Swordsman (笑傲江湖小说)

[szfong]

If he learns the KHBD copy he would be more powerful than YBQ and LHC then

If he gets into a fight with LHC i wonder who will DFBB help

I think he'll try to kill his dear sister using a lowly method before battling LHC. LHC will heroically saves DFBB from her little brother. So, when LHC and he fight, DFBB already has a VERY bad impression of her little brother.

[Steven Chen]

If he learns the KHBD copy he would be more powerful than YBQ and LHC then

If he gets into a fight with LHC i wonder who will DFBB help

JY never did mention in his novel which copy is better though most people assumed BXJF is better because LYT memorised everything the two Huashan Sect apprentices read to him and compiled a copy from his own understanding of martial arts.

Eager to see how Ms Dongfang is going to turn things around. I already noticed that the granny is not Ying neither is it DFBB

[Eccentric One]

JY never did mention in his novel which copy is better though most people assumed BXJF is better because LYT memorised everything the two Huashan Sect apprentices read to him and compiled a copy from his own understanding of martial arts.

Eager to see how Ms Dongfang is going to turn things around. I already noticed that the granny is not Ying neither is it DFBB

DFBB in the original novel is the number one fighter so her copy should be a better version.

[Steven Chen]

DFBB in the original novel is the number one fighter so her copy should be a better version.

It's one of those details that JY left out so perhaps DFBB's copy was a more profound version.

[Chongdong Bubai]

Waiting eagerly for chapter 19

[Dongfang Xue]

Yue Lingfeng lied under a big tree at the bottom of a mountain. He subconsciously opened his eyes and saw a figure of a woman crouching in front of him calling out his name. He felt numb all over his body and fell unconscious once more.

Ying Ying shook Yue Lingfeng by the shoulders. “Yue Lingfeng! What happened to you? Are you alright?!!!” she shouted hysterically. She placed her fingers on Yue Lingfeng’s wrist to check on his pulse. “His meridian channel is injured badly and his pulse is extremely weak,” she uttered to herself dishearteningly.

Yang Lianting pulled a knife out from his chest pocket. “He is a disciple of the righteous sect. We should make use of this opportunity to kill him!” he exclaimed.

Ying Ying glared at Yang Lianting viciously and shouted, “If you want to preserve your pitiful life I suggest that you shut up!”

Yang Lianting was startled. He quickly put the knife away and bowed at Ying Ying. “Subordinate deserves to die. Please forgive subordinate’s foolishness,” he stuttered.

Ying Ying placed Yue Lingfeng in a sitting position and started to transfer her inner energy to him. At that moment, she only had one thing in mind and that is to preserve Yue Lingfeng’s life. Even though they had only met once but after hearing so much about him from Qu Feiyan, she felt as though she had known him for a long time.

Yang Lianting looked at Ying Ying astonishingly. “This kid must be real close to her. I have never seen her saving anyone’s life before…” he thought to himself.

An hour later, Yue Lingfeng lied inside an abandoned shack.

Ying Ying stood at the doorway looking at the cloudy sky above her. She was very worried about Yue Lingfeng. Her inner strength was shallow hence it was only able to preserve Yue Lingfeng’s life temporarily.

Yang Lianting and six other men clad in black robe arrived at the shack shortly. The six men bowed at Ying Ying with their hands cupped. “Subordinate pays respect to the Holy Maiden!”

Ying Ying looked away and said, “I need you all to find Ping Yizhi’s whereabouts. Only he can save my friend here.”

A man clad in black robe looked up at her and said, “Someone saw Ping Yizhi at Luoyang City months ago. Subordinate believes that he is still there.”

“We’ll leave for Luoyang City right away then,” Ying Ying responded.

Two men clad in black propped Yue Lingfeng by the shoulders and followed Ying Ying from behind.

…………………………

It was a cold black night. Linghu Chong sat in an alley drinking wine alone recalling how his master took the life of Yue Lingfeng. The more he thought about it the more heartbroken he became. “If Master can take Second Apprentice Brother’s life away so easily, he would certainly not hesitate to take mine too,” Linghu Chong thought to himself. “When I see Miss Dongfang again the next time, how am I going to tell her that Master killed her only brother…” He let out a sigh of despair and took another gulp of wine from a bottle.

Lao Denuo appeared at the alley and came running towards him. “Senior Apprentice Brother,” he stooped down and propped Linghu Chong by the arm.

Linghu Chong looked up at him with a smile. “Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be with them?” he asked.

Lao Denuo smiled and said, “You have not recovered from your injury. I was worried about you so I came here to look for you.”

Linghu Chong looked at him surprisingly. Other than Lu Dayou and Yue Lingshan, he was never close to the other Huashan Sect apprentices. He was surprise Lao Denuo’s sudden concern. “Leave me alone!” he took another gulp of wine and chocked himself.

Lao Denuo took the wine away from him. “Too much wine is not good for your health. Why don’t I carry you back,” he said.

Linghu Chong nodded and slowly pulled himself up from the ground.

Lao Denuo propped him by the shoulder and walked him back to the inn.

Later that night, Linghu Chong was resting in bed with his eyes shut.

A figure sat beside him and patted him on the shoulder. “Big Apprentice Brother!” the figure called out.

Linghu Chong opened his eyes and noticed that it was Lu Dayou. “Dayou! You’re back!” he yelled happily.

Lu Dayou sobbed and said, “Big Apprentice Brother…I died horribly…”

Linghu Chong immediately woke up from his sleep and shouted, “Dayou!” He realized that it was only a dream.

Just then, he heard two people whispering outside the room. He looked toward the direction of the whispering and noticed that it was Lin Pingzhi and Lao Denuo who were standing outside.

“Third Apprentice Brother, Master asked if Senior Apprentice Brother did anything unusual today,” Lin Pingzhi whispered.

Lao Denuo replied in a soft voice, “Don’t wake Senior Apprentice Brother. Let’s go and talk somewhere else.” He placed his arm around Lin Pingzhi’s shoulder and walked away with him.

Linghu Chong clenched his teeth in anger. “No wonder Third Apprentice Brother is so nice to me. It was Master told him to keep an eye one me…Master is suspicious of me…” he sighed in despair. Feeling devastated, he reached for the bottle on the table and took another gulp of wine.

The following morning, Yue Buqun and his wife were having breakfast with their disciples at a food stall. Lin Pingzhi was busy telling them about the famous places and food in Luoyang City.

Yue Lingshan smiled and said, “Once we arrive at Luoyang City you’ll have to buy her a meal.”

Lin Pingzhi returned a smile and said, “Sure. Once we get to Luoyang City I’ll bring you all to a place that serves the most delicious food.”

Linghu Chong glared at them agitatedly. He was angry not because he was jealous of Lin Pingzhi but because his master, mistress and apprentice siblings had been ignoring him since they left Chang’An City. He rose from his seat and walked away furiously.

Ning Zhongze noticed him walking away discontentedly. She excused herself from the group and went after him.

Linghu Chong sat in the reeds at the edge of the river, throwing small stones into the stream.

“Chong’er,” Ning Zhongze called out.

Linghu Chong got up from the ground and ran toward her. “Mistress!” he held Ning Zhongze’s hand and helped her to sit down on a rock.

Ning Zhongze smiled and said, “Chong’er, do you remember when did you join Huashan Sect was?”

Linghu Chong replied, “I remember. That year the plague spread into our village. My father and mother died while my little sister went missing. I became homeless and had to beg for food. Fortunately Master and Mistress accepted me as a disciple. It’s been fifteen years already.”

Ning Zhongze nodded and said, “Shan’er was only three years old at that time. Among all the disciples you and Feng’er were the most intelligent and sharp. Now that Feng’er is gone Huashan Sect would be handed to you sooner or later. Your Master and I have great expectations for you. Don’t let us down.”

Linghu Chong interrupted, “Mistress, Master is suspicious of me. He told third apprentice to watch over me.”

Ning Zhongze let out a sigh and said, “Many things have happened lately. The Lin Family’s Resisting Evil Sword manual has disappeared and the Divine Art of Violet Twilight manual got stolen. Your martial arts skills have also improved tremendously lately. Judging from all this, you can’t blame your Master for suspecting you?”

Linghu Chong turned away and said, “I have already conveyed the Lin couple’s dying wish to their son. I’ve never seen the Resisting Evil Sword manual before neither did I take the Divine Art of Violet Twilight manual. The sword skills that I’ve been using were imparted to me by an exponent. But I promised him that I will not reveal his identity.” He paused for a moment and continued, “Mistress, you must believe me.”

Ning Zhongze narrowed her eyes and looked away doubtfully.

Linghu Chong was devastated to see that his Mistress did not seem to believe him either. “Very well! Since Mistress does not believe me, I’ll kill myself to prove my innocence!” he grabbed the handle of his sword and pulled it out from the scabbard.

Ning Zhongze immediately grabbed a stone and hurled it at Linghu Chong’s hand.

Feeling a slight pain in his hand, he let go of his sword and dropped it to the ground.

“Chong’er! Life is full of suffering and unhappiness. If you’re going to simply take away your own life because of some small matter, how are you going to carry on with your life?” Ning Zhongze shouted.

Linghu Chong dropped to his knees and burst into tears.

Ning Zhongze stared at him and continued, “As a man you should face your problems with your head up!” She then walked over to him and stooped down beside him. “Ever since you were a kid, I was the one who took care of you whenever you were not well. I understand your personality. If you said no then it must be true,” she said

Linghu Chong turned toward her and said, “Thank you, Mistress.”

“Don’t worry. No matter what happens I will continue to support you and trust you,” Ning Zhonze explained.

Linghu Chong embraced his mistress and said, “Mistress, thank you!” His eyes were filled with tears. Just when he thought that the entire Huashan Sect had abandoned him, his mistress showed him care and support. His heart was filled with much warmth.

After travelling for many days, the Huashan Sect disciples finally arrived at Luoyang City with their master and mistress. Yue Buqun stood outside an inn and said, “We will stay here tonight.”

Lin Pingzhi stepped forward and said, “Master, I’ll go to my grandfather’s home to inform them so that they can come and greet you and mistress.”

Yue Buqun made a hand gesture and said, “That would not be necessary.”

Lin Pingzhi replied, “I hope that Master will allow me to inform them. Otherwise grandfather will say that I am discourteous.”

