Legendary Book of Sun-Moon Swordplay

[kidd]

Originally posted by Melanie
I am surprised kidd has not jumped onto the bandwagon to wag her finger at me.

That's because I haven't reach that part yet. Seriously, if I can accept the fantastical Master's Shifting Starburst, Eight Mirror Formation with expanding and disappearing mirrors and Tin Lok emitting fireballs, I don't think I will have a problem with a small matter like dilating pupils.

Originally posted by Melanie
I may be open to suggestions, but my readers cannot sway my plot once my mind is set.

I'm glad that you are not easily swayed. I agree with charbydis. If you keep on changing your plot according to the demand of the readers, it will not be your story anymore. So, even if you kill my favourite character(I hope you don't) I won't be angry with you unless you kill him in a stupid way like the Blade Heart writers killed Sima SiuYiu.

[cherrie]

oic writers share the same sentiments
though i understand your plight, melanie i will still repeat this: DON'T KILL OFF FRANKIE & STEVEN! KILL THE BLUE EXECUTIONER!

[witchiz_brews]

hey... when's ur next update? been waiting for it...

[Melanie]

charbydis: I was nearly in stitches after reading your comment about your readers' "over enthusiasm." Don't worry. I get similar comments from time to time about which characters should match up, etc, too. I actually find such suggestions entertaining to read. At least it means that the readers are enthusiastic enough about Legendary Book to care about who marries whom in the story. Of course, I cannot satisfy everyone and myself, and therefore would not alter the plot. I can only hope that the story itself is interesting enough to keep people reading despite the fact that their favorite couples are not together. One thing's for sure. I've never received any requests to write R-rated scenes. Oh! I was one of the people who wanted you to add another guy in your story for Gu Meng Xue! But you know my reasons.

kidd: Yea, some of the fighting scenes are a bit fantastical. But thanks for reading on despite this.

cherrie: I've killed again!

witchiz_brews: Hi, brews! Thanks for reading. Hoping you won't disappear and will comment again. *crosses fingers*

CHAPTER 46 ---DEATH'S STARE

Characters appearing in this chapter:
Kristy Yeung Gong Yu---Lam Suk Yu
Steve Ma Jing Tao---Leung Cheuk Fu a.k.a. Blue Executioner a.k.a. Blue Diamond Rapist
Ekin Cheng Yee Kin---Yeung Lap Chun a.k.a. White Executioner
Gilbert Lam Wai Sun---Lam Yik Lun
Annie Man Chung Han---So Sui Han
Bae Yong Joon---Yip Fung
Song Yun Ah---Tong Mei Si
Marco Ngai Chun Kit---Ng Sam Lung a.k.a. Red Executioner
Angie Cheung Wai Yee---Cheung Yim Na a.k.a. Silver Executioner

MASTER'S UNDERGROUND LAIR

Without warning, Blue Executioner lunges toward her, his arms wrapped tightly around the struggling Suk Yu. Crashing to the floor with her, he cackles maliciously, his breath hot against her cheek.

"Ugh!" Suk Yu cries out. Desperately, she pushes urgently against Blue Executioner's chest, trying to dislodge his heavy weight.

Laughing maniacally, he toys with her for a few seconds, observing her like how a cat would watch a mouse before pouncing. Amused at her futile attempts to escape, he allows her to struggle, pretending to loosen his grasp and raising her hopes for escape, before clamping his arms tightly around her again.

Incensed at Blue Executioner and at her own inability to defend herself due to her blindness, Suk Yu twists furiously on the cold stone floor of the cell. As the rapist's lips press down against the slender column of her neck, she uses her right palm to deliver a hard smack against his left cheek, stunning him momentarily.

"Why you…..!" Recovering quickly from the slap, Blue Executioner reaches up to touch his burning cheek and lasciviously remarks, "I like feisty women! Hahaha!" With that exclamation, he lunges toward Suk Yu once more, as he uses his right hand to anchor both of her hands above her head, while his left hand yanks at the neckline of her gown, viciously ripping the fabric off her shoulders, exposing her thin pale yellow chemise underneath. "Ahahaha!" He laughs loudly, as he hungrily eyes her soft curves.

"Ahhh!" Kicking wildly, Suk Yu manages to turn onto her stomach. She screams for help as she attempts to crawl away. "Help! Somebody help me, please!"

Unfortunately, Blue Executioner roughly yanks on her arm and rolls her onto her back again. Forcing his lips hard on top of hers, he tries to devour her, but suddenly grunts in pain. Lifting his head, he touches his bleeding lower lip where Suk Yu has bitten him. With eyes flashing with fury, he delivers one hard slap to her cheek.

Dazed, Suk Yu's head spins from the pain, her cheek throbbing as a red palm print slowly begins to show. Refusing to submit easily, she raises her right fist and punches upward, aiming in the general direction of Blue Executioner's face. Right before her fist connects with his nose, the rapist grabs at her hand and twists forcefully. A sickening crack echoes hollowly through the cell, followed by Suk Yu's cry of agony.

"You little tramp!" Blue Executioner screams madly. "You dare to defy me? Am I not good enough for you, Miss Lam?"

Lifting his palm above her face, he prepares to slap her once again. He is so engrossed in exacting his punishment on Suk Yu that he does not realize that a white figure has slipped inside his cell, approaching him with lightening speed. Just as Blue Executioner's palm is about to connect with Suk Yu's cheek, a white fan cuts through the air and slices off the fifth finger of his right hand. Howling in pain, Blue Executioner withdraws his hand and stares in disbelief at the severed stump that once was his finger.

As the fan circles back toward its owner, a tall young man dressed completely in white leaps into the air and grabs his fan midair before somersaulting toward Blue Executioner and Suk Yu. As the man in white nears his target, he executes a single kick to Blue Executioner's shoulder, knocking him off Suk Yu.

Crashing to the left, Blue Executioner dives to the side to avoid another hit from this newcomer. Glancing upward, he catches a brief glimpse of a white blur before a set of palms sends him flying through the air toward the other side of the cell. Bouncing off the opposite wall, he quickly recovers enough to roll swiftly away to avoid another blow.

The man in white flies through the air again, relentless in his attack on Blue Executioner. He flicks his fan open, and using the razor sharp edge, slices rapidly to the left, injuring Blue Executioner's shoulder before delivering another flying kick to the rapist's abdominal region.

As Blue Executioner crashes onto the stone bed at the far end of the cell, he spits out a mouthful of blood. Glancing around frantically, he locates his saber lying a few feet away at the foot of the bed. Lunging for it, he whips the blade through the air, striking it against the fan.

Finally getting a good look at his attacker, Blue Executioner roars in rage. "White Executioner! What is the meaning of this? Are you attacking one of your own now?"

Ignoring Blue Executioner's questions, Lap Chun continues his assault. With a flick of his wrist, he flips his fan two full revolutions before slashing upward with the weapon, aiming for Blue Executioner's throat. In defense, the rapist brings his saber up vertically, using the belly of the blade to block the sharp edge of the fan. As fan collides with saber, Lap Chun aims for his opponent's shoulders with his free hand, intending to palm him. Countering the attack, Blue Executioner swerves his saber to the left, almost succeeding in severing Lap Chun's arm if not for the rapid twirl of the fan blocking the descent of his saber.

As both men back flip away from each other, Lap Chun sends his fan whipping through the air. Quickly, the rapist ducks, avoiding a fatal neck wound. The fan makes a wide arc before returning to Lap Chun. However, mid air, its trajectory is interrupted by the approach of the saber, which knocks it toward the west wall. With a loud "clink," both fan and saber embed into the stone wall.

Meanwhile, both executioners fly toward each other and exchange fifty stances in the air. Landing briefly, they leap upward once more, meeting in a collision of palms. Somersaulting away from each other, they land at opposite ends of the cell. Dead silence descends upon the cell, Blue Executioner's face furious while Lap Chun's face remains coldly expressionless.

Suddenly, without warning, Lap Chun stretches his right arm toward the wall where his fan is lodged. With a surge of internal energy, he sends the fan cutting through the air at such a rapid speed that Blue Executioner is unable to react until after the weapon slices across his chest.

"Ahh!" Blue Executioner cries out in anger and shock as the fan returns back to Lap Chun's hands. Clutching at his chest wound, he looks at Lap Chun in rage. "What is your problem? Charging in here like a lunatic?! And you've cut off my finger, you bastard!"

