Eastern Bird - Martial Arts Fiction

[BambooForests]

Hi,

I'm a new member here but I have been following most of the postings here for some time. Due to incompetance in reading Chinese, I had to rely on the old Wuxia series and the English translations here to enjoy the works of Jin Yong.

This is my first attempt at writing a story. Due to time-constraints, the story will be updated weekly. Feel free to comment and I hope you enjoy the story.

[BambooForests]

Chapter 1 – Encounter with the Bushi

“There was a man who was chased by tigers. He ran to the edge of a cliff and fell off. He was able to hang on to a vine that teetered above jagged rocks from a dizzying height. Two mice began gnawing on the vine. The man saw a strawberry. He picked it and ate it… and it tasted good.”

“Father, then what happened?”

“Xi Ping, the story has finished.”

“But why would the man care about a strawberry? Why doesn’t he find a way to escape?”

“It’s time to practice your martial arts; your mother is waiting outside.”

“But father!”

“Let’s go, you will come to understand in time.”

The father and son approached the door to leave the house. It was a beautiful day, the sea breeze was fresh and the sun shone brightly. Father and son walked side-by-side into the grass clearing where Cheung Lan was waiting. Xi Ping called out to his mother yet Cheung Lan remained still and motionless staring straight ahead. Mitsuharu majestically walked beside his wife and asked “What’s wrong?”

“Look,” replied Cheung Lan.

Seven men turned the corner into view. Six were carrying curved swords of the form used by Japanese bushi. One of whom was wearing the full leather armour and helmet set of a samurai characterizing him as the leader of the group. The seventh man was short and stout. He was wearing white with three blue streaks running diagonally across the shoulder of his gown.

They arrogantly approached the family marching forward in great strides. The warriors stopped and stood at attention while the man in a samurai garb stepped forward and asked “Are you Mitsuharu Chengko?”

“Yes, I am the one you seek,” replied Mitsuharu.

“You murdered your lord and destroyed his family. In order to avoid punishment, you have hid here in China for fifteen years. You are a great dishonour for the Bushido. You may redeem yourself by performing ritual suicide; otherwise, we will execute you in accordance with the way of the Bushi.”

“I, Mitsuharu, did not murder my lord. My lord was poisoned by the demon cult.”

Upon hearing this, the short man in white retorted “That’s impossible! The honourable and just Heavenly Rain sect eliminated the demon cult fifty years ago at the Battle of Xi’an. Full evidence of your crimes has been provided to us and it is the duty of our sect to ensure justice in this world. Mister Tsutomi, you may deal with them as if you were in the land of the DongYi [1]. The courts are already aware of this incident and have given their consent.”

With that the man in the samurai garb motioned his hand and his five men stepped forward and approached Xi Ping’s father. Mitsuharu turned so that most of his back was exposed to the nearest attacker. That attacker angrily yelled “You dare to mock me!”

The attacker dashed forwards and performing a powerful horizontal slash at the waste level to prevent any evasive movements. Mitsuharu stood motionless until the sword almost touched him, then he unsheathed his odachi long sword and performed a figure eight motion with lightening speed. This parried the strike and the final part of the movement killed the first attacker.

Cheung Lan unsheathed her Chinese sword with her right hand and released several darts with her left hand hitting three of the four men leaving them paralyzed by sealing their key yudeo [2] points. Xi Ping was shaking in fear at the sight of death. He was fifteen and has never witnessed real combat. His mother sparred with him before but none of the moves used were supposed to be lethal. He felt extreme nausea at the sight of blood as his father sheathed his sword and dispatched the last attacker with a single swift draw to the throat.

Both factions stared at each other waiting to see who will make the next move. The man in the samurai armour raised his palm towards Mitsuharu while staying out of range of the sword. Nothing happened. Both Mitsuharu and the man frowned while Cheung Lan had a slight grin on her face. All three simultaneously stated “I thought your kind was dead.”

Cheung Lan released a dart while the samurai was still focused on Mitsuharu. The man heard it and caught it; however, this distracted him and allowed Mitsuharu to eliminate him with an incredibly fast draw. Xi Ping attention shifted as he watched the strange movements of the man in white; it was very light and fast as if the person was floating. That look changed to horror when the man flew by him and placed a dagger by his throat. Both parents froze and worriedly stared at the precarious situation their son was under. The man in white calmly said “There is no need to follow righteous rules when dealing with the despicable. Drop your weapons.”

Cheung Lan, Mitsuharu, and Xi Ping dropped their swords on the ground. Xi Ping felt disgraced and wretched. Not only did he fail to do anything, now he has put his entire family in jeopardy. Using Xi Ping as a human shield, the man in white ensured that no part of his body was exposed to Cheung Lan’s darts. He used only one eye to peek over the shoulder of Xi Ping. Xi Ping noticed that his sword was on the ground leaning on his leg with its tip pointed up. He slowly picked up the sword by the blade while the man holding him was yelling at his mother to drop all her darts. When the sword was horizontal with the ground, his parents saw his intentions. Cheung Lan yelled out “Don’t do it!”

The man in white misinterpreted and gave a cold laugh. Suddenly, the warm body in front of him had a cold spot in the middle. Cold, unforgiving steel has tasted his flesh and has pierced through his stomach. Xi Ping removed his sword and both he and the man in white fell with injuries to the midsection.

1 DongYi (east bird) was the way people from Japan and surrounding islands were called in China

2 Yudeo refers to certain points in the body, that when hit in a certain way, will produce abnormal effects. These effects may be good or bad and include paralysis, healing, and death.

<font size="1">[ May 10, 2003: Message edited by: BambooForests ]</font>

<font size="1">[ May 10, 2003: Message edited by: BambooForests ]</font>

[jeh]

Great beginning, please update soon. I really want to know what will happen next.

[BambooForests]

Hey Jeh, thanks for reading.


Chapter 2 – The Coral

Several young adult spectators watched two contestants battling each other in the centre of the arena. One of the combatants was a man wielding dual sabers. His techniques were fancy, fast, and powerful. His opponent was an old lady who used a wooden sword. Her techniques were very smooth and linked. It was as though she did not have any technique. She lacked the strength and speed to score any initiative. Her opponents’ techniques were refined and tricky. Despite all these advantages, he could not score any definite advantage. The fight was spectacular due to the martial prowess and the contrast of both styles. Hoping to break the stalemate, the saber-wielder performed his finisher silent gale hoping to end the fight in one move. The swordfighter dashed backwards to avoid the attack and prepared to counter-attack when a chain whip shot straight out of the saber-wielder’s sleeve. This was a devious move because a chain whip used in this way is the same as using a retrievable secret projectile. The old woman made a fierce block sending both the man and her back a few steps.

The man saluted the elderly woman then turned towards the crowd and said “That concludes the demonstration of techniques of each of our respective branches. If you wish to join Coral, you must first choose a branch that you wish to join and train under the branch leader. When you’re under training, you must act honourably and follow the code of ethics as if you were a Coral member. A select few may even join the ranks of our elites called the Lunar Reflection. Coral members are required to serve the institution for ten years upon completion of training. I wish you all success and hope to see you in our missions throughout Wulin.”

The old woman added “Well said! Master Ximon Feiyu here is the leader of the shark branch. He is a brilliant man with a strong foundation in Shaolin martial arts, you will learn well from him.”

Ximon cupped his hands and replied “Thank you Master Gwae. It is indeed true that the particular Japanese redwood used to make your sword is more resilient than steel, the chain whip of mine will need to be replaced. Master Gwae has lots of experience in Jiang Hu, she is also the only member in Coral with training in the martial arts of the Wudang. It is a pleasure for Coral to welcome Master Gwae into the position of branch leader.”

