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Thread: The Quest of Heaven and Earth

  1. #21
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    This is the first time for me to read The Quest of Heaven and Earth <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

    You've done a great job (again) Goofy!
    Wish you good luck and also...happy 1st aniversary for your Gigi the cat!

  2. #22
    Senior Member Goofy's Avatar
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    <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="80%" bgcolor="#dcdcdc" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" bgcolor="#DCDCDC"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#eeeeee"><font size="1">Originally posted by lovepiekna:
    <STRONG>Is it my first post in Fan Fic??

    Well, as far as the title goes Goofy..I think it sounds like Fantasy Novel...
    I still don't read Fan Fic..am I a bad person?? <IMG SRC="smilies/frown.gif" border="0"></STRONG></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

    It is ok that you don't read fanfic, lovepiekna. Just hope that some of excellent ones on this forum could convince you otherwise though. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/french.gif" border="0">

    at least, it sometimes a lot better than series out there. <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">
    "History's third dimension is always fiction."
    -- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse

  3. #23
    Senior Member Goofy's Avatar
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    Chapter 5
    The Flood

    Character List (not in any particular order):
    Tian Xin-er (Vivian Leung Siu Bing)
    Huang Yitao (Felix Wong Yat Wah)
    Shu Qiuyang (Deric Wan Siu Lan)
    Jiaping (Fiona Leung Ngai Ling)

    Jiaping proved to be a lovely maiden once she had washed and put on female garment. Standing next to Tian Xin-er, both ladies were like rose and orchid at their blooms. Both men could not help but acclaimed admiringly at the two stunning beauties. The old lady snickered at their bewilderment, making Shu Qiuyang turn his eyes instantly toward her with guilt. He thought she was displeased with him, so he tried to pacify her.

    “Tomorrow, we will cross the Yellow River and leave Henan. After that, we have only Shanxi to go before reaching home.”

    The grandmother nodded quietly. She stole a look at Huang Yitao, who was talking to Tian Xin-er, and sighed. Her eyes clouded uncertainly.

    Shu Qiuyang detected that and frowned. “Don’t forget Uncle’s order.”

    The other lifted her head angrily; her eyes sparked. “I know. You don’t need to repeat it, Yang-er.”

    The young man flushed. “I’m sorry. I just want to help.” He looked resentfully at the other man. ‘You have changed because of him.’ He thought bitterly.

    Unaware of the emotion he aroused in others, Huang Yitao was reprimanding his sworn sister at the moment for resorting to trickery the other day.

    “I think Elder was still cross at you. She has not talked much at all since then. You should apologize to her and patch things up. It is better to make friend than enemy especially she is our senior.”

    Tian Xin-er nodded. “All right. For you, I’ll do it although I don’t think it’s that big a deal. My trick neither harmed her nor delayed her trip. All I wanted to do was to send some news back to Wu Dang. Anyway, the old lady has already paid me back by allowing Miss Jiaping to travel with us.”

    Huang Yitao asked her curiously. “What does that have to do with the feud between you two?”

    Tian Xin-er smiled at the other’s lack of guile. “She wants to torture me with a chatterbox and occupy me with the girl so that I would have no time to think up another mischief. She didn’t just invite a stranger for a sake of kindness like you might have thought although I have to admit it turned out well for everyone.”

    She complained of Jiaping with fondness. In fact, she was glad that another young woman was to join the trip for she began to feel uncomfortable under young Master Shu’s scrutiny. The old lady’s coldness did not bother her at all for she realized that the other was just putting up a show to intimidate Huang Yitao and her in order to prevent any more pranks from them in the future.

    Huang Yitao still thought well of others. “The grandmother seems cold, but she is in fact a friendly person. I have talked to her several times about many things, and she sounds nice. I sense that she’s also under an obligation to someone although she would not tell me who we are going to meet.”

    Tian Xin-er grinned at him proudly. “Elder brother, you are such a likable creature that it would be odd indeed for someone to dislike you. Unfortunately, I’m too rambunctious despite my master’s attempt to polish my manners. Sometimes, I wish I could be a bit more like Ah Bao and Xiang-er. They should have been twin instead since their temperaments were so much alike.”

    Huang Yitao patted her shoulder encouragingly. “But, that makes you the most unique sibling of all, and I think that Master Shu wants to befriend with you if you’d allow him.” He saw Shu Qiuyang as a talented young man and a good match for his sworn sister.

    Tian Xin-er’s face showed discomfort. At that point, Jiaping appeared and unwittingly rescued her mentor from an awkward conversation.

    “Mentor, when are you going to teach me the trick?” She asked Tian Xin-er impatiently.

    Tian Xin-er felt grateful and accordingly taught her apprentice a basic cultivation of inner energy.

    “You need to have enough inner power to seal anyone’s pressure points at all.” She told the younger maiden, who listened with rapt attention.

    After that, everyone separated to his or her sleeping quarter.

    In the middle of the night, violent storm broke. The makeshift shelter over Huang Yitao and Shu Qiuyang was blown away, and consequently, both men were soaked to the bones and had to crouch under thick bushes until the rain would stop. The carriage fared a bit better from being under a big rock, thus was shielded from the furious wind. Nonetheless, it shook from the air tremor, and its occupants were wakened up from their peaceful slumbers.

    Tian Xin-er’s first thought was her sworn brother. She was about to go check on him but was detained by her elder.

    “You will get wet unnecessarily because both of them should have already found a new shelter. Otherwise, they would have come to us by now.” Her caution was logical, and Tian Xin-er settled down again uneasily in her corner.

    Jiaping screamed at the sound of thunder striking. She moved closer to her mentor, whimpering fearfully. Tian Xin-er wrapped a blanket over the other’s shoulder snugly and sweetly sang a song to soothe her junior. Her voice was rang clearly amid the fierce gale, and Huang Yitao, who was under the bush, relaxed upon hearing his sworn sister. ‘She is telling me that everyone is all right.’

    The downpour went on till an early hour in the morning. It slacked off and turned to drizzle at the first dawn then stopped after a while. As the golden light chased away the darkness and birds came out to look for morning meal, the men slowly crawled out from their temporary shelters, and the women emerged carefully from the carriage. Everyone was tired after the sleepless night, but Shu Qiuyang’s grandmother hastened the group.

    “We’d better hurry and cross the river before more storm is coming.”

    She was thinking about the road condition worriedly and was regretted for not listening to Tian Xin-er’ earlier warning about the storm. She was still mad at being deceived by the other the last time thus would not trust the younger woman’s any information concerning the route. In fact, she even suspected Jiaping for siding with Tian Xin-er to trick her again when the other informed her truthfully about the possibility of the flood.

    Turned out that her fear was justified as their path was blocked many times by big trees that were uprooted by the severe storm last night. The road itself turned into a muddy lane, and the group had to stop often to free the wagon from boggy holes that trapped them once in every ten meter or so. Nevertheless, the grandmother stubbornly pressed on. She did not want to retrace the steps and be laughed at by both younger women. To add to that, another downpour started right after the lunch and did not let up till late afternoon, making the already slow progress even more painful and soggier.

    In this miserable manner, the company finally reached the destination late in the evening, the bank of the Yellow River. To their disappointment, a small wooden bridge that was supposed to be there was gone, leaving only a broken plank as an evidence of temper of last night’s storm.

    Huang Yitao surveyed the rushing current of the river and calculated the distance between the two banks then suggested. “We probably can swim across, but it would be better to turn back and travel on the main road instead.”

    Shu Qiuyang spoke softly. “But we cannot swim.” He looked at Jiaping’s white face and added. “I don’t think Miss Jiaping can either. I am afraid that we have no choice.”

    Huang Yitao nodded. “Then, we have to go back.”

    However, it was easier said than done. The rain from the afternoon did much damage to the pathway. They had not gone far when they found a giant tree blocking the way back like a strong fortress preventing anyone from getting out or going in. Faced with this dilemma, the caravan had to turn toward the river again. They somehow had to find a way to cross to the other side. The grandmother became agitated and looked at Huang Yitao for advice.

    “Can’t you and Miss Tian take us across the river? The opposite bank doesn’t look very far, and the water here seems shallow enough for our mounts to wade through.”

    Huang Yitao hesitated. “I don’t know. Current is often deceptive. Xin-er, what do you think?”

    He turned to his sworn sister, and she thought for a while. “If you would lead the horses with Master Shu at the driver seat, I can take this donkey across by myself.”

    The old lady was pleased. “Good idea,” she agreed to Tian Xin-er proposal. “There is no other exit, so we have to cross this river.”