Calmly, Lap Chun flips open his fan, slowly fanning himself. "I don't have a problem. It seems like you're the one with the problem, Blue Executioner."

"What nonsense are you speaking of?" Blue Executioner cries.

"I am referring to your twisted mind and activities." Lap Chun calmly replies, his tone even, although his eyes are cold with carefully controlled anger. "I have just returned from an assassination assignment. I head toward my chambers, hoping to rest, and guess what I hear?" Without waiting for an answer, he continues on, his lips twisting in disgust. "I hear your annoying voice screaming like a banshee, and I walk in to find you like an animal in heat. Of course, what did I expect from someone like you?" He snorts in disdain.

"Animal?! You dare to call me an animal?" Blue Executioner yells. Then, glancing at Suk Yu, who remains sprawled on the floor, he smiles slyly. "Oh, I see. You want her, too, don't you, White Executioner? That's why you are provoking me." Chuckling knowingly, he offers magnanimously, "Well, you can have her after I am finished, if you don't mind waiting in line."

Smiling chillingly, Lap Chun stares at the other man steadily. "As a matter of fact, I do mind."

Hearing Lap Chun's words, the rapist stops chuckling abruptly. "So are you saying you want to sample her first?"

"No, I am saying I want you to crawl your sorry self over to her and kowtow three times to apologize for your actions."

Freezing at Lap Chun's words, Blue Executioner's expression suddenly turns ugly, as he snarls at Lap Chun. "Who do you think you are, White Executioner? I don't have to listen to you!"

Unconcerned at Blue Executioner's defiance, Lap Chun turns his back on the rapist, as he calmly fans himself. "I'll give you to the count of three to drag yourself over to her and apologize." Staring straight ahead, he slowly begins to count, his voice emotionless. "One…two…" Flipping the fan close with an ominous snap, Lap Chun suddenly turns around and sends a flying kick at his opponent.

Ducking quickly, Blue Executioner somersaults into the air and slashes at his opponent with his saber. As the blade flashes southward, Lap Chun flips open his fan. Swiftly slicing to the left and then reversing directions to right, the fan leaves behind a trail of bright energy, the power behind each stroke sharp enough to cut through flesh. Immediately back flipping away from the internal energy field created by Lap Chun, Blue Executioner retaliates by rapidly spinning his blade in a circle, dissipating the field forged by his enemy. As the saber continues to rotate, Blue Executioner suddenly pulls out a hidden dagger strapped to the side of his leg and flings the weapon toward Suk Yu, in an attempt to distract Lap Chun's concentration.

Before the dagger reaches Suk Yu, Lap Chun's fan twirls in the air and blocks the dagger's trajectory. With a loud "ping," fan and dagger collide, causing the short blade to fall to the ground as the fan continues to fly in a wide arc before circling back to Lap Chun.

Grabbing hold of his fan, Lap Chun slashes at Blue Executioner's saber arm, forcing the rapist to abandon his weapon. Quickly switching his saber to his left arm, Blue Executioner thrusts it toward his enemy's throat. To block, Lap Chun flicks his fan close and crosses it with the saber. Without warning, he sends his right arm forward, palming the rapist on the shoulder, sending him hurtling across the cell toward Suk Yu.

Landing unceremoniously next to Suk Yu, Blue Executioner is barely able to scramble to his feet before Lap Chun flips down. With a white booted foot, he steps down ruthlessly on the rapist's upper back.

"Ugh!" Blue Executioner screams in humiliation.

"Where are you going, Blue Executioner? You forgot to apologize to the lady." Lap Chun reminds nonchalantly. When Blue Executioner remains stubbornly silent, Lap Chun grinds down harder with his foot.

"Argh! Fine! Fine, you bastard!" Gritting his teeth in fury and embarrassment, Blue Executioner glares at Suk Yu. "I am sorry, Miss Lam."

"Louder. I can't hear you, friend." Lap Chun's foot presses down harder, nearly crushing the rapist's spine.

"I'M SORRY!" Blue Executioner screams, his eyes filled with anger. "Is that loud enough for you, you bastard? Now remove your foot!"

"You still owe her three kowtows."

Clenching his fists, Blue Executioner knocks his forehead against the stone floor three times, his eyes murderous. "There! Are you satisfied now, White Executioner? The Master will hear of this!" He threatens.

Lifting his foot, Lap Chun sends Blue Executioner flying out of the cell with one final kick. As the rapist rolls out of the room, Lap Chun kicks at the fallen dagger on the ground. The weapon flashes through the air, the tip of the blade striking at the stone lever near the cell door, thus causing the door to slide shut.

Once alone, Lap Chun crouches down next to Suk Yu. Taking off his white cloak, he drapes the cape over her shoulders, covering her torn dress. "Miss Lam, are you all right?"

Recognizing his voice, Suk Yu slowly sits up. "You're Young Master Yeung, aren't you? The one who rescued me from the bottom of the canyon?"

"Yes." Lap Chun answers simply.

"And you're also White Executioner?" She questions, remembering Blue Executioner calling Lap Chun White Executioner.

"Yes."

"Then you're one of them!" She accuses.

"I have always been 'one of them.' There was just no need for you to know when I first rescued you." Lap Chun answers honestly.

"Then why did you rescue me if you're one of the Master's assassins? What is your motive for saving me?" Suk Yu demands suspiciously.

"When I first found you at the bottom of the canyon, I did not know your identity. But I did some research and soon realized that you are the third daughter of the Chancellor of the martial arts world."

"Since you realized I am your enemy, then why did you continue to help me?" Suk Yu queries, her tone still suspicious.

"Because I have decided to keep you by then. Finders keepers." Lap Chun replies simply, his tone matter of fact. "Why else do you think I gave you the jade bangle?"

"Excuse me?!" Suk Yu bursts out in disbelief. "You may have saved my life, Young Master Yeung, but I am not a doll to be kept!" Suk Yu exclaims indignantly. Angry, she ignores him and brushes her hands across the stone floor, searching for her jade flute. Hearing Lap Chun approach, she looks up.

"Are you looking for this?" He asks, handing her the flute.

Immediately grabbing onto the instrument, Suk Yu mumbles a word of thank you reluctantly. Struggling to stand up, she suddenly feels two strong arms, one wrapped around her shoulders and the other reaching under her knees.

"I can walk myself!" She bursts out proudly.

"I don't think so. You are covered with bruises. I doubt you would be able to last a second on your feet." With those words, Lap Chun proceeds to walk out of the cell with Suk Yu in his arms.

"Where are you taking me?" Suk Yu demands, resisting the urge to struggle, as she knows it would not do her any good. Besides, flailing her arms and legs helplessly would only humiliate herself further.

"I'm saving you." An amused smile appears on his lips, his eyes amused.
"Don't you want to leave this place?"

Too weary to argue with him, Suk Yu remains silent, sighing softly as he makes his way through a series of corridors.

"You know, this is the second time I've rescued you. Do you know what happens if I have to save you a third time?" Lap Chun asks.

"What?" Suk Yu questions curiously.

"Well, if I have to rescue you one more time, then you'll have to marry me. You know the old saying, 'Three rescues make a marriage'?" Lap Chun remarks, his expression dead serious.

"What kind of saying is that?!" Suk Yu asks incredulously. "I've never heard of such a thing!"

"You've never heard of such a saying because I made it up." Lap Chun suddenly grins unabashedly.

"Why you…!" Suk Yu gasps.

"Shh!" He hushes her. "Do you want the Master to hear you?"

Hearing the logic behind his words, Suk Yu keeps her mouth clamped tightly shut, her chin tilted indignantly, as Lap Chun continues to make his way down the long corridor.

MEANWHILE…
AT ANOTHER PART OF THE MASTER'S UNDERGROUND LAIR

Four people race single file down a long, narrow corridor. Two torches, each anchored to an indentation carved into the granite wall, bathe the darkened tunnel with pale golden light. The flickering torch flames cast wild shadows upon the gray walls, the eerily shifting shapes like spirits beckoning for lost souls to follow them into the underworld. Above, near the east end of the corridor, a thin trail of water trickles slowly from a crevice in the ceiling, each 'plop' deafening in the dark silence.

Breathing heavily, Lun pulls Sui Han along by the hand, with Fung and Mei Si following closely. Behind, the pounding of footsteps could be heard as a band of assassins led by Red Executioner and Silver Executioner rapidly approaches.

