The Curse of the Blade (wuxia fanfic)

[Em]

Thanks for your comments C Monster and Goofy... <IMG SRC="smilies/blush.gif" border="0"> you are too kind!

Hope you carry on enjoying the story, I think things should start getting interesting now that the intros are out of the way!

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[Em]

Chapter Eight - Progress

Unperturbed by the presence of Meng Ching, Man Hin continues his business over the next two days with great confidence and in a relaxed mood. Offering his services to local merchants as a collector of debts, he does a couple of transactions a day to earn his keep before spending the rest of his time poking his nose into other people’s matters or simply balancing on a rooftop collecting information which may be of value. He makes no concerted effort to evade Ching, but when he feels inclined, he will suddenly leap away or create a diversion so that she might lose track. However, Ching is enjoying the thrill of the chase and maintains her proximity to him, anticipating his next move with care and keeping never more than a few feet away.

Occasionally, the two will exchange a few words:

“What an honour to have such a beautiful lady watching over me!”
“Don’t expect me to step in if you are attacked by your enemies. I am not your bodyguard.”
“You would rescue me! That is if I needed any help from you.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Otherwise you will never know my name.”
“You…”

On the third morning, Man Hin has a collection to complete in the next village, so he rises early and has a simple breakfast of tea and a bun at the inn. Having risen earlier than him to ensure that she is on his trail, Ching clutches her sword and stands guard at the door, ready to continue the pursuit. Feeling in a mischievous mood, Man Hin walks into the courtyard and leaps away across the rooftop. Not to be outrun, Ching follows him closely and they head up the path to cross the wood and the bridge over the stream to reach the nearby Sam Wan Village. She reaches a clearing and a set of crossroads, so exercising her tracking skills, over the gentle rustling of the leaves in the trees and the song of the birds, she listens intently for the slightest sound of footsteps to determine the direction in which Hin has gone. She pauses, for she hears more than just him.

“Why do you hide if you come to find me?”
“Now I know I have not chosen the wrong person for this job.”

Hang Au emerges from a dense patch of vegetation and he laughs with a satisfied air. Ching recognises him and is rather annoyed, she knows she must attend to him for the sake of her agreement, but she is aware that the longer she lingers, the further that Hin will go and the more difficult he will be to track. Having lived her own rules for so long, she does not like being regulated. She turns to her rude intruder, still remembering to speak with her polite yet arrogant tone.

“Martial Hang, do you doubt your own convictions?”
“Of course not, you are difficult to find. I am impressed by your abilities.”
“And still you succeed, I must not underestimate you.”
“My master would like an update of your progress. However, it would appear that you are otherwise preoccupied.”
“Your mere presence here is impeding on my investigations. I am wasting valuable time.”
“I am worried that your little game may be the thing which is wasting your time.”
“You sound as if you would like to enlighten me?”
“His name is Man Hin, he is a petty criminal and an opportunist. You will gain no information from him.”
“Man Hin…”
“I will return in ten days, I hope you will have some better news for me then.”

With a flick of his cloak, Hang Au leaps away and without wasting a moment, Ching runs deep into the wood once again on the trail of Hin. Even though she has gained the information she requires, she will still not be beaten on the challenge.

<font size="1">[ March 23, 2003: Message edited by: Em ]</font>

[tweety365]

Gee Em, two stories at the same time? I must commend you on your creative imaginations and great writing skills <IMG SRC="smilies/thumbsup.gif" border="0">
I'm currently trying to catch up on Stardust, but couldn't help read the prologue to this story. Sounds really interesting. Of course, it will take me a while to read because of my hectic schedule. Will comment more when I have the chance. Keep it up.

