Shadows of the Sword

[Tu Vi]

Hi, everyone. I am so sorry for the delayed update but at first i was busy with the holidy. And school started all over again and I have no time at all. hope you can forgive me. <IMG SRC="smilies/bow.gif" border="0">

to Kara- thank you so much, my dear. you are too kind. hope that you are not too disappointed with this chapter. it is a bit weird to me but i had to write in a hurry. wince.
to C Monster- hehe, you are making me blush with your kind praises. <IMG SRC="smilies/blush.gif" border="0"> Glad that you like the switching of the roles. I think both louis and julian are versatile enough to act in either role. thank you, thank you.
to zzzbeauty. so sorry dear. hope you can forgive little, slow me. as for the relationship, we'll see. tu vi laughs evilly.
to goofy- thank you so much for pointing out that mistake. tu vi winces. i will edit it immediately. thank you so much for your unending support.
Thank you so much everyone. I am very grateful for your kind comments and support.

Chapter 8- Strategy
Louis Koo- Kim Bat Pham
Julian Cheung- Tieu Phong (Little Wind)
Unknown- Nam Cung Hong
Vivian Leung – Vuong Nha Yen
Ruby Lin- Lam Tam Nhu
Nicky Wu- Vuong Nhat Phi


It was nearly noon and yet the bright sun could not manage to pierce through the thick cloud of mist that covered the entire forest. Shadowy trees emerged like skinny skeletons behind the heavy fog. And from somewhere far away came the whispering wind and the howls of lonely wolves.
Bat Pham stopped as he looked around him. He could not even see his hand as he held it out in front of his face. The mist seemed to have gain visible weight. He could feel it pushing him down and curling around him like ghostly fingers. The air was damp with the nauseous scent of decaying leaves and rotting flesh.
“Are we lost?” Nha Yen asked quietly from behind him.
“I think so.” Bat Pham turned and smiled reassuringly at her blurred face. They have followed the map that Vuong Thien Ton (Felix Wong) had given him but somewhere along the way, they had taken the wrong road. It had been a week since they left the Cherry Blossoms Manor. And yet they were nowhere near their destination. A day ago, they have reached the edge of this forest and according to the map, if they took a path directly through the forest, they would reach a bustling city. But when they woke up this morning, fog had covered the entire area with its ominous presence, reaching into the horizon, as far as the eyes could see. And there was no way for them to tell which way was north.
Bat Pham took a step forward and his foot kicked something. He bended down and picked it up. It was a burned stick of wood.
“This is where we broke camp this morning.” He said quietly. They had been wandering around in circle.
“It is useless for us to walk without seeing where we are going. Should we stay here until the mist lifts?” Nha Yen suggested.
“It seems like we have no other choice.” Bat Pham looked back at where Nhat Phi (Nicky Wu) stood. “Nhat Phi, what do you think?”
Nhat Phi answered, “I agree with Nha Yen.”
So they sat and waited patiently but the afternoon went by with no sign of the mist retreating. Bat Pham was sitting in meditative style when he suddenly heard the sound of a “kum” rising up sharply, cutting through the silent forest. Its notes echoed and trembled on the air. It didn’t sound peaceful or serene like most melodies but instead sounded like the clashing of swords and thundering horses. It twirled and danced chaotically, writhingly and moving uncontrollably as the notes became sharper and sharper until they blended into one single, ear piercing sound.
Feeling his blood surging and his internal energy rushing through his veins, Bat Pham put his hands together and turned all his thoughts inward. After a minute, he succeeded in pushing the chaotic sound out. He opened his eyes and with his high energy, he could see that Nha Yen who was sitting beside him was in control. Her face was a little bit paler but she showed no sign of internal disturbance. He looked over at Nhat Phi and Tam Nhu (Ruby Lin) and to his faint surprise; he saw that the maid was putting her right hand on Nhat Phi’s back. Her face showed no sign of exhaustion even though she was splitting her energy in half. Bat Pham filed that curious detail into his mind as he stood up and braced himself.
The sound of the kum suddenly died out after that sharp note.
And then they came.
At first, the wind picked up a nauseous odor and the air turned fouler. Then came the hissing, there seemed to be thousands of them, surrounding Bat Pham, Nha Yen, Nhat Phi and Tam Nhu. And there was the sound of something scaly gliding against the forest ground. The rotten leaves and grass rustled and moved.
Then suddenly it was quiet.
Bat Pham could almost hear himself breathing. But even his sharp eyes could not pierce more than five feet through the dense mist. He did not turn around as Nha Yen rose and stood beside him. All his attention was focused on the invisible ground.
“Who are you?” A mere whisper came ghosting out of the fog. “Why have you invaded my territory?” Even though the voice was but a soft whisper, it was feminine.
“Forgive us, we did not know that the forest belongs to you.” Bat Pham cupped his hands in greeting. “May I ask for your identity, Elder?”
“I am no one and I am nothing. I came from the Earth and I will die with the Earth.” Came the haunting reply.
“Black Snakes!” Nha Yen said with some surprise. “It is an honor to meet you, Gia Cat Elder.”
“You are well learned but this would not save you from your fate. No one may leave the Forest of Mist alive.”
The “kum” suddenly vibrated with an earth shattering sound. And the hissing intensified.
“Nha Yen, be careful.” Bat Pham said calmly as his left palm flickered and a pure white energy shot out, blasting at the earth. A few dozens, unidentifiable black shapes flew limply backward and landed with a thud.
“Our best bet is up in the trees.” Nha Yen whispered. Seeing Bat Pham’s nod, she turned back to Tam Nhu and Nhat Phi. “Tam Nhu, help my brother.”
Tam Nhu took Nhat Phi’s arm and with a single twist, they were up on a large branch. Nha Yen and Bat Pham flew after her.
“You think that you can escape my children?” The whisper said mockingly. “Let’s see how long you can stay up there.”
Then it was silent again. The hissing faded into nothingness.
“She is right. We cannot hide forever. And when it is night, it would be even more dangerous.” Tam Nhu said worriedly.
Bat Pham smiled, “but there is nothing we can do right now so why worry about it?” He sat down on the gnarled branch and leaned back against the trunk. His every action and gesture comfortable. It was as if he was merely strolling along on a beautiful spring day.
Tam Nhu sighed and gave up.
An hour passed and then two.
Suddenly, the sound of soft singing rose from the distance. Then it came closer and closer. It was a male’s voice, cheerful and carefree.
“The world calls me crazy.
But am I crazy or is the world insane?” The figure sang as he approached right underneath the tree.
Noticing the expensive clothes and familiar swagger, Bat Pham grinned, “Tieu Phong.”
The figure looked up, revealing Tieu Phong’s face with his bright, cheerful eyes and crooked smile.
“Ah, there you are. What are you doing up there?” He cluck his tongue, “it wasn’t very polite of you to leave us hanging at the Cherry Blossoms Manor.”
“It was necessary.” Bat Pham said simply.
“If that is the case, then..” Tieu Phong’s voice was cut off as the whisper rose.
“How did you get through?”
Tieu Phong blinked innocently, “through what? Oh, you mean the ugly, writhing snakes, simple, I blasted them away with this.” He held out a pouch with some unreadable writing on it. There was an odd scent to it. It smelled much like dry roses combined with oil.
“The Snow Orchid.” Nhat Phi muttered, “it has the ability to repel snakes.”
“Who are you? Why do you have this flower?” The whisper asked coolly.
“Does it matter who I am? You have a more pressing concern at the moment.” He pointed to the west.
The temperature in the clearing suddenly seemed to drop drastically. A chill spread and clung. Then there was the scent of fresh snow and the tang of frozen ice.
“The Ice Palace.” The whisper was no longer calm or emotionless. Instead her voice was fused with emotions.
“Gia Cat Leader, I hope that you would respect the Ice Emperor (Bang Cung Ton Gia) enough to let these people go.” A familiar voice said mildly.
“The Ice Palace no longer has the authority of thirty years ago.” The whisper gained back its emotionless state. “And the Ice Emperor is no longer the dominant force of the pugilist world. You are dreaming if you think that the Black Snakes will yield to the Ice Palace.”
“It is your choice.” An incredible cold energy blasted forcefully through the clearing and took with it the clinging mist. And all was clear again.
Tam Nhu (Ruby Lin) looked down and swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. There were countless black, glittering snakes lying on the ground, covering the forest entirely so that there was no leaves or grass visible. All she could see was a carpet of black, writhing mass. All except for the small area around Tieu Phong. It was empty.
A white figure flew out from the west and by bouncing his feet against the trees, he didn’t need to land on the snakes. Within the blink of an eye, the figure has landed next to Tieu Phong.
“About time that you get here.” Tieu Phong said blandly.
“My way took a little bit longer than yours.” Nam Cung Hong replied while fussily trying to brush away a speck of dust on his pure, white robe.
“I was wondering when you two would get here.” Bat Pham jumped down from the tree and landed next to the two.
“We both know that you purposely held back so that we would show our faces and unfortunately, your restraint is better than us. We couldn’t resist.” Tieu Phong said.
“Speak for yourself.” Cung Hong cut in. “I have plenty of self-restrain.”
“Oh, really? Then why are you here?” Tieu Phong smiled as Cung Hong narrowed his eyes.
“Are you done?” The whisper asked coldly. “No one made a fool out of me and live to tell it.”
“Would you please move on? All these threats are getting tired.” Tieu Phong yawned.
And immediately a black “kum” flew through the air and headed toward his throat with blinding speed. Tieu Phong merely stared at it without any reaction. And at the last moment, Bat Pham was forced to intervene. If he didn’t then the “kum” would already hit Tieu Phong. His hand flickered and the “kum” shot backward and disappeared into the trees as if pulled by an invisible hand.
“You do have more self-restrain than me.” Bat Pham looked steadily at Tieu Phong.
“We will meet again, Kim Bat Pham of White Cloud Manor, Vuong Nha Yen of Cherry Blossoms Manor, Tieu Phong, and Nam Cung Hong of Ice Palace.” The whisper laughed, there was no frustration or anger in her voice. “I have tested your strength and you will, indeed, be my most formidable opponents. The game ahead shall be interesting. May the best of us get the Red Script.”
The whisper suddenly increased and became faster and faster, no one could really heard what she was saying. The snakes hissed and glided away. Within a few minutes, there were no traces of them left.
“This was a test.” Tam Nhu asked in bewilderment.
“Yes.” Bat Pham smiled slightly.
“I don’t understand.” Tam Nhu confessed.
“The Black Snakes Mistress already knows that we have the maps even before we entered her forest. She was merely testing our strengths and see who is in our group.” Bat Pham explained patiently.
“That was why we both choose not to show our full powers.” Nha Yen continued. “And it was the perfect opportunity to figure out who has been following us these past four days.” She looked over at Tieu Phong and Cung Hong.
Tieu Phong smiles sheepishly, “Yes, and we both fell into the gaping trap.”
“Did you really?” Nhat Phi, who had remained quiet, all this time, muttered softly, so softly that no one really heard him.