    Huang Yitao reluctantly went along with the plan and instructed the other young man to hold onto the rein tightly. “Never let it go, no matter what happens.”

    Jiaping and the old lady then were told to stay quietly inside the coach. When all was ready, Tian Xin-er went in the cold current first, pulling an unwilling donkey along. After that, she shouted to everyone that the water seemed safe enough. Hence, a wagon started moving under Huang Yitao’s guidance into the river. Tian Xin-er led the way, and Huang Yitao followed carefully.

    It was a dark night. The pale moonlight shone dimly at the inky water. The current was swift, but the water level was not very high. Tian Xin-er half-swam, half-waded, pushing and pulling the obstinate animal toward the opposite shore. Seemed only a few minutes for her when at last she and the beast landed on the riverbank. Breathing out with relief, she squinted back in the dark, looking for the sign of Huang Yitao and others.

    “Yitao, are you all right?” She shouted.

    Right then, the weather suddenly changed. Black cloud gathered, covering the moon completely. In a matter of seconds, heavy shower descended onto earth. Thick sheet of raindrops blinded Tian Xin-er completely, isolated her from others.

    Huang Yitao progressed cautiously. He led the carriage past the middle of the river when he felt the change of tide. Heavy rain poured down all of sudden, and the river started to rise. The serene water now became raging torrent, tearing at everything and everyone.

    With all effort, Huang Yitao held on to the horses as best as he could. Fighting against the current, he tried to take the rein from Shu Quiyang while shouting to the other to go inside the carriage. He was too late though, as the river swept over the wagon, causing it to turn over. All of its habitants were thrown out and fell into the cold river. Huang Yitao instantaneously dove after them. He swam with his might and managed to fish one body out of the flood. In that dark hour, he worked his way toward the riverbank, not letting go the person he had rescued.

    Seemed as if it would never happen, at last, he reached the muddy shore. Exhausted, he laid the body on the ground and tried to revive it. At that moment, he heard a groan and discovered that the person he had saved was the grandmother. Delighted that she was still alive, he propped her against a nearby tree.

    “Elder, please wait here. I’m going to go find Master Shu and Miss Jiaping.”

    The grandmother mumbled that she was cold, and Huang Yitao worriedly checked her pulse. He could hear her teeth clattering and sense her body shivering. He realized that she needs a warm shelter and decided to find the place for her first. So, he quickly put her on his back and ventured further from the river. By now, the rain had let up although the sky was still dark. Only glistering stars dimly showed the path to the two figures. They led the pair right to a small cave that snuggled between two large trees.

    Huang Yitao entered the dry cave with delight. He put down the grandmother then told her that he had to return to the river and would come back soon. After that, he hurried back to the chilly water and dove in, searching for any survivors. To no avail, he swam around back and forth madly until he finally came to his sense. There was nothing in sight saved for a small wooden chest and a carcass of dead horse. The rest were probably carried far away from here. It was almost as if the river had just swallowed everything into its bottomless stomach. The water was now returning to its calm state and continued its course as if it had never been interrupted at all.

    Spent and discouraged, he picked up the chest and went miserably back to the cave. There, he found the grandmother was shivering with cold. Unable to find dry enough twigs to make a fire, he piled dry grass that he found in the cave on her. He then settled himself next to her; one hand was on her wrist, inspecting her pulse. The grandmother opened her eyes once and called out his name. Upon hearing his answer, she closed her eyes again with relief. She grabbed his free hand and pleaded. “Don’t leave me alone here.”

    Huang Yitao who thought that she had mistaken him for her grandson sighed and stroked her soft hand gently. “Elder, get some rest. I’ll be here with you.” He himself closed his eyes and meditated.

    The two worn-out figures slept on until late the following morning. Huang Yitao was the first to wake up and astonishingly discovered that the body huddling next to him belonged to a young woman. She still had the old woman’s garment, but her face was unmistakably that of Ah Yue’s (Maggie Siu Mei Kei), the maiden he once met in the forest.

    Huang Yitao exclaimed and hastily moved away from the young maiden who had just waken up. She was surprised at his reaction then understood when she felt her silver wig was gone. Giggling, she touched her face and realized that her makeup had been washed away in the river since last night. Smiling to herself, she called the other.

    “Master Huang, what are you staring at?”

    Huang Yitao flushed under her teasing tone and immediately apologized to her. “Miss, I didn’t realize that you were er… young lady. I, er… Please pardon my rudeness.” He scratched his head. “I don’t even know how to call you.”

    The young maiden reddened. “My name is Shu Xiayue. I’m Qiuyang’s cousin.” Then, she looked around. “Where are he and Miss Jiaping?” Her eyes were panicked. “Are they all right?”

    Huang Yitao swallowed with difficulty and looked at her with shame. “Sorry, I was unable to save them last night. I tried but found nothing but this.” He pointed at a small chest on the ground.

    Shu Xiayue turned white. She picked up the wooden box and cried out desperately. “Maybe they are somewhere along the bank now. Take me there at once.” She feebly got up and had to catch the cave wall for her support. Her legs had no strength, and one of them was wounded with splinters of wood from the wagon that was torn apart by the raging river.

    She suppressed her pain and asked the other. “I cannot walk; can you carry me to the river?”

    Huang Yitao shifted his feet awkwardly. He finally suggested. “Why don’t you stay here and take a rest while I do the search for your cousin and Miss Jiaping.”

    Shu Xiayue raised her eyebrows questioningly and finally understood. She immediately scolded the other. “Last night, you piggybacked me all the way here as an old woman, but now, you don’t dare even to come near me just because I turn out younger than you. What nonsense! Why would you insist on formality in an emergency like this? Anyway, I definitely refuse to be left alone here. I don’t know martial arts and cannot walk; how would I protect myself if some beasts come by?” She did not want to separate from the only friend she had left.

    Huang Yitao’s eyes discerned the wisdom of her words. “You are right, and I’m such a dunce.” He reproached himself and cupped his hands. “Please pardon my rudeness.” Then, he put the maiden on his back and told her to hold on well. After that, he used his light kung fu and sped to the riverbank in no time.

    Shu Xiayue hugged her only possession in her bosom then wrapped her arms around his neck and suddenly felt strangely elated. She blushed and could hardly answer to the other when he asked about her leg.

    “My injury is just a small matter. Let’s find them first.”

    Huang Yitao nodded and started running along the river, while Shu Xiayue’s quick eyes darted around for any sign of the missing youths. Hours passed. At last, he paused and put her down.

    “We have practically come for so many kilometers but saw nothing. Either they were rescued by someone or…” He could not finish the horrible sentence; his face was pale and his eyes were red.

    Shu Xiayue refused to think negatively. She hopefully spoke. “I am sure that Qiuyang is still living. He is too tough to die this young. Maybe, Miss Tian has saved him and is now looking for us at the moment.”

    Her mentioning Tian Xin-er reminded Huang Yitao of his sworn sister. “Yes, she was already on the bank when the flood came. She is smart and will know what to do, but where can we find her?”

    Shu Xiayue was quiet. When he brought up the question again, she answered curtly. “How should I know? You should ask your Xin-er instead.”

    Realizing that he somehow had offended her, he cupped his hands. “I must have said something wrong. Please pardon me.” His eyes were sincere, and Shu Xiayue’s heart beat fast.

    She finally replied. “Qiuyang and I promised that we will go to Beiping if we are to separate from each other. There is someone there that can help us finding each other.”

    Huang Yitao considered the information thoughtfully. “Then, we should go to Beiping and meet him there. If he is still alive, he should remember what to do.” His face was clouded. “But I am worried about Miss Jiaping. She has no martial arts and is a foreigner in these parts.”

    The other grunted. Without thinking, she suggested dryly. “Then, you should remain here and continue the search for her, while I go ahead alone.”

    She got up and instantly collapsed. Huang Yitao stepped forward and quickly caught her. He then put her down on the ground to inspect her wound. He hesitated when thought of etiquette but reminded himself that helping people was more important. So, while mumbling an apology, he took off her shoe and rolled up the trouser leg. He then discovered several sharp wood pieces burying in her flesh. Gently, he told her to be brave. Then, he used his inner energy to push those tiny splinters out of the other’s leg. After that, he poured white powder on the wound and bandaged it with clean cloth.

    “Now that the splinters were rid of, you will be able to walk in no time.” He smiled warmly, and their eyes met. Shu Xiayue turned away shyly. She reached in her shirt and brought out a dagger. She presented it to Huang Yitao while explained with low voice.

