Chapter - 5 Ding Ding Dang Dang (1/2)

The poplars and the willows grew so densely by the water's edge that they almost hid the small bridge from view. The little boat stopped under the bridge, which seemed like a small house that Nature built. Ding Dang went into the cabin, and brought out two sets of cups and chopsticks as well as a pot of wine. Then, she brought out a few plates of peanuts, broadbeans and dried meat, before placing everything in front of Shi Potian.

The young man was perplexed. ”How strange!” he said, scratching his head. ”How strange indeed!” When his eyes fell on the box of clay figurines on the table, he said to himself: ”The clay people are here, so I am not dreaming.”

He opened the cover of the box and took a figurine out. Having just had an unprecedented level of internal energy come to complete formation in his body, he was not aware that he had become very strong. Neither did he know how to control his strength. Thus, when he pressed the figurine gently -- as he had often done before -- a series of cracking sounds was heard. A moment later, some of the powdered colour-washes, oil-based paints and layers of clay on the figurine crumbled away one after another.

”A-yo!” said the young man, as he began to feel sorry about damaging the figurine. Then, he noticed that there was a layer of lacquered wood where the paint and clay had crumbled away. Since the outer layers had come off, he simply went ahead and peeled more of it away. When a vague human-like shape started to appear, he removed all of the clay and found a naked wooden figurine in his hands.

Varnished with a layer of tung oil (tong2 you2)(1), the wooden figurine had black lines painted all over it. However, there were no indications of acupoints on it at all. The figurine was exquisitely carved, with a life-like face and an open mouth as if in laughter. Its hands were placed on its stomach, completing the overall appearance of great mirth. It did not look at all like the clay figurine that it once was.

The young man was delighted: So there are wooden figurines inside the clay people. I wonder what the other figurines look like.

Having memorised the acupoints and channels on the clay figurines a long time ago, he simply went ahead and peeled the powdered colour-washes, oil-based paints and clay layers away from the remaining figurines. Sure enough, each clay figurine had a wooden one inside, all of which had different expressions that ranged from unbridled joy to bitter tears and from great mouth-splitting anger to utter heart-warming kindness. Furthermore, the channels shown on the wooden figurines for the exercising of one's energy were totally different from those on the clay people.

The young man thought: Since these wooden figurines are so interesting, I will practise my internal strength according to the lines on their bodies and see what happens next. But I will not follow the one with the crying face, for does he not look ugly, weeping and wailing like that? The one that is laughing with his mouth opened wide does not look good either, so I will start with this one that is smiling happily.

Without further ado, the young man sat cross-legged and placed the smiling wooden figurine in front of himself. When he exercised a little of the energy in his abdomen, he felt a stream of warmth rising slowly from it. Then, he directed the stream to the various acupoints according to the lines shown on the body of the wooden figurine.

He would never know that the lines on the bodies of these wooden figurines stood for the 'Arhats' Divine Demon-Subduing Skill' (Luo2 Han4 Fu2 Mo2 Shen2 Gong1), a set of techniques that was created by an eminent monk from an earlier generation of the Shaolin School. Every wooden figurine was an arhat in this exquisite collection that represented one of the greatest achievements in Buddhist internal strength cultivation techniques -- techniques that were extremely profound yet delicately subtle. The first step -- called 'Preserving the Heart for a Return to the Fundamentals' (She4 Xin1 Gui1 Yuan2) -- required the complete abandonment of all distracting thoughts, something that a single person in a hundred thousand men might not even be able to accomplish.

While intelligent and quick-witted people often had too many deliberations to succeed in practising this set of techniques, the dull ones were simply unable to figure out the variations that numbered in the thousands and ten-thousands.

The eniment monk who developed this set of techniques years ago knew that talented individuals who were intelligent, yet honest and simple, were very rare. Although there were monks who had high intellectual capacity as well as a level of spiritual cultivation that was devoid of material desires, practising this set of techniques would inevitably lead them to a whole-hearted embrace of martial arts and the eventual destruction of their Buddhist testimony.

The teachings of Buddha named 'greed', 'anger' and 'infatuation' as the Three Poisons. Money- or lust-induced greed was nevertheless still greed, and if it could bring delight to the practitioner of Buddhism, martial arts would certainly become another form of greed. Therefore, the wooden arhats were covered with layers of clay and powdered paint-washes, before they were painted with the genuine entry-level techniques for the cultivation of internal strength according to the Shaolin School. Consequently, this served to prevent later generations from over-rating their abilities at the sight of the wooden arhats and embarking on a futile training course that would either cause them to lose their lives or lead them away from the true path of Buddhism.