A dead end meets them at the end of the long corridor. Cornered, Lun and Fung rush up to the stone wall, carefully running their hands over the cold surface, hoping to find a hidden mechanism that would enable the stone wall to slide open. Unfortunately, their search proves to be in vain, as the granite panel refuses to budge.

Meanwhile, the assassins' footsteps become louder and louder, signaling their imminent approach, Sui Han hurriedly runs up to one of the torches strapped to the wall and throws dirt onto the flame, putting out the light. Taking her cue, Mei Si copies Sui Han's actions and puts out the flame flickering from the second torch, thus blanketing the tunnel in complete darkness.

Without a source of light, the footsteps slow down. As the assassins creep cautiously forward, mindful of any ambush while in the dark, Lun and Fung await their arrival at the end of the corridor in suspenseful silence. Listening closely, Lun suddenly kicks out with his left foot. Within seconds, a scream could be heard as one assassin trips over Lun's foot and topples over another man rushing up behind him. Immediately following with a sweep of palm energy, Lun manages to knock down four assassins.

Leaping over the fallen bodies, Fung flies into the air, meeting Red Executioner's palms mid air. A white burst of energy flashes as their palms connect, briefly lighting up the dark tunnel. The two combatants back flip and land several paces apart. Immediately flying toward each other again, Fung and Red Executioner continue to exchange stances.

In the background, twelve slivers of silver pierce through the darkness, twirling like serpents weaving through murky waters. As the silver sashes wrap around Lun, he spins vertically up into the air. The strips of fabric whip madly like a tornado. As Lun channels his internal energy outward, currents of heat curl along the sashes, hissing furiously right before the sashes burst into flames, forcing Silver Executioner to let go of her ribbons.

Somersaulting backward, she lands behind two of her subordinates. Palming them on the back, she sends both assassins hurtling through the air toward Lun, who flies upward and uses his palm energy to send both assassins catapulting back toward Silver Executioner. As Silver Executioner leaps away from the two bodies falling down on her, Sui Han and Mei Si suddenly attack her from the side.

Somersaulting forward, Mei Si stabs to the right with her twin daggers. As Silver Executioner swerves to the left to avoid her advance, she suddenly changes tactics mid stance and twirls her left dagger downward. As the left dagger tip flashes southward, Mei Si flings the right one to the left. As the right dagger circles rapidly in a wide arc, she slices at Silver Executioner's thigh with her left one. Dancing away from her attack, Silver Executioner spins to the right, only to run into Sui Han, who, on cue, has caught Mei Si's flying right dagger mid air and is now ruthlessly advancing from the right.

Slashing ferociously, Sui Han stabs to the right and then to the left with the dagger, while Mei Si attacks Silver Executioner from the opposite side. While Silver Executioner busily fends off Mei Si's thrusts, Sui Han takes advantage of her opponent's preoccupation and viciously rams her dagger forward, impaling Silver Executioner in the abdomen.

"Ahhh!" The seductress screams in pain.

Driving the blade deeper into her opponent, Sui Han gives Silver Executioner an empty stare, her eyes dark and expressionless.

"Ugh!" Silver Executioner grunts once again. As her vision blurs, she squints her eyes, staring up at Sui Han for an indeterminable amount of time. Suddenly, a flash of recognition flickers across her face. Her eyes still round with shock, Silver Executioner lifts a shaky finger up toward Sui Han. "You…you…you…" She gasps incoherently.

Before she is able to complete her statement, Sui Han withdraws the dagger suddenly and rams the blade once again into her abdomen. As blood squirts out and splashes onto Sui Han's white gown, Sui Han quickly palms Silver Executioner on the shoulder, sending her flying across the dark tunnel, her multiple lengths of silver and gold trailing behind.

As she crashes onto the sharp rocks at one end of the tunnel, Silver Executioner spits out a mouthful of blood, her left hand still clutched to the wound on her abdomen. With her last ounce of strength, Silver Executioner lifts her head up, her eyes staring in disbelief at Sui Han. "I can't…can't…believe…you…you…would…"

Before she is able to complete her statement, Sui Han somersaults forward and yanks the dagger from Silver Executioner's abdomen, causing blood to gush furiously from the open wound. With one final move, Sui Han palms Silver Executioner on the forehead, ending her opponent's life. Silver Executioner's head drops backward onto the hard ground, a thin trail of blood snaking down her forehead, her sightless eyes staring upward at Sui Han, forever frozen in unspoken shock.

[cherrie]

forgot to comment this in the winglin site. the way white executioner teased gong yu is amusing

[Psycho Cat aka Cathy]

Keep on updating soon. Annie's character is really interesting now.

[witchiz_brews]

update soon... more twist in the story i see... hehe... this is getting very interesting ... not forgetting to mention exciting. the forums here not very interective i see. but never mind. i know that many people are reading the stories... well, i used to be like them, so got nothing to say.

[cherrie]

updates updates!

[Melanie]

Hi, everyone. I'll try to work on the next chapter as soon as I have some time available. Thank you for your nice comments, cherrie, Cathy, and witchez_brews. I've been kinda sad lately and reading your comments really help cheer me up.

On a brighter note, I'd like to share something with everyone. I just recently received an email from one of my readers. I assume he/she has been a silent reader up until now. Anyway, this reader thought I was Jin Yong for some reason. Apparently the new reader is an avid Jin Yong fan because he/she demanded that I stop revising "my" old novels and "just get on with finishing Legendary Book of Sun-Moon Swordplay." He/she then went on to ask how much money I get for selling the copyrights of my novels to the entertainment industry and wondered how many wives I have. I just thought this email is extremely cute and therefore want to share it with everyone.

Once again, thank you all for reading, and I appreciate and welcome any further comments you might have about this story.

[cherrie]

haha! that's really a very nice comment melanie! see? your novel is actually jin yong standard keep up the good work!

[charbydis]

Originally posted by Melanie
Hi, everyone. I'll try to work on the next chapter as soon as I have some time available. Thank you for your nice comments, cherrie, Cathy, and witchez_brews. I've been kinda sad lately and reading your comments really help cheer me up.

On a brighter note, I'd like to share something with everyone. I just recently received an email from one of my readers. I assume he/she has been a silent reader up until now. Anyway, this reader thought I was Jin Yong for some reason. Apparently the new reader is an avid Jin Yong fan because he/she demanded that I stop revising "my" old novels and "just get on with finishing Legendary Book of Sun-Moon Swordplay." He/she then went on to ask how much money I get for selling the copyrights of my novels to the entertainment industry and wondered how many wives I have. I just thought this email is extremely cute and therefore want to share it with everyone.

Once again, thank you all for reading, and I appreciate and welcome any further comments you might have about this story.

Well, how many wives have you got?

[DopeyPooh]

What more could I want than you?
A stunning flower could not open my eyes,
The sweetest words won’t make me cry,
Stars fall down like thorns thrown at me.
The best fragrance reeks haughtily
The ocean in the morning silenced,
An autumn leave falls on a mountain top.
The sun doesn’t shine anymore,
But its kiln has penetrated my heart.

Nothing, nothing compares to you.
Your flawless beauty could make the sun stay still,
You could chatter the ocean dry,
Your tantrum could command the wind to stop,
Your kindness gives darkness a dawn,
Your intelligence shivers God,
A dying lion would smile at you, darling.

You could make my dreams come true,
My fears into cherished,
My heart sing the most beautiful tune,
Because to me, my sweetie
You are perfect.

So what more could I want than you?
Nothing, not even air.
So let me hold you in this roaring storm,
Let me be your charming prince in shinning armor,
Who will cherish you to the end of time.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want nothing more than you, sweetie. Make my heart beat again, sweetie. I love you.

[Psycho Cat aka Cathy]

Hmm, DopeyPooh sounds like someone I know. Swisher isn't it?

[Melanie]

Cherrie, Cathy, wichiz_brews, charbydis, and pooh: Thank you for the nice comments! I'm sorry I took so long to update. I'm a slowpoke sometimes.

charby: Maybe the reader thought I had seven wives, like Wei Xiao Bao. And I thought everyone knew Melanie was a girl's name. Or maybe he/she thought Jin Yong was a girl.

Pooh Bear: May I use your poem for poor tongue tied Wai Sun?