    “Every girl and boy in our tribe receive a dagger at birth. When they grow up, they can exchange daggers to each other for token of friendship. You have saved my life, so this dagger shall belong to you.”

    Huang Yitao touched the sharp blade and returned it to her. “Thank you, Miss Shu. However, I have no dagger of my own to exchange with yours.”

    Shu Xiayue was disappointed but tried to conceal it. “But, I saw you bought a knife in town some days ago.”

    Huang Yitao shook his head. “That knife is not mine. It is Xin-er’s. I bought it for her, so I cannot give her gift to you. Moreover, we still have a long way to go that could be dangerous. You should keep the dagger with you for protection.”

    His innocent advice seemed to anger her, as she furiously stuck the dagger on the sand. “I don’t take back my gift. If you don’t want it, then let it stays here forever.”

    Huang Yitao shook his head puzzlingly. He pulled out the dagger and put it in his belt. Then he bowed politely to the cross maiden. “It is a pity for a good weapon to be rusted here in the sand. I will take it as a token of our friendship. When we arrive to the next town, I will buy a new dagger for you then.”

    Shu Xiayue smiled radiantly, and Huang Yitao recalled Lu Tingli with a skipping heart. He stared at the other till she blushed. He then hastily apologized to her and walked away toward the river to fish. Taking out his sword and pointing its tip straight right above the water surface, he waited patiently for a fish to swim by. In that second, he stabbed down precisely and pulled up a fish at the end of the blade.

    In this manner, he caught several fish then cooked them on the fire. When they sent out appetizing aroma, he presented them to Shu Xiayue first. While they were eating scrumptious meal, Huang Yitao proposed a plan.

    “I have been thinking about our missing friends, and I think that we should spend a few days in this area to look for Miss Jiaping. Whether we succeed or not, we will take off for Beiping for Master Shu. Your leg would also get a chance to be healed. What do you think?”

    Shu Xiayue was munching a tasty fish morsel. She nodded. “I think it is a good idea.” She swallowed the food. “I am sorry that I was a bit moody today because I was worried about my cousin.”

    Huang Yitao smiled gently. “It is all right. I understand. Hopefully, Xin-er would find both of them and head toward Beiping like us.”

    A long road was ahead, and the new relationship just blossomed.
    --------------------
    Sorry, too engrossed in Bao Ching Tian lately. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">
    "History's third dimension is always fiction."
    -- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse

  4. #24
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    wow.. <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0">
    Anyway Goofy you are amazing! you write some fan-fic in the same time and they all nice stories! <IMG SRC="smilies/thumbsup.gif" border="0">

    One more thing: Tingli= White Jasmine.. what language is that? is that Thai language?

  5. #25
    Senior Member Bubeng's Avatar
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    Hi Goofy!

    Great addition to the story. Really enjoy reading your "Quest of Heaven and Earth".

    One question tho:
    At early part of the story, The grandma was giving pointers to the "cousin" when he was fighting. How come now she doesn't know any kungfu. Is she faking it?
    There's a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

  6. #26
    Senior Member Goofy's Avatar
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    well, she can have knowledge of kung fu without practicing it like wang yu yen in dgsd. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">
    "History's third dimension is always fiction."
    -- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse

  7. #27
    Senior Member Goofy's Avatar
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    <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="80%" bgcolor="#dcdcdc" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" bgcolor="#DCDCDC"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#eeeeee"><font size="1">Originally posted by andrea7974:
    <STRONG>wow.. <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0">


    One more thing: Tingli= White Jasmine.. what language is that? is that Thai language?</STRONG></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

    I think I got the name from online mandarin dict. It could be wrong. <IMG SRC="smilies/blush.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/redface.gif" border="0">
    "History's third dimension is always fiction."
    -- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse

  8. #28
    Senior Member charbydis's Avatar
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    I know it is mo4 li4 in Mandarin. <IMG SRC="smilies/alien.gif" border="0">
    "Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
    Cyril Connolly

  9. #29
    Senior Member Goofy's Avatar
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    actually, li = white jasmine. I think ting means pretty. thanks for correcting me. <IMG SRC="smilies/bow.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">
    "History's third dimension is always fiction."
    -- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse

  10. #30
    Senior Member Goofy's Avatar
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    I have got the background for the winglin site. For those interest to see it, the url is http://www.winglin.net/fanfic/heavenandearth

    Chapter 6
    The Masked Stranger and Old Acquaintance

    Character List (not in any particular order):
    Jiaping (Fiona Leung Ngai Ling)
    Tian Xin-er (Vivian Leung Siu Bing)
    De Pang (Liu Kai Chi)
    Ke Jing (Julian Cheung Chi Lam)
    Shu Qiuyang (Deric Wan Siu Lan)


    Jiaping opened her eyes and found herself in a hut. She weakly got up from a straw bed and immediately fell down. She cried out, and a tall man clad in dark blue robe at one corner of the hut turned around and rushed to help her back to bed. His face was covered with a mask made of animal skin, and his long black hair was untidily tied in the back with a piece of string. Despite his rough appearance, his voice was gentle and kind.

    “Your left leg was injured, so you need to stay in bed for a while. My name is Ah Yu, and this is my house. I was out fishing when I found you floating in the river, so I jumped in the water and rescued you.” The stranger chatted pleasantly, flashing his healthy white teeth.

    Jiaping whispered faintly. “Thank you.” Then, she thought of Huang Yitao and others. “Did you see my friends too? We were crossing the river when the flood came.”

    The man answered. “No, I saw only you. The current probably brought them far from here.” He noticed her disappointment and tried to console her. “Don’t worry too much. Maybe someone has found them just like I found you. When you can walk, I will help you find them.” His words inspired a trust in her, and Jiaping relaxed a little.

    Outside, the sun was high. Birds were busily catching worms, which were practically everywhere after such a wet night. The river calmed down and changed its tune into a lullaby, sending the weary maiden into a dreamland.

    She woke up again in the afternoon, feeling ravenous. Ah Yu seemed to expect that and had prepared a bowl of hot congee for her. He smiled when she finished the food in no time and asked for the second helping. Wordlessly, he gave her more and waited till her hunger was satisfied.

    Jiaping wiped her mouth with her sleeve contentedly. “I am full. Thank you.” She felt stronger now but still could not stand up. Looking down at her injured leg, she found it had been bandaged neatly in clean cloth. Aroma of herb on the wound touched her nostril, and she asked the other curiously.

    “What did you put on my leg? It felt cool and soothing.”

    Ah Yu grinned. “My own recipe for all cuts and wounds – aloe leaf and cucumber juice. Something in the river must have cut your leg, but it should heal in a couple of days.”

    Jiaping looked at him admiringly. “You must be a great healer. My father said that we used to have a skilled doctor too. Too bad, he had left our tribe since I was a baby.” Her lively eyes started to take in her environment interestingly.

    The hut was small, consisted of only one room with a bed along one wall and a table toward the middle. She later learned from Ah Yu that the kitchen was outside in a small lean-to. In one corner stacked fishing implements and garden tools. Next to the door, two sabers were arrayed on the wall. They were the only precious items in the entire building. Their hilts were studded with small gems, and their scabbards were minutely inline with gold. The design was intricate and exquisite, indicating a work of a skillful artisan. Ah Yu followed her eyes to the two sabers and explained.

    “Those are the only things that Mother left for my brother and me. She said that they are very important, and I have to take good care of them.”

    Jiaping exclaimed curiously. “You have a brother too? Where is he now?”

    Ah Yu shook his head sadly. “He died long time ago.”

    Jiaping turned red, and the leather-masked man consoled her kindly. “Don’t feel bad. My brother passed away when we were very young. I don’t remember much about him. My mother also died when I was five years old; I’ve been by myself since.”

    Tears welled up the maiden’s eyes, and she cried. “Your life sounds so sad and lonely, but I will be your friend from now on.” Her sincere eyes met his tender gaze, and she shyly looked down. Her heart suddenly beat fast, and her cheeks felt strangely hot.

    Not realizing of the other’s heart turmoil, Ah Yu laughed good-naturedly. “I am used to being alone, but it is good to hear someone chatting.” He was thinking of another fair face and felt a stab in his heart. ‘Bai Chang,’ he called inwardly.

    Meanwhile, Tian Xin-er was trekking along the long coast of the river for any trace of her friends. She had found some items that belonged to the carriage and finally some wagon planks but no sign of any livings. After traveling for a whole day without meeting anyone, she decided to change the course and went deeper in the forest instead. Her idea was to obtain some news from hunters or fishermen who lived in the area.