Xi Ping watched these events in awe. His stomach still ached but at least he was no longer bedridden. Sadness welled up in him at the sudden change of events in his life. His parents needed to return to Japan and he was sent here – a place filled with strangers along the Eastern coast of China.

“Xi Ping! What do you think of that Shark branch? That was spectacular, I’ve never seen anything like that in my life! Finally, someone who can teach me the chain whip.” exclaimed Loe Chok To.

Chok To was a recent acquaintance who took it upon himself to help Xi Ping around due to Xi Ping’s injuries. Xi Ping replied, “I think I’ll enter the turtle branch, I’ve seen the techniques of that master somewhere before.”

“Ha ha, Xi Ping, do you want to be called a turtle?”

“Of course, that’s wh… Wait, did you just call me a turtle?”

“Forget it. Let’s go sign up. That master Gwae is indeed very strange. Wudang only accepts male disciples. How did she learn its martial arts?”

The number of applicants entering into each branch was surprisingly well divided. The branch leaders had expected this. Since all the younger applicants came from different backgrounds, they organized the branches to best cover the different philosophies and preferences of different people.

Training officially started the next week. Branch leader Gwae wanted to give an example of the importance of defense. She ordered her niece to come up and demonstrate. Master Gwae then asked one of the newly recruited members to come up and attack. He happened to be a young monk.

The monk greeted the branch leader and respectfully said “Hua Yu pays his respect to master.”

“Good. Are you from Shaolin? If yes, how were you able to pass the tests and descend the mountain?”

“We were from Shaolin. We don’t want to go into the details.”

“We? Fair enough. Hua Yu and Lei Fa, are both of you ready?”

“Yes” replied the two apprentices.

“Hua Yu, attack!”

“But master, I didn’t learn any martial arts at Shaolin.”

“It doesn’t matter. I want to show the importance of a good defense. She is well trained, it is unlikely either of you will be injured… what are you waiting for? Attack!”

“Okay.”

Hua Yu screamed at the top of his lungs, charged and leaped at his opponent. His apprentice-sister expertly dodged the attack and Hua Yu fell and lay sprawled on the ground. During his wild flailing on the ground, he felt his calf touch something and quickly clamped his other foot on it. This maneuver just so happened to trip his senior apprentice-sister causing her face to blush after losing face in front of her master and junior apprentice-siblings.

Her aunt said “Lei Fa, have a seat,” then sighed and said under her breath “Only with knowledge of the attack can any defence be formed.”

As with any group of people in Wulin, the turtle branch had several unique characters all with varying levels of initial martial arts. After several months of training, a few members stood out. Lei Fa demonstrated very high potential developing qi-gong faster than the rest. Hua Yu was very diligent and worked hard in developing a good defense. Kwok Da Kong was a mysterious character. He refused to show anyone his full martial potential; Master Gwae suspects that he is perhaps the most powerful fighter in the group. The most intriguing person was Xi Ping. After his injury healed, it was obvious that he received training in the past on cultivating qi. Yet he was completely unable to use qi. It just didn’t flow in him. Despite this disadvantage, he can spar on par with any of his apprentice brothers and sisters who utilize qi.

Branch leader Gwae was a very meticulous person. She made it a point to personally spar and give a private lesson to every member of her branch. When it came time for Xi Ping to receive his private lesson, Master Gwae instructed “Xi Ping, use everything you know to try to defeat me. This is the only way to advance, if you hide your abilities, then how do you know what works and what does not? By the way, feel free to use secret projectiles. An enemy would not hold back, why should you?”

Xi Ping acknowledged and dashed forward with his best techniques. Xi Ping had been thinking of several ways of breaking the defenses he was taught and tried to apply these methods on his master. Of course these were easily repelled. It did not matter if he used darts or sword techniques; his master always seemed to be able to predict his stances. After some time, his master counter-attacked and started to test Xi Ping’s defensive abilities. Xi Ping was able to hold his own against his master.

Master Gwae was pleased and advanced into the second level meant for students who have had a few years of training to challenge Xi Ping. Xi Ping faltered and could not handle the pressure, he rolled out to re-compose himself. He sheathed his sword and stood up with most of his back tilted towards his master. Master Gwae paused, she recognized this stance before. To test her hunch, she performed a wide horizontal slash with great speed. This technique was bold, unlike any technique of the turtle branch. Xi Ping saw this before; it was the same technique the bushi used against his father. He waited until the sword almost touched him before spinning around and performing the figure eight maneuver with the sword. His master anticipated this and withdrew her sword before it could be disarmed and stabbed forward. Xi Ping parried while sheathing his sword in one motion. His master backed up one step and raised her palm in an ominously familiar fashion. Xi Ping unsheathed the sword with an upward stroke attack. He did so with tremendous speed and just missed his master. She felt the coldness of steel barely pass by her face. She was paying too much attention on teaching him that if Xi Ping did not tilt the blade away, his master would have lost part of her nose.

Upon executing this technique, Xi Ping spit blood and dropped on the ground convulsing severely. During the execution of the last two techniques, Xi Ping’s mind wandered back to his home. This brought back feelings of anger, frustration, and fear causing him to suddenly gain power and lose his track of reality. Fortunately, he regained his senses before hurting his master. Unfortunately, this power was now out of control in his body causing him great pains. His master was able to press key yudeo points to help Xi Ping regain control. She then asked “Xi Ping, you’ve entered my branch for a particular purpose. You are not interested in learning turtle branch martial arts, what are you interested in learning?”

He softly replied “Demon hunting.” [1]

Master Gwae could not believe what she heard. The demon hunters were a rare breed of fighters. This trump card was used against the demon clan fifty years ago and was the deciding factor in the elimination of the demon clan. Only the older generation should know of this now obsolete group. In reality, Xi Ping stumbled upon this by accident. He knew that the demon cult was a powerful group responsible for framing his father and he guessed that the attackers were part of the cult. He did not know anything about the demon hunters.

“Xi Ping, what makes you think that I know ‘demon hunting’?”

Xi Ping bluffed “I have seen the demon cult technique once. The way they stand and the way they fight gives me a weird feeling. I received a similar feeling when you fought Master Ximon and once more when I sheathed my sword.”

“Why did you not suspect me to be of the demon clan then?”

“You cannot be in the demon clan since they exist only in Japan.”

“You are partly correct. I’m not in the demon cult but the demon cult has returned for some time. Are you sure you want to learn demon hunting?”

Xi Ping immediately knelt down to kow-tow to his master. Master Gwae held him up and laughed “You are already my disciple. I haven’t expelled you, so you don’t need to become my disciple again.”

“Yes Master.”

“Out of all the martial arts you wished to study this one. Very well, at least this way, it will not be lost. There are now only three demon hunters alive at the present time. I am one of them. You are the second. You are not to speak a word of this to anyone. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. The demon hunters were a group of fighters who used the demon clan’s techniques against them. Actually, the demon clan was not known by that name. They used to be called the Yuansan clan. Regardless, today is the first day of your training as a demon hunter. Remember always to be compassionate, take responsibility for your actions, and protect what is good and virtuous. If you strike out in anger, fear, or hate, ‘for eternity shall the path of damnation you walk.’”

[1] Demon Hunting – This term is not related to the Demon hunters of Warcraft III. I just couldn’t think of a better term for the Chinese word pronounced “Moh” with a high pitch.

[BambooForests]

Chapter 3 – Taiwan

The years passed by quickly. Xi Ping was now eighteen and his generation of recruits were given their first mission. Coral was bustling with excitement as each branch began their expedition to Zhejiang. There were several reports of pirates raiding and pillaging the villagers there. The Ming forces were unable to quell the attacks because the pirates were more maneuverable and retreated to the nearby islands at the first signs of an army. The government in Fujian decided to hire the services of Coral to help its neighbour handle these threats. Unlike most societies in Wulin, Coral has good relations with the government and is often hired to perform tasks because of Coral’s competence in small skirmishes.

