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Thread: Something Something

  1. #1
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    Default Something Something

    I am new to this whole thing, and wanted to try my hand at writing something. Unfortunately I am bad with Chinese names, so I used American names instead. And I am bad with editing so this is one long paragraph. Sorry.

    The Tiger and the Dragon

    Dick and Jane welcomed their long time friend, Roger, whom they had not seen for over two years. He returned the salutation in a very respectful manner, being a Taoist disciple. They bade him enter and take a seat in the front living room. He slowly walked in carrying his sword by his side and sat down on the right, putting his sword on the table. The three of them had known each other since childhood, and were from very prominent families, though their lives had taken drastically different paths. Dick and Jane had been married for five years, and he was the head of a very wealthy family business, which he inherited when his father passed away three years earlier. Roger’s story was quite different. His father had also been the head of a wealthy family business, but his parents had died in a mysterious fire seven years back, and he joined the Taoist sect soon afterward. Both their fathers had been good friends with normal disagreements, the biggest of which was between the Shaolin and Taoist sects. Dick’s father favored Shaolin, whom he thought were more disciplined and studious, while Roger’s father favored Taoists, whom he felt were more refined and upstanding. Both men had donated heavily to both sects over the years, and were well respected among them. These preferences had been passed on to their sons, who kept the competition burning in their hearts. After a short time of friendly conversation, footsteps were heard entering as a young woman appeared. They all looked her way, and a gentle smile appeared on Dick and Jane’s faces, though Roger seemed unmoved. The woman was also a dear friend they knew from childhood, though not from a prominent family. From the look on her face you could see she was happy to see them, but at the same time it was uncomfortable for her to be there. She had always felt like the token poor friend of the group, and what made it worse was her unending crush on Roger, which had shown up when they were kids and had gotten stronger ever since. “Mimi,” said Jane, “it is so good to see you. How have you been? Please come in and take a seat.” With those words Jane extended her right hand towards the seat next to Roger. With some trepidation she walked in, her sword by her side, sat down and placed the sword on her lap. When she quickly glanced over at Roger, he seemed to stare blankly forward, like he was ignoring her, though his unemotional countenance was more likely due to his teaching than to spite her. She looked down for a moment in sadness, but quickly raised her head and started conversation. Mimi was the working class of the bunch, and was now employed as a special delivery carrier, for those items that required extra attention to be transported. She had learned some martial arts from various schools, which was necessary in her line of business. You might think the fact that she was a girl was a disadvantage for her, but it actually helped because she tended to play the role of an innocent girl to escape notice in her travels. Mimi asked, “So, what is the big news that you asked us to come? We would have gladly visited anyway, but it is good to have a reason.” She smiled, suspecting what the news was. Dick turned to Jane with a big grin, holding her hand and waiting for her to speak. “I am pregnant,” said Jane, with an overjoyed expression and wide eyes. “Congratulations!” cried Mimi, standing up and walking over to give her a big hug. Roger’s expression seemed to perk up, though he still did not crack a smile, and he said, “Congratulations. Best wishes for your good fortune.” “Come on,” said Dick, “you can show more emotion than that. We have known each other too long to be like strangers.” With that he walked over and put his hand on Roger’s shoulder, like a proud father. The moment was punctuated by two separated conversations going on; the girls chatted away on the one side and the guys talked leisurely on the other. Jane leaned her head to find Dick and said, “I almost forgot. Dick, tell them the rest of the news dear.” “Oh yeah. Wait a moment.” He walked on back to his seat and gestured for Mimi to return to hers, and when that was done began to speak. “We have known each other for a very long time, and both Jane and I could not think of anybody better to ask. We would like you two to be the godparents of our child.” Mimi was overcome with emotion, but dared not to cry lest she should embarrass herself in front of Roger. “Well, what do you think?” said Dick. “I would be honored,” said Mimi, rushing over to give Jane a big hug again. “As would I,” said Roger, “though I will have you know that I intend to teach him the Taoist scripture, and not Shaolin.” Dick chuckled lightly at that remark, but knew that was Roger’s way of making a joke. The girls did not get it, but they did not need to. “Well, this calls for a celebration. Bring out the wine.” With those words several servants came out with wine and cups to toast the happy occasion. “A toast,” said Dick, “to the union of both houses.” This was meant to imply that as godparents, the four were now bound as a family, which was very important in Chinese tradition. The conversation continued into the night, and both Roger and Mimi were invited to stay the night, having already traveled a great distance. That night, the household was quiet, but not so the people. Roger had been given a guest room in the west wing, but had some trouble sleeping so he wandered into the garden in front of the main living quarters. He had his sword with him, not for protection but because that was standard practice of the Taoist disciple. Mimi had been given a guest room in the east wing, but she too was unable to sleep because of the excitement, and had come out for a walk, with her sword in hand out of habit. She stopped short of actually going into the garden when she saw Roger, and hid behind a large stone statue, peaking out at him with all the thoughts of a lovesick schoolgirl. The night had started out clear, but now there were clouds appearing and it looked like it might rain. Roger was engrossed in his thoughts and did not pay attention to the weather. He was thinking about his parents and how they had died when their home had burnt down. The mysterious part was that people claimed to have seen someone dressed in black leaving the place, but no one was ever caught and the fire was ruled an accident. Luckily, at the time of the fire he had been away to study at the Taoist compound which his father sent him to every year. That was when he decided to stay and become a Taoist disciple. He wondered wow the situation would have been different if his parents had lived and he did not become a Taoist disciple. All of a sudden, he heard a noise coming from the rooftop of the main quarters. Turning his head in that direction he could see the dark silhouette of a mysterious person dressed in black sneaking his way across the top. Without thinking twice, he ran towards the main quarters and leapt up to the rooftop in a single bound. This was an amazing feat thought Mimi, whose own skills did not allow her to do such a stunt, but in actuality it was not that great of an act for a martial artist. Moving great distances required a lesser degree of inner strength but no real fighting skills. In fact, that was usually the first thing that a great martial artist would cultivate. The reason Mimi did not know how to do this was because all of her training had been in sword combat, and she had not cultivated much internal strength, seeing as how she had no desire to become a great martial artist. On the rooftop, the surprised man in black who saw Roger fly up to confront him decided to run instead of fight, leaping off the rooftop to the nearby wall column, and dashing off away from the house at great speed, indicating good internal energy. Roger took off after the stranger with equal speed and was gone in a flash as well. Mimi, who had been observing tried to keep track of the two with her eyes and follow on foot, throughout the house and outside into the nearby forest. Although she could not keep up with them, she could still see where they were headed and just kept running in that direction, hoping to catch up with them. The man in black thought he might have lost his pursuer and paused, but the moment he stopped, Roger flew out from the trees and landed in front, blocking the stranger from going forward. “What were you doing on the roof back there?” he asked angrily, his emotions getting the better of him. But the stranger did not answer, and instead made a motion of his body indicating he was preparing to fight. “If you insist,” said Roger, raising his sword up to his chest and grabbing the handle, the normal first stance of sword combat. The air was getting colder, and the sky darker, though since it was hard to tell what the weather was like since it was night. A sudden rush of dirt being kicked up indicated that the man in black was the first to strike, running quickly to close the distance between them and pushing out with his right palm. Roger countered with the sheath of his sword, not wanting to draw blood. Since he was armed but his opponent was not, he was obligated as a gentleman to refrain from using his weapon if possible. The fight started off slowly, with Roger defending against the stranger, who fought with a myriad of palm strikes combined with complex body movements and jumps. After ten or so stances, Roger realized that he could not win unless he used his sword, so with an initial wide circular slash he unsheathed his sword and managed to drive the attacker back a couple of feet. That move was not meant to injure but to warn someone when you were about to use your sword. Now, Roger moved the sword into attack position in his right hand and put his sheath in the defense position in his left. The fighting was going to get intense from here on out. Roger made a series of quick strikes hoping to catch his opponent off guard and end the duel quickly, but the man in black was quite talented. After ten or so stances it seemed like the battle was a draw as neither man was able to get a clean hit. But the tide of battle was about to change. Just as Roger had drawn his sword to gain the advantage, it seemed the stranger had done the same by attacking more fiercely and using his internal energy. Even though the two may have been evenly matched in skill, the stranger was clearly stronger as his palm strikes became faster and more powerful. Roger knew he would surely lose unless he could injure the man, hoping to slow him down or cause him to reconsider his attacks. But no matter how he tried, the man in black was able to avoid and even block some of the attacks with his palm strikes, not an easy feat considering he had no weapon. Then a noise from out of the brush caught both men’s attention. It was Mimi who had finally caught up with them. She had been following the sound of combat and had her sword drawn in case she was attacked unexpectedly. Seeing the two in aggressive stances she immediately ran forward with her sword to help Roger who, though it may have been embarrassing to be saved by a girl, did not want her help because it was unchivalrous for two-against-one combat. None the less, the stranger saw her as an opponent and immediately moved to dispatch her quickly, lest the two combine their talents. Though Mimi was not as good as Roger in martial arts, she could actually hold her own in sword combat, having been trained in it primarily. And, unlike Roger, she had no problem being sneaky and deadly in her strikes. So, although she was less of a threat than Roger, the man in black found he could not defeat her after four or five moves, making him question whether he should continue fighting. Roger, who had hesitated to join the melee as a gentleman, was worried about Mimi. He never said anything, but he really cared a great deal for her and would have wanted tem to get together had he not taken his Taoist oaths. Seeing her almost lose her sword and take a palm strike, he could not hold back any longer and jumped in to save her. With both sword fighters lunging and swinging, and sometimes coming from opposite directions, top and bottom or front and back, the man in black dared not let his guard down for one second, and began to grow desperate with each move. After twenty more moves it seemed that the loser would be whoever made the first mistake. Unfortunately, that was Mimi. She had been caught up in the euphoria of fighting alongside her unrequited love, and seeing the opportunity, she stole a glance from him during combat. That was all it took as the stranger wrested her left hand which held her sheath and used it to sheath Roger’s sword in one swift move. He also grabbed her right hand which held her sword and pulled forward until she was caught in between him and Roger, thus preventing Roger from striking with his free hand. In that instance it would seem that the man in black had won because if Roger withdrew his sword it would strike Mimi, yet if he let go then they would both surely lose in combat. But then he thought of something and yelled for Mimi to let go of her sword, which she did almost instantly. Without thought Roger let go of his right hand, which held his sheathed sword, and his left hand, which held his own sheath, and turned his body to use his left hand to catch Mimi’s sword, which was falling down on the other side. Before the stranger could react, Roger jammed the sword straight down on his foot, severing the little toe. The pain was too much as the stranger let out a muffled cry behind his black mask, but anger was stronger than pain and he flung Mimi aside by the wrist with great force and struck Roger with what appeared to be a powerful palm strike right on the chest, causing Roger to move back several feet and kneel down on one knee in great discomfort. But the feeling did not seem to last long and soon Roger looked up at the man in black, who had grabbed the handle of the sword stuck in his foot. Mimi, seeing that Roger was unharmed, yelled that she had his sword in her sheath which she had not let go of. She threw it to him and he caught it, yet when he tried to stand up a great wave of pain came over him. He began to sweat profusely and felt cold inside. Mimi ran to him when she saw he did not move, which gave the stranger time to act. He quickly pulled the sword out of his foot, and contemplated what to do. He was in pain, but he could continue fighting and possibly win, killing both of them. But he was not sure whether Roger was truly injured or just faking to get an advantage. Besides, the pain was too much of a distraction to ignore, so he dropped the sword, turned around, and leapt away, his internal energy propelling him forward great distances at a time. Mimi turned briefly to see the stranger leave, but quickly paid attention back to Roger. She grabbed him with both arms and tried to steady him as he was apparently losing consciousness and falling down. As she cradled him in her arms and attended to his illness, trying to get him to respond to her words, she felt water coming down around her. It was starting to rain. She valiantly dragged him a short ways to a nearby cave and laid him down, trying to make him comfortable. He seemed to be running a fever, but his body was ice cold. What had happened, which she was unaware of, was that the palm strike had transferred a great deal of internal energy into his body, disrupting his own internal energy. It would dissipate eventually, if his body could survive the coldness. She knew she had to get him out of his wet clothes, but was too embarrassed. All she could do for the moment was make a fire, which she did. The cave began to warm up, but she still felt cold inside, and knew that he was even worse off. After a while of worrying, Roger opened his eyes, which she thought was a good sign. She smiled at him but noticed something odd. His eyes were glossy, staring off into the distance, and he was mumbling words that were unintelligible. He was actually getting worst, which scared her even more. She had no choice but to make a life or death decision. She quickly undressed him, careful not to touch things inappropriately, but did not have anything dry to cover him with. He began to shiver involuntarily, and reached out feebly to grab anything to warm himself. She was terrified, not only of his weakened state but the romantic possibilities that entailed. But she loved him too much to let him die, so she threw herself on top in an attempt to warm him. In his delirious mindset he began to caress her in a rather mature way. As is often the case of a man and woman in an extreme situation, the physical attraction got the better of them. Daylight broke and the rain had stopped. Roger slowly opened his eyes and began to focus on his surroundings. He did not know where he was or how he got there, and the last thing he could remember was fighting the mysterious man in black. Could it all have been a dream? As he wondered, he felt something heavy on top of him stirring. He looked down and saw Mimi, semi-dressed and lying on his body with her arms around him. A look of horror flashed in his face as he unthinkingly flung her off and scrambled to his feet. Realizing he was only semi-dressed himself, he tried to cover his torso with his arms and began to pace around the small cave, his face in a panic, mumbling things and looking furiously for his clothes. Mimi had gotten a very rude awakening by being tossed aside like that, and it took her a second to realize what had happened. She blushed profusely and scrambled on the floor to grab any piece of her clothing to cover herself decently. Roger found the rest of his clothing, which was still a little wet from the rain, so he understood why he had been undressed. But he could not bring himself to understand how the two of them wound up in that position. He was absolutely disgusted at himself, thinking that perhaps he had taken advantage of her. What could he do but to give her an opportunity to take revenge? He looked for his sword, but could not find it in the cave. The fact was that when Mimi had dragged him here, she had left their weapons behind, which was good because that would have made the situation worst. They both started to hear voices coming from the woods, and getting closer. There was no time to discuss this matter at length so they got dressed as quickly as they could. The voices were coming from a search party that Dick was leading to try and find them. Apparently, he had heard from some of the servants about the incident at the house that night, but had to wait until the rain stopped to go looking. Upon seeing the two in a fully clothed yet oddly disheveled state, Dick asked, “Are you two alright? Jane and I were worried when we found out. Did you catch the intruder?” His words brought Roger back to thinking about the fight. Had they won? Certainly because the man in black was nowhere to be seen he had escaped. But who was he? Mimi got up and walked back towards the direction of the house, her head looking down most of the time. Looking at this strange display Dick asked, “What is wrong with her?” Roger stated bluntly, “Do not ask questions when you do not know what happened,” and walked off in the same direction, avoiding eye contact with Dick and the other searchers. A while later at the house, Jane was comforting Mimi, who seemed distraught and emotional, when Dick and Roger came in. Dick immediately went over to his wife and asked, “What is the matter with Mimi,” to which Jane replied, “You may want to ask Roger about it.” Dick was a little confused by the response, so he turned to Roger, who quickly looked away in shame. A quick look back at Mimi and he asked, “Did something go on between you two last night?” This caused Mimi to burst into tears, and Jane scolded, “Don’t say things without thinking first. This problem is between Mimi and Roger, and they are the ones that need to work this out.” Roger then jumped in and said, “I made a terrible mistake last night that has ruined both mine and Mimi’s honor. I do not know the full details but I know that I must take responsibility for it. Therefore I ask for all your forgiveness and will return to the Taoist compound for punishment.” Mimi turned to him, her face in tears, and said, “No, you cannot.” She was afraid he might be harmed if he returned to face punishment, and did not want anything bad to happen to him because of her. Seeing the tension, Dick suggested, “Why do you not give up being a Taoist disciple, then whatever happened between you two would be between a man and a woman. There is no harm in that.” But Roger replied angrily, “That is not possible. My duty is clear. Even an unenlightened Shaolin supporter like you must recognize this.” To which Dick replied, “I may support Shaolin but I did not choose to be one. There is a difference between making cloth and being a tailor. Both are important to what you wear, but only one is responsible for making you look bad.” Jane quickly interjected, seeing as how the argument was getting out of hand. “What do you plan on doing right now, Roger? Mimi is just worried about you, as we all are.” Roger heaved a great sigh and said, “The first thing I must do is to pay my debt to those I have wronged. Then I will repent according to the Taoist philosophy. Hopefully, I can remain a Taoist. Otherwise I will die a Taoist.” Those words shook Mimi to her core. She was beside herself when Jane leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Mimi quickly stood up and faced Roger, proclaiming, “You have wronged me, therefore you must pay your debt to me. Do you agree?” Roger quickly replied, “Of course. I will do anything you request as long as it does not violate my Taoist beliefs. I will even give up my life if you wish.” Mimi asked, “I know you cannot lie about what happened, but seeing as you do not remember the details, can you not tell people about it if they do not ask? You would do me great dishonor by spreading gossip about these events, even to your Taoist master and brothers. Can you not do that for me?” Jane quickly added, “Would it not be chivalrous to keep from marring a good woman’s name? You do not need to let the rest of the world know of her shame, especially if she would rather forget it.” “Yes,” said Mimi, her heart breaking at those words. Roger thought for a moment, trying to reconcile the request with his own Taoist beliefs. Eventually he turned around and said, “I believe I can do that. But I must still return to the Taoist compound and repent in my own way. Therefore, I will take my leave now.” He gestured to pay his respects and started to leave. Mimi could only watch as he left. Soon she would have to leave as well and try to forget what had happened, or at least come to terms with her lost love.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Phoenix_Aquaris's Avatar
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    You really need to learn writing paragraphs.. Reading what you wrote was very taxing...

