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Introduction

Prologue

"What is this?"

"Your life."

"'The golden-scaled fish is not pond elemental. Once it meets wind and cloud it will transform dragon'... this, is the prophecy you have drawn for me? What does it mean?"

"The meaning behind this is that once you meet wind and cloud, you will transform into the Dragon of the Nine Skies. The world would be at your feet!"

"Then where can I can find wind and cloud?"

"Don't know."

"Even you do not know?"

"The winds itself is without shadow and without form, never ceasing for a moment...the clouds also separate and divide without constancy, always shifting. Even if I studied to the ends of the Divine Truth, I still would not be able to predict fully the changes of wind and cloud."

"Nevertheless, my life's ambition will be fulfilled and I will have no regrets."

"Not one life but half a life."

"Half a life?"

"This is only the fate of the first half of your life."

"Then what of my other half?"

"The time is not yet right. No way to find out."

"When will be the time?"

"Why do people want to find out the wills of the gods? To know that it is hard to predict, not knowing is better than knowing."

"I don't understand."

"No need to understand. Just leave everything to Fate!"

Bo Ging Wan's (Cloud's) Story:

(Note: This is really issue #31; Mr. Ma had originally intended it to be a flashback)

Hong Ba ("The Dominator"), founder of the Tin Ha (World) Clan, sought the notorious Mud Buddha to foretell his future. The Mud Buddha draws for him a promising line, "The golden-scaled fish is not pond elemental. Once it meets wind and cloud, it will transform dragon." He explains that once Hong Ba meets two people in his life--one whose name bore the word "wind" and the other "cloud"--his career for world dominance (*world of martial arts) will succeed. Yet there is one drawback--this prophecy is only true for the first half of Hong's lifetime. The second half remains a secret. The Mud Buddha claims that the time is not yet right for the prophecy to be fully revealed; everything must be left to Fate! This sets the stage for the oncoming events.

Set during the time of Hong Ba's quest for dominance: Two of Hong Ba's followers, "The Bat" and his martial brother, under direct orders, were to extinguish the Fo Family (*The world of martial arts was divided into different clans, families, and groups; each had their own specific fighting style and technique) because they had refused to join the Tin ha Clan; the consequence--death! A small boy, Fo Ging Kwok, watches emotionless in the background as they slaughter all members of his family (*When speaking of the "family", it usually meant all persons who live there--servants, cooks, disciples, etc.). It is because of this that The Bat makes a huge mistake and decides not to kill him--deeming that he could not possibly be part of the Fo Family since he did not even cry. Suddenly picking up a sword, Fo Ging Kwok pierces a fatal wound through The Bat's martial brother who dies instantaneously. Outraged, The Bat is about to avenge his martial brother but a powerful stranger and his young disciple, Keem Sun, intervenes and saves Fo Ging Kwok.

When Fo Ging Kwok awakens and is asked by Keem Sun why he did not cry when his family members died, he answers, "Crying! It is useless to the situation, only by staying calm can I avenge them!" And so Fo Ging Kwok stays with them to heal from his wounds, however, he has no intentions of leaving after discovering one night the stranger teaching Keem Sun powerful sword techniques. Fo Ging Kwok continues to secretly watch the stranger teach Keem Sun each night because he realizes that with the teachings of the stranger, his plan for revenge can be accomplished.

Finally one night, stepping out with a bamboo stick in hand, Fo Ging Kwok challenges Keem Sun to a sword duel while the stranger watches. Easily defeated twice in a row by Keem Sun but unwilling to accept defeat, Fo Ging Kwok lashes out "Bai Tong Mok Ming"--a sword technique that he had secretly learned from the watching Keem Sun's see-fu (martial teacher) during those nights. (*A special note about "Bai Tong Mok Ming": translated, it means "unthinkable sorrow". Lashed out, it creates a web of swords that attacks the opponent. When the stranger was teaching Keem Sun this specific technique, Keem Sun was unable to utilize it because he could not understand the sorrow and sadness related to the technique. Fo Ging Kwok, on the other hand, easily learned it because of the many sorrows he had experienced in his life.) Thus, Keem Sun's wooden sword is knocked out of his hand and is defeated.

Fo Ging Kwok kneels down on the ground and asks Keem Sun's see-fu to accept him as disciple, however, he had already left without any answer. Keem Sun's see-fu makes his final decision days later after watching Fo Ging Kwok slash brutally at a pack of wolves attacking a mother antelope. Again he witnesses the deep, unmerciful hatred in Fo Ging Kwok and decides that his sword techniques unsuitable for Fo. Fo Ging Kwok interprets his refusal as not wanting him to best Keem Sun in the future and leaves secretly at night time. Set in his heart, Fo Ging Kwok from then on is determined to rely on no one but himself to avenge his family and sets out for the source of his revenge--Tin Ha Clan. At the entrance, the watchers ask for his name in which he replies, "Bo Ging Wan" (Wan = Cloud).