Ning Zhongze looked at her husband and said, “Senior Apprentice Brother, Pingzhi hasn’t returned home for a long time. I am sure that he misses his grandfather.”

Yue Buqun nodded and responded, “Very well. You may go and inform your grandfather.”

Lin Pingzhi bowed with his hands cupped. “I will go right away.”

Ning Zhongze smiled and said, “Senior Apprentice Brother, even though Pingzhi is young but he is responsible and matured just like you.”

Yue Buqun laughed as he walked into the inn.

Linghu Chong folded his arms and stared at them with a displeasing look on his face. He was just unhappy to see all of them bursting with joy and pretended as though he did not exist.

Later that evening, Lao Denuo happily ran into a room. “Senior Apprentice Brother!” he called out.

Linghu Chong was lazing on a bench eating some nuts. He cast a glance at Lao Denuo and said, “What’s the matter? Why are you so happy?” he asked indifferently.

Lao Denuo reached his hand out and showed him a piece banknote. “Take a look!” he said with a smile.

Linghu Chong held the banknote in his hand and took a close look at it. “Wow! Forty taels of silver! Did you pick this off the streets?” he asked curiously.

Lao Denuo shook his head and said, “Nope. But actually it’s no different from picking it off the streets. You have your share too.”

Linghu Chong raised his brows and looked at him astonishingly. “I have a share too?” he asked.

Lao Denuo sat down next to him and continued, “Of course! Golden Saber Senior Hero Wang gave us a red packet each when he came to greet Master and Mistress. The Wang Family is indeed generous. Not only did he send us lots of expensive gifts. He even gave each disciple forty taels of silver. Senior Apprentice Brother, you should go and greet him too.”

Linghu Chong yawned and said, “I’m not going.”

Lao Denuo frowned and responded, “Why not? You can use the forty taels of silver to buy wine.”

Linghu Chong sneered and said, “What so great about forty taels of silver? The Wang Family just wants to show off their wealth. I am not interested to see any of them. I’m going out to buy wine.” He climbed out of the bed and walked toward the door.

Lao Denuo quickly ran after him. “Senior Apprentice Brother! Come back!” he yelled.

Linghu Chong turned around and glared at him angrily. “What is it now? Can’t I refuse to accept the forty taels of silver?!!” he snorted.

Lao Denuo replied, “I’m afraid that you don’t have a choice. Master insisted that you must go and visit Master Wang.”

Linghu Chong shook his head and let out a sigh. Initially he thought that if he stayed in the room all day he would be able to avoid meeting the Wang Family. But since his master had issued an order, he had no choice but to do as he was told.

Inside a bigger room at the inn, Yue Buqun was busy talking to a white haired old man. His name was Wang Yuanba, the head of the Golden Saber clan. “Head Master Yue, we be grateful to you for taking Pingzhi as your disciple. From now on, our Golden Saber clan and Huashan Sect are like a family,” Wang Yuanba said.

Yue Buqun laughed and said, “That’s for sure. Golden Blade clan has been renowned in the martial arts community for decades. Even our Huashan Sect’s ancestors spoke very highly of the Golden Blade clan. It is our honor to finally meet Senior Hero Wang. It would be great if Senior Hero Wang can give a few pointers to our disciples.”

Wang Yuanba shook his hand and said with a smile, “You’re overestimating me.”

Lao Denuo and Linghu Chong stepped into the room. Lao Denuo bowed at Yue Buqun and said, “Master, Senior Apprentice Brother has arrived.”

Linghu Chong bowed at Yue Buqun as he greeted his master.

Yue Buqun looked at Wang Yuanba and said, “Senior Hero Wang, this is our Huashan Sect’s eldest disciple Linghu Chong.”

Wang Yuanba looked at Linghu Chong while nodding his head.

Yue Buqun turned toward Linghu Chong and continued, “Chong’er, pay your respect to Senior Hero Wang.”

Linghu Chong pursed his lips and bowed at Wang Yuanba with his hands cupped. “Junior Linghu Chong pays respect to Senior Hero Wang.”

Wang Yuanba smiled and said, “Great!”

Yue Buqun smirked, “Chong’er, how come you did not kneel at Senior Hero Wang when you greeted him?”

Lin Pingzhi walked over to his grandfather and said, “Grandfather, Senior Apprentice Brother is injured hence he is unable to kneel.”

Wang Yuanba laughed and said, “No problem!” He then reached for a red packet and handed it to Linghu Chong. “Martial Nephew Linghu, I have a gift for you. Please accept it,” he said.

Linghu Chong hesitantly took hold of the red packet. He knitted his brows and thought to himself for a moment and then continued with a grin. “Senior Hero Wang, I’ll accept it then. This should be enough for me to get some wine.”

Wang Yuanba looked at him astonishingly. He was surprise to see a disciple of the well-respected Huashan Sect being so forthright.

Yue Buqun rose from his seat and slapped Linghu Chong on the face. “How can you be so rude to an elder!” he shouted angrily.

Linghu Chong staggered to the side and fell down to the ground in shock.

Wang Yuanba immediately walked over to Yue Buqun and patted him on the back. “Head Master Yue, since you’re in Henan Province, you must come and stay in our home for a few days and enjoy our hospitality,” he said with a smile.

Yue Buqun took a step back as he returned a smile.

Ning Zhongze got up from her seat and walked over to them. “Master Wang, you’re too courteous,” she said with a bow.

Wang Yuanba responded, “The carriage is already waiting outside. Please come with me.” He placed his arm around Yue Buqun’s shoulder and walked him out of the room.

Yue Buqun glared at Linghu Chong displeasingly as he exited the room with Wang Yuanba.

Everyone else exited the room after them leaving Linghu Chong all by himself.

Linghu Chong folded his arms and paid no attention to either of them, not even his little apprentice sister.

………………………………

The group soon arrived at the Wang Family manor. After showing the Huashan Sect disciples to the guest room, Wang Yuanba and his son Wang Bofen had a chat with Lin Pingzhi in the study room. “I will use whatever resources I have to avenge your parents death,” Wang Yuanba asserted. He then paused for a moment and continued, “Pingzhi, so you’re saying that Yue Canghai was going after your family’s Resisting Evil sword manual. Do you know where the manual is right now?”

Lin Pingzhi replied, “Grandfather, I have already memorized all the Resisting Evil Swordplay’s moves. But father once said that Resisting Evil sword manual was never written on a paper. Even if it was written down, there are still some important techniques missing. Even father was not clear about this.”

Wang Bofen knitted his brows and said, “The missing techniques are probably the essential portion of the Resisting Evil Swordplay. Did you father provide you any clue before he died?”

Lin Pingzhi shook his head. “My Senior Apprentice Brother said that my father did not mention anything about the manual before he died,” he replied.

Wang Bofen looked away and continued, “Since Yue Canghai did not get his hands on the manual, neither was it with your parents than someone else must have gotten it.”

Wang Yuanba looked at Lin Pingzhi and said, “Pingzhi, how is your Senior Apprentice Brother’s personality and his martial arts skills?”

Lin Pingzhi replied, “Senior Apprentice Brother is a nice guy. But his martial arts skills seemed to have improved tremendously. He even blinded a group of martial arts exponents with just one move lately.”

Wang Bofen hummed and said, “This is weird. Could it be that your Senior Apprentice Brother stole the manual? Only the skills of the Resisting Evil Swordplay are capable of blinding a group of martial arts exponents with one move. It must be that kid, Linghu Chong who stole your manual! Otherwise it would be impossible for him to surpass Yue Buqun’s martial arts skills.”

Lin Pingzhi shook his head and said, “That is impossible. Senior Apprentice Brother does not seem to be someone like that.”

Wang Bofen patted Lin Pingzhi’s shoulder with a smile. “Pingzhi, you cannot judge someone from his appearance. When you parents died, Linghu Chong was the only person with them. Perhaps he intentionally hid your parents will and secretly practiced the skills in the manual.”

Lin Pingzhi pursed his lips and started pondering about his uncle’s words. He knew that his uncle had more experience roaming the martial arts world compared to him hence his assumption could be accurate.

Wang Yuanba sighed and said, “Your parents lost their lives trying to protect this sword manual. No matter how difficult it is, you must regain the manual to fulfill their wishes.”

Lin Pingzhi bowed at his grandfather with his hands cupped. “I will never forget my parents’ death. I will remember grandfather’s words,” he said.

…………..

The following day, Linghu Chong took a short walk in the backyard and returned to his room. He pushed the door open and noticed Lin Pingzhi sitting at a table.

Lin Pingzhi rose from his seat with and smiled at Linghu Chong. “Senior Apprentice Brother, my grandfather instructed me to bring you some medical pills. It is good for your injuries,” he pulled a small box out from his chest pocket.

Linghu Chong held the small box in his hand. “Please thank him for me,” he said.

“I will. Get some rest,” Ling Pingzhi said. He then turned towards the door and walked out of the room.

Linghu Chong sneered and dumped the small box onto the table. Since he did not have a very good impression of the Wang Family, he was He went over to the bed and pulled a manual out from his garment bag. It was the Laughing In The Martial Arts musical score. He tucked manual in his chest pocket.

Later, Wang Bofen arrived at the room. He dashed towards Linghu Chong and pushed his palm out at him without saying a word.

Linghu Chong immediately leaped out of the bed to dodge the attack.

Wang Bofen raised both his hands and continued to attack Linghu Chong with a series of fierce palm strikes.

After deflecting the final strike, Linghu Chong staggered to the back and felt a slight pain in his chest. The streams of inner energy inside his body had been aggravated. He knocked against the wall and gasped in pain.

Wang Bofen placed his hands behind his back and smiled. “I heard that Brother Linghu has superior martial arts skills. I was only trying to get some pointers from you. Please forgive me for being impolite,” he said.

Linghu Chong stared at him suspiciously. “No problem. It was just a friendly competition,” he said in a stern voice.

Wang Bofen smirked and said, “According to Pingzhi, when my sister and brother in law died, you were the only one by their side.”

Linghu Chong responded indifferently, “So what?”

Wang Bofen continued, “My brother in law had a sword manual by the name of Resisting Evil Swordplay. He instructed you to give the manual to Pingzhi just before he died. Why have you not done so?”

Linghu Chong looked at him with his eyes wide open. “Who told you that I had the Resisting Evil Swordplay manual that I am supposed to give to Junior Apprentice Brother Lin?” he asked astonishingly.

