The Quest of Heaven and Earth

[Acidbeastonfire]

I've just reached chapter 10 of Legend of the Sword & Sabre.

One word........
FANTASTIC !!!!!!!!

The manner which the storyline developed without too many secondary characters (the extras in movies <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> ) is a real testament of creativity.

Looks like this is my current addiction.

WELL DONE! Keep it up.

[andrea7974]

Goofy..I like the romantic scene. Anyway..I think that they should be together...don't let the age gap separate them.

I just remember that Li Shun Huan (Dagger Li) marry a girl which much younger than her...so it's not a big deal to marry young girl in Wulin world <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

[Acidbeastonfire]

Finally finished Legend of Sword & Sabre.
WOW!!!!!!
GREAT STUFF!!!!!!
The suspense, the drama, the romance, the action.....left me breatheless !!!
The story between Li RenYing & FeiYan was so touching.

Can't wait to start on The Quest of Heaven and Earth

Well done & Keep the creative juices flowing!!!!!!!

[Acidbeastonfire]

Hi Goofy!!

I've just read The Quest of Heaven and Earth up to the last posted chapter.
Your fighting scenes have improved dramatically !!!!!
Well done.

*rubbing my palms gleefully in anticipation for the coming chapters*

[Goofy]

Acidbeastonfire, you are a fast reader. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0">

Glad that you like my stories. I truly appreciate your support. <IMG SRC="smilies/bow.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/hatoff.gif" border="0">

[Acidbeastonfire]

Hi Goofy,

I'm not a fast reader. In fact i think reading wuxia fiction too fast takes away the pleasure. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

I often backtrack when there is something on the character or plot which i need to recall.

Just happen to be so addicted to 'Legend of Sword & Saber' that i spent the entire weekend reading part II & III. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

& stayed up till late last night to finish The Quest of Heaven and Earth up to the last posting. So my eyes feels like popping out now!

Go Goofy Go!!!

[Goofy]

Acidbeastonfire, <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/redface.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/blush.gif" border="0">

(smiling till my cheeks hurt)

Ha-ha. I feel so good hearing that. <IMG SRC="smilies/bow.gif" border="0"> Thank you very much.

Would you care to give some critial comments? Is there anything that I should improve???

I feel that I can die in peace now... <IMG SRC="smilies/french.gif" border="0">

[Acidbeastonfire]

Whatever you do....don;t die just yet <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

I think there is a lot of depth is all the characters in Legend. Their appearance were all timed to perfection & at such was not confusing. (Without disrespect to Jin Yong or Gu Long, i find that sometimes there are too many unneccessary characters in their plot....some appearing only once. This can be very confusing at times). As i've said, while it takes a lot of imagination to come up with a story with 100 characters, it takes more to keep a story entertaining with just 20. In Legend, you did a good job by keeping the number of characters within managable limit therefore everyone had a chance to develop with the plot.

The scenes were also switched seamlessly, i.e. from one chapter focussing on one particular group's adventure to the next focussing on another group's adventure. This is only possible if the fundamental storyline is clear and the characters have enough dimensions. If not, it would have been very confusing. Again, you did a good job on this.

I also enjoyed the relationship/romance part tremendously. I've read some fictions where the focus is on romance & yet the scenes were wishy washy....they don;t really succeed in creating that tingle in the heart but somehow manage to evoke some funny feelings in the guts. Now with Legend, i can feel the emotions of the characters...be it kinship between Tian Bao/Yue Ling, Tian Bao/Xin-er, Xin-er/Xiang-er etc or romance between RenYing/FeiYan, Tian Fei/Yue Ling etc. I cried at the RenYing/FeiYan in the Medicine Forest scene. Your ability to emote was also evident with the scenes related to the orange tree in the Medicine Forest.

The suspense was intense. The plot was complex enough to keep the suspense till the end and yet simple enough not to get lost in it. I love the Tian Bao/Xiang-er twist. Was racking my head to guess who the lost twin to Xiang-er was & i had no clue till it was cleverly revealed.

The fighting scenes were not vivid enough initially, i.e. can;t really picture them in my mind. And they lack the 'WOW' factor. However they did improve as the story goes along. I felt that the main fight between Xiang-er/Ah Yi vs Black Devil was overshadowed by the Tian Fei vs Zhang Tin.
Since Ah Yi & Black Devil were billed as the top fighters in the story i was expecting their battle to be more spectacular. Still, i really enjoyed the battle between Tian Fei & Zhang Tin. Especially the end when Tian Fei had a sudden inspiration on how to defeat Zhang Tin. The improvement on fighting scenes was evident between Legend & Quest. I felt the fight between Xin-er & Shu QiuYang at Wudang was more vivid than all the fights in Legend. Keep up the improvement!

I suppose grammatical errors are inevitable at the rate you are writing so i shall not dwell on that too much. However there is one particular type which was somewhat repeated many times. It was the use of the word 'Frustrating' and 'confusing'. They were quite a few sentences which went like this;

Frustrating, he turned away.....
or
Confusing, she left.....

It shd hv been;
Frustrated, he turned away....
Confused, she left....

Again, i think it is not a huge factor as overall the grammar was ok. I feel that grammatical weakness (so long as they r not too severe) can easily be rectified by proof reading, while no amount of proof reading can cure a lousy plot.

You were confused as well at the end battles. Xiang-er & Ah Yi was fighting Black Devil. At the same time you had Xiang-er helping ZhiYing fight ZhangXinLang. It shd hv been Xin-er fighting ZhangXinLang. <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">
Again, at the speed you were writing, it is not surprising that you got confused. In any case, maybe you have rectified the error at the Winlin post. I read from ur posting in this forum.

I think thats abt all i've to say. It may sound illogical (afterall, i don;t think i can manage to write a paragraph of fiction.
I really enjoyed Legend very much & I'm equally engrossed with Quest. Keep up the great work!!!!

Go Goofy Go!!

[Goofy]

I began to fear not able to live up to the reader's expectations. <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/redface.gif" border="0">

Thanks for the comments. <IMG SRC="smilies/bow.gif" border="0">

For the flow of story, I am glad that I succeeded in that. I did work hard for it.

As for the grammar errors, thank you for the tips. I will work on it.

As for the story in this forum, it is only a rough draft. The better edition is at Winglin. Still it is not perfect.

[Goofy]

Chapter 8
Three Men and One Woman

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

Tian Xin-er, Shu Qiuyang, and Ke Jing were now in Jingshi Province and only a week away from the capital Beiping. One day, in a middle of wilderness, they came across a wounded man and promptly rescued him. Turned out he was a scholar on his way to Beiping but met a gang of bandits, was robbed, and injured near dead. After being in bed for several days, he finally could get up and go about. He then thanked the trio gratefully for saving his life and upon hearing that the three had the same destination as he did, he asked to go with them. Hence, three men and one maiden traveled together toward the big city.

This new member was a youth in late twenties. He had a handsome face and charming smile and had on a robe that rich masters liked to wear. Despite his student profession, he was very muscular in build and tall stature due to his practicing some martial arts during the teenage years. His surname was Miao, and his given name was Li. (Jackie Lui Chung Yin)

Realized that she was the only female among three males, Tian Xin-er decided to prevent any possible amorous advance from them. So, she brought out a small jar of wine and toasted it to her companions.

“I’m but a common girl, not used to the word ‘Miss’. Therefore, from now, please address me as if a brother would call his younger sister; I will also look upon you three as my own blood brothers. This wine is to witness our friendships.”

She poured wine for the men who reluctantly drank it for similar reason – they had already attracted to her beauty and wittiness. Tian Xin-er secretly smiled mischievously. ‘Now that I call all of you my brothers, hope you won’t bother me senselessly.’ She wanted to focus on finding Huang Yitao and fulfill her promise to Shu Qiuyang’s grandmother without having to bother with unwanted heart affairs.

The three men looked at one another and sighed ruefully. Even the naïve Ke Jing understood her intention. He recalled his mother’s last words and heaved a silent sigh. ‘Mother, you have to wait a while longer for this daughter-in-law.’

Among all three men, Shu Qiuyang was the most jealous and narrow-minded of all. Back at his home, he was the most sought after eligible bachelor. His status was a nephew to the leader and a future husband of his cousin, Shu Xiayue. Besides, he was a handsome young man with excellent sword skills, yet he could not even defeat the woman he liked, Tian Xin-er. His feeling for her was mixed with chauvinistic ego and lust. He wanted her body and conquered her heart, and the more she tried to avoid him, the more he intended to succeed. Outwardly, he behaved gentlemanly for he knew that he could never overcome her with sheer force, but his heart held a treacherous knife, ready for the right opportunity to strike.

With the street-wise instinct, Tian Xin-er seemed to sense his undying desire, hence her rather cold attitude toward him. She would have preferred to travel with the moody grandmother than this suave, quiet gentleman with eyes of burning fire.

Conversely, Ke Jing was the humblest and most understanding friend that Tian Xin-er had ever had aside from her siblings. His bright honest eyes were like a mirror, reflecting untainted thinking and his innocent heart to her. His artlessness frequently reminded her of Tian Xiang-er and Tian Bao, her two siblings, let alone the facts that he was intelligent, educated, and very skilled in martial arts. With these reasons, Tian Xin-er felt more comfortable around him thus treated him as her dearest friend, much to Shu Qiuyang’s agitation.

As for Miao Li, he was a strange man. He would spend most of his time in reading his textbooks or reciting passages from scrolls that were the only things he had left from the robbery, as he once joked that even bandits would not want his knowledge for it was not yet good enough to be used. However, he was not a shy man. In short time, he could make friends with everyone so easily and fit in the group as if he had known them for a long time. He liked to converse with Ke Jing on literacy and poems for the other’s father was also a scholar and had collected many famous books and drawings. He was also seen talking with Shu Qiuyang for hours on arts of fighting. Despite Miao Li’s strong body, his martial arts seemed rudimentary, not enough to fight against anyone. So, he asked the other for pointers in order to train himself.

Toward the only maiden in the group, he was constantly polite. Yet, his dark eyes sometimes betrayed his inner thought. His eyes were like bottomless ocean, so deep and dark, secretive but luring. He posed the most dangerous type of man among all, mysterious and appealing to the opposite gender.

Even Tian Xin-er admitted to herself that she could understand neither Miao Li nor her feeling toward him. On the outside, he looked like any other average young scholars, but she could not help shuddering with unexplainable foreboding when she looked at him sometimes. His eyes would dance furtively then and Tian Xin-er would feel as if she could not breathe. Every time he gazed at her with those sharp eyes, she would feel as if she were drowning. For no specific reason, she was half-afraid of him, yet found him strangely interesting and exciting at the same time.

No men were chatters, and Tian Xin-er became the one who talked the most throughout the journey for she disliked silence. She chatted, and three men listened, entertained with her ideas and her pretty voice. After that wine drinking night, she relaxed and was less rigid. In sincerity, she considered and behaved as if the three males were her brothers, and they had no choice but to follow the propriety and treated her as their little sister.