[Danielle Lin]

Wow great story, I'm glad you put michelle yip as ching ching! she fits the character perfectly, Eternal happiness is proof of that. <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">
Cant wait for next installment! <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> and why the long wait? (between jan and march) - bya

[Em]

Chapter Nine - Siu Dou and Chor Yee

The energy streams from a powerful force of inner strength flow through the tranquillity of the deep forest aimed directly at the centre of a tomb, hidden deep in the overgrown forest floor and slightly entwined with the lush and rugged growth of wild bushes and creeping plants. As the mass collides with the aged stones of the walls to the tomb, a great explosion takes place as the cavity is blasted open and the peace of its inhabitants is rudely disrupted. The source of the attack strolls confidently over to the rubble and smiles contentedly to himself. Noticing the eye sockets of one of the disrupted skulls staring up at him, he is somewhat unnerved, but quickly recomposes himself as he picks up the gruesome item and looks it in the square in the face.

“Did I wake you, old man?”
The slight yet immensely powerful man laughs a familiarly shrill laugh.
“I wouldn’t have disturbed you if you didn’t have something I wanted…”

Throwing the skull callously behind him, the intruder proceeds to sort through the items in the tomb. Puzzlingly, he throws away the richly decorated items that normal grave-robbers come for and pushes away the remains of the deceased without a shred of respect for the life that once was. As the search moves on, it becomes apparent that what he has come to seek is not to be found and his frustration grows greater and fuels his temper, which is starting to overcome his arrogant and calm exterior and curb his attention to what is happening around him.

“Hey! What are you doing to my master’s grave?”

Running urgently towards the area of destruction are two martial arts students from the Wong Muk Mountain Sect. Siu Dou is a petite female but with a well-trained form, dressed in the standard unisex uniform of the sect that has succumbed to years without a strong leader. She is accompanied by Chor Yee, a man whose appearance hides well his years and his responsibility as the leader of what remains of the sect and the school. Without a thought for the relative strength of their opponent, they both dive at the man stood beside the devastated tomb and try to cease his looting.

Although the moves of the Wong Muk teachings are agile and quick, the lack of guidance through the absence of their master for so long has left the two young students vulnerable to the returns from this powerful opponent and despite the advantage of surprise, each punch and kick from the two smaller characters are easily blocked or dodged and each cruel and accurate return sends them flying away and writhing helplessly in pain. Despite this, their futile attempts continue as they give their lives to protect this final resting place of their most revered masters.

Losing his patience, the stronger man launches a fist at Chor Yee designed to be fatal or at least seriously wound him, he is as ruthless as he is skilled in martial arts. Luckily for our plucky leader, he is pulled away and the attack is met by one who is strong enough to bear the force behind it. Man Hin takes the hit through his own fist and the clash of the internal energies is like two boulders rushing towards each other. Although not evenly matched, the two energies repel and the two men are pushed apart. Man Hin quickly prepares his stance as he steps forward again to launch further attacks at his opposition, but once again the mystery man simply brushes off the punches and kicks with the greatest of ease. Having regained her breath, Siu Dou picks up her dagger and charges at the vandal with blind vigour, but once again she is flung away like an insect from the sleeve of a traveller. As the man raises his arm to offer another lethal blow, a hairpin pierces the air at a great speed and embeds itself in between the muscles of the man’s forearm. Momentarily stunned, he looks up to see that Meng Ching has also arrived and has grabbed Siu Dou from danger.

A clever martial artist knows when it is time to leave and seeing that he has no further business here, the mysterious man leaves empty handed. As soon as he has gone, Siu Dou and Chor Yee kneel before Man Hin and Meng Ching and bow their heads in respect.

“Thank you for saving our lives, they are now yours as we are indebted to you forever, heroic saviours.”

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Thanks for your comments tweety and Danielle - hope you continue reading...
the long wait was because I wanted to finish my other fanfic first before I put my mind to this one. Now I can really get this one off the ground.

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[Em]

Chapter Ten - Interest

Seeing this act of great reverence from Siu Dou and Chor Yee and feeling extremely awkward, Meng Ching and Man Hin both bend down to help their new friends up, telling them that there is no need for repayment through service. Siu Dou catches sight of the destroyed tomb and crawls forward in tears to pay her respects to her master’s body and shedding tears of shame as she bows repeatedly before the scattered bones of her teachers. Chor Yee bows from his position before stepping forward without a word and attempting to pick up the wreckage and position them neatly back inside the shattered stone coffin chamber.