[Bubeng]

Happy New Year Tu Vi! Glad that you are back to continue your fanfic <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">.

“We will meet again, Kim Bat Pham of White Cloud Manor, Vuong Nha Yen of Cherry Blossoms Manor, Tieu Phong, and Nam Cung Hong of Ice Palace.” The whisper laughed, there was no frustration or anger in her voice. “I have tested your strength and you will, indeed, be my most formidable opponents. The game ahead shall be interesting. May the best of us get the Red Script.”

I just wonder how did the Black Snake Mistress know know them that well, ie: knows their name and where they're from.

[zzzbeauty]

Welcome back, Tu Vi!! I love your work, thanks for writing such an interesting chapter. Can't wait to see what happens next, and of course, Cung Hong's identity!! <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

[Kara]

Wow! That was such a great chapter! I love Tieu Phong, as soon as he entered the scene singing that song, i started laughing so hard! He's so cute. So it turns out that Cung Hong is from the Ice Palace, i kinda suspected that when Bat Pham looked at him when he mentioned that place....but how come Cung Hong got that medallion thing that said he was from Black Snakes?

Anyways, this is one great chapter. The battle was satisfying, the mystery grows thicker and you've now drawn my attention to the not-so-average maid Tam Nhu.
Keep it up...keep putting Tieu Phong and Cung Hong into the chapters - i love their bantering!

[lil_bubble]

Great story Tu vi! Anxiously waiting for the next installment. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/thumbsup.gif" border="0">

[jeh]

Tu vi, you are such a great writer. I got drawn to your story while reading your summary. Please continue to update.