The evening before they reached Beiping, Tian Xin-er found an opportunity to strike a conversation with Shu Qiuyang. She then asked him again of the reason of her journey. This time, Shu Qiuyang finally gave her an answer after a long deliberation. He paced the garden and started to talk.

“You smartly pointed out to me that friends should trust one another and brother-sister should not have secret. All right, you might as well know for Master Huang and you have been straightforward with Yue-er and me during the trip. It is right that we should be honest to you too. I came from a small tribe in the north, but our ancestors were not from that area. Do you know about the life of Sword God?” He asked Tian Xin-er abruptly.

She nodded, surprised by his question. “Yes, he was the founder of Sword South School and my father’s teacher. The Maiden Sword that I used was his creation. He invented it from his wife’s tribal dance steps.”

Shu Qiuyang smiled grimly. “Sword God’s wife was once part of our tribe; in fact, she was the daughter of the tribe leader. She was engaged to my uncle’s father but decided to leave everything behind and eloped with Sword God to the Central Plains. Her fiancé was very furious and fought with Sword God but ended up defeated. Disheartened and bitter, he left his original tribe along with some followers and moved to the north. There, he founded the Sun-Moon Cult and forever thought of a plan to revenge his enemy. Realizing that he was no match with Sword God, he waited patiently for the other’s downfall. Unfortunately, he died early, leaving this duty to my uncle.”

“So, your uncle sent you and your grandmother to ruin Sword South School’s reputations as a vengeance?” Tian Xin-er questioned the other who nodded.

“Yes, my uncle thought that since Sword God and his father had passed away, the old quarrel should be buried and forgotten. However, he had to fulfill his father’s last wish, so he sent me and my cousin to the tournament...”

“Your cousin? I thought she was your grandmother.” Tian Xin-er interposed.

Shu Qiuyang grinned impishly. “No, she only put on her disguise. She is very skilled in this art. Her real name is Shu Xiayue, and she is my uncle’s daughter.”

He continued. “We supposed to embarrass the Sword South School in front of other clans. We have planned for this tournament because we knew that Tian Fei and his family would be absented. However, we did not expect that you would return from the White Pearl Island and appear at Wu Dang…”

At the same time, in the isolated temple, Shu Xiayue was revealing the same story to Huang Yitao. Along with Ah Yu and Jiaping, they had left the fisherman village as soon as Shu Xiayue was better. The four were now spending a night at outskirts of a town.

“…when we lost to Miss Tian and was on our way down Wu Dang, we happened to meet the giant monk and the children by chance. You know the rest.”

Huang Yitao listened to her attentively. “How did you know many things about us from my brother to the history of the Maiden Sword?”

Shu Xiayue showed her white teeth. “We have sent a trusted servant to be a spy at your school for a long time. Therefore, we heard everything that took place there. Even Qiuyang’s martial arts, they are all originated from the Sword South School. He grew up practicing kung fu for one special purpose, to overcome the school’s sword skills. Who would have thought that he would still get beaten by Miss Tian?” She sighed. “It is true that there is sky above the sky, and nobody is invincible forever.”

Huang Yitao digested the information thoughtfully then shot out another question. “But, why the need to bring Xin-er and me to see your father?”

Shu Xiayue immediately replied. “That was Qiuyang’s idea. He said that my father would not please that we failed in our mission, so we should present him with something. Miss Tian has the best sword skills, and he thinks that she can instruct our people her martial arts.”

“So, Xin-er was the one you really want. I guess you merely used me as her bait.” Huang Yitao assumed calmly.

Shu Xiayue blushed. “Yes in a way, but I really meant well for her to have a friend along on this trip. Moreover, I thought that she and you were… I mean you two seemed so close, and the girl we rescued was your daughter, so it seemed logical that you should come along too. I am sorry.” Her tone was regretful.

Huang Yitao waved his hands. “It was all in the past. Let’s forget about it. You did not intend us any harm. When we meet your father, I will apologize to him for Grand-teacher, and hopefully, the hatred between our ancestors could be dissolved. Then, our generation could be friends with one another.”

He smiled warmly, and Shu Xiayue’s heart bounced. She shyly combed her hair with her fingers and spoke softly. “It would be good if Sword South School and Sun-Moon Cult can have good relationship.”

Huang Yitao’s smiles disappeared. He stared at the other incredulously. “Do you belong to the Sun-Moon Cult?”

Shu Xiayue nodded, looking at him with surprise. “Yes. What’s wrong with that?”

Huang Yitao shifted his feet uncomfortably. “Sun-Moon Cult is an unorthodox clan whose profession is smuggling goods across the border.”

Shu Xiayue flushed but this time from anger. “What if we are smugglers? We merely sell because there are buyers. Also, your emperor taxes everything so high that common people cannot afford even a piece of material for new clothes. Without us and black markets, how could one decently live like a human being?” Her eyes flashed, and she stormed away furiously, not heeding his call.

“Miss Shu, I don’t mean to put down your clan. Please pardon me.” Huang Yitao jumped in front of her and cupped his hands.

Shu Xiayue gave a humph and bowed to him sarcastically. “How could a lowly person like me dare to have that honor from the young hero of the famous Sword South School? Please let me pass.” She pushed the other out of her way, and Huang Yitao had to step aside courteously. He saw that she was too mad to listen to him at the present.

“Maybe she will cool down enough tomorrow to hear my apology.” He murmured to himself, gazing after her disappearing figure.

Back at the garden, Tian Xin-er was sitting alone, contemplating over what she had heard from Shu Qiuyang. She touched a bouquet of flowers that he had given to her and sighed. Men were so troublesome! At that moment, she heard a sweet melody from above and looked up. She then noticed Ke Jing sitting on top of the roof and waved at him. He waved back and motioned her to join him.

Tian Xin-er called. “Wait a minute.” She bent down, looking for something on the ground. The next moment, she found what she wanted. With a joyful smile, she leaped up the roof and sat next to Ke Jing. Then, she started to play her tune along with him.

The song ended, and the two youths laughed. “I have never thought that I will meet another person who can play music from a blade of grass.” Tian Xin-er mentioned.

Ke Jing looked at the grass blades in their hands and assumed. “Your brother-in-law must have taught you that.”

Tian Xin-er nodded. “Hmm. Yes, he did. Ah Yi knows many other tricks.” Her tone was full of admiration, and Ke Jing sighed with heavy heart. It was hard enough to fight for her attention against the other two men, but it was impossible to compete with a shadow of a man from the past.

“You speak of him so often. You must like him very much.”

Tian Xin-er turned red. “Hmm, Xiang-er, Ah Yi, and I have been good friends before. We played with one another a lot.”

Ke Jing spoke wistfully. “I wish I have known you before you had met him. Then, you would think of me instead of him.”

His frank statement stabbed her heart, and she swallowed down the old pain. “Nonsense, both he and you are like my brothers. There are no differences.” She said jokingly, trying to console herself at the same time.

Just then, someone recited a poem.

“Clouds bring back to mind her dress, the flowers her face.
Winds of spring caress the rail where sparkling dew-drops cluster.
If you cannot see her by the jeweled mountain top,
Maybe on the moonlit Jasper Terrace you will meet her.”

(Ching Ping Tiao Poem by Li Bai, translated by D. Mackintosh – It describes Concubine Yang’s beauty.)

Miao Li shouted to Tian Xin-er from the garden with a grin. “Although you are not at the Jasper Terrace, you are on the roof under the moonlight. Even the great poet Li Bai had to say that it is appropriate.”

Tian Xin-er jumped down from the roof and landed next to him. She wrinkled her nose. “You praise me too much by comparing me to Lady Yang who was elegant and graceful. I have neither her qualities and do not wish to be like her either. I don’t want to end up with white cloth around my neck.” She teased Miao Li, who laughed along with her. (Author’s note: Lady Yang was rumored to be one of the most beautiful women in the history. She was a concubine in the Tang Dynasty.)

“Of course not. I could guarantee that you will lead a happy life.” Miao Li said then abruptly turned to Ke Jing who also came down from the roof.

“Brother Shu has just taught me a few new stances and told me to test them with you. Would you give me that honor?”

Ke Jing replied good-naturedly. “No problem. Xin-er here can be our judge.”

Tian Xin-er clapped her hands excitingly. “A good spar is always worth to watch. Go ahead.” She moved away to a nearby gazebo and sat down to watch a duel.

Miao Li cupped his hands and bowed politely to Ke Jing. He then shouted, “careful.”

With a fist hit forth, he followed with another fist toward Ke Jing who encountered swiftly in similar manner. Miao Li retracted his fists and bent down to evade the blow. At the same time, he swept his right leg, kicking at the other. Tian Xin-er recognized the move as the basic stance from Sword South School and was displeased that Shu Qiuyang had broken the pugilistic rule in teaching his stolen martial arts to others without obtaining permission from her first.

Ke Jing jumped over to avoid the kick and met Miao Li’s palms, so he twisted his body and countered the other’s attack with a series of punches. Miao Li quickly dodged the fists and returned with another simple stance of Sword South School. Tian Xin-er knitted her eyebrows further but watched on patiently.

After several moves, Miao Li suddenly changed his style. He increased his speed and sent his palms continuously at the other man. The moves might look disorganized, but they were in fact methodical and connected to one another, creating chain-like power force. Originally, Ke Jing decided to refrain from using his inner strength, as he regarded this contest as a friendly match and from the fact that Miao Li’s martial arts were much inferior to his. However, he could hardly withhold the accumulated strength coming from the other’s new style.

Out of nowhere, a dart flew toward Tian Xin-er. At that point, Miao Li struck his palm at Ke Jing’s chest. In that second, Tian Xin-er spun her body, and the dart missed her neck miraculously. At the same time, Ke Jing ducked the blow and retaliated forcefully without thinking. Miao Li was blown across the lawn, and his ribs cracked. Tian Xin-er exclaimed and rushed to see him. Ke Jin also went to examine the injured man. He touched the other’s chest carefully and finally exhaled with relief.

“His shoulder was dislocated, but nothing else is broken. I just have to reset his bones.”

Tian Xin-er glared at him angrily. “Brother Ke, you know that brother Miao is no match with you in martial arts. So, why did you use the whole force with him? You could have killed him!

Miao Li interrupted weakly. “Sister Tian, don’t blame brother Ke. I got too involved in the contest that I put all my energy into the last palm. Brother Ke merely protected himself.”

Tian Xin-er eyed Ke Jing reproachfully but said nothing further. She turned to Miao Li and admonished him not to speak or move anymore. She then observed Ke Jing’s work on Miao Li silently and helped the former carry the latter to their room.

After putting Miao Li to bed, she and Ke Jing returned to the garden. Ke Jing miserably glanced at her but did not know how to start. He did not fully understand the whole incident himself. Nevertheless, someone was trying to assassinate Tian Xin-er, and he had to protect her with all cost.

On the other hand, Tian Xin-er was waiting for the other to explain himself. When he didn’t do so, she turned her back at him, replaying the last hour event. Ke Jing mistook that the other was still furious, and his heart felt cold as if it had been covered with ice. He stepped toward her and stopped. What should he say? He looked down and tried to put his confusing thought in order.

