stayed near YeLu HongJi, their face solemn, but they all acted in unison. Although they knew about the rebellion, but they still did not know who led this rebellion and what is the exact situation of the chaos.


    The huge party travelled south for 3 days, during the night after setting camp, a scout gallop back and reported to YeLu HongJi: "The Lord of Southern Chancellery staged this rebellion, he has occupied the main Palace, the empress dowager, empress, prince, princess and over one hundred officials and their family members, all have been captured."


    YeLu HongJi had a huge shock, and his expression became grave.


    The military affairs of Liao Empire were handled by the Northern and Southern Chancellery, the Lord of Northern Chancellery accompanied the emperor for the current hunting trip, and the Lord of Southern Chancellery stayed behind to guard the capital. The Lord of Southern Chancellery is YeLu NieLuGu, his title is Prince of Chu, it doesn''t matter if he rebelled, but his father is YeLu ZhongYuan, the uncle of the emperor and supreme commander of the army, it was no small matter.


    YeLu HongJi''s grandfather YeLu LongXu, was known as the Holy Emperor in Liao''s history. The Holy Emperor eldest son was ZongZhen, the second son ZhongYuan. ZongZhen''s character was kind and generous, ZhongYuan was valiant and gifted in military strategy. When the Holy Emperor was about to pass away, he designated ZongZhen to succeed the throne, but the empress favoured her second son, and she plotted to make ZhongYuan emperor. In Liao''s tradition, the Empress Dowager is extremely powerful, thus ZongZhen could not fully consolidate his power as the emperor, and his life was also in danger, but ZongZhen informed his brother of their mother''s scheme, and her scheme was thwarted. ZongZhen was naturally grateful to his brother and bestowed the rank of royal emperor brother, making him next in line to succeed the throne.


    YeLu ZongZhen was known in Liao''s history as the Prosperous Emperor, but after his death, the throne was not passed on to the royal emperor brother ZhongYuan, but passed on to his son HongJi.


    After assuming the throne, YeLu HongJi felt apologetic, and he conferred ZhongYuan as the royal emperor uncle, and this again made him next in line to succeed the throne, in addition he also made ZhongYuan the supreme commander of the entire army, exempted him from kneeling during court session, bestowed him gold and scriptures, mortar board, two-colour robe, and gave him preferential treatment, he became the most powerful figure in Liao Empire; YeLu HongJi also conferred ZhongYuan''s son the title of Prince of Chu, giving him full control of military affairs in Southern Chancellery, and hence he was known as Lord of Southern Chancellery.


    When the Holy Emperor died YeLu ZhongYuan could assume the throne with the help of the Dowager, but he gave it up and supported his brother, and this showed that he valued loyalty, and he also kept quiet about the entire incident. When YeLu HongJi left to go hunting, he did not have the slightest suspicion and let his uncle handled all the military affairs. When the bugle call came, and the rebellion was actually led by the Lord of Southern Chancellery YeLu NieLuGu, Ye Hongji was naturally shocked and worried, rumour goes that NieLuGu disposition is vicious and ruthless, since he plotted the rebellion, there''s no reason his father will do nothing about it.


    The Lord of Northern Chancellery said: "Your Majesty need not be overly worried, your uncle is an understanding person, he will not allow his unfilial son to rebel, it''s possible that he had already deployed the army and quelled the rebellion." YeLu HongJi replied: "I really hope so."


    After they finished their dinner, the second scout rush in and reported: "The Lord of Southern Chancellery made his father the emperor, the imperial decree announced it to the rest of the world." He did not dare continue his words, and presented the new emperor''s edict with both hands. HongJi peruse the edict, the edict said that YeLu HongJi was a fake emperor who tried to usurp the throne, the royal emperor brother is the legitimate emperor, and hence the army was mobilize to resolve this issue. YeLu HongJi was so furious that he threw the edict into the fire and burnt it to ashes, but his heart was worried and he pondered: "This fake emperor affair sounds convincing, once the Liao army and citizen sees the edict, their loyalty will waver. My uncle is the supreme commander of the entire army, he have the authority to mobilize 800 thousand troops with just a wave of his hand, not to mention the troops under the jurisdiction of his son the Lord of Southern Chancellery. I only have around 100 thousand troops following me, i am heavily outnumbered, what should I do?" he toss and turn throughout the night, unable to sleep.


    When Xiao Feng heard the emperor wanting to confer an official post, he wanted to bring AhZi and leave during the night without saying goodbye, but seeing the crisis faced by his sworn brother, its inconvenient to simply walk away, he wanted to do something for him on account of their brotherhood. That night as he was strolling outside the camp, he heard secret discussions among the troops, the emperor''s parents and wife all lived in the capital, since they are held hostage by the royal emperor uncle, they would most probably not survive. Some of the troops were worried about their own family members and they suddenly cried. The cry was infectious, the rest of the officers and soldiers could relate to their situation, and one by one they begin to cry. The commanders and generals tried to persuade them to stop, they targeted those that cried especially loud, but they could not stop them from crying.


    The cries were earth-shattering, YeLu HongJi knew the troop''s spirit was broken and he became even more troubled.


    Early next morning, the scout came to report, the royal emperor uncle and his son are leading 500 thousand troops, they are heading north to intercept them. YeLu HongJi pondered: "In such a situation, we cannot retreat, even if we are utterly defeat, we can only fight till death." immediately he summoned his officers and began discussing. The ministers and officials are all extremely loyal to YeLu HongJi and they are willing to fight to the death, but they are worried about the army''s morale.


    HongJi pass down his orders: "All officers and soldiers, after we resolve this situation, you will be promoted and also receive heavy rewards." He dons his golden armour and helmet, personally led 3 troops, and gallops off to meet the troops of his uncle. All officers and men saw the emperor personally leading the troops to meet the enemy, at once their courage received a large boost, they gave three cheer and pledged loyalty till death. The 100 thousand troops divided into four sections, the advance troop, left troop, right troop and main troop, their armour clanking, the march southward, in addition a small squad scattered and roam both flanks.


    Xiao Feng took up a bow and spear and followed beside HongJi, becoming his personal bodyguard. The flying bear troops protected AhZi and they positioned at the rear of the army. Xiao Feng saw YeLu HongJi frowning, and knew he did not have confidence in winning this battle.


    As they travelled till noon, they heard the bugle call out again in front. The main army general commanded: "Dismount!" all the troops dismounted and pulled their horse bridle, only YeLu HongJi and his ministers are still on horseback.


    Xiao Feng did not understand why the troops dismounted, he was puzzled. YeLu HongJi smiled and said: "Brother, you stayed in the Central Plains for such long time, you don''t know about how we Khitan fight wars, correct?" Xiao Feng said: "I was about to invite your majesty to enlighten me." HongJi smiled and said: "Haha, this emperor position, I don''t know if i can hang onto it until sun down. We should address each other as brothers, why do you have to address me as your majesty? " Xiao Feng heard bitterness in his laughter and said:" The two armies have yet to cross swords, you majesty, please do not worry." HongJi said: "When clashing on flat terrain, the horse strength is of upmost importance, we can charge into enemy lines and press forward relentlessly. We Khitans attacked the east and west and secured victory in every battle, this is the secret to our success."


    As he finish speaking, dust cloud began gathering in the distant and tower over 10 zhang high, it was as if yellow cloud was gushing over the ground. HongJi pointed with his whip said: "My uncle and his son are war veteran, they are valiant generals of Liao Empire, but now why do they gallop over anxiously and not conserve their horse strength? Hmmm, it seems they are over-confident and thinks they will win for certain." As he finish speaking, the bugle call was heard simultaneously from the left and right troops. Xiao Feng look to the distant, the enemy have two cavalry troops to the east, another two cavalry troops to the west, they are outnumbered five to one.


    YeLu HongJi turn pale, he said to the main army general: "Get into formation and set up stockade!" The general replied: "Yes!" he rode off and pass down the orders, immediately the advance troops, left troops and right troops all turned back, the sergeants nailed the pillars of the great leather tent with a large hammer into the ground, spread out the tent cover, set up abatis on all four sides, and built a large wooden stockade on the grassland, the troops defended all four side during construction, around 10 thousand archers took up position in the wooden stockade, their bows drawn and waiting for the order to shoot.


    Xiao Feng furrowed his brow and thought: "Once they start fighting, regardless of the outcome, countless dead bodies of my Khitan tribe will be strewn all over the place, it best if we win, but if we lose, I can only escort AhZi and my sworn brother to a safe place. It doesn''t matter if he can''t be the emperor anymore."


    Not long after building the stockade, the enemy troops arrived but they did not engage immediately, they stood at a distant spot, beyond the range of the archers. The drum beat endlessly, troops after troops of rebels came from all four directions, form their battle formations and surrounded them. Xiao Feng gaze across the battlefield, the enemies are everywhere and he can''t even see the end, he pondered: "My sworn brother''s army is too heavily outnumbered, I''m afraid we will lose for certain. It''s not convenient to escape during the day, we can try to hold on until nightfall and then I will think of something to save them." seeing the huge stockade cast a small shadow on the ground, it is currently noon.


    There was numerous "Ya Ya Ya" sound, a flock of geese flew by in the sky. YeLu HongJi raised his head and gaze for a long time, he said bitterly: "Unless we can transform ourselves into geese and fly away, we will never be able to escape." The expression of the Lord of Northern Chancellery and generals changed, they knew the emperor became fearful after seeing the rebel army.


    The drums thundered within enemy ranks, over 100 skin-drums vibrated with "Peng Peng" sound. The general of the main army shouted: "Beat the drums!" hundreds of skin-drums in the stockade also vibrated with "Peng Peng" sound. The drums echoed in unison with enemy''s drum, over tens of thousands of cavalry cried out and shook the field, they stuck out their spears and charged forward.


    Seeing the enemy rush towards their front troops, the main army general waved his command-flag, the drums stopped drumming, and tens of thousands of arrows shot out simultaneously, the enemy''s front troops all fell onto the ground. But the next wave followed closely behind, and charges forward bravely, horses that fell down in front became the meat-shield for those behind. The enemy infantry archers were armed with shields, they rush forward and shot their arrows towards the stockade.


    YeLu HongJi was only shock in the beginning, as the fight broke out, immediately his courage multiplied, standing at high ground, holding onto his blade, he gave orders and commanded, the soldiers in the stockade saw the emperor personally supervising the front line, and they shouted loudly: "Long live the king! Long live the king! Long live the king!" hearing "Long live the king" the enemy troops look up and saw YeLu HongJi in his golden armor, standing on the high platform in the stockade, under his impressive display of power, they could not help but leap back and stop pushing forward. HongJi saw this golden opportunity and shouted: "Left cavalry out flank, charge!"


    The left troop was led by Northern Chancellery Chancellor, once they hear the emperor orders, 30 thousand cavalry immediately move to out flank the enemy. A moment of hesitation in the rebel army, and cavalry from the stockade had arrived. The rebels were thrown into confusion and quickly move back. The drums in the stockade thundered, after a short engagement, the rebels were quickly force to retreat. The cavalries from the stockade pursued and killed them, their manner sharp and imposing.


    Xiao Feng was overjoyed and cried out: "Brother, we scored a huge victory for this round!" YeLu HongJi got down from the platform and mounted his battle horse, leading more troops to support. Suddenly, the bugle sounded, rebel main forces drive forward, the rebel''s front troop turn around and fought back, in a split second, arrows and spears flew back and forth across the battlefield, screams shook the sky, blood and flesh flew in every direction. Xiao Feng was secretly shock: "I have never seen such ferocious fighting in my life. Even if your martial art is peerless, it''s completely useless in the mist of millions of cavalries, at most you can use it to protect yourself. Such large armies engaging in war, it cannot be mention in the same breath as those group fights or duels in the martial arts world."


    Sudden the gongs rang out behind the rebel''s army, it was the gong to call off the battle. The rebel''s cavalry retreated, arrows rained to provide cover for their retreat. The main army general and the Chancellor of Northern Chancellery led the troops to charge three times, they broke through every time and caused confusion in the enemy formation, but thousands of them were also shot dead. YeLu HongJi said: "Our soldiers suffered too many losses, let''s withdraw for the time being." and they beat the gongs and withdraw the troops.


    The rebels also sent out 2 troops of cavalry to pursue, but the central army was prepared, they pretended to retreat but encircled them from both wings, three thousand rebels were surrounded and annihilated, the remaining few hundred dismounted and surrendered. HongJi wave his left hand, soldiers came out of the stockade armed with spears and pierce the hundred rebels to death. This ferocious battle lasted no more than an hour, but the killings were unusually tragic and cruel.


    The main forces of both sides retreated 10 zhang from each other, the middle zone between them was filled with corpses, the wounded were moaning and wailing, it was unbearably tragic. Both sides sent out a troop of 300 black robed soldiers, the people from the stockade wore yellow hat, the enemy wore white hats, they move forward to the middle zone to examine the wounded. Xiao Feng thought these black robed soldiers would carry the injured back for medical treatment, but instead they took out their blades and killed the wounded soldiers. After all the injured soldiers were hacked to death, the 600 black robed soldiers shouted in unison and began to fight each other.


    The martial arts of the 600 black robed soldiers were not weak, their blades flashed and they fought bravely, after a while, over 200 people were cut down. The black robed soldiers from the stockade had better martial arts, they only lost around 10 men, and the situation immediately became two versus one, thus the victor became obvious. After a while, it became three versus one. Officers from both sides only cheered their men, the rebel army stood by and watch, they did not dispatch any soldier to provide assistance. Eventually the 300 black robed soldiers from the rebel army were eliminated, the remaining 200 black robed soldiers from the stockade return back into formation. Xiao Feng pondered about the customs of Khitan: "The way they clean up the battlefield, although it is not a large scale, it is exceedingly horrifying."


    HongJi raised his sabre and shouted loudly: "Although there are many rebels, they have no fighting spirit. Once we fight another round, they will definitely rout!"


    The officers and men in the stockade chanted: "Long live the king, long live the king, long live the king!"


    Suddenly a bugle call was heard within rebel ranks, five men slowly rode out to the middle, one of them was holding onto a sheet of sheepskin, and he recited loudly from it, he is reciting the imperial edict from the royal emperor uncle: "YeLu HongJi usurp the throne, his a fake king, now that the royal emperor uncle has assume the throne, he urge the soldiers and officials of Liao Empire to return to the capital and pledge loyalty to him, all of you will be promoted 3 grade." a dozen archer fire their arrows from the stockade, whizzing sound rang out as it shot towards the announcer . The 4 men by his side raise their shields and protected each other, the man continued to recite aloud, their five horses were shot down but they are still hiding safely behind their shield, finally he finish reciting the edict and they turn around and left.


    The Lord of Northern Chancellery saw his officials wavered after they heard the edict, he shouted: "Go out and curse them!" 10 "professional-curser" went out, they had loud voices and thick throat, good enunciation, the first curser started insulting. Words such as treacherous traitors, being buried right here, etc, the second curser took over and carried on insulting, all sorts of vulgarities came spewing. Xiao Feng did not understand most of the curse words as he had limited knowledge on Khitan language, but he saw YeLu HongJi nod his head repeatedly, his expression approving, it seems these "professional cursers" really put up an exciting show.


    Xiao Feng looks over at the enemy formation, at a far distance, under the reflection of their yellow hat, he saw two men each riding a fine horse, they were holding horsewhip and directing around. One was clothed in yellow robe and wearing a crown, he had a long gray beard, the other person was wearing gold armour, his face gaunt, but his expression fierce and brave. Xiao Feng thought to himself: "Look at their appearance, this must be the royal emperor uncle and his son."


    Suddenly, the 10 "professional-curser" discuss among themselves for a while, they shouted in unison and revealed the shameful secrets of the royal emperor uncle and his son. It seems the royal emperor uncle is upright and had proper conduct, there isn''t any scandal from him, the 10 men mostly targeted his son the Prince of Chu, they said he raped his father''s concubine and use his father''s power to commit all kinds of evil. These words are obviously meant to sow discord between father and son, the 10 cursers shouted in unison, they cursed the exact same words, the words resonated over a few li and over hundred thousand men all heard it clearly.


    The Prince of Chu waved his whip, the rebels howl in unison, they made "Ah Ah" sound and shouted randomly, the noise drowns out the words of the 10 cursers.


    The enemy suddenly separated and they push 10 carts towards the stockade, the sergeant drag out over 10 females from the carts, some of them were white-hair grannies, some were youths, their clothes all grand and exquisite. Once these women were brought out, both sides stopped cursing immediately.


    YeLu HongJi shouted: "Mother, mother! Son will catch these traitors and dismember them to help you vent your anger!"


    That white-hair granny is the current empress dowager, she is YeLu HongJi''s mother Empress Dowager Xiao, the rest are Empress Xiao, concubines and princess. When HongJi went hunting, the royal emperor uncle and his son surrounded the Forbidden Palace and captured the empress dowager and the rest of the royals.


    The Empress Dowager said: "You majesty need not be concern about this old lady or your wife and children, do you best and kill these thieves!" a dozen officers draw their sabres and place it against the neck of the females, the young concubines immediately cry out in fear.


    YeLu HongJi was furious and shouted: "Shoot down those crying females!" there was whizzing sounds and over ten arrows flew out, the concubines who are crying were all shot dead.


    The Empress said: "Your majesty that was well shot! Well shot! The foundation of our forefathers cannot be destroyed by the hands of these traitors."


    The Prince of Chu saw the empress dowager and empress were stubborn, not only would he be unable to coerce HongJi, but it might also shake the morale of his own troops, and he issued the order: "Detain these women on the carts and withdraw." The soldiers detain the empress dowager and empress in the cart and push it to the rear of the army. The Prince of Chu ordered: "Bring forward the family members of enemy troops!"


    The whirring call of bamboo whistles were heard, the sound was bleak, the army split apart, there was endlessly clanking of iron shackles, rows after rows of male, female, old and young were all pulled to the front. In an instant their cries shook the heavens. The soldiers from the stockade are personal soldiers of the Liao emperor, YeLu HongJi treated them extremely well and even permit their families to live in the capital, firstly this will make the troops appreciative and they would be willing to fight till death in times of trouble, secondly it also serve to keep tabs on them, they will not dare to revolt during an expedition. He did not expect this arrangement would backfire against him when he went out on the hunting trip. The family members of the soldiers numbered over 200 thousand people, but only 30 thousand people were brought forward, a lot of these people were wrongly arrested but it''s impossible to differentiate them at this moment, some of them were dragging their children and the situation was extremely messy and chaotic.


    A general under the command of the Prince of Chu rode out and shouted loudly: "All soldiers in the stockade please listen, all your family members have been arrested, those who surrender will get to reunite with them, you will also be promoted 3 grades, and also receive extra rewards. If you do not surrender, the new emperor has issued a decree, all the people you see here will be killed." Khitan people have always been cruel and sadistic, if they say "all will be killed", it''s definitely not empty threat and all these people will really be killed. Some of the soldiers in the stockade recognize their loved ones, "Dad, mom, child, husband, wife!" both sides keep calling out to each other.


    Drums roll in the rebel army, 2000 executioners step out, their sabres sparkling. The drums stopped, 2000 sabres were raised, targeting the neck of family members. The general said: "Surrender now to the new emperor, you will be heavily rewarded, else all you family members will die together!" he wave his left hand and the drums roll again.


    The soldiers in the stockade knew that if he wave his left hand again, the drums will stop, and the 2000 sabres will chop down immediately. These soldiers have always been loyal to YeLu HongJi, they are not enticed by the promise of riches or promotion, but seeing their family members waiting to be butchered, how can they not panic?


    The drums rumble without stopping, the hearts of the soldiers are beating anxiously. Suddenly, someone shouted within the stockade: "Mom, mom, you cannot kill my mom!" abandoning his spear, he ran towards an old lady.


    An arrow flew out from the stockade and pierces the back of this solder. The soldier did not die immediately, and he carried on crawling towards his mother. There was endless call of "Father, mother, child", and hundreds of soldiers ran out from the stockade. The trusted generals of YeLu HongJi took out their swords and chop randomly, but how can they stop the soldiers from running? After these hundred soldiers ran out, they were followed by another thousand. After these thousands, chaos broke out, out of his original 150 thousand troops, around 60 to 70 thousand ran over.


    YeLu HongJi gave a long sigh, he knew the situation could not be salvage, taking the opportunity as the soldiers hug and reunite with their families, there was massive chaos as the rebel army separated to make space for the family members, he quickly ordered: "Retreat towards the vast mountains in the north-west." The main army general secretly pass down the order, with the remaining 80 thousand men, the rear troops became the front troops, they gallop quickly to the north-west.


    The Prince of Chu tried to order his cavalries to pursue but they were hindered by the civilians flooding the entire battlefield, the horses cannot gallop past them quickly, by the time they push away the crowd, YeLu HongJi had already led his men and escape far away. The 80,000 troops arrived at the foot of the vast mountain, it is dusk, and the soldiers were hungry and tired, they built a stockade on the top of the slope, occupying the high ground so as to better guard against attacks. Once the stockade is secured, the rice was not yet cook and the Prince of Chu had arrived with his troops and they immediately charge up the slope. Soldiers in the stockade rained arrows and manage to repel the rebel forces. The Prince of Chu saw the situation was unfavourable and he withdraw the troops immediately and set up camp at the foot of the mountain.


    During evening, YeLu HongJi stood at the side of the cliff, gazing towards south, he saw the campfire in rebel camp was akin to sparkling stars, in the distant there were 3 fire dragons arriving, but it was actually the rear forces of the rebel army that came to join up with the main army. HongJi was dejected as he was about to enter his tent, the Chancellor of Northern Chancellery came to report: "15 thousand troops under subordinate command rush down the mountain and surrendered to the rebel. Subordinate did not manage his troops well, I deserve to die!" YeLu HongJi wave his hand, shook his head and said: "You cannot be blamed, go back and rest!"


    He turned around and saw Xiao Feng preoccupied with a distant place, he said: "Tomorrow morning, the rebels will be victorious, I will definitely become their prisoner. I am the emperor, I cannot be humiliated by these rebels, I will commit suicide to repay my country. Brother, you should take advantage of the darkness and escape. You have strong martial arts, the rebels will not be able to stop you." As he said this, his expression became sorrowful, he continued: "I intended to make you rich and influential, but as it turns out I can''t even save myself and I even drag you into this mess."


    Xiao Feng said: "Brother, a real man should be adaptable to circumstances, today this battle is unfavourable, I can guarantee your escape, you should go back reassemble you army and fight again."


    HongJi shook his head and said: "I can''t even save my mother and wife, how can I be considered a real man? In the eyes of the Khitan, the victor is the hero, the loser is the rebel. I suffered a crushing defeat, how can I fight again? Forget me, escape by yourself!"


    Xiao Feng knew he spoke the truth and sighed: "That being the case, I will accompany brother and fight the rebels till death. We are sworn brothers, you maybe the emperor, or even a lowly commoner, but Xiao Feng only treat you as my brother. When elder brother is in trouble, I should face it with you and we live or die together, where is the logic in running away by myself?"


    YeLu HongJi was teeming with tears, he held both his hands and said: "Good brother, I thank you."


    Xiao Feng went back to his tent, he saw AhZi lying curled in the corner of the tent, her big pair of eyes was open, she did not sleep. AhZi said: "Brother-in-law, do you blame me?" Xiao Feng was puzzled: "Blame you for what?" AhZi replied: "It''s all my fault, if I did not insist on coming to this grass plain, you will not get trap in this situation. Brother-in-law, we will really die here correct? "


    The torch''s light outside the tent reflected off her face, a shade of red floated up her pale complexion, she look even more petite and delicate. Xiao Feng felt his pity rising and he said softly: "Why would I blame you? If I did not injure you, we would never have come to this place." AhZi smiled and said: "If I did not attack you with the poison needle, you will not have injured me."


    Xiao Feng extended his hands and stroke her hair. After being injured for such a long time, AhZi lost more than half of her hair, her hair was sparse and yellowing. Xiao Feng gave a sigh: "You are so young, yet you have to suffer along with me." AhZi said: "Brother-in-law, originally I did not understand why my sister loves you so much, but now I know."


    Xiao Feng thought: "Your sister treated me with boundless devotion, what would a little girl like you understand. In fact, I don''t even know why AhZhu feel in love with the crude me, how do you even know?" as he thought of this matter, he shake his head in sorrow.


    AhZi turn her head to the side and said: "Brother-in-law, have you guessed it, why did I attack you with the poison needle that day? I did not want to kill you, I only wanted to immobilize you so that I can take care of you." Xiao Feng was curious: "What is so good about that?" AhZi smiled and said: "If you are immobilized then you cannot leave me. Otherwise, since you despise me, you might abandon me anytime and not pay any attention to me anymore."


    Although her words can be considered to be childish, but it also not casual nonsense, he cannot help but be secretly scared, wondering: "Since we are all going to die tomorrow, might as well say a few words to comfort her." He said: "You are really childish, if you really want to follow me, just tell me, I will not refuse."


    AhZi eyes brightened, she said happily: "Brother-in-law, once I recovered, I still want to follow you, I will never return to my master''s XingXiu Sea again. Don''t you dare abandon me."


    Xiao Feng knew the trouble she stirred up in XingXiu Sect is no small matter, naturally she wouldn''t dare to go back, he smiled and said: "You are the great senior martial sister of XingXiu Sect, if you don''t go back they will be like a group without a leader, then what will they do?" AhZi giggled: "Just let them be confuse. I don''t care."


    Xiao Feng pull a felt blanket and covered her till below the neck, after he tuck her in, he spread another felt and slept at a separate corner of the tent. The flame outside the tent was flickering, he heard faint crying and knew it came from soldiers who miss their family, everyone knew they would not survive tomorrows encounter, but they are loyal to the emperor and refuse to betray him.


    Xiao Feng woke up early in the morning, he ask the room attendant to prepare the horses and to take care of AhZi, knowing his end is near, he ate one pound of mutton and drank three pound of wine, he walk to the hillside. It was still dark at this time, not long after, the sun rises from the east, the bungle call from from within the stockade, clanking sound was heard as the men don their armour and took up their weapons. Troops set off from the stockade and guarded the various strategic points. Xiao Feng look into the distance from his high ground, east, south, south-east, the rebel troops came gushing from all three sides. White mist blanket the distant, he can''t even see the end of the rebel''s troop formation.


    Suddenly the sun ray emerged from the horizon, ten thousand golden ray penetrated the white fog, the mist slowly disperse, revealing the troops hidden by the mist, suddenly the drums roll and two yellow flag troops came galloping out, followed closely by the royal emperor uncle and the Prince of Chu, they pointed at the mountain with their horsewhip and started discussing their strategy.


    YeLu HongJi led his guards and stood by the hillside, seeing such scenario, he was furious, he took a bow and arrow from one of his guard, draw the bow, and shot towards the Prince of Chu. Watching from the mountain top, it may seem they are not separated far apart, but in fact the distance is several times the range of the arrow, the arrow did not even reach halfway before running out of power and dropped down.


    The Prince of Chu laughed and shouted: "HongJi, you usurp my father''s throne and spent a lot of time as the fake emperor, it''s time to abdicate the throne. Surrender quickly, my father will spare your life, and he will also be pretend to be benevolent and confer you as the royal emperor nephew, how does that sound? Ha ha ha!" these few words were obviously meant to insult HongJi for pretending to be benevolent by making YeLu ZhongYuan the royal emperor uncle.


    HongJi was furious: "Shameless traitor, still flaunting and trying to win dispute."


    The Chancellor of Northern Chancellery shouted: "Subordinate is willing to die for your disgrace! Your majesty has always shown great kindness to me, and today is the day I repay you. I will lead three thousand troops, we will shout in unison and rush down from the hill." The three thousand troops are all warriors from the Khitan capital, they are ready to fight to the death, one of them is equivalent to ten men, they shouted and rush ahead, immediately the enemy is forced to retreat a few li. The Prince of Chu wave his command flag, tens of thousands of cavalry surrounded the troops, their spear and sabre ready, their war cry shook the heaven and earth, flesh and blood flew in all direction. The three thousand troops were gradually killed off, eventually, all of them were killed. The Chancellor of Northern Chancellery killed several more people before committing suicide. HongJi, generals, ministers and Xiao Feng could see all the action from the mountain top, but they were powerless to save him, all of them shed long tears for the display of loyalty by the Chancellor of Northern Chancellery.


    The Prince of Chu rode near the hillside and laughed: "HongJi, are you going to surrender or not? What can you do with that little amount of troops you have? Your troops are all brave warriors of the Liao Empire, why do you want them to accompany you till death? Be a real man, be decisive, surrender or fight, if you know your days is numbered, just commit suicide to thank the heavens, don''t sacrifice your soldiers for nothing."


    YeLu HongJi gave a long sigh and kept his tears, he said: "This beautiful Empire, I will give it to your father. You are right, we are first cousin, linked by flesh and blood, why should not sacrifice the lives of our Khitan warriors." As he said this, he raised his sabre and directed it towards his neck.


    Xiao Feng stretch his arm and seize the sabre, he said: "Brother, if you are an honorable hero, you should die fighting in the battlefield, how can you die by committing suicide?"


    HongJi sighed: "Brothers, these soldiers followed me for such a long time, I will die for sure, but I cannot bear to see them lose their life for me."


    The Prince of Chu shouted: "HongJi, you still delay in committing suicide?" he pointed his horsewhip directly at HongJi''s face, his expression arrogant to the extreme.


    As Xiao Feng saw him move closer and closer, he had an idea, he whispered: "Brother, distract him and entertain him with words, I will quietly move closer and shoot him with an arrow."


    Knowing his amazing skills, HongJi was overjoyed: "This is extremely good, if you can kill him with an arrow, I will die contented." Immediately he raised his voice and shouted: "Prince of Chu, I did not mistreat you and your father, your father wants to be the emperor, but he should not kill and injure so many officers and innocent citizens and weaken the Liao Empire."


    Xiao Feng took a hard bow, a few jagged tooth arrows, pulled a horse and slowly guided it to the hill side, he bent down and hide under the horse''s belly, his feet hooked onto the horseback, giving a kick with his toes, the horse rush off. The rebel army saw a rider-less horse, they knew this horse broke from its reins and escape, such matter is very common and no one paid extra attention to it. But after a while the rebel army noticed someone hiding under the belly of the horse and they immediately shouted out.


    Xiao Feng use his toes to kick the horse, and it gallop straight towards the Prince of Chu, seeing that he was around two hundred footsteps away from him, he draw his bow from under the horse''s belly and shot an arrow towards him. The personal guard of the Prince of Chu raised his shield and warded off the arrow. Xiao Feng mounted the horse and gallop quickly, he fired arrows in rapid succession, the first arrow toppled the guard and the second arrow went straight towards the Prince of Chu''s chest.


    The Prince of Chu deftly waved his whip and strikes the arrow. This art of using the whip to strike an arrow was the Prince''s most proficient skill, but the person who shot this arrow had extremely strong muscular strength, in addition the arrow was infused with internal energy, although the whip hit the arrow''s shaft, it only diverted the arrow slightly, with a "Bu" sound, the arrow plunged into his left shoulder. The Prince of Chu gave an "Ah Yo!" call and he lean on the saddle in pain.


    Xiao Feng''s arrow arrived again, this time the distance was even closer, the arrow entered his left side and penetrated out from his chest. The Prince of Chu immediately fell off the horseback.


    Xiao Feng achieved success with one attempt, and he thought: "Why don''t I take this opportunity and shoot that royal emperor uncle dead!


    When the Prince of Chu was shot and fell off his horse, the rebel army shouted out loudly, a few hundred arrows was shot towards Xiao Feng''s horse, in an instant the horse was hit by two hundred arrow, it became a porcupine horse.


    Xiao Feng roll on the ground and slide below a horse ridden by an officer, he executed his cotton softness skill, immediately, from under the horse''s belly he slide to the underside of another horse, he roll on the ground and slide to the underside of yet another horse. The rebel troop was unable to fire their arrows, and they tried to pierce him using spears. But Xiao Feng slide to the east and roll west on the ground, he displayed his skills from the underside of horses. The troops were thrown into confusion, thousand of horses push and trample each other, how can they even pierce him with spears?


    The cotton softness skill displayed by Xiao Feng is a common ground fighting skill in the Central Plain. Be it ground-fighting fist, ground-fighting knife, or ground-fighting sword, all these skills require rolling and tumbling maneuvers on the ground, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack an opponent''s underside. Currently his using it on the battlefield, he moved deftly and avoided the trampling of over thousand horse''s hoof. He took this time to determine the location of the royal emperor uncle, he rolled straight at him and sent three arrows whizzing towards him.


    The bodyguards of the royal emperor uncle had previously seen the Prince of Chu being shot by the arrow and they made preparations against it, three dozen men raised their shield, packed densely layer upon layer they block in front of the royal emperor uncle, three clanking sound was heard and the arrows were knocked down by the shield, Xiao Feng carried ten arrows with him and he had already fired seven of them, he was left with three, seeing the three dozen shield mutually covering each other, it''s extremely difficult to shoot the down the guards with just three arrows, and there no need to even mention shooting the royal emperor uncle. Currently he had penetrated deep within enemy''s rank, behind him thousands of soldiers pursued with their spears, in front of him is thousands upon thousands of soldiers and horses, he had already fallen into a hopeless situation. Last time when he fought the martial artists of Central Plain alone, the opposing side only had around a hundred martial artists and it was already perilous to the extreme, luckily someone saved him and he was able to escape, but currently his trapped and surrounded by over 10 thousand men, how can he escape?


    The situation was desperate and he can only risk his life and go all out, he gave an earth rumbling howl and leaps into the air, with a "Hu" sound, he leap over the three dozen shields, and landed in front of the royal emperor uncle''s horse. The royal emperor uncle got a huge shock, he raised his whip and strikes it towards Xiao Feng''s face. Xiao Feng slanted his body and leap again, he landed on the royal emperor uncle''s horse saddle, his left hand seized the back of the royal emperor uncle and lifted him high up in the air, he shouted: "You want to live or die? Ask everyone to put down their weaponry!" the royal emperor uncle was scared stiff, the words did not register in him.


    The hustle and bustle among rebel troops was deafening, thousands of soldier draw and raised their bow, pointing it at Xiao Feng, but with the royal emperor uncle in his hand, nobody dare to act rashly.


    Xiao Feng gathered energy into his dantian and shouted: "The royal emperor''s orders, all soldiers lay down your weapon and listen to his edict. The emperor is gracious, he will pardon all soldiers, no one will be held accountable." His few words overshadowed the disturbance made by over 10 thousand troops, more than half of the 10 thousand soldiers in front and behind the mountain heard him clearly.


    Xiao Feng have experience in such matters as he was betrayed by members of the Beggar Clan, he understood the thoughts of rebels, once adversity is over, the most important thing is to exempt all crimes, he only need to guarantee that he will forget past grievances and not pursue the matter, the rebel''s will to fight back will then disappear. At this moment the rebel army had overwhelming numbers, YeLu HongJi only had around seventy to eighty thousand troops, it''s a miserable minority against an overwhelming majority, definitely not a match against the rebel army, the situation was critical and he did not have time to consult HongJi, and thus he said those few words to make the rebels stop worrying.


    Once the words transmitted across the battlefield, the clamour of the rebels quieten down immediately, they looked at each other, everyone was apprehensive and undecided.


    Xiao Feng knew the situation was dangerous, if one person from the rebel army voice out his refusal, countless men would blindly follow and the situation would change radically, the situation really does not allow for a moment of delay, he quickly shouted: "The Emperor''s decree: Regardless of your rank in the rebel army, all of you are innocent, the emperor is merciful, he will not pursue this matter. All soldiers will be restored to your former post, quickly put down your weapons now!"


    Silence ensues, suddenly there was a few "Clank" "Clank" sound, and several men threw down their spears. This sound was infectious, immediately, the "Clank" "Clank" sound grew louder as over half of soldiers threw down their weapons, the remaining soldiers that held onto their weapons were still hesitating.


    Xiao Feng lifted the royal emperor uncle high up in the air with his left arm and his horse move slowly up the mountain, none of the rebels dared to block him, wherever his horse went, the crowd will part and allow a path through.


    Xiao Feng rode his horse and arrived halfway up the hill, two troops from the stockade came to greet him, drum beat and music can be heard from the mountain peak.


    Xiao Feng said: "Royal emperor uncle, order your subordinate to surrender and throw down their weapons, we will then spare your life."


    The royal emperor uncle quivered: "You will really spare my life?"


    Xiao Feng looked down the hill, he saw countless rebels still holding onto their bows and spears, the troop''s morale was uncertain, the danger had not yet past, he pondered: "Our top priority is to reassure the troops. The royal emperor uncle life and death is of no concern, we only need to send guards to watch over him strictly, he won''t be able to commit any evil in the future." He replied:" This is the only opportunity for you to redeem yourself. His majesty knows this incident is caused by your son, he can pardon your life. "


    The royal emperor uncle originally did not have any intention to seize the throne, it was all because of his son, the Prince of Chu''s wild ambition that led to the current misfortune, since his already captured he can only hope that his life would be spared, he replied: "Ok, I will do as you say!"


    Xiao Feng let him sit comfortably on the saddle, he said loudly: "All troops please listen, the royal emperor uncle has something to say."


    The royal emperor uncle said loudly: "The Prince of Chu brought about this disaster, now his dead. The emperor is gracious, he will forgive everyone''s sin. All of you quickly drop your weapons and ask the emperor for forgiveness."


    Since the royal emperor uncle said it, the rebels were left without a leader, although some troops are still fiercely stubborn, they do not dare disobey his orders, there were "Clanking" sound and all the rebels cast down their weapons.


    Xiao Feng brought the royal emperor uncle up the mountain. YeLu HongJi was overjoyed, it was as if his dreaming, he quickly rush beside Xiao Feng, holding both his hands he said: "Brother, brother, elder brother''s country, I will share it with you together." He was in a very agitated state, tears flow freely.


    The royal emperor uncle knelt on the ground and said: "The dissident ask your majesty for forgiveness and seek your majesty''s pity."


    YeLu HongJi was in an extremely good mood, he said to Xiao Feng: "Brother, what is your opinion?" Xiao Feng replied: "The rebels have overwhelming numbers, the priority now is to stabilize the troop''s morale, I beseech your majesty to pardon your uncle so that everyone can set their mind at rest."


    YeLu HongJi smiled and said: "Good, good, I will do as you say, I will do as you say." He turned towards the Lord of Northern Chancellery and said: "Pass down the imperial edict, Xiao Feng is conferred as the Prince of Chu, his official rank is the Lord of Southern Chancellery, he will lead the rebel army and return back to the capital."


    Xiao Feng had a huge shock, he killed the Prince of Chu, captured the royal emperor uncle, all to save his brother''s life, he did not covet after prestige or official rank, YeLu HongJi conferred such a high rank on him and he was momentarily at a loss, he did not know what to say. The Lord of Northern Chancellery cupped his hand and said to Xiao Feng: "Congratulations, Congratulations! The noble title of Prince of Chu have never been conferred on non-royals, Lord Xiao quickly thank the emperor." Xiao Feng said to HongJi: "Brother, today''s matter is all due to your great fortune, the enemy soldiers lost their spirit and we were able to calm the rebels down, I only contributed a little, it''s not something praiseworthy. Moreover, I do not know how to be an official and I don''t want to be one, I beseech brother to withdraw your order." YeLu HongJi gave a laugh, stretch out his right hand to hug his shoulder and said: "The title of Prince of Chu and the official rank of Lord of Southern Chancellery, this is the highest position in my Liao Empire, if brother still think it''s insufficient and still refuse to submit to me, then I can only give up the throne and pass it to you."


    Xiao Feng was shocked, he thought: "In his joyous state, brother can get carried away and not know what he is saying, everything is still a mess, we have to settle things quickly and not hesitate to prevent any disaster from happening." he knelt down and said: "Subordinate Xiao Feng receives your order, I thank your majesty for bestowing kindness on me." YeLu HongJi smiled and propped him up with both hands. Xiao Feng said: "Subordinate don''t dare to defy your orders, I can only accept this title and rank. But I am an uneducated peasant, unfamiliar with court regulations, I beg your majesty forgiveness if I make any mistake."


    YeLu HongJi stretched his hands and slaps his shoulder several times, smiling: "It doesn''t matter at all!" he turns around and said to the general of the left army YeLu MoGe: "I am making you the Chancellor of Southern Chancellery, you will assist Lord Xiao and handle all Chancellerys'' affair." YeLu MoGe was overjoyed, he knelt down to thank the emperor and then paid homage to Xiao Feng: "Paying my respect to Lord Xiao!" HongJi said:" MoGe, you will receive Lord Xiao''s orders and lead the rebels back to the capital. We will go and pay our respect to the Empress Dowager."


    Music played out on the mountain peak, YeLu HongJi and the group walk down the mountain path. The rebel lead general had promptly release the Empress Dowager and Empress and made arrangement for them to rest in camp. YeLu HongJi entered the tent and reunited with his mother and wife, they had a narrow escape, it was as if they have been given a second life, naturally everyone praised Xiao Feng for his deeds.


    YeLu MoGe led Xiao Feng meet all his subordinate of Southern Chancellery. Moments earlier, Xiao Feng was alone against ten thousands of troops, such courage is unheard of and everyone witness it with their own eyes. The troops and officials of Southern Chancellery are former subordinates of the Prince of Chu, but firstly, after the awe-inspiring display of invincible might by Xiao Feng, everyone was secretly afraid and nobody dare disobey, they also respected his heroic spirit, secondly, the Prince of Chu usually had a bad temper and never showed kindness to anyone and nobody was loyal to him, thirdly, all of them took part in the rebellion and they felt terrified in their hearts, when Xiao Feng arrived, all the rebels were filled with deep respect and they listened to his orders.


    Xiao Feng said: "The emperor has pardoned everyone''s crimes for staging this rebellion, from now on, everyone should make a clean break with the past, you should never have the slightest bit of disloyalty again."


    A white bearded general said: "Reporting to my Lord, the royal emperor uncle and his son detained my family members and coerce me to revolt, if I refuse, they will decapitate my family members immediately, I had no other choice, I beseech my Lord to clarify this matter with the emperor."


    Xiao Feng nodded and said: "Since this is the case, I shall not pursue past matters anymore." He turned around and said to YeLu MoGe: "The troops will rest here, once they eaten their fill, pack up and return to the capital."


    Immediately, base on their rank, the subordinates of Southern Chancellery came one by one to pay their respects to the new Lord. Although Xiao Feng has never been an official, but he has long been the Beggar Clan''s leader, he has his own way of commanding and leading the crowd. In fact, there is not much difference in leading beggar clan members or Khitan warriors. The only differ is that Liao army have their own set of rules and norm, Xiao Feng was careful to remember it and he also have the assistance of YeLu MoGe, and thus everything went perfectly.


    Not long after Xiao Feng led the army and set off, the Empress Dowager and Empress sent their messengers bearing gowns, belts, gold and silver to be gifted to the army. Xiao Feng expressed his gratitude, and the attendant protecting AhZi also arrive. She was wearing silk gown and riding a gallant horse, both gifted by the Empress Dowager. Xiao Feng saw her small body was wrapped in that large gown, half her face was obscured by the gown''s collar, and he cannot help but find it funny.


    AhZi did not personally witness Xiao Feng kill the Prince of Chu with an arrow or capture the royal emperor uncle alive, she only heard it from the attendants. When recounting past events, people tend to spice up the story and make it more dramatic, and thus Xiao Feng''s achievements became even more miraculous by three notch. As AhZi saw him, she complained: "Brother-in-law, you achieved such great feats, why didn''t you tell me, otherwise I would have stood by the hillside and look at how you kill them all, won''t I be happier? You even made me worried for half a day." Xiao Feng said: "I was lucky to claim such credits, how would I know in advance? You start saying childish words once we meet." AhZi said:" Brother-in-law, come over here."


    Xiao Feng approach her, he saw her pale face glowing with excitement, complemented by the beautiful gown she is wearing, she looks like a baby doll, she looks boney yet cute, and he cannot help but laugh.


    AhZi gave an angry look and complained: "I am telling you a serious matter, but you kept laughing, what is so funny?" Xiao Feng laughs and said: "Seeing you wear that over-size gown, you look like a baby doll, very interesting." AhZi fumed: "You always treat me like a child and now you make fun of me." Xiao Feng laughed and said:"No, no! AhZi, I thought both of us will die for sure, who knew we actually made it through, naturally I am very happy. Whatever Lord of Southern Chancellery, or the title of Prince of Chu, I don''t give a damn, it will be fine as long as we can survive and live."


    AhZi said: "Brother-in-law, you are also afraid of dying?" Xiao Feng nod and said: "In the face of danger, naturally I am afraid of death, there are tens of thousands of troops, you dare to rush out alone? This is called confront a person with the danger of death and he will fight to live. If I don''t rush out, I will die for certain. It cannot be said that I am brave, but it the will to fight of a cornered beast. If you surround a bear or tiger and refuse to let it escape, then it will naturally fight for its life and claw or maul you." AhZi smiled and said: "You compared yourself with wild beasts."


    Both of them rode side by side on the horses, they look at their surroundings, flags were fluttering on the grass plain, long line of troops marching forward, all these stretch across the horizon and they can''t even see the end, bodyguards protected them in all four directions.


    AhZi was very happy and said: "That day, you help me become the head disciple of the XingXiu Sect, from the hundreds of second and third generation members, apart from master, I can be considered to be the most senior, I was extremely pleased with myself. But it is really nothing compared to the thousands of troops you now command. Brother-in-law, the Beggar Clan does not want you as their leader, heng, who gives a damn about that small clan? Why don''t you lead you men and exterminate all of them."


    Xiao Feng shook his head and said: "Childish words! I am a Khitan, the Beggar Clan is correct in refusing to let me continue to be their leader. Members of the Beggar Clan are all my former subordinates and friends, how can I exterminate them?"


    AhZi replied: "They kick you out of the clan, and they mistreated you, naturally you should kill them all. Brother-in-law, do they treat you as their friend?"


    Xiao Feng found it difficult to reply, he only shook his head, he thought of JuXian Manor where he broke off all ties with his old friends, his heroic spirit disappeared.


    AhZi again questioned: "If they know that you have become the Lord of Southern Chancellery of Liao Empire, and they suddenly become remorseful and ask you to become their clan leader again, will you agree?" Xiao Feng gave a slight smile and said: "The heroes of Great Song treats all Khitans as wicked villains who commit all sorts of extreme atrocities, the higher my official position, the more they hate me." AhZi said: "Pei! What gives a damn? They hate you, we can also hate them."


    Xiao Feng look south into the distant, he saw the mountains overlapping at the horizon, he pondered: "I will reach Central Plains once I cross those mountains." Although he is a Khitan, but he grew up in Central Plains, in his heart he loved the Great Song more than Liao Empire, if the Beggar Clan let him become a member without any official duty, an empty-pouch disciple, he will feel more at ease then becoming the Lord of Southern Chancellery.


    AhZI said: "Brother-in-law, the emperor is really smart, he made you the Lord of Southern Chancellery. In the future when Liao Empire fights war, you will lead the troops and be victorious in every battle. You only need to burst into the enemy ranks and kill the enemy marshal, the troops will then throw down their weapon and surrender, won''t the battle be won?"


    Xiao Feng laughed: "The subordinates of the royal emperor uncle are soldier of Liao Empire, they have always followed the orders of the emperor, thus when the Price of Chu died, and the royal emperor uncle got captured, everyone surrendered. It will be different if two countries are at war. If you kill the marshal, there will still be a deputy marshal, kill the main general, and there will still be other generals, the battle will be fought till the last men. My single effort will be powerless in such situation."


    AhZi nodded and said: "En, so that''s how it is. Brother-in-law, you said you are not considered brave when you rush into enemy rank, killed the Prince of Chu and captured the royal emperor uncle. Then in your entire life, what is the most courageous thing you ever did? Can you tell me?"


    Xiao Feng never like to narrate his proudest and bravest achievements, when he was still in the Beggar Clan, he killed all kinds of traitors and evil people, no matter how fierce the fight, once he return back to the clan he will brush it aside and simply say: "The certain person has been killed." As for all the thrilling details and hash encounters, regardless of how others probe him, he will never say a single word more. As he listen to AhZi''s question, he thought of how he had fought over hundreds of battles in his life, how he did not back down in face of enemy and all the numerous brave deeds, he really cannot bear to say it out and thus he replied: "I was forced to battle with enemies, I really have no other choice, it cannot be said that I am brave."


    AhZi said: "But I know. The most courageous thing you did was the ferocious battle at Juxian manor."


    Xiao Feng was dazed and asked: "How do you know?"


    AhZi said: "That day at the Lakeside mirror, once you left, Father, mother, and the subordinate of my father, we all talk about you, all of us admired your martial arts to no end, later you went to the hero''s feast at Junxian Manor and single-handedly fought all the heroes, all just to seek treatment for a single lady. This lady is naturally my sister. They don''t know that AhZhu is the daughter of father and mother, they say you were ruthless and cruel in killing your foster parent and master, but you treated the lady with unexpected faithfulness; You were ungrateful, cruel and a pervert, an unreasonable bastard." As she said this she starting laughing.


    Xiao Feng murmured: "Hei, ''Ungrateful! Cruel and a pervert!'' the heroes of Central Plain gave this kind of comments to Xiao Feng"


    AhZi consoled him: "You don''t have to be upset. My mother praised you greatly, she says that as long as a man is faithful, his is a good man, it doesn''t matter what he do, she says my father is also ungrateful, cruel and a pervert, he lusted after many lovers, and his daughters are cruel and ruthless, it cannot be compared to you. You should stand aside and clap in approval." Xiao Feng smiled and shook his head.


    The army travelled for a few days and they reach the capital. Common citizens and officials living in the capital have already been given advance notice, all of them came out to welcome him, Xiao Feng''s command flag was displayed everywhere, the people burned incense and bowed down to praise him endlessly. With his single action he calmed the disaster and saved countless lives of Liao Empire, over half the citizens in the capital had members from their family serving in the army, naturally they felt grateful towards him. Xiao Feng pressed his bridle and rode on, the citizens cried out: "We thank Lord Xiao for saving our lives! Heaven will protect the Lord of Southern Chancellery so that he may have a long and healthy life, and enjoy great riches and fortune!"


    Xiao Feng listened to the voices paying tribute to him, the citizens were all on the verge of tears, their gratitude and appreciation is indeed sincere and heartfelt, he pondered: "A person who holds high ranking position, every move he make will affect the lives of thousands of people, when I shot the arrow and killed the Prince of Chu, I only did it at a fleeting moment of bravery, I saved my brother, I saved myself, but I didn''t know it also benefited countless citizens. Sigh, I tried to do good in the Central Plain, but I only received resentment and slander, I became the number one evil in the martial art world, such thing is really hard to explain."


    He thought again: "This is the country of my parent, when they were still alive, my father and mother must have walked on this road before. Sigh, I don''t know what my parent looks like, I can''t even imagine how they rode side by side on a horse."


    The Liao Empire is the world''s largest nation, it far more powerful and prosperous than Great Song. But the Khitan lived a nomadic life, they keep on migrating, the houses and shops in the capital are crude and primitive, it really cannot be compared with those at Central Plains.


    The caretaker of the Southern Chancellery welcomes Xiao Feng into his official residence, it was a grand mansion, the furnishings were unusually grand and splendid. Xiao Feng lived a life of poverty, how would he even get a chance to live in such mansion? As he walked one time around the mansion, he felt uncomfortable, he ordered his subordinates to erect two tents in the army barracks, he and AhZi each occupied one tent, their everyday life was simple, just like former times.


    On the third day, YeLu HongJi, the Empress Dowager, Empress, concubines, princess and the captured family members of the army, all returned to the capital. The royal emperor uncle was too ashamed of his deeds and committed suicide along the way. HongJi also kept his promise, he did not pursue the crimes of the rebels, he only executed 20 chief culprits under the Prince of Chu who instigated the rebellion. A grand feast was held in the Palace for three days to reward the troops who remain loyal and fought at the stockade. Xiao Feng became the number one hero at the feast. YeLu HongJi, the Empress Dowager, Empress, concubines and princess all bestow gifts, in addition to the gifts by government officials and army officers, the gifts piled as high as a mountain.


    Once the reward was complete, Xiao Feng return to the Southern Chancellery to supervise affairs. Dozens tribe chief in Liao Empire all came to pay their respects, the Crow tribe, Morality tribe, North tribe, South tribe, Shiwei tribe, Ancient Plum tribe, Five Nation tribe, WuLa tribe, etc. Followed by army officers under the command of the Empress, Great Tranquil Palace, Eternal Happiness Palace, Accumulation Palace, Prosperous Palace and various officers from other Palace. Liao Empire is made up of 59 countries, the TuYuHun, Turkey, Tangut, ShaTuo, Persia, DaShi, Urghur, Tibet, GaoChang, Korea, YuQu, Dunhuang, etc. All these countries have their envoys in the capital, once they learn that Xiao Feng carried the most weight, and have the highest authority over the armed forces, they all came bearing rare gifts to curry favours with him. Xiao Feng had to meet guests and subordinates every day, all he saw was endless treasures, and all he ever heard was fabricated flattery and praises.


    He was kept occupied for over a month and YeLu HongJi summoned him into the main Palace and said: "Brother, your official post is the Lord of Southern Chancellery, you have to be based in Nanjing and wait for opportunity to conquer the Central Plains. As your brother I do not wish to part with you, but in order to establish an outstanding Empire that last for thousands of generation, it''s best if you lead your troops and head down south as soon as possible!"


    Xiao Feng heard the emperor ordered him to lead an expedition to conquer south and he was startled, he said: "Your Majesty, this south expedition is an important matter, it''s an extremely serious affair. Xiao Feng is only one man, the troops are not ready for this task."


    YeLu HongJi laughed: "Our Empire recently met a misfortune, we need time to recuperate our troops. The Great Song is currently governed by their Empress Dowager, they rely heavily on Sima Guang to manage state affairs, there is no weakness to take advantage of, we cannot conquer south at this moment. Brother, once you are at Nanjing, you have to constantly keep the matter of annexing the Song in your mind. We will only move in when there is internal dispute, if you notice any turn of events, lead all your troops and conquer south. If there is nothing wrong with their internal affairs and we forcefully invade, we will waste much effort and reap less benefit."


    Xiao Feng replied: "Yes, this should be the way." HongJi said: "But how do we know if the Song is being governed properly, or if the citizens are really willing to submit?" Xiao Feng said: "Your Majesty please enlighten me." HongJi laugh and said: "This have always been the norm, use gold and silver to bribe spies. The south people are greedy, there are many despicable and shameless people, order your Chancellor to spare no expense in giving treasure, bribe as many people as you can."


    Xiao Feng accepted the orders and left the Palace, his heart was troubled. He have always been associated with heroes and brave men, the martial world is dark and dangerous, he have seen plenty of schemes that involves setting ambush and putting poison, these schemes are straight forward and direct in killing people but he have never tried to use gold and silver in bribing people. Besides, although he is a citizen of Liao Empire, but he grew up in southern Song, the emperor gave him the mission to conquer the Song, but he is extremely reluctant to carry it out, he pondered: "Brother made me the Lord of Southern Chancellery, it''s his way of showing how he valued our brotherhood. If I resign from my post now, I will fail to live up to his great kindness and damage our brotherly ties. I should go to Nanjing first and wait for a year or so, I will then ask for resignation. If by then he does not approve, I will simply slip away and escape, there nothing he can do to hold me back." Immediately he led his subordinates and brought along AhZi and they went to Nanjing.


    The Nanjing of Liao Empire is also known as Beijing (China) in modern times. At that time it was known as Yanjing, also known as Youdou, the capital of You Province. After Shi JingTang declare himself emperor, he gained the full support of Liao Empire, Shi JingTang then ceded sixteen prefectures to Liao as repayment. The sixteen prefectures are You, Ji, Zhuo, Shun, Tan, Ying, Mo, Xin, Gui, Ru, Wu, Wei, Yun, Ying, HouZhou, the Song Dynasty fought three generations for it but they never manage to recover the land. The sixteen prefectures occupied strategic positions, the Liao Empire stationed large number of troops there, every time they attack southern Song, they can push in deep and the Song did not have any strategic points for defence. Song and Liao have fought for over 100 years, the Song only won once, it''s not because of soldiers or equipment, but due to the strategic position occupied by the Liao which allows them to gain huge advantage and control the battlefield.


    Xiao Feng and his party arrived within the city, the street of Nanjing city was wide, markets and restaurants bustled with activities, its far superior to the capital, the passersby are all people from southern Song, and all he heard was chats in langue of Central Plains, it was as if he returned back to Central Plains. Both Xiao Feng and AhZi like it very much, the next day they dressed simply and blended with the crowd, they toured and explored the markets and streets.


    The city Yanjing (Nanjing) spanned 36 li, there are a total of eight gates. To the east is Safe Eastern Gate and Winter Jasmine Gate; South is Rising Sun Gate and Red Phoenix Gate; West is Illustrious West Gate and Tranquil Gate; North is Connecting Heaven Gate and Encircle Vibration Gate. The reason why the north gates are known as Connecting Heaven, and Encircle Vibration, is to signify unshakable allegiance to Liao and to obey the decree of the emperor. The residence of the Lord of Southern Chancellery is southwest of the city. Xiao Feng and AhZi explored the city for half a day, but there were endless city squares, shrines, temples, government office, and they could not possibly finish exploring them all in such a short time.


    Xiao Feng official post is the Lord of Southern Chancellery, the sixteen prefectures naturally came under his jurisdiction, even the DaTong prefecture in the west region and DaDing prefecture in the central region are all under his command. The prestige and power he holds is heavy, it''s not feasible for him to continue living in a small tent, and thus he was forced to live in his official residence. After supervising the work for a few days, he felt fatigued and light-head, he was feeling extremely bitter, he saw his Chancellor YeLu MoGe was intelligent and capable, skilled in managing government affairs, and thus he delegated all the work to YeLu MoGe.


    Regardless, there are numerous perks that come with his high official post, there is unlimited supply of precious tonic and medicines in the Lord''s residence, AhZi can simply eat medicine for all three meals and her injuries recovered day by day, on early winter, she can finally walk by herself. She toured Yanjing city many times, assisted by an attendant, she also explored 10 li outside the city.


    On this day the weather was clear, AhZi wore a mink coat and came to Xiao Feng''s residence and said: "Brother-in-law, I am bored staying in the city, accompany me to go hunting."


    After staying for such a long time in the Chancellery Xiao Feng was also bored, after listening to her proposal he was excited, immediately he ordered his subordinates to prepare the horses for the hunting trip. He dislike hunting with a large-scale party, and thus he only took a few attendant to take care of AhZi, he feared the citizens might a make a big fuss when they see him and he changed into sheepskin robes worn by common soldiers, he carried a bow and a bag of arrows, he rode a horse, along with AhZi they exit the Tranquil Gate and gallop west.


    The hunting party travelled 10 li away from the city, and they only hunted a few small rabbits. Xiao Feng said: "Let''s try heading towards south." He turned his horse and rode towards south, again they travelled for over 20 li, suddenly they saw a river deer running across. AhZi took out her bow and arrow and pulled the bowstring, but it turns out that her arm did not contain any strength, she can''t draw the bow at all. Xiao Feng''s left hand reach out behind her and gripped the bow, his right hand grasp her hand and they pulled the bowstring, once they release the string, there was a "Sou" sound and an arrow flew out, the deer was hit and collapsed immediately. Everyone cheered.


    Xiao Feng released his grip and smiled at AhZi, but he saw tears brimming in her eyes, curious he ask: "What happen? You don''t like me to help you shoot the wild animal? "Tears flow down AhZi''s cheek and she said: "I ... I became a disabled person, such a light bow...I can''t even draw it." Xiao Feng consoled her: "Don''t be so impatient, your strength will return slowly. If in the future it still does not return, I teach you internal energy cultivation method, it will definitely increase your strength." AhZi smiled through her tears and said: "You must keep your promise, you will definitely teach me internal energy cultivation." Xiao Feng replied: "Yes, Yes, I will definitely teach you."


    As he was speaking, suddenly the sound of horse''s hoof came from the south, a large troop came galloping on the snow covered ground. Xiao Feng gaze towards the direction where the sound came from, the troops were all Liao soldiers, yet they were striking their banners. The troops were clamouring and singing, apparently they are celebrating, many captives are tied to the back of their horses, it seems they just returned from a victorious battle. Xiao Feng pondered: "We are not waging war with anyone, what battle did they return from?" seeing the troops head east and returning to the city, he said to his subordinate: "You go ask that group of people, what are they doing here?"


    His subordinate replied: "Affirmative!" he rode towards the troop and said: "Brothers have you returned from raiding the common people?"


    He reached the troop and they exchange a few words. The troop heard that the Lord of Southern Chancellery is here, they cheered loudly, dismounted from their horses and guided it, they quickly walk towards Xiao Feng, bowed down and salute, they chorus in unison: "Long live your Highness!"


    Xiao Feng raise his hand and returned the greeting, he said: "Dispense the formality!" he saw there were about 800 soldiers, their horses carried silk clothes and various artefacts, the horses were also pulling 700 to 800 captives, mostly young women, some juvenile man, all wearing Song attire, all of them weeping and wailing.


    The captain of the troop said: "Today it''s our HeiLaDu troops turn to raid the common people, owing to your Highness good fortune, we had a good raid." He turn his back and said: "Everyone bring out the best looking young girl, the best treasures and offer it, we invite his Highness to pick and use." The troops replied: "Affirmative!" they dragged 20 young ladies towards Xiao Feng and piled various ornaments on a felt sheet. The troops gaze at Xiao Feng, their eyes filled with respect and hope, it would be their greatest honour if the Lord of Southern Chancellery accepts the women and ornaments.


    On the day Xiao Feng was at Yanmen Gate, he saw soldiers of Great Song capturing Khitan''s citizens, and now it''s the soldiers of Liao capturing citizens of Great Song, the captives expression were miserable, no different from prisoners. The Liao Empire does not supply rations to troops, nor do they pay salary to troops, all the needs of the troops have to be robbed from enemy, they send troops daily to Great Song, Western Xia, Jurchen, Korea, and various neighbouring countries to rob the citizens, the act is termed "Beating The Grass Valley", in fact, it''s no different from common robberies. To retaliate, troops from Great Song raid the citizens of Liao and they termed it "Beating The Standing Valley". Thus citizens living near the borders suffered extra hardships, they live in fear daily, not knowing if they will get to see the next morning. Xiao Feng always felt the method was cruel and immoral, he did not intend to serve for long as an official, his only humouring YeLu HongJi for a while before resigning and living in seclusion, thus he did not interfered or make a strong stand in the country''s affairs, as he witnessed the miserable plight of the captives, he cannot help but feel sad and ask: "This raid....where did you carry out this raid?"


    The captain said respectfully: "Reporting to your Highness, we raided outside the ZhuoZhou region, near the borders of Great Song. After the arrival of your Highness, subordinates dare not raid the regions near here for provisions."


    Xiao Feng thought: "Listening to his words, it seems they used to raid the Song citizens here." He advanced his horse and spoke in Chinese: "Where are you from?" a maiden knelt down and cried: "I am from the Zhang village, I beg your Highness for mercy, release me and let me reunite with my parents." Xiao Feng raised his head and look at the rest of the people. Hundreds of captives all knelt down, only one juvenile man stood upright and refuse to kneel.


    The youth was around 16 years old, his face elongated, with a tapered chin, his expression was wavering and uncertain, Xiao Feng ask: "Boy, where do you live?" The youth replied: "I have an important secret, I have to tell you face to face." Xiao Feng said: "Fine, come over and tell me." The hand of the youth was bound by thick ropes, he said: "Please move away from your subordinates, this matter cannot be heard by others." Xiao Feng curiosity was piqued and he pondered: "Such a young boy, what kind of important secret he holds? Yes, he came from the south, he may have information pertaining to the military movements in Great Song." The boy was a citizen of Song, by revealing secrets to Khitan, he will be a shameless traitor, Xiao Feng scorn such people but since the boy said he holds important secrets, there''s no harm in listening, he rode forward 10 zhang and beckoned: "Come over here!"


    The boy followed, raising his hands he said: "Please cut the ropes binding my hands, I wish to present an item I kept in my bosom." Xiao Feng unsheathe his sabre and chop straight ahead, the force in this chop was sufficient to split the boy in half, but the sabre''s positioning was extremely accurate, it only cut the ropes binding the boy''s hands. The youth had a huge shock, he retreated two steps, and gaze blankly at Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng smiled, sheathe his sabre, and ask: "What is the item?"


    The youth stick his hands into his bosom, felt the item and said: "You will know once you see it." And he walked towards Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng stretch out his hand to receive it.


    Suddenly, the youth threw the item fiercely at Xiao Feng''s face. Xiao Feng wave his whip and struck down the item, white powder came flying out, the item was just a small cloth bag. The bag fell on the floor and white powder spilled out of the bag, it was quicklime. This shameless item is used by despicable thieves in the martial world, if the powder landed on a person''s face, the quicklime will irritate the eyes and the person will eventually be blinded forever.


    Xiao Feng groaned and pondered: "This boy is bold, it seems his not a traitor." He nod his head and said: "What is your name? Why do you seek to harm me? "the boy closed his lips firmly and did not answer. Xiao Feng said in an amiable manner: "Just tell me the truth, I will spare you life." The youth said: "I failed in taking revenge for my parents, what is left to say." Xiao Feng said: "Who is your parents? Did I really kill them?"


    The youth took two steps forward, his expression full of grief and anger, pointing to Xiao Feng he shouted loudly: "Qiao Feng! You killed my father, mother and my uncle, I... I can''t wait to eat your meat, skin you and remove your tendon, dismember you into pieces!"


    Xiao Feng listen to the boy used his old name, "Qiao Feng", and that he killed his parents and uncle, it must be former enemies from the Central Plains, he ask: "Who is your uncle? Who is your father?"


    The boy replied: "Since I don''t want to live anymore, I will let you know, the men from You family of JuXian village are not afraid of death."


    Xiao Feng made an "Oh!" sound and said: "So you are the nephew of the You brothers, your father is You Ju second master You, right?" he paused for a while and continued: "That day I was surrounded by numerous heroes in the manor, I was forced to fight, it is not something within my control. Your father and uncle died by committing suicide." as he said this he shook his head and continued: "Sigh, they lost their shield and this forced them to commit suicide. What is your name?"


    The boy straightens his body, and said loudly: "I am called You TanZhi, I don''t need you to kill me, I will follow my uncle and father good example!" his right hand reached into his trouser and took out a short-knife, he plunge it at his chest. Xiao Feng waved his whip, wrapped it around the knife and seized it. You TanZhi was furious and shouted: "I am not even allowed to commit suicide? You damnable Liao dog, aren''t you too vicious!"


    At this moment, AhZi had reached Xiao Feng''s side and she shouted: "You little punk, you dare to insult people? You want to die? Hehe, it won''t be so easy!" Upon seeing such a delicate beautiful lady, You TanZhi was stunned and rendered speechless. AhZi said: "The punk called Zhi, later you will know what it feels like to be blind." She turned and said to Xiao Feng: "Brother-in-law, this kid is so vicious, he tried to harm you with quicklime, we will use this quicklime to blind both his eyes before deciding how to deal with him."


    Xiao Feng shook his head, he said to the captain of the troops: "The Song captives you captured during the raid, can you give them all to me?" The captain was overjoyed and said: "You Highness honoured me with your presence, I would like to thank your Highness for bestowing kindness." Xiao Feng said: "All those who hand over the captives, go back to my residence and claim your reward." The troops said happily: "We sincerely dedicate it to your Highness, we do not require reward." Xiao Feng said: "Leave the captives here and return back to the city, remember to claim your rewards." The troops bowed and gave their thanks, the captain said: "There are many wild beasts out here, is your Highness using these Song pigs as live targets? The previous Prince of Chu likes to do this. Unfortunately, we mostly caught aunties and old ladies, they can''t run fast. Next time we will catch able-bodied Song pigs for your Highness." he bowed and left with his troops.


    "Using these Song pigs as live targets", these words drilled into his ears, Xiao Feng cannot help but feel startled, he could visualize the cruel actions of the previous Prince of Chu: A few hundred Song people howling and running around like wild beasts, the Khitan nobles laughing, drawing their bows, shooting and killing the people one by one. Some Song people fled to the distant, the Khitan will chase with their horses, akin to shooting deer or fox, they will kill every single person. This kind of cruel stuff, the Khitan narrated it as if it was no big deal, it must be a common practice. He looks at the captives, their face yellowed and they shivered under the cold wind. Some of these captives understood Khitan''s language, they heard of "Shooting live human targets" before, they are scared out of their wits.


    Xiao Feng gave a long sigh, looking south at the layers upon layers of clouds hovering at the mountains, he pondered: "If my parentage was not revealed, today, I will still treat myself as citizen of Great Song. We speak the same language, eat the same food, how am I different from them? Everyone is human, but why do we insist on differentiating Khitan people, Great Song, Jurchen, Korea? You come to my borders to raid, I go to your borders to murder and commit arson? You curse me as Liao dogs? I curse you as Song pigs?" his thoughts keep gushing forth like tidal waves.


    Seeing the troops that captured the captives had all left without a trace, he said to the captives: "I''ll release you today, run quickly!" the captives thought Xiao Feng was making them run before shooting arrows and killing them, they hesitate and did not move. Xiao Feng said again: "After returning home, move far away from the borders so as not to get captured during the raid. I saved you this time, but I may not be able to save you the next time."


    Now the captives believed his words, the applauses was thunderous, they knelt down and kowtow: "The kindness of your Highness is as high as a mountain, we will go back home and pray for your everlasting health and fortune." They knew that once they got captured during the raid, unless they are wealthy people who can bribe with gold and silk, they will surely die without a trace. Song and Liao have been warring for successive years, the wealthy families had long escaped to mainland. All these captives are poor people, where would they find gold and silk to redeem their life? They knew their fate was far worse than oxen and horses, but this Lord from Liao Empire actually released them back home, they were really overjoyed at this unexpected news.


    Xiao Feng saw their happy expression, they help and supported each other to travel back south, he pondered: "My Khitan people captured and drag them here, now I release them back, they have to suffer many hardships along the way, how did I show them any kindness?"


    The captives gradually walked far away, but You TanZhi was still standing upright, Xiao Feng said: "Why aren''t you leaving? You are returning to Central Plains, do you have enough money?" he stretch his hand into his bosom, wanting to give him some gold or silver, but he did not carry any money, but as he felt around he retrieved a small oilcloth bag. Xiao Feng heart soured, contained in this oilcloth bag is a Sanskrit version of Tendon-Changing Sutra, it was stolen by AhZhu from Shaolin Temple, and she insisted that he kept it, now she is dead but the Sutra is still around, how it is not sad? He promptly kept the oilcloth bag back into his bosom and said: "I don''t have any valuables with me now, if you need money, you can follow me back to the city."


    You TanZhi said loudly: "The one surnamed Qiao, kill me if you want, cut this act, why disgrace me further with these schemes? Even if I die of poverty, how can I even take a single cent from you?"


    Xiao Feng thought his words were correct, he did cause his father death, there''s a saying that one cannot live under the same sky as one''s enemy, this hatred cannot be eliminated, it''s pointless to argue further, he replied: "I won''t kill you! If you want revenge, you are welcome to try anytime."


    AhZi said: "Brother-in-law, you can''t release him! This kid won''t use proper skills when duelling you, he will only use contemptible dirty tricks. You need to destroy the source of trouble so as to avoid future disaster."


    Xiao Feng shook his head: "Difficulties are everywhere in the martial world, every step is perilous, but I survive them all. This young man won''t be able to harm me. That day I angered his uncle and father into committing suicide, although it is unintentional, but I will always owe this blood debt, why harm the nephew of the You brothers? "as he said this, his enthusiasm dulled and he said: "Lets just go back, there''s nothing much to hunt today."


    AhZi pout and thought: "I just had a great idea to torment this boy, it''s really interesting! But you insist on releasing him, once I return to the city, what is left to play?" but she dare not defy Xiao Feng''s words, she turn her horse and followed Xiao Feng back, after travelling for a few zhang, she turn her head back and said: "Boy, go back and practise you martial arts for 100 years before you seek revenge from my brother-in-law!" she gave a girlish smile, cracked her whip and gallop off quickly.

 Chapter - 28 Vegetation Surviving, Skull Casted In Iron

    You TanZhi saw Xiao Feng and his party travelled north, they did not turn back at all, only then was he certain that he won''t die, he pondered: "Why did that traitor not kill me? Hmmm, he look down on me, and thought that killing me will dirty his hands. He...he became some kind of Lord in Liao Empire, it would be even more difficult for me to take revenge from now on. But at least i found the whereabouts of this traitor."


    He lean down to pick up the quicklime bag, and went to look for the short-knife thrown aside by Xiao Feng''s horsewhip, suddenly he saw an oilcloth bag within the left vegetation, it was the exact same bag retrieved by Xiao Feng from his bosom, he picked it up immediately and open the bag, inside was a book, he flipped the pages of the book, every page had curvy writings, he did not understand a single word from the writings. When Xiao Feng saw this oilcloth bag he was thinking of someone else, he was absent minded, when he put this Tendon-Changing Sutra back into his bosom he didn''t secure it properly, when his horse jolted off, the book just dropped into the vegetation and he didn''t realize it at all.


    You TanZhi thought to himself: "This is most probably Khitan text. The traitor carried this book with him personally, it must be something greatly valuable to him. I won''t return it to him, let him worry about it, which is a good thing." He felt a faint sense of satisfaction of revenge, he put the book back into the oilcloth bag and kept it in his bosom and then travelled south.


    At an early age he learnt martial arts from his father, but he had a thin and frail body, and weak muscular strength, he was totally incompatible for the strong and fierce martial arts style of the You brothers, after learning martial arts for three years, his progress was minimal, he can''t claim to be the son of a famous martial arts master with his level of skill. As he learn till he was 12 years old, You Ju was dishearten and he discussed with his brother You Ji. Both of them agreed: "Our You family produced this kind of three-legged-cat skill, won''t people laugh until they mouth become slanted? Moreover, if people know his the son and nephew of the Twin-You-Heroes of the JuXian manor, they won''t hold back and use their full strength, they will kill him with a single stroke. It would be better to let him study literature so as to preserve him life." Thus from the age of 12, You TanZhi stopped learning martial arts and You Ju hired a tutor to teach him how to study.


    But he did not concentrate while studying, he was always imagining and day dreaming. His teacher said: "Student Zhi, while learning, is it not a pleasure?" he replied: "It depends on what you are learning, Father taught me boxing, i was happy while learning." The teacher fumed: "Confucius was referring to scholarly learning, life great undertaking, when did he referred to boxing and playing with spears?" You TanZhi replied: "Fine, you curse my father and uncle, you say my father is not a good man because he box and play with spears, i will go tell my father." And he eventually drove the teacher away in anger. This went on and he continually drove all his teachers away in anger, You Ju gave his son several beatings, but he became even more obstinate and mischievous after each beating. You Ju saw his son was unworthy, stubborn and difficult to teach, he was at a loss, he could only give a long sigh and pay no notice. Thus, You TanZhi is 18 years old now, although he came from a famous family, he was neither proficient in literature nor martial arts. His uncle and father committed suicide, his mother bangs her head on a pillar to die with her husband, he was alone and helpless, and wandered around aimlessly, all he ever thought was to seek Xiao Feng for revenge.


    That day at the battle at JuXian manor, he hid behind a screen wall and observed the battle, he saw clearly Qiao Feng''s appearance and shape, and heard that he was a Khitan, he was muddle-headed and just went searching north, along the way he saw a petty thief using quicklime to blind his enemy, he felt this was a good method, he copied him and made a quicklime package. He was loitering around the borders when the Khitans captured him during their raid, unexpectedly he met Xiao Feng, and he even manage to throw the quicklime package, it can be said his lucky to the extreme.


    He pondered: "Right now the most important thing is to escape as far as possible, don''t let him capture me. I''ll catch a poisonous snake or big centipede, then i will put it on his bed, when his sleeping the bugs will bite him to death. That young lady ... that young lady, alas, she ... she is so beautiful!"


    As he thought of AhZi''s appearance. His chest heated up for no reason, and his face felt like an oven, he pondered: "I don''t know when i will get to see her pale face, the delicate and elegant young lady."


    He hung his head and took big steps, after a while he overtook the group of captives released by Xiao Feng. Some of them invited him to travel with the group but he ignored them and travelled alone. After walking for 10 li, his stomach groaned in hunger, he look around for something to eat, but there was nothing except withered grass and snow on the grass plains, he pondered: "If only i was a cow or sheep, i can eat the grass and drink the snow water, i will be so happy. En, but if i am a little lamb, other people will slaughter my mother and father, the 2 old lamb, and eat them, then should i take revenge? I cannot live under the same sky as my enemy, of course i have to take revenge. But how should i do it? Use my 2 horns to bang those people that killed my parents? But these people rear animals for the purpose of eating them, where is the logic in revenge?"


    He was letting his imagination run wild, suddenly he heard the sound of horse''s hoof, three Khitan soldiers came riding on horses, once they saw him, there was a rustle sound and they slip a lasso over his neck, they pulled and the rope tighten. You TanZhi could not maintain his footing and fell down, the soldiers drag him away. You TanZhi gave a few blood-curdling scream, immediately the rope around his neck tightens further and he could not scream anymore.


    The Khitan soldiers were afraid the rope might strangle him to death, and they immediately slow the horse steps. You TanZhi struggled and got up from the ground, he loosen the lasso around his neck. A Khitan soldier gave a strong tug, You TanZhi staggered and almost fell down again. The three Khitan soldiers laughed at him. The soldier holding onto the ropes said a few words to You TanZhi. You TanZhi did not understand Khitan, he shook his head. The solider wave his hand and the horse move off again, but this time it did not gallop off quickly. You TanZhi was afraid of being strangled by the ropes and lose his breath, he walk two steps and run three steps to follow the soldiers.


    He saw the three Khitan soldiers heading north, he was afraid: "Qiao Feng only worded it nicely, he said he would release me, but in a blink of an eye he ordered his subordinates to capture me back, how will i survive?" After leaving home and heading north, all he ever thought of was revenge, he did not know the impossibility of the task, when he saw Xiao Feng, the tragic death of his parents muddled his head, with a burst of effort he thought of using quicklime to blind him, and then he will use the short-knife to stab him to death. But he failed on the first strike and lost his drive, he immediately thought of escaping but he got captured by Khitan soldiers again.


    Originally when he was captured during the initial raid, he was mixed into the crowd, he only got hit once on his back by the back of a blade. But the situation now is vastly different, he staggered and collided with objects as he was dragged along, he was breathless, he fell down every ten steps, every time he falls, the lasso will leave another bloodstained line on the back of his neck. The Khitans did not stop for even a moment, they did not care about his safety and dragged him straight back into Nanjing city. When he entered the city, You TanZhi was drenched with blood, he prayed that he could simply die instead of suffering this misery.


    The three Khitan soldiers travelled for a few li in the city, they dragged him before a huge house, You TanZhi saw the floor was covered with bluestone tiles, the pillars were thick and doors were high, he don''t know where he was. After waiting for less than the time required to brew tea, the soldier holding the rope rode his horse and entered a huge courtyard, suddenly he gave a whistle, the horse gallop off quickly. You TanZhi did not expect this, the soldier went around the courtyard three times, the horse gallop faster and faster, around ten soldiers were cheering and spectating at the sides. You TanZhi thought: "It seems they want to drag me around till i die!" his forehead, limbs and body collided with the bluestone floor, he was aching everywhere.


    Among the laughter of the Khitan soldiers, there was a crisp laughter of a female mixed in. You TanZhi was drowsy, he faintly heard the female laugh and said: "Ha ha, i am afraid this human-kite won''t fly at all!" You TanZhi pondered: "What human-kite?"


    At this moment, the rope tighten around the back of his neck, his body rise up in the air, he finally understood, the soldier was galloping fast with the horse in order to lift him up in the air, he was treated like a kite to be played around.


    His body was high up in the air, the back of his neck had already lost all feelings from the pain. His nose and mouth was buffeted by the wind, he had difficulties breathing, but he heard the woman clapped and laughed: "Very good! Very good! The human-kite really flew!" You TanZhi looked towards the origin of the voice, the woman was wearing purple robe and was a beautiful young lady. Upon seeing her, his chest was excited, he don''t know if it was due to happiness or sadness, as he flew around in the air, he was incapable of thinking.


    The beautiful young lady is AhZi. When she saw Xiao Feng released You TanZhi, she was unhappy, after riding for a distance, she deliberately lagged behind and instructed her attendant to quietly capture You TanZhi, and they cannot reveal this matter to Xiao Feng. The followers all knew that Lord Xiao was very doting towards her, thus they accepted her orders, they pretended to adjusts the belt buckle of the horse''s saddle, once Xiao Feng travelled far away, they turn back and pursued You TanZhi. When AhZi return to Nanjing, she waited at a temple far away from Xiao Feng''s residence. When You TanZhi was successfully captured, she consulted the Khitan for any fresh ideas on torturing people. Someone suggested "fly human-kite". This idea appealed to AhZi, she ordered You TanZhi to be flown as kite and it unexpectedly worked.


    Watching from below, AhZi found it interesting and she kept cheering, she said: "Let me fly it!" she mounted the horse of the soldier and took over the rope, she said: "Dismount!"


    The soldier dismounted the horse and allowed AhZi to fly the "human-kite", AhZi pulled the rope and went a few rounds on the horse, she laughed loudly and cheered repeatedly: "Interesting! Interesting!" but she had just recovered from a heavy injury, her hand was devoid of strength, once her wrist weakens, the rope sags and You TanZhi crash heavily on the bluestone floor with a "Peng" sound, his forehead collide with a sharp edge of a rock, immediately the wound cave in and blood gush out. AhZi was extremely disappointed, she fumed: "This stupid kid is so heavy!"


    You TanZhi nearly fainted from the pain, as he listen to her complain about his weight, he wanted to explain but the pain was so bad that he can''t say a single word, a Khitan soldier walk over and undid the ropes around his neck, another Khitan soldier tore of his clothes and randomly bandaged his wounds, fresh blood ooze continuously from his wounds, how can it be stopped?


    AhZi said: "His fine, his fine! Let''s keep on playing, send him up again, as high up in the air as possible." You TanZhi did not understand the Khitan language coming from her, but he saw her making gestures, pointing at his head, he knew it was something bad.


    Sure enough, a solider picked up the rope, he looped the rope around his armpit and then around his body, he didn''t loop around his neck to avoid strangling him, he gave a shout: "Rise!" and sped off on his horse, he dragged You TanZhi on the ground for a few rounds and eventually You TanZhi flew into the air again. The soldier gradually released the rope and You TanZhi flew higher and higher.


    The Khitan soldier abruptly loosen his grip, with a whizzing sound You TanZhi flew like an arrow that has been fired off a bow, he flew high up in the air. AhZi and the rest of the soldiers were cheering and applauding. You TanZhi was unwilling but his body only flew higher and higher, he thought in his heart: "I will really die this time!"


    The ascending thrust force gradually died off, he plunge straight down back to earth head-first, in a few more moment his head will smash against the bluestone floor, four Khitan soldiers simultaneously sent out their lasso, they wrap it round his waist and pull in all four direction. You TanZhi fainted immediately, but the force coming from all four directions suspended him in mid-air, his head was 3 feet off the ground. This manoeuvre is dangerous to the extreme, if one of the lassoes was sent out a bit slow, the force will not balance out, and You TanZhi''s brain will definitely burst. The Khitan soldiers practiced this trick on the Song people, the captives all became human-kite, 8-9 out of 10 will smash head-first on the ground, although the ground on the grass plain is soft, plummeting down from height, even if their head did not crack open, they neck will also break, and they will die on the spot.


    As everyone was celebrating, the four Khitan soldier released You TanZhi from the ropes. AhZi took out her silvers and rewarded every soldier with 5 silvers. The soldiers gave their thanks. They ask: "Miss, you want to play something else?"


    AhZi saw You TanZhi had already fainted, she don''t know if his dead or alive, she exerted excessive force when flying the "human-kite", and now her chest hurts badly, she did not have any strength to carry on playing, she replied: "Enough fun for today. Bring this kid to see me tomorrow if he survives, i think of something to wear him down. This person wants to plot against Lord Xiao, we can''t let him die too easily." The soldiers agreed in unison, they carried off the blood-soaked You TanZhi.


    When You TanZhi woke up, he smell a mouldy odour, he open his eyes but all he could see was darkness, he first thought was: "Am i dead?" immediately he felt pain all over his body, he was extremely thirsty. His voice was hoarse and he said: "Water! Water!" but who will even care about him?


    After calling out a few times, he felt drowsy and he fell asleep, suddenly he saw his uncle and father fighting with Qiao Feng, blood was flowing everywhere, he saw his mother cradling him in her arms, comforting him gently, asking him to be not afraid. He saw AhZi, her beautiful face, her bright eyes emitting a strange light. Her face suddenly narrowed into a triangle and became the head of a snake, sticking out its blood-red long-tongue, exposing its fangs as it bites him. You TanZhi struggled, but he can''t move, the snake bite him on his hands, legs, neck, everywhere, the bite on his forehead was especially painful. He saw his flesh being bitten off, he wanted to scream but he couldn''t......


    He toss and turn around the whole night, he was tortured when he was awake, and now he felt pain and suffering in his dreams.


    The next day, two Khitan soldiers hauled him off to see AhZi, he had high fever and it did not subside, he took a step and immediately collapsed. The two Khitan soldiers supported his left and right shoulder, they reproach him loudly and dragged him into a large house. You TanZhi pondered: "Where are they dragging me? Am i going to be beheaded?" he was drowsy, he found it difficult to think properly, he pass by two set of doors and he stopped outside a hall. The two soldiers reported their arrival outside the hall, a female voice acknowledged from inside, they open the door to the hall and supported him in.


    You TanZhi raise his head, there was a huge decorative carpet in the hall, sitting on a cushion at the end was a beautiful young girl, it was AhZi. Both her feet were resting on the carpet. When You TanZhi saw her snow white crystal-like feet, it was really like smooth jade, it was as soft as satin, his heart was thumping fiercely, his eye fixed firmly on her feet, the flesh on the back of her feet was transparent, several veins were faintly reflected, he really wants to stretch out his hand to touch it. The two Khitan soldiers released him. You TanZhi swayed left and right, and finally maintained his footing. His gaze did not leave AhZi''s feet, he saw her ten toes nails are pale red, it was like ten flower petals.


    AhZi looked at him, all she saw was an ugly dirty youth, his face was twisted, jaws protruding, but his eyes glowed with greedy flames. She immediately thought of an injured and hungry wolf, when she was at XingXiu Sea, she and her two martial-brothers would go hunting, she shot a hungry wolf, but she failed to kill it. That wolf suffered serious injuries and stared at her venomously, the expression was exactly the same as You TanZhi''s gaze, the wolf wanted to pounce on her and bite her to death, although it can''t jump it still bared a dense row of fangs, howling with anger, but You TanZhi is simply too weak, he doesn''t resist at all, it really not interesting. Yesterday, he threw quicklime at Xiao Feng, and he refused to kneel, his manner and speech was stubborn, he refused money from Xiao Feng, AhZi liked it very much, she thought he must be a ferocious and powerful wild beast. She wants to torture him, she wants to cover him with injuries, and when his injured she want him to ferociously fight back and bite her, of course he cannot be allowed to succeed with his bite. But when she captured him and flew him as a "human-kite", this wild beast did not fight back, he gave a dead look, that was not fun at all. She frown and pondered: "How should i torment him so that it will be fun?"


    Suddenly, You TanZhi made two "He He" sound, a burst of strength came out of nowhere, like a leopard he pounced towards AhZi, grabbing her calf, he lowered his head and kiss the back of her feet. AhZi had a huge shock, she screamed. Two Khitan soldiers and four slave girls serving AhZi shouted in unison and they rush forward to pull him away.


    But You TanZhi firmly held onto her calf and refused to let go. The Khitan soldier gave a tug and AhZi was pulled off the cushion seat and she fell onto the carpet mat. The two soldiers was shock and angry, they dare not pull again, one soldier hit his back, the other soldier hit his face. The injuries on You TanZhi swelled, his fever had not yet subside, he was in a confused state, it was as if his crazy, he did not notice anything in front of him. He firmly held onto AhZi''s feet.


    AhZi felt his hot dry lips on her feet, she was frightened, but she also felt a strange itching sensation, she screamed: "Ah Yo! His biting my toes." She hurriedly said to the two soldiers: "Quickly back off, this man is crazy, Ah Yo, do not let him bite my toes." You TanZhi was biting her toes gently, although AhZi felt pain, she was more afraid that he might forcefully bite down, in her flurried state, she knew he cannot be stopped with brute force, she feared that if the soldiers carry on their beatings he will really bite down randomly.


    The two soldiers did not have any ideas to handle him and they could only release him. AhZi cried: "Stop biting, I''ll spare your life, Ai Yo, i will release you." Currently You TanZhi is in a deranged state, how would he register what she said? A Khitan soldier grabbed his sabre and withdrew it from the scabbard, he did not want to hesitate anymore and was going to chop it at You TanZhi''s neck to cut off his head.


    AhZi said: "Hey! You are not a wild beast, why are you biting people? Quickly release you mouth, i will ask someone to tend to your wounds and release you back to Central Plains." You TanZhi still ignored her, he did not exert strength in his bite and didn''t injure her, his hands was gently fondling her feet, he was in a dream-like state, he became a human-kite again, flying high up into the clouds.


    A Khitan soldier suddenly had a brainwave, he clutched You TanZhi''s throat. When You TanZhi''s throat was caught, his mouth open involuntary. AhZi quickly withdrew her leg and took out her toes from his mouth, she stood up, fearing that he might go crazy and start biting again, she hid her feet behind the cushions. Two Khitan soldiers caught hold of You TanZhi, they raise their fist and strike his chest repeatedly. After ten fists, he gave two "Wa Wa" sounds and spurt a few mouthful of fresh blood, the blood stained the brightly-coloured carpet.


    AhZi said: "Stop, stop hitting!" After this thrilling experience, she felt this kid was pretty weird and interesting, she didn''t want to kill him immediately. The Khitan soldiers stayed their hands and stopped hitting. AhZi sat cross-legged on the cushion, her pair of feet under her buttocks, she pondered: "How should i torture him?"


    AhZi look up and saw You TanZhi staring at her, she ask: "Why are you staring at me?" You TanZhi had already disregarded his life, he replied: "You are pretty, i like to look at you!" AhZi blushed and thought: "This kid is really bold, he dare to say such frivolous stuff."


    But in her entire life, no one has complimented her beauty. When she learnt her skills at XingXiu Sect, her martial-brothers all treated her as a mischievous little girl; when she followed Xiao Feng, he was worried about whether she might cause trouble or if she will die from injury, he didn''t care if she was ugly or pretty. You TanZhi spoke bluntly, it was obvious that his praise was honest and sincere, she was secretly overjoyed and pondered: "I will keep him by my side and use him to pass time, that will be pretty good. But brother-in-law said to release him, if he knows i captured him again he will definitely be angry. I can hide the truth today but i can''t hide it from him forever. What should i do so that brother-in-law will never know of this matter? I can stop other people from communicating with him but if brother-in-law suddenly comes over to visit me and sees him, what should i do?"


    She thought for a moment, suddenly she had an idea: "AhZhu is good at disguise, when she''s disguised as father, brother-in-law did not even recognize her. I will give this boy a new appearance, than brother-in-law will surely no recognize him. But if his not willing, after i apply the make-up, he will simply wash it away and return back to his original appearance, won''t it be useless?"


    She wrinkled her brows, at once she had another idea, she clapped her hand and smiled: "Great idea! Great idea! I will do it!" she spoke to the two Khitan soldiers. The soldiers had some queries and they consulted her again. AhZi gave more details in her explanation, she ordered a maid to retrieve 10 silvers and gave it to the soldiers. The soldiers accepted the silvers, gave a bow and hauled You TanZhi out of the hall.


    You TanZhi shouted: "I want to look at her, I want to look at this heartless pretty girl." The Khitan soldiers and the maids did not understand Han language, they don''t understand what he is shouting about.


    AhZi smiled and look at his figure, she thought her idea was very clever and she was very proud of herself.


    You TanZhi was thrown back into the dungeon. At dusk, someone brought a bowl of mutton and a few piece of rice-cake. You TanZhi''s fever did not subside, he was sputtering nonsense loudly, the person was so scared that he put down the food and left immediately. You TanZhi did not realize he was hungry and thus he never touch the mutton or rice-cakes.


    During the night, three Khitan suddenly came into his dungeon. You TanZhi was drowsy and mentally confuse, but he saw the expressions of these men were peculiar, it''s obvious they harboured bad intentions. He vaguely knew something bad was about to happen, he struggled to stand up, wanting to escape. Two Khitan came forward and held him down, they flip his body so that his face is facing the sky. You TanZhi swore at them: "Khitan dogs, go and die, i will cut you into a thousand pieces." Suddenly, the third Khitan was holding onto a white object, it''s like cotton, also like snow, he forceful press it against his face. The sensation was wet and cold, his brain cleared, but he was suffocating, he thought: "So you want to seal my seven orifice, you want to suffocate me to death!"


    But as he thought of this immediately he knew he guess wrongly, someone gave a few poke to his mouth and nose, he could still breathe, but he could not open his eyes, his face felt wet and greasy, someone was pinching his face, some wet stuff was applied on his face, it could also be mud paste. You TanZhi was in a daze and he thought: "I wonder what kind of bizarre method these villains will employ to kill me?"


    After a while, the mud layer on his face was gently peeled off by someone, You TanZhi open his eyes, he saw a face mould made out of wet flour, it was his face. The Khitan handled the mould carefully with both hands, he was afraid of damaging it. You TanZhi curse again: "Stinking Liao dog, you will die without a resting place." The three Khitans ignored him, they took the face mould and left.


    You TanZhi suddenly remembered: "Yes, they applied poison on my face, pretty soon, my face will rot, my skin and flesh will drop off, i will become a freak ... " he became more afraid the more he thought about it, he pondered: "Rather than being tortured to death, i should kill myself!" immediately he bang his head against the wall, "Peng Peng" he bang three times. The prison guard heard the sound and rush in, he tied up his hands and feet, You TanZhi was half-dead and could only allowed himself to be restrained.


    After several days, he did not felt any pain on his face, it didn''t rot, but he was still determined to die, although his hungry, he did not eat any of the food delivered.


    In the morning of the fourth day, the three Khitan men returned to his dungeon, they hauled him out. You TanZhi lonely and painful thoughts suddenly made way for sweet thoughts, he thought AhZi was summoning him for more torturing, although his body will suffer, but he could see her beautiful face, he cannot help but reveal a bitter smile.


    The three Khitan took him across several alleys, they entered a dim stone house. He saw blazing charcoals at the side of the stone house, a muscular blacksmith was naked above the waist, he was standing next to a large anvil, holding onto a shiny black object, he was examining the object carefully. The three Khitan men hauled You TanZhi to the front of the blacksmith, two men held his hands, the other held his back. The blacksmith turned around, he studied his face and then look at the black object in his hands, he seems to be making some kind of comparison.


    You TanZhi looked at the object in the blacksmith''s hand, it was a mask made out of wrought iron, there are 4 holes for the mouth, nose and eyes. He thought to himself: "Make this thing for what?" the blacksmith picked up the mask and covered You TanZhi''s face. Naturally You TanZhi avoided it by turning his head away, but someone was pressing his head, he could not avoid, the mask covered his face. He felt a freezing sensation on his face, his skin was stuck onto the metal surface, but he found it odd, the mask fitted him perfectly, it seems to be custom-made.


    You TanZhi felt odd for only an instant, immediately he understood, he felt a chill down his spine: "AiYa, this mask is indeed custom-made. That day they applied wet-flour on my face, it''s the mould for this face mask. They go through so much trouble to create this iron mask, what is their intention? Could it be ..... could it be ....." in his heart he knew the vicious intention of these Khitans, but he did not know the purpose, he dare not think anymore, he struggled to run away.


    The blacksmith removed the mask from his face, he nod his head, his expression satisfied. He took a large iron plier and gripped the mask with it, he place the mask in the furnace and heat it until it turns red, his right hand picked up a metal hammer, "Zheng Zheng Zheng" he starts striking, after striking the mask for a while, he stretch his hands and touch You TanZhi''s cheekbone and forehead, his correcting the mask to fix the non-identical portions.


    You TanZhi shouted: "Damnable Liao dog, you commit evils that go against nature, you are so savage and wicked, God will bring calamity upon you, you will all die! You oxen and horses will drop dead, you babies will die premature!" he cursed and swear, but the Khitan didn''t understand a single word. Suddenly the blacksmith turned around. He glared at You TanZhi with a venomous look, he raised the bright red metal plier and poke it towards his eyes. You TanZhi was so scared that he gave a loud shrill.


    The blacksmith was just scaring him for fun, he laughed and retracted the plier, he took out a metal curve piece and tested it on the back of You TanZhi''s head. Once adjustment was complete, the blacksmith baked the semi-circular iron cover and the mask in the furnance until it turns completely red, he spoke a few words loudly. The three Khitan lifted You TanZhi up, they place him horizontally on a table, his head facing upward. Two extra Khitan came forward to assist, they forcefully pulled his hair, his head can''t move at all, these five men press down on his limbs, how can You TanZhi even move an inch?


    The blacksmith use the plier to grip the red-hot mask, he stop for a while, waiting for the temperature to cool, he gave a shout and covered it on You TanZhi''s face, white smoke rises, odour of burnt flesh dispersed in all directions, You TanZhi screamed and fainted. The five Khitan men flipped his body over, the blacksmith use the plier to grip the iron cover, he press it on the back of his head, the two semi-circular iron cover became an iron sphere, it covered his head. The iron cover is hot to the extreme, once it touches the skin, it will be burnt and be badly mutilated. The blacksmith is the finest ironworker in Yanjing, the two hemisphere combined together flawlessly.


    It was as if he went through hell, he experienced being burnt and roasted by raging flames, You TanZhi did not recall the time, and he slowly regained consciousness, but he felt severe pain on his face and the back of his head, it was really hard to endure, and he fainted again. This went on and he fainted three times, and awoke three times, he shouted loudly but his voice is hoarse to the extreme, it didn''t sound like human voice anymore.


    He lie down and did not move at all, he clenched his teeth and forcefully endured the pain and suffering on his face and head. This went on for two hours, he finally lifted his hands and touch his face, he felt something hard and cold, he correctly guessed it, the iron mask had already covered his head, he was enraged, he pull and jerk the mask, but it was welded firmly at the edges, how can he even remove it? In his desperation and hopelessness, he cried out loudly.


    He is still young, although he experienced such sufferings, but he managed to endure it and thus it does not seemed right to just seek death, after a few days, his wounds healed and his pain diminished, he knows he is starving. He smell the fragrant aroma of mutton and rice-cakes, he couldn''t resist it and ate it. At this moment he had a clear understanding of the iron mask on his head, he knew the wrought iron mask had sealed his head perfectly, there''s no way he can release it, initially he was angry and acted violently but he finally calmed down, he pondered: "This dog traitor Qiao Feng, he covered my face with this iron mask, what is he intentions?"


    He thought everything came from Xiao Feng''s command, thus he did not suspect that it was AhZi''s doing and the purpose of this mask is to hide his identity from Xiao Feng.


    All these stuff are done by the captain of the room attendants, under AhZi''s suggestion.


    AhZi questioned the captain daily on the condition of You TanZhi after he was fitted with the iron mask, initially she was worried that he might die, and all the effort would be wasted, when she heard that he will survive, she was extremely happy. On this day she learnt that Xiao Feng was going to southern outskirts to inspect the troops, immediately she ordered the attendant to summon You TanZhi to the Beginning Fortune Palace. To make Xiao Feng happy, YeLu HongJi conferred AhZi as Beginning Fortune Princess, and this Beginning Fortune Palace was bestowed as her residence.


    When AhZi saw You TanZhi''s appearance, she cannot help but be overjoyed and it flared from the bottom of her heart, she thought: "My method is effective. With this mask on, even if brother-in-law is standing right next to him, he will definitely not recognize him. " You TanZhi walk forward a few steps, AhZi applauded and said: "Attendant, this mask is well done, take another 50 silvers and reward the blacksmith!" the attendant replied: "Yes! Thank you princess!"


    You TanZhi peered out from the two eye-holes in the mask, he saw AhZi facial expression, there was boundless love and innocence, he listen to her sweet and melodious voice, he cannot help but stare at her blankly.


    After wearing the mask, AhZi saw his appearance was strange, but she could still tell that he was staring fixedly at her, she ask: "Silly boy, why are you staring at me?" You TanZhi said: "I...i...i don''t know. You...you look pretty." AhZi smiled: "After wearing this mask, does it feel comfortable?" You TanZhi replied bitterly: "Do you think its comfortable?" AhZi giggled and said: "I really don''t know." She saw that the mouth-hole for the mask is a narrow seam, it''s just enough for him to drink and eat, if he wanted to eat meat, he have shred it to pieces before he can push it through the seam, but it''s impossible for him to bite her legs again, she laughed: "I put this mask on you so that you will never be able to bite me again."


    You TanZhi was overjoyed, he said: "Does Miss want me ... want me ... to frequently stay by your side and serve you?" AhZhi said: "Pei! You are a big bastard. If i keep you by my side, you will constantly think of stuff to harm me, how can i tolerate it?" You TanZhi replied: "I ...... i ...... i will never harm you. My enemy is Qiao Feng." AhZi said: "You want to harm my brother-in-law? Isn''t it equivalent to harming me? What is the difference?" as You TanZhi listened to her words, his heart soured, he was speechless.


    AhZi smiled: "You want to harm my brother-in-law, it''s the same as climbing to heaven, impossible. Silly boy, do you want to die?" You TanZhi said: "Naturally i don''t want to die, but with this weird thing on my head, i don''t resemble a human or ghost, there is no difference from dying." AhZhi said: "If you would rather die, good, i will fulfill your wish, but i will not let you die immediately. I''ll first chop off your left hand." She turns and said to the attendant beside her: "Attendant, haul him out and chop off his left hand!" the attendant replied: "Affirmative!" and he stretch out his hands to grab You TanZhi''s arm.


    You TanZhi was shock and cried: "No, no! Miss, i don''t want to die, please...please...please don''t chop my hands." AhZi gave a faint smile: "Once i say something, it''s difficult to to retract it, unless ... unless ... you kneel down and kowtow."


    You TanZhi had a slight hesitation and the attendant already dragged him two steps back. You TanZhi did not dare delay any longer, he soften his knees, knelt down and kowtow, the iron mask knocked against the grey bricks and produced a "Dang" sound. AhZi smiles tenderly and said: "Your kowtow sounds so nice, i have never heard it before, you kowtow a few more times for me to hear."


    You TanZhi is afterall a young master of a manor, although his poor in literature and martial arts, and the people at the manor all knows he is good for nothing, but You Ji died early and he only have one precious son, the young master have hundreds at his beck and call, he grew up being pampered, how can he endure this kind of humiliation? When he met Xiao Feng again for the first time, he was arrogant and rather die than surrender, but after receiving extreme bodily torture and mental trauma, his youthful heroic spirit had dissipated and vanished without a trace, as he listen to AhZi he immediately kowtow repeatedly, "Dang Dang" sound rang out, this goddess-like lady praised that his kowtow sounds nice, he felt a faint sense of fondness in his heart.


    AhZi gave a charming smile: "Very good, from now on you will listen to me, if you have the slightest bit of defying my orders i will immediately chop off your arm, do you understand?" You TanZhi said: "Yes, yes!" AhZi said: "I made you wear this iron mask, do you know the reason? " You TanZhi said: "I don''t know." AhZi said: "You are so stupid, I saved your life and you still didn''t express your gratitude. Lord Xiao Feng wants to chop you into minced meat, you still don''t know?" You TanZhi replied: "He killed my father, naturally he cannot allow me to live." AhZi said: "He pretend to release you and then ordered someone to capture you back to turn you into minced meat. I saw you are not too bad, it''s a pity to kill you and so i hid the truth from him and concealed you. But if Lord Xiao runs into you again, how will you survive? You will even drag me into this mess and implicate me."


    You TanZhi suddenly saw the light to the matter, he said: "Ah, Miss you casted this mask and made me wear it, it''s for my own good, you save my life. I ... I am exceedingly grateful, really ... I am really grateful."


    AhZi was fooling him, she managed to deceive him and gained his heartfelt appreciation, she was extremely proud and said: "Now you know the reason, next time when you see Lord Xiao, you must not make any sound or else he will recognize you voice. If he recognize you voice, heng, heng! He will give a pull and tear you left arm off, he will give another jerk and tear your right arm off. Attendant, go fetch some Khitan attire and wash his body, his entire body reeks of blood, it smells so bad." The attendant obeyed and led You TanZhi out.


    After a while, the attendant returned with You TanZhi and had dressed him in Khitan attire. To make AhZi happy, the attendant deliberately dressed him in multicolored clothes, he looked neither male nor female, like a clown.


    AhZi chuckled: "I''ll give you a name, called ...... called Iron Clown, you cannot refuse. Iron Clown!" You TanZhi quickly replied: "Yes!"


    AhZi is very happy, suddenly she remembered an issue and said: "Attendant! DaShi country gifted a lion to us, correct? Ask the tamer to bring the lion over and summon 10 guards here." The attendant obeyed and went out to relay the orders.


    10 spear-wielding guards entered the Palace, they bowed and paid their respects to AhZhi, they turned around, 16 spear-head faced outward, protecting AhZi. Not long after they heard a lion roar, 8 strong-men carried a large metal cage and entered. A male lion is pacing around in the cage, yellow fur and long mane, shape claws and fangs, its expression powerful. The lion''s tamer held a leather whip and led the men.


    AhZi saw this lion is ferocious and terrifying, she is extremely happy and said: "Iron Clown, you said you will obey anything i say, but i don''t know if its true or false. I want to test you and see if you really obey anything i say." You TanZhi replied: "Yes!" he saw this lion and secretly had some misgivings, he did not understand the purpose, but listening to AhZi''s words, his heart start beating rapidly. AhZi said: "I don''t know if the iron mask on your head is hard and sturdy enough, you go stick your head in the cage, let the lion give it a few bite and check if it can break the iron mask."


    You TanZhi had a huge shock, he said: "This...this can''t be tested. If the mask really breaks, then my head ..." AhZi said: "What use are you? You are afraid of such small matters, a real man should not be afraid of dying. Furthermore, i think the mask will probably not break." You TanZhi replied: "Miss, you can''t play around with such matters, even if the mask doesn''t break, this beast will flatten the mask and my head ... "AhZi chuckled: "At most your head gets flatten. You are such a troublesome kid, you original appearance isn''t good, if you head gets flatten it will be inside the mask, the rest of us can''t see it at all, who cares whether your good looking or not." You TanZhi quickly replied: "I am not talking about whether i am good looking but ......" AhZi''s expression became grave and said: "You don''t obey my words, fine, i am done with my assessment of you, you deliberately lie to me, i''ll throw you into the cage and feed the lion!" she instructed the attendant using Khitan''s language. The attendant replied: "Affirmative!" and start dragging You TanZhi''s arm.


    You TanZhi pondered: "If i get thrown into the cage, how can i even survive, it''s better to just obey her words, stick my head into the cage and try my luck!" he shouted: "Don''t drag me in, don''t drag me in! Miss, i will obey you!"


    AhZi smiled and said: "That''s a good boy! Let me tell you, whatever i tell you next time, just do it immediately, stop giving excuses and make me angry. Attendant, give him 30 lashes." The attendant replied: "Affirmative!" and took the leather whip from the lion-tamer, with a "Shua" sound, he lash it on You TanZhi''s back. You TanZhi cried out in pain.


    AhZi said: "Iron Clown let me tell you, when i ask someone to hit you, i actually think highly of you. You making so much noise, you dislike me hitting you is that it?" You TanZhi replied: "I like it very much, i thank Miss for bestowing kindness on me!" AhZhi said: "Good, carry on hitting!" The attendant consecutively lash out 10 times, You TanZhi grit his teeth and endured, he didn''t make a single sound, luckily he was wearing an iron mask and the whip avoided his head, he can endure lashings on his chest and back.


    AhZi saw him endure silently, she felt it was boring and said: "Iron Clown, you say you like me to call someone to beat you, correct?" You TanZhi replied: "Yes!" AhZi said: "Is your word true or false? Are you fabricating lies to deceive me? " You TanZhi said:" It''s true, i don''t dare to lie to Miss." AhZi said: "Since you like it so much, why don''t you laugh? Why don''t you shout out and say that it feels good?" You TanZhi was scared out of his wits under her torture, he even forgot to be angry, and replied: "Miss treats me very well, you ask someone to hit me, it feels good." AhZi said: "Excellent, let''s try it again!"


    With a "Pai" sound, the whip lash out again, You TanZhi quickly said: "Miss, thank you for saving my life, this whip feels good!" he was lashed for over 20 times in an instant, combined with the previous whipping, its already more than 30 lashes. AhZi wave her hand and said: "Forget it, it''s enough for today. Stick your head in the cage."


    You TanZhi bones ached he feel as if he want about to split apart, he limped beside the cage, grit his teeth and stuck his head between the iron bars. The lion saw him suddenly stick his head to provoke, it was startled and retreated two steps, it growled to show its authority.


    AhZi cried out: "Call the lion to bite, why is it not biting?" the lion tamer rebuke the beast a few times, the lion heard the orders, it pounced forward, opened its mouth and bite You TanZhi''s head. There was a "Zi Zi" sound, the lion''s fang was grinding the iron mask. You TanZhi closed his eyes, he felt hot air entering the holes in the mask, he knew his head was in the lion''s mouth, he felt severe pain from his forehead and back of his head. When the iron mask was first put on him, the red-hot metal burnt and roasted his head and face, after a few day scars begin to form and his wounds healed, but with this bite, all his injuries ruptured and the wounds open up again.


    The lion exerted its strength and bite a few times, but it can''t bite down, its fangs ached, it extended its right paw and clawed You TanZhi''s shoulder. You TanZhi felt severe pain from his shoulder and cried out with an "Ah" sound. The lion detected a loud noise within its mouth, it was shock, it opened its mouth to release the head and retreated to a corner in the cage.


    The lion tamer rebuked loudly, he urged the lion to bite You TanZhi again. You TanZhi was furious he stretch out his hand to grab the back of the tamer''s neck, he pushed and inserted the tamer''s head into the cage. The lion tamer cried out loudly.


    AhZi applauded and laughed: "Very good, very good! No one is to interfere, let both of them fight it out among themselves." The Khitan soldiers originally wanted to move You TanZhi''s hand away, but after hearing AhZi''s order, they stopped and did not move.


    The lion tamer struggled with all his might. You TanZhi unruliness flare up, he simply refused to let go. The tamer can only seek help from the lion, he shouted: "Bite, forcefully bite him!" the lion heard his urging, it roared and rush forward, the beast know its suppose to bite forcefully, but it don''t know what to bite, two dense row of fangs clamped down, with a "Kela" sound, the lion bite off half of the tamer''s head, splattering brain pulp and fresh blood on the floor.


    AhZi smiled and said: "Iron Clown wins!" she ordered the soldiers to carry out the corpse and cage, she said to You TanZhi: "That''s the way, you made me happy, how should i reward you?" she place her finger at her cheek and pondered. You TanZhi replied: "Miss, I do not want your reward, i just want you to promise me something." AhZhi said: "What thing?" You TanZhi said: "I beg you to allow me to stay by your side and be your servant." AhZi said: "Be my servant? Why? En, i know it, you are waiting for opportunity, when Lord Xiao sees me, you will strike and harm him to avenge your parents." You TanZhi said: "No! No! It''s definitely not like that." AhZi said: "You don''t want your revenge?" You TanZhi said: "I want. But firstly, i can''t beat him. Secondly, i don''t want to implicate you."


    AhZi said: "Then why do you want to be my servant?" You TanZhi said: "Miss is a goddess that descended from heaven, the number one beauty in the entire world, I ...... I wish to see you ever day."


    His words are really frivolous, based on his current situation, he is way too bold. But when AhZi listen to it, she felt good. She is still a child although her appearance is elegant, her body features has not fully develop, after long period of injuries, she became thin and haggard, as for "Number one beauty in the entire world", it''s far from the actual truth, when she heard someone compliment her appearance, she cannot help but feel happy.


    As she was about to approve You TanZhi''s request, the palace guard suddenly reported: "Lord Xiao arrives!" AhZi gave a glance at You TanZhi and said softly: "Lord Xiao is coming, are you afraid?" You TanZhi was extremely frightened, but he wanted to pretend and said: "Not afraid!"


    The Palace''s door was wide open, Xiao Feng entered, dressed in fur coat. As he stepped through the door, he saw a pool of blood on the floor, he also saw You TanZhi wearing an iron mask looking very peculiar, he laughed and said to AhZi: "You look very healthy today, what new tricks are you playing? Why is this guy wearing that bizarre thing on his head?" AhZi smiled and said: "This iron-head guy is a tribute from GaoChang country to the west, his name is Iron Clown, even a lion can''t break his iron head, you can see the imprints of the fang." Xiao Feng inspected the iron mask, there is indeed fang markings. AhZi continued: "Brother-in-law, can you remove his iron mask?"


    You TanZhi was scared out of his wits. He personally witnessed Xiao Feng extraordinary bravery when combating the heroes of Central Plains, with both his fists, he shocked the steel shields off the hands of his father and uncle, if he really wants to remove the iron mask, it can be done without effort. When the iron mask was put on his head, he felt despondent and lost all his desires, but at this moment, he prayed that the iron mask will remain forever on his head so that Xiao Feng cannot see his real appearance.


    Xiao Feng stretch out his finger and gently tapped the iron mask a few times, it issued a clanking sound, he smiled and said: "This iron mask is extremely solid, it''s crafted meticulously, it will be a shame to ruin it!"


    AhZi said: "The envoy from GaoChang said this iron-head man was born green-faced and long toothed, he look 30% like human, 70% like ghost, those who sees him will run away in fear, thus his parents constructed an iron mask for him to wear to avoid scaring others. Brother-in-law, i want to see his real appearance, see how scary he really is."


    You TanZhi was so scared that his body trembled, his teeth chattered with a "GeGe" sound.


    Xiao Feng saw his abnormal fear and said: "This man is terribly scared, why remove his iron mask? This man is accustomed to wearing the iron mask since childhood, if you forcibly remove his mask he will have difficulty living in the future."


    AhZi clapped her hands and said: "Now that is fun. In the past, when i see a turtle, i will catch it and remove its shell, i will then observe if it can live without its shell."


    Xiao Feng cannot help but frown, he felt that it was cruel to remove the turtle shell, he said: "AhZi, why do you always do this kind of evil stuff that leaves people half-dead and half-alive?"


    AhZi groan and said: "Of course you don''t like it! I am not as good as AhZhu, if i am like AhZhu, you won''t ignore me for so many days." Xiao Feng said: "Ever since i became the Lord of Southern Chancellery, i am so busy that i can''t even take a breather. But aren''t i here every day to accompany you for a while?" AhZi said: "Accompany me for a while, heng, accompany me for a while! I just don''t like you to use ''accompany me for a while'' to excuse yourself. If i am AhZhu, you will surely accompany me every day, you will never leave me, it won''t be ''a while'' or ''half a while''!"


    Xiao Feng knew she spoke the truth, he had no reply, he only laugh and said: "Brother-in-law is an adult, i am not interested in playing with a child, you should go find some young female companion to chat with you and relieve your boredom." AhZi fumed: "Child, child ...... I am not a child! If you are not interested in playing, then why do you come here?" Xiao Feng said: "I came to check if your feeling better? Have you eaten the bear''s gall today?"


    AhZi took a cushion off a seat and slam it on the floor, she kicked it away and said: "If i am not happy, even if i eat 100 bear''s gall, i still won''t recover."


    Xiao Feng saw her child tantrums, if she was AhZhu, he will try to coax her and make her happy, but towards this unruly vicious girl he cannot help but loathe her, he said: "You go rest for a while." He stood up and walks away.


    AhZi stared at his back, as she was about to cry she saw You TanZhi, she vented her anger on him and shouted: "Attendant, give him another 30 lashes!" the attendant replied: "Affirmative!" and picked up the whip.


    You TanZhi said loudly: "Miss, what mistake did i make?" AhZi did not reply him, she wave her hand and said: "Lash him!" with a "Shua" sound the attendant lash down with his whip. You TanZhi said: "Miss, what mistake did i make, you have to tell me least i commit it again." The attendant lashed him again and again.


    AhZi said: "Since i want to beat you, you should not ask what mistake you make, did i mistakenly beat you? You ask what mistake you make, i am beating you precisely because you ask this question."


    You TanZhi said: "You beat me first, then i ask you the question. I did not ask you the question when you sent someone to beat me." "Shua" he was lashed again, "Shua Shua Shua" he received another three lashes.


    AhZhi smiled and said: "I predicted that you will ask the question, so i ask someone to hit you in advance. And you really did ask the question, so isn''t my prediction correct? This proves that you are not loyal enough. I want to ask someone to beat you, if you are loyal, you will automatically volunteer to be beaten. But you keep giving excuses and questioned me, ok, since you don''t like to be beaten, i will stop beating you."


    When You TanZhi heard the word "i will stop beating you" his heart grew cold, the hairs on his body all stood up, he knew that if AhZhi stop beating him, she will definitely come up a punishment that is 10 times more atrocious than whipping, it''s better to just endure the 30 lashes, he quickly said: "Yes, its subordinate''s fault! Miss is showing great kindness by beating me, its beneficial to subordinate''s body, i beseech Miss to whip me more, the more the better."


    AhZi gave a charming smile and said: "Finally, you are getting smarter. I don''t show special favors, you said to whip you, the more the better, you think i will spare you once i am happy?" You TanZhi said: "No, subordinate is not asking Miss for favors." AhZi said: "You said the more the better, it is really your heartfelt desire?" You TanZhi said: "Yes, it''s subordinate''s heartfelt desire." AhZi said: "That being the case, I''ll grant you your wish. Attendant, give him 100 lashes, he likes being whipped."


    You TanZhi was shocked, he thought: "Getting whipped 100 times, can i still survive?" but things had already reached this stage, even if he was not willing, they would still whip him, it''s pointless to debate further, he remained silent.


    AhZi said: "Why aren''t you speaking? You are not willing? I ask someone to beat you, you think it''s unfair?" You TanZhi said: "Subordinate is completely convinced, i know that Miss granted my request solely out of good intentions." AhZi said: "Then why aren''t you speaking just now?" You TanZhi did not know how to reply, he was in a daze for a while before saying: "This...this...subordinate thinks that Miss has shown great kindness on me, subordinate is very appreciative, i don''t know what to say, i don''t know how to repay Miss in the future."


    AhZi said: "Ah ha! You say you want to repay me. I whip you now, you will remember every single whip and remember the hate." You TanZhi repeatedly shook his head and said: "No, no! It''s not true. I said to repay Miss, is really repay. Subordinate is willing to risk my own life and sacrifice myself for you."


    AhZi said: "Good, carry on whipping!" the attendant said: "Yes!" with a "Pai" sound he lash down with his whip.


    After 50 lashes, You TanZhi was in so much pain that he was mentally numb, his knees soften, and he slowly knelt down. AhZi smiled as she watch, she waited for him to plead mercy. When he starts pleading, she will use it as the excuse to add another 50 lashes. But You TanZhi was in a daze, his no longer aware of his surroundings, he only moan softly, he did not beg for mercy. After 70 lashes, he fainted. The attendant did not show the slightest bit of mercy, he kept on lashing and completed the full 100 lashes, only then did he stop.


    AhZi saw You TanZhi was on the verge of death, he had a high chance of dying, she felt disappointed. She thought of Xiao Feng''s indifferent attitude towards her, she felt melancholic and troubled, she said: "Carry him off! This person is not fun at all! Attendant, do you have any new fun stuff?"


    You TanZhi required 1 month to fully recover from the lashings. The Khitans saw that AhZi had forgotten about him, she did not summon him for more torture sessions, and thus they put him together with Song captives and made to do all sort of heavy manual labor, carrying excrements, washing sheep''s shed, picking cow dung, shearing sheepskin, he did all sorts of manual work.


    You TanZhi was wearing an iron mask, everyone made fun of him and insulted him, even his Han compatriots treated him as a freak. You TanZhi resigned himself to adversity, he turn into a mute. When others beat him and curse him, he never resists or fights back. When someone ride past with a horse, he will always raise his head and give a glace, his heart kept thinking about one thing: "When will Miss call me back for whipping?" He only hope to see AhZi again, even if he have to suffer lashings, he will endure it willingly, he never thought of escaping.


    Two month pass by, the weather gradually got warmer, You TanZhi was with the captives, carrying soil and bricks to strength the southern walls outside Nanjing. Sudden, he heard the sound of horse''s hoof, a few horses came galloping from south, he heard a melodious voice laughing: "AhYo, this Iron Clown is not dead yet! I thought his dead already! Iron Clown, come over!" it was AhZi''s voice.


    You TanZhi prayed day and night, he waited for this exact moment of glory, when he heard AhZi called him, both his legs seems to be rooted to the ground, he couldn''t move an inch, but his heart is thumping madly, his palms sweating.


    AhZi called again: "Iron Clown, god dammit! I am asking you to come over, you didn''t hear it ei!" only now did You TanZhi respond: "Yes, Miss!" he turn and walk towards her horse, he cannot help but raise his head to look at her eyes. After being separated for four months, AhZi''s face was rosy, she look even more beautiful, You TanZhi''s heart gave a thump, his stumbled and fell down, the crowd burst out in laughter, he hastily climbs up, not daring to look at her again, he quickly walk towards her.


    AhZi is in a good mood, she laugh: "Iron Clown, how come you didn''t die?" You TanZhi said: "I said...i said i want to repay Miss''s kindness, i haven''t repay it, i can''t simply die." AhZi liked it very much, she smiled tenderly and said: "I am currently looking for a loyal lackey to do something for me, the Khitans are coarse and careless they might mess things up, you didn''t die, that''s good, follow me!" You TanZhi replied: "Yes!" and followed behind her horse.


    AhZi wave her hand and her attendant along with three Khitan guards went back, they did not follow. The attendant knew that regardless of what she says, AhZi cannot be persuaded, but fortunately this iron-head man looks weak and cowardly, there''s no harm in letting him follow the Princess, she said: "Miss, please return early!" and they four of them dismounted from their horses and waited by the city gate.


    AhZi travelled slowly on her horse, after walking about seven to eight li, the route was getting more and more deserted, they turn into a spooky valley, the ground is covered with rotten grass and leaves. As they travelled a few more li, the mountain road got rugged, AhZi can no longer travel on her horse, she dismounted, she ordered You TanZhi to guide the horse and they kept on walking. The surroundings were gloomy, cold wind blew from the mountain valley down to the narrow road, the wind made their skin sore.


    AhZi said: "Ok, its here!" she ordered You TanZhi to tie the horse to a tree and continued: "The things you see today, you cannot leak out the slightest bit of information to others, you cannot even mention it in front of me, do you understand?"


    You TanZhi said: "Yes, yes!" his happiness is raging wildly, AhZi only wanted him as her follower, they even came to this deserted place, even if she whipped him severely, he will gladly endure it.


    AhZi stretch her hands into her bosom and retrieved a yellow wooden tripod, she placed it on the floor and said: "Later if some bizarre bugs start appearing, you shouldn''t panic, you definitely cannot make any sound." You TanZhi replied: "Yes!"


    AhZi again took out a small cloth bag from her bosom, she open the bag, inside was a few lumps of yellow, black and purple spices. She pinched a little spice from each of the lumps and placed it in the tripod, she lit her flint and made a fire, afterwards she closed the cover of the tripod, she said: "Let''s go wait by that tree side."


    AhZi sat down under a tree, You TanZhi dare not sit beside her, separated by a few zhang, he sat on top of a rock facing the wind. Cold wind blows, the wind carried the faint scent of her body, You TanZhi cannot refrain from being delirious with passion, he actually get to experience such a moment in life, even thought he suffered greatly all this time, it was not in vain. He hope that AhZi will sit at this tree forever and he will get to accompany her forever.


    As he was getting drunk with passion, suddenly he heard a rustling sound in the bushes, a scarlet creature is moving within the grass, it is a large centipede, its body glisten, a tumor protruded on its forehead, it''s obviously different from regular centipede.


    The centipede detected the fragrance from the wooden tripod, it weaves its way towards the tripod, it entered the tripod from a hole at the bottom, and it did not come out again after that. AhZi took out a thick piece of brocade from her bosom, her foot step lightened and she gingerly approached the wooden tripod, she covered the tripod with the brocade and wrapped it firmly, fearing the centipede might escape, she put the tripod in a leather bag hanging off the horse, she smiled and said: "Let''s go!" she mounted the horse and left.


    You TanZhi followed behind her, wondering: "That wooden tripod is extremely bizarre, but it''s most probably due to the burning of spices that attracting the large centipede. What''s so fun about that large centipede, Miss has to travel such a long way to this mountain valley to catch it?"


    When AhZi returned to the Beginning Fortune Palace, she instructed the guards to arrange accommodation for You TanZhi at the side of the Palace. You TanZhi was elated, he knew that from now on he would be able to see AhZi frequently.


    Sure enough, on the next morning, AhZi summoned You TanZhi, she led him into the main hall of the Palace, she closed the door leaving the two of them alone in the hall. AhZi walk towards a clay urn to the west, she removed the urn cover, laughing she said: "You see, isn''t it magnificent?" You TanZhi peered into the urn, he saw the large centipede which they caught yesterday moving around swiftly.


    AhZi took out a big rooster that has been prepared in advance, she took out a short knife, chopped off the rooster''s beak and claws, and threw the rooster into the urn. The big centipede climbed onto the rooster''s head, and start sucking its blood, after a while the rooster died due to poisoning. The centipede''s body gradually swells, blood starts dripping out of its red forehead. AhZi''s expression was joyful, she whispered: "It''s done, it''s done! This set of martial arts can be completed!"


    You TanZhi pondered: "So, you catch centipede for the purpose of practicing martial arts. Is it called Centipede Skill?"


    She fed the centipede for seven days, every day the centipede will suck the blood of one big rooster, on the eighth day, AhZi again summoned You TanZhi to the main hall, she smiled and said: "Iron Clown, how well did i treat you?" You TanZhi said: "Miss shown great kindness towards me, it''s as weighty as a mountain." AhZi said: "You said you are willing to go through hell and high water for me, risk you own life, it is true or false?" You TanZhi said: "Subordinate dare not lie to Miss. Miss only has to order, subordinate will never defy." AhZi said:" Very good. Let me tell you, i want to practice a set of martial arts, but it requires assistance from others. Are you willing to assist me in practicing this art? If i succeed, i will definitely reward you heavily." You TanZhi said: "Subordinate will naturally listen to your orders, i don''t require any rewards." AhZi said: "Very good, we will begin practicing now."


    She sat cross-legged, her hands rubbing each other, she closed her eyes and channeled her energy, after a while she said: "You go stick your hand into the urn, the centipede will definitely bite you, you must not move at all, let it suck your blood, the more blood the better."


    These past seven days, You TanZhi saw that the centipede only need to suck a few mouthful of blood from the rooster, the healthy and lively rooster would drop dead immediately, it can be deduced that the centipede''s poison is no small matter, when he listen to AhZi, he cannot help but hesitate and did not reply. AhZi''s expression became grave, she ask: "Why, you are not willing?" You TanZhi said: "It''s not that i am unwilling, but ... but" AhZi said: "But? But this centipede is extremely poisonous, you are afraid of dying is that correct? You are a human or a rooster?" You TanZhi said: "I am not a rooster." AhZi said: "Precisely, the rooster will die when its blood is sucked by the centipede, you are not a rooster, how will you die? You said you are willing to go through hell and high water for me, risk getting your body and bones crushed. This centipede will only suck a little bit of your blood for fun, your body and bones will get crushed?"


    You TanZhi was speechless, he raised his head and look at AhZi, he imagine seeing her red lips open, any scornful thoughts he had of this lady, it immediately vanish and he was mesmerized, it was as if he was spellbound by the devil, he said: "Yes, i will follow your orders." He clenched his teeth, closed his eyes and slowly inserted his right hand into the urn.


    As his fingers reach into the urn, he felt pain on the fingertip of his middle finger. He cannot help but withdraw his fingers a little. AhZi cried: "Don''t move, don''t move!" You TanZhi forcefully endured it, he open his eyes, the centipede has bite his middle finger and is currently sucking his blood. His hairs stood on its ends, he wanted to fling it on the ground and crush it with his feet, although his back is facing AhZi, he could feel her sharp gaze penetrating his back, it''s like being pierced by two sharp daggers, he dare not move an inch.


    Fortunately, when the centipede is sucking his blood, he did not feel extreme pain, but as he saw the centipede gradually swell up, he also saw a faint purple coating covering his middle finger. The purple became deeper and deeper, slowly it turned jet black, after a while, the blackness spread from his middle finger to his palm, and finally it spread from his palm to his arm. You TanZhi had already disregarded his life, he was calm, the corner of his lips revealed a smile, but this smile was hidden by the mask and AhZi did not see it.


    AhZi''s gaze was on the centipede, she gave it her undivided attention, not the slightest bit of neglect. The centipede finally released You TanZhi''s finger and it fell back into the urn and stopped moving. Violet cried: "Gently place the centipede into the wooden tripod, be careful, don''t injure it."


    You TanZhi complied and lifted the centipede, he placed it into the wooden tripod. AhZi closed the tripod cover, after a while, black bood start dripping down from the hole in the tripod.


    AhZi''s face revealed great happiness, she quickly extended her palm to catch the blood droplets, she sat cross-legged and channeled her energy, the blood droplets diffused into her palm. You TanZhi pondered: "That is my blood, but she absorbed it into her body. It seems she practicing Poison-Centipede Palm."


    After a long period, black blood stopped dripping, AhZi lifted the tripod cover, the centipede was stiff and had died.


    AhZi rubbed both her palms together, she look at her palm again, her palm is still white and flawless, without the slightest bit of bloodstains, she knew that the practicing formula she eavesdrop from her master was correct, she lifted the wood tripod and emptied the dead centipede on the ground, she left the Palace hurriedly, she did not even give You TanZhi a glance, it seems he was the same as the dead centipede, both of them outlived their usefulness.


    You TanZhi stared at AhZi''s back, until her back vanish from his view and her clothes cannot be seen anymore, but the blackness had spread to his armpit, in addition his arm start to feel numb and itchy, in an instant, it was as if millions of fleas was biting him at the same time.


    He burst out screaming, he jump up and start scratching, once he start scratching, the itch became worse and seems to go deep into his bone marrow, bugs were crawling around his heart and lungs, wriggling and moving. Pain can be endured but this itch is impossible to resist, he kept jumping up and down and screaming, "Dang Dang" sound rang out as he bang his head on the wall, he pray that he can faint immediately and lose his consciousness to avoid having to bear this strange itch.


    He kept knocking and banging himself, an item fell out of his bosom, the oilcloth wrappings loosen, revealing a yellow book, it''s the Sanskrit manual picked up by him the last time. Under the severe itch, he did not bother to pick up the book, but he saw the book flipped open. The itch is really hard to bear, You TanZhi roll on the floor, after a round of random scratching and knocking, he bent over and pant, tears, mucus and saliva all flow out of the mouth hole of the iron mask, dripping onto the Sanskrit manual. In his drowsy state he did not keep track of time, but the page of the book was soaked full of tears and saliva, inadvertently, a drawing of a monk appeared among the curvy writings. The monk''s posture was very strange, his head was between two outspread legs, extending out, his hands were clutching his feet.


    He was not in the mood to think of the odd posture, he can''t even breathe due to the itch, he lie on the ground, randomly tearing his clothes into pieces, he violently rubbed his skin on the ground, in an instant, blood oozes out from his skin. He was rubbing randomly, suddenly, he slipped and his head cross over between his two legs. He was wearing an iron mask, he was stuck and could not withdraw his head, his stretched out his hand to assist, his right hand clutched his right foot. But he was too worn out and dead-tired, he couldn''t move, he had to temporarily stay his hand and regain his breath, inadvertently, he saw the book in front of him, the book depicted a skinny monk, the posture is similar to his current posture, he felt amazed and found it funny, but the strangest thing is after maintaining this posture, his bodily itch felt bearable, his breathing also became smoother, thus he did not try to withdraw his head from his legs, he continued lying on the ground, he heartily followed the monk''s posture depicted in the drawing, his left hand clutched his left foot, chin touching the ground. This way, his posture was completely identical to the monk and he found it easier to breathe.


    As he maintained the posture, his eyes got closer to the book, he look at the monk again, two large yellow words were written beside the monk, it was crooked and strange, there are many small red arrows on the word. As You TanZhi maintained this posture, he was extremely tired and immediately let go of his hands and stood up. Once he stood up, the itch became so bad that he can''t breathe, he quickly stuck his head between his legs, hands clutching his feet, chin touching the ground, as he made this odd posture, his breathing immediately became smoother.


    He dare not move anymore, after a long time, he became bored, he look at the drawing of the monk and at the two strange words. He look at the small arrows on the word, he instinctively pondered about the small arrows, the strange itch on his right arm seems to turn into a line of warm energy, it circulate a few times around his throat and chest, it slowly dissipates and disappeared from his shoulders and from the top of his head.


    He kept looking at the small arrows on the word and pondered about them repeatedly, each time a line of warm energy will pass by his head and the strange itch on his arm will reduce slightly. He was surprise but he did not bother to think about the underlying reason, he just followed the same steps, after completing thirty cycles, he only felt a slight itch on his arm, after another ten cycles, his fingers, palm and arm was completely itch-free.


    He withdraws his head from his legs, extend his palm and look at it, the black cloud on his palm had vanished, he was pleased, suddenly he exclaimed: "AiYo, this is not good! I transferred all the centipede''s poison into my brain! The strange itch is already gone, but how come a strange monk appeared in the drawings? I even unintentionally make the same posture as the monk? This monk must be a Buddha, he came to save my life." Immediately he knelt and respectfully kowtow to the drawing of the strange monk, "Dang Dang" sound rang out as his iron mask knock on the floor.


    He did not realize that the drawing in the book is drawn using special herbal solution from India, it will only reveal itself when wet, it will disappear when it''s dry, thus both AhZhu and Xiao Feng never saw the drawing. The figure in the drawing depicts the proper way to channel energy, the Sanskrit writings provided the explanations, eminent monks from Shaolin''s previous generation had knowledge on Sanskrit, although they don''t know the mystery of the drawing, they could still practice the Tendon-Changing Sutra base on directions given by the writings. When You TanZhi suffered the strange itch, his tears and saliva flowed freely, luckily it landed on the page and revealed the drawing. The drawing is an ingenious method to neutralize external poison when practicing the skill, it was created by an ancient master from India as part of a set of secret Yoga techniques. When You TanZhi made the posture, it was not completely by chance or coincidence, it was also due to natural human instincts. When he had trouble enduring the strange itch, its natural human behavior to lower the head to the ground, nothing strange or surprising, but his tears and saliva dripping on the page, it''s really pure luck and coincidence. He was dumbstruck for a while, his exhaustion reached its limit, immediately he lie down and slept on the floor. On the morning of the second day, AhZi hurriedly entered the Palace, she saw his naked bizarre appearance and gave an "Ah!" cry, she said: "Why aren''t you dead yet?" You TanZhi was shock and reply: "Subordinate....subordinate is still alive!" he secretly felt depress: "It seems she thought i had died long ago."


    AhZi said: "It''s good that you are not dead! Quickly dress yourself properly and follow me to catch poison bugs." You TanZhi said: "Yes!" AhZi followed and he asks for clothes from Khitan soldiers. The head of a group of Khitan soldier was very welcoming towards him, he gave him a set of clean clothes to change into.


    AhZi brought You TanZhi to the deserted mountain valley, she still use the Divine Wooden King Tripod to attract poisonous bugs, use rooster blood to feed the bugs, and then let them suck the blood of You TanZhi, and then use the blood to practice her skill. The second bug was a green spider, the third bug was a large scorpion. You TanZhi followed the drawings on the book to neutralize the poison.


    At XingXiu Sea, whenever AhZi saw her master practice this divine skill, she will see a dead corpse every time, the people were all captured from nearby villages under the orders of their master, she expected You TanZhi to die when he got poisoned by the bugs, but unexpectedly he didn''t die, and she cannot help but feel secretly surprise.


    This catching of bugs for practicing of skill went on continuously, after three months, the number of poisonous bugs within 10 li of Nanjing city gradually decreased, the bugs attracted by the fragrance were all weak and frail and not to AhZi''s liking. Thus, both of them have to move further out to catch the bugs.


    On this day, they arrived at a place 30 li away from the city, spices burnt in the wooden tripod, after waiting for more than two hours, they finally heard something rustle in the bushes, it seems to be some kind of snake or worm. AhZi said: "Lay low!" immediately You TanZhi lowered his body, he heard a loud sound, it was not normal.


    The sound was mixed with a vomiting stench, You TanZhi held his breath and did not move, he saw the long grass parted, a white body black-striped python slithered out, the python''s head is triangular, a tumour protrude from the top of its head. Snakes are rare in Northern area, but such a strange shaped python, nobody has ever seen it before. The python slithered next to the wooden tripod, it circled and revolve around the tripod, the python body is 2 zhang long, its body is thicker than human arm, how can it fit into the small tripod? But as it smell the spices and the fragrance of the wooden tripod, it used its head to ram the tripod.


    AhZi didn''t expect to attract such gaint snake, she was extremely shock, at the moment she did not have any idea on what to do, she quietly sneak beside You TanZhi and whispered: "What should we do? If the python breaks the wood tripod, won''t it be ruin? "


    You TanZhi notice her tone was gentle when discussing with him, he felt overwhelmingly flattered, at once his courage received a huge boost, he said: "Don''t worry, i will drive away the snake!" he stood up and took big strides towards the snake. The snake hear a sound and immediately coiled its body together, it raised its head and stick out its blood-red tongue, hissing and waiting to pounce. After seeing such display of power and influence, You TanZhi dare not approach rashly.


    At this moment, he suddenly felt a burst of cold wind on his body, he saw a line of fire burning at the western corner, in no time it burned in front of him. As the line got nearer, he saw that it''s actually not a line of fire but something crawling among the vegetation, green grass immediately dried and charred when the thing touch it, at the same time the air became colder and colder. He stepped back a few steps, the yellow line changed its direction and move towards the wooden tripod, the thing is actually a silkworm.


    The silkworm is like pure white jade, with a tinge of green, its two times larger than regular silkworm, it''s like an earthworm, its body transparent and crystal-like. The python was originally aggressive and overbearing, but now it seems to be extremely fearful, it withdraw its large triangular head and hide within its body. The crystal silkworm was unusually swift and climbs onto the snake''s body, as it climbs up its like a red-hot charcoal, it scorched a line on the snake, when it reached the top of the snake''s head, the python''s body cracked and split into two, it moved right next to the snake''s venom gland, sucking the venom, after a while its body swell, looking from afar, it looks like a crystal bottle filled with purple liquid.


    AhZi was delighted, she whispered: "This silkworm is so powerful, it must the king of all poisonous creatures." But You TanZhi was secretly worried: "If such venomous silkworm suck my blood, i will really die this time!"


    The silkworm circled around the wood tripod, it crawled up the tripod, immediately, burnt mark appeared on the tripod. The silkworm seems to have psychic power, it went one round on top of the tripod, it seems to know that if it enters the tripod it will be in danger, thus it did not behave like other poisonous creatures, it climbed down from the tripod and went northwest.


    AhZi was excited and anxious, she cried: "Quick, chase it!" she covered the tripod with brocade, picked up the wooden tripod and chase after the silkworm. You TanZhi followed behind her, they track the silkworm by using the scotch mark it left behind. Although this silkworm is a small bug, it crawls like the wind, in a blink of an eye it travelled several zhang, luckily it leaves scotch marks on places it travelled and they didn''t lose track of it.


    Both of them chase for over three to four li, suddenly they heard the gushing sound of water, they reached a small stream. The scorch mark reached the edge of the stream and disappeared, on the opposite side of the stream, there was no scorch mark, obviously the silkworm fell into the stream and was washed away. AhZi stomp her feet and complain: "You should have voiced out and ask me to chase faster, where are we suppose to find it now? I don''t care, you have to find it for me!" You TanZhi was very apprehensive, searching around randomly, how can he even find it?


    Both of them search for a more than two hours, it was getting dark, AhZi was feeling tired and lost patience, she said angrily: "I don''t care, you have to catch it back, otherwise you don''t need to see me again." She turns around and went back to the city alone.


    You TanZhi was extremely worried, he followed the stream and search downstream, he search for over seven to eight li, as dusk falls, he suddenly spotted scorch mark among the opposite vegetation. You TanZhi was overjoyed, he rushed out and shouted: "Miss, miss, i found it!" but AhZi had went back long ago.


    You TanZhi waded across the stream and followed the scorch mark. He saw scorch mark heading towards the mountain. He gathered his energy and ran quickly, beside the mountaintop was a magnificent great temple.


    He quickly draws near, a plaque in front of the temple reads "MinZhong Temple Built According To Imperial Edict". He did not have time to look at the temple, he chased after the scorch mark. The mark bypass the temple side and led to the back of the temple. He heard the sound of wooden fish and chanting of scriptures inside the temple, the monks were carrying out their prayer sessions. He is wearing an iron mask, he felt ashamed and fearful of being seen by the monks, thus he followed the foot of the wall and quietly travelled, he saw the scorch mark pass through a big mud ground and reach a vegetable garden, he pray that the silkworm is eating vegetable and he will be able to sneak behind and capture it, as he got near the fence of the garden, he heard someone cursing loudly, he stopped advancing.


    He heard the person rebuke loudly: "Why don''t you abide by the rules, sneaking out alone to play? You made me worried for half a day, i feared that you will never return again. I brought you afar from the Kunlun Mountains, you are too ungrateful, you don''t know the trouble and pains i went through. If you continue like this, you won''t have any future prospect, you will destroy your own future and no one will pity you." Although the voice was very angry, it also possess compassion and expectation, it seems to be a father lecturing his unruly child.


    You TanZhi pondered: "He talked about Kunlun Mountains and bringing him from far away place, most likely a master or elder, not father." He quietly move beside the fence, he saw the person is a monk. The monk is really fat, his stature short, he resembled a big meat ball, his finger pointing the ground, reprimanding endlessly. You TanZhi look at the ground, he was surprise and happy, the monk was reprimanding a silkworm.


    The appearance of the monk is already very strange, but talking to the silkworm, it''s even more bizarre. The silkworm is moving on the ground rapidly, it seems to be trying to escape but it keep running into some kind of invisible wall and it turns around immediately. You TanZhi focused his gaze, there is a yellow circle on the ground, the silkworm rush left and move right but it can''t escape the circle, he immediately understood: "The circle is drawn using some medicinal herb, this medicine must be that silkworm black-star."


    The monk scolded for a while, he retrieved something from his bosom and gnawed on it, it''s a cooked lamb head, he ate with relish, he picked up a gourd near the pillar, unplugged it, lifted his neck and drank from it endlessly.


    You TanZhi caught a whiff of alcohol, he knew the gourd contained wine, he thought: "So his a monk that eat meat and drink wine. It seems he raised this silkworm, he treasure and love it very much, so how should i go about stealing it?"


    As he was pondering, he heard someone shout from the other end of the garden: "HuiJing, HuiJing!" when the fat monk heard it, he had a huge shock, he quickly hid the meat and gourd in a pile of rice straw, the person continue to shout: " HuiJing, HuiJing, you didn''t attend the prayer session, where have you been hiding?" the fat monk quickly grab a nearby hoe and start digging the garden, he replied: "I am planting vegetables." the man came over, his a middle-aged monk, he coldly: "Everyone has to attend morning and night prayer sessions! You can dig the fields anytime, why you choose to dig during night prayer sessions? Go, go quickly! Finish the prayer session before coming back here to dig the field. Since you are at MinZhong Temple, you have to observe the rules and regulations here. Your Shaolin Temple don''t have any rules and regulations?" HuiJing replied: "Yes!" he put down the hoe and followed him, he did not turn back to look at the silkworm for fear that the middle-aged monk will notice it.


    You TanZhi pondered: "So this short-fat monk is from Shaolin Temple, all the monks from Shaolin know martial arts, i have to be extra careful since i am stealing his silkworm." When the two of them was far away, the surrounding was quiet, he squeeze through the bamboo fence, he saw the silkworm moving swiftly in the yellow circle, he thought: "How to catch it?" after a while he suddenly came up with an idea, he retrieve the gourd from the haystack and gave it a shake, there''s still half a gourd of wine, he drank a few mouthfuls and poured the rest onto the vegetable plot, he place the rim of the gourd on the ground and slowly move it near the yellow circle. When the gourd rim just move past the yellow circle, the silkworm gave a "Chi" sound and went into the gourd. You TanZhi was elated, he quickly replace the stopper and sealed the gourd, he carried the gourd with both hand and squeeze out of the bamboo fence, after walking for a while he quickly ran and escape.


    After leaving MinZhong Temple for 10 zhang, he felt the gourd was unusually cold, it''s even colder than ice, he transferred the gourd from his right hand to his left hand, and then from his left to right, the cold is really chilling to the bone, the gourd can''t be held constantly. Without any good idea, he place the gourd on top of his head, this was even worse, cold air spread through the iron mask, his head was freezing and it felt extremely painful, it was as if the blood in his body was about to turn to ice. The pressing situation gave rise to a bright idea, he took off his belt and tie it around the gourd, holding the belt in his hand, the belt cannot transmit cold and thus he was able to hold onto it. But the gourd still gave off cold air, after a while a layer of frost formed on the gourd surface.

 Chapter - 29 Bug Congealing Cold, Palm Shooting Frost

    You TanZhi carried the gourd and travelled quickly back to Nanjing, he reported back to AhZi, saying that he has caught the frost silkworm.


    AhZi was overjoyed, she ordered him to rear the silkworm in the clay urn, currently it is mid-summer, the weather is burning hot, but when the frost silkworm is being kept in the urn, the Palace gradually got colder and colder, not long after, even the teapots, cups and the tea water all turn into ice. During one night You TanZhi shivered in his bed, he was freezing and could not sleep, he thought: "This silkworm is really strange, it rarely seen in this world. If Miss really let it suck my blood, even if i don''t get poison, i will also freeze to death."


    AhZi caught several poisonous snakes and bugs to fight with the silkworm, the silkworm simply move around and all the bugs freeze to death, the silkworm feasted on their juice, this went on for ten days, not a single poisonous bug was able to resist. One day AhZi came into the main hall of the Palace and said: "Iron Clown, we will kill this silkworm today, go stick your hand into the urn and let the silkworm suck your blood!"


    You TanZhi was worried about this day, when his dreaming at night, he feared this exact moment, eventually AhZi did not show any mercy and wanted to sacrifice him along with the frost silkworm, his heart is dejected, he gaze at AhZi, he did not move or reply.


    AhZi pondered: "I acquired this treasure by accident, the poison palm skill i am training now, it might be even more powerful than my master." She said: "Stick your hand into the urn!" You TanZhi was tearful, he knelt and kowtow, he said: "Miss, when you mastered this poison palm, please don''t forget your subordinate who died for you. My surname is You, my name is TanZhi, i am not Iron Clown." AhZi smiled and said: "Fine, you are called You TanZhi, i will remember it, you are very loyal to me, very good, you are a loyal and devoted lackey!"


    You TanZhi listen to her praise, he felt comforted, he gave another two kowtow and said: "Thank you Miss!" but he was not willing to give up without a fight, immediately he flipped his body upside down, his head went between his legs, his left hand clutched his leg, right hand reached into the urn, in his mind he is thinking about the small arrowheads on the two words beside the monk in the book''s drawing, suddenly he felt an itch on his index finger, a stream of cold energy shot out like an arrow, it started from his arm and swiftly went to his chest, You TanZhi kept thinking about the direction of the small arrowheads, the stream of cold energy followed the meridian path directed by his thoughts, it went from his finger to his arm, and from his chest to the top of his head, the cold energy chilled him to his bones wherever it goes.


    AhZi saw his odd posture, she found it funny, after a long time, he still maintained the posture, she became curious and approach his body, the frost silkworm is still biting his index finger. The frost silkworm body is transparent like crystal, she saw a thread of blood entering its mouth, it pass by its left body , made a u-turn, and pass by its right body and back to its mouth, flowing back into You TanZhi index finger.


    After a while, a thin layer of frost formed on You TanZhi''s iron mask, clothes and limbs, AhZi pondered: "He must be dead. A living person will have body heat, how can frost form on him?" but she saw blood still circulating within the frost silkworm, apparently it''s still sucking blood, suddenly, wisps of hot steam issued from the frost silkworm.


    In the midst of her surprise, there was a gentle clattering sound, the frost silkworm fell off You TanZhi index finger. AhZi had already prepared a stick, she ram down hard. She thought this super natural frost silkworm would not die with this one stroke, but who knew that when it fell into the urn, its belly face the sky, it just stayed there and did not turn around. The silkworm was pounded into pulp in one move.


    AhZi rejoiced and quickly stuck her hand into the urn, she stuffed the silkworm''s fluid and blood onto both her palm, closed her eyes, circulated her energy and absorbed all the blood and fluids.


    She channeled for half a day, stretch out her hands and stood up, she saw You TanZhi was still upside down his head between his legs, body covered with frost. She is extremely astonished, she reach out and touch his body, his hands emit a strange coldness, his clothes frozen stiff. She is shocked but found it funny at the same time, she summoned the attendant and ordered him to bury You TanZhi.


    The attendant led a few Khitan soldiers and they put You TanZhi corpse on a horse carriage, they went outside the city. AhZi did not instruct them to give a proper burial, thus the attendant did not bother to dig a grave and simply threw the corpse into a small brook, they went back to the city.


    This act of laziness from the attendant actually saved You TanZhi''s life. When You TanZhi was bitten by the silkworm, he immediately used the energy circulation method from the [Tendon-Changing Sutra], the poison gas was neutralized, his blood was suck by the frost silkworm and return back into his finger and the deadly frost poison of the silkworm was absorbed by him. Thus, the blood and fluids absorbed by AhZi was completely ineffective and she wasted her effort. If You TanZhi had completely mastered the energy circulation method of [Tendon-Changing Sutra], he would be able to slowly neutralize the frost poison absorbed by him and greatly increase his internal energy, but he only learnt one method, thus he can''t expel the poison. The strange frost poison is the number one most Yin and cold element in the world, it froze his body solid immediately.


    If the attendant really buried him in the soil, even after a few hundred years, he might not defrost and might not actually die. Currently his body is submerged in water, it slowly flow downwards, after around 10 li, the creek made a turn and his body was trapped by reeds at the side. After a while, the water surrounding his body all turn into ice, forming a crystal coffin. Water continued to rush and wash over him, bit by bit the cold air wash away, eventually the ice covering his body started to melt.


    Luckily, his wearing an iron mask on his head. Iron transfers heat and cold quickly, thus ice covering his mask melted first. Water rush onto his head and he started coughing, he was conscious and clear headed again, he climb out of the brook, "Ding Dang" sound came from his body, evidently he still carried a lot of ice on his body. Initially when his body froze, he did not lose consciousness, but he was stuck in the ice and could not move. After being frozen for a long period of time he lost consciousness, now that he safely escaped, he felt as if he just woke up from a long dream.


    He sat by the side of the brook, he thought about his loyalty and devotion to AhZi, he willingly risk his body to feed poisonous bugs to help her practice her skills, but when he died, AhZi did not even give a sigh, looking out from within the ice, he saw her beam with pleasure and took all the silkworm''s fluid and blood, spread it on her palm and practice her skills, she only look sideways at him, thinking that he died in a fun and strange way, there wasn''t the slightest bit of pity from her.


    He pondered: "This frost silkworm is exceptionally poisonous, it''s worth more than a thousand poisonous bugs and snakes, after absorbing the poison into her palm, Miss will naturally master her poison palm. If i go back and see her ..." Suddenly, his body trembled, his heart grew cold and he thought: "Once she sees me, she will definitely test her poison on me. If she mastered the poison palm, she will naturally kill me with one stroke. If she has yet to master it, she will definitely ask me to catch more poisonous bugs and snake until she mastered her palm, until she can kill me with a single palm stroke. I will die either way, why should i even go back?"


    He stood up and jump a few times, shaking off all the ice on his body, he thought: "Where should i go?"


    He dare not seek Qiao Feng for revenge anymore. At the moment his undecided, he wandered around the wilderness and mountains, picking wild berries and catching birds and small beasts for food. During the night on the second day, he felt bored, he took out the Sanskrit [Tendon-Changing Sutra], he thought of following the posture of the monk in the drawing.


    The book is completely soaked, he flipped the page cautiously for fear that he might damage the page, but he was surprised as he saw drawings of the monk on every single page, their postures all different. After some deep contemplation, he finally understood, the drawings will only appear when wet, he was not save by Buddha. Starting from the first page, he copied the posture, when he thought about the small red arrowhead on the strange words, he felt a faint thread of cold ice traveling around his limbs and bones, it was as if the frost silkworm was alive and crawling in his body. He became fearful and quickly stood up, the frost silkworm inside his body vanished immediately.


    For four hours he kept thinking: "The frost silkworm inside my body, has it left?" but he can''t touch, feel or even track it, he couldn''t bear it anymore and started to imitate the odd posture and contemplate on the small red arrowhead on the strange words, after a while, the frost silkworm start crawling inside his body again. He gave a loud cry and stopped contemplating on the arrowhead, the frost silkworm vanish again, when he start to think about the arrowhead, the frost silkworm crawls again.


    Every time, when the frost silkworm crawls, his body felt comfortable and unrestricted. The book contains many different postures of naked monk, the small arrowhead on the strange words twist and turn, its variation complicated. He followed the various different postures to activate the frost silkworm, his felt cool yet warm, he was comfortable and at ease.


    Time flies and a few month pass, when capturing beasts he felt his hands and feet becoming lighter and more nimble, he leap and jump further, his running speed greatly exceeds what he was capable of in the past.


    On a certain evening, a hungry wolf came out to hunt for food, it pounced towards him. You TanZhi was shock and fled quickly, the claws of the wolf had already reached his shoulders, it exposed its fangs and bite towards his throat. He panic and randomly threw out a palm, hitting the wolf on the top of its head. The wolf roll and twisted a few times and stopped moving. You TanZhi turn around and move back a few zhang, he saw the wolf did not move at all, feeling curious he picked up a stone and cast it out, the stone hit the wolf''s body but it still did not move at all. He was pleasantly surprised and went over to inspect, the wolf was dead. He never expect this effortless palm stroke from him had this much power, he turn and inspected his palm repeatedly but did not see anything special, he cannot help but cry out: "The spirit of frost silkworm has shown itself!"


    He thought that when the frost silkworm died, its spirit resided within his body, resulting in his amazing feat, he did not realize it was purely due to his [Tendon-Changing Sutra], in addition the frost silkworm possess one of the deadliest poison in the world, this Yin-poison had been absorbed by him, combined with the superior internal energy cultivated by the [Tendon-Changing Sutra], his internal energy contains an extremely fierce Yin-strength.


    The [Tendon-Changing Sutra] is the most treasured supreme manual of martial studies, but its cultivation method is extremely difficult, it requires the dissolution of distinction between self and others, in addition, the practitioner must not have the slightest desire to learn the martial arts of the sutra. But only first-class martial monks will get the chance to practice the sutra, all of them are valiant and eager for success, who doesn''t want to master the sutra as soon as possible and reap its benefits? Hence, it''s extremely difficult for them to not have the slightest desire to learn the sutra.


    For several hundred years, many Shaolin eminent monks practiced the [Tendon-Changing Sutra], but years after years of diligent practice yielded negligible results, thus all the monks thought the sutra was wholly ineffective, when the sutra was stolen by AhZhu, although the eminent monks were extremely angry, but they did not consider it to be a major loss.


    One hundred years ago, Shaolin Temple had a monk, this person became a monk since childhood, his dull-witted and crazy. His teacher could not master the [Tendon-Changing Sutra] and threw it away in anger. The crazy monk picked up the book thrown by his teacher, he laugh and practice the contents, eventually he became a top martial art expert of his generation. Although his martial arts were outstanding, till his death, he did not know the exact reason, and nobody knew it was due to the [Tendon-Changing Sutra]. You TanZhi did not have the desire to learn martial arts, he followed the methods in the sutra purely for the sake of activating the frost silkworm within his body as he found it fun and interesting, unwittingly his martial arts improved day by day, he followed the exact same route taken by the crazy monk many years ago.


    Days after, he killed several more wild beasts, he knew his palm strength was exceedingly strong and he became bolder, he kept on travelling south, he feared that if he does not summon the frost silkworm spirit for a single day, the "silkworm spirit" will automatically leave him, thus he use his palm everyday and dare not stop. The "silkworm spirit" was marvelous and strange and always came when summoned.


    You TanZhi drifted south, on this day he reached the borders of Henan province in Central Plains. He knew his iron head will scare people off, thus during the day he rest in caves within wild forest, as night falls, he came out and stole food from homes. His body is exceptionally agile and nobody detected him.


    On this day, he is sleeping in a small dilapidated temple beside the road, suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps, three people entered the temple.


    He quickly hid behind a shrine as he dare not let others see his appearance. When the trio entered the temple, they sat down immediately and start chatting. The trio rambled and talked about gossips in the martial world, suddenly a person ask: "Where do you think Qiao Feng is hiding, one year has pass but we didn''t even hear single news about him?"


    When You TanZhi heard the word "Qiao Feng", his heart grew cold, he immediately paid attention to their conversation. Another person replied: "He committed all sorts of evils, he felt guilty and hid himself, i guess we will never see him again." The first person said: "It might not be true. His biding his time, once someone is down and out, he will strike immediately. Do your math, after the battle at JuXian manor, he killed how many people? Elder Xu, Grandpa and Grandma Tan, Zhao QianSun, Taishan Iron-Face Judge and his entire family, Tiantai Mountain Monk ZhiGuang, Beggars Clan Madam Ma, Elder Bai ShiJing, sigh, countless lives!"


    When You TanZhi heard the word "Battle at JuXian Manor", his heart ached and he lost his interest in the conversation, after a while, he heard a hoarse voice said: "Clan leader Qiao has always been benevolent and righteous, i never expect...sigh...i never expect, this is all predestined fate. Let us just go." He finish speaking and stood up.


    Another person said: "Old Wang, you said our Clan is recommending someone to be the new Clan leader, who is it?" the hoarse voice replied: "I don''t know! We been recommending numerous people for over a month, but we just can''t find a suitable hero that can gain the respect of the entire Clan, sigh, we can only wait and see." another person said: "I can read your mind, you are hoping that Qiao Feng will come back and be our Clan leader again. You better abandon that idea and stop dreaming, if these words reach Hall-Master Quan, your life cannot be guaranteed." Old Wang got anxious, he said: "Xiao Bi, you said these words yourself, when did i say i want Clan leader Qiao to be our Clan leader again?" Xiao Bi sneered: "You still address him at Clan leader Qiao, you dare say you don''t want him to be the Clan leader again?" Old Wang raged: "If you keep spewing nonsense i will beat you to death." The third person step in and mediated: "Enough, enough, we are all brothers, let''s not spoil the relationship. How can Qiao Feng become our Clan leader again? His a Khitan dog, everyone will fight till death if they sees him again. Moreover, even if we invite him to be our Clan leader, you think he will agree?" Old Wang sigh and said: "You are right." As he finish the trio left the temple.


    You TanZhi pondered: "The Beggar Clan is searching everywhere for Qiao Feng but they can''t find him, how would they know his already the Lord of Southern Chancellery in Liao Empire. I will tell them this information. The Beggar Clan have overwhelming numbers, along with a few experts from Central Plains, we might be able to kill that traitor. I will follow them and kill Qiao Feng." When he thought about returning to Nanjing he thought of seeing AhZi again, his chest immediately heat up like an oven.


    He tiptoed out of the temple, he saw the three Beggar Clan members walk on the road and heading west, he followed behind quietly. It''s already dusk, there is no one around, he travelled for a few li and came to a low-lying land, he look to the distant and saw a bonfire within the mountain valley, You TanZhi pondered: "My iron mask is very strange, they will make a mountain out of a molehill if they see me, i should hide within the vegetation and eavesdrop." He jump into the grass bush and slowly crawled towards the bonfire. He crawled for a few zhang and stop, he gradually crawled closer again, but he heard a huge commotion, a large number of people gathered at the bonfire. You TanZhi experience great sufferings recently, he dare not be careless, as he got closer to the bonfire he crawled even slower, he crawled behind a large rock and was separated a few zhang from the bonfire, he dare not move closer anymore, he laid low and listen.


    Among the crowd by the bonfire, someone spoke. You TanZhi listen for a while, it seems to be members from the Hall of Great Wisdom of the Beggar Clan, they gathered here to discuss who to recommend as the next Clan leader. Some push for Elder Song, some push for Elder Wu. Another person said: "Speaking of wits and courage, we should recommend Hall-Master Quan, unfortunately Hall-Master Quan was expelled by Qiao Feng, we still haven''t settle how to let him rejoin the Clan again." Another person replied: "The treacherous affair of Qiao Feng was exposed by Hall-Master Quan, he rendered a huge service to our Clan, it should be easy to let him rejoin. Once the General Assembly starts, we will first settle the matter of letting Hall-Master Quan rejoin the Clan, we will bring up his great contribution and then recommend him as the next Clan leader."


    A cool and bright voice said: "It''s possible for me to rejoin the Clan. But you cannot recommend me for the position of Clan leader, people might gossip and say that i expose Qiao Feng for selfish reason of displacing him as the next Clan leader." A person said loudly: "Hall-Master Quan is a person who does not shirk responsibility. Although our Clan Elders have better martial arts, but when it comes to resourcefulness, no one can be compared to you. Against Qiao Feng, we can only pit our wits against him, not force, so Hall-Master Quan ......" Hall-Master Quan replied: "Brother Shi, i have yet to officially rejoin the Clan, you can''t call me Hall-Master Quan."


    Two hundred beggars around the bonfire chip in: "Elder Song has instructed, temporarily, you are still Hall-Master, so why can''t we call you Hall-Master Quan? In the future when you become the Clan leader, you no longer need to care about this Hall-Master position."


    "Even if Hall-Master Quan does not become the Clan leader, at least you can be promoted to Clan Elder, and you can still continue to lead your former Hall."


    "Correct, even if Hall-Master Quan becomes the Clan leader, you can still take up additional responsibility as Great Wisdom Hall-Master."


    As the crowd was getting lively, a Clan member came from the entrance of the valley and said: "Reporting to Hall-Master, Prince Duan from Dali Kingdom is requesting an audience." Hall-Master Quan immediately stood up and said: "Prince Duan from Dali Kingdom? Our Clan normally does not have dealings with Dali Kingdom. Brothers, the Duan family from Dali is well known for its martial arts, since Prince Duan is personally requesting an audience, everyone should go and greet him." He led all the members to the valley''s entrance.


    A young man stood smiling at the entrance, his accompanied by seven to eight people. This young man is Duan Yu. Both men cupped their hands and paid their respects, they met each other before at the apricots forest in WuXi. At that time, Quan GuanQing did not know Duan Yu''s identity, but his embarrassingly affair of being expelled by Qiao Feng was seen by Duan Yu, he cannot help but feel slightly embarrass, but he immediately calm down, salute and said: "I didn''t expect Prince Duan to come visit, you came from such a far place, i ask for your forgiveness."


    Duan Yu smiled and said: "Its fine, its fine. Junior receives orders from my father to inform your honourable Clan of a certain matter, i hope it won''t be an inconvenience."


    Both of them exchange a few pleasantries, Duan Yuan was accompanied by Gu DuCheng, Fu SiGui and Zhu DanChen. Quan GuanQing invited Duan Yu to sit down on a rock by the bonfire, Clan members brought and served wine.


    Duan Yu took a drink and said: "A few months ago, my father was at the residence of Deputy-leader Ma in XinYang, he encountered a strange affair, he personally witnessed the death of Bai ShiJing from your honourable Clan. But my father had sustained some injuries, he is still recuperating, the movement of your Clan''s Elders is not fix and we did not have the opportunity to meet them, thus my father could not present the letter he wrote. A few days ago, we heard that your Hall is gathering here and i was ordered to come here quickly." He retrieved a letter from within his sleeve, quickly stood up and presented it.


    Quan GuanQing also stood up immediately and receive it with both hands, he said: "I am sorry to have troubled Gentleman Duan to personally deliver this letter, I thank Prince Duan for showing great concern to my humble Clan." He saw the letter is sealed, it bears the word: "To Be Personally Opened By Beggar Clan''s Elders", he knew that it was not appropriate for him to open the letter, he said: "Our Clan will be holding a General Assembly soon, all the old and young will be coming, i will then personally present Prince Duan''s letter to our Clan''s Elders." Duan Yu said: "I am sorry to trouble you, junior will take his leave now."


    Quan GuanQing quickly said his thanks and said: "Our Clan''s Elder Bai and Madam Ma died under the treacherous hands of Qiao Feng, Prince Duan personally witness this matter?" Duan Yu shook his head and said: "Elder Bai and Madam Ma was not killed by my big brother Qiao, Deputy-leader Ma was harmed by someone else. My father explained all these in the letter, Hall-Master Quan will know the full details in the future after reading the letter." Duan Yu thought: "This matter cannot be explained with just a few phrases, you are not a good person, i don''t need to waste time and explain it to you. I don''t think you have the guts to hide my father''s letter." He cupped his hands towards Quan GuanQing and said: "Till next time, you don''t have to see us off."


    He turn around and walk to the valley''s entrance, he met two Beggar Clan members and two men.


    The two men gave each other a look, the move a few steps forward and bow towards Duan Yu, they presented a red invitation card.


    Duan Yu took it and peruse it, the card wrote the words:


    "Su XingHe respectfully invites all the world''s most talented chess player, on the 8th day of the 2nd lunar month, to be at Henan''s LeiGu Mountain to play chess" he said: "Excellent, junior is not burdened with any important matters, i will definitely be at the chess meet. But how did you two find out that i can play chess?" the expression of the two man were delighted, "Yi Yi Ya Ya" sound came from their mouth, they made huge gestures, it seems both of them are mute. Duan Yu could not understand their gestures, he smiled and ask Zhu DanChen: "LeiGu Mountain is not far from here right?" and he handed the invitation card to him.


    Zhu DanChen took a look at the card, he cupped his hands towards the two man and said: "The son of Prince ZhenNan of Dali pays his respect to Mr Intelligent, he express his gratitude and he will promptly visit at the appointed date." He pointed his hand at Duan Yu and made a few gestures.


    The two man bow again to pay their respects to Duan Yu, they took out another red invitation card and presented it to Quan GuanQing.


    Quan GuanQing took a look at the card, he respectfully gave it back to the man, he wave his hands and said: "Quan GuanQing from the Hall of Great Wisdom of the Beggar Clan pays his respects to Mr Intelligent, my chess skill is shoddy and laughable, i dare not go to the chess meet, i hope that Mr Intelligent will be understanding." The two man bow towards him, the bow towards Duan Yu again and they left.


    Only now did Zhu DanChen answer Duan Yu''s question: " LeiGu Mountain is to the south of SongXian, North-east of QuYuan Ridge, it''s not far from here."


    Duan Yuan took his leave from Quan GuanQing and exit the valley, he ask Zhu DanChen: "What kind of person is Mr Intelligent Su XingHe? Is he the national Go (Chess) champion of Central Plains?" Zhu DanChen replied: "Mr Intelligent is also known as the Deaf Mute Old Man."


    Duan Yu gave an "Ah" sound, he heard his father and uncle discussing about the ''Deaf Mute Old Man'' before, his a prestigious expert within Central Plains, his deaf and mute but his martial arts is exceedingly high, his uncle was extremely respectful when mentioning him. Zhu DanChen continued: "The Deaf Mute Old Man is disabled, but he insist on calling himself Mr Intelligent, it seems he thinks his wits and penmanship will beat people''s hearing and debating skills." Duan Yu nods his head and said: "It seems reasonable." After walking a few steps he gave a long sigh.


    He listened to Zhu DanChen say that the Deaf Mute Old Man''s wits and penmanship will beat people''s hearing and debating skills, he cannot help but thought of Wang YuYan''s "Narration Martial Art" beating people''s fist and weaponry skills.


    After rescuing the Beggar Clan members in WuXi with AhZhu, Bao BuTong and Feng BoE arrived and met up with them, the five of them headed north to search for their Young Master Murong. Duan Yu naturally wanted to follow them. Feng BoE was grateful towards him for sucking the scorpion''s poison and he welcome Duan Yu. But Bao BuTong was extremely unforgiving, he blamed Duan Yu for disguising as Young Master Murong and tarnishing his great reputation, later he even threatened to beat him up unless he scram, Wang YuYan was only interested in finding her cousin and discussed endlessly with Feng BoE, she turned a blind eye to Duan Yu''s situation.


    Duan Yu was helpless and could only grudgingly part with Wang YuYan, but he still travelled north and thought: "You guys want to go to Henan to search for Murong Fu, it so happens that i am also going to Henan, Henan province does not belong to your Murong Family, if Murong Fu and Bao BuTong can go, why can''t Duan Yu go as well? If it so happens that i run into you guys again, then it must be fate and Mr Bao cannot blame me."


    But fate did not want him to meet Wang YuYan just shortly after their recent parting. During the entire month, Duan Yu wandered around Henan, he termed it sightseeing tour but in actual fact his just looking around in all direction, hoping to see a strand of hair from Wang YuYang, or just a corner of her clothes, as for the beautiful mountains and sceneries he didn''t even give it a glance.


    One day, Duan Yu was at the White Horse Temple in LuoYang, he was discussing "Agama" with the abbot, they discussed about Buddhist teachings on "Seven Treasures of the Chakravartin". Duan Yu was interested in the Jade Maiden treasure that is said to be "Neither long nor short, neither black nor white, a body that is warm during winter and cool during summer". The abbot shook his head repeatedly and said: "Buddhist Duan, this is an analogy in Buddhist teachings, moreover Buddha said that the seven treasures is in impermanence ... " but he did not finish as three men suddenly entered the temple, they were Fu SiGui, Gu DuCheng and Zhu DanChen.


    When Duan ZhenChun left the residence of Ma in XinYang, he met up with Ruan XingZhu and recuperated under her care, when he thought about how Xiao Feng was wronged by the Beggar Clan for killing Ma DaYuan, he had to vindicate him, thus he wrote a letter and ordered the trio to deliver it to the Beggar Clan.


    Fu SiGui and company came to LuoYang, they did not see any leading figures at Beggar Clan''s main Hall, they gathered information and knew that the Hall of Great Wisdom of the Beggar Clan is gathering nearby, they hope to deliver the letter there, but in a restaurant they heard another amusing news about a daydreaming gentleman, the description of the appearance and behavior of the man seems to be very similar to Duan Yu, they ask the whereabouts of this gentleman and they came searching in the White Horse Temple.


    The four of them met up and was very happy, Duan Yu said: "I will accompany you to deliver the letter, after that quickly bring me to see my father." When he learn that his father is currently in Henan, naturally his anxious to meet him, but all these days he hope to hear the slightest news about Wang YuYan, he kept thinking about her day and night, he pray that he might be able to meet her at the Beggar Clan''s gathering, but this hope eventually came to nothing.


    Zhu DanChen saw him sighing, he assume his thinking about Mu WanQing but he can offer no consolation, he thought of diverting his attention and said: "That Mr Intelligent is widely distributing these cards and inviting people to play chess, his chess skills must be extremely high. Young Master, after meeting Prince ZhenNan, why don''t you go and meet this Mr Intelligent and play a few rounds with him?"


    Duan Yu nodded: "Yes, playing chess can relief your worries. But although she is familiar with all the martial arts and all the weaponries, she can''t play chess. She definitely won''t go to Mr Intelligent''s chess meet."


    Zhu DanChen was baffled, he did not know who Duan Yu is referring to, along the way Duan Yu was absent-minded, his speech incoherent, and he dare not inquire anymore.


    The group travelled north-west. Duan Yu was frowning and suddenly he nod and smiled, muttering: "There''s a saying in Buddhist scripture: Thinking about beauty, her body filled with blood, a hundred years later, turning into bone and dust'', although the saying is true but even if she turns into bones after a hundred years, she''s still an incredibly beautiful bone." As he fantasized about Wang YuYan''s skeleton, he suddenly heard the sound of horse''s hoof behind him, two people came galloping on horses, but he can''t see their appearance clearly in the darkness.


    The two horses seemed to be out of control, they rushed towards the group. Fu SiGui and Gu DuCheng stretch out their hands and they each rein in the horses, the riders of the horses were motionless. Fu SiGui was slightly surprised, he lean over to check, the first rider turn out to the messenger of Mr Intelligent, his face revealed a faint smile but he died long ago. Just a few moments ago, this man had personally delivered the invitation card to Duan Yu, how did he die for no reason? The other dead rider is also the messenger of Mr Intelligent, he also died with a strange smile. When Fu SiGui and the rest saw this they knew these two men must have been killed by an extremely deadly poison, they quickly rein in their horses and move back two steps, they dare not touch the corpses.


    Duan Yu was furious: "That Hall-Master Quan from Beggar Clan is really vicious, why did he harm these men? Let''s go and reason it out with him." He turn his horse around and was about to go find Quan GuanQing and interrogate him.


    Suddenly a voice spoke out within the darkness: "Little boy you are ignorant, in the entire world except for the Divine Elder of XingXiu and his sect, who has the ability to kill without leaving a trace? It will be fine if the Deaf Mute Old Man obediently hides himself, if he dares come out, Divine Elder of XingXiu will never let him survive, kid, this matter is none of your concern, its best if you leave quickly."


    Zhu DanChen whispered: "Young Master, this is the affair of XingXiu Sect, it does not concern us, let''s go."


    Duan Yu already lost his interest when he can''t find Wang YuYan, if these messengers were in danger he would definitely step in and save them, but since they already died he did not want to stir up more trouble, he sigh and said: "It''s not sufficient to be deaf, their eyes must not see anything, their nose can''t smell any scent, their mind incapable of any thought, only then can they break away from their trouble."


    His speech was referring to Wang YuYan, since he already heard her voice, saw her smile and movement, all these etched deeply into his mind, even if he was deaf and mute, he still can''t break away from thinking about her. Unexpectedly, the man laughed and applauded: "Yes, Yes! You are right, i should prod their eyes blind, cut off their nose, and beat them up so badly that they can''t even think."


    Duan Yu gave another sigh: "It''s useless to use external force. You need to cultivate your inner self, ''Do not allow colour, sound and smell to stir your heart'', but if you can let go of all self, you already reached Buddhahood. I am only a layman, how can i reach such attainment? Resentment, hate, love, parting, powerless, the five evil, the great sufferings of life."


    You TanZhi was hiding behind the vegetation, he saw Duan Yu and his entourage come and go, someone was shouting in front, two Beggars Clan members quickly ran over and quietly reported to Quan GuanQing: "Hall-Master Quan, the two mute men died for no reason, the perpetrator claims his from XingXiu Sect and his a subordinate of someone called Divine Elder of XingXiu."


    Quan GuanQing got a huge shock, his expression change instantly. He heard of Old Freak of XingXiu, this person employs deadly poison, his martial art is also exceedingly high, he pondered: "He killed the messenger of Deaf Mute Old Man, this matter does not concern us, its best if we don''t stir up any trouble." He replied: "Ok, they are ghost, fighting another ghost, we need not bother."


    Suddenly, someone spoke in front of him: "Scoundrel talking nonsense, how dare you curse me as ghost when you know i am the subordinate of Divine Elder of XingXiu? You are tired of living." Quan GuanQing was surprised and he cannot refrain from taking a step back, under the light from the torch, he saw someone standing upright in front of him but it was his own subordinate from Beggar Clan, he fixed his concentration and finally saw him, the person had a faint smile, his appearance strange, he was standing right behind another person, he shouted: "Who are you, pretending to be a ghost, what are you doing here?"


    The person behind the Beggar Clan member replied: "You are really bold, you said the word ghost again! I am the subordinate of Divine Elder of XingXiu. Divine Elder of XingXiu is arriving in Central Plains, he needs 200 poison snakes and 100 poison bugs. Your Beggar Clan is always well-stocked with poison snakes and bugs, offer them immediately. Divine Elder of XingXiu will spare you lot of beggars if you respectfully present the items to him. Or else, heng heng, you will become like this person!"


    Bang, the Beggar Clan member in front of him immediately flew off and fell beside the bonfire, his motionless, apparently he died long ago. When the Beggar Clan member flew off, a dwarf wearing poplin shirt was revealed, nobody knows how he killed the Beggar Clan member and then hide himself behind the Clan member.


    Quan GuanQing was startled and angry, in a split second, many thoughts came into his mind: "Old Freak of XingXiu mess with our Beggar Clan, if we don''t give in to their demands we have to fight it out. Although it''s dangerous, but if i cave in to his threats and offer the poison snakes and bugs, my Clan members will forever look down on me. My hopes of becoming Clan leader will be dash, i can''t even maintain my current standings in the Clan. Luckily the Old Freak of XingXiu has yet to arrive, this person is alone, i don''t need to be afraid of him." Immediately he laughs and said: "So you are from XingXiu Sect, may i know your name?"


    The dwarf said: "I am called Tian LangZi. Quickly go and prepare the poisonous snakes and bugs."


    Quan GuanQing smiled and said: "It''s only poisonous snakes and bugs, small matter, we don''t need any major preparation." He picked up a bag from the ground and said: "There''s a few snakes here, please check it, is it suitable for Divine Elder of XingXiu?"


    The dwarf heard Quan GuanQing said "Divine Elder of XingXiu", he was very pleased, seeing his expression respectful he thought: "It''s said that Beggar Clan is the number one clan in Central Plains, but when they heard my master''s name they immediately turn limp. I will take these poison snakes, master will definitely like it, he will surely praise me for being competent. Nevertheless, it''s all due to the fierce reputation of master." He immediately stretch his neck to look into the bag.


    Suddenly all he saw was darkness, the cloth bag had already covered his head, Tian LangZi was shocked, he immediately strike out with his palm but he hit nothing, but at this moment, his cheek and neck felt a slight pain, he was bitten by the poisonous bugs in the bag. Tian LangZi did not have time to remove the cloth bag, he ferociously sent out both his palm and retreated quickly. As his head was covered with the cloth bag he can''t see a thing, both his palms were attacking randomly, his face and head received another series of bites, he panicked, he extended his legs and fled, but his legs threaded on empty air, he lost his footing and roll down the steep slope, with a splashing sound he fell into the river at the bottom of the mountain and got wash away by the current.


    Quan GuanQing thought of killing him, he didn''t expect him to escape, but the person was stung by poisonous scorpion and subsequently fell into the river, his mostly probably dead, but since members of XingXiu sect are poison experts they might have special detoxification method, since they live at XingXiu Sea they would also know how to swim, if the person manage to survive, XingXiu sect will definitely come back and seek revenge. He said to everyone: "At this moment, we can only deploy the giant python formation and stake it out against Old Freak of XingXiu. Could it be possible that we can''t fend for ourselves without Qiao Feng and have to be humiliated by others? XingXiu Sect are experts in using deadly poison, we can''t use our weapons and fists against them, we have to use poison to counter their poison."


    The Beggar Clan members shouted out in agreement, immediately they disperse, they arrange into their battle formation a few zhang away from the bonfire, everyone sat down and cross their legs.


    You TanZhi saw Quan GuanQing use the cloth bag to defeat Tian LangZi, he pondered: "There''s probably numerous poisonous bugs in the bag, they have so many bags here, are they all filled with poisonous bugs? It''s not surprising for the beggars to be proficient in catching poison bugs. If i can steal a few of these bags and present them to Miss AhZi, she will definitely like it very much."


    Once the Clan members sat down, they did not make any sound, everyone had a few cloth bags beside them, some of the bags are extremely huge, some had creatures squirming and moving inside, You TanZhi''s hair stood on its end when he saw all these. The atmosphere was silent, if he move now he will surely be detected by the crowd, he thought: "I won''t be afraid if they cover me with those bags, i have the protection of the iron mask, but if they stuff my entire body into the bag then i will be in trouble."


    After a few hours, nothing happen, after a while the sun started to rise, covering the hills and vegetation with bright light. Birds were chirping on the trees, suddenly Quan GuanQing said softly: "They are here! Everyone be careful!" he was kneeling on a rock outside the formation, holding onto an iron flute.


    Music came from the north direction, a group of people walk unhurriedly, they were playing their wood instruments and drums, the music was melodious and pleasant. You TanZhi pondered: "It is a wedding procession?"


    The music got nearer and nearer, when it was 10 zhang away it stopped, several people said in unison: "Divine Elder of XingXiu arriving in Central Plains, Beggar Clan members, kneel down and greet him!" once they finish, the drums start thundering. After 3 rounds of drum roll, there was a gong sound, the drums stopped, ten people said in unison: "We respectfully invite Divine Elder of XingXiu to display your great skills, subdue these demons and clowns from Beggar Clan!"


    You TanZhi pondered: "It''s quite similar to Taoist ritual." He quietly peered out from the rock, he saw twenty people lining up in the northwest corner, some holding percussion instruments, some armed with long streamers and banners, red and green colour pleasing to the eye, from afar the banners were embroidered with words such as, "Divine Elder of XingXiu ","Almighty", "Limitless Power", "Inspiring Awe Throughout The World", etc. As the music played out, an old man slowly stroll out, a dozen people arranged into two rows, they followed behind him, separated by a few zhang.


    The old man was waving a goose feathered fan, sun shine on his face, his face was ruddy, head full of white hair, three silver whiskers on his chin, he really look like an immortal depicted in pictures. The old man walk towards the Beggar Clan crowd and stop moving when he''s 3 zhang away, suddenly he issued a few sharp whistle, he flick his fan and wave away the whistle sound, four Beggar Clan members sitting on the ground immediately collapsed.


    You TanZhi had a huge shock: "This Divine Elder of XingXiu really have powerful magic!"


    The old man''s face revealed a faint smile, with another "Zi" sound, he wave his feathered fan and another group of beggars collapsed. The old man''s whistle seems to be hiding some kind of lethal poison, in an instant, another 6-7 beggars collapsed.


    The crowd behind the old man cried out their praises: "Master''s skill will be remembered throughout all ages! These beggars pit themselves against us, it''s akin to a firefly pitting its light against the sun! Or a mantis blocking a cart, they vastly overrated themselves, laughable, laughable!"


    "Master you only need to laugh and chitchat and these demons and clowns will die immediately, such effortless crushing victory, disciple has never seen or heard such thing before."


    "This is a great achievement never seen before in the world, if Master did not reveal it, the people from Central Plains will never know such skills exists." They keep singing their praises, feeling very smug, they start playing their instruments again.


    Suddenly there was a "Xu" sound, Quan GuanQing brought the iron flute to his mouth and started blowing. You TanZhi pondered: "What''s he playing the flute for? Supporting the Divine Elder of XingXiu?" suddenly noise came from the ground, a few brightly coloured large snakes slithered towards the old man. The group of disciples beside the old man shouted: "Snakes, there are poisonous snakes! Master, these snakes seems to be heading towards us!" numerous poisonous snakes came slithering out of the cloth bags, some are big while others are small, all of them rush towards the old man and his disciples. The crowd panic and start screaming and howling randomly.


    The disciples of XingXiu sect raised their steel staff, they pounded at the oncoming snakes, the old man''s expression was calm, he still carried on whistling and waving his fan to repel his enemies. Quan GuanQing did not stop blowing his flue, his clan members all shouted to show their support.


    More and more snakes gathered, within moments, XingXiu sect members were surrounded by a few hundred snakes, 5-6 of these snakes are giant python. A few giant python move near, they coil their tails and immediately trapped two people, another two men was trap subsequently. If these XingXiu members turn their back and flee the snakes will not be able to catch them, but their Master is still fighting and they dare not leave, they can only brandish their weapons and pound randomly, they killed 8-10 snakes but 7-8 of them was also bitten by the snakes. The giant pythons are even more dangerous, their skins are rough and their body thick, they behave as if nothing had happened when stuck by the steel staff, they coil their body around the men and constricted, not letting them go. As the flute keep blowing, more giant python came out of the cloth bags, there''s already 27-28 of them.


    The old man saw the situation was unfavourable, he wanted to move back and attack Quan GuanQing, suddenly two small snakes bite towards his face. He shouted angrily: "How dare you!" he wave his fan and brought down the two snakes, suddenly he felt something soft coiling around his ankle. He knew he is in trouble and quickly leap into the air. He heard another "Xu" sound from the flute, four pythons raised their tails and coil towards him. The old man was in mid-air, he strike out with both palms, it hit the snake in front and to his left, his body flash and he landed 2 zhang away. At this moment, the tail of the 3rd and 4th giant python attack him simultaneously. Under such pressing situation he exerted his strength and send out another palm, the palm force arrive and one giant python was struck on its head and its brain turn into pulp.


    The mass of snakes gush in like flowing river. The old man killed another three python, but his waist and right leg was trapped by two giant python. He gathered his internal energy and gave a loud cry, he clawed open the belly of the python on his waist, his body was splash with blood. But the python is very resilient, even though its belly is split open it endured the pain and constricted even more, the old man''s pelvic bone was about to fracture under the pressure. He struggled to break free, but another two giant python wrap themselves around his body, even his arm was trapped, he could not struggle anymore. Seeing such horrifying scene, You TanZhi was so shock that he could hardly breathe.


    Quan GuanQing was very happy, his enemies were all trapped and bound by the giant python, they can no longer resist and they cursed in rage, he stop playing his flute, he laugh and said: "Old Freak Of XingXiu, your XingXiu Sect and my Beggar Clan normally don''t mess with each other, why did you provoke us for no reason? What should we settle this?"


    This healthy old man is the most hated person in Central Plains, the Old Freak of XingXiu Ding ChunQiu. One of the three treasures of his Sect the [Divine Wooden King Tripod] was stolen by AhZi, he sent out numerous disciples to hunt her down, even his head-disciple Zhai XingZi was dispatched. But the returning news was always very discouraging. He last heard that AhZi had the backing of Qiao Feng and they heavily injure Zhai XingZi, Ding ChuQiu was shock and angry, Ding Chunqiu knew the Beggar Clan is the number one clan in Central Plains and they are not easy to deal with, he also heard the Deaf Mute Old Man is particularly active around Xing Lake in recent years, the Deaf Mute Old Man is a thorn in his side and he can never rest in peace with him around, thus he thought of retrieving the [Divine Wooden King Tripod] and then resolve all these matters once and for all, hence he brought his disciples and personally travelled east to Central Plains.


    He practiced the [Great Energy Dissolving Skill] and he frequently require poisonous fluids of poison creatures to be smeared on his palm and absorbed into his body, if he does not absorb any poison fluids for seven days, not only will his internal energy decrease, the poison accumulated in his body will also gradually flare up as its not suppressed by new poison, the repercussion is deadly, the [Divine Wooden King Tripod] has a very special scent, coupled with the incense burnt, it will be able to immediately attract poisonous bugs, all poisonous creatures within 10 li radius will not be able to resist being attracted by the fragrance.


    With this tripod, Ding ChunQiu can catch poisonous bugs without any effort, his [Great Energy Dissolving Skill] naturally become more and more profound. Previously, Ding ChunQiu had a very talented disciple, he imparted his skills to him and taught him the [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], but after some achievements in the skill the disciple became self-conceited and was very disrespectful towards him. Ding ChunQiu subdued the disciple, he did not torture him but merely imprison him within a stone house so that he can''t capture any poison bugs, eventually the poison within his body flare up, it was extremely unbearable and he cannot help but tear his own muscles off to relief himself, he moaned and wailed and eventually died after 40 days. Although Ding ChunQiu was delighted, he cannot help but feel fear, he guarded himself and never imparted his [Great Energy Dissolving Skill] to anyone. Thus, Zhai XingZi and the rest of the disciple did not know the skill, AhZi wanted to learn the skill and she had to eavesdrop secretly and also steal the tripod.


    AhZi was adept at scheming, when her master had finish absorbing fresh poison she bid him farewell and travelled east, when the Old Freak of XingXiu realized the tripod was stolen, it was already 7 days later and AhZi had escape to a faraway place. She only travelled on remote route, even though the disciples pursuing her had higher martial arts, their resourcefulness is way inferior to hers and she managed to bluff her way through, she employed numerous decoy tactics and threw off all her pursuers.


    The residence of the Old Freak of XingXiu is a gloomy and damp ravine, the area is rich with poisonous bugs and snakes, although the tripod was lost, it still not too difficult to catch poisonous bugs and replenish his supply of poison, however he can only hope to catch common poison bugs, without the aid of the tripod he can no longer catch rare bugs which possess deadly poison. One matter cause him endless worries, his afraid that experts from Central Plains might discover the origin of the tripod and they will seek to destroy it, thus he hope to resolve this matter quickly so that he can stop worrying.


    He met a bunch of his disciples at the borders of ShanXi. His head-disciple Zhai XingZi was fortunate to preserve his life but he lost all his martial arts, he was beaten and humiliated by fellow martial-brothers, his second disciple Shi BiRen temporarily took over the post of head-disciple, all the disciples saw their master and was scared of being punished as they failed to complete their task, fortunately the Old Freak of XingXiu needs all the help he can get and he postponed all punishments and hope his disciples can redeem themselves by performing a good service.


    Along the way, the group inquired about the Beggar Clan. But firstly, their appearance was strange and their behaviors deplorable, no one was willingly to reveal the information to them. Secondly, Xiao Feng was in Liao Empire and became the Lord of Southern Chancellery, but people from the martial world did not know about this matter, thus they could not find any news about the Beggar Clan and they can''t even find the main branch of the clan.


    On this day, Tian LiangZi inadvertently found about the gathering of the Great Wisdom Hall of Beggar Clan, he wanted to claim credit for this piece of information and he infiltrated the Beggar Clan alone, but he eventually fall prey to Quan GuanQing''s schemes. Luckily his body already contained essence of poison and the scorpion''s poison failed to kill him, he escaped and reported the matter to his master. Ding ChunQiu immediately rush over, but he did not expect that with his deadly poison and profound martial arts, he was subdued by giant python and immobilized.


    Ding Chunqiu did not answer Quan GuanQing''s question, he said coldly: "There''s a person called Qiao Feng in your Beggar Clan, where is he? Quickly ask him to come out and see me."Quan GuanQing heart was shaken, he ask: "You want to see Qiao Feng, what for?" Ding ChunQiu said proudly: "Divine Elder of XingXiu is asking you a question why aren''t you answering? You keep asking useless questions, where is Qiao Feng?"


    Quan GuanQing saw Ding ChunQiu was immobilized by the python, he had already lost the power to resist, but his manner is still arrogant and ferocious, such courage is really rare in this world, he said: "It''s said that the Old Freak of XingXiu is all knowing, but i think it''s just undeserved reputation, you can''t even handle a few small snakes. I am sorry, we have to help the world get rid of a great evil today."


    Ding ChunQiu smiled and said: "Old man is careless, i fell into the trap of these cold-blooded reptiles, i will die today, its really fate......"


    But he did not finish as one of his disciple who is trapped by the python suddenly shouted: "Heroes of Beggar Clan, please release me, you will have great benefit. My master is proficient in trickery, you can never guard against him. Just a minor slip-up and you will fall into his trap." Quan GuanQing said coldly: "And how do we benefit by releasing you?" The person replied: "There are three treasures in my XingXiu Sect, they are called XingXiu Three Treasures. Only the Old Freak of XingXiu and me knows its hidden location. If you release me, i will help you kill the Old Freak of XingXiu and offer you the treasures. If you kill me, you will never find the treasures."


    Another XingXiu disciple cried out: "Great hero, great hero, don''t be fooled by him! One of the three treasures is already stolen. It''s better for you to release me. I am the loyal one, i will never lie to you."


    In an instant, numerous XingXiu disciples clamoured: "Heroes of Beggar Clan, its best if you spare me, neither of them are loyal, i will serve you wholeheartedly."


    "Great hero, i know most of the martial arts of XingXiu Sect, i will tell you everything, i won''t hide them from you."


    "There''s a great conspiracy surrounding our arrival in Central Plains, the main purpose is to deal with Beggar Clan. Great heroes, do you want to know all the inside information?"


    "Our XingXiu Sea hides unlimited gold, silvers and rare treasure, i know the hiding spot of every treasure. I will lead all of you there and dig it out, heroes of Beggar Clan you no longer need to beg for food anymore."


    These people kept boot-licking and tried to pledge their loyalty, some tried to offer treasures, some tried to stir up curiosity by revealing secret plans, some of their words are outright lies and completely absurd. Some XingXiu disciples are on the verge of death due to being poisoned and constricted by the snakes, they struggled for air to beg for forgiveness.


    Members of Beggar Clan did not expect that the disciples of XingXiu are so spineless, thus they despise them, but their sense of curiosity was aroused and they move closer to listen attentively. Quan GuanQing said coldly: "You are not loyal to even your own master, how can you pledge loyalty to total strangers? Aren''t you ridiculous?"


    A XingXiu disciple replied: "No its different, very different. The Old Freak of XingXiu has lousy skills, what''s the future prospect in following him? What the benefit in following him? How can the Old Freak of XingXiu be a match for Beggar Clan?"


    "Yea, Beggar Clan taking in disciples of XingXiu Sect, Western and Central Plains will be in shock, who dare not admire the heroes of Beggar Clan?"


    "The word ''Hero'' is not sufficient to describe you, we have to refer you as ''Chivalrous Hero'' ,''Saint'', ''Saviour of commoner''!"


    "I am articulate and good with words, i will travel to the four corners of the earth and spread the words about your great kindness, the chivalrous heroes of Beggar Clan will be renown throughout the entire world."


    "Pei, the chivalrous heroes of Beggar Clan is already famous throughout the world, why do they even need you to advertise? I thought of the title of ''Saint'' and ''Saviour of commoner'' for them. They bestow intelligence upon me."


    A five-pouch Beggar Clan disciple frowned and said: "You lot of scumbags, making so much racket, listening to you lot made us fed up. Old Freak of XingXiu, you are really good for nothing, why did you accept these shameless people as disciples? I''ll send you to heaven first, and then i let these lot of scumbags follow you, i am going to slaughter you whole lot today!" as he finish, he gave a shout and send his palm towards Ding ChunQiu.


    This palm strike was accompanied by rapid wind, the strength behind it extremely strong and fierce, it landed on Ding ChunQiu''s chest. But Ding ChunQiu was completely unharmed, the beggar felt his knees soften and he collapsed onto the ground, he curled up and started twitching, after a while he was motionless. The crowd of Beggar Clan members were surprise, they shouted: "What happen?", two beggars came out to help him up. When the two men touched his body, they started shaking and also collapsed after a while. Three nearby beggar clan disciples naturally stretch out their hands to support them, but when they touch the two men, they also collapsed. The rest of the crowd was stunned, they no longer dare to touch their fallen comrades.


    Quan GuanQing shouted: "There poison on this old man''s body, we can''t touch his body, release the projectiles!"


    Eighty nine 4-5 pouch disciples pulled out their hidden weapons, steel darts, flying knives, sleeve arrows, cobblestones, they threw all these weapons at Ding ChunQiu. Ding ChunQiu gave a loud shout and turn his head sharply, he swung his white hair out, his hairs were like soft whiskers and repelled 10 of the projectiles thrown at him. But there was multiple "Ah Yo" cries, 6-7 beggars were struck by hidden projectiles. These projectiles did not hit their vital spots, some was gazed on their flesh, but these men immediately collapsed and died.


    Quan GuanQing shouted: "Move back, move back!" suddenly there was a swishing sound, it was caused by the shooting of a steel dart, Ding ChunQiu used his hairs to grip the dart and shoot it towards him. Quan GuanQing hastily use his iron flute to deflect it, there was a ringing sound and the dart was repelled far away. He thought this Old Freak of XingXiu is really powerful, he can only rely on his giant python to kill him, he brought his flute to his mouth, as he was about to blow, his lips suddenly felt numb and he instantly became dizzy, he knew something was wrong and hastily threw away the iron flute, there was a thud sound and he collapsed. The Clan members was shock, immediately two men move forward to help him up. Quan GuanQing said drowsily: "I ... I am poisoned, Every ... everyone...quick...quickly...leave" the Clan members were scared out of their wits, they carried him and fled, abandoning all the bodies, snakes and cloth bags.


    You TanZhi is still squatting in the bushes, his so shock by the ongoing that he dare no move an inch. The surrounding was a total silence, a dozen poisoned Clan members curled into a ball like porcupine, apparently they had already died.


    The remaining giant python are no long under the control of Quan GuanQing''s flute sound, they will not harm anyone and only immobilized Ding ChunQiu and his disciples. No one in the XingXiu Sect dared to move or struggle for fear of provoking the vicious nature of the snakes and getting bitten.


    The silence remain for a while, finally someone spoke: "Master, your divine skill is unrivalled throughout the world, you easily slaughtered all these evil and vicious beggars and drive them all away ..."


    Before he could finish another disciple interrupt him and said: "Master, don''t listen to his bullshit, his the one that praised the beggars as ''Chivalrous Heroes'' and ''Saints''"


    Another disciple said: "We followed Master for so many years, how can we not know his ability to split the heaven and earth? We talk nonsense and fooled the beggars just now to distract them so that Master can display his unparalleled skills."


    Suddenly someone burst into tears and wailed: "Master, Master! Disciple deserves to die, disciple is confused, i was afraid of death and surrendered to the enemy, i sincerely regret it now and i am willingly to die with the poison snakes, i dare not ask Master for mercy anymore."


    The rest of the disciples immediately came to an understanding: Their Master hated people who explain away and whitewash their mistakes, only by condemning themselves and admitting to all sorts of mistakes can they hope to receive their Master''s mercy and forgiveness. In an instant, all the disciples start cursing themselves, they curse their own evil intentions and how they deserve to die. You TanZhi eavesdrop from the bushes, he was utterly baffled by them.


    Ding ChunQiu gathered his internal energy, he thought of bursting through the 3 giant python binding him by using pure force. Unfortunately, the python''s body is elastic and flexible. When Ding ChunQiu exerted his strength, the snakes only lengthen, their bodies did not break. Ding ChunQiu was covered with poison, his hair and clothes all contained deadly toxin. When the beggars attacked him with their weapons, all of them came into contact with his poison, however the python''s skin is thick, tough and slippery, his poison could not penetrate it. As he listen to his disciples endlessly talking, he raged: "If someone can come up with an idea to drive away the snakes, i will spare him. You lot still don''t understand my temper? I will never kill people who are useful to me. You people only know how to talk nonsense and crap, what use is it?"


    As he said this, the group of disciples immediately quieten down. After a while, someone said: "We need someone to use a torch and burn the bodies of these snakes, they will definitely run off." Ding ChunQiu scolded him: "You are farting! We are out here in the wilderness, there''s no village or shop nearby, who will come by? Even if someone did come by, once they see so many snakes, they will get scared and run off, why would they even bother to bring a torch and burn them?" the rest of the disciples kept suggesting ideas, but all the ideas were lousy and limited, everyone just kept on talking. They hope to curry favour with their master and show that they follow his orders and make themselves useful by suggesting ideas.


    After a long time, a disciple was bound so tightly that he could not breathe anymore, in his dizzy state he randomly bite the snake. The python felt pain and retaliate by biting his throat, that disciple gave a tragic cry and died.


    Ding ChunQiu was getting more and more anxious. If he was surrounded by numerous enemies, he could employ devious tricks and schemes, but these snakes are completely immune to tricks and schemes, he feared the snakes might get hungry and eventually swallow him.


    His fear is indeed accurate, after not being influence by the flute sound for a long time a giant python is extremely hungry, it open its mouth and bite a XingXiu disciple. The disciples cried out: "Master save me, Master save me!" his two legs had already been swallowed by the snake. His body was also swallowed, his waist entered first and it slowly move to his chest, as his still not yet dead he cried out loudly, his cry shook the wilderness.


    Everyone knew the same thing was about to happen to them, the sight frightened them greatly. One disciple saw the Old Freak of XingXiu is also at his wits end, his resentment rose and he openly derided him, he blame Ding ChunQiu for implicating him, he was originally a shepherd at XingXiu Sea but was threatened and coerced into joining XingXiu Sect, since his about to die, he poured out all his resentment and dissatisfaction against Ding ChunQiu.


    As he began cursing, the rest of the disciples also joined in. All the disciples suffered regular ill-treatment under Ding ChunQiu, they held the grudge in their heart and dare not voice it out. Since everyone is about to die together, they started to scold him to vent their frustrations. One disciple was cursing loudly and his body stirred, this provoke the python and it retaliate by biting him on the shoulder, the man scream: "Ah Yo, Ah Yo! Save me, save me!"


    You TanZhi saw these people are completely immobilized by the python, his heart did not have anymore misgivings and he stood up, the place is not suitable for staying and he wanted to leave quickly.


    The XingXiu disciples suddenly saw his iron mask, they had a shock, but someone remembered that he can help save them, he exclaimed: "Great hero, chivalrous man, please gather some dried leaves and light a fire to drive away these snakes, I immediately give you ... give you 1000 taels of silver." another person said: "1000 tael is insufficient, we have to give 10 000 taels" and another person said: "This gentleman is a chivalrous person, his conscience is the best, he will definitely carry out righteous act, moreover there''s nothing dangerous about lighting a fire to burn the snakes." In an instant their praise got louder and louder, the previous rewards quickly increased to 1 million taels of gold.


    The cursing ability of these disciples is first class, their flattering and bootlicking ability is even better and well honed. You TanZhi has never heard anyone call him "Hero", "Chivalrous", "Benevolent and Righteous", "Peerless Hero". Under their praise, his body felt light, as if he was floating, he suddenly felt he possess the spirit of "Great Hero" and "Chivalrous Person", he did not care for the gold, he only felt regret that AhZi did not hear these people immortalize him.


    At once he set off and start picking up dried leaves, but he saw there''s many fierce python, he was scared of accidentally provoking these snakes and getting trapped by them, after thinking for a while, he gathered dried twigs and made a huge fire in front of him, he picked up one burning twig and threw it at the nearest python. He hide behind the fire, his body poised, if the snake rush towards him, he will immediately run and escape, whatever "Great Hero" or "Chivalrous Person", he didn''t care about it anymore.


    The python is indeed afraid of fire, once it saw the fire burning, it released the XingXiu people and slithered into the bushes. You TanZhi saw his initial attempt was successful, along with the cheering of the XingXiu disciples, he lit several more twigs and threw them at the python. All the snakes started to flee, even the giant pythons can''t withstand the fire, it released its captives and slithered away. Moments later, hundreds of snakes and giant pythons all fled the scene, not a single one remained.


    The XingXiu disciples celebrated and cheered loudly: "Master is extreme wise. Master has great foresight, the fire method is indeed the most effective."


    "Master has great fortune, he turn ill luck into good!"


    "Its all due to Master graceful manner, he directed with perfect ease. He saved out insignificant lives!"


    They kept praising and piling credits on Ding ChunQiu, they did not mention about You TanZhi''s effort in freeing them.


    You TanZhi stood rooted to the ground, he felt strange, he pondered: "Just a few moments ago you people curse your Master, but now you praised him to the heavens, and now you completely forgotten about me, what happen to the ''Great Hero'' and ''Chivalrous Person''?"


    Ding ChunQiu wave his hand to beckon him over and said: "Iron-head guy, come over here, what''s your name?" You TanZhi was used to being humiliated, even though Ding ChunQiu was rude he did not care and reply: "My name is You TanZhi." And he walk a few steps towards him. Ding ChunQiu said: "Are those beggars dead? Go check to see if they are still breathing."


    You TanZhi said: "Ok" he bend over his body and stretch out his hand to check the breath of a beggar, he didn''t feel any breath, the person was long dead. He tried another beggar, his breath also stopped long ago, he said: "All of them are dead, they are not breathing." He saw the expressions of the XingXiu disciples are strange, they seem to be gloating at his misfortune. He did not understand the reason behind it, he repeated his words: "All of them are dead, they are not breathing." After a while the smug look on their faces slowly died off, replaced by expression of shock and disbelief.


    Ding ChunQiu said: "Go examine every single beggar, see if any one of them can be saved." You TanZhi said: "Ok" he examined all the beggars, he shake his head and said: "All of them are dead. Elder''s skill is indeed formidable." Ding ChunQiu smile sarcastically and said: "You poison-resisting skill is also formidable." You TanZhi felt curious and said: "My...what...poison resisting skill?"


    He was very puzzled, he did not understand the meaning of Ding ChunQiu''s word. He did not realize that when he checked the beggar for breath, it was the same as going to the gates of hell. When Ding ChunQiu was immobilized by the python, he could not escape and had to be rescued by You TanZhi, if news of this spread out he will definitely lose face, thus when the snakes left he immediately thought of silencing You TanZhi. Unexpectedly, for the past few months, You TanZhi kept on practicing the [Tendon-Changing Sutra], the poison of the frost silkworm had also merged flawlessly within his body, thus the poison on the beggars could not harm him at all.


    Ding ChunQiu pondered: "Looking at his skin and listening to his voice, his extremely young, he definitely won''t have any real skill or ability, mostly probably his carrying anti-poison pearl or some other treasures that repel poison, or he had previously consumed some miracle antidote." He said: "Brother You, come over here, i have something to say."


    You TanZhi saw his speech was sincere, but he personally witnessed how he viciously killed all the beggars, his disciples also cursed and flattered randomly, he felt these people are extremely difficult to deal with and its best to stay far away from them, he said: "Junior has something to do, i can''t stay, i have to go now." He cupped his fists and walk away.


    He only walk a few steps, a light breeze swept past his body, both his wrist was caught by someone. You TanZhi raise his head, he saw the person was a large man from the XingXiu Sect. He did not know his intention, but saw him laugh grimly, he knew he was in trouble and cried: "Let me go!" and he gave a tug.


    There was a whooshing sound over his head, a large body flew over his head, with a loud bang the body slam onto the opposite cliff, the skull was crushed immediately, the brain and skull mixed into a slurry.


    You TanZhi saw the person slam the cliff with an extremely violent force, he found it hard to believe, he was even more astounded that the person was the one holding his wrist moments ago, he was puzzled: "This man is perfectly fine, why did he bang his head on the cliff and commit suicide? Is he mad?" He never suspected that when he gave a tug, his fierce strength threw the large man out onto the cliff.


    The group of XingXiu disciple gave an "Ah" sound, their faces change color.


    Ding ChunQiu saw the way You TanZhi threw his disciple, it was flimsy, not first-class skill, but the physical strength is highly unusual, he thought You TanZhi must be gifted with innate superhuman strength, but his martial arts is mediocre, his body flash and he extended his hand to push down on You TanZhi''s head. You TanZhi was caught off guard, he was forced to kneel on the ground, he tried to straighten his body to stand up but he felt as if a ten thousand pound stone mountain is sitting on his head, he could not move at all, he pleaded: "Elder please spare my life."


    Ding ChunQiu heard him plead for mercy, he felt assured and ask: "Who is your teacher? You are really bold, how dare you kill my disciple?" You TanZhi said: " I ...... I have no master, i dare not kill Elder''s disciple."


    Ding ChunQiu did not want to waste time talking to him, it will be easier to simply kill him, he release his hand to let You TanZhi stand up, immediately he wave his palm and strike towards You TanZhi''s chest. You TanZhi had a huge shock and he hastily extended his right hand to deflect the palm. Ding ChuQiu''s palm was slow, You TanZhi extended his right hand and both their palms met. Ding ChunQiu wanted their palms to meet, he gathered his internal energy and sent it out together with the poison in his hand, this is his famous [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], the victim will either contract deadly poison, or sustain damage to his meridians and become incapable of exerting internal energy, the victim will feel as if all his internal energy is dissolved, the outcome is completely controlled by Ding ChunQiu. Ding ChunQiu killed countless people with this skill. When martial artists hear the word [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], they will feel great loathing and fear.


    Both their palms clashed, You TanZhi''s body shook and he retreated 6-7 steps, he tried to stand his ground but was forced to sit down, but the opponent''s force did not dissipate, his arm hit the ground and his back also followed, his head also hit the ground and he somersaulted three times, he finally managed to stabilize himself and he kowtow and said: "Elder please spare my life."


    When Ding ChunQiu clash palms with him, he felt his internal energy is extremely strong, the energy possess a strange coldness which also contains deadly poison, although You TanZhi fell down pathetically, but the poison palm from Ding ChunQiu can''t harm his opponent meridians, he can''t stop him from exerting internal energy, in terms of internal energy and poison, You TanZhi was not at a disadvantage, why the need to beg for mercy? Could it be that he deliberately ridiculed him? He walk a few steps towards You TanZhi and ask: "You are asking me to spare you life, is it the truth or your faking it?"


    You TanZhi kowtow and said: "Junior is sincere, i beg Elder to spare my life."


    Ding ChunQiu pondered: "I don''t know what strange encounter this man met, he accumulated more poison than me, his a rare treasure. I need to recruit this man find out how he how he practice his skills, and then absorb all the poison from his body, and then kill him. Won''t it be a waste if i just kill him like this?" He press his palm on You TanZhi''s iron head, channeled his internal energy and said: "Unless you accept me as your Master, else why should i spare you life?"


    You TanZhi felt as if his head was being roasted, his face felt extremely hot, he was very scared. After being tortured by AhZi, he had long resigned himself to adversity, whatever good or evil, unyielding integrity, he forgotten all about them, he only hope to preserve his life, he quickly said: "Master, You TanZhi is willing to be your disciple, i beg Master to accept me."


    Ding ChunQiu was overjoyed and said: "You want me to be your Master, why not. But our Sect has many rules and regulation, can you abide all of them? Do you wholeheartedly accept my orders and never dare to defy?" You TanZhi said: "Disciple is willing to abide by the rules and follow Master." Ding ChunQiu said: "If i want to take your life, you are willing to give it up?" You TanZhi said: "This ... this ... ... " Ding ChunQiu said: "Think through it properly, if you are willing just say you are willing, if you are not willing just say so."


    You TanZhi pondered: "You want to take my life, of course i am not willing. If it really reach such a state, then i will simply escape, if i fail to escape then even if i am not willing there''s nothing i can do about it." He replied: "Disciple is willing to die for Master." Ding ChunQiu laugh and said: "Very Good, very good. Tell me all about your life experiences."


    You TanZhi did not wish to talk about his life experiences or recent misfortune, he said his a farm boy, he was captured by the Liao during their raid and they put a iron mask on his head. Ding ChunQiu inquired about the strange poison in his body, You TanZhi only revealed how he met the frost silkworm and Monk HuiJing, how he stole the frost silkworm, he lied that he was accidentally bitten by the silkworm, thus his body was frozen solid and the silkworm just died, he did not mention about AhZi or how she use him to train her poison palm. Ding ChunQiu press for more details about the appearance and shape of the frost silkworm, his face revealed envy and admiration. You TanZhi pondered: "If i talk about the book with strange drawings, he will definitely snatch it and not return it." Ding ChunQiu ask him about his strange martial arts but he did not reveal the truth.


    Ding ChunQiu did not know about the martial arts of the [Tendon-Changing Sutra], he saw You TanZhi martial art was only mediocre, but his Yin-Frost internal energy is purely due to the miraculous effect of the frost silkworm, he cursed in his heart: "This divine silkworm, to think it was absorbed by some strange coincidence, its really a pity." After thinking for a while, he ask: "The monk who captured this frost silkworm, his from MinZhong Temple in Nanjing?" You TanZhi said: "Yes."


    Ding ChunQiu said: "This HuiJing monk said the frost silkworm originated from the summit of KunLun Mountains. Very good, since 1 frost silkworm came from there, there must be 2 or 3 more. But KunLun Mountain''s radius is a few thousand li, without an experience guide to point the way it would be difficult to catch the frost silkworm." He personally experienced the divine effect of the frost silkworm, he felt it was even more valuable than the [Divine Wooden King Tripod], the prime task is to first capture Monk HuiJing and ask him to lead the way to KunLun Mountain to capture the frost silkworm. Monk HuiJing is from Shaolin, originally its a messy affair to mess with him but luckily his currently based in Nanjing and this makes it easier to capture him. At once he ordered You TanZhi to perform the rites and formally take him in as his disciple.


    The rest of the disciples saw their Master especially attentive towards You TanZhi, naturally they heap tons of praises and tried to get into his good books. These bunch of disciples had openly curse their Master and surrendered to the enemy, Ding ChunQiu still have uses for them and thus he pretended to forget about their betrayal, moreover he had foresaw their betrayal and he was not too angry about it.


    The group travelled north east. You TanZhi followed behind Ding ChunQiu, he saw his sleeves fluttering in the wind his footsteps light, he look like a god, he felt his admiration rising: "I have such an incredible Master, it''s really due to the good fortune accumulated by my previous life."


    They travelled for three days, on this afternoon, the group rested and quench their thirst at a pavilion, suddenly they heard the sound of horses, four people came riding on horses.


    The four of them rode their horses near the pavilion, the person on the lead horse shouted: "Elder brother, second brother, there''s water in the pavilion, let drink a few bowls and let the horses regain their stamina." He dismounted from the horse and walk into the pavilion, the other three also dismounted. The four of them saw Ding ChunQiu and his group of disciples, they nod their head to show courtesy and walk to the vat of water, they use the clay bowl and scoop the water.


    You TanZhi saw the first person dress in black, his figure thin and small, he has a moustache and he looked agile and brave. The second person is dress in yellow robe, his figure is thin but his stature tall, both his eyebrow slanted downwards, he look sickly and has a vicious expression. The third person is dress in red robe, his figure tall and sturdy, his ears big, he has a thick white beard, he look like a rich merchant. The last person is dress in green scholar robe, he look around 50 years of age, his eyes are narrow perhaps due to studying too much, he did not scoop the water but drank from his own wine gourd.


    At this moment, a monk came walking with big strides on the road, he stop outside the pavilion, join both his hands together and respectfully said: "Benefactors, junior monk is thirsty, i wish to rest in the pavilion and drink a bowl of water." the black-robe person smiled and said: "Master don''t need to be so courteous, we are all passers-by, this pavilion is not built by us, come in and drink some water." The monk replied: "Amituofo, thank you very much." He entered the pavilion.


    The monk is around 25 years of age, dense eyebrows and big eyes, a big sinking flat nose, his appearance rather ugly, his monk robe had numerous cloth patch and is extremely clean. He waited for the three men to finish drinking before approaching the water vat, he scoop a bowl of water, press both his hands together and lowered his head, he respectfully said: "When Buddha gaze upon a bowl of water, he sees 84 thousand bugs, if i don''t chant this mantra i will be breaking my oath of abstinence from meat" he chanted the mantra: "Yan Fu Xi Bo Luo Mo Ni Sha He" after he finish chanting he drank the water.


    The black-robe man felt curious when he saw it, he ask: "Little master, why are you chanting?" The monk said: "Junior monk is chanting the mantra for drinking water. When Buddha gaze upon a bowl of water, he sees 84 thousand bugs, monks are forbidden to kill, thus i have to chant this mantra before drinking the water." the black-robe man laugh and said: "Little master you really like to joke, this water is very clean, there''s no bug" the monk replied: "Benefactor you don''t understand. With our mortal eyes, you can''t see any bugs in the water, but with the divine eye of Buddha, he can see thousands of bugs in the water." The black-robe man laugh: "After chanting the mantra, you drink all the 84 thousand bugs into your stomach, the bugs won''t die anymore?" The monk hesitated and said: "This....this...my master didn''t teach me. Most probably they won''t die."


    The yellow robe man interrupted and said: "Not true, not true! The bug still has to die, but when little master chanted the mantra, the 84 thousand bugs will all go to heaven, little master drink a bowl of water and help 84 thousand soul find peace. Great achievement, great achievement!"


    The monk did not know whether his words are true or false, both his hands held onto the bowl of water, he stared blankly and muttered: "Drink a bowl of water and help 84 thousand soul find peace? I don''t have such great powers."


    The yellow robe man stood beside the monk and took the bowl from his hand, he inspected the bowl and counted: "One, two, three, four, five, six, ......one thousand, two thousand, ten thousand, twenty thousand ... Not true, not true! Little master, the bowl has 83 999 bugs, you counted 1 extra."


    The monk said: "Namo Amituofo. Benefactor you must be joking, you are a mortal how can you possess the divine eye?" the yellow robe man said: "So you have divine eyes?" the monk said: "I don''t have it." The yellow robe man replied: "Not true, not true! I think you have divine eyes, or else how would you know i am a mortal and not Bodhisattva?" the monk look at him to the left and right, his expression utterly perplex.


    The big red robe man walk over, took the clay bowl and return it to the monk, laughing: "Master please drink the water! This brother of mine is only pulling your leg, don''t take it seriously." The monk accepted the bowl and said respectfully: "Many thanks, many thanks." But his heart felt uncertain and he did not drink the water. The big man said: "I saw little master footstep is sturdy, you possess martial arts, how should i address you, where did you become a monk?"


    The monk put the bowl on top of the cover of the water vat, he bow and said: "Junior monk is Xu Zhu, i am from Shaolin Temple."


    The black robed man shouted: "Terrific, terrific! So you turn out to be an expert from Shaolin, come, come, come! You and i will spar!" Xu Zhu wave his hand repeatedly and said: "Junior monk''s martial arts is lowly, how would i dare to fight with sir?" the black robed man said: "I didn''t get into fights for many days, my hands are itchy, we are only sparing, its not a real fight, why are you so scared?" Xu Zhu retreated two steps and said: "Although junior monk practiced martial arts for a few years, but it purely for strengthening my body, i really can''t fight." The black robe man said: "All the monks from Shaolin are experts in martial artists. Monks who just started learning martial arts are forbidden to leave the temple. Since little master is able to leave the temple, then you must be a top expert. Come, come! We will only spar for 100 moves, it doesn''t matter who win or lose."


    Xu Zhu retreated another two steps and said: "Benefactor you don''t understand, junior monk is able to leave the temple not because of my martial arts, but because the temple currently lacks people to deliver letters. Junior monk is force to help out in delivering the letters. Junior monk is to deliver 10 ''Heroes Invitation Card'', my master ordered me to return immediately once they have been delivered, i am forbidden to fight, i had delivered 4 of the cards, i still have 6 cards with me. Benefactor you martial art is superb, please accept this invitation card." He retrieved an oilcloth bag from within his bosom, he open the bag and took out a big red card, he respectfully presented it and said: "May i ask for your name so that i can account for it when i report back to my master."


    The black robe man did not take the card, he said: "You did not fight with me, how you know i am a hero or coward? Let spar for a few moves, i will accept this card after i beat you." He took two step forward, his left fist made a false move, his right fist swung towards Xu Zhu. As he fist was about to reach Xu Zhu, he immediately held it back and shouted: "Quick retaliate!"


    The burly red robe man heard Xu Zhu mentioned about ''Heroes Invitation Card'', his interest was piqued and he said: "Fourth younger brother, there''s no hurry to compete, let''s take a look at what is on the invitation card." He took the card from Xu Zhu and saw the words written: "Shaolin Temple''s abbot XuanCi, respectfully invites heroes from all over the world to gather on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month, the Chongyang Festival, at Songshan Shaolin Temple to challenge the reputation of Gu Murong''s ''Returning you with your own move''"


    The burly man gave an "Ah" cry, he gave the card to the scholar beside him and said to Xu Zhu: "So Shaolin is holding this ''Heroes Meet'' to challenge Gusu Murong family....." the black robed man shouted: "Excellent, excellent, i am called ''Gust of Win'' Feng BoE, i am the subordinate of Gusu Murong family. You don''t need any ''Heroes Meet'', i will personally ask for advice from Shaolin expert now."


    Xu Zhu retreat another two steps, his left foot is outside the pavilion, he said: "So you are Benefactor Feng. My master told me, Shaolin Temple is requesting Mr Murong''s esteem presence at the temple, but we dare not offend him. Its only that rumours been spreading around and many people have died in recent years under Gusu Murong''s divine skill in ''Returning you with your own move''. My martial grandfather Master XuanBei died in Dali, we don''t know if it''s related to the Murong family, except for our abbot, everyone had suspicion in their heart, thus he...."


    The black robe man interrupted and said: "This matter is not related to our Gusu Murong family, but you will most probably not believe me even if i tell you. Since we can''t fully explain the ongoing of this matter, we will settle through martial arts. Let''s do it this way, both of us will spar right now, it''s like drumming up support and setting the stage for the main show. On Chongyang Festival, i will then visit Shaolin Temple and fight every single challenger, joyful, joyful! But after going through 17-18 challenger i will most probably be heavily injured and immobile and won''t have the chance to fight with your abbot XuanCi, sigh i don''t have the fate, pity, pity!" as he finish he rub his firsts to get ready for the fight.


    The burly man said: "4th younger brother, hold on, we will clarify first, its not too late to fight afterwards."


    The yellow robe man said: "Not true, not true. If we clarify the matter then there''s no need to fight. 4th younger brother, this is a good opportunity, if you want to fight you cannot clarify the matter."


    The tall and sturdy man ignored both his brothers and said to Xu Zhu: "I am Deng BaiChuan, the person over there is my second younger brother GongYe Gan." As he finish he pointed at the scholar, then he pointed at the yellow robe man and said: "This is my 3rd younger brother Bao BuTong, we are all followers of young master Murong."


    Xu Zhu paid tribute to all four men, he said: "Benefactor Deng, Benefactor Gong..." Bao BuTong interrupted: "Not true, not true. My second brother surname is GongYe, you call him Benefactor Gong, that is wrong." Xu Zhu quickly said: "Pardon me, pardon me! Junior monk is poorly educated, Benefactor GongYe please don''t be offended. Benefactor Bao...." Bao BuTong interrupted again: "Wrong again. Although my surname is Bao, but i have never given alms to monks or nuns in my entire life, thus you cannot address me as Benefactor." Xu Zhu said: "Yes, yes. 3rd Senior Bao, 4th Master Feng." Bao BuTong said: "Wrong again. My younger brother Feng will fight with you later, no matter who win or lose, you will gain some experience, your martial arts will definitely have some progress, isn''t he making a donation to you?" Xu Zhu said: "Yes, yes. Benefactor Feng, junior monk really cannot fight. Monks should focus primary on cultivating inner self, martial art is secondary, it doesn''t matter if my martial art is lousy."


    Feng BoE sigh: "You don''t take martial arts seriously, your skill is most likely ordinary, there''s no need to fight anymore." As he finish, he shakes his head repeatedly, his enthusiasm dulled. Xu Zhu breathe a sigh of relief, his expression joyful and said: "Yes, yes."


    Deng BaiChuan said: "Master Xu Zhu, this invitation card, i will accept it on behalf of my young master. My young master should have visited your temple a few months ago, could it be that he never came?"


    Xu Zhu replied: "He didn''t visit. The abbot long for his arrival but he didn''t come, twice we sent our people to visit your residence, but we only heard that senior elder Murong had died and your young master had left the residence. This time, the abbot requested the Head-Monk of DaMo Hall to visit your residence in SuZhou to deliver the invitation card, he''s afraid that your young master is still not at home and he could only try to widely circulate the invitation card within the martial arts fraternity, i hope you can explain this indiscretion to your young master. When Benefactor Murong visits our temple next year, our abbot will personally offer his apology."


    Deng BaiChuan said: "Little master don''t need to be so polite. The appointed date is still a long time away, my young master will definitely visit ShaoLin Temple at the appointed date and pay his respects to the abbot." Xu Zhu join his hands together and bow, he said: "Our abbot greatly welcomes young master Murong and all of you to visit ShaoLin Temple."


    Feng BoE saw Xu Zhu is outdated and overly formal, he didn''t have the least bit of passionate straightforward behaviour of martial artists, although he may be a monk, but he doesn''t look like a world renowned "Shaolin Monk", he could not tolerate him and ignored him, he turn and look at Ding ChunQiu and his group of disciples. The XingXiu disciples all carried weapons, obviously they are martial artists, Feng BoE should be able to select a few and fight with them.


    When You TanZhi saw Feng BoE and the rest entered the pavilion, he immediately hide behind his master. Ding ChunQiu is tall and large and is able to hide him, Deng BaiChuan and the rest did not see his weird iron head. Feng BoE saw Ding ChunQiu was healthy in old age, he had an immortal aura about him and look like a top master, Feng BoE felt his admiration rising, but he still step ahead and challenge: "May i know the name of this elder?" Ding ChunQiu smiled and said: "My surname is Ding"


    At this moment, Xu Zhu suddenly gave an "Ah" sound, he shouted: "Martial grandfather, you are here!" Feng BoE turn his head, he saw 7-8 monk travelling on the road, leading the group was two elder monk, two monks at the rear carried a stretcher and someone was lying on it. Xu Zhu quickly step out of the pavilion and paid his respects to the two elder monk, he also reported about Deng BaiChuan and his group.


    The monk on the right nod his head, he entered the pavilion and said to Deng BaiChuan: "Old monk is XuanNan" he pointed to another elder monk and said: "This is my junior martial brother XuanTong, its fortunate that we get to meet four great virtuous people from Gusu Murong family."


    Deng BaiChuan and the rest has long heard of XuanNan''s reputation, his face was full of wrinkles, his gaze deep and clear, they quickly paid their respect. Feng BoE said: "Great Master is Head-Monk of Shaolin Damo-Hall, i have long heard of your divine skills, i wish to ask for some advice."


    XuanNan gave a slight smile and said: "Old monk and junior XuanTong receive the orders of our abbot to travel to JianNan''s Basin of Swallows, the residence of Murong family, to deliver the invitation card, this is the 3rd time our temple has send someone to the Basin of Swallows. But unexpected we met here by chance, our fate is really deep." As he finish he took out a red invitation card from his bosom.


    Deng BaiChuan accepted the card with both hands, he saw the words on the card: "Respectfully inviting Benefactor Murong from Gusu Basin of Swallows", he knew the contents must be similar to the card delivered by Xu Zhu, he said: "Both of you are eminent monks of Shaolin Temple, you enjoy great reputation in the martial arts fraternity, it''s a great honour for our Murong family to have you personally deliver the card. We have already gotten the invitation card from that little master, we should have responded quickly. On Chongyang Festival, my young master Murong will definitely pay his respects at Shaolin Temple, he will personally express his thanks to all eminent monks of Shaolin and clarify all misunderstandings."


    XuanNan pondered: "You said to clarify all misunderstandings, could it be that senior martial brother XuanBei was not killed by your Murong family?" suddenly he heard someone shout behind him: "Ah, Master, its him!" XuanNan turn his head, he saw a weird looking man point his finger at the stretcher, the man whispered something to the white-hair old man.


    You TanZhi whispered to Ding ChunQiu: "The fat monk on the stretcher, he is the one who captured the frost silkworm, but i don''t know how he ended up being stretchered away by Shaolin."


    Ding ChunQiu heard this fat monk is the original owner of the frost silkworm, he was overjoyed and whispered: "You didn''t mistake him for someone else?" You TanZhi said: "No, his called HuiJing. Master look, his body is fat and his belly round." Ding ChunQiu saw HuiJing''s belly is even larger than pregnant woman, with such a large belly, no one will ever forget it once they see it, they won''t mistake him for someone else, Ding ChunQiu said to XuanNan: "Great Master, i am a friend of this monk HuiJing, is he sick?"


    XuanNan press both his hands together and said: "May i ask the name of Benefactor, how did you know my martial nephew?"


    Ding ChunQiu pondered: "This HuiJing is with a group of Shaolin monks, this is very troublesome. Luckily we met him here, we can kidnap or seize him, much easier than trying to infiltrate Shaolin to capture him." As he thought about the miraculous effect of the frost silkworm, he chest felt hot, he said: "I am Ding ChunQiu."


    As he said the word "Ding ChunQiu", XuanNan, XuanTong, Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan, Bao BuTong, Feng BoE, all six of them simultaneously gave an "Ah" sound, their expression became grave. The evil reputation of the Old Freak of XingXiu is renown throughout the world, they did not expect him to be a person with such graceful manner and elegance, even more unexpected is to be able to meet him at this pavilion. The six of them immediately became alert to guard against him.


    XuanNan calm down in an instant, he said: "So its Mr Ding from XingXiu Sea, i have long heard of your name, it''s really well known." He did not say "it''s fortunate to meet you" or other pleasantries, XuanNan thought: "Whoever meets you, it really their great misfortune."


    Ding ChunQiu said: "I don''t dare, Head-Monk of Shaolin Damo-Hall ''Shifting Heaven and Earth within the Sleeves'', renowned all over the world, truly well known and respected. This monk HuiJing, i am looking all over for him, to think we can meet here, excellent, excellent!"


    XuanNan''s eyebrows slightly narrowed, he said: "It''s unfortunate, martial nephew HuiJing did not obey the teachings of Shaolin Temple, he broke excessive rules. A year ago, he left the temple without permission and committed numerous evil. The abbot dispatch several people to look for him, after much effort they finally found him and now we are bringing him back to the temple. Mr Ding, you have met him before?" Ding ChunQiu said: "So his not sick, he was injured by you people, is he injuries serious?" XuanNan did not reply immediately, after a while he said: "He refused to accept the orders of the abbot, he even injure others." XuanNan pondered: "If he associated with evil demons like you, he broke another great commandment."


    Ding ChunQiu said: "I was at Kunlun Mountain, i spent a lot of effort before capturing a frost silkworm, its an extremely important object, but it got stolen by monk HuiJing. I travelled from XingXiu Sea to Central Plains just to retrieve the frost silkworm ......"


    He did not finish his words as HuiJing shouted: "Where is my frost silkworm? You seen my frost silkworm? I found the silkworm after much painstaking effort at Kunlun Mountain....you...you...you stole it?"


    Ever since You TanZhi revealed himself by shouting out, Feng BoE kept looking and examining his iron mask, he did not bother about the conversation between XuanNan, Ding ChunQiu and HuiJing. He walk a few rounds around You TanZhi, he saw the iron mask was very well made, it cannot be remove from his head, he wanted to stretch out his hands to knock on the mask, after examining a while he said: "Hello friend, how are you!"


    You TanZhi replied: "I....i am fine!" he saw Feng BoE was very energetic, jumping and moving around, he was scared. Feng BoE said: "Friend, this iron mask, how did you put it on? I have travelled all over the world but i have never seen such face mask before." You TanZhi felt ashamed, he lowered his head and said: "This...my....this was not under my control, i did not put it on myself."


    Feng BoE listened to his pitiful plight, he was angered: "Who played this kind of joke on you? I will personally pay him a visit." he stared at Ding ChunQiu, thinking that it must be the doings of the old man. You TanZhi quickly said: "No...no its not my master." Feng BoE said: "You are a proper man, what''s the big idea in putting on this iron mask? Come, I''ll remove it for you." He retrieved a dagger from his boots, the blade glimmered brightly, obviously its extremely sharp, he was about to use it to remove the mask.


    You TanZhi knew the mask is stuck onto his face and the back of his head, its interlinked with his flesh and blood, his life will be in great danger if its forcibly removed, he quickly said: "No, no, you cannot remove it!" Feng BoE said: "Don''t be scared, this dagger of mine can cut through iron as if it was made of mud, i won''t harm your skin and flesh when i remove the mask." You TanZhi shouted: "No, you cannot do it." Feng BoE said: "You are scared of the person who put this mask on you, correct? When you see him next time, just say that Mr Feng forcibly removed it and its beyond your control, ask the evil person to come find me." As he finish speaking, he held onto You TanZhi''s left wrist.


    You TanZhi saw the dagger flash brightly, he was extremely shock and shouted: "Master, master!" he turn his head to seek help from Ding ChunQiu. Ding ChunQiu was standing beside the stretcher, his attention focused solely on HuiJing, he did not hear his pleas for help. Feng BoE raised his dagger, he shave the iron mask with it. You TanZhi panicked and wave his right palm, he wanted to push him away, there was a "Pai" sound, he hit Feng BoE right in the middle of his left shoulder.


    Feng BoE was preoccupied with shaving the iron mask, he feared he might slip and injure You TanZhi''s face, he did not guard against the palm. The strength in the palm was exceptional, Feng BoE groaned and fell down. He use his left hand to push off the ground and got back up, with a "Wa" sound, he vomited a mouthful of fresh blood.


    Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan, Bao BuTong, the three of them saw You TanZhi''s sneak attack, their 4th younger brother had a huge disadvantage, they were extremely shock, when they saw Feng BoE deathly pale face they became even more worried. GongYe Gan took his pulse, the pulse was rapid and irregular, there seems to be a faint trace of poisoning, he pointed at You TanZhi and cursed: "Good kid, top disciple of the Old Freak of XingXiu, requite kindness with ingratitude, you use such vicious method to injure people." He took out a small bottle from his bosom, remove the bottle cap and took out a detoxification pill, he fed it to Feng BoE.


    Deng BaiChuan and Bao BuTong body flashed, they block You TanZhi and Ding ChunQiu. Bao BuTong secretly gathered internal energy in his left hand, his fingers formed a claw, he was about to grab You TanZhi''s chest. Deng BaiChuan said: "3rd younger brother, stay your hand!" Bao BuTong did not attack, his eyes shifted towards his elder brother. Deng BaiChuan said: "Our Gusu Murong family has no feud with XingXiu Sect, our 4th younger brother has good intentions in removing the iron mask, why did your XingXiu Sect injure him? I want to seek Mr Ding for clarification."


    Ding ChunQiu saw his new disciple only need 1 palm stroke to injure a good fighter from Gusu Murong family, XingXiu Sect thus commanded awe-inspiring authority, he was secretly pleased and admired the miraculous effect of the frost silkworm even more, he smiled and said: "Master Feng is brave and relentless, but he also likes to poke his nose into other''s business. This disciple of of mine likes to wear an iron mask, how did it obstruct your Gusu Murong family?"


    GongYe Gan had supported Feng BoE into sitting position, but his whole body was shivering, his teeth chattering and grinding, it was as if his in a freezer, after a while, his lips turned purple, his face also gradually turn from white to green. GongYe Gan''s detoxification pill has miraculous effects, but after being consumed by Feng BoE, it seems to vanish without a trace and had absolutely no effect at all.


    GongYe Gan was desperate, he place his hands near Feng BoE to check his breathing, suddenly a burst of cold air entered his palm, the chill penetrated into his bones. GongYe Gan quickly withdraw his hands and said: "Not good, why is the cold so powerful?" even the air exhaled by Feng BoE was so cold, the frost poison in him must be very serious, the situation is very dangerous, there no time to debate who''s right or wrong, he turn around and said to Ding ChunQiu: "My younger brother is poisoned by your disciple, please give us the antidote."


    The poison contracted by Feng BoE is the deadly poison of the frost silkworm, force out by the internal energy of You TanZhi''s [Tendon-Changing Sutra], not to mention that Ding ChunQiu did not have the antidote for it, even if he did had it why would he surrender it? Ding ChunQiu raise his head and laugh towards the heaven and shouted: "Ah Wu Liu Lu Gong! Ah Wu Liu Lu Gong!" and flick his sleeves, generating a burst of wind. Suddenly the XingXiu disciples all rush out of the pavilion and quickly ran away.


    Deng BaiChuan and the rest of the Shaolin monks felt this gust of wind irritated their eyes, it''s really hard to bear and their tears rolled down endlessly, they could not open their eyes, they secretly curse: "Not good!" they knew Ding ChunQiu''s sleeve contains poison powder, with this flick of his sleeves, all the poison got scattered. Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan, Bao BuTong, all 3 of them block in front of Feng BoE, they were afraid the enemy might harm him. XuanNan shut his eyes and push out with his palm, it happen to hit the pillar of the pavilion, the pillar snapped immediately and half of the pavilion collapsed and came crashing down, roof tiles and mud rain down. Everyone struggled to open their eyes, Ding ChunQiu and You TanZhi had disappeared.


    A few Shaolin monks shouted: "Where is HuiJing? Where is HuiJing?" it seems during the confusion, HuiJing was abducted by Ding ChunQiu, the empty stretcher covered the head of one Shaolin monk. XuanTong was furious: "Give chase!" and he rush out of the pavilion. Deng BaiChuan and Bao BuTong followed him and give chase as well. XuanNan wave his left hand and led the rest of the Shaolin monks to follow and provide assistance.


    GongYe Gan was taking care of Feng BoE, both of them resting at the other intact half of the pavilion, GongYe Gan felt stinging pain in his eye, tears kept on flowing. He saw cold sweat seeping through Feng BoE''s forehead, after a while it became frost. As he was getting scared and anxious, he heard the sound of footsteps, GongYe Gan raise his head, he saw Deng BaiChuan supporting Bao BuTong, they walk quickly. GongYe Gan had a huge shock, he said: "Big brother, 3rd younger brother is injured?" Deng BaiChuan said: "He got poisoned by that iron-head man." After a while XuanNan and the rest of the monks also return to the pavilion. XuanTong was leaning on Xu Zhu''s back, his teeth was making chattering sounds. XuanNan, Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan look at each other in fear, they were at a loss on what to do.


    Deng BaiChuan said: "That iron-head man and 3rd younger brother clash palm, after that he also clash palm with Master XuanTong. We didn''t expect....didn''t expect the poison of XingXiu Sect to be so powerful."


    XuanNan took out a small box from his bosom, he said: "Our school''s [Six Solar Energy Pill] is effective in countering frost poison." He remove the lid of the box and took out 3 blood-red pills, he gave 2 of them to Deng BaiChuan and fed the 3rd pill to XuanTong.


    Using the time required to eat a meal, XuanTong and the other two men slowly combat the chill until it stop. Bao BuTong curse loudly: "This iron-head man, da....damn it, what kind of palm strength is that?" Deng BaiChuan said: "3rd younger brother, curse later, focus on channelling your energy." Bao BuTong said: "Not true, not true! If i don''t curse now, once i die, i can''t curse anymore." Deng BaiChuan smiled and said: "Don''t worry, you won''t die!" as he said this he press his palm on his back, on his ''ZhiYan'' acupoint, he use his internal energy to help him drive out the frost poison. GongYe Gan and XuanNan also use their internal energy to assist Feng BoE and XuanTong to drive out the poison.


    XuanNan and XuanTong had deep internal energy, after a while, XuanTong gave a long sigh and said: "Its done!" and he stood up, he continued: "Such power!" XuanNan wanted to assist Bao BuTong and Feng BoE to drive out the poison, but the other party did not request for his help, if he carelessly tried to offer his help it might be seen as looking down upon their internal energy, this is seen as breaking of taboo in the martial arts franity.


    Suddenly, XuanTong''s body swayed, his teeth start chattering again, he immediately sat down and channelled his internal energy and said: "Martial....martial brother, this frost.....frost poison is.....is very odd...." XuanNan quickly channelled his internal energy to assist him. The 3 of them circulated their internal energy continuously, the frost poison felt better for a moment, but it flare up again immediately, this went on until dusk, the three of them had already consume 3 [Six Solar Energy Pill], but the frost poison was not repelled at all. XuanNan brought 10 pills with him and his left with 1, he divided it into three parts and gave the three of them 1 each. Bao BuTong refuse to take it, he said: "Even if i consume 100 pills, it....it won''t...."


    XuanNan was at his wits end, he said: "Benefactor Bao is correct, this [Six Solar Energy Pill] is not the correct remedy, our internal energy also can''t suppress this Yin-poison. In my opinion, we have to invite Divine Physician Xue, nickname ''Enemy of King of Hell'', he can cured whatever difficult illness." Bao BuTong said: "Great Master, you know the whereabouts of this Divine Physician?" XuanNan said: "Divine Physician Xue live in Ancestor-Willow Town at YangZhiXi, its not far from here. Old monk have met him many times before, if we go to him and ask for treatment he mostly probably won''t reject. Gusu Murong family is renown throughout the world, Divine Physician Xue long admires you, he will definitely be gratified if he can become friends with the four of you."


    Bao BuTong said: "Not true, not true. If Divine Physician Xue sees us all, he might not be gratified. Nevertheless, everyone is afraid of my young master''s ''Returning you with your own move'', but Divine Physician Xue is not afraid. In the future, if the Divine Physician is dying, he only have to find my young master and with his ''Returning you with your own move'', his.....his...his old life can be saved."


    Everyone laugh out loud, they left the pavilion. They reach a small town and hired 3 carriages to let the three injured men to rest and recuperate. Deng BaiChuan also bought a few horses and gave them to Shaolin monks to ride.


    After travelling for 4-6 hours, they group have to stop and assist XuanTong and the other injured men to combat the frost poison. Eventually, XuanNan did not have any inhibition and he used the divine skills of Shaolin to help Bao BuTong and Feng BoE to combat the poison. Although the route to Ancestor-Willow Town is not too far, but it pass through rugged mountain path and they had numerous delays, they finally reach the town at dusk on the 4th day. Divine Physician Xue lived within the remote mountain 30 li north of the Ancestor-Willow Town, luckily the Divine Physician explain the route in detail to XuanNan when they met at JuXian Manor. They group did not spend too much effort searching and they arrived outside the home of Divine Physician Xue.


    XuanNan saw several large houses erected beside the river, there''s a huge medicine garden in front of the houses, he knew he had arrived at the home of Divine Physician Xue. He dismounted and step forward, he saw two large white lanterns hanging by the door. He was surprised: "The Xue family has a sick family member?" he rush forwards a few zhang, he saw a few sackcloth hanging over the door, a paper streamer to call back the spirit of the dead was inserted beside the door, it seems the family is holding a funeral. He saw two rows of words written on the paper lanterns: "The funeral of Xue MuHua, died at the age of 55." XuanNan had a huge shock: "Divine Physician Xue can''t cure himself and hence he pass away, this is terrible." As he thought about the passing of this old friend, from now on they are separated by the nether world, he cannot help but feel sentimental and sorrowful.


    Following behind him is Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan, they came riding on horses, both of them gasp in unison: "Ah Ya!"


    Suddenly they heard cries from within the house, its the widow: "My husband, you have divine medical skills, who would have expect you to contract this acute disease, you abandon me and left alone. Husband, although you are called ''Enemy of King of Hell'', you still can''t beat the King of Hell, when you go to the nether world, the King of Hell will settle this score with you, you are in for a hard time!"


    After a while, the 3 carriages and 6 Shaolin monks arrived. Deng BaiChuan dismounted and said loudly: "Master XuanNan from Shaolin Temple, along with some friends, we have some matters and seek the help of Divine Physician Xue." His voice rang out like a large bell, the cries from within the house stopped.


    After a while, an elder step out of the house, his dressed like a servant, tears flowing down his face, his is very sad, he beat his chest and said: "Old master died yesterday afternoon, you all.....you all can''t see him anymore."


    XuanNan press his hands together and ask: "What is the illness contracted by Mr Xue?" the old servant replied: "I don''t know, he just suddenly stop breathing. Old master provides treatment for others, whatever medicine he prescribes the illness will be cured....but....but....for himself...." XuanNan ask again: "Is there anyone left in Mr Xue''s family?" the old servant replied: "None, no one." Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan gave each other a glance, they felt the servant''s tone did not contain any sadness when he said it. Moreover, they heard the cries of the widow just now. XuanNan sigh and said: "Life and death is predestined, please lead us to his coffin and let pay our last respect." The old servant said: "This.....this.....ok." he led the group and entered the house.


    GongYe Gan was 1 step behind, he whispered to Deng BaiChuan: "Big brother, i think there''s something odd about this incident, that old servant''s behaviour is suspicious." Deng BaiChuan nod his head and followed the old servant to the mourning hall.


    The furnishings in the mourning hall is crude, some items were not place correctly, the spirit tablet contains the words: "Memorial tablet of Xue MuHua", the words were strong and forceful, obviously its written by someone with deep learning, definitely not written by the old servant. Deng BaiChuan noted all these details but he did not comment. All of them paid their respects before the memorial tablet. GongYe Gan turn his head, he saw over 10 clothes hanging on a bamboo pole in the courtyard, there is clothes for married woman and a few clothes for children, he thought: "Divine Physician Xue obviously had a wife and children, why did that old servant say there''s no one in the family?"


    XuanNan said: "We came from afar to seek treatment from Divine Physician Xue, we never expect Mr Xue to pass away, this is really sad. It''s getting late now, we wish to stay for the night in your esteemed home." The old servant look very reluctant, he said: "This.....this......en, fine! I invite all of you rest in the hall, i will go prepare the meals." XuanNan said: "Housekeeper you don''t have to spend too much effort, simple rice and vegetables is enough." The old servant replied: "Yes, yes! Everyone please sit down and rest." He led the group to the outer hall, he then entered the inner hall.


    After a long time, the old servant did not come out to serve tea. XuanNan pondered: "This old servant just experience the death of his master, its unavoidable that his confuse. Sigh, my martial brother XuanTong contracted this frost poison, how should we deal with it?" the group waited for over an hour, but the old servant still did not appear. Bao BuTong felt restless, he said: "I will go find some water to drink" Xu Zhu said: "Mr Bao, please sit down and rest. I will go help the old servant to boil the water." He stood up and entered the inner hall. GongYe Gan wanted to examine the movements around the house, he said: "I will accompany you."


    Both of them entered the inner hall. The residence of Xue is quite large, they have five hall, but they did not see the slightest trace of a person''s persence. Both of them entered the kitchen but the old servant could not be found anywhere.


    GongYe Gan knew something is not right, he quickly went back to the outer hall and said: "Something is not right in this house, i think Divine Physician Xue might be faking his death." XuanNan stood up and ask: "What should we do about this?" GongYe Gan said: "Great Master, i want to examine the coffin." The group rush to the mourning hall, he extended his hand to lift the coffin, suddenly he had a strange thought, he quickly withdraw his hand, he took a shirt hanging on the bamboo pole and wrap it around his hands. He gathered his internal energy and lifted the coffin, he felt it was very heavy, the coffin definitely did not contain a corpse. He said: "Divine Physician Xue really faked his death."


    Feng BoE took out his blade and said: "Pry open the coffin lid and look inside." GongYe Gan said: "This person is known as Divine Physician, his definitely an expert in poison, 4th younger brother, you have to be careful." Feng BoE said: "I will keep that in mind." He inserted the tip of the blade between the lid and the coffin, he push upward, there was a creaking sound and the coffin lid is slowly lifted. Feng BoE held his breath, his afraid poison powder might come out of the coffin.


    Bao BuTong walk to the courtyard and caught two chicken, he return to the mourning hall, he raise his hands and threw the two chicken, the chickens crow loudly and move pass the coffin and landed in front of the memorial tablet. The chickens move towards the direction of the courtyard, but after a few steps it collapsed, their feet twitch a few times and it stop moving and died. The wind blew from the corridor, the feathers on the chickens all scattered and flew up in the air. Everyone was dumbstruck when they saw this. The chickens just died of poisoning and all its feathers immediately drop off, it can be said that the poison is really violent. No one dare to go near the coffin.


    XuanNan said: "Benefactor Deng, what is the reason behind this? Why did Divine Physician Xue fake his own death?" as he finish he leap upward, his left hand grab the crossbeam, he look inside the coffin, the coffin is filled with rocks, within the rocks is a big bowl, the bowl is filled with clear water. This bowl of clear water is obviously the poison. XuanNan shook his head and jump down, he said: "Even if Benefactor Xue refuses to provide treatment, there''s no need to lay such elaborate trap to harm us. Shaolin had no grievance with him, this kind of behaviour, isn''t it unjustifiable? Could it be.....could it be....." he said ''could it be'' twice and shut his mouth, he thought: "could it be he has some huge grievances with Gusu Murong family?"


    Bao BuTong said: "There no need for you to guess, my young master Murong has never met Divine Physician Xue, there''s no need to even mention hatred or vengeance. If his our enemy, even if our poison is 10 times more unbearable, we will never come here and beg him for treatment. You think the one surname Bao and surname Feng is garbage?" XuanNan place his hands together and said: "Benefactor Bao is correct, old monk guess wrongly." His an eminent monk, since his heart did suspect them, even if he did not say it out loud, he should still shoulder the blame.


    Deng BaiChuan said: "Poison gas is filling the entire area, its not convenient to stay here, let''s go back to the inner hall." The group went to the inner hall, they discuss with each other but still could not guess why Divine Physician Xue fake his own death and lay down the poison trap. Bao BuTong said: "This Divine Physician Xue is so vicious, let''s just use fire and torch this entire place down." Deng BaiChuan said: "We can''t do that, Divine Physician Xue is still considered to be a friend of Shaolin, since Master XuanNan is here we cannot act rashly."


    Currently, the surroundings is pitch black, there''s no light in the hall, everyone is thirsty and hungry but they dare not drink the tea and water found in the house. XuanNan said: "Let''s go to a nearby farm house to ask for some water and food. Benefactors what do you think of this idea?" Deng BaiChuan said: "Yes. But its best that we don''t eat any food or drink within 3 li radius. This Divine Physician Xue put alot of effort in his schemes, he won''t stop at just putting a coffin, we will feel terribly apologetic if great master gets implicated again." Although he and GongYe Gan knew the trouble was not caused by them, but the reputation of Gusu Murong''s ''Returning you with your own move'' is simply too great, they made quite a lot of enemies in the martial arts franity, some relatives of Divine Physician Xue might have been accidentally killed and this blood-debt is place on Gusu Murong''s family.


    All of them stood up and walk towards the front door, suddenly they saw bright light flashing in the west, a stream of flame dispersed and turn into green colour, it covered the entire sky and came raining down, its magnificent and beautiful. Feng BoE said: "Yi, who release this firework? Now is not the Lantern festival or the Mid-autumn festival, why are people releasing fireworks?" after a while, orange-yellow fireworks rise up to the sky, it look like thousands of flying stars colliding with each other.


    GongYe Gan thought about it and said: "This is not fireworks, it the signal from the enemy to execute a surprise attack." Feng BoE shouted: "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Let''s fight to our hearts content!"


    Deng BaiChuan said: "3rd brother and 4th brother, go wait in the hall, i will block the entrance, 2nd brother will block the rear. Master XuanNan, this matter does not concern Shaolin, please just stand aside and watch, there''s no need to help, our Murong family thank you for your great kindness."


    XuanNan said: "Benefactor Deng why are you saying this? Even if the enemy has some hatred towards you, there must be some truth and falsehood or misunderstanding, we have to be impartial, we cannot allow them to take advantage of your misfortune and rely on their numbers to win. If it''s the gang of people dispatch by Divine Physician Xue, they lay down this trap and tried to poison us, we share a common enemy, how can we stand by and do nothing? Everyone, prepare yourself to meet the enemy!" HuiFang, Xu Zhu and the rest of the monks agreed in unison. XuanTong said: "Benefactor Deng, i and your two brothers share the same poison, we should collaborate and repel the enemy."