    And btw, you should try learning how to create Chinese names before writing this. I can't imagine Dick and Jane in a world of wuxia...

    And please do not rush your story, it doesn't leave a lasting impression on your readers, unless you just wanted to write a short story on the adventures of the two people.

  3. #3
    Banned strife_au's Avatar
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    that was blinding!!

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    Senior Member Qin_Shu_Bao's Avatar
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    I got lost, lol.

  5. #5
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    Default Not some more...

    The sky had just begun to get dark when the first guests began to arrive. The large hall had been adorned with celebratory dressing and tables were arranged throughout. Dick and Jane stood by the large entrance doorway and greeted every guest that entered. They were then escorted to their table by a servant. This scene repeated itself for over an hour when four similarly dressed men with swords appeared at the doorway. One of them was Roger. Both Dick and Jane cupped their hands in respect and Dick said, “Master Tom, how good it is to see you. We are extremely honored by your presence. Please come in.” The Taoist disciples all returned the gesture of respect and the oldest priest said, “Most honorable Dick, the honor is hours. We are so very happy to be invited to such a joyous occasion.” Dick and Jane smiled proudly as they gestured for the men to be properly seated by the servants. Another half an hour passed when three Shaolin monks showed up. Again, Dick and Jane cupped their hands in respect and Dick said, “Master Po, how good it is to see you. We are extremely honored by your presence. Please come in.” The Shaolin monks put their hands together as if in prayer and bowed, after which the oldest monk spoke. “Buddha be with you. We are humbled by your invitation and are not worthy of such generosity. But since we are here, we thank you most profusely, honorable Dick.” Again, Dick and Jane smiled proudly as they gestured for the monks to be properly seated by the servants. However, when the monks had been escorted away, Dick turned to Jane and said, “You see, that is the difference between the Shaolin and the Taoist. The Shaolin show genuine humility whereas the Taoists show normal respect. I think it is better if your heart is pure as well as your thoughts.” Jane just smiled at Dick and waited for the next guest. After another hour, it seemed that all the guests that could come had arrived, so Dick and Jane moved away from the door and walked back to their table. Above the hall was a banner which read, “One Year Anniversary of Barney,” the name of their son. They stopped by Roger’s seat and Jane said, “Roger, would you like to sit with us at our table. You are the godfather.” But Roger quickly replied, “I must sit with my master. It would not be appropriate for me to take advantage of your generosity.” Dick looked at Master Tom, who seemed pleased by the answer, and said, “You are absolutely right, we must observe protocol. So Roger, have you repented your sins since last we met?” Jane quickly tugged on Dick’s sleeve and said, “Dick, please go check on your mother. She has not come out yet and the celebration will start soon.” Seeing the look on Jane’s face, Dick did not dare talk back and promptly left. “Please forgive my husband. He is in a giddy mood today and does not always know what he is saying.” Roger began to scan the room with his eyes, not moving his head so as not to attract attention. Jane took notice and said, “By the way, our childhood friend Mimi may not be able to make it today. She had a job she needed to finish and was not sure she could get back here on time. I am worried about her. I heard she was sick for a long time about a year ago. But I guess she is old enough to take care of herself.” With those words, Jane went back to her table. Dick came out with his mother about then and they all sat down. A female servant brought out a small baby soon afterward and everybody got to their feet. Drinks were poured, toasts were made, and the food was brought out, in that order. The evening of celebration was just getting under way when a loud screams were heard coming from inside the large manor. Everybody stared at the door leading into the interior of the manner, as if expecting a ghost to appear. A bloodied male servant suddenly stumbled out of the doorway and collapsed on the floor. Master Tom and Master Po were the first to reach him, even though they were sitting further away, but their speed was extraordinary. “What happened?” Dick yelled. The servant opened his eyes weakly and whispered “fire” before passing out. With that word everybody could see faint traces of smoke coming out from the interior of the building, slowly making its way towards them. Master Tom yelled, “We must all leave immediately,” pointing with the butt of his sword toward the entrance doorway to the hall. But when everybody looked that way they saw several dozen people dressed in black blocking their exit. Master Tom and Master Po quickly ran towards them and in an instance were standing between the intruders and the guest. Master Tom yelled, “Who are you? What is it that you want?” to which Master Po added, “Did you start the fire?” One of the men in black came forward and said, “We are here for the celebration. But since we were not invited, I guess we will have to wreck it. And kill you.” As soon as he had finished those words, the other Taoists and monks came up behind their masters and prepared to defend the guests. This was not a Wulin meeting and aside from these disciples, hardly anyone else knew how to fight. Roger knew this could be very bad, and he had not gone up with the others yet. Instead, he went over to Dick and Jane and said, “You have got to get out of here. Is there another way out?” Dick said, “If the building is on fire, the only exit is through that door,” pointing at the opening surrounded by intruders. Jane was holding the baby closely and looked like she was trying to reassure him, though in reality she was trying to reassure herself. Roger said, “I have to join my master and brothers. As soon as there is an opening, you must run away.” He ran towards the standoff and got into position. For a while, neither side seemed to move. The guests were too scared to do much, most cowering behind one another or the tables. The men in black, some with weapons and some without, stood their ground, unwilling to give up the exit. The Taoists had raised their swords but did not draw them. The monks had put their hands together as if in prayer. All of a sudden, one of the female guests broke free from the huddled mass and ran towards the exit, as if they would let a helpless woman pass. She was subsequently cut down by one of the intruders, which prompted the Taoists to draw their swords, which caused the men in black to charge at them, which meant the monks had to act as well to help protect the innocent lives. An all out brawl was underway, and nobody would be spared. Master Tom immediately dispatched two intruders, with a slash to the chest and a stab in the stomach, as did Master Po, with a palm to the chest and a kick to the head. But it seemed like the flood of swords, knives, axes, fists and feet kept coming from all directions, and the guests were being slaughtered. Dick and Jane had been standing the furthest away from the battle, and they backed up as far as they could, but the fire was getting closer by the minute, and they could feel the heat and see the smoke pouring out of any opening behind them. Soon the entire place would be engulfed. In all the chaos, Roger had managed to kill one of the intruders and injure three others, and now seemed to come face-to-face with their leader. He knew the man in black looked familiar, but it wasn’t until they fought that he knew for sure. The way he fought, with a series of complex body movements and jumps, was exactly like the first time they had met, but there did seem to be a difference. Roger had been practicing intensely since there last encounter, and he had become much more skilled. He had stopped using his sheath for defense, and in fact had dropped it when the fighting started. A great sword fighter does not need a second weapon, even as merely to protect, and can handle both offense and defense with his sword movements. Roger was fighting with greater confidence now, but he was still unable to beat him. The man in black appeared to have mastered some new tricks. With the tips of his fingers he was able to deflect Roger’s swordplay. His thumb, index, middle, ring and pinky finger, when touching Roger’s sword caused it to bounce off with a ping sound. It was an amazing sight to behold, and Roger secretly admired such a talented martial artist. But it was not long before admiration turned to fear as Roger could tell that he would definitely lose. Several kilometers away, Mimi was hurrying towards the celebration. She had finished her delivery and was trying to make it in time. There was a full moon out and as she got closer she could see smoke rising from the vicinity. She ran even faster. When she got close enough to see the entrance she noticed a couple of objects in front and heard fighting inside, so she drew her sword immediately. When she was in front of the entrance she saw the objects were actually dead bodies, and looking inside she saw a jumble of people fighting, crying, dying, or dead. Although she was horrified, when she saw Roger battling the intruder she immediately ran in to help. This time, even with her assistance both her and Roger were no match for the man in black, who seemed to have the upper hand at every stance. Just when it looked like one of them would be injured or killed, both Master Tom and Master Po broke in to save them. With the combined talents of these two great martial artists, the man in black was being pushed back. Many of the intruders had been killed or injured, so the fighting seemed to die down a little, with the other Shaolin and Taoists holding there own. Master Tom’s amazing swordplay and Master Po’s powerful palm strikes were slowly bringing the man in black under control, even though his unique finger fighting skills were preventing Master Tom from landing a clean cut, and his extraordinarily fast body movements were preventing Master Po from landing a clean strike. Roger and Mimi ran back to Dick and Jane, who were still huddled in the back behind the table with the baby, Dick’s mother, and a servant. Smoke and fire had broken out on the wall behind them, so it was critical that they leave now. Roger yelled, “Follow me and I will take you to safety.” With those words he contemplated how to save all of them. If he flew over the roof he could only take one of them with him. If they braved through the remaining intruders, one or more would surely die. But if he could clear a safe path, then maybe they could all get out. He had learned a new technique that just might do it. But before he could make up his mind, seven more men in black came down and surrounded them. Apparently, they were hiding on the top of the wall surrounding the hall, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The new intruders attacked without hesitation, killing the servant and Dick’s mother, and dealing a mortal blow to Dick. Roger and Mimi managed to defeat the seven intruders eventually, but not in time to save Dick. Jane ran to her husband and held him in her left arm, while still holding the baby in her right arm. Dick knew he was dying and looked lovingly at his devastated wife. “Save Barney,” he said. “Do not talk anymore, my love,” said Jane. Dick then looked over at Roger and Mimi and said, “Save your godson. If you cannot, please leave him with the Shaolin priests to be raised without hatred and revenge.” Roger was clearly upset by Dick’s words, but seeing his friend lying there he did not have the heart to say anything, so he just nodded. Dick then closed his eyes and joined his ancestors. Jane broke out in tears and Mimi could not stop herself from crying. But Roger understood the seriousness of the situation and said, “We have to go now.” His words brought Mimi back to her senses and she bent down to grab Jane by her arm, but Jane would not let go of Dick’s lifeless body. “Please Jane, you have to come with us if you want to save the baby,” pleaded Mimi. Jane turned her head toward Mimi, her face covered in tears, and held her right arm out with the baby still in it. “Take Barney and bring him to the Shaolin temple. I have to stay with my husband.” Roger was just about to move down and grab Jane, forcing her to leave, but Mimi blocked him with her left arm. She understood what Jane was going through, how a love so deep and pure could never survive alone, and the unending pain of living through it all. Maybe it was better to die. She took the baby in her arms and told Roger, “We can save Barney first then come back for Jane. She is no good to us in this condition.” That logic convinced Roger. He turned around and faced the exit, which was still a considerable distance away with over a dozen men in black swarming around. He told Mimi, “After I clear the path you have to follow quickly and run away.” He bent down with his left knew and raised his right arm with his sword, twisting his body in the process. With one powerful push forward he spun his body in a circular motion, his sword spinning outward in a clockwise spiral. This advanced him forward several meters whereby he landed on his right foot momentarily, and pushed off again, repeating the attack. After four lunges he had cleared a path all the way to the exit. Mimi looked at his technique with awe. She had never seen anything like it, and was overwhelmingly impressed. Luckily, the baby in her arm was a reminder that this was no time to admire Roger and she quickly ran forward. When she had gone through the door, Roger closed and locked it from the inside. Mimi banged on the door but heard Roger yell, “Run away first. I will save Jane and follow you. There is no time to change our plan.” Mimi stood there for a moment, considering her choices. Looking down at the baby she knew she had to leave to save him. As she ran away into the forest, the flames from the building could be seen in the background.

  6. #6
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    Default dah dah dah

    Mimi stopped after traveling several kilometers and looked back. She was deep in the forest by now and could not see anyone around. She sat down next to a large tree and examined the baby. He was unharmed and sleeping peacefully. In fact, he was such a quiet baby he had hardly made any noise during the ordeal. Suddenly, a sound came from the brushes. Mimi hid low behind the tree, baby in one hand, sword in the other. Out came Roger, looking around and holding his sword tentatively in case he was attacked. Mimi stood up and called out, “Roger, over here.” Roger came over quickly and replied, “Be quiet. We do not know if it is safe. Are you and the baby alright?” “Yes. Where is Jane?” asked Mimi. Roger became ominously quiet and Mimi understood what that meant. “I could not save her. The building caught fire so quickly, and then the roof collapsed. Master Tom, Master Po, and the other Taoists and Shaolin escaped but the fighting continued on the outside. I figured you would not head into town so I ran into the forest the first chance I had. Even though we killed so many of them, it seemed like more kept coming. It was like they would die and get up again when we were not looking.” His face showed the confusion and seriousness of the situation. “Hopefully, Master Tom can rectify the situation soon, but I am afraid some of the villains may have pursued me. You have to keep running. I am going to lead them in the opposite direction.” Mimi wanted to grab Roger to keep him from leaving, but she had her hands full. He went back the way he came, but instead of turning around and leaving, Mimi slowly snuck that way as well. Roger had only gotten a few hundred meters when he realized he was not alone. He stopped in his tracks, looked around and yelled, “Come out if you are not afraid. Be righteous and show yourself.” Out came eight men in black who quickly surrounded him. Some had weapons, some did not, but all had murderous intent in their eyes. Then out stepped their leader. Roger was a little surprised. He did not think that the man could escape both Master Tom and Master Po. “Where are Master Tom and Master Po,” he asked, not thinking about his own predicament. “Do not worry. They are just busy with the others. But I am more interested in you and the woman and the baby. Now, where is she?” Roger pointed his sword at the arrogant man and said defiantly, “Do you think I would tell an evil villain as yourself? You have got some nerve. At least take off your mask so that I may know who I am fighting.” Slowly the mask came off, but Roger did not recognize him. Mimi, who had managed to sneak close enough to the scene to listen in without being noticed, did not recognize him either. Roger asked, “What is your name, and why are you doing this?” The leader grinned and said, “I do not think you are in any position to ask questions. But I will give you this. If you can escape this circle I will answer any questions you want.” He made a gesture with his hand indicating he meant the circle of men who had surrounded Roger. Roger glanced around one more time, trying to think of how he was going to overcome this challenge. He could use his spinning sword technique to break free, but he might have to make a run for it. He could ask some questions afterward, but he did not believe a villain such as this would keep his word. And he would not want to run in the direction Mimi was in if he planned to lead them away. So he asked, “How can I be sure you will keep your word?” The leader coldly responded, “Because I have not killed you yet.” A cold feeling ran up Roger’s back at hearing those words. He knew he had to fight, for his life. He lowered his sword in preparation and with one swift move he was spinning forward with his sword technique, at the leader. The leader did not move, but his followers were alarmed and started to back away. But just when it looked like the two would collide in combat, Roger managed to land on his right foot and with a twist of his body, was spinning ninety degrees to the left. It was a bold and intricate move that even impressed the leader, who seemed surprised but not shaken. A quick jump with his lightness kung fu and the leader had landed right in front of Roger. The leader extended his arms with just his index and middle fingers displayed in either hand, and reached out at the edge of Roger’s sword which was still in motion. Two ping sounds were heard as Roger’s spinning technique had been broken, and a swift kick by the leader landed right on Roger’s chest and knocked him flat on his back. It also knocked the wind out of him and Roger involuntarily spit up some blood. He could not get up right away, and it was all he could do to stay conscious. The leader stepped forward and looked down at Roger, then said, “I guess you did not escape the circle. But I am feeling generous today so, as a consolation, I will answer one question for you. Make sure you ask the right one.” It was clear that the leader was taunting Roger, but there was nothing he could do about it. There was one question that Roger did want to know, even when they had met the first time over a year ago. “Were you there when my parents, George and Mary, died in a fire nine years ago?” This question appeared to ring a bell with the leader, whose facial expression changed in recognition. “So you are their son. I did not know. Of course I was there. I set the fire.” Roger felt like his heart had stopped beating. He began to sweat and it looked like the blood had drained out of his face. “Why did you do it?” he pleaded. “That is technically another question, but I will answer it. I was hired to set fire to your parent’s home.” Roger stammered, “Who hired you?” The leader looked angry and said, “I am tired of answering these insignificant questions. I will not answer any more until you tell me where the woman and baby are.” Roger looked desperate. He wanted to know the truth, but he could never give such a villain this information. It would not be righteous. So he said, “If you answer me this last question, I will give you what you deserve. Who hired you to kill my parents?” The leader knew this was obviously a tricky request. After all, he probably deserved a lot of things, not all of them good. So he answered, “The person who hired me to kill your parents had a lot to gain from their deaths. Do not worry, though, that man is already dead now.” A vague answer like that could lend itself to all sorts of interpretations. Unfortunately, to Roger it meant something most unsettling. He blurted out, “Was it Bob?” Mimi was in shock at that question. Bob was Dick’s father. After George and Mary died, most of the family business went to Bob, who had been a partner with George in a number of business ventures. But they were best friends. Almost like brothers. It was inconceivable that Bob would want to hurt George. And yet here was Roger asking if Bob had hired this man to kill George. Roger was breathing fast and heavy, like he was short of breath. He waited for the leader to answer. But all that came out of the evil man was a sinister smile and the words, “Now that I have given you an answer, what is the answer I am looking for?” Roger became delirious with rage. He wanted a straight answer but he knew the leader was not going to give him one, and he was never going to give up Mimi and the baby, so he said, “Here is my answer.” With all his strength he lunged the sword in his hand toward the leader’s chest. Even though the two were so close that the sword only had to travel less than an arm’s length to penetrate, the leader was able to deflect the blade with his right hand finger and struck Roger in his forehead with the left palm. Mimi closed her eyes when she saw the gruesome scene. That palm strike was much more powerful than the one Roger experienced years before, and it killed him instantly. Mimi wanted to rush out and either save Roger or die with him, but she knew she could not as long as she had to take care of the baby. All she could do was close her eyes and cry. She was motionless for some time when she overheard the leader say, “Such a foolish guy. What good is being righteous if you are dead? Only wealth and power mean anything. Now, spread out and find that woman.” Mimi knew she had to go so she forced her legs to move. Since the bad guys had gone in every direction, it was easy for Mimi to put some distance between them since she knew exactly where she was going. The sun was just beginning to come up when Mimi arrived at a little house at the far end of the forest. She knocked a few times and entered without incident. Inside, an old woman greeted her, “Mimi, I am glad you are back. I was not sure how long you would be gone. Who is that baby in your arms?” Mimi replied, “Oh, this is my godson. I was asked to take care of him for a while. I really appreciate you staying with Fred while I was gone. How is he.” “The little darling is a finicky boy, but he and I got along fine. He is sleeping right now. I guess I should take my leave. Being a single working mother must be a terrible burden. If you need anything please let me know.” The old woman walked out of the house. Mimi went into the bedroom where another baby boy was sound asleep. She put Barney next to Fred and stared at both sadly. She was terrified at the prospects of having to raise both children, let alone eluding the gang of murderous thugs that seemed to be hounding her. She did not know what to do, but she would have to decide quickly. A loud scream came from outside. Mimi rushed to the door and opened it just enough to peer outside. Quite a distance off she could see some of her pursuers harassing the old lady that had just left. She could not fight them off, especially with two babies in tow, so she quickly ran back to the bedroom, grabbed a large carrying bag that she had stored for missions from the closet, opened the bedroom window, scooped up the two babies, and jumped out the window. She was on the run, but she had a distinct advantage. She knew all the secret passes and best routes to travel to avoid trouble. She had disguises to look like a common farm girl or old lady, and used props, like trunks, to hide the children. Finally, after nearly ten days of travel she arrived at her destination, the Shaolin temple near the top of the mountain. From the little house that she had run away from, she was actually much closer to the Taoist temple, and had to travel around the entire countryside, bypassing the town, to get to the Shoalin temple. But she was fulfilling the dying request that Dick had made, and, to be honest, she had a strong resentment toward the Taoist for keeping Roger from her. She went up the steps and knocked on the large doors. A pair of monks opened the doors, and an older looking monk came down to from the larger building further up ahead and said, “Young miss, why have you come here?” Mimi kneeled down and gently placed the boys in front of her and said, “I beg of you to take these boys in as disciples. I cannot care for them and I have no one else to turn to.” The old monk felt sorry for her but said, “Unfortunately, we cannot take in children without knowing what the situation is. Why are you unable to take care of them? Are you in any trouble?” Before she could answer, an even older monk came down and said, “Brother Lu, what is going on?” It was Master Po. He had come back from the massacre many days ago and was praying for the lives lost. When he saw Mimi he knew immediately that she was the woman who had escaped with the baby. He waved at Lu and said, “Please go back to the temple and take the guards with you. I will handle this situation by myself.” All the junior monks bowed and took there leave. Master Po said, “Come miss, please get up. I know who you are, and I know who the child is.” He picked up Barney with his right arm, then Fred with his left. “But who is this little one,” looking at Fred. “He is my son,” said Mimi, “and I was hoping you could take care of both children. Their fathers are dead and I am being pursued by unknown men.” Master Po looked concerned and said, “Please miss, we can keep you safe. Unfortunately, we cannot allow women inside but we can offer protection if you stay nearby.” Mimi kowtowed four times and stood up. She said, “I appreciate your intentions but I am after these men as well. I could not complete my mission hiding at this place.” Master Po knew what she meant, revenge. He could not condone such actions so he bowed and said, “Buddha be with you,” to which she took her leave. The doors of the temple closed as Mimi walked off.