[Tu Vi]

to Bubeng- happy Belated New Year to you too. I hope that this chapter answers your question. I apologzie for being so confusing on last chapter. but i had just finish chemistry so my brain was a little bit dead. grin.
to zzzbeauty- thank you dear for your support always, cung hong will be reveal in due time.
to Kara- hehe, glad that you like Tieu Phong. he is such a ridiculous guy, isn't he? don't worry, he is in this chapter too and more of his bantering with Cung Hong. glad that you like the fight scene. I thought that it was just a little bit weird but i was brain dead at the moment. thank you as always for your support.
to lil-bubble- thank you dear.
to jeh- you are far too kind, dear. thank you.
Thank you so much for your support. tu vi bowing. <IMG SRC="smilies/bow.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/bow.gif" border="0">

Chapter 9, Hidden Agendas
Louis Koo- Kim Bat Pham
Julian Cheung- Tieu Phong (Little Wind)
Unknown- Nam Cung Hong
Vivian Leung – Vuong Nha Yen
Ruby Lin- Lam Tam Nhu
Nicky Wu- Vuong Nhat Phi

“How did she know who we are?” Nha Yen asked, “I thought that we left the Cherry Blossoms Manor in absolute secrecy, and the only person who knew about the maps is father.”
“You don’t know?” Tieu Phong lifted his brow, “three days after you left, a rumor spread in the molam world. It was after the meeting of the pugilists and every sect was scrambling to acquire more information about the fourth piece of the map. Three days later, it was said that the map that belonged to the Cherry Blossoms Manor has been entrusted to Kim Bat Pham of White Cloud Manor. And that he was accompanied by the White Fairy in a quest to search for the Red Script. The Black Snakes Mistress, undoubtedly, got the information from her spies.”
“Who would know about our journey except for..” Nha Yen left it hanging as a glimmer of realization dawned in her eyes, “unless there is a spy within the Cherry Blossoms Manor.”
“That doesn’t make a lot of sense since only four people from the Cherry Blossoms Manor know about this. Nha Yen, Nhat Phi and Tam Nhu and Vuong Elder.” Bat Pham said with a faint frown.
“But remember that there were a lot of pugilists during those days and some of them may have gotten the information. I don’t know how but that is the only logical explanation.” Nha Yen concluded.
Bat Pham nodded but his eyes were deeply troubled.
“Then how did she know about Tieu Phong and Cung Hong?” Nha Yen turned to the two expectedly.
“Ah, I’m afraid that was my fault.” Cung Hong said sheepishly. “When I first entered the mo lam world, I stole the medallion of the Black Snakes from one of the two envoys who were sent to the Cherry Blossoms Manor because I did not want to reveal my true identity. A week ago, I left the Manor in a hurry because the real envoys were coming and they could expose my identities. They probably asked the sects about me and learned about my name.”
“Then how did she connect your name to the Ice Palace?” Tieu Phong wondered.
“Because I attacked the envoy with the trademark ice rose of the palace.” Cung Hong sighed, “and betrayed my true identity.”
“That was why you were willing to use the real kungfu during this fight. There was no need for you to hide anymore since the Black Snakes already knows.” Bat Pham said shrewdly.
“My father will not be happy with this.” Cung Hong said morosely but then he shrugged and turned to Tieu Phong, “so how did the Black Snakes mistress know about you?”
“I absolutely have no idea. I am, after all, is but an insignificant name in the pugilist world.” Tieu Phong smiled charmingly.
“The Black Snakes contains some of the best spies in the Middle Kingdom, second only to the government. It is rumored that even the City of Mist buys information from the Black Snakes.” Nha Yen said thoughtfully, “if there is anything in the martial art circle, the Black Snakes would know immediately.”
“How do you know so much about the sects? Isn’t this your first time coming out of the Cherry Blossoms Manor?” Cung Hong asked curiously.
“I read, a lot.” Nha Yen smiled serenely.
“Why did the directions that father gave us lead to the Forest of Mist?” Nhat Phi asked in his quiet voice and immediately got everyone’s attention.
“That is an excellent point and unless we want to circle back and ask Vuong Elder, we simply just have to wait and see.” Bat Pham glanced around and saw that most of the heavy fog has dispersed.
“Wait and see what?” Tieu Phong asked.
“I don’t know. But I am sure that the answer to everything is somewhere out there.” Bat Pham merely smiled as Tieu Phong muttered to himself,
“That is like saying nothing and everything.”
“Cung Hong.” Bat Pham turned to the later and asked quietly, “what is the Ice Palace’ position?”
Cung Hong didn’t pretend to feign confusion at his question. After all, what was the point, he already knew. “The Ice Emperor has ordered that I assist you in anyway that I can. I am send into the mo lam world because two years ago, your sifu had sent a letter to the Ice Emperor, telling him about the events that would unfold two years later.” He reached inside his robe and pulled out a small, square box. “The piece of the map that belongs to the Ice Palace is here. Now the only one that you need is the fifth piece that disappeared so mysteriously fifty years ago.”
“What will the Ice Palace get out of this?” Tieu Phong asked mildly and got blasted with Cung Hong’s blazing eyes,
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly just that.” Tieu Phong shrugged lazily, “no one could be so accommodating without wanting something. Everything has a price.”
“Then what is yours?” Cung Hong asked with a challenging glint in his eyes.
“Mine is very simple.” Tieu Phong smiled charmingly, “I want to be the first one to open the Red Script once we find it.” He held up a hand as Bat Pham opened his mouth, “You have my vow that I will not take the book. I just want to be the first one to open it. After all, that would give me a certain fame and reputation, wouldn’t it?”
“What do you think give you the right to bargain with us?” Cung Hong asked. “The Ice Palace, Cherry Blossoms Manor, and White Cloud Manor all have a stake and claim to the book. What is yours? Don’t tell me that you have the fifth piece of the map?”
“Ah, my dear man. On the contrary, I do have it.” Tieu Phong moved and a slender, rolled up parchment appeared on his right hand.
“Where, how did you get it?” Cung Hong asked with shock.
Even the eternal calm Bat Pham and Nha Yen looked surprise.
“I have my own way. If I tell you then it wouldn’t be my secret, would it?” Tieu Phong smiled, “now is this enough of an incentive?”
“How do we know if it is the right piece?” Cung Hong asked suspiciously.
“Simple enough. We put all the pieces together and see if the map fit.”
Cung Hong, Bat Pham and Nha Yen exchanged glanced at each other and all three nodded.
Soon, all five pieces of the age map were on the forest floor. And the jagged edges met each other perfectly. And there it was, a perfect little dot marking the spot that had caused thousands of deaths, fighting for a lost script.
“That solves everything, doesn’t it?” But Tieu Phong’s eyes darkened slightly when he saw where the dot was situated. It was on the mountain of Ashes, inside the territory of Zhao.
“What’s wrong?” Bat Pham asked as he saw Tieu Phong’s face.
“Nothing.” Tieu Phong shook his head and his face cleared.
Bat Pham had his doubts but he was far too polite to press for an answer.
Tieu Phong took his piece of the map and carefully rolled it up, “so do we have a deal or not?”
“Do we have your promise that all you will do is look at the book and nothing else?” Nha Yen asked in her clear voice.
“Yes. I have been known for going back on my words. But all of you have more than enough power to subdue me if necessary.” Tieu Phong said and for the first time, his eyes were serious.
“We could have taken the piece of the map from you right now. Why do you trust us?” Cung Hong asked with mild curiosity.
“Because all of you are honorable enough.” Tieu Phong answered simply.