The Coral members traveled in small groups and took different paths to their destination. This was done so that the members gained experience in Jiang Hu. Xi Ping was traveling with his friends Hua Yu, Lei Fa, and Chok To. They sat at a restaurant to dine and overheard a conversation between two men in white who were drinking wine at a nearby table.

“Did you hear, Ji Beet Sing has sent an additional three thousand taels of gold to help quell the Wo’ Kou pirates and aid the commoners.”

“The other societies have not shown such enthusiasm in charitable acts. Our leader deserves to be the leader of Wulin for the common good of Jiang Hu.”

“Not to mention the strength of our sect’s martial arts. Beet Sing means always victorious. At the highest level, our martial arts cannot be matched by Shaolin, Wudang, Coral, or any other orthodox martial art.”

“Yes, but reaching that level is a pain. We haven’t even received our first stripe yet and we have been training for over five years.”

Hua Yu placed the tea cup on his lips, paused, and said “Guys wait, we think there is something in the tea,” then whispered “I think it is poison. No, you’re wrong, it’s fried rice. Who puts fried rice in tea? It’s fried rice… no, no you are right about the poison,” before saying “There is poison in the tea.”

Chok To slammed his fist on the table yelling “Poison! Heart-dissolving poison! Your grandfather. What wretched scoundrel did this?”

Xi Ping said “Keep your composure. There may be several crouching tigers and hidden dragons in this restaurant.”

Hua Yu looked around and said “We believe it is her. No, you think it’s her; I think it’s him. You’re both wrong it’s that old waiter. There is no old waiter. What do you mean? That waiter’s not old, he just has a beard.”

The bearded waiter was startled and was the only waiter staring at Hua Yu. Chok To trusted Hua Yu and ferociously unleashed his chain whip at that waiter. The waiter blocked the attack with his arm causing his entire arm to become numb. He looked up to see a large man charging him brandishing dual sabres. Chok To was more than a match for the waiter and knocked him across the room. The waiter got up and fanatically stated “To bring down hypocrites of Wulin is well worth dying for.” He then pressed a set of his own yudeo points; the exact same set that the turtle branch uses to halt the spread of poison.

Xi Ping commanded “Get down!”

Xi Ping grabbed Chok To and tackled him to the ground just before several shards from a shattered cup flew out. The shards carried tremendous force and were deeply imbedded in the walls of the restaurant. Chok To could not believe that the waiter he had thrown like a doll actually had this much internal energy. The waiter collapsed and was dead after throwing the pieces. Xi Ping sniffed his teacup before drinking from it “There is no poison in here. Fried rice is a fairly common flavour-enhancer in Japanese tea.”

The two young men in white and a couple other people in the restaurant grasped their chests and collapsed soon after Xi Ping finished speaking. Cheung Lan examined them and could not find a pulse. Xi Ping’s face turned white.

Hua Yu said “The group responsible for this will be found at Taizhou. They must have a reason for trying to stop the Heavenly Rain sect members from going there.”

Xi Ping replied “Then we should move quickly.”

Lei Fa spoke up “But what about the people here?”

“They are dead, what else can be done.”

“How can you be so heartless? Besides, you drank the tea.”

“The wine was poisoned, not the tea. We should care about the living since the dead feel no pain. Let us continue with our mission, we are not far from Zhejiang.”

An official walked into the restaurant and was startled by the scene. He asked “What happened?”

Chok To replied “A man posing as an old waiter killed several people here with poison.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Loe Chok To. These are my colleagues. We are Coral members.”

“Coral… yes, yes. Continue to Zhejiang province, I’ll take care of the situation here.”

The four continued their journey. As evening approached, it started to rain. The four found an abandoned Taoist temple and decided to rest there for the night.

Hua Yu shivered “It’s cold and dark here.”

Lei Fa replied, “Don’t worry. If we support each other, what is there to fear?”

Hua Yu brightened up and said, “The four of us should become sworn siblings. We, Hua Yu, swears to heaven that from this day forth, Cheung Xi Ping, Loe Chok To are our brothers, and Gwae Lei Fa is our sister. We shall share each other’s fortunes and pains.”

The other three swore their respective oaths. Lei Fa refused to swear Hua Yu as her brother though. Hua Yu was hurt but did not say anything to avoid putting Lei Fa in a difficult position. Chok To was very straightforward and asked “Why did you not include Hua Yu?”

Lei Fa blushed and remained silent. Xi Ping saw this and had feelings of sadness and amusement. To break the uncomfortable silence, Chok To pulled out some dice “Let’s play some dice. Loser must find some firewood and cook us a meal.”

After dinner, Hua Yu started debating with himself out loud “How did we become friends? We are from the turtle-branch. So? Similar people attract. Why? It’s common sense since people who are similar understand each other better. Then what about Chok To, he’s from the shark branch? Opposites attract. Why? It’s common sense since people who are different complement each other and have more to talk about. Oh, I see… brilliant.”

Chok To laughed and said “Since we are now siblings, we should not keep secrets from each other.”

The rest replied “Right.”

“So, if you have any secrets, spit them out now!”

The four laughed and prepared for rest. The three turtle branch members slept sitting so there was no need to find a separate area for Lei Fa to rest. Xi Ping spontaneously said “Of course! It’s Taiwan.”

The other three looked at him for an explanation.

“The Wo’ Kou have been evading the Ming forces with surprising efficiency and organization. They cannot just hide at the nearby Penghu islands because it would not be long before the government forces found them. My father knows of a fairly large island near the Penghu islands which may be used as a base of operations by the pirates. That island is known as Taiwan.”

“Are there any people living there?”

“Yes, my father has met a few of the aboriginals there. The pirates probably forced them out by now though. There is nothing we can do now, so we might as well get some rest. Good night.”

Xi Ping became depressed as he wondered about his parents’ whereabouts, safety, and health. As he was immersed in thought, a twig snapped outside the temple. The four rushed outside and encountered a person dressed entirely in black. The person was drenched and his stare seemed to pierce through the four Coral members. The spy attempted to flee but was not fast enough to lose his pursuers. The spy halted, turned around and raised his palm. The four paused curious as to the intruder’s intentions. Chok To, Hua Yu, and Lei Fa felt very weak as their qi and strength left them. Xi Ping was unaffected but oblivious to the conditions of his sworn brothers and sister until Lei Fa gathered what was left of her internal energy to initiate a weak attack. At that point Xi Ping knew what was happening and stepped forward to defend his weakened friends. The person in black was surprised by Xi Ping and received an injury to the face forcing him to flee.

Xi Ping exclaimed “So that is what spirit expulsion is. Don’t worry, just rest. I’ll explain everything later.”

The other three were breathless and were struggling to stand. Xi Ping helped each of them back to the temple and said “There are only three martial arts that can harm a person without touching them. They are the white wind stance [1], the divine art of violet twilight [2], and spirit expulsion. Spirit expulsion will eliminate your internal energy and use your internal energy to weaken your external strength. Only those who have reached a high level of energy cultivation can prevent this. I don’t have any usable internal energy so I wasn’t affected by this technique.”

Chok To replied “These spies and assassins are definitely not pirates. There may be ulterior motives for the Heavenly Rain sect to get involved.”

[1] A stance from the Huashan sect in Smiling Proud Wanderer by Jin Yong

[2] A stance in the Sword South School from Goofy’s fan fiction: Legend of the Book and Sabre (Book of Destiny)

[BambooForests]

I have been progressing much faster than I had anticipated. A new chapter will be posted every other day or so.

[Sha Gu]

Ooh! Keep it up! It's sounds great.

[eeyore]

Bamboo, just promise one thing, finish your story ... and update it regularly he,he,he,he... it's just a suggestion..