    At crossroads, she randomly selected one lane and hurried along. The springtime was the blooming season of nature. Wild flowers were everywhere, showing their color and fragrance. Grass was green, and trees were full of young blossoms. Nonetheless, Tian Xin-er had no eyes for the beauty around her. She was full of agitation and worry for others’ safety.

    Late that evening, she reached the road end. Sighing disappointedly, she was about to turn back when she observed a light from northwest direction. Thankfully, she eagerly walked toward it. Turned out that it came from a small hut. Tian Xin-er could hear someone coughing from inside.

    Hoping to get shelter for the night, she knocked at the door. Steps approached, and the door was opened. An old man was standing at the doorsill holding a dimly lit oil lamp in his hand. Tian Xin-er was smiling and on the point of greeting the host when the moon cast down its bright light, exposing both parties to each other. Simultaneously, each exclaimed with surprise.

    “You!”

    “Dr. Ma!”

    At that second, the old man waved his oil lamp and cast nail-like projectiles toward Tian Xin-er. Nimbly, she moved away and somersaulted over the shower of his secret weapons. Kicking in the air, she swooped down and rested her sword on the other’s neck.

    “Dr. Ma, Sword South School and Emei have been searching for you high and low. It is the heaven’s mandate that I met you today.”

    Dr. Ma (Yeung Quan), an old man with wrinkled face, laughed sarcastically. “He-he. I have to thank Hero Tian for asking every pugilist to hunt me down. During these three years, I have to live in hiding because of the treacherous friend like him.”

    Tian Xin-er looked at the old man scornfully. “How could you accuse my father as such? You are the one who is the traitor to your nation. Your name was in the list of the Manchu’s supporters. After the battle at Wu Dang three years ago, we have gone to your house in Guilin to arrest you. You have already escaped then, but we found many poisons that were used by Love Palace. Some were the same as those that Zhan Feiyan had received. Outwardly, you pretended to be a gentleman doctor, even made friend with my father, but in fact…in fact, you are the spy Love Palace had sent.”

    She thought of Li Renying and his wife, Zhan Feiyan, and became angrier every minute. Li Renying was her father’s best student, and Zhan Feiyan was an older sister of Zhan Zhiying, Tian Bao’s wife. The two Zhan sisters were separated since young. Zhan Zhiying grew up in Emei, while Zhan Feiyan was raised by Lord of Love Palace to be a ruthless killer. When Zhan Feiyan met Li Renying and decided to turn her leaf, she discovered that she had been heavily poisoned and was on the verge of death. To cure her, Li Renying had to take her to Tibet to find the black orchid. The couple had been gone for three years, and no one had heard of them since.

    Dr. Ma sneered. “So, you are Tian Fei’s new daughter. What if I poisoned Zhan Feiyan? What if I turned against the Imperial Court? The Ming emperor is so brainless anyway, not fit to rule the country any longer. I did everything to revenge for my master, who was the best doctor in the palace. Yet, the stupid emperor believed the idle gossip from other jealous royal physicians and executed him. The day that I escaped from the palace, I swore to myself to live to see the dynasty destroyed in the foreigner’s hands.”

    He eyed at the maiden in front with hate. “I have been friend with your father for a long time, and I have never done anything wrong to him. Although I support Manchu, I am never a subject of Love Palace. Everything I did for them was strictly business. I concocted poisons and I sold them to any buyer indiscriminately. Just because my name was on that list, my long life friend decided to turn me in to the authority. Even until now, drawings of my face are still at every border. I lost everything because of that dog Tian Fei!”

    Tian Xin-er could not stand another abuse toward her father and lifted the sword to silence this villain when she suddenly felt weak, no strength at all. Her mind recalled the strange smell from the oil lamp, and she whispered, “you drugged…”

    She reeled and collapsed on the ground, senseless.

    Dr. Ma chuckled evilly. “Such a young life to die so early, pity…pity. I am lucky today to have two young people for my experiment.”

    He dragged the unconscious maiden across the threshold into the room when someone stirred. A young man slowly rose from the bed and looked around curiously. His eyes rested on an old man then on Tian Xin-er’s face and instantly shouted. “Let her go!”

    He leaped forth but was too weak. With a thud, he landed on the floor next to the maiden. Dr. Ma quickly reached for his needles and put them on the young man’s neck and shoulders, rendering the other immovable and mute.

    “Don’t worry. Your turn will come soon too. I did not rescue you from the river for nothing.”

    At that point, the old man heard a voice. “Brother Ke, let us stop here for the night. I’ll ask for a place to sleep.” Next, a knock on the door followed.

    Dr. Ma paled with fear. ‘The voice owner sounds very powerful. Could that be my enemy?’

    He searched for the oil lamp that he had dropped to the floor and relit it. He then opened the door slowly, waving the lamp and secretly hurling a shower of needles at the strangers. Suddenly, he felt a breeze and pricking sensation. Instantaneously, the flame from the oil lamp was extinguished, and the poisonous projectiles were sent back to their thrower with high inner power; they lodged deeply in the body. The old doctor had only time to utter a last cry before falling dead right at the entrance.

    De Pang rushed forward, but Ke Jing held his arm. “Brother De, better wait for the air to clear up first.” He bent down to pick up the oil lamp from the dead man’s hand and showed it to his friend.

    “This purple oil in the lamp came from rhododendron seed. When a person inhales it, he will lose his strength and become unconscious eventually. I recognized the scent immediately because we also use it as a trap back at the Tomb. I have helped my mother with the trap since young; therefore, I am used to smelling it that the poison could no longer harm me.” Ke Jing explained to the other.

    De Pang nodded thoughtfully. He waited for a moment and approached Dr. Ma’s corpse to examine it. Under the bright moonlight, he saw that all the needles were arrayed neatly on the body at every fatal pressure point. De Pang looked up at his younger companion amazingly.

    “Brother Ke, besides your high light kung fu, your internal energy was also incredible at this age. In this martial realm, I’ve met only three other youths with this level of inner force – Hero Tian’s two daughters and his first son-in-law.”

    De Pang sighed. “This person was Dr. Ma, a criminal that we have been searching for these past three years. You have killed the right person this time and have done a good service to the country and pugilistic world, but do be more careful in the future. A life taken cannot be returned.”

    Ke Jing bowed to his senior respectfully. “Brother De is right. I didn’t realize my strength there when I pushed the coming weapons back to their owner.” He kneeled in front of Dr. Ma’s body. “I beg your soul to forgive me and go in peace.” He chanted a prayer with sincerity.

    After the younger man was done with his ritual, De Pang mentioned to the youngster. “I think that we may not be his first victims the way that he expertly greeted his visitors. Let’s go inside and see what mischief he was up to.”

    He pushed the door wider and walked in. Ke Jing followed silently and heard his elder exclaimed gladly. “Miss Tian!”

    De Pang kneeled down and checked Tian Xin-er’s pulse. “She must have inhaled that poisonous gas. Brother Ke, is there a way to wake her up?” He then noticed the other young man and quickly pulled the needles out of the other’s pressure points and massaged them to let the blood circulate faster.

    ‘How come Master Shu is here with Miss Tian?’ He thought puzzlingly at the same time.

    Outwardly, he cautioned the other not to use any energy for a time being. Then, he assisted the younger man to the bed. “You’d better get some sleep for you’ve got very high fever. I know a bit about acupuncture, so I will put a needle on Bai Hui point and bleed your thumb to lessen the fever.” He followed the other’s glance to Tian Xin-er’s unconscious form and smiled consolingly. “Don’t worry. My friend will help her.” He took out a needle and started himself with the task.

    Shu Qiuyang breathed out with relief. He let himself be treated and fell asleep at last. De Pang then turned to Tian Xin-er and Ke Jing.

    The hut tonight was bathed in moonlight that shone through windows and cracks of walls. The globe of silver rays seemed to envelop the only maiden in the room, making her fairy-like. Ke Jing almost forgot to breathe with wonder and walked as if in trance toward her. Next, he took out a small bottle from his robe, lifted its cork, and waved it under her nose. After a few minutes, he withdrew the bottle and put it away. In awe, he stepped back and waited patiently. Few moments later, Tian Xin-er opened her eyes.

    Ke Jing saw the most beautiful woman rising from the floor in front of him. Her bewildered eyes were bright like stars and as lively as fawn’s eyes. Her eyebrows arched gracefully like a bow, and her skin reminded him of the morning sun – so alive and vibrant. Her hair was raven black, and her lips were red and delicate like rose petal. She greeted De Pang, and her voice was like music in his ears. Finally, he fulfilled his mother’s last wish, finding himself a wife.

