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Thread: Legend of the White Haired Maiden

  1. #161
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    Default Chapter 14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Finally got this chapter done! There's really no way I should be excused for the long delay in this update, so I'm just gonna shut up and post.

    I will be leaving town in a few hours so can't stay behind to rant (though, believe me, there's tons I have to say).

    But enjoy this for now, I'll be back after the new years to rant & chat, rant & chat, or just rant rant rant....

    Merry christmas and best wishes for the new year!

    Chapter 14
    Famed Warrior’s Noble Character
    Demoness Bows Down To Wholeheartedly
    Under the MiMo Cliff
    Demon Matriarch Strives For Triumph


    Early the next morning, Taoist Priest White Stone awoke to a crowd of Wu Tang disciples that had gathered together to serve him. Everyone was chattering excitedly about the fight, but those who knew that their sect’s elder Taoist Priest Red Cloud was once defeated under Yu Luo Cha’s hands were particularly worried for White Stone. Li Feng, the eldest disciple of the capital was the first to offer a suggestion, “Uncle, why don’t we all come with you?” White Stone replied, “I made a pact with Yu Luo Cha to fight one-on-one, what are you all going for?” Li Feng quipped, “We’re going to watch the battle and cheer for you uncle!”

    White Stone understood the intention behind their actions but then he thought: Yu Luo Cha may be a very powerful opponent, yet from what elder brother Red Cloud has said, her strength laid in her sword skills. Whereas in terms of martial arts, she seemed to be inferior to that of second brother Yellow Leaf and was probably around the same level as me.

    White Stone knew that when it came to the art of the sword, he was the most skilled amongst his fellow sect members, thus he felt that it was possible for him to keep her in check. Whereas if he let these youngsters come along with him, he was afraid that their love for their teacher would only induce them to gush forward collectively and as a result hurt the Wu Tang Sect’s fame. Thus White Stone shook his head and said, “No, not a single one of you is allowed to come.” When Li Feng asked, “Can’t we just go to watch, even for a little while?” it only caused White Stone to thunder angrily, “He who dares to go against my orders will be punished in accordance with the rules of the sect.”

    He E-Hua then said, “Father, let me come with you then.” With a sigh, White Stone said, “My dear child, don’t go! Yu Luo Cha is cruel and vicious beyond means. If you go, you will only get in my way and become a burden.” He E-Hua has been practicing martial arts under her aunt for ten years now, therefore even though she knew that Yu Luo Cha was powerful and deadly beyond comparison, she still wanted to go along with her father so as to test out her own abilities. Being rejected outright by her father left her heart stinging with the indignation of bruised pride.

    After White Stone had dictated his orders and left his crowd of disciples with some last minute instructions, they began to see him towards the door. It was there that White Stone suddenly hesitated and then with a beckon of his hand said, “Yi Hang, you can come along with me. You know Yu Luo Cha and being the future leader of our sect, you should be present as well.” Truly not desirous to see his uncle engage in battle with Yu Luo Cha, Zhuo Yi Hang had been desperately trying to come up with some kind of solution to resolve their conflict when his uncle asked him to go along with him. Such a suggestion worked exactly to Zhuo Yi Hang’s favour.

    Yu Luo Cha, had already taken off for the city the night before. Her levitation skills were extremely superb, so superb that they were above that of even Tie Fei Long himself. And it was because of this very reason that Tie had asked her to make the trip into the city to gather the herbal medicine. Although it wasn’t until the fourth hour before Yu Luo Cha was able to take off from the West Mountain’s Temple of Divine Light, when she arrived at the city’s Enduring Peace Escort Agency, the dawn’s light hasn’t even broken over the horizon yet.

    Long Da San, the head escort of the Enduring Peace Escort Agency had a very special friendship with Tie Fei Long that was sworn on the grounds of life and death. Twenty years ago, when Long was escorting a shipment to the Northwest region, he was attacked by a mob of powerful bandits that had him trapped and staring in the face of death. Luckily for him, when Tie Fei Long heard the news, he immediately came to Long’s rescue and with the power of his “fame that reverberates throughout the Northwest,” Tie halted the crowd of bandits in their tracks. In the end, not only was the escorted shipment returned to Long without any damage or loss, but Long’s status and reputation also remain unscathed. As a result, Long Da San was extremely indebted towards Tie Fei Long and had kept his gratitude etched down deep within his heart during these last twenty years, his one and only regret being that of not yet having the opportunity to repay Tie Fei Long for his kindness.

    Long Da San happened to also be a good friend of Liu Xi Ming, therefore when Liu returned from the Yang household last night, he immediately went to ask Long Da San for his help in secretly protecting Xiong Ting Bi from the deadly attacks of evil villains. Through this matter, Liu brought up the incident of how Xiong Ting Bi had just come under attack earlier. When Long Da San heard that Tie Fei Long was also present along with a beautiful young girl, he hurriedly inquired about Tie’s current whereabouts.

    Liu Xi Ming remarked, “That old chap truly is a strange fellow. He and that young girl had contributed the most and yet they didn’t ask for even the slightest bit of recognition! As soon as the whole incident was over, they just flitted away as suddenly as they had appeared, having not said a single word to any of us. It was only after asking Taoist Priest White Stone were we finally able to learn that he was the Tie Fei Long! And that young girl who was as beautiful as a heavenly immortal turned out to be Yu Luo Cha, the female bandit who has recently stirred up quite a name for herself in the Northwest regions!” Long Da San exclaimed, “Right! Yu Luo Cha – I’ve heard others mention her lately. Word has it that this Yu Luo Cha was a cruel and vicious Demoness who killed without batting an eye. True, old Tie may be a bit eccentric and his temper may indeed be a little strange, but he is still a good and honourable person. Why would he be going around in the same circles as her?”

    Yu Luo Cha killed without batting an eye – that was the truth. But it was equally true that she never killed without a good reason. The only problem was that she has made too many enemies for herself. And since the Jianghu world loved to exaggerate, therefore though it hasn’t even been four years since she first stepped out into the marital arts world, she was already ostracized as the Demoness of a million evils!

    As Long Da San and Liu Xi Ming continued to discuss Yu Luo Cha, Long Da San grew increasingly uneasy in learning that Tie Fei Long was part of her group since he knew of Yu Luo Cha only as a Demoness who terrorized and murdered without batting an eye. Liu Xi Ming on the other hand chuckled and said, “The funny thing is, although Taoist Priest White Stone was already of such an elderly age, yet he’s still retains his youthful competitive edge. He’s adamantly insisting on crossing swords with Yu Luo Cha!” Completely unaware of the various scores of good and bad karma between Yu Luo Cha and the Wu Tang Sect, Liu Xi Ming had passed off their battle as your typical, run-of-the-mill case of competitive rivalry that festers amongst the crowd of the martial arts world.

    Long Da San commented, “Taoist Priest White Stone is one of the Wu Tang Five Elders, the fame of his seventy-two sequential swords has already reached the extremities of the four seas. That Demoness actually dares to compete swords with him? Then she is certainly begging to nail the lid down on her own coffin!” Liu Xi Ming seconded, “That’s why I couldn’t be bothered with this whole incident! But strangely enough, White Stone turns out to be extremely anxious about the whole thing, as if he has put the whole of his heart and soul into this battle. It’s reached the point of where he couldn’t seem to even concentrate or expend any effort towards the mission of secretly protecting the Military Commissioner from evil clans. That’s why I’ve come here tonight to ask for your help.”

    Long Da San said, “Last year there was a shipment of military resources that was to be shipped out to the frontiers. Military Commissioner Xiong put his honoured regard in me and entrusted me to help him in escorting this shipment of military support. Throughout my whole career in the escort service, it was that mission which meant the most to me. Even though I was just an assistant, yet I was much more enthusiastic than I ever was as the head escort who called all the shots! Military Commissioner Xiong truly treats others with respect.”