Have fun with your creativity!!!

[jeh]

Your story is interesting so far. Update soon.

[BambooForests]

Excellent, three readers. Thanks for your support.

Chapter 4 – Grandmaster Jin

The rain stopped and the clouds cleared. Under the brightness of the moonlight a figure stood akimbo appearing proud and confident. Xi Ping has not slept. He kept guard over his friends while they recovered their strength. He saw the figure and decided to investigate. The figure calmly said “Hunters of Yuansun assemble… Do you know who I am?”

Xi Ping remained silent.

“My surname is Jin. What is yours?”

“Cheung. Sir, what can I do for you?”

“Cheung… Young one, I don’t want your mother’s surname. Is it Chengko?”

“It is that too. Who are you? How did you know?”

“Hehe, you mean your parents never spoke of me? I’m your grandmaster, as well as your master-uncle.”

“Jin Xiao Bing?”

“Correct.”

“Xi Ping pays his respect to grandmaster Jin.”

The grandmaster nodded and said “So how is my younger apprentice-sister Gwae?”

“Master is doing well. You are a demon hunter as well?”

“Correct. I would like to test your progress, attack me with your best technique.”

“But grandmaster.”

“Do it”

Xi Ping turned his back, his grandmaster did likewise. Xi Ping initiated the attack by utilizing his fastest draw technique aiming upwards. His grandmaster’s stroke started later but arrived before Xi Ping’s sword has left its sheath. Xi Ping believed his draw technique to be very fast, yet he was nowhere near his grandmaster’s speed.

His grandmaster chuckled “You and your father strike with the same quickness; looks like apprentice-sister Gwae did not teach you temporary Qi. Come young one.”

“No, my friends are still weak, they need me to guard them.”

“There are no enemies around.”

“Grandmaster, how do you know? And what happened to you eyes?”

“Self-inflicted, I gave up sight to see better, smell to smell better, and taste to taste better. A demonstration… there is a mosquito on the back of your neck. Your friends are safe, come.”

Every night, grandmaster Jin would come to teach Xi Ping the next level of his martial arts. His friends were not aware of this because they have not fully recovered from the spirit expulsion experience and required rest. Master Gwae had taught Xi Ping techniques that were the black star of the demon clan as well as granting him invulnerability to the demon hunter’s anti-chi technique expulsion. Master Gwae’s belief was that the highest level of martial arts should have no technique. Grandmaster Jin taught in a completely different philosophy than master Gwae. He taught Xi Ping how to generate and utilize short temporary bursts of power called temporary qi. He believed that the highest level of martial arts should be to perform techniques at a level such that the opponent cannot counter even when they have practiced the counter techniques. Xi Ping advanced quickly since he did not need to learn or change his techniques, he learned how to fake, anticipate, and use short bursts of fierce aggression. In order to utilize temporary qi, Xi Ping must break a certain barrier by letting his rage consume him; then he must immediately control the energy in order to use refined techniques.

Arriving near Taizhou, the four friends decided to climb a hill to get a view of the surrounding area. They saw two skirmishes of Ming troops against the pirates. The Wo’ Kou pirates were very organized. Most of them appeared to be Japanese samurai but there were also a few Chinese bandits in the group. In a skirmish further away, the local Ming troops were easily beaten. The local Ming soldiers were disorganized compared to the well-trained Wo’ Kou. This was unusual since pirates do not normally engage authorities with such military prowess. In the closer skirmish, the Ming forces scored a definite victory against the Wo’ Kou. The Ming forces were organized into units of a dozen men. Each unit was self-sufficient and all the soldiers in the unit were specialized with a specific task. These soldiers showed great discipline despite the frightful screams and displays of the Wo’ Kou charge. Many of these soldiers knew Wushu techniques and their fighting capabilities were superior to regular soldiers. These were the units of general Qi Jiguang. The Wo’ Kou retreated but they received an ambush during their retreat resulting in a severe defeat.

As the sounds of fighting died down, Xi Ping was startled by the sound of heavy breathing. Chok To noticed his glance towards a thicket of bushes and investigated. He discovered a Ming soldier meditating while sweating heavily completely oblivious to the surroundings. Lei Fa performed a diagnosis and discovered that the person was injured and poisoned so she sealed the poison by pressing a set of yudeo points. She identified the entry point of the poison but could not identify the particular type. Hua Yu sniffed it and said “This is the poison of red-blue salamander. What are you talking about? It is the poison of the crown of a heron. No, I am sure it’s a salamander. Then why are we feeling dizzy, salamander poison is not airbourne.”

Lei Fa pressed the set of yudeo points on Hua Yu to prevent the spread of poison. With the poison identified, Xi Ping performed the healing procedure using his darts as acupuncture needles to draw out the poison while Chok To applied the shark-branch techniques of external injury first aid. The soldier came out of meditation and spat black blood followed by a bit of red indicating that the poison was removed. The soldier jerked during this process causing Xi Ping to err in removing the darts thereby poisoning himself. When Lei Fa tried to press Xi Ping’s yudeo points to seal poison, he blocked her hand and protested “Stop, that will kill me.”

“What?”

“Remember, master gave each of us special training. The poison sealing techniques of the turtle-branch does not seal poison for me. It is a suicide technique to release and elevate my qi energy for a short moment before dying from fire deviation to the brain. Remember the incident at the restaurant with the waiter?”

“Then what should we do?”

“There is not enough poison to kill, I’ll be fine. Let us bring the soldier back to camp. What is your name and division?”

“My name is Qi Lei Gwan, I’m the personal messenger of general Qi Jiguang. I was here to observe and report the progress of our forces against the Wo’ Kou but was ambushed. The perpetrator was killed but he was able to strike me with his weapon thereby poisoning me.”

“Lei Gwan? That’s a…”

“No, you might as well say Xiao Fong is a girl’s name as well. Having the name ‘Lei Gwan’ is difficult in the military.”

“We didn’t say that you were…”

“Yes but you were about to… Thank you for saving my life, did you see what happened?”

“Yes, your division won elegantly whereas the other division got crushed.”

They looked over to the location of the Ming defeat and saw the Wo’ Kou forces in disarray. The Ming forces had retreated yet the Wo’ Kou were fighting fiercely. There were scattered dots of white that weaved in and out of the Wo’ Kou ranks. Although they were very far away, it was clear that the pugilists in white demonstrated strength and speed unlike anything the five have seen. The Wo’ Kou fighters thinned out and were forced to retreat.

Chok To was astonished “The Heavenly Rain sect martial artists are more powerful than master Ximon.”

“They are the Heavenly Rain sect? Very good, we are mustering forces to counter the Wo’ Kou and have asked the Wulin community for help. Wudang, E’mei, Coral, and the Heavenly Rain sect have already sent reinforcements. I would like to extend an invitation for the four of you to join us in the feast tonight to welcome these brave and patriotic fighters.”

The four replied “We are honoured but our abilities are nowhere near these fighters.”

“That’s quite alright. The Heavenly Rain sect is powerful and righteous but they do as they please and cannot be depended on.”

Xi Ping leaned against a tree and clenched his fists as the poison started to take its full effect. They rested for an hour to let Xi Ping cleanse his body of the poison before going to the base camp. Lei Gwan chatted with the four Coral members naturally and the five became friends sharing a common mission.

[eeyore]

Bamboo your update just in time...

Question:
1. Ming that you reffered here, is it a Ming as in Emperor army, or Ming sect like in HSDS?

2. Hua Yu style of speaking is different, do you mean to be like that? it sounds he's like that character Gune in Titan A.E... just my impression.