Wang Bofen smiled coldly and said, “If it’s not true why do you look so nervous? You blinded a group of martial arts exponents with just one move. Only the Resisting Evil Swordplay would have such superior skills. How do you explain this?”

Linghu Chong narrowed his eyes and glared at Wang Bofen suspiciously. “No wonder Master, Mistress and the other apprentice brothers did not appreciate me for saving their lives. Instead, they have been keeping a distance from me. They must have suspected that I stole the Resisting Evil Swordplay manual. I don’t blame other people for suspecting me but Master, Mistress and Little Apprentice Sister should know what kind of person I am but yet they still suspect me,” he thought to himself disappointedly.

Wang Bofen sneered, “What is just said must be right that’s why you are unable to give me an explanation. Where is the Resisting Evil Swordplay manual? As long as you return the manual to Pingzhi we will not give you any problems.”

Linghu Chong glared at him and said, “I will only say this once. When the Lin couple died, they did not give me any sword manual. If they truly had the Resisting Evil Sword manual they would have been unbeatable and no one would have been able to kill them.”

Wang Bofen immediately shot his hand out and struck Linghu Chong in the chest.

Linghu Chong stepped aside to avoid the strike.

Wang Bofen lifted up his leg and sent a swift kick at Linghu Chong’s chest followed by a palm strike to his chest.

Linghu Chong lost his balance and fell down to the floor.

Wang Bofen pressed his feet against Linghu Chong’s right shoulder and started to search his body. He pulled a manual out from the chest pocket. “Looks like I caught you red handed this time!” he said loudly.

Linghu Chong stared at Wang Bofen angrily as he struggled to break himself free.

……………………….

Inside a main hall, Wang Yuanba sat on a pedestal flipping through the manual with a puzzling look on his face. He was unable to understand the contents written in the manual. “Martial Nephew Linghu, how did you obtain this Resisting Evil Swordplay manual?” he asked in a stern voice.

Linghu Chong folded his arms and started to chuckle.

Yue Buqun glared at Linghu Chong and said, “Chong’er, Senior Hero Wang asked you a question. You should just answer him honestly.

Linghu Chong bowed at his master and said, “Master, I’m injured and lost my inner energy but yet the picked on me. Is this how they treat their guest?”

Wang Bofen interrupted, “If it is our guest of honor we’ll certainly courteous to him. But you coveted the Resisting Evil Sword manual instead of giving it to Pingzhi as you were told to hence there is no need for us to be courteous to a thief like you!”

Yue Lingshan retorted, “Big Apprentice Brother would never do such a thing!”

Wang Bofen smirked, “I caught him red handed. How can he still deny it?”

Linghu Chong laughed and said, “Fine! You keep saying that this is Resisting Evil Sword manual. Let me ask you this then, have you ever seen the real Resisting Evil Sword manual? How sure are you that this is the manual?”

Wang Bofen glared at him and said, “I found this manual in your pocket. Brother Yue has also said that this manual is not the Huashan Sect’s martial arts manual. Then it has to be the Resisting Evil Sword manual.”

Linghu Chong sneered, “Since you’re so dumb there is nothing more I can say. Since you keep saying that this is the Resisting Evil Sword manual why don’t you go ahead and follow the instructions in the manual and practice the sword skills and see if you can master the martial arts world’s number one sword arts!”

Wang Bofen was speechless for a moment. He stared at Linghu Chong angrily without saying a single word.

Wang Yuanba softly and walked over to Linghu Chong. “Martial Nephew Linghu, I’m sorry of my son offended you in any way,” he said.

Linghu Chong hummed angrily and said, “Hypocrite! I won’t accept your apology!”

Yue Buqun fixed his eyes on the manual in Wang Bofen’s hand without saying a single word. He was more interested in getting his hands on the manual instead of defending his eldest disciple.

Ning Zhongze rose from her seat and looked at Linghu Chong. “Chong’er, where are your manners?” she murmured.

Linghu Chong retorted angrily, “Mistress, this is a musical score. The Wang Family and Junior Apprentice Brother Lin have no knowledge in music at all and assumed that the manual is the Resisting Evil Sword manual. This is the biggest joke that I’ve ever heard!”

Ning Zhongze bowed at Wang Yuanba with her hands cupped. “Senior Hero Wang, mind if I take a look at the manual?” she asked with a smile.

Wang Yuanba handed the manual to her. “Of course. Here you go.”

Ning Zhongze took a quick glance at the manual. “Please don’t mind me for being straightforward. I’ve no knowledge in musical score either but I’ve certainly seen many sword manuals. This manual here does not seem to be a sword manual. Is there anyone in your residence who is familiar with music? Perhaps we can get him to verify the manual,” she said.

Wang Yuanba looked down to the floor pondering to himself. “If this is really a musical score, how are we going to resolve this?”

Wang Bofen stepped forward and said, “Father, our accountant Old Yi is well versed with music. Perhaps we can get him to take a look at the manual.”

Wang Yuanba smiled and said, “There so many ways to compile martial arts methods. Some would conceal it in musical score. This happens all the time so it’s not strange at all.”

Ning Zhongze knitted her brows and said, “Since this person by the name of Yi is well versed with music. Why don’t we get him to examine this manual and everything will be resolved.” From Wang Yuanba’s facial expression, she could tell that he was trying to save himself from any unwanted embarrassment.

An old man arrived at the main hall shortly. He held the manual in his hands and flipped through the pages.

Wang Yuanba looked at him and said, “Old Yi, is this an ordinary musical manual?”

The old man shook his head. “This cannot be. I have never seen anything like this manual before. I am afraid that I can’t grasp it at all,” he explained.

Wang Yuanba responded with a smile, “Is there anything suspicious about it? Is it somehow different from an ordinary musical manual?”

The old man scratched his head confusingly. “I can’t tell if there is anything suspicious about it either. This is an ancient music and the chords don’t synchronize. There is no way that it can be played. I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he shrugged.

Linghu Chong smirked and said, “You can’t play it but that does not mean that others can’t play it either.”

The old man looked at him with a grin, “You’re absolutely right. If someone is able to a musical score like this, I would sincerely admire him from the very bottom of my heart! Certainly the very bottom of my heart! Unless…unless it is he in the East Town…”

Wang Yuanba interrupted him and said, “So you’re saying that this musical manual can’t be played?”

The old man nodded and said, “Old man here certainly is incapable of playing it.”

Ning Zhongze stepped forward and said, “Mister Yi, didn’t you say that someone from East Town is capable of playing this musical score?”

The old man walked up to Ning Zhongze. “I can’t guarantee you that he can play it. But Lu Zhuweng from East Town can play both the zither and the flute. Maybe he can play it. His skills in playing the flute are way better than mine. Way better indeed!” he explained.

Wang Yuanba snapped him out of it and said, “Since this is not an ordinary music manual then there must be more to it.”

Linghu Chong folded his arms and said, “Senior Wang, since you still don’t believe me, we can find that Lu Zhuweng to take a look at the manual to prove my innocence.”

Ning Zhongze nodded and said, “That’s right. Appreciate if you could invite this Lu Zhuweng here.”

Wang Yuanba snorted, “This Lu Zhuweng is a weaver and he is mentally unstable. How can we trust someone like him?”

Ning Zhongze responded, “No matter what it is, we must get to the bottom of this. Chong’er is our disciple and Pingzhi is also our disciple. We can’t grant favor to either side. To find out who’s right and who’s wrong, we might as well ask this Lu Zhuweng to give a judgment.”

The old man looked down to the floor and sighed, “Even if we invite him, I’m afraid that he will not come. This person’s behavior is very strange. When he is not interesting in it no matter how you beg him, he would just ignore you. But if he wants to get involved there is no way you can stop him.”

Ning Zhongze grinned and said, “It sounds like this Lu Zhuweng is a senior from the martial arts community.”

Wang Yuanba made a hand gesture and said, “That Lu Zhuweng is merely a craftsman skilled in making baskets and floor mats with bamboo strips. He cannot be considered as a member of the martial arts community. He plays the zither and the flute well and also paints pictures of bamboos. Some people are willing to buy his paintings. He is just an old craftsman posing as a lover of art so the locals here have some respect for him.”

Ning Zhongze walked toward Wang Yuanba and said, “It would be a pity if we don’t pay a visit to such a figure while we are in Luoyang City. Senior Hero Wang, would you please be kind enough to accompany us and pay a visit to such an elegant craftsman.”

Wang Yuanba sighed and said, “Since Madam Yue is determined to go then I will accompany you to the East Town.”

After walking a long distance, the group finally arrived at a bamboo hut located at the end of a forest. A dim sound of the zither echoed in their ears pleasantly. There was a white haired old man around the age of fifty sitting outside the hut cutting bamboo.

The group stood outside the gates. “Master, that is Lu Zhuweng,” Mister Yi pointed to the old man.

Wang Bofen cleared his throat and yelled, “Hey! Are you Lu Zhuweng? We’re from the Golden Saber Wang Family! We’re here to ask you something!”

The old man ignored him and continued to cut the bamboo.

Wang Bofen snorted, “Hey! Are you deaf!”

The old man responded, “Golden Blade or Silver Blade, it’s no better than the old craftsman’s rusty iron blade. An old craftsman doesn’t need to visit Master Wang, and there’s no need for Master Wang to visit an old craftsman either. I’ve stayed away from matters of the outside world for a long time now. If people come to see me to seek for answers then it’s like a blind person looking for the sun.”

Wang Bofen clenched his teeth and stared at the old man angrily. “You old fart! How dare you be rude to us!” he shouted.

Linghu Chong walked past Wang Bofen and bowed at the old man with his hands cupped. “Senior, I, Huashan Sect’s Linghu Chong pays respect to senior,” he said courteously.

The old man cast a glance over his shoulder. “What is your name again?” he asked.
Linghu Chong quickly replied, “Linghu Chong!”

The old man rose from his seat, turned around and looked at Linghu Chong. “What is it that you want? Tell me!” he said.

Linghu Chong continued, “Senior, I was falsely accused hence I hope that you can help me prove my innocence.”

The old man folded his arms and nodded, “You’ve been accused? Tell me what exactly happened.”
“Junior has this musical manual which the Wang Family insisted that it is their missing sword arts manual,” Linghu Chong explained.

