The Smiling, Proud Wanderer 24 Chapter Thirteen: Learning Music Part 1

"Hero Linghu, aren't you going to release my sealed pressure points, or are you waiting for us to beg you?" Yue Buqun suddenly broke the silence in a chilling tone.

Linghu Chong was stunned. "Master, why…why are you kidding me like that? I…I'll help release your pressure points right away." His voice trembled.

Getting back onto his feet after some hard struggles, he staggered by Yue Buqun.

"Ma…Master, which pressure points?" he asked.

Yue Buqun was furious. He remembered how Linghu Chong had put on the act of stabbing himself on Mount Huashan, not wanting to kill Tian Boguang. Then, of course, it was just the same kind of act Linghu Chong was playing right now. This way, he could let the fifteen masked men escape by intentionally not releasing his Master's sealed pressure points for a delay, afraid that his Master would chase after those masked villains. At that thought, he yelled angrily, "Save your breath!"

He continued working on gathering his inner energy using the Divine Art of the Violet Twilight in an effort to break open the sealed points. Ever since the enemy had sealed his pressure points, he had been trying to break them open using his strong inner energy. But the one who had sealed his points did it with a tremendous amount of force, and in addition, among the sealed points were Yu-Zhen, Tan-Zhong, Ju-Zhui, Jian-Zhen, and Zhi-Tang those major pressure points. When he sent his inner energy flowing through his inner channels and pa.s.sages, the flow was somewhat blocked in those major points, which greatly reduced the power of the Divine Art of Violet Twilight and made it very hard to break them open.

Linghu Chong wanted to help his Master in releasing the sealed pressure points, but he simply didn't have any strength left in him. Again and again, he struggled to raise his arm, but every time the effort only made him feel sick while seeing golden flickers circling in front of his eyes and hearing loud buzzing sound in his ear. So all he could do was to lie next to Yue Buqun and wait for his Master to release his pressure points with his own efforts.

Madam Yue also lay on the ground facing down. Earlier in the state of fury, she had accidentally misdirected her inner energy. As a result, not only couldn't she gather her strength at all, she couldn't even lift her hand up to cover the wounds on her legs.

It was already daybreak by now, and the rain had finally stopped. People's faces became clearer and clearer in the dim light of dawn. A white and thick mist appeared on Yue Buqun's head as he worked hard on breaking his sealed pressure points open. His face almost turned completely purple. Suddenly, he uttered a loud roar as his inner energy finally broke through all his sealed pressure points and begun circulation around his body. Leaping back onto his feet, he circled around all of the Huashan apprentices, patting and smacking on some of them while poking or pinching some others. Within moments, he had opened all the sealed pressure points for everyone. Then sitting by Madam Yue, he started sending his inner energy into Madam Yue through her pressure points to help her redirect her own energy flow. Meanwhile, Yue Lingshan rushed forward hurriedly and started tending the wounds on her mother's legs.

Thinking back about how narrowly everyone had escaped death the night before, all the apprentices shivered in their hearts, feeling as if they were given a new life. And the heartbreaking scene of the beheaded Liang Fa's corpse only brought down more tears from the many Huashan apprentices. Several female apprentices burst into loud cries. The same thought floated in everyone's mind, "Fortunately big apprentice brother defeated the bunch of villains, or else it would be dreadful to even contemplate."

Seeing that Linghu Chong was still lying in a puddle of mud, Gao Gengming strode by him and prodded him up.

"Chong, where are those fifteen masked men from?" Yue Buqun asked dryly.

"I…I don't know, Master," Linghu Chong muttered.

"You do know them, right? Are they your friends?" Yue Buqun asked again.

"I've never met any one of them before last night," Linghu Chong gasped in astonishment.

"If so, when I told you to keep them here, so we could interrogate them later, why did you ignore my order?"

"I…I…was too exhausted and couldn't gather any strength. Even now…now…." His body wobbled. It looked as if just to remain standing up was already a tough task for him.

"What a fine act!" Yue Buqun snorted.

Sweat streamed down from Linghu Chong's forehead. He bent his knees and knelt down on the ground.

"I was an orphan when I was young, and thanks to the immense kindness of Master and Master-Wife, you took me under your wings and treated me like your own son. I am indeed an unworthy apprentice, but I would never dare disobey my Master's orders or deceive Master and Master-Wife intentionally."

"You dare not to deceive me and your Master-Wife? Humph, then where did you learn those sword arts of yours? Don't tell me that a spirit just fell out of the sky and taught you those in your dreams." Yue Buqun scoffed.