Morning came as the sun rose majestically behind the tinted clouds in the far horizon. The edge of the world seemed to explode into millions of colors ranging from a pale rosy white to a deep, dark crimson. Sparkling dews covered the lush, green grass and one could almost taste its fresh, tangy scent. Wildflowers bloomed cheerfully with their myriad colors splashed against the cool grass.
A lone figure stood on the shore of a small lake, staring at a marble pagoda that jutted over the softly churning waves. Rose bushes were planted strategically around it, giving it the illusion of a marble, white rose flowing out of the water. There was a sense of aloneness surrounding the figure and his eyes were filled with a quiet grief. It was as if he was mourning for something that had slipped out of his fingers and would never come back.

Tieu Phong groaned with deep satisfaction as he leaned back against the crooked chair and inhaled the cup of wine he was holding in his hand.
After four days of traveling, the group had managed to get out of the Forest of Mist and now was heading toward the Mountain of Ashes. They were sitting inside an empty, isolated inn that nestled its tiny bulk against the vast range of mountain that ran behind it. An old, white hair man sat behind the counter and was snoring softly. Meanwhile, his granddaughter, a pretty girl which large, luminous eyes, was busy running back and forth, serving food.
“Why do you like wine so much when you can’t even drink them without getting a headache?” Cung Hong asked Tieu Phong curiously.
“I don’t like things that are good for me and I love things that are bad for me.” Tieu Phong answered and he poured the wine down in his throat.
“You are a very contradicting man.”
“Yes, that’s why you like me so much, isn’t it?” Tieu Phong smiled while he winked at the girl who was putting another jug of wine of the table. His grin surprised her so much that she nearly dropped the wine if it wasn’t for Bat Pham’s fast reflex. He caught the wine neatly and smiled in thanks at the girl.
Tieu Phong sighed as the girl blinked and stared at Bat Pham with a deeply besotted look in her eyes. She had looked that way ever since Bat Pham stood up and offered to help her carried out of the food. No matter how much she had protested, Bat Pham had gently brushed her aside and followed her into the smoky kitchen. A few minutes later, he had emerged with an armful of food while the girl wrung her empty hands behind him. The man was polite to the degree of craziness, Tieu Phong decided and eyed Bat Pham’s immaculate white robe with some speculation. How could he possibly come out of such an oily, smoky place with his robe still pure white?
“The man is insane.” He whispered to Cung Hong.
Cung Hong sniffed with his nose in the air, “I rather think that it is sweet of him.”
Tieu Phong choked on his wine, “you think it is sweet of him? You as a man think another man is sweet.” His eyes were dancing outrageously as he saw the rosy blush on Cung Hong’s cheeks. He was enjoying himself tremendously.
“You are an irritating man, you know that?” Cung Hong scooted his chair a little bit farther from Tieu Phong.
“So everyone tells me.” Tieu Phong sighed dramatically. He called out to Nha Yen, “Nha Yen, do you think that I am irritating?” He smiled charmingly at her and flirted shamelessly.
Nha Yen was in a deep conversation with her brother when she looked up and stared at Tieu Phong. Everyone waited as she thought deeply for a moment, “unfortunately, yes.” She answered serenely.
Bat Pham grinned as he saw the indignant look on Tieu Phong’s face while Cung Hong was nearly bended over as he howled with laughter. A smile hovered around the usually quiet Nhat Phi's mouth but his eyes were still distant.
After Cung Hong had quiet down, Bat Pham looked out the window and saw that dusk was slowly settling. The trees in the distance were no more than a reddish blur as the sun majestically returned to its eternal rest.

Because the tiny inn only had three rooms, Nha Yen and Tam Nhu were situated in one room, and by sheer chance, Nhat Phi and Bat Pham were the first one to go up so they picked the second room. And by the time Cung Hong and Tieu Phong got up the creaking stair, there was only a room remaining. And there was only one bed in a room.
Cung Hong stood in the middle of the room, near the only table where a lone candle flickered and burned; staring at the bed as if it might jump up and bit him any moment.
“See anything interesting.” Tieu Phong came up from behind Cung Hong and smiled as the later nearly yelped.
“Why don’t you just take a sword and run me through with it? That might be less deadly.” Cung Hong held up a hand to his pounding heart.
“I thought of that but Bat Pham and Nhat Phi might not approve of all the blood.” Tieu Phong said seriously.
“You idiot.” Cung Hong said almost absently then he turned and resumed to stare at the bed.
“It is not as if it is holding the secrets of life and death for heaven’s sake.” Tieu Phong muttered and he sat down on the bed. He began to pull off his shoes.
“What are you doing?” Cung Hong asked in a strangled voice.
“Getting ready for bed.” Tieu Phong frowned, “you know, Cung Hong, I regret to tell you this, but you are turning odder and odder by the minute.”
“Ahh!” Cung Hong could only reach up and pulled at his own hair in frustration.
Tieu Phong merely smiled and plopped down on the bed. He shifted around for a little bit and then settled down with a heartfelt groan, “ah, this felt so much better than sleeping on grass and rocks.” He eyed Cung Hong who was still rooted in the middle of the room, “why don’t you rest? There is plenty of space here.” He patted the area next to him.
Cung Hong ignored him as he walked toward his bag and pulled out a pale blue robe. He laid it down on the floor and sat down on it.
“hmm, you would rather pick the dirt floor rather than a warm, nice bed.” Tieu Phong shrugged, “well, it is entirely your choice.” He sat up and blew. The room was so tiny that the table was nearly squished into the bed so he had no problem blowing out the candle.
Darkness came and in the inky blackness, he heard Cung Hong muttered, “if you are a true gentleman, you wouldn’t let me sleep on the floor.”
“But I am not a gentleman and never will be.” Tieu Phong said with laughter in his voice, “I leave that to Bat Pham.”

<font size="1">[ January 27, 2003: Message edited by: Tu Vi ]</font>

[Bubeng]

Thank you Tu Vi for the chapter. It explained very well, and answered my questions completely <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">.
That character Tieu Phong is full of surprises.
Looking forward for the continuation of the story.

[zzzbeauty]

<IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">
Love ya, I've got a younger brother if you're interested. <IMG SRC="smilies/naughty.gif" border="0">

I love Bat Pham, he's a real gentleman.
Tieu Phong, is cute and funny
Cung HOng- I love her and Tieu Phong together.
Yes, i'm still going ask, even though I already know the answer, when, when are you going to reveal Cung HOng's identity?

Thanks for the chapter.

<font size="1">[ January 21, 2003: Message edited by: zzzbeauty ]</font>

[Kara]

Now it seems to me that Tieu Phong holds more mystery than Cung Hong. Her identity is not as much of a mystery as his is. Tieu Phong is a character with so many facets to his nature that i can't help but feel fascinated. Tieu Phong and Cung Hong are very cute together...they have amaxing chemistry.