I like they way you set thing for Xi Ping, I look forward for updates.. (and you just did one he,he,he,he....) You know I can picture all the 4.. Xi Ping is a normal character, Hua Yu is the brainy, Chok To is the muscle and Lei Fa is the girl of the group. Good thing she like Hua Yu not Xi Ping, XP should get a better girl (if you plan to pair him with someone).

[BambooForests]

Hi Eeyore,

Yes, I am refering to the Ming government when I use Ming. The Ming sect will not show up in the story.

Hua Yu refers to himself as "we" because he thinks and acts as if he was a group of people in one body. I was originally planning to develop Hua Yu since he can create some interesting conflicts; however I've decided against it so that I don't get lost on my first story <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">.

[BambooForests]

Chapter 5 – Savoir Faire

The five friends arrived at the military base by late afternoon. The base consisted of several tents and was surrounded by a tall wooden fence with a stone wall being built. After several security and formal procedures, they met with General Qi Jiguang. They were in a large central tent where officers often meet to plan the next battle. Qi Jiguang joyfully said “Lei Gwan, you have safely returned. What delayed you?”

“I was poisoned but these friends here cured me.”

“You should not have joined the army. How am I to explain to your parents if anything goes wrong? We were surprised to see the Wo’ Kou this bold to attack Ming forces head on. If I had known the enemy this close, I would not have sent you on that reconnaissance mission.”

“But if you did not, then we would have lost some critical information about Wo’ Kou activity. Besides, you’re not the type to show favoritism. You treat relatives serving in the army as if they were standard soldiers; sparing neither from punishment when they do wrong.”

“To beat the Wo’ Kou, we cannot wait for them to attack. If we stay defensive, then we give the Wo’ Kou control and we will be outmaneuvered. If we mount a surprise attack at their base; then victory may be attained in just a few battles.”

“Xi Ping has deduced that their main base is located in Taiwan.”

“Well done. A recent diplomat from Japan has also come to help us. He speaks our language well and wants to create good relations with China in hopes of establishing trade. Trade does not concern the military but his martial arts with the Japanese two handed sword does. Our goal currently is to drive the pirates off the Penghu Islands, we will launch our ships in Fujian province after we defeat them here. If they return, we will attack them at their base in Taiwan. So who are your new friends?”

After the introduction the five friends headed out to the feast. The camp was bustling with sound and excitement. Suddenly, silence swept like a wave across the crowds. The different societies stayed with each other and parted into their respective groups as a figure in white appeared. The figure was silent but his presence was immediately felt by everyone. What was once a sea of people has neatly parted into two orderly sections to welcome this individual. The figure had four blue stripes diagonally across both shoulders. The respect he enjoyed demonstrated his seniority and power in Wulin.

He greeted the two already seated persons at the front with the traditional fist salute before seating himself on the right-hand side of the general. Since they were on an elevated platform, the figure was like an eagle perched in the heavens staring down at the world below. Seated to the left of the general was a figure in dark blue, the elected leader of Coral and the younger apprentice sister of the leader of Emei. This was a trio that would strike fear in the hearts of any opposition. One was the unrivaled and unmatched pugilist Ji Beet Sing, the second was the brilliant military commander Qi Jiguaung, and the last being the powerful diplomat and leader of Coral Mo Xiao Fong.

With a confident air, the general stood and said “Welcome friends of Wulin. I feel honoured to see the support and enthusiasm showed by the Heavenly Rain sect, Coral, Wudang, and Emei. The Wo’ Kou have invaded our lands for the last time. We must drive out these marauders and protect the people of China. I am anticipating a large confrontation with the Wo’ Kou two days from now in Taizhou. This will be the battle to end all others. Victory shall be ours for our cause is just!”

The cheer from the crowd resounded across the camp. The support for the general was more deafening than the roar of an ocean. Yet a clear voice was heard above the crowd “Young pugilists.”

The crowd immediately silenced. Ji Beet Sing was the one who spoke above the crowd. He sounded completely natural and did not appear to be raising his voice yet everyone had heard him clearly. His strong internal strength was indeed authentic.

“Young ones, unlike the small confrontations of Wulin, military campaigns require cooperation and strict structure,” said Ji Beet Sing “You must listen to your commanders in battle, never forget this. When they say advance, you advance. When they say retreat, you retreat. Do not play the lone hero or the lowly coward for that may jeopardize the lives of your friends and comrades. Do not become overconfident, the Japanese techniques may appear simple but they are well refined.”

The leader of Coral followed “You should be well prepared for hand-to-hand combat. Try to capture the enemies as opposed to killing them because they may reveal critical information and connections. I have a friend from Japan here to demonstrate to you some of the Wo’ Kou methods and counters. Listen well for it may save your life. Mister Jin, please demonstrate.”

Jin Xiao Bing stepped forward with a curved Japanese sword and began his lecture “These despicable Wo’ Kou are nothing more than expelled samurai who should have committed ritual suicide years ago. Their techniques are not refined enough to be in league with our true bushi. All Japanese sword techniques are meant to kill in one stroke. Most Japanese swordsmen like to make wide sweeping motions. The three most common that I will demonstrate are the ‘men’, ‘kote’, and the reverse slash. Remember to help and support each other. The defining strength of the Chinese army is the team work that they show. Most battles in Wulin involve everyone trying to fully utilize their strengths. It’s different here; mutual support is the key to success. Nobody is victorious all the time. Take the ‘invincible’ Ngao Yang Fei; he remained undefeated and hidden from Wulin since his clan was disbanded fifty years ago. For the next thirty years, he practiced martial arts until he reached the pinnacle of perfection. When he finally decided to re-emerge to take Wulin by storm, he was defeated in a dual by the second person he fought.”

Ji Beet Sing’s face turned a shade of violet upon hearing this before dispersing back to normal. Jin Xiao Bing was the only person who noticed because he was staring directly at Ji Beet Sing while giving the last part of his speech. Murmurs were heard in the crowd as the pugilists tried to figure out who Ngao Yang Fei was.

After Jin Xiao Bing gave his demonstration of sword techniques, he made a request “Miss Mo, I would like to borrow one of your society’s members for a few weeks. His name is Cheung Xi Ping and he is under the turtle branch. From my understanding, he is the only pugilist here who knows Japanese. I must return to Japan soon and I need an extra hand to help out. I also need an extra eye to help me spy on the Wo’ Kou.”

Mo Xiao Fong replied “I have no problems with it but you must speak to the branch-leader he is under first. Master Gwae, please take care of this.”

General Qi added “Thank you for the presentation Mister Jin. Officer Qi, please present Mister Jin with a gift to show our appreciation.”

Lei Gwan stepped forward.

Jin Xiao Bing politely said “Thank you sir, but I act in honour and did not come here for reward.”

“Then consider it as payment to accept my subordinate as a helper.”

“I need one who can speak Japanese.”

“Officer Qi is trustworthy and can speak broken Japanese. He learnt it from Japanese fishermen who got lost at sea and ended up at the coast of China.”

“You are indeed a careful man General. Very well, thank you for the gifts I must leave tonight so you must excuse my rudeness in leaving this feast early.”

“Not at all sir. Officer Qi and mister Cheung feel free to leave at anytime.”

Jin Xiao Bing met up with Xi Ping and was immediately approached by Master Gwae once they left the crowd. Jin Xiao Bing exclaimed “Younger apprentice-sister, how are you?”

“I’m fine, it has been a long time.”

“Of course it’s been a long time, the Heavenly Rain sect repaid our good deeds with revenge. They hunted down and exterminated our people. We are the only two of the original demon hunters who survived. If they found out our identities, we would be dead.”

“Don’t you remember the final methods of our society? To achieve the final level, the originator discovered the method of...”

“Non-recognition of family.”

“That’s putting it lightly.”

“The greater the sacrifice, the more powerful we become. Apprentice-sister, you have not been able to fully utilize your qi. Why are you substituting the weaker Wudang qi for our more efficient demon hunting qi?”