Man Hin turns to Ching who is so touched by what she has seen that it has rendered her unusually quiet for a change. He admires her bravery and her boldness against injustice, but something about her just intrigues him and brings out the urge to antagonise her, even at this sensitive moment.

“The seventh hour had passed by the time you arrived, you failed your challenge!”
Ching ignores him as she steps forward to help Chor Yee reassemble the burial construction. Man Hin hurries behind her and tosses a few stones around half-heartedly.
“I’ll do you another deal – how about you tell me your name and I will tell you mine.”
Meng Ching looks over to Chor Yee and still taking little notice of Man Hin, she asks about their new friends.
“Brother, what are you called and do you know what the motive of that man was?”
She realises she ought to introduce herself too and begrudgingly gives in to Man Hin’s persistence.
“My name is Meng Ching.”
Chor Yee turns to Ching and pays his respects.
“Miss Meng, I am the leader of the Wong Muk Mountain Sect. My name is Chor Yee, this is my martial sister Siu Dou.”
Man Hin keeps up his side of the offer as he politely introduces himself to Chor Yee.
“Brother Chor, I am Man Hin. Did you know that man? He didn’t seem too friendly…”
“I do not know who he was, but I think I know what he wanted.”
Chor Yee hesitates as if he has remembered he should not be talking about this secret.
Siu Dou glances earnestly at her brother and reassures him.
“See hing, these are good people – maybe they can help us with our predicament.”
With this confirmation from Siu Dou, Chor Yee raises his hands and bows his head as he pleads with Meng Ching and Man Hin.
“Master Man, Miss Meng – our sect is weak and under attack. We need heroes of your calibre to assist in the protection of our masters’ legacy. Even if the school and the mountain retreat is destroyed, we cannot let this treasure fall into the wrong hands.”
He continues by inviting them up to the Mountain Villa to explain their predicament. Intrigued by the words of these two trusting strangers and flattered by their earnest pleas, Meng Ching and Man Hin agree to accompany them back to Wong Muk.

As they make their journey, Man Hin continues his rather one-sided conversation with Ching, who is forced to respond to him in an attempt to dampen down his interest.
“Miss Meng, you don’t need to follow me any more so why are you still here?”
“You are the one following me! I thought you had business to be getting on with.”
“That can wait, I’d never miss out on an opportunity like this – who knows what treasure they might be hiding up here, but what brings a lovely lady like you on this trail?”
“I’m here to make sure that you don’t mistreat our young friends!”
“Do I really seem such a nasty person?”
“If you are to tread the paths of Gong Wu, then you can never be too careful.”
Meng Ching carries on walking and following the other two up the mountain path to the villa. On one hand she would like to know more about her new companion, but on the other, there is an aura about him, which hints at his ulterior motives hidden behind his seemingly carefree outlook.

[MYF]

Aye yai yai, you arn't giving up on this now are you?

[Em]

Ooh, found my original post!

SS - please can you delete the repost.... thanks!

Will update shortly!

[Em]

It's here! It's been a long time! Finally... it's an update!

Chapter Eleven - Burden


The Wong Muk Mountain Sect is a shadow of the great martial arts academy it once was. In the days gone by, many a rich young man from an influential family had been marched up by willing parents bearing gifts and fees in exchange for a place with a prestigious master and the sect had flourished, injecting its profits into lavish training grounds surrounded by ornate walkways and pavilions for the students to take a rest and the best teachers from many miles around. Now the painted woodwork lies bare and dilapidated, dotted with holes from the woodworm and insects. Broken beams are ignored and stepped over by the few students who remain, many of whom are orphans or runaways, looking for nothing more than a small bowl of rice porridge, a somewhat leaky roof over their head and some people they could call their family.