CHAPTER 47 --- THE TWIN SWORDS OF SUN AND MOON

Characters appearing in this chapter:
Annie Man Chung Han---So Sui Han
Gilbert Lam Wai Sun---Lam Yik Lun
Bae Yong Joon---Yip Fung
Song Yun Ah---Tong Mei Si
Marco Ngai Chun Kit---Ng Sam Lung a.k.a. Red Executioner
Gigi Lai Chi---Lam Chi Chi
Kevin Cheng Ka Wing---Cheng Sai Chung

Guest appearances in this chapter:
Alec Su You Peng---Ah Peng (one of the bandits)
Lau Dan---Old Man
Lee Heung Kum---Old Woman

THE MASTER'S UNDERGROUND LAIR

Sui Han somersaults forward and yanks the dagger from Silver Executioner's abdomen, causing blood to gush furiously from the open wound. With one final move, Sui Han palms Silver Executioner on the forehead, ending her opponent's life. Silver Executioner's head drops backward onto the hard ground, a thin trail of blood snaking down her forehead, her sightless eyes staring upward at Sui Han, forever frozen in unspoken shock.

Looking down on Silver Executioner's body without a trace of regret in her eyes, Sui Han calmly wipes the blood off the dagger blade with a black cloth. "It's a pity that you recognized me, Silver Executioner. I could have let you live…" She trails off, as she slowly turns toward the corpse again. "But I only trust dead people to keep secrets." Sui Han finishes her statement chillingly.

Suddenly, from the corner of her eyes, she spies a white shadow dash down the corridor and turn at the corner of the dark tunnel. "Who is it?" Sui Han calls out in alarm, trying to identify the intruder in the dark, unlit corridor.

Somersaulting forward, she races around the bend, viciously stabbing at the shadow with her dagger. Flipping the dagger expertly into the air, she springs forward, her palms connecting in loud clash with her opponent's. As she back flips away, Sui Han kicks off from the opposite wall of the tunnel and grabs onto her dagger midair. Circling back, she hurls the blade across the length of the tunnel, aiming for her opponent's throat.

As the white shadow dives to the left to evade the oncoming blade, Sui Han releases a flurry of poisonous silver needles, intending to finish off anyone who could potentially overhear her words earlier. Quickly, the figure in white leaps over the approaching needles. Spinning vertically in the air, the intruder sends the needles shooting back toward Sui Han with a sweep of palm energy.

As Sui Han twists sideways to avoid the oncoming needles, she hurls another sheet of projectiles at her opponent. Swiftly, before the intruder is able to recover, she kicks out with her left foot, sending the person catapulting across the tunnel. Hot in pursuit, Sui Han flies forward.

At that moment, from within the darkness, a flash of metal streaks across the air. Rapidly retreating to avoid the sharp edge of the dagger heading in her direction, Sui Han leaps to the side. Somersaulting three times in the air, she lunges first to the right and then to the left, evading the twisting blade. By the time she lands safely onto the ground, her opponent has already vanished from sight.

Her lips pressed tightly together in murderous rage, Sui Han rushes down the corridor, intending to hunt down the mysterious person who overheard her and could possibly reveal her identity. However, she halts her steps the minute she hears Lun's voice echoing down the far end of the tunnel.

"Sui Han! Where are you, Sui Han?" Lun calls out in concern, his voice getting louder and louder as he nears the location where Sui Han is.

Forced to abandon her chase after the figure in white because of Lun's approach, Sui Han frantically looks at Silver Executioner's corpse. Coming up with a plan, she takes the dagger in her hand and lifts it up in the air. The steel blade winks dangerously in the dark tunnel, casting a cold white light upon Sui Han's eyes as she quickly stabs herself in the abdomen. Biting her lower lip to keep from making any noise, she drops the blade onto the ground before feigning unconsciousness not far from Silver Executioner's body.
Closing her eyes, she allows her body to go limp just as Lun turns the corner of the corridor.

Scanning the area, his heart pounds rapidly, his concern for Sui Han's safety escalating as he smells the obvious stench of death. "Sui Han! Sui Han!" Lun shouts anxiously.

Finally, at the far end of the tunnel, he spies an unconscious Sui Han lying on the ground. Rushing to her side, he hurriedly lifts her into his arms. "Sui Han! Sui Han!" Gently patting her cheeks, he tries to rouse her. Noting her pale lips and the dried blood at the corner of her mouth, he glances down and gasps in alarm at the dagger wound on her abdomen.

"Sui Han! You're hurt!" Lun's heart twists painfully upon seeing the wound.

Slowly opening her eyes, Sui Han smiles slightly, her voice shaky. "First Young Master!" She cries happily. Wincing, she tries to sit up. "Why…why does my abdomen hurt so much? Why is the room spinning?" She asks weakly, her eyes watery as she stares up at Lun.

"Don't move, Sui Han. You're injured." Lun gently holds her in his arms. Examining her wound closely, his heart rate slows down a bit. "Don't worry. It looks like a superficial wound. You feel a little dizzy probably because you lost some blood." Tearing off a piece of fabric from the hem of his robe, he uses the cloth to dab at her wound. "Look, your injury is no longer bleeding."

Allowing a single tear to trickle down her cheek, Sui Han whines softly. "But it still hurts, First Young Master."

"It's alright, Sui Han." Lun tenderly brushes at a tendril of her hair. "I'll take care of you. Can you tell me who injured you?"

"It's…it's one of the Master's followers, that Silver Executioner. The only thing I could remember is flying after her while you and Young Master Yip were fighting with Red Executioner. Then the next thing I knew, I felt this excruciating pain in my abdomen and blacked out. When I opened my eyes again, you were crouching next to me." Peaking over Lun's shoulder, she squeals in fright. "Ah! First Young Master! Look!" She points a shaky finger at Silver Executioner's body. "It's…it's that Silver Executioner! She's dead!"

Looking over his shoulder, Lun glances in surprise at the corpse lying not far away. Placing Sui Han gently on the ground, he walks over and crouches next to Silver Executioner. Examining the wounds on the body, he frowns in concern. "Whoever killed her is very vicious."

Feigning confusion, Sui Han asks innocently, "What do you mean, First Young Master?"

"Look at these injuries on her body." He points to the gaping wound on her abdomen. "Each stab is quick but extremely deadly, as if the attacker had nothing on his mind but murder…cold-blooded, vicious murder. And as if these wounds weren't enough, the murderer delivered another blow to the forehead, making sure an already dying person will stay dead."

Glancing at Lun furtively, Sui Han then quickly looks away. "But don't you think an evil person like Silver Executioner deserves to die?"

"Yes, but the person who killed her must not be much better than Silver Executioner." Lun replies.

Still turned away from Lun, Sui Han asks quietly, "First Young Master, if you encountered this murderer, would you kill such a person?"

"Yes, I would." Lun answers without hesitation. "Such a ruthless person would only become a menace to the martial arts world."

Silence, thick and suffocating, descends upon the dark musty tunnel after Lun's statement. A torch tacked to the wall at the distant far end of the corridor flickers slowly, casting eerie shadows against the granite walls of the tunnel, the fiery flames reflected in the deep, dark pools of Silver Executioner's dead eyes.

"You would kill this person even if he or she is someone who has stayed faithfully by your side all this time?" Sui Han's voice hardens, her eyes flashing with anger. Somehow, his harsh words are like tiny daggers digging into her heart, leaving her feeling betrayed and hurt beyond reason. Unsure why she would have such strong reactions toward Lun's words, she clamps her lips tightly together into a firm line.

"Someone who has stayed by my side all this time?" Lun repeats her words, his expression perplexed. Rushing toward her side, he crouches down next to her. Placing his fingers gently under her chin, he lifts her face upward, staring deeply into her eyes. "What wrong, Sui Han? Is something on your mind?"

Blinking rapidly to mask the anger in her eyes, Sui Han turns away from his penetrating gaze. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"No, you're not fine." Lun objects. Grabbing hold of her hand, he places it against his beating heart. "Tell me what's wrong, Sui Han. Why are you asking these strange questions?"

But Sui Han stubbornly refuses to answer him. After a moment, Lun wraps his arms around her. "Sui Han, tell me what's wrong."

"If I were to one day do something to betray you or do something that would be a menace to the martial arts world, would you kill me, too?" Pushing his arms away, Sui Han struggles to her feet and staggers a few steps before sinking to her knees again.