Knowing that the eighteen clay figurines were unusual treasures of the martial arts circle, the Benevolent Elder had put in all his effort into obtaining them. Yet, he soon saw that the internal strength cultivation techniques drawn on them were ordinary and unremarkable. Subsequently, he spent many months and years studying the figurines intensively, but he was unable to find anything that made them valuable. Since he did not doubt their value as unusual treasures, he was very careful in handling them, lest they were damaged. But without destroying the clay figurines, the wooden arhats would never emerge. Thus, the Benevolent Elder never understood the secret of the figurines until the day he died.

In fact, the Benevolent Elder was not the only one who failed to uncover the arhats. Since the days of the eminent Shaolin monk, the set of clay figurines had passed through the hands of eleven people. Each of these individuals handled the figurines with fear and trepidation, thinking deeply and making great efforts to protect them. These eleven eventually died in regret, taking one of the biggest doubts in their hearts into the yellow earth with them.

The young man was naturally gifted with intelligence. Tender in age and having lived all his life in the remote mountains without any understanding of the affairs of the world around him, he simply could not be dishonest and complex in character. Thus, by sheer coincidence, he turned out to be just the right candidate for this set of techniques.

In addition, he was also fortunate to discover the secret of the arhats on the same day that his mind had cleared. If he had not, he would soon be imperceptibly influenced by the sights and sounds of being a clan-leader for an extended period of time. As a naturally kind person, he would probably not be too affected by the killings and the fights, but he would certainly have many more thoughts and deliberations on his mind. Finding the eighteen wooden arhats then and practising the techniques shown on them would not only prove unbeneficial, but thoroughly dangerous as well.

With the fire and water in his body blended, and the yin and the yang harmonised, the young man had already possessed a very rich and profound level of internal strength. When he exercised this strength according to the lines on the body of the wooden arhat, all the blocked channels in his body began to open up. After doing the same exercise three times, the young man closed his eyes and repeated it again without looking at the figurine. A feeling of immense comfort came over him. Then, he started working with another figurine.

He became totally absorbed in the task after that, working with one figurine after another without hearing or seeing anything that took place around him. He did this from dawn until noon, and from noon until dusk, before going on from dusk until the dawn of the next day.

Initially, Shijian had been afraid that he would violate her, so she did not go further than popping her head through the door to steal glance. When she saw that how focused he was on his training -- laughing foolishly in one moment and frowning bitterly in the next like one who had lost his head -- she could not help but become worried. Thus, she stepped quietly into the room. Then, seeing how he trained continuously throughout the day and the night without stopping for a rest, she quickly forgot to be afraid. Instead, she became so concerned that she left the room to sleep for only one or two shichen (2 to 4 hours) before returning for another look.

Bei Haishi visited several times as well. Looking into the room from the outside, he saw a dense whitish cloud hovering over the young man's head. This told him that the young man's training had once again reached a critical juncture. Hence, he ordered his subordinates to increase their efforts in standing guard outside the clan-leader's room, for no one was allowed to enter the room and disturb the clan-leader at all.

By the time the young man was finished with his practice of the Divine Demon-Subduing Skill that was recorded on the bodies of the eighteen wooden arhats, it was already the dawn of the third day. Under the first faint rays of light, the young man took a long breath before placing the wooden figurines back into their box and closing it. He felt mentally and physically invigorated, for his internal energy could now be exercised and directed at will. Yet, he did not know that he had already made a small accomplishment in the the first step of cultivating the martial arts rarity of a lifetime, the Arhats' Divine Demon-Subduing Skill.

Under ordinary circumstances, one would need at least five or six years' to several decades' worth of training before such an achievement could be made, for there was absolutely no way that it could be done within a day and a night. However, with the harmonising of the twin energies of yin and yang in his body, the young man was already equipped with the right foundations for the practice of the skill. It was as if he was a giant ten-thousand qing (approximately 66,667 hectares) lake that had soaked up an immeasurable amount of water upstream; the Arhats' Divine Demon-Subduing Skill served only to direct that immense volume into the right flow.

As the saying went, when water came, a channel would be formed. The pure yin and yang energies that he had practised diligently for many years were akin to stored-up water that had now become a flowing channel. The conditions had been ripe, and he had achieved success.

+ + +

The young man blinked ... and noticed Shijian leaning face-down against the side of his bed. She had fallen asleep. Getting off the bed, he saw that her clothes were thin and unlayered. By then, Mid-Autumn(2) was already over, and a slight chill had begun to come upon the last ten days of the eighth month. Therefore, the young man took a brocade quilt from his bed and had it placed lightly over Shijian's body.

Then, walking over to the window, he was struck by the refreshing flower-scented air that floated in.

Suddenly, Shijian started talking in a soft voice: ”Young Master, Young Master, you ... you must not kill anymore!”