All of a sudden, Tian Xin-er turned around and faced him. “Have you seen brother Shu?”

Ke Jing eagerly replied, glad that she would still talk to him. “When I was on the roof, I saw him walking out of the inn. He was neither in the room when I brought brother Miao inside.”

Tian Xin-er nodded absentmindedly. She thought aloud. “The dart came in rapid speed, so the thrower probably hid very near to the gazebo. Unless he had been here from the start, his light kung fu must be so good that I could not detect.”

Ke Jing questioned. “But, why would he want your life? Did you see the assailant at all?”

Tian Xin-er shook her head. “No, I only had time to evade the coming dart. Then, I heard brother Miao’s cry, so I did not pay attention to other things. Whoever that was must have gone away during the commotion. As to why someone wants me dead, I have no idea.”

She contemplated further. “It is rather strange that brother Shu taught Sword South School’s martial arts to brother Miao, knowing that it was against pugilistic codes. However, brother Miao’s last stance did not belong to our school.”

At that moment, she shouted a warning. “Brother Ke, beware!”

She sent out palms similar to Miao Li’s style although she could not copy every exact move. Ke Jing was afraid that he would forget himself and hurt her as well, so he determined not to use internal energy whatsoever. ‘If she means to take my life as a punishment, then so be it.’ He thought while dodging her attack without trying to fight back.

Tian Xin-er discovered that the seemingly jumbled stance sequence had hidden power, as the previous move would add strength to the current one and so on like a series of chains. Therefore, however the small amount of force was used in the beginning, it would increase several times at the end of sequence. The palm then became forceful and fatal. She was astonished and tried to retract her energy, but it was too late. As she pretended to be Miao Li, she put only minimal force in the palm, but now it unexpectedly became uncontrollable and dangerous. Worried, she yelled hurriedly to Ke Jing.

“Brother Ke, I cannot stop the energy. Counter it with your own!”

As soon as she spoke, the force shot out from her palms, sending her backward and hit Ke Jing squarely at his chest. He staggered back and spit out blood. Tian Xin-er instantly steadied herself and ran to see Ke Jing. She wiped blood from his mouth and asked agitatedly.

“Brother Ke, are you all right? I am so sorry. Why didn’t you defend yourself?”

Ke Jing smiled faintly. “I don’t want to harm you like I did to brother Miao. I will be happy enough to die in your hands just as long as you are not angry with me.”

Tian Xin-er cried. “Silly man, I’m no longer mad at you. I know that you would not hurt brother Miao intentionally, so I deduct that there must be something wrong with brother Miao’s new kung fu. I just want to reenact the event. There is really no need to put yourself at risk like this.”

Ke Jing’s heart warmed and returned to life despite his inner injury. “As long as you understand me, I am ready to suffer tenfold more.” His eyes were filled with joy. “I’m glad…” He coughed.

Tian Xin-er propped the other up and started transferring her inner power into him. “Say no more. I will cure you with my energy.”

Ke Jing immediately replied. “Don’t! I can help myself.” He did not want to put her in a vulnerable position, so he blocked her force and channeled his own energy to heal himself. Tian Xin-er found that her inner power was bounced back and had to step aside, guarding the other patiently.

As soon as Ke Jing opened his eyes, she grabbed his wrist and checked his pulse. Then, she acclaimed jubilantly. “Brother Ke, you are all right now. Your internal power must be very high; I have never seen anyone recover this fast.”

Ke Jing smiled happily. He explained. “My tomb has a wonderful manuscript on energy cultivation. It was passed down from my ancestor Yang Guo, the renowned Eagle Hero. By the way, Xin-er, you must also be a genius to be able to accomplish this strange technique after one time look.”

Tian Xin-er laughed like a bell. She shyly confessed. “I am ashamed that I am not worthy of your praise. As a matter of fact, I have read about the basic move of this style before at the White Pearl Island. This island belonged to my sister Xiang-er’s uncle who had learned martial arts from a hermit who was the original residence there. At the island’s library, I found many strange martial techniques manuscripts, but none of them were complete. When I saw brother Miao’s new display, I was curious and finally recalled the particular stance. Too bad that the manual I read did not state its effect. Otherwise, I would not have tried it. I am so sorry.”

She looked at him in tears, and Ke Jing gently dried her eyes. He then consoled her with tender voice. “There, there. I am fine now, no need to worry. It was worth my injury to know that you did not think lowly of me.” Tian Xin-er suddenly blushed without a reason. She turned away and changed the subject.

“I have been thinking and wonder if my assailant could be the masked man we met at Dr. Ma’s cottage? If so, his target was not I, but you. That person’s martial arts are very impressive, no less than yours or mine. Brother Ke, in that case, you have got to be very careful.” She urged him worriedly.

Ke Jing nodded. “I promise.”

Tian Xin-er walked him to his room and went to hers. She could not sleep, however. Many unanswered puzzles floated in front of her, and she paced the room all night, trying to find the solution. Near dawn, she came up with an idea and sat down to plan details.

After that, she ran to the three men’s room and entered it quietly. Everyone there was in deep sleep. Gently, she shook Ke Jing to wake him up. When he opened his eyes sleepily, she motioned him to silently follow her outside. Though surprised, he obediently moved without sound after her.

The entire inn was still asleep. Only faraway cries of night birds could be heard. The whole place was enveloped in semi-darkness with dimly lit lanterns at the gate.

Tian Xin-er waited till they reached the garden. Then, she whispered her plan to the other. Ke Jing listened carefully, nodding from time to time. “Excellent idea, Xin-er.” He praised her and took a pill she gave him. Each then returned to his or her room, waiting for the morning to come.
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thank you for reading. Hope it is not so confusing. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

[Goofy]

Chapter 9
The Trap

Character List (not in any particular order):
Tian Xin-er (Vivian Leung Siu Bing)
Shu Qiuyang (Deric Wan Siu Lan)
Ke Jing (Julian Cheung Chi Lam)
Miao Li (Jackie Lui Chung Yin)

The sun greeted the new day with a noisy fight between two figures. Shu Qiuyang open the door and saw Tian Xin-er strike at Ke Jing’s shoulder. Ke Jing gave a cry and collapsed; blood gushed down from his nose. Tian Xin-er also exclaimed and went to examine him. Shu Qiuyang rushed to the couple and spoke astonishingly.

“What happened? Why are you two fighting?”

Tian Xin-er glanced at him briefly and turned to Ke Jing. “Brother Ke injured brother Miao last night in a friendly spar. I just wanted to punish him a little for brother Miao. Who would have thought that he did not try to evade my palm?”

Ke Jing looked down at the ground, coughing. “It was all my fault, and it was right that I received a blow from Xin-er. When brother Miao wakes up, I will personally apologize to him.”

He looked up and saw Miao Li in front of their room. He staggered up and walked unsteadily toward the other. “Brother Miao, please forgive me for hurting you last night.” He knelt down and kowtowed to the young man.

Miao Li immediately kowtowed back to Ke Jing. “Brother Ke, I should be the one who says the apology. I felt bad to see you like this because of me. Please think no more of last night. I am all right now, and injuries are often inevitable in a duel.”

He turned to Tian Xin-er and admonished her slightly. “Sister Tian, you were a bit too aggressive. I thank you for your kindness, but you should not have hurt brother Ke so severely.”

Tian Xin-er pretended to pout. “Hmm, I meant to give justice back to you, but you don’t seem to want it. That’s fine, but don’t you scold me. Brother Ke intended to get hurt, no matter what. So, there!”

She helped Ke Jing up and walked him back to his bed. “Anyway, I know what to do. Brother Ke is injured from my palm, so I will take care of him myself. I will be with him, take care of him myself.” She turned to Shu Qiuyang. “Brother Shu, I’m afraid that I could not go with you today. I have to stay with brother Ke.”

Miao Li noticed Shu Qiuyang’s frowns and he quickly apologized to her. “Pardon me, sister Tian. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful to you. Since I asked brother Ke for a duel, I am technically a cause of brother Ke’s injury. Sister Tian, I know that you have an important business to do with brother Shu today, so please don’t bother with brother Ke. Leave him here with me, and I will look after him for you. Please, sister Tian. I would feel guilty all my life if you would not let me do something for brother Ke and you.”

Tian Xin-er considered his offer for a moment then smiled at him sweetly, causing the other’s heart to beat faster. “Brother Miao is a magnanimous person, more like a hero than a scholar. If you insist, I will have to trouble you this time.”

She looked at Ke Jing hesitantly and said in more gentle voice. “Brother Ke, a blow for a blow. I hope you understand and forgive me. If you want, I am ready to receive one palm from you later on, but today…”

Ke Jing met her eyes and shook his head. “There is nothing to forgive. You did nothing wrong. You should go with brother Shu today; otherwise, I would feel so unworthy of being your friend.”

Tian Xin-er heaved a tender sigh. She gave her handkerchief to him to wipe his blood and stood up, facing Shu Qiuyang. “Brother Shu, I think we’d better go now. Although brother Ke has inner injury, he would heal with plenty of rest. Besides, brother Miao promised to be here with him.” She asked Miao Li about his injury from last night, and he replied that Ke Jing had set his bones back to normal.

“Don’t worry. I will take good care of brother Ke.” Miao Li promised, and Tian Xin-er thanked him gratefully. Then, she warned Ke Jing before leaving. “Brother Ke, you should not use your energy until you are better.”

Shu Qiuyang had been silent up to now. He suggested Tian Xin-er to cancel the trip to Beiping for the time being but was reminded of his missing cousin, Huang Yitao, and Jiaping. “The faster we can have someone to help us find them, the better chance we will meet them.” Tian Xin-er showed clearly her caring for her sworn brother, and Shu Qiuyang’s heart burnt with jealousy. He did not know which he was displeased more, the friendliness she had for Miao Li and Ke Jing or the concern for Huang Yitao.

He sighed inwardly and got ready for the trip. After breakfast, he and Tian Xin-er took off for the city gate. About a half an hour later, Tian Xin-er called for a halt.

“Brother Shu, I have a stomachache, so I will need to rest for a while. Why don’t you go ahead to see your friend, and I’ll follow you when I feel better?” She put her hands on her belly with a distort face.

Shu Qiuyang looked at her with real concern. He wanted her to return to the inn, and after some time of arguing, she reluctantly conceded. However, she urged him to go on alone. “After a short break, I should be strong enough to go back to the inn by myself, but you should go see your friend as promised since we have sent him a letter and made an appointment already. Don’t worry about me.” She repeated.

Shu Qiuyang had no choice but to leave her uneasily. He walked away slowly, looking back at her so often. Tian Xin-er waved to him encouragingly and waited patiently until he vanished from her sight. Then, she used her light kung fu to return speedily to the inn. Her tummy pain magically disappeared.

She surreptitiously entered the inn and hid in a tree next to the three men’s room, waiting to catch a big fish. An hour passed, and Miao Li came out of the room, walking toward the backyard. Tian Xin-er heard him tell the patient on the bed that he was going to the restroom.

Some time later, a young woman dressed entirely in white floated down gracefully from the roof. In her hand was a thin pipe about 10-15 centimeters long. She quietly approached the men’s room. Tian Xin-er observed her with interest though was a bit disappointed. ‘She is not the masked man in blue robe.’