Meng Ching and Man Hin feel a sense of melancholy as they are invited into the home of Siu Dou and Chor Yee. They are silent as they look and see glimpses of some gold paint that still clings onto the dry, stripped roofs and the odd shred of evidence that there was once more life in this place. And yet, amid the apparent despair, the young students laugh and play as the more senior members attempt to keep some order and show a stiff authority as they practice their moves, simple and unrefined.

Chor Yee leads his new friends into what was once the Great Hall, but is now little more than a small table and a few chairs, with steps leading up to an old Master's chair, which Chor Yee occupies in his capacity as the most senior member of the sect present. He invites Ching and Man Hin to sit and Siu Dou rests beside them. A young female student presents Ching and Man Hin with some cups of tea, smiles and withdraws quickly, whilst Chor Yee begins his story.

"I'm sorry, we don't have any wine for you - things haven't been the same since my Grandmaster passed away."
"What happened?"
Man Hin's curiosity gets the better of him.
"The sect fell out of favour because my Master and his martial brothers fell out over who was to succeed him. They broke off into factions and started attacking each other. Even now, there are some of those who broke away who keep coming back to try and claim the property as their own... and then there are the rumours."

Ching looks over at Chor Yee as he hesitates and places her cup back onto the table beside her sword, accidentally knocking it to reveal the little orange stone that the boy in the nomad settlement had given to her, tied on a string to the handle of the weapon. A slight change in expression appears on Chor Yee's face, first of surprise and then one of relief.

"What rumours?"
Man Hin is being characteristically nosey.
"Oh..." Chor Yee regains his concentration once again.
"There were rumours spread about my Master knowing the secret to a treasure trove that had been put away by previous generations, so during the internal battles, his martial brothers and uncles all put a lot of pressure on him."
A look of sadness spreads across the faces of Chor Yee and Siu Dou at the mention of their Master, revealing the depth of respect they had for him.
"Finally, they drove him insane and he took his own life."

A moment of silence ensues, as if out of respect for the former Master, broken sharply by the sound of a screen behind them crashing to the ground. A group of young students fall in a heap on the floor and a mixture of screaming and laughing can be heard. One of the younger boys runs over to Man Hin and pulls on his arm.

"Sir, please come and teach us Kung Fu!"
His friends soon join him and Man Hin is surrounded by a group of irresistable young faces.
"Alright! Come on then..."
Keen for some fun and excusing himself from Chor Yee, he is led by Siu Dou and the children out into the main courtyard for an impromptu lesson. Ching and Chor Yee are left alone in the hall.

"Miss Meng..."
Chor Yee's hesitation is uncomfortable for Ching, who turns and faces him expectantly.
"Please, this may seem rather presumptuous of me, but please can you join me in my Master's study?"
Ching follows the lead of Chor Yee towards a room at the back of the Hall, accessed through a hidden stone door. It is obvious that Chor Yee has something he wishes to hide. The room is cold and dark and as Chor Yee lights up a candle, she can make out many pieces of profound calligraphy and art, adorning the walls and a small desk. She turns to Chor Yee, who once again drops to his knees, but is quickly caught by Ching, who does not want the discomfort of being begged once again.

"Please, don't do that! I don't deserve it."
"Miss Meng, I know that I can trust you with my Master's secret. You have the mark of someone who is strong, trustworthy and true."
Meng Ching looks at Chor Yee who is becoming more and more puzzling to her.
He points at the stone hanging from her sword.
"That stone, was given to you by a young boy?"
Astonished, Ching replies in the positive.
"The stone belonged to a gifted child. His grandfather was a friend of my Master, who once said that it was the child's destiny to find someone who would be able to help and restore the glory of Wong Muk. No-one believed him, saying he was going senile and he disappeared after the death of my Master, but when today I meet you and see this stone that my Master described to me, then I know that this prediction must be true."