"I beg for your forgiveness, Master. The senior master who taught me the sword arts specifically asked me to promise that I would keep his name a secret and never tell anyone about the origin of the sword arts, not even my Master and Master-Wife." Linghu Chong explained hurriedly, b.u.mping his head to the floor again and again toward his Master.

"That's of course." Yue Buqun sneered. "With such superb Kung Fu, it's only natural that you think nothing of your Master and Master-Wife. How would the little bit of Kung Fu from our Huashan Sword School ever stand a chance against a blow from your super sword? Didn't that old man in mask mention it? You should have been the Head Master of the Huashan Sword School all along."

Daring not to reply, Linghu Chong kept kowtowing as many thoughts flashed inside his head. "If I don't tell them how Grand Uncle-Master Feng taught me the sword arts, Master and Master-Wife would certainly not forgive me. But a true man must keep his own words. Even Tian Boguang, an evil rapist, didn't let out anything about Grand Uncle-Master Feng when the Peach Valley's Six Fairies performed the much torturing and torments on him. I owe Grand Uncle-Master a great debt of grat.i.tude; I will not let him down. My loyalty towards Master and Master-Wife is true, and Heaven can be my witness. Being wronged like this temporarily is really no big deal."

"Master, Master-Wife," Linghu Chong said, "it's not that I am so bold as to disobey Master's orders. There are really some unspeakable causes here. Please allow me to beg that senior master and ask for his permission, so I can tell Master and Master-Wife everything in a later date. By then, I would not dare to keep any detail to myself."

"Fine! You can get up now," Yue Buqun replied.

Linghu Chong kowtowed to his Master again before standing up. Suddenly, both of his knees gave out on him and he fell back to the kneeling position. Lin Pingzhi happened to be standing next to Linghu Chong. Reaching his arm out, he propped Linghu Chong up.

"Your sword skills are excellent, and your acting skills are even better," Yue Buqun said with a sneer.

Afraid to say another word, Linghu Chong kept his silence. "I can never say enough about my grat.i.tude to Master," he thought aloud. "Even though he wronged me this time, one day, the truth will eventually come to light. This whole thing is so very odd. I really can't blame the respectful Master for feeling suspicious." Though he had been wronged, he really had no resentments.

Madam Yue's voice rose in a warm tone, "If it weren't for Chong's ingenious sword arts, not only would the entire Huashan Sword School be wiped out, perhaps all the female apprentices would have suffered tremendous humiliation. Regardless of who that senior master is, because he taught Chong the sword arts, we have benefited from his grace a great deal. And regarding the origin of those fifteen villains, I am sure we'll find that out one day. How could they have been Chong's friends? Weren't they going to slice Chong into shreds? Didn't Chong blind all of them with his stabs?"

His head held high, Yue Buqun seemed to have fallen into a daze and didn't hear a single word from Madam Yue.

The many apprentices soon found themselves busy with different things. Some started a fire and worked on preparing breakfast; some dug a grave and buried Liang Fa. After breakfast, everyone changed into dry clothes from their packs. All the apprentices stared at Yue Buqun and waited for his command. "Are we still going to Mount Songshan to have it out with Chief Zuo?" they all thought. "Since Feng Buping has lost to big apprentice brother in the sword contest, he would be too embarra.s.sed to fight for the Huashan Sword School Head Master post again."

"Junior apprentice sister, where do you think we should go?" Yue Buqun asked Madam Yue.

"There's no need to go to Mount Songshan now. But since we are already far from Mount Huashan, there's no need to go back in any hurry, either," Madam Yue remarked. She was so afraid of the Peach Valley's Six Fairies and dared not to go right back so soon.

"In any case, since we have some time now, I think it's a good idea to travel around a bit and see the world. It would generate good experience for all the apprentices," Yue Buqun replied.

Yue Lingshan was overjoyed. "Wonderful, Daddy…." She clapped her hands. But she suddenly remembered that it would be very inappropriate to look so happy when her senior apprentice brother Liang Fa had just been killed. She halted abruptly only after one clap.

"Look how excited you get every time when I mention the word travel. Alright, we'll let you have the fun. Lingshan, where would you like to go visit?" Yue Buqun asked with a smile, looking toward Lin Pingzhi as he spoke.