Ning Zhongze smiled and said, “We heard that Senior is well versed in music. We hope that Senior can take a look at the manual to end their doubts.”

Linghu Chong nodded, “Senior, you’re the only one who can prove my innocence now.”
The old man walked toward the gate and said, “Very well! Since you’ve been polite to me I’ll help you out! Let me take a look at the musical manual.”

Mister Yi quickly handed the musical manual to the old man with both hands.
The old man took a quick glance at the pages of the manual.

Wang Yuanba cupped his hands and said, “Zhuweng, could this musical score be a martial arts manual in disguise to deceive others?”

The old man burst out laughing. “Martial arts manual? You sure have a good imagination! Of course this is a musical score!” he sneered.

Lu Zhuweng decided to play the musical score on a zither. In the beginning, the zither sounded melodious and pleasant but then the pitches of the zither sound turned lower and lower till it sounded odd and turned into very unpleasant noises. He finally took his hands off the zither and reached for the musical manual. “Mister Yi, you are also well versed with music. Can you tell me if it’s possible to play such a low pitch?” he said. He rose from his seat and turned toward the group and continued, “I doubt that this musical manual is fake. It is possible that the composer deliberately confused us and perhaps played jokes on us. Why don’t you go home first and let me ponder over this a bit more?”

Wang Bofen walked up to him and snatched away the manual. “This sword manual is so precious and sought after by so many people in the martial arts world. How can we leave this with some unimportant craftsman!” he snorted.

Lu Zhuweng responded indifferently, “Since it is so precious take it away and leave at once.”

Linghu Chong bowed and said, “Senior, you must help me no matter what. Otherwise I will never be able to clear my name.”

Lu Zhuweng looked at Linghu Chong and said, “Alright! Since you addressed me as Senior I’ll help you out.” He reached his hand out at Wang Bofen and continued, “Give me the manual.”

Wang Bofen turned toward Wang Yuanba go see what his instructions were.

Wang Yuanba made a gesture signaling his son to give the musical manual to Lu Zhuweng.

Wang Bofen hesitantly placed the musical manual in Lu Zhuweng’s hand.

“I’ll see if my auntie can play this song,” Lu Zhuweng said. He turned around and walked into the hut.

Lin Pingzhi looked at Yue Lingshan and whispered at her, “This Lu Zhuweng is probably around the age of forty to fifty. His auntie would be at least seventy years old then.”

Yue Lingshan nodded and said, “She is already so old would she still be able to play the zither?”

Moments later, a melodious tune started coming from the hut. Linghu Chong looked toward the hut joyously. It was the exact same tune that he heard from Qu Yang. He was glad that there was finally someone who could play the tune.

The sound of the zither then faded and replaced by the sound of a flute. The sound was clear and melodious, sometimes high and sometimes low.

Ning Zhongze stood beside Linghu Chong. She smiled and said, “The song is wonderful. Chong’er what is the name of this song?”

Linghu Chong looked at his mistress and replied, “Mistress, the name of this song is Laughing Proudly In The Martial Arts World. This granny has such incredible skills, and it is even rarer that someone could have such supreme skills in both zither and flute.”

“The composer certainly did a fantastic job writing the music, but it sure takes someone like this granny with such superb skills to be able to bring the best out of it. It must be the first time for you to listen to such wonderful melody,” Ning Zhongze commented.

“Actually, no! Last time when I heard it, it sounded even more spectacular,” Linghu Chong replied.

“Really? How can there be anyone with even better zither and flute skills than that granny?” Ning Zhongze asked curiously.

Linghu Chong responded, “Not necessarily better than this granny. But when I heard this usic the last time, there were two players. One played the zither and the other one played the flute, and they were also playing this Laughing Proudly In The Martial Arts World song.”

Wang Yuanba lowered his head and let out a sigh. He had to admit that he had wronged Linghu Chong.

Soon, the sound of the flute also faded. Lu Zhuweng stepped out of the hut and walked towards the group. “This is truly a musical manual. You have already heard my aunty play it. Here take it back,” he said, and returned to manual to Mister Yi.

Mister Yi bowed as he reached for the music manual. “Thank you.”

“The melody is this song is amazing and rare. It should never fall into the hands of retarded people or else it will get contaminated,” Lu Zhuweng smirked.

Mister Yi handed the musical manual to Wang Yuanba. “Master, here you go.”

Wang Yuanba reached for the musical manual and returned it to Linghu Chong. “Martial Nephew Linghu, sorry for the misunderstanding.”

Yue Buqun finally spoke up, “Since it is a misunderstanding Senior Hero Wang should not take it personally. Let us leave now.”

Wang Yuanba nodded and walked away with Yue Buqun. Everyone else followed them from behind.

Linghu Chong remained still looking at the musical manual in his hand.

Ning Zhongze patted him on the back. “Chong’er, why are you not leaving?” she asked.

Linghu Chong looked at his mistress and said, “Mistress, I want to stay a little longer.”

“Your injury has not be healed don’t be back so late,” Ning Zhongze reminded him. After finishing her words, she turned towards the gateway and exited the premise.

Linghu Chong bowed. “Yes, Mistress.”

Lu Zhuweng sat down on the stool and continued to cut the bamboo. He noticed Linghu Chong standing at the corner staring at the musical manual solemly. “Little brother, are you alright?” he asked.

Linghu Chong grinned and said, “I’m alright. I was just grieving my own life experiences. I hope I’m not bothering you.”

Lu Zhuweng rose from his seat and walked up to him. “Little Brother, can you tell me where this musical score came from?” he asked curiously.

Linghu Chong smiled and said, “Of course. If it wasn’t for you they would have continued to assume that I am a thief. This musical score was composed by two seniors. One was an expert in playing the zither while the other was an expert in playing the flute. They became good friends because of a common interest in music. Unfortunately they met with a misfortune and lost their lives together. Just before they died, they handed this musical score to me and hope that I will pass it to someone who is talented in music so that the musical score does not get buried into oblivion.”

Lu Zhuweng folded his arms and replied, “I see.”

Linghu Chong suddenly had an idea in his mind. “Senior, your auntie seemed to be able to play the zither and flute very well. I think I’ve finally found the right person for the musical score. I hope that you can give this musical score to your auntie so that it doesn’t become extinct.”

Lu Zhuweng frowned and said, “Even if you give this musical score to her, she might not necessary accept it. Let me go and ask her first.”

Linghu Chong thanked him with a bow.

Lu Zhuweng walked into the hut and came back out within minutes. “Little Brother, I’ve spoken to my auntie. She invites you into the hut,” he said.

Linghu Chong smiled and said, “Really? That’s great!”

Lu Zhuweng slowly pushed the door open.

Linghu Chong stepped into the hut and noticed that it was extremely dim inside. Every single window was covered with dark fabrics. There was a little room on the left that had a large piece of cloth covering the opening. He noticed a female figure standing at the only opened window inside the room. “Junior Linghu Chong pays respect to granny,” he bowed with his hands cupped.

“You called me granny?” a soft female voice said. She then paused for a moment and continued, “Young Hero Linghu, please rise. You are too kind to present me with such a wonderful gift. It would be disrespectful to decline yet embarrassing to accept. You mentioned that this musical score was composed by two people, one playing the flute and one playing the zither?” From her voice, she sounded more like a young girl rather than an old lady.

Linghu Chong sat on a stool and placed the music manual on a table. “That’s right,” he nodded.

The girl hummed and said, “It is rare to have such capable people under the heaven. Young Hero Linghu, where did you get this musical score from?”

Linghu Chong responded, “The two seniors who composed this piece of music, one was an expert in playing the zither while the other was an expert in playing the flute. The two of them became good friends and composed this musical piece together. Unfortunately they met with a misfortune and lost their lives together. Just before they died, they handed this musical score to me and hope that I will pass it to the right person so that it does not perish together with them.”

“Would you be kind enough to enlighten us with the names of the two seniors who composed this musical score?” the girl asked.

Linghu Chong hesitated for a moment. Since this girl here was probably not affiliated with the martial arts community, he finally decided to reveal the names of the composers to her. “One is Martial Uncle Liu Zhengfeng and the other is Elder Qu Yang,” he explained.

The girl took a seat and muttered, “So it was them.”

Linghu Chong was surprised by her words. “Granny, did you know the two seniors?” he asked.

The girl was silent for a moment before she finally replied, “Liu Zhengfeng is the Hengshan Sect’s exponent and Qu Yang is Divine Sun Moon Cult’s Right Messenger. One is from the righteous side while the other is from the evil side. What made them compose this piece of music together?”

Linghu Chong let out a sigh and said, “We’ll have to start from the time when Martial Uncle Liu Zhengfeng decided to retire from the martial arts world.” Even though he had never met the girl but from her performance of the zither and flute, she was convinced that she was not a bad person. He will never forget what Liu Zhengfeng once said, ‘Someone who knows how to play a musical instrument well cannot be a bad person’.

The girl listened to him quietly.

“Since nobody could understand the musical notes in this manual, Master and the Wang Family mistook it for a martial arts manual. That is why I had to trouble granny to play it to confirm that it was a musical score,” Linghu Chong continued. “Martial Uncle Liu and Elder Qu were from opposite sides but yet they became good friends and composed this spectacular piece of Laughing Proudly In The Martial Arts World. When they left this world together, hand in hand, they had no regrets in their hearts. That was far better than what I have to endure right now, living all by myself. My Master is suspicious of me, my little apprentice sister has abandoned me and my closet apprentice brother has died.” His eyes became watery.

Lu Zhugweng pressed his lips and nodded. “I finally understand now,” he said.

The girl spoke again, “You could have told your Master and Mistress everything and that would have saved you a lot of trouble and kept all those meaningless suspicions off your back. I am a complete stranger, why did you tell me everything without any reservation?”

Linghu Chong smiled and said, “After listening to your graceful performance, I am convinced that you’re a good person and didn’t feel suspicious about you.”

The girl looked down to the ground and said, “Are you saying that you felt suspicious about your Master and Mistress?”

Linghu Chong was startled by her words. He lowered his head and sighed, “I dare not. It’s because of my mischievous behavior that my Master does not trust me…”

The girl turned toward him and said, “Young Hero Linghu, it is fate that brought us together today. I actually have a deep relationship with the Linghu family.”

Linghu Chong looked toward her astonishingly. “You do? Have we met before?” he asked.