  7. #7
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    Default Huh....

    It was a bright and sunny day at the Shaolin temple. Several dozen teenage students were practicing in the open with elder monk Lu instructing. One of them was having a little trouble with his coordination, which prompted Lu to scold him. “Barney, why are you so clumsy. You fail to learn these very basic martial art forms, and worse, you seem disinterested in correcting yourself. Why can you not be like Fred? He is the best student in this class. Both of you started here together, and yet he has excelled where you have struggled. What do you have to say for yourself?” Barney looked a little embarrassed but did not show any signs of regret in his face. He said in a very calm voice, “Why do we practice martial art to hurt others when we preach peace and non-violence? Is it not hypocritical to pray to Buddha for peace and prepare for war?” Those words, though true, made elder Lu angry. In all his life as a monk he had never had another monk question the system of Shaolin faith and training. He was ready to give this young philosopher a few harsh words and maybe a firm hand when Fred interjected. “Please forgive brother Barney for those irresponsible words. I know in his heart he loves Shaolin very much. His training is incomplete and he must be very frustrated, that is why he speaks out of turn. I will surely lecture him to fix this behavior.” Elder Lu calmed down upon hearing Fred’s plea, and turned away. He said, “Class is dismissed. Please do your chores now,” and left the area. As the rest of the class began to scatter, Barney came up to Fred and said, “Thank you for trying to help, but I kind of wanted to see what elder Lu was going to do. It probably would have been funny.” He tried to hide a smile. Fred turned to Barney and said, “Why do you keep making trouble? You know we are the outcast of the whole Shaolin class, you for causing problems and me for always defending you. Your actions are not righteous.” Barney responded, “Do not tell me you are espousing the virtues of the Shaolin faith. I know you question some of these doctrines.” In truth, Barney was right. Fred had secretly harbored a conflict of acceptance between the ideals of Shaolin and his own personal faith, which every now and again came up in friendly conversations with Barney. He sighed and said, “Never mind the speech. Let us do our chores and try to forget our worries.” With that he left the open practice field, and Barney following leisurely. Their chore this week was to gather firewood for the temple. They would start collecting at the edge of the temple and make their way toward the forest. About half an hour had passed when Barney said, “Fred, let us go to the nearby village. I am sure they have a lot of firewood there and would be willing to give us some.” Of course he really just wanted to have a little fun. Fred hated when Barney came up with these irresponsible notions and was about to scold him when Barney took off in the direction of the village. Although Barney was not as well trained in combat as Fred, he had actually trained very well in the art of internal energy, especially lightness kung fu. So it was that Fred took off to try and catch him, but could never quite close the distance between them. By the time Barney had finally stopped he was at the village entrance. This was a small village about half way between the larger town and the Shaolin temple, so it was not that exciting but still much more fun than the dull temple. Fred came up in a flash and grabbed Barney by the arm. “Come on. You have had your fun. Let us get back and finish our chores before the sun sets.” Fred had been to the village on several occasions as well, but he never enjoyed them as much as Barney. “Wait,” said Barney, “I see something interesting.” He broke free of Fred’s grip and ran down the main street. Fred followed, but not as eagerly. They arrived at what seemed like a social gathering. The crowd was surrounding something, but Barney could not see, so he climbed up a wooden pole on the side. Looking down he could see five swordsmen being introduced by a young man. After the introduction, the swordsmen began to display some of their martial arts. Though impressive, it was not as great as Shaolin or Taoist martial arts. Barney figured the men were putting on a show so he clapped whenever the crowd did. Suddenly, something better caught his attention. A pretty young girl was in the crowd. She was watching the show but did not seem to pay much attention to all the hoopla. She had a female servant by her side that kept pestering her to look at all the excitement. After the swordsmen apparently finished, the crowd began to disperse and Barney came down the pole. Fred strolled up, having missed the performance because he was walking so slowly. “Get down from there. We are leaving now.” The pretty girl was not paying much attention to where she was walking and bumped right into Fred. Since his internal energy was way above a normal person, she bounced back and landed on her butt. He quickly turned to her, bowed, and said, “I am very sorry, miss. I did not see you. I hope you can forgive me.” She looked up and saw a face that seemed to stop her heart. In a sense, she was smitten by this plainly dressed monk who did not show the slightest emotion while addressing her. Barney quickly ran over and grabbed her arm to try and help her up. “Miss, are you alright?” he said. “You took quite a fall there. My name is Barney. What is yours?” She did not answer. Her servant ran up and yelled, “Miss Mona, are you alright? I am so sorry. I was watching the performers and did not see you leave. Please forgive me.” Mona seemed to acknowledge those words and said, “Do not worry. There is no harm done. I must apologize to this monk though. What is your name?” She was looking at Fred, and Barney was looking at her, but Fred did not say anything, and it seemed like he was looking right through her. Barney quickly said, “His name is Fred. And your name is Mona? My name is Barney.” She finally looked at Barney and smiled, then turned away to leave. Barney said, “Wait, where are you going?” “I have to get home,” she said. “Well, can you stay just a little longer? We have so many questions to ask.” Fred looked uninterested in the conversation, but he had given up on getting Barney to go back immediately now. Mona said, “We can talk, but it will have to be on our way back home.” Barney nodded in agreement and Fred just rolled his eyes slightly, so they all headed down the main street. Barney had many questions he wanted to ask and kept the banter going while the four strolled briskly through the village. It turned out that the show they just watched was actually a demonstration by a local martial arts school that was opening up, sponsored by the local village leader. His son, John, was the one introducing the five swordsmen. John was a fairly arrogant young man who was always trying to woo Mona. Mona herself was the daughter of the wealthiest man in the village, which may have been the reason why John was courting her. Mona asked many questions about Fred, but Barney had to answer them. The four of them turned the corner of a house when they were blocked by John and his two goon friends. John said, “So. Mona, how did you like the show? You know, I have already studied martial art with those men. How would you like to go out with a great martial artist?” He reached his hand out to touch her cheek, which she soundly rejected by turning her head. This clearly made Fred angry, but Barney quickly tried to diffuse the situation. “Congratulations on your good fortune. With such great skills you should be able to get any girl you want. I envy you, even though I am a monk.” John turned away with a smirk and said, “What strange language from a Shaolin monk. In fact, I have not seen too many monks in the village. What is your purpose here?” Fred yelled, “Barney, do not say such unrighteous things. You will give Shaolin a bad name.” Mona then said, “What reason do they need to tell you? There is no law that says monks cannot be here.” John turned toward Mona and said, “My father is the leader of this village, therefore I am acting with his authority. If I deem these crazy monks undesirable then they should be thrown out. And if you resist it will be treason.” With those words his two goons stepped forward and attempted to grab Mona. In a flash, a palm flew out and struck one of the men in the chest, knocking him on his back. The other goon was tripped forward with a leg sweep. When it was over, Fred was standing between Mona and John. He said, “How dare you try to kidnap an innocent girl for your unethical activities. I have stopped your men without harming them. Consider this a warning.” John was initially taken aback when he saw what Fred did, but hearing those preachy words he thought he might be able to trick Fred. John said, “You are absolutely right. I do not know what came over me. We will take our leave.” He kneeled down as if to help one of his goons, but slowly drew a dagger from his shirt. A swoosh sound as John slashed the dagger upward but missed Fred. Even though Fred was able to move out of the way, this gave John an opportunity to get close enough to take Mona hostage. John put his dagger to her throat and said, “Nobody move! You dirty monks may have some fancy tricks, but this is my village. I get Mona, and you get to leave immediately.” John was speaking mainly to Fred and did not pay much attention to Barney, seeing as how Barney hardly made a move during the struggle. The actual reason was that Barney, as carefree as he appeared to be, was very thoughtful in his actions. He had observed the whole incident without acting, which could have made the situation worst, and was now considering his options. The servant girl was begging John to let Mona go, her panic apparent in her voice. Barney stepped over and tried to calm the servant, with his back to John, but he could still tell what was going on. Seeing Barney attend to the servant, John turned with Mona to force Fred to step back. Without hesitation, Barney struck John’s right elbow with his palm, his internal energy knocking the knife out of John’s hand. Fred rushed forward, grabbed John’s shoulder and pulled him around, flinging him to the ground. Mona fell backward and Barney caught her. Unfortunately, the trauma caused her to faint. When Fred looked to see Mona unconscious, he feared the worst, and his blood began to boil. John was being helped up by his goons, who had already picked themselves up and were standing on the other side. Fred turned to face them, the expression on his face full of hate, and struck out his palm with all his might. A yellow flash was seen just as Fred’s palm struck something hard and stopped abruptly. It was elder monk Lu, who had jumped in at the last second to stop the attack. Fred looked shaken and knew that they were in a lot of trouble. Barney was still holding Mona, slapping her face gently to wake her, ignoring Lu’s disapproving stare.

  8. #8
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    change ur style of writing....i cant read properly
    lollipops&raindrops (:

    'love me for me' ;D
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    'i love you, you idiot' o.0
    FEEL THE LOVE <3