"Daddy, if we are going to have fun, we might as well have some big fun. I say the further we go the better. It would be really disappointing if we head back after only a hundred miles out or so. Why don't we go visit Little Lin's hometown? Second apprentice brother and I have been to Fuzhou before, but too bad that I had to disguise myself into an ugly girl and didn't get to walk around much. I didn't see jack! The longan fruits in Fujian are so big and yummy. And there're also oranges, banyan trees, and narcissus flowers…."

Madam Yue shook her head. "Fujian Province is thousands of miles away from here. We don't have that kind of money to travel! Unless Huashan School turns into the Beggars Clan, and we just all beg our way through."

"Master, Master-Wife, we are only a couple of days trip away from Henan Province. My grandparents live in Luoyang," Lin Pingzhi said.

"Oh, that's right. Your grandfather w.a.n.g Yuanba, the Unbeatable Golden Blade, lives in Luoyang," Madam Yue responded.

"Both of my parents have pa.s.sed away. I would love to visit my grandpa and grandma so they could get the details on my parents' death. I am certain that my grandpa and grandma would be honored to have Master, Master-Wife, and apprentice brothers and sisters as their guests, and spend some time there. Then after that, we can take our time on our tour and visit my hometown in Fujian. I was able to seize a good amount of gold and jewels back from the Qingcheng Sword School at the Changsha branch of the Escort House, so please don't worry…about the traveling expenses," Lin Pingzhi replied.

Ever since Madam Yue stabbed the Fruit Fairy, she had been in a constant state of worry. It was all still so clear in her memory how four of the Fairies had grabbed her arms and legs and lifted her off ground. Every time she thought of it, she would freeze with terror. And then the horrifying scene of Chen Buyou's death, with blood and internal organs splashing everywhere as he was tore into four pieces, would follow, driving her crazy with fear. Horrifying nightmares had been haunting her for many nights. She knew clearly that they were really fleeing from a calamity under the name of going to Mount Songshan to reason with the Songshan Sword School. Seeing that Lin Pingzhi had invited everyone to visit Fujian after her husband gave him a glance, she figured that the further they could flee the better. Besides, her husband and herself had never visited the south part of the country before, so it didn't sound like a bad idea to check it out at all. With these thoughts in her mind, she spoke with a smile.

"Senior apprentice brother, Little Lin is offering free food and lodging. Care to take advantage of him?"

"Pingzhi's grandfather, Unbeatable Golden Blade, enjoys great fame in the central region. I've been looking forward to meeting him someday, but unfortunately never had the chance. Putian in Fujian Province is where the Southern Shaolin Temple resides. It couldn't have lacked reputable masters. Let's pay a visit to Luoyang and Fujian Province. It would certainly be a worthwhile trip if we are lucky to make some friends along the trip." Yue Buqun smiled.

Hearing that the Master had agreed to go on a trip to Fujian for fun, the many apprentices were all jubilant. Gazing at each other, Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan found themselves wild with joy.

Linghu Chong was the only one in low spirit.

"Of all the places, why did Master and Master-Wife pick Luoyang to visit apprentice brother Lin's grandpa and Fujian, which is thousands of miles away?" Linghu Chong couldn't help but think. "It is self-evident that they have decided to betroth little apprentice sister to apprentice brother Lin. They are going to Luoyang to visit the seniors of his family for an engagement, and when we get to Fujian, they'd probably hold the wedding ceremony right at Lin Family's house. I am only an orphan who has no parents, nor relatives, while his family owned Fortune Prestige Escort House, which has so many branches in so many cities. How can I be any match for him? Apprentice brother Lin is going to Luoyang to visit his grandpa and grandma. When I follow him there, what would I have become?"

He felt even more displeased seeing how the apprentice brothers and sisters all bursting with joy with no regard to the tragic death of Liang Fa.

"Maybe I should just leave quietly in the dark tonight after we settle in an inn," he thought aloud. "How can I just follow everyone else to enjoy apprentice brother Lin's free meals and spend his money, and then put on an air of cheerfulness to congratulate little apprentice sister and him, wishing them to live happily ever after?"

The group of Huashan School hit the road again as Linghu Chong followed behind. Weak and exhausted, he walked slower and slower, and soon, he fell far behind everyone else. By noon, he decided to sit down on a big rock alongside the road to catch his breath, when he saw Lao Denuo stride back in big steps.

"Big apprentice brother! How do you feel? You must be tired. I'll wait for you," Lao Denuo said.

"Oh, thanks!" Linghu Chong replied.

"Master-Wife has hired a wagon for you in the town ahead. It should be coming anytime now," Lao Denuo mentioned.