    As they were talking, another two fireworks rise up into the sky, this time it was much nearer. After a while, another two fireworks appear, a total of six fireworks had been fired. The shape and colour of the fireworks were different, some look like a large pen, some look chessboard, some look like an axe, some look like large peony. After the fireworks had been fired, the sky was pitch black again.


    XuanNan ordered the six Shaolin disciples to guard all four sides of the house. But after a long time, they did not hear any movement from the enemy.


    Everyone held their breath and focus their attention, after the time taken to eat a meal, they suddenly hear a female voice singing to the east: "For days my eyebrows are unpainted, and my handkerchief soaked in tears. Since your Majesty cares nothing for me, why should I care for my looks? How can a mere chest of pearls bring solace to my lonely existence?"


    When the voice finish singing the song, immediately it turn into the voice of a man and said: "AiYo, Lady Jiang, I have not seen you for a long time, i miss you very much, i bestow you a string of pearls, Lady Jiang please accept it." After finishing, the voice turn into a female and said: "Your Majesty already have Consort Yang as your companion, you even abandon your court sessions, when did you ever place this ill-fated woman in your heart, sigh......" as she said this, she starting crying.


    Xu Zhu and the rest of the monks are unfamiliar with worldly affairs, the person suddenly became male and female, not knowing what kind of trick it is, they felt miserable. Deng BaiChun and the rest knew the person was acting out the story between Emperor Ming of Tang and the Plum Consort, suddenly becoming Plum Consort, suddenly becoming the Emperor, the voice and tone remarkably accurate, but this person suddenly appear at this juncture, they have some misgivings and unsure about the person''s intentions.


    The person said: "My lady, don''t cry, quickly prepare a feast, you will play the flute and i will personally sing a tune for you to relieve your worries." The person''s voice change to a female and said: "Lowly concubine wash her face with tears every evening, i only hope to see your Majesty again, now that i get to see you again, i will die contented, goodbye, *cough*......*cough*....."


    Bao BuTong shouted loudly: "I am An Lushan! Tang Emperor Li Longji, you are a muddleheaded emperor, quickly hand over Yang Yuhuan!"


    The person stop crying immediately and gave an "Ah" sound, apparently he had a huge shock.


    The surroundings is silent again.

 Chapter - 30 Casually Binding the Hero

    After a while, they smell a faint flowery scent. XuanNan shouted: "The enemy is releasing poison, quickly hold your breath, smell the antidote." But after a while, he felt strange, he was clear-headed and refreshed, it seems the flowery scent did not carry any poison.


    The person said: "7th sister, is that you? There some strange person in 5th brother''s house, he claims his An Lushan." A female voice said: "Only big brother has yet to arrive. 2nd brother, 3rd brother, 4th brother, 6th brother, 8th brother, let us reveal ourselves!"


    When she finish, there was a bright light outside the door, a strange ball of light shone on 5 men and 1 woman. A black beard old man among them said: "5th brother, quickly come out." His right hand held onto a square wooden board. The female is a pretty middle-age married woman. For the other 4 men, 2 of them are dressed as scholars, 1 of them seems to be a carpenter, hand holding onto an axe and carrying a long saw on his back. The other man is green-faced and long-toothed, red hair and green beard, his appearance extremely scary, he look like a monster, his wearing a bright shining brocade robe.


    Deng BaiChuan fix his concentration, he saw the person oil painted his face, it was not his original appearance, he dress himself like an opera actor, thus the one acting as Tang Emperor and Plum Consort is obviously this person, Deng BaiChuan said loudly: "May i request the honorable names of ladies and gentlemen? I am Deng BaiChuan from Gusu Murong family."


    The other party did not have the chance to reply as a black figure rush out from the main hall, his blade shining, he chop 7 times towards the opera actor, it was Feng BoE. The opera actor was caught off guard, he hide to the east and dodge to the west, he was in an awkward situation. The opera actor started singing: "My strength plucked up the hills, my might shadowed the world; But the times were against me, and Dapple (name of warhorse) runs no more; when Dapple runs no more, what then can ......" but Feng BoE attack was too quick and he could not finish the 3rd sentence.


    The black bearded guy cursed: "Hey you are too unreasonable, rushing out and hacking and chopping randomly, eat my [Big Iron Net]" the wooden board in his hands flashed and he whack straight towards the top of Feng BoE''s head.


    Feng BoE felt some misgivings: "I have fought over hundreds of major and minor battle, but i have never seen such square wood board being used as a weapon." He raise his broadsword and chop towards the board. There was a ringing sound, the broadsword hit the edge of the board, but the board was motionlessly, although the board may seem like it''s made of wood but its actually made of steel, the exterior of the board is painted to make it resemble wood. Feng BoE promptly withdraw his broadsword, unexpectedly when he contract his arm the broadsword could not be withdrawn, it was stuck firmly on the steel board. Feng BoE was shock, he channeled his internal energy and exerted his force, only now did the broadsword separate from the steel board, he shouted: "What an abnormal object! Is this steel board made of lodestone?"


    That person smiled and said: "Not really, not really! This is my working tool."Feng BoE shot another glance at it, he saw many horizontal and vertical lines on the board, it''s a Go (Chess) board, he said: "What a weird object, come i will fight with you!" he swing his broadsword like the wind, attacking faster and faster, but he dare not let the broadsword touch the magnetic chess board.


    The opera actor regain his breath and sing again: "When Dapple runs no more, what then can i do? Ah, Yu, my Yu, what will your fate be?" suddenly he imitated the voice of a female, he said in a gentle coy voice: "Worry not my Lord, although today''s battle is unsuccessful, lowly concubine will follow you and fight our way out of this encirclement."


    Bao BuTong said: "Shameless King of Chu and Consort Yu, quickly commit suicide, i am Han Xin." He jump and extended his palm, trying to grab the shoulder of the opera actor. The opera actor avoided it and sing: "A great wind came fourth, the clouds rose on high. Where will i find.....AiYa, my Gaozu of Han killed your Han Xin." His left hand went to his waist and took out a soft whip and he lash it out towards Bao BuTong.


    XuanNan saw both sides are acting like children, but their martial arts are solid, only that they don''t know each other, his eyebrows narrowed slightly and said: "Everyone please temporarily stay your hands, let us clarify the matter first."


    But asking Feng BoE to stay his hands and stop fighting is almost impossible, when he contracted the frost poison, his physical strength and stamina was not the same as before, in addition the frost poison can flare up anytime, it''s extremely dangerous, his broadsword flash about as if it was shredding the wind, he wanted to achieve victory quickly.


    As the four of them engaged in fierce battle, someone came out of the main hall, there was a clashing sound as two Buddhist monk''s knife collided, an awe-inspiring entrance, it was XuanTong. He shouted: "You bunch of wicked thieves, using poison and harming people, old monk will break his taboo and kill you all!" he was tormented by the frost poison for many days, he could not vent his frustration, thus he did not bother to clarify and attack the two scholars with his twin-knife. One scholar dodge and avoided, the other scholar took out a judge-pen weapon from his bosom, he executed his skills and start fighting with XuanTong.


    The other scholar shakes his head from side to side and said: "This is so strange! Why is this monk so hot tempered, i wonder where he comes from?" he extended his hands into his bosom and felt around, he said: "Yi, where did it go?" he touch his left and right pockets, shake his sleeves, and pat his chest, he can''t find it anywhere.


    Xu Zhu was sympathetic, he ask: "Benefactor, what are you looking for?" the scholar said: "This big monk''s martial arts is extremely high, my brother is not his match, i want to find my weapon and join the fight, Yi, strange, strange! Where did my weapon go?" he knock his forehead and pondered deeply. Xu Zhu cannot help but laugh, he thought: "Coming out for a fight but forgetting where you put your weapon, this is interesting." He ask again: "Benefactor, what kind of weapon you use?"


    The scholar said: "Diplomacy is better than violence, my number one weapon is a book." Xu Zhu said: "What kind of book? Martial arts manual?" the scholar said: "No, no. It''s the Analects of Confucius, i want to use the words of sage to reform my opponent." Bao BuTong interrupted: "You are a scholar, you can''t even memorize the Analects of Confucius, what''s the point of studying?" The scholar said: "Elder brother, you only know part of the information. The ''Analects of Confucius'', ''Mencius'', ''Spring and Autumn Annals'', ''Book of Songs'', i know all of them by heart. But a Buddhist monk only study Buddhist scriptures, they might not know about Confucius literature, i can recite it out by heart but if he has no knowledge about it, won''t it be useless? Thus, i must show him the original text as evidence, then he can''t deny it or try to dispute it, only then will it be useful. There is a common saying, ''Use book as evidence''." As he said this, he kept on searching and patting around his body.


    Bao BuTong shouted: "Little master, quickly attack him!" Xu Zhu said: "I will wait for Benefactor to find his weapon, after that we can fight." The scholar said: "The Song and Chu fought at a deep river, the Chu people has yet to cross the river, their formation not ready, its a good opportunity to attack, but Duke Xiang of Song said: It''s not the way of nobleman to take advantage of the plight of others. Little master, your heart is benevolent, the same as Duke Xiang."


    The carpenter saw XuanTong''s twin-knife flying and twisting around, his moves are extremely quick and powerful, the two scholars will be in danger if the fight drags on further, he raised his axe and wanted to assist them in battle. GongYe Gan wave his palm and strike towards him. GongYe Gan''s appearance is refine and cultured, but his palm strength is vigorous and forceful, his nicknamed ''Jiangnan Number Two'', last time he competed wine drinking and match palm with Xiao Feng, although he lost, Xiao Feng had deep respect for him, it can be seen that his internal energy is extraordinary, the carpenter slanted his body to avoid the palm and hack his axe horizontally.


    The scholar still could not find his ''Analects of Confucius'', he saw his companion judge-pen movement is really messy, it really isn''t a match against XuanTong''s twin-knife, he said to XuanTong: "Hey, big monk. Confucius says: [The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it.] Confucius says: [To subdue one''s self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him.] Confucius also says: [Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety.] You wave your twin-knife randomly, you are ruthless and only thinks about killing people, you did not show self-restraint, this is contrary to propriety."


    Xu Zhu whispered to Shaolin monk HuiFang: "Martial uncle, is this person pretending to be dumb?" HuiFang shook his head and said: "I don''t know. Our master instructed us to be careful when going out of Shaolin Temple, martial artists are cunning and sly, they can come up all sorts of funny ideas and traps."


    The bookworm said to XuanTong again: "Big monk, Confucius says: [Men of principle are sure to be bold, but those who are bold may not always be men of principle.] You are brave and bold, but you might not be benevolent, you cannot be considered to be a true gentleman. Confucius says: [What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others] If other people want to kill you, you will naturally be unwillingly to die, since you are unwillingly to die, how can you kill other people?"


    XuanTong engage this bookworm and both of them jump about, he wave his twin-knife to attack, the bookworm follow XuanTong and suddenly move east and west, sometimes left and right, his always within 3 foot of XuanTong, constantly advising and persuading, it can be seen that his martial art is not weak. XuanTong was secretly vigilant: "This rascal is spouting nonsense, obviously his trying to distract me and divert my concentration, once he find a gap in my moves, he will definitely exploit it and attack. This person''s martial art is above the scholar with the judge-pen, i definitely have to guard against him." Thus, he spent 60% of his concentration to guard against the bookworm and spent 40% to focus on attacking the scholar with the judge-pen. The situation of the scholar with the judge-pen improved considerably.


    After exchanging 10 moves, XuanTong was getting impatient, he shouted: "Get lost!" and flip his Buddhist monk''s knife, smashing the handle of the knife towards the chest of the bookworm. The bookworm avoided it and said: "Great master your martial art is extremely strong, my 4th brother and i, although its two against one we might not be your match, thus i advise you with wise words and hope that we can stop fighting, Confucius says: [Tsang, my doctrine is that of an all-pervading unity.] Tsang said: [The doctrine of master is to be true to the principles of our nature and the benevolent exercise of them to others - this and nothing more.] As human-beings, we must be prepared to forgive, we cannot be unreasonable and barbaric."


    XuanTong felt indignant, he slash his knife horizontally and curse: "Be prepared to forgive? Be compassionate? Why did you put deadly poison in the coffin to harm others? If old monk is not careful, he would have died long ago, you still dare say: [What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others], you want to die of poisoning?"


    The bookworm quickly retreated two steps and said: "Strange! Strange! Who put poison in the coffin? The coffin is for corpses. Confucius says: [Li died, he had a coffin but no outer shell.] There is poison in the coffin, won''t the corpse die of poisoning? Oh wait, the corpse died long ago."


    Bao BuTong interrupted: "Not true, Not true. You did not put any corpse in the coffin, only poison, you wanted to poison us, the living people." The bookworm shook his head and said: "You gauge the heart of a gentleman with your own mean measures. Since there is no coffin here, there is no poison."


    Bao BuTong said: "Confucius says: [Of all people, female and vile people are the most difficult people.] You are a vile person." He pointed at the middle-age woman and said: "You are a female, both of you are indeed difficult people. Are the words of Confucius wrong?" the bookworm was stumped for words, he finally said: "You digress from the main topic, i don''t have to bother about your words or give a reply."


    The bookworm is debating with Bao BuTong, XuanTong had one less person to deal with and he intensified his attacks, the judge-pen scholar was instantly in dire situation. The bookworm move closer to XuanTong and said: "Confucius says: [If a man be without the virtues proper to humanity, what has he to do with the rites of propriety? If a man be without the virtues proper to humanity, what has he to do with music?] Big monk, you are without the virtues proper to humanity, you are really disappointing to the extreme."


    XuanTong was furious, he said: "I am a Buddhist, detach from worldly affairs, you rotten scholar talking about literature, etiquette and music, benevolent or not, you cannot sway my heart."


    The bookworm raise his knuckles and knocks his forehead, he said: "Very true! Very true! I studied too much and became foolish, i am really a bookworm. Big monk is obviously a Buddhist, but i advise you with words from Confucius and the traditional virtues, naturally you won''t understand it."


    Feng BoE fought for a long time with the chessboard-wielding person, it hard to predict who will win, after a period of time, he start to feel the frost poison acting up in his lower abdomen. Bao BuTong compared himself with the opera actor, he felt his opponent''s martial art is not high, but his moves is extremely complicated, sometimes he acted as Xi Shi (one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China), his speech and laughter coy, his frown infectious, his steps lithe and graceful, it was the exact manner of a woman of peerless elegance, in an instant, he started to act as a tipsy and romantic Li Bai (renowned poet), his drunken state unpredictable, his footsteps unsteady. The miraculous thing was that when he acted as different character, he always had a unique set of martial arts to fit the character, sometimes he used his flexible whip or flick his long sleeves when acting as a beauty, or wave his pen when acting as a scholar, and Bao BuTong could not deal with him for the moment.


    The bookworm was motionless for a while, suddenly he hum: "Since you gave up immersing in music, you heart should have gained benevolence, if you did not gain it quickly, it''s already ingrained in your heart?" XuanNan and XuanTong both had a huge shock, they thought: "This bookworm is extremely knowledgeable, he can even recite verses by Easter Jin eminent monk, Kumarajiva." The bookworm continued humming: "After all, in emptiness, there is no music in heart, if you are pleased with knowledge on Buddhism, you are not enlightened by its teachings. Falsehood lies and deceit, it will not stop near your heart. Big monk, what is the next two verse, i forgot." XuanTong said: "Buddhist teachings acquired by a humane person, it will reveal itself when desired by the heart."


    The bookworm laugh heartily and said: "Enlightening! Enlightening! You are a great Buddhist master, how can you not be humane? Moral principles under the heaven, all of them are the same. I advise you to let go of your hatred and turn back to correct path."


    XuanTong heart was shaken, he suddenly achieve enlightenment and said: "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo." There was two clanking sound, the twin-Buddhist monk''s knife was thrown on the floor, he sat down on the floor, his face revealed a smile, his eyes closed.


    The judge-pen scholar was getting excited in the fight, but suddenly seeing this behaviour, he had a huge shock and did not attack with this judge-pen.


    Xu Zhu said: "Martial grandfather, did your frost poison flare up?" he extended his arm to support him, XuanNan said: "Don''t move!" he checked XuanTong''s breath, but he had stop breathing, he had passed away. XuanNan press both his hands together, he chanted the ''Afterlife Prayer''. The rest of the Shaolin monk saw XuanTong had passed away, they started crying, they grab their Buddhist''s staff and Buddhist''s knife, wanting to go all out against the two scholars. XuanNan said: "Stop! Martial brother XuanTong perceived Tathata in his meditation, his in Nirvana, he has achieved enlightenment, we have to be happy for him."


    After witnessing this shocking event, everyone stop fighting immediately and retreated simultaneously.


    The bookworm shouted: "5th brother, 5th brother Xue, quickly come out, someone got excited to death by my words. Quickly come out and save him! Damn Divine Physician Xue, if you don''t come out quickly, this person will really die for certain!" Deng BaiChuan said: "Divine Physician Xue is not in his house, Mr you are......" the bookworm is still shouting hurriedly at the top of his voice: "Xue MuHua, 5th brother Xue, Enemy of King of Hell, Divine Physician Xue, quickly come out and save him! Your 3rd brother excited someone till death, they are going to make life difficult for us."


    Bao BuTong was furious: "You caused his death, still pretending to be a good guy and shedding crocodile tears." With a ''Hu'' sound he send his palm at him, his left hand pass under his right palm, with this move [Dragon Searching For Pearl], he made a grab for the beard. The bookworm quickly dodged it. Feng BoE and GongYe Gan was aroused from their previous fight, they did not wish to stop and hence they start fighting again.


    Deng BaiChuan shouted: "Lie down!" his left hand stretch out and grab the back of the opera actor. Deng BaiChuan is chief among the subordinates of Gusu Murong family, his martial art is strong, internal energy powerful and vigorous, although his reputation isn''t impressive, but of those who knew him they cannot help but deeply respect him. He easily caught hold of the back of the opera actor, he press him down towards the floor. The opera actor is quite agile and nimble, when his left shoulder touch the ground, he spin his body on the floor and sweep his right leg out, kicking towards Deng BaiChuan''s leg. This move is extremely strange and quick, Deng BaiChuan is stout and strong hence its not convenient for him to turn or rotate quickly, he saw this move is hard to avoid, he immediately gathered his internal energy into his lower body to forcibly receive the kick to his leg, there was a ''Ka La'' sound, the two legs collided and one of the leg broke.


    The opera actor kept rolling about and his already a few zhang away, he shouted: "You treacherous bandit, injuring an honest man, ouch my leg!" it seems that when the two legs met and the force collided, the opera actor was not a match against his opponent''s force, his leg broke immediately.


    The pretty middle-age woman only stood courteously by the side and did not participate, when she saw the opera actor suffered a broken leg and her other companions also in danger, she said: "Who are you people, what is the reason for occupying my 5th brother''s house? You did not clarify the situation and injure people?" although she''s questioning the other party, her tone and manner is still soft and refined. The opera actor is lying on the ground, he look upward and saw two lanterns hanging by the door of the house. He pointed at the lantern and call out in shock: "What? What is this? What ''Funeral of Xue MuHua'', my 5th brother died?"


    The person wielding the chessboard, the two scholars, the axe-wielding carpenter, the pretty middle-age woman, their gaze followed the finger and they saw the lantern. The candle flame in the lantern had long die out, the surrounding is pitch-black, as everyone was busy fighting, no one paid any attention to the lantern, only when the opera actor fell onto the floor did he finally raise his head and notice the wordings on the lantern.


    The opera actor burst into tears, he sang: "Alas, alas, my good brother, we swore brotherhood at the peach garden, we agreed to meet at the ancient city, you cross the five passes, slay six generals, such awe-inspiring might ....." his singing the opera ''Weeping GuanYu'', but his too agitated and his accent is incorrect. The other five also bellowed their grievances:


    "Who killed my 5th brother?"


    "5th brother, 5th brother, which damnable murderer harm you?"


    "We will fight to the death with you today!"


    XuanNan and Deng BaiChuan gave each other a glance, both of them had the same thought: "These people seems to be the sworn brothers of Divine Physician Xue." Deng BaiChuan said: "Some of our companions suffered some injuries, we came here to request Divine Physician Xue for medical treatment, but unexpectedly...." the middle-age woman replied: "But unexpectedly he refuse to treat and you people killed him, correct?" Deng BaiChuan said: "No......" he did not get the chance to finish as he saw the middle-age woman flick her sleeves, suddenly he smell a strong fragrance and he immediately became dizzy, he seems to be standing on soft cloud and shrouded in mist, he can''t maintain his footing. The pretty middle-age woman said: "Collapse, collapse!"


    Deng BaiChuan was indignant, he shouted: "Wicked witch!" he gathered his energy into his palm and sent his palm out. The pretty middle-age woman saw Deng BaiChuan shaking and swaying about, his already affected by her attack, unexpectedly he still manage to send out his palm. As she was about to dodge the attack, it was too late, the earth-shattering force came crashing onto her, her breathing was temporarily obstructed, her body flew up. There is a ''Ka la Ka la'' sound, a few of her ribs got broken, she fainted before her body had landed on the ground. Deng BaiChuan''s vision turn black and he collapsed onto the ground.


    Both sides lost one of their fighters, the remaining people start fighting with each other. XuanNan pondered: "There is some strange matters in this incident, we have to first captured the rest so as to avoided unnecessary casualties for both side." He said: "Get my staff!" HuiFang turn around and picked up the Buddhist monk''s staff leaning against the door, he pass it over to XuanNan. The judge-pen scholar vaulted over and wave his right hand to attack HuiFang''s chest. XuanNan strike out with his left palm, his palm had yet to arrive but the palm force had already reach his opponent''s back, the scholar was hit and collapsed. XuanNan gave a laugh, he carried the staff in his hand, took two steps forward, brandish his staff and smash towards the chessboard wielding man.


    The chessboard-wielding person saw the attack was extremely powerful, the staff had yet to arrive but the accompanying wind had already shrouded his entire body, immediately he flex his arm, he use both hands to raise the chessboard and block the staff, there was a loud ringing sound, sparks flew in all direction. The person felt his arms going numb, the web between his thumb and forefinger had split open. XuanNan raised his staff and he also lifted the chessboard along with it. The chessboard had extremely strong magnetism, it the past it trapped the weapons of numerous enemies, but today it met a strong opponent and got trapped by XuanNan''s staff. XuanNan smash his staff towards the head of the person along with the chessboard. The person shouted: "This ''Pressing Divine Head'' (the name of a chess move) along with ''Leaning Cover'', i can''t resist both attacks!" he quickly scuttled forward.


    XuanNan drag his staff and shouted loudly: "Bookworm, lie down!" he swept his staff horizontally, the power in it is unstoppable. The bookworm said: "Confucius is adaptable to current situation, once the wind blows the grass will topple, since you want me to lie down i will lie down, why not?" before he even finish his words, his already lying down on the floor. A few Shaolin monk jumped over and held him down.


    The Head-Monk of Shaolin Damo-Hall is really outstanding, once he start fighting, he immediately subdued 3 experts from the opposing side.


    The axe-wielding carpenter is fighting Feng BoE and Bao BuTong, his in dire situation and is about to suffer a defeat, the chessboard-wielding person said: "Forget it, forget it! 6th brother, let us just admit defeat, we don''t have to carry on playing this chess match anymore. Big monk, i want to ask you, how did my 5th brother offend you, why did you people kill him?" XuanNan said: "There is no such matter......"


    Before he could finish, suddenly there is two ''Zheng Zheng'' sound of zither, it was transmitted from afar. When the sound is transmitted to their eardrum, everyone''s heart violently palpitated two times. XuanNan was startled for the duration, another two ''Zheng Zheng'' sound rang out. This time the sound is even closer, and everyone''s heart palpitated even more violently. Feng BoE felt a sense of uneasiness, his right hand relaxed, with a ''Dang'' sound his broadsword dropped on the floor. Luckily Bao BuTong quickly wave his palm and guarded him, else the enemy''s axe would have split open his shoulder. The bookworm shouted: "Elder brother come over quickly, elder brother come over quickly! The situation is extremely serious! Why are you moving so slowly and still playing that stupid zither? Confucius says: [When the prince summoned him, without waiting for his carriage to be yoked, he went at once.]"


    The sound of zither kept on ringing, an elderly man with big sleeves stroll towards them, his forehead high and protruding, his appearance odd and ancient, his beaming and his expression is extremely amiable, he carried a jade zither in his hand.


    When the bookworm and the rest of his brothers saw this man, they shouted: "Elder brother!" the elderly man walk towards XuanNan, cupped his fists and said: "Old man is lacking in manners, may i know the name of this Shaolin eminent monk?" XuanNan press his hands together and said: "Old monk is XuanNan." The man said: "Hehe, so you are martial brother XuanNan. Shaolin''s XuanKu must be your younger martial brother correct? Old man met him several times before, our conversation is extremely congenial, he must still be pretty healthy and strong." XuanNan said sadly: "Martial brother XuanKu was plotted against by a treacherous disciple, he had passed away and return to Western Paradise."


    The person stood wooden for quite a while, suddenly he leap upwards, it was a zhang high, his body has yet to reach the ground but his sorrowful voice can be heard in mid-air, he was crying. XuanNan and GongYe Gan was startled, they did not expect such an elderly man to cry as if he was a child. When both his feet touch the ground, he immediately sat down, he pulled forcefully at his beard, both his legs are like drum-stick, repeatedly beating and drumming the ground, he cried out: "XuanKu, why didn''t you meet me one last time before you die? Isn''t this ridiculous? My song ''Peaceful PuAn in Sanskrit'', many people heard it before but they don''t understand the logic within, but you said this song is rooted in Buddhism, you listen to it again and again. My younger martial brother XuanNan, he might not have your level of comprehension, if i play zither for him, most probably its like playing zither to a cow, preaching to deaf ears! Alas! My life is ill fated!"


    Initially, when XuanNan heard him cry, he thought he was a sentimental person, overcome by his grief he cried out in sorrow, but subsequently, he found out that his grieving over the loss of a person who understands his music, unexpectedly he even said his playing zither to a cow if he had to play for him. XuanNan is an eminent monk of high virtue, he wasn''t offended at all, he only gave a slight smile and thought: "These bunch of people are crazy and wild. The temperament of this person is notoriously similar to the rest of his group, birds of a feather flock together."


    The person continued crying: "XuanKu ah, XuanKu, to repay you for being my soul-mate, i put in great effort and created this new song for you, its called ''Humming of A Reed'', this song is to praise your Shaolin founder Master Damo for his great achievement in crossing the river with a reed. Why don''t you listen to it?" suddenly he turn his head and said to XuanNan: "Where is the tomb of martial brother XuanKu? Quickly bring me there, quick, quick! The quicker the better. I will play this new song at his tomb, maybe it can help him to relax and be carefree, he can even revive from the dead."


    XuanNan said: "Benefactor, please don''t babble nonsense, after my martial brother pass away, his body had been cremated and turn to ashes."


    The person was expressionless, suddenly he jump up and said: "Very good, then you have to give me his ashes. I will use cowhide glue and stick his ashes in my zither, henceforth every time i play a song, he will definitely get to hear it. Isn''t it a great idea? Haha, haha, isn''t my idea great?" he was getting more and more excited, he cannot help but clap and laugh out heartily, suddenly he saw a pretty middle-age woman lying on the floor, he cry out in fright: "Yi, 7th sister, what happen? Who injure you?"


    XuanNan said: "There is some misunderstanding, we are still in the midst of clarifying the situation." The person said: "What misunderstanding? Who misunderstood who? To cut the long story short, whoever injure 7th sister is the one at fault. Oh my goodness, 8th brother is also injured, the one who injure him is not a good person, how many bad person are here? Quickly step up and confess, we will openly discuss it, there is no room for concession."


    The opera actor call out: "Elder brother, they killed 5th brother, quickly take revenge for 5th brother." The expression of the person turned grave, he shouted: "Preposterous! 5th brother is the ''Enemy of King of Hell'', what can the King of Hell do against him?" XuanNan said: "Divine Physician Xue faked his own death, there is only poison in the coffin, there is no corpse." The elderly man and the rest of his brothers were elated, all of them ask in quick succession:


    "Why did 5th brother fake his death?"


    "Where is his dead body?"


    "He didn''t die, how can there be a dead body?"


    Suddenly a soft voice floated from afar: "Xue MuHua, Xue MuHua, your martial uncle is arriving, quickly come out and welcome him." the voice seems to be breaking yet continuing, the distance is very far, but the voice is clear and distinct, obviously it transmitted by someone with very profound internal energy, its really no small matter.


    The opera actor, bookworm, carpenter and the rest all cry out in alarm. The elderly man with the zither call out: "Catastrophe is coming, catastrophe is coming!" he kept looking in all directions, his expression extremely frighten, he said: "There is no time to escape, quick, quick, everyone hide in the house."


    Bao BuTong said loudly: "What catastrophe is coming? Is the sky falling down?" the elderly man said in a trembling voice: "Quick, quick, go in the house quickly! Its better to have the sky falling down, this ......" Bao BuTong said: "Senior please make yourself at home, but i don''t want to go in."


    The elderly man suddenly extended his hand, he caught hold of Bao BuTong''s chest acupoints. This move is extremely quick, Bao BuTong could not guard against it at all, his already subdued, his body was lifted up and was quickly carried into the house.


    XuanNan and GongYe Gan were astonished, as they were about to speak the chessboard wielding person whispered: "Great master and everyone please go into the house quickly, an extremely powerful devil is coming soon." XuanNan possess divine skills, he rarely meet any match in the martial arts fraternity, he is not afraid of any big or small devil, he ask: "Which big devil? Qiao Feng?" the person shook his head and said: "No, no, someone even more vicious than Qiao Feng. It''s Old Freak of XingXiu." XuanNan said: "If it''s the Old Freak of XingXiu then it couldn''t be much better, old monk is looking for him." The person said: "Great master, you martial art is strong, naturally you are not afraid. But everyone here will be tortured till death by him and you will the only one left alive, you are really merciful."


    His words are sarcastic and meant to ridicule, but it was also accurate and true, XuanNan was temporarily stumped, he finally said: "Good, everyone let us go in the house!"


    At this moment, the zither elderly man had hidden Bao BuTong and came rushing out of the house, he kept urging: "Quick, quick! Still waiting for what?" Feng BoE question him loudly: "Where is my 3rd brother?" the elderly man flip his left hand and send his palm horizontally towards Feng BoE right cheek. The frost poison in Feng BoE had already flare up, its really hard to bear, when he saw the palm coming he quickly lower his head to avoid it. Unexpectedly, the elderly man did not fully execute his palm move, suddenly he diverted his energy downwards and he caught Feng BoE''s nape, he said: "Quick, quick, go in quickly!" he lifted Feng BoE like a chicken and carried him into the house.


    GongYe Gan saw the elderly man did not have any evil intentions, but both his sworn brothers were subdued by him with a single move, he shouted loudly and was about to fight with him, but the elderly man move like the wind, he already rush into the house. The bookworm carried the opera actor, the carpenter supported the pretty woman and all of them quickly rush into the house.


    XuanNan felt today''s affair is really strange and weird, he did not want to be reckless to avoid causing more confusion, he said: "Benefactor GongYe, let us just go in first and then take our time to decide what to do."


    Immediately, Xu Zhu and HuiFang lifted the corpse of XuanTong, GongYe Gan carried Deng BaiChuan and all of them entered the house.


    The zither old man came out to urge them, but he saw everyone had entered the house, he quickly shut the front door, he went to fetch the door latch. The chessboard wielding person said: "Elder brother, it best if we left this door wide open, this move is called solid yet empty, empty yet solid. This way, he won''t dare to enter the house without careful consideration." The elderly man said: "What? Fine, i will listen to you. This......will this work?" he did not have any self-confidence at all while speaking.


    XuanNan and GongYe Gan gave each other a glance, both of them had the same thought: "This old man has superior martial arts, how can he be so flustered when dealing with important matters? This door, it can''t even hold back common robbers, how can it stop the Old Freak of XingXiu, what difference does it make if the door is open or close? It seems this person suffered great loss against the Old Freak of XingXiu, he became like a bird startled by a bowshot, his terror-stricken once he knows the Old Freak of XingXiu is nearby."


    The elderly man said repeatedly: "6th brother, think of an idea, quickly think of an idea."


    Although XuanNan possess considerable self-restraint, he was riled up by the fearful manner of the old man, he said: "Sir, there is a common saying ''counter soldiers with arms, water with earth'', adopt measures appropriate to the situation. No matter how vicious this Old Freak of XingXiu is, we will join hands and fight him together, we might not lose, there''s no need to be so....so....hei....so cautious and timid." The candles in the hall had been lighted, he glimpse his surroundings, the elderly man is terrified, the chessboard wielding man, the bookworm, carpenter, judge-pen wielding scholar, all of them wearing fearful expression. XuanNan personally witness the martial arts of these people, they aren''t weak, they are wild and unrestrained, they appear to be elegant and unconventional warriors, but now they turn into children and useless cowards, it''s really inconceivable.


    GongYe Gan saw Bao BuTong and Feng BoE are fine, both of them sitting on a chair, but their frost poison had flare up and they shivered constantly, he supported Deng BaiChuan to a chair and made him sit down, fortunately Deng BaiChuan''s pulse is even, his only in some sort of drunken state and he carried on sleeping, his life is not in any danger.


    Everyone look at each other in dismay, after a short period of time, the axe-wielding carpenter took out a set square from his bosom, he measured the corners of the hall and shakes his head, he picked up a candlestick and walk to the rear hall. Everyone followed him, they saw him measuring the four corners, suddenly he leap up onto the beam and started measuring it, he shakes his head again and walk to the rear, stopping in front of Divine Physician Xue''s fake coffin, he look at the coffin a few times, shakes his head and said: "What a pity, what a pity!" the zither elderly man said: "Its useless?" the carpenter said: "It won''t work, martial uncle will definitely see through it." the zither man said in anger: "You.....you still call him martial uncle?" the carpenter shakes his head and did not reply, he continued walking to the rear.


    GongYe Gan thought: "This person seems to only know how to shake his head, he doesn''t do anything else."


    The carpenter measured the corners of the wall, he counted his footsteps and made some calculation with his fingers, it seems as if his trying to build a house, he kept counting his steps and walk to the rear garden. He held onto the candlestick and pondered for quite some time, the corridor of the garden had five stone mortars, he grasps a few dried husks and soil and put them in the mortar, he lifted the large stone pestle by the side and started pounding the mortar, ''Peng Peng'', the stone is dense and is forceful as it landed on the mortar.


    GongYe Gan gave a sigh and thought: "We are really down on luck, meeting these bunch of lunatics, he still has the mood to pound grains in this kind of dire situation. It''s still acceptable if his really pounding grains, but the mortar contains grain husk and soil, alas!" Bao BuTong and Feng BoE are resting in the hall due to their frost poison, but after a while, they also rush to the rear garden.


    ''Peng'', ''Peng'', ''Peng'',''Peng'', ''Peng'', ''Peng''! The pounding sound uninterrupted.


    Bao BuTong said: "Buddy, you are pounding the grains for cooking? But you aren''t pounding grains. I suggest we better plow the field and plant corn seeds, when they grow....." suddenly the southeast corner of the garden, around 7-8 zhang away, gave a squeaking sound. The sound is soft but rather unique, XuanNan, GongYe Gan and the rest look towards the direction of the sound, they saw four dwarf cassia tree.


    ''Peng'', ''Peng'', the carpenter kept on pounding, but the strange thing was that the 2nd cassia tree from right started shaking, little by little it move. After a while, everyone understood, when the carpenter pound the mortar, the cassia tree will move around an inch. The zither man cheered and rush towards the cassia tree, he said in a low voice: "Not bad, not bad!" everyone followed him and ran over. The cassia tree had move aside, revealing a big stone slab, an iron ring is attached to the slab.


    GongYe Gan was impressed and he felt ashamed, he said: "This secret underground mechanism is ingeniously arranged, it''s really fantastic. My dear friend, you discovered it within such a short time, you are really intelligent and wise, no less inferior than the creator of the mechanism." Bao BuTong said: "Not true, not true, how you know this mechanism isn''t created by him?" GongYe Gan said: "I said his ability and wisdom isn''t inferior to the creator, if he is the creator, then his ability and wisdom is naturally not inferior to himself." Bao BuTong said: "Not true, not true. His not inferior, but maybe he is superior. But how can his ability and wisdom be superior to himself?"


    The carpenter pounded another ten times, the big stone slab is completely exposed. The zither elderly man grip the iron ring and pulled it, but it did not move an inch, as he was about to channel his internal energy and give it another pull, the carpenter cry out in fear: "Elder brother, stop!" he jump up and put the stone pestle on another mortar, he pulled down his pants and started urinating, he shouted: "Everyone, quickly come over, let us urinate together!" The elderly man was started and quickly put down the iron ring, in a split second, the chessboard wielding man, bookworm, judge-pen wielding scholar, all of them went over and started urinating into the mortar.


    GongYe Gan saw these five people urinate like mad, it was really funny and he could not refrain from laughing, but instantly, everyone caught a whiff of gunpowder. The carpenter said: "Enough, the danger is over!" the zither elderly man had a lot of urine, he kept on urinating non-stop, he mumbled to himself: "Damn it, damn it, i mess up another mechanism. 6th brother, luckily you spotted it quick, else everyone would have been blown into meat pastes."


    GongYe Gan trembled with fear, he became aware that he had just came back from the gates of hell, obviously a flint is linked to the iron ring, when the ring is pulled, the fuse is lighted and it advance to the hidden explosive, fortunately the carpenter is extremely vigilant, everyone urinated and they managed to wet the fuse and thus averted a big disaster.


    The carpenter walk to the 1st stone mortar to the right, he exerted his strength and turn the mortar three times to the right, he raise his head towards the sky and recited something, after a long time, he turn the mortar six and a half times to the left. Suddenly, they heard another small squeaking sound, the big stone slab move aside, revealing a hole. This time the zither elder dare not rush in, he wave his hands at the carpenter and signalled him to lead the way. The carpenter knelt down on the floor, he look carefully at the 1st mortar to the left.


    Suddenly they heard someone cursed from underground: "Old Freak of XingXiu, you evil bastard! Very good, very good! You finally found me, your brilliant! You committed all sorts of crime, retribution will eventually come. Come, come! Come in and kill me!"


    The bookworm, carpenter, opera actor and the rest all cheered in unison: "5th brother is alive!" the zither elder said loudly: "5th brother, we all arrive." the voice from underground was silent for a moment then it shouted: "It''s really elder brother?" the tone was joyous.


    There was a laughing sound and someone came out of the hole, it is the ''Enemy of King of Hell'', Divine Physician Xue.


    Unexpectedly, other than the zither elder and the rest of his sworn brothers, there''s also quite a few strangers, he cannot help but stare blankly, he said to XuanNan: "Great master, you came out of your temple, these few people are your friends?"


    XuanNan hesitated and then said: "Yes, they are all friends." Originally, Shaolin had maintained that Master XuanBei was killed by Gusu Murong family, they considered Murong family as their nemesis. This time, he came together with Deng BaiChuan to seek medical treatment, along the way Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan insist that Master XuanBei was not killed by their young master Murong, XuanNan was around 70-80% convinced, in addition they braved dangers together and collaborated towards a common goal, he finally treated them as friends. When GongYe Gan heard his words, he turn and nod towards him.


    Divine Physician Xue said: "Since we are all friends then it couldn''t be much better, everyone please go underground, Master XuanNan please lead the way." Although he said those words, he still rush ahead and lead the way. The underground cellar is pitch-black, its a very dangerous place to be in, the martial arts fraternity is full of deadly secrets and traps, no one trust each other, thus to show respect for visitors he has to personally lead the way and enter first.


    As Divine Physician Xue entered the hole, XuanNan followed him and entered as well, everyone supported the injured and followed soon after, they even carried the corpse of XuanTong in. Divine Physician Xue operated a motor and the big stone slab move and covered the hole, he operated the motor again and everyone heard a faint squeaking sound, the cassia tree move back to its original position and covered the stone slab.


    The interior is a stretch of stone steps, everyone has to stoop down to travel, after travelling for a while, the ceiling gradually got higher, they reached a natural tunnel. They travelled for around 10 zhang and arrive at a spacious cavern. Over 20 people are seated by the corner beside a torch, the people consist of male, female, young and old. When these people heard footsteps, they turn their head and look at them.


    Divine Physician Xue said: "These people are my family members, the current situation is urgent, i won''t ask them to come over and pay their respects, please forgive my lack of manners. Big brother, 2nd brother, how did your come here?" he did not wait for their reply and immediately start examining everyone''s injuries. He examined XuanTong first, Divine Physician Xue said: "This great master achieved enlightenment and pass away, it gratifying and joyous." He examined Deng BaiChuan, smiled and said: "My 7th sister''s flower pollen will only make you drunk and intoxicated, there is no poison, he will wake up after a while." The middle-age woman and opera actor suffered external injuries, although the injuries are not light but its a small matter for Divine Physician Xue. He took Bao BuTong and Feng BoE pulse, closed his eyes and pondered deeply.


    After a long time, Divine Physician Xue shakes his head and said: "Strange, strange! Who injured these two people?" GongYe Gan said: "It''s a weird looking youngster." Divine Physician Xue shakes his head and said: "Youngster? This person''s martial arts possess both extremes of good and evil, his internal energy is extremely profound, it has a least 30 years of cultivation, how can he be a youngster?" XuanNan said: "It certainly is a youngster, but his palm strength is deep and profound, my martial brother XuanTong clash palms with him and also suffered this frost poison. His the disciple of Old Freak of XingXiu."


    Divine Physician Xue was startled: "Even the disciple of Old Freak of XingXiu is this powerful? Amazing, amazing!" he shakes his head and said: "Regrettable, regrettable, the frost poison of these two senior brothers, i am really powerless against it. From now on, i don''t dare to be known as ''Divine Physician''."


    Suddenly a bright resonant voice said: "Since this is the assessment of Divine Physician Xue, we will take our leave immediately." The voice came from Deng BaiChuan, he finally woke up after being intoxicated by the flower pollen, he heard Divine Physician Xue''s diagnosis. Bao BuTong said: "That''s right, that''s right! Hide underground for what? Life and death is fated, how can we imitate tortoise and mole and hide in underground cavern?"


    Divine Physician Xue laugh grimly: "You are extremely boastful! Do you know who is waiting outside?" Feng BoE said: "You all are scared of Old Freak of XingXiu, but i am not afraid. You all have superior martial arts but its all in vain, you people get scared out of your wits when you hear the name of Old Freak of XingXiu." The zither elder said: "You are no match for me. Old Freak of XingXiu is my martial uncle, you tell me whether his powerful or not?"


    XuanNan change the subject and said: "Old monk has things he don''t understand, i wish to seek clarification." Divine Physician Xue said: "The eight of us are fellow apprentice, we are known as ''Eight Friends of HanGu''."


    He pointed at the zither elder and said: "This is our elder brother, i am number five. The rest of the matters are really complicated and not easy to explain, moreover, it useless to tell outsiders....."


    Before he could finish, everyone suddenly heard a thin and soft voice calling: "Xue MuHua, why aren''t you coming out to see me?"


    The voice is thin yet balanced, it seems to be faint and indistinct but everyone in the tunnel heard it clearly, the voice is like a long string, penetrating 10 zhang through the ground and followed the complicated winding tunnel before entering the ear.


    The zither elder was so surprised that he leap up, he said in a trembling voice: "Old....Old Freak of XingXiu!" Feng BoE said loudly: "Big brother, 2nd brother, 3rd brother, let us all go out and fight to the death with him." The zither elder said: "No you cannot do that, you must never do that. It doesn''t matter if you go out and die a foolish death! But you will reveal this hiding place and the lives of all the people here will be sacrificed by your stupid bravery." Bao BuTong said: "His voice can penetrate this underground cave, won''t he know we are hiding here? Even if you become a tortoise he will still force you out, you cannot hope to avoid him." The judge-pen scholar and the bookworm said: "He won''t be able to enter this place for a while, everyone let us think of a good strategy to deal with him."


    The carpenter kept silent throughout, at this moment he interrupted: "Although martial uncle Ding is highly skilled, but he will require at least four hours to break through this underground mechanism. He will need another four hours to think of a strategy to attack into this cave." The zither elder said: "Excellent! We have eight hours, we can consider carefully and take our time, correct?" the carpenter said: "Nine hours." The zither elder said: "Where did the extra one hour come from?" the carpenter said: "Within this eight hours i can arrange another three mechanism, it can delay him for another hour."


    The zither elder said: "Very good! Great master XuanNan, when that big devil comes in at the scheduled time, we eight fellow apprentices will most probably not be able to escape his evil clutches. All of you are outsiders. The big devil will focus his attention on us martial nephews, all of you should be able to escape. You should not try to be a hero and fight to the death with him. Being able to escape the Old Freak of XingXiu is already considered to be a very heroic action."


    Bao BuTong said: "Your farting, farting!" everyone started sniffing but they did not detect any stench, they gaze questioningly at Bao BuTong. Bao BuTong pointed at the zither elder and said: "This person is bullshitting, its stinks so bad." Previously he was subdued by the zither elder in a single move, he felt resentment in his heart, although his frost poison had flare up at that time and he did not have any strength to resist, but he was well aware that his martial art is greatly inferior to his, the stronger his opponent, the more he wanted to curse.


    The chessboard wielding man gave him one glance and said: "You can''t even escape from my senior martial brother''s palm, my martial uncle''s martial art is 10 times better than his, now you tell me who is the one bullshitting here?" Bao BuTong said: "Not true, not true! Superior martial art is not related to bullshitting. If your martial art is high, you can''t bullshit? If you don''t bullshit, your martial art is high? Confucius doesn''t know martial arts, maybe he specializes in bulllshitting........."


    Deng BaiChuan pondered: "The words of these people aren''t unreasonable, 3rd brother is just debating and joking around with them, we should not waste the time we have here." He interrupted: "Everyone, i did not know your origin and this led to numerous misunderstandings, i even accidentally injure this lady, i feel terribly apologetic. Since we met a common enemy today, we are one big family. Later when this powerful enemy comes in, although the subordinates of young master Murong are unworthy, we will never run away, if we can''t resist him then we will simply just die together."


    XuanNan said: "HuiFang, Xu Zhu, later on if both of you see the opportunity, you must try to escape and return back to Shaolin Temple to report this matter to the abbot. In the event that everyone is eliminated by that devil at least we can get crucial information delivered." 6 Shaolin monks said in unison: "We respectfully obey your orders." Xue MuHua and Deng BaiChuan heard the speech by XuanNan, they knew his mind is set and everyone will live or die together, even though they now have another strong helper against the Old Freak of XingXiu they still did not feel confident in winning.


    The zither elder was expressionless throughout, suddenly he clap his hand and laugh: "Everyone is going to die today. Even if martial brother XuanKu did not die, he will not get the chance to hear my wonderful song, ''Humming of A Reed'', why do i need to feel sad for his death? Alas! Alas! Someone told me that i, Kang GuangLing is a big idiot, i always refuse to accept. But now, it seems even if i am not a big idiot, i am still a small idiot."


    Bao BuTong said: "You really are a genuine big idiot, big stupid fool!" the zither elder Kang GuangLing said: "I don''t think i am more foolish than you!" Bao BuTong said: "You are ten times more foolish than me!" Kang GuangLing said: "You are hundred times more foolish than me!" Bao BuTong said: "You are thousand times more foolish than me!" Kang GuangLing said: "You are ten thousand times more foolish than me!" Bao BuTong said: "You are hundred thousand times more foolish than me, a million times, ten million times!"


    Xue MuHua said: "You two are about the same, both of you are equally foolish. All the masters from Shaolin, when you safely return back to your temple your abbot will definitely ask about the cause and effect of this matter, i am afraid you won''t be able to answer. This matter is a shameful incident in my sect, it''s not related to outsiders. But to eliminate this scourge from the martial arts fraternity, we need the help of senior monks from Shaolin. Thus, i will now narrate in details the entire matter, but after hearing it please only report back to your abbot, do not leak or divulge it to another person."


    HuiFang, Xu Zhu and the rest of the monks said in unison: "The words of Divine Physician Xue, junior monk will only report it to our abbot, we will never leak half a word to other people."


    Xue MuHua said to Kang GuangLing: "Senior martial brother, i will now narrate the intermediate details of this affair."


    Although Kang GuangLing is the most senior apprentice among the eight of them and his martial arts greatly exceeds his peers, but his personality is very childish and naive. Xue MuHua is only trying to preserve Kang GuangLing''s status and prestige by asking him for permission in front of outsiders. Kang GuangLing said: "This is so strange, your mouth is your own, just say it if you like, why the need to ask me for permission?"


    Xue MuHua said: "Great Master XuanNan, Master Deng, our master is known as Mr Intelligent....."


    XuanNan, Deng BaiChuan and the rest were all startled, they said in unison: "What? Mr Intelligent is the Deaf Mute Old Man, this person is born deaf and mute, he adopted a nickname and called himself Mr Intelligent. All his disciples and followers had their eardrums pierced and their tongue cut off, this fact is known by everyone. But Kang GuangLing and the rest of you are perfectly normal, this is extremely strange."


    Xue MuHua said: "My master''s disciples and followers are deaf and mute, but this is only for the past 10 years. My master is not deaf, and he is certainly not mute, he was agitated by his younger martial brother the Old Freak of XingXiu Ding ChunQiu and became deaf and mute." XuanNan and the rest gave an ''Oh'' sound. Xue MuHua continued: "My Grand-Master took in two disciples, the senior disciple is surname Su, named XingHe, naturally his our Master, the second disciple is Ding ChunQiu. Their martial arts were originally on par with each other, but eventually, one of them became slightly better......"


    Bao BuTong interrupted: "Haha, say no further, your martial uncle Ding ChunQiu must have surpassed your Master." Xue MuHua said: "You can''t say that, my Grand-Master is a celestial being of knowledge, his skills all encompassing......" Bao BuTong said: "Not necessarily, not necessarily." Xue MuHua knew Bao BuTong like to argue for the sake of arguing, he ignored him and continued: "Originally, my Master and Ding ChuanQiu both focus solely on martial arts, but afterwards, my Master''s attention was divided, he learnt music and zither from my Grand-Master....."


    Bao BuTong pointed at Kang GuanLing and said: "Haha, your stupid zither skills must have been acquired from your Master."


    Kang GuangLing glared at him and said: "Obviously my skills came from my Master, don'' tell me it came from you?"


    Xue MuHua said: "It''s not much of a hindrance if my Master only learnt zither skills, but my Grand-Master''s knowledge is simply too vast, zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, medicine, divination and astrology, arts and crafts, finance and commerce, plants and pottery, he knows everything, he mastered all of them. Originally, my Master only learnt zither skills, but soon after he started to learn chess, and then calligraphy, and then painting. Everyone please think for a moment, all these skills require pain-staking effort and time, initially Ding ChunQiu pretended to be interested and tried to learn all these skills, but after 10-15 days, he claims his aptitude is low and his too stupid, it''s difficult for him to learn, thus he focus solely on martial arts. After 8-10 years, their martial arts were at different levels."


    XuanNan nod his head repeatedly, he said: "Learning zither or chess alone would require half a lifetime of effort and energy, although Mr Intelligent is smart and talented, it''s difficult for him to undertake such tasks. Ding ChunQiu gave his undivided attention to martial arts, its not surprising that his martial arts would eventually surpass his senior martial brother."


    Kang GuangLing said: "5th brother, there is something even more important, why aren''t you telling them? Quickly tell them."


    Xue MuHua said: "Ding ChunQiu focus solely on martial arts, it should be a good thing, but.....but....sigh.....if i narrate this matter, it would be really shameful for our sect. Ding ChunQiu took advantage of the fact that his younger than Grand-Master by 20-30 years, his also handsome and elegant, unexpectedly he seduced Grand-Master''s lover. This matter really disgraced my Grand-Master, we were sympathetic and didn''t say anything, we pretended to be deaf and mute. To cut the long story short, Ding ChunQiu used various despicable tricks, he also mastered some extremely evil skills, Grand-Master tried to kill him in his fit of rage but Ding ChunQiu made the first move and managed to inflict serious injuries on my Grand-Master. Luckily, my Grand-Master possess peerless skills, although he was backstabbed, he managed to resist until my Master arrive to save him. My Master''s martial arts were no match against that evil traitor, after a fierce battle my Master was injured and Grand-Master fell into deep ravine, his whereabouts unknown. My Master neglected his martial arts as he learnt various miscellaneous skills, but these miscellaneous skills were not completely useless. In the midst of danger, my Master deployed his eight divinatory trigrams and complex metaphysical art, Ding ChunQiu''s sight and hearing was disturbed, both of them deadlocked in stalemate."


    "Ding ChunQiu was unable to break through the formation or kill my Master, moreover, he knew there are quite a few divine skills in the sect and Grand-Master did not impart these skills to either disciples, he expected Grand-Master to pass on the manuals of these divine skills to my Master and he would slowly coerce my Master to hand them over. Thus, he made a pact with my Master, as long as my Master remains silent and not speak, he will not trouble him. At that time, my Master had the eight of us as his worthless disciples. My Master wrote a letter and expelled us, and from that point onwards he pretended to be deaf and mute, never speaking or hearing a word, his subsequent disciples and followers all had their eardrums pierced and tongues cut off, his sect became known as Deaf-Mute Sect. In my opinion, Master must have regret getting distracted and learning all sorts of miscellaneous skills, his martial arts suffered and he fell short against Ding ChunQiu, thus he became deaf and mute so that he would never get distracted and learn those miscellaneous skills."


    "The eight of us, other than learning martial arts, each one of us also picked up a unique miscellaneous skill. At that time, Ding ChunQiu had yet to revolt, my Master had yet to understand the ill-effects of being distracted, thus he did not forbid us to learn the miscellaneous skills, he even encourage us and spent time to specially instruct us. Senior martial brother Kang GuangLing learnt zither from him."


    Bao BuTong said: "He only knows how to play zither to cows, nobody understands."


    Kang GuangLing was furious: "My zither skill is poor? Come, i will play it for you now." And he took out his jade zither and placed it horizontally on his kneecaps.


    Xue MuHua quickly held out his hand to stop him, he pointed at the chessboard wielding person and said: "This is my 2nd brother Fan BaiLing, he learnt the game of Go (Chess), his one of the most skilled chess player around and rarely meets his match."


    Bao BuTong gave a glace at Fan BaiLing and said: "Its not surprising that you use chessboard as your weapon, but the chessboard is made of magnetic metal, it trap and take away your opponent''s weapon, it''s a cheap trick, not the actions of upright gentleman." Fan BaiLing said: "When playing chess, there are magnificent moments and orderly deployment of chess pieces, but there are also moments where you need to employ sly tactics and ambush."


    Xue MuHua said: "The chessboard of 2nd brother Fan is made of magnetic metal, originally it''s for his research in chess. When his walking, sitting or sleeping, he will have suddenly inspirations and he will set up his chessboard to try out the moves. Since the chessboard is made of magnetic metal, when he put the chess piece on it, even if his travelling on horse, the chess piece will never move or drop off. Afterwards, he found the chessboard to be quite convenient and hence made it as his weapon, the chess piece became his hidden projectile. He did not purposely make use of magnet to take advantage of his opponents."


    Although Bao BuTong was convinced, he still argued: "The reason is not justified, really not justified. Base on 2nd brother Fan skills, he can simply use a wooden chessboard and smack the metal chess piece onto the board to embed it, don''t tell me the chess piece will still drop off?"


    Xue MuHua said: "Its still not as convenient as using a metal chessboard. My 3rd brother Gou, his name is Du, it represents his fondness in reading, the hundred schools of thought he read them all, his an extremely knowledgeable scholar, i think everyone must have witnessed it."


    Bao BuTong said: "His just a lowly scholar, not worth mentioning." Gou Du was furious: "What? You call me a lowly scholar, don''t tell me you are a noble scholar?" Bao BuTong said: "I don''t deserve such praise, i don''t deserve such praise."


    Xue MuHua knew that if these two start debating, they won''t stop even after 3 days and 3 night, he quickly interrupted and change the subject, he pointed at the judge-pen wielding scholar and said: "This is my 4th brother, his an expert in painting, landscape or people, animals or flowers, he can draw them elaborately. His surname is Wu, before he came under the tutelage of our Master, he was a general of Great Song and led the army, thus everyone called him Wu LingJun"


    Bao BuTong said: "I am afraid he led the army to its defeat, as for his paintings, you can''t distinguish between human or ghost." Wu LingJun said: "If you ask me to describe your face, it''s certainly hard to differentiate you from a ghost." Bao BuTong burst out into loud laughter: "Buddy if you have time, can you please draw my face as an example, a ghost picture, it will be really wonderful."


    Xue MuHua laugh and said: "Brother Bao is handsome and elegant, why so modest? I am ranked number five, i learnt medicine and medical procedures, i have some minor reputation in the martial arts fraternity, i still remembered the martial arts taught by my Master."


    Bao BuTong said: "You can barely treat common cough and cold, as for my frost poison, you can''t do anything at all. You can''t treat any serious illness, anyone seeking treatment will just die. Hey hey, this title of ''Divine Physician'', it surely is well deserved."


    Kang GuangLing smoothen his long sleeves, his looks askance, he said: "Hey old chap your temper is really odd, you really stand out from the masses." Bao BuTong said: "Haha, my surname is Bao, named BuTong, naturally i stand out from the masses (pun on his name)." Kang GuangLing laugh heartily: "Your surname is really Bao? Named BuTong?" Bao BuTong said: "How can my name be fake? En, this old chap who specializes in making mechanism, your skilled in construction and industrial arts, you must be under the tutelage of Mr Lu Ban? (legendary Chinese craftsman)"


    Xue MuHua said: "Exactly as you stated, 6th brother Feng ASan, before joining the sect, his already a skilled carpenter, after entering into our Master tutelage, he became even more skilful. 7th sister Shi is skilled in growing flowers, she has cultivated all sorts of exotic flowers and rare herbs, all of them flourishing."


    Deng BaiChuan said: "The drug which made me dizzy, Miss Shi must have gotten them from flower pollens, not poison."


    The pretty middle-age woman is known as Shi QingFeng, she gave a faint smile: "I offended you just now, teacher Deng please forgive me." Deng BaiChuan said: "I am even more impertinent, i exerted too much strength and injure you, Miss please forgive me."


    Xue MuHua pointed at the opera actor and said: "8th brother Li KuiLei, throughout his entire life his addicted to acting opera, his wild and unrestrained, as for martial arts, he inevitably neglected it due to his passion for opera. Alas, its not only him, the eight of us all neglected our martial arts. The martial arts imparted by my Master, i will never be able to master it during my lifetime, but i was greedy and went around to learn other people''s unique moves, as a result.....sigh....."


    Li KuiLei was lying down on the floor, he said: "I am lonely Emperor Li CunXu, i don''t love my country but i love opera, sigh, well played, well played!"


    Bao BuTong said: "I am lonely Emperor Li SiYuan, i overthrow and took over your country, i chop off your head."


    Bookworm Gou Du interrupted: "Li CunXu was killed by his own subordinate Guo CongQian, he did not die by Li SiYuan''s hands."


    Bao BuTong is not familiar with such matters, he knew he definitely can''t try to fake information and bluff Gou Du, he said: "Bah! So what if its Guo CongQian, yawn, i am Qin ShiHuang, i burn the books and bury alive the Confucian scholars, i specializes in dealing with lowly scholars."


    Xue MuHua said: "After the eight of us was expelled from the sect, we did not forget our Master''s benevolence and instructions, we called ourselves ''Eight Friends of HanGu'' to commemorate the times when Master imparted the skills to us at HanGu Pass. Outsiders only know we share vile habits......" Bao BuTong sniff a few times with his nose, he said: "Very smelly, very smelly!" Gou Du said: "The Book of Changes says: [The unanimous opinion of people, its as strong as the smell of orchid] the smell is sweet fragrance, old chap you really lack any knowledge." Bao BuTong said: "You words are so fragrant that is smells like fart!"


    Xue MuHua smiled and said: "No one knows that we came from the same sect and are fellow apprentices. To guard against the Old Freak of XingXiu when he returns to Central Plains, and to avoid letting him kill all of us in one fell swoop, we only meet once every 2 years, normally we scatter all over the world and live apart."


    "Not long ago, Ding ChunQiu sent his disciple here, he ask me to treat a big belly monk. The one surnamed Xue has a weird temper, if someone wants medical treatment, he definitely have to ask me nicely, moreover the person who came to seek treatment is a disciple of Old Freak Ding, naturally i don''t want to treat. The person is unable to coerce me and left in rage. I knew Old Freak Ding will come sooner or later, thus, i feign my death and put deadly poison in the coffin, hoping that he will take the bait. My entire family, young and old, all hid in this underground cave."


    Bao BuTong said: "You want someone to ask you nicely when requesting treatment, how is this weird? The one surnamed Bao also has a weird temper, if someone wants to treat my illness, he has to ask me nicely and not pressure or coerce me, else i will rather die of illness than let him treat it."


    Kang GuangLing burst into loud laughter: "You think you are some kind of rare treasure? People provide you with treatment and they still have to plead you, unless......unless....." and he couldn''t think of the scenario.


    Bao BuTong said: "Unless you are my son." Kang GuanLing was startled and thought the words were pretty true, if a father had a son who refuse to see a doctor, he has to beg and plead persistently. His a reasonable person, but he didn''t expect Bao BuTong to take advantage of him with wordplay, he said: "AiYa, i am not your son." Bao BuTong said: "Only your mother knows whether your my son or not, how you know your not?" Kang GuangLing was startled, he nod his head and said: "Quite true." Bao BuTong laugh and thought: "This person is really a big idiot, this will just be a one-sided contest if i continue to take advantage of him."


    Xue MuHua said: "There is too much coincidence, the eight of us are suppose to meet again after 2 years. My old servant mistook all of you as the enemy, the situation was urgent, he did not consult me and immediately set off the fireworks signal. The fireworks were made by my 6th brother, when set off, they illuminate the skies for several li, there are eight of us and each one has a unique firework signal. This matter is really fortunate and yet unfortunate, the fortunate thing is that the ''Eight Friends of HanGu'' can assemble in times of danger to resist the enemy together. But the unfortunate thing is that the Old Freak of XingXiu can solve his problem in one fell swoop and kill the eight of us."


    Bao BuTong said: "Even though the Old Freak of XingXiu is highly skilled, he might not be superior to Master XuanNan from Shaolin. In addition, there is all of us the minor troops, we will shout loudly to show our power and do our utmost and fight with them, we might not lose. There''s no need to be so......so.....so..." as he said ''so'' three times, his teeth starts clattering with each other, his frost poison flared up and he can no longer talk.


    Li KuiLei sang loudly: "I am Jing Ke who tried to assassinate Qin ShiHuang. Feng XiaoXiao contracted a cold, the brave warrior shivered and can''t speak!" Suddenly a shadow of a human flew up and rammed head-first at Li KuiLei''s chest. Li KuiLei cried out ''Ayo'' and wave his arm to push the person away. The person grabbed onto him and they started fighting, the person is ''Gust of Wind'' Feng BoE. Deng BaiChuan quickly said: "4th brother, don''t be rude!" and he extended his hands to pull Feng BoE away.


    Deng Bai Chuan said: "Everyone is very frank, you did not cover the truth, you are certainly a true friend. We are facing a powerful enemy, we don''t know if we will live or die, we Gusu Murong will also tell you everything we know. Previously, our old master Murong discuss something with us, he said the Grand-Master of Ding ChunQiu practice a skill called [Eternal Youth Never Ageing Skill]. Old master Murong told us, this eternal youth and never ageing is fake, everyone must die eventually. But with the correct cultivation of internal energy you can delay ageing, 30-40 years old woman can appear as if she is 18-19 years old, 50-60 years old married woman can make their skin radiant and flesh supple, face snow-white and lips red, as if she is 20-30 years old. All women wants to maintain their youthfulness, but aren''t men the same? Ding ChunQiu did not kill your Grand-Master, mostly likely his trying to coerce him to impart this set of eternal youth skill. Ding ChunQiu most probably tried to practice this skill but its not very effective and his slowly showing signs of ageing. If he knows his eternal youth skill is losing its effectiveness he will mostly like come to Suzhou and try to search for a book."


    Gou Du said: "Look for book? This is strange, he should come and ask me." Deng BaiChuan said: "Mr Gou, although you are a scholar with great erudition, but the secrets to the eternal youth skill most probably can''t be found in the books you read. Ding ChunQiu seduced your Grand-Master''s lover, the two of them escape to Suzhou and live in seclusion in a village near Lake Tai. The large quantities of martial art manuals which they stolen are also hidden at Suzhou."


    XuanNan said: "If they want to look for book, then simply let them look." Deng BaiChuan said: "We knew the ambition of Old Freak Ding is not small. If he purely wants to use that eternal youth skill to delay ageing, not matter how handsome he is we will simply not look at his sickening face. But i am afraid his real intention is to strengthen his [Great Energy Dissolving Skill]." XuanNan trembled with fear, he said: "I want to ask Divine Physician Xue, the [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], how exactly does it work? Everyone in martial arts fraternity all turn pale when they hear about the skill and they detest it bitterly."


    Xue MuHua said: "Its rumoured that this demonic skill requires alot of venom fluid from poisonous snakes and bugs, this fluid will be absorbed into the palm, when fighting with an opponent, this deadly poison will be transferred to the other party. When we practice martial arts, out internal energy flow from the meridians channel, for example, the ''Guankang'' acupoint is connected to the 3 yin meridian, the ''Dazhui'' acupoint is connected to the 3 yang meridian of hand and feet, if these two acupoint comes into contact with poison, the internal energy within these meridians would seem to disappear without a trace. Ordinary people spread lies and claims that Ding ChunQiu can dissolve internal energy. But in my opinion, since the internal energy is already cultivated it cannot be dissolved, Old Freak Ding sends his deadly poison into his opponent''s meridians channel and stop his opponent from exerting internal energy, the victim will assume that his internal energy is gone. Its the same logic as contracting normal poison, the poison will spread to the brain and the victim will feel numbness in his hand and feet, but it doesn''t mean the muscle strength is dissolved. I invite Great Master to correct me if i am wrong."


    XuanNan nod his head and said: "Divine Physician is correct, you cleared all my doubts and suspicions."


    At this moment, a thin slender voice transmitted into the cave: "Disciples of Su XingHe, quickly come out and surrender, maybe i can still spare your life, if you still delay don''t blame me for disregarding Sect relations."


    Kang GuangLing was furious and cursed: "His really shameless, still dare to talk about Sect relations."


    Feng ASan said to Xue MuHua: "5th brother, looking at the wood markings and stone quality, this cave is around for 300 years, which skilled workman made it?" Xue MuHua said: "This property is pass down by my ancestors, it is passed on from generation to generation, it can be use for refuge in times of danger but i don''t know who constructed it......"


    He did not complete his sentence as a loud exploding sound was heard, it was like earthquake, everyone felt the ground sway and vibrate, their footing unstable. Feng ASan expression turns pale, he said: "Not good! Old Freak Ding used explosives to forcibly blow open the entrance, his going to attack soon!"


    Kang GuangLing was furious: "Despicable to the extreme, shameless. Our Grand-Master and Master are skilled in building and crafting, mechanism and traps our Sect''s specialty. Old Freak of XingXiu did not even invest effort to try and unravel the mechanism, he simply use explosives and blow everything to bits, how can he be considered a disciple of our Sect?" Bao BuTong shivered and said: "He killed his Master, injure his fellow martial brother, you still consider him as your martial uncle?" Kang GuangLing said: "This........"


    Suddenly there was another loud explosion, the dust in the cavern fly about and irritated everyone''s eyes. The cave is sealed off and does not allow air flow, after this explosion, draft of fresh air surge in, everyone felt their eardrum ache.


    XuanNan said: "Rather than allow him to blow open this cave and attack in, we will be better off going out and attack him." Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan, Bao BuTong and Feng BoE all agreed in unison.


    Fan BaiLing knew XuanNan is a senior eminent monk from Shaolin, asking him to hide in a cave to avoid the enemy is really a disgrace to the fame of Shaolin, since this battle is unavoidable he said: "If that''s the case let us all go out together, we will risk our lives and fight that Old Freak."


    Xue MuHua said: "Great Master XuanNan you don''t have any enmity with this Old Freak, its best that you don''t get involve and stand aside and watch." XuanNan said: "Shaolin will interfere in all matters related to martial arts in Central Plains, you lot have to forgive me for interfering. Moreover, my martial brother XuanTong''s death is due to the poison of the disciple of XingXiu, thus Shaolin has deep enmity with XingXiu Sect."


    Feng ASan said: "Great Master is willing to help us, your sense of justice, we fellow apprentices are extremely grateful. Let us go out by the original path and surprise that Old Freak." Everyone nod their head and agreed.


    Feng ASan said: "The family of 5th brother Xue, Mr Bao and Mr Feng can stay in this cave, i don''t think the Old Freak will come in and search." Bao BuTong gave him a glance and said: "Its better that you stay here." Feng ASan quickly said: "I don''t dare to look down on you two, but both of you carry serious injuries, its not convenient for you to fight." Bao BuTong said: "The heavier the injury, when we start fighting the more energy we have!" Fan BaiLing and the rest all shake their head, this person is really impervious to reason. Feng ASan operated the cave motor.


    In the midst of operating the motor, 3 cannon fire rang out, ''Peng'' ''Peng'' ''Peng'' they exploded and white smoke pervade the area. After the cannon fire, the stone slab finally move away, revealing a hole big enough for a person to pass, Feng ASan quickly crawl out.


    Feng ASan had yet to stand up when a black figure emerge from the white smoke, the figure move past him and rush out towards a crowd of people outside and shouted: "Which one of you is Old Freak of XingXiu, the one surnamed Feng will fight with you." the person is ''Gust of Wind'' Feng BoE.


    He saw a man standing in front, his wearing hemp clothes, Feng BoE shouted loudly: "Eat my fist!" ''Peng'' his fist already hit the person''s chest. The person is the 9th disciple of XingXiu Sect, his body sway and Feng BoE second fist hit him on his shoulder. Chopping and slapping sound rang out endlessly, Feng BoE executed his moves quickly, it seems all his fists and palms landed on his opponent''s body, but his devoid of strength after contracting the poison, he could not topple the XingXiu disciple. XuanNan, Deng BaiChuan, Kang GuangLing and Xue MuHua all came out of the cave.


    They saw a tall and big old man standing at the south-west corner, to his left and right is one short man and one tall man, the iron-head man is one of them. Kang GuangLing shouted: "Old Traitor Ding, you still not dead yet? Remember me?"


    The tall and big old man is the Old Freak of XingXiu Ding ChunQiu. When he captured HuiJing he wanted to force him to look for the frost silkworm, but he found that the monk is extremely sick, he quickly search for Xue MuHua to ask him to provide treatment. Xue MuHua tried to fake death but he eventually still can''t escape Ding ChunQiu. Ding ChunQiu gave a quick glance and recognize all his opponents, his wave his feathered fan and said: "Nephew MuHua, if you can cure that fat Shaolin monk, i will spare you life, but you have to take me as your Master and join XingXiu Sect." originally he wanted Xue MuHua to just cure monk HuiJing and he will bring them to Kunlun Mountain to catch the frost silkworm, but afterwards he wanted to recruit Xue MuHua so that both of them can research the secrets to the [Eternal Youth Never Ageing Skill].


    Xue MuHua listen to his tone and expression, Ding ChunQiu disregarded all the opponents before him, he seems confident of controlling everyone''s life and death and do as he pleases. Xue MuHua knew his martial uncle is very powerful, he felt really scared, he said: "Old Traitor Ding, i only listen to the orders of one person, whoever he ask me to treat i will do it, its easy for you to kill me, but to treat someone, you will have to go beg that person."


    Ding ChunQiu said coldly: "You only listen to orders from Su XingHe correct?"


    Xue MuHua said: "Only scoundrels who are worse than beast will dare to deceive and exterminate their Master." As he said this, Kang GuangLing, Fan BaiLing and Li KuiLei all cheered.


    Ding ChunQiu said: "Very good, all of you are obedient disciples of Su XingHe, but Su XingHe already sent someone to inform me that he had long expelled the eight of you, you people are not longer his disciples. Don''t me tell that one surnamed Su lied and secretly maintain this Master and disciple relationship?"


    Fan BaiLing said: "Master for a day, father for an entire life. Master did expel the eight of us. All these years we never saw him at all, when we drop by to pay our respects he refused to see us. But our love and respect for our Master has never decrease at all. The one surnamed Ding, you are the reason why the eight of us became lonely souls and wandering ghosts, with no Sect to depend on."


    Ding ChunQiu smile and said: "You words are quite true. Su XingHe was afraid that i would kill all of you. He expelled the eight of you to preserve your insignificant lives. His not willingly to pierce your eardrum or cut off your tongue, his really has deep feelings for you people, humph, what great things can he achieve by being so indecisive and fainthearted? Hey, very good, all of you tell me, you still consider Su XingHe as your Master?"


    When Kang GuangLing and the rest heard his words, they knew that if they claim that they are still ''Disciples of Su XingHe'', Ding ChunQiu will immediately kill them, but the relationship between Master and disciple is deep, how can they be cowardly and betray their Master, out of the eight, only Shi QingFeng is seriously injured and has to stay behind in the cave, the seven of them shouted in unison: "Although we are expelled, but the relationship between Master and disciple is eternal and will never change."


    Li KuiLei suddenly shouted: "I am the mother of Old Freak of XingXiu, i had an affair with the dog of ErLang Shen and gave birth to this little bastard. I will break your dog leg!" he imitated the accent of an old lady and then he bark 3 times like a dog.


    Kang GuangLing, Bao BuTong and the rest all laugh wildly.


    Ding ChunQiu was in a towering rage, his eyes gave a peculiar radiance, he flick his left sleeve, a stream of oily green flame shot towards Li KuiLei, its even faster than shooting star. Li KuiLei already suffered a broken leg, his holding onto a wooden crutch and can''t move freely, he wanted to dodge the flame but how can he do it in time, there is a ''Chi'' sound and his clothes ignited. He quickly lie on the ground and roll, but as he roll the flame became even more fierce. Fan BaiLing quickly grab some mud off the ground and spray it on his body.


    Meteor-flame shot out from Ding ChunQiu''s sleeves in quick succession, it went towards Kang GuangLing and the other four, only Xue MuHua was spared. Kang GuangLing push out with both palms and shock the flame away. XuanNan wave both his palms and cleave two flame. But Feng ASan and Fan BaiLing got hit and their clothes ignited. Immediately, the two of them along with Li KuiLei got burnt and cry out in pain.


    The numerous disciples of Ding ChunQiu praised: "Master only displays his little trick and you all turn into roasted pigs, quickly surrender now!"


    "Master has the ability to shift the heaven and split the ground, no one has ever done it before him and no one will be able to replicate it in the future, you all pigs and dogs really get to see the power of XingXiu Sect today."


    "Master triumph in every battle and win every fight, his the hero of ancient and modern times, be swept away by his might and power!"


    Bao BuTong shouted loudly: "Bullshit! Bullshit! Aiyo, this is so corny! Old Thief Ding, you are really thick-skinned!"


    Bao BuTong just barely finish speaking when 2 meteor-flame swiftly came at him. Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan both sent out a palm and deflected the flames, but both of them felt a as if a giant hammer smash their chest, they groan and quickly took three steps back. Ding ChunQiu used his powerful internal energy to send out the meteor-flame, XuanNan and Kang GuangLing have high internal energy and they did not suffer any injury when they deflected the flame, Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan are not at the same level and they could not withstand it.


    XuanNan move towards Li KueiLei and wave his palm, the palm force brush across his body, there is a ''Chi'' sound and his clothes were ripped apart by the palm force, large portion of clothes tore off, the remaining flames that continue to burn were extinguished by the palm wind.


    A disciple of XingXiu Sect call out: "The palm force of this bald donkey is not too weak, its around 10% of my Master''s level." Another disciple said: "Pei, its only around 1%!"


    XuanNan send out another two palm and extinguished the flame on Fan BaiLing and Feng ASan, at this moment, Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan, Kang GuangLing and the rest had thrown themselves into the crowd and attacked the disciples of XingXiu Sect.


    Ding ChunQiu stroke his long beard and said: "Senior monk from Shaolin is indeed extraordinary, little brother will ask you for advice today." As he finish speaking he took a step forward, his left palm floated lightly towards XuanNan. He considered himself to be a young man, he did not call himself ''old man'' but ''little brother''.


    XuanNan knows Old Freak Ding has deadly poison covering his entire body, his also proficient in [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], thus he dare not be complacent, both his palm dance about, immediately he send out 18 palm strikes at Ding ChunQiu, this 18 palm strikes came out consecutively in a chain, his left palm has yet to withdraw but his right palm already strike out, its incomparably fast, he did not give Ding ChunQiu any time to use his poison. This is Shaolin''s [Quick Palm], it is indeed strong and formidable as Ding ChunQiu was force to retreat continuously, XuanNan send out 18 palm and Ding ChunQiu retreated 18 steps. After completing 18 palm strikes, both his legs flew up consecutively in a chain, its incomparably fast and he kicked out 36 times, the shadow of his leg flash, nobody can tell whether he kicked out with his left or right leg. Ding ChunQiu move his body and quickly sidestep, he avoided the 36 kicks, but he heard two slapping sounds, his shoulder was hit by two fists, it seems when XuanNan is on his last two kicks he send out both his fists. Ding ChunQiu avoided the kicks but he can''t avoid the fists. Ding ChunQiu said: "Very powerful!" his body sway two times.


    But XuanNan felt a burst of dizziness, immediately he felt distracted and empty. He knew his situation was not good, Ding ChunQiu clothe is covered with deadly poison, when his fists hit Ding ChunQiu''s shoulder he contracted the poison, at once he exhale his breath, the air within his body circulated and he send out his left fist at Ding ChunQiu.


    Ding ChunQiu wave his right fist to block the incoming fist, immediately after, he violently strike out with his left fist. After contracting the poison, XuanNan could not turn his body effectively, its difficult for him to dodge the attack, he can only stick out his right fist to counter the force. In this situation, they are competing their inner strength, XuanNan was secretly alarmed: "I cannot compete internal energy with him!" but if he does not exert any internal energy, his opponent energy would come crashing in and his inner organ would immediately shatter, he knew he had fallen into a trap, but there was no other choice and he channelled his internal energy to resist. As he channel his internal energy, he felt his energy scatter and disappear into thin air, he could not gather his internal energy, as he heard the explanation from Xue MuHua before he knew his meridian is poisoned.


    Ding ChunQiu laugh out loudly, his shrug his shoulder, there was a slapping sound and XuanNan collapsed onto the ground.


    After beating XuanNan, Ding ChunQiu surveyed his surroundings, GongYe Gan and Fan BaiLing had collapsed and they kept shivering, they were beaten by You TanZhi''s frost poison palm, Deng BaiChuan, Xue MuHua and the rest are still fighting fiercely with his disciples, from his XingXiu Sect he had around 7 disciples either dead or injured.


    Ding ChunQiu gave a long laugh, his big sleeves fluttered in the air and he pounce towards the back of Deng BaiChuan and send one palm at him, he turn around and gave a kick, Bao BuTong collapsed from the kick. Deng BaiChuan send out his palm to meet his opponent''s palm, immediately he felt his chest is empty, as he was about to inhale and concentrate, Ding ChunQiu send another palm at him. Deng ChunQiu can only grudgingly send out another palm to meet him, he felt a slight cooling sensation on his palm, his entire body felt soft and devoid of strength, he was in a daze and all he saw was white fog. A XingXiu disciple came over and bump Deng BaiChuan with his arm, Deng BaiChuan collapsed onto the ground.


    In a short period of time, all the subordinates of Murong family, XuanNan and the rest of the Shaolin monks, Kang GuangLing and the rest of ''Eight Friends of HanGu'', all of them were defeated by Ding ChunQiu and You TanZhi. You TanZhi had extremely deep and profound internal energy, but his martial art is mediocre and weak, under a few days of guidance under Ding ChunQiu he learnt 7-8 palm moves, although his martial art is still weak compared to common fighters, but along with the frost poison accumulated in his body, his power is formidable and extraordinary. When GongYe Gan attacked You TanZhi with his palm, he hit him on the first strike, but he got counter-attack by the frost poison and ended up injured.


    The only person who did not sustain any injury is Xue MuHua, he attacked numerously times but the XingXiu disciples only sniggered and ran away from him, they did not fight back at all.


    Ding ChunQiu smile and said: "Nephew Xue, your martial arts are much higher than your fellow apprentices, amazing!"


    Xue MuHua saw his fellow martial brothers collapsing one by one, only he was left unscathed, obviously Ding ChunQiu was being lenient and let him off. He gave a long sigh and said: "Old Traitor Ding, the external injuries of that fat monk is easy to treat but his internal injuries is difficult, he can''t live for more than a few days, you want to force me to cure him, dream on!"


    Ding ChunQiu wave his hand and beckon him: "Nephew Xue, come over here!"


    Xue MuHua said: "Kill me if you want, i won''t listen to what you say."


    Li KuiLei shouted: "5th brother Xue devotion to righteousness inspires reverence, you are Su Wu, exiled for 19 years and remained loyal to the Han."


    Ding ChunQiu gave a slight smile, he stood 3 steps away from Xue MuHua, lightly resting his left palm on his shoulder, he smile and ask: "Nephew Xue, how long have you been learning martial arts?" Xue MuHua said: "45 years." Ding ChunQiu said: "Practicing day and night for 45 years, its really not easy. I heard you provide medical treatment in exchange for martial arts, you must have learnt numerous exquisite moves from various school and sect, correct?" Xue MuHua said: "I learn all these moves to kill you, but....but no matter how exquisite it is, it completely useless against your sorcery.....alas!" he shakes his head and gave a deep sigh.


    Ding ChunQiu said: "Not necessary! Internal energy is the root, martial art moves is the branch and leaf, if the root is solid and strong the branch and leaf will naturally flourish, it doesn''t mean martial moves are useless. If you join my sect, i can impart you matchless internal energy cultivation method, afterwards it easy for you to dominate Central Plains."


    Xue MuHua was furious: "I have my own Master, you ask Xue MuHua to join your sect, i would rather bang my head and die!"


    Ding ChunQiu smile and said: "You need energy and strength to bang your head till death. If you lose all your internal energy, you will have difficulty walking, why the need to talk about banging your head? 45 years of hard work, hei hei, what a pity, what a pity."


    Sweat stream down endlessly from his forehead when he heard this, Xue MuHua felt the hand on his shoulder gradually warm up, Ding ChunQiu only need to will it and his [Great Energy Dissolving Skill] would come forth, 45 years of hard work would immediately vanish and disappear without a trace, he clenched his teeth and said: "You are heartless enough to kill your own Master, martial brother and now the eight of us, do you even care? Its a pity if i lose 45 years of hard work, but i will die anyway, why do i care about hard work or not?"


    Bao BuTong cheered: "Well said, you have moral backbone and integrity. Does XingXiu sect have such a hero?"


    Ding ChunQiu said: "Nephew Xue, i won''t kill you now, but i will ask you 8 times: ''Will you treat that fat monk?'', if you reply that you won''t treat, i will kill your senior elder brother Kang GuangLing. The 2nd time you reply that you won''t treat, i will kill your 2nd brother Fan BaiLing. You martial sister, the one that knows how to cultivate flowers, where is she hiding? I will eventually find her. The 6th time you reply that you won''t treat, i will kill that pretty martial sister of yours. The 7th time, i will kill your 8th brother Li KuiLei. If i ask the 8th time and you still refuse to treat, make a guess, who will i kill?"


    Xue MuHua heard him narrate his ruthless method, he turn pale and trembled: "At that time you will kill me, no big deal. All eight of us will just die together."


    Ding ChunQiu smiled and said: "There is no hurry to kill you, the 8th time you reply that you won''t treat, i will go kill ''Mr Intelligent'' Su XingHe." Xue MuHua shouted loudly: "Old Traitor Ding, you dare touch a single hair on my Master!"


    Ding ChunQiu smiled and said: "Why not? The Divine Elder of XingXiu always operate alone, the words i said today, i might forget them tomorrow, although i had an agreement with Su XingHe as long as he remain mute i won''t kill him. But you dare offend me and make me angry, the mistakes made by a disciple would naturally be borne by the Master, i like to kill him, who can stop me?"


    Xue MuHua mind was in a mess, he knew this old traitor is coercing him to treat HuiJing, his purpose must be very sinister, if he agree to treat he would be aiding a tyrant, but if he refuse to treat, the lives of his fellow martial brothers and sister would be lost, even their master Mr Intelligent would die for sure. He muttered to himself for a long time and finally said: "Fine, i will yield, but after treating that fat monk you must not trouble all my friends, martial brothers and sister and my Master."


    Ding ChunQiu was overjoyed, he quickly said: "Sure, sure! I promise to spare their dog life."


    Deng BaiChuan said: "The honourable gentleman fell into the evil scheme of a treacherous villain, he deserves to die, who needs you to show mercy?" originally his voice is strong and bright, but his internal energy had dissipated, although his indignant, his voice inevitably became breathless and devoid of strength. Bao BuTong shouted: "Xue MuHua, don''t fall into his trap, this swindler admit it himself, his words cannot be trusted."


    Xue MuHua said: "Correct, you said it before: ''the words i said today, i might forget them tomorrow''."


    Ding ChunQiu said: "Nephew Xue, my first question is: ''Will you treat that fat monk?''" as he finish he extend his right leg and targeted the temple of Kang GuangLing, obviously if Xue MuHua reply ''won''t treat'' he would immediately strike out and kill Kang GuangLing. Everyone felt their heart thumping around madly, suddenly someone shouted: "Won''t treat!"


    The one that shouted ''won''t treat'' is not Xue MuHua, but Kang GuangLing.


    Ding ChunQiu sneered: "You want me to kick out and end your life, not so easy." He turn towards Xue MuHua and ask: "Do you want to act as my proxy and kill your own senior martial brother?"


    Xue MuHua sigh and said: "Forget it! Forget it! I promise to treat that fat monk."


    Kang GuangLing cursed: "5th brother Xue, how can you be so useless. This Old Traitor Ding is the enemy of our Sect, how can you be so cowardly and afraid of death, you actually yield to his threats?"


    Xue MuHua said: "Its no big deal if he kills the eight of us! But didn''t you listen, this old traitor wants to trouble our master!"


    When they thought about the safety of their master, Kang GuangLing and the rest became speechless.


    Bao BuTong said: "Co......." he wanted to scold ''Coward'', but before he can finish Deng BaiChuan extended his hand and covered his mouth. Bao BuTong revered this elder brother, he yield to him 50% of the time, thus he endured his anger and swallow his words.


    Xue MuHua said: "The one surname Ding, since i yield to you and agreed to treat that monk, you have to be polite to my friends here." Ding ChunQiu said: "I will comply with everything you say."


    Immediately Ding ChunQiu ordered his disciples to carry HuiJing over. Xue MuHua ask HuiJing: "You interacted with an extremely powerful poison object for long period of time, thus the frost poison penetrated deep into your inner organs, what is that poison object?" HuiJing said: "Its the frost silkworm from Kunlun Mountain." Xue MuHua shakes his head and did not probe further, he carried out acupuncture and moxibustion, he also took out two crimson pill and fed it to him, afterward he treated the rest of the people, mended their bones and treat their injuries, this went on until dawn and finally everyone got treated, the injured lay on beds or wooden door boards. The family members of Xue MuHua came out and made noodles for everyone to eat.


    Ding ChunQiu ate two bowls of noodles, he smiled at Xue MuHua and said: "You really adapt well to circumstances, you didn''t poison the noodles." Xue MuHua said: "Speaking of poison, there is no one better than you. Although i have the intention but i dare not display my lowly skills in front of an expert."


    Ding ChunQiu laugh out loudly and said: "Ask your family members to go out and hire 10 donkey carriages." Xue MuHua said: "You need 10 donkey carriages for what?" Ding ChunQiu roll his eyes and said coldly: "I need to inform you of my own business? Divine Physician Xue must be quite popular with the residents here, it won''t be difficult to hire 10 donkey carriages." Xue MuHua was helpless and could only order his family members to go out and hire the carriages.


    It was afternoon when the 10 donkey carriages arrived. Ding ChunQiu said: "Kill all the carriage drivers!" Xue MuHua was shock and said: "What?" but he saw the palms of the disciples of XingXiu flying around, a few slapping sound and the 10 dead bodies of the drivers lay on the ground. Xue MuHua was furious: "Old Traitor Ding! How did the drivers offend you? You.....you.....go so far as to kill them?"


    Ding ChunQiu said: "My XingXiu Sect wants to kill a few people, why the need to discuss about right or wrong, reason or justification? All of you enter the carriages now, no one stays behind! Nephew Xue, if you have any medical books or drugs bring them along with you, i am going to burn down you house."


    Xue MuHua had another huge shock, but this person commits all sorts of evil misdeeds imaginable, its a waste of time to debate with him, he had thoroughly memorize all the medical books, but all those pills, ointments and pellets that he painstakingly concocted, he cursed endlessly and start gathering the medical herbs and drugs. He have yet to finish packing when the XingXiu disciples set fire at the back of his house.


    Shaolin monk HuiFang originally receives order from XuanNan, he have to escape and deliver news to Shaolin Temple, but Ding ChunQiu was strict and kept a tight surveillance, he did not escape far and eventually got captured back. XuanNan and 6 monks from Shaolin, the 4 subordinates from Gusu Murong family, Eight Friends of HanGu, except for Xue MuHua all of them were injured, some had their internal energy sealed or injured by Ding ChunQiu''s palm, some got hit by You TanZhi''s frost poison and the rest got hit by deadly poison from XingXiu disciples, all of them were unable to move a single step. In addition, the family members of Xue MuHua were brought along as well and packed into the 10 carriages. Some of the XingXiu disciples became carriage drivers, some escorted the carriage, the curtains in the carriage were pulled down and tied with ropes, there is no light at all in the carriage and they could not see the outside view.


    XuanNan and the rest had the same question: "This old traitor, where is he bringing us to?" they knew that if they start inquiring they would get insulted and humiliated by the XingXiu disciples, they definitely won''t get any answer, they thought it in their heart: "We can only be patient for now, we will know when the time comes."

 Chapter - 31 Win Or Lose, Success Or Failure, Striving Against Calculation of Men

    The wheels of the carriage rumbled, they travelled day and night without stopping. XuanNan, Deng BaiChuan, Kang GuangLing and the rest are great heroes in the martial arts fraternity, but now they lost all their martial arts and became normal prisoners and got bullied around by others. Everyone roughly felt they are travelling in the south-east direction.


    They travelled for 8 days, on the 9th day they travelled on mountain path early in the morning. As they travelled till afternoon, the terrain became steeper and steeper, eventually the carriage can no longer move up the steep slope. The disciples of XingXiu Sect ordered XuanNan and the rest to exit the carriage. They walk for an hour and came to a dense bamboo forest, the scenery is beautiful and serene, there''s a large bamboo pavilion beside a mountain stream, the pavilion is elegant, a lot of time and effort must have been spent to build it, the bamboo forest looks like the pavilion, the pavilion looks like the bamboo forest, unexpectedly its difficult to differentiate between the bamboo forest and pavilion. Feng ASan was greatly impressed, he kept looking to the left and right, his bewildered.


    Everyone had barely seat them properly in the pavilion when 4 people walk hurriedly up the mountain path. The front two men are XingXiu disiciples, when the carriage stop they went on ahead to scout or deliver news. The other two young men behind them wore country peasant clothes, they walk towards Ding ChunQiu, bow to pay their respect and presented a letter.


    Ding ChunQiu unsealed the letter and took a look, he sneered: "Very good, very good. You still have yet to admit defeat and wish to fight till death, i will play with you."


    The young man took a firework tube from his bosom, he ignited it, there is a ''Peng'' sound and the fireworks flew up into the sky. Ordinary firework tube would have a ''Peng'' sound, the firework will travel till mid air and there would be a ''Pai'' sound, the firework would explode and scatter, but when this firework travel till mid-air, there is three ''Pai'' sound. Feng ASan whispered to Kang GuangLing: "Elder brother, this firework is made by our Sect."


    Soon after a group of people came up the mountain path, there is around 30 people, all of them wearing country peasant clothes and they seem to be carrying long bladed weapons. As they got nearer, everyone saw they did not carry any weapon but merely bamboo pole. Between two bamboo pole is a rope net, it allow someone to sit on it.


    Ding ChunQiu sneered: "The host is taking good care of visitors, everyone don''t be shy, please sit on it." Immediately XuanNan and the rest sat on the rope net. Two men lifted each bamboo pole and they quickly ran up the mountain path.


    Ding ChunQiu took the lead, his big sleeves fluttering lightly as he travelled. Ding ChunQiu running speed was not hurried, but he seems to be floating like the wind as he travelled up the precipitous mountain path, his feet did not touch the ground, in an instant he entered the bamboo forest up ahead.


    When Deng BaiChuan and the rest got hit by his [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], they were resentful, they felt this evil monster got lucky and injure them, they did not think they lost the fight, but when they saw his exquisite lightness martial art, its really true skill and not some cheap trick, they cannot help but gasp with admiration and pondered: "Even if he doesn''t use his evil demonic skills, i am still not his match." Feng BoE praised: "The lightness martial art of this old devil is truly superb, respect, respect!" as he said this, the rest of XingXiu disciples all competed with each other to praise, they said Ding ChunQiu is peerless and without equal, a great master since ancient times and even Damo fall short against him, their flattery is really intense and unprecedented.


    Bao BuTong said: "Hey you old chaps, the martial arts of XingXiu Sect is indeed better any other sect or school, no one has ever achieve it in the past and no one will ever achieve it in the future." The XingXiu disciples were excited, one of them ask: "In your opinion, what is the best skill from our Sect?" Bao BuTong said: "There is more than one, at least three." The XingXiu disciples were even more happy, they ask in unison: "Which three skills?"


    Bao BuTong said: "The 1st skill is boot-licking skill. If this skill is not well trained, i am afraid you won''t survive for more than 1 day in your Sect. The 2nd skill is horn-tooting skill, if you don''t brag and exaggerate the martial arts of your Sect, not only would your Master despise you, your fellow apprentices would also despise you, you won''t have any status in the Sect. The 3rd skill is shameless skill. If you don''t kill your own conscience and be shameless, how can you master the divine boot-licking skill and divine horn-tooting skill."


    As he finish his words, he knew the XingXiu disciples would be angry and indignant, they would all come and punch and kick him, but if he don''t say it out loud its like having fish bone stuck in his throat, his not happy unless he spit it out, unexpectedly all the XingXiu disciples nod their head in silence. One disciple said: "Old chap you are extremely clever, you really understand the wonderful skills of our Sect. But this boot-licking, horn-tooting and shameless skills, its really difficult to train. Normal people are used to worldly life, they feel some things are good and some things are bad. If you harbour thoughts on good and evil, right and wrong, you would put in twice the effort but get half the result when training the shameless skill, you will fail at the most crucial moment. The foundation to these 3 divine skills is to distort the truth and be unable to distinguish right and wrong."


    Bao BuTong was originally mocking and ridiculing them, he did not expect these people to regard their wrongdoing with equanimity, he had some doubts and cannot help but feel weird, he laugh and said: "The divine skills of your noble Sect is truly profound and matchless, i really admire it, i wish to invite great immortal to enlighten me."


    When the XingXiu disciple heard Bao BuTong address him as ''Great Immortal'', he felt elated and smug, he said: "You are not from our Sect, i cannot impart the secrets of these divine skills to you. But i have some superficial principles, there is no harm in sharing it with you. The most important principle is to praise your master as if his a god. If he fart......"


    Bao BuTong interrupted and said: "then it must be fragrant. You have to inhale and exhale loudly, praise wholeheartedly......" the person said: "Generally speaking you are correct, but there are some minor flaws, you cannot inhale and exhale loudly, the correct way is to inhale loudly, exhale softly." Bao BuTong said: "Correct, correct, great immortal is correct in pointing it out, if you exhale loudly it shows you dislike your master''s fart.....that his fart is not too fragrant."


    The person nod his head and said: "Not bad, you are gifted and have the innate talent, if you enter our Sect you will have considerable achievements, its a pity that you took the wrong path and entered a heretical school. Although the skills of our Sect has infinite variation, but the fundamental skills are not too complicated, you only need to remember, kill your own conscience and you will more or less achieve success." As for ''distort the truth and be unable to distinguish right and wrong'' its difficult to maintain when you are alone in the outside world, but when you join our sect you will automatically know its the proper thing to do and you won''t find it difficult anymore.


    Bao BuTong nod his head repeatedly and said: "Just one sentence from you, its better than studying for 10 years. I am really interested in your sect, i can''t wait to join your noble sect, i wonder if great immortal can recommend me?" the person smiled and said: "If you want to join our sect, its really easier said than done, there are numerous challenging tests, i don''t think you can withstand it." Another disciple said: "There''s too many people here, it''s not convenient to tell him. The one surnamed Bao, if you really intend to join our sect you have to wait until our Master is in a good mood, i can put in a few good words for you. Our sect recruits people from everywhere, your basics are not bad, if Master is benevolent and accept you as his disciple, you will have some achievements in the future." Bao BuTong said earnestly: "Many thanks, many thanks! The benevolence of great immortal, i will remember it for as long as i live."


    Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan and the rest heard him making fun of these XingXiu disciples, they cannot help but feel happy and ridiculous, they thought: "There is really such shameless and despicable person in this world, he takes pride in bullshitting and boot-licking, its truly rare."


    As they kept talking, the group entered a valley. The valley is full of pine trees, as the wind blew past, the trees sounded like big waves. They travelled a few li inside the forest and arrived at 3 wooden house. In front of a house, under a big tree, 2 men sat opposite each other. For the man sitting on the left hand side, there are 3 men standing behind him. Ding ChunQiu stood far away, he raise his head and look at the sky, his expression arrogant and haughty.


    As the group gradually got closer, Bao BuTong suddenly heard a ''Gu'' sound coming from Li KuiLei''s throat, it seems he wanted to speak but he forcibly endured it. Bao BuTong turn his head to look at Li KuiLei, his complexion is snow white, expression extremely terrified. Bao BuTong said: "What you disguising as? The son of a ghost? Look at yourself, your so frighten!" Li KuiLei did not reply, apparently he did not hear Bao BuTong at all.


    As they move closer, they saw a big stone slab between the two men, there is a chessboard on top of the stone slab, the two men are playing chess. Sitting on the right hand side is a short, thin and wizened old man, on the left hand side is a young gentleman. Bao BuTong recognize the young gentleman as Duan Yu, his interest wane and he pondered: "I am always rude to this young chap, today i met with a big misfortune and bump into him, he will surely ridicule and mock me."


    He saw the chessboard was engraved on a bluestone, the black and white chess-pieces are all translucent and sparkling, both side made more than 100 moves. Ding ChunQiu slowly move closer to observe the chess match. The short old man grasp a black piece and made a move, suddenly both his eyebrow narrowed, it seems he spotted the wonderful variation in the situation. Duan Yu grasp a white piece with his finger, he muttered to himself and did not make a move, Bao BuTong shouted: "Hello, the chap surnamed Duan, you already lost, you are in the same boat as me, just concede defeat." The 3 men behind Duan Yu turn around and glared angrily at Bao BuTong, they are the 3 guards, Zhu DanChen, Gu DuCheng and Fu SiGui.


    Suddenly, Kang GuangLing, Fan BaiLing and the rest of ''Eight Friends of HanGu'', all of them struggle to stand up from the rope net and they move to within a zhang of the bluestone chessboard, they knelt down simultaneously.


    Bao BuTong had a shock and said: "What are you people doing?" as he finish speaking the truth hit him, this short and wizened old man must be the Deaf Mute Old Man ''Mr Intelligent'', his also the Master of the ''Eight Friends of HanGu''. But his the arch enemy of the Old Freak of XingXiu Ding ChunQiu, since his enemy is here how come his still leisurely playing chess? Moreover, his chess opponent is not some important person but a bookworm who don''t know any martial arts.


    Kang GuangLing said: "Senior you are still healthy and strong, the eight of us are extremely happy to see you." After being expelled by Mr Intelligent Su XingHe, the eight of them dare not address him as Master. Fan BaiLing said: "Master XuanNan from Shaolin also came here to see you."


    Su XingHe stood up, he greeted everyone by raising his clasped hands and said: "The arrival of Master XuanNan, please forgive old rotten man Su XingHe for failing to receive you properly, i am guilty, i am guilty!" he gave a glance at the crowd of people and the turn his head to look at the chess match.


    Everyone heard Xue MuHua narrate how their Master was forced to be deaf and mute, unexpectedly Su XingHe spoke, it seems his determined to risk his life and fight with Ding ChunQiu till death. Kang GuangLing, Xue MuHua and the rest cannot help but turn their head and look at Ding ChunQiu, they felt excited and worried.


    XuanNan said: "You are too kind, you are too kind!" he saw how Su XingHe valued this chess match, he pondered: "This person is bogged down by too much stuff, painting, calligraphy, music and chess, no wonder his martial arts fell short against his younger martial brother."


    Suddenly Duan Yu said: "So be it, i will make this move!" as he finish he made a move and place a white piece on the chessboard. Su XingHe was delighted, he nod his head, his expression favourable, he made another move with his black piece, Duan Yu already prepared the next 10 moves, immediately he made a move with his white piece, Su XingHe made another move with his back piece, both of them made 10 moves each, Duan Yu gave a long sigh, shakes his head and said: "Senior, your ''Zhen Long'' chess formation is extremely profound and ingenious, junior cannot break it."


    It seems Su XingHe won the chess match, but his expression was grieved and distressed, he said: "Gentleman, you thoughts are thorough and meticulous, these 10 moves neared perfection, but you fail to think one step deeper, what a pity, what a pity. Alas, what a pity, what a pity!" he said ''what a pity'' 4 times, it seems his regret is really heartfelt and genuine. Duan Yu took 10 white piece off the chessboard and place them into a small wooden box. Su XingHe also took 10 black piece off the chessboard. The chessboard showed the original chess formation.


    Duan Yu retreated to the side, he gaze at the chess formation, he was in a daze and thought: "This ''Zhen Long'' is the same one i saw at WuLiang Cave. Mr Intelligent must be related to that fairy sister, later on i will secretly ask him, i cannot let anyone hear it else they will rush to see the fairy sister, isn''t that blasphemous?" Fan BaiLing from ''Eight Friends of HanGu'' is a chess fanatic, when he saw the chess formation, he knew his Master was not playing chess with the young gentleman, his Master deployed the ''Zhen Long'' chess formation and this young gentleman tried to break it but he failed. He could not see clearly while kneeling, he stood up and stretch his neck, trying to understand the situation.


    Su XingHe said: "All of you stand up! BaiLing, this ''Zhen Long'' is extremely important and significant, come over here and look at it properly, it will be wonderful if you can break it."


    Fan BaiLing was excited, he said: "Yes!" he got up and stood beside the chessboard, he focus his attention on the chessboard.


    Deng BaiChuan whispered: "2nd brother, what is this ''Zhen Long''?" GongYe Gan whispered: "''Zhen Long'' is a difficult chess problem. It''s a puzzle set by someone, its not a chess match between two person, thus it often difficult to calculate when to attack or defend. Ordinary ''Zhen Long'' have at least 10 chess-piece and at most 45 chess-piece, but this one have 200 chess-piece, the chess match is nearly over." GongYe Gang has limited knowledge on chess, he observe for a while and could not understand it, thus he did not bother to look at it anymore.


    Fan BaiLing research chess intensively for over 10 years, his really an expert in the field, he saw this chess formation had opportunity to plunder, live, long life, counter-attack, endure attack, break out of encirclement, its really extremely complex and complicated. His was roused mentally and concentrated, after a short time he felt dizzy and light-headed, he only calculated the probability of survival for one of the white chess-piece at the lower right corner, but he felt his blood flow rolling and clashing at his chest. He composed himself and concentrated again, he calculated again, originally he thought the white chess-piece at the lower right corner was dead but it actually had chance to survive, but to do that he needs to kill the black chess-piece beside it but it involves numerous moves, he re-calculated again, suddenly all he saw was darkness, he stick out his tongue and spurted a big mouthful of fresh blood.


    Su XingHe look at him coldly and said: "This chess formation is extremely difficult, your talent is limited, although your chess skill is not bad but you will not be able to break the chess formation, moreover there is this evil traitor Ding ChunQiu using his sorcery nearby, his trying to enchant and tempt your soul, its simply too dangerous, you still want to carrying on thinking how to break the formation?" Fan BaiLing said: "Life and death is pre-determined, disci.....i.....i....am determined to make an all-out effort." Su XingHe nod his head and said: "Then you carry on and slowly think through." Fan BaiLing gaze at the chess formation again, his body swayed and he spurted another big mouthful of fresh blood.


    Ding ChunQiu sneered: "Desperately seeking your own death, why bother? This mechanism is made by that old thief, its originally used for tormenting people, it killed and injured many people, Fan BaiLing you are walking into a trap."


    Su XingHe look askance, he glance at Ding ChunQiu and said: "What you address your Master as?" Ding ChunQiu said: "His an old thief, i call him an old thief!" Su XingHe said: "Deaf Mute Old Man is no longer deaf and mute, you must have known the underlying reason." Ding ChunQiu said: "Excellent! You break our pledge, your courting death, don''t you dare blame me."


    Su XingHe lifted a big rock by his side and place it beside XuanNan, he said: "Great Master please sit."


    XuanNan estimated this big rock weigh at least 200 catties, Su XingHe is a withered, short and thin old man, he might not even weigh 80 catties but he effortlessly lifted this giant stone, his internal energy must be remarkable, if he did not lose his internal energy naturally he would be able to achieve the same feat but he might not be able to lift it so effortlessly and leisurely as if nothing had happen, he press his hands together and said: "Many thanks!" he sat on top of the stone.


    Su XingHe said: "This ''Zhen Long'' chess formation is created by my deceased Master. Master spent 3 years of his life blood before completing this formation, he long for a capable person in the present age to break the formation. I myself studied this formation meticulously for 30 years, but i cannot solve the mystery behind it." As he finish speaking, his gaze swept across XuanNan, Duan Yu and Fan BaiLing, he continued: "Great Master XuanNan is proficient in Buddhism, the essence of Buddhism lies in enlightenment. Years of painstaking work and cultivation, you might not be equal to some fated intelligent person who has a flash of enlightenment. The art of chess is also the same, 8-9 year old kid with overflowing talent can often beat a top ranking expert in chess match. Although i cannot solve the mystery behind the chess formation, but there are so many talented individuals under the heaven, it cannot be that none is able to break it. My Master had a wish when his still alive, if someone can break this chess formation it would fulfil his wish, although Master is no longer in this world, his spirit would be gratified if he knows of it."


    XuanNan pondered: "This Mr Intelligent and his disciples, their habits seem to pass down, zither, chess, calligraphy and painting, all of them became fanatic, they spent their lifetime of intelligence and wisdom on these irrelevant stuff, thus Ding ChunQiu ran amok without obstruction and no one can control him, this is regrettable."


    Su XingHe continued speaking: "My younger martial brother," he pointed at Ding ChunQiu and continued; "he betrayed our sect, he cause our Master to drown in hate and regret and pass away, he injure me till i cannot retaliate. I should have killed myself to accompany Master, but i recall that Master had an unfulfilled wish, if i cannot find someone to break the chess formation i cannot account to Master when i die, thus i endured humiliation and survive until now. All these years, i abide by the pact made by my martial brother, i cannot speak a single word, not only did i become the Deaf Mute Old Man, i even force my newly recruited disciples and followers to become deaf and mute. Sigh, 30 years, i achieved nothing, this chess formation still remains unbroken. This gentleman Duan, admittedly his handsome, natural and unrestrained........"


    Bao BuTong interrupted: "This gentleman Duan is not necessarily handsome, natural and unrestrained is even more unlikely, moreover, how is handsome, natural and unrestrained related to playing chess? His lacking, his lacking!" Su XingHe said: "Its related, very much related." Bao BuTong said: "Old Mister your appearance, hei hei, i don''t think you are handsome." Su XingHe fix his gaze at him for a short period of time, he gave a faint smile. Bao BuTong said: "You must be thinking that Bao BuTong is even more ugly and queer compared to you...."


    Su XingHe ignored him and continued speaking: "The 10 moves made by gentleman Duan, its already exquisite to the extreme, i had enormous expectations, but he still lack 1 move and eventually he lost."


    Duan Yu expression was ashamed, he said: "My aptitude is low, i cannot repay the great kindness shown by senior sir, i am really ashamed....."


    Suddenly Fan BaiLing cry out loudly, he spurted fresh blood violently and collapsed backward. Su XingHe raised his left hand, there was 3 ''Chi'' sound, 3 chess-piece flew out and hit the acupoints on Fan BaiLing''s chest, this stopped him from spurting blood.


    Just as everyone was being startled, suddenly there is a slapping sound, a white grain flew in mid-air and hit the chessboard. Su XingHe look at the chessboard, he saw a small pine nut, its a freshly shelled pine nut and it landed on the 7th row 9th column, this is the crucial point in breaking the ''Zhen Long'' formation. Su XingHe raised his head, on the left hand side of a pine tree 5 zhang away, he saw the corner of a yellow robe, obviously someone is hiding there.


    Su XingHe was startled yet happy, he said: "Another capable person has arrived, old man is extremely happy." As he was about to respond with his black chess-piece, suddenly he heard a gentle sound, a small black object flew from his rear and landed on the 8th row 8th column, it happen to be the position which Su XingHe was about to place his chess piece.


    Everyone cry out in surprise, they turn around but did not spot the shadow of the person. The pine trees on the right hand side are not tall, if someone is hiding in the trees he would be spotted easily, no one knows where his hiding. Su XingHe saw the small black object was a small bark off the pine tree, its landing position extremely accurate, he was secretly astonished. After the black object landed, another white grain flew out from the pine tree on the left hand side, it landed on the 5th row 6th column.


    Another ''Chi'' sound and a black grain hover up in the sky, immediately afterwards it drop straight down and landed on the 4th row 5th column. The black grain flew up in a spiral, no one knew where it originated from, the black grain zigzag up to mid-air and yet it landed accurately, this skill in firing hidden projectile is truly astonishing. All the spectators cannot help but admire it deeply and they cheered.


    The applauses had yet to end when a clear and bright voice resonated from between a branch and leaf of a pine tree: "Gentleman Murong, you came to break this ''Zhen Long'', please forgive junior monk for being bold." The branch and leaf rustled and there is a cool breeze, a monk stood beside the chessboard. The monk is wearing a gray cassock, his face seems to be emanating light similar to that of gems, his wearing a faint smile.


    Duan Yu was startled, he thought: "The great devil Jumozhi comes again!" he pondered again: "Don''t tell me the white grains are fired by gentleman Murong? This gentleman Murong, i finally get to meet him today?"


    He saw Jumozhi press his hands together, he bow towards Su XingHe, Ding ChunQiu and XuanNan, he said: "Junior monk received Mr Intelligent invitation card while travelling en route, i overestimated my capabilities and came here to meet experts from all over the world." He said again: "Gentleman Murong, please reveal yourself!"


    There is a clear and bright laughter, two people emerge from behind a pine tree. Duan Yu immediately felt his vision turn dark, ears ringing, bitter taste in his mouth, his entire body like oven. The person''s figure is graceful, steps unhurried, he yearn for this person day and night, its Wang YuYan.


    Her face revealed admiration and love, she gaze longingly at the young gentleman beside her. Duan Yu followed her gaze and look at the man, the person is around 27-28 years of age, his wearing a light yellow robe, a long sword hanging by his waist, he floated over, his appearance handsome, natural, unrestrained and elegant.


    When Duan Yu saw him he felt half his body go cold, his eyes turned red, his tears nearly flow down, he thought: "Everyone says gentleman Murong is a dragon among human, its really a well deserved reputation. No wonder Miss Wang adores him greatly. Sigh, i am destined to suffer hardship and calamity my entire life." He felt remorseful, he sigh in despair, his unwilling to raise his head to look at Wang YuYan''s expression, but he cannot resist and secretly sneak a glance at her. Her face is radiant and glowing, it seems as if her entire body is smiling, he has never seen her so happy before. The two of them walk near him but Wang YuYan ignored Duan Yu, she did not turn to greet him. Duan Yu pondered: "She never had me in her heart, previously when we were together, she only thought about her cousin."


    Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan, Bao BuTong, Feng BoE, all four of them rush forward to welcome him. GongYe Gan whispered and reported the origins of Su XingHe, Ding ChunQiu and XuanNan to Murong Fu. Bao BuTong said: "This bookworm is surnamed Duan, he doesn''t know martial arts, he lost when playing chess just now."


    Murong Fu mingled and paid his respects to everyone, his speech modest and amiable, he made friends easily. The name ''Gusu Murong'' shook the entire world, everyone did not expect him to be such an elegant and noble young man, everyone admired him, even Ding ChunQiu was polite and courteous towards him.


    Murong Fu met Duan Yu at the end, he said: "Brother Duan, how are you." Duan Yu expression was distressed, he shakes his head and said: "Your good, i.....i am not good at all." Wang YuYan cry out in surprise and said: "Gentleman Duan, your also here." Duan Yu said: "Yes, i....i....." Wang YuYan said: "Gentleman Duan, you trying to find Ah Bi? My cousin already sent someone to escort her back to Suzhou. There is no one at home to take care of things and we really worry about it." Duan Yu responded weakly.


    Murong Fu glared at him a few times and ignored him, he stood beside the chessboard, grasp a white chess-piece and made a move on the chessboard. Jumozhi gave a faint smile and said: "Gentleman Murong, although your martial art is strong, but i am afraid your chess skill is ordinary." As he finish he made a move with the black chess-piece. Murong Fu said: "I might not lose to you." As he finish he made a move with the white chess-piece. Jumozhi responded with another move.


    Murong Fu already thought about this chess formation for a long time, his confident in breaking it. But this move from Jumozhi was beyond his calculations, the moves he prepared beforehand are completely useless, he have to think of new moves again, after a long time he finally made another move.


    Jumozhi is extremely quick, he immediately responded. The two of them, one is slow the other is quick, they made a total of 20 moves, suddenly Jumozhi laugh out loudly and said: "Gentleman Murong, let us separate!" Murong Fu was furious: "You trying to stir things up! Why don''t you try to break this chess formation." Jumozhi smiled and said: "Nobody can break this chess formation, its used to trick people. Junior monk is aware of his own ability, i won''t waste my time and effort on such stuff. Gentleman Murong, you can''t even break away from my tangling around the borders, you still want to break through and attempt to seize the throne?"


    Murong Fu heart was shaken, all sorts of feelings well up in his heart, he kept thinking about the two phrase: "You can''t even break away from my tangling around the borders, you still want to break through and attempt to seize the throne?"


    His vision gradually turned fuzzy, the white and black chess-piece on the chessboard seem to turn into generals and soldiers, men and horses to the east and west, you surround me, i surround you, hopelessly tangling with each other and killing. Murong Fu hopelessly saw how his own white troops got surrounded by enemy black troops, he dash to the left and right but he can''t break through the encirclement, he felt more and more anxious and said: "My Murong family exhausted its destiny and wasted all planning and schemes. I put in my utmost effort my entire life but everything is just a dream! My life is over, what else can i say?" suddenly he shout loudly, he draw out his long sword and slice across his neck.


    During the time when Murong Fu was in a daze, Wang YuYan, Duan Yu, Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan and the rest all kept their eyes on him. When Murong Fu suddenly draw his sword to commit suicide, nobody expected this move from him, Deng BaiChuan and the rest immediately scrambled over to save him, but they already lost their internal energy and was a step slower.


    Duan Yu pointed his index finger and shouted: "You cannot do that!" suddenly there is a ''chi'' sound, the long sword held by Murong Fu flash, there is a ''dang'' sound and the sword drop on the ground.


    Jumozhi smiled and said: "Gentleman Duan, what a good move from the [Six Meridians Divine Sword]!"


    Murong Fu had a shock when his sword was taken away, his finally snap out of his fantasy. Wang YuYan held onto his hand, she shake him repeatedly and said: "Cousin! You can''t break the chess formation, but why so tense? Why commit suicide?" tears rolled down her cheek as she finish speaking.


    Murong Fu said blankly: "What''s going on?" Wang YuYan said: "Luckily gentleman Duan shot down your long sword, else.....else...." GongYe Gan said: "Young master, this chess formation enchants and enslave your mind and soul, there must be some illusionary technique in it, Young master please don''t think about it anymore." Murong Fu turn his head and said to Duan Yu: "The move just now, is it really the sword move from [Six Meridians Divine Sword]? A pity i never see it, can you display another move and let me broaden my knowledge."


    Duan Yu gave a glance at Jumozhi, his afraid that if he use another move from the [Six Meridians Divine Sword] Jumozhi would come over and capture him, this sword play is unstable, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn''t work, if the evil monk really attack he would have problems resisting, he was afraid and quickly move 3 steps to the left and stay far away from Jumozhi, in between them is Zhu DanChen and the rest of his guards, only now did he reply Murong Fu: "I.....i was hasty, it just happen by chance, its difficult for me to execute it again. You really didn''t see it just now?"


    Murong Fu expression was ashamed, he said: "My mind was muddled and half-conscious, similar to being possessed."


    Bao BuTong shouted loudly: "Yes, it must be the Old Freak of XingXiu using his sorcery, young master you have to be extremely careful!"


    Murong Fu gave a quick glance at Ding ChunQiu, he said to Duan Yu: "I fell prey to sorcery, i can''t thank you enough for saving me. Brother Duan, you know the [Six Meridians Divine Sword], are you from the Dali''s Duan family?"


    Suddenly a voice floated from a distant place: "Who''s from Dali''s Duan family? Is it Duan ZhengChun?" the voice is from ''Overflowing with Evil'' Duan YanQing.


    Zhu DanChen and the rest countenance change. They heard another voice, its like metal rubbing against each other, the voice shouted: "Our boss is the genuine Duan from Dali, the rest are all fake." Duan Yu gave a faint smile, he pondered: "Ah, my disciple is here."


    When the shouting of the ''Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea'' ended, a person came up from the bottom of the mountain path with quick steps, his body movement is extremely fast, the person is Yun ZhongHe, he shouted: "The Four Great Evils pay a visit to Mr Intelligent, we sincerely come to attend your chess meet." Su XingHe said: "Welcome" as he finish speaking, Yun ZhongHe already floated in front of them.


    After a while, Duan YanQing, Ye ErNiang, Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea, all three of them arrive together. Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea shouted loudly: "When our boss received the invitation card his extremely delighted, he postponed all his current affairs and quickly came down here to the chess meet, his martial art is unequalled under the heaven, his even better than me Yue LaoEr. If anyone of you is not convince, come over here and play 3 moves of chess with him. You people want to fight one or one, or everyone simply come at us together? How, why aren''t you taking out your weapons?" Ye ErNiang said: "LaoSan, don''t talk rubbish! We are playing chess, not using martial arts to fight, why the need for weapons?" Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea said: "You are talking rubbish, if we don''t use our martial arts to fight, then our boss rush hurriedly over here for what?"


    Duan YanQing gaze steadily at the chess formation, his in deep thought, after a long long time, his left crutch extended into the small chess box and touch lightly, the end of the crutch seems to have some kind of suction force as it attracted the white chess-piece, he place the white piece on the chessboard.


    XuanNan praised: "The martial arts of the Duan family from Dali is really unrivalled under the southern sky, your reputation is well deserved and not empty."


    Duan Yu knew Duan YanQing from the day he played chess against the Yellow-Brow Monk, Duan YanQing''s internal energy is deep and profound and his chess skill is equally high, there''s a possibility that he might actually break this ''Zhen Long''. Zhu DanChen whispered to Duan Yu: "Young master, let us go! Don''t waste this opportunity." But firstly, Duan Yu is interested to find out if Duan YanQing can break the chess formation, secondly, he finally get to see Wang YuYan, even if the sky collapses he will never leave her, he absentmindedly agreed to Zhu DanChen''s suggestion but he kept on walking nearer to the chessboard.


    Su XingHe already know by heart all the countless changes and permutation to this chess formation, he immediately responded with a black chess-piece. Duan YanQing thought for a while and made another move. Su XingHe said: "Sir, your extremely brilliant, let us see if you can overcome this problem and find a way out." He made a move with the black piece, it sealed off his path. Duan YanQing made another move.


    Shaolin monk Xu Zhu suddenly said: "I am afraid this move won''t work!" previously he saw Murong Fu make the exact same move, afterwards he continued playing and eventually draw his sword and commit suicide. He feared Duan YanQing would follow the same path to his ruin, he cannot bear it and spoke out to advise him.


    Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea was furious, he shouted: "Hey you little monk, you are not fit to comment on my boss chess move!" he gripped Xu Zhu''s back and drag him over. Duan Yu said: "Good disciple, don''t harm this little master!" When Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea arrived, he already saw Duan Yu, he felt really awkward and embarrass, its best if Duan Yu keeps his mouth shut but eventually he still blurted it out, he said angrily: "So be it, i won''t harm him, why so anxious!" he dropped Xu Zhu on the floor.


    Everyone saw how this barbaric and ruthless Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea actually take orders from Duan Yu, he didn''t even refute when being address as ''good disciple'', everyone felt really strange. Only Zhu DanChen and the rest knew the underlying reason, they laugh inwardly.


    Xu Zhu sat down on the floor, his having second thoughts: "My master often tell me, the cultivation method pass down by our founder is discipline, calmness and wisdom. The < Shurangama Sutra> says: ''Assimilate discipline in your heart, discipline leads to calmness, calmness leads to wisdom.'' We are blunt people, its difficult for us to assimilate discipline in our heart, thus founder Damo pass down an easier method, he let us learn martial arts to discipline out heart, but you can also use chess to discipline your heart. Martial arts pay particular attention to victory and defeat, chess also focuses on victory and defeat, but both of them are contrary to teachings on Buddhism, thus whether you practice martial arts or play chess you must ensure that you do not focus on victory and defeat. Reciting scripture, eating, travelling, its easy to forget about victory and defeat, but competing martial arts and playing chess its extremely difficult to forget about victory and defeat. If you forget about victory and defeat while competing martial arts or playing chess, then the match is already over. The < Dharmapada Sutra> says: ''The winner feels hatred, the loser feels ashamed. You will be agitated while pursuing victory, you will be calm if you don''t not compete.'' My martial art is poor, my chess skill lousy, when i compete martial arts with my martial brothers or play chess, i will suffer more defeat than victory, but my master praise me as i was not angry and i did not complain, i don''t really care about victory or defeat. But how come when i saw this Benefactor Duan make a wrong chess move, i worry that he will suffer a defeat, i even spoke out and give advice? Moreover with my level of chess skill, how can i even advise him? Although his chess moves may be similar to gentleman Murong now, but afterwards it may be different, i don''t understand all these, instead i just blurted out and insist it won''t work, aren''t i overestimating myself?"


    Duan YanQing made another move, he thought for a while, he made moves after moves, his taking a long time to think, he made a total of 20 moves and the sun is inclining to the west, suddenly XuanNan said: "Benefactor Duan, your first 10 moves are correct and orthodox, but on the 11th move you start to deviate from the correct path, you stray from your original path from that point onwards and now its difficult to save." The muscles on Duan YanQing''s face is stiff and rigid, his expression wooden and blank, a voice resonated from his throat: "Your Shaolin is a famous orthodox school, base on your orthodox method, how can you break this formation?" XuanNan sigh and said: "This chess formation seems to be orthodox yet unorthodox, it seems to be demonic yet not demonic, you cannot break it using pure orthodox method, but if you use pure unorthodox method it still won''t work!"


    Duan YanQing''s left crutch hovered in mid-air, he trembled slightly, he dare not put down the chess piece, after a long time he said: "There is no path forward, the soldiers are pursuing at the rear, orthodox method won''t work, unorthodox method won''t work, this is really difficult!" the martial arts pass down by his family is the orthodox skill of Dali''s Duan family, but he eventually deviated and became evil and unorthodox, the words by XuanNan stir up his emotions and mind, unexpectedly he became like Murong Fu, gradually he start to hallucinate.


    This ''Zhen Long'' has many changes and fluctuates irregularly, its effect is dependent on the person, a greedy person will fear losing his stuff, an angry person will fear his anger interfering with his work. Duan Yu was defeated because he had too much compassion, he refuse to abandon his troops, Murong Fu was defeated because he stubbornly held onto power and influence, his able to abandon his troops but he simply refuses to give up power and influence. The greatest regret and hate in Duan YanQing''s life is his deformity, his forced to give up his orthodox martial arts, he had to change and practice unorthodox and demonic skills, he concentrated his attention completely and this made it easy for external demons to invade, thus his mind entered demonic path and he cannot control himself anymore.


    Ding ChunQiu smiled and said: "Yes! Its easy for a person to enter demonic path, but its extremely difficult to turn over a new leaf, you entire life is doom to failure, failure, failure! Alas, what a pity, one wrong step cause a thousand hatred, if you want to turn back, i am afraid you can''t do it anymore!" his speech is filled with pity and tenderness. XuanNan and the other experts knew Ding ChunQiu harboured malicious intentions, his trying to make Duan YanQing fire-deviate so that he can eliminate a powerful opponent.


    Sure enough, Duan YanQing was expressionless and motionless, he said in a distressed voice: "I am the crown price of Dali Kingdom, but today i wander around and degenerated into such a state, i am really ashamed and cannot face my ancestors."


    Ding ChunQiu said: "Even in the underworld, you still don''t have the face to see your Duan family''s ancestors, since you are ashamed why don''t you commit suicide, its the proper conduct of hero, alas, alas! It would be better to commit suicide, it would be better to commit suicide!" his voice is gentle and pleasant, those with low internal energy already became drowsy and dazed when they hear his voice.


    Duan YanQing mumbled to himself: "Alas, it would be better to commit suicide!" he raised his steel crutch and slowly drive it towards his chest. But he has extremely deep cultivations, he faintly felt something was amiss, there seems to be an inner voice within him that said: "Wrong, wrong, you will be in deep trouble if you continue to drive downwards!" however the steel crutch still slowly move inch by inch towards his chest. When he was exiled from Dali Kingdom and suffered serious injuries, he thought of committing suicide, but he met a peculiar event and manage to pull himself together, but now his self-control faltered and his buried desire to commit suicide surface again.


    There are many martial art experts around, XuanNan is merciful, he wanted to speak out and advise him, but to shock Duan YanQing out of his trance would require internal energy equivalent to his, to be effective the voice have to be so loud that even the deaf can hear it, else not only would it be not beneficial he could end up harming Duan YanQing, XuanNan was secretly anxious, his hands are tied and he cannot do anything to help. Su XingHe is bound by the rules set by his Master, he cannot assist him. Murong Fu knew Duan YanQing is an evil person, its a good thing for him to fire-deviate and die and he would eliminate a great evil from the world. Jiumozhi rejoice in other people''s misfortune, he smile and look on without lifting a finger. Duan Yu and You TanZhi both have deep and profound internal energy, but they don''t know what Duan YanQing is trying to do when he lifted his crutch. As for Wang YuYan, although she is knowledgeable about martial arts of various sects and schools, but the evil technique employed by Ding ChunQiu to put Duan YanQing in a trance is not martial art, thus she doesn''t understand it at all. Ye ErNiang is frequently oppressed by Duan YanQing, his extremely rude and bossy, she amassed the hatred for a long time and now she did not bother to save him. As for Deng BaiChuan, Kang GuangLing and the rest, they lost all their internal energy, furthermore they do not want to interfere in the tussle between Old Freak of XingXiu and the ''Number One Evil''.


    Thus, only the Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea is anxious, he saw the crutch is only a few inch away from his chest, in a few moments he would seal off his own death acupoint, immediately he grabbed and lifted Xu Zhu and shouted: "Boss, catch this monk!" as he finish he threw Xu Zhu at Duan YanQing.


    Ding ChunQiu push out with his palm and said: "Go away! Don''t disturb this chess match!" the throwing force by Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea is extremely vigorous, Xu Zhu is shrouded by strong wind and he fly forward swiftly, but the palm by Ding ChunQiu is soft and flexible, Xu Zhu got redirected back and he bump straight at the Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea.


    Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea caught Xu Zhu with both hands, he thought of throwing Xu Zhu at Duan YanQing again, unexpectedly Ding ChunQiu''s palm contains 3 wave of hidden force, Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea suddenly open his eyes fully, his forced to retreat 3 steps, as he stabilizes himself the 2nd wave of force arrive. Both his knees soften and he sat down on the floor, he thought it was over, who would have imagine the 3rd wave of force crashing in. He cannot help but somersaulted, but both his hands still held onto Xu Zhu, he press down on Xu Zhu and roll over. He thought the palm by Old Freak Ding contains another 4th wave of force, thus he quickly push Xu Zhu forward to block the force.


    But there is no 4th wave of force, Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea open his eyes and cursed: "Damn your grandmother is powerful!" he put Xu Zhu on the floor.


    When Ding ChunQiu push out with his palm, he got distracted and he attention slacken a little, Duan YanQing''s steel crutch stop in mid-air and did not move anymore. Ding ChunQiu said: "Its too late, its too late, Duan YanQing, i help you to commit suicide, just commit sucide!" Duan YanQing sigh and said: "Yes, what''s the point in living? Its better to just commit suicide!" as he finish speaking his crutch move closer by another 2 inch.


    Xu Zhu''s compassion flare up, in order to free Duan YanQing from Mara (demon of temptation in Buddhism), he knew he have to disrupt the chess formation, but his chess skill is really low, its impossible for him to break this complex and complicated chess formation, he saw Duan YanQing stare stupidly at the chessboard, his really in a crisis, suddenly he had a bright idea: "I can''t break this chess formation, but it easy for me to intentionally mess it up, as long as his concentration gets diverted he can be saved. If there is no chess formation, where is the need for victory and defeat?" he quickly said: "I will break this chess formation." He quickly move forward and took a white chess-piece from the small wooden box, he close his eyes and randomly put the chess-piece on the board.


    His eyes have yet to open but he heard Su XingHe reprimand furiously: "Rubbish, rubbish, in your fit of anger you killed an entire group of white chess-piece, who plays chess like this?" Xu Zhu open his eyes, he look at the chessboard and blush.


    It seems when he closed his eyes and made a random move, he put the chess-piece beside another white chess-piece which is already encircled by black chess-piece, there is no room at all for escape. Originally the white side and black side are mutually surrounding each other, both sides in a stalemate, if the black chess-piece move forward the white side can kill off all the black chess-piece with a single move, if the white chess-piece move forward the black side can kill off all the white chess-piece with a single move. This is situation is called ''live together'' or ''two lives'', ''i dare not move, my opponent dare not move'', both side cannot move at all. Xu Zhu put his chess-piece within this big stalemate, he made the first move and offered a huge group of white-chess piece to his opponent, if his opponent don''t take it, he will lose his black-chess piece, thus the black side definitely have to take it. In the art of playing chess, no one ever done this act of committing suicide. Now that the white chess-piece is dead, the white side is about to suffer complete defeat and be completely wiped out.


    Juimozhi, Murong Fu, Duan Yu and the rest, when they saw this they cannot help but burst out into loud laughter. XuanNan shakes his head and smiled. Although Fan BaiLing is feeble and weary from the blood loss, he cannot help but said: "Are you joking?"


    Su XingHe said: "My Master''s order, anyone can enter and play this chess. Although this chess move by little master is wild fantasy, its still a legitimate move." He remove the white chess-piece which Xu Zhu sacrificed, then he made a move with the black chess-piece.


    Duan YanQing gave a loud cry and snap out of his trance, he stare at Ding ChunQiu and thought: "Old Freak of XingXiu, you take advantage of my precarious position and employed your evil scheme, i won''t take things lying down."


    Ding ChunQiu glared at Xu Zhu, his eyes filled with venomous rage, he cursed: "Little bald thief!"


    Duan YanQing look at the changes in the chess formation, he knew he escaped mortal danger all due to Xu Zhu assistance, he felt really grateful, he knew Ding ChunQiu resented Xu Zhu and is about to attack him, he pondered: "Shaolin senior monk XuanNan is here, i don''t think the Old Freak of XingXiu has the guts to trouble his disciple, but if this old rotten XuanNan is muddle-headed and fail to protect him properly i cannot simply let this little monk die because of me."


    Su XingHe said to Xu Zhu: "Little master, you killed your own chess piece, how will you respond if the black chess-piece move in 1 more step?"


    Xu Zhu laugh and said: "Junior monk''s chess skill is lowly, i randomly made a move just to save someone. I really cannot play this chess match, i hope senior will excuse me."


    Su XingHe expression turns grave, he said solemnly: "My Master created this chess formation and respectful invited all the experts under the heaven to try and break it. It doesn''t matter if it can''t be broken, even if you suffer calamity its also your own doings. But if someone comes and intentionally mess up this chess match and taint the lifetime effort of my Master, although there are many people here, hei hei, even though old man is deaf and mute i will pledge my life and fight till death." His know as ''Deaf Mute Old Man'' but he is neither deaf nor mute, currently his able to hear and even speak, but unexpectedly he still call himself deaf and mute, but when his speaking his beard flare up, his expression fierce and ferocious, nobody dare to make fun of him.


    Xu Zhu press his hands together and made a deep bow, he said: "Old senior....."


    Su XingHe shouted loudly: "Just play chess, why talk so much? My Master''s chess formation is for your random amusement?" as he finish speaking he wave his right hand and send out a palm, there''s a loud crashing sound, dust flew everywhere, a large crater appeared in front of Xu Zhu. The power in this palm is incomparably violent and fierce, if the palm landed a few chi closer, the tendons and bones in Xu Zhu would shatter and break, he would die a violent death.


    Xu Zhu was so frighten that he heart thumped randomly, he shifted his eyes towards XuanNan, he hope his martial grandfather will take the initiative and save him from this predicament.


    XuanNan''s chess skill is not good, his internal energy all gone, what idea can he come up with? XuanNan stiffen his resolve and was about ask for leniency from Su XingHe, suddenly Xu Zhu took out a white chess-piece from the wooden box and place it on the chessboard. The tile he place it on is a new empty spot which appeared when the group of white chess-piece was sacrificed.


    Unexpectedly, this move is logical and sensible. For the past 30 years, Su XingHe has seen the thousand variation and changes in the chess formation, he memorize all the counter-moves thoroughly, no matter what kind of moves his opponent make, they cannot escape his foolproof counter. But Xu Zhu started the match by making a random move and killed a big group of white chess-piece, it greatly violates the basic fundamental of chess, anyone who has the slightest bit of knowledge about chess would never make this move. The move is the same a drawing your own sword and committing suicide. But unexpectedly, when Xu Zhu killed a big group of white chess-piece the situation actually became optimistic, although the black chess-piece occupied a dominant position but the white chess-piece now have some leeway to manoeuvre, unlike previously where the chess pieces tangled with each other and have to guard against losses. Su XingHe never expect such a new situation in the chess formation, he was startled and pondered deeply for a long time, he finally responded with a move.


    Previously, Xu Zhu was scared stiff by Su XingHe''s palm, his martial grandfather did not speak out to help him and he was at a loss, suddenly a thin and soft voice entered his ear: "Put the chess piece on the 3rd row 9th column!" Xu Zhu did not bother to search for the person who gave this advice, he didn''t care if the advice was correct or wrong, he simply took a white chess-piece, followed the directions given and placed it on the 3rd row 9th column. When Su XingHe responded with a move, the same voice entered Xu Zhu''s ear again: "2nd row 8th column." Xu Zhu place a white chess-piece on the 2nd row 8th column.


    When he made this move, he heard Jumozhi, Murong Fu, Duan Yu, all of them cry out in surprise. Xu Zhu raise his head, he saw looks of admiration and surprise on the faces of the crowd, it seems this move is really exquisite, as for Su XingHe his expression was joyous and full of admiration yet his also fretful and anxious, his long eyebrow kept moving up and down.


    Xu Zhu felt suspicious: "Why is he suddenly so happy? Don''t tell me i make a wrong move?" but he immediately had second thoughts: "Who cares whether its right or wrong, as long as i can respond with 10 moves and above it shows that i played the chess match properly and did not recklessly mess up the chess formation and dishonour his Master, after that he won''t take offense anymore." After Su XingHe responded with another move, he followed the instruction of the person who is secretly helping him and made another move. As he play chess, he kept a careful look out to see if his martial grandfather is secretly instructing him, but XuanNan expression was anxious, it really doesn''t seem like him, moreover XuanNan never open his mouth to speak.


    The voice in his ear is obviously base on [Transmitting Voice in Secret] technique which requires high level of internal energy, the speaker will use his internal energy to send his speech into the ears of another person, even if there are bystanders nearby they cannot hear the speech at all, but no matter how soft the voice is the speaker still have to open his mouth. Xu Zhu furtively look at the lips of everyone, unexpectedly none of them are moving but he still heard the voice transmit clearly: "5th row 6th column and take the three black chess-piece!". Xu Zhu followed the instructions, he pondered: "This person can only be my martial grandfather, no one else. The rest of the crowd is not related to me, why would they help me? From among the experts, only martial grandfather did not take part, the rest of them took part and got defeated. Martial grandfather has divine skill, he did not move his lips and yet transmit his voice, i wonder when i can reach his level."


    Who would have imagined that the person guiding him is the number one evil under the heaven ''Overflowing with Evil'' Duan YanQing. Previously, Duan YanQing was too engrossed in playing chess and Ding ChunQiu took advantage of him, he fire-deviated and commit suicide, luckily Xu Zhu disrupted the chess match and save his life. He saw Su XingHe was very stern when reprimanding Xu Zhu, its very likely he has murderous intentions, thus he immediately transmit his voice and guide Xu Zhu to help him get out of trouble. Duan YanQing is skilled in ventriloquism, he don''t need to move his lips when speaking, he use his internal energy to transmit his voice to Xu Zhu''s ear, although there are many experts around they did not suspect this underlying trick.


    However, after numerous moves, the situation changed greatly, Duan YanQing finally became aware that the secret to this ''Zhen Long'' is to use your own white-piece to kill off a large group of white-piece, afterwards this will give rise to power. The chess formation incorporated the principles of ''Counter-attack and escape'', you have to deliberately sacrifice your own chess piece and let your opponent take them, afterwards you can achieve success, however people will sacrifice at most 8-9 chess piece in a match, no one will sacrifice more than 10 chess piece in a single move, this move ''Squeeze yourself to death'' is really weird and never seen before throughout all ages, even the most brilliant chess expert will never dare think of using such a move. For human, they always think about how to survive and live, nobody will deliberately think of how to die. If Xu Zhu did not close his eyes and make this random move, even after a thousand years, this ''Zhen Long'' will still remain unbroken.


    Duan YanQing has extremely high chess skill, previously he played chess with the Yellow-Brow Monk at Dali, he dominated the match and the Yellow-Brow Monk was unable to ward him off, currently, after removing a large group of white chess-piece the situation reversed, he no longer needs to worry about the life and death of that large group of white chess-piece, his no long blocked by his own troops, instead he can move around freely which is vastly different from previous situation where he got trapped in.


    Jiumozhi, Murong Fu and the rest are unaware that Duan YanQing is secretly guiding, Xu Zhu chess moves are wonderful and brilliant, he captured two small group of black chess-piece in succession, everyone cannot help but cheer.


    XuanNan muttered to himself: "Originally, this chess match is tangled in gains and losses, victory and defeat, thus no one can break it, when Xu Zhu made his move he didn''t care about life or death, he didn''t care about victory or defeat, unexpectedly he manage to break through this life and death situation and finally free himself......" XuanNan comprehended the principles faintly, however his still hesitant and unsure, he spent his entire life studying martial arts, however its different from the martial arts prescribed by Buddhism, suddenly he pondered: "Deaf Mute Old Man and the Eight Friends of HanGu indulged in miscellaneous skills, in the end their martial arts fell short against Ding ChunQiu, previously i make fun of them and say they deviate from their original path. But i spent my entire life practicing martial arts, i was not diligent in practicing Buddhist meditation, i am anxious about life and death, i am even worse and also deviate from my original path." As he thought of this, his entire body break out in cold sweat.


    Initially, Duan Yu paid close attention to the chess match, but afterwards he just stare at Wang YuYan, he became even more dejected as he look at her, Wang YuYan''s gaze never left Murong Fu. Duan Yu pondered: "Its better for me to simply leave, its better for me to simply leave! I will only suffer more misery if i stay here, maybe i will even vomit blood." But how can he willingly take his gaze off Wang YuYan? His in deep thoughts: "I will wait for Miss Wang to turn her head over to me, then i will tell her: ''Miss Wang, congratulations in meeting your cousin, today fate brought us together and we see each other again. I will be leaving now!'' if she reply: ''Ok, please leave!'' then i will simply leave. But if she reply: ''There is no hurry, i still have something to say to you'' then i will stay and wait for her instruction."


    However in reality, Duan Yu is fully aware that Wang YuYan will never turn around and look at him, she will never say: ''There is no hurry, i still have something to say to you''. Suddenly, Wang YuYan''s head started moving slightly. Duan Yu heart start thumping madly: "She is turning her head over!" but she only gave a soft sigh and call out softly: "Cousin!"


    Murong Fu''s attention is focused on the chess match, he saw the white chess-piece had gained the upper hand, its currently advancing forward and pressing, he thought: "I can come up with these few moves easily. But the first move is always difficult, the first move is simply too weird, i will never be able to think of it." Unexpectedly he did not hear Wang YuYan calling him.


    Wang YuYan gave another soft sigh and she slowly turns her head.


    DuanYu''s heart start jumping madly: "She is turning her head over! She is turning her head over!"


    Sure enough, the pretty face of Wang YuYan turn and face him. Du Yan saw she is slightly depress, there is hidden bitterness in her eyes, he pondered: "After arriving with Murong Fu, her expression was always happy and joyous, how come she is not happy now? Don''t tell me.....don''t tell me she worry about me a little?" her gaze move to the right and interlocked with his, Duan Yu took a step forward, his about to say: "Miss Wang, you have something to say?" but Wang YuYan''s gaze slowly move away and look at a distant place, once again her gaze return back to Murong Fu.


    Duan Yu''s heart plunged, he felt endlessly agony: "She did look at me, but it is 10 times worse than if she didn''t look at me at all. She look at me but she still ignore me. She look at me but i never registered in her heart. She is only thinking about the affairs of her cousin, why would she even care about Duan Yu. Sigh, its better to simply leave, its better to simply leave!"


    As for Xu Zhu, he followed the instructions of Duan YanQing and made another move, looking at the current situation, no matter how the black chess-piece responds it will definitely be taken by the white chess-piece, but if the black chess-piece takes a step back then the white chess-piece can rush out of this encirclement, at that time the white chess-piece will have the entire field and the black chess-piece will not be able to keep up anymore.


    Su XingHe pondered for a long time, he smiled and made a move. Duan YanQing transmitted his voice: "7th row 8th column!" Xu Zhu followed his instruction, although Xu Zhu chess skill is poor but he still knows enough and his aware that the ''Zhen Long'' is already broken, he clap his hands and smiled: "It seems its over?"


    Su XingHe is smiling, he cupped his hands and said: "Little divine monk is talented and brave, congratulations."


    Xu Zhu quickly returns the courtesy and said: "I don''t dare, i didn''t make this......" his about to say that he receives guidance from his martial grandfather, the voice transmitted into his ear again: "You cannot reveal this secret between us. You are still in danger, you have to be extra cautious." Xu Zhu thought it was another instruction from XuanNan, he immediately said: "Yes, yes!"


    Su XingHe stood up and said: "My Master arrange this chess formation, for over 10 years no one is able to break it, little divine monk finally broke this ''Zhen Long'', i really can''t thank you enough." Xu Zhu don''t understand the underlying reason, he said modestly: "Its just an accident, its all thanks to the elders here, old senior you really flatter me, i don''t deserve your praise."


    Su XingHe walk to the front of the three wooden house, he held out his hand to respectfully welcome the guest and said: "Little divine monk, please enter!"


    Xu Zhu saw these three houses are really odd, there are no doors, he don''t know how to enter or what his suppose to do when he enters, he stood at his location and is undecided. Suddenly the voice transmit into his ear again: "You finally open up a path on the chess match, its all due to a hard and painful battle. There is no door on the wooden house, just use your Shaolin martial arts to forcibly create a path." Xu Zhu said: "Please pardon my offense!" he entered into horse stance, he raise his right hand and strike his palm on the wooden board.


    His martial art is limited, previously Ding ChunQiu wave his sleeve and he immediately collapsed, the XingXiu disciples captured him easily, his situation was really lucky and he manage to preserve his internal energy. But in front of so many martial art experts, his palm strength is really insignificant and not worth mentioning, luckily the wooden board is not strong, there is a ''KaLa'' sound and the wooden board split open to reveal a small crack. Xu Zhu strike his palm 2 more times and finally manage to cleave open the wooden board, but his palm already felt painful.


    Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea burst into loud laughter and said: "The hard and strong skill of Shaolin is really sloppy and ordinary." Xu Zhu turn his head and said: "Junior monk is the most useless disciple from Shaolin, my martial art is superficial, but it doesn''t mean the martial arts of Shaolin is lousy." Suddenly the voice transmit into his ear: "Quickly enter, don''t turn your head back, ignore the bystanders!" Xu Zhu said: "Yes!" he move forward and quickly entered the house.


    He heard Ding ChunQiu shout: "This is the house of my sect, little monk how can you enter without permission?" immediately there is two loud slamming sound, Xu Zhu felt a burst of strong wind coming at him, its trying to drag him back out, but immediately after he felt two violent force bumping his back and buttocks, he cannot help but somersault straight into the house.


    Xu Zhu narrowly escape death, just now Ding ChunQiu send out his palm and made a sneak attack, his trying to kill him, Jiumozhi use his [Controlling Crane Skill] to try and drag him out. But Duan YanQing use his crutch to block the palm from Ding ChunQiu, Su XingHe stood between Xu Zhu and Jiumozhi, his left hand dissipate the [Controlling Crane Skill], his right palm smack two times and send Xu Zhu into the house.


    The power in the two palm is strong and violent, Xu Zhu body smash through a wooden partition and his forehead smash through another wooden partition again, he became dizzy and disorientated, he fainted, after a long time he finally stood up and touch his forehead, its already swollen and there is a huge lump. He look around, the house is deserted and empty. He tried to look for a door but the house did not have any windows or doors, there is only a hole made when he smash through the wooden partition. He stand around stupidly and finally thought of crawling out through the hole.


    But suddenly he heard a deep and low voice of an old man coming from a wooden partition: "Since your here, why you still wish to go out?"


    Xu Zhu turn his body around and said: "I invite old senior to give direction and point out the path."


    The voice said: "You create your own path, nobody can teach you. My chess formation, no one can break it for over 10 years, you finally broke it today, what are you waiting for come over here!"


    When Xu Zhu heard the words ''my chess formation'' his hairs stood up and he cannot help but be terrified, he trembled and said: "You....you....." he heard Su XingHe narrate how the chess formation was created by his ''deceased master'', but this voice, is it human or ghost? The voice said again: "Opportunity is fleeting, i waited for 30 years, i don''t have much time to wait for you anymore, good child, quickly come here!"


    The voice is kind and benevolent, evidently he did not have any evil intention, immediately Xu Zhu use his left shoulder to bang the wooden partition, ''KaLa KaLa'', the wooden board had long decayed and rot, a hole open up immediately.


    Xu Zhu gave a quick glance and entered, he was startled, its yet another deserted room, however a person is sitting in midair. The first thought that came to his mind was: "Ghost!" he was so frighten that he wanted to turn around and escape, but he hear the person say: "Sigh, its a little monk! Sigh, its a ugly little monk, difficult, difficult, difficult! Sigh, difficult, difficult, difficult!"


    Xu Zhu heard him sigh 3 times and said ''difficult'' 6 times, he concentrated and look at the man, he finally saw clearly, it seems there is a black rope around the body of the man, the rope is attached to a beam and his suspended in midair. But the wooden partition is coloured black, the rope is also black, thus he can''t differentiate the rope immediately and he assumed the man is sitting in midair.


    Xu Zhu''s appearance is quite ugly, he have thick eyebrows and big eyes, his nostril tilted upwards, his ears fan out, his lips very thick, moreover his sustained injuries on his face when he smash through the wooden partition and this made him even more unsightly. He lost both his parents since childhood, the monks at Shaolin Temple are merciful and they adopted him, at the temple his either studying or practicing martial arts, nobody cared about his appearance. There is a Buddhist saying: The body is merely mortal flesh, whether this mortal flesh is good looking or not has no relations to Buddhist cultivation. Nevertheless, this is his first time hearing someone call him an ''ugly monk''.


    He raise his head slightly and look at the man. His beard is 3 chi long but none of it grizzled, his face is like jade and without any wrinkles, although his quite old but he glows with heath and vigour, his elegant and poise. Xu Zhu felt ashamed: "Comparing appearance, we are heaven and earth apart." Currently he has no more fear, he bow to pay his respects and said: "Junior monk is Xu Zhu, i pay my respects to senior."


    The man nod his head and said: "What is your surname?" Xu Zhu was startled and said: "There is no surname for a person who enters monkhood." The man said: "Before you enter monkhood, what is your surname?" Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk became a monk since childhood, i don''t have a surname."


    The man stare at him for a long time, he sigh and said: "You can break my chess formation, your intelligence and wisdom is obviously no small matter, but you appearance really cannot make it, sigh, very difficult. In the end i wasted my effort and even sacrifice your life in vain. Little master, i will present you with a gift, just take it and go!"


    Xu Zhu listen to the tone of the old man, it seems he has an extremely important and difficult problem and he worry because no one can help him, the < Mahayana Sutras> says: ''Save all living things from suffering'', Xu Zhu immediately said: "Junior monk''s chess skill is really superficial, i did not break senior''s chess formation. But if senior has any difficult problems to settle, although my skills are lowly i am willing to try my best and help you, as for the gift, i don''t dare to accept."


    The old man said: "You have such chivalrous heart, not bad. You chess skill is low, martial art superficial, all these are irrelevant, fate brought us together and you are able to come here. But.....but....your appearance is simply too ugly." As he said this he shakes his head repeatedly.


    Xu Zhu gave a faint smile and said: "I can''t control my appearance, even my parents can''t control it. Junior monk is ugly and made senior unhappy, i will take my leave immediately." As he finish speaking he retreated 2 steps.


    As Xu Zhu was about to turn his body, the old man said: "Wait!" his sleeves rise up and landed on Xu Zhu''s right shoulder. Xu Zhu felt his body sink, the sleeve felt like an arm, its pulling his body. The old man ask: "Those who came here to break the chess formation, who are they?" Xu Zhu reported their identities to him. The old man muttered to himself for a long time, and said: "6-7 out of 10 martial art experts under the heaven are here. Great Master KuRong from Dali''s Heavenly Dragon Monastery, he didn''t come?" Xu Zhu replied: "Other than the monks from my Shaolin, the only other monk is Great Master Juimozhi."


    The old man ask again: "For the past few years i heard there is someone called Qiao Feng in the martial arts fraternity, his truly capable, he didn''t come?" Xu Zhu said: "No."


    The old man gave another sigh and mumbled to himself: "I waited for so many years, even if i carry on waiting i might not be able to meet a well-rounded person with perfect qualities. In life things don''t always go as planned, i just have to make do with it." He mumbled for a short while he finally seem to come to a decision, he said: "Just now you said you did not break the chess formation, then how come Su XingHe send you in here?"


    Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk is ignorant, i closed my eyes and randomly make the first move, afterwards my martial grandfather XuanNan use his internal energy to transmit his voice to me and secretly help me to play chess." Immediately he narrated all the details on how he manage to break the chess formation.


    The old man sigh and said: "Its fated, its fated!" suddenly his frown went away and he smiled: "Its fated, you close your eyes and accidentally break my chess formation, this shows that your affinity for fortune is deep, maybe you can handle my big problem. Very well, very well, good child, keel down and kowtow!"


    Xu Zhu grew up in Shaolin Temple since childhood, everyday he meet his master, martial grandfather, great martial uncle, etc, all of them his elders, even among his peers, there are countless monks who are older than him or had better martial arts, thus he is used to obeying orders. As disciple of Buddhism, he have to be modest, when the old man ask him to kowtow although he don''t know the reason but his still a senior in the martial arts fraternity, its natural to give a few kowtow, immediately he respectfully knelt down and kowtow 4 times, as he was about to stand up the old man smiled and said: "Give another 5 kowtow, this is the rule of our sect." Xu Zhu replied: "Yes!" and he gave another 5 kowtow.


    The old man said: "Good child, good child, come over here!" Xu Zhu stood up and walk towards him.


    The old man grab his wrist, he examined him from top to bottom. Suddenly Xu Zhu felt his artery warm up, a burst of internal energy rise up from his arm and rapidly rush to his chest, he cannot help it and immediately use the energy cultivation method of Shaolin to try and resist. The internal energy of the old man made contact with his own energy and withdraw immediately, nothing happen to him. Xu Zhu knew the old man is trying to test his level of internal energy, his ears turned red and he laugh bitterly: "Junior monk normally studies Buddhist scriptures, in my free time i love to play around, i never properly practice the internal energy cultivation method imparted by my master, old senior you must have found it laughable."


    Unexpectedly the old man is very happy, he laugh and said: "Very good, very good, your Shaolin internal energy is shallow, it really saves me a great deal of trouble." While he was speaking, Xu Zhu felt his entire body turn soft, its as if he was submerge in a hot bath tub, the pores on his body all seems to be emitting heat, he felt relax and free.


    The old man released his wrist, he laugh and said: "Its done, i used my sect''s [Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness] and absorb all your Shaolin internal energy!"


    Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he shouted: "Wh......what?" he jump up, as he landed his knees softens and he sat down on the floor, he felt his four limbs and all the bones turned completely limp and painful, he was dizzy, its as if the world is spinning, he knew this old man did not bluff him, grief and sorrow burst forth and tears stream down his eyes, he cried: "I.....i....have no quarrels or enmity with you, i didn''t offend you, why must you harm me like this?"


    The old man smiled and said: "How can you be so rude? You didn''t address me as Master, still using words like ''you'', how can you not have any manners?" Xu Zhu was frightened and said: "What? How can you be my Master?" the old man said: "Just now you kowtow 9 times, you formally became my apprentice and paid you respects." Xu Zhu said: "No, no! I am a Shaolin disciple, how can i take you as my Master? You use evil sorcery to harm other people, i definitely won''t learn it." He finish speaking and struggled to stand up.


    The old man laugh and said: "You really don''t want to learn?" he wave both his hands, his sleeves flew out and landed on Xu Zhu''s shoulder. Xu Zhu felt his shoulder is incomparably heavy, he cannot stand up anymore, his knees soften and he immediately sat down, he said: "Even if you kill me i still won''t learn."


    The old man laugh out loudly, suddenly his figure rise up, he somersaulted in midair, he landed and sat down, both his hands gripping onto Xu Zhu''s wrist.


    Xu Zhu was alarmed and said: "You....what you trying to do?" he felt two burning heat stream, its as if boiling water is rushing into his ''Huizong acupoint'' at both his hands, he cannot help but shout loudly: "Ayo!" and he struggled furiously, but the two heat stream is like the Yangtze river and it surge forth, he cannot resist at all, it flow from his arm to his chest, it gathered at his ''Shanzhong acupoint''.


    Xu Zhu is extremely terrified, he swing his hands, trying to fling off the person holding onto his wrist, when he swing, he felt his arm turn soft, he didn''t have the slightest bit of strength, he felt really anxious: "After getting hit by his demonic sorcery, i lost all my martial arts and now i don''t even have strength to wear clothes or eat a meal, from now on i am handicapped, what should i do?" his at a loss, he cry out loudly, suddenly he felt the heat gathered in his ''Shanzhong acupoint'' all separated into 100 thin strand of heat and scatter to the rest of his acupoints throughout his body, he can''t even make a sound from his mouth, he pondered: "Not good, i am going to die!" but he felt his four limbs getting hotter and hotter, instantly he felt his head spin, his underbelly and skull is about to explode, after a while he cannot hold it anymore and fainted.


    He felt his entire body become as light as a feather, it seems as if his soaring on cloud and riding on mist, his roaming freely in heaven, suddenly his body felt ice-cold, it seems as if his submerged in the deepest sea, his having fun with playing with fish, suddenly his in a temple studying, and then his practicing martial arts diligently, but no matter how hard he practice he can never master it. As he start to feel anxious, suddenly it rained heavily, the raindrops landed on his body, but the raindrops felt hot.


    Gradually his head start to clear and he became sober, he open his eyes, his lying down on the floor, the old man had released his wrist and is sitting beside him, the old man is covered entirely with sweat and the sweat drip continuously onto his body, the old man''s cheek, head, neck, hairs, sweat seep out everywhere.


    Xu Zhu sat up and said: "You....." he only manage to say one word as he was startled, the old man seems to have changed completely into a different person, originally his face was spotlessly white and handsome, but now his face is covered with countless deep wrinkles that intersect with each other, his thick crop of hair had all fallen off, his black long beard turned white. Xu Zhu first thought was: "I fainted for how many years? 30 years? 50 years? How come this person aged over 10 years?" the man in front of him look extremely old, if his not 120 years old, his at least 100 years old.


    The old man squinted, he smiled weakly at him and said: "Success! Good child, you have deep fortune, you far surpass my expectations, go on try it out, smack your palm at that wooden partition!"


    Xu Zhu don''t understand the reason, he followed his orders and send out a palm, there is a ''Ka La La" sound, half of the wooden partition collapsed, its even more powerful than bumping the wall 10 times using his full strength. Xu Zhu was scared stiff, he said: "What....what is the reason?"


    The old man is smiling broadly, his really happy, he also said: "What....what is the reason?" Xu Zhu said: "How come....how come i am so powerful?" the old man smiled and said: "You have yet to practice the palm moves of our sect, at the moment, you can''t even utilize 10% of your internal energy. Your Master practiced diligently and painstakingly for 70 years, how can it be ordinary?"


    Xu Zhu suddenly jump up, he knew something bad has happened, he shouted: "You....you.....what 70 years of diligent and painstaking practice?" the old man smiled and said: "You still don''t understand? You really haven''t realize it yet?"


    Xu Zhu faintly knew what the old man is referring to, but this matter is simply too abrupt and inconceivable, its really hard to accept it, he said: "Old senior imparte a set of divine art....a set of divine art to junior monk correct?"


    The old man smiled and said: "You still refuse to address me as Master?" Xu Zhu lowered his head and said: "Junior monk is Shaolin disciple, i cannot deceive my ancestor and join another sect." the old man said: "You don''t have any trace of Shaolin martial arts in you anymore, you still claim you are Shaolin disciple? Your body contains 70 years of Carefree Sect''s divine skill, how can you not be the disciple of our sect?" Xu Zhu never heard of ''Carefree Sect'' before, he said: "Carefree Sect?" the old man smiled and said: "Riding on heaven and earth, governing the 6 elements, roaming endlessly, that is carefree. Try jumping up and test it out!"


    Xu Zhu felt really curious, he bend his knees and exerted force in his legs, he jump up lightly. Suddenly there is a crashing sound, he felt sharp pain on top of his head, light shine into his eyes, half his body penetrated through the roof and his still rising up, he quickly stretch out his hands to grab the roof and landed back on the floor, he jump up and down a few time before stopping, this kind of lightness martial arts is simply unimaginable, at the moment his not happy at all, instead he felt really scared.


    The old man said: "How was it?" Xu Zhu said: "I....i became a devil?" the old man said: "Sit down here quietly and listen to my explanation. There is not much time left, i can only talk about the most important stuff. Since you refuse to address me as Master and is unwilling to change sect, i won''t force you anymore. Little master, i beg you to help me on a big matter, you have to do something for me, can you promise me?"


    Xu Zhu likes to help people, there are 6 Paramita in Buddhism, Dana is ranked 1st, when people meet with problems he should put in his best effort and help, he said: "Senior''s order, i will do my utmost to fulfil it." when he said the words suddenly he remembers that the martial arts of this old man seems to be top ranking unorthodox evil skill, he quickly said: "But if senior orders junior monk to break the law and commit crimes, then i won''t comply."


    The old man laugh bitterly and ask: "What is break the law and commit crimes?" Xu Zhu stare blankly, he said: "Junior monk is a follower of Buddhism, harming others or inflict sufferings, i will never agree to do such stuff." The old man said: "If there is someone in this world that specializes in harming people, breaking the law and committing crimes, killing countless people, i order you to go kill this person, will you agree?" Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk will persuade him and give advice, ask him to turn over a new leaf and do good." The old man said: "What if he persist in his wrong doings?" Xu Zhu straighten his body and said: "Subdue the demon and eliminate the evil. But junior monk''s ability is limited, i am afraid i can''t shoulder this heavy responsibility."


    The old man said: "Then you agree to it?" Xu Zhu nod his head and said: "I agree!" the old man''s expression is joyous, he said: "Very good, very good! I want you to kill someone, his a great evil, his my disciple Ding ChunQiu, currently his known as Old Freak of XingXiu."


    Xu Zhu gave a sigh, such a heavy burden, he personally witness how the Old Freak of XingXiu only need to say 1 sentence and killed 10 carriage drivers, his truly a great evil, even his martial grandfather XuanNan had all his internal energy dissolved by Ding ChunQiu''s sorcery, he said: "Getting rid of Old Freak of XingXiu is a great achievement, but junior monk''s martial art is superficial, how can i......" as he said this, his gaze interlocked with the old man, the old man''s expression is mocking, at once he remembered, the phrase ''martial art is superficial'' seems incorrect, he immediately stop talking.


    The old man said: "Currently, with your superficial martial arts, you are not beneath the Old Freak of XingXiu, but you don''t have someone to guide you, you can''t use this energy properly, to exterminate him completely its indeed still not enough, but don''t worry, old man already made arrangements."


    Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk heard from Benefactor Xue MuHua, XingXiu Sea Ding.....Benefactor Ding''s evil conduct, i only know senior was killed by him, but senior is still alive, then.....then its very good, very good."


    The old man sigh and said: "This rebellious disciple is in cahoots with my martial sister, they suddenly revolted, i was beaten into a deep ravine, old man was caught off guard and almost died by their hands. Luckily my martial sister was troubled by her conscience, she stop him from dealing the final blow, and my eldest disciple Su XingHe played deaf-mute, he tempted Ding ChunQiu with various secret skills of our sect, old man struggled at death''s door and survive for another 30 years. XingHe''s aptitude is pretty good, but its a pity he was led astray by me, he got distracted and learnt zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, etc, all these trivial stuff, its impossible for him to learn my upper-level martial arts. For the past 30 years, i long to find a smart disciple who can concentrate, i will then impart my lifetime of martial arts to him and send him to exterminate Ding ChunQiu. But opportunity is fleeting, those who are smart had bad character, its like raising a tiger and bringing future disaster, but those with good character had insufficient comprehension. I am nearing my natural life span, i cannot wait anymore, thus i publicly displayed the ''Zhen Long'' which i created years ago to look for a handsome and talented person. I already reach the limits of my lifespan, there is no time for me to teach martial arts, thus this last disciple of mine must be a handsome and smart youngster."


    Xu Zhu listen to him mention ''handsome and smart'', he knew his not smart, as for ''handsome'' its completely out of the question, he lowered his head and said: "There are quite a few handsome people in this world, there are 2 individual just outside, the first one is gentleman Murong, the other is gentleman Duan. Junior monk will invite them in to see you, how is it?"


    The old man laugh and said: "I use my [Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness] and pour my 70 years of internal energy cultivation into your body, how can i accept another disciple?"


    Xu Zhu was alarmed, he said: "Senior....senior you really pass on your lifetime of energy cultivation to junior monk? Then.....then...."


    The old man said: "Currently, its really hard to say if this is a blessing or disaster. Superior martial art is not necessarily a good thing. In this world, there are people who don''t know any martial arts, they are carefree and without worries, they don''t compete and struggle, they have less worries because they have very little? In the past, if i learn zither and chess, learn literature and painting, but don''t learn any martial arts, then my life will be much happier." As he finish speaking he gave another long sigh, he raised his head and look at the hole in the roof made by Xu Zhu, he seems to be thinking about past events, after a long time he finally said: "Good child, Ding ChunQiu only know i have long died by his hands, thus he act without restrain. I have a painting here, it shows my former residence where i live in ease and comfort, the place is at Dali Kingdom''s WuLiang Cave, go there and find the martial arts manuals which i have hidden, follow them and practice, your martial arts will be on par with Ding ChunQiu. But your aptitude is not very good, if you practice the martial arts of our sect i am afraid you will meet many obstruction and your progress will be sluggish, maybe you will meet numerous disasters and dangers as well. You should beg that woman staying in the cave and ask her to guide you. But if she sees your appearance, most likely she will refuse to teach you, you should request her help on my account......*cough*.......*cough*." As he said this he kept coughing repeatedly, his gasping for breath, he took out a small scroll from his bosom and stuff it into Xu Zhu''s hands.


    Xu Zhu felt really awkward, he said: "Junior monk have yet to complete my training, i receive my master''s order to deliver letters, i should go back to the temple and report, in the future i also have to act according to my master''s orders. If my master or abbot forbid, then i cannot follow the wishes of senior."


    The old man laugh bitterly and said: "If this is the will of heaven, allowing a evil person to run amuck, then there is nothing i can do, you.....you....." as he said ''you'' 2 times, suddenly his entire body trembled, he slowly stoop down, his hands pushing against the ground, it seems his about to collapse.


    Xu Zhu was shock, he quickly extend his hands and supported him, he said: "Old....old senior, what happen to you?" the old person said: "I already pass on my 70 years of energy cultivation to you, i reached the end of my natural life span, child, you still refuse to call me Master?" as he said this his already gasping for breath.


    Xu Zhu saw the old man''s expression is pitiful and his gaze pleading, his heart soften and he blurted out ''Master''.


    The old man was jubilant, he forcefully took off a gem ring from his left finger and tried to put in to Xu Zhu''s finger, but he exhausted all his strength and can''t grip Xu Zhu''s wrist. Xu Zhu call out: "Master!" and he wore the ring on his finger.


    The old man said: "Good.....good! You are my 3rd disciple, when you see Su XingHe, you.....you should call him senior martial brother. What is your surname?" Xu Zhu said: "I really don''t know."


    The old man said: "Its a pity your appearance is ugly, there might be some awkward or embarrassing moments, but you are the leader of Carefree Sect, by right the woman should not disobey your orders, very good, very good....." his voice became softer and softer, when he said the 2nd ''very good'' it seems as if his whispering, suddenly he laugh heartily, his body tilt forward, there is a crashing sound as his forehead hit the floor, he was motionless.


    Xu Zhu quickly supported the old man, he check his breath, his already dead, he quickly press his hands together and chanted: "Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo, i beseech Amituofo, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, please guide this old man to his afterlife in Sukhavati."


    He met this old man for no more than 1 hour, there isn''t much relationship, but his body contains 70 years of the old man''s internal energy cultivation, he faintly felt this old man is his closest kin, it can also be said that a part of this old man became him, suddenly sorrow and grief overwhelm him and he burst into tears and sob loudly.


    After crying for a while, he knelt on the floor and paid his respects to the remains of the old man, he pray in silence: "Old senior, i called you Master, that is fake, please don''t take it seriously. You are not aware of it but please don''t blame me." He complete his prayer, he turn around and went out through the hole in the wooden partition, he leap lightly, he immediately flew past 2 wooden partition and arrive outside the house.

 Chapter - 32 Nobody Can Control My Carefree Self

    When Xu Zhu step out of the wooden house he cannot help but be startled, there is a huge fire pillar on the ground, numerous pine tree had collapsed and scattered disorderly over the area. He did not stay in the wooden house for long but the outside situation changed drastically, he assume these pine trees must have been knock down by someone while he fainted and he did not hear them while he was in the house.


    Outside the house, the flaming pillar separated two groups of people. The Deaf Mute Old Man Su XingHe is standing on the right-hand side, XuanNan and the rest of Shaolin monks, Kang GuangLing, Xue MuHua, etc, all of them standing behind Su XingHe. The Old Freak of XingXiu is standing on the left-hand side, iron-head man You TanZhi and the rest of XingXiu disciples are standing behind Ding ChunQiu. Murong Fu, Wang YuYan, Duan Yu, Jiumozhi, Duan YanQing, Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea, etc, all of them standing at a distant place, they did not help either side.


    Su XingHe and Ding ChunQiu, both of them are waving their palms and pushing the column of fire towards each other. The column of fire is leaning to the right, evidently Ding ChunQiu already gained a huge lead.


    Everyone squinted and look at the burning pillar, none of them paid any attention to Xu Zhu who just came out of the house. Naturally, Wang YuYan is only worried about Murong Fu and Duan Yu is only worried about Wang YuYan, both of them are not looking at the fire pillar and they also paid no attention to Xu Zhu.


    Xu Zhu move past their backs and went to the right-hand side and stood beside his martial uncle HuiFang, he saw the column of fire moving closer and closer to the right, Su XingHe''s clothes seems to be inflated with air, its as if his only a boat and sailing rapidly against the wind, both his palms push forward continuously.


    However, Ding ChunQiu''s expression remain cheerful, as if nothing had happened, he wave his sleeves lightly, seemingly indifferent. His disciples praise out loudly:


    "Divine Elder of XingXiu lifting heavy weights as if its feather, his divine skills unrivalled, he let you all broaden you horizon today."


    "My Master is trying to give lessons to bystander, thus he slowly display his divine skills, else he would had exterminate this old man Su with a single palm."


    "Who is not convinced, come forward and have a taste of Divine Elder of XingXiu''s divine skills."


    "All of you are timid and cowardly, there is no harm even if you join up and act together!"


    "Since ancient times, no one can match Divine Elder of XingXiu! You are a mantis blocking a cart, courting disaster and digging your own grave."


    Jiumozhi, Murong Fu, Duan YanQing, all of them thought: "If the few of us here join hands and attack Ding ChunQiu together, even though Ding ChunQiu is powerful, he still can''t resist the combined assault of numerous top experts." But firstly, everyone valued their status and dignity, they will never join hands and gang up against a single person, secondly, the battle between Deaf Mute Old Man and Old Freak of XingXiu is an internal affair, its not convenient for outsiders to interfere, thirdly, they are suspicious of each other, they are afraid of getting back-stabbed and taken advantaged of if they join up together and attack, hence even though the disciples of XingXiu praise their Master up till heaven, Juimozhi and the rest only smiled and ignored them.


    Suddenly the column of fire move forward and spit fire, it landed on Su XingHe, there is a burning stench, Su XingHe''s beard was completely burnt off. Su XingHe exerted himself and tried to resist, he manage to push back the column of fire but the flame is only 2 chi away from his body, the flame lengthen and rattled, its like a large python opening its mouth and sticking out it tongue, trying to bite him. Xu Zhu is secretly alarmed: "I am afraid Benefactor Su is about to be burnt alive by Benefactor Ding, what should i do?"


    Suddenly there are drum noises, followed immediately by two thumping sound, the gongs and drums rang out, it seems the XingXiu disciples concealed their cymbals, gongs and drums in their bosom, they took out these instruments and started playing songs to praise their Master awe-inspiring authority, some of them wave green, yellow, red and purple flags, they shouted loudly and rallied. Currently, two martial art experts are competing internal energy, unexpectedly there are bystanders cheering on with gongs and drums, such a weird event has never been seen before. Juimozhi burst into loud laughter and said: "Old Freak of XingXiu really have thick skin, his really one of kind since ancient times!"


    Amidst the gongs and drums, a XingXiu disciple took out a sheet of paper, he recited loudly, its a parallel prose titled: "Praising Divine Elder of XingXiu Displaying His Might In Central Plains". Nobody knows how he found some rotten scholar to compose such praises, the contents are really flattering to the extreme, the song and praises mix in with the noises from the gongs and drums.


    But these songs and praises are not completely useless, along with the internal energy of Old Freak of XingXiu, its like adding fuel to fire and aided his power. Amidst the songs and praises the column of fire intensified and move forward another half chi.


    Suddenly there are numerous footsteps, 20 over men rush out from behind the house and they block in front of Su XingHe, these deaf and mute men are the ones that carried XuanNan and the rest up the mountain, they are the disciples of Su XingHe. Ding ChunQiu press on with his palm, the column of fire landed on the bodies of these 20 men, at once there is ''Chi Chi'' sound, these men had their skin and flesh charred. Su XingHe wanted to wave his palm to push these men away but they are too far away from him and he did not have sufficient palm strength. These 20 men stood upright, their bodies are burning but they never move at all, but because they can''t speak the scene is even more tragic and moving.


    When the rest of the spectators saw it they were emotionally moved, even Wang YuYan and Duan Yuan cannot help but turn their head and look at them. The fire is raging and it wrapped around these 20 deaf and mute men. Duan Yu shouted: "You cannot be so cruel!" he extended his right hand, his about to execute his [Six Meridians Divine Sword] to attack Ding ChunQiu, however he don''t know the proper method to channel the sword, his abundant internal energy just move around in circles inside his body and he can''t fire it out from his finger. Duan Yu perspired profusely, he shouted: "Young master Murong, quickly stop him!"


    Murong Fu said: "Brother Duan you are here, little brother don''t dare to display his lowly skills in front of an expert. Brother Duan, please display a move from you [Six Meridians Divine Sword]!"


    Duan YanQing arrive late for the chess meet, he did not see Duan Yu''s [Six Meridians Divine Sword] when he use it to save Murong Fu, when he heard the words from Murong Fu he cannot help but feel excited, his look askance at Duan Yu, trying to see if Duan Yu really knows this divine skill, but he saw Duan Yu pointing and drawing with his right-hand finger, the stance is correct and reasonable but there is absolutely no internal energy at all, he pondered: "What [Six Meridians Divine Sword], it gave me a huge shock. It seems this young chap is only bluffing and swindling people. Although according to legend, my Duan family have this [Six Meridians Divine Sword] skill, but who succeeded in learning it?"


    Murong Fu saw Duan Yu did not attack, he knew it was intentional and he just stood aside and quietly observe the situation.


    After a while, more than half of the 20 deaf and mute men got roasted to death by the column of fire, the rest are seriously injured, they collapse one after another. Amidst the noise from gongs and drums, Ding ChunQiu wave his sleeve twice, the column of fire flew and rush towards Su XingHe.


    Xue MuHua shouted: "Don''t you dare harm my Master!" he threw his body in front of the column of fire. Su XingHe wave his palm and push him away, he said: "Its not beneficial for my disciple to die!" he gathered his remaining internal energy into his left hand and strike towards the column of fire. Currently, his internal energy is nearly exhausted, that palm strike from him only manage to obstruct the column of fire for a short while, he felt his entire body burning, he saw red everywhere, his completely engulf in flame. At this moment, his internal energy is on the verge of drying up, like a lantern extinguishing when it runs out of oil, he knew that when he die Ding ChunQiu will definitely rush into the wooden house, his Master fake death for 30 years but he still can''t run from Ding ChunQiu''s evil hands. His being roasted by the column of fire on his body, he felt great sadness.


    Xu Zhu saw Su XingHe is in extremely critical condition, but Su XingHe still stood rooted to the ground and refuse to retreat a single step. Xu Zhu cannot stand by idly and watch anymore, he quickly move forward and grabbed Su XingHe''s back, he shouted: "Its not beneficial for my disciple to die! Quickly step aside!" at this moment, Su XingHe so happens to wave his palm outward. This palm from Su XingHe is extremely weak and feeble, he did not expect any effect from it, however he refuse to sit by and wait for death, he struggled and fight to the death, unexpectedly an incomparably deep and profound energy arrive from his back, the energy is exactly the same as his Master''s, as he push out with his palm the strength immediately multiplied. There is a ''Hu'' sound, the column of fire move from his body and went straight towards Ding ChunQiu, the force did not end there, even the XingXiu disciples were drawn into the column of fire.


    In a split second there is clanking sounds from the gongs and drums, everyone was thrown into confusion, the cymbals and instruments all drop onto the ground and roll around randomly.


    Amidst the chants of: "XingXiu sect shaking Central Plains by force, my Master is unequalled in the present age." Various cries of pain got mixed in:


    "Aiyo, holy mother of god!"


    "This is terrible, XingXiu sect quickly run and save your life!"


    "XingXiu sect is flexible, we will come back next time to promote our prestige!"


    Ding ChunQiu had a huge shock, in reality, even with Xu Zhu''s internal energy and the palm force from Su XingHe it might not actually beat him, but because Ding ChunQiu thought he would achieve victory soon, he became relax and complacent, he did not have any defences, thus he became flustered and lost control when the counter-attack came so suddenly. At the same time, Ding ChunQiu found that the internal energy in his opponent''s palm is well-rounded, experienced and ruthless, its way beyond what his martial brother Su XingHe is capable of, but then again the energy clearly originated from the martial arts of his sect, could it be the spirit of his dead Master? The spirit of his Master came back and seek him for revenge? When he thought of this his mind became frantic, he can''t gather his internal energy at all, the column of fire landed on his body and unexpectedly his powerless to repel it, his clothes, hair and beard all caught fire.


    Amidst the shouting of "Divine Elder of XingXiu is in big trouble!" from his disciples, Ding ChunQiu anxiously shouted: "My iron-head disciple, quickly use your palm!"


    You TanZhi immediately wave his palm towards the column of fire. There is ''Chi Chi Chi'' sound, the column of fire met the strange coldness in his palm wind, the flame extinguished immediately, even the greenish black smoke faded away quickly, the only thing left is the charred pine wood.


    Ding ChunQiu eye brow is burnt, his clothes tattered, he cuts a sorry figure, his secretly afraid of his Master''s spirit harassing him again, he dare not linger and show off anymore, he shouted: "Let us leave!" his body flash and in an instant his already 7-8 zhang away.


    His XingXiu disciples ran away desperately, they abandoned their gongs and drums, the disciple who is reciting the parallel prose: "Praising Divine Elder of XingXiu Displaying His Might In Central Plains" had yet to finish but the a huge portion of the paper is burnt off and scattered by the wind.


    But suddenly there is an "Ah!" scream from afar, a XingXiu disciple is flying in mid-air and he landed on the floor, his motionless. Everyone look at each other in dismay, the Old Freak of XingXiu just suffered a crushing defeat, his shame led to anger, one of his disciple tried to console him with flattery words, but in his rage he killed him with a single palm strike.


    XuanNan, Duan YanQing, Jiumozhi, etc, all of them assume the Deaf Mute Old Man Su XingHe use his flesh to tempt his enemy into a trap, he let Ding ChunQiu waste his energy to burn the 20 deaf and mute disciples, afterwards he concentrated his energy and release an earth-shattering palm strike and Ding ChunQiu was unable to resist and got defeated. The Deaf Mute Old Man is famous for his wisdom and martial arts, just now he and the Old Freak of XingXiu was engaged in a fierce battle, he easily strike down the thick and large pine tree, everyone was shaken to the core when they saw it, thus nobody found it strange when he finally display his divine skills and drive away the Old Freak of XingXiu.


    XuanNan said: "Mr Su your divine skill is deep and profound, you drive away that old freak, he must be scared out of his wits after this battle and i think he won''t dare to set foot in Central Plains anymore. You actions benefit the people, its really not a small achievement."


    Su XingHe saw Xu Zhu wearing his Master''s gem ring, he knew the underlying reason, he felt both sadness and happiness, he saw that 18-19 of his own disciples are dead, the remaining 1-2 suffered serious injuries and will most probably not recover, he felt deep sorrow but his also worried about the safety of his Master, he said a few parting words to XuanNan, Murong Fu, etc, he drag Xu Zhu''s hand and said: "Little master, please come with me."


    Xu Zhu look towards XuanNan, waiting for his orders. XuanNan said: "Senior Su is a highly respected person in the martial arts fraternity, just follow whatever he asks of you." Xu Zhu replied: "Yes!" and he followed Su XingHe and entered the wooden house through the hole, Su XingHe pick up a wooden board and block the hole with it.


    Everyone present are all experienced and knowledgeable martial art experts, they knew this action from Su XingHe meant that outsiders should not go in and pry into his private matters. Duan Yu is the only person who is neither experienced nor knowledgeable about such stuff. But currently, Duan Yu is concentrating his attention completely on Wang YuYan, his not even aware that Xu Zhu and Su XingHe had entered the house, how would he have the mood to meddle in other people''s affair?


    Su XingHe held onto Xu Zhu''s hand and they pass through the 2 wooden partition, he saw his Master lying on the floor, he stretch out his hand to check, he had pass away. He long anticipated such an outcome but he still can''t hold back his grief, he knelt down and kowtow a few times, he sobbed: "Master, Master, in the end you still leave disciple behind!"


    Xu Zhu pondered: "This old man is indeed Su XingHe''s Master."


    Su XingHe wipe away his tears and stood up, he support the corpse and lean him against the wooden partition so that his seating properly, afterwards he support Xu Zhu and also made him lean against wooden partition, Xu Zhu is sitting side by side with the corpse of the old man.


    Xu Zhu pondered: "His making me sit beside the corpse of the old man, what is he trying to do? Don''t tell me.....don''t tell me....he wants me to die together with his Master?" he cannot help but feel a slight chill on his body, he wanted to stand up but he dare not.


    Su XingHe arrange his tattered and burnt clothes, suddenly he knelt down in front of Xu Zhu, he kowtow and said: "Carefree Sect''s unworthy disciple Su XingHe pays his respect to the new sect leader." This action from him frightened Xu Zhu so much that he was at a loss on what to do, Xu Zhu pondered: "This person has gone insane from his rage! His really insane!" Xu Zhu quickly knelt down and return the kowtow, he said: "Old senior paying such courtesy, you will really shorten junior monk''s life."


    Su XingHe said sternly: "Martial brother, you are the last disciple of our Master, you are also the leader of our Sect. Although i am the senior martial brother but i still have to kowtow to you!"


    Xu Zhu said: "This.....this....." he finally realized that Su XingHe has not gone mad, but this made his situation even more awkward and embarrassing, he can only grumble secretly.


    Su XingHe said: "Martial brother, you save my life, you fulfilled Master''s wish, its only rightful that you accept a few kowtow from me. Master officially took you in as his disciple, he ask you to kowtow 9 times, did you kowtow?" Xu Zhu said: "I did kowtow but at that time i don''t know i formally became his disciple. I am Shaolin disciple, i cannot join another sect." Su XingHe said: "Master obviously knew about it, he must have removed all your original martial arts and then pass on the skills of our sect. Master already pass on his entire lifetime of internal energy to you, correct?" Xu Zhu have no choice but to nod his head and said: "Yes." Su XingHe said: "The symbol of our sect leader, this gem ring, Master remove it from his finger and personally put in on your finger, correct?" Xu Zhu said: "Yes! But.....but i really don''t know this is the symbol of sect leader."


    Su XingHe cross his leg and sat down on the floor, he said: "Martial brother, you have extremely deep fortune. Ding ChunQiu and me, both of us long for this gem ring for over 10 years, but we never manage to gain possession of it, but you manage to gain Master''s favour within an hour."


    Xu Zhu quickly took of the ring and handed it over, he said: "Senior please take it, this gem ring, junior monk have absolutely no use for it."


    Su XingHe did not take it, his expression grave, he said: "Martial brother, Master entrusted you something before he died, how can you shirk responsibility? Master gave this gem ring to you, he ask you to kill Ding ChunQiu, correct?"


    Xu Zhu said: "Correct. But junior monk''s martial art is superficial, how can i shoulder such heavy responsibility?"


    Su XingHe sigh, he put the ring back onto Xu Zhu''s finger and said: "Martial brother, you don''t know the entire story, i will tell you briefly. Our sect is called Carefree Sect, as for the rules and regulations, the most senior disciple might not necessarily take up the post of Sect Leader, whoever has the strongest martial arts will be the Sect Leader."


    Xu Zhu said: "Yes, yes, but junior monk''s martial art is extremely disappointing."


    Su XingHe ignored him and continued: "There are 3 disciples from Master''s generation, Master is rank number 2, but his martial arts is better than our 2 martial uncles, thus he became the Sect Leader. Afterwards, Master accepted me and Ding ChunQiu as his disciples, Master set down a rule, all the miscellaneous skills he mastered, whoever wants to be Sect Leader have to compete in all these skills, thus we have to compete martial arts, zither, chess, calligraphy and painting. Ding ChunQiu have absolutely no understandings of these miscellaneous skills, there is no hope for him to become Sect Leader, unexpectedly he plotted against Master and push him into a deep ravine, he also inflict serious injuries on me."


    Xu Zhu heard some of these details from Xue MuHua at the underground cave, but he didn''t expect this matter to eventually involve him, he grumbled secretly and said: "Unexpectedly Benefactor Ding did not kill you at that time."


    Su XingHe said: "Don''t think that his humane and spared my life. Firstly, he can''t break through my 5 element trigram, its a complex metaphysical formation, secondly, i told him: ''Ding ChunQiu, you plotted against Master, your martial art is also better than mine, but you never learn the most profound martial arts of Carefree Sect, the manual of [Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness], you want to look at it or not? The lightness martial art [Graceful Steps upon the Waves], you want to learn it or not? What about [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain]? What about [Plum Breaking Hand Of Heavenly Mountain]? What about [Eternal Youth Never Ageing Skill]?"


    "All these skills are the high-level martial arts of our Sect, even for our Master his bogged down by too much miscellaneous skills, he didn''t manage to learn all these skills.'' When Ding ChunQiu heard this, his so excited that his body trembled, he said to me: ''Hand over the manuals of these martial arts, i will spare your life today.'' I told him: ''How can these manuals be with me? Only Master knows the hidden location of these manuals. Since you want to kill me, just do it.'' Ding ChunQiu told me: ''The manuals must be near XingXiu Sea, you think i don''t know?'' i told him: ''Correct, its indeed near XingXiu Sea, go find it yourself if you have the ability.'' He muttered to himself for a long time, XingXiu Sea spans several hundreds li, its really difficult to find these manuals, he told me: ''Fine, i won''t kill you. But from now on you have to play deaf and mute, you cannot reveal the secrets of our Sect.''"


    "Why didn''t he kill me? He just want to leave me alive so that he can extort a confession. If he kill me, nobody will ever know the location of these martial arts manual. In reality, the manuals of these martial arts are not hidden at XingXiu Sea, they have always been kept by our Master and our 2 martial uncles. Ding ChunQiu live at XingXiu Sea, he must have searched through every single stone and pebble, naturally he didn''t find the manuals of these divine skills. He came to trouble me numerous times, but i evaded him using mechanisms, metaphysical arts, etc. This time he tried to ask me again, but seeing the hopeless prospects he tried to kill me to vent his anger."


    Xu Zhu said: "Fortunately senior......." Su XingHe said: "You are the Sect Leader, why you keep calling me senior, you should call me senior martial brother." Xu Zhu pondered: "This matter is extremely troublesome, i don''t know when i can finally clarify this mess." He replied: "The matter on whether you are my senior martial brother or not, we will leave that aside first, even if you are my senior martial brother, you are still my senior." Su XingHe nod his head and said: "This is quite true. Just now you mention, fortunately i am what?" Xu Zhu said: "Fortunately senior exercise patience, you conserved your strength for that final push, thus at the crucial moment you finally made a surprise attack, the Old Freak of XingXiu suffered a huge defeat and left."


    Su XingHe wave his hands repeatedly and said: "Martial brother, you are wrong, its so obvious that you use the divine internal energy imparted by Master and assisted me, you save my life, how come you are so modest and refuse to admit it? We are fellow apprentices, the position of Sect Leader is already decided, you save my life, i will never covet after your Sect Leader position. From now on you cannot regard me as an outsider."


    Xu Zhu is very curious, he said: "When did i ever assist you? There''s no need to even talk about saving your life." Su XingHe pondered for a while and said: "Maybe you did it unintentionally, nobody knows. To cut the long story short, you place your palm behind my back, the divine internal energy of our sect transmit into me and turn defeat into victory." Xu Zhu said: "Oh, so it is. Then its your Master who saved you, i didn''t save you." Su XingHe said: "I say Master borrowed your hand and save me, you should at least admit this much?" Xu Zhu can''t refute anymore, he nod his head and said: "This is just a simple favour, since you insist then i will just admit it."


    Su XingHe said: "Just now your divine internal energy unexpectedly burst forth and caught Ding ChunQiu off guard and frightened him off. If its a real fight, even if both of us team up together we are still not his match. To kill Ding ChunQiu, firstly your internal energy must be stronger than him, secondly you must be proficient in the high-level martial arts of our sect such as [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain], [Plum Breaking Hand Of Heavenly Mountain], etc, the martial arts combined with the internal energy will give rise to enormous power. I got distracted by numerous miscellaneous skills, i did not concentrate on learning martial arts, thus my martial arts cannot be compared against Ding ChunQiu, if not, Master only need to pass on his internal energy into my body and i can simply punish that traitor. Moreover, i have a martial aunt, her internal energy and martial arts are equally formidable, but i don''t know what happen to her, unexpectedly she was hoodwinked by Ding ChunQiu and they join hands to attack my Master. This martial aunt is fond of handsome young man, previously Ding ChunQiu was an elegant young man and he manage to gain the love of this martial aunt. Some of Ding ChunQiu martial arts, like [Minor Formless Skill], was taught by this martial aunt. If we go and trouble Ding ChunQiu, this martial aunt will assist him and it will be difficult to get rid of him. For the past 30 years, Master and i thought of numerous methods but we simply can''t find a suitable person to inherit Master''s martial arts. Master health deteriorated with each passing day, this disciple is even more difficult to find, not only must he have extremely high comprehension, he must also be a handsome youngster, natural and unrestrained......"


    Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk is ugly, i am definitely not qualified to be the last disciple of your revered master. Old senior, please go find a handsome, natural and unstrained youngster, i will pass on your revered master''s divine internal energy to him."


    Su XingHe was startled, he said: "The divine internal energy of our sect is interlinked with heart, arteries, qi and blood, if the energy is intact the person is intact, if the energy disappears the person will die. When Master transferred his divine internal energy into you he died soon after, don''t tell me you didn''t see it?"


    Xu Zhu stamped his feet repeatedly and said: "What should i do? I really mess up the big plan of senior and your revered master."


    Su XingHe said: "Martial brother, this is the burden you carry. Master arranged this chess formation, its purpose is to test the comprehension of a person. This ''Zhen Long'' is simply too difficult, i painstakingly research it for over 10 years but i never manage to break it, only you martial brother manage to break it, your ''comprehension is extremely high'', this phrase is really fitting."


    Xu Zhu laugh bitterly and said: "Its not fitting. I did not break this ''Zhen Long''." Thereafter he narrated how his martial grandfather XuanNan transmitted his voice into him and secretly guided him.


    Su XingHe is skeptical and said: "I looked at the expression of XuanNan, he already fell under the evil hands of Ding ChunQiu, his internal energy had long be sealed, its not likely that he can use the [Transmitting Voice in Secret] technique." Su XingHe pause and pondered again, he said: "But Shaolin is the number one orthodox school of martial arts, maybe XuanNan is deliberately trying to make things complicated, i am only a frog at the bottom of the well, its not possible for me to see through his exact thoughts. Martial brother, i send my people to dispatch invitation cards everywhere, i invited all the top experts under the heaven to come and break this ''Zhen Long'', for all those who love playing chess, once they know there is such a chess meet they will definitely come. But for those who are too old, appearance.......this.....appearance not too handsome, or they are not part of the martial arts fraternity, then they are not invited. Young gentleman Gusu Murong''s appearance is fine as jade, he has vast knowledge of martial arts techniques under the heaven, his the most ideal candidate, unfortunately he can''t break the chess formation."


    Xu Zhu said: "Yes, gentleman Murong is 100 times better than me. There is also gentleman Duan from Dali''s Duan family, his also a fine elegant gentleman."


    Su XingHe said: "Sigh, there is no need to mention this matter. I heard that Dali''s Prince Zhennan Duan ZhengChun excelled in [Yiyang Finger], even more rare is that his romantic and elegant, countless maidens, virgins, middle-age pretty women, once they see him they cannot help but become infatuated and head over heels in love. I send quite a few of my disciples to Dali to invite him, unexpectedly his not at Dali and i don''t know his last whereabouts, but his foolish and clumsy son came instead."


    Xu Zhu gave a faint smile, he said: "This gentleman Duan, both his eyes always staring at Miss Wang."


    Su XingHe shakes his head and said: "Regrettable, regrettable! Duan ZhengChun is frivolous and philandering, his known as ''Number One Romantic In Martial Arts Fraternity'', but his son is not like him at all, extremely unworthy, his a disgrace to his father''s reputation. He go all out and fawn upon that Miss Wang, but Miss Wang paid no attention to him at all, this is really infuriating!"


    Xu Zhu said: "Gentleman Duan is devoted, he should be better than romantic loafers, senior how can you say its regrettable?" Su XingHe said: "He looks smart but his foolish and clumsy, he doesn''t know how to handle women, we don''t need him." Xu Zhu said: "Yes!" his secretly happy and thought: "So you want to find a handsome youngster to deal with women, this is good, then you will have no use for me, an ugly little monk."


    Su XingHe ask: "Martial brother, did Master ask you to find someone? Or he gave you any map and so on?"


    Xu Zhu was stumped for words, he felt this matter is somewhat wrong, he wanted to deny it, but he was instructed by eminent monk at Shaolin since childhood, he must not lie, moreover Buddhist monks are forbidden to lie, to do so is to break a huge rule, thus he stammered: "This......this........"


    Su XingHe said: "You are the Sect Leader, anything you ask me i must answer, else you can immediately put me to death. But if i ask you anything, you can choose whether or not to answer, if you don''t like to answer you can simply ask me to shut up and not ask random questions."


    Since Su XingHe said it, Xu Zhu felt its not appropriate to cover up the truth, he wave his hands repeatedly and said: "How can i be arrogant in front of you? Senior, your Master gave this to me." As he finish speaking he took out a scroll from his bosom, he saw Su XingHe withdraw his body, his expression extremely respectful, he dare not extend his hands to receive the scroll, thus Xu Zhu open up the scroll himself.


    As the scroll unfolded, both of them stare blankly at it, they simultaneously cry out in surprise, it seems the scroll is not a map, its also not a drawing of landscape or scenery, but a drawing of a pretty young maiden dressed in palace clothing.


    Xu Zhu said: "Its turns out to be Miss Wang."


    But the quality of the scroll''s silk fabric is old and yellowing, its at least 30-40 years, the ink on the painting has also faded, clearly this painting is old and has been stored for many years, the painting is several times older than Wang YuYan, unexpectedly the painter is able to draw her appearance 10 years or even 100 years ago, this is simply unbelievable. The brush stroke on the painting is neat and lively, the figure is vivid and lifelike, its as if Wang Yu Yan is miniaturize and put into the painting.


    Xu Zhu click his tongue in surprise, but he saw Su XingHe extending his right finger and tracing the brush stroke of the painting, he gasp in admiration for a long time, suddenly he seem to rouse from his dream-like state and said: "Martial brother, please don''t take offense, elder brother''s bad habit flare up again, when i see this ingenious painting of our Master, i suddenly had the urge to follow and learn it. Sigh, i am biting off more than i can chew, i want to learn everything but in the end i achieved nothing, i suffer a pathetic defeat against Ding ChunQiu." As he said this, he quickly roll up the scroll and handed it back to Xu Zhu, his afraid that if he look at the painting again he will be hopelessly mesmerized by the brush stroke of the painting. Su XingHe closed his eyes and calm down, he forcefully shakes his head, it seems his trying to forget the brush stroke in the painting, after a while he finally open his eyes and said: "When Master gave this scroll to you, what did he say?"


    Xu Zhu said: "He said my internal energy already exceeds Ding ChunQiu, but my martial art is insufficient, i cannot subdue Ding ChunQiu, thus i should take this scroll and go to Dali''s WuLiang Cave and find his huge collections of martial art manuals and learn them. But most likely i can''t master them and i have to find someone to guide me. He said this scroll shows his residence where he live in ease and comfort, then it should be some famous mountains or great rivers, or some secluded and beautiful place, but how come its a portrait of Miss Wang? Could it be that he took the wrong scroll?"


    Su XingHe said: "Master''s actions are hard to fathom, you will understand it when the time comes. You have to obey Master''s order, try to improve your martial arts and then get rid of Ding ChunQiu."


    Xu Zhu stammered: "This.....this.....junior monk is Shaolin disciple, i have to go back to Shaolin Temple and report my mission. When i go back to the Temple, i will meditate and study scriptures, i will never come out again."


    Su XingHe had a huge shock, he jump up and burst into tears and cried loudly, there is a ''Pu'' sound, he knelt down in front of Xu Zhu, he kowtow as if his pounding garlic, he said: "Sect Leader, if you don''t obey Master''s order, then he died for no reason?"


    Xu Zhu also knelt down and return his salute, he said: "Junior monk is a Buddhist, i am forbidden to be angry and to kill, previously i promised your revered master to get rid of Ding ChunQiu, but now i think its not appropriate. The rules of Shaolin are very strict, no matter what junior monk cannot change sect, or run amok and commit crimes." But regardless of how Su XingHe cry and plead, or try to enlighten, or even threaten and compel, Xu Zhu simply refuse to accept.


    There is nothing Su XingHe can do, he felt dejected and hopeless, he said to his Master''s corpse: "Master, Sect Leader refuse to obey your orders, disciple is powerless, i will follow you in death." As he finish speaking he leap up and flip upside down, his dive down from midair head-first, the top of his head smashing towards the stone floor.


    Xu Zhu cry out in fear: "You cannot do that!" he quickly hug him. Currently, Xu Zhu''s internal energy is deep and profound, his movement sharp and nimble, his abilities greatly exceeds his past self, Su XingHe could not move an inch when hugged by Xu Zhu.


    Su XingHe said: "Why don''t you allow me to commit suicide?" Xu Zhu said: "Monks have to be compassionate, i cannot bear to see you die." Su XingHe said: "Release me, i definitely don''t want to live anymore." Xu Zhu said: "I won''t release you!" Su XingHe said: "Don''t tell me you will hold on and never release me for a lifetime?" Xu Zhu thought his words are quite true, he flip Su XingHe upright and put him down, he said: "Fine, i will release you, but i forbid you to commit suicide."


    Su XingHe suddenly had a bright idea, he said: "You forbid me to commit suicide? Yes, i should follow Sect Leader''s orders. Wonderful! Sect Leader, you finally agree to be our Sect Leader!"


    Xu Zhu shakes his head and said: "I never agree. When did i ever agree?"


    Su XingHe laugh out loudly and said: "Sect Leader, its useless for you to back out. You already gave an order and i already followed your order, from now on i will never commit suicide again. Who do you think Mr Intelligent Su XingHe is? Other than my Sect Leader, who dares to order me around? You can ask Shaolin''s Master XuanNan, or even Abbot XuanCi, both of them don''t dare to order me around."


    While enroute, Xu Zhu already listen to XuanNan narrate the impressive standings of Deaf Mute Old Man in the martial arts fraternity, its definitely not empty words when Su XingHe said no one dares to order him around. Xu Zhu said: "I don''t dare to order you around, but i am merely advising you to cherish your life, its purely out of good intentions."


    Su XingHe said: "I don''t dare to question your intentions. If you ask me to die, i will die immediately. If you ask me to live, i don''t dare to not live. This life and death order is the most powerful authority. If you are not my Sect Leader, how can you randomly order me to die or live?"


    Xu Zhu can''t dispute it, he said: "Even if so, then assume that i said the wrong words just now, i withdraw it."


    Su XingHe said: "You withdraw the order that forbid me to commit suicide, then you are asking me to commit suicide. Affirmative, i will immediately commit suicide." His method of committing suicide is really unusual, he leap up again, flip upside down, head smashing towards the stone floor.


    Xu Zhu again quickly hug him firmly, he said: "You cannot do that, you cannot do that! I am not asking you to commit suicide!" Su XingHe said: "En, you forbid me to commit suicide again. I will respectfully comply with Sect Leader''s order!" Xu Zhu put him down, he scratch his bald head, he really don''t know what to say.


    Su XingHe is nicknamed Mr Intelligent, this nickname is not for fun, his naturally eloquent, although he never spoke a single word for the past 30 years, but now that he start speaking again his still eloquent. Xu Zhu is still young, his simple and unsophisticated, he never dispute or argue with his martial brothers at Shaolin Temple, how can he be a match against Su XingHe? Xu Zhu pondered: "Withdrawing the order that forbid him to commit suicide is not equivalent to asking him to commit suicide. Not asking him to commit suicide is not equivalent to forbidding him to commit suicide." But Su XingHe has the gift of the gab, he forestall him with every phrase and sentence, Xu Zhu have no way to defend himself, he stare blankly for quite some time, he sigh and said: "Senior, i can never win this debate against you. But you want me to join your sect, i really cannot comply."


    Su XingHe said: "Before we came in here, what did XuanNan instruct you? The words of Master XuanNan, you will comply or not?" Xu Zhu was startled, he said: "Martial grandfather ask me.....ask me.....ask me to listen to you."


    Su XingHe is very pleased, he said: "Yes, Master XuanNan ask you to listen to me. I am telling you: ''You should comply with our Master''s order, become our Sect Leader.'' But since you are the Sect Leader already then you don''t have to listen to senior monks from Shaolin anymore. Thus, if you comply with Master XuanNan''s order, then you are our Sect Leader, if you don''t comply with Master XuanNan''s order, you are still out Sect Leader. Only by becoming our Sect Leader can you ignore Master XuanNan''s order, or else how can you disobey your martial grandfather''s instruction?" When Xu Zhu listen to this line of reasoning he thought it made sense, his rendered speechless for a while.


    Su XingHe said: "Martial brother, Master XuanNan and the rest of the Shaolin monks, all of them are poisoned by Ding ChunQiu, their life will be in danger if we don''t save them quickly, currently only you alone is capable of saving them. Whether or not to save them is entirely dependent on you."


    Xu Zhu said: "My martial grandfather is certainly poisoned by Ding ChunQiu, as for the rest they are injured, but.....but my ability is lowly, how can i save them?"


    Su XingHe smiled and said: "Martial brother, our sect forte is not just restricted to martial arts, medicine, divination, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, our skills are all encompassing. You have a martial nephew called Xue MuHua, he only has superficial medical knowledge, but everyone calls him Divine Physician Xue, his nicknamed ''Enemy of King of Hell'', isn''t it laughable? XuanNan is injured by Ding ChunQiu''s [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], the square-face monk is injured by that iron-head man''s [Frost Silkworm Palm], the thin and tall monk is kicked by Ding ChunQiu on the left side of his torso around 3 inch below, he injured his meridians........"


    Su XingHe kept talking non-stop, he narrated all the ailments and the origin of the injuries of everyone. Xu Zhu is very impress, he said: "Senior, i saw you concentrating on the chess match, you didn''t even look carefully at them or even diagnose them, how come you know so much details?"


    Su XingHe said: "The injuries inflicted by martial arts are so obvious that you can easily tell it from just one glance. Only those who are naturally weak and poor in health, or those that suffer cold and heat diseases, they are much harder to diagnose. Martial brother, you have our Master''s 70 years of divine internal energy, its greatly beneficial for treating injuries and illnesses. Great Master XuanNan''s meridians contain poison, its a bit difficult to restore his internal energy, but its effortless to treat his injuries and save his life." At once he taught Xu Zhu how to channel his energy to massage the acupoints, and the method to expel the frost poison. He also gave detailed guidance on the techniques involved in treating XuanNan, and the techniques involved in treating Feng BoE, since both their poison are different the techniques involved are also different.


    Xu Zhu remembered all the techniques taught by Su XingHe, but he only knows how to apply but not the reasoning behind it.


    Su XingHe saw Xu Zhu demonstration of the techniques, there are no mistakes, his face revealed a smile and praised: "Sect Leader''s memory is excellent, you understand everything at once."


    Xu Zhu saw his smile is rather furtive, its seem as if he harboured malicious intentions, he cannot help but ask: "Why are you smiling?" Su XingHe immediately became solemn, he bow respectfully and said: "Elder brother don''t dare to laugh or smile, Sect Leader please forgive me if i am not respectful enough." Xu Zhu is anxious to treat everyone''s injuries, thus he did not pursue this matter anymore, he said: "Let us go outside and take a look!" Su XingHe said: "Yes!" he followed behind Xu Zhu and they went outside the house.


    They saw a bunch of injured people sitting cross-legged on the floor, Murong Fu is channelling his internal energy to help relief the suffering of Bao BuTong and Feng BoE. Wang YuYan is attending to GongYe Gan''s injuries. Xue MuHua is sweating profusely, his constantly on the move, whoever is in critical condition he will immediately go over and try to save him, but once one patient quieten down another patient starts shouting again. Xue MuHua saw Su XingHe coming out of the house, he felt great comfort, he quickly rush towards him and said: "Master, please think of a method."


    Xu Zhu walk towards XuanNan, his eyes are closed and his channelling his internal energy, Xu Zhu simply stood beside and dare not open his mouth to speak. XuanNan slowly open his eyes, he gave a sigh and said: "I am really incompetent, i suffered under the poisonous hands of Ding ChunQiu and tainted out Shaolin''s reputation, i am really ashamed. Go back and report to to the abbot and tell him....and tell him that i and martial brother XuanTong cannot return back to Shaolin Temple anymore."


    In the past, Xu Zhu met this martial grandfather before, his always stately, charismatic and reliable, but now his expression is sullen, an attitude of desolation, his speech hinted at his intentions to commit suicide, Xu Zhu quickly said: "Martial grandfather, please don''t be too upset, as practitioners of martial arts, our heart must not have anger, no eagerness to compete, no desire in victory and defeat, no desire in gains and losses......." he kept reciting non-stop, unexpectedly these words are the exact same words used by XuanNan to admonish him and now he recited it back to XuanNan, but suddenly he realize that it doesn''t seem right and he immediately shut up, but he had already said quite a few sentences.


    XuanNan gave a slight smile and sigh: "Your words are correct, but your martial grandfather lost all his internal energy, i don''t even have the strength to concentrate on Buddhism anymore."


    Xu Zhu said: "Yes, yes, disciple is naive, i am talking rubbish." As he was about to try and treat XuanNan''s injuries, he suddenly recalled the suspicious smile on Su XingHe, his was alarmed: "He ask me to use my palm and smack my martial grandfather''s acupoint of the top of his head, how would i know his not trying to harm me? If i really smack down with my palm and unexpectedly kill my martial grandfather, then what should i do?"


    XuanNan said: "Go report back to the abbot, our Shaolin Temple will meet great catastrophe in the future, he should take extra precautions against it, be careful when travelling back, you are pure and honest, i am not worried about your Buddhist prohibition and Buddhist devotion, but from now on you must put in more effort on ''intelligence and wisdom'', you should study attentively the 4 scrolls of . Sigh, its a pity that i can no longer guide you."


    Xu Zhu said: "Yes, yes." He saw how XuanNan is still concerned about him, he felt really grateful, he said: "Martial grandfather, since our Temple will have great catastrophe, we need you to take care of yourself and go back to assist the abbot, together we will drive away the enemy." XuanNan force a bitter smile and said: "I...i am hit by Ding ChunQiu [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], i am already a handicapped person, how can i assist the abbot and drive away the enemy?" Xu Zhu said: "Martial grandfather, Mr Intelligent taught me a set of healing method, disciple is overestimating his ability but i wish to try it on martial uncle HuiFang, i ask martial grandfather for permission."


    XuanNan is flabbergasted, he knew the Deaf Mute Old Man is the Master of Divine Physician Xue, the healing method imparted by him must be sensible, but he don''t understand why Su XingHe or even Xue MuHua don''t come forth personally and provide the treatment, he said: "The method imparted by Mr Intelligent is obviously ingenious." He gave a glance at Su XingHe and said to Xu Zhu: "Go and try it."


    Xu Zhu walk towards HuiFang, he bow and said: "Martial uncle, nephew received orders from martial grandfather, i will treat your injury, please don''t be offended." HuiFang smile and nod his head. Xu Zhu acted according to the method taught by Su XingHe, he carefully aim the spot below the left side torso, he wave his right palm and strike the spot.


    HuiFang groaned, his body swayed, he felt as if there is a hole on his torso, all his blood and vital energy seems to flow out from this hole, his entire body felt empty, he can''t control it at all, but the itch and pain caused by You TanZhi''s frost poison instantly vanished. Xu Zhu did not use his internal energy to expel the frost poison, rather, he use his 70 years of to strike at the torso and open up a hole to drain off the frost poison. Its the same as someone who is bitten by poisonous snake, he will cut open his wound and try to squeeze out the venom. With this technique [Cutting Body With Energy Blade], obviously you cannot hit the wrong spot, but if your internal energy is insufficient and you cannot penetrate the meridians with a single strike, then not only will the poison not drain out, instead the poison will be forced into the inner organs and the patient will suffer a violent death immediately.


    Xu Zhu felt unsure when he send out his palm strike, HuiFang sway and slowly stabilize, his frown and expression of pain gradually change into relax happiness, these changes occurred within a short period of time but to Xu Zhu it seems like a few hours.


    After a while, HuiFang exhale, he smiled and said: "Good martial nephew, the power in that palm strike is not small."


    Xu Zhu is excited and said: "I don''t dare." He turn back and said to XuanNan: "Martial grandfather, is it ok if i go treat the rest of the martial uncles?"


    Currently, XuanNan expression is extremely happy, but he shakes his head and said: "No! Go treat the other seniors first, after that we treat our own people."


    Xu Zhu trembled in his heart, he quickly said: "Yes!" he pondered: "Others before self, this is the great compassion of Buddhism, the heart to save all living things." He saw Bao BuTong is in severe pain, his teeth clattering, he immediately walk towards him and said: "Mr Bao, Mr Intelligent taught junior monk a method to treat this frost poison, junior monk only learn it today, i am not proficient, but i will treat Mr Bao. Please forgive my offense." As he finish speaking he extended his hand and touch Bao BuTong''s chest.


    Bao BuTong laugh and said: "What you trying to do?" Xu Zhu raised his right palm, there is a ''Peng'' sound and he landed the palm on Bao BuTong''s chest. Bao BuTong was furious, he cursed: "Smelly mo......." but he did not complete the word ''monk'', the frost poison which had tortured him for so long unexpectedly flow rapidly out of his chest, he swallow his words and dare not curse anymore.


    Xu Zhu help the rest of the injured people to drain off You TanZhi''s frost poison, afterwards he went to treat those injured by Ding ChunQiu. Some of these people had poison in their meridians due to Ding ChunQiu [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], Xu Zhu strike his palm at either the ''Baihui acupoint'' on the top of their head or the ''Lingtai acupoint'' at their solar plexus, their energy return back to normal and they can use it to slow neutralize the poison themselves. Some of them suffered internal energy injuries, Xu Zhu used his finger to prick their acupoints and dissolve the energy of XingXiu sect. Luckily his memory is extremely good, Su XingHe taught him various different kinds of medical treatment methods and techniques, unexpectedly he remembered all of them clearly, he implemented them accordingly and within the time taken to eat a meal he removed everyone''s pain and ailments. The patients are all very grateful towards him, as for spectators they greatly admire the divine technique of the Deaf Mute Old Man, but when they thought about the fact that his the Master of Divine Physician Xue, they did not think that its odd.


    Finally, Xu Zhu walk towards XuanNan, he bow and said: "Martial grandfather, disciple is bold, i want strike my palm on your ''Baihui acupoint'' on the top of your head."


    XuanNan smiled and said: "You gained the favour of Mr Intelligent, unexpectedly you manage to learn ingenious healing techniques, your affinity with fortune is really not small, go ahead and strike my ''Baihui acupoint''."


    Xu Zhu bow and said: "Please forgive my boldness!" when he was at Shaolin Temple, his always look at XuanNan from afar, when XuanNan gathered the monks to explain martial arts theories, Xu Zhu will just stand together with the rest and he never get much chance to talk with him, but now he actually have to strike XuanNan''s head, although its for the purpose of medical treatment but he cannot help but feel worried, he also notice that XuanNan''s smile is rather unusual, he don''t understand his intention, he composed himself and said: "Disciple have to offend you, martial grandfather please forgive me!" he took a step foward, his palm targeting XuanNan''s ''Baihui acupoint'', the force is neither hard nor soft, neither slow nor fast, he wave his palm and strike downwards.


    Just as Xu Zhu''s palm touch XuanNan''s forehead, XuanNan suddenly gave a very odd smile, immediately after he gave a long cry and his body suddenly went limp, his body wriggled a few times and he lie prostrate on the floor and was motionless.


    All the spectators cried out in alarm, Xu Zhu is so frightened that his heart thumped madly, he hastily rush forward and supported XuanNan. HuiFang and the rest of the monks also rush beside him. When they saw XuanNan, his face revealed a smile but his breathing had stopped, his already dead. Xu Zhu cry out in fear: "Martial grandfather, martial grandfather! What happen to you?"


    Suddenly Su XingHe shouted: "Who is it? Stop there!" he arrive swiftly from the southeast corner and said: "Someone made a sneak attack behind, but his movement is very fast, unexpectedly i couldn''t see him properly!" he grabbed XuanNan''s wrist, he frown and said: "Master XuanNan already lost his internal energy, when someone made a sneak attack his completely defenceless and died." Suddenly he smiled, his expression was very odd.


    Xu Zhu''s mind is in a mess, he cried and shouted: "Martial grandfather, martial grandfather, you......you why......" suddenly he remembered the furtive smile by Su XingHe when they are inside the wooden house, he said furiously: "Mr Intelligent, tell me the truth, how did my martial grandfather died? Did you intentionally try to harm him?"


    Su XingHe knelt down and said: "Reporting to Sect Leader, Su XingHe dare not try to plot against Sect Leader. Master XuanNan unexpected pass away, its certainly due to sneak attack." Xu Zhu said: "Just now in the wooden house, you gave a weird smile, what is the reason?" Su XingHe was startled and said: "Did i smile? Did i smile? Sect Leader you have to extremely careful, someone........" he did not completely his sentence as he abruptly stop talking, his face revealed an extremely odd smile.


    Xue MuHua cry out loudly: "Master!" he hurriedly took out a bottle of antidote from his bosom, he quickly took off the bottle stopper and pour 3 pills onto his hand and stuff it into Su XingHe''s mouth. But Su XingHe already stop breathing, he did not swallow the pill. Xue MuHua burst into tears: "Master is poisoned by Ding ChunQiu and died, Ding ChunQiu this evil traitor......." his crying so badly that he can''t speak anymore.


    Kang GuangLing threw himself at Su XingHe''s body, Xue MuHua quickly grabbed his back and forcefully pull him back, he weep: "There is poison on Master''s body." Fan BaiLing, Gou Du, Wu LingJun, Feng ASan, Li KuiLei, Shi QingFeng, all 8 disciples stood beside Su XingHe, they felt anger and sadness.


    Kang GuangLing followed Su XingHe for a long time, he knows all the sect rules and regulations, when he saw his Master kneel down in front of Xu Zhu and refer him as ''Sect Leader'', he already knew 80-90% of what is going on, he closely examined Xu Zhu''s finger, his indeed wearing a gem ring, Kang GuangLing said: "All fellow martial brothers, follow me and pay our respects to the new Sect Leader." As he finish speaking he knelt down in front of Xu Zhu and kowtow. Fan BaiLing and the rest was startled, they suddenly realize the truth and also follow suit and kowtow.


    Xu Zhu is disconcerted, he said: "Ding....Ding ChunQiu that treacherous Benefactor, he killed my martial grandfather and also killed you Master."


    Kang GuangLing said: "Kill that wicked traitor to avenge them, we ask Sect Leader to take charge of this important matter."


    Xu Zhu is just a little monk without any worldly experience, as for his martial arts knowledge, fame and prestige, everyone present here are all superior to him, he thought: "I have to take revenge for martial grandfather, I have to take revenge for Mr Intelligent, I have to take revenge for that old man in the wooden house!" he shouted loudly: "I will definitely kill Ding ChunQiu....Ding ChunQiu this evil person.....this treacherous Benefactor."


    Kang GuangLing kowtow again and said: "Martial uncle Sect Leader agreed to deal with that traitor and avenge my Master, nephew is extremely grateful towards Martial uncle Sect Leader." Fan BaiLing, Xue MuHua and the rest, all of them kowtow. Xu Zhu quick knelt down to return the courtesy and said: "I don''t deserve it, i don''t deserve it, everyone please get up." Kang GuangLing said: "Martial uncle, nephew have another thing to report, but there are too many people here, i invite you into the wooden house so that i can personally tell you." Xu Zhu said: "Ok!"


    Xu Zhu followed Kang GuangLing and they are about to enter the wooden house, suddenly Fan BaiLing said: "Wait! Our Master contracted that old traitor''s poison inside that house, Martial uncle Sect Leader and senior martial brother, its best that you don''t go in, that old traitor is full of tricks, you cannot guard against him." Kang GuangLing nod his head and said: "You words are reasonable! Martial uncle Sect Leader''s body is very precious, we cannot let him take the risk." Xue MuHua said: "The two of you just speak here. We will keep watch and guard against that old traitor''s schemes." As he finish speaking he walk somewhere else, Feng ASan, Wu LingJun and the rest, all walk out to around 10 zhang.


    Murong Fu, Deng BaiChuan and they rest, all of them saw the sect members move away. Although Juimozhi, Duan YanQing and the rest found it odd, but the matter did not concern them and they also left the area without consulting anyone.


    Kang GuangLing said: "Martial uncle......." Xu Zhu said: "I am not your martial uncle, i am also not your Sect Leader, i am a monk from Shaolin, i am not related to your Carefree Sect." Kang GuangLing said: "Martial uncle, how can you not acknowledge it? The name ''Carefree Sect'', outsiders will never know this name. If outsiders accidentally or deliberately hears it, than base on our sect rules, they will be killed without fail." Xu Zhu shivered, he thought: "This rule is too evil. If i don''t agree to join their sect then it means they will kill me?"


    Kang GuangLing said again: "Martial uncle, just now the techniques you displayed to treat everyone, its precisely base on the internal energy of our sect. Nephew don''t dare to ask martial uncle how you join the sect and inherited the energy from Grand-Master. But maybe martial uncle manage to break Grand-Master''s chess formation, my Master acted according to the orders of Grand-Master and accepted you and pass on the Sect Leader position to you. To cut the long story short, the ''Carefree Immortal Ring'' is on martial uncle''s finger, when our Master died he kowtow to you and also address you as Sect Leader, martial uncle you don''t have to give excuse anymore. Its pointless for you to evade responsibility."


    Xu Zhu look to the left and right, he saw HuiFang and the rest carrying the corpse of XuanNan to the side, he also saw the corpse of Su XingHe still kneeling on the floor and his face still revealed an odd smile, he heart ached and said: "I can''t fully explain the situation now, now my martial grandfather is dead, i really don''t know what to do, old senior........"


    Kang GuangLing hastily knelt down and said: "Martial uncle you definitely cannot address me like this, you will really shorten nephew''s life!" Xu Zhu frown and said: "Fine, please get up." Kang GuangLing got up. Xu Zhu said: "Old senior......" he just said these words, Kang GuangLing immediately knelt down again with a ''Pu'' sound.


    Xu Zhu said: "Sorry, I forgot, i can''t address you like this. Please get up." He took out the scroll given to him by the old man and open it, he said: "Your Master ask me to rely on this scroll to try and learn martial arts and then punish Benefactor Ding."


    Kang GuangLing look at the pretty lady in the painting, he shakes his head and said: "Nephew don''t understand the undying meaning, martial uncle you should keep this painting properly and don''t let outsiders see it. Since my Master said it, then i invite martial uncle to take his view into consideration and act accordingly. Nephew wants to report about the poison contracted by our Master, its called . This poison is formless and invisible, initially after contracting the poison, the victim''s face will reveal an odd smile but they victim doesn''t know it, after smiling 3 times the victim will die."


    Xu Zhu lowered his head and said: "I am really ashamed, when your revered master contracted the poison, his face revealed an odd smile, but i gauge others with my own lowly character, i suspected he had bad intentions, if at that time i had candidly asked him about his smile, your revered master would have applied medical treatment immediately and it won''t reach this stage."


    Kang GuangLing shakes his head and said: "Once you contract this its difficult to save. This is one of the reason why Old Traitor Ding can go on a rampage without fear. Everyone knows about the famous [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], but you will only lose your internal energy temporarily, you will still survive, once the poison is cleared from your meridians you can channel your internal energy again. But if you contract this , you will close your eyes and never open them again."


    Xu Zhu shakes his head and said: "This is really vicious! At time i was standing beside your master, i did not know how Ding ChunQiu manage to use his poison, my martial art is poor, experience low, how come Ding ChunQiu never poison me and spared my life?"


    Kang GuangLing said: "Maybe he thinks your ability is lowly, not worth the effort to poison. Martial uncle Sect Leader, you are so young, how great can you be? Although the techniques you use to treat poison is good but they are taught by my Master, its really nothing, Ding ChunQiu won''t bother about you." As he finish speaking he suddenly realize that his speech is really rude, he quickly said: "Martial uncle Sect Leader, i spoke frankly just now, you might feel offended, but even if you are offended i still feel your martial art is not good."


    Xu Zhu said: "You are absolutely correct, my martial art is extremely poor, Old Traitor Ding.....sin, sin, junior monk spoke foul language, i violated the prohibition against foul language, its really unbecoming behaviour of Buddhist....that Ding ChunQiu Benefactor Ding really finds me not worth killing."


    Xu Zhu is simple and unsophisticated, Kang GuangLing is not familiar with worldly affair, Ding ChunQiu sneak into the wooden house and eavesdrop on Su XingHe imparting techniques to treating injuries and poison, why would he not plot against Xu Zhu? Why would he spare Xu Zhu just because his martial art is lowly? The is transmitted using internal energy, the poison is shot onto the body of the victim, when Ding ChunQiu is in the wooden house, he already use his internal energy to flick the onto Su XingHe and Xu Zhu, afterwards he also flick the poison on XuanNan. Su XingHe is weary and exhausted after the fierce battle, XuanNan lost his internal energy, both of them contracted the poison. But Xu Zhu is equipped with 70 years of divine internal energy, the internal energy of Ding ChunQiu did not even reach his body and got repelled back, all the deadly poison reflected onto Su XingHe, Xu Zhu did not contract the slightest bit of poison. When fighting face to face with another opponent, Ding ChunQiu don''t dare to use because he feared his opponent''s internal energy might be formidable and reflect the poison back at him.


    Kang GuangLin said: "Martial uncle, you are not right. Carefree Sect is the most sacred, we keep to ourselves and operate alone, aren''t we free and leisurely? You are our Sect Leader, no one can control you in this world. You should shed your kasaya as soon as possible, grow your hair and take 17-18 young lady as wife. Why do you even care about Buddha or not? What prohibition against foul language, or prohibition against good language?"


    As he spoke, Xu Zhu kept on reciting "Amituofo". Xu Zhu said: "In front of me, don''t you ever say such blasphemous words against Buddha again. You said you have something to report to me, what is it?"


    Kang GuangLing said: "Ayo, i am really old and muddle-headed, i didn''t talk about the main point after talking for so long. Martial uncle Sect Leader, don''t follow in my footsteps when you grow up. Terrible, terrible, i diverted from the main topic again, i didn''t talk about the main point, damn it! Martial uncle Sect Leader, i request a very important thing from you, i hope you can approve."


    Xu Zhu said: "What is this big thing that needs my approval, i am really not worthy."


    Kang GuangLing said: "Alas! This is an important sect matter, if i don''t seek approval from Sect Leader then who i ask for approval? The eight of us fellow apprentices, we were expelled by our Master, its not really our fault, its just that Master feared that Ding ChunQiu would try to harm us and he can''t bear to cut our tongue or pierce our eardrum, thus he expelled us. Today, Master took back his orders and let us rejoin the sect but he did not report this matter to Sect Leader, we have yet to formally pay our respects and become his disciples thus we can''t be considered as part of the sect, hence we hope to get permission from Sect Leader else we will still be lonely ghost without any sect till the day we die, we have no standings at all in the martial arts fraternity, its really unpleasant!"


    Xu Zhu pondered: "This Sect Leader of Carefree Sect i definitely cannot take this position, but if i refuse their request they will definitely nag and tangle with me, i will just allow it and see how it goes." He said: "Since your Master already permit it, naturally you all are part of the sect, why worry?"


    Kang GuangLing rejoiced, he turn his head and shouted: "Martial brothers, the Sect Leader has allowed us to rejoin the sect!"


    When the rest of the ''Eight Friends of Hangu'' heard it, all of them are excited, 2nd brother ''Chess Fanatic'' Fang BaiLing, 3rd brother ''Bookworm'' Gou Du, 4th brother ''Painting Expert'' Wu LingJun, 5th brother ''Enemy of King of Hell'' Xue MuHua, 6th brother ''Marvellous Craftsman'' Feng ASan, 7th sister ''Flower Married Woman'' Shi QingFeng, 8th brother ''Love Singing Opera'' Li KuiLei, all of them rush over to kowtow and give thanks to the Sect Leader, but when they thought about their Master who can''t witness them rejoin the sect, they cried bitterly.


    Xu Zhu felt really embarrassed, ever single matter he handled further solidify his "Sect Leader" status, its getting harder and harder for him to break away from the responsibility. His a disciple of a famous orthodox school, Shaolin, but he ended up as the Sect Leader of some demonic sect, isn''t it absurd? He saw Fan BaiLing and the rest are so happy that they are in tears, if he object to being the Sect Leader now it would really spoil the mood, thus he had no choice but to shake his head and force a smile. As he turn his head, Murong Fu, Duan Yu, Wang YuYan, the six ''Hui-generation'' monks as well as the corpse of XuanNan, all of them disappeared, only the 9 of them from Carefree Sect are left in the pine forest, Xu Zhu was surprised: "Yi, where did everyone go?"


    Wu LingJun said: "Gentleman Murong and the senior monks from Shaolin saw us talking endlessly, they parted and left!"


    Xu Zhu shouted: "AiYo!" he extended his legs and chase after them, he wanted to find HuiFang and the rest and return back to Shaolin to report back to the abbot and his own Master; at the same time, he also have the intention to slip away and break away from the disciples of Carefree Sect.


    He travelled swiftly for an hour, running faster and faster but he never saw the six ''Hui-generation'' monks. He is equipped with 70 years of Carefree Sect''s divine energy, his running speed is as fast as a fine horse, actually when he ran down the mountain ridge he already overtook the six ''Hui-generation'' monks. He thought he was lagging behind and he kept on chasing, in his haste he did not notice the 6 monks around a corner of a mountain, after a few turns he already outpace them and left them far behind.


    Xu Zhu kept on chasing until dusk, but he still did not see his martial uncles, he found it really strange and suspected that he must have took the wrong fork in the road and he backtrack 20 li and inquired information from passer-by, but nobody saw the 6 monks. Running back and forth, unexpectedly he did not feel tired at all, but its getting dark and he is getting hungry, he arrive at a restaurant at the outskirt of a small town, he found a seat and ordered two bowls of vegetarian noodles.


    The vegetarian noodles did not arrive immediately and Xu Zhu glance around in all directions, suddenly he heard a clear and bright voice beside him: "Monk, you waiting for someone?" Xu Zhu turn his head, he saw a youngster wearing green robe sitting at the west seat beside a window, the youngster''s skin is fair and clear, appearance very beautiful, around 17-18 years of age, the youngster is grinning at him.


    Xu Zhu said: "Yes! I want to ask little gentleman, did you see 6 monks?" the youngster said: "I didn''t see 6 monks, but i did see 1 monk." Xu Zhu said: "En, 1 monk, may i ask little gentleman where you saw him?" the youngster replied: "I saw him right here in this restaurant."


    Xu Zhu pondered: "1 monk, then its not martial uncle HuiFang and the rest of the group. But i can still find out some information about this monk." He said: "Gentleman, may i ask about the appearance of the monk? How old is he? He is headed in which direction?"


    The youngster smiled and said: "This monk has high forehead and big ears, his mouth broad and thick lips, his nostril tilting upwards, his around 23-24 years old, his currently waiting for 2 bowl of vegetarian noodles in this restaurant, he has yet to leave."


    Xu Zhu laugh out loudly and said: "Little gentleman is referring to me." The youngster said: "Gentleman is just gentleman, why the need to add the word ''little''? I called you monk, i didn''t call you little monk." This youngster''s voice is tender and delicate, its melodious and pleasant to the ears. Xu Zhu said: "Yes, i should address you as gentleman."


    While they were talking, the waiter had delivered the 2 bowl of vegetarian noodles. Xu Zhu said: "Gentleman, junior monk will start eating the noodles." The youngster said: "Green vegetables and mushroom, no oil and grease, how can it be tasty? Come, come over here, i let you eat some boiled pork and roasted chicken." Xu Zhu said: "Sin, sin. Junior monk has never touch meat and fish in his entire life, gentleman please help yourself." As he finish speaking he turn his body around and start eating the noodles, his unwilling to look at the how the youngster eats the chicken and meat.


    Xu Zhu is very hungry, in a short period of time he finish more than half a bowl of noodle, suddenly he heard the youngster shouted: "Yi, what is this?" Xu Zhu turn his head and saw the youngster holding a spoon with his right hand, the youngster scoop some soup and was about to drink it when he suddenly found some bizarre object, the spoon stop around half chi from his mouth, his left hand grasping something. The youngster stood up, his right hand pinching the object and he walk towards Xu Zhu and said: "Monk, look at this bug, isn''t it strange?"


    Xu Zhu saw him pinching a small black beetle, this kind of beetle can be found everywhere, definitely not some strange object, Xu Zhu ask: "How is it strange?" the youngster said: "The shell of this beetle is hard and stiff, bright and glossy, it seems to be coated with a layer of oil." Xu Zhu said: "En, ordinary beetle are like this." The youngster said: "Really?" he drop the beetle on the floor, crush it with his feet and walk back to his seat. Xu Zhu sigh and said: "Sin, sin!" he lowered his head and resume eating his noodles.


    He did not eat for an entire day, this noodle seems to be very fragrant and sweet, he even drank all the noodle broth, he took his second bowl of noodle and ate it, suddenly the youngster burst into loud laughter and said: "Monk, i thought you are a good monk with strict disciple, but you are really just a hypocrite!" Xu Zhu said: "I am a hypocrite?" the youngster said: "You said you never touch any meat and fish your entire life, but this bowl of chicken broth noodle, how come you ate it with gusto?" Xu Zhu said: "Gentleman you must be joking. This is obviously green vegetables and mushroom noodles, where is the chicken broth? I specially reminded the waiter, he cannot add the slightest bit of lard."


    The youngster smiled and said: "You said you never eat meat and fish, but when you drank the chicken broth you savoured it with relish. Monk, let me add another spoonful of chicken broth to that noodle!" as he finish speaking he scoop the soup from the roasted chicken and stood up.


    Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he said: "You....you.....just now you....already...."


    The youngster smiled and said: "Yes, just now i added a spoonful of chicken broth in that noodle, don''t tell me you didn''t see it? Ayo, monk, quickly close your eyes, pretend you didn''t see it, i will add a spoonful of chicken broth to you noodle, guarantee to enhance the flavour of the noodle, anyway you didn''t add it yourself, Buddha won''t blame you."


    Xu Zhu was shock and angry, he realize the beetle just now was meant to misdirect him and divert his gaze, the youngster used this opportunity to add a spoonful of chicken broth into the noodle, when he drank the noodle broth its indeed exceptionally tasty, but because he never drank chicken broth before he don''t know the taste, now that the chicken broth is already in his stomach, what should he do? Should he try to vomit it out? He really don''t know what to do for the moment.


    The youngster suddenly said: "Monk, the 6 monks you are looking for, see they arrive here!" he pointed at the door.


    Xu Zhu was excited he quickly rush to the door and look at the street, but there''s no monk at all. He knew he got cheated by the youngster again, he felt really unhappy, but monks cannot be angry and he forcefully repress his anger, he kept silent and return back to eat his noodles.


    Xu Zhu pondered: "This little gentleman is so young, but he likes to play prank on me." He picked up his chopsticks and quickly ate another half bowl of noodle, suddenly his teeth bite onto a smooth and greasy object, he was startled and quickly look at his bowl, there is a big piece of fatty meat within his noodles, but half of it is gone, obviously he ate it already. Xu Zhu slam his chopsticks on the table, he shouted: "Suffering, suffering!"


    The youngster laugh and said: "Monk, this fatty meat is not nice? Why are you complaining?"


    Xu Zhu said furiously: "You trick me to go to the door, but you put a piece of fatty meat at the bottom of the bowl. My....in my 23 years of life, i never touch meat and fish, but....all this is destroyed by you!"


    The youngster gave a faint smile and said: "The taste of this fatty meat, isn''t it 10 times better than vegetables and tofu? You are really foolish not to eat it."


    Xu Zhu frown and stood up, he stick his right hand into his throat, he tried hard to vomit out the fatty meat but he can''t do it, his thoughts are in a whirl, suddenly he heard a disturbance outside, a lot of people entered the restaurant.


    He gave a quick glance, among these people are XingXiu disciples, he secretly cried out: "Ayo, not good, i will die if i get caught by Old Freak of XingXiu!" he quickly rush to the rear door, trying to escape the restaurant, but when he open the door and entered its actually a bedroom. As Xu Zhu was about to step out of the room, he heard someone shout behind him: "Shop owner, shop owner, quickly bring some wine and meat!" the XingXiu disciples already entered the parlor.


    Xu Zhu dare not step out of the room, he close the door lightly. Suddenly he heard someone said: "Find some place for this big belly monk to rest." The voice is from Ding ChunQiu. A XingXiu disciple said: "Yes!" his footsteps heavy, he walk towards the bedroom. Xu Zhu was alarmed, he was at his wits end, he lowered his body and squeeze under the bed. His head went under the bed and bumped into something, a voice cried out softly: "Ah!" it seem someone was hiding under the bed. Xu Zhu was even more frighten, as he was about to withdraw the XingXiu disciple carried HuiJing and entered the bedroom, he put HuiJing on the bed and went out.


    Xu Zhu heard someone whispering in his ear: "Monk, is the fatty meat tasty? What are you scared of?" its the youngster. Xu Zhu pondered: "You movement is quite nimble, you are even faster than me and hid yourself under the bed." He spoke softly: "There''s a group of evil people outside, gentleman you definitely cannot make any sound." The youngster said: "How you know they are evil people?" Xu Zhu said: "I recognize them. They murder people without blinking an eye, they are not playing around."


    The youngster was about to ask Xu Zhu to keep quiet, suddenly, HuiJing shouted: "There is someone under the bed, there is someone under the bed!"


    Xu Zhu and the youngster was alarmed, both of them crawl out from under the bed. They saw Ding ChunQiu standing by the door, he is sneering at them, his expression very proud and yet malicious.


    The youngster is so frightened that his face lost colour, immediately he knelt down and shouted: "Master!" Ding ChunQiu smiled and said: "Very good, very good! Hand it over." The youngster said: "Its not with disciple!" Ding ChunQiu said: "Then where is it?" The youngster said: "Its at Liao Empire Nanjing city." Ding ChunQiu revealed an ominous glint, he said in a deep and low voice: "You still trying to deceive me at this moment? I will make you life so miserable that you will be begging for death." The youngster said: "Disciple don''t dare to lie to Master." Ding ChunQiu gaze swept across to Xu Zhu, he ask the youngster: "How come your together with him?" The youngster said: "I met him just now at this restaurant." Ding ChunQiu snorted: "Lies!" he stared ferociously at both of them and walk back out. Four XingXiu disciples rush into the bedroom and surrounded the two of them.


    Xu Zhu was frighten and angry, he said: "So you are XingXiu disciple!"


    The youngster stamped his feet and said fiercely: "Stinky monk, its your fault, you still dare comment on me!"


    One of the XingXiu disciple said: "Senior martial sister, how are you?" his tone frivolous, his expression rejoicing in other people''s misfortune.


    Xu Zhu ask curiously: "How come?....you....you...."


    The youngster spit in contempt and said: "Stupid monk, stinky monk, obviously i am a woman, don''t tell me you can''t tell from a single glance?"


    Xu Zhu pondered: "So this little gentleman is a woman, and she is also a XingXiu disciple, not only that, she is also their Senior martial sister. Oh my goodness, this is bad! She made me drink chicken broth and eat fatty meat, i am afraid she poisoned them."


    This youngster is AhZi in disguise. Although she has endlessly glory and wealth in Liao Empire, but her natural disposition is active and restless, after living there for a long time she started to feel bored, Xiao Feng is often busy with official business and cannot accompany her to go hunting or play. One day, she felt moody and left the Palace alone to play. Initially she planned to return by evening but she met someone along the way, unexpectedly this person provoke her with words, he said that although she is pretty but she did not have any male companions, its unavoidable that she will be lonely. AhZi recalled her tender sentiments towards Xiao Feng, but he never reciprocate it, she felt indignant and immediately thought of killing the person to vent her anger, the person escape quickly and AhZi pursued him for a long distance, finally she managed to kill the person with poison, but she was very far from Nanjing, thus she made us of this opportunity and explore Central Plains. She wandered around everywhere, its really a lucky coincidence as she managed to meet Xu Zhu and Ding ChunQiu at the same time. She played a prank on Xu Zhu and made him violate his religious precept, its purely on the spur of the moment and she did not have any other evil intentions.


    AhZi thought her Master is living comfortably at XingXiu Sea, he will never come to Central Plains, unexpectedly, her Master personally came to Central Plains to get back the [Divine Wooden King Tripod] and they so happen to meet at this small restaurant. She is scared out of wits, she berated Xu Zhu loudly to try to force herself to calm down but that is useless as her voice trembled endlessly, she quickly tried to think of an idea to escape: "The only option is to trick Master to go to Nanjing, i will let brother-in-law kill Master, this is the only way out for me. Other than brother-in-law, no one else can defeat my Master. Luckily i left the [Divine Wooden King Tripod] at Nanjing, Master will definitely try to get back this rare treasure."


    As she thought of this idea she calmed down a little, but she is having second thoughts: "But what if Master get rid of all my martial arts and make me a handicap, after that he drag me to Nanjing, i am afraid this kind of torture is worse than death." In a split second her face lost all its colour again.


    A XingXiu disciple walk towards the door, he smile happily and said: "Senior martial sister, Master is summoning you."


    When AhZi heard the summon from her Master, its as if a mouse heard the purr of a cat, she is so frighten that her bones turned limp, she know that she cannot run away and followed the XingXiu disciple to the lobby.


    Ding ChunQiu is seated alone at a table, there are food and wine on the table, the rest of the disciples stood far away with their hands straighten down, their expression reverent and respectful, they dare not breath heavily. AhZi step forward and call out: "Master!" she knelt down.


    Ding ChunQiu said: "Where exactly is it?" AhZi said: "I dare not lie to Master, its indeed at Liao Empire Nanjing city." Ding ChunQiu said: "Where is it located at Nanjing city?" AhZi said: "The official residence of Lord Xiao, Lord of Southern Chancellery." Ding ChunQiu frown and said: "How come it fell into the hands of a Khitan dog?"


    AhZi said: "It didn''t. When disciple reach the north, i fear losing Master''s treasure or accidentally damage it, thus i secretly buried it in the rear garden of Lord Xiao''s residence. The hiding spot is extremely secluded, the garden is around 400 hectares, other than disciple no one else can find this [Divine Wooden King Tripod], Master you can put your heart at ease."


    Ding ChunQiu sneered: "Only you can find it? Heng, little trash, you are really difficult to deal with, you trying to stop me from killing you! After killing you, i can''t find the [Divine Wooden King Tripod] correct?"


    AhZi shivered, her voice trembled with fear: "If Master refuse to forgive disciple act of willfulness and strip all my martial arts, pick off all my tendon and veins, break my hand and feet, then disciple would rather die immediately and will never reveal the Divine Tripod...the Divine Tripod....the location of the Divine Tripod." As she reach the end of her speech, she is so frightened that she can''t even articulate properly.


    Ding ChunQiu smiled and said: "You little trash, you even dare to haggle with me. My XingXiu Sect have such a powerful figure like you, i did not guard against you beforehand, its really an oversight for Divine Elder of XingXiu!"


    One of the XingXiu disciple suddenly shouted: "Divine Elder of XingXiu sees the past and future, you know the [Divine Wooden King Tripod] will be stolen, thus you made use of AhZi and let the treasure undergo hardships so that it can be further refined and increase the magic power of the Divine Tripod."


    Another disciple said: "All the things in this world, which one of them is not within the divine calculation of Divine Elder of XingXiu? Divine Elder is modest and dismissed his achievements, all disciples you cannot take it seriously!"


    Another disciple said: "Divine Elder of XingXiu display his little trick and killed XuanNan a top expert from Shaolin, he also exterminate the Deaf Mute Old Man and his disciples, since ancient times, where can you find such person who achieve overwhelming victory? Little AhZi, no matter how crafty and scheming you are, you can never escape from the palm of Divine Elder of XingXiu. Stop trying to be stubborn and plead guilty." Ding ChunQiu smiled and nod his head, he twirl his fingers and listen.


    Xu Zhu is standing in the bedroom and he heard everything clearly, he pondered: "Martial grandfather and Mr Intelligent are indeed killed by Benefactor Ding. Alas, there is no need to even talk about revenge, i can''t even save my own small life."


    The crowd of XingXiu disciples all gave their remark, they kept urging AhZi to quickly surrender and confess honestly, while they are threatening her, more than half of the speech is praising the prestige of Divine Elder of XingXiu, for every sentence that is directed at AhZi they have to add another 3 sentence to sing praises on Ding ChunQiu.


    The greatest craving in Ding ChunQiu''s entire life is to listen to other people flatter him, the more corny and sappy the speech, the happier he is, he is already flattered by his disciples for over 10 years, he firmly believes their speech and felt that their praises are true. If a disciple did not exaggerate the praise, he will feel the disciple is not loyal enough. All the disciples are fully aware of Ding ChunQiu''s temper, whenever there is an opportunity they will do their utmost and make a huge fanfare in their praises, they know their life will be in danger if their praises are lacking. In reality, these XingXiu disciples are not born shameless, they are merely shaped by their circumstances, if they don''t behave in a certain way they cannot survive, thus after a long time their habits became natural and they no longer feel any shame when flattering or singing praises.


    Ding ChunQiu twirl his fingers in delight, his eyes are shut yet appears to be open, he is feeling smug and revel in the praises of his disciples. While fighting with Su XingHe, a huge portion of Ding ChunQiu''s long beard got burnt off, now only a few remains, afterwards he secretly deployed his deadly poison the and poisoned Su XingHe to death, thus he can be considered to be the victor in his battle with Su XingHe, now that he has fewer beard he appeared younger by 10 years.


    He plotted secretly: "AhZi that little girl, its difficult for her to escape the control of Divine Elder, tomorrow i will accept her back as a maid. But that little monk in that bedroom, i need to deal with him carefully, unexpectedly he did not die from my , later i will use my [Great Energy Dissolving Skill] and kill his dog life. I will then be able to get my hands on the Sect Leader''s ''Carefree Immortal Ring'', wonderful, wonderful!"


    After the time taken to eat a meal, the praises gradually died down, however there is still some who delve deep into open discussion and kept on praising, Ding ChunQiu raise his left hand and the praises stopped immediately, the disciples said in unison: "The achievements and virtue of Divine Elder of XingXiu covers heaven and earth, disciples are simple minded, we are not worthy to convey your greatness." Ding ChunQiu smiled and nod his head, he said to AhZi: "AhZi, what else you have to say?"


    AhZi suddenly had an idea: "In the past, i was my Master''s favourite, its because my flattering and boot-licking skill stands out from the masses, i am different from this bunch of stupid people, 100 years later and they still keep on saying these cliches." She said: "Master, disciple secretly took your [Divine Wooden King Tripod] to play, there is a reason behind it."


    Ding ChunQiu roll his eyes and ask: "What reason?"


    AhZi said: "Master, previously you look older, your power isn''t as great as your current younger self, you gained power with the help of the Divine Tripod and use it to practice your skills. But in recent years, anyone who come across Master will witness your peerless magical powers, this Divine Tripod is merely an object that gathers poison, compared to the achievements of Master, its like comparing firefly with the sun, they cannot be mentioned in the same breath. If Master is unwilling to discard this Divine Tripod its only because of past sentiments, nothing more. All these disciples make a big fuss, they claim this Divine Tripod is some important treasure, it will delay important matters if its lost, they are really silly and stupid, they really look down on Master''s remarkable magical powers."


    Ding ChunQiu nod his head repeatedly and said: "En, en, your words are logical, your words are logical!"


    AhZi continued: "Disciple thought, the martial arts of XingXiu Sect is so strong, the other sects all cannot be compared to us, but Master is gracious and magnanimous, you don''t want to argue with the lesser informed, its beneath your dignity to personally travel to Central Plains and teach these ill-informed people a lesson. But some of the people in the martial arts fraternity are arrogant, they knew Master won''t bicker with them and they started boasting and flaunting, they claim they are some kind of top expert or famous martial arts family. But no matter how they boast they still don''t dare to come to XingXiu Sea to receive a few moves from Master. Master''s appearance and mine are similar, they thought you are some newly recruited disciple, but they didn''t expect you to be the great founding father with unrivalled martial arts and peerless divine power. Everyone who practice martial arts all knows Master''s skill is deep and unfathomable, but its just ''deep and unfathomable'', nobody can describe how ''deep'' it is."


    Her voice is melodious, every single word registered deeply in Ding ChunQiu''s heart, it really is much better than the loud and tasteless praise from the rest of the disciples. Ding ChunQiu is getting more and more cheerful, his smiling so broadly that his eyes became a single line, he cannot help but nod repeatedly, feeling very pleased with himself.


    AhZi continued: "Disciple had a childish thought, Master have such remarkable magic powers, if you don''t go to Central Plains and display a few moves these ill-informed people will never broaden their horizon, they will never know there is someone even better than them. Thus i had an idea, i want to invite Master to Central Plains and teach them some lessons. But if i just simply invite Master then its too ordinary, its not suited to the status of Master as the number one expert. Hence, disciple borrowed your Divine Tripod, the purpose is to urge Master to come to Central Plains and let everyone see you, the handsome youngster. Master is so young and handsome, you look like my younger brother, everyone calls you ''Divine Elder of XingXiu'', its simply unreasonable. XingXiu Sect have such a handsome youngster like you, don''t tell me they have no eyes?" AhZi is naturally smart and intelligent, moreover all female have keen eye on ''everlasting youth and good looks'', she long noticed that her Master is worried about the effectiveness of [Eternal Youth Never Ageing Skill], the more he worry about everlasting youth, the more she have to compliment that he is youthful, thus she says that calling him ''Handsome Youngster of XingXiu'' is much better than ''Divine Elder of XingXiu''. After she finish speaking, she noticed her Master''s expression is favourable and enchanted, it seems her words hit the correct main points.


    Ding ChunQiu chuckled and said: "So you are saying that you took the Divine Tripod purely out of filial piety and obedience." AhZi said: "Of course. But other than filial piety and obedience, disciple also have a selfish motive." Ding ChunQiu frown and said: "What selfish motive?" AhZi smiled and said: "Master please don''t blame me, since i am a XingXiu disciple naturally i wish that my sect can dominate the entire world, isn''t it impressive to walk on the street and gain everyone''s respect and reverence? This is my selfish motive."


    Ding ChunQiu laugh out loudly and said: "Well said, well said! I have many disciples in my sect, none of them can match your quick-witted mind. So it turns out that stealing my [Divine Woode King Tripod] is to display my might and prestige. Hei hei, you really have the gift of the gab, its a pity to just kill you, i will then have one less person who can talk to me and relieve my boredom, but if i simply just let the matter rest then......." AhZi quickly interrupted: "Although it may seem that disciple got off too lightly, but who isn''t grateful to Master''s great magnanimous spirit? From now on we will spare no effort and do our utmost, even if we have to get our bodies torn and bones crushed."


    Ding ChunQiu said: "This kind of word is useful for fooling others, but you try this on me, you really think i am old and muddle-headed? You harbour evil intentions." AhZi quickly said: "To me, Master is a young urchin, ''old and muddle-headed'' are the words used by the rest of the disciples to slander Master......."


    As she spoke, suddenly there is a clear and bright voice: "Shop owner, prepare a seat!"


    Ding ChunQiu look from the side of his eyes, he saw a young gentleman wearing yellow robe, a long sword hanging by his waist, his sitting at the edge of a table, Ding ChunQiu did not know when this young gentleman entered the restaurant, the young man is Murong Fu. Ding ChunQiu was listening to AhZi, his feeling extremely happy, but at the same time he also kept his focus on the movements of Xu Zhu who is in the rear bedroom, his afraid that Xu Zhu might climb over the window and escape, thus he did not notice that another person suddenly appear in the restaurant, if Murong Fu had made a sneak attack Ding ChunQiu would have suffered a major loss. Ding ChunQiu trembled with fear at this thought, his countenance changed but he calm down immediately.

 Chapter - 33 Darkness Envelops Heaven And Earth, Star Shifting Movement

    Murong Fu greeted Ding ChunQiu: "Please to meet you, life is really full of coincidence, we just parted for a short while and we meet each other again."


    Ding ChunQiu smiled and said: "Fate brought us together." Ding ChunQiu pondered: "Although this man is my relative-in-law but i wounded a few of his important subordinates, would he let the matter rest easily? Gusu Murong family got hold of the collection of martial arts manuals which i taken from Wuliang Cave, along with their own ancestral martial arts, their martial art knowledge is extremely deep and profound, ''Returning you with your own move'' they are famous far and wide, his hidden weapon skill in firing the chess-piece is really formidable. Previously he entered into trance while playing chess, originally i wanted to seize the opportunity and eliminate him, but he was saved by someone else. Although this little boy martial arts is high, but he don''t know sorcery." He turn his head and said to AhZi: "Just now you said that if i stripe you of all your martial arts, pick off all your tendon and veins, break your hand and feet, you would rather die than tell me the location of the object, correct?"


    AhZi is extremely scared, her voice trembled: "Master is magnanimous and generous, there is no need......no need.....to take disciple''s nonsense...serio.......seriously."


    Murong Fu smiled and said: "Mr Ding, you are so old already, why lower your level and bicker with a child? Come come come, i give you three toasts, we will discuss literature and martial arts, isn''t it good? Tidying you sect matter in front of an outsider, isn''t it too damaging to your reputation?" he knew that in terms of relations, he should address Ding ChunQiu as ''Great Uncle in-law'', but he simply refuse to address him as such.


