Azure Sky, White Dress, Red Blood (Nan Tian, Pai Yi, Hung Shieh)

[genuis8]

Copyright 2004 by Daniel Yu ............... Preview of my work in progress attempt at writing wuxia novel in english. Comments are welcome.

Azure Sky, White Dress, Red Blood (Nan Tian, Pai Yi, Hung Shieh)
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It is early morning, about 4 hours before noon. I perch by the shaded branches overlooking the beach. Overhead, the deep azure sky seems to herald a fine day ahead. I am dressed in white, the color of mourning. Why? Because there will be blood spilled today. Soon, the prominent members of Wulin will gather. From my place, no one is likely to notice my presence, until late (for them, that is).

Breakfast was a light bowl of chicken rice congee at daybreak. Enough to ease the hunger and provide energy, but light enough to avoid slowing me down to the combat ahead. Slowly, members of the Orthodox Sects arrive, some with more pomp than others. Shaolin monks number around 30, led by the Abbott Yi Teng (One Light). With him, are the 5 senior and other top skilled monks. Wutang arrives at the same time with an equal number of fighters, led by the 7 Senior Knights.

Khunlun, Hwashan, and Emei slowly make their way in, each led by their respective masters. Emei keeps a little distance from the other groups as it is not customary for women (and nuns at that) to stay too close to men, for fear of being labelled ****s. The current Wulin Chancellor is Tzin FeiHwa, Master of the Divine Sword Sect, who walks up leisurely with his senior apprentices, while showing off his light skill by leaving a bare trace of footprints on the sand. Nicknamed the Divine Swordsman, he has mastered the 7-Forms Divine Sword style developed by the founder of the sect 5 generations ago. The 7-forms alternate the swift and power strokes, and requires a highly developed internal reservoir of chi to execute effectively.

Songshan Sect arrives with the most members (around 50) led by the Master Wang TaiTze and his 5 lieutenants (known as the Songshan 5 Swords). Wang TaiTze secretly practices the Ice Cold Palm (Han Ping Tzang) and has mastered it. Together with his Broadsword Technique, he is formidable enough to cause trouble, which he really likes to do. He dreams and schemes to be the Wulin Chancellor and is a major stirrer of troubles in the martial world. He is a cruel and ruthless, ambitious man, with a bullying attitude copied by most of his sect members.

I sense the approach of the unorthodox sects. Although the so-called "righteous" fighters sneeringly refer to all unorthodox groups as demonic clans, not all of these engage in evil deeds. Their practices might not be traditional but nevertheless effective. 5-Poison Sect is renowned for their knowledge of poisons, and the members are mostly of the minority Miao Tribe (whereas most people are from the Han Tribe). Feared for their potential deadliness, this group of predominantly female practitioners, have been judicious in their use of the poisons against opponents. Unknown to outsiders, they concentrate more on the studies of how to counter poison with poison, and improve the health using unusual herbs & insects that are considered toxic.

The biggest of the unorthodox sects is the Sun & Moon Sect. The current leader is Hung WenTing, whose Saber Skills is among the best. He also practices the Altered Universe Technique and has reached 5 of its 9 levels. Combined with his Iron Palm, he is considered among the top Wulin fighters. With him are his 4 lieutenants. Nicknamed Bat King, Lion King, Eagle King, and Bear King, these 4 are not behind anyone else in their martial skills. The White Tiger Clan and 3 Vixens Sects have also arrived without fanfare.

One second there was an empty stretch of beach, the next, a gust of wind blows the sand around, and after it settles, over 100 unorthodox fighters can be seen standing quietly. Startled, the orthodox groups suddenly quiet down, and grip their weapons. Embarrassment can be seen on many faces for letting their guard down, unaware of the opponents arrival.

The reason why everyone is here today? Simple. Greed, envy, and hypocrisy. The basic things that cause most of Wulin's problems, and mankind's if you think about it. A handsome man, around 30 years old, stepped out from the White Tiger Clan and walked to the open area between the Orthodox and Unorthodox Sects. He is Casanova Long, master of the Frost Palm and Sword Style. As he walks, mists appear where his feet meet the ground. This is a display of his Frost cold chi meeting the warm sand, and a warning to would be opponents he is not to be trifled with.

As expected, Wang TaiTze of Songshan steps up with a swagger and bellows: "Where are the kung fu manuals?".

Casanova replies, "They are wherever they were hidden by the Evil Taoist and Lama".

Wang: "Not according the what the Evil Duo said".

Casanova: "They just want to create trouble out of spite. But, if you believe them, why don't you ask them where they hid the manuals?".

Wang: "They're dead. How can I ask them? Stop pretending you don't know."

Casanova: "Since you don't believe me, I can help you ask the Evil Duo, by sending you to hell."