I think that even though Bat Pham is a perfect gentlemen, i feel as if he's emotionless. He's always clam and serene and he never reveals any other emotions. That's really frustrating because he's not revealing anything about himself. I want to know what his promise is!!!!

Anyways, great chapter as usual...keep it up!
P.S. I also study chemistry...strangely enough the subject inspires me instead of leaving me brain dead! Funny world ain't it?

[shootingst8r]

hi,
this is the first time that i am posting anything. but i really love the stories that you are writing!! i finish "Destiny" and about to start reading the last tear of autumn...i LOVE both of it! i love shadow of the sword too... can't wait for more updates... heheh... i hope that vicki ends up with a nice guy....

BTW, did you ever finish the last tear of autumn? <IMG SRC="smilies/blush.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/blush.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/blush.gif" border="0">

[Tu Vi]

to Bubeng- hey, glad that i manage to answer all of your questions. grin. <IMG SRC="smilies/bow.gif" border="0">
to zzzbeauty- hmm, a younger brother????? hmm, i will have to think about this. Cung Hong's identity will be reveal in perhaps the next chapter. hope you won't be disappointed.
to Kara- well, i want to place a seemingly perfect gentleman into an unbelievable situation and see how he would react. Bat Pham's character will graduately grow as for Tieu Phong, he already has plenty of experiences so it is not surprising that he is more cynical than Bat Pham and has more facets to his personality. Hehe, we'll see how the story turn out.
Gasp, can't believe that chemistry actually inspires you. if that happens to me, you will probably see a chapter of Shadows everyday. grin.
to shootingst8r - wow, i am so proud to the the first one for you to post a reply to. hehe, glad that you like destiny. Vicky's fate, i am still undecided right now. so we'll see. AS for Last Tear, no i am not finish yet but it will ends in less than 10 chapters.
Thank you so much everyone for your kind support. hope that you would enjoy this somewhat long-winded chapter.
Love Always,
<IMG SRC="smilies/love.gif" border="0">
Tu Vi

Chapter 10, Valley of the Butterflies
Louis Koo- Kim Bat Pham
Julian Cheung- Tieu Phong (Little Wind)
Unknown- Nam Cung Hong
Vivian Leung – Vuong Nha Yen
Ruby Lin- Lam Tam Nhu
Nicky Wu- Vuong Nhat Phi

It was late at night as the moonlight glinted silver over the window curtain in Tieu Phong and Cung Hong’s room. A few rays of light managed to trickle in and illuminated the wall in pale slashes of white.
Cung Hong sat in the corner with his back against the wall as he listened to Tieu Phong snored. He had no other choice. He barely managed to restrain the growl that was slowly inching up his throat as Tieu Phong’s snore got louder and louder. He got the urge to walk over to the bed and just put a pillow over Tieu Phong’s face and sat on it to quiet this annoying sound. It was like the sawing of wood, slowly, tortuously, loudly. About half an hour later, he fell asleep and had a very satisfied dream about torturing Tieu Phong with a very big, very dull sword.

Cung Hong yawned sleepily as he opened his eyes. It wasn’t yet dawn and he could see faint glimmers of the scarlet horizon through the thin window curtains. He stood up and glanced over the bed almost absently, fully expecting Tieu Phong to be there but he wasn’t. The bed was empty with the blanket tossed carelessly on the wooden floor.

Bat Pham inhaled the crisp morning air as he strolled through the dews covered grass. His soft, white shoes made no sound as he made his way toward the lake. He wanted to watch the sun rise, as it was his habit every morning. But to his surprise, when he emerged from the thick, dense trees, he saw a familiar figure already standing at the shore. He hesitated, not wanting to intrude. He watched as Tieu Phong crouched down and wrote something on the wet sand.
A few lonely birds swooped down onto the waves, slicing through the silence with their mournful cries. A cool breeze whiffed through, carrying with it the fragrance of spring.
The horizon suddenly exploded into colors as the clouds took on a pinkish hue and the sun rose majestically over the mountains. Its myriad colors splashes onto the water and stained it crimson red, illuminating the lone figure standing there in a circle of darkness. Bat Pham shook his head at the fanciful thoughts. He watched silently as Tieu Phong threw something into the water and walked away without looking back.
Bat Pham stood there at the edge of the forest for a few minutes more, watching the sun rose completely then he too, turned and left without waking toward the shore.
The letters that Tieu Phong had written slowly faded away under the gentle caress of the waves, leaving no trace of their presence behind.

“Morning.” Tieu Phong said cheerfully as he walked into the bedroom and saw Cung Hong sat pensively at the table.
“hmm.” Cung Hong grunted as he put his chin on his hand and stared at Tieu Phong thoughtfully.
“What? Did I grow a horn during the night or something?” Tieu Phong asked as he pulled out the remaining chair and sat on it, facing Cung Hong.
“You know, don’t you?” Cung Hong sighed almost morosely.
“Know what?” Tieu Phong cocked his head.
“Who I am.”
“Of course I know who you are, Nam Cung Hong of the Ice Palace.” Tieu Phong leaned forward and touched Cung Hong’s forehead, “Are you getting a fever? Why ask such an odd question?”
Cung Hong slapped Tieu Phong’s hand away, “you know perfectly well what I mean.”
“Actually, I don’t. Why don’t you tell me?” Tieu Phong asked with a wide smile. He leaned back and stared attentively at Cung Hong.
Cung Hong shook his head, “I don’t know why I bother talking to you.”
“Because of my irresistible charm?”
“If you have any charm, Bat Pham will be a thief on the street and Nha Yen will be the ugliest woman in the world.” Cung Hong snorted inelegantly.
“I’m not that bad.” Tieu Phong said with an injured air.
“We are getting off track.” Cung Hong threw up his hands, “every time I talk to you, we always end up talking about the most ridiculous thing.”
“Are you sure that it is me? What if it’s you?”
“Never mind.” Cung Hong sighed, “you know perfectly well who I am so there really is no point for pretending, is there?” He shook his head, “I still don’t know how you knew. My disguise was perfect.”
“Your smell.” Tieu Phong said flatly.
“Excuse me?” Cung Hong’s fine brows lifted.
“You smell like flowers. No respectable man would walk around smelling like flowers.” Tieu Phong explained patiently.
“Do I really?” Cung Hong lifted up his sleeve and sniffed. Then he frowned, “I do.”
“Of course you do. My nose is the best in this world.” Tieu Phong said proudly.
“I can’t believe you can brag about your nose.” Cung Hong stared at him with disbelief.
“My dear Cung Hong, that means you don’t know me very well.” Tieu Phong waved aside that topic, “so are you going to reveal what you look like?”
“Why? What would be the point?”
“Everyone already knows. What is the point for you to keep pretending?”
“I did this because I do not want to attract any attention.” Cung Hong explained with what he thought was admirable patience.
“So either you are very beautiful or very ugly. Am I right?”
“Yes.” Cung Hong merely smiled and walked out of the room.
“Wait.” Tieu Phong chased after him, “you can’t just leave me hanging like this.” In his rush, he was about to bump into Nha Yen (Vivian Leung) who had just turned to close her room’s door.
Nha Yen’s feet moved rapidly and in the blink of an eye, she was five feet away from where she was standing previously.
“Wow, incredible lightness kungfu.” Tieu Phong gaped at her for a moment, seemingly dumbstruck.
“Thank you.” Nha Yen smiled serenely and walked down the stair.
Tieu Phong stood there, watching her slender back.
“If you are finish drooling, could you move out of the way?” Cung Hong said and elbowed Tieu Phong aside so that he could follow Nha Yen.
“Why? Are you jealous?” Tieu Phong’s eyes were twinkling outrageously as he walked behind Cung Hong.
“The day that I am jealous because of you would be the day that the Ming Emperor turned into an idiotic, spineless man.” Cung Hong answered back, referring to the current Emperor’s brilliant mind and ruthless heart. It was a well-known fact among the commoners and pugilists of Ming that nothing in this world could escape the Emperor’s well trained spies and network of power.
“Someday, you will eat your words.” Tieu Phong muttered.
“And someday, pigs might fly.”
Tam Nhu (Ruby Lin) swallowed a laugh as she heard the entire conversation. She was walking with Nhat Phi (Nicky Wu) right behind the bickering couple.
“Tam Nhu.” Hearing her master’s quiet voice, she immediately spun around.
“Yes, Young Master?”
“Did you go out in the early morning again?” Nhat Phi asked disapprovingly as he ran his fingers over Tam Nhu’s damp hair, “You need your sleep.”
“It was just for a few minutes, Young Master.” Tam Nhu smiled tenderly at him. She was never afraid to show her true emotions in front of him because he could never see her. Her smile faded, and he would never know.
“I don’t need my tea that badly.” Nhat Phi said mildly, “or I can drink regular tea. You don’t need to go out again tomorrow to collect the dews.”
“Young Master, be careful, there is a hole in front of you.” Tam Nhu gasped out the warning when she saw the rotten wood on one of the steps. She took Nhat Phi’s warm hand automatically and helped him down. And she felt something clench in her heart as he withdrew his hand after he got to the ground level. It was as if something was missing.