"Sui Han!" Lun hurries forward, catching her. Wrapping his arms protectively around her, he vows softly, "I promise to never hurt you, Sui Han, no matter what." He stares intently at her, his dark eyes earnest. "I will forgive you even if you do something to betray me."

Suddenly looking up at him, she gazes at him with large eyes filled with surprise. "Really, First Young Master? You're not lying to me, are you?"

"Of course, not." Smiling indulgently at the suspicious look in her eyes, he immediately drops down onto his knees.

"What are you doing?" Sui Han gasps in surprise.

Without answering her, Lun lifts his right hand up in the air. "I swear to the heavens above that I will never hurt Sui Han and will forgive her even if she betrays me in the most horrible of ways. If I do not keep this promise, then I shall be condemned to a lifetime of eternal regret and loneliness."

Standing up, he smiles at Sui Han. "Now, do you believe me?"

Still regarding him suspiciously, Sui Han furrows her eyebrows. "Why are you so nice to me, First Young Master? I'm just a servant."

"Because I…I…" Lun mutters.

Sui Han remains silent as she continues to stare at him strangely.

"Because I love you!" The words rush out of his mouth incoherently.

Confused, Sui Han tilts her head. "What did you say, First Young Master? You spoke so quickly that I couldn't understand a word you said."

Shaking his head in exasperation, Lun blows out a frustrated breath. "I said…I said…" Pausing, he takes in a few deep breaths. "I said I love you!" He pronounces each word clearly this time.

Quickly averting her eyes at his words, Sui Han looks away uncomfortably. "You don't know what you're saying, First Young Master. I'm just a servant and you're my young master."

Grabbing onto her hands frantically, Lun replies adamantly, "I don't care! You were never a servant in my eyes. Sui Han, I know that sometimes I may be a bit wooden and obtuse around women, and that I do not know how to compose romantic poems or say sweet words, but I can promise you two things. I will always love you and put you first no matter. Marry me, Sui Han!"

Pulling her hands out of his grasp, Sui Han hurriedly backs away. "First Young Master, you hardly know me. I am not who you think I am. Besides, our stations in society are too far apart. You are the Chancellor's first born son. You would become the laughing stock of the martial arts world if you were to marry your lowly servant, especially one who was bought from a brothel."

"No!" Lun exclaims as he stubbornly grabs hold of her hands again. "If I have you by my side, then I don't care about what others say. They can laugh all they want!" Staring at Sui Han intently, he pulls her against his chest, his arms like steel bands around her slender waist. "And I DO know who you are. You're my sweet and gentle Sui Han."

At his earnest words, Sui Han's conscience begins to make her feel guilty. She knows very well that she is not the woman he thinks she is. Pushing at his chest, she staggers away from him, as if burned by her conscience. "No, First Young Master, you don't know what you are saying! Let's forget about what you just said today and pretend nothing happened."

With those words, she runs down the tunnel, anxious to get away from the guilty feelings his kind words roused. With heart pounding, she does not notice the sword that suddenly appears from within the depths of the dark corridor, aimed at her throat.

From behind, Lun calls out urgently. "Sui Han, watch out!" With lightening fast reflexes, he flips over Sui Han's head and sandwiches the tip of the sword between his right index and third fingers. Getting a good look at Sui Han's attacker, Lun demands in surprise, "Brother Fung, what are you doing?! Why are you attacking Sui Han?"

Without replying, Yip Fung back flips in the air, plucking the sword from between Lun's fingers. Immediately, he somersaults forward and slashes the blade through the air, the flash of the sword swift and deadly. Right before the sharp blade pierces Sui Han's skin, Lun's sword shoots across the tunnel, knocking away Fung's weapon.

Somersaulting forward, Lun scoops Sui Han up into his arms before landing in front of Yip Fung. "Brother Fung, what are you doing?!"

"Brother Lun, that woman in your arms is not who you think she is!" Yip Fung replies in a steely voice, his eyes bright with carefully controlled anger. Then, directing his piercing gaze toward Sui Han, Fung points his sword at her. "Give me the antidote, or I swear I will kill you!"

Placing Sui Han onto her feet, Lun pushes her behind him protectively. "Brother Fung, will you please explain to me what is going on? What antidote?"

"Brother Lun, your servant girl attacked my Second Mother a few minutes ago and injured her with poisonous silver needles!" Fung rages furiously.

Without another word, he flies through the air and lands next to a white-gowned young lady lying limply on the ground at the bend of the tunnel. Bending down, he picks Mei Si up and swings her over his shoulder. Carrying her piggyback style, he somersaults forward and lands again in front of Lun and Sui Han. "Give me the antidote!" Fung roars, advancing ruthlessly forward, intent on grabbing hold of Sui Han.

Immediately, Lun places himself in front of Sui Han. "Brother Fung, you must be mistaken. Sui Han wouldn't hurt Madame Yip. There must be a misunderstanding."

From behind Lun, Sui Han darts her eyes thoughtfully from Yip Fung's enraged face to Mei Si's pale one resting on his shoulder. "How could I have forgotten that Yip Fung's Second Mother is wearing a white gown! Then she must be the person who overheard me speaking over Silver Executioner's corpse."

"There is no mistake!" Taking three silver needles out from his sleeve, Yip Fung waves them angrily in front of Lun's face. "Look at these needles! I used my internal energy to force these out from my Second Mother's arm! These are the very same type of needles your servant girl used to injure the enemy earlier on!" Furious, he flings the needles back at Sui Han.

As the projectiles approach, Lun pushes Sui Han out of the way and somersaults three times into the air, expertly plucking the needles and diverting them toward the side of the tunnel. Once he lands back onto the ground, Sui Han dashes toward him, burying her face against his chest.

"First Young Master, save me!" Sui Han calls out in a frightened tone, turning inward to hide her face in his gown front. "I really don't know what Young Master Yip is talking about!"

From behind, Yip Fung, carrying Mei Si on his back, flies after Sui Han. As his blade slashes through the air, Lun swiftly sends his sword sheath shooting forward, blocking Fung's blow. Not to be deterred, Fung reverses the direction of his attack and stabs from the opposite side.

Immediately, Lun turns sideways, protecting Sui Han from the blow. Brandishing his weapon, Lun twirls the blade rapidly, blocking Fung's thrust. Keeping his left arm around Sui Han's waist, Lun somersaults away from his friend. Landing a few paces away, Lun swings around to face Fung. "Enough, Brother Fung! Sui Han already said she didn't injure Madame Yip."

"And you believe her?" Fung snorts incredulously. Placing the unconscious Mei Si on the ground, he points his sword at Sui Han. "If she doesn't hand over the antidote for my second mother, then I'll make sure she dies, too!"

Without warning, Fung flies toward Lun again. Quickly setting Sui Han aside, Lun leaps up to meet Fung. As their swords clash midair, a shadow flashes forward. Before they have any opportunity to defend themselves, Lun and Fung each suffer a blow to the chest.

"Hahahahaha!" The Master roars triumphantly as Lun and Fung crash to the ground, spitting up blood. "Do you think you could escape that easily?"

Quickly scrambling up, Fung picks up Mei Si and runs down the tunnel.

Meanwhile, Lun grabs hold of Sui Han's hand and rushes down the corridor in the opposite direction.

As Red Executioner and a band of assassins appear onto the scene, the Master jabs his finger in the direction in which Fung has taken Mei Si. "Go after those two! Don’t let anyone wander into the forbidden alcove!"

"Yes, Master!" Red Executioner promptly replies before chasing after Yip Fung, with his band of assassins in hot pursuit.

Meanwhile, the Master somersaults into the air, heading toward the direction in which Lun and Sui Han have disappeared.

MEANWHILE…
GREEN PYTHON VALLEY

The sharp chirping of crickets resonates through the silence of the night, filling the dark woodland with the melodious tune of nature's song. Every so often, the colorful leaves of tall elms and maples would sway in the light breeze. In the distance, a dozen twinkling lights emerge, like beacons flickering brilliantly in the darkness, their reflections glittering yellow and orange on the surface of the lake.

The dry fallen leaves rustle crisply as a group of bandits march by. At the front of the procession, the leader of the group, Ah Peng, drags Chi Chi and Sai Chung by the metal chains that link their hands together. The chains binding Sai Chung and Chi Chi's feet rattle loudly as they struggle to keep from tripping and falling onto the damp forest ground.