    Filled with awed admiration, Liu Xi Ming exclaimed, “Then from this incident, it can be said that you are Military Commissioner Xiong’s old friend!” Long Da San remonstrated, “I dare not accept such an honour! But throughout my whole life, there’s only been two people in this whole world whom I am in absolute respect of. If these two people ever had a task or mission they needed me to do, regardless of whether it calls for me to leap into a pool of boiling oil or charge into sea of burning flames, I would still jump to the task without uttering a single word of protest.”

    Liu Xi Ming chuckled and said, “One of these two people must be old Tie and the other is of course Military Commissioner Xiong, am I right? It’s funny how I’ve known you all these years and yet never knew that you held such high respect for Military Commissioner Xiong. On my walk over here to see you, I just happened to be fretting over how my request could affect your escort agency’s business.” Long Da San laughed along with him and said, “It’s my fault. Last year when I answered to Military Commissioner Xiong’s request to assist him in shipping the military supplies, I didn’t mention this incident to any of my old friends.” Liu Xi Ming added, “But that is the right thing to do! Such an important matter as delivering military support is not something that should be carelessly mentioned.” Long Da San said, “That’s why I’m only speaking of it now that you’ve come to see me. Don’t you worry Brother, even if Wei Zhong Xian closes down my escort agency and drags me to be butchered and diced, I will still insist on helping Military Comissioner Xiong!”

    Despite his exalted status as a head escort, that night, true to his word, Long Da San personally stood on night watch for Xiong Ting Bi around the area outside of Yang Lian’s house. It was only after the fourth hour, when someone had come to succeed his shift did he finally head home. Since there was always someone standing guard outside his escort agency during all hours of the day, Long Da San barely had the chance to lie down for a short nap when someone came in to report that a young woman had come knocking on their doors asking to see him. Long Da San pondered to himself with surprise, “Why would there be a young woman here to see me? And why didn’t she wait until tomorrow morning?” as he got dressed and hurried out to see her.
    At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napolean -- and my ambition has steadily grown ever since.

    ~ Salvador Dali


  2. #162
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    What he was greeted to was the sight of a young woman around twenty or so years of age. With long elegant brows that branched out towards her hair, those sparkling eyes of hers simultaneously emanated the faint traces of a deathly aura that shot shivers down one’s spine! Long’s heart jumped into his throat as he stammered, “You … you’re … you’re Yu Luo Cha?” but after blurting this out realized the error in his words for Yu Luo Cha was her street name, how could it be thrown about so carelessly?”

    And yet, the young girl did not seem to mind at all, for with a laugh she said, “You’ve guessed right. I’m Yu Luo Cha.” Long Da San continued, “You … uh … you … heroine, what brings you here in the dead of the night?” Long was initially worried that it was his enemies who had sent the Demoness here to stir trouble with him, but then he also remembered that she was associated with Tie Fei Long and thus it seemed somewhat unlikely that she would come to make enemies. Just as he had suspected, Yu Luo Cha giggled once again and then took out a white piece of cloth as she said, “This is a letter from my father to you.” After taking the letter and studying over it, Long was immediately overjoyed when he saw the flying dragon with the snarling fangs and taut talons drawn onto the corner of cloth. Reading the letter, he furthermore learned that Yu Luo Cha was actually his saviour Tie Fei Long’s foster daughter and that they were now seeking his aid. The white cloth was a piece of fabric ripped off from somebody’s clothes and the words were written with wood cinders, clearly illustrating the urgency of the matter.

    Long Da San said, “How could I possibly dare to disobey Elder Tie’s orders? What service can I perform for you Heroine?” Yu Luo Cha smiled and said, “I’m going to battle with someone!” Taken back, Long Da San thought to himself: What should I do? Tie Fei Long was the person I’m indebted to, but Taoist Priest White Stone is also my friend who is furthermore a guest staying at Liu Xi Ming’s place. Since Yu Luo Cha is to be combating swords with Taoist Priest White Stone, Tie Fei Long must be worried that his daughter will be taking on a beating. He must know that I am acquainted with White Stone and therefore told Yu Luo Cha to call on me personally so as to ask me to step out on their behalf. I wonder whether Tie Fei Long’s trying to ask me to smooth over the conflict between them or whether he wanted me to lend Yu Luo Cha a hand in battle? If it’s negotiating and making peace that he wants, that would be much easier. But if he wants me to lend Yu Luo Cha a hand in battle, how will this make me look?

    On observing how Long Da San has suddenly glazed over with dumb stupor, Yu Luo Cha thought to herself: why is this guy such a dud? Just the mere mention of me going into battle with somebody was already enough to freak him out to this point, and he calls himself the head of an escort agency?!

    After Long Da San was able to gather together his thoughts, he continued hesitantly, “Heroine, why must you make enemies with the Wu Tang faction?” With a flare of her lashes, Yu Luo Cha snapped, “Others might be afraid of Wu Tang’s large numbers and fierce backup, but I’m not!” causing Long Da San to continue with stuttering meekness, “I know you’re not afraid Heroine, but it’s always better to make friends than to make enemies. Why don’t I organize a big banquet and then invite heroine you and Taoist Priest White Stone over for a drink so we can make peace and forget about everything?”

    Yu Luo Cha laughed and said, “This sword fight between White Stone and me is set in stone. Although White Stone’s martial arts may not be in the ranks of supremacy, but he could still pass as a decent opponent. If you want to persuade me to not fight him, then you’d better find somebody else to cross swords with me because there’s nothing more gratifying in this world than being able to find an opponent for a good ol’ martial arts competition. So how can I not fight?” Long Da San silently cried out for help as his muscles contorted and froze his face over into a long expression, leaving him unable to utter a single word and causing Yu Luo Cha to ask, “Well? Are you going to help me to or not? It’s going to be daybreak soon and I still have to hurry back!”

    Long Da San replied, “This old life of mine was saved by your father. Since he has sent me orders, how can I not abide? But I want to see your father first. Taoist Priest White Stone’s sword skill is unparalleled within this world! If I am to combat him, then I am without out a doubt walking into death. I wanted to beg your father to take care of my family for me first.” In Long Da San’s heart he was certain that Yu Luo Cha had come to ask him to lend her a hand in battle, which was why he wanted to see Tie Fei Long first so as to explain to him his difficulties. But this only caused Yu Luo Cha to burst out into a fit of hysterical laughter. She laughed so hard that tears started to spring from her eyes, leaving a shocked Long Da San in a state of befuddlement as his heart burned with agitated annoyance. After Yu Luo Cha had a good laugh, she finally said, “We’ve been talking for half a day and it only turns out that you had thought I wanted you to help me fight? Who do you think White Stone is? Why would we need your help? My father and I are not afraid of even more powerful enemies, why would we be bothered by White Stone?”

    After exhaling a big sigh of relief, Long Da San continued, “Well then, what orders do you have for me Heroine?” Yu Luo Cha replied, “We did not come to you because of my fight against White Stone, it’s our face-off against Red Flower Demon Matriarch that we need your help with.” Once again bowled over with surprise, Long Da San exclaimed, “The Red Flower Demon Matriarch, Mother GongSun is still alive?!”and even though his heart was struck with fear, he was in actuality not as bewildered as he was just a moment ago. Yu Luo Cha joshed, “Well? Are you scared to compete with her?” But this time it was Long Da San’s turn to burst out into loud laughter as he proclaimed, “If I was afraid of death, then I wouldn’t be in this escort business! If you have to fight Red Flower Demon Matriarch, then I am at your service even if it means my death!”

    Yu Luo Cha was extremely surprised as she thought to herself: Red Flower Demon Matriarch is so much more powerful than Taoist Priest White Stone, but while you were chicken to fight White Stone, you’re not afraid to fight the Demon Matriarch? I just don’t get it! But on observing how Long Da San was willing to take on danger with such ferocity of spirit, it caused Yu Luo Cha to significantly reduce the belittling derision she felt towards him earlier.