Chor Yee walks over to a wall and pulls aside a loose brick, from behind this, he pulls a little leather pouch and dusts it down. Without another word, he hands it to Ching. She pulls it open and reveals a small piece of sheepskin with some marks on it. In the dim light, she tries to make out what is written on it. It is difficult, but some lines seem to indicate mountains and rivers, could this possibly be a piece of a map? Even a treasure map?

She turns to Chor Yee and her conscience overrules her heart.
"You can't give this to me, it means too much to you all."
He is insistent.
"This is a burden that was borne by my Master and drove him to his death. I do not have the power to protect it any more. We need your help..."
"But... you barely know me!"
"I believe the young boy, the prophecy and the words of my Master."

Ching is won over by the belief and the trust in her shown by this young leader and turns to the memorial plaque of his master that is placed in the small shrine beside the desk.
"Master, you have a good student and disciple. I, Meng Ching, pledge to you that I will give my protection to Chor Yee and Wong Muk in whatever way I can."
Chor Yee smiles widely for the first time and falls to his knees in front of the shrine.
"Master, you can finally rest in peace."

[Em]

Chapter 12 - Affection

"I am sorry your stay at Wong Muk has been so brief and that we have had nothing to entertain you with."
Chor Yee apologises to his guests as he walks with Man Hin and Ching towards the mountain path.
"It has been an enjoyable few days. Thank you all for being so hospitable."

Man Hin returns the formalities, although he has enjoyed the time he has spent with the children. Simple as their lives may be, he has been able to relive some of the childhood joys he never had himself. Left to fend for himself after his village was struck by an epidemic, all he had were his two natural gifts. A resilient body that left him the only one alive in the village, and an extremely quick mind, which got him a job as a servant boy in a top academy, but also left him homeless after he was found to be learning martial arts secretly and was surpassing the best students in the school. With the question constantly in his mind of why only rich people were allowed to learn the skills, he felt it had been a duty to help these children by giving them some tutorship and before he left, he promised his new students that he would be back soon to see how they were practising.

The four new friends had earlier discussed their next destinations.
Chor Yee and Siu Dou would be going over to visit their martial uncle, Fung Sam Long. On the face of it, they were going to ask for some funds to help support the sect, as Sam Long was a recluse from a wealthy background and although he played no part in the wars within the sect, he showed a great respect for Chor Yee's Master. However, Ching knew that there was an ulterior motive to this visit, as Chor Yee thought that Sam Long may know about the possible whereabouts of a second map piece and he would be going to seek advice from Sam Long.

Ching had decided it was time to head back to the Arrival of the Clouds Inn and catch up with Mo Yung Lit and Chor Chau. Without much of a direction, or any hesitation, Man Hin decided to do some following of his own, joking that he would like to make the acquaintance of more pretty girls, he would join Meng Ching and 'escort' her on the journey back. Unperterbed, Ching let him tag along - having operated alone for so long, it felt a little strange and yet comforting to have a companion, even if it was someone like Hin who annoyed her so much.

They wave goodbye to Chor Yee as the path separates and Ching and Man Hin continue down towards Jun Tao village. Ching has not shared her secret with him, as she still doesn't know whether he is trustworthy or not and so the air is a little tense as neither wants to speak first.

It is the ever playful Man Hin that finally gives in.
"Not much of a travelling companion are you?"
"I didn't ask you to come with me."
"Hey, I thought we were friends now - or at least colleagues. Let's see, we are co-benefactors of Wong Muk Mountain Sect. That's something isn't it?"
"Isn't that a little strained?"
"How about fellow wanderers in the wide world?"
"You and I and everyone else..."
"Orphaned heroes of Gong Wu?"
"Who said I was an orphan?"
"Fallen fairies on the mortal earth... Soldiers of the spritual wars..."
"Now you're just being silly."
"Star-crossed lovers in a prejudiced society? Ow!"
He calls out in pain handle of a sword winds him squarely in the stomach, leaving Man Hin clutching his abdomen.
"Don't you dare take advantage of me!"

