Year 1587: Ming Dynasty 15th year of WanLi
15th day of the 6th month
On a hot summer night, two figures are running swiftly down the mountain path. It is a man with a child on his back. The child is sleeping soundly, drooling slightly while being carried. The man showed no sign of fatigue or discomfort despite the speed he is going at and the weight he is carrying. His leaps and jogging were both swift and graceful, displaying his excellent lightness kungfu. A straight sword hungs by his left side, while a quiver of arrows, a bow, and a long pole-like object, wrapped with cloth hung from his back with the child.
He is a young man, in his mid 20's. The child is his disciple, a girl, only 6 yrs of age. Both are fugitives of sorts. Both are heading south.
By dawn, the child wakes up beside her master, who is sitting below a tree, cleaning his sword.
She asks, "Master, when will we reach Canton?"
"Soon", her master replies.
Her master always was a man of few words and soft-spoken when he does speak. His tone is somber yet gentle. His demeanor is quiet and melancholic. His name is Liu Jingyuan. A former high ranking military officer of the Ming army. He is in civilian clothing.
The child surname is Zhu, given name Fuming. She is a curious young girl. Her nature is directly opposite of her master's. She would ask a very long, detailed question and her master would only give her a short answer. Despite her outgoing and wild nature, her time with her master negates all that, making her also quiet.....occasionally.
After a short rest, they both continue their journey. They both walk hand in hand in the warm, glowing sunlight.
"Master, when we get to Canton, can we go sailing on a huge ship?"
"Sure."
"Master, do people speak a different dialect in Canton?"
"Yes."
"Then do you know how to speak Cantonese too, master?"
"I was born and grew up there. Of course I do."
"Then can you teach me too?"
"Sure."
"Master, when we get there can we...."
"Shhhhhh........."
Jingyuan let go of Fuming's hand and dash forward ten feet, and shouted "Come out!"
Soon about 14 men brandishing various weapons came out of the bushes. They wore no uniforms, so they're not soldiers. So obviously they are bandits. They are all filthy, some are grinning, some just look pissed-off for no reason.
"Young man!!" one of them shouted, "Give us all your money and valuables and we'll let you pass."
Jingyuan ignored them.
"Bastard, do you really want to die?!!!!" another shouted.
"Liitle punk, what the hell you think you're doing with those weapons?!!!" another also said.
"Drop the damn weapons as well!!"
All feeling indignant that this punk is not responding, a large man with a tiger fork gave out a gesture to one of the men. One of them walked up to Jingyuan, he is holding a 9-ringed sabre. He is grinning like a hyena as he approaches.
"Punk, just gives us your money and everything's ok. You don't want anything to happen to your cute little daughter do you?" he said with a smirk.
Then he said: "Lucky your wife isn't here as well or else we'll play with her too!"
And all of them laughed loudly and heartily.
Jingyuan suddenly lift up his right hand and swiftly smacks the bandit's face. The bandit's body violently spins a 360, and falls down the ground...........apparently lifeless. All the other bandits were shocked.
"Fuming, close your eyes" Jingyuan orders in a calm quiet voice.
Fuming does as she's been told. Without a warning, Jingyuan rushes forward towards the bandits. The bandits were caught surprised, not even prepared that he would actually dared to rush at them. In a blink of an eye, Jingyuan grabbed a sabre from one of the bandits, slit his throat and slashed 4 others with deadly precision and speed. Then with one single move "Fierce Winds Blows Descending Leaves" he cut down 3 men with one swipe. This sabre style is fierce, powerful, unrelenting, and fast. It was designed to cut down many enemies on the battlefield, a true skill among generals.
The suppossed leader of the group instinctively came from the back and attempts to stab him with his tiger fork. Without looking, he blocks the thrust with the move "Reading Book Under the Moonlight" which is both a defense and a attack. The leader's 4 fingers on his left hand is lopped off. He screams in pain and the other 3 bandits ran for their lives.
Jingyuan then drops the sabre and sternly says to the bandit leader: "This is a lesson, next time you try to rob or plunder or rape, think of today." The bandit runs away, leaving his tiger fork and 4 fingers behind.
Jingyuan walks over to Fuming, who has her eyes closed with her hands covering them the whole time. He held her hand and says to her in a gentle tone: "Don't open your eyes yet".
Not until they walked a good distance from the bloody scene till he let her open her eyes again.
"You can open your eyes now".
She opened them and asks "Master, is it all over?"
"Yes" he says with a forced smile.