Tian Xin-er could tell that the new comer had excellent light kung fu for her steps made no sound even on the grass. The mysterious stranger cautiously opened the door slightly. Next, she blew something from her pipe at the figure on the bed and retreated to the courtyard. After that, she turned around with satisfied smile but was shocked to find Ke Jing standing in front of her. She looked at him with wild eyes and sputtered with unconcealed surprise. “Y…you are not dead. Were…weren’t you on the bed?”

Ke Jing answered innocently. “No, I was reading a book at the table.”

The stranger in white narrowed her eyes furiously. “Since you chose not to die peacefully, I will let you die the hard way.” She lifted her pipe and blew. In that second, a shower of darts flew toward Ke Jing who agilely avoided the coming weapons. At the same time, he bent down, picked up gravel, and cast them toward the projectiles. His stones collided with the darts, creating ‘clank’ sound. At the end, both fell down to the ground.

Ke Jing cupped his hands and greeted his assailant politely. “Miss, we have never met each other, so why do you want to kill me? May I ask who you are?”

The maiden in white lifted her head arrogantly. “Young brother, it is true that there is no animosity between us, but tomorrow is my friend’s birthday, and his wish is your life. I am merely trying to get his present, so I hope that you would cooperate. As for my name, it is not necessary for this is the last time you will see me.”

She instantly shot out a strip of white cloth at Ke Jing who twisted his body to the left and sent out three strands of golden strings that tied his hair. His strings twined the other’s white belt, which had become as stiff as a big board. The maiden with white dress twirled her cloth, trying to hit her opponent, but the strings around it were like Ke Jing’s extended fingers, preventing her from controlling her weapon at wills. Enraged, the young woman pushed her entire energy through the cloth and lashed forth. The white strip of cloth belt suddenly became alive and dashed forward like a snake launching at its prey, finally wrapping itself around Ke Jing’s torso. She then pulled him toward her with victorious smile.

Calmly, Ke Jing moved his left hand and pulled back his golden strings. With his right hand, he caught her belt and burst it with his internal force. At the same time, his left hand flung the golden strings again at the maiden. Two strands caught her wrists, and another was around her waist, preventing her from being thrown away along with the white strip of cloth. The lady looked at her opponent with shock. “Did…weren’t you injured? You…your inner energy was…”

She then understood that it was a trap and cried out. “How dare you! Martial brother, help me!”

Out of nowhere, a sharp projectile flew toward the young woman, cutting the strings that imprisoned her. Without the bond, she reeled backward and was caught by a man clad in blue robe. His face was covered with a leather mask.

The new comer spoke with gentle voice. “Chang-er, are you all right?”

The young maiden looked up at him with bright eyes and replied happily. “Martial brother, thank you.” She pointed her fingers at Ke Jing. “That man bullied me. You’ve got to punish him for me.”

The stranger followed her eyes and grinned grimly. “No problem because that’s my wish to see him die.”

He pushed his martial sister away gently and launched an attack at Ke Jing, stabbing forcefully with a saber, aiming at seven vital points on the other’s body at the same time. Tian Xin-er who was silently observing the scene below acclaimed inwardly. ‘The Sun Saber style!’ She recognized the moves as those she had read about from the White Pearl Island’s library. ‘Who is this guy?’ She was curious.

The Sun Saber style was a long lost saber art, unknown to even Saber Lord, the master of Tian Xin-er’s maternal grandfather. Before his death, Saber Lord had left an ultimate saber manual to his disciple, Yue Gao. This saber manual later came into Tian Xiang-er’s procession. Together with Emei Sect’s renowned ‘the Book of Four’, she and her husband had practiced and combined both sword and saber styles into a new skill called the Shadow technique.

Although the Shadow technique was powerful and considered the greatest sword and saber arts, it could never achieve as this Sun Saber style could. As the name implied, it was like the rays of sun, capable of attacking seven vital points on the opponent’s body at one stab.

Ke Jing noticed the radius of the thrust and realized that he had no way to escape the coming blade. In that critical minute, he used both his hands as weapons, executing the perfect double-swords sequence while stepping about with light kung fu. In seven quick moves, he managed to protect himself from being wounded. In another fifteen moves, he could break from the web of the other’s blade.

Right then, he bounded forward, shooting out inner force from both palms at the opponent.

The masked man was hit at his right shoulder. He roared painfully and grabbed his martial sister before tossing a smoke bomb to make a disappearance.

From the tree, Tian Xin-er saw the two got away behind the thick smoke screen and instantly pursued them. However, her targets had high light kung fu – no less than she did. Halfway, she lost them and had to return to the inn empty hand.

Ke Jing was waiting for her at the courtyard. He looked at her face and guessed. “They have escaped.”

Tian Xin-er nodded dejectedly then praised him on his excellent sword skills. “I have never imagined that a hand could be used as sword. Watching you fight today is really my eye opener.”

Ke Jing bowed modestly. “I once read a passage in a manual that everything can be used as a sword as long as we have the sword in our heart. I have never attempted it before until today. Actually, it was my luck that the masked man had not perfected his technique yet. Otherwise, I would not have stood here alive.” He looked up at the tree that she had been hiding and commented serenely.

“At least, I showed my innocence by fighting with all my worth.”

Tian Xin-er turned pink. She said, “you must be angry at me for not trying to help you.” She did not try to deny that she had been there from the beginning.

Ke Jing shook his head, smiling at her kindly. “No, not at all. You were right not to trust anyone of us. When you were almost killed last night, it is logical to suspect the people around you first. In fact, aside from brother Shu who had known you before, brother Miao and I were practically strangers to you. You are merely being cautious, and that is very wise. Moreover, I’m honored that you chose to test me first so that I could be cleared quickly.”

Tian Xin-er cupped her hands and bowed low to him. “Brother Ke is very understanding and has an open mind. Your thinking is insightful and advanced despite your brief time in the martial realm. I, Tian Xin-er, sincerely respect you and apologize to you for my doubt.” She looked down at the ground uncomfortably.

Early this morning, Tian Xin-er explained to Ke Jing that she wanted him to fake an injury in order to lure the assassin. In reality, she meant to see the reactions of Miao Li and Ke Jing. Therefore, her return to the inn was her personal secret. To be sure of Ke Jing’s real intention, she refrained from lending him a hand at that life-threatening moment however much she was concerned about his safety.

Ke Jing seemed to understand her feeling. “Please don’t feel bad. I didn’t get hurt, and you believe in me now. I’d rather get stabbed by the masked man than have your doubt.”

Tian Xin-er let out a smile. Then, it turned to a grin. “Thank you.” No other word was needed, as his eyes revealed of his caring toward her. Tian Xin-er suddenly felt warm. It was as if her family was with her again.

Ke Jing’s heart was filled with bliss as she smiled at him, but her next sentence totally deflated his happiness. “I wish Ah Yi could meet you. You both will be good friends to each other.” No matter what, ‘Ah Yi’ seemed to remain in her heart, and his name was on the tip of her tongue all the time.

Tian Xin-er then turned businesslike. She picked up one of the darts from the ground and spoke thoughtfully. “As I suspected, the real target is not me but you, brother Ke. This dart is the same with the dart I received last night, so we can assume that the thrower is the same person, hence the lady in white dress today. In addition, I heard her call the masked man ‘martial brother’, so the two must know and work with each other. That night at Dr. Ma’s, the masked man tried to kill you. Today, the lady tried to murder you with her darts. When she failed, her martial brother came and attacked you with a vicious technique. He might try again. Brother Ke, you should be careful for we do not know his real identity yet.”

On the other hand, Ke Jing pointed out to her that the dart from last night was aimed toward her, not him, but Tian Xin-er argued that it could be a trick to distract him from the duel.

At that, Ke Jing raised a question. “Since only four of us knew that I was unable to use my inner energy, which do you suspect now, brother Miao or brother Shu?

Tian Xin-er did not answer immediately, but after a moment, she replied. “I am not sure because I don’t have enough evidence to pinpoint either of them. When the masked man first appeared, brother Shu was asleep in the hut. However, at that time, I was with Master De, burying Dr. Ma’s body at the nearby forest. Brother Shu could have easily got up and went outside to attack you. Then again, brother Shu was sick with high fever, so he could not have been that masked man. Besides, he has no motive to do so at the time, not to say that his martial arts are inferior to ours.

Having said that, don’t forget that he was the one who taught brother Miao the strange palm technique that could have injured or killed you.” Her face reddened at an idea of a possible motive but didn’t dare to voice it aloud.

She hastily continued. “As for brother Miao, although he seems mysterious at times, he is merely a scholar and only met us by chance. To suspect him based only on him being a stranger is not enough. As for you…”

Ke Jing finished her sentence. “That’s because I have an unknown background and strange martial arts. Also, I hurt brother Miao and you thought that it could be intentionally.”

Tian Xin-er nodded. “Brother Ke is correct. However, I more than half believed that you are innocent. That was why I started with you first so that I can eliminate the small doubt back in my mind.”

Ke Jing gave her a warm smile. “I am glad to hear it.” And Tian Xin-er avoided his gaze shyly.

“Er, what is about you? Do you have your own theory?” She cleared her throat and asked him.

Ke Jing knitted his eyebrows and concentrated awhile then gave out his opinion. “I have been going over the duel last night, and I have a few unclear points that are hard to state at the moment. As you said, brother Miao should be the only one who is above the suspicion. However, if we look in a different angle, he could also be on the top of our list.”

Tian Xin-er pondered along and nodded her head. “That sounds reasonable too. Anyhow, we both seem to have the same enemies, who hide in the shadow, while we are in the open. From now, we have to be very careful.”

At that point, they heard Miao Li’s screams. Without further ado, they ran to the backyard and found Miao Li kneeling next to Shu Qiuyang’s body.

“What happened?” Tian Xin-er asked the frightened man, while Ke Jing checked Shu Qiuyang’s pulse.

Miao Li was pale. “I have just come out of the restroom when a shadow flew past me. I ran away and stumbled on brother Shu here. His face was black, and I cannot feel his breath.”

Ke Jing looked up and reported. “He is alive but barely because he has been poisoned. First thing to do now is purging the poison from his system.” He propped Shu Qiuyang up and was ready to transfer his energy into the other, but Tian Xin-er touched his arm lightly.

“Please let me do this, brother Ke. You have been tired all day.” She sat cross-legged and sent her force toward the unconscious man’s body.

Ke Jing had to move away and be her guard instead after he had told Miao Li to return to their room to rest. However, Miao Li refused and announced that he would stay there to accompany everyone.

Thirty minutes later, Shu Qiuyang coughed and spat out black blood. He opened his eyes and saw Tian Xin-er. “Ah, sister Tian. How is your stomach?” Then he fainted from fatigue.

Ke Jing wordlessly lifted the other’s body and carried him to their room. Miao Li helped the weary Tian Xin-er up and walked her to her room. Then, he returned to the room he shared with the other two men.

“How is brother Shu? Is he going to die?” He asked Ke Jing who consoled him.