    Ding ChunQiu had yet to reply, a disciple shouted furiously: "You really have no respect for senior, my Master is the most revered supreme martial artist, how can he discuss literature and martial arts with a younger generation boy like you? Are qualified to discuss with my Master?"


    Another person shouted: "Respectfully kowtow and ask for guidance, Divine Elder of XingXiu always love to help the underdeveloped, maybe he will give you a few pointers. But you want to discuss literature and martial arts with him, haha, aren''t you afraid that people will laugh until their mouth becomes slanted? Haha!" he laugh two times, but his expression is extremely odd, after a while, he laugh one more time again, his voice is hoarse, after laughing his mouth is wide open and he did not make any more sound, his expression is still odd and mysterious, his smile is really comical.


    The rest of the disciples knew this person contracted their Master''s , everyone was overwhelmed with shock, this person is their fellow apprentice, they dare not breathe, they lowered their head and dare not look at their Master, they thought: "I wonder how he offended Master with his words just now, Master used such violent method to kill him? I have to carefully think about his words and refine them, i cannot repeat the same mistakes!"


    Ding ChunQiu was furious yet fearful. Just now while talking to AhZi, he wave his sleeve, he secretly channelled his internal energy and send the poison at Murong Fu. The poison is colorless and odorless, the poison powder extremely fine, moreover the sky is already dark, the restaurant is dark and hazy, even with Murong Fu high level of martial arts he definitely cannot detect it, but Ding ChunQiu don''t know what kind of method Murong Fu employed as he manage to transfer the onto his own disciple. Its not big deal losing one disciple, but Murong Fu did not move his hand or feet while talking and somehow he manage to transfer the poison powder onto another person, obviously the powder was not repelled by internal energy, even with Ding ChunQiu extensive knowledge he still can''t figure out what kind of skills Murong Fu employed. Ding ChunQiu thought of the phrase: "Returning you with your own move!" The technique used by Murong Fu must be similar to ''Catching and redirecting hidden weapons'', ''Catching and redirecting darts'', ''Catching and redirecting arrows'', Murong Fu must have caught the poison powder and redirected it back. But the powder is extremely fine, how can it not land on his body, and he immediately redirect it back?


    Ding ChunQiu is having second thoughts: "But if we talk about ''Returning you with your own move'', this should be return back to me, heng, its likely that this boy is afraid of Divine Elder, he don''t dare to pull the tiger''s whiskers." When he thought of ''pull the tiger''s whiskers'' he touch his beard, there is only 7-8 strands of burnt short-beard left, his felt vex and angry: "Later when i have time i will shave off this beard so that i can appear younger. Even with Su XingHe and XuanNan martial arts and internal energy they still died by Divine Elder''s hand, Murong Fu is still wet behind the ears, how can he even fight with me?" He said: "Gentleman Murong, fate really brought us together." As he finish speaking his body floated forward, he wave his palm and hack down.


    Murong Fu long heard of the evil reputation of Ding ChunQiu''s [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], he slanted his body and dodge. Ding ChunQiu chop 3 times in succession, Murong Fu used his exquisite body movement to evade, he did not match palm with him.


    Both of them fought faster and faster, the small restaurant is filled with tables and stools, the place is really cramp, there is simply no room for action, but both of them weave and move between the tables and chairs, unexpectedly they did not make any sound at all, they did not match palm or fist, even the tables and chairs remain intact and did not move.


    All the XingXiu disciples stood plastered to the wall, nobody dares to step out of the door, their Master is current fighting a formidable opponent, if anyone abandons him then he is committing a huge offense and is not loyal to the sect. Everyone knows the situation is dangerous, if they get caught by the palm wind their life will be in danger, they pray that their body can turn into a thin piece of paper as they desperately plaster themselves onto the wall. They saw Murong Fu is defending rather than attacking, although his palm move is wonderful but because he is unwilling to match palm with Ding ChunQiu, his hands and feet seems to be tied and he is at a disadvantage. The XingXiu disciples secretly rejoice.


    After numerous moves, Ding ChunQiu became aware that Murong Fu is unwilling to match palm with him, obviously he is afraid of the [Great Energy Dissolving Skill]. Since his opponent is afraid of the skill, it goes without saying that he must use this skill to subdue him, but Murong Fu''s body movement is swift and unpredictable, its difficult to force him to match palm moves. After another few palm moves, Ding ChunQiu suddenly had an idea, his right palm wave horizontally and advance, but he pretended that his left hand is not as agile, he deliberately make an effort to cover it up so that Murong Fu won''t notice it.


    Murong Fu''s martial art is exquisite, how can he not notice the slightest weakness in his opponent moves? Murong Fu slanted his body and made a half turn, suddenly he send out two palm strike, the power is very fierce, he is targeting Ding ChunQiu left torso. Ding ChunQiu snorted softly and retreated one step, unexpectedly he did not use his left palm to meet the palm strike. Murong Fu pondered: "The left torso of this Old Freak seems to have sustained some internal injury." Immediately he press on and did not give any leeway, although his attacks seems to be focusing on the right side, but all his internal energy is completely focus on attacking the left side.


    After fighting for 20 moves, Ding ChunQiu left hand withdraw into his sleeve, he flip his right palm and formed a claw, he clawed at Murong Fu''s face. Murong Fu tilted his body and spin past him, he stick out his fist and strike Ding ChunQiu''s left torso. Ding ChunQiu is waiting for this fist for a long time, his opponent finally strike out with his fist, he cannot help but feel delighted, immediately he fling his left sleeve at his opponent''s right arm.


    Murong Fu pondered: "Even if the wind from your sleeve is 10 times more powerful, how can it even harm me?" he did not withdraw his fist, he channelled his internal energy to his arm and forcibly endure the sleeve''s attack, there is a ''Chi'' sound, unexpectedly Murong Fu''s right sleeve was torn off. Murong Fu was shock, suddenly something seems to tighten around his fist, Ding ChunQiu had gripped his fist.


    This move is beyond Murong Fu''s anticipation, he suddenly realized: "This Old Freak is pretending to be injured, he is trying to tempt me, i fallen into his trap!" he felt remorseful: "I was arrogant, i belittled this world famous Old Freak of XingXiu." Currently its not possible for him to retreat, he poured his entire internal energy into his right fist and send it out.


    Murong Fu did not expect the toxicity of the [Great Energy Dissolving Skill] to act immediately, the internal energy he sent through his meridians cannot be gathered in his right fist, it seems to have been dissolved by his opponent. Murong Fu secretly cried out: "Ayo!" he is fighting Ding ChunQiu for the first time, he concentrated his attention and did not give any chance to Ding ChunQiu to use his [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], unexpectedly he still can''t avoid it. Murong Fu is trapped with no way out, if he channel his internal energy to resist, no matter how strong his internal energy it will all be dissolved and he will lose all his internal energy; but if he defend and withdraw his internal energy, all kinds of poison from Ding ChunQiu will also follow his internal energy pathway and enter his inner organs.


    As he hesitated, suddenly someone shouted behind him: "Master set up this clever trick, this stinky boy trapped himself in a desperate situation." Murong Fu quickly retreated two steps, he stretch out his left palm and grab the chest of the XingXiu disciple.


    The supreme consummate skill of Gusu Murong family is a technique that borrows force and redirect it back, its known as [Star Shifting Movement]. Outsiders are unaware of this technique, they only know about the brilliant skills of Murong family''s ''Returning you with your own move'', when dealing the killing blow the Murong family will always use the opponent''s signature move or unique consummate skills, the Murong family knows everything and is proficient in all of them. In reality, there are tens of thousands of moves and unique consummate skills, no matter how smart you are you can never master every single technique, moreover for unique consummate skills you definitely cannot learn it within a short period of time. Murong family have this incomparably ingenious technique, [Star Shifting Movement], regardless of the martial arts used, all the force can be shifted and redirected back at the opponent.


    For those adept in [Throat Sealing Sword], if they thrust their sword at Murong Fu''s throat, Murong Fu will use [Star Shifting Movement] and the sword will end up thrusting their own throat, the weapon, the force, the technique, all of them come from their own move; For those adept in [Gate Breaking Knife], they will chop down with their knife but end up chopping their own arm. The weapon is their own, the technique and move is their own. As long as no one witness how Murong Fu use this [Star Shifting Movement], no one will suspect that these people died due to suicide. Murong Fu inherited the technique from his father, both father and son train painstakingly and secretly in the cellar of Canhe Manor, outsiders are completely ignorant about it, Gusu Murong family shakes the martial arts fraternity by force, but nobody knows their true martial arts.


    The opponent''s weapons, fists, kicks, they act and suffer for it, the sole reason is due to redirection. Its the same logic as punching a stone wall, the harder the force exerted, the harder the counter-force by the stone wall. However, its easy to redirect tangible objects such as weapons, fists and kicks, but its extremely difficult to redirect internal energy attacks. Although Murong Fu practice this set of skill for many years, but he is limited by his young age and he have yet to reach the pinnacle of this skill, thus he cannot use [Star Shifting Movement] on top experts like Ding ChunQiu to redirect the attacks back at him, however he made use of this good opportunity and displayed his [Star Shifting Movement] on the XingXiu disciple. He shifted and redirected, but its targeted at the XingXiu disciple.


    Currently, Murong Fu is trapped by the [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], he tried to redirect his opponent''s finishing blow, luckily the XingXiu disciple is eager to fawn upon Ding ChunQiu, he shouted and revealed his exact position. In an act of desperation, Murong Fu did not have time to think and he simply grabbed the XingXiu disciple and immediately shifted and redirected, he swapped position with him. This risky manoeuvre unexpectedly worked, Ding ChunQiu intended to ''dissolve'' Murong Fu''s internal energy, but as he transmit his poison he actually ''dissolve'' the energy of his own disciple.


    Murong Fu succeeded in a single attempt and escape mortal danger, he quickly made use of this good opportunity and did not give Ding ChunQiu any chance to think, he push the XingXiu disciple onto another XingXiu disciple. The internal energy of this 2nd disciple is immediately sealed by the poison of Ding ChunQiu''s [Great Energy Dissolving Skill].


    Ding ChunQiu saw Murong Fu redirecting his force and harming his own disciples, he is extremely angry, but he pondered: "If i protect these worthless disciples and release his fist, then it will be extremely difficult to grab hold of him again. My XingXiu Sect will suffer a huge defeat and Divine Elder of XingXiu cannot establish his might in Central Plains." Immediately he increase pressure in his fingers, no matter what happen he won''t release Murong Fu''s fist, poison transmit endlessly from his palm.


    Murong Fu retreated a few steps, he quickly grab another XingXiu disciple and diverted the poison of [Great Energy Dissolving Skill] onto the disciple''s body. In no time three XingXiu disciples had their internal energy sealed, they lie down on the floor paralyzed. Everyone was greatly astonish, they saw Murong Fu retreat towards them, all of them cry out in alarm and flee for their lives. Murong Fu shakes his arm, the three poisoned XingXiu disciples stick together and flew up, one of them bump against another disciple. The person cry out in alarm and his body instantly turns soft.


    The remaining disciples could see it clearly, as long as their Master refuse to release Murong Fu he will just keep on borrowing force to harm others, inevitably their internal energy will be ''dissolved'' by their Master and they might be the next victim, they panic but no one dares to escape and step out of the door, they scurried around like rats to avoid suffering from their Master''s poison hands.


    But the restaurant is simply too small, Murong Fu wave his arm and he manage to hit 3-4 XingXiu disciple. Ding ChunQiu saw his disciples dodging pathetically, no one have the time to praise him. He is angry yet ashamed, he pondered: "If i defeat Gusu Murong it will be a famous event that shake the entire world. By then, won''t it be easy to find disciples who can boast and boot-lick?" Ding ChunQiu surveyed his surroundings, of all his disciples only two did not run around, one of them is You TanZhi, he is squatting at a corner with his iron-head between his arms, obviously he is very scared, the other person is AhZi, her complexion is pale, she is squatting at another corner and observing the fight.


    Ding ChunQiu shouted: "AhZi!" AhZi is currently in a daze, unexpectedly her Master shouted at her, she stare stupidly for a while and said: "Master, Divine Junior of XingXiu displaying his immortal power......." she only complete half her sentence as she found it awkward, she laugh and could not carry on talking. Her Master is indeed displaying his immortal power, but he is injuring his own disciples, thus she don''t know how to praise him.


    Ding ChunQiu cannot control Murong Fu, he is feeling extremely vex, AhZi address him as "Divine Junior of XingXiu", although this name is pretty good but her smiling expression is obviously ridiculing him, he cannot help but feel angry and his lust for violence burst forth, he wave his left sleeve and brush away two chopsticks on the table, the chopsticks flew swiftly towards AhZi''s eyes.


    AhZi cried out: "Ayo!" she quickly extended her hands to smack down the chopsticks, however she is slower by one step, the chopsticks touch both her eyes, she felt itchy and numb, she quickly use her sleeve to rub her eyes, she open her eyes, all she saw was white shadows swaying, after a short period of time the white shadows gradually disappear and it was completely pitch-black.


    She was scared out of her wits, she shouted loudly: "My....my eyes.....my eyes....i can''t see anything!"


    Suddenly a burst of cold air entered her body, immediately after an arm wrap around her waist, someone hugged her and ran out of the restaurant. AhZi shouted: "My....my eyes...." there is a crashing sound behind her, it seems to be clashing of palms, AhZi felt as if she was soaring on cloud and she flew up, she was in a daze and vaguely heard Murong Fu shout: "I cannot accompany you anymore. Old Freak of XingXiu, see you......"


    ******


    AhZi felt the cold chilling her to the bone, the wind is rushing beside her ears, someone who is colder than ice is hugging her and running madly. She is so cold that her jaws hit each other, she moaned: "So cold....my eyes....cold, so cold."


    The person said: "Yes, yes. We will flee to that forest, Divine Elder of XingXiu won''t be able to find us." He kept talking and running at the same time. After a while, AhZi felt his footsteps stop, he put her down lightly, there is a rustling sound underneath her body, she is put onto of a pile of dried leaves. The person said: "Miss, how....how is your eyes?"


    AhZi felt sharp pain in her eyes, she open her eyes fully but she can''t see anything at all, everything turn into black, she realize her eyes had been blinded by Ding ChunQiu''s poison, she burst into tears: "I....i am blind!"


    The person comforted her softly: "Maybe it can be treated." AhZi said furiously: "The poison of Old Freak Ding is so powerful, how can it be treated? You are lying! I am blind, i am blind!" and she continue to cry loudly. The person said: "There is a brook nearby, let us go over there and wash off the poison in your eyes." As he finish speaking he pulled her right hand and supported her up.


    AhZi felt his palm is strangely cold, she cannot help but withdraw, the person released his grip. AhZi move two steps, she stumbled and almost fall down. The person said: "Careful!" and he grip her hand again. This time AhZi did not withdraw her hand and she allowed him to guide her to the brook. The person said: "Don''t be scared, we are at the brook already."


    AhZi knelt down and scoop the water with her hands to wash her eyes. The cool water touch her eyes and her pain gradually diminish, but her vision is still completely black, she can''t see any light. In a split second she felt hopelessness, grieve, anger, helplessness, all kinds of emotions surge forth, she sat down and burst into tears, both her legs move up and down and beat the brook, she cried: "You are lying, you are lying, i am blind, i am blind!"


    The person said: "Miss, don''t be sad. I won''t leave you...you....rest assured."


    AhZi felt somewhat comforted, she ask: "You....who are you?" the person said: "I....i...." AhZi said: "Sorry! Many thanks for saving me. What is your honourable name?" the person said: "I....i....Miss you don''t know me." AhZi said: "You are unwilling to even tell me your name, still lie to me that you won''t leave me, i....i am blind, its....its better for me to just die." She started crying again.


    The person said: "Miss you definitely must not die. I....i will never leave you. If Miss allow me to accompany you, i will always.....i will always be at your side." AhZi said: "I don''t believe you! You are lying, you are trying to trick me not to seek death. I want to die, i am blind, what the point in living?" The person said: "I will never lie to you, if i leave you then i will die a horrible death." His tone is anxious, obviously he is sincere. AhZi said: "Then who are you?"


    The person said: "I...i am JuXian Manor....no, no, my surname is Zhuang, named JuXian."


    The person who saved AhZi is the young master of JuXian Manor, You TanZhi.


    AhZi said: "So you are Zhuang....senior Zhuang, many thanks for saving me." You TanZhi said: "I am very happy to be able to save you from the poisonous hands of Ding ChunQiu, there is no need to thank me. I am not a senior, i am only older than you by a few years." AhZi said: "En, then i will call you elder brother Zhuang." You TanZhi felt boundless joy, he voice trembled: "This...this...i don''t deserve it."


    AhZi said: "Elder brother Zhuang, i need to request something from you." You TanZhi said: "Don''t need to request, Miss just give your instruction, i will disregard my life and do my best to fulfil it." AhZi smiled and said: "You and i are total strangers, why you treat me so well?" You TanZhi said: "Yes, yes, yes we are total strangers, i never see you before, you, you also never see me before. We...we are seeing each other for the first time." AhZi said dimly: "Seeing each other? I will never be able to see you." As she said this she cannot help it and her tears rolled down.


    You TanZhi quickly said: "Its not important. Its best that you can''t see me." AhZi ask: "Why?" You TanZhi said: "My...my appearance is very ugly, if Miss sees me you will definitely be unhappy." AhZi smile sweetly and said: "You are lying again, i have seen all the weirdest people in the world. I have a slave, he is wearing an iron mask, he can never take it off, he is truly ugly. If you see him i guarantee you will laugh for 3 days and 3 nights. You want to look at him?"


    You TanZhi is trembling: "No, no! I don''t want to see." He cannot help but retreat 2 steps.


    AhZi said: "Your martial art is good, when you carried me and run your speed is almost as fast as my brother-in-law, but you are a coward, you don''t even dare to see an iron-head man. Elder brother Zhuang, that iron-head man is very amusing, i ask him to do cartwheel for you, i ask him to stick his head inside a tiger cage and let the beast bite his head. Then i ask someone to fly him like a kite, its really fun and interesting."


    You TanZhi cannot help but shiver, he said: "I don''t want to see, i really don''t want to see."


    AhZi sigh and said: "Fine. Just now you claim that you will fulfil whatever request that i have, it seems you are lying." You TanZhi said: "No, no! I won''t lie to you. Miss what you want me to do?"


    AhZi said: "I want to return to my brother-in-law, he is at Nanjing in Liao Empire. Elder brother Zhuang, please escort me there."


    You TanZhi is stunned, he did not reply.


    AhZi said: "Why? Your unwilling?" You TanZhi said: "No...its not that i am unwilling, but.....but i don''t want......i don''t want to go to Liao Empire." AhZi said: "I ask you to go look at the amusing iron-head man and you refuse. Now i ask you to escort me to my brother-in-law and you also refuse. Then i just have to travel alone." She slowly stood up, she extend her hands and move forward to find a path.


    You TanZhi said: "I will accompany you! How can you go alone....how can you succeed like this?"


    You TanZhi hold onto AhZi''s soft and smooth hand and guided her out of the forest, he pondered: "If i can hold onto her hand like this and walk slowly, even if we are walking to the 18th level of hell i will also be happy."


    They reach the main road and came face to face with a group of beggars. The leader of the group is tall and thin, his appearance refine, You TanZhi recognize him as Great Wisdom Hall-Master Quan GuanQing, You TanZhi pondered: "My Master injure these people, unexpectedly they did not die." He did not want to meet them and he quickly drag AhZi to get off the main road and walk towards wasteland. AhZi felt the terrain is uneven and bumpy, she ask: "What happen?"


    You TanZhi had yet to reply as Quan GuanQing spotted them, he quickly rush over to block them and shouted in a stern voice: "Your behaviour is secretive, what you trying to do? You....you are so strange-looking, what is that?"


    You TanZhi was very anxious, he thought: "If he shouts out ''iron-head man'' then AhZi will immediately know who i am, she will not pay attention to me anymore. She won''t let me hold onto her hand and accompany her to Nanjing." He quickly made some hand gestures to warn Quan GuangQing not to reveal his appearance.


    Quang GuangQing did not understand the meaning of his hand gestures, he ask curiously: "What you doing?" You TanZhi pointed at AhZi, he wave his hands, he pointed at his mouth and wave his hands again, after that he cupped his fists as a sign of respect. Quan GuangQing could tell that AhZi is blind, he vaguely understands that the iron-head man is asking him not to speak, as he was thinking about what to do the rest of the beggars had rush to his side.


    One of the beggars pointed at You TanZhi''s head and burst into loud laughter, he shouted: "This is so strange, this iron......" You TanZhi threw himself forward and strike out with his palm. The beggar raise his hands to block, there is a few ''Kala Kala'' sound, the beggar''s arm bone and ribs broke simultaneously, his body flew up a few zhang and landed on the floor, he died violently.


    The rest of the beggars are shock and furious, five of them attack You TanZhi together. You TanZhi wave both his palms, he strike and slap randomly. His martial art is lousy, it cannot be compared with these beggars, but his palm moves everywhere and sounds of ''Kala'', ''Kala'', ''Ayo'', ''Aiyo'', ''Peng Peng Peng'', ''Pu Pu'', the five beggars all flew up and landed on the ground, they died one after another. Everyone was terrified, after surrounding You TanZhi and AhZi they dare not step forward to attack.


    You TanZhi suddenly cupped his fists and salute Quan GuanQing, he pointed at AhZi and at his iron-head, he wave his hands.


    Quan GuanQing saw him killed six beggars with just a few wave of his hands, his internal energy is extremely profound, such power is rarely seen, he can simply step forward and attack but he made a salute, Quan GuanQing don''t understand his intentions, he copied You TanZhi and made hand gestures, he pointed at AhZi, pointed at You TanZhi''s head, pointed at his own mouth and wave his hands. You TanZhi was overjoyed and nod his head repeatedly. Quan GuanQing had an idea: "This person''s internal energy is strangely profound, but his scared that i will leak out his secret, it seems i can use this matter to control him and make use of him." At once he said to the rest of the beggars: "Everyone please keep quiet, nobody is allowed to speak." You TanZhi is very happy, he cupped his fists at Quan GuanQing again.


    AhZi ask: "Elder brother Zhuang, who is it? Did you kill someone?" You TanZhi said: "Its some friends from Beggar Clan, we had some misunderstandings. Great Wisdom Hall-Master Quan is benevolent and righteous, he is a good person, i respect him alot. I....i accidently harmed a few of his brothers, i feel very apologetic." As he finish speaking he bow to the rest of the beggars.


    AhZi said: "Is there good people in Beggar Clan? Elder brother Zhuang, your martial art is so high, why don''t you simply kill them all and help my brother-in-law vent his resentment."


    You TanZhi quickly said: "No, no, this a misunderstanding. Hall-Master Quan is my good friend, just wait there, i will clarify the matter with Hall-Master Quan." As he finish speaking he beckon Quan GuanQing over.


    Guan GuanQing was baffled as this iron-head man recognize him, but it seems he does not have any evil intention, he followed and they move away 10 zhang.


    You TanZhi saw that AhZi is far away from him, she definitely cannot hear him speak, but he is afraid that the Beggar Clan''s members will hurt her, he dare not move further anymore and stop, he cupped his hands and said: "Hall-Master Quan, i hope you can help me cover up the truth, i will never forget your great kindness and virtue."


    Quan GuanQing said: "The ongoing of this matter, i really can''t make head or tail of it. May i know the honourable name of respected brother?" You TanZhi said: "My surname is Zhuang, named JuXian, i met some unfortunate incident and this iron mask ended up on my head, you cannot let that lady know of this matter."


    Quan GuanQing notice that You TanZhi kept looking at AhZi while speaking, he is very caring and passionate, Quan GuanQing already deduced 70-80% of this matter, he pondered: "This young lady is pretty and elegant, this iron-head man must be in love with her, he is afraid of letting her know about his grotesque appearance." He ask: "Brother Zhuang, how come you recognize me?" You TanZhi said: "Your Great Wisdom Hall had a gathering to discuss who to nominate as Clan Leader, i happen to be nearby and heard someone address you as Hall-Master Quan. I accidentally injure some of your brothers today, really....its really my fault, i hope Hall-Master Quan can forgive me."


    Quan GuanQing said: "Its just some misunderstanding, there is no need to take offense. Brother Zhuang, this object on your head, i will never speak about it, later i will inform my subordinates and they will also not speak about it." You TanZhi is so grateful that he is nearly in tears, he cupped his hands repeatedly and said: "Many thanks, many thanks." Quan GuanQing said: "But Brother Zhuang, if you walk hand in hand with this lady its unavoidable that you will meet some people, they will definitely make a huge fuss and shout it out, even if Brother Zhuang kills all of them it will be too late."


    You TanZhi said: "Yes, yes." After saving AhZi his mind is drifting, he never consider such matters, after hearing Quan GuanQing logical deduction he did not have any idea on what to do, he stammered: "I...i will hide with her in some deserted mountain."


    Quan GuanQing smiled and said: "I am afraid that lady will be suspicion, moreover if both of you become husband and wife, sooner or later she will know."


    You TanZhi felt his chest heating up, he said: "Become husba.....husband and wife, i didn''t think of that, its not possible, how am i.....worthy? But....but....that is really difficult."


    Quan GuanQing said: "Brother Zhuang, you didn''t abandon me and say that i am your good friend. Since i am your good friend, i will think of an idea for you. Let''s do this, we will travel to the small town ahead and rent a carriage, you and that lady will sit in the carriage, just lower the curtains and no one can see you anymore." You TanZhi is very excited, his able to sit together with AhZi in a carriage, its even better than being an immortal, he quickly said: "Correct, correct! Hall-Master Quan''s idea is great."


    Quan GuanQing said: "After that we will think of an idea to remove this iron mask from Brother Zhuang, i assure you the lady will never know about this awkward matter. What do you think?"


    There is a ''Pu'' sound, You TanZhi knelt down and kowtow to Quan GuanQing, his iron-head knock on the floor and made a ''Dong Dong'' sound.


    Quan GuangQing also knelt down and return the courtesy, he said: "Brother Zhuang you pay such respect to me, how can i accept it? If Brother Zhuang don''t mind why don''t both of us become sworn brothers?" You TanZhi said happily: "Wonderful, wonderful! I don''t understand anything, if i have such a resourceful elder brother like you to guide me then it couldn''t be much better." Quan GuanQing burst into loud laughter and said: "Elder brother is older than you by a few years, i will be blunt and address you as younger brother from now on."


    ******


    During the earth shattering battle between Ding ChunQiu and Su XingHe, Duan Yu''s gaze never left Wang YuYan body at all, as for Wang YuYan she is always gazing tenderly at her cousin Murong Fu. Both their gaze never meet each other.


    After Ding ChunQiu suffered a defeat and escaped, Xu Zhu and the rest of the Carefree Sect members had their own private meeting, Murong Fu and the rest left by themselves, thus Duan Yu involuntarily followed behind Wang YuYan.


    As they travelled down the mountain, Murong Fu cupped his hands towards Duan Yu and said: "Brother Duan, its fortunate that we get to meet today, we will part now, hope to see you again." Duan Yu said: "Yes, yes. Its really a fortunate meeting today, we will part now, hope to see you again." But he still kept on staring at Wang YuYan. Murong Fu felt disgruntled, he snorted, turn around and walk away. Duan Yu is reluctant to part and also followed them.


    Bao BuTong raise his hands and block in front of Duan Yu, he said: "Gentleman Duan, today you save my young master, many thanks." Duan Yu said: "No need to be so formal." Bao BuTong said: "We already offered out thanks, there is no more gratitude or debt. You keep staring at our Miss Wang, its really rude, now you still want to follow us, its extremely rude. You are an educated person, you should understand: ''Do not look at something contrary to courtesy, do not do something contrary to courtesy'', you understand the meaning? I don''t have any muscular strength on me now but i still have strength to curse people." Duan Yu gave a sigh, he shakes his head and said: "Since this is the case then its best that Brother Bao do not say something contrary to courtesy, i will not look at something contrary to courtesy."


    Bao BuTong burst into loud laughter and said: "Now you are correct!" he turn around and followed Murong Fu. Wang YuYan is engross in chatting with Murong Fu, she completely ignored Duan Yu.


    Duan Yu kept staring at Wang YuYan until her shadow disappear from the forest, he is still entrance, Zhu DanChen said: "Young master, let us go!" Duan Yu said: "Yes, its time to leave." But he still did not move, Zhu DanChen had to urge him 3 more times before he finally mounted the horse brought by Gu DuCheng. Duan Yu is riding on the horse but his eyes are still looking at the path taken by Wang YuYan.


    After handing over the letter to Quan GuanQing, Duan Yu hurried back to report to Duan ZhengChun, as the chess meet is nearing, Duan Yu got permission from his father and Zhu DanChen and the rest of the guards accompanied him to the chess meet. Sure enough, he finally get to meet his sweetheart at the chess meet, but now he is distress and anxious, he really don''t know whether meeting her is good or bad.


    The group travelled for 20 li, on the main road a dust cloud is gathering as 10 riders gallop over, they are the three ministers of Dali, Hua HeGen, Fan Hua and Ba TianShi, as well as Cui BaiQuan, Guo YanZhi and the rest. The party gallop near them and they dismounted and salute Duan Yu. It seems the martial nephew of Cui BaiQuan had obtained some insiders information at Funiu Mountain, they know that Prince Zhennan is in Henan province and is nursing his injuries nearby at Funiu Mountain, thus they immediately came to visit, it so happens that Hua HeGen and the rest received orders from Duan ZhengChun to protect Duan Yu as he is afraid that Duan Yu might meet some danger at the chess meet, thus everyone met up and followed along. The group heard that Duan YanQing also attended the chess meet, but luckily he did not harm Duan Yu and everyone was relief.


    Zhu DanChen secretly reported to Fan Hua and the other two minister on how Duan Yu met the pretty lady from Gusu Murong family, how he kept staring at her, how he seems to have lost his soul and tried to follow them, luckily the other party rejected Duan Yu. Fan Hua and the rest look at each other and smile, they pondered: "Young Prince inherited from his family and is also philandering by nature. If he can forget about his passion towards his own sister, Miss Mu, then its a good thing."


    At night fall, the party had their dinner at an inn. Fan Hua narrated their journey in Jiangnan, he said: "Young master, the Murong family is very secretive, in the future if you meet them you have to be very careful." Duan Yu said: "Why?" Fan Hua said: "The three of us received orders from the Prince, we went to Suzhou''s Basin of Swallow and investigated the house of Murong family, we were looking for hints or clues as to whether Shaolin Master XuanBei was killed by Murong family." Cui BaiQuan and Guo YanZhi were deeply concern, they ask in unison: "Did the three of you find anything?" Fan Hua said: "The three of us did not openly seek an audience, we investigated secretly, there is no male or female owner at Murong house, only a few servants and maids. There are quite a few large manor there but there is only one young lady called AhBi tending to the housework." Duan Yu nod his head and said: "En, this Miss AhBi is a very good person. You didn''t harm her correct?"


    Fan Hua smiled and said: "We didn''t, we investigated for a few night, we searched every single corner of Murong family''s manor, we didn''t find anything unusual. Brother Ba suddenly thought of something, that foreign monk Jiumozhi kidnap Young master from Dali to Jiangnan, he said he wanted to offer sacrifice at Mr Murong''s grave....." Cui BaiQuan interrupted and said: "Ya, that little servant girl at the manor, she refuse to lead the foreign monk to the grave, luckily she acted that way and Young master manage to escape from the evil hands of the monk."


    Duan Yu nod his head and said: "AhZhu and AhBi, the two of them are really good people. I wonder what happen to them? Is AhBi still healthy and well?" Ba TianShi smiled and said: "For three nights, we hang around outside the window and saw Miss AhBi sewing a man''s robe, Young Master, she is sewing it for you correct?" Duan Yu quickly said: "No, no. Mostly probably its for her Young Master Murong." Ba TianShi said: "Ya, i notice that little servant girl is infatuated and head over heels in love, always thinking about her Young Master Murong, the three of us entered the house and she didn''t notice it at all. She kept mumbling to herself: ''Its useless, its useless, he won''t care about me the least bit, what''s the point in thinking about him?''" Bai TianShi''s speech is directed at Duan Yu, reminding him not to follow his father''s footstep, spreading his love everywhere, Bai TianShi emphasize AhBi''s concerns toward her Young Master Murong, thus Duan Yu should not think too much about AhBi.


    In reality, although Duan Yu had good impression of AhBi but it is not passion, Duan Yu sigh: "Correct, AhBi is correct, ''Its useless, its useless, she won''t care about me the least bit, what''s the point in thinking about her?''" AhBi long for her Young Master Murong, but Duan Yu misunderstood it and thought AhBi is advising him not to think about Wang YuYan, Duan Yu said: "Gentleman Murong''s elegance is without equal, no wonder! Moreover they are cousins, they are childhood sweethearts who grew up together....."


    Fan Hua, Ba TianShi and the rest look at each other in dismay, they pondered: "Its possible for the little servant girl and her Young Master to be childhood sweethearts, but how come they are cousins?" they did not expect Duan Yu to mix Wang YuYan into the issue.


    Cui BaiQuan ask: "Minister Fan and Minister Ba mention that the foreign monk wanted to visit Mr Murong''s grave, what is the reasoning behind it? How is it related to the death of my martial brother?" Fan Hua said: "I mentioned this matter so that everyone can analyze it together. When elder brother Hua heard the word ''grave'', his hands immediately became itchy and said: ''Maybe there is something strange in that old man''s grave, let us go dig it and check it out.'' Brother Ba and i did not support his idea, Gusu Murong family is world famous, our Duan family digging their grave, its really a bit too much. But elder brother Hua said: ''We will secretly go in by digging an underground tunnel, who will know about it?'' both of us can''t dissuade him and thus we just followed his idea. The grave is located at the rear of the manor, its very well hidden and secluded, its really not easy to find. The three of us dug out way into the grave and we open the coffin, brother Cui, guess what we saw?"


    Cui BaiQuan and Guo YanZhi stood up at the same time and ask: "What is inside?"


    Fan Hua said: "The coffin is empty, there is no corpse."


    Cui BaiQuan and Guo YanZhi open their mouth widely, they were speechless for quite some time. After a long time, Cui BaiQuan smack his thigh and said: "Murong Bo did not die. He ask his son to appear in public at Central Plains, he is several thousand li away and committing murder, he deliberately complicate the matter. My martial brother....my martial brother must have been killed by that evil Murong Bo!"


    Fan Hua shakes his head and said: "Brother Cui you once told me that Murong Bo martial art is unmeasurably deep and profound, if he really wants to kill someone he can use other method, why must he purposely use ''Returning you with your own move'' and let other people suspect he is Murong family? If he really wants the martial arts fraternity to know his power why the need to feign death? If not for elder brother Hua, who else can uncover this secret?"


    Cui BaiQuan sat down, he is disappointed, he thought he knew the truth but the matter is still a complete mystery.


    Duan Yu said: "There are thousands and tens of thousands of techniques from the various sects and schools, to master and understand the essence of every single skill, its really the same as flying to heaven, but he somehow had enough intelligence and wisdom, he understood all the martial arts thoroughly....."


    Cui BaiQuan said: "Ya, my martial brother''s move, [Splitting Heaven Soul Into Thousand], its a secret move of my Funiu Sect not passed on to outsider, how come he knows it, how did he use this move to kill my martial brother?"


    Duan Yu shakes his head and said: "Naturally she knows it, but she does not even have the strength to kill a chicken, even though she knows the martial arts of various sects and schools but she cannot use them, she is kind and virtuous, she will never kill people."


    Everyone look at each other in dismay, after a while, they slowly shake their head at the same time.


    ******


    When AhZi was blinded by Ding ChunQiu, You TanZhi bravely dash in without concern for his own safety and escaped with her. Ding ChunQiu was slightly distracted, the strength in his finger slacken a little, Murong Fu made use of the opportunity and immediately executed his [Star Shifting Movement], Ding ChunQiu five fingers gripped his own disciple. Murong Fu''s fist was released, he quickly leap out and laugh heartily and shouted: "I cannot accompany you anymore. Old Freak of XingXiu, hope to see you again." He executed his lightness martial art, he did not turn his head back and left quickly.


    He manage to injure around 10 XingXiu disciples, he achieved overwhelming victory, he avenged his four henchmen who were poisoned by XingXiu sect, in the end he was even able to escape, he is really lucky, however his meridians still sustained minor injury. After meeting up with Wang YuYan, Deng BaiChuan and the rest, they live in at a small inn and recuperated their injuries.


    After a few days, Bao BuTong and Feng BoE regained their strength, Murong Fu, Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan also recovered from their injuries. The six of them did not know the whereabouts of AhZhu, they miss her alot, thus they discuss and decided to go to Luoyang to find information about her whereabouts. Previously, Bao BuTong, Ah Zhu and Xiao Feng had a brief meet up, after that Xiao Feng mistakenly injure AhZhu but none of them found out about the matter.


    They did not find the slightest bit of information at Luoyang, Murong Fu felt its not worth his time to spent so much effort on a little servant girl, thus he headed west to find out about the recent development in the martial arts fraternity, he also thought about gathering more henchmen so as to expand his plans in reviving his dynasty. On this day, the six of them travelled hastily, they miss the place where they can lodge for the night and they kept travelling till dark, however there are still on the mountain path, the road is rugged and the wild grass are getting longer. Feng BoE said: "I am afraid we took the wrong path, most likely we took a wrong turn." Deng BaiChuan said: "Let us find a cave or abandoned temple and rest for the night."


    Feng BoE quickly dash forward to scout for a safe shelter, he surveyed the surroundings, the mountain path is precipitous, terrain rugged. Feng BoE can lie down anywhere and sleep soundly, but he have to find some place suitable for Wang YuYan and the task is really not easy. He ran for a few li and rounded a hillside, suddenly he some a light at the right-hand side of a valley, Feng BoE was excited, he turn back and shouted: "There is someone living here."


    Murong Fu and the rest followed his voice and rush over. GongYe Gan said happily: "It seems to be a hunting family, they definitely should have at least a place for Miss Wang to sleep soundly." The six of them followed the light and walk quickly. The light is very far away from them, after walking for a while the light is still flickering, they can''t see the house clearly. Feng BoE mumbled and cursed: "Damn his grandmother, this light is a little odd." Suddenly Deng BaiChuan said in a low voice: "Wait, young master, look this is a green lamp." Murong Fu focus his eyes and stare straight ahead, the light is indeed emitting green ray, its vastly different from common light which is either dark red or pale yellow. The six of them hasten their footsteps and rush towards the green light, they light became even more distinct.


    Bao BuTong said loudly: "Demonic people are gathering here!"


    For the five of them, base on their intelligence and martial arts they are not afraid of any sects or schools, but they immediately thought: "Today we are together with Miss Wang, its best not to stir up trouble." Bao BuTong and Feng BoE did not fight for quite some time, now that their internal energy is restored, their hands are itchy and they eager to fight, however they still manage to restrain themselves. Feng BoE said: "We travelled for an entire day, we are a bit tired, this stinky place is not good let us just retreat and go back!" Murong Fu smile faintly, he thought: "Unexpectedly 4th brother Feng changed his temper, its really rare." He said: "Cousin, that place is filthy, let us turn back." Wang YuYan don''t understand the underlying reason, but since her cousin said it she happily complied.


    They six of them turn around, they walk a few steps but suddenly a faint voice transmit from the ground: "Since you know demonic people are gathering here, you people are a bunch of lousy demons and ghosts, why don''t you join in the fun?" the voice is suddenly high-pitch and suddenly low-pitch, it seems to break yet continuous, its extremely uncomfortable when they hear it, but they heard every single word clearly.


    Murong Fu snorted, the other party already overheard Bao BuTong when he say ''Demonic people are gathering here'', from the voice transmitted, the internal energy of the person is not shallow, but its also not first-class martial arts. Murong Fu wave his left hand and said: "No time to tangle with him just ignore him!" he retrace the route which they took to get here.


    The voice said: "Little bastard, you dare to spout nonsense, you think you can simply wag your tail and run away? If you really want to run away you still have to kowtow 300 times before your ancestor before leaving."


    Feng BoE cannot restrain himself anymore, he halted and said in a low voice: "Young master, let me go teach that wild person a lesson." Murong Fu shakes his head and said: "They don''t know who we are, just ignore them!" Feng BoE said: "Yes!"


    The six of them walk another 10 steps, the voice said again: "It doesn''t matter if the male wants to run away, but this young chick have to stay and accompany your ancestor and relieve my boredom."


    Unexpectedly the person dare to humiliate Wang YuYan, their countenance changed, they stop moving and turn around.


    The voice said again: "Why? Obediently offer that chick to avoid your ancestor......." as he said the word ''ancestor'', Deng BaiChuan gather his energy into his dantian and shouted: "Ancestor!" both their voice intermix and shook the valley. Everyone felt their eardrum humming, but they heard a miserable cry, its came from around the green light. The night is quiet, Deng BaiChuan''s voice still lingered and did not disappear and intermix with the miserable cry, everyone felt absolutely horrified.


    This shout from Deng BaiChuan used high-level internal energy to injure the other party. From the person''s miserable cry, the injury is not minor, maybe he is about to die. The miserable cry stopped, but they heard a ''Chi'' sound, a green fire rocket flew to the sky and exploded, half the sky turn dark green.


    Feng BoE said: "Since we started it, we must carry it through, let us wipe out the nest of demons and ghosts!" Murong Fu nod his head and said: "Originally we wanted to maintain peace by yielding to them. But since we started it, let us just finish it till the end." The six of them rush towards the green light.


    Murong Fu is worried that Wang YuYan might be at a disadvantage, he slow down and stay beside her, he heard Bao BuTong and Feng BoE shouting and cursing, both of them started fighting with the other party. Immediately after, under the glimmer of the green light, three shadow flew up, ''Pai Pai Pai'' three sound and the shadow smash against the mountain wall, apparently they have been finish off by Bao BuTong and Feng BoE.


    Murong Fu rush towards the green light, he saw Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan standing beside a huge bronze cauldron, their expression solemn. An elderly man is lying beside the bronze cauldron, smoke is rising from the cauldron, the smoke is fine like a line but straight like an arrow. Wang YuYan said: "Its Western Sichuan Jade Rock Cave, the sect of Mulberry Soil Elder." Deng BaiChuan nod his head and said: "Miss you are indeed extremely knowledgeable." Bao BuTong turn around and said: "How you know? This burning of fire to transmit information, its exists several thousand years ago, it might not be Western Sichuan Jade Rock Cave...." he did not finish as GongYe Gan pointed at the base of the bronze cauldron, hinting him to look closer.


    Bao Butong bent his waist and look, the legs of the cauldron is emblazon with the word ''Mulberry'', the word is formed by the shape of a few snake and centipede, the bronze is brightly coloured, it seems to be an ancient artefact. Bao BuTong knew that Wang YuYan is correct, but he still want to debate: "Even if this bronze cauldron is from Mulberry Soil Elder and his sect, how you know they didn''t borrow it or steal it? Moreover there is a common saying: ''False cauldron, counterfeit and fake'', nine out of ten cauldrons are fake."


    Murong Fu and the rest thought: "This place is very far from Western Sichuan, don''t tell me this is the territory of Mulberry Soil Elder and his sect?" They knew that Western Sichuan Jade Rock Cave Mulberry Soil Elder and his sect are mostly Miao and Qiang ethnic people, their conduct are different from martial artists of Central Plains, they are experts at poison and everyone is rather afraid of them, luckily they are detach from worldly affairs, as long as one do not intrude the borders of Sichuan they will not rashly offend people. Murong Fu, Deng BaiChuan and the rest are not afraid of the Mulberry Soil Elder, they just find that its boring to feud with demonic and poisonous freaks, moreover its very troublesome to tangle with them.


    Murong Fu muttered softly to himself: "This is a wrong place to be in, its best to leave as soon as possible." The elderly man lying beside cauldron is breathing faintly but his pair of eyes are staring angrily at them, this man is the person who taunted them. Murong Fu nod his head towards Bao BuTong, the corner of his mouth signalling at the elderly man. Bao BuTong understood his intentions, he grab the bamboo pole with the green lamp, he flip the pole, with a ''Pu'' sound he thrust the pole and lamp into the chest of the old man, the green light die out immediately. Wang YuYan cry out in alarm. GongYe Gan said: "The nobleman does not care about trivial matter, a great man have to be ruthless! This is called silencing a person to avoid future disaster." His right foot flew out and toppled the cauldron with a kick. Murong Fu held onto Wang YuYan''s hand, he dash to the left.


    They ran around 10 zhang, suddenly there is two ''Chi Chi'' sound, a golden blade split the air, a knife and a sword came out from the bushes and chop towards them. Murong Fu wave his sleeves, his borrowed and redirected the force, the knife held by the person on the left chop towards the head of the person on the right, the sword held by the person on the right pierce the heart of the person on the left, in a split second Murong Fu finish off two person who made the sneak attack, his footsteps did not slow down the slightest bit. GongYe Gan praised: "Young master, excellent skill!"


    Murong Fu smiled and continued travelling, he wave his right palm and hit an enemy head-on and send him rolling down the hill, he strike out his left palm, the enemy of his left cry out loudly and spurted fresh blood. Murong Fu suddenly detected a fishy smell, immediately after a fierce wind assaulted him, Murong Fu quickly generate his palm wind and reflected two unknown hidden projectile, he heard an ''Ah'' cry, his enemies had been hit by their own vicious hidden projectiles.


    They are heavily surrounded in the darkness, they don''t know the number of enemies and they simply killed a few people, when they killed the 6th person, Murong Fu was secretly fearful, he thought: "The first three people are most likely from Western SiChuan Mulberry Soil Elder''s Sect, but afterwards the other three people came from three different sect, we are making more and more enemies, this is really not good."


    He heard Deng BaiChuan shout: "Everyone rush towards the ''Listening Perfume Pavilion''!" the ''Listening Perfume Pavilion'' is a manor at Gusu Murong''s Basin of Swallow, its located at the west and is the residence of AhZhu. Deng BaiChuan asking them to rush towards the ''Listening Perfume Pavilion'', its the same as asking them to retreat west, he coded the message to avoid letting the enemy know about their movement.


    When Murong Fu listen to his words he immediately understood the meaning, but the surrounding is pitch-black and there is no light from the moon and stars, its difficult to determine direction, he focused his attention, he heard Deng BaiChuan''s heavy palm wind ringing two times behind him to the right-hand side, immediately he held onto Wang YuYan''s hand and retreated three steps and lean against Deng BaiChuan. He heard another two ''Pa Pa'' sound, Deng BaiChuan clash palm two times with the enemy again. From the sound generated by the clashing of palm, the enemy is an expert. Immediately afterward, Deng BaiChuan exhale and shouted ''Hei''. Murong Fu knew Deng BaiChuan is using the move [Earth Shattering Shock], the enemy will not be able to resist it. Sure enough, the person cry out in surprise, the voice sharp, but the cry seems to be sinking downwards underground, immediately afterward stones roll around and branches snapped. Murong Fu was slightly alarmed: "This person trip and fell into deep ravine. Luckily elder brother Deng hit the person into the ravine, else if we step empty air in this darkness it would be disastrous."


    At this moment, a voice floated down from a high slope to the left: "Which experts came to disturb the Assembly of Ten Thousand Immortals? You really don''t respect the Cave-masters of 36 Cave and Island-masters of 72 Island?"


    Murong Fu and the rest gasp softly. They know about ''Cave-masters of 36 Cave and Island-masters of 72 Island'', but all these ''Cave-masters'' and ''Island-masters'' are just some heretic groups that don''t belong to any sect or school. Some of their martial arts are high, some are low, some are good while some are evil, they keep to themselves and do whatever they please, they don''t communicate with each other and thus they can''t do anything great, nobody thinks they are important. Some of them are scattered around East Sea, some at islands around Yellow Sea, some at Kunlun and living in seclusion at deep mountains in Qilian, they lie low and did not have any accomplishments, nobody paid any attention to them, unexpectedly they gathered at this place.


    Murong Fu said brightly: "There are six of us here, we are friends, we are travelling at night and unaware of people gathering here, thus we accidentally offended you, we offer our apologies. In this darkness its easy to have misunderstandings, let us just dismiss it with a laugh, please grant us passage." His words are neither haughty nor humble, he did not reveal his origin, as for the killings he also offered his apologies.


    Suddenly, ''Haha'', ''Hehe'', ''Hengheng'', laughter surrounded them in all direction, more and more people join in the laughter. Initially only ten people laugh, but eventually more people join in and there is around 500-600 people laughing, some are nearby while some are a few li away.


    Murong Feng listen to their laugh, they have vast numbers, they also mentioned about ''Assembly of Ten Thousand Immortals'', he pondered: "We are really unlucky tonight, we accidentally gate-crash their gathering. I have yet to reveal my name, its best to walk away quickly so as to avoid irreparable damage. Moreover we are heavily outnumbered, how can the six of us handle several hundreds of them?"


    Amidst the laughter, the person on the slope said: "You paint the picture in light shades, you dismiss the matter too easily. The six of you injure quite a few of our brothers, if we simply let you walk away, then what about the reputation of ''36 Cave and 72 Island'' ?"


    Murong Fu calm down and look around, to his front and rear, left and right, the hillside, the mountain peak, the mountain cavity, the mountain ridge, there are shadows of people everywhere, in the darkness he cannot see their appearance clearly. Originally he don''t know where they are, but they seem to suddenly emerge out from underground. At this moment, Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan, Bao BuTong, Feng BoE, the four of them gathered beside Murong Fu and Wang YuYan and guarded them, but they are surrounded by several hundred people, they are nothing more than a small boat in the vast sea.


    ********


    Murong Fu, Deng BaiChuan and the rest, they encountered countless great battles and fights, but after seeing such situation they cannot help but be scared, they pondered: "These people are very weird, 8 or 10 of them are not a problem, but several hundreds of them gathering together is really not easy to deal with."


    Murong Fu gather his energy into his dantian, he said brightly: "There is a common saying: ''The one who does not know is not guilty''. Cave-masters of 36 caves, Island-masters of 72 islands, i heard of your great reputation, i definitely don''t dare to offend you deliberately. Western Sichuan Jade Rock Cave Mulberry Soil Elder, Gansu Young Dragon Cave Xuan HuangZi, East Sea Mysterious Dark Island Island-master Mr Zhang DaRen, i presume that you all are here. I am Murong Fu and i wish to make friends with you, its not my intention to offend you."


    The surrounding crowd of people gasp in surprise, obviously they are shaken by the name ''Murong Fu''. The voice reply: "Are you the Murong Fu who specialize in ''Returning you with your own move''?" Murong Fu said: "I don''t deserve it, yes its my insignificant self." The person said: "Gusu Murong family is not insignificant. Light the lamp! Everyone let us meet him!"


    When he finish speaking, a yellow lamp suddenly rise up in the south-east corner, immediately after red lamp rise up at the west and north-west corner. In a split second, light rise up in all direction, some are lantern, some are torch, some are Kongming lantern, some are firewood, the light brought by various Cave-masters and Island-masters are different, some are simple, some are intricate. Originally nobody knows their hiding location but now light shine upon everyone''s face, its truly a strange sight.


    There are male, female, handsome people, ugly people, monks, priests, some wore long sleeves, some wore short sleeves, some are old man with long beard, some are women with hair rolled up, their clothing came in all shape and sizes, different from those from Central Plains, alot of them are carrying weapons but their weapons are shaped oddly, its difficult to identify them. Murong Fu clasped his hands and greeted in four directions, he said brightly: "Welcome, Gusu Murong Fu greet you." Some of the crowd return his greetings, some ignored him.


    A person to the west said: "Murong Fu, your Gusu Murong family like to show off its prestige at Central Plains, so be it. But you come to this Assembly of Ten Thousand Immortals and run amuck without restrain, you really don''t respect us at all? You claim to specialize in ''Returning you with your own move'', then let me ask you, how are you going to return my move?"


    Murong Fu look towards the voice, a big-head old man is sitting cross-legged on a rock to the west, his big head bald and shiny, not a single strand of hair at all, his face filled with blood, when gazing from afar he look just like a big red ball. Murong Fu cupped his fist and said: "Welcome! May i ask your great name?"


    The person hold onto his belly and laugh, he said: "Old man is testing you, i want to see if Murong family is genuine talent or just someone with false reputation. I ask you a question just now: How are you going to return my move. As long as you answer it correctly, i don''t care how others react, but old man will never trouble you again. Wherever you like to go, you can simply go!"


    Murong Fu considered the current situation, he know he cannot resolve the matter by talking out of it, he must display a few of his moves, he said: "Since this is the case, i will trade a few moves, senior please make you move!"


    The person roll on the floor and laugh, he said: "I am the one testing you, i am not asking you to test me. If you cannot answer, then quickly take back your ''Returning you with your own move'' reputation!"


    Murong Fu knit his brows, he pondered: "You just sit there motionless, i don''t know your sect, i don''t know your name, how would i know your most proficient move? How can i return it when i don''t know your move?"


    As he was muttering and thinking, the big-head old man sneered: "My friends from 36 Caves and 72 Islands are scattered all over the world, they don''t interfere with on-goings in Central Plains. There is a fierce tiger hidden in the mountain but the little monkey dare claims to be king, you are boy still wet behind the ears, unexpectedly you go so far as to be some ''Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong'', hehe! Laughable, laughable, shameless, shameless! Let me tell you, its not difficult for you to escape today, you just have to kowtow 10 times to every single Cave-masters and Islands-masters from 36 Caves and 72 Islands, a total of 1080 kowtow and we will let you baby dolls walk away."


    Bao BuTong suppressed his anger for a long time, he can no long hold it in, he shouted loudly: "You invite my young master to return you with your own move and then ask him to kowtow. Your consummate skill, my young master can''t learn it, hey hey, laughable, laughable, shameless, shameless!" unexpectedly he copied the big-head old man''s speech pattern and tone perfectly.


    The big-head old man cough and spit a mouthful of phlegm, it flew towards Bao BuTong''s face. Bao BuTong slanted his body to avoid, the phlegm flew past his left ear, suddenly it turn around in mid-air and shot towards Bao BuTong''s forehead. The force in this phlegm is not light, Bao BuTong hastily sidestep, he realized that the phlegm is targeting his ''Yangbai acupoint'' between his eyebrow.


    Murong Fu was shocked: "Its not strange that this old man''s phlegm contained internal energy and targeted acupoints. The strange thing is that after firing the phlegm, unexpectedly it can turn around in mid-air."


    The big-head old man chucked: "Murong Fu, old man don''t want you to return me with my own move, if you can tell me the origin of this phlegm then old man will be convinced of your ability."


    Murong Fu pondered quickly, ideas flew at lightning speed, but he simply can''t recall it, suddenly he heard Wang YuYan''s gentle and soft voice: "Island-master DuanMu, you completely mastered this [Going and Coming, Five Rice Divine Skill], its really not easy. But you must have killed quite a few living things in the process. My young master knows that its not easy to train, thus he is unwilling to reveal the origin in order to avoid incurring the jealousy of your friends. Don''t tell me my young master will use this skill to deal with you?"


    Murong Fu was shock yet happy, he never heard of this [Five Rice Divine Skill] before, unexpectedly his cousin is aware of it, but he don''t know if its correct or wrong.


    Originally, the old man had a blood-red face, but in an instant his face lost all its colour, however it turn back red again immediately, he laugh and said: "Baby doll talking rubbish, how can you understand it? [Five Rice Divine Skill] harms other for one''s personal benefit, its vicious and dangerous, why would i even train it? But unexpectedly you know of old man''s name, its really not easy."


    Wang YuYan heard his reply, she knew she guess correctly, he merely refuse to admit it, she said: "Hainan Island Five Finger Mountain Scarlet Flame Cave Cave-master DuanMu, in the martial arts fraternity who don''t know about you? Cave-master DuanMu, if that skill is not [Five Rice Divine Skill], then it must be some other wonderful skill derived from [Ground Fire Skill]."


    The [Ground Fire Skill] is the elementary skill of Scarlet Flame Cave. The sect leader of Scarlet Flame Cave has always been surnamed DuanMu, this big-head old man is called DuanMu Yuan, when he heard Wang YuYan reveal his personal history and she gloss over the [Five Rice Divine Skill], he had favourable impression of her, moreover his Scarlet Flame Cave is just some small obscure sect, but unexpected she claims ''who don''t know about you'', his even happier, he smiled and said: "Correct, correct, this is just some insignificant skill derived from [Ground Fire Skill]. Old man said in advance, since young lady identified my origin then i will not trouble you anymore."


    Suddenly someone shouted from afar: "Gusu Murong, your reputation is really well deserved!" Murong Fu raised his hands and said: "A novice is making a fool of himself before experts, i don''t deserve your praise!" at this moment, a ray of golden light and silver light shoot out from the ground on the left-hand side, the sound is sharp and pure as it split the air. Murong Fu dare not be negligent, he generated a blast of wind with his sleeves and clash with it, there is a loud crashing sound, the ray of golden light and silver light roll back and retreat. Murong Fu finally saw it clearly, its two long belt, one of them is gold in colour, the other is silver in colour.


    Two old men are standing at the end of the belt, the one wielding the golden belt is wearing silver robe, the one wielding the silver belt is wearing golden robe. The gold and silver sparkled brilliantly, its extremely gorgeous, ordinary people definitely don''t wear these gold and silver robe, its must be some stage actor. The old man wearing the silver robe said: "Admirable, admirable, receive another move from us brothers!" golden light flickered, the golden belt arrive from the left, however the silver belt flew towards the sky and then drop down, directly attacking the top of Murong Fu''s head.


    Murong Fu said: "Both seniors...." he only manage to say these words, suddenly there is the sound of rushing wind, three sabres sweep up from the ground. Three men use their ground-fighting skill and they attacked Murong Fu''s lower body.


    Murong Fu''s top, front, left, he is being attacked in all 3 directions simultaneously, he pondered: "My opponent call themselves Cave-masters of 36 Caves, Islands-masters of 72 Islands, they have many men, if they carry on tangling with me and i don''t show them my power, i wonder when will this end?" He saw three sabres sweeping towards him, immediately he kick three times, every kick landed on his opponent''s wrist, white light flickered and the three sabres flew up into the air. Murong Fu slanted his body to the side, his right hand brush horizontally and he executed his [Star Shifting Movement] skill and prod the golden belt, there is a ''Pa'' sound, the golden belt and silver belt coil together.


    The three men who displayed their ground-fighting sabre skills lost their sabre, they did not retreat, they shouted ''HeHe'', they open their arms and hug Murong Fu''s leg. Murong Fu''s foot flew up, he move like the wind and kick the three men''s chest acupoint in quick succession. Suddenly, a black-robe man with long arm and long leg jumps forward, he spread out his fan-like hand and smack towards Murong Fu. Murong Fu saw the move is steady and ruthless, obviously this man''s martial art is much stronger than the others, he pondered: "This man must be the chief of the group, i must subdue him first to make it easier to negotiate."


    Murong Fu leap up, he vaulted over the three men who are reclining on the ground, he strike out his right palm, directly attacking the black-robe man. The black-robe man sneered, he raise a blade horizontally and block in front of his chest, a green light sparkled in front of him, its an exceptionally sharp serrated-sabre, the edge of the blade is facing outward. If Murong Fu really landed his palm, he will be severing his own wrist. Murong Fu did not withdraw his palm move, when his palm is 2 inch away from the blade, suddenly he change his slapping move to a sweeping move, his palm follow along the edge of the blade and swipe downward, he scrape the black-robe man''s fingers.


    The edge of his palm is filled with internal energy, its sharpness is no less than the serrated-sabre, the force in it is sufficient to slice off fingers or break an arm. The black-robe man was caught off-guard, he cry out in surprise and hastily release the sabre, he flip his palm and meet it head-on, there is a ''Pa'' sound, the two men clashed palm. The black-robe man cry out in surprise again, his body sway and he leap 1 zhang backward. Murong Fu turn his palm and grab the serrated-sabre, a burst of fishy smell assaulted his nose, he nearly vomited, he knew the blade is smeared with deadly poison, its extremely sinister and demonic.


    Although he seize his opponent''s weapon in a single move, but he saw 7-8 people raising their weapons, they block in front of the black-robe man and protected him, when he clash palm with the black-robe man, although the man''s internal energy is inferior to his but its also quite strange, as for seizing of weapon the man is merely caught off-guard, if they really fight for real he would not be able to secure victory in just a few moves.


    Under such circumstances, he can only show off his skills to display his might and then request to walk away freely, he shouted, he brandish the serrated-sabre and rush towards the crowd of people. Everyone shouted:


    "Everyone be careful! This person is wielding the ''Verdant Wave Fragrant Dew Sabre'', don''t let him cut you."


    "Ayo, Wu LaoDa''s ''Verdant Wave Fragrant Dew Sabre'' got taken away by this young chap, this is terrible!"


    Murong Fu wave the sabre and move forward, the monks, priest, ugly men, pretty women, all of them scattered and ran, their expression extremely fearful, Murong Fu presumed this serrated-sabre must have some great history, but its simply too smelly, its known as ''Fragrant Dew Sabre'' which is ridiculous, he pondered: "If i wield this poison-sabre, its not difficult to kill 10 or 8 Cave-masters or Island-masters, but i have no animosity or hatred with them, why the need to take their lives?" Although he brandish and wave the sabre around, he never injure anyone, he push down 1 person and kick down 2 person.


    Initially, everyone was extremely frighten, but they saw the power of the sabre was not formidable, they calm down, in a split second, long sword and short halberd, soft whip and hard tablet, everyone attacked from all four sides. Around 10 people surrounded Murong Fu at the boundary, outside the boundary 300-400 people encircled layer upon layer.


    After fighting for a short period of time, Murong Fu pondered: "When will it ever end if i carry on fighting like this? It seems i must start killing people." His sabre move is very tight, there is two ''Peng Peng'' sound, he used the sabre''s shaft to knock two person unconscious. Suddenly Deng BaiChuan shouted: "Shameless pervert, don''t you dare alarm the lady!" Murong Fu shoot a glance, he saw 2 person leaping up and attacking Wang YuYan who is on top of a pine tree. Deng BaiChuan flew forward to rescue, he wave his palm to intercept them. Murong Fu was somewhat relax, but another 3 person leap at the pine tree, at once he understood their intentions: "They cannot beat me, thus they want to capture my cousin and coerce me, its really shameless to the extreme." But his surrounded by an entire group of people, he cannot get away, he saw 2 women grabbing Wang YuYan''s arm and jumping down from the tree. A long hair toutuo with a golden ring on his head stick out his Buddhist monk''s knife and place it horizontally across Wang YuYan''s neck, he shouted: "Murong chap, if you don''t surrender, i will chop your good friend!"


    Murong Fu was stunned, he pondered: "These people are incomparably vicious, they will really injure my cousin, what should i do? My Murong family move around unhindered in the martial arts fraternity, how can we surrender? If we surrender, then how can we conduct ourselves with dignity in the future?" he hesitated, but his hands did not slow down the slightest bit, he smack out his left palm twice, 2 person got hit and flew out a zhang.


    The toutuo shouted again: "You really won''t surrender, i will slice off this precious and pretty head off!" his Buddhist monk''s knife sway, the cutting edge of the knife flickered with green light.

 Chapter - 34 Wind Gather Closely, Disordered Cloud At Misty Peak

    Suddenly someone shouted at the waist of the mountain: "You cannot do it, you definitely must not injure Miss Wang, i will surrender to you." His gray shadow seems to fly down and rush over, his movement is extremely quick and agile. The people standing outside the encirclement cursed in unison, they move forward to block him, but he turn to the east and dodge to the west, he avoided everyone and threw himself forward. Wang YuYan saw everything clearly under the flame, its Duan Yu.


    Duan Yu shouted: "Isn''t it easy to surrender? For Miss Wang, if you want me to surrender a thousand times, ten thousand times i will also agree." He rush in front of the toutuo and shouted: "Hello, hello, everyone please let go, why are you grappling Miss Wang?"


    Wang YuYan knew his martial art is sometimes on and sometimes off, more often than not its off, but he still disregarded his life and came forward to rescue, she felt grateful, her voice trembled: "Duan....Gentleman Duan, its you?" Duan Yu said happily: "Its me, its me!"


    The toutuo cursed: "You....what thing are you?" Duan Yu said: "I am human, what thing?" the toutuo flip his hand and form a fist, with a ''Pa'' sound he hit Duan Yu''s chin. Duan Yu can''t maintain his footing and tumbled to the left, his forehead bump against a rock, immediately fresh blood flow out.


    When the toutuo saw his lightness martial art, he assume Duan Yu possess extremely strong martial arts, his fist technique is fake and he did not think it could hit him, after punching his right hand held onto the Buddhist monk knife and immediately execute three moves, these moves are genuine and intended to kill, unexpectedly his left fist manage to knock Duan Yu down with an empty move, he was stunned, at the same time Duan Yu''s internal energy counter-attacked and his left arm felt numb, luckily the punch is light, the counter-force is not strong. The toutuo saw that Murong Fu is still rushing and killing, he shouted: "Murong chap, if you don''t surrender i will really chop of this little girl''s head. Great Buddha will never lie, will you surrender or not!"


    Murong Fu felt really troubled, he cannot bear to let Wang YuYan die by the hands of these demonic people, but ''Gusu Murong'' name is incomparably respected, he cannot cave in to other people''s threats and surrender to heretic people, this will become gossip and everyone will ridicule him, moreover if he surrender he will mostly probably die as well. He shouted loudly: "Evil toutuo, you want young master to surrender, its very difficult. If you dare harm a hair on this lady, if i don''t dismember you into thousand pieces then i am not human!" as he finish speaking he rush towards Wang YuYan, however around 20 people wielded their weapons and stab left and right, they block his front and attack his back, how can he break out in such a short time?


    The toutuo said angrily: "I will kill this little girl, i will see how you going to deal with Great Buddha?" as he finish speaking he raised his knife, with a ''Hu'' sound he chop towards Wang YuYan''s neck. The two women holding onto Wang YuYan fear getting implicated, they quickly release their grip and jump away.


    Duan Yu is struggling to get up, his left hand pressing onto the wound on his forehead, his expression really pathetic, he saw the toutuo really chopping his knife at Wang YuYan, but she just stood there motionless, maybe she is in shock or her acupoint is sealed, she did not dodge at all. Duan Yu is extremely anxious, in a moment of desperation his internal energy automatically became abundant and vigorous, he immediately executed his [Six Meridians Divine Sword], with a ''Chi Chi'' noise, there is a ringing sound as his internal energy strike the Buddhist monk knife and shot it down.


    Duan Yu quickly rush forward, he turn his hand and put Wang YuYan on his back and shouted: "Run for your life!"


    The toutuo grab the knife off the ground, he roared ferociously and hack the knife at Duan Yu. Duan Yu was alarmed, he quickly pointed his right hand, there is a ''Chi'' sound, his ''Shang Yang Sword'' thrust straight at the knife, the knife was jolted off and drop on the ground again. Duan Yu executed his [Graceful Steps upon the Waves] and dash outward.


    Everyone rallied and rush forward to block him. But Duan Yu slant left and tilt right, he move in a zigzag manner and rush out. All the Cave-masters and Island-masters send their weapons, fists and kicks at him, but Duan Yu dodge swiftly, he wasn''t hit at all. For the past few days, all he ever thought of was Wang YuYan, even while dreaming he only saw Wang YuYan. At night, he chatted with Fan Hua, Ba TianShi and the rest at an inn, as he was about to go to bed, he kept thinking about Wang YuYan, how can he fall asleep? Thus in the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep, he secretly sneak out of the inn and followed the direction taken by Murong Fu and his party and chase after them. After the dramatic battle between Murong Fu and Ding ChunQiu, Murong Fu accompanied Deng BaiChuan and recuperated at an inn, thus Duan Yu did not spend much effort and manage to catch up with him. Duan Yu hid himself in another room, he did not step out of the room at all, he is separated from Wang YuYan by merely a few zhang, he felt really delighted. By the time Murong Fu, Wang YuYan and the rest left the inn and travelled on the road, Duan Yu followed them from a distance.


    While travelling, he said to himself countless times: "After this road, i should not follow them anymore. Duan Yu ah Duan Yu, you really trap yourself and refuse to extricate, you really waste your time studying literature. You should act in the nick of time, its best to turn around and head back to shore, you should brandish your wisdom sword and severe your thread of passion, else you will sacrifice your entire life for nothing. There is a saying in Buddhist scripture: ''View sex as variable, distance away from it, as your desire wane, your heart will be free. Sex is variable, variable is suffering, suffering is not you. Loathe sex, loathe the reason for unhappiness, free yourself from unhappiness.''"


    But to view Wang YuYan''s ''sex'' as ''variable'', ''loathe and distance away from it'', how can he do it? His footstep is extremely light and swift, he followed Wang YuYan at a distance, unexpectedly Murong Fu, Bao BuTong and the rest never detect it at all. Wang YuYan got up on the tree, Murong Fu handling the situation and meeting the enemy, Duan Yu saw all of it at a distance, when the toutuo wanted to kill Wang YuYan he automatically step forward bravely and surrendered on behalf of Murong Fu, but the other party simply refuse to accept his ''surrender''.


    In a short period of time, Duan Yu carried Wang YuYan and rush out of the encirclement, he is afraid that they might chase after him and he ran for a few hundred zhang, he finally stop and relax, he put Wang YuYan down. Wang YuYan blush, she said: "No, no, Gentleman Duan, my acupoint is sealed, i can''t stand." Duan Yu supported her shoulder and said: "Yes! Teach me how to unseal acupoint, i will undo it for you." Wang YuYan blushed furiously, she said bashfully: "No, no need! After 3 quarter hour the acupoint will automatically unseal, you don''t have to undo it for me." She knew that to undo the acupoint, the ''ShenFeng acupoint'' needs to be massage, the ''ShenFeng acupoint'' is at the chest beside the breast, its extremely inappropriate.


    Duan Yu don''t understand the underlying reason, he said: "The situation is dangerous, we cannot delay, its best that you let me undo your acupoint so that we can plan on how to escape."


    Wang YuYan blush and said: "Not good!" she raise her head, Murong Fu and Deng BaiChuan are still rushing and killing the enemy, she is concern about her cousin, she said: "Gentleman Duan, my cousin is surrounded, we have to go save him."


    Duan Yu chest ached, she is only concerned about Murong Fu, he is completely dishearten, he thought: "I keep thinking about her endlessly, it will never end, Duan Yu will fulfil her wish and die for Murong Fu and settle this matter." He said: "Very good! Wait here, i will go save him."


    Wang YuYan said: "No, this won''t do! You don''t know martial arts, how can you save someone?"


    Duan Yu smiled and said: "Moments ago, didn''t i carry you out?" Wang YuYan is aware that his [Six Meridians Divine Sword] is unpredictable, sometime it works sometime it doesn''t, he cannot execute it freely, she said: "Just now you got lucky.....you....you are concern about my safety, you manage to execute your [Six Meridians Divine Sword]. You might not treat my cousin the same way as you treat me, i am afraid.....i am afraid....." Duan Yu said: "Don''t worry, i will simply treat your cousin the same way as i treat you." Wang YuYan shake her head and said: "Gentleman Duan, its too risky, it won''t work." Duan Yu stick out his chest and said: "Miss Wang, as long as you ask me to go take the risk i am willing to risk my life and limb to help out." Wang YuYan blush again, she said softly: "You treat me so well, i really don''t deserve it."


    Duan Yu is really happy, he said: "How come you don''t deserve it? Deserve it, you definitely deserve it!" He is vigorous and in high spirits, he desire to rush in and fight the battle.


    Wang YuYan said: "Gentleman Duan, i can''t move at all, after you leave no one will watch over me, if some evil doer comes and harm me....." Duan Yu turn around and scratch his head, he said: "This....en....this......" Wang YuYan real intention is for him to carry her on his back, they will go over and assist Murong Fu, but she is too shy and dare not say it out directly. She hope that Duan Yu can understand her intention, unfortunately Duan Yu don''t understand, he scratch his head and stamp his feet, he is really troubled.


    They heard the rallying cry, ''Ping Ping Pang Pang'', weapons clashing with each other, Murong Fu is duelling even more fiercely. Wang YuYan knew the enemy is powerful, she is really anxious, she cannot be shy anymore, she said softly: "Gentleman Duan, i have to trouble you again to carry....carry me for a while, we will go assist my cousin together, then......then......" Duan Yu suddenly saw the light, he stamped his feet and said: "Correct, correct! Idiot, idiot! How come i didn''t think of it?" he squat down and carried her on his back.


    When Duan Yu carried Wang YuYan for the first time, it was purely to save her and escape from danger, he did not have any other ideas, but now her soft body lay on his back, his hands hooked onto her legs, although they are separated by layers of clothes he could still feel her smooth skin, he cannot help but feel aroused, he immediately reproach himself: "Duan Yu ah Duan Yu, what is the situation now, unexpectedly you have such thoughts, you are really worse than a beast! She is clear as ice and clean as jade, incomparably respected lady, you have such bad intentions, its blasphemous, you deserve to be beaten, you really deserve to be beaten!" He raise his palm and heavily slap himself two times, he open up his footsteps and rush forward.


    Wang YuYan was baffled, she ask: "Gentleman Duan, what you doing?" Duan Yu is naturally honest, moreover he respected Wang YuYan as if she is a celestial being, he don''t dare to deceive her, he said: "Really ashamed, i had disrespectful thoughts towards you, i deserve to be beaten, i deserve to be beaten!" Wang YuYan understood his meaning, she blush so much that her ears turned red.


    At this moment, a Taoist priest brandishing a long sword rush over, he shouted: "Damn it, this chap come again to stir up trouble." He executed a move [Poison Dragon Exit Cave] and thrust his sword at Duan Yu. Duan Yu automatically execute his [Graceful Steps upon the Waves] and avoided the attack. Wang YuYan said softly: "His second sword move will thrust from the left side, quickly rush to his right side and smack his ''TianZong acupoint''."


    Sure enough, the Taoist priest miss the 1st sword-move and his 2nd sword-move [Clear Plum Blossom] thrust from the left side, Duan Yu acted in accordance to instruction given by Wang YuYan, he rush to the priest right side, with a ''Pa'' sound he hit the ''TianZong acupoint''. This is the Taoist priest''s achilles heel, although Duan Yu palm move is not heavy but the priest still spurted fresh blood and collapsed.


    As the priest collapsed another warrior rush over. Wang YuYan is extremely knowledgeable, she gave instructions softly, Duan Yu acted accordingly and immediately defeat the warrior. Duan Yu achieve victory easily, Wang YuYan is whispering softly in his ear, her soft precious body resting on his back, he smell her sweet fragrance, although he is in a dangerous situation but he felt the scene is romantic, he never experience such beautiful encounter before.


    Duan Yu knock down another 2 people, he is separated from Murong Fu by merely 2 zhang, suddenly the wind vibrated, two dwarf in green jacket leap up and arrive, two soft whip strike him simultaneously. Duan Yu evaded smoothly, suddenly one of the soft whip straighten up in mid-air and leap towards him, its incomparably quick. Wang YuYan and Duan Yu focus their attention on it, they cry out in surprise: "Ayo!" the two soft whip are not weapons, its a pair of live snakes. Duan Yu speed up his footsteps, he wanted to run past the two men, unexpectedly the two men have extremely fast and nimble footwork, they block in front of him and obstructed his path. Duan Yu ask repeatedly: "Miss Wang, what to do?"


    Wang YuYan is knowledgeable about weapons and martial arts of various sects and schools, its extremely rare for her to not know anything about the opponent, but these two live snakes simply don''t follow any martial arts logic, she is completely powerless in predicting which direction they will attack. The two men wearing green jacket jump high and lean low, their posture clumsy and ugly, but their speed is matchless, the two of them are Qiang ethnic people, they never practice any lightness martial art before yet they are naturally fast and nimble like leopard.


    Duan Yu met with danger while he dodge repeatedly. Wang YuYan pondered: "The movement of the live snake is unpredictable, defeat the enemy by capturing their chief, we have to knock down the owner of the snake." But the movement of these men don''t adhere to any footwork in manuals, their movement is the same as ordinary people who don''t know any martial arts, they don''t follow any method or logic, its extremely difficult for Wang YuYan to predict where they will move or attack. She ask Duan Yu to hit their ''QiMen acupoint'' and seal their ''QuQuan acupoint'', but its really strange, Duan Yu move his palm everywhere and they will immediately dodge it quickly, they are extremely alert and sharp, its really innate talent.


    Wang YuYan pondered how to defeat the enemy, at the same time she look at her cousin, miserable scream and cries rang out in succession, around 10 people lie down on the floor, they are all defeated by Murong Fu technique in borrowing and redirecting force.


    Wu LaoDa issued his orders loudly, of the people surrounding Murong Fu, three retreated and another three step up to replace them. These three are experts, one of them is a short man and he has astonishing body strength, he wave his two steel hammer and generated strong wind, his aura impressive and powerful. Murong Fu use the ''Fragrant Dew Sabre'' and block one move, his arm was jolted and felt numb, the hammer arrive again and he immediately dodge, he don''t dare to clash with it again.


    Suddenly Wang YuYan shouted: "Cousin, use [Ten Thousand Golden Lamp], follow up with [Open Lapel To Block Wind]." Murong Fu knew his cousin is brilliant in martial arts knowledge, he did not waste time to think, his right hand drew three circles in succession, the sabre sparkled and generated light, but the ''Verdant Wave Fragrant Dew Sabre'' emit green light, the move became [Ten Thousand Green Lamp] and not [Ten Thousand Golden Lamp].


    Everyone yell out and retreated a few steps, at this moment, Murong Fu flick his left sleeve out and executed [Open Lapel To Block Wind], the short man so happen to execute his move [Splitting Heaven and Earth], his twin hammer pointing at the sky and smashing fiercely towards the ground. There is a loud ''Dang'' sound, everyone''s ear is buzzing, the left hammer of the short man hit his right hammer, the right hammer hit his left hammer, sparks flew in all direction. The power in his arm is extremely fierce, as the twin hammer collided with each other, there is a ''Ka la'' sound, the bones in both arms automatically snap and he immediately fainted.


    Murong Fu seize the opportunity and send out two palm, he help Bao BuTong to repel two strong enemy.


    Duan Yu situation changed. Wang YuYan was concern about Murong Fu and she advice two moves, but one cannot concentrate on two things at the same time, inevitably she neglected the two enemy in front of Duan Yu. Duan Yu heard her advising her cousin, although her body is on his back but her heart is with Murong Fu, in a split second his chest ached bitterly, his footstep slow down, there is two ''Chi Chi'' sound, the two poisonous snake jump at him and bite his left arm.


    Wang YuYan cry out in surprise, she shouted: "Gentleman Duan...you....you......" Duan Yu gave a sigh and said: "Bitten to death by poisonous snake, its the same. Miss Wang, in the future please tell your grandson...." Wang YuYan saw the snake''s body is a mix of greenish yellow, its stripe bright and distinct, the head of the snake is odd and triangular in shape, obviously the snake possess deadly poison, she momentarily panic and don''t know what to do.


    Suddenly, the bodies of both snake straighten and drop on the floor, they died immediately. The two green-jacket men jabber in Qiang dialect, they turn around and ran away. These two men have always been raising and worshipping snakes, not only did Duan Yu not die when bitten by the snakes, he even counter-kill the snakes, they assume Duan Yu must be snake god, they don''t dare to linger and ran away quickly.


    Wang YuYan is unaware of the miraculous effect of the ''Poison Bull Cinnabar Toad'' consumed by Duan Yu, she ask repeatedly: "Gentleman Duan, how are you feeling? How are you feeling?" Duan Yu is feeling depress but suddenly Wang YuYan show concern for him, she kept inquiring repeatedly, he cannot help but burst with joy, he spirit rose, Wang YuYan kept on asking: "The two poison snake bite you, how are you feeling?" Duan Yu said: "Its somewhat painful, its nothing, its nothing!" he pondered: "As long as you care for me, i will beg to be bitten by poison snakes everyday" he open up his footsteps and rush beside Murong Fu.


    *******


    Suddenly a clear and bright voice transmitted from mid-air: "Gentleman Murong, Cave-masters, Island-masters, everyone don''t have any hatred or enmity with each other, why the need for this fierce battle?"


    Everyone raise their head and look towards the voice, a Taoist with black beard is standing on top of a tree, he is holding onto a fly-whisk, as the tree branch move he also followed the momentum and move up and down, his expression natural and unrestrained. Under the light, he is around 50 years of age, his face revealed a smile, he said: "Everyone please give some face to poor Taoist, stop the battle for the time being, we will slowly resolve who is right and wrong ok?"


    Murong Fu look at the person display of lightness martial art, he knew the person''s martial art is truly capable, he said: "Sir come out to resolve the dispute, it couldn''t be much better. I will stop fighting." As he finish speaking he swing the sabre in a circle and put it down but his right palm and left arm swell up faintly, he pondered: "That hammer wielding dwarf is really capable, my arm is still aching after getting shock by him."


    Wu LaoDa raise his head and ask: "May i know your great name?" The person have yet to reply when someone spoke out from the crowd of people: "Wu LaoDa, this person is....is....an amazing....an amazing person, he....he....he is Jiao...Jiao....Jiao...." he said ''Jiao'' 3 times and can''t speak anymore, this person is stuttering, he is anxious and he cannot finish the sentence.


    Wu LaoDa suddenly thought of someone, he said loudly: "He is Flood Dragon King....Flood Dragon King Taoist BuPing?" The stuttering person is happy that someone voice out his words, he quickly said: "Yes...yes....yes, he....he....he is...Jiao....Jiao...Jiao....Jiao...." his still stuck at the ''Jiao'' word.


    Wu LaoDa did not wait for him to finish struggling with the word, he cupped his hands at the person standing on the tree top and said: "Sir are you the world famous Taoist BuPing? I know your name for a long time, its like thunder piercing the ear, nice to meet you, nice to meet you!" While he is speaking, everyone stop fighting.


    The Taoist smile and said: "I don''t deserve such praise, i don''t deserve such praise! Everyone claims that poor Taoist had long died, thus Mr Wu must have some disbelief correct?" As he finish speaking he jump lightly and descend from mid-air. When he jump off the tree, he will naturally drop down to the ground quickly, but he wave his fly-whisk, generating a gust of strong wind, the wind shoot towards the ground and repelled back, the wind supported his body and he descended slowly, the power of the fly-whisk in generating the counter-force is truly amazing.


    Wu LaoDa blurted out: "[Relying On Void To Ride The Wind], excellent lightness martial art!" He barely finish his sentence and Taoist BuPing already landed on the ground, he smile and said: "Its purely some misunderstanding that led to this conflict. Why don''t you give poor Taoist some face, convert an enemy into a friend?" His tone is amiable yet with a hint of imposing aura, its difficult to reject.


    Wu LaoDa said: "Taking Taoist BuPing''s golden reputation into account, we will write off this debt."


    Taoist BuPing said: "Mr Wu, Cave-masters of 36 Cave, Island-masters of 72 Island, all of you are gathering here, is it for that particular person at Heavenly Mountain?" Wu LaoDa countenance change, but he immediately calm down and said: "Taoist BuPing what are you saying, i don''t understand. All of us brothers are scattered all over the world, its rare for us to meet, everyone made an appointment to gather here and meet up, there is no other purpose. We don''t know how Gentleman Gusu Murong manage to find us and make life difficult for us."


    Murong Fu said: "I am only passing by, i really don''t know everyone is meeting here, if i offended you i apologize for it." As he finish speaking he clasped his hands and bow in all four direction, he continued: "Taoist BuPing took the initiative to resolve the dispute and prevented me from creating a big disaster, i am utterly grateful. Hope to see you again, i will take my leave now." He know that there must be some major affair for these heretic people to gather here, Taoist BuPing mentioned ''a particular person from Heavenly Mountain'' and Wu LaoDa immediately changed the subject, obviously the matter is a huge taboo, if he don''t pull out and retreat its really a bit too insensitive as if he is trying to pry into other people''s private matters, thus he cupped his hands, turn around and walk away.


    Wu LaoDa cupped his hands to return the courtesy, he said: "Gentleman Murong, getting to meet such a renown hero like you, i am really honoured. The green hills will never change, the water will always flow, goodbye." Indeed his speech implied that he is unwilling to let Murong Fu linger here.


    But Taoist BuPing said: "Wu LaoDa, do you know who is Gentleman Murong?" Wu LaoDa was startled, he said: "Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong! The world renown Murong family, who doesn''t know them? After today''s meeting, its really a well deserved reputation." Taoist BuPing smile and said: "Precisely. This kind of important figure, if you miss this opportunity wouldn''t it be a pity? Normally if you tried to ask Murong family to help out its extremely difficult, luckily Gentleman Murong is here today but you all refuse to request for help, aren''t you entering a treasure mountain and returning empty-handed?" Wu LaoDa said: "This....this...." his hesitating in his speech.


    Taoist BuPing laugh and said: "Gentleman Murong''s heroic reputation is known throughout the world, all of you suffered under Misty Peak Vulture Palace''s Child Elder of Heavenly Mountain...."


    Once he said ''Child Elder of Heavenly Mountain'', everyone cry out in shock. Their voice revealed their agitated emotions, some of them panic, some of them are angry, some of them fearful, some of them in pain, some of them even retreat a few steps, their bodies trembled, they are extremely scared.


    Murong Fu was baffled: "Who is this Child Elder of Heavenly Mountain, unexpectedly this person can create such terror?" he pondered: "The people i met today, Taoist BuPing, Wu LaoDa, all of them are quite capable, yet i don''t even know about them, this Child Elder of Heavenly Mountain must be a even more amazing figure, the world is wide and my knowledge is really limited. Its really not easy for Gusu Murong to maintain its reputation in the world." As he thought about it, he became even more fearful.


    Wang YuYan muttered to herself: "Misty Peak Vulture Palace''s Child Elder of Heavenly Mountain? What is their sect? What is their martial art moves?"


    Duan Yu turn a deaf ear to the words of others, but he heard every single word from Wang YuYan, he immediately recalled his experiences at WuLiang Mountain, at that time the Farmer God Clan received orders to seize WuLiang Palace, how ''WuLiang Sword'' change its name to ''WuLiang Cave'', the female wearing green cloak embroidered with a black vulture called him ''little white face'' and brought him down the mountain, all of it due to the orders of ''Child Elder of Heavenly Mountain'', but he have no answer to Wang YuYan''s question, he said: "Very powerful, very powerful! I nearly got imprison by them till i become ''old white face'', i would not be able to escape even till today."


    Wang YuYan is well aware of the incoherent speech by Duan Yu, she just smile and ignored him.


    Taoist BuPing said: "Everyone suffered the insults and torment of Child Elder of Heavenly Mountain, there is no joy in your life, if the heroes of this world knows of the deed they will undoubtedly be angry as well. Today, everyone rise up and rebelled, who doesn''t want to lend a helping hand? Even poor Taoist, who is incompetent is also willing to draw my sword to uphold justice, Gentleman Murong is chivalrous, how can he sit back and doing nothing?"


    Wu LaoDa force a bitter laugh and said: "I don''t know how Taoist priest obtain the news, its all just rumours. Child-Granny can be quite strict in controlling us, but its for our benefit. We give thanks to her kindness, how can we rebel?"


    Taoist BuPing burst into loud laughter and said: "So poor Taoist is just meddlesome. Gentleman Murong, let us go to Heavenly Mountain together and discuss with the Child Elder, we will say that friends from 36 Caves and 72 Islands are loyal to her, they are thinking of how to celebrate her birthday." As he finish speaking his figure move and he is already beside Murong Fu.


    Someone cry out in alarm: "Wu LaoDa, don''t let this ox-nose priest leave, we will be in trouble if he divulge this secret." Another person shouted: "Even this Gentleman Murong must be arrested as well." A thick voice said: "Since we started it, we carry it through all the way, let us go all out!" There is ''Ca Ca'', ''Shua Shua'', ''Qiang Qiang'', the sound of weapons being drawn, everyone pull out their weapons.


    Taoist BuPing smiled and said: "You people want to kill us to prevent the secret from leaking out? I am afraid its not easy." He raise his voice and shouted: "Hibiscus Fairy, Sword God old chap, the Cave-masters of 36 Cave and Island-masters of 72 Island conspired to revolt against the Child Elder, i happen to discover their secret, they want to silence me. This is really dangerous, save me, save me! Taoist BuPing is going to die!" his voice transmitted far away and echoed in four direction at the valley.


    Taoist BuPing voice had yet to stop when a cold arrogant voice transmit from the western mountain peak: "Brother BuPing, just escape if you can, if you can''t then just resign yourself to fate. These disciples and grandson of Child Elder are extremely unreasonable, at most i can convey information for you, i don''t have the ability to save you." The voice is at least 3-4 li away.


    The voice barely finish speaking when a melodious female voice transmit from the northern mountain peak: "Ox-nose priest, who ask you to meddle it other people''s business? They already prepared everything in advance, once they revolt the Child Elder will be in big trouble. I will go to Heavenly Mountain now and talk to the Child Elder, see what she have to say about this." Her voice is even further than the male voice at the western mountain.


    When everyone heard it their expression changed, these two are around 3-4 li away, they definitely cannot catch them, clearly Taoist BuPing had prepared everything meticulously, he arrange for support at a distant place. Moreover, from their voices, the two have deep internal energy, even if they manage to overtake them they might not be able to subdue them.


    Wu LaoDa is aware of the origins of this male-female pair, he raise his voice and said: "Taoist BuPing, Sword God Mr Zhuo, Hibiscus Fairy, since the three of you are willing to assist us, everyone is extremely grateful. I will not lie in front of you experts, since the three of you already know the inside story its useless for us to conceal it anymore, i invite you to come forward and discuss together, how about it?"


    ''Sword God'' laugh and said: "Its better for us to stand far away and observe the ongoing, if there are some unexpected disaster its faster and easier to escape. There is no benefit in associating with wicked people." The female said: "Correct, my friend Taoist BuPing, the two of us will keep watch for you, if not you will get shredded by them and no one will deliver information for you, then you would have died for nothing."


    Wu LaoDa said : "The two of you are teasing us. In reality, our opponent is simply too strong, we are frighten and thus have to take extra precautions. Just now we did not reveal the matter candidly but we really have no choice, i hope the three of you can forgive us."


    Murong Fu and Deng BaiChuan gave each other a glance, they thought: "This Wu LaoDa is not some minor character, moreover they have great numbers, but he is so courteous towards the three of them, obviously he is trying to prevent the secret from leaking out. This Taoist BuPing, Sword God and Hibiscus Fairy, they claim they want to help out and assist, but most likely they have other motives, its best to stay away from these wicked people." Both of them nod their head, Deng BaiChuan signal with his lips, indicating that they should leave now. Murong Fu said: "There are so many people here, not matter how big the problem you definitely can handle it, moreover you have Taoist BuPing and another two experts to help you out, in the present age who can resist? There is really no need for me to interfere, i will just be a hindrance. I will take my leave now!"


    Wu LaoDa said: "Wait! Since this matter has been exposed, it concerns the lives of several hundred people. The honour and lives of our brothers from 36 Caves and 72 Islands are hanging on a thin line. Gentleman Murong, its not that we don''t trust you, but you are too deeply involved, we don''t dare to take the risk." Murong Fu said: "So you are saying you won''t allow me to leave?" Wu LaoDa said: "I don''t dare." Bao BuTong said: "What Child Granny, Child Uncle, we Gusu Murong family is ill-informed, this is the first time we heard of the name, obviously we are not connected to it. Just do whatever you want to do, we guarantee we will never leak out half a word. Who is Gusu Murong Fu, how can he not keep his words? If you try to forcibly make us stay, its not going to be easy, maybe its easy to keep Bao BuTong, but don''t tell me you can make young master Murong or that Gentleman Duan stay?"


    Wu LaoDa knows he is telling the truth, especially more so for Gentleman Duan as his footwork is very weird, he is carrying a lady on his back but his feet never touch the ground at all, he is floating around like a feather and goes wherever he wants, nobody can block him; there is no time to consider and he really don''t want to make another powerful enemy by offending Gusu Murong family. Wu LaoDa glance at Taoist BuPing, his expression awkward, its seems he is trying to ask for some ideas.


    Taoist BuPing said: "Wu LaoDa, for today''s matter, you definitely have to kill her. If you fail to kill her, then its completely over. Gentleman Murong is such a powerful helper, he is standing right in front of you, why you still hesitate in inviting him?"


    Wu LaoDa grind his teeth and made up his mind, he walk towards Murong Fu and bow deeply, he said: "Gentleman Murong, we from 36 Caves and 72 Islands suffered endless torment for the past 10 years, we led an inhuman life, we are going all out and risking our lives today to get rid of that old devil, i beg your heroic spirit to save us from this dire situation, we will never forget your great kindness and virtue!" he is begging Murong Fu for help, obviously he is being forced to do it, its not his original intention, but these few words are clearly sincere and honest.


    Murong Fu said: "There are so many experts here, there is no use for me......" he already thought of his speech, he wanted to decline and not get involve in this mess, but suddenly he had 2nd thoughts: "This Wu LaoDa said: ''We will never forget your great kindness and virtue'', there are no lack of experts in 36 Caves and 72 Islands. In the future i need to carry out a major plan, i worry about the lack of people, if i help them out today then when the time comes i can invite them to help me as well. There are several hundred experts here, its really an elite troop." As he thought of it, he immediately change his speech: "But there is a good saying, we should help one another along the way, this is my duty as a martial artist...."


    When Wu LaoDa heard it his expression is happy, he said: "Yes, yes!"


    Deng BaiChuan kept on shooting meaningful looks, he is hinting Murong Fu to quickly pull back, these people are not good people, its harmful to make friends with them. But Murong Fu just nod his head, indicating that he understood his intention, he continued: "I witness everyone''s superior martial arts, all of you uphold justice and have a sense of loyalty, i really admire greatly, thus i wish to make friends with you all. Everyone is punishing an evil person, originally you don''t need my help, but since we are friends, everyone should stick together through thick and thin, help each other out through trials and tribulations, Murong Fu is at your service."


    The applause is like thunder, everyone cheered and clap. ''Gusu Murong'' enjoys great reputation in the martial arts fraternity, just now everyone witness his skills and its indeed well-deserved, when Wu LaoDa ask him for help they did not expect him to agree at all, they expect him to swear an oath and not reveal the secret and that would be the end, they never expect him to agree immediately, moreover he is extremely courteous, saying things like ''stick together through thick and thin'', ''help each other out through trials and tribulations'', he is pledging his life to make friends with them, they cannot help but be pleasantly surprise.


    Deng BaiChuan and the rest are equally shock. They have always obeyed Murong Fu''s orders, even for Bao BuTong who likes to refute and debate he never say ''Not true, not true'' to his young master, the four of them thought: "Young master promise to assist, obviously he has his own intentions, we merely don''t understand it for the time being."


    **********


    When Wang YuYan heard her cousin agreeing to assist the other party, the enemy turn into a friend, she said to Duan Yu: "Gentleman Duan, they are not fighting anymore, you can put me down!" Duan Yu was startled, he said: "Yes, yes, yes!" he bend his knees slightly and put her down. Wang YuYan cheek is slightly red, she said softly: "Many thanks!" Duan Yu sigh and said: "Sigh, eternity is exhausted, there will be continuous regret from now on." Wang YuYan said: "What are you talking about? Are you reciting poetry?"


    Duan Yu was startled, he woke up from his fantasy, countless thoughts pass through him in an instant, after he put down Wang YuYan she would accompany Murong Fu and leave, they will be separated worlds apart and never see each other again, he will drift around the world, depress for 10 years and finally dying in regret and hate, thus he said ''eternity is exhausted, there will be continuous regret from now on''. When he heard Wang YuYan query, he quickly reply: "Its nothing...i...i....i let my imagination run wild." Wang YuYan immediately understood the meaning behind his poetry, she blush and thought of walking to Murong Fu right away, but her acupoint had yet to unseal, she can''t move.


    Taoist BuPing said: "Wu LaoDa, congratulations, congratulations, Gentleman Murong agreed to help, the problem is 90% solved, not to mention Murong Fu peerless divine skills, even his subordinate Gentleman Duan is also a top expert with abilities rarely seen in this world." He notice that Duan Yu expression was respectful when carrying Wang YuYan, thus he assume he has the same status as Deng BaiChuan and the rest of Murong Fu''s subordinate.


    Murong Fu quickly said: "This Brother Duan is a top expert from Dali''s Duan family, i myself admire him greatly. Brother Duan, why don''t you come over and meet these friends?"


    Duan Yu is standing beside Wang YuYan, he peek at her, sniffing her sweet fragrance, although he don''t dare to look straight at her, he is perfectly contented in looking at her jade white hands, he never hear Murong Fu calling him.


    Murong Fu shouted again: "Brother Duan, why don''t you come over and meet these friends?" He is determined to win over these brave heroes, thus he don''t dare to be haughty towards Duan Yu. But Duan Yu is completely focus on Wang YuYan''s hands, 10 fingertips, soft smooth and supple, how would he notice other people calling him?


    Wang YuYan said: "Gentleman Duan, my cousin is calling you!" Duan Yu immediately heard her words, he quickly said: "Yes, yes! He call me for what?" Wang YuYan said: "Cousin is asking you to go over and meet some new friends." Duan Yu is unwilling to leave her side, he said: "Then are you going as well?" Wang YuYan was unsettled by his question, she said: "They want to meet you, not me." Duan Yu said: "If you are not going, then i am not going as well."


    Although Taoist BuPing notice Duan Yu''s exceptional footwork, he didn''t regard him as some important figure, when he heard Duan Yu''s reply he did not know it was due to infatuation, other than the lady he ignored everyone else in this world, he assume Duan Yu despise them and is unwilling to meet, he cannot help but feel resentful.


    Wang YuYan notice everyone is looking at her and Duan Yu, she felt embarrass and fear that her cousin might misunderstand, she call out: "Cousin, someone sealed my acupoint, you...you come over to support me."


    However Murong Fu is unwilling to display his love relationship in front of everyone, he said: "Elder brother Deng, please tend to Miss Wang. Brother Duan, why don''t you come over here?"


    Wang YuYan said: "Gentleman Duan, my cousin is inviting you, please go over." Duan Yu heard her asking Murong Fu for support, obviously she regarded him as an outsider, in an instant his heart ached bitterly, he walk towards Murong in a daze.


    Murong Fu said: "Brother Duan, i will introduce you to several experts, this is Taoist BuPing, this is Wu LaoDa."


    Duan Yu said: "Yes! Yes!" but he thought: "I am standing beside her, why she never ask me to support her, instead she ask her cousin for support? Just now she wanted me to carry her but its due to the desperate situation, if her cousin can carry her then obviously she will choose her cousin, she will never allow me to touch her body." He said: "If she can lean on her cousin body, she will naturally burst with joy. Even for Deng BaiChuan, Bao BuTong, the subordinates of her cousin, she is much closer to them than to me. What about me? What about me? There is no relations between both of us, we are strangers who come together by chance, i am just some insignificant stranger, why would she care about me? She permit me to look at her a few times, but if she can sweep her eyes a few time at my lowly self then its considered my great fortune. She most probably still treat me as a gardener in her home, if i have any other wishful thoughts, i am afraid i will immediately exhaust my karmic reward....sigh, she will never want me to support her."


    Taoist BuPing and Wu LaoDa look at Duan Yu lifeless expression, he is just staring at empty air and completely ignored Murong Fu''s introduction, in addition his eyebrows wrinkled and he look worried, clearly he is unwilling to meet them. Taoist BuPing said: "Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you!" he stretch out his hand and grip Duan Yu''s right hand. Wu LaoDa immediately understood Taoist BuPing''s intentions, he flip his palm and hook Duan Yu''s left hand. Wu LaoDa''s martial art is overbearing, he openly display his hostility unlike Taoist BuPing, although both of them have the same intentions, they want to make Duan Yu suffer but they don''t want to reveal any trace of it, they try to appear very friendly and warm-hearted.


    Both of them held onto Duan Yu''s hand, their ''LaoGong acupoint'' on the hollow of the palm connected, the ''YuFu acupoint'' connected, ''YuJi'', ''ShaoFu'', ''ShaoChong'', all these meridians activated. In an instant, Taoist BuPing felt his internal energy draining out swiftly, he cannot help but feel startled, he hastily tried to shake of his hand. But currently Duan Yu''s internal energy is extremely deep and profound, unexpectedly his palm is stuck onto Taoist BuPing''s palm, his [Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness] already activate, he is absorbing his opponent''s internal energy faster and faster. When Wu LaoDa grab Duan Yu''s palm, he immediately channelled his internal energy and use his poison palm skill, he want to make Duan Yu suffer an unbearable itch and make him beg for forgiveness, then he will give him the antidote. Unexpectedly, Duan Yu is immune to poison after consuming the ''Poison Bull Cinnabar Toad'', the poison on his palm is completely harmless against Duan Yu, but his internal energy is absorbed at lightning speed. Wu LaoDa cry out loudly: "Hello, hello...you...you are using the [Great Energy Dissolving Skill]!"


    Duan Yu have yet to snap out of his day dream, he complain and sigh: "She don''t want me to support her, i am born to this world, but where is the joy? Why don''t i return to Dali, henceforth i should not meet her again. Sigh, why don''t i go to Heavenly Dragon Monastery and become a monk, become a disciple under Great Master KuRong, everyday i will cleanse my body and mind, from now on my six senses will be purified and tranquil, untainted and incorruptible...."


    Murong Fu is unaware of the true origins of Duan Yu''s martial arts, he saw Taoist BuPing and Wu LaoDa are distress, their expression change greatly, he assume Duan Yu is deliberately striking back, he quickly grab Taoist BuPing''s back and pull him off, his energy rush forward and retreat promptly, obstructing the suction force of the [Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness], he manage to pull Taoist BuPing off and he call out simultaneously: "Brother Duan, please be lenient!"


    Duan Yu was startled, he snap out of his day-dream, he immediately use the method taught by his uncle Duan ZhengMing and withdraw his [Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness].


    Wu LaoDa is using all his strength to pull outward, suddenly the suction is gone and he is released, he staggered and retreated a few steps, he finally manage to stabilize himself, his face and ears are red, he is frighten and angry, he shout repeatedly: "[Great Energy Dissolving Skill], [Great Energy Dissolving Skill]!" Taoist BuPing is more knowledgeable and experience, he notice Duan Yu''s internal energy absorbing skill is different from the notorious [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], but he can''t correctly identify them as he has never been hit by [Great Energy Dissolving Skill] before.


    Duan Yu''s [Divine Skill of the Northern Darkness] being mistaken as [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], it happened many times before, he smile and said: "Old Freak of XingXiu Ding ChunQiu is vile and repulsive, why would i learn his stinky martial arts? You really lack knowledge....sigh, sigh, sigh!" Originally he intended to tease Wu LaoDa, but he suddenly thought of Wang YuYan treating him as a stranger, he is infatuated and head over heels in love with her, speaking of ''lack of knowledge'' he is 100 times worse than Wu LaoDa, he cannot help but sigh 3 times.


    Murong Fu said: "Brother Duan is a direct descendent of the Duan family, his family is famous and upright, [YiYang Finger] and [Six Meridians Divine Sword] matchless under the heaven, how can he be mention together with the Old Freak of XingXiu?"


    While he is speaking, he felt his right palm and arm swelling more and more, evidently its not due to the impact from the dwarf''s twin hammer, he is bewildered and raise his hand, the back of his hand is glowing faint green, he smell some fishy stench, he immediately realize the truth: "Ah, yes, my arm came into contact with the ''Verdant Wave Fragrant Dew Sabre'', the poison gas slowly diffuse into the skin." At once he flip the sabre horizontally, the back of the sabre facing outward, the edge of the sabre facing himself, he said to Wu LaoDa: "Mr Wu, i will return this honourable weapon back, sorry for the offense."


    Wu LaoDa stretch out his hand to receive it, but Murong Fu did not release the handle, he was startled and laugh: "This sabre is a little strange, mostly probably it offended you." He took out a small bottle from his bosom, he open the bottle cork, he pour some fine powder on his palm, he turn his palm over and press in on Murong Fu''s arm. In an instant the medicine penetrate the skin, Murong Fu felt a cooling sensation on his arm and palm, he knew the antidote has already taken effect, he smiled and presented the sabre.


    Wu LaoDa received the sabre, he said to Duan Yu: "This brother Duan, are you a friend or foe? If you are a friend you should trust us completely so that i can report the truth candidly. If you are a foe, although your martial art is high but we will fight you to the death." As he finish speaking he look askance, his expression cold and imposing.


    Duan Yu is troubled by emotional matters, how would he have Wu LaoDa''s heroic spirit? He is dejected and said: "I have so much worries on my mind now, i can''t push it away or solve it, where to find the mood to pay attention to other people''s matters? I am not your friend, but i am also not your foe. I can''t help you, but i also won''t trouble you. Sigh, i am grieving for all eternity, the world is so vast and big but who will recognize my worth, my tears roll down in grief and indignation. Those who know me say i am depress, those who don''t know me say i am bringing trouble to myself. The gains and losses in the martial arts fraternity, why would Duan Yu even care about it?"


    Taoist BuPing notice Duan Yu is crazy and eccentric, he keep mumbling to himself, but after mumbling a few words he would secretly look at Wang YuYan, Taoist BuPing already guessed 80-90% of the matter, he raise his voice and said to Wang YuYan: "Miss Wang, your cousin Gentleman Murong already promise to assist us for the sake of justice, we will take part in this together and uphold justice, presumably Miss will take part as well?" Wang YuYan said: "Yes, since my cousin is with you, naturally i will also follow, i willingly follow your lead." Taoist BuPing smiled and said: "I don''t deserve such praise! Miss Wang is too modest." He turn his head and said to Duan Yu: "Gentleman Murong is with us, Miss Wang is also with us. Gentleman Duan, if you can join us as well, everyone will be eternally grateful to you. But if Gentleman is not willing then please leave by yourself, how about it?" as he finish speaking he move his right hand, his posture sending off a guest.


    Wu LaoDa said: "This...maybe its inappropriate....." he really disapprove of the idea, if Duan Yu leave, he might leak out their secret, he grip his serrated-sabre tightly, if Duan Yu take a single step he will immediately move forward and block him.


    But Duan Yu pace back and forth in a circle, he said: "You ask me to leave, but where can i go? Although the world is big, but where will Duan Yu find safe shelter? I....i have nowhere to go."


    Taoist BuPing smiled and said: "Since this is the case, then Gentleman Duan please come with us. When the time comes, you can just sit back without lifting a finger, don''t help either side."


    Wu LaoDa have some misgivings, Taoist BuPing look at him and cast a meaningful glance, he said: "Wu LaoDa, you are trifle in handling matters. Come, come, come! There are 36 Cave-masters and 72 Island-masters, poor Taoist been looking forward to the meeting but we never meet at all. From now on everyone will share the same enemy and hatred, you should come forward and introduce yourself to Gentleman Murong, Gentleman Duan and poor Taoist."


    Wu LaoDa said: "This should be case." At once he call out everyone''s name, one by one he introduce them. These people rule different region and territory, most of them don''t even know each other, while Wu LaoDa is introducing them to Gentleman Murong, someone will frequently call out: "Ah, it turns out this so-and-so Cave-master." Or they will whisper: "So-and-so Island-master with shocking reputation, unexpectedly his appearance is like this." Murong Fu was secretly amazed: "How come these people don''t even know each other? It seems they are meeting each other for the first time."


    Among the Cave-masters and Island-masters, four of them got killed by Murong Fu in the chaotic battle, when the subordinates of the four sees Murong Fu, they despise him and felt indignant.


    Murong Fu said brightly: "Just now i accidentally killed a few noble friend, i am terribly apologetic, from now on i will spare no effort and do my best to make up for my past mistake. But if someone is unwilling to forgive me, since we are fighting a common enemy we will put our differences aside for the moment, once the deed is done, please come to Gusu Basin of Swallow and find me, we will settle it once and for all." Wu LaoDa said: "Your words are correct. Gentleman Murong is very straightforward and honest! Even among our own brothers, we might have some complain and animosity, but we are facing a powerful enemy, everyone should put their minor differences aside. If anyone is short-sighted and refuse to take into account the big picture and try to take advantage of the situation to take revenge, then what should we do?" Many people say in succession:


    "That person is obviously a horse that brings trouble to its herd, everyone should get rid of him."


    "If we cannot deal with that Heavenly Mountain old witch, its hard for everyone to preserve their lives, there is no need to even mention personal hatred."


    "How can there be intact eggs in an overturn bird nest? Wu LaoDa, Gentleman Murong, don''t worry, no one will do such stupid thing."


    Murong Fu said: "Very good, i offer my thanks. I wonder what errands you have for me, please instruct me."


    Taoist BuPing said: "Wu LaoDa, since everyone is participating in this major event we need to work towards a common goal. You are the chief, please tell us the matter about Child Elder of Heavenly Mountain, how powerful is that old witch, what kind of shocking ability she has, tell us so that everyone can guard against her to avoid any surprise which we are not aware of."


    Wu LaoDa said: "Yes! All the Cave-masters and Island-masters recommended me to organize this event, my ability and talent is shallow, originally i cannot hold such heavy responsibility, luckily Gentleman Murong, Taoist BuPing, Sword God Mr Zhuo and Hibiscus Fairy join in to uphold justice, thus my burden is greatly reduced." He still have some resentment towards Duan Yu, thus he did not mention ''Gentleman Duan'' in his speech.


    Someone from the crowd said: "Save those polite words, get to the main point!" another person said: "Damn your grandmother, we are going to risk our lives to kill someone, our lives are in jeopardy, all these empty talks, aren''t you wasting our time?"


    Wu LaoDa laugh and said: "Brother Hong spew such vulgar language. Sea Horse Island Island-master Qin, please stand guard at the south-east, release the signal immediately if you spot any enemy. Violet Rock Cave Cave-master Huo, please stand guard at the west...." he dispatch eight experts in succession, they guard the eight directions. The eight of them complied with the orders, they lead their subordinates and rush off to their designated guard point.


    Murong Fu pondered: "These eight Cave-masters and Island-masters, it seems they are cruel and arrogant, violent and fierce people, unexpectedly they complied with the orders of Wu LaoDa, their expression vigilant and fearful, obviously the enemy is so powerful that they become extremely fearful. I promise to render my help, but i am afraid this problem is really dangerous and difficult."


    Wu LaoDa wait for the eight group of guards to walk far away, he said: "Everyone please sit down, i will narrate our painful embarrassment."


    Bao BuTong suddenly interrupted: "You bunch of people commit murder and arson, put poison and pillage, all of you fierce and vicious, terrible tyrants, what kind of painful embarrassment you have? It makes no sense, it makes no sense!" Murong Fu said: "3rd brother Bao, calm down and listen to Cave-master Wu''s account, don''t interrupt his words." Bao BuTong grumbled: "His words lack logic, i cannot help but speak out bluntly." Although he did rebut, but since Murong Fu already gave him an order, he dare not interrupt anymore.


    Wu LaoDa force a bitter smile and said: "Brother Bao is correct. The one surnamed Wu, although my ability is lowly, but i am born stubborn, i take advantage of people, i don''t allow others to take advantage of me, but who would have expect, sigh!"


    Wu LaoDa gave a sigh, suddenly the person beside him also gave a long sigh, he is even more sorrowful. Everyone look towards the person who gave the long sigh, Duan Yu is looking at the moon with his hands behind his back, Duan Yu gave a long sigh and said: "The moon is so bright, a pretty lady appear before me; she is so elegant and attractive, i worry about how to express my feelings!" He is humming the chapter from the , the meaning is that the moonlight is bright, the beauty graceful, he find it hard to relax his thoughts and he cannot help but worry secretly. Most of the people around him are uneducated martial artists, how can they understand the meaning of this poem? Everyone glare furiously at Duan Yu, they blame him for interrupting Wu LaoDa.


    Wang YuYan understood Duan Yu''s real intentions, she afraid that her cousin might take offense and she secretly peek at Murong Fu, he is fixing his gaze entirely on Wu LaoDa, he never listen to Duan Yu recital of poetry, she breathe a sigh of relief.


    Wu LaoDa said: "Gentleman Murong and Taoist BuPing , both of you are not outsiders anymore, i am not afraid of letting you know about this matter. We 36 Cave-masters and 72 Island-masters, some live in desolated mountains, some rule over islands, it may seem as if we are free and unfettered, but all of us are restricted by Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain. To be honest, we are her slave. Every year, she will send some people to heavily reprimand us, she will curse and berate us, no living person can withstand it. You must be wondering, we must be indignant to be reprimanded by her correct? But this is not the case, the more she curse us, the happier we feel....."


    Bao BuTong cannot help but interrupt: "This is strange! Aren''t you demeaning yourself?"


    Wu LaoDa said: "Brother Bao you are not aware of the full details, if the people sent by Child Elder scold us severely, our crisis for that year can be considered over, all the caves and islands will organize a huge feast for several days to celebrate our well-being. Sigh, conducting ourselves like this, its indeed very demeaning. If the people sent by Child Elder don''t curse our grandson as bastards, if they don''t curse our 18 generation ancestors, our lives in the future will be difficult. You must understand, if she don''t send people to curse us, she will send people to beat us, if you are lucky you get 30 strokes of rod, if your legs don''t get broken in the process you will most likely organize a huge feast and celebrate."


    Bao BuTong and Feng BoE look at each other and smile, both of them make huge effort to restrain themselves from laughing out, unexpectedly these people have to organize a feast and celebrate even after getting beaten, such strange incident has never been heard before, but Wu LaoDa''s tone is mournful and miserable, the crowd around him also gnash their teeth in anger and curse, it seems this matter is not fake.


    Originally, Duan Yu focus solely on Wang YuYan, while looking at her, he notice that she listen attentively to Wu LaoDa, thus he also listen to Wu LaoDa speak, after listening to a few sentence he cannot help but slap his palm and said: "Ridiculous! This Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain, is she a god or immortal? Devil or monster? She is so tyrannical, isn''t she a bit too absurd?"


    Wu LaoDa said: "Gentleman Duan is correct. This Child Elder push us around, she treat us worse than pigs and dogs. If she don''t order her people to beat us with rod, she will often use whip to lash our back, else she will hammer in a few nails into our back. Island-master Sima, the scars you got from the lashings, please let our friends see it."


    A thin and emaciated old man said: "Ashamed, ashamed!" he undo his garment, on his back there are 3 vertical stripe and 3 horizontal stripe, the stripe criss-cross and is bright red in colour, it is really nauseating just looking at it, they can imagine the pain and anguish the old man must have felt when he endured the lashings. A black man said loudly: "That is nothing. Please look at the nails on my back." he undo his garment, there are 3 huge iron nail, its nailed onto his back, the nails are rusted, evidently it has been a long time but unexpectedly this black man did not attempt to remove it. Another monk said hoarsely: "The injuries suffered by Island-master Yu, i am afraid it can''t be compared with junior monk!" he undo his monk robe. A slender iron chain penetrate through his scapula, the chain goes downward and penetrate his wrist bone. He only need to move his wrist lightly and it will affect his scapula, everyone can well imagine the pain.


    Duan Yu is extremely angry, he shouted: "Preposterous, preposterous! Unexpectedly there is such sinister person in this world. Wu LaoDa, Duan Yu is determined to help you, everyone will work together to purge this great evil."


    Wu LaoDa said: "Many thanks to Gentleman Duan assistance." He turn his head and said to Murong Fu: "Everyone here endured some form of torture from Child Elder. We claim this is an ''Assembly of Ten Thousand Immortals'', we are just exaggerating, in reality it should be ''Assembly of Ten Thousand Ghosts''. Our lives for these past years, i am afraid even the sufferings endured by ghost in hell can''t be compared with us. In the past, everyone is afraid of her terrible methods, thus we simply suffer in silence, luckily god is fair, that old witch dominate us for a lifetime but she can also run out of luck."


    Murong Fu said: "Everyone here is controlled by Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain and did not rebel, is it because of her superior martial arts which lead to defeat at every encounter?" Wu LaoDa said: "Obviously that old witch''s martial art is extremely powerful. But nobody knows exactly how brilliant it is." Murong Fu said: "Deep and immeasurable?" Wu LaoDa nod his head and said: "Deep and immeasurable!" Murong Fu ask: "You say that old woman ran out of luck, how so?"


    Wu LaoDa raise his eyebrows, his spirit rose, he said: "Its for this reason that we are gathering here. On the 2nd day of the 5th lunar month, Heavenly Wind Cave Cave-master An and i, Sea Horse Island Island-master Qin, etc, all nine of us take turns to present our offerings, pearls and treasures, thin silk and satin, exotic delicacies, rouge and cosmetics, we delivered it to Misty Peak Heavenly Mountain....." Bao BuTong laugh out loudly and ask: "That old woman is a granny, how come she still use rouge and cosmetics?" Wu LaoDa said: "That old witch is old, but she have quite a number of female servants under her, some of the young women need these cosmetics. But there is not a single man at the mountain peak, i don''t know who they dress up for?" Bao BuTong smiled and said: "Maybe its for you to see."


    Wu LaoDa said grimly: "Brother Bao you are teasing me. When we go to Misty Peak, our eyes are covered by black cloth, we can hear but cannot see, the people at Misty Peak, whether they are pretty or ugly, young or old, nobody knows."


    Murong Fu said: "If that is the case, then the appearance of Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain, nobody ever seen it before?"


    Wu LaoDa sigh and said: "Someone did see her before. But those who see her will meet a tragic end. The incident happen 23 years ago, someone got the guts, he secretly pull down his black cloth and glance at that old witch, he didn''t have time to pull the cloth up as both his eyes were blinded by that old witch, his tongue cut off, both his arms chop off." Murong Fu said: "Its fine if his eyes are blinded, but why cut off his tongue and arms?" Wu LaoDa said: "Perhaps its to prevent him from revealing the appearance of the old witch, cut off his tongue so that he cannot speak, cut off his arms so that he cannot write."


    Bao BuTong stick out his tongue and said: "Scoundrel, scoundrel! Ferocious, ferocious!"


    Wu LaoDa said: "Cave-master An and i, Island-master Qin, etc, the nine of us were extremely scared while at Misty Peak. The medicine that old witch ask us to prepare 3 years ago, a few items are really rare, for example the egg of 300 years old turtle, 5 chi long deer antler, we really can''t find it. We cannot fulfil her demands, thus we assume the punishment must be heavy. Unexpectedly when the nine of us hand over the items, the old witch send someone to pass on a message: ''The items are passable, you nine bastards, quickly grab your tail and get lost!'' its as if we are granted amnesty from the emperor, we were overjoyed, immediately we left the mountain peak, its best to leave quickly, if that old witch detect some of the items are not complete and inquire then we will be in deep trouble. We reach the base of the mountain and remove the black cloth covering our eyes, but we saw three dead people. One of them, Cave-master An recognize him as an expert from Western Xia First-Class Hall, he is called Nine-Wing Taoist."


    Taoist BuPing said: "Oh, so Nine-Wing Taoist is killed by that old witch, however its rumoured that he was killed by Gusu Murong family." Bao BuTong said: "Bullshit! Bullshit! What Eight-Tail Monk or Nine-Wing Taoist, we never heard of them before, this blood-debt is place on us again." His curse is directed at people who spread the rumours, he isn''t scolding Taoist BuPing, but bystanders still felt rather uncomfortable when hearing it. Taoist BuPing did not take offense, he smiled and said: "A famous person will attract criticism, it''s a natural way of life!" Bao BuTong said: "Bull......." he glance sideway at Murong Fu, he swallowed his words. Taoist BuPing said: "Brother Bao, how come you swallow your words?" Bao BuTong is having second thoughts, he shout furiously: "What? You cursing me, i am eating fart correct?" Taoist BuPing smiled and said: "I don''t dare! Whatever Brother Bao likes to eat, you can simply eat."


    Bao BuPing intended to debate with him but Murong Fu said: "In this world, praises and approval cannot be anticipated, we wholeheartedly want to preserve our reputation, instead we suffer slander, this is a very common matter, 3rd Brother Bao why the need to debate? Its rumoured that Nine-Wing Taoist possess extremely high lightness martial art, he is skilled in [Thunder God Shield], he rarely meets his match, ignoring the fact that he does not have any enmity with me, even if we did have some hatred i might not be able to beat him, he is known as the [Thunder That Shift The Nine Heavens] Nine-Wing Taoist."


    Taoist BuPing smiled and said: "Gentleman Murong is too modest. Although Nine-Wing Taoist [Thunder That Shift The Nine Heavens] is impressive, but if Gentleman Murong also returns it with another [Thunder That Shift The Nine Heavens], then he will wait for death with his hands tied."


    Wu LaoDa said: "There are two scars on Nine-Wing Taoist, both of them inflicted by sword. Hence, its rumoured that he died by Gusu Murong hands, but that is pure rubbish. Base on my observation, how can it be fake? If Gentleman Murong wants to kill him, obviously he will use Nine-Wing Taoist''s [Thunder God Shield] to kill him."


    Taoist BuPing interrupted: "Two sword wounds? Two scars? That is so strange!"


    Wu LaoDa slap his thigh and said: "Taoist BuPing is indeed an expert, you immediately detect something fishy. Nine-Wing Taoist died at the base of Misty Peak, but he suffered two sword wounds, something is amiss!"


    Murong Fu pondered: "What is so fishy about that? Taoist BuPing found it strange, but i really don''t understand." In an instant he cannot help but feel inferior.


    Wu LaoDa wanted to test Murong Fu, he said: "Gentleman Murong, do you think there is something fishy as well?"


    Murong Fu is unwillingly to bluff his way through, he was startled and wanted to say: "I really don''t know the underlying reason." Suddenly Wang YuYan said: "One of the sword wounds on Nine-Wing Taoist is likely to be on his right leg, between the ''FengShi'' and ''FuTu'' acupoint, the other sword wound must be on his back, his ''XuanShu'' acupoint, his vertebra is slice in half with a single sword move, am i correct?"


    Wu LaoDa''s shock is no small matter, he said: "Miss you are also at Misty Peak? How come we....we never see....see you?" his voice is trembling, clearly he is extremely scared. He thought that since Wang YuYan is at the scene, then his future conduct inevitably will be known to her as well, he is afraid that the big secret is leaked out already, he have yet to mobilize the attacks but Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain already knows about it." Another voice transmit from the crowd of people: "How come you know....know....know...how come we didn''t see....see....see...." The speaker already suffered from serious stuttering, he is even more anxious and his speech is unclear. Murong Fu thought the person''s stuttering is awkward, its really funny, but unexpectedly none of the 36 Cave-master and 72 Island-masters dare to ridicule him, Murong Fu presume the person''s martial arts must be solid, or the person is very vicious and everyone is rather fearful of him, immediately everyone cast meaningful looks at Bao BuTong, hinting him not to offend this person.


    Wang YuYan said indifferently: "Heavenly Mountain is located at western region, it is so far away, i never been there before."


    Wu LaoDa is even more afraid, he thought: "Since you didn''t witness it personally, then you must have heard it from other people, don''t tell me this matter spread all over the martial arts fraternity already?" he quickly inquire: "Miss, who did you heard it from?"


    Wang YuYan said: "Its just my own casual guess. Nine-Wing Taoist is an expert in the ''Thunder And Lightning Arts'', when he fight with others he will definitely use his lightness martial art. He wield an iron tablet on his left hand, 42 move [Sichuan Road Tablet Art], protecting his chest, back, the top of his head and his left side, its really like an iron barrel, difficult for his opponent to attack, the only gap is on his right side, for a sword-wielding expert to injure him, he must attack his right leg, between the ''FengShi'' and ''FuTu'' acupoint. If the sword is thrust between these two acupoint, Nine-Wing Taoist will definitely raise his tablet to protect his chest, at the same time he will use his [Thunder God Shield] and make a move [Spring Thunder Moving Abruptly], chopping his opponent. Since his opponent is an expert, naturally he will seize the opportunity and chop his back. I guess this move must be from [White Rainbow Piercing The Sun], the move [White Emperor Beheading The Snake], or similar kind of moves to chop his ''XuanShu'' acupoint on his backbone. Nine-Wing Taoist''s martial art is strong, its not easy to use a sword to harm him, its best to use judge-pen or some other short weapon to hit his pressure point, but since its a sword, then this move is the most effective."


    Wu LaoDa breathe a sigh of relief, its as if he is released from a heavy burden, after a long time he stick out his thumb and said: "Admirable! Admirable! The people under Gusu Murong is really extraordinary! Miss, your analysis is deep and logical, its as if you witness it personally."


    Duan Yu cannot help but interrupt: "This lady is surnamed Wang, she is not....she is not Gusu Murong...."


    Wang YuYan smiled and said: "Gusu Murong is my closest relative, there is nothing wrong in calling me part of Gusu Murong family."


    Duan Yu vision turn dark, his body sway, his ears buzzing with the phrase: "There is nothing wrong in calling me part of Gusu Murong family."


    The stuttering person said: "So it is..is...is....." Wu LaoDa did not wait for him to finish speaking and said: "The wounds on Nine-Wing Taoist are indeed as speculated by Miss Wang, one sword wound at the right leg between the ''FengShi'' and ''FuTu'' acupoint, the ''XuanShu'' acupoint on his back chop in half....." but he is still worried, he inquire: "Miss Wang, you are certain that you deduce it using martial arts knowledge, you really didn''t hear it from someone else?" Wang YuYan nod her head and said: "Yes."


    The stuttering person suddenly said: "If you want to kill...kill....kill Wu LaoDa, then how....how...how....how...."


    Wu LaoDa heard the person ask Wang YuYan on how to kill him, he is furious and shouted loudly: "What is your intention in asking that question?" but he immediately had second thoughts: "This lady is so young, its really unimaginable that she can deduce how Nine-Wing Taoist died base on martial arts knowledge, most probably she hid at the base of Misty Peak and witness someone using the sword moves. The implication of this matter is serious, there is no harm in probing further." He said: "Correct. May i ask Miss, if you want to kill me, how would you do it?"


    Wang YuYan smile faintly, she move close to Murong Fu''s ear and said softly: "Cousin, the loophole in this person''s martial art is behind his shoulder the ''TianZong'' acupoint and the ''Qing Leng Yuan'' acupoint behind his elbow, you can subdue him by attacking these two points."


    In the presence of several hundred experts, how can Murong Fu accept the guidance given by a young maiden? He snorted and said brightly: "Since Cave-master Wu is asking you, there is no harm in saying it out loud."


    Wang YuYan blush, she felt ashamed, she pondered: "I wanted to fawn upon you, but i didn''t expect to show off my ability in front of everyone, it overshadowed your manly authority." She said: "Cousin, Gusu Murong knows all the martial arts under the heaven, you tell Wu LaoDa about it."


    Murong Fu is unwilling to pretend, thus he is unwilling to receive the glory base on her knowledge, he said: "Wu LaoDa''s martial art is high, you want to harm him, its easier said than done? Cave-master Wu, we don''t need to discuss this unrelated topic, please continue narrating what you heard and saw at the base of Misty Peak."


    Wu LaoDa is determined to know if someone else is at the base of Misty Peak, he said: "Miss Wang, if you don''t know the method to kill me then you might not know the sword moves that killed Nine-Wing Taoist, then your speech just now is just wasting our time. Please tell us truthfully, how you know about the death of Nine-Wing Taoist, this matter is extremely important, its not for fun."


    Duan Yu fix his gaze and concentrate his attention on Wang YuYan when she move towards Murong Fu, he look at her actions towards Murong Fu, while she is speaking to Murong Fu he also concentrate and listen attentively. Duan Yu''s internal energy is deep and profound, although Wang YuYan whispered softly to Murong Fu, he heard every single word clearly, at this moment, listening to Wu LaoDa''s tone, it seems as if he is rebuking Wang YuYan for telling lies, Duan Yu respect her as if she is his sweetheart deity, how can he allow someone else to trouble her? Thus he did not say anything else, he move his right foot and executed [Graceful Steps upon the Waves], he flash to the east and spin to the west, suddenly he move to Wu LaoDa''s back.


    Wu LaoDa was alarmed, he said: "What you doing....." Duan Yu extend his right hand, he is already pressing down on the ''TianZong'' acupoint behind Wu LaoDa''s right shoulder, his left hand grab the ''Qing Leng Yuan'' acupoint behind Wu LaoDa''s left elbow. These two acupoints are indeed his Achilles heel, the weak point in his martial arts. Duan Yu is careless and clumsy, he doesn''t know any martial arts at all, but firstly his footwork is strange and exquisite, in an instant he seize the advantage and arrive at Wu LaoDa''s back, secondly Wang YuYan is extremely accurate in determining Wu LaoDa''s martial arts, as Wu LaoDa flip his palm to attack his opponent but both his weak points are already controlled by his opponent, his opponent only needs to send a tiny bit of internal energy and he will immediately be crippled. Although Duan Yu possess strong internal energy, he cannot channel it at will, even though he manage to grab onto Wu LaoDa''s weak point but in reality he cannot harm him at all. Wu LaoDa previously suffered under the hands of Duan Yu, he don''t dare to flaunt his bravery in front of him. He force a bitter smile and said: "Gentleman Duan''s martial art is marvellous, i am completely convinced."


    Duan Yu said: "I don''t know any martial arts, this is all due to the guidance of Miss Wang." As he finish speaking he release him and stroll back.


    Wu LaoDa was startled and fearful, he stare stupidly for quite some time and finally said: "I am finally aware that this world is vast, Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain might not be the only one who possess superior martial arts." He kept glancing at Duan Yu''s shadow repeatedly, he is bewildered.


    Taoist BuPing said: "Wu LaoDa, you have people with such high-level ability assisting you, its really heartening." Wu LaoDa nod his head and said: "Yes, yes! Our probability of success increase by several times." Taoist BuPing said: "Since there are two sword wounds on Nine-Wing Taoist, then he is not killed by Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain."


    Wu LaoDa said: "Correct! At that time when i saw these sword wounds, i had similar thoughts as you. Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain don''t like to travel far away from home, normal people don''t dare to come within 100 li of Misty Peak to make a nuisance. She rarely has to fully utilize her martial arts. Thus, within 100 li of Misty Peak, if someone is killed, then it must be done by her personally. We are well aware of her temper, sometimes we deliberately lure 1-2 experts to the base of Misty Peak, let that old woman satisfy her lust for killing. When she kill people she only use 1 move, where is the logic in leaving two sword wounds on her opponent?"


    Murong Fu was startled, he pondered: "This Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain don''t need a 2nd move to kill people, there is really such level of martial arts in this world?"


    Bao BuTong is also sceptical, he is not reserved like Murong Fu, he ask: "Cave-master Wu, you say that Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain don''t need to use a 2nd move to kill people, of course its easy when dealing with someone with ordinary martial arts, but if its a real expert, don''t tell me she can also kill with a single move? Exaggeration, exaggeration! Its really hard to believe."


    Wu LaoDa said: "If Brother Bao refuse to believe, there is nothing i can do. But all of us are willing to be insulted by Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain, whatever she says, we don''t dare to say no, if she does not have superhuman abilities, which of the 36 Cave-masters and 72 Islands-masters here wants to be nice to her? How come for all these years, we are so docile and nobody dares to revolt?"


    Bao BuTong nod his head and said: "Its indeed odd, everyone here might not be willing to be her slave." Although he felt Wu LaoDa''s speech is logical, he still want to debate: "Not true, not true! You say nobody dares to revolt, but now aren''t you revolting?"


    Wu LaoDa said: "There is some reasoning behind it. At that time, when i saw the two sword wounds on Nine-Wing Taoist, i had some doubts, i look at the other two dead people, those two also did not die by a single move, obviously its due to a fierce battle, they are riddled with scars. Immediately i discuss with Brother An, Brother Qin and the others, this matter is simply too strange. Could it be that Nine-Wing Taoist and the others wasn''t killed by Child Elder? But if they wasn''t killed by Child Elder, then her subordinates at Vulture Palace, how dare they kill people at the base of Misty Peak and spoil Child Elder''s reputation in killing people with a single move? I had several doubts and suspicions, when we travel for a few li, Cave-master An suddenly said: ''Maybe....maybe that old madam...contracted.....contracted.....''"


    Murong Fu is aware that he is referring to the stuttering person, he thought: "So this person is Cave-master An."


    Wu LaoDa continued: "At that time we are not far from Misty Peak, but in fact its actually a few thousand li away, when mentioning that old witch nobody dares to be disrespectful towards her, we always address her as old madam. Brother An said: ''contracted.....contracted...'' these few words, everyone also know it without consulting each other: ''contracted illness?''"


    Taoist BuPing said: "That child granny, how old is she?"


    Wang YuYan said softly: "She can''t be too young."


    Duan Yu said: "Correct, since she is a granny then she can''t be too young. But in the future, if you become a granny, you will still be young." But Wang YuYan listen attentively to Wu LaoDa, she pay no attention to him at all, Duan Yu felt dull, he pondered: "The words of Wu LaoDa, i better pay attention as well, if not when Miss Wang ask me about it and i can''t answer then won''t i be wasting a golden opportunity?"


    Wu LaoDa said: "Nobody knows how old Child Elder is. We are under her control, at least 10-20 years, at most 30-40 years, only Cave-master of WuLiang Cave and a few others, they recently came under the control of Vulture Palace. In any case, nobody has ever seen her appearance, nobody dares to ask her about her age."


    As Duan Yu listen, he recall that he know the Cave-master of WuLiang Cave, he look around, indeed Xin ShuangQing is leaning against a large rock far away, his head lowered in contemplation, his expression sorrowful.


    Wu LaoDa continued: "We immediately recall: ''Man must die eventually'', no matter how powerful Child Elder is she will eventually die and her body break down. Our offering is not complete but she did not punish us, its already unusual, moreover Nine-Wing Taoist died at the base of the mountain, unexpectedly he suffered more than one wound, this is even more suspicious. To cut the story short, something must be greatly amiss."


    "We look at each other, nobody dare to speak, everyone knew that this is our only chance to take off our chains, but Child Granny is strict in governing us, nobody dare to suggest to investigate the incident. After a long time, Brother Qin said: ''2nd Brother An conjecture is reasonable, but this matter is simply too risky, in my opinion, we should go back and quietly wait for news, after getting solid information it won''t be too late to decide on what to do.''"


    "Brother Qin''s tried and tested method is appropriate....but...but we simply cannot wait anymore. Brother An said: ''This life-death talisman....life-death talisman....'' he don''t need to say it, everyone understood. The old witch has a hold on our life-death talisman, we cannot rebel, if she dies due to illness and the life-death talisman falls into the hands of another person, won''t we be the slave of the second person again? We cannot free ourselves and be trapped for eternity? If that person is cruel and malicious, or worse than that old witch, then won''t we have to endure even more suffering and torment? We are like an arrow on the bow string, there is no choice but to fire. We are well aware that its exceptionally risky, but we must go and investigate fully."


    "Among our group, in terms of martial arts and resourcefulness, Cave-master An is number one, especially his lightness martial art, its much higher than the rest. It was quiet at that time, the eight of us look at Cave-master An''s face."


    Murong Fu, Wang YuYan, Duan Yu, Deng BaiChuan, Bao BuTong, they don''t know Cave-master An, they scan the crowd repeatedly, they want to know what kind of person Cave-master An is, who possess superior martial arts and stutters while speaking. Everyone suddenly recall, previously Wu LaoDa introduce the crowd to Murong Fu and Taoist BuPing, but Cave-master An is not among them.


    Wu LaoDa said: "Cave-master An likes his peace and quiet, he is not fond of making friends, thus he did not introduce himself just now, please don''t blame him! At that time, everyone long for Cave-master An to take charge and investigate the matter. Cave-master An said: ''Since this is the case, i will accept and go ahead to investigate.''" Everyone is aware that Cave-master An''s speech is not that smooth flowing, its just that Wu LaoDa is unwilling to imitate his stuttering to avoid ridicule; this is also the reason why Cave-master An is unwilling to meet Murong Fu and Taoist BuPing.


    Wu LaoDa continued: "We wait anxiously at the base of Misty Peak, time crawls, we are afraid that Cave-master An might meet some misfortune. We don''t have to lie to each other, although we are worried about Cave-master An falling under the evil hands of that old witch, but we are more worried the old witch might make life difficult for us in her anger. But since the matter already reach such a state, we can only endure, if the old witch wants to punish us severely, there is no way for us to escape. After 6 hours, Cave-master An finally return to the designated meeting point. His expression is happy, everyone breathe a sigh of relief. He said: ''The old madam is sick, she is not at Misty Peak.'' It seems he secretly return to Misty Peak and eavesdrop on the conversation between the old witch''s maids, he found out that the old witch suffered serious illness, she left to find medicine and seek medical treatment."


    When Wu LaoDa finish speaking, everyone immediately cheered loudly. They long knew about the news concerning the illness of Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain, everyone gathered here, the purpose is to discuss this matter, but hearing Wu LaoDa mention the incident they cannot help but cheer.


    Duan Yu shakes his head and said: "Feeling happy upon hearing news about illness, you people rejoice in other people''s misfortune!" his words is inter-mix with thunderous joyful cheers, nobody heard his words.


    Wu LaoDa said: "We were elated when we heard this news, but we are worried the old witch is crafty, she deliberately fake illness to test us, the nine of us discuss, after two days we finally went up Misty Peak together to investigate. This time, i personally heard it for myself. That old witch indeed suffered serious illness, most probably its real. But we can''t find out the location of the life-death talisman."


    Bao BuTong interrupted: "Hello, old chap Wu, that life-death talisman, what stupid thing is it?" Wu LaoDa gave a sigh and said: "That thing is complicated and not easy to explain, i can''t explain it to Brother Bao in a short period of time. In short, the old witch controls the life-death talisman, she can kill us any time." Bao BuTong said: "Then its an extremely powerful magic weapon?" Wu LaoDa laugh bitterly and said: "You can also say that."


    Duan Yu pondered: "That Divine Farmer Clan Clan-Leader, goat-beard SiKong Xuan, he is extremely afraid of Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain''s life-death talisman to the extent that he jump off the cliff to commit suicide, it seems this magic weapon is really powerful."


    Wu LaoDa is unwilling to talk about the ''life-death talisman'', he said to the crowd: "The old witch suffered a serious illness, its absolutely true. To free ourselves from disaster we have to gather our courage and fight till death. However, we don''t know if the old witch has return to Vulture Palace. We have to figure out how to proceed from now on. Especially Taoist BuPing, Gentleman Murong, Miss Wang....Gentleman Duan, if the four of you have any brilliant idea please grant it to us."


    Duan Yu said: "Previously, i heard that Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain is vicious and tyrannical, she humiliate everyone, i feel really indignant, i am determined to go up Misty Peak and debate with that old madam. But since she has fallen ill, its not the way of gentleman to take advantage of other''s precarious position. Not to mention that i don''t have any brilliant idea, even if i have some brilliant ideas i won''t speak of it."

 Chapter - 36 Genuine Speech And Genuine Fantasy In a Dream

    Xu Zhu had a shock, he rush forward two steps. Child Elder cry out in a shrill voice, she rush towards him. The white-clothed person said in a low voice: "Martial sister, you are so carefree here!" the voice is a female, gentle sweet and agreeable. Xu Zhu walk forward two steps, he saw the white-clothed person''s slim and graceful figure, clearly she is a woman, a white silk cloth covered her face, he can''t see her appearance, but she call out ''Martial sister'', thus he assume she must be from the same sect and came here to help Child Elder, perhaps he don''t have to get involve anymore. But he look sideways at Child Elder, her expression is extremely strange, amidst her alarm and indignant expression, she also had a hint of disdain and disgust.


    Child Elder rush to Xu Zhu''s side, she shouted: "Quickly carry me up the mountain peak." Xu Zhu said: "This...this knot inside junior monk''s heart, i can''t resolve it yet...." Child Elder is furious, she flip her hand and slap him, she shouted: "This thieving **** came here to harm me, you didn''t see it?" At this moment Child Elder''s strength is not light, this slap from her immediately caused half of Xu Zhu''s face to swell up.


    The white-clothed person said: "Martial sister, your temper is still the same till old, the other party is not willing, yet you always force them, beat and scold them, what is the point? Little sister have some advice for you, its best to be courteous to others."


    Xu Zhu had very good opinion of her: "This person is in the same sect as Child Elder and Mr Wu YaZi, but her temperament is vastly different from them, she is so gentle and refine, fair and reasonable."


    Child Elder kept urging Xu Zhu: "Quickly carry me and leave, move far far away from this ****, granny won''t forget to reward you, i will definitely heavily reward you in the future."


    The white-clothed person stood to the side in a calm and composed manner, her garment fluttered with the breeze, she is like an immortal. Xu Zhu assume this person is very elegant and refine, but how come Child Elder is so afraid of her? The white-clothed person said: "Martial sister, we old sisters never see other for so many years, how come you are not happy in meeting me today, on the contrary you want to leave quickly? Little sister calculated that these past few days must be the joyous period where you revert back to a child, i heard you recruited quite a number of demons and ghosts, little sister is afraid they will take advantage of your situation to revolt, i personally came to Misty Peak''s Vulture Palace to find you, i want to help you to fight off these devils, but i can''t find you."


    Child Elder saw that Xu Zhu is not willing to carry her to run away, she said furiously: "You calculated the time when i lose all my internal energy and martial arts and came to Misty Peak, what good intentions can you have? But you can''t predict the curious coincidence, unexpectedly someone actually carried me down Misty Peak. You found nothing up there, you must be very disappointed correct? Li QuiShui, although you found me today, but you are late by a few days, naturally i am still not your match, but its not so easy for you to rob me of my entire lifetime of divine martial arts."


    The white-clothed person said: "Martial sister what are you saying? After parting with you, i am very concerned about you and think of you daily, i often thought of coming to Vulture Palace to see you. But after the misunderstanding 10 years ago, every time we meet, elder sister will disregard the reason and reproach me. Firstly, little sister is afraid of provoking elder sister''s anger, secondly i am afraid elder sister might punish and beat me, thus i don''t dare to come and visit. Elder sister you are really overly suspicious if you think i have bad intentions." Her speech is respectful and affectionate.


    Xu Zhu thought the Child Elder must be barbaric and unreasonable, this pair of female, one of them benevolent the other evil, they had some hostility in the past, obviously it must be Child Elder''s fault.


    Child Elder said angrily: "Li QiuShui, things have reached this stage already, what is the point in employing such flowery speech to ridicule me? Take a look, what is this?" when she finish speaking she stretch out her left hand and revealed the gem ring on her thumb.


    Li QiuShui trembled, her voice cracked: "Sect Leader''s Seven-Treasure Ring! You....where did you get it?" Child Elder sneered: "Obviously he gave it to me, why ask when you already knew the answer?" Li QiuShui is slightly stumped for words, she said: "Heng, he...why would he give this to you? If you didn''t steal it then you must have snatch it away."


    Child Elder said loudly: "Li QiuShui, Carefree Sect Leader''s orders, kneel down and listen to instructions."


    Li QiuShui said: "You think you can confer this Sect Leader position onto yourself? Most likely.....most likely you secretly stab him in the back and stole this Seven-Treasure Ring." Initially her attitude is graceful and elegant, but after seeing the gem ring, her tone is irritable.


    Child Elder said strictly: "You refuse to accept Sect Leader''s orders, you intend to betray the sect, correct?"


    Suddenly there is a flicker of white light, there is a ''Peng'' sound, Child Elder''s body flew up and landed far away. Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he shouted: "What?" immediately after he saw a dark red blood line on the snow ground, Child Elder''s severed thumb drop onto the ground, but the gem ring is held by Li QiuShui. Evidently she is as quick as lightning, she severed Child Elder''s thumb, grab the gem ring and strike out a palm to send Child Elder flying, as for the weapon used to sever the thumb, the technique, she is simply too fast, Xu Zhu can''t see them at all.


    Li QiuShui said: "Martial sister, how did you harm him, its best if you tell little sister. Little sister have deep affection towards you, i will not embarrass you unduly." When she obtain the gem ring, her tone changed immediately, its extremely gentle and refine again.


    Xu Zhu cannot help but said: "Miss Li, both of you are martial sisters from the same sect, how can you be so vicious in attacking her? Mr Wu YaZi is definitely not killed by Child Elder. Monk cannot lie, i won''t deceive you." Li QiuShui turn towards Xu Zhu and said: "May i ask the religious name of great master? Where did you take your tonsure? How come you know the name of my martial brother?" Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk is Xu Zhu, i am Shaolin disciple, as for Mr Wu YaZi...alas, this matter is a long story...." suddenly he saw Li QiuShui wave her sleeves lightly, the back of his knees immediately turn numb, his energy and blood reverse and turn the wrong way, he collapsed and shouted: "Hello, what are you doing? I didn''t offend you, how...how come even i am...also.....also...."


    Li QiuShui smile and said: "Little master is an eminent monk from Shaolin, i am merely testing your martial arts. En, Shaolin have such resounding reputation, but their disciple is like this. I really offend you, really sorry!"


    Xu Zhu lie down on the ground, he peered through the white silk veil on her face, he can faintly see her face, she seems to be 40 years of age, her facial appearance very beautiful, but there seems to be a few line of blood trace on her face or some kind of scar, its hazy and indistinct, he cannot help but feel a cold chill, he said: "I am the most useless disciple from Shaolin, senior you cannot look down on Shaolin just because of junior monk''s incompetence."


    Li QiuShui ignored him, she slowly walk towards Child Elder, she said: "Martial sister, these past few years, little sister miss you bitterly. Thank the heavens, little sister can finally see martial sister again. Martial sister, the benefits you shower upon me in the past, little sister remember all of them every day and every night...."


    Suddenly there is another flash of white light, Child Elder cry out miserably, a big patch of blood instantly covered the snow-white ground, unexpectedly Child Elder''s left leg separated from her body.


    Xu Zhu''s shock is no small matter, he shout furiously: "Sisters from the same sect, how can you have the heart to do such vile deed? You....you....you are really worse than a beast!"


    Li QiuShui slowly turn around, her left hand pull open the white silk veil covering her face, revealing her snow white cheek. Xu Zhu cry out in alarm, lines criss-cross on her face, there are 4 extremely long sword wounds, the lines formed the word ''well (¾®)'', due to these 4 sword wounds, her right eye is protruding, the left corner of her mouth is slanted and crooked, she is really ugly and unsightly. Li QiuShui said: "Many years ago, someone use a sword to scratch my face to such a state. Great master from Shaolin, you tell me, should i take revenge or not?" while speaking she slowly release the veil and covered her face again.


    Xu Zhu said: "This...this is done by Child Elder?" Li QiuShui said: "There is no harm in asking her yourself."


    Blood is gushing out of Child Elder''s broken leg like wave, but she did not faint, she said: "Correct, i scratch her face. I...i succeeded in my training. When i was 26 years old, i can make my body grow up, become the same as ordinary person, but she injured me, she made me fire-deviate and i turn into a midget. You tell me, this deep hatred, should i take revenge or not?"


    Xu Zhu look at Li QiuShui, he pondered: "If her words are true, then this person started the wicked deed first."


    Child Elder said: "Since i already fell into your hands, there is nothing left to say. This little monk is ''his'' dear friend, you must not harm a single hair on this little monk. Or else, ''he'' will never let you off." She close her eyes and wait for death.


    Li QiuShui gave a sigh and said indifferently: "Elder sister, you are older than me, you must be much smarter than me, but you want to swindle little sister today, its really not so easy. If he is....his...he is still alive, then how come this Seven-Treasure Ring fell into your hands? Fine! Little sister don''t have any grudge or grievance with this little monk, moreover little sister is born timid, i definitely don''t dare to feud with the big dipper of martial arts fraternity Shaolin. This little master, little sister will not harm him. Elder sister, little sister have two ''Nine Revolution Bear Snake Pill'', please consume it to avoid excessively bleeding."


    Xu Zhu heard her calling ''Elder sister'' and ''Elder sister'', its incomparably affectionate and intimate, but when he thought of the situation when Child Elder ask Wu LaoDa to consume two ''Nine Revolution Bear Snake Pill'', a burst of cold sweat came out of him.


    Child Elder said angrily: "Just kill me quickly, you want me to consume this ''Tendon Breaking Bone Decaying Pill'' and listen to your mocking insults, dream on!" Li QiuShui said: "Little sister have good intentions towards elder sister, elder sister always misunderstood my intentions. The wound is bleeding excessively, its really not beneficial to elder sister''s heath. Elder sister, these two pills, please eat it."


    Xu Zhu look at her hand, the palm of her jade-white hand is supporting two musty-yellow pills, its exactly the pills that Child Elder gave to Wu LaoDa, he pondered: "Child Elder''s karmic retribution came really quick."


    Child Elder shouted: "Little monk, quickly strike your palm on the top of my head, send granny to Western Paradise to avoid suffering the insults of this ****." Li QiuShui laugh and said: "Little master is tired, he needs some time to rest on the ground." Child Elder is really anxious, she spurted a mouthful of fresh blood. Li QiuShui said: "Elder sister, one of your leg is long, the other is short, if ''he'' sees it, it might be somewhat ungraceful, originally you are a short beauty, but now you are one side tall, one side short, a crooked beauty, won''t ''he'' feel greatly sorry for you? Little sister will help you till the end, i will cut off both your legs!" when she finish speaking there is a flicker of white light, a weapon suddenly appeared on her hand.


    This time Xu Zhu finally saw it clearly, she is holding onto the handle of a 1 chi dagger. This dagger seems to be made of crystal, its transparent. Evidently Li QiuShui want to make Child Elder panic, she did not attack quickly, she is waving the dagger around her unbroken leg.


    Xu Zhu is very angry, he thought: "This female shizhu is too ruthless!" the [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] in his body circulate rapidly around his entire body, in an instant he felt the acupoints on his leg unseal, the numbness stop immediately. He did not have time to think, he quickly rush forward and carried Child Elder, he ran up the mountain peak swiftly.


    When Li QiuShui use the technique [Frost Sleeve Brushing Acupoints] to hit Xu Zhu, she sense that his martial art is mediocre, she did not take him seriously, she slowly torture Child Elder and let him spectate by the side, since there is another person looking she gain more pleasure in tormenting her enemy, she will eventually kill Xu Zhu to prevent him from divulging the matter, she did not expect Xu Zhu to break through the acupoints which she sealed. She was caught off guard, in an instant Xu Zhu carried Child Elder and rush 5-6 zhang away. Li QiuShui extend her leg and chase after him, she laugh and said: "Little master, you are smitten by my martial sister? Don''t just look at her beautiful appearance, she is a 96 year old old woman, she is not some 17-18 young lady." She felt at ease in her imminent victory, she know she can overtake him in a moment, what great ability can this little monk have? Unexpectedly this swift burst of running from Xu Zhu cause his blood to circulate and accelerate, the strength of his [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] emerged, he is running faster and faster, they are separated by 5-6 zhang and she can''t catch up at all.


    In a flash, she follow the slope and chase for around 3 li, Li QiuShui is frighten yet angry, she shouted: "Little monk, if you still refuse to stop i will use my palm strength to injure you."


    Child Elder is aware that if Li QiuShui send out her palm strength, Xu Zhu will immediately die by her palm, inevitably she will be captured again, she said: "Little master, many thanks for saving me, we can''t beat this ****, quickly throw me down the valley, maybe she won''t harm you."


    Xu Zhu said: "This...absolutely not. Junior monk definitely cannot......" he only say 2 sentence, his energy leak out, Li QiuShui move in closer, suddenly his back felt cold, an enormous slab of freezing ice seem to stick onto his flesh, immediately afterwards his body flew up, he fell into the valley. He knew he was hit by Li QiuShui yin-frost palm strength, but he still hug onto Child Elder tightly, he fall straight down, he pondered: "This time our bodies will be torn and bones crushed, become a pile of mincemeat. Buddha is merciful!"


    He faintly heard Li QiuShui voice transmit from the top: "Ayo, my strength is too heavy, they got off lightly......" as it turns out a mountain ledge broke off, its covered by snow, Li QiuShui send out her palm, she intend to make Xu Zhu collapse and then capture Child Elder, slowly use all kinds of cruel methods to torment her, she did not expect Xu Zhu to step onto the snow-covered ledge, the ledge broke and Xu Zhu along with Child Elder fell off the mountain.


    *************


    Xu Zhu felt his body is empty and floating, he can''t control himself at all, he fall straight down, the wind made ''Hu Hu'' noise as it rush past his ear, although the matter happen in an instant but he felt time is limitless, his fall is never ending and eternal. He saw the snow-covered mountainside rush straight at him, he is daze by the sight, a few black dots seem to move slowly on the snow-covered ground. He did not have time to examine carefully, he is diving swiftly down the mountainside.


    Suddenly he heard someone shout: "Who is it?" a horizontal force push against him, it bump against Xu Zhu''s waist. Xu Zhu''s body have yet to hit the ground as it tilted and flew out again, he glance, the person who push him is Murong Fu, he is really happy, he gathered his energy to toss Child Elder out, he want to let Murong Fu catch her so as to save her life.


    Murong Fu saw two people falling down the mountain peak, he can''t see clearly who they are in a short period of time, he executed his family''s consummate skill the [Star Shifting Movement], he shifted the falling force and turn it into horizontal force, the two people got shifted and flew horizontally. This [Star Shifting Movement] did not use much of his own force, but Xu Zhu and Child Elder fell down from high altitude, the force is simply too great, in a split second Murong Fu felt his vision blur, he tumbled and sat down.


    Xu Zhu is pressured by this gigantic force, he can''t toss Child Elder out, his body flew around 10 zhang and drop down, both his legs suddenly step onto an extremely soft yet extremely tough object, there is a ''Bo'' sound, his body spring up again. Xu Zhu glance again, he saw a short and fat person, the person is shaped like a meat ball and lie down on the snow-covered ground. This person is 36 Caves Verdant Rock Cave Cave-master Mulberry Soil Elder, his figure is big like a huge cauldron, he saw Xu Zhu and Child Elder flew horizontally, the power is unstoppable, he immediately lie down on the ground. It truly is a coincidence, when Xu Zhu drop to the ground his legs so happen to step onto his big belly, although he quickly channelled his [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] and reduce the falling force, but this step on the belly cause Mulberry Soil Elder''s intestines to rupture, he died a violent death, luckily his belly sprung up and Xu Zhu manage to save both his legs, his legs did not break off. With this bounce, Xu Zhu cannot help but fly horizontally again, he rush straight at a person, he vaguely identify the person as Duan Yu. Xu Zhu shout loudly: "Gentleman Duan, dodge quickly! I am rushing over!"


    Duan Yu saw Xu Zhu''s rushing force is strangely quick, no matter what he can''t catch him, he shouted: "I will support you!" he turn around, he use his back as support, at the same time he executed his [Graceful Steps upon the Waves] and ran swiftly, in an instant he felt the pressure on his back is like a mountain, it press onto him and he can barely breathe, but with every step he take the pressure on his back will lessen by a bit, he sprinted over 30 steps with a single breath, Xu Zhu slide off his back lightly.


    The two of them fell down from several hundred zhang high, by sheer luck Murong Fu shifted the force, Mulberry Soil Elder bounce off the force, lastly Duan Yu carried them on his back and sprinted, after 3 turn of event, unexpectedly they didn''t sustain any injury. Xu Zhu straighten his body and said: "Buddha is merciful! Many thanks to everyone for assisting!" he is not aware that Mulberry Soil Elder was trampled to death by him, if not the guilt would overwhelm him. Suddenly he heard a shout, it transmit from the mountainside. After Child Elder''s leg was severed, although she bleed excessively but she did not lose consciousness, she said in alarm: "That **** is chasing down. Leave quickly, leave quickly!" When Xu Zhu thought about Li QiuShui''s vicious and merciless method he cannot help but shiver, he carried Child Elder and rush into the forest.


    **********


    Li QiuShui rush down quickly from the mountainside, although her footstep is fast and nimble but ultimately it can''t be compared with Xu Zhu who plunge straight down the mountain, in reality their distance is far apart but Xu Zhu is scared, he don''t dare to linger any longer. He rush out a few li, Child Elder said: "Put me down, tear some cloth to bind my leg wound to avoid leaving behind bloodstains and let the **** track us. Hit my ''HuanTiao'' and ''QiMen'' acupoints to staunch the bleeding." Xu Zhu said: "Yes!" he followed her instructions, he also listen attentively for Li QiuShui''s movement. Child Elder retrieved a yellow pill from her bosom and ate it, she said: "This **** has deep enmity with me, she will never let me go. I still need 79 days to fully restore my divine martial arts, at that time i don''t need to fear that **** anymore. But where to hide during these 79 days?"


    Xu Zhu wrinkled his brows and thought: "Its difficult to hide for half a day, how to hide for 79 days?" Child Elder mumbled to herself: "If we hide in your Shaolin Temple, its an excellent location...." Xu Zhu had a huge fright, he is trembling from head to toe. Child Elder said furiously: "Damn monk, what are you scared of? Shaolin Temple is so far from here, how can we go there?" She incline her head and said: "If we travel west for several hundred li it would be Western Xia. That **** has deep relationship with Western Xia, if she pass down her orders the experts from Western Xia First-Class Hall will all come to search for us, then its difficult to escape her evil clutches. Little monk, in your opinion where should we hide?" Xu Zhu said: "We should hide in deep mountains, fields and caves, hide for 79 days, i think your martial sister will not be able to find us." Child Elder said: "How you know? If that **** can''t find us, she will definitely return to Western Xia and gather a huge group of dogs, these several hundred hunting dogs have extremely keen nose, no matter where we hide these animals will definitely find us." Xu Zhu said: "Then we have to run South-east, move far far away from Western Xia."


    Child Elder gave a sigh, she said: "That **** have many spies under her, naturally she already deployed her men at the south-east routes." She muttered to herself for a long time, suddenly she clap her hands and said: "I got it, little monk, you solved Wu YaZi''s ''Zhen Long'' chess formation, what is the first move?" Xu Zhu is extremely worried about the current critical situation, unexpectedly she still have to mood to discuss about chess formation, he said: "Junior monk close my eyes and made a random move, i killed myself, i let my opponent kill a huge group of chess-piece."


    Child Elder said happily: "Correct, for the past 10 years, there are countless people who are 100 times more wise and talented than you, none of them can solve this ''Zhen Long'' chess formation, because no one is willing to bring about their own destruction. Wonderful, wonderful! Little monk, carry me and jump up the tree, quickly travel west." Xu Zhu said: "Where we going?" Child Elder said: "To a place no one would ever expect us to go, although its dangerous but we will find a way out of the danger, we have to take this risk."


    Xu Zhu look at her broken leg, he sigh and pondered: "You can''t walk, even if i am not willing to take the risk its no use." He saw her injury is serious, he no longer care about the rule that forbids direct contact between men and women, he carried her on his back and jump up the treetop, he followed the directions pointed out by Child Elder and ran west swiftly.


    He ran over 10 li, suddenly he heard a gentle and coy voice from far: "Little monk, have you fallen to your death? Elder sister, where are you? Little sister really miss you bitterly, quickly come out!" Xu Zhu''s legs turn soft when he heard Li QiuShui''s voice, he nearly fell off the treetop.


    Child Elder scold him: "Useless little monk, what are you scared of? Her voice is getting further and further, isn''t she travelling east?"


    Sure enough the voice is gradually getting further and further, Xu Zhu is very impress with Child Elder''s wisdom, he said: "She...how come she knows that we didn''t die after falling down from several hundred zhang high?" Child Elder said: "Obviously someone talk too much and leak it out." She pondered for a long time and said: "Granny never left Misty Peak for over 10 years, i didn''t expect martial studies to make such rapid progress. That young gentleman who neutralize our falling force, his technique in borrowing and redirecting force, pushing aside a thousand catty with four liang, it really reach the state of perfection. Who is the other young gentleman? How come he knows our Carefree Sect''s [Graceful Steps upon the Waves]?" she mumbled to herself, she is not really asking Xu Zhu. Xu Zhu is afraid that Li QiuShui will catch up with them, he gathered his energy and ran swiftly, he didn''t hear what Child Elder said.


    When they reach level ground, he choose to travel on minor road, they rest the night in a dense jungle, the next morning they travel again, Child Elder still directed him westward. Xu Zhu said: "Senior, you say westward is Western Xia, i think we can''t travel west anymore." Child Elder sneered: "Why can''t we travel west?" Xu Zhu said: "If we pass the borders of Western Xia, wouldn''t it be walking right into a trap?" Child Elder said: "The land you are stepping on right now, its already the territory of Western Xia!"


    Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he shouted: "What? This is Western Xia? But you said....you said your martial sister has enormous power in Western Xia?" Child Elder laugh and said: "Yes! That **** can go on a rampage in Western Xia, she can demand and do whatever she wants, but we go against expectation and break into an important place, she will never imagine it till the day she dies. She look around everywhere, but she will never expect me to be resting peacefully in her nest and practicing my skills. Haha!" she is extremely proud of herself, she said: "Little monk, i copied your method, the most stupid and most illogical chess move, but in the end its really wonderful and useful."


    Xu Zhu really admired her, he said: "Senior divine calculation, its indeed hard for people to fathom, but....but...." Child Elder said: "But what?" Xu Zhu said: "Within Li QiuShui''s important place, there must be other capable people, if they discover our tracks......" Child Elder said: "Heng, if that place is uninhabited then how can it be considered dangerous? Going against all odds and difficulties, throwing yourself into danger, that is the proper conduct of a true hero." Xu Zhu pondered: "If its to save human or save the world, its worth it to throw myself into danger, but you and Li QiuShui are roughly the same, both of you are not really good people, why should i willingly risk this danger?"


    Child Elder saw his hesitation, she already guess his thoughts, she said: "I ask you to brave danger, naturally i have good stuff to give you as thanks, i won''t ask you to suffer for nothing. Right now i will teach you 3 palm style and 3 grappling style, when you combine these 6 style of martial arts it is known as [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain]."


    Xu Zhu said: "Senior your injuries have yet to heal, its inappropriate for you to exert yourself, you should rest more." Child Elder roll her eyes and said: "You resent my heretic martial arts, you disdain to learn it correct?" Xu Zhu said: "This...this...junior definitely don''t have such intentions, please don''t misunderstand." Child Elder said: "You are the legal successor of Carefree Sect, this [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain] is precisely the high-level martial art of our sect, Wu YaZi ask you to go to WuLiang Mountain to find that **** Li QiuShui to teach you martial arts, heng, that **** is cold and indifferent, she might not be willing to impart to you, today i voluntarily choose to impart it to you, its your enormous fortune and fate, you get it without asking, how come you are not willing to learn?" Xu Zhu said: "Junior is from Shaolin, i really have no relations with Carefree Sect."


    Child Elder said: "Pei! You entire body is equipped with internal energy from Carefree Sect, you dare to claim you have no relations with Carefree Sect, you are talking rubbish. The conduct of Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain, i never do things that benefit others and not myself. I teach you martial arts, its for my own benefit, i need you to act as my proxy to resist powerful enemy. If you can''t master this 6 style [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain], you will definitely die in Western Xia, its not important if little monk die in Western Xia, but your granny will also accompany you and die as well." Xu Zhu agreed and said: "Yes!" although this person intention is bad but she still say it out loud, she can be considered straightforward and upright.


    Immediately Child Elder impart him the mnemonic of the 1st palm style of [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain]. This mnemonic has 7 words in a sentence, a total of 12 sentences, 84 words. Xu Zhu has superb memory, Child Elder only need to go through 3 times and he remembered everything. This 84 words are extremely difficult to pronounce, 7 flat tone in succession, followed by 7 oblique tone, the phonetics is completely different, its similar to tongue twister. Luckily Xu Zhu usually recite "Xi tan duo, bo tan luo", "Jiedi, jiedi, boluo seng jiedi", etc, he is familiar with incantation in scriptures, he didn''t really find it strange.


    Child Elder said: "Carry me on your back and run west, recite this mnemonic loudly." Xu Zhu followed her instructions, unexpectedly he manage to recite 3 words, he can''t utter the 4th word ''Fu'', he have to stop and regain his breath and finally utter the 4th word. Child Elder raise her palm and slap the top of his head, she scold him: "Useless little monk, you can''t even recite the first sentence." Although this slap is not heavy, but it hit his ''BaiHui'' acupoint. Xu Zhu body sway, he felt dizzy and light-headed, he recite the mnemonic again, he is obstructed on the 4th word again, Child Elder slap him again.


    Xu Zhu felt really strange: "How come i can''t pronounce this ''Fu'' word smoothly?" when he recite the third time, he involuntarily gathered his energy, he blurted the ''Fu'' word out. Child Elder smile and said: "Good chap, you pass the first stage!" As it turns out, the words of the mnemonic are complete opposite from regular breathing in pronunciation, its already not easy to recite when calm and breathing normally, while running its even more difficult to pronounce, the real purpose in reciting this mnemonic is to regulate breathing and internal energy.


    As it reach noon, Child Elder ordered Xu Zhu to put her down, she flick her finger, a stone flew into the sky and shoot down a crow, she drank the crow''s blood and practice her [Eternal Youth Never Ageing Skill]. At this moment she regained her internal energy till 17 years old, although she is still greatly inferior compared with Li QiuShui, but its easy for her to kill a crow with a snap of her finger.


    Child Elder finish her training, she order Xu Zhu to carry her and recite the mnemonic, once he complete reciting she ask him to recite in reverse. This mnemonic is already extremely difficult to pronounce while reciting normally, when reciting in reverse it go against his breathing and obstructed his throat, disturb his tongue and hinder his teeth, but Xu Zhu rely on his willpower and perseverance, the sky have yet to turn dark, unexpectedly when reciting the mnemonic of the 1st palm style, either normally or in reverse, it flow right off his tongue and he recited with ease, there is no obstruction at all.


    Child Elder is very happy, she said: "Little monk, you are really fortunate....ayo...ayo!" suddenly there is a huge change in her tone, her pair of hands turn into fists and she violently hammered the top of Xu Zhu''s head, she scold him: "Little thief with no conscience, you...you must have engage in some hidden affairs with her, i was kept in the dark all along. Little thief, you still want to deceive me? You...how can you face me?"


    Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he quickly put her down and ask: "Senior...what you trying to say?" Child Elder''s face had swollen purple, tears stream down her face, she shouted: "You and that **** Li QiuShui communicate in private, correct? You still try to deny? Still refuse to admit it? If not, how come she impart this [Minor Formless Skill] to you? Little thief, you...you really conceal it from me bitterly." Xu Zhu is unable to make any sense of the matter, he ask: "Senior, what [Minor Formless Skill]?"


    Child Elder suddenly stare stupidly, immediately she calm down and wipe her tears, she sigh and said: "Its nothing. Your Master is not faithful to me!"


    As it turns out, when Xu Zhu recited the mnemonic, he cleared many difficulties swiftly, when he recited in reverse its especially smooth and easy, Child Elder suddenly recalled, it must be due to the effects of [Minor Formless Skill]. Child Elder, Wu YaZi, Li QiuShui, although they inherited their skills from the same master, but the three of them learnt different skills, Wu YaZi had the highest accomplishments, his martial arts the strongest, he succeeded his master and became Carefree Sect''s Leader. As for [Minor Formless Skill], their master only pass it to Li QuiShui, its a divine skill to protect her body, the power is extremely strong, in the past years, Child Elder tried to harm her countless times, Li QiuShui relied on [Minor Formless Skill] and preserve her life. Although Child Elder don''t know [Minor Formless Skill], but she is extremely familiar with the form and appearance of the skill, currently she notice that not only Xu Zhu is equipped with this skill, the level of the skill is also deep and profound, in her shock and rage she mistook Xu Zhu as Wu YaZi. After a while she became clear-headed, she recalled how Wu YaZi deceived her and communicate with Li QiuShui in private, she is extremely angry and it aggravated her injury. In reality, she already guess this matter 10 years ago, but now she finally had convincing proof. The three martial brother and sister from Carefree Sect had extremely deep and profound internal energy, their martial arts high, but other than Child Elder, the other two are not devoted in relationship matters. Originally, Wu YaZi was in love with Child Elder, but afterwards Li ChunQiu deliberately sabotage Child Elder''s training, Child Elder''s body can never grow up, she lost out in appearance, Wu YaZi shifted his love to Li QiuShui, but he never break off with Child Elder.


    At night, Child Elder kept cursing Wu YaZi and Li QiuShui. Xu Zhu heard her vicious curse, but her emotions from pain and sorrow is in fact much greater than hatred and resentment, he cannot help but feel sad for her, he advised: "Senior, life is variable, variable is suffering, all the worries in life, its all due to greed, anger and delusion. Senior, you just have to avoid these three poison, don''t long for your martial brother, don''t hate your martial sister, your heart will naturally be free from worries." Child Elder said angrily: "I insist on thinking about your heartless Master, i insist on hating that evil ****. The more worries i have, the happier i am." Xu Zhu shakes his head, he don''t dare to advise anymore.


    The next day Child Elder taught him the mnemonic to the 2nd palm style. Thus they kept travelling and kept on practicing their skills relentlessly. As nigh fall on the 5th day, they saw dense sign of human habitation ahead, they reached a huge city. Child Elder said: "This is the capital city of Western Xia XingZhou, you still have 1 more mnemonic to master, today we have to stay at the west of XingZhou, tomorrow we will travel 200 li westward, afterwards we will detour and come back here." Xu Zhu said: "We have to go to XingZhou?" Child Elder said: "Obviously we have to go to XingZhou, how can we penetrate deep into tiger''s den without going to XingZhou?"


    Another day pass, Xu Zhu thoroughly memorized the 6 mnemonics of [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain]. At a wilderness, Child Elder taught him how to utilize the mnemonics. One of her leg broke, she have no choice but to sit on the ground while sparing with Xu Zhu. [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain], although it only have 6 styles, but it contains the essence of Carefree Sect''s martial arts, within the palm styles and grappling styles, there is also sword art, sabre art, whip art, spear art, grabbing art, axe art, etc, all the unique finishing moves of various weapons, the moves fantastic and wonderful, the variations complicated, Xu Zhu can''t learn all of them in such a short period of time. Child Elder said: "This [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain] of mine, it can never be completed, in the future with higher level of internal energy, wider experience and knowledge, you can automatically incorporate any martial art moves into this 6 styles Plum Breaking Hands. Luckily you already mastered the mnemonics, whatever level you attain in the future its entirely dependent on you."


    Xu Zhu said: "Junior learn this martial art, its purely to protect senior, when senior regained your internal energy my assignment is complete, junior will go back to Shaolin and try to forget everything that senior taught me, i will learn Shaolin martial arts from scratch again."


    Child Elder look at him from left to right, her expression flabbergasted, she appear as if she seen a rare monster, after a long time she finally sigh and said: "This [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain], how can any of your Shaolin''s martial arts be compared with it? You give up a jade and pick a roof tile, impossibly stupid. But its really not easy to ask little monk to forget your roots. Close your eyes and rest, when the sky turn dark we will enter XingZhou city!"


    ********


    The time is the second of the five night watch period, Child Elder ordered Xu Zhu to carry her on his back, he ran to outside of XingZhou city, after jumping over the moat he lightly flip over the city wall and landed softly. He saw a group of armoured cavalry lifting their torch, patrolling back and forth, the soldiers well-trained and powerful, the military magnificent and powerful.


    Child Elder gave her instructions softly, she ordered him to stick close to the wall and travel north-west, after walking around 3 li, they saw a skyscraper, behind the skyscraper is a building built densely layer upon layer, the structure is grand and magnificent, the roof made of glazed tile, its a dazzling sight. Xu Zhu saw this building is quite similar to Shaolin Temple, but its more splendid and majestic, he said softly: "Buddha is merciful, there is a big temple here." Child Elder cannot help but laugh softly, she said: "Little monk really have no knowledge, this is the imperial palace of Western Xia, but you say its a big temple." Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he said: "This is imperial palace? We come here for what?"


    Child Elder said: "To seek protection from the emperor. Li QiuShui can''t find our corpse, she knows i am not dead, even if she has to turn over the entire ground she will definitely try to find me. Within 2000 li, there is only one place she won''t search, its her own home." Xu Zhu said: "Senior is really smart, we endure for 1 day and senior''s internal energy will increase by another 1 year. We will go to your sister''s house." Child Elder said: "This is her house....be careful, someone is coming."


    Xu Zhu shrink his body and hide in a corner, he saw 4 people moving from east to west, immediately after another 4 people came from the west, these 8 people pass by each other, they clap their palms lightly, and move past. These 8 people are nimble and athletic, clearly their martial art is not weak. Child Elder said: "The front guard patrol has pass, quickly flip over the palace''s wall, another group of patrol will come soon after." Xu Zhu saw their influence and power, he became timid and said: "There are so many experts in the palace, we will be in trouble if they see us. We better go to your sister''s house." Child Elder said angrily: "I already said it before, this is her house." Xu Zhu said: "But you said this is the imperial palace." Child Elder said: "That **** is the mother of the king of Western Xia, she is the Consort Dowager, the imperial palace is her home."


    This sentence is beyond Xu Zhu''s expectation, he is dumbfounded, another 4 people move from north to south. When the 4 people move past, Xu Zhu said: "Sen....." he only vocalize half the word as Child Elder stretch out her hands to press his mouth, another 4 people jump out from behind the wall, they made their rounds quietly. These 4 people arrive suddenly, but they never expect that someone is hiding in the dark corner of the wall. When these 4 people move far away, Child Elder slap his back and said: "Go to that small alley."


    Xu Zhu saw how the 16 people patrol the palace, he knew he is in a dangerous place, without the guidance of Child Elder, even if he withdraw quickly he will definitely be discovered by the many guards, at once he followed her orders and entered the small alley. Both sides of the alley are high walls, in reality the alley is just a gap between two Palace.


    He weave through this narrow passage, he hide for a moment within a peony shrub, when the 8 guards patrol pass he entered a large rock garden. This rock garden is winding and headed north, it stretch long and continuous for 50-60 zhang. For every 10 zhang he take, he will follow Child Elder''s instruction and hide himself, its really strange, not long after he hid himself, the guards will definitely show up and patrol, it seems as if Child Elder is the supervisor of the guards, where they patrol, when they patrol, she knows everything by the back of her hands, she predict everything accurately. They evade and dodge for over an hour, the rooms near their vicinity are all simple and crude, the guards no longer appear anymore.


    Child Elder pointed at a big stone house to the left and said: "Go there." Xu Zhu saw there is a large vacant land in front of the stone house, the moon light shine on the plot of vacant land, there is no place to hide in surrounding, at once he draw his breath and rush forward. The walls of the stone house seems to be made of 5 chi square rock, its exceptionally thick, the entrance is made of 8 rows of pine tree, the tree is chop in half and nailed together. Child Elder said: "Pull open the door and go in!" Xu Zhu''s heart is thumping madly, his voice trembled: "Your...your martial sister...is here?" he remembers Li QiuShui''s vicious methods, he don''t dare to enter. Chid Elder said: "No. Pull open the door."


    Xu Zhu grip the iron ring on the door, he pull open the door, the door is solid and heavy. Behind the front door is another door, a burst of cold air seep out from behind the door. Currently the weather is hot, although snow still covers the mountain peak but the snow already melted on level ground, the flowers flourish, but there is a thin layer of frost on the door. Child Elder said: "Push the interior door." Xu Zhu stretch out his hands and push, the door open slowly, a narrow slit appear between the door and a gust of cold air gush out. He push open the door and entered, the interior is piled up with cloth-sacks, they stack together and is as high as the ceiling, evidently this place is a granary, there is a narrow passage to the left.


    Xu Zhu felt really curious, he whispered: "How come this granary is so cold?" Child Elder laugh and said: "Close the door. We entered the ice storehouse, nothing will happen to us now!" Xu Zhu said curiously: "Ice storehouse? This is not a granary?" while speaking, he close the 2 set of doors. Child Elder is in a very good mood, she laugh and said: "Let''s go in and take a look."


    Once the 2 set of doors are closed, the interior is dark. Xu Zhu fumbled around and entered from the left side, as he move to the interior the cold air is getting thicker and thicker, he extend his left hand and touch something, its a cold, stiff and damp object, evidently its a big block of solid ice. While being baffled, Child Elder already lit a torch, in an instant a strange sight appear before his eyes, he is surrounded by blocks of square shaped ice chunk, the light from the torch reflect off the ice chunk, the light is suddenly green and suddenly blue, its really a strange sight.


    Child Elder said: "Let''s descend to the bottom." She lean against the ice chunk, she hop with her right leg and lead the way, she made a few turns around the ice chunks and entered a big hole by the corner of the house. Xu Zhu followed her, he saw a row of stone steps, after walking down the steps its yet another huge house filled with ice chunk. Child Elder said: "Most likely there is another level in this ice storehouse." Sure enough, there is another huge stone room underneath the 2nd level, its also filled with ice chunk.


    Child Elder extinguish the torch, she sat down and said: "We penetrate deep into the 3rd level, even though that **** is smart and crafty she will not be able to find us." She exhaled a long breath. For the past few days although she appeared calm and cool, but in her heart she is really anxious and worried, Western Xia is full of experts, they penetrate deep into the interior of the imperial palace and avoided the attention of numerous experts, to achieve that firstly you need to be vigilant and cautious, secondly you have to be familiar with the way things are carried out in the palace and with the guards movement. Only now did she finally feel at ease.


    Xu Zhu sigh and said: "Strange! Strange!" Child Elder said: "What so strange?" Xu Zhu said: "Unexpectedly Western Xia store these worthless ice chunks in a cellar, what is the purpose?" Child Elder laugh and said: "These ice chunks are worthless in winter, but during hot summer, these ice are very precious. Think about it, at the main street, at the open field, the sun is like steaming hot charcoal, everyone sweat like sticky paste, if they have two big blocks of ice beside them, or put a few ice cubes inside the lotus seed and mung bean soup, what is the feeling?" Xu Zhu suddenly realize the truth, he said: "Wonderful, wonderful! But to carry so much ice chunks and store them, the effort involved is truly not small, isn''t it very troublesome?" Child Elder found it funny, she said: "The emperor has hundreds of attendants at his beck and call, he can get whatever he wants, why would he even bother about troublesome or not? You think the emperor has to personally move these big ice chunks into the storehouse?"


    Xu Zhu nod his head and said: "The emperor really leads an extremely comfortable life. But his comfort is really a bit too much, he will exhaust his karmic reward, his next life might not be good. Ayo, the emperor want to use these ice chunks, he will frequently send people here to fetch it, won''t they see us?" Child Elder said: "The imperial palace has ''Sky'', ''Earth'', ''Mysterious'', ''Yellow'', ''House'', ''Time'', ''Flood'' and ''Desolate'', eight ice storehouses, this ice storehouse is ''Desolate''. They have to finish withdrawing the ice from the seven storehouses before coming to this storehouse. They might not come here for 3 months, at that time, no need to worry!" Xu Zhu said: "Senior, you know everything, you been here before? For example, you knew when and where the guards will patrol, how come you know everything?" Child Elder said: "Obviously i came to this imperial palace before. I seek that **** to vent my anger, how can it be only once? The breathing of those guards are thick and heavy, i heard them 10 zhang away, what is so strange about it?" Xu Zhu said: "So it is. Senior is born with divine ears, only extraordinary people can hope to reach your level." Child Elder said: "What born with divine ears? With deep internal energy, you can train this kind of skills, its really easy. I will teach you."


    When Xu Zhu heard the phrase ''you can train this kind of skills'', he suddenly remember, there is no birds and animals within this ice storehouse, its difficult to obtain warm blood, how is she going to practice her skill? There is a lot of dried food and cereals in the storehouse, but they can''t light a fire in the ice storehouse, how to cook the rice and oats for food?


    Child Elder saw he is silent for a long time, she ask: "What are you thinking about?" Xu Zhu told her, Child Elder laugh and said: "You think those cloth-sack contains dried food and cereals? There is only cotton, its to prevent external heat from coming in and melting the ice. Hey hey, you want to eat cotton or not?" Xu Zhu said: "Then we have to go outside and look for food?" Child Elder said: "The imperial kitchen have no lack of chicken and duck. But there isn''t much essence in the blood of chicken, duck, pig and sheep, its not as good as the sika deer and antelope on snowy mountain. We will go to the imperial garden to catch some red-crowned crane, peacock, mandarin ducks, parrot, etc, i will drink the blood, you eat the meat, we can survive like this."


    Xu Zhu quickly said: "No, no. Junior monk cannot kill and eat meat." He pondered, since Child Elder is safe here there is no need for him to accompany her anymore, he said: "Junior monk is a Buddhist disciple, i cannot see you kill living things, i....i have to leave now." Child Elder said: "Where you going?" Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk will return to Shaolin Temple." Child Elder said angrily: "You cannot leave, you have to stay here and accompany me, wait until i complete my divine martial arts and kill that ****, only then i will let you go."


    Xu Zhu heard her wanting to kill Li QiuShui after completing her skills, he is even more unwilling to accompany her in this evil plot, he stood up and said: "Senior, junior monk have to advise you but you will surely not listen to me. Moreover junior monk''s knowledge is superficial, i am clumsy and inarticulate, i can''t think of anything to persuade you, you have to resolve the grievance not deepen the grievance, its time to let go." While speaking he walk towards the stone steps.


    Child Elder shout loudly: "Stop moving, i forbid you to leave."


    Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk have to go!" originally he wanted to say ''i hope you can complete your divine skills'', but Li QiuShui would be in danger if she completes her skills, moreover Wu LaoDa and the 36 Cave-masters and 72 Island-masters, as well as Murong Fu, Duan Yu, etc, all of them will die a violent death, he is getting more and more afraid when he thought about it, he stretch out his leg and leap up the stone steps.


    Suddenly his knees felt numb, he flip over and fell down, immediately after his waist ached, his entire body paralyzed, he knew his acupoint was sealed by Child Elder. In the darkness her body is motionless, she only need to hit the empty air and his vital acupoint was sealed, its seems he can only allow himself to be manipulated before such an expert, he is completely defenceless and can''t resist at all. He calm down and chanted scriptures: "Arriving at hardship during cultivation, instinctively think about coercing by force, neglecting fundamentals and concentrating on details, excessive love and hate. Although i did not commit offense, but i lead myself to it, i willingly accept my suffering without complain. The scripture says: ''Do not worry during hardship, you will gain wisdom....''"


    Child Elder interrupted: "What you ghost scriptures you chating?" Xu Zhu said: "Excellent, excellent! This is Bodhidharma''s <>." Child Elder said: "Dharma is the ancestor of your Shaolin Temple, i only know he possess exceptional talent, but how come his so long-winded, a stinky monk with no moral backbone." Xu Zhu said: "Ancestor master is merciful, senior please don''t spout nonsense."


    Child Elder said: "You ghost scripture says: ''Arriving at hardship during cultivation, its due to the results of past life, have to accept it willingly, do not blame and complain.'' Then no matter how others viciously torture you, you willingly accept it, never blame and complain at all?" Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk''s cultivation is superficial, when assaulted by external demons my inner self will give rise to hate, i am afraid its hard for me to resist." Child Elder said: "Now you don''t even have a tiny bit of Shaolin martial arts, the martial arts of Carefree Sect you only learn a tiny bit, you lose more than you gain, extremely terrible. Just listen to my orders, i will impart all the divine martial arts of Carefree Sect to you, at that time you will be unequalled under the heaven, isn''t that glorious?"


    Xu Zhu press his hands together, he chanted scriptures again: "All living things have no self, suffering and happiness is all predestined. The glory and reputation is all due to the merits of past life, now you reap the benefits. Karmic reward is exhausted and return to nothing, how can it be a happy affair? Gains and losses is predestined, there is no difference."


    Child Elder shouted: "Pei pei, rubbish! Your martial art is weak and lowly, you endure abuse from people everywhere you go, its similar to you having your acupoints sealed by me, i want to beat you and scold you, you can''t resist at all. Its similar to my incomplete divine martial arts, i have no choice but to hide here, that **** Li QiuShui is roaming outside, overbearing and tyrannic. Your Master gave you this painting, he ask you to go beg someone to teach you martial arts and punish that little demon Ding ChunQiu. In this world, the strong gets to bully people, the weaklings have to suffer and endure, if you want to be safe and happy then you must be the strongest person under the heaven."


    Xu Zhu chanted his scriptures: "Common people fantasize constantly, they are greedy in all aspects, they seek fame and glory. The wise men understands the truth, their logic and action is opposite, they feel at ease and let things take their own course, their form adapt to the circumstances. There is suffering in all three realm, who can be peaceful? The scripture says: ''Those who seek will find suffering, those who do not seek will find happiness.''"


    Although Xu Zhu have no talent in debating, but he is extremely familiar with scriptures. This <> is written by eminent monk Tanlin, Dharma travelled from Southern India to China and accepted Tanlin as disciple, the scripture recorded the words of Dharma, there is only a few hundred words, all Shaolin monks must definitely study it. He recited the scripture without thinking, but it refuted all of Child Elder''s words.


    Child Elder natural disposition is competitive and eager to excel, for over 10 years she gave orders and others complied, obviously none of her female servants dare to refute her words, those men from 36 Caves and 72 Islands, they all treat her orders as God''s will, but today a little monk refuted her words and left her speechless. In her anger, she raise her right palm and strike the top of Xu Zhu''s head. When her palm is about to hit the ''BaiHui'' acupoint on his head, she suddenly remember: "If i kill this monk with a single palm, he will die without knowing and without feeling, then his fallacious argument is correct and i am wrong, heng heng, how can this be so?" she withdraw her palm, she regulated her breathing and energy.


    After a while she jump up the stone steps, she push open the door and went out, she broke a tree branch and use it as a crutch, she rush to the imperial garden. Currently her internal energy is competent, although she lost a leg but her body is still light as a leaf, how can those guards detect her presence? She caught two red-crowned crane and two peacock and return to the ice storehouse. Xu Zhu heard her going out and coming back again, he also heard the calls of birds, he chanted ''Buddha is merciful'', since he can''t do anything now he can only let nature take its course.


    The next day during noon, there is no day-time and night-time in the ice storehouse, the room is pitch-black, the internal energy within Child Elder is boiling and rolling around, she knew the time to practice her skill has come, she bite the throat of a red-crowned crane and suck its blood. After training her skill, she bite the throat of yet another red-crowned crane.


    Xu Zhu heard the noise, he advised: "Senior, this bird, please leave it till tomorrow before drinking, why harm another life?" Child Elder laugh and said: "I have good intentions, its for you to eat." Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he said: "No, no! Junior monk absolutely cannot eat it." Child Elder stretch out her left-hand, she grab his chin, Xu Zhu cannot resist, his mouth involuntarily open up. Child Elder inverted the red-crowned crane, she pour the crane''s blood into his mouth. Xu Zhu felt warm blood flowing down his throat, he struggled and tried to shut off his throat, but his acupoint is controlled by Child Elder, there is nothing he can do, he is angry and anxious, two stream of hot tears stream down from his eyes.


    Child Elder drain all the crane''s blood, her right hand press against the ''LingTai'' acupoint on his back, she help him regulate his breathing, immediately after she hit his ''GuanYuan'', ''TianTu'' and ''LiangXue'' acupoints so that he can''t vomit the blood out, she laugh happily and said: "Little monk, your Buddhist''s precepts, do not eat meat and fish, you broke it correct? Since you already broke one precept, why don''t you break another one? Heng, if there is anyone who dare to oppose me, i will complete with him till the end. In short, i will make sure you can''t be a monk." Xu Zhu is extremely angry, he is speechless.


    Child Elder laugh and said: "The scripture says: ''Those who seek will find suffering, those who do not seek will find happiness.'' You wholeheartedly wish to abide by the Buddhist precepts, then you are ''seeking'', since you seek and did not get it, then your heart must be feeling bitter. You have to let nature take its own course, adapt your form according to the circumstances, if you can abide the Buddhist precepts then abide it, if you can''t abide it then don''t abide it, only then its ''non-seeking'', haha, haha!"


    This went on for over a month, Child Elder regained her internal energy when she was 60 years old, when she leave the ice storehouse and go to the garden her movement is like a formless demon, if not out of fear of Li QiuShui she would have left the imperial palace. Everyday she will drink blood and train her skill, she will seal Xu Zhu''s acupoints and force the blood and meat of birds and animals into Xu Zhu''s stomach, after 4 hours, when the food in his stomach digested and he can''t vomit it out anymore, she would then release his acupoints. Xu Zhu was compelled to devour raw meat, his life spent in darkness, he really can''t bear this bitter suffering, he can only rely on a sentence in a scripture ''Do not worry during hardship, you will gain wisdom'' to forcibly console himself, but in reality he ''worry during hardship, hard to gain wisdom'', thus he suffered more hardships.


    On this day, Child Elder heard him chanting ''arriving at hardship during cultivation, instinctively think about coercing by force'', ''willingly accept it, without complain or blame'', she sneered: "Rabbit, deer, crane, bird, you tasted all sorts of meat already, you still considered a monk? Chanting scriptures for what?" Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk was compelled by senior, i did not do it voluntarily, thus its not considered violating precepts." Child Elder sneered: "If nobody compels you, you will definitely not violate your precepts?" Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk cherish my clean self, i definitely don''t dare to break Buddhist''s rules and regulations." Child Elder said: "Good, we will try it out." Thus she did not force Xu Zhu to drink blood and eat meat anymore. Xu Zhu is extremely happy, he express his thanks repeatedly.


    The next day Child Elder still did not force him to eat meat and drink blood. Xu Zhu is so hungry that his stomach groaned, he said: "Senior, your divine martial art is nearly complete, you don''t need junior monk to serve you anymore. Junior monk have to leave." Child Elder said: "I forbid you to leave." Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk is very hungry, then i have to trouble senior to find some vegetables or rice for me to eat." Child Elder said: "Its possible." She sealed his acupoints to prevent him from running away and went out. After a while she return to the ice storehouse.


    Xu Zhu smell a burst of fragrant aroma, at once his mouth is full of saliva and he crave for it. There is 3 ''Tuo Tuo Tuo'' sound, Child Elder put 3 big bowls in front of him and said: "One bowl of simmered fried meat, one bowl of steamed fat chicken, one bowl of sweet and sour carp, quickly eat it!" Xu Zhu is frighten, he said: "Amituofo, junior monk rather die then eat it." The fragrant aroma of the food rush into his nose, he forcibly restrain himself and focus on chanting scriptures. Child Elder grab a chicken, she ate it with gusto, she praise repeatedly, but Xu Zhu kept chanting.


    On the third day, Child Elder went to the imperial kitchen again and stole a few bowls of meat dish, ham, sea cucumber, bear paw, roast duck, the aroma is extremely rich and heavy. Although Xu Zhu is so hungry that he became weak and feeble, but he still endured and refuse to eat. Child Elder pondered: "You eager to win in front of me, you will definitely refuse to eat it." Thus she left the ice storehouse and wait outside, she did not return for half a day, she thought: "I am afraid you will definitely stealthily eat the food." Unexpectedly when she return and inspected the food under bright light, Xu Zhu did not even touch a single drop of soup.


    On the 9th day, Xu Zhu did not have the strength to chant scriptures anymore, he only bite a few ice cubes to quench his thirst, he did not eat any of the meat dish in front of him. Child Elder is furious, she grab his chest and stuff the braised pork into his mouth. She force Xu Zhu to eat meat, thus she knew she lost the competition, in her rage, she slap him 30-40 times and scold him: "Damn monk, you set yourself against granny, you want to test how powerful granny is!" Xu Zhu is neither annoyed nor angry, he chant scriptures softly.


    From that point onwards, Child Elder forcibly stuff him full of meat and fish. Xu Zhu resign himself and endured, apart from chanting scriptures he slept all day long.


    On this day, while dreaming in his sleep, Xu Zhu suddenly detect a sweet fragrance, this fragrance is not from the burning of sandalwood or from the meat dish, but he felt safe and peaceful, an indescribable feeling of comfort, in his daze state he felt some soft object leaning on his chest, he was startled and woke up, he stretch his hands and touch the object, he felt the object is smooth soft and warm, unexpectedly it is a naked person. He had a huge shock and said: "Senior, you...what happen?"


    The person said: "I.....where am i? How come its so cold?" the voice is tender and lovely, its a female voice, its not Child Elder. Xu Zhu is even more shock, his voice trembled: "You...you...who are you?" the female said: "I...i....i am so cold, who are you?" while speaking she lean closer to Xu Zhu.


    Xu Zhu was about to stand up to avoid her, while he push out to support himself his left hand held onto the maiden''s shoulder, his right hand wrap around her soft and slender waist. Xu Zhu is 24 years old, in his entire life he only communicate with 3 female, AhZi, Child Elder and Li QiuShui, before that, he is always at Shaolin Temple, chanting scriptures and meditating. However its human inborn nature to be lustful, although Xu Zhu adhere strictly to Shaolin''s rules and regulations, but during spring when all the flowers boom, he will inevitably fantasize about the matters between male and female. But he don''t know what a proper female look like on the inside, thus his fantasy and imagination are weird and bizarre, he is unable to determine the correct answer and he never dare to discuss with his fellow martial brothers. At this moment, his pair of hands touched the soft smooth and delicate skin of the maiden, his heart nearly jump out from his chest, however its difficult for him to loosen his grip.


    The maiden call out delicately, she turn her body and hook her hands on his neck. Xu Zhu felt her breath is like orchid, the sweet fragrant of her lip rouge assaulted him, he cannot help but feel giddy, his entire body shivered, his voice trembled: "You....you....you......" the maiden said: "I am so cold, but my heart is burning." Xu Zhu can''t control himself, he exerted force in his pair of hands and hug her in his bosom. The maiden gave two ''Wu Wu'' sound, her lips move closer, both of them kiss.


    Wu YaZi strip Xu Zhu off all his Shaolin''s martial arts, Xu Zhu lost all his discipline, he is a robust man unfamiliar with sexual affairs, under the assault of the number one temptation under the heaven, unexpectedly he did not resist at all, he hug the maiden even tighter, at this moment his mind is somewhere else, he is not aware of his current location. The maiden''s passion is like fire, she treat Xu Zhu as her lover.


    Nobody knew how much time has pass, Xu Zhu''s lust gradually fade off, he shout loudly: "Ayo!" he is about to jump up.


    However the maiden embrace him tightly, she said delicately: "Don''t......don''t leave me." Xu Zhu''s mind is clear and bright, but it only last for a split second, immediately after he hug the maiden in his bosom again, his pity secretly turn into love and affection, unexpectedly he did not hate her.


    Both of them wrap themselves around each other, after a long time, the maiden said: "Good brother, who are you?" the sentence is tender and sweet, but when Xu Zhu heard it, its like thunderbolt splitting the air, his voice trembled: "I.....i made a huge mistake." The maiden said: "What huge mistake?"


    Xu Zhu stammered, he is unable to reply, he said: "I.....i am....." suddenly the side of his torso felt numb, his acupoint was sealed, immediately after a piece of felt covered him, the naked maiden left his embrace. Xu Zhu shouted: "You....don''t go, don''t go!" in the darkness someone laugh three times, its Child Elder. Xu Zhu is so shock that he nearly fainted, his entire body turn limp, his mind completely blank. He heard Child Elder hug the maiden and left the ice storehouse.


    After a while, Child Elder return, she laugh and said: "Little monk, i let you enjoy romantic happiness in life, should you give thanks?" Xu Zhu said: "I.....i....." his mind is muddy and confuse, he is speechless. Child Elder release his acupoints, she laugh and said: "Buddhist''s disciple need to guard against lust or not? Did you break this rule yourself? Or did granny force you? You words are empty, you are a lascivious and womanizing little monk, you tell me, who won? Haha, haha!" she is laughing louder and louder, she is extremely proud of herself.


    Xu Zhu suddenly understood, Child Elder is angry over his refusal to eat meat, thus she captured the maiden and use her to tempt him to break his precept, he cannot help but feel remorseful, he is ashamed, suddenly he leap up and swiftly smash his head against the ice block, there is a loud ''Peng'' sound, he collapsed.


    Child Elder had a huge shock, she did not expect this little monk to be so resolute and upright, he just return from the land of the tender and immediately commit suicide, she quickly support him up and examined him, luckily he is still breathing, but the top of his head had a hole, blood gush out, she quickly bandage his wound and let him consume a ''Nine Revolution Bear Snake Pill'', she scold him: "Are you crazy? If not for the [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] within your body, this knock would have killed you." Xu Zhu cried: "Junior monk commit a grave sin, i harm others and harm myself, i cannot live anymore." Child Elder said: "Hey hey, if all monks commit suicide after breaking a precept, then how many will still be alive in this world?"


    Xu Zhu is stumped for words, he suddenly recalled, committing suicide is also a huge taboo, in his rage unexpectedly he broke yet another precept.


    He is leaning against an ice chunk, his mind muddy, he blame and condemn himself, but he cannot help but think about the maiden, all kinds of tender affairs between them, endless thoughts rush through his mind, suddenly he ask: "That....that lady, who is she?"


    Child Elder laugh out loud and said: "That lady is 17 years old, beautiful, elegant and graceful, her beauty without equal."


    In the darkness, Xu Zhu can''t see the appearance of the maiden, but their flesh interlinked, her soft voice entered his ear, he imagined her to be an extremely beautiful woman, he heard Child Elder describe her as ''beautiful, elegant and graceful, her beauty without equal'', he cannot help but gave a long sigh. Child Elder laugh and said: "You miss her or not?" Xu Zhu don''t dare to lie, but he also don''t dare to admit the matter directly, he sigh again.


    Several hours pass, his soul seems to have left his body, he is in a daze. Child Elder put chicken, duck, meat, etc, in front of him, Xu Zhu already gave up and abandon himself to despair, he pondered: "I am a sinner, since i already entered other sect, i also commit murder and lust, how can i still be considered a Buddhist''s disciple?" he picked up a chicken and ate it, but he only ate the food without concern for the taste, he is in a daze as tears stream down his eyes. Child Elder laugh and said: "Straightforward conduct, good chap!"


    4 hours later, unexpectedly Child Elder went out again and brought that naked maiden back, she delivered it to Xu Zhu''s embrace, afterwards she went to the 2nd level and let both of them remain at the 3rd level.


    The maiden sigh and said: "I am having this strange dream again, i am really scared, but also....also...." Xu Zhu said: "But also?" the maiden hug his neck, she said delicately: "But also delighted." While speaking she press her right cheek on his left cheek. Xu Zhu felt her face is warm, he is aroused, he stretch out his hands and hug her slender waist. The maiden said: "Good brother, am i dreaming or not? If i am dreaming, how come i can feel you hugging me? I can touch your face, your chest, your arm." While speaking she gently caress Xu Zhu''s cheek and chest, she said: "But if this is not a dream, then how come i am sleeping here for no reason, suddenly without.....without clothes, this dark and cold place? This place is cold and dark, but you are here, you are waiting for me, to pity me, to cherish me?"


    Xu Zhu pondered: "So you got captured by Child Elder, you are also in a daze, your mind unclear." He heard the maiden''s gentle voice: "Normally i am embarrass by the voice of strange man, but how come when i am here, my....my mind is so unrestrained, i can''t control myself? Sigh, if this is a dream it doesn''t resemble a dream, but if this is not a dream it resemble a dream. Last night i had this strange dream, tonight i had it again, could it be....could it be our predestined relationship in previous generations? Good brother, who are you exactly?" Xu Zhu is scared out of his wits, he said: "I....i am..." he wanted to say ''i am a little monk'', but he can''t say it out.


    The maiden stretch out her hand to cover his mouth, she said softly: "Don''t tell me, i....i am scared." Xu Zhu hug her body tightly with both arms, he ask: "You are scared of what?" the maiden said: "Scared that if you say something, i will wake up from this dream. You are the lover in my dream, i call you ''Meng Lang'', ''Meng Lang'', ''Meng Lang'', tell me, is this name alright?" Initially she covered Xu Zhu''s mouth with her hand, but she shifted them and gently caress his eyes and nose, she seems to be showing affection yet she seems to be using her hands as eyes, she want to know his appearance. The warm and soft hand touch his eyebrow, his forehead, the top of his head.


    Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he pondered: "Terrible, she touched my bald head." Unexpectedly the maiden touch a patch of short hair. As it turns out, Xu Zhu stayed in the ice storehouse for nearly two months, adding the days that had pass since leaving Shaolin, his bald head had long grown 3 chi long hair. The maiden said delicately: "Meng Lang, why is your heart beating so fast? Why aren''t you speaking?"


    Xu Zhu said: "I.....i am the same as you, i am happy yet afraid. I tarnish your clean and pure body, i can''t repay you even if i die ten thousand times." The maiden said: "Don''t say that, we are dreaming, no need to be scared. What you call me?" Xu Zhu said: "En, you are the goddess in my dream, i will call you ''Meng Gu'', is it good?" the maiden clap her hands and laugh: "Good, you are my ''Meng Lang'', i am your ''Meng Gu''. This sweet dream, we have to dream for a lifetime, we will never wake up." They are deep in passion, both of them immerse in this beautiful dream, is it really fantasy? Or are they in heaven?


    After several hours, Child Elder finally use a felt cloth to wrap the maiden and carried her out.


    The next day, Child Elder brought the maiden to Xu Zhu again. Both of them meet each other for the 3rd time, their confusion gradually fade, their shame diminish, their love and passion everlasting and unlimited, they rejoice in their love. Xu Zhu don''t dare to reveal the truth about how they manage to meet up, the maiden also treat it as fantasy, she did not inquire how she ended up in this dream.


    These three days of being entangled in love, Xu Zhu felt the dark and cold cellar is like paradise, why the need to bother about Buddhism or seek salvation?


    *********


    On the 4th day, Xu Zhu ate bear paws, venison, etc, various delicacies brought by Child Elder, he expect Child Elder to go out and bring the maiden, unexpectedly he kept on waiting but Child Elder sat down silently and did not move. Xu Zhu is like an ant on hot pan, he can''t sit still, he want to inquire but he don''t dare.


    He endured for four hours, his worried movements, all kinds of actions, Child Elder heard everything but she ignored them. Xu Zhu can''t endure anymore, he ask: "Senior, that lady, is....is she a palace maid?" Child Elder groan, she did not reply. Xu Zhu pondered: "You refuse to reply, there is nothing i can do." But when he thought about the tender affection of the maiden, he is really hyperactive and uncontrollable, he can''t restrain himself, after enduring a while, he have no choice but to plead earnestly: "I beg you to do a good deed, tell me please." Child Elder said: "Don''t talk to me today, ask me tomorrow." Although Xu Zhu is really anxious but he don''t dare to inquire again.


    With great difficulty he endured till the next day, after eating, Xu Zhu said: "Senior...." Child Elder said: "You want to know the identity of that lady, how can it be difficult? Even if you want to meet her everyday, never separate again, its also easy......" Xu Zhu is so happy that his eagerness is hard to bear, he don''t know what to say. Child Elder said: "You want to know?" Xu Zhu don''t dare to reply momentary, he stammered: "I don''t know how to repay senior."


    Child Elder said: "I don''t need you to repay anything. My [Eternal Youth Never Aging Skill] will be perfected in a few days time, these few days are very important, i cannot relax or slack off for a single moment, i cannot even go out to find food, i already prepared all the cooked food and animals. You want to meet that beautiful lady, you have to wait until i complete my skill."


    Although Xu Zhu is disappointed, but he knew Child Elder is telling the truth, luckily its only a few days, he have to endure the pain of missing her, he immediately replied: "Yes! All according to senior''s command." Child Elder said: "Once my divine skill is complete, i will immediately seek that **** Li QiuShui for revenge. Originally that **** is definitely not my match, but unfortunately that **** broke my leg, i suffered great loss in my energy, i am not certain i can take my revenge. In the event i die by her hands, i can''t bring that lady to you, its fated, there is nothing i can do. Unless....unless......" Xu Zhu heart is thumping madly, he ask: "Unless what?" Child Elder said: "Unless you agree to assist me." Xu Zhu said: "Junior''s martial art is low and weak, how can i help?"


    Child Elder said: "I will duel with that ****, the outcome of the battle will hang by a thin line. Its difficult for her to defeat me, but its also difficult for me to kill her. From today onwards i will teach you another martial art, [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain]. At the crucial moment of our duel you will use this palm style, you only need to press your hand on her, her energy will drain off, she will lose for sure."


    Xu Zhu felt really awkward, he pondered: "Although i broke Buddhist precepts, i can''t be Buddhist disciple anymore, but to assist her in killing someone, this kind of evil deed greatly goes against my conscience, i definitely cannot do it." He replied: "I ought to agree to assist senior, but if you kill her as a result of my action then junior will commit another grave sin, henceforth i will sink into vice and i can''t reincarnate anymore."


    Child Elder said angrily: "Hey, damn monk, you can''t be a monk anymore, but you still have the heart of a monk, what kind of thing are you? Li QiuShui is a evil-doer, how can you sin by killing her?" Xu Zhu said: "Even for wicked traitor and evil person, we ought to instruct and reform them, we cannot be rash and commit murder." Child Elder anger burst out, she said sternly: "You refuse to listen to me, don''t ever think about seeing that lady again. You better think carefully." Xu Zhu is so sad that he is speechless, he simply chant scriptures in his heart.


    Child Elder saw he is silent for a long time, she said happily: "For the sake for that little beauty, you have no choice but to agree, correct?" Xu Zhu said: "I definitely cannot agree to harm another human life just for the sake of my own happiness. If i can never see that lady again, then its predestined in my past life. Since we exhausted our predestined relationship, i cannot force it. Since i cannot force it, let alone being forced to commit evil? I definitely cannot do it." When he finish speaking, he recited scripture: "Its constructed for a reason, once fate is exhausted it returns to nothing. Gains and losses are predestined, there is no addition or subtraction." Although he said it out loud, but he is aware that he can never meet that maiden again, he is very sad.


    Child Elder said: "I ask you again, will you learn [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain] or not?" Xu Zhu said: "I cannot comply, senior please forgive me." Child Elder said angrily: "Then get lost, scram, go far far away." Xu Zhu stood up, he bow deeply and said: "Senior you have to take care of yourself." He thought about their meeting, although she made him violate his Buddhist precepts, he can''t be a monk anymore, but as a result he get to meet his ''Meng Gu'', deep in his heart, he felt more gratitude towards Child Elder and less of hate, he cannot help but feel sad now that they are parting, he suddenly recall that her powerful enemy is still around and she had yet to escape danger, he said: "Senior you have to take care, be very careful, junior cannot serve you anymore." He turn around and walk up the stone steps.


    He is afraid that Child Elder will seal his acupoints again and prevent him from leaving, once he set foot on the stone step he immediately leap up, he gathered his [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] and rush to the 2nd level of the ice storehouse in an instant, immediately after he rush to the 1st level, he stretch his hands to push the door. His right hand touch the door ring, suddenly both his legs and back ached, he shouted: "Ayo!" he knew he was ambushed by Child Elder again, his body sway, both his shoulders ached as if pricked by needle, he collapsed immediately.


    He heard Child Elder said gloomily: "You are hit by my hidden projectile, are you aware of it?" Xu Zhu felt some of his wounds are numb and itchy, some of them are aching from being pricked by needle, its like ten thousand ants biting him, he said: "Naturally i am aware of it." Child Elder sneered: "You know what kind of hidden projectile it is? Its ''life-death talisman''!"


    Xu Zhu ear is buzzing, at once he recalled Wu LaoDa frightened expression when mentioning the ''life-death talisman''. He only know that ''life-death talisman'' is some charm or amulet that can control a person''s life and death, unexpectedly its a hidden projectile, Wu LaoDa and his group are all violent and savage, but they become meek and docile when controlled by ''life-death talisman'', he can well imagine the power of this hidden projectile.


    He heard Child Elder said: "Once the life-death talisman enters the body, there is no cure or antidote. Wu LaoDa and those bastards revolt against Misty Peak, evidently they are not willing to be controlled by the life-death talisman, they wish to steal the method to break the life-death talisman from Vulture Palace. These dogs are deluded, they can keep on dreaming, how can the method to breaking granny''s life-death talisman be stolen?"


    Xu Zhu felt his wounds are getting more and more itchy, in addition the strange itch gradually penetrate deep, less then the time taken to eat a meal, his vital organs start itching, he really want to smash his head against the wall and kill himself as its much better then suffering this torture, he cannot bear it and groan loudly.


    Child Elder said: "The life-death talisman, what is the meaning to the two word ''life-death''? I guess you finally know it?" Xu Zhu said in his heart: "I know, i know! I can neither live nor die." Other than groaning, he did not have the slightest bit of strength to talk anymore. Child Elder said: "Just now, when you are about to leave, twice you told me to take care of myself, your speech shows concern for me, you are not without conscience. Moreover you save granny''s life, Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain differentiate grudge and kindness clearly, i have my own reward and punishment, nevertheless you are vastly different from Wu LaoDa and those scoundrels. Granny planted the life-death talisman on you, its punishment, but i can also get rid of them for you, then its reward."


    Xu Zhu groaned: "We must have prior agreement, if you try to use this matter to coerce me, ask me to commit outrageous atrocities, i....i rather die..then....then...then....then...." the phrase ''i rather die then submit'', his unable to say it out.


    Child Elder sneered: "Heng, i can''t tell just by looking at you, unexpectedly you are such a resolute person. But why are you groaning and muttering, can''t speak properly? You know why Cave-master An stutters?" Xu Zhu said in alarm: "He is also hit by your life....life....thus he is in so much pain that he stu....stu.....stu....." Child Elder said: "Its good that you know it. Once the life-death talisman flare up, it will get worse day after day, the strange itch and acute pain last for 81 days, after that it will gradually diminish, 81 days later it will progressively intensify again, the cycle repeats itself and never ends. Every year i will send my subordinates to patrol all the Caves and Islands, i will grant pain-killer and medicine that stops the itch, the life-death talisman won''t activate for a year."


    Xu Zhu finally understood why all the Cave-masters and Island-masters treat Child Elder''s subordinates as god, they willingly allow themselves to be beaten, its all for the sake of the medicine that can guarantee 1 year of peace, but won''t he also become an animal and allow himself to be manipulated by others for his entire life?


    Child Elder live with Xu Zhu for almost 3 months now, she is very familiar with his character and temper, his conduct is soft and amiable on the outside but strong and resolute on the inside, although he is meek and amiable but he can be extremely obstinate and stubborn, he will definitely not yield to threats, she said: "I said before, you are different from Wu LaoDa and those bastards, granny won''t give you medicine every year, you will worry everyday and you can''t sleep properly at night. I planted nine different life-death talismans on you, i can remove all of them at one go, cut the weeds and eliminate the roots, you will never suffer again."


    Xu Zhu said: "Then, many.....many....many....many...." his unable to say the word ''thanks''.


    At once Child Elder let him consume a pill, his pain and itch stop for the moment. Child Elder said: "To get rid of life-death talisman, you have to use the internal energy of palm force. I am about to complete my divine skill, i cannot exhaust my energy for you, i will teach you the method to channel your energy and the palm moves, dissolve the life-death talisman yourself." Xu Zhu said: "Yes."


    Child Elder taught him how to channel his [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] from his dantian to his ''TianShu'', ''TaiYi'', ''LiangMen'', ''ShenFeng'', ''ShenZang'', etc, the various acupoints, afterwards they will pass through ''QuChi'', ''DaLing'', ''YangHua'' and reach the hollow of his palm, the method to channel energy from the meridians to the hollow of the palm is the unique wonderful skill of Carefree Sect, she also taught him how to take in and send out large quantities of energy, how to circulate and revolve the energy, how to disperse the energy, how to control and release the energy, etc, various different methods. Xu Zhu''s body contain sufficient internal energy, after training for 2 days he became proficient.


    Child Elder said: "Wu LaoDa and those bastards, although they have low moral standards, but their martial arts are really not weak. Among those gang of rouges, there are a few who have extremely deep and profound internal energy, but none of them can use their internal energy to neutralize my life-death talisman, do you know the reason?" She pause for a while, she know perfectly well that Xu Zhu can''t answer, she continued: "The reason is because i planted different kinds of life-death talisman on them, the techniques i used are also different and interesting. If they tried to use hard and ''yang'' technique to neutralize the life-death talisman, but if the life-death talisman is located at the ''TaiYang'', ''ShaoYang'', ''YangMing'', etc, various meridians, the yang energy will drastically increase and intertwine, it will penetrate deep into their inner organs, the outcome is irremediable. If they tried to use soft and ''yin'' technique to neutralize the life-death talisman, the ''TaiYin'', ''ShaoYin'', ''JueYin'' meridians, the life-death talisman within these meridians will flare up. In addition, every life-death talisman i planted have different composition of yin and yang energy, how can outsiders undo it? The nine life-death talisman on your body, you have to use nine different methods to neutralize them." At once she taught him a palm style, when he is proficient in it she will spar with him, she will use various complicated and sinister palm moves to attack him and force him to use the newly learnt palm style to counter.


    Child Elder said: "My life-death talisman have countless changes and permutation, when getting rid of it, you must be adaptable and change according to the situation, if you make the slightest bit of mistake, you will either spurt blood violently, energy obstructed and die, or entire body paralyze, meridians reverse, internal energy leak out. You have to treat the life-death talisman as a powerful enemy, make an all-out effort, you cannot allow yourself to be relax or complacent."


    Xu Zhu receive instructions and train bitterly, the techniques imparted by Child Elder are incomparably ingenious and magnificent, the energy flow according to one''s wishes, no matter what kind of vicious or fierce palm moves she use to attack him, he can simply use this set of palm technique to neutralize, in addition while neutralizing, his technique will definitely contain moves that allow fierce and violent counterattack. The more he train the more he admire it, he finally understood, the ''life-death talisman'' can make the 36 Cave-masters and 72 Island-masters break out in fear and become terror-stricken, the talisman indeed has its own inexhaustible might and power, if not for Child Elder''s personal instructions, how can he know there is such wonderful and marvellous neutralizing technique?


    He spent four days of effort, he is finally proficient in nine different technique.


    Child Elder is extremely happy, she said: "Little....little chap is not stupid at all. There is a saying in military tactics: ''Know yourself, know your enemy and emerge victorious in every battle.'' You want to subdue the life-death talisman, you have to know the method to planting life-death talisman, do you know what life-death talisman is made of?" Xu Zhu is stumped for words, he said: "Its a hidden projectile." Child Elder said: "Correct, its a hidden projectile, but what kind of hidden projectile? Like sleeve-arrow or steel dart? Like Bodhi or Daylily?" Xu Zhu pondered: "I was hit by nine hidden projectiles, although its painful and itchy, but they disappear without a trace when i touch it, i really don''t know what they look like." He found it difficult to reply.


    Child Elder said: "This is a life-death talisman, take it and examine it carefully."


    As he thought about this number one hidden projectile under the heaven, he is really anxious and worried, he stretch out his hands to take it, when it landed on his palm he felt an ice-cold sensation, the hidden projectile is light as a feather, its a small circular sheet, its only around the size of a toe, the edge is sharp and its thin like paper. Xu Zhu want to examine it carefully, but he felt a cooling sensation on his palm, after a while the life-death talisman disappear. Xu Zhu had a huge shock, Child Elder did not stretch out her hands to take it back, how come the hidden projectile will automatically disappear? Its really unpredictable and inconceivable, he shouted: "Ayo!" he pondered: "Terrible, terrible! The Life-death talisman drill into my palm."


    Child Elder said: "You understand now?" Xu Zhu said: "I....i....." Child Elder said: "My life-death talisman, its just a thin slice of ice." Xu Zhu cry out in surprise, he felt at ease immediately, he finally understood, the thin ice is melted by heat from the palm, gone in an instant, the energy in his palm is like furnace, it turn the ice into vapour, unexpectedly there isn''t any water-stain at all.


    Child Elder said: "In order to learn how to break the life-death talisman you have to learn how to launch it, to learn how to launch it then naturally you have to learn how to make it. Don''t underestimate this thin slice of ice, to make it as thin as paper, unbroken and undamaged, its really not easy. Put some water on your palm, afterwards channel your internal energy in reverse, let the energy be several times colder than ice, the clear water will naturally turn into ice." At once she taught him how to channel his internal energy in reverse, how to convert hard and ''yang'' energy into soft and ''yin'' energy. The [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] imparted by Wu YaZi possess both yin and yang, the skills learnt by Xu Zhu are all hard and ''yang'', but since his internal energy already had solid foundation, its not difficult for him as long as he go against normal principles.


    After learning how to make life-death talisman, Child Elder taught him the hand technique and strength in firing as well as how to target acupoints, on the thin slice of ice, she taught him how to attach hard and ''yang'' energy, how to attach soft and ''yin'' energy, how to attach 30% yang and 70% yin, or maybe 60% yin and 40% yang, although its just yin and yang energy, but the sequence is different, the amount is also different, it follow one''s heart''s desire, countless changes and permutation. Xu Zhu spent another three days and he finally learn everything. Child Elder said happily: "Little chap is not stupid at all, you learn rather fast, you already mastered the fundamental skills in life-death talisman. As for subtle and profound variation, able to recognize acupoints without error, that is future matters."


    On the 4th day, Child Elder ordered him to regulate and mix his internal energy, gather internal energy in both palms, she said: "One of the life-death talisman is behind your right knee, on the ''YinLing Quan'' acupoint, channel ''yang'' energy to your right palm, use the 2nd palm technique to smack it quickly, channel ''yin'' energy to your left palm, use the 7th palm technique to slowly draw and pull it out. Pull three times, the hot poison and cold poison in this life-death talisman will be neutralize." Xu Zhu act according to her instructions, sure enough, his ''YinLing Quan'' acupoint was originally sluggish and obstructed but it clear up, his joint flexible and agile again, he felt really comfortable.


    Child Elder gave directions one by one, Xu Zhu simply followed and neutralize the life-death talisman. Eventually he got rid of all nine life-death talismans, Xu Zhu is extremely happy.


    Child Elder sigh and said: "Tomorrow noon, my divine skill will be complete. While completing the skill i have to resolve multitude of loose ends, its incomparably dangerous, today i have to calm down and mediate, don''t talk to me anymore to avoid disturbing my thoughts." Xu Zhu said: "Yes." He pondered: "The days pass really quick, unexpectedly three months simply pass by."


    At this moment, he suddenly heard a tiny voice like mosquito buzzing in his ear: "Martial sister, martial sister, where are you hiding? How come you are at little sister''s house but you did not come out to meet me? You regard me as an outsider, you somewhat upstage the host, correct?"


    The voice is extremely soft and thin, but he heard every single word clearly. Who else can it be other than Li QiuShui?


    to guard the iron chain, when the enemy arrive they will release the lock in the middle of the iron chain, the iron chain will separate into two parts, the ravine is 5 zhang wide, its difficult for a person to jump across even if he possess extremely high level of lightness martial art. Currently, the group of females notice that the iron chain is cut off by a sharp blade, most likely the guards from Great Heaven Division did not have time to release the lock when the enemy attack the bridge.

 Chapter - 37 Laughing Together, Everything Reduce to Emptiness

    Xu Zhu had a shock, he shouted: "Ayo, not good, she....she...." Child Elder said loudly: "Why the big fuss?" Xu Zhu said softly: "She...she finally found us." Child Elder said: "Although she knows i am in the imperial palace, but she don''t know where i am hiding. There are thousands and hundreds of room in the imperial palace, if she search one by one, even after 10 days or half a month she might not be able to find this place." Xu Zhu finally felt at ease, he breathe a sigh of relief and said: "We only need to endure until tomorrow noon, by then we don''t need to be afraid anymore." Sure enough, Li QiuShui''s voice gradually move further and further away, eventually there is no sound from her at all.


    But after an hour, Li QiuShui thin voice penetrate into the ice storehouse again: "My good martial sister, you still remember martial brother Wu YaZi? He is at little sister''s palace, he is waiting for you to come out, he have some important matters to tell you."


    Xu Zhu said softly: "Wrong, wrong! Senior Wu YaZi died long ago, don''t.....don''t be fooled by her."


    Child Elder said: "Even if we shout and scream here she won''t be able to hear us. She is using her [Great Voice Transmitting Soul Searching Method] to force me to go out. She mentioned Wu YaZi, she is simply trying to disturb my mind, how can i be fooled by her?"


    But Li QiuShui talk endlessly, hours and hours went on, she narrate how the three of them fellow apprentices learn their skills, she narrate how Wu YaZi love her deeply, immediately after she start abusing loudly and curse Child Elder as the number one lascivious and malicious person, a shrewd and shameless ****, she claim those words are said by Wu YaZi.


    Xu Zhu pair of hands are covering his ears, but the voice still penetrate his hands and enter his ears, he can''t block it out. Xu Zhu is extremely irritated as he kept on listening, he shouted: "False, all of them are false! I don''t believe you!" he tear some cloth off his clothes and stuff it into his ears.


    Child Elder said indifferently: "You can''t block this voice. That **** is using her profound internal energy to transmit it, we are inside the 3rd level of the ice storehouse, yet the voice still transmit here, you stick some cloth in your ear, what is the use? The guards and concubine in the imperial palace, maids and eunuch, thousands and hundreds of them, but none of them have Carefree Sect''s internal energy, none of them can hear this voice. You have to be calm and tranquil, hear but ignore deliberately, just treat the words of that **** as donkey cry or dog bark." Xu Zhu said: "Yes." But the discipline to ''turn a blind eye, hear but not react'', the martial arts of Carefree Sect is much inferior to the meditation skill of Shaolin, since Xu Zhu lost all his Shaolin martial arts, he can''t ignore Li QiuShui''s words, he listen to various malicious stuff about Child Elder, inevitably he half believe and half doubt, he don''t know if it is true or false.


    After a while he suddenly recall something, he said: "Senior, the time to practice your skill is nearing soon correct? This is the last stage before you achieve success, it is extremely important, but when you listen to her words won''t you be distracted?" Child Elder laugh bitterly and said: "You only realize it now? That **** calculate the time accurately, once my divine skill is complete she knows she won''t be my match, thus she spare no effort to try and obstruct me." Xu Zhu said: "Then please temporarily put aside your plans and stop training, is it ok? Terrible external demon is invading, if you train under such conditions it might be a little.....a little dangerous." Child Elder said: "You rather die then help me deal with that ****, but how come you are concern about my safety now?" Xu Zhu is stumped for words, he said: "I am unwilling to assist senior to harm others, but i am even more unwilling to see others harm senior."


    Child Elder said: "You conscience is good. I already thought through this matter a thousand times. That **** is using her [Great Voice Transmitting Soul Searching Method] to disturb my mind, simultaneously she also dispatched her hunting dogs to track me, she already secured the imperial palace like an iron bastion. We can''t escape. The longer we stay here the more dangerous it is. Luckily we brave danger and went to her house, if not we would have been detected two months ago, at that time my internal energy is low and i can''t resist at all, once i listen to her [Great Voice Transmitting Soul Searching Method] i would have gone out obediently. Foolish boy, its noon already, granny have to train my skill now." she bite off the head of a red-crowned crane and suck the crane''s blood, she cross her legs and sat down.


    Xu Zhu listen to Li QiuShui''s voice, it is getting more and more wretched, presumably she calculated this moment, this noon is the crucial juncture, a matter of life and death between the two martial sisters. Suddenly, Li QiuShui''s voice became extremely gentle and soft, she said: "Good martial brother, hug me. En, wu, wu, hug me tighter, kiss me, kiss here." Xu Zhu is stunned, he pondered: "How come she mention about this kind of stuff?"


    He heard Child Elder groan out, she cursed in rage: "Treacherous ****!" Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he is aware that Child Elder is at a critical juncture in her training, unexpectedly she got distracted and start cursing, its incomparably dangerous, a single mistake and she will fire-deviate, the meridians in her body will all burst and break off. Although he is worried but he can''t do anything to help. Li QiuShui''s soft voice transmit endlessly, all of them narrating the joyous love between Wu YaZi and herself. Xu Zhu cannot help but think about his joyous meeting with the maiden, his desire surge, warm blood circulate through his entire body, his skin is burning hot.


    But he notice Child Elder is breathing heavily, she cursed: " Treacherous ****, junior martial brother never love you, you seduce him, you have no sense of shame!" Xu Zhu is startled, he said: "Senior, she....she is inciting your anger on purpose, you must not take it seriously." Child Elder curse again: "Shameless ****, if he truly love you, how come when he is about to die, he rush to Misty Peak and pass on the ''Seven Treasure Ring'' to me? He also gave me a portrait of my 18 year old self, he drew it personally, he said for the past 60 years, this portrait accompanied him day and night, he kept it close at all time. Hey, you must be very sad when you heard it right....."


    She kept talking non-stop, Xu Zhu is stunned. How come Child Elder is saying all these lies? Could it be that she fire-deviated, she lost her mind? Moreover she seems to be transmitting her voice out to let Li QiuShui hear it.


    He heard a violent crashing sound, the front door of the ice storehouse was push open, immediately after the second set of door open as well, the sound of front door closing, the sound of the second door closing. He heard Li QiuShui''s husky voice: "You are lying, you are lying, martial brother he....he...he only love me. He will never draw a portrait of you, you are a midget, how can he love you? You are talking rubbish, specialize in deceiving people....."


    There is a dozen loud slamming sound, its like lightning strike, it transmit from the 1st level of the ice storehouse. Xu Zhu was startled, Child Elder burst into loud laughter and shouted: "Treacherous ****, you thought martial brother only love you? You head is really muddled. Correct, i am a midget, i cannot be compared with you, a seductive beautiful woman, but martial brother knows everything. You are fond of seducing handsome, natural and unrestrained young man, even his disciple Ding ChunQiu that kind of little rascal you also try to seduce. Martial brother told me, i am a virgin till old, my feelings towards him never change. But you, think about it, you had how many lovers? You married the king of Western Xia and became the emperor''s concubine, why would martial brother care about you?" Unexpectedly her voice projected from the 1st level of the ice storehouse, Xu Zhu never notice when she move from the 3rd level to the 1st level. Child Elder laugh again: "We martial sisters never see each other for 10 years, we should be affectionate to each other. Seal off the front door of the ice storehouse so that outsiders can''t come in to disturb us. Haha, you like to rely upon your superior number to win, there is no harm is calling some of your helpers to assist. Come on, move away the ice chunks! Transmit your voice out!"


    In a split second countless thoughts went through Xu Zhu''s mind: "Child Elder incite Li QiuShui and lure her into the ice storehouse, she immediately move the big ice chunks and block the front door, she is determined to fight till death. Although Li QiuShui have huge influence in the imperial palace but she can''t summon her men to assist her now. But how come she didn''t push away the ice chunks? How come she didn''t do as Child Elder says, transmit her voice out and order her men to attack here? Maybe when shifting the ice chunks or transmitting her voice, she will inevitably be distracted, Child Elder is standing by the side, naturally she will seize the opportunity and strike a fatal blow; Or maybe Li QiuShui is proud and conceited, she is unwilling to ask for assistance, she wants to personally deal with her love rival." Xu Zhu pondered: "Previously, when training, Child Elder is always motionless, she does not react to external affairs, but today she cannot help it and shouted out to fight with Li QiuShui, but her divine skill still lack one more day before completion, she wasted her effort and failed at the final hurdle. I wonder who will win today''s battle, if Child Elder wins, i wonder if we can escape the palace, can she compensate her training by practicing tomorrow?"


    He heard loud slamming and banging sounds from the 1st level, evidently Child Elder is waging a gigantic battle with Li QiuShui. Xu Zhu live together with Child Elder for 3 months, although the old granny is temperamental and moody, her conduct unruly, he really suffered under her, but because he is with her all the time he cannot help but feel close to her, he is afraid Child Elder will suffer under Li QiuShui''s evil hands, thus he went to the 2nd level to look at the situation.


    As he reach the 2nd level, he heard Li QuiShui shout: "Who is it?" the banging and crashing sound stop. Xu Zhu held his breath and wait, he don''t dare to reply. Child Elder said: "That is the number one romantic person of Central Plains, nicknamed ''White-face Playboy Wu PanAn'', you want to meet him?" Xu Zhu pondered: "My appearance is so ugly, what nicknamed ''White-face Playboy Wu PanAn''? Sigh, senior is making fun of me."


    But he heard Li QuiShui said: "Rubbish, i am already an old woman, you think i am still fond of youngster? What ''White-face Playboy Wu PanAn'', most probably its that ugly monk who carried you and ran around." she raise her voice and shout: "Little monk, is that you?" Xu Zhu''s heart is thumping madly, he don''t know if he should reply or not. Child Elder shouted: "Meng Lang, are you a little monk? Haha, Meng Lang, you are such a romantic and charming youngster but she assume you are a little monk, its really funny."


    Xu Zhu blush deep red when he heard the phrase ''Meng Lang'', his so ashamed that he can''t show his face, he pondered: "Terrible, terrible, the conversation between me and that maiden, Child Elder heard everything, how can those words be heard by an outsider? Ayo, those words that i said to the maiden, i am afraid...maybe....most likely....Child Elder heard all of them as well. That....that..."


    Child Elder said: "Meng Lang, quickly answer me, are you a little monk?" Xu Zhu said softly: "No." although his voice is soft but Child Elder and Li QuiShui heard it clearly.


    Child Elder laugh out loud and said: "Meng Lang, don''t worry, you can see your Meng Gu pretty soon. She miss you badly, for the past few days she have no appetite, she is restless, she is thinking about you, she miss you. Tell me honestly, you miss her or not?"


    Xu Zhu is infatuated with that maiden, although he diligently train his skills in firing and countering the life-death talisman for the past few days, but he is constantly thinking about her, he is head over heels in love, suddenly he heard Child Elder inquire about it, he cannot help but blurt out: "Really miss her."


    Li QuiShui muttered: "Meng Lang, Meng Lang, as it turns out you are really a passionate youngster! Come up here, let me see what kind of person is the number one romantic of Central Plains!"


    Although Li QuiShui is younger than Child Elder and Wu YaZi, but she is over 80 years of age, an old woman, however her speech is gentle and coy, when Xu Zhu heard her voice his heart palpitated with eagerness, in a split second he really thinks he is the ''Number one romantic person of Central Plains'', but he came to his senses immediately: "I am a ugly monk, how can i be a romantic person, isn''t it laughable?" immediately after he thought: "Child Elder is facing a powerful enemy, how come she still have the mood to make fun of me? There must be some deep meaning behind it. Ah, that''s right, that day senior Wu YaZi wants me to succeed him as Carefree Sect Leader, he repeatedly voice out his disdain of my appearance, afterwards senior Su XingHe said, to subdue Ding ChunQiu, they must find a handsome natural and unstrained youngster with high comprehension, although i possess senior Wu YaZi divine internal energy but my martial art is weak, i have to find a person to teach me martial arts, this person is only fond of handsome youngster, don''t tell me the person is Li QiuShui?"


    While his pondering, the flame flicker, bright light illuminated the 1st level, immediately after there is the loud sound of rushing wind. Xu Zhu rush up the stone steps, he look up, he saw a white shadow and a grey shadow revolving rapidly around each other, the two shadows suddenly separate and suddenly move close, it emit ''Pa Pa'' sound, evidently Child Elder and Li QuiShui are fighting a fierce battle. A torch is on an ice block and emit faint ray of light. The movement of the two are extremely fast, its really unimaginable, its impossible for Xu Zhu to determine who is Child Elder and who is Li QiuShui.


    The torch burn off extremely fast, it exhausted its flame in a short period of time, with a ''Chi'' sound it extinguish and the ice storehouse turn pitch-black again, but palm wind is still rushing about. Xu Zhu is really anxious: "Child Elder lost a leg, its unfavorable for her in a long battle, how should i help her? But Child Elder is vicious and merciless, if she gain the upper hand she will definitely kill her martial sister, this is not good. Moreover the martial arts of these two are so high, how can i interfere their battle?"


    He heard a loud ''Pa'' sound, Child Elder gave a long cry, she seems to be injured. Li QiuShui laugh out loudly and said: "Martial sister, what do you think of this move from little sister? Please give me some guidance." suddenly she shout sternly: "Where are you running!"


    Xu Zhu felt a burst of cold wind brush past him, Child Elder is standing beside him and said: "2nd technique, execute your palm!" Xu Zhu don''t understand the reason, he was about to inquire: "What?" but he felt cold wind assaulting him, an extremely powerful palm force move straight at him, he have no time to consider, at once he executed the 2nd palm technique taught by Child Elder to break the life-death talisman, in the darkness he clash with the incoming force, Xu Zhu experience a sever shock in his body, his blood and energy is rolling around his chest, its extremely hard to endure, without thinking he use the 7th palm technique to disperse the force.


    Li QuiShui cry out in surprise, she shout loudly: "Who are you? How come you know [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain]? Who taught you?" Xu Zhu ask curiously: "What [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain]?" Li QiuShui said: "You still refuse to admit it? The 2nd move ''Spring Sun In White Snow'' and the 7th move ''Three Layer Sun Gate'', its a secret move of my sect, where did you learn it?" Xu Zhu said: "''Spring Sun In White Snow''? ''Three Layer Sun Gate''?" his mind is blank, he seems to understand but yet he don''t understand, he faint guess he was tricked by Child Elder again.


    Child Elder is standing behind her, she sneered: "This Meng Lang, since he carry the reputation as the number one romantic of Central Plains, naturally he is gifted in the four arts, medicine and divination, horoscope, wine drinking, singing, drinking game, guessing riddle, all kinds of shady business, he know them all, he mastered them all. Thus he gained the favor of martial brother Wu YaZi, he accepted him as his last disciple, he ordered him to exterminate your lover Ding ChunQiu to tidy up sect affairs."


    Li QiuShui said brightly: "Meng Lang, is her word true or false?"


    Xu Zhu heard both of them address him as ''Meng Lang'', he cannot help but blush deeply, the first half of Child Elder''s speech is false, the latter half is true, but he can neither say its true nor false. The various techniques taught by Child Elder, they are undoubtedly used to neutralize the life-death talisman, but how come Li QiuShui call it [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain]? Child Elder want him to learn [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain] to deal with Li QiuShui, but he firmly refuse to learn, could it be that the techniques used to neutralize the life-death talisman is precisely [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain]?


    Li QiuShui said sternly: "Aunty is asking you a question, how come you refuse to answer?" as she finish speaking she extend her hand to grab his shoulder. Xu Zhu is very proficient in countering the moves from Child Elder, moreover he countered the moves in darkness, when he heard the wind he immediately recognize the form, he react according to the situation, when Li QiuShui''s finger is about to touch his shoulder, he immediately lowered his shoulder and slanted his body, he flip his hand and press down on the back of her hand. Li QiuShui immediately withdraw her hand, she praised: "Good! This move ''Great Heaven Sun Song'', internal energy is deep and profound, the move is also well executed. Martial brother Wu YaZi impart his entire lifetime of martial arts to you, correct?" Xu Zhu said: "He...he impart all his internal energy to me."


    He said Wu YaZi impart all his ''internal energy'' (¹¦Á¦) to him, he did not say ''martial arts'' (¹¦·ò), the two phrase only differ by a single word but the meaning is vastly different. But Li QiuShui is extremely agitated, naturally she won''t distinguish the difference, she ask again: "Since my martial brother accept you as his disciple, how come you didn''t address me as martial aunt?"


    Xu Zhu persuade them: "Martial aunts, both of you are one family, why entangle in this deep hatred and struggle bitterly? Its all past matters, everyone should just let go and forget it."


    Li QiuShui said: "Meng Lang, you are still young, you are not aware of the sinister intentions of that treacherous old woman, stand aside......"


    She did not finish speaking, suddenly she yell out ''Ah'', Child Elder suddenly dash out from behind Xu Zhu and made a sneak attack, she landed one palm on her. This palm is soundless and formless, the strength is purely yin and soft, the distance between them is close, there is a delay before Li QiuShui detect it, there is also a delay before she can react, Child Elder''s palm is already in front of her chest, Li QiuShui hastily move her body to retreat but she is slower by one step, her breath is obstructed, evidently her meridians got injured. Child Elder laugh and said: "Martial sister, what do you think of this move from elder sister? Please give me some guidance." Li QiuShui quickly channel her internal energy to regulate her breathing, she don''t dare to retort.


    Child Elder succeeded in this sneak attack, she cannot let her recover, she jump on one leg and leap forward, her palm wind rushing as she launch her attack. Xu Zhu shouted: "Senior, don''t do it!" he executed the palm technique taught by Child Elder and intercepted the three palm strikes directed at Li QiuShui. Child Elder is extremely angry, she cursed: "Little thief, you using what kind of martial arts against me?" As it turns out, Xu Zhu firmly refuse to learn [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain], Child Elder is aware of the great catastrophe in the future, in order to gain a competent helper during the critical period, while teaching Xu Zhu how to neutralize life-death talisman she also impart [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain] to him, furthermore she spent alot of time sparring with him, all the subtle and profound variations, all the ingenious and magnificent techniques, she emptied her pockets and taught everything to him. When she finally gain the upper hand, unexpectedly Xu Zhu suddenly switch side and help Li QiuShui! Xu Zhu said: "Senior, i advise you to take into account the relationship of being in the same sect, please be lenient." Child Elder curse in rage: "Get lost, quickly step aside!"


    Li QiuShui gain Xu Zhu''s assistance, she avoided Child Elder''s rapid attack, her breathing is already regulated, she said: "Meng Lang, i am fine now, step aside." she launch her left palm and follow up with her right palm, the palm force in her left hand move around Xu Zhu and attack Child Elder. Child Elder is secretly alarmed: "Unexpectedly this **** mastered [White Rainbow Palm Force], her palm force can move left and right at will, truly formidable." She return the palm and clash head on.


    Xu Zhu is stuck between them, he is aware that his martial art is limited, he cannot break up the fight and persuade them, he gave a long sigh and step aside.


    Both of them dueled for a long time, strong wind assaulted his face, sharp as blade, Xu Zhu can''t resist, he is about to retreat to the stone steps between the 1st and 2nd level, suddenly he heard a ''Pu'' sound, Child Elder groan in pain, she was push by Li QiuShui and crash against a solid ice block. Xu Zhu shouted: "Stay your hand, stay your hand!" he rush forward and executed two moves from [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain] to neutralize Li QiuShui''s attack. Child Elder seize the opportunity and leap backwards, unexpectedly she cry out miserably and tumbled down from the stone steps, she roll downwards and stop moving at the stone steps between the 2nd and 3rd level.


    Xu Zhu cry out in alarm: "Senior, senior, what happen to you?" he quickly rush towards her, he grope around and supported Child Elder''s body. He felt her pair of hands are ice-cold, he check her breath, unexpectedly she stop breathing. Xu Zhu is panic stricken, he is really sad, he hug Child Elder tightly and call out: "Martial aunt, you....you....you killed martial great aunt, how can you be so heartless!" he cannot help but cry.


    Li QiuShui said: "This person is very devious, my palm might not necessarily kill her!" Xu Zhu weep and said: "Still dare say she is not dead? She is not breathing, senior....martial great aunt, i already advise you not to hold a grudge...." Li QiuShui took out another fire-stick from her bosom, she ignite it, the stone step is sprinkled full of blood, the side of Child Elder''s mouth and her chest is also full of blood.


    To train [Eternal Youth Never Aging Skill] the practitioner have to drink blood everyday, however if the practitioner''s energy move in reverse and the arteries burst, they will vomit blood, they only need to vomit one small cup of blood and they will stop breathing and die immediately, currently the blood on the stone step is at least a few big bowl. Li QiuShui is aware that her martial sister, whom she hate bitterly for over 10 years is finally dead, she is extremely happy, but she cannot help but feel lonely and mournful.


    After a long time, she held the torch and slowly walk down the stone steps, she said darkly: "Martial sister, you are really dead? I am still not at ease." she stood 5 chi away from Child Elder, the torch emit a faint light, the light landed on Child Elder''s face, her face is full of wrinkles, the wrinkles near her mouth is laced with blood, her expression extremely terrifying. Li QiuShui knew Child Elder train [Eternal Youth Never Aging Skill] for a long time, her internal energy is deep and profound, she can maintain her appearance and never age, only when the skill dissipate will her face reveal the elderly wrinkles. Li QiuShui is still not at ease, she said softly: "Martial sister, my entire life i experience too much suffering under your hands, don''t try to fake death to trick me." She wave her left hand, she launch a palm at Child Elder''s chest, there is a few ''KaLa KaLa'' sound, a few of Child Elder''s ribs broke.


    Xu Zhu is furious, he shouted: "She already died by your hands, how can you injure her corpse?" he saw Li QiuShui launch her 2nd palm strike, at once he wave his palm to intercept. Li QiuShui look side-ways at him in disapproval, this ''Number one romantic of Central Plains'' had big eyes and big nose, big ears and big mouth, wide forehead and dense eyebrows, appearance boorish, where is the handsome, natural and unrestrained youngster? She is startled for a while, she recognize him as the little monk who carried Child Elder and escape, she move her right hand and grab Xu Zhu''s shoulder. Xu Zhu slanted his body to avoid, he said: "I don''t want to fight you, i only advise you not to touch your martial sister''s corpse."


    Li QiuShui executed four moves in succession, Xu Zhu is very proficient in [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain], unexpectedly he parried every single blow, while blocking his palm faintly contains deep strength that allows for counter-attack. Li QiuShui suddenly said: "Yi! Who is that person behind you?" Xu Zhu have little experience in fighting enemy, he was startled and turn his head back to look, suddenly he felt huge pain in his chest, his acupoint was sealed by Li QiuShui, immediately after the acupoints in both legs was sealed as well, his entire body numb and soft, he collapsed beside Child Elder, he is angry and startled, he shouted: "You are my senior, but you employ this kind of trick."


    Li QiuShui laugh and said: "All is fair in war, today i teach you young chap a lesson." immediately after she pointed at him and laugh repeatedly, she said: "You...you...you ugly freak little monk, unexpectedly you dare call yourself ''Number one romantic of Central Plains''...."


    Suddenly there is a ''Pa'' sound, Li QiuShui cry out miserably, the ''ZhiYang'' acupoint on her back was hit by a heavy palm, it was launch by Child Elder. Immediately after Child Elder violently punch out her left fist, it hit the middle of Li QiuShui''s chest, the ''ShanZhong'' vital acupoint. This one palm and one fist is right next to her skin, Li QiuShui have no time to resist, she can''t slant her body to avoid, she don''t even have time to gather energy to protect her acupoints, her body was shocked by the fist and flew up, landing on the stone steps, the torch in her hand dislodged and flew out.


    Child Elder conserved her energy for a very long time, the power in her fist is abnormally fierce, the torch flew from the 3rd level to the 2nd level, it flew straight to the 1st level before it finally drop down. In an instant the 3rd level of the ice storehouse plunge into darkness again, Child Elder laugh coldly. Xu Zhu was shock yet happy, he shouted: "Senior, you are not dead? Good....very good!"


    As it turns out, Child Elder failed at the final hurdle, she did not perfect her divine martial arts, moreover Li QiuShui broke off one of her leg at the snowy peak, she sustained great damage to her internal energy after the injury, thus during the life and death duel, when she fought over 200 moves, she knew she would lose for sure, after getting hit by Li QuiShui''s palm her disadvantage became even more apparent, unfortunately Xu Zhu refuse to help either side, although he obstructed Li QiuShui and prevent her from dealing the finishing blow, but he also obstructed Child Elder and prevent her from succeeding in her schemes; Child Elder knew that if she carry on dueling she will suffer a wretched defeat, thus she clenched her teeth and forcibly endured a palm strike, she fake death. As for the blood on the stone steps and on her chest and mouth, they are deer blood prepared in advance, its purpose is to trick her enemy. Unexpectedly Li QiuShui is extremely vigilant, although Child Elder stop breathing she still launch a palm strike on her chest. Since she started it, Child Elder have to carry it through whatever happens, thus she had no choice but to forcibly endure another palm strike, if Xu Zhu did not stop Li QiuShui she will definitely launch a few more palm strikes and smash her ''corpse'' into pulp, by then there is nothing she can do. Luckily Xu Zhu obstructed Li QiuShui out of his kind nature, moreover when Li QiuShui finally saw the true appearance of the ''Number one romantic of Central Plains'', she was disappointed and yet found it funny, she drop her guard, although she is aware that Child Elder is very crafty and fierce but she did not think Child Elder can be so resolute in enduring the pain.


    Li QiuShui''s chest and back sustained heavy injuries, unexpectedly she lost control of her internal energy, its similar to a flood being left unchecked, its about to burst out of the dam and flow away. The martial arts of Carefree Sect is number one under the heaven, however if the practitioner lose control of internal energy, the energy would flow around and collide with each other, it can''t drain out, the pain and suffering during this period is indescribable. In an instant, Li QiuShui felt all the acupoints in her body are numb and itchy, she is panic-stricken, she is aware that her injuries are incurable, she shouted: "Meng Lang, please do a good deed, quickly exert strength and smack your palm at my ''BaiHui'' acupoint!"


    At this moment light suddenly shine down on her face, her entire body is shivering, she stretch out her hand to take away the white veil covering her face, her fingers scratching her cheek, at once her face is full of blood scar, she shouted: "Meng Lang, you....quickly kill me with a single fist." Child Elder sneered: "You sealed his acupoints, but now you ask him to help you, hey hey, you reap what you sown, your retribution came really quick!" Li QiuShui prop herself and tried to stand up, she want to unseal Xu Zhu''s acupoints, but her entire body is limp and painful, she can''t even move her little finger.


    Xu Zhu look at Li QiuShui, afterwards he look at Child Elder, evidently Child Elder''s injuries are also extremely serious, she lean against the stone steps and groan, Xu Zhu vision is getting clearer and clearer, it seems the ice storehouse is gradually getting brighter, he incline his head and look towards the source of light, there is a huge ball of fire at the 1st level of the ice storehouse, he shouted: "Ayo! Someone is coming!"


    Child Elder was startled, she pondered: "Someone is coming, in the end i still fell under this ****''s hands." she forcibly draw a breath, she wanted to stand up, but no matter what she can''t stand at all, her legs soften, with a ''Gudong'' sound she fell down. Child Elder exert strength in her pair of hands, she slowly crawl towards Li QiuShui, before her soldiers arrive to save her she want to strangle her to death.


    Suddenly she heard faint dripping sound of water, its seems water is dripping down from the stone steps. Li QiuShui and Xu Zhu also heard the sound of dripping water, they turn their head at the same time and look, indeed water is dripping down the stone steps. The three of them are baffled: "Where did this water come from?"


    The ice storehouse is getting brighter and brighter, the gurgling sound of water, the dripping of water unexpectedly transform into a stream of water, it flow down the stone steps. The ball of fire at the 1st level is roaring, but no one came in. At once Li QiuShui realize the truth, she cannot help but say: "The fire burn....the cotton....in the cloth-sack." As it turns out, the area near the entrance is piled full of cloth-sack, the cloth-sack contains cotton to prevent external heat from entering, thus the ice chunks did not melt. Unexpectedly when Li QiuShui was hit by Child Elder''s fist, the torch dislodge from her hand and flew out, it landed on the cloth-sack and burn the cotton, the ice chunks melt and turn into water stream and flow downwards.


    The flame flourished, more water flow downwards, the gurgling sound of water is getting louder. After a while the water accumulated in the 3rd level is around 1 chi high. Water flow down endlessly from the stone steps, more and more water accumulate, slowly the water reach their waists.


    Li QiuShui sigh and said: "Martial sister, you and me, both sides suffered a defeat, nobody can live, you....you unseal Meng Lang''s acupoints, let him....go out." The three of them are well aware of the situation, the water in the ice storehouse will slowly rise up, they will definitely drown.


    Child Elder sneered: "I carry out my own stuff, why do i even need your advice? Originally i wanted to unseal his acupoints, but since you try to be the good person, then i don''t want to unseal his acupoints anymore. Little monk, you die because of her words, are you aware of it?" she turn her body and slowly crawl up the stone steps. If she climb a few more steps she would be able to personally witness Li QiuShui drown. Although she will still die eventually, but as long as she witness Li QiuShui die, her revenge can be considered complete.


    Li QiuShui saw her slowly climb up, the ice cold water already reach her chest, the internal energy in her body surge around, its incomparably painful, she hope the ice water can rise up faster, its better to drown then to suffer the agony of thousand worms biting her, its 100 times better to drown then to endure thousand needles drilling into her as her martial arts disperse.


    Suddenly Child Elder cry out, she tumbled and roll down, with a ''Putong'' sound, water splash in all direction, she drop straight into the pool of water. As it turns out, her injuries are too serious, her limbs lack strength, she climb 7-8 steps up the stone steps, an ice cube the size of a fist flow down along with the water, by lucky coincidence it heavily hit her right knee, Child Elder can''t stabilize her body and tumbled. As she fell down, she so happen to land on Xu Zhu''s body, she bounce off and landed on Li QiuShui''s right side. As the water accumulate, unexpectedly the three of them squeeze and bundled together.


    Child Elder''s stature is much smaller than Xu Zhu and Li QiuShui, the water reach Li QiuShui''s chest but it already reach Child Elder''s neck. Child Elder also suffered bitter pain as her martial arts disperse, she pondered: "No matter what, this **** have to die before me." she wanted to injure her, however in between them is Xu Zhu, moreover she can''t even move her arm for a few inch, she saw Xu Zhu''s shoulder is touching Li QiuShui''s shoulder, she suddenly had an idea, she said: "Little monk, you must not channel your internal energy to resist, if not you will bring about your own demise." she did not wait for his reply, she channel her internal energy and send it towards Xu Zhu. Child Elder is fully aware that this act is accelerating her death, the more she exhaust her internal energy the faster she will die, but if she does not do this, she will surely be the first one to die once the water rise up.


    Li QiuShui suffered severe shock in her body, she detect Child Elder''s internal energy is attacking her, immediately she channel her internal energy and counter-attack.


    Xu Zhu is in-between them, initially he felt a hot stream of energy from Child Elder''s arm, immediately after he felt another stream of hot energy from Li QiuShui''s shoulder, in a split second, the two stream of energy collided within his body, the collision is fierce and violent. Child Elder and Li QiuShui internal energy are comparable with each other, after sustaining heavy injuries, there is still not much difference between them, its difficult to determine who is stronger or weaker. Their internal energy clash with each other, deadlocked in stalemate, the internal energy stop within Xu Zhu''s body, nobody can attack each other. However, Xu Zhu suffered the most. Luckily Wu YaZi imparted 70 years of internal energy to him, among the three fellow martial brother and sisters, Wu YaZi possess the highest internal energy, although Xu Zhu is distress under the attack from two sides but he did not die.