“According to the inn keeper, after we get through the Valley of the Butterflies, we will be out of the wood and in ten days, we will enter Zhou territory.” Bat Pham announced as the group sat down for lunch near a sparkling stream.
“Valley of the Butterflies?” Cung Hong asked curiously.
“It is named that because of the purple flowers in there contains a very special fragrance. And the butterflies are attracted to that fragrance so there are an incredible number of butterflies residing there.” Nha Yen explained.
“Oh.” Cung Hong stood up and brushed his hands, “can we go now? I want to see it.”
“Of course.” Bat Pham smiled indulgently at him as he looked around and saw everyone nodded. Everyone except for Tieu Phong, the later was staring down at the stream with his hair shielding his face.
“Tieu Phong?” Bat Pham called out.
“I will right there.” Tieu Phong looked up and his face was cheerful as always. But Bat Pham could see that something was wrong. But he wasn’t exactly sure what.

“Wow.” Cung Hong gaped at the incredible scenery in front of him. A meadow covered with lavender flowers spread endlessly, far past the eyesight. Their petals winked up and down, creating the illusion that they were purple waves in a green sea. The fragrance was heady with the scent of the flowers and the tang of the moss. Seemingly millions of butterflies dipped in and out of the flowers, their colorful wings fluttered as they danced delicately on the soft petals. It was a scene of absolute beauty.
“Look, it is beautiful, isn’t it?” Cung Hong spun around, and for some odd reason, wanted to share this scene with Tieu Phong. But his words slid back down his throat when he saw Tieu Phong’s face. For the first time since he met Tieu Phong, the later’s eyes were no longer joyful or bright, but instead they were tired and contained an almost indecipherable expression. It was wistfulness, Cung Hong finally realized after a long moment. He reached out and hesitantly touched Tieu Phong’s arm,
“Tieu Phong, are you all right?”
“She would have loved this.” Tieu Phong muttered softly. A shadow crossed his face and for one split second, his eyes were pained. He looked down and opened his palm and a yellow butterfly spread its wings and lifted out of his hand. It flew toward the flowers and soon disappeared among its countless friends. Tieu Phong stared at it for a long moment until he could no longer differentiate it among the bright carpet of butterflies and flowers. Then all the flowers and butterflies seemed to blur into one colorful patch in front of his eyes. He lifted a hand to his temple and shook his head.
“Tieu Phong, are you all right?” He seemed to hear Cung Hong’s voice from a great distance.
“Tieu Phong!” Cung Hong yelled in alarm as Tieu Phong crashed into him, nearly taking him down if he hadn’t braced himself. “What’s wrong?”
Everyone else turned around when they heard Cung Hong and Nhat Phi immediately took a step forward, “what is it?” His face suddenly turned pale as he sniffed the air. “Quick, everyone, block your internal pressure points. It is the air.”
But it was too late, Tam Nhu staggered and nearly fell if it wasn’t for Bat Pham’s quick reflex.
Meanwhile, Cung Hong was rapidly hitting pressure points on Tieu Phong’s back.
“What happened?” Bat Pham asked as he put his palms together and steadily pushed the poisonous fragrance out.
“It was the food.” Nhat Phi explained, “it has an odd smell to it. But that smell wasn’t poisonous so I thought that it was just the cooking style of this region. But combing that harmless powder with the scent of this flower and the coating on the butterflies’ wings, it becomes deadly.” Nhat Phi’s face was getting paler and paler as he spoke. Finally, his legs could no longer support him and he sat heavily down on the thick carpet of flowers. “We will lose our internal energy first and then within five hours, we will slowly bleed to death.”
“Is there no cure?” Nha Yen asked as she calmly sealed off her pressure points.
“There should be. Usually, the cure would grow right next to the poison. So we should find the healing plant somewhere around here.” Nhat Phi’s voice was getting weaker.
“What would it look like?”
“Short with spiky leaves about this high.” Nhat Phi demonstrated with his hands right before he lost consciousness.
Bat Pham, Nha Yen and Cung Hong looked at each other. They were the only three standing.
“Bat Pham, Cung Hong, I think you two should stay here and protect everyone while I go get the plant.” Nha Yen said quickly.
“Can you hold on?” Bat Pham asked.
“For a few minutes.” Nha Yen smiled wanly. Her feet suddenly became a blur of movement and she shot off toward the western direction. Her pale yellow robe danced and flirted around her graceful body.
“Out of us three, she is probably the highest in lightness kungfu.” Cung Hong muttered. “And here they come.”
The flowers suddenly swayed and rippled as a blue carriage flew through the air, carried by four maidens. The sound of the black “kum” rose and writhed with piercing melodies that could easily shatter the eardrums.