“He will live all right. He has received some poison, but Xin-er successfully got rid of it from his system. Brother Miao, did you get to see the shadow’s face?”

Miao Li shook his head, thinking hard. “No, that person moved too fast. Do you think that he was the one who poisoned brother Shu?”

Ke Jing confirmed. “Yes, that is possible. As a matter of fact, I have just fought with him. How is Xin-er?” He could not help feeling concerned.

“Hmm, she said that she is only tired and just need to rest, and she gave me this prescription for brother Shu.” Miao Li showed the other a list of herbs.

Ke Jing took a look at the paper and commented on Tian Xin-er’s medicinal skills. “She once told me that her twin brother is the best doctor in martial realm, so she must have learned a lot from him.”

Miao Li folded the list and put away in his shirt carefully. “I will take care of this list then. Oh, sister Tian also said that you should take it easy too to recover your injury faster.” He smiled at his friend.

“She is right. Get some sleep, and I will be back with the medicine.” He then went out of the room.

Ke Jing then moved a chair close to Shu Qiuyang’s bed and sat down. His eyes were alert, ready for any unwelcome visitor, while Tian Xin-er was meditating to refresh her energy in her room.

Right outside a gate of Beiping, an old man was scolding a young woman. “Chang-er, you have been too naughty this time. Follow me back to the cave, and we will talk about your punishment there.”

The young woman who dressed entirely in white looked at him with pleading eyes. “Grandfather, I am very sorry that I ran away from home. I repent now, but please let me stay here a while longer. Martial brother has been hurt, and I want to help him.”

The grandfather grunted. “It serves him right for being too arrogant. My Sun Saber style is not to be used promiscuously, especially if he has not yet mastered it. You two could have destroyed my plan, and you want a mercy from me!” Despite his harsh tone, his eyes secretly betrayed his love for his granddaughter.

Then, he resorted to gentle words. “Chang-er, be a good girl and go back with Grandpa. Your martial brother will be fine. He is not that stupid to reveal himself. I will tell him to visit you when he is better, all right?”

The young woman begged no further for she realized that it was useless. Gloomily and meekly, she followed the old man into the city.
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thank you.... <IMG SRC="smilies/bow.gif" border="0">

[Goofy]

Chapter 10
Beneath the Mask

Character List (not in any particular order):
Jiaping (Fiona Leung Ngai Ling)
Shu Xiayue (Maggie Siu Mei Kei)
Huang Yitao (Felix Wong Yat Wah)

Shu Xiayue ran into a wood, blinded with tears. Her heart shouted repeatedly. “Huang Yitao, the silly man, the stupid hero. Huang Yitao, I hate you!”

Suddenly, she tripped and fell into a large pit dug to trap a big animal. She could see numerous sticks with sharp ends waiting at the bottom of the trap as her body dropped lower. She screamed with fear and at that minute was pulled up from the deep hole at the nick of time. A strong hand put her down on the safe ground and a voice warned her gently.

“Be careful for this area is full of hunter’s traps.”

Shu Xiayue looked up at her rescuer and thanked him gratefully. “My body would have filled of holes if you had not caught me in time. Thank you very much, Ah Yu.”

Ah Yu grinned pleasantly. “It was nothing. Miss Shu, I will walk you to the creek. Jiaping is waiting for you there. She said that you might want a wash. I’ve just caught two big fish, so we are having grilled fish for dinner.”

He led her to a rivulet and departed to tend the meal. Jiaping was wading the shallow water, and she waved at the other maiden. “The water is a bit cold but nice and refreshing. Come and have a dip.”

She waited till the other put her feet in the brook and relaxed before asking. “What’s wrong?”

Shu Xiayue wrinkled her nose but didn’t answer. After a while, she said. “Ah Yu is a good man. You are very lucky.” She sighed, thinking of Huang Yitao.

Jiaping’s cheeks burnt red, glowing in the last rays of the evening light. She lazily observed the setting sun in the far horizon and smiled dreamily. “I think so too.” She turned to the other. “You are also lucky to have Master Huang. He is a perfect gentleman.”

To her surprise, Shu Xiayue burst out crying. “He is only a dunce!”

Shu Xiayue of today was nothing like the strict and determined old lady that Jiaping used to know. The former had become a young woman that had just recovered from physical illness to fall in love sickness. At present, her body was in fragile health, and her spirit was low. In between sobs, she told the other girl of her plights. “Now that he knows who I am, he would never like me. Ah, I should have remained an old grandmother for at least he would be nice and polite to me.”

Jiaping touched the other’s raven hair gently. She sighed. “Love is a complex puzzle. Who could understand the other’s heart? Master Huang is a hero from the Sword South School, so there must be a set of codes he has to follow. You cannot change his thinking over one night, but I am sure that he will see your point of view eventually. Give him time to adjust and at the same time show him your worth.”

Shu Xiayue looked at the other astonishingly. “Jiaping, you have matured a lot since the flood. Is that because of Ah Yu?” Her troubles were momentarily forgotten.

Jiaping’s eyes cast down at the silent stream that reflected the last golden light of the day, making it as if a pot full of gold coins sat beneath the water surface. She murmured faintly. “I have never thought that I would feel content just to live in a bare cottage with frugal meals as long as I could be with him. Compare to the luxury life I once had, it was funny how love can change one’s habit. Ah Yu has opened the world to me; he has showed me wonders of nature and beauty of life. I have grown up since I met him. I am no longer a girl now but a young woman in love.” Her thought skipped to her home and her father.

‘Papa, please do not be angry at me for I would rather die than end up as a concubine in the palace.’

She turned to Shu Xiayue and smiled teasingly. “Where is that intimidated grandmother I once feared?”

Shu Xiayue giggled and flicked spray of water at her playfully, and she wetted the other in the same manner. Their laughter rang out amid the sound of nature. Birds were calling their families to return to the nests. Day animals prepared to sleep, while night animals stirred about, ready to enjoy the fresh night air. Strangely, instead of being noisy, all sound created harmony and peaceful atmosphere.

Ah Yu heard the two women laughing and smiled. He turned to Huang Yitao who was piling firewood. “Brother Huang, I think that should be enough logs for the night. Thank you.”

Huang Yitao looked at the large amount of sticks he collected and smiled embarrassingly. “Hmm, I just want to make sure that everyone will be warm enough, especially Miss Shu. She has just got over the cold, and the night in the wood could be damp and cold.”

Ah Yu nodded in agreement. “Yes, that is right. You are such a careful and considerate person. Jiaping said that you are from a well-known school in the pugilistic world. Are you a hero then? If so, can you teach me how to be one?” He inquired with interest.

Huang Yitao cupped his hands and replied. “I am from Sword South School, but I cannot call myself a hero yet. To be one, a man has to serve his country, helps the needy, and protects innocent people from the evil organizations.”

His face clouded when he thought of Shu Xiayue. Come to think of it, he was in the wrong. Although the orthodox school often stressed about the clear distinction between good and evil, his godfather never thought it was a big deal to befriend with people from different backgrounds. His martial uncle, Tian Fei, was also a tolerant gentleman who would not shirk away from a friend just because of the other’s dubious origin. Huang Yitao could have slapped his face thousand times for his rudeness toward Shu Xiayue.

“Yitao, how could you be a hero like Uncle Tian or your godfather if you are so narrow-minded like this. Miss Shu was right. As long as her cult did nothing evil, why should I be concerned about it? As a matter of fact, didn’t I once fall in love with the evil Lu Peng’s goddaughter? So, what rights do I have to judge and belittle other people?”

He then intended to apologize to her at the first opportunity.

The grilled fish were now cooked, sending out good aroma to the hungry stomach. Ah Yu stood up and called out to the two maidens. “Dinner is ready! Come and eat.”

The creek was several meters from the temple they were staying for the night, yet Ah Yu’s voice carried clear across hubbubs of the forest to the two women. Huang Yitao glanced at the other man with new eyes and praised. “Brother, your internal energy is excellent. It is true that white elephant is to be found in the deep forest.”

Ah Yu grinned artlessly. “Oh! That’s because I was injured badly once when I was a child. Luckily, a kind elder passed by and transferred his inner strength to me to save my life. I became much stronger then. Later, that elder regularly paid me a visit and taught me some martial arts.”

Huang Yitao was interesting in the other’s life and made a subtle inquiry. “Did you know that elder’s name?”

Ah Yu shook his head. “No, I merely call him ‘Mentor’, but I am a friend of his granddaughter.” His face lit up as her image flashed past his mind. “Her name is Bai Chang.”

At that moment, the two maidens arrived. Jiaping came in time to hear his last sentence, and she paused at the door. Her feet felt as if they were made of lead. Ah Yu looked up and waved at her with friendly gesture. “Jiaping, come and taste the food. I found some wild lemons on the way back, so I squeezed their juice on the fish, giving a bit of tangy taste.” He divided a portion of fish onto a big leaf and gave it to Jiaping. Next, he served Shu Xiayue. “You two should eat a lot for fish is good for your bones.” He reached for a bundle wrapped in leaves and revealed a small honeycomb.

“Here is your dessert. I think honey and lemon will be good for Miss Shu’s throat.” After that, he served Huang Yitao then himself. “I will roast a duck for you tomorrow.” He promised, flashing his even teeth.

Jiaping inwardly sighed. She munched the food without knowing its taste. Ah Yu was so gentle and caring. He behaved to others equally, and she was happy enough to be his closest friend at this point. However, the name he had uttered just now was filled with such tenderness and admiration that she couldn’t help feeling apprehensive.

‘Who is this Bai Chang?’ She wondered, and jealousy started to creep in her heart.

She then recalled the conversation with Shu Xiayue a moment ago.

“Have you ever seen Ah Yu’s face? What do you think he will look like? Why does he have on that animal skin mask all the time?”

Jiaping could answer none of these questions. By nature, she was curious no less than Shu Xiayue was. However, Ah Yu always tried to avoid this subject despite his carefree and honest attitude. Consequently, Jiaping had to respect his unspoken wish with a secret hope that he would eventually reveal himself to her. But would that day ever come?

What did Shu Xiayue say about Ah Yu? “Speaking from my disguise experience, a person who masks himself either wants to hide his identity or has an hideous face. Ah Yu has no enemy and is an open man, so he could not have hid himself from anyone. Therefore, he must be very ugly, but his pleasing eyes hinted that he should have been a young handsome man…”

Jiaping gave a loud sigh unconsciously, and Ah Yu asked her with concern. “Didn’t you like the food?”

She swallowed her confusion and attempted a smile at him. When would he understand her feeling? According to Shu Xiayue, if Huang Yitao was a dunce, then Ah Yu had to be a rock. But, she smiled ruefully, he was also the sturdy boulder that her heart wanted to take shelter with.

‘I have to know what is beneath his mask. I want to see his real face.’

Huang Yitao, at that moment, was trying to strike a conversation with Shu Xiayue who pretended to ignore him. “Miss Shu, I want to apologize for my bad manner. I am sorry that I offended you. It was bad of me to disdain your people without knowing the truth.”

