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.