  9. #9
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    Default blah blah

    In the temple hall, two Shaolin students were kneeled in front of a much older monk who was pacing back and forth lecturing them about their sins. Fred held his head down and his face showed no emotion, whereas Barney was following elder Lu’s movements with his head, staring blankly. Lu said, “I cannot believe that Shaolin has such unscrupulous students! Do you know the sins you have committed? What do you think should be your punishment?” It was a rhetorical question but Barney thought of it as a challenge and said, “Are sins were to disobey your orders, which helped save a young girl’s life. Our punishment should fit the crime, which I am not sure that one was committed. If you want to repent, first start with your heart, then your mind, and finally your body.” The jabber from Barney made elder Lu even more upset, but it tickled the fancy of another monk who was standing in the shadows, just out of view. It was Master Po, who had come to see the commotion after having been briefed on what had happened. He stepped out and said, “Elder Lu, what trouble have these students been up to. We must not let them get away with it.” Lu turned around and said, “Master Po, I did not hear you enter. Please, I can take care of these insubordinates. They will be properly disciplined.” “What do you think their sins were?” asked Master Po. Lu, dumbfounded by the question, slowly answered, “They took the Shaolin reputation in vain and made a mockery of our beliefs. They snuck into town, consorted with the opposite sex, and started a fight. Someone could have been seriously hurt, and it would have been Shaolin responsibility.” Fred could not hold his tongue any longer and yelled, “We did not start the fight, that scoundrel did. He ganged up on the girl and then took her hostage. What honor is there in his behavior? As disciples of righteousness, is it not our duty to defend honor?” Lu turned quickly toward Fred and yelled, “Do not say such things. You were my best student, and here you are making the most trouble. I cannot believe what you are saying. Have my teachings been for nothing. You are the one who is not righteous.” Master Po came forward to calm Lu down and said, “Please stop this argument. It is not helping anyone. Now calm down and consider the situation.” The head monk turned to Fred with a sad expression and asked, “You know that your actions were not condoned by Shaolin?” Fred said, “Yes. But I did not mean to do anything bad.” “I know,” said Master Po. “Unfortunately, it is our heart that is the hardest thing to tame. Passion and anger may get the better of you, but always think before you act.” He turned to Barney and said, “Do you know what you did wrong?” Barney made a slight frown and said, “Yes. I misled my brother to disobey our orders and go to the village. This lead to our meeting with the girls, which lead to our confrontation with the guys. Our reasons for protecting Mona were virtuous, but our actions would not have been necessary if it were not for me.” Master Po smiled, “We can never predict the future. Perhaps she would still have run into trouble without your presence, in which case it was very fortunate you were there. But we must always strive to achieve the perfect outcome, and try to avoid the possibility of chaos. Do you understand?” Barney nodded in acknowledgement, and so did Fred, though he was having a little more trouble accepting it. What Master Po meant was that one should try to avoid situations that might present a conflict if one wishes to live in peace. “I have spoken with the young lady you saved, and she has confirmed your side of the story. She has gone home now, but asked me to thank both of you. Since this matter is resolved, the only thing left is your punishment. I hereby add an extra chore to your weekly duty. You must bring the water to the temple every day.” Lu objected, “Master, that punishment is not appropriate. They must be punished more severely or others may believe we are being too lenient.” Master Po replied, “You should not be so concerned about what others think. This is the punishment I have given them, but it is solely within your powers to see that they complete the task any way you see fit. I will leave the rest to you.” Lu was not really happy with that answer, but he could not challenge Master Po. “You are dismissed,” he told the boys. The next day, bright and early, Fred and Barney showed up for their punishment. Lu was already there with two poles and four buckets. He said, “Since this is your punishment, here is how it will go. You will each go down this path to the well at the bottom, fill up the buckets, bring the water back up, and empty it in the temple well. You will do this one hundred times, each. You will not wander off or you will both be caned ten times, and have to start over. If you spill any water you both have to start over. If the amount of water you bring back is not sufficient, you will have to start over. If you are not finished today, you will have to start over tomorrow. Someone will be up here checking to make sure. Do you understand?” Both boys nodded. “Then you better get started,” said Lu with a little smile. They each grabbed a pole and put it over their shoulder, two buckets on either end, and got started. The well was way down the hill, over two kilometers away, with steps that seemed to go on forever. This went on for hours as the sun was beginning to beat down on them. Fred and Barney had once again reached the well and stopped to take a rest. Though their internal energy had allowed them to start off the job in a timely fashion, their stamina was beginning to wear thin, and their steps seemed a little less steady now. They did not have any lunch, and were not even halfway done yet. Suddenly, a noise came from the brush. They both made a combat stance. Although the well was in a fairly open field, it was on Shaolin grounds, and anyone trespassing was probably up to no good. Out came a young girl. It was Mona’s servant. She yelled over her shoulder, “Miss Mona, I found them. Come quickly.” Mona came out of the brush and both girls approached Fred and Barney. They were carrying food baskets. Barney’s face lit up with a smile, but Fred appeared displeased. Barney called out, “Mona, what a surprise. What are you doing here?” Mona replied, “I came to thank you both with this gift of food. Unfortunately, when I came to temple gates they said I could not enter, and they would not deliver the gift. So I took a chance that perhaps you were around area. I guess I was right.” While she said this, the servant had begun taking the food out of the baskets. “Everything looks delicious,” said Barney. Fred did not say anything, but the look on his face gave away his hunger. Mona said, “Do not worry. Everything is vegetarian. I had the cook make it especially for a Shaolin diet.” The servant handed Barney something to try and he ate it greedily. Mona bent down, took a dish out, and handed it to Fred. Barney looked up with slight jealousy, but he was not angry with the attention Fred was getting. After all, he was still a monk. Fred did not take the dish, but instead said, “You girls cannot be here. You will get into trouble. We will get into trouble.” Barney spoke with food in his mouth, “But we are already in trouble.” Fred turned to him with an angry look, which caused Barney to turn away and continue eating. Mona seemed disappointed, and was about to put the dish back when Barney said, “How about this. You girls can leave when Fred finishes that dish,” pointing to the one in Mona’s hands. “Come on brother, I do not think there is any poison in it,” said Barney with a smile full of food. “Very well,” said Fred as he took the dish and started to eat. Mona looked extremely happy. Barney kept trying the other dishes. Although Fred did not look it, he was extremely content with the delicious food, which was satisfying his hunger. When he finished, Fred said, “Thank you for your generosity. You better go now before something happens.” He handed the dish back to Mona who took it with a glowing smile. Barney put the dish he had down and said, “You are right. We have finished eating. You girls had better leave, and we had better finish this chore.” The servant began collecting all the empty dishes and preparing to leave as Mona kept staring at Fred through the corner of her eye. As the girls began to leave they waved to say goodbye. Barney returned the wave but Fred had already turned around to get the water from the well. Fred and Barney began the arduous process again, with more energy now. They went up the hill and emptied their buckets, then came back down to the well again. Unfortunately, when they got back this time there were some other less friendly people waiting for them. It was John. This time he had his two goons plus the five swordsmen that were performing the other day. Barney knew this was bad news and turned to go back to the temple when Fred called out, “What are you doing here? This is Shaolin grounds. You cannot bring weapons here. You are trespassing.” Barney grabbed Fred’s shirt and said, “Let us not fight here. We should get back to the temple and tell the others. We are outnumbered and unarmed. Do not let your emotions cloud your judgment.” Fred understood what he meant and started to turn as well when John said, “I knew that Shaolin monks were weak, but I did not know they were cowards.” Fred turned back in anger, but Barney stopped him. Barney spoke to John, “How did you get here? This place is only used by Shaolin.” John replied, “I followed your girlfriend, Mona. I knew she would be able to find you. I just came to settle a score. You have wronged me, and I shall be avenged.” Fred yelled, “What are you talking about? It was you who was doing something wrong. How can you talk as if you are righteous? We are not the scoundrels.” “What I did was in my nature. That is what makes it right. What you two dirty monks did was not the Shaolin way. That makes you wrong. Therefore, I seek satisfaction,” said John. With those words he signaled the five swordsmen who immediately drew their swords and started to attack. Fred jumped over the charging men and landed a few meters in front of John. He was going to attack John first, but the two goons came forward to block him. Although they were no match, the goons pulled out daggers from both hands and started slashing away, which drove Fred back. Two swordsmen went after Barney, the other three had gone back to fight Fred. Barney and Fred used the pole and buckets as weapons to defend themselves against the swords and knives coming at them. It was working well enough for Barney, who was able to get the upper hand with his two opponents, but Fred had five opponents to contend with, and to make matters worse, they had cut off the buckets and his pole in half. Without anything to defend himself with, Fred had to use his Shaolin training to avoid being cut, and his internal energy to attack. Luckily, Fred was the best student in his class so he could hold his own for many moves. But as the fighting drew on their disadvantage was becoming apparent. Even though the swordsmen were not great, they were good enough to keep the two monks fighting separate battles. Barney could not escape to help Fred. Fred was beginning to tire, and the blades had cut pieces of his robe already. All of a sudden, a flying kick landed on Fred’s back, and he fell forward. It was John who threw the kick, and even though Fred had much more internal energy than John, he could not concentrate it with all the fighting going on. The blades seem to be coming down on Fred, and Barney panicked, striking one of the swordsmen he was fighting with on the head with his pole, a very unkind thing to do. That knocked out the guy, and Barney thought he could rescue Fred when the flash of a sword went flying by. Another fighter had entered the fray, but this one was much better than anybody present. A swish of the sword and the three swordsmen and two goons attacking Fred had to disperse. When the new fighter had landed, everyone could see it was a woman. In fact, it was Mimi. She pointed the sword at John and said, “I suggest you leave, while you still have the chance.” John was angry now and did not carefully consider what had happened. He yelled, “What treachery is this. Has Shaolin hired women to protect them? I will not spare you just because you are a woman. Get her!” All the men surrounded her, including the swordsman who was fighting Barney, and prepared to attack at once. Mimi raised her sword elegantly and waited. In the fifteen years since she had seen the boys last her martial arts had improved vastly and she was not scared of these fighters. They came at her from all sides, swords swinging, but did not hit anything. She had jumped ten feet in the air, swung her body, and was coming down with her sword at their heads. This broke up the gang and allowed her to fight them one-on-one, which was no match for them. Her movement was incredibly graceful but deadly, with speed, strength and accuracy that had not been present years ago. She managed to dodge blades within millimeters of her body, and penetrate their sword defenses with her beautiful swordplay. In a short time she had them struggling to keep on their feet. Then, with one elaborate and multi-varied sword movement, which was hard for anyone to see because it was so quick, she had disarmed all of the men, and landed with her sword inches from John’s neck. Mimi said, “As I was saying, you should really leave now.” John nearly wet his pants, turned, and ran away as quickly as he could. His goons followed, as did the swordsmen, grabbing their unconscious comrade on the way. As soon as they had left a group of monks carrying battle poles came rushing down the hill from the temple, lead by elder monk Lu. Lu did not recognize Mimi and immediately ordered the monks to surround her. He said, “You are trespassing on Shaolin ground. Drop your weapon and surrender.” At those words the other monks made a battle stance with their poles. Mimi looked at Lu and said, “I will give up my sword if I have a chance to speak with Master Po.” Lu said, “You have no right to make demands. If, and when, Master Po should choose to see you is not your concern. Now drop your weapon or I will take it.” Lu did not see what had happened earlier, and believed his skills were far superior to this woman’s. Mimi did not budge, so Lu attacked. Barney yelled, “Stop. She saved us. She means no harm.” But nobody was listening to him. In fact, Fred was so upset about losing face in the fight that he looked away in disgust. Mimi made some graceful sword movements and took advantage of Lu’s arrogance to quickly disorient him. A stab here, a slash there, and Mimi’s sword landed on the side of Lu’s neck. Though the sword had not harmed him at all, Lu knew he had lost. He said, “I underestimated your abilities and have lost because of it. It is fitting punishment. Do with me as you please but Shaolin will never give in to such evil.” Mimi removed the sword from his throat, turned it around, and handed the sword to him by its handle. “As I said, I will give up my sword to see Master Po.” Lu understood now, and agreed. Everybody went back to the temple.

  10. #10
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    look...ur stori is good but try to write in chappies
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    FEEL THE LOVE <3

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    Default sigh....

    Five people were assembled in the main hall of the Shaolin monastery: Master Po, Elder Lu, and Mimi standing, Fred and Barney kneeling. Master Po said, “Miss, you have returned. I am very happy that you are safe. The children must be very happy as well,” looking at Fred and Barney. Both boys had blank expressions on their faces, and elder Lu finally realized who the mysterious woman was. He blurted out, “You were the one who brought the boys here.” Barney broke out in a happy smile, but Fred looked confused. Barney said, “Who are you? Do you know our parents? Are they alright?” Many years had passed but the boys had never been told what happened to their parents. Only Master Po and elder Lu knew anything about it, and neither was very forthcoming. Barney had asked on many occasions but never pressed the issue. Fred had never seemed concerned about being an orphan. But now Barney could not stop from asking all the questions he had come up with over the years. Master Po put up his hand to stop Barney and said, “Please, let miss tell you herself in time.” He thought a moment and turned to Mimi, “I never did find out. What is your name, if I may be allowed to ask?” “Mimi,” said Mimi. Fred finally got the courage to ask, “Why did you leave us at the Shaolin temple?” Lu shouted back, “Show some respect, Fred. She is your mother.” Fred was shocked by the news. Barney was also surprised, but happily asked, “Are you my mother too?” Mimi returned a sad look at Barney and said, “I am your godmother. I was very close friends with your parents and loved them very much. You can call me auntie Mimi.” Barney quickly replied, “Auntie Mimi, what happened to my parents?” All the adults in the room became somberly quiet. Mimi could not bring herself to say anything, lest she begin to cry. Finally, Master Po spoke, “My young apprentice. A great tragedy befell your parents. They died in a fire a long time ago, and you were brought here as an orphan. They were very righteous people, and may have already been reincarnated, so do not be too sad.” Barney could not help it as he started sobbing. He was very upfront with his feelings, unlike Fred. Fred also asked, “Mother, where is father?” Mimi started to say, “Your father is dead. An evil man killed,” but Master Po interjected, “Please hold from saying anymore. I have something I must speak privately with Mimi about.” Fred was about to object when elder Lu put down the sword that Mimi had given him, grabbed both boys by the back of their shirts, lifted them up and forcefully walked them to the exit. When they had passed the door, Lu closed it behind and hurried them to another room where they could neither see nor hear the conversation. He told the boys, “Stay here. I have to attend to the other students. I will be back momentarily.” Barney was still drying his eyes, but Fred had made up his mind to listen in. Fred knew that Master Po would know if he eavesdropped behind the door, but Barney had come up with a sneaky way to eavesdrop a long time ago. Fred jumped up to the ceiling beam and started crawling his way along the side of the wall. There was a small gap just wide enough to fit a person, and lead all the way to the main hall. Seeing Fred make this move, Barney could not help but be interested as well. He jumped up to the ceiling and followed. As they settled in just out of sight, they could see and hear the conversation. Master Po said, “Mimi, who was Fred’s father?” Mimi hesitated to say, but seeing as how she had come for a reason to answered, “The Taoist disciple Roger.” Master Po was surprised, as were the hiding Fred and Barney. “How did he die?” asked Master Po. Mimi relayed the story of what had happened to Roger that terrible night, including the possibility that Barney’s grandfather had hired the man in black to kill Fred’s grandparents so many years ago. Master Po retorted, “Do not always believe what you hear. The truth may be many things, but to a liar it makes no difference. I cannot believe such a dishonorable man as this killer would tell you the truth. Dick’s family has always been good to Shaolin.” Mimi knew what Master Po was saying, and also did not believe Dick’s father could do such a thing. But the subject had been raised, and now she needed to be sure. Master Po continued, “Have you been able to find this man in black?” Mimi said, “I have hunted down many of men who were there that night, but I have not found hide or hair of their nefarious leader. Though, I have only been searching for over three years now. The rest of the time I was practicing martial arts to be able to fight him. This brings me to the reason that I came here.” Master Po understood and said, “So you have come to ask for help with your plans of revenge. Unfortunately, Shaolin cannot be a party to such selfish acts. We only wish to live a peaceful existence.” “I take it then you have not been looking for the leader of the massacre?” asked Mimi. “No,” Master Po replied bluntly. “Then I will take the boys now and we will find him together,” said Mimi angrily. Master Po sighed deeply and said, “I cannot let you do that. They are Shaolin students and cannot participate in your deadly fights.” “Fight,” laughed Mimi, “I have seen the boys fight and they are no better than Roger was when he died. What have you been teaching them?” Master Po replied, “We teach all our students at the same pace, whether they learn faster or slower does not affect what we teach them. We are not in the process of making great martial artists, just enlightened Buddhists.” “Then I will take them to someone who will teach them to be great martial artists,” Mimi yelled. Master Po knew he could not reason with her emotions so he said, “Very well. If you can defeat me here today, I will let the boys leave with you. If not, then you must find another way to satisfy you revenge.” Mimi listened to his words, and wondered whether she could defeat him. The skills of Shaolin were legendary, but she had come a long way to turn back now. “I will need my sword,” said Mimi. Master Po picked up her sword and handed it to her, admiring the workmanship. He commented, “That is a beautiful sword. Where did you get it?” Mimi replied, “It belongs to the Flower Maiden Society. I received it as a gift after mastering the Four Seasons Swordplay.” Master Po had never heard of that martial art, nor the society that it belonged to. He was curious and asked, “Is that what you defeated elder Lu with?” “I used the Spring Flower Stance on elder Lu. I will show you the Autumn Flower Stance,” said Mimi. She started her swordplay and indeed it was different than what she had used to defeat the other swordsmen and Lu earlier. This stance was not as graceful, but just as deadly. It depended more on speed and force, with broader sweeps that kept the opponent from getting close. Master Po recognized the great skill of her swordplay and did not dare underestimate her. He moved with great speed as well, but her sword movements prevented him from getting close enough to touch her. He began quickly sidestepping in a circular pattern, a move that forced Mimi to constantly pause and redirect her body because she kept missing him. That was one of the disadvantages of the Autumn Flower Stance vs. the Spring Flower Stance. Though attacks were much stronger, they were less accurate, which is why the former stance was better for serious combat while the latter was better to disarm opponents. Mimi’s attacks began to speed up, but no matter how fast she got, Master Po was always a little faster. A powerful slash as Mimi’s sword missed Master Po but struck one of the massive pillars in the hall. Luckily neither the pillar nor her sword broke, but there was a deep four inch slice on one side of the pillar. Master Po was concerned that if Mimi’s swordplay became more intense, she might bring down the hall. He used the mysterious Monkey Feet Stance that was a Shaolin secret. With it, you use your feet to attack like your hands, which would free your hands to do other things. He jumped up and made a spin kick, followed by a back kick, then a round kick, and a double-foot kick. All these moves in succession forced Mimi to go on the defensive. When she tried change to offense again, her sword was caught in mid-air by Master Po’s feet, which came together to grab the blade like two hands held together in prayer. He used his internal energy to force the blade to the ground, and struck out with his left palm at her face, assuming she would let go of the sword. Mimi was totally surprised by this attack and did not try to block his palm. But at the same time she refused to let go of her sword, which meant the palm would hit her head on. Realizing this, Master Po immediately pulled back his palm, an inch from her face, and jumped back, freeing her sword. He stood their, not sure if the fight would continue. Mimi raised her sword and turned it on its handle. She cupped her empty hand over the one with the sword and made a respectful bow. “You have won,” she said. “I did not realize that Shaolin was so talented at unarmed combat. Though the Autumn Flower Stance is not the deadliest form in the Four Seasons Swordplay, you have beaten it, which has earned my respect.” Master Po bowed and said, “Truly the Four Seasons Swordplay is great, almost as great as the Divine Saints Swordplay of the Taoists. But be forewarned, the man you seek is also a great martial artist. When last we fought, it took both Master Tom and me to defeat him, and though we have both improved these many years, undoubtedly so has he. I desperately beg you to give up on your plans for revenge and seek a more peaceful life. If you should do that, I would be more than pleased to allow Fred and Barney to leave with you.” Mimi turned away and said, “I cannot do that. I will have to do this on my own. Please take care of Fred and Barney.” With those words she walked out of the hall and left. Fred wanted to leap out and follow her, but with both of them in the crawlspace they were actually stuck. It took a few minutes for them to crawl back to the room they came from, and by then Mimi was long gone. That night in bed both boys had a lot to think about. Fred was wide awake contemplating what to do. He had just found out his father was murdered by a sinister man in black, and his grandparents may have been killed by Barney’s grandfather. His head was filled with thoughts of revenge and regret, sadness and hatred, and his heart was bursting with emotion even though his face seemed emotionless. How could a young man come to terms with such an insane situation? Barney, on the other hand, was asleep dreaming about his parents. Although he too was haunted by everything that he heard, his mind was clear of any guilt, and his heart was void of any hate. He just wanted to remember his parents the way any loving son would. But the terrible images that came into Fred’s mind kept eating away at him until he began to feel a deep sickness in his stomach. He turned to look at Barney, seeing his lifelong friend and martial brother, trying to find comfort, but instead found a seething hatred just below the surface. How could an emotional person such as Barney be sleeping so peacefully? It made Fred even angrier, which kept him from sleeping. There and then he decided he had to leave the monastery and find his father’s killer. He thought to himself, “How dare Master Po make a decision like that for us. Even if we are Shaolin, a man should be able to make up his own mind on what he wants to do. How can you be righteous when nobody gives you the chance? I will find my own destiny, even if it means going against Shaolin.” He got up and went over to the closet. Opening it, he got out some essential clothing and wrapped it into a travel satchel. Then he started to sneak out, leaving all his fellow students still in bed. He got out of the front gates of the monastery and started down the path when someone jumped right in front of him. It was Barney. Barney said, “What are you doing?” Fred replied, “I am leaving.” Barney said, “I can see that. Where are you going? When will you be back? Should I come with you?” Fred looked seriously at Barney and said, “I am going to find my father’s killer. I am not coming back to Shaolin. You can come if you want, but do not try to stop me.” Barney could see that Fred had made up his mind, and although he wanted Fred to stay, he could not force him to, so he said, “Very well. Good luck then. Hopefully we will see each other some day. You know where to find me.” Barney gave a smile but Fred, as usual, looked emotionless and walked off. The moonlight shown down on the two young men departing, one was going back to the monastery while the other was leaving.