“There must be another way to utilize qi than that final step.”

“There are alternatives, but you know as well as I do the dangers of the other methods. Everyone has a large amount of natural qi in them; it is just a matter of controlling it. Most people must slowly increase their qi generation in order to keep it under control. We can let it all out at once by pressing those ‘poison sealing’ yudeo points on our bodies. Then we die by fire deviation to the brain.”

“How can you have the heart?”

“I had only two living relatives at the time. Both were my brothers and they died several years ago, one was poisoned, the other killed by his own Wulin friends. I could not stand the hypocrisy of staying in China and so retreated to Japan. Non-recognition of family was very easy without family.”

“You had a much better chance getting justice in Wudang. Your brother was the second-generation disciple of its founder, Cheung San Pheung. You have been training in Wudang with your brother every since our society’s dispersion. You gave it up for what reason? Why attain the final level through such dreadful means? The hate and anger for the Heavenly Rain sect and the Demon clan will come back to haunt you.”

“You are wrong apprentice-sister, you repress your feelings and do not acknowledge them. Without a healthy way to release such desires will result in them being released in the most violent ways. I acknowledge that I have hate and anger and have released them by practicing martial arts. Yours is still built up, I can feel them for inner-sight comes easily to one who is blind. Xi Ping, what is the name of young officer Qi?

Xi Ping replied “Grandmaster Jin, it is Qi Lei Gwan.”

“Very good, officer Qi, would you mind if I refer to you as Lei Gwan?”

A meek voice was heard from the shadow “As you wish, senior.”

Lei Gwan stepped out, he stumbled upon their conversation and could not resist eavesdropping. Grandmaster Jin laughed and said “You are a friend of Xi Ping so I can trust you. If you do decide to tell Ji Beet Sing, tell him to look for me and me only. Master Gwae and Xi Ping are not related to the events of the past anymore.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t betray any of you.”

“I know, I can feel your sincerity. Apprentice-sister, you seem skeptical. Lei Gwan, General Jiguang is your father correct?”

“How did you know?”

“I can feel it… besides, who else would let such a young person have this much responsibility and privilege. Of all his relatives, the general would not punish you; though admitted you rarely slip up.”

Master Gwae forcefully interrupted “Apprentice-brother stop avoiding the subject, I will not allow you to take Xi Ping under your wing.”

Grandmaster Jin sighed “Let us give Xi Ping a chance to decide. We each give one reason on why he should stay. You may start.”

“Xi Ping, your grandmaster walks between a thin line of sanity and insanity. He has the potential of greatness but also the potential for great evil. If you follow him, you may do great evil.”

“Apprentice-sister, I agree with you. Xi Ping, here is my reason. Do you want to find your parents?”

&lt;font size="1"&gt;[ May 28, 2003: Message edited by: BambooForests ]&lt;/font&gt;

<font size="1">[ May 28, 2003: Message edited by: BambooForests ]</font>

[eeyore]

<IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0">

Goody.. keep going please.. Xi Ping should be confused.

Thanks for answer the question Bamboo.

[BambooForests]

Chapter 6 – Treachery

Xi Ping did not have much choice. Grandmaster Jin was pleased by his decision and handed to him a thick short sword when they were alone. The sword unsheathed without a sound and was very dark in colour. This was a blade commonly used among nobility in the Qin dynasty. Even after all these years its sharpness has not diminished. Xi Ping stared in awe as he tested the blade on a wooden post. It entered easily, as if the post did not exist. Both of them glanced over to see Ji Beet Sing heading into a tent followed by several of his disciples and Loe Chok To.

Grandmaster Jin vanished as soon as he saw Ji Beet Sing. Xi Ping decided to investigate and crept up to the tent. He arrived in time to catch some of the conversation.

“Mister Loe, your skills are quite high considering your youth. I am most impressed.”

“You praise me too highly senior Ji.”

“Coral and the Heavenly Rain sect have a fairly strong relationship. Of the aspiring members of the young generation, you are the only one selected for the test to enter Lunar Reflection. This is very rare indeed. By the way, do you know that boy from Coral whom that Eastern bird requested?”

“Yes, he is a good friend of mine.”

“Good, then he will not suspect it when you place this in his tea.”

“What is it?”

“Come closer young one...”

Xi Ping could not make out the whispers. He heard a shout and realized that he was discovered so he turned around and fled. He was pushed down quite quickly though and he looked up to see his grandmaster. Grandmaster Jin motioned him to keep quiet before bounding off and leading the Heavenly Rain sect on a wild goose chase. Shortly afterwards, Chok To met Xi Ping and invited him for tea before they part. Xi Ping could not believe that his own sworn brother would betray him.

Chok To had prepared green tea with fried rice as a flavour-enhancer. He poured himself a cup before pouring into his friend’s cup. Xi Ping heard a light click as Chok To began pouring tea into the second cup. Xi Ping picked up his cup and the smell of fried rice returned vividly into memory. At the restaurant, how did Chok To identify the poison used against the Heavenly Rain members? Xi Ping broke into a cold sweat at the treachery of this brother of his. Questions of loyalty and deception flooded into Xi Ping’s mind as he contemplated this. Chok To raised his cup and said “To your safety and the victory of the Ming.”

Xi Ping stood up and somberly paced beside and around Chok To reciting a poem by So Dong Bo of the Song dynasty. “When will the moon show? The scent of wine as an offering to the heavens… In life, there are happiness and depression, reunions and partings.”

While reciting the poem, Xi Ping waited until Chok To turned his back to sip his tea before unsheathing his newly acquired blade. Upon finishing the word ‘partings’ Xi Ping’s eyes filled with tears as he covered Chok To’s mouth and plunged the sword into the back of his brother.

A gasp was heard from the top of the tent. The person’s lightness kungfu to reach that hiding position was impressive. Xi Ping quickly released a dart in the direction of the sound and managed to hit the person in the leg causing him to lose his control and crash through into the tent. Xi Ping grabbed the masked spy and ripped off the mask to reveal Kwok Da Kong with a recent wound to the face. Kwok Da Kong angrily yelled “You are worse than a beast.”

Xi Ping noticed that Da Kong had a facial injury. The injury was at the exact same part that the masked spy was injured by his blade a while ago. Xi Ping’s rage rose and he furiously attacked Da Kong. They fought and the commotion caused a crowd of soldiers to arrive. Da Kong was confident of his ability to escape until he saw Jin Xiao Bing. In a shocked voice Da Kong gasped “The hunter!”

The soldiers saw grandmaster Jin charge forward in a fit of rage and kill a young man in black with a single stroke. Grandmaster Jin cannot be delayed from his tasks and he let the soldiers handle the situation. He led Xi Ping out to meet with Lei Gwan and they began their journey back to Fujian.

They traveled throughout the night and into the day. Lei Gwan could not keep up despite her training in the military and in martial arts so they decided to rest in the nearest town during late day. The inn was very busy. People were setting up tables and chairs in the streets in anticipation for a great feast. The innkeeper walked out and stared at grandmaster Jin before kneeling down to kow-tow. Grandmaster Jin stopped him and helped him up. The innkeeper said “Senior Jin, you saved my father’s life several years ago. We are greatly in debt to you.”

“How did you recognize me?”

“By your eyes. Not many blind people can walk as if they had sight. Come in and enjoy our hospitality. Ah Po, serve these three gentlemen well. All services are on the house.”

“I am moved by your gratitude but I cannot accept this for as a businessman, you cannot afford to show favoritism to any of your customers. I made reservations under the name of Mister Htoru. Is the banquet prepared?”

“You were the one responsible for the deliver of the large amounts of exotic foods? Of course! We hired a couple extra chefs and they are almost done.”