Shu Xiayue snorted and turned away but inwardly smiled. Huang Yitao scratched his head; he was at his wit’s ends to appease this lady, not having been in this situation before. At the Sword South School, Tian Xing-xing was the only woman he grew up with and was probably closest to, but she never threw a fit at him or his younger brother. Besides, she tended to get together more with her martial brother, Li Renying.

As for his first love, Lu Tingli, she was such a sweet and unselfish girl that he could not help falling in love with her at first sight. Tian Xin-er and Tian Xiang-er were also unique women in that they were strong and independent, open, and sincere.

On the contrary, Shu Xiayue was a complicated character. When she disguised as an old lady, she was constantly moody yet gentle. From their several chats, he found that she was wise and knowledgeable. Now, as a young woman, she confused him further for her temperament changed like a tide at full moon, up and down so quickly. One moment, she would be so shy, yet behave like a tigress at the next. Huang Yitao sighed, and Shu Xiayue immediately questioned him.

“What is that for?”

“Because I don’t know how to make you forgive me.” Huang Yitao replied truthfully, and Shu Xiayue giggled.

“Silly, I have never met anyone so dense like you before. Would I be sitting next to you if I am still mad at you?” She said; her eyes danced in a contest with stars on the sky above. In the light of fire, her beauty glowed, and Huang Yitao couldn’t help staring at her, mesmerizing.

Awkwardly, he bowed and admitted his faults. “Miss Shu is right again. I am a rough and uneducated man. So, please do not mind my lack of manners.”

Shu Xiayue chuckled and said to him. “If you are really sincere, you should give me Tian Xin-er’s knife.” She watched his stubborn face and sighed. “That is all right. I know that she is more important to you than I am.”

Huang Yitao didn’t quite know how to answer her, so he cleared his throat a few times before bringing out a dagger and gave it to her. “It is true that I cannot give you Xin-er’s gift, but I have bought a new dagger for you as promised. I have forgotten all about it when you fell ill. Here is a knife of my friendship to you then.” He could not understand why she suddenly turned red and became shy. ‘At least, she is now in good mood.’ He was relieved and thought no more of her strange behavior.

Shu Xiayue fingered her new treasure delightfully and put it in her belt. “I will keep it with me forever.” She whispered, keeping her eyes low for she was afraid that her inner emotions would be too naked. In her mind, she pictured her introducing him to her father.

‘Father is sure to approve of him. That way, both Qiuyang and I don’t need to tie ourselves with each other.’ She could tell that her cousin liked Tian Xin-er. ‘I didn’t like Miss Tian at first, but I wouldn’t mind having her as my cousin-in-law now. Next time when I see her, I shall be very nice to her so that Yitao would be pleased with me.’ She decided. Her mind went to her lost cousin and Tian Xin-er.

“How far are we from Beiping?” Huang Yitao raised a question as if he heard her thought.

Ah Yu calculated for a moment and replied. “The fishermen from the village said that we need to go northward for almost three more weeks. We have traveled for five days so far, so we have roughly two more weeks of the journey. We should sleep early tonight so that we can set out early next morning.”

Huang Yitao nodded. He walked outside and looked up at the night sky, praying that Tian Xin-er would be all right. ‘I would not have face to meet anyone at home if she comes to harm.’

Jiaping finished her meal and quickly pulled Shu Xiayue to a far corner of the temple. “Hey, didn’t you say that you have a good plan to see Ah Yu’s face?” She whispered softly; almost forgot to breathe as she waited for the answer anxiously.

Shu Xiayue whistled mischievously. She grinned. “Hmm, it might be a bit hard but not impossible. After all, he has to wash his face sometimes.”

Jiaping raised her eyebrows then smiled. “I think I understand what you mean. Will you help me?”

Shu Xiayue nodded eagerly. “Of course, I would have insisted even you had not invited me.”

She then poked the other maiden and yawned loudly. “Hmm, I am very tired. I think I will turn in now.” Jiaping took her hint and went to one corner of the temple where Ah Yu had prepared the sleeping place for her. “So do I. It has been a long day.” She yawned sleepily and lay down.

Huang Yitao stood up and walked outside good mannerly, and Ah Yu followed him outside. After a while, they returned inside and found that both women were asleep. Huang Yitao motioned the other man to sleep first while he would watch over the fire. Accordingly, Ah Yu walked noiselessly to another corner and soon joined his friends in the slumber land.

Early next morning, he got up and went to the creek alone to wash his face. Huang Yitao was still sleeping, and the two women were huddled together under their blankets. At the stream, Ah Yu took off his shirt and folded it neatly on the ground. Then, he bent down and began to untie his mask. At that point, he flicked a handful of pebbles toward a big tree behind him, causing all of its leaves to rain down and create a natural curtain for him.

After he was done with his toilet, he put back on his shirt and got up, all the while pretending not to hear sneezes from under a leaves pile. Glancing at the naked tree, he bowed politely to it. ‘Sorry to rob you of your green robe. I will pray for rain so that new leaves can come out faster.’ Then, he flew away gracefully with his light kung fu.

He came to stop at the middle of the wood under a willow tree. There, he lifted his fingers and touched its billowing leaves gently. Then, he broke the smallest branch from the tree and started practicing his martial arts. Gentle but forceful, light but swift, he moved as if he was part of the wind – as if he was the breeze himself. Cloud of dust rose slowly from the ground and twirled around him, creating a small whirlwind. Willow leaves swayed gently in rhythm with the swishing sound of the stick in Ah Yu’s hand. Other than this noise, the wood was silent as if holding its breath over this spectacular display.

Ah Yu did the last somersault and landed smoothly at the same spot he had started. In a sleight of hand, he took off his mask, touched his face, and wore the mask again. He looked up at the willow tree again and sighed forlornly. It reminded him of the place where he took off his mask for someone for the first and last time.

It was one late afternoon when his mentor came to instruct martial arts to him as usual. This time, the old man had brought his granddaughter along. She was just five years old then – a tiny girl with curious and lively eyes. They had played with each other like any other kids. He remembered that she had begged and begged him to let her see his face. She had promised that she would always be his friend, and he naively believed her. Accordingly, he had untied his mask and turned around to face her. In that second, she screamed and fainted.

His mentor was very angry with him when he heard of the incident. “Kneel down and swear to the earth and heaven that you would never reveal your face to anyone again until the day you marry or die.”

From that day, he had been living under this animal skin mask, waiting patiently to see his childhood playmate again. Mentor did not bring her to see him until she turned sixteen years old. She had grown up into a slender young woman then. Eleven years earlier, she had been his first love. Eleven years later, she was still his only love. As a young lady, she seemed to forget entirely of the scene under the willow tree. For which, he was glad, yet a bit sad for they had several happy moments together before the unfortunate incident. To his delight at first, she was friendly and behaved very kindly toward him. Later, he discovered with broken heart that she had someone else in her heart. To her, he was only a humble friend and an informal martial brother. Nonetheless, he was thankful enough to get to see her once in a while.

He sighed heavily. It had been a while now that he had not seen her. “I miss you, Bai Chang. Where are you now?” Taking a last look at the tree, he went away as quietly as he had come.

Behind, the willow waved its green arms tenderly as if to bid him farewell.

Under a huge pile of leaves near the brook, an arm reached out then followed with another arm and a head. Shu Xiayue eventually emerged. Then she dug the leaves and pulled out Jiaping who was sneezing from inhaling too much dust. “Ah Shoo!”

Both women sat weakly on the leaves carpet, breathing in fresh air greedily. Jiaping stood up and staggered toward the creek, drank thirstily, and combed her messy hair. She finally spoke. “I thought you said this plan was foolproof.”

Shu Xiayue followed her friend to the water and did not answer until she had wetted her dry throat. “It should have worked without a hitch if Ah Yu had not buried us under those stupid leaves. Hmm, I thought he was a simple fellow at first, but he is actually cheeky and full of tricks. Don’t worry, we can try again some other time.”

Jiaping hesitated, however. She shook her head and said despondently. “Never mind. Ah Yu has told us that he wants to keep his face a secret. As a friend, I should respect his wish. Besides, he would have showed his face if he had deemed that I was important enough to him.”

Shu Xiayue sighed disappointedly. “That is too bad. All men are so brainless! Can’t they understand our feelings without our spelling them out?”

After making themselves more presentable, they both trekked back to the temple where both men were waiting to start out.

In Beiping, the old men briskly led his granddaughter through the busy metropolis and finally exited the city from the North Gate. With the capital behind, he stopped at an inn not far away from the Great Wall. “We will stay here tonight, and tomorrow, you will go back to our cave.” He gave an order, and his granddaughter nodded wordlessly.

Late that night, the old man donned a black outfit and went for a visit.
-------------------------
a short chapter but hope it is readable. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

Thank you for reading...

[Giant Eagle]

Help! Help!
<IMG SRC="smilies/help.gif" border="0">

Goofy's stories have kept me glued to the computer into the most ungodly hours of the morning.

Consequently I now have bags under my eyes the size of shopping bags! Boo Hoo Hoo!

We must stop Goofy from penning another chapter! (Quickly ducks to avoid bombs and bullets from Goofy's fans, namely Andrea, Charbydis, Floo and Whitekrane) <IMG SRC="smilies/sweating.gif" border="0">

Heheh, just kidding. <IMG SRC="smilies/naughty.gif" border="0">

Keep up the good work. Really loved that neat one, Ke Jing revealing that he is the descendant of Yang Guo <IMG SRC="smilies/kiss.gif" border="0">

Of all the male characters of Jin Yong, Yang Guo is my fave.

Why isn't Ke Jing "Yang" Jing as it was written that Yang Guo was his ancestor

BTW, when does your story take place? After reading, I guess it's during the twilight years of the Ming Dynasty.

[ September 22, 2002: Message edited by: Giant Eagle ]

[Zhen Yu Cao]

Thats because at the end of HSDS, the only descendant of YG that we know of is a girl. If she were to have children, they would of course take the fathers name. Hope that clears things up <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">. Btw Goofy/Jo, This is WanderingSwordsman from the JY forum. Got mixed up between display name and login name (but wanderingswordsman was taken anyways :S). Anyhow, keep up the good work! <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

[Goofy]

Zhen Yu Can aka wandering swordsman is right about Ke Jing's surname. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

The story is intended to be set at the ending of Ming, probably just a bit before the Crimson Sabre story. However, don't expect to see any of characters from that novel though. Although I refer to JY's characters from times to times, I tried not to connect my story to his out of respect since I don't think I could live up with JY's superb work. <IMG SRC="smilies/blush.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/redface.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/hatoff.gif" border="0">

After this fanfic, I will write the third story, making all a trilogy. <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

Hope you all will still read my stories then...

Big Thanks and Bear Hugs to all... <IMG SRC="smilies/bow.gif" border="0">

[Acidbeastonfire]

Wow...nice chapter.
Seems like the present generation r more higly skilled than the previous. Sword God was peerless. But Tian Fei doesn;t seem to be able to match Ah Yi. (But still i love his righteousness). Now we have Ke Jing & Ah Yu....both seem to be very powerful esp Ke Jing.
I like the scene where Ah Yu washes himself & practices martial arts....with a good cinematographer at helm, it'll be a such a breathtaking scene.