Warmth swelled in Linghu Chong's heart. "Although Master is suspicious of me, Master-Wife is still treating me dearly," he thought to himself.

Not long after, a mule-pulled wagon showed up. Linghu Chong entered the wagon and Lao Denuo accompanied him by his side. That night, when they settled in an inn, Lao Denuo shared the same room with him. And in the following two days, Lao Denuo never even went out of his sight. Linghu Chong was quite grateful that a fellow apprentice brother was so kind to care for a wounded patient.

"When junior apprentice brother Lao joined our Huashan School, he had already received prior martial arts training. He is much older than I am, and wouldn't even spare much word with me during normal days. Who would have thought that he would treat me with so much caring after what happened to me. All the other apprentice brothers don't even dare to talk with me much, after seeing the stern face Master has shown me. The old saying is so true: As distance will test a horse's endurance, so will time reveal a person's heart."

At the third night, as Linghu Chong was resting in bed with his eyes shut, some kind of whisper suddenly caught his attention. It was little apprentice brother Shu Qi whispering at the door.

"Second apprentice brother, Master sent me to check with you if big apprentice brother has done anything unusual today."

"Hush! Outside!" Lao Denuo hushed hurriedly and whispered back.

A cold shiver ran through Linghu Chong's heart. Just from these few words he had realized what a tremendous suspicion Master actually had toward him. Master only sent Lao Denuo to secretly keep a watch on his every move.

Shu Qi walked away on tiptoes, and Lao Denuo walked by the bed slowly to check if Linghu Chong had really fallen asleep.

Infuriated, Linghu Chong almost wanted to leap onto his feet right away and yell at him, but then he had a second thought.

"Why should I blame him? He really has nothing to do with this. He is only following Master's order. Would he have dared to defy the Master?" So he forced back his anger and pretended to have fallen asleep.

Lao Denuo walked out of the room gingerly. Linghu Chong knew that he must have gone to the Master for a report. He couldn't help but sneer inwardly, "Humph, I never did anything guilty. Even if you have ten or one hundred people watching every step of mine, days and nights, I am open and aboveboard. What's there for me to be afraid of?"

Indignation filled his heart as he breathed wildly, and suddenly, it triggered a slight inner energy flow inside him. Waves of energy streams swirled inside him and made him feel miserable. He held onto the headrest tightly and gasped loudly. Only after a long while, the nausea finally went away. He sat up, threw on some clothing, and started to put on his shoes, thinking, "Since Master is no longer treating me like an apprentice of his, and instead, is on guard against me as if I am a thief, why should I even bother to stay in the Huashan Sword School? Maybe it would be better if I simply leave and not worry about whether Master would ever understand me one day."

Right at that moment, he heard more whispers from under the window on the outside.

"Stay down and don't move," a voice said.

"Sounds like big apprentice brother is getting off his bed," another voice replied.

The two said those words in whisper, but because it was a silent night, besides that Linghu Chong had excellent hearing abilities, he was actually able to hear every single word clearly and also recognize that the voices belonged to two young apprentice brothers of his. Apparently they were hiding in the courtyard to guard the room in case Linghu Chong would flee.

Linghu Chong clenched his fists hard. Cracks from his knuckles echoed in the silent night. "If I leave now, they would think that my guilty conscience has overcome me, and I am running away. Fine! Fine! I'd rather stay! You can do whatever you want to me! What do I care?" he thought aloud.

"Waiter, waiter! Bring me some wine!" he suddenly broke into a loud yell.

After quite some shouting, the waiter finally answered and brought him some wine. One cup after another, Linghu Chong slammed the wine down his throat. Soon he became dead drunk and pa.s.sed out. The next morning when Lao Denuo prodded him into the wagon, half drunk and half awake, he just kept yelling, "Bring me more wine, I want more wine!"

Several days later, the Huashan group arrived at the city of Luoyang and settled in a big inn. Lin Pingzhi went to his grandfather's house by himself, first. Yue Buqun and the bunch of apprentices all changed into clean clothing. Linghu Chong never took off the mud stained long robe he wore in the fierce fight outside of the monastery, so he was still covered with filth and looked very drunk. Yue Lingshan came to him with a long robe in her hands.

"Big apprentice brother, will you change into this robe please?"

"This is Master's robe. Why do you want me to put it on?" Linghu Chong asked.

"Little Lin is inviting us to his family a bit later. Why don't you put Dad's robe on?" Yue Lingshan answered.

"Who said we have to put on nice clothing before visiting his family?" Linghu Chong snubbed as he looked at Yue Lingshan up and down.