  12. #12
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    Default take this

    The sun was coming out as a lone Shaolin figure appeared at the entrance to the village. Fred had been walking all night, thinking about everything that had happened the day before; meeting his mother, finding out about his father’s death, and learning about the possible connection between his family’s tragedy and Barney’s family, all of which sat heavy with him. He had wandered all night hoping to run into his mother, and now at the village that was all he could think about. So he kept walking, this time through the streets of the village. As the day drew on he felt like he was being followed. Somebody was watching just out of sight, but Fred did not pay much attention to it. At the far side of the village he sat down at a shaded bench to escape the afternoon sun. On another bench sat an old man dressed in plain clothes, his arms crossed, head down, and back towards Fred, with a sword next to him. Fred sighed and tried to relax, but his hunger was beginning to take its toll. He did not eat last night, and had not eaten anything since leaving the temple. Without any money he could not buy anything to eat, and he was too proud to beg. His thoughts eventually wandered to Mona. Perhaps if he could find her she might be able to give him some food. But he had noticed her behavior around him and was afraid it would be inappropriate to show up at her home. Before he could make a decision, two men appeared from the direction of the village. It was John and one of his goons. Fred recognized by the sound of their shuffling that they were the ones following him throughout the village. He turned his head and tried to ignore them. John came up and said, “I see you monks just cannot get enough of our village. Unfortunately, you are not welcome here. I suggest you leave before somebody gets hurt.” Fred looked at John, but his expression did not show any anger. Now that he had abandoned Shaolin, what else could he do but feel ashamed and dishonored. He stood up and started to leave, but John ran over and blocked his path. John taunted, “Wait a minute. The dirty Shaolin disciple has nothing to say. Where are your girls to protect you?” John began to laugh, which started to get to Fred. Fred knew that he was a much better fighter than John and any of his goons, so he could not understand why John was trying to make him angry. John finished laughing and said, “I really am being rude. Seeing you walk all day without eating, you must be very hungry?” He waved his hand and his goon came over with a bundle of plain steamed rice buns. John picked one up, smelled it, and took a bite, making a delicious expression with his face. He picked up another one and said, “Do you want one? I know monks can eat rice buns.” John slowly extended his hand with the bun towards Fred, who was eyeing from the corner of his eye but did not dare to reach for it. The bun came near enough for Fred to take a bite, but suddenly it dropped to the ground. John mockingly said, “Oh, I am sorry. I accidentally dropped it. Here let me pick it up for you.” With those words, John stepped on the bun on the ground, rendering it inedible. He then grabbed the bundle of rice buns and dumped them on the ground where the first one fell. John said, “Now this is where a dirty Shaolin monk should eat, on the ground in the dirt,” and took a step back, smiling. Fred could not stand it anymore, and was about to attack when a voice came from the distance. It was calling, “John. John. He is here.” Two more men came out from the direction of the village. One was John’s other goon. The other was older, dressed in attire like the five swordsmen, and held a sword, but Fred had never seen him before. John stepped back to meet the strange man and said, “Master Gary, so glad you could make. This is the young monk I spoke to you about, the one who humiliated your students.” Fred was about to interject when Master Gary spoke, “So, Shaolin has sunk to using girls to fight their battles. I would never have believed it had my own students not told me. I have lost all respect for Shaolin and have come to redeem my honor. Fight me if you have the courage.” Fred was ready to fight, but since he had left Shaolin how could he defend its honor. It would not be righteous. Plus, having fought the five swordsmen before he knew their kung fu was not to be taken lightly. If this was their master, Fred could not be sure he could win the fight, and that would further ruin the reputation of Shaolin. Fred said, “I have left Shaolin, therefore I am not your enemy. If you challenge me, you do not challenge Shaolin. It would not be righteous for me to fight in the name of Shaolin. Therefore, do as you would like.” John broke out in an uproarious laughter, shouting, “This guy was so dirty that even Shaolin had to kick him out. How funny is that? Where is Mona at a time like this?” Master Gary did not look so amused. He said, “Even if you are not with Shaolin, you have still wronged me and my disciples by fighting unfairly. I still plan to take revenge.” Master Gary drew his sword and pointed it at Fred, who stood their speechless. He said, “I will fight you, even if you will not fight me,” and lunged forward. A ping sound was heard as Master Gary’s sword was countered by another sword. As Fred turned his head he could see it was the old man on the other bench who had moved so quickly that nobody had seen him draw his sword. Fred did not know it but the old man was Taoist Master Tom. Master Tom said, “Master Gary, my name is Master Tom. I apologize for the interference but I cannot allow you to kill an unarmed person. That would not be righteous. Even if a Shaolin monk does not believe in fighting and is willing to die, I could not stand back and let that happen. Not if I can help it.” Master Gary replied, “Such Taoist beliefs are rubbish. You are just as bad as Shaolin, only they do not claim to be righteous all the time. If you can handle my swordplay, then you will earn my respect.” With that both men dashed to an open field nearby and started to fight. Master Gary fought very fast and hard, but any trained fighter could see that Master Tom was clearly superior. Master Tom blocked every advance by Master Gary with ease, and did not seem to counterattack at all. As they were fighting Master Tom said, “I see you know the Eight Blade Style of swordplay. I once fought with Master Harry, leader of that sect, a long time ago. His skills were almost as good as the Taoist Divine Saint Swordplay. But you are nowhere his equal. Who is your teacher?” Master Gary yelled, “Do not talk of such nonsense while we fight. You are just trying to distract me.” In truth Master Gary was distracted by the conversation. Master Tom spoke while they fought without losing composure or sounding stressed, whereas Master Gary was breathing hard when he spoke. Master Tom then said, “Since you have no inclination to answer until this fight is over, I guess we should end it.” Master Tom went on the offensive and jabbed left to right, swinging his sword back and forth. Master Gary tried to dodge but the move was too swift and the tip of Master Tom’s sword landed right next to the handle of Master Gary’s sword. With a small flick it would sever a finger or two. Master Gary immediately dropped his sword and tried to back up as quickly as possible, only Master Tom kept pursuing. Master Gary dodged left, but found Master Tom’s sword in front of him, then dodged right, but found the sword next to his neck, so he backed up some more. After a dozen or so moves like this, Master Gary realized he was outmatched and fell to his knees, begging to be pardoned. He said, “Junior Gary wishes to apologize for his hasty remarks. Master Tom is a generation above junior, please do not bully junior. Junior begs for your forgiveness.” Master Tom withdrew his sword and asked one more time, “Who is your teacher?” Master Gary quickly blurted, “Master Harry was my teacher, but as junior was so inept junior was expelled three years ago. Junior wanted to start a school here to redeem junior’s honor.” After hearing all this, Master Tom retorted, “I can see why you were expelled. Such unrighteous actions as you have shown cannot be tolerated by any righteous teacher. I will go easy on you today and let you off with a warning. Do not start a school here.” Master Tom sheathed his sword, after which Master Gary kowtowed four times, got up and ran away, leaving his sword behind. Seeing Master Gary run away like that, John lost all his courage, turned and ran as quickly as possible, with his goons following closely behind. Master Tom turned to Fred and said, “What is your name?” Fred, who had watched the whole fight with great admiration for Master Tom’s martial arts, said in one breath, “My name is Fred. My father was Roger. I wish to avenge his death. I want to become a Taoist.” Those words shocked Master Tom who did not know Roger had a son. He asked, “Who is your mother? How old are you?” Fred answered, “My mother is Mimi. I am sixteen years old.” Master Tom thought for quite some time and came to the realization that what Fred said was true. He remembered seventeen years before how Roger had gone to visit his friends Dick, Jane, and Mimi, and when Roger got back to the compound he was more reserved than usual and practiced martial arts continuously. At the time, Master Tom did not think anything of it, and as was his Taoist nature did not want to pry into Roger’s personal affairs. Master Tom said, “So, my best student, Roger, has a son. I should be very angry at his dishonorable indiscretion, but seeing as how he is dead I will not speak ill of him. How can I accept a Shaolin disciple as my student though? Especially since your reason is not righteous.” Fred stared at Master Tom frantically and said, “I am no longer a Shaolin monk. I have nowhere else to go. I do not want to kill anyone. I just want justice for myself and my father. What more could I do to honor him.” Master Tom understood what Fred was going through. He, himself, wanted justice for Roger after that fateful night, and spent many years trying to find Roger’s killer. After years of futility, Master Tom thought it was destiny that had kept him from finding the man, and decided to leave it to fate. Now fate had brought Roger’s son to him. How could he turn Fred away now that the opportunity arose to finally seek justice? Master Tom said, “Very well. I was visiting a friend when you happened on me. I am going back to the Taoist compound now. It is four days from here. Will you follow me to become my student?” Fred got down on the ground and kowtowed several times, then said, “Teacher, I will follow you anywhere.” They left together heading west, away from the village, and even further away from the Shaolin temple.

  13. #13
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    Default halfway...maybe

    In a large hall at the Taoist compound, two men discussed their futures. The older one who was standing talked about redeeming for past injustices while the younger one who was kneeling talked about his future as a Taoist. Master Tom said, “Fred, now that you have become a Taoist disciple you must follow our faiths and traditions. You must forget everything you were taught at the Shaolin temple and learn the doctrines of the Taoist ways. It will take some time to explain, but the ultimate goal is peace and perfection of yourself and your environment.” Fred said, “Does that mean we should not fight if we do not have to?” Master Tom answered, “That is where we differ from Shaolin. The pursuit of peace does not mean we have to be pacifists, only that we must always try to find peaceful ways to deal with situations. But barring that possibility, we must be prepared to fight for what is righteous. The pursuit of perfection means we must constantly train, physically and mentally, to reach the point where we can win any battle without having to fight. Do you understand?” Fred looked a little confused but said, “I understand some of what teacher says, but I guess I need to study some more to understand the rest.” Master Tom said, “Very well, but first you must answer an important question. What is it you are seeking right now?” Fred thought for long time without saying anything. He did not want to offend his new teacher, but at the same time he did not want to betray the truth. He slowly said, “I want justice for myself, my father, and my grandfather.” Fred had told Master Tom about everything that had happened to him while they had been traveling to the Taoist compound. Now he said, “I know that justice for my father may take a long time because the details are hidden, but if what I have learned about my grandfather is true, I must seek justice for him as well. But I do not know what to do.” Master Tom could see that Fred was torn between his feelings of friendship and his sense of honor, so he said, “I understand what you mean. I could not believe what you told me about Dick’s father. I knew him for a long time and he was always righteous to us Taoists. But if what you said is true then you must pursue justice for him. However, Barney cannot be held responsible for the actions of his grandfather, just as the pebble cannot be held responsible for the actions of the mountain. And if you act wrongly, then you will be the one who is unrighteous. But I believe I have an answer to your dilemma.” This piqued Fred’s interest and he listened very intently. Master Tom asked, “Have you heard of the Royal Saber Contest?” Fred said, “Yes. When I was back at Shaolin I heard elder Lu speak of it once. It is a contest between Shaolin and Taoist for a magnificent saber. Shaolin currently holds the saber. But I do not know the full details.” “Well then, you should be told before you decide to pursue this action or not. Here is how the story was told to me. About eighty years ago, Shaolin and Taoist helped the emperor subdue an uprising. To honor them, the emperor had a royal saber created and bestowed on both of them. Unfortunately, because there was only one saber, the Shaolin and Taoist leaders did not know who should keep it. Originally, Shaolin Master Hung said that they should share custody, with each side holding on to the saber for a year. But Taoist Master Jerry, my wise and benevolent teacher, said that it was not appropriate to pass such a sacred object back and forth. Master Jerry knew that it would cause dissention and distrust for two venerable institutions as Shaolin and Taoist to continually hand over the saber without a righteous reason. After much discussion it was agreed that the keeper should be decided by a martial arts contest to be held every twenty years. One representative from each school would fight in armed and unarmed combat. The winner would take possession of the saber until the next contest. Unfortunately, in the first contest Master Jerry lost in both armed and unarmed combat to Master Hung.” Fred was surprised. After seeing Master Tom fight he could not believe that the Divine Saint Swordplay could lose to anything that Shaolin possessed. Master Tom continued, “In the second contest about sixty years ago, Master Jerry used a new martial art that he had learned in the twenty year interim, the Divine Saint Swordplay. Master Jerry won in armed combat, but he still lost in unarmed combat.” Fred involuntarily said, “I see, Master Jerry created the Divine Saint Swordplay in the twenty years of training leading up to the second contest. He must have been a martial arts genius?” Master Tom replied, “That is a discussion for another time.” Fred quickly asked, “Did Master Jerry take possession of the saber?” Master Tom said, “No. Since the contest was a draw, Master Jerry felt it would be wrong to take the saber, so he left it with Shaolin. Master Jerry wanted to practice and win in both areas of combat in the next contest. Unfortunately, he passed away before the third contest. I took part in the third contest against Master Po. The results were the same as the second contest. I won in armed combat while Master Po won in unarmed combat. So the saber has stayed with Shaolin.” Fred looked puzzled and asked, “Forgive your student for being so naïve, but how will this solve the dilemma?” Master Tom looked straight at Fred and said, “The fourth contest will take place in a little more than a year. You will be our representative, and we will request that Barney be the Shaolin representative. The two of you will be able to fight honorably without serious consequences. Whoever wins, this will fulfill your pursuit of justice for your grandfather.” Fred understood now. He could try to avenge his grandfather without losing face or being unrighteous. He said, “I will try my best, but,” and hesitated a moment. “What if I lose? Will I not dishonor the Taoist school, and such a generous teacher as you, Master Tom?” Master Tom smiled and said, “Do not worry about such things. The contest has become an unnecessary ritual. The Taoist school does not need a fancy ornament like the saber to justify its righteous position. Master Po and I both know how strong we are, and another contest between the two of us would prove fruitless. This is an opportunity for you that may not come again.” Fred made an encouraging smile and kowtowed several times, thanking Master Tom. Master Tom quickly grabbed Fred by the shoulder and bade him to rise. He said, “There is no time to lose then. I will send a message to Master Po informing him of our intention. Then you and I must start practicing right away. You show great potential, like your father. He was the best student I ever had, and had he lived I would surely have asked him to represent the Taoist school in this contest. It is fate that has allowed you to take his place.” Four days later, at the Shaolin temple, Barney was summoned to the great hall where he met with Master Po and elder Lu. Barney bowed and asked, “Venerable Master Po, what is your wish.” Master Po said, “Barney, I have called you here because we have received a message from Master Tom about the Royal Saber Contest. Are you familiar with it?” Barney thought a second and said, “I remember elder Lu discussing it once. Is it some kind of contest to determine who can carry around a saber?” Elder Lu’s face looked confused, and Master Po let out a laugh and said, “It is something like that. Let me tell you a little story. Eighty years ago, the emperor gave a saber to Shaolin and Taoist for helping subdue a rebellion. Since there was only one saber, there was some disagreement as to who should hold onto it. Initially, Shaolin Master Hung wanted to let Taoist Master Jerry take possession, but he refused out of honor. So Master Hung suggested they take turns keeping the saber, but Master Jerry wanted a formal way to determine who should take possession. So Master Jerry came up with the Royal Saber Contest. It takes place every twenty years, involving one representative from each school, and is split between armed and unarmed combat.” Barney said, “That is very interesting, but I have a question. Why is it every twenty years? Why not five years, or ten years, or even one hundred years?” Elder Lu became agitated by that seemingly ridiculous line of questioning and was about to say something, but Master Po interceded, “That is a good question. Wise Master Hung actually came up with that duration. The reason is because the more often you compete, the more bad feelings that may build up. After all, even though the contest involves combat, you are not truly enemies. Currently, you might be able to compete two or three times in a lifetime, but if the contest were held every five years you could conceivably compete up to fifteen times. And as for every hundred years, who could live long enough to see the next contest?” Fred said, “That is very true. I see the wisdom now.” Mater Po smiled and continued, “Master Hung won the first contest, in both armed and unarmed combat. In the second contest, Master Hung lost in armed combat to Master Jerry, but he won in armed combat. Master Hung passed away before the third contest, and I competed in his place against Taoist Master Tom. I lost in armed combat to his Divine Saint Swordplay, but won in unarmed combat. The fourth contest will take place in a little over a year.” Barney interrupted jokingly, “I see. So you wish me to compete this time to see if Shaolin can lose in both armed and unarmed combat. That way the Taoist can take the saber off our hands without us losing face.” Elder Lu could not hold his tongue any longer and yelled, “Listen, you undisciplined, smart-alecky kid, get serious. This contest is no joke, and your participation is no trivial matter.” Master Po stopped elder Lu from saying anything further and told Barney, “Fred will be competing in the contest as well.” Now Barney looked a little confused. He said, “Fred has been gone for some time now. I have told you what happened the night he left. I doubt he will come back to represent Shaolin.” “No,” said Master Po with a serious expression, “Fred will be representing the Taoists. He has become a Taoist now. And he has requested to have you represent Shaolin. Do you understand now?” Barney’s expression became very somber. He was thinking about his former martial brother and still close friend, wondering how it had come to this. Master Po could see the deep concern in Barney’s face and said, “We still have time before we have to give an answer. I too am a little concerned about why such a request was made. If you wish to turn them down…” Barney interrupted and said, “I will do it. Where will it take place?” Barney understood why the challenge had been made, and so did Master Po, even though neither of them had spoken to each other or to Master Tom or Fred. Elder Lu, on the other hand, was completely ignorant, and said, “Well then, you should start practicing right away. You have a little more than a year. Fred will most likely study the Taoist’s most powerful martial arts, the Divine Saint Swordplay, which can best Shaolin in armed combat. You should focus on the unarmed martial arts of Shaolin, like the Buddha palm and the Crane Style. That way you at least have a chance to tie in competition.” Barney turned to Master Po and asked, “What is the best armed combat martial art that Shaolin possesses?” Master Po looked pleased and said, “The Monkey Staff Stance is probably the best. But even that cannot compare with the Divine Saint Swordplay.” Barney said, “I wish to study the Monkey Staff Stance then.” Elder Lu urgently replied, “That is foolish. You cannot possibly hope to defeat the Divine Saint Swordplay in armed combat. No Shaolin art has been able to do it. Are you trying to lose?” Master Po angrily said, “Enough! Barney has decided what he wants to do. Neither you nor I have a right to tell him otherwise. The contest is irrelevant. Win or lose, that is up to Barney. I will teach the Monkey Staff Stance to him myself.” With those words both Master Po and Barney left the room, leaving elder Lu looking utterly perplexed.