It it almost sunset as the pair arrive at Jun Tao and they arrive back at the Inn just as it begins to rain outside. As they wait for a room for Man Hin to be prepared, the Mo Yung siblings also return.

"Sister Ching, I'm so glad to see you."
Chor Chau has been missing her friend. Realising Ching is not alone, Chor Chau looks up shyly at the new companion and smiles.
Ching makes the introductions.
"This is Man Hin. Mo Yung Chor Chau, my good sister."
"Master Man..."
"Miss Mo Yung, so honoured to meet such a beautiful lady."
"Hey, don't be rude to my sister."
Mo Yung Lit puts an end to Man Hin's antics.
"This is Brother Mo Yung, Mo Yung Lit. He is a businessman."
"You are all like my new family, I am so touched. I should take us all out for a big meal on such a happy occasion!"
Man Hin's dramatics aren't to everyone's amusement and Meng Ching has had enough for one day.
"Come on Chor Chau, we can go and talk where it's a bit quieter."
Taking Chor Chau's hand, Ching takes her up towards the bedrooms, but she doesn't noticed that Chor Chau seems to be captivated by Man Hin's charm and can't take her eyes off him.

[Em]

Chapter Thirteen – Illusion

In the life of a treasure hunter, the day starts with the sunrise, but even before the cockerel has crowed on this day, a character is already set to embark on another quest. As a spectrum of crimsons, oranges, yellows, reds and purples emanates across the clear skies, animating the dark world on the ground below, the white robes of Mo Yung Lit can be seen flashing across the rooftop of the Inn. He does not want to be seen or followed as he appears to have a lead on the whereabouts of the Murderous Blade map and is keen to pursue this alone.

Unfortunately for Lit, he is in the company of someone who is not quite so simple.
“Good Morning Brother Mo Yung!”
A familiar voice calls out from behind him as he prepares to leap over to the next rooftop. Lit looks around and is rather annoyed to see the slight figure of Ching behind him in the dim light of dawn. He stops and wants to carry on, but he needs to lose her from his trail before he continues his journey.
“Anything you’d like to share?”
Mo Yung Lit turns to Meng Ching.
“Miss Meng, I hope that you are not tracking me.”
Ching smiles knowingly.
“What would give you that idea? I am just here to enjoy the fresh morning air and you just happened to pass by. Now I wouldn’t like to think you are hiding anything from me, would I?”
Lit is starting to lose his patience, but he does not want to share his lead with her, so he decides to play the conscience card.
“I will be away for a few days. Miss Meng, please look after Chor Chau for me and I hope you will not follow me.”
“Of course!”
Ching agrees. She has no intentions of doing such a thing because she has a much more important lead to follow of her own. Lit leaps away into the distance as Ching jumps down from the rooftop back into the Courtyard of the Inn to prepare for her trip to meet Fung Sam Long.

At the furthest edge of a remote forest, a clearing gives way to a field of fragrant blue flowers that stand out from the greens and browns of the surroundings, wafting an aura of alluring scent that seems to send anyone in its midst into a deep and fantastic trance. Entering this, after a tiring journey across the deep mountainside woods is Mo Yung Lit. Weary and worn out, he has not stopped for a break for several hours, desperate to reach his intended destination and his white attire is a little dirty from the muddy paths on the rainy route. Faced with this unique sight, he stops and looks forward. The sunshine breaks through the clouds and glimmers into his eyes and as his nose catches the aroma from the mysterious blue flowers. He is suddenly rejuvenated and feels the fatigue lifted from his legs and shoulders, to be replaced by flows of rejuvenation and energy. A smile seems to grow across his face and he feels involuntarily drawn towards a gateway at the opposite end of the field. As if from nowhere, a group of girls dressed in blue flower-coloured outfits seem to appear and Lit is enlightened by their company as they escort him into the gate and a secret compound. Whatever it was that Lit was expecting to find, he certainly wasn’t anticipating this, but he could never be aware of what will be lying ahead of him. For him at this moment, he is floating on clouds and chasing butterfly fairies.