    Long Da San then said, “So are we taking off now?” causing Yu Luo Cha to grin and say, “I didn’t come here to ask you to fight with me” and then proceeded to explain her need of assistance. Long Da San remarked, “Bronze heart-shields we have tons within the escort agency. But whether we’re able to gather all the herbal ingredients listed within this formula is hard to say. Alright, you sit here and wait a little while. I’ll have someone go and gather these herbs for you right away!”

    So Yu Luo Cha sat down in the escort agency and waited. She watched as the light broke over the horizon when the scarlet sun rose from the east. Shortly afterwards, the rays of the sun began to filter through the windows and illuminate the room, causing Yu Luo Cha to ask, “Why haven’t they returned yet?” Long Da San explained, “There’s a few dozen herbal ingredients on that list, it’s really hard to gather them all in such a short period of time” and so they could only wait around a little more before the person who went to gather the herbs finally returned.

    Yu Luo Cha looked at the skies and said, “Good, we can still make it in time” but the servant who went to buy the ingredients reported, “Twenty-five different herbs. Aside from the Bear Gall being out of stock, everything else has been collected.” Yu Luo Cha asked, “I think it’s okay if we miss one ingredient right?” Long Da San’s eyebrows knitted together as he explained, “Bear Gall is the main ingredient and most definitely cannot be lacking. Bear Gall may be a costly herb, but it’s not a rarity by any means. Why would the city’s market be deficient in stock?” The servant explained, “From what I’ve heard, it seems that the Imperial Palace’s inner-palace eunuchs have been amassing this ingredient in bulk during the last two days. All the Bear Galls within the herbal shops have been purchased by them!” Yu Luo Cha grinded her teeth together and said, “If I didn’t need it right away, I would have gone into the palace to snatch it back!”

    Long Da San’s face puckered up in thought and after a long time, he suddenly cried out, “They just might have it at one place!” Yu Luo Cha asked, “What place? I’ll going there right away!” Long Da San explained, “The highest quality of Bear Gall originates from the regions by the frontiers, so all the military commanders of those regions must carry some with them.” Yu Luo Cha said, “Which means that Military Commissioner Xiong must have some then?” to which Long Da San replied, “Exactly. Military Commissioner Xiong is an honest official with clean pockets and would not be able to afford the kind of extravagant gifts like mink or leather. But though Bear Galls may be expensive in a place like this, they wouldn’t be expensive at the frontiers. I’m pretty sure Military Commissioner Xiong would have brought some back with him to give out to his friends and family. Let me take you to go see him.”

    Yu Luo Cha thought back to the fight she had with Yue Ming Ke yesterday and hesitated for quite some time. After debating for a while longer, she suddenly blurted out, “If he really does tell the Military Commisioner Xiong to not give them, then his character is even more unworthy!” Long Da San was completely confused as he asked, “What did you say?” but Yu Luo Cha just smiled and said, “Nothing. It’s just that I’ve had a bit of a scuffle with one of his military officials in the past.”

    Having just experienced two simultaneous brushes with danger yesterday, Military Commissioner Xiong’s heart was thrust into a state of intense agitation that left him distracted and listless. That very day, since the Emperor did not attend daily court, when the crowd of officials presented forth the Memorial to the throne, the Memorials were then according to customary practice relayed by the Eunuchs in charge of the Memorials. Logically speaking, in the case of such a serious matter, the Emperor should have taken action immediately. But having waited until the sun rose high above their heads, there still was no stir of action taken from the Emperor, nor did they see any emissaries come forth to summon them. Xiong Ting Bi remained in the room and walked round and around in circles. Yue Ming Ke knew that this was Xiong’s old habit because whenever faced with a big decision, he would have the tendency to do this.

    It wasn’t until noontime did the Emperor finally send forth two eunuchs with the orders of delivering a big basket of documents that was to be granted to Xiong Ting Bi for his perusal. After the inner-palace eunuchs left, Xiong Ting Bi opened up the basket and found that it was filled to the brim with memorials that were presented to the throne, all of which were written by the corrupt party that were incriminating against him. With a big sigh, Xiong Ting Bi cried out, “It’s no use! No use!” Yang Lian consoled, “Don’t worry Military Commissioner, since the Divine Lord has sent these memorials over to you sealed and untouched, it clearly communicates the deep trust he has in you.”

    But Xiong Ting Bi argued, “If we haven’t presented our memorial to him yet, then maybe your reasoning could still be considered as a logical assumption. But this was granted to my perusal only after we presented forth the memorials, it’s clearly the Emperor’s way of saying that you can incriminate people, but there are also others who are recriminating against you. The Emperor is not differentiating between the honest and the corrupt, he’s just treating everybody with the same attitude.” Yang Lian disputed, “I don’t think it’s that bad.” Xiong Ting Bi crossed his hands together behind his back and once again paced back and forth about the room. Yang Lian and the others did not dare make a sound.

    After a while, Xiong suddenly exclaimed, “Bring me pen and paper!” Yang Lian asked, “Is Military Commissioner planning to submit another memorial?” Xiong Ting Bi replied, “I plan to hand in my resignation!” causing Yang Lian to hurriedly cry out, “No, no you can’t! Military Commissioner, you must not let yourself be blinded by anger and throw aside the matters of the country!” Xiong Ting Bi said, “Brother Yang, you don’t understand. The palace courts are now controlled under the hands of the malicious villains. Even if I can manage to return to the frontiers, you can guarantee that there will be all sorts of hurdles and restrictions along the way to prevent me from directing the army in countering the invaders. So why don’t I just ask for permission to resign and use this opportunity to test out the Emperor’s heart? In military tactics, we call this seeking salvation after sentencing death. If it turns out that the Emperor really is no fool, then he’ll most definitely send for me to go and see him in the palace in order to question me in more detail.”

    Truth be told, though You Jiao was young, he was at the least not too dense for he still understood that Xiong Ting Bi was an official of absolute and unquestionable loyalty. But because his wet nurse Madam Ke was conspiring with Wei Zhong Xian, he was kept in the dark about all the happenings of the outside world. They led him step by step towards the engulfing abyss of pleasurable indulgences so that that little spark of elucidating intuition that he possessed was eventually swallowed up. Pity all those patriotic officials of the court who had toiled over with blood and sweat in order to put together a memorial presented to the throne, for in the end the memorial was withheld by Madam Ke and not a single word passed by You Jiao’s eyes.

    Since You Jiao had mentioned before that he wanted to toss all the memorials into a big basket and then have it brought to Xiong Ting Bi, after Madam Ke finished reading the memorial written by Yang Lian and his group, she discussed it over with Wei Zhong Xian and decided to use this incident as an opportunity to manipulate You Jiao. She suggested, “Xiong Ting Bi has returned, so why don’t you send those memorials over to him now Divine Lord?” which only caused You Jiao to pipe up, “Since he’s back, then why don’t I summon him into the palace so I can give them to him in person? Isn’t that much better?” Wei Zhong Xian immediately chuckled with sinister laughter causing You Jiao to question, “What are you laughing at?” to which Wei replied in hushed whispers, “My Lord, that Xiong Ting Bi may possesses a boundless number of good qualities, but he does have one fault!” This prompted You Jiao to ask, “What’s that?” to which Wei Zhong Xian replied, “That man is extremely stubborn and old-fashioned! When he sees Divine Lord having so much fun, he will most definitely start to nag. And he will only continue to nag on and on and on with no end.”

    Ever since his father’s death, You Jiao has had nobody to restrict or govern him, thus leaving him with the freedom to cavort about with absolute abandon. He even erected within the palace an arena for his games of chicken fighting, dog racing, shuttlecock tournaments and horse shows, wasting away day after day within its mindless pleasures. Hearing the news about Xiong Ting Bi’s old-fashioned severity did indeed strike You Jiao with fear, thus causing him to say, “What if I summoned him to somewhere outside the three halls of the grand court so as to not let him see? Would that work?” Wei Zhong Xian replied, “People would have already told him all about it since his return. If you see him, you will most definitely be lectured by him.”