Yue Lingshan wore a thin cotton-padded jacket with green silk tops paired with a light green satin skirt. She had put on a thin layer of makeup on her face. Her dark hair was neatly combed and shined beautifully with a flower shaped pearl hairpin by the side. Linghu Chong remembered that she would only dress up nicely during the Chinese New Year. Feeling bitter in his heart, he wanted to spill out some more mocking words, but then he thought that a true man shouldn't act so narrow-mindedly, and held his tongue.

Yue Lingshan felt somewhat embarra.s.sed from Linghu Chong's sharp stare. "If you don't want to, then you don't have to change," she said.

"I am not used to wearing new clothes. I'd better not change then," Linghu Chong replied.

Not wanting to argue with him, Yue Lingshan left with the robe still in her hands.

A resonant voice rose from outside the door, "Head Master Yue has come such a long way here, and I didn't greet promptly. What a lack of manners!"

Yue Buqun knew that it must have been the Unbeatable Golden Blade – w.a.n.g Yuanba – who had come to the inn personally to greet them. Casting a pleased smile toward his wife, he felt quite contented. After the couple greeted out, what they saw was an old man in his seventies. His face shined in a healthy redness while the bush of grey beard drifted in the breeze. He looked certainly hale and hearty. In his left palm were two goose-egg-sized golden b.a.l.l.s, which rubbed against each other and echoed as he rolled them in his hand. It was common for martial people to play with iron b.a.l.l.s in their hands, but they would have been made out of iron or steel. What w.a.n.g Yuanba had in his hands were two b.a.l.l.s made from pure gold, which not only were twice the weight of regular iron b.a.l.l.s, but also looked much more luxurious. As soon as he spotted Yue Buqun, he burst into joy.

"What an honor this is! Head Master Yue has such a great reputation in the Martial World. I have been longing to meet you for the last twenty years. Now that you have come to Luo Yang, what a wonderful event it is for the martial arts society in the central region."

He shook Yue Buqun's right hand again and again happily. The joy on his face was truly sincere.

"My wife and I have decided to bring our apprentices to travel around so they could gain some experience in the world," Yue Buqun said with a smile. "And you, the Unbeatable Golden Blade Grandmaster w.a.n.g, the Great Master of the Central Region, is the first on our list to visit, but the dozens of us are really being crude to just show up so abruptly uninvited."

"Alright now, n.o.body is allowed to mention the words 'Unbeatable Golden Blade' again in front of Head Master Yue. Anyone mentioning those words would be only putting me done instead of flattering me. Mr. Yue, your saving of my grandson is a favor tantamount to giving him a new lease on life. Starting from now on, the House of Golden Blade and the Sword School of Huashan are both parts of one big family. Come, come! All of you will move to my house. No one will be allowed to leave until you have lived in my house for at least half a year. Head Master Yue, I'll even help you carry your luggage."

"That's very kind of you! I certainly don't deserve that!" Yue Buqun replied in a hurry.

"Bofen, Zhongqiang, kowtow to Uncle-Master Yue and Uncle-Master-Wife Yue," w.a.n.g Yuanba turned his head and called to his two sons standing behind him.

w.a.n.g Bofen and w.a.n.g Zhongqiang both acknowledged and knelt down to salute. In a hurry, the Yue Buqun couple also knelt down to salute back.

"Please just call us by our names. 'Uncle-Master' would be so inappropriate. Even just for Pingzhi's sake, we are of the same generation," Yue Buqun remarked.

w.a.n.g Bofen and w.a.n.g Zhongqiang are both famous masters around the Henan Province and Hubei Province. Though they had always admired Yue Buqun, neither of them really wanted to kowtow to him. They had knelt down reluctantly only because their father had told them to do so, so both were very pleased to see that the Yue Buqun couple also kowtowed back to them. All four of them stood up after saluting each other.

Yue Buqun took a good look at the two: both brothers were tall, only that w.a.n.g Zhongqiang was a lot chubbier in comparison, and both had temples plumped high and strong veins and bones that could be clearly seen on their hands. Evidently, the two brothers had great strength both internally and externally.

"All of you come forward and show your respect to Grandmaster w.a.n.g and the two Uncle-Masters," Yue Buqun called out to the Huashan apprentices. "The House of Golden Blade's martial arts skills enjoyed a great reputation in the central region of the martial society. Our Grandmaster in the last generation also respected the House of Golden Blade very much. You are very fortunate to have Grandmaster w.a.n.g and the two Uncle-Masters give you some pointers. I am sure you will all benefit a great deal from this."