Drawing his sword, he walks slowly towards Wang TaiTze who unsheathes his Broadsword. Cling! Clack! Whoosh! Casanova attacks Wang in a straight line, emitting a stream of frost chi ahead of his sword. Wang blocks, and tries to circle his sword against the Frost Sword. It seems as if both fighters are defending but attacking all out.

Thrust and parry, circle and counter-circle, up and down, sword against sword. Wang's Broadsword is wider and heavier, thus requires more strength to wield, while Casanova's sword emits a chilling cold continuously, which causes the opposing swordsman to feel the chill upon contact. Slap! Whomp! Wang's Ice Cold Palm meets Casanova's Frost Palm. A cloud of frost & ice burst upon contact. No injuries to either fighter, but both were driven back a few feet.

The 2 Khunlun Masters stepped forward with their swords pointing at Casanova: "Bring out the manuals or you will be hurt!". Casanova raised an eyebrow, and laughed. "Attack!" someone shouted, and the 2 groups of people jumped forward to fight each other. The Vixens fought the Emei nuns, being traditional opponents. Casanova and his new bride, White Jade and the White Tiger Clan fought against Songshan Sect. Members of the Sun & Moon sect fought against Khunlun and Hwashan groups. The top fighters from Sun & Moon were observing the fight, as are the Shaolin Monks and the Wulin Chancellor with his Divine Sword group. Apprentices fought with apprentices, while the masters sought each other out. After a few minutes, both sides suffered casualties, but nothing major - most bruises, and light wounds. Incredibly, no one was killed yet.

3 sharp whistles caused the Sun & Moon group to retreat back from the fighting, as did both groups. There is now another open space between them. Shaolin's Yi Teng moved forward with his hands in the meditative pose: "O Mi To Fu, Sir Casanova, should return Shaolin's manual, we will leave". The Chancellor also said: "If you return all the stolen manuals to their respective sects, then we are done".

Casanova: "Unfortunately, I don't have it, and don't know where it was stashed. Since no one believes me, let us just fight and get this over with. No need for courtesy. Whoever wants to, just step up". 3 Khunlun senior apprentices stepped forward, but a sharp word from their masters brought them back. The 2 Khunlun masters moved forward. One held a sword while the other held a saber. "Have a taste of our Yin Yang Blades!". Casanova and White Jade stepped up to intercept. Knowing the level of Casanova's skill, the 2 Khunlun masters decided to attack only one opponent together, and targeted White Jade, which they deemed to be less skilled. The slashing sword and saber seemed like a bristle of sharp points, and White Jade only defended herself. Slowly she had to give ground, and Casanova attacked the center of the bristling sword & saber points. Now the 2 Khunlun masters had to give ground against the 2 superior fighters.

Shongshan Master Wang suddenly released an attack of his Ice Palm chi. Casanova met it with his Frost Palm. Ooomph, crack! At this moment, both sides had to give a couple of steps. Immediately the 3 men closed with their blades on Casanova and White Jade. A blur and shadow whizzed in. Eagle King of Sun & Moon Sect joined the fight and blocked Wang's broadsword with his 2 short metal sticks with eagle claws at the end.

Wang: "This is none of your business, stay out of this".

Eagle King: "It is my business. White Tiger Clan is on friendly terms with our sect. And we do want to keep the manuals out from your hands He he he.".

Using a different technique, Casanova launched a series of powerful attacks on the upper bodies, while White Jade attacked the lower part. Forced to defend themselves, the Khunlun duo had to give ground. The chill from the Frost Sword is taking its toll and is slowing down the opponents. With a suddent twist, the 2 Khunlun master were slashed at the mid-arm and thigh. They jumped back into their comrades. Casanova and White Jade did not pursue.

A 30ish Shaolin monk moved forward barehanded. Bat King of Sun & Moon jumped in to deal with the Songshan Master, while Eagle King moved to confront the monk. "It is said Shaolin Dragon Claws is without equal. Today, I want to match my Eagles Claw and see how it should be ranked". With these words, Eagle King jumped and attacked the monk barehanded with his hands formed in a pair of eagle claws using the thumb and forefingers. The monk used all five fingers with the thumb opposite the other four in a claw form that looks like the letter C. They exchanged blows and kicks, spinning kicks on the ground, jump and twirling claws blocking and tearing. Clothes along their forearms were ripped and a few trails of blood can be soon on both fighters' arms.