    Wei continued, “And during the last few days the blooming petals of the Chrysanthemums and Plum Blossoms were just in the midst of competing for splendor! We were just discussing over the plans to host a Chrysanthemum-Plum Blossom banquet, where we’ll have the palace maids dress up as Plum Blossom Immortals or Chrysanthemum heavenly maidens just so they can compete for radiance as well! But if Divine Lord ends up seeing that old prude Xiong, wouldn’t that only spoil the mood for fun?” Having thought over this, You Jiao felt that Wei had indeed raised a very good point and therefore said, “But still, I have to see him eventually” to which Madam Ke who was standing by his side giggled, “My silly boy, you can see him away when he’s ready to return to the frontiers! There’s no rush.” You Jiao was nevertheless a child of only sixteen, seventeen years of age. Since both his wet nurse and Wei Zhong Xian were telling him the same thing, he himself was more than happy to continue on with his pleasure-seeking adventures.

    Poor Xiong Ting Bi, for even though he knew that the palace was now being controlled by Wei and Ke, never could he have anticipated that You Jiao would be blinded to such a degree. The basket of memorials only led him to second-guess the Emperor’s intentions as he paced back and forth across the room, determined to compose an appeal of resignation. Yang Lian spoke up, “Brother Xiong, if you only wanted to test out the Emperor’s feelings, then I will not hinder you from sketching out an appeal of resignation, but there’s really no rush to write it out just now. The Minister of War, Yang Kun has just gone over to interrogate the Supreme Commander of the Nine Gates on those so-called bandits that had come to rob you and was captured yesterday. He’s there to see what sort of testament they’ve coughed up. So why don’t we wait until he returns before we discuss over our options again. What do you say?” Xiong Ting Bi’s lips only murmured two words, “Alright then” as he continued to pace back and forth around the room.

    Worried that all of this pent up frustration will only drive Xiong to sickness, Yang Lian suggested, “Old Xiong, what do you say to sitting down to a game of chess with me?” Xiong Ting Bi just replied with, “Alright then,” and had made only a few moves on the chessboard before his attendant and martial arts official Wang Can came in to report, “Military Commissioner, Head Escort Long, the Escort who had helped us deliver military supplies in the past has come to our doors with the young girl from the other day. They are asking to see you Commissioner.” With a grand sweep of his hands across the chessboard, Xiong announced, “Let’s say that I’ve lost this game” before turning to Wang Can with the order, “Invite them in right away!”
    At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napolean -- and my ambition has steadily grown ever since.

    ~ Salvador Dali


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    This news left Yue Ming Ke fretting to himself for he thought that Yu Luo Cha had come today to unleash havoc on him again and it would be hard to explain these complicated matters of romance in the presence of Military Commissioner Xiong. When Xiong Ting Bi noticed how Yue Ming Ke’s countenance wasn’t looking very right he asked, “What are you thinking about?” Yue Ming Ke replied, “This girl’s temper is very wild and untamed, I was just afraid that she would end up offending you Military Commissioner.” In response to this, Xiong Ting Bi erupted into thunderous laughter.

    Having taken Yue Ming Ke back by surprise, Xiong Ting Bi laughingly said, “I’ve come across a lot of cultured beasts wrapped in robes of silk during the last few days and would like very much to meet an untamed creature of the wild mountains.” Seeing Xiong’s spirits so uplifted, Yang Lian joined in the fun by saying, “Right, that girl’s swordsmanship is incredibly superb! Yesterday I was watching through the crack in the doors and saw how she whipped those villains to tears as they dropped to their knees and screamed for mercy. What a rush of satisfaction! I also want to meet her as well!” Not in a position to restrict or inhibit them, Yue Ming Ke could only attend to Xiong Ting Bi by standing by his side.

    After a short wait, Wang Can brought Long Da San and Yu Luo Cha into the room. Long Da San knelt down to the floor to pay his respects while Yu Luo Cha just performed a bow in accordance with the customary rites typically executed by males. Yu Luo Cha did not even bat an eye at Yue Ming Ke, but Xiong Ting Bi did not notice anything out of the ordinary as he addressed her, “I am much indebted to you for wielding your sword and coming to my rescue the other day. And yet, I still have not had the chance of being acquainted with the sweet notes of your name.” Yu Luo Cha burst into a giggle and said, “Sweet notes of my name? What on earth does that mean? My name is Lian Ni Shang, but the people of the Jianghu world like to call me Yu Luo Cha. Now that I think of it, nobody really calls me by my real name. So if you like, you can call me Ni Shang, but if you want, call me Yu Luo Cha!” A faint grin appeared on Xiong Ting Bi’s face as he said, “Miss Lian, you really are a frank person of frank words.”

    Wang Can poured out two fragrant cups of Jasmine tea and Yu Luo Cha downed hers in just one gulp as she then commented, “This cup is too small.” Xiong Ting Bi hurriedly instructed, “Right. Bring a big bowl over here! Miss Lian, do you drink wine? When I drink, I like to use big bowls myself.” Yu Luo Cha replied, “Why wouldn’t I drink wine? Though when I drink, I tend to use small cups. But I can’t drink today, so you don’t have to go through the trouble. Your tea tastes pretty good, I can certainly have another bowl.” Xiong Ting Bi’s heart was originally weighted down with a load of frustrated worries, but these few whimsical and original remarks of Yu Luo Cha’s has completely chased away the dark clouds in his troubled skies, propelling him to say with a chuckle, “Great. Have a seat then and let’s chat for a while.”

    Nudging Long Da San with her elbow, Yu Luo Cha simultaneously addressed Xiong, “But I can’t sit down to chat with you!” causing Xiong Ting Bi a startle before he laughed and said, “Right. The two of you must have come to see me regarding something. Da San, you tell me.” Long Da San began, “Honoured Military Commissioner, you are working ever so tirelessly for our country and now having traveled millions of miles to return home, not only has your humble servant brought you no gifts to express my gratitude and respect, but I have to furthermore …” Before Long Da San had a chance to finish his request, he was already interrupted by Yu Luo Cha who with eyebrows knitted together in crossed annoyance cried out, “What’s with you? You keep going on with these long sentences like you’re writing an essay, you’re not even getting to the point!”

    Xiong Ting Bi burst out into loud guffaws and said, “The words of this young miss are indeed correct. Old Long, you should be punished by taking another cup. Now hurry up and tell me, did you need my help for something?” Long Da San’s face bloated to a colour of beet red as he then continued hesitantly, “Has Honoured Master brought any Bear Galls back with you on this trip? I wanted to implore on your generosity to give some to me.” Xiong Ting Bi chuckled, "Is that all? Such a small favour is hardly worthy of mention. Of course, Bear Galls are the ideal herbs for minimizing pain and dissipating bruises, which will be put to perfect use in your escort agency. Wang Can, give half of what I’ve brought back to him” Xiong then continued, “I originally wanted to send some over to you, but because too much has happened in the last two days, I’ve forgotten.”

    Yu Luo Cha’s two eyes lit up and sparkled with animation as she suddenly said with a smile, “You’re alright for a government official, in fact your character’s pretty close to the heroes of our Underground world!” Yang Lian’s face immediately changed colours while Xiong Ting Bi only ripped out into boisterous laughter as he asked, “And you are a heroine of the Underground world then?” Yu Luo Cha replied, “Please! I don’t even know myself whether I am a hero of the Underground world” causing Xiong Ting Bi to chuckle again before he said with a grave seriousness, “It’s fine to be an Underground hero who acts out for justice and honour, but now that the Manchurians are about to storm into our country, it’s best that the heroes of the Underground world submit to the summons (1) of the government and join the battle against foreign invaders.”