    Child Elder notice water is gradually rising, it move from her neck to her chin, and again from her chin to her lower lip. She urge her internal energy and channel it endlessly, she want to quickly kill off her love rival, unfortunately Li QiuShui''s internal energy also flow endlessly, evidently she is not likely to exhaust it any time soon. But water kept on gushing, Child Elder felt something cold in her mouth, a burst of cold water entered her mouth. She was startled, her body involuntarily rise up, she can''t stabilize herself, unexpectedly she floated on the water. She is missing one leg, obviously its much easier for her to float compared to ordinary people. She escaped by the skin of her teeth, she lie down flat on the water surface, the back of her head submerge in the water, she only expose her mouth and nose to breathe, at once she calm down and pondered: "The water rise and i will move higher, unexpectedly i broke a leg and gain unfair advantage in the water." she keep on sending internal energy to her hand.


    Xu Zhu groan loudly, he shouted: "Sigh, martial aunt, martial great aunt, even if both of you carry on fighting its still hard to determine the winner, but nephew will really be killed." But Child Elder and Li QiuShui are too deep in the duel, the duel had turn into a contest of internal energy, the most dangerous aspect in the fight between two experts, whoever give up first will lose her life immediately. Moreover both of them are aware that regardless of the result of the contest, they will still die eventually, thus they kept fighting to see who will die first. Both of them are proud and arrogant, their hatred accumulated for over 10 years, who is willing to give up? In addition as they transmit their internal energy out, although they are getting weaker and weaker, but the pain and suffering they experience due to the scattering of energy is reduced.


    After the time taken to eat a meal, water had rise up to Li QiuShui''s mouth, she can''t swim, she don''t dare to copy Child Elder and float on the water surface, at once she stop breathing, she utilize her [Turtle Breathing Skill] and compete with her enemy, water flow past her eyes, eyebrows, forehead, but she still transmit her deep and profound internal energy endlessly. ''Gudu'', ''Gudu'', ''Gudu'', Xu Zhu drank three mouthful of iced water, he shout loudly: "Ayo, i...i cannot....*Gudu*...*Gudu*...i.....*Gudu*...." he is panic-stricken, suddenly his vision turn dark, he can''t see anything. He hastily shut his mouth, he breathe through his nose, as he inhale he felt the air in his chest is incomparably stuffy. As it turns out, the ice storehouse is sealed, there is no ventilation, the cotton burn for a long time, the fresh outside air cannot enter, the fire cannot burn smoothly and extinguish by itself. Xu Zhu and Child Elder had difficulties breathing, on the contrary Li QiuShui is still utilizing her [Turtle Breathing Skill] thus she did not detect anything.


    Although the fire is extinguished, but iced water still flow down endlessly. Xu Zhu felt the iced water move past his lips, his philtrum, gradually it reach up to his nostrils, he pondered: "I am dieing, i am dieing!" however the internal energy of Child Elder and Li QiuShui still transmit endlessly from his left and right.


    Xu Zhu felt the room is abnormally stuffy, his energy surge forward, it seems as if his five viscera and six bowels swap positions, the iced water is a hair breadth away from his nostrils, if it rise up a bit more he won''t be able to breathe anymore, moreover his acupoints are sealed, he can''t raise his neck. But its really strange, after a long time, unexpectedly the iced water did not rise up anymore, since the fire on the cotton extinguish, the ice chunks did not melt anymore. After a while, Xu Zhu felt stinging pain on his philtrum, immediately after the pain spread to his chin, and then to his neck. As it turns out, the ice storehouse is full of ice chunks, its extremely cold, when the iced water flow down they slowly turn back to ice again, unexpectedly the three of them are frozen in ice.


    The ice condense and solidified, Child Elder and Li QiuShui are isolated from each other, their internal energy no long transmit into Xu Zhu, however as a result, more than half of their internal energy is sealed within Xu Zhu''s body, the energy clash and collide with each other, its getting more and more violent. Xu Zhu felt his skin is about to burst and crack, although he is stuck within solid ice but he cannot bear the boiling heat.


    He don''t know how much time have pass, suddenly his body vibrated, unexpectedly the two stream of hot energy merge together with the energy originally within his body and became one, he did not need to guide it, the energy automatically rush to all his meridians and acupoints. As it turns out, Child Elder and Li QiuShui internal energy are locked in stalemate, there is no place to drain out, eventually it merge together with the internal energy of Wu YaZi. The internal energy of the three originated from the same sect, there is no difference in nature, its extremely easy to merge, when the three energy became one, the power is abundant and unstoppable, wherever the energy goes the sealed acupoints will immediately open up.


    In an instant, Xu Zhu felt his body is free and comfortable, he shake his pair of hands lightly, there is a burst of ''Kalala'' sound, the solid ice surrounding him immediately break up, he pondered: "I wonder what happen to martial aunt and martial great aunt, i have to save both of them and go out." He stretch out his hands and grope around, he felt solid ice everywhere, both of them already encased within the ice. Xu Zhu is panic-stricken, there is no time to think, he grab both of them, one arm carrying one person, he carried both of them along with the ice and walk to the 1st level of the ice storehouse, he push open the two heavy wooden door, he felt a burst of clean fresh air, he only inhale once and felt indescribable joy. The moon is glowing brightly in the sky, the shadows of flowers can be seen on the ground, its very late at night.


    He felt happy and thought: "Escaping the imperial palace in the dark is much easier." he carried two blocks of ice and rush to the edge of the wall, he gathered his energy and jump up, unexpectedly his body kept rising up, he is 1 zhang higher than the top of the wall, however the rising force still did not end. Xu Zhu not expect the internal energy within his body to have such wonderful power, he is afraid he might rise up higher and higher, he shouted ''Ah''.


    Four imperial guard happen to patrol outside the palace''s walls, they heard someone shout and quickly rush forward to check, they saw two crystal blocks sandwich between a gray shadow, it jump over the wall and move away, they honestly don''t know what kind of monster it is. The four guards stare stupidly, the three monster flash and entered the forest outside the palace''s walls, the four guards yell out and chase, but where is the trace of the monsters? The four guards suspect it must be some supernatural being, they debate endlessly, some said its a mountain spirit, some claim its a flower demon.


    *************


    When Xu Zhu got out of the imperial palace he took large strides and rush quickly, the road is made of green flagstone, houses packed tightly together on either side of the road. He don''t dare to linger, he kept running west. After running for a while he arrive at the city wall, he gathered his energy and jump up the wall, he flip over the wall and ran away, the soldier guarding the top of the wall felt his vision blur, he did not spot anything.


    Xu Zhu rush towards a desolate area 10 li away from the city, there are no house in the area, he finally stop and put down the two ice blocks, he pondered: "I have to remove the ice surrounding them as soon as possible." he found a nearby brook and submerge the two ice blocks into the water. Under the moonlight, he saw Child Elder''s mouth and nose exposed outside the ice block, but her eyes are shut tightly, he don''t know if she is dead or alive. Ice fragments on the two ice blocks are wash away by the water, Xu Zhu held onto them and kept peeling, he remove the solid ice surrounding their bodies, afterwards he raise both of them out of the brook and touch their forehead, unexpectedly they are still quite warm, he felt really happy, he place both of them far apart, he is afraid that once they wake up they will start fighting again.


    Half a day pass, the sky gradually turn bright, Xu Zhu sat down and rest. The sun rise from the east, the birds on the tree start chirping, Child Elder who is sitting under the northern tree gave a ''Yi'' sound, Li QiuShui who is sitting under the southern tree gave an ''Ah'' sound, unexpectedly both of them wake up at the same time.


    Xu Zhu is extremely happy, he leap up and stand between them, he press his hands together and said: "Martial great aunt, martial aunt, the three of us narrowly escape and survive, you must not fight again!" Child Elder said: "No, how can i give up if that **** is not dead?" Li QiuShui said: "The hatred is deep as ocean, i won''t rest until she dies." Xu Zhu wave both his hands randomly and said: "Absolutely not, absolutely not!"


    Li QiuShui push off from the ground and throw herself towards Child Elder. Child Elder circulate both her hands, she concentrate her strength and wait for the opportunity to strike. Unexpectedly as Li QiuShui extended her waist to stand up, she immediately turn soft and collapsed. As for Child Elder, she can''t form a circle with her arms, she lean against the tree and pant heavily.


    Xu Zhu saw both of them have no strength to fight, he is elated and said: "Good, both of you rest here, i will find something for you to eat." he saw Child Elder and Li QiuShui sat down cross-legged, their palms and feet facing the sky, their posture identical, he knew these two martial sisters are channelling their internal energy, whoever can gather enough strength to launch the first strike and the opposing side would have no way to resist. Seeing such situation, Xu Zhu don''t dare to move away from them. He look at Child Elder and look at Li QiuShui, their face full of wrinkles, their appearance haggard and withered, he pondered: "Martial great aunt is already 96 years old, martial aunt is at least 80 years old. Both of them so old already, unexpectedly both of them are so short-sighted, such bad temper."


    He wring his clothes to squeeze out the water, suddenly there is a ''Pa'' sound, an object fall on the ground, its the portrait given to him by Wu YaZi. The painting is drawn on tough silk fabric, its undamaged even after getting soaked. Xu Zhu spread the painting on a rock to let the sun dry it. The painting is somewhat fuzzy after getting soaked in water, he felt somewhat pity.


    Li QiuShui heard the sound, she open her eyes slightly and saw the painting, she shout in a shrill voice: "Bring it here and let me see! Its a painting of me correct? Wonderful, i don''t believe martial brother would draw a portrait of that lowly *****."


    Child Elder shouted: "Don''t let her see! I want to kill her personally. If that **** get angered to death won''t she get off too lightly?"


    Li QiuShui laugh out loud and said: "I already saw it, martial brother drew a portrait of me. You refuse to let me see the painting, evidently the person in the painting is not you. Martial brother is gifted in painting, how can he draw a midget like you who doesn''t resemble a human or ghost? He is not drawing Zhong Kui (vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings) to catch ghost, why would he even draw you?"


    At that time, although Child Elder''s stature is small but her appearance is extremely beautiful, Wu YaZi was in love with her. Child Elder practice [Eternal Youth Never Aging Skill], she can preserve her appearance and never age, forever maintain her looks, at the age of 26 years old, she can use her divine skill to alter her undersize illness. At that time her martial sister Li QiuShui was 18 years old, she fell in love with Wu YaZi, she is jealous of Child Elder, thus at the critical juncture of Child Elder''s training, Li QiuShui shout loudly behind Child Elder, Child Elder was startled and fire-deviated, her internal energy diverted from the main path and its difficult for her to recover, she can never grow up, henceforth the two of them became mortal enemies. Currently Child Elder listen to Li QiuShui mention the greatest regret in her life, she cannot help but shout furiously: "Treacherous ****, i....i....i....." with a ''Wa'' sound she spurted a mouthful of fresh blood, she almost fainted.


    Li QiuShui sneered and mock her: "Just admit defeat? If we really fight...." suddenly she cough repeatedly.


    Xu Zhu knew both of them are weary and exhausted, they are about to collapse from exhaustion, he advise them: "Martial great aunt, martial aunt, its best if both of you rest for a while, don''t tax yourself anymore." Child Elder said angrily: "Won''t do!"


    At this moment, the sound of jingling bells suddenly came from south-west, the sound is from a camel-bell, its crisp and melodious. When Child Elder heard it her expression was happy, her spirit rose, she took out a short black-tube from her bosom and said: "Shoot this tube into the air." Li QiuShui cough is getting more and more anxious. Xu Zhu don''t understand the reason, he lodge the small tube at his middle finger and shot it upwards, a sharp whistling sound emit from the tube. Currently Xu Zhu''s finger strength is extremely powerful and extraordinary, the small tube flew straight into the sky, it entered the clouds and can''t be seen anymore, however it made endless ''Wu Wu'' sound. Xu Zhu is alarmed, he said inwardly: "Not good, martial great aunt''s small-tube is a signal. She is summoning her people over to deal with martial aunt." he quickly rush towards Li QiuShui, he bend down and whispered: "Martial aunt, martial great aunt''s helpers are coming, i will carry you and run away."


    But Li QiuShui close her eyes, her head drooping, her coughing ceased, her body motionless. Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he stretch out his hand to check her breath, she stop breathing. Xu Zhu cry out in fear: "Martial aunt, martial aunt!" he shake her shoulder lightly, he want to wake her up, unexpectedly Li QiuShui collapsed immediately as he touch her, her body slanted and lie down on the ground, she was dead.


    Child Elder laugh heartily and said: "Good, good, good! Little **** got frighten to death, haha, my revenge is complete, this treacherous **** finally died before me, haha, haha...." its difficult for her to breathe in her excited state, she spurted a huge mouthful of blood.


    The ''Wu Wu'' sound is high and low, the small black tube finally drop down from mid-air, Xu Zhu stretch out his hand and caught it, as his about to look at Child Elder he heard the urgent sound of hoof, the sound is mix with the jingling of bells, Xu Zhu turn his head and look at the source of the sound, he saw 10 camel speeding towards him. The riders of the camel are all wearing light-green cloak, they rush over from a distance, its just like a green cloud, he heard several female voice: "Honourable Master, subordinates arrive late, we are guilty and deserve a thousand death!"


    The 10 camel draw close, Xu Zhu saw all the riders are female, the front of their cloaks are embroidered with a black vulture, its appearance fierce. When the female riders saw Child Elder all of them leap off the camel and quickly move close, they prostrate in front of Child Elder. Leading this group of female is an old woman, she is around 50-60 years old, as for the rest some are old and some are young, some are around 40 years old while some are 17-18 years old, all of them extremely respectful towards Child Elder, they lie prostrate on the ground and don''t dare to look at her.


    Child Elder snorted and said angrily: "All of you think i am dead, correct? Nobody care about this old woman. Nobody is there to control you, everyone must be very free and leisurely, undisciplined and out of control." while speaking the old woman in front of her kowtow repeatedly and said: "I don''t dare." Child Elder said: "What don''t dare? If you really think about granny, how come there is....there is so few people here?" the old woman said: "Reporting to Honourable Master, ever since Honourable Master left the palace, all your subordinates are extremely anxious...." Child Elder said angrily: "Farting, farting!" the old woman said: "Yes, yes!" Child Elder is even more furious and shouted: "Since you know its fart, then how dare....how dare you fart in front of me?" the old woman don''t dare to speak, she kowtow repeatedly.


    Child Elder said: "All of you are anxious, then what happen? How come you didn''t rush down the mountain to search for me immediately?" the old woman said: "Yes! Subordinate''s Nine Heaven Nine Divisions immediately went down the mountain, we separate to search for Honourable Master. Subordinate''s Clear Heaven Division head east to respectfully welcome Honourable Master, Sun Heaven Division head south-east, Scarlet Heaven Division head south, Vermillion Heaven Division head south-west, Perfect Heaven Division head west, Serene Heaven Division head north-west, Mysterious Heaven Division head north, Phoenix Heaven Division head north-east, Great Heaven Division guard the palace. Subordinate is incompetent, i arrive late, i deserve to die, i deserve to die!" when she finish speaking she kowtow repeatedly.


    Child Elder said: "All your clothes are tattered and torn, these 3 months, you must have suffered quite a bit while travelling." the old woman heard her words contain hints of praise, at once her face revealed a happy expression and said: "For the sake of Honourable Master we will spare no effort, even if we have to go through water and tread on fire we will do it willingly. This little bit of suffering, its subordinate''s duty." Child Elder said: "I did not complete my training, i suddenly bump into that treacherous ****, she cut off one of my leg, i almost died, luckily my martial nephew Xu Zhu rescued me, the dangers and hardships within are complicated and not easy to express."


    The group of green-cloak female turn their bodies simultaneously, they kowtow to Xu Zhu and said: "The great kindness and virtue of Mister, its difficult to repay even if our bodies are torn and bones crushed." Xu Zhu cannot help but feel bewildered seeing so many female kowtow in front of him, he quickly said: "I don''t deserve it, i don''t deserve it!" he also knelt down to return the courtesy. Child Elder shout loudly: "Xu Zhu, stand up! All of them are my slave servants, how can you forget your status?" Xu Zhu said a few more ''i don''t deserve it'' and finally stood up.


    Child Elder said to Xu Zhu: "That treacherous **** snatch the gem ring, go over and take it back." Xu Zhu said: "Yes." he walk towards Li QiuShui and remove the gem ring from her middle finger. Originally this gem ring was given to him by Wu YaZi, he did not feel disturbed when he remove it from Li QiuShui''s finger. Child Elder said: "You are the Sect Leader of Carefree Sect, the life-death talisman, [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain], [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain], i already impart all these martial arts to you, from now on you are the Master of Misty Peak Vulture Palace, Vulture Palace.....the slave servants of Nine Heaven Nine Divisions of Vulture Palace, their life and death are all under your control." Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he quickly said: "Martial great aunt, martial great aunt, you absolutely cannot do this." Child Elder said angrily: "What absolutely cannot do this? These slave servants from Nine Heaven Nine Divisions are incompetent, they didn''t welcome me as soon as possible, i suffered in the cloth-sack, unexpectedly i was humiliated by Wu LaoDa and those bastards, eventually i lost a leg and nearly died....."


    The female servants all trembled in fright, they kowtow and said: "We deserve to die, Honorable Master please show mercy!" Child Elder said to Xu Zhu: "The servants from Clear Heaven Division finally found me, their punishment can be reduce a little, as for the servants for the other eight divisions, break their hands or legs, you can do whatever you want to them." the female servants kowtow and said: "Many thanks to Honourable Master." Child Elder shout loudly: "How come you didn''t kowtow and give thanks to your new Master?" the female servants quickly kowtow and give thanks to Xu Zhu. Xu Zhu wave his hands randomly and said: "Forget it, forget it! How can i be your Master?"


    Child Elder said: "Although my life is nearly over, but i witness the death of that treacherous ****, i also found a successor for my entire lifetime of martial arts, i can finally die contented, unexpectedly you refuse to accept my request?" Xu Zhu said: "This....i really cannot do it." Child Elder laugh out loud, she smile and said: "The lady in your dreams, you want to see her? Do you agree to become the Master of Vulture Palace?" Xu Zhu heard her mention ''the lady in your dreams'', his entire body is shaking, he cannot refuse, he blush and nod his head. Child Elder said happily: "Very good! Bring that portrait over here, let me tear it up personally. When i have no more worries, i will direct you to find the lady in your dreams."


    Xu Zhu fetch the portrait. Child Elder took the portrait, she look at it under the sunlight, suddenly she cry out in surprise, her expression was shock yet happy, she examine it carefully again, she burst into loud laughter and shouted: "Its not her, its not her! Haha, haha, haha!" while laughing, two stream of tears roll down her cheeks, her neck soften, her head lowered, she did not speak anymore.


    Xu Zhu was startled, he stretch out his hands to support her, but her bones are like cotton, she curl up and shrink, unexpectedly she died.


    The group of green-cloak females surrounded her, they weep loudly, they are extremely mournful. All these women are recued by Child Elder under extremely dangerous or distress circumstances, although Child Elder is very strict but they are very grateful towards her.


    Xu Zhu recalled how he stayed closely beside Child Elder for the past 3 months, how she impart him numerous martial arts, although her temper is perverse but she treat him extremely well, now she died with a laugh, he is really sad, he lie prostrate on the ground and cried.


    Suddenly he heard a soft and sorrowful voice behind him: "Hei hei, martial sister, in the end you still die before me, so who won?" The voice is from Li QiuShui, Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he pondered: "How come the dead person can revive?" he quickly leap up and turn around, Li QiuShui is sitting upright and leaning against a tree, she said: "Martial nephew, bring that portrait over and let me see, how come elder sister cry and laugh before dieing?"


    Xu Zhu pry open Child Elder''s fingers lightly, he took the portrait and look at it, the portrait was soak wet and dried in the sun, the brush stroke is vague and fuzzy, however the beautiful woman in the painting still look like Wang YuYan, her eyes and smile, its really difficult to describe her elegance, Xu Zhu''s heart is moved: "The general facial appearance of this beautiful woman is quite similar to martial aunt." he walk towards Li QiuShui and gave the painting to her.


    Li QiuShui took the painting, she glace horizontally at the group of females, she laugh indifferently and said: "Your Master fought a fierce duel with me, in the end she is no match for me, all of you are like firefly, you dare to compete with the sun and moon for light?"


    Xu Zhu turn around, the group of females are holding their sword hilt, their expression full of grief and hate, evidently they want to kill Li QiuShui to avenge Child Elder, however because they never receive the orders from their new Master, they don''t dare to act rashly.


    Xu Zhu said: "Martial aunt, you, you....." Li QiuShui said: "Your martial great aunt''s martial art is very good, but sometimes she is not very meticulous. How can i hope to resist if her helpers arrive here? Naturally i have to fake death, hei hei, in the end she die before me. Her bones and tendons are broken, her martial arts scattered, she can''t fake this method of dieing." Xu Zhu said: "Previously during the fierce battle in the ice storehouse, martial great aunt also fake death and trick martial aunt, both of you are equally matched."


    Li QiuShui sigh and said: "In your heart, you are slightly bias towards your martial great aunt." she unfold the painting, she look at it for a short period of time, however her expression change greatly, her pair of hands trembled, the painting also trembled, Li QiuShui said softly: "Its her, its her, its her! Haha, haha, haha!" her voice is full of pain and sorrow.


    Xu Zhu cannot help but feel sad for her, he ask: "Martial aunt, what happen?" he pondered: "One of them said, its not her, the other said, its her, but who is this person?"


    Li QiuShui stare at the beautiful woman in the painting for a long time, she said: "Take a look, there is a dimple beside the corner of her mouth, there is a small mole below her nose, correct?" Xu Zhu look at the beautiful woman in the painting, he nod his head and said: "Correct!" Li QiuShui said dimly: "She is my younger sister!" Xu Zhu was baffled, he said: "Your younger sister?" Li QiuShui said: "My younger sister''s appearance is similar to mine, but she have a dimple, i don''t have it, she have a small mole below her nose, i also don''t have it." Xu Zhu grunt in agreement. Li QiuShui said: "Martial sister said martial brother drew a portrait of her, he kept it close at all times, i never believe her, but....but....but i never expect the person to be my younger sister. How....how...how did this painting come about?"


    At once Xu Zhu narrated how Wu YaZi gave this painting to him before he died, how he have to go to Dali''s WuLiang Mountain to find someone to teach him martial arts, how Child Elder react angrily when she saw the painting, he narrated everything.


    Li QiuShui gave a long sigh and said: "When martial sister saw this painting for the first time, she assume the woman in the painting is me, firstly our appearance is indeed similar, secondly martial brother is fond of me, moreover....moreover when i fought with martial sister, my younger sister is only 11 years old, martial sister will never suspect her, she never notice the dimple and mole. But a person will grow up, an 11 year old girl will turn into a 18-19 year old lady. When martial sister is about to die she finally notice the person in the painting is my younger sister, it is not me, thus she said three times: ''its not her'', alas, younger sister, you are good, you are good, you are good!" she is in a daze and tears roll down her face.


    Xu Zhu pondered: "As it turns out martial great aunt and martial aunt are devoted to my master, but my master have someone else in his heart. I wonder if martial aunt''s little sister is still living in this world? Master ordered me to use the painting to find a teacher to learn martial arts, as it turns out he is under the impression that the person in the painting is martial aunt." he inquire: "Martial aunt, previously you live at Dali''s WuLiang Mountain?"


    Li QiuShui nod her head, she gaze at a distant place, she seems to be thinking about the past, her thoughts wandering far away, she said slowly: "Previous your master and i lived in a stone cave beside ''Sword Lake'' at Dali''s WuLiang Mountain, our lives free and unfettered, happy and joyous, it is better than being immortal. I bore him an adorable daughter. The two of us collect martial art manuals of all the sects and schools, we hope to create a wonderful skill that is all-encompassing and universal. One day, he found a huge precious jade, he carved a statue of me, when the statue was complete, he look at the statue everyday, entranced, henceforth he did not pay much attention to me anymore. I talk to him but he often gave me irrelevant answers, sometimes he even ignored me, his attention was completely focused on the statue. Your master''s craftsmanship is extremely brilliant, the jade statue is truly beautiful, but ultimately the statue is dead, moreover the statue is base on my appearance, i am obviously right beside him but how come he ignored me, he just stare foolishly at the statue, how come his gaze is full of love when he look at the statue? What is the reason?" she mumbled to herself, she questioned herself, she seems to forget that Xu Zhu is standing beside her.


    After a while, Li QiuShui said softly: "Martial brother, you are exceedingly smart and intelligent, but you are also exceedingly foolish, why did you fall in love with the statue you crafted, but why did you not love your martial sister, who can talk, who can laugh, who can move, who can love you? In your heart, you treat the statue as my younger sister, correct? I was jealous of the statue, i had a big argument with you, i seek out many handsome and elegant youngsters, i flirt with them in front of you, thus you left in rage and never came back again. Martial brother, in reality you don''t need to be angry, i killed all those handsome elegant youngsters, they are at the bottom of the lake, do you know it?"


    She look at the painting again and said: "Martial brother, when did you draw this painting? You only know you are drawing me, thus you ask your disciple to bring this painting to WuLaing Mountain to find me. But unwittingly you drew my younger sister, you are not even aware of it correct? All along you assume the person in the painting is me. Martial brother, in your heart, you truly love my younger sister, why are you so infatuated with the jade statue? Why? Now i finally understand."


    Xu Zhu pondered: "Buddha say: ''While alive, its difficult to escape from greed, anger and delusion, the three poison. Martial great aunt, master, martial aunt, the three of them are exceptionally powerful people, but they are entangled within the three poison, regardless of their supreme martial arts, the pain and suffering in their heart is no different from ordinary folks."


    Li QiuShui turn her head and look at Xu Zhu, she said: "Worthy nephew, i have some love affair with Ding ChunQiu, originally martial brother was not aware of it, your martial great aunt leak out this secret to him, the affair was expose. I cooperate with Ding ChunQiu and beat him off the cliff, at that time i really have no other alternative, your master condemn me to death, he wants to kill me to vent his anger, i will die if i don''t retaliate. But i am not heartless, i did not deal the finishing blow, although he was close to death but i pull Ding ChunQiu and left, i did not kill your master. Afterwards i went to Western Xia, i became the imperial concubine, an entire lifetime of wealth and glory. Your martial great aunt seek me out, she used a knife to carve the words well (¾®) on my face, however at that time my son succeeded the throne and became emperor....."


    "When your master accept you as his disciple, did he mention me? Did he think of me? Is he happy for the past few years? In reality, i am not really fond of Ding ChunQiu, in fact i don''t like him at all. I chase him away, is your master aware of it? I put a suicide note at the statue in WuLiang Cave, in the writings i ask to kill off all disciples of Carefree Sect, the purpose is to kill Ding ChunQiu and all of his disciples, is your master aware of it? If he knows, he will certainly be happy, he will know that till the day i die, in my heart i only love him....."


    Li QiuShui shake her head, she sigh and said: "Sigh, i don''t want to talk about it anymore, i can''t even manage my own affairs....." suddenly she shout in a shrill voice: "Martial sister, both of us are pitiful creatures, even for martial brother, till the day he die he still don''t know who he truly love.....he is under the impression that he loves me, that is good! Haha, haha, haha!" she laugh three times, her body soften and collapsed on the ground.


    Xu Zhu bend over to check, but she is bleeding from her mouth and nose, she stop breathing and died, it seems her death is not fake this time. Xu Zhu look at the two corpse, he don''t know what to do.


    The old woman from Clear Heaven Division said: "Honorable Master, should we transport old Honorable Master remains back to Vulture Palace and bury her? I respectfully invite Honorable Master to give your orders." Xu Zhu said: "That should be the case." he pointed at Li QiuShui''s corpse and said: "This....this person is the martial sister of your Honorable Master, although she have some feud with your Honorable Master, but....but the feud is resolved when she died, in my opinion....in my opinion....why don''t we transport her back as well and bury her? What do you think?" the old woman bow and said: "I sincerely comply with your orders." Xu Zhu felt extremely comforted, he is afraid that these green-cloak females hate Li QiuShui and they will refuse to transport her body back for burial, maybe they will even mutilate her corpse to vent their anger, unexpectedly they did not voice the slightest bit of objection. Xu Zhu is not aware that the group of females under the command of Child Elder are incomparably loyal and revered their Master, they don''t dare to defy the slightest bit of instruction, since Xu Zhu is their new Master, naturally his words are law, they will do whatever he says.


    The old woman command the group of females, they wrap the two corpse with felt and put it on the camel, afterwards they respectfully invite Xu Zhu to mount the camel. Xu Zhu said a few humble words, since the matter already reach such a state he is obliged to personally witness the burial of the two corpse, afterwards he will return back to Shaolin Temple and admit his crimes. He ask for the old woman''s name, the old woman said: "My husband family is surnamed Yu, old Honorable Master calls me ''Little Yu'', Honorable Master can call me whatever you like." Child Elder is over 90 years old, naturally she can call her ''Little Yu'', but Xu Zhu cannot address her like this, he said: "Grandma Yu, my religious name is Xu Zhu, we should address each other as equals, what Honorable Master, i really don''t deserve it."


    Grandma Yu prostrate on the ground, her tears streaming, she said: "Honorable Master please have mercy! Honorable Master can beat me and kill me, slave servant is willing to accept it, i beg Honorable Master, please don''t chase slave servant out of Vulture Palace."


    Xu Zhu said in alarm: "Quickly get up, why would i beat you or kill you?" he quickly support her up. The rest of the females all knelt down and beg: "Honorable Master please have mercy!" Xu Zhu is greatly amazed, he quickly inquire the reason, as it turns out, when Child Elder is extremely angry her speech will be unusually polite and courteous, the receiving party will undoubtedly suffer terrible tragedy, their pain indescribable. The reason is the same with Wu LaoDa and the various Cave-masters and Island-masters, when the people sent by Child Elder beat them and abuse them they have to throw a feast and celebrate as they avoid disaster. Currently, Xu Zhu is very polite and courteous towards Grandma Yu, thus the group of females assume he is about to mete out heavy punishment. Xu Zhu comfort and reassure them repeatedly, however the group of females are still anxious and worried.


    Xu Zhu mount the camel, however the group of females simply refuse to mount the camel, they pull the camel and follow behind him. Xu Zhu said: "We have to return to Vulture Palace as soon as possible, if not when the weather turns warm, i am afraid...i am afraid there might be some changes to the remains of your Honorable Master." The group of females don''t dare to go against his orders, however they mounted the camel and follow him from a far distance. Xu Zhu wants to inquire about the situation at Vulture Palace, unexpectedly it is not convenient for him to do so.


    **********


    The party travelled west for 5 days, while en-route they encountered a sentry scout from Vermillion Heaven Division. Grandma Yu issued a signal, the sentry rode back to notify, soon after the group of females from Vermillion Heaven Division arrived, all of them wearing purple garment, they move to the remains of Child Elder and cry to pay their respect, afterwards they paid their respects to their new Master. The chief of Vermillion Heaven Division is surnamed Shi, she is around 30 years of age, Xu Zhu address her as ''Sister Shi''. He is afraid the group of females might get anxious again, thus he don''t dare to be courteous or polite with his words anymore, he only console them with a few words, he said their journey must be exhausting. The group of females were elated, they give thanks simultaneously. Xu Zhu don''t dare to mention words like '' we should address each other as equals'', he simply said he dislike people calling him ''Honorable Master'', they can simply call him ''Owner''. The group of females bow and complied with his orders.


    They travelled west for several days, the Clear Heaven Division and Vermillion Heaven Division dispatch their riders and summon back the Scarlet Heaven Division, Sun Heaven Division, Mysterious Heaven Division, Serene Heaven Division and Phoenix Heaven Division, only Perfect Heaven Division have yet to receive news as they are too far west in their search for Child Elder. There is not a single man at Vulture Palace, Xu Zhu is travelling with several hundred females, he felt really embarrass. Fortunately the females are extremely respectful towards him, none of them dare to speak with him unless he have something to inquire, this made things much easier for him.


    One day, while travelling, a green-clothed female suddenly rode back swiftly, she is a sentry rider from Sun Heaven Division who is scouting ahead, she wave her green flag, indicating that there is some unforeseen event in front. She rode to the chief of her division and report the matter quickly.


    The chief of Sun Heaven Division is around 20 years of age, she is called Fu MinYi, once she finish listening to the report she immediately dismount and ran towards Xu Zhu and said: "Reporting to Owner: My sentry rider scouted ahead, the slaves from 36 Caves and 72 Islands, they seize the opportunity when old Honourable Master is in trouble, unexpectedly they have the guts to revolt, currently they are attacking the Palace. Great Heaven Division is guarding the path up Misty Peak, those bunch of demons can''t get their way, however the sisters sent by Great Heaven Division to ask for assistance are injured by those demons."


    Xu Zhu already knew the intentions of the Island-masters and Cave-masters to revolt, he assume that since they can''t capture Child Elder, Taoist BuPing died by his hands, Wu LaoDa sustained serious injuries, thus they lack a powerful figure to take the lead and they will eventually retreat and scatter, unexpectedly the matter is 4 months long and they still gather together to attack Misty Peak. He grew up in Shaolin Temple since childhood, he never left the Temple, thus he is unfamiliar with worldly affairs, he really don''t know how to handle this kind of major event, he muttered to himself: "This....this....."


    He heard the sound of horse hooves, two horse riders are rushing over, leading in front is another sentry rider from Sun Heaven Division, the second horse carried a yellow-clothed female, her entire body covered with blood, her left arm is chop off by someone. Fu MinYi''s expression is sorrowful and indignant, she said: "Owner, this is the chief of Great Heaven Division, sister Cheng, i am afraid she won''t live." The female who is surnamed Cheng had fainted, the group of female quickly staunch her bleeding to save her, her breathing is weak and faint, she is about to die.


    Xu Zhu look at her injury, Mr Intelligent Su XingHe taught him how to treat such injury before, at once he urge the camel and rush forward, he flick his middle finger in succession, he sealed off the acupoints near the broken arm, the bleeding stop immediately. When he flick his finger the 6th time, he executed a move taught by Child Elder, ''Star Pill Jumping Dice'', a stream of [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] entered her ''ZhongFu'' acupoint. The female cry out loudly and woke up, she shouted: "All sisters, quick, quick, quickly provide support to Misty Peak, we....we can''t resist anymore!"


    Xu Zhu execute this technique and flick his finger at empty air, he is not trying to show off his divine skills, but merely because the female is a young lady in her prime, although he is not a monk anymore but he still adhere strictly to Buddhist regulations and keep a distance away from women, he don''t dare to stretch out his hands to touch her body, unexpectedly under his numerous flicking the end result is simply miraculous. Currently his body possess the internal energy of Child Elder, Wu YaZi and Li QiuShui, the three great masters from Carefree Sect, his internal energy is truly no small matter.


    All the females complied with the orders of Child Elder, they treat Xu Zhu as their new Master, however Xu Zhu is too young, his words and actions rather foolish and stupid, in their heart they really don''t know how to respect him, moreover 80-90% of the females at Vulture Palace suffered great humiliations from men, they are either abandon by men or had their families wiped out, under the influence of the perverse Child Elder, they always regard men as vipers or ferocious beasts. At this moment, they witness Xu Zhu execute his moves and recognize it as martial arts of Vulture Palace, moreover his internal energy is extremely pure, unexpectedly it is far superior compared with their old Honourable Master. The group of females are extremely shock, they cheer in unison, all of them prostrate on the ground as if by prior agreement. Xu Zhu said in alarm: "What is this? Quickly get up, get up."


    Someone said to the female surnamed Cheng: "Honourable Master became an immortal, this youngster is the benefactor of Honourable Master, he is also her successor, he is the new Master of Vulture Palace." the female is called Cheng QingShuang, she struggled to dismount her horse, she kowtow to Xu Zhu and said: "I thank Honourable Master for saving me, please....please.....Honourable Master please save our sisters at Misty Peak, everyone endured for 10 days, we are heavily outnumbered, we are really in extremely.....extremely critical condition." when she finish speaking she lay prostrate on the ground, she can''t even raise her head.


    Xu Zhu quickly said: "Sister Shi, quickly support her up. Grandma Yu, you...what do you think we should do?"


    Grandma Yu travelled with this new owner for over 10 days, she is well aware that he is honest and naive, he is unfamiliar with worldly affair, she said: "Informing Owner, if we go to Misty Peak now it will require 2 days of travel, Owner can order slave servant to command my division, we will immediately rush ahead to provide assistance. Owner will lead the rest of our sisters and arrive soon after. When Owner arrives those demons will naturally disintegrate and vanish, there is no need to worry."


    Xu Zhu nod his head, but he still feel the matter is a bit inappropriate, he don''t know how to comment for the moment.


    Grandma Yu turn her head and said to Fu MinYi: "Sister Fu, Owner will display his skill and those bunch of demons will be frighten off, but the cassock he is wearing is not spectacular enough. You are the divine seamstress of our Palace, quickly make a new cassock for Owner!" Fu MinYi said: "Precisely! Sister is also thinking about the same thing."


    Xu Zhu was startled, he is worried about urgent matters, how come they are making cassock now? Its really the opinion of married women. However these females are indeed married women, their views are precisely those of married women.


    The group of females are all gazing at Xu Zhu, waiting for his orders. Xu Zhu lowered his head, the monk robe he is wearing is tattered and filthy, he didn''t wash it for 4 months, its extremely smelly and hard to bear. He was instructed by his master since childhood, he have to study the Five Aggregates of emptiness, he cannot hanker after clothes and food, thus he did not care about such matters at all, but now Grandma Yu mention the matter, he also notice his female subordinates are wearing gorgeous clothes, he cannot help but feel ashamed, moreover he is not a monk anymore but he is still wearing monk robe, its really not acceptable. In reality, the females already treat him as their owner, why would they make fun of his clothes? The group of females look at his expression and his eyes, whether he is happy or angry, his intentions, however Xu Zhu is feeling ashamed and inferior, his expression bashful.


    Grandma Yu wait for some time, she inquire again: "Owner, slave servant will move on ahead first, what do you think?"


    Xu Zhu said: "Let us go together, saving people is important. My clothe is simply too filthy, later i.....i will go wash, to avoid letting you all smell its stench...." he urge his camel and rush on ahead first. The group of females felt the same anger and hatred towards their enemies, they urge their mounts and followed him. Camel can run longer, while sprinting its speed exceeds a horse, the party rush for 10 li and finally stop to rest, they light a fire to prepared meals.


    Grandma Yu pointed at a mountain peak in the north-west corner, she said to Xu Zhu: "Owner, that is Misty Peak. The mountain peak is shrouded in mist throughout the year, when you look at it from far it is faint and indistinct, thus it is known as Misty Peak." Xu Zhu said: "Its seems we are still very far, the sooner we arrive the better, we should travel throughout the night as well." The group of females said: "Yes! Many thanks to Owner for your concern for the slave servants of Great Heaven Division." after finishing their meals, they mount the camels and travelled again, when they reach the base of Misty Peak its already the dawn of 2nd day.


    Fu MinYi clasp a multi-coloured object and walk towards Xu Zhu, she bow and said: "Slave servant skill is crude and lowly, i invite Owner to reward me by wearing it." Xu Zhu said curiously: "What is that?" he receive the object and shake it open, its a men''s robe, its patched together using many strip of brocade, red, yellow, green, purple, black, all kinds of brocade stripe, its luxurious and elegant. As it turns out, Fu MinYi cut off some cloth off the cloaks of the group of females, she made a robe for Xu Zhu.


    Xu Zhu is shock yet happy, he said: "Lady Fu you are indeed worthy of being called Divine Seamstress'', while riding on camel unexpectedly you can make such beautiful clothe." At once he remove his monk robe and wore the new robe, it fit him perfectly, the cuff and collar is made of gray mink fur, the mink fur is also cut off from the female clothes. Although Xu Zhu is ugly, but when he wore the luxurious robe at once his vigor is displayed prominently, everyone cheered. Xu Zhu expression is timid and bashful, he don''t know what to do.


    At this time, the party had arrive at the intersection of the route up Misty Peak. Cheng QingShuang already narrate the situation while en route, when she got down the peak the enemy already occupied Broken Soul Cliff, they lost 11 out of the 18 natural stronghold at Misty Peak, the Great Heaven Division had lost more than half of its group, the situation is extremely dangerous and critical. Xu Zhu saw the base of the peak is quiet, there is no one nearby, a few green grass sprouted on the white snow ground, if he did not receive information in advance how can he imagine that this tranquil place contains endless killings and death. The group of females are worried, they are concern about the safety of their fellow sisters of Great Heaven Division.


    Sister Shi pull out her sabre and shout loudly: "Out of the nine Heaven Of Misty Peak, eight Heaven Division went down the peak, only one division remain to guard, those thieves took advantage of the situation and attack, they are extremely shameless. Owner, please give your orders, everyone will rush up the peak and fight those thieves to the death!" she is extremely agitated and angry. However Grandma Yu said: "Sister Shi don''t be impatient, the enemy is powerful, Great Heaven Division fully relied on the 18 natural stronghold, that is why they can endure for so long. Now we are at the base of the peak, the enemy turn into the host, they occupy the high ground and have the advantage....." Sister Shi said: "Then in your opinion what should we do?" Grandma Yu said: "We should remain calm and silent, quietly go up the peak, the longer the enemy takes to detect us the better."


    Xu Zhu nod his head and said: "Grandma Yu is correct." Since he already said it, nobody dare to have other ideas.


    The eight divisions arrange into troops, they quietly move up the mountain. As they move up the peak, their level of lightness martial arts became apparent immediately. Xu Zhu look at Grandma Yu, Sister Shi, Fu MinYi and the other division chiefs, although they are women but their footwork is solid and nimble, he pondered: "Sure enough, there are no poor soldiers under a good general, the divisions under martial great aunt are all truly capable."


    They move past various strongholds, but the areas are littered with broken sabres and swords, marks on trees and crushed rocks, they can deduce that when the enemy pass by, fierce and tragic battles broke out. They move past Broke Soul Cliff, Broken Bone Cliff, 100 Zhang Cave and arrived at Heaven Connecting Bridge, however the metal chain bridge between the two cliffs is cut off by some precious sabre. The two cliffs are separated by 5 zhang, its extremely difficult to cross over.


    The group of females are overwhelmed with shock, they pondered: "Could it be the sisters from Great Heaven Division all sacrifice themselves in this disaster?" The group of females knew the Heaven Connecting Bridge is an unavoidable route that links to two strongholds, 100 Zhang Cave and Immortal Worry Gate, although its called a bridge but its just an iron chain that stretch across two cliffs, underneath is a deep ravine. Those who arrive at Vulture Palace must naturally be martial art experts, its not difficult for them to step on the chain and cross over. When Cheng QingShuang went down the peak, the enemy only attack up till Broken Soul Cliff, they are far away from Heaven Connecting Bridge, moreover the Great Heaven Division is well prepared, they send people to guard the iron chain, when the enemy arrive they will release the lock in the middle of the iron chain, the iron chain will separate into two parts, the ravine is 5 zhang wide, its difficult for a person to jump across even if he possess extremely high level of lightness martial art. Currently, the group of females notice that the iron chain is cut off by a sharp blade, most likely the guards from Great Heaven Division did not have time to release the lock when the enemy attack the bridge.


    Sister Shi brandish her Willow-leaf sabre, the sabre wind made ''HuHu'' sound, she shouted: "Grandma Yu, quickly think of an idea on how to cross over." Grandma Yu said: "En, how to cross, it is really not easy...."


    She did not complete her sentence, suddenly they heard two miserable ''Ah Ah'' cry from the opposite mountain, its female voice. The blood of the group of females are boiling, they knew their sisters from Great Heaven Division encountered the enemy, they wish they could sprout wings and fly over to fight the enemy till death, but no matter how they shout or curse, their wailing unending, they still can''t fly and cross over the stronghold.


    Annotate: Buddhist believe that life is full of pain and suffering, they cannot break away from it: the main source of trouble is in "three poison" (Trini Akusalamulani), they are also known as "three evil", namely, "greed" (Ragah), "anger" (Dosah), "delusion" (Mohah). "Greed" is desire and craving, the desire for all kinds of material or mental wants, love, pursuit of fame and profit or power, etc; "Anger" is hatred and hostility, detest and complain, losing hope, causing harm, injuring others, mentally torturing others, loathing others, jealousy, taking joy in other people''s misfortune, etc; "Delusion" is the lack of realization, making mistake, absurd thoughts, hallucination and fantasy, having false opinion, "delusion" is the being of idiocy and not the being of infatuation. Buddhist sometimes address "non-Buddhist" as "ignorant common man", it stems from a type of benevolence as they believe they should not act hostile against members of another religion, the reason is merely because they have yet to understand Buddhist doctrine, they don''t understand the truth, thus those who have yet to understand the truth is known as "deluded". The common understanding of Chinese scholars with regards to "delusion" of the "three poison", is that it refers to infatuation, being infatuated with, the mistake arose because both phrase share the same word in Chinese writings. In Buddhist doctrine, being infatuated with, having attachment, cannot forget and constantly keeping in mind, difficulty in freeing oneself, its the same as Duan Yu''s feelings towards Wang YuYan, within the "three poison" its classified as "greed", its not considered "delusion". But human can be "infatuated" or "lovesick", the reason is because they "make mistakes" and they "don''t understand the truth", thus there is no much difference between the two sides. The word "greed" in Chinese writings refers to excessive desire to acquire more than one needs; The word "greed" in Buddhist doctrine is the same but it also include reasonable compensation, for example, passing exam, earning money in business, etc, the reward you obtain is to satisfy your "greed".


    Buddhist believes that out of the "three poison", "delusion" is most difficult to eliminate, the reason is because if one''s heart have no "delusion", then one will have "correct insight", "correct thoughts", one will have true understanding of the "ultimate essence of being", one can then sever their roots of stupidity and gain roots of benefit, this will give rise to "three wholesome thinking" (breaking away, no rage, no harm), and henceforth gain wisdom, one can then get rid of "greed" and "anger". "Delusion" in Buddhist doctrine is translated in English as "delusion, ignorance, false thinking, without the right understanding, without the right thoughts". Its not difficult to get rid of "anger", its extremely difficult to get rid of "greed", but if one can get rid of "delusion", then they can achieve supreme enlightenment or nirvana, they will see the truth in Buddhism. Thus "not understanding Buddhism" is one of life''s "eight difficulties", its similar to being born deaf, mute and blind.

 Chapter - 38 Muddled Intoxication, Lasting Emotions But Short Ruse

    Xu Zhu look at the deep ravine, he is helpless as well, he saw the anxious expression of the group of females, he pondered: "They call me Owner, but when we encountered real problem i can''t provide any solution at all, how can i be their Owner? The scripture says: ''If someone comes to beg for hands and feet, ear and nose, head and eyes, flesh and blood, bones marrow and body parts, Bodhisattva Mohesa take delight in donating them''. The Six Paramita in Buddhism, 1st is Dana, why do i have to fear?" He removed the robe made by Fu MinYi and said: "Sister Shi, please lend me a weapon to use." Sister Shi said: "Yes!" she reverse her Willow-leaf sabre, she bow and presented the sabre.


    Xu Zhu held the sabre in his hand, he channeled his [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] to the edge of the weapon, he flicked his wrist, there is a light ''Shua'' sound, he chop off half of the iron chain which is attached to the cliff. The Willow-leaf sabre is thin and slender, although it is very sharp but its not some precious weapon, but after being empowered by his internal energy, the sabre cut the iron chain as if cutting bamboo. The other section of iron chain remaining on the opposite bank is around 2 zhang and 2-3 chi, Xu Zhu grab the iron chain and return the sabre to Sister Shi, he gathered his energy and leap forward to the opposite bank.


    The group of females all cry out in alarm. Grandma Yu, Sister Shi, Fu MinYi, etc, all of them shout: "Owner, you must not take the risk!"


    Amidst their shouting, Xu Zhu''s body is already approaching the ravine, the internal energy within his body circulated, he is light as a feather and flew forward, suddenly his energy turn slightly impure and he fell downwards, at once he wave the iron chain and wrap it around the other broken section of chain hanging on the opposite bank. He borrowed the force and his body rise up again, he landed on the opposite bank. He turn around and said: "Everyone rest here, i will try to save them."


    Grandma Yu and the rest were shock yet full of admiration, they are also very grateful, they said in unison: "Owner please be careful!"


    Xu Zhu rush towards the mountain where the miserable cry came from, he move past a stone alley which is rather narrow, he saw two female corpse laying horizontally on the ground, their head separated from their body, fresh blood pouring out from their necks. Xu Zhu press his hands together and said: "Buddha is merciful, sin, sin!" he quickly chanted the ''Afterlife Prayer'', afterwards he followed the alley and hurriedly rush up the summit, he is climbing higher and higher, the white mist surrounding him is getting thicker and thicker, he reached the summit in less than 2 hours, among the clouds and mist the surrounding is full of pine trees, he did not hear any human voice at all, he muttered to himself: "Could it be that the females from Great Heaven Division are all completely killed? This is really sinful." he pluck a few pine cones and put them in his bosom, he pondered: "Pines cones can kill people, i have to throw them lightly, just scare the enemy off, i cannot kill them."


    He saw the path is made of green flagstone, every flagstone is 8 chi long and 3 chi wide, its arrangement extremely neat, it would require massive engineering works to construct such pathway, such effort seems beyond the capabilities of the female subordinates under Child Elder, he presumed it must be left behind by some predecessor. This green flagstone path is around 2 li long, at the end of the path is a huge majestic stone stronghold, to the left and right of the entrance is two stone vulture statue, its around 3 zhang high, sharp beak and large claws, its appearance handsome and divine. The appearance of the ancient stronghold is simple, he don''t know when it is constructed, the gate of the stronghold is half-close, however there is no one in the surrounding.


    Xu Zhu rush forward and entered, he pass through two courtyard, he heard a voice transmitting from the main hall, a person shout sternly: "Where is the hidden treasure location of that thieving old woman? Will you speak or not?" a female voice cursed: "Dog slave, things already reach such a state, you think we can still live? Stop your wishful thinking!" another male voice said: "Island-master Yun, we can talk through this nicely, why so violent? The way you treat these women, isn''t it a bit too rude?"


    Xu Zhu recognize this voice as Gentleman Duan from Dali, when Wu LaoDa wanted to kill Child Elder, only Gentleman Duan objected, he pondered: "It appears this gentleman don''t know any martial arts, but he is heroic, brave and chivalrous, he is far superior to those martial art experts, he really deserve admiration and respect."


    He heard the Island-master Yun said: "Heng heng, you bunch of crafty servant girls want to die, naturally its easy, but won''t you be let off too lightly? My Jade Rock Island have 17 different kinds of weird torture, later i will test out the items one by one on you crafty servant girls. I heard the torture and punishment from Black Wind Cave and Hidden Shark Island are much more ferocious than mine, why don''t you let us brothers see it and broaden our horizon." Many people applaud and cheered loudly, someone said: "Everyone can compete with each other, let us see which cave or island have the most effective torture method."


    From the voices, there are several hundred in the hall, their voice echoed in the hall, its extremely noisy. Xu Zhu wanted to find some door seam and peep through it, but the large hall seems to be made of layers upon layers of giant stones, unexpectedly there are no cracks at all. He suddenly had another idea, he grab some mud and dirt off the ground and smear it on his face, afterwards he simply step into the hall.


    The tables and chairs in the hall are all seated full of people, more than half of the crowd don''t have any seat, they sat on the ground, a few others walk back and forth and gossip among themselves. At the middle of the hall, 20 yellow-clothed women are sitting on the floor, their acupoints sealed, they can''t move at all, more than half of them are dripping with blood, their injuries not light, obviously they are the females from Great Heaven Division. The situation inside the hall is chaotic and messy, when Xu Zhu entered the hall several people turn and look at him, since he is not female then he is not from Vulture Palace, thus they assume he is the disciple of some Cave-master or Island-master, nobody paid any extra attention to him.


    Xu Zhu sat down at the doorstep, he look around, Wu LaoDa is sitting on an old fashioned armchair at the west, his complexion haggard and withered, however his expression is still fierce and perverse. A tall and sturdy man is holding onto a whip, he is standing near the females of Great Heaven Division, he scold and curse loudly, he is trying to force them to reveal the hidden treasure location of Child Elder, evidently he is Island-master Yun. The females are stubborn and curse him back.


    Wu LaoDa said: "You bunch of servant girls are really stubborn, let me tell you, Child Elder was killed by her martial sister Li QiuShui, i personally witness it, don''t tell me its fake? Surrender as soon as possible, we definitely won''t make thing difficult for you."


    A middle-age female shout in a shrill voice: "Rubbish! Honourable Master is matchless under the heaven, her body indestructible, who can harm her old senior? Stop your vain attempts to get the precious method to breaking the ''life-death talisman'', stop dreaming. Not to mention that Honorable Master is definitely safe and sound, in a blink of an eye she will come up the peak and punish you lot of traitors, even if old senior becomes an immortal, your ''life-death talisman'' will remain, within a year each and every one of you will groan in anguish, you will suffer an experience worse than death."


    Wu LaoDa said coldly: "Fine, you don''t believe, let me show you something." he retrieved a cloth bundle and open it, revealing a human leg. Xu Zhu and the group of females recognize the pant, shoe and sock on the leg, its Child Elder''s leg, they cannot help but cry out in surprise. Wu LaoDa said: "Li QiuShui cut Child Elder into 8 pieces and cast them down the valley, i conveniently pick 1 piece, why don''t you examine it carefully, is it real or fake."


    All the females from Great Heaven Division knew its indeed Child Elder''s left leg, thus Wu LaoDa is not lying, they cannot help but burst into tears.


    The group of Cave-masters and Island-masters cheer loudly, they said: "That thieving old woman is dead, really fantastic!" someone said: "The universe rejoice, everyone celebrate together!" someone said: "Wu LaoDa, this kind of good news, how come you conceal it for so long, you should drink 3 big cup of wine to make up for your mistake." someone said: "Since that thieving old woman is dead, then no one can undo our ''life-death talisman''....."


    Suddenly a few ''WuWu'' sound rang out from the crowd of people, it resembles the howling of wolves or the barking of dogs, the sound is filled with pain and anguish, it is extremely terrifying. When everyone heard it their countenance changed, in an instant, other than this beastly wailing sound there is no other sound within the hall. They saw a fat person rolling around on the ground, his pair of legs kicking randomly, his pairs of hand scratching his face and then tearing his clothes off, afterwards he violently claw and tear his chest as if he wanted to dig out his own heart and lungs. In a short period of time his hands are full of blood, his face and chest is also full of blood, his shouting is getting more and more wretched. Everyone saw he is like a demon, they cannot help but move away from him. Someone said softly: "The life-death talisman is here to claim his life!"


    Although Xu Zhu was hit by life-death talisman before but he consumed the medication immediately, soon after Child Elder taught him how to neutralize the life-death talisman, thus he did not experience this kind of miserable torture, he saw the situation is extremely disturbing, he finally gain heartfelt understanding of why everyone dreaded Child Elder.


    Everyone seems to be afraid that the toxicity of life-death talisman is contagious, nobody dares to step forward to lessen his pain. In a short period of time, the fat person tore off all his clothes, his body filled with multiple blood scars, the ground is also stained with blood spots.


    Someone shout exasperatedly: "Elder brother! Calm down, don''t panic!" someone rush out from the crowd, he shout again: "Let me seal your acupoints, we will think of a method of cure you." The person appearance is somewhat similar to the fat person, but he is much younger, he is also not that fat, obviously they are siblings. The fat person stare vacantly, it appears as if he didn''t hear it. The person move closer, his expression filled with fear and vigilance, he is around 3 chi from the fat person, suddenly he extended his finger and pointed at the fat person''s ''JianJing acupoint''. The fat person lean to his side and avoided the finger, he flip his hands and hug him tightly, he open his mouth and bite his cheek. The person shouted: "Elder brother, let go! It is me!" The fat person bite repeatedly, he is like a mad dog. His brother struggled but how can he break free, in a split second a piece of flesh was bitten off, the wound dripping with blood, he is in so much pain that he cry miserably.


    Duan Yu said to Wang YuYan: "Miss Wang, any method to save them?" Wang YuYan knit her eyebrows, she said: "This person is crazy, his strength inexhaustible, he is not using any martial arts, i really have no idea." Duan Yu turn his head and said to Murong Fu: "Brother Murong, your Murong family''s divine skill in ''returning you with your own move'', can it be used?" Murong Fu did not reply, his expression displeased. Bao BuTong said fiercely: "You ask my young master to copy a mad dog and bite him?"


    Duan Yu said apologetically: "My words are wrong, Brother Bao please don''t take offense. Brother Murong please don''t take offense!" he walk to the side of the fat person and said: "Senior brother, this person is your younger brother, please release him." the fat person hug even tighter, he is still howling like a wounded beast.


    Island-master Yun grab a yellow-clothed female and shout: "Most of the people in this hall are hit by that old thieving witch''s life-death talisman, the reaction is mutual, soon after everyone''s life-death talisman will flare up, several hundred people will bite your body into pieces, are you scared or not?" the female gave a glance at the fat person, her expression shock and frighten. Island-master Yun said: "Since Child Elder is dead, just tell us her hidden treasure location and cure us, everyone will be eternally grateful to you, we definitely won''t trouble you anymore." the female said: "Its not that i am unwilling, but....but nobody knows. Honorable Master is extremely secretive in carrying out her stuff, she will never let us slave servants see it."


    Murong Fu followed the crowd up the mountain, originally he wanted to assist them and gain their gratitude and later recruit them into his service. At the moment although Child Elder is dead, but her life-death talisman still lingered on everyone''s bodies, it can''t be neutralize, it seems this ''life-death talisman'' is some kind of deadly poison, it can''t be treated by martial arts, if everyone''s poison flare up and they die, then his plans and schemes will turn into a dream. Murong Fu, Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan look at each other and shake their heads, there is nothing they can do to help.


    Although Island-master Yun knew the yellow-clothed female is telling the truth, but he felt faint aching in the acupoints of his life-death talisman, it seems it is about to flare up soon, he is anxious and angry, he shouted: "Fine! I will kill you stinky servant girl first and talk later!" he raise his long whip, with a ''Pa'' sound, he lash it violently at the female, the power in this whip is heavy and fierce, the female is about to have her head split open by this whip.


    Suddenly there is a ''Chi'' sound, a hidden projectile flew from the entrance, it hit the female''s waist. The female was hit and slide 1 zhang away, there is a loud ''Pa'' sound, the long whip hit the stone floor, stone fragments flew in all directions. A small tan-brown ball is rolling on the floor, its a pine-cone. Everyone had a huge shock, they thought: "A small pinecone can push a person 1 zhang away, the internal energy is really no small matter, who is it?"


    Wu LaoDa suddenly recalled something, he shouted: "Child Elder, its Child Elder!"


    Previously Wu LaoDa hid behind a rock, he saw Li QiuShui cut off Child Elder''s left leg, afterwards he warp the leg in oil-cloth and carried it with him. He assume that Child Elder is most likely killed by Li QiuShui, but he didn''t personally witness how she died, thus he always felt anxious and worried. Previously Xu Zhu toss pine cones and pierce his belly, the technique was taught by Child Elder. Wu LaoDa experience it before, thus when the pine cone appeared again he immediately thought that Child Elder has arrive, he is so scared that his soul left his body.


    Everyone heard Wu LaoDa shout "Child Elder", they turn and look around, ''Shua Shua'' ''CaCa'' ''KuaLa'' ''Qianglang'' various kinds of weapon sound rang out in the hall, everyone held their weapons in hand, they move backwards simultaneously.


    On the contrary, Murong Fu walk two steps towards the door, he want to look at the appearance of Child Elder. In reality, when he used [Star Shifting Movement] and neutralize the falling force of Xu Zhu and Child Elder, he already saw the appearance of Child Elder, but he don''t know that the 18 year old lady with a face like spring flower is actually Child Elder of Heavenly Mountain.


    Duan Yu block in front of Wang YuYan, he is afraid she might be injured. But Wang YuYan shouted: "Cousin, be careful!"


    Everyone focus their attention on the entrance, but after a long time there is still no signs of movement at the entrance.


    Bao BuTong shouted: "Child granny, if you are angry at us uninvited guest, then please come in and fight! Bao BuTong stands out from the masses, i am not afraid of you!" after a while, the entrance is still silent and motionless. Feng BoE said: "Fine, let me be the first one to experience Child Elder''s moves, i am well aware that i can''t defeat her, but i still want to fight, that is my never changing temperament!" he wave his broad sword and guard his front and charge outside the door. Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan and Bao BuTong have deep friendship with him, they knew he is definitely not Child Elder match, thus they followed him out at the same time.


    Some of the Island-masters and Cave-masters admired their bravery, while others secretly ridicule them: "You people never see the extent of Child Elder''s power, now you try to be heroic, later you will experience suffering and by then it will be too late for regrets." Everyone felt panicky and frightened, but they heard Bao BuTong and Feng BoE voice, one shrill and one deep, they issued their challenge loudly outside the hall, but nobody respond.


    **********


    The pine cone that saved the yellow-clothed female was in fact fired by Xu Zhu. He felt really apologetic seeing everyone being so frighten and anxious by his action, he said: "Sorry, sorry! Its my fault. Child Elder is indeed dead, everyone please don''t panic." but he saw the fat person is still biting his brother, he pondered: "If he carry on biting, both of them can''t live anymore." he walk towards the fat person and smack his back, he executed [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain], at once a burst of ''yang'' energy subdued the frost poison of the fat person''s life-death talisman, however he don''t know the location and characteristic of the fat person''s life-death talisman, thus he can''t remove it for him.


    The fat person''s arms relaxed, he sat down on the floor and breathe deeply, his expression wavering, he said: "Brother, what happen to you? Who injure you to such a state? Tell me quick, tell me quick, elder brother will take revenge for you." The younger brother saw his elder brother regained consciousness, he is extremely happy, he did not bother about the serious injury on his face, he said repeatedly: "Elder brother, you are fine now! Elder brother, you are fine now!"


    Xu Zhu stretch out his hands and smack once on the shoulder of all the yellow-clothed females, he said: "Everyone is from Great Heaven Division? Your Sun Heaven, Vermillion Heaven, Clear Heaven, all the sisters from the various divisions, they are at the Heaven Connecting Bridge, but because the iron chain is broken they can''t cross over for the time being. Do you have any iron chain or thick rope here? We should go fetch them over." His palm is filled with [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness], no matter where the acupoints are sealed, the blocked meridians immediately clear up, the females from Great Heaven Division can all move freely again.


    The group of females are pleasantly surprised, they stood up and said: "Many thanks to honoured sir for saving us, we don''t dare to ask for honoured sir great name." a few young women are impatient, they rush out of the door and shouted: "Quick, quickly go fetch our sisters from the eight divisions, afterwards we can fight these traitors to the death." they turn their head back and express thanks to Xu Zhu.


    Xu Zhu cupped his hands to return the thanks, he said: "I don''t dare! Someone else recued you, they merely use me as their proxy." his internal energy and martial arts originated from the three top masters of Carefree Sect, thus he is saying that Child Elder and the other two seniors recued them.


    The crowd saw him smack his hands without any effort, the acupoints of the group of yellow-clothed female instantly unsealed, he did not inquire where their acupoints are sealed, he did not even massage the corresponding acupoints, they never seen or heard of such technique before, his appearance is not shocking and he is young, he definitely don''t have this kind of skill, they heard him mention about acting as someone else proxy, thus they believe that Child Elder has arrived at Vulture Palace.


    Wu LaoDa have some dealings with Xu Zhu at the snowy peak for a few days, at the moment although Xu Zhu had grown hair on his head and his face smeared with mud, but when he open his mouth to speak Wu LaoDa suddenly remembered and recognize him, he leap beside Xu Zhu and hook the meridians on his right hand, he shout loudly: "Little monk, Child....Child Elder is here?"


    Xu Zhu said: "Mr Wu, the injury on your belly is completely healed? I....i can''t be a Buddhist disciple anymore, sigh! I am really ashamed....really extremely ashamed." He cannot help but blush, but since his face is smeared with mud bystanders can''t see it.


    Wu LaoDa already controlled his meridians with a single move, he assume Xu Zhu won''t be able to resist, at once he channelled his internal energy, he want to make him cry out in pain and beg for forgiveness, he knew Child Elder treat this little monk extremely well, thus he held him as hostage and Child Elder won''t dare to act rashly. Unexpectedly his internal energy seem to disappear into the sea, its gone without a trace, as it turns out Xu Zhu''s entire body is protected by [Divine Skill of Northern Darkness], he can absorb internal energy at any acupoints. Wu LaoDa is really scared, he don''t dare to channel his internal energy anymore, but he is also unwilling to release Xu Zhu''s hand.


    The crowd saw the position hooked by Wu LaoDa, thus they assume that Xu Zhu is under Wu LaoDa''s control, even if his martial art is much higher than Wu LaoDa there is nothing he can do to resist, Wu LaoDa can do whatever he wants to him, they pondered: "If this chap is really an expert, his vital points won''t be captured that easily." Everyone start to ask him various questions:


    "Chap, who are you? How you came here?"


    "What is your name? Who is your teacher?"


    "Who sent you here? Where is Child Elder? She is dead or alive?"


    Murong Fu, Duan Yu and Wang YuYan also recognize him, he is the one at the ''Zhen Long'' chess meet, afterwards he rescued the mute little girl, Shaolin monk Xu Zhu. Duan Yu is really happy, he cannot help but shout out: "Hello, Wu LaoDa, you must not harm him."


    Xu Zhu answered the questions one by one, he is polite and modest: "My religious name.... religious name is Xu ZhuZi. Child Elder has pass away, her remains has been transported to Heaven Connecting Bridge. As for my teacher, sigh, i am really ashamed, really....really....i made a huge blunder, its inconvenient for me to speak of it. If everyone don''t believe me, later you can examine the remains of old senior. Many thanks to the good intentions of Gentleman Duan, i won''t be a hindrance. I am here precisely to handle Child Elder''s funeral arrangements. Everyone is also old senior former subordinates, please don''t bring up old hatred, everyone should just pay your respects before her coffin and forget all those hatred, isn''t it good?" He said sentence by sentence, sometimes he is ashamed, sometimes he is sad, suddenly he said something completely unrelated and the sentence doesn''t link together, his speech is also not fluent, his last sentence is just entirely his own wishful thinking.


    The crowd of people assume he is talking rubbish, he is mentally unsound, their panic gradually wear off and they become domineering again, they curse him:


    "Young chap what kind of thing are you, you dare to ask us to kowtow in front of that damn thieving witch''s coffin?"


    "Damn it, how did that damn thieving witch die?"


    "Did she die by her martial sister Li QiuShui''s hands? Is this really her leg?"


    Xu Zhu said warmly: "Everyone, even if you have deep hatred with Child Elder, but since she is dead there is no need to nurse this hatred anymore, you keep on repeating '' damn thieving witch'', isn''t it a bit too vulgar. Mr Wu is correct, Child Elder died under Li QiuShui''s hands, as for this leg, its indeed old senior''s remains. Sigh, life is an illusion, it doesn''t leave a trace. Although old senior Child Elder possess deep and profound martial arts, but in the end her martial art still scattered and she stop breathing, she will eventually turn into dust. Buddha is merciful, hope that Child Elder will reincarnate and be on the good path, don''t experience suffering again."


    Everyone heard his nagging, it seems Child Elder is indeed dead, at once they felt greatly relieved, someone ask: "When Child Elder was about to die, are you by her side?" Xu Zhu said: "Yes. For the past few months i have been serving old senior." The crowd look at each other, suddenly they had another idea: "The secret to breaking the life-death talisman, maybe its on this young chap."


    A green shadow flash, someone move closer and hook the meridians on Xu Zhu''s left hand, immediately after Wu LaoDa felt something cold on the back of his neck, a sharp weapon is pointed at the back of his neck, a shrill voice said: "Wu LaoDa, let him go."


    When Wu LaoDa saw someone hooking onto Xu Zhu''s left wrist he knew the person''s accomplice will attack simultaneously, he is about to raise his palm to guard his body but he is slower by a step. He heard the person behind him said: "If you still don''t let go this sword will chop down immediately." Wu LaoDa released Xu Zhu''s wrist, he leap a few steps forward, he turn around and said: "Twin-freak of Zhuya, the one surnamed Wu won''t forget today''s matters."


    The one using the sword is a slim man, he laugh maliciously and said: "Wu LaoDa, Twin-freak of Zhuya will simply handle whatever trouble you throw at us." The 1st freak hook onto Xu Zhu''s meridians, the 2nd freak search his pockets. Xu Zhu pondered: "Just search if you want, in any case i don''t have any shameful stuff on me." the 2nd freak took out the items in his bosom one by one, the 1st item is the portrait given to him by Wu YaZi, at once he unfold the scroll.


    Several hundred people look at the painting simultaneously. Child Elder previously step a few times on the painting, afterwards the painting was soak in water, but the beautiful woman in the painting is still vivid and lifelike, as if its about to come out of the painting, the painting is simply ingenious and reach the state of perfection. When the crowd saw the painting, they immediately turn their head and look at Wang YuYan. Someone said: "Yi!" another said: "Oh!" another said: "Pei!" another said: "Heng!" those who said ''Yi'' are surprised, those who said ''Oh'' suddenly understood something, those who said ''Pei'' are extremely angry, those who said ''Heng'' are disdained.


    The crowd hoped that the painting is some kind of map or landscape, then they can simply follow it can find the legendary medicine or method to breaking their life-death talisman, who would have imagined it to be a portrait of Wang YuYan, after a round of Yi, Oh, Pei and Heng, everyone felt disappointed. Only Duan Yu, Murong Fu and Wang YuYan cry out "Ah!", however the meaning to this ''Ah'' is different for all three of them. When Wang YuYan saw Xu Zhu kept a portrait of her by his side, she felt amazed, she blush and pondered: "Don''t tell me....don''t tell me when this person saw me at the chess meet, he is also like Gentleman Duan, he....he put me in his heart? If not why did he keep a portrait of me by his side?" But Duan Yu pondered: "Miss Wang is an incarnation of a fairy, her appearance out of this world, this little master adores her greatly, its not really strange. Sigh, its a pity my painting skill is not even 1% of this little master, or else i can also draw a portrait of Miss Wang, someday when i part with her, i can look at the portrait day and night, it can somewhat relieve my bitter suffering from missing her." But Murong Fu pondered: "This little monk is also a toad that dream of eating swan meat." obviously the phrase ''is also'' is referring to Duan Yu.


    The 2nd freak threw the painting onto the floor and search Xu Zhu''s pockets, afterwards he took out Xu Zhu''s official permit when he became a monk at Shaolin, a few broken silvers, a few dried rations, a pair of socks, it seems none of them are related to life-death talisman.


    While Twin-freak of Zhuya are searching Xu Zhu, the rest of the crowd kept a close watch at the side, if they see any peculiar object they will immediately rush forward and grab it, unexpectedly there is no special object from Xu Zhu.


    The 1st freak of Zhuya cursed: "Stinky thief, before that old thieving witch died, what did she say to you?" Xu Zhu said: "You ask what Child Elder said before she died? En, old senior said: ''Its not her, its not her, its not her! Haha, haha, haha!'' she laugh three times and stop breathing." the crowd can''t make head or tail of this matter, they pondered carefully about the phrase ''its not her'' and the hidden meaning behind her three laugh, but they are really hot-tempered and start cursing again.


    The 1st freak of Zhuya shout loudly: "Damn it, what its not her, hahaha? What else did that old thieving witch say?" Xu Zhu said: "Mr Senior, when mentioning old senior please be a bit respectful, don''t scold her randomly." The 1st freak of Zhuya is furious, he raise his left palm and smash it towards the top of Xu Zhu''s head, he cursed: "Stinky thief, i insist on scolding that old thieving witch, what can you do?"


    Suddenly there is a flash of cold light, a long sword extended over the top of Xu Zhu''s head, the edge of the sword is vertical. If the 1st freak of Zhuya continue with his palm move, his palm will be severed off even before he can touch Xu Zhu''s scalp. In his shock he withdraw his palm hastily, he is anxious and quickly retreat 3 steps, however he did not manage to pull Xu Zhu away and had to release his wrist, however he felt slight pain on his palm, he raise his palm and examine it, an extremely thin sword scar cut across his palm, blood is seeping out, he cannot help but feel startled and frightened, if he had withdrawn his palm a bit slower, won''t his palm be crippled? He glare towards the person who extended the sword, the person is wearing green robe, he is around 50 years of age, his long beard float lightly, his appearance delicate and refine, he recognize him as ''Sword God'' Zhuo BuFan. The sword move was executed extremely quick, its target precise, it seems his sword art had reached the pinnacle of perfection. He recalled the day Sword-Fish Island Island-master Ou left the group and ran away, in an instant his head was severed by this ''Sword God'', although he is hot-tempered but he don''t dare to feud with this kind of top expert, he said: "Sire you injure me with that move, what is your intention?"


    Zhuo BuFan smile faintly and said: "Everyone wants to know the method to breaking life-death talisman from this person, but old chap you suddenly want to kill this person. If the life-death talismans of all the brothers here flare up, how you suppose to account for it?" The 1st freak of Zhuya is speechless, he said: "This....this....." Zhuo BuFan return his sword into its sheath, he lean his body slightly, his elbow bump against the 2nd freak of Zhuya lightly, the 2nd freak of Zhuya can''t stabilize himself and retreat 4 steps back, his blood and energy rolling around his chest, he almost fell down, with great effort he finally manage to stabilize himself, he don''t dare to open his mouth to curse.


    Zhuo BuFan said to Xu Zhu: "Little brother, when Child Elder was about to die, other than ''its not her'' as well as laughing three times, what else did she say?"


    Xu Zhu face suddenly turn deep red, his expression bashful, his head lowered slowly, as it turns out he recalled the words that Child Elder told him: " Bring that portrait over here, let me tear it up personally. When i have no more worries, i will direct you to find the lady in your dreams." Unexpectedly when Child Elder look at the portrait, she notice the person in the painting is not Li QiuShui, rather its Li QiuShui''s younger sister, she found it funny and yet sad, afterwards she died. Xu Zhu pondered: "Child Elder suddenly pass away, nobody will ever know the trail of that lady in my dreams, i am afraid i can never meet her again in my entire life." As he thought about it, he felt extremely disappointed, his soul seem to disappear from his body.


    Zhuo BuFan saw his peculiar expression, he must be hiding some important secret, he said pleasantly: "Little brother, what did Child Elder say to you, you can tell me, not only the one surnamed Zhuo won''t trouble you, i also have a great reward to give you." Xu Zhu ears turn red, he shake his head and said: "This matter, i absolutely.....absolutely cannot say." Zhuo BuFan said: "Why you can''t say?" Xu Zhu said: "If i say this matter....say.....sigh, in short, i cannot say, even if you kill me i still won''t say." Zhuo BuFan said: "You really won''t say?" Xu Zhu said: "Won''t say."


    Zhuo BuFan fix his eyes on Xu Zhu for a short moment, his expression is very resolute, suddenly with a ''Shua'' sound, Zhup BuFan pull out his long sword, cold light flickered, a few light ''Chi Chi Chi'' sound, the long sword swipe a few times around an old fashioned square table, immediately after there is a few ''Pa Pa'' sound, the square table split neatly into 9 pieces and drop to the floor. In an instant, he slash twice horizontally and twice vertically, a total of 4 moves, he drew the word ''well (¾®)''on the table. The strange thing is that the 9 pieces are all uniform square shape, its size, length and width completely identical, it seems as if the pieces are cut slowly after careful measurements with a ruler. At once thunderous applauds rang out throughout the hall.


    Wang YuYan said softly: "This sword art is called [Sword Of Duke Zhou], its the consummate skill of Fujian Jianyang ''One Word Intelligent Sword Sect'', Senior Zhuo is most likely a venerated expert from ''One Word Intelligent Sword Sect''." After their loud cheers everyone fix their attention on Zhuo BuFan, they did not make any sound, although Wang YuYan words are soft but everyone heard every single word clearly.


    Zhuo BuFan laugh out loudly and said: "Miss you really have good eyesight, unexpectedly you know the name of the sword moves from my sect. Its really rare, its really rare." Everyone pondered: "We never heard of this ''One Word Intelligent Sword Sect'' from Fujian, this old man''s sword art is so formidable, his sect should shake the entire martial arts fraternity, how come it does not have any reputation at all?" They heard Zhuo BuFan sigh and said: "Old man is the only one remaining in the sect, a man who lost his family. ''One Word Intelligent Sword Sect'' 3 generations, 62 people, but 33 years ago Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain wipe out everything cleanly."


    Everyone felt their hearts turn cold, they pondered: "So this person came to Vulture Palace to avenge his sect."


    They saw Zhuo BuFan''s sword trembled, he said to Xu Zhu: "Little brother, these few sword moves of mine, i will impart them to you, how about it?"


    As he finish speaking everyone revealed an expression of envy, but quite a few people also revealed their hostility. For someone who is training martial arts, if he gains the favour of an expert and receive 1-2 moves, very often its enough to last him for an entire lifetime, he can become world famous and even use it to protect his life, all due to the guidance of the expert. However, its also a common situation where a evil person mastered these wonderful moves and attack his teacher, thus martial art experts are very strict in selecting their disciples. Zhuo BuFan willingly impart such first-class sword art to Xu Zhu, obviously its for the sake of knowing Child Elder''s last words and acquiring the life-death talisman.


    Xu Zhu did not reply, a female voice said coldly from the crowd: "Mr Zhuo, you are also hit by life-death talisman?"


    Zhuo BuFan look at the person, the speaker is a middle-age Taoist nun, he said: "What makes Taoist sister say such words?"


    Duan Yu recognize this Taoist nun as Dali WuLiang Cave Cave-master Xin ShuangQing, originally she was the sect leader of WuLiang Sword West School, after being subdued by Child Elder''s subordinates, she had to change it to WuLiang Cave Cave-master. All these while, Duan Yu don''t dare to look at Xin ShuangQing, he also don''t dare to go near her subordinate Zuo ZiMu, he is afraid they will bring up old grudge, now that she said something he quickly hide behind a large pillar.


    Xin ShuangQing said: "Mr Zhuo, if you did not suffer the torment of life-death talisman then why the need to spend every possible means to beg for the method to breaking life-death talisman? Supposing if Mr Zhuo want to gain the life-death talisman to control us, then our brothers from 36 Caves and 72 Islands just escape a lion''s mouth but fell into a tiger''s mouth, i am afraid we won''t be willing. Although Mr Zhuo possess divine sword art but if you force us with nowhere to go, all our brothers here will disregard their lives and fight till death with you." her speech is neither haughty nor humble, but it touch the main point and exposed Zhuo BuFan''s motives, her words sharp and aggressive. WuLiang Cave East School and West School, after being annex by Vulture Palace, Child Elder planted her life-death talisman on both Xin ShuangQing and Zuo ZiMu, they already experience the torment, but now their wounds are just like new and they are afraid of being dominated by another person again.


    Over 10 people responded from the crowd: "Cave-master Xin words are correct." someone said: "Chap, what are the last words of Child Elder, quickly reveal it now, if not everyone will chop you up, the experience is really not pleasant."


    Zhuo BuFan''s long sword trembled, it emit a buzzing sound, he said: "Little brother, no need to be scared, just stay beside me and see who can touch a single hair on you? The last words of Child Elder, you can only tell me, if another person heard it then i can''t impart my sword art to you anymore."


    Xu Zhu shakes his head and said: "The last words of Child Elder only concerns me alone, its also related to another person, but it absolutely have no relations to everyone here. No matter what i definitely cannot say. You sword art is good but i don''t want to learn it."


    The crowd applaud loudly and said: "Correct, correct, good chap, strong and unyielding character, learn his sword art for what?"


    "That cute and pretty little lady, a single sentence from her and she can uncover the origins of his sword moves, it can be seen that there is nothing special about his sword moves."


    Another person said: "Since that lady knows the origin of the sword art, then she is also capable of breaking the sword art. Little brother, if you want to seek a teacher then its better to take that little lady as your master. Moreover you carry a portrait of her in your bosom, haha, naturally you should take her as your master."


    Zhuo BuFan heard the mocking remarks from them, he is extremely embarrassed, he look askance at Wang YuYan, after a long time she still remain silent, Zhuo BuFan is very angry, he pondered: "Someone claim that you can break my sword art, unexpectedly you did not deny it immediately, don''t tell me you really can break it?" In reality, Wang YuYan is thinking: "How come cousin is not too happy, is he angry with me? How did if offend him? Could it be....could it be that little master kept a portrait of me, thus cousin is enrage?" As for the words of bystanders she did not hear them at all.


    Zhuo BuFan glace around and spotted the portrait on the floor, suddenly he recalled: "That chap drew a portrait of her and kept it in his bosom, naturally he is very much in love with her. If i want him to spit out the last words of Child Elder then i must start from this little girl, got it!" he pick up the portrait and stuff it into Xu Zhu''s bosom and said: "Little brother, i completely understand your worries, hey hey, talented man and beautiful woman, an ideal couple, its really a match made in heaven. But someone is hindering you thus its difficult for you to get your wish. Let us do it this way, i will preside over the matter and betroth this lady to you, immediately bow to heaven and earth, your nuptial night will be at Vulture Palace, how about it?" while speaking he smile and pointed at Wang YuYan.


    The entire ''One Word Intelligent Sword Sect'' was completely wiped out by Child Elder, at that time Zhuo BuFan was not at Fujian, he narrowly escape the disaster, henceforth he don''t dare to return to Fujian anymore, he escape to a cold and desolate place in ChangBai Mountain and painstakingly research his sword art, unexpectedly he discovered a sword manual left behind by some senior expert, he practice diligently for 20 years, finally his sword art was complete, he believe he is unequalled under the heaven, he left the mountain and killed a few famous well known experts in Hebei, this made him even more arrogant as he consider himself unrivalled in the world, thus he proclaim himself ''Sword God'' as he knew no one can resist his long sword, now his words are like law, who dare to go against him?


    Xu Zhu face turn red, he quickly said: "No, no! Mr Zhuo you misunderstood."


    Zhuo BuFan said: "A man should take a wife, a woman should be married off, its human nature to be lustful, why so bashful?"


    Xu Zhu is in a very difficult position, he said repeatedly: "This...this...its not...."


    Zhuo BuFan''s long sword trembled, he executed a move ''Heaven Like A High Mountain'' followed immediately by ''Boundless White Fog'', two moves mix together as one and thrust towards Wang YuYan, he want to confine her within his sword and pull her over, use her like rare commodity and trade with Xu Zhu to make him spit out the secret.


    When Wang YuYan saw these two moves, she pondered: "''Heaven Like A High Mountain'' and ''Boundless White Fog'', 90% empty 10% solid. Only need to attack his front, disturb his heart and abdomen, he will definitely be force to withdraw his move." Although she knew the method but she can''t execute the moves at all, the light from the sword is flickering and covered her head, she is panic-stricken and cry out ''Ah''.


    Murong Fu knew these two moves have no intentions of harming Wang YuYan, he pondered: "There is no hurry for me to act, wait and see what this surnamed Zhuo is trying to do? Will this little monk reveal the secret for the sake of my cousin?"


    Duan Yu saw Zhuo BuFan thrusting his sword at Wang YuYan, however he don''t know what is true and what is false in the sword moves, naturally he turn pale with fright, in a moment of desperation he executed his [Graceful Steps upon the Waves] and rush swiftly, he block in front of Wang YuYan. Although Zhuo BuFan''s sword move is quick but Duan Yu is still 1 step faster. The cold light from the sword flash everywhere, there is a light ''Chi'' sound, the sword tip swipe a line down Duan Yu''s chest, it originate from his neck till his abdomen, his clothe split open, the wound is skin-deep. Luckily Zhuo BuFan need to beg Xu Zhu for the secret, he have no desire to kill, thus when someone step forward to block he immediately withdraw his hand, the force in the sword is perfect, although the sword wound is long but the injury is trivial. Duan Yu is scared stiff, he lowered his head and saw his chest, abdomen and clothe split open, there is a long sword wound and blood is seeping out, he assume his chest and abdomen had split open and he will die immediately, he shouted: "Miss Wang, you...you quickly move away, i will block him for a while."


    Zhuo BuFan sneered: "Clay Bodhisattva crossing a river, he can''t guarantee his own safety, you overestimated your capabilities, unexpectedly you tried to be this lady''s guard." he turn his head and said to Xu Zhu: "Little brother, it seems there are quite a few people who are fond of this lady, i will get rid of this love rival for you, how about it?" The tip of his long sword pointed at Duan Yu''s chest, its a few inch away, it trembled indefinitely, he only need to thrust it lightly and it will immediately pierce Duan Yu''s heart.


    Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he shouted: "No, absolutely not!" he is afraid that Zhuo BuFan might kill Duan Yu, he extended his left hand, his little finger lightly brush Zhuo BuFan''s ''TaiYuan acupoint'' on his right wrist. Zhuo FuBan hand turn numb, his five fingers released the sword hilt. Xu Zhu easily grab the long sword. This seizing of sword is a high-level move from [Plum Breaking Hand Of Heavenly Mountain], although the move appear average, but his little finger contains the highest level of [Minor Formless Skill], even if Zhuo BuFuan gain another 30-40 years of internal energy the sword will still be seized away. Xu Zhu said: "Mr Zhuo, this Gentleman Duan is a good person, you definitely must not harm him." he conveniently return the sword back to Zhuo BuFan''s hand, he lowered his head and inspected Duan Yu''s wound.


    Duan Yu gasped: "Miss Wang, i....i am dieing, i hope you and Brother Murong marriage will last an entire lifetime, live together till old age. Father, Mother....i....i....." In reality his injury is not serious at all, he merely assume his chest and abdomen had been cut open, obviously he will surely die, thus he fell into despair and collapsed.


    Wang YuYan rush forward to support him, she cried: "Gentleman Duan, you did all these for me...."


    Xu Zhu move like the wind, he sealed the acupoints near Duan Yu''s wound, he examine the wound and felt at ease immediately, he laugh and said: "Gentleman Duan, your sword wound is light, you will recover in 3-4 days time."


    Duan Yu''s body is supported by Wang YuYan, she is also crying for him, his soul had long float away, he is extremely happy, he ask: "Miss Wang, you.....you shed tears for me?" Wang YuYan nod her head, tears flow down again. Duan Yu said: "Duan Yu finally achieve something today, even if i am thrust by sword 10 times, i am willing." Unexpectedly both of them did not hear Xu Zhu''s words at all. Wang YuYan felt really grateful, she can''t control her emotions. Duan Yu saw his sweetheart crying, moreover she is crying for him, why would he even care about his life and death?


    Xu Zhu seize and return the sword, it happen for only a split second, only Murong Fu saw everything clearly, Zhuo BuFan knew it in his heart, however the rest of the bystanders assume Zhuo BuFan is being lenient and he did not try to kill Duan Yu. Zhuo BuFan''s shock and anger is simply indescribable, but in an instant he is having second thoughts, he pondered: "I accidentally acquired a sword manual at ChangBai Mountain, i train bitterly for 20 years, in the present age how can anyone be my match? Yes, most likely this chap got lucky, he so happen to touch the ''TaiYuan acupoint'' on my wrist. There are lucky coincidence in this world. If he really intend to seize my weapon then how come he return it to me after taking it? This chap is so young, how can he have any great abilities, how can he seize Zhuo BuFan''s sword?" when he thought of it his heroic spirit rose again, he said: "Chap, you are too meddlesome!" he thrust out his long sword, the sword tip pointing at Xu Zhu''s back, he only need to push lightly, he wanted to pierce Xu Zhu''s clothe and let him suffer some pain, similar to how he handled Duan Yu.


    Currently, the [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] in Xu Zhu''s body is abundant and circulating around, its just like physical substance, when Zhuo BuFan''s sword arrived it bump against Xu Zhu''s internal energy, the sword tip was deflected and slide off Xu Zhu''s body. Zhuo BuFan had a huge shock, he change move quickly, immediately he slash horizontally at Xu Zhu''s torso. This move is called ''Jade Belt Surrounding Waist'', the sword attack his front, right and back, the fatal acupoints are all targeted in these 3 positions, the move is extremely fierce and vicious. At this moment, Zhuo BuFan is aware that Xu Zhu possess high level martial arts, its way beyond his expectation, thus he send out his full strength in this move.


    Xu Zhu cry out in surprise, he slanted his body slightly, he don''t understand, Zhuo BuFan was talking to him nicely but he suddenly became hostile, unexpectedly he is out to kill him? There is a ''Chi'' sound, the sword pass by his armpit, his old monk robe was cut open. Zhuo BuFan failed in his 2nd attack, he is 50% amazed and 50% afraid, he spin his body and made a half-circle, he straighten his long sword, the sword tip suddenly spit out half-chi green light. From the crowd, around 10 people cry out in surprise: "Sword light, sword light!" the sword light is like a long snake, it lengthen and shorten indefinitely, Zhuo BuFan revealed a sardonic smile, he gathered his energy from his dantian, the green light suddenly flourish and thrust straight at Xu Zhu''s chest.


    Xu Zhu has never seen green light emit out from a weapon before, he heard the heroic cheer of the crowd, he presume this must be some kind of awesome martial arts, obviously he can''t handle it, he step back and slide away. Zhuo BuFan exerted his full strength, he cannot switch move midway, there is a ''Shua'' sound, the long sword thrust into a huge stone pillar and penetrate deeply around 1 chi. This stone pillar is made of extremely hard granite, unexpectedly the soft-bodied long sword can penetrate around 1 chi, it can be seen that the energy attached to the sword is truly no small matter, the crowd cannot help but cheer out.


    Zhuo BuFan channelled his internal energy and pull his sword out of the stone pillar, he chase Xu Zhu and shouted: "Little brother, where can you run?" Xu Zhu is inwardly scared, he slide away to avoid.


    Suddenly someone laugh coldly from the left side, the voice said: "Little monk, lie down!" its a female voice. Two white light flickered, two throwing knives flew towards Xu Zhu. When Xu Zhu carried Child Elder initially, she taught him some lightness martial art, currently his internal energy is deep and profound, when moving his hands and legs are incomparably light and agile, his body can turn according to his wish, although the throwing knife is fast but he still dodge it skilfully. He saw a middle-age pretty woman wearing light red clothes, she wave her hands and caught the throwing knives. Her palm seems to have some kind of strong suction force as it attracted the flying knives.


    Zhuo BuFan praised: "Hibiscus Fairy divine skill in throwing knife, it really broaden everyone''s horizon."


    Xu Zhu suddenly remembered, previously when the crowd conspired to attack Misty Peak, Zhuo BuFan and Hibiscus Fairy, both of them and Taoist BuPing are from the same group, Taoist BuPing was killed on the snowy peak by his pine cone, thus its not surprising that both of them want to kill him to avenge their companion. He is having guilty conscience, he stop moving, he press his hands together and bow towards Zhuo BuFan and Hibiscus Fairy, he said: "I made a huge mistake, i deserve to die, although its really not my true intention, sigh, in short this blunder is hard to redeem. If both of you want to beat or scold me, i....i....i won''t dare to dodge anymore."


    Zhuo BuFan and Hibiscus Fairy Cui LuHua look at each other, they thought: "At last this chap is scared." In reality, they are unaware that Taoist BuPing was killed by Xu Zhu, but even if they knew, they still won''t kill Xu Zhu to avenge Taoist BuPing. Both of them had the same thoughts, they move close to Xu Zhu simultaneously, one left one right, they grab Xu Zhu''s wrist.


    Xu Zhu recalled the miserable death of Taoist BuPing, he regret it alot, he ask for forgiveness: "I made a mistake, its really too late for regrets. Both of you, please don''t hesitate to punish me heavily, i willingly accept it, if you want to kill me i also won''t dare to resist."


    Zhuo BuFan said: "Its really easy if you want me to spare you, you just have to tell me Child Elder''s last words, i will spare you." Cui LuHua smiled and said: "Mr Zhuo, can little sister listen as well?" Zhuo BuFan said: "I only want to seek the method to breaking the life-death talisman, all our friends here will benefit as well, i am not the only one who gain the benefit." He did not agree to let Cui LuHua listen to the secret, but he also did not disagree, however his speech implied his desire to monopolize the secret.


    Cui LuHua smiled and said: "Little sister don''t have your good conscience, i don''t like this chap." her left hand grip tightly onto Xu Zhu''s wrist, she wave her right hand swiftly, two throwing knives flew towards Xu Zhu''s chest.


    Since Child Elder is dead, Zhuo BuFan can''t avenge his sect, currently he want to find the method to breaking the life-death talisman and use it to control the crowd and rule over them. However Cui LuHua intention is completely different. Her elder brother was killed by the combine effort of 3 Cave-masters from the 36 Caves, thus she wants to kill Xu Zhu and nobody can find out about Child Elder''s last words, the life-death talisman on the 3 Cave-masters will remain forever and they will undoubtedly suffer a death 100 times more miserable then her brother, its way better then simply killing them herself, thus she act out violently to kill Xu Zhu. Her moves are very quick, Zhuo BuFan sword had return back to its sheath, he quickly pull it out, however he is 1 step slower.


    Xu Zhu was startled, there is no time to think, he involuntarily push out with both hands, Zhuo BuFan and Cui LuHua are jolted off simultaneously and they move back a few steps.


    Cui LuHua shout out, the throwing knives left her hand and flew swiftly towards Xu Zhu. Although she fell back a few steps, but with regards to throwing hidden projectile the distance is considered to be extremely short. Zhuo BuFan is afraid Xu Zhu might be killed, he thrust his sword at the throwing knives. Cui LuHua already foresaw that Zhuo BuFan will thrust out his sword to rescue, when the two throwing knives left her hand, immediately after another ten throwing knives flew out in rapid succession, among them three knives flew towards Zhuo BuFan to hinder him, the remaining seven knives flew towards Xu Zhu''s face, throat, chest, lower abdomen, Xu Zhu is shrouded by throwing knives.


    Xu Zhu grab with his pair of hands repeatedly, he executed [Plum Breaking Hand Of Heavenly Mountain], he grab and throw accordingly, there is unending ''Ding Ding Dang Dang'' sound, in a split second he cast 13 weapons beside his leg. The 12 weapons are Cui LuHuan''s throwing knives, however the 13th item is Zhuo BuFan''s long sword. When Xu Zhu executed [Plum Breaking Hand Of Heavenly Mountain], he is very anxious and frighten, thus he did not think about who his opponent is, he grab whatever weapon he lay his eyes on, without much effort he also seize Zhuo BuFan''s long sword.


    He seize all 13 weapons, he raise his head and saw Zhuo BuFan pallid expression, he turn his head, he saw Cui LuHua frighten expression, he pondered: "Terrible, terrible, i offended people again." he quickly said: "Both of you please don''t take offense, my conduct is rash." he bend down to pick up the 13 weapons, he clasp the weapons with his pair of hands and delivered to both of them.


    Cui LuHua assume he is deliberately humiliating her, she gathered internal energy to her palm and strike towards Xu Zhu''s chest. There is a ''Pa'' sound, an incomparably violent force counterattacked, Cui LuHua cry out in alarm, her body flew backward swiftly, there is a ''Peng'' sound, she crash heavily against a stone wall and spurted two mouthful of blood.


    Zhuo BuFan, Taoist BuPing, Cui LuHua, three of them are working together for the first time, prior to the event the three of them secretly tested each others internal energy, although Zhuo BuFan is slightly better than the other two but its only marginal, currently Xu Zhu is holding onto the weapons, he only use the internal energy within his body and he can repel Cui LuHuan and heavily injure her, Zhuo BuFan is absolutely not his match at all. Zhuo BuFan knew he cannot gain anything today, he cupped his hands towards Xu Zhu and said: "Respect, respect, hope to see you again."


    Xu Zhu said: "Senior please take back your sword. I accidentally offended you, please don''t take offense. If senior wants to beat or scold me, to help Taoist BuPing vent his anger, i.....i definitely won''t resist."


    When Zhuo BuFan heard it, he assume Xu Zhu is mocking him spitefully. His face already lost all its color, he took huge stride and went out of the hall.


    Suddenly everyone heard a delicate voice, a female shouted out: "Hold it! What is Vulture Palace, you think you can just come and go as you wish?" Zhuo BuFan trembled, without thinking he reach for his sword hilt, however he grab thin air, he suddenly recalled that his sword was seize by Xu Zhu, a huge rock is blocking the entrance, 2 zhang high 1 zhang wide, the entrance is completely sealed off. Unexpectedly he did not know when this huge rock move soundlessly into place.


    When the crowd saw the situation they knew they had fallen into Vulture Palace trap mechanism. When attacking Vulture Palace everyone move forward together, they killed or captured all the yellow-clothed females, they wipe out everything cleanly, after entering the main hall they carefully look out for any hidden troops, however immediately after someone''s life-death talisman flare up, everyone was shock at the ghastly sight since they will also suffer the same fate, afterwards a series of events happen in succession and they never ponder about the dangerous place they are in where crisis lurks in every corner, only when they saw the huge rock sealing off the entrance did they finally tremble with fear: "To escape Vulture Palace alive today, i am afraid it won''t be easy."


    Suddenly a female said from their top: "The four envoy servants of Child Elder pay their respect to Mr Xu Zhu." Xu Zhu lifted his head, nine pieces of rock are jutting out from the roof, it seems to be nine small platform, four 18-19 year old maiden are standing on four of the rock platform, they are prostrating when paying their respects. After paying their respects they jump down immediately, while in mid-air they already draw out their long sword, they landed lightly. The four maiden, one is wearing light red, one wearing light green, one wearing light blue, one wearing light yellow, they jump off at the same time and landed at the same time, they bow towards Xu Zhu at the same time, they said: "Envoy servant is slow in welcoming, Owner please forgive us." Xu Zhu press his hands together and bow to return the greeting, he said: "Four sisters, no need to be overly courteous."


    The four maidens lifted their head, everyone was startled. The four of them are of the same size and height, their appearance also exactly the same, they had oval shaped face, bright and clear eyes, pure elegant and beautiful, the only difference is the color of their clothes.


    The red-clothed female said: "We four sisters are born together, Child granny named me Plum Sword, my three sisters are Orchid Sword, Bamboo Sword and Chrysanthemum Sword. Just now we ran into our sisters from Clear Heaven Division, Vermillion Heaven Division, etc, we found out about the various ongoings. Currently servant already sealed off the Supreme Hall, i invite Owner to decide how to deal with these bunch of brazen treacherous lackeys."


    The crowd heard these four sisters are quadruplets, they finally understood, no wonder their appearance are identical, these four are beautiful and their voice pure and gentle, everyone had favourable impression of them, unexpectedly Plum Sword called them ''these bunch of brazen treacherous lackeys'', its extremely rude. Two men rush forward, one holding a broad sword, another holding a judge-pen, they yell in unison: "Little girl, your mouth is filthy, you are fart......"


    Suddenly green light flash repeatedly, Orchid Sword and Bamboo Sword thrust out their swords, two ''Dang Dang'' sound, the wrists of both men are cut off, their palm along with the weapons drop onto the floor. This move is incomparable fast, the wrists of both men are cut off already but they still said: "are farting! Ayo!" they shout out loudly and leap backwards, the floor is sprayed full of fresh blood.


    The two females cut off the wrists of two men with a single move, although the remaining crowd had better martial arts than the two men but they don''t dare to act rashly, moreover the hall is made of exceptionally thick granite, they don''t know if there are other powerful traps or mechanism installed, everyone look at each other in dismay, nobody dare to speak.


    Silence ensued, suddenly someone roar out ''He He He''. When the crowd heard it they knew the life-death talisman had come to claim another life again.


    Everyone turn pale during this time, a big towering man jump out from the crowd, both his eyes red, he is randomly tearing off the clothe on his chest. Many people shouted out: "Iron Sea Turtle Island Island-master! Iron Sea Turtle Island Island-master Ha DaBa!" Ha DaBa yell out, he is like a wounded tiger, he raise his iron-hammer fist, there is a ''Peng'' sound, he shattered a coffee table, immediately he rush towards Chrysanthemum Sword.


    Chrysanthemum Sword saw his terrifying expression, she forgot about her own superior sword art, she is extremely scared, she dive into Xu Zhu''s bosom. Ha DaBa open up his fan-like arm and grab towards Plum Sword. The minds of these quadruplets are interlinked, Plum Sword already felt the reaction when Chrysanthemum Sword shake with fear, when Ha DaBa pounce towards her she scream out in alarm and hide behind Xu Zhu.


    Ha DaBa grab empty air, he flip his pair of hands and dig his eyes out. Xu Zhu shouted: "You must not do that!" he wave his sleeves and brush the crook of Ha DaBa''s arm, Ha DaBa''s pair of hands immediately hang downwards. Xu Zhu said: "Elder brother your life-death talisman has flare up, my humble self will try to remove it for you." at once he executed the move ''Great Heaven Sun Song'' from [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain], he smack the ''LingTai acupoint'' on Ha DaBa''s back. Ha DaBa shake violently, his entire body collapsed.


    Green light flash everywhere, two long sword separately thrust towards Ha DaBa, Orchid Sword and Bamboo Sword seize the opportunity and attack. Xu Zhu said: "No!" he pinch and seize the two swords, he mumbled to himself: "Terrible, terribe! I wonder where his life-death talisman is located?" Although he knew the method to neutralizing life-death talismans, but ultimately his knowledge and experience is shallow, he cannot discern the location of the life-death talisman on Ha DaBa, the force he exerted in the move ''Great Heaven Sun Song'' is too fierce, unexpectedly Ha DaBa cannot withstand it.


    Ha DaBa said: "Its planted....planted at....XuanShu.....QiHai....Si...Si KongZhu...." The move ''Great Heaven Sun Song'' from Xu Zhu had made Ha DaBa regain his consciousness.


    Xu Zhu said happily: "Since you know it then its good." At once he followed the method taught by Child Elder, he use the pure ''yang'' energy of [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain] to dissolve the cold ice life-death talisman in the ''XuanShu'', ''QiHai'' and '' Si KongZhu'' acupoints.


    Ha DaBa stood up, he wave his hands and kick out his legs, he became wild from his happiness, suddenly he threw himself towards the ground, ''Peng Peng Peng'' he kowtow towards Xu Zhu and said: "Benefactor, the life of Ha DaBa is saved by you old senior, from now on if Benefactor has any orders, Ha DaBa will not hesitate and willingly go through water and tread on fire for you." Xu Zhu is always respectful towards others, seeing Ha DaBa pay such courtesy he quickly knelt down to return the courtesy, ''Peng Peng Peng'' he kowtow as well and said: "I don''t dare to accept such heavy courtesy, you kowtow to me, i also have to kowtow to you." Ha DaBa said loudly: "Benefactor please get up quickly, you kowtow to me, you will really shorten lowly person''s life." To express his gratitude he kowtow several times again. Xu Zhu saw him kowtow, at once he kowtow again to return the courtesy.


    Both of them are kneeling on the ground and kowtow endlessly. Suddenly several hundred people shouted in unison: "Neutralize my life-death talisman, neutralize my life-death talisman!" the crowd of people who suffered from life-death talisman surge forward and surrounded both of them. An old man supported Ha DaBa up, he said: "No need to kowtow, everyone need to invite Benefactor to treat their poison and save lives."


    Xu Zhu saw Ha DaBa stand up, he finally stand up and said: "Everyone please don''t rush, listen to me." In a split second the hall turn completely silent. Xu Zhu said: "To break the life-death talisman i have to confirm the location of the talisman, everyone do you know it yourself?"


    In a split second everyone was thrown into confusion, some said: "I know!" some said: "Its at ''WeiZhong'' and ''NeiTing'' acupoints!" some said: "My entire body is aching, damn it, i don''t know at which bloody acupoints!" some said: "My body is itchy and painful, its different every month, this life-death talisman can move!"


    Suddenly someone shout loudly: "Everyone please shut up, you all making so much noise, how can Mr Xu ZhuZi listen to it?" the person who shouted out is the chief of the group Wu LaoDa, everyone immediately became quiet.


    Xu Zhu said: "Although Child Elder imparted the method to breaking life-death talisman to me....."


    7-8 people cannot help but shout out:


    "Fantastic, fantastic!"


    "My old life can be saved!"


    Xu Zhu continued: "But my ability in distinguishing acupoints and recognizing the illness is shallow. But everyone don''t worry, if you know the exact location of your life-death talisman, i will treat one by one and help you neutralize it. Even if you don''t know, we will slowly research, those who are skilled in medical arts can also join in and study together, in short i will definitely cure you."


    The loud cheers of the crowd filled the entire hall with echoes. After a long time the cheers finally died off.


    Plum Sword said coldly: "Owner agree to remove your life-death talisman, that is because he old senior is merciful. But you lot are so brazen as to revolt, you cause Child Elder to leave the Palace and die outside, afterwards you even attack Vulture Palace and killed alot of our sisters from Great Heaven Division, how to account for this debt?"


    Everyone look at each other in dismay, their breathing stop, Plum Sword is telling the truth, since Xu Zhu is Child Elder''s successor then obviously he cannot brush aside their heavy crimes. Someone wanted to plead earnestly but he had second thoughts, they commit heavy crime in causing Child Elder''s death and attacking Vulture Palace, how can the matter be resolved by a few earnest pleading? He is about to speak but swallowed his words.


    Wu LaoDa said: "Sister''s words are reasonable, i commit a huge crime, i willingly accept Mr Xu ZhuZi''s punishment." He is banking on Xu Zhu''s character, he knew he is honest and naive, he definitely can''t be compared with the vicious and cruel Child Elder, Xu Zhu''s punishment is definitely lighter than what the four sisters are capable of, thus his speech is directed at Xu Zhu.


    Quite a few people from the crowd understood his intention, immediately after they shouted out: "Correct, our crimes are very serious, everyone willingly accept Mr Xu ZhuZi''s punishment." A few thought about the pain and suffering when the life-death talisman flare up, unexpectedly their knees soften and they kneel down.


    Xu Zhu don''t know what to do, he said to Plum Sword: "Sister Plum Sword, what do you think?" Plum Sword said: "They are not good people, they killed so many sisters from Great Heaven Division, they definitely have to pay with their lives."


    WuLiang Cave Vice Cave-master Zuo ZiMu bow deeply towards Plum Sword and said: "Miss, our lives are really miserable after being hit by this life-death talisman, when we heard Child Elder is not at Misty Peak we became anxious, thus we made a huge error, we really regret it. I beseech Miss to be magnanimous, put in a few good words for us in front of Mr Xu ZhuZi." Plum Sword expression became grave, she said: "Those who killed before, severe your right arm, this is the most minor punishment." When she said those words she felt she is giving out orders, its really not appropriate, she turn around and said to Xu Zhu: "Owner, is it ok?" Xu Zhu felt the punishment is too heavy, but he is also unwilling to offend Plum Sword, he stammered: "This...this....en.....that......"


    Someone suddenly rush out from the crowd, its the Prince of Dali Duan Yu. Duan Yu love to meddle in other people''s business, debate about right and wrong, he cupped his hands and greeted Xu Zhu, he smile and said: "My dear friend, little brother really disapprove when these friends attacked Misty Peak, i persuade them until my mouth turn dry but they simply refuse to listen. Today they commit a huge disaster, my dear friend you ought to increase their punishment. Little brother hope to become your official messenger, let little brother punish these friends, how about it?"


    That day, the crowd wanted to kill Child Elder and swear an oath in her blood, Duan Yu was strongly against it and persuaded them, Xu Zhu heard everything, he is aware that this Gentleman is benevolent and heroic, he respect him deeply, when Li QiuShui push him and Child Elder off the mountain peak, they were saved by Duan Yu, moreover he really have no idea how to handle the situation, thus when Duan Yu said it he quickly cupped his hands and said: "My knowledge and experience is shallow, i don''t know how to handle affairs. Gentleman Duan volunteer to handle it, i can''t thank you enough."


    When Duan Yu took the initiative and ask for permission to punish the crowd how can anyone accept it? Some of the bad-tempered people was about to abuse him but unexpectedly Xu Zhu permitted it, they are about to speak out but swallowed their words.


    Duan Yu said happily: "Very good." he turn around and said to the crowd: "The mistakes made by everyone is simply too serious, my punishment is not light at all. Mr Xu ZhuZi permit me to handle this matter, if anyone of you disobey then Mr Xu ZhuZi won''t remove the life-death talisman for you. For the 1st punishment, everyone has to respectfully kowtow 8 times in front of Child Elder''s coffin, be solemn and respectful, confess and repent, if anyone of you secretly curse Child Elder while kowtowing then you crime would have increase by another level."


    Xu Zhu said happily: "Absolutely correct, absolutely correct! This 1st punishment is very good."


    Originally the crowd was afraid this bookworm might suggest some weird or difficult punishment, they were really anxious and worried, but he suggested kowtowing in front of Child Elder''s coffin, they pondered: "She is already dead, what is so difficult about giving a few kowtow in front of her coffin? Moreover, how will he know if we secretly curse that old thieving witch? I will simply kowtow and secretly curse that old thieving witch." at once everyone agreed.


    Duan Yu saw everyone happily agree to his 1st punishment, his spirit rose, he said: "The 2nd punishment, everyone have to salute in front of the dead sisters from Great Heaven Division. Those who killed or injured people, you have to kowtow, confess and repent, you have to wear mourning clothes and pay your respects to the dead. Those who didn''t kill, you have to cup your hands as courtesy, my dear friend Xu ZhuZi will treat your illness ahead of schedule as a reward."


    Among the crowd, more than half of them did not kill anyone from Misty Peak, they immediately agreed. As for those who killed or injured people, its only wearing mourning clothes and giving a few kowtow, its a thousand times better than what Plum Sword suggested, thus nobody objected.


    Duan Yu said: "As for the 3rd punishment, everyone have to swear your allegiance to Vulture Palace eternally, you cannot be disloyal. Whatever Xu ZhuZi says, everyone must listen to his orders. Not only must you be respectful towards Mr Xu ZhuZi, you must also be courteous towards Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Sword, as well as all the sisters from Vulture Palace, convert an enemy into friend, your conduct and speech must be courteous and respectful. If anyone is not willing then come up and compete 2-3 moves with Mr Xu ZhuZi, see if he is brilliant or you are better!"


    The crowd are joyous as they listen to Duan Yu, they said: "Of course, of course!" someone said: "Gentleman Duan''s punishment is too lenient, is there anything else?"


    Duan Yu clap his hands, he smiled and said: "None!" he turn his head and said to Xu Zhu: "The punishments set by little brother, is it correct?"


    Xu Zhu cupped his hands and said: "Many thanks, many thanks, extremely correct." He glance at Plum Sword and the rest of her sisters, his expression is rather apologetic. Orchid Sword said: "Owner, you are the owner of Vulture Palace, no matter what you say servant have to listen and obey. You are magnanimous, you spared these lackeys, you don''t have to worry about us." Xu Zhu smile and said: "En, this....i still have some words, i don''t know....don''t know if i should say it?"


    Wu LaoDa said: "36 Caves and 72 Islands have always been the subordinates of Misty Peak, nobody dare to disobey any orders from Honourable Master. The three punishments set by Gentleman Duan is simply too lenient. If Honourable Master have any other punishment everyone willingly accept it."


    Xu Zhu said: "I am young, my knowledge shallow, its just that Child Elder instructed me in some martial arts, i really don''t deserve to be Honourable Master or whatever. I have two wish, this....this.....i don''t know if it is right or wrong, i will be bold and say it out, this....i invite seniors here to think about it." Ever since childhood, Xu Zhu have always been under someone, being ordered around and sent on errands, he never had the chance to suggest ideas or make decisions, thus he never dare to speak in public, he hemmed and hawed while speaking, his expression extremely meek.


    Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Sword, all four of them pondered: "What happen to Owner, why the need to be so polite to these lackeys?"


    Wu LaoDa said: "Honourable Master is magnanimous, you pardon our serious crime and now you are so polite towards us, even if we offer our lives as sacrifice we can''t even repay a fraction of this debt of gratitude. Honourable Master, please simply give your orders!"


    Xu Zhu said: "Yes, yes! If i said something wrong, everyone please....please don''t ridicule me. I want to talk about two matters. The 1st matter, its a bit selfish, i....i am from Shaolin Temple, originally....originally i am a little monk, from now on when you travel around, please don''t trouble the disciples of Shaolin. This is my 1st request, i don''t dare to order you or anything."


    Wu LaoDa said loudly: "Honourable Master''s order: From now on, when we brothers travel around and come across great masters of Shaolin or Buddhist friends, we have to be respectful, absolutely cannot offend them, else the punishment will be severe without any mercy." The crowd replied in unison: "We will do as ordered!"


    Everyone agreed, Xu Zhu became bolder, he cupped his hands and said: "Many thanks, many thanks! The 2nd matter, everyone please take into the account the virtues of life, Buddha is merciful, you cannot injure or kill people randomly. Although you are not a monk, but its best that you don''t kill any animals, mole cricket and ants are the same, its best that you don''t eat any meat and fish, but this rule is not so easy, it doesn''t mean that you definitely must be a vegetarian, even for me i broke my precept and eat meat. Thus....this...as for killing people, in short its not good, its better not to kill anyone, but i....i also kill people before, thus....."


    Wu LaoDa said loudly: " Honourable Master''s order: All the brothers and subordinates under Vulture Palace, from now on you cannot rashly kill the innocent or kill casually, else the punishment will be heavy." Everyone replied in unison: "We will do as ordered!"


    Xu Zhu cupped his hands repeatedly, he said: "I....i really can''t thank you enough, back to the main topic, everyone please do more good deeds, don''t do evil deeds, its for your own good achievements and virtues, you will definitely have immeasurable karmic rewards." he laugh heartily at Wu LaoDa and said: "Mr Wu, your few words are clear and distinct. I really cannot be compared with you. Previously i injured you with pine cones, i am really sorry, you....where is your life-death talisman located? I will remove it for you first!"


    Wu LaoDa is willing to brave all the risk and danger to lead everyone in this revolt, its purely for the sake of removing his life-death talisman, he heard Xu Zhu promise to remove the life-death talisman for him, henceforth he will be free from the pain of having endless maggots gnawing at his bones, he is extremely happy, he felt really grateful, he knelt down and prostrate himself. Xu Zhu quickly knelt down to return the courtesy, he ask: "Mr Wu, the injury you sustained from the pine cones, is it completely healed? You consume Child Elder''s ''Tendon Breaking Bone Decaying Pill'', we have to think of a method to remove the toxicity as well."


    *******


    Plum Sword and her sisters operated the mechanism and move away the huge stone that block the entrance, they let Vermillion Heaven, Clear Heaven, Mysterious Heaven, all the nine divisions entered the hall.


    Feng BoE and Bao BuTong are shouting, they came in with Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan. The four of them went out of the hall to battle Child Elder, however they bump into the females from the various eight divisions. Bao BuTong is rude in his speech, Feng BoE love to fight, they exchange a few words with the females and start fighting with them. Not long after, Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan join in to assist, although the four of them have strong martial arts, but ultimately they are heavily outnumbered, after a while all of them were injured, if the main entrance delay in opening for a few more moment and Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Sword did not ask them to stop fighting, they four of them would have been captured or killed.


    Murong Fu found the matter dull, he led Deng BaiChuan and the rest to say their goodbyes and prepare to leave the mountain. Zhuo BuFan and Hibiscus Fairy Chui LuHua did not say anything and left by themselves.


    Xu Zhu saw Murong Fu wanted to leave, but he sincerely wanted him to stay. Murong Fu said: "I offended Misty Peak, i am really ashamed, its elder brother''s great kindness if you do not fault me, how dare i to disturb you any longer?" Xu Zhu said: "You are too kind, you are too kind. Both gentleman are well versed in literature and martial arts, an accomplished hero, i admire you greatly, i wish....i wish.....i wish to ask two gentleman for advice. I....i am simply too stupid...too stupid."


    Bao BuTong cross swords with the group of females just now, he is heavily outnumbered and sustained numerous sword injuries, he is not in a good mood, Xu Zhu is so long-winded in trying to ask a guest to stay, moreover Murong Fu told him that Xu Zhu kept a portrait of Wang YuYan in his bosom, he pondered: "This little bald thief is a hypocrite, he is a Buddhist disciple yet he have evil intentions towards Miss Wang, obviously he is a lascivious monk who does not abide by religious rules." Bao BuTong said: "Little master, asking the heroes to stay is fake, but asking the beauty to stay is real, why don''t you be forthright and request Miss Wang to stay at Misty Peak?"


    Xu Zhu was shock, he said: "You....what you saying? I want to ask a beauty to stay?" Bao BuTong said: "You harbour evil thoughts, you think the people from Gusu Murong family are idiots? Hei hei, you are ridiculous!" Xu Zhu scratch his head and said: "I don''t understand what Mister is trying to say, i don''t find it ridiculous."


    Although Bao BuTong is within a tiger''s den, but his stubborn character is aroused, he no long care about life or death, he shout loudly: "You little bald thief, you are a Shaolin monk, since you are a disciple of a prestigious school how come you join a demonic sect and collude with these demons and ghosts? I get angry when i look at you. You are a monk but you force hundreds of women to be your wives, concubines and mistress, but you are still not satisfied and now you have funny ideas towards Miss Wang! Let me tell you, Miss Wang is attached to my young master Murong, you are just a toad wistful about eating swan meat, its best that you forget about your evil thoughts as soon as possible!" He is in deep rage, he clap his hands and stamped his feet and curse loudly while pointing at Xu Zhu''s nose.


    Xu Zhu was utterly perplexed, he said: "I...i....i...." suddenly he heard two ''Hu Hu'' sound, Wu LaoDa lifted his ''Verdant Wave Fragrant Dew Serrated Sabre'', Ha DaBa lifted a huge iron hammer, they shout in unison and charge towards Bao BuTong.


    Murong Fu knew that since Xu Zhu removed their life-death talisman he already gain the loyalty of these group of heroes, it would be incomparable dangerous if they start fighting in here, he saw Wu LaoDa and Ha DaBa pounce simultaneously, he dash forward and executed [Start Shifting Movement], in an instant the sabre chop towards Ha DaBa and the huge hammer smash towards Wu LaoDa, there is a violent ''Dang'' sound, sparks flew in all directions from the two weapons. Murong Fu flip his hand and push lightly on Bao BuTong''s shoulder, Bao BuTong was push a few zhang out, Murong Fu cupped his hands and said to Xu Zhu: "Sorry for the offense, we will take our leave now!" his body flash past, he is already at the entrance of the hall. Murong Fu saw the mechanism at the entrance just now, if the huge rock move to block the entrance then he will be trapped and slaughtered.


    Xu Zhu said quickly: "Gentleman please wait, its really....not my intention....i....." Murong Fu raised both his eyebrows, he turn around and said in a bright voice: "Sire feels that he is unequalled under the heaven, you wish to advice a few moves?" Xu Zhu shake his head repeatedly and said: "No...i don''t dare...." Murong Fu said: "I arrive without invitation, i am too bold, sire you simply must make us stay?" Xu Zhu shake his head and said: "No...no...its not it....sigh!"


    Murong Fu stood at the entrance, he look proudly at Xu Zu, the heroes from 36 Caves and 72 Islands, as well as Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Sword and the females from the nine divisions. The group of heroes and the females are all intimidated by his imposing manner, nobody dare to step forward to ask for a fight. After a long time, Murong Fu brush his sleeves and said: "Lets go!" he boldly step out of the entrance. Wang YuYan, Deng BaiChuan, etc, the five of them followed him.


    Wu LaoDa said furiously: "Honourable Master, if he leave Misty Peak alive, how can anyone of us hold our heads high? I invite Honourable Master to give us an order to intercept him." Xu Zhu shake his head and said: "Forget it. I....i really don''t understand, why he is so angry......" Wu LaoDa said: "Then subordinate will go and capture that Miss Wang." Xu Zhu quickly said: "No, no!"


    Wang YuYan saw Duan Yu have yet to leave the hall, she turn around and said: "Gentleman Duan, goodbye, see you again!"


    Duan Yu was shaken, his chest ached, his throat seems to be blocked, he reply with great difficulty: "Yes, good....bye. I....its better for me to follow you....." he saw her shadow gradually move far away, she did not turn back, Bao BuTong''s words kept echoing in his ear: "He said Miss Wang is attached to Gentleman Murong, he ask outsiders to give up, a toad wistful about eating swan meat. Correct, when Gentleman Murong step out of the hall, his manner awe-inspiring, the lofty spirit of a true hero! He neutralize the moves of two formidable opponents with a single move, such deep and profound martial arts! I am someone who don''t even have the strength to bind a chicken, i make a fool of myself everywhere i go, how can she even take note of me? When Miss Wang look at her cousin, its really full of love and adoration, as well as admiration, as well as affection, i.....i Duan Yu...i am merely a toad."


    Two people were stumped for words in the hall, Xu Zhu is preoccupied with doubts and suspicions, he scratch his head and hesitate, Duan Yu is listless and in low spirits, he is so sad that his soul left his body. The two of them stare at each other blankly.


    After a long time, Xu Zhu gave a long sigh. Duan Yu followed and gave a long sigh and said: "My dear friend, you and i suffer the same fate, this kind of bone-deep longing, how to free ourselves from it?" When Xu Zhu listen to him, he cannot help but blush deep red, he assume Duan Yu knew about his romantic encounter with his ''Dream Maiden'', he stammered: "Duan....Gentleman Duan, you....how you know about it?"


    Duan Yu said: "There isn''t a person who don''t like to look at a beautiful person. There isn''t a person who is not fond of pretty woman. Its human nature to love beauty. Moreover you and i are in the same situation, we can sympathize with each other, our regret is indefinite!" he gave another long sigh as he finish speaking. He assume that since Xu Zhu carried a portrait of Wang YuYan in his bosom then he is in the same situation as him, both of them deeply adore Wang YuYan, thus the previous conflict between Murong Fu and Xu Zhu is naturally for Wang YuYan, he said: "My dear friend, you achieve the apex of martial studies, but love is all about fate, no matter your literary talents or martial arts, it just won''t do if you don''t have fate."


    Xu Zhu mumbled: "Yes, for Buddhist a person is born into this world due to karma, everything is about fate....correct....fate...you can only meet but not seek it...yes, after parting, a sea of people, how to find her?" He is referring to his ''Dream Maiden'' but Duan Yu assume he is referring to Wang YuYan, both of them have their own foolish illogical view, unexpectedly the more they converse the more agreeable they become.


    The female servants of Vulture Palace arrange a banquet, Xu Zhu and Duan Yu are seated together side-by-side. The various Cave-masters and Island-masters are subordinates of Vulture Palace, naturally nobody dare to approach Xu Zhu and share the same banquet with him. Xu Zhu is not familiar with entertaining guests, since nobody approach him, he did not voice out to invite them, he only discuss with Duan Yu.


    Duan Yu is completely immerse in his adoration of Wang YuYan, he compliment her endlessly, he said her nature is sweet and gentle, her appearance beyond common beauty. Xu Zhu assume Duan Yu is complimenting his ''Dream Maiden'', he don''t dare to ask Duan Yu how he met her, he also did not inquire about the history of this maiden, however his heart is thumping madly, he pondered: "I thought that since Child Elder is dead, nobody will know the location of this lady, heaven took pity on me, unexpectedly Gentleman Duan knows her. But listening to his speech, he seems to admire her deeply, he long for her, if i tell him that i had previous encounter with her in an icehouse Gentleman Duan will undoubtedly be angry, he will leave the banquet and i will not be able to inquire about her anymore." He listen to Duan Yu''s compliments of the lady, it suits his intentions, he also chime in as well, his speech extremely sincere.


    Both of them talk about their own sweetheart, their speech intermixed with each other, but nobody mention the names of these two ladies, unexpectedly their speech connect flawlessly with each other. Xu Zhu said: "Gentleman Duan, for Buddhist a person is born into this world due to karma. The scripture says: ''Buddha says, life is born due to karma, they will also be extinguish due to karma.'' Ancestor Dharma says: ''All living things have no self, hardship and happiness is due to fate, if there is any pleasurable things then its constructed for a reason, you cannot seek to obtain it. Once fate is exhausted everything returns to nothing, where is the happiness?" Duan Yu said: "Yes! ''Gains and losses is due to fate, there is no increase or decrease!'' Be that as it may but i am a mortal, how can i reach the state of ''Gains and losses is due to fate, there is no increase or decrease.''?"


    Buddhist doctrine is widespread and prosperous in Dali, Duan Yu studied Buddhist texts since childhood, both of them, one quoted from <>, another quoted from <>, they console themselves yet hurt themselves, they understood each other regrets, fellow suffers empathize with each other. Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Sword took turns to come up and pour wine. Duan Yu drank a cup, Xu Zhu also drank a cup, they chatted till midnight. The group stood up to take their leave, the various females guide them to their resting place. Xu Zhu and Duan Yu are 80-90% drunk, yet they kept on talking and drinking endlessly.


    Previously Duan Yu and Xiao Feng compete wine outside the city of WuXi, Duan Yu use his internal energy to force the wine out through his fingertip, however currently he is using alcohol to drown out his sorrows, he is drinking wine for real, he said in a daze: "My dear friend, i have an elder sworn brother, surnamed Qiao named Feng, he is truly a great hero, brave and heroic, his martial arts and capacity for liquor matchless and without equal. My dear friend, if you meet him you will undoubtedly admire him as well, but its a pity he is not here if not the three of us can swear brotherhood together, it will truly be a joyous event."


    Xu Zhu never drink alcohol before, he relied completely on his exquisite internal energy and avoided alcohol intoxication, however his thoughts are fluttering around, he also became bold in his speech, initially he is reserved and timid, suddenly his heroic spirit burst forth, he said: "Gentleman Duan if....that...if you don''t look down upon me, the two of us will swear brotherhood first, in the future once we find elder brother Qiao Feng, we can swear brotherhood together again." Duan Yu is elated, he said: "Wonderful, wonderful! We will simply include elder brother Qiao when swearing brotherhood. Elder brother how old are you?"


    The two of them talk about their age, Xu Zhu is older by three years. Duan Yu shouted: "Second brother, please accept this salute from little brother!" he push away his chair and kowtow. Xu Zhu hastily return the courtesy, his knees soften and he fell forward.


    Duan Yu saw him tumbled, he quickly extended his hands to support, their internal energy inadvertently collide with each other, they felt each other''s internal energy is vigorous and abundant, they hastily restrain themselves. Currently Duan Yu is completely drunk, he stagger and stumble around, he can''t stand on his feet. Suddenly both of them burst into loud laughter, they embrace each other and fell onto the floor. Duan Yu said: "Second brother, little brother is not drunk, the two of us will drink another 100 cups!" Xu Zhu said: "I should accompany third brother and drink to our delight." Duan Yu said: "Life should be full of joy and happiness, not let the empty golden goblet face the moon, haha, we have to finish 300 cups!" The two of them became more and more muddled, eventually they became intoxicated and lost consciousness.

 Chapter - 39 Unable Resolve the Reins of Fame, Worry, Anger And Greed

    Xu Zhu woke up the next morning, he found himself sleeping on a warm and soft bed, he open his eyes and look outside the bed''s veil, he is resting in an enormous room, the room is spacious and empty, similar to the meditation room in Shaolin Temple, the furnishing in the room is ancient and elegant, copper cauldron and potteries, it is somewhat similar to the copper bell and iron stove of Shaolin Temple. Currently he is still in a daze, he is perplexed by the sight before him.


    A young maiden prop a porcelain bowl and arrive by his bedside, it is Orchid Sword, she said: "Owner, you woke up? Please rinse your mouth."


    Xu Zhu is still drunk from the previous night, a bitter taste lingered in his mouth, his throat parched and dry, upon seeing the glistening yellow tea in the bowl he picked it up and drank it, the liquid is sweet yet bitter, it does not taste like tea, with a ''Gudu Gudu'' sound he drank all of it cleanly. Throughout his entire life, when has he ever tasted ginseng soup? He did not know what kind of bitter tea it is, he laugh and said: "Many thanks to elder sister! I....i like to get out of bed now, elder sister please go out now!"


    Orchid Sword has yet to reply as another young maiden entered the room, it is Chrysanthemum Sword, she smile and said: "The two of us sisters will serve Owner and help you dress." She picked up a set of light green undergarment and underpants from the chair by the bedside and stuff it under Xu Zhu''s quilt.


    Xu Zhu is greatly embarrass, his entire face blush deep red, he said: "No, no, i....i don''t need elder sister to serve me. I am not injured or ill, i am merely drunk, sigh, i even broke the prohibition against wine. The scripture says: ''There are 36 losses in drinking wine''. It is best if i don''t drink any wine in the future. Where is third younger brother? Where is gentleman Duan? Where is he?"


    Orchid Sword purse her lips, she smile and said: "Gentleman Duan already went down the mountain. Before leaving he ordered servant to report to Owner, he invite Owner to meet together at Central Plains once everything is settled at Vulture Palace."


    Xu Zhu yell out: "Aiyo!" he said: "I still have some things to ask him, how come he left?" He is anxious and leap up from the bed, he wanted to chase after Duan Yu and inquire about the name and dwelling place of his "Dream Maiden", unexpectedly he found himself dressed in clean white underpants, he cried out in surprise and pull up his quilt to cover his body, he said: "How come my clothe is changed?" The underpants he wore out of Shaolin Temple is made of coarse fabric, he wore it for over half a year and it is unbearably filthy and tattered, the one he is wearing now is light and soft, he don''t know if it is damask or satin, but nevertheless it is still a precious underpants.


    Chrysanthemum Sword smile and said: "Owner was intoxicated last night, we four sisters help Owner to bathe and change clothes, Owner is not aware of it?"


    Xu Zhu had a huge shock, he raise his head and look at Orchid Sword and Chrysanthemum Sword, they are pretty like a jade, their smiling face surpass a booming flower, he cannot help it as his heart thumped around madly, he stretch out his arm, the undergarment slide off his arm and exposed his faint red skin, evidently the filth and dirt he accumulated had all been wash off cleanly, but he still harbored a thin ray of hope, he force a smile and said: "I am indeed muddled from my intoxication, fortunately i am still able to take a bathe by myself." Orchid Sword smile and said: "Owner could not move at all last night, we four sisters help Owner to bathe." Xu Zhu cried out loudly in surprise, he almost fainted, he drop to the ground and cried out repeated: "Terrible, terrible!"


    Orchid Sword and Chrysanthemum Sword was frighten by him as well, they ask in unison: "Owner, what''s wrong?" Xu Zhu force a bitter laugh and said: "I am a man, in the presence of you four sisters....completely naked, isn''t it.....isn''t it extremely terrible? Moreover my entire body is covered with dirt, it is filthy and smelly, how can i involve you sisters in doing such sordid affairs?" Orchid Sword said: "We four sisters are Owner''s slave, it is only rightful even if our bodies are torn and bones crushed, slave servant made a mistake, Owner please punish us." as she finish speaking, she and Chrysanthemum Sword prostrate themselves simultaneously.


    Xu Zhu saw their expression of great fear, he recalled Grandma Yu, Sister Shi, etc, he treated them with due respect but they were so frightened that their bodies trembled, he presume Orchid Sword and Chrysanthemum Sword are accustomed to Child Elder''s manner of speech, so long as her words are somewhat warm, her expression soft and tender, a kill will follow closely right away, he quickly said: "Two sisters....en, both of you get up quickly, go out, i will dress myself, no need for you to serve me." Orchid and Chrysanthemum Sword got up, their eyes brimming with tears, they move backwards while going out. Xu Zhu was baffled, he ask: "I....did i offend both of you? Why are you unhappy, your eyes brimming with tears? I am afraid i might have said something wrong, this...."


    Chrysanthemum Sword said: "Owner want us to go out, we are not allowed to help Owner wear clothes and wash, surely you loathe and dislike us...." while speaking tears roll down her eyes. Xu Zhu wave his hands repeatedly and said: "No, no. Sigh, i am a man, all of you are women, it is....it is not too convenient...there is really no other intentions...Buddha is watching, monks cannot tell lies, i won''t lie to you."


    Orchid and Chrysanthemum Sword watch him gesticulate while talking, he is really anxious, he is extremely sincere and honest, their grief turn into happiness, they said in unison: "Owner please don''t take offense. No man has ever reside in Vulture Palace before, we have never seen a man before. Owner you are the sky, we slave servants are the ground, how can there be a difference in male and female?" Both of them move closer, they help Xu Zhu wear his clothes and shoes. Soon after, Plum Sword and Bamboo Sword also entered the room, one of them help him comb his hair, the other wash his face. Xu Zhu is so frighten that he don''t dare to speak, his expression deathly pale, his heart thumped madly, he allowed the four sisters to serve him, he don''t dare to mention anything about forbidding them to serve him anymore.


    He presume Duan Yu must be at a remote distance already, he cannot chase after him, he recalled the ''Life-death talisman'' have yet to be remove from the bodies of the various Island-Masters and Cave-Masters, he cannot leave abruptly, after finishing his breakfast he arrive at the hall and meet up with the crowd of heroes, he remove the ''Life-death talisman'' from two person who suffered the most severe pain.


    ***********


    Removal of ''Life-death talisman'' requires the use of inner power and [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain], Xu Zhu''s internal energy is abundant and vigorous, he remove the ''Life-death talisman'' from 10 people in succession, yet he was neither tired nor exhausted, however the ''Life-death talisman'' planted by Child Elder on each person is unique in it is location and use of inner power, Xu Zhu''s method of removal is fine and meticulous, however he is still troubled by the difficulty. His knowledge on the various meridian channels and acupoint is extremely shallow, he don''t dare to act rashly, any mistakes would inevitably endanger his patients. Till noon, unexpectedly he only manage to treat four people. After having his lunch he had very little rest.


    Plum Sword saw him wrinkled his brows, he is contemplating the method to removing ''Life-death talisman'', he is quite troubled, she said: "Owner, inside the grotto in the rear hall of Vulture Palace, there are images engraved on the stone wall, left behind several hundred years ago by the former Owner, servant heard granny mention it before, these images are related to the ''Life-death talisman'', Owner why don''t you go take a look?" Xu Zhu said happily: "Very good!"


    At once Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Sword, four pretty women guide Xu Zhu and arrive at the garden, they activated some mechanism and move away a rockery, revealing an entrance to a tunnel, Plum Sword lifted a torch and led the way, five of them move in a single file and entered. During the journey, Plum Sword constantly manipulated various hidden mechanisms, this is to prevent setting off the concealed weapons and booby-traps. The tunnel is winding and complicated, it spiral downwards, suddenly it open up wide, revealing a gigantic grotto, clearly the tunnel is constructed in accordance with the natural cave. Xu Zhu pondered: "They said the grotto contain images left behind several hundred years ago by the former Owner, the architecture of these tunnel and grotto is magnificent, it require at least 10 years of work, consuming massive resources and manpower, it is simply beyond the capabilities of these grannies and sisters of Vulture Palace, most likely the grotto is left behind by the former Owner as well."


    Bamboo Sword said: "When those flunkies attacked the Palace, the sisters from Great Heaven Division got captured, we four sisters are unable to resist the enemy and escaped here to hide, we hope to wait till dusk before attempting to rescue people." Orchid Sword said: "Actually it is just our modest intentions to repay granny. If Owner did not arrive, we will inevitably die by the hands of those flunkies."


    After travelling for 2 li, Plum Sword stretch out her hand and push away a rock on the left side, she stood to the side and said: "Owner please enter, this is the stone room, slave servants don''t dare to enter." Xu Zhu said: "Why you don''t dare to enter? It is dangerous inside?" Plum Sword said: "There is no danger. This room is an important place, slave servants don''t dare to enter without authority." Xu Zhu said: "Let''s us go in together, what is so important? The outside tunnel is so narrow, it is uncomfortable to stand here." The four sisters look at each other, they are pleasantly surprised.


    Plum Sword said: "Before granny became an immortal, she told us, if we four sisters serve her faithfully and not commit any sins, and if we practice our skills diligently, then when we reach the age of forty, she will permit us to come to this stone cave yearly to study the martial arts on the rock wall. Even if Owner bestow great kindness upon us, without abolishing the promise made by granny, then we still have to wait another 23 years." Xu Zhu said: "Wait for another 23 years, won''t you be stifled by the boredom? At that time all of you will be old, learn martial arts for what? Let us go in together!" The four sisters are exhilarated, at once they lie prostrate and kowtow. Xu Zhu said: "Please get up, please get up! This place is narrow, if i kneel down to return the greeting we will cram into a lump."


    Five of them entered the stone room, the four rock walls are polished till gloss, countless circles are carved onto the walls, various figures and pictures are carved within the circles, some look like beast and animals, while some are badly damaged writings, some are seals and lines, beside the circles are annotations "Rank 1", "Rank 2", "Grade 1", "Grade 2", etc, if the number of circles does not exceed a thousand, it is at least eight to nine hundred, how can one finish looking through all of it within a short period of time?


    Bamboo Sword said: "Let us look at the Rank 1 diagrams, Owner do you agree?" Xu Zhu nod his head in agreement. The five of them raise their torch and scrutinize the "Rank 1" circles, Xu Zhu gave a glance and immediately recognize the drawings within the circles as the first stance of [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain], he said: "This is [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountains]" he look at the Rank 2 drawings, sure enough it is the second stance of [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain], he look at the diagrams in succession, after finishing [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain] the next drawing is [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain], the various secrets and wondrous techniques imparted by Child Elder at the imperial palace of Western Xia, all of them are noted inside the circle without exception.


    As for the martial arts depicted on the stone wall after [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain], Xu Zhu have yet to learn them. He followed the diagrams and channel his internal energy, he merely learnt a few moves and his body became as light as a feather and rise up, however there seems to be some minor mistake as he was unable to lift off the ground.


    Just as he was about to concentrate and regulate his breathing to think through the diagram again, he heard two cries of "Ah" "Ah". Xu Zhu was startled and turn his head around, he saw the bodies of Orchid Sword and Bamboo Sword sway, immediately afterwards they collapsed. Plum Sword and Chrysanthemum Sword are supporting themselves with their hands on the stone wall, their countenance undergo a huge change, they are on the verge of collapse. Xu Zhu quickly support Orchid Sword and Bamboo Sword, he said in alarm: "What happen?" Plum Sword said: "Own....Owner, our internal energy is lacking, we cannot look.....look at the diagrams here...we...we will wait upon you outside." The four sisters support themselves off the stone wall and slowly walk out of the stone room.


    Xu Zhu stood dumbstruck for a while before following them out, he saw the four sisters sitting down with their legs crossed, they are regulating their internal energy, their bodies trembling, their face revealed pain and suffering. Xu Zhu knew they suffered serious internal injuries, at once he executed his [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain], he pat the acupoints on their back lightly. A burst of profound energy penetrate into their bodies, the complexions of the four sisters became gentle immediately, soon after they open their eyes one after another and call out: "Many thanks to Owner for consuming your internal energy to treat slave servants." They turn over and prostrate on the ground, they kowtow to give thanks. Xu Zhu quickly stretch out his hands to help them up, he said: "What...what happen? You all are perfectly fine, how come you sustain injuries for no reason and nearly fainted?"


    Plum Sword gave a sigh and said: "Owner, previously granny want us to wait till the age of forty, only then can we come here yearly for a single day to look at the drawings, as it turns out there is much profound meaning behind her intentions. The martial arts on the drawings are simply too profound, slave servants overestimated our capabilities, we followed the directions given by the "Rank 1" drawings, our internal energy is inadequate and instantly diverted into our meridians channels. If Owner did not rescue us, i am afraid we four sisters will be paralyzed forever." Orchid Sword said: "Granny had high expectations for us, she hope that once we reach the age of forty, we can study this high-level martial arts, however....however slave servants natural aptitude is ordinary, even if we train for another 20 to 30 years, we don''t dare to enter this stone room again."


    Xu Zhu said: "So it is, then it is my fault, i should not insist on asking you all to go in." The four Swords prostrate themselves to ask for forgiveness again, they said in unison: "Owner how can you say such a thing? Owner is benevolent, slave servants are to be blame for being arrogant and reckless."


    Chrysanthemum Sword said: "Owner''s internal energy is deep and profound, you will gain enormous benefit is if you practice these profound martial arts. Very often, granny will stay inside the cave for a few months and not come out at all, she will rack her brains to study the drawings on the stone wall." Plum Sword said: " 36 Caves and 72 Islands, those flunkies interrogated our sisters from Great Heaven Division, they wanted to know the location of granny''s hidden treasure. Our sisters rather die than submit. Originally we four sisters thought of luring them into the tunnel, activate the trap mechanisms and annihilate every single one of them, however we feared there might be some trap-disarming experts among them, it would be disastrous if they manage to break into the stone cave and look at the drawings on the wall. In hindsight, it would be better to let them come in here."


    Xu Zhu nod his head and said: "Indeed, if a person with insufficient internal energy sees these drawings, then the damage is much more serious than any kind of poison or weapons, luckily they did not come in here." Orchid Sword smiled and said: "Owner is truly kind, in my opinion, it would really entertaining if all of them die while practicing the martial arts."


    Xu Zhu said: "I practiced a few moves, i felt vigorous and spirited, internal energy abundant, i will go and remove a few ''Life-death talisman'' from them. All of you lie down and rest for a while." Five of them exit the tunnel, Xu Zhu return back to the main hall and remove the ''Life-death talisman'' from 3 people."


    Hereafter, Xu Zhu remove the ''Life-death talisman'' from the crowd of people daily, when he feels tired he will simply go to the stone cave and practice high-level martial arts from the stone walls. The four sisters kept watch outside, they don''t dare to step inside anymore. In his leisure time, Xu Zhu also instruct the four sisters and the 9 Divisions in martial arts.


    Xu Zhu spent a total of 20 days before he manage to remove all the ''Life-death talisman'' from the crowd of heroes, in addition, Xu Zhu studied the drawings on the stone wall intensively every day, compared to his state when he first went up Misty Peak, he made tremendous progress in both internal energy and martial arts.


    Previously, the crowd of heroes were subdued and force to serve Child Elder, various kinds of ''Life-death talisman'' were planted on their bodies for the sole reason of controlling them, thus they have no choice but to comply, currently the Master of Vulture Palace has change, Xu Zhu treat others with sincerity, courtesy and respect, he also remove the pain and suffering from each and everyone, although the crowd of heroes are arrogant and cruel people but they still know how to give their thanks, they sincerely pledged their life and loyalty, they paid their respects one by one, give thanks and left.


    When all the Cave-Masters and Island-Masters left, Xu Zhu is the only man left on Misty Peak. He pondered inwardly: "I am orphaned since childhood, i was brought up by the Masters in Shaolin Temple, i will be too ungrateful if i did not return back to Shaolin. I must return back to the Temple and receive punishment from the abbot and my master, only then will it be reasonable." At once he explained his reasoning to the four sisters and the 9 Divisions, he have to leave the mountain the next day, all the affairs in Vulture Palace will be handled by the chiefs of the 9 Divisions, Grandma Yu, Fu MinYi, etc.


    The four sisters expressed their desire to follow, Xu Zhu said: "I will go back to Shaolin Temple to become a monk again. Where is the logic in having servant girls serving a monk?" He repeat over and over again, but the four sisters simply refuse to agree. Xu Zhu picked up a razor and shave off all the hairs on his head cleanly, the four sisters had no choice but to see him off down the mountain along with the 9 Divisions, they shed tears as they parted with him.


    ***************


    Xu Zhu change into his former monk attire, he took large strides and headed east to Songshan (Mt Song). Base on his natural temperament, he will never provoke bystanders on the journey, moreover with such worn out monk clothes, robbers and wicked people will never have any evil intentions towards him. He remain silent throughout the journey and arrive safely at Shaolin Temple.


    Upon seeing the yellow roof tile of Shaolin Temple again, Xu Zhu was deeply moved yet ashamed, he left for several months and violated quite a few monastic rules and disciples, prohibitions against killing, lascivious act, non-vegetarian food, wine, he committed all the "Parajika Offence", he did not know if the abbot will forgive him and allow him to return to Shaolin Temple.


    He is anxious and worried, as he entered the main gate he immediately went to pay respect to his Master HuiLun. HuiLun saw him return, he is startled yet elated, he ask: "The abbot commission you to deliver letters, how come you only manage to return now?"


    Xu Zhu lie prostrate on the ground, his pain and regret endless, he burst into tears and said: "Master, disciple....disciple deserve to die, when i left the mountain, i was indecisive, Master.....Master''s instruction, i....i did not abide by them." HuiLun countenance changed, he ask: "What....what? You ate meat and fish?" Xu Zhu said: "Yes, but it is more than just meat and fish." HuiLun reprimanded him: "Damn it, damn it! You....you drank wine?" Xu Zhu said: "Not only did disciple drink wine, i was completely drunk." HuiLun gave a sigh, two stream of tears flow down his cheek, he said: "Ever since childhood you are honest and considerate, how come once you step into the fanciful world, unexpectedly you fall into such sinful state, *cough* *cough*...." Xu Zhu saw his Master is grieving, he is even more terrified, he said: "Master, the rules violated by disciple is more serious than just these, i even....even violate......" he did not get the chance to mention murder and lascivious acts as the bell echoed, for every two short sound, a pause will follow, the bell is a signal summoning all the ''Hui'' generation monks.


    HuiLun wipe his tears and got up, he said: "You broke too much rules, i am unable to protect you. You....you....just go to the Discipline Courtyard and volunteer to receive punishment! Even i am greatly at fault now. Alas, this....." and he left hurriedly.


    Xu Zhu arrive at the Discipline Courtyard, he bow and reported: "Disciple Xu Zhu violated Buddhist''s discipline, i earnest ask law enforcement elder to grant punishment." he repeated twice, a middle-age monk came out from the courtyard and said coldly: "The head-monk and law enforcement uncle have some matters, they have no time to listen to you, just kneel here and wait!" Xu Zhu said: "Yes!" he knelt from noon till dusk, unexpectedly nobody paid any attention to him. Fortunately Xu Zhu possess deep and profound internal energy, although he did not eat or drink for half a day, but nothing happen to him and he was not tired at all.


    He heard the evening drum echoed, the night class in the temple has ended, Xu Zhu recited Buddhist scripture in low voice to repent his mistake. The middle-age monk came over and said: "Xu Zhu, there are some major event in the temple for the past few days, the elders have no time to settle your affair. I saw you kneeling for a long time and reciting scriptures, it seems you are indeed sincere in repenting. Let''s do it this way, go to the vegetable garden and carry manure and water the vegetables, quietly wait for instructions. When the elders have time they will summon you to ask for an explanation, they will punish you according to the severity of your mistake." Xu Zhu said respectfully: "Yes, many thanks for your mercy." he press his palm together to salute, he got up and thought to himself: "They did not immediately expel me out of the temple, it seems there is still some hope." he felt somewhat comforted.


    He walk to the vegetable garden and said to the monk in-charge of the garden: "Senior martial brother, junior monk Xu Zhu violated Buddhist''s discipline, martial uncle from Discipline Courtyard send me to carry manure and water vegetables as punishment."


    The monk in-charge is named YuanGen, he did not become a monk at Shaolin Temple, thus he did not follow generation ranking of "Xuan Hui Xu Kong". His natural aptitude is mediocre, he can''t comprehend the meaning of Buddhist scriptures and he did not make much progress in martial arts, his fond of meddling in trivial matters. The vegetable garden is around 13 hectares, he directed around 30-40 long term workers, it is somewhat awe-inspiring, since a monk came from Discipline Courtyard to receive his punishment at the vegetable garden he felt it is a good time to flaunt his awe-inspiring authority. As he listen to Xu Zhu''s words, he felt extremely happy and ask: "What rules did you violate?" Xu Zhu said: "Many rules, it is hard to explain in a few words." YuanGen said angrily: "What hard to explain in a few words? I order you to tell me honestly and clearly. Not to mention that you are just a junior monk without any position, even for the head-monk of Dharma Courtyard or LuoHan Hall, if they violate any rules as long as they are sent to the vegetable garden for punishment i will also ask for the truth, who dares to not reply? Looking at your appearance, your face is red and white, you must have consumed meat and fish, correct or wrong?"


    Xu Zhu said: "Precisely." YuanGen said: "Humph, see, i can tell with just one glance. Maybe you drank some wine in secret as well, don''t try to deny, it is not so easy to conceal the truth from me." Xu Zhu said: "Precisely, junior monk was completely drunk and lost consciousness." YuanGen laugh, he click his tongue and said: "Truly outrageous and bold, hei hei, after drinking your fill of wine you must be hyperactive and uncontrollable, this sex is emptiness, emptiness is sex, naturally you will not notice of it anymore. In your mind you must be thinking of women, correct? Not only once, you must have thought of women at least 7 to 8 times, you dare to admit or not?" his tone is extremely strict.


    Xu Zhu sigh and said: "How can junior monk tell lies in front of senior martial brother? Not only did i thought of it, but i also commit lascivious acts as well."


    YuanGen was startled yet excited, he pointed his finger and rain curses: "Little monk you are simply too brazen, you dare to ruin the reputation of Shaolin Temple. Other that lascivious acts, what crimes did you commit? Did you steal something? Stole others property? Fought with others, quarrel with others?"


    Xu Zhu lowered his head and said: "Junior monk killed someone and it is more than just one."


    YuanGen had a huge shock, his complexion changed, he move back 3 steps, he heard Xu Zhu mention that he killed more than one person, he is trembling with fear, he is afraid Xu Zhu''s violent nature will flare up and most likely he won''t be a match, he composed himself, he smile and said: "The martial arts of our temple is number one under the heaven, while training martial arts it is unavoidable that you will injure someone, junior martial brother''s martial arts must naturally be exceptional."


    Xu Zhu said: "Really ashamed, the martial arts of our sect was completely stripped off from me, currently none remain."


    YuanGen was excited, he said: "Very good, very good! Extremely good, wonderful!" when he heard Xu Zhu''s martial arts was stripped off, he assumed Xu Zhu must have committed too much sin and the temple elders crippled his martial arts, at once his complexion turn back to normal. However he is having second thoughts: "Although his martial art is crippled, but if just a bit remain he might still be difficult to deal with." He said: "Martial brother, it is really good that you are repenting by coming to work in the vegetable garden. However we have a custom here, whoever breaks the monastic rules, monks with hands stained with blood, they have to put on leg-irons and handcuffs while working. This custom is pass down by our ancestors, martial brother are you willing to abide by it? If you refuse then i will just report to the Discipline Courtyard accordingly." Xu Zhu said: "Since this is the custom, then naturally junior monk will comply."


    YuanGen secretly rejoice, he took out steel shackles and leg-irons and put it on Xu Zhu. Shaolin Temple study and impart martial arts for several hundred years, it is unavoidable there might be unworthy monks who commit wicked crimes and quite often, they possess extremely high martial arts, it is not easy to subdue these monks, thus the Discipline Courtyard, Repentance Courtyard, vegetables garden and various parts of the temple are equipped with steel shackles and leg irons. YuanGen saw Xu Zhu put on the shackles and leg-irons, his worries are put to rest and he rebuked: "Treacherous monk, look at your young age, unexpectedly you are so daring and brazen, you broke every single monastic rules and discipline. How can i rid the anger in my heart if i don''t punish you heavily today?" He broke off a branch and blindly lash it at Xu Zhu''s head.


    Xu Zhu restrain himself, he dare not use his internal energy to resist, he permit YuanGen to whip him, in a short period of time his entire face was bleeding. He chanted Buddhist scriptures continuously, his face did not reveal the slightest bit of dissatisfaction.


    YuanGen saw that Xu Zhu did not dodge or plea, he thought: "This monk truly lost all his martial arts, i can disgrace him further." as he thought about the lavish meals eaten by Xu Zhu, the pleasures of wine, he lived for forty years but he did not get the chance to taste such things, jealousy surge forth and he became even more heavy-handed in his beating, he broke 3 branches in succession, finally he gave up and rebuke fiercely: "Carry 100 buckets of manure everyday to water the vegetables, if you miss out 1 bucket i will use hard tablet and iron rod to break your legs."


    Xu Zhu endured the harsh beatings, however his mind was at peace, he pondered: "I broke many rules, i should shoulder heavy responsibility, if the punishment is heavy then my sins will be dispelled more." he replied respectfully: "Yes!" he walk towards the porch and carried the manure bucket, he gathered manure and water to irrigate the vegetable plot. Watering of vegetables ladle by ladle requires delicate effort, Xu Zhu was not negligent at all, he distributed water evenly and meticulously, he manage to finish 100 buckets by late night before going to sleep in the firewood shed.


    On the second day, the sky had not yet turn bright when YuanGen came over to punch and kick him awake, he abused him: " Treacherous monk, lazy baldy! It is broad daylight now, you still sleeping here, quickly go chop the firewoods." Xu Zhu said: "Yes!" he did not protest as he chop the firewoods. This went on for a few days, chopping of firewood in the day, watering vegetables at night, he endured harsh torture, his entire body riddled with scars as he suffered several hundred lashings.


    On an early morning, Xu Zhu was chopping firewood, YuanGen move towards him, he laugh happily and said: "Senior martial brother, thanks for your trouble!" he took out a key and unlock Xu Zhu''s shackles and leg-iron. Xu Zhu said: "It is no trouble at all." as he raise the axe to chop firewood, YuanGen said: "Senior martial brother, no need to chop firewood anymore, please go in the house and have some food. Junior monk offended you for the past few days, i truly deserve death, senior martial brother please forgive me."


    Xu Zhu notice a huge change in YuanGen''s manner of speech, he was flabbergasted, he raise his head, YuanGen''s nose and eyes are swollen, obviously he was beaten by someone, Xu Zhu was even more baffled. YuanGen said with a pained expression: "Junior monk have eyes but failed to recognize an important figure, i offended senior martial brother, senior martial brother if you refuse to forgive me, then i.....i....i will face great catastrophe." Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk reap what he has sown, senior martial brother you are correct in punishing me."


    YuanGen countenance changed, he lifted his hands, ''Pa Pa Pa Pa'', he slap his hands in quick succession, he slap himself heavily four times and said: "Senior martial brother, senior martial brother, please do a good deed, a great person does not remember the offense committed by others, i.....i...." while speaking there is another ''Pa Pa'' sound, he slap his cheek again. Xu Zhu found it weird and inquired: "Senior martial brother, what is the intention behind your action?"


    YuanGen''s knees soften, he knelt down, tug Xu Zhu''s garment and said: "If senior martial brother refuse to forgive me, i.....i won''t be able to keep my eyes." Xu Zhu said: "I really don''t understand what you are saying." YuanGen said: "As long as senior martial brother forgive me, don''t dig out my eyes, junior monk is willing to become cow or horse in my next life to repay your great kindness." Xu Zhu said: "Senior martial brother what are you saying? When did i say i want to dig out your eyes?" YuanGen''s expression is ashen, he said: "Since senior martial brother refuse to forgive me, junior monk have no choice but to give up my eyes." he extended two fingers and pierce it towards his eyes.


    Xu Zhu held out his hands to grab YuanGen''s wrist and said: "Who force you to dig out your eyeballs?" YuanGen''s forehead is full of perspiration, his voice trembling: "I...i don''t dare to say, if i say it, they....they will kill me immediately." Xu Zhu said: "Is it the abbot?" YuanGen said: "No." Xu Zhu inquired again: "The head-monk of Damo Courtyard? The head-monk of LuoHan Hall? The head-monk Discipline Courtyard?" YuanGen said no repeatedly, he said: "Senior martial brother, i don''t dare to say it, i only beg for your forgiveness. They told me, if i want to keep my eyeballs, you have to agree to forgive me." as he finish speaking he secretly glance towards his side, a fearful expression across his entire face.


    Xu Zhu followed his gaze, he saw four monks sitting at the porch, they are dressed in gray monk robe and wore gray monk hat, they are facing inward, Xu Zhu cannot see their appearance. He pondered: "Could it be these four senior martial brothers? Maybe they are dispatched by some important figure from the temple to punish YuanGen for acting without permission in abusing monks sent here for punishment." Xu Zhu said: "I don''t blame senior martial brother, i had long forgiven you." YuanGen was overjoyed, at once he knelt down and kowtow, Xu Zhu hastily knelt down to return the courtesy and said: "Senior martial brother please get up."


    YuanGen got up, he respectfully invited Xu Zhu into the dining hall and personally pour tea and serve food, he is very polite in his service. Xu Zhu could not refuse, if he did not permit YuanGen to serve him, YuanGen would appear as if he is about to encounter huge disaster, thus he simply let him be.


    YuanGen said in a low voice: "Senior martial brother, do you want to drink wine? Do you want to eat dog meat? I will go prepare it for senior martial brother." Xu Zhu said in alarm: " Amituofo, sin, sin, how can this be done?" YuanGen gave a wink and said: "Junior monk will bear all the blame. I will go prepare and let senior martial brother enjoy." Xu Zhu wave his hands and said: "No, no! Absolutely not!"


    YuanGen laugh and said: "If senior martial brother feels that the temple is lacking in amusement, there is no harm in going down the mountain, if the Discipline Courtyard inquires, junior monk will tell them i dispatch senior martial brother to buy vegetable seeds, i will cover up the truth, don''t worry." Xu Zhu feels that YuanGen is getting more and more outrageous in his speech, he shake his head and said: "Junior monk sincerely repent for his past mistakes, i don''t dare to violate any monastic discipline anymore. Senior martial brother please don''t say such words anymore."


    YuanGen said: "Yes." but his expression is full of doubt, it seems he wanted to say: "Hypocrite monk who indulge in meat and wine, what is your intention in pretending?" but he don''t dare to voice it out, after serving vegetarian food he invited Xu Zhu to his own room to rest. This went on for a few days, YuanGen did his utmost to serve Xu Zhu, not lacking in the slightest bit of respect.


    ***********


    This day, Xu Zhu finish his breakfast, YuanGen brewed a pot of tea and said: "Senior martial brother, please have some tea." Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk is waiting for punishment, senior martial brother you are so polite, junior monk really don''t deserve it." he stood up and take over the teapot with his pair of hands.


    Suddenly he heard loud ''Tang Tang'' sound from the bell, it is continuous, it is a signal summoning all the monks in the temple. Other than the birthday of Buddha or ancestor Damo, the temple rarely summon all the monks. YuanGen was somewhat baffled, he said: "The abbot is summoning everyone, let us go to the Great Hall of Strength." Xu Zhu said: "Precisely." They accompanied 10 over monks from the vegetable garden and hurriedly rush to the Great Hall of Strength.


    Over 200 monks had gathered at the hall already, yet the remaining monks still came in unceasingly. In a short period of time, over 1000 monks from the temple had gathered at the hall, everyone arrange themselves according to generation ranking, although the number is huge, but everyone is extremely quiet.


    Xu Zhu line-up with the ''Xu'' generation monks, he saw the expression of all senior monks are solemn, he is worried: "Could it be my crime is too serious, thus the abbot gathered everyone to punish me heavily? Looking at this situation, it seems they want to expel me from the temple, what should i do?" As he was feeling apprehensive he heard the bell ring 3 times, all the monks call out simultaneously: "Namo Shijia Rulai Buddha!"


    Abbot XuanCi and the other 6 ''Xuan'' generation senior monks, along with another 6 monks, they stroll out from the rear hall. All the monks in the hall bow simultaneously, the Xuan generation monks and the 6 monks pay homage to the Buddha statue in the hall before sitting down.


    Xu Zhu raise his head, he recognize the 6 ''Xuan'' generation senior monks: XuanDu, XuanJi, XuanZhi, XuanYin, XuanGou, XuanShi, in addition another 6 monks are seated at the front, these 6 monks are quite old, their robes different from those from Shaolin Temple, clearly they are guest monks from another monastery. Seated at the prime-seat is a monk roughly around 70 years of age, his figure short and small, his eyes bright and full of expression, he exudes an imposing aura.


    XuanCi said in a bright voice: "This is abbot ShenShan Elder from Mount Wutai''s Refreshing Temple, everyone please pay your respect." when everyone heard it they trembled, they bow to salute ShenShan Elder. Everyone knew the glorious reputation of ShenShan Elder in the martial arts fraternity, along with master XuanCi, both of them are known as "Twin LuoHan Subduing Dragon and Tiger", it is said that his martial arts is almost on par with abbot XuanCi. However, Refreshing Temple is of a much smaller scale, its standings in the martial arts fraternity cannot be compared with Shaolin, thus ShenShan Elder''s prestige is inferior to XuanCi, everyone thought: "It is said that ShenShan Elder view himself highly, he rarely get involve with ongoings in the martial arts fraternity, all along he did not have any relationship with our temple, today he came here personally, what is his purpose?"


    XuanCi held out his hands at the remaining 5 monks, one by one he introduce them and said: "This is Kaifeng''s Daxiangguo Temple Master GuanXin, this is Jiangnan''s Pudu Temple Master DaoQing, this is Lushan''s DongLin Temple Master JueXian, this is Changan''s Jingying Temple Master Rongzhi, this is Mount Wutai''s Refreshing Temple Master ShenYin, he is ShenShan Elder''s junior martial brother." Master GuanXin and the other 3 monks came from ancient temples sited at famous mountains, however Daxiangguo Temple, Pudu Temple, etc, they have always focus more on Buddhist doctrines and less on martial arts, although these four monks are immensely well-known in the martial arts fratenity, but their position in their own temple is not high. All the monks from Shaolin Temple bow in respect, Master GuanXin and the rest stood up to return the greeting.


    XuanCi said: "These six masters have attained deep cultivations in Buddhist doctrine. Today they arrive together, it is truly a major honour for our temple, thus i gathered everyone here to meet them. We long for six masters to expound Buddhist teachings, so that everyone may benefit from their advice."


    ShenShan Elder said: "I don''t deserve your praise!" his figure is short and small, unexpectedly his voice is strangely loud, everyone cannot help but be startled, but he did not purposely shout or yell, he also did not use internal energy to deliberately excite a person''s soul, his voice is naturally loud and resounding. He continued: "Junior monk long admire the stately temple of Shaolin, 60 years ago i arrive here to seek monkhood, but i was rejected. 60 years later i came back again, the walls and roof tiles are the same as before, but the ways of life are no longer the same, lamentable, lamentable!"


    Everyone''s heart was shaken by his words, the few sentence from him are rather hostile, could it be he came here to carry out a personal vendetta against Shaolin?


    XuanCi said: "As it turns out, senior martial brother previously came to Shaolin to become a monk. All temples under the heaven are from the same family, senior martial brother currently preside over Refreshing Temple, all Buddhist, without exception admire you very much. At that time Shaolin temple did not dare to admit membership and offended senior martial brother, junior monk respectfully offer his apologies. But as a result senior martial brother wound up in a better place, propagating Buddhist teachings to the masses, it is really a great achievement and virtue. Things that happen in the past, it may be due to predestined relationship in the future." as he finish speaking he put his palms together and made a deep bow.


    ShenShan Elder put his palms together to return the greeting and said: "At that time junior monk came to your precious temple to seek monkhood, admittedly it is because i admire Shaolin''s dominance in the martial arts fraternity for over a century, the origin of martial arts, but more importantly, it is said that Shaolin Temple has strict monastic discipline and deal with things fairly." suddenly he flip his eyes, he raised his head and look at the golden statue of Buddha and said coldly: "Reality does not live up to it is name. If i had foreknowledge, junior monk would not have made the trip to Shaolin during that time."


    The crowd of over thousand Shaolin monks change countenance together, but because Shaolin has strict monastic discipline, they did not voice out their anger.


    Abbot XuanCi said: "Senior martial brother where do these words stem from? If my humble temple did any ridiculous things, i invite senior martial brother to clarify. The guilty will be punished, those who erred must correct themselves. Senior martial brother has smeared the clean reputation of Shaolin which has lasted several centuries, it is really a bit too much." ShenShan Elder said: "May i ask abbot senior, Shaolin has numerous disciples all over the world, whether their martial art is strong or weak, do they have to abide by the righteousness and justice of martial arts practitioners, they cannot use their strength to bully the weak?"


    XuanCi said: "Naturally, the disciples of your precious temple must certainly be the same as well."


    ShenShan Elder gaze at the statue of Rulai and said: "Buddha is above us, telling lies, it is a serious offence for Buddhist!" he turn his head and said to XuanCi: "Roaming around the country, you see Shaolin disciples everywhere. My Refreshing Temple is small, the daily matters of our monk is focused on studying Buddhist doctrines, meditation, our martial art is really far off and cannot be compared against Shaolin Temple. Disciples who exit Refreshing Temple and become laymen, although their numbers are small, but all of them maintain the strict disciplines of my humble temple, they don''t dare to harm the innocent, they do not kill or steal. Shaolin has numerous disciples, it is hard to avoid having good and bad people intermixed together, your monastic disciple fall into disarray, what a pity, what a pity! Lamentable, lamentable!" he shakes his head repeatedly while speaking.


    The crowd of Shaolin monks, without exception all of them became angry. Xu Zhu heard ShenShan Elder criticize Shaolin''s disciples as "Good and bad people intermixed, monastic disciplines fall into disarray", he assume ShenShan Elder is criticizing him for violating the rules against eating meat, lascivious acts, murder, etc, he was so frighten that his heart thumped madly, if the abbot is to investigate, he must definitely confess all his mistakes, he cannot conceal the truth or else he would break another precept against telling lies.


    XuanCi said: "May i ask senior martial brother, what is the circumstance? I invite senior martial brother to present concrete evidence, my humble temple will naturally spare no effort to investigate fully."


    ShenShan Elder gave a long sigh and said: "Senior martial brother you are busy with major events in the temple, if it is just some small matter that you overlook, then it is still pardonable. But this matter happen for a long time already, the skeleton of the victim had long turn cold, words of it abuzz all over the world, the feeling of the masses at boiling point, but you precious school turn a blind eye to it, deliberately ignoring the matter, could it be you are conceited by the fact that your school is the largest in the martial arts fraternity, bystanders can doing nothing against you, aren''t you a bit too tyrannical? Don''t tell me from now on you are going to rely on strength alone, as long as you have great numbers and strength, you can do whatever you please?" his expression is severe, his tone aggressive and forceful.


    XuanCi''s expression is tranquil and indifferent, he said unhurriedly: "Senior martial brother, what matter are you referring to? Please be specific."


    ShenShan Elder said: "There is a person in my humble school, Xu ChongXiao, he is junior monk''s senior martial brother. His position extremely high, character honest and considerate, many years ago he joined Beggar Clan, he was hardworking and conscientious, he accumulated merit and was promoted to 9 Pouch Elder, he was highly respected by many, successive Chief Of Beggar Clan all hold him in high regards. The year before last around April, Beggar Clan gathered in Jiannan''s Wuxi, they discuss about the parentage of their Chief Qiao, senior martial brother Xu step forward bravely, he presented a letter from former Chief Wang JianTong proving that Qiao Feng is a Khitan. Beggar Clan place righteousness before family, they abolished Qiao Feng''s position as Chief Of Beggar Clan, this matter shake the entire world, it could be said that everyone knew about it. When senior martial brother Xu carried out this matter, he knew perfectly well the extreme dangers involved. Qiao Feng possess astonishing martial arts, he is cruel and ruthless, moreover he is a Shaolin disciple, he holds tremendous influence and power, there is no martial artist who does not fear him. Senior martial brother Xu served the country and its people, he step forward bravely to expose this huge conspiracy, he certainly disregarded his life and went all out."


    Sure enough, on the 7th month, senior martial brother Xu was killed in his home, his ribs broken neatly, clearly he was killed by the hard and fierce palm strength of Shaolin. Several elders from Beggar Clan investigated the matter fully, they wrote a letter to Refreshing Temple and request junior monk to uphold justice. Shaolin is the number one orthodox school of martial arts, monastic discipline strict, since you produced such unworthy disciple then naturally you should clean up your own sect matters, there is no need for outsiders to meddle. Refreshing Temple waited for a long time, but Shaolin Temple did not show any hint of reacting, thus i had no choice but to invite all the great masters from Daxiangguo Temple, Pudu Temple, DongLin Temple, JingYing Temple, we came together to Shaolin to ask the abbot what is the true reason?" as he finish speaking, his pair of eyes look straight at abbot XuanCi.


    XuanCi turn his head and said to the head-monk of Discipline Courtyard Master XuanJi: "Junior martial brother XuanJi, please narrate the underlying reason to these six eminent monk." XuanJi replied: "Yes." he got off his seat. He is in-charge of monastic discipline, he has always been honest and incorruptible, when the monks from various temple saw him all of them had some degree of dread. Xu Zhu knew that they are not discussing about him, but he still don''t dare to look at them. He heard XuanJi''s clear voice: "Beggar Clan''s Elder Xu is advanced in both years and virtue, everyone in the martial arts fraternity respect him a lot, he was murdered in his home at Weihui, all of us were shaken and lamented his death. Abbot senior martial brother appointed junior monk, along with martial brother XuanDu, XuanYin and junior martial brother XuanSheng, the four of us travel the very same night to Elder Xu''s residence, we were in charge of investigating the truth, if there is solid evidence proving Qiao Feng is behind the deed, then we will join up with martial brother XuanGou and junior martial brother XuanShi, both of them received orders from the abbot to investigate the case relating to the death of martial brother XuanKu by Qiao Feng, the six of us will work together to exterminate Qiao Feng by capturing or killing him, this is in accordance with our strict regulations." GuanXin, DaoQing, JueXian, RongZhi, when the four eminent monk heard this they nod their head repeatedly and said: "This should be the way."


    Master ShenYin said: "What happen afterwards?"


    XuanJi said: "XuanShi and XuanGou had not yet arrive, we wait for the night at a tavern, on the second day, the 7th of 7th month the two of them finally arrive. The six of us held a meeting, martial brother XuanGou said: "Elder Xu is definitely not killed by Qiao Feng!" ShenShan, ShenYin, etc, all of them were startled and said in unison: "What makes you say so?"


    XuanGou stood up and said: "Buddha is merciful! Previously Qiao Feng entered Shaolin and caused a huge havoc, we were unable to capture him and he escaped, junior martial brother XuanShi and I received orders from martial brother abbot, we followed Qiao Feng secretly. That day he fought an entire crowd in JuXian Manor, due to the abbot''s strict orders we can only observe his conduct and whereabouts, we cannot fight with him, thus both of us did not participate in the battle at JuXian Manor. We are really ashamed, after witnessing Qiao Feng''s skill, even if both of us along with martial brother XuanNan were to join hands and attack together, we can only fight till a draw, it is not likely we can defeat or capture him. Afterwards Qiao Feng was rescued by a black-robed man and brought to a mountain to recuperate his injuries, both of us don''t dare to go near, we only observe from a distant place."


    Qiao Feng recuperated for over 20 days, after leaving the cave he travelled northward. At that time both of us did not wear monk robe, we changed into commoner clothings, we remain calm and collected and followed behind him. Qiao Feng is a very astute man, we don''t dare to follow too closely, luckily he travelled on the main road thus it is not difficult to track him, even if we are separated by half li apart we can still follow behind him afterwards. He headed north from YanMen Pass, from there he met a bone-thin and helpless young lady. After entering YanMen Pass both of them stayed in a small inn, the next day they exit the room, unexpectedly they change into two inconspicuous man. If we did not personally witness them coming out of the room we really won''t know these two person are Qiao Feng and that young lady....."


    ShenShan Elder inquired: "Both of them cohabit throughout the journey?" XuanGou replied: "Yes." ShenShen Elder inquired again: "On the same bed?" XuanGou said: "I don''t know. Monks do not look at things contrary to courtesy, i don''t dare to pry into other people''s private affairs." ShenShan Elder said coldly: "Then what if both of them quietly sneak off in the middle of the night, both of you won''t know about it?" XuanGou said: "Junior monk and junior martial brother XuanShi stayed in the neighbouring room, we work in shifts and kept vigil, both of us only slept for half the night, we carry strict orders from martial brother abbot, we don''t dare to be negligent and allow them to slip away without notice." ShenShan Elder said: "May i ask Master XuanShi to elaborate more?"


    XuanShi step forward and said: "Junior monk is XuanShi, i received orders from abbot, together with martial brother XuanGou we are to monitor Qiao Feng''s activity. After Qiao Feng met up with that young lady called Ah Zhu, their journey did not have any particular incident. Both of them travelled southward, martial brother XuanGou and i followed from a distant, we make an effort not to come face to face with him, it is not really difficult. On the 3rd day of the 7th month, the four of us was resting at ZhaoShang tavern in Wei prefecture, we heard Ah Zhu speak from the adjacent room: "Today i will make dumplings and pour wine for you, it is definitely better than those from the tavern!" Qiao Feng is very happy and said repeatedly: "Very good, very good!" Ah Zhu went shopping to buy meat and cabbage to make dumplings. Qiao Feng kept praising Ah Zhu''s culinary skills, on that day he drank more wine than usual. Ah Zhu was by his side, urging him to drink: "When we reach Henan, the wine won''t be good, we won''t have the good wine from Hedong."


    XuanGou said: "Many unexpected things happen in this world due to a moment of carelessness. Junior martial brother XuanShi and i don''t dare to be negligent, we still sleep for half night each and kept extra vigilance. That night Xiao Feng''s snore was thunderous, he was still snoring till day light. After waking up, Ah Zhu help him to wash face and serve soy milk and bread. Xiao Feng was in an extremely good mood that day, he made many jokes about Henan''s accent. When Ah Zhu did not understand, Qiao Feng will explain to her. When junior martial brother XuanShi heard one of the jokes he nearly laugh out, i quickly cover his mouth and avoided any mishap. I remembered the events for that night distinctly, it was the 3rd day of 7th month. Qiao Feng depart Wei prefecture on the fourth day of 7th month, we followed at a distant and did not leave him, on the 7th day of 7th month we arrive at Weihui (Henan)."


    ShenShan Elder said coldly: "You remembered the date so clearly, is it because Elder Xu was murdered on the 3rd day of 7th month?" XuanGou said: "Precisely! At a tavern in Weihui, martial brother XuanJi recounted the murder of Elder Xu. I replied: ''If he died on the 3rd day of 7th month, then he was not killed by Qiao Feng, if Qiao Feng killed him, then it is definitely not the 3rd day of 7th month!'' martial brother XuanJi said: ''Elder Xu''s son and daughter-in-law attended to him at night on the 3rd day of 7th month, the next morning the fourth day of 7th month, Elder Xu''s rib was broken, he died on his bed.''"


    ShenShan Elder said: "You remembered the date correctly?" XuanJi said: "This matter is of utmost importance, we went to Elder Xu''s home and inquire every single detail."


    XuanShi took over and said: "The 7th day of 7th month is QiQiao festival (Chinese valentines day), the Beggar Clan held a memorial service in Weihui to pay respect to Elder Xu, both of went to the service to see if we can uncover any clues. We kowtow, there was a thick pestle in front of the spirit tablet, it was smeared with blood. We inquired from the Beggar Clan members, it seems this pestle was the murder weapon found in Elder Xu''s home, the front and back of Elder Xu''s ribs broke evenly, it was broken by this stone pestle. Martial brother XuanGou and i took our leave, both of us pondered: ''If Qiao Feng really want to kill Elder Xu, he can simply strike with [28 Dragon Subduing Palm], there is no need for a stone pestle.''"


    "Both of us followed Qiao Feng quietly, from a distant we saw him come out of a boat beside a river bank. The hull of the boat is sinking rapidly, half of it already submerged, at once we rush into the boat, we saw Granpa Tan, Grandma Tan and Zhao QianSun, all of them dead inside the boat. These 3 people are most probably killed by Qiao Feng, he is really a great evil! We return to the tavern to inform martial brother XuanJi and the others. Martial brother XuanJi said: ''Not matter what we cannot let Qiao Feng kill innocent people again, with the six of us fellow apprentices we can surely prevent him from committing crime.'' We rushed ahead, we must reach Dan''s manor in Tai''an before him and catch him out there. We rode swift horse and was slightly faster than Qiao Feng. However when we reach the manor it was already on fire, we rush in and saw Iron Faced Judge Danzheng, the corpse of his two son already lay horizontally on the ground, the entire household of 10, male and female, all of them had either their heads severed or their backs split open, none of them spared. We examined Danzheng''s corpse, his ribs broke evenly, his lung and heart shattered, clearly he was killed by an extremely hard and violent fist techinique."


    ShenShan Elder said coldly: "It must be [Vajra Fist] correct?" Abbot XuanCi said: "No! In Shaolin temple, i am the only one who knows [Vajra Fist]. Judge Dan is definitely not killed by me." ShenShan Elder snorted and said: "He was not killed by abbot?" XuanCi shakes his head and said: "No! [Vajra Fist] cannot shatter a person''s heart and lung."


    XuanGou said: "We buried Jude Dan''s corpse and assist in putting out the fire, soon after the gongs sounded and everyone start to fight the fire. At once we retreat, from a distant place we saw Qiao Feng and Ah Zhu arriving on horses. We saw it with our own eyes, someone else must have killed Judge Dan, he was a few hours earlier than Qiao Feng, the entire Dan household had long been killed. As for protecting Master ZhiGuang of Mount Tiantai, martial brother abbot had already dispatch someone else. We saw Qiao Feng heading south along with Ah Zhu, thus we did not follow him anymore and return back to Shaolin Temple."


    XuanJi, XuanGou, XuanShi, etc, their names are well known in the martial arts fraternity for over 10 years, everyone knows about their selflessness and righteousness, since they already said so, ShenShan Elder and the rest did not have doubts anymore.


    ShenShan Elder said: "Master ZhiGuang died due to [Mohe Finger] of Shaolin, i wonder if martial brother abbot has any explanation for it?" XuanCi put his palms together and said unhurriedly: "Buddha is merciful! Master ZhiGuang died due to consumption of poison. The poison is common arsenic, his disciple monk PiaoZhe bought it from RenJi pharmacy in Tiantai town, the poison is slowly acquired over 10 days. Monk PiaoZhe bought the arsenic according to Master ZhiGuang''s orders, he told the pharmacy it is for concoction of drugs. Master ZhiGuang is famous in the east, everyone revere him greatly, thus the pharmacy don''t dare to decline or even accept money when monk RenJi bought the arsenic."


    Master XuanDu stood up and said: "Martial brother abbot dispatched junior monk to investigate at Mount Tiantai. Master ZhiGuang certainly died due to arsenic poisoning. Junior monk questioned that monk PiaoPu, he weep endlessly and said he was unaware that his master wanted to commit suicide using arsenic, if he had prior knowledge he would have substituted arsenic with licorice powder. He said a man surnamed Qiao and a lady Ruan came by to visit his master. His master was extremely courteous towards them, they chat for a long time, after leaving he discovered his master had died. Only until night time did the body start to bleed in the eyes and nose. Unexpectedly on the next day, his master''s eyes protruded, the back of his head shattered, he did not know which wicked person secretly came by in the middle of the night to desecrate his master''s body. He felt he was unworthy as he failed to protect his master''s body and slap himself heavily. I told him, the person who violated his master''s body had exceptional martial arts, the person used an extremely violent finger technique to seal the acupoints on the left and right temple, even if he stake everything he had he won''t be able to stop him. Unexpectedly this monk PuZhe blame himself fully, he commit suicide by hanging." as he finish speaking he gave a long sigh.


    ShenShan Elder said: "When Qiao Feng came to vist Master ZhiGuang, he must have demanded information for the name of the leader of the incident at YanMen Pass. Master ZhiGuang refuse to reveal the name, thus Qiao Feng use [Mohe Finger] to injure him. Hence his eyes protrude out and the back of his head shattered, aren''t all these due to the effects of [Mohe Finger]?" XuanCi said: "It is not Qiao Feng." ShenShan Elder said: "I invite martial brother abbot to elaborate the underlying reason."


    XuanCi said unhurriedly: "Senior martial brother ShenShan wish to know why Master ZhiGuang did not die due to Qiao Feng''s [Mohe Finger]. It is because Qiao Feng learnt [Demon Subduing Palm] at Shaolin, hence he cannot learn [Mohe Finger]. These two martial arts are opposites of each other, they cannot coexist in the same body." ShenShan Elder shakes his head slowly and said: "Is the martial arts of Shaolin truly so subtle and profound to such level?" XuanCi said: "Originally all these differences are documented. [Demon Subduing Palm] and [Mohe Finger], both of them are listed among the 72 supreme consummate skills of Shaolin, one is soft and gentle, the other is fierce and violent, it is extremely difficult to learn and train together. Junior martial brother XuanSheng, please go to the Scripture-Depository Pavilion and fetch the manuals for these two skills here to let ShenShan Elder and the rest have a look."


    ShenShan Elder was just 17 years old when he came to Shaolin to seek tutelage. Shaolin''s abbot LingMen converse with him, LingMen found him eager to show off, he also exudes an aura of arrogance, narrow-minded and self-complacent, he was unsuitable to inherit his skills, if he remain at Shaolin and become a common monk he will definitely be unwilling to be under someone else, he will certainly be a huge disaster in the future, thus LingMen tactfully refused to grant tutelage. Hence ShenShan Elder seek refuge at Refreshing Temple, he was remarkable and established himself as abbot of Refreshing Temple at the age of 30. ShenShan Elder is very intelligent, he can be considered a rare talent in the martial arts fraternity, however the martial arts of Refreshing Temple is greatly inferior to those of Shaolin, all the fist manual, sword manual, internal energy manual, etc, not only are they limited in quantity but their contents are coarse and crude, it is not first-class martial arts. He cultivated his internal energy for over forty years, he long surpassed the martial arts pass down by former leaders of Refreshing Temple, however his fist and sword technique is still inadequate, as he thought about the 72 supreme consummate skills of Shaolin he can only endure his envy and restrain his anger.


    Thus when Elder Xu died, he found an excuse to pick a fight with Shaolin and sough to invite helpers. However, once senior monks heard they are to join forces to condemn Shaolin, they made excuses and refuse to participate, ShenShan Elder persuaded for a long period of time and he manage to invite eminent monks from Daxiangguo Temple, DongLin Temple, Jingying Temple, etc.


    Currently when he heard abbot XuanCi gave an order to fetch the manuals of [Demon Subduing Palm] and [Mohe Finger], he was extremely happy, he finally had the affinity to witness the power of Shaolin''s supreme consummate skills. XuanSheng said: "Yes!" he turn around and exit the hall, not long after he manage to fetch the manuals and hand them over to XuanCi. The Hall of Great Strength is around 3 li away from the Scripture-Depository Pavilion, XuanSheng manage to fetch the manuals in a short period of time, clearly his lightness martial art is solid, his movements extremely quick and agile. Outsiders are unaware of this and thought nothing of it, however the crowd of Shaolin monks all gasp in admiration inwardly.


    The paper quality of the two manuals are turning shades of black from yellow, obviously they are extremely ancient. XuanCi place the manuals on a square table and said: "Fellow martial brothers please take a look, these two manuals each provide detail information on the origins of their respective martial arts as well as the crucial points in training." as he finish speaking he hand over handwritten copies of <> and <> to ShenShan Elder and Master GuanXin. Both man respectfully receive it and cautiously flip through the manuals, the preface narrated the origins in creating these two divine martial arts, [Demon Subduing Palm] was created by the 8th generation abbot of Shaolin Master YuanYuan, the palm is soft, gentle and indiscernible. [Mohe Finger] was created by a 7 finger toutou during his stay in Shaolin for 40 years, as it was created by a foreign monk the essence of the martial art is substantially different from Shaolin''s traditional martial arts, the martial art is completely hard and violent, the manual warns any practitioners, those who had trained the soft martial art style of Shaolin must not attempt to practice [Mohe Finger] or else their inner breathing will deviate easily, if they do not take care they will vomit blood and suffer serious injuries that is difficult to cure.


    Abbot XuanCi wait for the two eminent monks to browse for a while before handing it to Master DaoQing and Master JiaoJue, when all six eminent monks had look through the preface, he said: "Great masters, although my humble temple possess 72 supreme consummate skills, but every skill is extremely difficult to practice, even those gifted with exceptional talent will find it difficult to even master one set of skill, moreover when you train to an extremely high level it just mean you are one notch better than your opponent, since you can achieve victory with one set of skill there is no need to train a second set of skill, as for the third set and fourth set, there is even less reason to train them. For successive generations we pass on the doctrines from master to disciple, Buddhist doctrine is of chief importance, martial art is secondary, if a monk train diligently in martial arts then his Buddhist doctrine and inner meditation will surely be hindered. Even for layman disciple, our school will not teach them more than one supreme consummate skill to avoid triggering their greed for more. Qiao Feng''s [Demon Subduing Palm] was imparted by junior martial brother XuanKu, XuanKu does not know [Mohe Finger], Qiao Feng also did not learn martial arts from any other monks, old monk is fully aware of this matter, there is no mistake. All the Xuan generation monks as well as the next generation monks who possess slightly higher martial arts, everyone start from [Luohan Fist], we will learn either [Demon Subduing Palm] or [Prajna Palm] and stop there. At the age of forty, old monk was inspired to learn martial arts again and studied [Vajra Fist], my inner strength became hard and violent, since then my progress in [Prajna Palm] was obstructed, i really regret it till this day."


    **********


    Suddenly a clear and bright voice transmit from a distant place: "It is truly a grand occasion to have many eminent monks gathering at Shaolin to discuss martial arts. I wonder if junior monk have the karma to be a guest as well, sitting alongside, respectfully listening to wise opinion?" every single word and sentence was delivered clearly into everyone''s ears. The voice came from outside Shaolin Temple, it is clear and distinct, moreover the voice is gentle and did not shock the eardrums, one can well imagine the pure and profound internal energy of the speaker, in addition the speaker is at a distant place, how did he manage to hear the discussion in the hall?


    XuanCi was slightly startled, he channel his internal energy and said: "Since we are all Buddhist please honour us with your presence." he continued: "Martial brother XuanMing and XuanShi, please accompany me to greet the esteemed guest." XuanMing and XuanShi bow and said: "Yes!" as they are about to exit the hall, the voice transmit again: "I don''t dare to accept the honour. I am extremely delighted."


    For every sentence, his voice will be nearer by several zhang, when he finish speaking the word "delighted", a stately middle-aged monk appeared by the Temple''s gate, the monk put his palms together, his expression smiling and said: "Monk Jiumozhi from Tubo pay his respect to Shaolin''s abbot."


    The crowd is already extremely amazed by his skill, many people gave an "Oh" sound when they heard his introduction, they said: "So the Grand Tutor of Tubo, the Great Bright Wheel King has arrived!"


    XuanCi stood up, he move forward two steps, putting his palms together he bow and said: "Grand Tutor came to the east from a distant place, fate brought us together." one by one he introduce ShenShan Elder, GuanXin, DaoQing, all the various foreign guests as well as XuanJi, XuanDu, etc, all the eminent monks from Shaolin.


    After introduction has ended, XuanCi arrange for a seat in the middle and invited Jiumozhi to take the seat. Jiumozhi was unpretentious and simply sat down, he occupied the seat of honour, ahead of ShenShan Elder. Bystanders thought nothing of it but ShenShan Elder was secretly indignant: "You fake monk dressing up as god and playing the devil to deceive people, you might not have any true ability, later i will test you."


    Jiumozhi sad: "Junior monk heard Master XuanCi discussing martial arts, your views are enlightening, i really receive no small measure of benefit, but there is one small section that i beg to differ." XuanCi said: "I invite Grand Tutor to given directions."


    Jiumozhi smile faintly and said: "Great master abbot said that even for layman disciple, your temple will not teach them more than 1 supreme consummate skill, this is to avoid triggering their greed. But in my humble opinion, this rule might be a bit too rigid as it restricts people who possess extraordinary ability and wisdom from attaining profound level of martial arts achievements. Under such rigid rules, i am afraid the 72 supreme consummate skills of Shaolin won''t be able to develop properly, a few hundred of thousand years later, it will inevitably remain the same. Take [Mohe Finger] and [Prajna Palm] as an example, how difficult can it be to execute both of them simultaneously? In addition, it is not entirely impossible for a single person to execute all 72 supreme consummate skills simultaneously." his speech may appear tranquil and calm but his intention is obvious, he look down on the martial arts of Shaolin. When the crowd of monks heard it, all of them felt indignant.


    XuanSheng said in a bright voice: "According to Grand Tutor, there is someone who is able to execute all 72 supreme consummate skills of my humble temple?" Jiumozhi nod his head and said: "Correct!" XuanSheng said: "May i ask Grand Tutor, who is this great hero?" Jiumozhi said: "This title of great hero, i really don''t deserve it." XuanSheng change countenance, he said: "It is you?" Jiumozhi nod his head, he put his palms together, his expression solemn and respectful and said: "Precisely."


    As he said the word "Precisely", all the monk change countenance, they had the same thoughts: "This person made such ridiculous statement, could it be he is crazy?"


    Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skills, some specialize in training the lower parts, some specialize in lightness martial arts, some specialize in palm or fist techniques, some train in concealed weapons, sabre or rod technique, each skill has it is own strong points, those who use swords cannot use Buddhist''s staff, experts in fist technique are not experts in concealed weapons, those proficient in leg skills, their fist and palm technique will inevitably be somewhat lacking. There are indeed people who are proficient in three or four supreme consummate skills, but that is due to the skills not conflicting with each other. All Shaolin eminent monks are fully aware of this fact, ShenShan, DaoQing, etc, all of them have deep understanding of these facts as well. Those who claim a single person can execute all 72 supreme consummate skill is merely bluffing.


    Out of the 72 supreme consummate skills, 13 to 14 of them are exceptionally difficult to train, even for those gifted with immense innate talent, even if they train painstakingly for a lifetime they might not be able to master even one skill. Currently Shaolin have over a thousand monks, merging all the skills mastered by these thousand monks, the 72 supreme consummate skill is still not complete. Jiumozhi is no more than 50 years of age, assuming he master one set of skill per year, including the time he was born, he would require 72 years of effort, every set of skill is extremely complicated, could it be he can actually master several skills within a year?


    XuanSheng sneered inwardly, however his expression remain solemn and respectful, he said: "Grand Tutor is not from Shaolin, that being the case, you are still proficient in [Mohe Finger], [Prajna Palm], [Vajra Fist], all these skills?"


    Jiumozhi smile and said: "I don''t dare, i invite Master XuanSheng to give some advice." he lean on one side, lifted his left palm horizontally, with a ''Hu'' sound he strike his right fist, the copper incense cauldron in front of Rulai statue suffered a powerful blow, with a ''Tang'' sound it bounce up, it is precisely a move from [Vajra Fist], "Answering Eastern Luo Bell". The fist did not touch the cauldron yet the cauldron sounded, this is still not too difficult, but this fist is launch forward, however the cauldron bounce straight up, it can be seen the power of the fist had grasp the secret essence of [Vajra Fist].


    Jiumozhi did not wait for the copper cauldron to land, he sent out his left palm, his posture is precisely a move from [Prajna Palm], "Afraid To Fall Outside The Way", the copper cauldron revolve half a circle in mid-air, with a ''Pa'' sound something fell down, but the ashes inside the cauldron scattered, ash smoke filled the air and the object could not be seen clearly. The residue force from the previous "Answering Eastern Luo Bell" had not yet dissipate, the copper cauldron fell down rapidly, Jiumozhi extended his thumb and press forward firmly, an extreme burst of finger force shoot forward, the copper cauldron move left abruptly around half chi. Jiumozhi press 3 times in succession, the copper cauldron move 1 and half chi away and finally land on the ground.


    All the senior monks from Shaolin gasp with admiration, they knew that although the moves look ordinary, the hidden power within had already exceed human level, it is a genuine move from [Mohe Finger] known as "Entering Hell Three Times". The name represents the painstaking effort involved in practicing the three finger press, every finger press is akin to entering hell once.


    The ash cloud gradually scattered, revealing a palm-size object. The crowd look at the object, they cannot help but cry out in shock. The object is a brass palm, the five fingers life-like, the palm and fingers emit light and sparkled like gold, however the back of the palm is ash-green.


    Jiumozhi brush the sleeve of his robe, he laugh and said: "This [Kasaya Subduing Demon Skill], i invite martial brother abbot to give directions if there are any imperfections." as he finish speaking, unexpectedly the cauldron 7 chi in front of him start to move, it revolve several times, after it stop moving the inner side is now facing outward, however a palm-size shape was gouged out from the cauldron''s body, the place where it was cut is emitting a golden glow. The younger generation monks finally understood, moments ago Jiumozhi executed a move from [Prajna Palm], "Afraid To Fall Outside The Way", while executing the move, his palm force is akin to a sharp treasure sabre, unexpectedly he was able to cut a palm-size block off the cauldron.


    After a long time, XuanCi gave a long sigh and said: "Today, old monk is finally aware there is a sky beyond this sky, there is always someone superior. Old monk train painstakingly for over 10 years, but before Grand Tutor, it is really lacking and inadequate. I am afraid there is much to change for the old rules of Shaolin."


    Jiumozhi remain calm and collected, he put his palms together and said: "Excellent, excellent! Martial brother abbot why so modest?"


    All the monks from Shaolin hung their heads dispiritedly, they knew that the abbot was force to make such statement, not only did he admit Shaolin''s martial art is inferior, the so call 72 supreme consummate skills of Shaolin is merely so-so, in addition the rules he established may not be reasonable as well. Shaolin enjoy tremendous reputation for several hundred years, it has a firm grip on the martial arts of Central Plains. But now, not only did Shaolin suffer a crushing defeat, the martial artists of Central Plains are also humiliated by the foreign monk. ShenShan, GuanXin, DaoQing, JueXian, RongZhi, ShenYin, all the guest monks are dejected and crestfallen.


    **********


    Xu Zhu is aware of all the various incidents in the hall, after the abbot spoke his words, the senior generation monks are distressed. He look askance at his master HuiLun, tears are rolling down his eyes, he is extremely heart-broken. Although he don''t understand the critical points in between, but he knew none of the monks in Shaolin is able to rival the martial arts displayed by Jiumozhi, thus the abbot had no choice but to admit defeat.


    However he still had some doubts in his heart. He saw Jiumozhi execute [Vajra Fist], [Prajna Palm] and [Mohe Finger], as he never learn these skills before he don''t know if the moves are right or wrong, however he understood the internal energy usage behind the fist technique, palm technique and finger technique, it is clearly [Minor Formless Skill].


    He inherited [Minor Formless Skill] from Wu YaZi, when Child Elder impart the techniques of [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain] to him she realize that Xu Zhu possess [Minor Formless Skill], she was greatly enraged and heart-broken, the underlying reason is because her master only pass on [Minor Formless Skill] to Li QiuShui alone, since Xu Zhu inherited his skills from Wu YaZi, then it can be deduced that Wu YaZi had a relationship with Li QiuShui. After Child Elder calm down, she explain to Xu Zhu how to utilize [Minor Formless Skill], however Child Elder had limited knowledge on [Minor Formless Skill], until much later when Xu Zhu studied the drawings on the stone wall of Vulture Palace did he finally grasp the profound secret and workings behind [Minor Formless Skill].


    [Minor Formless Skill] is of Taoist origins, it place emphasize on calmness and inaction, journeying the great emptiness, it is comparable to Buddhist''s martial art theory of having "no end and no move", although both seem similar, but there is huge difference in its essence. Jiumozhi claims that he is proficient in all 72 supreme consummate skills of Shaolin, however when he execute his moves it is undoubtedly just [Minor Formless Skill], when he execute techniques of [Prajna Palm], [Mohe Finger] and [Vajra Fist], the crowd was intimidated by the formidable power of [Minor Formless Skill], since they don''t understand the inner power of [Minor Formless Skill] they simply assume Jiumozhi is proficient in Shaolin''s supreme consummate skill. In reality, for the 72 supreme consummate skills, [Prajna Palm], [Mohe Finger] and [Vajra Fist] has it is own set of internal energy, they are entirely different and distinct, they do not intermix with each other.


    Although this is not exactly passing off fake product as genuine as [Minor Formless Skill] is not inferior to any of Shaolin''s supreme consummate skills, but in the end it is still a deliberate misrepresentation, confusing right from wrong. Xu Zhu was baffled, apart from the abbot, unexpectedly none of the thousand monks in Shaolin is able to see through the mistake.


    Xu Zhu is unaware that [Minor Formless Skill] is wide-ranging and profound, [Minor Formless Skill] is of Taoist origins, since the people in the hall are all Buddhist, no matter how high their martial arts they will never practice the internal energy of Taoist, moreover the crux of [Minor Formless Skill] is in the word "Formless", it has no form or appearance, no trace to look for, if not for the fact that Xu Zhu is an expert in [Minor Formless Skill] he would definitely not be able to see through the trick. XuanCi, XuanJi, XuanDu, etc, all of them also felt that Jiumozhi''s internal energy is not the same as Shaolin''s internal energy, however when they thought about the fact that Shaolin''s martial art originated from India, it is reasonable for India and Central teachings to have some discrepancy. The land is separated by thousands of miles, separated in time by several hundred years, Shaolin''s consummate skills also undergo various modifications by successive generations of monks, thus there is no reason for both skills to remain exactly the same, hence they did not have any suspicion.


    In the beginning Xu Zhu assume the senior generation monks had some other profound intentions, he is only a little monk from 3rd generation, how can he take the initiative? But seeing the dramatic turn of events, the sorrow, anger and dispirited reactions from all his seniors, he had no other alternative, it is clear that the temple is facing great calamity, he have to step forward bravely and point out that Jiumozhi did not display Shaolin''s supreme consummate skills. However for over 20 years, he has never spoke a single word in front of public, under the strict and solemn atmosphere of the scene he cannot help but refrain from voicing out his opinions.


    He heard Jiumozhi said: "Since abbot said so, then you are admitting there is much shortcomings in Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skills, perhaps your precious temple did not come up with these skills at all, the word ''consummate'', you have to change it."


    XuanCi was silent and did not reply, he felt as if his heart was being gouged out.


    A tall old monk from the ''Xuan'' generation said in a stern voice: "Grand Tutor, you have gain the upper hand, our abbot already admit the old rules of our temple will be changed, why are you so overbearing and not leave the slightest bit of leeway?" the old monk is XuanZhi.


    Jiumozhi smile and said: "Junior monk is merely requesting abbot to follow up his words, announce to all martial artists under the heaven. In my opinion, Shaolin might as well break up, all the senior monks join Refreshing, Pudu and various other temples for protection and shelter, each goes his own way, you can also join Tubo and study Tantric Buddhism, pay respect to ShangShi Lama, junior monk will also think of a way to accept you. Isn''t this much better than living under the false reputation of Shaolin, only seeking a life of ease and comfort?"


    As he said those words, no matter how good the self-restraint of Shaolin monks are, they cannot help but berate loudly. Only now did the crowd of monks realize, Jiumozhi came to Shaoshi Mountain, with the strength of a single person he wants to stir up Shaolin, not only will he gain fame for all eternity, he will also make Central Plain lose a strategic icon, it is highly advantageous for Tubo.


    Jiumozhi said in a bright voice: "Junior monk came to Central Plains alone, my original intention is to witness the grandeur of Shaolin, to visit the so call "Big Dipper" of Central Plain''s martial arts, to gauge how grand and stately it is. But after listening to your speech and observing the conduct of senior monks here, hei hei hei, it appears Shaolin can''t be compared with the secluded TianLong Monastery of Dali''s Nanjiang. Alas! Junior monk is greatly disappointed."


    A person from the Xuan generation said: "Great Master Kurong and abbot Benyin from Dali''s TianLong Monastery have deep Buddhist cultivation, all disciples of Shaolin admire them very much. Monks have no desire to complete or fight for success, Grand Tutor claims that Shaolin cannot be compared with TianLong Monastery, why would anyone care about it?" as he finish speaking he stroll out unhurriedly, he is an old monk, his face radiating red light. His right forefinger and thumb are press together lightly, his face revealing a smile, his expression gentle and mild.


    Jiumozhi also revealed a smile and said: "I have long admired Master XuanDu''s [Blossom Grasping Finger], you have trained your consummate skill to perfection, how fortunate it is to meet you today." as he finish speaking his right forefinger and thumb also press together lightly, as if he is grasping a flower. The two monks extended their left hand unhurriedly at the same time, they flick 3 times at each other.


    3 ''Bo Bo Bo'' sound echoed, the two finger force collide with each other. XuanDu''s body swayed, suddenly three blood arrow shot out of his stomach and travel a few chi, in the contest of finger strength XuanDu was no match for Jiumozhi and was hit 3 times in the stomach, it seems as if he was injured by a sharp blade.


    Master XuanDu is kind and amiable, he is highly respected and well-loved by monks from younger generations. When Xu Zhu was 16 years old, he swept floor and brew tea for XuanDu, attending to him for 8 months. XuanDu treat him extremely well, he even gave some directions for [Luohan Fists]. Afterwards XuanDu had to enter seclusion to meditate, Xu Zhu had very little chance to meet him, however he still remembered the friendship they shared. Xu Zhu saw XuanDu was injured by finger force, he knew that if he delay treatment XuanDu''s life might be in danger, previously Su XingHe taught him healing techniques, afterwards he learn the secret to breaking ''Life-death talisman'', he have profound understanding in the art of treating injuries and saving the dead, he saw blood spurting out of XuanDu''s stomach, without a second thought his body flash and he was beside XuanDu, he send out an empty palm move.


    Their contact is merely an instant, the 3 burst of blood had not yet land on the floor, unexpectedly under the pressure of Xu Zhu''s palm force, it flow back into XuanDu''s stomach rapidly. Xu Zhu pluck his left hand as if he is playing a lute, he execute a burst of circular finger sealing movement, in an instant he sealed over 11 acupoints around XuanDu''s wound, blood no longer flow out, afterwards he fed Vulture Palace''s legendary panacea the ''Nine Revolution Bear Snake Pill'' into XuanDu''s mouth.


    Previously Duan YanQing gave directions and help Xu Zhu break Wu YaZi''s ''Zhenlong chess formation'', Jiumozhi was present and saw him. Now Jiumozhi saw him appear suddenly from within the crowd, he made some circular finger movement and sealed XuanDu''s acupoints, the technique is truly wonderful, internal energy strong and powerful, unexpectedly he have never witness such level of skill before throughout his entire life, he cannot help but be startled.


    HuiFang and the other monks saw Xu Zhu kill XuanNan with a palm slap, later they saw him become the leader of some unorthodox sect, they have no time to ask for an explanation for these strange events, they carried XuanNan''s corpse and return to Shaolin. Abbot XuanCi and other senior monks conducted an inquiry and found out that XuanNan was killed by Ding ChunQiu''s [Carefree Three Smile Powder], it was not due to Xu Zhu''s palm slap, however Xu Zhu did not return to the temple for a long time, they sent over 10 monks to search for him but they can''t find any trace of him.


    On the day Xu Zhu return back to Shaolin, it so happen to coincide with a major event happening in Shaolin, unexpected the chief of Beggar Clan Zhuang JuXian sent someone to dispatch an invitation card demanding Shaolin to present him as the leader of Central Plains martial art fraternity. XuanCi discuss with the rest of the Xuan generation monks for several days on how to deal with the situation, they really have no idea what kind of person Zhuang JuXian is. Beggar Clan is the number one clan of Jianghu, they have huge numbers and strength, they have always been chivalrous, along with Shaolin both assist each other mutually and uphold justice and fairness in Jianghu, now they suddenly demand to be above Shaolin, thus the senior monks really have no idea how to handle the matter. Xu Zhu''s master, HuiLun, saw his martial uncles have important matters to attend to, thus he don''t dare to report that Xu Zhu had return back to Shaolin or the fact that he violated several monastic discipline. Hence the senior monks had no idea that Xu Zhu was carrying manure and watering vegetables, now they suddenly saw him appear and execute some marvellous technique to send blood back into XuanDu''s body, everyone was equally amazed.


    Xu Zhu said: "Martial grandfather, don''t channel your energy to avoid opening up your wounds." he tore off his own monk robe to bind the wound around XuanDu''s stomach. XuanDu gave a bitter laugh and said: "Great Bright Wheel King...your.... [Blossom Grasping Finger]...is truly....truly powerful! Old monk is con....convinced." Xu Zhu said: "Martial grandfather, he did not use [Blossom Grasping Finger], it is also not Buddhist martial arts."


    When the crowd heard it they did not think it was correct. Jiumozhi''s finger movement is exactly the same as XuanDu, even both their smile and expression is completely identical, if it is not Shaolin 72 supreme consummate skill''s [Blossom Grasping Finger] then what else can it be? The crowd knew that Jiumozhi is the Grand Protector of Tubo, he is conferred the title of Great Bright Wheel King, every 5 years he will hold a session at Snow Mountain''s Great Wheel Temple, giving lectures on Buddhist teachings, all the senior monks will gather to listen, debating scriptures and asking difficult questions, all of them had high praise for him. Jiumozhi is a famous monk known throughout the Buddhist circle, how can his martial arts not be of Buddhist origins?


    However Jiumozhi was secretly afraid: "How did this little monk know i did not use [Blossom Grasping Finger]? Not Buddhist martial arts?" in an instant he understood: "Yes! [Blossom Grasping Finger] is a peaceful and benevolent skill, it only seals an opponent''s acupoint, it controls and not injure, in my haste to seek victory i channelled my [Blazing Sabre Skill], my finger strength is too violent, unexpectedly it pierce 3 small holes in that old monk, it is not the original intention of monk JiaXie''s blossom smile. Presumable this little monk knows as well."


    Jiumozhi is naturally wise and farsighted, from young age he had very fortunate encounter, he met Tantric Buddhist Master NingMaPai who instructed him in [Blazing Sabre Skill], it is a divine skill that send out waves of powerful energy, at Dali''s TianLong Monastery he achieved victory over KuRong, BenYin, BenXiang, etc, numerous top experts, afterwards he had another fortunate encounter and obtained the manual of [Minor Formless Skill]. His purpose in coming to Shaolin is to rely on his martial arts and single-handedly topple the world-renown ancient Buddhist temple, he saw that Xu Zhu is merely around 20 years of age, although his [Circular Acupoint Sealing Finger Skill] is rather mysterious and profound but he presume his martial art is most likely limited, thus he smile and said: "Unexpectedly little master claims my [Blossom Grasping Finger] is not Buddhist''s martial arts, then what kind of martial art does the supreme consummate skills of Shaolin belong to?"


    Xu Zhu is not gifted in debates, he merely said: "Martial grandfather XuanDu''s [Blossom Grasping Finger] is naturally of Buddhist''s origins, you....the one executed by you...it is not...." while speaking he raise his left hand, he copied XuanDu''s technique and also flick 3 times, his finger strength is empowered by [Minor Formless Skill]. He is respectful toward others, this 3 finger flick is not directed at Jiumozhi but at spots where no one is near, everyone heard 3 ''Tang'' ''Tang'' ''Tang'' sound, the copper bell in the main hall produced huge sound. Xu Zhu''s finger flick all landed on the bell, it is as if someone use the bell''s striker to forcefully ram the bell. When the crowd heard it they were all equally amazed.


    Jiumozhi call out: "Excellent skill! Come try my [Prajna Palm]!" at once he raise his palm, it appear as if he is about to salute, however his palm never come together, with a ''Hu'' sound a burst of palm force expel out from between his palm, it rush swiftly towards Xu Zhu, it is a move from [Prajna Palm] called "Heavenly Wind From Canyon". The essence of [Prajna Palm] is base on "Emptiness'', "Negation", "Non-emptiness" and "Non-negation", Jiumozhi''s palm is filled with violence and malice, it greatly differs from the original intention of [Prajna Palm].


    Xu Zhu saw the incoming palm force is too violent, he have to block it, at once he execute a move from [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain] to dispel the incoming palm force.


    Jiumozhi felt the opposing palm contain a hidden suction force, it so happen to restrain his own palm force, it also use [Minor Formless Skill] as the foundation, his heart trembled with fear, he smile and said: "Little master, is that Buddhist martial arts? Today i came to your precious temple to experience the divine skills of Shaolin, how come you execute heretic moves instead? Shaolin martial art is one of the very best in Song nation, don''t tell me it is false reputation and it is no different than common martial arts?" once he knew the unique nature of Xu Zhu''s internal energy, he did not feel confident of victory, thus he tried to debate and force Xu Zhu to use Shaolin''s martial arts.


    How would Xu Zhu understand Jiumozhi''s true intention, he reply bluntly: "Junior monk aptitude is low, i only learn [Luohan Fists] and [Skanda Palm], it is the basic foundation skills of Shaolin, how can i exchange blows with Grand Tutor?" Jiumozhi laugh out loud and said: "You still have some self-awareness, since you are not my match then step down!" Xu Zhu said: "Yes! Junior monk will take his leave now." he put his palms together and retreat back into the Xu generation crowd.


    However abbot XuanCi is extremely astute, although he don''t understand the origins of Xu Zhu''s martial arts but from the few moves displayed just now, the moves are ingenious, internal energy deep and profound, it is more than sufficient to rival Jiumozhi, Shaolin is at a critical juncture of life and death, it would be better to dispatch Xu Zhu to ward off Jiumozhi for some time, even if he lose it is still better than doing nothing, thus he said: "Grand Tutor claims he is proficient in Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skill, you are brilliant and well-learned, everyone admire you very much. As for Shaolin''s basic foundation skills, naturally you would think nothing of it. Xu Zhu, our monks are ranked according to Xuan, Hui, Xu, Kong, you are the 3rd generation disciple of Shaolin, you are definitely not qualified to fight against the number one expert from Tubo. However Grand Tutor came from a distant place, it is difficult to chance upon this golden opportunity, you may use [Luohan Fists] and [Skanda Palm] to ask Grand Tutor for advice." he phrased his speech clearly, Xu Zhu is merely a little monk from 3rd generation, he only learn the basic foundation skills of Shaolin, Shaolin will not suffer any damage to its reputation if Xu Zhu suffer a defeat under Jiumozhi, but if by fluke Xu Zhu manage to hold on for the time taken to burn 1-2 joss-stick, he would seize the opportunity and stop the fight, by then Jiumozhi would not have any reason to tangle on.


    Xu Zhu heard the order from abbot, he dare not disobey, he bow and said: "Yes" he took a few steps forward, press his palms together and said: "Grand Tutor please be lenient!" since his opponent is a senior expert, he definitely won''t make the first move, at once Xu Zhu''s palm descend in salute, it is the introductory gesture of [Skanda Palm], "Lingshan Greeting Buddha". In Shaolin, he studied Buddhist scriptures for half of the day and practiced martial arts for the other half, its been over 10 years, he have long mastered [Luohan Fists] and [Skanda Palm] and know the moves inside-out. The move "Lingshan Greeting Buddha", originally it is a gesture to salute an opponent, its intention is to highlight the importance of courtesy for Buddhist disciples, they should not be fierce and eager to fight. However Xu Zhu currently possess the internal energy of the top 3 experts of Carefree Sect combined, the teachings and advice of Child Elder, as well as the considerable benefits gained by 10 days of study in the stone cellar of Vulture Palace, as he lowered both his palms in salute, his monk robe fluttered slightly, his internal energy circulate and protect his entire body.

 Chapter - 40 Testing When to Cut the Threads of Infatuation

    Jiumozhi knew that fighting against this little monk will just be a one-sided battle, it would be laughable if he did not win, however since the circumstances is such he cannot avoid the fight, at once he wave his palms and launch his attack, his palm wind contains light fluttering sound, his posture and technique is precisely the first-class martial arts of [Prajna Palm].


    [Skanda Palm] is the basic foundation martial arts of Shaolin, when a Shaolin disciple formally become an apprentice to a master, they will first learn [Luohan Fists] followed by [Skanda Palm]. Nevertheless [Prajna Palm] is one of the most obscure martial arts, practitioners have to abide the sequence strictly and progress from [Skanda Palm] to [Prajna Palm], this would normally require 30 to 40 years of effort. [Prajna Palm] is one of the 72 supreme consummate skill of Shaolin, practitioners can train this skill perpetually and their palm strength would be increasingly stronger as they train, their palm moves becoming more pure, it can be said there is no end to learning, eventually they would reach the last palm move "The Bottom Of Emptiness", ever since the creation of [Prajna Palm], of all the senior monks in Shaolin who train in this skill very few manage to master the last move. Throughout Shaolin''s history, there has never been a case of using [Skanda Palm] to exchange blows with [Prajna Palm]. Both skills are at the extreme of martial arts, one is deep and mythical, the other shallow and crude, senior monks who mastered [Prajna Palm] will never fight with junior monks who only know [Skanda Palm], even for sparing among master and disciple, if the master use [Prajna Palm], then the disciple would have to use [Dharma Palm], [Snow Mountain Palm] or [Thousand Hands Of Rulai] to trade moves.


    Xu Zhu saw the incoming palm move, he slanted his body to avoid and push out with both palms, it is a move from [Skanda Palm] known as "The Way To Protect Monastery Gate", the move is mediocre, however the power behind it is vigorous and forceful.


    Jiumozhi spin his body, his sleeves revolves and he execute [Mendicant Palm]. Xu Zhu slanted his body to avoid, Jiumozhi had anticipated Xu Zhu''s dodging position, he already launch his [Vajra Fists], with a ''Peng'' sound he hit Xu Zhu''s shoulder. Xu Zhu staggered and retreat 2 steps. Jiumozhi laugh and said: "Little monk are you convinced?" he presumed he had shattered Xu Zhu''s shoulder bone with that fist. Unexpectedly Xu Zhu was protected by [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness], however he still felt his shoulder aching, he straighten his body, his palm moving from left to right and execute the move "Ganges River Flowing To Sea", both palms carried torrents of energy, it is akin to widespread flood.


    Jiumozhi saw his fist had no effect on Xu Zhu, moreover when Xu Zhu''s palm move arrive its power is profound and heavy, he cannot help but be startled, he raised his palm to block, his body also followed, both his legs kick out repeated, in a split second he had kicked 6 times, every move landed on Xu Zhu''s solar plexus, its precisely one of the 72 supreme consummate skill of Shaolin, [Shadowing Kick], as one leg kicks out, the second leg will arrive with the shadow, the second kick will take shape from the shadow, the third kick will follow the shadow again and arrive as well, only until the 6th kick did Xu Zhu have time to shift his body to avoid.


    Jiumozhi did not allow him to rest, he launch two fingers in succession, there is ''Chi Chi'' sound, its [Tara Finger]. Xu Zhu initiate a bow-drawing stance and countered with his fists, it is a move from [Luohan Fists] known as ''Black Tiger Stealing Heart''. This fist technique is extremely shallow and superficial, however when powered by [Minor Formless Skill], unexpectedly it neutralize [Tara Finger]''s rock shattering finger force and stop it midway.


    Jiumozhi had the intention to show off, after launching [Tara Finger] he immediately switch move and made a cutting move with his arm, although he is empty-handed but the technique is [Wood Burning Sabre Skill]. To master this set of sabre skill the practitioner have to chop 81 times at a dry piece of wood swiftly, the sabre edge should not damage the wood at all, however the heat emitted by the sabre must ignite the wood and set it on fire, Xiao Feng''s teacher Master XuanKu is an expert in this skill, after XuanKu pass away, no one in the temple is capable of such skill. [Wood Burning Sabre Skill] is meant to be use with a single sabre, it is completely different from the void palm force of Jiumozhi''s [Blazing Sabre Skill] which he employed in TianLong Monastery. Currently Jiumozhi is using his palm like the sabre edge, he chop and hack fiercely, the technique and move is entirely Shaolin''s martial art. As his sabre chop landed, there is a ''Bo'' sound, Xu Zhu''s right arm was hit. Xu Zhu shout out: "Very fast!" he send out his right fist, as his fist arrive midway his right arm was hit by another sabre move. Jiumozhi poured his internal energy into the palm, the palm chop is no different from steel blade, it can slice or break an arm, unexpectedly Xu Zhu was completely unharmed even after sustaining two sabre chop, on the contrary Jiumozhi felt pain from his palm.


    Jiumozhi was startled, thoughts ran through his mind: "Even if this little monk mastered [Golden Bell Shade] or [Iron Garment Skill], there is no way he can resist my heavy palm move, what is the reason? Ah, yes, he must be wearing some precious protective vest." as he thought of it, he immediately focus his attacks on Xu Zhu''s face and head, [Unfix Great Wisdom Finger], [Ridding Worry Finger], [Nirvana Claw], [Indra Claw], he execute 6 to 7 Shaolin''s divine skills in succession, all of them targeting Xu Zhu''s eyes or throat.


    Under the high-speed attacks from Jiumozhi, Xu Zhu is at a loss on how to resist, he can only move back and retreat, he can''t even use his [Skanda Palm] anymore, he punch out repeatedly, all of them the same move ''Black Tiger Stealing Heart'', every punch forced Jiumozhi to move back half chi, thus due to this half chi, all different kinds of marvellous techniques and moves executed by Jiumozhi are rendered useless as they cannot reach Xu Zhu''s body.


    In a short period of time Jiumozhi execute another 6 different Shaolin''s supreme consummate skills, the crowd of Shaolin monks were dazzled by the display, they thought: "He claims to have mastered all 72 supreme consummate skills of Shaolin, he might not necessarily know all 72 skills, but it seems he know at least 30 to 40 of them." nevertheless Xu Zhu only countered with [Luohan Fists], under the lightning fast attacks of Jiumozhi he had no chance to switch moves, Xu Zhu execute the move ''Black Tiger Stealing Heart'' and another ''Black Tiger Stealing Heart'', again and again he only relied on the move ''Black Tiger Stealing Heart'', the fist technique is awkward and clumsy, even common martial arts practitioner will inevitably laugh out loud. However the inner strength within ''Black Tiger Stealing Heart'' kept increasing continuously, the distance between both of them gradually grew further, Jiumozhi''s finger and claw moves are 1 chi away from Xu Zhu.


    Suddenly Jiumozhi lowered his right palm, he flip his palm and slap Xu Zhu''s wrist. Xu Zhu''s right arm arrive horizontally, Jiumozhi''s plam interlinked with Xu Zhu''s wrist, unexpectedly Jiumozhi felt a severe shock in his arm, immediately after his arm ached and felt numb, he quickly channelled [Minor Formless Skill] to resist, unexpectedly it was neutralized by the opposing [Minor Formless Skill] contain within the [Arm Sealing Acupoints] technique. Jiumozhi shock is really no small matter, he burst out in cold sweats, he recalled the past events at Suzhou''s Mantuo Manor: that day Jiumozhi captured DuanYu and arrive at Jiangnan, he wanted to learn [Six Meridians Divine Sword] of Dali''s Duan family as well as pry into the martial arts collections within Murong family''s ''Water Pavilion of Bestowal and Repayment''. Ah Zhu and Ah Bi arranged a feast and entertained Jiumozhi, Duan Yu, Guo Yanzhi and Cui BaiQuan. Ah Bi played a zither in the Water Pavilion and the floor suddenly flip over, Duan Yu, Ah Zhu and Ah Bi drop onto a small boat underneath the Water Pavilion. Three of them row the boat and escape quickly, Jiumozhi did not know how to row a boat and was unable to catch up with them. In his rage he coerce a servant of Murong family to guide him to Canhe Manor, however the servant did not succumb and refuse to guide him. Jiumozhi knew Canhe Manor is constructed in the deepest part of Lake Tai''s cloudy waters, lotus and water caltrops move irregularly, it is extremely difficult to locate. He hatched a plan and captured an official in Suzhou''s capital town, he press a steel sabre at the official''s neck and force him to lead the way. With a steel sabre at his neck, the official obediently guide Jiumozhi. Jiumozhi gave him 10 silvers and ordered him to leave, he disembark and hid within the underbrush, he wait until midnight before entering the manor.


    Sure enough, the Manor''s owner was not in, he went to the study room and began searching, however he only found <>, <>, <> and various scholar books, it was not what he wanted. In the afternoon of the 2nd day, he saw a big boat arriving, the owner of the boat is a good-looking upper-class lady, she led 10 sword bearing maids and charge aggressively into the Manor. When the Manor servants saw her they address her as "maternal uncle''s wife", the boats men and male workers all address her as "Madam Wang". He heard Madam Wang asking: "Where is my young lady? Ask her to come out quickly!" "Where is Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, those two crafty servants, damn where did they go?" she instructed the maids under her: "Quickly go seize Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, chop off their right hand first before interrogating them." she ask again: "Has your young master return? Is he together with our young miss?" she did not wait for a reply and start slapping people heavily, no matter male servants or maids, she simply slap anyone she come across. Jiumozhi saw her martial art is not very good, but it is more than sufficient to deal with the bunch of servants.


    Jiumozhi expect she would use the boat to return after her search, thus he thought of hitching along and return back to dry land, he quietly stroll to the boat side, when no one was around he leap lightly and landed on the boat''s rear, he hid himself in a corner. Sure enough, no more than two hours later, Madam Wang led her maids into the boat and sail to the middle of the lake. Madam Wang did not find her person, she slap the desk and knock the stools, swore and curse in anger, nobody dare to talk to her.


    The big boat sailed for a couple of hours and anchored at a pier outside the Water Manor. Jiumozhi wait for the sky to turn dark before entering the Manor. It is difficult to search for things in the darkness, just before the lake he saw an exquisite small house, he listen attentively, there is no one in the house, he went up the 2nd floor, he push the window lightly and jump into the room. The interior was pitch-black, there was no light at all, he found an uninhabited room and slept on the floor.


    While sleeping, he suddenly heard a rustling noise downstairs, someone step on some dry grass. Jiumozhi woke up and peered out through a small crack in the window frame, he heard light footsteps, someone is going upstairs. This person stepped on the stairs with gentle force, it is almost noiseless, it goes to show his brilliant inner power. Jiumozhi don''t dare to make any noise, he saw a flame torch, the person''s footstep is strangely quick, in an instant he entered the neighbouring room, the person use the torch to light a candle on the table. He heard a few "Ta Ta" sound, it seems to be some kind of mechanism turning, afterwards he heard a "Ya" sound, the sound of a door being pushed open. Jiumozhi look through a small crack in the wooden partition, he saw a small hole opening up in the wall of the adjacent room, there is a door on the hole, the door is painted like the walls, it is difficult to detect once it is closed. Jiumozhi look at the hole, it is a hidden room, rows of cabinet lined up the room, layers upon layers, words are carved into the doors of every cabinet and painted blue, all of them the same words: "Jade Cave of Langhuan". Jiumozhi knew "Langhuan" is a mythical place where celestial beings kept their books, he had a thought, could it be these cabinets stored precious martial art manuals?


    Jiumozhi saw the person merely look at the bookcase with a candlestick in hand. This person is wearing cyan robe, his long hair draped over his shoulder, his hair grizzled, apparently he is quite old. Jiumozhi muttered inwardly: "This person is old, inner power excellent, i should be able to deduce his identity." he saw the person move to a cabinet, the word "Jade Cave of Langhuan" is written horizontally on the cabinet''s door, on the bottom part of the door there is two rows of words, "Green ox heading west, purple cloud arriving from east", the words are painted green, Jiumozhi pondered: "Green ox and purple cloud, it seems to be related to Laozi''s Taoist teachings, if the cabinet contain <>, <> ,<> or some other Taoist books, then i won''t bother anymore."


    The person open up the cabinet door and took out an entire stacks of account books and place them on the desk, there are around 7-8 books, the corner of the books are rolled up, it appears they are rather old. The person lean his body to the side, Jiumozhi could see his appearance clearly, he is around 60 to 70 years old, face flat and smooth, skin white and fair, at once a person came to his mind: "This person is so old, yet he is able to maintain the face of a child, could he be the one famed for [Great Energy Dissolving Skill], Ding ChunQiu?" Jiumozhi held his breath and concentrate, he don''t dare to move the slightest bit.


    The old man open up one of the books, he studied the contents diligently, he mumbled and calculate as he trace the contents with his finger, he inhaled and exhaled, it seems he is practicing some kind of internal energy. After a long time Jiumozhi heard a female voice downstairs: "Father, is that you?" The old man exhaled, his pair of hands clasping his belly, he finally replied: "Yes, you can come up!" there is the sound of footsteps, a person rush up the stairs, the person is Madam Wang. Jiumozhi was flabbergasted: "So this old man is senior Wang, he is not Ding ChunQiu."


    Madam Wang walk towards the old man and said: "Father, you are practicing [Minor Formless Skill] again? Just take these books, they are brought here by you and mother anyway, without your guidance YuYan cannot understand them." when Jiumozhi heard the phrase [Minor Formless Skill], he knew it is an extremely powerful Taoist''s internal energy method, at once he focus and paid attention.


    The old man said: "If i take these books and can''t hide them properly, most likely they will be stolen by my worthless disciples, it is better to just leave them here. Where did YuYan go?" Madam Wang sat down on a chair beside the old man and said: "There is an old monk from Shaolin called XuanBei, he was killed in Dali, the mortal wound is precisely his famed supreme consummate skill, i think it is called [Great Skanda Pestle], Shaolin firmly insist that the killer must be Gusu Murong. Fu-er was wrongly accused by these people, he took a few of his expert servants and went to Shaolin to resolve this matter. YuYan is worried about Fu-er and followed him as well." the old man shake his head and said: "With Murong Fu tiny amount of martial arts, how can he kill that baldy XuanBei?"


    Madam Wang said: "Father, you killed XuanBei, correct?" the old man said: "No! Why would i kill Shaolin monks?" Madam Wang said: "Fu-er''s father died early, unexpectedly he need YuYan to guide him in martial arts, he really lack any manly spirit, it is really shameful! Father, please teach him." the old man shake his head and said: "He thinks his family''s [Star Shifting Movement] skill is amazing, he look down on XingXiu Sect and refuse to join, why should i teach him martial arts?"


    When Jiumozhi heard it, he finally realize this old man is Ding ChunQiu.


    Madam Wang is the daughter of Li QiuShui and Wu YaZi, after the girl was born, both of them lived at Mount WuLiang, the love between these pair of martial brother and sister was strong, from time to time they practice sword moves under the moon, occasionally they compose poetry by the flowers, their joy overflowing. However Wu YaZi delve into zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, medicine, divination, horoscope, etc, he had to attend to a wide range of affairs, inevitably he start to drift away from Li QiuShui. Li QiuShui kidnap many handsome youngsters and brought them into the cave, she flirt and tease them openly, her intention is to make Wu YaZi pay attention to her, unexpectedly Wu YaZi loathe her and left in anger. Li QiuShui was extremely disappointed, thus she seduced Wu YaZi second disciple, Ding ChunQiu. Unexpectedly Ding ChunQiu revolt and manage to beat Wu YaZi off a cliff, his life and death unknown. Eventually both Ding and Li took all the manuals hidden in "Jade Cave of Langhuan", as well as Li QiuShui''s daughter Li QingLuo, and move to Suzhou. To avoid any gossips, Li QiuShui ordered her daughter to address Ding ChunQiu as father, Madam Wang start calling him father from childhood, this became a habit and when she grew up she did not bother to correct herself anymore. Naturally Jiumozhi is not aware of these past events, he assume Ding ChunQiu is Madam Wang''s father.


    Madam Wang said: "Father, teach me this [Minor Formless Skill] so that i may impart it to YuYan in the future." Ding ChunQiu said: "Not good! This skill is extremely difficult to train, even i can''t master it properly. I will teach you the mnemonics to this skill, you and YuYan can practice this skill slowly at your own pace. En, YuYan is simply too good to her cousin, i am not at ease." he took a book from the stacks of books on the desk and place it in his bosom.


    Ding ChunQiu open up another book and said: "This set of internal energy method, our martial grandfather only impart it to your mother, my master and martial aunt did not learn it. Martial grandfather wrote down the method to training this internal energy and made it look like an accounting ledger. ''New year day, received 9 qian and 8 fen as payment'', this means inhale lightly 9 times on the 1st day, gather your breath 8 times. ''Hand over 8 qian and 7 fen as payment'', this means exhale lightly 8 times, gather your breath 7 times. ''Second day of new year, received 8 qian and 9 fen as payment, bought one pig lung, two pig intestines, one pig heart'', this means on the 2nd day after gathering your breath, circulate it once in the lungs, twice in the intestines, once in the heart...."


    Madam Wang laugh and said: "Martial grandfather is really amusing, he rewrote his heart, lungs and intestines as pig heart, pig lungs and pig intestines." Ding ChunQiu smile and said: "By writing this way, even if the book fall into someone else hands, they will assume it is just an accounting bill for market purchase, they won''t know it is a method for practicing internal energy. Read these few words again." Madam Wang recited: "Xin, ren, zhen, yun, chun, shen...." Ding ChunQiu said: "Read it again, you must read fast!" Madam Wang recited: "Gu, fu, mu, mu, sui, ku, wu...." Ding ChunQiu said: "Read it in reverse, you must do it in a single breath, you must not stop in-between." Madam Wang read seven oblique tone in succession, her breath was hindered, eventually she break out in laughter and lean over on the desk.


    Ding ChunQiu said: "No need to hurry, read for two hours each day, once you are proficient in reciting the mnemonics forward and backward, you can then follow the method prescribed in the book to practice, i will teach you again once you complete these two books." both of them engage in some idle gossips, finally Madam Wang went down the stairs and left.


    When Ding ChunQiu finish practicing, he put the books back into the cabinet, he extinguish the candle flame and left the room. Jiumozhi wait until the sound of Ding ChunQiu footsteps had gone far, when no one was around he finally grope his way towards the adjacent room, he entered the hidden room and saw many cabinets with the phrase "Jade Cave of Langhuan", he pondered: "I will take just [Minor Formless Skill]. They wrote it as pig heart and pig intestines, i really don''t know what kind of things they would write for other martial arts, if i take the other books i will just learn the wrong skills." thus he open the cabinet door for "Green ox heading west" and put all the books inside his bosom, he jump over the wall and left. There is a boat by the coast, he hide in the rear cabin, he don''t know how to steer this big boat, moreover he is afraid of alerting Madam Wang with regards to the loss of [Minor Formless Skill] manuals, hence he wait patiently. Till the third day, someone finally steered the boat to Suzhou city for some business transactions. He hid in the cargo hold and wait for the boat to reach shore, when the boatman and servants disembarked he finally left the boat and went back to his own place.


    He count the number of books, there are seven in total, one of the book was taken by Ding ChunQiu, hence he cannot study the martial art completely. One, two, three, four, etc, are written on the book''s title, he saw the 7th volume is missing, he knew Ding ChunQiu must have taken the 7th book. He open up the first book, a few sentences are written in the first page:


    "Since ancient times there are people who are adept in the way of Tao, they have subtle understandings, their knowledge profound, it is not something an average person can comprehend. Because they cannot understand a person, they can only describe with great difficulty: "He is cautious and timid, akin to stepping on thin ice to cross a river during winter; He is vigilant and on guard, he seems to be guarding against an invasion of neighbouring country; He is respectful and solemn, as if he is a guest of a banquet; He operates freely and easily, like an ice melting slowly; He is simple and unsophisticated, akin to raw material without any prior processing; He is broad and open-minded, like the deep hidden valley; He is rich and charitable, like the turbulent muddy water. Who can calm the turbulent muddy water, and make it clear and pure again? Who can change the quiet, and make them alive again? A person who maintains this "Tao" cannot be complacent. Because he is never complacent, he is able to remove the old and replace with new."


    Jiumozhi thought for a long time but he still don''t understand the underlying meaning. He flip to the second page, line after line there are all about certain month and day, how much qian and how much fen, how many pig heart to buy, etc, at once he burnt some incense and regulate his breathing quietly, he followed the instructions in the book to practice. Initially he did not detect any change, he patiently regulate his breathing and continue to circulate it in his meridians, after a few months, he gradually felt his spirit become clearer and his breathing become smoother, his internal energy had increased greatly.


    He continued to make great effort for several more months, he felt his inner breath circulate around more places. After Tubo''s Tantric Buddhist Master NingMaPai instructed him in the divine [Blazing Sabre Skill], he wiped out all the shady sects in Tubo and established his might in the west, his skills and knowledge had already reach an extremely high level, however as he train [Minor Formless Skill], he felt he had step into another new territory of martial arts study.


    Buddhist''s martial arts focus on the aspect of "emptiness", Taoist''s internal energy is based on "unhindered", "unobstructed", "unhurried", "no difference in state", both martial arts achieve the same ends through different means, they are extremely similar once trained to an extremely high level, however entry-level technique and method are vastly different.


    Jiumozhi was engrossed in practicing [Minor Formless Skill], he forge ahead relentlessly and studied from day till night. He studied the 6th and 8th volume and deduced that the missing 7th volume is related to "Chong meridian", "Dai meridian ", "Yang meridian ", "Yin meridian", the extraordinary meridians, he had already complete the training for all 12 common meridians, the 8th volume contains "Yang qiao", "Yin qiao", as well as the most important "Ren meridian", "Du meridian", etc, another four extraordinary meridian, the missing method to training these extraordinary meridians must be virtually the same as others, by extrapolating from all seven volumes he possess he should be able to derive the training method for the missing four extraordinary meridians.


    When he return to Tubo, he followed the training formula and mastered the four extraordinary meridians depicted in the 8th volume, afterwards he backtrack and start to train the missing four extraordinary meridians for the 7th volume, unexpectedly the meridians clogged up and was obstructed, fortunately the "Chong meridian" and "Dai meridian" are not commonly use, he was not too worried, he assume once he mastered all 16 common and extraordinary meridians, the remaining four extraordinary meridians will follow naturally and clear up, by then he would be able to circulate through them.


    He manage to obtain news that Beggar Clan had issued a challenge to Shaolin to fight for the title of leader of Central Plains martial art fraternity. Martial art experts gathering together in Central Plains is highly unfavourable for Tubo. He did not know all 72 supreme consummate skills of Shaolin but after mastering [Minor Formless Skill] his internal energy had advanced greatly from the time he challenged TiangLong Monastery and single-handedly defeat Duan family''s [Six Meridians Divine Sword] with his divine [Blazing Sabre Skill], by using [Minor Formless Skill] as the base to power Shaolin''s supreme consummate skills he should be able to defeat all the monks at Shaolin and make them suffer a crushing defeat. Martial art experts of Central Plains won''t be able to form an alliance and he would achieve a glorious deed for Tubo, benefiting his title as Grand Tutor of Tubo.


    Jiumozhi went to Shaolin and secretly eavesdrop outside the main hall of the Buddhist temple, he heard the martial arts discussion between abbot XuanCi, ShenShan, GuanXin and the rest of the senior monks, he heard XuanCi comment that hard/gentle martial arts oppose each other, thus [Demon Subduing Palm] cannot be practice together with [Mohe Finger], Jiumozhi executed his lightness martial arts and rush outside the temple''s gate, he use internal energy to transmit his voice and criticize the theory that hard/soft martial arts cannot be trained together. Jiumozhi is able to transmit his voice from a great distance, his internal energy must be deep and profound, the senior monks did not found it strange, however he is able to hear the discussion even though he is very far away, this kind of [Heavenly Connecting Ear Skill] is rarely seen in the world, everyone was equally startled and in awe, however they did not expect Jiumozhi to eavesdrop the conversation in the main hall and then run to a distant place to transmit his voice. Afterwards Jiumozhi use [Minor Formless Skill] as the foundation and executed [Vajra Fist], [Prajna Palm], [Mohe Finger] and other Shaolin supreme consummate skills, sure enough the crowd was scared into submission and he force abbot XuanCi to admit inferiority. Just as Jiumozhi was feeling smug, he did not expect Xu Zhu to suddenly appear out of the crowd of monks, unexpectedly Xu Zhu also knew [Minor Formless Skill] and used it against him.


    Both their arms clashed and stir up the ''Chong meridian'' and various acupoints, this is the weak point in Jiumozhi''s internal energy, in a split second Jimozhi recalled the [Minor Formless Skill] manual he stole at Mantuo Manor, the collection is short of the 7th volume, he cannot help but break out in cold sweat. Jiumozhi is careful and meticulous, he will calculate and plan carefully while training, hence he is able to avoid all obstructions and pitfalls when practicing his skills, however when fighting with an opponent, the moves are fast as lightning, he have no time to think through carefully, both streams of [Minor Formless Skill] clash with each other, Jiumozhi did not master the ''Chong extraordinary meridian'' contain in the 7th volume, unexpectedly the force in his arm was nullified by Xu Zhu''s [Minor Formless Skill]. If [Minor Formless Skill] is fully mastered, even though its power is formidable but because the skill is termed [Minor Formless Skill], with emphasize on the word ''Minor'', it clearly shows that the skill is merely an entry-level Taoist internal energy method, if the practitioner use it to power Taoist''s martial arts he will find it smooth and easy, however when employed in other class of martial arts, it will inevitably fit like mortise and tenon, it cannot display its wonders. Moreover Jiumozhi''s [Minor Formless Skill] is lacking the 7th volume, there is a flaw in his energy method, inevitably it pales in comparison against Xu Zhu''s perfect and complete [Minor Formless Skill].


    Jiumozhi was fearful, he saw Xu Zhu execute another ''Black Tiger Stealing Heart'', suddenly Jiumozhi lowered his palm , his pair of hands stretch forward and grab onto Xu Zhu''s right fist, its precisely a move from one of Shaolin''s supreme consummate skill, [Dragon Claw Skill], his left hand seize Xu Zhu''s little finger, his right hand grab onto Xu Zhu''s thumb, he channelled his energy and bend quickly, he intend to break Xu Zhu''s fingers.


    Xu Zhu''s two fingers are under pressure, he cannot use ''Black Tiger Stealing Heart'' anymore, he felt acute pain from his fingers, he involuntarily executed [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain], his right wrist made a small turn, flip over and seize Jiumozhi''s left wrist.


    Jiumozhi was feeling happy as he manage to seize Xu Zhu''s finger with a single move, unexpectedly his opponent manage to generate an extremely strange force and captured his own wrist in return. He had extremely profound knowledge of martial arts, however he have absolutely no idea on the origins of [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain], his heart shivered with fear, his wrist felt as if it was locked by an iron hoop, he can no longer shake it off. Luckily Xu Zhu only seek to free himself in his panic-stricken state, he held firmly onto Jiumozhi''s wrist and prevent him from breaking his fingers, he did not counterattack and grab Jiumozhi''s meridian points. Thus due to Xu Zhu giving some leeway, Jiumozhi gathered his internal energy, he withdraw it slightly and suddenly send his energy bursting forth, Jiumozhi hope to split open the flesh between Xu Zhu''s thumb and forefinger.


    Xu Zhu felt his hands tingling, he is afraid his opponent might execute some ferocious technique if he release his grip, he hurriedly channelled his internal energy, his [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] rush forth like a tide. Both Xu Zhu and Duan Yu''s inner energy had the same origin, however unlike Duan Yu, Xu Zhu did not practice the method to absorb an opponent''s internal energy, thus although he manage to grab Jiumozhi''s wrist but he cannot absorb his internal energy. Jiumozhi channelled his internal energy 3 times but he still can''t shake off Xu Zhu''s grip, he cannot help but feel greatly astonished, his right hand formed a palm and hack towards the back of Xu Zhu''s neck.


    Jiumozhi is desperate, he did not think of using Shaolin''s martial arts anymore, this hacking move is his own Tubo''s martial arts. Xu Zhu executed a move from [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain] with his left hand and neutralize Jiumozhi''s palm move. Jiumozhi''s second palm move arrived, Xu Zhu execute [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain] continuously, one by one he neutralized all of his opponent''s violent attacks.


    Currently both of them are fighting in close proximity, their bodies touching, they can feel each others breath, while trading palm moves they only bend their arms or turn their elbows, their palm move is only 7-8 inch away from each other, although the distance is close but the palm force is extremely powerful. The sound of Jiumozhi''s palm is like the wind beating, the crowd of monks felt as if his palm force is cutting their face, the chilling force of the palm invading their bodies, it is as if they are in the highest peak of snow mountain, gale blowing from all four sides. Gradually the lower generation monks cannot withstand it anymore, one by one they withdraw and move backwards and press their bodies against the wall. Senior monks from the Xuan generation are not afraid of the invasion of palm force, however they still channelled internal energy to protect their bodies.


    In order to treat Cave-masters of 36 Cave and Island-masters of 72 Island from their ''life death talisman'', Xu Zhu had to train his [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain] to very high level, he already mastered and understood all different kinds of profound variations in the palm moves, moreover the drawings on the stone wall in Vulture Palace had made him comprehend the wonders of [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain]. However he never use [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain] to fight with others before, he lacked practice, in his 1st fight he had to engage in a life-death battle with one of the very best martial art expert of the current age, although his palm technique is at an extremely high level, his internal energy strong, but he only manage to produce 20-30% of the palm''s true potential.


    Jiumozhi''s palm force converge and gradually became sharp, Xu Zhu concentrate on the battle, however he only seek to defend himself, every single move is defensive. He held onto his opponent''s wrist tightly, it is not because he want to seize his opponent, but because Jiumozhi far surpass him in martial arts, just a single palm from him is already so difficult to deal with, he will definitely die on the spot if Jiumozhi had free use of both palms. Xu Zhu lacked knowledge and experience, he did not detect the major deficiency in Jiumozhi''s ''Chong meridian'', he would achieve victory long ago had he focus his counterattacks on Jiumozhi''s weak point, he only relied on his silly method and desperately held onto Jiumozhi''s left wrist to prevent him from executing any moves.


    Jiumozhi''s left hand was captured, he cannot execute all the wonderful variations and mutual chain attacks of twin palms. Xu Zhu is not very proficient in his palm technique, it is easier for him to use single palm rather than both palm. Jiumozhi had his potential cut in half, his palm technique is left with only 50%, as for Xu Zhu his 20-30% of palm''s potential gradually became 40-50%. After the time taken to burn a joss stick, both of them already exchange several hundred moves, however they are still deadlock in stalemate.


    XuanCi, XuanDu, ShenShan, GuanXin, DaoQing, etc, various eminent monks, they already saw how Jiumozhi''s wrist is being controlled and he cannot struggle free, however Xu Zhu''s left palm is completely at a disadvantage, he can only block, he had not strength to retaliate at all. Although the eminent monks are experienced and knowledgeable, but they have never seen this kind of fighting method before. In addition, the crowd of Shaolin monks are startled and anxious, Xu Zhu grew up in the temple since childhood, he left the temple for only half a year but somehow he manage to learn an astonishing set of skills when he return, they saw how he manage to grab his opponent''s wrist but unable to subdue him, nevertheless every single one of Jiumozhi''s palm moves contain a formidable power that is able to break bones or tendon and destroy inner energy pathway, he only need to land one hit and his opponent will surely die immediately.


    Both of them exchange another hundred moves, Xu Zhu''s initial fear gradually dissipate, slowly he start to comprehend the intricacies of [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain], 9 out of 10 moves are defensive but he is finally able to counterattack with 1 move. For every counterattack move Xu Zhu execute, Jiumozhi must make a move to resist, thus there will inevitably be pauses in Jiumozhi''s offensive moves. Although the pause is slight, but as time goes on it gradually become favourable for Xu Zhu. After the time taken to eat a meal, Xu Zhu is able to counterattack 2-3 moves out of 10. The crowd of Shaolin monks saw him gradually move away from mortal danger, they cannot help but be secretly happy.


    At this moment Xu Zhu is able to reach 40% offensive moves, although he still had to defend more than attack but his internal energy is able emerge and display its true potential, he automatically start to execute the various fierce and vicious moves of Carefree Sect. For Buddhist''s martial arts, its intention is to subdue an opponent not kill, it is completely different from the martial arts of Child Elder and Li QiuShui. XuanCi and the eminent monks saw that although Xu Zhu''s moves are reserved and mild, but his moves gradually became vicious and sharp, they cannot help but purse their brows.


    Jiumozhi channelled his energy and made 3 powerful attempts, he want to shake off Xu Zhu''s right hand so that he can execute his consummate [Blazing Sabre Skill], although he increase his power but his opponent''s finger force also increase accordingly, in a moment of desperation his murderous intentions burst forth and flourish abruptly, with a rushing wind he smack his palms 3 times, Xu Zhu wave his palm to neutralize. Jiumozhi pull back his palm and bent his waist, he draw out a dagger from his sock and thrust it towards Xu Zhu''s shoulder.


    Xu Zhu only learn how to counter unarmed combat, suddenly he saw flashes of white light, the dagger arrive and he had no idea how to ward it off, he scrambled and made a grab for Jiumozhi''s right wrist. The grabbing manoeuvre is a capturing/seizing technique from [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain], it is fast and accurate, once his three fingers landed on Jiumozhi''s wrist his thumb and little finger clamp down immediately. At this moment, the force in Jiumozhi''s palm is directed outwards, the dagger move away from his hand and shoot out. Xu Zhu''s hands held on firmly to his opponent''s wrist, with a ''Pu'' sound the dagger plunge into his shoulder up till the handle.


    The spectating monks all cried out in alarm. ShenShan, GuanXin, etc, all of them cannot help but shake their heads repeatedly, they had the same thoughts: "Base on Jiumozhi''s rank and status, his reputation is already in tatters as he can''t even match up to a young monk from Shaolin, unexpectedly he still made a sneak attack with bladed weapon, his behaviour is simply unacceptable."


    Suddenly four monks rush out from the crowd, green light flickered, four long swords thrust straight at Jiumozhi''s throat simultaneously. These four monks jump out and launch their attacks at the same time, they target the exact same position, their sword art strangely quick and incomparably vicious. Jiumozhi channelled his internal energy into his legs, he wanted to leap backwards, unexpectedly under his pull Xu Zhu did not move the slightest bit, however he felt stinging pain in his throat, the tip of the four swords already touch his skin. The four monks shout simultaneously: "Shameless thing, quickly surrender!" their voices tender and delicate, unexpectedly it is the voice of females.


    Xu Zhu turn his head and look, unexpectedly these four monks are Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Sword, they wore monk cap to cover up their fine black hair, their clothes Shaolin monk robes. Xu Zhu was stunned, he shouted: "Don''t take his life!" The four Swords reply in unison: "Yes!" however the tip of their swords never left Jiumozhi''s throat.


    Jiumozhi laugh and said: "Shaolin Temple not only rely on numbers to achieve victory, but also hide young maidens, your honourable reputation for several hundred year is merely so so, i finally experience it!"


    Xu Zhu was panic-stricken, he did not know what to do, at once he release Jiumozhi''s wrist. Chrysanthemum Sword pull out the dagger from his shoulder, blood gush forth immediately. Chrysanthemum Sword hurriedly cast aside her sword and took out a handkerchief from her bosom, she bind his wound. As for Plum, Orchid and Bamboo Sword, their long sword is still pointing at Jiumozhi''s throat. Xu Zhu inquired: "You...you, how did you come here?"


    Jiumozhi wave his palm horizontally and execute his divine [Blazing Sabre Skill], ''Dang Dang Dang'', three long swords broke off. The three sisters are greatly alarmed, they float backwards for several zhang and look at their hands, only half of their swords are left. Jiumozhi look up to the sky and laugh, he said to XuanCi: "Great master abbot, what have you to say?"


    XuanCi''s expression is ashen, he said: "Old monk is truly unaware of the intermediate reasons, i will investigate and punishment will be meted according to Shaolin''s regulations. Grand Tutor and senior martial brothers from afar have come from a distant place, i invite you to rest in the guest house and have some vegetarian meal."


    Jiumozhi said: "Then i have to trouble you." he put his palms together and bow, XuanCi return the courtesy.


    Jiumozhi separate his palms and direct it at both sides, he secretly channelled his divine [Blazing Sabre Skill]. ''Pu Pu Pu Pu'', Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Sword all cry out in surprise, their monk cap fell down, revealing their beautiful hairs, several hundred strands of hair float down along with the caps.


    Jiumozhi purposely displayed his skill to show off, he cut off some hair but did not injure anyone, his intention is to show that he is merciful, at the same time he also showed the crowd that these four sisters are non-secular women, they are not Buddhist nun, thus Shaolin cannot deny it.


    XuanCi''s complexion turn even more grave, he said: "Senior martial brothers from afar, please help yourself!"


    ShenShan, GuanXin, DaoQing, RongZhi, etc, they saw how Shaolin had women disguised as monks, all of them are greatly astonished. As they heard XuanCi''s words, all of them stood up. The monks led them to their respective guesthouse.


    **********


    Once the foreign guests exit the main hall, Plum Sword said: "Owner, we left the mountain secretly and came here to serve you, please don''t blame us." Orchid Sword said: "Monk YuanGen was rude to owner, thus we beat him up several times before he finally realize what is good for him, alas, unexpectedly this foreign monk manage to injure owner."


    Xu Zhu grunted ''Oh'', he finally understood, YuanGen was initially rude but became respectful later, as it turns out he was coerce by these four sisters, it seem the sisters had remained in the temple for quite some time, disguised as monks and hiding within the temple, he cannot help but stamped his feet and said: "Preposterous, preposterous!" he immediately knelt down in front of the statue of Rulai and said: "Disciple commit grave sins in his pre-life, i failed to maintain clear monastic discipline in this life, thus i attract countless trouble and disaster for the temple, i respectfully invite abbot to punish me heavily."


    Chrysanthemum Sword said: "Owner please don''t continue being a hateful Buddhist monk anymore, why don''t we return to Misty Peak, there is only green vegetables and tofu here not the slightest bit of lard, what''s more you have to be under someone else control, what is so good about it?" Bamboo Sword point at XuanCi and said: "Old monk, if your speech is offensive to our owner, then we four sisters will have to be impolite as well, you better be careful."


    Xu Zhu shout repeatedly to stop her: "Don''t be rude, how can you act wilfully and make a scene in the temple? Quickly shut your mouth."


    However the sisters kept on rambling one after another, they do not have any regards for XuanCi or the senior monks. The crowd of Shaolin monks were overwhelmed with shock, the four sisters are completely identical in appearance, they are elegant and beautiful, simple-minded and vivacious, they simply had no regards for law and order, no one knows where they come from.


    As it turns out the four sisters are daughters from a poor household living at the base of a snow mountain, their mother had already given birth to seven daughters, they really cannot afford to bring up another quadruplets, thus they were abandon outside the snow ground after being born, it so happens that Child Elder was gathering medicine at the snow mountain, she heard their crying and saw four identical female babies, she found it amusing and brought them back to Vulture Palace where they were raised and taught martial arts. These four sister never left Misty Peak before, what would they know about the ways of the world and of generation hierarchy? Throughout their life they only listen to orders from Child Elder. When Xu Zhu became the new owner of Vulture Palace they simply serve him, their loyalty unswerving. Xu Zhu is humble and modest, he cannot be compared with the powerful presence exuded by Child Elder, thus the sisters are not particularly afraid of him, they only know they should be loyal and devoted, they are unaware of the ramification of their wilful and rash actions.


    XuanCi said: "Other than fellow apprentices from the Xuan generation, the rest return back to your rooms. HuiLun stay here." the crowd replied in unison, the walk out in a line according to their generation. In a short period of time only 30 Xuan generation monks remain in the Hall of Great Strength as well as HuiLun, Xu Zhu and the four sisters.


    HuiLun also knelt down in front of the statue of Buddha and said: "Disciple did not teach properly, i produce such sinful apprentice, abbot please punish me severely."