The young man turned around and asked: ”Why do you keep calling me 'Young Master'? Why are you telling me to stop killing people?”

Although Shijian was sound asleep, her mind had not found any rest. Thus, when she heard the young man speaking, she woke up and patted her chest. ”I ... I feel very frightened!” she said. Finding the bed empty, she turned around and saw the young man standing by the window. She could not help but react with surprise and delight at the same time. ”Young Master, you are already awake!” she said with a smile. ”Look at me, I dozed off.”

When Shijian stood up, the brocade quilt on her shoulders slipped off. She turned pale with fright at once, for she thought that she had been violated by her philandering and loose-living clan-leader while she was asleep. Then, lowering her head, she realised that she was still properly dressed. As a mixture of bewilderment and suspicion gripped her, she began to stammer: ”You ... I ... I ...”

The young man smiled. ”You were talking in your sleep a moment ago,” he said, ”telling me not to kill people. Do you see me killing people in your dreams too?”

These remarks were not unfounded, so Shijian's heart became slightly calmer. Then, realising that nothing out of ordinary had happened, she asked herself: Was I wrong to accuse him? Thank the Heaven and the Earth... Finally, she spoke aloud: ”Yes, I was dreaming a moment ago. I saw you holding knives in both your hands and killing indiscriminately until there were bodies strewn all over the ground. Each of these bodies was not ... not ...” At this point, her face turned red. Then, she stopped talking altogether.

The things observed during the day often became one's dreams at night. For Shijian, she had seen nothing before the young man's bed for a day and two nights except those eighteen naked wooden figurines, so she saw naked male corpses in her dream as well.

But the young man did not know about it, of course. So he asked, ”Each of the bodies was not ... what?”

Shijian blushed again before saying: ”Each of them was not ... not a bad person.”

Subsequently, the young man said, ”Elder Sister Shijian, there are many things that I do not understand. Would you explain them to me, please?”

”A-yo!” answered Shijian with a smile. ”Has the serious bout of illness changed your character? You are even using titles like 'Elder' and 'Younger Sister' when you speak to lowly servants like us.”

”I really do not understand why you call me 'Young Master' and talk about 'lowly servants',” said the young man. ”Those elderly uncles call me 'Clan-Leader', while Big Brother Zhan says that I robbed him of his wife. What exactly is going on?”

Gazing at him for a moment, Shijian found the expression on his face very sincere. There was no trace of an intention to joke or make fun of the situation. Therefore, she said, ”You have not eaten anything for a day and a night. There is some ginseng and millet porridge (ren2 shen1 xiao3 mi3 zhou1) on the stove outside. I will get you a bowl.”

The mention of food caused the young man to realise how unbearably hungry he actually was. ”I will go and get the porridge myself,” he said. ”How would I dare to bother you, Elder Sister? Where is the porridge?” After sniffing the air for a moment, he smiled and said, ”I know where it is!” Then, he strode out of the room.

Beyond the young man's sleeping quarters, was yet another large room. A small charcoal stove stood in one of the corners, with a bubbling pot of millet porridge on it. The young man threw a glance at Shijian, who turned totally red at once. ”A-yo!” she exclaimed. ”The porridge is burnt! Young Master, please have some pastries and other light refreshments (dian3 xin1) first. I will go and make another pot of porridge at once. How terrible of me to sleep like I was dead!”

The young man laughed and said, ”Burnt porridge is good too, so what is there to fear?” When he lifted the lid of the pot, a strong odour entered his nostrils. The porridge, which amounted to about half a pot, had almost become as dry as burnt rice, yet he took a spoon, scooped some of the burnt porridge up and sent it into his mouth.

Ginseng and millet porridge was usually a little bitter in taste. Taken without sugar, the burnt mouthful had an even greater level of bitterness.

The young man frowned before swallowing the mouthful in a single gulp. Then, he stuck out his tongue and said, ”How bitter!” Yet, he scooped another spoonful from the pot and sent it into his mouth. After swallowing the second mouthful, he said, ”How bitter!” again.

Shijian reached out to take the spoon from the young man's hand. As she did, she turned red and said, ”It is already so burnt, but you are remarkable to eat it!” By then, her fingers had touched the back of his hand, but he was unwilling to release the spoon. Consequently, a unpremeditated burst of reflexive energy went forth from the muscles on his hand and pushed Shijian's fingers away. The shocked maidservant withdrew her hand at once.

As for the young man, he went ahead and ate another spoonful of the bitter porridge without realising what had happened.

Shijian cocked her head to one side and watched as he ate like the wolf and the tiger. The expressions on his face were especially amusing, for he seemed to find the porridge bitter, fragrant and sweet at the same time. Eventually, Shijian could not help but smile. ”Well, I really cannot blame you for eating like this,” she said. ”You must have been starved for the past few days.”