    But Yu Luo Cha replied, “If an official like you went out and summoned people, there would probably be people who would be willing to listen to you. But if the other officials spoke out, who would bother listening to them? If you ask me, let’s not say who’s summoning who, but if the Manchurians do charge into here, we’ll fight them together!” Xiong Ting Bi was struck silent as he stared at Yu Luo Cha.

    Xiong Ting Bi himself was very aware of the decrepit corruption that was festering within the state as well as the “exterminate” attitude they’ve always carried towards the Underground bandits. As for so-called “summoning,” it was all said in the self-interest of a military commander who desired to amass support for himself in order that he may increase his own realm of power. It’s no wonder that Yu Luo Cha would say that the other officials would not be able to carry any authority, for indeed they were not capable of inciting within people the confidence they required in order for them to trust the state. Seeing Xiong Ting Bi stare at her with transfixion, Yu Luo Cha asked, “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?” to which Xiong replied, “No. What you’ve said is right.”

    Residing as the exalted official of the War Ministry, Yang Lian had received the Emperor’s orders (which was in actuality Madam Ke’s idea) to send Liu Ting Yuan over to ShaanXi to “obliterate the rebels” only two days ago. Now hearing Yu Luo Cha reveal her identity immediately induced him to think back to how within the document reports of ShaanXi’s crisis, there was a crowd of outlaws whose leader was a bandit called Yu Luo Cha. The fact that this bandit leader was a female caused Yang to take particular notice at that time, but never would he have expected that she would actually turn out to be the girl of such heavenly beauty that was standing before him at this very moment. Baffled and confounded, he was at loss with what to do and could only squirm around uncomfortably within his seat.

    Knowing exactly what was bothering Yang, Xiong Ting Bi could only laugh as he said, “Brother Yang, this young lady has come to visit me today and so let it be known that she is my friend.” Yang Lian mumbled, “Yes of course” while he was secretly thinking to himself how strange Xiong Ting Bi was for being so chummy with this female bandit, acting as if they really had been friends for many years. But since Xiong Ting Bi had already expressed his position towards this matter, Yang Lian could only let go of his anxieties and relax.

    By this time Wang Can had already brought out a big wrapped package of Bear Galls. Long Da San exclaimed, “Oh my! That’s too much!” but Xiong Ting Bi insisted, “It will eventually come in handy to your escort agency, so take it.” Long Da San took over the package of Bear Gall and was just about to express his intentions of leaving, but because Xiong Ting Bi was quite fond and appreciative of Yu Luo Cha, he really wished that he had a daughter exactly like her and thus when he noticed her sword, he suddenly smiled and asked, “Miss Lian, who taught you your sword skill?” Yu Luo Cha inquired in return, “Why do you ask?” Xiong Ting Bi explained, “Your sword skill is superb beyond means, and though I am no expert at the sword, I do like to watch others spar in swords.” Yu Luo Cha said, “It’s too bad you’re a high official, otherwise I would invite you to go and watch a sword fight today!”

    Xiong Ting Bi explained, “Miss Lian, this is my Grand Adjutant Yue Ming Ke …” inducing Yu Luo Cha to interrupt curtly, “I know.” Xiong continued, “His sword skill is number one amongst my military troop, would you be willing to engage in a sword competition with him? However, the two of you must take care to keep it only within the basis of a friendly competition, nobody is to be hurt.” But with an icy sneer, Yu Luo Cha said, “Ha! So you still wanna fight is that it Yue Ming Ke?! Fine! Let’s settle this right here right now!” as she pulled her sword out of her sheath.

    This caused Yang Lian to be so terrified that he immediately shot behind his chair and crouched down with fear. When Xiong Ting Bi noticed that there was a story behind her words, he hurriedly called out, “Hold on! Ming Ke, have you competed swords with her before?” Yu Luo Cha affirmed, “We’ve battled more than once. Oh sh*it! It’s getting late! If you’re not going back to the frontiers yet, I’ll explain everything to you later. Yue Ming Ke, let’s save battle for next time.” But because Xiong Ting Bi really did not wished to see her leave yet, he looked towards the shadow cast by the sun and said, “There’s still some time before noon, why would you say it’s getting late?” Worried that Xiong Ting Bi would insist that she stay behind to battle with Yue Ming Ke, Yu Luo Cha blurted out, “What do you know? I have a battle with Red Flower Demonic Matriarch!” Xiong Ting Bi remarked, “What Red Flower Demonic Matriarch? That name’s really strange!”

    Yue Ming Ke was nearly knocked over with alarm. His ShiFu Huo Tian Du was a resourceful and knowledgeable elder of the martial arts world, thus Yue Ming Ke has already heard his ShiFu mention the stories of the Red Flower Demonic Matriarch while he was still residing on the Heavenly Mountain. Yue hurriedly pulled Xiong Ting Bi over to one side and said, “Grand Master, I have something to say to you.” Yu Luo Cha cried out, “You can’t force me to stay here and compete swords with you!” Xiong Ting Bi reassured, “Don’t worry miss, since you have important matters to deal with, the sword competition can certainly wait until next time. Please wait here for a brief moment. Alright MingKe, whatever you have to say, say it now and say it fast.” Yue Ming Ke pulled Xiong Ting Bi behind one of the screens and did not reemerge for quite some time. All the while, Long Da San’s heart was thumping wildly about within his chest.

    Certain that Yue Ming Ke was unwilling to let Yu Luo Cha get away, Long Da San silently lamented to himself, “This Demoness is too brash! How dare she reveal her identity right in front of Xiong Ting Bi? If I knew she’d be like this, I wouldn’t have brought her along with me no matter what. Xiong Ting Bi is a high general, how could he possibly not arrest a notorious bandit? This time we’re done!

    Yu Luo Cha on the other hand was at perfect ease. Within the tone and speech of Xiong Ting Bi, there was naturally a force that incited within her reverence and trust. Since Xiong Ting Bi said that she was his friend, then she most definitely was his friend and there was simply no reason to doubt that. After a while, Xiong Ting Bi returned with Yue Ming Ke and said with a smile, “Miss Lian, come over here!” Without the slightest bit of unease or hesitation, Yu Luo Cha went up to Xiong Ting Bi.

    Xiong Ting Bi began, “I originally wanted to give you a present, but amidst the bustle of traveling, I was unable to bring out anything that can be worthy of a gift.” Yu Luo Cha interrupted with a hoot, “Ha! And I was wondering what it was that you wanted to talk to me about. Why did you get so formal with me all of a sudden? Since we are friends, there is no need for gifts. I’ve only taken gifts from vicious bandits throughout my whole life, but when it comes to my friends’ stuff, I never touch.” But Xiong Ting Bi continued, “Although I have nothing to give you, there is one item that I’d like to lend to you. After you’ve used it, you must return it to me.” Yu Luo Cha exclaimed, “Huh? You’re going to lend me something? That’s a new twist! Now I really want to see what this is.”

    Xiong Ting Bi therefore took out a pair of gloves and said with a smile, “Miss Lian, do you consider me as your friend?” Yu Luo Cha replied, “If I didn’t treat you as my friend, why would I stand here and talk to a big official like you for so long?” Xiong Ting Bi thus continued with gentle tenderness, “Then if I begged you to do something, would you promise me to do it?” Yu Luo Cha replied excitedly, “You need me to do something for you? No problem! Whether it’s walking over burning coals or jumping into a pool of fire, I would be there for you with no complaints!” Xiong Ting Bi explained, “Later when you go and compete swords with that Red Flower Demon Matriarch, you must put on this pair of gloves. After you’ve finished with it, bring it back to me.” Seeing how the pair of gloves faintly emanated a gold glimmer as if not made from an ordinary material induced Yu Luo Cha to like it quite a bit, thus she said, “Alright. I’ll listen to you then.” Xiong Ting Bi then saw her out himself, personally walking her to the front doors before he finally said his goodbyes.