    Bamboo Sword giggled and said: "Baldy with your negligible level of martial arts, you think you are fit to be our owner''s master? The day before yesterday in the pine forest, the masked person who made you stumble eight times, that person is my 2nd elder sister. In my opinion, your martial art is simply too sloppy." Xu Zhu groaned inwardly: "Terrible, terrible! They even make fun of my master." he heard Orchid Sword laugh and said: "I heard from YuanGen you are our owner''s master, thus i tested you. If 3rd sister did not speak of it i am afraid you will never know how you tumble 8 times in succession, haha, hehe, interesting, interesting!"


    XuanCi said: "Junior martial brother XuanCan, XuanKui, XuanNian and XuanJing, please don''t let these four female shizhu talk nonsense or act rashly."


    Four monks bow and said: "Yes!" they turn around and said to the four sisters: "Abbot''s orders, shizhu please do not talk nonsense or act rashly!"


    Plum Sword laugh and said: "Unfortunately we insist on talking nonsense and acting rashly, what can you do?" the four monks said in unison: "In that case then pardon our offense!" their monk robes fluttered slightly, their pair of hands seize the four sister''s wrist. XuanCan employed [Dragon Claw Skill], XuanKui employed [Tiger Claw Hand], XuanNian employed [Eagle Claw Skill], XuanJing employed [18 Capturing Strike Of Shaolin], their stance and moves different, but all of them exquisite martial arts of Shaolin. Other than Chrysanthemum Sword, the other three sisters had their long sword broken by Jiumozhi. Chrysanthemum Sword''s long sword trembled and protected her three sisters. Plum, Orchid and Bamboo Sword wave their broken sword, they launch their attacks under the sword ray of Chysanthemum Sword''s sword.


    Xu Zhu shouted out: "Cast your sword away, cast your sword away! You must not fight!"


    The four sisters heard their Owner shouting out, they are startled, they don''t dare to wave their weapons with full strength. The martial arts of these four sisters are already way inferior to senior monks from Xuan generation, the decisive opportunity was lost and the four sisters got captured immediately. Plum Sword struggled furiously but she can''t shake her captor off, she said angrily: "We listen to our Owner, we are polite to you, ouch, its so painful, why are you pinching so hard?" Orchid Sword shout out: "Little thieving baldy, release me quickly." her captor is Master XuanKui, his eyebrow white, he is already 70 years old, however she still address him as "little thieving baldy". Bamboo Sword said: "If you still don''t release me i will curse your wife." Chrysanthemum Sword said: "I will spit saliva." a mouthful of saliva spurt towards XuanJing. XuanJing inclined his head to avoid, he increased the pressure in his finger, Chrysanthemum Sword was in so much pain that she cry out loud. The Hall of Great Strength was originally a solemn Buddhist ground, in a split second it became a place where little girls weep and scream aloud.


    XuanCi said: "Shizhu please remain silent, martial brothers please seal their mute acupoint if they make any sound." when the four sisters heard their mute acupoint will be sealed they did not find it amusing, they don''t dare to speak anymore. Thus, XuanCan and the other monks release their wrist.


    XuanCi said: "Xu Zhu, tell us the entire matter from the start till end, you must not cover up anything."


    Xu Zhu said: "Yes. Disciple sincerely report." thus he narrated how he went down the mountain to dispatch invitation cards, how he met XuanNan and HuiFang, how he accidentally solved the ''ZhenLong Chess Formation'' and became the leader of Carefree Sect, how XuanNan was poisoned to death by Ding ChunQiu, how AhZi tricked him into violating his religious precepts, how he met Child Elder of Heavenly Mountain, how he penetrate deep into the ice cellar of Western Xia, how he became the owner of Vulture Palace, he narrated everything one by one. The course of events complicated, he is not very articulate, he stammered and took ages to narrate. Although he is long winded, but he narrated everything and did not hide or cover up, he even spoke of the lascivious acts he commit with his ''Dream Maiden'' in the ice cellar.


    The senior monks became increasingly amazed, Xu Zhu''s strange encounter is truly unprecedented in the martial arts fraternity. Moments ago the crowd of monks had seen Xu Zhu''s skill in the dramatic fight with Jiumozhi, they did not have any doubts about his narration, they pondered: "If he did not possess the divine internal energy of the top three experts of Carefree Sect and comprehend the first-class martial arts on the stone wall of Vulture Palace, then how can he withstand the peerless divine skills of Grand Tutor of Tubo?"


    When Xu Zhu finish speaking, he prostrate himself before the statue of Buddha, he bow to the ground and said: "Disciple is hindered by heavy delusion, i cannot get rid of them, i became indecisive when i encounter external demon, i broke the precepts against meat, wine, murder and lascivious acts, i renounce my own sect and learnt heretic martial arts, i also led four females into the temple, i tarnish the clean reputation of Shaolin, it is really a great crime, Buddha please have mercy, abbot please have mercy." he became increasingly sad as he thought about it, he cannot help but cry out bitterly.


    Plum Sword and Chrysanthemum Sword snorted at the same time, they want to speak so as to persuade him, he don''t need to be a Buddhist monk. XuanCan and XuanJing immediately extended their hands and hook onto the meridians of these two sisters. The sisters had no choice, they are about to speak out but had to swallow their words, they glare ferociously at the two old monks and curse secretly: "Damn monks, stinky baldy!"


    XuanCi muttered to himself for a long time, he said: "Martial brothers, Xu Zhu''s encounter is simply too strange, this matter concern the clear reputation of Shaolin which has lasted several hundred years, it is inconvenient for me to make the decision alone, i invite everyone to discuss together."


    XuanSheng said loudly: "Reporting to abbot, although Xu Zhu made a huge mistake, but his meritorious service is also not small. If he did not subdue that foreign monk during that critical juncture, will our temple still be able to maintain its standings in the martial arts fraternity? That foreign monk ask us to break up, join Refreshing Temple, Pudu Temple, etc, or even Tubo''s Lama Temple. This great shame and humiliation, Xu Zhu alone saved us from the predicament. It seems our temple is fated to undergo this calamity due to numerous virtuous deeds, our fortune and karma is deep and profound, thus Xu Zhu experience such strange encounter which allow our temple to avoid this calamity. In my opinion, we should order him to repent and reflect so as to eliminate his sins, afterwards let him study martial arts intensively at Damo Courtyard, hereafter he cannot leave the temple anymore or get involved in any foreign affairs." It is an extreme honour for a monk to enter Damo Courtyard to study martial arts intensively, the monk must possess extremely high level of martial arts in order to gain entry. Of the 20 monks in the Xuan generation, only 11-12 get to enter Damo Courtyard, even for XuanSheng himself, he did not get to enter Damo Courtyard. He proposed to allow Xu Zhu to enter Damo Courtyard, it is not punishment at all, on the contrary it is a great reward.


    The head-monk of Damo Courtyard was originally XuanNan, now it is taken over by XuanYin, XuanYin hesitate to make a decision, he did not know what to say.


    XuanJi, the head-monk of Discipline Courtyard said: "Base on his martial arts achievement he is qualified to enter Damo Courtyard. However his martial art is heretic and unorthodox, how can such martial art expert be allowed to stay in Damo Courtyard? Junior martial brother XuanSheng, did you consider this before?"


    Once he said it, the group of monks all felt that XuanSheng''s suggestion is inappropriate. XuanSheng said: "Base on senior martial brother''s opinion, what should we do?"


    XuanJi said: "Hm, i really don''t have any firm ideas. Xu Zhu did render meritorious service but he also made mistakes, he should be rewarded for his merits and punished for his mistakes. Xu Zhu did not incite these four ladies to enter our temple disguised as monks, we should be frank and explain the truth to Jiumozhi and ShenShan. It will be good if they believe us, it doesn''t matter if they don''t, we have clear conscience, no need to pay attention to other people''s absurd conjecture, this is nothing difficult. However Xu Zhu broke precepts repeatedly, he abandon our school and learn unorthodox martial arts, i am afraid he cannot be allowed to stay in Shaolin anymore." unexpectedly XuanJi wants to expel Xu Zhu out of Shaolin. The most heavy punishment in Buddhism is to expel someone out of the sect. The group of monks are all dumbstruck by his words.


    XuanJi continued: "Xu Zhu relied on his martial arts and violated several monastic disciplines, originally we should cripple his martial arts before expelling him. However someone else already nullified his former skills. The martial arts he carry now is not from our school, thus we have no rights to cripple them."


    With tears rolling down his eyes, Xu Zhu said: "Abbot, martial grandfathers, please have mercy for the sake of Buddha, give disciple a chance to turn over a new leaf, no matter what kind of punishment, disciple is willing to accept, just don''t expel me from the temple." he is sobbing, he is extremely sincere.


    The group of monks look at each other, they really can''t make a decision, listening to Xu Zhu''s plead it seems he is truly repentant and sincere, there is a saying "lay down butcher''s knife and become a Buddha" and "the sea of bitterness has no bonds, turn your head to see the shore", Buddhism is widespread and save all living things, even for extremely vicious and evil person, Buddhist have to try all possible means to enlighten him, let alone a disciple from their own temple who wants to get back on the right path, how can they deny him the path to virtue? Shaolin temple is rooted in Zen Buddhism, the emphasis has always been on "enlightenment", the courage to take responsibility for mistakes. If not due to the presence of outsiders, seeing his sincerity the monks would definitely not resort to expelling him from Shaolin. However this matter had already been witness by Great Wheel Temple of Tubo, Refreshing Temple, Pudu Temple as well as all the senior monks, if they are not strict in punishing Xu Zhu outsiders will undoubtedly accuse Shaolin of covering up and protecting its own faction, disregarding right from wrong and monastic discipline, only favouring martial arts. If this kind of gossips spread out it will ultimately destroy the clear reputation of Shaolin.


    At this moment, an old monk stroll out from the rear hall aided by two junior disciple, the monk is XuanDu. He was injured by Jiumozhi''s finger strength and rested in his room, however he is concerned about the outcome of the duel in the main hall, thus he dispatch his disciple to give him constant reports, he heard that Jiumozhi was defeated and forced to retreat, a group of monks interrogating Xu Zhu with the intention to punish him, thus he endured his injuries and went to the Hall of Great Strength, he said: "Abbot, Xu Zhu save my life. I have something to say, i don''t know if i should say it."


    XuanDu is much older compared to the other monks, he is highly respected in the temple for his moral character. Abbot XuanCi said quickly: "Senior martial brother please take a seat, speak slowly, don''t aggravate your injuries."


    XuanDu said: "Saving my life, its nothing much. However we have six important matters which we have yet to settle, there is much benefit if we keep Xu Zhu in the temple, if we expel him from the temple, then...then....then it is difficult."


    XuanJi said: "Senior martial brother mention about six important matters, the first must be referring to Jiumozhi who has yet to retreat; the second matter must be ShenShan criticizing our temple for indulging disciple Qiao Feng and letting him commit evil; the third matter must be the newly-appointed chief of Beggar Clan Zhuang JuXian''s lust for the position of chief of martial arts fraternity. As for the other three matters, can senior martial brother point it out?"


    XuanDu gave a long sigh and said: "XuanBei, XuanKu, XuanTong and XuanNan, the lives of our four martial brothers." when he mentioned these four monks, the crowd put their palms together and chanted simultaneously: "Buddha is merciful!"


    Initially the crowd of monks assumed XuanKu was killed by Qiao Feng, soon after they dispatch experts to investigate, they cleared their suspicion of Qiao Feng but as for the true killer they still did not have any ideas; XuanTong and XuanNan are killed by Ding ChunQiu, they have yet to avenge this animosity; as for the murder of Master XuanBei, they still did not have any clue. Everyone knew XuanBei died due to [Great Skanda Pestle], [Great Skanda Pestle] is one of the 72 supreme consummate skills of Shaolin, it is precisely the skill XuanBei had trained bitterly for over 10 years. Previously they assumed it was Gusu Murong family employing "returning you with your own move", but afterwards HuiFang and HuiJing narrated their acquaintance with Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan, all of them felt that the subordinates of Gusu Murong are not wicked and crafty people, moreover they join hands with Shaolin to deal with Ding ChunQiu, it can be said that they shared a common enemy. In addition, everyone witness Jiumozhi''s skills moments ago, since he can execute many different Shaolin''s supreme consummate skill, then it is highly probable that he dealt the [Great Skanda Pestle] blow which killed XuanBei, nevertheless it would not be strange even if the killer ends up to be someone else. The four eminent monks died by the hands of three extremely strong opponents, thus XuanDu classified it as three important matters.


    XuanCi said: "I am the abbot of this temple but with regards to these six important matters, i cannot even handle one of them properly, i really blush with shame. However the martial arts of Xu Zhu originated entirely from Carefree Sect, don''t tell me....don''t tell me the major events happening to the temple...."


    As he said this, he found it difficult to continue, however the crowd of monks understood his meaning: "Although Xu Zhu possess high martial arts, but it is unorthodox skills of other sect, even if he can resolve the six important matters but other people will accuse Shaolin for relying on others to get things done, relying on the martial arts of Carefree Sect for support, this will inevitably shame the status of Shaolin; even if everyone cover it up properly and not let outsiders know, but how can these eminent monks deceive others and themselves?


    They deliberated for a long time, Xuan Du said: "Base on abbot''s opinion, what should we do?"


    XuanCi said: "Emitoufo! I inherited the mantle pass down by our ancestors, today we meet with such enormous crisis, in my opinion we should deal with it forthrightly, preferring to let the jade break rather than pretend the tile is complete. As long as we do our utmost, if Shaolin''s reputation is preserved then it is due to the mercy of Buddha, the blessings of our ancestors; If evil prevails, then we fellow apprentices will protect this temple with our lives, be buried together with the temple with no regrets and with a clear conscience, we will not violate the principles of our school. For the past several hundred years Shaolin brought happiness to the land under heaven, our karma is deep and profound, we will just suffer setbacks for a while, definitely won''t be wipe out completely." he spoke these words plainly and calmly, however he exudes an awe-inspiring presence.


    The crowd of monks bow simultaneously and said: "We sincerely obey abbot''s wise opinion."


    XuanCi turn towards XuanJi and said: "Junior martial brother, please enforce the monastic discipline of our tempe." XuanJi said: "Yes!" he turn his head and said to the monks in-charge of attending to guest: "Invite Grand Tutor of Tubo and other senior monks" the monks in-charge of attending to guest bow in response and went off separately.


    XuanDu, XuanSheng, etc, they sigh inwardly, although they have the intention to protect Xu Zhu but the speech by abbot focus on righteousness, they cannot abuse their power and destroy the clear reputation of Shaolin. Everyone knew the facts, if they pardon Xu Zhu''s offense they will achieve victory yet defeat at the same time, however if they act impartially and enforce the law, then they will suffer defeat but preserve their honour. The abbot already said "to protect the temple with their lives, be buried together with the temple", thus he already cut off their means of retreat, how Xu Zhu would be punished is not of particular importance now.


    Xu Zhu knew the matter is difficult to save by now, his weeping and pleading are all in vain, he pondered: "Everyone regard the reputation of the temple as the utmost important, i reap what i have sown, i definitely cannot cower and beg for pity as this will make others look down upon Shaolin''s monks."


    Soon after, Jiumozhi, ShengShan, GuanXin and the rest of the visiting monks arrive at the main hall. The bell sounded, the Hui generation, Xu generation and Kong generation monks all lined-up in formation and entered the hall, they stood at both side of the hall.


    XuanCi put his palms together and said: "Grand Tutor of Tubo and fellow apprentices, Xu Zhu from the Xu generation committed murder, lascivious acts, ate non-vegetarian food, drank wine, four great disciplines, he learnt unorthodox martial arts privately and became the leader of unorthodox sect without asking for permission. Head-monk of Shaolin''s Discipline Courtyard, XuanJi, please enforce the law and administer punishment accordingly, there can be no excuse."


    When Jiumozhi and ShenShan heard it they had a shock as it was beyond their expectation, they only saw Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Sword disguised as monks, thus they assume Xu Zhu is simply brazen and harboured maidens in the temple, he commit lascivious acts only, they never expect the abbot to openly declare Xu Zhu''s excessive crimes.


    Master DaoQing from Pudu Temple became a monk from middle age, he had wide understanding of the ways of the world, his temperament kind and benevolent, he is fond of helping others, he said: "Martial brother abbot, these four ladies have straight waist and curved brow, slender neck with straight back, obviously they are virgin, moments ago they attacked Grand Tutor, their sword art is pure and chaste, as martial art practitioners we can deduce it immediately. Little apprentice Xu Zhu did not restrain himself in his conduct, perhaps there maybe some truth to it, however accusing him of " lascivious acts" maybe too absurd."


    XuanCi said: "Many thanks to martial brother for pointing it out. Xu Zhu''s lascivious acts did not involve these four ladies. Xu Zhu join other sect, he became the owner of Heavenly Mountain''s Misty Peak Vulture Palace, these four ladies are maid servants of the former owner of Vulture Palace, they enter our temple secretly, their intention is to serve their new owner, Xu Zhu did not have prior knowledge of their arrival. Shaolin Temple did not take extra precautions, we are really ashamed, thus we will not fault him on this matter."


    Although Child Elder possess extremely high martial arts, but she never set foot on Central Plain before, she only have dealings with the various unorthodox cave-masters and island-masters at frontier region, hence this is the first time the monks heard of the name "Vulture Palace". Jiumozhi heard it from someone else in Tubo, however he did not have clear understanding of their origins.


    Master DaoQing said: "Since this is the case then it is not convenient for outsiders to have any say in this matter." Jiumozhi and ShenShan originally did not have goodwill towards Shaolin Temple, however they saw XuanCi''s righteousness in maintaining the law, he did not cover up or try to shield his own people, initially outsiders had absolutely no idea of the crimes committed by Xu Zhu, nevertheless XuanCi still announce it to the public, they cannot help but respect him greatly.


    XuanJi took a step forward and said in a bright voice: "Xu Zhu, the offence pointed out by abbot, do you admit it? You have any justification for them?" Xu Zhu said: "Disciple admit it, my sin is too great, i cannot justify my actions, i willingly accept martial grandfather''s punishment."


    The crowd of monks are inwardly afraid, they look at XuanJi, waiting for him to announce the punishment.


    XuanJi said in a bright voice: "Xu Zhu commit murder, lascivious acts, ate non-vegetarian food, drank wine, four great disciplines, the act of murder is of particular importance, he will receive 100 strokes of rod in public. Xu Zhu, do you accept it?" Xu Zhu heard the punishment is just 100 strokes of rod, with regards to the sins he committed it is simply not a heavy punishment at all, he quickly said: "Many thanks to martial grandfather for being merciful, Xu Zhu accept the punishment." XuanJi said again: "You studied unorthodox martial arts in private without asking the abbot and your own master for permission, you will be stripped of all Shaolin''s martial arts, from now on you are not a Shaolin disciple anymore. Do you accept it?"


    Xu Zhu heart ached, he knew the situation cannot be saved, he said: "Disciple deserve to die, martial grandfather is fair and just in punishing me."


    The crowd of monks just witness the fierce battle between him and Jiumozhi, everyone saw the divine power of Shaolin''s [Skanda Palm] and [Luohan Fists], however they did not know Xu Zhu''s true martial art is not from Shaolin. Jiumozhi claims to have mastered all 72 supreme consummate skill, in reality he only knows 20 to 30 supreme consummate skill and only trained till superficial level, he had very little Shaolin''s internal energy. Xu Zhu and Jiumozhi both fought using [Minor Formless Skill], naturally Jiumozhi had knowledge on [Minor Formless Skill], however as for [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness], [Six Solar Palm Of Heavenly Mountain], [Plum Breaking Hands Of Heavenly Mountain], etc, the various profound martial arts, Jiumozhi assume they are Shaolin''s martial arts, thus when he heard XuanJi said he will cripple Xu Zhu''s Shaolin martial arts he cannot help but feel elated, he pondered: "You willingly destroy your own legacy, help me get rid of a major trouble, it cannot be better!" GuanXin, JueXian, DaoQing, etc, various eminent monks, they pondered: "Alas what a pity, what a pity!"


    XuanJi said again: "Since you are the Leader of Carefree Sect, the owner of Misty Peak Vulture Palace, it is convenient for you to leave the monastic order and return to normal life, if possible you can also become a Taoist, if you still comply with Buddhist regulations then you can become lay-devotee. From now on, you are no longer a Shaolin monk. Do you accept this punishment?"


    Xu Zhu did not know his father or mother, he entered the temple as a baby, he grew up in Shaolin since childhood, although he did not comprehend the main gist of Buddhism but Shaolin Temple is the only place where he can settle down and get on with his pursuit, when he heard that he will be expelled he cannot help but feel great sorrow, with tears falling like rain he lie prostrate and weep, choking with sobs he said: "Great master abbot, martial grandfathers, martial uncles as well as my master, everyone treat disciple with profound kindness, disciple is unworthy, i did not follow your instructions properly."


    Master DaoQing cannot help but intercede for him and said: "Martial brother abbot, martial brother XuanJi, in my opinion this little brother wants to get back on the right path, there is much desire of repentance from him, why not give him another chance?"


    XuanCi said: "Martial brother is correct. However Buddhism is widespread, you can practice it anywhere. Xu Zhu, we punish you by expelling you from the temple, however we did not harbour any evil intentions, we did not forbid you from continuing to follow Buddha. There are thousands and tens of thousands temple under the heaven. If you still intend to follow the three treasures: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, then you can seek tonsure again after returning to normal life. I hope you can join a famed temple, become a disciple of an eminent monk, swear an oath to remain purified in body and mind, reach enlightenment. If you do not become a monk, then you can still become a lay-devotee, follow the six Paramita and ten thousand conduct, attain enlightenment for Great Bodhisattva." his speech is kind, earnest and sincere.


    Xu Zhu is mournful, he bow and said: "The teachings of master abbot, disciple don''t dare to forget."


    XuanJi said again: "HuiLun come here." HuiLun move forward a few steps, he put his palms together and knelt down, XuanJi said: "HuiLun, you are Xu Zhu''s teacher, you are lazy in your daily instructions, you failed to give guidance on the evils of three poison and six roots, thus you cause the disaster that happened today. You will be given 30 strokes of rod, sit facing the wall in Discipline Courtyard and repent for three years. Do you accept?" HuiLun''s voice quivered: "Disciple...disciple accept."


    Xu Zhu said: "Martial grandfather, disciple is willing to endure the 30 strokes of rod on behalf of my master."


    XuanJi nod his head and said: "Since this is the case then Xu Zhu will receive a total of 130 strokes of rod. Disciple in-charge of corporal punishment, go fetch the rod. At this moment Xu Zhu is still a Shaolin monk, you cannot be lenient in your punishment. After he exit the temple Xu Zhu will be the leader of another sect, he will have no more hatred with our temple, everyone in the temple must pay extra courtesy and respect to him."


    The four disciples in-charge of corporal punishment accept their orders and left, soon after they return to the main hall, their hands grasping long purple-red wooden stick.


    XuanJi was about to issue the order to execute punishment when suddenly a monk rush into the main hall hurriedly, his hand supporting a big pile of name cards, he lifted the cards up high and deliver it to XuanCi and said: "Reporting to abbot, a crowd of heroes came paying their respect."


    XuanCi look at the name card, there are 30 cards, they are all from famous heroes in the northern region, they arrived together in Shaolin at the same time, presumably it must due to the matter concerning Beggar Clan. He heard unending chatters outside the temple, the crowd of heroes already arrive outside the temple''s gate. XuanCi said: "Junior martial brother XuanSheng, please welcome the guest." he said again: "Martial brothers, esteemed guests, our temple will postpone the tidying of sect matters for another time so as to not neglect our guests from afar." at once he stood up and walk to the entrance of the main hall.


    Soon after they saw around ten heroes accompanied by XuanSheng and arrive before the main hall.


    XuanCi, XuanJi and XuanSheng, although they are eminent monks who practice Buddhist doctrine diligently, but they are still martial art experts, when they encounter martial art practitioners they will inevitably have the intention to know them better, at this moment seeing so many famous heroes arriving, although they are feeling heavy hearted as they are in the midst of tidying sect matters but they cannot help but feel their spirit rise. The crowd of Shaolin monks often spread their teachings outside the temple, hence they made alot of friends outside the Buddhist circle, among the famous heroes quite a number of them are close friends with monks from Hui generation and Xuan generation. Everyone shook hands and greeted each other, they are joyous in this reunion, they entered the main hall and introduce themselves to Jiumozhi and ShenShan. ShenShan, GuanXin, etc, their fame are known to everyone, even if they are not former acquaintances the crowd of heroes still admire them for a very long time already.


    XuanJi was about to ask the heroes for their purpose in coming when another monk rush in to report, another 10 heroes from Shandong province and Huainan prefecture arrive at Shaolin to pay their respect.


    XuanCan went out to greet the guests and welcome them into the main hall. A shady fellow said loudly: "Beggar Clan''s Chief Zhuang invited us to witness a lively event, he have yet to arrive?" a feminine and soft voice said: "Old chap why so anxious? Since we are here already you think you won''t have any chance to witness any activity? Obviously we small fry will go on stage first, the main event will appear at a later stage."


    XuanCi said in a bright voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, all of you arrive at my humble temple without prior notice, Shaolin is really honoured. I ask for your forgiveness if we do not entertain you properly." the crowd of heroes said: "Well said, well said, abbot you are too polite."


    At this time, heroes who had good relations with Shaolin monks had long narrated their purpose in coming to Shaolin, it seems everyone receive a hero invitation card from Beggar Clan''s Chief Zhuang, Shaolin Temple and Beggar Clan have always work together to rule over Central Plains, now the new Chief of Beggar Clan Zhuang JuXian wish to elect a leader of Central Plains martial art fraternity, to set down rules and regulations so that everyone may comply and abide by it, thus he set the meeting at 10th of November in Shaolin Temple and he will visit to discuss with abbot XuanCi. Everyone displayed their hero invitation card, the card indicates that today is 11th year of the 60 years cycle, winter solstice, it brings great luck, the time is good for making friends, although the writings in the card is rather modest but it clearly imply the leader of Central Plains martial art fraternity to be none other than the Chief of Beggar Clan. Zhuang JuXian set the meeting at Shaolin Temple, obviously he will rely on his martial arts to defeat the monks at Shaolin and crush the awe-inspiring reputation enjoyed by Shaolin for several hundred years.


    The card is not an invitation for the heroes to be at Shaolin, however everyone is simply too excited by the event, Beggar Clan tussling with Shaolin for supremacy, everyone wish to witness this major event personally hence they arrive at Shaolin without any prior notice. The most frequent question that pops up among the discussion in the main hall: "Who is Zhuang JuXian?" everyone ask the same question but nobody can give an answer.


    Abbot XuanCi had already discuss this question with his fellow martial brothers for several days, they surmise this Zhuang JuXian is most like an alias of Qiao Feng, base on his martial arts and shrewdness he can simply kill the elders in Beggar Clan who oppose him and reinstate himself as Chief of Beggar Clan, if not base on the usual intimate relationship between Shaolin and Beggar Clan how can Beggar Clan suddenly make such a move? The great battle at Juxian Manor by Qiao Feng, everyone is aware of it, thus he assume the alias of Zhuang JuXian to hint at his true origin.


    Not long after, heroes from Hubei and Hunan province, as well Jiangnan, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Guangdong, GuangXi, various heroes from these regions all arrived. The heroes from northern and southern region are separated by a thousand miles, nevertheless they all arrived within a single day, clearly Beggar Clan had made preparation for a long time already, they dispatch hero invitation cards several months in advance. XuanCi and the rest of the monks remain silent, however they are inwardly angry and worried. Only a few days ago, claiming to be Chief of Beggar Clan, Zhuang JuXian dispatch a letter to Shaolin, the letter mention the matter of electing a supreme leader of martial arts fraternity and within a few days he would personally visit Shaolin to pay his respect and to ask abbot XuanCi for advice, the letter did not mention an exact date and did not mention about inviting heroes from all over the world. Who would have imagined a huge crowd of heroes to suddenly arrive, Shaolin was caught off guard and was thrown into confusion. Although Shaolin Temple is well informed of matters in the martial arts fraternity, but unexpectedly they did not receive any information pertaining to this matter, they have yet to compete but was put at a disadvantage already. This act from Beggar Clan seem to adopt an attitude that they already won, the hero invitation card did not explicitly state to invite any heroes, they cannot take matters into their own hand and make decisions for Shaolin, but in reality this mass distribution of hero invitation card already present itself as an invitation even if it may not look like it. The crowd of monks pondered: "Beggar Clan did not invite us to visit their headquarter, their Chief coming to visit personally, it may seem they are being courteous but in reality they did not allow Shaolin to make any preparations and caught us off guard."


    XuanSheng tried to extract information from his close friend Hebei''s Divine Slingshot Zhuge Zhong: "Ah ha, old Zhuge, you already receive information but you did not write any letters to me, our 30 years of friendship, henceforth i will write it off with one stroke." Zhuge Zhong blush deep red, he tried to clarify repeatedly: "I....i only receive this card 3 days ago, i did not even finish eating my meal and rush over here straight away without rest, en route two of my best horse died due to exhaustion, i did this out of fear that i might miss the event and cannot lend you stinky thief baldy a helping hand. How....how come you blame me for no reason?" XuanSheng snorted and said: "It seems you really have good intentions!" Zhuge Zhong said: "Why other intentions would i have? Your Shaolin have high martial arts, old brother just come here to cheer and boost morale, is that bad intention? The original hero invitation card sent out by your abbot, the date is fixed on 8th of December, everyone will gather together to meet Gusu Murong family, elder brother arrive 1 month earlier, i did not let you down."


    XuanSheng was finally at ease, he inquire from the other heroes, those further away receive their invitation cards earlier, those closer receive their cards slower, however all of them rush to Shaolin without stopping to rest in hopes that they can reach on time. It seems none of these heroes deliver a letter to Shaolin to notify as Beggar Clan was extremely thorough in its scheme, they calculated everyone''s arrival time carefully and ensure that they won''t have any spare time to give early notice to Shaolin. When the monks thought of it, all of them felt that Beggar Clan formulated its plan carefully before acting, the Chief of Beggar Clan and its members have yet to arrive but they already gain the upper hand by a show of strength, it is very likely there will be more schemes ahead.


    Today is the 10th of November. Moments ago Shaolin monks are dealing with ShenShan and the other foreign eminent monks, immediately after they fought with Jiumozhi, afterwards they interrogate Xu Zhu, they already exhaust quite a bit of vigor, now they are flooded by waves of heroes arriving, although there are many monks in Shaolin but the matter is too sudden and they inevitably became flustered. Fortunately the head-monk of Welcoming Guest Courtyard XuanJing is a talented manager, food and materials are well stocked in Shaolin, under the guidance of XuanJing the crowd of monks receive the crowd of heroes, their etiquette not lacking the slightest.


    XuanJing and the other monks welcome the visitors, they did not have time to discuss with each other and merely whisper inwardly. Suddenly a welcoming-monk announce: "Dali''s ZhenNan Prince arrive!"


    Previously, to investigate the death of great master XuanBei due to [Great Skanda Pestle], Duan ZhengChun received orders from his elder brother the Emperor and paid an official visit to abbot XuanCi. Duan family of Dali are friends with Shaolin, their arrival means Shaolin will gain a strong ally, XuanCi is really pleased and said: "Prince Duan of Dali is still in Central Plains?" he led the crowd to welcome him. XuanCi and Duan ZhengChun as well as his entourage Hua HeGen, Fan Hua, Ba TianShi, Zhu DanChen, etc, they are meeting for the 2nd time, they exchange conventional greetings and entered the main hall to meet with other heroes.


    The first person they met was Tubo''s Jiumozhi. Duan ZhengChun''s countenance change immediately, he cupped his fists and said: " My son Duan Yu was showered with favour by Great Bright Wheel King and was brought along to the east, my son said he receive many instructions and made much progress, i really can''t thank you enough." Jiumozhi gave a faint smile and said: "I don''t dare! How come Gentleman Duan did not follow you here?" Duan ZhengChun said: "I don''t know where he went, maybe he fell into the hands of crafty evil monk again, i was about to ask Grand Tutor for guidance." Jiumozhi shake his head repeatedly and said: "The whereabouts of Gentleman Duan, junior monk is not aware of it. Sigh, what a pity what a pity!"


    Duan ZhengChun was shaken, he assume Duan Yu must have met with some unexpected mishap, he said hurriedly: "What makes Grand Tutor say so?" although he experience many unforeseen events before but he is concerned about the safety of his beloved son, his voice cannot help but tremble.


    Several months ago both father and son were joyous in their reunion, afterwards Duan Yu left to attend the chess-meet of Deaf Mute Old Man. Several months later Duan ZhengChun did not receive any letters from him, he is afraid Duan Yu might run into Duan YanQing, Jiumozhi or Ding ChunQiu, these evil people, he is extremely worried. Recently he receive information that the new Chief of Beggar Clan Zhuang JuXian wants to tussle with Shaolin over the position of supreme leader of martial arts fraternity, at once he rush over to inquire about his son. Duan family is an aristocratic family famous for martial arts, naturally they are also concerned about the tussle between Beggar Clan and Shaolin.


    Jiumozhi said: "Junior monk met Master Kurong, abbot BenYin and your esteemed elder brother at TianLong Monastery, their spirit calm and composed, their aura serene and stately, truly those who had attained the way of virtue. Prince ZhenNan''s fighting prowess shake the entire world, but how come you show deep affection towards your children?"


    Duan ZhengChun calm down and pondered: "It is useless to panic, even if Yu-er met with some unexpected mishap, this foreign monk will simply look down on me." he said: "It is human nature to love one''s children. If people don''t bear and raise children or protect them, there will be no one left in this world. I am only a common folk, how can i be compared with Grand Tutor, an eminent monk with no care or worries?"


    Jiumozhi smile faintly and said: "When junior monk met your esteemed son for the first time, he is a brilliant youngster with extraordinary gifts, i knew he will definitely bring great honour to the Duan family, in the future he will be a learned and virtuous emperor of Dali, it is really the good fortune for the millions of people under the southern sky."


    Immediately after he gave a long sigh and said: "Alas, what a pity, gentleman Duan''s good fortune is not deep." he saw Duan ZhengChun turn pale again, he smile faintly and said: "Upon arrival in Central Plains, he saw a beautiful lady, henceforth he grovel at the feet of this lady, what lofty aspiration or great goal, he cast them all aside. If this lady travel east he will simply follow east, if she travel west he will follow west. Anyone can easily tell that he is a loafer, a philanderer who does not engage in honest work, isn''t that a pity?"


    He heard a "hee hee" sound, someone laugh out, it is a female voice. Everyone turn towards the direction of the sound, unexpectedly it is a middle-age man with wretched appearance. This person is Ruan XingZhu, for the past 2 years she had been accompanying Duan ZhengChun. When Duan ZhengChun rush to Shaolin Temple she also followed. She knew Shaolin''s regulation does not allow female to enter, thus she disguise herself as a man, her appearance and manner utterly convincing, definitely not like the four sisters from Vulture Palace, however her voice is still tender and lovely, she cannot be compared with her daughter Ah Zhu who can imitate a man''s voice to perfection. She saw everyone look at her, she said in a rough voice: "Little prince learn from his family, not inferior to his father, amazing, amazing."


    Duan ZhengChun is flirtatious and well known for spreading his love everywhere, she classified Duan Yu''s love for Wang YuYan as "learning from his family, not inferior to his father", everyone cannot help but smile.


    Duan ZhengChun also laugh out loud and said to Jiumozhi: "My unfilial son....." Jiumozhi said: "He is not unfilial, on the contrary he is filial, extremely filial!" Duan ZhengChun knew he is ridiculing his lascivious nature, he did not take offense and simply said: "I don''t know where he is currently, Grand Tutor are you aware of his whereabouts, please let me know." Jiumozhi shake his head and said: "Gentleman Duan cannot extract himself out of his infatuation, his yearning made him thin and haggard. When junior monk saw him again he was emaciated, malnourished and sickly, it is difficult to say if he is dead or alive now."


    Suddenly a young monk walk towards Duan ZhengChun, he bow respectfully and said: "Prince please don''t be overly anxious, 3rd younger brother is glowing with health and vigor, he is in excellent health." Duan ZhengChun return the courtesy, he felt extremely odd, the person seems to be a young monk from Shaolin but how come he address Duan Yu as "3rd younger brother", he said: "Little master, did you see my son recently?" the young monk is Xu Zhu, he said: "Yes, that day 3rd brother and i drank wine at Vulture Palace until we became intoxicated......"


    Suddenly Duan Yu''s voice echoed from outside the main hall: "Father, i am here, are you well?" the voice had barely ended as a person flash into the main hall and embrace Duan ZhengChun, it is Duan Yu. His internal energy is deep and profound, thus his hearing is strangely acute, he just entered the temple gate and heard the conversation between his father and Xu Zhu, he immediately execute [Graceful Steps upon the Waves] and rush ahead.


    Both father and son reunite, their joy indescribable. Duan ZhengChun examine his son, although he seem to have caught a chill but he is radiating with health and vigor, definitely not what Jiumozhi described as "emaciated, malnourished and sickly, neither dead nor alive".


    Duan Yu turn around and said to Xu Zhu: "2nd brother, you became a monk again?"


    Xu Zhu was kneeling before the statue of Buddha for quite some time, sincerely repenting his past sins, however when he saw Duan Yu he immediately recall his "Dream Maiden", he cannot help but blush, his expression bashful, how can he open his mouth to ask?


    Jiumozhi pondered: "Wang YuYan must be nearby, if not no matter the massive disturbance at Shaolin it can never attract Duan Yu to Mount Shaoshi, since Wang YuYan is deeply devoted to her cousin she will never split up with Murong Fu." at once he gathered his energy and said brightly: "Gentleman Murong, since you already arrive at Mount Shaoshi how come you still don''t enter the temple to pay respect to Buddha?"


    "Gusu Murong" enjoys tremendous reputation, everyone was startled, they pondered: "So Gentleman Murong also arrive. Did he have prior appointment with this foreign monk and came here to make things difficult for Shaolin?"


    However there was no reply, after a while Jiumozhi''s voice echoed back from a distant mountainside: "Gentleman Murong.......arrive at Mount Shaoshi......enter temple to pay respect to Buddha."


    Jiumozhi pondered: "It seems i guess wrongly, Murong Fu is not at Mount Shaoshi, if not he will surely hear my call, no reason for him to not reply!" he look up to the sky and laugh out loud, he wanted to say something to cover up the embarrassment when suddenly a dark sinister voice transmit from outside the temple''s gate: "Murong Fu is engaging a fierce battle with Old Freak Ding, if he can kill Old Freak Ding he will come to Shaolin and pay his respects."


    When Duan ZhengChun and Duan Yu heard the voice their countenance change immediately, it is "Overflowing with Evil" Duan YanQing.


    Immediately after, a person wearing green robe, hands leaning against a pair of steel crutch, Duan YanQing entered the temple''s main hall, he is followed by "No Evil Left Undone" Ye ErNiang, "Fierce Deity and Evil Devil" Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea, "Thoroughly Fierce, Evil to Extreme" Yun ZhongHe. The Four Great Evils, they all arrived.


    XuanCi does not differentiate between good and evil when hosting guests, he treat them all with equal courtesy and respect. Although Shaolin''s regulation does not allow for female guest, when abbot XuanCi saw Ye ErNiang he was startled for a moment but did not voice any objection. The crowd pondered: "There are friends and enemies on both side, quite a number of female heroes, the regulation of not admitting female guest is just a trivial matter, no need to get into dispute for such matters."


    When Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea saw Duan Yu he blush deep red immediately, he had the intention to turn around and walk away. Duan Yu laugh and said: "My good disciple, are you well?" Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea heard him call out "good disciple", it is too late to escape, he said fiercely: "Damn stinky master, you still not dead yet?" alot of people in the main hall did not understand the inside story, they saw this person''s appearance is ferocious, unexpectedly the gentle and scholarly Duan Yu address him as "good disciple", it is really odd, even more strange he replied and address Duan Yu as "Master", however his speech is extremely rude.


    Ye ErNiang smile and said: "Ding ChunQiu display his divine abilities, Murong Fu is completely helpless against his assault. Everyone do you want to go see the exciting fight?"


    Duan Yu yell out: "Ayo!" he rush out of the main hall immediately.


    Previously Murong Fu, Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan, Bao BuTong, Feng BoE, Wang YuYan, six of them manage to leave Misty Peak. Murong Fu felt they sneak into Vulture Palace and got involved in a huge internal strife for no reason, his plan and schemes amount to nothing, he was downcast and felt really embarrassed. Only Wang YuYan was laughing and smiling, the happiest moments on earth was being able to accompany her cousin.


    The six headed east to Central Plains. An afternoon they pass through a dark and gloomy forest, Feng BoE suddenly shout out: "The air reeks of blood." he pull out his broadsword and rush swiftly towards the source of the stench, thinking: "Most likely a fight will occur at the place with blood stench." the blood stench is getting heavier, unexpectedly around 10 corpses lie in a disordered fashion before his eyes, their weapons scattered in all direction, their blood have yet to dry, it seems these people died recently but the huge battle is clearly over. Feng BoE stamped his feet and said: "What bad luck, i arrive late."


    Murong Fu and the others followed soon after, they saw the clothes on these corpses are ragged and shabby with cloth pouch attached, they are Beggar Clan''s members. GongYe Gan said: "Some of them are 4-pouch disciple, some are 5-pouch disciple, i wonder how they fell into evil hands?" Deng BaiChuan said: "Let us bury the corpses." GongYe Gan said: "Precisely. Young master, Miss Wang, please rest by the side." he picked up an iron rod on the ground and started digging.


    Suddenly someone groan from among the pile of corpse. Wang YuYan was greatly alarmed, she grab Murong Fu''s left hand.


    Feng BoE rush forward and shout: "Old chap, you still not dead yet?" a person sit up slowly from the pile of corpse and said: "Not dead yet, but....nearly.....nearly there." the person is a 50 year-old beggar, his hair grizzled, face and chest covered with bloodstains, his expression terrifying. Feng BoE quickly took out a healing pill and fed it to him.


    The old beggar swallowed the pill and said: "Use.....useless. I suffered two slash in my stomach, i...i won''t live." Feng BoE said: "Who harm you?" the old beggar shake his head and said: "I am really ashamed, its.....it is an internal strife within Beggar Clan...." Feng BoE, Bao BuTong, etc, all of them cry out in surprise. The old beggar said: "This matter....originally this matter should not be revealed to outsiders, but....but since it already reach such a state, i cannot cover up anymore. May i ask for your great name, many....many thanks for saving me, alas, Beggar Clan members massacre one another, they really fall short compared to total strangers. Just now....just now i heard you want to bury the corpses, you are heroic and humane, old man is extremely grateful....." Bao BuTong said: "Not true, not true. You are not dead yet, cannot be considered as a corpse, we have yet to bury you, there is no need for thanks." the old beggar said: "Brothers from Beggar Clan killed us, they.....they didn''t even bury the corpse, how...how can they be considered good brothers? Really not better than beasts....." Bao BuTong love to debate, beasts don''t know how to bury corpse, however he saw Murong Fu cast him a meaningful glance, thus he shut up and did not retort.


    The old beggar said: "Old man request you to pass on information to Beggar Clan''s....Elder Wu, tell him that our Clan''s Chief Zhuang JuXian is merely a puppet, he.....he completely obey Quan GuanQing....that traitor. We do not accept the one surnamed Zhuang as Clan''s Chief, Quan GuanQing dispatched...his men to kill us. Now he wants to kill Elder Wu, please remind him....to be careful."


    Murong Fu nod his head, he pondered: "So that is what happen" he said: "Old chap please be at ease, we will definitely try to covey this news but we don''t know where your Clan''s Elder Wu is."


    The old beggar''s eyes are lifeless, he stare vacantly at a distant place and said slowly: "I....i also don''t know."


    Murong Fu said: "There is no harm. We will simply spread this news around widely, it will eventually reach Elder Wu, when Quan GuanQing hear it maybe he won''t dare to lay his hands on Elder Wu anymore." the old beggar nod his head repeatedly and said: "Precisely, precisely, many thanks!" Murong Fu inquired: "Your new Chief of Beggar Clan Zhuang JuXian, where did he come from? We are ignorant and ill-informed, this is the first time we heard his name." the old beggar said angrily: "This iron-head boy....."


    Murong Fu and the rest were startled, they said in unison: "It is that iron-head freak?"


    The old beggar said: "I just came back from Western Xia, i have never seen that chap before, i merely hear it from my brothers in the Clan, that chap....originally he wore an iron mask, afterwards Quan GuanQing remove it for him, his face....sigh, it is really more unsightly than demon. This chap possess superb martial arts, a few months ago at our Clan''s general assembly in Hunan everyone gathered to elect a new Chief, we argued endlessly, eventually we came to an agreement to select base on martial arts, this chap killed 11 top experts from our Clan, he became....the Chief. Many of our brothers are not convinced, Quan GuanQing that traitor.... Quan GuanQing that traitor...." his voice is getting softer and softer, he seem to be hanging on his last breath.


    Deng BaiChuan said: "Old chap, let me take a look at your wound first, we will think of how to treat your injuries and discuss later." the old beggar said: "My stomach is pierced, intestines ruptured....many thanks, but...." he insert his hand into his bosom to reach for something but he cannot summon the energy, he said: "I have....to trouble....." GongYe Gan knew his intention and said: "Sir you wish to get something?" the old beggar nod his head. GongYe Gan fish the items out of his bosom and spread in on his palm, flint, concealed weapon, medicine, ration, broken silvers, truly quite a number of items, all of them covered with blood.


    The old beggar said: "I....i won''t make it. This piece of....piece of document, it is extremely important, i earnestly request benefactor to deliver....deliver it to any Beggar Clan''s Elder....just don''t give it to that iron-head chap and....and that traitor Quan GuanQing. I offer you my thanks." he extend his trembling right hand and lifted a yellow paper from GongYe Gan''s palm.


    Murong Fu said: "Sir please be at ease, if your injury is truly difficult to heal we promise to deliver this document to your Clan''s Elders." as he finish speaking he took the yellow paper.


    The old beggar said: "I am surnamed Yi, named DaBiao. I have....have to trouble you, i came from Western Xia, this....this is a notice from the Emperor of Western Xia to recruit a son-in-law. This matter....this matter is extremely important, it concerns the fate and safety of Great Song. I only just return back to Central Plains and met with this wicked scheme, i only hope to meet with Elder Wu...tell him, who would have imagined....imagined i can''t see him anymore. I hope sir can take into account the lives of millions of common people....common people......common people....." he said "common people" 3 times, he can''t summon his breath. The more anxious he became the more difficult it is for him to speak, suddenly he spurt a huge mouthful of blood, his eyes flip over and caught Murong Fu''s refine appearance, someone came into his mind, he inquired: "Sir....who are you? Are you Gusu.....Gusu....."


    Murong Fu said: "Correct, i am Gusu Murong Fu"


    The old beggar was startled and said: "You...you are a great enemy of our Clan....." he extend his hands to forcefully grab the yellow paper away from Murong Fu.


    Murong Fu allowed him to take the paper, he pondered: "Beggar Clan have always suspected me of causing the death of Chief Ma DaYuan, although the rumours faded somewhat but this person still firmly believe i am culprit. He will die soon, no need to bicker with him."


    The old beggar exerted force in his pair of hands, he wanted to tear the yellow paper, suddenly both his legs straighten up, he spurt blood wildly and met with a violent death.


    Feng BoE pry open the old beggar''s fingers and retrieve the yellow paper, many complicated foreign text are written on it, at the end there is a huge stamp. GongYe Gan is fairly knowledgeable with writings from other countries, he look through the document from the start till end and said: "Sure enough, the Emperor of Western Xia is putting a notice to recruit a son-in-law. The text says: Princess YinChuan of Western Xia is of marriageable age, the Emperor wish to select a person well versed in literature and martial arts, handsome, elegant and unmarried young man to be his son-in-law, the selection date is set at next year, third month, Qingming Festival. No matter the nationality, as long as the person is a first class talent, he may come forth to visit and the Emperor will be pleased to welcome him. Even if he does not get selected he may also be hired base on his talents, conferred official ranking and bestowed gold and silver......"


    GongYe Gan have yet to finish reading as Feng BoE laugh out loud and said: "This friend from Beggar Clan is ridiculous, he took this notice from Western Xia, don''t tell me he wants to help one of his Clan''s Elder to apply and become the son-in-law of the Emperor of Western Xia?"


    Bao BuTong said: "Not true, not true! 4th younger brother you are not aware, although those Elders from Beggar Clan are old and ugly, but they still have quite a number of young disciples who are well versed in literature and martial arts, handsome and intelligent people. If any one of their disciples become the son-in-law of the Emperor of Western Xia, then won''t Beggar Clan enjoy a meteoric rise in status?"


    Deng BaiChuan knit his bow and said: "It is said that heroes from Beggar Clan do not seek riches and honour, how come this Yi DaBiao lust after such glory?" GongYe Gan said: "Big brother, that old beggar said: ''This matter is extremely important, it concerns the fate and safety of Great Song.'' afterwards he talk about the safety of millions of common people, maybe he is not talking about seeking riches and honour for Beggar Clan." Bao BuTong shake his head and said: "Not true, not true!"


    GongYe Gan said: "3rd younger brother, you have wise opinion again?" Bao BuTong said: "2nd brother, you ask me if i have any wise opinion again, from the word "again" obviously i already revealed my wise opinion. However i did not reveal any wise opinion, it clearly shows that you do not think i have any wise opinion. You ask me if i have any wise opinion again, but what you are truly asking is: ''Old Bao the 3rd, you talking nonsense again?'', correct?" although Feng BoE like to fight, but he don''t fight with his own brothers. Bao BuTong like to debate, however he does not differentiate between relatives, senior or junior, as long as one sentence does not suit his taste he will simply argue and debate endlessly. GongYe Gan is well aware of his temper, he smile faintly and said: "3rd younger brother revealed quite a number of wise opinion in the past, the word "again", its truly inviting another wise opinion from you."


    Bao BuTong shake his head and said: "Not true, not true! You are hiding a smile while talking, your intention not sincere......." he want to continue speaking but Deng BaiChuan interrupted his speech and said: "3rd younger brother, Yi DaBiao took this notice from Western Xia, he solemnly request us to deliver it to his Clan''s Elders, in your opinion what is his intention?" Bao BuTong said: "I am not Yi DaBiao, how would i know his intention?"


    Murong Fu glance towards GongYe Gan, seeking his opinion.


    GongYe Gan smile faintly and said: "My thoughts differ greatly from 3rd brother." he knew that no matter what he says, Bao BuTong will surely refute, thus he spoke frankly. Bao BuTong said: "Not true, not true! You guess wrongly, my opinion is exactly the same as yours, completely identical." GongYe Gan laugh and said: "This is truly wonderful!"


    Murong Fu said: "2nd brother, what is your opinion?" GongYe Gan said: "In this current age, Great Liao, Great Song, Tubo, Western Xia, Dali, five nation with equal power, other than Dali which is secluded at southern borders, aloof from worldly affairs, the other four nations all have intention to swallow each other and annex the land under the heaven....."


    Bao BuTong said: "2nd brother, you are wrong. Although our Great Yan does not occupy any territory, but young master is constantly thinking about restoring the Yan, how you know Great Yan won''t be able to return to our former awe-inspiring glory, the complete restoration of Great Yan?"


    Murong Fu, Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan, Feng BoE, all of them stood tall and upright, their expression solemn, they said in unison: "The ambition to restore our nation, we will never forget it!" five of them pull out their weapons from its sheathe and raise it in front of their chest.


    The ancestors of Murong Fu are ethic group of northern nomads. In the turmoil of the five northern minorities in Central China, Murong clan invaded Central Plains, they show case their awe-inspiring might and established Former Yan, Later Yan, Southern Yan, Western Yan, several dynasties. Later on, Murong clan was wiped out by Wei of Northern Dynasties and their offspring scattered in all direction, however their descendants from father to son, generation after generation, they harboured the desire to restore their nation. From the Sui to Tang dynasties the Murong clan gradually decline, however their great aspiration to "Restore Great Yan" still remain as strong as ever, nevertheless the possibility became more remote and uncertain.


    In the final years of Later Zhou, Murong clan produced a general, Murong YanChao, his might and prestige unparalleled, and within his clan there was a martial art prodigy Murong LongCheng, he created the profound art of [Star Shifting Movement], his skills unrivalled, renown throughout the world. Murong LongCheng did not forget the wishes of his ancestors, he gathered many strong and courageous people and intend to restore his nation, however what is long divided must unify, Zhao KuangYin established Great Song, the world stabilize and the people desire peace, although Murong LongCheng possess strong martial arts but he was unable to make an impact and met his end eventually.


    After several generation Murong clan was pass down to Murong Bo, the martial arts and lofty aspiration of Murong LongCheng also pass down entirely to Murong Bo. To restore Great Yan in Song dynasty is to start a rebellion, thus Murong Bo gathered wealth, provisions and people in secret, he did not let out the slightest bit of news. Murong clan harboured lofty ambition, their conduct vastly different from common martial artists, in the eyes of others they are extremely unpleasant, in addition with their "returning you with your own move" reputation they are feared and hated.


    Nomads from northern part of the country are brave, heroic and imposing, in order to lie low and stay out of trouble Murong clan changed their location to a water village in Jiangnan Suzhou, the area is considered to be elegant and refine, thus they avoided unnecessary attention. Deng BaiChuan and the rest are Han Chinese people, for successive generations they have always been henchmen of Murong clan, thus they also adopt the ambition of restoring Great Yan.


    In the wilderness there are no people around, they cannot restrain themselves and draw out their swords, their excitement and passion bursting forth.


    Wang YuYan however turn around unhurriedly and walk away slowly, she kept a far distance away from them. Her mother had always opposed Murong clan''s intention to revolt, she felt the notion of becoming king or emperor is merely the wishful thinking of Murong clan, their ambition is hopeless and destined to face extermination of the entire clan. Although both families are closely related, however due to verbal disagreement between Madam Wang and Madam Murong their hostility deepen. Thus for the past few years Madam Wang forbid Murong Fu from visiting, she voluntary seek to live in seclusion at the deepest part of Ling Lake, unwilling to have any engagement with Murong clan.


    GongYe Gan glance at Wang YuYan''s shadow and said: "Liao and Song are in a state of war for many years, although Great Liao have the upper hand but they don''t have the capability to exterminate Song nation. Western Xia and Tubo reside at western frontier, both countries possess hundred and thousands of elite troops, Great Song will face certain destruction if either side provide assistance to Liao, similarly Liao will be wipe out if they assist Song nation.


    Feng BoE said loudly: "2nd brother words are logical. Beggar Clan have always been loyal to Great Song, Yi DaBiao return with this document, he must be hoping for a young hero from Great Song to become the son-in-law of the Emperor of Western Xia. If Song and Western Xia are connected by marriage then they will be invincible."


    GongYe Gan nod his head and said: "They will truly be invincible, Great Song possess huge population, their wealth and provisions abundant, Western Xia possess elite military forces, they are brave and good at fighting, if these two nation ally and join forces, Great Liao and Tubo will not be able to resist, naturally Dali will be crushed as well. In my opinion, after Song and Western Xia join forces, the 1st step is to annex Dali, the 2nd step is to attack Liao nation."


    Deng BaiChuan said: "Yi DaBiao is counting his chickens before they hatched, nevertheless if it really happens, Song and Western Xia will become allies through marriage and they can achieve success easily. Liao, Tubo, Dali, various nations, once they learn about this news they will surely try to sabotage." GongYe Gan said: "Not only try to sabotage, maybe they will think of ways to marry this princess from Western Xia."


    Deng BaiChuan said: "I wonder if this princess is pretty or ugly, sweet-tempered or barbaric?" Bao BuTong laugh loudly and said: "Elder brother you think too much, don''t tell me you want to try to win the princess''s hand in marriage and become the son-in-law of Emperor of Western Xia?" Deng BaiChuan smile and said: "If your brother Deng is younger by 20 years, martial art 10 times stronger, more handsome by 100 times, then i will fly to Western Xia immediately." his expression turn solemn immediately and said: "We conspire for several hundred years to restore Great Yan, all along it was unrealistic, we achieve nothing. Ultimately it is due to a lack of a strong and powerful ally. If our Murong clan become in-laws with Western Xia, once we make a move Western Xia will send reinforcement immediately, is there anything we cannot achieve?"


    GongYe Gan said: "Precisely. During Spring and Autumn Period, Qin and Jin are linked by marriage, Jin ChongEr lost his nation and went into exile. Duke Mu of Qin dispatch an army to assist Jin, ChongEr became Duke Wen of Jin and establish political hegemony."


    Bao BuTong like to debate, twist words and make up fallacious argument, unexpectedly when he heard GongYe Gan''s speech he nod his head repeatedly and said: "Correct! As long as this matter is beneficial to the restoration of Great Yan, then i don''t care if the princess of Western Xia is pretty or ugly, good or bad, as long as she agree to marry me old Bao, even if she is a old pig, old Bao will still stay firm and marry her."


    Everyone laugh out loudly, they shift their gaze towards Murong Fu.


    Murong Fu is astute, he knew the four of them want him to go to Western Xia and take part in the selection to become the Emperor''s son-in-law. With regards to appearance and character, literary and martial arts talent, in the present age there isn''t a young man who is comparable to him. He knew he had 70-80% chance of succeeding if he goes to Western Xia to ask for the princess''s hand in marriage. However if the Emperor of Western Xia emphasize on family background, although he may be a noble descendant of Great Yan, but ultimately his nation had long decline to nothing, he is merely a commoner in Great Song, if Great Song, Dali, Great Liao and Tubo send their prince and marquis to seek marriage, he will surely lose out due to lack of nobility status. Murong Fu though for a long time and glance at the piece of document.


    GongYe Gan followed Murong Fu for very long time, he is able to guess his thoughts accurately, he said: "The notice is very clear, the selection does not take into account family status, only character and talents. When you become the Emperor''s son-in-law, nobility title will follow, however character and skill cannot be awarded by the emperor''s edict. Young master, the great ambition of Murong clan that lasted several hundred years, you.....you have to bear the burden." when he was nearing the end of his speech he became agitated, his voice trembled.


    Bao BuTong said: "Young master will became Duke Wen of Jin, we four brothers will be HuMao, HuYan, Jie Zitui...." suddenly he recalled that Jie Zitui was burnt to death by Duke Wen of Jin, the matter is not too auspicious, thus he laugh and shut up immediately.


    Murong Fu''s expression is pale, his fingers trembling slightly, he knew this is a once in a lifetime golden opportunity, when a princess look for a partner, the Emperor will usually let the chancellor be the matchmaker, minster who rendered outstanding contribution or descendants of aristocratic family will usually be selected to become the Emperor''s son-in-law, the emperor will never issue such notice and make the selection public. Murong Fu cannot help but gaze towards Wang YuYan''s shadow, she is standing under a willow tree, right hand holding onto a willow branch, her eyes gazing at the flowing river, her figure frail and thin, she evoke a sense of pity.


    Naturally Murong Fu is fully aware of his cousin''s devoted love towards him, although his aunt and parents are at odds and forbid them from seeing each other, but she is a delicate maiden without any martial arts yet she ran away from home without hesitation, drifting aimlessly to look for him, this kind of affection is truly rare in this world. Murong Fu travelled around the world, he focus entirely on restoring Great Yan, he can''t even concentrate on practicing martial arts, as for the relationship between men and women he had even less regards for it. However his cousin is beautiful and virtuous, well acquainted with martial arts theory, she is devoted to him, how can he remain indifferent? To suddenly ask him to abandon her and propose marriage with a princess he never met before, although he knew the outcome is inevitable but he still can''t bear to do so.


    GongYe Gan cough lightly and said: "Young master, since ancient times those who accomplished great undertakings are not bothered about trifle matters, a true hero have to break this ''love'' barrier."


    Bao BuTong said: "Great Yan must be restored, young master when you become the Emperor, the life of the Emperor and his harem, won''t it be enough? Princess of Western Xia will be the Empress, Miss Wang, she will become your imperial consort, a warm and virtuous concubine. If young master is bias towards her and dote on her more, who dares to question you?" normally Bao BuTong like to argue and bicker with others, but now they are discussing important matter, unexpectedly his speech became clear and logical.


    Murong Fu nod his head, when his father was still alive he exhort repeatedly, other than restoration of Great Yan he should not concern himself with other matters, for the sake of restoring Great Yan father and elders can be killed, children massacred, relatives and close friends abandoned, as for male-female relationship there is no need to even bother. Although Wang YuYan is deeply devoted to him, but all along he treat her as a younger sister, there is really no special feelings. Although he had long set his mind in marrying her, but he rarely thought of such matters as he felt it was to be expected, no need to worry too much. As long as he can accomplish his great undertaking, it would be like what Bao BuTong had said, his cousin will become an imperial concubine in the future and he will simply dote on her more. Once he rationalize this, he no longer concern himself with Wang YuYan, he said: "Everyone is correct, indeed this is a golden opportunity for the restoration of Great Yan, but a man must keep his promise, this piece of document, we have to deliver it to Beggar Clan."


    Deng BaiChuan said: "Correct, not to mention there isn''t anyone in Beggar Clan who is comparable to young master, even if there is one we cannot hide this document and become shameless scoundrels." Feng BoE said: "Of course. Elder brother, 2nd brother will escort young master to Western Xia, 3rd brother and i will deliver this document to Beggar Clan. Next year''s Qingming Festival is still a long time away, there is plenty of time for Beggar Clan to pick a candidate, they cannot accuse us of taking advantage of them."


    Murong Fu said: "Our conduct must be upright, i will personally deliver this document to Beggar Clan''s Elders, after that we will go to Western Xia." Deng BaiChuan applauded and said: "Young master is right. We cannot allow the slightest bit of complaint from others." GongYe Gan, Bao BuTong and Feng BoE all nod their head at the same time, at once they start burying the dead bodies of Beggar Clan''s members.


    Murong Fu call out to ask Wang YuYan to come over, he said: "Cousin, these Beggar Clan''s members are killed by someone, it involves an extremely important matter, i have to personally go to the headquarter of Beggar Clan as soon as possible. I like to escort you back to Mantuo Manor first." Wang YuYan was startled and said quickly: "I....i don''t want to go home, if mother sees me she will surely kill me." Murong Fu laugh and said: "Although her temper is violent but you are her only daughter, how can she be willing to kill you? At most she will criticize you that''s all." Wang YuYan said: "No....no, i don''t want to go home, i will go together with you to Beggar Clan."


    Since Murong Fu had set his mind to propose marriage in Western Xia, he felt extremely apologetic, he pondered: "For the time being i will go along with her and decide later." he said: "You are a female, it is not appropriate for you to roam around Jianghu, don''t go to the headquarter of Beggar Clan. Since you don''t want to return to Mantuo Manor then you can simply stay at my home in Basin of Swallow, once the matter is settled i will come and visit you how about it?"


    Wang YuYan blush deep red, she was secretly delighted, her lifelong wish is to marry her cousin and stay in Basin of Swallow, now Murong Fu said he want her to stay in Basin of Swallow, although it is not akin to a marriage proposal but his intention can easily be inferred. She did not say anything and lower her head slowly, her eyes exudes a peculiar radiance.


    Deng BaiChuan and GongYe Gan glance at each other, they felt a twinge of guilt having to deceive this innocent and pure lady. Suddenly they heard a ''Pa'' sound, Feng BoE slap himself heavily. Wang YuYan lifted her head and ask curiously: "4th brother Feng, what happen?" Feng BoE said: "A...a mosquito stung me."


    At once the six of them head eastward. After travelling for two days, Duan Yu came along, he chase after them happily and said: "Ayo, what a coincidence, Gentleman Murong, Mr GongYe, Mr Bao, Mr Feng, Miss Wang, we meet again. Since everyone is heading east let''s just travel together to make the journey more lively."


    Although Bao BuTong loathe him, but Duan Yu saved Feng BoE, Murong Fu and Miss Wang before, thus he did think it is appropriate to rebuff him, however he still mock and ridicule him during the journey, Duan Yu turn a deaf ear to his remarks and pay no heed.


    While en route they receive news of Beggar Clan tussling with Shaolin over the position of chief of martial arts fraternity. Murong Fu, Deng BaiChuan and the rest discuss secretly, if both side suffer a defeat then Murong clan will inevitably benefit from their misfortune, maybe they can even obtain the title of chief of martial arts fraternity, thereby commanding the heroes of Jianhu, it is really a great opportunity to catapult them to power, they definitely cannot let this chance pass by, at once they rush to Shaolin. Unexpectedly when they arrive at the base of Mount Shaoshi they met the Old Freak of XingXiu Ding ChunQiu.


    For the past few months, Ding ChunQiu expanded his sect greatly and recruit many disciples, regardless of their criminal or unorthodox ways, as long as they are willing to join his sect and listen to his orders he will welcome them, within a few months many bandits and evil people in Central Plains flock to his sect, his fame and power flourish.


    Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan and Bao BuTong was harmed by Ding ChunQiu in the past, now they come across each other again, seeing his huge swarm of disciples they are inwardly afraid. Feng BoE however is fearless, he did not say much and simply rush into the enemy ranks and started fighting with XingXiu disciples. Duan Yu wanted to accompany Wang YuYan and leave. However Wang YuYan is concerned about her cousin, she refuse to leave. The crowd of XingXiu disciples rush in like a tide, at once Murong Fu and company are drown out by them.


    Duan Yu execute his [Graceful Steps upon the Waves] and dodge the XingXiu disciples, immediately after he heard his father''s voice and rush to the temple to meet him, afterwards he heard Ye ErNiang said Murong Fu was completely helpless against the enemy''s assault, he pondered: "I have to carry Miss Wang out of danger." he rush out quickly.

 Chapter - 41 Eighteen Riders From Yanyun, Surging Forth Like Tigers

    Ding ChunQiu killed XuanTong and XuanNan, he is a great enemy of Shaolin. When the monks from Shaolin heard he is at the base of Mount Shaoshi they immediately made a huge din. XuanSheng shout loudly: "Today everyone have to muster their courage and exterminate this Old Freak Ding, avenge martial brother XuanTong and XuanNan."


    XuanCi said in a bright voice: "He is still a guest from afar, we will adopt peaceful measures before resorting to violence." the crowd of monks said in unison: "Yes!" XuanCi said: "Martial brothers and friends, why don''t we go out and observe the brilliant exchange between XingXiu Sect and Murong family?"


    The crowd of heroes are already itching to go, they are waiting precisely for this remark. Those who have less experience, young and rash heroes, they swarm out quickly. The Four Great Evils, the rest of the heroes, Dali''s Duan family, foreign eminent monks, all of them rush out. However there is endless ''PingPang'' ''QiangLang'' noise, monks from ''Hui'' generation took out all the weapons.


    Xuan, Hui, Xu, Kong, four generation of Shaolin monks all select their weapons and exit the temple in orderly formation. When they reach the temple gate, a monk who is stationed at mid-mountain came rushing back to report: "XingXiu Sect have around a thousand people, they surrounded Gentleman Murong and his subordinates at the pavilion, engaged in a fierce battle." XuanCi nod his head, he walk on the pavement and peered down the mountain, however all he saw was a huge black mass of human head, it is more than a thousand men.


    Shouting drifted up the mountain: "Divine Elder of XingXiu personally direct the battle, naturally he will emerge victorious!"


    "You demons and clowns, unexpectedly you have the cheek to defy Divine Elder, really brazen to the extreme!"


    "Quickly cast down your weapons, beg Divine Elder of XingXiu to spare your lives!"


    "Divine Elder of XingXiu grace Mount Shaoshi with his presence, he only need to flick his little finger and Shaolin Temple will crumble immediately."


    The newly recruited disciples of XingXiu have yet to learn any skill, however they already learn how to flatter their master, the voice of a thousand praises flood everyone''s ears, the singing of praises filled the entire Mount Shaoshi. Shaolin Temple is established for over 600 hundred years, successive generation of monks will chant ''Rulai Buddha, Revered One of the World'', even the cumulative sum of six hundred years of chanting cannot be compared with this impressive passionate praise from XingXiu disciple towards their master. The name ''Divine Elder of XingXiu'' far surpass ''Emituofo''. Ding ChunQiu stroke his white beard, his eyes narrowed, he is helplessly intoxicated in the praise, feeling light and airy as if drunk from wine.


    XuanSheng gathered energy to his pubic region and shout out: "Assemble The Great Luohan Formation!" five hundred monks responded: "Assemble The Great Luohan Formation!" red cassocks flickered, grey shadows dart about, groups gathered at east and west, five hundred monks scattered, covering as far as the eye can see.


    The crowd of heroes heard of the famed ''Luohan Formation'' of Shaolin, however for the past hundred years Shaolin never display it to outsiders, other than Shaolin monks nobody has ever seen the formation. Currently the monks are wearing different coloured clothing and cap, red, grey, yellow and black, their weapons are also different, sabre, sword, staff, rake, everyone move like the wind, in an instant they encircled XingXiu disciples at the center.


    The number of XingXiu disciples are far more than Shaolin monks, a huge majority are newly recruited, they are somewhat skilled at fighting one to one battle. However they never had any experience or practice in arranging themselves into battle formation, thus they became flustered and their praises inevitably tone down significantly, quite a number of them kept silent, they knew the situation had change, thus they modified their praise and start to eulogize ''Shaolin monks''.


    Abbot XuanCi said in a bright voice: "Mr Ding from XingXiu Sect graced Mount Shaoshi, you are setting yourself against Shaolin. Heroes, please sit back and observe how Shaolin deal with experts from the west, how about it?"


    Heshuo, Jiangnan, Chuanshan, Huguang, various heroes from these region shout out: "Old Freak of XingXiu is a menace to the martial arts fraternity, everyone should unite and deal with them together, kill them here and now!" everyone draw out their weapons, they desire to fight alongside Shaolin to kill the enemy.


    Murong Fu, Deng BaiChuan and the rest killed around 20 XingXiu disciples, now they receive huge reinforcements, at once they jump several feet away and stop fighting. XingXiu disciples are inwardly afraid, they did not pursue.


    Duan Yu leap to the east and flash to the west, he rush into the crowd and sprint to Wang YuYan''s side, he said: "Miss Wang, if the situation becomes dangerous later i will carry you out." Wang YuYan blush and said: "I am not injured, acupoints not sealed, i....i can move on my own...." she glance towards Murong Fu and said: "My cousin''s martial art is outstanding, more than enough to protect me. Gentleman Duan, please go back."


    Duan Yu felt really upset, he pondered: "What ability i have, how can i go against your cousin''s martial arts?" but to ask him to simply leave, how can he be willing? Duan Yu said: "This....this....ah, Miss Wang, my father is here, he is outside." Duan Yu and Wang YuYan went through numerous trials and tribulations, travelling for long distances, the time spent together is not shallow, however Duan Yu never mention his status or family history to her. In his heart, Wang YuYan is a goddess, he is a commoner, he did not feel any glory in being a prince, in the eyes of a goddess what is the difference between a commoner and a prince?


    Wang YuYan was saved many times by Duan Yu, she is rather grateful towards him, nevertheless she does not care about his status, she assume Duan Yu is simply a bookworm who manage to pick up a set of ingenious footwork along with a set of energy sword-play which is erratic and ineffective at times, he often tangle with her much to the annoyance of her cousin, thus to avoid making her cousin upset she hope Duan Yu can leave and stay far away. But now he suddenly mention his father is here, she felt rather curious and said: "You father and son did not see each other for quite some time correct?"


    Duan Yu said happily: "Correct! Miss Wang, i will bring you to see my father, ok? My father will surely like you very much when he sees you." Wang YuYan blush, she shake her head and said: "I don''t want to." Duan Yu said: "Why not?" Wang YuYan did not reply, to make her happy he said: "Miss Wang, my sworn brother Xu Zhu is also here, he became a monk again. In addition my disciple is here also, its truly exciting and lively." Wang YuYan knew his disciple is "Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea", but she never ask him why he accept the 3rd most evil "Fierce Deity and Evil Devil" as his disciple, she recalled Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea''s outlandish appearance, she cannot help but smile. Duan Yu coax a smile from her, he is really happy, although he is surrounded by XingXiu disciples but to be able to chat and joke with Wang YuYan, nothing else matters.


    Shaolin deployed its Great Luohan Formation, guarding all four direction. A few XingXiu disciples tried to break though from the west, they only engage for a while and was wounded one after another. Ding ChunQiu commanded: "Everyone stop moving for the time being." he said in a bright voice: "Abbot XuanCi, your Shaolin claim to be the chief of martial studies, but in my opinion it is really unfounded."


    The crowd of XingXiu disciples responded: "Correct, Divine Elder of XingXiu arrives, all Shaolin monks will die a tragic end."


    "Martial arts originate from our XingXiu Sect, only martial arts from XingXiu is orthodox, the rest are all demonic path."


    "You refuse to learn XingXiu''s martial arts, you will inevitably become ox ghost and snake spirit, digging your own grave."


    Suddenly someone sing out: "Divine Elder of XingXiu, virtue fitting heaven and earth, prestige shaking the entire world, he is matchless throughout all ages!" thousands of people sing out loudly, some played their gongs, drums, pipes and flutes, it is really lively. A majority of the heroes have never seen such extravagant performance from XingXiu Sect, they cannot help but laugh out from this weird scene.


    Amidst the music, suddenly galloping noise came from the mountain side. The noise became louder and louder, soon after great yellow banners can be seen from all four sides, four riders gallop up the mountain each bearing a flag. All the yellow banners bear five characters: "Chief Zhuang Of Beggar Clan" the four horses stop beside the cliff, their riders dismounted and stick the yellow flag at the highest point of the cliff. These four riders all wore beggar clothing and carried cloth pouch, they held the flagpole and remain silent.


    The crowd of heroes said: "Chief Zhuang of Beggar Clan is here." these four flags give a sense of might and prestige, flag bearers athletic and fierce, when compared with XingXiu Sect who blow their own trumpet this display clearly command respect.


    As the flags were erected, a hundred horses gallop up the mountain, riding at the front are 100 six-pouch disciples, followed by 34 seven-pouch disciples and 10 eight-pouch disciples. Soon after 5 nine-pouch elders gallop up the mountain, they remain silent and dismounted, lining up both sides. Other than delivering urgent news or handling important matters Beggar Clan''s members rarely ride horses, seeing such extravagant display they are really no different from army officials, it greatly differs from Beggar Clan usual practice. When the crowd of heroes saw this they inwardly shake their head.


    Everyone heard the ''Ta Ta'' sound of horse hooves, two greenish buckskin horse gallop up the mountain side by side. Sitting on the left horse is a lady wearing purple robe, appearance splendid and gentle, however her pair of eyes are dim and lifeless. When Ruan XingZhu saw her she blurted out: "AhZi!" she forgot she is disguised in men''s clothes, this remark from her revealed her true female voice.


    Sitting on the right horse is a man wearing an interwoven brocade robe, his facial expression wooden like a zombie. When the crowd of heroes saw him some of them immediately knew he is wearing a human-skin mask, he did not reveal his real appearance, they pondered: "It seems this person is Beggar Clan''s Chief Zhuang JuXian. He want to vie with Shaolin for the title of chief of martial arts fraternity, but how come he refuse to reveal his real appearance?"


    Some people guess: "This person must be a famous figure, Zhuang JuXian is just an alias. Since he can become Chief of Beggar Clan then how can he be some unknown figure?"


    "Most likely he does not have much confidence in this battle, if he is defeated by Shaolin then he can cover up his face and retreat, he won''t lose face."


    "Don''t tell me he is the former chief, Qiao Feng? He regained power in Beggar Clan and came here to create trouble for everyone."


    Although some people manage to make the connection between "Zhuang JuXian" and "JuXian Manor" but they only think of Qiao Feng, the You brothers of JuXian Manor died by Qiao Feng''s hands, afterwards the Manor was burnt down, nobody expect this Chief of Beggar Clan to be the young master of JuXian Manor, You TanZhi.


    AhZi heard her mother''s voice, currently she have important matters to settle its not convenient to meet her mother and listen to her narrate about mundane affairs, AhZi pretend she did not hear her and said: "Brother Xian, there is alot of people here, i heard someone singing ''Divine Elder of XingXiu, virtue fitting heaven and earth, prestige shaking the entire world, matchless throughout all ages''. That little chap Ding ChunQiu and his useless troops, they are all here?" You TanZhi said: "Correct, he brought quite a number of people here." AhZi clap her hand and laugh: "Simply fantastic, really save me the trouble of travelling to XingXiu Sea to settle the debt." Beggar Clan''s members who are travelling on foot steam in endlessly up the mountain, they are all five-pouch, four-pouch and three-pouch disciples, they arrange themselves in formation and stood behind You TanZhi and AhZi.


    You TanZhi said softly: "It seems those who need to be here are all present." AhZi wave her hand, two Beggar Clan members took out a purple object from their bosom, they tie it to a wooden stick and let it flutter in the wind, as it turns out it is a two-sided purple silk banner, six dark red characters are written: "Sect Leader Duan of XingXiu."


    As the banner unfold, XingXiu disciples immediately made a huge din, someone shouted: "Sect Leader of XingXiu is Divine Elder Ding, this fact is well known by everyone, since when did a person surnamed Duan become the Sect Leader?"


    "Passing fake as genuine, causing confusion, shameless!"


    "Don''t tell me you can simply confer this Sect Leader position yourself?"


    "Which little devil dare claim to be our Sect Leader, quickly own up, i will turn you into mincemeat!"


    Those who responded are all newly recruited disciples, as for the senior disciples, Mo YunZi, Zhui FengZi, etc, naturally they knew about AhZi''s history, she has the support of Xiao Feng, they cannot help but be secretly afraid of her.


    The crowd of heroes and monks suddenly saw an extra XingXiu Sect Leader appearing, they are startled but also inwardly happy, all these evil demons turning up together, there will be eliminated together.


    AhZi clap 3 times and said in a bright voice: "Disciples of XingXiu listen: The rules of our Sect, the Sect Leader position have always been occupied by the most powerful. Who possess the strongest martial arts, he will simply be the Sect Leader. Half a year ago, Ding ChunQiu and i fought, he suffered a crushing defeat, he knelt down in front of me and kowtow 18 times and became my disciple, he respectfully offered the position of Sect Leader to me. Don''t tell me he didn''t inform you? Ding ChunQiu, you are simply too brazen, you are the head-disciple of our Sect, you should be the role model, how can you deceive your fellow martial brothers?" her voice is melodious and smooth flowing.


    When everyone heard it, all of them equally astounded, she is merely a 16-17 year old girl, both eyes blind, how can she become the Sect Leader? Duan ZhengChun and Ruan XingZhu look at each other dumbstruck. They knew their daughter was taught by Ding ChunQiu, she is crafty and eccentric, incomparably mischievous, however her martial art is only average, unexpectedly she dare to rustle Ding ChunQiu''s tiger beard and claim to be the Sect Leader, the outcome is really hard to predict. There are very few men from Dali at Mount Shaoshi, simply insufficient to fight with XingXiu Sect or even save her from danger.


    Unexpectedly under the watchful eyes of the crowd of heroes, AhZi dare to claim the position ''Sect Leader of XingXiu Sect'', how can Ding ChunQiu tolerate it? He is seething with anger, nevertheless he still maintain a warm and gentle expression and said: "Little AhZi, you are correct in saying the Sect Leader position being occupied by the most powerful. You covet this position, presumably you must have some real ability, why don''t you come over and trade 3 moves with me?"


    Suddenly Ding ChunQiu saw a flash, someone suddenly appeared 3 chi in front of him, it is You TanZhi. Ding ChunQiu was completely caught off guard, base on his acute eyesight unexpectedly he did not see clearly how he appeared, he was extremely frighten and retreated 1 step.


    With this 1 step he move about 5 chi backwards, however You TanZhi is still within 3 chi in front of him, evidently when he retreat 1 step his opponent also move 1 step forward, obviously You TanZhi only move forward when he saw him move backward, he act later but arrive first, leaving no trace, his martial art has reached a very high level, truly something to be feared. Ding ChunQiu saw his face is gloomy with yellow-wooden complexion, he inquired: "I am competing martial arts with AhZi, why the need for you to interfere?" immediately he leap backwards, he flip his hand and grab 1 of his own disciples and toss him towards You TanZhi.


    You TanZhi''s reaction is strangely quick, immediately he leap 10 feet backwards, he also flip his hand and grab a 3-pouch Beggar Clan disciple, he channelled his energy and toss him out. Unexpectedly the Beggar Clan disciple is like an extremely large hidden weapon, he flew towards Ding ChunQiu, he collide with the XingXiu disciple in mid-air. The crowd saw the power of the toss, they pondered: "I am afraid both of these disciples will have their muscle and bone shattered, die a violent death."


    Unexpectedly when both of them collide they only heard two ''Chi Chi'' sound, immediately after they detect a charred stench, some people start vomiting, some recoil and move back, some cover up their nose, some consume antidote immediately, they knew Ding ChunQiu and Zhuang JuXian employed deadly yin-poison energy on their own disciples. When these two disciples collide they turn soft, collapsed and remain motionless, evidently they met a violent death.


    Ding ChunQiu and You TanZhi traded 1 move, both of them equally matched, both of them inwardly afraid of each other, they move back several chi at the same time, they flip their hand and grab 1 of their disciples again and toss them out. Both disciples collide in mid-air again and emit a charred stench, they met a violent death at the same time.


    Both of them employed a sinister technique of XingXiu Sect, the [Rotten Corpse Poison], they grab a living person and toss him towards the enemy, they will first kill the person they are grabbing, afterwards the acute poison in their claws will seep into the dead person''s blood and turn him into a poisonous corpse, if the opponent use his palm to push the corpse away they will come into contact with the poison. If they use weapons to parry, the poison will flow from the weapon to their hands. Even if they manage to dodge or use void palm force or air splitting technique, it is difficult to escape the toxic gas emitting from the corpse.


    Previously You TanZhi travelled with Quan GuanQing, he is unsophisticated and lack any experience, within two days Quan GuanQing made him reveal all his personal history. Quan GuanQing pondered: "This person possess matchless internal energy, however his martial art is extremely limited, he cannot fully utilize his energy." after further investigation he found out that AhZi is a disciple of Old Freak XingXiu Ding ChunQiu, he had a sudden inspiration, immediately he urge You TanZhi to learn XingXiu martial arts from AhZi, however when he approach AhZi he claim that You TanZhi is a top martial art expert, matchless under the heaven, thus he want AhZi to demonstrate all her martial art technique to allow You TanZhi to give some pointers.


    You TanZhi and AhZi are both young, one foolish the other blind, both of them fell into the elaborate scheme. AhZi demonstrate all the techniques of XingXiu Sect, she also narrate the method to practicing the technique, thus this is how You TanZhi manage to learn [Rotten Corpse Poison]. The crux of [Rotten Corpse Poison] is to first cultivate profound internal energy which is poisonous in nature, the practitioner must be able to kill a living person with a single grab and send the poison immediately to the corpse, there is nothing ingenious about the [Rotten Corpse Poison] technique. Everyone in XingXiu Sect understood the principles of this technique, they are just unable to cultivate the required level of internal energy.


    Although AhZi is clever and shrew but her eyes are blind, she cannot see You TanZhi''s facial expression, moreover she was indeed rescued by You TanZhi from Ding ChunQiu, with Quan GuanQing''s gift of the gab he manage to brag You TanZhi''s martial arts to unimaginable level, no matter how intelligent she is she will never suspect this ''Gentleman Zhuang with matchless skill'' is actually learning martial arts off her secretly.


    For every move she describe, You TanZhi will simply follow accordingly, his body already possess frost silkworm poison and the first-class internal energy of [Divine Foot Scripture], combining both extremes of good and evil his inner power is really no small matter, any moves executed by him possess the strength to break trees and shatter rocks, power boundless and inexhaustible. When AhZi heard it, naturally she admire and respect him greatly. You TanZhi also impart her some internal energy cultivation method from [Divine Foot Scripture]. When AhZi practiced it, although she did not have much improvement, but she still felt her body becoming stronger, lighter and more agile. In reality, You TanZhi is well aware that his divine strength is closely related to the monk pictures in the scripture, in order to show off his ability in front of AhZi he trained relentless in uninhabited place for the entire day.


    Later Quan GuanQing remove the iron-mask on You TanZhi''s head, he use a human-skin mask to cover up You TanZhi''s face which was scalded beyond recognition, afterwards he took him along to participate in the Beggar Clan''s general assembly at Hunan''s Dongting Lake. With You TanZhi''s profound internal energy and strange martial arts, none in the Beggar Clan is able to stand up to him, he easily wrest control and became Chief of Beggar Clan. Quan GuanQing officially rejoin the Clan and was promoted to a 9-pouch Elder. Although You TanZhi assume the position of Chief, but all affairs in Beggar Clan are directed by Quan GuanQing. Quan GuanQing saw there are quite a number of members and Clan Elders who did not accept You TanZhi as Chief, he was inwardly worried as he cannot possibly kill all of them, thus he brought up the idea of vying with Shaolin for the title of ''Supreme Leader of Martial Arts Fraternity'', Beggar Clan''s Chief Zhuang JuXian will become the number one fighter under the heaven, and by relying of this prestige he can suppress the discontentment in Beggar Clan.


    Although AhZi is blind but her competitive nature remains, she support Quan GuanQing''s idea to fight with Shaolin. You TanZhi did not want to become ''Supreme Leader of Martial Arts Fraternity'', however since AhZi supported the cause he simply follow along as well. Quan GuanQing engineered the scheme with utmost care, he was meticulous in his plan, various heroes gathering at Shaolin at the same time on November was the direct result of his plan. Since AhZi had the backing of the ''Number One Martial Artist Under the Heaven'' Zhuang JuXian, she did not fear a mere Old Freak of XingXiu anymore, hence she conferred the position ''Sect Leader of XingXiu'' on herself and ordered someone to make purple flags for displaying at Mount Shaoshi.


    When Beggar Clan arrive at Mount Shaoshi they immediately ran into a huge gathering of XingXiu Sect members, this was beyond Quan GuanQing''s expectation, thus Quan GuanQing offered some advice to You TanZhi, when Ding ChunQiu speak You TanZhi attack him immediately to avoid making things difficult for AhZi.


    Ding ChunQiu saw his opponent is extremely powerful, he immediately employed his most sinister technique the [Rotten Corpse Poison]. When he launch this technique he will inevitably sacrifice one of his own disciples, nevertheless this technique is difficult to avoid or ward off, only with the highest level of lightness martial arts, the ability to leap 10 zhang outward, only then the person can avoid harm. However to start a fight by running away, naturally the fight will end immediately. Unexpectedly You TanZhi learnt this technique from AhZi, he sacrifice his own Beggar Clan disciple and ward off Ding ChunQiu''s attack. Both of them toss out their own disciples, immediately after they toss out yet another disciple again. However they heard continuous slamming noise, within a short period of time both side had toss out seven of their own men, 14 dead corpse lie on the ground, their face bruised, expression of terror, the scene is truly tragic and appalling.


    The XingXiu disciples panicked, they quickly fled for their lives to avoid being captured by their master, they still sing praises continuously but their voice is trembling with fright.


    Beggar Clan members saw their Chief employing such sinister technique, although it can be said he was forced by circumstances but they cannot help but feel great startled, they pondered: "Our Clan have always uphold justice and righteousness, how can our Chief use such despicable technique in front of the crowd of heroes, isn''t he following a bad example and mixing himself with XingXiu Sect?" someone else pondered: "If Chief Qiao is still our Clan Chief, he will surely use righteous method to resist Old Freak of XingXiu''s evil sorcery."


    Ding ChunQiu flip his hand to grab the 8th victim, however his hand grab empty air, he turn his head and look back, his disciples had move far away, however he heard a ''Hu'' sound, You TanZhi already toss the 8th person towards him. Ding ChunQiu was startled yet furious, the situation was desperate, he move quickly and leap into the crowd of his own disciples. The corpse arrive swiftly, the crowd of XingXiu disciples fell into disarray, they did not have time to escape, 6-7 people cry out "Oh my god!", they got hit by the corpse. The poison in the corpse is incomparable, the victim''s face turn black immediately and they collapse, they twitch a few times and met a violent death.


    AhZi listen to Quan GuanQing narrate the situation, she laugh and shouted: "Ding ChunQiu, Chief Zhuang is the protector of XingXiu''s Sect Leader, defeat him first before coming to challenge your Sect Leader. Did you win or lose?"


    Ding ChunQiu is extremely dejected, he did not lose due to martial arts, judging the strength of Zhuang JuXian''s toss although he possess profound internal energy but his technique is completely identical to his own, it can be deduce that Zhuang JuXian learn some superficial skill from AhZi, obviously he is not aware of the profound variation in the technique. Ding ChunQiu lose out because his disciples are cowards, all of them ran far away unlike Beggar Clan members who stood firm and sacrifice themselves heroically, they did not run in face of danger. An idea came up to him and he look up to the sky and laugh heartily.


    AhZi frown and said: "Laugh! You can still laugh? What is so funny?"


    Ding ChunQiu laugh endlessly, suddenly there is ''Hu Hu'' sound of wind, nine XingXiu disciples are grabbed by him in rapid succession and toss out, one by one they flew rapidly towards You TanZhi, akin to arrows being fired rapidly off a bow.


    You TanZhi did not learn this [Rapid Tossing of Rotten Corpse Poison] technique, he only manage to grab three Beggar Clan disciples, he faltered on the 4th move, the situation was desperate and he leap up immediately and rise up towards the sky, he avoided all the poisonous corpse without having to retreat, thus he did not lose this bout.


    Ding ChunQiu wanted him to avoid the corpse, he made a move with his left hand, AhZi cry out in alarm and flew towards Ding ChunQiu.


    When the crowd saw this they cannot help but turn pale. [Dragon Capturing Skill], [Controlling Crane Skill], etc, when these skills are trained to the highest level they can grab objects without having to make direct contact, however the maximum range is at most 4-5 chi. In martial studies this is termed "Attacking an ox separated by mountain", originally it is use to describe an expert practitioner''s [Air Splitting Palm] or [Divine Formless Fist] being able to injure someone using void principles, however they definitely cannot channel their internal energy and extend beyond 2 zhang, thus skills like [Blazing Sabre Skill] and [Six Meridian Divine Swords] which uses internal energy to injure opponent from a distant are rarely seen and considered divine skills. Ding ChunQiu is separated from AhZi by 6-7 zhang, unexpectedly he is able to drag her off the horse with a single move and capture her, his martial art has reach outrageous level, truly unimaginable.


    However they did not realize that Ding ChunQiu did not use real martial arts to capture AhZi, he relied on one of his "Three Treasure of XingXiu" the "Flexible Silk Thread". The "Flexible Silk Thread" is made from silk produced by snow-silkworm of XingXiu Sea. Snow-silkworm live in the wild on snow mulberry tree, their bodies smaller than frost-silkworm, they are harmless and without poison, however silk secreted by them are unusually tough, even a single strand of silk is difficult to break. However the snow-silkworm only secrete limited amount of silk, they are also difficult to find. Previously AhZi use a transparent fishing net to capture Chu WanLi and made him commit suicide, the fishing net is made with tiny amount of silk from snow-silkworm. Ding ChunQiu''s "Flexible Silk Thread" is made entirely of silk from snow-silkworm, intertwined to become a thread, it is slender and transparent, not noticeable by the naked eye, when he toss out nine XingXiu disciples he also fling out this "Flexible Silk Thread". By tossing out nine poisonous corpse, firstly he pressured You TanZhi to back off, secondly it act as misdirection to cover up his technique and make the crowd focus on [Rapid Tossing of Rotten Corpse Poison], thus nobody notice his flinging of "Flexible Silk Thread".


    When AhZi felt something wrap around waist it is already too late and she was dragged towards Ding ChunQiu. Although Ding ChunQiu relied on the "Flexible Silk Thread", but the ability to fling it 6-7 zhang away without alerting any of the top martial art experts around, capturing a person with a single move, it still require uncommon level of skill. His left hand grab onto AhZi''s back, his right hand sealed her acupoints, the "Flexible Silk Thread" withdrawn back into his sleeve. While tossing poisonous corpse, flinging of thread, waving, capturing, he kept on laughing non-stop, even when he manage to grab hold on AhZi he is still laughing endlessly. This kind of laughter is also part of his "Misdirection technique" to divert attention.


    When You TanZhi was in mid-air he already saw AhZi being captured, in his panic-stricken state he quickly threw himself forward, six poisonous corpse flew past his feet. When his left foot touch the ground he strike his right palm violently at Ding ChunQiu.


    Ding ChunQiu left hand push forward, he use AhZi as a shield to receive this rock-shattering palm strike. Currently, although You TanZhi''s martial art is at a very high level, but he don''t have the slightest bit of experience in adapting to changes when fighting with enemy, he saw his palm strike is about to land on AhZi, he immediately withdraw his palm strength. Even for the average martial artists they know they only have to divert their strength to the side and AhZi will be safe, however You TanZhi love AhZi excessively, when he detect something amiss he only know to withdraw his strength, he did not consider other possibilities, to completely withdraw such massive palm strength is to strike himself using his own palm force. He stumbled and spurted a mouthful of blood.


    Although You TanZhi mastered [Divine Foot Scripture] but this palm strike is still not easy to endure, he wanted to regain his breath but how can Ding ChunQiu allow him the slightest bit of respite, with ''Hu Hu Hu Hu'' sound Ding ChunQiu send out four palm in quick succession. You TanZhi cannot gather his inner energy to his dantian, he have no alternative but to receive this four palm strike, for every palm strike he receive he will spurt a mouthful of blood, he receive four palm strike and spurted four mouthful of black blood. Ding ChunQiu did not yield the slightest, he send out his 5th palm strike, intending to seize the opportunity and kill him.


    However several people by the side shouted: "Old Freak Ding don''t you dare commit such crime!"


    "Stay your hand immediately!"


    "Prepare yourself to receive my move!"


    XuanCi, GuanXin and DaoQing, various eminent monks as well as other chivalrous heroes, all of them cannot bear to let the Chief of Beggar Clan die by Ding ChunQiu''s hands, they shouted out and rush forward to rescue.


    Unexpectedly when Ding ChunQiu send out his 5th palm strike, You TanZhi also return with a palm strike, Ding ChunQiu''s body flickered, unexpectedly he move back 1 step. When the crowd saw this they knew Ding ChunQiu suffered a slight loss, at once they stop moving and did not rush forward to assist. As it turns out when You TanZhi spurted four mouthful of blood his breathing became smooth again, when the 5th palm strike arrive he return the strike with the combine power of frost-silkworm poison and inner power of [Divine Foot Scripture]. Ding ChunQiu met his strike head-on, he was not his match. If not for the fact that Ding ChunQiu gain the upper hand by injuring You TanZhi, You TanZhi''s inner power suffered major damage, during the clash just now Ding ChunQiu will surely have to retreat at least 5 steps.


    Ding ChunQiu''s breathing is rolling all over, he is unconvinced, he channelled his entire lifetime of internal energy, with a ''Hu'' sound he send out his palm again. You TanZhi move 1 step forward and met the palm head-on, he shouted: "Quickly release Miss Duan!" ''Hu Hu Hu Hu'', he launch 4 palm strike in succession, for every palm strike he will move 1 step forward. With this 5 step, he is face-to-face with Ding ChunQiu, he only need to extend his hand to grab AhZi away.


    Ding ChunQiu''s palm strength is no match against You TanZhi''s, he saw his wooden zombie expression, he is really fearful, he smile and said: "I will use my [Rotten Corpse Poison] now, you better be careful!" when he finish speaking he lifted AhZi with his left hand and sway her around.


    You TanZhi knew if Ding ChunQiu execute his [Rotten Corpse Poison], AhZi will immediately turn into a poisonous corpse, he cried out: "No, no! Definitely.....definitely not!" his voice quivering, he is extremely shock.


    Ding ChunQiu listen to his quivering voice, at once he understood: "So you are smitten by this stinky flowery girl, haha, wonderful, really cannot be much better." when he captured AhZi he intend to execute her in front of everyone to avoid letting her vie for the position of Sect Leader of XingXiu, but now assessing the situation he can make use of her as a hostage to control this Chief of Beggar Clan Zhuang JuXian who''s martial art is much stronger than his, he said: "You don''t want her to die?"


    You TanZhi shouted: "You...you put her down quickly, this....this is extremely dangerous..." Ding ChunQiu laugh out loud, he smile and said: "I can kill her effortlessly, why should i release her? She is a traitor of our Sect, no respect for seniors, if i don''t kill her then who do i kill?" You TanZhi said: "This....she is Miss AhZi, no matter what you cannot harm her, you already blinded both her eyes, i beg you, quickly put her down, i....i will thank you heavily." his speech is incoherent, obviously he is extremely concerned about AhZi, he did not have the slightest bit of poise as Chief of Beggar Clan.


    Ding ChunQiu saw You TanZhi''s internal energy is vigorous and yin-frost in nature, from his voice he is very similar to his iron-head disciple, but he is not wearing any iron-mask, moreover how can an iron-head person become the Chief of Beggar Clan? He did not give the matter much thought anymore and said: "It is not difficult for me to spare her life, you merely have to follow my instruction on some matters."


    You TanZhi said quickly: "Follow, follow! Even if it is a hundred, a thousand, i will also follow!" Ding ChunQiu is delighted, he nod his head and said: "Very good! The first matter, you must take me as your master immediately, from now on become a disciple of XingXiu."


    You TanZhi did not hesitate at all, he knelt down immediately and said: "Master, disciple...disciple Zhuang JuXian kowtow!" he pondered: "Originally i am your disciple already, i kowtow once, there is no harm in kowtowing again."


    Once he knelt down the crowd of heroes made a huge commotion. From Beggar Clan Elders to disciples, their anger indescribable, they pondered: "Our Beggar Clan is the number one clan under the heaven, we have always uphold justice and chivalry, but now our Chief take this Old Freak of XingXiu as master. We definitely cannot accept him as our Chief anymore."


    Gongs and drums echoed loudly, everyone in XingXiu Sect cheered and celebrate, they praised Divine Elder of XingXiu, their voice resounding, all sorts of sappy and unimaginable praises flow forth, in short the Divine Elder of XingXiu is brighter than the sun and moon, he is greater than heaven and earth, from the time Pangu split heaven and earth apart no other person is more powerful than Divine Elder of XingXiu. Duke of Zhou, Confucius, Buddha, Laozi, as well as the Jade Emperor, the King of Hell, none of them is able to match Divine Elder of XingXiu.


    When AhZi was captured by Ding ChunQiu, both Duan ZhengChun and Ruan XingZhu turn pale, they knew they are no match for Old Freak of XingXiu, thus they cannot rescue her and escape, unexpectedly Zhuang JuXian is willing to kneel down and took Ding ChunQiu as his master for the sake of their daughter. Ruan XingZhu was shock yet delighted, she whispered: "Look at his profound affection! You...you...you don''t even have a tiny fraction of his devotion."


    Duan Yu glance at Wang YuYan, he pondered: "I am deeply devoted to Miss Wang, i have done everything possible, nothing can exceed that. But compared to this Chief Zhuang, i really fall short. He is truly passionate and devoted! If Miss Wang was captured by Old Freak of XingXiu, am i willing to kneel down in front of him in front of everybody?" when he thought of it, his blood circulate rapidly, for the sake of Miss Wang he is willing to die, being humiliated is nothing, he cannot help but blurt out: "Willing, of course i am willing!" Wang YuYan inquired: "You are willing what?" Duan Yu stammered: "En, this....i am willing to kneel down and take him as master...." Wang YuYan understood his meaning, her face turn a shade of red.


    You TanZhi kowtow and stood up, Ding ChunQiu is still grabbing onto AhZi, AhZi''s facial expression is twisted, clearly she is in much pain, he said quickly: "Master, please release her!" Ding ChunQiu laugh coldly and said: "This brat is brazen, you think i will forgive her easily? Unless you atone for her crimes, settle some matters for me." You TanZhi said: "Yes! Master, what task you have for me?" Ding ChunQiu said: "Go challenge Shaolin''s abbot XuanCi and kill him."


    You TanZhi hesitate and said: "Disciple have no feud with Shaolin''s abbot, although Beggar Clan is vying with Shaolin for supremacy, but there is no need to kill." Ding ChunQiu''s expression turned grave, he said angrily: "You disobey my orders, obviously becoming my disciple is just an act!" You TanZhi only want AhZi to be safe and sound, why would he care about justice or righteousness, he did not care about right or wrong, he said quickly: "Yes! But Shaolin''s martial art is extremely high, disciple will do his utmost....Master, you....you promised, you must not harm Miss AhZi." Ding ChunQiu said dully: "The decision to kill XuanCi or not, it is entirely up to you; But the decision to kill AhZi or not, it is entirely up to me."


    You TanZhi turn around and said loudly: "Shaolin''s abbot XuanCi, Shaolin is the chief of martial studies, Beggar Clan is the number one clan under the heaven, we have presided over Central Plains as equals. But today we have to determine who is stronger, the victor will become ''Supreme Leader of Martial Arts Fraternity'', the loser will have to follow the supreme leader''s order." he sweep his eyes across the crowd of heroes and said: "Heroes, today we gather at Mount Shaoshi, who is not convinced, you may step forward to challenge the supreme leader." unexpectedly he dare to claim he is supreme leader.


    Ding ChunQiu listen to You TanZhi''s voice, his voice is not loud, but those with profound internal energy heard every single word clearly. Senior monks from Shaolin heard Ding ChunQiu command Zhuang JuXian to kill abbot XuanCi, they are really angry, but they witness the duel just now, Zhuang JuXian''s martial art is strong yet demonic, it is hard to determine if XuanCi can resist, moreover it is not easy to ward off various kinds of poison and evil sorcery.


    XuanCi is unwilling to fight with Zhuang JuXian, but since he openly issued the challenge in public he cannot withdraw, at once he put his palms together and said: "For several hundred years, Beggar Clan uphold chivalry and justice, all heroes under the heaven admire you greatly. You former Clan Chief Wang JianTong''s relationship with my humble school is truly not shallow. Disciples of my school have always revered Beggar Clan, the friendship between Shaolin and Beggar Clan have lasted over several hundred years. I don''t understand why Chief Zhuang suddenly issued this challenge, i hope to seek clarification. Heroes, today''s situation, who is right or wrong, you will be the witness."


    You TanZhi is young, his knowledge shallow, how can he debate with XuanCi? Nevertheless before coming to Shaolin, Quan GuanQing taught him some expressions, he narrated at once: "Liao nation is south of Great Song, Tubo and Western Xia at the west, Dali at the north, four barbarians eyeing Great Song covetously, this....this...." he mixed up the position of Liao and Dali, some people in the crowd disapproved of what he said, they cough and sneered at his speech.


    You TanZhi knew something is amiss but it is too late to salvage now, his expression became awkward, luckily he is wearing a human-skin mask, other people cannot read his expression, he continued: "Great Song has little troop and generals, our nation weak and frail, entirely dependent on us martial art patriots, we have to unite together to resist foreign enemies and remove any traitor from within."


    The crowd of heroes felt his speech is rather logical, they said: "Correct, correct!"


    You TanZhi''s spirit rose, he continued: "For the past few years foreign aggression is rampant, everyone ought to work as one, brave the danger together. But various sect and school, clan and association, we fight with each other, unable to reach a consensus. Khitan Qiao Feng can simply come here and single-handedly defeat the heroes of Central Plains, in addition it is rumoured that Western XingXiu Sea, XingXiu Old.... XingXiu Old.... XingXiu Old...that XingXiu Old...en, he killed two senior monks from Shaolin....that...." Quan GuanQing taught him to say "Western XingXiu Sea Old Freak of XingXiu killed two senior monks from Shaolin, Shaolin is helpless in face of crisis", You TanZhi memorize this speech thoroughly, unexpectedly the circumstances changed, thus he only said up till "XingXiu Old" and was unable to continue anymore.


    Someone from the crowd shouted: "He is Old Freak of XingXiu, you are are Little Demon of XingXiu!" everyone roared with laughter.


    Disciples of XingXiu sang in unison: "Divine Elder of XingXiu, virtue fitting heaven and earth, power shaking the entire universe, matchless then and now!" a thousand people singing in unison, their voice immediately drown out the laughter.


    The singing had barely tone down when an unpleasant husky voice sang loudly: "Divine Elder of XingXiu, virtue fitting heaven and earth, power shaking the entire universe...." the tune is identical to those sung by XingXiu disciples. Unexpectedly there is someone else who would praise XingXiu Elder other than his own disciples, the praise is far better than XingXiu tooting their own horn. In their excitement the crowd beat the gongs and drums, unexpectedly the next sentence took a dramatic twist, they heard him sing: "...big dog fart!" the XingXiu disciples are startled but the instruments did not stop playing, the music accompanied till end, the phrase "big dog fart" became melodious and pleasing to the ear.


    The crowd nearly fell down in laughter, XingXiu disciples roundly abuse him. Wang YuYan smile and said: "3rd brother Bao, your voice is really sharp!" Bao BuTong said: "Pardon my performance, pardon my performance!" the singing voice is indeed Bao BuTong''s performance.


    While everyone was distracted by the disturbance You TanZhi seize the opportunity to discuss with Quan GuanQing, he said in a bright voice: "Great Song will face hardship, we martial artists are unable to work together, thus foreigner push us around. Hence Beggar Clan took the initiative to establish this ''Supreme Leader of Martial Arts Fraternity'' position, everyone will follow orders, if any major trouble breaks out we won''t be confused or disordered. Abbot XuanCi, do you agree?"


    XuanCi said unhurriedly: "Chief Zhuang''s speech is logical. However old monk is still puzzled by something, i ask for guidance." You TanZhi said: "What thing?" XuanCi said: "Chief Zhuang already accept Mr Ding as master, you can be considered a disciple of XingXiu, correct?" You TanZhi said: "This....this is my personal matter, it is not related to you." XuanCi said: "XingXiu Sect is from western region, not part of Great Song''s martial art fraternity. Whether or not Great Song establish this supreme leader position it does not involve XingXiu Sect. Even if we want to elect a supreme leader, it is still an internal affair, you are a disciple of XingXiu Sect, you cannot participate."


    The crowd of heroes said in succession: "Correct!"


    "Shaolin abbot is correct!"


    "You are a lackey of a foreign sect, how can you dream about becoming supreme leader of Central Plain''s martial art fraternity?"


    You TanZhi is speechless, he look at Ding ChunQiu and at Quan GuanQing, hoping for them to help solve this predicament.


    Ding ChunQiu cough lightly and said: "Shaolin abbot is mistaken! Old man is a native of Shandong''s Qufu city, the hometown of Confucius, XingXiu Sect is founded by me, how can you claim it is a foreign sect? Although XingXiu Sect is based at western region, but that is merely a temporary location. If you claim XingXiu Sect is a foreign sect, then Confucius is also a foreigner, ridiculous! With regards to foreigner, Shaolin''s martial art originated from India''s Master Damo, even Buddhism is also foreign, in my opinion Shaolin is the foreign sect!" his speech ended, XuanCi and the crowd of heroes found it difficult to refute his accusation.


    Quan GuanQing said in a clear and bright voice: "The true origin of martial art is difficult to ascertain. Maybe martial art spread from west to Central Plains, or from Central Plains to the west. Our Beggar Clan Chief is a native of Central Plains, Beggar Clan originated from Central Plain, naturally he is a leader of Central Plain''s martial art fraternity. Abbot XuanCi, for today''s matter you should use martial art to differentiate the strong from the weak, you cannot determine the outcome by debating. Shaolin and Beggar Clan, who is stronger, who is weaker, the result can be determined immediately in a martial art contest between the chief, what is the purpose in debating? If you still have some self-knowledge and know that you are not Chief Zhuang''s match, then step down gracefully and admit defeat, give your endorsement to Chief Zhuang." his speech clearly implied that XuanCi is inferior, timid and shirk responsibility.


    XuanCi move forward a few steps and said: "Chief Zhuang, you force old monk to fight, if old monk continue to take into account the several hundred years of friendship between Shaolin and Beggar Clan and refuse to fight, then it is seen as disrespectful to your clan." he sweep his eyes slowly across the crowd of heroes and said in a bright voice: "Heroes, today you bear witness, my Shaolin did not have any intention to fight with Beggar Clan for supremacy, Beggar Clan Chief pressured us with every step, old monk cannot decline." the crowd of heroes said: "Correct, Shaolin did no wrong."


    You TanZhi is only concerned about AhZi''s safety, he want to kill XuanCi quickly and complete this assignment from Ding ChunQiu, he said loudly: "Just fight, the strong will survive, the weak will die, what correct or wrong, quickly come here and fight!"


    When he was young he frolic around and did not study much, although his innate character is not pure but ultimately he is a simple, unsophisticated youngster. When his father died, he roam around aimlessly, he was bullied and humiliated, there was no upright honest man to guide and instruct him properly, he associate with AhZi and learnt the behaviour of XingXiu Sect. The martial arts of XingXiu Sect seek victory through vicious and sinister method, with Quan GuanQing''s careful planning he help him to secure the position of Beggar Clan Chief, he also taught him to be merciless, leaving no margin for error, all these experience accumulated over time, unexpectedly it turn a disciple of a famous chivalrous warrior into someone who cannot differentiate between good and evil, a violent man who only relied on brute force.


    XuanCi said in a bright voice: "Chief Zhuang, your speech does not match up to the chivalrous reputation enjoyed by Beggar Clan for several hundred years."


    You TanZhi''s body flickered, he move closer by several zhang, he said: "Just fight if you want to fight, if you don''t want to fight then just retreat." he look at Ding ChunQiu and AhZI, he is really anxious.


    XuanCi said: "Fine, today old monk will experience Chief Zhuang''s consummate skill the [28 Dragon Subduing Palm] and [Dog Beating Staff Technique], it is also a good opportunity for the heroes here to witness the martial arts handed down by former Beggar Clan Chiefs for several hundred years."


    You TanZhi was startled, he cannot help but move back 2 steps. Although he became Chief of Beggar Clan, but he did not learn the two consummate skills [28 Dragon Subduing Palm] and [Dog Beating Staff Technique]. But he heard sarcastic remarks from Beggar Clan''s Elders before, these two consummate skills are the "Divine Guardian Skill of Beggar Clan". [28 Dragon Subduing Palm] need not be pass solely to the Chief of Beggar Clan, however the [Dog Beating Staff Technique] must only be pass onto the Chief of Beggar Clan, for several hundred years there isn''t a Chief who did not learn these two "Divine Guardian Skill of Beggar Clan".


    XuanCi said: "Old monk will use Shaolin''s [Vajra Fist] against Chief Zhuang''s [28 Dragon Subduing Palm], [Demon Subduing Staff] against Chief Zhuang''s [Dog Beating Staff Technique]. Alas, Shaolin and Beggar Clan enjoyed good relationship for generations, these martial arts have always been used for learning and improvement purposes, never to be use to fight against each other, old monk is useless, i really let down previous generations of Beggar Clan Chief and Shaolin abbot." he press both palms together, it is precisely the starting gesture of [Vajra Fist], "Paying Respect to Rulai", his expression kind and amiable, however his cassock belt shoot left and right, it can be seen that this move is empowered by extremely profound level of internal energy.


    You TanZhi did not say anything, his left hand split the air, his right palm followed immediately and chop swiftly, the force in his left palm start first but arrive later, the force in his right palm start later but arrive first, both stream of energy intertwine and move forward, it is extremely weird, their palm force collide midway, with a ''Bo'' sound they neutralize each other, however everyone heard two ''Chi Chi'' sound, both ends of XuanCi''s cassock belt was cut off simultaneously and flew several zhang backwards. The twin palm force from You TanZhi had extremely wide range, the force attacking XuanCi''s body was neutralize by the defensive move "Paying Respect to Rulai", however the belt floating by the side was cut off by You TanZhi''s palm force.


    When Shaolin monks and the crowd of heroes saw it they shouted out: "That is demonic martial arts of XingXiu Sect!"


    "It is not [28 Dragon Subduing Palm]!"


    "It is not Beggar Clan''s martial arts!"


    Unexpectedly some Beggar Clan disciples also shout out: "We are competing with Shaolin, you cannot use martial arts of demonic sect!"


    "Chief you have to use [28 Dragon Subduing Palm]!"


    "You use demonic martial arts, really disgrace our Beggar Clan."


    You TanZhi heard everyone made a huge commotion, he hesitate and did not execute his second move.


    However XingXiu disciples shouted out: "XingXiu''s divine skill is much stronger than Beggar Clan''s [28 Dragon Subduing Palm], naturally he will use the stronger skill, don''t tell me he will use the weaker skill?"


    "Senior martial brother Zhuang, go on and fight! Naturally you have to use the divine skills imparted by our revered master, slaughter this old monk!"


    "The divine skills of XingXiu is number one under the heaven, achieve victory in every battle, there are no exception, [Stinky Dragon Subduing Palm], dog fart and not worth the time!"


    Amidst the huge racket, a majestic voice suddenly boomed from the base of the mountain: "Who say XingXiu''s martial art can surpass Beggar Clan''s [28 Dragon Subduing Palm]?"


    The voice is not particularly loud, but every single word is delivered clearly into everyone''s ear, everyone was momentarily startled, they became silent.


    Everyone heard the thunderous sound of horse hooves, 10 riders rode swiftly up the mountain. The riders all wore black felt cloak and black clothes, they resemble tigers, horse like dragons, the riders are nimble and athletic, their horses spirited, every horse is tall with long legs, bodies covered with black fur, they rush near and the crowd saw shining light, gold ray glittering, unexpectedly the horse shoes are made of gold. There are a total of 19 riders, although their numbers are not great but their manner strong and imposing, it is as if they are an army of thousand men, the first 18 riders rush ahead and split evenly to both sides, the last rider rush through between them.


    Among the Beggar Clan members, a large number of them suddenly shout out: "Chief Qiao, Chief Qiao!" several hundred Beggar Clan disciples rush out from the crowd, they bow in front of the men and horses.


    The person is indeed Xiao Feng. After being expelled from Beggar Clan he assume everyone in Beggar Clan treat him as an enemy, he never expect them to change their view, unexpectedly a lot of his former brothers came forth fervently to greet him, his emotion surge forth, tears in his eyes, he dismounted and cup his fists to return the greeting and said: "Khitan Xiao Feng was expelled by Beggar Clan, i have no gratitude or animosity with Beggar Clan anymore, why do you still address me like former times? Brothers, are you well?" the last phrase revealed his sincere feelings and old affection towards them, unexpectedly he was unable to restrain himself.


    Those who came over to greet him are mostly 3-pouch and 4-pouch disciples. 1-pouch and 2-pouch disciples are low ranking or newly recruited, they rarely get the chance to meet Xiao Feng, 5-pouch disciples and above are often based at the borders to defend against foreigners, they are of a senior generation, they handle affairs with apprehension unlike younger generation who are more straightforward and less reserved. When the several hundred disciples heard his speech they realize their conduct was too rash, this "Chief Qiao" is a Khitan, an archenemy, everyone in Beggar Clan knew this fact for a long time already, but how come they rush forth involuntarily and completely forgot about this matter? Some people lowered their head and return back, however quite a number of people said: "Qiao....Qiao....senior you are well, after parting with you, every day we miss....miss you very much."


    That day, AhZi did not return from her outing, there was no information for several days, Xiao Feng became extremely worried, he dispatch large number of scouts to look for her. Several months later he finally receive news, AhZi is with Beggar Clan, the iron-head man is also with her.


    When Xiao Feng heard it he was extremely apprehensive, he assume Beggar Clan hate him to the bone, they captured AhZi to use her as hostage to threaten him, he have to rescue her immediately. He inform the Emperor and request leave for two months, he hand over the army and governance of Southern Chancellery to Chancellor YeLu MoGe and travelled south.


    When Xiao Feng return to Central Plains, he came well prepared, the "Eighteen Riders From YanYun" which he selected are all top experts of Khitan race. Last time he fought alone against a crowd of heroes at JuXian Manor, if not for the sudden appearance of a benefactor he would have died under their blades, evidently regardless of how powerful his martial art it is not possible for him to fight against a hundred experts, thus he came along with the "Eighteen Riders From YanYun", every single one of them is able to go up against 10 men, moreover they are riding prized horses which can travel a thousand miles, it is not difficult for them to escape during critical situation.


    The group arrive at Henan province, Xiao Feng captured a low ranking Beggar Clan disciple and interrogate him, he found out that AhZi lost her sight, she is inseparable from the new Beggar Clan Chief, currently she accompanied the new Chief and went to Shaolin Temple. Xiao Feng became more fearful and angry, someone must have blinded her eyes, he can well imagine the various torture she experience in Beggar Clan, he rush to Shaolin Temple immediately.


    He arrived at Mount Shaoshi, from a distant he heard XingXiu disciples bragging, they claim XingXiu''s martial art is better than [28 Dragon Subduing Palm], his anger burst forth. Although he is not longer Chief of Beggar Clan but [28 Dragon Subduing Palm] was personally imparted to him by his respected teacher Wang JianTong, how can outsiders be allowed to vilify it wantonly? He rode up the mountain and met with 3-pouch and 4-pouch disciples, he glance around and saw Ding ChunQiu grabbing onto a purple-clothed maiden, her figure graceful with snow white oval face, it is AhZi. However her eyes are dim and lifeless, pupil of the eye damaged, clearly she is blind.


    Xiao Feng heart ached, his anger burst forth and he took large stride forward, with a ''Hu'' sound he strike his right palm towards Ding ChunQiu, it is a move from [28 Dragon Subduing Palm], "Meeting Dragon at the Field", when he threw out his palm he was separated 15-16 zhang from Ding ChunQiu, however he arrive quickly, while his energy gathered at his palm he is already 7-8 zhang from Ding ChunQiu.


    In martial studies, no matter how powerful your palm strength, you can never strike beyond 5 zhang away. Ding ChunQiu knew the famous reputation of "Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong", he did not dare to underestimate him, Ding ChunQiu saw him launching his palm strike 15-16 zhang away, he did not expect this palm to be directed at him. Xiao Feng''s palm strength had barely emerge but he is already 3-4 zhang from Ding ChunQiu, he execute another "Meeting Dragon at the Field", the rear palm supporting the front palm, the strength of twin palm combine together, its gigantic power came crashing forth.


    In an instant Ding ChunQiu''s breath was obstructed and became sluggish, unexpectedly the opposing palm strength rush forth like a raging tide, impossible to resist, it is like a formless high wall moving straight towards him. He was greatly alarmed, how can he think of any countermeasures, if he counter with a single palm his arm and wrist will surely break, maybe all his muscles and bones will shatter as well, he quickly push AhZi forward, both his palms made 3 semicircle to protect his body, at the same time his toes kick off from the ground and he float backward.


    Xiao Feng execute yet another "Meeting Dragon at the Field", the initial palm force have yet to dissipate as the new wave of palm force arrive. Ding ChunQiu don''t dare to go head-on with this force, he slanted his right palm and push out, he made contact with Xiao Feng''s palm force by the side, however he felt his right arm aching, his breathing suddenly became heavy and impure, at once he move 3 zhang backward, fearing Xiao Feng might pursue him he raise his palm to protect his chest and secretly gather poison to his palm. Xiao Feng extend his arm and caught hold of AhZi from mid-air, at the same time he undo her sealed acupoints.


    AhZi is blind and unable to speak when being captured by Ding ChunQiu, however she still can hear the events happening around her clearly, when her acupoints was undone she said happily: "Good brother-in-law, luckily you came here to save me." she embrace him tightly.


    Xiao Feng felt extremely sad, he consoled her softly: "AhZi, you have suffered much hardship, it is all my fault for implicating you." he assume the leaders of Beggar Clan bore great hatred towards him, they cannot do anything to him, since AhZi is his only relative they captured her from Nanjing and tortured her, unexpectedly it did not occur to him that AhZi is reaping what she has sown.


    Xiao Feng stir up a huge commotion immediately when he arrive. Previously in the great battle of JuXian Manor, he killed 10 experts in succession alone, his feat became well known all over the world. Martial artists from Central Plains gnash their teeth in anger towards him, however they become fearful when discussing about him, now that he suddenly appear at Mount Shaoshi everyone assume another fierce battle is inevitable. Those who participated in the battle at JuXian Manor tremble in fear when they recall the carnage and devastation in the main hall of the Manor. With just 1 move "Meeting Dragon at the Field" he sent the insufferable Old Freak of XingXiu scampering, everyone became even more frightful when they witness this, they look at each other in dismay, they are speechless in awe of his might.


    Only around 10 men from XingXiu dare to boast shamelessly: "The one surnamed Qiao, you are under the influence of Divine Elder of XingXiu''s magical power, after 10 days your body will turn into pus and blood, you will meet a violent death!"


    "You are from a younger generation, Divine Elder of XingXiu yielded 3 moves!"


    "What is the the status of Divine Elder of XingXiu, how can he fight with you? It is not too late for you to repent, quickly kneel and beg forgiveness from Divine Elder of XingXiu, else you will surely meet a tragic end." however their voice is withered and crestfallen, completely different from their previous threatening manner.


    You TanZhi was frighten upon seeing Xiao Feng, however when he saw him holding AhZi in his bosom, her expression of joy and happiness, embracing Xiao Feng intimately, he cannot restrain himself and leap forward, he said: "Quick....quickly put down Miss AhZi!" Xiao Feng put down AhZi and ask: "Who are you?" You TanZhi look at Xiao Feng''s imposing and powerful gaze, he became timid instantly, he stammered: "I am....i am Chief of Beggar Clan....Zhuang Chief....no no...Chief Zhuang."


    Someone shouted from Beggar Clan: "You already join XingXiu Sect, how can you be the Chief of Beggar Clan?"


    Xiao Feng shout angrily: "Why did you make AhZi blind?" You TanZi was intimidated by his might, he move back 2 steps and said: "No....not me, really not me...." AhZi said: "Brother-in-law, i was blinded by that old thief Ding ChunQiu, quickly go dig out that old thief''s eyes to avenge me."


    Xiao Feng knew it is difficult to find out the truth in such short period of time, he sweep his gaze across the crowd, he spotted Duan ZhengChun and Ruan XingZhu, he felt his heart ached, yet he was delighted, he said in a bright voice: "Prince Duan of Dali, your precious daughter is here, please take care of her and teach her properly!" he held onto AhZi''s hand and walk towards Duan ZhengChun, he push AhZi towards him softly.


    Ruan XingZhu had long soaked her sleeve with tears, currently her tears are falling like rain, she threw herself forward and embrace AhZi, she said: "Good child, your....your eyes, how are they?"


    Duan Yu saw Xiao Feng appeared suddenly, he is extremely happy, he wanted to step forth to greet him, however Xiao Feng was simply too busy fighting with Ding ChunQiu, saving AhZi and meeting with You TanZhi. He saw Ruan XingZhu crying loudly while hugging AhZi, he cannot help but be amazed: "How come Brother Qiao said this blind girl is my father''s precious daughter?" however he knew his father lascivious nature, sowing seeds of love everywhere, in an instant he already guess the underlying reason, he quickly step forward and shouted: "Brother, are you well? Little brother miss you dearly."


    Xiao Feng swore brotherhood with Duan Yu after a wine drinking contest in a restaurant at Wuxi, although their meeting is short but they hit off like old acquaintance, they treat each other with absolute sincerity, at once he grab hold of Duan Yu''s hands and said: "Brother, many things happened, it is difficult to explain in a few words, luckily you are still safe and well."


    Suddenly someone shouted from the crowd: "The one surnamed Qiao, you killed my elders, this blood debt have yet to be avenged, today i will fight till death with you."


    Immediately after another person shout: "Qiao Feng is a Khitan foreigner, everyone knows this fact, we cannot let him leave Mount Shaoshi alive."


    The shouting became louder and louder, some cursed Xiao Feng for killing their sons, some cursed him for killing their parents.


    In the battle at Juxian Manor, Xiao Feng indeed killed quite a number of people. Of those gathered at Mount Shaoshi, some had deceased family members and intimate friends who died in the battle at JuXian Manor, although they are afraid of Xiao Feng but when thinking about this blood debt they cannot help but curse out loudly. The crowd saw Xiao Feng is only accompanied by 18 riders, he have enmity with Beggar Clan and Shaolin, moments ago he attacked Ding ChunQiu and force him to retreat, thus XingXiu Sect also became an enemy, if they really start fighting, even if Beggar Clan and Shaolin refuse to help, the rest of the heroes along with XingXiu Sect, thousands of men against Xiao Feng''s 19 Khitan men, no matter his divine abilities he surely cannot escape from the assault. The shouting is gathering momentum, everyone became more courageous.


    Xiao Feng brought 18 riders with him, they rode swiftly to Central Plains, he only anticipate a sneak attack when rescuing AhZi, he never expect so many enemy to gather together. He roam about Central Plains since childhood, he is knowledgeable about most of the heroes here, he knew they are mostly descendants of chivalrous family, their hatred towards him, firstly its due to his Khitan origin, secondly someone incited fear and caused this misunderstanding. He did not intend for the outcome of the battle at JuXian Manor, today if another battle take place again the killings will surely add to his guilt, he is fully capable of escaping unharmed however the "Eighteen Riders From YanYun" which he brought along will surely suffer heavy casualties, he pondered: "Fortunately AhZi is already out of danger, she is with her parents, i already fulfilled AhZhu''s wish, i have to think of how to escape as soon as possible, why tangle with these people?" he turn around and said to Duan Yu: "Brother, the situation will turn nasty, it is hard for us to chat now, for the time being please go back, the mountain is high and the river is long, i am sure we will meet again some day." he want Duan Yu to move aside to avoid any accidental injury when he force his way down to the mountain to escape.


    Duan Yu saw there are around a thousand heroes, everyone want to attack his sworn brother, his chivalrous spirit is aroused, he shouted: "Elder brother, when i swore brotherhood with you what did i say? We will enjoy blessings and endure misfortune together, we did not ask to be born on the same year and same date, but we ask to die together on the same day. Today elder brother is in trouble, how can i leave you in a lurch?" in the past whenever he encounter trouble he will always execute the ingenious [Graceful Steps upon the Waves] and escape from danger, now that he is facing a dangerous situation, his blood rushing forth, he is determined to fight together with Xiao Feng till death as sworn brothers, no matter what happen he will not run away this time.


    Most of the heroes don''t know Duan Yu, he claim to be Xiao Feng''s sworn brother and determined to fight together with him till death, but his appearance is weak and refined and he is young, thus nobody took him seriously, their shouting became fiercer.


    Xiao Feng said: "Brother, elder brother is very grateful to your good intention. However it is not so easy for them to kill me. Retreat quickly, it is not convenient for me to fight them if i have to protect you as well." Duan Yu said: "No need to protect me. They don''t have any hatred towards me, why would they kill me?" Xiao Feng forced a bitter laugh, his heart became sorrowful: "If nobody harm each other due to lack of hatred, then the various kinds of hate and enmity, where did they come from in the first place?"


    Duan ZhengChun whispered to Hua HeGen, Fan Hua and Ba TianShi: "This hero Xiao saved my life before, later on when the situation becomes desperate we will rush in and help him escape." Fan Hua said: "Yes!" he gaze at the crowd of heroes and said: "Their number is huge, your Highness, do you have any plan?" Duan ZhengChun shake his head and said: "A man differentiate gratitude and resentment clearly, he will do his utmost, even if he has to sacrifice his life." The men from Dali said in unison: "This should be the way!"


    The men of Gusu Murong are also discussing softly. GongYe Gan compete palm and wine with Xiao Feng in Wuxi city, he had extremely high admiration for him, he strongly advocate helping Xiao Feng. Bao BuTong and Feng BoE also admired Xiao Feng very much, they eager to step forth and help him. However Murong Fu said: "Brothers, our number one priority is the restoration of Great Yan, how can we offend all the heroes just for the sake of Xiao Feng?" Deng BaiChuan said: "Young master is correct. What should we do?"


    Murong Fu said: "Win the support of majority, make them believe we are helping." suddenly he whistled and said in a bright voice: "Brother Xiao, you are a hero of Khitan, you have no regards for the heroes of Central Plains, today Murong Fu would like to ask you for advice. If i die by your hands it can be considered doing my part for the heroes of Central Plains, my death will be glorious." his speech is actually for the heroes of Central Plains, thus no matter victory or defeat, the heroes will treat Gusu Murong family as a worthy friend.


    Although the crowd of heroes wanted to go all out against Xiao Feng, but none of them dare to step forward to initiate the challenge. Everyone knew that if they fought till the end they will surely kill him, however the first 10 men will surely die first, suddenly they saw Murong Fu step forward to take the lead, they are extremely gratified and their morale soared. "Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong", both of them are equally famous, Murong Fu initiated the challenge, even if he is no match for Xiao Feng he will greatly reduce his fighting strength and exhaust his internal energy. In an instant the cheering of the crowd resonated from all four corners.


    Xiao Feng saw Murong Fu step forward to challenge, he cannot help but be startled, he cupped his fists in salute and said: "I have long heard of your legendary reputation, today i finally get to meet your honorable self, i am greatly comforted."


    Duan Yu said anxiously: "Brother Murong, you are at fault now. My sworn brother is meeting you for the first time, he has no animosity with you, why take advantage of his precarious position? Moreover when everyone wrongly accused you, my brother even step forward to explain the facts." Murong Fu smile coldly and said: "Brother Duan wants to be a hero who resolve grievances and injustice, please step forward to bestow your teachings." Murong Fu endured Duan Yu''s constant tangling with Wang YuYan for a very long time, now he finally seize the opportunity to flare up. Duan Yu said: "What abilities i have to bestow teachings on you? I merely said a few words of fairness."


    Suddenly four monks from the "Xuan" generation walk towards Xiao Feng, they put their palms together and said: "Honorable Xiao, our abbot humbly invites you, please be at the main hall for discussion." an old monk turn around and said to the crowd: "Everyone please excuse us, our abbot XuanCi invites Honorable Xiao Feng, he has some important matters to discuss with him, when they finish Honorable Xiao will come out promptly to meet you again. Everyone please rest for the time being." when the crowd heard it their chattering ceased, some sat down immediately.


    Duan Yu fear Shaolin might hatch a plot to harm Xiao Feng, he said: "Big brother, let me accompany you!" Xiao Feng nod his head and said: "Very well." they followed the four monks to the main hall. When they arrived, the monk who is leading the way call out to the monks in the hall, another 10 old monks came out and accompanied them. Xiao Feng is inwardly afraid, these few old monks walk with a steady gait, their gaze bright and clear, most likely they are experts from the Xuan generation, he assume these group of monks will attack him soon, he will surely meet a violent death, he whispered to Duan Yu who is beside him: "Brother, go outside and take care of my entourage, afterwards go protect your father." Duan Yu shake his head, he smile and said: "Shaolin will not harm my father. We are sworn brothers, we will face life and death together!" Xiao Feng is extremely touched, he grasped Duan Yu''s hand lightly.


    The group entered a meditation room, abbot XuanCi is already standing by the door to greet them, he invite everyone to sit down. A monk served tea, XuanCi and Duan Yu exchange a few pleasantries, XuanCi introduced the foreign guests to Xiao Feng, he introduced ShenShan, ShenYin, GuanXin, DaoQing, JiaoXian and RongZhi, afterwards he introduced the monks from Xuan generation. XuanCi took out a cotton cap from his bosom and wore it, he put his palms together and said smilingly: "Honorable Xiao, do you still recognize old monk?"


    Xiao Feng recognize him immediately, he bow and said: "Great master XuanCi, you are Mr Chi." XuanCi nod his head and smile. Four old monks took out cotton caps from their bosom and wore it. Xiao Feng bow and said to XuanDu: "Great master XuanDu, you are Mr Du." he paid his respect to XuanYin and said: "Great master XuanYin, you are Mr Jin." he paid his respect to XuanZhi and said: "Great master XuanZhi, you are Mr Chu." he paid his respect to XuanSheng and said: "Great master XuanSheng, you are Mr Sun." XuanDu is injured, he is supported by his disciples, he said gravely: "Lady AhZhu is vivacious and adorable, she ask old monk to take care of his body, what a pity, she left this world first." Xiao Feng''s heart ached, he forcefully held back his tears.


    XuanCi said: "Martial brothers, Lord Xiao is a former student of Shaolin, he is the disciple of XuanKu. Martial brother XuanKu was killed 2 years ago, at that time everyone assumed Lord Xiao committed the crime. Old monk and martial brother XuanJi examined the broken bones of XuanKu thoroughly, the murder''s palm strength is exceptionally violent and fierce, it did not originate from Shaolin. However we knew Lord Xiao mastered Beggar Clan''s [28 Dragon Subduing Palm], the palm style strong and powerful, thus old monk, along with XuanDu, XuanYin, XuanZhi and XuanSheng, five of us change into laymen clothes, we ran into Lord Xiao at a pavilion in Mount Tiantai, we invited him to display his full strength, exhaust all his abilities. The five of us match palm with him, we came to the same conclusion: "XuanKu was not killed by Qiao Feng!""


    "Among the Xuan generation, XuanNan, XuanJi, XuanTong, they are occupied with some other matters, the five of us are the remaining fighters. We fellow apprentice employed different palm strength, hard and strong, soft and yielding, heavy and profound, Lord Xiao must make an all-out-effort, he cannot use cheap tricks or else he will die violently on the spot. Even if he manage to conceal his true ability from one of us, he definitely cannot hide from all five of us. Old monk exchange a palm with him, old monk use a move from [Prajna Palm], "The Bottom Of Emptiness", my palm strength was truly vacant and empty, unexpectedly Lord Xiao''s palm strength suddenly became empty, if old monk was tempted by his move and seize the opportunity to release my strength his ribs will surely shatter. The five of us meet Lord Xiao by chance at the mountain, for the sake of not injuring me he took great risk and withdraw all his palm strength. For a total stranger, an old man he never met before, he refused to harm me, thus how is it possible for him to harm his own revered teacher? Base on palm technique, martial brother XuanKu was not killed by Lord Xiao! Base on personal character, even more unlikely for him to kill XuanKu!""


    XuanDu, XuanYin, XuanZhi, XuanSheng, four of them said in unison: "Senior martial brother abbot made the deduction immediately on the spot. The four of us had to think over the details, we discussed the various subtle points in his palm technique and palm strength, we were left without the slightest bit of doubt."


    XuanCi said in an awe-inspiring manner: "At that time on Mount Tiantai, five of us made a decision, if Xiao Feng is indeed the murderer then five of us will combine our strength and exterminate him, firstly this is to avenge XuanKu, secondly it is to get rid of a great calamity." he turn towards Xiao Feng and said: "Xiao shizhu, today we revealed this matter, it is not to show off but to explain to martial brother ShenShan and the other senior monks, our Shaolin disciple did not kill innocent people rashly, Shaolin is upright and disciplined."


    Xiao Feng bow and said: "Yes. Many thanks to abbot for clearing my name."


    XuanCi''s expression is kind and amiable, he said unhurriedly: "Xiao shizhu, i will be blunt: The leader you have been tracking down all along, it is old monk XuanCi!" when everyone heard it they cannot help but tremble.


    XuanCi continued: "That day at Mount Tiantai, i knew you did not kill martial brother XuanKu, thus when i match palm with you i withdraw my palm strength, i intended for you to kill me with a single strike so that you can avenge you parents!"


    Xiao Feng obtained this truth abruptly, his mind is in turmoil, nevertheless various doubts and suspicions finally cleared up: "At that time someone delivered false news, my father is coming to steal martial art manuals from Shaolin''s Hidden Scripture Pavilion, martial artists from Central Plains have to stop him, obviously Shaolin''s abbot have to take the lead; Abbot XuanCi headed the group, along with former Beggar Clan Chief Wang as well as other martial art experts. Since i came from Shaolin, i am aware of abbot XuanCi''s amiable nature, he definitely won''t kill my father and mother for no reason, my heart is bias, i ignored the leader of the group who is right in front of me, i never bothered to think through the possibility that abbot XuanCi is the leader! I assumed the leader is extremely vicious and evil, no matter how you see it he cannot be linked to abbot XuanCi. Xiao Feng is really blind, stupid to the extreme, i sacrificed AhZhu for nothing." when he thought of AhZhu his heart ached again.


    XuanCi said dimly: "Old monk made a huge blunder, i willingly accept death. Xiao shizhu, please come here and kill me with 1 strike. Avenge your parents, this should be the proper thing to do as a son. Old monk failed to reveal this matter early, thus many people were killed. Fellow martial brothers, later on when Xiao Feng kill me, it is cause and effect, when there is a cause there must be an effect. Nobody is allowed to harm him!" he lowered his hands and step forward, waiting for Xiao Feng to land his palm.


    Xiao Feng''s hand is behind his back, he step forward slowly and said: "Great master abbot, at that time someone delivered false news, you mistakenly believe it, hence causing the tragedy at YanMen Pass. If i was in your position, i will also do the same thing. Great master abbot handled matters fairly, you did not violate any Buddhist decree. Great master abbot did not kill my revered teacher XuanKu, but my foster parents, Zhao QianSun and the rest, who killed them?" XuanCi said: "Old monk is ashamed, although i did not kill them but they certainly died because of me. Till today old monk still don''t know who is the killer."


    Xiao Feng said: "Since nobody knows the identity of the killer, Xiao Feng cannot place all the blame entirely on you right now. Xiao Feng is muddled and stupid, i was blinded by hatred and desire for revenge, i refuse to free myself, inevitably i caused the death of many people. The truth will come to light eventually, i will seek abbot''s advice again in the future."


    XuanCi put his palm together and said: "If you want revenge you can come take my life anytime. However there are thousands of people who want to kill you right now at the base of the mountain, even if you possess god-like bravery, ultimately you are heavily outnumbered. Why don''t you flee and exit from the rear mountain? Shaolin will bear all responsibility and explain to the crowd of heroes."


    Xiao Feng shake his head and said: "I killed many people at JuXian Manor, although i was forced by circumstance, it was an act of self-defense, but ultimately i was too savage. Since people want to seek me for revenge, how can i hide cowardly? But if i resist then i will kill many people again, what should i do, great master please enlighten me."


    XuanCi said: "I knew your heart is kind and compassionate, base on this you can attain high virtue and achievement." Xiao Feng said: "Disciple don''t dare to ask for virtue or achievement, i only hope to commit less sin." XuanCi said: "As a martial art practitioner, when you constantly think about committing less sin, that itself is a virtue." Xiao Feng said: "Many thanks to great master''s teachings. I will take my leave now." he bow to the rest of the monks, turn around and left. Duan Yu followed closely and left as well.


    Both of them reach the temple''s entrance, the crowd of heroes stood up.


    Murong Fu move forward and said in a bright voice: "Xiao Feng, today everyone wants to kill you for revenge, i will start first." Xiao Feng said: "You want to kill me for revenge, which member of Gusu Murong did i kill?" Murong Fu was at a loss for words, he said: "You and i shared the same status for a long time, today we have to determine who is superior."


    Ding ChunQiu was forced to retreat by Xiao Feng''s palm, his reputation in tatters, moreover he did not get the chance to display all his consummate skills, at once he leap forward, he laugh loudly and said: "The one surnamed Xiao, base on your young age i yielded 3 moves just now, however i will not yield on the 4th move."


    You TanZhi step forward and said: "I thank you for saving Miss AhZi, however you killed my father, this hatred irreconcilable. The one surnamed Xiao, today we will settle this once and for all."


    Xiao Feng saw 3 top experts surrounding him, in addition Shaolin monks are crowded at the east and west, they look disordered and chaotic, in reality they are actually arranged in an extremely powerful formation, the situation now is far more dangerous than the battle at JuXian Manor. Although he already resolved the hatred with the Xuan generation monks just now, but the monks in the ''Great Luohan Formation'' have yet to know the truth. Suddenly he heard the wretched neighing of horses, 19 Khitan steed turn over and collapsed, they vomit white foam and died violently.


    18 Khitan warriors shout out repeatedly, they draw out their sabres and launch their palms, in an instant 7-8 XingXiu disciples were slaughtered, the rest of the XingXiu disciples manage to flee. As it turns out when Ding ChunQiu step forth to challenge, his disciples seize the opportunity to launch poison, they targeted the Khitan''s steed so that Xiao Feng cannot use it to rush out of the encirclement.


    Xiao Feng caught a glimpse of his beloved horse staring at him before it died, the horse had a desolate longing expression for its owner, Xiao Feng recalled the long days he spent on the horse, they travelled thousands of miles southward, morning till night they never separate from each other, unexpectedly it died by the hands of these crafty scoundrels, warm blood circulate rapidly in his body, it aroused his heroic courage, he whistled and said: "Gentleman Murong, Chief Zhuang, Old Freak Ding, three of you come at me together, why should i fear you?" he resent XingXiu''s sinister methods, with a ''Hu'' sound he launch his palm violently towards Ding ChunQiu.


    Ding ChunQiu experienced his awesome palm strength before, he launch both palms simultaneously to resist. Xiao Feng conveniently guide the incoming palm force, he draw out the palm strength of two men and sent it hacking towards Murong Fu. Murong Fu''s consummate skill is [Star Shifting Movement], he is an expert in redirecting an opponent''s move, however the move from Xiao Feng contain the palm strength of two different men, the force is too powerful, moreover the palm strength is cycling around rapidly, Murong Fu had no idea where it is targeting thus he cannot redirect the force, at once he push out with both palm and float 3 zhang backwards.


    Xiao Feng lean his body to one side, he dodge Murong Fu''s palm force and shouted out, it is akin to a thunderbolt from midair, he strike his left fist at You TanZhi. His stature is big and tall, he is 1 head taller than You TanZhi, this punch is directed at his face. You TanZhi is fearful of Xiao Feng, when he heard this thunderbolt shout he became even more fearful. This fist from Xiao Feng arrive swiftly, launching of palm at Ding ChunQiu, hacking at Murong Fu, punching You TanZhi, although they occur one after another but these 3 moves are executed in succession, as fast as lightning, You TanZhi was about to ward off the fist but the force already reach his face, fortunately for him he trained [Divine Foot Scripture] diligently, his body will react automatically, his head move backward rapidly and he somersault backward twice, he manage to dodge this thousand catties punch by a hair''s breadth.


    However You TanZhi felt a cooling sensation on his face, he heard the crowd gasp in surprise, pieces of cloth scattered in all directions like butterflies. Unexpectedly his face mask was shattered by Xiao Feng''s fist. The crowd saw his bumpy, indented face, some patches red, some patches black, his face riddled with scars, facial features all mashed up, ugly and terrifying to the extreme, everyone was overwhelmed with shock.


    With just 3 moves Xiao Feng repelled the top 3 experts of the current age, his heroic spirit burst forth and he shouted: "Bring the wine!" a Khitan warrior retrieved a huge leather bag from the dead horse, he presented it with both hands. Xiao Feng pull out the cork and lifted the leather bag high up in the air, he tilt it slightly and a stream of white wine flow out. He turn his head upwards, with a ''Gudu Gudu'' sound he drank endlessly. The leather bag is filled with wine, its at least 20 catties, however Xiao Feng drank without stopping and emptied the entire bag of wine. His stomach bulge slightly, however his complexion is still dark, expression normal, he was completely unaffected by the wine. The crowd of heroes turn pale and look at each other, Xiao Feng wave his right hand, the remaining 17 Khitan warriors all carried a huge leather bag and rush towards him.


    Xiao Feng said to the 18 Khitan warriors: "Brothers, this Gentleman Duan from Dali, he is my sworn brother. Today we are surrounded by enemies, facing impossible odds, difficult to escape." just now he matched palm with Murong Fu and the rest, although he won but he tested their abilities, these 3 experts all possess consummate skills, if they join hands and act together he will surely be defeated, moreover he is surrounded by over a thousand heroes, they are glaring at him like a tiger watching its prey. He held onto Duan Yu''s hands and said: "Brother, you and i will share life and death together, we did not become sworn brothers in vain, regardless of whether we live or die, everyone should drink to their heart''s content!"


    Duan Yu was aroused by his heroic spirit, he took a leather bag and said: "Correct, i was about to drink with elder brother to our heart''s content!"


    Suddenly a grey-clothed monk came out from the group of Shaolin monks, he said in a bright voice: "Elder brother, 3rd brother, you are drinking wine, how come you never invite me?" it is Xu Zhu. He saw Xiao Feng riding up the mountain, his heroic spirit overpowering, the crowd became lifeless, Xu Zhu cannot help but admire him from the bottom of his heart; He also saw how Duan Yu valued brotherhood, he willingly choose to die together with Xiao Feng, that day when he sworn brotherhood with Duan Yu they also included Xiao Feng, a man should never take back his words, unflinching in face of death, he recalled the feelings he shared with Duan Yu while being intoxicated at Vulture Palace, what life or death, rules and monastic disciple, Xu Zhu cast them aside and ignored it.


    Xiao Feng never met with Xu Zhu before, he heard Xu Zhu address him as ''Elder brother'', he cannot help but stare stupidly.


    Duan Yu rush over to pull Xu Zhu''s hands, he turn around and said to Xiao Feng: "Elder brother, this is also our sworn brother. His religious name is Xu Zhu, he left the monastic order and is now known as Xu ZhuZi. When we sworn brotherhood we included you as well, 2nd brother, quickly pay respect to elder brother." Xu Zhu step forward, he knelt down and kowtow, he said: "Elder brother, little brother kowtow in salute."


    Xiao Feng smile faintly, he pondered: "My sworn brother is a little foolish, unexpectedly he included me as well when he swore brotherhood with someone else. I will die soon, the situation is incomparably dangerous, but this person is not afraid of the danger and step forward bravely, it goes to show he is a true man who values brotherhood, a good man. To be sworn brothers with him, it is not in vain at all." at once he knelt down and said: "Brother, to be able to become sworn brother with you, it is really a joyous occasion." both of them bow 8 times, unexpectedly they swore brotherhood right in front of the crowd of heroes.


    Xiao Feng is unaware of Xu Zhu''s supreme martial arts, he saw Xu Zhu is a monk from a low generation, he presume his martial art is limited, however since Xu Zhu step forth bravely he would be showing contempt if he ask him to step aside and hide, thus he lifted a leather bag and said: "My two brothers, these 18 Khitan warriors are loyal and devoted to me, they are like my hands and feet, everyone drink to your heart''s content, let go of your inhibition and kill!" he pull out the cork and drank a huge mouthful, he hand over the leather bag to Xu Zhu. Xu Zhu is boiling with warm blood, why would he even care about 5 precepts or 6 precepts, 7 precepts or 8 precepts, he lifted the leather bag and drank a mouthful, afterwards he pass the bag to Duan Yu. Duan Yu drank a mouthful and pass the bag to a Khitan warrior. The warriors drank from the bag in succession.


    Xu Zhu said to Xiao Feng: "Elder brother, this Old Freak of XingXiu killed people from my former school, Shaolin''s Master XuanNan and XuanTong. Afterwards he killed people from my current sect, my master and my senior martial brother. Little brother will avenge them now!" Xiao Feng was curious, he ask: "You......" he did not get the chance to continue, Xu Zhu wave his palm lightly and launch it towards Ding ChunQiu.


    Xiao Feng saw his strangely mythical palm technique, his internal energy deep and profound, he cannot help but be startled yet delighted, he pondered: "As it turns out 2nd brother''s martial art is so powerful, i never expect it at all." he shouted: "Watch out for my fists!" with ''Hu Hu'' sound he launch his fists at Murong Fu and You TanZhi. Murong Fu and You TanZhi made a move to resist. The 18 Khitan warriors understood their Lord''s intention, they surround Duan Yu and protected him.


    Xu Zhu executed [Six Solar Palms Of Heavenly Mountain], he is circling and fluttering about, every move advancing and pressuring. Previously Ding ChunQiu sneak into the wooden house, he use to poison Su XingHe and Xu Zhu, Su XingHe met a violent death due to the poison, however Xu Zhu was completely unaffected, Ding ChunQiu harbored deep fear of him, currently Ding ChunQiu don''t dare to use his poison techniques as he fear Xu Zhu''s poison technique is superior to his, it will rebound back and he will suffer, thus he use palm techniques to fight with Xu Zhu, he pondered: "This little bald thief unraveled the ''ZhenLong Chess Formation'', unexpectedly that old thief impart all his skills to him and made him Sect Leader of Carefree Sect. That old thief is crafty, he will surely arrange some poisonous scheme, i must not be careless."


    The martial arts of Carefree Sect pay particular attention to elegance and agility, graceful, clear and distinct, Ding ChunQiu and Xu Zhu are fighting with each other, one of them white-hair with child-like countenance , just like an immortal, the other monk sleeves fluttering, flowing like the wind. Both of them move off immediately after hitting the ground, truly like a pair of butterflies among flowers, dancing around indefinitely, they displayed the essence of the two word ''Carefree'' brilliantly. The spectating crowd has never seen the martial arts of Carefree Sect before, everyone felt carefree and relaxed when they observe the fight, they pondered: "These two men employed ruthless techniques, they target opponent''s vital points, however their movement and style is so graceful and artistic, as if they are dancing. This kind of natural and unrestrained palm technique, i have never seen it before, i wonder where this martial art originated from? What is the name?"


    On the other side Xiao Feng is fighting with Murong Fu and You TanZhi, initially he took the lead with the first 10 moves, however from the 10th move onwards, every fist and palm move from You TanZhi contained yin-frost energy. Xiao Feng is fighting Murong Fu with his full-strength, during this time You TanZhi will make a move and attack him, he cannot help but feel cold air invading his body, it is really difficult to endure. The frost-silkworm poison inside You TanZhi''s body was further cultivated by [Divine Foot Scripture], good and evil mutually assisting, fire and water helping each other, it became the number one most powerful internal energy under the heaven, in addition with the subtle power of Murong Fu''s [Start Shifting Movement], fighting these two experts with all his might Xiao Feng is in dangerous situation, the danger is not inferior to the time when he had to fight several hundred heroes in JuXian Manor. However Xiao Feng is gifted with god-like martial talent, the more dire the situation becomes, the latent courage and strength inside his body will emerge, he execute [28 Dragon Subduing Palm], he launch palm after palm, unexpectedly Murong Fu and You TanZhi are unable to move near him, thus You TanZhi''s frost-silkworm poison cannot invade and attack his body anymore. However by fighting this way Xiao Feng exhaust quite a bit of internal energy, in the long run his palm strength will surely suffer and weaken.


    You TanZhi failed to realize this fact, however Murong Fu is astute, he knew he and Chief Zhuang only need to endure for another hour, after that they will surely gain the upper hand. ''Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong'', both are equally famous, today they are fighting in public for the first time, however Murong Fu need the assistance of Beggar Clan Chief, even if they manage to kill Xiao Feng, clearly this ''Southern Murong'' is not as good as ''Northern Qiao Feng''. Murong Fu plotted: "The restoration of Yan is of vital importance, fame and prestige is only small matter. If i can kill this great scourge of martial arts fraternity, i will become a hero of Great Song, naturally they will be grateful towards me, the title of ''Supreme Leader of Martial Arts Fraternity'' will surely go to me. By then i only need to issue an order and the restoration of Great Yan will become a reality. When Qiao Feng is dead, even if ''Southern Murong'' is not as good as ''Northern Qiao Feng'', it will eventually become history." however he is having second thoughts: "After killing Qiao Feng, Zhuang JuXian will become a powerful enemy, if he seize the title of ''Supreme Leader of Martial Arts Fraternity'' then i have to listen to his orders, this is not good." henceforth when he make a move to attack he will secretly conserve a fraction of his internal energy, he act as if he is using his full strength, he dash around bravely, however the formidable power of Xiao Feng''s [28 Dragon Subduing Palm] was endured mostly by You TanZhi. Murong Fu''s movement is strangely mythical, bystanders cannot see through his trick.


    In a blink of an eye the three of them exchange over 100 moves. Xiao Feng employed numerous trick in succession, You TanZhi was duped and fell into his trap. You TanZhi had extremely shallow experience, he was fooled several times but Murong Fu was always by his side to take care of him, he promptly resolved all the danger, as for Xiao Feng''s incomparably powerful palm strength, You TanZhi relied on his deep and profound internal energy to forcibly endure it.


    Duan Yu was protected by 18 Khitan warriors, he saw his 2nd brother advancing with every step, he did not suffer any disadvantage at all, his elder brother is fighting two enemy alone, although his power is god-like but the wind beat violently with every palm strike, sand and rocks flying about, it is difficult to persist much longer, Duan Yu pondered: "I claim to go through trials and tribulations with both of my brothers, however when things come to a head i am hiding here being protected, what kind of brotherhood is this? What share life and death together? We will die eventually, among the three of us i cannot be the most useless. Although i don''t know any martial arts but i can use [Graceful Steps upon the Waves] and tangle with Murong Fu so that elder brother can focus on defeating that ugly Chief Zhuang, this should be the way."


    He made his decision, his body flash out of the protective circle and he walk out, he said in a bright voice: "Gentleman Murong, you and my elder brother are equally famous, you should fight one on one with him, why do you require the assistance of others? If you fight till a draw, won''t it be a disgrace? Come come come, if you are capable come here and try to punch me." his body flash again, he move behind Murong Fu, he stretch out his hand to grab his neck.


    Murong Fu saw his movement is strangely quick, he flip his palm and with a ''Pa'' sound he smack Duan Yu''s face. Duan Yu''s right cheek was split open and blood flow out, he was in so much pain that tears flow down as well. His [Graceful Steps upon the Waves] is a marvellous skill, when put to full use it is truly difficult for anyone to hit him, however now he is making a move to attack someone, how can his clumsy grab land on Gusu Murong who possess first-class martial arts? Moreover Duan Yu don''t know how to dodge this slap, his flesh and skin was lacerated, the pain indescribable.


    Murong Fu''s palm only touch Duan Yu''s cheek for a brief moment, however he felt his internal energy drain out rapidly like torrent, his energy disappeared without a trace, his arm and palm also became numb, he was startled and cursed: "The chap surnamed Duan, how come you also join XingXiu Sect?"


    Duan Yu said: "What are you say....." he did not get to complete his sentence, unexpectedly Murong Fu sent one flying kick at him and made him somersault. Murong Fu never expect this sneak attack to succeed so easily, he was delighted, his body flew forward, his right foot stepping on Duan Yu''s stomach, he shouted: "You want to live or die?"


    Duan Yu turn his head sideway, he saw Xiao Feng is still engaged in a fierce battle with Zhuang JuXian, he knew if he rebut Murong Fu he will be killed immediately, afterwards Murong Fu will assist Zhuang JuXian and his elder brother will be in danger again, it is best to delay for time, he said: "What is so good about dying? Obviously it is more interesting to live in this world as a person."


    Unexpectedly Duan Yu dare to make sarcastic remark at this juncture, Murong Fu''s expression turn grave, he shouted: "Since you want to live, then...." he want Duan Yu to kowtow 100 times, humiliate him in public, but he had second thoughts, Duan Yu possess an ingenious set of footwork, if he let him go now it will be difficult to capture him again, he said: "...then call me grandfather 100 times!" Duan Yu laugh and said: "You are merely a few years older than me, how can you be my grandfather? Don''t you feel ashamed?" with a ''Hu'' sound Murong Fu sent out a palm, he strike a spot to the right of Duan Yu''s head, mud and dirt flew about, a hole appeared on the ground, if this palm move slightly to the left Duan Yu''s head will crack open immediately. Murong Fu shouted: "Do you want to call or not?"


    Duan Yu turn his head sideway, he saw Wang YuYan standing beside Bao BuTong and Feng BoE, her pair of eyes gazing at him steadily, however her expression did not have the slightest trace of worry or concern, obviously she must be thinking: "Cousin will never kill Gentleman Duan." even if Murong Fu kill Duan Yun, Wang YuYan will not be particularly sad or broken-hearted, if Murong Fu fail to kill Duan Yun, she might even feel a tinge of regret. Duan Yu look at Wang YuYan''s expression, he was completely disheartened, it is better for him to be killed by Murong Fu rather than suffer the endless torment of his yearning, he said dispiritedly: "Why don''t you call me grandfather 100 times?"


    Murong Fu was enraged, he lifted his right palm and directed it at Duan Yu''s face, suddenly two shadow dart forth. Someone shouted: "Don''t harm my son!" another person shout: "Don''t harm my master!" although their movement is quick, but they cannot stop Murong Fu from landing his palm strike, however Duan ZhengChun and Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea have extremely high martial arts, two stream of palm strength targeted Murong Fu''s vital points.


    If Murong Fu did not intercept these two palm, he can kill Duan Yu but he will surely sustain heavy injuries. He withdraw his right palm immediately and block Duan ZhengChun''s palm, his left hand drew a circle and neutralized Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea''s attack. The palm force of these 3 men surge forth, they trembled with fear, each of them felt the opponent''s martial art is truly solid. Duan ZhengChun is anxious to save his beloved son, his right forefinger executed [Yiyang Finger], variation wide, internal energy vigorous.


    Wang YuYan shouted: "Cousin be careful, it is Dali Duan family''s [Yiyang Finger], you must not underestimate it."


    Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea shout loudly: "Damn you, although my master is useless, but he is still Yue LaoEr''s master. You dare to beat my master, it is the same as beating Yue LaoEr. If my master is afraid of death and call you grandfather, then how can Yue LaoEr be a human anymore? How should i address you when i see you? Won''t you be three generation higher than Yue LaoEr? Then won''t i become a turtle-grandson? Simply preposterous!" while shouting he took out his crocodile scissors, he cut left and right, he cut continuously at Murong Fu. The thing he feared most is his generation ranking being lower than other people, even among "Four Great Evil" he argued endlessly with Ye ErNiang for the number two rank. Currently if Duan Yu call Murong Fu "grandfather", then Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea will surely become a "turtle-grandson", he rather chop his head off then become a "turtle-grandson".


    Murong Fu don''t know what he is shouting about, his right foot step on Duan Yu firmly, his pair of hands fighting two enemy. On the 10th move, Murong Fu detect that although Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea is equipped with a powerful weapon he is rather easy to deal with, however he cannot underestimate Duan ZhengChun''s [Yiyang Finger], thus he focus his attention on Duan ZhengChun and fought him directly, as for Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea, Murong Fu use his remaining force to neutralize the crocodile scissors attack, in his busy state he manage to retaliate 1-2 moves, Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea was force to move several zhang backward to avoid Murong Fu''s counterattack. Duan Yu is pinned down Murong Fu, he struggled forcefully, wanting to stand up, but how can he do so?


    Duan ZhengChun saw his beloved son being controlled, he knew Murong Fu only need to increase the pressure in his foot and Duan Yu will surely vomit blood and die, it is beneficial to end this fight quickly, he have to rescue his son and escape quickly, at once his [Yiyang Finger] became more aggressive, every move advancing and pressuring.


    Suddenly he heard a peculiar voice: "Dali Duan family''s [Yiyang Finger] pay particular attention to strict form, solemn, respectful and poised, even when being bold and powerful it must not deviate from its poised demeanour. What you are doing now is only harassing, no different from a lowly Beggar Clan disciple with no pouch, how can it be called [Yiyang Finger]? Hei hei, hei hei, aren''t you shaming the name of Dali''s Duan family?" Duan ZhengChun knew the voice came from his archenemy Duan YanQing, although his words are correct but his beloved son is in danger, Duan ZhengChun''s mental state is in disarray, why would he even care about strict form or poised demeanour? His [Yiyang Finger] became more and more heavy, although fierce but it is unsteady, suddenly when he made a move with his finger, Murong Fu redirected the power, with a ''Chi'' sound it landed on Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea''s shoulder.


    Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea made a monstrous ''WaWa'' cry, he cursed: "Da......" with a ''Qiang lang'' sound his crocodile scissors drop on the ground and smash his leg bone. He was in pain, he curse furiously, however he had second thoughts: "He is master''s father, if i curse him then i will inevitably mess up the generation ranking, i cannot curse him, some day if i have the chance i will simply cut off his head....."


    Duan ZhengChun accidentally injure the wrong person, he was distracted, Murong Fu seize the opportunity and pointed his left middle finger, as quick as lightning he sealed Duan ZhengChun''s ''Zhongting'' acupoint on the stomach. This ''Zhongting'' acupoint is 1 inch and 6 fen below ''Shanzhong'' acupoint. ''Shanzhong'' acupoint is a sea of energy in the human body, hundreds of energy pathway will gather at this point, it is of vital importance, when sealed by an enemy the person''s breathing will immediately be blocked. Murong Fu knew his opponent is capable, he only hope his finger will land on Duan ZhengChun''s body, he did not specifically target the ''Shanzhong'' acupoint, nevertheless Duan ZhengChun still felt sharp pain from his stomach, it is difficult for him to breath.


    Wang YuYan saw her cousin''s finger land on his opponent, she clap and cheered: "Cousin, what a good move, ''Yaksha Exploring the Sea''!" however the real ''Yaksha Exploring the Sea'' require the practitioner to hit the ''Shanzhong'' acupoint, Wang YuYan wanted to praise her sweetheart, although his move miss the intended target by 1 inch and 6 fen but she vaguely treat it as ''Yaksha Exploring the Sea''.


    Murong Fu knew his finger did not seal his opponent''s vital acupoint, he immediately compensate with another move, he launch his right palm and attack Duan ZhengChun''s stomach. Duan ZhengChun have yet to regain his breath, he did not have any power to resist, he was hit by Murong Fu''s violent palm strike and spurted a mouthful of blood. Duan ZhengChun is concerned about his beloved son, he refuse to retreat, he hastily gathered his breath, Murong Fu already launch his 2nd palm strike.


    Duan Yu was pinned down by Murong Fu, suddenly he saw his father spurt a mouthful of blood, Murong Fu already launch his 2nd palm strike, Duan Yu was extremely anxious, he quickly pointed his right forefinger at Murong Fu, he shouted: "You dare to beat my father?" in a moment of desperation his internal energy involuntary shoot out from his forefinger, it is precisely the Shangyang Sword Stance from [Six Meridians Divine Sword]. Other people become flustered when showing concern, however his energy flow out when showing concern, it is necessary for him to be anxious only then his internal energy can shoot out from his finger. However he heard a ''Chi'' sound, Murong Fu''s sleeve was slice off by his invisible energy sword, immediately after the energy sword bump against Murong Fu''s palm force. Murong Fu felt his arm ached, he was greatly startled and leap back hastily.


    Duan Yu finally free himself, he sprung up and stood upright, Murong Fu have yet to retreat, his father still in danger, he pointed with his left little finger, he thrust the ''Shaoze Sword'' at Murong Fu. Murong Fu quickly swing his left sleeve to meet the enemy, two ''Chi Chi'' sound, his left sleeve was slice off by the energy sword. Deng BaiChuan shouted: "Young master be careful of the invisible energy sword, why don''t you use a weapon?" he unsheathe his sword, he turn the sword hilt and toss it towards Murong Fu.


    Duan Yu heard Wang YuYan cheering when his father was hit by Murong Fu, he is concerned about his father safety and also furious at Wang YuYan''s heartlessness, his anxiety at 100%, his pain and sorrow also at 100%, his internal energy surge forth at once, in an instant Shaoshang Sword, Shangyang Sword, Zhongchong Sword, Guanchong Sword, Shaochong Sword, Shaoze Sword, all six sword stance criss-crossed and flew about, it flow smoothly according to his heart desire, as if he received god''s assistance.

 Chapter - 42 Old Devil And Clown, How Can They Strike, Fighting a One-sided Battle

    Murong Fu grab the long sword hastily, his spirit roused as he executed Murong family''s swordplay, every move continuous and uninterrupted, akin to moving cloud and flowing water, in the wink of an eye his body seem to be covered by a curtain of light. Martial artists only heard about Murong family''s vast and profound martial arts, they are knowledgeable about the martial arts of various sect and school, unexpectedly their own swordplay is so exquisite as well.


    However no matter how strong or how aggressive he is, Murong Fu cannot move within 1 zhang of Duan Yu. Duan Yu only need to jab and poke with his fingers and he can make Murong Fu jump high and lie low, run east and dodge west. Suddenly there is a ''Pa'' sound, Murong Fu''s long sword and Duan Yu''s invisible energy sword clashed head-on, the long sword broke into two, half of the blade flew into the air and gave off white light as the sun reflect off it.


    Murong Fu was alarmed, however he did not panic, he quickly wave his left hand, he use the broken sword as a hidden weapon and threw it towards Duan Yu. Duan Yu shouted out: "Aiyo!" he was at a loss on what to do, he panicked and lie on the ground hastily. The broken sword flew past the top of his head, in a fight between two experts unexpectedly he can come up with such ''Dog Eating Shit'' form, the move is really humiliating, extremely unsightly. Although Murong Fu''s sword was broken, but he seek victory through defeat, he is natural and unrestrained, much more glamorous compared to Duan Yu.


    Feng BoE shouted: "Young master, catch this blade!" he toss his broadsword, Murong Fu caught it, he saw Duan Yu had stood back up, he laugh and said: "Brother Duan, that move ''Evil Dog Eating Shit'', is it the consummate skill of Dali''s Duan family?" Duan Yu stare foolishly, he said: "No!" he wave his right little finger and thrust his ''Shaochong Sword'' at Murong Fu.


    Murong Fu wave his broadsword to block, suddenly he execute [Five Tiger Breaking Gate Sabre] and [Eight Divinatory Trigram Sabre Art], several moves later he execute [Six Direction Sabre], in no time he execute 8-9 different sabre art in succession, every sabre style happen to fit the situation and express its essential meaning, renowned sabre experts who are spectating all gasp with admiration. However although Murong Fu''s sabre art is refine but he still can''t move near Duan Yu. Duan Yu''s ''Shaochong Sword'' slice from the left side, Murong Fu raise his broadsword to block, with a ''Dang'' sound the blade was broken again.


    GongYe Gan wave both hands and toss two judge-pen towards Murong Fu. Murong Fu cast away the broken broadsword, he caught the judge-pens and execute acupoint sealing moves, the tip of the pen gave out ''Chi Chi'' sound, it produce faint streams of energy as well.


    Both of them exchange over 100 moves, Duan Yu''s initial fear began to subside, he slowly understood how internal energy travels through his veins and arteries, he recalled the internal energy cultivation method taught by his uncle and Master KuRong, he gradually start to rotate his [Six Meridian Divine Swords] and switch them around. Suddenly Xiao Feng said: "3rd brother, you have yet to perfect this [Six Meridian Divine Swords], executing six different sword-play together, while switching there will be gaps in-between, your opponent can seize this opportunity to dodge. Why don''t you try to use just one set of sword-play?" Duan Yu said: "Yes, many thanks to elder brother for giving pointers." he gaze sideway, Xiao Feng is standing with his hands by the side, his expression leisurely, Zhuang JuXian is lying down on the ground, his two legs broken, he is moaning loudly.


    With Murong Fu gone, Xiao Feng immediately gain the upper hand, he clash palm head-on with You TanZhi repeatedly, however whenever their palm interlock Xiao Feng cannot help but shiver, cold air invade his body, the suffering indescribable and difficult to endure, at once he smack his palm heavily, when You TanZhi use full-strength to block Xiao Feng seize the opportunity and sweep his right leg. You TanZhi''s speciality is frost-silkworm poison and internal energy of [Divine Foot Scripture], as for punching and kicking skill he learn it from AhZi, thus his moves are extremely common and sloppy, he felt sudden acute pain from his leg, with a ''Kala'' sound, both his shinbone broke and he collapsed. Xiao Feng said in a bright voice: "Beggar Clan values chivalry and being humane, since you are the leader of the clan how can you mix around with those demons from XingXiu Sect? Aren''t you disgracing the several hundred years of good reputation enjoyed by Beggar Clan?"


    The sole reason You TanZhi became Chief of Beggar Clan is due to his outstanding martial arts. As for his knowledge, manner and leadership, they are inadequate, moreover he wore a mask, being mysterious and secretive, all clan affairs were handled by AhZi and Quan GuanQing, thus many Clan members are extremely resentful for quite some time already. Today he killed several of his own Clan members, kowtow to Ding ChunQiu in public and became a XingXiu disciple, hence Beggar Clan members no long treat him as their Chief anymore. Xiao Feng broke both of his shinbone, unexpectedly the Beggar Clan members are secretly delighted, not a single one of them step forward to help him. Quan GuanQing and a few hardcore followers intend to step forward to help him, however when they saw Xiao Feng''s awe-inspiring expression, who dare to step forward and seek death?


    After defeating You TanZhi, Xiao Feng saw Xu Zhu fighting fiercely with Ding ChunQiu, Xu Zhu occupied a dominant position, although Duan Yu know [Six Meridian Divine Swords], however his moves are sometime brilliant yet sometime incomparably stupid, Duan Yu had many opportunities to secure victory however for some unknown reason he simply let it pass, thus Xiao Feng cannot bear it anymore and gave some pointers.


    Duan Yu look sideways at Xiao Feng and You TanZhi, his attention was divided, immediately a loophole appeared in his [Six Meridian Divine Swords]. Murong Fu is incomparably quick-witted, he wave his left hand, a judge-pen accompanied by strong wind shoot straight at Duan Yu''s chest, it is about to pierce through his chest. Duan Yu saw the astonishing power of the judge-pen, he cannot help but panic and shouted: "Elder brother, not good!"


    Xiao Feng execute a move "Wading Great Creek", he smack from the side, the judge-pen was hit by his palm wind, unexpectedly the body of the pen became curved, it circle around Duan Yu''s head and shoot towards Murong Fu.


    Murong Fu lifted the judge-pen in his right hand and use it to smash the incoming judge-pen, with a ''Dang'' sound both pen collided, Murong Fu''s right arm became numb from the shock, he did not wait for the curved pen to drop on the ground, he made a grabbing move with his left hand and execute Kongtong Sect''s [Single Hook Technique].


    The crowd witness Xiao Feng''s powerful palm strength, they also witness Murong Fu''s ability to adapt to any changes, his strangely wonderful hook technique, they cannot help but cheer out loudly, today they get to witness the top two martial art genius of the current age fighting each other with their full strength, it truly broaden their horizons, they did not waste this long trip to Mount Shaoshi.


    Duan Yu avoid the danger of flying judge-pen, he calm down and pointed with his thumb, he send out ''Shaoshang Sword''. This ''Shaoshang Sword'' is bold and resolute, its style grand and imposing, every sword thrust contains earth-shattering power. Even with a judge-pen and a hook, Murong Fu found it difficult to ward off the sword. Duan Yu was given pointers by Xiao Feng, he only focus on using one set of sword-play, sure enough the structure of his sword-play is well-knit, there are no loophole or gaps.


    Originally by using all six sword stance of [Six Meridian Divine Swords] together, its power is far greater than using just one sword stance, however Duan Yu is not familiar with the secret to using all six sword stance, it is beneficial for him to focus on using one sword stance, 10 sword moves later, Murong Fu is perspiring from his forehead, he retreat continuously and move beside a huge locust tree, he relied on the tree for defence.


    Duan Yu completed ''Shaoshang Sword'', he bend his thumb and pointed with his forefinger, he execute ''Shangyang Sword''.


    The power of ''Shangyang Sword'' is not as grand as ''Shaoshang Sword'', however its speed far exceeds other sword stance, Duan Yu move his forefinger repeatedly, he thrust out sword after sword, its incomparably quick. The thrusting speed of a sword is entirely dependent on the agility of the practitioner''s wrist, however to thrust and retract a sword, no matter how fast you are the sword still has to travel several chi, Duan Yu is using his forefinger to shoot out invisible energy sword, he merely swivel his finger within 1 inch radius, hence it is extremely easy as he only need to jab and poke. Murong Fu was forced to stay several zhang away, there is no way for him to retaliate at all. Previously Murong Fu break down and counter his moves, Duan Yu did not even get to use a 2nd move and nearly lost his life, but currently Duan Yu is attacking without the need to defend, Murong Fu allowed him free use of ''Shaoshang Sword'', naturally Duan Yu occupied all the advantage in this fight.


    Wang YuYan saw her cousin is in critical situation, she is extremely worried, although she is familiar with the martial arts of various sect and school under the heaven, however she has absolutely no knowledge on [Six Meridian Divine Swords], she cannot give guidance and can only worry in silence.


    Xiao Feng saw Duan Yu''s invisible energy sword becoming more and more marvellous, he felt gratified and also a sense admiration, suddenly his heart ached, he thought about AhZhu: "That day AhZhu willingly die in place of her father, the main reason is because she fear that after i killed her father, Dali''s Duan family will surely seek me for revenge, she fear i am no match of their [Six Meridian Divine Swords]. 3rd brother is at the beginners stage of learning this sword-play, however his sword-play is already so mythical, if i switch place with Murong Fu i will surely have problems resisting as well. AhZhu sacrifice herself to prevent my death, i....i am only a Khitan warrior, how am i deserving of such deep and profound love?"


    Both Duan YanQing and Jiumozhi saw Duan Yu execute [Six Meridian Divine Swords], its incomparably marvellous, although they know he have yet to perfect this skill but he only needs the guidance of an expert, with additional training he will surely become the number one expert of the current age, they cannot help but give a long sigh. Jiumozhi''s sigh is due to envy and admiration, but Duan YanQing''s sigh is due to misery and being depressed.


    Deng BaiChuan and the rest saw Murong Fu was pressured by Duan Yu till an extremely dire state, they want to step forward and assist, however they heard the shouting''s of countless women from the southwest corner: "Old Freak of XingXiu, how dare you fight with the owner of Misty Peak Vulture Palace? Quickly kneel down and kowtow." everyone tilt their head and look, several hundred women are standing at the mountain edge, they are arrange into eight divisions, every division wore different coloured clothes, red, yellow, purple, etc, the colours bright and dazzling. Among the eight divisions of women there are also several hundred heroes from all over the country, their manner and clothes greatly differs from normal people. These heroes also shout out: "Owner, plant a few ''life-death talisman'' on him!"


    "Life-death talisman is most effective when dealing with Old Freak of XingXiu!"


    Xu Zhu''s martial arts and internal energy far exceeds Ding ChunQiu, he can secure victory long time ago, however firstly his experience in fighting is simply too shallow, he can barely display 60-70% of his true potential, secondly his heart is merciful, there are several vicious techniques he can use to kill Ding ChunQiu, however he often execute halfway and withdraw it back, thirdly Ding ChunQiu''s body is covered with deadly poison, Xu Zhu had some misgivings, he don''t dare to touch Ding ChunQiu rashly, however with Xu Zhu''s deep and profound internal energy Ding ChunQiu''s poison cannot harm him anymore, thus both of them fought for a long time but they are still lock in stalemate. Suddenly he heard a crowd of men and women are cheering for him, he turn his head towards the source, he cannot help but be startled yet delighted, of the Nine Heaven Nine Divisions from Vulture Palace eight divisions have arrived, Phoenix Heaven Division stayed behind to guard Vulture Palace. The men are the 36 Cave-masters and 72 Island-masters as well as the troops under their command, their numbers are truly not small, even though not all the Cave-masters and Island-masters are present but at least 80-90% of them are here.


    Xu Zhu shouted: "Grandma Yu, Mr Wu, how come you are here?" Grandma Yu said: "Reporting to owner, subordinate receive news from Plum Orchid Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Sword, i learn of how these bald thieves from Shaolin are out to make things difficult for owner, thus i inform the various Island-masters and Cave-masters, we travel day and night to rush over here. Luckily owner is unharmed, subordinate is very happy." Xu Zhu said: "I originate from Shaolin, your speech is too rude, quickly apologize to Shaolin''s abbot." while speaking he still display his [Plum Breaking Hands of Heavenly Mountain] and [Six Solar Palms of Heavenly Mountain] brilliantly.


    Grandma Yu had a terrified expression, she bow and said: "Yes, old lady admits her guilt." she walk towards abbot XuanCi, she kneel down and respectfully kowtow four times and said: "Grandma Yu from Vulture Palace''s Clear Sky Division, my speech is too rude, i offended eminent monks from Shaolin, i kowtow to ask for forgiveness and respectfully invite great master abbot to punish me." her speech is extremely sincere, her enunciation clear and bright, clearly her internal energy is vigorous, reaching the realm of top ranking martial experts.


    XuanCi brush his sleeves and said: "I don''t deserve your praise, shizu please get up!" he employed 50% of his internal energy with this brush, he intend to prop up Grandma Yu, unexpectedly Grandma Yu''s body only move slightly, she did not rise. Grandma Yu kowtow again and said: "Old lady smeared owner''s original school, i deserve a thousand death." she stood up slowly and return back to her division.


    The Xuan generation monks heard Xu Zhu narrate his experience in Vulture Palace before, they know about the intermediate story, however the remaining Shaolin monks as well as the spectators are greatly surprised: "The internal energy cultivation of this old lady is truly solid, the rest of the men and women that came with her are not weaklings either, how come they are the subordinates of this little monk from Shaolin, truly unbelievable." the crowd saw Xu Zhu assisting Xiao Feng, moreover he had large numbers of men and women as reinforcements, unexpectedly Xiao Feng''s situation strengthened greatly, it is not easy to kill him anymore.


    XingXiu disciples saw there are quite a number of good-looking maidens from Vulture Palace''s Eight Division, their speech became unclear and flustered. The Cave-masters and Island-masters are straightforward men, they bicker and ridicule openly, in an instant the mountain top is full of shouting and cursing sound. The Cave-masters and Island-masters all pull out their weapons to challenge. XingXiu disciples don''t dare to meet the challenge, however they redouble their effort in cursing. Some XingXiu disciples saw their master occupy an unfavourable position for a long time, the situation is not good, thus they look around in all direction for an escape route down the mountain.


    Duan Yu was not distracted, he completely ignore the men and women from Vulture Palace, he focus on his ''Shangyang Sword'' with rapt attention, he pressured Murong Fu with every single move. When he thought of Wang YuYan, every word and movement that came from her is for the sake of protecting Murong Fu, his heart is extremely bitter, since he already activate his [Six Meridian Divine Swords], his internal energy flow continuously, the power of his sword unstoppable. At this stage Murong Fu is unable to deduce the attack path of the invisible energy sword, he can only wave his pen and hook around to form a protective barrier and guard his whole body, he constantly shrink his body behind the huge locust tree to avoid the energy sword.


    Suddenly there is a ''Chi'' sound, the energy sword penetrate Murong Fu''s protective barrier and slice off his hat, his hairs scattered in all direction, his appearance extremely battered and unsightly. Wang YuYan cry out in fear: "Gentleman Duan, please be lenient!" Duan Yu''s heart trembled, he gave a deep sigh, he did not fire his 2nd sword move, he massage his chest and pondered: "In your heart you only think about your cousin, if i accidently kill him, your grieve will be unending, you will never smile again. I love and respect you, i will never make you sad."


    Murong Fu''s complexion is white and bloodless, today at Mount Shaoshi he was thoroughly defeated in a sword duel, he suffered great shame and humiliation, in addition a woman spoke out to plea leniency for him and only then his opponent spared his life, would he have any standings in the martial arts fraternity from now on? He shout loudly: "A true man does not fear death, who needs you to give leeway?" he brandish his steel hook and pounce towards Duan Yu.


    Duan Yu wave his pair of hands and said: "We have no hatred or enmity, why the need to fight? Stop fighting, stop fighting!"


    Murong Fu''s character is proud and haughty, he have no regards for people, he was utterly defeated by Duan Yu and had no chance to retaliate, moreover his opponent made concession base on a brief remark from Wang YuYan, how can he endure such indignation? He wave his steel hook at Duan Yu''s face, he thrust his judge-pen at Duan Yu''s chest, he thought: "Use your invisible energy sword to kill me, we will end in mutual destruction, better than to drift and live without purpose in life." his heart is filled with shame and anger, he disregarded his life with this pounce.


    Duan Yu saw this ferocious attack from Murong Fu, if he use [Six Meridian Divine Swords] to attack, he is afraid he might kill Murong Fu, he don''t know what to do, unexpectedly he just stare stupidly and did not think of using [Graceful Steps upon the Waves] to dodge. Murong Fu is staking his life in this pounce, the speed is incomparably quick, his body flash and there is a ''Pu'' sound, the judge-pen in his right hand already plunge into Duan Yu''s body. Luckily Duan Yu slanted his body to the left at the critical moment, he avoid injuries to the vital points on his chest, however the judge-pen penetrate deep into his right shoulder, Duan Yu cry out loudly, he was so frighten that his body turn stiff. Murong Fu execute the move "Fishing A Needle From The Sea" using the steel hook on his left hand, he attack Duan Yu''s head swiftly.


    Duan ZhengChun and Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea saw the situation is amiss, both of them pounce forward, in addition Ba TianShi and Cui BaiQuan pounce forward as well. Murong Fu is determined to kill Duan Yu, he rather sustain serious injuries than slow down his attack, unexpectedly he pay no heed to the four men''s attack, just as the sharp tip of the steel hook was about to touch Duan Yu, suddenly the ''Shendao acupoint'' on Murong Fu''s back turn numb, his body was lifted high up in the air. The ''Shendao acupoint'' is a critical acupoint, once captured Murong Fu''s hand turn numb immediately, he cannot hold onto the judge-pen and steel hook anymore, he heard Xiao Feng shout sternly: "He spare your life, unexpectedly you dare to employ such evil scheme, what kind of hero are you?"


    As it turns out Xiao Feng saw Murong Fu pounce towards Duan Yu, his guard is wide open and revealed his weakness, Xiao Feng assume Duan Yu will use his invisible energy sword and kill Murong Fu with 1 move, unexpectedly Duan Yu stop attacking and stay his hand at the critical moment, Murong Fu''s attack is strangely quick, although Xiao Feng move quickly but he is still too late to prevent the judge-pen attack. Murong Fu follow up and execute the move "Fishing A Needle From The Sea", Xiao Feng seize the opportunity and grab the ''Shendao acupoint'' on his back. Although Murong Fu''s martial art is no match for Xiao Feng but it is not to the extent of being captured in 1 move, because Murong Fu is filled with shame and anger, he focus solely on killing Duan Yu, thus he did not bother to guard his body. Xiao Feng use his exquisite grabbing technique, he target vital acupoints, thus Murong Fu cannot move anymore.


    Xiao Feng''s stature is big and tall, he have long hands and feet, he lifted Murong Fu in midair, the appearance is akin to an eagle clutching a little chick. Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan, Bao BuTong, Feng BoE, four of them shout in unison: "Don''t harm our young master!" they rush forward together. Wang YuYan also rush forward and shout: "Cousin, cousin!" Murong Fu wish he can die right way rather than suffer this humiliation.


    Xiao Feng sneered: "Xiao Feng is a proper man, unexpectedly i share the same fame with this kind of person!" he exerted strength in his arm and toss Murong Fu away.


    Murong Fu flew 7-8 zhang away, he bend his waist and was about to stand up, unexpectedly when Xiao Feng grabbed his ''Shendao acupoint'', Xiao Feng''s internal energy penetrate to the surrounding meridian channels, Murong Fu cannot disperse the numbness in his hands and feet, with a ''Peng'' sound his back landed on the ground, his hands and feet spread out, he fell down in an extremely unsightly manner. Spectators murmured in low voices and clamour repeatedly.


    Deng BaiChuan and the rest quickly turn around and rush towards Murong Fu. Murong Fu channelled his internal energy, he did not wait for Deng BaiChuan and the rest to arrive, he turn over and stood up. His face white and bloodless, he stretch out his hand and draw out a long sword hanging by Bao BuTong''s waist, immediately after his left hand made a circular move, he block Deng BaiChuan and the rest, his right wrist flip over and swing the sword horizontally across his neck. Wang YuYan scream: "Cousin, no..........."


    At this moment there is loud sound, the air split open, a hidden weapon flew from around 10 zhang away, it traverse across the ground and knock onto the sword held by Murong Fu, there is a clanking sound, the sword flew out from Murong Fu''s hand, his hand stained with blood, the web between his thumb and forefinger was split open.


    Murong Fu was astonished, he raise his head and look towards the direction the hidden weapon came from, he saw a grey-robed monk standing by the hillside, his face covered by a grey cloth.


    The monk took large strides and stop beside Murong Fu, he said: "You have a son?" his voice is aged.


    Murong Fu said: "I have yet to marry, how can i have a son?" the grey-robed monk said: "You have ancestors?" Murong Fu was angered, he said loudly: "Of course! I wish to die, what business is it to you? A warrior can be killed but not humiliated, Murong Fu is a man, i cannot stand your rudeness." the grey-robed monk said: "Your great-great-grandfather have a son, your great grandfather, grandfather, father, all of them have a son, but how come you don''t have a son! Hei hei, the glorious times of Murong in Great Yan, Murong Ke, Murong Chui, Murong De, Murong LongCheng, all of them great heroes, unexpectedly their generation broken and left without any future male offspring!"


    Murong Huang, Murong Ke, Murong Chui, Murong De, etc, they are the brave lord and famed monarch of Great Yan, Murong LongCheng is the creator of the consummate skill [Star Shifting Movement], each one of them renown over the world, they established great undertaking, they are also the ancestors of Murong Fu. Murong Fu was blinded by his rage, suddenly when he heard the name of these five ancestors, cold sweat drip down his forehead, he pondered: "Father cautioned me repeatedly, i have to make the restoration of Great Yan my lifelong ambition, today due to a moment of rage i seek to commit suicide, henceforth my Xianbei Murong family will be left without a heir. I don''t have a son, how can i bring honour to my ancestors and restore Great Yan?" his back and forehead is covered with cold sweat, at once he kneel down and said: "Murong Fu''s experience and knowledge is lacking, i gained the guidance of senior monk, your great kindness and virtue, i will remember it for as long as i live."


    The grey-robed monk accepted his worship calmly, he said: "Since ancient times those who achieved great merits, which one of them did not suffer untold hardships? The first Han emperor Liu Bang blockaded on BaiDeng plateau, Emperor GuangWu of Han''s northern expedition, if all of them are like you, drawing their sword to cut their throat, their narrow-mindedness will merely end Han dynasty, how can they restore their state? You are inferior to even Gou Jian and HanXin, truly ignorant and lacking knowledge!"


    Murong Fu kneel down to receive instruction, he was frightened: "This divine monk seems to know my inner ambition, unexpectedly he use Han Gaozu and GuangWu these founding fathers as comparison." he said: "Murong Fu realize his mistake!" the grey-robed monk said: "Get up!" Murong Fu respectfully kowtow 3 times and stood up.


    The grey-robed monk said: "The martial arts handed down by your Gusu Murong family, they are mythical and profound, truly rare in the present age, but you have yet to perfect it, don''t tell me it can''t be compared with Dali''s Duan family [Six Meridian Divine Swords]? Look closely now!" he extend his forefinger and pointed 3 times.


    Currently Duan ZhengChun and Ba TianShi are standing beside Duan Yu, Duan ZhengChun already use [Yiyang Finger] to seal the surrounding acupoints on Duan Yu''s wound, Ba TianShi was about to pull out the judge-pen from Duan Yu''s shoulder, unexpectedly the finger force from the grey-robed monk arrived, both of them felt their chest turn numb and they collapse backwards, immediately after the judge-pen shoot out from Duan Yu''s shoulder, with a ''Pa'' sound it plunge into the ground. After falling down, Duan ZhengChun and Ba TianShi turn over and leap up immediately, both of them overwhelmed with shock. Clearly the grey-robed monk was lenient, if not he would have killed the two of them with this finger move.


    The grey-robed monk said in a bright voice: "This is your Murong family''s [Canhe Finger]! Old monk learn in from your forefather, but i only learn till superficial level, you can well imagine the various marvellous martial arts of Murong family. Hei hei, don''t tell me with your tiny amount of skill you are fit to bear this great reputation of "Returning you with your own move"?"


    The crowd of heroes were initially excited by Gusu Murong''s famed fighting prowess, however they saw Murong Fu being defeated by Duan Yu, afterwards he was defeated by Xiao Feng, they pondered: "He does not match up to his famed reputation! Although it is not entirely false reputation, but it is not so amazing as to shake the entire world by force." afterwards the saw the grey-robed monk demonstrate his divine skill, he claim he merely learn Murong family''s [Canhe Finger] till superficial level, they cannot help but feel their respect for Gusu Murong being reborn again. However everyone had the same doubt: "Who is this grey-robed monk? What is his relationship with Murong family?"


    The grey-robed monk turn around, he cupped his fists at Xiao Feng and said: "Noble warrior Qiao''s martial art is unsurpassed, your reputation well-deserved, old monk wish to ask for advice!" Xiao Feng guard against him long ago, when the monk cupped his fists he immediately cupped his fists to return the courtesy and said: "I don''t deserve it!" their internal energies collided, both of them sway slightly.


    At this moment, a black shadow appear from mid air, akin to a big eagle swooping down, it landed between the grey-robed monk and Xiao Feng. This person drop down from the sky abruptly, its simply too sudden, everyone was equally amazed and shouted out, when the person landed on the ground they finally saw clearly, as it turns out he is holding onto a long rope, the other end of the rope is attached to the top of a tree 10 zhang away. This person covered his face with a black cloth, he only revealed a pair of cold electrifying eyes.


    The black-robed man and grey-robed monk stare at each other, after a long time, none of them open their mouth to speak. The stature of these two men are tall, but the black-robed man is more sturdy, the grey-robed man is slim.


    Xiao Feng however was very happy and grateful, from the rope technique used by the black-robed man to move over great distances, Xiao Feng recognize him at the same black-robed man who rescued him at JuXian Manor. Of the people currently gathered at Mount Shaoshi, quite a number of them participated in the battle at JuXian Manor, however the black-robed man came and went quickly, nobody saw his movement clearly and thus they did not recognize him.


    After a long time, both men said suddenly: "You......" however they stop talking immediately after uttering ''You''. After a period of time, the grey-robed monk finally said: "Who are you?" the black-robed man said: "Then who are you?"


    The crowd heard the voice of this black-robed monk, they pondered: "His voice is aged, it seems he is also an old monk."


    Xiao Feng heard the voice of the black-robed monk, it is precisely the same voice who lectured him at the deserted mountain, Xiao Feng''s heart throb violently, he want to rush forward immediately, kowtow and offer his gratitude.


    The grey-robed monk said: "You hide in Shaolin Temple for 10 years, you finally pilfered enough rare martial art manuals from Shaolin?" the black-robed man said: "I want to ask you as well, you hide in Shaolin Temple for 10 years, the manuals inside Shaolin''s Scripture-Depository Pavilion, you finally copied enough?"


    When these two men spoke out, all Shaolin monks were flabbergasted, the pondered: "How come these two men accuse each other of stealing rare martial art manuals from Shaolin? Don''t tell me it really happen?"


    The grey-robed monk said: "I hide in Shaolin Temple, it is for the sake of borrowing some things to read." the back-robed man said: "I hide in Shaolin Temple, it is also for the sake of borrowing some things to read. We cross swords with each other 3 times, it is time we differentiate who is stronger, who is weaker." the grey-robed monk said: "Correct. Honoured sir, your martial art is solid, i am extremely grateful for your many pointers." the black-robed man said: "Your heart is never complacent, you forge on ahead relentlessly, brother admires you very much."


    The grey-robed monk said: "Since this is the case, then there is no need for us to compare anymore." the black-robed man said: "Very good." both men nod their heads, they walk together to the base of a large tree, they sat down shoulder to shoulder, close their eyes and did not speak anymore.


    The grey-robed monk is meditating under the tree, recalling the events for the past 10 years, images of past events came thick and fast:


    This grey-robed monk is Murong Fu''s father, Murong Bo. For the past few years he concealed his identity and feign death, in reality he operates in secret in Central Plains.


    Previously, Murong Bo was terror-stricken, he fled from YanMen Pass and return to Suzhou''s Swallow Dock Canhe Manor, he shut the doors to the basement and hide inside for 7 days. For 7 days his body trembled, his mind wrapped in fear, no matter how his wife tried to comfort or persuade, he was unable to lessen the fear in his heart. The tragic scene at YanMen Pass, flesh and blood flying, it gave him insomnia, if he manage to sleep he will always dream of the man with face full of whiskers, his round eyes, eyes dripping with blood, yet his eyes seem to be spitting fire, his left hand waving about, the sabre in his right hand hacking around, muscles and bones shattered, heads fall onto the ground. Murong Bo hid at a distant mountain behind a rock, he saw this Khitan warrior kill 10 Han heroes in an instant, he knock down the leader as well as Beggar Clan Chief Wang JianTong, using a short sabre he carved words on the mountain wall, he leap into the deep valley, later he toss a baby from the valley......Murong Bo hid behind the rock for a long time, when the sky turn dark, a Han warrior carried the baby and left with the leader and Wang JianTong, Murong Bo was paralyze from head to toe, it is difficult for him to take even 1 step....


    Murong Bo was instructed by his father since childhood, he have to make "Restoration of Yan" his lifelong ambition, however Liao and Song share good relations with each other, there is no opportunity at all, thus Mrong Bo brought along his wealth and travelled to Liao nation, he made friends with Khitan nobles, afterwards he move one step further and acquaint himself with court affairs of Liao nation. The Empress Dowager of Liao is in control and her most trusted clansman is the military drill master of Coral Army, Xiao YuanShan. This person possess extremely high martial arts, throughout his life he advocate friendly relations between Liao and Song, whenever Liao generals proposed to invade Song, Xiao YuanShan will immediately advice the Empress Dowager, both nations enjoy good fortune due to this armistice: Liao nation collects silver and silk from Song, the society is rich, food plentiful, however once war breaks out, citizens will have their homes ravaged, traitors will fawn and try to seize power, riot and disorder will surely plague the nation.


    The Empress Dowager was utterly convinced by Xiao YuanShan, thus the invasion of Song never materialize. Murong Bo knew the opportunity to restore Yan lies in eliminating Xiao YuanShan, he hatch a plan in secret, he inquired about Xiao YuanShan''s personal preference, he tried to uncover a weakness which he can put his hands on. One day he heard from a distant relative of Xiao YuanShan, the birthday of Xiao YuanShan''s father-in-law is on the 8th of September, on that day he will surely take his wife and child to Wuzhou to congratulate his father-in-law. To travel from Liao nation to Wuzhou, the most common path is to travel south from YanMen pass until the Great Wall, from there travel west to Wuzhou, the terrain is flat, much easier to travel when compared to the northern mountain route which is more rugged.


    When Murong Bo obtained the news, its already August, thus he rush to Shaolin immediately to deliver the news, he claim Liao nation will dispatch martial art experts, on Chongyang Festival they will carry out a large scale raid on Shaolin, their purpose is to steal ancient and rare martial art manuals hidden in Shaolin, they will then impart this first-class martial arts to solider of Liao nation. Years later Liao nation will send their army southward, on the battlefield Song''s army will not be their match, the Han people will surely be in danger.


    This matter concerns the lives of citizens as well as the survival of Central Plains martial art fraternity, thus Shaolin immediately spread the news around, many heroes convene at Shaolin to plan how to deal with the situation. Murong Bo just came from Liao nation, the court affairs, military strength, he knows all of them clearly, there was no loophole in his speech. The crowd of heroes reached an agreement, they will split into groups and head for Wuzhou, Daizhou, Shuozhou and Yingzhou to try and obstruct them. YanMen Pass is the key route for Liao nation to travel southward, thus the heroes gathered their best fighters and hid at YanMen Pass, eventually they encountered Xiao YuanShan''s party. Although they killed his wife, but Xiao YuanShan''s martial art is truly frightening to the extreme, it is really hard to imagine.....


    When the heroes eventually discover something amiss about the situation, they will surely visit Murong Bo''s home to inquire, Murong Bo had long predict this outcome, he did not want to be interrogated by his friends from the martial arts fraternity, he fabricate rumour and deceive people, his true motive is to incite hatred between Liao and Song, hoping for an opportunity to "restore Yan nation", how can he carry out this task in a straightforward manner? Although his martial art is not weak, but the Han have many men, in the end he will not be able hold them back. Thus he left YanMen Pass and return south immediately, he live in seclusion in the basement of his house and never take 1 step out. During that period Shaolin sent its monk over to investigate, Murong Bo already instruct his wife to tell them he left half a year ago to travel, till now he have yet to return, the family is very concerned and hope senior monks from Shaolin can assist to look for his whereabouts.


    The ancestor of Murong family, Murong LongCheng created the consummate skill [Star Shifting Movement], although this wondrous skill can divert an opponent''s attack and established the famed reputation of "Returning you with your own move", but it is akin to "sewing someone''s trousseau". Murong Bo thought to himself, Shaolin is the chief of martial art studies, if he can obtain its 72 supreme consummate skills and secretly teach it to his own troops, then their chances of restoring Yan nation would be like a tiger that has grown wings, its power redouble and form strengthened.


    Successive generation of Murong''s heirs all conspire to restore Yan, the family amassed mountains of gold and silver. Murong Bo discuss with his wife, he disguised himself as a trader and brought alot of gold and silver to Dengfeng city in Henan, he set up a business selling local products and build up relations with local merchants, afterwards he move to the farms near Shaolin and acquired their local products, subsequently he purchased their house and farmland and set up his home there. He planned far ahead, he often wore bamboo hat, carrying a hoe, tilling the ground and planting fruits and vegetables at the rear mountain of Shaolin''s Scripture-Depository Pavilion, he became friends with the monks in charge of taking care of Scripture-Depository Pavilion, he frequently offered gifts such as peach, apricot, pear, jujube, etc, fresh agriculture products. Less than half a year later, how Scripture-Depository Pavilion protect itself against fire, how they dry books, shift schedules, collections of rare books, etc, he knows everything clearly. Murong Bo have hidden agenda, but other people did not, the monks-in-charge did not suspect anything. Shaolin Temple have always been benevolent and kind, whenever someone ask to borrow Buddhist scriptures to read they will welcome it greatly. Initially Murong Bo borrowed <>, <>, <>, etc, eventually he start borrowing profound texts such as <> .


    When the time was ripe and the monk-in-charge no longer guard against him, during the 3rd night watch, he secretly entered the Scripture-Depository Pavilion, on a bookshelf he found the manual to [Blossom Grasping Finger], he almost turn mad from excitement, he took it back to his residence and studied carefully, the handwritten copy depict training methods from basic to advance level, the methods subtle and exquisite, the manual also states that once mastered the practitioner''s finger can penetrate wood and bricks, its power extremely formidable. At once Murong Bo lit an oil lamp, he took out pen and paper and made an exact copy of this [Blossom Grasping Finger] manual. The following evening, Murong Bo infiltrate the Scripture-Depository Pavilion again, he return [Blossom Grasping Finger] manual back to its original place, afterwards he took [Vajra Fist] which consists of four volume. He posses extraordinary perception, once he detect anything odd inside the Pavilion he will simply hide and not return for several days. Base on his high-level martial arts, the monk-in-charge never notice his borrowing and returning of treasured books.


    This copying of books went on for 4 months, eventually he obtained 28 supreme consummate skills, around 30 volume of books. It is already winter, on the last night of the year, he miss his wife very much, thus he return back to Suzhou and brought along the 30 volume of martial art manuals, it can be said he returned from a rewarding journey. He hid the manuals inside the basement, he selected several consummate skills and started to practice them daily, he trained relentless. That winter his wife became pregnant, thus Murong Bo remain in Suzhou and wait for the child to be born. He named his son Murong Fu, he hope his son can follow in his footsteps and continue their ancestor''s ambition.


    Murong Bo continued the wishes of his ancestors, the ambition to restore his nation boiling in his heart, thus he start to grow a beard, his face painted with mild ink to turn his skin tone dark, he wore embroidered brocade, his wife drew his eyebrow downwards and deepen the lines at the corner of his mouth, his facial expression became distressed, even old companion would not be able to recognize him. After changing his appearance, he left and start to make friends widely, he claims to be surnamed Yan, named LongYuan, he inherited the family business of selling pearls and jewels, he even change his Suzhou dialect into Henan''s Dengfeng district dialect. Murong family amassed wealth for several generation, the family is rich and powerful, Murong Bo put the wealth to good use, he was generous in spending, his manner extraordinary, anxious to help people resolve their difficulties, thus he gathered quite a number of close friends.


    In the following autumn, he disguised himself as a merchant and left Dengfeng to move back into his old residence, in the evening he infiltrate Shaolin''s Scripture-Depository Pavilion to borrow martial art manuals, several months later he manage to copy another 10 set of skills. One day, while perusing the books, he saw a pile of books on the left-hand side bookshelf, the topmost book is titled "Essence of Prajna Palm", he took the book immediately and put it in his bosom. As he was about to leave he felt a gust of wind behind his back, someone tap his left shoulder and whispered: "Follow me!"


    Murong Bo was frighten, how come he was completely unaware when the person was near? When he turn his head he saw a tall and sturdy figure dash out of the pavilion, he extend his leg and followed. The person rush for several li and arrive at an open field between a valley. The person suddenly stop moving, he turn around and said: "You learn Shaolin''s martial art secretly, you must have some achievement correct? Let me test you." when he finish speaking he launch his palm towards Murong Bo. Murong Bo don''t dare to be careless and raise his palm to meet it, while pushing aside the palm he felt the opposing palm force is fierce, internal energy strong and vigorous, he immediately retreat 1 step and said: "I entered the Scripture-Depository Pavilion to borrow martial art manuals, after making a copy of it i return the original promptly, i don''t dare to cause the slightest bit of damage to the book. The handwritten copy is only for my own self-study, i never impart it to other people. Sire are you a Shaolin disciple? I beg for your magnanimity and not pursue this matter."


    The person laugh and said: "I am not from Shaolin, however i have some grudge with Shaolin, sooner or later i will fight till death with experts from the temple. I also want to borrow martial art manuals from the Scripture-Depository Pavilion, i want to see for myself, the world famous supreme consummate skills of Shaolin, does the temple truly lack any real talent or the skills are truly profound and difficult to train. In the future when we meet in the Scripture-Depository Pavilion again there is no need for worries, each of us will just go his own way." Murong Bo: "Then it cannot be much better. I am Yan LongYuan, today i get to meet a virtuous person, i consider it my great fortune." The person cupped his fists and said: "Brother Yan, no need to be so modest, i will take my leave now!" he extend his legs and dash towards the hill on the right side.


    After trading palm with the person, Murong Bo became even more cautious in his operation, after making 10 more copies of martial art manuals he start to miss his wife and son, thus he return back south to home.


    The next year, Murong Bo went back to Dengfeng, every night he continue to make copies of martial art manuals. 2 months later he met the sturdy man outside the Scripture-Depository Pavilion, the man invite him for a duel again, his speech did not bore any evil intention. Both of them are fighting for the 2nd time, after trading 100 moves, Murong Bo jump backwards, he bow and said: "Many thanks for your guidance, i am not your match!" the sturdy man said: "Brother Yan, no need to be so modest. You refuse to be complacent, you are a good man, i admire you very much. We will meet again next year!"


    This appointment is to test Murong Bo''s martial arts. Thus, Murong Bo return to Suzhou to train. Autumn pass and winter arrive, Murong Bo bid farewell to his wife and return to being a merchant at Dengfeng, every night he infiltrate Scripture-Depository Pavilion to make copies of martial art manuals, several months later he made 30 copies. On a particular night he entered the Scripture-Depository Pavilion, he look at the bookshelves, excluding the martial art manuals he copied, the bookshelves are all filled with <>, <>, <>, <>, <>, etc, various scriptures and sutras, there are no manuals for training internal energy. He gave a sigh, he made around 50-60 copies of Shaolin''s supreme consummate skills, every set of skill require at least several years of diligent practice, the martial art manuals he owned now, he can never master all of them in his lifetime, there is no need for him to copy anymore martial art manuals and risk being found out by Shaolin''s experts. He left the Scripture-Depository Pavilion and gaze at the full moon, suddenly his thoughts lighten, akin to removing a huge rock, he felt his spirit become clear and refreshing.


    Suddenly a figure came at him from the right side and said: "Brother Yan, let us trade palm again!" it is the tall and sturdy man. Both of them rush to the open field between a valley, the sturdy man did not give any warning and attack his face directly, Murong Bo wave his palm to parry, both of them traded palm and fist moves, they did not make the slightest bit of sound. The palm technique of the sturdy man had multiple variations, Murong Bo displayed his Shaolin''s supreme consummate skills one by one, [Prajna Palm], [Formless Plundering Finger], [Blossom Grasping Finger], even skills that require weapon such as the [Demon Subduing Staff], [Nine Heaven Nine Earth Shovel], Murong Bo also transform them into fist and palm techniques. Both of them are fighting near each other, after the time taken to eat a meal they traded over 300 moves. When the duel reach a critical stage, Murong Bo suddenly jump backwards, he cupped his fists and said: "Many thanks for your guidance, sir is lenient towards me, i really benefit a lot from you."


    The sturdy man said: "Brother Yan, your martial art is exquisite, we are equally matched. Brother Yan, since you came here to steal martial art manuals from Shaolin then you must not be on good terms with Shaolin, i have deep hatred towards Shaolin, we can be considered kindred spirits as we share the same enemy." Murong Bo have yet to reply, the sturdy man turn around and ran to a distant place.


    Suddenly Murong Bo heard a meek voice behind him: "Shizu, junior monk greets you!" Murong Bo turn around, he saw a youthful monk wearing yellow-robe standing 5 chi away, the monk is smiling, his pair of hands press together in respect. Murong Bo cupped his fists to return the courtesy and said: "Great master calls out to me, how may i help you?" the monk said: "Junior monk is a tantric Buddhist monk from Tubo, just now i witness shizu trading palm with someone, your martial arts exquisite to the extreme, junior monk admire you very much, thus i step forward boldly to chat." Murong Bo said: "Great master came from a distant place, the journey must be difficult, please come to my humble home to have some tea so that i may ask you for guidance." at once both of them revealed their names. Jiumozhi witness Murong Bo''s fist and palm techniques, he admire it very much, thus he followed Murong Bo cheerfully.


    They discussed martial arts, Jiumozhi intend to learn techniques from Murong Bo, however since he have no relationship with him the other party will surely reject if he rashly seek to learn consummate skills, the only way is to "toss a peach and get back a plum", both side benefit, he said: "Mr Murong, junior monk came from Tubo''s Tantric Nyingma School, we had violent struggles with heretic sects in Tubo, i learn this [Blazing Sabre Skill] from my master. [Blazing Sabre Skill] condenses internal energy at the palm, the energy is then delivered out, its power extremely formidable. Today we had a congenial meeting, i don''t dare to boast my ability but merely to seek guidance on martial art skills, Mr Murong please don''t take offence." when he finish speaking he lifted his palm and gathered internal energy, there is a soft ''Chi'' sound, a narrow slit appeared on the window paper, the sound of wind can be heard blowing in from the slit.


    Murong Bo said: "Great master possess remarkable skill, i admire you very much!" Jiumozhi said: "Junior monk is only at the initial stage of learning [Blazing Sabre Skill], in the future i will surely achieve great success. Today i have a chance encounter with Mr Murong, fate brought us together. Buddhist pay particular attention to fate and predestined affinity, great power will naturally present itself at the appropriate time. Junior monk is brazen, i wish to impart this [Blazing Sabre Skill] to Mr Murong, i wonder if Mr Murong thinks junior monk is too bold?" Murong Bo pondered: "I am a complete stranger to him, unexpectedly he willing impart martial art on his own accord, there must be some deep meaning, i wonder what is his true intention?"


    Murong Bo hurriedly stood up and bow. Jiumozhi press his palms together to return the courtesy, he said: "We are not master and disciple, merely mutual interaction between friends, exchanging skills with each other. Mister you cannot be overly courteous." at once he narrate the training secrets of [Blazing Sabre Skill], he request Murong Bo to only commit it to memory, he cannot record it in writing, the reason behind is when Tantric Buddhist pass down doctrines or skills, they only pass it down by ear, they differ from other Buddhist where they recite scriptures and writings.


    Murong Bo commit it to memory attentively, unknowingly the sky already turn bright. Murong Bo said: "Great master, this [Blazing Sabre Skill] is truly an incomparably wonderful skill, base on my knowledge, maybe only Dali''s [Yiyang Finger] can rival it. However it is known than [Yiyang Finger] is slow in gathering internal energy, it cannot be compared with [Blazing Sabre Skill] which can be executed at will." Jiumozhi said: "This is probably due to different levels of internal energy in the practitioner." Murong Bo said: "Precisely. It is rumoured that Dali''s Duan family possess the consummate skill [Six Meridian Divine Swords], they can fire off six streams of internal energy from the finger, when use in combination the power is even more magical, to obtain such technique is truly difficult." Jiumozhi said: "The top experts from Dali''s Duan family, all of them are gathered at TianLong Monastery, to gain << Six Meridian Divine Swords Manual>>, you must visit TianLong Monastery. Eminent monks from TianLong Monastery and i are all Buddhist disciples, i can try to ask for the manual. If by fluke i manage to obtain it i will naturally share it with Mister."


    Murong Bo pondered: " << Six Meridian Divine Swords Manual>> is a rare treasure, yet he is willing to share it with me? Firstly it is just a brief remark from him, he will surely not take the trouble to beg for it, secondly for martial art practitioners, they suffer untold hardships to obtain divine skills, i have no relationship with him, yet he is willing to present it to me so easily? Just now he mention about " exchanging skills with each other", most likely that is the essential point." he said: "There is a common saying: There is no reward for the undeserving. Great master impart [Blazing Sabre Skill] to me, i cannot thank you enough, i infiltrate Shaolin''s Scripture-Depository Pavilion and copied the training methods to the 72 supreme consummate skills, currently i have around 30 handwritten copies with me. I will make a duplicate copy and present it to Great master. The other 50 copies are at Suzhou, in the next few days i will return home and make a duplicate copy of them as well. I will wait for Great master to acquire << Six Meridian Divine Swords Manual>>, i invite Great master to Suzhou Basin of Swallow''s Canhe Manor to exchange << Six Meridian Divine Swords Manual>> for 50 copies of Shaolin supreme consummate skill, Great master are you agreeable?"


    Jiumozhi is extremely happy, both of them clap each other''s hands 3 times to seal the agreement, each of them have to put in great effort to fulfil their promise so that they may exchange the martial art manuals in the future. Jiumozhi state clearly: Eminent monks from TianLong Monastery possess deep and profound martial arts, he is at the initial stage of training [Blazing Sabre Skill], he cannot proceed and demand for the << Six Meridian Divine Swords Manual>> right away, he have to first dedicate himself to further training, once he achieve great success in his training he will naturally carry out the promise he made today. Murong Bo took out the 30 handwritten copies, at once he begin to make a duplicate copy along with Jiumozhi, several days later the task was done and he presented it to Jiumozhi. Jiumozhi expressed his thanks repeatedly, he return to Tubo to study Shaolin''s supreme consummate skill, he knew his mastery of [Blazing Sabre Skill] is shallow, thus he put in painstaking effort and practiced diligently.


    Years flew by quickly, for the past few years, Murong Bo, Murong Fu, both father and son studied their martial art records intensively, their martial art skill progress over time. One day, Murong Fu went to the rear hall to report, Shaolin''s XuanBei is seeking an audience. Murong Fu act according to his father''s instruction, he went out and report to XuanBei and said that his father is not at home, he did not give any hints or sign as to his whereabouts. Murong Bo hid in the basement for several days, when XuanBei left for a distant place he had a secret discussion with his wife, he will feign death to prevent further trouble. When Murong Bo left the house for several months, his wife told their son and henchmen, the old master had passed away, they will make preparation for funeral arrangements, prepare coffin, send out obituary, display spirit tablet, hold a memorial service, burial.


    After hiding for several years, Murong Bo made a move quietly, he became Yan LongYuan and made appearances at Lianghuai region, he claims to be a subordinate of "Gusu Murong", he issued Yan banner and warrant, relying on his superior martial arts he won over heroes of Jianghu and expanded his influence, however he never reveal any news of his appearance. Murong Fu gradually grew older, his appearance handsome and refined, he became an accomplished martial artist and made a name for himself in Jianghu, "Southern Murong" along with "Northern QiaoFeng", the top 2 experts of Central Plains martial arts fraternity.


    Several years flew by again, Murong Bo receive news of Master XuanBei visit of Dali, thus he follow secretly, he made a sneak attack at ShenJie Temple in Liangzhou. Master XuanBei was caught off guard, he relied on Shaolin''s supreme consummate skill [Great Skanda Pestle] to repel the enemy. Murong Bo use his family own martial arts, unexpectedly XuanBei''s martial art is deep and profound, his [Great Skanda Pestle] strangely formidable, its power far beyond Murong Bo''s expectation, he underestimate the enemy and was unable to hold him off, thus he had no alternative but to display his [Star Shifting Movement], he redirected the power of [Great Skanda Pestle] back at XuanBei, XuaBei was hit by his own move and met a violent death.


    Sometime later, Jiumozhi went to Dali''s TianLong Monastery and captured Duan Yu, he arrive at the residence of Murong''s maid servant AhBi, he declare he will burn this living << Six Meridian Divine Swords Manual>> in front of Murong Bo''s tomb in return for the promised martial art manuals. AhZhu and AhBi report the matter to Madam Murong, they received orders to go through the motions and entertain Jiumozhi and to escape with Duan Yu. Unexpectedly the past history of Beggar Clan Chief Qiao Feng was exposed, Murong Bo knew the grudge 10 years ago will surely be uncovered again, he was extremely worried, his wife and son must not involve themselves in this matter or they will invite disaster. Unfortunately Murong Fu end up fighting with Xiao Feng at the meeting in Shaolin Tempe.


    Murong Fu was saved by the grey-robed monk, he was ashamed yet grateful, however he thought his father had died, he was not aware that this grey-robed monk is his own father, he pondered: "This senior monk is an acquaintance of my forefather, i wonder if it is my grandfather or my father? In the future with regards to the restoration of Great Yan i definitely have to consult this senior monk and ask for direction, i cannot waste this opportunity to know him." he retreat to the side, he don''t dare to disturb him, he will wait for the grey-robed monk to stand up before asking for advice.


    Wang YuYan recounted that Murong Fu almost commit suicide moments ago, she is still extremely frightened, she held onto his sleeves, her tears overflowing. Murong Fu was annoyed, however ultimately it is out of her good intention, it is not appropriate for him to brush her aside.


    The grey-robed monk and black-robed man appeared in succession, while they sat down to meditate under the tree, Xu Zhu and Ding ChunQiu are still engaged in the fierce battle. Currently the crowd turn their attention to these two men.


    Chrysanthemum Sword suddenly recalled something, she walk towards the 18 Khitan warriors and said: "My owner is fighting, he have to drink some wine to increase his strength." a Khitan warrior said: "We have a lot of wine here, Miss please make use of it." he lifted two big leather bags. Chrysanthemum Sword smile and said: "Many thanks! My owner does not have high capacity for liquor, one bag is sufficient." she took 1 bag of alcohol and pull out the wood stopper, she walk slowly towards Xu Zhu and Ding ChunQiu and shouted out: "Owner, you need wine to plant the life-death talisman on Old Freak of XingXiu!" she exerted strength and revolve the bag horizontally, the alcohol in the bag became a stream of wine arrows and shoot towards Xu Zhu. Plum, Orchid and Bamboo Sword clap their hands and shouted: "Sister Chrysanthemum, wonderful!"


    Suddenly they heard a sweet delicate female voice singing: "Fragrant and fresh coloured dew, cloud and rain in vain at Mount Wushan. I am Yang Guifei, good wine good wine, slaves intoxicated by the side of Agarwood Pavilion!"


    Xu Zhu fought Ding ChunQiu for a long time, he have no idea how to subdue him, as he heard his subordinate from Vulture Palace shout out ''life-death talisman'', the wine arrow from Chrysanthemum Sword arrive, at once he lifted his hand and grab, he caught a handful, suddenly he saw 8 people appearing from the mountain, they are ''Zither Craze'' Kang GuangLing, ''Chess Devil'' Fan BaiLing, ''Bookworm'' Gou Du, ''Painting Fanatic'' Wu LingJun, ''Divine Physician'' Xue Muhua, ''Marvellous Craftsman'' Feng Asan, ''Flower Zealot'' Shi QingFeng, ''Opera Fan'' Li KuiLei, the "Eight Friends of Hangu". The eight of them saw Xu Zhu and Ding ChunQiu exchange fists and kicks freely, fighting to their heart''s content, at once they cheered: "Martial uncle sect leader display his brilliant abilities today, quickly kill Ding ChunQiu, avenge our martial grandfather and master!"


    Currently Chrysanthemum Sword is still shooting wine towards Xu Zhu, her martial art is mediocre, unexpectedly a small portion spray towards Ding ChunQiu. The Old Freak of XingXiu is engaged in a fierce battle with Xu Zhu, they fought for over an hour, however his opponent seems to have inexhaustible wonderful moves, his movement was restricted and he cannot utilize his arsenal of sorcery, unexpectedly a stream of wine arrive, he had a sudden inspiration, he brush his left sleeve, the wine dispersed and became rain of wine and splash towards Xu Zhu. Powerful internal energy is flowing across Xu Zhu''s entire body, tens of thousands wine droplet arrive, none of them hit his clothes as they were deflected by his internal energy, suddenly he heard two ''Ah Ah'' cry, Chrysanthemum Sword turn over and collapsed. When Ding ChunQiu disperse the wine and turn it into droplets, every single drop contains deadly poison. Chrysanthemum Sword is standing nearby, the poison rain landed on her body and she collapsed immediately.


    Duan Yu is standing by the side, he saw Wang YuYan grabbing onto Murong Fu''s sleeve, he felt very dull, he saw Chrysanthemum Sword being hit by the poison rain and collapsing, he knew she is the subordinate of his 2nd brother, thus he rush forward to carry Chrysanthemum Sword and retreat.


    Xu Zhu is extremely concerned about Chrysanthemum Sword, he is frightened and worried but he don''t know how to save her, he heard Xue MuHua shout out: "Martial uncle, the poison is extremely violent, quickly subdue the old thief and force him to provide the antidote for treatment." Xu Zhu shout out: "Correct!" he wave his right palm and attack Ding ChunQiu, he secretly channel his internal energy to his left palm and reverse the flow of his [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness], soon after the wine in his left palm turn into 7-8 pieces of cold ice, ''Sou Sou Sou'' he smack his right palm 3 times.


    Ding ChunQiu felt cold wind assault his body, he was startled: "The hard and yang internal energy of this little bald thief, how come it changed?" he hurriedly gathered strength to ward it off, suddenly he felt a slight cooling sensation on his "QuePen acupoint", akin to being hit by snowflake, immediately after the "Tianshu acupoint" on his underbelly, "FuTu acupoint" on his thigh, "TianQuan acupoint" on his upper arm, he felt cooling sensation on these 3 region. Ding ChunQiu increase his palm force to resist, suddenly his "Tianzhu acupoint" on his nape, "Shendao acupoint" on his back, "Zhishi acupoint" on his lower back, he felt cooling sensation on these 3 region as well, Ding ChunQiu was greatly surprised: "No matter how yin frost his palm strength, it definitely cannot bend around and attack my back, moreover the cooling sensations are all on acupoints, i wonder what kind of strange sorcery that little bald thief is using? I have to be careful." both of his sleeve brush outward, the sleeve concealing his leg, he kick violently at Xu Zhu.


    Unexpectedly when his right leg kicked halfway his "Futu acupoint" and "Zhishi acupoint" became strangely itchy at the same time, he cannot help but cry out "Ayo!". His right toe is already touching Xu Zhu''s monk robe but his two vital acupoints became itchy at the same time, his right leg involuntarily withdraw. After crying out "Ayo", he cry out "Ayo" "Ayo" two more times.


    Ding ChunQiu''s disciples praised loudly: "Divine Elder of XingXiu possess great magical power, he only need to wave his sleeve lightly and little girl will collapse under his might!"


    "With just a single step he can make heaven fall and earth rend, with just a wave he can cover the moon and sun!"


    "Divine Elder of XingXiu sway his sleeves, spreading the truth, all of you heretics, ox, ghost and snake spirits, each and everyone will die a tragic end!"


    Their praise is intermixed with cries of "Ayo" "Ayo", it is really not compatible. Disciples who are more alert and shrewd already shut their mouth in shock, however a huge majority still shout out and praise loudly.


    In an instant Ding ChunQiu felt his, "Quepen", "Tianshu", "Futu", "Tianquan", "Tianzhu", "Shendao", "Zhishi", seven acupoints became extremely itchy and unbearable, it is akin to having thousands and tens of thousands louse gnawing at the same time. The ice made from wine contains Xu Zhu''s internal energy, cold ice enter the body and dissolve immediately, however the internal energy remain inside the acupoints and meridian channels. Ding ChunQiu was confused, he grope his chest repeatedly and consumed 7-8 antidotes immediately, he circulate his internal energy 5-6 times, however the itch in his acupoints became even more serious. If it was other people they would have roll around on the floor long ago, however Ding ChunQiu possess astonishing divine skills, he persistently endure and persevere, he is staggering about, akin to being intoxicated by wine, his face turn red and white repeatedly, his pair of hands waving wildly, his behaviour terrifying. Since the seven life-death talisman was made from strong alcohol they are different from normal ice.


    When the XingXiu disciples saw their master in such sorry state, each and every one of them quieten down, however some still shout out stubbornly: "Divine Elder of XingXiu is using his [Great Golden Immortal Dance Skill], little monk will soon see its ferocious power!"


    "When Divine Elder of XingXiu shout ''Ayo'', a fraction of little monk''s soul is frighten off!"


    However this shouting is merely a stubborn attempt to maintain glamour, the shouting is not loud or clear at all.


    Li KuiLei sing loudly: "Five blossom horse, thousand pound gold, bring them out to exchange for good wine, we will share thousand worries together. Haha, i am Li Bai! Eight immortals drinking wine, number one is Immortal of Poem Li Bai, number two is Divine Elder of XingXiu Ding ChunQiu!" the crowd saw Ding ChunQiu''s drunken state, he really cut a sorry figure, when they heard Li KuiLei''s speech all of them laugh out loudly.


    After some time Ding ChunQiu finally cannot endure it anymore, he tug his beard randomly, strand by strand his beautiful beard fluttered off with the wind, immediately after he rip apart his clothes and reveal his snow white skin. He is already an old man, however his body is still strong like a youngster, he claw himself everywhere and blood start to gush out, he exert strength and tear forcefully and shout repeatedly: "I am dying of itch! I am dying of itch!" after a while his left knee bend down, his shouting became even more wretched.


    Xu Zhu felt some regret: "Although this person deserves to be punished but unexpectedly his suffering is so severe. If i had known earlier i would have planted at most 1 or 2 life-death talisman."


    When the crowd saw this martial art expert with child-like countenance, white-hair, exuding immortal aura, unexpectedly he turn into a demon in an instant, his cry akin to wild beast, they cannot help but be overwhelmed with shock, even Li KuiLei was left speechless. However the grey-robed monk and blank-robed man still meditate quietly under the tree, as if they did not see or hear anything.


    Abbot XuanCi said: "Excellent, excellent! Xu Zhu, remove the suffering for this shizu!" Xu Zhu replied: "Yes! I sincerely comply with abbot''s decree!" XuanJi said suddenly: "Wait! Martial brother abbot, Ding ChunQiu commit countless evil, senior brother XuanNan and XuanTong died by his hands, how can we let him off so lightly?" Kang GuangLing said: "Martial uncle sect leader, you are the leader of our sect, why the need to listen to an outsider? Our martial grandfather and my master, this great hatred, how can you not avenge them?"


    Xu Zhu had no idea how to deal with the situation. Xue MuHua said: "Martial uncle, the priority now is to make him give the antidote." Xu Zhu nod his head and said: "Correct. Lady Plum Sword, give him half a pill to suppress the itch." Plum Sword replied: "Yes!" she withdraw a small green bottle from her bosom and took out a pea-size pill, however seeing Ding ChunQiu''s violent and crazy appearance, she don''t dare to go near.


    Xu Zhu took the pill, he split it in half and said: "Mr Ding, open your mouth, i will feed you this pill to suppress the itch!" Ding ChunQiu open his mouth widely, Xu Zhu flick his finger lightly and deliver the pill into his throat. The pill cannot take effect immediately thus Ding ChunQiu still roll about on the floor, after a while the strange itch finally subside a little and he stood up.


    Ding ChunQiu is still conscious and alert, he knew he cannot rebel or resist anymore, thus he did not wait for Xu Zhu''s instruction and took out an antidote and hand it over to Xue MuHua obediently, he said: "The red coloured is for external application, white coloured is for consumption!" he shout and cry out for quite a long time, thus his voice became hoarse and inaudible. Xue MuHua knew he don''t dare to stir up trouble anymore, thus he act accordingly and apply the antidote on Chrysanthemum Sword.


    Plum Sword said brightly: "Old Freak of XingXiu, this half pill can stop the itch for 3 days. After 3 days the strange itch will flare up again, at that time whether our owner will bestow this miracle medicine will depend on how obedient you are." Ding ChunQiu was trembling from head to toe, he remain silent.


    At once several hundred XingXiu disciples rush forward and kneel down in front of Xu Zhu, they request earnestly: "Owner of Vulture Palace is a hero without equal, we humbly submit to you, our devotion unswerving, we will put in utmost effort for owner."


    "This gathering of martial artists, owner will surely become the leader. Owner only need to give the order, we will risk our lives and limbs to go through water and tread on fire!"


    In an attempt to make themselves more devoted, many pointed at Ding ChunQiu and curse endlessly, he is a "candle light who dares to fight with the moon and sun", he is "concealing wicked intentions, utterly sinister". Some beseech Xu Zhu to execute Ding ChunQiu swiftly to rid the world of an evil person. Gongs and drums rang out, the crowd of disciples begin to sing: "Owner of Vulture Palace, virtue fitting heaven and earth, power shaking the entire world by force, he is without equal from then and now." other than changing "Divine Elder of XingXiu" to "Owner of Vulture Palace", the melody and lyrics are exactly the same as those used to praise Ding ChunQiu previously.


    Although Xu Zhu is simple and unsophisticated, he cannot help but feel somewhat smug and elated when hearing the praise.


    Orchid Sword said loudly: "You despicable vermin, those mushy tune used to praise Old Freak of XingXiu, shameless speech, how dare you use it to praise our owner? Extremely rude!" the XingXiu disciples immediately became terrified, some said: "Yes, yes! Lowly person will come up with a completely new version, guarantee to satisfy fairy sister." some sing out loudly: "Four fairy sisters, beautify and elegant, their beauty surpass Xi Shi, transcend imperial consort." after they kowtow to Xu Zhu, the XingXiu disciples voluntarily stood behind the Island-masters and Cave-masters, each of them extremely proud and smug, they disregard the crowd of heroes, Beggar Clan members and Shaolin monks.


    XuanCi said: "Xu Zhu, you set up your own school, from now on your conduct have to be chivalrous and righteous, restrain and educate your disciples, don''t let them break the law or commit crimes, bringing disaster and harm to people. Remember to accumulate virtue, do more good deeds, whether you become a monk or not, it is still the same." Xu Zhu choked with emotions and said: "Yes. Xu Zhu sincerely comply with abbot''s instruction." XuanCi said: "I cannot abolish your expulsion, however you are exempted from the punishment of rods."


    Suddenly someone laugh loudly and said: "I thought Shaolin valued monastic discipline, enforce the law strictly, but it seems they also curry favour with those in power. Hei hei, owner of Vulture Palace, virtue fitting heaven and earth, power shaking the entire world by force, he is without equal from then and now." the crowd turn towards the person, it is the Grand Tutor of Tubo Jiumozhi.


    XuanCi change countenance and said: "Grand Tutor is righteous in your reproach, old monk admits his mistake. Martial brother XuanJi, arrange for the punishment rod." XuanJi said: "Yes!" he turn around and said: "Serve the punishment rod!" he turn to Xu Zhu and said: "Xu Zhu, presently you are still a Shaolin disciple, lie down and receive the rod." Xu Zhu bow and said: "Yes!" he kneel down and salute XuanCi and XuanJi and said: "Disciple Xu Zhu violated temple regulations, i respectfully accept abbot and head-monk of Discipline Courtyard''s rod punishment."


    XingXiu disciples suddenly made a huge din: "You Shaolin monks, how dare you touch old senior''s precious body?"


    "If you touch a single strand of hair on old senior, we will fight till death with you. We will sacrifice our lives to protect old senior, die a glorious death."


    "We are loyal and devoted, our flesh and blood is dedicated to protecting our owner!"


    Grandma Yu said loudly: "The phrase ''our owner'', how dare you demons and ghosts use it? Quickly shut your dog mouth!" when the XingXiu disciples heard her shout they became silent immediately, they don''t even dare to breathe loudly.


    The enforcement monks from Disciple Courtyard heard XuanJi shout: "Use the rod!" at once a monk remove Xu Zhu''s robe, revealing the skin on his back, the other monk lifted the "Abiding Disciple Rod". Xu Zhu pondered: "I am receiving punishment from the rod because i did not abide by monastic disciple, for every rod i receive my sin will reduce by a fraction. If i use internal energy to resist, my body won''t experience any pain, then this rod will be wasted."


    Suddenly a sharp female voice shouted out: "Wait, wait! You....what is that on your back?"


    The crowd look at Xu Zhu''s back, they saw 9 incense scar burnt neatly on his waist. Currently, the custom of burning incense on one''s head when taking the monk oath have yet to become popular. China''s Buddhism is subdivided into 8 school and 11 faction, there are also small group and minor sect, each of their custom and practice different from each other, quite a number of them advocate ascetic practice, disciples have to burn incense on their head or burn their fingers to show their determination to follow Buddha. Shaolin does not require disciples to burn incense on their head, however they also never forbid disciples from doing so. The incense scar on Xu Zhu''s back is as large as copper coin, evidently they were burnt during infancy, as his body grew up the scars also enlarged, currently the scar is not entirely circular in shape.


    A middle-age woman suddenly rush out from the crowd, she is wearing cyan gown, 3 blood scars on her left and right cheek, its precisely one of the "Four Great Evils", "No Evil Left Undone" Ye ErNiang. She pounce forward, her pair of hands pushing away the two enforcement monks, she grab Xu Zhu''s trousers, wanting to pull it off.


    Xu Zhu stood up from shock, he float several chi backward and said: "You....what you doing?" Ye ErNiang is trembling from head to toe, she shout out: "My.....my son!" she spread both arms to embrace Xu Zhu. Xu Zhu dodge her advance and Ye ErNiang hug empty air. Everyone pondered: "This woman is mad?" Ye ErNiang try to hug Xu Zhu several times, however Xu Zhu dodge all her attempts skilfully.


    Ye ErNiang act wildly and shout out: "My son, why don''t you recognize your mother?" Xu Zhu shiver with fear, akin to an electric shock, his voice trembled: "You....you are my mother?" Ye ErNiang said: "My son, after giving birth to you, i burnt 9 incense scar on your waist and both side of your buttocks. You have 9 incense scar on both side of your buttocks correct?"


    Xu Zhu had a huge shock, indeed there are 9 incense scar on both side of his buttocks. It is there since childhood, he never inquire its origin, he is too shy to discuss it with others, sometimes when he see it while bathing he assume he is fated to follow Buddha, he is born with it naturally, thus his resolute devotion to Buddhist doctrine. When he heard Ye ErNiang''s speech, it is akin to hearing thunderbolt from midair, his voice trembled: "Yes, yes! There are 9 incense scar on both side of my buttocks, you.....mother....did you burn it on me?"


    Ye ErNiang burst into tears and cry out: "Yes, yes! How will i know if i did not burn it on you? I....i finally found my son, my biological son!" while crying she stretch her hands to stroke Xu Zhu''s cheek.


    Xu Zhu did not dodge, he allow her to embrace him. He have no father or mother, he thought he was an orphan adopted by Shaolin, the incense scar on his buttocks, only his most intimate companion at Shaolin is aware of it, unexpectedly Ye ErNiang is also aware of it, how can it be fake? For the first time in his life he finally get to experience warm motherly love, his tears overflowing, he cried: "Mother...mother, you are my mother!"


    The whole affair turn out too abruptly, everyone felt greatly surprised, however seeing both of them hugging and sobbing together, their grief yet happiness, one of them showing deep affection towards her child, the other admire earnestly, quite a number of people felt deep sorrow.


    Ye ErNiang said: "My child, you are 24 years old, for the past 24 years i think about you day and night, i was so angry that other people have a son, but my own son was stolen by some wretched thief. I....i stole other people''s son to carry them. But....other people''s son, how can they be better than my own son?"


    Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea burst into loud laughter and said: "3rd sister! You always steal other people''s healthy and adorable child for your amusement, when you had enough fun you randomly deliver it to some other family, make it difficult for the parents to find their child, as it turns out your own son was stolen by someone else. Whenever Yue LaoEr ask you the reason you refuse to answer. Very good, fantastic! Little chap Xu Zhu, your mother is my sworn-sister, quickly come here and call me 2nd uncle Yue!" his generation ranking is higher than this owner of Vulture Palace who possess superior martial arts, his joy is no laughing matter when he thought of it. Yun ZhongHe shake his head and said: "Wrong, wrong! Xu ZhuZi is the elder brother of your master, you have to call him martial uncle. I am the sworn-brother of his mother, i am two generation higher than you, quickly call me martial granduncle!" Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea was stumped for words, he spit and cursed: "Damn your grandma, old man refuse to call!"


    Ye ErNiang release Xu Zhu''s neck, she held onto his shoulder, looking left and right, her joy boundless, she turn her head towards XuanJi and said: "He is my son, i cannot permit you to hit him!" immediately after she said to Xu Zhu: "Which wretched swindler stole my son and cause us mother and son to separate for 24 years? Child, child, even if we have to travel till the ends of earth, we have to find this wretched swindler, hack him into thousand pieces, turn him into mincemeat, your mother cannot beat him, but my child possess outstanding martial arts, he can avenge his mother."


    All of a sudden, the black-robed man who has been sitting motionless under the tree stood up, he said unhurriedly: "Your son, he was stolen or snatch away by someone? The six blood scars on your face, where did they come from?"


    Ye ErNiang''s expression turn grave, she shriek: "You....who are you? You...how did you know?" the black-robed man said: "Don''t tell me you cannot recognize me?" Ye ErNiang shriek even louder: "Ah! It is you, it is you!" she pounce forward and rush to a spot ten feet away, suddenly she stood still, her fingers flexing, gnashing her teeth with rage, her anger has reach the extreme but she don''t dare to move closer.


    The black-robed man said: "Correct, i snatch your son, the 6 blood scar on your face, i scratch them." Ye ErNiang shouted: "Why? Why did you snatch my son? I am a total stranger to you, i have no hatred or enmity with you. You....you....you really make me suffer. For the past 24 years, i suffer endless torment day and night, for what purpose? Why.....why?"


    The black-robed man pointed at Xu Zhu and said: "Who is the child''s father?" Ye ErNiang''s entire body is shaking, she said: "He....he....i cannot say." Xu Zhu is extremely agitated, he rush beside Ye ErNiang and said: "Mother, tell me, who is my father?" Ye ErNiang shake her head repeatedly and said: "I cannot say."


    The black-robed man said slowly: "Ye ErNiang, originally you are a proper lady, gentle and beautiful, virtuous, dignified and chaste. But when you were 18 years old, you was seduced by a reputable martial art expert, you lost your chastity to him and gave birth to this child, correct?" Ye ErNiang remain motionless, after a long time she finally nod her head and said: "Yes. But he did not seduce me, i am the one who seduce him." the black-robed man said: "This man only care about his own reputation and future, he did not care about the plight of a young unwed mother of a child, how miserable her fate." Ye ErNiang said: "No! He cared, he gave me a lot of gold and silver, he arrange and plan for my livelihood for the rest of my life." the black-robed man said: "Then why did he let you drift around Jianghu in solitude?"


    Ye ErNiang said: "I cannot marry him. How can he take me as his wife? He is a good person, he have always treated me well. I do not wish to implicate him. He....he is a good person." from her speech, evidently she is still full of longing for this lover who abandoned her, the love and affection from olden days, they are not affected by her misery, they did not fade away with time at all.


    Everyone pondered: "Ye ErNiang is a well known evil doer, however she is still deeply devoted to her lover. Who is this man?"


    Duan Yu, Ruan XingZhu, Hua HeGen, Fan Hua, Ba TianShi, when they heard her mention her lascivious sin from past, they cannot help but glance furtively at Duan ZhengChun, evidently they thought the identity of Ye ErNiang''s lover, his temperament, his behaviour, his age, all of them similar to him. Someone recalled: "Previously the ''Four Great Evils'' visit Dali, most likely they are searching for Prince ZhenNan to settle this debt." Even Duan ZhengChun himself was suspicious: "I met quite a number of ladies, don''t tell me she is included as well? How come i don''t recall at all? If i implicated her, even if i lose all my reputation in front of the heroes, i definitely cannot treat her unfairly. But....but....how come i cannot remember anything at all?"


    The black-robed man said brightly: "The child''s father is right here, why don''t you point him out?" Ye ErNiang was startled, she said: "No, no! I cannot say." the black-robed man said: "Why did you burn a total of 27 incense scar on your child''s waist and buttocks?" Ye ErNiang covered her face and said: "I don''t know, i don''t know! I beg you, don''t ask me anymore."


    The black-robed man''s voice is still dull and flat, it seems as if he is unconcerned, he continued: "When your child was born, you want him to be a monk?" Ye ErNiang said: "No, no." the black-robed man said: "Why, then why did you burn these incense scar on him?" Ye ErNiang said: "I don''t know, i don''t know!" the black-robed man said brightly: "You refuse to say, but i know. Because this child''s father is a Buddhist disciple, he is a reputable eminent monk."


    Ye ErNiang groan out, she can''t support herself anymore and fainted.


    At once everyone made a huge clamour, base on Ye ErNiang''s reaction, it seems the black-robed man is correct, as it turns out her secret lover is a Buddhist monk, moreover he is a reputable eminent monk. Everyone whisper to one another, discussing the identity of the monk.


    Xu Zhu help Ye ErNiang up and said: "Mother, mother, wake up!" after a long time, Ye ErNiang woke up and said softly: "Child, quickly help me down the mountain. This....this man is a devil, he....he knows everything. I don''t want to see him. This hatred....there is no need to avenge anymore." Xu Zhu said: "Yes, mother, let us go now."


    The black-robed man said: "Wait, i have yet to finish. You don''t want revenge, but i want revenge. Ye ErNiang, why did i snatch your child, you know the reason? Because....because someone snatch away my child, my family ruined, husband and wife, father and son, we cannot reunite. I did it for revenge."


    Ye ErNiang said: "Someone snatch your child? You did it for revenge?"


    The black-robed man said: "Correct, i snatch your child and put him inside Shaolin''s vegetable garden, let Shaolin monks raise him up, teach him martial arts. My own child, someone snatch him away, he was adopted and a Shaolin monk teach him martial arts. You want to see my true identity?" he did not wait for Ye ErNiang to reply and took off his face curtain.


    The crowd cry out in alarm, his face is squarish with big ears, beard overgrown, his appearance extremely formidable, he is around 60 years of age.


    Xiao Feng was pleasantly surprised, he rush forward and kneel down, his voice trembling: "You...you are my father....."


    The person laugh heartily and said: "Good child, good child, i am your father. We father and son have the same figure and appearance, anyone can tell straight away that i am your father." he stretch out his hands and pull open his front jacket, revealing a tattooed wolf''s head, he raise his left hand and help Xiao Feng to stand up.


    Xiao Feng pull open his front jacket as well, revealing a green tattooed wolf''s head, mouth wide open and bearing its fang. Both of them walk shoulder to shoulder, suddenly they look up to the sky simultaneously and whistled, the sound is like violent gale and anger cry, it transmit to a distant place, even the mountain valley echoed, when the crowd of heroes heard it they cannot help but shiver with fright. The ''Eighteen riders from YanYun'' pull out their blade and cry out with them together, although there are only 20 people but they exude might and power, as if they are a magnificent army of thousands men and horses.


    Xiao Feng retrieve a tarpaulin package from his bosom and open it, revealing a patched white cloth, he spread it out, it is an imprint of the writings on the stone wall given to him by monk ZhiGuang, the characters written on it are all Khitan text.


    The bearded old man pointed at the last few words, he smile and said: "The final words of Xiao YuanShan, the final words of Xiao YuanShan! Haha, child, that day in my grieving state i jump off the cliff to commit suicide, who would have expect, my life did not come to an end, i fell onto a branch of a large tree, unexpectedly i survived. My desire to die already dissipate, a new desire for revenge arose. That day at YanMen Pass, the heroes from Central Plains did not bother to inquire the truth, they killed your mother who did not know any martial arts. Child, tell me, should we avenge this hatred!"


    Xiao Feng said: "I cannot live under the same sky with the enemies of my parents!"


    Xiao YuanShan said: "Those who killed your mother, more than half of them were killed by me at the scene. The former Chief of Beggar Clan Wang JianTong contracted an illness and died, he got off lightly. But the leading ''Big culprit'', he is still healthy and alive till now. Child, tell me, what should we do?"


    Xiao Feng said unhurriedly: "This person was deceived by a rumour, it was not his original intention. He already confess and repent. Moreover, father you are alive and well today, child is extremely hearten, let us just write off this hatred with one stroke."


    Xiao YuanShan gave a long sigh and shouted: "How can i write it off with one stroke!" his gaze electrifying, one by one he scan the face of the crowd of heroes.


    When the crowd of heroes lock gaze with him they felt as if they are in danger, although they have absolutely no relations with the matter at YanMen Pass, but seeing Xiao YuanShan''s expression, nobody dare to move or even give out the slightest bit of sound for fear of inviting trouble.


    Xiao YuanShan said: "Child, that day your mother and i carried you to visit your maternal grandmother, unexpectedly when we reach YanMen Pass, 10 martial art experts suddenly jump out and killed our entourage. Great Song haven deep hatred towards Khitan, it is not strange for them to kill each other, however these warriors have been waiting in ambush, obviously it was premeditated. Child, do you know the underlying reason?"


    Xiao Feng said: "They obtained news and mistakenly believe that a Khitan warrior is coming to Shaolin to seize martial art manuals, after that he will return to Liao nation and prepare to invade Great Song, thus they carried out the ambush and killed my mother."


    Xiao YuanShan laugh bitterly and said: "Hei hei, hei hei! I did not have any intention to seize martial art manuals from Shaolin, they accuse me wrongly. Fine, fine! Xiao YuanShan will carry it through since it started, since they accuse me, i will simply do it for them to see. For the past 30 years, Xiao YuanShan has been hiding in Shaolin, i look through all their martial art manuals till hearts content. Senior monks from Shaolin, if you are capable you can come here and kill Xiao YuanShan, if not the martial arts of Shaolin will surely spread across Great Liao. It will be too late if you try to attempt another ambush at YanMen Pass."


    When the crowd of Shaolin monks heard it, they were overwhelmed with shock, mostly like his speech is not false, if the martial arts of Shaolin spread into Liao nation it would be like a tiger that has grown wings, what should they do? Along with the rest of the crowd of heroes, they pondered: "No matter what we definitely cannot let this man leave the mountain alive!"


    Xiao Feng said: "Father, at that time the leading big brother killed my mother, it is due to misunderstanding, although he was impulsive but he did not deliberately commit evil. However there is another evil person, he killed my foster parents the Qiao couple, my reputation became tainted, father do you know who is the person?"


    Xiao YuanShan laugh and said: "Child, i killed the Qiao couple!"


    Xiao Feng had a huge shock, his voice trembled: "Father, you killed them? Why.....why?"


    Xiao YuanShan said: "You are my biological child, husband, wife and son, the whole family united together, can you imagine the happiness? But these southern warriors treat us Khitans as lower than pigs and dogs, they kill us for no reason, they stole my son and gave him to someone else, become other people''s son. The Qiao couple pretend to be your parents, since they take away my family bliss and they never told you the truth, then they deserve to die."


    Xiao Feng heart turn sour, he said: "My foster parents treat me extremely well, both of them are very good people. That being the case, the one who set fire on Dan household, murdered grandma Tan, Zhao QianSun, etc, it was......"


    Xiao YuanShan said: "Correct! I did it. Although master ZhiGuang died, but i still strike his ''Taiyang acupoint'' to vent my anger. These people knew the leading big brother who killed your mother, but they refuse to say, each and every one of them shielded him, don''t tell me they don''t deserve to die?"


    Xiao Feng was speechless, he pondered: "The ''Great evil person'' i have been tracking down all along, it turns out to be my father, this...what should i say?" he said slowly: "Shaolin Master XuanKu instructed me in martial arts, 10 years of effort, my achievements today is entirely due to revered teacher''s training....." he lowered his head, his eyes tearful.


    Xiao YuanShan said: "These southern martial artists are devious and treacherous, how can they be good? I killed XuanKu with a single palm."


    The crowd of Shaolin monks chanted in unison: "Buddha is merciful, Buddha is merciful!" their voice full of grief ad indignation, although they have yet to step forward to challenge Xiao YuanShan, but their chanting already contain deep sorrow and anguish, it already embodied their determination, they will not let the matter rest.


    Xiao YuanShan continued: "Among the people who killed my beloved wife and snatch away my only son, there is the Chief of Beggar Clan, there are also experts from Shaolin, hei hei, they only hope to cover this bloody sin forever, turn my son into a Han Chinese, make my son take the enemy as master, succeed the enemy and become the Chief of Beggar Clan. Hei hei, child, after i land a palm on XuanKu, i hide myself nearby, soon after i saw you paying respect to that bald thief. XuanKu saw the resemblance in us father and son, he assume it was you who hit him, even that young Buddhist monk cannot differentiate between us father and son. Child, we Khitan endured injustice and their bullying, do you think it is enough?"


    Xiao Feng finally understood, why at that time when Master XuanKu saw him, unexpectedly he was so startled, why that young Buddhist monk adamantly accuse him of killing XuanKu. Who would have expect the true killer to be someone who bear strong resemblance with him, linked closely by flesh and blood?


    Xiao Feng said: "Since father killed these people, then there is no difference from me killing them, it seems i did not bear this bad reputation in vain."


    Xiao YuanShan said: "The chief evil who lead the ambush at YanMen Pass, the one who destroyed my family, i have investigated everything clearly. If i kill him with a single palm, won''t he get off too lightly? Ye ErNiang, wait!"


    He saw Ye ErNiang holding onto Xu Zhu, step by step they are walking further away, at once he shouted out to stop her: "Who help to deliver your child, if you refuse to say then i will say it. I hide beside Shaolin for so many years, i enter the temple every night, which matter can escape my eyes? Both of you meet at Ziyun Cave, he ask grandma Qiao to deliver your child, various kind of affairs, i need to narrate everything in full details?"


    Ye ErNiang turn around, she rush several steps towards Xiao YuanShan, knelt down and said: "Old hero Xiao, you are humane and righteousness, please be magnanimous, spare me, spare him. My child and your son are sworn brothers, he....he...he have great reputation in the martial arts fraternity, his status and position....he is so old already, if you want to kill then please kill me only, don''t.....please don''t trouble him."


    Previously the crowd heard Xiao YuanShan mentioned Xu Zhu''s father is a ''reputable eminent monk'', now Ye ErNiang said his reputation is great, his status and position extremely high, putting the descriptions together, could it be this person is an eminent monk from Shaolin? Everyone cannot help but gaze towards the white-haired old monks from Shaolin.


    Suddenly abbot XuanCi said: "Excellent, excellent! Since there is a cause, then there must be a resolution. Xu Zhu, come over here!" Xu Zhu walk towards abbot XuanCi and kneel down. XuanCi scrutinize him for a long time, he stretch out his hands to caress Xu Zhu''s head gently, his face tender and loving, he said: "You have been in the temple for 24 years, unexpectedly i did not know you are my son!"


    When he finish speaking the crowd of monks and heroes made a huge clamour. Everyone had looks of being flabbergasted, appalled, disgust, anger, fear, pity, all sorts of expression, it is really hard to describe. Abbot XuanCi is a person of high moral standings and reputation, everyone admire and respect him very much, who would have imagine him to commit such act? The disturbance went on for half of the day before coming to a rest.


    XuanCi said unhurriedly, his voice still serene and calm like normal: "Senior Xiao shizhu, you were separated from your son for 30 years, you cannot meet him, however you knew his martial art is excellent, his reputation soaring, he is a first class hero, in your heart you must certainly be comforted. I get to see my son every day, however i thought he was taken away by some ruffian, his life and death unknown, i worry day and night."


    Ye ErNiang cried: "If....if you didn''t say it, won''t....won''t it be better? What to do now?" XuanCi said tenderly: "ErNiang, i already commit the evil deed, it is too late to go back, it is useless to cover up the truth. All these years, you have suffer much!" Ye ErNiang weep: "No! You suffer in silence, unable to voice it out, that is true suffering."


    XuanCi shake his head slowly, he said: "Senior Xiao shizhu, the battle at YanMen Pass, old monk made a huge mistake. My brothers forgave me for this matter but one by one they lost their lives. Previously old monk tie my hands and voluntary seek death, i intend to let your esteemed son kill me to avenge his mother, however your esteemed son is benevolent, he refuse to kill old monk and let me live till today. Today, old monk voluntary seek death again, it is truly long overdue." suddenly he raised his voice and said: "Murong Bo senior Murong shizu, at that time you spread false information, you claim a Khitan warrior is carrying out a large scale attack to seize Shaolin''s martial art manuals, eventually this led to all kinds of sin, have you ever felt a twinge of guilt and regret?"


    Everyone heard him say the name ''Murong Bo'', they was startled. The crowd knew that Gentleman Murong''s father had a single name ''Bo'', however he died a long time ago, how come XuanCi suddenly call out his name? Could it be the person who spread false information is Murong Bo? Everyone follow the direction of his gaze, however his pair of eyes are focusing on the grey-robed monk sitting under the tree.


    The grey-robed monk gave a long laugh, he stood up and said: "Great master abbot, your eyesight is terrific, unexpectedly you recognize me." he pull away his face curtain, revealing his lively and refined features and long drooping white eyebrows.


    Murong Fu was pleasantly surprised, he shouted out: "Father, you....you are still alive?" countless questions bubble forth: Why did father fake his death? Why did he conceal it even from his own son?


    XuanCi said: "Senior Murong shizu, i known you for many years, i respect your character deeply. That day you inform of this matter, old monk firmly believe you without any doubt. Later on i accidentally injure a good person, from then on old monk never saw you again. Afterwards i receive news of your death due to illness, old monk felt deep sorrow and lament, i assume you and i are the same, we mistakenly believe someone else''s false information, ultimately leading to numerous sins, thus you died early due to guilt, who would have expect.....sigh!" his deep sigh embodied boundless regret and condemnation.


    Xiao YuanShan and Xiao Feng look at each other, only until now, both father and son finally got hold of the identity of the person who spread false news, the person who instigated the matter and created the disaster, unexpectedly it is Murong Bo. Xiao Feng pondered: "The disaster at YanMen Pass, although abbot XuanCi is the leader, but he is Shaolin''s abbot, he is duty bound to protect Great Song and the martial art manuals of his temple. Later on when he discovered the mistake, he did his utmost to atone for it. The true evil person, it is Murong Bo not XuanCi."