The young man continued eating until the entire half-pot of porridge was gone and the bottom of the pot exposed. Although the meal was burnt, it contained high-grade aged wild ginseng (lao3 shan1 shen1) that served as a powerful supplement to health. As a result, the young man was soon alert and radiating with vitality.

When Shijian saw the reddish glow on his face, she smiled and asked, ”Young Master, what martial arts have you been practising? When my finger touched the back of your hand just now, it bounced off. Your complexion has also become better-looking.”

”I do not know what it is called,” answered the young man. ”I simply followed the lines on the bodies of the wooden people. Elder Sister Shijian, who ... who exactly am I?”

”Have you really forgotten?” asked Shijian with a laugh. ”Or are you just talking in jest?”

The young man scratched his head. Then, rather unexpectedly, he asked, ”Have you seen my mother?”

”No,” answered Shijian in suprise. ”Young Master, I have never heard you mention that there is an Old Madame. Ah, that is it! You must be very obedient to Old Madame; that is why your character has somewhat changed in recent days.” As she spoke, Shijian glanced at her clan-leader, for she was concerned that his old temper might suddenly flare up. Fortunately, nothing happened.

”My mother's words must naturally be obeyed,” said the young man. Then, after a sigh, he added, ”I wonder where my mother has gone.”

”Thank the Heaven and the Earth,” said Shijian. ”There is someone in this world who can actually discipline you at last.

Suddenly, a loud voice spoke from outside the room: ”Has the clan-leader awakened? His subordinate has a matter to report.”

The young man was stunned, for he did not know what to say. Turning to Shijian, he whispered: ”Is he talking to me?”

”Of course, he is,” answered Shijian. ”He says that he has something to report.”

”Get him to wait,” said the young man quickly. ”Elder Sister Shijian, you must teach me what to do first.”

Shijian took one look at her clan-leader before raising her voice and saying: ”Who is it outside?”

”His subordinate, Chen Chongzhi from the Hall of the Impressive Lion,” answered the visitor.

”Our Clan-Leader instructs you, Incense-Master Chen, to wait for a short while,” said Shijian.

”Yes,” came Chen Chongzhi's reply.

The young man beckoned towards Shijian and went into the inner quarters. ”Who exactly am I?” he asked her in a whisper.

A slight frown appeared between Shijian's brows. With increasing anxiety in her heart, she replied: ”You are the leader of the Clan of Eternal Happiness. Your surname is Shi; your given name is Potian.”

”Shi Potian ... Shi Potian,” mumbled the young man. ”So I am called Shi Potian ... so my name is not Gouzazhong.”

When Shijian saw the concern on his face, she comforted him and said, ”Young Master, you do not need to be worried. Take your time, and you will remember everything. You are Shi Potian, Clan-Leader Shi of the Clan of Eternal Happiness; not bas- ... well, naturally not that!”

The young man, Shi Potian, whispered another two questions: ”What is the Clan of Eternal Happiness? What does the clan-leader do?”

It is not easy to describe the Clan of Eternal Happiness, thought Shijian, so she said, ”There are many people in the Clan of Eternal Happiness, like Mr Bei, the Incense-Master Chen outside ... they are all very capable people. You are the Clan-Leader; everyone must listen to you.”

”So what should I say to them?” asked Shi Potian.

”I am a young maidservant, so what do I know?” said Shijian. ”Young Master, if you cannot come to a decision, there is no harm in asking Mr Bei about it. He is the strategist of the clan and highly intelligent man.”

”But Mr Bei is not here,” said Shi Potian. ”Elder Sister Shijian, what do you think that Incense-Master Chen wants to say to me? If he asks me something, I will certainly not be able to give him an answer. You ... you had better ask him to leave.”

”I am afraid it is not very good to ask him to leave,” said Shijian. ”Just nod your head to whatever he says.”

Shi Potian was delighted: ”Well, that is not difficult.”

With the matter settled, Shijian walked ahead and led Shi Potian into a small hall outside where he could receive visitors. There, they saw a very tall man standing up suddenly from his seat. The man bowed in greeting and said, ”Clan-Leader, you have recovered well! Your subordinate, Chen Chongzhi, pays his respects.”

Shi Potian bowed in return and said, ”Incense ... Incense-Master Chen, you have recovered well too! I also pay you my respects.”

Almost at once, the expression of Chen Chongzhi's face underwent a great change. Then, the man took two steps backwards. He knew his clan-leader as an arrogant, rude and wicked fellow who loved to kill, so the act of him bowing and greeting in response to his own gesture of respect was a clear indication that the intention to kill had been aroused. The clan-leader would soon launch a cruel strike against him.

