AUTUMN'S TRAGEDY
Wong Bic Wun (Fleeting Cloud) – Barbara Yung
Lai Chau Fung (Autumn Breeze) – Gigi Lai
Yeung Lan Fa (Orchid) – Tavia Yeung
Leung Siu Suet (Little Snow) – Vivian Leung
Chan Chung Ling – Nadia Chan
Cheung Chi Lam – Julian Cheung
Matron of Four Seasons of Rebirth – Mei Suet
Lee Yeuk Tung - Carmen Lee
The wind softly brushed against a young maiden of twenty one years as she leaned against a column supporting the pagoda. Her eyes turned upward as she thanked the Lord for the many blessings she had received this year and she closed her eyes as she reflected on how she met the man who she would soon wed. Her smile crept on her face as she remembered the inevitable grand celebration in the upcoming week. Although she preferred a smaller wedding, the special circumstances surrounding the engaged pair drew attention in molam, and members from every prestigious sects hinted for an invitation to perhaps the grandest celebration in molam.
“Chau Fung,” a voice whispered against her ear. Lai Chau Fung opened her eyes and turned her attention to the man who she had promised herself to, Cheung Chi Lam.
“Did you wait here long?” She shook her head in denial as he gently took her hand and walked down to the bridge where couples build memories. The two happily discussed the details of their upcoming wedding, which would strengthen the relationship between their respective sects.
Lai Chau Fung was well known among her apprentice sisters as the leader of the Autumn division of Four Seasons of Rebirth, a respected molam organization exclusively for women. It could be said that Four Seasons of Rebirth was a refuge for those who wished to seek forgiveness and to let go of the past.
Her fiancé, Cheung Chi Lam, had been appointed as the future leader of the Alpha Phoenix Society. This sect rapidly and mysteriously emerged about forty five years ago, and the founder of the society appeared from nowhere. No one knew his background and no one understood the nature of the founder’s death, but under his leadership, the society rapidly flourished as its reputation rippled throughout molam. It was well known that the Alpha Phoenix Society held the number one spot in molam even though it had only existed for forty five years.
Four Seasons of Rebirth had been the sister sect of the Alpha Phoenix Society for forty years, but this would be the first time two prominent figures from both sects were engaged. Everyone in molam knew that this unity would eventually lead to a rise in both organizations’ power; hence, members from every sect desired to pay their respect to maintain good relations with the two sects and to guarantee protection from the sects.
The pair of lovers were immersed in their conversation when the sound of footsteps disrupted their blissful moment. Another beautiful maiden hurried toward the pair and Chau Fung recognized her to be a member of the Autumn division.
She became worried as she saw the panic expression on her face, “What is it, junior apprentice sister Chan?”
The girl anxiously revealed, “First senior apprentice sister, our sect has been attacked.”
The trio quickly returned to Four Seasons of Rebirth and witnessed the massacre. Lai Chau Fung and Chan Chung Ling were momentarily shocked by the deaths of their apprentice sisters, but the sound of the matron of Four Seasons or Rebirth’s voice reminded them of their duties, “Dragons, combine forces!”
Lai Chau Fung eyed the room and only saw two other division leaders but could not find the Winter division leader to complete their ring of four Dragons.
She looked at Chi Lam and Chan Chung Ling and ordered, “Quick, find junior apprentice sister Leung!”
Chi Lam and Chung Ling nodded and left. Briefly after their departure, a figure in white somersaulted into the room and landed next to the matron to protect her. After securing the safety of the matron, the figure submissively said, “Teacher.”
The matron nodded at the Winter division leader and commanded, “Dragons, execute Fiery Anger of the Invincible Dragons.”
Four young women unsheathed their treasured swords as they somersaulted to their respective corners. They surrounded their enemies and killed them continuously as the four converged to the center. With the reunion of the four, an energy field was created to protect the four. They cultivated their qi and enabled their minds to control their swords to kill the remainder intruders in the room.
The four retrieved their swords when the last body slumped against the ground and they faced the matron and simultaneously kneeled, “Teacher, please forgive your disciple for failing to protect the sect.”
The matron sighed as her eyes meticulously wandered around the room, “Since the beginning of our existence, our sect has never offended anyone. Who would do this to us and why? So many of your apprentice sisters today have died without a reason.”
At that moment, a projectile shoot across the room when the four Dragons busily grieved for the lost of their apprentice sisters. Then hundreds of projectiles swarm into the room. While the remaining disciples in the room used their swords to protect themselves, a body swiftly flew into the room and attacked the matron, and thirty more followed to attack the sect.
As Chan Chung Ling passed the threshold and returned to the room, she saw a projectile targeting the matron. She quickly pushed the matron out of the way and was directly hit in the back right shoulder. Seeing this, the matron froze the qi and blood circulating to that region of Chung Ling's body in case the projectile was poisoned.
The four Dragons had not fully recovered their strength as they expended most of their qi while executing “Fiery Anger of the Invincible Dragons.” They had a difficult time defending themselves and relied on their apprentice sisters to ward off the attackers. Ten masked figures ambushed the matron while she was busy tending to Chan Chung Ling and one successfully plunged his sword into her chest. “Teacher,” all the disciples screamed out. As the figures retreated, they blew more projectiles in the way, and one hit one of the four dragons in her neck.
“Apprentice sister Wu!” her surrounding apprentice sisters painfully screamed. Hearing the matron speak, the disciples remained quiet as they anticipated her final words, “Four Seasons needs a matron and… it has to be one.. of the four…Dragons.”