    De Pang was telling Tian Xin-er of Ke Jing’s encounter with Dr. Ma. The young maiden nodded and glanced at the mentioned young man. She smiled at him pleasantly, and Ke Jing’s heart leaped uncontrollably. Unconsciously, he uttered sincerely. “Miss, you are very pretty. I have never met anyone this beautiful before.”

    Tian Xin-er turned red, and De Pang chuckled. He cupped his hands and excused for his friend. “Miss Tian, my friend here is an honest man. He spoke without thinking, so please pardon his rude manner.”

    De Pang poked at his younger friend. “Brother Ke, you may speak the truth, but you have embarrassed Miss Tian here. You’d apologize to her.”

    Ke Jing awkwardly bowed. “Miss Tian, I’m sorry. I don’t know how to behave toward a lady.” His clear eyes looked admiringly at the young maiden, and Tian Xin-er blushed deeper. She was not angry with him, however, for his manner reminded her of her brother. ‘Ah Bao also has the same kind of innocent air.’

    She graciously bowed back and turned to De Pang, cleverly changing a subject. “Master De, how did you happen to be here? Did you find Ah Shan and little Tingli?”

    De Pang stole a careful glance at the sleeping Shu Qiuyang and relaxed. He began his story from the beginning. “Don’t worry about the two children. Man He and Mu Zhen will surely find them. Both brothers of mine are careful, so they should have move Miss Tian Xing-xing and Huang Tingli to the safe place by now.”

    His tone then turned more serious. “How about you? I heard that you and Master Huang had gone after the kidnappers but didn’t expect to meet you here. Are you all right?”

    Tian Xin-er flashed him a big smile. She spoke. “Thanks to Master Ke, I am fine now.” Then, she related her adventures to the two men.

    After the exchange of the information, De Pang was lost in deep thought. Finally, he formed an opinion. “Both incidents happened almost at the same time, but they may not connect with each other for Master Shu and his grandmother seemed to target Sword South School only, while the Widow Mansion seemed to want something from Wu Dang. Hmm, I wonder if these two incidents have anything to do with the battle with Love Palace three years ago. We have offended many heretical clans then. Could this be some sort of revenge?”

    Tian Xin-er did not think so. “Those clans worked for Love Palace under influence of drug, and Ruyu has cured all of them. In my opinion, we have helped them, not harmed them. Also, I heard Father said that the Widow Mansion is situated in a maze, hard to find. This unorthodox clan doesn’t care about the affair of the pugilistic world and has never appeared in the Central Plains. Maybe the kidnapper of Madam Man is not really from the Widow Mansion but someone else that wants to lure you away from Wu Dang.”

    She shook her head. “What I don’t understand is the real identities of Master Shu and his grandmother. Why they seemed to hate Sword South School so and bent on destroying its reputation? You have clearly witnessed that from the tournament.” De Pang nodded.

    Tian Xin-er continued. “Also, although we traveled with them as an obligation, they didn’t try to harm us in any way. As a matter of fact, they were quite nice to us. Although I don’t know about the grandmother, with the martial arts Yitao and I have, we can defeat Master Shu easily, and he seemed to realize that too. If we were enemies, they should not have given us such freedom. But if not, then what is the purpose of taking us to the north?”

    De Pang replied thoughtfully. “But, if you look from different aspect, they know that you and Master Huang are bound by code of honors, so they’re never worried about their safety. Besides, I tend to agree with Master Huang that someone else was behind them. I think that their job was to ruin Sword South School’s reputation, but when they didn’t succeed, they decided to take you two back to their master instead. As for Widow Mansion, I will have to find it before three months were up and rescue Sister-in-law. I trust third and fourth brothers to protect Wu Dang while I’m away. Even without me there, it would not be easy to destroy Wu Dang.”

    He sighed. “We have to trust fate and destiny. Whatever will happen, will happen. We just have to do our best. Anyway, our first priority here is to find Master Huang and your other friends.”

    Tian Xin-er thought of her sworn brother and felt sad. “I should not have let him handle the wagon alone. Jiaping loved her donkey very much, and I just tried to help her. Who would have thought that the current would change that fast?”

    Ke Jing had been listening to the conversation quietly up to now. He detected her grief and wanted to console her but didn’t know how. So, he went outside and took a walk around the area. Behind the hut was a lean-to building that he mistook to be a wood shack at first. In fact, it was Dr. Ma’s operating room. Inside, piles of human bones were heaped next to a hot furnace. On the other side, many corpses were laid on the dirt floor; they all had one thing in common – no facial skin. Ke Jing took in the horrific sight and shuddered. What could induce the old man to commit such terrible crimes?

    He went outside, thinking of fetching De Pang. At that moment, a shadow materialized before him. It was a man in blue outfit with a leather mask. The stranger scrutinized the other young man coldly and asked for Dr. Ma. To which, Ke Jing truthfully replied that the old man had passed away. The stranger then furthered a question at the other. “How did he die?”

    “I killed him.” Ke Jing answered truthfully.

    At that, the stranger in blue sent out his palms. Ke Jing leaped aside to evade the blow but met with another attack. With light kung fu, he somersaulted backward to dodge the other but was followed after relentlessly by the masked stranger who kicked out at him in the air. Ke Jing twirled his body, eluding the kick; he then alighted on the ground. The stranger was also right after him.

    Without delay, the masked man attacked again. Ke Jing twisted his body to the left, caught the coming fist, and asked, “who are you?”

    The other replied, “your executor.” At the same time, he pushed his free palm toward Ke Jing, who countered it with his own. The two palms met, and Ke Jing asked curiously. “Why do want to kill me?”

    The stranger with leather mask flashed his black eyes sharply at the other young man. “To revenge for Dr. Ma and because I don’t like your face.” His voice was cold and cruel. He pressed his inner energy to release his locked fist, while fighting with the other using legs and feet.

    Ke Jing was surprised at the answer. He automatically moved his legs to counter the opponent’s kicks. He then spoke apologetically. “It was an accident. Are you Dr. Ma’s relative?” He let go the stranger’s fist, and immediately received a fresh blow. So, he caught the other’s hand again.

    The masked man in blue swore furiously. He said, “I have never met the old man before, but I still want to kill you.” He increased his inner force through his hands and freed himself from the opponent’s clutch.

    Ke Jing did not want to hurt his opponent, so he decided to be the one who retreated. He then absorbed the other’s raging energy and stepped back. Unexpectedly, the stranger cast golden arrows toward him. Happened that the other was dissatisfied that he could not hurt his opponent, so he decided to resort to using projectiles.

    Right then, a sword intercepted the arrows and hurled them down to the ground. The sword then danced toward the masked man who countered it with a pair of daggers. He shouted, “who are you?”

    “Tian Xin-er from Emei,” the maiden who held the sword replied. Her hair flew with the wind, and her cheeks were glowing. She executed another move of the Maiden Sword, and she looked as if a goddess came down to play with silver moon.

    The masked man was mesmerized and didn’t realize that he had lost one of his daggers. The sword stabbed his hand, and he woke up from the trance. Agilely, he dodged the coming blade and somersaulted away.

    “Miss Tian, we will meet again. Ha-ha.” With the final laugh, he disappeared into the forest.

    Tian Xin-er was about to chase after him, but De Pang called her back. “Miss Tian, don’t go. We don’t know the area well, and there might be an ambush waiting ahead. Moreover, you should get some rest and get your strength back for tomorrow.”

    Ke Jing supported his friend. “Yes, the poison has gone from your system, but you need a good sleep.” He politely bowed to her. “Thank you for helping me.” He didn’t mention that he could have managed those projectiles by himself.

    Tian Xin-er seemed to realize the fact with her quick wit. She blushed and returned his bow. “Actually, you really didn’t need me; otherwise, Master De here would have done something. I should be the one to apologize my busting in. I was too hasty.”

    Ke Jing looked up and was lost in a well of her dark eyes again. He stammered a nonsensical sentence then turned crimson. He was not a talkative person in nature, and in front of this lady he looked as if he had lost his tongue.

    De Pang grinned at the two embarrassed youths. “It doesn’t matter who helped whom. Both of you have equally excellent martial arts. It is so true that new waves would replace the older waves eventually.” He motioned the youngsters to return to the hut. “Let’s talk tomorrow. For now, let’s go to bed.”