    When Murong Fu heard XuanCi''s speech, he understood immediately: "Father spread the false news, it is to incite a big battle between Song and Liao, eventually leading to war between Song and Liao, my Great Yan can then take advantage from within. After the event, XuanCi will inevitably seek my father out to question him. Since father cannot defend himself, his status as a great hero, a towering figure, he cannot admit the matter and destroy his lifelong illustrious reputation. He knew abbot XuanCi''s temperament, if he die then XuanCi will never disclose the truth behind the matter and damage his reputation after death." immediately after he had another thought: "After father''s death, Murong family''s reputation is unaffected, i can still continue the great undertaking to restore Great Yan. If not, the heroes of Central Plains will surely treat Murong family as the enemy, it is difficult to even survive let alone gather forces to restore Yan nation. Thus, at that time, he definitely have to fake death. It seems that father is afraid of my youthful vigour, i will inevitably give the game away, thus he concealed his death from me. Other than mother, i am afraid even elder brother Deng and the others are kept in the dark as well."


    XuanCi said unhurriedly: "Senior Murong shizu, today old monk heard you advising your esteemed son, unexpectedly your Gusu Murong family is the descendant of monarch, hatching a grand scheme. The true purpose of spreading false news, it became apparent right away. However your grand scheme, ultimately it is difficult to achieve, aren''t you causing the death of many innocent lives in vain?"


    Murong Bo said coldly: "Man propose but heaven dispose!"


    XuanCi''s expression is compassionate, he said: "My junior martial brother XuanBei, he receive orders from me to inquire the matter from you, perhaps his speech offended you, or he found out some clues at your home and deduced your intention to revolt, thus you killed him to prevent him from divulging the secret." Murong Bo laugh and did not reply.


    XuanCi continued: "But you killed Ke BaiSui, Ke shizu, why?"


    Murong Bo laugh darkly and said: "Senior abbot is incomparably astute, you rarely step out of your temple main gate but you know all the matters in Jianghu like the back of your hand, i admire you greatly. I want you to make a guess for this matter....." he have yet to finish when two men bellowed simultaneously and pounce towards him, its ''Golden Abacus'' Cui BaiQuan and his martial nephew Guo YanZhi. Murong Bo brush his sleeve, both Cui and Guo were thrown several zhang away, they lie down on the floor and remain motionless, unexpectedly both of them was hit by his [Finger Within The Sleeve].


    XuanCi said: "Ke shizu is rich and powerful, his conduct cautious. En, you recruit solders and horses, accumulate wealth and stockpile grains, you settled on Ke shizhu''s property, you want to recruit him and make him take up Murong''s ''Yan banner''. Ke shizhu refused, maybe he even try to report you to the authorities."


    Murong Bo laugh heartily, he stick out his thumb and said: "Senior abbot is amazing, amazing! But it is a pity, you are able to see the minute details but you fail to see the major issues. Elder brother Xiao and i hide beside your noble temple for so many years, unexpectedly you remain completely ignorant about it."


    XuanCi shake his head slowly, he sigh and said: "It is easy to understand others, but difficult to understand oneself. It is not easy to subdue an enemy, but to subdue the greed, anger and delusion in one''s heart, the three poison, it is incomparably difficult."


    Murong Bo said: "Senior abbot, base on our former friendship, i will speak forthright and not hide anything from you. What else you wish to inquire?"


    XuanCi said: "The Vice-Chief of Beggar Clan Ma DaYuan, Madam Ma, Clan Elder Xu ChongXiao, Clan Elder Bai ShiJing, four of them, senior Murong shizhu did you kill them, or they were killed by senior Xiao shizu?"


    Xiao Feng said: "Madam Ma and Bao ShiJing conspired together to kill Ma DaYuan, Elder Xu was killed by both of them as well, Bai ShiJing was killed by his own clan member when they tidy up clan affair, Madam Ma died during the tidying of clan affair as well. As for the details, Prince Duan from Dali and Beggar Clan''s Elder Zhu saw and heard everything. If abbot wish to know the details you may find out from both of them later."


    Xiao YuanShan took two steps forward, he point at Murong Bo and shouted: "Old thief Murong, previously i traded palm 3 times with you, i deeply regret not knowing you true colours, i did not kill you. Come over here to receive death!"


    Murong Bo gave a long laugh and leap swiftly up the mountain. Xiao YuanShan and Xiao Feng shouted: "Chase!" they chase after him separately from left and right. The 3 of them had reached the pinnacle of martial arts, in a blink of an eye they already move far away. Murong Fu shouted: "Father, father!" he followed and chase as well. His lightness martial art is excellent, however it appear insignificant when compared to the 3 experts. Murong Bo, Xiao YuanShan and Xiao Feng, 1 in front and 2 behind, unexpectedly the 3 of them are running towards Shaolin Temple. A grey shadow and two black shadow, in a split second they vanished behind the yellow walls and glazed tiles of Shaolin Temple.


    The crowd was greatly surprised, they pondered: "The martial arts of Murong Bo and Xiao YuanShan are on par with each other, in addition their sons are assisting as well, Murong family will lose for sure. How come Murong Bo did not run down the mountain to escape, on the contrary he enter Shaolin Temple?"


    Deng BaiChuan, GongYe Gan, Bao BuTong, Feng BoE, as well as 18 Khitan warriors, they want to run up the mountain to assist their master, when they are just about to move, XuanJi shouted out: "Deploy the formation and stop them!" around a hundred Shaolin monks chorus, row after row they block the road up the mountain, their staff or blade held horizontally, they prevent anyone from advancing. XuanJi said in a stern voice: "Shaolin Temple is a sacred Buddhist site, it is not a place for private fights. Shizhu, please do not enter without permission."


    Deng BaiChuan and the rest saw their impressive power, they knew they cannot break through, although they are concern about their master but they have no choice but to stop. Bao BuTong said: "Correct, correct! Shaolin Temple is a sacred Buddhist site......" all along he always begin with "not true, not true!", unexpectedly he change to "correct, correct!", those who knew him were flabbergasted, however Bao BuTong continued: "...a sacred site for raising illegitimate child!"


    When he finish speaking, several hundred pair of angry eyes shoot towards him. Bao BuTong is reckless, he is fully aware there are many martial art experts among Shaolin monks, he is certainly no match for any of the monks from ''Xuan'' generation, he have always been blunt and forthright, he never consider the consequence before speaking. Several hundred Shaolin monks glare at him angrily, he also glare back angrily, his eyes unblinking.


    XuanCi said brightly: "Old monk broke a major prohibition and brought disgrace to Shaolin''s clear reputation. Junior martial brother XuanJi, base on our temple''s regulation, what is the punishment?" XuanJi said: "This.....martial brother....." XuanCi said: "A nation has its own law, a family has its own regulation. Regardless of which sect, school, clan or temple, they will inevitably produce some unworthy disciples. To maintain a clear reputation, it is not to hope nobody will ever break the rules, but to enforce the law and administer justice, no tolerance to any evil deeds. Law enforcement monk, administer 130 rods on Xu Zhu, 100 rods for his own sin, 30 rods for which he willingly accept in place of his master HuiLun."


    The law enforcement monk look at XuanJi. XuanJi nod his head. Xu Zhu is already kneeling down to receive punishment. At once the law enforcement monk lifted his rod, rod after rod it landed on Xu Zhu''s back and buttocks, his flesh lacerated from the punishment, blood splatter in all direction. Ye ErNiang felt her heart ached, however she is fearful of XuanCi''s strict manner, she don''t dare to plea for leniency.


    With great difficulty 130 rod was completed, Xu Zhu did not use his internal energy to resist, he was in so much pain that he can''t stand on his feet. XuanCi said: "From now on, you are expelled from the monastic order, you are not a Shaolin monk anymore." Xu Zhu shed tears and said: "Yes!"


    XuanCi continued: "XuanCi commit lascivious act, he commit the same sin as Xu Zhu, his punishment is doubled due to his capacity as Shaolin''s abbot. Even if Bao shizhu did not say it, Shaolin''s regulation will definitely not let him off lightly. Law enforcement monk, punish XuanCi heavily with 200 rods. Shaolin''s clear reputation is of top priority, there cannot be any leeway." when he finish speaking he crouch down on the ground, facing the distant Buddha statue at Shaolin''s Hall of Great Strength, he lifted his monk robe, revealing his bare back.


    The crowd of heroes look at each other in dismay, Shaolin''s abbot being punished in public, it is truly horrifying, it greatly go against convention.


    XuanJi said: "Martial brother, you......" XuanCi said sternly: "Shaolin''s hundred years of clear reputation, how can it be spoiled by me?" XuanJi said tearfully: "Yes! Law enforcement monk, administer the rod."


    Two law enforcement monk put their palms together, bow and said: "Abbot, please pardon our offense." at once they stood upright, lifted the punishment rod and strike towards XuanCi''s back. Both monk knew that when XuanCi is being punished, the most painful feeling is not due to physical pain, but the pain of being humiliated in front of everybody, if they hold back while striking bystanders will be able to detect it and it will become a matter for gossip, then abbot XuanCi would have suffer humiliation for nothing, thus they did not hold back and strike forcefully, ''Pa Pa'' sound, in a short period of time XuanCi''s back and buttocks are riddled with rod scar, blood splattering on his monk robe. The crowd of monks listen to the law enforcement monk counting of rods, they lowered their head and pray to Buddha in silence.


    Pudu Temple''s Master DaoQing said abruptly: "Senior martial brother XuanCi, your esteem temple values monastic discipline, abbot receiving punishment in public, i really admire very much. But senior martial brother XuanCi is old, moreover you refuse to use your internal energy to protect your body, you cannot withstand this 200 rods. I may be presumptuous but let me make a suggestion, since we already administer 80 rods, we will take note of the remaining rods and administer another day, it will not violate your esteem temple''s monastic discipline." a large number of people shouted out: "Correct, correct, we wish to ask for this favour as well."


    XuanJi have yet to reply as XuanCi said brightly: "Many thanks for everyone''s good intention, but our temple''s monastic discipline is unshakeable like a mountain, there cannot be any leeway. Law enforcement monk, quickly employ the rod." the two law enforcement monks already suspend the punishment, when they heard the abbot''s firm speech, they have no choice but to carry on hitting. They administered another 40 rods, XuanCi cannot withstand anymore, his pair of hands soften and his face touch the ground.


    Ye ErNiang cried: "You cannot blame abbot for this matter, it is all my fault! My father had a serious illness, great master abbot visit us to provide treatment, he saved my father''s life. I was grateful towards him, admire him, a woman from a poor family unable to return the favour, thus i gave myself to him. I was young, silly and ignorant, i did not realize my mistake, it is my fault. The....the....the remaining rod, let me receive it!" while weeping and shouting, she rush forward to lean on XuanCi''s body to receive the rod on his behalf.


    XuanCi pointed with his left finger, with a light ''Chi'' sound, he sealed her acupoint, he smile and said: "Silly woman, you are not a Buddhist nun, you did not break any prohibition, where is the sin?" Ye ErNiang lie down on the ground, unable to move, tears streaming down her eyes.


    XuanCi shouted: "Administer the rod!" with great difficulty 200 rod was complete, blood flowing all over the ground, XuanCi forcefully summoned a mouthful of inner energy to protect his heart so as to avoid fainting due to the pain. The two law enforcement monks held the rod vertically and said to XuanJi: "Reporting to head-monk, abbot XuanCi''s punishment is done." XuanJi nod his head, he don''t know what to say.


    XuanCi struggled to stand up, he said: "XuanCi violated a major Buddhist prohibition, he cannot be the abbot of Shaolin anymore, from now on, the abbot position will be held by the head-monk of Discipline Courtyard XuanJi." XuanJi step forward, he put his palms together and bow, tears streaming down his eyes, he said: "I receive the decree."


    XuanCi directed his finger at Ye ErNiang and pointed, he want to undo her sealed acupoint, unexpectedly it is difficult to condense internal energy due to his serious injury, his finger had no effect at all. Xu Zhu saw the situation, he quickly rush forward to undo his mother''s acupoint. XuanCi beckon both of them over, Ye ErNiang and Xu Zhu move beside him. Xu Zhu was in turmoil, he did not know if he should address him as "father" or "abbot".


    XuanCi stretch out his hands, right hand holding onto Ye ErNiang''s wrist, left hand holding onto Xu Zhu, he said: "For the past 20 years, every day every night, my heart worry for both mother and child, i committed a huge sin, but i don''t dare to confess to my fellow brothers, today i finally free myself, henceforth i have no fear or worry, my heart is at peace." he said a Buddhist verse: "One''s time on earth, there is desire and affection, worries and hardship, to free oneself is happiness!" when he finish speaking he close his eyes slowly, his face revealed a peaceful smile.


    Ye ErNiang and Xu Zhu don''t dare to move, they are unsure if he have more to say, however they felt his palm getting colder. Ye ErNiang had a huge shock, she stretch out her hand to check his breath, unexpectedly he died, she shouted out: "You....you....how can you abandon me and leave?" suddenly she leap up in the air, her body falling down from mid-air, with a ''Peng'' sound she landed beside XuanCi''s feet, she twitch a few time and stop moving altogether.


    Xu Zhu shouted: "Mother, mother! You....you....you must not......" he stretch out his hands to support his mother, however he saw a dagger stuck at the pit of her stomach, only the handle is exposed, most likely she died as well. Xu Zhu sealed the acupoints around her wound quickly, at the same time he channel his internal energy into XuanCi''s body, he was flustered, he desire to bring both of them back to life simultaneously. Xue MuHua rush forward to assist, however he saw their heart and breathing had ceased, there is no hope, he advised: "My condolence to martial uncle. You cannot save these two senior anymore."


    Xu Zhu refuse to give up, he channelled his [Pure Energy of Northern Darkness] for a long time, but where is the least bit of activity from them? Xu Zhu''s sorrow burst forth, he cannot help but sob loudly. For the past 24 years, he thought he was an orphan with no father and mother, he never get to experience the slightest bit of family bliss, today he finally found his biological parents, however the reunion was less than an hour and both of them died miserably.


    Initially when the crowd of heard that Xu Zhu''s father is Shaolin''s abbot XuanCi, everyone felt that he did not abide monastic regulation, they despise him greatly, but later when he allowed himself to be punished in public to preserve Shaolin''s clear reputation, his bravery is truly extraordinary, such heavy punishment should be enough to make up for his moment of folly. Unexpectedly when he completed the corporal punishment and hand over the abbot''s position, he immediately severe his own meridian channels. Originally his death would have ended all trouble, he should have seek death early and not reveal his lascivious act, avoid the humiliation of 200 rods, however he refused to cover his past sin and insist on suffering the punishment of rods for the sake of protecting Shaolin''s clear reputation, its truly the conduct of a great hero and great man. The crowd respected his character and conduct, a lot of people walk forward and bow at his corpse in respect.


    Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea said: "2nd sister, you are dead now, Yue LaoSan won''t fight with you for the ranking anymore, you can simply be number two." he step forward and kowtow at Ye ErNiang''s corpse. For the past few years, he will do anything to fight for supremacy with Ye ErNiang, he hope to surpass her in martial arts and occupy the position of "Number Two Evil Under the Heaven", unexpectedly he willingly cede the position to her, it is truly not easy for him but because he is devastated by her death and he also admired her courage to sacrifice her life for a noble cause.

 Chapter - 43 Great Ambition to Rule, Sea of Blood Deep In Hatred, Everything Return to Dust

    Beggar Clan members rush to Shaolin, their ambition lofty, they relied solely on their Clan Chief''s deep and unfathomable martial arts to seize the title of ''Supreme Leader of Martial Arts Fraternity'', henceforth Beggar Clan will overwhelm Shaolin and become the sole leader of the martial arts circle. Unexpectedly Chief Zhuang took Ding ChunQiu as his master, later both his legs broken by Xiao Feng, everyone felt their enthusiasm dull, their expression lifeless, only those who still revere their former Chief Qiao Feng were secretly delighted.


    Elder Wu said loudly: "Brothers, we staying here for what? Don''t tell me you still want to ask for cold rice and leftovers from meal? Let us leave now!" the crowd of beggars respond loudly, they turn around and walk down the mountain.


    Suddenly Bao BuTong said loudly: "Wait, wait! I have something to inform Beggar Clan." Elder Chen fought with him and Feng BoE at Wuxi before, he knew this person does not have anything good to say, he stamped his right feet and said: "The one surnamed Bao, if you have something to say just say it out, if you have fart then just let it out!" Bao BuTong pinch his nose and said: "It stinks, it stinks. Hey, the beggar who farts, is there an old man called Yi DaBiao in your clan?"


    When Elder Chen heard him mention Yi DaBiao, his eyes brighten immediately, he said: "So what if he exist? So what if he does not exist?" Bao BuTong said: "I am talking to a beggar who farts, since you respond then you admit you are letting off smelly fart?" Elder Chen is more concerned about major clan matters, why would he even get into dispute with such unrelated stuff, he said: "I ask you, what happen to Yi DaBiao? He is a disciple of our clan, he was dispatched to Western Xia to carry out some work, sire you have news pertaining to him?" Bao BuTong said: "I was about to tell you a major event that happen in Western Xia, but unfortunately Yi DaBiao met the King of Hell a long time ago!" Elder Chen said: "Is it true? May i ask what major event is happening in Western Xia?" Bao BuTong said: "You scold me and claim my words are like fart, now i don''t want to fart anymore."


    Elder Chen is angry, his white beard float around, however he knew the matter is of grave importance, he laugh out loud and said: "Sire i offended you with my speech just now, old man offer his apologies." Bao BuTong said: "No need to apologise, in the future just fart more and talk less." Elder Chen was stumped for words, he pondered: "What is he talking about?" currently he have something to ask from him, he is unwilling to engage in meaningless debate, he smile faintly and did not reply. Bao BuTong said: "It stinks, it stinks! This won''t do." Elder Chen said: "What won''t do?" Bao BuTong said: "You refuse to speak, you cannot release your anger, naturally you have to look for another outlet." Elder Chen pondered: "This person is truly difficult to deal with. I offended him with just one sentence, he persist and debate endlessly with incoherent speech. The best thing for me to do is to remain silent, if not he will keep on spouting nonsense and not mention the main topic." he smile faintly again and did not reply.


    Bao BuTon shake his head and said: "Not true, not true! You seek an argument with me, you are wrong to the extreme!" Elder Chen smile and said: "I did not open my mouth, how did i argue with sire?" Bao BuTong said: "You did not speak, only keep farting, naturally you don''t have to open your mouth." Elder Chen purse his brows and said: "Ashamed."


    Bao BuTong saw him yield repeatedly, he already occupy all the advantage, he said: "Since you open your mouth to speak then you are not seeking to argue with me. Fine i will tell you. Half a month ago, our young master, elder brother Deng, 2nd brother GongYe, etc, we met a group of beggars inside a forest at Gan Liangdao, each and every one of them dead and laying on the ground, some had their heads and body parts at different places, some had their abdomen ruptured and intestines spilling out, extremely pitiful! All of them are carrying pouches, some carrying three, some carrying four, some five, some six!" Elder Chen said: "I presume they must brothers from our clan?" Bao BuTong said: "When i saw these group of old chaps, they have been dead for quite some time already, i don''t know if they have drunk grandma Meng''s soup, or been to ''Gazing hometown platform'', or which hall they are standing trial in at King of Hell''s 10 hall. Since they cannot speak, naturally i cannot ask for their honourable name, where is their hometown, which sect or clan they belong to, how did they die. If not when they turn into ghost they will surely say: If you have something to say just say it out, if you have fart then fart less! Won''t i suffer injustice in vain?" When Elder Chen heard the news of death of his fellow brothers from Beggar Clan, he is extremely concerned, he cannot remain silent but he also don''t dare to rebut, he said: "Brother Bao is correct!"


    Bao BuTong shake his head and said: "Not true, not true! The one surnamed Bao look down upon people who parrot the words of others, you may say ''Brother Bao is correct'', but in your heart you are cursing ''turtle son of a *****'', this is called silent curse, such is the conduct of shameless people like XingXiu disciples. For real man, yes is yes, no is no, other people may have their views but he himself has his own opinion, if i reflect on myself and find myself to be right, then even if it be an army of hundred thousands, i will still go forward! Brave and unconventional, standing out from common crowd, that is a true hero! This should be the proper conduct of heroes from Beggar Clan!" he lectured Elder Chen again and finally said: "However there is still an old chap who have yet to die from his injuries, although he didn''t die but he is not far from death. We attempt to treat his injuries but it was in vain. He said his name is Yi DaBiao, he just return from Western Xia bearing an official notice from the Emperor of Western Xia, the matter is of grave importance, thus he entrust it to us to deliver it to his Clan''s Elders."


    Elder Lu pondered: "Brother Chen already offended this person in his speech, it is better for me to step forth and negotiate." he step forward, clasped his hands and said: "Mr Bao delivered the news for the sake of justice, everyone in our clan feel your great kindness." Bao BuTong said: "Not true, not true! Maybe not everyone from your clan can feel my great kindness." Elder Lu was startled, he said: "What makes Mr Bao say so?" Bao BuTong pointed at You TanZhi and said: "Your clan chief, not only does he not appreciate my kindness, on the contrary he hates me to the extreme!" Elder Lu and Elder Chen said in unison: "What is the reason? Mr Bao please advice."


    Bao BuTong said: "Before Yi DaBiao died, he said the group was murdered by their own Clan Chief Zhuang, because they are unconvinced of the youngster becoming their Clan Chief, thus he dispatch men to kill, alas, pitiful, pitiful. Yi DaBiao beg us to deliver this information, he wants Elder Wu and the other Elders to be vigilant and guard against him."


    When Bao BuTong finish speaking, the crowd of beggars immediately made a huge din. Elder Wu move quickly towards You TanZhi and shout sternly: "His words true or false?"


    You TanZhu''s legs was broken by Xiao Feng, he remain seated on the ground, wordless and motionless, he secretly channel his internal energy to relive the pain, suddenly he heard Bao BuTong reveal his secret, he cannot help but feel terrified, afterwards he heard Elder Wu''s stern voice, he shouted: "Quan....Quan GuanQing ask me to relay the orders, nothing....nothing to do with me."


    Elder Wu is unwilling to air dirty linen of his clan in public, he glare ferociously at Quan GuanQing and pondered: "This debt, it is not too late to settle later." he said to Bao BuTong: "The official document that brother Yi DaBiao gave to mister, i wonder if mister brought it along?" Bao BuTong shake his head and said: "No!" Elder Wu''s complexion change slightly, he pondered: "You spoke for a long time but still refuse to hand over the document, aren''t you wasting everyone''s time for amusement?"


    Bao BuTong clasped his hands and said: "Yi DaBiao''s urgent message, i already delivered it. Life is precious, everyone please be careful. Hope to meet again someday." when he finish speaking he turn around and walk away.


    Elder Wu said hastily: "The official document from Western Xia, why you refuse to hand it over?" Bao BuTong said: "This is really strange! How you know Yi DaBiao pass on the document to me? Where is the logic in using the phrase ''hand it over''? Don''t tell me you personally witness the event that day?"


    Elder Wu restrain his anger with great difficulty, he said: "Moments ago brother Bao said, brother Yi DaBiao return from Western Xia bearing an official document from the Emperor of Western Xia, he request brother Bao to deliver it to our clan''s Elders. Many people here heard you, how come brother Bao suddenly renege on your words?"


    Bao BuTong shake his head and said: "Not true, not true! I never said such thing." he saw Elder Wu''s change countenance, he said: "Beggar Clan''s Elders are famed to be true men, unexpectedly they have the cheek to distort the truth in public, confuse right and wrong, aren''t you spoiling your lifetime of good reputation?"


    Lu, Song, Chen, Wu, four Elders glance at each other quickly, their expression extremely ugly, they waver indefinitely, should they turn hostile and fight him immediately, or should they endure temporary. Elder Chen said: "Since sire said so, then there is nothing we can do, the public will judge who is right and wrong, relying on sharp tongue, twisting words and false argument, in the end it will be useless." Bao BuTong said: "Not true, not true! You said relying on sharp tongue is useless, but how come Su Qin relied on his sharp tongue and gain the respect of six nation? How Zhang Yi with his gift of the gab, carrying out the Horizontal Alliance, helping Qin to annex the six nation?" Elder Lu heard him digressing further and further away from the main topic, he laugh bitterly and said: "If Mr Bao is born during the Warring States period, you achievements would have long surpass Su and Zhang, gaining the respect of seven nation or even eight nation."


    Bao BuTong said: "You are mocking me for being born at the wrong time, a lousy fate? Fine, from now on if the one surnamed Bao met with any misfortune, headache or fever, back pain or foot ache, cough or cold, you will be held accountable."


    Elder Chen said angrily: "Brother Bao what is your true intention, please reveal it forthrightly." Bao BuTong said: "En, you are very impatient. Elder Chen, that day at Wuxi''s apricot forest, you and my 4th brother Feng had a contest of martial arts, you carried a big cloth sack, the big cloth sack contains only big scorpion, the big scorpion''s tail had a even bigger venomous sting, when the sting pierce into a person a big poisonous blister will appear, big poisonous blister can kill a person''s small life, correct or not?" Elder Chen pondered: "He can easily explain in one short sentence, what big or small, making a huge fuss." he replied: "Yes."


    Bao BuTong said: "Very good, i will make a bet with you. If you win, i will tell you the information that old beggar brought from Western Xia; but if i win, then you have to give me the big cloth sack, the big scorpion in the big cloth sack, as well as the small bottle containing the antidote for the scorpion''s poison, give everything to me. You want to bet or not?" Elder Chen said: "Brother Bao, what you wish to bet?" Bao BuTong said: "Your clan''s Elder Lu frame me for stealing, he claim i said the official document which Yi DaBiao brought from Western Xia should be delivered to Beggar clan''s Elders. In reality i never say such things at all, both of us will make a bet. If i really said it, then you win. If i never said it, then i win."


    Elder Chen glance quickly at Elder Lu, Song and Wu, three of them nod their heads, their intention similar: "Thousands of people bear witness, no matter how he argue, ultimately it is hard to deny. Just bet with him!" Elder Chen said: "Fine, i will bet with Brother Bao! But i wonder how Brother Bao is going to prove who win or lose? Are you going to invite a few people of good moral standings and virtue to be the impartial judge?"


    Bao BuTong shake his head and said: "Not true, not true! You want a few people to be the impartial judge, even if we elect 18 judges, don''t tell me other than these 18, the rest of the thousand heroes here, none of them have good moral standings or high virtues? If they don''t have good moral standings and virtue, then it means they are despicable and lowly scoundrels? You humiliate all the heroes of the current age, you Beggar clan is a bit too rude."


    Elder Chen said: "Brother Bao likes to make fun of people, i definitely don''t have this intention. Base on Brother Bao''s opinion, what should we do?" Bao BuTong said: "What is right and wrong, they can be decided with just one sentence, let me analyse for you. Bring it here!" he stretch out his hands. Elder Chen said: "What?" Bao BuTong said: "Cloth sack, scorpion, antidote!" Elder Chen said: "Brother Bao have yet to prove anything, how come you won?" Bao BuTong said: "I am afraid once you lose you will deny and refuse to hand it over." Elder Chen laugh and said: "Only a simple poison, how can it be important? Since Brother Bao wants it then i will offer it immediately, why the need to bet?" Elder Chen removed one of the cloth sack he is carrying, he took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom and handed both items over.


    Bao BuTong took it unabashedly, he open the cloth sack and peer inside it, he saw 7-8 flower mottled scorpions, he close the sack quickly and said: "Now i will show you the evidence, why i won and you lost." he undo his belt and shake his sleeves, he emptied all the items he is carrying, other than a few silvers, flint, etc, there is nothing else. Elder Lu, Song, Chen and Wu don''t understand his motive, their expression vacant. Bao BuTong said: "2nd brother, show them the document you are holding."


    GongYe Gan is worried about the safety of Murong Bo and his son, however he cannot break through the '' Great Luohan Formation'', he can only worry helplessly, he took out the official document and held it in his hand. The crowd look at the document, the document is made of yellow paper and embossed with a cinnabar stamp, the document is packed densely with foreign text, although it is difficult to determine its authenticity but it does not appear to be fake.


    Bao BuTong said: "I said previously, Yi DaBiao gave a official document to us, he request us to deliver it to Beggar clan''s Elders. Correct or not?" Elder Lu, Song, Chen and Wu heard him admitting this matter again. They said happily: "Precisely." Bao BuTong said: "However Elder Lu pointed at me and insisted Yi DaBiao gave the document to me, ask me to deliver it to Beggar Clan''s Elder. Correct or not?" The four Elders said in unison: "Yes, what is wrong with that?"


    Bao BuTong shake his head and said: "Wrong, wrong! Very wrong, absolutely wrong! The slightest difference leads to a huge error! I said ''us'', Elder Lu said ''me''. ''Us'' means the group of people from Murong family, including Gentleman Murong, brother Deng, 2nd brother GongYe, 4th brother Feng, Bao BuTong, there is also Miss Wang. As for ''me'', it is only Bao BuTong alone, a bachelor who says ''not true, not true''. All the heroes here please take a look, Miss Wang has a face like the moon, she is a sweet and pretty maiden, she is vastly different from the extremely unsightly Bao BuTong, how can you confuse one thing with another?"


    Elder Lu, Song, Chen and Wu look at each other in dismay, they never expect him to be punctilious about minutiae of wording, making a huge fuss out of ''us'' and ''me''.


    Bao BuTong continued: "This piece of document, Yi DaBiao handed it over to my 2nd brother GongYe. I deliver this information to Beggar Clan, all due to young master Murong''s decision. It is correct for me to use the phrase ''us''. If i use ''me'', then it would not be consistent with the facts. I don''t understand Western Xia''s writings, why would i take this piece of document? I suffered a huge defeat outside the city of Wuxi, even if i did not come here to seek revenge, i will definitely not deliver this piece of information. In short, taking the document from Western Xia, delivering information to Beggar Clan, all of it done by ''us'', the group from Gusu Murong family, it is not ''me'' Bao BuTong alone!" he turn his head and said to GongYe Gan: "2nd brother, they lost, keep that piece of document."


    Elder Song pondered: "You beat about the bush, ultimately you still can''t let go of the defeat and humiliation outside the city of Wuxi." Elder Chen cupped his hands and said: "Previously brother Bao fought with Elder Song''s 60 catty steel staff bare handed, brother Bao was already on the verge of victory. Our clan was no match, thus we...we....deployed a formation, but still we cannot cope with brother Bao. At that time our Clan Chief Qiao Feng entered the battle fresh, Qiao Feng''s martial art is solid, his might and prestige shaking the present age, he fought with brother Bao for a long time, with great difficulty he achieve victory over brother Bao with half a move. At that time brother Bao sing out loudly and left, you fought brilliantly, when you left you also went off elegantly, after the event whenever we bring up this matter all of us will discuss enthusiastically, everyone admire and respect you greatly. How come brother Bao is so modest, how did you suffer a defeat by our clan? It did not happen, it definitely did not happen. Qiao Feng no longer have any association with our clan, furthermore he is a public enemy now."


    However he did not realize that Bao BuTong like to ramble incoherently, his true intention is in his last sentence, it is not for the defeat or humiliation at the apricot forest of Wuxi, it is also not due to the phrase: ''If you have something to say just say it out, if you have fart then fart less''. Bao BuTong immediately seize the opportunity to propose an idea, he said: "Since this is the case, then it cannot be much better. Elder Chen please lead your men, we will fight a common adversary, go and capture Qiao Feng. By then base on our good friendship i will naturally offer you the document with both hands. Old chap if you don''t understand the strange writings in the document, my 2nd brother GongYe will repay the favour till the end, from top to bottom, he will translate everything for you, what do you think?"


    Elder Chen look at Elder Lu, Song and Wu, he did not know what to do. Suddenly someone shouted out: "This should be the case, why the need to hesitate?"


    Everyone look towards the source of the voice, the person is ''Ten Direction Scholar'' Quan GuanQing. He is already promoted to the position of 9-pouch elder, he continued: "Liao nation is an enemy of Great Song. Xiao Feng''s father Xiao YuanShan claims to hide in Shaolin Temple for many years, stealing martial art secrets from Shaolin. Today if we do not work together to eliminate him, when he return to Liao nation he will surely propagate the martial arts of Central Plains, Khitan will be like a tiger than has grown wings, when they attack Great Song again we Han Chinese will become their slaves."


    The crowd of heroes felt his speech is very logical, but XuanCi passed away, Zhuang JuXian had his leg broken, the two main pillars of Central Plains martial art fraternity Shaolin and Beggar Clan are like dragons without head, there is no one who can take charge of the situation.


    Quan GuanQing said: "I invite Shaolin''s master XuanJi and Beggar Clan''s Elder Lu to jointly issue the orders, everyone will listen to their instructions. Kill Xiao YuanShan and Xiao Feng, both father and son, eliminate this great misfortune of Great Song. As for the funeral arrangements, there is no harm in planning slowly." when he saw You TanZhi suffer a complete defeat, he knew he lost his biggest supporter in the clan, the matter of killing Yi DaBiao already leaked out, he is extremely frightened, he desperately hope for another huge crisis so that he can use it to free himself from the blame.


    The crowd of heroes shout out continuously: "He is correct, master XuanJi, Elder Lu, please issue the orders."


    "This matter concerns the safety of the whole world, both senior should not shrink away from the responsibility."


    "We will comply with your orders, kill these two foreign dogs!"


    In a split second thousands of men draw out their weapons, ''Ping Ping Pang Pang'', there are some who want to attack the 18 Khitan warriors.


    Grandma Yu shouted out: "Khitan brothers, please come over here for discussion." the 18 Khitan warrior don''t understand Grandma Yu''s intention, unexpectedly they did not go over, each one of them holding onto a sabre, they stood shoulder to shoulder, they know perfectly well they are heavily outnumbered but they are determined to fight till death. Grandma Yu shouted out: "Eight Divisions of Vulture Palace, protect these 18 friends." the women from all eight divisions rush forward and stood in front of the Khitan warriors, the Cave-masters and Isand-masters standing alongside as well. XingXiu disciples eager to render meritorious service for their new owner, they wave flags and shout battle cries, unexpectedly their power is magnificent.


    Grandma Yu bow towards Xu Zhu and said: "Owner, these 18 warriors are the subordinate of your sworn brother, if owner allow their bodies to be hacked randomly it will diminish Vulture Palace''s prestige greatly. We will protect them for the time being and await owner to deal them."


    Xu Zhu is devastated by the death of his parents, he did not have any good ideas, he nod his head and said: "My Vulture Palace is a friend of Shaolin, everyone please don''t damage this relation, you cannot fight or kill each other."


    XuanJi saw the impressive power of Vulture Palace, he knew they are a formidable opponent, after hearing Xu Zhu''s speech, he said: "These 18 Khitan warriors, whether to kill them or not has no relations to the current situation, out of respect for Mr Xu Zhu we will put aside this matter for the time being. Mr Xu Zhu, we are going to capture and kill Xiao Feng, you are helping which side?" Xu Zhu hesitate and said: "I originated from Shaolin, Xiao Feng is my sworn brother, i am indebted to one, kinship with the other. I....i....i won''t help either side. But....but....martial grandfather, i advise you to let my elder brother Xiao off, i will advise him not to attack Great Song." XuanJi pondered: "You possess outstanding martial arts, you are also the owner of a sect, but you speak like a 3 year old child." he said: "The phrase ''martial grandfather'', Mr Xu Zhu please refrain from mentioning it again in the future." Xu Zhu said: "Yes, yes, i forgot."


    XuanJi said: "Since Vulture Palace refuse to help either side, then Shaolin will be friends with your noble sect, both parties must not damage this friendly relationship." he turn his head and said to Beggar Clan''s Elder Lu: "Elder Lu, why don''t we go into my humble temple and take a look?" Elder Lu nod his head and said: "Very good! Brothers, let us go into Shaolin Temple!"


    At once Shaolin monks took the lead, Beggar Clan and the crowd of heroes shout loudly and rush up the mountain.


    Deng BaiChuan said happily: "3rd brother, you are amazing, '' if you have fart then just let it out'', unexpectedly you manage to gather so many competent helpers for our master and young master with this phrase." Bao BuTong said: "Not true, not true! We delay for so long, i wonder what happen to master and young master, they suffer defeat or achieve victory?"


    Wang YuYan said anxiously: "Make haste! Stop this ''not true, not true''." while speaking she rush forward quickly, suddenly she saw Duan Yu following alongside her, she said: "Gentleman Duan, you want to help you sworn brother again and make things difficult for my cousin?" there is much resentment in her tone. Moments ago Murong Fu slash his sword to commit suicide, he nearly died, all because of being defeated by Duan Yu and Xiao Feng, being unable to bear this shame and indignation, Wang YuYan is extremely mindful of this matter, she is furious with Duan Yu.


    Duan Yu was stumped for words, he stop moving. Ever since he got to know Wang YuYan he have always obeyed all her wishes, he disregard his life and willingly brave danger, he has never seen her treat him with such hostility before, he was panic stricken, his mind in a whirl, after a long time he finally said: "I....it is not my intention to make things difficult for Gentleman Murong. He wants to kill me, you are asking me to let him kill me?" when he raise his head he saw the crowd of heroes had left, Wang YuYan, Deng BaiChuan and the rest had left a long time ago.


    He was stumped again, he pondered: "Miss Wang already doubt me, why the need to invite a snub?" however he have second thoughts: "Thousands of people moving forward, attacking elder brother Xiao from all sides, his situation incomparably dangerous. Second brother Xu Zhu already state he won''t help either side, if i don''t do my utmost to assist, where is the logic in sworn brotherhood? Even if Miss Wang takes offense, there is nothing else i can do." thus he followed the crowd and rush up the mountain.


    Meanwhile, Duan ZhengChun saw Duan YanQing stare coldly at him, at once he grasp his sword hilt and channel his energy to meet the enemy. The various minister of Dali all completely focused as well, they did not mind Duan Yu going somewhere else.


    Duan Yu arrive at the main gate of Shaolin Temple, he burst in without further consultation. Shaolin Temple occupy a vast area, there are at least several thousand hall and residence, he saw a crowd of monks and heroes walking around at every hall, shouting and cheering loudly, they are looking for the whereabouts of Xiao YuanShan and Murong Bo as well as their sons. A number of people jump onto the roof, keeping a lookout from high ground, the situation is extremely confusing and chaotic. Everyone pass through the rooms and residence, they rush to and fro, everyone asking: "Where are they? Did you see them?" the stately temple of Shaolin turn into a noisy and messy city area.


    Duan Yu walk around randomly, he intend to keep away from the crowd, unexpectedly he walk further and further away and arrive at a desolate grove inside the temple. He saw a bluestone path passing through the grove, he did not think further, he follow the path and walk northwest, he made a few turns and suddenly the scene in front of him became spacious and bright, he heard the sound of water, a pavilion is erected beside a creek, a horizontal inscribed board is hanging on top of the pavilion: "Scripture-Depository Pavilion". Duan Yu pondered: "The Scripture-Depository Pavilion of Shaolin is famous under the heaven, as it turns out it is built at this place. Correct, this pavilion is built facing the water, a far distance away from other buildings, most likely out of fear of fire in the temple destroying these incomparably precious scriptures."


    Duan Yu wanted to look for Xiao Feng, suddenly he heard an old voice transmitting from the top of the pavilion: "You saw them heading in which direction?" he recognize the voice as XuanJi''s. Another person replied: "Four of us guard this place, that grey-robed monk barge in and hit our sleep acupoints, when martial uncle woke us up that grey-robed monk was missing." another old voice said: "This window is damaged, presumably they are at the rear mountain." XuanJi said: "Correct." the old monk said: "But i wonder if they stole any scriptures in the pavilion?" XuanJi said: "These two hide near our temple for many years, all of us are muddleheaded, none of us manage to detect them, we are really incompetent. If they really want to steal scriptures they could have done it any time for the past years, why the need to wait till today?" the old monk said: "Martial brother is correct." both monks gave a deep sigh.


    Duan Yu assume they are discussing shameful matters of Shaolin, it is not convenient for him to eavesdrop, in reality XuanJi and the other monk are speaking softly, but due to Duan Yu''s profound internal energy he manage to hear the conversation. Duan Yu walk away slowly, he pondered: "They said brother Xiao went to the rear mountain, i will go take a look."


    The rear of Mount Shaoshi is extremely steep, the forest dense and route precipitous, Duan Yu walk for a few li and he can no longer hear the noise from the temple below, the surrounding is quiet, the only sound came from the chirping of birds. Sunlight cannot penetrate through the forest, the air is chilly. Duan Yu pondered: "Elder brother Xiao and his father came to this place, it is easy for them to escape, the crowd of heroes cannot attack them easily." while feeling gratified he suddenly remember Wang YuYan''s furious expression, his heart was shaken: "If elder brother kills Gentleman Murong, then.....then what should i do? If Gentleman Murong die, Miss Wang will be inconsolable, she will be depressed forever." if he did not think about Gentleman Murong''s death, his chances of marrying Wang YuYan will increase immediately.


    He wander despondently in the forest, he thought of Murong Fu, suddenly he thought of Xiao Feng, suddenly he thought of his father, his mother, his uncle, nevertheless he still thought of Wang YuYan the most, especially her furious expression.


    He don''t know how long his imagination was running wild, suddenly he heard the sound of chanting from the left-hand side: "The Buddha in the heart, the heart in the Buddha, the clear heart knows Buddha, know Buddha with a clear heart, parting from heart is not Buddha, parting from Buddha is not heart....." the voice is deep and peaceful, he never heard it before. Duan Yu pondered: "As it turns out there is a monk here, there is no harm in asking him if he has seen elder brother Xiao." at once he walk towards the voice.


    He walk around a bamboo forest, suddenly he saw quite a number of people gathering at a patch of lawn in the forest. A monk with shabby green robe is sitting on top of a rock, the chanting voice is coming from him, a number of people are sitting in front of him, Xiao YuanShan, Xiao Feng, Murong Bo, Murong Fu, as well as senior monks from other temple, several Xuan generation monks from Shaolin, all of them sitting on the ground, their pair of hands joining together, their head lowered and eyebrow drooping, respectfully listening to the monk''s teachings. One man is standing 4-5 zhang away, the person is Grand Tutor of Tubo Jiumozhi, his face revealed a mocking expression, apparently he is unconvinced.


    Duan Yu came from a nation of Buddhist, he studied Buddhist doctrine since childhood from eminent monks, thus he have some knowledge on Buddhist scripture and doctrine, however a portion of Dali''s Dharma came from the south, classified as Hinayana doctrine, the other portion is Mahayana doctrine from Tubo, belonging to Tantra Buddhism, they are somewhat different from Shaolin''s Zen Buddhism, the old monk is reciting Buddhist verse, although the verse is plain but it is logical, Duan Yu pondered: "Look at this old monk''s clothes, he is a Shaolin monk, his position extremely low, merely an odd-job worker, how come the senior monks and elder brother Xiao listen to him expound Buddhist teachings?"


    Duan Yu walk slowly towards them, he want to look at the appearance of the monk, what kind of person he is. However in order to look at the monk''s face he have to stand behind Xiao Feng and the others, he don''t dare to disturb them, thus he tread gently and walk roundabout, he arch his body and shrink his feet, as he was about to walk near Jiumozhi, suddenly Jiumozhi turn around and smile faintly at him. Duan Yu return with a smile as well.


    Suddenly an extremely violent wind shoot straight at his chest. Duan Yu shouted out: "Ayo!" he wanted to use [Six Meridian Divine Swords] to resist but there is no time, he felt his chest ached, in his dazed state he heard someone chant: "Emituofo!" he lost consciousness afterwards.


    Murong Bo''s identity was uncovered by XuanCi, he also revealed his scheme of spreading false information, he was the one who engineered the disaster at YanMen Pass, he knew that not only Xiao father and son desire for revenge, the crowd of heroes will not tolerate him as well, thus he move quickly and rush into Shaolin Temple. There are numerous buildings in Shaolin, he is familiar with the location, no matter where he hide, Xiao father and son will not be able to find him easily. However Xiao YuanShan and Xiao Feng hate him to the bones, they follow relentlessly and tailed closely. Xiao YuanShan is roughly the same age as him, their skills on par with each other, since Murong Bo took the initiative and ran first, it is difficult for Xiao YuanShan to catch up. However Xiao Feng is in his prime of life, his martial arts and internal energy at the peak of perfection, he exert energy and ran swiftly, when Murong Bo reach the gate of Shaolin Temple, Xiao Feng smack his palm several zhang away, the palm force already reach Murong Bo''s back.


    Murong Bo send out his palm to block, his entire body was jolted, he felt faint aching and numbness in his arm, he cannot help but feel alarmed: "This little Khitan puppy''s internal energy is so powerful!" he move sideways and entered the gate. How can Xiao Feng allow him to escape, he quicken his pace to catch up. However Murong Bo already entered within the temple, there are corridors and halls everywhere, although Xiao Feng''s palm strength is powerful but he cannot hit him. Three person, one in front two behind, in a short period of time they reached the Scripture-Depository Pavilion.


    Murong Bo broke in through the window, in an instant he sealed the sleep acupoints of the four monks who guard the pavilion, he turn around and sneered: "Xiao YuanShan, both father and son come at me together, or we two old man fight one on one till death?" Xiao YuanShan blocked the door and said: "Child, block the window, don''t let him leave." Xiao Feng said: "Yes!" he move beside the window, his palm held horizontally across his chest, both father and son close in on the enemy, it is difficult for Murong Bo to escape. Xiao YuanShan said: "You and i have deep hatred, it can only be resolved by death. Previously we fought three times, i was lenient and stop myself from going too far, today i see through your true colours, moreover your made huge progress in your martial arts, naturally we father and son have to join hands and attack together to take your life."


    Murong Bo laugh out loud, he was about to reply, suddenly he heard footsteps coming up the staircase, a person came up, it is Jiumozhi. Jiumozhi press his palm together to greet Murong Bo and said: "Mr Murong, after we part i heard Mr Murong depart to Western Paradise, junior monk mourn with bitter heart, as it turns out Mr Murong live in seclusion, you have deep intention, today we meet again, junior monk is extremely happy." Murong Bo cupped his fist to return the greeting, he smile and said: "For the sake of my family and country i have to feign death, it caused undue worries to Grand Tutor, i am deeply ashamed." Jiumozhi said: "I don''t deserve such praise, i don''t deserve such praise. Junior monk met Mr Murong by chance, we discuss martial arts, i gained guidance from Mr Murong for a few days, my entire lifetime of doubts was resolved, moreover Mr Murong bestowed the essence of Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skill, your kindness engraved deeply in my heart."


    Murong Bo smile and said: "This is a trivial matter, why mention it?" he said to Xiao father and son: "Old hero Xiao, great hero Xiao, this divine monk Jiumozhi, he is Tubo''s Great Bright Wheel King, his Dharma profound, martial arts far superior to mine, such talent is very rare in the present age."


    Xiao YuanShan and Xiao Feng look at each other, they pondered: "Although this foreign monk might not necessarily be stronger than Murong Bo, but he is certainly extremely competent, he have such deep relationship with Murong Bo, naturally he will assist him, it is difficult to predict the outcome of this battle."


    Jiumozhi said: "Mr Murong praise me erroneously. Previously junior monk heard Mr Murong talk about sword-play, you consider [Six Meridian Divine Swords] of Dali''s TianLong Monastery as the number one sword-art under the heaven, however you have yet to see it and it is the greatest regret of your life. Junior monk learn about the death of Mr Murong, thus i went to Dali''s TianLong Monastery to beg for [Six Meridian Divine Swords Manual] to cremate it before Mr Murong''s tomb. Unexpectedly old monk Kurong was a crafty rogue, he use his internal energy to burn the sword manual at the critical juncture. Although junior monk is a man of virtue who keep his words, but i was unable to fulfil your wish, i am deeply sorry."


    Murong Bo said: "I am already deeply grateful to great master for remembering this promise. Besides Dali Duan family''s [Six Meridian Divine Swords] still exist in this world, moments ago Dali''s Gentleman Duan fought with my son, the sword energy dominating, its reputation as the number one sword-art under the heaven is indeed well-deserved."


    At this moment a shadow flash by, another person appear inside the Scripture-Depository Pavilion, it is Murong Fu. He lag behind by several steps, when he reach the temple he already lost sight of his father and Xiao father and son, he manage to trace their trail to Scripture-Depository Pavilion but Jiumozhi caught up and overtook him. He heard his father mention the matter of Duan Yu''s [Six Meridian Divine Swords] defeating him, he cannot help but feel greatly ashamed.


    Murong Bo said: "Xiao father and son desire to kill me, great master what is your opinion?"


    Jiumozhi said: "We are intimate friends for many years, how can i stand by and do nothing?''


    Xiao Feng saw Murong Fu arriving, the situation now turn to three against two, although Murong Fu is somewhat inferior but he cannot be underestimated, it is very likely they will not be able to kill Murong Bo, both Xiao father and son might even die in this Scripture-Depository Pavilion. However Xiao Feng possess heroic bravery, he never allow his own adverse situation to affect him, he shout loudly: "Today''s matter can only be resolved by death. Prepare to receive my move!" with a ''Hu'' sound he smack his palm quickly at Murong Bo. Murong Bo brush it away with his left hand, he channelled his internal energy, intending to neutralize the incoming palm force. ''Kala la'', a bookshelf on the left-hand side broke and turn into splinters, the scriptures on the shelf came crashing down. Xiao Feng''s palm force is vigorous and forceful, although Murong Bo manage to brush it away but he was unable to neutralize it, he merely diverted the attack elsewhere and it hit a bookshelf.


    Murong Bo smile faintly and said: "Southern Murong, Northern Qiao Feng! Your reputation is indeed well-deserved! Brother Xiao, i have something to say, will you listen or not?" Xiao YuanShan said: "How can i tolerate your flowery speech, don''t even think about asking me not to avenge my wife." Murong Bo said: "You want to kill me for revenge, but base on the current situation i am afraid it will not be possible. We have three person, you only have two, may i ask who have a higher chance of winning?" Xiao YuanShan said: "Naturally you have a higher chance of winning. A true man is unfazed by numbers, why the need to fear?" Murong Bo said: "The illustrious name of Xiao father and son is unrivalled, in your entire life have you ever been afraid of anyone? You have no fear, but it will be extremely difficult to kill me today. I want to do a transaction, i will let you fulfil your desire for revenge, however you father and son have to promise me something."


    Xiao YuanShan and Xiao Feng pondered: "I wonder what this old thief is planning?"


    Murong Bo said: "You father and son only have to promise me something, afterwards you may step forward to kill me for revenge. I will wait for death with hands tied, definitely won''t resist, Jiumozhi and my son will not be allowed to save me." when he finish speaking, Xiao father and son are greatly surprised, Jiumozhi and Murong Fu are extremely shock as well. Murong Fu shouted: "Father, we have strength in numbers¡­.." Jiumozhi also said: "Mr Murong why do you say such a thing? As long as junior monk is breathing, I will never allow anyone to raise a finger at Mr Murong." Murong Bo said: "Great master''s righteousness, when i have a friend like you, where is the regret even in death? Brother Xiao, I have a matter to consult you. At that time I spread false information, it led to a huge disaster, but does brother Xiao know my true purpose in committing such evil deeds?"


    Xiao YuanShan is boiling with rage, he pointed at Murong Bo and cursed: "You are originally a despicable person, breaking the law and committing crimes, rejoicing in other people''s misfortune, what other intention you need to have?" he took 1 step forward, with a ''Hu'' sound he launch his fist.


    Jiumozhi arrive in a flash with both palms blocking, with a ''Bo'' sound, the fist wind and palm force collided and rush upward, dust on the roof rustled down. In this clash of fist and palm, unexpectedly both are equally matched; both of them admire each other secretly.


    Murong Bo said: "Brother Xiao please restrain your anger and listen to me. Brother Xiao have always been residing far north, we are total strangers, naturally there is no hatred and animosity. As for Shaolin''s abbot XuanCi, I have been friends with him for many years. Since I put in utmost effort to incite disharmony on both side, naturally there is a significant underlying reason."


    Xiao YuanShan''s eyes seem to be spitting fire, he shouted: "What reason? Say it, say it!"


    Murong Bo said: "Brother Xiao, you are a Khitan. Bright Wheel King Jiumozhi is from Tubo. Fighters from Central Plain, they call you barbarians. Your esteemed son was originally chief of Beggar Clan, martial arts and wisdom shaking the present age, truly a rare talent to emerge from Beggar Clan. But when they learn of his Khitan heritage, they immediately turn hostile, not only they refuse to recognize him as chief, moreover everyone have the desire to kill him. Brother Xiao, do you think it is fair?"


    Xiao YuanShan said: "The feud between Song and Liao, two countries at war, it already last more than a hundred year. Beyond the border area, Song and Liao people kill each other at sight, this have always been the case. Since Beggar Clan found out my son is a Khitan, how can they worship an enemy? This is common logic, nothing unfair about it." He pause for a while and continued: "Abbot XuanCi, Wang JianTong, etc, they killed my wife and subordinate, it is not their original intention. Nevertheless, this matter can be considered a tussle between Song and Liao, nothing surprising, but you set-up this trap, I cannot let you off easily."


    Murong Bo said: "According to brother Xiao, when two countries are at war, they only seek to achieve victory by killing the enemy, do they have to pay particular attention to compassion and integrity?" Xiao YuanShan said: "All is fair in war, this have always been the case. Why are you talking about such irrelevant things?" Murong Bo smile faintly and said: "Brother Xiao, which country you think Murong Bo came from?"


    Xiao YuanShan tremble slightly and said: "Your Gusu Murong family, naturally they are Han Chinese from Southern Dynasty, don''t tell me you are foreigner?" Abbot XuanCi is extremely knowledgeable, when Murong Bo dissuade Murong Fu from committing suicide, he already deduce his origin base on his speech. Xiao YuanShan is not aware of historic matters, thus he fail to understand the situation.


    Murong Bo shake his head and said: "Brother Xiao guess wrongly." He turn his head and said to Murong Fu: "Child, which country we came from?" Murong Fu said: "Murong family is Xianbei, the prestige of Great Yan shaking the area north of the Yellow river, we establish a glorious empire, unfortunately our enemies are ruthless, they topple our nation." Murong Bo said: "I named you with the word ''Fu'', what is the meaning?" Murong Fu replied: "Father wants me to always remember the wishes of our ancestor, I have to restore Great Yan, take back our nation." Murong Bo said: "Take out the jade ruler''s seal of Yan nation, let old hero Xiao take a look."


    Murong Fu said: "Yes!" he untie a cloth bag and extract a black jade square seal. A vivid leopard head is carved on top of the seal, Murong Fu turn over the jade seal, revealing the text. Jiumozhi saw the phrase "Treasure of Emperor of Great Yan" engraved on the seal. Xiao father and son don''t understand the text on the seal, nevertheless the jade seal is exquisitely crafted, the corners rather damaged, clearly it is ancient and undergo multiple disaster, although they are unsure of its authenticity but they knew the item is uncommon, definitely not newly crafted object.


    Murong Bo said again: "Take out the lineage stave of emperor of Great Yan, let old hero Xiao take a look." Murong Fu replied: "Yes!" he put the jade seal back into the cloth bag and took out a tarpaulin bag, he open it to reveal a yellow fabric, he raise the fabric with both hands.


    Xiao YuanShan saw curvy text written with vermillion ink on the yellow fabric, he don''t understand, clearly it is foreign script. Chinese text is written on the left-hand side, at the top it is written: "Great Ancestor the Cultured Emperor Huihuang" the next part: "Noble Ancestor the Accomplished Emperor Huijun" the next part: "Lonely Emperor Huiwei". Another line of text written separately: "Generation Ancestor the Successful Martial Emperor Huichui", the next part: "Noble Forefather Compassionate and Suffering Emperor Huimin", the next part: "Duke of Kaifeng Huixiang", "Zhao Emperor Huilin", the next line: "Middle Forefather the Accomplished Martial Emperor Huisheng", "Accomplished Literary Emperor Huixi", etc, posthumous names. As for the year 410, after the execution of Southern Yan Murong Chao, subsequent descendants are all commoner, they are no longer emperor or marquis. The era is long, their offspring gradually increase in numbers, Xiao YuanShan, Xiao Feng, Jiumozhi, three of them are not in the mood to examine it in detail. However they saw the name of the last person on the lineage record: "Murong Fu", above him is "Murong Bo".


    Jiumozhi said: "As it turns out Mr Murong is a descendant of Emperor of Great Yan, pardon me, pardon me!"


    Murong Bo sigh and said: "The nation vanquished and citizen lost, but the chief is safe, it can be considered a major fortune in the disaster. However the wishes of successive generations of ancestor have always been the restoration of Great Yan, Murong Bo is incompetent, I roam around the world for half a lifetime but in the end I achieve nothing. Brother Xiao, my Xianbei Murong family intend to restore our nation, do you think we deserve it?"


    Xiao YuanShan said: "The victor becomes the king, the loser becomes the bandit. Many people vie for supremacy in this world, why do you need to mention about deserving or undeserving?"


    Murong Bo said: "Enlightening! Brother Xiao''s speech is similar to my intention. If Murong family wants to restore Great Yan, it must take advantage of opportunity. The servants of Murong family are weak, power feeble, how can it be easy to rebuild the nation? The only chance is to cause mass rebellion, endless war and fighting everywhere."


    Xiao YuanShan said gloomily: "You spread false news to sow discord, incite a quarrel between Song and Liao, eventually leading to a great war?"


    Murong Bo said: "Precisely, if a war between Song and Liao breaks out, Great Yan will be able to take advantage of the situation. In the past, in the rebellion of the eight kings during Jin dynasty, Sima clan massacre one another, the five non-Han clan took advantage to set up their regime. Today''s situation is also the same." Jiumozhi nod his head and said: "Correct! If Song dynasty meet with foreign aggressor, civil unrest will break out, not only Mr Murong will have a chance to restore his nation, my Tubo will also get to profit as well."


    Xiao YuanShan snorted coldly, he cast a sidelong glance at these two people.


    Murong Bo said: "Your esteemed son is the Lord of Liao''s Southern Chancellery, he commands the military symbol and oversees Nanjing, if he direct his army southward and occupy the Yellow River and North River, he will achieve a glorious deed, he can proclaim himself king and enjoy boundless riches and honour. At that time it will take little effort to round up all the heroes of Central Plains and annihilate them, the hatred of being ousted by Beggar Clan, won''t it be avenged?"


    Xiao YuanShan said: "You want my son to work for you, so that you can take advantage of the crisis and fulfil your wild ambition of restoring Yan nation?"


    Murong Bo said: "Correct, my Murong family will lead an army and set off from Shandong province, rally behind Great Liao, at the same time Tubo, Western Xia, Dali, we five nation will divide Great Song, its not difficult. My Yan nation don''t dare to take any land from Great Liao, if we get to build a country we will first take from the south. This matter is highly beneficial for Great Liao, brother Xiao what can you have against it?" at this moment he flip his right hand, a glittering dagger appeared on his palm, he stick the dagger beside his body and said: "Xiao father and son only need to comply with my proposal and you can take my life immediately, avenge your wife, I definitely won''t resist." With a ''Chi'' sound he tore open his clothe, exposing the skin on the pit of his stomach.


    This action is simply beyond the expectation of Xiao father and son, unexpectedly he is willing to die even though he occupied a dominant position, they did not know how to reply.


    Jiumozhi said: "Mr Murong, there is a common saying: Those not from my clan, their intention will surely be different. Let alone major decisions pertaining to military or nation, fraud will inevitably occur. Supposing Mr Murong is willing to die, but later Xiao father and son did not go along with Mr Murong''s wishes, then¡­.then won''t you die in vain?"


    Murong Bo said: "Old hero Xiao live in seclusion for over 10 years, he rarely makes an appearance in this world. However noble warrior Xiao''s illustrious name is spread across the whole world, his word carries enormous weight, how can he renege on a promise? For the sake of a completely unrelated maiden, he is willing to brave untold dangers, going to JuXian Manor alone to seek treatment, how can he forget the promise after killing me? I deliberated for a long time, this is a once in a lifetime golden opportunity. Old man already has one foot in the grave, exchanging a life for a foundation that can last ages, why not?" his face revealed a smile, he fixed his eyes on Xiao Feng, he hope he can end it quick.


    Xiao YuanShan said: "My son, this person''s intention does not seem to be fake, what do you think?"


    Xiao Feng said: "Out of the question!" he smack his palm abruptly and hit a wood beam, with a ''Pipa'' sound the beam broke into multiple pieces, the dagger drop on the ground, he said sternly: "The great hatred of killing my mother, how can it be treated as a business transaction? We will avenge this hatred, if we lose then father and son will simply die here. This kind of filthy transaction, how can we descend to such level?"


    Murong Bo look up to the sky and laugh heartily, he said brightly: "I long heard of noble warrior Xiao''s unrivalled ability and sagacity, knowledge and experience extraordinary, but in today''s meeting, unexpectedly you fail to understand the key points, all brawn and no brains, hey hey, laughable, laughable!"


    Xiao Feng knew he is trying to provoke with words, he said coldly: "Regardless of whether Xiao Feng is a hero or ordinary folk, I will not fall into your trap and become your murder weapon." Murong Bo said: "Receiving salary from the emperor, carrying his burden. You are an important minister of Great Liao, but you are fixated on personal grudge, you did not consider your loyalty and duty to your country, aren''t you letting down Great Liao?"


    Xiao Feng took a step forward and said resolutely: "Have you see the situation at the borders, the devastating scene of Song and Liao butchering each other? Have you see families from Liao and Song torn apart, the scene of destitute and homelessness? With great difficulty Song and Liao manage to maintain a truce for 10 years, if soldiers are deployed again and Khitan horsemen invade south, have you thought of how many Song people will die? How many Liao people will die in the disaster?" while speaking he recall the cruel scene of Liao and Song soldiers raiding each other outside YanMen Pass, his voice became louder and louder, he continued: "The dangers of war, in this world how can there be a battle with absolute victory? Great Song have many soldiers and deep wealth, they only need 1 or 2 good generals to lead the army, even if Great Liao and Tubo join hands they might not necessarily achieve victory. Killing each other, a river of blood, a mountain of skeleton, all for the sake of letting your Murong family take advantage and restore Yan nation. I am loyal and dedicate myself to Great Liao, my goal is to protect the land and safety of its people, not for personal glory, wealth, taking revenge, killing people, seizing land, rendering a glorious deed."


    When Xiao YuanShan was young, he wholeheartedly devote himself to maintaining the armistice between Song and Liao, listening to his son, he nod his head repeatedly in agreement.


    Suddenly they heard an old voice from outside the window: "Excellent, excellent! Lay-Buddhist Xiao is humane and kind-hearted, your concern for all life under the heaven, you truly have the heart of Bodhisattva.


    The five of them had a huge shock, how come they did not manage to detect anyone outside? Moreover from his speech, he seems to be standing outside the window for a long time. Murong Fu shouted: "Who is it?" he did not wait for a reply, with a ''Peng'' sound he smack his palm, two window-pane dislodge from its hinge and drop down.


    They saw a wizen monk dress in green-robe, holding a broom and sweeping the corridor. The monk is very old, his sparse long beard completely white, his movement slow and sluggish, lacking in vital energy, he does not appear to possess any martial arts. Murong Fu inquired again: "You have been hiding here for how long?"


    The monk lifted his head slowly and said: "Shizu ask me I have been¡­hiding here¡­.for how long?" five of them fix their eyes on him at the same time, his eyes are blank and vacant, completely without any spirit, however his voice is precisely those that praise Xiao Feng moments ago.


    Murong Fu said: "Correct, I ask you how long you have been hiding here?"


    The old monk counted with his fingers, after a long time he shake his head, his expression apologetic, he said: "I¡­.i can''t remember clearly, I don''t know if it is 42 years, or is it 43 years. When this senior lay-Buddhist Xiao came to the pavilion for the first time, i¡­..i already been here for 10 years. Afterwards¡­..afterwards senior lay-Buddhist Murong also came. Sigh, come and go, the scriptures in the pavilion rummaged till complete mess, I wonder for what purpose."


    Xiao YuanShan was astonished, he assume when he arrive at Shaolin to steal martial arts, none of the temple monks were aware, how come this old monk is aware? Most likely this monk heard his speech outside the temple, thus he talk rubbish, Xiao YuanShan said: "How come I never seen you before?"


    The old monk said: "Lay-Buddhist Xiao is completely focused on martial art manuals, no distraction in your heart, naturally you did not see old monk. I remember the first book that lay-Buddhist Xiao came to borrow from the pavilion, <>, sigh! From that night onwards, lay-Buddhist Xiao entered the demonic path, pity, pity!"


    Xiao YuanShan''s shock is truly no small matter, on the first night of sneaking into the Scripture-Depository Pavilion, he found a copy of <>, he knew it is one of the 72 supreme consummate skills of Shaolin, his joy indescribable, other than himself this matter is definitely not known to a second person, could it be the old monk was beside him at that time and saw it with his own eyes? He said: "You¡­..you¡­..you¡­¡­"


    The old monk continued: "The 2nd time lay-Buddhist Xiao came to the pavilion, you borrowed <>. At that time old monk sigh inwardly, lay-Buddhist Xiao stray deeper and deeper into demonic path, my heart cannot bear it, I place a copy of > and <> near your usual browsing spot, I hope lay-Buddhist Xiao will borrow it and study attentively to achieve enlightenment. Unexpectedly lay-Buddhist Xiao was engrossed in martial studies, you pay no heed to orthodox Buddhist doctrine, you threw these two sutra to the side and pick up a copy of <>, you left happily. Sigh, losing oneself in the abyss of suffering, I wonder when you can turn back to the right path?"


    Xiao YuanShan heard him speaking plainly, he narrate everything he did during the past 30 years in the Scripture-Depository Pavilion correctly, his shock gradually turn into fear, his fear turn into terror, cold sweat trickle down his back, his heart seems to have stop beating.


    The old monk turn his head slowly and look at Murong Bo. Murong Bo look at his lifeless eyes, as if he is seeing yet ignoring, however he seem to be able to see through every single secret hidden deep in his heart, he cannot help but feel his hairs stand up, his entire body felt very uncomfortable. He heard the old monk sigh, the monk said: "Lay-Buddhist Murong is Xianbei, however you reside in Jiangnan for many years, old monk assume lay-Buddhist Murong must have been infected by the literature lifestyle of south, unexpectedly when lay-Buddhist Murong arrive at the Scripture-Depository Pavilion, you discarded the teachings of my forefather, the quotation from successive generations of eminent monks, without exception you abandon them all, you pick up a copy of <>, you look as if you pick up the most precious treasure in the world. Buying a wooden box and returning the pearls inside, making a fool of oneself for generations. Both of you are very able person in the present age, however you are also capable of such stupid action."


    Murong Bo was overwhelmed with shock, when he entered the Scripture-Depository Pavilion for the first time, the first martial arts manual he spotted was precisely <>, however he studied the surroundings carefully at that time, he was sure there are no people inside or outside the Scripture-Depository Pavilion, but how come this old monk was able to witness everything personally?


    The old monk sigh again and continued: "Lay-Buddhist Murong is far more greedy compared to lay-Buddhist Xiao. Lay-Buddhist Xiao only seek to practice skills that can restrain existing Shaolin''s martial arts, however Lay-Buddhist Murong progressively scan through all Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skill and made duplicate copies. Presumable for all these years, lay-Buddhist Murong spare no effort to master all 72 supreme consummate skill, maybe you already impart some of it to your esteemed son."


    His gaze was directed towards Murong Fu, however he glimpse for a while and shake his head, immediately afterwards his gaze landed on Jiumozhi, he finally nod his head and said: "Correct! Your esteemed son is young, internal energy insufficient; he is unable to practice Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skill, as it turns out you impart it to this eminent monk from Tubo. Great Bright Wheel King, you are wrong, completely wrong, you wish to be proficient in Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skill, however you got the sequence in reverse, great catastrophe is looming."


    Jiumozhi has never intrude into Scripture-Depository Pavilion before, he have no respect for this old monk, he said coldly: "What sequence in reverse, great catastrophe is looming? Great master aren''t you using frightening words to scare people?"


    The old monk said: "Not using frightening words to scare people. The martial arts of my school originated from ancestor Damo. When Buddhist disciple practice martial art, their purpose is to strengthen their body and keep healthy, protect the law and guard against demons. When practicing any type of martial arts, the practitioner must strive to be merciful and humane. If the practitioner did not use Buddhist doctrine as the foundation, while practicing martial arts they will surely injure their body. The more you train, the heavier the damage. If the skill is merely punching or kicking, weapon art or hidden projectile art, external martial arts, then it is fine, the damage to oneself is extremely minor, with a strong robust body you can still withstand it¡­."


    Suddenly they heard voices coming from downstairs, immediately after there is gentle ''Tuo'' ''Tuo'' ''Tuo'' sound on the stairs, 7-8 monks came up the pavilion. Leading the pack are two Xuan generation monk, XuanYin, XuanSheng, followed by ShenShan, ShenYin, DaoQing, GuanXin, etc, the foreign monks, forming the rear are XuanGou and XuanJing. The group of monks saw Xiao father and son, Murong father and son, Jiumozhi, five people listening calmly to an unknown old monk, they were flabbergasted. This group of monks are people with much self-cultivation and wisdom, they did not step forth to interrupt and merely stood to the side to listen to whatever he has to say.


    The old monk pay no heed to the group of monks, he continued: "But if you practice first-class martial arts of my school, for example, [Blossom Grasping Finger], [Duoluo Leaf Finger], [Prajna Palm], etc, if you do not use Buddhist doctrine to harmonise daily, the evil energies will penetrate deep into the inner organs, straying deeper and deeper, such situation is a hundred times more dangerous than whatever kind of external poison. Great Bright Wheel King is a Buddhist disciple, you study Buddhist doctrine intensively, your ability to reason and analyse is unequalled in the current age, but if your heart is not merciful and generous, having no intention to save all living things, although you may submerge yourself in ancient scriptures and engage in brilliant debates, ultimately you still cannot dispel the evil energies accumulated during the study of first-class martial arts."


    The group of monks only heard a few sentence, but they already felt this old monk''s words contain the essential meaning, they have yet to perceive this truth, all of them shiver. A few monks praise in admiration: "Buddha is merciful, excellent, excellent!"


    They heard him continue: "My Shaolin temple is established for several hundred years, only ancestor Damo alone mastered the various supreme consummate skill, henceforth not a single eminent monk is able to master different kinds of consummate skill, what is the reason? The manuals to 72 supreme consummate skills have always been in this pavilion, we never stop our own disciples from flipping through the manuals, Great Bright Wheel King do you know the underlying reason?"


    Jiumozhi said angrily: "That is the private business of your precious temple, how will outsiders know of it?"


    XuanYin, XuanSheng, XuanGou and XuanJing pondered: "Base on this old monk''s dressing, he is an odd job service monk, how come he have such deep knowledge and cultivation?" although service monk is still part of Shaolin monk, but they only need to take the tonsure, they don''t have to become an apprentice to a master, they do not impart martial arts, no need for meditation or line-up according to generation ranking, other than chanting scripture and worshiping Buddha, they light fire for cooking, farming, sweeping, construction and perform manual labour. There are many monks in Shaolin, XuanYin and the rest are first-class eminent monks in the temple, it is not strange for them to not know these monks, but the old monk''s elegant speech, his transcendent knowledge and experience, they cannot help but be secretly amazed.


    The old monk continued: "The 72 supreme consummate skills of our temple, every skill is capable of injuring a person''s vital points and take a person''s life, extremely vicious and fierce, thus every consummate skill needs to be neutralize with corresponding levels of Buddhist mercy doctrine. However this principle is not known to everyone in Shaolin temple, when a person train his martial arts to very high level, his comprehension of Buddhist logic will inevitably be obstructed. In Shaolin, this is termed ''hindering of martial studies'', it is similar to ''hindering of awareness'' of other school or sect. It is important to be aware that Buddhist doctrines serve to save all lives, martial arts serve to kill, both sides run counter to each other, restraining each other mutually. Only with high level of Dharma, an ever flourishing merciful heart, only then you can train your supreme consummate skill to higher level, however senior monks who are able to reach such a state will not care to research different kinds of vicious techniques to kill a person."


    Great Master DaoQing nod his head and said: "Listening to old master''s speech, junior monk experience a flash of insight and all my doubts cleared." The old monk put his palms together and said: "I don''t dare, if old monk is incorrect I hope everyone can give advice." The group of monks put their palms together and said in unison: "We invite master to continue your teachings."


    Jiumozhi pondered: "Mr Murong robbed the 72 supreme consummate skills of Shaolin and leak it outside, the monks from Shaolin must be unwilling but there is nothing they can do, thus they send an old monk to deceive people, they want to trick outsiders and stop them from training their martial arts. Hey hey, is Jiumozhi so easy to be fooled?"


    The old monk continued: "Within our temple, naturally there are those with inadequate Dharma but insist on learning many first-class martial arts, but once they start training, they either fire-deviate or suffer incurable internal injuries. Great master XuanCheng from our temple possess extraordinary martial arts, all the senior monks praise him as the number one martial artist to ever emerge from our temple for the past 200 years. However in a single night, his tendons and meridians suddenly snapped, he became a handicapped person, this is the main reason."


    XuanYun, XuanSheng, both of them kneel down simultaneously and said: "Great master, is there any method to save senior martial brother XuanCheng?" the old monk shake his head and said: "It is too late, he cannot be saved. At that time Great master XuanCheng came to the Scripture-Depository Pavilion to choose martial arts manual, old monk reminded him 3 times, but he obstinately persist in going the wrong way. Now his tendons and meridians snapped, how can he continue? In reality, the Five Aggregates are empty, the mortal body sustain injuries, henceforth he cannot train martial arts, but now he can cultivate Dharma diligently and be enlightened, it can be considered a profit from disaster. Two great masters, your view fall short of Great master XuanCheng." XuanYin, XuanSheng said in unison: "Yes. Many thanks for the enlightenment."


    Suddenly there is 3 light ''Chi'' ''Chi'' ''Chi'' sound, nothing else happen. XuanYin and the rest knew it is Shaolin''s [Formless Plundering Finger], all of them look at Jiumozhi, he already change countenance, however he still force a slight smile.


    Jiumozhi was unconvinced, the more he listen the more he refuse to accept, he pondered: "You said Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skills cannot be trained together, but i already mastered quite a few. How come my tendons and meridians never snap and I never turn into a handicapped person?" his pair of hands hidden within his shirt sleeves, he secretly executed [Formless Plundering Finger], he shot it stealthily at the old monk. Unexpectedly when the finger force reach within 3 chi of the old monk, it seems to have hit an extremely soft yet extremely hard protective screen, ''Chi'' ''Chi'' ''Chi'', the finger force disperse completely without a trace, it did not even repel back. Jiumozhi was gobsmacked, he pondered: "This old monk really have some ghostly technique, he is not boasting!"


    The old monk seems to be completely unaware, he continued: "Please get up. Old monk run errands for great masters in the temple, the two of you pay such courtesy, how can I accept it?" XuanYin and XuanSheng, both of them felt a gentle force supporting their arms lightly, their body cannot help but spring up on its own, however the old monk did not hold out his hands or brush his sleeves, they were greatly amazed, this kind of divine technique, force arriving to one''s intention, could it be this old monk is the reincarnation of Bodhisattva, if not how come he can wield such remarkable power, Dharma without boundaries?


    The old monk continued: "The 72 supreme consummate skills of our temple, it is divided equally on ''body'' and ''usage'', two path, ''body'' refers to internal energy within the body, ''usage'' refers to channelling and usage method. Lay-Buddhist Xiao and lay-Buddhist Murong already have first-class internal energy in their body as the foundation, what they came to study is merely the method to using the 72 supreme consummate skills, although they suffered damage but it have yet to reveal itself prominently. Great Bright Wheel King must have practiced Carefree Sect''s [Minor Formless Skill] correct?"


    Jiumozhi was startled again, he secretly practice Carefree Sect''s [Minor Formless Skill], nobody is aware of it, but how come this old monk is able to tell? However he felt at ease immediately: "Moments ago Xu Zhu fought with me, he also use [Minor Formless Skill]. Most likely Xu Zhu told him, how can it be strange?" he said: "[Minor Formless Skill], although it is of Taoist origins but there are quite a few Buddhist disciple who practice it, it has evolved and incorporate the essence of Buddhism and Taoism. Even in your precious temple there is no lack of experts in such art."


    The old monk appeared to be slightly amazed, he said: "There is someone in Shaolin who knows [Minor Formless Skill]? Old monk is hearing it for the first time." Jiumozhi pondered: "You are dressing up as God to deceive people, you acting skill is really good." Jiumozhi smile faintly and said nothing. The old monk continued: "[Minor Formless Skill] is subtle and profound, it can be used to execute the martial arts of any sect or school, using it as the foundation, it is possible to perform all 72 supreme consummate skills, however there will inevitably be minute deviation from the actual skill."


    XuanSheng turn towards Jiumozhi and said: "Bright Wheel King claims to be proficient in our temple''s 72 supreme consummate skills, as it turns this is your proficiency." His speech is sarcastic. Jiumozhi feign deaf, he did not reply.


    The old monk continued: "If Bright Wheel King only studied the methods to using Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skills, your injuries will be latent, although it will cause trouble eventually but for a period of time it will not endanger your inner organs. But presently your ''Chengqi acupoint'' is showing vermillion colour, your ''Wenxiang acupoint'' revealed faint purple cloud, the muscles in your ''Jiache acupoint'' is vibrating, all these signs indicate that after Bright Wheel King practice Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skills, you attempt to master it by combining multiple skills into one¡­.." he pause and shake his head slightly, his eyes revealed great sadness and pity.


    After learning Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skills, Jiumozhi felt there are too many types of skill, it would be better to combine skills that are similar into one, however when he start combining he felt agitated and impatient, his mind muddled and confuse, it is hard to pin down the problem, could it be the old monk is telling the truth, that he got the sequence in reverse and great catastrophe is looming? He had second thoughts: "It is common for a practitioner to fire-deviate when their training failed, however I am proficient in the secrets of internal and external martial arts, how can I be compared with an ordinary person? This old monk is just boasting, If I believe his ruse then Jiumozhi''s illustrious reputation will turn into nothing."


    The old monk saw a worried expression on Jiumozhi''s face initially, however his eyebrow straighten immediately, his expression became perverse and conceited again, evidently he ignored his speech, he sigh lightly and said to Xiao YuanShan: "Lay-Buddhist Xiao, your ''Liangmen acupoint'' and ''Taiyi acupoint'', have you been feeling faint aching lately?" Xiao YuanShan''s entire body is trembling, he said: "Divine monk is wise, it is as stated." The old monk continued: "The numbing sensation in your ''Guanyuan acupoint'', how is it recently?" Xiao YuanShan was even more amazed, his voice trembling: "10 years ago this numbing sensation was merely the size of a little finger, but now¡­.now it is the size of a tea cup."


    When Xiao Feng heard it he knew these 3 vital acupoints on his father is showing symptoms, it must be due to the training of Shaolin''s consummate skill, from his speech these symptoms disturb him for many years and he cannot remove it, now it turn into a major worry, at once he took 2 steps forward, he kneel down and prostrate himself before the old monk and said: "My father''s illness is deep, I implore for mercy and help."


    The old monk put his palms together to return the courtesy, he said: "Shizu please get up. Shizu is humane and virtuous, you worry for all common people under the heaven, you refuse to let personal grudge damage the relationship between Song and Liao, such humanity and righteousness, no matter what request you have old monk will certainly carry it out. There is no need to be overly courteous." Xiao Feng was elated, he kowtow twice and stood up. The old monk sigh again and said: "Senior Xiao shizu killed excessively and harm the innocent, Qiao SanHuai husband and wife, Great master XuanKu, you should not have killed them."


    Xiao YuanShan is a Khitan hero, although he is old but he is still uncouth and boorish, when he heard the criticizing remarks of the old monk he said brightly: "Old man is fully aware of my serious injuries, I am over 60 years old, my son is an adult now, even if I die now where is the regret? Divine monk wants old man to repent and admit my mistake, that I absolutely cannot do." The old monk shake his head and said: "Old monk don''t dare. Repenting and admitting mistakes should come naturally from one''s heart, only then it is significant, if other people demand it there is no benefit at all. Senior shizu''s injuries are due to the training of Shaolin''s martial arts, the method to resolving must come from Buddhist doctrine."


    When he finish speaking he turn towards Murong Bo and said: "Senior Murong shizu face death with equanimity, naturally you don''t need old monk to dissuade you. However old monk wish to give some advice so that senior shizhu can eliminate ''Yangbai'', ''Lianquan'', ''Fengfu'', the pain of thousand needles you experience 3 times a day on these acupoints, what do you think?"


    Murong Bo change countenance, he cannot help but tremble slightly. His ''Yangbai'', ''Lianquan'' and ''Fengfu'' acupoints, every morning, noon and midnight, he experience the pain of thousand needles piercing, the pain is truly unbearable, no matter what medication or elixir he consume it had absolutely no effect at all. Whenever he channel his internal energy the piercing pain will penetrate deep into his marrow. He experience this kind of pain daily, where is the joy in living? For the past few years his suffering became more difficult to deal with, thus he willingly seek death in exchange for Xiao Feng''s promise to send troops to attack Song nation, although he claims it is for the purpose of restoring Great Yan but part of the reason is also due to his desire to rid himself of this unpleasant aliment as it is simply too difficult to bear. Currently the old monk narrate the cause of his illness, his shock is truly no small matter. Base on his profound martial arts even if there is a sudden clap of thunder in bright day light he will be completely unfazed. However just a few simple sentence from the old monk is sufficient to make his heart jump in fear and trepidation, his terror endless. His body tremble twice, the violent pain in his ''Yangbai'', ''Lianquan'' and ''Fengfu'' acupoints flare-up again. Originally it is not the time for the pain to flare-up, however his mind was shaken and the pain burst forth abruptly, thus he have no choice but to grit his teeth and bear with the pain forcefully.


    Murong Fu is aware of his father''s competitive nature, he rather die than be humiliated by others, moreover he does not want to be like Xiao Feng, kneeling and begging the old monk for his father''s treatment, he cupped his hands towards Xiao father and son, he said: "The green hills will never change, clear water will always flow, we have to leave now for the time being. If you want to seek us for revenge, we will wait respectfully at Gusu Basin of Swallow''s Canhe Manor. He held out his right hand towards Murong Bo and said: "Father, let us go now!"


    The old monk said: "Unexpectedly you have the heart to make your esteemed father suffer this bone piercing pain?"


    Murong Fu''s complexion turn deathly pale, he pull his father''s hand and start to walk away.


    Xiao Feng shouted: "You want to leave? You think you can be let off so lightly? Your father is ill, a real man does not take advantage of other''s precarious position, I will let him off for the time being. But you have no illness or pain!" Murong Fu''s anger rush forth, he shouted: "Then I will simply receive brother Xiao wise move!" Xiao Feng did not waste time speaking, with a ''Hu'' sound, he executed a move from [28 Dragon Subduing Palm], "Meeting Dragon at the Field", and smack his palm violently at Murong Fu. Xiao Feng knew the space in Scripture-Depository Pavilion is narrow, there are many experts around, it is not convenient to prolong this fight, thus he put in 100% of his power in order to kill his enemy within a few moves. Murong Fu saw the incoming palm force is violent, he summoned all his strength and prepare to use [Start Shifting Movement] to neutralize.


    The old monk put his pair of hands together and said: "Emituofo, this place is a sacred Buddhist site, shizhu must not act rashly."


    Just by putting his palms together, an invisible barrier appeared between Xiao Feng and Murong Fu. Xiao Feng''s earth shattering palm force crash into this barrier and disappeared without a trace in an instant.


    Xiao Feng trembled with fear, ever since he became an accomplished martial artist, he has never lost to anyone in terms of martial arts, he knew that this old monk''s internal energy is far stronger than his own, the gap is simply too wide, since the old monk intervened he will not be able to take revenge today. His father''s internal injuries came to his mind, he bow and said: "I am an uncouth commoner with no proper etiquette, I offended divine monk, please forgive me."


    The old monk smile and said: "You are too kind, you are too kind. Old monk really respect Xiao shizhu, you truly have the bearings of a great hero, Xiao shizhu is fully deserving of your reputation." Xiao Feng said: "The sins committed by my father are all due to me, I beg divine monk to treat him, I will receive the guilt for the sins, ten thousand deaths will not stop me."


    The old monk smile faintly and said: "Old monk said it before, to treat senior Xiao shizhu''s internal injuries, it must come from Buddhist doctrine. Buddha is born from the heart, Buddha is awareness. Outsiders can only advice, they cannot perform in place. I wish to ask senior Xiao shizhu: If you have the ability to treat injuries, the internal injuries of senior Murong shizhu, you willing to treat it for him?"


    Xiao YuanShan was startled, he said: "I¡­..senior Murong¡­..i perform treatment for that old fellow?" Murong Fu shouted: "Watch your mouth!" Xiao YuanShan gnash his teeth and said: "Murong old fellow killed my beloved wife, destroy my entire life. I want to hack him into thousand pieces, turn him into mincemeat." The old monk said: "If senior Murong shizhu does not meet with a violent death in front of you, you cannot eliminate this hatred?" Xiao YuanShan said: "Correct. For the past 30 years, day and night, old man only thought about this blood debt."


    The old monk nod his head and said: "Then it is simple." He stroll forward, extend his hand and smack the top of Murong Bo''s head.


    Initially when Murong Bo saw the old monk move forward he pay no attention, when the monk extend his hand and smack the top of his head he raised his left hand quickly to block, he was afraid his opponent''s martial art is excessively powerful, thus when he raised his hand his body immediately float backwards. The martial arts handed down by his Murong family is already extremely profound, after the study of Shaolin''s 72 supreme consummate skills, it is like a tiger that has grown wings, this raising of hand to block, body floating backwards, it may appear simple and nothing unusual, but in reality the defensive move is tight and elegant, it can be said to be the highest limits of perfection, there cannot be anything better. Everyone in the pavilion are all martial art experts, when they saw him execute these two moves they applaud secretly, even Xiao father and son cannot help but admire greatly.


    But who would have expect the old monk''s palm to land softly, with a ''Bo'' sound it hit right at the middle of Murong Bo''s forehead, above the ''Baihui acupoint''. Murong Bo''s body tremble violently, his breathing stop immediately and he collapsed.


    Murong Fu was startled, he rush forward to support and shout: "Father, father!" however his father''s eyes are shut, no air coming from his nostril, he hastily hold out his hand to touch his chest, the heart stop beating as well. Murong Fu felt a mix of anger and sadness, he never expect this old monk who keeps talking about merciful heart and Dharma to commit such evil act, he shouted: "You¡­.you¡­..you old bald thief!" he lean his father''s body against a pillar, his body flew forward, he thrust both palms violently at the old monk.


    The old monk did not appear to see it and ignored him completely. When Murong Fu push his palms within 2 chi of the old monk, suddenly he collide with an invisible energy wall, he seems to have bump into a fishing net, although the palm force is violent but it have no place to land, the force rebound off the invisible wall and hit a bookshelf. The incoming force is violent, naturally the counter-force must also be extremely powerful, however his palm force was completely dissipated by the invisible wall, afterwards he was pushed away lightly, thus when his back hit the bookshelf, the bookshelf did not topple over, moreover not a single book drop down from the pile of scriptures on the bookshelf.


    Murong Fu is extremely astute, although he is distressed by his father''s death, but he knew the old monk''s martial art is more than 10 times higher, even if he use his full strength there is nothing he can do against him, at once he lean against the bookshelf and pretend to gasp for breath continuously, in his mind he plot secretly on how to catch him off guard with a sneak attack.


    The old monk turn towards Xiao YuanShan and said dimly: "Senior Xiao shizhu wish to witness the violent death of senior Murong shizhu personally to quell the hatred in your heart. Now senior Murong shizhu is dead, senior Xiao shizhu must be calm now?"


    Xiao YuanShan saw the old monk kill Murong Bo with a single strike, originally he was incomparably astonished, but when he heard his query his heart cannot help but feel empty, he was speechless.


    For the past 30 years, he rack his brain endlessly, he want to avenge his wife, the hatred of having his son taken away. He hid in the vicinity of Shaolin temple, he found out that XuanCi is the chief person who killed his wife, however he did not want to kill him in secret, he intend to use a cruel method to avenge this blood debt publicly, afterwards he found out that abbot XuanCi had an illicit relationship with Ye ErNiang, he had a son, thus he snatch the son away from Ye ErNiang and let both of them experience the pain of losing their son. He killed all the heroes from Central Plains who participated in the massacre at YanMen Pass, even great master XuanKu and Qiao SanHuai husband and wife was killed by him, later he announced the adultery between XuanCi and Ye ErNiang to the crowd of heroes, make him lose all his reputation, it can be said he managed to complete his revenge thoroughly. But soon after he learn about identity of the crafty villain who spread false news which led to the disaster, the person also hid beside Shaolin temple and fought 3 times with him, Murong Bo, Xiao YuanShan''s heart was filled with anger and directed his anger entirely on Murong Bo, he cannot wait to feed on his flesh and strip his skin, pluck his tendon and cook his bones. Who would have imagined the sudden appearance of a nameless old monk, seemingly without much effort he killed this great enemy with a single palm. In an instant he felt as if his body in high in the clouds, fluttering lightly, the world seems to have no place for him.


    When Xiao YuanShan was young his heroism soared to the clouds, he mastered a superb set of martial arts, but because his revered teacher is a Han Chinese from the south, when he took up the post of military drill master of Liao''s Coral Army, he offered advice to Liao emperor and Empress Dowager repeatedly and advocate a solid alliance between Song and Liao, he dispelled many great war and disaster between Song and Liao, his wife is his childhood sweetheart, both of them love each other deeply, soon after their marriage they had a son, his mind became clear and bright, his spirit high and vigorous. Unexpectedly a strange twist of events occurred at YanMen Pass, he did not die after falling into the valley, but he became a completely different person, what glorious undertaking, fame and position, everything appeared insignificant before his eyes, day and night he only think about how to kill his enemy to avenge this great hatred. Originally he was a simple and bold hero, when his heart was filled with hate, unexpectedly he became more and more perverse. He lived near Shaolin temple for over 10 years, hiding by day and coming out at night, he practice martial arts diligently, on a year-to year basis he never spoke more than 2 sentence with others, his temperament undergo a huge change.


    Now the great hatred finally avenged, it is reasonable to say that he should be extremely happy, however he only felt indiscernible loneliness and desolation, he felt there is nothing left in this world for him to do, no purpose in being alive. He look askance at Murong Bo who is leaning against the pillar, Murong Bo''s expression is gentle, a faint smile can be seen from the corner of his mouth, he seems to be much happier dead than alive. Xiao YuanShan felt a faint sense of envy at Murong Bo''s good fortune, death ends all trouble, everything written off with 1 stroke. He felt bleakness in his heart: "The great enemy is dead, I completed my revenge. But where should I go? Return to Great Liao? To do what? Live in seclusion at YanMen Pass? To do what? Bring Feng-er and roam about the world, drifting the four seas? For what purpose?"


    The old monk said: "Senior Xiao shizhu, where you want to go, you may go now." Xiao YuanShan shake his head and said: "I¡­.where should I go? There is no place for me to go." The old monk said: "I killed senior Murong shizhu, you did not avenge it personally, thus you must have some regret, correct?" Xiao YuanShan said: "No! Even if you did not kill him, I also don''t want to kill him." The old monk nod his head and said: "Correct! But this young hero Murong is distressed by his father''s death, he will seek old monk and you for revenge, what should we do?"


    Xiao YuanShan was dispirited, he said: "Great monk act on my behalf, if young hero Murong wants revenge, he can simply kill me." He sigh and said: "It is a good thing if he comes to kill me. Feng-er, return back to Great Liao. We completed our work here, this is the end of the journey." Xiao Feng shouted: "Father, you¡­¡­¡­."


    The old monk said: "If young hero Murong kills you, your son will surely kill young hero Murong for revenge, this endless revenge and hatred, when will it end? Why not let me bear all the guilt in this world!" he took one step forward, raised his palm and smack towards the top of Xiao YuanShan''s head.


    Xiao Feng was startled, since this old monk can kill Murong Bo with a single palm, he is certainly capable of killing his father, he shout loudly: "Stop!" he push out with both palm and smack violently towards the old monk''s chest. Originally he had complete reverence towards this old monk, however for the sake of saving his father he can only go all out with his full strength. The old monk extend his left palm and block the incoming force from Xiao Feng''s twin palm, his right palm is still directed towards the top of Xiao YuanShan''s head.


    Xiao YuanShan did not even think about resisting, he saw the old monk''s right palm is about to hit his forehead, suddenly the old monk shout loudly, his right palm change direction and strike towards Xiao Feng.


    Xiao Feng''s twin palm is locked in stalemate with the old monk''s left palm, suddenly he saw the old monk''s right palm turn around and attack him, at once he extract his left palm to block, at the same time he shouted out: "Father, leave quickly, leave quickly!" unexpectedly the old monk''s right palm change direction midway, it is an empty move, its purpose is to divert a palm away from Xiao Feng''s twin palm so as to reduce the power directed at his own body. When Xiao Feng move his left palm, the old monk immediately circle his right palm, with a light ''Bo'' sound he hit the top of Xiao YuanShan''s head.


    At this moment, Xiao Feng''s right palm arrived, with a ''Peng'' sound it land heavily on the old monk''s chest. The old monk smile faintly and said: "What a fine skill!" when he blurt out the word ''skill'' he immediately spurt a mouthful of blood.


    Xiao Feng was stumped, he rush over to support his father, however his breathing had stopped, his heart no longer beating, he is already dead, Xiao Feng was overcame by sorrow momentarily, he did not know what to do.


    The old monk said: "It is time, we should leave!" his right hand grab hold of the back of Xiao YuanShan''s neck, his left hand grab hold of the back of Murong Bo''s neck, he opened up his stride, unexpectedly he seems to be walking on empty air, he took a few steps and step out of the window.


    Xiao Feng and Murong Fu shouted in unison: "You¡­.what you doing?" both of them thrust out their palm at the old monk''s back. Moments ago both of them have irreconcilables differences, both parties cannot coexist together, currently their fathers met with the same disaster, unexpectedly they share the same anger and enemy, they join hands and attack the enemy together. The power of their palm combines together, its strength gigantic. Under the influence of their palm wind, the old monk is like a kite and flew forward by several zhang, his pair of hands still holding onto both corpses, three bodies as light as feather as if not made of flesh and blood.


    Xiao Feng leap up quickly and give chase outside the window, he saw the old monk holding onto two corpses, running straight up the mountain. Xiao Feng hasten his footsteps, he assume he would be able to catch up with just a few steps, unexpectedly the old monk''s lightness martial art is strange, he has never seen it before in his life, the old monk seems to possess some kind of sorcery. Xiao Feng spare no effort to give chase, he felt the incoming wind is like a blade scraping his face, he knew his movement speed is already strangely quick, however the old monk is still 2-3 zhang away from him, he thrust out his palm repeatedly but it just hit empty air.


    In the desolate mountain the old monk suddenly made a turn east and shift west, he arrive at a flat land in the middle of a forest, he put the two corpse underneath a tree, their legs crossed and sitting down, he himself sitting behind the two corpse, his two palm separately pressing against the back of the two corpse. As he sat down, Xiao Feng so happen to arrive as well.


    Xiao Feng saw the old monk is acting strangely, thus he did not step forward to attack. He heard the old monk said: "I carry them and make them run around for a while to help circulate their blood." Xiao Feng was flabbergasted, let a dead person circulate blood, what is the purpose? He blurted out: "Circulate their blood?" the old monk said: "Their internal injuries are too serious, they have to enter a sleeping state where they stop breathing, only then the treatment can be administered." Xiao Feng''s heart was shaken: "Don''t tell me my father is still alive? He¡­.he is treating my father''s injuries? Where is the logic in killing someone before providing treatment?"


    Not long after, Murong Fu, Jiumozhi, XuanYin, XuanSheng, ShengShan, etc, they arrived as well, they saw white smoke emitting from the top of the head of the two corpses.


    The old monk spin both corpse around, face to face, the corpse''s hands grasping each other mutually, Murong Fu shouted: "You¡­you¡­.what you doing?" the old monk did not reply, he walk slowly around the corpses, his hands smacking repeatedly, sometimes he hit Xiao YuanShan''s "Dazhui acupoint", sometimes he hit Murong Bo''s "Yuzhen acupoint", however the smoke emitting from the top of the head of the two corpses are getting thicker.


    After the time needed to drink a cup of tea, Xiao YuanShan''s body and Murong Bo''s body tremble slightly at the same time. Xiao Feng and Murong Fu was pleasantly surprised, they shouted: ''Father father!" Xiao YuanShan and Murong Bo open their eyes slowly, they glance at each other and close their eyes immediately. However Xiao YuanShan''s face is bright red, faint green light is emitting from Murong Bo''s face.


    At this moment everyone finally understood, moments ago when the old monk attacked the two men at the Scripture-Depository Pavilion, he merely halt their breathing and stop their heart form beating temporary, its truly a high-level method for treating serious internal injuries. People with profound internal energy will often train [Turtle Breathing Skill], that is only voluntary stoppage of breathing, however to hit someone else to stop their breathing and yet not kill them, that is truly unimaginable. Since this old monk had good intentions he could have notified in advance, why the need to play this big joke and cause Xiao Feng and Murong Fu to be alarmed and angry, moreover he even have to suffer a palm strike from Xiao Feng and spurt blood? Everyone still had doubts and suspicions, however seeing the old monk launch his palm repeatedly with rapt attention, nobody dare to make any inquiry.


    Xiao YuanShan and Murong Bo''s breathing became louder and heavier gradually, soon after Xiao YuanShan''s complexion turn red, eventually reaching a point where it is about to start dripping blood, Murong Bo''s complexion however became more and more green, his oily green complexion is extremely terrifying. The spectators by the side knew that one of them is suffering from excessive yang energy, clashing of excess internal heat, the other however is suffering from excessive yin energy, chill trapped internally. XuanYin, XuanSheng and DaoQing, they carried miracle medicine for treatment of injuries, however they did not know how to prescribe the correct cure for the illness.


    Suddenly the old monk shouted out: "Duo! Four hands grasping mutually, inner breath answering one another, using yin to subdue yang, using yang to neutralize yin. The great ambition to rule, sea of blood deep in hatred, return everything to dust, disappear into nothingness!"


    Originally Xiao YuanShan and Murong Bo''s hands are gripping each other, listening to the old monk shout out, they cannot help but tighten their grip, their own inner breath rush towards each other, abundance filling up the deficient, individually the redness disappear and the green decline, they turn pale white, after a while their complexion became normal, they open their eyes simultaneously and smile at each other.


    Xiao Feng and Murong Fu saw their fathers smile, both of them are comforted beyond description. Xiao YuanShan and Murong Bo stand up together hand in hand, they kneel down in front of the old monk at the same time. The old monk said: "Both of you from life till death, from death till life, you walk once through, do you still have anything that you are unable to let go of? If you died just now, do you still have the intention to restore Great Yan, or to avenge your wife?"


    Xiao YuanShan said: "Disciple wasted 30 years staying in Shaolin temple, I did not have the slightest compassionate heart of a Buddhist disciple, I earnestly request master to accept me." The old monk said: "You do not wish to avenge your wife anymore?" Xiao YuanShan said: "Disciple killed more than a hundred people in my entire life, if the family members of those that I killed came to demand vengeance, even if disciple dies a hundred times, it is still not enough."


    The old monk turn around and said to Murong Bo: "And you?" Murong Bo smile faintly and said: "The life of a peasant is dust, the life of a monarch is also dust. To restore Great Yan is just emptiness, not restoring Great Yan is also emptiness." The old monk laugh out loudly and said: "You have achieved supreme enlightenment, excellent, excellent!" Murong Bo said: "I beseech master to accept me as disciple to enlighten me further." The old monk said: "Both of you want to become a monk, you have to first request tonsure from the great masters of Shaolin temple. I have a few things to say, there is no harm in telling you." At once he sat upright to expound Buddhist teachings.


    Xiao Feng and Murong Fu saw their father kneeling down, immediately after they followed and kneel down as well. XuanYin, XuanSheng, ShenShan, ShenYin, DaoQing, etc, they listen to the old monk explain the exquisite point of Buddhist teachings, they cannot help but be delighted, their respect and admiration slowly arose, each and every one kneel down as well.


    When Duan Yu arrived, he heard the old monk explaining the finer points of Buddhism, he only want to go round and look at the old monk''s appearance, unexpectedly Jiumozhi made a sneak attack, his chest was hit by [Blazing Sabre Skill].

 Chapter - 44 Foolishly Seeking a Lovely Marriage, But Where Lies the Main Destiny?

    Duan Yu drifted in and out of consciousness. Slowly regaining his senses after an unknown length of time, he opened his eyes to see a cloth canopy and found himself within the blankets of a bed. He was still in a state of confusion. Thinking hard, he only recalled that he had suffered the consequences of Jiumozhi''s plot. He could not recall how he got into the bed. Feeling that his mouth was strangely parched, he sat up and tried to move a little and felt a terrible pain in his chest. "AH!" he could not help but yell out.


    A young lady''s voice called from outside the room. "Master Duan is awake! Master Duan is awake!" Her voice was filled with joy. Duan Yu felt that this girl''s voice was familiar but could not pinpoint it. He then saw a girl dressed in green dashing into the room. A chubby face with dimples ¨C indeed it was Zhong Ling whom he''d met at Wuliang Palace several years back.


    Zhong Ling met his gaze and blushed, saying in an attempted joking tone: "Have you long forgotten me? Do you still remember my name?"


    Duan Yu saw her expression and recalled to mind an image of her sitting on the ceiling beam of Wuliang Palace''s great hall, both legs waving and chewing on melon seeds. At this moment, he recalled even the yellow embroidery flowers on her pair of green shoes in great clarity. "Where are your yellow flower-embroidered shoes?" he asked.


    Zhong Ling blushed again, overjoyed. With a small laugh, she replied: "They wore out long ago. Trust you to remember those. You¡­ You really haven''t forgotten me!" Duan Yu laughed, "Why aren''t you eating melon seeds?" Zhong Ling said: "I''ve been tending to your injuries these few days and almost went mad with anxiety. Who would have the time to eat melon seeds?" Upon saying those words, she felt that she''d revealed her true feelings too much and blushed terribly.


    Duan Yu gazed at her intenty, thinking that she could be counted as his wife since the beginning. Who would have thought that she would turn out to be his sister? He sighed and said: "My dear sister, how did you get here?"


    Zhong Ling''s face was still red. Eyes shining with delight, she said: "After you left Wan Jie Valley, you never came to see me. I was very upset with you. Duan Yu said: "Why upset?" Zhong Ling gave him him a sideways glance and said: "Upset that you''d forgotten me."


    Duan Yu saw only sincerity in her gaze and was moved. "My dear sister!" he exclaimed. Zhong Ling laughingly scolded him: "Now that you''ve addressed me so affectionately this time, you surely have to come and see me at least this once. I could not rest and went to the Zhennan Palace to seek news. I then found out that you went off with a wicked monk. I was so anxious that I could not help but come and find you."


    Duan Yu asked: "Regarding my father and your mother, has your mother explained it to you?" Zhong Ling replied: "What matter? That night when you left with your father, my mother fainted and was not well for some time. She would keep weeping every time she saw me. I forced her to speak but she would not say a word."


    Duan Yu said: "En, she didn''t say a word. That¡­ that means you don''t know." "Know what?" Zhong Ling asked. Duan Yu replied: "Don''t know that you are my¡­ you are my¡­"


    Zhong Ling flushed scarlet and bowed her head. Hesitantly, she said: "I knew... That day when we came out from the stone house, as you were carrying me you suddenly met many people and I was both terrified and bashful. I could only keep my eyes shut. However, your father''s words¡­ I heard them all clearly."


    Both she and Duan Yu recalled the day in the stone house when Duan Zhengchun said to Zhong Wanchou: "Ling loves to serve Duan Yu in this house. Given time, a boy and girl undressed in a small dark room, what good can come out of it? My son is the Zhennan prince. Although he cannot marry her as the lawful wife, why can''t she be the third or fourth wife? Would we not be in-laws then? Ha ha!


    Duan Yu saw that she was blushing terribly and stammered: "My dear sister¡­ so you still¡­ still don''t know the issue. This¡­ this will never work out." Zhong Ling cut in: "Is it because of Sister Mu?" Duan Yu said: "No. She¡­ She is also my¡­" Zhong Ling smiled, "Your father still said something about a third or fourth wife. It''s not that I don''t give want to her but she''s extremely fierce, would I be able to beat her? She stuck out her tongue as she said it.


    Duan Yu saw that she was still a picture of brilliant innocence. At the same time, his chest gave pain again. It was not a convenient time to explain the truth to her. He then asked: "How did you get here?"


    Zhong Ling said: "I have been searching for you the whole way even to the east and west of the Central Plains but I heard no news whatsoever. I coincidentally met your disciple Yue the Third a few days ago. Although he did not see me, I heard him discussing with others that all the chivalrous heroes need to gather at Shaolin Temple as there was going to be a big and lively event. He told them to come. However, the wicked man Yun Zhongyue sneered and him and said that he would see his master soon. Yue the Third flew into a rage and said that when he saw you he would break your neck. I was both happy and anxious, so I quietly followed along. I was afraid to be spotted by Yue the Third and Yun Zhongyu and so I did not dare to follow to closely, but wandered around the base of the mountain haphazardly. I wanted to warn you to be cautious that your disciple wanted to break your neck. When I came across this uninhabited house, I moved in without reservation."


    Duan Yu heard her speak of matters lightly but her face was flushed with emotion. She no longer seemed carefree like before. Young as she was, she had gone through much difficulty wandering alone throughout the Jianghu to find him. Her feelings toward him were genuine indeed. He impulsively stretched out his hand to hold hers and said in a low voice: "My dear sister, at least Heaven took pity (on us) and allowed me to see you again!"


    Zhong Ling laughed and said: "Yes, at least Heaven felt sorry for us indeed and let us see each other again. Sitting down on the bed, she asked: "How is it that you came here then?" Duan Yu said to her, eyes wide: "I was just about to ask you that, how did I get here? I only recall that the evil monk did a sneak attack on me and I took a hit of his Formless Saber skill to the chest, taking a heavy injury. I know nothing after that."


    Zhong Ling frowned and said: "That''s really strange! Yesterday evening, I was picking vegetables in the garden. I had washed and cut the vegetables in the kitchen all ready to cook when I heard a moan in the room. It gave me a fright and I took the vegetable knife and entered the room. I only saw that there was a person sleeping on my bed and asked a few times: "Who are you?" There was no reply. I thought it was a bad person and raised the vegetable knife, ready to stab it into the person sleeping on the bed. Fortunately¡­ fortunately you were sleeping face-up. Before the knife pierced you, I got a glimpse of your face and at that moment¡­ I almost fainted from the shock. I didn''t even realise that the knife had fallen to the floor. " At this point, she patted her chest a few times, recalling the shock of that moment.


    Duan Yu pondered: "This place is not far from Shaolin Temple. It should be that someone sent me here after I was injured." Zhong Ling continued: "I called to you a few times but you only moaned and ignored me. I felt your forehead and you were running a terrible fever. Your clothes were soaked with fresh blood and it was obvious to me that you were injured. However, when I exposed the wound, it was well bandaged. I was gripped in confusion and dared not open the securing string. After waiting for a long while, you were still unconscious. Ai! I was both happy and in a panic, not knowing what to do with you."


    Zhong Ling''s expression suddenly stiffened and she said: "You aren''t a good person. If I''d known earlier that you lack a conscience, I would have long forgotten you. I''ll ignore you from now onwards, regardless of whether you live or die."


    Duan Yu said: "What? Why are you suddenly angry now?" Zhong Ling hummed and said pointedly: "You know very well, why ask me?" Duan Yu replied in a panic: "I¡­ I definitely don''t know. My dear sister, tell me!" Zhong Ling retorted: "Pooh! Who''s your dear sister? What did you say in your dreams? You remember and still ask me? You''re really ungrateful!" Duan Yu asked: "What did I say while dreaming? That must have been nonsense and not accurate. Ah! I remember! I must have seen you in my dream and being very fond of you, I must have spoken rashly and offended you."


    Zhong Ling suddenly teared and said dejectedly: "You''re still lying to me at this time. Who did you actually dream of?" Duan Yu sighed and said: "When I was injured, I was unconscious and really did not know what nonsense I said." Zhong Ling suddenly exclaimed: "Who is Miss Wang? Who is Miss Wang? Why did you keep calling her when you were in a daze?"


    Duan Yu''s chest ached and said: "Did I call Miss Wang''s name?" Zhong Ling said: "Why aren''t you calling her? You kept calling her while in a daze. Even now, you''re still thinking of her. Fine! Go and call Miss Wang to tend to you. I don''t care any more!" Duan Yu sighed a few times and said: "Miss Wang''s heart has no space for me. I only think of her but it is useless." Zhong Ling asked: "Why?" Duan Yu replied: "She only likes her cousin and has ignored me completely all this while."


    Zhong Ling''s mood brightened and she laughed. "Thank heavens, the wicked get their just desserts!" Duan Yu asked: "Me, wicked?" Zhong Ling tilted her head and laughed, hair style coming partly undone: "Your disciple Yue the Third is one of the Three Evils. If the disciple is so evil, the master is definitely even more so." Duan Yu laughed and said: "What about the Master-Wife? Does Yue the Third not call you Master-Wife? As he uttered the words, he immediately regretted them. "How can I speak such careless words to my biological sister?"


    Zhong Ling blushed again and spat, but her heart was much appeased. She stood up and went to the kitchen to bring out a bowl of chicken soup, saying: "This soup has been boiling for half a day, waiting for you to awaken without once putting out the fire." Duan Yu replied: I really don''t know how to thank you." Seeing Zhong Ling bringing the soup over, he tried to sit up but aggravated his chest injury again. He could not help but groan.


    Zhong Ling busily said: "Don''t get up. I will feed the little evil ancestor.""What little evil ancestor?" Duan Yu asked. Zhong Ling said: "You are the master of the wicked man. Is that not being the little evil ancestor?" Duan Yu laughed and said: "Then you are¡­" Zhong Ling brandished a spoonful of soup at his face and said in mock anger: "Watch me splash you with hot soup if you keep talking nonsense again!"Duan Yu stretched out his tongue and said: "I don''t dare! Miss Wicked Girl, wicked aunts are indeed formidable and very evil!" Zhong Ling let out a smile, and almost splashed Duan Yu with the soup. Duan Yu with great presence of mind tasted that the soup was not too hot before swallowing it.


    Duan Yu drank a few mouthfuls of chicken soup and admired her looks and her jade-like complexion. He thought: "Such a pity that she''s my biological sister! Ai, if the one now feeding me chicken soup was Miss Wang, even it were poison I would still drink it."


    Zhong Ling saw him vacantly staring at her and never in her wildest dreams imagined that he was thinking of someone else. She smiled and said: "What''s so good to look at?"


    There was a sudden sound. Someone was pushing the door aside to enter, followed by a teenage girl''s voice saying: "Let''s take a break here for a while." A man''s voice said: "Good, if we tired you out I would not forgive myself. The girl snapped back: "Nonsense!"


    ---


    Duan Yu heard the two voices and recognised them to be A-Zi and Beggar Clan Chief Zhuang Juxian. Although he had not met A-zi or spoken to her personally before, he knew that she was another illegitimate daughter of his father''s from what Zhu Danchen told him. Yet another sister! Thank goodness he had no prior involvement with her. This younger sister had been under the guidance of the Xing Su elder since young and was tainted by evil ways. With her wilful ways, the four Zhennan Palace protectors had fallen to her petty anger. Duan Yu had been close to the four protectors since young. On recalling their deaths, he had no wish to see this sister of his. Furthermore, he had recently aided Xiao Feng against Zhuang Juxian and feared for his life if they were spotted. He raised a finger, making a shushing gesture.


    Zhong Ling nodded and held onto the bowl of chicken broth, not daring to place it on the table, terrified of making even a small sound. She heard A-Zi call out: "Wei, anyone there?" Zhong Ling glanced at Duan Yu and did not respond, thinking: "This person must have given his heart to Miss Wang, but she''s with her cousin and hence Duan Yu doesn''t wish to see her." She was itching to take a look at "Miss Wang''s" appearance, wondering how beautiful she must look to bespell Duan Yu so. However, she dared not take a step, thinking that nothing good could come of Duan Yu meeting her. Hopefully, she would call a few more times and leave with her cousin if there was no response.


    A-Zi called loudly once more: "Why are none of the people in the house taking a damned step out?" If you still don''t show yourself, I''ll burn your house down!"


    Zhong Ling thought: "This Miss Wang is really tyrannical!" You Tanzhi quietly said: "Be quiet, someone''s coming!" A-Zi replied: "Who? Beggar Clan?" You Tanzhi replied: "I don''t know, but there are four or five and may not necessarily be Beggar Clan members. They''re coming this way." A-Zi said: "Those stinking beggar clan elders! Apart from Elder Quan, none of them are good. They may want to hold this against you. If we''re seen, both of us will be in trouble." You Tanzhi replied: "Then what should we do?" A-Zi said: "Let''s go and hide in the house first. You''ve been badly injured and can''t fight with them."


    Duan Yu quietly agonised, making a hand signal to Zhong Ling to tell her to hide. However, in this narrow and crampy mountain hut, there was nowhere to do so. Zhong Ling looked around and had no better ideas. From the sound of the footsteps, the duo were walking towards the room. She quietly said: "Let''s hide below the bed-stove! [¿» Kang2]. She put down the bowl of soup. Before waiting for Duan Yu''s response, she carried him up and they burrowed under the bed-stove. However, the bottom of the bed-stove was filled with soot. Duan Yu''s nose was filled with dust and he managed to prevent a sneeze with great difficulty.


    Zhong Ling looked out and saw a pair of feet clad in purple shoes walking into the room. She heard the man say: "Ai, I needed you to carry me around - it was really unsuitable work for you." The girl retorted: "One of us is blind and one is broken ¨C we have no choice but to depend on each other." Zhong Ling was puzzled and thought: "Turns out that Miss Wang is blind and she''s carrying her cousin on her back. No wonder that I can''t see his feet."


    A-Zi placed You Tanzhi on the bed and exclaimed: "Yi! Someone just slept on this bed! It''s still warm!" Suddenly, there was a banging noise. The main door had been kicked open and a few people dashed in. A rough voice said: "Clan Leader Zhuang, the plans of the clan have come to nothing. How could you slip away just like that?" It was Elder Song. He had been leading two Seven-Pouch disciples along with two Six-Pouch disciples to search out You Tanzhi.


    With the Xiao, Murong father-son duos along with the Shaolin monks and the assorted heroes of the Central Plains all involved in the Shaolin Temple event, the Beggar Clan felt that they were in great peril. They needed to urgently think of a solution. They were afraid that even being the biggest clan with a foothold in the Central Plains they would be affected by the Xiao father-son feud with Murong Bo that might drag on. They did not care and did not want to interfere. Even if they told Bao Butong that they shared a common enemy and brought ill upon Xiao Feng, their main concern was to avoid British Rule and be led by a strong Clan Leader to restore their original power and glory.


    Clan Chief Zhuang disappeared in the mess when they were hunting for him. They thought that with both legs broken, he could not have gone far and searched for him nearby. As to how to deal with him after they had found him, the clan had yet to decide and were still at a loss. However the majority were unanimous in that he was definitely not fit to continue as clan leader. Some lambasted him for taking the Xing Su Elder as his teacher and shaming the clan. Some cursed him for sending people to kill clan members, swearing to settle scores with him. As for Quan Guanqing, he had long been captured by Elders Song and Wu, waiting to be dealt with along with Zhuang Juxian.


    Elder Song led the four disciples to search the southeast of Shaolin Mountain and saw a flash of purple clothing in the distant forest ¨C someone entering a farmhouse. He recognised A-Zi and saw her carrying a person that looked like Zhuang Juxian. Immediately pursuing, they barged into the farm house and saw Zhuang Juxian and A-Zi sitting on the bed-stove.


    A-Zi frostily said: "Elder Song, although you address him as Clan Leader, how can you keep making such a commotion without half a sense of the proper respect? Elder Song was taken aback and felt that her words were not entirely unreasonable. He said: "Clan Leader, we number a thousand members, all who stayed behind on Shaolin Mountain. As to what to do next, we need your orders." You Tanzhi replied: "Do you still treat me as Clan Leader? You want me to return only to kill me to vent your anger, isn''t it? I''m not going!"


    Elder Song turned to the four disciples and said: "Quick, spread the word that Clan Leader is here." The four disciples acknowledged "Yes!" and turned to leave. A-Zi shouted: "Strike!" You Tanzhi followed the sound and struck out a palm. From below the bed-stove, Zhong Ling and Duan Yu felt a bone-freezing chill suddenly permeate the room. The four disciples fell as four corpses to the ground without making a sound. Elder Song was both shocked and angry. He raised his hand to his chest and yelled: "You¡­ You¡­ You dared to treat the clan brothers so wickedly!" A-Zi said: "Kill him too." You Tanzhi punched out again. Elder Song blocked with a raised fist and with an "Ah!" sound, fell out of the main door.


    A-Zi giggled and said: "This guy is dead for sure! Are you hungry? Let''s go and find something to eat. You Tanzhi carried upon her back, the two of them went into the kitchen and took Zhong Ling''s cooked dishes to eat in the hall.


    Zhong Ling whispered in Duan Yu''s ear: "These two shameless people are drinking the chicken soup I cooked for you." Duan Yu whispered: "They are vicious and evil, killing at whim. Let''s sneak out through the back door. Zhong Ling did not want him to see that "Miss Wang" and strongly agreed with what he said.


    The two of them lightly crawled out from beneath the bed-stove. Zhong Ling saw that Duan Yu''s face was full of soot and could not help but laugh. She covered her mouth. Sneaking out through the kitchen and just before they went through the back door, Duan Yu''s long suppressed sneeze could no longer be controlled. "Qi chi!" the sound snapped out.


    They heard You Tanzhi exclaim: "Someone''s there!" Zhong Ling looked around and saw nowhere to hide in the room. However, there was a small room used for storing firewood behind the kitchen. She grabbed Duan Yu and they tunnelled into the pile of firewood. A-Zi called out: "Who''s there? Such sneaky behaviour, get out here!" You Tanzhi said: "They''re most likely farmers from this countryside. We can probably ignore them." A-Zi called: "Why do you still ignore me? With your clumsiness you''ll surely suffer greatly in the future. Don''t make a sound!" After she became blind, her hearing became exceptionally sensitive. She heard some rustling in the firewood pile. ''There''s someone in the pile of firewood!"


    Zhong Ling was startled and felt some water dripping on her face. She brushed it with her hand and felt dampness accompanied by the scent of blood. She was horrified and murmured: "You¡­ how''s your wound?" Duan Yu said: "Silence!"


    A-Zi pointed to the firewood room and called out: "Over there." You Tanzhi struck a palm towards the room with a ka-la-la sound. The door burst apart and wood splinters and tinder scattered all around.


    Zhong Ling called out: "Don''t attack! We are coming out!". She supported Duan Yu and crawled out of the pile of firewood. Duan Yu had taken a stab from Jiumozhi''s Blazing Sabre skill and his injuries were not light. With so much movement crawling out of the firewood storage wound, his wound opened and fresh blood gushed out. With his injuries, even with his abundant internal energy and his life on the line, he could not recall how to use the Liumai Shenjian (Six Meridians Divine Sword).


    ---


    A-Zi asked: "Why is there a girl''s voice?" You Tanzhi replied: "A man brought a young girl to hide in the wood pile. His body is soaked with blood while the girl just keeps staring at you with shining eyes." Since A-Zi became blind, she had become extremely sensitive to the mention of "eyes". Not only had You Tanzhi mentioned "eyes", he actually said "the young lady''s eyes" and it agitated her. "What ''shining''?! Are her eyes so nice?" You Tanzhi was yet to realise how angry she was and went on: "She is scruffy - a farmer''s daughter. Her eyes, however are dark and lively." Zhong Ling''s face was coated with soot and dirt but her eyes were dark and liquid like summer rain.


    A-Zi stormily exclaimed: "Fine! Master Zhuang, dig out her eyes immediately!" You Tanzhi was taken aback and said: "Why should I dig out her eyes for no reason?" A-Zi went on: "My eyes were destroyed by Elder Ding. Hurry, dig out her eyes and give them to me to see the world. Isn''t that good?"


    You Tanzhi was quietly shocked and thought: "If her eyes are restored and she sees how ugly I am, she may ignore me. Furthermore, if she recognizes my face and knows that I am the ''Metal Clown'', that would be dreadful! I can''t do this." He said: "If I can heal your eyes, that would be wonderful... ... however, I''m afraid this plan of yours will not work."


    A-Zi knew that taking someone''s eyes to replace her own would not work. However, since she had lost her sight, she had become filled with rage and hoped that everyone in the world would lose their eyes as well. She said: "If you haven''t tried, how would you know it wouldn''t work? Quickly make your move and dig out her eyes." She walked towards Duan Yu and Zhong Ling with You Tanzhi on her back.


    Zhong Ling was alarmed to hear their exchange and dashed away. A-Zi being blind and carrying You Tanzhi had difficulty pursuing her. Furthermore, You Tanzhi had no intention of catching Zhong Ling and frequently gave A-Zi the wrong directions in a garbled way.


    A-Zi hearing, Zhong Ling''s footsteps, knew that she could not catch her. She called back: "If young Miss escapes, the man will die soon!"


    Zhong Ling heard this and got a fright. She immediately stopped and turned back, only to see Duan Yu collapsed onthe floor with a pool of fresh blood around him. She dashed back and called out: "Little Blindy! You can''t hurt him!" At this point when she faced A-Zi, she noticed that she was certainly a beauty. Who would expect that her heart was this vicious?


    A-Zi cried out: "Seal her acupoints!" Although You Tanzhi was unwilling, he had never dared to defy A-Zi, whether it be in the Liao Manor or being the Beggar Clan lader. Immediately raising his finger, he sealed Zhong Ling''s acupoints and she fell to the ground.


    Zhong Ling called: "Miss Wang! Do not hurt him! He called your name in his dreams and has nothing but honest intentions towards you!" A-Zi asked in confusion: "What did you say? Who''s Miss Wang?" Zhong Ling said: "You... you aren''t Miss Wang? Who are you then?" A-Zi smirked and said: "Hm. You called me ''Little Blindy''. You''re about to become blind yourself now. Why ask so many questions? You still have a pair of eyes now. Better take a few more looks quickly." She placed You Tanzhi on the ground and said: "Dig out her eyes!"


    You Tanzhi replied: "Yes!" and stretched out his left hand, grabbing Zhong Ling''s head. Zhong Ling in shock cried out: "Don''t dig out my eyes! Don''t dig out my eyes!"


    Duan Yu lying on the ground in a daze realised that the two of them were about to remove Zhong Ling''s eyes to place in A-Zi''s eye sockets. He knew Zhong Ling had already escaped but returned and placed herself in danger to save him. He sighed and said: "You should take my eyes, we... we are family... they would be more suitable."


    A-Zi had no idea what he was talking about and did not care. She urged You Tanzhi: "Why haven''t you moved?" You Tanzhi had no choice but to acknowledge: "Yes". He pulled Zhong Ling toward himself and stuck his right index finger towards her right eye in a digging motion.


    They suddenly heard a lady''s voice calling out: "Wei, what are you doing here?" You Tanzhi raised his head and his expression changed greatly. He saw two men and four women below the home''s willow tree. The two men were Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu, while the four ladies were Xu Zhu''s servants, the four swords: Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum and Bamboo.Glancing into the room, Xiao Feng saw Duan Yu collapsed on the floor and dashed in to carry him up. Frowning, he said: "Your wound has opened again with so much blood." He knelt down on his left leg to support Duan Yu''s body and examined his wound. Xu Zhu came closer and saw Duan Yu''s wound, saying: "Elder brother, do not be alarmed. This [Nine-changing Bear Snake Pill] is very effective for treating wounds. He sealed the acupoints around Duan Yu''s wound to stop the bleeding, then fed him the pill.


    Duan Yu called out: "Elder brother... second brother, quickly, save her! Don''t let him dig out Miss Zhong''s eyes! She''s... she''s my good sister." Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu looked at You Tanzhi. You Tanzhi was startled. As he had originally not wished to dig out Zhong Ling''s eyes, he let her go immediately.


    A-Zi called out: "Brother-in-law, what did my sister say before she died? After you beat her to death, did you forget all about her requests?" Xiao Feng, hearing her bring up A-Zhu, was once again hurt and frustrated, letting out a sigh. He did not reply. A-Zi continued: "You didn''t take good care of me. Elder Ding destroyed my sight but you weren''t even concerned. Brother-in-law, everyone says you''re the number one hero, but you can''t even protect your sister-in-law. Are you actually worthless? Hm, Elder Freak Ding can''t defeat you, but it''s just that you didn''t take care of me and protect me."


    Xiao Feng dejectedly replied: "You were taken by the Beggar Clan and lost sight in both eyes. It was truly that my protection was inadequate. I really cannot make it up to you enough for this. He had seen early on that A-Zi was up to her unreasonable ways and asking others to dig out Zhong Ling''s eyes. He was angry and yet when he saw her blind gaze, he recalled A-Zhu''s last wishes on that stormy night at the Green Stone bridge where A-Zhu took his killing blow, telling him in his arms: "I only have a good sister from the same parents. While we cannot continue being together, I beg you to take care of her as I fear she will go astray." He had also himself said: "Not only one task, I would do a hundred or a ten thousand tasks for you." However, A-Zi''s losing both eyes were his fault for his inadequacy of care no matter what she had done wrong. His heart ached when he thought of all this and his eyes shone with warmth towards her.


    A-Zi had spent a long time with Xiao Feng and knew his character well. As long as she mentioned A-Zhu, she would manage to make him agree to difficult requests for sure no matter what. She hated how Zhong Ling called her "Little Blindy" and thought to herself: "I''m going to make you have a taste of being a "Little Blindy" for sure". She then sighed a few times and said to Xiao Feng: "Brother-in-law, I''m blind and can''t see anything. It may be better for me to just die." Xiao Feng said: "I had already returned you to your father and mother. How is it that you''re with Clan Leader Zhuang once again?" At this time he had already seen that Zhuang Juxian was fully willing to follow A-Zi as well as being very obedient to her words. "You''d better return to your father to Dali. Although your eyes are blind, Dali Palace has many servants to wait upon you and it will not be too inconvenient."


    A-Zi replied: "My mother isn''t a real palace concubine. If I were to go to Dali, with all the palace intrigue and plotting happening one after another, should Father''s underlings hate me, I will be at their mercy with my blindness." Xiao Feng thought that she had a point and then replied: "Then follow me back to Nanjing where you can lead your life peacefully without taking risks in the Jianghu."


    A-Zi retorted: "Now you ask me to go to your own palace? Ai yo! I was bored sick there even when I could see. How could I ever return there? You refuse to be like Clan Leader Zhuang, never disagreeing with me. I would be rather drift along in the Jianghu and be happier."


    Xiao Feng glanced at You Tanzhi and thought: "Looks like little A-Zi seems to be fond of this Beggar Clan Leader. He said: "Have you asked about this Clan Leader Zhuang''s background?"


    A-Zi replied: "Naturally. However, asking someone for their own background may not necessarily be reliable. Brother-in-law, when you used to be the Beggar Clan Leader, would you have willingly told others that you were a Khitan?"


    Xiao Feng upon hearing her acerbic words sighed again and did not continue. He was undecided if he should leave her alone to continue following this Beggar Clan Leader.


    A-Zi asked: "Brother-in-law, are you ignoring me now?" Xiao Feng frowned and said: "What do you want then?" A-Zi said: "I want you to dig out this girl''s eyes and give them to me." She paused and continued: "Clan Leader Zhuang was about to do it for me. If you hadn''t interfered, he would have been long done. En, even if you let me do it myself it''s fine. Brother-in-law, I want to know if you or Clan Leader Zhuang treats me better. In the past, you used to carry me around all the time to get my wounds treated. Then, you also obeyed me dutifully, doing whatever I asked. When we stayed outdoors in the same tent, you carried me closely regardless if it was day or night. Brother-in-law, have you forgotten all this?"


    You Tanzhi stared at Xiao Feng with a vicious expression, seeming to say: "A-Zi is mine, from this day on, don''t even think of touching her!"


    Xiao Feng cared not about him and said: "You were heavily injured then. To use my internal energy to keep you alive, I had no choice but to go along with you. This girl is my sworn brother''s friend. How can I dig out her eyes to suit your order? Furthermore, the medical technique to install nerves does not exist. This desire of yours is futile!"


    Xu Zhu suddenly interjected: "I took a look at Miss Duan''s eyes. It''s only the surface layer that has been destroyed. It may be possible to do a transplant with a living person to cure her. The Xiaoyao Sect''s medical skills were very advanced. Furthermore, Divine Doctor Xue was Xu Zhu''s martial nephew. Although Xu Zhu did not have much medical knowledge, he had followed Tianshan Tonglao (Child Elder) for a number of months and had heard her mentioning many things.


    A-Zi cried "Ah!" with joy and cheered, saying: "Mr. Xu Zhu, you aren''t fooling me right?" Xu Zhu replied: "Monks do not fight or lie¡­¡­" then paused and flushed a little as he thought about himself no longer being a monk. He continued: "Naturally, I am not fooling you, however¡­" A-Zi asked: "However what? Good Mr. Xu Zhu, you are sworn brothers with my brother-in-law ¨C both of us are practically family!" You also heard my brother-in law earlier. He dotes on me greatly. Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, regardless, you must ask your sworn brother to cure my eyes!" Xu Zhu said: "I heard my martial uncle mention before that if the eyes are not completely destroyed, it is possible to regain sight by transplanting part of a living person''s eye. However, I am not familiar with the method of doing so."


    A-Zi said: "In that case, your martial uncle must surely have the method. Please help me to ask him! Xu Zhu sighed and said: "My martial uncle is no longer alive." A-Zi yelled: "So you were making tales up to mess with me!" Xu Zhu repeatedly shook his head and said: "No, no! There are many medical books kept in Lingjiu Palace. I believe the method to transplant eyes should be available there. But¡­ but¡­" A-Zi was both pleased but anxious and said: "You''re a grown man and yet speak in such a stuttering wishy-washy manner. Ai! What do you mean by ''but'' this and ''but'' that?"


    Xu Zhu said: "However¡­ However¡­ Eyes being as precious as they are, who would want to donate theirs to you?" A-Zi laughed and said: "I was wondering what difficult matter you meant. Getting eyes from a living person? Isn''t that easy? Just dig out that girl''s eyes!"


    Zhong Ling loudly exclaimed: "No way! You can''t take my eyes!" Xu Zhu replied: "Yes! Putting yourself in her shoes, you didn''t wish to become blind. Naturally, neither does Miss Zhong. Although Siddharta used to be a Buddha in his previous life and was willing to give his flesh and blood to others, how can Miss Zhong compare to Tathagata Buddha? Furthermore, Miss Zhong is a good friend of my third brother." He was suddenly startled and exclaimed: "Ai ya! Not good! That time in Lingjiu Palace, I was having a heart-to-heart talk with Third Brother after drinks. It turned out that his loved one was my "Dream Maiden". It seems now that Third Brother is very close to this Miss Zhong now. From what he said earlier to A-Zi, he would rather have his own eyes dug out than to let Miss Zhong be hurt even though the eyes are the most important of the bodily organs. Could it be that this Miss Zhong is actually the "Dream Maiden" whom I spent three nights with?


    After thinking up to this point, he involuntarily shivered and turned his head to sneakily glance at Zhong Ling. Although she was covered in soot and grass, it did not conceal her underlying beauty. The time Xu Zhu had spent with his "Dream Maiden" was not that insignificant, however as it had been in the darkened ice room, he had no idea what she looked like. If he could use his hand to feel her face, he could get some hint; if he could hug her waist, he could be even more certain. However in broad daylight, how would he be able to feel her face? Not to mention hugging and cuddling.


    While having these thoughts, he blushed furiously. Although Zhong Ling''s voice was different from his "Dream Maiden", to recognize a voice within the ice room and in the open would be very different. It was not surprising that they would not be alike. Xu Zhu gazed at Zhong Ling, feeling as if he could stretch out a hand from his heart and gently caress her face so as to find out if she really were his "Dream Maiden". His face glowed with tender warmth towards her as he had these overflowing feelings.


    Upon seeing that Xu Zhu had an amiable expression and did not seem likely to be about to gouge out her eyes, Zhong Ling was slightly relieved.


    A-Zi said: "Mr. Xu Zhu, I''m your third brother''s sister by blood. This Miss Zhong is only his friend. There''s a big difference between a sister and a friend."


    After Duan Yu had taken the Lingjiu Palace ''Nine-Changing Bear Snake Pill'', his bleeding rapidly stopped and he regained his senses. Although he had not fully understood the exchange regarding eye-switching, A-Zi''s last few words made everything clear to him. He could not help but sighed and said: "Since you had long known that I am your brother, how could you ask others to harm me?"


    A-Zi laughed and said: "I have never spoken to you before. How would I recognize your voice? It was only when I heard Father and Mother speaking yesterday that I knew about my brother-in-law and Mr. Xu Zhu becoming sworn brothers and that the one who thrashed Young Master Murong was actually my blood brother. This is wonderful. Both my brother-in-law and my own brother are great heroes, how admirable!" Duan Yu shook his head and said: "What great hero? A laughable disgrace." A-Zi laughed and said: "Ai ya, don''t be courteous. Little elder brother, when you hid in the wood storage room, how would I have known it was you? I can''t see. It was only when I heard you address my brother-in-law as "Elder Brother" did I know it was you."


    Duan Yu felt that she had a point there and said: "Second brother should know the method of treating your eyes and he should be able to concoct a treatment plan for you. Miss Zhong Ling''s eyes must not be touched at all costs. She¡­ She is also my sister by blood."


    A-Zi cackled: "Earlier on that mountain, I heard you desperately trying to ingratiate yourself with Miss Wang. How did you start eyeing this Miss Zhong in the blink of an eye? You even managed to call her your sister by blood. Little elder brother, are you not in the least shy?" Duan Yu turned scarlet at her words and said: "Nonsense!" A-Zi replied: "If this Miss Zhong becomes my sister-in-law, I would naturally not touch her eyes. However, if she is not my in-law, why can''t I use her? Little elder brother, is she or is she not my sister in law?"


    Xu Zhu gave a sideways look at Duan Yu, his heart pounding wildly. He did not know if Zhong Ling was his "Dream Maiden". If she were not, it would not matter, however if she were and Duan Yu married her, he would not know what to do. He had a depressed expression as he waited for Duan Yu''s reply, the moment seeming to drag on for a long while.


    Zhong Ling was also waiting for Duan Yu''s response and wondered: "So this lady is your younger sister and even she says that you keep trying to get in Miss Wang''s good books. It can''t be untrue then that your heart is with Miss Wang. Why did you say earlier then that I am Yue the Third''s martial mother? Why did you even agree to use your eyes in exchange for mine? Why did you call me your own sister in front of everyone?"


    She heard Duan Yu say again: "No matter what, you are not allowed to harm Miss Zhong. You are young and always doing bad deeds. Our Dali elder brother Zhu Wanli was angered to death by you. If you start your wickedness again, my second brother will refuse to treat your eyes."


    A-Zi pursed her lips and said: "Heng! Putting on airs now! Speaking to me for the first time, you aren''t being affectionate but attempting to lecture me!"


    Xiao Feng saw that Duan Yu was speaking coherently although his energy level was low and his energy seemed to be improving. He knew that the Lingjiu Palace "Nine-Changing Bear Snake Pill" was miraculous and Duan Yu''s life was no longer at risk. He then said: "Third Brother, let us go to the room to rest and discuss. Duan Yu replied: "Good timing!" He straightened up and stood. Zhong Ling called out: "Ai ya! You can''t move carelessly. Don''t cause your wound to open up again!" Her voice was filled with tenderness. Xiao Feng delightedly said: "Second brother, your amazing medicine is truly a miracle second to none."


    Xu Zhu made a few "En" sounds but his heart was still flustered over Zhong Ling''s few emotion-filled lines and filled with great regret.


    The group entered the room. Duan Yu lay on the bed-stove while Xiao Feng sat in front of it. Night had fallen and the Lingjiu Palace Four Swords lit oil lamps, while preparing tea and food to serve to Xiao Feng, Duan Yu, Xu Zhu and Zhong Ling. However, they pointedly ignored You Tanzhi and A-Zi. A-Zi was annoyed and in keeping with her character wanted to secretly harm the Lingjiu Palace Four Swords, but when she thought about her blindness and that she would have to rely on Xu Zhu for treatment, she had no choice but to swallow her rage.


    Xiao Feng did not notice or care about A-Zi throwing a tantrum and opened a drawer of the stove-bed. Duan Yu and Xu Zhu saw that the inside was filled with toys for young children. There were carved wooden tigers, clay puppies, woven grass cages for insects, bamboo containers to store crickets and also a few rusty small knives. These toys were common to farmer homes and nothing out of the ordinary. Xiao Feng however took the wooden tigers and stared at them blankly.


    A-Zi had no idea what he was doing and was restless and bored. She swept a hand through her hair and shifted her elbow, knocking into a cotton loom. She took out her sword and with a ''Shua!'' sound sliced the machine into two.


    Xiao Feng''s expression darkened and he cried out: "You¡­ what are you doing?" A-Zi replied: "This sewing machine hit and injured me, how does it trouble you for me to destroy it?" Xiao Feng angrily yelled: "Get out! How dare you damage the things in this house?"


    A-Zi retorted: "Fine, I''ll go!" and she rapidly ran out. She walked briskly in her anger and with a banging sound hit her forehead on the top of the door. She grunted and rapidly kept going even though she could not see the way out clearly. Xiao Feng''s heart softened and he grabbed her right arm to stop her, gently saying: "A-Zi, are you injured?" A-Zi turned and wilted in his embrace, sobbing."


    Xiao Feng gently patted her shoulder and said in a low tone: "A-Zi, it''s my fault. I should not have been so harsh on you." A-Zi sobbed: "You''ve changed! Unlike in the past when you were so good to me." Xiao Feng tenderly said: "Sit down and rest for a while. Sip a cup of tea, all right?" He took his own teacup and placed it at A-Zi''s mouth, his left hand supporting her waist.


    In the past when he had broken A-Zi''s rib-cage, Xiao Feng attended to her with his utmost for more than a year. Not just with tea and food, even assisting with her dressing, hair combing and personal bodily functions, Xiao Feng assisted her intimately, denying her nothing. When she had been unable to sit upright then, Xiao Feng when feeding her soup and medication had become accustomed to supporting her body with his left hand. He instinctively did so now when feeding her tea. A-Zi sipped a few cups of tea in his arms and felt soothed. She broke a laugh and said: "Brother-in-law, are you still chasing me away?"


    Xiao Feng let go of her and turned to place the teacup on the table. In the darkness, he suddenly saw two eyes shining fiercely like those of wild beasts with a vicious bloodlust directed at himself. Xiao Feng was taken aback slightly and saw You Tanzhi sitting on the corner of the room clenching his teeth tightly, nostrils flaring, as if he were about to pounce towards himself to bite. Xiao Feng thought: "This person''s background is unknown and his behaviour is extremely odd." He heard A-Zi saying again: "Brother-in-law, I only damaged a few broken sewing looms. Why did you have to fly into such a rage?"


    Xiao Feng gave a long sigh and said: "This home was my godparents''¡­ The sewing loom you destroyed was my godmother''s."


    Everyone was shocked.


    Xiao Feng grasped the small wooden tiger in his palm, gazing into the distance. In the yellow lamp-light, his large shadow loomed on the clay wall. He gently rubbed the wooden tiger''s back with his index and middle fingers, a tender expression on his face and said: "This was carved for me by my godfather when I was five. Godfather¡­ I used to call him Father then¡­ carved it by the light of this very lamp. Mother was sewing. I sat beside Father''s leg, watching the form of the tiger''s ear appearing, then the nose. I was delighted."


    Duan Yu asked: "Elder brother, was it you who brought me to this place?" Xiao Feng nodded and replied: "Yes." While the nameless elderly monk had been reciting scripture to the group, Jiumozhi suddenly struck and injured Duan Yu. The nameless monk waved his sleeve and shoved Jiumozhi out, where he rapidly turned and fled down the mountain.


    On seeing that Duan Yu had suffered a heavy injury, Xiao Feng had given Duan Yu special medication as he was anxious to help him. Jiumozhi''s [Blazing Sabre Skill] was extremely dangerous. Had Duan Yu''s internal energy not been extremely dense and strong, he would have died on the spot after his vitals had been struck.


    Xiao Feng saw that the mountain''s weather was harsh and it would be bad for Duan Yu to endure the strong winds with his severe injury. He carried Duan Yu to his childhood home, placing Duan Yu on the bed-stove. Immediately turning, he was about to meet up with his father as well as the eighteen Khitan warriors, when he was surprised to find that someone had been living in the empty home these few days, and that it was an old acquaintance of Duan Yu''s.


    He returned to Shaolin Temple to find that the situation had calmed down. Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo had decided to become Shaolin monks under the guidance of Nameless Monk. Not only had they resolved their enmity, they had even become senior and junior disciples.


    Xiao Yuanshan had not spread the knowledge of Shaolin''s martial arts to the country of Liao. The heroes of the Central Plains were relieved and reassured. During Xiao Feng''s disappearance, the eighteen Khitan Warriors were unable to cause any harm under the direction of Lingjiu Palace. The various heroes saw that the matter had been settled and dispersed from the mountain. Xiao Feng had no wish to meet others and begin the struggles anew. He hid in a cave beside the mountain until night before going to the entrance door requesting to meet his father.


    The monk in charge of handling guests for Shaolin Temple went in to report. Returning after a time, he said: "Elder Xiao has become a monk in this temple. He wishes me to inform you that he has buried his grievances and his heart is now filled with peace and joy. He intends to devote himself to scripture study from now on. When he was a Liao official, he only hoped for peace between Liao and Song. If the Liao Emperor has the intention of invading, please dissuade him to protect the millions of lives in the two countries."


    Xiao Feng replied: "Yes!" His heart was awash in sorrow and he wondered: "Father is getting old. If he does not wish to see me today, I fear that I will not get to see him again." He thought: "I have been charged by the Liao Emperor with the heavy task of subduing the South. If Great Song wants to invade Liao, I am a general and will have to defend the North, however if the Emperor wants to kill the Song soldiers, I will have to dissuade him."


    He heard footsteps whilst he was deep in thought. Seven or eight eminent monks including Shenshan and Daoqing came out of the temple along with Zheluoxing (Indian Monk) and other foreign monks. Monks Xuanji (Discipline Hall head) and Xuansheng had their hands clasped in the Buddhist greeting. Boluoxing (Indian Monk Zheluoxing''s junior) stood behind Xuanji as they exchanged courtesies.


    Zheluoxing said: "Junior, I will be heading to the West. When we part today, we will be separated by thousands of miles. Who knows when we will meet again? You are determined not to return home to Tianzhu (old name for India). Do you want to spend your remaining days in the Central Plains?" He spoke in Chinese to his junior disciple to avoid any misunderstanding or suspicion from the Shaolin monks.


    Boluoxing laughed lightly and said: "Senior Brother, why do you keep asking me this? Tianzhu and the Central Plains are one and the same. Bodhidharma came to the East as well." Zheluoxing was shaken and said: "Junior''s words have enlightened me. You aren''t my junior, but my teacher." Boluoxing laughed and said: "When following the Dharma, understanding may come early or late. It is fine whether late or early just to achieve understanding." The two shared a laugh.


    Xiao Feng remained inconspicuous at the side and waited until Reverends Shenshan, Daoqing, Zheluoxing had gone down the mountain before slowly following behind. He had only gone a few steps when another person came out from the temple. It was Xu Zhu. He saw Xiao Feng and was elated, rushing over and saying: "Elder brother, I was looking all over for you. I heard that Third Brother was heavily injured. How is he?" Xiao Feng replied: "Fine, fine!" The two went off together. Before they had gone a short distance, the Four Sword sisters came out from the forest to follow Xu Zhu.


    Xu Zhu said that the Lingjiu Palace maidens as well as the folk of the Seventy Two Islands and Thirty Six Caves had already left the mountain with the Eighteen Khitan warriors and he believed that there would not be any reckless conflict with the Central Plain warriors. Xiao Feng felt that this was praiseworthy and thought: "This sworn brother of mine is really amazing. It was my Second Brother who became sworn siblings with him. Who knew that he would be such a great help to me?"


    Xu Zhu then mentioned that Ding Chunqiu been placed in the care of Shaolin Temple''s medical wing. The Shaolin monks would give him the Lingjiu Palace medication twice yearly during the Dragon Boat and Double Nine Festivals to allievate the agony he felt from the Life and Death Talisman. His life and death was in the hands of others and he dared not do evil.


    Xiao Feng gave a hearty laugh and said: "Second Brother, you have eliminated a great evil from the martial world. This Ding Chunqiu will be under Buddhist influence, but whether it will draw him away from his evil ways remains to be seen." Xu Zhu was a little upset and said: "I wished to become a monk again in the Shaolin Temple. However, I was chased away by the senior masters. This Ding Chunqiu is extremely wicked and has done many evil deed and yet he can remain in Shaolin Temple to meditate. Why is there such a double standard in our treatments?


    Xiao Feng smiled and said: "Second Brother, you envy Old Freak Ding, but he envies you a thousand times more. You are the master of Lingjiu Palace and leading the thirty six cave masters as well as the seventy two island masters, with your great fame shaking the heavens, what''s not to like?" Xu Zhu shook his head and said: "Lingjiu Palace is all women. It''s really awkward being a little monk and not knowing what to do with myself. Xiao Feng laughed gustily and said: "You mean you''re still a little monk?"


    Xu Zhu said: "Those sycophantic lackeys of the Xingxiu Sect have turned to pestering me. I have no idea how to deal with them." Xiao Feng replied: "These people were likely not originally this way. Under the influence of the Xingxiu Elder Freak, it they had not learned to be this way they would likely not have been able to survive. Second Brother, just treat them more strictly and if they refuse to change then throw them out."


    Xu Zhu thought about his parents acknowledging each other in a single day and then dying together. How tragic! He could not help but tear up.


    Xiao Feng said consolingly: "Second brother, unfortunate happenings are common everywhere. When I was expelled by the Beggar Clan, the heroes of the world all treated me with much enmity and I was extremely upset. But after some time, things got better." Xu Zhu replied: "Right, right. Tathagatha Buddha once preached Scripture on the Lingjiu Mountain of Rajgir. The word Lingjiu has its origins in Buddhism. Perhaps one day, I will turn Lingjiu Palace into Lingjiu Temple and ask the women both old and young to be nuns."


    Xiao Feng bellowed with laughter and said: "A monk temple filled with nuns, that will truly be an oddity!"


    Both people chatted and as they arrived at Qiao San Huai (ÇÇÈý»±) house (the House of Qiao?), they came across You Tanzhi just about to dig out Zhong Ling''s eyes and it was fortunate that they stopped him in the nick of time.


    Duan Yu asked: "Elder brother and second brother, have you seen my father?" Xiao Feng replied: "Not afterwards." Xu Zhu said: "The heroes were fighting chaotically and I could not pay my respects to Uncle, truly disrespectful." Duan Yu replied: "Second brother, no need to be polite. That Duan Yanqing is a great enemy of my family and I am afraid that he would cause trouble for my father." Xiao Feng replied: "This matter needs to be dealt with. Let me go and seek Uncle (Duan Zhengchun) out."


    A-Zi cut in: "You keep talking about elder uncle and little uncle, why don''t you address him as ''Father-in-law''?"


    Xiao Feng sighed: "This is something I will hate myself for the rest of my life for, what else is there to say?" He stood up and left the room.


    At this time, Plum Sword carried in a bowl of chicken broth and was entering the room to serve it to Duan Yu when she heard their discussion. She said: "Hero Xiao, you don''t need to ride off personally to search. Your lowly servant will spread Master''s order and Lingjiu Palace will search everywhere. If Duan Yanqing is spotted to be doing evil, we will set off smoke signals and we can go in and capture him. What do you think?" Xiao Feng joyfully said: "Great! Those under Lingjiu Palace number in the thousands. If they split up the work, it will be far better than the few of us going out to look."


    Plum Sword went off to give the instructions for the search. Lingjiu Palace had a very efficient communications network. Once Xu Zhu returned to the House of Qiao, the Xuantian Section women had already obtained information. Under Fu Minyi''s leadership, they rushed to the vicinity and secretly increased security.


    Duan Yu was reassured and then started to think about Wang Yuyan, thinking: "She hates me deeply. I fear that she will ignore me in the future." He could not help but sigh a few times over his strong yearning. Zhong Ling was concerned and asked: "Does your wound hurt?" Duan Yu replied: "Not much." A-Zi said: "Miss Zhong, although you like my little elder brother, you do not understand his heart. I see your confused thoughts ¨C the future is uncertain." Zhong Ling replied: "I wasn''t talking to you. Who asked you to interrupt?" A-Zi laughed: "It''s irrelevant whether I interrupt or not. I only fear that there is a lady ten times more beautiful than you are, ten times more devoted and caring who may interfere. My brother would then have no place for you in my heart. Why he sighs, don''t you know? Sighing means that his heart is unfulfilled. You are contented to be with my brother and do not sigh. My brother''s frequent sighing ¨C certainly it is because of another lady!" A-Zi could not dig out Zhong Ling''s eyes, so she used her words to pierce her and wanted her to be miserable. That gave herself cheer.


    Zhong Ling upon hearing this was angry and upset. However, she felt that A-Zi had a point and she became gloomy. When she had been younger, she had always been innocent and lively. Although she had been fond of Duan Yu, it was not a very deep desire, just that she felt that her heart had no words to describe the comfort and joy she felt being with him. Duan Yu''s heart being with someone else and not bothering too much about her was rather saddening. Although she was a little upset, there was nothing much to be done about it.


    Duan Yu hurriedly said: "Zhong... Zhong¡­ Younger sister Ling, don''t listen to A-Zi''s blind words." Zhong Ling on hearing Duan Yu address her as Younger Sister Ling and no longer Miss Zhong, felt that it was a more intimate form of address and was cheered, saying: "She loves to hurt others with her words ¨C I don''t care about it."


    A-Zi was furious. After she had become blind, she hated others mentioning the word "Blind". Duan Yu had meant to say that she was speaking rashly or without logic, but he managed to use the word "Blind" twice. She said: "Brother, do you actually like Miss Wang more or Miss Zhong more? Miss Wang has already arranged with me to meet on the morrow. I will tell her the words you speak with your own mouth."


    Duan Yu upon hearing that sat up and hurriedly asked: "You arranged to meet with Miss Wang? Where and when? What are you discussing?"


    On seeing his desperate expression, Zhong Ling knew that regardless of what he said, Miss Wang was far more important to Duan Yu than herself. She was easygoing and straightforward in character. She had been upset earlier but it had dulled greatly by now. She would be very upset if she were in Wang Yuyan''s place but knew that her beloved''s heart was not with herself. Mu Wanqing had gone straight for Duan Yu; A-Zi must be planning some wickedness towards Wang Yuyan. Despite all her thoughts, Zhong Ling said: "Don''t get up, be careful or your wound may open up and bleed again."


    Xu Zhu was watching the three of them from the side and pondered: "Miss Zhong is so devoted to Third Brother. It''s unlikely that she is my Dream Maiden. Otherwise, how would she be so indifferent when she heard my voice?" However, he thought a little more: "Aiyo, that''s not right? The ladies like Elder Tonglao, Li Qiushui as well as Jade Granny, Stone Aunt and Aunt Fu are complicated and think very differently from men. Perhaps Miss Zhong is really my Dream Maiden and she recognized me from the start, however she deliberately did not show any recognition to keep me in the dark?"


    Duan Yu kept questioning A-Zi as to when she was meeting Wang Yuyan the next day. A-Zi saw his anxiety and wondered how to mess with him. Thinking that she could obtain some benefits, her answers were all perfunctory.


    Orchid Sword returned to report and said that the Xuan Tian Section had already sent out word and requested Duan Yu to be at ease. Duan Yu said: "Many thanks Sisters for your effort, I am extremely grateful." Orchid Sword saw that he carried himself like a Dali Prince but without any trace of haughtiness. She thought well of him and on hearing him ask A-Zi again about the next day, she could not stand but cut in: "Master Duan, your sister is only playing a joke on you but you take it so seriously!" Duan Yu said: "How do you know that she is playing a joke on me?" Orchid Sword laughed and said: "If I explained, Miss Duan (referring to A-Zi) would blame me for it, and I do not know if Master allows it."


    Duan Yu hurriedly said to Xu Zhu: "Second brother, please ask her to speak!"


    Xu Zhu nodded and said to Orchid Sword: "Third brother and I are close. You need not hide anything." Orchid Sword said: "Earlier on, we saw Master Murong''s group going down Mount Shao and heard them discussing whether to head to Western Xia. Miss Wang followed her cousin in the group. They must be tens of Li away by now. How could she possibly meet Miss Duan tomorrow?"


    A-Zi shrieked: "Stinking wretch! You know that I would blame you and you persisted in speaking. You four sisters are a bunch of blabbermouths. Your master''s family is speaking and you have no respect to cut in like that."


    There was a sudden voice from outside the window. "Miss Duan, why do you scold my sister? Lingjiu Palace''s Divine Farmer (Shen Nong referring to Medical) Department''s key is kept by myself, don''t you know? Master wants to find the method to heal your eyes and the only way is to go to the Shen Nong Department to find the relevant books." The one who spoke was Bamboo Sword.


    A-Zi was taken aback and thought: "I''m afraid that what this wretch says is true. Before this idiotic Xu Zhu monk heals my eyes, I cannot offend the servant girls by his side. Should they do anything such as changing the medications, my eye treatment will go wrong. Hng! Once my eyes are healed, I''ll let you learn what I can do." She remained silent.


    Duan Yu asked Orchid Sword: "Many thanks Sister for your information. They went to Western Xia? Whatever for?" Orchid Sword said: "I didn''t hear them say the reason." Xu Zhu said: "Third Brother, I know of this matter. I heard Mr. Gongye (Gongye Gan) tell the Beggar Clan elder that along the way, they had met a Beggar Clan member returning to the Central Plains from Western Xia, carrying a written proclamation by the King of Western Xia saying that the Princess is of marriageable age and would be looking for a suitor during the Mid-Autumn festival in the eighth month. Western Xia would be inviting all the best heroes in the world to perform their skills. Should they pass the King''s selection, they would become the Prince Consort."


    Plum Sword could not help but speak up: "Master, why do you not go to Western Xia and give it a try? As long as Hero Xiao and Master Duan do not compete with you, becoming the Western Xia Prince Consort would be a piece of cake for you."


    The Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum Sword sisters were beautiful and bright. Tonglao (Child Elder) had treated them very well, like her own children. Although they were master and servant in name, they were actually more like grandparent and grandchildren. It was only that Tonglao was strict and ruled with an iron fist. The four sisters did not dare to be too audacious. Xu Zhu however was easygoing in his interactions with them. He did not have the strict demeanour of a Master and treated them with courtesy and respect. Hence, the four sisters did and spoke as they pleased without any reservation.


    Xu Zhu shook his head and said: "I won''t go! I am a monk¡­" he once again spoke the words of ''being a monk'' but swallowed the very last word. The four sisters laughed out loud together at the same time. Xu Zhu blushed and turned to secretly glance at Zhong Ling. He only saw her devotedly gazing at Duan Yu with no heed for his words. His heart suddenly wavered: "Going to Western Xia, I¡­ I and my Dream Maiden met in Western Xia''s Lingzhou Palace''s ice storage area. My dream maiden may perhaps be in Lingzhou. Third Brother probably would not be willing to say where she lives. Maybe I should go and take a look at Western Xia?"


    As he thought this, Duan Yu said: "Second Brother, your Lingjiu Palace and Western Xia are in close proximity. As you''re about to return, why not go and visit Western Xia? This sister whose sword I do not know¡­ apologies, you four look identical. I cannot tell the difference. This sister wants you to become the Prince Consort. Although it was a joke, but on thinking about the Midautumn Festival, everyone heading to Lingzhou would definitely mean that it would be very lively and rowdy there. Elder brother, you need not hurry back to Nanjing. Let''s go together to Western Xia and then visit Lingjiu Palace to taste Tianshan Tonglao''s (Child Elder of Mount Tian) best aged wines. It would truly be a joy to be be drinking myself dead drunk with Second brother in Lingjiu Palace.


    [Translator note: Duan Yu''s exhibiting some really sneaky cunning in manipulating them to head to Western Xia where Wang Yuyan is.]


    When Xiao Feng had arrived at Mount Shao, the eighteen Khitan warriors had carried big skins of wine with them. However, the group was not with him and he had not drunk wine for a long time. On hearing Duan Yu mention about tasting Lingjiu Palace''s best brews, he could not help but smile in anticipation.


    A-Zi hurriedly said: "Go, go, go! Brother-in-law, let''s all go together." She knew that she would have to go with Xu Zhu to Lingjiu Palace to treat her eyes. However, without Xiao Feng''s support, Xu Zhu may not necessarily be willing to treat her and should his four Sword sister underlings give her trouble, she would be all alone. She heard Xiao Feng pause without replying and thought: "Brother-in-law''s appearance is roughshod but he is a delicate soul [梷òÏàò´ÖºÀ,ÐÄÖÐÈ´×Åʵ¾«Ï¸]. It may be easier for me to ask him directly to get him to agree." She stood up and tugged a few times gently at Xiao Feng''s sleeve, pleading: "Brother-in-law, if you do not bring me to Lingjiu Palace, I¡­I will never see the light of day again."


    Xiao Feng thought: "To return her sight would truly be a great matter." He then thought: "While I commanded great respect in the Great Liao, I had no close friends whom I could talk to. I have offended all the heroes of the Central Plains. If I could easily go with these two easygoing and magnanimous brothers of mine, even for a few days it would be a joy. Since I have located A-Zi, even if I return to Nanjing now without anything to do, it would be extremely boring." He then said: "Fine, Second brother, Third brother, let''s make a visit to Western Xia, and later on to Second Brother''s Lingjiu Palace to drink ourselves silly for days, as well as request that Second Brother treat Miss Duan''s eyes."


    The group headed off on the road the next day. Xu Zhu returned to Shaolin Mountain''s entrance to pay his respects. The first bow was to thank the Buddha for his blessings, the second was to thank the masters in Shaolin temple for caring for him for the past twenty years and the third bow was to bid farewell to the souls of his father Xuan Ci and his mother Ye Erniang.


    Arriving at the base of the mountain, the Lingjiu Palace servant girls harnessed up the donkey cart to allow Duan Yu and You Tanzhi a rest in the carriage. You Tanzhi was extremely dissatisfied but he preferred to endure it silently rather than to part with A-Zi. As long as A-Zi occasionally pulled aside the doorway curtains to say a few words to him, he would be happy for half the day. However, it was just that A-Zi would ride on the horse, closely sticking to Xiao Feng all the time. You Tanzhi was upset about this but dared not speak a word to her about it.


    Walking for two days, the Lingjiu Palace divisions slowly gathered. The Luan Tian division head delivered their report to Xu Zhu and Duan Yu that they had already returned to the Zhennan (South-Suppressing) King to inform him about Duan Yu''s recovery going well. The Zhennan King (Duan Zhengchun) was relieved and asked the Luan Tian Division to tell Duan Yu that he should return to Dali soon. The Luan Tian division girls also reported: "Zhennan King''s party has been heading to the north-east. Duan Yanqing and the Crocodile Deity of the South Sea together with Yun Zhonghe have been heading to the west. Both parties will not meet. Duan Yu was delighted and gave thanks to the Luan Tian division girls.


    Zhong Ling asked Duan Yu: "If the king wants you to return to Dali soon, why is he going to the north-east instead?" Duan Yu smiled and did not reply. A-Zi laughed: "Dad must have been pulled by my mother and forbidden to return to Dali. Miss Zhong, if you want to seize my brother''s heart, you need to learn from my mother."


    These couple of days, Duan Yu had been thinking if he should explain that Zhong Ling was his sister, however he felt that speaking of this matter would be extremely awkward and might hurt Zhong Ling''s feelings as well as reflect badly on his father''s name. He decided not to speak of this for the time being.


    Zhong Ling knew that Duan Yu wanted to go to Western Xia wholly because he wished to meet up with that Miss Wang. Seeing Duan Yu on a daily basis, her heart was at peace and she did not bother to think how things might change after that. A-Zi''s cold spiteful words mattered little to her.


    Noon time was scorching during the hot summer. Luckily, it was a long way to the Mid-Autumn Festival. Most people made haste to travel in the early morning and the evenings, only covering 60 - 70 Li a day before taking a rest. As the days steadily passed, Duan Yu''s injury healed quickly. Xu Zhu mended the bone of You Tanzhi''s broken leg and splinted it with planks of wood. It looked like he had some hope of recovery. You Tanzhi spoke to no one. As Xu Zhu was treating his leg, he wore a bitter expression and said not a single word of thanks.


    The group arrived at Xianyang Road. Duan Yu spoke about the historical areas of the Liu and Xiang conflicts at the area to Xiao Feng and the group. Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu both had little education and were delighted by Duan Yu''s information.


    Suddenly, horse hoof steps rang out. There were two horses rushing over from the back. Xiao Feng and party pulled their horses to the side to allow the rear guests to go ahead first. However, A-Zi blocked the road by herself. When the two horses had arrived almost beside her, she raised the horse-whip and went for the horse''s head. The rider behind raised his own horse-whip to deflect A-Zi''s and said: "Master Duan! Great Hero Xiao Feng!"


    Duan Yu turned to look and saw that the man in front was Ba Tianshi (Dali King''s Royal Bodyguard) and the one behind was Zhu Danchen (Duan Zhengchun''s Royal Bodyguard). Ba Tianshi hit A-Zi''s horse whip away and jumped down from the horse with Zhu Danchen to kowtow to Duan Yu. Duan Yu hurriedly returned the greeting and asked: "Is my father safe?"


    He heard a "Sou!" sound. A-Zi had waved her horse-whip again to strike down at Ba Tianshi''s head.


    Ba Tianshi had yet to get up and was still kneeling on the ground. As A-Zi''s whip was striking, Ba Tianshi shifted to the side and caught the whip. A-Zi tried to pull it back with force but could not budge it. She knew that her internal energy was not a match for her opponent. She waved her palm and thrust the handle of the whip straight for Ba Tianshi. Ba Tianshi was still angered at how she had angered Zhu Wanli to death and originally wanted to teach her a lesson. He had not expected that even with her being blind, her movements were still swift and the handle flew over at a high speed. He heard the rush of wind and hurriedly turned his head to avoid it. Although his head and face were untouched, with a "Pa!" sound, his shoulder had been hit.


    Duan Yu yelled: "Sister Zi, you dare cause trouble again!" A-Zi replied: "Me? He wanted my whip. I just gave it to him, that''s all." Ba Tianshi laughed and said: "Many thanks Miss for the whip." He stood up and took out a letter from his chest pocket, presenting it to Duan Yu with both hands.


    Duan Yu received it and took a look. He noticed that the letter was addressed to "Son Yu" with the three words written in his father''s handwriting. He hurriedly straightened his attire and respectfully opened the letter. It appeared that his father was be instructing him to go to Western Xia to seek the princess'' hand in marriage. The letter said: "My Dali Kingdom in the South is a small country with a weak military and cannot repel external threats well. If we can become relatives with Western Xia, we would be stronger and better able to protect our people. This matter is of great national importance and you must do your best."


    Duan Yu finished reading the letter and his face flushed between scarlet and white. He said: "This¡­ this¡­"


    Ba Tianshi took out a large envelope. It was stamped with the large official official seal of the "Dali Country King''s Younger Brother, Zhennan General". He said: "This is his Majesty''s personally written missive to the Western Xia emperor requesting the marriage. Young master should kindly give this to the Western Xia emperor after arriving at Lingjiu Palace.


    A-Zi laughed and said: "This is a father that truly knows his son well. Father heard that Murong Fu went to Western Xia and guessed that Miss Wang would also follow. His own son would naturally follow. Hng, the apple doesn''t fall too far from the tree. Does he think that the emotional woes of his son are more important than the country''s matters? Why does he not return much after leaving for so long?"


    Ba Tianshi, Zhu Danchen, Duan Yu on heard A-Zi voicing out such disrespectful words directed towards their father figure and their expressions darkened. Although what she said had some truth to it, being his daughter, how could she speak ill of her father like that?


    A-Zi continued: "Brother, what did father write in his letter? Did he mention me?" Duan Yu replied: "Father does not know that you are currently with me." A-Zi replied: "En, yes, he does not know. Did Father not ask you to look? Did he ask you to plan how to take care of this blind younger sister of yours?"


    Duan Zhengchun''s letter mentioned nothing of the sort. Duan Yu felt that he would hurt his sister''s feelings if he spoke the truth and he gave Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen a glance, trying to hint to them that they should admit that her father did order them to search for A-Zi. Who would have expected that the two of them did not understand his intention and did not play along. Zhu Danchen said: "The Zhennan King ordered the two of us to find Young Master to instruct him to seek Western Xia''s princess'' hand in marriage. If we returned to Dali instead, even if his Majesty did not blame us, we would not have the face to see anyone. The meaning conveyed was that Duan Zhengchun ordered them to find Duan Yu to become the Western Xia''s Prince Consort at all costs.


    Duan Yu laughed bitterly and said: "I originally could not do martial arts and furthermore was badly injured and unable to access my internal energy. How could I compete with the great heroes of the world?"


    Ba Tianshi turned to look at Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu. Bowing deeply, he said: "Zhennan King ordered his lowly servant to greet Hero Xiao and Mister Xu Zhu, and to request that in the name of your brotherhood to assist our young master." Zhennan King also instructed to present gifts to the two of you whom he knew in the chaos at Mount Shao. Saying this, he took out a carved jade Lion and presented it to Xiao Feng with both hands. Zhu Danchen took out an ivory fan with Duan Zhengchun''s calligraphy to present to Xu Zhu.


    Both receipients received their gifts with thanks and said: "This matter of Third Brother''s we will naturally assist with all our ability - why should we trouble Uncle Duan? We dare not covet these precious gifts."


    A-Zi said: "Do you think Father is showing goodwill? He''s asking the two of you not to compete with my brother in becoming the Prince Consort. My father is afraid that his precious son cannot defeat the both of you. By agreeing this way, you have fallen for my father''s trap!"


    Xiao Feng gave a small sigh and said: "Since when have I had the thought of marrying another ever since your sister died?" A-Zi replied: "It''s natural for you to say this but who knows how your heart feels? Mr. Xu Zhu, you are loyal and honest unlike my philandering and lecherous brother leaving broken hearts everywhere. You have never formed any relationships with any girls. Would it not be perfect to marry the princess of Western Xia?" Xu Zhu turned scarlet and waved his hand hurriedly saying: "No, No! I¡­ I am lacking and will naturally do my best to assist Third Brother in this matter."


    Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen glanced at each other and then paid their respects to Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu, saying: "Many thanks to both of you for your help." Words said in the martial world are hard to take back. Ba and Zhu hurriedly left not because they were afraid of the two reneging on their words but because they wanted to put more pressure on Duan Yu to accept.


    The group headed to the west, slowly getting closer to Lingzhou and meeting more Wulin warriors along the way.


    Although Western Xia was smaller than Great Liao and Great Song, it was a great country in the Western frontier in its own right. The king of the time was addressed as Emperor Li Qianshun. He was also known as Zhong Shengwen? and the country enjoyed peace and prosperity under his reign.


    The Wulin person who married the Western Xia princess would enjoy great riches and benefits; was there a better deal in the whole world? The only issue was that most of the famous Wulin names were already married with children while the new upstarts were not as skilled. There were a large number of senior heroes who brought their sons and disciples along to try their luck. There were also a number of bandits and members of various clans who came alone with high hopes. Many thought: "Perhaps if I have good affinity with the Western Xia princess, she may fall for me when she sees me and I would have a chance to be the Prince Consort even if my martial skills aren''t the best."


    Along the way, the youths they saw were clad in fresh, bright clothing. Even their tools and weapons were in tip-top condition, as if they were off to some great competition. A common saying going around was that the poor studied literature while the rich studied martial arts. Those studying martial arts were mostly fairly well-to-do and frequently used money to offset their misconduct. The young martial artists heading to Western Xia were bedecked in their best finery in the hopes of obtaining the princess'' favor. When these similar types of people met, they frequently jibed at each other and tried to obtain information about what the princess looked like as well as tried to assess if the other party was a strong contender or not. If things didn''t work out, they would treat the other party as an enemy.


    This day, Xiao Feng was going on his way when he suddenly heard the pounding of horse hooves and saw a horse headed their way. The rider''s arm was in a white cloth sling and his clothes were tattered. He looked to be in dire straits. Xiao Feng thought that this person certainly did not fall but was likely attacked by others which was rather alarming. He did not expect that before long, another three horses came over with all the riders also badly injured, either with broken arms of legs. The three new riders had distraught and regretful expressions on their faces, passing by with heads bowed, not daring to look Xiao Feng in the eye. Plum Sword asked: "Is there a fight going on in front? Why are so many people injured?"


    As she spoke, another two people came along. These two were not on horseback and their faces were covered with blood. One of them had a green cloth tied on his head and blood was continually oozing out from it. Bamboo Sword asked: "Wei, do you want medication? How did you get injured?" That person glared ferociously at her and spat at her before slinking off. Chrysanthemum sword was extremely angry and whipped out her longsword, wanting to hack at him. Xu Zhu shook his head and said: "Forget it! This person has been severely injured. You need not mind him." Orchid Sword said: "Sister Bamboo offered him medication out of goodwill but he dared to be so insolent. It would be better to let him die of pain."


    At this moment, another four horses blazed towards them, two on either side. They could hear the riders on the horses having a great quarrel. Someone said: "It''s all your fault for being a lascivous toad lusting over swan meat. Without even considering your own abilities, you dare think of heading to Lingzhou to be the Prince Consort!" Another person scolded: "If you had the skill, why don''t you go for it yourself? You lost and decided to take it out on me." The person on the other side said: "If you had not carried out a sneak attack, how would I have lost?"


    These four people were rushing past and speaking fast. It was unclear as to what they were quarreling about. In the blink of an eye, they were in front of the group. The four of them saw Xiao Feng''s sizeable party and did not dare to cause trouble. Hence, they pulled the horses to the sides and rushed on. However, they continued to squabble amongst themselves. From their dressing, it looked like the four intended to head to Lingzhou to be the Prince Consort, however for some reason the circumstances had changed and they had to return home.


    Duan Yu said: "Eldest brother, I think¡­" As the words left his mouth, another two people came along on foot, also covered with wounds from head to toe, one bleeding severely and one limping. Zhong Ling could not control her curiosity and drew her horse forward, asking: "Wei, are the people ahead at the pass very strong?" A middle aged martial artist replied: "Hng! You''re a girl so they will not stop you from passing. It would be better for males to obediently turn back here." As he said this, Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu felt that it was very strange and decided to go ahead to take a look, urging their horses forward.


    As the group progressed seven to eight Li ahead, they saw the curving mountain path heading upwards. After turning several bends, they saw a dense group of people gathered. Xiao Feng pressed on and saw two towering men in the centre of the mountain pass, each one taller than six feet. On held a large metal club in one hand and one held a pair of copper hammers in both hands. They eyed the crowd ferociously.


    Gathered in front of both men were at least seventeen or eighteen men, all saying different things. Some said politely: "Excuse me, we are headed to Lingzhou, please let us pass." Some said: "Are the two of you collecting road taxes? Do you want one silver tael or two each? If you state your price, we can work something out." Some said" "If you both don''t move and irritate me, I will chop you both to meat paste so fine that it will be hard to piece you both back together. You''d better get out of the way to avoid a tragedy." Some said: "Both of you are imposing and grand, why do you not head to Lingzhou to become the Prince Consort? Would it not be a waste if the beautiful princess selected someone else? Despite the ongoing chatter, the two men ignored them all.


    Suddenly, someone in the crowd yelled: "Move it!" He waved his sword with a cold gleam and charged towards the man on the left. The towering man was large and his weapon was heavy, however his movement was unexpectedly swift. He struck out with his twin hammers and trapped the sword. These two hammers weighed at least forty jin each. With a loud ''Dang!" sound, they shattered the longsword into more than ten segments. The hammer-user gave a kick at the man''s lower abdomen. With a large shout, the man flew seven to eight zhang away and fell without further movement.


    The next moment, another man brandishing twin knives charged forwards, the twin blades whirling in a flash of white light to defend his entire body. When he reached the two towering defenders, he gave a loud yell and switched to the Di Tang knife technique, rolling on the ground with twin knives stabbing towards their legs. The club-user barely spared a glance as to the direction that the knives were coming from. He raised his metal club and struck violently at the blur of white light. With an "Ah!" sound, the second man''s twin knives were broken and the hilt of the knife was buried in his chest. He rolled down the hill.


    The two defenders had injured two people in a row and the remaining people dared not approach again. A sudden beating of hoof sounds was heard and a donkey approached from around the mountain bend. On the donkey''s back was a young scholar who looked no older than eighteen or nineteen. He was dressed in a scholar''s gown and wore an intelligent, cultured expression. His features were delicate and beautiful. As he rode his donkey past Xiao Feng and the others, the group felt that he was a world apart from the other Jianghu wanderers and could not help but glance a few more times at him in curiosity. Duan Yu suddenly exclaimed: "Ah!" and said: "You¡­ You¡­ You¡­" The scholar never glanced at him but proceeded to the front of the group.


    Zhong Ling asked in puzzlement: "Do you know him?" Duan Yu blushed and said: "No¡­ I made a mistake. He is a man, how would I have recognized him?" A-Zi suddenly burst out laughing and said: "Brother, so it turns out that you only recognize ladies and not men." She paused and asked: "Is the person who just went past really a man? Clearly, it''s a woman." Duan Yu replied: "You say that he''s actually a woman?" A-Zi replied: "Certainly, her body has a strong fragrance. It''s clearly a feminine scent." Duan Yu heard the word ''fragrance'' and his heart started pounding. "Perhaps¡­ Perhaps it''s really her?"


    The scholar rode his donkey into the midst of the two tall men and demanded: "Move it!" As these words rang out clearly, it was indeed the voice of a woman.


    Duan Yu''s suspicions were confirmed and called out: "Miss Mu! Wan Qing! Sister! You¡­you...you¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I¡­". As he called out, he rode ahead. Xu Zhu called: "Third Brother, be careful of your wound!" He whipped his horse into action and rushed forward along with Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen.


    The young scholar on the donkey''s back stared at the two towering man and never once turned back Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen upon examining her profile noted her feminine features and identified her to indeed be Mu Wanqing. The two men cursed themselves and silently thought: "How regretful, we have eyes to see but are no match for a blind person." They did not know that A-Zi''s hearing had sharpened beyond a normal person''s and that she had identified Mu Wanqing being a girl from her lingering fragrance. The group saw the young scholar in their midst but had difficulty differentiating the scholar''s gender.


    Duan Yu hurried to Mu Wanqing''s side and placed his hand on her shoulder, gently saying: "Mei-zi (sister), where have you been all this time? I pined greatly for you!" Mu Wanqing dodged away from his hand and turned, asking coldly: "You thought of me? Why did you think of me? Did you really think of me?" Duan Yu was dumbfounded. He did not know how to answer these three lines of hers.


    The defender with the club laughed heartily and said: "Fine, as you are a girl, I will let you pass." The hammer-user said: "Girls can pass but stinking men cannot. Wei, get back, get back!" As he spoke, he pointed at Duan Yu and called out: "You little gigolo (С°×Á³), it makes me angry just to see your face. If you take a single step forwards, I will certainly pound you into pulp." Duan Yu retorted: "You must be mistaken. This is a road for all. Why can''t I pass? Kindly explain."


    The defender replied: "The Tibetan King Zong Zheng has decreed: This pass will be sealed for ten days and only reopened after the mid-autumn festival. Before then, ladies may pass but men cannot. Monks may pass but lay-people may not. Elderly may pass but youth may not. The dead may pass but the living may not! This is called: Four can pass but four cannot!" Duan Yu replied: "What kind of logic is that?" The defender shouted: "Reason? Reason? My copper hammer and his metal club are reason enough! King Zong Zheng''s words are reason enough. You are a man. If you are not a monk or an elderly, the only way you can pass is dead."


    Mu Wanqing angrily retorted: "Pei! Who cares about your stinking rules!" With a wave of her right hand, two ''chi'' sounds were heard and two small arrow points shot towards the two defenders. However, two beating sounds were heard and the arrow points fell to the grass. The points had clearly shot into their chests and yet the duo were unhurt. The defender with the club angrily bellowed: "Insolent girl, why did you use concealed weapons?" Mu Wanqing got a great shock and thought: "These two must be wearing armor that they did not die from my poisoned arrows." The club-wielder struck a palm towards Mu Wanqing. He was extremely tall such that even though Mu Wanqing was on the donkey''s back, he could strike directly towards her chest with his height.


    Duan Yu called out: "Do not be disrespectful!" and his left hand stretched out to block the strike. The defending warrior flipped his palm and grabbed Duan Yu''s arm in a vice grip. The hammer-user shouted: "Wonderful! Brother is going to rip this young dandy into two pieces!" He grabbed both hammers and used his right hand to pull hard on Duan Yu''s wrist.


    Mu Wanqing urgently shouted: "Don''t hurt my brother (¸ç¸ç)!" She shot out multiple darts but the effect was like throwing stones into the sea. Although they impacted the bodies of the two warriors, they hardly dealt any damage. She wanted to shoot at the eyes of the duo but Duan Yu was trapped between them and she was afraid to injure him. Xu Zhu, Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen were mounted on horses and unable to assist immediately.


    Xu Zhu blazed down from his horse and sped beside the club-wielding warrior, extending his finger to seal his acupoints. He instead heard Duan Yu laughing loudly and saying: "Elder brother, do not be alarmed. They cannot hurt me."


    Duan Yu puzzledly asked: "Ai, how did you know?" Mu Wanqing replied: "My mother got the truth out of your dear father. I was with Mother and naturally heard all about Father''s matters." Duan Yu said: "So that''s the case. You know that I wanted to go to Lingzhou and then decided to come and take a look, is that it?" Mu Wanqing''s face blushed lightly. This statement of Duan Yu''s was spot on. However, she was naturally inclined to replying harshly and said: "What would I be watching you for? I wanted to investigate the beauty methods of the Western Xia princess, but everything became so complicated." Duan Yu wanted to say: "If she were half as pretty as you are, it would already be quite remarkable!" He then felt that this line was suitable for a lover but not his younger sister. He stopped just before he spoke. Mu Wanqing said: "I also wanted to see if your Dali Country''s great prince Duan would take on this matter of marriage." Duan Yu said in a subdued tone: "I will not become the Western Xia Prince Consort. Sister, keep this to yourself. If Father wants to force me to it, I will flee far away."


    Mu Wanqing said: "You dare defy Father''s order?" Duan Yu said: "I''m not defying it, I''m escaping!" Mu Wanqing laughed: "What difference is there? Why do you not want the princess who has been brought up in the lap of luxury?" Ever since they had met, this was the first time she had laughed. Duan Yu was overjoyed and said: "Are you like Father? Falling in love with everyone as you meet them until eventually becoming inseparable?"


    Mu Wanqing said: "Hng, I don''t see much difference between you and Father. Looks like its true that father and son are alike. It''s just that you don''t have Father''s good fortune. She sighed and said: "Like mother. She keeps saying how much she hates Father, however once she saw him, she was overjoyed and agreed to forgive everything. The young ladies of today are not as good as my mother."

 Chapter - 45 Within the Dried Well, Beyond the Mud - 1

    Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen met with Mu Wanqing and introduced her to Xiao Feng, Xu Zhu and the other gathered people. Ba and Zhu both knew that she was the daughter of the Zhennan King. However, as she had not been formally recognized, they addressed her as Miss Mu.


    The group had covered a number of Li when they heard a loud cry from the left along with some loud sounds. The sounds were those of the Crocodile Deity''s, as if he had met some danger. Duan Yu shouted: "That''s my disciple!" Zhong Ling said: You should all go ahead first to take a look. Your disciple is not a bad person by nature. Xu Zhu agreed: "Yes!" His mother Ye Erniang had been close with the Crocodile Deity and it was likely that they had had some feelings for each other.


    The group rode swiftly towards the sound. After making a few turns, they saw a dense forest. Beside the opposing cliff, they saw a strange and alarming scene.


    A large cliff emerged from the deep valley there. Atop the cliff grew a single ancient-looking lone pine tree. Atop a branch of this tree was a man dangling from a single walking cane. Dressed in green, this was indeed Duan Yanqing. His left hand gripped the wooden cane while his right hand held a second cane. That cane was in turn held by the Southern Sea Crocodile Deity hanging below. The Crocodile Deity gripped a man''s long hair - Yun Zhonghe. Yun Zhonghe was holding on to a girl''s hands with both his own. The four people hung down like a long rope, swinging in the breeze precariously. Regardless who let go, those below would plunge into the valley measuring tens of Zhang. The valley was full of rocks and trees, like swords piercing upwards. It would be hard for someone who fell to survive.


    At this time, a gust of wind arrived and made the Crocodile Deity, Yun Zhonghe and the girl spin almost half a round. This girl''s back had been facing the group. When she turned around, Duan Yu exclaimed: "Ai Yo!" and recklessly leaped down from his horse.


    The girl was indeed the unforgettable Wang Yuyan that he had been pining for night and day.


    Duan Yu, in a moment of clarity, saw that the cliff was dangerous and impossible to reach on horseback. He leapt down from the horse and rushed over on food. In front of the pine tree, he saw a big-headed and short fatty wielding a big axe in the process of chopping down the tree.


    Duan Yu was bewildered and called out: "Wei! Wei, what are you doing?" The short fatty ignored him and kept hacking away at the pine tree stroke by stroke. "Peng! Peng!" Wood chips flew with large echoes. Duan Yu stretched out a finger and summoned his internal energy, prepared to use the Six Meridians Divine Sword (Liumai Shenjian) skill to injure him. He did not expect that his control of the skill was still poor and he could not always evoke it. He pointed repeatedly but there was no sign of the sword Qi manifesting. In a panic, he shouted: "Eldest brother! Second brother! My two good sisters and the four kind ladies! Quick, come and save these people!"


    In the midst of his shouting, Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu had rushed over as well. It turned out that this fatty had been obscured by a large rock and could not be seen. Fortunately, the tree was large and solid and the fatty needed some time to chop it down.


    Xiao Feng eyed the scene and was most astonished. He could not understand how this had come to pass. Xu Zhu called out: "Dear Fat-Brother, stop immediately! You must not chop this tree!" The fatty replied: "I planted this tree. I want to chop it down and take it home to make a coffin to sleep in. What right have you to interfere?" His hands never stopped chopping as he spoke. From below, the sounds and moans of the South Sea Crocodile Deity continually drifted over. Duan Yu said: "Second Brother, this man is not to be reasoned with. Please stop him before speaking on." Xu Zhu said: "All right!" and dashed forwards.


    A man holding two wooden crutches suddenly appeared and rushed past the group. With a few leaps, he appeared in front of the fatty. It was You Tanzhi. He had slipped out from the donkey cart at some unknown time. You Tanzhi had one crutch to the ground and one crutch pointed to the group. He proclaimed: "No one come over!"


    Mu Wanqing had never seen him before. Suddenly seeing his strangely hideous visage, her face went bloodless and she let out a quiet "Ah!" sound.


    Duan Yu hurriedly said: "Clan Leader Zhuang, please immediately stop this fatty and tell him not to keep chopping the tree." You Tanzhi icily replied: "Why should I stop him? What does it benefit?" Duan Yu replied: "If the pine tree falls, everyone below will die."


    Xu Zhu saw that the situation was critical. He leaped nearer, thinking that even if he could not stop the fatty, he could at least pull up Duan Yanqing and the rest. He recalled the time when he managed to solve the Zhen Long Chess Formation and it had been greatly due to Duan Yanqing''s direction. It was hard to say if it had been for better or worse, learning his skills thereafter and everything that had happened from then on, but Duan Yanqing had been good to him and he felt that he should repay the favor.


    You Tanzhi''s right hand stabbed the wooden crutch into the ground. His right palm swept outwards and a gust of ominous dark Qi blasted outwards. Xu Zhu was unafraid of his Toxic Cold Yin Palm but he also knew that this skill was formidable and should not be overlooked. He instantly replied with a palm of his own. You Tanzhi''s sent a second palm to the base of the pine tree which gave it a mightly shake. The four people hanging there shook even more precariously.


    Duan Yu urgently called: "Second Brother, don''t go, we can talk this out. No need to take action first."


    You Tanzhi said: "Master Duan. You want me to stop this fatty. That is not difficulty. However, what benefit do I get?" Duan Yu said: "I will give you whatever you want. I won''t bargain. Quick! Quick save them before it''s too late!" You Tanzhi said: "After I stop the fatty, I want to leave immediately with Miss A-Zi. You, Xiao Feng, Xu Zhu and the rest must not stop me."


    Duan Yu said: "A-Zi? She¡­ Her eyes need treatment from my Second Brother. After she leaves with you, what about her eyes?" You Tanzhi said: "If Mr. Xu Zhu can devise a way of returning her sight, so can I." Duan Yu said: "This¡­ this¡­" He watched the fatty continue chopping at the tree. Thinking that despite everything, saving their lives was more critical, he replied: "I agree! Quick¡­ Quick¡­"


    You Tanzhi waved his right palm and stabbed it towards the fatty. The fatty laughed icily and threw down his axe. With a cry, he used both palms to receive You Tanzhi''s palm force. His palms generated a mighty gust. You Tanzhi''s palm on the other hand was utterly silent.


    In an instant, the fatty''s face suddenly changed. He had originally worn a smug expression which suddenly became very strange, as if he had suddenly seen the weirdest event of his life. Two trickles of fresh blood flowed down the sides of his mouth and his body gradually stiffened and curled up. He slowly fell from the cliff. After a long interval, there was a loud thud. His body had crashed into the sharp valley rocks with a dull echo. The group thought about the short fatty''s shattered body and felt a collective chill.


    Xu Zhu leaped onto the branch of the pine tree, he can only see Duan Yanqing''s crutch deeply embedded in the branch, he exerts his energy, and pulled up the four people below, with his deep internal energy, Xu Zhu stretched his left hand to pull the crutch up.


    The Divine Croc called from below: "Little monk, I knew you were a good monk, you were my second sister''s son, you are I, Yue Laosan''s nephew, of course your ability is not bad. If you didn''t help us, we''ll be hanging here for 3 days 3 nights, the taste of that won''t be good."


    Yun Zhonghe said: "You are still boasting, how can you hang there for 3 days 3 night?"


    The Divine Croc said angrily: "If I can''t hang on, let go of your hair, then it will really happen, do you want me to try?" Both of them are facing difficulties, they had to rely on each other.


    After a while, Xu Zhu pulled up Duan Yanqing, then the Divine Croc and Yun Zhonghe, at last he pulled up Wang Yuyan. Her eyes are closed, her breathing is weak, she had already fainted.


    At first Duan Yu was very happy, followed by pitifulness, but after seeing both pair of her hands have a purple-black circle, he can see Yun Zhonghe''s deep fingerprints, he thought of Yun Zhonghe''s brutal personality, having indecent thought toward both Mu Wanqing and Zhong Ling, everytime he depended on the Divine Croc to save him, since today this evil act have once been repeated he cannot help but be angry, he said: "Big brother, second brother, this Yun Zhonghe is a bad person, let''s kill him!"


    The Divine Croc shouted: "No, no! Duan¡­.Master¡­..today is all due to Yun the fourth saved your¡­.your wife¡­.my master wife¡­...or else, your wife''s life ended long time ago."


    Listening to him blabbering nonsense, everyone heard it very clearly. Duan Yu was more anxious about Wang Yuyan than normally, Mu Wanqing and Zhong Ling saw it with their own eyes, just to take her back up, he doesn''t care about injuries, seeing her goddess like appearance make their heart uncomfortable. They only see her eyes slowly opening and she exclaimed a "Ying" sound.


    She whispered: "Am I in hell? I..I am dead?"


    The Divine Croc shouted angrily: "You ugly girl are blabbering nonsense! If this is really hell, are we all dead? Right now you are not my master''s wife, I can scold you a little, it does not count as being disrespectful. There isn''t much time, I think you will become my master wife soon, I''ll lose the chance, so I should call you ugly girl right now. Wei, ugly girl, you were totally fine why did you want to die? You die is your own thing, you should not let Yun Zhonghe lost a life for you. No, if Yun Zhonghe died it does not matter, but if our Duan leader die then that will be very depressing. Even if Duan leader did die that is not a big thing, I, Yue Lao Er die because of you is really not worth it!"


    Duan Yu consoled her softly: "Miss Wang, that was a big shock, you should rest against the tree for a while,"


    Wan Yuyan broke into a cry, her hand holding her face: "Don''t care about me, I¡­.I¡­.I don''t want to live anymore."


    Duan Yu was shocked: "She really wanted to die, but why? Maybe¡­.Maybe.." He looked at Yun Zhonghe, seeing his fierce look, he thought : "Ai ya, maybe Miss Wang was disgraced by this man, so she wanted to die?"


    Zhong Ling walked up, she said: "Hi, Yue Laosan!"


    The Divine Cron saw her, he was overjoyed, he said loudly: " Hi, little master wife! Right now I am Yue Lao Er, not Yue Laosan anymore!"


    Zhong Ling said: "Don''t say little, it sounds horrible. Yue Lao Er, I ask you, why does this Miss Wang wanted to die? Is it this bamboo man who caused the trouble? I bet he''s feeling itchy!" As she said this she blew on her 10 fingers. Yun Zhonghe''s face color changed drastically, he withdrew 2 steps.


    The Divine Croc shook his head, he said: "No, no. The heaven and earth are generous, this time Yun the fourth changed his character, suddenly did a good deed. Us 3 people don''t have Ye Erniang this companion, We are quite depressed, we came out to calm ourselves, when we walked here, we saw this ugly girl about to jump, she jumped with great force, Yun the fourth didn''t catch her properly, sigh, he used to be a violent and fierce person, suddenly trying to do a good deed, it cannot be helped to went out of control¡­¡­"


    Yun Zhonghe said angrily: "Your granny, I was just kind, when did I do a good deed? The surnamed Yun likes pretty girls, seeing this Miss Wang about to commit suicide, of course I find it not worth it, I wanted to take her home and make her my wife for a couple of days."


    The Divine Croc was furious, he cursed: "Your granny, Yue Lao Er thought you changed character, saving people, remembering that you are a famous evil person and we had a deep friendship, I helped holding your hair, if I have knew that, I would''ve let you die."


    Zhong Ling laughed and said: "Yue Lao Er, you used to be the "Ferocious Deity and Evil Devil", You only do evil, you don''t do good deeds, now you changed your character already? Did you learn it from your master?"


    The Divine Croc scratched his head, he said: "No, No! No change of character, no change of character! Because the 4 arch villain have lost one person, it feels kind of weird. When I grabbed Yun the fourth, I also fell down, good that Duan leader''s martial art is good, he came and grabbed me. But the 3 of us is 400 pounds in weight, this drag and pull, Duan leader also came down. He used his crutch to hook on to the pine tree, there is no way to come up, unexpectedly came a fat man from Tibet, cutting down the pine tree.


    Zhong Ling asked: "This fat man is from Tibet? Why does he want to kill you?"


    The Divine Croc spat, he said: "We the 4 arch evils are Western Xia''s first, second class fighter, no, no, its third, fourth class fighter, you guys knew that long ago. This time the emperor is choosing the prince consort for the princess, he ordered a bunch of top fighters to stop people if they want to cause trouble. The Tibet prince was really unreasonable, he commanded people to stop people from going to try out for the prince consort, only he is allowed. Of course we are not happy,so we fought, and killed 10 of his Tibet people. So, we 3 arch evils and Tibet are not best friends anymore."


    When he said, everyone nodded, but why does Wang Yuyan wants to commit suicide, no one understood.


    The Divine Croc added: Miss Wang, My master is here, you guys should get married, no need to commit suicide anymore!"


    Wang Yuyan raised her head, she said chokingly: "You are blabbering nonsense to bully me, I¡­...I will hit myself and die right here."


    Duan Yu said quickly: "Can''t do that, can''t do that!" He turned to the Divine Croc and said: " Yue Laosan(Yue number 3) , you can''t¡­"


    The Divine Croc said: "Yue Lao Er(Yue number 2)!"


    Duan Yu said: "Ok, it''s Yue Lao Er! You stop blabbering nonsense. But you did save lives, master is thankful. I will really need to teach you some martial arts!"


    The Divine Croc had a strange look, he looked sideways at Wang Yuyan and said: "You don''t want to be my master wife? This is my big master wife, this is my little master wife, they are both my master wife." he looked at Mu Wanqing,then looked at Zhong Ling.


    Mu Wanqing blushed red, she spat, and said: "Yi, where is that ugly freak?" Everyone was looking at Xu Zhu saving people, they just realized that You Tanzhi and Azi has disappeared.


    Duan Yu asked: "Big brother, they are already gone?"


    Xiao Feng said: "They are already gone. You agreed to his conditions, I will not block his way." He cannot help but feel at loss, he doesn''t know after Azi and You Tanzhi leave, what will happen to them.


    The Divine Croc shouted: "Leader, number 4, are we going now?" He saw Duan Yanqing and Yun Zhonghe already walked to the north, he turned around and said to Duan Yu: " I am going to go now!" He sped up his pace, following Duan Yanqing and Yun Zhonghe back to Xinzhou.


    Zhong Ling said: "Miss Wang, let''s sit in the carriage." She supported Wan Yuyan, letting her sit in the carriage Azi sat before.


    Everyone headed to Xinzhou. They arrived in Xinzhou in the evening.


    At the time, Western Xia has 22 provinces. The one near the yellow river are Lingzhou, Hongzhou, Yinzhou, Xiazhou province, near the western river there are Xinzhou, Lianzhou, Ganzhou, Suzhou province in Gansu, Ningxia area. The land of the Yellow River gain benefits, rich grains, the so-called "Yellow River harm, mercenary," Western Xia is the land of the river and land. Soldiers and horses are strong, the number reaching 50 thousands. Western Xia are brave and strong, Yun: "Controlling soldiers are harder than rocks, setting ambushes for the enemies. To cavalry for the former army, by good horse, good armour, if they''re thieves, hook him, dead immediately. In a war, first battle in formations, if the formation is broken, the foot soldier charge in." The Great Song with years of confrontation, tired and defeated. Western Xia''s emperor''s surname is Li, in fact, Tang Taizong national surname is Li, Great Song''s national surname is Zhao, but Western Xia are happy to be surnamed Li. Western Xia''s people have war everywhere, expanding their border, more migration. Right now, Xinzhou is Western Xia''s capital, but compared with the original fame, is still far away.


    That night Xiao Feng can''t find any inn. Xinzhou is naturally not bustling, at the time it is the Qingming season, countless heroes came from different places, many inns are already full. Xiao Feng then went out of the city, he found a temple and used it as a shelter, men sleep in the west wing and women sleep in the east.


    After Duan Yu see Wang Yuyan again, he was happy and sad, that night he flipped over and over again, how can he sleep? He thought: "Why does Miss Wang want to commit suicide? How can I stop her from committing suicide? Ai, I don''t even know why she wants to commit suicide, how can I persuade her?"


    Seeing the moonlight coming in from the window, it was quite bright, it was difficult for him to sleep, he slowly got up and went into the courtyard, seeing 2 trees with leaves not so beautiful, bending on top of the temple''s roof. Right now it is in spring, although the weather is cool, at night, it is still quite cold. Duan Yu walked around the tree for a couple of rounds, then thought again: "Why does she want to commit suicide?"


    Walking out of the temple, the moonlight shone onto a person''s shadow, it was a white dressed maiden, her figure very similar to Wang Yuyan. Duan Yu was shocked, he said darkly: "Oh no, she wants to die." He sped up his pace, and came behind the white dress maiden. The pond water is as clear as the mirror, the face of the white dress maiden is precisely Wang Yuyan.


    Duan Yu don''t dare to advance, he thought: "At Shaolin mountain, she was angry at me, this time we meet again, her face still shows that color, presumably nothing but anger. This time she want to die , it might be because she is angry at me. Ai, Duan Yu ah Duan Yu, you anger this beautiful lady, making her depressed, even a hundred deaths are not enough." He hid behind a big tree, he sighed thinking that he did something really wrong. If somebody in this world deserve to commit suicide, it is him Duan Yu, not this Miss Wang.


    Seeing the jade like texture of the lake, suddenly there are tiny little water ripples expanding, Duan Yu looked at it , he saw a few water droplets falling into the pond, it was Wang Yuyan''s tears. Duan Yu felt even more pitiful, but he heard her sigh and said softly: "I...I should die, so that it ends this endless suffering."


    Duan Yu can''t take it anymore, he walked from behind the tree and said: "Miss Wang, a thousand no, ten thousand no. It is all I, Duan Yu''s fault, please hold on. If¡­..if you are still angry, I will kneel down." He did what he said, his knees fell down, he was kneeling in front of her.


    Wang Yuyan was surprised, she said anxiously: " You...What are you doing? Please get up, if other people see it what will they think?"


    Duan Yu said: "If miss forgive me, forget all my wrongdoings, then I will get up."


    Wang Yuyan asked oddly: "What do I forgive you for?What am I angry for? What did you do wrong?"


    Duan Yu said: "I saw miss very depressed, I thought miss must be sad because I wronged gentleman Murong, making him unhappy, so I led you into trouble. Next time if we meet again, if he wants to hit me, kill me, I''ll only run, I won''t hit him. If you don''t want me to run, then I will give him my life."


    Wang Yuyan paused for a second, then said: "Ai, you...you fool, I am depressed with myself, what is it about you?"


    Duan Yu said: "Does that mean, miss you are not angry at me?"


    Wang Yuyan said: "Of course not!"


    Duan Yu said: " Then my heart can relax." He stood up, then felt that it wasn''t right. If Wang Yuyan was depressed because of him, hit him, scold him, stabbed him with a sword, cut him with a knife, he would be more than happy, but she just said: "I am depressed with myself, what is it about you?" he couldn''t help but feel at loss.


    Seeing Wang Yuyan hung her head, tears dropped onto her chest, her silk dress doesn''t absorb water, so the tears wet her clothes, Duan Yu''s heart ached, he said: "Miss, what is troubling you, please tell me. I will do my best to fulfill your wish, I will have a way to make you happy again."


    Wang Yuyan shook her head slowly, the moonlight shone on her teary eyes like blue crystals, those blue crystals seems to carry happiness, but that light went dim, she said faintly: "Gentleman Duan, you are always so good to me, in my heart I am very thankful, but this you do not have the ability to help me."


    Duan Yu said: "I don''t have much abilities, but my big brother Xiao, second brother Xu Zhu has top martial arts, they are both here, I am their sworn brother, we are as close as if linked by flesh and blood, whatever I ask them, they''ll understand. Miss Wang, why are you so depressed, you can tell me. Even if it is very difficult, irreversible, you can say it out, it will make you feel better."


    Wang Yuyan''s pale cheeks suddenly are covered with a layer of faint red, she turned her head, not willing to stare at Duan Yu''s eyes, she whispered in a low, soft voice: "He¡­.he wants to become the Western Xia''s prince consort. Second brother Gongye helped me, he said to restore Great Yan, he can''t destroy a girl''s love for him." After she says this, she turned around, put her head in Duan Yu''s shoulders, and cried.


    Duan Yu was flattered, he didn''t dare to move,he didn''t know if he was happy or sad. So Wang Yuyan was depressed because Murong Fu wants to become the Western Xia''s prince consort, if he married the Western Xia princess, naturally Wang Yuyan will be ignored. Duan Yu naturally thought: "If she can''t marry her cousin, maybe she will change her thoughts about me. I don''t need to marry her, if I can see her everyday, in my heart I am happy. She likes being quiet, I can accompany her to a deserted mountain or island, living peacefully, what''s better than that?" Thinking about happy moments, he couldn''t help but dance a little.


    Wang Yuyan moved her body, she stepped back, seeing Duan Yu''s happy expressions, she said angrily: : "You¡­.you...I thought you were a good person, I told you, I did not realize that you will laugh at me."


    Duan Yu said: "No. no! The heaven is my witness, if I, Duan Yu even the slightest feeling to laugh at you, thunder will split my body, 10000 arrows will pierce me!"


    Wang Yuyan said: "You don''t want to laugh at me, that''s good, who told you to swear an oath? So, why were you so happy?"


    As soon as she said it, she understood: Duan Yu was delighted, because if Murong Fu marries the princess, then his love rival will be gone. Duan Yu love her with all his heart, do you think she doesn''t know it? Except that she has doted her cousin since childhood, she had no time to read Duan Yu''s feeling, she cannot help but apologize that the word "love" must not be involved. After she understood Duan Yu''s intention, she was shocked with shame, with flushed cheeks, she angrily said: "You are not laughing at me, but it is still not good intention."


    Duan Yu''s mind became clear, he said darkly: "Duan Yu, ah Duan Yu, why did you have such despicable ideas? Isn''t that being a shameless villain?" Seeing her pitiful face, he felt like he should make her happy, even if he must die, he will be willing to do it with a proud and arrogant air, he thought: "I was only thinking, how to live with her in a desert mountain or island every morning and evening, happy and enjoyable, but I did not think that this ''happy and enjoyable'' is my happiness, not Wang Yuyan''s happiness. I, Duan Yu''s happiness is her, Wang Yuyan''s sadness. I want myself to be happy, that is loving myself, only by solving this problem in her heart is really loving her, and it''s good for her."


    Wang Yuyan whispered: "Did I say something wrong? Are you angry at me?"


    Duan Yu said: "No, no, how can be angry at you?"


    Wang Yuyan said: "Then why aren''t you saying anything?"


    Duan Yu said: "I am thinking of something."


    Duan Yu doesn''t have a plan: "I,compared to gentleman Murong, am behind him in terms of martial arts and literacy, I am behind him in terms of characters, I am behind him in terms of reputation, I am not on top of him. Plus, they know each other since childhoods, they love each other for a long time, of course I can not be compared to him. There is one thing I am better at than him, I know what is good for Miss Wang, Gentleman Murong isn''t as good as me. In the future, when miss Wang and gentleman Murong have descendants, her heart can still remember me, Duan Yu, knowing that in this world there won''t be a second person who is this good to her."


    His heart is decided, he said: "Miss Wang, you do not have to panic, I will tell gentleman Murong, ask him not to be the prince consort, and quickly marry you."


    Wang Yuyan was surprised, she said: "No! How can you do that? My cousin hates you to the bone, he won''t listen to you."


    Duan Yu said: "I will be righteous, the point of a life is the love between a husband and wife, 2 hearts joined. Him and that Western Xia princess does not know each other, he won''t know if she is pretty or ugly, kind or evil, first time meeting, and they are married, that is absolutely wrong. I will also tell him that Miss wang is beautiful and pure, very rare to find, very gentle, you can''t find a second one. After a thousand year you can''t find one, after one thousand year there still won''t be one. Plus, Miss Wang loved Gentleman Murong for many years, so the love must be very deep, you can be that very fortunate husband, for all the lovers out there letting the heroes of Jianghu laugh?


    Wang Yuyan heard his words, she felt moved, she said lightly: "Gentleman Duan, you are very good to me, you flattered me, it made me happy¡­."


    Duan Yu said hurriedly: "No, no!" Once the word left his mouth, he thought that he had been infected by Bao Butong, and learned his favourite word. He couldn''t help but smile, and said: "I am very sincere, there words are from my heart." Wang Yuyan also gave his "No, no!" a light smile.


    She said: "There are many good things to learn, you had to learn from my 3rd brother Bao."


    Duan Yu saw her smiling, he liked it very much, he said: "I have thought this thoroughly I will go persuade him, not only will Gentleman Murong stop wanting to be the prince consort, he will also returned back to miss for marriage."


    Wang Yuyan said: "Why do you want to do this? What benefit will you gain?"


    Duan Yu said: " I can see miss happy, that is a great benefit."


    Wang Yuyan''s mind became clear, she thought that the speech was an understatement, but it very true to her heart. Just that her heart has always been on Murong Fu, always with passion, but soon forgotten.


    She sighed and said: "You don''t know my cousin''s heart. In his heart, restoring the Great Yan is the most important thing. Second brother Gongye said that my cousin said: A real gentleman needs to do big things, that is the most important. If a man loses that desire because of children and wife, then he is not a hero. He also said: The Western Xia princess can be an ugly witch, it can also be a bad mouthed person, he won''t care, the point is that he can restore the Great Yan."


    Duan Yu mumbled: "That is quite true, That Murong really, wholeheartedly wanted to become an emperor, Western Xia''s soldier really could help him restore his country, this¡­..this¡­.this is truly difficult." Seeing Wang Yuyan'' tears, even if he had to climbed a mountain full of sword, or jump into a hot pan full of oil, he will gladly to it.


    He said: "You can count on me 120 times, I will go and be that Western Xia prince consort. Then your cousin can''t be the prince consort, then he will have to return to you and marry you."


    Wang Yuyan was surprised, and delighted, she asked: "What?"


    Duan Yu said: "I will be that Western Xia''s prince consort."


    Wang Yuyan thought of, the day Gongya Gan came to told her that Murong Fu wanted to become the prince consort, to help restore the Great Yan. She felt hurt, and she cried, Gongye Gan wanted to persuade her, so he told her:


    "Gentleman Duan is the Dali Kingdom prince, his father, Duan Zhengchun, is the brother of the Dali emperor, he is the only royal descendant, so in the future, the throne must be passed on to him. Young master wants to restore Great Yan, that is truly difficult, the chance of being the emperor is almost second to none. He is a commoner, how can he be compared to the Dali prince Duan Yu? Western Xia wants to find a prince consort, finding a prince is naturally better than a commoner, at least the princess can become an empress, it''s better than being a commoner''s wife. The Dali prince coming to Xinzhou, with gold and silver, they have already spent 10 thousand, 8 thousand, spending another 2-3 thousand is not surprising. We, Murong family cannot be compared to them." (Wang Yuyan thought: That bookworm is the Dali prince? I didn''t know that, why doesn''t he tell me? Does he really have a lot of money?)


    "Plus, when it comes to literature, Gentleman Duan reads a lot of books and poetry. In terms of martial arts, the Dali family knows the 6 Meridian Sword, on Shaolin Mountain, young master was defeated from that move, all the world''s heroes saw it. Young master can''t use the ''Returning you with your own way'' to defeat him."(Wang Yuyan thought: Gentleman Duan also knows "Graceful Steps upon the Waves", "Six Yang Snowmelt skills", these type of martial arts, cousin doesn''t know them.)


    "If we talk about their appearance, they don''t differ too much. But Miss Wang, a real gentleman''s air is not their appearance, he needs to be elegant and generous. Gentleman Duan is a bit naive, that is true. He wins in controlling himself, but once he saw you, he changed into a big, dumb person. Our young master, the only thing he thought about, day and night, is how to restore the Great Yan. He worries about it for a lot, of course it''d be harder for him to be elegant. If you didn''t appear between them, I bet that Gentleman Duan is a lot more elegant. Third bother Bao tried to ridicule him, but he just stood there, not caring. Gentleman Duan is broad-minded, graceful, elegant, rare to find among people. Just that he is a bit younger than our young master, he is still naive." (Wang Yuyan thought: Gentleman Duan is about 8-9 nine years younger than my cousin, only 1-2 years older than me. Cousin already have 1-2 strands of white hair, I had to pretend I didn''t notice, or he won''t happy.)


    How about his people? Gentleman Duan have Dali''s 3 master, 4 bodyguards, high martial arts, they are not below us, Deng, Gongye, Bao, Feng. His sworn brother Xiao Feng, General Xiao, Mr. Xu Zhu, has top martial arts without a match, we have a Miss Wang who knows the martial arts of every sect, we are obviously not their match." (Wang Yuyan thought: General Xiao and Mr. Xu Zhu''s martial arts, I can not understand at all, how can we even be their match?)


    "Even if the Western Xia''s king did chose our young master, General Xiao have ten thousand soldiers under his command, if he said: ''Emperor, I suggest you choose my sworn brother, if the Dali''s crowned prince didn''t become the prince consort, us 2 countries can combine and attack you, I think it will be difficult to block.'' After he said these words, our young master can only hand his position over to the emperor Duan and say: ''Emperor Duan, congratulations, congratulations! I will go to my cousin, I will not be there to drink your wedding wine!" (Wang Yuyan thought: So this bookworm has this many benefits, I have always been thinking about cousin, not one bit about that bookworm. Well, he is ten times better, and I can do nothing to it.)


    "I heard that Gentleman Duan came all the way to Xinzhou, is to become the prince consort." (Wang Yuyan thought: I came to Xinzhou, he followed me.)


    "If gentleman Duan really want to become the prince consort, young master can only lose. Third brother Bao said, we could find a chance to cut his head off. Me and Big brother Deng, forth brother Feng all said no, if the Murong family does that sort of thing, won''t we become shameless villains? Only if Gentleman Duan wants to leave, not going to ask for the Princess''s hands in marriage, but how to persuade him to go back, is a big problem. Young master and I talked about it for days, but we are still hopeless." (Wang Yuyan thought: You want me to go and ask him to go back. If he listens to me, won''t cousin go to be that prince consort?)


    "Young master focused wholeheartedly on restoring the Great Yan, there is a golden opportunity, but there is an obstacle. Only by passing this obstacle, young master can have the ability to restore the Great Yan. If he is the consort then the princess will be his wife, young master really does love you,he wants to take you as a concubine, that time he will visit you everyday, 8days, 10days and still he won''t go visit the princess for even once. Ai, just that we don''t have a way, how persuade Gentleman Duan to not become the prince consort? That''s a big part but we all have no way to help our young master¡­"(Wang Yuyan thought: You don''t have a way, I do hope Gentleman Duan go to be that prince consort, then cousin can''t go. But does Gentleman Duan be willing to be the prince consort?)


    But now Wang Yuyan hears that Duan Yu was willing to go be the Western Xia''s prince consort, as if the light just poked through a cloudy, dark night sky, she couldn''t help but feel happy, she said lowly: "Gentleman Duan, you are very nice to me, but if you do that, my cousin will hate you to the bones."


    Duan Yu said: "So? He already hates me to the bone."


    Wang Yuyan said: "You said, that you didn''t know if the princess is pretty or ugly, kind or mean, but because of me you are willing to marry her, this...this¡­.isn''t this very difficult for you?"


    Duan Yu wanted to say: "If it''s for you, no matter what it is, I am ready to face it." But then he thought: "I help you do things, if I want you to thank me, that is not a gentleman''s behavior." So he said: " It''s not because of you I face these difficulties, My dad wants me to go and marry this princess. I am going there for my father, it''s not for you."


    Wang Yuyan was smart, Duan Yu loved her so much, how could it not be for her? She thought if he was insane, how can he just go and marry a person he doesn''t know? It was for her he went and do this thing, he didn''t get a merit, she was grateful. She took Duan Yu''s hand and said: "Gentleman Duan, My¡­.my¡­.whole life is indebted to you, in my next life¡­." She can only talk until here, she choked, she couldn''t talk anymore.


    The 2 of them have survived through many troubles, helping each other, alongside each other, for not only once, but it was nothing else, but this time Wang Yuyan felt moved, her hands gripped Duan Yu''s hand. Duan Yu felt her smooth, soft palm holding his own hand, in an instant, he felt as if even the sky falls down he wouldn''t care, he liked this feeling, he felt full of energy, he thought that if she is this good to him, even if he had to marry the Western Xia''s Princess, Great Song''s princess, Liao Empire''s princess, Tibet''s princess, Korea''s Princess, so what? He felt as if he was weak, under this circumstance, his blood was boiling, suddenly he was dancing, he felt dizzy, his body gave a few shakes, he moved sideways, a ''plop'' sound, and he fell into the pond.


    Wang Yuyan was shocked, she shouted: "Gentleman Duan, gentleman Duan!" She held out her hands.


    Fortunately, the water isn''t very deep, the cold water Duan Yu a pat, his body suddenly snapped out of daydreaming, he dragged himself and climbed up.


    Because of Wang Yuyan''s shout, many people in the temple wake up. Xiao Feng, Xu Zhu, Ba Tianshi, Zhu Danchen all ran out. Seeing Duan Yu all wet and embarrassed, and Wang Yuyan''s face flushed and near the side, embarrassed, they all thought that the 2 are meeting near the pond, Duan Yu was clumsy, Wang Yuyan pushed him into the pond, they didn''t dare to laugh, nor ask anything. Duan Yu wanted to explain, but didn''t know what to say.


    The next day is the 7th of the 3rd month, 2 days from the Qingming festival. Ba Tianshi went out very early in the morning to the Xingqing house to take care of some business. After he finished, he hurry back to the temple and said to Duan Yu: "Young master, your father''s letter about asking the Western Xia''s princess hand in marriage, I have already give it to them. When they saw the letter, they were very polite, they said that this time young master came, they are very grateful, they believed they might be able to fulfill your wish."


    After a while, there were man with horses outside the temple, followed by a loud noise. Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen went out to greet them, they are the Western Xia''s people, they come to meet Duan Yu and welcome him to there home. Xiao Feng is the Liao Empire southern king, the Liao Empire''s potential is higher than Dali, Western Xia only knew he came, but her told everyone not to reveal his identity, him and Xuzhu all became Duan Yu''s people, and followed him to their home.


    Every have just settles down, they heard somebody in the back garden was swearing: "What are you, coming here and gets the idea of marrying the princess? This consort position, our prince is definitely it, I say you better scurry back to your home!" Ba Tianshi heard this, he was angry, he thought that what kind of people will be rude enough to swear in front of someone''s home? When he opened the door, he saw 7-8 big man, standing in the garden shouting nonsense.


    Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen are both kind person, except Zhu Danchen is more refined, Ba Tianshi is more protective. Both of them didn''t make a sound, they just stood in front of the door. Listening to a couple of people cursing and insulting with words even they don''t know. When they heard the word "Our prince", they knew right away the men were the subordinates of the Tibet prince.


    Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen exchanged a smile, they want to give these few men a lesson. Suddenly, the left door burst open, there were 2 men, one wearing yellow, one wearing black, they were fighting everywhere all of a sudden 3 men was on the ground, the other 2 are thrown out of the door. Then man in the black robe said: "Great, great!" The yellow robe man said: "No, no! Not great enough." One of them is indeed Feng BoE, The other one is Bao butong.


    They heard one of the Tibet warriors shouting: "The one surnamed Murong, you should go back to Suzhou. You want to marry the western Xia princess, you annoyed our prince, ''Returning you with your own move'', marry your sister and make her the little wife, let her stay in in Tibet, drinking milk tea everyday, she''ll be very happy." Feng BoE ran out leaving a gust of wind. They heard a ''Pa'' followed by an ''Ai Ya'' sound, the Tibet warrior ran away leaving curses behind.


    Wang Yuyan sat in the room, she heard Bao, Feng two people and the tibet people, she frowned and shed tears quietly, deciding if she should meet them.


    Bao Butong gave Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen a handshake and said: "Brother Ba, Brother Zhu came to Western Xia, are you here to watch a lively show, or do you have other plans?"


    Ba Tianshi laughed and said: "The reason Mr. Bao, Feng came, same for us.''


    Bao Butong said: "Dali prince Duan is also here to ask for the princess''s hand in marriage?''


    Ba Tianshi said "Exactly. Our young master is the son of the southern prince, the future of Dali Kingdom is all upon him. If he and the princess are married, it will be a perfect match. Gentleman Murong is indeed a man with good characters, except that your family status doesn''t really match."


    Bao Butong face changed color, he said : "No, no! The royal contests are for the masters. The arguing, is for us."


    Ba Tianshi laughed and said: "Things like arguing, Brother Bao is number 1, no human can withstand. Little brother admits defeat, and would like to bid farewell." He waved his hand, and walked back into the room with Zhu Danchen, he said: "Little brother Zhu, listening to that Bao Butong speaking, it seems that our young master needs to participate in that royal contest. Our young master has a heavy internal injuries, his martial arts sometimes works, sometimes doesn''t, it is very hard to predict. If he cannot perform the Six Meridian Divine Sword, not only would he not be able to be that prince consort, he might have his life on the line, what should we do?" Zhu Danchen also didn''t have any ideas, so they went to find Xiao Feng, Xu Zhu to discuss.


    Xiao Feng said: "This royal contest, how do you compete? Is it alone, or with the subordinates? If others can participate in the fight, then you do not have to worry."


    Ba Tianshi said: "Exactly. Little brother Zhu, let''s go ask the generals. Ask them how to compete, then we can make plans." The 2 men walked out.


    Xiao Feng, Xu Zhu and Duan Yu, 3 men were drinking wine. You drink one cup, I drink one cup, having fun. Xiao Feng asked Duan Yu his experience with the Six Meridian Divine Sword, he wanted to teach him how to circulate his internal energy, so he can use his energy. He didn''t know that Duan Yu have no understanding of internal energy, he didn''t understand anything at all, how can he teach him in a short period of time? Xiao Feng had no other ways, so he kept drinking wine. Xu Zhu and Duan Yu''s wine capacity is not as good as his, after 5 to 6 bowls, Duan Yu is already drunk, not knowing anything around him.


    Duan Yu woke up feeling dizzy, he saw shadows from the paper window, he caught a glimpse of the moon, it''s late at night, his heart thought: " Last night I didn''t finished listening to Miss Wang and I fell into the pond, What was she going to tell me? Will it be that she is waiting outside? Ai yo, not good, if she''s actually waiting outside for a long time, grew impatient, and went back to sleep, wouldn''t I miss a big deal?" he hastily jumped, walked out the door quietly, passing a garden, he was about to open the big door when he heard someone whispered: "Gentleman Duan, come here, I have something to say."


    Out of surprise, Duan Yu jumped.


    Listening to the sound, it sounded gloomy and doesn''t sound like that person came with good intention, he was about to look back, he felt a tight tug, he had been captured. Duan Yu identified the sound, he asked: "Is it gentleman Murong?


    That person said: "I don''t dare, it is me, I dare ask brother Duan to talk." It is indeed Murong Fu. Duan Yu said: "Gentleman Murong asked, how can I dare not accompanying you? Please let go of me! "


    Murong Fu said: "There is no need to let go."


    Duan Yu felt light, like flying. Actually, it''s Murong fu capturing him, he leapt on the roof.


    Duan Yu wanted to shout, then Xiao Feng, Xu Zhu must be awake and will come out and help him, but he thought: "If I shout, Miss Wang might also hear it, if she sees us 2 fight, she will be very unhappy. She won''t blame her cousin, she''ll always notice my wrongdoings, why do I have to make her angry?" He didn''t shout, he let Murong Fu captured him, walking out.


    It was late at night, but the moon is clear and bright, below Murong Fu is a stone path, than have became loess trails, both sides of the trails are filled with half green, yet not yellow long grass.


    Murong Fu had run for a while, he suddenly stopped, he put Duan Yu down heavily on the ground. Peng, Duan Yu fell on his shoulders, it didn''t hurt very much, he thought: "This person looks elegant, but his behaviours are barbaric." He stood up and said: "If brother Murong wanted to talk to me, you can say it, why the need to act rough?"


    Murong Fu coldly laughed: "What did you say to my cousin yesterday night?"


    Duan Yu''s face became red, he said softly: "It''s really nothing, we just met and had a few words, that''s all.''


    Murong fu said: "You are a gentleman, the words you''ve said, the things you''ve done, why do you have to hide it?"


    Duan Yu was shocked, angers rushed forth, he said: "Of course I don''t need to hide it from you, I told Miss Wang, I will persuade you."


    Murong Fu coldly laughed: "You said you will persuade me by saying: the point of a life is the love between a husband and wife, 2 hearts joined. You also said that Me and that Western Xia princess does not know each other, he won''t know if she is pretty or ugly, kind or evil, first time meeting, and we are married, that is absolutely wrong, right? You also said if I ruined cousin''s good intention, lovers will curse me, heroes in Jianghu will laugh at me, right?"


    Every word he said, Duan Yu was shocked, after he finished saying everything he stammered: "Miss¡­.Miss Wang told you?


    Murong Fu said; "How would she tell me?"


    Duan Yu said: "Then you heard it yesterday night?''


    Murong Fu coldly laughed: "You can lie to the world''s every ignorant maidens, but you can''t lie to me."


    Duan Yu said curiously: "What did I lie to you?"


    Murong fu said: "Isn''t it very clear, you yourself wanted to be the prince consort, you''re scared I''ll win, so you prepared a set of words, to trick me. Heihei, Murong Fu isn''t a 3 year old kid, how can I fall for it? You really are dreaming really big."


    Duan Yu sighed: "I was sincere, I really hope you and Miss Wang will get married, living like gods and goddesses, growing old together until your hair are white."


    Murong Fu laughed coldly: "Thanks to your golden words. Dali''s Duan and Gusu''s Murong have no relations whatsoever, why did you have to be good to me? If I am tied up by my cousin and couldn''t get out, you''ll go wear red and become that prince consort."


    Duan Yu said angrily: "What nonsense? I am Dali''s next king, although Dali is a small country, we have never seen the word "prince consort'' 2 words as if it is the most important things in the world. Gentleman Murong, I''m persuading you, Wealth and riches means nothing, even of you actually became Western Xia''s prince consort, then you want to become Great Yan''s emperor, won''t you have to kill many people? Even if central plains people were killed by you until blood fills the rivers, bones piled as mountain, can you actually be the Great Yan''s emperor, is still very hard to say."


    Murong Fu was not the least upset and icily retorted: "Your words ring of righteousness but you are actually a malicious character."


    Duan Yu hastily clarified: "You are free to doubt my pure intentions. That is your right. Nevertheless, I will not permit your marriage to the Princess of Xixia. I cannot bear Miss Wang (Yuyan) being heartbroken and suicidal."


    Murong Fu bellowed: "You wish to prevent the marriage? Ha ha. Are you overrating yourself? If I insist on the marriage; what can you do about it?"


    Duan Yu swore: "I will do my utmost best to hinder your plans. If I cannot do it alone, I will enlist the help of my friends."


    In his heart, Murong Fu was stricken. He knew only too well the amazing martial arts of Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu. Even without these two in the picture, Duan Yu himself is already a worthy opponent whenever he exhibits his Six Meridian Divine Sword. It is fortunate that his Swordplay is inconsistent and uncontrollable, the only loophole Murong Fu can exploit. In a flash, Murong Fu gently raised his head and exclaimed: "Cousin (female), come here, I have something to tell you."


    Exhilarated and surprised, Duan Yu hurriedly turned his head around. The entire ground is shimmering with moonlight and no shadow of Wang Yuyan can be seen. He focused his gaze and finally noticed some movement in the woods across him. Out of the blue, his body stiffened as Murong Fu had sealed his acupoints again. As he felt Murong Fu lifting his body and realizing that he has been tricked, Duan Yu bitterly noted: "Once again, you have resorted to violence, in addition to lies and trickery. That is unbecoming of a gentleman."


    Murong Fu coldly replied: "With regards to despicable cads like you, gentlemanly methods can be overlooked." Lifting Duan Yu, he starting walking to a side, hoping to find a ditch. He planned to murder Duan Yu with a palm stroke and bury him in the ditch. After travelling a fair number of yards, Murong Fu discovered a dry, unused well and raising his hands, he threw Duan Yu in. Duan Yu yelled: "AIYAH!" and fell to the bottom of the well.


    Murong Fu was about to gather some rocks to seal the well, starving Duan Yu to death when a female voice rang out: "Cousin (male), did you spot me? What do you wish to tell me? Oh my, what have you done to Mister Duan?" Wang Yuyan appeared in the flesh. Murong Fu was momentarily petrified and frowned his eyebrows. He had intentionally pretended to speak to Wang Yuyan behind Duan Yu, wanting to distract him and seal his critical heart acupoints from the back. Unexpectedly, Wang Yuyan is indeed nearby.


    In fact, Wang Yuyan was troubled and had a sleepless night. Leaning against the window and admiring the moon, she accidently witnessed Murong Fu capturing Duan Yu. Afraid of the two of them breaking out into a fight, and concerned over Murong Fu being overwhelmed by Duan Yu''s Six Meridian Divine Sword, she gave chase. In the process, she overheard their entire exchange. She personally believed Duan Yu''s pure sincerity in advising Murong Fu but the latter persisted in his misconceptions about Duan Yu. When Murong Fu lied to deceive Duan Yu, Wang Yuyan thought she had been exposed and decided to come forward.


    Running to the side of the well, Wang Yuyan half-prostrated and peered into the well. She shouted: "Mister Duan! Mister Duan! Are you injured?"


    When Duan Yu was thrown into the well, he went down headfirst. Knocking his skull against the hardened clay at the bottom of the dried well, he had lost consciousness. After several calls and without any reply from Duan Yu, Wang Yuyan concluded Duan Yu had fallen to his death. Recalling his many acts of kindness from their past interactions, and presently even dying because of her, Wang Yuyan could not help but started sobbing. She wailed: "Mister Duan, you¡­. Why did you¡­.. Why did you die so abruptly?"


    Murong Fu coldly stated: "You are truly devoted to him."


    Wang Yuyan gasped: "He was merely advising you with good intentions. You can choose not to listen, but there is no need to kill him."


    Murong Fu objected: "This man is my greatest opponent. You heard it with your own ears. He will do whatever it takes to topple my ambitions. On Mount Shaoshi, he made me lost face and tarnished my reputation in the martial arts world. I cannot stand this man alive."


    Wang Yuyan explained: "Regarding the Mount Shaoshi affair, he is truly in the wrong and I have admonished him for that. He has admitted his mistake."


    Murong Fu icily laughed: "Humph! Humph! Admitted his mistake! With a simple apology and we can bury the hatchet? I, Murong Fu, am a member of the martial arts world. Wherever I go, people will be whispering behind my back, saying that I lost heavily to his DaLi Duan Family Six Meridian Divine Sword Skill. Put yourself in my shoes. In the future, how can I face the world?"


    Wang Yuayn gently reasoned: "Cousin (male), it is an ordinary loss in a fighting match, why must you continue to dwell on it? During the duel on Mount Shaoshi, Uncle (Murong''s Father) gave you a piece of excellent guidance. The past is the past. Why bring it up again?" Still trying to confirm Duan Yu''s death, she stuck her head into the well and yelled: "Mister Duan! Mister Duan!" There is still no reply to her shouting.


    Murong Fu spoke: "You are so concerned about him; why don''t you marry him instead of pretending to support me?"


    Feeling sour in her chest, Wang Yuyan sighed: "Cousin, I am completely devoted to you. Don''t tell me¡­. Don''t tell me you doubted me too?"


    Murong Fu coldly hissed: "You are completely devoted to me? Hey Hey! Remember the mill house at the shore of Lake Tai? You were naked and hiding in the firewood with that Duan fellow. What are you up to? I saw it with my own eyes and seeing is believing. At that point in time, I wanted to kill this Duan kid with one stroke of my sword. However, you gave him pointers and opposed my wishes. Who does your heart beckons to? Haha! Haha!" Finishing his words, Murong Fu broke out in mad laughter.


    Wang Yuyan was stunned and at a loss for words. Finally, in a quivering voice, she questioned: "In the millhouse at the shore of Lake Tai¡­ That¡­ That masked¡­ That masked Xixia Warrior¡­"


    Murong Fu replied: "Correct. The person disguised as the Xixia Warrior Li Yanzong is me."


    Wang Yuyan state in a low voice: "No wonder, I have always been suspicious about this. Once, you mentioned this statement: When I become the Emperor of the Central Plains. That¡­ That¡­ That is your manner of speech. I should have guessed much earlier."


    Murong Fu coldly sniggered: "You should have known earlier, but having learnt the truth now is not too late."


    Wang Yuyan hastily explained: "Cousin, during that occasion, I was poisoned by the Xixia warriors. Mister Duan saved my life. During our escape, we were drenched in the rain and were taking shelter in the millhouse. You¡­ You¡­ You must not jump to conclusions."


    Murong Fu declared: "What a perfect reason, taking shelter from the rain in a millhouse! However, after I arrived, the two of you continued to behave in an inconspicuous manner. This Duan fellow stretched his hand to touch your face and you did not even shy away. Do you remember what I said during that encounter? I think you are putting all your attention on this Duan fellow and did not even pay attention to my speech."


    Wang Yuyan felt a chill in her heart as she recollected the millhouse event. The precise words of the masked Xixia Warrior Li Yanzong clearly formulated in her brain. She murmured: "That occasion¡­ That occasion¡­ You had this similar cold expression, and what did you say? You said¡­ You said¡­ : I instructed you to learn martial arts before coming to kill me; I did not ask the two of you¡­ the two of you¡­" She remembered what Murong Fu said was: I did not ask the two of you to flirt and caress each other. However, she simply cannot bear to say out the rest.


    Murong Fu added: "That occasion, you indicated that if I killed this Duan kid, you will dedicate your life to avenging him. Miss Wang, after hearing these words, I made up my mind to spare his life. Unpredictably, keeping this beast alive has its repercussions; causing me to lose my standing among all the heroes present at Mount Shaoshi."


    Noting that Murong Fu no longer address her as cousin but Miss Wang instead, Wang Yuyan can feel her heart freezing. In a trembling voice, she confessed: "Cousin, if I knew you were the disguised warrior, I naturally will not speak like that. Really, Cousin, I¡­ If I know, I will never say anything like that. You know for yourself. My heart has always been leaning towards you."


    Murong Fu chided: "Even if I am wearing a mask and you cannot recognize my looks; even if I am a deaf and a mute, and you cannot recognize my voice; surely you can recognize my martial arts, right? Hey Hey. You immerse yourself in the study of martial arts and your knowledge is beyond compare. Regardless of each martial skill, you are able to identify the martial sect or martial family. I exchanged over a hundred stances with this kid, can''t you identify me?"


    Wang Yuyan whimpered: "My suspicions are definitely aroused, but¡­ Cousin, we have not seen each other for a long time and I am unsure about the progress of your martial skill¡­"


    Murong Fu remained defiant. Wang Yuyan''s words clearly insinuated that his martial progress is too slow and cannot live up to her expectations. He recounted: "That occasion, you made this statement: ''Initially, I was secretly astounded that you are able to display an array of brilliant swordplay but after 50 strokes, it is no longer refreshing and your skills are as ordinary as any average fighter. You may think I sound cynical but nevertheless, you only posses a fraction of my knowledge.'' Miss Wang, as a matter of fact, I agree that I only posses a fraction of your knowledge¡­ Why trouble yourself to stay by my side? In your mind, you secretly despise me. This is the truth. Nonetheless, I, Murong Fu, am an alpha male in my own right. I cannot be bothered with womenfolk''s opinions of myself."


    Wang Yuyan stepped closer to him and softly begged: "Cousin, I made a wrong statement on that occasion. I hereby apologise for it." As she spoke, she arched her body and made a deep bow and added: "I truly have no idea it was you in disguise¡­ You are an alpha male and must therefore, have the graciousness to overlook this. Since young, I have nothing but respect for you. Whenever we are playing as kids, I have always yielded to your wishes and have never opposed you. Do treat me as spouting nonsense during that event and forgive me this round for old time''s sake."


    Murong Fu is of proud character. Ever since Wang Yuyan affirmed his mediocrity in the millhouse, he was significantly annoyed and bore a grudge against her. Since that incident, although the two of them had numerous interactions, he could sense this gap between the two of them and felt that their paths are not longer compatible. Presently, under the romantic moonlight, hearing her gentle pleading tones and witnessing such an exquisite beauty treating him in a loving manner, in addition to his strong belief that she and Duan Yu did not have an affair, and her words are circumstantial with no ill intention, and recalling the wonderful childhood memories of the two of them, Murong Fu was stirred. Reaching out with his own hands and grasping both her hands, he addressed: "Cousin!"


    Wang Yuyan was elated, acknowledging that her elder male cousin has forgiven her. Throwing her body into an embrace and resting her head on his shoulder, she gently whispered: "Cousin, whenever you are upset with me, do scold or vent it out on me. You must never store these secret emotions in your heart." Hugging her warm and soft figure, while listening to her soft and gentle coaxing, Murong Fu was moved. Using his hand to stroke her hair, he softly sighed: "I cannot bear to scold you or vent on you. My previous anger has been vanquished." Wang Yuyan enquired: "Cousin, are you giving up your plans to become the Prince Consort of Xixia?"


    Murong Fu was instantly shaken. In his mind, he debated: D@mn! D@mn! Murong Fu, because of a relationship, are you forsaking your heroic pursuits and risking your lifelong ambitions? If you are unable to sacrifice these minor love issues, how can you be worthy of a label "Mover and Shaker"? He speedily utilized his hand to push Wang Yuyan away. Hardening his resolve, he shook his head and declared: "Cousin, the flames of our relationship has been extinguished. You know better than anyone else. All along, I am someone who bears grudges. Your words and actions will always haunt me."


    Wang Yuyan sadly reminded: "A minute ago, you swore you are no longer angry with me." Murong Fu clarified: "I am not angry with you, but¡­ But in our present lives, we will only be related as cousins." Wang Yuyan asked: "Eventually, you have decided not to forgive me?"


    In his mind, Murong Fu was torn between ''love'' and ''ambitions''. After a brief hesitation, he eventually shook his head. In despair, Wang Yuyan continued to probe: "Are you determined to marry the Xixia lady and ignore me for the rest of your life?" Murong Fu fired up his determination and nodded his head.


    Wang Yuyan knew beforehand her beloved Cousin is planning to wed the Princess of Xixia, thanks to Gongzhi Qian''s indirect hint. Feeling suicidal, she made up a reason to lag behind Deng Baichuan''s group. She then jumped off a cliff to end her life but was rescued by Yun Zhonghe. Currently, being rejected in the face by her beloved, Wang Yuyan was heartbroken to the brink of madness and nearly vomited blood. Out of the blue, she had an epiphany: Mister Duan is fully devoted to my well-being. Despite that, I was often discourteous to him. In this moment, he has even lost his life because of me. I owe him so much. Mister Duan has perished in this deep well; there must be sharp rocks at the bottom of it. Since I am tired of living, why don''t I join him in death in order to compensate him for his strong dedication?


    As she contemplated, she strode slowly to the side of the well. Turning her head back, she proclaimed: "Cousin, may all your wishes come true. Marry the Xixia Princess and become the Emperor of the Yan Dynasty."


    Murong Fu knew she is going to end her life and took a step closer. Stretching out his hand, he initially wanted to grab her arm and cry: Stop! But in his heart, he is fully aware that once he cried out and pulled her arm, it will complicate matters and will only worsen the love entanglement between him and his cousin. Cousin Yuyan is soft-spoken and attractive, a rare beauty. With such a spouse, any decent man will no longer have any regrets in his life. Moreover, she has been loyal to him since they were young. Nevertheless, if Murong Fu loses self-control and perform a heedless deed, it would severely hamper his ambition to restore the Great Yan Empire. With this mindset, his mouth was open but no sound came out; his hand was outstretched but he did not grab onto Wang Yuyan.


    Observing his expression, Wang Yuyan deduced his emotions. In her mind, she concluded: Even if you wish to abandon me, we are still related as cousins. Now that I am seeking death, you made no effort dissuade me. You are even worse than the evil creep, Yun Zhonghe, to reach this level of cold-bloodedness.


    Casting everything aside, Wang Yuyan announced: "Mister Duan, I am joining you in death!" With a jump, she disappeared into the well.


    With an exclamation ''AH!'' Murong Fu took a step closer to her, his hand reaching out and thinking of grabbing her leg. Based on his martial arts, it is extremely easy to reach her but ultimately, he was hit by indecisiveness and allowed her to complete her jump. Letting out a sigh, Murong Fu shook his head and remarked: "Cousin, in your heart, you truly love Mister Duan. Although the two of you cannot live as a married couple, but by dying in the same hole, at least you should die a fulfilled death."


    Out of a sudden, someone behind him scolded: "Crying crocodile tears, hypocrite!"


    Murong Fu was taken aback. He wondered: Somebody had crept up on me and I failed to sense it?


    First, he sent a palm stroke to whoever is behind him before turning his body around. Under the moonlight, he witnessed a flashing shadow evading his palm strike by nimbly floating away. It is considered a rare feat even among top martial artistes.


    Murong Fu dashed forward and without waiting for the mysterious figure to descend, he sent out another palm stroke and cursed: "Who is it? How dare you make fun of a noble Mister?" Whilst in mid-air, the person send out his own palm to match Murong Fu''s palm blow and their skills are evenly matched. Using the momentum to float another several yards away, the figure finally landed on the ground. It was TuBo''s Grand Priest Jiumozhi.


    Jiumozhi continued: "It is fully obvious you are responsible for causing Miss Wang to commit suicide by jumping into the well. Yet, here you are, saying she is getting a fulfilled death. Mister Murong, don''t you think you have gone too far in your scheming and cruelty?"


    Murong Fu was incensed: "This is my personal affair. Who are you to interfere?"


    Jiumozhi declared: "You have committed such a heinous crime; of course I, a monk, must get involved. Furthermore, since you intended to become the Prince Consort of Xixia, then this is no longer a private affair."


    Murong Fu demanded: "Are you telling me that you, as a monk, is vying to be the Prince Consort as well?"


    Jiumozhi burst out laughing and replied: "A monk becoming a Prince Consort? What logic is that?"


    Murong Fu icily state: "I am well aware of the evil motives of the TuBo Empire. In this case, you must be acting on behalf of the TuBo Prince."


    Jiumozhi countered: "What do you indicate by evil motives? If all the admirers of the Xixia Princess are deemed to be hiding evil motives, may I enquire about your personal motives? Are they upright or evil?"


    Murong Fu commented: "In order to win the hand of the Princess of Xixia, I shall compete to become the Prince Consort based on my own abilities. I am not the kind of person who will instruct my subordinates to create trouble in Lingzhou, earning the disapproval of heroes and the horror of the population."


    Jiumozhi laughed: "We were generally threatening the incompetent challengers to forfeit the competition. Our intention is to prevent the capital of Xixia from descending into chaos, and from being flooded by weaklings and unworthy bachelors. From your perspective, we are also clearing your path of unnecessary hindrances; isn''t that to your benefit?"


    Murong Fu interrogated: "If what you said is true, then it sounds pretty awesome. Nevertheless, is the Prince of TuBo Empire depending on his own abilities to win the competition?"


    Jiumozhi affirmed: "Indeed!"


    Noting his fearless composure and overwhelming aura of confidence, Murong Fu was highly suspicious and questioned: "Has the Prince of your prestigious empire mastered a set of superb martial arts, rendering him invincible and therefore, 100% confident of victory?"


    Jiumozhi highlighted: "The young Prince is my disciple and his martial arts is above average. Although he is not considered an invincible opponent, his victory is still guaranteed."


    Murong Fu was even more perplexed than before. He wondered: If I were to probe him directly for an answer, he may give an ambiguous reply. It is better that I try to agitate him and he may inadvertently reveal his secret. Thus, he challenged: "That''s odd. The Prince of your prestigious empire has full confidence in his victory; however, I believe I will emerge victorious too. After the competition, I wonder who the real winner will be."


    Jiumozhi laughed: "You must be itching to find out the real reason why our Prince is guaranteed to win the competition, aren''t you? Why don''t you share your plan with me and I will share our plan with you. We can co-analyze and compare our plans, and judge for ourselves who has a more brilliant strategy."


    Except for his confidence in his excellent martial arts and outstanding appearance, Murong Fu did not have any concrete plan to guarantee his victory. Hence, he remarked: "You are full of evil schemes and often go back on your word. If I share my plan first and you refused to share yours, wouldn''t I be at a disadvantage?"


    Jiumozhi let out a big laugh: "Mister Murong, I have been acquainted with your Father for many years and we admire each other very much. Even if you find me overbearing, I am still considered your elder (senior). Regarding your harsh speech, don''t you think you are being disrespectful?"


    Murong Fu bowed in a salute and apologized: "MingWang''s (Bright King) censure is appropriate. Please accept my apology."


    (Jiumozhi''s official title is DaLunMingWang. Can be addressed as MingWang too. Da=giant / big. Lun=wheels. Ming=Bright / Wise. Wang=King. In this context, King is not the highest title, Emperor is. The King title is equivalent to Duke / Lord / Minister, etc. I will use Bright King instead of Wise King for obvious reasons.)


    Jiumozhi smiled: "Mister is a true genius. Since you acknowledge you are my junior, I shall not take advantage of you for your father''s sake. The secret behind the guaranteed victory of TuBo''s Prince is actually an amateur trick. We simply remove all the contenders who are entering the competition. Without any competition, wouldn''t our Prince be guaranteed victory? Hahahaha."


    Murong Fu''s face turned pale and he stammered: "In this case, I¡­"


    Jiumozhi advised: "The ties between your Father and I run deep. Naturally, I wish to spare your life. I sincerely recommend Mister to depart from Xixia. This is the best outcome for you."


    Murong Fu asked: "What if I refused to go?"


    Jiumozhi smiled: "I will still spare your life but will require Mister to dig out both your eyes or chop off an arm and a leg, essentially making you a handicap. The Princess of Xixia will naturally avoid marrying a handicap, even if he is a righteous hero." When Jiumozhi mention the words: righteous hero, he intentionally emphasized them in a sarcastic manner.


    Murong Fu was furious. Frightened of Jiumozhi''s superior skills, he dared not carelessly engage him. Lowering his head, he thought hard and fast for a solution.


    Under the moonlight, he abruptly detected some fine, snaking movement. Peering closer, he discovered it was the shadow of Jiumozhi''s right hand. Murong Fu was alarmed, deducing that his opponent is consolidating his energy and ready to strike in an instant. He secretly gathered his own energy in preparation to meet the attack.


    Beyond his expectations, Jiumozhi added: "Mister, when you forced your very own cousin to commit suicide, that act itself is a great violation of morals. If you make haste and depart from Xixia, I will no longer hold you accountable for this act of pressuring Miss Wang to her death."


    Murong Fu snorted: "She jumped into the well and committed suicide for love; I have nothing to do with it." As he spoke, he stared at the shadows on the ground and noticed the shadows of Jiumozhi''s hands are shaking intensely.


    Murong Fu''s suspicions are aroused. He thought: Jiumozhi has mastered an incredibly high level of martial arts. If he intended to harm his rivals, why waste time on trivial persuasion and putting up a show of authority? Could he be putting up a false front and trying to scare me into submission?


    Another quick scan of the shadows revealed that the corners of Jiumozhi''s pants and sleeves are vibrating tenderly, betraying a fact that Jiumozhi''s entire body is actually shivering uncontrollably. In a split second, Murong Fu had an epiphany. He swiftly remembered: "That day, inside Shaolin Monastery''s Sutra Chamber, the nameless old monk mentioned that Jiumozhi had mastered Shaolin Sect''s 72 Legendary Skills and afterwards, forced himself to practice the Yijing Sutra. This is the wrong flow of learning these skills and the practitioner faces an impending disaster. The old monk explained that when learning these Legendary Skills, the student must possess a high level of compassion. A learner with a violent nature will be faced with obstacles and danger to his health. When this old monk pointed out the discomforts of my father and Xiao Yuanshan, his predictions were accurate and precise. Therefore, the diagnosis of Jiumozhi cannot be too far from the truth."


    Think about this point, Murong Fu was overjoyed: "Hey Hey. This monk himself is facing an impending danger and yet he dared to threaten me, demanding that I lose my eyes or my limbs."


    Still, Murong Fu cannot be absolutely sure and needed to test this theory. He exclaimed: "Ai! The wrong flow of learning skills and the practitioner will face an impending disaster! When learning top echelon skills, the backfire effect (from fire-deviation) is simply the worst."


    Out of the blue, Jiumozhi erupted in a spine-chilling roar. It was a terrifying scream, sounding more like an animal than a man. His hands reached out to grab Murong Fu as he hollered: "What are you talking about? You¡­ Who are you talking about?"


    Murong Fu slanted his body to avoid his hands. Jiumozhi turned his body to follow the momentum. As the moonlight shone on his face, it highlighted his bloodshot eyes, shrunken brows and a face filled with violent rage. Despite the fearsome aura, nothing can conceal the tinge of fear on the same face.


    There is no longer any doubt in Murong Fu. He advised: "I have a piece of sincere proposal. MingWang (Bright King) should quickly leave Xixia and return to TuBo. As long as you do not activate your internal energy, do not get angry and do not exchange blows, you can return to your hometown safely. Otherwise, the prediction of the Shaolin Divine Monk will come true."


    Jiumozhi is a shade of his former self. His usual calm and patient demeanor had vanished without a trace. He yelled: "You¡­ What do you know? What do you know?"


    Observing the ugly complexion, in complete contrast with the normally strict and saintly monk appearance, Murong Fu could not help feeling dreadful and took one step back. Jiumozhi demanded: "What do you know? Tell me quickly!"


    Murong Fu forced himself to steady his nerves. Letting out a sigh, he explained: "Bright King''s internal energy has taken the wrong path and your life is in danger. If you do not leave for TuBo immediately, you should at least consider going to Shaolin Monastery and seek medical help from the Divine Monk. There is still hope for you."


    Jiumozhi let out a false laugh: "How do you know my internal energy has taken a wrong path. Utter rubbish." As he spoke, his left hand shot out, making a grabbing frontal attack at Murong Fu.


    Although his five fingers are still quivering, the grab is still a powerful one, backed by years of experience and foundation. There is no sign of internal energy injury. Murong Fu was secretly traumatized and he thought: Did I guess wrongly?


    Summoning his own internal energy, he focused on receiving the blow. Using his right hand, he blocked the blow and tried to hook the wrist of his opponent. Jiumozhi bellowed: "For your father''s sake, I will not employ any killing moves in the first ten stances. It is a token of my friendship to the child of my old friend." Whoosh! A punch flew out towards Murong Fu''s right shoulder.


    Murong Fu floated away to avoid the punch but Jiumozhi''s second attack is following up closely behind without a gap. Although Murong Fu is talented in the , which allows him to use the opponent''s attack against himself, Jiumozhi''s attacks are too intricate for that. Every strike would transform in the middle of the stroke, giving Murong Fu no opportunity to reverse the blow. Eventually, Murong Fu could only guard the critical parts of his body and wait for a window to counter attack.


    Jiumozhi''s attacking stances are truly mysterious and rarely seen in the martial world. An original punch attack would evolve into a jab; a grab technique transformed into palm attack right before making contact. Jiumozhi thundered: "The ten strokes are completed, face your fate!"


    Murong Fu was bedazzled as he became surrounded by several images of Jiumozhi. On his left came a kick; on his right flew a punch; from the front a palm movement is rapidly closing in and a jabbing strike is almost at his back. It is as if he is being simultaneously hammered by a group of people. Unable to meet the barrage, he summons his internal energy for defense and let loose both his palms in a series of wild, confused parries.


    Out of a sudden, he heard Jiumozhi''s relentless panting. The wheezing noise began to worsen, drawing Murong Fu''s attention. He thought: "This monk''s internal circulation has gone haywire. If this persists, he will surely collapse and die on the spot."


    But as Jiumozhi''s panting became even more severe, his strokes increased in intensity as well. With a sudden roar from Jiumozhi, Murong Fu felt pain concurrently at his waist''Juzhong point'' and stomach ''Sangqu point''. With these two acupoints blocked, his limbs lost all their strength and he became immobile.


    Jiumozhi coldly laughed for a while despite his persistent breathlessness. He panted: "I kindly persuaded you to get lost but you chose to stay instead. Now, you cannot blame me for your predicament. I¡­ I¡­ What should I do with you?" He pinched his lips and whistled loudly.


    In a short spell of time, four TuBo warriors emerged from the woods. Bowing, they acknowledged: "What are Bright King''s orders?" Jiumozhi commanded: "Hack this kid to pieces!" The four warriors replied in unison: "Yes, Bright King!"


    Although Murong Fu is immobile, his ears are still working fine. He groaned inwardly: "Earlier on, if only I had accepted Cousin''s love and promise her to give up on the Xixia Prince Consort dream. Currently, I will not be losing my life to the sword. After my death, the restoration of Great Yan will extinguish with me." He wanted to communicate this information but cannot find his voice. Furthermore, Jiumozhi did not spare him a second glance. Even if Murong Fu can signal with his eyes, it is to no avail.


    The four TuBo warriors received Murong Fu''s body; one of them unsheathe a curved sabre and is getting ready to chop towards his neck.


    Jiumozhi interrupted: "Hold it! I am an old acquaintance of this kid''s father. Let him die with a complete corpse. Throw him into that abandoned well. After that, seal the well with big rocks. Even if he unblocks his acupoints, there is no way for him to climb out!"


    The TuBo warriors replied: "Yes, Bright King!" After depositing Murong Fu into the abandoned well, they could not locate any suitable rocks in the vicinity. As a result, they speedily travelled to the back of the hill to search for large rocks.


    Standing beside the well, a distressed Jiumozhi is gasping for breath.


    Back at Mount Shaoshi, after he ambushed Duan Yu with the , he was afraid that the numerous martial experts would gang up against him. Therefore, he immediately escaped down the mountain. Halfway down Mount Shaoshi, he could already feel his ''Dantian'' point swelling with a burning sensation. At once, he halted his steps and tried to regulate his internal energy. To his shock and surprise, it was extremely difficult to do so. He thought: "That old rascal (monk) mentioned that I mastered Shaolin''s 72 Legendary Skills without the matching level of compassion, causing my energy flows to be blocked, thereby planting a ticking time bomb. After learning the Yijing Sutra, my energy flows become topsy-turvy, and now I am at the brink of internal energy disaster. Could it be¡­ Could it be that old rascal (monk) ''s prediction coming true?"


    Without any delay, Jiumozhi sourced for a mountain cave and sat down to meditate. As long as he does not activate his internal energy flows, the burning sensation in his body will slowly subside. Any minor exertion will instantly trigger the full burning sensation at his ''Dantian'' and it felt as if his organs are on fire.