  14. #14
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    Default whatever

    Master Tom began to instruct Fred on the form and style of the Divine Saint Swordplay. He said, “The Divine Saint Swordplay is the best martial art of the Taoist school, and represents the highest level of perfection. It would take the average talented martial artist ten years to learn by himself, but with my teachings and sparring practice hopefully you can master the fundamentals without an absolute mastery of the intricacies before the contest. Do you understand?” Fred said, “Yes, teacher. I will try.” Master Tom then stepped into the middle of the room and drew his sword. It was no ordinary sword though. It looked very fine and sturdy, but did not have a lot of details, and looked very balanced in Master Tom’s hand. He lifted it up and began to make slow movements with it, so that Fred could see what was going on. Master Tom said, “The idea behind the Divine Saint Swordplay is not a strict adherence to procedure. Though not a completely formless style, it has very simplistic movements, combined with speed and balance.” He began to spin the sword around on its handle, holding it loosely but never losing a grip on it. He began to speed up, moving the sword left and right, then up and down, all the while twirling the sword on its handle by the tips of his fingers. During his most rapid display, it looked like he was never holding the sword by more than two fingers, yet his control was so firm that the sword never fell out or wavered. Such an awesome display of martial art skill seemed to take Fred’s breath away as he just watched with open eyes, not daring to say anything lest he interrupt the magnificent performance. Master Tom continued, “The key to defeating your opponent with this swordplay is to find their weakness and exploit it. Any opening or mistake they might make, or a deficit in their skill, or even an opportunity to gain the upper hand, should never be overlooked. The form of your swordplay should never inhibit your ability to take advantage of these situations. That is the mystery of the Divine Saint Swordplay.” Fred thought he understood what Master Tom was saying, and nodded his head with every sentence he heard. Master Tom stopped performing as suddenly as he had started, and said, “Then let us see how much you have learned. Pick up the sword and show your teacher what you know.” Fred stood up, went over to the corner and picked up a sword from the rack, and came back to face Master Tom. Fred knew some sword skill, having practiced with a saber back at Shaolin, but it was crude and nowhere near complete. So he drew on what he could remember and performed the first five movements of the Shaolin saber technique. Master Tom blocked every movement with the tip of his sword, barely lifting his arm at all, and launched a strike at the end. Since that was all Fred knew he had to repeat the five movements again, only it was too late because Master Tom’s sword had already reached his body so Fred could not complete any of them. Master Tom asked, “Why did you choose those particular sword movements?” Fred answered, “Because those are the only ones this stupid student knows. Forgive me, teacher.” Master Tom said, “Do not be silly. There is nothing wrong with using what you know. The only question is why you would choose those particular movements. If your pattern is predictable then you lose an important element in your fight, mainly the element of surprise. Let us start your lessons with that. Now show me your moves again, but this time change the order of attack.” The training would get serious after that. Meanwhile, back at the Shaolin temple Barney was being instructed by Master Po on combat with the staff. Master Po said, “Let me demonstrate a few moves first, then we can discuss the details.” Master Po thrust his staff all the way forward so that he was holding it with one hand by the very end, yet the staff was held completely steady parallel to the ground. He made a half circle movement with it, then let the tip touch the ground, and swung it in an arc over his head so that it landed with a loud bang on the ground. Then he pulled it towards his body and held it with both hands, cutting the effective striking distance in half. With a series of ferocious thrusts he had completed several movements, generating gusts of wind. He then stopped and said, “Barney, do you understand the two separate forms that I just demonstrated?” Barney thought for awhile and said, “One form used the full length of the staff. The other used only half.” Master Po said, “Precisely. And do you know why you would use either form?” Again, Barney thought for a while and said, “If you use the full length of the staff you can attack and defend from a greater distance. If you use the half length of the staff you can attack much quicker and stronger.” Master Po smiled and said, “Exactly. Do you know the disadvantage of each?” Barney answered this time without pause, “Using the full length of the staff your attacks are not as powerful and require more time to execute. Using the half length of the staff allows your opponent to get close, which exploits the shortcomings of a staff. A staff is not as nimble to manipulate as a sword or your appendages, which puts you at a disadvantage.” Master Po said, “You are most observant. The goal then is to compensate for the shortcomings of a staff with its advantages. Can you tell me what they are?” Barney said, “Well, I would guess that a staff gives you more weapon area to block with, and a way to extend your attacks. That is, you can use the staff to trap incoming strikes and launch a strike that would extend beyond a normal appendage.” Master Po said, “It seems that you truly do understand the workings of the staff. Please practice this understanding for now and I will show you the Monkey Staff Stance tomorrow. Master Po held out the staff, which Barney took and proceeded to the open field to practice. Elder Lu, who had been observing from a distance, came up to Master Po and asked, “How come the most untrained student in the class can pick up on such deep martial arts so quickly?” Master Po said, “Barney is not a stupid student. Unfortunately, he is worse. Smart, but incredibly lazy. That makes it all the more difficult to train him. He has to be motivated, like he is now.” Elder Lu sighed, knowing just how true that statement was. Both boys trained for many months. One day, Barney had gone for a walk to clear his mind. After practicing for such a long time he was not sure if it would make any difference. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice call his name. It was Mona and her servant. The two came up and Mona said, “Barney, how are you. I have been trying to find you and Fred for over six months now. They will not let me in the temple, and I have not seen you around anywhere until now. Where is Fred?” It was true that she could not find him for such a long time. Barney’s training was taking up most of his time, and his chores had been greatly reduced to allow him to train. He looked sadly at Mona and said, “Fred has left Shaolin. He became a Taoist and is staying at the Taoist school now.” Mona was shocked, which she gave away with the expression on her face. She muttered, “How did this happen?” Barney spoke with Mona at length about the details of what had been going on for the last six months; about Fred’s mother and father, his parents, their grandparents, and the contest. He did not feel any reason to hide this information from her, especially knowing her feelings for Fred. Mona asked, “When is the contest? Where is the contest?” Barney answered, “We still have about six months before the contest. It will take place at the abandoned military outpost northwest of here.” Mona said, “I know of the place. It was abandoned eighty years ago, after some sort of uprising.” Barney said, “Yes. That was where the previous contests were held. The place is supposed to be neutral ground, about an equal distance from either Shaolin or Taoist. Unfortunately, I should be getting back before someone misses me. Please be safe, and do not worry about Fred. He is fine. I am sure of it.” Barney turned around and walked back to the temple, leaving Mona there to think about what to do next. Many more months passed and the contest was getting nearer. Mona had tried on more than one occasion to find Fred at the Taoist school, but it was not easy. The school was four days away, through the local town, which was the largest urban center in the valley. Her village was much more rural, and she used the excuse of visiting the town to get an opportunity to reach the Taoist compound. But every time she came they refused to let her see Fred, or even stay there overnight. So it was that she tried one more time to see him a month before the contest. While walking through the streets of town she noticed a woman in a nearby restaurant. It was Mimi. Mona recognized her from Barney’s description, especially of the unique sword she carried which had flowers engraved on the handle. Mona walked up and asked, “Pardon me, is your name Mimi?” Mimi did not say anything immediately, sizing up Mona to determine if she was a threat. When Mimi was fairly confident that Mona was harmless she answered, “Yes. May I ask who you are?” Mona giggled, quickly sat down and said, “You do not know me, but I know your son and godson, Fred and Barney.” Mimi was taken aback. Besides the Shaolin teachers she did not think anyone else knew. Mimi asked, “How do you know the boys?” Mona said, “They saved my life back at the village, and since then we have been friends. I am so happy to finally meet you.” Mimi said, “So, you know my son. You must be very close for him to speak to you about me.” Mona blushed at the remark and Mimi could see that she had feelings of more than just friendship for Fred. Mimi could tell because she had the same feelings for Fred’s father, Roger. The two women seemed to hit it off, and as the conversation continued Mona filled Mimi in on everything that had happened. “So, my son has become a Taoist, just like his father.” She had never liked the Taoists, but time and experience had worn down some of those feelings and she was not angry that Fred had joined them. She said, “I guess this is destiny. Hopefully the boys can work out their differences with this contest. I just wish I could fulfill my destiny and find Roger’s murderer.” Mona saw that Mimi was depressed so she asked, “You still have no clue? Is there something unique to identify him with?” Mona was not a well traveled person, so the chances of her knowing who the killer was would not be remote, but she had to ask out of sympathy. Mimi looked at Mona and said, “You are a good person, but I doubt you could help, unless you know of someone with only four toes on their left foot.” Mimi was not expecting much, but she noticed a hint of recognition on Mona’s part. Mimi quickly asked, “Do you know of someone with only four toes on their left foot?” Mona hesitated for a moment and said, “When I was a little girl, I saw someone with that feature. But you must be mistaken; it could not possibly be him.” Mimi grabbed Mona by the shoulders and asked loudly, “Who is it?” Mona replied, “His name is Frank, and he is the magistrate of this town.” Mimi was speechless. She had searched for many years, in many places, and yet managed to miss this person. Mona continued, “I met him a long time ago because our village is too small to have its own magistrate, so he travels there every now and again to take care of business. My father is the wealthiest man in the village, so of course he would visit my father. Father use to joke about him because he became the magistrate after Tony passed away. You see, Tony was the previous magistrate and Frank use to work for Tony, like a hired help. But father would never make fun of Frank to his face. Father used to say there was something about Frank that scared him.” Mimi interrupted and asked, “Did you say that Frank worked for Tony? Do you know for how long?” Mona answered, “Father said for many years. He did not know what Frank did for Tony, but it was best not to ask.” That was right, thought Mimi. A couple of months before the massacre years ago, the town magistrate had died mysteriously. Since Mimi was not a member of the upper class she had never met or associated with Tony, but Dick, Jane, Dick’s parents, and Roger’s parents probably did. Was there some sort of connection between them? Mimi had to find out. She asked Mona, “Where can I find you in the future?” Mona replied, “I am going back to the village tomorrow, and will probably stay there for a while.” Mimi said, “Go quickly and be careful. Do not tell anyone of our conversation. I will come see you in a couple of weeks. Take care.” Mimi put some money on the table, got up, and left. Mona was a little confused, but all this talk about killers made her uneasy. She just sat there for a while trying to calm down.

  15. #15
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    i know this is your first time at writing.. but pls DO use paragraphs... it really frustrating for the readers regardless of how exciting and interesting your story is..
    the hardest thing on Earth is being happy at any circumstances

  16. #16
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    Default how long can the page go on