    The next morning, De Pang checked on Shu Qiuyang and found that his fever was gone. The young man was now talking to Tian Xin-er who informed the first Wu Dang brother that she had to go to Beiping.

    “Master Shu said that we can find his grandmother in Beiping if she is still alive. I think that it is a good idea since it was impossible to search the whole length of the riverbank. By luck, we might meet Jiaping on the way too. We will start out right after breakfast.”

    De Pang’s fingers rested on Shu Qiuyang’s wrist. He glanced at the young man thoughtfully and nodded. “I see. Too bad that I cannot go with you. From here, I have to continue northward, while you go northeast. However, brother Ke here is planning to go to Beiping too. Would you mind letting him travel with you?”

    Tian Xin-er smiled. “The more, the merrier, thank you.” She understood that De Pang wanted his young friend to protect her during the trip. Shu Qiuyang had no choice but to agree. He eyed Ke Jing distrustfully, dislike the other’s gentle glances toward Tian Xin-er.

    De Pang then related to the young maiden of Dr. Ma’s operating room. “He must have tried to create a new face for him so that he could escape across the border.” He sighed. “I could hardly believed that a famous physician like him would end up as a bloody murderer.”

    Tian Xin-er replied. “Father was very sorry too. He has always regarded Dr. Ma as his best friend. He told me that he wanted to give Dr. Ma a last chance to turn over new leaf, but before he could do that, Dr. Ma had already left Guilin.”

    At that moment, Ke Jing entered the hut with a handful of assorted flowers. He offered them to the people in the room. “The fruit are not ripe yet, but these flowers are rather tasty. I have had them before.” He selected a tiny white blossom and gave it to Tian Xin-er.

    “This is called ‘morning dew’. It is very sweet and refreshing. Try it.” He encouraged the maiden, who gingerly took a bite. Then, she smiled brightly.

    “Hmm, you are right.” She cocked her head and looked at him with interest. “You will get along fine with my sister, Xiang-er. She likes to eat flower for breakfast too. We two look exactly alike but have different personality.” Her mind traveled to the White Pearl Island and Ah Yi.

    She sighed and picked up a yellow flower shaped like a cup. “What is the name of this one?” She asked Ke Jing, telling herself not to think of the past.

    Ke Jing replied, “golden buttercup. It tastes like peanut.” He introduced the rest of flowers to her, and Tian Xin-er enjoyed tasting them. “It is like eating different kinds of food.”

    De Pang tried some, but Shu Qiuyang civilly turned them down. He hunted for food in the hut and found some rice. Tian Xin-er immediately offered to cook it for him. She then gave the boiled rice to De Pang and Shu Qiuyang; she herself munched flowers with Ke Jing. After breakfast, De Pang decided to burn down the hut and the lean-to.

    “This is the most we can do for those poor victims to send their souls to heaven.”

    After that, they traveled together northward until Taiyuan City. There, De Pang took leave and continued alone. The three youngsters then set forth for Beiping.
    ------------------------
    Thank you for reading. I will go back to my Bao Ching Tian now. <IMG SRC="smilies/alien.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/hatoff.gif" border="0"> he-he...

    [ September 03, 2002: Message edited by: Goofy ]
    "History's third dimension is always fiction."
    -- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse

  11. #31
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    Goofy, is Julian Cheung Chi Lam the one who played as GJ in LOCH with Athena Chu? If yes, then I have to say that I love Ke Jing <IMG SRC="smilies/love.gif" border="0">

  12. #32
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    Goofy,

    Don't make the story too interesting. It makes it hard to wait for the continuation. Just kidding <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">. Keep up the good work. Btw what is Bao Ching Tian? <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">


    If you study a lot, you'll forget a lot.
    Study a little, you'll forget a little.
    Don't study, you won't forget!
    There's a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

  13. #33
    Senior Member Goofy's Avatar
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    Julian cheung was Guo Jing in loch94. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

    Try to think of him as an innocent yet bright young man. <IMG SRC="smilies/fallinlove.gif" border="0">

    Bao ching tian is the Justice Bao series - old version. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/alien.gif" border="0">

    I am watching them at the moment.
    "History's third dimension is always fiction."
    -- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse

  14. #34
    Senior Member Bubeng's Avatar
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    Is Bao ching tian the same as Bao Kung?
    There's a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

  15. #35
    Senior Member Goofy's Avatar
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    yes, I think so. bao ching tian means the god of justice, I think. It is his title/nickname.
    "History's third dimension is always fiction."
    -- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse

  16. #36
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    Chapter 7
    Image from the Past

    Character List (not in any particular order):
    Tian Xin-er (Vivian Leung Siu Bing)
    Huang Yitao (Felix Wong Yat Wah)
    De Pang (Liu Kai Chi)
    Jiaping (Fiona Leung Ngai Ling)
    Shu Xiayue (Maggie Siu Mei Kei)
    Shu Qiuyang (Deric Wan Siu Lan)
    Ke Jing (Julian Cheung Chi Lam)

    After a few days, Jiaping’s leg was healed. Still thinking of travel companions, she mentioned to Ah Yu one day. “I should get going now to find my friends. Thank you for taking good care of me.”

    Ah Yu smiled. “Not at all. I like to hear you talk. It livens up my quiet house.” He got up and started packing.

    Jiaping watched him curiously. “What are you doing?”

    Ah Yu simply answered. “I am going with you as promised. I cannot let you travel alone.” He took the pair of sabers from the wall and wrapped them in a piece of cloth then swung the bundle over his back. “I’m ready now; let’s go.”

    Jiaping looked at the other gratefully. “Thank you, Ah Yu.” She looked around at the serene setting. “I was so happy here these past few days. I hope to come back again some day.” She sighed and kissed a rose bush in front of the cottage gently. “Good bye.”

    Ah Yu looked back at his home and sent it his message. ‘Take care. If Chang-er comes, tell her that I will be back soon.’

    He took Jiaping along the Yellow River eastward, asking around for people who fit the descriptions of Tian Xin-er, Huang Yitao, Shu Qiuyang, and Grandmother Shu. On the third day, they met a group of fishermen who informed them that a young man of Huang Yitao’s build was staying in their village. Jiaping and Ah Yu eagerly followed one kind fisherman to the village and were brought to a cottage. Their guide pointed at the building. “The man you want to meet is inside with his wife.”

    In a haste to meet her friend, Jiaping forgot to ask the fisherman about his statement. She knocked at the door and was told to come in. When she stepped across the threshold, she saw Huang Yitao feeding a young woman who was lying on a bed.

    “Master Huang!” Jiaping exclaimed happily. “Nice to meet you again. I am glad that you are safe.”

    Huang Yitao was both amazed and delighted. “I almost thought we would never see each other again this lifetime.” He scanned her briefly and nodded. “You look fine. I’m glad.”

    The woman from the bed coughed, and he had just remembered to introduce her to Jiaping. “Miss Jiaping, this is Miss Shu. We knew her as Master Shu’s grandmother.”

    Jiaping looked at the other woman interestingly. “Hmm, so you disguised as an old lady. You did very good job too, hoodwinking all of us.” She inwardly thought that if she learned this art, she would have no problem passing the border. Accordingly, she kneeled down and begged the other to take her as an apprentice.

    Shu Xiayue laughed despite her chain of coughing. “I thought you wanted to be Miss Tian’s student.”

    To which, Jiaping replied honestly. “I still do, but the Chinese has a saying about knowledge is wide like an ocean. I only want to learn a couple tricks to safeguard myself. What is wrong with that?”

    Shu Xiayue smiled. “You are a smart girl, Miss Jiaping. The art of disguise is complicated, and I don’t teach it to any outsider of our cult. You’d better stick with learning martial arts from Miss Tian.” She replied hoarsely then coughed loudly again.

    Huang Yitao eyed her with worry. He touched her forehead then his own. “The fever has come back again. Don’t talk any more. Get some sleep; I’ll fetch more hot water.”

    Ah Yu immediately volunteered. “I can do that for you. Just point out the kitchen to me.”

    Huang Yitao looked at him thankfully and showed the other man the kitchen. “It is in the back. Thank you so much.” He cupped his hands and turned to take care of the sick woman.

    “What happened to her?” Jiaping asked, picking up the dirty dishes.

    “She caught a severe cold from the flood night. I brought her here two days ago because she got very high fever. She doesn’t seem to get better though and there is no doctor in this area.”

    Jiaping smiled consolingly at him. “Don’t worry. My friend, Ah Yu, is an expert healer. He will cure Miss Shu for sure.” She skipped nimbly to the kitchen. “I will go help Ah Yu.”