    His meditation lasted till evening. Unable to detect any pursuers from Shaolin Monastery, he slowly head south towards home. Along his journey, he encountered a TuBo messenger spy and learnt about the TuBo King sending the Prince to Lingzhou for the marriage and application for Xixia Prince Consort. The spy detailed: On this mission, the Prince is accompanied by a large entourage of highly-skilled warriors. They are furnished with copious amounts of gold, silver, precious jewellery, rare valuables, famous steeds and prized swords. The steeds and swords are tribute items to the Emperor of Xixia; the rare valuables are gifts for the Princess; and the gold, silver and precious jewellery will be used to bribe the Xixia eunuchs, concubines and officials of various grades.


    As the Grand Priest (Advisor) of TuBo, Jiumozhi is involved in laying the strategies for the country''s political and military affairs. The success or failure of this marriage will affect the country''s future. So, despite his ill health, he headed towards Xixia to oversee the operation, dispatching the talented fighters to terrorize other potential contenders for the Prince Consort. By the 10th Day of August of the Lunar Calendar, the warriors of TuBo have already driven away hundreds of admirers from prestigious families as well as accomplished martial arts heroes. Despite the huge number of participants, every one of them is behaving in an individualistic manner, Battle Royale style. Since the applicants are mostly solo and no assistance is given to one another; one by one, they eventually succumbed to the group attacks of the TuBo warriors.


    Since arriving at Lingzhou, Jiumozhi has been living in seclusion and healing his internal injuries. The turmoil of burning sensation in his body has greatly diminished, but once he triggers his energies, all his limbs and bones will tremble uncontrollably. Even when he eventually reached a new equanimity, his fingers, eyebrows, mouth and shoulders will still vibrate slightly and the spasms simply will not go away. He naturally wished to avoid exposure and chose to live alone, minimizing his contact with other humans.


    Today, a subordinate has reported Murong Fu''s arrival into Lingzhou and that several TuBo Warriors have been killed or injured by Murong Fu''s entourage. Jiumozhi thought: Murong Fu is blessed with a charming appearance, good literacy background and competent martial arts. He is truly a top talent among his generation of martial artistes. If Murong Fu stays and compete, the Prince of TuBo would surely lose to him. Despite his plentiful warriors, none of them is able to match Murong Fu''s ability. This time round, he must personally get involved in order to overcome Murong Fu. Moreover, Murong Fu is well aware of Jiumozhi''s consummate skills. Based on this, he should be able to scare Murong Fu away without a fight.


    With this thinking, he hunted for Murong Fu at the inn. By the time he arrived, Murong Fu had left with the captured Duan Yu. The inn is under surveillance by the TuBo warriors. Learning the direction where Murong Fu went, Jiumozhi gave chase. When he got to the woods, Murong Fu had already thrown Duan Yu into the well and is conversing with Wang Yuyan. After a bout of fighting, Murong Fu may have been captured but Jiumozhi is experiencing chaotic internal energy movements. Regardless of his arteries or meridians or acupoints, the energies are running amok, as if they are about to burst out from his body but no exit is available. Jiumozhi is heavily depressed by his predicament.


    Using his hands, he clawed at his own chest as the internal energy continue to surge and expand. He felt as if his brain, chest and stomach are swelling like a balloon and at any point in time, his body would explode into a rain of mincemeat. Lowering his head to examine his chest and stomach, he could not see any physical deformity or swelling. Nonetheless, with the turbulent internal energy, he definitely felt as if his whole body has been inflated to become a large ball. In his state of helplessness, he used his right hand to stab at his left shoulder and both legs, piercing three holes in his flesh. Jiumozhi desired to guide his internal energy to these three holes and provide an exit for them to be expended from his body. Blood can be seen leaving the three wounds but the internal energy continued to plague him.


    The words of the old monk from Shaolin Monastery Sutra Chamber rang incessantly in his ears. By now, Jiumozhi realised the monk was telling the truth and that he himself had been awfully greedy, mistakenly learning Shaolin Sect''s 72 Legendary Skills and Yijing Sutra in the wrong order and is presently on the brink of death. His heart was panicking but he managed to keep his wits around him. After all, he has accumulated many years of cultivation and his Buddhist meditation skill has reached a profound level.


    Out of the blue, Jiumozhi had a brainwave. He thought: He¡­ Why didn''t he himself try to master these skills? Why did he only learn selected skills and yet presented me with the complete set of 72 Legendary Skills? We barely knew each other before that and even if we can click very well and turned out to be bosom friends, there is no reason for him to bestow such generosity upon me.


    In the midst of this precarious period, Jiumozhi suddenly understood Murong Bo''s agenda when the latter presented him with the manuals containing Shaolin 72 Legendary Skills. When Murong Bo first gifted the manuals, Jiumozhi did have some doubts about them, concerned that Murong Bo is trying to scam him. But after reading the manuals, he discovered that the Legendary Skills are truly peerless and such teachings cannot be easily falsified. He even tested the paper of the manuals for poison, which there are none, thereby removing all his doubts. From then on, he practiced the skills diligently and with every skill that he mastered, his gratitude for Murong Bo increased in tandem.


    At this point in time, when Jiumozhi is alternating between life and death, he finally comprehended Murong Bo''s intentions and malice. He figured: He has been hiding inside Shaolin Monastery for more than ten years; he must have overhead the monks'' conversations about these Legendary Skills. Perhaps these skills are not meant to be learnt spontaneously. When we met for the first time, he is probably conscious of my martial arts attainment and decided to pass me these Legendary Manuals. First, he wants me to be his guinea pig and see the consequence of someone who has learnt all the Legendary Skills. Second, he wanted to sow discord between Shaolin Monastery and me, escalating the fight into war between TuBo and Great Song. When that happens, his Murong lineage can profit from the chaos and revive the Yan Empire. Regarding the 72 Legendary Skills Manuals, he probably has an extra copy somewhere that he kept for himself.


    When he captured Murong Fu earlier, he was reminded of the Shaolin Manuals from Murong Bo and the deep appreciation for him. Despite knowing that Murong Fu is a potential enemy, Jiumozhi did not execute him on the spot but chose to let him die in the abandoned well with a complete corpse. Now that he truly understood the reason behind Murong Bo''s gift of Manuals, he realised that his sufferings today is all because of this evil man and his evil deed. Naturally, he was mad with anger. Leaning against the opening of the well, he sent three consecutive palms strikes downwards into the well.


    As the blows of the palm strikes travel down, the well remained silent, highlighting the depth of the well and the inability of the blows to reach the bottom. Furious with rage, Jiumozhi forced his strength to execute a punch. With this punch attack, the internal energies went into complete disarray. It felt as if these energies are trying to vent out through the 108,000 skin pores but wherever they go, the energies met with constraints and they remained trapped in his body.


    Feeling traumatized and irritated, Jiumozhi suddenly felt a movement at his chest area. From his robes, an item fell out and into the well. He tried to catch the falling object but was too late. He hurriedly employed the from . Under ordinary circumstances, he could easily retrieve the object. But this time, his tendons are not under his complete control. The energy did expand but the effect could not be executed from his palm. With a ''Pa!'' sound, the item has hit the bottom of the well.


    Jiumozhi groaned to himself: "Not good!"


    Using his hand to search his bosom area, he realised the dropped object is indeed his copy of Yijing Sutra.


    He is aware that the internal energy chaotic movement originated from the practice of Yijing Sutra. The Yijing Sutra is therefore, the problem and the solution. To avert this disaster, he must consult the Yijing Sutra again. Since it is a matter of life and death, how could he afford to lose the Sutra? Without any further thought, he leapt into the well.


    Worried that the bottom of the well may be lined with sharp rocks or thick branches that could impale his limbs; and afraid that Murong Fu may have released his acupoints and getting ready to ambush him, before his feet reached the bottom of the well, Jiumozhi utilize his right hand and sent two palms strikes downwards, with the aim of slowing down his descent. From his left palm, he executed , a stance which protects the critical parts of his body.


    Unexpectedly, his internal energies are experiencing huge transformations. Although the palm movements are precise, there is no strength behind them. Eventually, the exerted energy inaccurately dissipated, missing their targets. The two downward palm strikes not only failed to slow down his fall, they increased his falling momentum. With a loud ''PONG!'' his skull smashed heavily against the bricks lining the inner wall of the well.


    Based on his original internal energy cultivation; although he is not impenetrable; when his skull is bashed against bricks, he would not suffer the slightest injury and the bricks will be smashed into smithereens. However, he is in his worst possible state right now. Feeling dizzy and seeing stars, he bent over and collapsed at the bottom of the well.


    This well has been abandoned for ages. With large mounds of dead leaves and rotting vegetation, all that is left is soft mud debris after years of desolation. As time goes by, the soft mud debris has stacked to a considerable height. With this fall, Jiumozhi''s mouth and nose ended up buried in the mud debris. He can feel his body slowly sinking. When he struggled to stand up, his limbs are unable to exert any strength. In this state of anxiety, he suddenly heard someone calling from the top of the well: "Grand Priest! Grand Priest!"


    It was the four TuBo warriors.


    Jiumozhi tried to shout: "I am here!" The minute he opened his mouth to speak, mud entered his mouth. Accordingly, no sound was emitted from his mouth. Instead, he roughly overheard the four TuBo warriors speaking beside the well.


    One of them wondered out loud: "Grand Priest is not here. Where could he be?" Another reasoned: "Grand Priest must have departed first due to impatience. Since he instructed us to seal the well with large rocks, let''s fulfill his command." A third man acknowledged: "Yes!"


    Jiumozhi shouted at the top of his voice: "I am here. Quickly come and save me!" The more he panicked, the more mud debris entered his mouth. In his daze, he had already swallowed two mouthfuls in succession. Naturally, the rotting smell is unbearable. Hearing several ''Ping Pong! Pong Long!'' noise, it is the sound of TuBo warriors piling up huge rocks on the well. These warriors respect Jiumozhi like a deity, and regard his orders with no less importance than an Imperial edict from their King. Using the biggest rocks they could find and building the most solid formation they could, the well was securely sealed in a short span of time with thirteen rocks weighing hundreds of catties.


    Hearing the four warriors stack the giant rocks and leaving after the task was completed, Jiumozhi lamented to himself: Even at full prowess, removing these rocks from within the well in order to escape is considered a challenging task; now that he is unable to utilize his martial arts, these heavy rocks sealing the well simply indicate that he will surely die inside this abandoned well.


    His Buddhist Knowledge, martial arts and strategic planning is not only top-notched, but considered the best in the Western region. Who would have expected that he would die in a pile of dirty mud debris?


    Since time immemorial, everybody dies. However, such a muddy death is genuinely unglamorous. In Buddhism, the body is considered to be a tainted vessel, an impermanent object. All impermanent objects are considered to be a form of suffering. The body does not belong to you and one day, you have to leave your body. These are basic Buddhist principles. Whenever Jiumozhi gave Dhamma talks at the altar, he is able to wisely articulate these principles, explaining them flawlessly and earning the praise of his disciples.


    In comparison, he is currently stuck in an abandoned well that is sealed with rocks. The muddy debris in mouth compared to the fragrance of incense and lotuses from the altar. The contrast is enormous. On one hand, there is Nibanna, forever living a happy and peaceful life, free from fetters and the sufferings of the five senses. On the other hand, desire clouds the mind; fear rules the heart; greed, hatred and delusion exists, cumulating into this result of being trapped in a muddy well.


    Thinking about this hurtful experience, his tears began to flow. Covered in mud, he is dirty beyond recognition. Eventually, he got used to the mud and used his hand to wipe his tears. Moving his left hand, he unexpectedly brushed against something in the mud. Grabbing the new object, it turned out to be his copy of Yijing Sutra. In an instant, he cannot help but laugh to his heart''s content. He has recovered the sutra but of what use is it now?


    Out of nowhere, he heard a female voice articulating: "Listen, the TuBo warriors have sealed the well with large rocks. How can we get out?" Jiumozhi recognized the speaker to be Wang Yuyan and was delighted. He thought: So she survived, but to whom is she speaking to? Since there are others around, we can combine our strength, push aside the large rocks, and escape from here.


    A man spoke out: "As long as I can stay together with you, even if we are trapped, it does not matter. Since you are by my side, even a smelly and muddy well feels like a fragrant garden. Regardless of whether it is the Eastern Pureland, Western Paradise, Tusita Heavens or Yama Heavens, no place is better than my current location."


    Jiumozhi was stunned. He thought to himself: This Duan fellow is actually still alive? He was injured by my and our enmity runs deep. Presently, I cannot activate my internal energy. If he took advantage of this weakness to exact revenge, what should I do?


    The speaker is indeed Duan Yu. When Murong Fu threw him into the well, he had lost consciousness and was completely immobile. Although he landed into the muddy debris, he wasn''t as haggard as Jiumozhi. The bottom of the well is fairly narrow; when Wang Yuyan jumped into the well, it was a nice coincidence that her head knocked onto Duan Yu''s chest ''Danzhong'' point. With this knock, Duan Yu regained consciousness. Wang Yuyan had fallen onto his bosom. Not only was she uninjured; she was only slightly muddied in the process.


    Duan Yu suddenly felt someone lying in his bosom and was greatly puzzled. Then he heard Murong Fu speaking at the top of the well: "Cousin, in your heart, you truly love Mister Duan. Although the two of you cannot live as a married couple, but by dying in the same hole, at least you should die a fulfilled death" These words clearly resonated to the bottom of the well and upon hearing them, Duan Yu was in a daze. He mumbled to himself: "What? No! No! I¡­ I, Duan Yu, don''t deserve such good fortune."


    To his amazement, the person lying on his bosom gently remarked: "Mister Duan, I am truly as muddle-headed as can be. You have always been kind to me, I¡­ Yet I¡­" Duan Yu was shocked speechless. He inquired: "You are Miss Wang?" Wang Yuyan replied: "Yes!"


    Since the beginning, Duan Yu has always been very respectful of Wang Yuyan and dare not intrude into her personal space. The minute he recognized it is indeed her, besides feeling astonishment and delight, he hurriedly stood up and wanted to release her from his bosom. However, the bottom of the well is narrow and filled with muddy debris. When Duan Yu stood upright, his two legs begin to sink into the debris and the top of the muddy debris is almost at his chest level. He cannot help but feel it is highly inappropriate to put Wang Yuyan down into the muddy pile. Still carrying her body horizontally, he profusely apologized: "Sorry! Sorry! Miss Wang, we are stuck in a muddy pile so please bear with me."


    Wang Yuyan inhaled deeply and was filled with gratitude. Twice, she had nearly died and twice, she had escaped death. With regards to Murong Fu''s character, nobody knows better than her and she can no longer deceive herself any further. In addition, Duan Yu has always been devoted to her. Comparing these two personalities, it is plain obvious that one is caring and righteous, while the other is selfish and cold-blooded. Although her jump from the opening of the well to the bottom of the well only took a short space of time, her mindset underwent a huge transformation. At the point of suicide, she decided to die out of gratitude to Duan Yu. Unexpectedly, both she and Duan Yu survived. This unforeseen turn of event filled her heart with gladness.


    Since young, Wang Yuyan has been brought up well, living a cultured lifestyle and everything that she does is prim and proper. With the recent massive changes occurring in her life, she was especially emotional. Unable to hold back her feelings, she confessed to Duan Yu: "Mister Duan, I originally thought you were deceased. Recalling your frequent acts of kindness to me, I am filled with pain and regret. Fortunately, Heaven is fair and you are unhurt. I suppose you have overheard my earlier conversation at the top of the well?" At the last sentence, she could not help but feel a tinge of embarrassment, and quickly hid her face besides Duan Yu''s neck.


    Within this short spell of time, Duan Yu can only feel his spirits flying into the sky and clouds. He felt as if he is dreaming. For the longest time, this recurring wish on his mind is about to become reality. Overjoyed, both his legs turned to jelly and momentarily, he lost the ability to stand up. With his back leaning against the inner wall of the well for support, both his arms are still hugging Wang Yuyan''s body frame. Right then, a few strands of hair from Wang Yuyan entered his nostrils. Ha-Choo! Ha-Choo! Duan Yu sneezed a few times consecutively.


    Wang Yuyan asked: "You¡­ What happened to you? Are you injured?"


    Duan Yu replied: "No¡­ Nope¡­ Ha Choo! Ha Choo! I am not hurt. Ha Choo! Neither am I sick with flu. I am simply happy beyond description. Miss Wang¡­ Ha Choo¡­ I am so overwhelmed that I nearly fainted from joy."


    There is complete darkness inside the well and neither of them can see each other. Wang Yuyan smiled in silence as she herself in drowning in ecstasy. Since youth, she has been smitten with her Cousin (Murong Fu) but he never reciprocated her love. It is only today that she tasted for the first time what it felt like when two persons are in love with each other.


    Duan Yu stammered: "Miss Wang, what did you say earlier at the top of the well? I did not manage to catch anything." Wang Yuyan giggled: "I have known you to be an honest and upright gentleman; but I never imagine that you are such a tease. You obviously heard it all but wanted me to repeat them in person. It is so embarrassing for me, I will not repeat them."


    Duan Yu anxiously clarified: "I¡­ I definitely did not hear anything. If I did hear, may Heaven punish me¡­"


    He was about to swear a vicious vow when he felt something warm on his lips. Wang Yuyan has covered his mouth with her hand. In the darkness, he heard Wang Yuyan state: "It is fine if you did not hear anything. It is no big deal and there is no need to make a vicious vow." Duan Yu was elated. Since he got to know her, she has never been so affectionate with him. He implored: "So, what did you say earlier?" Wang Yuyan started: "I said¡­" Hit with a bout of shyness, she smiled: "In the following days, we can always find time to talk about these. We have a long future ahead of us; there is no need to rush for the details now."


    ''We have a long future ahead of us; there is no need to rush for details now.'' When these words entered Duan Yu''s ear, he felt as if he is listening to heavenly music. Even if all the Western Paradise JiaLing Birds sang in unison, it would not sound as lovely as this.


    What Wang Yuyan made this statement, the underlying meaning is that in the future, she will be co-habiting with Duan Yu. Taking in this wonderful news, Duan Yu is still in a state of disbelief, he asked: "In the future, we will always be together?"


    Reaching out her arm and hugging Duan Yu''s neck, Wang Yuyan whispered into his ear: "Duan Lang ÀÉ (mate, partner, groom, companion, etc. Will use Mate in the future), as long as you do not resent me and bear no grudges against me for being nonchalant to you in the past, I am willing to accompany you for the rest of my life. Never¡­ Never will I leave you again."


    Duan Yu''s heart nearly jumped out of his mouth. He probed: "What about your Cousin? You have always¡­ always been fond of Mister Murong."


    Wang Yuyan answered: "I was never one of his priorities. Only today do I realise, in this world, who genuinely loves me, cares for me, and who places my importance above his own life."


    In a quivering voice, Duan Yu muttered: "Are you referring to me?"


    Tearing, Wang Yuyan sobbed: "Of course! For his entire life, my Cousin has been dreaming about becoming the Emperor of Yan. At the beginning, it seems like a natural process. After all, his Murong lineage has been harbouring this ambition for several generations. When the burden falls onto him, why should he be any different and realise the futility of this dream? My Cousin started off as a good person but eventually casted his morals aside in order to fulfill his dream as the Emperor of Yan."


    Hearing her outburst, Duan Yu felt the need to speak up for Murong Fu. In a flustered manner, he imagined: "Miss Wang, what if your Cousin expresses regret and wanted to rekindle the relationship? What¡­ What will you do?"


    Wang Yuyan sighed: "Duan Mate, I may be muddle headed but I am still someone who keeps my promises. Today, I vowed to accompany you for life. If I wavered, wouldn''t that be a stain on my character? Furthermore, how else can I live up to your deep love and commitment?"


    Duan Yu was on cloud nine. Still holding her, he leapt up and shouted: Ah Ha! for joy. With a Pa! sound, he landed again in the muddy debris. He reached out with his mouth and wanted to kiss her lips. Wang Yuyan did not shy away. When the two pairs of lips are about to make contact, they were interrupted by a rustling sound above their heads. It appears that something has fallen into the well.


    The two of them were astounded and speedily plastered themselves against the inner wall of the well. With a Boom! sound, it appears that a human being has fallen into the well.


    Duan Yu quizzed: "Who is it?"


    The mystery person let out a ''Humph,'' and responded: "It is me!" It is Murong Fu indeed.


    When Duan Yu regain consciousness and was enamored by Wang Yuyan''s tender voice, both of them were so captivated by each other that they were blissfully ignorant of whatever that transpired outside the well.


    Even if there is an apocalypse, it did not matter. Plausibly, they have no inkling about the fierce sparring between Jiumozhi and Murong Fu. Now that Murong Fu has entered the well, the two of them were petrified, assuming that he is here to make things difficult for them.


    Wang Yuyan insisted in a shaky voice: "Cousin, you¡­ What are you here for? I belong to Mister Duan now. If you are going to kill him, please kill me as well."


    Duan Yu was thrilled. He was not worried about Murong Fu trying to harm him. He was afraid that Wang Yuyan might rekindle her past love after seeing her Cousin and once again, return to his side. Hearing her proclamation, he immediately rest easy. He also felt Wang Yuyan reaching out with her hands and holding onto his two hands. His confidence boosted by a hundred times, Duan Yu emphasized: "Mister Murong, you can go ahead and become the Prince Consort of Xixia. I promise I will not obstruct you in any way. Your cousin, however, is mine. You can no longer take her away. Yuyan, am I right?"


    Wang Yuyan affirmed: "Correct. Duan Mate, in life or in death, I will be right beside you."


    With his acupoints sealed by Jiumozhi, despite being immobile, Murong Fu can still hear and speak. Listening to the words of Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan, he thought: The two of them have no idea that I just suffered a heavy loss and am at a disadvantage now. Thus, they remain guarded against me and are afraid that I would harm them. This is considered my good fortune. I shall employ a delay tactic. With this strategy, he replied: "Cousin, after you married Mister Duan, we will become one big family of relatives. Mister Duan would have become my Cousin-in-Law. Why should I harm him?"


    Duan Yu is kind-hearted by nature while Wang Yuyan is na?ve and gullible. When they heard his reply, the two of them were ecstatic. One said: "Many thanks, Brother Murong." The other one said: "Many thanks, Cousin!"


    Murong Fu interrogated: "Brother Duan, soon, we will be family. You will no longer disrupt my plans to become the Prince Consort of Xixia?"


    Duan Yu confirmed: "You have my word. Besides becoming husband and wife with your esteemed Cousin, I have no other desires. Even if I were to exchange it for becoming a Deity or an Arahant, I will be most unwilling."


    Filled with boundless happiness, Wang Yuyan gently leaned against Duan Yu.


    In the background, Murong Fu is secretly channeling his internal energy to burst through the acupoints sealed by Jiumozhi. It is taking quite a long time and yet, he is unwilling to ask Duan Yu for help. He angrily cursed to himself: It is often said that all women are promiscuous. This saying is accurate indeed. Under ordinary circumstances, Cousin (WYY) would have rapidly come to my side and assisted me in standing up. This time round, she has chosen to ignore me completely.


    The circumference of the bottom of the well is about three metres and the three individuals are actually pretty near one another. Wang Yuyan can hear Murong Fu lying in the mud without standing up. She only needed to take one step to reach the side of Murong Fu and help him up. However, she is firstly concerned that Murong Fu could be hatching another scheme to harm Duan Yu. Secondly, she did not want Duan Yu to get the wrong idea. Therefore, she eventually chose not to step out.


    With his turbulent emotions, the acupoints become harder to unblock so Murong Fu calmed down and finally unsealed the acupoints. Using his hand against the wall of the well, he propped himself up.


    With a Pa! sound, an item dropped down beside his body. It was Jiumozhi''s Yijing Sutra. In the dark, Murong Fu could not identify the item so he naturally took one step away. It is fortunate that he took this extra step; otherwise, when Jiumozhi jumped into the well, he would have knocked into Murong Fu.


    Picking up the sutra, Jiumozhi abruptly burst out in hysterical laughter. As the well is deep and narrow like a cylinder, the sounds of laughter echoed within the well, shaking the eardrums of the three other persons and the laughing sound is droning in their ears. It was a horrible experience.


    With his internal energies all haywire and his senses in disarray, Jiumozhi cannot stop laughing. Within the muddy debris, he began flaunting his punches and kicks, venting all the blows onto the bricks forming the wall of the well. Some blows were full of strength and smashed the bricks into smithereens; some blows carried no strength at all.


    Wang Yuyan was horror-struck. Tightly securing herself to Duan Yu, she whispered: "He has gone mad! He has gone mad!" Duan Yu nodded: "He has truly lost his senses!" Meanwhile, Murong Fu utilized the skill . Sticking his body close to the wall of the well, he began to climb upwards.


    Jiumozhi remained where he was, laughing and panting concurrently, while his punches and kicks start to increase in speed.


    Mustering her courage, Wang Yuyan advised: "Senior Master, you should sit down and take a break. Your nerves require some stabilization."


    Jiumozhi laughingly scolded: "I¡­ I need to stabilize¡­ If only I can stabilize! I''ll stabilize your head first!" Reaching out with his hand, he tried to grab her. Within the well, there is hardly any space to retreat. With this grab, he grabbed onto Wang Yuyan''s shoulder. Wang Yuyan let out a shriek and hastily moved aside.


    Duan Yu dashed in front of her and blocked her with his own body. He called out: "Hide behind me." At this point in time, the two hands of Jiumozhi have locked onto his throat and are tightening swiftly. Duan Yu can feel his breath quickening and he can no longer speak out. Wang Yuyan was traumatized and hurriedly used her hands to pry open Jiumozhi''s arms. The current Jiumozhi is just a raging madman. Although his internal energy is out of control, his strength is still extraordinary. When Wang Yuyan wanted to pry open his hands, it is like a dragonfly trying to lift a stone pillar; she is of no assistance.


    Wang Yuyan is filled with anxiety and her biggest fear is Jiumozhi strangling Duan Yu to death. She screamed: "Cousin! Cousin! Come and help us! This monk¡­ This monk is about to strangle Mister Duan to death!"


    Murong Fu thought: This Duan Yu fellow defeated me thoroughly on Mount Shaoshi, causing me to lose my standing in the martial arts world. If he dies, he dies. Why should I render any assistance? Additionally, this violent monk is highly skilled and far stronger than me. It is wiser to let them fight to their deaths and hopefully, it will be a double KO. I would be a fool if I interfere.


    Thus, his fingers held onto the gaps between the bricks and he kept his body close to the wall of the well, keeping his silence. Wang Yuyan has shouted until her voice is nearly hoarse but Murong Fu pretended not to hear a thing.


    Wang Yuyan clenched her fists and rained uncoordinated blows on the head and back of Jiumozhi. Gasping and laughing concurrently, Jiumozhi exerted more strength in strangling Duan Yu''s throat.

 Chapter - 46 Asking Three Questions After a Drink

    Ba Tianshi, Zhu Danchen and the others woke up the next morning and discovered that Duan Yu is missing. Calling at the door of Wang Yuyan yielded no response either. Noting that her door is close but unlocked, the two men knocked on the door for some time before opening it. The room is empty and unoccupied.


    The two men were especially upset and groaned in misery.


    Zhu Danchen bemoaned: "Our Prince is exactly like His Lordship (Duan Zhengchun); wherever he goes, he will get involved in a romantic affair. He must have snuck away in the middle of the night with Miss Wang. I wonder where they are headed."


    Ba Tianshi nodded his head and added: "Young Prince is dashing and flamboyant; he would rather surround himself with pretty women than learn more about managing the country. His attraction to Miss Wang is an open secret. Forcing him to be the Prince Consort of Xixia¡­ Sigh... Our Prince is never known for his obedience; back then, when Emperor and His Lordship wanted him to learn martial arts, he simply refused to learn. When they gave him additional pressure, he ran away from home."


    Zhu Danchen concluded: "We can only resort to hunting them down in separate directions and doing our best to advise their return. "


    Ba Tianshi bitterly smiled, shrugging his shoulders and facing his palms skywards in exasperation.


    Zhu Danchen supplemented: "Brother Ba, there was one occasion when His Lordship ordered me to pursuit our Prince. Despite finding him after much difficultly, he¡­" At this point, he lowered his voice into a whisper and continued: "He was smitten with Miss Mu Wangqing. In the middle of the night, the two of them secretly eloped. Fortunately, luck is on my side and I was laying ahead in ambush. Otherwise, I would have failed in my assignment."


    Slapping his thigh, Ba Tianshi reprimanded: "Ai, my worthy Brother Zhu, in this case, you are at fault. Since you have this prior experience, why didn''t you take the same precaution? The two of us should have taken turns to watch over him throughout the night."


    Zhu Danchen let out a sigh and explained: "I assumed that because Great Hero Xiao and Mister Xu Zhu are his sworn brothers and are here with us, he would not employ such a tactic and leave without a word. I did not expect ¡­ I did not expect him to¡­" The next four words he wanted to express were: prioritise women over brotherhood. However, he eventually did not say them because firstly, it is an act of insubordination and secondly, because Duan Yu is on good terms with him and he does not wish to use such a term to describe Duan Yu.


    With no better idea in mind, the two men went and updated Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu. After searching for the missing persons for an entire day and in different directions, there is still no clue to their whereabouts.


    At evening time, everybody is gathered in Duan Yu''s empty room for a general discussion. As anxiety dominated the meeting, the Xixia Empire Ministry of Rites sent an official to the inn, asking for Ba Tianshi. The official briefed: On the 15th Day of August, the Emperor will be hosting a banquet at Xihua Palace, extending a hospitable welcome to the honoured guests from all over the world. The attendance of Prince Duan of DaLi is strictly anticipated. Stuck in a quandary, Ba Tianshi could only mutter in agreement.


    Ba Tianshi has bribed this official earlier on and his behavior is pleasant and cordial. When the official is about to depart, Ba Tianshi sent him off at the door. The official whispered into his ears: "Minister Ba, I have a tip for you. At the Emperor''s banquet tomorrow night, all the esteemed guests will be scrutinized for their appearances. After the banquet, there could be some archery or sparring activities, in order for the esteemed guests to showcase themselves. This is an important trial with regards to choosing the Prince Consort and the husband of our Princess. Prince Duan cannot take this matter lightly." Ba Tianshi bowed to express his appreciation. From his sleeve, he produced another large gold ingot and pressed it into the hands of the official.


    Back in the inn, Ba Tianshi updated everybody and sighed: "Lord Zhennan (Duan Zhengchun) has given firm instructions that our Prince must marry the Princess regardless of whatever it takes. The two of us have failed in our mission and we are too ashamed to face His Lordship."


    Bamboo Sword suddenly covered her mouth and chortled: "Minister Ba, may Little Servant (I) say something?"


    Ba Tianshi condescended: "Sister, I am all ears."


    Bamboo Sword giggled: "Mister Duan''s father wanted him to marry the Princess of Xixia; behind the scenes, his intention is for this marriage to be a unifying factor between Xixia and DaLi. In the future, the two countries are considered allies, am I right?"


    Ba Tianshi agreed: "You are right."


    Chrysanthemum Sword questioned: "Being the parent-in-law His Lordship Duan, I guess he is not concerned whether the Xixia Princess is as beautiful as Xi Shi (one of China''s four Greatest Beauty) or uglier than Wu Yan (a derogatory term for an ugly woman)?"


    Ba Tianshi conjectured: "The Princess is of royal status, even if she is not a top-notched beauty, she would at least be average looking"


    Plum Sword explained: "We sisters have an idea; as long as we can use a wedding trick and get the Princess back to DaLi, it is no longer important if we cannot locate Prince Duan in time.


    Orchid Sword chuckled: "Eventually, Mister Duan and Miss Wang will get tired of sightseeing and head home to DaLi after a few years. By then, it is still not too late for them to consummate the marriage."


    Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen were exhilarated. In unison, they asked: "The Prince is absent. How can we employ a wedding ruse to get the Xixia Princess back to DaLi? Since four ladies have a great plan, please share the details with us."


    Plum Sword explained: "When Miss Mu put on the clothes of a man and disguise herself as a handsome scholar, wouldn''t she be better looking than Mister Duan? If she attends the banquet tomorrow night, among the tons of young heroes, her looks will definitely stand out."


    Orchid Sword continued: "Miss Mu is the blood sister of Mister Duan. When she represented her brother and won back a sister-in-law, firstly, she has done the country proud and secondly, she will get into the good books of her father. Isn''t that a worthy bargain?"


    Bamboo Sword was next: "When Miss Mu has been chosen as the Prince Consort, the actual wedding will take place at a later date. By then, Mister Duan would have been found."


    Chrysanthemum Sword concluded: "Even if Mister Duan is still unavailable, Miss Mu can replace him for the wedding ceremony. Who would be the wiser?" Finishing, she used her hand to cover her mouth as the four sisters simultaneously burst out in wild laughter.


    Sharing the same train of thinking and manner of speech, the four sisters are perfectly congruent and it felt like interacting with one person instead of four.


    Glancing at each other, both Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen felt that this plan is incredibly outrageous. If the Xixia Empire saw through this ruse, not only will the marriage fall apart, the two countries will become enemies. If the Emperor of Xixia is annoyed enough to start a war, then they would have bitten off more than they can chew.


    Plum Sword could predict the concerns of the two men and comforted: "Actually, Mister Duan has Hero Xiao as his sworn brother and originally, there is no reason to get into the good books of Xixia. However, Lord Zhennan has given his orders and we have to comply. In the worst possible scenario, as Southern Khan of Great Liao and with a hundred thousand elite troops at his disposal, Hero Xiao can intercede on the behalf of DaLi. Surely that is sufficient enough to prevent Xixia from creating trouble."


    Xiao Feng let out a smile and nodded his head.


    As the Exterior Minister of DaLi, Ba Tianshi is in charge of the country''s political and foreign affairs. To enlist Xiao Feng''s support for DaLi has always been on his mind but it is inappropriate for him to bring up the subject. Now that Plum Sword has put forth the suggestion and Xiao Feng has nodded his head in agreement, this issue has been cast in stone. In the worst case, the marriage will end up in failure but Dali Country will not suffer any severe repercussions. He thought: This proposal submitted by our four ladies is pretty straightforward like a child''s game. Besides this plan, I cannot think of anything better. I wonder if Miss Mu is willing to undertake this dangerous mission?


    Thus, he remarked: "This proposal by the four ladies is brilliant indeed. However, there is a strong element of danger. If we are exposed, Miss Mu runs the risk of being captured. In addition, many heroes and talented people will be gathered there. Although Miss Mu''s integrity is incomparable, in terms of martial arts, she may find it an uphill task to overcome the odds."


    Everybody turned their attention to Mu Wanqing and waited for her response.


    Mu Wanqing started: "Minister Ba, you need not try and agitate me. This brother of mine¡­ This brother of mine¡­" After saying and repeating the words: This brother of mine, Mu Wanqing suddenly burst out in tears. When she discovered that Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan has eloped, she could not help but was reminded about her own experience with Duan Yu, slipping away together in the middle the night. If not for the fact that he turned out to be her brother, they would be living as a blissful couple. Now, Duan Yu is behaving intimately with another woman, having the time of their lives while she is all cold and lonely. To add salt to the wound, these officials of DaLi are now suggesting that she disguised as him to participate in a marriage. Distressed and incensed, she abruptly swept out her hand, toppling the table in front of her. With this toppling, Ping! Ping! Piang! Piang! the teapot and tea cups came crashing down all over the floor. Jumping up from her seat, she exited the room without a single word.


    Everybody gaze at one another in confusion, feeling that she is such a wet blanket. With an apologetic tone, Ba Tianshi professed: "This is my fault. If I have begged her in a kind manner, Miss Mu can simply voice her disagreement. However, my approach may have been unsuitable, causing her to be upset."


    Zhu Danchen shook his head and lamented: "Miss Mu''s anger is definitely not related to Brother Ba''s words. There is another reason behind her reaction. Ai, it is complicated!"


    The next day, everybody headed out in different directions and continued to look for Duan Yu. The busy streets are filled with young men dressed in elegant clothing and it is pretty obvious that they are here to attend the Palace banquet on Mid Autumn Night (15th August). Occasionally, some public disagreements can be sighted, clear evidence that the warriors from TuBo Country are still doing their best to remove competitors for their Prince. With regards to Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan, nobody is able to track them at all.


    By evening time, everybody has returned to the inn. Naturally, some came back earlier and some came back later. Xiao Feng announced: "Since Third Brother is no longer around, there is no point for us to stay on. Regardless of who becomes the Prince Consort, it is none of our business." Ba Tianshi agreed: "Hero Xiao is right. If we stay on and helplessly witness another person become the Prince Consort, it will not be a pleasant experience."


    Zhong Ling abruptly queried: "Mister Zhu, are you a married man? Since Mister Duan is unwilling to be the Prince Consort, why don''t you take his place? If you married the Princess of Xixia, wouldn''t that be helping DaLi too?"


    Zhu Danchen guffawed: "Miss is pulling my leg. A long time ago, Your Junior (I) has already been blessed with a wife and mistress, male and female offspring." Zhong Ling stuck out her tongue. Zhu Danchen added: "A pity that Miss''s features are too delicate and you have dimples on your face. You cannot masquerade as a male, otherwise, with you taking up the mantle and representing your brother to marry the Xixia Princess¡­"


    Zhong Ling was taken aback: "What? Represent my brother?"


    Zhu Danchen realized he had a slip of the tongue. Zhong Ling, being the illegitimate child of Lord Zhennan, is still not a public matter and he should maintain the confidentiality. He hurriedly corrected: "I mean you can represent Prince Duan in accomplishing this crucial mission¡­"


    Beyond his expectation, somebody outside the door spoke out: "Minister Ba, Mister Zhu, let''s set off." Brushing aside the door curtain, a striking young man entered. Full of heroic and manly aura, it was Mu Wanqing cloaked in scholarly robes.


    Excited and delighted at the same time, everyone asked: "What? Miss Mu is willing to get involved?"


    Mu Wanqing rectified: "My surname is Duan and my first name is Yu, the son of DaLi country Lord Zhennan. May I request everyone here to be mindful of your speech?" Her voice is clear and precise, despite some feminine undertones. Fortunately, young people tend to speak with a sharper voice so it is not something out of the ordinary. Appreciating her wonderful impersonation of Duan Yu, the crowd burst out in joyful laughter.


    The day before, after throwing a tantrum, Mu Wanqing had returned to her room and cried her heart out. Straightening her thoughts, she felt bad for creating a scene and offending so many people. Moreover, it sounds pretty fun to disguise as Duan Yu to marry the Xixia Princess. In her mind, she also thought: You (DY) eloped with Miss Wang and is out there having a good time. I will purposely marry a Princess on your behalf and from then on, you will be handling endless disagreements and never have a day of peace.


    Recalling the first time she entered DaLi City, she found Duan Yu''s parents to be easily jealous by nature and their meetings were awkward. If Duan Yu marries a Princess, she would be definitely become his official wife and the head of his harem. Wang Yuyan will have to become his mistress (concubine) instead. Although she (MWQ) herself is unable to marry Duan Yu, she is not willing to let this petite and demure Miss Wang happily become his official wife without some hindrances. The more she thought, the more pleased she was. Therefore, she is willing to take the risk and masquerade as Duan Yu.


    Ba Tianshi and the others are highly motivated and swiftly made preparations. Ba Tianshi remembered Assistant Minister Tao who has visited the inn and met Duan Yu before. Thus, he prepared three hundred taels of gold and order Zhu Danchen to deliver them to Assistant Minister Tao. The original gifts have been delivered but this is a bonus. He instructed Zhu Danchen to offer the bribe without passing any message. Later, when Assistant Minister Tao notices anything out of the ordinary, he would naturally keep it to himself. Using three hundred taels of gold to buy silence, it is a classical example of: Making a quiet fortune.


    Mu Wanqing requested: "Big Brother Xiao and Second Brother Xu Zhu, I would prefer the two of you to accompany me for the banquet. With you two at my side, I will feel much safer. Otherwise, if push comes to shove, I may not be able to triumph with my skills. Within the royal palace, it is not very appropriate for my poisonous projectiles to start flying."


    Orchid Sword giggled: "Correct! Once Mister Duan starts shooting out poisonous arrows and piling up corpses in the royal palace of Xixia, I doubt the Princess herself will agree to marry you."


    Xiao Feng laughed: "Second Brother and myself have pledged our assistance to Uncle Duan (Zhengchun) and we will naturally do our best."


    Everyone starting changing clothes and putting on make up, preparing to attend the royal palace banquet. Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu are disguised as aides from DaLi Lord Zhennan Residence; Zhong Ling and the four sisters from Lingjiu Palace originally wanted to cross dress as men and participate in the celebrations but Ba Tianshi forbade: "With Miss Mu''s solo disguise, we are already at a risk of being discovered. If we add on another five ladies dressing up as men, we will surely be exposed." Therefore, Zhong Ling and the girls gave up the idea.


    When everyone is leaving via the door of the inn in a single file, Ba Tianshi suddenly cried out: "Aiyah! We are in trouble! That Murong Fu is trying for the Prince Consort as well. He is someone who recognizes Mister Duan. What should we do?"


    Xiao Feng let out a smile and explained: "Brother Ba can rest easy. Like Third Brother Duan, Murong Fu has disappeared without a word. Earlier on, I did some investigation. Deng Baichuan and Bao Butong are panicking like ants on a hot pan."


    Everyone was overjoyed and exclaimed: "What a nice coincidence."


    Zhu Danchen chuckled: "Hero Xiao''s consideration is truly thorough; you even did your homework on Murong Fu and his entourage."


    Xiao Feng laughed: "Actually, I am not a thorough person. In my opinion, Mister Murong is handsome and highly skilled in martial arts. He can be considered the top nemesis of Miss Mu. Heh Heh Heh Heh!"


    Ba Tianshi snickered: "I see. Hero Xiao had wanted to persuade Murong Fu to skip tonight''s banquet."


    Wide-eyed, Zhong Ling gushed: "From thousands of miles away, Murong Fu rushed here in order to become the Prince Consort, why should he listen to simple persuasion? Hero Xiao, do you and Mister Murong share a deep friendship?"


    Ba Tianshi guffawed: "Hero Xiao barely knows him. Nevertheless, Hero Xiao''s fists and legs are very eloquent; Murong Fu cannot resist them."


    Understanding the hint, Zhong Ling giggled: "Using fists and legs to persuade, of course the latter has to obey."


    Currently, the five persons Mu Wangqing, Xiao Feng, Xu Zhu, Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen have disembarked at the doors of the royal palace. Ba Tianshi submitted Duan Yu''s invitation and Xixia''s Minister of Rites personally came to escort them into the palace.


    Arriving at Zhonghe Hall, they noted a hundred odd young men who have already arrived for the banquet. They were seated all over the hall. Within the hall, there is a certain seat which is covered with yellow satin and decorated with golden dragons. That is obviously the seat of Xixia''s Emperor. On the east and west, there are another two seats that are covered with purple satin. The seat on the east is occupied by a youth with thick eyebrows and large eyes. With a tall and imposing frame, he is attired in a long, red robe. Sewn on the robe is a tiger baring its teeth and claws in a display of might. Behind him stood eight warriors. With once glance, Ba Tianshi and the rest easily identified him as TuBo Country''s Prince Zhongzan.


    The Minister for Rites escorted Mu Wanqing to the purple-satin seat on the west while Xiao Feng and the others stood behind her. From this arrangement, it is evident that among the numerous youths present, the two Princes from DaLi Country and TuBo Country are the most prestigious, thereby enjoying this special privilege by the Emperor of Xixia. The other established martial arts warriors are seated together with the young masters of wealthy families. More and more people are streaming into the hall and getting assigned to their seats.


    When the seats are filled, two commanding generals supervising the hall bellowed: "The esteemed guests are all present. Door to be closed." As the sound of beating drums filled the air, four sentries are slowly closing the two large and thick doors of the hall. From a corridor, the noise made by armour clanking rang out and out marched a platoon of warriors with long halberds and golden armour. The well-polished halberd tips are shimmering brightly in the candlelight. Following this display, the drums started beating again and two rows of palace aides came out from the inner hall. Each of them is carrying an incense pot made out of white jade in their hands and green smoke is emitting from the pots. Everybody knew that the Emperor is about to make his appearance and with bated breaths, they watched in complete silence.


    At the back of the entourage, four escorts emerged, dressed in satin robes and holding nothing in their hands. The four of them split into two groups and were stationed on the left and right of the throne. Observing the protruding temples (two sides of forehead) of these four fellows, Xiao Feng instantly identified them as martial arts experts who are employed as the personal bodyguards of the Emperor. An attendant proclaimed aloud: "Welcome the Emperor!" Everyone kneeled down accordingly.


    Footsteps can be heard and a man materialized at the corridor. After he sat down on the throne, the same attendant announced: "You may rise!" The crowd got back on their feet. Scrutinizing the Xixia Emperor, Xiao Feng noted that he is shorter than the average man and yet he has an aura of bravery around him. This Emperor is probably not a descendent of an aristocrat or military family but someone who has risen up from the commoners, a folk hero.


    Standing beside the throne, the Minister for Rites opened up a scroll and declared in a loud voice: "With accord to the Mandate of Heaven, the Saints and the Deities, Hereby is the Command of Xixia Emperor: Gentlemen have come from afar, Your Majesty (I) will reward you with this toast. Respected conclusion.


    The crowd kneeled down again to express their gratitude. The attendant hollered: "You may rise!" Everyone stood up.


    The Emperor lifted his cup and made a drinking gesture around his lips before leaving his seat and reentering the inner hall. With his entourage at his heels, the entire group of newcomers vanished neatly in a short space of time.


    Gazing at one another, the entire hall of men was astounded. Without saying a word or drinking a cup of wine, the Emperor is considered to have ''attended'' the banquet. The same thought is going through everyone''s mind: He did not even take a proper look at our appearances; how is he going to choose his son-in-law?


    The Minister for Rites announced: "Gentlemen, please be seated and enjoy the food and wine." A troop of eunuchs began serving dishes of food. Located in the Northwestern region, Xixia is a place with bitter-cold climate and the population mainly survives on beef and mutton. Although this is a palace banquet, the dishes are mainly large servings of beef and mutton as well.


    Feeling awkward that she is the only one sitting while the others are standing, Mu Wanqing whispered: "Big Brother Xiao, Second Brother Xu Zhu, please sit down and join me." Smiling broadly, Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu both shook their heads. Aware of Xiao Feng''s love for wine, she had an inspiration. Waving her hand, she instructed: "Pour wine!" Hearing her command, Xiao Feng poured a bowl of wine. Mu Wanqing ordered: "This bowl is for you!" Thrilled, Xiao Feng finished the large bowl of wine in two mouthfuls. Mu Wanqing insisted: "Another!" Xiao Feng had another bowl of wine.


    From the seat on the East, the Prince of TuBo drank a few mouthfuls of wine before picking up a large piece of beef from his bowl and began eating. After several bites, a large bone is left and he threw the bone aside. Whether it was intentional or not, the bone is now flying towards Mu Wanqing with a strong gust of force, displaying the strength of its thrower.


    Zhu Danchen retrieved his folding fan and deflected the flying bone, sending it on a return path towards Prince Zongzan. A TuBo warrior reached out with his hand caught the bone. Cursing, he picked up a large bowl from the table and threw it at Zhu Danchen. Ba Tianshi executed a palm strike and when the bowl flew halfway, it met with the force of the palm strike and shattered into dozens of shards. As the broken shards flew towards the group of TuBo citizens, another TuBo warrior swiftly removed his outer robes and swirled the robes in mid air, netting the dozens of broken shards in the robes. His actions were precise and well practiced.


    When the young men arrived at the royal palace for the banquet, everyone is fully aware of one fact: all those present are here to compete for the Prince Consort. In their interaction with one another, there is no presence of friendly intentions. Although everyone expected a brawl to happen anytime, nondescript fighting started breaking out all over the hall before anyone knew what was happening. Hearing the shattering noises of broken bowls and plates, the crowd turned boisterous.


    Out of the blue, a bell starting ringing and from the inner hall, two rows of men emerged. Some were dressed in tight uniforms while others were attired in loose robes. Irrespective of outfits, each of them is armed with a unique, oddly shaped weapon. Among them, an obvious high-ranking Xixia Official who is dressed in a satin robe proclaimed in a thunderous voice: "Gentlemen, within the royal palace, please mind your manners. Seated among you, there are warriors belonging to our country''s Elite Guild. If gentlemen are interested, we welcome one-on-one sparring. Rowdy combat is strictly forbidden."


    Xiao Feng and company are fully aware that Xixia country''s Elite Guild is a society which recruits strong heroes all over the world. Within its stable, capable fighters are aplenty. Ba Tianshi and the others immediately halted their attacks. Regardless of items being flung at them by the TuBo warriors, Ba Tianshi, Zhu Danchen and the others caught the items and placed them down instead of throwing them back at the opponents. Still, the TuBo warriors refused to cooperate. After tossing the entire set of cutlery, they are now hurling pieces of beef and mutton at Mu Wanqing.


    The high ranking Official in satin robes notified the Prince of TuBo: "I request Your Highness to instruct your men to stop their actions in order to avoid an unpleasant situation." Counting at least a hundred warriors from the Elite Guild and that he is within the palace of another authority; Prince Zongzan waved his left hand and stopped his escorts.


    The Xixia Minister of Rites clasped his hands towards the satin-attired high-ranking Official and implored: "East Commandant Helian, does the Princess have any instructions?"


    This satin-attired high-ranking Official is the leader of Elite Guild Helian Tieshu, official title: Great General of the East. Three years ago, he led a group of warriors from the Elite Guild into the Central Plains (China) but was poisoned by Murong Fu''s while he was disguised as Li Yanzong. Helian Tieshu and his men were originally captured by the Beggar Sect but were luckily rescued by Duan Yanqing. They eventually returned home empty-handed. During that adventure, Helian Tieshu has met a fake Xiao Feng, which is Ah Zhu in disguise and a fake Murong Fu, which is Duan Yu in disguise. Presently, in the hall, he is unable to identify the real Xiao Feng and the fake Duan Yu. Duan Yanqing, the Divine Crocodile of the Southern Sea, as well as the two other Evils are considered members of the Elite Guild. Nevertheless, they often act independently and are not subjugated to the Xixia Imperial Court.


    In a crisp and loud voice, Helian Tieshu announced: "The Princess has decreed: After the esteemed guests have finished their dinner and wine, she welcomes everybody to the Green Phoenix Court''s external study chamber for tea."


    Hearing his words, everyone reacted with an ''Oh!'' sound. It is common knowledge that (Xixia) Princess Yinchuan resides within Green Phoenix Court. Since she is inviting everybody there for tea, she must have wanted to examine the candidates with her own eyes and personally select her own husband. The crowd of young men was overjoyed, every one of them thinking: Even if I am not chosen by Princess, at least I have seen her with my own eyes. The people of Xixia have always described their Princess as a flawless beauty, her complexion and features second to none. If I can meet the Princess in the flesh, this long and tiresome journey would have been worth it.


    Using his sleeve to wipe his mouth, the Prince of TuBo stood up and exclaimed: "We can always eat and drink at our leisure, but now is not the occasion for that. Let''s have a look at the Princess!"


    The eight TuBo warriors in his escort team resounded in one reply: "Yes Prince!"


    Turning to Helian Tieshu, the TuBo Prince ordered: "Please lead the way!"


    Helian Tieshu replied: "Sure, Your Highness, please."


    Turning to Mu Wanqing, Helian Tieshu clasped his hands and invited: "Your Highness Duan, please."


    In a rough voice and manner, Mu Wanqing accepted: "General, please."


    Led by Helian Tieshu, the group cut through a large garden and traversed a few corridors. Passing a row of fake mountains, Mu Wanqing suddenly felt an additional presence beside her. Squinting her eyes for a side-glance, she was astonished and cried out with an ''Ah!'' sound. Smartly dressed in brocade, it was Duan Yu.


    Jumping back to the well episode, Duan Yu''s throat is being strangled by Jiumozhi. Feeling short of breath, he is about to faint. High above them, Murong Fu is plastered against the wall and enjoying the chaos. He was smiling to himself and can''t wait for Jiumozhi to strangle Duan Yu to death. Wang Yuyan is hitting Jiumozhi with every last ounce of her strength but to no avail. Freaking out, she abruptly opened her mouth and bit Jiumozhi on his right arm.


    Feeling a sharp pain on his right arm ''Quchi'' point, Jiumozhi experienced the outflow of all his uncontrollable internal energies in a short span of time. As the energies were channeled from his palm to Duan Yu''s throat, all his pain from internal swelling as well as the feeling of body explosion evaporated. With these destructive energies gone, he was relieved from his discomfort and his fingers gripping on Duan Yu''s throat gradually relaxed.


    In his practice of martial arts, Jiumozhi''s foundation is rock solid and his mastery is thorough; no one can doubt his unshakeable power. Although he is in physical contact with Duan Yu, he avoided contact with Duan Yu''s thumb and wrist acupoints. Therefore, Duan Yu cannot activate his and absorb his internal energy. Presently, due to Wang Yuyan biting on his ''Quchi'' point, Jiumozhi was alarmed and opened up the meridian pathways, allowing the internal energies to be leaked out seamlessly into Duan Yu''s throat ''Nianquan'' point. ''Nianquan'' point is a point along the Ren Meridian. Passing through ''Tiantu'', ''Xuanji'', ''Huagai'', ''Zhigong'' and ''Zhongting'' points, the energies will accumulate at the energy reservoir ''Danzhong'' point.


    With his internal energies initially going haywire, Jiumozhi has lost his senses. Now, he regained his clarity of mind and was horrified. He thought: Aiya! At the speed that he is absorbing my internal energy, it won''t be too long before I lose all my martial arts. What should I do?


    At once, he activated some internal energy to resist the leak but it is too late. In the beginning, his internal energy is already not as abundant as Duan Yu''s. Now that the flow has begun, his loss is Duan Yu''s gain. Unable to move both his hands despite exerting all his strength, there was no holding back as the energies left his body in huge surges.


    In the dark, Wang Yuyan was greatly comforted that Jiumozhi has loosen his hold on Duan Yu''s throats after her bite. Nonetheless, Jiumozhi''s hands are still wrapped around Duan Yu''s throat and regardless of her efforts, his hands simply cannot be pried open. Although she is well versed with all the martial arts of various sects and schools, she cannot fathom this move of Jiumozhi. Still, in the long run, it is not beneficial for Duan Yu to be in this position. Thus, she persisted in pulling apart Jiumozhi''s hands. In the same breath, Jiumozhi was hoping for her to succeed as well. Unexpectedly, Wang Yuyan had a cold spasm attack and she could feel her internal energy leaving her body too. It turns out that Duan Yu''s does not differentiate between bodies and absorbed Wang Yuyan''s shallow energies as well. In a few minutes, the three persons Duan Yu, Wang Yuyan and Jiumozhi fainted simultaneously.


    After a prolonged wait, Murong Fu is unable to detect any noise from the three of them. After calling out to them and not getting any replies, he thought: Looks like the three of them have perished together.


    First, he was thrilled, but reminiscing about his relationship with Wang Yuyan, he felt some elements of sorrow. He then thought: Aiya! Large rocks have sealed the exit of the well, trapping us inside. If the three of them are still alive, with our four combined strength, perhaps we can make our way out of this predicament. Now that I am all alone, it is almost impossible. Ai, since the three of you are going to fight to death anyway, why don''t you wait until we are out of the well before fighting?


    Using his arm, he tried to heave the rocks upwards. Neatly stacked, the ten odd rocks weigh more than a thousand catties altogether; it will take more than Murong Fu alone for them to budge an inch.


    Depressed, Murong Fu was about to jump back to the bottom of the well but upon closer observation, he heard voices outside the well. From the noisy banter, it must be some villagers of Xixia. It turned out that the four of them had spent a lot of time tussling with one another. The sun is already up and the rural farmers living outside the city are now transporting their produce into Lingzhou City for hawking. Their usual route will take them near the well.


    Murong Fu pondered: If I cry for help, these villagers may not be able to cart away these enormous and heavy boulders. Even if they started to move the rocks, there is nothing to stop them from giving up halfway. I must use greed as a motivation.


    As a result, he yelled: "These treasures of gold and silver are mine. The two of you must know your place. Having said that, I don''t mind giving three thousand taels of silver to each of you." Following that, he exclaimed with a sharp voice: "This place is full of countless treasure. Finders Keepers. Everybody deserves an equal share of everything here." Using a hoarse voice, he proclaimed: "Don''t let anyone else hear you. Finders Keepers it is. Although the valuables here are plentiful, any additional person will dilute our share." This fake conversation is being blasted out loud using his internal energy, making it audible to everyone in the area.


    All the villagers could pick up this exchange, and were excited with delight. Like a swarm of bees, everyone began tearing down the rocks sealing the well. Although the rocks were heavy, under everybody''s cooperation, good progress is being made. Murong Fu did not wait for all the rocks to be completely removed. Once he saw a gap that is big enough for him to slip through, he used the wall as a launch pad and shot out of the well in a rapid dash.


    The farmers were shocked as Murong Fu appeared and disappeared as quickly in an unknown direction. Although there is some fear of the supernatural, but lured by the temptation of quick wealth, they continued to push the rocks aside. Once the rocks are completed dismantled, ropes that were used to bundle the firewood and vegetables were co-joined into one long rope. With that rope, the bravest volunteer was lowered into the well.


    When this man arrived at the bottom of the well, he began feeling around and touched Jiumozhi in his first movement. Stirring a motionless body and assuming it was a corpse, the man was scared out of his wits and desperately clutch at the rope. Finally, he was being lifted out of the well. Some of the villagers are still unconvinced; after a round of discussion, a few pine wood branches are lighted up as torches before another visit to the bottom of the well is made. All they found were the three ''corpses'' lying in the muddy debris and they assumed these three have died for some time already. There was no treasure at all! Since lives were lost and if the authorities were notified, these villagers could be framed for murder. In a state of anxiety, everyone swiftly disperse. Back at home, some villagers complained of headaches while others were down with fever. Before long, due to ignorant folks gossiping and obscuring the details, the standard myth is that whenever there is a full moon night, there will be four muddy spirits creating trouble around the well. Anyone who sees them will experience headaches and fever, and the only cure is by offering prayers. From that day onwards, besides the abandoned well, there would be frequent burning of incense regardless of the occasion.


    It was in the afternoon when the three persons at the bottom of the well starting regaining consciousness one after another. The first wake up is Wang Yuyan. Her internal energy cultivation is shallow and even though she lost it all, it barely made a difference to her. The minute she recovered her wits, her first natural reaction is to locate Duan Yu. Although the sky is bright and lit, deep within the well, it is still impossible for her to see anything. Using her hands to feel around, she came into contact with Duan Yu and exclaimed: "Duan Mate, Duan Mate, You... You... How are you?" Without getting any response from Duan Yu, she presumed that Jiumozhi has strangled him to death. Unable to control herself, she hugged his corpse tightly in front of her chest and cried her heart out: "Duan Mate, Duan Mate, you loved me from the bottom of your heart and yet not once did I display a kind word or gesture to you. My only wish is to serve you as your partner for the rest of your life, repaying your love, however... however... Our lives are full of misfortunes. Today, you lose your life to an evil monk..."


    Jiumozhi suddenly interrupted: "Miss is only half correct. Old Monk (I) may an evil monk but Mister Duan did not perish by my hands."


    Wang Yuyan was thunderstruck: "Could it be... Could it be my Cousin who killed him? He... Why is he so vicious?"


    At this instant, Duan Yu''s new internal energies have integrated with his body and he regained consciousness too. Hearing Wang Yuyan''s coquettish voice besides his ear, he was jubilant. Enjoying the sensation of being hugged by her, he remained still. He did not want her to find out that he has awaken because she would then release him from her bosom.


    Jiumozhi declared: "Not only did your Duan Mate fail to die by Evil Monk''s (my) hand, it was the exact opposite. Evil Monk (I) nearly lost my life at the hands of Duan Mate."


    Wang Yuyan sobbed: "At this point in time, you are still in the mood for jokes. You have no idea the amount of grief that is going through my heart. Why don''t you strangle me to death too, so that I can accompany Duan Mate in the Afterlife." Hearing the strong conviction in her words, Duan Yu is extremely flattered and intoxicated with joy.


    Although Jiumozhi has lost all his internal energy, his mind is still as sharp and alert as before. Noticing Duan Yu''s light breathing sounds and his obvious suppression of his breathing, he could easily guess what Duan Yu is up to. Letting out a soft sigh, he described: "Mister Duan, I made a mistake in learning the 72 Legendary Skills of Shaolin, causing my internal energy to go haywire and deviate. I was on the brink of death and if not for you absorbing all my internal strength, Old Monk (I) would have perished from madness. Presently, although Old Monk has lost all my martial arts skills, I am able to preserve my life. For that, I need to pay my respects to you in order to thank you for saving my life."


    Duan Yu is an upright and humble gentleman. Hearing that Jiumozhi is going to pay respects to himself, he cannot tolerate it and replied: "Great Master need not be so formal. Junior (I) is inept and amateurish, I dare not claim to have saved Great Master''s (your) life."


    Hearing Duan Yu speak out, Wang Yuyan was ecstatic and stunned at the same time. In a flash, she promptly understood that Duan Yu intentionally remained still so that she will continue hugging him. Great embarrassed, she forcefully pushed him aside and whined: "Rogue!"


    His trick exposed by Wang Yuyan, Duan Yi was red-faced with embarrassment. He hastily stood up and leaned against the wall of the well.


    Jiumozhi sighed: "Old Monk (I) may be a Buddhist but my desire for success is stronger than the common man. The source of my present situation started thirty years ago. Ai, the three poisons Greed, Hatred, Delusion; I am guilty of them all. Yet I proclaimed I am a Senior Monk. Full of arrogance and lack of regrets, Ai, after I die, I will probably be condemned to Eternal Hell with no chance of reincarnation."


    Duan Yu is currently distressed, wondering if Wang Yuyan is still angry with him. Listening to Jiumozhi''s depressing comments, his compassionate side came out and he inquired: "Great Master (You) is too harsh on yourself. Regarding Great Master''s earlier discomfort, has the agony been fully relieved?"


    Jiumozhi kept his silence for a long time. Secretly activating his internal energy, he is instantaneously aware that his years of hard cultivation have resulted in naught. He was originally a wise and kind monk, and his study of Buddhism is all encompassing and advanced. When he started learning martial arts, his desire to win fights increase day by day and in the same note, his kindness and Buddhist wisdom decrease accordingly. Finally, everything cumulated into him sitting in a pile of muddy debris. He cannot help but evoke: Gotama Budddha taught the Dhamma, instructing his disciples to lose Greed, lose Attachment, lose Desire and lose Clinging in order to be enlightened. I did not manage to lose a single one of them. Fame and riches are tightly bonded to me. Today, I lost all my martial arts, it must be a Dhamma lesson to me, presenting me with a chance to get rid of my evil ways and return to the Light side with a fresh beginning.


    Remembering the deeds he committed over the decades, he was filled with massive amounts of guilt and sorrow. Soon, his forehead started dripping with perspiration.


    Since Jiumozhi kept quiet, Duan Yu probed Wang Yuyan: "Where is Mister Murong?"


    Wang Yuyan cried ''Ah!'' and uttered: "Where is Cousin? Aiyo, I have completely forgotten all about him."


    Hearing her mentioned the words: I have completely forgotten all about him, Duan Yu is exhilarated. Nothing could make him happier. In the past, Wang Yuyan is fully devoted to Murong Fu''s welfare. Right now, so much time has went by without her expressing concern about him. It is evident that her sincerity towards himself (DY) is genuine. Within her heart, he (DY) has replaced Murong Fu''s position.


    Jiumozhi interrupted: "Old Monk (I) has offended you several times in the past. Please forgive me." As he spoke, he put his palms together and made a bow. Although Duan Yu cannot see him in the dark, he hurriedly returned the courtesy. He reminded: "If not for Great Master (you) kidnapping Junior (I) and bringing me to the Central Plains (China), Junior (I) would not have crossed paths with Miss Wang. Junior (I) is full of gratitude towards Great Master (you)."


    Jiumozhi remarked: "That is due to the good karma that Mister has accumulated. Old Monk''s (I) evil act unexpectedly linked the two of you. Mister is benevolent and generous; your good fortune is limitless. Old Monk (I) is bidding farewell today. In the future, we will be separated by thousands of miles and a reunion is difficult. This Sutra, if it is not too much trouble for Mister, please help Old Monk to return it to Shaolin Monastery. May the two of you be wedded in a blissful marriage and grow old together." As he spoke, he handed the muddy copy of Yijing Sutra to Duan Yu.


    Duan Yu asked: "Is Great Master going back to TuBo country?"


    Jiumozhi replied: "I want to go back to where I come from. That may not necessary be TuBo country."


    Duan Yu continued: "Your esteemed Prince is proposing marriage to the Princess of Xixia, Great Master is not going to wait for the outcome?"


    Jiumozhi smiled: "As an unworldly monk, I am no longer be bothered by these affairs. From today onwards, Old Monk (I) will lead a wandering life. Wherever I go, I am at peace. When I am at peace, the mind will be joyful. When the mind is joyful, I will be at equanimity." As he spoke, he pulled at the rope left behind by the farmers. Testing it, he correctly guessed it is secured to one of the large rocks above. As such, he slowly climbed out of the well.


    With this newfound inspiration, Jiumozhi became an Ariya, a Noble Monk. He spent the rest of his life translating Buddhist Sutras from Pali to Tibetian language, spreading the Dhamma and giving Buddhist refuge to countless individuals. In the later years, when the Pali teachings are slowly disappearing in many places, Tibet manages to retain the full set of original Sutras. This credit is due to Jiumozhi.


    Facing each other in such close proximity that they can sense each other''s breath, Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan are filled with happiness despite being soaked in mud. Neither of them thought of leaving the well. At the same moment, the two of them slowly reached out their hands. As the four hands grasped together, it signifies their congruent thinking.


    After a long time, Wang Yuyan remarked: "Duan Mate, I am still worried about his (JMZ) strangulation of your throat. Shall we climb up and check for signs of injury?"


    Duan Yu assured: "I do not feel the least bit of pain and am not in a hurry to climb out."


    In a gentle voice, Wang Yuyan cooed: "If you do not wish to go up, I shall accompany you right where you are." She was fully submissive without a tinge of objection.


    Feeling bad, Duan Yu chuckled: "If you continue soaking in this muddy debris, wouldn''t it be bad for you?" Embracing her slender waist with his left arm, he pulled at the rope with his right arm. He was amazed at his newfound strength; with a small tug, the two of them have floated up by several feet. Duan Yu was elated. He wondered if this new strength came from Jiumozhi''s lifetime''s cultivation of internal energy or because he is in good spirits and well rested from sleeping in the well.


    Exiting the well, the two of them scrutinize each other under the sunlight. Both of them are covered in mud and dirty beyond measure. To a certain extent, their appearances have never been more similar and both of them burst out laughing at this observation. Their next course of action is to locate a nearby river and jump inside for a long shower. Finally, all the mud has been cleaned from their hair, mouths, noses, clothes, shoes, socks, etc. As the two of them emerge dripping wet from the river, they are reminded about the occasion two nights ago when Duan Yu fell into the pond. Although the scenario is similar to now, their emotions have taken a paradigm shift. It felt like they were in an alternate universe.


    Wang Yuyan highlighted: "We look dreadful. If we run into anyone, I would be so embarrassed."


    Duan Yu suggested: "Why don''t we dry ourselves here and only proceed back when the sky is dark?" Wang Yuyan nodded her head in agreement and leaned against a large mountain boulder.


    Duan Yu ran his eyes over her in detail. His lover resembled a piece of rare jade. With water still dripping from her hair, he was thrilled at the alluring sight. His behavior caused Wang Yuyan to be greatly disconcerted and she turned her exquisite face away from him. The two of them bantered with each other on some uninteresting subjects. Times flies when one is having fun. In a blink of an eye, the sun has already set and all their clothes, shoes and socks have been dried.


    Accompanied by Wang Yuyan, Duan Yu is filled with joy. Out of the blue, he thought about Murong Fu and wondered out loud: "Sister Yan (Yan Mate, not that kind of sister), presently, all my dreams have been fulfilled and even being a deity cannot match my satisfaction. Nonetheless, I am curious about your Cousin''s quest to marry the Princess of Xixia. Did he fulfill his dream too or not?"


    In the past, this issue will cause Wang Yuyan to breakdown with sorrow. With her newfound happiness, she secretly felt bad about Murong Fu''s situation. Right now, she instead yearned for him to successfully marry the Princess of Xixia. Wang Yuyan exclaimed: "I am curious too. Let''s check it out."


    The two of them quickly made their way back to the inn. Almost reaching the entrance, a voice spoke out from the side of a nearby wall: "You two are here as well?"


    The voice belonged to Murong Fu. Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan cheerfully answered: "Yes, we are. We did not expect to see you here."


    Murong Fu let out a ''humph'' and articulated: "I just concluded a skirmish with several TuBo warriors and killed more than ten of them. They have wasted much of my time. Fellow surnamed Duan (DY), why didn''t you attend the royal palace banquet on your own but arranged for a lady to masquerade as you? I¡­ I will not tolerate your schemes and I will expose you for sure."


    After dashing out from the well, Murong showered, changed his clothes and had a good rest. Upon waking up, he ran into the TuBo warriors and they began fighting. Although he eventually won, he did expend a considerable amount of energy. Arriving back at the inn, he was just in time to witness Mu Wanqing, Xiao Feng, Ba Tianshi and the others coming out. Hiding behind a wall to assess his surroundings, he was about to look for Deng Baichuan and the others for a discussion when he saw Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan walking over in an intimate fashion.


    Duan Yu was baffled: "A lady is masquerading as me? I know nothing about it."


    Wang Yuyan explained: "Cousin, we just came out from the well¡­" She stopped speaking because that statement is not true, for she had spent half a day flirting with Duan Yu at the side of a hill instead of literally coming out of the well. Her face turned red unconsciously.


    Fortunately, the sky has darkened significantly and Murong Fu did not notice the reddening of her face. In his hurry to make it for the palace banquet, he did not discern that Wang Yuyan has been completely devoid of muddy debris and definitely did not climb out of the well minutes ago. All he heard was Wang Yuyan continuing: "Cousin, he¡­ he¡­ Mister Duan¡­ and I, we beg your pardon and sincerely look forward to your successful marriage to the Princess of Xixia."


    His spirits lifted, Murong Fu gleefully asked: "Is that true? Brother Duan is not going to compete with me for the Prince Consort?" In his mind, he analyzed: Looks like this bookworm is having another bout of stupidity and is not planning to become the Prince Consort of Xixia. Instead, he is fully committed to marrying my Cousin. It is hilarious to know that such a muddle-headed fool actually exists in this world. With Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu assisting him, I would have gotten rid of my most powerful nemesis should he chose to opt out.


    Duan Yu swore: "I promise not to compete with you for the Princess of Xixia, however, you must assure me that you will not come after my Sister Yan (WYY) too. A man''s word is his bond, there will be no exceptions." Encountering Murong Fu, he (DY) cannot help but feel slightly unsettled.


    Murong Fu was jubilant: "We still need to hurry to the royal palace. You must instruct that lady to stop masquerading as you." He then quickly explained his witnessing of Mu Wanqing disguised as a man. Duan Yu deduced that due to his own disappearance, in order to fulfill their obligations to Lord Zhennan, Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen must have goaded Mu Wanqing into disguising herself and seeking marriage on behalf of him (DY). The three of them rushed over to Murong Fu''s residence.


    Deng Baichuan and the others were worried sick. Upon discovering the return of Murong Fu, everyone was overjoyed. With the clock against them, everyone scrambled into their banquet outfits. Regardless of persuasion, Duan Yu refused to be separated from Wang Yuyan. He would rather skip the palace visit. Having no choice, Murong Fu prepared a set of male clothing for Wang Yuyan. Together, they set off for the palace.


    When Deng Baichuan, Gongzhi Qian, Bao Butong, Feng BoE and the three of them arrived at the royal palace, the doors were already shut. Murong Fu will not simply give up because of this minor obstacle. He snuck to an area of the palace wall where it is relatively quiet and slithered inside. Feng BoE leapt onto the wall and reached out his hand for Duan Yu. Using his left arm to hug Wang Yuyan, Duan Yu exerted his energy for a jump, his right hand reaching out for Feng BoE''s. Unexpectedly, with this jump, the two of them gently floated over Feng BoE''s head and even exceeded his height by a full metre. Following that, they softly descended in one fluid, noiseless movement. Murong Fu from within the palace; Feng BoE on the wall; Deng Baichuan and Gongzhi Qian outside the palace quietly marveled in unison: "Excellent Qing-gong! (Speed travel / Jump Skill)" Only Bao Butong digressed: "A standard feat."


    The seven of them found themselves in the royal garden and are trying to locate the banquet hall, planning to slip inside and participate in the event. Unknown to them, right at this moment, the banquet has ended and Yinchuan Princess has invited the wedding candidates to Green Phoenix Court for tea. The three persons Duan Yu, Murong Fu and Wang Yuyan ran into Mu Wanqing at the royal garden.


    Xiao Feng, Ba Tianshi and the others saw Duan Yu appearing out of nowhere like a ghost and were filled with surprise and exhilaration. Everyone engaged in a secret discussion. They conclude: There are countless proposers and the officials of Xixia are likely not meticulous enough to notice the additional presence of newcomers. As long as everyone mixes around in the crowd, they should be able to reach Green Phoenix Court without any problems. Furthermore, since Duan Yu is personally present, there is no fear of exposure.


    As the row of humans travelled through the royal garden, from afar, a corner of a loft can be sighted while the rest of the building is well concealed by trees and bushes. At the entrance of the premises, two beaming palace lanterns stood out. Gathering the crowd in front of the Court, Helian Tieshu loudly announced: "The esteemed gentlemen from four corners of the world are here to seek an audience with the Princess."


    The doors of the Court swung open and out came four palace maids, each carrying a thin mesh lantern. Behind them, a female official dressed in purple clothing appeared and proclaimed: "Gentlemen must have endured many hardships in your travels. The Princess hereby invites you (all) into Green Phoenix Court for a tea session."


    Prince Zongzan laughed: "Excellent, excellent, I was just feeling thirsty. To meet the Princess, these travelling are trivial matters. There is no hardship at all. Hahahaha!" As he spoke, he proudly moved forward and bypassed the female Official, taking huge steps into the Court. The remaining people started shoving one another, trying their best to rush into the Court. Everyone wanted to grab a good seat and be as close to the Princess as possible.


    Instead, inside the Court, they were greeted by a large gallery. A thick layer of wool carpet was laid on the floor, and the carpet itself is designed with a bright array of colours and flowers, an enchanting sight to behold. A series of tea tables have been neatly arranged and on each table, there is a green tea cup with a green lid. Besides, each cup, there is a green plate and on each plate, there are cheese, biscuits and four types of dim sum (pastry). At the end of the gallery, about a metre off the floor, there is a raised platform which is covered with a light yellow carpet. On the platform was a round seat covered in satin. The participants naturally assumed that is where the Princess will be seated. Pushing and shoving one another, they proceed to sit as close to the platform as possible. Only Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan were holding hands and seated at tea table at a corner of the gallery. Whispering among themselves and giggling frequently, they could not be bothered with their surroundings.


    When everyone has finally chosen their seats, the female Official raised a copper hammer and knocked three times on a piece white jade gong. Ting! Ting! Ting! The gallery became completely silent and even Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan stopped their conversation too, anticipating the arrival of the Princess.


    After a brief wait, the sound of jingling accessories can be heard. From the inner room, eight palace maids in green dresses walked out and formed two rows. Moments later, dressed in a light green gown, a young lady gracefully emerged.


    Everyone''s eyes lit up, noting her slender figure and classy exuberance. Her features are truly breathtaking. Everyone was secretly cheered: Rumour has it that Princess Yinchuan''s beauty is incomparable; the rumours are true after all.


    Murong Fu thought: Initially, I was concerned that Princess Yinchuan''s appearance would be lacking. Although she is slightly less attractive than Cousin, based on her looks, she is already one in a million. My previous worries have been unwarranted. In the future when I become the Emperor of Great Yan, she and her queenly character shall be exemplary to all the citizens of Yan. Our descendants shall rule the Yan Empire forever.


    The young lady gradually walked up the platform and bowed slightly, paying her respects to the crowd. When she first appeared, the crowd is already on their feet. Noting her bowing gesture, everyone returned the courtesy. Admiring her humble demeanor and absence of arrogance, those present are full of praise. The young lady merely gazed at her own chest and body; there was no eye contact with the audience, exhibiting a nervous appearance. Nobody dare to make a sound lest it would cause alarm to her. In their minds, they thought: The Princess is of royal status and for most of the time, she probably kept to herself. Out of a sudden, she is surrounded by scores of men. Her mannerism is logical and befitting of her prestigious standing.


    After some time, the face of the young girl reddened. In a soft and gentle voice, she announced: "The Princess has decreed: Esteemed guests have come from afar. Green Phoenix Court is guilty of offering inferior tea and snacks to gentlemen, (humble talk) and our lack of hospitality. Everyone, please enjoy the refreshments."


    The crowd was utterly shocked and glanced at one another. They secretly kicked themselves: Idi0t. She is not the Princess but is probably a palace maid that is assigned to the Princess. A mere palace maid is already bestowed with such beauty; the Princess herself must be even more outstanding. In their self-tirade, there are elements of cheerful anticipation as well.


    Prince Zongzan demanded: "So you are not the Princess. In this case, please invite the Princess to come out. I forgoed delicious meat and wine to be here. These tea and snacks hardly tempt my appetite."


    The palace maid replied: "When everyone has finished their tea and snacks, the Princess will release additional instructions."


    Zongzan chuckled: "Very well, very well. Since Princess has given her orders, we should respect her wishes." Lifting the lid and cup, he removed the lid and placed it aside. Next, he poured the entire cup of tea and all the tealeaves into his mouth. With a gulp, he swallowed all the tea and is now chewing on the tealeaves. When the people of TuBo have tea, they usually add salt and cheese to it. In one concoction, they would swallow the mixture of tealeaves, salt and cheese. Before he finished swallowing the tealeaves, Prince Zongzan has picked up the pastries and began stuffing himself. Still chewing, he stammered: "All right. As ordered, I have finished my food. You can invite the Princess now!"


    In a small voice, the palace maid answered: "Yes". However, she did not move from her spot. Zongzan knew she is waiting for everybody to finish the refreshments before notifying the Princess. His heart filled with impatience, he starting urging non-stop: "Hey everyone, eat quickly. Faster! It is only tealeaves; it is no big deal." With some difficulty, most of the people present have consumed their tea and snacks. Prince Zongzan questioned: "We are done, right?"


    The face of the palace maid turned slightly reddish. With a shy expression, she states: "Your Highness Princess hereby welcomes everyone to move into the Inner Study and admire her collection of books and paintings."


    Zongzan grumbled: "Hey, what is interesting about books and paintings? Even if it is a painting of a beauty, I would rather look at the actual person. In a painting, you cannot touch her; you cannot smell her. It is all fake." Nevertheless, he stood up.


    Standing up too, Murong Fu was secretly pleased. He assessed: This is wonderful. Since the Princess wants us to proceed to her study and admire her books and paintings, she should be testing us on our literacy skills. Prince Zongzan is a boorish and uneducated lout. He has no knowledge or appreciation for poetry, songs, calligraphy and paintings. The minute he displays his ignorance, he would probably be driven out by the Princess. In terms of martial arts, nobody here is my match. Now that Princess is testing our academic ability, the situation is even more advantageous for me.


    The Palace maid announced: "The Princess has decreed: Those females who are disguised as males and those men who are above forty years old, please remain in Ningxiang Gallery for a rest and more tea. The other esteemed guests, please proceed to the Inner Study."


    Mu Wangqing and Wan Yuyan were secretly alarmed. They thought: They (Xixia) must have seen through our disguise a long time ago.


    Someone abruptly shouted: "Not right, not right!" (no way, not so, not true)


    The face of the palace maid became even redder. She entered the palace as a child and since she became of age, at most she would only come in contact with the half-male half female eunuchs. She has never seen a full-grown man before, including the Emperor and the Crown Prince. Out of a sudden, she is facing dozens of men and is naturally disconcerted and shy. After a pause, she probed: "I wonder what brilliant idea does this gentleman wish to advise?"


    Bao Butong retorted: "Brilliant idea; I don''t have. Lowly advice; I happened to have one." For the palace maid, it is the first time she is meeting someone like Bao Butong who likes to twist words into meaningless applications for his own benefit. She is at a complete loss. Bao Butong continued: "I guessed you would be asking me for my lowly advice. Looking at your nervous mannerisms, let me save you the trouble of asking and give the advice right now."


    The palace maid smiled: "Many thanks Mister."


    Bao Butong articulated: "We travelled thousands of miles in order to meet the Princess. Along the way, we encountered numerous hardships. There are those who died of thirst while crossing the desert; there were those who were consumed by wild beasts; there were those who were killed by the warriors of TuBo Prince. To arrive safely at Lingzhou, I would estimate eight or nine persons have died out of every ten who made the journey to come here. Everybody''s desire is to admire the Princess''s beauty. However, because my father and mother gave birth to me early by a few years, I am now above forty years old. All my hardships have been for naught. If I knew earlier, I would have asked to be born later instead."


    Covering her mouth to stifle a laugh, the palace lady giggled: "Mister Bao must be joking. How can one decide one''s time of birth?"


    Listening to Bao Butong''s nonsensical droning, Zongzan stared at him with displeasure. He scolded: "Since the Princess has given her orders, let''s just obey them. What are you babbling about?"


    Bao Butong frostily countered: "Your Highness (ZZ), these words are to your advantage as well. This year, you are forty-one years old. Although you are not considered old, your age has exceeded forty and you will be banned from meeting the Princess too. Two days ago, I calculated your Eight Characters: Bingyin Year, Gengzi Month, Yichou Day and Dingmao Hour. Yes, you are forty-one this year."


    In actual fact, Prince Zongzan is only twenty-eight years old. However, with a face full of beard, it is rather tough to estimate his age. For the palace maid, it is the first time she is seeing an adult male. Naturally, she did not know how to judge a man''s age by his appearance. Additionally, she cannot tell if Bao Butong is telling the truth or lying. All she could perceive is Prince Zongzan''s infuriated expression as he is about to walk over and give Bao Butong a bashing. Frightened out of her wits, she stammered: "I think¡­ I think everyone should be fully aware of his own age. Those above forty, please stay here. Those below forty, please proceed to the Inner Study."


    Zongzan exclaimed: "Excellent, I am not even thirty of age; of course I am going to the study." As he spoke, he strode into the inner hall. Mimicking him, Bao Butong exclaimed: "Excellent, I am not even eighty of age; of course I am going to the study. After all, age is just a number and I am young at heart. In fact, I am young and special at heart." With a turn of his body, he stepped inside. Even if the palace maid wanted to restrain him, she was too embarrassed to do so.


    The rest of the crowd started rushing into the inner chamber. Even those who are in their forties, fifties and sixties entered as well. At the end of the day, only several older folks with serious bearings and self-respect stayed behind in the gallery.


    Mu Wanqing and Wang Yuyan decided to stay too. Duan Yu initially wanted to stay behind and accompany Wang Yuyan; however, Wang Yuyan insisted that he must continue and do his best to assist Murong Fu. Only then did Duan Yu unwillingly enter the inner chamber. With every step he took, he glanced back at her reluctantly. He behaved as if he is going away on a long sea voyage and they will be separated for several years.


    As the row of candidates make their way through a long and deep tunnel, the same puzzled thoughts are going through their mind: "From outside, Green Phoenix Court is hardly awe-inspiring but inside, it is like entering another dimension. To think that such an enormous place actually exists. After losing count of the number of steps they took, the gentlemen came before two gigantic stone doors."


    Producing a small piece of metal, the palace maid knocked on the stone doors with a Zeng! Zeng! Zeng! sound. Zha¡­.. The stone doors swung open. Observing the compact stone doors which are about one foot thick, everyone muttered to himself: The minute we enter and the stone doors are closed behind us, wouldn''t we be trapped? Could it be a scheme by Xixia Country? Using the Princess''s wedding as a bait to lure heroes all over the world into meeting their doom?


    Under the present circumstances, everyone also acknowledges the fact: No venture, no gain. Therefore, no one is willing to showcase his fear and beat a retreat.


    As the crowd passes through the door, the stone doors were promptly closed again. Another long tunnel presents itself and oil lamps lighted both sides of the tunnel. After this tunnel, they came to a second set of stone doors and after these doors; there was a third tunnel and a third set of stone doors. By now, even the most nonchalant candidates are starting to show signs of anxiety. Turning round a few bends in the tunnel, the sound of gushing water Zong¡­ Zong¡­ entered the ears of everyone. Finally, they ended up at the bank of a deep river.


    It is truly incomprehensible to find a deep stream within the forbidden palace grounds. As the gentlemen starting glancing at one another, some of the short-tempered ones look as if they are about to throw a tantrum.


    The palace maid explained: "To reach the Inner Study, we must cross this Youlan River. Gentlemen, please." As she spoke, her petite figure moved ahead and she stepped right into the deep river. The riverbank is well illuminated by four flickering fire torches and everyone can see her actions clearly. By stepping beyond the bank, she will surely fall into the river. Some of the youths present cried out in alarm.


    Amazingly, the hourglass figure of the palace maid simply sashayed across the river as if she is walking on air. Astounded, everyone immediately deduced the presence of some iron tightrope for her to step on, as there are no martial arts for levitation. Inspecting the path taken by the palace maid, true enough; there is a steel wire that runs horizontally above the river that leads from one bank to the other. This wire is extremely thin and is painted in black. Unless it is directly reflected by the torch flames, the wires are almost invisible. The river itself is deep but even if someone loses his footing and falls into it, there is no danger to his life. At most, he will be haggard and embarrassed.


    The people making up the crowd are either asking for marriage in person or are bodyguards escorting their masters. Every person has a good foundation in martial arts and by using on the steel wire, it is easy to reach the opposite bank. Duan Yu is not well versed in martial arts but his is well practiced. With Ba Tianshi holding his hand, they crossed the river in the blink of an eye.


    *(Tall waves micro steps, the Qing-gong Skill of Carefree Sect. Each Sect has its own style. Example: Wudang Sect Qing-gong is Ladder-Cloud Technique. Used mainly for fast travel or jumping. www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf-Gl-Y8tx8 shows DY mastering Surfing Nimble Steps, using BeiMing Divine Skill to absorb Internal energy and again Nimble Steps to run away.)


    Once everybody has crossed the river, the palace maid activated a hidden switch on the stone wall. With a Shok! sound, the steel wire reeled into some hidden compartment. The gentlemen are even more unsettled than before, thinking to themselves: This river is deep and wide, impossible to fly across. Could it be that Xixia Country is having some hidden motives? Otherwise, why would there be this secret mechanism operating over a secret river in a secret area of the Princess''s residence?


    In his mind, everyone is quietly reminding himself to not let his guard down and to keep a low profile. Some even lamented: I am a fool; I should have brought some weapons for personal protection.


    The palace maid remarked: "Gentlemen, please come over here." Following her, they travelled through a vast bamboo forest before arriving at the doors of a mountain cave. After she knocked on the doors, the cave doors swung open. The palace girl welcomed: "Please!" as she took the lead in entering.


    Zhu Danchen covertly checked with Ba Tianshi: "What do you think?" Ba Tianshi cannot make up his mind about getting Duan Yu to stay behind or continue the trip and exposing Duan Yu to more risks. However, they both knew that without entering the mountain cave, Duan Yu would naturally drop out from the selection of Prince Consort. While the two men are still hesitating, shoulder-to-shoulder, Duan Yu and Xiao Feng have stepped inside. Exchanging a firm handshake, the two of them followed from behind.


    Upon entering the mountain cave and going through another passage, their eyes were greeted by a flood of lights. The end of the passage leads to a massive hall. This hall is at least three times bigger than Ningxiang Gallery where they had tea earlier. It appears to be a natural cave formed within the mountain and with craftsmen working on it; the walls of the cave are now smooth and polished. Almost every wall is being covered by paintings and calligraphies. In a typical mountain cave, the air would be humid and the walls would be moist. However, in this particular cave, it is quite dry and even the paintings and calligraphies on the walls are not turning moldy due to moisture. On one side of the hall, there is a colossal study table made out of purple sandalwood. On the table are the standard stationery items and inscriptive tablets. There are also a few bookshelves and several pieces of stone tables and stools. The palace maid invited: "This is the Princess''s Inner Study. Gentlemen, please take your time in admiring the paintings and calligraphies."


    Everyone shared the same observations: The layout and d¨¦cor of the Inner Study is one of a kind. The furniture is sparse and there is hardly anything to indicate that its owner is a female. Everyone is baffled that this place actually belongs to the Princess of Xixia. Nine out of the ten persons present come from a martial arts background; they could barely read and definitely cannot appreciate the paintings and calligraphies. The most they could do is walk around and look at the paintings and calligraphies with an amateur understanding.


    Although their martial arts are superb, Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu knew nothing about the arts. Sitting down on the floor next to each other, they paid precise attention to everything that is happening in the hall. Xiao Feng is a hundred times more experienced and streetwise than Xu Zhu. With no interest in the calligraphies and paintings hanging on the wall, his expressionless face is actually fixated on the movements of the palace maid in green gown. He knew that this palace maid is the key to the mystery and if there is any ambush or secret scheme by Xixia Country, this petite and shy palace maid will be the one to activate it. Right now, Xiao Feng is like a leopard predator waiting in the dark and surveying his prey. Although he is completely motionless, his eyes, ears and mind are fully alert and focused. Every muscle is tense and ready. At the first sign of trouble, he would instantly pounce on the palace maid and hold her hostage. He will not give her any opportunity to create mischief.


    Duan Yu, Zhu Danchen, Murong Fu, Gongzhi Qian and the others are wandering about and admiring the paintings and calligraphies. Deng Baichuan is going around checking each easel stand and making sure there are no secret pipes where poisonous gas can be released. The martial artistes of Central Plains recognize the toxicity of Xixia''s and precautions must be taken. Pretending to admire the paintings and calligraphies, Ba Tianshi is actually examining the walls and corners, keeping an eye out for potential traps or escape routes.


    Only Bao Butong is talking rubbish, freely criticizing the paintings and calligraphies. He would either complain about the scenery in the painting or the weak brush strokes in the calligraphy. Although Xixia is a rural country at the extreme regions and the empire is considered young, the royal palace collection of rare paintings and calligraphies cannot compete with long established kingdoms of Great Song and Great Liao. Nonetheless, being the royal palace collection, there are still several noteworthy artifacts. Within the Princess''s Inner Study, there is some calligraphy written in Bei Wei style by the people of Jing as well as five generations of paintings from the Tang Dynasty. Under Bao Butong''s unique assessment, all these relics are deemed worthless. At that era, the most talented artists are Su Dong Po and Huang Shan Gu* but Bao Butong insisted that their works are mediocre. Even great calligraphers like Zhong Wangzhang are being ridiculed by him.


    *( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_Shi


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huang_Tingjian )


    Listening to his outspoken and outrageous disparagement of the artistic works, the palace maid was completely mystified. Walking over to him, she implored: "Mister Bao, are these calligraphy really as bad as you mentioned? The Princess has always sang praises about these works!"


    Bao Butong explained: "Your Highness Princess mainly resides in rural Xixia and has never encountered the famous scholars and talents of Central Plains. In the future, she should visit the Central Plains and improve her knowledge. Little Sister, you should accompany your Princess and come to the Central Plains for a tour. That way, you will not become a frog in the well."


    Nodding her head in agreement, the palace maid smiled: "It is not easy to make a trip to the Central Plains."


    Bao Butong rebutted: "Not right, not right! If Princess marries a hero from the Central Plains, wouldn''t she be moving to the Central Plains?"


    Going through several paintings on the walls, Duan Yu suddenly came across a drawing of an ancient female displaying a sword stance and was immediately taken aback. "Yi!" he cried out. The beauty in the picture looks exactly like Wang Yuyan; only her attire is different. To a certain extent, she resembles the Fairy Sister in WuLiang Stone Cave. In the painting, the beauty is holding a sword in her right arm and a sword manual in her left arm. Practicing her swordplay beside a lake and a mountain, her posture is graceful and her features are distinguished. It was a peerless artwork. Duan Yu was instantly mesmerized and felt as if he is back beside Wang Yuyan in this moment and in the next moment, he is back at the stone cave of WuLiang Mountain. After a prolonged state of fantasy, he yelled: "Second Brother, come and have a look."


    Acknowledging his call, Xu Zhu strode over for a look and also had a great shock. He thought: Another drawing of Miss Wang has appeared here. Compared to the drawing given to me by Master (Wu Yazi), the person in the painting looks exactly the same. Only her posture is different.


    The more Duan Yu looked at the painting, the more confused he became. Unconsciously, he reached out with his hand to touch it and he could feel some unevenness on the wall behind the painting. Gently lifting the painting and looking underneath, he came across some carvings on the wall that resembles the Ying-Yang Meridians. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the wall is engraved with countless human silhouettes. Some were in meditation position while some were in a prancing position. The poses are peculiar and unique. The silhouettes are mostly carved within a circle and besides the circle, there are some ancient characters as well as numbers.


    With one look, Xu Zhu identified them. These engravings are almost similar to those carved in Lingjiu Palace Stone Chamber. After scanning the silhouettes, he thought: Is this the martial arts of Li Qiushui?


    Out of the blue, he had an epiphany: Master (Female) Li is the Empress Dowager of Xixia, it is not strange to find these in the palace.


    Reminiscing about these stone carvings left behind by the deceased Li Qiushui, Xu Zhu was saddened. He understands that these carvings are actually the top-tier skills of the Carefree Sect and it is meant for martial artistes with deep internal energy. For those with inadequate energy, if they happen to study it, they would be dragged into a trance. The lucky ones will just faint from the experience; the unlucky ones could fire-deviate with serious consequences. Back then, the four sisters Plum Orchid Chrysanthemum and Bamboo were injured when they try to study the drawings of the Stone Chamber. Afraid that Duan Yu would get hurt, he quickly warned: "Third Brother, you should ignore these engravings." Duan Yu asked: "Why?" Xu Zhu whispered: "These are highly advanced martial arts. If you practice them wrongly, there will be huge losses and zero gains."


    Duan Yu originally had no interest in martial arts. Even if he does, right now, he would rather admire the painting of the lady that resembles Wang Yuyan than the martial arts carvings. At once, he replaces the picture and scrutinized this painting. He is exceptionally familiar with the figure and facial features of Wang Yuyan; even the fine details cannot escape his eyes and are fully memorized in his mind. Gazing at the painting again, he manage to spot the difference between the lady in the painting and Wang Yuyan. The lady in the painting is slightly plumper and her eyebrows are shaped with a heroic air, unlike Wang Yuyan''s completely feminine eyebrows. In terms of age, the lady in the painting appears to be older than Wang Yuyan by a few years. But if compared to Fairy Sister in Mount WuLiang''s stone cave, the resemblance is almost exact.


    Still blabbering nonsense, Bao Butong happened to chance upon Duan Yu and Xu Zhu''s activities. Overhearing Xu Zhu''s comments that the wall is engraved with highly advanced martial arts, he scolded in a snobbish voice: "What kind of highly advanced martial arts are you talking about? Little Monk is trying to deceive us again." Lifting the painting sideways, he examined the carvings. Tipping his toes, Duan Yu leaned to one side and tilted his head sideways in order to continue admiring the beauty in the painting.


    The palace maid interrupted: "Mister Bao, these engravings are not meant for viewing. Your Highness Princess has indicated that huge losses and zero gains will come to those who study them but their internal energy level is inadequate."


    Bao Butong argued: "What if there is adequate internal energy? It will be huge gains and zero losses, right? My internal energy level is sufficiently adequate." He (BBT) is merely an unscrupulous debater who likes to distort facts and win arguments. He does not have any intention to steal the martial arts of others. However, the second he laid his eyes on the encircled silhouettes in different poses, he instantly felt his own body undergoing an uncontrollable transformation. Unconsciously, his hand reached out to grab his ankle and he began mirroring the stances engraved on the wall.


    Within a minute, everybody standing close to him has already noticed his odd behavior. Checking him out, they, too, discovered the engravings on the walls. On the other side of the hall, someone suddenly shouted: "Yi! There are some carvings here as well." Another man exclaimed: "There are some here as well." Everyone started lifting up the paintings and calligraphies in order to study the human silhouettes engraved on the walls. The moment they started looking at the carvings, they began to dance around.


    Xu Zhu was secretly horrified and quickly rushed to Xiao Feng, explaining: "Big Brother, these wall engravings are not meant to be viewed by ordinary people. If they continue studying the martial arts, I am afraid everyone will become seriously injured and some of them may even turn mad. By then, it will be chaos."


    In his heart, Xiao Feng was shaken. He roared: "Everyone! Stop looking at the wall carvings. We are in a dangerous situation. Quickly gather around me for a discussion."


    After his loud command, some people turned back and gathered at his side. However, the engravings on the wall are too irresistible. As long as anyone has seen any of the silhouettes, he would be instantly drawn to it, feeling as if the awkward pose of the silhouette is able to provide an answer to all the challenges he face when practicing martial arts. Though the solution is not precise and the stance is unorthodox, he cannot help but focus all his attentions onto it. By now, Xiao Feng has realised many of the people present are now moving in odd sequences beyond their will, as if they are being possessed. He himself was flabbergasted at this development.


    Out of a sudden, with an ''Ah!'' cry, someone has fallen flat on his face after spinning around. Another man is making a hoarse sound with his throat while clawing and scratching at the stone wall, as if he is trying to dig the silhouettes out from the wall. With a quick racking of his brains, Xiao Feng came up with a plan. Using his hand, he grabbed the backrest of a chair and with a ''Kok!'' noise, he broke a part off the chair. Using both palms, he rubbed the broken fragment of the chair into dozens of small shards and flung these pieces out with his hands. The air is filled with sounds of ''Chu! Chu! Chu!'' Within the hall, for every sound that rang out, a lamp or a candle would be extinguished. When the sounds finally stop, all the illumination has been smothered and the Inner Study is now completely pitch black.


    In the dark, heavy panting can be heard all over the place. Some would whisper: "What a close shave, what a close shave!" Some actually loudly demanded: "Light some candles, I haven''t taken a look yet!"


    Xiao Feng''s voice rang out: "Gentlemen, wherever you are, please sit down and halt all your movements. We do not want to activate any hidden traps by accident. The engravings on the wall are bewitching. Please do not even touch them and end up injuring yourselves." Before he said these words, there are some people who are about to reach out with their hands and feel the wall carvings. Hearing his command, they recomposed themselves by force.


    Xiao Feng whispered: "Forgive my intrusion! Please quickly open the stone doors and let everybody out." It turns out that before he started extinguishing the lights, like an arrow being released from a bow, he swiftly shot forward and has restrained the palace maid by her right wrist. Traumatized by this unexpected intrusion, the palace maid used her left free hand to launch a backwards palm attack. Xiao Feng took this opportunity to secure her left hand as well. Petrified and embarrassed, the palace maid remained motionless.


    Now that Xiao Feng has spoken, she begged: "¡­ Please release my hands." Xiao Feng released her wrists. Although it is dark, but by listening to her movements and reacting accordingly, Xiao Feng is not afraid of her pulling any tricks.


    The palace girl reminded: "I told Mister Bao before; these engravings should be ignored. For those who are not strong enough in their internal energy cultivation, looking at the engravings will cause huge losses and zero gains. Yet, he insisted on exploring them!"


    Seated on the floor, Bao Butong can feel his head throbbing in great pain and his body extremely tense for no reason. Moreover, his chest area is very uncomfortable and he felt like vomiting. Forcefully steadying his nerves, he scoffed: "If you invite me to take a look, I will ignore them. If you ask me to ignore them, I will look at them no matter what you say."


    Xiao Feng pondered: This palace maid did advise everyone to ignore the wall carvings. In this aspect, she meant no harm. Still, what is the agenda of the Princess of Xixia when she wanted us to gather in her study?


    Abruptly, a nice and light fragrance was detected by his senses. Stunned, Xiao Feng hastily used his hand to cover up his nose as he was reminded of the time when Xixia''s Elite Guild used and poisoned a large number of beggars from Beggar''s Sect. He tried activating his internal energy and was delighted to know that there is no issue with it.


    What he proceeded to hear was a new palace maid announcing in a sweet and crisp voice: "Welcome your Highness Princess." Hearing that the Princess has arrived, everyone was excited and ecstatic. Unfortunately, due to the darkness, they cannot admire her features.


    The young girl (new palace maid) proclaimed in a coquettish voice: "The Princess has decreed: The walls of the study have been engraved with martial arts drawings. Outsiders are forbidden from viewing them. Paintings and other works have been hung on the walls in order to conceal them. Nevertheless, someone eventually discovered them. The Princess strictly prohibits anyone from lighting a torch or making a fire. Otherwise, he will bear the severe consequences. She hopes this information is made clear to everyone. No doubt there will be some inconveniences due to the darkness and we seek everyone''s understanding."


    Zha! Zha! The stone doors have been opened. The young girl added: "If there is anyone who is unwilling to remain here, he may take his leave first and return back to Ningxiang Gallery for a rest and more tea. Along the way, there will be someone guiding your path and no one will get lost."


    Knowing that the Princess is here, no one in his right mind will want to take his leave. In addition, hearing the calm voice of the palace maid and unable to detect any malicious intentions in her words, coupled with the fact that the doors are open and anyone can freely leave, the anxiety level of everyone decreased significantly. Naturally, there were no departures.


    A brief moment later, the young girl announced: "Your Highness Princess expresses her gratitude to esteemed guests who have travelled from far places in order to be here today. If there is any hospitality lacking, your understanding is appreciated. In a gesture of goodwill, Princess will hereby give away her beloved collection of calligraphy and paintings. The works in her collection are genuine pieces and she looks forward to gentlemen''s gracious acceptance. Before leaving the Court, kindly retrieve any piece that your heart desires."


    Hearing that the Princess is giving away these pieces of artwork as gifts, the various martial artistes and uneducated folks cannot help but feel perplexed. For some savvy individuals, they recognize the value of these paintings and knew that they would fetch a considerable price back in Central Plains. These people are secretly delighted with their windfall. The happiest of them all is Duan Yu. He has decided to choose the painting and admire the painting together with Wang Yuyan.


    No matter what he heard, it is always the palace maid speaking on behalf of the Princess. Exasperated, Prince Zongzan bellowed: "Your Highness Princess, since this location is not ideal to light a fire, shall we adjourn elsewhere to continue our meeting? It is completely dark here. You cannot see me and I cannot see you."


    The palace maid replied: "It is not difficult at all if gentlemen wishes to see the Princess."


    In the darkness, more than a hundred voices began crying out in unison: "We want to see the Princess! We want to see the Princess!" Several people interrupted with their own shoutings: "Please put on some lights, we promise not to look at the wall carvings." "Just light some lamps around the Princess. That is good enough. We wish to see the Princess and not the engravings." "Yes! Yes! Princess, please show yourself!" The rowdiness carried on for some time before eventually dying out.


    The palace maid slowly state: "By inviting gentlemen to Xixia, Your Highness Princess naturally wishes to meet with esteemed guests. Presently, Princess has three questions and respectfully asks each of you to take turns in answering. If the answer pleases Princess, he will be invited for a meeting."


    The crowd immediately went wild. Some exclaimed: "Oh, it is a verbal test." Some cried: "I am only good with spears and sabres; if you ask me some academic question, I will surely fail! Can I answer questions related to martial arts?"


    The palace maid invited: "The Princess has informed maid (me) what questions to ask. Which Mister is willing to start by giving me your answer?"


    Everyone rushed forward and began shoving one another. They demanded: "Let me go first! I am first! I am ready to answer!" With a chortle, the palace maid giggled: "Gentlemen, there is no need to fight among yourselves. The first to answer may be at a disadvantage." Everyone thought: That makes sense. The later I answer, the more I can learn from other people''s answers. I can find out what are the dos and don''ts of interacting with Princess. Along the way, I can improve my answers.


    With this thought, nobody is fighting to be the first candidate anymore.


    Out of a sudden, a man declared: "When everyone is rushing to be the first, I aim to be the last; now that everyone is afraid of being the first to be sacrificed, I am willing to be the first guinea pig. Gentleman (I) is named Bao Butong, married with a kid. All I desired is a glance at Princess''s fair face. No other intentions."


    The palace maid acknowledged: "Mister Bao is straightforward and easy going. Your Highness Princess has three questions and seeks your advice. The first question: In Mister Bao''s life, where did you have your best and happiest experience?"


    After a short consideration, Bao Butong responded: "It is in a pottery shop. In my youth, I was an apprentice there. The owner is a bully and I was subjected to daily admonishments and ill treatment. One day, I went berserk and smashed everything in the shop. Regardless of bowls or plates, teapots, vases or figurines, Ping! Ping! Piang! Piang! they all ended up as smithereens. That was the happiest moment of my life. Palace Lady, is my answer appropriate?"


    The palace maid replied: "Your Highness Princess will decide whether your answer is appropriate or not. Maid (I) has no idea. The second question: The person whom Mister Bao loves the most, what is his or her name?" Without any hesitation, Bao Butong answered: "Bao Bujing."


    The palace maid continued: "The third question: This person that Mister Bao mentioned, what is her appearance?"


    Bao Butong articulated: "This person is six years old, with one eye bigger than the other. Her nostrils are protruding upwards and her ears face the front. Regardless of my instructions, she will certainly disobey. Asking her to cry, she will laugh; asking her to laugh, she will cry. And when she cries, it is a four-hour crying session. That is my precious daughter Bao Bujing."


    The palace maid burst out in giggles while the entire crowd burst out laughing. The palace maid concluded: "Mister Bao, please take a break. May I have the next gentleman please?"


    Eager to get out and reunite with Wang Yuyan, Duan Yu cannot be bothered if he gets to meet the Princess of not. Stepping forward in the dark, he nevertheless bowed deeply and proclaimed: "Gentleman is Duan Yu of DaLi. I hope Your Highness Princess is doing well. I reside in the rural southern regions. Today, I am able to visit your venerated country and enjoy the wonderful sights. Many thanks for your excellent hospitality. I am deeply appreciative of your kind gestures."


    The palace maid noted: "So it is the son of DaLi Country Lord Zhennan. Prince (DY) has given us too much credit. After a long journey (from DaLi), all we can offer is basic furnishings and limited spaces, which is insufficient to host our valued visitors. We seek your forgiveness and understanding." (humble talk)


    Duan Yu politely rejoined: "Sister, you are too modest. If Princess is not available today, I can always seek an audience at another time. It is a small matter."


    The palace maid questioned: "Since Prince is already here, please answer the three questions too. The first question: In Prince''s life, where did you have your best and happiest experience?"


    Without thinking, Duan Yu responded: "In an abandoned well among the muddy debris." The crowd could not help but laughed uncontrollably. Except for Murong Fu, nobody understood why Duan Yu spent the best moments of his life in an abandoned well among the muddy debris. Someone even ridicule in a low voice: "Someone who loves being in muddy debris; is he a tortoise?"


    The palace maid covered her mouth to stifle a chuckle. She continued her questioning: "The person whom Prince loves the most, what is his or her name?"


    Duan Yu was about to reply but he suddenly felt two persons tugging at his left and right sleeves respectively. From his left ear, Ba Tianshi whispered: "Say it is Lord Zhennan." From his right ear, Zhu Danchen whispered: "Say it is Zhennan Princess Consort." Upon hearing Duan Yu''s first answer, they felt it is highly inappropriate and are concerned that his second answer will become another bad joke. Right now, he is proposing marriage to a Princess. If he says his greatest love is Wang Yuyan or Mu Wanqing or anybody else for that matter, wouldn''t it mean the Princess is his secondary love and is going to marry down and become a concubine? Ba Tianshi reminded: "Of course your Father is your greatest love. This is the directive by the Imperial Court." Zhu Danchen reminded: "In terms of love, there is no stronger love between a mother and her child. That is the mindset of a learned man."


    When the palace maid is asking Duan Yu about the name of the person he loves the most, he wanted to answer Wang Yuyan''s name. The answer is at the tip of his tongue but after being reminded by Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen, Duan Yu thought: He is after all, the son of DaLi Country Lord Zhennan. Now that he is in Xixia, his words and actions will reflect back on his country. It is fine if he wants to embarrass himself but he cannot forsake the prestige of his own country.


    Thus, he replied: "The people I love the most are naturally my father and my mother." When he mentions ''Father'' and ''Mother'', his chest naturally swells up with a feeling of love and respect for his parents. He knows the love for his parents and the love for Wang Yuyan are innately different. Still, he cannot decide which love is greater than the other. He is definitely telling the truth when he says his parents are the people he loves the most.


    The palace maid questioned again: "Your esteemed father and mother, how would you describe their appearances? Do they resemble Prince?"


    Duan Yu responded: "My father has a squarish face, thick eyebrows and large eyes. He has an awe-inspiring demeanor but actually, his character is extremely friendly¡­¡­" At this juncture, Duan Yu was secretly alarmed. He analyzed: My appearance only resembles my mother and not my father. This is something I have never thought about before.


    Hearing Duan Yu stopping mid sentence and not continuing, the palace maid assumed that Duan Yu does not wish to share details of his mother''s appearance with a group of strangers. After all, his mother is a Princess Consort*. Therefore, she concluded: "Many thanks Prince. Prince, please take a break."


    (Princess Consort here means she, as a commoner, is married to the royal brother of the King/Emperor of DaLi. She is not the child of the Emperor nor is she the assigned wife to the son of the Emperor)


    Noting the extremely friendly exchange between the palace maid and Duan Yu, as if they are intimate buddies, Zongzan''s heart is filled with jealousy. He secretly thought: You are a Prince; I am a Prince too. TuBo country is much stronger than your DaLi. Are you planning to win the competition due to your good looks?


    Unwilling to wait any longer, he stepped forward and hollered: "TuBo Country Prince Zongzan hereby requests an audience with Princess."


    The palace maid acknowledged: "Prince''s glorious arrival is a privilege bestowed on our country. Our Princess has three questions for your attention."


    With an easy-going air, Zongzan laughed: "I have paid attention to the three questions of Princess. You need not ask the questions one at a time. Let me answer them in one shot. In my life, my best and happiest experience is becoming the Prince Consort, marrying the Princess and spending the night with Princess as husband and wife. In my life, the person I love the most is Princess Yinchuan. Her surname is Li and I am unaware of her first name. In the future, when we become husband and wife, she would naturally tell me. Regarding the appearance of Princess, she is surely like a Fairy with rare and incomparable beauty. Ha ha, are my answers correct or not?"


    Among the crowd, the majority of them shared the same train of thought as Prince Zongzan and are planning to answer the three questions in this particular manner. Hearing his speech, they are secretly expressing regrets: I should have grabbed the first opportunity to make such an excellent reply. Now, if I kept to the same template, I may be accused of copying his answer.


    Xiao Feng waited and listened as the palace maid quizzed the gentlemen one by one. Some of them are trying too hard to please the Princess while others are exaggerating their abilities and making false statements. The more he heard, the more uninterested he felt. If not for his curiosity for the ''correct'' answers, he would have left a long time ago.


    In the midst of his restlessness, he suddenly heard Murong Fu''s voice ringing out: "Gentleman is Gusu Murong Fu. I have long admired Princess''s fame. Today, I came specially to pay my respects."


    The palace maid acknowledged: "So it is Mister Gusu Murong. Although maid (I) is confined to the palace, I have heard of Mister''s (your) famous name."


    His heart filled with joy, Murong Fu thought: Since this palace maid knows my name, the Princess should naturally know about me too. Perhaps the two of them even held a discussion about me.


    He quickly replied: "It is nothing. My name is probably a waste of your hearing." (humble talk)


    The palace maid added: "Although we, Xixia, are at the rural borderlands, we are too, aware of the heroic title: North Qiao Feng; South Murong. It is rumoured that North Qiao Feng, Great Hero Qiao has changed his surname to Xiao, and is currently a high-ranking official in Great Liao. I wonder if this rumour is true?"


    Murong Fu replied: "It is true!" He already noticed Xiao Feng when he is on his way to Green Phoenix Court, but did not choose to expose him.


    The palace maid enquired: "Mister and Great Hero Xiao share the same namesake status; the two of you must be acquainted. I wonder how is his (XF) character like? In terms of martial arts, compared with Mister, who has the upper hand?"


    The minute he heard the questions, Murong Fu''s complexion turned completely red, even up to his ears. At Shaolin Monastery, in his duel with Xiao Feng, he was restrained by him and was even eventually thrashed heavily onto the floor. In front of numerous onlookers, it clearly exhibited his inferior skills. Presently, in front of another large crowd, he would be further ridiculed if he chose not to reveal this fact. Nevertheless, he is extremely unwilling to admit his defeat at the hands of Xiao Feng. Unable to provide a proper account, he flared up: "These questions that Miss (you) is asking; are they the three questions from the Princess?"


    The palace maid hurried redeemed: "No. I beg Mister''s pardon. For the past few years, Maid (I) has heard of many heroic stories about Great Hero Xiao and as a result, I am an admirer (fan) of him. I could not help but wanted to ask more questions relating to him."


    Murong Fu disclosed: "At this moment, Khan Xiao is standing right beside Miss. If Miss is interested, you can ask him directly." The second these words leave his mouth, the peace of the entire hall was interrupted by loud commotions. The prestige of Xiao Feng is known all over the world; within the martial arts community, there is no one who is not shaken by his name.


    The palace maid is apparently as emotional as everyone else and her voice is starting to quiver. She welcomed: "To think that Great Hero Xiao has lowered his status and paid a visit to our country. We were in the dark and our hospitality must be severely lacking. Great Hero Xiao must accommodate us and overlook this lapse."


    Xiao Feng let out a ''Humph'' but did not give a reply.


    From the tone of the palace maid, Murong Fu can easily tell that her respect for Xiao Feng is much more than her respect for himself. He was secretly alarmed and thought: Xiao Feng that fellow is a bachelor as well and he holds the official post of Great Liao Southern Khan. He even has an army at his disposal; as a commoner, how can I hold a candle to that? His martial arts are incredible too; there is no way I can surpass his credentials. What¡­ What¡­ What should I do?


    The palace maid apologized: "Maid (I) will pose the questions to Mister Murong first. Great Hero Xiao, please be patient. Apologies. Apologies." After making more polite and apologetic statements, she asked Murong Fu: " Question for Mister! In Mister''s life, where did you have your best and happiest experience?"


    Although Murong Fu has heard this question being repeated on fifty odd people before him, now that he is in the hot seat, he suddenly became tongue-tied and could not come up with an answer. All his life, he has been slogging away, incessantly trying to revive the Yan Empire. In fact, he never encountered a joyous occasion before. From the perspective of an outsider, Murong Fu is young and handsome, highly-skilled in martial arts and his fame has spread all over the world. He still commands respect in the martial arts world and logically, he should be satisfied and proud of his achievements. Nonetheless, in his heart, he has never experienced true happiness. After a short daze, he answered: "My true happiness lies in the future and not the past."


    The palace maid assumed Murong Fu is using the same template as Prince Zongzan and the others, saying their true happiness will occur after becoming the Prince Consort and getting married to the Princess. Unknown to her, Murong Fu''s definition of happiness is becoming the Emperor of Yan and the owner of the prosperous Yan Empire. Giggling once, she questioned again: "The person whom Mister loves the most, what is his or her name?"


    Momentarily stunned and after a brief contemplation, Murong Fu let out a sigh and replied: "There is nobody that I love the most."


    The palace maid concluded: "Since this is the case, we can skip the third question."


    Murong Fu added: "I hope to meet the Princess and thereby, give a reply to Sister''s second and third question."


    The palace maid remarked: "Mister Murong, please take a break. Great Hero Xiao, since you have made your way here to our country, we have to follow the same procedure. Maid (I) will be asking you the three questions as well. If there is any offense, we ask for your forgiveness and understanding. Maid hereby gives her thanks in advance." She proceeded to ask and repeat the first question but there was no response at all.


    Xu Zhu interrupted: "My Big Brother has already left. Miss, please excuse him." The palace maid was taken back: "Great Hero Xiao has left?" Xu Zhu acknowledged: "Yes, he had."


    When Xiao Feng witness the Princess of Xixia instructing her palace maid to quiz the gentlemen one at a time, he deduced some special meaning behind the three questions. Nevertheless, the questions are harmless. He then went on to ask himself the same three questions and the answers he would provide. Reminiscing about Ah Zhu, he felt some pain at his chest and was tremendously grieved. Extremely unwilling to divulge his personal emotions to a group of strangers, he turned around and left the stone hall. Since the stone doors are opened and his footsteps are exceptionally light, only a few individuals sensed his departure.


    The palace maid inquired: "Where did Great Hero Xiao retreat to? Is he upset with our questioning?"


    Xu Zhu explained: "My Big Brother is not a petty person and would certainly not take any offence. Hmm, he must be craving for some wine and has left in order to quench his cravings."


    The palace maid giggled: "It must be so. Great Hero Xiao is famed for his drinking habits and his ability to hold liquor is second to none. The Inner Study does not store any wine and we are unable to host this honoured guest appropriately. We are truly incompetent hosts. Mister (XZ), the next time you see Great Hero Xiao, please convey the deepest apologies from our country''s Princess." This singular palace maid is particularly eloquent, polite and sensitive in her speech. Compared to the shy palace maid from the Gallery, she is a hundred times more articulate.


    Xu Zhu affirmed: "When I see Big Brother, I will pass the message."


    The palace maid probed: "How do I address Mister?"


    Xu Zhu stammered: "My¡­ My¡­ My Buddhist name is Xu Zhu Zi. I¡­ came¡­ came¡­ that¡­ not here for the marriage, I am merely accompanying my Third Brother."


    The palace maid questioned: "In Mister''s life, where did you have your best and happiest experience?"


    Xu Zhu let out a soft sigh and replied: "In a dark ice chamber."


    He abruptly heard a female voice exclaiming ''Ah!'' in a soft voice. Following that was another noise ''Qiang Lang!'' It appears that somewhere in the darkness, a porcelain cup has been dropped onto the floor and was shattered into pieces.


    The palace maid continued her questioning: "The person whom Mister loves the most, what is he or her name?"


    Xu Zhu lamented: "Ai! I¡­ I do not know the name of that lady."


    The crowd burst out into laughter, thinking that this man is a fool. Without knowing the name of that particular lady, how could she be the person he loves the most?


    The palace maid defended: "It is not strange to love someone without knowing the identity. Back then, the filial son Dong Yong happened to meet a Heavenly Fairy on Earth. Without knowing her name or background, he fell in love with her. Mister Xu Zhu, this lady must have been a beauty without equal, am I right?"


    Xu Zhu answered: "I have never laid my eyes on her before."


    In a split second, the stone hall is blanketed with thunderous laughter. Everyone was laughing their guts out and felt that this story is truly unheard of. Some even thought that Xu Zhu is intentionally telling a joke.


    Amidst all the laughter, Xu Zhu suddenly heard a female whispering to him: "You¡­ Are you Meng-Lang? (Dream mate/groom/hubby)"


    Xu Zhu was shocked out of his wits. In a trembling voice, he asked: "You¡­ You¡­ Are you Meng-Gu? (Dream lady/aunt/bride) I missed you so much."


    Unconsciously, he took a few steps forward, inhaling a breath of fragrance. A pair of warm, gentle and smooth hands is now holding onto his hands. A familiar voice is now tenderly whispering besides his ear: "Meng-Lang, I was trying to find you but I failed. Finally, I managed to get Imperial Father to issue a decree and hopefully, you will get invited."


    Xu Zhu was even more astonished than before. He stammered: "You¡­ So you are¡­"


    The young lady suggested: "Let''s talk inside. Meng-Lang, every day and every night, all I pray for is this exact moment¡­" Speaking in a hushed voice and holding his hand, she quietly led him past a curtain. Stepping onto a layer of thick carpet, the two of them entered the inner chamber.


    Within the stone hall, the crowd is still laughing non-stop.


    As usual, the palace maid repeated the three questions to everybody. When the list has been exhausted, she announced: "Gentlemen, please adjourn to the previous Ningxiang Gallery for a rest and more tea. The wall-mounted artworks will be prepared as gifts for everyone. If Your Highness Princess wishes to meet up with any one of you, our attendant will summon you accordingly."


    Right now, there are many frustrated men who started rioting: "We want to see the Princess!" "We want to see her now!" "Shoving us from one place to another, are you making fools out of us?"


    The palace maid reasoned: "It is better for everyone to take a break outside, why bother risking the wrath of the Princess?"


    The last sentence worked like magic. Everybody came to Lingzhou for the sake of becoming the Prince Consort. By disobeying the Princess, she would not grant an audience. Without seeing her, the chances of becoming the Prince Consort is zero. The crowd instantly turned silent and one by one, they left the stone hall. Outside, the return path is well lighted by bright torches. By retracing their steps, the crowd ended up back in Ningxiang Gallery where they had tea a few hours ago.


    Reunited with Wang Yuyan, Duan Yu updated her about the Princess''s three questions. When Wang Yuyan heard him saying that his best and happiest experience is in an abandoned well among the muddy debris, she cannot help but break out into uncontrollable giggles. Both her cheeks turning red, she cooed: "I feel the same too."


    Having tea and engaging in idle chatter, the gentlemen eventually started discussing and comparing their answers to the three questions. They wondered who has the answer that best satisfies the Princess. A short while later, palace eunuchs appeared, holding bundles of paintings and calligraphies in their arms, inviting those present to pick one. These men are deep in thought, wondering if the Princess would grant them an audience or not. Obviously, they cannot be bothered with the artwork. As no one is competing with him, Duan Yu easily retrieved the painting .


    Admiring the painting with Wang Yuyan at his side, Wang Yuyan sighed: "The person in the painting resembles my mother more than myself." Recalling the prolonged separation between she and her mother, she could feel some longing in her heart.


    Remembering that Xu Zhu has a similar painting as well, Duan Yu wanted to borrow his copy for a comparison. However, despite all his efforts in searching, Xu Zhu seems to have disappeared from the Gallery. He even called out: "Second Brother! Second Brother!" But there was no response. Duan Yu thought: Both Big Brother and Second Brother are gone! Is there some hidden danger?


    Just as he started worrying, unexpectedly, a palace maid accosted him and informed: "Mister Xu Zhu has a letter for Prince Duan." As she spoke, with two hands, she presented a folded letter made out of gold foil.


    Accepting the letter, Duan Yu could smell a light fragrance coming from it. He opened it and on the letter are the following words: I am all good. I have never been better. I am happy beyond words. I am so sorry you made a wasted trip and I have failed Uncle Duan too. But I have no choice. Addressed to Third Brother.


    At the bottom, it was signed with two words: Second Brother


    Duan Yu is aware that his Monk Second Brother received little education and is terrible at expressing himself through written letters. Still, this letter is totally incomprehensible. Not knowing what to do next, a dazed Duan Yu held the letter in his hand as he racked his brains.


    From afar, Prince Zongzan saw the palace maid handing a letter to Duan Yu and immediately assumed the Princess is granting him an audience. Filled with jealousy, he cursed to himself: Great, true enough, you gained an advantage because of your good looks. However, I am not willing to give up that easily.


    He hollered: "I will not tolerate you!" With a swift pounce, he leapt towards Duan Yu. Using his left hand, he snatched at the letter and using his right fist, he threw a punch at Duan Yu''s chest.


    A preoccupied Duan Yu is still trying to decipher the meaning behind Xu Zhu''s letter and when Prince Zongzan attacked him, he did not think about avoiding the attack. Furthermore, based on Zongzan''s martial arts, his punch is as fast as lightning and Duan Yu could not avoid it even if he wanted to. ''PONG!'' The blow landed squarely on his chest. Inside Duan Yu''s body, his abundant internal energy instantaneously reflected the blow and with another ''PONG!'' sound, followed by ''Pi Pai! Qiang Lang! Ai Yo!'' Prince Zongzan flew several steps away and crashed onto a tea table. The teapot and tea cup on the table were smashed to bits.


    In pain, Zongzan cannot help but cry out ''Ai Yo!'' Before he got on his feet, he examined the letter and read it out loud: "I am all good. I have never been better. I am happy beyond words."


    It is evident to everyone that Zongzan was rebounded by Duan Yu''s internal energy and just suffered a heavy fall. Yet, he exclaimed: I am all good. I have never been better. I am happy beyond words.


    While everyone is scratching their heads in bewilderment, Wang Yuyan hurried to Duan Yu''s side and asked: "Did he injure you?" Duan Yu guffawed: "Nothing worth mentioning. Second Brother has written a note to me. That Prince must have gotten the wrong impression, thinking that the Princess is granting me an audience."


    Witnessing their own master being knocked over, some of the TuBo warriors ran over to assist him while the others approached Duan Yu in a fierce and intimidating manner, as if they are challenging him to a fight.


    Duan Yu signaled: "This place is ill-suited for us and I don''t see why we should stay any longer. Let''s take our leave." Ba Tianshi hastily dissuaded: "Since Prince is here, there is no urgency to leave." Zhu Danchen added: "This is the Inner Palace of Xixia''s Royal Palace, I doubt the TuBo fellows have the guts to use violence. In addition, the Princess may summon you soon. If we leave now, wouldn''t that be discourteous?" The two men continued to take turns to persuade Duan Yu from leaving.


    True enough, some warriors from the Elite Guild appeared and demanded the TuBo warriors to behave themselves. Prince Zongzan has gotten back on his feet. Recognising that the letter is not the Princess granting an audience to Duan Yu, the anger in his heart subsided.


    In the middle of the commotion, Mu Wanqing can be seen beckoning at Duan Yu. In her left hand, she is waving a piece of paper. Duan Yu nodded his head and approached her, taking the paper from her hands.


    Seeing another letter in Duan Yu''s hands and noticing the expression of uncertainty on his face as he read the letter, Zongzan thought: This letter must be from the Princess, summoning him for a meeting


    He roared in a loud voice: "The first time, you managed deceive me, the second time, you won''t be so lucky!" His both legs propelling his body, he pounced on Duan Yu again, grabbing the letter with one hand.


    Learning from his mistake, he dared not punch Duan Yu at the chest anymore. After obtaining the letter, he lifted his right foot and kicked Duan Yu''s hip. At the pelvis area is the ''Danzhong'' point, the seed and reservoir for all internal energy. When Zongzan kicked that same area, Duan Yu''s internal energy instantly reacted without any need for activation. The repel was swift and impactful. With a ''Hu!'' sound, followed by another ''Pi Pai! Qiang Lang! Ai Yo!'', Prince Zongzan again soared through the air and flew over the heads of a few dozen men. Crashing into several tea tables, he finally landed on his back.


    The Prince is stocky and his flesh is thick. Moreover, Duan Yu did not intentionally activate his internal energy to harm him. Although Zongzan was embarrassed and haggard looking, he did not suffer any internal injuries. Still on the floor, he lifted the freshly snatched letter and read it out loud: "A formidable foe is planning to murder my father, who also happens to be your father. Save him quickly."


    With these words, the crowd became even more confused. Why did Prince Zongzan say: my father, who also happens to be your father?


    Only Duan Yu, Ba Tianshi, Zhu Danchen and the others knew what the message meant. Since the letter is written by Mu Wanqing, the two fathers she mentioned is obviously Duan Zhengchun. Gathering at her side, they interrogated her about the details.


    Mu Wanqing explained: "Shortly after you (all) left, the two sisters Plum Sword and Orchid Sword entered the palace, saying they have an urgent report for Mister Xu Zhu. Since Xu Zhu Zi has not shown himself, they passed the message to me. Their network of allies has received word that several formidable foes have laid an ambush in order to entrap Father. The traps have been laid at Shunan area, where Father must go through in order to return to DaLi. Their Lingjiu Palace has already dispatched two factions, Xuantian and Zhutian, to chase after Father and warn him. At the same time, they sent word to us."


    Duan Yu anxiously asked: "Plum Sword and Orchid Sword, where are the two sisters? Why didn''t I see them?" Mu Wanqing remarked: "You only have eyes for Miss Wang; we are all invisible to you. The two sisters Plum Sword and Orchid Sword actually wanted to speak to you directly but no matter how hard they waved at you, there was no response. I don''t know if you really didn''t see them or are you intentionally ignoring them."


    His face turning red, Duan Yu insisted: "I¡­ I really didn''t see them."


    Mu Wanqing coldly state: "They are in a hurry to find Second Brother Xu Zhu and cannot afford to wait for you. I tried to signal you too but you ignored me. I have no choice but to write that letter and pass it to you."


    Feeling apologetic, Duan Yu recognized the truth in her words. Recently, all his undivided attention has been centered on Wang Yuyan. All he saw was her smiles and her frowns; all he heard was her words and her laughter. Even if the sky fell down, it does not matter. It is natural for him to miss Mu Wanqing''s summons. If not for Prince Zongzan''s pouncing on him and delivering a fierce punch, he would not have raised his head and notice Mu Wanqing''s beckoning. To Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen, he instructed at once: "Let''s travel through the night and chase after Father." The two men acknowledged: "Yes, Prince!"


    The same thoughts went through their minds: Since Lord Zhennan is in danger, everything else has to take second priority. Whether Duan Yu is able to become the Prince Consort of Xixia or not is no longer important. They departed without wasting another minute.


    Except for Ba Tianshi, Duan Yu and the others head back to the inn and reunite with Zhong Ling. Packing their luggage, they set off without any delay. Ba Tianshi paid a visit to Xixia''s Ministry of Rites and bid farewell to the Minister personally. He spun a story, saying Lord Zhennan has fallen ill while travelling. Therefore, his son has to hurry to him and assist in nursing him. He is unable to spare the time to officially bid farewell to the Emperor and expresses his regrets. Since the father is sick, it is the duty of the son to take care of him; no one can disapprove of this noble gesture.


    The Minister of Rites is full of praise and polite talk, saying Duan Yu''s filial piety is as high as Heaven and His Lordship Duan will make a speedy recovery. Completing his farewell notice, Ba Tianshi swiftly exited Lingzhou City''s southern gate. Activating his , he went in pursuit of Duan Yu and company. By the time he caught up to them, they are already ten miles away from Lingzhou.

 Chapter - 47 Camellias Blossoming, But For Who?

    Duan Yu and his entourage rode without stopping. In a few days, they have travelled south from Lingzhou to Gaolan and Qinzhou. Then heading east towards Hanzhong, cutting through Guangyuan, Jiange and finally arriving at Shubei*. Along their journey, they receive updates from Lingjiu Palace''s Xuantian and Zhutian factions. These two factions are female organizations and all their reports indicated Lord Zhennan is heading south. One of the reports mentioned two female companions travelling with Lord Zhennan and at Zitong County, the two ladies engaged in a ferocious battle with no clear victor.


    (Not sure about ancient China geography but Shubei and Shunan could also be Northern Shu and Southern Shu. FYI.)


    In his heart, Duan Yu easily predicted that one of the ladies is Mu Wanqing''s mother, Qin Hongmian; while the other lady is the mother of Ah Zhu and Ah Zi, Ruan Xingzhu. In terms of martial arts, Qin Hongmian is superior but in terms of strategy, Ruan Xingzhu has the upper hand. With Father (DZC) mediating between the two ladies, there should not be too much trouble. True enough, in less than two days, a report came, saying that the two ladies are presently on good terms with each other. Together with Lord Zhennan, they are enjoying some nice wine in a restaurant. Xuantian faction has already delivered the warning to Lord Zhennan, telling him there is a strong opponent waiting to ambush him in the later part of his journey.


    During their travel, Duan Yu, Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen held several discussions. All the three of them agreed that except for Duan Yanqing, the head of the Four Evils, no one else could be the culprit. Duan Yanqing''s martial arts are amazingly good; within DaLi country, except for Emperor Baoding, no one is his match. If he (DYQ) manages to catch up to Lord Zhennan, it will be catastrophic. Presently, all they could do is journey as fast as they can and reunite with Lord Zhennan. With strength in numbers, they will be able to resist Duan Yanqing.


    Ba Tianshi state: "If we come across Duan Yanqing, we must drop everything and immediately launch a full out group attack on him. We must overcome him by our superior numbers and never repeat the same mistake of letting him engage in a solo duel with His Lordship."


    Zhu Danchen agreed: "That is right. Here, we have Prince Duan, Miss Mu, Miss Zhong, Miss Wang and the two of us. Adding His Lordship and the two ladies, Minister Hua, Minister Fan, Brother Gu, and not forgetting the Ladies from Lingjiu Palace. With our combined forces, even if we fail to kill Duan Yanqing, we must at least put an end to his bullying."


    Duan Yu nodded: "I share the same idea."


    When their party is about to reach Mianzhou, sounds of horses galloping can be heard. Soon, two riders rode towards them. The two female riders flipped down their horses and called out: "Xuantian Faction of Lingjiu Palace pays their respect to Mister Duan of DaLi."


    Duan Yu hurriedly got off his horse and acknowledged: "The two of you must have suffered. Have you seen my Father?"


    On his right, the middle-aged lady replied: "Reporting to Mister, Lord Zhennan has received our warning and accordingly, he is now heading east, planning to make a big detour before returning to DaLi. This is to avoid running into his nemesis."


    When Duan Yu heard the news, he was instantly relieved. Ecstatic, he enquired: "That is a good plan too. Father is an important figure and of royal blood; there is no need for him to personally dirty his hands with common criminals. Poisonous bugs and wild beasts; avoidance is better than engagement. This is wisdom, not fear. Ladies, do you know who is the enemy? Who tipped us off?"


    The middle-aged lady explained: "The news originated from a young lady named Ah Bi. She was the person who divulge the information to Miss Chrysanthemum Sword¡­"


    Wang Yuyan was elated: "So it is Ah Bi. I have not seen her in ages."


    Duan Yu added: "Ah, so it is Miss Ah Bi. I have met her before. She used to be Mister Murong''s personal maid."


    The middle-aged lady continued: "That is the same person. According to Miss Chrysanthemum Sword, Miss Ah Bi and her share the same age. With an attractive face, she is adored wherever she goes. The only shortcoming is her Jiangnan accent; sometimes, it is really hard to understand what she is saying. Miss Ah Bi is the prot¨¦g¨¦ of Mister Kang Guangling, the lay disciple of our Owner (XZ). To a certain extent, she is part of our Lingjiu Palace family. Miss Chrysanthemum says Owner (XZ) is accompanying Mister (DY) to the palace for the wedding proposal whereas Miss Ah Bi is going to Xixia in order to meet up with Mister Murong. During her journey, she received word about some formidable foes scheming to harm Lord Zhennan. She says Mister Duan has been kind to her and she wants us pass the warning message."


    Duan Yu reminisced about the circumstances that led him to meet Ah Bi in Gusu. Through her, he got to know Ah Zhu and finally, Wang Yuyan. This time, it was her again who sent him the warning. Filled with gratitude, he inquired: "Miss Ah Bi, where is she now?"


    The middle-aged lady replied: "Subordinate (I) has no idea. Mister Duan, according to Miss Plum Sword, the nemesis coming after His Lordship Duan is a dangerous fellow. Therefore, without waiting for approval by Owner, she gave instructions for the two factions, Xuantian and Zhutian to set off immediately. Mister should exercise caution as well."


    Duan Yu thanked: "Many thanks to Elder Sister for your hard work and efforts. How do I address Elder Sister? In the future, when I meet up with Second Brother, I can mention (praise) your name." The lady was thrilled and she smiled: "We, the two factions, Xuantian and Zhutian, are just doing our job. Mister need not bother with our lowly names. Junior Lady (I) thanks Mister for your kind gesture!" As she spoke, she and the other lady clasped their hands in these sleeves in an expression of respect. Nodding to everyone as a sign of acknowledgment, the two ladies promptly left on their horses.


    Duan Yu checked with Ba Tianshi: "Uncle Ba, what do you think?" Ba Tianshi proposed: "Since His Lordship has taken a detour to the east, we can continue heading south on our own. By the time we arrive in Chengdu, we should be just in time to intercept His Lordship." Duan Yu nodded his head in agreement: "That is right."


    As they rode southwards, they went through Mianzhou City and arrived at Chengdu. Mianguan City is a prosperous and lively metropolis, the most developed city in the southwest region. After spending a few days idling in the city and still not catching any sight of Duan Zhengchun, Duan Yu and company thought: Lord Zhennan is accompanied by two ladies on his travel. Besides wonderful sightseeing, his needs are well attended to. Naturally, he would take his own sweet time. Once he is back in DaLi, all these comforts and carefree ways will come to an end.


    Taking up reins, Duan Yu and company decided to head south again. Each step they take brings them one step closer to DaLi, and their spirits are lifted accordingly. Along their route, beautiful scenery can be seen everywhere. To avoid irritating Mu Wanqing and Zhong Ling, Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan rode separately. This way, the two sisters will not feel left out. During their ride, Mu Wanqing revealed the truth to Zhong Ling, telling her that Duan Yu is actually her (MWQ) own elder brother, and that Zhong Ling is actually the daughter of Duan Zhengchun too. The two girls now address each other as sisters. Observing Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan happily interacting and behaving intimately with each other, the two of them can only helplessly watch and sulk to themselves.


    This particular evening, near a willow plantation, the weather started changing rapidly. Raindrops as big as yellow beans battered down upon them. Pushing their horses to go faster, they looked around for shelter concurrently. Riding around a row of willow trees, they came across several white-walled, black-tiled houses erected by a small stream. Cheered, everyone slapped their respective horses and rode towards the structures. Nearing the houses, they saw an old fellow standing on a veranda, with both his hands behind his back. He was staring at the thickening rain clouds.


    Zhu Danchen flipped down his horse and stepping in front, he clasped his hands, asking: "Old Sir, sorry to disturb. My companions and I are travelling through this area when it starting raining. We hope to take temporary shelter in your treasured property. Would you please grant us this convenience?" (humble talk)


    The old fellow welcomed: "Well said. Well said. When travelling, it is impossible to bring your house (shelter) with you. Gentlemen, Ladies, please enter." Zhu Danchen observed that the old man speaking with an energetic voice and without a local Chuannan accent. Additionally, his eyes are brimming with energy. Secretly alarmed, he clasped his hands and thanked: "Thank you very much."


    After everyone has entered the house, Zhu Danchen pointed to Duan Yu and introduced: "This is Mister Yu, my master, who has just visited some relatives in Chengdu. This is Senior Brother Shi; my surname is Chen. How do I address Elder?"


    With a small chuckle, the old fellow invited: "Elder''s surname is Jia. Mister Yu, Big Brother Shi, Big Brother Chen, Ladies, please come into the inner hall for a cup of refreshing tea. Looking at the storm, I think you will be here for some time." Hearing Zhu Danchen using an alias for everyone, Duan Yu and the others were alerted to some possible danger. The group naturally kept their guard up.


    Old Fellow Jia led everyone into a particular room. The walls of the room are decorated with paintings and the room itself is in pristine condition; it is completely unlike a typical room that one might find in a village. Exchanging glances, Zhu Danchen and Ba Tianshi increased their awareness level. Noting the vulgarity of the paintings in the room, Duan Yu kept his eyes away from them. Old Fellow Jia remarked: "I am going to get someone to prepare tea." Zhu Danchen acquiesced: "Sorry to trouble Elder." Old Fellow Jia smiled: "I hope I don''t disappoint valued guests." As he spoke, he turned around and left, closing the door on his way out.


    When the door was closed, it revealed a painting behind the door. In the painting, there are a couple of stalks of large Camellias. The first stalk is brilliantly painted in red and silver colour while the second stalk is totally white and half-withered. The contrast is extremely gratifying.


    With one look, Duan Yu was instantly filled with gladness. Then he noticed a column of words next to the drawing: The Crown of Flowers Camellia, 71 in variety, as big as a peony, resembling a fire _ cloud _, mammatus _.


    There are several blanks in the writing. This string of verses originated from Dian Zhong''s , which Duan Yu has memorized since young. There are actually 72 varieties of Camellia but in the verses, it is written as 71. Noting a complete set of stationery laid on the table, he could not help but lifted a brush and dipped it in ink. Under the ''1'' he added another horizontal stroke, turning it into a ''2'', after the word ''fire'', he added a word ''like'', after the word ''cloud'', he added a word ''formation'', after the word ''mammatus'', he added a word ''wonder''.


    In the blink of an eye, the words now read: The Crown of Flowers Camellia, 72 in variety, as big as a peony, resembling a fire-like cloud formation, mammatus wonder.


    The verses are written in font and Duan Yu used the same font. Nobody could tell that the words have edited.


    Zhong Ling clapped her hands and cheered: "With you filling up the blanks, the painting is now complete and perfect."


    Not long after Duan Yu replaced the ink brush, Old Fellow Jia pushed open the door. After entering, he was closing the door when he discovered that the blanks in the painting have been filled up. His face brimming with joy, he chuckled: "Valued Guest, Valued Guest. Old Man has been lacking in respect. This painting is drawn by an old friend; his memory is terrible and could not recall the exact verses. Initially, he wanted to return home and refer to his books, planning to fill up the blanks the next time he visits. Ai! Upon reaching home, he fell sick and never recovered, leaving me with this incomplete drawing. I did not expect Mister Yu to possess such deep knowledge and finally fulfill this dying wish for my dead friend and I. Wine! Wine! Bring out our wine!" He yelled as he left the room.


    A brief moment later, Old Fellow Jia re-emerged in a brand new silk robe, inviting Duan Yu and company to the main hall for wine. The group gazed out of the window and could see for themselves that it is raining cats and dogs. On the ground, countless streams of rainwater are gushing through and fro. It is impossible to leave for the next few hours. Faced with Old Fellow Jia''s sincere pleading, they cannot bear to reject him anymore and proceeded to the main hall. On the dining table, there are over ten dishes of fresh fish, game meat, poultry and vegetables. Thanking their host, Duan Yu and the others sat down.


    Pouring wine into cups, Old Fellow Jia introduced: "This wine is fermented in our own village and it is not as strong as what you usually get. Mister Yu, Old Man (I) is actually born in Jiangnan. In my younger days, I mastered some basic martial arts and during a fight, I killed two enemies by accident. Unable to continue staying in my hometown, I was forced to flee to this place. Ai. Although I have been here for decades, I still miss my hometown. Back there, our wine tastes much better than this." As he spoke, he continued pouring wine for everyone.


    Hearing him talking about his background, nobody believed it is entirely true. But since he confessed he knew some martial arts, they are less suspicious of him. After he poured wine for everybody, he exclaimed: "Let me toast everyone first as a sign of respect!" In one mouthful, he swallowed the full cup of wine. Duan Yu and the others find it reassuring that the wine is not poisoned and started drinking too. Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen barely drank. They also waited for Old Fellow Jia to eat from the dishes first before eating from the same dish.


    The dinner and drinking has concluded but the rain has not. Old Fellow Jia again sincerely offered accommodation for the night so Duan Yu and company spent that night in the village.


    Before retiring, Ba Tianshi secretly conveyed to Mu Wanqing: "Miss Mu, tonight, keep your guard up, as this place still gives me some evil vibes." Mu Wanqing nodded her head. That night, she slept fully clothed and her poisonous arrows are tucked in her sleeve. Throughout the night, the pitter-patter pitter-patter sounds of raindrops occupy her ears. Drifting in and out of sleep, she woke up next morning without any incidents.


    As they are washing up, they noted that the storm is over and bade farewell to Old Fellow Jia without any delay. Old Fellow Jia escorted them out of the house and accompanied them for some distance before sending them off. All this time, his behavior is entirely respectful and courteous.


    Leaving the property far behind, everyone is still befuddled by the episode. Ba Tianshi remarked: "This Old Fellow Jia, what is he up to? Everything is so mysterious and honestly, I cannot decipher his tricks, if there is any in the first place." Zhu Danchen mused: "Brother Ba, my guess is that Old Fellow Jia originally had evil intentions but after he discovered Mister filling up the missing words, his attitude changed. Mister, the painting and the words, is there any connection between the two of them?"


    Duan Yu shook his head: "The two stalks of Camellia are pretty common. One stalk is the ''Fenhou'' variety'' the other is ''Xueta'' variety. Although they are special breeds, they are not rare in the market." Unable to make head or tail of the situation, everyone stopped talking about it.


    Zhong Ling joked: "It will be great if during our journey, we are able to encounter more paintings with missing words. Once our Mister Duan filled up the blanks, it will be a wonderful bargain. We will profit two meals of dishes and wine, one night of accommodation, all without spending a single cent." Everyone was tickled and starting laughing.


    Truth is stranger than fiction. Although Zhong Ling was simply kidding; during their journey, Duan Yu and company are indeed confronted by a series of paintings. All the paintings are related to Camellia; some paintings are missing words; some contain words that are written wrongly, etc. There were even instances of drawings of flower stalk without the actual flower or the flower and stalks are drawn but the leaves are missing. Whenever Duan Yu came across a defective painting, he would rectify it without hesitation. Once the correction is completed, the owner of the painting will welcome everybody with the best hospitality: serving the best wine and food but never asking for a single cent in return.


    Several times, Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen tried to probe for more information. Amazingly, every painting owner has the same reply template: Due to circumstances, the original artist is unable to complete the work, thanking Duan Yu profusely for remedying the painting and filled with deep gratitude. Duan Yu and Zhong Ling are young and na?ve, treating these errands as a game. They hope for more incomplete paintings to come along. Seeing Duan Yu in a happy mood, Wang Yuyan is happy too. All along, Mu Wanqing has been a fearless character; whether the host is kind or evil, she couldn''t be bothered. Only Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen are increasingly worried. Reviewing the enemy''s meticulous planning, they suspect a grand scheme is unfolding. However, they are unable to detect any loopholes or evidence.


    Whenever Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen received warm hospitality, they would carefully scrutinize their surroundings and keep a lookout for poison in their food and drink. Sometimes, it is hard to detect slow-acting poisons, as they require taking several doses in order to cause harm. Ba Tianshi is observant and streetwise, if someone tries to poison his food, he would be able to catch him in the act. However, he is unable to detect any abnormalities. Moreover, the owners of the paintings shared their meals, proving that the food is safe for consumption.


    It is now early October as they sustained their southwards voyage. It has yet to turn cold and during their travelling, they are mostly surrounded by mountain ranges, thick forests and overgrown grass. Compared to the northern region of Xixia, the environment is vastly dissimilar.


    This singular evening, the group is riding near a sea of grasslands, with the jade green and wild grass reaching out to the horizon, as far as the eye can see. On their left is a dense and extensive forest. Scanning their surroundings, there are no signs of human civilization. Ba Tianshi advised: "Mister, this is unsafe territory. We should quickly seek accommodation." Duan Yu nodded in agreement: "You are right. We are unlikely to go through these grasslands by today. I wonder where can we rest for the night?"


    Zhu Danchen warned: "The sea of grass is heavily populated by venomous mosquitoes and other bugs. Furthermore, there is the presence of smog. The Osmanthus smog is nearly over and the Hibiscus smog is just starting. When these two smog are mixed together, its toxicity is even more devastating. If we are unable to find accommodation, we will have to spend the night in the trees, thereby avoiding the smog and venomous insects."


    Everyone proceeded to make a left turn and rode towards the forest. Since this is the first time she is learning about smog and their toxic effects, Wang Yuyan quizzed Zhu Danchen about Osmanthus smog and Hibiscus smog. Zhu Danchen described: "Smog is the poisonous fumes that are released from swamps in wild mountainous areas. The Peach flower smog from March and the Durian flower smog from May are considered the most toxic. Actually, these fumes are all the same but due to different time periods, we use the names of flowers to label them by the month. Between March and May, the rise in temperature is the most significant, leading to mass breeding of venomous bugs, creating the worst season for smog. At this time of the year, the effects of smog are generally limited. However, in this specific area, the air is humid, catalyzing the rot and decay of dead vegetation, therefore exacerbating the power of the smog."


    Wang Yuyan asked: "Hmm, is there a smog named after Camellia?"


    Duan Yu, Ba Tianshi and the others broke out into laughter. Zhu Danchen clarified: "We, the people of DaLi, adore Camellia, and would never link Camellia to the nasty smog."


    As they spoke, the group has already entered the forest. The hooves of their horses are treading in mud and every step is a sinking sensation followed by a tedious pulling out. It is a horrible experience. Ba Tianshi suggested: "I think we need not move any deeper into the forest. Tonight, let''s learn from birds and make a nest on the trees. When the sun is out tomorrow and the smog has diminished, we will continue our trip." Wang Yuyan asked: "When the sun is out, the smog will be weakened?" Ba Tianshi educated: "That is right."


    Suddenly pointing to the northeastern direction, Zhong Ling worriedly exclaimed: "Aiyo, this is bad, there is a smog cloud rising in that direction. What kind of smog is that?" Everybody''s eyes followed the direction of her finger and gaze. True enough, there are several waves of clouds rising out from within the forest.


    Ba Tianshi answered: "Miss, that is Making Dinner smog." Zhong Ling anxiously asked: "What Making Dinner smog? Is it powerful or not?" Ba Tianshi laughed: "This is not a smog; it is the smoke being produced when someone is making dinner." True enough, from the green cloud, there are tinges of black smoke and white steam, like a gentle fog. Everyone started laughing. Encouraged by their new discovery, they cried: "Let''s look for the Making Dinner smog." Zhong Ling was so embarrassed her face turned completely red. Wang Yuyan consoled her: "Sister Ling, fortunately, you discovered this Making Dinner... Making Dinner smoke. Otherwise, we will all be sleeping in trees."


    The group rode towards the rising smoke. In closer proximity, they observed a clearing in the forest where several wooden cabins have been erected. Besides the houses, there are stacks of chopped wood. It appears that this is the accommodation for logging workers. Pushing his horse forward, Zhu Danchen shouted in a loud voice: "Head of the timber mill, we are passer-bys and would like to spend a night in your prestigious estate. Is that all right with you?" After some time, there was still no reply from within the house. Zhu Danchen repeated his request and it was again met with silence. On the roof, the chimney is still emitting smoke, indicating that the house is occupied.


    Retrieving his weapon-fan made of iron spines from his bosom, Zhu Danchen held it in his hand as he gently pushed open the door and entered the house. At first glance, the house is empty and yet, he could hear the ''bi bo bi bo'' sounds of crackling firewood. Zhu Danchen walked towards the back of the house and arrived at the kitchen, finding an old woman tending to a fire stove. Zhu Danchen enquired: "Old Grandma, is there anyone else beside you?" The old woman stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. Zhu Danchen asked again: "Are you alone?" The old woman pointed to her own ear and mouth, producing a few ''ah ah ah'' sounds, signaling that she is a deaf-mute.


    Zhu Danchen returned to the main hall. By then, Duan Yu, Mu Wanqing and the others have already investigated the rest of the cabins. Among all the property, there is nobody except for the old woman. In every cabin, there is a wooden bed but there are no mattresses or blankets. It looks like the loggers have not started work. Ba Tianshi circled the area twice and did not find anything suspicious.


    Zhu Danchen indicated: "This old Grandma is deaf and mute; I cannot communicate with her. Miss Wang Yuyan is the most patient among all of us. It is better for you to interact with her." Wang Yuyan nodded with a smile: "Sure. I will give it a try." Entering the kitchen, she gesticulated to the old woman and even presented a tael of silver to her. Eventually, the old woman approximately understood the intrusion. After the old woman has finished her cooking, Duan Yu and company managed to procure some rice from her. The wooden cabin does not store any meat or wine. By eating the cooked rice and some dry rations, the group managed to stave off their hunger.


    Ba Tianshi instructed: "We will stick together and everyone will sleep in this house." The males promptly slept at the east wing while the females slept at the west wing. In the main hall, the old woman placed a lighted oil lamp on the table.


    After everyone barely got into bed, the sounds of ''ta ta'' can be heard from the main hall. It is clear that somebody is trying to light a fire with firestones but is unsuccessful. Opening the door, Ba Tianshi went out and noticed the oil lamp on the table has been extinguished. In the dark, he could still hear the ''ta ta'' noise, which came from the old woman trying to re-light the lamp. Using firestones to start a fire is not easy; if the paper charcoal (fire starter) does not catch the sparks, it could be a trying process. Ba Tianshi immediately retrieve his firestones from his bosom and with one ''da'', he managed to light up oil lamp. A slight smile formed on the face of the old woman. Gesticulating to Ba Tianshi, she wanted to borrow his firestones. Pointing to the kitchen, she probably wanted to start a fire there. Ba Tianshi handed over his firestones and returned back to his room to sleep.


    Soon thereafter, from the main hall, sounds of ''ta ta ta ta'' began to occur again. Duan Yu and company barely caught a few winks before they were fully awakened by the fire-starting noise. Seeing the lack of illumination between the seams of the wooden walls, they guessed the oil lamp must have been extinguished again. Zhu Danchen laughed: "The old woman is really unlucky." At first, he wanted to ignore her but the ''ta ta ta'' sounds did not subside. It felt as if the old woman is planning to strike the firestones throughout the night if that is what it is going to take to relight the oil lamp. Finally losing his patience, Zhu Danchen got up and walked to the main hall. In the dark, he could vaguely envisage the arm of the old woman moving up and down, trying her best to strike the firestones. Retrieving his own firestones, Zhu Danchen got a light at his first strike and lighted the oil lamp. The old woman grinned at him and made some hand gestures, indicating that she wanted to borrow his firestones to light a fire in the kitchen. Zhu Danchen loaned her his firestones and went back to his room.


    Unexpectedly, a brief moment later, the sounds of ''ta ta ta'' came out from the main hall again. Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen were boiling with anger. They cursed: "This old hag, what is her problem!" Still, the ''ta ta ta'', ''ta ta ta'' noise went on incessantly. Ba Tianshi jumped out of bed, went to the old woman and grabbed her firestones. Striking them, not a single spark came out. Feeling the firestones, he realised the firestones are not his. In a loud voice, he demanded: "Where are my firestones?" Once the words left his mouth, he half-laughingly chided himself: "Why am I venting my frustration on a deaf-mute old grandma?"


    At this juncture, Mu Wanqing came out too. Producing her own firestones, she asked: "Uncle Ba, are you trying to make a fire?" Ba Tianshi explained: "The old grandma is really bizarre. The oil lamp was reignited and extinguished, reignited and extinguished. We have been at it for ages." Receiving her firestones, with a ''da'' sound, sparks came out and the oil lamp was lit again. The old woman had a look of satisfaction on her face and she smiled broadly as she stared at the fire in the oil lamp. To Mu Wanqing, Ba Tianshi commented: "Miss, you must be tired from all the travelling. Please have an early rest." Then he returned to his room.


    Before the time needed to drink a cup of tea, the ''ta ta ta'', ''ta ta ta'' sounds arose again. Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen leapt out of their beds simultaneously, each ready to confront the noise. In a flash of realization, both men thought: This peculiar old woman is certainly suspicious. There must be some evil at work.


    The two men softly shook hands once and stealthily crept out of the room. From the left side and right side, they separately sneaked towards the old woman. Just as they are about to pounce on her, both of them concurrently caught a whiff of light fragrance. It turned out that the person striking the firestones is Mu Wanqing. The two men immediately recovered from their attacking stance. Ba Tianshi checked: "Miss, is that you?" Mu Wanqing answered: "Yes, I have a bad feeling about this place and I wanted to light a lamp and explore around."


    Ba Tianshi remarked: "Let me have the firestones." However, with a few tries and the ''ta ta ta'', ''ta ta ta'' sounds, he could not create any sparks. Stunned, he highlighted: "This firestone is broken, it must have been switched by that old grandma." Zhu Danchen ordered: "Quickly locate that hag; don''t let her escape." Mu Wanqing rushed to the kitchen while the two men dashed out of the wooden house. With a speedy search, they discovered that the old woman has disappeared. Ba Tianshi reminded: "That''s enough chasing. Protecting Mister is our priority."


    Back at the wooden house, Duan Yu, Wang Yuyan and Zhong Ling were roused by the loud commotion.


    Ba Tianshi demanded: "Who still has his or her firestone? Let''s light a fire before talking." Two voices spoke out in unison: "The old woman has borrowed my firestones." The voices belonged to Wang Yuyan and Zhong Ling. Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen secretly lamented to themselves: We have exercise extreme caution; nevertheless, we fell into the enemy''s trap.


    From his bosom, Duan Yu produced his firestones. ''Ta ta ta''. After a few strikes, no sparks were seen. Zhu Danchen questioned: "Mister, has the old hag borrowed your firestones before?" Duan Yu responded: "Yes, that was before dinner. After she used them, she returned them back to me." Zhu Danchen surmised: "The firestones must have been switched."


    For a short spell of time, nobody spoke up. In the darkness, all they could hear were the sounds of forest bugs. It is a moonless and starless night; there is no natural lighting they can rely on. Gathered in the house, the six of them can barely make out each other''s silhouettes. In their hearts, they felt as if they are being surrounded by an unseen danger. Ever since Duan Yu started filling up the missing words in the painting and receiving dedicated hospitality from Old Fellow Jia, the six of them are being blinded and lured into coming to this wild and secluded spot. Although they could somewhat guess that something is amiss, no one could comprehend the evil scheme or even identify any evidence that points to such a scheme. Everyone thought: If the enemy physically confronts us in an open battle, we can have a proper contest. Now that the enemy is sneaking around in the darkness, we are unable to take any precautions.


    Mu Wanqing reasoned: "The old grandma has stripped us of our firestones. She wants to keep us shrouded in the dark in order to execute her evil plans." Zhong Ling suddenly shrieked out loud: "What if they release centipedes and venomous ants to bite me in the dark? That will be my worst nightmare!" In his heart, Ba Tianshi shuddered once. He state: "If we are assaulted by venomous insects in the dark, we would be entirely defenseless." Duan Yu suggested: "Why don''t we get out of here and hide in the trees?" Zhu Danchen forbade: "I think the trees are already planted with venomous bugs." Letting out a scream ''Ah!'', Zhong Ling grabbed onto Mu Wanqing''s arm. Ba Tianshi comforted: "Miss, do not be frightened. Let us light a fire before talking." Zhong Ling wondered: "Without firestones, how do we start a fire?" Ba Tianshi strategized: "It is hard to fathom the enemy''s plan but since they want us to stay in the dark without fire and lighting, we shall purposely create a fire. We certainly cannot go wrong with that."


    As he spoke, he entered the kitchen and came back with two pieces of firewood. Handing them to Zhu Danchen, he instructed: "Brother Zhu, turn these firewood into wooden splints, the finer the better." Hearing his words, Zhu Danchen immediately understood his idea and agreed: "You are right, why should we remain as sitting ducks?" From his bosom, he took out a dagger and started paring the firewood. Duan Yu, Mu Wanqing, Wang Yuyan and Zhong Ling joined in as well. Retrieving their own daggers or small knives, they assisted by cutting, chopping or grinding the wooden chips, turning them into wood kindling. Duan Yu sighed: "Unfortunately, I do not possess the incredible power of Grandmaster Kurong from Sky Dragon Monastery (TianLong Monastery). He can ignite this wood kindling by focusing his internal energy. I think Jiumozhi has this ability too." In actual fact, the accumulated internal energy in Duan Yu has long surpassed Grandmaster Kurong and Jiumozhi. However, he does not know how to utilize this power.


    As everyone worked tirelessly on breaking down the firewood into minute portions, there is hardly any peace in their hearts. Fully silent, they paid full attention to their hearing, the only ability they could depend on to detect any enemy activity. Everyone thought the same: Since the old grandma has conned us of our firestones, she probably will not wait too long before taking action. Even in the next moment, we could be under attack.


    With his hands feeling the wood kindling, Ba Tianshi estimated that he has enough to fill a typical rice bowl. Gathering them into a pile, he added some charcoal paper (fire starter) to it. Holding his own knife in his left hand, he borrowed Zhong Ling''s knife and held it in his right hand. In a swift movement, he scrapped the blunt sides of the knives against each other with a ''zheng'' sound. Fire sparks erupted in all directions and some of them came in contact with the wood kindling, causing the kindling to start burning. Unfortunately, the fire died down as soon as it is lighted, and did not spread to the charcoal paper. As everyone sighed with disappointment, Ba Tianshi continued grinding the two blades against each other. ''Zheng Zheng'' the sounds rang out relentlessly. After more than ten tries, the charcoal paper finally started burning.


    Duan Yu and everyone else cheered and whistled in delight. Using the charcoal paper, they managed to reignite the oil lamp. Afraid of the wind snuffing out the lamp, Zhu Danchen gathered and lit up all the oil lamps from the kitchen and the two bedrooms. The flames are weak and make everyone''s face appear with a greenish tinge. The smell of smoke is thick and irritating to the nose. Nonetheless, the fire was created after much difficulty and everyone is in high spirits, feeling as if they had just won a big victory.


    The wooden house itself is sparse and from the gaps of the door, wind is blowing continuously into the cabin. The six of them glanced at each other, hands on weapons, pricking their ears for any suspicious sounds. However, except for the sound of wind rustling the trees or the standard squeaking of the bugs, everything else remains normal.


    After a prolonged period, there are still no signs of enemy activity. As a result, Ba Tianshi started exploring the interior of the wooden house. He noticed a few pillars are being wrapped with grass mats and the grass mats are secured in place by grass ropes. From his recollection, there were no grass mats and grass ropes when he first entered the house. He cut the grass ropes at once and with it, the grass mats fell off the pillars.


    On two of the pillars, Duan Yu saw that a pair of couplets is engraved on them. The upper verse goes: Spring river flowing water _ camellia. The lower verse goes: Summer valley _ rise red lychee. There is a missing word in each couplet. Turning around, he saw that Zhu Danchen has dismantled another two grass mats from another two pillars, revealing another pair of engraved couplets. They go: _ in green robes a familiar face; _ camellia blossom with grace.


    Duan Yu declared: "Along our journey, I have been filling up blanks in paintings. Good, bad, who knows? Since they (enemy) have wrapped the pillars with grass mats, they evidently do not wish for me to see the couplets. We have always acted unconventionally, desiring to see what tricks the enemy is going play." With that, he stretched his hand out. With sounds of ''chi chi'', he has written the word ''white'' next to the word ''camellia'' and the word ''mist'' next to the word ''valley''. The perfected couplet now reads: ''Spring river flowing water white camellia; summer valley mist rise red lychee''. His internal energy is profound and wherever he exerted strength, wood kindling would fall out. Clapping her hands, Zhong Ling giggled: "If we knew about this, you can simply scrap your fingers against the firewood and we would have wood kindling. There is no need for us to expend so much effort."


    Immersed in his own world, Duan Yu is now at the other pillars filling up the blanks, muttering to himself as he wrote: "Beauty in green robes a familiar face; September camellia blossom with grace" As he chanted, he swayed his head (like poets when composing poems) while stealing glances at Wang Yuyan. Wang Yuyan''s delicate face glowed red and she turned her head away. (embarrassed)


    Zhong Ling highlighted: "I wonder which tree does this wood come from? The fragrance is pretty nice." Everyone took a few sniffs and agreed that from the engraving hole made by Duan Yu''s finger, there was an enchanting flowery scent. The fragrance seems to resemble osmanthus or rose but is neither of them. Duan Yu, too, exclaimed: "Nice aroma!" The fragrance became thicker and thicker and after inhaling it, the body became more comfortable and alert.


    Zhu Danchen''s face instantly lost colour and he warned: "Not good. I think this scent is poisonous. Everybody, cover your nostrils." Hearing his reminder, everyone hurriedly used their handkerchiefs or sleeves to seal his or her mouth and nose. By now, everyone has breathed in a considerable amount of the fragrance. If it is poisonous, there should be signs of dizziness or discomfort. However, no one felt any signs of uneasiness.


    After a short while, everyone was in need of oxygen and naturally started breathing again. Feeling no signs of poisoning, everyone gradually removed their seals. Discussing the situation, nobody could offer a good explanation for the enemy''s scheme.


    A long wait later, the air is suddenly filled with a series of buzzing noises. Mu Wanqing was alarmed and cried out: "Aiyo! The poison has been activated. I keep hearing a weird noise in my ears." Zhong Ling wailed: "Me too." Ba Tianshi instead clarified: "That is not a weird noise in your ears. It sounds like a huge swarm of bees are flying towards us." True enough, the buzzing sound became louder and louder, signaling the approach of thousands of bees.


    Bees are actually nothing to be afraid of. Still, this is the first time everyone has heard such a loud buzzing sound. Nobody could even confirm if the buzzing sound actually came from bees or something else. For a split second, everyone was stunned on the spot, not knowing how to react. As the ''weng weng'' sounds grew closer and closer, it sounded like countless vampires howling and dashing towards them, ready to bite every person. Zhong Ling is basically grabbing onto Mu Wanqing''s arm while Wang Yuyan is holding Duan Yu''s hands as tightly as she could. Everyone''s heart is thumping like a beating drum. Although they expected an enemy concealed in the darkness, no one expected such a horrifying noise to herald the arrival of their attackers.


    Abruptly, with a ''pai'' noise, it sounded as if a small object has knocked onto the wooden wall of the wooden house from outside. Following that came a continuous stream of ''pai pai pai pai'' sounds, as if scores of small items are knocking at the wall. Mu Wanqing and Zhong Ling screamed in unison: "They are bees!" Ba Tianshi rushed to close a window and out of the blue, the air is pierced by the dreadful long cries of horses and sounds of their stomping. Zhong Ling shrieked: "The bees are stinging the horses!" Zhu Danchen announced: "I will go and cut the ropes binding the horses!" Tearing the collar of his long robes, he wrapped the cloth around his head. As he barely pushed open the wooden door with his left hand, a gust of wind brought thousands of bees into the house. Zhong Ling and Wang Yuyan instantly screamed at the top of their voices.


    Ba Tianshi dragged Zhu Danchen back into the house, and with his knee, he knocked the door close. However, the house is already filled with bees. Once they entered the house, the bees started stinging everyone and in a few minutes, everyone''s head, arms, face have all been stung several times. Opening his folded fan, Zhu Danchen smacked randomly in the air. Tearing his own collar, Ba Tianshi used it against the bees as a weapon. Enduring the painful stings, Duan Yu, Mu Wanqing, Wang Yuyan and Zhong Ling also did their best in smacking the bees.


    When Ba Tianshi, Zhu Danchen, Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing attacked the bees, they utilized their maximum internal energy. Soon, there are only a few dozen bees left in the house. Strange enough, these bees are like moths attracted to fire. Despite the circumstances, they continued stinging everyone relentlessly. Another brief skirmish later, everyone finally realised that all the bees within the house are dead. Zhong Ling and Wang Yuyan are both crying profusely due to the pain. In the ears of everyone, the sounds of ''pai pai'' outside the house are as dense as ever. There could be another tens of thousands of bees waiting to penetrate the wooden cabin. Paled-faced, everybody temporary ignored their bodily pain and hastily tore at their collars or sleeves, using them to plug every single gap in the wooden house.


    Numerous red and swollen marks occupy their six bodies and faces; everybody looked the worse for wear. Duan Yu consoled: "Luckily, we are able to seek shelter in this wooden house. If we are outside in the open wilderness and with these millions of wild bees coming after us, we will be slaughtered." Mu Wanqing warned: "These wild bees are being lured here by our enemies. Will they give up now? Or will they try to break down the wooden house?" Zhong Ling let out a shriek and asked: "Sister, you¡­ you are saying that they will break down this wooden house?"


    Before Mu Wanqing could reply, a loud ''PONG!'' sound was heard above her head. A large rock has apparently landed on the roof. The rafters of the roof went ''ge ge'' as it shook. Fortunately, the roof remained intact. The ''ge ge'' sound barely ended when another two large rocks broke through the roof and landed in the house. The oil lamps were instantly extinguished.


    Duan Yu hurriedly held Wang Yuyan in his bosom and covered her head and face. Faced with ear-deafening buzzing noise, the group realised fighting is futile and quickly used their robes to cover their faces. In seconds, their arms, legs, shoulders are pierced by thousands of stings. Shortly, everything went black as the six of them fainted simultaneously.


    Duan Yu has ingested the Crimson Buffalo Toad and originally, he is immune to poison. However, these bees are raised by humans. Besides the venomous bee sting, sleeping drugs are applied to the bee''s stinger. After being stung consecutively by hundreds of bees, he succumbed as well. Nevertheless, his internal energy is overwhelming and among the six, he was the first to regain consciousness.


    The second he woke up, he immediately reached out his hand to hug Wang Yuyan. However, he is unable to move his arms. At the same time, he realised that Wang Yuyan is no longer in his bosom. Although his eyes are wide open, all he could see is complete darkness. It turns out that his arms and legs are securely fastened; his eyes are blindfolded with a black cloth and there was a large walnut stuffed in his mouth. His breathing is limited and speaking is impossible. All over his skin, he can feel countless small but painful spots, the places where the bees have left their marks. He could sense that he is in some underground chamber but has no idea where he is or how long he has been knocked out.


    In his state of helplessness, Duan Yu suddenly heard a firm female voice reprimanding: "I have expended so much energy, planning to capture the old dog surnamed Duan from DaLi. Why did you catch this little puppy instead?" Duan Yu felt that this voice is familiar to him but for the time being, he could not recognize the speaker.


    A voice from an old woman replied: "Servant (I) has followed your instructions carefully and nothing was neglected." The lady snorted: "Humph, I believe there is some funny business going on. The old dog was heading south from Xixia, taking the main road and passing through Xichuan; why did he abruptly head east? All the drugged wine that we carefully prepared along the journey was consumed by this puppy instead."


    In his heart, Duan Yu knew the ''old dog'' she mentioned is his own father Duan Zhengchun. In her rude terms, the ''puppy'' is therefore Duan Yu himself. Based on the walled voices of the lady and old woman, they are probably speaking in another chamber, probably the chamber right next to Duan Yu''s.


    The old woman mused: "On this trip to the Central Plains, His Lordship Duan has already spent a considerable number of days. When he abruptly head east¡­" The lady scolded: "You still address him as His Lordship Duan?" The old woman answered: "Yes, in the past¡­ Mistress instructed me to address him as Mister Duan. Now that he has aged¡­" The lady snapped: "Stop talking about him." The old woman acknowledged: "Yes." The lady released a light sigh and dejectedly continued: "He¡­ He has aged¡­" In her voice, signs of pity and vulnerability can be discerned.


    Duan Yu was instantly relieved. He pondered: Initially, I was puzzled about her identity. Turns out that she is Father''s old girlfriend. She has a grudge with Father and she is probably doing it out of jealousy. Oh yeah, her venomous bees scheme is originally used to kidnap Father but due to a complicated coincidence, I took the rap instead. Since this is the case, she would not cause any harm to us. Still, I wonder who this lady is? I have definitely heard her voice before.


    The lady started speaking again: "The incomplete paintings that we prepared in all the houses and inns; did that puppy really make all the right corrections? I am still in doubt. The old dog has managed to replicate all his education in the puppy? Is there such a coincidence in this world?" The old woman reminded: "Whenever the Father recites his poetry, the son will be influenced. There is nothing strange with that." The lady angrily cursed: "Dao Baifeng that uncouth and uneducated girl grew up in the countryside. How did she give birth to such a talented son? I will never believe this as long as I live."


    Hearing her insult her own mother, Duan Yu was incensed. Unconsciously, he wanted to scold her in return but the minute he tried to move his lips, he was reminded of the giant walnut in his mouth. Under such restraint, how could he speak out?


    Next, he heard the old woman advising: "Mistress, these events happened decades ago, why are you still clinging onto them? Moreover, the person who mistreated you was Mister Duan, not his son. You¡­ you¡­ You should spare the young man. Our ''Drunken Bees'' have inflicted large amounts of pain on him; it should be more than enough." In a shrill voice, the lady exclaimed: "You are saying I should spare the kid surnamed Duan? Humph, Humph, I will cut him into a thousand slices before I spare him."


    Duan Yu thought: Father has offended you, not me; why did you hate me so much? So the bees are known as ''Drunken Bees'', I wonder how did she accumulate so many bees that will only attack us? Who is this lady? She is not Madam Zhong. Their voices are completely different.


    Out of the blue, a male voice can be heard: "Maternal Aunt-in-law (Wife of mother''s brother. Will use Maternal Aunt in future), your nephew pays his respects to you."


    Duan Yu was greatly shaken. In his heart, a mystery has been solved. The male speaker is Murong Fu and the lady whom he addresses as Maternal Aunt is naturally Madam Wang of Gusu Moon Flower (jimsonweed / thornapple) Manor. She is the mother of Wang Yuyan and his future mother-in-law. Simultaneously, Duan Yu''s heart is thumping uncontrollably. His emotions are going haywire and his brain is utterly confused. In his mind, the episodes at Moon Flower Manor are being played out like a cut scene:


    Regardless of Camellia or Moon Flower, the best grown are those from DaLi. The quality of camellias from Gusu is deplorable, with the most being produced by Moon Flower Manor. Their variety is pathetic and the cultivation method is erroneous; either the farmed flowers are smaller than usual or they wither faster than normal. Funnily enough, why is the Manor named as ''Moon Flower Manor''? Except for camellias, no other flowers are planted at the Manor; what is the reason behind this peculiarity?


    Moon Flower Manor has its own set of laws. Any male who enters the Manor uninvited must amputate both his legs. Additionally, Madam Wang insisted: "If the male happens to be from DaLi or is surnamed Duan, he must be buried alive." When the disciple of Limitless Sword Sect was captured by Madam Wang, although he is not from DaLi, he was still buried alive because his hometown is less than 20km away from DaLi.


    Another time, Madam Wang seized a young gentleman, and ordered him to go home and murder his official wife. Afterwards, he must marry his private mistress as his official wife. If he disagrees, Madam Wang will take his life on the spot, giving the fellow no option but to accede.


    Duan Yu remembered Madam Wang instructing her maidservant: "You shall escort him (as a prisoner) back to Gusu City and witness him killing his own wife with your own eyes. Once he has married Miss Miao, you may come home." The gentlemen pleaded: "My wife has no enmity with you; you are not acquainted with Miss Miao either. Why are you helping her, forcing me to kill my spouse and remarry?" That occasion, Madam Wang laughing replied: "Since you are a married man, you should not seduce another virgin lady. By sweet-talking her and involving her in a relationship, you have no choice but to marry her as your wife." Based on her revelations, the maidservant Xiaocui alone has already handled seven similar cases in Changshu, Danyang, Wuxi and Jiaxing.


    Duan Yu is from DaLi and surnamed Duan. If not for his knowledge in growing camellias, Madam Wang would have sentenced him to death. Instead, he was invited to attend a feast at Yunjin Hall (Hall of Brocades). Unfortunately, while Duan Yu and Madam Wang are discussing about the different breeds of camellia, they mentioned a specific breed: white petals with a red streak, nicknamed: Beauty maimed her face. Duan Yu corrected: "There are many types of white camellia with red streaks. That is not ''Beauty maimed her face'', it is ''Fence-leaning Beauty''. Madam, please think about it; all beauties are generally refined and gentle. If she occasionally cuts her face, that is acceptable. But if a beauty''s face is full of cuts, that means she is always picking fights with others. How can someone like that be considered beautiful?" These words caused Madam Wang to blow her top and she berated him: "Where did you hear this nonsense from? How dare you create this twisted logic and insult me? Are you saying that a girl who practices martial arts is ugly? Refined and gentle; what''s so good about that?" She had him instantly dragged out of the feast and nearly executed him.


    From these incidents, at that point in time, Duan Yu concluded that Madam Wang is someone without compassion. Except for ''absurd'', he could not find a better word to describe her. Presently, aware that the lady in the neighbouring chamber is Madam Wang, he was enlightened: She is another old flame of Father; that explains her dedication towards camellia and her extreme hatred for DaLi residents that are surnamed Duan. Since Madam Wang is so fond of camellia; her relationship with Father decades ago must be intricately linked to camellia. When she chose to bury men from DaLi or men surnamed Duan, she must be venting her frustration on Father, who himself is surnamed Duan and from DaLi. Father must have abandoned her and she bore this grudge till today, implicating innocent men. Whenever she forces men with mistresses to kill their official wives and remarry, it reveals her long hidden wish. She hoped that one day, Father would kill his official wife and marry her. When he (DY) unintentionally stated that a lady always getting into fights couldn''t be beautiful, she immediately lost her temper. Back then, because of her affair with Father, they must have had a big martial arts fight. Of course, during the fight, Father would naturally make concessions for her.


    Although Duan Yu finally unraveled many suspicious mysteries, there is no mental relief for him. Instead, it felt as if a gigantic boulder is pressing on his chest. For certain reasons, he could not articulate it. To a certain extent, he felt that Wang Yuyan''s mother and his Father''s past affair is something he is awfully uncomfortable with. Deep in his heart, he suddenly experienced an earth-shattering fear. Unwilling to face this most fearsome thoughts head on, he was petrified with unspeakable trauma.


    Next minute, he heard Madam Wang speaking: "Oh, it is Nephew Fu. You look great. I believe you will soon become the Emperor of Great Yan. When is the coronation?" Her speech carried a tone of ridicule.


    Murong Fu instead solemnly answered: "That is the bequest of my ancestors. Nephew is incompetent. Roaming through the martial arts world for years, I am still back at square one. I was about to seek some guidance from Maternal Aunt."


    Madam Wang coldly sniggered: "What guidance can I offer? Ours is the Wang Family. Yours is the Murong Family. We are surnamed Wang, and have nothing to do with your Murong Family Emperor dream. I forbid you from entering Moon Flower Manor and forbid you from meeting Yuyan, all because I do not wish to get involved with your Murong Family issues. Where is Yuyan? Where have you brought her?"


    ''Where is Yuyan?'' The three words struck Duan Yu''s ear like a lightning bolt. This is his utmost concern right now. When the venomous bees are attacking him, Wang Yuyan was right in his bosom. Currently, where is she? Listening to Madam Wang''s tone, she appears to be telling the truth.


    He heard Murong Fu retort: "Where is Cousin? How would I know? All along, she has been accompanying Mister Duan from DaLi. Who knows, the two of them may have already went through marriage ceremony and have become husband and wife!"


    In a quivering voice, Madam Wang scolded: "You¡­ What utter rubbish!" With a loud ''Pong!'' she heavily slammed her palm on the table. She furiously reprimanded: "Why didn''t you take care of her? Letting her, a young lady, roam the martial arts world randomly? Don''t you care for her as a Cousin?"


    Murong Fu remarked: "Maternal Aunt, why are you so upset? You are afraid that I will marry Cousin, afraid that she will become the daughter-in-law of the Murong Family and follow me in my Emperor dream. Presently, everything is looking good. When she marries Mister Duan from DaLi, in the future, she will be the official Empress of DaLi country. Isn''t that a fantastic outcome?"


    ''Pong!'' Madam Wang landed another palm on the table. She hollered: "Nonsense! What kind of fantastic outcome is that? It will never be allowed!"


    In the chamber next door, Duan Yu is already in a state of anxiety. When he heard the words ''it will never be allowed'', he groaned in despair: "Suffering, suffering, Yuyan and I eventually cannot have a smooth sailing relationship. Her mother even stated that our marriage ''will never be allowed!''"


    From a window outside, someone sang out: "Not right, not right. Miss Wang and Mister Duan are a match made in heaven, a pair made on earth. Madam is mistaken when you say it will never be allowed." Madam Wang angrily threatened: "Bao Butong, who gave you the permission to contradict me in this act of insubordination? If you continue to be rude, I will order someone to assassinate your daughter." Bao Butong is originally someone who fears neither the deities nor the demons. But after hearing Madam Wang''s sharp censure, he instantly kept his mouth shut and became as quiet as a mouse.


    In his heart, Duan Yu was wishing: "Third Brother Bao, Third Uncle Bao, Third Master Bao, Third Grandmaster Bao, please continue contradicting Madam Wang. Her words are entirely illogical. Only you are a true hero who posses the guts to pick a fight with her." Against his wishes, the voice from the window became completely silent, as Bao Butong no longer dared to speak out. Actually, Bao Butong is not afraid of Madam Wang sending a killer after her daughter Bao Bujing. The truth is that for generations, Bao Butong''s ancestors have served the Murong Family. He himself is a loyal subordinate. Since Madam Wang is a Senior related to the Murong Family, indirectly, she is his owner (mistress) as well. Even if he loses his temper, he would not neglect this master-servant status.


    Now that Bao Butong has committed to silence, Madam Wang''s fury decreased by a little. To Murong Fu, she demanded: "Nephew Fu, now that you are here, what tricks are you up to? This time round, what do you plan to swindle from me?"


    Murong Fu laughed: "Maternal Aunty, Nephew is your relation. In my heart, I am concerned about you. Can''t I even pay you a visit? Why did you say I am here to swindle you?"


    Madam Wang scorned: "Hey hey, to think you still have a conscience and are concerned about Maternal Aunt (me). If you have shown more concern, Maternal Aunt would not have landed in this pathetic state today." Murong Fu chuckled: "Maternal Aunt, if there is anything bothering you, by all means, share them with Nephew. Nephew guarantees you a satisfactory conclusion."


    Madam Wang spat: "Pui Pui Pui! After a few years of not seeing you, I wonder where you learnt how to sweet talk!"


    Murong Fu clarified: "It is not sweet-talking. If it were some strangers, I cannot tell what is bothering them. But for the issue bothering Maternal Aunt, even if Nephew (I) cannot be 100% correct, I would at least be 80% correct. In order to give Maternal Aunt a satisfactory conclusion, not that Nephew is bragging, but I am 80% confident of success."


    Madam Wang challenged: "Why don''t you try guessing? If you start spouting nonsense, don''t blame me for giving you a tight slap."


    Swaying his voice, Murong Fu recited: "Beauty in green robes a familiar face; September camellia blossom with grace."


    Madam Wang was taken aback and in a trembling voice, she asked: "You¡­ How did you know? Have you been to the wooden house by the sea of grass?" Murong Fu deflected: "Maternal Aunt need not know how I found out. Maternal Aunt only needs to tell Nephew, does she want to see this person or not?" Madam Wang stuttered: "See¡­ Who do I wish to see?" Her tone has softened at once, carrying a pleading tone. Compared to her earlier serious and icy tone, the two tones are worlds apart. Murong Fu remarked: "The person Nephew is talking about is the same person Maternal Aunt has been thinking about. Spring river flowing water white camellia, summer valley mist rise red lychee!"


    In a quavering voice, Madam Wang questioned: "Tell me, how can I meet him?" Murong Fu described: "Maternal Aunt has expended plenty of effort and resources in order to apprehend this person. However, due to one misstep, he avoided your trap. Nephew has been thinking; it is not difficult to encounter him but there is no use in purely meeting him. Ultimately, it makes more sense to capture him and make him completely obedient to Maternal Aunt. When Maternal Aunt wants him to head east, he dared not head west. If Maternal Aunt wants him to draw her eyebrows, he dared not apply rouge on her cheeks." The last two lines are highly disrespectful but Madam Wang''s emotions are in a state of turbulence and she paid no heed to them. Sighing once, she commented: "My scheme is well-planned and brilliant, still, he managed to evade it. I cannot think of any better idea."


    Murong Fu suggested: "Despite that, Nephew knows the whereabouts of this person. If Maternal Aunt trusts me, please provide Nephew with the details of the scheme. Maybe I can add some perspective to it."


    Madam Wang explained: "After all, we are one big family and trust is never an issue. This round, my scheme is known as ''Drunken Bee'' scheme. At Moon Flower Manor, I kept a few hundred bee hives. Besides camellia, the Manor does not plant any other flowers. The Manor is far away from mainland, so the bees on the island will not pick honey from anywhere else." Murong Fu noted: "That is right. Except for camellia, these ''Drunken Bees'' will develop a dislike for the fragrances of other flowers." Madam Wang continued: "It took me more than ten years of effort in cultivating these bee hives. In the honey consumed by the bees, I gradually added sleeping drugs and other sedatives. When these ''Drunken Bees'' sting someone, the person will be knocked out for four to five days."


    Duan Yu was shocked: "Have I been unconscious for four to five days?"


    Murong Fu praised: "Maternal Aunt''s brilliant scheme is truly hard to overcome. Nevertheless, how do you get the bees to sting a specific person?"


    Madam Wang explained: "You have to add a certain drug to the person''s food. This drug is not poisonous, is colourless and odourless. However, it has a bitter taste so you cannot put the entire dosage in one go. As you know, this person (DZC) himself is a master of trickery. His subordinates are all wise, highly skilled and talented in various areas. Using poison or sleeping gas against him will be futile. Therefore, I came up with this plan. By sending my staff to provide all his meals and wine, we are able to dope him in small dosages."


    Duan Yu was instantly enlightened: It turns out that along the journey, all the defective paintings were baits laid by Madam Wang to lure my Father. Once the paintings were rectified, the spies planted by Madam Wang will identify the presence of His Lordship Duan of DaLi. They will accordingly spike the food and wine before serving them.


    Madam Wang bemoaned: "Unexpectedly, due to some ridiculous coincidence, that fellow skirted off elsewhere while his son stepped right into the thick of it. The little ruffian actually memorized his father''s library of poems, verses, songs and records. Of course, he is another blatant womanizer and lecherous wanderer. On his trip, the little ruffian filled up all the painting blanks correctly. As he unreservedly wined and dined, he has consumed all the drugged wine and food on behalf of his father. Finally, he arrived at the wooden house near the sea of grass. Inside the wooden house, the oil in the oil lamps is all laced with drugs. I hid more drugs in the wooden pillar, waiting for the little ruffian to break it. The different drugs and the fragrance mixed together will attract the ''Drunken Bees.'' Ai, there is no flaw in my plans; it is the wrong person who spring the trap. This little ruffian has ruined my grand scheme! Humph, if I don''t dismember him into seventeen or eighteen pieces, I cannot appease the hatred in my heart."


    Listening to her vile words and fierce tone, Duan Yu cannot help but was frightened at her threats. He thought: Her plan is truly brilliant and all-encompassing - by hiding drugs in the pillar and luring me to fill up the missing words in the couplets; once I broke the pillar, the drugs would seep out. Ai, Duan Yu ah Duan Yu! One step at a time, you have entered a trap set by the enemy, yet, you did not detect anything amiss. You are an absolute fool.


    Duan Yu then changed his thinking perspective: Along the trip, I have been filling up blanks in paintings, thereby misleading Madam Wang''s spies, giving them the impression that I am my Father. With all their attention on me, my Father was able to escape this predicament. Bearing this calamity for my Father, I have no regrets. In fact, I am grateful for this development.


    As Duan Yu thought up till this point, he felt his sacrifice is not a big issue. But eventually, he cannot help but wonder: After capturing me, Madam Wang is going to dismember me in seventeen or eighteen pieces but if the person she captured was my Father, she would obediently oblige and serve him. Looks like the end consequence between my Father and I are vastly different.


    Next, he heard Madam Wang grumbled with hatred in her voice: "I got this maidservant to masquerade as a deaf-mute old woman, giving her full authority to command the operations. Despite personally knowing and recognizing that person, the entire scheme fell apart like one big joke."


    The old woman debated: "Mistress, Maid (I) has already reported to you that Mister Duan (Senior) is not present in the group. I proceeded to con them out of their firestones so that they cannot put up a light. Furthermore, I used grass mats to conceal couplets on the pillars, preventing the ''Drunken Bees'' from being lured to the house. Unexpectedly, these people are simply a magnet for trouble. At the end of the day, they still managed to light a fire and unmask the couplets."


    With a snort, Madam Wang insisted: "Regardless of what you say, you are plain useless."


    Duan Yu thought: "When the old woman cheated us of our firestones and wrapped the pillars with grass mats, she is actually doing it for our own good. I did not see that coming."


    Murong Fu enquired: "Maternal Aunt, after the ''Drunken Bees'' have stung someone, what happen to the bees?" Madam Wang replied: "Once the bees have stung someone, they will die shortly after that. However, the bees that I have been rearing are in the ten of thousands. A few hundred dead is of no consequence." Murong Fu applauded: "That is wonderful. First, we grab the junior, then we get the senior; the sequence doesn''t matter. Nephew has a suggestion, if we are able to retrieve a identification item from junior, either a pendant, weapon or some significant object, we can present it to Maternal Aunt''s ¡­ that¡­ that guy. With it, we can easily lure him to the wooden house near the sea of grass."


    With an ''Ah!'' cry, Madam Wang stood up and praised: "My good Nephew, after all, as a young man, your brain is more resourceful. When Maternal Aunt''s (my) scheme fell apart, I was disappointed and empty of ideas. It did not cross my mind to extend the scheme. You are right. The Father and son share a deep bond. If he knows his son is being detained by me, he would surely try and save him. By repeating the ''Drunken Bee'' trap, we can still accomplish the mission."


    Murong Fu laughed: "When that really happens, even without the bees, there is nothing to fear. By adding sedatives to his wine and forcing him to drink it, he would not reject in order to save his son. In fact, when he sees Maternal Aunt''s exquisite complexion, all the ''Drunken Bees'' and sedatives will be useless. He will be fully intoxicated by your beauty."


    With a ''pui'', Madam Wang scolded: "You rascal, how dare you utter rubbish in front of Maternal Aunt!" But thinking of reuniting with Duan Zhengchun and drinking wine with him, she unconsciously revealed a joyful smile. Her blissful heart fluttering to the sky, she sweetly agreed: "Correct, not bad, we shall go with this idea."


    Murong Fu said: "Maternal Aunt, Nephew''s idea is pretty good, isn''t it?" Madam Wang chuckled: "If everything concludes successfully without any accidents, Maternal Aunt naturally would not forget to reward you. Our first step is to investigate the actual whereabouts of that heartless fellow." Murong Fu disclosed: "Nephew is in possession of some news regarding his location. With regards to this, there are some complications." Madam Wang frowned: "What kind of complications? As usual, you love to withhold stuff from others." Murong Fu revealed: "This man is currently being detained by another captor, and his life is danger."


    With a ''Qiang Lang'' noise, a delicate bowl was accidently swept by the sleeve of Madam Wang. Falling onto the floor, it shattered into pieces.


    Duan Yu had a big shock too. If not for the walnut stuffed in his mouth, he would certainly have cried out.


    In a trembling voice, Madam Wang inquired: "Who¡­ Who is his captor? Why didn''t you say so earlier? We could have thought of a plan to rescue him." Murong Fu shook his head: "My dear Maternal Aunt, our opponent this time possess incredible martial arts, even Nephew is not his match. We can only rely on our wits and not by force." Hearing his tone, Madam Wang felt that Murong Fu is hardly in a state of urgency or anxiety. Slightly comforted, she continued interrogating: "How do we win by relying on our wits? What clever plan do you have?"


    Murong Fu reasoned: " We can still utilize Maternal Aunt''s ''Drunken Bees'' scheme. We only need to change the pillars and engrave new words on them. For example, we can engrave ''DaLi Country is presently ruled by Emperor Baoding Duan Zhengming''. When that person sees this, he would certainly rage about it. When he uses his fingers to erase the words ''Emperor Baoding Duan Zhengming'', the drugs will seep out from the pillar."


    Madam Wang guessed: "So his captor is that fellow who is competing against Duan Zhengming for the throne of DaLi. I think his name is Duan Yanqing."


    Murong Fu confirmed: "That''s right!"


    Madam Wang was petrified: "He¡­ He¡­ If he is in the hands of Duan Yanqing, his days are numbered. All along, Duan Yanqing has been dying to kill him. Maybe¡­ Maybe by now, he has already¡­ Has already executed him."


    Murong Fu coaxed: "Maternal Aunt need not worry too much. There are some critical conditions involved that you have not considered." Madam Wang demanded: "What critical conditions?" Murong Fu elaborated: "Presently, the Emperor of DaLi is Duan Zhengming. Your Mister Duan (senior) has already been conferred with the title of Imperial Successor. Everyone in DaLi knows about this. Duan Zhengming is lenient in his punishments and taxation, practices good governance and loves his people. He is widely praised as a compassionate ruler while Lord Zhennan himself is popular with the citizens of DaLi. The monarchy is stable and established. For Duan Yanqing, killing Lord Zhennan is as easy as lifting a finger; however, the minute Lord Zhennan is killed, the Imperial Court of DaLi will be in chaos. There is no guarantee that Duan Yanqing can smoothly ascend the throne of DaLi."


    Madam Wang agreed: "What you said makes sense, but how did you come to these conclusions?" Murong Fu answered: "Some of these information are what Nephew learnt from others; while the rest are my own deductions." Madam Wang realised: "All your life, you are thinking of becoming an Emperor. Naturally, you would spare no effort in obtaining information in these areas."


    Murong Fu articulated: "Maternal Aunt has given me too much credit. It is Nephew''s wild guess that Duan Yanqing would not execute Lord Zhennan immediately after capturing him. Instead, he should think of a way to let him ascend the throne first before abdicating and transferring the throne to Duan Yanqing himself. This method will be official and upright. Regardless of DaLi ministers, generals or citizens, no one could object to this arrangement." Madam Wang quizzed: "Why is this official and upright?" Murong Fu explained: "Originally, Duan Yanqing''s father is the Emperor of DaLi. Due to a power tussle by corrupted statesmen, Duan Yanqing''s disappearance was engineered during a succession, allowing Duan Zhengming to become the Emperor instead. Duan Yanqing is the true blue Prince Yanqing of DaLi. This is common knowledge in DaLi. When Lord Zhennan ascended the throne and he is without an heir, it is only befitting to confer Duan Yanqing as the Imperial Successor. Therefore, this process is completely official and upright."


    Madam Wang was bewildered: "He¡­ He¡­ He obviously has a son. Why did you say he is heirless?" Murong Fu laughed: "Maternal Aunt, have you forgotten your earlier words? Didn''t you say you are planning to dismember the surnamed Duan fellow into seventeen or eighteen pieces? I don''t think he can still become an Imperial Successor when he is in seventeen or eighteen pieces." Madam Wang cheerfully exclaimed: "Right! Right! This b@5tard which came out of the cheap lowlife Dao Baifeng. His living existence only serves to annoy me."


    Duan Yu thought: This time round, it looks like my life is in extreme danger. I wonder where is Yuyan? If she begs for mercy on my behalf, maybe Madam Wang will spare my life.


    Madam Wang declared: "Since his life is not in immediate danger, I am relieved. I will not allow him to become the pointless Emperor of DaLi. He must accompany me to Moon Flower Manor." Murong Fu reasoned: "After Lord Zhennan has abdicated, he would naturally accompany Maternal Aunt to Moon Flower Manor. Even if he remains in DaLi, there is nothing for him there. Duan Yanqing will not appreciate his presence too, for Lord Zhennan could be a source of trouble for him. Nonetheless, it is necessary for Lord Zhennan to ascend the throne. Let him enjoy the throne for ten days or even up till two weeks. Once we have the upper hand, we will show no mercy. Otherwise, Duan Yanqing would not agree." Madam Wang dissed: "Pui! Whether he agrees or not, it has nothing to do with us. Once we have captured Duan Yanqing and rescued Mister Duan (senior), we can simply kill him. Who cares about his consent?"


    Murong Fu let out a sigh: "Maternal Aunt, I forgot to mention something. Before we could capture Duan Yanqing, there is still a big hurdle we need to overcome." Madam Wang commented: "You already knew where he is. My good Nephew, Maternal Aunt fully understands your character. When the mission has been accomplished, what kind of reward do you want from me? Let''s get this issue out of the way first. Feel free to make your most daring request." Murong Fu rejected: "We are relatives. For Nephew to assist Maternal Aunt, no reward is necessary. Nephew is just doing my best and have no desire for any benefits."


    Madam Wang indicated: "If you say so. In the future, if you bring this up again and I refused your request, don''t you dare to be upset."


    Murong Fu guffawed: "Since Nephew has declined any reward, I will stick to it. In the future, when you are really feeling generous, feel free to reward me with a few thousand taels of gold or a few martial arts manual from Langya Jade Cave. That will suffice."


    Madam Wang snorted once ''Humph'' and remarked: "If you need gold for your daily expenses and come to me for them, why would I reject you? If you wanted to browse the secret manuals in Langya Jade Cave, you are more than welcomed! I am only worried if you waste your life away and do not seek to improve yourself. I really have no idea what is going through your mind. All right! Regarding the capture of Duan Yanqing and the rescue of hostage, what is your idea?"


    Murong Fu began: "The first step is for Duan Yanqing to escort Lord Zhennan to the wooden house by the sea of grass, am I right?" Madam Wang nodded: "That is right. How do you plan to lure Duan Yanqing to the wooden house by the sea of grass?" Murong Fu responded: "This is easy. For Duan Yanqing to become the Emperor of DaLi, he needs to accomplish two tasks. First, he needs to apprehend Duan Zhengchun and force him to abdicate. Second, he needs to kill Duan Yu, making Duan Zhengchun heirless. After all, ''Among the three failures, heirless is the gravest.'' With his capture of Duan Zhengchun, Duan Yanqing has completed the first task. Duan Yu that fellow is still alive in this world. We will bring an identification item of Duan Yu and show it to Duan Zhengchun. Duan Zhengchun would obviously want to save his son and Duan Yanqing will escort him here. Therefore, when Maternal Aunt has captured the Duan junior fellow, it is not a mistake at all. Because of the captured Duan Yu, we now have a fragrant bait to catch the golden tortoise."


    Madam Wang giggled: "You are saying the Duan junior fellow is a fragrant bait?" Murong Fu laughed: "I think he is half fragrant and half stinking." Madam Wang asked: "Why so?" Murong Fu explained: "Half of him from Lord Zhennan is fragrant. The other half from the lowlife Zhennan Princess must be stinking."


    Madam Wang burst out laughing and remarked: "You little sweet-talker; you really know how to please Maternal Aunt."


    Murong Fu chuckled: "Nephew might as well work on this immediately. The earlier we finish, the earlier Maternal Aunt can begin a life of happiness. Maternal Aunt, please summon that fellow." Madam Wang updated: "After he has been stung by the ''Drunken Bees'', he would only regain consciousness in about three more days. This kid is in the next chamber. If he is awake, based on our loud voices, he would have overheard everything. There is something else I wanted to ask you. This¡­ This Lord Zhennan may be a heartless cad but he is a righteous hero after all. How is Duan Yanqing going to force him to abdicate? Is he going to use methods of torture and cause him¡­ cause him plenty of suffering?" As she spoke till this point, her voice is full of deep concern.


    Murong Fu sighed once and advised: "Maternal Aunt, regarding this, you should not probe any further. If Nephew told you, you would certainly be angered." Madam Wang anxiously demanded: "Quickly tell me. Quickly tell me. Stop hiding things from me." Murong Fu sighed: "When I say the DaLi Duan fellow is heartless, I am entirely correct. With Maternal Aunt''s breathtaking beauty, academic background and martial arts skills, even if someone carries a lantern and search throughout the lands, there will not be a second one available. This Duan fellow must have accumulated plenty of good karma in his previous life to win the love of Maternal Aunt. By then, he should have stayed loyal and cared for you. However¡­ Ai, to think that such a muddle headed fool actually exists; ignoring the bliss right before his eyes. Instead of loving the Moon Goddess ChangE, he chose the sow rolling in the mud¡­"


    Madam Wang was incensed: "You are saying he¡­ he¡­ that heartless cad is involved with other women? Who is she? Who is she?" Murong Fu advised: "These lowlife and cheap women; they are not even fit to carry the shoes of Maternal Aunt. Those women beside him are only the wife of Zhang San* and the daughter of Li Si*. Maternal Aunt must maintain your prestige. There is no need to get upset over these kind of women."


    (derogatory term for anonymous women)


    Madam Wang blew her top and slammed the table several times ''Pong! Pong! Pong!'' She bellowed: "When he dumped me and returned to DaLi and become a Lord, I do not hold it against him. He is married with a wife; I also do not hold it against him. It is my own bad luck for meeting him after he got married. But he¡­ But he¡­ You say he has been hanging out with other women? These women, who are they? Who are they? Speak!"


    In the next chamber, Duan Yu heard her throwing a huge tantrum and he could not help but was traumatized as well. He thought: Yuyan is such a gentle and easygoing person; why is her mother such a fearsome character? It must be quite tough for Father to date such a woman.


    Duan Yu then realised: All of Father''s old girlfriends have weird tempers. Aunty Qin ordered her daughter to assassinate my Mother. Aunty Ruan gave birth to a daughter like Sister Ah Zi; her own temperament cannot be any better. Aunty Gan has obviously gotten married to Zhong Wanchou and yet she is still entangled with my Father. The wife of Beggar''s Sect Assistant Chief is crazily obedient. Even my own Mother is peculiar. Instead of cohabiting with Father, she chose to be a nun in a temple outside the city. Even Imperial Uncle and Imperial Aunty cannot persuade her to change her mind. Ai, why did I list my Mother among the old girlfriends?


    Murong Fu comforted: "Maternal Aunt, there is no need to lose your temper. Please catch your breath and Nephew will slowly tell you everything."


    Madam Wang professed: "Even if you are unwilling to speak, I already guessed as much. Duan Yanqing must have captured a cheap woman who is accompanying the surnamed Duan fellow. This is to force him to abdicate after becoming the Emperor. If he refuses, the cheap woman will be subjected to torture. Am I right? The silly character of the surnamed Duan fellow, don''t I know him well enough? No matter how you force him, even if you put a steel knife to his neck, he would rather die than comply. But if you are threatening a woman that he loves, he is willing to agree to anything, even sacrifice his own life. Humph. How does the cheap woman look like? That foxy vixen, I wondered how did she seduce him? Speak quickly, who is this cheap woman?"


    Murong Fu warned: "Maternal Aunt, I will say it out. Please do not be angry. There is more than one cheap woman." Shocked and infuriated, ''Pong!'' Madam Wang heavily slammed the table once and shouted: "What? There are two of them?" Murong Fu sighed once and slowly replied: "There is more than two of them!"


    Madam Wang is completely filled with disbelief and rage: "What? In his trip, he is still busy womanizing? One is insufficient, he needs two, even three companions?"


    Murong Fu shook his head: "Presently, there are four females accompanying him. Maternal Aunt, there is no need to be upset. In the future, when he becomes the Emperor, his harem will be filled with beauties. Although DaLi is a small country and cannot be compared with Great Song or Great Liao, even if he does not have three thousand concubines, he would at least have three hundred ladies at his beck and call."


    Madam Wang scolded: "Pui! Pui! That is why I forbid him from becoming the Emperor. Speak, who are the four cheap women?"


    Duan Yu was puzzled as well. He only knew about Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu who are accompanying Father. Where did the other two ladies come from?


    Next, he heard Murong Fu started: "One is surnamed Qin, one is surnamed Ruan¡­" Madam Wang cursed: "Humph! Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu; these two vixens are intertwined with him again." Murong Fu added: "There is one more but she is a married woman. I hear them calling her Madam Zhong. It appears that she is looking for her daughter. This Madam Zhong kept a respectful distance and her relationship with Lord Zhennan seems to be platonic. Lord Zhennan treated her respectfully in return but he always lovingly addressed her as: Baobao, Baobao!" Madam Wang berated: "It is Gan Baobao the cheap woman. What respectful behavior rubbish? It is all fake and putting up a show for others. If they are indeed prim and proper, they should be miles apart. Yet, they are sticking together. Who is the last cheap woman?"


    Murong Fu clarified: "Number four is not a cheap woman. She is the official wife of Lord Zhennan, Zhennan Princess Consort."


    Both Duan Yu and Madam Wang were utterly astounded. Duan Yu thought: Why is Mother here as well? Madam Wang let out a ''Ah!'', as this is beyond her expectation.


    Murong Fu chuckled: "Does Maternal Aunt find this strange? Actually, if you think deeply about it, it is nothing extraordinary. Lord Zhennan has left DaLi for more than a year. Central Plains has countless beauties. Since there are attractive women like Maternal Aunt, there would surely be h0rny (horny) vixens like Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu. Surely Zhennan Princess would be worried about Lord Zhennan, right?"


    Madam Wang went ''Pui'' and chided: "How dare you compare me with those h0rny vixens! These four women, are they all still with him?"


    Murong Fu laughed: "Maternal Aunt can rest easy. After a vicious battle on a red sand beach near Double Phoenix Station, Lord Zhennan''s side suffered a complete loss at the hands of Duan Yanqing. Regardless of male or female, the acupoints were all sealed and everyone became a prisoner. Duan Yanqing was busy fighting Lord Zhennan and his companions, failing to detect me, who is hiding nearby and witnessed everything. Nephew rode tirelessly and now I am about 50km ahead of them. Maternal Aunt, time is of the essence. Let''s prepare the ''Drunken Bees'' and the sedatives. At the same time, let''s send someone to lure Duan Yanqing¡­"


    When he said the word ''Qing'', suddenly, from afar, there came a sharp and ugly sounding voice, saying: "I have been here for some time already; there is no need to lure me. You should prepare the ''Drunken Bees'' and sedatives instead."

 Chapter - 48 Wretched Imperial Descendent. an Episode Never to be Repeated. Passing of an Era

    Although the speaker is at least dozens of feet away, when the voice entered the ears of Madam Wang and Murong Fu, it felt as if the speaker is right beside them. The countenance of both Aunt and Nephew lost colour instantly. Outside the house, Feng BoE and Bao Butong roared out in unison as they raced towards the source of the voice. Murong Fu dashed to the door and under the fluttering green moonlight, a grey silhouette and a yellow silhouette shot past him. It is Deng Baichuan and Gongye Qian (Gongzhi error) who are respectively performing a left and right combined attack.


    With his left staff propped against the floor, Duan Yanqing''s right staff went for a horizontal slice towards the two men Deng Baichuan and Gongye Qian. ''Chi Chi Chi'' sounds rang out and in a split second, seven killing stances have been executed. Deng Baichuan barely defended himself while Gongye Qian cannot withstand the force and took two steps back. The two men Bao Butong and Feng BoE entered the fray as well. Against the four of them, Duan Yanqing hardly broke a sweat and he easily gained the upper hand.


    From his waist, Murong Fu unsheathed his long sword. With a display of cold aura and a flash of green light, he stabbed in the direction of Duan Yanqing. Duan Yanqing is surrounded and consecutively attacked by the five men. Among the five, Murong Fu is considered a first-class swordsman. Nonetheless, the shadow of his staff is flying everywhere and all his attacks are fierce and forceful.


    Back then, when Madam Wang and Duan Zhengchun are passionately in love, under the moon and before the flowers, except for swearing vows of love to each other, they discussed martial arts as well. Duan Zhengchun had exhibited Yiyang Finger and Duan Family Swordplay for her appreciation. Currently, Madam Wang is witnessing sword stances from Duan Yanqing that resembled her own Duan-Lang, how could she not be grieved? In her mind, she guessed that Duan-Lang has been kidnapped and should be in the vicinity; she should take this opportunity to rescue him. About to leave the house and search in the nearby mountain, she was abruptly interrupted by a loud scream from Feng BoE.


    She saw Feng BoE lying on the ground and Duan Yanqing behind him. With his steel staff, Duan Yanqing scratched Feng BoE in several areas but none of the attacks are aimed at his critical spots. Murong Fu, Deng Baichuan and the others thrust their weapons at Duan Yanqing but were deflected by his steel staff. The situation is absolutely clear. For Duan Yanqing to kill Feng BoE, it is as easy as flipping his hand. For the time being, he is being merciful.


    Murong Fu quickly retreated and called out: "Stop!" The three men Deng Baichuan, Gongye Qian and Bao Butong leapt backwards. Murong Fu state: "Mister Duan, thank you for showing mercy. There is no enmity between you and I. From today onwards, Gusu Murong Family acknowledges your superior skills."


    Feng BoE cried out: "Surnamed Feng (I) is an incompetent learner; one (my) life is insignificant. Master, no matter what happens, you must not admit defeat because of Surnamed Feng (me)." Duan Yanqing''s throat ''gu gu'' laughed: "Surnamed Feng is a worthy hero!" He then withdrew his steel staff.


    With a * jump, Feng BoE recovered with a ''hu'' sound. With his sabre, he performed a ferocious chop at the top of Duan Yanqing''s head, yelling: "Take this blade of mine!" Duan Yanqing raised his steel staff and applied it against his sabre. Feng BoE can feel a particularly strong power rattling towards his palms. The sabre instantly left his grasp and there was a sharp pain at his waist. Duan Yanqing''s staff has landed a blow on his waist and with the impact, Feng BoE flew several feet away. Next, his right hand made a small movement, channeling his internal energy through the steel staff and into the sabre. With a ''ting ting dang dang'' series of noises, the sabre has disintegrated into ten over pieces and the sabre bits flew out like projectiles in various directions. Either jumping high or dodging low to avoid the flying sharp shrapnel, Murong Fu, Madam Wang and the others are frightened out of their wits.


    Murong Fu clasped his hands, praising: "Mister Duan''s divine skills are peerless. You have my admiration. Shall we dissolve our enmity and become friends?"


    Duan Yanqing challenged: "Earlier, you wanted to prepare ''Drunken Bees'' to harm me, now that you have lost to me, what other ideas do you have?"


    Murong Fu enquired: "If the two of us work together, it will be highly beneficial to both parties. Prince Yanqing, you are the rightful Emperor of DaLi country but your precious throne has been hijacked by somebody else. Why aren''t you trying to snatch it back?" With an odd eye, Duan Yanqing took a sideway glance at Murong Fu. In a ghostly voice, he asked: "What has that got to do with you?" Murong Fu insisted: "If you want to become the Emperor of DaLi, you cannot do it without my input." Duan Yanqing icily sniggered: "I don''t believe you are willing to assist me; more likely, you cannot wait to kill me with one sword slash."


    Murong Fu explained: "Since I am willing to assist you in becoming the Emperor of DaLi, I have my own agenda as well. Number one, I hate the kid Duan Yu to the core. At Mount Shaoshi, he forced me to commit suicide and also cause the disgrace of Murong Family reputation in the martial arts world. I must kill the kid Duan Yu and assist you in becoming the Emperor in order to vent the frustration in my heart. Number two, after you become the Emperor of DaLi country, I have a favour to ask of you."


    Duan Yanqing recognize that Murong Fu is full of tricks and does not bear any good intentions towards himself. But after listening to his words, he believed him to a certain extent. After all, he personally witness Duan Yu using Six Meridian Divine Sword on Murong Fu, forcing him to a corner and beating him to a pulp on Mount Shaoshi. When he recollected this incident, he felt uncomfortable as well. Although Duan Zhengchun is his prisoner, he is fully aware that he will capitulate under Duan Yu''s Six Meridian Divine Sword as well. In case he ran into Duan Yu and they starting fighting, he would definitely perish under Duan Yu''s invisible sword energy. Therefore, the only option left is to threaten him with the lives of Duan Zhengchun husband and wife. However, he is not confident that this method would be successful in suppressing Duan Yu. Thus, he interrogated: "Compared to Duan Yu, Mister''s martial arts are inferior. How do you plan to overcome him?"


    His face turning slightly red, Murong Fu explained: "Not by force but by strategy. Regardless, that fellow Duan Yu is now my prisoner. I will simply hand him over to Senior (you)."


    Duan Yanqing was overjoyed. His greatest fear has always been Duan Yu''s powerful martial arts, which are superior to his own. Now that Murong Fu has Duan Yu under lock and key, his biggest worry has been resolved. However, he is concerned that Murong Fu is blatantly lying and trying to deceive him. He quizzed: "You say you are capable of taking Duan Yu as your prisoner, I wonder if that is purely your own imagination and empty words."


    Murong Fu smiled slightly and introduced: "This is Madam Wang, my Maternal Aunt-in-law. That kid Duan Yu has been apprehended by my Maternal Aunt. She was thinking of using this kid to exchange a hostage with Senior. We wanted to lure Senior here for this sole purpose as well."


    At this point in time, Madam Wang is scouring the area, trying to locate the whereabouts of Duan Zhengchun. Hearing Murong Fu''s words, she quickly turned back.


    Duan Yanqing''s throat ''ji ji gu gu'' probed: "I wonder which hostage is Madam interested in?"


    Madam Wang''s countenance turned slightly red. In her heart, regardless of day or night, the person she has been thinking of and pining for is nobody but Duan Zhengchun. However, she is a single mother and found it difficult to confess her feelings to a stranger. She was momentarily speechless.


    Murong Fu supplied: "Duan Zhengchun, the father of this kid Duan Yu, has offended my Maternal Aunt years ago. Her hatred for him is as deep as the ocean. My Maternal Aunt only requires Senior to make a commitment. When Senior has ascended the throne of DaLi, Senior must hand Duan Zhengchun over to my Maternal Aunt. At the time, whether it is killing or dismemberment, fried in oil or incineration, my Maternal Aunt will call the shots."


    Duan Yanqing broke out laughing. He thought: After he abdicates, I initially wanted to execute him. Since you are willing to act on my behalf, I could not ask for more.


    Still, he felt that the proceeding is going exceedingly smooth and is afraid of hidden tricks. He probed again: "Mister Murong, you say that after my coronation, you have a favour to ask of me. I wonder if that favour is within my ability or not? Please indicate your wishes upfront. Otherwise, I will be branded a dishonorable man if I fail to return your favour in the future."


    Murong Fu revealed: "Since Your Highness Duan has made this request, I will take you into complete confidence. Since we are negotiating such a huge transaction, the secrets of my heart will be not be shielded from you. Gusu Murong Family are the royal descendants of the defunct Great Yan Empire; following instructions left by our ancestors, we, the Murong Family, seek to revive the Empire of Great Yan. My strength is limited, making it difficult for me to accomplish any great tasks. When Your Highness has officially become the ruler of DaLi country, Murong Fu wants to borrow ten thousand soldiers and sufficient rations from DaLi Country. These resources will be utilized to restore Great Yan."


    When Duan Yanqing witnessed Murong Bo preventing Murong Fu from committing suicide on Mount Shaoshi, he more or less predicted that Murong Fu is a royal descendant of Great Yan. Now that Murong Fu is divulging such a confidential secret to himself, his sincerity is evident. He thought: If he wants to restore the Yan Empire, he would become an enemy of Great Song and Great Liao. My DaLi is a small country with limited population. We can barely defend ourselves; how can we afford to provoke the bigger nations? Moreover, I am newly coroneted and have yet to win the support of the people. Getting involved in war is out of the question. Forget it. Right now, I will pretend to agree. When we come to that stage, I will simply dismiss him. After all, drastic times call for drastic measures. As a result, he professed: "DaLi is a small country with impoverished citizens. Drafting ten thousand soldiers is no easy feat. Five thousand soldiers are what I can promise you for now. I wish you success in your pursuit. Great Yan and DaLi will forever be allied states."


    Tears running down his face, Murong Fu made a deep prostration. He swore: "If Murong Fu is able to restore the glory of my forefathers, for generations to come, we will be a protective vassal state of DaLi and we will never forget His Majesty''s debt of gratitude and kindness."


    Hearing Murong Fu now addressing him as ''Your Majesty'', Duan Yanqing was ecstatic. Furthermore, Murong Fu''s voice is choked with emotion, indicating that he was moved to tears. He hurriedly reached out with his hand and helped him up, acknowledging: "Mister has been too polite; where is the kid Duan Yu?"


    Before Murong Fu can respond, Madam Wang interrupted him and questioned: "Duan Zhengchun that fellow, where is he too?" Murong Fu answered: "Your Majesty, we welcome you and your followers to my Maternal Aunt''s residence for a rest. Duan Yu has been secured and we will present him to you shortly."


    Duan Yanqing cheerfully accepted: "That is wonderful." Abruptly, a long and piercing noise was produced from his navel area.


    Madam Wang was alarmed. Soon she could vaguely hear the sounds of hoof beats coming from a distant place. Briefly later, with the ''long long'' noise from wagons, a few donkey wagons are sighted driving towards them. In a short span of time, four horse riders appeared, escorting three large wagons on the main road. With a lunge, Madam Wang moved first and made a dash for the wagons. In her heart, despite knowing that Duan Zhengchun is in within the wagons, she could not wait any longer. Cutting between the first two horses, she reached out with her hand, wanting to part the wagon curtain of the first large vehicle.


    All of a sudden, a human head consisting of a wide mouth and beady eyes, large ears and a protruding forehead appeared right before her eyes. The human head loudly bellowed: "What are you trying to do?" Madam Wang had a great shock and her body instinctively leapt away. Taking a closer look, this hideous looking man is holding a whip in his hand and is probably the person driving the wagons.


    Duan Yanqing commanded: "Third Brother, this is Madam Wang. We are going to her residence for a rest. Regarding the guests in the wagons, bring all of them too!" The wagon driver is indeed Divine Croc of the Southern Seas.


    As the wagon curtain of the large wagon is pushed aside, a person gingerly stepped out.


    This person''s expression is downcast and he is dressed in a heavily creased silk robe. For Madam Wang, he is indeed the Duan-Lang that she has been yearning for relentlessly. Almost hysterical and tears running down her cheeks, she rushed towards him and called: "Duan¡­ Duan¡­ You¡­ How are you?"


    When Duan Zhengchun heard her voice, he was deeply astonished. Turning his head and seeing Madam Wang in front of him, his countenance changed drastically. He got romantically involved with plenty of women all over the world, and among all of them, Madam Wang is the most persistent of all. Qin Hongmian, Ruan Xingzhu and the others are satisfied as long as they are in his company. Madam Wang is the most demanding out of all of them. By resorting to violence and weapons, she demanded that he kill his official wife Dao Baifeng and marry her instead. How could Duan Zhengchun agree to such a treacherous arrangement? When things became irreconcilable, he was forced to leave without notice and flee for his freedom. In his wildest imagination, he never expects to run into her when he is at his most deplorable state.


    Duan Zhengchun may not subscribe to a monogamous relationship but for each of his lovers, he treats them with absolute earnestness and adoration. In a split second, all his attention is geared towards the well-being of Madam Wang. He cried: "Ah Luo (pet name), run away quickly! This old fellow in green robes is a Great Evil. Don''t be captured by him." His body slightly bent, Duan Zhengchun positioned himself between Madam Wang and Duan Yanqing. He urged non-stop: "Quickly run away! Quickly run away!" Actually, his main acupoints have been sealed by Duan Yanqing and to take a step is already considered a strenuous task. There is no way he could have protected Madam Wang.


    From the ''Ah Luo'' cry, feelings of care and love borne out of wholesome sincerity can be detected in the tone. Madam Wang''s anger-filled chest instantly melted into gentleness. In front of Duan Yanqing and Nephew, she could not reveal her true feelings. She coldly snorted at once and chided: "Mud Buddha crossing the river (idiom), you cannot even defend yourself. He is a Great Evil; are you a Great Benefactor?" Turning to Duan Yanqing, she invited: "Your Highness, please!"


    Duan Yanqing is aware of Duan Zhengchun''s character. Observing his reaction and expression, he knew Duan Zhengchun cared for instead of hated Madam Wang. With regards to the grievance Madam Wang had against him, he estimated there is more love than hatred involved. He pondered: The relationship between these two people is more than meets the eye; I should be careful and not fall into their trap.


    With his amazing skills and courageous heart, Duan Yanqing bravely stepped into the residence without any fear or worry.


    As part of the plan to capture Duan Zhengchun, Madam Wang specially purchased this villa and constructed many new structures inside. After the main door is a large garden fully planted with camellia. Under the reflection of the moonlight, the flowers gracefully swayed, creating an aura of elegance.


    Scanning the layout of the camellia, Duan Zhengchun noticed the resemblance between this layout and the one in Madam Wang''s Gusu garden. Reminiscing about the happy times he had with her, his chest was pained and he whispered: "So¡­ So this is your residence." Madam Wang coldly laughed: "You recognize it?" Duan Zhengchun whimpered: "I recognized it. How I wish I stayed with you and grow old together in Gusu Moon Flower Manor¡­¡­"


    Divine Croc and Yun Zhonghe have led the prisoners from the two large wagons into the residence as well. One of the wagons contained the four ladies, Dao Baifeng, Madam Zhong Gan Baobao, Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu. The other wagon is occupied by Fan Hua, Cui Baiquan, Guoyan and two other ministers of DaLi. All the nine of them have their main acupoints sealed by Duan Yanqing.


    Originally, Duan Zhengchun has dispatched Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen to escort Duan Yu to Xixia to apply for the Prince Consort. Shortly thereafter, he received Emperor Baoding''s emissary and royal decree, giving him a deadline to return to DaLi and ascend the throne. Emperor Baoding himself will ordain as a monk at Sky Dragon Monastery. The Imperial family of DaLi is dedicated to Buddhism and many of the kingdom''s Emperors will abdicate and ordain as monks in their later years. Therefore, although Duan Zhengchun is saddened at this decree, he did not find it unusual. With Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu in tow, he immediately headed south at a slow pace. He planned to secretly house the two ladies in DaLi city and keep Princess Consort Dao Baifeng in the dark. Unexpectedly, Dao Baifeng and Gan Baobao caught up to him consecutively. Following that, he received a warning from Lingjiu Palace''s female disciple, indicating a formidable foe who has laid an ambush in the road ahead and advised Duan Zhengchun to take extra precautions. After discussing with Fan Hua and the others, they concluded the ''formidable foe'' to be none other than Duan Yanqing. This nemesis is truly difficult to overcome and avoidance is the best strategy. As a result, the group changed directions and headed eastwards. Unknown to him, this message came from Ah Bi, who learned about it from Madam Wang''s personal maid. Ah Bi only knew half the story: The ambush is genuine; however, Madam Wang has no intention of harming Duan Zhengchun.


    When Duan Zhengchun changed his route, all the traps and ambush laid by Madam Wang were activated by Duan Yu instead. To make it worse, Duan Zhengchun actually ran into Duan Yanqing for real. At a fierce battle on a red sand beach near Double Phoenix Station, Duan Zhengchun''s side was completely routed. Gu Ducheng was killed and dumped into the river by Divine Croc, and his body remained unfound. All the others had their acupoints sealed by Duan Yanqing and were therefore captured.


    Murong Fu instructed his four men consisting of Deng Baichuan and the others to stand guard outside the residence. Making himself the host, he started ordering the maids and manservants to see to the needs of the guests.


    Madam Wang stared and scrutinized the four ladies Dao Baifeng, Gan Baobao, Qin Hongmian and Ruan Xingzhu. She realised that each of them exerts a different womanly aura and they are all attractive in their own ways. There is nothing shameful about each of them and the terms ''horny vixens'' and ''cheap women'' used to describe them in the past are ill-suited. In some ways, these women are the types that will be adored by both genders wherever they go.


    In the neighbouring chamber, Duan Yu heard the arrival of both his Father and Mother as captured prisoners of their nemesis. He was delighted and worried at the same time. He heard Duan Yanqing questioned: "Madam Wang, once my issue has been resolved, I will naturally hand Duan Zhengchun over to you. His fate will lie in your hands. Where is that kid Duan Yu?"


    Madam Wang clapped her hands three times and two waiting maids came to the door and bowed deeply, ready to receive any orders. Madam Wang barked: "Bring that Duan kid here!"


    Sitting on a chair, Duan Yanqing''s left hand is placed on Duan Zhengchun''s right shoulder. He still possesses a strong phobia for Duan Yu''s Six Meridian Divine Sword. On one hand, he is worried that Madam Wang and Murong Fu are setting a trap for him, making use of Duan Yu to kill him. On the other hand, even if Madam Wang and Murong Fu are completely honest, Duan Yu''s martial arts are peerless. In case he manages to free himself on the spot, it will be disastrous. By putting his hand on Duan Zhengchun''s shoulder, he hoped that Duan Yu would not act rashly for the sake of his Father.


    Footsteps sounded and four maids entered the hall, carrying Duan Yu''s body horizontally. Both his hands and legs are fastened with twine; he mouth is stuffed with a walnut and his eyes are blindfolded with black cloth. Looking at him, nobody could tell if he is dead or alive.


    Zhennan Princess Dao Baifeng gasped: "Yu-Er! (Child Yu)" and wanted to dash towards him. Madam Wang stretched her hand and pushed her shoulder, demanding: "Sit still!" Her main acupoints sealed and her strength gone, Dao Baifeng fell back into the chair after being shoved by her. She is unable to move anymore.


    Madam Wang explained: "This kid has been sedated with sleeping drugs. He is not dead but has not regained his consciousness. Prince Yanqing, do you wish to verify his identity and make sure we have the correct person?" Duan Yanqing nodded his head and affirmed: "There is no mistake." Madam Wang is only aware of the potency of her ''Drunken Bees'' but she does not know that Duan Yu has consumed the Crimson Buffalo Toad. After a temporary faint, he has recovered his senses. As his body is being tied down, it does seem like he is still in a state of unconsciousness.


    Duan Zhengchun bitterly laughed: "Ah Luo, why did you go after my Yu-Er? He did not offend you."


    Madam Wang snorted ''Humph'' and did not answer. She is reluctant to reveal her longing for Duan Zhengchun in front of others but she does not want to reply him with nasty words either.


    In his mind, Murong Fu is concerned that Madam Wang will reignite her love for Duan Zhengchun and ruin his grand plans. He therefore lied: "Of course he offended my Maternal Aunt. He¡­ He seduced my Cousin Yuyan and violated her purity (virginity). Maternal Aunt, this kid deserves to die; there is no need for him to recover his senses¡­" Before he could finish, the shocked Duan Zhengchun and Madam Wang exclaimed in unison: "What? He¡­ He and¡­"


    His face as white as a sheet, Duan Zhengchun turned towards Madam Wang and softly asked: "She, her name is Yuyan?"


    All along, Madam Wang has a horrible temper. After enduring for so long and with this new turn of events, she could not hold it in any longer. With a loud ''Wa'', she burst into tears, cursing: "It is all your fault, you heartless cad and conscienceless scoundrel. Besides harming me, you harmed your own child too. Yuyan, Yuyan¡­ She¡­ She is your flesh and blood." Turning around, she used her foot and started kicking Duan Yu''s body haphazardly. She scolded: "You lecher, you are worse than a beast. You conscienceless loafer; you won''t even spare your own sister. I¡­ How I wanted to slice you up like the animal you are, turning you into mincemeat."


    With her sudden outburst and kicking, everyone present was completely appalled. The four ladies Dao Baifeng, Qin Hongmian, Gan Baobao and Ruan Xingzhu are familiar with Duan Zhengchun''s amorous character. They instantly realised that he had an affair with Madam Wang and she had given birth to a daughter named ''Yuyan''. Unfortunately, Duan Yu got involved with her romantically. Qin Hongmian immediately thought of her own daughter Mu Wanqing while Gan Baobao was reminded of her own daughter Zhong Ling. Both ladies felt awkward and ashamed too. The remaining crowd of Duan Yanqing, Murong Fu and the others are slower to comprehend but eventually, everybody understood the full picture.


    Qin Hongmian rebuked: "You cheap maid! That day, my daughter and I went to Gusu and wanted to assassinate you. However, you vixen spirit managed to evade us. Instead, you sent some measly fighters and weaklings to keep us occupied. I hate myself for not being able to kill you then. What right do you have to kick others?"


    Madam Wang utterly ignored her and continued kicking Duan Yu indiscriminately.


    Divine Croc of the Southern Sea identified his Master lying on the ground, and using his arm, he pushed Madam Wang on the shoulder and bellowed: "Hey, he is my Master. When you kick my Master, it is like you are kicking me. If you call my Master a beast, then aren''t you calling me a beast too? You shrew, with a ''Ka La'', I will break your snow white and tender neck."


    Duan Yanqing chided: "Yue the Third, you shall not be disrespectful with Madam Wang! This kid surnamed Duan is a shameless scoundrel. By twisting logic, he deceived you into becoming his disciple. It is good that we can get rid of him today, otherwise, your reputation in the martial arts world would be ruined."


    Divine Croc insisted: "He genuinely earned the right to become my Master and there was no deceit at all. How can I allow him to be hurt?" As he spoke, he reached out with his hand and wanted to untie the ropes binding Duan Yu. Duan Yanqing advised: "Third Brother, listen to me. Get out your Crocodile Shears and cut off this kid''s head." Shaking his head persistently, Divine Croc asserted: "Not possible! Big Brother, today, Yue the Third will disobey you. I must save Master at all costs." As he spoke, he applied some force and one of the twines binding Duan Yu snapped at once.


    Duan Yanqing was greatly alarmed. He thought: if Duan Yu is freed, his ability to use the Six Meridian Divine Sword will be restored as well. When that happens, nobody is his match. Besides the failure of becoming the Emperor of DaLi, my life will be endangered too.


    In his state of anxiety, with a ''hu'', he stabbed out with his staff, pointing at the back of Divine Croc. With his powerful internal energy in circulation, the steel staff went through the body and protruded out of his chest.


    Divine Croc of the Southern Sea only felt a terrible pain on his back and chest as the steel staff burst out of his chest. For a minute, he was confused and as he turned his head and looked at Duan Yanqing, his eyes are still full of doubt, not understanding why Big Brother Duan would abruptly take his life. All along, Duan Yanqing has an evil nature. Being the head of the Four Great Evils, his attacks are naturally fatal. In addition, he has an extraordinary phobia regarding Duan Yu''s Six Meridian Divine Sword. There is no way he can accept Divine Croc untying his bonds. Although he does not have any intention of killing Divine Croc, his staff pierced a critical part of his body anyway. Meeting his gaze, Duan Yanqing had a flash of regret and guilt but these feelings disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. Moving his right hand, he retracted the steel staff from his body and barked: "Fourth Brother, bury him. This is a good example for those who dare to defy Big Brother."


    With a loud yell, Divine Croc of the Southern Sea collapsed onto the floor. Blood began gushing out of the two wounds on his back and chest. His pair of eyes still wide open; he truly died with regrets. Grabbing his corpse, Yun Zhonghe dragged it outside. Although Divine Croc and himself are two of the Four Great Evils, they are on bad terms with each other. Many a time, Divine Croc had disrupted his lustful conquests. Due to his inferior martial arts, he was forced to relent. Now that Divine Croc has been murdered by Big Brother, he was secretly delighted.


    Everybody knew Divine Croc of the Southern Sea is Duan Yanqing''s comrade-in-arms. Because of a disagreement, Duan Yanqing executed him in a brutal manner. Such a sighting is rare and everybody present is horror-struck.


    Duan Yu can feel the warm blood from Divine Croc''s wounds running over his own face and neck. He was greatly depressed as he thought: Having been his Master for such a long period, I haven''t taught him anything useful. Instead, Divine Croc came to my rescue several times. Today, he even died for me.


    Duan Yanqing icily laughed: "Either you are with me or you are against me! (dead)" Lifting his steel staff, he was about to thrust it into Duan Yu''s chest.


    Suddenly female voice rang out: "Outside Sky Dragon Monastery, Under the Bodhi Tree, an unkempt beggar, a long-haired bodhisattva!"


    When Duan Yanqing heard the four words ''Outside Sky Dragon Monastery'', his steel staff froze in mid air as he waited to hear the rest of the sentence. Hearing the full quote, the steel staff is quivering uncontrollably and he slowly withdrew the weapon. Turning his head and catching the gaze of Dao Baifeng, he felt as if she has a lot of stuff tell him. Heavily stunned, Duan Yanqing stuttered: "Guan¡­ Guanyin bodhisattva¡­"


    Dao Baifeng nodded her head and whispered: "You¡­ Do you know who does this kid belongs to?"


    Duan Yanqing''s brain started to swirl and turn fuzzy. He felt as if he has travelled back in time to a specific full moon night more than twenty years ago.


    That day, he finally made it back to DaLi from the eastern sea, arriving outside the Sky Dragon Monastery.


    At Huguangdao, Duan Yanqing was simultaneously attacked by a group of powerful enemies. Although he managed to eliminate all his adversaries, he himself suffered heavy wounds. Both his legs are broken and his face was badly disfigured. An enemy warrior made a horizontal cut at his Adam''s apple and he lost his voice as a result. In fact, he hardly resembled a human being. His whole body is extremely filthy and smelly; maggots are crawling all over his wounds and a few dozen flies are flying around him with a ''weng weng'' noise.


    Nevertheless, he is the Crown Prince of DaLi country. That year, his Father the Emperor was killed by corrupted ministers. In the ensuring confusion, he fled DaLi. After attaining a good set of martial arts, he decided to return. Presently, the ruler of DaLi country Duan Zhengming is his Cousin but the real person sitting on the throne should be him instead of Duan Zhengming. He is aware that Duan Zhengming is a beloved ruler and is well-liked by the population. Regardless of the civil service or the military, everyone worships him as the new Emperor. Nobody will remember him, the missing Crown Prince, anymore. If he suddenly appeared in DaLi, his life would be in danger. In order to get into the good books of the ruling Emperor, he will become a valuable target. Initially, his martial arts has reached a high level and even an army of ten thousand men do not strike fear in him. However, he is severely wounded at the moment and even a common foot soldier would be able to overcome him.


    He struggled along the way and finally arrived outside Sky Dragon Monastery. His only hope lies in getting Grandmaster Kurong to seek justice for him.


    Grandmaster Kurong is the blood brother of his Father, his own uncle and the uncle of Emperor Baoding Duan Zhengming as well. Grandmaster Kurong is an accomplished monk, while Sky Dragon Monastery is the spiritual sanctuary for the DaLi Country Duan Family. For generations, the Emperors of DaLi would ordain as monks in this monastery. He dared not show up within DaLi City and decided to seek an audience with Grandmaster Kurong first. According to the reception monk, Grandmaster Kurong is meditating in seclusion and the seclusion began five days ago. He is not sure how long the seclusion will last and even if the seclusion has ended, Grandmaster Kurong has indicated that he will not entertain any visitors. He advised Duan Yanqing to leave a message or the reception monk could make a report to the abbot on his behalf. The reception monk has been very kind and polite with him despite his inhuman, smelly and beggarly appearance.


    But Duan Yanqing dared not reveal his true identity. Using his forearms, he crawled to a Bodhi tree beside the monastery, deciding to wait for Grandmaster Kurong until the end of his seclusion. But then he thought: The monk already said Grandmaster Kurong would not entertain visitors even after his seclusion. The longer I stay in DaLi, the more dangerous it is for me. Once someone recognizes me¡­ Should I flee for my life right now?


    His entire body is burning with fever and his wounds are painful, numb, or itching. The suffering is almost unbearable. He then thought: I am tormented by this extreme pain; how much longer can I endure? Why don''t I die right now and end all these agony?


    He wanted to stand up and smash his head against the Bodhi tree in a suicide attempt. However, he is exhausted, famished and thirsty. Lying on the ground, he remained motionless, unable to find neither the courage to live on nor the courage to take his own life.


    When the moon has risen to the top of the sky, he suddenly noticed a lady in white coming out of a mist and slowly approaching him.


    Among the woods and vegetation, a thick mist has formed. The lady in white has long hair running over her shoulders and she seems to be walking without actually stepping on the ground. With the moon behind her face, her features are indistinctive and unclear. However, Duan Yanqing remembered her as a gorgeous and breathtaking beauty. He felt that this lady is exquisitely delicate like Guanyin bodhisattva. He imagined: It must be a bodhisattva coming into the human realm in order to save me, this displaced Emperor. Under the Heavens, there are countless people seeking protection; Guanyin bodhisattva must be answering their prayers. If you help me to regain my throne, I will build a statue and monastery in your memory and worship you for generations.


    As the lady got nearer and nearer, she turned sideways. Duan Yanqing can now see the side of her face, which turned out to be completely white and without blemish. Out of a sudden, he heard her softly mumbling to herself: "I am whole-heartedly devoted to you; yet you¡­ did not spare any thought for me at all. You cheated on me with one woman after another, totally disregarding the vows we made while kneeling in front of the bodhisattva. Again and again I have forgiven you but right now, I will never forgive you. You are unfaithful to me; I, too, will be unfaithful to you. Behind my back, you seek out other partners; I will seek out a third party too. You, men of Han race, do not respect us, women of Baiyi race, as humans. You bully me and treat like a cat, a dog, a pig, a cow. I¡­ I must take revenge. We, women of Baiyi race, will not respect you, men of Han race, as humans either."


    Her words are hardly audible and she is generally talking to herself. Still, her words are filled with deep hatred.


    In his heart, Duan Yanqing became dejected. He realised: "She is not Guanyin bodhisattva. She is just a Baiyi race lady who has been bullied by a Han race fellow."


    Baiyi is one of the major races of DaLi country. The race is known for attractive females with white and tender skin, their beauty standards surpassing those of Han females. Unfortunately, the males of this race are mostly weaklings. With their inferior numbers, this race is often ostracized by the Han race. Witnessing the lady walking further and further away from him, Duan Yanqing had an inspiration: I was wrong. Although Baiyi ladies are known for their refined features, this heavenly beauty apparition could hardly be conjured by them. Furthermore, she is dressed in a white robe that resembles a sheet of ice. There is no way Baiyi ladies could have access to this kind of high quality clothing material. This must be a bodhisattva in human form, I¡­ I must not miss this opportunity.


    Currently at the brink of death, only a bodhisattva could save him and offer him salvation from his predicament. Totally desperate, this was the only thing he could still cling onto. As the bodhisattva continued walking away from him, he crawled towards her with every last ounce of strength. He wanted to shout: "Bodhisattva, save me!" but all his throat could produce are a few rasping noises.


    The lady in white heard some noises from under the Bodhi tree and turned her head. At first, she identified something crawling on the ground, something that looks neither like a human nor an animal. Upon closer inspection, she discovered it was an extremely filthy beggar with blood and dirt all over his body. Taking a few steps towards him, she scrutinized and found out that this beggar is heavily injured. Regardless of his face, body and arms, they were all covered with wounds. Almost all the wounds are still bleeding and infested with maggots, releasing a pungent smell.


    The lady herself was brimming with hatred and is dying to exact vengeance for her husband''s cheating ways by cheapening herself in a self-destructive manner. When she first noted the horrible appearance of this beggar, she was sickened and wanted to escape at once. But then she thought: I am going to find the ugliest, dirtiest and most detestable man in the world and make love to him. You are a Lord, a General, so I will intentionally make love to a repulsive beggar.


    Without a single word, she gradually removed her clothes and approached Duan Yanqing, easing herself into his bosom. Stretching out her arms as white as the snow petals of white camellia, she hugged his neck¡­


    A thin layer of translucent clouds floated across the sky, shielding the moon; as if the moon is beckoning them to cover its own eyes, for it is unwilling to witness this unwholesome development. Such an illustrious and prestigious Madam, contributing her alluring body with snow-white skin to such a beggar who is all covered with wounds and dirt.


    After the lady in white has departed, Duan Yanqing felt as if he is in dreamland. Did it really happen or not? Is it just a hallucination or was it really a bodhisattva in human form? In his nose, there are still traces of her bodily fragrance. Turning his head, he saw the words on the muddy ground which he inscribed with his finger not too long ago: Are you Guanyin bodhisattva?


    He had written these seven characters to ask her the question and the female bodhisattva nodded her head. Suddenly, a few drops of water landed on the ground beside the words. Are those her teardrops or are those the dew from Guanyin bodhisattva''s salicaceae plant? From what he understood, Guanyin bodhisattva once transformed into a lady and went around, salvaging people who are drowning in the sea of samsara. He concluded: It must be Guanyin bodhisattva in human form. Guanyin bodhisattva has come to inspire me, telling me not to give up easily. I am not an ordinary person; I am the son of Heaven (emperor). Otherwise, why would I have this experience?


    At this juncture when his thoughts are alternating between life and death, Duan Yanqing unexpectedly received his deliverance from this long-haired Guanyin in white. He was instantly invigorated and believed that his life is not meant to end this way. In the future, he would definitely regain his throne. His present predicament and injuries became insignificant at once. With his thoughts straightened out, all he could see is a glorious life ahead. The dawn is about to break. No longer interested in Grandmaster Kurong''s seclusion, he kneeled in front of the Bodhi tree and deeply kowtowed, expressing his appreciation for Guanyin bodhisattva''s kind intervention. Breaking two branches off the Bodhi tree, he placed them under his armpits like crutches and left in high spirits.


    He dared not linger within DaLi country and headed far south into the impoverished wastelands. After tending to his injuries, he practiced his family martial arts incessantly. In the first five years, he learnt how to replace his feet with two staffs and even managed to use the steel staffs to execute . After another five years of hardcore training, Duan Yanqing headed to Lianghu (Two Lakes) and completely annihilated the households of his enemies, not even sparing the servants or the pets. With his brutal methods, rumours started spreading about his ruthlessness. Eventually, he earned the title of: Greatest Evil (under the sky). In his following adventures, he proceeded to recruit three followers Ye Erniang, Divine Croc of the Southern Sea and Yun Zhonghe. He actually snuck back into DaLi several times and tried to organize an uprising, however, on each occasion, Duan Zhengming''s regime is resilient and stable, forcing him to retreat empty-handed. The most recent case is his chess and internal energy competition with Reverend Huangmei (Yellow Brows). Victory was almost within his grip, but unexpectedly, the kid Duan Yu came barging in halfway and caused him to suffer another loss.


    Back in the present timeline, he was about to thrust the staff and stab Duan Yu to death, destroying the successor of Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun. Out of the blue, Madam Duan recited the four verses: "Outside Sky Dragon Monastery, Under the Bodhi Tree, an unkempt beggar, a long-haired bodhisattva."


    These sixteen characters are easy to recite but to Duan Yanqing, they struck him like a lightning bolt on a clear sky. In his heart, he wondered: Is it possible¡­ Is it possible¡­ that she is Guanyin bodhisattva?


    Madam Duan slowly raised her hand and undid her hair bun. Thousands of silky hair strands cascaded down her neck, overflowing her shoulders and some partly covering her face. She now looked like an exact duplicate of the Guanyin bodhisattva he met that fateful night under the Bodhi tree outside Sky Dragon Monastery. Duan Yanqing''s doubts are gone. He realised: I thought she was a bodhisattva; instead, she is Zhennan Princess Consort.


    Actually, in that same year, when his wounds are half-recovered; his fever has subsided and he is able to think rationally, he already knew the Lady in White who rescued him that fateful night is a human being and not a bodhisattva. However, he is unwilling to surrender this fantasy and kept on brainwashing himself: That was a bodhisattva (in white)! That was a bodhisattva (in white)!


    Now that he finally comprehended the truth, in his mind, a giant suspicion arose: Why did she do what she did? What made her choose me, an unkempt beggar with a body full of bleeding wounds?


    Lowering his head, he was deep in thought when suddenly, a few drops of water landed on the floor. It reminded him of that fateful night. Was it tears or was it dew from the salicaceae plant?


    Raising his head, he observed Madam Duan''s lovely eyes are now brimming with tears. At this moment, even his granite heart turned soft. In a hoarse voice, he asked: "You want me to spare the life of your son?" Madam Duan shook her head and whispered: "He¡­ Around his neck is a small gold plaque, and it is engraved with his eight characters (y/m/d/t of birth)." Duan Yanqing was bewildered: Instead of asking me to spare the life of her son, she is asking me to look at some silly gold plaque of his. What is this all about?


    Ever since he understood the truth behind ''Outside Sky Dragon Monastery, Under the Bodhi tree'', he was naturally filled with admiration and gratitude for Madam Duan. Reaching out with his staff, he unsealed her main acupoints before bending over to take a look at Duan Yu''s neck. Spotting an extremely thin gold chain, he pulled it out. True enough, attached to the chain was a minute piece of rectangle-shaped gold plaque. On one side, it was inscribed with four words ''Long and Healthy Life''. When flipped over, a row of small words read: Born on DaLi Baoding Second Year Eleventh Month Twenty-Third Day.


    Duan Yanqing was stunned when he read the words ''Baoding Second Year''. He recalled: Baoding Second Year? It was the Second Month of that year when I was attacked by a group of foes and ended up outside Sky Dragon Monastery with critical injuries. Ayo, He¡­ He was born in the eleventh month; a span of ten months in between. Ten months is just right for a full pregnancy. He¡­ He¡­ He turned out to be my son?


    His face has been cut in a few places before and all his facial nerves are impaired. Therefore, he is unable to express signs of fear, happiness or surprise on his face. Nevertheless, in a flash, his face looks as if it is drained of blood. In his heart, there is an unspeakable emotion. Turning to Madam Duan, he saw her gently nodding her head and whispering: "Retribution! Retribution!"


    In his entire life, Duan Yanqing has never gotten himself involved in a romantic relationship and knows nothing about the joy of raising a family. Out of nowhere, he discovered that he actually had a son, his own flesh and blood. Overwhelmed with joy, his feelings are indescribable. Right now, compared with all the fame and riches, power and even the throne, nothing is as treasured as having a son of his own. Bowled over with surprise and delight, he felt like dancing and shouting to celebrate. With a ''Dang'' sound, the steel staff in his right hand fell onto the floor.


    Following that, in his brain, Duan Yanqing started to feel giddy. His left hand lost its strength and with another ''Dang'', his other steel staff dropped onto the floor too. In his chest, he could feel a loud and clear voice wanting to shout out: "I have a son!" Peeping at Duan Zhengchun and identifying a puzzled expression on his face, it is clear that he has no idea what his wife is talking about.


    Scanning the faces of Duan Zhengchun and Duan Yu, Duan Yanqing observed a squarish face and a sharp face; even their features do not share any similarities. In fact, Duan Yu''s handsome and refined appearance is about 70%-80% similar to himself when he was around the same age. In his mind, all the doubts are being replaced by unspeakable pride. He thought: Even if you become the Emperor of DaLi instead of me, so what? I have a son and you don''t.


    At this juncture, his brain exhibited signs of dizziness again. Nearly blacking out, he thought: I must be overly excited.


    ''Gu dong!'' A noise suddenly reverberated. A person has collapsed near the door and it happened to be Yun Zhonghe. Duan Yanqing was surprised and secretly cried: "Not good!" His left palm forming a claw in mid air, he activated his internal energy to suck the steel staff back into his hand. Startlingly, no internal energy came out of the claw movement and the steel staff on the floor did not move at all. Duan Yanqing was terrified beyond words but without revealing his emotions, he used his right palm to perform the claw movement too. The steel staff remained motionless. When trying to activate his internal energy, there was no response from his body. With that, Duan Yanqing realised that he has unknowingly fallen into the enemy''s trap.


    Murong Fu commented: "Your Highness Duan, there is someone else you needed to see urgently in a side hall, would you please come with me?" Duan Yanqing quizzed: "Who is this person? Mister Murong, please invite this person out instead." Murong Fu answered: "He has lost the ability to walk; I have to trouble Your Highness to make a short trip."


    Listening to his words, Duan Yanqing was enlightened. Without a doubt, the culprit behind the poisoning is Murong Fu. Fearing his superior martial arts and worried about the effectiveness of the toxin, Murong Fu dared not reveal his poisoning scheme yet. Therefore, he wanted him to take a walk and see if his internal energy is still in circulation. However, since he entered the house, he has been paying close attention to his surroundings. He neither tasted the refreshments nor inhaled any special fragrances, how did he get poisoned? He deduced: When I was distracted with joy after listening to Madam Duan, I must have neglected my surroundings, giving him an opportunity to poison me. He plainly exposed: "Mister Murong, we, the Duan Family of DaLi are not experts in poison. You should have used against me instead."


    Murong Fu chuckled: "Your Highness Duan is an accomplished martial arts expert; how can I treat you like a commoner? Junior''s (My) was procured from Xixia during that occasion. I have improved the formula and this version does not irritate the eyes. Your Highness Duan once served Xixia''s Elite Guild as a mercenary. Now that Junior is using as a returning move, it does fulfill Gusu Murong Family tradition of "


    Duan Yanqing was secretly alarmed. On that particular occasion, the top warriors of Xixia''s Elite Guild incapacitated and abducted scores of members from Beggar''s Sect by using . In a twist of events, the warriors of Xixia, including General Helian Tieshu, Divine Croc of Southern Sea and Yun Zhonghe were poisoned instead and detained by Beggar''s Sect. Fortunately, he got hold of the antidote and saved everyone. At that time, on the wall, the words were displayed, indicating the culprit behind the poisoning is Gusu Murong. From that incident onwards, it is not surprising for Murong Fu to possess this poison. After such a long period of time, Duan Yanqing has forgotten about this critical information. In his heart, he could only blame himself for being too careless. He instantly closed his eyes and kept his silence while secretly circulating his energies, hoping to force the poisonous gas out of his body.


    Murong Fu laughed: "It is futile to expel poison by circulating one''s energies¡­" Before he could finish speaking, Madam Wang scolded: "Why did you poison Maternal Aunt too? Quickly bring me the antidote." Murong Fu reassured: "Maternal Aunt, Nephew has offended you. In a short while, I will provide the antidote to Maternal Aunt first." Madam Wang raged: "A short while? Why must I wait for a short while? Quick, quickly bring me the antidote." Murong Fu explained: "I am deeply sorry Maternal Aunt, but the antidote is currently not with Nephew."


    Dao Baifeng Madam Duan already had her main acupoints unsealed; however, before she knew it, she was rapidly immobilized by . Among those present in the hall, only Murong Fu who has inhaled the antidote beforehand and Duan Yu with his immunity are not poisoned by the toxin.


    Nonetheless, Duan Yu is in great agony as well and his heart is filled with indescribable bitterness. When he heard Madam Wang saying ''It is all your fault, you heartless cad and conscienceless scoundrel. Besides harming me, you harmed your own child too. Yuyan, Yuyan¡­ She¡­ She is your flesh and blood'', his chest and esophagus became blocked and he nearly fainted. When he was eavesdropping on Madam Wang and Murong Fu from the neighbouring chamber and learnt about her affair with his Father, his heart is already in a state of anxiety, dreading that Wang Yuyan will be like Mu Wanqing and the others, eventually becoming his own sister. Now that Madam Wang has personally spilled this fact in front of everybody, there are no more grounds for suspicion. In that split moment, he felt as if his world is turning upside down. If not for his bounded hands and feet, and the stuffing in his mouth, he would have gone berserk, running around like a madman and screaming at the top of his lungs. He was deeply grieved and can feel a lump of energy jammed at his chest area, unable to pass through. Meanwhile, his hands and feet are turning stiff and icy cold. Distressed, he wondered: Ayo, according to Uncle, this must be fire deviation. The deeper my internal energy, the more dangerous it is. I¡­ How did I come to such a stage?


    Initially fearful, Duan Yu changed his perspective and thought: Yuyan is my half-sister as we share the same Father. Our relationship eventually cannot come to fruition. What is the point of living on? Isn''t it better to fire deviate and let my body decay into dust? Gone are my senses and awareness, and I can avoid a lifetime of trauma.


    Duan Yanqing tried to activate his internal energies three times but it is hopeless. Instead, the discomfort in his chest became worse. He thus decided to sit down with his eyes closed and refused to speak or move.


    Murong Fu explained: "Your Highness Duan, although Junior has poisoned you, I meant no harm. As long as Your Highness agrees to a condition of mine, Junior will instantly present the antidote to you with both hands and even kowtow to ask for Your Highness''s forgiveness." His tone carried a deep sense of humility.