The girl was silent for a moment and then continued, “Back then you were still very little then and was not affiliated with the Huashan Sect yet.”

Linghu Chong raised his brows and said, “Granny, mind if I ask you which sect you belong to?”

“I’m just a countryside girl. I am not affiliated with any sect or group,” the girl replied quickly. “From the sound of your voice, I can tell that you are lack of inner strength. Someone as young as you should not have such poor strength.”

Linghu Chong stroked his chest with his hand and said, “I’ve sustained a serious internal injury.”

“Why don’t you let me check your pulses,” the girl said.

Linghu Chong placed his left hand into the side of the cloth. He looked down on the ground without taking a peep at the girl out of respect.

The girl started checking his pulse. “This is very odd,” she muttered.

“Granny, there is no need to worry about me. I know that my life isn’t going to last very long and I decided not to bother about it,” Linghu Chong said with a smile.

Lu Zhuweng looked at him confusingly and said, “Little Brother, why are you saying that your life won’t last very long?”

Linghu Chong pulled back his hand and returned took a seat. “I accidentally killed my junior apprentice brother and lost my Master’s Divine Art of Violet Twilight manuscript. I only hope that I will be able to find the manuscript soon and return it to my Master. After that, I will commit suicide in front of my junior apprentice brother’s grave so that he can rest in peace,” he said solemnly.

“Why did you lose the manuscript and kill your junior apprentice brother?” the girl asked.

Linghu Chong paused for a moment and then continued, “It’s a long story. It all started because of my internal injuries.” He heaved a long sigh and then told her everything, starting from how Dongfang Bubai healed his wounds, how his little apprentice sister stole his master’s manuscript for him to heal himself, and how he sealed Lu Dayou’s acupoints to stop him from reading the manuscript to him.

“I was my fault. If I had not used too much strength my junior apprentice brother wouldn’t have died,” he sobbed.

The girl responded, “It was not you who killed your apprentice brother.”

Linghu Chong was stunned by her words. “It was not me who killed him?” he asked shockingly.

“Your inner energy flow is chaotic. You won’t be able to kill someone by just sealing those two acupoints. It was someone else who killed your apprentice brother,” the girl explained.

Linghu Chong bowed at her and said, “Granny, who do you think would have killed my apprentice brother?”

“The person who stole the manuscript may not be the one who killed your apprentice brother but the two must be related,” the girl said.

Linghu Chong let out a sigh of relief. He was just glad that it was not him who killed Lu Dayou though his death was still somewhat related to him. “I must seek revenge for Apprentice Brother Lu!” he shouted angrily.

“Young Hero Linghu, though your pulses are in disorder but they show no sign of prostration. Would you care to listen to another piece of music?” the girl asked.

Linghu Chong bowed with a smile. “You are too kind. I truly appreciate it,” he replied.

The hut was filled the sound of mile and tender music. After listening it for a short while, Linghu Chong felt drowsy and lay on the table asleep. Even in his sleep, the soft and gentle music echoed vaguely in his dreams.

Moments later, Linghu Chong woke up abruptly from his sleep. The sound of the zither finally quieted down. Linghu Chong got up to his feet hurriedly looking down on the floor embarrassingly. “Granny, I am so sorry that I was so impolite to have fallen asleep while listening to your wonderful play! This is so embarrassing,” he muttered.

“Don’t blame yourself. I intentionally played this music called Song of Peace and Serenity to entice you to sleep, hoping that the music would be able to put the energy streams inside you in order,” the girl explained.

Linghu Chong took a deep breath and felt at ease. “The agony inside my body had lessened indeed. If only I get to listen to granny’s music daily that would be great,” he said with a smile.

The girl looked to the side and became silent.

Lu Zhuweng picked up a writing brush, dipped it in the black ink and wrote on a piece of paper, “Ask about learning this song and benefit all your life.”

Linghu Chong immediately came into realization. ““May I be bold enough to ask the granny to teach me this song, so that I can slowly heal my injury by myself?” he asked.

Lu Zhuweng nodded at Linghu Chong with a smile on his face.

The girl knitted her brows and responded, “How are your zither skills? Will you please play a song?”

Linghu Chong blushed. “I have never learned how to play the zither before. I really know nothing about it. It was such a bold request for me to have even thought about learning the superior skills from you, granny! Please excuse my boldness. I’d better get going now.” He bowed at Lu Zhuweng.

“Please wait. It is embarrassing that we can’t repay the great generosity you have shown by giving us the wonderful musical score. It also troubles me deeply that your injury is too severe to be cured,” the girl said. She paused for a moment and looked toward Lu Zhuweng, “Since I have a deep relationship with your family, perhaps you can start learning how to play the zither from Nephew Lu tomorrow. If you have enough patience and can stay in Luoyang City for a period of time, then…then I might as well teach you this Song of Peace and Serenity,” the girl said.

Linghu Chong was delighted. He bowed and said with a smile, “Many thanks for your kindness, granny!”

The sun had finally set. Lu Zhuweng stepped into the hut and bowed with his hands cupped. “Auntie, I managed to find out about Linghu Chong’s background. He is an orphan. He was brought up by Huashan Sect’s Yue Buqun and his wife and became the sect’s eldest disciple,” he said.

The girl rose from her seat placed her hands behind her back. She turned around and looked out of the window without saying a word.

End of Chapter 19

[Mandred Skavenslayer]

Thanks for the chapter.

Nice way to build suspense.

Can't wait to find out who the mystery girl/granny is.

[Dongfang Xue]

Thanks for the chapter.

Nice way to build suspense.

Can't wait to find out who the mystery girl/granny is.

Thanks for commenting Mandred and glad you liked the chapter

[szfong]

Thanks for the update, enjoyed it immensely...

[Dongfang Xue]

Thanks for the update, enjoyed it immensely...

Many thanks szfong! Glad you enjoyed reading it

[Chongdong Bubai]

Thanks for the updates. Looking forward to find out more about the granny/girl

[Whirlwind]

Thanks for posting the latest chapter. I have to say that your story is far more interesting than the recent series

[Eccentric One]

Thanks for an interesting chapter 19. Is this mysterious girl / granny be related to RYY?

[Dongfang Xue]

The following morning, Linghu Chong went to the hut in the bamboo forest for his first zither lesson. Lu Zhuweng took out a zither and started to teach Linghu Chong basic music theories. Although Linghu Chong had no prior knowledge of any kind about music theories, because of his natural gift, he picked everything up in a very fast pace. Very satisfied with his progress, Lu Zhuweng started to teach him the fingering techniques, and also taught him a short song.

The girl sat inside the small listening to the sound of the zither.

Linghu Chong looked toward the girl sitting in the room. “Granny, can I start to learn Song of Peace and Serenity now?” he asked.

The girl responded, “Haste makes waste. You should familiarize yourself with fingering techniques first.”

Lu Zhuweng grinned and said, “Young Mister Linghu, you have shown great talent in learning the zither. It wouldn’t be long before you can start learning the Song of Peace and Serenity.”

“Senior, you really flatter me,” Linghu Chong replied. “I wonder how when I will be able to play the Laughing Proudly In the Martial Arts World song the way you did.”

The girl looked toward him surprisingly. “You…you want to play the Laughing Proudly In The Martial Arts World song?” the girl uttered.
Linghu Chong nodded and said, “After hearing senior master’s graceful performance yesterday, I felt great admiration. But of course it’s just my wishful thinking. Even master Bamboo-Green couldn’t play it, and I am far from that.”

“If you can play the zither part, of course that would be great….” The girl murmured, and then a tender sigh followed.

Lu Zhuweng patted Linghu Chong on the back. “Young Mister Linghu with your intelligence and talent I’m certain that it won’t be long before you can play the Laughing Proudly In the Martial Arts World,” he grinned.

In the following twenty days, Linghu Chong would visit the bamboo hut daily to take his zither lessons and stayed till sunset. The girl would give him pointers and guide him from the room. Linghu Chong had a great time and enjoyed every moment of it. He would even have his meals with Lu Zhuweng before returning to the Wang Family manor. Though the dishes were simple but Linghu Chong ate every meal with much joy. He had completely forgotten about his sorrows and injuries.

One fine day, the girl taught Linghu Chong a new song named Affectionate Thoughts. Linghu Chong listened to the girl play it several times and then tried it himself. As the music went on, memories of the past flashed by his mind. He remembered when Yue Lingshan was still a child many years ago, how the two of them, as a pair of innocent playmates, shared so much joy and fun together. He also remembered the warm affection little apprentice sister had shown when she practiced sword arts with him and when she brought dinners up the Repentance Cliff for him. Then out of nowhere, Lin Pingzhi showed up, and Yue Lingshan became colder and colder toward him. Grief swelled in his heart as he played on. Suddenly, the tone changed into something else. Feeling disheartened and shock, he immediately stopped playing.

The girl could sense that there was something troubling him. “You were doing a good job playing the Affectionate Thoughts with much affection and good understanding of the meaning behind it. But how come the tone suddenly changed into something else?” she asked.

Linghu Chong had always been a a cheerful person and this was something that had trapped in his heart for months. Feeling very grateful about how the granny had treated him so warmly and kindly for the last twenty some days, he simply couldn’t hide it to himself any longer and spilled out all about his bitter love toward Yue Lingshan. Once he started telling the story, he could no longer restrain himself, and ended up telling everything from the beginning to the end without any reservation, as if the granny had become his grandmother, or mother, or a sister. By the time he finally finished telling his story, he felt greatly embarrassed.

“Granny,” he apologized, “Sorry that I just babbled on and on with these meaningless things. Somehow the music affected my feelings and could not control my emotions…”

“Fate cannot be imposed upon. As the saying goes, ‘Everyone has his own fate, so don’t envy others’. Young mister Linghu, although you’ve lost your present love but that does not mean that you won’t find your soul mate another day,” the girl replied in a gentle voice.

Linghu Chong lowered his head and let out a sigh. “I don’t even know how many days I still have left in this world. I guess having a family of my own will never be my concern.”

The girl looked at him concernedly. “It's hard to make predictions, especially about the future. Young Hero does not need to feel disappointed. Didn’t you mention that there is a Miss Dongfang who treats you very well?” she said softly.

Linghu Chong pursed his lips and continued, “We’ve made a vow that we will only become good friends and will never fall in love with each other.”