    Yu Luo Cha flew back towards the escort agency. The servant of the agency had already formulated the pills and was only waiting for the Bear Gall of which they immediately grinded into small granules and mixed in with the pills. Long Da San took out two top quality bronze heart-shields and then wrapped up two packages of Sulphur (2), all of which he handed over to Yu Luo Cha to put away as he said, “It’s not convenient to exhibit your levitation skills in broad daylight, take my swift horse and when you reach the foot of the mountain, you can abandon it to scale the mountain by foot. Yu Luo Cha called out “Thank you” and having jumped on top of the horse began to gallop forward furiously. By the time she exited the capital’s gates, the high noon had already reached the centre of the skies, causing Yu Luo Cha to lament, “Sh*it! This is my first time being late for an engagement!”

    *********************************************
    (1) “Summons”: This is translated from the phrase “zhao an” which is a term used specifically to reference a political strategy that the government takes towards “rebels.” In ancient times, there were “bandits” (regarded as “Underground Heroes” by others) that have established their own force of power outside the governance of the palace courts and thus established their own authority as Lords. Unable to obliterate these forces of rebel powers, the government thus uses this “summon” tactic to offer the bandits a chance to “join” (but in actuality “surrender” to) their military. It is in actuality an agreement that allows the government to “excuse” these rebels from persecution under the conditions that they surrender their forces to the military.

    (2) “Sulphur”: Within the group of herbal ingredients listed in chapter 13, this element was listed as “realgar” (“xiong huang”) whereas here, it is being referred to as “sulphur” (“liu huang”). Realgar is a form of arsenic sulphide and was used as a medicine in Ancient China to ward off disease. The discrepancy between the two chapters is likely an overlooked error.
    At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napolean -- and my ambition has steadily grown ever since.

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  4. #164
    Member Faerie Queene's Avatar
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    Default that's all for now folks!

    Meanwhile, Taoist Priest White Stone and Zhuo Yi Hang had just left the Liu mansion and were in the midst of expediting to the West Mountain. As they were making their way there, Zhuo Yi Hang asked, “Uncle, why did you arrange to have the sword duel with her on the MiMo Cliff?” White Stone explained, “Under the crags of the MiMo Cliff there is a stone cave. According to legend, there was a monk from the Tang dynasty called “Master Lu” (3) that lived there. Master Lu is the ancestor of the Kun Lun Sword Sect, but the essence of his sword skill has long been lost, which is why the current Kun Lun Sword Sect was only able to inherit the mere shells of its former brilliance. They say that within the caves, you can still find artifacts left by Master Lu. Any martial art practitioner that passes by this place will most definitely spend all day marveling over its value and nearly forget to return home. Since you are the future leader of our sect, you should really come to broaden your knowledge. Besides, the MiMo Cliff is famous for its dangerous and deserted landscape, it’s hard to find a more suitable place to duel swords within the surrounding areas of Beijing.” But Zhuo Yi Hang was thinking to himself: How could I possibly care about sightseeing when you’re going to be dueling with Yu Luo Cha? His heart afflicted with troubled anxieties, the only thing Zhuo Yi Hang could concentrate on was what he could possibly do to prevent their conflict. Before he knew it, they had already arrived to the West Mountain.

    Taoist Priest White Stone looked towards the skies and murmured, “We’re early. It’s not yet noon.” Zhuo Yi Hang suggested, “Why don’t we go to the MiMo Cliff first and await her arrival?” causing White Stone to screech, “Await her?! Who does she think she is?” Although Zhuo Yi Hang did not dare to answer back, he was secretly thinking to himself: Why is it that uncle seems to be getting increasingly narrow-minded and bigoted these days? He wasn’t like this before” and then he thought to how all throughout the journey his uncle would try to push him to spend more time alone with his daughter. Could it be that his hatred towards Yu Luo Cha was somehow related to this matter as well? Troubled by these thoughts, Zhuo only became all the more miserable.

    When White Stone asked, “What are you thinking about?” Zhuo Yi Hang answered in return, “Nothing. Uncle, I was just thinking that it’s better to just forget this whole duel.” White Stone snapped, “Rubbish! The Wu Tang Sect never chickens out!” but was secretly thinking within his heart: However, there is advantage in arriving at the MiMo Cliff first, for it will allow me to scout out the area. Thus by picking up their pace they dashed up the mountain. After a while, they came into sight of a large jagging piece of rock that jutted out from the top of the mountain with a stretch of flatland underneath it. Its overall shape resembled very much that of a roaring lion. White Stone said, “That is the MiMo Cliff! Let’s hurry,” and by generating their levitation skills, the two of them hastened onwards. When they have reached the top, Taoist Priest White Stone suddenly unleashed a cry of alarm.

    On that flat stretch of land, there were piles of rocks arranged in what appeared to be some kind of maze, causing White Stone to muse, “What tricks are Yu Luo Cha up to now?” as he stepped into the set-up with Zhuo Yi Hang. After walking around for a bit, he found that there appeared to be hundreds and thousands of niches and nooks, comprising an effect both complicated and bizarre. The set-up seemed to be arranged in accordance with the principles of the Five-Elements (4) and Eight-Trigrams (5) Formations, and though the Wu Tang manuals also had writings on formations based on the Five-Elements and Eight-Trigrams, Taoist Priest White Stone was not well versed in them at all. Therefore even after twisting and turning through the maze for quite a while, he was still unable to find the point of exit. Aggravated, White Stone huffed, “I don’t care what that Demon is up to, but I’m going to wipe out all her stones first!” and with a stretch and sweep of his leg, kicked a pile of rocks into the air and sent them smashing into each other, dismantling quite a few rock piles. White Stone guffawed with pleased laughter.

    But before he could indulge in his share of glee, a chilling and eerie screech rang out as someone screamed, “Who’s the dirty little scoundrel that dares to mess around my training maze?” The pitch of that voice was so piercingly high, it seemed as if someone was shrieking directly into your eardrums. Aghast, Taoist Priest White Stone’s eyes darted all around him but when he didn’t see so much as a shadow, called out in return, “What sort of demon is out there?” And suddenly, a sight leaped out in front of his eyes.

    From behind a pile of rocks, there appeared a yellow and frail old woman. With the skin of a hen and the hair of an eagle, she carried a walking stick in her hand and wore a red flower in her hair to complete a look both odd and bizarre. It was as if a ghostly apparition had suddenly materialized or a mountain demon had instantaneously been born. What appeared to be a smile and yet similarly resembling of a frown appeared on her face that caused even someone as sure and bold as White Stone to feel a series of shivers rocket down his spine and strike deep within his heart.

    The old matron slowly wobbled into the centre of the stone maze and then hollered, “Hey kids, what are your names? What’s your martial arts lineage and why did you come here! Speak now and don’t you dare hold a word back!” Residing as one of the Wu Tang Five Elders, Taoist Priest White Stone was already 51 years of age. When has he ever been so disrespected to the point of being referred to as a “kid”? Infuriated, he barked back, “Haven’t you ever heard others speak of the name Wu Tang Five Elders?” The old matron’s rolled her eyes and said coolly, “What Wu Tang Five Elders? Never heard of it.” The fame of the Wu Tang Five Elders was established only within the last ten years, but this old woman has already been in seclusion for thirty years. Thirty years ago, Taoist Priest White Stone was still a young lad in his early twenties and had in no way developed his “Five Elders” fame yet. Thus when the old woman said that she didn’t know who he was, she was indeed speaking the truth. But White Stone was convinced that the great name of the “Wu Tang Five Elders” was unfamiliar to no one in the world, thus hearing the old matron speak with such nonchalant disregard drove him hopping mad.