"Yes, Master!" the many apprentices replied in unison, and seconds later, the lobby of the inn was filled with apprentices kneeling down on the floor, showing their respects.

"You really flatter me!" w.a.n.g Yuanba smiled brightly as w.a.n.g Bofen and w.a.n.g Zhongqiang both cupped their hands and greeted back with a half salute.

Lin Pingzhi stood by the side and introduced each of the Huashan apprentices to his grandpa. The w.a.n.g Family was a wealthy family. w.a.n.g Yuanba had prepared presents for each of the guests ahead of time. Each gift consisted of forty taels of silver. The two brothers in the w.a.n.g Family took on the job of distributing the presents. By the time Lin Pingzhi introduced Yue Lingshan, w.a.n.g Yuanba said to Yue Buqun with a big grin.

"Little brother Yue, your daughter is such a beautiful girl; is she engaged to anyone yet?"

"The girl is still too young. Besides, in a martial family like ours, a girl plays with swords and knives all day long just like any boy would. She doesn't know anything about embroidering or cooking. Who would want such a wild girl to be their daughter-in-law?" Yue Buqun also grinned.

"You are really being modest!" w.a.n.g Yuanba replied with a beam. "An extraordinary family would, of course, raise an extraordinary daughter. It is only natural that lads from ordinary families would not have dared to claim kinship with her. But you are right, it would be better if the girl learned some girly things." At that word, he lowered his voice and seemed to have lost in deep feelings.

Yue Buqun knew that he must have thought of his daughter who had pa.s.sed away in Hunan Province not long ago, so he put on a solemn face and responded, "Yes."

w.a.n.g Yuanba was a man of frank and open personality. He quickly put himself together from the pain of losing a daughter and spoke again with a bright smile.

"Your daughter is talented and beautiful. It would certainly be a difficult task to find a young hero good enough to pair up with her."

By then, Lao Denuo had gone back in the inn room and prodded Linghu Chong out. Staggering along, Linghu Chong kowtowed to neither w.a.n.g Yuanba nor the w.a.n.g brothers, and only bowed down deeply.

"Linghu Chong here shows his respect to Grandmaster w.a.n.g and the two Uncle-Masters," he said.

"Aren't you going to kowtow?" Yue Buqun frowned.

w.a.n.g Yuanba had heard from his grandson earlier that Linghu Chong had severe internal wounds, so he said with a smile, "Nephew Linghu is not feeling well. There's no need for excessive manners. Little brother Yue, your Huashan School's inner energy skill is said to be the best in the Five Mountains Sword Alliance, then I am sure your wine tolerance must be extraordinary. Come on! Let's go drink ten bowls of wine each."

Holding Yue Buqun's hand in his own, he led Yue Buqun out of the inn. Madam Yue, w.a.n.g Bofen, w.a.n.g Zhongqiang, and the rest of the Huashan apprentices all followed behind them. Many wagons and horses had been lined up outside of the inn with fine-looking saddles and bridle; wagons for all the females and horses for the males, ready to take the honorable guests. It was a mere two hours between the time Lin Pingzhi headed out to inform the w.a.n.g Family and the time w.a.n.g Yuanba came to the inn to greet his guests. Only from the fact that all the wagons and horses had been ready in such a short time, one can easily tell the kind of great power the Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family enjoyed in the city of Luoyang.

The group soon arrived at the mansion of the w.a.n.g Family. The building looked tall and majestic with a gate painted in vermilion. The two huge copper rings attached to the gate must have been cleaned frequently as they dazzled brilliantly in the sunlight. Eight brawny guards stood by the gate silently, their arms behind their back, all ready to take commands from their Master. And inside the gate, a huge black board hung from the girder with the words "Help for a Just Cause" painted in gold. The words at the lower portion of the board showed that a governor of Henan Province had inscribed the calligraphy.

That night, w.a.n.g Yuanba put out a large banquet to welcome Yue Buqun and the rest of the Huashan apprentices. Not only did he invite many famous masters in the local martial arts society to welcome the n.o.ble visitors, among the guests were also numerous wealthy business owners and local celebrities. Linghu Chong was the Head Apprentice of the Huashan Sword School, so other than his Master Yue Buqun, he had the most seniority among all the male visitors. Noticing the filthy and tattered clothing he was wearing and the listless face of his, all the guests found themselves puzzled inside. But it was common knowledge that the Martial World did not lack people of strange and unique behaviors. Didn't elite masters from the Beggars Clan all wear ragged clothing? Since he was the Head Apprentice of the Huashan Sword School, he couldn't have been ordinary; therefore no one had any belittling thought about Linghu Chong.