The girl hummed softly and said, “Young Hero Linghu, it is a woman’s nature to profess one thing, but mean another. If she has no feelings for you she would not have saved you more than once and transferred mass amount of inner energy to extend your life. It is heaven’s blessing for you to encounter her. You must not be ungrateful for everything that she has done for you.”

Linghu Chong listened to every word she said attentively. “Miss Dongfang likes me? How can that be possible? She only wants to tie me up with her little sister Yi Lin…” he uttered.

“Tie you up with her little sister? Young Hero Linghu, you’ve been too preoccupied with your little apprentice sister that you disregarded those around you. Always remember this, no matter how rough the roads ahead are, you have bring out some confidence. As long as you have the courage to change, you will be able to create your own future,” the girl remarked.

Linghu Chong propped up his face on his hands and raised his brows. “Really?” he murmured. Flash backs of Dongfang Bubai flying through the air in the night, drinking and performing sword moves at the prairie, and exchanging sword moves in the cave suddenly ran through his mind. The beautiful and elegant image of Dongfang Bubai dressed in female clothing appeared in front of his eyes.

Seeing that Linghu Chong would not be able to focus on his zither lessons for today, the girl gently tapped the surface of a table with a bamboo rod. “That’s it for today. You can come back tomorrow to learn playing the Affectionate Thoughts again tomorrow,” she said in a soft but stern voice.

Linghu Chong got up to his feet and bowed with his hands cupped. “Thank you, granny. I will take my leave now,” he said with a slight smile.

Later that night, Linghu Chong stepped into his room and noticed Lao Denuo meddling with his clothing. “What are you doing? Leave my clothes alone!” he shouted angrily.

Lao Denuo stepped away from the bed and turned toward him. “Senior Apprentice Brother, you’re back. Master has instructed us to pack our belongings as we will be leaving Luoyang City in two days,” he explained.

Linghu Chong looked at him startlingly. “Leave Luoyang City?! Where are we going?!” he uttered.

Inside one of the room in the Wang Family manor, Ning Zhongze held a teapot in her and poured some tea into a cup.

“We are going to Fuzhou City,” Yue Buqun said.

Linghu Chong knitted his brows and responded, “Master, why are we going to Fuzhou City?”

Yue Buqun did not reply. Instead, he held a cup in his hand and took a sip of tea.

Ning Zhongze looked at Linghu Chong and said, “Chong’er, the ashes of your Junior Apprentice Brother Lin’s has to be brought back to Fuzhou City for burial. His parents have passed away for a year now and he would like to have them buried in his hometown.”

Yue Buqun nodded and said, “Furthermore, we can’t stay with the Wang Family for too long.”

Linghu Chong looked at his mistress and said, “Mistress, I don’t want to leave Luoyang City yet.”

Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze looked at each other confusingly.

“Who is it so important in Luoyang City that can keep you here?” Yue Buqun glared at Linghu Chong as he asked indifferently.

Linghu Chong hesitantly replied his master and said, “It’s not that. I’ve not completed my zither lessons. I would like to stay behind to complete it.”

Yue Buqun struck the table with his palm angrily. “Absurd! You’ve been playing so much of music lately that you completely lost yourself!” he shouted. He then rose from his seat and stared at Linghu Chong fiercely and continued, “You’re our Huashan Sect’s eldest disciple and yet you indulge yourself to a frivolous hobby! Don’t forget what happened to your Martial Uncle Liu Zhengfeng!”

Linghu Chong pursed his lips and looked away discontentedly. He felt that his master was getting more and more annoying lately. “Disciple…disciple wouldn’t dare,” he murmured.

Ning Zhongze smiled and said, “If you want to practice zither for self-cultivation then that is a good thing. How about this? Once we’re done with our matters, we can return to Luoyang City so that you can continue to learn music from Lu Zhuweng.”

Linghu Chong bowed at his mistress courteously. “Yes, Mistress.”

It was another bright sunny morning. Linghu Chong went for his zither lesson as usual but somehow he just could not stay focused and made repeated mistakes. He finally took his hands off the zither and let out a sigh.

The girl looked at him and said, “Young Hero Linghu, I have already told you before. When you’re playing the Affectionate Thoughts, you must feel the music. It is only when you combine your mind and emotions well that you can apprehend the tune. But how come your mind seemed to be somewhere else today and kept repeating the same mistakes?”

Linghu Chong slowly got up from his seat and heaved a long sigh. “Granny, I will be leaving Luoyang City tomorrow,” he said.

The girl was taken by surprise and accidentally dropped the bamboo rod to the floor. “What? You’re leaving Luoyang City?” she asked gently. “You’re leaving so soon already? You…you haven’t finished learning the song yet.”

Linghu Chong sighed, “Granny, of course I want to finish learning the Affectionate Thoughts song. In fact, I even want to learn Laughing Proudly In The Martial Arts World. Unfortunately, I can’t disobey Master’s orders. Besides, we are only guests in a foreign town. We can’t stay in the Wang Family’s place forever.”

The girl responded disappointedly, “That’s true.”

Even though Linghu Chong never saw her face but from the sound of her zither play and the dialogues between them, he could tell that she cared much about him as if he was a member of her family. Even though she was not the kind who liked to show her enthusiasm, but her words showed affection. In this world, it used to be the Yue couple, Yue Lingshan and Lu Dayou who cared the most for him, but by now that Lu Dayou had passed away, Yue Lingshan in love with Lin Pingzhi whole-heartedly, and Yue Buqun suspicious of him, he felt that the Lu Zhuweng and the granny were the closest to him.

Linghu Chong suddenly thought about something. “Granny, how about if I stay behind? I can learn how to weave from Senior Lu and continue to learn how to play the zither from you,” he said with a grin.

The girl responded, “Would you be able to bare parting with your little apprentice sister?”

Linghu Chong became silent. He pursed his lips and looked down to the floor.

“All good things must come to an end. Meeting and parting is all determined by destiny. There is no need to be resistant,” the girl said softly.

“Granny, after our parting today who knows when will I have the pleasure to listen to your elegant and magnificent performance again. As long as I am still alive, I promise that I would come back to Luoyang City and visit to Granny and Senior Lu,” Linghu Chong replied.

The girl turned toward him with a disappointing look on his face. “Young Hero Linghu, since you’re leaving tomorrow…I will play you the Affectionate Thoughts as a parting gift…” the girl said softly. She started to strum the strings on the zither playing a tune.

Linghu Chong looked at the figure sitting behind the long cloth feeling depressed. It hurt his heart to part ways with the granny whom he had been close with over the last twenty days. “Granny and Senior Lu are already so old. When I come back to Luoyang City the next time I might not even get to see them again…” he thought to himself.

The girl finally stopped playing the zither and said, “Young Mister Linghu, at the moment of parting, I have an advice for you…”

“Yes, please go head and tell me,” Linghu Chong answered.

The girl pressed her palms on the zither and kept her silence. After another long while, she finally spoke again in her gentle voice, “Take good care of yourself…”

“Granny, you take care too!” Linghu Chong replied as a feeling of sadness swelled in his heart.

The next day, Yue Buqun and the Huashan group arrived at a pier. They had planned to travel up north by boat. Wang Yuanba, his son came all the way to the pier to see their guest off. Servants brought onto the boat boxes of silver nuggets. It was presents from the Wang Family as travel expenses.

Yue Buqun cupped both his hands and said, “Senior Hero Wang, sorry for troubling you for so long.”

Wang Yuanba smiled and said, “Head Master Yue, please do not say this. We’re after all family.”

Ning Zhongze bowed and said, “After Pingzhi is done with his parents burial we will definitely come back to visit you.”

Wang Yuanba retuned a bow and said, “We will be happy to have you as our guest. Please take good care of Pingzhi for me.”

Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze nodded as they smiled.

Yue Lingshan stepped forward and bowed at Wang Yuanba. “Lingshan would like to thank Senior Hero Wang for the gifts.”

Wang Yuanba laughed and said, “Miss Yue is too courteous.”

Wang Bofen nodded and said, “Miss Yue, we are already a family. There is no need to be courteous.” He then looked at Lin Pingzhi and continued, “Pingzhi, make sure you take good care of Miss Yue!”

Lin Pingzhi smiled and responded, “I will.”

Linghu Chong folded his arms and pretended that he didn’t see any of the Wang Family members.

Yue Buqun and his group then boarded the boat. “Senior Hero Wang! Once again thanks for everything. Till we meet again,” Yue Buqun said, with both his hands cupped.

Wang Yuanba and Wang Bofen cupped their hands and said in unison, “Till we meet again.”

“Young Mister Linghu! Young Mister Linghu!” a loud male voice called out. It was Lu Zhuweng. He held a long package in his hand and came running towards the pier.

Wang Bofen glared at Lu Zhuweng annoyingly. “It’s the rotten old man again! I am going to teach you a lesson this time!” he uttered to himself.

Linghu Chong returned to the pier and greeted Lu Zhuweng. “Senior Lu, how come you are here?” he asked surprisingly.

“My auntie asked me to give this small present to Young Mister Linghu.” Lu Zhuweng handed presented a long package wrapped in a piece of blue coarse cloth to Linghu Chong.

Linghu Chong bowed and then took the package. ““Many thanks Senior! I am truly grateful!” He bowed again.

Lu Zhuweng patted Linghu Chong on the arm. “Take care, Young Mister Linghu,” he said with a smile.

Linghu Chong returned a smile and said, “Senior, you take care too!”

Lu Zhuweng then turned around and walked back to the shore.

Wang Bofen quickly rushed towards Lu Zhuweng and tried to knock him off the gangboard.

Seeing that Wang Bofen had an evil intention, Linghu Chong quickly shouted, “Watch you!”

Lu Zhuweng immediately swung his shoulder at Wang Bofen’s shoulder with full force and knocked him off the gangboard.

Wang Bofen swayed to the side and fell off into the river.

The Wang Family servants immediately jumped into the river to help their young master.

Linghu Chong burst out laughing as he saw Wang Bofen made a fool of himself.

Lu Zhuweng turned around to look at Linghu Chong. “The martial arts world is filled with dangers! Take good care of yourself Young Mister Linghu!” he yelled loudly.

Linghu Chong bowed and responded, “You too Senior!”

Yue Buqun and the Huashan group stared at Lu Zhuweng in awe. They never expected an old craftsman like him to possess such good martial arts skills.

“Chong’er! Get back to the boat quick!” Yue Buqun shouted.