Go Goofy Go!

ps...now that i've caught up, i'll be reading as fast as u can write <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">
not bad eh considering i've only started from Legend like 2 weeks ago <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

[Giant Eagle]

I vote De Pang and Ah Qing as the my favourite couple in this story!

("I prefer older men!" Ah Qing declares to her parents and runs off with De Pang!)

Maybe Andrea will write something like that <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

(I wish the same could have happen in HZGG II, Han Xiang dumps Mou Dan for Qian Long, Xiao Yan Zi goes after Ji Xiao Lan and Zi Wei elopes with Er Kang's father <IMG SRC="smilies/evillaugh.gif" border="0">

[andrea7974]

I like the couples Goofy creates in this fanfic <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0">

So Ke Jing is YG decendant...then he must be good looking like YG <IMG SRC="smilies/evillaugh.gif" border="0"> and I think that Julian is suitable to be Ke Jing <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

[Goofy]

Ah Qing was an orphan, btw. <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0">

I confess that I like Liu Kai Chi that I felt I had to give him more roles thus his appearance in this story. <IMG SRC="smilies/love.gif" border="0">

About Ke Jing, I was tossed between Julian and vincent jiao. But I took a look at Vincent's picture with curls and felt that he didn't look innocent enough...

thanks all.

[Goofy]

I tried to make funny dialogues, so I hope I did succeed in that. <IMG SRC="smilies/twirl.gif" border="0">

Chapter 11
An Art of Disguise

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

That evening, Tian Xin-er came to visit Shu Qiuyang who had regained his consciousness though was still pale and weak. She greeted him with concern then asked him to relate his story to her.

Shu Qiuyang paused thoughtfully and told her that he was anxious about her stomach pain that he decided to return to the inn instead. On the way, he saw a figure in white heading this way, so he gave chase and was led back to the inn. At the backyard, he suddenly lost sight of the stranger, and at that moment, someone had struck him at the back once. He knew nothing after that.

Tian Xin-er listened to him carefully. They were alone in the room. Miao Li was at the kitchen brewing medicine for the patient, and Ke Jing was outside of the room, keeping a lookout.

She made no comment on the other’s statement and was prepared to leave when the other hurriedly grabbed her hands. “Sister Tian – Xin-er – I am sorry.”

Tian Xin-er raised her eyebrows in question and subtly withdrew her hands. “You are the one who get hurt, and it is not your fault. So, why the apology?”

Shu Qiuyang looked at her pleadingly. “I realize that I did wrong in training brother Miao the basic moves of the Sword South School. But please believe me, I did not have any bad intention. Sword South School’s martial arts are the only thing I was taught since young that I was used to thinking of them as my own properties. That night, I was drunk and unconsciously let out some pointers to brother Miao when we talked about kung fu. I know that you are displeased, so please forgive my thoughtlessness. I am kowtowing to you to prove my sincerity.” He tried to get out of bed but was too weak, so he fell back down.

Tian Xin-er immediately touched his sleeves. “Brother Shu is still sick. Please do not exert yourself too much.” She sighed softly. “I appreciate your earnestness, but I have to listen to both sides. According to brother Miao, you were the one who told him to duel with brother Ke. If so, what would be your explanation then?”

Shu Qiuyang smiled with relief. “Oh, that! It can be easily clarified. It was true that I suggested to brother Miao to get some more pointers from brother Ke since his martial arts are much better that mine, but I didn’t order him to challenge for a duel. That was probably a miscommunication between us, and I feel bad for what had happened. Nonetheless, brother Ke should have realized brother Miao’s kung fu level and accordingly been more easygoing in the fight. It was truly beyond my expectation that brother Ke would forcefully strike brother Miao as if in real combat situation. I might be partly responsible for the accident, but I never intend it to happen.” He had reasons for everything, and Tian Xin-er could find no fault with them.

In the end, she accepted his apology. “Brother Miao’s injury was not serious, and brother Ke has already received my palm. Let’s put all these behind and not ruin the friendships among us four.”

Shu Qiuyang’s eyes sparked with happiness. He gazed at her lovingly until she felt uncomfortable. Finally, she bade him a good night.

“It is rather late, and I shouldn’t deprive you of sleep.” She then left the room.

Outside, she nodded to Ke Jing who immediately used his light kung fu to flow after her. When they were at the garden again, she pointed out that Shu Qiuyang could not be the masked man they want. Then, she informed to him the conversation in the room. After that, both were silent awhile.

Then Ke Jing spoke. “I agree with you. I have been pondered about the last style that brother Miao used and concluded that brother Shu could not have known it, let alone teaching it to others.”

Tian Xin-er concurred. “Yes, that is why I didn’t bother asking him about it. He would have used this skill at Wu Dang if he had had it. He doesn’t have very high inner power, and this strange kung fu could have helped him defeat me at the time.

That means only brother Miao is left as the suspect…” Strangely, she felt empty all of a sudden.

Ke Jing interjected softly. “Don’t jump to conclusion too quickly. Circumstance evidence can blind one’s judgment, especially if that person’s heart was clouded with sentiment.” He then took leave and went back to his post.

Tian Xin-er reconsidered his words and flushed with embarrassment. ‘Does he think that I like brother Miao?’ She mused, unconsciously questioning herself. Her smile faded as she could find no ready answer.

At a wood, an old man in black garb took out a wooden whistle and blew it softly. Some moments later, a masked man in blue robe came and kneeled down in front of his elder.

“Greeting Martial uncle. May you have a good health and live a long life.”

The old man grunted then grabbed the other’s left wrist. After that, he pressed the masked man’s pressure points and began to transfer his energy to the other, sending out white steam from the top of their heads. Finally, he released the younger man and cautioned him to take it easy.

“Hmm, the palm you received today was pretty forceful. Who is the person who injured you?”

The masked man kowtowed to his martial uncle several times. “Thank you for saving my life. I have been using my inner energy to subdue the pain all day but could not get rid of it.” He thought of the young man with guileless eyes and was filled with rage.

He gritted his teeth and replied. “His name is Ke Jing. He is from an unknown place called Ancient Tomb. His inner force is pure and high, and his techniques are strange and powerful.”

The old man listened with interest. “Sound like one of the lost sects from the past. I want to know more about him, but be very careful and avoid any open exchange, understand?”

To which, the masked man reluctantly agreed. The old man glanced at him briefly and admonished with fierce voice. “You did a very stupid thing today. Not only you endangered Chang-er’s life, but you also almost let your identity be revealed. Moreover, my Sun Saber style is not to be used in a petty fight for woman. Remember that your future queen is Chang-er and nobody else. If you ruin my plan again, you will be punished severely.”

He waved his hands when the other was about to argue. “No use to lie to me. Every man likes pretty face, and Tian Xin-er is rumored to be the most beautiful woman in the martial realm at the moment. She is also talented in martial field and the first disciple of Emei. No wonder that you fell for her. However, don’t forget your promise in front of your master’s grave three years ago. You have sworn then that you would destroy Emei and Sword South School for causing my martial brother’s death. Did you remember?”

The masked man nodded. His eyes flashed with memories. “Yes, I never forget. My master, Black Devil, died under a hand of Tian Xiang-er and Di Yi, and I will destroy every Tian to revenge for him. To kill Tian Xin-er is not hard, but I just want to use her to guide me to the White Pearl Island since she is the only one who knows its location.”

The old man chuckled dryly. “Good thinking, but how do you suppose to defeat Tian Fei, his daughter, and his son-in-law when your master failed to do so? Did you plan to woo Tian Xin-er first and worm yourself into the Tian family? Ha-ha. Colorful flowers are attractive to butterflies. You will have a stiff competition against many young men. The blood debt has to be collected one day, but why not do it once you become the king? Then, you can crush all your enemies with the army without any risk. Wouldn’t that be better?”

The masked man cupped his hand and bowed low. “Martial uncle has opened my eyes. I have really been too hasty. Please advice me.”

The old man pulled the other up and patted his shoulders. “You are a talented young man, otherwise I wouldn’t have passed my ultimate skill to you. Just be a bit more cautious in the future. Don’t let women stand on your way of success.

The most important thing we should do is to take down Wu Dang and Emei. They are the pillars of the martial realm aside from the fact that they are great friends to Sword South School. Without these two sects, Tian Fei would be like a tiger without claw, a dragon without tail. For this, the plan is now underway.

Next, you need to master the Sun Saber style and after that go claim your rightful throne. I will find you a helper when the time comes.

For now, keep a close watch on Tian Xin-er and that Ke Jing. We can use them in the future, but if they prove to be a trouble, I will find a way to eliminate them.” He lifted his palm and hit a tree. There was no noise, but a tremor immediately started from the tree root and cracked through the entire trunk. Then the tree shuddered for the last time before it split in two vertical halves.

The other man ventured out a question. “How about De Pang and the Sun-Moon Cult?”

The old man snorted. “De Pang will be as good as dead whenever he steps into the Widow Mansion. No man has ever come out there alive except me. Ha-ha. As for the Sun-Moon Cult, it is only an insignificant chess piece, no need to think about it.”

He turned around and commented the younger man. “You are meticulous and careful – good qualities for the great ruler in the future. I put a lot of hope in you – don’t disappoint me.”

He continued. “I will send someone to reinforce you in a few days, so be prepared. Oh, when you have time, you should visit Chang-er. She has been pining for you.”

The old man looked at the moonlit sky and murmured. “I have to go now. I will have to return to my meditation, so I won’t be able to be here for a while. Take care of yourself and think before the act.”

Then, he flew away and vanished into the bright moonlight.

The man with the leather mask waited until his martial uncle was gone then sprinted away in the opposite direction.

The next morning, Tian Xin-er decided to go to Beiping alone in spite of the three men’s protests. Ke Jing had volunteered to accompany her but was turned down with the reason that he was needed at the inn to protect Miao Li and Shu Qiuyang.

“But why don’t you wait till brother Shu is better and enter the city altogether?” Ke Jing tried for the last time, but she had already made up her mind.

“One more day delayed means less chance to find brother Huang, Jiaping, and Miss Shu. Don’t worry. I will be back as soon as possible.” She had obtained the needed information from Shu Qiuyang on his friend. Without further ado, she took off.

After she was gone, Miao Li approached Ke Jing and asked his friend to examine his reset bone. “I wanted to start practicing martial arts again but don’t know if I am fit enough for such exercise.”

He then took off his shirt and revealed his upper torso to the other. Ke Jing swiftly examined the other’s bone and nodded. “The bone seem all right now, but I would advice brother Miao to wait a couple days more.” He stole a glance at the other’s right shoulder and discovered no sign of injury.

“Yesterday, I hit the man with leather mask and imprinted my palm at his right shoulder. With his energy level, the mark should remain on his body for at least three days. Since brother Miao doesn’t have my palm print on his right shoulder, he could not have been that masked man. I will have to let Xin-er know of this. She will be very relieved.”

Ke Jing was earnestly glad for Miao Li and Tian Xin-er although his heart throbbed at the thought of losing the woman he loved to the other man.