Linghu Chong was seated at the second table, accompanied by one of the hosts, w.a.n.g Bofen. Soon, the wine had gone around three times. w.a.n.g Bofen couldn't help but notice that Linghu Chong had maintained an indifferent face throughout the time, and would only reply once a while to his attempt to make conversations – apparently Linghu Chong didn't really think much of him at all. Then he remembered that earlier in the inn, Linghu Chong didn't even kowtow to them, yet had no problem accepting the present of forty taels of silver. Feeling very displeased, he decided to change the topic to something in regards to martial arts techniques. So he casually asked for Linghu Chong's opinion on several martial arts related questions that were in the advanced level, but Linghu Chong only nodded and agreed, never really answering any of them.

Actually, Linghu Chong didn't have any ill feeling against w.a.n.g Bofen at all. It was just that after seeing the luxurious life of the w.a.n.g Family, he realized that the difference between his indigence and the wealth of the w.a.n.g Family was so dramatic. It was almost like the difference between Heaven and earth. Lin Pingzhi had changed into a long robe made of silk brocade after he came to his grandfather's house. He had a handsome face to start with, so after dressing up, he looked extremely elegant and graceful. Linghu Chong simply couldn't help but feel a sense of inferiority and inadequacy.

"Even if little apprentice sister didn't become a couple with him and stayed the same to me, what future would she have staying with a pauper like me?" he thought.

All his minds focused around Yue Lingshan, so naturally, regardless of what w.a.n.g Bofen said to him, nothing really went into his ears.

Enjoying a great fame in the martial arts society around the central region, w.a.n.g Bofen had been used to people fawning on him left and right, yet tonight, he kept getting snags from the young man named Linghu Chong. Normally, he would have let his temper loose right at the beginning, but for the sake of his dead sister and the fact that his father had great respect toward the Huashan Sword School, he worked hard to hold his temper down and just kept toasting to Linghu Chong.

Every time when someone toasted Linghu Chong, he would slam down the wine in his cup without thinking, so before he even knew it, forty cups of wine or so had gone down his throat. He used to have very good tolerance of wine. Even over a hundred cups worth of wine wouldn't have made a difference for him. But because he had lost all his inner energy, his tolerance was reduced quite a bit. And in addition, with a tremendous amount of anxiety gnawing at his heart, each cup of wine seemed to have had a much greater effect on him. By the time he drank up all those forty cups of wine, he was already feeling dizzy.

"This lad doesn't know the ways of the world at all," w.a.n.g Bofen thought aloud. "My nephew is your apprentice brother, so you should have called me an Uncle-Master, or simply uncle. It is all right that you didn't call me an uncle, but how dare you ignore me completely like this? Very well! I am going to get you drunk and let you make a fool out of yourself in front of all these guests."

Seeing that Linghu Chong could barely keep his eyes open and was tipsy already, he said with a smile, "Little brother Linghu is the Head Apprentice of the Huashan Sword School, and sure enough, he is an outstanding young hero. Not only is his Kung Fu skill extraordinary, his wine tolerance is also extraordinary. Servants! Get rid of the tiny cup. Get Mister Linghu a big bowl and keep it filled!"

The servants cheered and filled Linghu Chong's bowl with wine. Throughout Linghu Chong's life, he had never stopped anyone from pouring wine for him, so as soon as his bowl was filled, he would empty it down his throat. Not long after, he had drunk up another five or six bowls worth of wine. Suddenly, with a wave of his arm, he swept all the plates and cups in front of him off the table.

"Young hero Linghu has had a drop too much! Better drink a cup of hot tea to sober up," guests from the same table all suggested.

"There's no way the Head Apprentice of the Huashan Sword School would get drunk so easily! Little brother Linghu, drink up!" w.a.n.g Bofen beamed as he filled Linghu Chong's bowl once again.

"Who…who said I am drunk? Bottoms up!" Linghu Chong replied.

He picked up the wine and started pouring it down with big swallows. Half of the wine actually ended up dripping down his robe. All of a sudden, his body jerked as he opened his mouth wide and started vomiting, and seconds later, the entire tabletop was covered with "wine" and "dishes" that had been inside his stomach just moments ago. People around the table dodged backward in shock while a smirk ran across w.a.n.g Bofen's lips.