Linghu Chong bowed at his master. “Yes, Master!” he replied discontentedly.

The boat started moving along the river. Linghu Chong sat at the bow while the other Huashan Sect disciples sat inside. He unwrap the long package and found a short zither inside. The zither’s body looked ancient and obsolete. The words ‘Voices of a Swallow’ were engraved at the edge of the zither. He fixed his eyes on the zither and shed a tear. “Granny is so good to me…I am going to miss her,” he murmured.

Ning Zhongze looked out of the window to enjoy the scenery.

“Junior Apprentice Sister, what do you think of Lu Zhuweng?” Yue Buqun suddenly asked.

Ning Zhongze had the same question in mind. “What do you think of him?” she repeated the same question.

Yue Buqun pursed his lips and replied, “His martial arts skills are strange and unusual. His was able to knock Wang Bofen into the river in a blink of an eye. I would say that his techniques aren’t from any orthodox school.”

“But he seems to be very nice to Chong, and it didn’t look like he was intentionally making trouble for the Golden Blade Wang Family,” Ning Zhongze remarked.

“I hope this is the end of it. Or else, the great reputation Senior Hero Wang had built up throughout his life might be ruined.” Yue Buqun heaved a sigh. He paused for a good while before speaking again, “Even though we are continuing our journey by water now, it is still wise to be cautious.”

“Are you saying that someone might come aboard to make trouble?” Ning Zhongze asked.

Yue Buqun shook his head. “We are still kept in the dark. We have no idea who those masked assassins are and where they came from. We are in the light while our enemy is still in the dark. Our journey might not be as peaceful as we’d like it to be.”

Ning Zhongze looked at her husband feeling worried.

…………….

The boat finally arrived at Kaifeng City. Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze decided to accompany their daughter and Lin Pingzhi to tour around the city. Yue Buqun instructed Lao Denuo stay on the boat and keep an eye on Linghu Chong.

The street market was bustling with people. Ning Zhongze noticed her daughter and Lin Pingzhi enjoying themselves at a wind fan toy stall. “Senior Apprentice Brother, looks at those two having so much fun,” she uttered with a smile.

Yue Buqun looked at his daughter and disciple with a smile as he nodded.

Ning Zhongze suddenly thought about Linghu Chong. “Chong’er should have come with us instead of hanging around the boat,” she sighed.

Yue Buqun patted her on the back. “Everything is fine. Denuo is keeping him company on the boat. Just relax,” he replied with a smile.

Ning Zhongze frowned. She could tell that her husband had been ignoring Linghu Chong ever since his sword skills improved tremendously. “Senior Apprentice Brother…” she let out a sigh.

Yue Buqun snapped her out of it and walked her to a stall selling trinkets. “Look at these. I remember how much you loved these trinkets when we were younger,” he said with a grin.

Ning Zhongze looked at her husband with a smile. She was amazed that he had not forgotten about the things that she liked. “We’re old now. I’m no longer a little girl,” she remarked.

Yue Buqun looked her in the eyes and said softly, “In my eyes, you will always be the same as before.”

A thought suddenly came into Ning Zhongze’s mind. “Senior Apprentice Brother, do you remember a famous figure in Kaifeng City?” she asked.

Yue Buqun knitted his brows and responded, “A famous figure in Kaifeng City? Who are you referring to?”

Ning Zhongze smiled slightly and said, “Cure one and kill one; kill one then cure one.”

Yue Buqun finally knew who she was taking about. “You must be referring to the martial arts world’s most famous Killer Physician Ping Yizhi,” he said with smile.

Yue Lingshan walked over to her mother. “What a strange name. Mother, since he is a killer how could he be a renowned Physician?” she asked anxiously.

Ning Zhongze turned toward her Physician as she responded. “This Physician Ping has superior medical skills. Regardless of how ill or how badly wounded the patient is, so long as he agrees to treat it, the patient will be cured for sure. But this Physician is very weird. He tells everyone that the number of deaths is determined by heaven. He insisted that if he kept healing people then there would be fewer deaths. So he made a pledge that if he heals someone, someone else must be killed in exchange. And if he kills someone, then he must heal someone else in exchange.”

Yue Lingshan hummed and said, “This person is very strange indeed.”

Ning Zhongze continued, “This Physician Ping wrote a big banner for himself. ‘Cure one and kill one; kill one then cure one’. The number of people killed and cured must be equal. He said that it is only though this way that heaven will not blame him taking away life. And when he dies he won’t be punished for snatching people from death door without replacing the souls.”

Yue Lingshan narrowed her eyes and asked, “But why is his name Yizhi (One Finger)? Could it be that he only has one finger?”

“Physician Ping has all ten fingers. He called himself Yizhi (One-Finger) because either to kill or to cure, he only needs one finger to do it. If he wants to kill someone, he just hits him with one finger, and if he wants to cure someone, he only uses one finger to check pulses,” Yue Buqun clarified. “But unless it’s absolutely necessary, no one would just rashly ask for his help either.”

Ning Zhongze looked at her husband and said, “Senior Apprentice Brother, since we are already here why don’t we get him to treat Chong’er’s injuries?”

Yue Buqun shook his head. “What happens if this Ping Yizhi does heal Chong’er’s injuries and asks us to kill someone for him?” he asked in a stern voice.

Ning Zhongze let out a sigh, “I saw how much Chong’er have been suffering lately. It’s up to Ping Yizhi whether he wants to treat Chong’er or not. I won’t feel good if we don’t go and see him.”

Yue Buqun noticed the depressing look on his wife’s face. He hesitantly said, “Alright then. I’ll do as you wish.”

………………………..

After walking a long distance, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhonge finally reached a cottage in the woods. Yue Buqun slowly pushed the wooden gates open and made his way into the vicinity. The entire place was quiet. The two of them stood beside a wall and peeped into a window.

It was very dark inside the cottage. A man dressed in black was standing at the edge of a long bed. He generated his inner energy and gently pressed his palm onto the top of another person’s head. That person lying on the long bed shuddered with cold and became unconscious instantly.

Ying Ying walked over to the long bed and looked at the person lying on it. “Physician Ping, how is he?” she asked worriedly.

The man dressed in black turned away and placed his hands behind his back. “His pulses are now in order. If he continues to take the medicine that I’m inscribing, he will recover completely in no time,” he said in a clear and cold voice.

Yue Buqun turned around and looked at his wife in shock. “His inner energy is very profound. It’s just one blow and the inner energy could stabilize a person’s pulses,” he murmured.

The man dressed in black casted a glance over his shoulder the moment he heard Yue Buqun’s voice. Because of his profound inner energy cultivation, his hearing was also much better than an ordinary person. “Who is it? Are you here to seek for treatment too?” he asked.

Yue Buqun immediately stepped away from the wall. “I am Huashan Sect’s Yue Buqun. It’s an honor to be able to witness Killer Physician’s superior medical skills. I bow in admiration,” he said with his hands cupped.

The man dressed in black flew out of the cottage and landed in front of the Yue couple, with his back facing them. “Huashan Sect…?” he murmured. He suddenly remembered something and immediately turned around to look at them with a wide smile. “So it’s Huashan Sect’s Yue Buqun, Head Master Yue. Sorry for not recognizing you,” he responded with his hands cupped.

Yue Buqun returned a smile at him.

The man dressed in black walked up to them and continued, “I heard that there is someone by the name of Linghu Chong, Young Mister Linghu in Huashan Sect. Did he come with you?”

Yue Buqun casted a quick glance at his wife astonishingly. Since Linghu Chong was only a little disciple of the Huashan Sect and an unknown figure in the martial arts world, he was surprised that the Killer Physician had heard about Linghu Chong. “My disciple Linghu Chong did not come with us today,” he responded.

The man dressed in black frowned and looked away agitatedly. “Since Young Mister Linghu did not come today, I will personally pay him a visit soon,” he snorted. He then glared at the Yue couple coldly and continued, “I don’t have time to walk you out.”

Yue Buqun was infuriated to see that the Killer Physician respected his disciple and not him. He hummed angrily and stormed out of the vicinity with his wife behind him. They had completely forgotten that there were here to seek the Killer Physician’s help.

Ying Ying stepped out of the cottage shortly. “Physician Ping, why weres Yue Buqun and his wife here?” she asked anxiously.

Ping Yizhi sneered, “I can’t be bothered about those two nobodies. Young Lady Ren, your friend’s life is no longer in danger. You can take him away after he wakes up. I need to go and visit someone so please excuse me.”

Ying Ying narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “You’re going to visit Linghu Chong?” she asked.

Ping Yizhi nodded, “Yes. I have to leave now.”

“Why would you want to go and treat a disciple of the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance?” Ying Ying asked suspiciously. “Don’t forget that you’re a follower of the divine cult.”

Ping Yizhi hummed and retorted, “If it was not for your father I would not have treated that kid inside. Why am I treating Linghu Chong is certainly none of your business. Other than Chief Dongfang, no one else is qualified to question what I do!”

Right at that moment, Yang Lianting and three other men arrived at the scene. Yang Lianting bowed at Ying Ying with his hands cupped. “Holy Maiden, subordinate received news that Dongfang Bubai has arrived here at Kaifeng City. We must leave at once!”

Ping Yizhi ignored Yang Lianting and walked back into the cottage hastily.

“Other than Dongfang Bubai there is someone else that Ping Yizhi fears? Who could that be?” Ying Ying thought to herself.
………………..

Yue Buqun struck his palm onto the surface of a side table angrily. “Although Ping Yizhi has superior medical skills but he is weird and rude!” he shouted. “I’m certain that he is not a good person!”

Linghu Chong leaned against a wooden wall and ignored his master’s babbling.

“Enough. Let’s not think about Ping Yizhi anymore,” Ning Zhongze said with a smile.

Yue Lingshan ran over to her father and reached for his hand. “That’s right father. Little Lin and I bought some delicious deserts from the street market earlier. Why don’t we go and have some.” She gently pulled her father’s hand with a smiled. “Don’t be angry, father.”

Seeing that his daughter was so filial Yue Buqun finally rose from his and walked past Linghu Chong pretending not to see him.

Lao Denuo stepped into the inner deck and bowed at Yue Buqun. “Master, someone by the name of Ping Yizhi is here to see Senior Apprentice Brother,” he said.

Everyone inside the inner deck looked at Linghu Chong in amazement. They were surprised that the renowned Killer Physician came personally to visit Linghu Chong.