With the next step, Chi Chi's swollen and sprained ankle gives out and she topples over Ah Peng, pulling Sai Chung with her since they are chained together.

"Ahh!" Ah Peng shouts in alarm, right before his face smacks into a puddle of muddy water. "Ugh! Ugh!" He sputters indignantly, spitting out bits of grass and gritty-tasting mud. As he tries to dislodge Chi Chi and Sai Chung, who are both lying on top of him, a tiny pebble shoots out from the depths of the woodland.

With lightening speed, the small stone whooshes by and nicks the back of Ah Peng's knee, causing him to topple over. Falling face down into the mud puddle again, Ah Peng growls in frustration when Chi Chi and Sai Chung tumble on top of him once more.

"Ugh!" Quickly rolling out from under Chi Chi and Sai Chung, Ah Peng leaps to his feet, his teeth bared in anger. "Who is it? Who is hiding out there, injuring unsuspecting people with rocks?"

"Hahahaha!" An amused chuckle echoes loudly, causing the leaves in the forest to shake. "Hahahaha!"

"Who are you? Who are you?" Ah Peng demands, his eyes darting back and forth in alarm.

Beside him, the rest of the bandits nervously glance around, waving their torches left and right in an attempt to identify the location of the voice. Several men scatter about, whacking their sabers and swords randomly amongst the bushes and shrubbery, hoping to find the intruder.

"Come out! Come out and stop hiding like a coward!" Ah Peng demands loudly.

"Hahahaha!" Another voice, this one female, laughs from behind the thick veil of leaves and greenery. "Old Man, that little kid just called you a coward! Hahahahaha!"

"Hmph! Stop laughing at me, Old Woman! That's not funny at all!" The old man replies gruffly.

"Well, what are you going to do about that insult?" The old woman goads.
"Are you just going to sit here on your old behind and let that kid get away with calling you a coward?"

"Hush, Old Woman! You talk too much, always nagging me to death!" The old man reprimands his companion.

"Who are you two? Come out! Come out!" Ah Peng shouts nervously, raising his saber in attack position.

Just as Ah Peng closes his mouth, the surrounding trees begin to shake, the leaves rustling wildly. A gust of wind stirs the dried leaves on the ground, whipping them round and round into a large tornado that soon surrounds Chi Chi, Sai Chung, and the group of bandits.

"Guard the hostages! Guard the hostages!" Ah Peng screams, trying to project his voice above the thunderous howl of the wind. "Don't let them get away! Guard the… Ouch!" He suddenly stops mid-sentence as an invisible hand reaches through the whirl of wind and leaves and palms him on the shoulder.
In the blink of an eye, the hand swings in a wide arc and palms several more bandits on the chest. As the bandits crash to the ground, a blur flashes by, picking Sai Chung and Chi Chi up before disappearing rapidly into the night.

GREEN PYTHON VALLEY
IN A CAVE

An eagle soars high across the dark heavens, its wings spanning wide as it swoops down across the open valley. Below, fields of lush meadows stretch for miles, their vibrant green turned into a deep velvety black in the dark night, lit only by the occasional white moonbeam peaking through the wisps of cloud. Steep mountains loom high above the valley, their peaks spearing through the dark clouds.

A large cave, molded from the side of the cliff, stands sturdily against thousands of years of wind and storm. Its rough, craggy crevices proudly decorate the entrance of the cave like battle wounds. Tall, yellow weeds fan across the opening, like a curtain shielding the interior from the elements.
From within the depths of the ancient structure, a single campfire flickers fiercely, its licking flames reaching upward, clawing, fighting to stay alight in the chilly interior. Suddenly, two shadows flash by, bringing with them a gust of wind that nearly put out the fire. As embers from the fire dance and sparkle merrily above the campfire, a gruff voice cackles.

"Old Man, I beat you here! You're getting slow in your old age!" The elderly woman, her snowy white hair tied into a bun at the back of her neck, chortles with satisfaction as she shuffles awkwardly, her back hunched over.

"Hmph! Be quiet, Old Woman!" The old man grumbles with bad humor. His long white beard brushes against his round belly with each huff of hot air, his white eyebrows bunched together in a scowl. "You only beat me by a second! And you would be slow, too, if you were weighed down by these two youngsters!" Pouting, he dumps Sai Chung and Chi Chi onto the cave ground unceremoniously.

"Umph!" Chi Chi sputters as she lands on top of Sai Chung. Immediately scrambling up, she jerks Sai Chung up with her, as her right hand and ankle are chained to his left hand and ankle. "Who are you? What do you want with us?"

"Hmph!" The old woman mutters, highly offended by Chi Chi's tone of voice. "Kid, we just rescued you and this is how you speak to us?"

"Thank you for saving Little Brother and I from those bandits, Elders!" Sai Chung clasps his hands together and bows his head respectfully.

"Little Brother? Little Brother?" The old man squints his eyes at Chi Chi's male disguise. Pointing at Chi Chi, he chuckles, "Is this your Little Brother? Hahahaha!" Pausing, he stares at Chi Chi closely before directing his gaze toward Sai Chung. Shaking his head, he laughs uproariously again, his right hand slowly stroking his long beard. "Little Brother, indeed!"

"Hush, Old Man." The elderly woman admonishes. Pursing her lips together, she slowly circles Chi Chi and Sai Chung. "Hmmm… Hmmm…"

"What's wrong, Elder?" Staring at Chi Chi in confusion before looking back at the old woman, Sai Chung scratches his head, earning himself a glare from Chi Chi as his actions caused her hand to be lifted along with his toward his head.

Ignoring Sai Chung's question, the elderly woman rushes toward her husband's side, her faded eyes sparkling. "Old Man! I like this young man! Look at him! Tall, strong, good bone structure! He has the look of a hero!" She points excitedly at Sai Chung. "Let's have him try to remove the sword from the stone slab! Perhaps he's the one we've been waiting for all these years!"

Taking his wife's words into consideration, the old man tilts his head thoughtfully, his eyes focused on Sai Chung. After a few minutes, his face lights up into a wide grin. "You're right, Old Woman! He may be the one!"

"Hmph! I'm ALWAYS right!" The old woman scoffs indignantly.

"You mean, you're always wrong!" Her husband corrects her.

Grinding her teeth together, the old woman pushes herself up on tiptoe. Sticking her nose right up against the old man's, she jabs her finger into his chest. "I'm always right! RIGHT!"

"WRONG!" The old man counters, nose to nose with his wife.

"RIGHT!" She shouts back.

"WRONG!" He says.

"RIGHT!" She yells.

"WRONG!" He screams back.

While the shouting match continues, Chi Chi looks at Sai Chung and then at the entrance of the cave. Placing her finger to her lips, she hushes him when he is about to open his mouth to calm down the elderly couple. "Shh!" Pointing to the cave opening, she waves her hand in the air, indicating silently that he should follow her.

Both take a few steps quietly toward the entrance, trying to sneak off. However, before they reach the opening, two hands grab onto their shoulders, yanking them back in. "Where do you two think you're going?" The old man asks. "Young man, you can't leave until you try to pull that sword from the stone slab. You could be the person we have been waiting for!"

Dragging Sai Chung and Chi Chi along, the elderly couple leads them into a musty inner chamber. At the far end of the room stands a large rectangular slab of granite. Its imposing presence dominates the entire chamber. But even more impressive is the sword protruding from the stone slab's center. Rubies, as red as blood and as large as coins, line the sword hilt, winking brilliantly in the dark. The blade glows a bright orange, its vibrant light nearly blinding Sai Chung and Chi Chi. As the four people approach the sword, a strange energy field emitted by the weapon vibrates and hums, exuding an aura of power.

Curiously sidling toward the sword, Chi Chi reaches out slowly, touching the blade with a tentative finger. "Ahh!" She yelps in shock, quickly withdrawing her finger as the energy from the sword stings her finger like the electric shock of lightening.

"Little Brother! Are you alright?" Grabbing Chi Chi's hand, Sai Chung examines her finger, his brows furrowed in concern.

"What's this?!" Chi Chi calls out excitedly as she sees an inscription written on the side of the stone slab. Yanking her finger away from Sai Chung, she leans down to get a closer look at the Chinese characters carved into the stone.

"What does it say, Little Brother?" Sai Chung asks.

"Let's see." Carefully making out the tiny inscribed characters, Chi Chi reads aloud.