Although Chen Chongzhi was startled inwardly, he was nonetheless a highly skilled pugilist and a proud man of the greenwood who would never give in to force. So how could he be willing to wait for his death as if his hands were tied? Hence, he directed his energy towards his palms in silence, before speaking up in a serious voice: ”Your subordinate wonders which rule of the clan he was violated. If the Clan-Leader wants to mete out punishment, a major ceremonial meeting must be convened and the violation declared before all who are present.”

Shi Potian did not understand his words at all. ”Punishment?” he said in surprise. ”What punishment? Incense-Master Chen, are you talking about punishment?”

The incense-master became angry. ”Chen Chongzhi is totally devoted to the clan and the Clan-Leader,” he said. ”I have not committed any violations, so Clan-Leader, why are you speaking words of ridicule again and again?”

Recalling Shijian's advice to first nod his head at the things he did not understand and later ask Bei Haishi about them, Shi Potian acknowledged Chen Chongzhi's outburst with a series of nods and several grunts. Then, he said, ”Please sit down, Incense-Master Chen. Do not act like a guest.”

”How can there be a seat for your subordinate in the presence of the Clan-Leader?” said Chen Chongzhi.

”Yes, yes!” answered Shi Potian, nodding his head again.

Standing face-to-face, the two men suddenly fell silent. One of them looked at the other, only to have the other return the gaze. Chen Chongzhi wore an expression of total guardedness that was marked by anger and fear, while Shi Potian appeared to be perplexed and at a loss. Yet, he had a warm and amiable smile.

According to the rules of the Clan of Eternal Happiness, no one was allowed to be in the room when subordinates reported secret matters to the clan-leader. Therefore, Shijian had left the hall much earlier. If she had not, she would have been able to explain to Chen Chongzhi that their Clan-Leader had just recovered from a serious bout of illness, and was therefore still rather depressed. Hence, Chen did not need to have any misgivings about the exchange.

By and by, Shi Potian noticed two bowls of tea on the table. Taking one of the bowls in his left hand, he offered the other to the visitor with his right. However, Chen Chongzhi was afraid that the tea was poisoned. He was also concerned that Shi Potian would seize the opportunity to launch an attack. Therefore, he did not dare to reach out and take the bowl. Instead, he took a step backwards.

Crash! One of the porcelain bowls fell to the ground and broke into smithereens.

”A-yo!” said Shi Potian, before smiling and adding: ”I am sorry, I am sorry!” Then, he offered the bowl of tea that he had not drunk to his guest: ”Here, drink this one!”

Chen Chongzhi raised his eyebrows at once: I will not escape from your evil hands, regardless of what I do. If a true man must die, so be it. Why should he be carrying his heart in his mouth? Although he knew that the clan-leader's martial arts skills were beneath his, he would never be able to flee from the dragon's pool and the tiger's den that the dangerous Clan of Happiness was often compared to. This was especially true once the clan-leader had already launched his attack. Furthermore, he would probably not last beyond ten strokes in a fight with Physician Bei, which would certainly lead to an indescribably cruel death. Hence, he took up the bowl and drunk its contents dry with a few noisy gulps. Then, placing the bowl heavily on the table, he said in a miserable voice: ”Clan-Leader, because of the way that you treat your loyal subordinates, may I wish the Clan of Eternal Happiness a thousand years of permanent joy. Long live Clan-Leader Shi!”

Shi Potian understood what 'Long live Clan-Leader Shi!' was, but he did not know that Chen Chongzhi meant it to be an ironic remark. Thus, he replied: ”May Incense-Master Chen live a long life too.”

To Chen Chongzhi, these words sounded once again like venom to the ears. Laughing bitterly, he thought: My life is already left with nothing but a moment, yet you wish me a lengthy life. Hence, he said in a loud voice: ”Your subordinate does not know how he has offended the Clan-Leader. Since this is his lot in life, there is nothing more to talk about. I have come today to make a report: Last night, two people broke into the Hall of the Impressive Lion at our headquarters. One of them was a middle-aged man about forty; the other was a woman about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. They used long swords, with techniques that were similar to those of the Snow Mountain School at Lingxiao City. I led my men in an attempt to capture them, but their swordplay techniques were brilliant. Consequently, three of our brothers were killed. Eventually, we seized the woman after she was slashed in the leg, but the man escaped. Therefore, I have also come to admit my guilt in this matter.”

”Hmm, so you captured the woman, but the man escaped,” said Shi Potian. ”I wonder what they came for. Did they steal anything?”

”The Hall of the Impressive Lion has not been relieved of any objects,” answered Chen Chongzhi.