[Bubeng]

Wow, very impressive, making the readers waiting on edge for the continuation. <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

I guess Tieu Phong is not from Ice Palace and his kungfu is not up to par with Cun Hong. But then kungfu is not everthing <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">.

[Kara]

I LOVE THIS STORY
Despite the fact that i am constantly pulling my hair out thinking about what is going to happen, I really enjoy reading this story. The mystery keeps me so interested. I love Tieu Phong, especially now that i've seen another side of his character plus he has a past...i've always thought Cung Hong was the most mysterious until Tieu Phong produced the map. Now i can't wait to find out more about him. Keep it coming...

P.S. Yeah...I know it sounds really nerdy to say that chemistry inspires me but that's the only subject that i'm good at [i love english but i'm not good at it!]. I guess when you are good at a subject, it makes you feel good to take it.

[zzzbeauty]

Yep, I've got to agree with Kara, I love this story!! <IMG SRC="smilies/luv.gif" border="0">

Right on, you're finally going to reveal Cung Hong's identity!! <IMG SRC="smilies/clap.gif" border="0">

Hmmm...now I want to know about Tieu Phong's past. <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0">

Yep, that's right; a younger good looking brother,(hey he takes after his sis.) <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

[Kara]

Hi
I just wanna say that i'm forbidden to go on line for the next six months because of my "future deciding" exams. Thus i can't read your great story and comment. However, i will always be supporting this story and dreaming up all the possibilities of what happens after this chapter...
Bye!

[Tu Vi]

to Bubeng- thank you, hehe, yup, kungfu is not everything.
to Kara- I will miss you a lot dear. Wish you the best of luck with your exam. hope that you will do really well. don't stress out too much, huh? And hopefully, i will have a lot of chapters for you when you come back. thank you so much for your support.
to zzzbeauty- well, Cung Hong's identity is not that much of a cliffhanger since everyone already know it. hope that you are not too disappointed. hmm, a cute brother. how old if i may ask? don't want to be an old maid. Grin.

Please do tell me if this chapter is confusing with the newcomers.

Tu Vi

Chapter 11- Blue Robes
Louis Koo- Kim Bat Pham
Julian Cheung- Tieu Phong (Little Wind)
Unknown- Nam Cung Hong
Vivian Leung – Vuong Nha Yen
Ruby Lin- Lam Tam Nhu
Nicky Wu- Vuong Nhat Phi
New appearances:
Idy Chan – Gia Cat Phu Dung
Gilbert Lam – Lanh Nhat Phan
Vincent Jiao- The Kiet
Gigi Lai – Mai Tu Diep

The angry melodies entwined together and the tempo became more rapid as the carriage approached Cung Hong and Bat Pham.
Bat Pham could feel his internal energy fluctuating unsteadily. He knew that in a few minutes, he would lose complete control. He turned to Cung Hong and saw that the later was in the exact same position.
“If you give me the map now, I will let you live.” A soft, familiar voice came down from the hovering carriage.
“The Black Snakes.” Cung Hong muttered through his clenched teeth. “My energy is slipping away. Our last chance is to hit her hard with our combined energies.”
Bat Pham frowned as he detested the thought of a sneak attack but everyone’s lives were on the balance and he couldn’t afford to be polite.
“All right, you can distract the maids while I hit the carriage.” He whispered back.
Cung Hong nodded and his palms moved rapidly. The temperature in the valley seemed to drop as ice began to form on the flowers’ petals. A great burst of white energy shot out of his hands and flew toward the four maidens who were carrying the carriage with a lightning speed.
The maids’ faces paled and they instinctively moved to protect themselves. They shook their heads and tiny, black snakes shot out of their silky hair and met the energy directly on. But their strengths were no match for Cung Hong. The ice obliterated the snakes into nothingness while pushed their energies back to them. They flew backward under the great burst of power and landed on the carpet of flowers with blood spurting out of their mouths.
At the same time, Bat Pham somersaulted into the air and with his feet stepping onto each other, he twisted his hands in a deceptively gentle gesture. The wind seemed to die down as something roared and a yellow ray of energy flew out of his index finger and headed toward the spinning carriage. The carriage burst into thousands of tiny pieces as the ray expanded into a huge circular orb of energy and slowly squeezed it.
A black figure flew out of the shattering carriage and with her head down toward the ground; she met Bat Pham’s palms directly. The two figures hovered in mid-air as their internal energies battled furiously. Their robes fluttered and twisted around their bodies as sweats ran down their faces.
The Black Snakes Mistress’s head suddenly moved and tiny snakes shot out of her hair and headed toward Bat Pham.
“Bat Pham, be careful.” Cung Hong yelled as an icy ray of energy flew out of his finger and pierced through the snakes’ bodies. And that was the last of his energy. He sank down on the ground weakly as blood spurted out of his mouth.
Bat Pham grunted and for the first time in his life, he summoned his full strength. His hands glowed amber and became so hot that the Black Snakes Mistress felt like her hands were slowly dissolving due to the unbearable heat. Then a powerful burst of energy shot through their connected palms and slammed against her veins. Blood shot out of her mouth as her energy went wild. She immediately withdrew her hands and flew backward.
Bat Pham didn’t pursue her as he landed on the ground, next to the exhausted Cung Hong.
The Black Snake Mistress stood ten feet away from him as she swayed unsteadily. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful but her skin was far too white. And on her forehead was the writhing shape of a black snake.
“The reputation of the White Cloud Manor is not exaggerated.” She said in her soft voice.
“Thank you, Gia Cat Phu Nhan.” Bat Pham gestured politely with his hands even though his legs were trembling badly. He knew that a slight brush of the wind could knock him down.
Gia Cat Phu Dung (Idy Chan) knew perfectly well that the man in front of her was completely vulnerable and yet she couldn’t even lift a finger to destroy him. His energy had effectively sealed all of her vital points. Her mouth curved in an ironic smile. The coveted map stood a few feet away from her, waiting for her to pick it up and yet she stood here, like a useless doll. She glanced over at her limp servants and knew that they would not be of any help.
The two figures stood there, stared at each other. Each completely weakened and now a mere toddler could kill them.
Both of their faces paled as they heard the rustling of robes. They turned around and saw a yellow figure flew toward them with great speed.
“Nha Yen.” Bat Pham greeted her calmly as Nha Yen landed next to him. Her left hand was holding a few scrawny, common looking plants.
Gia Cat Phu Dung groaned inwardly when she saw the antidote in Nha Yen’s hand. She knew that they were now out of her reach and her life was in great danger.
“The Blue Robes.” Nha Yen said to Bat Pham as four figures emerged from the horizon and walked toward them. No, walked wasn’t the right word because they seemed to float on the bending flowers. Their blue robes fluttered in the air.
“I saw them when I was picking the plants.” Nha Yen whispered as she pulled out a slender, white piece of silk and held it tightly in her right hand.
As she finished her sentence, the four figures had already appeared in front of them. There of the men were wearing a light blue robe. Their faces were so common looking that after looking at them once, people would immediately forget their faces. They were in their early forties. The fourth man was dressed in a slightly darker blue robe. His face was pale and there was a dead look in his detached eyes. He was young, perhaps in his late twenties with an aquiline nose and full mouth that never seemed to smile. A long, black sword hung on his back.
“Lanh Nhat Phan, I should have known.” Gia Cat Phu Dung shook her head in despair.
Lanh Nhat Phan (Gilbert Lam), the leader of the illusive Blue Robes didn’t pay her any attention as he looked at Bat Pham and Nha Yen.
“The map.” His voice was icy cold, much like frozen snow on the distant mountains.
“No.” Bat Pham said quietly.
Nhat Phan shrugged slightly as he gestured for his men to move forward.
“Kill them.” He said lightly. And turned to look at the blooming flowers.
The men bowed respectfully and moved forward. Their swords gleamed, as they were unsheathed.
Bat Pham tried to protect Nha Yen with his body but he was far too weak to move.
“Let me.” Nha Yen said softly. “I haven’t used my full energy.” The white silk in her hand moved and flickered with deadly grace, intercepting the men’s swords as they plunged forward. The piece of silk wrapped around one sword and with a casual twist, she turned the sword back toward its owner, and slashed the man on his chest. Blood bloomed as he staggered back and stared at her with disbelieving eyes.
The remaining two men stayed eerily silent as their swords twisted and danced around Nha Yen. She moved rapidly. Her body a mere shadow as she slipped in and out of their stances and with two more moves, she hit them directly on their chests and pushed them back.
Nhat Phan (Gilber Lam)’s face showed no emotions as he gestured for his injured men to stay back. His hand went to his sword and just as he was about to pull it out, a sense of death suddenly permeated the valley. A great shadow seemed to cover the sun and the birds stopped chirping. Something shot through the air and landed directly in front of Nhat Phan. He looked down and saw a black medallion with a great hand on it.
“The City of Mist.” Nha Yen whispered.
Nhat Phan glanced at the horizon and with his piercing eyes, he could almost see black shadows rising from the earth. He let go of his sword and flew away, followed by his men, knowing that he was no match for the deadly Black Hand.
Gia Cat Phu Dung (Idy Chan)’s face became deadly pale as she stared at the medallion. Gathering all her strength, she slowly walked away with her heart pounding like a drum. And to her relief, no one chased after her.
Meanwhile, Bat Pham swayed and losing his balance, he nearly fell down if it wasn’t for Nha Yen. She kneeled down and helped him laid back on the cool grass. And her lovely face was the last thing he saw.