    Duan Yanqing frostily laughed: "Surnamed Duan (I) has lived to such an advanced age and has been through countless trials and tribulations. Do you truly believe I will succumb to your wishes just because I am your hostage?"


    Murong Fu swore: "Junior dared not. Everyone here can be a witness. Junior will first make amends to Your Highness before respectfully begging Your Highness for a favour." As he spoke, both his knees buckled and he instantly kneeled on the floor. ''Dong Dong Dong Dong'', he kowtowed four times and his mannerisms are extremely courteous.


    Everyone was amazed when Murong Fu put up this huge show of respect out of the blue. Presently, he is practically running the show and the lives of everybody are basically in his hands. Even if he adhere to the code of the martial arts world and has offended Duan Yanqing, a senior figure and expert, a deep bow would have been sufficient. There is no need for him to go all the way and discard his status by kneeling down and kowtowing.


    Duan Yanqing was particularly confused too. However, after seeing his earnest show of respect towards himself, the displeasure in his heart subsided to a certain extent. He commented: "As the saying goes: One gives respect because one needs a favour. Mister has performed an overwhelming act of respect. I dare not accept it, nevertheless, I wonder what instructions does Mister have for me." In his speech, he became more polite as well.


    Murong Fu articulated: "Your Highness already knew about Junior''s lifelong ambition. To revive the Great Yan Empire, we are talking about decades of hard work. Today, I will first support Your Highness in ascending the throne of DaLi country. Since Your Highness is childless, I humbly beg Your Highness to adopt me as your foster son. With the two of us working hand-in-hand, a bright future lies ahead. Wouldn''t that be a perfect win-win scenario?"


    When Duan Yanqing heard the six words ''Your Highness is childless'' from Murong Fu''s mouth, he emotionally gazed towards Madam Duan. As the four eyes meet, countless messages were conveyed in that moment. Duan Yanqing chuckled once ''Hey Hey'' but did not reply. In his heart, he thought: If we had this conversation a while ago, it would have been a perfect win-win scenario. However, now that I know I have a son, how can I let you inherit the throne?


    Murong Fu added: "The lands of Great Song were inherited from Later Zhou Dynasty Cai Family. That year, Zhou Taizu Guo Wei is childless and adopted Cai Rong as his son. Cai Shizong is a brilliant strategist and talented hero. By strengthening the military and conquering his neighbours, he led Later Zhou Dynasty to a prosperous era. After hundreds of years, historians are full of praise for Guo Wei''s sacrifice. My proposal is similar; Your Highness, please consider." Duan Yanqing asked: "You really wish to be my adopted son?" Murong Fu affirmed: "That is right."


    Duan Yanqing thought: Presently, I am poisoned and the only solution is to agree to his terms first. Once I am cured, I will kill him at once.


    Thus he plainly state: "In that case, are you going to change your surname to Duan? After you become the Emperor of DaLi, you must discard your ambition to revive the Empire of Great Yan. The Murong Family legacy will be vanquished. Can you commit to all of these?" He easily predicted that Murong Fu would come up with some alternate plans. Once he became the ruler of DaLi, in the coming years, he can appoint his trusted subordinates in critical court positions and proceed to kill those who oppose him and those loyal to the Duan Family. He will then revert his surname back to Murong and may even go as far as to change the country name from DaLi to Great Yan. Such a possibility is not unexpected. As a result, he intentionally made things difficult for him by ask these three tough questions. This strategy is named , misleading Murong Fu that he is sincerely considering his request. If he agreed too easily and quickly, Murong Fu will assume that he is insincere and full of deceit.


    Murong Fu was silent for some time before replying in an undecided voice: "With regards to these¡­" Actually, he already planned out various strategies to execute once he is the Emperor of DaLi and they are not far from Duan Yanqing''s predictions. He also thought that if he agreed too easily and quickly, it would appear insincere and deceitful. Pretending to think deeply about these issues for some time, he then committed: "Although Junior is not an unfilial and ungrateful person; for the sake of the big picture, we can occasionally overlook the small details. Since I am acknowledging Your Highness as my father, my loyalty will naturally be towards the Duan Family and this will never waver."


    Duan Yanqing burst out laughing and cheered: "Wonderful! Wonderful! Old Gentleman (I) has been wandering the martial arts world all my life. Spouseless and childless, I unexpectedly gained an excellent son in my later years. This is immensely comforting. You, my son, is young and handsome. To bring me joy at this advanced age, my life has truly not been wasted. In my entire life, this is the happiest event that has ever taken place. Guanyin Bodhisattva my savior, disciple (I) is moved to tears. Even if I dedicate the rest of my life to honouring you, Guanyin Bodhisattva in White, I cannot even repay 0.01% of your benevolence." Choking with emotion, two rows of tears flowed down from his cheeks. Lowering his head and putting his palms together respectfully in a praying posture, he happened to be directly facing Madam Duan.


    Madam Duan nodded her head slowly, her eyes never leaving her son who is lying on the floor.


    Duan Yanqing''s words are obviously meant for his real son Duan Yu. Except for Madam Duan, nobody else understood his hidden meaning. Everybody presumed he has agreed to Murong Fu''s request and has accepted him as a foster son. In the future, he will definitely pass the throne to him. Additionally, his speech is full of sincerity and contentment. There is not a shred of doubt in anyone''s mind. For them to witness ''The Greatest Evil under the sky'' shedding tears in front of a crowd, it must be a first in history.


    Murong Fu was overjoyed: "Your Highness is a senior hero in the martial arts world. I believe you will honour your pledges and not renege on your promises. Foster Father my elder, please accept your child''s kowtow." His knees buckled and he kneeled on the floor again.


    Suddenly, from outside the door, someone loudly hollered: "Not right! Not right! This arrangement must never be allowed!" Pushing the door curtain aside, a man strode into the hall in big steps. It is indeed Bao Butong.


    Murong Fu stood up at once. His face changing colour slightly, he turned his head and questioned: "Third Brother Bao has something to add?"


    Bao Butong reasoned: "Mister is the illustrious royal descendent of Great Yan Murong Family, why should the surname be changed to Duan Family? Reviving Great Yan is a huge undertaking and we are faced with near impossible odds. We are willing to do our best and whatever it takes to accomplish this mission, even at the cost of our lives. If we succeed, it would be wonderful, if not, at least we are upright and honourable heroes. If Mister acknowledged this neither human nor ghost looking fellow as your Foster Father, even if you become the Emperor, there is no glory in that. In addition, for a surnamed Murong to become the Emperor of DaLi, it is not as simple as it looks."


    Listening to his disrespectful language, Murong Fu was incensed. Nevertheless, Bao Butong is his trusted confidante and his service is still required. Unwilling to reprimand him directly, Murong Fu plainly state: "Third Brother Bao, there are many intricacies involved. You may not see the big picture now but I will gradually explain it to you in the future."


    Bao Butong shook his head and disagreed: "Not right! Not right! Mister, Bao Butong may be dumb but your agenda is not hard to guess. You wanted to emulate Han Xin; by temporary suffering some ridicule, you are actually planning for bigger things in the future. Today, you will switch to surnamed Duan Family. When you hold ultimate power in the future, you can switch back to surname Murong and even changed the name of DaLi country to Great Yan. By sending an army to attack Song and Liao, you can recover the old territories of Great Yan. Mister, although your heart is pure, but with this circumstances, you would have become dis-loyal; un-filial; in-human; un-righteous. This guilt will haunt you forever and even onlookers will feel that the result is not worthwhile. In my opinion, you are better off without this throne."


    Murong Fu was completely mad with anger. He boisterously demanded: "Third Brother Bao''s words are too harsh. How will I be dis-loyal, un-filial, in-human and un-righteous?"


    Bao Butong elaborated: "You seek refuge with DaLi and betray them in the future, that is dis-loyal. You acknowledged Duan Yanqing as your Father and pledge allegiance to Duan Family, that is un-filial to Murong Family. When you switched back to Murong, you are un-filial to Duan Family. When you annihilate the opposing court officials of DaLi in the future, that is in-human. You¡­"


    Before he could finish speaking, there was a sudden ''Bo'' sound as a heavy palm stroke hit him squarely on his back where his heart was located. He then heard Murong Fu finished with an icy tone: "I betray my friends for benefits, that is un-righteous." This palm attack is a soft but powerful stance; by hitting on the two critical acupoints ''Lingtai'' and ''Zhiyang'' of Bao Butong, it was meant to be a fatal blow. Never in his wildest dreams did Bao Butong imagine this Mister, whom he has been serving from youth to adulthood, to suddenly take his life. With a Wa!'' he vomited a mouthful of fresh blood and collapsed on the floor, dead.


    When Bao Butong was rebutting Murong Fu, the three men Deng Baichuan, Gongye Qian and Feng BoE are standing at the door and listening in. Although the three agreed that Bao Butong might have gone slightly overboard in his speech, it was packed with righteous reasons. When they witness Murong Fu using a palm attack on Bao Butong, the three were badly shocked and rushed into the hall together.


    Hugging Bao Butong''s body frame, Feng BoE called: "Third Brother, Third Brother, how are you?" He saw two streaks of transparent tears running down Bao Butong''s cheeks. By sensing his nose for activity, he observed that Bao Butong has stopped breathing. He realised that right before his death, Bao Butong was utterly heartbroken. Feng BoE roared: "Third Brother, although you have stopped breathing, I am sure you have one last question for Mister: Why did you kill me?" As he spoke, he turned his head and stared at Murong Fu with suspicion. His eyes are glowing with hostility.


    Deng Baichuan loudly declared: "Mister, Third Brother Bao is fond of rebutting people. You knew his characteristic all along. Even if he spoke with insolence towards Mister and performed an act of insubordination, Mister can choose to punish him verbally or even physically. That should be more than enough; why is there a need to take his life?"


    As a matter of fact, Murong Fu was not annoyed by Bao Butong''s insolent language. What he detested was his straightforward and candid speech that actually divulged the scheme he is secretly harbouring. With this disclosure, Duan Yanqing will be less likely to accept him as a Foster Child and hand over the throne to him. Even if he did become the Crown Prince, Duan Yanqing would place restrictions around him, making it impossible for him the execute the revival of Great Yan. In his state of panic, he was forced to make a killing move. Otherwise, this easily attainable Emperor throne would be gone with the wind. Taking in the words of the two men Feng BoE and Deng Baichuan, he thought: This matter has put me in a serious dilemma. I would rather offend the two men Feng BoE and Deng Baichuan than arouse the suspicions of Prince Yanqing.


    Therefore, he detailed: "I considered Bao Butong''s offensive remarks to be insignificant. He has been my loyal follower for so many years, why would I bear to hurt him over a few brazen sentences? However, I am keeping good faith in acknowledging His Highness Duan as my Father. He barged in and sowed discord between my Father and I, how can I tolerate this?"


    Feng BoE thundered: "In the heart of Mister, are you claiming that Bao Butong, who has been risking his neck for you for ten over years, is peanuts when compared with that Duan Yanqing?" Murong Fu insisted: "Fourth Brother Feng, there is no need to flare up. I am fully committed to seeking refuge with DaLi Duan Family and have no other agenda. Third Brother Bao is narrow minded and jealous of my good fortune, forcing me to use a deadly move." Gongye Qian coldly demanded: "Has Mister made up his mind with no possibility of recourse?" Murong Fu swore: "That is right."


    The three men Deng Baichuan, Gongye Qian and Feng BoE exchanged looks with one another. Sharing the same conviction, they nodded their heads in unison.


    Deng Baichuan proclaimed: "Mister, we, the four brothers may not be sworn brothers. However, we are willing to share life and death. Mister is also fully aware that we are extremely close-knitted." His long eyebrows curling up, Murong Fu disparaged in an ugly voice: "Is Big Brother Deng trying to exact vengeance for Third Brother Bao? The three of you can attack me simultaneously, Murong Fu has nothing to fear." Deng Baichuan let out a long sigh and explained: "We are the descendants of Murong Family Court Ministers; how can we afford to offend Mister? There is a wise saying ''Stay if compatible, leave if not''. The three of us will not serve Mister any longer. When Gentlemen part ways, we part amicably. We hope Mister realizes what he is actually doing."


    Watching these three men about to depart, Murong Fu realized that in the future, when he is in DaLi, he would no longer have anyone trustworthy that he can rely on. Faced with this huge inconvenience, he must now persuade them to stay on at all costs. With that, Murong Fu reminded: "Big Brother Deng, Second Brother Gongye, Fourth Brother Feng, the three of you are familiar with my character and will not suspect me of betraying Duan Family in the future. I have no dissatisfaction with the three of you, why do we need to part ways? Back then, my Father treated the three of you with kindness and generosity. Furthermore, the three of you promised my Father that you will do your very best to support me. With this separation, wouldn''t that be breaking the promise the three of you made a long time ago?"


    His face colour turning metallic green, Deng Baichuan asserted: "It is perfectly fine with me if Mister does not bring up the name of Old Master. But since you did, it means he is still your Father. By changing your surname and betraying your country, how can you account to Old Master? We did swear to Old Master, dedicating our entire lives and all our energies to supporting Mister in reviving Great Yan and glorifying the reputation of Murong Family. However, we did not swear to support Mister to glorify DaLi and the reputation of Duan Family." His words caused Murong Fu''s face to alternate between shades of green and white, and at the same time, rendering him speechless.


    The three men Deng Baichuan, Gongye Qian and Feng BoE took a deep bow in unison, their heads almost touching the floor. In one voice, they announced: "Farewell Mister!" Feng BoE placed the corpse of Bao Butong on his shoulder. The three men strode out of the door in large steps and did not turn back.


    Murong Fu dryly laughed a few times before turning to Duan Yanqing and explained: "Foster Father, please judge for yourself. These four men are the family-followers of Child and have served me for many years. To prove my loyalty to DaLi Duan Family, Child has personally killed one of them and discarded the other three. Child is entering DaLi alone. This should be enough to prove my undying allegiance and absence of selfish agenda."


    Duan Yanqing nodded his head in agreement: "Good! Good! Excellent!"


    Murong Fu remarked: "Child shall now relieve Foster Father of the poison." Sticking his hand into his bosom, he retrieved a small porcelain bottle. About to hand it over, he had an epiphany: Once I have gotten rid of the poison from his body, I will never be able to blackmail him again. In the future, I must keep staying in his good books and never clash with him. His most hated rival and biggest adversary is that kid Duan Yu; let me kill this kid first.


    With a ''Shua'' sound, his long sword has left its sheath. He announced: "Foster Father, Child''s first contribution to you is to kill the kid Duan Yu. By getting rid of him first, Duan Zhengchun shall become heirless and he will be forced to hand over the Emperor''s throne to Foster Father."


    Duan Yu thought: Yuyan has become my sister too; I have already lost the will to live. If you will kill me with one sword stab, I cannot ask for more.


    First, he hoped for a quick death and second, his internal energy has gone haywire. Even if he wanted to resist, it is helpless. Thus, he could only wait for his life to be taken away from him.


    Seeing Murong Fu turning towards Duan Yu with his sword, the faces of Duan Zhengchun and the others turned completely pale. ''Ah!'' Madam Duan let out a tragic shriek.


    Duan Yanqing praised: "Child, your filial piety is commendable. However, this kid is atrocious and has offended Father on several occasions. His Uncle and Father have hijacked my throne, causing me to become a handicap and an incomplete person. Father wishes to kill this scoundrel personally in order to vent the hatred in my heart."


    Murong Fu acknowledged: "Yes." Turning around, he was about to hand his long sword to Duan Yanqing when he realised: "Ayo, Child is muddle-headed. I should relieved Foster Father of the poison first." Returning the sword into the sheath, he retrieved the small porcelain bottle again. With a quick scan, he noticed Duan Yanqing''s eyes are gleaming with pride and he is gesturing to someone else. By following his gaze, he saw Madam Duan nodding her head slightly and her face is expressing feelings of gratitude and joy.


    With this observation, Murong Fu''s suspicions were aroused. Of course he could never imagine that Duan Yu is the child of Duan Yanqing and Madam Duan. Duan Yanqing would rather lose his own life than let anyone harm his precious son. Even the throne seems insignificant at this point. The first thought that came to Murong Fu was: Is it possible that Duan Yanqing and Duan Zhengchun are in cahoots? After all, they are brotherly cousins and members of the DaLi Duan Family. As the saying goes '' Blood is thicker than water'', why should the Duan Family brotherly cousins care about me, an unrelated outsider? But on the other hand, for this scheme to succeed, the only way is to gain the trust of Duan Yanqing by accomplishing some challenging missions.


    Turning his head to Duan Zhengchun, he extorted: "Lord Zhennan, when you return to DaLi, how soon can you take over the throne and after becoming Emperor, how much time do you need before transferring it to my Foster Father?"


    Duan Zhengchun is full of despise for Murong Fu. He coldly state: "My Imperial Brother has a deep cultivation of internal energy and his health is excellent. Conservatively, he will at least be able to serve another thirty years as the Emperor. When he passes the throne to me, I must at least perform my duties well and create wealth for my citizens. A minimum of thirty years should be good enough. Sixty years later, my son Duan Yu will be eighty years old. Even if he only serves as the Emperor for twenty years, we are looking at an eighty years time frame¡­"


    Murong Fu interrupted: "Nonsense, who can afford to wait that long? I limit you to one month before your coronation and one more month after that for your abdication and transfer of throne to Prince Yanqing."


    A long while ago, Duan Zhengchun has fully grasped the circumstances in front of him. Duan Yanqing and Murong Fu wanted to make use of himself as a ladder and step into the Imperial throne of DaLi. Once he has transferred the throne to Duan Yanqing, they would kill him instantly. However, they dare not lay a finger on him right now. Even if an enemy is coming to harm him, they would do their best to protect him. However, Duan Yu is in extreme danger. He burst out laughing and state: "My throne will only be handed over to my son Duan Yu. I do not mind abdicating earlier in his favour. To ask me to give the throne to anyone else is strictly impossible."


    Murong Fu was infuriated: "Very well, I will kill the kid Duan Yu with one sword stab first. You can go ahead and give the throne to his ghost!" As he spoke, with a ''shua'' sound, he pulled out his long sword again.


    Duan Zhengchun laughed even harder and challenged: "What kind of person do you think I, Duan Zhengchun, am? If you killed my son, do you think I will still allow myself to be manipulated by you? If you want to kill him, be my guest. In fact, you can go ahead and kill all of us too."


    Murong Fu was momentarily undecided. Right now, killing Duan Yu is as easy as lifting a hand. However, he is afraid that Duan Zhengchun will commit suicide out of revenge for his son''s death. When that happens, even Duan Yanqing''s Emperor dream will be crushed. If Duan Yanqing cannot become the Emperor, he himself is even much further away from all of it. In his hand, the long sword is shimmering with flashes of green light. When exposed on his snow-white face, it reflected an ugly green shade. He tilted his head and stared at Duan Yanqing, wanting to hear his instructions.


    Duan Yanqing ordered: "This person has a strong character. If he commits suicide now, our grand scheme will burst like a bubble. All right, the kid Duan Yu shall be kept alive for now. Since they are in the hands of us Father and Child, we can be assured that he won''t die yet. Give me the antidote before I speak further."


    Murong Fu replied: "Yes!" but he thought: Prince Yanqing just made an eye gesture to Madam Duan, what is the meaning behind it? Without solving this mystery, I should not recklessly give him the antidote. But if I delay any longer, it may cause him to lose him temper. What should I do?


    Coincidentally, Madam Wang cried out: "Murong Fu you rascal. You said you would cure Maternal Aunt''s poisoning first. After acknowledging a new Father, why are you doing everything to please that ugly freak? Don''t blame me for cursing, he resemble neither a human nor¡­"


    Hearing her words, Murong Fu was pleased at the coincidence and humbly excused himself from Duan Yanqing: "Foster Father, my Maternal Aunt has a fierce character; if her words offend Elder (you), please pardon her. To prevent her from spouting more unpleasant words, Child will relieve Maternal Aunt of her poison first and will come back to cure Foster Father without delay." As he spoke, he placed the porcelain bottle below Madam Wang''s nostrils.


    Madam Wang inhaled a breath of stinking, vomit-inducing odor. About to curse out loud, she can now feel the strength returning to her four limbs. Shifting her attention to Duan Zhengchun, Madam Duan and the three ladies Qin Hongmian, Ruan Xingzhu and Gan Baobao, she could not suppress her jealousy any more. She directed in a loud voice: "Fu-Er (Child Fu), quickly kill these four cheap women for me."


    Murong Fu had an epiphany: Maternal Aunt mentioned earlier that Duan Zhengchun has a headstrong character and will never bow to threats. However, he is willing to give up his life to safeguard his wife and mistresses. Why don''t I exploit this weakness and threaten his women instead?


    Holding his sword, Murong Fu walked to the front of Ruan Xingzhu. Turning his head to face Duan Zhengchun, he probed: "Lord Zhennan, my Maternal Aunt has ordered me to kill her. What do you think?"


    Duan Zhengchun is on the verge of a breakdown and he has run out of tricks. He could only face Madam Wang and swore: "Ah Luo, in the future, I will listen and follow your each and every wish. I will be at your beck and call. Between the two of us, must we create this never-ending feud? By instructing someone to kill my woman, do you think I will still love you with the same amount of affection?"


    While Madam Wang is mad with jealousy, she does agree with the words of Duan Zhengchun. For the past ten odd years, she has transformed his abandonment and heartlessness into a special hatred. This special hatred is so extreme she actually found happiness whenever she kills a man from DaLi or a man surnamed Duan. However, the second she saw him again, all the old feelings of love and attachment resurfaced and are increasing as time goes by. She ordered: "My good Nephew, please hold your blade. Let me think over this for a while."


    Murong Fu proposed: "Lord Zhennan, once you promised to transfer the throne to Prince Yanqing, all your official wife and unofficial ladies will come under my protection. No harm will come to them." Duan Zhengchun coldly sniggered ''Hey Hey'' but remained nonchalant.


    Murong Fu pondered: This person is famed for his philandering ways. He would rather surround himself with beautiful women than focus on managing the country. To make him agree to throne transfer, the only solution is to go through his female companions.


    Lifting his sword and pointing the tip at the chest of Ruan Xingzhu, Murong Fu gave an ultimatum: "Lord Zhennan, we are heroes and men of honour. Let''s settle this once and for all. Once you nodded and gave your consent, I will immediately relieve everyone of their poisoning. Junior will lay a banquet to make amends and turned our enmity into friendship. Wouldn''t that be an ideal outcome? If you still insisted on having your way, my sword will simply stab her."


    Duan Zhengchun turned his gaze towards Ruan Xingzhu and can see the horror emanating from her lovely eyes. Deeply sympathetic, he thought: I actually do not mind giving my consent. The throne of DaLi; how can it be compared with Sister Zhu? However, this traitorous devil will kill my Yu-Er (Child Yu) instantly in order to please Prince Yanqing.


    He cannot bear to watch any further and turned his head away.


    Murong Fu called out: "I am going to count to three. If you refuse to agree, do not blame Murong Fu for being merciless." Stretching his voice, he announced: "One¡­ Two¡­" Duan Zhengchun turned his head back and stared at Ruan Xingzhu. His face is filled with gentleness and love, but with a sense of helplessness. Murong Fu yelled: "Three¡­ Lord Zhennan, are you still maintaining your stand?" In the heart of Duan Zhengchun, all he could see is the beautiful setting years ago when he and Ruan Xingzhu are dating for the first time. Suddenly, with a tragic ''Ah!'' shriek, Murong Fu''s long sword has penetrated her chest.


    Madam Wang could recognize the facial muscles twitching on the face of Duan Zhengchun, signaling that he is in great pain. He seems even more upset than if the sword had been pierced into his own body. She exclaimed: "Quick, quickly save her. I did not ask you to really take her life. We are just scaring this heartless fellow only."


    Murong Fu shook his head and thought: This deep vendetta between him and me has begun. By killing one more or killing one less makes no difference at all.


    The tip of the sword now pointing at the chest of Qin Hongmian, Murong Fu hollered: "Lord Zhennan, to think that everyone in the martial arts world praised you, saying you are a man who treasures friendship and love. Now, you would not even say anything to save the life of your lover! One, two, three!" At the word ''three'', with a ''chi'' sound, Qin Hongmian was murdered.


    By now, Gan Baobao is terrified out of her wits and her face is drained of blood. Still, she steadied her nerves and proclaimed: "If you wish to kill, just go ahead and kill. There is no need to blackmail Lord Zhennan. I am the wife of Zhong Wanchou and am not related to Lord Zhennan. Do not tarnish the reputation of my Wanchou Valley Zhong Family."


    Murong Fu coldly chuckled once and ridiculed: "Who does not know Duan Zhengchun has plenty of kept women? Be it virgins, widows or married women, all are welcomed." Repeating his threats to no avail, he killed Gan Baobao too.


    Madam Wang was secretly lamenting. Although she killed without blinking an eye in her daily routine, but witnessing Murong Fu killing three of Duan Zhengchun''s lovers in such a short span of time, her heart is thumping wildly. She dared not exchange looks with Duan Zhengchun and cannot imagine the expression on his face right now.


    However, she heard Duan Zhengchun''s soothing voice saying: "Ah Luo, despite our past relationship, you still do not understand me. Among all the women under the sky, you are my only true love. Although I got involved with many other women, those are just temporary flings. Why would I leave a place for them in my heart? Your Nephew has killed three of my lovers but it does not matter. As long as he does not hurt you, I would be relieved." These few sentences of his are filled with tenderness but when Madam Wang heard them, she grew cold with fear instead. She knows that Duan Zhengchun now hates her to the core and is provoking Murong Fu into killing her. She exclaimed: "My good Nephew, you must not believe his words."


    Half believing and half doubting his words, the tip of Murong Fu''s long sword is now naturally pointing towards Madam Wang''s chest. From the tip of the sword, fresh blood is dripping off, landing onto the lower part of her collar.


    Madam Wang is fully aware of her Nephew''s viciousness. In order to fulfill his dream of becoming a ruler, even his Maternal Aunt can be disregarded. As long as Duan Zhengchun continued to expound love and concern towards herself in an intentional manner, Murong Fu will use her life to threaten Duan Zhengchun. She cannot help but ask in a shaking voice: "Duan-Lang! Duan-Lang! Do you really hate me so much that you are trying to cause my death?"


    Perceiving her horror-struck eyes and pitiful facial expression, Duan Zhengchun was reminded of their past relationship. His heart softening at once, he berated: "You cheap shrew! With lard blinding your heart, you chose to be consumed by years of meaningless jealousy, causing three of my beloved women to die an unnatural death. If my hands and feet are freed, I will personally slice you into ten thousand pieces. Murong Fu, quickly stab her with your sword! Why haven''t you killed this smelly hag?" He knew that the more he scolded, the less likely Murong Fu would kill his Maternal Aunt.


    Madam Wang caught all the subtle hints. Initially, Duan Zhengchun deliberately expressed love and tenderness for her, wanting to lure Murong Fu into killing her and taking revenge for the three ladies Ruan Xingzhu, Qin Hongmian and Gan Baobao. When he changed to give her a scolding instead, it shows that he has forgiven her. However, for the past ten over years, she has been pining for Duan Zhengchun day and night. Unexpectedly reunited with her lover, her emotions are already in turmoil. In front of her, there are three female corpses lying on the floor and a long sword dripping with blood is pointing at her chest, adding to her anxiety level. When she heard Duan Zhengchun scolding her and using terms such as ''cheap shrew'' and ''smelly hag'', compared to their past vows of love and sweet nothings, they are worlds apart. Her tears uncontrollably started flowing down and she mourned: "Duan-Lang, the words that you told me in the past, have you forgotten all of them? Why didn''t you leave a place for me in your heart? Duan-Lang, I am still fully devoted to you. The two of us have been separated for so many years; finally we get to see each other again. You¡­ Why didn''t you have any kind words for me? I gave birth to a daughter, our daughter. Her name is Yuyan. Have you seen her? Do you like her?"


    Duan Zhengchun was secretly alarmed. He thought: Ah Luo is losing touch with reality. If I repeated the loving words I told you in the past, would you still be alive?


    Therefore, he barked in a sharp tone: "You caused the death of three of my beloved ladies. I hate you to the core. Ten over years ago, our relationship has already ended. Our love and feelings are extinct. Right now, I can''t wait to give you a few heavy kicks to vent the unhappiness in my heart."


    In tears, Madam Wang wailed: "Duan-Lang! Duan-Lang!" Suddenly, she leapt forward, pushing her body against the sharp sword in front of her.


    For that split moment, Murong Fu was indecisive. On one hand, he wished to withdraw the long sword but on the other hand, he did not want to. In that window of hesitation, the long sword has pierced the chest area of Madam Wang. Murong Fu withdrew his hand and the sword. Fresh blood starting gushing out of Madam Wang''s chest wound.


    In a trembling voice, Madam Wang asked: "Duan-Lang, you really hate me so much?"


    Noting the sword has penetrated deeply into her critical body part and that she is unlikely to survive, Duan Zhengchun could not hold back and two streams of tears are now flowing down his cheeks. In a crying tone, he reassured: "Ah Luo, I am scolding you in order to preserve your life. At our reunion today, I am filled with indescribable happiness. Why would I hate you? My devotion to you will forever be the same as the day I gave you a stalk of Moon Flower."


    The corner of Madam Wang''s mouth curled into a smile. She whispered: "That is great. I knew¡­ I knew that in your heart, there is a permanent place for me, a place where I will never be abandoned. The same goes for me too. I will never desert you¡­ You once promised me, in the future, the two of us would go to Mount Wuliang in DaLi, to the same mountain cave I lived with Mother when I was young. From that day onwards, the two of us will enjoy each other''s company in the cave and never come out. Do you still remember?"


    Duan Zhengchun answered: "Ah Luo, of course I remembered. We shall head there tomorrow and have a look at your Mother''s Jade Statue."


    Her face glowing with delight, Madam Wang panted in a low voice: "That¡­ That is wonderful¡­ On that stone wall, there is a reflection of a precious sword. It is both red and green in colour. So pretty looking¡­ Have a look, have a look, did you see it¡­" Her voice went softer and softer until her head tilted sideways and she died there and then.


    Murong Fu icily questioned: "Lord Zhennan, these beloved ladies of yours are dying one by one because of you. Are you telling me that even your official wife Princess Consort has to die too?" As he spoke, the tip of his sword is slowly inching towards the chest of Madam Duan.


    Lying on the floor, Duan Yu could hear Ruan Xingzhu, Qin Hongmian, Gan Baobao and Madam Wang dying one after another under the sword of Murong Fu. When Madam Wang mentioned Mount Wuliang Stone cave, the Jade Statue and the Sword reflection on the wall, he heard all these information but he cannot be bothered at all. But when he heard Murong Fu using his Mother''s life to threaten his Father, he started breaking out in cold sweat. Unable to hold back, he started shouting: "Do not hurt my Mother! Do not hurt my Mother!" However, a walnut is stuffed in his mouth and no sound could be produced. He tried to struggle with all his might but because his body has been paralyzed by internal energy blockages, he could not move an inch.


    He heard Murong Fu''s sharp voice: "Lord Zhennan, Again, I am going to count to three. If you are still unwilling to agree to transfer the throne to Prince Yanqing, your Princess Consort will die because of you." Duan Yu yelled at the top of his voice: "Don''t you dare hurt my Mother!" In the background, he vaguely heard Duan Yanqing advising: "Hold your hand. This matter needs to be reconsidered." Murong Fu insisted: "Foster Father, this matter is of utmost importance. If Lord Zhennan will not transfer the throne to you, our grand scheme will fall apart. One¡­"


    Duan Zhengchun interrupted: "If you want my consent, you must first accept one of my conditions." Murong Fu insisted: "Either you give your consent or you do not. I am not going to fall for your delay tactic. Two¡­ How is it?"


    Duan Zhengchun let out a long sigh and professed: "In my entire life, I have committed plenty of sins. Now that all of us are dying together in the same place, it is only a deserving conclusion." Murong Fu counted: "So I take that as a No. Three¡­"


    When Murong Fu said the word ''Three'', he saw Duan Zhengchun turning his head away and ignoring him. About to thrust his sword into the chest of Madam Duan, he heard Duan Yanqing bellowing: "Stop!"


    Murong Fu hesitated slightly and turned his head to face Duan Yanqing. Out of the blue, he saw Duan Yu spring up from the floor and is now trying to head-butt him in the stomach. Murong Fu slanted his body to one side to avoid the blow. Frightened out of his wits, he thought: This kid has been stung by ''Drunken Bees'' and poisoned by . With these two powerful sedatives in his body, how can he possibly jump up?


    In the beginning, when Duan Yu realised that Wang Yuyan is his own sister too, he was bitter with grief, causing his internal energies to go haywire in his meridians. But when he heard Murong Fu saying he is going to kill his Mother, all his bitterness and thoughts about Wang Yuyan were cast aside. The same goes for his fear about fire deviation, which, incidentally, allowed his internal energy to return to their natural pathways. Whenever someone cultivates internal energy, by using their thoughts, they can guide the internal energy to move along the meridians. During fire deviation, they would usually try to reverse the energies stuck in the wrong meridians. Since they are focused on the wrong meridians, their attention would be misguided. The more anxious they are, the further the internal energies will travel down the wrong meridians. Duan Yu is fully concentrated on the safety of his Mother; without any interference from his thoughts, his internal energies are able to resume the proper pathways. When he heard Murong Fu stating the number ''Three'', he forgot that he is still being tied up and hurriedly jumped on his feet. Based on his hearing, he dashed head first towards the sound of Murong Fu''s voice and was surprised that his body is under his control again. Missing Murong Fu, his shoulder crashed heavily onto the side of a table. Forcing his two hands apart, the twine ropes binding his wrists severed at once.


    With both his hands freed, he heard Murong Fu cursed: "D@mn this kid!" Without thinking, Duan Yu pointed his finger and shot out from in the direction of Murong Fu''s voice. Murong Fu bent his body to evade and countered with a sword stab. His eyes blindfolded by a black cloth and his mouth stuffed with a walnut, Duan Yu is still in a state of panic. Being unable to speak is inconsequential, but when he cannot see the exact location of Murong Fu, he cannot act recklessly, for he may injure his Mother by accident. In his confusion, he did not even think of removing the black cloth that is covering his eyes.


    Murong Fu thought: Since he is able to free himself from those bonds, his ability cannot be underestimated. I must kill him before he regains his eyesight.


    With that, he executed the move and his sword sped towards Duan Yu''s chest in a horizontal slice.


    Duan Yu is pointing his fingers haphazardly without any effect. When he heard the whistling of the advancing sword, he hastily avoided based on his hearing. With a ''pu'' sound, the tip of the long sword has pierced the corner of his shoulder. Feeling a sharp pain, Duan Yu instinctively jumped up. Within the abandoned well, he has absorbed Jiumozhi''s profound internal energy. With a simple jump, he actually flew up by several feet. With a ''pong'' sound, he smashed his head heavily against one of the house beams. While in mid air, he thought: I am blinded. Only he can kill me but I cannot kill him, what should I do? I do not mind being killed but if I am dead, I cannot save Mother and Father.


    Exerting strength with both his legs, with a ''pa'' sound, the twine ropes circled around his ankles were severed as well.


    Duan Yu was elated and he recalled: Excellent! Back at the millhouse, Murong Fu disguised himself as Xixia Country''s General Li (Yanzong) and was trying to kill me but he could not because I was using .


    The minute his left foot touched the floor, he took a half sidestep and titled his body, smoothly escaping one of Murong Fu''s sword attacks by a few inches. The three persons Duan Yanqing, Duan Zhengchun and Princess Consort Duan observed the green flashes of the long sword as the sword tip barely went past Duan Yu''s stomach. The danger was too close for comfort and the three of them were completely stunned at the encounter. Of course, Duan Yu''s sophisticated evasive tactics added to the element of surprise. In fact, everything that happened was a perfect coincidence. If Duan Yu is able to see and did not execute , based on his ignorance of martial arts, it would be impossible for him to dodge this formidable and lethal sword attack from Murong Fu.


    With each sword stance quicker than the previous one, Murong Fu is still unable land a hit on Duan Yu. Noting that Duan Yu is still keeping the black cloth blindfold on, he grew more and more frustrated and ashamed of himself. He is unaware that Duan Yu is confused and nervous; instead, he assumed that Duan Yu is ridiculing him and using the blindfold to spite him for his incompetency. He thought: I cannot even win against a blindfolded opponent, how can I face the world?


    He was so furious that fire seems to be coming out of his eyes. In a series of green flashes, his sword stance has transformed into what appears to be a giant green ball. As this green ball rolled all over the hall, it is trying to trap Duan Yu within a circle of deadly and fatal sword stances.


    Du Yanqing, Duan Zhengchun, Madam Duan, Fan Hua, Hua Hegen, Cui Baiquan and the others are being pushed back by the sword aura. It felt as if gusts of cold wind are blowing incessantly at them. The hair on their heads and faces are being shredded and falling onto the floor; scratches and tears are starting to form on their sleeves and collars.


    Within the sword encirclement, Duan Yu is moving randomly with his body twisting and turning in unique positions. From the outside, it looks as if he is taking a leisurely stroll in a garden. Meanwhile, Murong Fu''s long and sharp sword is not even able to touch his clothes. Despite Duan Yu''s relaxing appearance, his mind is racing with thoughts: I can only defend and not attack; my eyes are blinded; if Murong Fu stabs my Mother or Father with his sword, what can I do?


    By now, Murong Fu recognizes that Duan Yu is the real threat and nemesis. He is not bothered about killing Madam Duan. By now, he has executed over a hundred moves and yet, he has failed to hurt his rival. He guessed: This kid is capable of , and avoided my sword because of its whistling. I shall change to , a light and noiseless attack. This kid would be unable to dodge any longer.


    Once he switched his swordplay, his sword is now thrusting at a slow pace. Unfortunately, Murong Fu is unaware that Duan Yu''s is an autopilot skill and does not consider the attacks of the enemy. Regardless of a thunderous and stormy sword stance or a silent sword stance, this is independent.


    Based on Duan Yanqing''s vast experience and incredible foresight, he instantly saw through Murong Fu''s ruse and his concern for Duan Yu was aroused. Witnessing Murong Fu''s laggard sword stance which concealed the piercing sound of the weapon, he was shocked. Using his throat, he warned in a hoarse voice: "Child, you must quickly kill that kid Duan Yu. If he removed the black cloth from his eyes, I am afraid the two of us will perish at his hands."


    Murong Fu was shaken and he thought: You fool, why did you remind him?


    Indeed, his words have enlightened a lost soul. Duan Yu was momentarily dazed before he swiftly used his hand and removed the black cloth covering his eyes. Suddenly, his eyes were exposed to brightness, causing him to see spots as well as an icy long sword approaching him from the front. He does not know any martial arts and cannot think of any countermeasure. In his anxiety, he mixed up his footwork. With a ''chi'' sound, his left leg was injured by Murong Fu''s sword and he fell down on the floor.


    Murong Fu was thrilled. Lifting his sword, he stabbed downwards. Lying sideways on the floor, Duan Yu countered with a . Murong Fu speedily leapt backwards to evade. Although fresh blood is gushing out of Duan Yu''s leg, his is smooth and forceful. Soon, the hall is filled with his sword energy, instantly coercing Murong Fu into dodging here and avoiding there like a destitute.


    In the past on Mount Shaoshi, Murong Fu is already outmatched by Duan Yu. The current Duan Yu has obtained Jiumozhi''s enormous well of internal energy; his is even more powerful and harder to suppress than before. After a few moves, a light ''zheng'' sound was heard. Murong Fu has lost his grip on the long sword. The sword flew straight up and embedded itself on one of the roof beams. Next, a ''bo'' sound rang out and Murong Fu''s shoulder has been injured by the sword energy. He knows that if he continued to linger around, he would be killed by Duan Yu. With a loud shout, he escaped through a window and fled for his life.


    With the support of a chair, Duan Yu stood up and called out: "Mother, Father, are you all right?" Madam Duan instructed: "Quickly tear out your collar and bandage your wound." Duan Yu assured: "That is not urgent." From Madam Wang''s corpse, he retrieved the small porcelain bottle from her lifeless hand and allowed his Father and Mother to inhale the antidote first and cure them of their poisoning. By following his Father''s guidance, he used his internal energy to unseal their critical acupoints. Madam Duan immediately set out to bandage Duan Yu''s wounds.


    Duan Zhengchun stood up and plucked out the long sword from the roof beam. The blade of this sword has been stained by the fresh blood of the four ladies Ruan Xingzhu, Qin Hongmian, Gan Baobao and Madam Wang. Every one of them shared an intimate relationship with him and a vow to grow old together. Duan Zhengchun may have been a philanderer and an unfaithful partner; nevertheless, during each of his passionate encounter, his devotion to the lady is absolute. How he wished he could dig his heart out and cut his body into equal parts for each of his lovers. In front of him, the four female corpses are lying on the floor. Madam Wang''s head is resting on Qin Hongmian''s thigh, while Gan Baobao''s body is lying horizontally across Ruan Xingzhu''s belly. When these four ladies are alive, they suffered greatly due to their separation from him. Broken hearted and dejected, there is more sadness than happiness in their lifelong saga. At the end of the day, they all had to die an unnatural death because of him. When Ruan Xingzhu was killed by Murong Fu, Duan Zhengchun has already decided to commit suicide in the name of love. Presently, he has no other worries. Duan Yu is a grown man with a good education and competent martial arts. DaLi Country will not lack a wise and capable ruler. There is nothing left for him to accomplish. Turning to Madam Duan, he swore: "Madam (Wife), I have let you down. In my heart, all these women and you are exactly the same, each and every one of you is my cherished true love. My love for them is real, my love for you is equally real!"


    Madam Duan cried out: "Brother Chun, you¡­ you must not¡­" She rushed towards him.


    In order to save his Mother, Duan Yu forced himself to engage Murong Fu. After Murong Fu escaped through the window, he could barely think straight. Suddenly, he recalled: Earlier on, I experienced fire deviation. How did I recover?


    Turning numb and soft, his body started to freeze out of the blue. Gradually, he curled into a ball on the floor and for the time being, he is unable to stand up.


    By the time he heard the tragic cry of Madam Duan, Duan Zhengchun has already stabbed his own chest with the tip of the sword. Madam Duan hurriedly used her hand to pull out the long sword. Her left hand pressing onto his wound, she was crying as she said: "Brother Chun, Brother Chun, even if you have one thousand or ten thousand women, I will still love you the same. Sometimes, I would be upset with you and get angry, but¡­ that is the past already¡­ And that is because I still love you¡­" However, Duan Zhengchun positioned the sword to pierce his heart. The sword stab killed him instantly and he can no longer hear her words.


    Madam Duan picked up the long sword and is about to stab herself in the chest too. But when she heard Duan Yu yelled out: "Mother! Mother!", she was distracted and missed by a few inches, stabbing her abdomen instead.


    Seeing both his Father and Mother lifting the sword to commit suicide, Duan Yu was frightened out of his wits. His legs seemed to be filled with vinegar, as they felt sour and numb simultaneously. Lacking the strength to walk, he used his hands and crawled over, calling: "Mother, Father, you¡­ the two of you¡­" Madam Duan coaxed: "Child, Father and Mother are passing on. You¡­ You must take good care of yourself¡­" Duan Yu sobbed: "Mother, Mother, you must not die, you must not die. Father? He¡­ What happened to him?" Reaching his hand, he cradled his mother''s neck. He thought of pulling the sword out of her body but he is afraid that when he pulled it out, he may cause her to die even faster. Thus, he held his hand. Madam Duan advised: "You must learn from your Uncle and be a good Emperor¡­"


    Duan Yanqing suddenly interrupted: "Quickly give me the antidote. I can save your Mother." Duan Yu blew his top and roared: "It is all your fault, you traitorous villain. You kidnapped my Father and caused him to die unnaturally. Our feud will never be erased!" Abruptly standing up, he grabbed one of the steel staffs on the floor and is about to chop down on Duan Yanqing''s shoulder. In a shrill voice, Madam Duan screamed: "No!"


    Duan Yu was taken aback. Turning his head, he declared: "Mother, this person is our greatest nemesis. Child is going to take revenge for you and Father." Still using her shrill voice, Madam Duan forbade: "No! You¡­ You cannot commit such a heinous crime!" Filled with doubts, Duan Yu inquired: "I¡­ I cannot¡­ commit such a heinous crime?" Gnashing his teeth, he hollered: "I must kill this traitorous villain." He raised the steel staff again. Madam Duan coaxed: "Put your head down beside me and let me explain it to you."


    Duan Yu lowered his head and planted his ear besides her lips. His mother softly revealed: "Child, this Duan Yanqing, he is your real Father. Your Father was unfaithful to me and in my frustration, I did something unfaithful to him too. Afterwards, I gave birth to you. Your Father does not know this and all along, he assumed you are his son, but you are actually not. Your current Father is not your real Father, this person is your real Father. You must never hurt him; otherwise¡­ otherwise you would have committed the heinous crime of killing your own Father. I have never loved this person before, but¡­ but I cannot allow you to commit this sin. This sin will send you to hell upon your death and you would not be able to enter the Western Paradise. I¡­ At first, I do not wish to tell you these, as it reflects badly on your Father. Now, I have no choice and must tell you the truth¡­"


    In this short span of time of less than two hours, unexpected huge revelations kept happening one after another like a chain of lightning strikes, causing Duan Yu to be shocked beyond words. Hugging his mother''s body, he wailed: "Mother, Mother, this cannot be true! This cannot be true!"


    Duan Yanqing repeated: "Quickly give me the antidote so that I can save your Mother." Duan Yu could tell that his Mother''s breathing is becoming more and more shallow. Without further thought, he picked up the small porcelain bottle on the floor and gave it to Duan Yanqing.


    Once he recovered his strength, Duan Yanqing immediately fetched his steel staff. With a series of ''chi chi chi chi'' sounds, he has sealed the acupoints around Madam Duan''s wound. Madam Duan shook her head and insisted: "You must never touch me again." To Duan Yu, she instructed: "Child, I still have something to tell you." Duan Yu lowered his head again.


    Madam Duan softly detailed: "Although this person and your Father share the same surname and are from the same generation, they are not considered blood brothers. Your Father has many daughters, Miss Mu, Miss Wang, Miss Zhong, etc. You can marry whoever you want¡­ In Great Song, this may not be permitted, as they believe in marrying someone with a different surname. In DaLi, we do not care about this restriction. As long as they are not siblings, they can get married. With so many ladies, you can marry all of them too. That would be wonderful. You¡­ Do you like it?"


    Duan Yu''s tears are still running non-stop and he cannot think about this question now.


    Madam Duan sighed once and lamented: "My good child, it is a pity I cannot see you wearing the Dragon (Emperor) robes, sitting on the Imperial throne, and be an obedient¡­ obedient little Emperor with my own eyes. But I know for sure that you will be very obedient¡­" Suddenly, she used her hand and press down on the hilt of the sword, causing the weapon to pass through her body.


    Duan Yu yelled out: "Mother!" Springing onto her body, he saw his Mother slowly closing her eyes and the corner of her mouth curling into a smile.


    Duan Yu called again: "Mother!" Without warning, he felt his back turning numb. Soon thereafter, the critical acupoints on his waist, legs and shoulders are being sealed by someone. A sublime voice entered his ear: "I am your Father Duan Yanqing. To preserve the reputation of Lord Zhennan, right now, I am speaking to you via . Have you clearly heard the words of your Mother?" The last two passages Madam Duan conveyed to Duan Yu were done in a soft tone. Nonetheless, at that point in time, Duan Yanqing''s poisoning has been cured and his internal energy has been restored. He overheard everything and knew that Madam Duan has disclosed to Duan Yu the secret of his heritage.


    Duan Yu called out: "I did not hear anything! I did not hear anything! I only want my own Father and Mother!" When he said he wanted his ''own Father and Mother'', he is in fact admitting that he has heard the words of his Mother.


    Duan Yanqing was infuriated: "You are unwilling to acknowledge me?" Duan Yu called out: "No! No! I do not believe! I do not believe!" Duan Yanqing whispered: "Right now, your life is in my hand. Killing you is as easy as flipping my palm. Moreover, you are indeed my son. By not acknowledging your birth father, aren''t you extremely unfilial?"


    Knowing that his Mother would not lie to him, Duan Yu was dumbfounded. However, for the past twenty years, he has been addressing Duan Zhengchun as his Father. In return, Duan Zhengchun has been showering him with love. How could he suddenly accept a stranger as his Father? Furthermore, the death of his Father and Mother are partly due to Duan Yanqing. To acknowledge the enemy as his Father is impossible. Gritting his teeth, he swore: "Kill me if you want. I will never acknowledge you."


    Duan Yanqing is perplexed and disappointed. He thought: Although I have a son, he does not regard me as his father. This means he is not my son.


    In a blink of an eye, his evil nature was aroused. Lifting his steel staff, he poked towards the back of Duan Yu. The staff was about to come in contact with the back of Duan Yu''s clothes when he cannot help but softened his heart. Letting out a long sigh, he thought: I have been leading a life full of hardship. At first, I am kinless and all alone. After much difficulty, I finally have a son. How can I bear to kill him with my own hands? Whether he acknowledges me or not, he will forever be my son. Now that Duan Zhengchun is dead, there is no way I can compete with Duan Zhengming. However, the throne of DaLi country will one day end up in the hands of my son. Although I cannot be the Emperor myself, the end result is the same if I had been the Emperor. I guess my wish is considered fulfilled.


    Duan Yu called out: "Since you are going to kill me, what are you waiting for?"


    Duan Yanqing unsealed his acupoints and using , he proposed: "I will not kill my own son! Since you are unwilling to acknowledge me, you can kill me with and take revenge for Duan Zhengchun and your Mother." As he spoke, he puffed his chest and waited for Duan Yu to make his move. Presently, his heart is filled with self pity and self blame. Since that year when he was critically injured, these feelings have been dominating his mind. Only by committing evil deeds can he vent out these feelings. Right now, he felt that he has led a wasted life with no worthy accomplishments. He might as well die under the hands of his own son and put an end to this misery.


    Using his left hand, a confused Duan Yu wiped away his tears. On one hand, he wanted to use and kill this Great Evil in front of him in order to avenge his parents. However, his Mother stated very clearly that this person is his own birth Father; how could he bear to kill him?


    While waiting, Duan Yanqing saw Duan Yu raising his hand and putting it down, and then raising his hand again in an indecisive manner. In an awe-inspiring manner, he barked: "As an upright and worthy hero, if you want to make a move, just go ahead. What is there to fear?"


    Duan Yu clenched his teeth and shrunk his hand. He concluded: "Mother will not lie to me. I will not kill you."


    Duan Yanqing was ecstatic and burst out into laughter, knowing that his son eventually acknowledged himself as his Father. Filled with delight, he propped himself with the two staffs and cheerfully went on his way. He did not even spare a single glance at Yun Zhonghe who has fainted and is still lying on the floor.


    Still hoping for a miracle, Duan Yu went and felt his Father and Mother for a pulse and checked their breathing. When he finally accepted they would not come back to life, he collapsed on the floor and started crying his eyes out.


    After crying for a long time, he suddenly heard a female voice behind him saying: "Mister Duan, our condolences. We are too late in our rescue mission and we deserve death for our incompetence." Duan Yu turned around and saw several ladies standing at the door. The two ladies in front shared a similar appearance. Recognizing the two of them to be two of the four sisters from Xu Zhu''s Lingjiu Palace, he could not tell if they are Plum, Orchid, Bamboo or Chrysanthemum. His face is covered with tears from his lonely crying session. He sobbed: "My Father and Mother are dead!"


    The two girls from Lingjiu Palace are Bamboo Sword and Chrysanthemum Sword. Bamboo Sword explained: "Mister Duan, when my Owner learnt about Mister''s parents meeting some danger on their journey, he ordered Maid (me) to lead some warriors and embark on a rescue mission. Unfortunately, we were too late." Chrysanthemum Sword updated: "Miss Wang Yuyan and the others were locked up in a dungeon. They have been rescued and are in good shape. Mister can put your mind at ease."


    Out of nowhere, from afar, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air. Bamboo Sword explained: "Sister Plum and Sister Orchid are on their way here!" A brief moment later, sounds of hoof beats can be heard. More than ten riders raced to the front of the house. The first two arrivals are indeed Plum Sword and Orchid Sword. The two girls dashed into the house and catching sight of the corpses all over the floor, they stopped dead in their tracks and exclaimed: "Ayo! Ayo!"


    Plum Sword saluted Duan Yu and articulated: "My Owner severely begs the pardon of Mister Duan, saying there is a certain matter which he has let Mister down. However, it cannot be helped. My owner has broken his promise and is feeling guilty toward Mister. He seeks Mister''s forgiveness."


    Duan Yu has no idea what she is talking about. In a choking voice, he replied: "We are Foster Brothers, there is nothing to forgive. My Father and Mother are dead; I cannot be bothered with other issues."


    By now, the five men Fan Hua, Hua Hegen, Fu Sigui, Cui Baiquan and Guoyan have inhaled the antidote and their acupoints have been unsealed. Noting Yun Zhonghe still lying on the floor, Hua Hegen''s anger was aroused. With one chop, the cruel and merciless Yun Zhonghe was beheaded. The five men paid their respects to the corpses of Duan Zhengchun husband and wife before grieving tragically.


    When the sun is up, Fan Hua and the others went to procure coffins. By afternoon, the ladies of Lingjiu Palace Zhu Tian faction delivered Wang Yuyan, Ba Tianshi, Zhu Danchen, Mu Wanqing and Zhong Ling to the residence. After being stung by the venomous ''Drunken Bees'', they are still in a daze and have yet to regain consciousness.


    Without any delay, Duan Yu, Fan Hua and the others buried everybody except for Lord Zhennan husband and wife. Since the residence is located within the territory of DaLi, Fan Hua summoned the local county and provincial officials. When the officials learnt that Lord Zhennan husband and wife had ''died of sickness'' within their area of governance, they were shocked beyond comprehension and some nearly fainted. In their hearts, they feared punishment for negligence and lack of proper hospitality. Luckily, Minister Fan did not censure them. They rapidly scrambled about and canvassed men and wagons, making preparations to transport the coffins of Lord Zhennan husband and wife. Worried that more incidents may happen along the way, the female disciples of Lingjiu Palace escorted Duan Yu all the way back to the capital city of DaLi. During the journey, Wang Yuyan, Ba Tianshi and the others started waking up.


    The news of Lord Zhennan dying a royal death while travelling and royal descendent Duan Yu escorting the coffin back to the capital has spread throughout the capital city of DaLi. Lord Zhennan has made significant contributions to his country and is worshipped by the population. Thousands of officials and commoners lined the streets inside and outside the city for over five kilometres in order to pay their last respects and mourn his departure. The air is filled with their lasting cries of grief. Duan Yu, Fan Hua, Hua Hegen, Ba Tianshi and the others entered the Imperial palace at once to report Lord Zhennan''s death circumstances to the Emperor. Wang Yuyan, Plum Sword and the others were ushered by Zhu Danchen to a nearby inn.


    In the Imperial palace, Duan Yu noticed that both eyes of Duan Zhengming are now red and swollen due to excessive crying. He was about to kneel down and pay his respects when Duan Zhengming embraced him and asked: "Child, why¡­ why did it come to this?" The two men Uncle and Nephew continued hugging each other.


    Duan Yu did not hold anything back and honestly communicated everything without concealment, even revealing the secret between Madam Duan and him. Finishing, he kneeled and paid his respects. He sobbed: "If Father is not the birth Father of Child, Child would be a b@st@rd, I can no longer¡­ no longer stay in DaLi."


    Duan Zhengming was utterly flabbergasted and sighed a few times: "Retribution! Retribution!" Reaching his hand out, he supported Duan Yu up and concluded: "Child, this new discovery of your parentage is only known to two people in the world, you and Duan Yanqing. Actually, it is not necessary for you to disclose this fact to me. But since you are straightforward and fearless, it showcases your honest character. Both your Father and I are heirless. Let''s skip the fact that you are surnamed Duan; even if you are not surnamed Duan, I have decided to appoint you as my successor. This throne rightfully belongs to Prince Yanqing but I have been occupying (in a bad way) it for decades instead. I am frequently tormented by guilt. Since Heaven has made this arrangement, it is indeed the best possible outcome. I cannot ask for more." As he spoke, he stretched his hand and removed the yellow cloth cap from his head. His head is clean-shaven and on the top, there are twelve moxibustion marks.


    Duan Yu was taken aback and he exclaimed: "Uncle, you¡­" Duan Zhengming reminded: "Remember that day when we were resisting Jiumozhi at Sky Dragon Monastery? Grandmaster has ordained me and given me the precepts. You were there to witness everything." Duan Yu acknowledged: "Yes." Duan Zhengming continued: "Since I am becoming a monk, the throne must be passed to your Father. Because your Father was in the Central Plains at that time, and the country cannot do without a ruler, I dare not disobey Grandmaster''s command and temporary ruled the country on your Father''s behalf. Unfortunately, your Father passed away on his return journey. Today, I shall cede the throne to you."


    Duan Yu was completely astounded: "Child is young and inexperienced, how can I accept such heavy responsibilities? Additionally, Child''s birthright is doubtful, Child¡­ I¡­ better disappear into the wilderness¡­"


    Duan Zhengming barked: "From today onwards, your heritage shall never be brought up again. Your Father and your Mother, how did they treat you?"


    Duan Yu whimpered: "Their dedication is immeasurable, as deep as the ocean and as high as the mountains."


    Duan Zhengming advised: "That is the way. If you wish to repay your parents for your upbringing, you must preserve their good name. As an Emperor, you only need to remember two things. First, you must love your citizens. Second, you must be open to good advice from your officials. You are benevolent by nature and the commoners will not be oppressed. In the future, when you are older, you must never take your intelligence for granted and start altering our national policies. Most importantly, you must never start a war with our neighbouring countries."

 Chapter - 49 Worthless Authority the Circle of Life a Life Without Fear

    In the Imperial Palace of DaLi, Duan Zhengming is ceding the throne to his Nephew Duan Yu. He advised Duan Yu on two things, one, love his citizens and two, accept good advice from others. In addition, he warned Duan Yu to never to edit the national policies or wage wars. At the same time, thousands of kilometres away north of DaLi, in the capital of Great Song, inside Bianliang Palace, Chongqing Court inner chamber, the sickness of Grand Empress Dowager (Grandmother of Emperor) has taken a turn for the worse. She is giving her last instructions to her grandson, Emperor Zhao Xu: "Child, our founding ancestors went through indescribable hardships to create our Empire. Thanks to their excellent groundwork, we are able to enjoy days of peace. However, during your father''s regime, there were some new developments that almost took place. Till today, the common folks still retain some fear of these developments. Do you understand the reason behind this?"


    Zhao Xu answered: "Child often heard from Granny, saying that Imperial Father took the advice of Wang Anshi and wanted to introduce new reforms. However, these reforms cause the people to suffer extensively."


    The dried and wrinkled face of Grand Empress Dowager moved slightly as she sighed: "Wang Anshi is educated and talented. Initially, he is not an evil man and his intention is to benefit the country and the people. However¡­ Ai¡­ However, your Father is anxious for results and demanded the reforms to be implemented instantaneously and speedily carried out. Unfortunately, some things cannot be rushed. More haste, less speed. In all the confusion, things ended up worse than before."


    As she spoke until here, she paused for a while and continued: "Furthermore, he does not appreciate dissent. He loves it when others sing praises of him, saying he is the Son of Heaven. When someone criticizes him for a bad decision and gives him an alternate suggestion, he would throw a tantrum. Many officials have been sacked or dispatched to faraway provinces as punishment. With this attitude, who would dare to offer an honest yet unfavourable opinion?"


    Zhao Xu lamented: "Granny, it is a pity Imperial Father''s work is incomplete. All his commendable projects have been slandered by villains."


    Grand Empress Dowager was shocked. In a shaking voice, she questioned: "What¡­ What commendable projects? What¡­ What villians?"


    Zhao Xu explained: "Imperial Father spearheaded the Crops stockpile reform, Horse management reform, Insurance reform, etc. Aren''t these reforms useful in building the nation''s wealth and strengthening our army? And yet we have these nincompoop scholars Sima Guang, Lu Gongzhu, and Su Shi coming in to disparage them."


    The countenance of Grand Empress Dowager took a change. She tried to force herself to sit up but her body is at its weakest state. Even when she tried to lift herself higher by one or two inches, she found it to be particularly challenging. Meanwhile, she was coughing non-stop. Zhao Xu commented: "Granny, do not be upset. You need to rest more and take care of your health." Although he is giving advice, there is no tone of concern or love in his voice.


    For a while, Grand Empress Dowager had a coughing fit. Gradually, it calmed down and she probed: "Child, you have been an Emperor for nine years. However, for these nine years¡­ for these nine years, the real Emperor is Granny. In everything that you do, your instructions must come from Granny. You¡­ In your heart, you must be very frustrated and full of hate for Granny, am I right?"


    Zhao Xu cajoled: "Granny is acting on my behalf as Emperor because you adore me and is afraid I would be exhausted. All the subordinates listened to Granny; all the decrees were issued by Granny. Child is free and idle; what is bad about that? Why would I blame Granny?"


    Grand Empress Dowager sighed once and softly revealed: "You are exactly like your Father, thinking you are clever and talented, and wanting achieve a major accomplishment. All along, in your heart, you have been hating me, I¡­ Do you think I don''t know about this?"


    Zhao Xu smiled and confessed: "Of course Granny knows about it. In the palace, the Commander of the Palace Guards is Granny''s trusted crony. In the Inner Court, the Head Eunuch is Granny''s confidante. Within the Imperial Court, all the high-ranking ministers are appointed by Granny. Besides obediently complying with Granny''s instructions, would Child dare to do anything or say anything that could be contradicting?"


    Both her eyes staring at the top of the bed-curtain, Grand Empress Dowager predicted: "You must be waiting for this day all your life. Once I died of sickness, you¡­ you can then showcase your capabilities." Zhao Xu remarked: "Child is able to become Emperor because of Granny''s intervention. That year, when Imperial Father passed away, if not for Granny''s support, the senior officials of the Imperial Court would have appointed Prince Yong or Prince Cao. Granny''s immense debt of gratitude; Child would not dare to forget. However¡­ However¡­" Grand Empress Dowager demanded: "However what? What do you wish to say? Just say it; there is not need to be wishy-washy."


    Zhao Xu replied: "Child has heard rumours, saying Granny chose Child as Emperor because Child is young and Granny can represent Child to rule over the Imperial Court." He courageously said these words but his heart is thumping furiously. Stealing a few glances at the door, he identified the eunuchs stationed there as his trusted cronies. They will guard the chamber well and he was able to relax a little.


    Grand Empress Dowager slowly nodded her head and commented: "Your words are not incorrect. I do want to run the country as my own. Over the past nine years, how did I fare?"


    From his bosom, Zhao Xu produced a roll of paper and asked: "Granny, for the past nine years, the praises and commendations of Imperial Officials are numerous. If I repeat them, Granny would find it tiresome. We have a messenger from the North today, and he brought us a petition that was submitted from the Prime Minister of Liao to the Emperor of Liao. The petition mentioned about Granny''s governance. This is the private discussion of our enemy''s Imperial Court, is Granny interested to hear about it?"


    Grand Empress Dowager sighed: "If they praise me, it is good, if they criticize me, it doesn''t matter too. I¡­ I don''t think I can make it past tonight. I¡­ I don''t even know if I can see tomorrow''s sunrise. The Prime Minister of Liao, how did he judge me?"


    Zhao Xu spread open the roll of parchment and read: "In the petition, the Prime Minister made the following observations: Since *Curtain-politics begun, capable officials have been recruited and the new reforms have been discontinued. For the past nine years, the Court is free from corruption and the country is safe and prosperous. But formalizing ties, the Court is free from favouritism and even relatives do not enjoy special treatment. All the tribute items and valuables presented to the authority are transferred to the national treasury and not even a single object has been taken for personal use¡­" When he read up to this point, he paused for a while and could see the soulless eyes of Grand Empress Dowager suddenly glimmering with rays of joy. He concluded: "¡­ This person is the female equivalent of Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun!"


    *(During Court Session, the Grand Empress Dowager will sit behind the Emperor, semi-concealed by a curtain. From TV shows, the curtain is not a cloth curtain but vertical rows of beads forming a partition. From that position, the GED will conduct the Court session via the Emperor. Emperor will be manipulated by her like a Puppet to a Puppet Master.)


    Grand Empress Dowager murmured: "Female equivalent of Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun! Female equivalent of Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun! Even for these two Emperors, they eventually cannot escape the fate of death." Out of nowhere, in her increasingly slow-witted brain, a light of inspiration was illuminated. She inquired: "Why did the Prime Minister of Liao Country start paying attention to me? Child, you¡­ you must take note of this. They know I am dying soon and are going to take advantage of you."


    The young face of Zhao Xu glowed with pride. He disparaged; "They wish to take advantage of me? Humph, it is easier said than done. The Khitans have spies in Eastern Capital (of Song) and they knew that Granny is afflicted with serious illness; however, don''t we have our own spies in Upper Capital (of Liao)? We did get a copy of their Prime Minster''s petition, right? The Khitan officials are having a discussion, saying that when Granny¡­ Granny has moved on from this world, if the Ministers and Generals remained the same; there are no new laws and the people are living a secured life, so be it. But if Child decided to¡­ Humph Humph, act blindly without thinking¡­ act blindly without thinking, they themselves will come and act blindly without thinking too."


    Grand Empress Dowager faintly enquired: "If this is true, are they sending their army southwards (to attack us)?"


    Zhao Xu replied: "That is right!" Turning his body, he walked over to the window. Look at the Big Dipper shining in the sky, his eyes traced the formation and finally, gazing at the North Star, he murmured: "Our Great Song is packed with well-trained soldiers and abundant provisions. With our superior numbers, there is no need to fear the Khitans. Even if they do not move southwards (to invade), I may instead head north and challenge them! "


    Grand Empress Dowager is hard of hearing. She implored: "What did you say? Who are you challenging?" Zhao Xu strode back to her sickbed and elaborated: "Granny, Our Great Song population is ten times more than Liao Country. Our provisions are thirty times more than theirs, isn''t it? With ten against one, would we lose against them?" Grand Empress Dowager questioned in a trembling voice: "You wish to wage war against Liao Country? That year, even when the valiant and astute Emperor Zhenzong personally led an army against them, the end conclusion was the Agreement of Chanzhou. You¡­ You dare to wage war against them?"


    Zhao Xu was infuriated: "Granny has always despised Child, treating Child as if Child is still a breastfeeding baby who knows nothing about the world. Even if Child is inferior to Emperor Taizu and Taizhong, Child could definitely surpass Emperor Zhenzong." Grand Empress Dowager whispered: "Even for Emperor Taizhong, he lost his battle against the Northern (Liao) Country and retreated with heavy injuries. The wounds did not heal, which led to his Imperial death." Zhao Xu insisted: "These are separate matters and cannot be discussed concurrently. That year, we failed to defeat the Khitans, but that does not mean we will never be able defeat them."


    Grand Empress Dowager realised she has many things to convey. However, she can feel her strength gradually leaving her body and her eyesight is starting to cloud. With her mind mostly obscure, she found it challenging to speak out too. Still, in the depths of her heart, a persistent and clear message is throbbing relentlessly: "War is merciless, lives will be in peril, this confrontation must never take place."


    After some time, she took a deep break and slowly remarked: "Child, for these nine years, I have been monopolizing all the authority and did not spend any time analyzing situations with you. This is Granny''s fault. I always thought I have many more years to live and wanted to wait until you are older before exposing you to all of these. By then, you would have a better understanding. Unexpectedly¡­ unexpectedly¡­" She made a few dry coughs and continued: "We do have superior numbers and ample provisions. But the people of Great Song are feeble compared to the bravery of the Khitans. Moreover, if war really breaks out, the battlefield will be lined with the remains of our soldiers and commoners. The casualties will be high, many properties and infrastructure will be destroyed. Under the sky, countless people will lose their families and their lives. There will be broken families everywhere. As the ruler, in our minds, we must always remember this word: Humanity. Let''s not even consider the unknown outcome of the war. Even if we are totally confident of victory, this war is better left unfought."


    Zhao Xu reminded: "Our sixteen prefectures of Yanyun have been seized by the people of Liao. Every year, we still have to pay tributes of gold and money. We are like their vassal state or worse, one of their tribes. As the Emperor of Great Song, how can Child endure this insult? Shall we be bullied by the people of Liao forever?" The more he spoke the louder he became: "That year, when Wang Anshi introduced the reforms, such as the Horse management reforms and Insurance reforms, these are meant to strengthen our country and our coffers, eventually redeeming the ridicule faced by our ancestors. As an Imperial descendent, by taking revenge for our forefathers, it is an act of great filial piety. For his entire life, Imperial Father has been working hard for the same reason, isn''t it? Child must continue Father''s unfinished projects, if anyone gets in my way, they will end up like this chair." He suddenly pulled out a sword from his waist and chopped a chair beside him into two parts.


    Except for leading the army to war or conducting a military inspection, the Emperor is unarmed. Witnessing this child abruptly pulling out a sword and chopping the chair, Grand Empress Dowager could not help but was greatly taken aback. In her semi-conscious state of mind, she thought: "Why is he carrying a sword? Is he here to kill me? Or does he want me to stop controlling him from behind like a puppet master? This Child is brave but reckless, I am going to force him to abdicate." Although she is affectionate by nature, but after having complete authority for so many years, whenever she felt a threat to her power, she would instantly find a way to get rid of her enemy. Even family members will not be spared. In that split second, she forgot that she herself is at the end of her lifespan and would soon depart from world of the living.


    In his mind, all Zhao Xu could think about is how to conquer his enemies and reclaim the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun. He fantasized himself riding a tall steed, leading a hundred thousand brave soldiers and overrunning Upper Capital (of Liao), forcing Emperor of Liao, Yelu Hongji to surrender and make a formal apology. Raising his sword high up in the air, he bravely declared: "The critical affairs of the Country were all ruined by a bunch of cowards and nincompoops. They called themselves Noblemen but are actually a bunch of greedy, selfish and gutless villains. I¡­ I must punish them heavily."


    Grand Empress Dowager regained her clarity and thought: "This Child is the Emperor of the day. He has his own thinking and I can no longer manipulate him. I am an old lady on my deathbed. He is a young and vigorous Emperor. He is the Emperor. He is the Emperor." She tried her best to speak as loudly as possible and praised: "Child, you have this strong ambition and Granny is happy for you." Zhao Xu was pleased. Returning his sword into the sheath, he asked: "Granny, my words are correct, isn''t it?"


    Grand Empress Dowager tested: "Do you know what is a surefire strategy that guarantees victory?" Zhao Xu frowned his brows and mused: "By picking capable generals, training tough soldiers, rearing sturdy horses and stockpiling our provisions, we can pit ourselves against the people of Liao on the battlefield. There is a good chance of victory but there is no guarantee." Grand Empress Dowager suggested: "You, too, know that there is no guarantee of victory on the battlefield. Nevertheless, our Great Song can get them to yield without going to war." Zhao Xu remarked: "By letting our people rest and governing the country with good policies, we can get them to yield without going to war. This is what you mean, right? Granny, this is the pathetic scholarly opinion of Sima Guang and the others. What good can they achieve from this?"


    Grand Empress Dowanger sighed once and slowly advised: "Lord Sima is well-read and experienced. Why do you label his advice as pathetic scholarly opinion? You are the ruler of a country and must constantly study Lord Sima''s book . For more than a thousand years, the prosperity, decline, failure and demise of each dynasty is documented in this book. Our Great Song has fertile land and dense population. We outnumber the Country of Liao by ten to one. As long as war does not break out, another ten, twenty years later, we would be even stronger and richer. The people of Liao are brave and warlike. As long as we guard our borders well, they will soon be fighting among themselves. After a few internal conflicts, their country will be severely weakened. Two years ago, when the King of Chu rebelled, many of Liao''s soldiers were killed and injured."


    Zhao Xu slapped his thigh and recalled: "That is right. Actually, at that time, Child was thinking of leading an army up north and mount a pincer attack. Since the people of Liao are having an internal strife, they would find it difficult to deal with us. Ai, it is a pity we lost this once in a lifetime golden opportunity."


    Grand Empress Dowager scolded in a sharp voice: "You kept wanting to start a war with Liao. You¡­ You¡­ You¡­" She suddenly sat straight up with her right index finger outstretched, pointing ferociously at Zhao Xu.


    When Grand Empress Dowager abruptly demonstrated a show of authority, Zhao Xu was so shocked he took three steps backwards, stumbling in the process. His hand on his sword hilt and his heart thumping furiously, he nearly fainted. He cried out: "Quick. Somebody come quick."


    When the group of eunuchs heard the summons of the Emperor, they dashed into the chamber at once. In a shuddering voice, Zhao Xu asked: "She¡­ She¡­ Look at her. What is happening?" Earlier on, his words are full of bravery and ambition, wanting to fight to death with the Khitans. Now, an illness-stricken old woman is demonstrating her authority and he was instantly shocked out of his wits and is at a loss of what to do. A eunuch took a few steps towards her and scrutinized her for a while. Gathering his courage, he sent out his hand to test for a pulse. He concluded: "Reporting to Emperor, Grand Empress Dowager''s ''dragon'' body has ascended to Heaven."


    Zhao Xu was overjoyed and he laughed loudly, exclaiming: "Wonderful! Wonderful! I am the Emperor now! I am the Emperor now!"


    Actually, he has been an Emperor for nine years; however, he was an Emperor in name only and lacks the accompanying authority. All his powers were held by the Grand Empress Dowager. It was at this moment when he is truly the Emperor.


    With Zhao Xu personally in charge, the first thing he did is to demote Minister of Rites Su Shi to Dingzhou as the Prefectural Governor. Su Shi''s fame has spread all over the country and he carried all the heavy responsibilities. At loggerheads with Wang Anshi, he opposed the new reforms. Since the beginning of Grand Empress Dowager curtain-politics, she mainly relies on Sima Guang and the brothers, Su Shi and Su Zhe. Now that Grand Empress Dowager is dead, the Emperor has sacked Su Shi from the Imperial Court and sent him to manage the common folks instead. A worrying shadow was casted on the minds of the people. They imagined: The Emperor is going to implement the new reforms and cause misery to the populace again! Of course, there are some who are secretly delighted. When the Emperor resumed the reforms, there is an opportunity for them to get promoted and making a killing.


    Presently, most of the positions in the Imperial Court are occupied by officials formerly appointed by Grand Empress Dowager. Hanlin Scholar Fan Zuyu petitioned: "The late Grand Empress Dowager has a penchant for fairness and equality. By sacking officials Wang Anshi and Lu Huiqing, the reforms are reverted back to traditional methods, thereby reversing the damage to society and turning our country away from danger and back on the path of peace. The disappointments faced by the people are now replaced by hope. As proven by the petition between the Prime Minister and Emperor of Liao: Southern Dynasty (aka Great Song) implements humane policies; we can guard Yanjing well and prevent any issues with the border forces. Your Majesty has been paying attention to our enemy country; by testing, we will know the results. Today, Your Majesty is personally involved; the villains will no doubt be shaken; and the greedy will temporary stop and observe further. Official (I) hopes Emperor will remember the tough times our ancestors underwent, as well as the hard work done by the late Grand Empress Dowager. Regardless of the inconveniences, no immoral personnel must be employed. By sticking to the good, the firm and the steady, with the external forces and the internal forces working hand-in-hand, you can govern with full righteousness and everything under the sky will be our good fortune!"


    The more Zhao Xu read, the angrier he became. Throwing the petition on the table, he demanded: "Regardless of the inconveniences, no immoral personnel must be employed, these two lines are well-expressed. However, who is the righteous and who is the villain?" As he spoke, his eyes are fuming with energy as he stared at Fan Zuyu with hostility.


    Fan Zuyu kowtowed and reported: "Your Majesty, please judge for yourself. When Grand Empress Dowager came into power, there are numerous petitions by officials and commoners, describing the reforms as inapplicable and harmful to the country. By following the will of the people, Grand Empress Dowager made changes to the policies. By sacking or removing the culprits behind the reforms, Grand Empress Dowager is serving her people. These sacked or demoted officials are naturally the villains."


    Zhao Xu coldly sniggered once and hollered loudly: "Those officials are sacked by Grand Empress Dowager; what have they got to do with me?" Waving his sleeve, he concluded the court session.


    Zhao Xu is sick of meeting his officials. However, being new in power, it is inappropriate for him to sack the whole bunch of them. He immediately issued personal edicts and promoted Yue Shixuan, Liu Weijian, Liang Congzheng and others. He rewarded these men because they are his close associates and supporters. For several days in succession, he faked illness and refused to hold a court session.


    A eunuch delivered a petition and the words are written with plump and powerful strokes. The sender is Su Shi. Zhao Xu noted: "That Big Beard Su has beautiful handwriting; I wonder what rubbish he has written." The petition goes like this: Even at the border side, official is on alert. Unable to meet you before my departure, we are now miles apart. There are some things I wish to communicate but it is more difficult now.


    Zhao Xu commented: "I purposely avoided you and your big beard. I never want to see you again in my life." He continued to read: There is always something we can learn from history and our ancestors. Only when it is dark can you see the stars; only when you are still can you see what is moving. All the truths will be revealed to you. Your Majesty is more intelligent than other people, young and energetic¡­


    Zhao Xu guffawed once and thought: This Big Beard is useless but he is good at flattery. By saying I am intelligent, young and energetic, he actually means I am young and na?ve.


    He continued to read: Official (I) is humbly advising Your Majesty to do nothing for now and spend time investigating the reforms. By weighing all the pros and cons, suitability and unnecessary, three years later, when the truth is out, you can take action on them. Afterwards, there will be no hatred from the people and Your Majesty will not have any regrets. From my perspective, if Your Majesty acts on the reforms now, it is too early. By waiting just a little longer, everything will be made clearer. Official is concerned there are some greedy officials who will advise Your Majesty to change quickly, because there are benefits for them. Therefore, Your Majesty must take note of this. By the time of the Agricultural Deity Temple blessing, the world will be a fortunate one.


    Finished with the petition, Zhao Xu pondered: Everybody says Big Beard Su is a talented man with peak intelligence; the rumours are true after all. He predicted I am determined to emulate my late father and restart the new reforms. Thus, he came to hinder my plans and wanted me to wait for three years. Humph. ''When the truth is out, you can take action on them. Afterwards, there will be no hatred from the people and Your Majesty will not have any regrets.'' He is simply putting it nicely but the meaning is still the same. He says that if I were to fast-track everything and go all out on the reforms, the people would bear hatred and I myself would experience regrets.


    In a fit of anger, he tore the petition to shreds at once.


    Days later, during Court, Fan Zuyu presented another petition: At the beginning of Xuning, officials Wang Anshi and Lu Huiqing introduced three new reforms which is a big shift from our traditional policies, allowing many villains to harm our country. Plenty of existing officials are removed from their Imperial Court positions and several new officials throughout the country are promoted into the Imperial Court. By deploying the army against borderland tribes, bad foreign relationships are created. The country is filled with despair and many people are homeless.


    Reading up till here, Zhao Xu was infuriated. He thought: On the surface, you are disparaging Wang Anshi and Lu Huiqing, in reality, aren''t you reprimanding my Imperial Father?


    He continued reading: Cai Que built prisons; Wang Shao dug rivers; Zhao Nao launched five creeks; Shen Qi disrupted transportation; Shen Kuo and the others revive our western conflicts with no less than two hundred thousand military and civilians casualties. The previous Emperor has expressed his regrets and demands the Imperial Court assign this blame to him personally.


    The more read, the more furious Zhao Xu became. Skipping a few lines, he read: The people are suffering and society is in disorder. Fortunately, Grand Empress Dowager came in and salvaged the situation, allowing the people to find a solution to their haywire situation¡­


    Reading up to this sentence, Zhao Xu cannot endure it any longer. Slamming the Imperial Dragon table, he stood up.


    Zhao Xu is eighteen years old. Besides the authority of an Emperor, he also possesses the rashness of his youth. By suddenly throwing his tantrum in Court, his officials were traumatized. In a sharp tone, he censured: "Fan Zuyu, based on your petition, aren''t you defaming the late Emperor with evil language?" Fan Zuyu kowtowed relentlessly and replied: "Your Majesty, please judge for yourselves. Official (I) would never dare to do so."


    Exercising his authority for the first time, Zhao Xu was secretly pleased to witness his officials'' terrified expressions. His anger slightly subsided; he still maintained a fierce appearance on the outside. He roared: "The late Emperor is a gifted talent. With his excellent ambitions, he was ready to eradicate all the barbarians and unite the world. Unfortunately, he passed away at the prime of his life. With me continuing the leftover projects of late Emperor, what is there to be upset about? Yet, all of you are chattering nonstop and criticizing the reforms of late Emperor instead."


    Among the rows of officials, a senior minister presented himself. With a lean outlook, he carried an aura of authority. It turned out to be Prime Minister Su Zhe. Zhao Xu was annoyed as he thought: This person is Big Beard Su''s younger brother. These two brothers are partners in crime; nothing good can come out from either.


    Su Zhe reported: "Your Majesty, please judge for yourself. The late Emperor has many good qualities and is more praiseworthy compared to our forefathers. For example, during his twelve-year reign, he refused to accept any honorary title. Junior and senior officials are full of praise for him but he always humbly reject these compliments. Even if he made some mistakes during his governance; it is only human to err. Father has begun a new legacy and the son will complete it. This is being filial to your ancestors."


    ''Humph!'' Zhao Xu snorted once and coldly asked: "Father has begun a new legacy and the son will complete it; what do you mean by this?" Su Zhe elaborated: "Let us use Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty as an example. By attacking the barbarians and constructing expensive palaces, he bankrupted the national treasury. By imposing tax on salt, steel, alcohol and roads, he is impoverishing the people. Unable to make a decent living, several rebellions were staged. When Emperor Wu passed away, Emperor Zhao inherited the throne and instructed Huo Guang to banish these rules, stabilizing the Han dynasty." Zhao Xu snorted again as he thought: You are comparing my Imperial Father to Emperor Wu of Han!


    Su Zhe noticed the displeased expression of the Emperor and realised he is in a perilous situation. He pondered: If I continue speaking and irritated the Emperor, he may order my execution in a fit of anger. But if I do not reflect the wishes of the people, the country will be in turmoil again. Tens of thousands of commoners will be miserable, hungry and cold. There would be homeless people everywhere. As a senior minister, how can I allow such an occurrence? Today, I shall risk my insignificant life to repay the deep gratitude of Grand Empress Dowager.


    He continued: "During Later Han Dynasty, Emperor Ming wanted to find out the truth about his country. To draw a conclusion, he mistakenly believed some rumours spread by indecent soothsayers. By conducting an erroneous and ruthlessly investigation, many people lived in fear and horror. When Emperor Zhang came into power, he understood the gist of it all. By introducing humane and generous policies, the people are overjoyed and peace reigned once again. These are examples of sons'' finishing their fathers'' works. These are saintly acts of great filial piety."


    Su Zhe correctly guessed that although Zhao Xu was crowned Emperor at the age of ten, for the past nine years, he must obey every instruction laid out by Grand Empress Dowager, causing him to secretly accumulate hatred over the years. Now, he must have decided to destroy the legacy of Grand Empress Dowager and restore the reforms initiated by Emperor Shenzong. This is also a display of filial piety towards his father. As a result, he intentionally emphasized the words ''These are saintly acts of great filial piety'' in his advice to the Emperor.


    In a loud voice, Zhao Xu interrogated: "Emperor Ming of Han dynasty is an admirer of Confucian teachings, there is nothing deplorable about that. By comparing Emperor Wu of Han with late Emperor, what is your agenda? Are you opening defaming late Emperor? Emperor Wu of Han is an inferior military commander. In his twilight years, he even issued a bereavement decree self-censuring himself. His behavior is ridiculous and he was a laughing stock among his people. How can he be compared to late Emperor?" The more he spoke, the louder his voice grew. He was extremely agitated.


    From the Official Platform, Su Zhe went to the centre of the Imperial Court and kneeled down, kowtowing perpetually and dare not speak again.


    In the hearts of many senior officials, they thought: When the late Emperor introduced the reforms, many commoners are affected and are living an insecure life. Compared to him, Emperor Wu of Han is a better Emperor.


    Nonetheless, nobody dared to speak up or debate on behalf of Su Zhe.


    With a head of flowing white hair, another senior minister presented himself. He is named Fan Chunren. He calmly state: "Your Majesty, please calm down. Su Zhe''s words may have been inappropriate but that is an indication of his loyalty to Emperor. Your Majesty is still new in the matters of the Imperial Court; experienced ministers must be treated with respect and cannot be berated like servants. Furthermore, in his later years, Emperor Wu of Han regretted his past actions. By showing remorse for his wrongdoings, he cannot be considered bad Emperor."


    Zhao Xu argued: "There is a saying: Emperor Qin; Han Wu (Emperor). Emperor Wu of Han is perceived on the same level as the tyrannical Qin Shihuang*. Doesn''t that prove your theory wrong?" Fan Chunren explained: "Su Zhe is highlighting their circumstances and developments, not their personal character."


    (For more information about him, readers can look up another of my translation: A Step into the Past, OP Jean)


    Listening to Fan Chunren''s debate, his wrath was appeased. He barked: "Su Zhe, come back!" From the centre of the Imperial Court, Su Zhe returned to Official Platform. He dare not occupy his previous station but instead kneeled down at the end of a row of officials. He pleaded: "Official has offended Your Majesty, I beg to be exiled to a faraway prefecture (instead of being executed)"


    The same day, an edict was passed down. Su Zhe was demoted to Duanming Scholar and sent to Ruzhou to serve as the prefectural Governor. Unexpectedly, even a Prime Minister can be demoted to a minor prefectural role.


    The Imperial Court affairs of Southern dynasty have been conveyed by spies to Upper Capital (of Liao). The Ruler of Liao, Yelu Hongji, learnt about the Imperial passing of Grand Empress Dowager and the young Emperor Zhao Xu demoting senior ministers. From these gestures, it is apparent to him that Zhao Xu is planning to restart the new reforms. Unable to hold back his joy, he instructed: "Prepare an entourage for Southern Capital (of Liao), I need to speak with Khan Xiao (Feng)."


    Yelu Hongji added: "Southern dynasty has plenty of spies in Upper Capital, if they discovered I am heading to Southern Capital, they may take some precautions. Let us travel light and fast instead. There is no need to inform Southern Khan about our visit either." At once, he led three thousand armoured troops and headed south. In light of King Chu''s recent rebellion, the Empress is personally staying behind and guarding Upper Capital. Another hundred thousand protective riders and soldiers will head south in several batches.


    In less than a day, the Imperial Entourage has arrived at the outskirts of Southern Capital City. That day, accompanied by twenty odd bodyguards, Xiao Feng is hunting at the northern suburbs. When he learnt about the abrupt arrival of Liao''s Ruler, he raced his horse northwards in welcome. Identifying a large white banner with a yellow top some distance away, he immediately got off his horse and walked towards it. When it is near enough, he got onto his knees and paid his respects.


    Yelu Hongji laughed boisterously and jumped off his horse, commenting: "Brother, although we are formally Ruler and Subject, we are actually blood brothers. It is not necessary for such a great show of respect." Helping him up instantly, he cheerfully enquired: "Are there plenty of wild beasts?" Xiao Feng answered: "After days of bitter cold, the wild animals have fled southwards. After half a day of hunting, all we got were some grey wolves and musk deer, nothing extraordinary." Yelu Hongji is extremely fond of hunting as well. He suggested: "Let us head to the southern suburbs then." Xiao Feng informed: "The southern suburbs is the border between Southern dynasty and us. Official (I) is afraid to disrupt the friendship between the two countries and has strictly forbidden my subordinates from hunting there." The eyebrows of Yelu Hongji frowned slightly and he probed: "So there is no pillaging too?" Xiao Feng responded: "Official has banned that as well." Yelu Hongji proposed: "Today, we brothers are having a reunion. By breaking the rules once, there is no big deal." Xiao Feng accepted: "Yes!"


    The sound of horns filled the air. Yelu Hongji and Xiao Feng rode side-by-side southwards and took a detour around the city walls of Southern Capital. Behind them, the three thousand armoured troops are trailing. After riding for about ten kilometres, the armoured troops separated into east and west sections and spread out like a fan. By shouting at the top of their voices, coupled with the neighing of horses and barking of dogs, they are rustling the forest animals. As they close in from four directions, among the bushes, foxes and hares were disturbed out of their hiding places.


    Yelu Hongji is not interested in killing these small creatures. After a prolonged period, there are still no sightings of large beasts such as bears or tigers. Disillusioned, he was about to express his disappointment when he suddenly heard sounds of yelling. From the southeast corner, ten odd men of Han-descent are running towards him. From their burly figures and dressing, they are woodcutters and hunters from Southern dynasty. Unable to herald any wild beasts, the soldiers of Liao knew their Ruler is displeased. Coincidently, in their encirclement, they managed to round up these ten odd southerners. By coercing with horses and battle cries, they forced the southerners in the direction of their Ruler.


    Yelu Hongji was jubilant: "Great timing!" Raising his gold-glided and jade-embedded steel bow, he mounted a condor-feathered wolf-tooth arrow. A few sounds of ''chi chi chi chi'' rang out as he fired with rapid succession. Without missing any of his targets, he shot down six men in the blink of an eye. The remaining southerners were stricken with fear and turned around, fleeing for their lives. However, with the Liao soldiers threatening them with sharp pikes, they were forced turn back again.


    Xiao Feng cannot endure the sight any longer. He called out: "Your Majesty!" Yelu Hongji laughed; "The balance is yours. I want to witness the miraculous archery skills of my brother!" Xiao Feng shook his head and pleaded: "These men are innocent, please spare them!" Yelu Hongji chuckled: "There are too many southerners. Once we kill all of them, there will be peace under the sky. Being born as southerners is their crime." As he spoke, he shot arrow after arrow. Using less than half his quiver, more than ten men of Han-descent were shot down. Some died on the spot; some were shot in the abdomen area and are still alive. Lying on the ground, they were groaning in agony. The Liao soldiers loudly applauded in unison: "Long live our Ruler!"


    If Xiao Feng wanted to intervene, he could easily shoot down the feathered arrows of the Emperor of Liao. However, by shaming the Emperor in front of the army, it is an act of great disrespect. Nonetheless, his strong feelings of disapproval are unconsciously reflected on his face.


    Yelu Hongji smiled: "How is it?" About to pack his bow, he suddenly noticed a rider cutting across the hunting encirclement, speeding swiftly like the wind. Identifying the rider''s clothes to be from Han-descent, Yelu Hongji did not bother to question further. Drawing his bow and mounting an arrow, with a ''sou'' sound, the arrow whistled towards the rider. The rider stretched out a hand and using two fingers, the arrow was pinched from mid air. By now, Yelu Hongji''s second arrow has arrived. Using the left hand, the rider plucked the arrow from the air as well. All along, the horse never stopped galloping and the rider is now racing towards the Liao Ruler. Yelu Hongji fired more arrows in succession. With each arrow closely behind the previous arrow, their tips are almost touching. Nevertheless, the faster he shoots, the rider still caught the arrows by matching his speed. Before anyone knew what was happening, seven arrows have been shot and seven arrows have been intercepted.


    The bodyguards of Liao Ruler shouted war cries and leveled their lances. By blocking the front of their ruler, they wish to prevent any cause for alarm.


    When the rider got close enough, Xiao Feng could recognize the person. Utterly flabbergasted, he called out: "Ah Zi, is that you? You must not be impolite to the Emperor."


    The rider burst out into giggles and leapt off her horse. Handing the seven wolf-tooth arrows to a bodyguard, she kneeled down and paid her respects to Yelu Hongji. She pleaded; "Your Majesty, please do not take offence at me for intercepting your arrows." Yelu Hongji guffawed: "Great skills! Great talent!"


    Standing up, Ah Zi called: "Brother in law, are you here to fetch me?" Both her legs springing, she flipped to the front of Xiao Feng''s horse.


    Xiao Feng noticed her pair of eyes is flashing energetically. Surprised and thrilled, he inquired: "Ah Zi, how did you regain your eyesight?" Ah Zi laughed: "Your Second Brother cured me, isn''t it wonderful?" Xiao Feng took another look at her and suddenly, his heart froze. He could discern an indescribable gleam of severe agony from her eyes. Logically speaking, she has regained her eyesight and has reunited with him; thus, she should be filled with happiness. But why did her eyes reveal this feeling of misery and wretchedness? Judging from her laughter, it is completely full of delight and joy. Xiao Feng thought: "Ah Zi must have suffered some injustice on her way home."


    Ah Zi suddenly let out a shriek and pounced to her front. Simultaneously, Xiao Feng can sense someone about to ambush him from the back. Turning around instantaneously, he saw a three-pronged pitchfork flying towards his chest. Ah Zi reached out her left hand and seized the weapon. Using the momentum, she swung it around and stabbed it into the chest of a man lying horizontally on the ground. That man is a hunter of Han-descent; after being shot by Yelu Hongji, he has yet to die. Using every last ounce of strength, he hurled his hunter pitchfork towards the back of Xiao Feng. He noticed Xiao Feng wearing the attire of a highly ranked Liao Official. He hoped to kill him and avenge himself for dying without a proper reason.


    Pointing at the corpse of the hunter, Ah Zi cursed: "You pig; you dog; trying to kill my Brother in law? You have overestimated yourself!"


    Seeing Ah Zi stabbing the hunter to death with one thrust, Yelu Hongji was elated. He praised: "Excellent. Your moves are nimble and decisive; it is indeed noteworthy. Earlier on, that fork attack naturally cannot hurt our Southern Khan. But in case he was injured because of that, it would have disrupted Emperor''s (my) big plans. My fair lady, how should I reward you?"


    Ah Zi replied: "Your Majesty, you have conferred a high ranking official title for my Brother in law. It seems fun so I want to become an Official too. I do not need to be highly ranked like my Brother in law but don''t give me a low rank either. Otherwise, I will get ridiculed." Yelu Hongji laughed: "In Great Liao, we have women in charge of households but no women holding official posts. How about this? You are already a Lady-in-waiting, a noblewoman. I shall promote you by one rank, making you a Princess. What should be your title? All right, you shall be titled: Pingnan (Flatten South) Princess!" Pouting her delicate mouth, Ah Zi opposed: "I don''t want to be a Princess!" Yelu Hongji was bewildered: "Why not?" Ah Zi explained: "My Brother in law and you are blood brothers; if I become a Princess, compared to you, wouldn''t I be one generation lower?"


    Yelu Hongji noticed Ah Zi is especially affectionate towards Xiao Feng. And despite his high-ranking position, Xiao Feng has kept away from lust. According to ordinary customs of Liao people, sitting in such an esteemed position, having three or four concubines is a forgone conclusion. Even marrying thirty or forty companions is nothing extraordinary. Assuming Xiao Feng has feelings for Ah Zi too but did not marry her as she is too young, Yelu Hongji smiled and explained: "Your Princess title is Grand Princess, the same generation as my sister, not my daughter. Besides conferring you the title of ''Pingnan Princess'', I shall fulfill another wish of yours. What do you think?"


    Her charming face blushing, Ah Zi asked: "What is my wish? How did Your Majesty know about it? You are the Emperor and you cannot make promises that you cannot keep." Ah Zi has a fearless character; even when speaking to Yelu Hongji, she did not adhere to the proper manners between a Ruler and his subjects.


    The laws of Liao Country are considered barbaric. In addition, Xiao Feng is Yelu Hongji''s trusted benefactor. Even though Ah Zi spoke carelessly, Yelu Hongji only chortled and demanded: "If you do not want the Princess promotion, I will take it back. One, two, three, are you in?"


    Ah Zi joyfully paid her respects and acknowledged in a soft voice: "Ah Zi thanks Your Majesty for his kindess." Xiao Feng bowed too and acknowledged: "Many thanks to Your Majesty for your kindness." He treats Ah Zi like his very own sister. Since she has accepted the promotion by the Ruler of Liao, he, Xiao Feng, should express his gratitude too.


    Yelu Hongji thought his assumption was correct and imagined: I shall throw him the biggest wedding celebration of all times. Afterwards, I would order him to invade Song. At that time, I am sure he will do his utmost best.


    In his mind, Xiao Feng, on the other hand, was analyzing: The Emperor has made a trip to the South, what is his agenda? Why did he give Ah Zi the Princess title of ''Pingnan''? Pingnan, Pingnan, could he be thinking of sending an army to invade the Southern dynasty?


    Holding Xiao Feng''s right hand, Yelu Hongji mentioned: "Brother, the two of us have not seen each other for some time. Let''s talk over there."


    Riding side-by-side, the two men and their spirited steeds galloped towards the south. A brief moment later, they had ridden more than five kilometres. The flatlands were covered with overgrown grass and some cornfields in the vicinity were being overrun by weeds and thistles. Xiao Feng analyzed: The people of Song are afraid of our pillaging; therefore, they chose to abandon these thousands of acres of fertile farmland.


    With a slap of his whip, Yelu Hongji directed his horse up a small hill. Stationing his horse at the peak of the hill, he glanced around with an air of complacency. Xiao Feng trailed him up the hill and following his southerly gaze, he could see mountains upon mountains, land as far as the eye can see, right to the end of horizon.


    Pointing his whip to the south, Yelu Hongji articulated: "Brother, more than thirty years ago, my Imperial Father brought me here. He too, pointed at the beautiful territory of Great Song." Xiao Feng acknowledged: "Yes."


    Yelu Hongji questioned: "Since young, you grew up in the land of the Southern barbarians and are familiar with the life and climate of the Southlands. Compared to living in the south, is it more comfortable there than our Northern Country''s bitterly cold environment?" Xiao Feng replied: "Everywhere is the same. In terms of comfort, as long as life is orderly and quiet, the heart would be happy and comfortable. The northerners are not used to the southern climate; the southerners are not used to the northern climate either. Since Heaven has made this arrangement, it cannot go wrong. If we insist on switching the population, we are only looking for trouble."


    Yelu Hongji inquired: "You, as a northerner staying in the southlands, is probably used to the climate. By moving back here, wouldn''t you be at a discomfort?" Xiao Feng answered: "Official is a wanderer in the martial arts world. Everywhere I go, that is my home. You cannot compare me with the ordinary farmers and villagers. Official has benefitted from Your Majesty''s gift of shelter and a proper home to call my own. With a highly ranked position and a generous income, I am deeply grateful. What more can I ask for? I am more than satisfied."


    Yelu Hongji turned his head back and scrutinized his face. Xiao Feng felt it was discourteous to stare back at him so he shifted his gaze away with a smile. Yelu Hongji gradually state: "Brother, although we are Ruler and Subject, we are also foster blood brothers. After a long separation, why are you less friendly than before?" Xiao Feng elaborated: "That year, Official is unaware that Your Majesty is the Ruler of our Great Liao. As a result, I did not pay attention to the difference in our status and lacked the appropriate manners. After I know the truth, how could I continue to blatantly regard Your Majesty as my brother?" Yelu Hongji sighed: "As the Emperor, ironically, I am no longer in the position to acquire genuine friendship and confidantes. Brother, if I accompanied you in wandering the martial arts world with complete freedom and lack of constraints, I am afraid I will get addicted to the joy of doing so."


    Xiao Feng cheerfully recommended: "If Your Majesty is fond of it, it can be arranged. In the Central Plains, Official has two foster brothers. One of them is Xu Zhu Zi from Lingjiu Palace, the other one is Duan Yu from DaLi. They are passionate and true buddies who are willing to go through the depths of hell with you. If Your Majesty is interested to meet them, Official can invite them for a tour of Liao Country." Since he returned to Southern Capital, Xiao Feng has to interact daily with other officials, generals and soldiers. He finds his speech and character incompatible with this range of people. Deeply yearning for the two men Xu Zhu and Duan Yu, he hoped to invite them to Liao Country for a reunion and an extended stay.


    Yelu Hongji was delighted: "Since they are the foster brothers of Brother, they are my brothers too. You can dispatch an urgent messenger and invite both of them to Liao Country. Emperor (I) can confer them with two high ranking positions." Xiao Feng chuckled: "Inviting them for a tour is fine; these two brothers cannot cope with the lifestyle of an Official."


    After a period of silence, Yelu Hongji implored: "Brother, from my observation of your expression and language, it is apparent to me that there is some missing gap in your life. My wealth is unlimited and I rule the four seas; is there anything beyond my reach? Why don''t you tell Brother your unfulfilled wish?"


    Xiao Feng was touched. He confessed: "To be honest with Your Majesty, there is a deep regret in my heart. I have committed a huge blunder and there can be no recourse." He went on to give a rough summary of the circumstances leading to his wrongful killing of Ah Zhu.


    His left hand slapping his thigh, Yelu Hongji hollered: "No wonder Brother is still single at the age of thirty-odd years old. You are cherishing a memory of an old flame. Brother, although you made this irreversible mistake, if we were to trace the origin, these Southern Han barbarians are the true culprits. Especially those beggars from Beggar''s Sect; all of them are a bunch of ingrates. You need not worry; I will plan a military campaign and invade the southern barbarians. I will completely annihilate all the martial artistes from Central Plains, including the Beggar''s Sect. This way, we can avenge the death of your mother at Yanman Pass and the group bullying of you at Hero''s Gathering Manor. Since you have a preference for the beauties of Southern barbarians, I will pick one or two thousand for your pleasure; nothing is impossible."


    Xiao Feng''s face revealed a tinge of bitter laughter. He thought: Since I killed Ah Zhu by mistake, I will never marry again. Ah Zhu is Ah Zhu. In all of history, all the countries and all the four seas, there is only one Ah Zhu. She cannot be replaced by one thousand or even ten thousand women of Han-descent. The Emperor is used to having thousands of pretty concubines for companionship, how would he understand the meaning of ''true love''?


    Thus, he replied: "Many thanks to Your Majesty for your kindness. However, the vendetta between Official and the martial artistes of Central Plains have been resolved. Official has personally taken the lives of numerous martial artistes too. Vengeance begets vengeance. There is no end to this. If we go to war, the world will be ruthlessly ravaged; this cannot be taken lightly."


    Yelu Hongji burst out laughing and described: "The people of Song are feeble and are only good for entertainment. In a real battle, they can hardly hold their own. Brother is brave and unrivalled, if you lead an army to conquer the South, the southern barbarians'' demise is guaranteed. Nobody will be ruthlessly ravaged. Brother, do you know why I made this trip to the south?" Xiao Feng replied: "I am waiting for Your Majesty to enlighten me."


    Yelu Hongji smiled: "The first matter is to reunite and happily bond with my brother, updating myself with current affairs. In this trip to the West, Brother must have fully comprehended the strengths and weaknesses of Xixia Country as well as the headcount of their army and horses. In Brother''s opinion, do we have the means to conquer Xixia?"


    Xiao Feng was taken aback. He pondered: The Emperor''s ambition is overwhelming; besides harbouring thoughts of occupying Great Song, he has intentions to dominate Xixia as well.


    Therefore, he shared: "When Official made this journey to the west, my sole intention is to join the festivities for Xixia Princess''s wedding application. The thoughts of military intelligence gathering and invasion did not cross my mind. Your Majesty can judge for yourself. Official is a man with a background in the martial arts world. In close combat, I am fairly confident of holding my own ground. In terms of military deployment and fielding an army, I have zero knowledge."


    Yelu Hongji jested: "Brother need not be too modest. With regards to Xixia''s grand invitation for a Prince Consort, it was a strong start but a weak finish. Eventually, everything ended without a proper conclusion. It is hilarious. Actually, that day, Brother should have brought a hundred thousand soldiers to Xixia and marry the Princess. It would be wonderful if you can escort her back to Southern Capital." Xiao Feng smiled at him and thought: Because he has a strong army at his command, the Emperor thinks he can do whatever he wants.


    Yelu Hongji added: "In Brother''s trip to the south, the second matter is to give Brother a promotion and a raise. Brother, receive your edict." Xiao Feng protested: "Official is deeply grateful for the kindness, I dare not ask¡­" Yelu Hongji loudly proclaimed: "Southern Khan Xiao Feng, receive your edict!" Xiao Feng hastily flipped off his saddle and prone down on the ground.


    Yelu Hongji declared: "Southern Khan Xiao Feng is loyal to his country and is a trusted confidante of Emperor. He is hereby promoted to the position of King of Song and Pingnan Grand Commander of the three armies. The end."


    Xiao Feng hesitated and did not know how to react. He remarked: "Official did not make any contributions and dare not receive this immense kindness." Yelu Hongji was agitated: "What? Are you rejecting my edict?" Xiao Feng noticed his tone has turned grim. Knowing he cannot refuse this offer, he kowtowed and accepted: "Official Xiao Feng gives his thanks." Yelu Hongji burst out into laughter and commented: "That''s the way, Brother." Getting off his horse and supporting him up with both hands, Yelu Hongji revealed: "Brother, on my trip to the South, Southern Capital is not my last stop. The final destination for my Imperial Entourage is Bianliang (Capital of Song)."


    Shocked again, Xiao Feng stuttered in a quivering voice: "Your Majesty wants to advance to Bianliang, in¡­ in that case¡­" Yelu Hongji chuckled: "As Pingnan Grand Commander of the three armies, Brother can pave the way for me. We will ride straight to Bianliang. In the future, Brother''s King of Song residence shall be that kid Zhao Xu''s Bianliang palace." Xiao Feng inquired: "Your Majesty is saying we are going to war with Southern dynasty?"


    Yelu Hongji explained: "We are not going to war with Southern dynasty; it is the southern barbarians who are looking for trouble. When the old hag Grand Empress Dowager is governing Southern dynasty, everything is established and systematic. Although I have designs on the South, I am not fully confident of success. Now that the old woman is dead, that breastfeeding kid Zhao Xu is sending men to create trouble in the North. By training his army; drafting more soldiers; breeding more horses; stockpiling their provisions; hey hey, if this kid is not planning to attack me, then who is he targeting?"


    Xiao Feng reasoned: "Although Southern dynasty is training their army, we can safely ignore them. For the past few years, Song and Liao do not have any armed conflict and the two countries are generally at peace. If Zhao Xu chooses to invade us, we will naturally give him a beating he will never forget. I believe he is fearful of Your Majesty''s prowess and would not dare to act recklessly. We need not lower ourselves and be bothered with that kid and his antics."


    Yelu Hongji supplemented: "There are issues that Brother is unaware of. Southern dynasty possesses vast territory and a dense population. Their productivity is high and the country is rich. If a wise ruler ever sits on the throne and wants to pick a bone with Great Liao, we will be the losing party. Fortunately for us, this kid Zhao Xu is a good for nothing. By exiling his loyal ministers and even demoting Big Beard Su, the Imperial Court of Song is presently in disharmony and the people are questioning his ability to lead. This is a once in a lifetime golden opportunity. If we do not take action now, there is no better timing."


    Raising his eyes and scanning the south, an imaginary illusion appeared before Xiao Feng: Tens of thousands of Liao soldiers are marching into southern terrain. Many houses are set ablaze and the air is blanketed with thick smoke from their burning. Countless men, women and children are being trodden by horses; many of them are squirming on the ground and groaning in pain. As the soldiers of Liao and Song hacked one another to death, one by one, riders are falling from their horses. Everywhere he looked, the ground is awash with fresh blood and there are large piles skeletal remains¡­¡­


    Yelu Hongji loudly announced: "For generations, our Khitan ancestors are eager to claim Southern dynasty and consolidate it into our Liao territory. Many attempts have been made but they all ended in failure. Today, Heaven has given me this opportunity and victory shall be mine. My good Brother, in the future, your name and mine shall be forever etched in history; isn''t that wonderful?"


    Both his knees on the floor, Xiao Feng kneeled down and kowtowed several times, pleading: "Your Majesty, Official has a request." Yelu Hongji was slightly stunned and probed: "What do you want? As your Elder Brother, if it is within my means, there is nothing I will not allow." Xiao Feng begged: "For the sake of tens of thousands of lives from both countries Song and Liao, I beseech Your Majesty to retract your order to invade the South. We Khitan people are used to rearing livestock as the main form of livelihood. Even if we own the lands of Southern dynasty, it serves no purpose. Moreover, war is merciless and perilous; victory is unpredictable. If we suffer any setback, it would damage Your Majesty''s flawless reputation."


    Noting Xiao Feng''s advice and his obvious reluctance about invading the South, Yelu Hongji thought: Regardless of whether it is a Khitan Imperial family member, noble, general or minister, whenever the word ''Southern Invasion'' is mentioned, everyone will be supportive and delighted. Why is Xiao Feng opposing this idea instead?


    Taking a side glance at Xiao Feng, he noticed his eyebrows are tightly-knitted, revealing that he is deeply worried. Yelu Hongji pondered: When I conferred him as the King of Song and Pingnan Grand Commander, why was he unhappy? In Great Liao, it means he is second in authority. Except for me, he answers to no one and everyone is at his disposal. I get it. Although he is of Liao-descent, since young, he was groomed by the Southern barbarians and he is probably skewed towards them. In addition, his parents are citizens of Great Song. When he hears that I wanted to invade the Southern barbarians, he is doing his utmost best to oppose me. In this case, even if I force him to lead an army into the Southlands, he would be holding back. Therefore, he said: "My mind is firm on the Southern invasion. Brother need not say more."


    Xiao Feng proposed: "Going to war is an affair that affects the entire country. Your Majesty must consider it carefully. If Your Majesty must invade the South, please choose another capable leader instead. If Official is leading the army, I may fall below Your Majesty''s expectations."


    On his trip to the South, Yelu Hongji was initially full of enthusiasm. By rewarding Xiao Feng with a huge promotion and getting him to invade the south with an army of elite Liao soldiers, he was doing this because he treasures the blood brother relationship he had with Xiao Feng and is using this as a way to show his appreciation. He anticipated Xiao Feng to be overjoyed and grateful, however, Xiao Feng is a wet blanket and even rejected the promotion of Pingnan Grand Commander. Greatly discontented, he coldly hissed: "In your heart, is Southern dynasty more important than Liao Country? You would rather be loyal to Southern dynasty and be disloyal to my Great Liao?"


    Xiao Feng prostrated himself on the ground and swore: "Your Majesty, please judge for yourself. Xiao Feng is a Khitan descendent and my allegiance lies with Great Liao. If Great Liao is in danger, Xiao Feng will undergo any kind of danger and protect my country. Even if I have to die ten thousand times, I will still do it."


    Yelu Hongji berated: "This kid Zhao Xu has been eyeing and lusting over the territories of Great Liao. As the saying goes: First Mover Advantage, Last Mover trapped in Cage. If we do not strike first, the next round, our country and race could be annihilated. You talk about protecting your country and dying a thousand times; however, when I ask you to lead an army for your Country, you ask me to retract my order instead?"


    Xiao Feng pleaded: "In my entire life, Official has taken many lives and does not wish to stain my hands with blood again. Your Majesty, please allow Official to resign and retire into the wilderness."


    Hearing his request to resign, Yelu Hongji was even more furious than before. The intention to kill instantly manifested in his heart. With his hand pressing on his sabre hilt, he was ready to pull out his weapon and chop down at Xiao Feng''s neck. Before he acted, he had a change of mind and thought: This person possesses consummate martial arts; if I failed to kill him in one slash, I will be the one to die today. Furthermore, back then, he accumulated a large merit when he quelled the rebellion for me. Additionally, he is my foster family. If I killed this high-performing official today just because we had a verbal disagreement, it reflects badly on my sense of righteousness and gratitude.


    Letting out a long sigh, Yelu Hongji moved his hand away from the sabre hilt and concluded: "Our opinions are different and coercion is meaningless. When you get home, please think it over. I hope you will change your mind and accept my order for the Southern invasion."


    Although Xiao Feng is prone on the ground, he can immediately sense what is going on around him. If someone near him twitches his eyebrows or raise his thumb, it cannot escape his detection; how can he fail to realise Yelu Hongji has placed his hand on the sabre hilt and harboured thoughts of killing him? He can predict that things would only get worse if this conversation is continued, even to the point of severing of relationships. Hence, he swiftly acknowledged: "Official will comply!" Standing up, he led Yelu Hongji''s horse to his side.


    Without saying anything, Yelu Hongji jumped onto his horse and rode swiftly away. Earlier on, Ruler and Subject rode side by side towards the south; on the northern return trip, one is in front and one is behind, with a fair distance between them. Xiao Feng recognizes that Yelu Hongji is now suspicious of himself. If he follows him too closely, Yelu Hongji may feel threatened. Additionally, he has rejected his request to lead a southern invasion so he might as well stay far behind him.


    Back in Southern Capital City, Xiao Feng invited the Emperor of Liao to spend the night in his Southern Khan residence. Yelu Hongji laughed: "I am not going to impose on you any further. You can calm down and straighten your thoughts regarding these intricacies and weigh the pros and cons again. I will return to the Imperial Encampment." Xiao Feng respectfully escorted Yelu Hongji back to the Imperial Encampment.


    From Upper Capital, Yelu Hongji has brought a large quantity of precious sabres, exquisite swords, spirited steeds and beauties as a gift for Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng gave his thanks and brought the presents back to his Khan residence.


    Xiao Feng delegated most of his official paperwork and is not particularly fond of books or academic works. As a result, there is no Study room in his Khan residence. Most of the time, he and his generals would sit on the floor of the main hall, indulging themselves in meat and wine. This habit is pretty close to what he used to do with his fellow beggars. For the Khitan generals, this is their standard routine in their desert tents as well. Faced with an easy-going and open-minded Khan who treated them with sincerity, all his subordinates are thrilled to be under his jurisdiction.


    In this moment, Xiao Feng has returned from the Imperial Encampment and the sky is already dark. Stepping into the main hall, under the flickering lights of the giant cow-oil lamps, he spotted a purple-robed young girl lying on a tiger skin. It was Ah Zi.


    Hearing his footsteps, Ah Zi leapt up and pounced on Xiao Feng, hugging his neck. Looking into his eyes, she inquired: "Are you unhappy to see me here? Why is your face so melancholic?" Xiao Feng shook his head and answered: "It is because of something else. Ah Zi, I am excited to see you. In this world, you are the only person that I am concerned about. I am always afraid that some harm will befall you. With you back at my side and your eyes healed, I have no more worries."


    Ah Zi smiled: "Brother in law, besides my eyes fully healed, the Emperor even made me a Princess. Are you happy for me?" Xiao Feng state: "Princess or not, Ah Zi is still Ah Zi. Earlier on, the Emperor wanted to promote me again, Ai!" As he spoke, he let out a long sigh. Picking up a cow leather pouch, he pulled open the stopper and drank two big mouthfuls of wine. Scattered around the main hall are leather pouches of wine, allowing Xiao Feng to drink whenever he has the urge and without summoning a servant. Ah Zi chuckled: "Congratulations to Brother in law, you have been promoted again!"


    Xiao Feng shook his head and disclosed: "Emperor intended to promote me to be the King of Song and Pingnan Grand Commander, thereby getting me to lead an army to invade South dynasty. Think about it, if we start a war, how many officials, soldiers and commoners will lose their lives? I refuse to accede to his request and earned the wrath of Emperor."


    Ah Zi was puzzled: "Brother in law, you are acting strange again. I heard people saying you killed countless martial arts heroes at Central Plains Hero''s Gathering Manor without a tinge of regret. These Central Plains barbaric heroes have terrorized you in the past; today, the Emperor is giving you an opportunity to vent your frustration, why are you unhappy instead?" Lifting the leather pouch, Xiao Feng drank another big mouthful of wine and let out another long sigh, explaining: "That day, the two of us, your sister and I, were being surrounded and attacked. If I did not fight back at full prowess, we would be dismembered into pieces. It was an act of desperation. That day, there were many good friends among those that I was forced to kill. Whenever I reminisced about that event, it pains me greatly."


    Ah Zi guessed: "Ah, I knew it. That year, you were forced to kill other people for the sake of Ah Zhu. In that case, right now, can you kill those barbarians of South dynasty for my sake?" Xiao Feng shot a glare at her and chided: "We are talking about human lives but you are speaking as if we are slaughtering cows and sheep. Although your Father is from DaLi, your Mother is a Song citizen of Southern dynasty."


    Ah Zi pouted her mouth and turned around. She begrudged: "I already know that in your heart, a thousand Ah Zi cannot be compared to one Ah Zhu. Ten thousand Ah Zi in the mortal world also cannot be compared to Ah Zhu who has left the mortal world. It looks like I must quickly die before you will finally begin to yearn for me. If I had known¡­ I¡­ I would not have travelled so far in order to visit you. You¡­ When did you ever care about me?"


    From her words, Xiao Feng deduced a secret grudge and was instantly alarmed. He recalled the time when she ambushed him by firing a secret poison needle, with the intention of keeping him by her side at all times. He advised: "Ah Zi, you are still young and only care about having fun and being cheeky, you do not understand how adults operate¡­" Ah Zi interrupted: "What is this adult children nonsense? For a long time, I am not longer a kid. You promised my sister to take care of me. You¡­ You only cared that I have food to eat and clothes to wear, but¡­ but when did you ever take care of what is in my heart? You never care about what is on my mind." The more he heard, the more traumatized Xiao Feng was and he dared not complete his sentence.


    With her back now facing Xiao Feng, Ah Zi continued: "When I lost my eyesight, I know you will never love me and I decided to stay away from you too. Now that my eyes have recovered, you still chose to ignore me. I¡­ In what ways am I inferior to Ah Zhu? Am I less pretty than her? Am I less clever than her? Just because she is dead, you have been frequently pining for her. I¡­ How I wish I was the one being killed by your palm strike and you will yearn for me the way you yearn for Ah Zhu¡­"


    At the peak of her misery, she abruptly turned around. Pouncing into the bosom of Xiao Feng, she started crying her eyes out. Xiao Feng was at a loss of what to do and what to say.


    After sobbing for some time, Ah Zi added: "Why do you regard me as a kid? During that stormy night beside the small bridge, I witnessed you killing my sister and crying your heart out. From then on, I became extremely fond of you. I told myself: ''You need not be so upset, although you lost Ah Zhu, I will be like Ah Zhu and treat you with love and sincerity.'' I made up my mind that I will accompany you for the rest of my life. However, you are against the idea so again, I told myself: ''Fine, if you do not allow me to accompany you, I will turn you into a handicap and manipulate you into accompanying me for the rest of your life.''"


    Xiao Feng shook his head and declared: "That is all in the past; there is no need to bring them up."


    Ah Zi exclaimed: "There is no past. In my heart, that memory is as fresh as today''s memories. This is not the first time we are going through this but till now, you have never spared a single thought for me."


    Gently caressing Ah Zi''s silky hair, Xiao Feng whispered: "Ah Zi, I am more than twice your age and can only take care of you like an uncle or an elder brother. In my entire life, I have only been in love with one lady before and she is your sister. There will never be a second lady who can replace Ah Zhu; and I have decided to never fall in love again. The Emperor has presented me with more than a hundred beauties but I did not even bother to take a look at them. I care for you only because of Ah Zhu.


    Angered and distressed, Ah Zi suddenly stretched her hand out and with a ''Piak'' sound, she gave Xiao Feng a heavy slap to his face. If Xiao Feng wanted to evade, how could this slap land on his face? Looking at Ah Zi''s pale face, trembling body and the tinge of misery in her eyes, he was terribly anguished and ultimately cannot bear to avoid her slap.


    Right after the slap, Ah Zi was instantly filled with regrets and wailed: "Brother in law, it is all my fault. You¡­ You slap me in return too, slap me in return!"


    Xiao Feng enquired: "Isn''t that being childish? Ah Zi, if you look carefully, in this world, nothing is a big deal and you need not get so depressed! Why are your eyes gleaming with misery and wretchedness? Brother in law is a boorish man. It must be tormenting for you to stay by my side!"


    Ah Zi realised: "There is a tinge of misery and wretchedness in my eyes? Ai, it must be the fault of that ugly freak." Xiao Feng queried: "Who is the freak and what did he do?" Ah Zi replied: "My pair of eyes came from that ugly freak, the iron-masked man." Xiao Feng was momentarily stupefied and asked again: "Ugly freak? Iron-masked man?" Ah Zi revealed: "That chief of Beggar''s Sect Zhuang Juxian, who else? Actually, the whole episode is absolutely hilarious. His real name is You Tanzhi but I gave him an iron mask to hide his identity. He was the son of You Ju, Second owner of Hero''s Gathering Manor and the same person who scattered lime into your eyes. Somehow, he mastered some unorthodox martial arts and keep staying by my side, doing his very best to get into my good books. I was thoroughly deceived by him. When my eyes were blinded and could not depend on anyone, I was forced to politely address him as Mister Zhuang. Now that I think about it, it is such a shameful experience."


    Xiao Feng was puzzled: "So the Beggar''s Sect Chief Zhuang is the Iron-masked freak whom you have been playing tricks on. No wonder his face is badly scarred. It must have been inflicted when he tried to take out his mask. The Iron-masked freak is You Tanzhi? Ai, you have gone too far with your bullying and have treated him harshly. It is rare for him to treat you kindly in return without bearing a grudge."


    Ah Zi icily state: "Humph, what do you mean by rare? Doesn''t he have a selfish motive? He wanted to make me happy so that I will marry him."


    Recollecting the events that occurred on Mount Shaoshi, Xiao Feng remembered You Tanzhi staring at Ah Zi with deep affection in his eyes. However, he did not pay much attention to him back then. Therefore, he interrogated: "Since you know the truth, did you kill him in a fit of anger and dig out his eyes?" Ah Zi shook her head and swore: "No, I did not take his life. He willingly gave me his pair of eyes too." Xiao Feng was even more bewildered than before and probed: "Why is he willing to dig out his two eyes and give it to you?"


    Ah Zi detailed: "This person is a complete moron. After we arrived at Piaomiao Peak Lingjiu Palace, we located your Foster Brother Xu Zhu and invited him to treat my eyes. Consulting his medical notes for half a day, Xu Zhu Zi says it is necessary to replace my eyes with a fresh pair of eyes from another living person. Lingjiu Palace is staffed with Xu Zhu Zi''s subordinates; since he is helping to cure my eyes, I surely cannot ask him to sacrifice the eyes of his followers. I instructed You Tanzhi to go downhill and kidnap a passerby but this fellow started crying instead, saying that once my eyes are cured and is able to see his face, I will no longer pay any attention to him. Although I insisted I would not ignore him, he simply refused to take my word for it. Behind my back, he actually got himself a sharp knife and looked for Xu Zhu Zi, saying he wanted to give me his eyes. When Xu Zhu Zi refused to comply, that Iron-masked man started cutting himself on his body and his face. He threatened to commit suicide if Xu Zhu Zi did not change his mind. Forced by circumstances, Xu Zhu Zi was helpless and replaced my eyes with his."


    As she spoke, Ah Zi is speaking as if it is an ordinary matter but when her words entered the ears of Xiao Feng, he was filled with dread and horror. In his life, he has encountered numerous life-threatening moments and earth-shattering fights; however, this is the worst experience he could possibly imagine. Both his hands quivering, with a ''pa'' sound, he discarded the wine pouch he was holding and repeated his question: "Ah Zi, so You Tanzhi gave his eyes to you willingly?" Ah Zi replied: "Yup." Xiao Feng uttered: "You¡­ You are truly a cold blooded human; when someone offers to give you his eyes, you accepted it without a second thought?"


    Hearing his stern voice, Ah Zi''s eyes were blinking rapidly and she was about to break down into tears again. Suddenly, she whimpered: "Brother in law, if your eyes have gone blind, I would be willing to give you my eyes too."


    Listening to these two sentences, Xiao Feng can sense the truthfulness and sincerity in her voice. He cannot help but was deeply moved, and enquired in a gentle voice: "Ah Zi, Mister You is fully devoted to you. You have no idea how fortunate you are. Except for him, you cannot possibly find another admirer as faithful as him. Where is he now?"


    Ah Zi guessed: "He is probably still at Lingjiu Palace. Piaomiao Peak is full of dangerous and steep paths. Without his eyes, how could he possibly come down?"


    Xiao Feng wondered: "Ah, maybe Second Brother could get the eyes of a death sentence convict for him." Ah Zi elaborated: "It cannot be done. That little monk¡­ no, Xu Zhu Zi said so himself. My eyes are blinded because that old villain Ding Chunqiu''s poison had damaged my corneas. However, the nerves are still intact so it can be salvaged. For the Iron-masked freak, his eyes are being dug out so the nerves are severed and it cannot be replaced."


    Xiao Feng ordered: "You must quickly look for him and stay by his side and never leave him again." Ah Zi shook her head and protested: "I am not going, I will only stay by your side. He is as ugly as a demon. I would feel nauseas when I take a longer glance at him, how could I possibly stay beside him for the rest of my life?" Xiao Feng angrily berated: "He may be ugly in terms of appearance but his heart is a hundred times more lovely than yours! I do not appreciate your companionship and I do not want to see you again!" Stomping her feet, Ah Zi started crying and stammering: "I¡­ I¡­"


    Both of them heard some approaching footsteps from beyond the door. Two sentries announced in unison: "The decree has arrived!" Following that, the door to the hall was opened. Xiao Feng and Ah Zi turned around simultaneously and saw an emissary of the Emperor entering the hall.


    The etiquette of Liao Country Imperial Court is not as complicated as Song Dynasty Imperial Court. When the Officials meet the Emperor''s emissary, it is good enough to listen to the decree in a solemn manner. It is not necessary to change into Court Attire, put up an incense burner and kneeled down for the decree to be read. The emissary loudly proclaimed: "The Emperor has summoned Pingnan Princess for a discussion."


    Ah Zi replied: "Yes!" Wiping away her tears, she followed the emissary.


    Staring at Ah Zi''s back as she walked away, Xiao Feng thought: You Tanzhi''s absolute commitment to her is almost unheard of. However, during Ah Zi''s first awakening of love, we were coincidently spending plenty of time together. When she was badly injured, I did not observe the boundaries between men and women, and took care of her relentlessly, causing her to have a child-like infatuation towards myself. I must force her to return to the side of Mister You since she received such a huge debt of kindness from him. Even Heaven will not tolerate her for abandoning this blind man.


    As he heard the footsteps of Ah Zi and the emissary gradually fading away and eventually disappearing, his thoughts shifted to Yelu Hongji''s Southern invasion decree: Why did the Emperor summon Ah Zi? He must be trying to get her to persuade me to accept his order and invade Song. If I insisted on defying his decree, it is a challenge to his legitimacy. Earlier during our southern suburb disagreement, the Emperor has revealed his intention to kill by pressing his hand on the saber hilt. Still, he displayed an incredible act of self-restraint due to our brotherhood and his care for me as a loyal subject. Nevertheless, if I upheld his decree and invade Song, leading an army to butcher tens of thousands of Song citizens, how can I live with myself? Moreover, Father is now a monk at Shaolin Monastery; if he learns that I am leading an army to attack the south, he would be remarkably displeased. Ai, if I disobeyed the command of my Ruler, I am disloyal; if I disregarded our brotherhood, I am unrighteous; if I invade the South and slaughter the commoners, I am inhuman; if I violate my Father''s legacy, I''m unfilial. Loyalty and filial piety cannot coexist; brotherhood and humanity cannot be simultaneously accomplished, what should I do? Forget it! Forget it! Forget it! This Southern Khan designation is not suitable for me; I shall seal my Study (office) and return my Seal (of authority), deserting the army and leaving without notifying the Emperor. But where should I flee to? The world is vast and yet, there is no place for me, Xiao Feng.


    Lifting the cow leather wine pouch, he drank another two mouthfuls of wine and thought: When Ah Zi is back, we shall ascend Piaomiao Peak together. First, she can be reunited with Mister You; Second, I can hang around Second Brother''s place for a while until I make further plans.


    Accompanied by the emissary, Ah Zi arrived at the Imperial Encampment. Meeting Yelu Hongji, she blurted out at once: "Your Majesty, you can take back the post of Pingnan Princess, I quit!"


    As predicted by Xiao Feng, Yelu Hongji summoned Ah Zi because he wanted to get her to persuade Xiao Feng to accept the southern invasion decree. Hearing her initial outburst, he frowned his eyebrows and furiously berated: "When the Imperial Court confers a title, it is a matter of national importance and not some child''s play. It is not for you to decide if you want it or not!"


    All along, because of Xiao Feng, he has been treating Ah Zi like family too. Compared to his past easy going attitude towards Ah Zi, this time round, his tone is especially stern. With a loud ''wa!'' Ah Zi started bawling at the top of her voice. Stomping his feet, Yelu Hongji scolded: "What a mess! What a mess! This is unbecoming!"


    Out of the blue, from the back of the tent, a delicate female voice sang out: "Your Majesty, what is troubling you? What have you done to frighten this little girl into crying?" As she spoke, with the jingling sounds of accessories, a Noble Lady came out from behind a screen.


    This particular lady has lovely eyes that sparkle like crystal, luscious hair and a sweet smile. Ah Zi recognize her as Concubine Mu, the favourite pet of the Emperor. Between sobbing and sniffling, she protested: "Concubine Mu, please say a word of fairness. Your Majesty scolded me when I simply said I did not want the title of Pingnan Princess."


    Seeing her pitiful and tearful appearance, Concubine Mu scrutinized her carefully. She has not seen Ah Zi for some time and Ah Zi is much taller now and her features are more refined. Shooting a glare at Yelu Hongji, Concubine Mu covered her mouth and giggled: " Your Majesty, since she does not want to be Pingnan Princess, why don''t you confer her the title of Pingnan Concubine?"


    Yelu Hongji slapped his thigh and chided: "Nonsense! Nonsense! I conferred this child as Princess for the sake of Brother Xiao. One Pingnan Grand Commander and one Pingnan Princess, they would have the most glamorous wedding celebration money can buy. Unexpectedly, Xiao Feng is unwilling to be promoted to be Pingnan Grand Commander and this young lady does not wish to be Pingnan Princess either. I get it! You are a Southern barbarian; that''s why you oppose our Southern invasion too, am I right?" In his tone, there is a hint of animosity.


    Ah Zi clarified: "I don''t care if you invade the south or not! You can invade the east or the west, none of it matters to me. But my Brother in law.... Brother in law wanted me to marry a blind and ugly freak who has no eyeballs." Blown away by this revelation, the confused Yelu Hongji and Concubine Mu questioned: "Why?" Ah Zi is reluctant to divulge the full story so she plainly stated: "My Brother in law is not fond of me so he is forcing me to marry somebody else."


    At this point, someone outside the tent softly called out: "Your Majesty!" Yelu Hongji walked out of the tent and discovered the newcomer is his confidante whom he had dispatched to act as Xiao Feng''s bodyguard. The bodyguard whispered: "Reporting to Your Majesty: Xiao Feng has sealed the entrance to his Study. He has also wrapped his golden Seal in a yellow bag and has hung it on a ceiling beam. From the looks of it, he... he... He seems to be planning to desert his position."


    Upon hearing this report, Yelu Hongji cannot hold back any longer and became highly agitated and infuriated. He exclaimed: "He''s rebelling! He''s rebelling! Does he still regard me as his Emperor?" After a quick brainstorming, he demanded: "Summon the Imperial Encampment Commander!" A brief moment later, Imperial Encampment Commander Du appeared before him. Yelu Hongji ordered: "Lead your men and horses, I want the Southern Khan Residence completely surrounded." He then added: "Convey my instructions, the city gates must be closed and secured. Nobody must be allowed to enter or exit." He was deeply afraid that Xiao Feng would lead his subordinates into staging a rebellion and issued orders restlessly, summoning the senior generals who are deployed under the jurisdiction of Southern Khan.


    From within the tent, Concubine Mu heard the endless blowing of horns and frantic galloping of horses. She guessed something is amiss. For the Khitan race, the lines between men and women are indistinct. Thus, she simply exited the tent and asked Yelu Hongji in a low voice: "Your Majesty, what is going on? What made you lost your temper?" Yelu Hongji angrily cursed: "Xiao Feng that scoundrel, he doesn''t know what''s good for him and actually wanted to betray and desert me. This scoundrel is loyal to Southern dynasty and must be heading there to expose our invasion plans to the Southern barbarians. He knows too much about Great Liao''s military secrets; if he manages to flee to Southern dynasty, he will become the greatest threat to me." Concubine Mu muttered: "I often heard Your Majesty mention that this scoundrel possesses peerless martial arts skills. If we fail to rein him in and allow him to break through our encirclement, it will be a seed for future calamities." Yelu Hongji agreed: "Activate Flying Dragon camp, Flying Tiger camp and Flying Leopard camp, proceed without delay to the exterior of Southern Khan Residence as reinforcements." A bodyguard of Imperial Encampment acknowledged the decree and left to convey the instructions.


    Concubine Mu offered: "Your Majesty, I have a plan." Leaning to his ear, she whispered for some time. Yelu Hongji nodded: "It sounds workable, if it succeeds, Emperor will reward you generously." Concubine Mu smiled: "To be able to make Your Majesty happy is a generous reward itself. Your Majesty has been very kind to me already; there''s nothing else I desire."


    Outside the Imperial Encampment, plenty of soldiers and horses are on the move. Sitting in the tent, Ah Zi cannot be bothered at all. She has seen countless incidences of Khitan people making all sorts of noises and running all over the place. During their frequent hunting expeditions, the chaos is exactly the same, so she''s used to it. It never cross her mind at all that Yelu Hongji is commissioning his soldiers and horses for the sake of capturing Xiao Feng instead. Sitting on a camel saddle, her heart is tingling: Brother in law is fully aware of my love for him, but he... He did not care about my feelings and wanted me to accompany that ugly freak. I... I would rather die than go. I won''t go! I won''t go! I''ll just won''t go!


    As she thought over these matters, the tip of her right foot carelessly kicked a tiger''s head on the carpet. Suddenly, a hand gently pressed on her shoulder and Ah Zi had a minor shock. Raising her head, entering her view is the warm and kind gaze of Concubine Mu. The concubine giggled: "Little Sister, are you lost in your thoughts? You are thinking about your Brother in law, am I right?" Hearing her accurate prediction about her innermost and private thoughts, both cheeks of Ah Zi blushed red unconsciously. She lowered her head and kept quiet.


    Sitting down beside Ah Zi, Concubine Mu took one of her hands and caressed it gently. In a soft voice, she mused: "Little Sister, men are coarse beings with violent tempers. Especially men like our Emperor and Southern Khan. They are the present generation''s heroes and leaders. To win their affection is truly challenging."


    Ah Zi nodded her head and felt that her words made perfect sense. Concubine Mu added: "In the palace, the harem is filled with thousands of ladies. Those prettier than me and those who knows how to win the Emperor''s favour are immeasurable. However, I am the Emperor''s pet. Half of it is my own ability while the other half is thanks to the guidance of an old monk from Upper Capital Shengde Temple. Little Sister, although your Brother in law has not given his heart to you, you need not be frustrated. When the Emperor and I are returning to Upper Capital, you can come along with us. By going to Shengde Temple and begging the esteemed monk, I''m sure he will have a solution for you."


    Ah Zi was puzzled: "What can that old monk do?" Concubine Mu declared: "I am going to tell you his method; however, you must never ever tell it to anybody else. You must first make a solemn vow that you will never divulge this secret." Ah Zi swore: "If I revealed Concubine Mu''s secret, may I be hacked into pieces and die a horrible death." Concubine Mu insisted: "It is not that I don''t trust you but the consequences of this matter is too far-reaching. You must make a vow with a heavier penalty." Ah Zi agreed: "All right! If I leak out your secret, may I... May I be killed by my Brother in law in one palm strike." As she said this, her heart is filled with a bittersweet sensation.


    Concubine Mu nodded: "Being killed by your loved one in one palm strike is definitely a hundred times worse than being hacked into pieces. I''ll trust you. My Good Sister, that esteemed monk has magical powers and he is able to perform miracles. After I kneeled and begged for his assistance, he presented me with two bottles of holy water. By sincerely praying and conveying my secret wishes to the water, I must covertly let my ideal partner consume a bottle. For his entire life, that man will only love me and me alone. Till his death, his heart will not waver one bit. I already made the Emperor drink one bottle. Now, I am left with this other bottle." As she spoke, she retrieved a small, garnet-coloured porcelain bottle from her bosom. She held the bottle tightly in her hands, as if she is afraid that the bottle might drop. Actually, the ground is covered with a thick layer of carpet. Even if it really drops, the bottle will remain intact.


    Ah Zi was delighted and surprised. She begged: "Good Sister, please let me have a look." Since young, she has been a disciple of Xingxiu Sect; with regards to these kind of bewitching tricks, she had no qualms about their efficacy. Concubine Mu warned: "Taking a look is fine but please handle it carefully." With both hands holding onto the porcelain bottle, her manner was serious and solemn as she handed it over. Receiving the bottle, Ah Zi pulled out the stopper and put the bottle to her nose for a quick sniff. The liquid carried a light fragrance. Concubine Mu reached out with her hand and took back the porcelain bottle. When she replaced the wooden stopper, she exerted some strength in pushing the stopper, as if she is afraid the holy water will evaporate. She remarked: "Initially, I don''t mind sharing this bottle with you. However, I am afraid that the Emperor will have a change of heart in the future so I''m reserving this holy water as a back up."


    Ah Zi quizzed: "According to what you mentioned, after the Emperor drank a bottle, he became wholly dedicated to you?" Concubine Mu smiled: "That is my experience so far; however, I don''t really know how long the effect will last. Otherwise, why did the esteemed monk give me two bottles? My bigger worry is this holy water falling into the hands of another concubine. If she secretly fed it to the Emperor, even if he still loves me, his love would be divided..."


    At this point, from outside the tent, Yelu Hongji''s voice rang out: "Ah Mu, come outside to me, I have something to tell you." Concubine Mu happily replied: "I''m coming!" As she swiftly rushed out, with a ''ta'' sound, the little porcelain bottle dropped from her bosom without her knowledge.


    Ah Zi was thrilled and excited. The minute Concubine Mu stepped out of the tent, she instantly dived to her front and picked up the porcelain bottle. Stuffing it into her bosom, she thought: I will quickly let Brother in law drink some of this. After that, I''ll add some clear water to it before returning it to Concubine Mu. After all, she is already the favourite pet concubine of Emperor and this holy water is currently useless to her.


    Without any delay, she hastily made an opening at the back of the tent and quietly slithered out. Like a ninja, she returned undetected to the Southern Khan residence.


    Observing the residence exterior overflowing with soldiers and riders, Ah Zi assumed the Southern Khan is formulating a military expedition. Walking into the main hall, she saw Xiao Feng pacing up and down the corridor of a water-feature wall with both hands behind his back. He appears to be bristling with impatience.


    The second Xiao Feng laid his eyes on Ah Zi, he glowed with ecstasy and sighed with relief: "Ah Zi, it is great to see you back here. I fear that the Emperor might detain you and you are unable to get out of the predicament. Let''s begin our journey; any delays and we might not make it." Ah Zi was puzzled: "Where are we going? Why are we in such a hurry? Why does the Emperor want to detain me?"


    Xiao Feng hushed: "Listen for yourself!" As the two of them became silent, from outside the Khan Residence, there were sounds of hoof beats, the clanking noises of armour and the clattering sounds of weapons. Regardless of north south east or west, these noises were generated from all different directions. Ah Zi probed: "What is going on? Are you leading the army to war?"


    Xiao Feng bitterly laughed: "These troops are not under my command. The Emperor is now suspicious of me and is planning to capture me." Ah Zi cheered: "That''s excellent. We have not had a proper fight for some time. Let the two of us clear a bloody path out of here." Xiao Feng shook his head and disagreed: "The Emperor has treated me extremely well. First, he conferred me as Southern Khan. Now, he personally travelled to see me and gave me an additional promotion. He is now suspicious of me because I am determined not to invade the south. If I injured his troops, it is a dent on our brotherhood and I will be ridiculed by all heroes under the sky, saying I, Xiao Feng, is an ingrate and have let my Brother down. Ah Zi, let''s leave immediately. By sneaking away without saying goodbye, he would fail to apprehend me and that is good enough.


    Ah Zi inquired: "Mm, let''s get out of here. But Brother in law, where are we heading to?" Xiao Feng answered: "To Piaomiao Peak Lingjiu Palace." Ah Zi''s face turned gloomy at once. She swore: "I am not going to meet that ugly freak." Xiao Feng ordered: "We are in the middle of a crisis now; after we leave this danger zone, we can then decide if we are going to Piaomiao Peak or not."


    Ah Zi thought: Since you have the intention to escort me to Piaomiao Peak, it clearly demonstrates your lack of consideration for my feelings. It is better to let you drink the holy water as early as possible and make you fall in love with me; when you love me, you will naturally listen to me. If I drag any longer, I fear that Concubine Mu will make her way here and demand the return of her porcelain bottle.


    As a result, Ah Zi immediately replied: "That''s a good idea too! Let me get some spare change of clothes."


    Rushing to the back hall, she got herself a bowl. Emptying the holy water from the porcelain bottle into the bowl, she added plenty of wine. In her heart, she chanted a secret prayer: Bodhisattva, please hear me. I wish that after Xiao Feng has consumed this holy water, he will love me, Ah Zi, whole-heartedly; he will marry me as his wife and never think about Sister Ah Zhu again!


    Back at the hall, she offered: "Brother in law, have this bowl of wine to increase your alertness. Once we leave, we will never come back again."


    Receiving the bowl of wine, under the candlelight, Xiao Feng noticed Ah Zi''s hands were trembling slightly and her eyes are shimmering with an unusual brilliance. Her expression displays both joy and tenderness. He cannot help but was moved, thinking: That year, when Ah Zhu was completely devoted to me, she had this similar expression on her face! Ai, it looks like Ah Zi is fully dedicated to me too!


    Finishing the large bowl of wine, Xiao Feng checked: "Have you packed your clothes?" Seeing that he has consumed the holy water, Ah Zi was overjoyed and exclaimed: "Forget the clothes, let''s go!"


    Xiao Feng carried a bundle on his back; inside the bundle are some clothes and gold ingots. He whispered: "They are preventing me from fleeing to the south. I shall travel northwards instead." Holding Ah Zi''s hand, he quietly opened a side door. Scanning the exterior, he observed two sentries patrolling side by side towards his direction. Xiao Feng hid behind the door and coughed once, causing the two sentries to rush over and investigate the noise. His fingers flashed out and the two sentries were immobolised. Dragging them into the shadow of some nearby trees, Xiao Feng whispered: "Quickly change into their armour outfit." Ah Zi was thrilled and praised: "Excellent plan!" Xiao Feng and Ah Zi rapidly plucked the armour from the sentries and wore it on their own bodies. Each of them holding a long pike, they began their escape by marching side-by-side away from the residence. Ah Zi wore her helmet in a low position and it was pressing on her eyebrows. Peeping at Xiao Feng, she noticed him trying to shrink his body and is walking in a bent posture; she was secretly humoured at his antics. After taking twenty over steps, they encounter a 10-men sergeant from the Imperial Encampment on patrol with his entourage of ten Imperial troops. Moving to the side of the path, Xiao Feng and Ah Zi raise their pikes and saluted the sergeant.


    The 10-men sergeant nodded his head and was about to walk past them. Under the illumination of the fire torches, he caught sight of Ah Zi''s ill-fitting body armour that was almost touching the ground. Aroused, he inspected her closely and noticed that the sabre sheath hanging from her waist is dragging on the floor. Annoyed, he threw a punch towards her shoulder and roared: "What are you wearing?" Ah Zi knew their ruse has been exposed; flipping her hand for a hook, she managed to hook his wrist and kicked his waist with her left foot. The sergeant yelled ''Ayo!'' and collapsed at once.


    Xiao Feng shouted: "Let''s go!" Pulling her wrist, he sped away from the scene. Unaware that the two disguised sentries are Xiao Feng and Ah Zi, the remaining ten Imperial troops raised the alarm, shouting: "There are spies here! There are spies here!" After they covered some distance, Xiao Feng and Ah Zi saw ten over riders approaching them from the front. Lifting the long pike, Xiao Feng executed a horizontal sweep and all the riders were cleanly knocked off their horses. With a lift from his right hand, he sent Ah Zi up a horse while he himself flew onto the back of another horse. Turning their horses around, they raced towards the Northern city gate.


    By now, the generals and soldiers surrounding the Southern Khan Residence have received word about their activities and are in pursuit from all over the city. Xiao Feng rode like the wind. As he predicted, 80% of the Liao Imperial troops are stationed along the southern route in order to prevent him from escaping towards the Southern dynasty. On his northern route, the troops were scattered and limited in numbers. When these soldiers encounter Xiao Feng, their hearts are secretly cowering. Although they are forced by military orders to approach and hinder him, whenever Xiao Feng roared and rode towards them, the soldiers would involuntarily make way for him. Ultimately, all they could do is to chase after Xiao Feng and shout at him to stop. By the time Imperial Encampment Commander Du has arrived with reinforcements, Xiao Feng and Ah Zi are long gone.


    As Xiao Feng arrived at the north gate on horseback, he saw that the city gates have been tightly secured. Before the city gate, more than a hundred troops were clustered closely together, brandishing their long pikes and blocking the road. If Xiao Feng chooses to kill his way through, these hundred odd Liao soldiers are not his match. However, he only seeks to escape with his life and does not wish to injure any more of his fellow countrymen. Stretching out with his left hand, he grabbed Ah Zi and brought her onto his own horse. With a light tap of his right foot on the stirrup, both his legs are now standing on the back of the horse. Taking a deep breath, he flew (using Qing-gong) towards the city gate. Under normal circumstances, this leap is insufficient to propel him to the top of the city wall. However, he was well prepared for this. When his body started to fall, he stabbed the wall with the long pike in his right hand. Using the embedded pike as a stepping-stone, he easily landed on top of the city wall.


    Scanning the external northern surrounding of the city, Xiao Feng observed that it was wholly pitch black and no fire torches were lighted. It is evident that no one expected him to flee the city in the northern direction and no soldiers were dispatched to secure this area. Projecting his voice, Xiao Feng announced to the soldiers in the city: "Please report to the Emperor, saying Xiao Feng has offended Your Majesty and dare not resign in person. Xiao Feng will never forget the immense kindness and goodwill of the Emperor."


    Seizing Ah Zhi by the waist, he turned around. Once he jumped off the top of the wall, he would be a like fish in the open sea or a bird in the open sky. All his worries would be gone forever.


    Slightly excited, he was about to leap off the wall when suddenly, his abdomen was hit by a bout of pain; followed by both his arms aching and turning numb. Even his left arm that was holding Ah Zi''s waist automatically loosened. Next, both his knees turned soft and he half-fell half-sat onto the floor. In his stomach, he felt such excruciating pain, as if a thousand small knives were cutting and slicing the organ. He cannot help but snorted ''humph'' once. Ah Zi was terrified and exclaimed: "Brother in law, what happened to you?" His entire body convulsing and his teeth chattering, Xiao Feng stuttered: "I¡­ I¡­ was¡­ was badly¡­ badly poisoned¡­ Wait¡­ I''ll activate¡­ activate my internal energy to force out the poison¡­" He immediately circulated his energy to ''Dantian'' point and wanted to force out the poison from his abdomen. If he did nothing, it is not so bad. The moment he activated his internal energy, his four limbs and his hundred odd bones were instantly seared with agonizing pain. The ''Dantian'' energy was barely activated before it subsided again. In between, Xiao Feng could hear loud sounds of hoof beats as thousands of riders rode northwards from their southern positions. As he tried to activate his energy again, he realised he cannot feel his four limbs at all. Acknowledging the incredible potency of this poison which cannot be purged out by internal energy, Xiao Feng urged: "Ah Zi, you better leave quickly, I¡­ I cannot accompany you any more."


    By reassessing the situation, Ah Zi had a huge revelation, realizing that she herself was being scammed by Concubine Mu into serving Xiao Feng with holy water. That was no holy water but a strong poison instead. Alarmed and filled with regrets, she hugged Xiao Feng''s neck and wept: "Brother in law¡­ it is my fault. I was the one who fed you the poison." Xiao Feng was shocked and puzzled. He questioned: "Why do you wish to harm me?" Ah Zi sobbed: "No! No! Concubine Mu gave me a bottle of water. She lied to me, telling me that if you drink it, you would love me forever and will¡­ will marry me as your wife. I am so stupid. Brother in law, I will die together with you. We shall never be apart again." As she spoke, she whipped out her waist knife and is about to slice her own neck.


    Xiao Feng yelled: "Hold¡­ Hold it!" His entire body felt as if he is being barbequed alive and being cut opened by steel knives. With both his internal organs and external body wretched by pain, he could barely organize his thoughts. After a long while, he finally comprehended Ah Zi''s explanation. He assured: "I will not die and you need not commit suicide either."


    ''Zhazha'' the noise generated by the opening of the heavy city gates entered their ears. Hundreds of cavalry soldiers dashed out of the northern gate and assembled into military formation among sounds of loud shouting. As tons of troops rushed over from the south of the city in relentless waves, they poured out of the city. Sitting on the top of the city wall, Xiao Feng glanced to the north and could see fire torches lighting up the city exterior for several kilometres, resembling a few fire dragons zigzagging towards the north. Turning his eyes southwards, nearly half the city is lighted by fire torches. He thought: In order to catch me, a single person, the Emperor went to the extent of activating every single soldier from the Imperial Encampment.


    From inside and outside the city, the generals and troops shouted in unison: "Rebel Xiao Feng, surrender at once!" His abdomen undergoing another round of unbearable pain, Xiao Feng whispered: "Ah Zi, you must quickly find a way to escape." Ah Zi uttered: "I personally fed you with a fatal poison, how can I live a lonely life by myself? I¡­ I¡­ I will die together with you." Xiao Feng bitterly smiled: "This is not a fatal poison but a poison designed to weaken my body and incapacitate me."


    Ah Zi was instantly cheered and quizzed: "Really?" Turning around, she pulled Xiao Feng up so that she can carry him on her own back. However, her figure is rather petite and Xiao Feng is exceptionally burly. Although with Ah Zi''s support, Xiao Feng managed to stand up, however, both his feet are still planted on the ground. At this point in time, ten over Khitan warriors have already scaled the city wall. Holding their sabre in one hand and a fire torch in the other hand, they remained fearful of Xiao Feng and dare not get too close to him.


    Xiao Feng advised: "Resistance is futile. Let them come and take me prisoner!" Ah Zi wailed: "No! No! If anyone dares to touch you, I will kill him on the spot." Xiao Feng reasoned: "You must not kill because of me. If I am willing to take any more lives, I can simply adhere to the decree and lead an army to invade the south. We would not have landed in our present circumstances." Raising his voice, he commanded: "By cowering in fear, how can you call yourself a Khitan warrior? Come, let us meet the Emperor together."


    The group of warriors were utterly stumped. Bowing in unison, they respectfully obeyed: "Yes! We are only acting in accordance with the errand in the decree; if we are discourteous to Khan, we seek Khan''s understanding!" Although Xiao Feng was appointed as the Southern Khan for a limited time, he treated his subordinates well and his fame has spread throughout the Northlands, earning the deep respect of all the Khitan warriors. Among the crowd, everyone is shouting ''Rebel Xiao Feng'' because everyone else is doing the same. But when they come face to face with him, the natural respect they had for him swelled up and they immediately halted their insolent behavior.


    Supported by Ah Zi''s shoulder, Xiao Feng struggled to stand up. His five viscera and six bowels are hurting as if they are being grappled and bitten. The troops stood a few metres away from him and have sheathe their weapons, watching him as he slowly took one step after another down the stone steps from the top of the city wall. When Xiao Feng reached the bottom of the steps, all the generals and soldiers instinctively flipped down their horses (in a mark of respect). Whether inside or outside the city, the tens of thousands of troops suddenly became absolutely noiseless.


    By the light of the fire, Xiao Feng witnessed these sincere, solemn and respectful expressions. His heart bursting with a gush of warmth, he thought: If I invade the south, among the tens of thousands of troops here, I believe less than half would be able to return to the Northern country alive. If I were able to save these countless lives, even if the Emperor sentences me to death, I would die without regrets. My only fear is that after the Emperor has executed me, he would get another general to lead the army to attack the south.


    As he thought up to this point, his chest area is experiencing another bout of severe pain and his body is tottering on the verge of collapse. A general led his own horse towards Xiao Feng and helped him onto the steed. Ah Zi got onto another horse as well and followed him from the back. Surrounded by escorts, they headed south back to the Khan residence. Although the generals and troops captured Xiao Feng and have accomplished a difficult mission, no one felt any joy or pleasure. The air is filled with sounds of metal armour going ''qiang qiang'' and tens of thousands of iron horse shoes striking the stone street steps. Besides these sounds, no happy cheers or celebratory wishes were heard.


    As the row of riders and escorts went through the North Avenue and came to White Horse Bridge, Xiao Feng rode his horse up the bridge. Out of nowhere, Ah Zi flew up from her seat. By springing both her feet from the saddle, she took a far leap. With a light ''chi'' sound, she dived into the river. Witnessing this occurrence, Xiao Feng could not help but was alarmed, but his shock was swiftly replaced by delight. He recalled the first time he encountered this cheeky lady. That time, she pretended to drown to death by submerging herself in a small lake. Her water abilities are extraordinary and ultra rare, allowing her to even deceive both her parents. This time round, by using the river to escape, it is the best possible outcome for her. Thinking that he would not have the chance to see her again in the future, he felt a tinge of disappointment. Xiao Feng hollered in a loud voice: "Ah Zi, why did you commit suicide? The Emperor will not make things difficult for you, why did you choose to drown yourself?"


    Listening to Xiao Feng''s words and noting that Ah Zi did not resurface after sinking into the river, the generals and soldiers assumed she really committed suicide. The Emperor''s decree is for the capture of Xiao Feng only. Whether Ah Zi is dead or has escaped, nobody could be bothered. After a brief wait on the bridge and unable to detect anything from the river, everyone continued riding with Xiao Feng in the lead.

 Chapter - 50 Getting Ruler to Break an Arrow

    Back at the Khan residence, Yelu Hongji refused to grant an audience to Xiao Feng; instead he instructed Imperial Encampment Commander Du to lock Xiao Feng up. The Commander knew that Khan Xiao Feng is blessed with amazing strength and vigor, how could an ordinary jail cell restrain him? After some analyzing, he ordered his men to procure the thickest and heaviest iron chains and iron shackles to secure the hands and feet of Xiao Feng. Additionally, he imprisoned Xiao Feng in a large steel cage. This particular steel cage is the same one Ah Zi used to keep her ferocious lions. Each of the cage''s steel bars is as thick as a person''s limb.


    Outside the steel cage, a hundred Imperial Encampment troops are deployed. Each of them armed with a long pike, they formed four circles around the cage. If Xiao Feng tries to pull any stunts from inside the steel cage, the troops can use their pikes and thrust it into the cage. Regardless of Xiao Feng''s strength, it would be impossible for him to remove the iron chains and iron shackles, and break out of the cage in a short time. Outside the residence, another battalion of soldiers are putting the property under strict surveillance. Fearing the generals and soldiers previously under the command of Xiao Feng are still loyal to him and may break him out of prison, Yelu Hongji transferred all of them away from Southern Capital.


    Leaning on a railing inside the steel cage, Xiao Feng gritted his teeth and endured the excruciating pain from his abdomen. He could not be bothered with anything else. A full day later, on the night of the second day, the effects of the poison gradually subsided and the pain diminished accordingly. Bit by bit, Xiao Feng recovered his strength, but given his present predicament, how could he possibly escape? He realized that worrying is meaningless; after all, he has experienced many situations which are much more life-threatening than this. Still he wondered if he, Xiao Feng, who had led a heroic life, would die as a captive in this steel cage. Lucky for him, the Imperial troops regarded him as a worthy hero. Although he was closely supervised, there were no lack of excellent manners, food and wine. Xiao Feng drank to his heart''s content. Days later, a pile of earthen wine jars started piling up beside the steel cage.


    Yelu Hongji still refused to visit him. Instead, he dispatched a few eloquent influencers to come and persuade him into changing his mind. They advised: The Emperor is magnanimous and treasures their relationship. Therefore, no additional punishment is meted out. Xiao Feng should express regret for his offence and plead for forgiveness.


    Xiao Feng did not even bother to cast a glance at these influencers. Minding his own business, he joyfully poured and drank his wine.


    With this exact scenario repeating every day, soon, more than a month has passed. The four influencers did not exhibit the slightest display of frustration and simply repeat their tiresome advice again and again, making statements such as ''The Emperor has treated Xiao Feng well; if Xiao Feng wants to preserve his life, he must listen to the Emperor'', ''The Emperor is divine and far sighted. Even a hundred generations later, no one would surpass him. The judgment of the holy Son of Heaven cannot be wrong. It is your duty to follow his directed path'', etc. These influencers apparently knew that their persuasion is hopeless against Xiao Feng, nevertheless, they continue to jabber on and on relentlessly.


    One day, Xiao Feng''s suspicions were aroused. He thought: The Emperor is not a fool; why would he engage these nagging idi0ts to try and persuade me? There must be something amiss!


    After some silent contemplation, he had an epiphany: I got it. The Emperor has already deployed his forces and is ready to launch his southern military campaign. However, he sent these irrelevant personnel to keep me engaged in this place. I am obviously at his mercy and he could kill me anytime. Why is he going to such lengths?


    Xiao Feng evaluated the circumstances more deeply and finally comprehended everything: The Emperor is a self-proclaimed hero. In order to prove me wrong, he would personally field an army and attack the south. When he has conquered the territories of Great Song, he would then come to me and brag about it. He is fearful of my strong character and believes that if I learnt about his invasion, I would starve myself to death in a fit of anger. Therefore, he sent these vulgar rascals to occupy my attention with nonsensical ramblings.


    A long time ago, Xiao Feng has already cast aside his sense of life, death, safety or danger. Since he is trapped within the cage without any possibility of escape, he is even less concerned about his own fate than before. Although he is reluctant to lead an army for a Southern invasion, he is not a saint who is constantly worried about humanity and world peace. Assuming that Yelu Hongji has launched his assault and that a disastrous calamity is inevitable, except for letting out a long sigh and indulging in another ten bowls of wine, he decided to stop dwelling on this issue.


    Hearing the four influencers still chattering non-stop, Xiao Feng abruptly interrogated: "Has our Khitan main army crossed the Yellow River?" The four influencers were stunned and glanced at one another in silence. Seconds later, one of the influencers affirmed: "Khan Xiao''s prediction is accurate. Our main army is ready to set off anytime. Although we have not crossed the Yellow River, it will be a matter of time." Xiao Feng nodded: "So, our main forces have yet to set off. I wonder when is the auspicious day?" The four influencers winked at one another. One of them declared: "We are only low ranking bureaucrats and are not aware of military affairs." Another one reminded: "Once Khan Xiao has changed your mind, the Emperor will personally come and discuss military and national issues with Khan."


    Xiao Feng snorted once and did not continue with his questioning. He thought: If the Emperor managed to conquer Great Song like a hot knife through butter, he would definitely escort me to Bianliang for a reunion. If he failed and retreat in disgrace, he would be ashamed to see me and would order my execution. At the end of the day, do I wish for him to vanquish Great Song or do I wish for him fail miserably? Hey Hey, Xiao Feng ah Xiao Feng, this is a question that cannot be easily answered!


    It is the evening of another day and the four influencers swaggered into the holding chamber again. The soldiers guarding Xiao Feng have been listening to their pointless ranting and are absolutely sick of it. The minute they saw the four men, they would frown their eyebrows and step away from the cage. For more than a month, Xiao Feng did not display any signs of struggle or escape; therefore, the soldiers monitoring him are not as vigilant as before.


    The first influencer coughed once and remarked: "Khan Xiao, the Emperor has a decree for your acknowledgement. If you still choose to disobey, your crime would be inexcusable." Xiao Feng has heard these words being repeated a few hundred times. However, this time, he felt something peculiar about this person''s voice; it is as if this person is afflicted with some throat disease. He cannot help but take a look at him. Once he saw the influencer, he was astounded.


    The influencer was winking and making funny faces at him. Xiao Feng inspected him closely and realised that this influencer is different from the one before. Scrutinizing this person carefully, he was both thrilled and surprised. This person has sparse and misplaced pieces of beard hair sticking all over his face. A layer of light ink has been smeared over the face as well, causing it to be shadowy and dreadful looking. By focusing underneath the yellow beard, Xiao Feng could distinguish a small mouth, a sharp nose and several pretty features. It is Ah Zi in disguise. The influencer lowered his voice pitch and vaguely instructed: "The Emperor''s words will never be wrong. By following the Emperor''s command, it will be beneficial to you. Here, this is the Imperial Decree by our Great Liao Emperor. You should respectfully go through it a few times." As he spoke, he produced a piece of paper from his large sleeve and turned it to face Xiao Feng.


    By now, the sky is gradually darkening and a few Imperial soldiers are lighting up the lanterns and candles situated all over the main hall. Using the illumination of the candlelight, Xiang Feng peered at the piece of paper. Eight tiny words were written: Major reinforcements have arrived; tonight, you will be freed.


    Xiao Feng snorted once and shook his head. Ah Zi reassured: "This time round, our forces are truly significant. With excellent fighters and sturdy horses, this battle is as good as won. Victory is within our grasp and you need not worry about anything at all." Xiao Feng reminded: "It is precisely that I wanted to avoid bloodshed that the Emperor has imprisoned me here." Ah Zi disputed: "To win a battle, it is the strategy that counts, not the number of deaths and injuries."


    Xiao Feng turned his eyes towards the other three influencers. Either by using a folded fan or their large sleeves, the three of them are trying their best to cover their faces and are unwilling to exchange glances with anyone. They are naturally the accomplices of Ah Zi. Xiao Feng sighed once and remarked: "I deeply appreciate your kind gestures. However, the enemy has mounted a strong defense of the city. To attack it by force, the chances of victory are slim..."


    Before he could finish, he was interrupted by some Imperial soldiers yelling: "Venomous snakes! Venomous snakes! Where did these countless snakes come from?" From the door frame and window frame, numerous venomous snakes are slithering into the compound. Raising their heads and flicking their tongues, the snakes wriggled into the hall, throwing everyone into chaos. Xiao Feng was inspired: Observing the formations of the venomous snakes, they resembled the work of my Beggar''s Sect brethren!


    Using their long pikes and waist sabres, the Imperial soldiers started smacking the snakes. An Imperial Lieutenant loudly commanded: "The Imperial soldiers guarding Khan Xiao must stay in their respective positions. Those who disobey will be executed!" This Lieutenant is especially alert. Noting the abnormal behavior of these snakes, he is afraid that Xiao Feng would take the opportunity to escape among the confusion. As commanded, the Imperial soldiers surrounding the steel cage remained steadfast in their posts, the tip of their long pikes pointing at Xiao Feng inside the cage. Nevertheless, the soldiers cannot help but glance to their sides, keeping a lookout for the venomous snakes. If any snake came close enough, they would beat it with their pikes.


    Amidst the chaos, another din broke out from the back of the Khan residence: "Fire! Fire! Come and put out the fire! Come and put out the fire!"


    The Lieutenant barked: "Kai Huer, report to Commander Du and ask him if we should relocate Khan Xiao!" Kai Huer is a 100-men Master Sergeant. Acknowledging the order, he turned around and was about to speed off when he was interrupted by a man roaring fiercely at the hall entrance: "DO NOT BE TRICKED BY SPIES INTO ABANDONING YOUR POSTS! If anyone tries to break Xiao Feng out of prison, stab him (XF) to death with your pikes!" It was Commander Du himself. Brandishing a long sabre, he stood at the hall entrance with an awe-inspiring aura.


    Out of nowhere, someone hurled a tiny green snake towards his face. As Commander Du raised his sabre to intercept the flying snake, sounds of ''chi chi'' pierced the air. Hidden projectiles have been fired. In a few seconds, all the lanterns and candles in the main hall have been extinguished and the hall instantly became pitch black. Hit by secret projectiles too, Commander Du shouted ''Ah!'' as he collapsed on his back.


    Retrieving a superior dagger from her sleeve, Ah Zi reached into the steel cage and with a few ''ka ka ka'' sounds, she cut opened the chains binding Xiao Feng''s shackles. Xiao Feng thought: This animal cage has steel bars that are solid and thick; even if you have a better dagger, it would take you some time to cut through it.


    At this moment, he suddenly felt the ground below his feet caving in. Outside the cage, Ah Zi whispered: "Quickly escape through the underground tunnel!" Next, a pair of hands reached out from the ground and latched onto Xiao Feng''s feet; with a downward pull, Xiao Feng''s entire body was being dragged into the ground. It is DaLi country''s tunneling expert Hua Hegen at work. Using more than 10 days, he constructed a tunnel that leads straight to the bottom of Xiao Feng''s steel cage.


    Pulling Xiao Feng, Hua Hegen crawled through the tunnel. His crawling speed is amazing and it felt like they were walking on normal ground. In an instant, they have travelled more than half a kilometre. Helping Xiao Feng on his feet, Hua Hegen led him out of the tunnel. At the entrance of the tunnel, three persons with huge grins on their faces came up and welcomed them. They turned out to be Duan Yu, Fan Hua and Ba Tianshi. Pouncing at Xiao Feng and giving him a bear hug, Duan Yu called out: "Big Brother!"


    Xiao Feng laughed loudly and praised: "I have heard rumours about Minister Hua''s divine skill. After experiencing it first hand today, I am full of admiration."


    Hua Hegen merrily acknowledged: "To receive such a tremendous commendation from Khan Xiao''s esteemed mouth, this has got to be the highlight of my career!"


    Their present location is not far from the Southern Khan Residence and all around them, they could hear the shouting of Liao soldiers. Blowing a horn, a rider rode past the house they were hiding and hollered in a loud voice: "The East gate is under attack by enemies. The Imperial troops are to stay put and guard your original positions. No departure is permitted!" Fan Hua suggested: "Khan Xiao, let''s break out via the West gate!" Xiao Feng nodded his head in agreement: "Excellent idea! Has Ah Zi and the others made their escape?"


    Before Fan Hua could answer, the voice of Ah Zi was heard from the tunnel: "Brother in law, you still care for me after all." Her voice is filled with feelings of happiness. With a ''ka la chi'' sound, she popped out of the tunnel. Removing the beard stuck on her chin, her entire head and face is full of mud and dust, giving her a filthy appearance. But in the eyes of Xiao Feng, since the day he met her, she is at her prettiest.


    Unsheathing her superior dagger, Ah Zi is prepared to cut the shackles on Xiao Feng. However, the shackles are tight and pressing on his flesh; if she uses too much force, she would undoubtedly wound him. It is a challenging task indeed. Handing the superior dagger to Duan Yu, Ah Zi advised: "Brother, you should do it." Receiving the superior dagger, Duan Yu activated his internal energy and cut the shackles like he is cutting a piece of wooden board.


    At this juncture, another three persons exited the tunnel. They are Zhong Ling, Mu Wanqing and an 8-pouch disciple from Beggar''s Sect. This particular disciple is an expert snake handler. The scattering of snakes in the main hall and the ensuring chaos is a trick devised by him. When this disciple saw that Xiao Feng is safe and unhurt, he wept with happiness, saying: "Chief, you¡­"


    It has been a long time since anybody addresses him as ''Chief''. Appreciating this Beggar''s Sect disciple''s expression, Xiao Feng was swelling with emotions too. He complimented: "It must be hard on you." With this praise, the 8-pouch disciple is overwhelmed with gratitude and honour, and tears continued streaming down his face.


    Fan Hua urged: "The soldiers and riders of DaLi country are already attacking the East gate, let''s make our escape among this pandemonium! Khan Xiao, you should refrain from making any moves or someone might recognize you." Xiao Feng agreed: "That is right!" The nine of them sped out of the main door of a house. Xiao Feng turned his head back for a look and realised the tunnel entrance is in an abandoned tiled house. On the outside, the house is an ordinary looking building. In Khitan language, Ah Zi yelled: "Fire! Fire!" Fan Hua, Hua Hegen and the others copied her yelling and started shouting too. Perceiving the absence of Liao soldiers in the streets, Fan Hua, Ba Tianshi and the others started setting fire all over the area. In a few minutes, several locations are burning ferociously.


    The nine of them continued to flee westwards. Duan Yu and the others have disguised themselves as Khitan people. By now, the city is in complete disarray and no one paid any attention to them. Occasionally, when they detect a large platoon of Khitan riders on their tail, the nine of them would hide in the shadows of nearby structures. Passing through ten odd streets, a horn was heard bellowing from the north and large groups of people started shouting: "Bad news! Bad news! The enemy troops have taken the North gate and the Emperor has been captured by them!"


    Xiao Feng was shocked. Halting, he pleaded: "The Emperor of Liao has been captured? Third Brother, the Emperor of Liao is my Foster Elder Brother; although his treatment of me is lacking in humanity, I cannot go against the code of brotherhood. You must not hurt him¡­" Ah Zi giggled: "Brother in law, you can put your mind at ease. These shoutings are from the thirty-six Cave Chiefs and seventy-two Island Chiefs of Lingjiu Palace. I taught them these few Khitan phrases and got them to practice until they became eloquent. Right now, by shouting these phrases, rumours will start spreading and this will add to the instability of the population. The Southern Capital City is originally fortified with a heavy military presence; in addition, the Emperor is protected by tens of thousands of Imperial troops. How could he be easily captured?" Xiao Feng was delighted and surprised. He quizzed: "The subordinates of Second Brother are here too?"


    Ah Zi responded: "It is not only the subordinates of Little Monk; Little Monk is here himself, in fact, even the wife of Little Monk is here too." Xiao Feng enquired: "Wife of Little Monk?" Ah Zi giggled: "Brother in law, this is something you are ignorant about. The wife of Xu Zhu Zi is the Princess of Xixia. However, her face is constantly shielded by a veil; except for Little Monk, nobody else is allowed see her genuine appearance. I asked Little Monk: Is your wife a beauty? Little Monk always smiled and evaded my question."


    Although Xiao Feng learnt about this unbelievable development while he is on the run, he could not help but feel rather happy for Xu Zhu. In the same context, he glanced towards Duan Yu. Duan Yu chuckled: "Big Brother need not worry too much, Little Brother is completely satisfied with this arrangement. Second Brother did not break his promise either. This matter deserves a lengthy explanation, let us slowly communicate it to you at a later occasion."


    As they spoke, the group of them have covered more distance. In front of them is a parade square with a tall platform. The platform itself is burning like a bonfire. In front of the platform, there are two flag poles and the two giant flags on the poles are burning furiously too. Xiao Feng knows that this parade square is the training ground for Southern Capital City and is used by the Liao army for military training. However, he has never seen the tall platform before and does not know when it was constructed.


    Facing Duan Yu, Ba Tianshi reported: "Your Majesty, by burning the Liao Emperor''s inspection platform and commanding flags, it is considered an inauspicious sign for the Liao army. Yelu Hongji''s plan to invade Song is likely to be abolished." Duan Yu nodded: "That is right."


    Hearing Ba Tianshi addressing Duan Yu as ''Your Majesty'' and Duan Yu nodding his head, Xiao Feng was stunned once again. He inquired: "Third Brother¡­ Have you become the Emperor?" With a sad tone, Duan Yu revealed: "My Father unfortunately lost his life during his journey home. My Imperial Uncle has forsaken the throne for monkhood and is now a monk at Sky Dragon Monastery. Little Brother was ordered to inherit the throne. Little Brother is talentless and undeserving; by occupying this seat of great importance, I am filled with inadequacy."


    Xiao Feng was thunderstruck: "Ayo! Uncle has passed away? Third Brother! You are the Ruler of DaLi country; how could you put yourself in personal danger and take such a huge risk for me? If anything were to happen to you, how¡­ how¡­ would I be able to account to the people of the entire DaLi country?"


    Duan Yu chuckled once and remarked: "DaLi is but a small country at the secluded southern borderlands. The term ''Emperor'' is just a polite form of address. Little Brother is muddle-headed and barely resembles a proper Ruler, how could I live up to the title of Emperor? When others address me as ''Your Majesty'', I am filled with awkwardness. The two of us are as intimate as flesh brothers; since a big catastrophe has befallen, wouldn''t it be unreasonable if Little Brother does not come and share the burdens of Big Brother?"


    Fan Hua added: "When Khan Xiao strongly dissuaded the Emperor of Liao against the invasion of Song, everyone within our (DaLi) country is full of gratitude. If the Emperor of Liao conquered Great Song, his next step would surely be an invasion of DaLi. Our country has a small army and incompetent generals, how could we withstand the elite Khitan soldiers? When Khan Xiao saved Great Song, it is as good as saving DaLi. DaLi will naturally dedicate our full support to Khan. This is the right protocol."


    Xiao Feng pointed: "I am only an ordinary martial artiste who is unwilling to see a war erupt between two countries, resulting in countless deaths and destruction. I dare not claim any credit for myself."


    As they were speaking, they suddenly discovered a massive fire burning at the Southern gate. Squeezing between the soldiers and riders, many groups of commoners comprising of men, women and children are rushing towards their direction. The displaced population commented: "Along with numerous heroes, Southern dynasty Shaolin Monastery has conquered the Southern gate." Someone in the crowd uttered: "Southern Khan Xiao Feng has rebelled. Besides pledging allegiance to Song dynasty, he already killed the Emperor of Great Liao." A few Khitan folks gnashed their teeth and scolded: "This Xiao Feng betrayed his own country and is now working for the enemy. We hate him so much we wish we can chew his meat off and swallow it into our bellies." A person was frantically asking: "Was Your Majesty really killed by the traitor Xiao Feng?" Another person replied: "How could it be false? With my own eyes, I saw Xiao Feng riding a white steed towards the front of Your Majesty. With a spear thrust, he pierced a hole in the chest of Your Majesty." Another old folk wondered out loud: "How could this traitor Xiao Feng be so ruthless? Is he a Khitan like us or a Han-race person?" Another guy cursed: "I heard he is a Southern barbarian disguised as a Khitan. This traitor is evil to the max, he is indeed worse than beast!"


    Hearing these people insulting Xiao Feng, Ah Zi was critically annoyed. Lifting her horse whip, she lashed it towards the group of Khitan people. Xiao Feng raised his hand to intercept and successfully parried the whip. Shaking his head, he whispered: "Let them say whatever they want." He then queried: "Are the esteemed monks of Shaolin Monastery here as well?"


    The 8-pouch disciple reported: "Update to Chief: When Miss Duan escaped from Southern Capital, she ran into Elder Wu (Changfeng). She told Elder Wu that in order to safeguard the territories of Great Song as well as the lives of tens of thousands of commoners, Chief has clashed with the Emperor of Liao regarding a Song invasion. As a result, Chief was imprisoned in Liao Country. Elder Wu did not believe her, saying that Chief is a Liao descendent and has no reason to defend Great Song. He immediately sneaked into Southern Capital and conducted his own investigations. Finally, he realised that Miss Duan is indeed telling the truth. Elder Wu instantly activated our Sect''s ''Green Bamboo Decree'' and spread the news about Chief''s selfless sacrifice to all the heroes in the Central Plains. Within the Central Plains, the martial arts world is heartened by Chief''s noble deed. With the esteemed monks of Shaolin Monastery providing leadership, plenty of heroes have come forward to volunteer in this mission to rescue Chief."


    Recalling that day in Hero''s Gathering Manor where Xiao Feng is forced to oppose the heroes of Central Plains and even killed a considerable number of them; in a twist of events, today, the heroes of Central Plains are coming to save him instead. Xiao Feng experienced grief and gratitude simultaneously.


    Ah Zi joked: "With all the beggars in Beggar''s Sect spreading the news, how can there be a faster way than theirs? Ayo, this is bad, what a waste! What a waste!" Duan Yu wondered: "What has gone to waste?" Ah Zi replied: "My Divine Wood Grand Cauldron. It was placed in the centre of the hall with a burning incense to attract the snakes. In my haste, I forgot to take it along with me." Duan Yu laughed: "This kind of unorthodox stuff is better lost than found, what is the use of having it?" Ah Zi jeered: "Humph, what do you mean by unorthodox? Without this treasure, it would be tough to summon so many venomous snakes in such a short time; my Brother in law''s escape would be hindered too."


    As they spoke, sounds of ''ping ping pang pang'' can be heard. It is the sounds made by clashing of weapons. Under the illumination of the fire spots, various Liao soldiers were seen attacking one another. Xiao Feng was puzzled: "Yi, why are they fighting among themselves¡­" Duan Yu explained: "Big Brother, those with a white cloth tied around their necks on our side." Ah Zi produced a white cloth and handed it to Xiao Feng, recommending: "You should tie one around your neck too!"


    With a quick scan, Xiao Feng realised the Liao soldiers are unable to distinguish between friend and foe. In the midst of the chaotic skirmish, many of the Liao soldiers are killed by their own comrades. On the contrary, for the fake Liao soldiers with a white cloth around their necks, they are able to easily kill a Liao soldier with every sabre chop and every pike thrust. His eyes witnessing the people of Liao being slaughtered and their corpses lining the ground, Xiao Feng held the white cloth with both his hands trembling uncontrollably. In his heart, a loud voice cried out: "I am a Khitan, not a Han! I am a Khitan, not a Han!" He refused to tie the white cloth around his neck.


    At this moment, with ''zha zha'' noises, the two heavy city gates are slowly being pulled open. Hauling Xiao Feng, Duan Yu and Fan Hua dashed out of the city.


    Beyond the city gates, the city exterior is well lighted by fire torches. Countless beggars from the Beggar''s Sect are clutching their horses and waiting in anticipation. When they saw Xiao Feng rushing out of the city, they instantly cheered boisterously: "Chief Xiao! Chief Xiao!" With their torches waving and their outrageous welcome, it is truly an earth-shattering occasion.


    A line opened up between the fellowship of beggars, forming two fire dragons on the left and right. A rider rode through the line and ended up in front of Xiao Feng. On the horse was an old beggar who is riding with both his hands raised above his head. Grasped in his hands is the Dog-Beating Staff, the token of the Chief of Beggar''s Sect. Rolling off his saddle, he kneeled on the ground and reported: "As requested by the brethren, Wu Changfeng hereby returns the Dog-Beating Staff of Beggar''s Sect to Chief. We deserve death for our stupidity; with lard blinding our hearts, we wronged a good man and caused Chief to undergo countless sufferings. We could not separate the wheat from the chaff. We hope Chief is magnanimous and would not hold it against losers like us; on account that we are a bunch of fatherless and motherless orphans, please resume your post as the Chief of our Sect. The lot of us were badly scammed by villains and we deserve death for saying Chief is a Khitan barbarian dog. The traitorous disciple Quan Guanqing has been killed and dismembered by us to avenge the injustice faced by Chief." As he spoke, he offered the Dog-Beating Staff to Xiao Feng.


    His heart turning sour (with ache), Xiao Feng declared: "Elder Wu, I am indeed a Khitan descendent. I fully appreciate the immense comradeship between each one of you and I; I can never be thankful enough. Regarding the position of Chief, it is impossible for me take it up again." As he spoke, he reached his hand out and helped Wu Changfeng to his feet.


    Wu Changfeng is completely at a loss. Scratching his head and ear, he persuaded: "You¡­ You say you are a Khitan descendent? You¡­ You must be reluctant to be Chief. Chief Xiao, please let go of the old grudges and stop holding them against us!"


    Before anyone could react further, from within the city, loud sounds of drumming can be heard. It appears that a battalion of Liao soldiers is getting ready to storm out of the city. Duan Yu warned: "Elder Wu, let''s get moving! The Liao soldiers are well-trained; once they get into battle formation, we would be unable to resist them."


    Xiao Feng also knew that the Beggar''s Sect and the Central Plains heroes are gaining the upper hand because they launched a surprise attack on the enemy. If they are engaging the Liao Army in a proper battlefield, how could the thousands of martial artistes withstand the tens of thousands of Liao soldiers with their elite training? Moreover, if such an event were to take place, both sides would suffer heavy casualties and it would be a violation of his original intention. He advised: "Elder Wu, regarding the appointment of the Sect''s Chief, we can slowly discuss it at a later date. You must quickly give the order for our brethren to retreat towards the West."


    Elder Wu acknowledged: "Yes!" Giving the command, the brethren of Beggar''s Sect did an about-turn. The rear section of the fellowship became the leading section as everyone swiftly rode westwards. Soon thereafter, led by Xu Zhu Zi, the females disciples of Lingjiu Palace, as well as the warriors from thirty-six caves and seventy-two islands cut a bloody path and reunited with everybody. After riding for several kilometres, under the command of Fu Sigui and Zhu Danchen, the warriors of DaLi country managed to join them too. However, the monks from Shaolin Monastery and the heroes from Central Plains are still missing in action. Everyone could vaguely hear the sounds of fighting and killing from the Southern Capital City.


    Xiao Feng surmised: "Shaolin Sect and the Central Plains heroes must have been entangled in the city warfare. Let us wait for a while more." After some waiting, the sounds of killing and fighting from the city became louder and louder. Duan Yu volunteered: "Big Brother, please wait here. I shall go and fetch them." Leading the DaLi warriors, he rode back to the Southern Capital City.


    By now, the sky is gradually brightening and Xiao Feng is awfully anxious. He cannot tell if the Central Plains heroes have managed to make their escape, however, the sounds of killing and fighting has increased significantly. Although the warriors of DaLi have rejoined the fighting, a prolonged period has passed without any signs of the heroes escaping the city and reuniting with him.


    Riding a swift horse, a scout from Beggar''s Sect approached them and reported: "Thousands of armoured Liao soldiers have besieged the West gate; the warriors of DaLi are unable to break through their encirclement and the heroes of Central Plains are unable to break out either." With a gesture of his right hand, Xu Zhu decided: "I''ll lead my warriors from Lingjiu Palace to mount a rescue." Leading two thousand odd warriors from the mountainous tribes and the female fighters from Lingjiu Division, he sped towards the Southern Capital City on horseback.


    Sitting on his horse, Xiao Feng glanced towards the east. He could decipher many thick columns of smoke emitting from within the Southern Capital City. With so many outbreaks of fire all over the city, it must be a chaotic environment. An hour later, another scout reported: "The Duan Emperor of DaLi as well as Mister Xu Zhu Zi from Lingjiu Palace have cut a bloody path and breached the city defenses."


    In all his past fights, Xiao Feng is usually the first man in the frontline. This time round, he was inversely far away from all the action. Growing worried and deeply concerned, he could not longer hold back his impatience and declared: "I will take a look for myself!" The three ladies Ah Zi, Mu Wanqing and Zhong Ling advised simultaneously: "The people of Liao are after you; you mustn''t take this risk." Xiao Feng disregarded: "That''s not an issue!" Urging his horse forward, he rode towards the city with the Beggar''s Sect at his heel.


    Arriving at the external site of the Southern Capital City West gate, Xiao Feng could see hundreds of corpses outside the city walls, on the city walls and on both sides of the city moat. Some of the corpses belong to the soldiers and generals from the Liao army but there are plenty from Duan Yu and Xu Zhu''s faction as well. The city gates are neither fully open nor fully close. Grasping giant sabres in their hands, two Island Chiefs are stationed beside the city gates and are ferociously chopping at the waves of Liao soldiers charging at them. No matter what it takes, they will not allow the city gates to be closed.


    Xiao Feng abruptly heard loud sounds of hoof beats from the southern and northern directions. Alarmed, he warned: "This is bad, large battalions of Liao soldiers are surrounding us from the south and the north. We would be trapped if we stay in this spot." Snatching a metal-tip spear, he broke it into half. Flying up, he embedded the spear tip into the city wall. Using the momentum, he flipped himself up again and embedded the spear tip into a higher section of the city wall. With a few flips, he reached the top of the city wall. Scanning the city, he observed that the western sector is scattered with many pockets of Central Plains heroes. These heroes have been divided by the endless supply of Liao soldiers until they could no longer assist one another. The heroes may be highly-skilled but if they have to fight several people concurrently, after a prolonged battle, they would surely be overcome by the staggering numbers.


    Standing on the city wall, Xiao Feng shifted his gaze between the city interior and the city exterior. Choosing a particular side is the hardest decision he has to make. The heroes have come to rescue him; surely he cannot simply watch them die one by one under the blades of the Liao soldiers. But if he chooses to enter the city and aid them, he would be publicly acknowledging Liao country as the enemy. He would be a traitor to his country, a renegade helping the enemy. Not only would he be unable to face his ancestors, he would be cursed for ages by his own countrymen. When he escaped from South Capital and sought refuge in another country, at most, people would label him as ''disloyal''. But if he turn around and attack Liao, he would be labeled as a war criminal.


    All along, Xiao Feng has always acted in a clear-cut manner with no loose ends. With the current dilemma, his decisive nature is now muted. With a swift glance, he saw several Khitan warriors embroiled in a bitter fight with two elderly Shaolin monks beside the city wall. The first monk is brandishing a pair of monk''s knives. Blood spouting out of his mouth, he is clearly suffering from heavy injuries. Taking a closer look, Xiao Feng identified him as Xuan Ming. The second monk is flourishing his meditation staff in a style to shield both of them from their attackers. Xiao Feng recognized him as Xuan Shi. Wielding their long sabres, two Liao soldiers chopped towards Xuan Ming. Badly hurt, Xuan Ming lacked the strength to block their attacks. Xuan Shi flicked the meditation staff and the tail of the staff sprung up, parrying the two long sabres backwards. ''Ah!'' Xuan Ming violently cried out as his left shoulder was stabbed by another assailant. Xuan Shi lashed the staff in a horizontal swipe and delivered a bone-splitting blow to the Liao soldier. However, with this move, his chest is exposed. A Liao warrior plunged his spear at the opening and pierced the abdomen of Xuan Shi. Xuan Shi smashed his meditation staff downwards and the head of the Khitan warrior was shattered into pieces, with the warrior dying before himself. Haphazardly waving his monk''s knives in unqualified strokes and with tears running down his face, Xuan Ming loudly wailed: "Martial Younger Brother! Martial Younger Brother!"


    As he watched, Xiao Feng''s blood started to boil. Unable to tolerate it any longer, he roared: "Xiao Feng is right here! If you must kill, kill me. Leave the innocent alone!" Leaping from the top of the city wall, both his legs were raised. Before he landed on the ground, he had already sent two Khitan warriors flying with two kicks. The moment his left foot touched the ground, he pulled Xuan Ming towards himself and his right hand retrieved Xuan Shi''s meditation staff. Xiao Feng pleaded: "My rescue came too late, my sin is heavy indeed." Flourishing the meditation staff, he forced two Khitan warriors to retreat for several metres.


    Xuan Shi bitterly smiled: "We falsely accused you of being a Khitan descendent, our sin is greater. Awesome! Awesome! The truth has come to ¡­" Before he could say the word ''light'', his head tilted sideways and his breathing stopped, indicating his death.


    Protecting Xuan Ming, Xiao Feng fought the soldiers to his left, clearing a path to a few DaLi warriors who were surrounded by enemies. Dazed by the spectacular appearance of their Southern Khan, the soldiers and generals of Liao could not help but feel a shiver down their spines. With the meditation staff as a weapon, Xiao Feng lashed the soldiers nearer to him and jabbed the soldiers further from him. Although no lives were lost, everyone was injured. The troop of Liao soldiers consecutively retreated. Dashing left and right, Xiao Feng broke through several encirclements. Soon, he has gathered two hundred odd men in one cluster. He loudly commanded: "Do not get separated again!" Leading these two hundred odd men, he combed the entire sector. Once he saw a trapped comrade, he would guide the entire cluster towards the victim and rescue him. Like rolling a snowball, the cluster became bigger and bigger. When he has accumulated more than a thousand warriors, the Liao soldiers cannot hold them back any longer. Shaolin Monastery''s Xuan Du, who is leading the Central Plains heroes, got together with Xiao Feng, Xu Zhu, Duan Yu, and their respective warriors. All at once, they dashed towards the city gates.


    Wielding the meditation staff, Xiao Feng stood beside the city gate and allowed the three groups of people from DaLi country, Lingjiu Palace and Central Plains heroes to leave the city first. Standing at a distance away, the soldiers and generals of Liao country were shouting and threatening but nobody dared to step forward and launch an attack.


    Xiao Feng waited until everyone has left before becoming the last man to leave the city. Turning his head back for a look, he observed piles of corpses everywhere. This battle has concluded with a high number of casualties and wounded. His eyes caught sight of two female warriors of Lingjiu Palace groaning and rolling on the ground in a pool of blood. Xiao Feng reentered the city, picked up the two ladies by their vests, and brought them out of the city.


    The thunderous sounds of drumming pierced the air; the two battalions of Liao cavalry have finally arrived from the north and the south. Xiao Feng''s heart sank tremendously. Each battalion of Liao cavalry is made up of at least ten thousand riders. For Xiao Feng and his teammates, after a bout of prolonged fighting, most of them are injured or exhausted. How could they resist the Liao reinforcements?


    Xiao Feng called out: "The brethren of Beggar''s Sect, stay put and intercept the enemy! Give your horses to the injured and allow them to retreat first!" The fellowship of beggars from Beggar''s Sect roared in acknowledgement and swiftly dismounted their steeds. Xiao Feng hollered again: "Execute the Dog-Beating Grand Formation!" Clapping their bamboo clappers, the beggars chanted their formation verse and assembled into rows of human walls. Xiao Feng urged: "Master Xuan Du, Second Brother, Third Brother, quickly lead your followers and retreat towards the west. The Beggar''s Sect will safeguard your departure!"


    The sun illuminated the sky for the first time that day and shone brightly on the spear tips and sabre blades. With tens of thousands of iron hoof beats pounding the ground, it is truly an earth-shaking occasion.


    Assessing the military might of the advancing Liao soldiers, Xu Zhu and Duan Yu instantly realised that the Beggar''s Sect''s ''Dog-Beating Grand Formation'' cannot contain them. The two of them standing on Xiao Feng''s left and right, they proclaimed: "Big Brother, we are sworn brothers. We will face difficulty and death together!" Xiao Feng remarked: "In this case, please instruct your followers to retreat first!"


    Xu Zhu and Duan Yu separately commanded their subordinates to retreat. However, the disciples of Lingjiu Palace are unwilling to abandon their Owner; the warriors of DaLi will never allow their Emperor to face danger alone. Both groups of followers refused to move an inch. Right before their eyes, the armies of Liao soldiers are getting closer and closer. Even their arrows are striking the ground within metres of Xiao Feng and the others. Leading the Central Plains heroes, Xuan Du had already begun his retreat. Recognising the perilous circumstances, about ten heroes from Xuan Du''s group ran back and rejoined the defending forces.


    Xiao Feng was secretly lamenting. He thought: These folks are highly skilled in martial arts. Although we are gathered together, at most, we are a disorganised mob. Ignorant of military formations, how could we match the Liao soldiers? My death is inconsequential but if everyone else here is annihilated by the Liao army outside the Southern Capital City, that would... that would...


    Still at a loss, Xiao Feng suddenly heard the rapid beating of the Liao Army military gong. It is a signal for the Liao army to retreat. The cavalry speeding towards them heard the gong too and immediately turned their horses around. With the frontline now becoming the rear line, both forces retreated towards their northern or southern origination. Xiao Feng was astounded and cannot comprehend any reason for this development. Next, he heard loud sounds of shouting and commotion from the flank of the Liao army. Spotting an area where plenty of sand is being stirred up, he realised another group of hostile cavalry forces has ambushed the Liao army retreating towards the North. Xiao Feng is even more puzzled than before. He thought: Why is there another cavalry battalion other than those from the Liao army? Is someone trying to rebel? The Emperor is being attacked on both fronts, his situation is detrimental indeed.


    Identifying the predicament of the Liao army, Xiao Feng unconsciously became worried about the welfare of Yelu Hongji.


    Leaping onto his horse, Xiao Feng scrutinized the rear section of the Liao Army. All he could see was various white flags waving in different spots. With a sudden downpour of arrows, countless Liao soldiers collapsed from their horses. Xiao Feng had an epiphany: "Ah, it must be my comrades from Nuzhen Tribe; I wonder how did they know about my whereabouts?"


    The hunters from Nuzhen Tribe are the best archers ever produced. Brimming with courage, in groups of a hundred hunters per (military) company, they were riding Balikun horses and creating a scene wherever they rode. By zipping in and out of the Liao Army, in the blink of an eye, they completely demolished the Liao military formation. Although the Nuzhen hunters are smaller in numbers, every one of them is a fearless and super elite warrior. By ambushing the Liao army and catching them off guard, they gave the Liao Chief Commander an anxiety attack. The Liao Chief Commander recognized the unfavourable circumstances and is fearful that Xiao Feng may lead his warriors and riders for a counterattack. As a result, he hastily sounded a retreat back into the city.


    Fan Hua is DaLi country''s Minister of War and is naturally an expert on military strategy. Sensing an opportunity, he hurriedly advised Xiao Feng: "Khan Xiao, we should launch a swift counterattack. This is the best chance to destroy the enemy." Xiao Feng shook his head once. Fan Hua reasoned: "It is still a long distance to Yanmen Pass; if we do not use this opportunity to obliterate the Liao Army, we are planting the seed for a future calamity. The enemies outnumbered us vastly. We may not be able to retreat without suffering further casualties." Xiao Feng shook his head again. Unable to comprehend Xiao Feng''s mindset, Fan Hua thought: Khan Xiao is reluctant to eradicate the enemy once and for all; is he trying to preserve some goodwill so that he can reconcile with the Liao Emperor?


    Among the thick smoke, several groups of Nuzhen hunters are executing a killing spree on their horses. Bare-chested or clothed in animal skins, their arrows flew incessantly, resulting in a total massacre. At the entrance of the city gate, more than a thousand Liao soldiers were shot dead beneath the city wall as they were trying to retreat into the city.


    With the front half of their heads clean-shaven and a small pigtail at the back of the heads, the Nuzhen hunters appear extraordinarily malevolent. Their entire faces stained with fresh blood, they have a habit of beheading their victims after shooting them to death. Afterwards, the heads of their victims would be hung around their waists. For some hunters, a long chain of more than ten heads is hanging around their waists. For the heroes of the martial arts world, they have experienced plenty of killings and violence. Nevertheless, this is the first time they are witnessing these cruel and merciless acts of the barbarians. Every one of them is badly traumatized.


    A towering hunter stood on the back of his horse and loudly hailed: "Big Brother Xiao, Big Brother Xiao, Wanyan Ahguda is fighting the army for you!"


    Xiao Feng rode forward and the two men clasped their four hands together. Ahguda cheerfully remarked: "Big Brother Xiao, that day, you left without saying goodbye. Brother (I) has been pining for you every day. Subsequently, my scout reported that you became a senior official in Liao country so I stopped trying to contact you. However, the Liao people are treacherous by nature; I fear that your good fortune will be short-lived. True enough, two days ago, my scout reported that you have been imprisoned by that Emperor who was raised by a b*tch. Brother hurriedly gathered my men and mounted a rescue. Fortunately, Elder Brother is alive and well. Brother is truly overjoyed."


    Xiao Feng professed: "Many thanks for Brother''s rescue effort!" He barely ended his sentence when a swarm of arrows flew down from the top of the city wall. The two men were pretty far from the city wall and the arrows failed to reach them.


    Ahguda furiously cursed: "Khitan dogs! How dare you interrupt my conversation with Elder Brother!" Pulling out his long bow, ''chi chi chi'', he fired three arrows towards the top of the city wall. Three sounds of tragic cries rang out as three Liao archers were hit. They toppled down from the top of the city wall. The Liao archers failed to hit Ahguda but Ahguda and his superior strong bow is able to reach the archers. With three arrows fired and three killed, the remaining Liao soldiers on the top of the wall sounded the alarm by shouting in unison. Everyone promptly kept their bows and raised their shields. From within the city, sounds of ''dong dong'' drumbeats can be heard. The Liao army is consolidating their forces again.


    Ahguda roared: "My kinsmen, listen up, the Khitan dogs are going to tunnel out of the dog''s hole again. Let us go for another round of merry slaughter." The Nuzhen tribesmen responded with a loud ruckus; to the Central Plain heroes, it felt as if they are hearing ten of thousands of wild beasts howling in unison.


    Xiao Feng knew that if the two forces were to clash again, both sides would suffer heavy losses. He quickly suggested: "Brother, you came here with the intention of rescuing me; now that I am out of danger, why bother fighting them? We have not seen each other for some time, let us find a quiet spot and we brothers can drink until we are drunk." Wanyan Ahguda agreed: "You are right, let''s go!"


    Nonetheless, the city gates started to swing open and a battalion of armoured Liao cavalry started gushing out. Ahguda scolded: "These Khitan dogs; we can never finish killing them." Positioning an arrow on his bow, with a ''sou'' sound, the arrow flew out and pierced the face of the very first rider, causing the rider to fall off his horse. The remaining Nuzhen tribesmen released their arrows as well and each of their arrows is aimed at the faces of the Liao soldiers. These Nuzhen hunters are extremely precise with their arrows and each of their arrowheads is smeared with strong venom. Their victims would die on the spot and would not even have time to utter a sound. In a flash, the city gate area has added another hundred odd corpses. The dead soldiers, horses and armour started to form a small mound and completely blockaded the city gate. The surviving Liao soldiers were absolutely horrified. Securely closing the city gates, nobody dared to venture out anymore.


    Leading his tribesmen, Wanyan Ahguda gathered near the city wall and taunted the Liao soldiers, cursing them at the top of his voice. Xiao Feng intervened: "Brother, let''s go!" Ahguda replied: "Yes!" His halberd pointing at the top of the city wall, he loudly proclaimed: "Khitan dogs, listen well. You should count your blessings that my Big Brother Xiao did not lose a single strand of hair (injured). Today, I shall spare your lives. Otherwise, I will tear down the city wall and shoot every last Khitan dog to death."


    Following that, he rode side by side with Xiao Feng towards the west. After riding for more than five kilometres, they arrived on a small hill. Ahguda jumped off his horse and from his saddlebag, he retrieved a leather pouch and handed it to Xiao Feng, commenting: "Elder Brother, have some wine." Xiao Feng accepted the pouch and with a ''gu du du'' sound, he drank half the pouch and returned it to Ahguda. Ahguda finished the other half of the pouch and recommended: "Elder Brother, why don''t you join me and reside next to Mount Changbai? Every day, we can go hunting and drinking, leading a carefree and delightful existence."


    Xiao Feng is exceedingly familiar with Yelu Hongji''s character. Today, at the Southern Capital City, he has been defeated by Wanyan Ahguda and also suffered a barrage of insults and scoldings. It is a great loss of prestige and Yelu Hongji would not take this lying down. In the near future, he would certainly activate his army for another challenge. The Nuzhen people may be fearless but their numbers are limited. It is hard to determine the eventual victor. By avoiding another confrontation would be the best outcome. Thus, Xiao Feng is trying to think of an exit strategy for them.


    Recalling the days he spent below Mount Changbai, except for treating Ah Zi''s injuries and in the absence of greed or power struggle, Xiao Feng was indeed living a carefree life. In the future, if he permanently dwells among the Nuzhen tribe, it would solve his homelessness issue too. As a result, he committed: "Brother, these heroes are from the Central Plains and they are here to rescue me as well. After I escorted them to Yanmen Pass, I will reunite with Brother."


    Ahguda was thrilled: "The Central Plains barbarians are full of hot air; most of them have integrity issues. I do not wish to see them either." As he spoke, he led his tribesmen and rode towards the north.


    Witnessing these foreign barbarians swiftly riding their horses in and out of the battlefield, as well as their ferocious nature, the Central Plains heroes thought: These barbarians are even more deadly than the Khitan dogs. Fortunately, they are the associates of Chief Xiao. As enemies, they would be my worst nightmare!


    The different groups of warriors gradually gathered together and were chatting non-stop, discussing the horrendous battle that just happened outside the Southern Capital City.


    Xiao Feng bowed until his head touched the ground and declared: "Many thanks to everyone for your bravery and kindness; you did not grudge me for my past misdeeds and travelled thousands of kilometres to rescue me. It will take me an entire lifetime to repay this huge debt of gratitude."


    Xuan Du praised: "Chief Xiao is mistaken. The previous events occurred due to severe misunderstanding. As members of the martial arts world, giving assistance to one another is a common practice. Moreover, for the sake of hundreds of thousands of Central Plains lives, Chief Xiao disregarded your personal safety, and abandoned fame and fortune. Your righteousness and benevolence has spread all over the world. Everyone should be grateful to Chief Xiao instead."


    Fan Hua loudly announced: "Dear heroes, after monitoring the Liao soldiers, I predict that they are sore about their losses today. Soon, they would come in pursuit. Does anyone have a good solution?" The various heroes began shouting: "We shall fight the Liao army to our deaths, why should we fear them!" Fan Hua advised: "The enemies outnumber us vastly, by fighting on these open plains, we are at a disadvantage. I have a suggestion: Let us retreat towards the West. First, we will be closer to the Song army and it is possible for them to send reinforcements. Second, after the enemy soldiers have chased us for a distance, their numbers would be limited and it would be easier for us to counterattack."


    All the heroes present agreed with Fan Hua and got into action at once. The first convoy would be the Lingjiu Palace subordinates under the leadership of Xu Zhu. Leading the DaLi country soldiers and riders, Duan Yu formed the second convoy. Xuan Du and the Central Plains heroes would take the third convoy. At the rear, Xiao Feng and the Beggar''s Sect''s beggars would safeguard the retreat. With four convoys of warriors and riders travelling, each convoy must stay less than five hundred metres away from one another. Scouts on swift horses will act as messengers between each convoy and if any enemy presents themselves, the convoys can support one another. After wandering for a day, the convoys spent the night in the mountainous wilderness. Without being attacked by the Liao soldiers as the night passes, everybody gradually calmed down.


    Early next morning, the convoys started moving again. Xiao Feng questioned Ah Zi: "Is Mister You still at Lingjiu Palace?" Ah Zi''s petite mouth pouted and replied: "How would I know? It is a high chance that he is still up there. Being blind in both eyes, how could he descend the mountain?" In her voice, there is no tone of concern for him.


    Today, they have arrived at Baile Fortress at the bottom of Mount Wutai. The men started lighting up fires to prepare meals. Along the way, Fan Hua deployed batches of warriors to guard the chokepoints. By tearing down bridges and laying obstacles on the road, he intended to slow down the pursuit of the Liao army.


    During the third day, suddenly, from the east side, the smoke from fire beacons was rising into the sky. It is the signal that the Liao army is in pursuit. All the heroes were distressed. Some of the younger heroes volunteered to turn back and assist the ambushing small teams but were forcefully recalled by Xuan Du, Fan Hua and the others.


    That particular night, the heroes are spending the night on a mountain slope. Around midnight, there were loud cries of terror. The heroes woke up in shock and saw that in the northern direction, the sky was brightly lighted up by some substantial burning. Xiao Feng and Fan Hua exchange a glance and both of them felt rather uneasy. Fan Hua whispered: "Khan Xiao, from your experience, is this a pincer attack executed by the Liao army?" Xiao Feng nodded his head. Fan Hua sighed: "I wonder how many households have been destroyed by this firestorm, Ai!" Xiao Feng is unwilling to speak badly of Yelu Hongji but he knew that after Yelu Hongji suffered a defeat at the hands of the Nuzhen Tribe, he would be greatly annoyed. All of his anger would then be vented out on the innocent commoners. As he led his army westwards, he would definitely kill every person and burn every house along his path.


    The fire continued burning until daylight without any signs of diminishing. During the afternoon, in the southern direction, signs of fire were detected too. Under the bright glare of the sun, the fire itself is invisible. However, thick columns of smoke were escalating into the atmosphere.


    Xuan Du was initially leading his followers in the front. Spotting the southern firestorm, he reined his horse at the side of the route and waited for Xiao Feng to catch up. He probed: "Chief Xiao, the Liao army is pursuing us from three different routes. Do you think Yanmen Pass can withstand the invaders? I already dispatched messengers to make timely reports to Yanmen Pass. However, the Pass Commander is a weakling and the Pass army is low in morale. I am afraid they cannot stand up to the superb Khitan cavalry." Xiao Feng was speechless. Xuan Du added: "The only worthy adversary for the Liao soldiers is the Nuzhen Tribe. If Great Song and Nuzhen Tribe became allies and execute a pincer attack from the south and the north, it would prevent the Khitan cavalry from thinking of conquering the south."


    Xiao Feng caught his hint. Xuan Du wanted Xiao Feng to make contact with Wanyan Ahguda, the chief of the Nuzhen Tribe. However, Xiao Feng himself is a Khitan descendant, how could he collaborate with a foreign enemy and attack his own country? He abruptly asked: "Master Xuan Du, how is my Father doing in your esteemed monastery?" Xuan Du was momentarily startled and answered: "Your Father has taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, and is currently meditating in the Rear Court of Shaolin. Regarding our trip to the Southern Capital, we did not inform him as we do not wish to stir up his worldly attachments again."


    Xiao Feng state: "I really wanted to see my Father and ask him one question." Xuan Du made a ''mm'' sound. Xiao Feng continued: "I wanted to ask him: If the soldiers of Liao attacked Shaolin Monastery, what would he do?" Xuan Du replied: "It is only natural to rise to the occasion and kill the enemies, thereby preserving the monastery and the Dhamma. The answer is pretty straightforward." Xiao Feng reminded: "However, my Father is a Khitan descendant, why should he side with the Han descendants and kill the Khitans instead?" Xuan Du muttered: "Chief Xiao is a Khitan descendant after all. By abandoning the dark side and joining the light side, you are truly admirable!"


    Xiao Feng reasoned: "Master is a Han descendant and naturally regarded Han as the light side and Khitan as the dark side. For our Khitan people, we regard Great Liao as the light side and Great Song as the dark side. In the early days, my Khitan ancestors were massacred by the Jie tribe and bullied by the Xianbei tribe. By running to the east and fleeing to the west, they endured untold hardships. During the Great Tang dynasty, the military strength of your Han people is at its peak. In those days, incalculable numbers of my Khitan young warriors were butchered and immeasurable amounts of my Khitan young ladies were kidnapped. Today, the military strength of your Han people is tottering. My Khitan people are coming to invade and kill you instead. By taking turns to kill each other, when will we ever balance this blood debt?"


    Xuan Du became silent. After a short while, he chanted: "Amituofo. Amituofo."


    Guiding his horse, Duan Yu was approaching them and overheard the second part of their conversation. Sighing once, he recited: "The flames of war never ceases; battles are fought without an end; deaths arise from conflicts; the dying horses groan in agony; the birds feed on corpses; and perch on withering trees; soldiers die and dirty the land; the general''s win is meaningless; despite knowing weapons are murder tools; even the saints have to employ them." Xiao Feng praised: "Despite knowing weapons are murder tools; even the saints have to employ them. My good Brother, your poem is excellent." Duan Yu corrected: "I am not the author. This is the work of Li Bai, the accomplished poet of Tang dynasty."


    Xiao Feng recalled: "During the time I spent in this region, I often heard my countrymen sing a particular song." He then raised his voice and sang out loud: "By destroying my Mount Qilian, my livestock cannot reproduce. By destroying my Mount Yanzhi, my women lived in fear." Xiao Feng is bursting with energy and his song is able to reach a far distance. However, the song is filled with connotations of sorrow and pity.


    Duan Yu nodded his head and enlightened: "This is a song composed by the Xiongnu tribe. That year, Emperor Wu of Han launched a massive invasion against the Xiongnu and conquered vast amounts of territory. The people of Xiongnu suffered untold hardships. To think that this song has been passed on until today." Xiao Feng remarked: "My Khitan ancestors were like the people of Xiongnu back then. Both of them went through indescribable sufferings."


    Xuan Du sighed once and theorized: "When all the Emperors and Generals take up Buddhism and adopt compassion as their guiding principle, there will no longer be tragedies such as war and killings." Xiao Feng mused: "I wonder when will the world reach this level of maturity and achieve complete peace."


    As everyone travelled westwards, it is clear to them that there are signs of burning from the three directions of East, South and North. As the fires did not subside, it is apparent that the Liao Army is burning every household along its path. Furious, the groups of heroes cursed them relentlessly and could not wait to fight the Liao Army to death.


    Fan Hua suggested: "The Liao Army is catching up to us; soon, we would no longer have any room to retreat. Based on Brother''s (my) opinion, why don''t we split into four different routes? This will confuse the Liao Army and they would not know which group to pursue."


    Wu Changfeng loudly protested: "Isn''t that as good as admitting defeat? Minister Fan, you should stop overrating the enemy and belittling ourselves. Whether we win or lose, it must be a fight to the death with the Liao dogs."


    As he spoke, the air was pierced with a ''sou'' sound as a feathered arrow flew over from the southeast direction. A Beggar''s Sect disciple was struck by the arrow and he collapsed onto the ground. The next moment, a company of Liao soldiers emerged from the back of a hill and charged towards them, shouting at the top of their voices. It turns out that this specific company of Liao riders has been riding non-stop from the back of the mountain range to launch a surprise attack. Therefore, they managed to avoid the ambushing heroes planted by Fan Hua. This surprise attack party of Liao soldiers consists of more than five hundred men. Wu Changfeng roared: "Attack!" and was the first to dash towards the enemies. The heroes have been stifling their frustration for a long time and everybody fought bravely, trying to take down as many enemies as possible. In terms of numbers, there are more heroes than Liao soldiers. In addition, the heroes are far more skillful in terms of martial arts. Amidst the sounds of loud battle cries, the Liao soldiers were surrounded and chopped to death so rapidly it is as if the heroes are chopping fruits and vegetables. Within an hour, more than five hundred Liao soldiers were utterly killed and dismembered. There were ten odd Khitan warriors who turned around and climbed the mountain in order to escape. Nevertheless, they were pursued by the Qing-gong experts from the Central Plains heroes and killed accordingly.


    After scoring a victory, the heroes were happily cheering and their morale increased by leaps and bounds. Fan Hua, on the other hand, secretly communicated to Xuan Du, Xu Zhu, Duan Yu and the others, warning: "This encounter is merely a small company of Liao soldiers. Now that the first wave is over, the second batch of Liao soldiers would soon engage us. We must speedily retreat towards the West!"


    His sentence barely ended when loud rumbling ''hong long long hong long long'' can be heard coming from the eastern direction. When the heroes turned their heads towards the east instantaneously, they could see that plenty of dust and soil has been stirred up. Like the gathering of stormy clouds, half the sky has been engulfed by these dust clouds. In a split second, the heroes glanced at one another in complete silence as the ''hong long long hong long long'' reverberated in the far background like the sounds of muffled thunder. From the noise produced, it is evident that an immense army of Liao soldiers is riding towards them and their numbers must be in the tens of thousands. The heroes are used to violence and bloody fights in the martial arts world, however, this is the first time they are facing a massive army charging at them at full speed. Compared to the army outside the Southern Capital City, this present Liao army is probably several times bigger. Although each hero is a bold and dauntless individual, when faced with this unexpected earth-shattering show of military might, each of them could feel their hearts beating at a faster rate and their palms dripping with cold sweat.


    Fan Hua called out: "Fellow Brothers, the enemy is overwhelmingly strong, there is no value in a tragic death. By preserving our lives, we are opening ourselves to endless possibilities. Today, let us temporarily avoid a direct confrontation. When there is an opportunity, we would definitely launch a counterattack." The heroes instantly mounted their steeds and drove their horses westwards with a strong sense of urgency. Still, from behind them, the rumbling sounds of ''hong long long'' continue to resonate endlessly.


    This particular night, nobody stopped for a rest. Aware that Yanmen Pass is gradually getting closer and closer, the heroes pressed their horses consistently. Once they have crossed Yanmen Pass and took up a defensive position, they would be able to keep danger at bay. The invading army may be great in numbers but the Pass is not easy to overcome. Along the way, horses started to collapse and die of exhaustion. Some heroes activated their Qing-gong to travel while some horses are forced to carry two riders. By dawn the next morning, Yanmen Pass is less than five kilometres away and the heroes are able to heave a sigh of relief. They dismounted their horses and held them by the reins. By slowing down the pace, these beasts of burden are allowed to regain their stamina. However, from their backs, the ''hong long long hong long long'' rumbling generated by tens of thousands of galloping horses became louder and louder.


    Xiao Feng strolled down a ridge and came to a hillside. Out of nowhere, he noticed a giant rock and his heart shuddered once: Years ago, under the leadership of Abbot Xuan Ci, Chief Wang (Beggar''s Sect) and many heroes of the Central Plains ambushed my Father, killed my Mother and many of my Khitan Warriors at this spot.


    Taking a sideways glance, he could identify the obvious streaks left by an axe on a cliff wall; it is Xuan Ci''s attempt to deface the inscribed message of Xiao Yuanshan.


    Xiao Feng slowly turned around and caught sight of a flowering tree. In his ears, he could almost hear the voice of Ah Zhu speaking out from behind the tree where she was hiding: "Master Qiao, if you continue to exert your heavy blows, even this mountain peak will be shattered by you."


    Although Xiao Feng is in a daze, the heartfelt words of Ah Zhu clearly manifested in his brain: "I have been waiting for you right here for five days and five nights. My only fear is you failing to show up (due to death). You¡­ You came after all. I thank the Heavens for their protection. At the end of the day, you are well and unhurt."


    His eyes brimming with hot tears, Xiao Feng walked over to the tree and caressed the trunk with his outstretched hand. Compared to the past occasion when he met Ah Zhu here, the tree has grown much taller. In that moment, Xiao Feng was utterly heart-broken and he completely forgot about his present predicament.


    Suddenly, a high-pitched voice screamed out: "Brother in law, quickly retreat! Quickly retreat!" Ah Zi ran towards Xiao Feng and tugged at his sleeve.


    Xiao Feng raised his head and scanned the distant environment. From the three directions of East, North and South, the long pikes of the Liao army are pointing to the sky like the branches of a thick forest. They have been surrounded by the Liao soldiers. Xiao Feng nodded his head and acknowledged: "Very well, let us speak further after we have retreated into Yanmen Pass."


    By this time, the heroes have already gathered in front of Yanmen Pass. As Xiao Feng and Ah Zi rode side by side and arrived at the Pass, the doors of the Pass are still tightly shut. Standing at the top of the Pass, a Song Military Captain loudly announced: "By the orders of General Zhang, the Commander responsible for defending Yanmen Pass, please take heed of this notice: Since the group of you are citizens of Central Plains, it is your right to enter the Pass. However, you could be spies who are in cahoots with the Liao army. Therefore, everyone must abandon your weapons and allow our army to conduct a thorough search. For those who are unarmed, General Zhang will grant a special allowance and allow you to enter the Pass."


    The minute he finished his speech, the heroes started rioting loudly at once. Some exclaimed: "We have travelled for thousands of kilometres and are doing our best to fight against the Liao soldiers, how could you suspect us of being spies?" Some explained: "We are armed as we require these weapons to assist General (Zhang) in his fight against the Liao army. If we discard our weapons, how could we fight against the Liao army?" Some of the ill-tempered heroes began to curse: "D@mn it, you are preventing us from entering the pass? Everyone, let''s attack them!"


    Xuan Du hastily calmed everyone down. Facing the Captain, he begged: "I have to trouble Captain to report to General Zhang: We are Song commoners who are loyal to our country. The enemy forces will be arriving soon. If we spend time conducting a search, the delay would cause us to miss the ideal timing for entering the Pass. If the doors of the Pass are opened later, it may no longer be safe."


    The Captain already heard the various cursing by several heroes. Furthermore, he noticed that many of the people present are dressed in strange clothing with odd designs; they are definitely not from the Central Plains. He hollered: "Old Monk, you mentioned that everyone of you is a loyal citizen of Central Plains, I bet that many of them are not from Song, right? Fine! I shall compromise. The citizens of Great Song can enter the Pass but the foreigners are not allowed to enter. "


    Exchanging looks with one another, the heroes were infuriated. The followers of Duan Yu are naturally the Officials and warriors of DaLi country. For Xu Zhu, his followers are a melting pot of different tribes and races, with warriors from Xiyu, Xixia, Tubo, Gaoli, etc. If the Pass is only opened to the citizens of Great Song, the majority of the heroes, namely, the convoys of DaLi country and Lingjiu Palace, would be shut out.


    Xuan Du pleaded: "General, please judge for yourself. We have many friendly warriors among us; some of them are DaLi citizens, some of them are Xixia citizens. By joining forces with us, we fought the Liao Army as a united team. Why is there a need to differentiate if they are from Song or not?" On this northern expedition, Duan Yu kept his identity confidential. He must never reveal his true status as the Ruler of a country. This is to prevent the officials of Song dynasty from hatching some evil plot, such as kidnapping him as a hostage. Although DaLi is extremely far away from Liao country, it is not wise to publicly declare war on them. Therefore, Xuan Du did not mention that a VVIP from DaLi country is present at the Pass.


    The Captain angrily scolded: "Yanmen Pass is a strategic checkpoint for Great Song''s northern border, what else is more important than this? The massive army of Liao soldiers and cavalry is arriving any minute. If I opened the Pass haphazardly and gave the Liao soldiers an opening to break through, it would be a total disaster. Who can answer for this mistake?"


    Wu Changfeng cannot tolerate the bickering anymore and loudly roared: "If you had talked less and opened the Pass earlier, wouldn''t all these issues have been avoided?" The Captain furiously berated: "You old beggar, in front of Official (me), how dare you speak up?" With a wave of his right hand, on the battlements, more than a thousand archers appeared with their arrows notched onto their bows and they were aiming at the bottom of the Pass. The Captain barked: "Quickly get lost. If the group of you continue to stay here and spread baseless rumours, causing the soldiers to waver, I shall release the arrows." Xuan Du let out a long sigh and was at a loss.


    Yanmen Pass is wedged between two mountain peaks that are so tall, they seemed to penetrate the clouds. This Pass is named ''Yanmen'' (Goose Door) because when the migratory geese fly southwards, even they have to fly between the two mountain peaks. It can also be inferred that the area outside Yanmen Pass is a hostile terrain. Within the group of heroes, there are obviously some Qing-gong experts who can easily scale the peaks and make their escape. However, for those who lack this expertise, certain doom awaits them. Without a doubt, they would be annihilated in front of the Pass by the Liao army.


    Limited by the mountain terrain, the Liao army is forced to gradually narrow down their frontline from the east and west convoys. Only the northern convoy can approach the Pass in a frontal confrontation. Except for the galloping sounds of hoof beats, the clanking sounds of armour and the fluttering sounds of the flags being blown by the wind, there is not a single sound uttered by the soldiers. Such is the strict military discipline of their elite training. Row by row, the Liao army took up the formation suitable for attacking the Pass. Reaching the line where the arrows from the Pass will not hit them, the army marched to a standstill. From afar, many flags are seen fluttering from the three directions of east, west and north. However, the actual number of Liao soldiers is hard to estimate.


    Xiao Feng loudly proclaimed: "Gentlemen, please stay put in your original position and do not move at all. Please wait for me to explain to the Emperor of Liao." Without giving allowance for Duan Yu, Ah Zi or anyone else to protest, he rode forward as a single rider. Lifting both his hands high above his head to prove that he is not hiding any weapon or bow and arrows, Xiao Feng vociferously bellowed: "Your Majesty, the Emperor of Great Liao country, Xiao Feng has something to tell you. May I invite you to show yourself." As he hollered these words, he charged them with his profound internal energy, causing the words to ring through the air and travel a considerable distance. Among the tens of thousands of Liao generals and soldiers, no one failed to hear his message clearly. At the same time, the generals and soldiers could not help but turn pale.


    After some time, within the Liao army, an outburst of drumming and blaring of horns erupted. Like splitting a wave, tens of thousands of Liao soldiers and riders separated into two sections. Holding eight giant fluttering flags made from golden yellow cloth, eight riders emerged from the gap. Behind the flag bearers, (military) divisions of pike men, axe men, archers and shield bearers swiftly rode out and formed into two rows. Finally, escorted by ten high-ranking generals dressed in armour and brocade, Yelu Hongji made an appearance.


    The Liao army loudly roared: "Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!" Their roaring reverberated in all four directions of the wilderness and echoed throughout the mountains and valleys.


    From the top of the Pass, the Song soldiers witnessed the impressive military display of the enemy troops and were terrified at what they saw.


    Using his right hand, Yelu Hongji raised his jeweled sabre high up in the air and the Liao army instantaneously became silent. Except for the occasional neighing sounds from the war horses, no other sound is produced. Lowering his jeweled sabre, Yelu Hongji boisterously laughed: "Khan Xiao, you promised to trick them into opening the Pass doors for the Liao army, why are the Pass doors still closed?"


    Once he made this statement, the interpreter at the top of the Pass translated the meaning and informed General Zhang, the Pass Commander for Yanmen Pass. On top of the Pass, the Song soldiers instantly reacted passionately. Pointing to Xiao Feng, they wildly gesticulated and cursed at him.


    Xiao Feng knew that Yelu Hongji''s words are aimed at sowing discord, destroying his chances of entering the Pass controlled by Song soldiers. Feeling a slight tinge of sourness in his heart, he jumped off his horse at once. Taking a few steps forward, he pleaded: "Your Majesty, Xiao Feng did not live up to your expectations. Despite your deep acts of kindness, I have let you down. Currently, Your Majesty has to take the trouble to come here personally. I truly deserve death. I truly deserve death."


    His words barely ended when out of nowhere, two human silhouettes flashed past him like two bolts of lightning. Ferociously zooming towards Yelu Hongji, the two silhouettes are actually Xu Zhu and Duan Yu in motion. Once the two brothers deduced that the circumstances are unfavourable, they realised that the only way to resolve the predicament is to kidnap the Emperor of Liao and hold him as a hostage. Moreover, it would guarantee the safety of everybody else. Signalling to each other, they flew towards Yelu Hongji separately from the left and the right.


    When Yelu Hongji decided to lead the expedition personally, he took extra precautions against Xiao Feng as he feared that he may repeat the same incredible act of kidnapping and killing the King and Prince of Chu. Therefore, his personal bodyguards are prepared for such contingencies. The Imperial Commander Du shouted a command and the three hundred shield bearers rapidly assembled close to one another, using their three hundred shields to form a wall-like formation, blocking the front of the Liao Emperor. The pike men and axe men clustered tightly together behind the wall of shields.


    The Xu Zhu of today has gained the essence of Tianshan Tonglao''s prowess and also fully mastered the intricate martial arts carved in the stone chamber of Lingjiu Palace. His martial arts has developed to an amazing stage of invincibility, with his energy and strength at his beck and call; in short, he is an unstoppable force.


    For Duan Yu, after he has absorbed Jiumozhi''s lifetime of cultivated energy, his total accumulated energy is extremely abundant and has surpassed every practitioner since the beginning of time. When he activated his ''Surfing Nimble Steps'', how could any of the Liao generals or soldiers catch hold of him?


    Slithering to the east or sliding to the west like a slippery eel, Duan Yu forcefully squeezed himself through the less-than-one-feet gaps between the pike men and axe men. Many of the Liao soldiers tried to stab him with their long pikes but not only did they fail to hurt him, due to the close proximity with one another, their weapons stabbed their own comrades instead.


    Both his hands outstretched, Xu Zhu is busy grabbing Liao soldiers by their vests and tossing them aside, gradually making his way towards Yelu Hongji. Two of the high-ranking generals urged their horses forward for a charge, with both their spears aiming at Xu Zhu''s chest for a combined attack. Xu Zhu abruptly leaped up and used both his legs to divert the two spear tips. The two Liao generals roared in unison and maneuvered their spears, trying to shake Xu Zhu off. Utilizing the kinetic energy from the shaking spears, Xu Zhu jumped up high into the air, plotting his descend on the top of Yelu Hongji''s head.


    One slippery like an eel and one swooping down like a flying bird, the two brothers launched such perfect attacks that Yelu Hongji was greatly alarmed. Raising his jeweled sabre, he swiftly chopped at Xu Zhu who is still descending in mid-air.


    Xu Zhu''s left palm zipped out and latched onto the blunt side of Yelu Hongji''s jeweled sabre. Using the momentum, he slide downwards and with a flip of his palm, he has seized Yelu Hongji''s right wrist. In the same breath, Duan Yu has tunneled out from the mass of soldiers and placed an iron grip on the left shoulder of Yelu Hongji. The two men instantaneously barked: "Move!" Dragging Yelu Hongji''s towering frame off his horse, they turn around and speedily fled.


    All around them, the Liao generals and soldiers personally witnessed their own Emperor being captured by the enemy and exclaimed in shock. For a few seconds, they stood there at a loss and in a daze. Dozens of Imperial bodyguards struggled to rescue their Emperor with all their might but were sent flying by Xu Zhu''s and Duan Yu''s powerful kicks.


    Having captured the Emperor of Liao, the two men were overjoyed. Abruptly, they saw Xiao Feng flying towards them and both of them called out in unison: "Big Brother!" Unexpectedly, with two sounds of ''hu hu'', Xiao Feng executed two palms strikes and separately attacked the two of them. Observing the powerful palm attacks approaching them with the impact of a tsunami, the two men had a bad fright and were forced to meet the palms with their own. With two ''peng peng'' sounds as the four palms collided, the force of the palms split the air around them. Xiao Feng dived forward and took this opportunity to pull Yelu Hongji towards himself.


    By now, the Liao army and the heroes from the Central Plains began to charge southwards and northwards respectively. One side wishes to rescue their Emperor while the other side wishes to lend assistance to the three men, Xiao Feng, Xu Zhu and Duan Yu.


    Xiao Feng loudly roared: "Nobody is allowed to move. I have some words I wish to say to the Emperor of Great Liao." The Liao army and the group of heroes stopped advancing at once. Both sides are afraid of hurting their own leaders by accident. Everyone resorted to shouting from afar and dare not charge forward or worse, release any arrows.


    Xu Zhu and Duan Yu took a few steps back and remained at the back of Yelu Hongji. This is to prevent him from escaping back to his army and also to intercept any Khitan experts who may try to mount a rescue.


    By now, the face of Yelu Hongji is completely devoid of colour. He thought: Xiao Feng has a strong character. Since I confined him in a lion cage and tortured him, he must have turned against me. Now that I am at his mercy, he would go all out in his revenge and would no longer spare my life.


    To his surprise, Xiao Feng introduced: "Your Majesty, these two gentlemen are my Sworn Brothers. You can rest assured that they will not hurt you." Yelu Hongji snorted once and turned his head around, scanning Xu Zhu once and Duan Yu once.


    Xiao Feng added: "This is my Second Brother Xu Zhu Zi, the owner of Lingjiu Palace. Third Brother is Mister Duan from DaLi. Official has mentioned their existence to Your Majesty before." Yelu Hongji nodded his head and praised: "Truly phenomenal."


    Xiao Feng pleaded: "We will release Your Majesty back to the army at once. However, we desired a reward from Your Majesty."


    Yelu Hongji almost cannot believe his own ears. He thought: Is there such an excellent bargain under the sky? Ah, I got it, Xiao Feng has changed his mind and wanted me to appoint the three of them as officials.


    His face breaking out into smiles, he welcomed: "What is your request? There is nothing I cannot fulfill." Initially, he was speaking in a trembling voice but when he said these two sentences, he portrayed the dignity of an Emperor.


    Xiao Feng reminded: "Your Majesty is the captive of my two Sworn Brothers. According to the tradition of our Khitan race, Your Majesty must redeem yourself with a prized possession." With a slight frown, Yelu Hongji questioned: "What do you want?" Xiao Feng remarked: "Lowly Official will take the liberty of representing my two Brothers to make the request. All we need is a promise from the golden lips of Your Majesty." Yelu Hongji laughed once and described: "Under the sky, there are not many things that are beyond my abilities. Go ahead and ask for the moon."


    Xiao Feng replied: "We want Your Majesty to promise an immediate withdrawal of the Liao army; during Your Majesty''s entire lifetime, not a single Liao soldier is permitted to violate the border between Song and Liao."


    When Duan Yu heard this request, he was instantly thrilled. In his mind, he thought: Since the Liao army cannot cross the Song-Liao border, they naturally cannot fly over and invade my DaLi.


    He quickly agreed: "That is right. Once you agree to these terms, we would release you at once."


    But then he thought: Second Brother contributed more effort than me in the capture of the Liao Emperor. I wonder if he has any requests?


    Facing Xu Zhu, he enquired: "Second Brother, do you want anything from the Khitan Emperor to redeem his freedom?" Xu Zhu shook his head and affirmed: "My terms are exactly the same."


    Yelu Hongji''s face turned sinister. In a deep voice, he challenged: "The lot of you actually possess the courage to blackmail me? What if I refuse these terms?"


    Xiao Feng clearly declared: "In this case, Official and Your Majesty shall perish together, resulting in an undiscriminating double death. After all, when the two of us swore to become brothers, we also made a vow to die on the same year same month and same day."


    Yelu Hongji shuddered once and contemplated: "This Xiao Feng is a desperado who fears neither the heavens nor the earth. He is someone who sticks to his words and does not make false promises. If I refuse to accept his terms, he would unquestionably offend me. It is definitely not worth my while to die under the hands of this boorish and uncultured fool." Therefore, he laughed once and clearly indicated: "Using my Yelu Hongji''s life to exchange for decades of peace between the two countries of Song and Liao; my good Brother, you certainly placed an enormous value on my life!"


    Xiao Feng reasoned: "Your Majesty is the Ruler of Great Liao. Under the sky, how can there be anything more valuable than the life of Your Majesty?"


    Yelu Hongji laughed again and reflected: "Going by this logic, in the past, didn''t the Nuzhen Tribe fail to get their money''s worth when they only demanded thirty wagons of gold, three hundred wagons of silver and three thousand fine steeds?" Xiao Feng made a slight bow and did not answer him.


    Yelu Hongji turned his head to the back and could see that the troops nearest to him were more than a hundred steps away and there is absolutely no way they can save him from this predicament. After weighing the pros and cons, he concluded that there is nothing more precious to him than his life. Thus, he retrieved a condor-feathered wolf fang arrow from his quiver and bent it with both hands. With a ''pai'' sound, the arrow broke into two. Discarding the arrow onto the ground, Yelu Hongji swore: "I agreed to your terms."


    Xiao Feng bowed and professed: "Many thanks to Your Majesty."


    Yelu Hongji turned his head around and was about to lift his leg to take a step. However, he noticed that the four eyes of Xu Zhu and Duan Yu are still staring at himself. From their body language, he could tell that they have no intention of making way for him. Turning his head back towards Xiao Feng for a hint, he saw that Xiao Feng was keeping silent too. Yelu Hongji immediately understood their unspoken intention, realizing that the three men are fearful that he would go back on his word. He pulled out his jeweled sabre at once and raised it high above his head. At the top of his voice, he decreed: "The three armies of Great Liao, receive my command!"


    Within the Liao army, the drums thundered once and halted instantly.


    Yelu Hongji ordered: "The entire force shall return towards the north. The southern invasion is hereby cancelled." After a pause, he added: "In my lifetime, not a single Liao soldier is permitted to violate the border between Song and Liao." Ending his speech, he lowered his sabre and the Liao army started beating their drums again.


    Xiao Feng bowed and remarked: "We honourably invite Your Majesty to return back to the army."


    Xu Zhu and Duan Yu moved sideways to the left and right, gradually making their way to the back of Xiao Feng.


    Yelu Hongji was simultaneously feeling surprise, cheer and disgrace. He desperately wanted to get out from this dangerous situation; however, he is reluctant to showcase his weakness in front of Xiao Feng and the Liao army. Forcefully composing himself, he slowly strode back towards his frontline.


    From the Liao army, scores of Imperial soldiers raced out on their steeds, rushing to fetch their Ruler. At the beginning, Yelu Hongji''s steps are still sluggish but he unconsciously started to walk faster and faster. He could feel both his legs losing their strength and he nearly fell down. At the same time, both his hands are trembling and sweat is literally dripping from his forehead. By the time the Imperial bodyguards have rode up to him, dismounted and reined the horse for him to climb up, Yelu Hongji''s entire body had turned soft. With his left foot in the stirrup, he simply cannot flip onto the saddle. After two Imperial bodyguards came to support the back of his waist and giving it a strong heave, Yelu Hongji finally mounted the horse.


    Witnessing the safe return of their Emperor, the tons of Liao soldiers loudly cheered: "Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"


    By now, the Song soldiers on top of Yanmen Pass and the heroes at the bottom of the Pass have all heard the Liao Emperor giving orders to withdraw his army and never to violate the border in his lifetime. They broke out into thunderous applause and cheering as well. Everybody knew that although the Khitan people are violent and murderous by nature, they are people who keep their promises. In the years of foreign relations between Great Song and Great Liao, breaking of commitments is rare. Furthermore, this decree is personally issued by the Emperor of Liao in front of the two armies. If he chooses to back out on this promise, within the country of Great Liao, he would lose all his standing and respect. Needless to say, his occupation of the Imperial throne would be highly insecure as a result.


    Yelu Hongji maintained a gloomy countenance. In his mind, he was feeling upset that he had been held hostage by the scoundrel Xiao Feng and was forced to make such a huge commitment. Although he was granted a safe passage back to his army, it was actually a major loss of prestige and a giant dent on the national pride of Great Liao. However, from the cheering of ''Long live Your Majesty'' from the Liao generals and soldiers, he could tell that it is a favourable response from them borne out of genuine sincerity. His eyes slowly scanning the expressions of his soldiers, all he could read were faces radiating with happiness and colours of joy.


    For the soldiers, since they can immediately return from the battlefield and reunite with their parents, wives and children; on top of being able to avoid the sufferings of war and the possibility of dying in a foreign land, they were naturally overjoyed. Although the Khitan people are brave and adept in warfare, in the chaos and skirmishes of war, there is no guarantee of survival. Today, since this calamity of war has been avoided, except for a few heroic generals who wished to profit from this military expedition, everybody else was in complete ecstasy.


    Yelu Hongji''s heart shuddered once as he had a realization: It turns out that these soldiers are reluctant to attack the Southern dynasty too. If I insisted on the southern invasion, there is no guarantee that I can conquer their territories without running into obstacles myself.


    But then he thought: These Nuzhen barbarians are mostly evil. With them still active at the back of Khitan, it is a giant thorn in the flesh. I shall send some soldiers to annihilate these barbarians before making other plans.


    Thus, he raised his jeweled sabre and loudly announced: "By orders of the Northern Khan, do an about turn and retreat back to the Southern Capital!"


    Within the army, leather drums and horns began to play, transmitting the decree to the entire force. In response, from near to far, happy cheers filled the air.


    Yelu Hongji turned his head back and saw that Xiao Feng is still standing motionlessly at the exact spot. Yelu Hongji coldly laughed once and loudly declared: "Khan Xiao, you have contributed such a tremendous merit on behalf of Great Song. In the near future, a high ranking official position and a generous salary awaits you."


    Xiao Feng replied at the top of his voice: "Your Majesty, Xiao Feng is a Khitan descendant. Today, by intimidating Your Majesty, I have become a great sinner of the Khitan people. In the future, how can I face the Heaven and the Earth?" Picking up the two stalks of broken arrows that were on the ground, he activated his internal energy and thrust his arms towards himself. With a ''pu'' sound, he stabbed his own heart.


    ''Ah!'' Yelu Hongji shouted out in fright. Initially urging his horse a few steps forward, he then reined his horse to come to a stop.


    Xu Zhu and Duan Yu were scared out of their wits. Both of them scurrying towards Xiao Feng, they exclaimed in unison: "Big Brother! Big Brother!" However, the two stalks of broken arrows have pierced the centre of his heart. Xiao Feng''s eyes were tightly shut and his breathing has ceased.


    Xu Zhu rapidly tore open the clothing covering his chest, wanting to salvage his life. However, with the arrows embedded in his heart, it is an impossible task. On the skin of Xiao Feng''s chest, there is a green tattoo of a wolf''s head baring its teeth and carrying an expression of malevolence. Prostrating on the ground, Xu Zhu and Duan Yu cried their hearts out.


    The beggars from Beggar''s Sect unanimously advanced towards them and got onto their knees to kowtow. Beating his chest, Wu Changfeng howled: "Chief Qiao, you may be a Khitan descendant but compared to us, the incompetent Han people, you are ten thousand times more heroic!"


    The heroes from Central Plains started to crowd around. Many of them were discussing in hushed tones: "Chief Qiao is really a Khitan descendant? Why did he turn around and lend his assistance to Great Song? It looks like there are heroes even among the Khitan people."


    "As a baby, he grew up within our Central Plains Han community and has learnt the values of righteousness and humanity."


    "With both countries avoiding a war, he has accomplished a great merit as a mediator. However, there is no need to commit suicide."


    "Although he has contributed immensely to Great Song, from the perspective of Liao country, he has become a traitor who has betrayed his country and assisted the enemy. He is committing suicide to atone for his mistakes."


    "Fear? What is there to fear? Chief Qiao is such a heroic man; under the sky, there is nothing he feared."


    Witnessing Xiao Feng committing suicide, Yelu Hongji was immediately thrown into disarray. He wondered: At the end of the day, is he doing a service or a disservice to my Great Liao? He kept persuading me not to invade Song, is he doing it for the benefit of the Song people or the Khitan people? He and I are Sworn Brothers and up till the last moment, he has been loyal to me. Today, by taking his own life in front of Yanmen Pass, he is definitely not greedy for fame and fortune. Still¡­ why did he do it?


    Shaking his head, Yelu Hongji bitterly smiled to himself. Turning his horse around, he rode into the ranks of the Liao army.


    Among the sounds of hoof beats, the tens of thousands of Liao soldiers restarted their northern journey. The generals and soldiers frequently turned their heads back and gazed at the corpse of Xiao Feng.


    With the sounds of birds crying ''wa wa'', a flock of geese flew over the heads of the soldiers and continue flying over Yanmen Pass.


    As the Liao army marched further and further away, the sounds of hoof beats became vague. Eventually, it descended into sounds of muffled thunder from the back of the mountains.


    Xu Zhu, Duan Yu and the others are still standing by the side of Xiao Feng''s corpse. Some of them are wailing at the top of the voices while some are silently tearing at the occasion.


    Out of the blue, the shrill voice of a young girl pierced the air: "Move away! Move away! All of you should move away! After causing the death of my Brother in law, what is the use putting up a fake show with all the fake crying?" As she spoke, she stretched out her arms and forcefully pushed away the crowd. This young girl is Ah Zi. Xu Zhu and the others do not wish to contend with her; after being pushed by her, he simply stepped away.


    Scrutinizing the corpse of Xiao Feng, Ah Zi stood in a daze for some time. Finally, she gently coaxed: "Brother in law, all of them are villains. You should ignore them. Only Ah Zi truly cares for you." As she spoke, she stooped down and lifted Xiao Feng''s corpse. Xiao Feng is of massive build; although the top half of his body is being carried, his two legs are still dangling on the ground. Ah Zi added: "Brother in law, you are finally obedient. Although I am carrying you, you did not push me away. Yes, it is better this way."


    Xu Zhu and Duan Yu exchanged a look and both men thought: She is so deep in grief that she is starting to lose touch with her sense of reality.


    Still shedding tears, Duan Yu consoled: "Little Sister, Big Brother Xiao has perished for a worthy cause. The dead cannot be revived, you¡­ you¡­" Taking a few steps forward, he wanted to carry Xiao Feng''s corpse.


    In a stern voice, Ah Zi hissed: "Don''t you dare come and snatch my Brother in law, he is mine, nobody is allowed to touch him."


    Duan Yu returned back to the crowd and winked at Mu Wanqing. Mu Wanqing caught his hint and walked over to Ah Zi''s side. In a soft voice, she comforted: "Little Sister, Big Brother Xiao has passed on, we should discuss how to lay him to rest¡­"


    Ah Zi abruptly screamed at the top of her voice, giving Mu Wanqing a bad scare and causing her to take two steps backwards. Ah Zi shrieked: "Move away! Move away! If you come near me again, I will kill you first with one sword slash."


    Mu Wanqing frowned her eyebrows and shook her head at Duan Yu.


    Out of nowhere, from the group of mountains on the left side of the Pass, someone called out in a loud voice: "Ah Zi, Ah Zi, I can hear your voice. Where are you? Where are you?" The voice carried a mournful tone and many of the heroes recognized the speaker as the ex-Chief of Beggar''s Sect, You Tanzhi alias Zhuang Juxian.


    The heroes individually turned their heads in the direction of the calling voice. Entering their sight is You Tanzhi who is holding a bamboo staff in each of his hands. The left staff is used to test the ground in front of him while the right staff is pressing on the shoulder of a middle-aged fellow. Together, they appeared from a mountain cavity. The middle-aged fellow is Big Brother Wu who was ordered to stay behind and safeguard Lingjiu Palace. From his haggard appearance and shabby attire, coupled with an expression of helplessness on his face, Xu Zhu and the others instantly understood his circumstances. He must have been held hostage by You Tanzhi and was forced to lead him in a search for Ah Zi. Along their journey, Big Brother Wu must have endured numerous sufferings.


    Ah Zi was incensed: "What did you come here for? I do not wish to see you. I do not wish to see you."


    You Tanzhi was elated: "Ah, you are here indeed. I can hear your voice. I finally found you!" The bamboo staff on his right hand became charged with internal energy. With a push, Big Brother Wu uncontrollably flew forward. The two men travelled with amazing speed. In the blink of an eye, they have arrived at the side of Ah Zi.


    Xu Zhu, Duan Yu and the others have run out of ideas. Noting the arrival of You Tanzhi, they assumed that since this person is willing to present both his eyes to Ah Zi, their relationship must be extremely deep. Maybe he could persuade Ah Zi to change her mind. As a result, they moved a few steps backwards to avoid disturbing the conversation between the two of them.


    You Tanzhi questioned: "Miss Ah Zi, how are you? Did anyone bully Miss?" From his deformed face, expressions of delight and concern were being portrayed.


    Ah Zi demanded: "If there is someone bullying me, what will you do?" You Tanzhi hurriedly answered: "Who has offended Miss? Miss, tell me quickly, I shall fight him to death." Ah Zi coldly sniggered once. Pointing to everyone around her, she stated: "All of them have bullied me; you can kill all of them in one shot!"


    You Tanzhi acknowledged: "Yes." To Big Brother Wu, he interrogated: "Old Wu, who are these bullies that have offended Miss?" Big Brother Wu replied: "There are tons of them, you cannot possibly kill all of them." You Tanzhi insisted: "Even if I cannot kill all of them, I must still do it. It is their fault for offending Miss Ah Zi."


    Ah Zi angrily remarked: "I am now together with my Brother in law. We shall never be apart again. You get as far away from me as possible. I do not wish to see you ever again."


    You Tanzhi was heartbroken. He stuttered: "You¡­ You do not wish to see me ever again¡­"


    Ah Zi loudly declared: "Ah, yes, my eyes are a present from you. My Brother in law says that I owed you a debt of gratitude and I should consistently wait on you. However, this is not to my liking." Suddenly, her right hand darted out and stabbed towards her own eyes. Ah Zi actually dug out both of her eyeballs and with some force, she threw them in the direction of You Tanzhi, screaming: "I''m giving them back to you! I''m giving them back to you! From today onwards, I no longer owe you anything. This way, my Brother in law will stop forcing me to accompany you."


    Although You Tanzhi cannot see anything; but from the gasps of horror and fearful exclamations of the crowd around him, he could guess that a tragic turn of events has occurred. In a pleading voice, he wailed: "Miss Ah Zi! Miss Ah Zi!"


    Carrying the corpse of Xiao Feng, Ah Zi gently remarked: "Brother in law, we no longer owe them anything. In the past, when I shoot you with a poison needle, that is because I wanted to be with you forever. Today, my wish is finally fulfilled." As she spoke, she carried Xiao Feng and started walking.


    Seeing fresh blood seeping out of her empty eye sockets and flitting across her snowy white face, the heroes were horribly traumatized. When she walked near them, they hurriedly stepped away due to fright. She continued walking in a straight line and little by little, she got close to a deep ravine by the mountain side. Everyone shouted in warning: "Stop! Stop! There is a deep ravine in front of you!"


    Duan Yu flew towards her in pursuit, calling out: "Little Sister, you¡­"


    However, Ah Zi ran straight towards her front. Suddenly, she stepped into thin air and fell straight down into the bottomless ravine.


    Duan Yu stretched out his hand and tried to grab her. With a ''chi'' sound, he only managed to tear off a corner of her sleeve. Out of nowhere, he could feel a strong and swift gust of wind from his side. It is a sign that someone is zipping towards him. Duan Yu leaned to his left and made way for the newcomer. Unexpectedly, You Tanzhi flew past him and fell into the deep ravine too. Duan Yu exclaimed: "Ayo!" Peering into the ravine, all he could see were clouds enshrouded in mist. It is impossible to gauge the depth of the ravine.


    Standing at the edge of the mountainous ravine, the heroes were sighing or gasping. For those with weaker martial arts, they could identify craggy sharp rocks at the sides of the ravine that resembled sharp knives or stinging swords. Needless to say, they were appalled. For Xuan Du and the other elderly members of the martial arts world who knew about Xuan Ci, Chief Wang and the others ambushing the Khitan warriors outside Yanmen Pass, they realised that the corpse of Xiao Feng''s mother lies in the same deep ravine.


    Suddenly, from the top of the Pass, sounds of drumming arose. The Captain who relayed orders loudly announced: "On orders from General Zhang, the Pass Commander for Yanmen Pass: Since the lot of you are not spies from Liao country, a special allowance has been granted for everyone to enter the Pass. It is absolutely essential that you behave appropriately and do not create a scene."


    The group of heroes under the Pass let loose a torrent of insults: "We would rather die than enter this Pass that is controlled by you military dogs." "Because of you muddle-headed military dogs, Great Hero Xiao lost his life!" "Everyone, let''s enter the Pass and kill the military dogs." Pointing their fingers at the top of the Pass, the heroes were slapping their hands and stomping their feet as they cursed relentlessly.


    Facing the direction of the ravine, Xu Zhu, Duan Yu and the others kneeled down and made a few bows before climbing the mountains and leaving the area.


    Noticing the heroes turning rowdy and causing a commotion, the Pass Commander of Yanmen Pass hurriedly changed his order and forbade anyone from entering the Pass. After the heroes cursed him for some time, they gradually dispersed and entered the territory by making a detour around the mountain. Relieved, the Pass Commander tabled a victory report at once and dispatched a swift messenger to deliver it to Bianliang. In his report, he stated how he personally led his army of generals and soldiers to engage the Liao army. After countless bloody skirmishes over several days, thanks to His Majesty''s luck and blessing, the wise guidance of the Court Ministers and the subordinates fighting at their best, he managed to defeat the opposing army of more than ten thousand Liao soldiers. In conclusion, Southern Khan Xiao Feng, the notable general of Liao country was killed. Along with him, thousands of Liao soldiers were killed or injured. The Ruler of Liao, Yelu Hongji, failed in his conquest and was forced to retreat.


    The Song Emperor Zhao Xu was delighted to receive the report and issued a decree for the border Pass, rewarding the three armies. For those below the rank of Captain, they received additional promotions. Zhao Xu regarded himself as a brilliant and valiant hero, surpassing his ancestors by leaps and bounds. For consecutive days, he hosted banquets to treat the Court Officials. Within the palace, he partied with the concubines. The singing of false praises is overwhelming to one''s ears. In addition, many celebrations for this triumph are being laid out for months to come.


    Duan Yu, Xu Zhu, Xuan Du, Elder Wu and the other heroes soon parted ways. Leading Mu Wanqing, Zhong Ling, Hua Hegen, Fan Hua, Ba Tianshi, Zhu Danchen and his followers, Duan Yu headed home to DaLi.


    Entering the territory of DaLi, Wang Yuyan and the Imperial bodyguards of Dali are ready to welcome them at the border. Duan Yu updated them about the story of Xiao Feng and Ah Zi, causing them to be saddened and depressed. As the group of them travelled southwards, Duan Yu does not wish to alarm the commoners and ordered everyone not to change into their Court attire but remain in their present tradesmen disguise.


    On the day they arrived at the Capital, Duan Yu wanted to visit Sky Dragon Monastery and pay his respects to Grandmaster Kurong and Imperial Uncle Duan Zhengming. As the sky is gradually darkening and they are still thirty kilometres away from Sky Dragon Monastery, the group decided to find a resting place and take a break. Out of nowhere, the voice of a child resonated from a nearby forest: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I have paid my respects to you, why haven''t you rewarded me with sweets?"


    Hearing these words, everyone became confused and wondered: How did someone recognize Your Majesty?


    Walking over to the forest to investigate further, someone else spoke out from within the forest: "The lot of you must say: May Your Majesty live a long life! May Your Majesty live a long life! May Your Majesty live a long life! Then I will reward you with sweets."


    This voice is extremely familiar. The speaker is none other than Murong Fu.


    Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan were especially shocked. Holding hands, the two of them hid behind some trees and turned their gaze towards the source of the voice. Entering their vision is Murong Fu sitting on a block of clay tombstone. Wearing a tall paper crown on his head, he carried an air of dignity.


    Several village kids are kneeling down in front of the tombstone. In a disorderly manner, they chorused: "May Your Majesty live a long life! May Your Majesty live a long life! May Your Majesty live a long life!" As they chanted, they kowtowed to him. Some of the kids are already sticking out their hands and pestering: "I want sweets! I want pastries!"


    Murong Fu proclaimed: "My beloved Officials, please rise. Now that Emperor (I) has revived Great Yan and ascended the throne, every one of you will be well rewarded."


    Right beside the tombstone stood a lady and she is turned out to be Ah Bi. Dressed in light green clothing, there are signs of misery and tiredness on her pretty face. As everyone watched, she retrieved some sweets and pastries from a basket and distributed them to the bunch of kids, announcing: "Everyone is very obedient. Come and play with us tomorrow too. There will be more sweets and pastries to eat!" Weeping as she spoke, her tears drip one by one into the bamboo basket.


    The children happily clapped their hands and cheered: "See you tomorrow!"


    Wang Yuyan realised that her Elder Male Cousin has gone mad due to his obsession with the revival of Great Yan. She cannot help but felt distraught.


    Reading Ah Bi''s expression, the feelings of sympathy swelled tremendously in the heart of Duan Yu. Initially, he thought of bringing Murong Fu and her back to DaLi and settling them down in a decent place. However, he noticed Ah Bi staring at Murong Fu with unlimited tenderness in her eyes. In the same context, Murong Fu''s expression is full of contentment. Enlightened, he contemplated: "Each of us has to face our own fate. From our perspective, we may pity Brother Murong, Ah Bi, and their present circumstances. However, in their hearts, they are living a satisfactory life. Why should I disrupt their peaceful existence?" Lightly tugging Wang Yuyan''s sleeve, he made a gesture.


    Everybody quietly retreated and left the forest. From their last impression, Murong Fu is still sitting on the clay tombstone. Facing the southern direction, he is murmuring endlessly to himself.