    With a low bow, Zhuo Yi Hang asked with respectful humility, “Dare I ask for your name elder?” The old woman broke into a big grin and said, “That’s more like it. At least this kid knows some manners” and then pointed to the red flower in her hair and said, “Since you’re able to scale the MiMo Cliff, you should by logic possess a fair degree of ability. I suppose you kids were taught by a high master? So why didn’t your elders ever mention anything to you? Do you know about the background behind this red flower?”

    Trembling with anxious fright, Zhuo Yi Hang shook his head. But now suddenly reminded of the title Red Flower Demon Matriarch, White Stone jumped up with fright as he blurted out, “You witch! You’re actually still alive?” Enraged, Red Flower Demon Matriarch plunged forth with her walking stick and screamed, “Dirty Priest! Taste the lick of my stick!” Already past her sixties, Red Flower Demon Matriarch was just a few years younger than the former leader of the Wu Tang sect Taoist Priest Purple Sun. Therefore White Stone has indeed heard his elder martial arts brother mention the story of Red Flower Demon Matriarch. But even though he knew that she was a powerful opponent, he still believed in his heart that the thirteen skilled fighters who had gathered together in the Northwest regions thirty years ago were not first rate martial artists and therefore did not find it particularly astonishing that they were all defeated. And as for the legend concerning Red Flower Demon Matriarch’s supernatural powers, he was convinced that it was all part of an exaggerated myth. As a result, even though he stood poised for battle, he was in actuality not particularly afraid.

    Red Flower Demon Matriarch shouted, “Little stinker! Why aren’t you striking your stance?” to which White Stone retorted back, “Witch! Why aren’t you striking your stance?” Thus with a sweep of her stick, Red Flower Demon Matriarch swept towards the pile of stones, sending forth a mass of rocks that rocketed into the air and sliced past White Stone’s body without hitting him but creating such a cloud of grit that it covered White Stone from head to toe with dust. Livid, Taoist Priest White Stone’s bronze sword flashed through mid air as he suddenly struck out with the stance “Threading the Golden Needle” that targeted straight towards Red Flower Demon Matriarch’s throat!

    With just a lift of her hand, Red Flower Demon Matriarch’s walking stick came crashing down and forced White Stone to quickly slide over with a side-bend of his body. Then with a fling of his sword’s blade, White Stone stumbled quite a few steps out to the side with an embarrassing lack of composure as the spot between his thumb and index finger burned with stinging pain. Both startled and steaming with anger, with two revolutions of his sword, White Stone turned around and retaliated by striking out with an obliterating move of Wu Tang’s 72 Styles of Sequential Swords, where by the time the first stance was struck out, the second stance had already arrived with lightning speed! But with just a lift of her walking stick, Red Flower Demon Matriarch dismantled both stances in one just move while saying, “The fact that you were able to escape alive under my stick proves that your abilities aren’t too shabby.”

    White Stone only charged forth again with fury and in just a blink of an eye executed seven stances, each and every one of them dismantled by Red Flower Demon Matriarch who continued, “Not bad, but where have I seen this sword skill before? He who can exhibit a sword skill of such caliber these days can be said to belong to the ranks of the first rate fighters.” But amongst all this taunting and talking, she continued to strike back. Taoist Priest White Stone was forced to back up continually as he leapt over quite a few rock piles.

    Gradually trapped within the stone maze by Red Flower Demon Matriarch, White Stone understood very well that it would be hard for him to escape, but with his footwork executed in accordance to the Houses (6) of the Eight-Trigrams, he flourished his sword skill with an intensity that allowed neither wind nor rain to penetrate. Red Flower Demon Matriarch has already attacked with over fifty stances and though White Stone was driven to the point of where he was drenched in sweat, he continued his solid defense and by exerting his all to withstand her attacks, actually managed to reveal no weaknesses.

    Red Flower Demon Matriarch suddenly halted her attacks to shout, “Who is Taoist Priest Purple Sun to you?” By now, conflicted by feelings of both shame and resentment, White Stone no longer wanted to bring up the title of the “Wu Tang Five Elders” and thus only took advantage of this brief lapse in her attacks to strike out with the two stances “Falcon punctures high heavens” and “Fish glides through clear waters” that directly attacked Red Flower Demon Matriarch’s top and bottom vital spots. This caused Red Flower Demon Matriarch to thunder angrily, “Little scoundrel! You don’t even recognize mercy when you see it!” and with a sweep of her walking stick dismantled the two obliterating moves. Her left palm then pushed forward to conjure up a wind that howled wildly about and brought forth a storm of rocks and sand that crashed down with a force so powerful, it was truly frightening! Just fighting off her dragon head walking stick was already enough of a struggle for White Stone, but now that she’s thrown in her palm strikes to boost her force, he found it even harder to withstand and as a result his sword skill became increasingly more disordered.

    When Zhuo Yi Hang saw that things were not looking good, he braved the storm of sand and stones to barge into the fighting circle with his sword in hand, causing Red Flower Demon Matriarch to muse, “Oh? You too?” as she simultaneously utilized her palm and stick to trap the two of them within the stone maze. Every strike of her stick that Zhuo blocked, brought forth an impact that rattled his whole body from head to toe. Knowing that her reserve of Qi was simply too powerful and thus impossible for him to withstand, Zhuo could only resort to using the ingenuity of fast moves to help his uncle maintain his defense. But Red Flower Demon Matriarch seemed to be particularly merciful towards Zhuo for she only brushed aside his attacks and did not utilize her annihilating moves to harm him.

    In terms of sword skill and martial arts, Zhuo Yi Hang ranked as number one within the second generation Wu Tang disciples and was only slightly below that of even Taoist Priest White Stone himself. Thus the fact that Red Flower Demon Matriarch was letting Zhuo Yi Hang off easy worked greatly to White Stone’s advantage, since he was now able to extract himself from danger and actually find the opportunity to retaliate. After fighting for a while, Red Flower Demon Matriarch called out, “In the past when the thirteen first rate fighters joined their powers to fight me, they were only able to execute up to five hundred or so stances. Today you’ve already reached more than three hundred stances so I can’t go easy on you anymore!” and with a front sweep and side swerve of her walking stick, her palm struck out to shock from afar while impacting up close.

    Caught amidst the tornado of a sand storm, Zhuo Yi Hang stared into the face of death as he tried to withstand her attack, but when he watched Red Flower Demon Matriarch’s walking stick prick towards his martial art uncle’s chest, he charged forward with his sword in an panic attempt to target the left side of her body. Even though he knew very well that he would never be able to hurt her, his only goal was to alleviate his uncle from danger. But with a lift of her left palm, Red Flower Demon Matriarch called out, “Go now!” and Zhuo Yi Hang immediately felt himself being tossed up high into the air.

    Zhuo glided through the clouds and landed outside the confines of the stone maze. When he scrambled to get up, he discovered that he was not hurt in the least bit, causing him to be completely mystified. But it was also at this time that he heard his uncle cry out in excruciating pain as he too, was thrown outside the stone maze. Zhuo Yi Hang hurriedly ran up to him only to discover that the front of his uncle’s shirt was torn into shreds as two long streaks of purplish blade cuts dragged across his chest. The colour of his face had blanched to an ashen grey, his breath barely hanging by a thread.

    Zhuo Yi Hang burst out into loud sobs and with his sword raised he charged towards Red Flower Demon Matriarch while screaming tearfully, “Witch! You’ve hurt my uncle, I’m going to kill you!” causing Red Flower Demon Matriarch to say, “Huh? Now you’re calling me a witch too?” as she slowly raised her walking stick. Just when Zhuo Yi Hang was about to charge into the stone maze again, he suddenly heard somebody call out, “Yi Hang! Yi Hang!” causing Zhuo to stop dead in his tracks as he hollered out, “Lian jiejie! Come quickly and help me kill this witch!” And in just a blink of an eye, both Tie Fei Long and Yu Luo Cha have arrived.

    Such is: The Demon Matriarch encounters the Luo Cha, upon the crags of the MiMo Cliff a winner will be determined.