Shi Potian frowned. ”The two people were really ferocious,” he said. ”Why did they kill three people with such ease?” Then, struck by curiosity, he said, ”Incense-Master Chen, will you take me to see the woman?”

”I obey your command,” answered Chen Chongzhi with a bow. As he turned and walked out of the hall, a thought flashed through his mind: The woman whom I captured has beautiful facial features. Although she is a few years older than she could have been, she is still quite attractive. If the Clan-Leader takes a fancy to her, he may just give me the antidote in a moment of delight. Then, he spoke to himself: Chen Chongzhi, Chen Chongzhi, Clan-Leader Shi's moods have never lasted long. He has also never shown any care or respect for anyone, so the Clan of Eternal Happiness is no longer a place of shelter for you. If you escape today by sheer luck, you had better fly far and high, concealing your surname and burying your given name without ever getting involved in such troublesome matters again. But ... but to leave the clan and flee is a great offence that cannot be pardoned. The Clan of Eternal Happiness will never let me go, even if that means having to pursue me to the ends of the earth. What then can I do?

Meanwhile, Shi Potian followed Chen Chongzhi through a maze of rooms and halls, as well as two flower gardens, before arriving at a large door that was made of stone. Four men stood on either side of the door with weapons in their hands. As Shi and Chen approached, the men rushed forward and bowed in greeting. They looked respectful, yet cautious and somewhat frightened.

Chen Chongzhi gestured with his hand. Two of the guards pushed the stone door open, revealing an iron gate that was secured by a huge iron lock. Chen took a key out and opened the lock by himself. Stepping inside, he led his clan-leader down a very long corridor that was lit by large candles. Four more guards stood at the end of the corridor, before yet another iron gate. Beyond this gate was a thick stone door. Chen unlocked the door to reveal a stone-walled cell about two zhang squared (approximately 100/9 metres squared).

A woman dressed in white sat with her back towards the door, but when she heard the door open, she turned around.

Chen Chongzhi took a candlestick from the corridor and placed it on a rack by the door. When the light from the candle fell on the woman's face, Shi Potian gasped. ”You are the Woman Warrior of the Icy Plum (Han2 Mei2 Nü3 Xia2), Hua Wanzi, from the Snow Mountain School,” he said.

Years ago in Hou Jian Ji, Hua Wanzi had repeatedly provoked Xia Yanke with her words. At that time, Shi Potian did not understand anything that was said; neither did he know what the 'Snow Mountain School' and the 'Woman Warrior of the Icy Plum' meant. However, he had good memory, so he did not forget the words that he had heard.

Although seven or eight years had already passed since the incident in Hou Jian Ji, Hua Wanzi's facial features had not changed very much. Therefore, Shi Potian could recognise her at once. On the other hand, Shi Potian was only a little beggar with a dirt-stained face when Hua Wanzi first saw him years ago. Therefore, it was only natural that she could not recognise the tall, healthy and luxuriously-dressed young man. ”How do you know who I am?” she snapped in indignation.

”This is our Clan-Leader,” answered Chen Chongzhi in a loud and rather angry voice. ”You had better be more respectful in your speech.” He had responded in this manner after hearing Shi Potian identify the woman's school, nickname and name as soon as he (Shi) had seen her. In his (Chen's) mind, an unexpected feeling of admiration had arisen: This young fellow is remarkable in his knowledge. He does have his abilities indeed.

Hua Wanzi was shocked, for she did not expect to meet the notorious leader of the Clan of Eternal Happiness, Shi Potian, in her prison cell. She had broken into the clan premises with her elder brother-at-arms, Geng Wanzhong, during the night to investigate the background and identity of Shi Potian. Shi Potian was commonly known as an incorrigible lecher who destroyed the chastity of many a woman, so Hua Wanzi was certain that more harm than good would befall her, now that she was in her hands. Thus, she turned her head towards the wall at once, unwilling to allow the young man a longer look at her face. As she did, the sound of rattling metal was heard, for her hands and feet were bound in cuffs and fetters.

Shi Potian's mother had mentioned these cuffs and fetters in the stories she told, but he had never seen them until that day. Therefore, he turned to Chen Chongzhi and asked: ”Incense-Master Chen, those things on Hua- guniang's limbs ... are they cuffs for the hands and fetters for the feet?”

Chen Chongzhi did not know the reason behind the question, so he simply answered: ”Yes.”

”What crime has she committed, that she must be put in these cuffs and fetters?” asked Shi Potian again.

A light went off inside Chen Chongzhi's head: So the Clan-Leader is upset that I have offended Hua-guniang. That is why he launched a cruel attack on me just now. I must find a way to rectify the situation quickly, for it is really an injustice for a true man to lose his life because of a woman. Hence, he replied: ”Yes, yes, your subordinate knows that he is wrong.” Then, he took a key out of his pocket and unlocked the cuffs and fetters on Hua Wanzi's limbs.