Meanwhile, Huang Yitao and others were passing through a forest when Ah Yu heard a dove cry. He looked up and immediately leaped into the sky. When he came down again, he had a white dove in his left hand; his right hand held a piece of paper.

His eyes stared unseeingly at his friends; they were mixed with joy and anxiety. Like in a trance, he announced. “Bai Chang wants to see me, so I have to go on ahead. I’ll meet you then at Beiping.”

Like an arrow dashed from a bow, he flew away speedily and was gone before everyone could have said anything. Jiaping dashed after him, calling him with teary eyes. “Ah Yu!”

Shu Xiayue caught the other’s sleeves and patted her shoulder consolingly. “Ah Yu must have an urgent business, so he left in a rush. He has no manner because he lacks proper training. I’ll make him apologize to you when we get to Beiping.”

Jiaping shook her head forlornly, swallowing back her tears. She said with dry lips. “He went away as soon as he received a message from her. He must have loved her very much.”

Shu Xiayue heaved a sigh. “Well, we just have to hurry on to the capital then.” Then she turned to Huang Yitao. “What do you think?”

Huang Yitao was amazed at the other’s light kung fu. ‘I would have loved to see Ah Yi, Xin-er, and Xiang-er compete with him. It would be a spectacular sight for sure.’ He was imagining the exciting race and didn’t hear Shu Xiayue calling his name until she poked him with her elbow.

Hence, he answered her absentmindedly. “Yes, yes. We’d better go now.”

Shu Xiayue put her hands at her sides. “Hmm, then how about finding us a wagon? At this rate of walking, we could never catch up with Ah Yu.”

They were at an edge of the forest where an orchard of cherry trees stood in a straight row. At that time of year, all branches were laden only with pale pink cherry blossoms like young maidens in pink dress waiting eagerly for their lovers. Gentle breeze passed, scattering these delicate flowers to the air.

Some delicate petals came to rest on Shu Xiayue’s shapely head and became natural hairpins on her shining hair. In this unearthly surrounding, she looked so sweet and demure, and for a moment, Huang Yitao forgot to breathe. He was spellbound by this display and intoxicated by fragrance of cherry flowers.

Staring at her unblinkingly, Huang Yitao acclaimed without thinking. “Hmm, I wouldn’t mind being scolded by a lovely grandmother like you.”

Shu Xiayue turned pink, and Huang Yitao suddenly realized what he had just said. “Sorry, miss. I didn’t really mean that…” The more he tried to apologize, the deeper water he found himself in like a fish tried to get out from a fisherman’s net unsuccessfully.

Shu Xiayue’s heart bloomed with gladness at first, but she soon turned pale then red with anger when he awkwardly tried to rectify his words. She stomped her feet and shouted. “Who cares about your feeling?”

She suddenly grabbed Jiaping’s hands and dragged the other to a nearby thicket. “Come and I will show you something.” Both maidens disappeared behind a bush, leaving Huang Yitao looking after them stupidly.

He misunderstood that Shu Xiayue was displeased with his gregarious statement and was ashamed. “What induced me to say that? Yitao, you are not worthy to be a gentleman.” He rebuffed himself several times and tried to compose a correct apology for Shu Xiayue.

However, when the two maidens eventually emerged from the bush, he forgot what he meant to say out of astonishment. Had it not been that he recognized their bundles and Shu Xiayue’s dagger at her belt, he would have thought they were completely strangers.

Shu Xiayue now transformed back to her grandmother image, whereas Jiaping became another old lady. The former snickered surreptitiously at his surprise look but pretended to pay him no attention. She led Jiaping away without word, and Huang Yitao immediately ran ahead to intercept them.

Shu Xiayue halted. She looked at him coldly and ordered him to let them pass. “I and Jiaping decide to travel to Beiping alone. From now, I release you from your obligation. You are free to return to Sword South School although I am sure that you would choose to stay around, searching for your precious sworn sister.”

Huang Yitao blinked dazedly but protested earnestly. “I didn’t even think of Xin-er. I am now concerned of you and Miss Jiaping’s safety. Neither of you has martial arts, and the road to Beiping is full of danger.”

He cupped his hands and bowed low. “Please, Miss Shu. I realize that my behavior is disgusting, and my mouth is foul, not suitable to accompany the ladies like you two. However, please let me escort you until Beiping at least.” He looked at her pleadingly, and Shu Xiayue had to conceal her smile.

Instead, she stuck her tongue at him. “Hmm, I realize that we were helpless maidens, but we are now two poor grandmothers on our way to visit our grandchildren. Who would want to rob or harm old people like us? We are grateful for hero Huang’s good intention, but we can do fine on our own. Even if we are to meet some dangers afterward, we won’t dream of blaming you at all.”

She pulled her friend with her. “Let’s go Jiaping. I thought you want to see Ah Yu as soon as possible.”

Jiaping politely curtsied to the young man and smiled apologetically. “Thank you for your offer, but I have to go with Xiayue. Take care.”

Huang Yitao was reminded of Tian Xin-er’s stubbornness at times and sighed. Did every woman have a strange streak of unexplainable obstinacy? He stepped aside and hopelessly watched the two ladies briskly walk away. After a moment, he followed them quietly.

Jiaping glanced back and whispered to her friend. “Master Huang is walking behind us.”

Shu Xiayue chuckled. “I know. With his personality, he will never let us travel by ourselves. I’m merely teaching him not to be so insolent with me. Hmm, he is such a strict fellow, always preaching about right and wrong but making love to women on the sly just to deny about it later.” Her face was deep red.

Jiaping finally understood. “So, sister Shu was annoyed that he wouldn’t admit his feeling for you.” She giggled and looked teasingly at the other.

Shu Xiayue reached out and pinched the other. “Hmm, seal your lips. You are almost as bad as he is.”

Jiaping laughed and nimbly dodged from the other’s hand, taunting Shu Xiayue to chase after her. “He-he. You can’t catch me.”

Huang Yitao heard their laughter and relaxed. That meant Shu Xiayue might not be mad at him for long and decide to try apologizing to her again. At that point, they had come out of the forest and were at a small dirt lane that led to another village. Shu Xiayue glanced at the young man trailing behind and spoke to Jiaping aloud.

“Sister, let us walk along this road until some kind soul will give us a lift. Did you see a man with sword behind us? We’d better be careful for I heard that there are several bandits in the area. But don’t worry for I will fight with my life to protect you if he dares to approach us.”

She sounded so serious that Jiaping didn’t dare to smile. Huang Yitao heard her and understood the warning; therefore, he did not accost her immediately as he had planned. Consequently, the two women trekked slowly along the path with the young man tagging along from the distance.

After awhile, a farmer with a cart came by and offered the two old ladies a ride. Gladly, they took it and sat in the back among bins of vegetables. Shu Xiayue leaned on a crate and sighed with delight.

“Ah, this is the right way to travel. We would never have got a ride if we were still with that tiger-face hero.” At that moment, the farmer ventured a question.

“Elder, there is a young man pursuing us. Do you know him?”

Shu Xiayue stretched her neck and squinted at the said figure then suggested innocently. “No, we have never seen him before, but I notice that he has a weapon. Could he be a robber?” She winked at Jiaping.

The farmer broke out cold sweat. He instantly whipped his horse and urged the beast to gallop in full speed. However, every time he looked back, the man with sword was still right behind his cart. He had truly believed by now that he was being chased by a fierce bandit. Shakily, he shouted to the horse to hurry and whipped it non-stop, not caring about the vegetables that fell out to the road. In that manner, he reached the nearest village within the shortest time ever. At the main street, he tumbled down and fainted from fear.

A young lad stepped forward and assisted the two elders from the cart that contained considerably less amount of produce and asked them of the cause. To which, Shu Xiayue replied in terrified voice.

“Oh! Someone was trying to murder us. Luckily, we got away and arrived here safely.” Then she asked him where to get a carriage to Beiping and was pointed to a stagecoach that was on the verge of leaving. Quickly, she called out to its driver.

“Young man, do you have some seats left for two old women? We are traveling to Beiping to visit our relatives.” She bent her back a little and coughed a few times, while secretly motioning her friend to do the same.

The driver took a look at both elders and nodded kindly. “Of course. Come right up, Grandmother.” He arranged the place for them and explained good-naturedly. “It is your luck that you catch me in time. This is the last carriage of the day. Although this coach’s destination is not Beiping, most my passengers here are going to the capital, so if you stick with them, you won’t get lost.”

Shu Xiayue smiled and thanked him appreciatively.

He then took up the reins and shouted an order to his team of steeds. The horses snorted and trotted away merrily, and the carriage started to move.

At that moment, Huang Yitao was having a problem with the villagers. He had been running after the cart all the way and approached the farmer to ask after Shu Xiayue and Jiaping. To his puzzlement, the farmer, who had just woken up, screamed shrilly upon noticing the young man and immediately accused the other of trying to kill him.

With a rugged look and a sword at his side, Huang Yitao certainly looked quite intimidated. Therefore, it was not surprised that he could be mistaken as a villain by those villagers who would not listen to his explanations. In the end, Huang Yitao had to use his light kung fu to avoid being stoned in order to leave the village unharmed.

As he sat down on a root of an oak tree, it suddenly dawned to him that the incident a moment ago could have been Shu Xiayue’s work. “Hmm, the farmer looked genuinely scared when he saw me. He was so confident that I was a bandit, but he could not have thought that just because I was walking behind his cart. Shu Xiayue and Jiaping were the other persons on the cart, so they could have said something negatively about me to the farmer. Hmm.” He pondered and felt like spanking those two naughty maidens.

“What sins did I commit in my past lives that made me meet these mischievous girls? Xin-er seems almost an angel compared to this pair.” He heaved a sigh and continued on the road northward.

“I heard the hoofs of several horses back at the village; they could have come from a passenger coach. Since the ladies were not there, they must have gone away already. All I need to do is to inspect any transportation that came from that village.” With this goal in mind, he sprung forth and vanished into a thin mist that began to slowly form a thick fog.

Inside the carriage, Jiaping was concerned over Huang Yitao’s safety, but Shu Xiayue whispered to her that he would be all right. “Don’t worry. He has high martial arts; those villagers would only hurt themselves if they even think of fighting him.” She chuckled softly. “I would have loved to see his face when he was regarded as a thief.”

Jiaping protested weakly. “But, it is not right… Besides, master Huang will be very angry at us.”

Shu Xiayue grunted. She lifted her head high. “I am not afraid of him, and I think he deserves to be humiliated once in a while. He is too proud of being a good guy and a student of Sword South School that he thought everyone else is not suitable to be his friends.”

Her reply was rather unreasonable, but Jiaping didn’t argue any further. The more Shu Xiayue made trouble for Huang Yitao, the more she revealed her feeling for Huang Yitao – as a saying went, one had to suffer to appreciate true love. She hoped that Huang Yitao would understand and accept Shu Xiayue in the end. Her mind wandered recklessly, and it came to rest with Ah Yu. Would she ever have enough gusts to teach him a lesson for forsaking her in haste? And, most importantly, she wondered if he did care for her at all.
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