Yue Buqun casted a glare at Linghu Chong and let out a hum angrily. “This weirdo actually had the guts to come here!”

“I, Ping Yizhi pay respect to Huashan Sect’s Young Mister Linghu!” a male voice coming from the outside said. Ping Yizhi stepped into the inner deck.

Yue Buqun clenched his teeth and glared at Linghu Chong annoyingly. He was still surprised and at the same time annoyed that a renowned figure such as Ping Yizhi was so respectful towards his disciple instead of him.

Linghu Chong walked up to Ping Yizhi.. “I am Linghu Chong,” he said, with his hands cupped.

Ping Yizhi looked at Linghu Chong up and down with a smile on his face. “You’re fine looking and exceptional indeed,” he commented. “Someone has asked me to treat your wounds. Young Mister Linghu, please take a seat so that I can check your pulse.”

Linghu Chong turned around to look at his mistress to get her permission before allowing Ping Yizhi to examine his injuries.

Yue Buqun hummed angrily as he returned to his seat.

Ning Zhongze looked at Linghu Chong and nodded her head, signaling him to allow Ping Yizhi to examine his injuries. She was hoping that the Killer Physician could really treat his injuries.

Linghu Chong walked over to a table and sat next to Ping Yizhi.

“May I see your hand please,” Ping Yizhi said politely.

Linghu Chong reached his hand out and placed it on the table.

Ping Yizhi placed his little finger on top of Linghu Chong’s wrist and began checking his pulses. He suddenly raised his brows and uttered a cry of surprise. “Strange…very strange indeed. I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he uttered.

Linghu Chong smiled and said, “Physician Ping, please go ahead and tell us what you have detected. I know that I won’t be able to live any longer.”

Ping Yizhi responded, “Young Mister Linghu, you were involved in multiple fierce fights and injured your heart and energy channels. But that is not a problem. Those can be healed with the right medicine and acupuncture. Although the few people who tried to heal you has great inner energy and was able to save your life temporarily but they had also unintentionally filled the dry canals with water from the yellow river. The canals may be filled with water but the towns were consequently flooded.”

Linghu Chong knitted his brows and said, “What Physician Ping said makes sense.”

Ping Yizhi continued to check Linghu Chong’s pulse. “There are six conflicting inner energies flowing in your body. One is particularly strong and belonged to an exponent from the Dark Wood Cliff.”

Yue Buqun turned his head and stared at Ping Yizhi astonishingly. He was amazed that Ping Yizhi was able to identify the origin of the energy stream.

“There are three other streams of energy, two large and one small coming from the same person. Although I can’t identify his martial arts sect or skills but I can feel traces of evil energy. He transferred the inner energy to you twice. I think he was trying to the previous stream of energy. The last two streams of energy are more harmonious and seemed to be suppressing the four other streams of energy. The Huashan Sect’s inner energy must have been transferred to you by your master, Mister Yue,” Ping Yizhi continued.

Linghu Chong pursed his lips and mulled to himself. “This Physician Ping is indeed an extraordinary physician. It’s not strange that he is able to detect six streams of energy inside my body by checking my pulse. What is strange is that he could even tell the origins of the inner energies. He said that Miss Dongfang’s inner energy has traces of evil and that is true too. But why is he here?” He then looked at Ping Yizhi with a smile and said, “Physician Ping, I heard that you have this rule when you treat your patient. After you’ve cured the patient, he will have to kill someone for you. Is that true?”

Ping Yizhi nodded, “That’s right. I do have such a rule.”

Linghu Chong rose from his seat and stepped to the side. “I won’t kill anyone for you so you don’t need to treat me,” he asserted.
Ping Yizhi got up from his seat and started laughing. “Firstly, your condition is too severe and I can’t cure you. Secondly, even if I could cure you, someone else has already agreed to kill for me. You don’t need to do it yourself.”

Yue Buqun knitted his brows and looked at them. “Who has gotten such great due respect that could have made Killer Physician to visit to a patient? What kind of relationship does he have with Chong’er?” he thought to himself.

“The six streams of energy in your body can’t be extracted or dispelled neither can it be suppressed or overpowered. This is very difficult indeed. Although I was asked to come here and treat you, because your injuries are related to inner energy, that’s why medicine and medical treatments won’t do you any good. Ever since I became a physician, I’ve never seen any injuries like this. There’s really nothing I can do. I am so ashamed.”

Yue Lingshan looked at Ping Yizhi disappointedly. “Physician Ping, so you’re saying that my Big Apprentice Brother’s injuries cannot be healed?” she asked.

Ping Yizhi let out a sigh, “Even the gods won’t be able heal his injuries. Fortunately, you all were able to meet me today so there is still some hope. But I will need some time to think of a cure.” He then pulled a small bottle out from his chest pocket and handed it to Linghu Chong. “These ten Heart-Soothing pills are made of many kinds of precious medicinal herbs. Take one pill every ten days and you will be able to live for another one hundred days. Within the next one hundred days, I will think of a way to heal you.”
Linghu Chong folded his arms and said, “Physician Ping, since these pills are so precious you should save it for someone else. It makes no difference whether I live for a few more days.”

Ping Yizhi laughed and said, “Having no regards of one’s own life, you do show the qualities of a true man. No wonder! No wonder!” He looked toward the doorway and clapped his hands. “The four of you may come in now!” he yelled loudly.

Four elegant looking young girls in their late teens dressed in black cloak, each with a long sword in their hands stepped into the boat. Every single one of them was far prettier than Yue Lingshan. They got stood across from each other, got down on one knee and bowed at Linghu Chong. The four of them introduced themselves one after another starting from the girl on the left.

“Servant, Mei Jian.”

“Servant, Zhu Jian.”

“Servant, Ju Jian.”

“Servant, Lan Jian.”

“Pays respect to Young Master Linghu!” they greeted him in unison.

Ping Yizhi looked at the four of them sternly. “Four Immortal Flowers, starting from today the four of you will stay here and take care of Young Mister Linghu,” he instructed them.
The four girls nodded. “Servant will serve Young Master Linghu and obey his commands!” they said in unison.

The Huashan group looked at the girls and then looked at Linghu Chong in astonishment.

Linghu Chong was equally shocked. He rushed over to the four girls and helped them up. “Young ladies, please rise…I don’t deserve to be your master…please rise,” he sighed. He then looked at Ping Yizhi and said, “Physician Ping…that would not be necessary!”

“Young Mister Linghu, you condition is severe and you definitely need the Four Immortal Flowers to serve you,” Ping Yizhi remarked.

Mei Jian looked up at him and responded, “From now on our lives belong to Young Master Linghu. Wherever Young Master goes we will follow you with no questions asked. If Young Master refuses to allow us to stay by your side we will have no choice but to end our lives.”

Linghu Chong looked at her with his eyes and jaw wide open. He shook his head and said, “No…please don’t be silly…” He pursed his lips and hesitantly continued, “Alright then! From now you all can follow me…” Although he strong felt that he did not deserve to have the four beautiful girls serving him but he also did not have the heart to see them commit suicide because of him. In order to prevent them from sacrificing their lives unnecessarily he had no choice but to allow them to be with him.

The four girls smiled and responded in unison, “Thanks, Young Master!”

Ping Yizhi bowed at Linghu Chong with his hands cupped. “Young Mister Linghu, I take my leave. Once I have discovered a way to treat you, I will let you know immediately,” he said.

Linghu Chong returned a bow at him.

Ping Yizhi walked out through the doorway and completely ignored Yue Buqun, the Head Master of the Huashan Sect. Yue Buqun was greatly annoyed.

Zhu Jian walked up to Linghu Chong and bowed at him. “Young Master, from now on if you need anything please let us know,” she said with a smile.

Linghu Chong smiled and replied, “I don’t need anything. Just don’t disturb my Master, Mistress and apprentice siblings.”

The four girls bowed at Linghu Chong. “Servant wouldn’t dare.”

Yue Buqun finally rose from his seat and exited the lower deck annoyingly. After seeing Ping Yizhi’s behavior toward him and Linghu Chong was completely opposite, his resentment towards Linghu Chong had worsened.

Ning Zhongze held Yue Lingshan’s hand. “Shan’er, let’s go outside so that your Big Apprentice Brother can get some rest,” she uttered.

Yue Lingshan and the other Huashan Sect disciples followed Ning Zhongze out of the area.

Mei Jian pulled a chair out for Linghu Chong. “Young Master, you’re not well please take a seat,” she said with a smile.

Ju Jian and Lan Jian propped Linghu Chong by the arms and walked him to the chair.

Zhu Jian filled a cup with some warm tea handed it to Linghu Chong. “Young Master, please have some tea.”

Linghu Chong frowned and said childishly, “I want wine instead…”

Zhu Jian immediately placed the cup on a table and went all over the boat to search for wine.

Linghu Chong lazed back in the chair as he was being served by the girls. It was the first time in his life that he had received such courteous treatment and felt like an emperor. He was very courteous to them and could not stop smiling.

End of Chapter 20

[szfong]

Thanks for another exciting chapter!!

[Dongfang Xue]

Thanks for another exciting chapter!!

Just in time for the weekend. Have fun reading chapter 20 szfong!

[szfong]

Just in time for the weekend. Have fun reading chapter 20 szfong!

Will LHC be having 4 concubines or will they sacrifice themselves trying to protect LHC? Can't wait to find out.... Much appreciate your efforts!!

[Mandred Skavenslayer]

Again thanks for your work.

You seem like a big fan of the Demi God Semi Devil story (I recognised the four girls)

It's a shame the timelines don't work otherwise it would be awesome if one of the main characters from DMSD made a cameo.

[Eccentric One]

Replacing Six Immortals of Peach Valley with Four Immortal Flowers. Very interesting and refreshing indeed. I like the idea of replacing the six weirdos with four beauties

[Chongdong Bubai]

Again thanks for your work.

You seem like a big fan of the Demi God Semi Devil story (I recognised the four girls)

It's a shame the timelines don't work otherwise it would be awesome if one of the main characters from DMSD made a cameo.

Mandred you are a big fan of Jin Yong too. I had to double check DMSD characters to see who the girls were. So the granny is Tianshan Tonglao? If she is Tianshan Tonglao then Linghu Chong will be very powerful and will head the Lingjiu Palace instead of Hengshan