The Sword of Sun glows bright and red
His blade fierce and all-consuming
Slashing those who stand in his path
With ruthless vengeance and deadly swiftness
The Sword of Moon shimmers in ethereal beauty
Her timeless grace unrivalled
In the heavens above and on the earth below
Mesmerizing all who have laid eyes on her
United, two swords attack as one
Like lovers with hearts beating in harmony
Striking fear and stirring awe
In all who witness the power of Sun and Moon
But pity that Sun betrayed Moon
Leaving her with hatred and revenge raging through her heart
And she vows to never rest in peace
Until Sun and Moon meet once more
And hence two swords shall rest in eternal sleep
Their radiance and power never more
Until Sun and Moon walk the earth again
And learn to forgive and love once more

Slowly standing upright, Chi Chi frowns thoughtfully after reading the inscription on the stone. "This sword… This sword is…"

"Correct, this is the Guardian's Sword of Sun." The old man interrupts Chi Chi. "My wife and I, and our ancestors before us, have been guarding this weapon for centuries, waiting for the rebirth of the Guardian. Only he can remove the Sword of Sun from its resting place…"

[kidd]

Great twist. If Ka Wing is can pull out the sword, that means he is the Guardian's Sword of Sun instead of Wai Sun.

[cherrie]

great twist! oh forgot to comment on the winglin site on this. the old man and woman are so amusing! reminds me a lot of zhou po tong

[Psycho Cat aka Cathy]

More Mel more! Anyway, Annie's character is wow evil. I wonder what happen if Gilbert finds out? Would he be really mad and tried to kill her or leave her and never see her again and get together with Ada? Or forgive her? So many possibilities. What about Louis? Hmmm. The love story is not a typical love story. It getting more interesting. Does Louis knows that Annie is like this? Because I think Louis is also good but not Benny.

[cherrie]

i believe louis also knows abt annie's true nature because they are from the same sect. probably they are all under the master. i think gilbert will have a fit of rage, tries to kill her, and will feel useless because he can't kill annie hehe, to stop my speculations, melanie, update!

[Bubeng]

Interesting turn of event. Mel, you're good.
Waiting for what to come next.

[Melanie]

kidd, cherrie, and Cathy: Keep guessing who the Guardian is. And thanks for leaving me such funny comments!

Bubeng: Hi, Bubeng! I'm always happy to hear from new readers.

CHAPTER 48 --- JOINED IN BLOOD AND SOUL

Characters appearing in this chapter:
Gigi Lai Chi---Lam Chi Chi
Kevin Cheng Ka Wing---Cheng Sai Chung
Louis Koo Tin Lok---Koo Yat Fei
Benny Chan Ho Man---Koo Yat Keung

Guest appearances in this chapter:
Lau Dan---Old Man
Lee Heung Kum---Old Woman

GREEN PYTHON VALLEY
IN A CAVE

"And you think he is the reincarnation of the Guardian?" Chi Chi asks incredulously.

"Yes." The elderly couple responds in unison, their faces beaming as they stare at Sai Chung expectantly.

Confused, Sai Chung remains silent, gaping back at the couple. "Ummm...Elder, I am just a farm boy. I really don't think I am this...Guardian."

Immediately, the old man scowls. "How would you know you're not the Guardian if you don't even try to remove the sword?"

"Well, even if I were the Guardian, what would I do with the sword?" Sai Chung stares back in confusion.

From behind Sai Chung, Chi Chi leans up on tiptoe and peaks over his shoulder. "Big Brother Sai Chung, let me handle this." She butts in nosily. Pushing him behind her, she crosses her arms across her chest as she faces the elderly couple. "Elder, it's very flattering that you think he's the person you have been waiting for, but my Big Brother Sai Chung promised to accompany me on this VERY important mission. Maybe when we get back from our VERY important mission, we will stop by here and try pulling out your sword."

"What could be more important than finding the Guardian?" The old man retorts.

"For your information," Chi Chi replies indignantly, "we're going to find the antidote to save my second brother! That's important business! And besides, that sword looks heavy and cumbersome. It will only slow us down if we take it along with us." She jabs a condescending finger at the sword to emphasize her point. "Also, Big Brother Sai Chung doesn't use swords, and my sword is way prettier than the one you have. So thank you for offering us the sword...but no thank you."

"Hmph!" The old man grumbles. "Little kid, do you know how many people would die to possess this sword?"

"THIS sword?" Chi Chi asks incredulously, pointing at the Sword of Sun.

"Of course, THIS sword." The old woman adds, butting into the argument. "Why do you think Old Man and I are here guarding this thing? Kid, this sword is a legend and is one of the most coveted weapons in the martial arts world. You have no idea how valuable the Sword of Sun is."

Strolling up to the weapon protruding from the stone slab, Chi Chi pokes her finger at the blade. "Ouch!" She cries as a small electric shock zaps her finger. Shaking her tingling hand, she turns and gives the old couple a challenging look. "Look at my poor finger!" Holding up her slightly red index finger for everyone to examine, Chi Chi pouts. "Who would want a sword that you can't even touch without getting electrocuted?"

"Hahahahaha!" The old man chuckles. Stroking his white beard, he shakes his head at Chi Chi's childish words. "Oh, child, you have obviously never heard of the legend of the Seer and Guardian."

Frowning, Chi Chi pauses for a long moment, deep in thought, trying to remember if her parents have ever mentioned the Seer or the Guardian. Coming up with a blank, she lifts her chin up into the air haughtily. "Hmph! Never heard of such people! They must not be very important then!"

Grabbing hold of Sai Chung's arm, she pulls him along. Both wobble awkwardly along toward the cave entrance, the chains on their feet clinking loudly. Looking back at the elderly couple on her way out, Chi Chi calls back, "Thank you for saving us, Elders, but Big Brother Sai Chung and I must be on our way. We have important matters to attend to."

Giving the couple a helpless glance as he passes by with Chi Chi, Sai Chung smiles sheepishly. "Thank you, Elders."

"Hey!" Running after Chi Chi, the old man yells loudly, "You may leave, but he can't!" The old man objects, holding onto Sai Chung's arm.

"Let go of my Big Brother Sai Chung!" Chi Chi yells back, yanking onto Sai Chung's other arm.

"No!" The old man jumps up and down, pulling Sai Chung toward his direction.

"Hmph! Let go! Big Brother Sai Chung is mine!" Chi Chi pouts, yanking on Sai Chung's other arm hard.

"No! He's staying here and pulling that sword out!" The old man screams back, giving Chi Chi a pout of his own.

"No, he's coming with me!" Chi Chi keeps her hands possessively on Sai Chung's arm.

"He's pulling that sword out!" The old man stubbornly tugs onto Sai Chung's other arm.

"Hmph! He's mine! He's mine!" Chi Chi hollers, her face starting to turn a bright shade of pink, adding an attractive glow to her delicate features. Her big eyes seem to widen even further, her lashes fluttering in agitation, as she attempts to tighten her hold on Sai Chung.

"Ahem…Little Brother…" Sai Chung tries to interrupt the shouting match.

But both contestants in the screaming contest ignore him, each stubbornly refusing to back down.

"Hehehehehe!" The old man laughs suddenly. "Look at you." He points a finger at Chi Chi. "You're acting just like his wife! Hehehehehe!" He continues to chortle uproariously.

"Hey! What are you trying to say?!" Chi Chi gasps indignantly, her mouth hanging open.

With eyes bulging out in frustration, Chi Chi suddenly lets go of Sai Chung's arm, causing Sai Chung to unexpectantly reel into the old man. As the old man staggers backward with surprise, he loosens his hold onto Sai Chung. Taking advantage of this momentary distraction, Chi Chi quickly pulls on Sai Chung's arm again, dragging him toward the cave's entrance.

As Chi Chi and Sai Chung waddle awkwardly and disappear into the night, the old woman rushes over to help her husband off the ground. "Old Man! Are you alright?" As she helps him dust off his gown, she starts to laugh, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Serves you right to be knocked over. Who told you to get involved in a screaming match with a little kid?"

Glaring at his wife huffily, the old man tries to rush out the cave to chase Sai Chung back, but the old woman holds him back. "Let them go, Old Man. They won't be able to go far with those chains. They'll be back soon once they can't find shelter for the night. Besides, if that young man is truly the reincarnation of the Guardian, then fate shall bring him back here." His wife predicted.