Free at last, Hua Wanzi became so alarmed that her hands and feet trembled. She was actually not weak in pugilistic skills. Neither was her resourcefulness, courage and insight beneath those of men of similar standing in the martial arts circle. If Shi Potian had threatened her with death, she would not have frowned. Instead, she would have denounced his wrong-doings in a calm and confident way. However, by reprimanding Incense-Master Chen for her capture, Shi Potian was obviously trying to get into her good books with intentions that would certainly be off the track.

All her life, Hua Wanzi had kept herself as pure as jade, so the thought of Shi Potian's notorious reputation sent chills down her spine. Pressing her face against the icy-cold wall of stone as if her entire life depended on it, she thought: I wonder, is he the one? All I need is a few careful looks and I will know. Yet, she did not dare to turn around and look at Shi Potian's face, regardless of the thoughts in her mind.

Meanwhile, Chen Chongzhi exercised his internal energy in silence, and found that there were no obvious ill-effects in his body from drinking the 'poisoned tea'. Therefore, he concluded that the poison was not particularly strong. His life could be saved, so he decided to take a proactive step in getting into the clan-leader's good books. ”Shall we invite Hua- guniang to the Clan-Leader's room for a discussion?” he asked. ”It is dark and cramped here, and there is neither tea nor wine. Honoured guests should not be seen in this place at all.”

”Good!” said Shi Potian in delight. ”Hua- guniang, there is birds' nest in my room. It is very tasty, so you should go and have a bowl.”

”No!” said Hua Wanzi in a trembling voice. ”I am not going, and I am not eating.”

”It is very tasty,” said Shi Potian again. ”Go and have a bowl!”

”Kill me if you want to!” said Hua Wanzi angrily. ”I am a descendant of the formidable Snow Mountain School, so I will never beg you for mercy. Wicked man, you are utterly shameless, for you actually have the audacity to harbour such presumptous thoughts. I would rather run my head into the wall of this stone cell and die, than ... than go to your room.”

Surprised, Shi Potian said, ”You sound as if I love killing people the most. That is really strange, for how would I dare to kill you for no rhyme or reason? If you do not want to eat birds' nest, so be it. You probably prefer to eat chicken, duck, fish, meat or something. Incense-Master Chen, do we have any of those?”

”Yes, yes, yes!” answered Chen Chongzhi. ”Whatever Hua- guniang wants to eat, our kitchen has, so long as it is available in the world.”

Hua Wanzi responded by spitting in disgust. ”I would rather die than eat anything offered by the Clan of Eternal Happiness,” she said in a stern voice. ”Your food would just tarnish my mouth.”

”So you would prefer going out on to the streets to buy food by yourself?” asked Shi Potian. ”Do you have any silver? If you do not ... Incense-Master Chen, do you have any? Can you give her some, please?”

Chen Chongzhi and Hua Wanzi responded to the questions at the same time. One of them said, ”Yes, yes, I will go and get some now,” while the other said, ”No, no, I would rather die!”

”So you have some silver,” said Shi Potian. ”Incense-Master Chen tells me that your leg has been hurt. I could actually ask Mr Bei to take a look at it, but since you dislike the Clan of Eternal Happiness so much, you had better go out on to the streets and find a physician who can treat the wound. It is not good when it bleeds too much.”

Hua Wanzi did not believe that Shi Potian had the intention of releasing her. Instead, she thought that he was making fun of her, just like the proverbial cat playing with the mouse. ”I will never fall for your tricks, regardless of what they are!” she snapped in anger.

Greatly surprised, Shi Potian replied: ”This stone room looks very much like a prison, so what fun is there here? Although I have never seen a prison before, the prisons that my mother tells of in her stories do not look different from this room. Hua- guniang, you had better go quickly.”

Hua Wanzi did not know what he was getting at, for his last few sentences about his mother telling stories seemed rather inappropriate for the situation at hand. However, his intention of releasing her did not appear to be false. So, she said: ”Hmmph, where is my sword? Are you returning it or not?” In her mind, having a weapon in her hands was important: If Shi Potian makes a move to violate me, I may not be able to defeat him, but I can always turn the sword on to myself in suicide.

Chen Chongzhi looked at his Clan-Leader.

”Hua- guniang uses a sword,” said Shi Potian. ”Incense-Master Chen, please return the weapon to her. Is that all right?”

”Yes, yes,” answered Chen Chongzhi. The sword is just outside. When the lady leaves, it will be given to her.”

Knowing that it would never do to spend the rest of her life in the stone prison, Hua Wanzi decided to take each step as it came. She was also certain that she would die, so there was really nothing more to be afraid of. Hence, she stood up and strode out.