[genuis8]

From the initial exchange of blows and kicks, it seemed an even fight. The Shaolin monk decided to up the ante. He took a wide horse stance, exerted his chi, and attacked using the Rising Dragon form. Each of his hands moved in a semi-circle from the center outwards to meet at the bottom, while pushing towards Eagle King. The tremendous chi generated seemed like a swirl of dragon claws came at Eagle King, who took a 3-point horse stance (right foot ahead of the left foot, with both toes pointing towards each other at 30 degree angle), used his chi to counter with the Dropping Eagle form. This created a smaller cone shaped form of chi with its tip drilling into the surrounding dragon claws. Since the energy was more concentrated, it was able to advance through and hit the monk, who flew back and landed on his butt. Eagle King was also hit by the monk's chi, and staggered back several steps. Both suffered minor injuries, none of which was visible. They both retreated to meditate their chi for healing.

In the meantime, Bat King was using his lightfoot kungfu to keep Songshan Master Wang occupied. Now that the fight between Eagle King and the Dragon Claw monk ended, he sped back to his comrades, leaving a frustrated Master Wang, who signalled his 5 lieutenants to attack Casanova Long and White Jade. As they jumped and flew towards the couple, you can hear a whistling sound as 15 Phantom Needles flew towards the 5 fighters, thrown by the 5 Senior Vixens.

Unable to retreat in mid-air, they could have been easy targets, but Master Wang used his Ice Palm chi to freeze and deflect only 5. Against him, he could have deflected all 15, but against 5 targets, it was just too wide a range. Thrumm, thrumm! Ting, ting! It was the Solar Finger (Yi Yang Tze) from Shaolin Master Yi Teng. The sounds came from the energy hitting the needs and their impact onto the ground. It looked like beams of light met the needles and the needles smacked the ground. "O Mi To Fu, ladies please be merciful.". As the 5 fighters landed, they jumped back immediately because the needles landed on the ground just ahead of their touchdown point.

5 Senior Emei nuns combined their chi and used their swords to direct an attack against the Vixens. 5 streaking lines along the sand throwing up dust along the way headed for the Vixens group. Suddenly a cloud of smoke and chi blocked the Emei attacked, foiled it, and both smoke and attack faded away. Someone gasped: "Absorbing Stance!" as indeed it was Sun & Moon Leader Hung WenTing who interfered. It was not Absorbing Stance since Master Hung just used his chi to redirect the Emei nuns' attack into the ground, but the level of skill was just as high. The Emei Mistress, an ordinary looking woman in her early forties, streaked towards the Vixens. She unsheathed her sword, showing a Precious Sword inlaid with a streak of green jade along the middle line. It is a sword with a well-known history of being used by several top Wulin fighters.

As the nun approached, The Senior Vixen moved towards her with strands of 3-inch wide clothes that have a metal tube with sharp points at both ends. Emei attacked with a twirling sword and chi movement and Vixen replied with 2 swirling strands, one against the sword, another against the sword wielder. No words were spoken, just grunts and groans of 2 people in working hard against each other. Their movements were flowery and graceful, showing good lightfoot and sword skills. As one attacks, the other defends and counters. For a layman, it is hard to imagine how strands of cloths can hurt you, or even withstand being cut by a sharp sword.

The sharp metal tubes at each end allows the wielder to throw one end of the cloth strand at the enemy since it is weighted, and use her chi to create a swirling rope-like effect to push/pull the strand. If anyone has played with a wet towel, you know how painful it is to be hit by one that is wet, twirled and flicked at you. The cloth strands can be used to ensnare and envelop the opponents to allow the wielder to finish you off with a dagger or dart, and the sharp ends of the metal poles can be used as flying points that can dig into someone's flesh and be dragged and torn. As for the cloths, they are made from special type of spider silk, and treated using a special process to make it hard to cut. It is imbedded with metallic flakes and rubber to make it hard to cut. Have you tried to use a knife to cut rubber? The Vixens also carry swords on their backs, but their favorite weapons are the Strands and Needles combination.

The 2 women are fighting fast and furiously. Emei Mistress has to use her chi and one hand to defend against the strands while attacking with her sword. Senior Vixen has to evade the sword thrusts by moving her body around, at the same time using both strands to attack and defend against the nun's sword. Suddenly Emei Mistress stops defending, letting one of the strands envelop her, and put both hands on her sword. Focusing her whole chi, she let loose a full 100% attack in 2 blows. 1st strike is against the strand tightening around her; Next against Senior Vixen. As a result, the strand was cut, and the nun flung off the surrounding strand. Senior Vixen used the other strand to catch it, and whip it towards the back of the nun, simultaneously shooting a needle towards the nun, who concentrated on the 3rd full strike. Senior Vixen had to repel the two strikes against her with her full chi, and suffered 2 small gashes on her chest. Emei Mistress was hit by a needle on her shoulder, and hit from the back with the 4-inch metal pole from a strand. Both fighters fell back still holding their weapons, but slightly injured. As they moved back, 4 of their comrades put a hand each on their shoulders to transfer some chi & assist in the healing.