“Very good. This town was raided by the Wo’ Kou a while back. I’m predicting that several people are hungry and are rationing their food to last until the next harvest from the sea. This is but the first shipment from Japan, later shipments will provide more long-term aid to help the town until the next harvest. I hope that the relations between our two countries will improve and perhaps establish a mutually beneficial trade route despite the actions of those Wo’ Kou rogues.”

“Thank you sir.”

“No need, are there two unoccupied rooms?”

“Yes, right this way. Will you be joining us for the feast?”

“I must decline. Both my brother’s died at about this date on different years several years ago so I must fast in remembrance. Xi Ping and Lei Gwan you may join the feast.”

Xi Ping had no appetite. Lei Gwan was ravenous and ate quite quickly but lost his appetite and did not finish after realizing that Xi Ping was depressed. Grandmaster Jin rested in one room, Xi Ping and Lei Gwan in the other. The room had only one bed. Lei Gwan said “I’ll sleep first while you keep guard then I’ll keep guard while you sleep.”

“Why should we keep guard?”

“I don’t like this inn.”

“We must rest well for our journey. Besides, the innkeeper secretly increased security around our rooms because he was afraid that people would have ill-intentions towards grandmaster.”

“Why?”

“Because of his Japanese background.”

“How did he learn to speak Chinese? And how did you learn to speak Japanese?”

“Our fathers were Japanese and our mothers were Chinese.”

“You personality and background are just like Senior Jin. No wonder he feels an affinity with you. Why are you depressed?”

Xi Ping forced a laugh “Who said I’m depressed? And why are you interrogating me?”

“Alright, alright. Let’s get some sleep.”

“Males and females should not sleep in the same bed if they are not married.”

Lei Gwan blushed but turned around so that Xi Ping did not see. She then casually replied “Of course they should not.”

“I normally sleep sitting so the chair will be fine.”

“Aren’t you angry that I did not tell the truth?”

“Well, you never said that you were male. Nor did you deny being female so you never lied. I was wondering since the first time we’ve met why you were so angry at people mocking you for having a female name. The army is a place that discriminates heavily against females so it is a good thing that nobody seemed to know. By the way, the name ‘Xiao Fong’ that you used to refute us a while back is indeed a female name. You should not have assumed that only men hold positions of power in Wulin.”

“How did you find out?”

Xi Ping let out a sigh with a hint of amusement “The interrogation continues. Your disguise was excellent so I guessed; if I was wrong, you would have assumed I was making fun of your name.”

Xi Ping found it very easy to talk to Lei Gwan and told her the incident about Chok To. Lei Gwan could not believe that Chok To was this malicious. Chok To was quick-tempered but he was loyal and straightforward. It did not match his nature to be devious. Xi Ping spilt some tea on his shirt when he attacked Chok To. He changed after the incident and had wrapped the wet shirt which now served as a sample. He decided to test the sample by pulling out a thick, red piece of rough paper given to him by grandmaster Gwae. He informed Lei Gwan of the test “This paper is designed to test poisons that do not have a scent. It will turn black when there is poison and it will turn yellow when there is medication.”

He placed the paper into his damp shirt and the paper turned green. Lei Gwan asked “What does green mean?”

“It should not turn green. The paper is defective.”

“Are there any other colours that it can turn into?”

“Yes, but highly unlikely.”

“What is the other colour?”

“Blue.”

“And what does that mean.”

Xi Ping hesitated. He looked at Lei Gwan and felt that he could confide his secrets to her “Blue is a special type of poison. The Yuansun clan has a special martial art that allows the practitioner to expel the unrefined qi in pugilists. The type of poison turning this sheet blue has no effect on anyone until they use expulsion.”

Lei Gwan and Xi Ping were silent for a while. They both looked at each other and realized that the other was thinking the same thing. Chok To was innocent. They both realized that the package that the Heavenly Rain sect leader gave was a combination of medication and poison. The poison was there to test if Xi Ping was part of the demon clan and the medication was there to cure Xi Ping and strengthen him. They were both awed that the Heavenly Rain sect leader could recognize that Xi Ping had traces of poison in him. Xi Ping’s face turned pale when he realized his crime. His hands grasped the chair and started to shake. Lei Gwan tried to calm him and softly said “Don’t worry, they will assume that the killer was your apprentice brother Kwok Da Kong.”

“No, a man must take responsibility for his actions. Brother, I have wronged you.”

“You and your chauvinism. Think about it this way. You are facing a dilemma of whether or not to turn yourself in. This is the same as a bull charging at you. The most obvious way is to try to defeat it is to try to crush either horn. Either horn you pick hurts; but remember that there are always other methods. You can also try to go between the horns or you can try throwing sand in the bull’s eye.”

“Or not enter the enclosure with the bull.”

“But you are already in there.”

“If I become a monk, I would no longer be linked with world affairs thereby not entering the enclosure. No, I will take the horn and accept the responsibility honourably.”

Lei Gwan was angry having her suggestion ignored, “Fine. What about your parents?”

“I’ll take care of my duties first. The dead cannot come back to life. After I clear my father’s name I will join Chok To.”

[eeyore]

How could Xi Ping killed Chok To? doesn't make sense... I knew it that Chok To is not a bad person.... couldn't wait for the next installment. <IMG SRC="smilies/checkout.gif" border="0">

[jeh]

Very interesting. I can't believe Xi Ping kill Chok To. Update soon.

[Sleepy]

Wonderful story, I hope the tea was really a special kind of poison. Update soon <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0">

[BambooForests]

Chapter 7 – Exitus acta probat

Lei Gwan no longer dressed as a soldier now that her identity was known. The heavy leather uniform had inhibited her motions in combat and was uncomfortable when traveling long distances. Xi Ping and Lei Gwan conversed with each other freely during their journey with Jin Xiao Bing. They spoke whatever was on their minds without worries. Xi Ping learned of how Lei Gwan entered the military and her suspicions towards grandmaster Jin. Lei Gwan discovered that Xi Ping had feelings towards Lei Fa. She also found out that he despised Ji Beet Sing and the Heavenly Rain Sect.

They arrived at their destination early and had half a day before a ship would come to take them to the Penghu islands. Grandmaster Jin took this time to teach Xi Ping some key points in the demon hunting. He also took the opportunity to teach some philosophical issues. Grandmaster Jin began:

“Xi Ping, do you believe in fate? Ngao Yang Fei did not. You would be very surprised with his abilities. When he went into seclusion, he was already an excellent fighter. Coming out, he was incredible. Fifty years ago, he did not fear the demon hunters. The leader of our society foresaw the fate of Ngao Yang Fei before he died under that demon’s blade. He prophesized that Ngao Yang Fei could only be defeated in a dual by one who is neither man nor woman. Ngao Yang Fei ignored our leader and went into hiding since his clan was destroyed and one man cannot beat thousands. He honed his martial arts to the pinnacle of human achievement. He heard rumours that he was not the only survivor of the clan and that the clan has resurfaced. He came out of hiding to rebuild his clan and shake the Wulin community once more. At this time, Ji Beet Sing had built a strong reputation in Wulin. He was the first person Ngao Yang Fei fought. Ngao Yang Fei wanted to prove his prowess and present a gift to his clan by defeating the enemy who is always victorious. He failed to defeat Ji Beet Sing but Ji Beet Sing was not able to defeat him either. They both retreated never to speak of the other again. Ngao Yang Fei was the only person Ji Beet Sing did not gain victory over. Ji Beet Sing failed to win because he was still a man.