She choked on her last word and took her last breath but her eyes remained open for her death was restless and unsettled. “Teacher!!!” everyone cried.
Amidst the crying, Chan Chung Ling looked at Lai Chau Fung with much sympathy. Chung Ling struggled to crawl towards Chau Fung and managed to utter, “First senior apprentice sister, Brother Cheung…he’s…he’s.”
Lai Chau Fung whipped her head around to look at Chan. She had been so busy defending herself and her sect that she had forgotten about him. She gripped her hands around Chung Ling’s forearms as she asked in dread, “He…what’s wrong with him?”
Chung Ling squirmed in pain from the pressure in her right shoulder; she looked down at the ground as she did not have the heart to tell her, “He’s dead.”
Chau Fung’s face turned deathly pale before she fainted from the news. When she regained consciousness, she saw faces staring back at her. She spotted Chung Ling and asked, “How did he die?”
Chung Ling awkwardly looked at everyone in the room and gulped, “He..he…”
Chau Fung knew that Chung Ling was withholding the truth but she was too hysterical to be patient with her, “Tell me now, please! How did he die?”
“He was attacked while trying to protect me.”
Chau Fung’s eyes widened in disbelief, “Ridiculous. He’s the next leader of the Alpha Phoenix Society; he’s too skilled to die like that.”
A maiden with extraordinarily expressive eyes rested her hand against Chau Fung’s shoulder and spoke up, “First senior apprentice sister, I know it’s hard for you to accept his death, but you cannot doubt junior apprentice sister Chan’s words.”
The maiden in white stepped forward and finally talked, “Senior apprentice sister Wong is correct. When you finally accept the truth, we will be able to discuss the future of Four Seasons of Rebirth. I hope you don’t disappoint me.”
The other disciples tilted their heads down. They knew she spoke the truth although they all felt that her words were too harsh and cold blooded for the situation. The maiden in white looked at all of them and signaled for them to meet outside.
After she left, the owner of the expressive eyes, Wong Bic Wun, softly voiced, “Ignore junior apprentice sister Leung; she has always been like that. Take as much time as you need.”
Chau Fung looked at all of the disciples with gratitude and determinedly revealed, “She’s right. Four Seasons of Rebirth needs a leader. I cannot be selfish and delay the delegation of the new leader. Please give me until sunset and I will see all of you in the meeting room.”
The only person who immediately followed the maiden in white was a pretty young maiden in pink who beseeched her, “Senior apprentice sister Leung, you shouldn’t have said those words to first senior apprentice sister. She is still grieving over the deaths of Teacher, our other apprentice sisters, and her fiancé.”
The maiden in white, Leung Siu Suet, looked at her and coolly replied, “Grieving will not bring them back and will not help with the future of Four Seasons of Rebirth. Junior apprentice sister Yeung, you should understand that it is Teacher’s final wish to make sure our sect endures.”
“You…you should’ve been more sympathetic with her situation. Teacher had raised her since she was an infant. She sees Teacher as her mother. How would you react if your mother and sisters and fiancé died in the same day?”
Leung Siu Suet coldly stared at Yeung Lan Fa, who suddenly realized that she should not have lectured a senior apprentice sister. The two walked to the meeting room in silence.
The remaining disciples of Four Seasons of Rebirth gathered in the meeting room; Lai Chau Fung finally stepped into the room and took her seat as the leader of the Autumn division. She looked around and sighed when she saw the empty seats where the matron used to sit and where the former leader of the Spring division used to sit. She turned to look at the leader of the Summer division, Wong Bic Wung, and then to the leader of the Winter division, Leung Siu Suet.
Leung Siu Suet, a woman of few words who spoke only when necessary, started the meeing, “We all heard Teacher’s last words and we all know the criteria for the new leader.”
Wong Bic Wun recalled the criteria, “The new matron needs to be or was a division leader who is still active in the sect. She must be willing to become a nun and devote her life to the interest of the sect and its disciples. But…,” she stalled as she felt that none of the current division leaders wanted to live a life of celibacy, “But none of us meets all of the criteria.”
Lai Chau Fung stood up and declared, “I’m willing to dedicate my life to the interest of this sect.”
Chan Chung Ling objected, “First senior apprentice sister, have you thought about it thoroughly?”
Lai Chau Fung calmly smiled at her, “Junior apprentice sister Chan, you don’t need to worry. Brother Cheung is the only man I will ever love. I am like a dead person without his presence. However, because Teacher has done so much for me, I am willing to put forth my life to this sect for her.” Looking at every member in the room and then at Leung Siu Suet, “Unless someone else wishes to be the sect leader.”
Leung Siu Suet knew that she was hated by many in the sect and she also knew that it was futile for her to object as her supporters in the sect were few, if any, thus she kept quiet. Furthermore, she knew that Chau Fung was the wisest of all the disciples and the most fair among the division leaders. All the disciples kneeled to greet their new matron.
Chau Fung continued, “We will also need to appoint a new leader for the Spring Division. Lee Yeuk Tung and Yeung Lan Fa,” the two disciples stepped forward, “You two are the most skilled in the Spring division currently and you two also possess the most potential to successfully lead the Spring division. Unfortunately, there is only one position available. We will hold a competition in two days to test your qualifications. Junior apprentice sister Wong will be responsible for testing your intelligence. Junior apprentice sister Leung will test your kung fu skills. And I will have my own test for you.”
Chau Fung then addressed the entire sect, “Today has been a long day. We will have a proper burial for Teacher and will start to formally mourn for everyone’s death tomorrow.” Then she silently thought to herself, "Forgive me Brother Cheung for not joining you."