    ************************************************** *****
    (3) “Master Lu”: Translated from LuShi (refer to footnote in chapter 13).
    (4) “Five-Elements”: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth
    (5) “Eight-Trigrams”: Kan, Li, Dui, Zhen, Xun, Qian, Kun and Gen
    (6) “Houses”: A position within the Eight-trigrams representing one of its elements. There are thus 8 houses within the Eight-trigrams (Kan, Li, Dui, Zhen, Xun, Qian, Kun, Gen) each representing one of the 8 elements (commonly translated as: Water, Fire, Marsh, Thunder, Wind, Heaven, Earth and Mountain).
    At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napolean -- and my ambition has steadily grown ever since.

    ~ Salvador Dali


  5. #165
    Registered User JamesG's Avatar
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    Gosh! We had begun to think that you had abdicated and gone into seclusion.
    Thanks Faerie Queene
    Wizard

  6. #166
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    It took awhile to notice, like a month afterward.

    But Many Thanks.

  7. #167
    Senior Member Han Solo's Avatar
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    Bump.

    Anyone has contact with FaQ or are interested in continuing this translations?

    Han Solo

    EDIT- merged a similar topic in the past.
    Wuxiapedia

    Quote Originally Posted by bliss
    I think they're probably at the same level as or one level below Ah Qing, which is about the level of a 2nd or 3rd generation Quan Zhen disciple.
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  8. #168
    Senior Member ghostdarTeal'c's Avatar
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    yeah....ive been waiting for the rest of the chapters too....is she even considering to continue?she isnt quitting, is she? cuz that's gonna be such a bummer...i really wanna read this story...
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    yup, had been waiting for this very long time. hope Faerie Queene will continue...

  10. #170
    Senior Member Bai Qi44's Avatar
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    yup, had been waiting for this very long time. hope Faerie Queene will continue...
    She won't. She's too busy these days and she's lost total interest in wuxia (like I did for several years).


    Quote Originally Posted by Han Solo View Post
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Bump.

    Anyone has contact with FaQ or are interested in continuing this translations?

    Han Solo

    EDIT- merged a similar topic in the past.

    Yup, me. I called her a couple of months ago and she stated that she's not going to do this anymore. She's super busy in her production/acting/directing/film career. I think she's moving to New York from Toronto (if she hasn't already done so). She's just not into wuxia anymore (and I'm almost the same way).
    青山不改,绿水长留. 请啊!

    http://www.geocities.com/wackyjlee/Others/lee.swf <----Chen Zhen (Bruce Lee version) kicking arse

  11. #171
    Senior Member Han Solo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bai Qi44 View Post
    She won't. She's too busy these days and she's lost total interest in wuxia (like I did for several years).





    Yup, me. I called her a couple of months ago and she stated that she's not going to do this anymore. She's super busy in her production/acting/directing/film career. I think she's moving to New York from Toronto (if she hasn't already done so). She's just not into wuxia anymore (and I'm almost the same way).
    Pass my regards to FaQ- she'll do pretty well i hope in the arts- being so passionate about it and also being pretty as well.

    Han Solo
    Wuxiapedia

    Quote Originally Posted by bliss
    I think they're probably at the same level as or one level below Ah Qing, which is about the level of a 2nd or 3rd generation Quan Zhen disciple.
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  12. #172
    Senior Member rati4u's Avatar
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    this was nice story and it really is hurting that one friend lost interest in wuxia

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    Quote Originally Posted by rati4u View Post
    this was nice story and it really is hurting that one friend lost interest in wuxia
    Yes it is. This story could only be found through Faerie Queens translation. The movies and series aren't even in close proximity with the actual novel. I was going to pick up the novel in Vietnamese and attempt to translate it myself but sadly this novel is so rare that it's translation, even in Vietnamese is non existent or extremely hard to find. My dad who's been reading wuxia novels for 30 years is yet t pick a copy up. The future of this novel looks grave, it looks to be a story which will remain incomplete.

  14. #174

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    does anyone know what is the series title? i really miss this female bandit..

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    may heaven send a hero to continue this work

  16. #176
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    bump.

    does any1 know there is a tv series for this wuxia novel.

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    Senior Member Han Solo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snapper View Post
    bump.

    does any1 know there is a tv series for this wuxia novel.
    This is actually a very very famous novel in terms of tv/films adaptations- it's even a character in Forbbiden kingdom (that horrible Jet Li/Jacky movie).

    There are numerous adaptations- the most recent TVB adaptation came in the 1990s starring ada.

    There's a few movies too including a couple by Brigitte Lin http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106343/

    Han Solo
    Wuxiapedia

    Quote Originally Posted by bliss
    I think they're probably at the same level as or one level below Ah Qing, which is about the level of a 2nd or 3rd generation Quan Zhen disciple.
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    Let us not forget the Taiwanese series based on this novel with Shui Ling! (of which I am currently watching) Though I now wonder, where is this novel avalible for sale in english? I've looked everywhere and can't find it. (you could say I do not like to be left hanging in the middle of a well written novel)

    (Han I liked that movie, it has its boring moments yes but otherwise quite good!)
    Local Li Bingbing/Shui Ling addict
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  19. #179
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    Default The legend of the White Haired Maiden

    There are a couple of tv series still available. One is the 40 episode version with Shui Ling and Julian Cheung called "Legend of the White Haired Maiden". It is lovely to watch in certain scenes because of that very beautiful actress Shui Ling but also because of some excellent fight scenes albeit embellished with the colouring of the flashing swords. There is a superior tvb series with Ada Choi in the title role that is 20 episodes long called "Romance of the White Haired Maiden". This latter one is closer to the novel. The two movies I know of is the artistically beautiful film, "Bride with White Hair" with Bridget Lin and Leslie Cheung. The other is "The White Haired Devil Lady" with Bao QiJing in the title role. Bao QiJing is the sister of the Oscar winning cinematographer Peter Pau (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Bride With White Hair, Forbidden Kingdom etc.). "The White Haired Devil Lady" is harder to find. For TV series', I like the Ada Choi series for her depth of performance.

    I hope someone is brave enough to translate this story. There is a timeless quality to this story that is subtle. This adventure wuxia novel stands head and shoulders among the best ever written.

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    I hope someone picks up the tanslation too, the white haired Demoness is killing my head. I've been drawing her and thinking about the story for 3 months straight. She's the ultimate femme fatale (beautiful and demonic) and I really, really, really wanna know what happens next ;_;.

    No there is no translation of the book for sale in English, (I looked) even in Vietnamese ;_;. I have no idea ow this is going to pick up.

    I've seen some clips of most of the White Haired Demoness adaptins and have seen the Shui Ling version entirely. Shui Ling was beautiful and looked great with Julian and her acting was confident but that series was reallly bad. It only only had a few fight scenes, most of it was talk and they director didn't capture the demonic side of Lian Ni Chang well. I remember she let this girl call her un ugly witch who was neither human or a demon. The real Lian Ni Chang would have tried to kill her or kick her ***. Watch it if you like the love scenes though and want to see the beautiful Shui Ling, otherwise it's really bad.

    I saw a few clips of Romance of the White Haired Maiden. I don't think it's follows completely the adaption but it was good, Lian Ni Chang was more kick *** and demonic than the Shui Ling version. Ada is very pretty too so that's a bonus.

    The movie with Brigette is too short to be accurate but it had the best wuxia movie plot in the space of like 2 hours and Brigette Lin is the best actress for Lian Ni Chang. Not the most beautiful but the most talented. No one can capture the demonic Lian Ni Chang better than her. One of her glares can shoot murderous dangers at you, she doesn't look annoyed or stern like all rhe other actresses but truly demonic. Brigette Lin is my favourite actress for Lian Ni Chang because of that and she manages to still look beautiful despite being I think 40 something at the time. I don't think anyone can play murderous roles or capture Lian Ni Chang ike her.

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