"Hmph! Such a mouthy little girl!" The old man huffs before trudging over to the side of the cave with his wife. Plopping onto a thick pile of straw, both elders assume a meditating position, patiently waiting.

Behind them, the Sword of Sun vibrates and glows, illuminating the dark shadows of the cave with pale golden light, as if it, too, senses its rightful owner nearby.

MEANWHILE...
GREEN PYTHON VALLEY
A FEW MILES FROM THE CAVE

As the night darkens, a bracing chill sweeps across the valley, covering the land with an invisible blanket of cold. Patches of melting snow decorate the meadows, transforming the earth into a dark green and white patchwork quilt. Intermittently, small furry animals would scurry across the fields, romping amongst the tall weeds, digging the hard soil for food. Above, the luminescent moon extends its pale arms forward, its rays spearing through the thick foliage, illuminating the darkness with a pearly white light.

Into this quiet night, two humans enter, their boots trampling noisily through the tall, dry weeds. The moonbeams reflect brilliantly off the steel of their weapons. With each second that passes, tension, thick and suffocating, shrouds the two people.

An eagle perches on a high tree branch, its piercing eyes quietly observing the two brothers. Blinking as the men cross under the branch, the majestic bird gives a loud cry, as if calling to them, before spreading his wings wide. With one smooth motion, the eagle glides into the air, circling twice before it ascends higher and higher to the heavens above. Within seconds, it disappears behind a thick curtain of clouds, its cry gradually fading into the night.

Silence again surrounds the valley, so deafening that a person could almost hear his own heartbeat. The two men continue their journey without saying a word to each other, their expressions stony. The tall dark one in front stares ahead, his lips pressed tightly together in barely suppressed anger, while the younger man behind him calmly ignores his older brother's anger.

"Elder Brother, don't you think we should stop and rest for the night?" Keung asks from behind, undaunted by Fei’s sulky silence.

Ignoring his younger brother, Fei continues to march ahead, his eyes closed to almost slits as he seethes with anger.

"Elder Brother! Elder Brother! Are you going to continue ignoring me?" Keung demands. "Hey!"

Suddenly halting in his tracks, Fei whirls around, he eyes flashing dangerously. "Stop this incessant whining about when you get to rest and sleep! If you didn't take a wrong turn, we would have caught up with Sui Han! Now, instead of finding Sui Han, we are stuck here in the middle of heaven knows where!"

"Hey!" Keung counters defensively. "I am not the only one who doesn't know where I am going! You are just as clueless as I am about the directions!"

With his lips flattened into a thin, tight line, Fei glares at his brother for a long minute before spinning on his heels and stomping forward at a quick pace.

"Elder Brother! Hey!" Keung calls out from behind in exasperation. "It's too dark to search for anyone right now, anyway. Why don't we just get some rest to conserve our energy and resume our search tomorrow?"

"No!" Fei shoots back without turning around to look at Keung. "I want to find Sui Han as soon as possible. I don't want that eldest Lam son hovering over her all the time!" He grumbles with bad temper.

"Well, if you continue to be this unreasonable and hot tempered, she may end up preferring that other man's company." Keung mutters under his breath, his lips twisted in a smirk.

Unfortunately, Fei overhears his brother's comment. With a roar of fury, he swings around and somersaults into the air, landing in front of Keung within seconds. Grabbing onto his younger brother's gown, Fei pushes his face up close to Keung's. "What did you just say?" He asks threateningly, his breath hot and dangerous as he breathes down on Keung.

Undaunted, Keung returns Fei's glare coolly. Frostily, he replies, "You heard what I said. She's not your wife yet, so she has every right to keep her options open. If she sees how mule-headed and bad tempered you are, I would not be surprised if she runs into another man's arms."

"How dare you!" Fei cries out ferociously. Sending his fist forward, he intends to punch his brother in the face.

Swiftly, Keung swivels to the left, narrowly avoiding the attack. Using his left palm, he aims for Fei's shoulder, forcing his brother to loosen his grip on his gown. Reacting immediately, Fei somersaults away. Landing a few paces away, he glares at Keung murderously, his face as dark as thunderclouds. For one long moment, both brothers remain as still as statues, their expressions tense, their eyes hard. A cold chill wraps itself sinuously around Fei and Keung, lightly stirring the hems of their long gowns, lifting the dry leaves at their feet.

As the leaves settle back onto the ground, forming a carpet of bright yellow and orange, Fei suddenly twirls his sword six times in his right hand. With another swift flip, he sends the sheath of his sword shooting forward, deliberately missing the side of Keung's neck by a hair's breath. As the sheath flies by, Keung back flips once. At the same time, he flings three curved daggers toward Fei.

As the short steel blades flash rapidly like beams of silver, Fei reflexively leaps up in the air and deflects the daggers with his sword belly. With three successive 'pinging' noises, the short blades embed themselves into the thick trunk of an oak tree. Continuing his flight toward his younger brother, Fei meets Keung in a clash of palms. A wave of invisible energy ripples outward, shaking the leaves and scattering the small furry animals.
Then suddenly, the men break free of each other, somersaulting away, flipping rapidly backwards until they land several paces apart. A small tornado of leaves and dirt spin wildly, the air still pulsing heavily from the surge of internal energy.

"Had enough of this nonsense, Big Brother?" Keung goads mockingly.

At his younger brother's challenge, Fei makes a move to charge forward again, his lips peeled back in a feral growl. However, the distant sound of footsteps stops him. Swiftly dropping to the ground, he places his ear to the damp earth.

"Someone's coming. In fact, there are two people." With those words, Fei somersaults once and disappears behind a dense curtain of leaves, with Keung following close behind.

MEANWHILE…
THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY
ATOP EAGLE MOUNTAIN

Mist, as thick as wool, snakes around the sides of the steep mountain, its cool fingers crawling across the valley, filling it, forming a cloudy moat of vapors at the base of Eagle Mountain. A few wisps of mist stretch upward, rolling up the jagged sides of the mountain, clinging tenuously like sticky vines as they spear up toward the peak, where a simple bamboo cottage sits, like a wise old man, calmly listening to the silence of night. Two ancient elm trees proudly flank the cottage, its branches like gnarled fingers fanning out to embrace the gentle wind that teases its leaves, sending them fluttering softly in the night.

An aged Taoist, dressed in a loose gray gown and appearing as old as the elms guarding his cottage, stand near the edge of the peak. Slowly stroking his long white beard, he turns his face toward the heavens, his eyes focused intently on the millions of twinkling stars embedded in the sky. He releases a quiet sigh, as he reads what the stars tell him. For a moment, he remains still, wisdom and patience reflected in his eyes.

An eagle, its silvery feathers glistening in the moonlight, suddenly bursts through the veil of mist and smoke, as it soars up toward the peak of Eagle Mountain. Reaching the top, it circles gracefully before diving swiftly toward the Taoist. Landing onto the old man's shoulder, the bird squawks, as if calling out a greeting to its master.

"The time has finally come, after five hundred years." The Taoist speaks to his pet. "It had ended in tragedy before. How it will end this time is yet to be seen."

Perched on his shoulder, the eagle squawks once, as if giving his master his opinion. Deep in thought, the old Taoist absentmindedly pats his pet eagle twice on the head. Suddenly, filled with inspiration, he leaps down the edge of the cliff, and facing the smooth side of the mountain, begins to inscribe a series of Chinese phrases. All around him, rocks and granite explode and bounce off the mountain side, as a beam of bright white light shoots forward from the old Taoist's right index finger, each stroke of internal energy carving lines on the side of the mountain.

Once he completes his writing, the Taoist executes three somersaults in midair and then proceeds to race vertically up the side of the cliff, his lightness kung fu so refined that he appears to be floating on the sea of mist surrounding Eagle Mountain. Reaching the top of the peak, he gives the shimmering stars one final look before turning and slowly making his way back to his cottage, while calmly stroking his beard as he goes.

The silver eagle gives a sharp cry and flaps its enormous wings, hovering briefly outside the cottage. Then, with one powerful surge, the bird glides upward before diving vertically down the cliff, its wings lightly brushing against the inscription engraved on the side of the mountain.

Where one Guardian once existed
Two shall be reborn
Two sides of the same coin
Joined in blood and soul
To once again wield the Sword of Sun
Fated to share one love
Destined to walk one path in life