    A moment later, Ah Yu appeared with a tub of hot water. Jiaping was right behind him. He asked a permission to check the pulse then touched lightly Shu Xiayue’s wrist.

    “Hmm, her lung seems to have problem. I am not a physician myself, but I know some herbs that can help her recover. Maybe, they can be found in this area. I’ll be right back.” He took leave without ado.

    Jiaping watched after him proudly. She chatted about her new friend and adventure from the flood. Shu Xiayue’s attention was also arrested that she forgot to cough. Finally, she dropped off to sleep, and Huang Yitao gently covered her with a blanket. He then motioned Jiaping to go outside with him.

    Huang Yitao mentioned about Ah Yu. “He seems a nice man but mysterious with his mask.” However, he put his doubt aside and explained to Jiaping that Shu Xiayue and he were going to Beiping.

    “We might meet Master Shu there. According to Miss Shu, we should have gone straight northward to Taiyuan then out of the Great Wall, but because of the flood, we have left Shanxi and are now in the northern Henan. (Author’s note: Taiyuan was a city in Shanxi Province. Henan was southeast of Shanxi and right below Beiping or Beijing.) However, from here, we can continue to Beiping in the north instead. Just hope that Miss Shu will get better soon.” He would not rest until Ah Yu returned with a smile.

    “I have found the herbs I want. I’ll go boil them now.” He would not let Huang Yitao work. “You’d better get some rest yourself because you look very ragged. It won’t do to get sick too.” He gave the other a brotherly advice.

    Huang Yitao murmured gratitude words then wearily settled at one corner of the hut and fell asleep in no time.

    In the meantime, De Pang was riding past a cliff when he heard a voice call for help from below. He looked down and saw a woman clinging on a slim tree branch. “Help!” She cried at the sound of his approaching. At that point, the branch could no longer hold her weight, and it snapped; the woman screamed while plunging down into the deep chasm.

    De Pang leaped from the horse into the cliff, hands reaching for the falling woman. In a few seconds, he caught her with one hand while another hand grabbed the broken tree branch. As he was dropping further, he somersaulted and kicked up to rest his feet at the cliff wall, pushing the wood stick to send him and the woman up. In this manner, he touched his feet briefly at a trunk of a tall pine tree and the cliff wall that stood opposite each other alternatively until he reached the top.

    Once the woman was safe, De Pang let her go. Right then, he saw her face. “Ah Mei!” He cried and kneeled next to her. “Ah Mei,” he repeated, holding her in his arms without thinking.

    The woman looked up and closed her eyes, fainting.

    “Ah Mei!” De Pang was panic but breathed out with relief when he felt her pulse. He assumed then that she must have been too frightened. Quickly, he channeled his inner energy into her body. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes again. She was still pale with fright, but her sense had returned.

    “Thank you for rescuing me, Sir.” She whispered; her lips were white and dry. De Pang immediately gave her some water. After a long drink, her color was better. “Thank you,” she said.

    On the second look, De Pang realized that this woman could not have been Ah Mei, who had died for more than twenty years. The woman he had just rescued was about 25 years old and dressed in rough, dark color fabric like any other village girls. Her hair was simply braided in two and decorated with fresh wild flowers. Nonetheless, she looked exactly like Ah Mei that he knew – Ah Mei who was the eldest senior martial sister of Zhong Xi Shi Tai and was the woman he supposed to marry.

    “Are you all right?” De Pang tried to control his confusing thoughts. His voice shook. “My name is De Pang; I am from Wu Dang.” His eyes were still at the other’s pretty face.

    The woman blushed at being stared for so long. She shyly looked down and cupped her hands, introducing herself. “I’m called Ah Qing. I’m fine, thank you. Good thing you passed here in time.” She shuddered at the recent experience. “Heaven really protected me this time.”

    De Pang politely helped Ah Qing (Au Yeung Pui San) up and asked her how she happened to be in that situation. To which, Ah Qing embarrassingly replied that she had tried to reach for an orchid on the cliff wall and accidentally slipped on a piece of rock thus the fall.

    “Hmm, this area has a lot of pits and could be dangerous. Miss should be careful. Er, may I escort you home?” He blushed, and he scolded himself inwardly. ‘De Pang, you are almost twice her age, yet you behave as if you were a young man.’

    He quickly mended his sentence. “I mean that it is not safe for a girl your age to be out here alone. I want to see that you get home all right.”

    Ah Qing’s eyes turned red. “My home is in the north, outside the border. Last year, my mother, the only relative I had, passed away. She told me that I have a great-aunt in Shanxi, so I traveled to the south to visit my relative. Turned out my great-aunt’s village has been gone for more than thirty years. The epidemic broke out, and everyone died. So, I decided to go back to the north again. I am on my way home when you found me here.”

    De Pang listened sympathetically. He acted so unlike himself again. “I am also going to the north border. If Miss doesn’t mind, we can travel together.” In his normal self, he would have hired a carriage for her or found an escort agency to take her home instead of volunteering himself despite his urgency business.

    He was now secretly reprimanding himself. “De Pang, how could you say that when you know that you are in a hurry? Not only this young woman would delay your trip, but it is also not very appropriate.” It was too late to retract his words though, as Ah Qing smiled jubilantly.

    “Thank you, Master De. I was worried about traveling alone myself. On the way to the south, I was with a caravan of merchants, so I didn’t pay much attention to the route. I was afraid that I might be lost or met bandits on the way.” After what she had said, how could he refuse her?

    De Pang offered her his horse. He then did the same as Ke Jing did, using light kung fu to keep up with it. He was relieved that Ah Qing didn’t complain of the long hours of traveling. He had explained his reason to her briefly, and she was eager not to slow him down.

    “Master De, it was nice of you to go into all the troubles with me. I will try not to be a problem to you.” Ah Qing promised, and De Pang further impressed with her consideration.

    To keep proper distance between them, he decided to stop at an inn whenever it was possible despite his diminishing money supply. Luckily, Ah Qing insisted on paying her own rent.

    “I worked as a servant in the caravan, so I have collected quite a sum of money. You have done a lot for me already, and I would be a shameless person to take more advantage from you.” De Pang had to concede at her reason.

    Days passed, and De Pang became so attached to Ah Qing that he could not imagine how it had been before without her. Ah Mei was now but a flickering shadow from the bitter past. Twenty-two years ago, the former master of Emei hinted to him about his engagement with Ah Mei. Unexpectedly, not long after that, she had left Emei to elope with Lord of Love Palace, Zhang Tin, and was killed some years later by her husband.

    As a matter of fact, he only met Ah Mei once formally and was immediately impressed with her beauty. Because of that first admiration, De Pang steadfastly remained a confirmed bachelor as a tribute to her. All these years, he had told himself that he would never attempt to love again for fear of being disappointed like with Ah Mei. Now, in spite of his order, his heart would not listen to him. It skipped at will when Ah Qing smiled, and it stubbornly surged with joy whenever she looked at him.

    De Pang told himself repeatedly that he was merely fantasizing stupidly. ‘There is no way that Ah Qing will like an old man like me. I am just infatuated with her youth and beauty because I’m now confused and not myself. When she leaves, I’ll be all right. This business is getting ridiculous, and I’d better stop it at once.’

    He put all his frustrations in a big boulder and lifted his palm to chop it into pieces. He had made up his mind. He fingered his only heirloom, a jade pendant, and sighed. It was a high time to use it. That evening, after he had found a room in an inn for Ah Qing, he went downtown to visit the biggest escort agency in the area. He then arranged for Ah Qing to be delivered to her home safely and paid with his jade pendant. “I will bring her here tomorrow morning.” He then left.

    Five minutes later, a small person in red cloak entered the agency. Wordlessly, the stranger began a massacre of the entire agency. The sword slashed swiftly, accurately, and cruelly at its victims, not allowing anyone to escape. Less than an hour, all thirty-one members were killed. This mysterious figure then picked up De Pang’s jade pendant from the table and silently departed the horrific scene.

    At midnight, a group of city guards came to the inn and demanded to see the new guest. De Pang heard the commotion and left his station, which was in front of Ah Qing’s room. He came downstairs and met a frightened innkeeper. “What happened?” He asked.

    At that moment, someone squeaked, “that is he.” Immediately, the troop spread out and surrounded him. The troop leader stepped forward and asked, “were you at the Green Dragon escort agency this evening?”

    Surprised, De Pang replied truthfully. “Yes, I did.”