Mai Tu Diep (Gigi Lai) smiled at her chubby son as the child sat on the thickly carpeted floor and babbled to her. Four maids stood behind her with their eyes downcast respectfully. She was crouched on the floor, nodding solemnly at her son, even though she had no idea what he was talking about. A shadow suddenly felt over the door and she looked up.
“papa.” The child gurgled with delight when he saw the commanding figure (Vincent Jiao) at the door. He stood up and waddled unsteadily over to his father.
The Kiet (Vincent Jiao) sat down and held out his arms while his son bit his lower lip with fierce concentration and walked toward him determinately. His round cheeks were flush and his eyes were narrowed.
“Come on, darling, you can do it.” Tu Diep cheered her son from behind.
The Kiet’s eyes flitted up and he looked at her with a hint of amusement in his fathomless eyes.
Unfortunately, the child’s legs were not sturdy enough and he landed on the floor with a thump and a wail.
Tu Diep and The Kiet instinctively rushed toward him. Their hands brushed each other as they helped their son up. Tu Diep flinched and The Kiet immediately moved back, keeping a careful distance from her.
“Papa.” The child said fretfully and The Kiet took him from Tu Diep’s arms.
“Yes, I’m here.” His voice was calm and soothing. He looked at Tu Diep and said calmly, “I am leaving this afternoon. We will be back tonight.”
Tu Diep nodded.
The Kiet lifted his son up into the air and the child shrieked with laughter. “Duckies.” He demanded while grabbing his father’s dark hair.
“Yes, duckies.” The Kiet chuckled and walked to the door with his son in his arms.
“Bye, mama.” The child wave cheerfully at the lone woman.
“Bye, darling.” Tu Diep lifted a hand in good-bye as she watched her husband and son slowly disappeared from her sight.

Tieu Phong groaned as he held up a hand to his pounding head. His eyes slit opened and he found himself staring into the face of an incredible beauty. He blinked to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming and when he opened his eyes again, the beauty was still there, hovering over him.
“I don’t believe in fairies.” He said in a raspy voice.
“I don’t either.”
Hearing the familiar voice coming out of the beauty’s mouth, Tieu Phong gaped as he finally understood.
“Well, you are not ugly after all.” He muttered.
“Geez, thank you.” Nam Cung Hong (Carman Lee) said sarcastically.
“You’re welcome.” Tieu Phong smiled blandly at her. He glanced around and saw that he was in a cozy, little room. The afternoon sunlight was streaming through the open window.
“So what happened?” He asked as he tried to sit up and held his pounding head in his hands.
“You fainted.” Cung Hong smirked at him.
“I fainted?” Tieu Phong surged up in a burst of manly indignation. “For your information, a manly man such as I does not faint.”
“Yeah, yeah, tell yourself that if it make you feel better.” Cung Hong waved aside his protestations as the door creaked open and Nhat Phi entered.

[lil_bubble]

whoa! That was a great chapter!! I hope there's more on Mai Tu Diep and The Kiet, I almost forgot about them but that little bit makes me soooo curious! <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

[Bubeng]

Very nice Tu Vi! Looking forward to find out how they got away from the "Black Hand" The City of Mist. <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">
I don't mean to criticize, but I notice that your description of the fighting is not as detailed as earlier in the story.

<font size="1">[ February 03, 2003: Message edited by: Bubeng ]</font>

[zzzbeauty]

Hi Tu Vi, I knew it!! It WAS Carmen all along. She's a perfect actress for that role.

Now, I want to know Tieu Phong's past, Gigi lai's identity and vincient, and their relationship, if Bat Pham is interested in Nha Yen or Vicki.... I have TONS things I want to know. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> Pretty greedy, eh, always wanting more. <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

My younger brother is 21years old... will you consider being my future sister in law. <IMG SRC="smilies/naughty.gif" border="0">