    Two people walked slowly along the corridor of a large mansion located approximately in the center of town. The older man was the local magistrate Frank, while the younger man was his assistant, always careful to stay behind his boss. The two walked leisurely, discussing matters without care, but every once in a while Frank’s expression would change, though he always kept his assistant from noticing. They came to a large building with big double doors and Frank said, “I would like to rest for a while. Why do you not go back to the office and clean up a bit? I will call for you if I need you.” The assistant bowed deeply and left without objection. Frank’s expression changed again as he stood at the doorway, staring uneasily at the unopened doors. He opened the doors with a smooth gesture, stepped inside, and closed the door. It was dark inside and he had closed the doors before lighting any candles. He took five steps forward, stopped and turned around. “May I ask why you are here?” he said. A figure appeared from a dark corner of the room. It was Mimi. She said, “I am impressed that you knew I was here. Your martial arts must be great.” Frank grinned and said, “It is nothing. I am just very observant.” As a matter of fact, Mimi had been spying on Frank for over a week, trying to confirm her suspicions. But at the same time Frank knew that someone was watching him, but did not say anything. Now he asked again, “What business do you have trespassing on a government official’s residence?” Mimi had her sword, but instead of drawing it she began to reach into her shirt. Frank did not react at all to her suspicious move. Mimi calmly said, “I have a letter to deliver.” With a swish she threw a dagger at him, which he caught between his index and middle fingers. He said, “What a strange way to deliver a letter?” Indeed there was a letter wrapped around the handle of the dagger. Mimi could see that Frank’s martial arts were superb, and she knew he must be the killer. She drew her sword without hesitation and ran at him, the tip aimed at his heart. A ping sound was heard as Frank deflected the sword with his other index finger, only the force of his finger was so strong that it flung her body as well and knocked her against a dresser. A loud sound could be heard as the contents of the dresser fell to the ground, and footsteps were heard racing to the door from the outside. Mimi was shocked at Frank’s counterattack but there was no time to think about it. She ran towards the back of the building and escaped out the window. The doors flung open and Frank’s assistant came running in. “Are you alright?” he said. Frank quickly palmed the dagger into his shirt sleeve and answered, “Everything is fine. I just could not see very well and knocked over the dresser. Please light the candles for me and be on your way.” The assistant did as he was told and left. Frank brought out the dagger and unrolled the letter to read. It said, “I know who you are and what you have done. You will come to the scene of your crime or everybody will know the murderer that you are. Think back sixteen years, a fire, and the massacre of dozens. Think even harder about the Taoist you killed that night. I will meet you there in five days. Come alone.” Frank knew what the letter was talking about, even though it had happened so many years ago. He was not afraid she would talk. It would be her word against his. But he did not want anything to jeopardize his position, and it had been a very long time since he had killed anybody. A cold blooded like him had to satisfy his cravings every now and again. Two days later, Mona was sitting at home in the village when a servant came in to announce the arrival of a woman named Mimi. Mona told the servant to bring Mimi in at once. Mona said, “Mrs. Mimi, how are you?” Mona had called her “Mrs.” as a sign of respect, even though Mimi had never married. Mimi said, “Good. I was hoping you could do me a favor.” “Anything you wish,” said Mona. Mimi said, “I have a letter to deliver to Fred, but I am afraid I will not be able to deliver it in person. I have an errand to run. Can you deliver the letter for me?” It sounded like a strange request to Mona. Why could she not wait to deliver it herself? Then again, the contest was in two days and both Fred and Barney had already left to get there in time, so maybe it was not unusual. In reality, Mimi had asked Mona to deliver it because she did not want Fred to try and stop her. Mona said, “I can deliver the letter as you requested. What should I tell him?” Mimi said, “The letter should be self-explanatory, but you can tell him that I love him.” Mona blushed at the prospect of telling Fred that. Mimi smiled and said, “It would have been nice to have you as a daughter in-law.” Mona was a little confused about that remark, but Mimi had left before Mona could question her. A couple of hours passed and Mona was feeling uneasy about the letter and Mimi’s odd behavior. She wanted to open the letter, but did not want to violate Fred’s trust. Mona’s servant came back from daily chores and asked her what was wrong. Mona told her about Mimi’s visit, to which the servant asked, “Why do you not deliver the letter right away? It will take two days to get to the old military outpost, but it would not be the first time you have traveled so far, and for so long.” Mona was not a well traveled person, but she had been to town on many occasions, which was a comparable distance. Mona decided it was better to find out what was in the letter as soon as possible, and if that meant leaving now then that was what she had to do. Two days later, in the early morning at the abandoned military outpost, a group of Taoists and a group of Shaolin had met. They had arrived last night but waited until morning to start the contest. After some cordial greetings and idle chat, everybody cleared a thirty by thirty meter area for the battle to take place. The first battle was about to begin, which was armed combat. Fred approached the center of the field with his sword already drawn. Barney approached with his battle staff in hand. They looked at each other momentarily and bowed. Neither boys had any animosity towards each other, but they would have to fight now to settle their grievances. Fred raised his sword and pulled it back over his head, forming a striking posture. He had studied very hard this past year and had mastered the Divine Saint Swordplay currently to a degree that only Master Tom now could surpass him. Barney had also studied quite diligently this past year and, though the Monkey Staff Stance was in some ways just as complicated, he had mastered it effectively in much less time than a year. During the remaining time he had contemplated how to use it against the Divine Saint Swordplay. Barney pushed his staff out to the end with one hand, pointing it at Fred, and held it up parallel to the ground. Both boys charged forward, and the battle had begun. Fred twirled his sword around like it was attached to his hand by a string, moving it back and forth, trying to force an opening for a clean strike. Using the basis of the Divine Saint Swordplay, he was waiting for a chance or mistake to make his move, so though his blade clashed many times with the staff he did not commit to a full attack. Barney, on the other hand, was trying something different. He kept constantly kept his staff at full length, fending off Fred with as much distance between them as possible. When Fred came closer with his movements, Barney would back up or sidestep to keep Fred from closing the gap. Barney had come up with this idea while in training. Since the Divine Saint Swordplay was considered superior to the Monkey Staff Stance, it would not be an even match to trade attack for attack, so Barney had chosen to go on the defensive. By using the full length of the staff to fight he lost some speed and mobility, but made up for it by forcing his opponents attacks out of reach. After an hour of Fred’s sword movements clashing with Barney’s staff with no apparent headway, Fred realized what Barney was trying to do. Fred knew he had to get closer to break this stalemate, so he began to pick up speed, hoping to outmaneuver the staff. Barney also moved faster, but was severely limited by the staff. Several times Fred was able to get close enough to strike Barney, but seemed to just miss. Barney was able to escape because he had memorized a few of Fred’s movements while they were battling. It was lucky for Barney that Fred, as well as he had trained, still lacked the experience to use the Divine Saint Swordplay in its final form, which was nearly formless. Fred still followed certain patterns which were predictable, though Barney could still not overcome them directly. As the battle went on, Fred tried an attack from up top by jumping high up and coming down with his sword, something he had seen his mother do. Barney pushed his staff up, making circular movements, which forced Fred to abandon his attack. Another hour later and both men were getting tired. Neither one was willing to admit defeat. Fred kept fighting for his honor, while Barney was just trying to defend himself. Barney knew that if he kept going, the battle might be considered a draw. But how would that help things. In the heat of battle he had forgotten why they were truly fighting. With those thoughts, Barney changed his fighting tactic all of a sudden. He brought the staff to half length, holding the staff in the middle with both hands. This gave him more speed and mobility, but made him susceptible to Fred’s sword strikes. Fred took the initiative and had the upper hand within ten minutes. Fred’s sword managed to graze Barney’s staff in the middle, continue on through, and wound up in between Barney’s chest and his staff. A quick spin of his sword and Barney had to drop his staff. The armed combat was over, and Fred had won. Fred and Barney took a step back and bowed, then Fred asked, “Would you like to rest before we proceed to unarmed combat?” Barney replied, “There is no need for that. I concede.” Fred said, “It would not be appropriate for me to accept your act of kindness. We must be fair.” Barney said, “It is not kindness I am offering but firsthand experience. I have not practiced any unarmed combat since you left Shaolin. You were always better than me before, and nothing has changed. I therefore concede.” Fred was filled with happiness, but did not show it. He had found some justice for his family, and no blood had been spilled. Master Po came over to Barney and handed him the Royal Saber. Barney took the saber and held it up in front of Fred with both hands. Master Tom came over and took Fred’s sword from him, so that he could accept the saber. It was a moment of triumph for both Fred and the Taoists. Perhaps now they could relax a little. As they rested there for the time being, one of the monks saw people approaching from the distance. Everybody took notice but nobody was alarmed. They could see that it was Mona and her servant as the two figures got closer. Mona yelled, “Hello. Is the contest over? Is everybody okay?” Barney yelled back, “Welcome. The contest is indeed over. Fred was the winner. What brings you here?” Mona smiled and immediately approached Fred who was not paying much attention to her. The scene was quite awkward if Mona did not have a good reason to be there. She quickly pulled out the letter that Mimi had given her and said, “Fred. Your mother gave me this letter to give to you. I thought it might be urgent so I came here to deliver it right away.” Fred hesitantly took the letter. Although Mimi was his mother, and deep down he loved her, he still had a hard time getting over being abandoned. He opened the letter and read it to himself, his face turning pale and flustered as he finished it. Mona asked, “Was it important?” But Fred did not say anything. Barney asked quickly, “Is there something wrong?” Again, Fred did not say anything, so Barney took the letter from him and began to read it out loud. It said, “Dear Fred, my beloved son. By the time you read this my quest will have been completed, and either I or your father’s killer or both will be dead. I have kept my promise to those poor souls who were massacred, to avenge them at their death site. I hope that you can forgive me for being such an inept mother. I have thought many times about trying to make it up to you, but I am afraid it is too late now. The only thing I can do is try to make things right by Roger, which I could not do sixteen years ago. Please have a good life and do not throw it away as I have. Be good and know that I have always loved you. Mimi.” Barney began to panic and asked Mona, “When did she give you this letter? Did she say where she was going?” Mona quickly answered, “Two days ago. She did not say. What can we do?” Master Po interjected calmly and said, “It is obvious that she found the masked killer and intends to fight him. She mentions where in the letter… the site of the massacre sixteen years ago. It is perhaps two days from here.” Master Tom said, “Dick and Jane’s house. It was burned down that night. But who is this killer?” Mona quickly said, “It must be magistrate Frank. When I told her about his four toes she told me not to say anything, but it is the only thing that makes sense.” Master Tom responded, “So, the snake has been hiding in plain sight all this time. It is unfortunate we did not know this earlier. He has gained much wealth and power these years. Such an unrighteous person must be dealt with.” Barney was overwhelmed with emotion as well because they were talking about his parent’s home where all these events took place. He had to see it for himself. Barney yelled, “We must go there and help her. There is not time to waste.” Both Master Tom and Master Po nodded in agreement, but Fred was still stunned. Master Tom said, “Only the four of us should go, that way we can make it there quicker. The rest of you go to the Taoist compound and wait for our return, including the girls.” Everybody began to disperse except for Fred. Barney grabbed him by the shoulders and said, “Are you coming?” His words broke Fred’s trance and he nodded. Master Tom, Master Po, Fred, and Barney dashed off in the direction of Dick’s house, moving incredibly quickly with their lightness kung fu. Mona looked anxiously at the men as they departed, especially Fred, and felt little comfort now at finding out what the letter said.

  17. #17
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    Default whaaaa???

    On the outskirts of town stood what remained of a once beautiful home, now mostly burnt to ashes. The bodies of numerous dead people had been strewn on the ground sixteen years ago, now all buried and forgotten. Mimi walked around remembering those agonizing moments when everything had changed, and now waiting for them to change again. The sun was on its way down on the horizon, but there was still plenty of light before the day would end. Mimi walked to one end of the grounds and turned around, only to see someone standing at the other end. Frank had finally arrived, and Mimi was taken by surprise at his sudden appearance, but did not want to let him know. She thought his skills must be great to sneak up without making a sound. Frank’s face did not show any signs of emotion. Mimi said, “I was not sure you would come. Are you prepared to face the consequences of what you have done?” Frank replied, “That depends on what it is that you think I did. May I ask what you plan on doing now?” Mimi yelled angrily, “You know what you did! And now you will get what you deserve.” She drew her sword, but Frank raised his hand to stop her. “Hold on a moment,” he said, “I have not fought anyone in fifteen years. It is true I know martial arts. As a matter of fact I mastered my skills a long time ago. But I have yet to use them all against anyone. Would you be willing to test me?” Mimi knew he was mocking her and said, “Of course. Would you be willing to die?” She rushed forward at full speed and started her attack. Her movements this time were incredibly fast and deadly. It consisted primarily of quick jabs with her sword at the vital spots in his body. With such rapid lunges and pullbacks, the style was the least graceful but most lethal, the Winter Flower Stance. Frank was retreating for awhile, and then let out a powerful palm strike. He was not close enough to hit her but the force of his palm actually pushed Mimi’s body back a meter. Frank was testing her, and now he was ready to battle. He said, “There is a technique I learned that I would like to try out today. Let us see how good it is.” He put his hands behind his back and waited. Mimi did not know what he was planning but she could not waste an opportunity like this. She thrust her sword forward and struck him right in the chest. A ping sound was heard as the sword tip met his chest but did not go any further. She began to push harder on the handle, but the sword would not budge. Try as she might with all her strength the sword would not penetrate his chest. It was like his body was made of diamond. Not wanting to give up, Mimi pulled back the sword and rammed it forward again at a different spot with the same result. She did it over and over again, gaining speed with her attack, until her sword thrusts looked like the flapping of a hummingbird’s wing. Still, his clothing was being shredded but his body did not show any scar. Mimi stopped a moment, her sword poking at Frank’s chest, and changed her tactic. She moved her arm downward and the direction of the sword began to travel upward, with the tip heading toward his head. Frank stopped it with the palm of his hand before it could make contact with his chin, and struck out with his other palm. Mimi jumped back quickly before the force of his strike could have any affect. She thought she had discovered the weakness of his technique. Although his body was protected, his head was not. She wondered about the lower part of his legs. Mimi charged again, this time aiming towards the lower part of Frank’s legs. Frank retreated with every stroke until he was nearly backed into a section of remaining wall, then let out a palm thrust towards the ground, which literally pushed Mimi’s sword into the ground. He quickly leapt into the air and wound up on the far side of the area. The fact was that Frank did not know whether his technique would protect his head and lower legs. He had protected them with his hands because he was being cautious and not because they were weaknesses. “Thank you for the practice,” said Frank, “It is now time to finish this.” He launched a palm strike that was so fast that it covered over ten meters in less than a second, and caught Mimi’s sword a third of the way down from the tip. She tried to shake him off but his iron grip refused to let go, so she struck him in the forehead with her palm. Unfortunately it had no affect on him, as he had expected, which is why he let her strike him that way. A loud ding sound could be heard as Frank broke off Mimi’s sword. He turned it around and stabbed her in the stomach with it. Then he grabbed her by the shoulder with his other hand and flung her across the room. She lay on the floor bleeding but still alive as he stared at her and laughed. But his laughter suddenly stopped and his expression became wary. A moment later the bodies of two people flew in from the left and landed in between Frank and Mimi. It was Master Po and Master Tom. They had arrived ahead of Fred and Barney owing to their greater internal energy. Both men ran over to Mimi and examined her closely. Master Tom quickly tapped some of the acupoints around the wound with his finger, while Master Po took her wrist pulse to determine her medical condition. They both looked at each other grimly and shook their heads. Then they arose and approached Frank. Master Tom said, “How dare you continue these unrighteous actions, even as a government official. Your days of evil are over. Be prepared for some justice.” He drew his sword but did not approach. Master Po put his hands together and said, “Buddha forgive you. Your evil ways make this intervention necessary. Please repent before it is too late.” All three men stood there for a long time, staring at each other but not starting the battle. Master Po and Master Tom had expended a great deal of internal energy to arrive in time, and neither was sure they were up to the fight. Plus, their righteous ideals usually meant they would not be the first to attack. Frank was also a little tired after dealing with Mimi. The technique he had used to stop Mimi’s attacks required concentrating a large amount of his internal energy at the exact point where the sword made contact with his body. It was an arduous task that worked well enough with a single attacker, but two attackers would make the task much more difficult. The pause was further supported by the fact that the three had not fought each other in sixteen years, and did not know each others current strength. Frank decided he might as well test them and was about to attack when he felt someone coming up quickly behind him. He turned around just in time to parry a sword coming at him from Fred, who had just arrived with Barney. In his emotional state, Fred started to attack Frank with his sword immediately. Barney had held off at first, but seeing Frank launch his ferocious counterattack which drove Fred back Barney joined the battle with his staff. Now that the fight was on, Master Tom wanted to help as well, but he saw that Master Po was reluctant and asked, “Why are not prepared to fight?” Master Po raised his eyebrows and said, “Do you see our students fighting? Our involvement now would just make matters worse. The best thing right now is to wait and see.” Master Tom observed the fight a little longer and knew what Master Po was talking about. Fred and Barney were fighting hard, but their attacks were completely uncoordinated. Their combined fighting was chaotic, either due to their lack of experience or emotional state or incompatible styles. When one was attacking the other was retreating, or both would attack and get in each other’s way, or both would defend and lose an important initiative. If Master Tom or Master Po were to join in now they would literally be fighting Fred and Barney as well as Frank. Frank lashed out and grabbed the end of Barney’s staff with his palm and started to use it to block Fred’s sword. Then, with a flick of his middle finger, Frank hit Fred’s sword with such force that it flew back five meters, taking Fred with it because he refused to let go of his sword. Frank then picked up Barney with his own staff and threw him back five meters as well. Luckily, Fred and Barney both landed on their feet and turned to continue the fight when they heard a weak voice coming from behind. It was Mimi repeatedly saying “Stop”. Fred turned around and ran to her, holding her in his arms and said, “Mother, save your strength. Everything will be alright. We will find justice together now.” Barney had turned around but did not approach. He wanted to give Fred an opportunity to say what he needed to. Frank saw the emotional spectacle as a chance to escape. Although he had won the fight, Master Po and Master Tom had not joined in, and he was not sure he could beat all four of them. He launched a surprise attack aimed primarily at Barney and Fred, knowing full well that the other two would try to block it. It was a very rapid succession of palm strikes using both hands and with such speed that it looked like there was a thousand palms coming at them. Master Po and Master Tom immediately jumped in the way and tried to fend off the strike, but with such a strange technique they were both hit in the shoulder and fell backwards. Luckily, Barney noticed their fall and used his staff to steady them. The hit itself was not deadly because it had been separated into so many smaller strikes, but it had accomplished its goal. Frank had escaped and was long gone by the time anyone looked in his direction again. Everybody then turned their attention to Mimi. She muttered, “Fred, I am so happy you are here. Please promise me you will not seek revenge. There have been enough deaths already. I would gladly choose to die so that you may live. That will be my legacy as your mother. I love you very much.” Fred sobbed openly for the first time, holding her hand, and said, “Please, mother. Do not leave me. I love you too.” Barney could not help it, and tears began rolling down his face. Mimi whispered, “Barney, are you there?” Barney knelt down and said, “Yes, I am here godmother.” She said, “You should know your parents loved you very much, and so do I. Please take care of Fred for me. And both of you have wonderful lives. I am proud of both of you.” She gasped at these last words, held her breath for a second, and was gone. Fred sobbed uncontrollably, holding her lifeless body in his arms and rocking it back and forth. Barney’s legs collapsed and he sat on the floor with his eyes closed, tears still pouring from them. Master Tom and Master Po both recited their respective prose for the dead. The sad scene was accentuated by the twilight of the sun setting just over the forest behind them. By the break of dawn, Mimi was buried next to the gravesites of Roger, Dick and Jane. They were all buried within the nearby grounds of the burnt building, as was the custom of the day. Fred and Barney kneeled and kowtowed repeatedly at each grave separately. Then the four of them left to return to the Taoist compound and hopefully plan for a just end to this continuing tragedy.

  18. #18
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    Default next please