When fully recovered from the fight, Ngao Yang Fei decided to find his Yuansun brothers and kill the leader of the Heavenly Rain sect later. At that time, I infiltrated the Yuansun and discovered this. This was the time that my remaining brother died. He was in Wudang and killed for being part Japanese. My other brother was the lord of your father and he was poisoned on the same calendar date a few years before. I inadvertently achieved non-recognition of family and was able to ascend to the final level of our martial arts. I took the last stance of our draw technique, called Flight of the Heavenly Fairies, to the next level. During the dual, this was the stance that defeated Ngao Yang Fei and quite possibly the only one that could. Your father refused to perfect this stance, and it is a good thing otherwise you would not exist.

I am reaching the end of my life’s journey and I had no successor. Imagine the loss of knowledge and skill once I die; Yuansun and the demon hunters will fade from existence. The heavens are with me though for I have received a vision of the future. It is fate for you to become my successor. It is also fate that you become the next leader of Wulin. Of all the pugilists, nobody has as much latent power as you do. You have a unique combination of natural talent and proper training. Once unleashed, who can be your rival? The beginning of your ascension is the day you spill the blood of your brother. It is a pity that you do not have one.”

Grandmaster Jin walked off to check to see if a ship was coming and to let Xi Ping reflect. Lei Gwan was disgusted by grandmaster Jin. “That man is heartless. He wants you to take the life of a family member just because he had a vision. Throughout this journey he has been giving us lectures on the human condition. His understanding of human nature is unique; however, hindsight is surprisingly accurate. You can’t be shown wrong if you already know the result. The predictions that he makes are even more dubious. If things turn out right, then he was right. When things turn out wrong, then something else was at fault and he would explain it with the full benefits of hindsight; hence he is still right.”

Xi Ping replied “We must show respect to our elders. His lectures sound perfectly reasonable except at one part. He erred heavily in his teachings on repression. I still remember the horrid events of my crime. It is most vivid in memory. Bad events are much more lasting in memory than good ones. They do not get pushed into the depths of the mind. Premonitions are just as dubious. They occur often but if nothing happens we do not pay attention to them and quickly forget them. When the perceived event does happen, we say we knew it all along. I must admit though, letting out my feelings of hate and anger has significantly improved my fighting abilities. I see things more clearly, I can fight with strength that I never knew I had. Grandmaster may not be strictly correct, but the destination he points to may be true.”

“We should leave. Grandmaster Jin cannot be a good person. He wants you to undergo non-recognition of family. Don’t you see? You are beginning to walk down a path so dark that it frightens me. You were not even surprised when he said you had to ‘spill the blood of your brother.’ I cannot bear to imagine the result if he is correct and you continue to follow him.”

A crippled old man approached Xi Ping and Lei Gwan. He spoke with a croaked voice “Was that man Jin Xiao Bing?”

“Yes.”

“Come with me, this is not a safe place to talk.”

They cautiously followed the old man as he hobbled towards the cliffs along the shoreline. The old man was blind in both eyes and looked pitiful. He quietly asked “Do you know who did this to me?”

The old man spoke without moving his mouth showing that he practiced a very strange martial.

Lei Gwan replied “Senior Jin?”

“You are very bright. The Flight of the Heavenly Fairies is indeed a powerful stance. At its final level, the practitioner is able to inflict injuries to his opponent with moves that cannot be evaded or parried. It was as if thousands of phantom sword points were flying towards the opponent with utmost speed. They injure the opponent in the exact areas where the practitioner is deficient. I lost my eyes, my tongue, my nose, and… other parts as well. I thought I was undefeatable since neither man nor woman can beat me. Who would have thought that the methods of the demon clan on their own members were this cruel; the more they willingly sacrifice, the greater their power. Jin Xiao Bing killed his own brothers. One by using poison and the other by framing and borrowing the knife of Wulin. This unleashed his internal energy. By sacrificing his family and his ability to have children, he evolved a trick maneuver into a formidable stance.”

“You lie, Ngao Yang Fei.”

“Have I? A sacrifice is not a sacrifice if it is not willingly done. He tricked me into thinking that my clan was still alive. All lies.”

“He is a good person. He saved many lives and is very charitable.”

“The same with the Yuansun clan and the same with the Heavenly Rain sect. We were a proud clan that believed in the common rights of all living beings. Expulsion was a way to demonstrate our profound understanding of qi. Those who strayed from the orthodox ways would not be able to develop the internal strength to withstand expulsion. It was a test for our own members, who would have guessed that we would be corrupted into nothing more than dogs. I do not blame the Heavenly Rain sect nor Wulin for destroying our clan. They had every right to after the arrogance we have displayed and the ruthless actions of our members. It appears that the Heavenly Rain sect is now following in our paths. Like us, they will be wiped from history when their time comes. Perhaps the passivism and humility of societies such as Shaolin are the only ones who can gain lasting power.”

Xi Ping was furious at the accusations thrown on his grandmaster “If what you say is true, then why are there so many who know the Yuansun martial arts? Expulsion is only taught to the elites of your clan.”

“Our clan was destroyed. I am literally the only surviving member. I have taught no one our ways. You will be my first and last disciple.”

“I don’t want to be your disciple.”

“You don’t have a choice. That scoundrel Jin Xiao Bing will destroy Wulin. Yuansun hunters know the martial arts of our clan. They dedicated their lives finding ways to counter our arts. What makes you think Jin Xiao Bing cannot teach Yuansun? The revival of the ‘demon clan’ was orchestrated by Jin Xiao Bing. He will take advantage of this time to strike down the Heavenly Rain sect. He will find a nasty surprise when fighting Ji Beet Sing though.”

“He beat you. You and Ji Beet Sing are equal. If they do fight, grandmaster will win.”

Upon saying this, Xi Ping reflected on the situations of the past. If his master killed his own brothers, then he can prove his father’s innocence and bring them out of hiding. An image flashed into Xi Ping’s mind, he remembered master Gwae performing expulsion on him during a private lesson. This confirms Ngao Yang Fei’s assertion that demon hunters know Yuausun martial arts. The next impression in his mind regarded those words of his grandmaster ‘It is also fate that you become the next leader of Wulin. The beginning of your ascension is the day you spill the blood of your brother. It is a pity that you do not have one’. These words resounded in his head. Xi Ping realized the reason grandmaster Jin wanted to find his parents.

Ngao Yan Fei continued “I have finally developed a way to counter that stance although it is quite useless now given my present condition. Ji Beet Sing is currently the only other person who can counter that stance. Follow me and I will give you great power.”

The memories of Chok To emerged. Xi Ping had spilt the blood of his brother willingly. The path cleared by his grandmaster laid bare for him to walk. He has already begun his path to ascension. He had felt extreme sadness when he struck his brother but he did strike in hate, anger, and fear against Kwok Da Kong. “Eternity shall the path of damnation you walk” was the cryptic punishment prophesized by Master Gwae regarding these actions. If he was doomed, then he might as well ascend to power and rule Wulin instead of dying pathetically having done nothing. At least that way, he can prove the innocence of his parents, bring Coral into power, and bring down the hypocritical Heavenly Rain sect. He understood why his grandmaster wanted him to believe in repression and bring out his anger and hate for that was where the true power of his martial arts lay. Currently, Xi Ping was only a puppet for his grandmaster. If he wants to have any control and achieve his goals, then he must learn the techniques to counter his grandmaster.

To Lei Gwan’s dismay, Xi Ping slowly knelt down in front of this crippled man and kow-towed three times before saying “Cheung Xi Ping pays his respect to master Ngao.”

To become a disciple of another master without permission from the previous one was a breach of one of the main rules of Wulin. By doing this Xi Ping will lose his place in any orthodox society and may potentially be killed as a punishment.


[1] I used some information in popular psychology that I did not come up with in this chapter. The source is: Myers, David G. Psychology: Myers in Modules. United States of America. Worth Publishers: 2001.

[jeh]

This is getting more and more interesting. I wonder if Xi Ping will become evil. Update soon.