    “Then, you are the killer we want. Arrest him!”

    The guards rushed forth with weapons in hands, and De Pang defended himself without attacking back. With his excellent light kung fu, he dodged left and right and finally somersaulted over the guards’ heads. In one leap, he reached the troop leader and pressed the other’s immobility point.

    “Pardon me for doing this, but there must be some misunderstanding. Could you tell me what had happened?” His hand gripped the other’s shoulder tightly.

    The leader grunted. He would not answer at first, but when De Pang put more pressure on his shoulder, he finally gave out the details. “A witness saw you as the last person entered the Green Dragon Escort. This evening, someone has killed thirty-one lives there. Putting two and two together, you must be the murderer, so you’d better surrender yourself to us if you still value your head.”

    De Pang exclaimed astonishingly. He tried to explain himself but realized that it was pointless. He then thought inwardly. ‘If I let them arrest me, under this serious situation, it will take me a long time to clear my name, and I might not be able to rescue sister-in-law in time. For now, the only important thing is to get to Widow Mansion quickly. In short, I can’t afford to be retained here.’

    He looked into the troop leader’s eyes squarely and spoke with clear voice. “My name is De Pang, the first brother of Wu Dang. I did not kill the people from Green Dragon Escort, but I have no evidence to show my innocence at the moment. As a good citizen, I should follow you to jail and wait for the fair trial, but I have an urgency business that involves life and death. So, please forgive me that I cannot oblige you on that. In another three months, if you still think that I am the murderer, go to meet me at Wu Dang. I should find the real culprit for you by then. Sorry.”

    He cupped his hands at the last word and leaped up to the second floor. He then rushed to Ah Qing’s room and told her that they need to leave. Without further question, Ah Qing grabbed her things, ready to follow his order. At that moment, they both heard the footsteps of the guard outside the room.

    De Pang looked at the young maiden questioningly, and she spoke confidently. “I trust you, Master De. I want to go with you.”

    De Pang nodded, feeling strangely elated. “All right. Please pardon me.” He put his left arm around her waist and jumped down from the window. Ah Qing squeaked softly, and De Pang whispered to her ears. “Don’t worry.”

    He landed smoothly on the street and ran quickly to the stable in the back. Some soldiers that stationed outside the inn tried to stop him but could not keep up with his speed. At last, he reached his horse and swung Ah Qing over its back. He himself jumped onto it after her and caught the rein with one hand while another slapped the animal’s thigh. The steed reared its front legs and galloped away, followed by a trail of the guards.

    De Pang rode with Ah Qing for some minutes but could not get away from his chasers. So, he put the rein in her hands and whispered, “hold on tight, I will be back soon.”

    After that, he sprung out from the horseback and went back to face the pursuers. Weaving himself rapidly around the astounding group, he managed to seal all their pressure points in no time. These guards were sent to catch a ruthless criminal that could be overcome with sheer force but did not expect to meet such a martial arts expert. Like lightning, he disarmed them and threw the confiscated weapons on the ground.

    “You can all see that I can easily kill you, but I didn’t because I am not the person you want. Don’t try to follow us again; otherwise, I might not be this patient. Tell your leader that I promise to find the real murderer for him as my apology.”

    He turned his back and sped after his mount and Ah Qing, leaving the whole troop with open mouths in wonder.

    After a while, he caught up with Ah Qing and rode with her all that night and the whole following day, avoiding towns and people. They finally stopped at the middle of a forest to eat and let the horse rest. De Pang gave it a massage and led it to a nearby creek for a drink. Then, he used his powerful palm to catch some fish for the meal. Meanwhile, Ah Qing collected firewood to build a fire and cleared the area for sleeping. When De Pang returned with the fish, she arranged them neatly on a long stick and slowly grilled them over the fire. After a moment, the cooked fish sent the appetizing smell to the hungry couple, who did not hesitate to eat all up. The meal ended, and everyone felt better, more relaxed.

    De Pang stirred the amber in the fire thoughtfully and mentioned aloud. “I really should not have made you suffer with me like this. From now on, my face is going to be posted at every border, and I will be hunted down as a wanted criminal. I am sorry to put you in this awkward situation.” He realized that he had done something out of his characteristic again.

    ‘Where is your brain, De Pang? You should just have left her back there. She has no connection with you, so she will come to no harm. Now, she will be concluded as your partner in crime. Or, maybe you were too hasty? Probably, you should have provided reasons to satisfy the officers instead of running away like a guilty one. Where is your poise and patience?’

    Ah Qing smiled at him. “No, you did nothing wrong. I believe that you are innocent, and I come with you willingly.” She frowned. “Do you think those soldiers will come after us?”

    De Pang shook his head slowly. “After my warning, I don’t think they would dare to. Anyway, they don’t need to because they can send the news to other towns and asked all constables and soldiers to keep a lookout for me.” He then gave a detail of his encounter with the troop.

    Ah Qing listened with wide eyes and almost forgot to breathe. “What are you going to do if they still follow you?” She whispered curiously.

    De Pang grinned. “I still will do the same thing. That warning is just a threat. Since I didn’t do anything wrong, I don’t want to harm those guards unnecessarily. They are merely doing their jobs, after all.”

    Ah Qing was still worried. “But you said that the law wouldn’t give up…”

    De Pang looked into the burning flame proudly. “True gold is not afraid of fire. On the same token, I am innocent and not afraid of any false accusation. The truth will come out one day.” He turned to Ah Qing, and she could sense his unspoken words.

    Blushing, she repeated that she had no regret following him. She didn’t mind sleeping on the hard ground instead of soft bed as long as she could be with him.

    “Since the day you rescued me from the cliff, my life is yours. I am ready to go where you go, to be where you are. You are my hero.” Her eyes glistered like stars, declaring the confession of heart.

    De Pang’s heart floated with happiness. He lifted his hand and almost touched her hair. Then, he paused and turned away, sighing. “It is late. You’d better get some sleep. I’ll take care the fire.”

    Ah Qing’s eyes were brimmed with tears of disappointment; she dejectedly walked to her arranged bed and curled herself to sleep. De Pang was still sitting there, turning his back to her while tending the fire. She watched his shadow flickering with the flame and sighed. ‘Maybe I was wrong. I thought that he liked me.’ She closed her eyes and felt a blanket was gently put over her. No, she was right, after all. She smiled widely and went to sleep.

    De Pang was very confused. On one hand, he wanted to open his heart to Ah Qing and respond to her love. On the other hand, he told himself that they were not the right pair. ‘She deserves someone her age than an old man like me. She is still young and doesn’t know about love. She’s merely grateful that I have saved her life, so she thought that she would have to give herself to me. I would harm her if I allow that to happen. One day, she will wake up from her dream and find that I am just an ordinary old man, not her handsome hero. For her sake, I have to control myself.’ He came up with many reasons to persuade himself to disregard her feeling for him.

    However, it was too late for him to leave her by this time. Now that the law was on their heals, wanted or not, he had to take her along with him for her safety. From that night, he tried harder to behave to her as an old uncle to a niece. His heart ached every time when he saw her hurtful look, but he repeated to himself that she would understand and appreciate his sacrifices some day.

    In this manner, the two were getting nearer the Great Wall on the border.
    --------------------------------
    I wrote this chapter very quickly so might not be very good. Anyway, just something to read in your spare time. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/french.gif" border="0">
    thank you for reading. <IMG SRC="smilies/hatoff.gif" border="0">
    "History's third dimension is always fiction."
    -- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse

  17. #37
    Senior Member charbydis's Avatar
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    Whaaaaa Goofy! So romantic! I hope that in this story, that love has no age barriers can be indeed proven. <IMG SRC="smilies/sigh.gif" border="0">
    "Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
    Cyril Connolly

  18. #38
    Senior Member Bubeng's Avatar
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    I thought in ancient China it is common for an old man to marry a young woman. So I don't see a problem here. <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">
    There's a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

  19. #39
    Senior Member Goofy's Avatar
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    I think older man marry young women existed more in rich family, not necessary in wulin world. Anyhow, De Pang was just confused. He had been a bachelor for too long and had bad experience on first love (Ah Mei). <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

    Hope I did not confuse anyone with my love theory though. <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">
    "History's third dimension is always fiction."
    -- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse

  20. #40
    Senior Member Goofy's Avatar
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    I have got a poster! It is on the first page before the forewords. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

    Thanks Nitedream for the excellent piece of art work (and in yellow shade too!)
    "History's third dimension is always fiction."
    -- The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse

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