    Four solemn figures were slowly approaching the Taoist compound from the east. They were Master Tom, Master Po, Fred, and Barney. It was late in the afternoon and the four had taken a rather long time traveling there. A Taoist student came running up to greet them as they got closer. He said, “I am so relieved to see that master is well. Please hurry back to the school. Someone has delivered a letter for master.” The four hurried back to the school and went straight to the main hall. Mona and her servant were waiting for them, as were the Shaolin and Taoists who were at the contest. Mona said, “You have returned safely. I am so relieved. Where is Mimi?” The four were quiet and Mona could tell from the expression on their faces that something terrible had happened. She did not want to say anything more to upset them, especially Fred. Master Tom stepped forward and said, “Did someone deliver a letter for me?” One of the Taoist students handed Master Tom the letter he had been holding for safe keeping and said, “The letter was delivered earlier today, addressed to master. No one has dared to open it.” Master Tom took the letter, opened it, and read it to himself. After a brief pause, he handed it to Master Po and said, “It looks like our chance for justice has not disappeared yet.” Master Po read the letter to himself and shook his head. Barney was concerned about what the letter said, but he did not ask because it would be disrespectful at that moment. Fred, on the other hand, was in a painful emotional state and blurted out, “What does it say?!” Normally Master Tom would have been furious at such a rude outburst, but he could understand Fred’s uncontrollable behavior after everything that had happened. He nodded to Master Po who began to read the letter. “Dear Shaolin and Taoist masters. I am sending the same letter to both schools in the hopes of avoiding a tragedy in the near future. Please meet me in three days at the same place we ran into each other a few days ago so that we may discuss this terrible misunderstanding. Each of you will come alone. If I do not hear from you in four days I will have to assume that you have no wish to honor the request of a government official. That could be construed as an act of treason. I hope we can settle matters without causing either party undue hardship. Your friend, Magistrate Frank.” Fred went up and grabbed the letter, his eyes burning with hate, and said, “That evil scoundrel does not know when to quit. Fine, we will kill him this time. Let us leave now.” Fred started to walk away when Master Tom struck him in the back of the neck with a hand chop, knocking him unconscious while supporting his limp body. Master Tom handed Fred over to several other Taoist students and said, “Please take Fred into the back and tend to him.” He then turned to Master Po and said, “I think we should accept this official invitation.” Master Po nodded in agreement, but Barney finally said, “Should both masters really go alone? I do not believe Frank can be trusted. Perhaps we can come up with a plan.” Master Po said, “I know you mean well, but we are short on time. This is an official government request on official government paper with an official government seal. If we do not comply then the situation will become more complicated. Master Tom and I will go alone and find out what Frank is up to. You must stay behind and look after matters, including Fred.” Barney put his hands together and bowed in recognition. The two masters then departed. Master Tom and Master Po slowly approached the appointed spot of the meeting three days later, as directed. They were wary of the environment and kept scanning the outlying area, most of which was covered with forest. Frank came out from behind one of the remaining walls of the burnt building and greeted them. “Master Tom and Master Po, it is an honor to meet you again after our previous misunderstanding. I am glad that you could make it. We have much to discuss.” Master Tom looked suspiciously at him and said, “Greetings Magistrate Frank. We too are much honored to meet you again as it gives us an opportunity to correct our past mistake. But I wonder why so many people seem to be hiding from sight at this meeting?” Frank laughed a second and said, “I see that both masters are very keen indeed. This was just a precaution in case you violated the request to come alone. No harm will come to you by their hands. I promise.” Frank raised his hand in the air and men dressed in black started appearing out of the woods. There must have been over a hundred men in all, standing far enough away so as not to pose a threat to the meeting, but with intent gazes at the three attendees. Master Po asked, “Magistrate Frank, can you guarantee the safety of our schools if this meeting breaks down?” Frank replied, “It depends on the outcome. Let us continue with the meeting for now. Would you like to discuss the reason you are here, or would you rather finish what we started in our last encounter?” He meant of course the battle that did not take place. Master Tom leaned over to Master Po and whispered, “Shall we fight first, or would you rather talk some more?” This was a minor dig at Master Po for always being reluctant to fight. Master Po calmly whispered back, “There are many reasons to communicate, but very few reasons to fight. Unfortunately, I cannot find a good enough reason to talk first, so that just leaves the fight.” Master Tom hid a small grin forming on his lips and drew his sword. Frank knew what that meant and yelled, “Very well, nobody shall interfere with this battle. Is that understood?” He said it loud enough for all his henchmen to hear him. Then he raised his hands up to his chest slowly, building up his internal energy for the first attack, and launched his body forward with amazing speed. As he got to where Master Tom and Master Po were standing he pushed out with both of his palms, only to hit thin air. Master Tom and Master Po had quickly moved in opposite directions, staying clear of his strike, and launched separate attacks from two sides now. The fighting was fierce and powerful as gusts of wind ripped around the area, causing dust to kick up and trees to sway frenetically. These men were possibly some of the greatest fighters of their time. Master Tom was using the Divine Saint Swordplay, one of the best sword martial arts the world had ever known. Master Po was using the many wonderful skills of Shaolin like the Tiger, Crane, and Mantis Stance, which together made him one of the foremost unarmed martial arts experts in the world. Unfortunately, Frank was using even more mysterious and magnificent martial arts that had yet to be named. From the start of the battle, Master Tom and Master Po knew that Frank was much stronger than them, combined. When Master Tom’s sword had met with Frank’s index finger, his sword nearly flew out of his hand, which had never happened to him before. Now, Master Tom was finding it difficult to balance his sword movements with just two fingers, and started using his entire hand, which reduced the effectiveness of his swordplay. Also, when Master Po’s palm met with Frank’s palm, Master Po was pushed back so hard that he had to take a few steps back and brace himself with one of his legs. Even with the Buddha Palm Stance, whereby you conserve your attacks and build up your internal energy to be released in one single palm strike, Master Po could not stand a hit from Frank, which meant he was ineffective during the fight for those few seconds after each hit. The only thing saving Master Tom and Master Po from losing a quick battle was their teamwork. Although they had never trained together, both masters understood the art of unified mutual combat, where two fighters combine their skills so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. One fighter should help the other should the need arise; for example, when Frank would grab Master Tom’s sword with his iron grip, thus immobilizing Master Tom’s attack, Master Po would immediately launch a counterattack on the arm holding the sword to free it. When one fighter attacks the other should be ready to defend; for example, when Master Po was about to become overwhelmed with Frank’s use of unrelenting, repetitive strikes, Master Tom would send his sword in between the two men, thus preventing Frank from landing a clean hit. Two fighters should never get in each others way; for example, Master Po would launch a kick to Frank’s head while Master Tom tried to stab Frank’s lower abdomen, and when Frank countered both, Master Tom would switch to send his sword upward toward Frank’s head while Master Po would launch a strike on Frank’s knee. Two fighters should be able to take advantage of an important initiative; for example, when Master Po was able to land a strike on Frank, Master Tom would immediately attempt to strike the same spot again to take advantage of Frank’s surprise, thus doubling the damage. Master Tom and Master Po had been able to extend the battle for over an hour with these very smart fighting principles, but they were starting to tire. However, Frank was still going strong, and the prolonged fighting was just making him angrier. He began to intensify his attack. Another hour passed and Master Tom and Master Po were barely holding on now, but they refused to give up. They had to expend considerably more internal energy than Frank because he was so much stronger, which meant they were losing a lot more stamina with each movement. Frank had been waiting for them to tire to the point where he could defeat them without having to turn nasty. Over the years he had cultivated this persona of himself as a refined and sophisticated individual, not prone to the mad antics of his early years. He had fooled himself into believing he was a better man for not resorting to those underhanded practices which had used before to help him get where he was. But now his blood was boiling and he did not care what he had to do to win the fight. He grabbed Master Tom’s sword with his left hand, and when Master Po launched a counterattack to free it, he pulled the sword forward so that the attack was aimed at Master Tom. Of course Master Po immediately retreated, but not before Frank used his right hand to perform his most powerful palm strike. Though Frank’s palm was nowhere near Master Po’s body, the energy it contained managed to hit the unsuspecting Master Po, causing him to spit up blood and fall to the ground. Master Po immediately assumed the meditation position and started to circulate his internal energy. Master Tom took the opportunity to hit Frank in the head with his free hand, only to feel a serious pain like he had struck an anvil. Master Tom immediately let go of his sword, which was unmovable in Frank’s hand, and backed up to launch a quick hand and foot combination attack, but Frank shoved the sword forward, hitting Master Tom in the chest with the sword handle. Master Tom’s body actually flew backwards a moment, and before he even hit the ground Frank had hit Master Tom’s chest with his index finger. The hit itself did not do a lot of physical damage, but delivered a lot of chi, which coursed through Master Tom’s body uncontrollably. Master Tom had to immediately assume the meditation position and circulate his internal energy as well. In just a few hours, Frank had managed to defeat two of his most powerful opponents. Signs of his anger quickly dissipated and Frank calmly walked back and forth examining Master Tom and Master Po’s condition visually. He made a giddy smile and said, “Now that we have finished that, we can discuss the reason you are here. As the local magistrate I hereby declare that both the Shaolin and Taoist schools fall under my jurisdiction. Your serious actions against me are grounds for treason, but I have decided to give you an opportunity to redeem yourselves. I will visit both schools starting in five days. Anybody still remaining there will bend to my will or face punishment. Any resistance and I will burn your schools to the ground. Do not take my words lightly. I have the will. I have the manpower. I have the strength to do it.” He stopped his pacing and looked dead serious at both men seated on the ground. “I believe our meeting is finished. See you gentlemen in five days.” He walked slowly away and his henchmen seemed to disappear back into the forest. Master Po was still sitting there circulating his internal energy to heal some of the physical damage that had been caused. Master Tom was still sitting there circulating his internal energy to dissipate the energy that was imparted and running rampant in his system. Though neither of them said a word, they both knew what they had to do. Once they were well enough to move, they would have to do it quickly.

  19. #19
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    Default post away

    Fred and Barney were waiting in the main hall of the Taoist compound with Mona and her servant. Mona said, “Unfortunately, I have to leave soon and get back home. There is a business meeting in town that I have to attend with my father. In fact, it is supposed to be hosted by the town magistrate.” Barney was surprised, but Fred was eerily silent. After Fred had awaken from being knocked out he was both angry and anxious, but after some time to contemplate he just became withdrawn. Now everybody was wondering how things had gone with Master Tom and Master Po. They did not have to wonder for long because the two men in question walked in at that moment. Master Tom and Master Po both looked tired and disheveled, but it was the look on their faces that made the others worried. Barney immediately asked, “Master, how did the meeting go?” Master Po sighed and said, “We were unsuccessful in saving Frank from his unrighteous ways. Buddha be with him.” Master Tom said, “In other words, we lost. He is much stronger than either of us thought, and is probably unstoppable at this point. This brings us to the bad news.” Barney was confused and asked, “You mean there is news worst than that?” Master Po said, “Frank has demanded that the Shaolin and Taoist schools bow to him, or he will destroy them. We have decided to comply.” Fred jumped up and said, “How can we bow to such an unrighteous individual? I cannot. I will not.” Master Tom yelled angrily, “Hold your tongue you insolent child.” Fred fell silent. Master Tom continued, “We are not giving the scoundrel anything. We have decided to ask all the students to leave the schools immediately. That way no one will be harmed or have to listen to him. We will stay behind to ensure that he accepts these conditions.” Fred said, “You mean we are to give up?” Master Tom looked sad and said, “If that is what you think it means.” Barney quickly asked, “Would it not be better for us to unite together instead? We might be able to defeat him.” Master Po said, “None of us are a match for Frank’s martial arts. He has the power as magistrate to summon the town guards against us. And we have also seen that he has over one hundred henchmen. The numbers are hard to dispute. Our chances would be slim at best.” Barney understood what Master Po meant, and Fred bit his lip to refrain from another outburst. Master Po then added, “The magistrate’s only concern is that Shaolin and Taoist do not pose a threat to his evil plans. Once the schools have been emptied we are sure he will back off. Please, leave when you can and live a good life; a righteous existence.” Fred and Barney were both in shock and did not know what to say. Master Tom looked at them and said, “I will be making the announcement to the other Taoist students now, and Master Po will return to Shaolin to make the same announcement there. You boys have just been told, and I take it you do not need further instructions. Please be safe and see yourselves out.” Master Tom walked off to take care of business. Master Po came up to Fred and Barney and said, “I must be off. Both of you should leave as well. But remember, just because you are not Shaolin or Taoist anymore does not mean you should not try to be good. Take care of each other, as Mimi requested.” Master Po then walked. Fred and Barney stood there, not knowing exactly what to do. Mona came over and said, “I am going back to the village. Why do you not come back with me? I am sure you could find a place to live there.” She was trying to hold back her excitement. Now that Fred was not a Taoist he could freely pursue a personal life, which might include a certain female companion. Fred said, “We could not impose ourselves on you any longer. We need to find a place that is more suitable for outcasts.” Barney was a little taken back at Fred’s depressing talk when Mona’s servant said, “You could probably find a place like that in the countryside where I was born. My family lived there for a while before moving to the village. Most of the people there have moved out because there is no work. It is only a couple of hours from the village.” Mona said, “That sounds like a great idea. What do you think?” She was looking right at Fred but Barney answered, “That sounds perfect. We can leave whenever you want.” Fred did not say anything, but he did not openly object either, so the four prepared to depart that day. Ten days later, Mona and her servant arrived at a little shack in the countryside carrying baskets of food. Mona knocked on the door and someone inside opened it. It was Barney. He quickly ushered the two in and closed the door. Fred was sitting next to a table inside. On the table was a piece of paper. Mona said, “I am so glad to see you two are safe. I was afraid you had been caught. You have to be careful now.” Barney said, “We know,” pointing to the paper on the table. It was a government notice with facial drawings of two people that looked a lot like Fred and Barney, and a caption which read that the two were wanted for murder and treason. Mona said, “My goodness, the posters have already made it out here.” Fred asked, “You know about this?” Mona said, “Yes. As you know, I attended a business gathering with my father in town seven days ago. It was hosted by magistrate Frank. My father is very prominent in the outlying areas and gets asked to these events all the time. As an only child, he brings me along so that I can learn the business. The meeting took place at Frank’s mansion. I took the opportunity to investigate matters while I was there.” Barney said, “You should be careful. Frank is obviously a killer. We would never forgive ourselves if something happened to you.” Mona looked at Fred for a reaction, but his face was emotionless. Mona continued, “While I was looking around I found a room full of these posters. That was when I knew what he was up to. I wanted to warn you as soon as possible, but unfortunately I could not leave without raising suspicion. I hope nothing bad happened while I was away.” Barney said, “We appreciate your concern. When we saw this poster yesterday we figured it was time to lay low, so we have not left the house since.” The servant then said, “You must be hungry then. It is a good thing we brought you some food. Do not worry, it is vegetarian.” As the food was being placed on the table Fred stood up and asked impatiently, “Did you find anything else of importance while you were there?” Mona replied, “Not really, but my servant did.” All eyes turned to the servant who started to speak. “I went with Miss Mona to the meeting. It lasted three days. While I was there I had a chance to speak with many of the servants at the mansion. One old man in particular had been working there since the previous magistrate, and he was obviously a trusted companion. He said that about six years earlier he had gone with his master to visit an old man who the master kept calling ‘teacher’. Apparently, the ‘teacher’ had turned seventy and the master wanted to pay his respects, bringing gifts and food. The ‘teacher’ did not seem to appreciate the gesture, but the master did not get angry. That was the only incident the old servant could recall where the master seemed remotely humbled, but the servant was told to never speak of it again. He only told me about it in the strictest of confidence after the third day.” Fred and Barney looked at each other. They wondered if this “teacher” could be the one who taught Frank his mysterious martial arts that made him unbeatable. If so, they had to find this person and learn how to defeat Frank. Fred asked, “Did the old servant tell you where the ‘teacher’ lived?” Mona’s servant said, “He said he did not remember the exact location, but it was an old cabin in the middle of nowhere over the northern mountains and past the valley beyond.” Mona said, “That sounds like at least five days journey. I have been over the mountains once, but never past the valley.” Fred said, “Then we must go at once. This could be the chance we have been waiting for to stop Frank.” Barney nodded in agreement and turned to Mona, “You had better go home and wait for us. This could be dangerous.” But Mona said, “Unfortunately, that is not what I will be doing. You see, while I was at the meeting I convinced my father to allow me to apprentice at the town business hall. He happily agreed since that is the best place for someone to learn about business. But he was worried about a young girl living in town by herself, so I suggested that I could stay at the magistrate’s home while I apprenticed. Frank agreed to the arrangement, and so did my father. So I came back to the village to get my things before heading back to town. I can keep an eye on what Frank is doing from there.” Barney said, “That is too dangerous. Do you have any idea what you are doing?” But Fred interrupted and said, “She is risking her life to help us. It is very noble and righteous. We cannot forbid her from doing as she pleases, and neither should we try.” Barney was surprised by the callous yet very enlightened response, and held back his reservations. Mona smiled at Fred and said, “I better get going then.” Mona and her servant went out the door, leaving the food behind. Fred and Barney started to eat, but they were also planning their trip to find the unknown “teacher” from far away. Six days later Mona was already back in town settling in while Fred and Barney had traveled over the northern mountains and past the valley beyond. They had come upon rolling hills that seemed to go on forever, but they still had not found the place they were looking for. So they headed up to the top of the tallest hill they could find and looked around as far as they could see. In a distant corner they spotted a lonely cabin on one of the smaller hills, and started moving towards it. As they got closer they paused to discuss their options. Barney said, “If this is indeed Frank’s martial arts teacher, he could be very strong. And if he is unfriendly, we could be in a lot of trouble. We should be very cautious.” Fred said, “He must be seventy six years old by now. How dangerous could a man that old be? And if he is unrighteous like his student, then he must be dealt with accordingly.” Barney was not happy with that arrogant response, but now was not the time to debate philosophy. They slowly approached the cabin from the front door, so as not to surprise its inhabitant or look like a sneak attack. They got all the way to the front door without any incident. Fred knocked on the door and asked, “Is anybody home? We are travelers looking for someone. Can you help us?” There was no response. Barney said, “Perhaps he is not home.” But Fred said, “Or he could be waiting for us inside. Perhaps we should check.” Barney did not want to barge in, but the door was not barred, so Fred pushed it completely open without entering. Fred yelled again, “Is anyone home?” All of a sudden they could hear some movement coming from the back. Then an old man appeared in the doorway leading to the bedroom. It looked like he just woke up. Barney said, “Sir, we humbly apologize for disturbing you. We are here looking for someone and came upon your home. We have traveled long and far and hope you can help us.” The old man rubbed his eyes and moved closer, staring like his eyes were bad. He said, “My goodness, who are you gentlemen?” Barney politely asked, “My name is Barney and my friend here is Fred. May we know your name kind sir?” “Tim,” said the old man, “and who was it you are looking for again?” Fred said, “We are looking for a great martial arts expert. Unfortunately, we do not know his name. Would you happen to know that person?” Tim grinned sheepishly and turned away. Barney said, “We apologize if this sounds confusing, but it is very important that we find this person. He does not know us but we know his student, Frank.” Tim stopped in his tracks and said, “He does not have a student named Frank.” Fred stepped forward and said, “Then you do know this person. We only wish to speak with him. Can you please tell us where he is?” Tim turned around and said, “He is also not a great martial arts expert. In fact, he does not know how to fight. What would you want with him then?” Barney was suspicious of this apparent cripple of an old man and said, “We mean him no harm. Can you answer one more question for us, truthfully and honestly? The man we speak of, is it you?” There was a long pause, and then Tim said “Yes.” Fred asked, “You are saying ‘Yes’ to which question?” Tim said “Both.” Fred and Barney both stared at Tim, who looked nothing like the person they were expecting, but if he was telling the truth then indeed he was that person. But the most important question had yet to be answered. Did he know any martial arts?

  20. #20
    Senior Member Da Bao's Avatar
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    Wow... Nice story, but you might want to edit it. And I cannot imagine a Dick, Jane, Master Tom, Fred, Barney, Mona, Mimi, etc. or any names like that in a wuxia novel. Those names give me the impression they're all... like, have blonde/brown hair and blue eyes.
    Although Master Po sounds like a reasonable name. The story is good though.
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