Shi and Chen followed, retracing their steps through the corridor and stone door until they left the prison altogether.

Then, Chen Chongzhi walked quickly ahead, took Hua Wanzi's sword and presented it to his Clan-Leader. He did this in an attempt to get further into the latter's good books, but Shi Potian simply took the sword and handed it to Hua Wanzi.

Concerned that Shi would seize the opportunity to launch an attack, Hua directed her energy into her arms before grabbing the sword and its sheath with a sudden two-handed move. As she did, she put her right hand on the hilt of the sword and pulled the blade out by five cun (16.65 centimetres). Then, she looked at Shi Potian's face and had a shock: It is he ... the rascal! There is no mistake!

Meanwhile, Chen Chongzhi grabbed a sabre from one of the clan-members behind him, for he was afraid that she would harm others with the sword. After all, her swordplay techniques were amazingly brilliant.

As for Shi Potian, he said, ”Hua- guniang, the wound on your leg is not causing you trouble, is it? If the bone is broken, I can set it for you, just like setting A'Huang's broken leg.”

This was a casual remark on the young man's part, but it sounded suspicious to Hua Wanzi, especially when she saw his eyes looking towards her leg. Turning red, she scolded him at once: ”Philandering rascal who utters obscenities!”

”What?” asked Shi Potian in surprise. ”Should I not say such things? Let me take a look at your wound.” He was but an innocent and artless fellow who did not have a single scheme in his heart, yet Hua Wanzi was absolutely sure that he was teasing her.

Therefore, she unsheathed the sword with loud *shua* and shouted: ”You who are surnamed Shi, if you dare to take one step forward, I will fight you to the bitter end!” The tip of her sword glowed green as she aimed it directly at Shi Potian's chest.

Chen Chongzhi smiled. ”Hua- guniang,” he said, ”my Clan-Leader is young, talented and handsome. So it is your great fortune that he has looked upon you with favour. You do not know how many young and beautiful girls have waited in vain to spend a night with him.”

Hua Wanzi turned deathly pale. Then, with a highly-energised stroke called 'Dispersing the Sand of the Vast Desert' (Da4 Mo4 Fei1 Sha1), she sent the sword into Shi Potian's chest.

Although Shi Potian's internal strength was very rich and profound, he had never learnt any techniques of handling the enemy in a face-to-face fight. So when he saw Hua Wanzi's sharp blade coming right at him, he was so alarmed and confused that he turned around immediately and fled! His movements were terribly clumsy, yet amazingly quick because of his highly-refined internal strength. Therefore, he was already several zhang (1 zhang = 10/3 metres) away within the time it took to utter a single *hu*.

Hua Wanzi did not expect him to flee at all. Although his movements looked as ugly as those of a bird flapping its wings in panic, but the extent of his qinggong (qing1 gong1)(3) was clearly something that she had never seen before. The sight stunned her so much that she ended up standing dumbfounded.

As for Shi Potian, he stood and waved both his hands from afar. ”Hua- guniang,” he said, ”I am now afraid of you. Why do you take out your sword and kill people without rhyme and reason? All right, leave if you wish, stay if you want. I ... I do not want to talk with you anymore.” He guessed that there was a great and important reason behind Hua Wanzi's desire to have him killed, but since he did not understand the crux of the matter, he had better go and ask Shijian about it first. Thus, he turned and walked away.

Hua Wanzi was even more surprised. ”The one who is surnamed Shi,” she said in a loud voice, ”you are releasing me, are you not? Or do you have an ambush to stop me outside?”

”Why should I stop you?” asked Shi Potian in surprise, stopping and turning around. ”Anyone who is careless for but a moment will be stabbed by your sword. That would be awful.”

Hua Wanzi was unconvinced, for she did not really believe that he would not make things difficult for her: I will not think about his schemes at the moment. Let me just take things one step at a time. Glaring at him in anger, she thought: It is really you! And you have the audacity to be so rude to the Snow Mountain School! Then, she turned and stalked off, limping as she went. She forced herself to endure the painful wound on her leg and walk at a considerable speed because each step taken ensured a greater measure of safety from her evil captors.

Chen Chongzhi smiled. ”Although the headquarters of the Clan of Eternal Happiness is not worth very much, there are still people guarding its gates,” he said. ”Hua- guniang, by coming and going as you please, are you taking us for wineskins and rice-bags who know only to drink and eat?”

Hua Wanzi stopped and turned around. Raising her willow-shaped eyebrows and hold her sword defensively in front of her chest, she asked, ”What then would you suggest?”

”I think it is best that I escort you out,” answered Chen Chongzhi with another smile.