Hundreds of pairs of eyes were immediately fixed onto Linghu Chong. Yue Buqun and Madam Yue both frowned, thinking, "This lad really doesn't know how to behave in formal occasions. He has just made a fool of himself in front of so many n.o.ble guests."

Lao Denuo and Lin Pingzhi both rushed forward and held Linghu Chong in support.

"Big apprentice brother, why don't I walk you back to rest?" Lin Pingzhi suggested.

"I…I am not drunk. I can drink more. Give me more wine!" Linghu Chong rebuffed.

"Sure! Sure! Someone brings some more wine out," Lin Pingzhi replied.

"You…you…Little Lin, why aren't you spending time with little apprentice sister? What are you dragging me for?" Linghu Chong cast a sidelong and bleary-eyed glance at Lin Pingzhi.

"Big apprentice brother," Lao Denuo said, "let's go take a break. There's a bit crowd here, we've got to watch our mouth."

"Watch my mouth? Humph! Master sent you to keep watch on me. Have you found any proof yet?" Linghu Chong snapped.

Afraid that Linghu Chong could speak anything without thinking in his drunkenness, Lao Denuo held Linghu Chong's arms and pushed him all the way into the guest room at the back with the help from Lin Pingzhi.

Yue Buqun also heard Linghu Chong's words. Even though Yue Buqun was well self-cultivated, he couldn't help but show an annoyed face.

"Little brother Yue," w.a.n.g Yuanba soothed, "that was only nonsense from the mouth of a drunken young lad. Why bother? Come on, let's enjoy our wine!"

"The lad is from the countryside and hasn't had much chance with formal settings. Will you please pardon him, Grandmaster w.a.n.g?" Yue Buqun replied with a forced smile.

After the banquet was over, Yue Buqun told Lao Denuo to stop following Linghu Chong around and only watch him in secret.

It was not until the next afternoon before Linghu Chong finally woke up. Remembering none of what he had said the previous day, he found himself with a terrible headache – almost felt as if his head had been cracked open. Taking a look around, he found himself the only occupant of a neat and clean room. He stepped out of the guest room but didn't see any of his apprentice brothers. After inquiring the servants, he learned that they all went to the Training Hall at the backside to swap pointers in martial arts training with the sons and apprentices of the w.a.n.g Family.

"Why bother tangle up with them? I'd be better off just take a hike myself," Linghu Chong thought to himself as he stalked out of the gate and off to the street.

Luo Yang had been the capital for many different dynasties. There were many good-sized buildings everywhere, yet the streets weren't very busy. Linghu Chong was not very literate and only had a very limited knowledge about history. Staring at the many historical sites in the city of Luoyang, he had no idea as to what they were and what they were for. Bored stiff, he strolled aimlessly into a small alley. Then something caught his attention. Seven or eight local punks were playing a game of gambling inside a small tavern. Pushing his way through the crowd to the front, he took out the package of the present he had received from w.a.n.g Yuanba the previous day. Retrieving the silver out, he joined the game with keen interests. Not until dusk did he finally returned, tipsy from drinking more wine. For the next several days, he kept going back to gamble and drink with the bunch of local punks. In the first couple of days, he had some good luck and won several taels of silver, but by the fourth day, he kept losing, and soon his forty taels of silver were completely cleaned out. Naturally, the group of punks kicked him out of the game. Feeling quite infuriated, Linghu Chong kept asking for more wine, but after only a couple of kettles of wine were served, the bartender asked.

"Young man, you've lost all your money in the gambling game. How are you going to pay for the wine?"

"Write it under my tab. I'll pay you tomorrow," Linghu Chong replied.

"Our business is very small. We don't give credits to anyone, not even relatives or close friends." The bartender shook his head.

Infuriated, Linghu Chong snarled, "How dare you think I don't have any money!"

"Sorry," the bartender replied with a smirk, "show your money and you'll get your wine! No money, no wine, no credit!"

Linghu Chong glanced over himself. His ragged and tattered clothing certainly didn't help convince the bartender that he might be a wealthy man. Other than the long sword by his waist, he really didn't have anything else that might be worth any money, so he untied the long sword from his waistband and threw it onto the table.

"Take this to the p.a.w.nshop!" he said.

Wanting to win more money out from him, one of the punks replied in a rush, "Sure! I'll p.a.w.n it for you!" He took the long sword and left.

With that a.s.surance, the bartender took out another two kettles of wine for Linghu Chong. By the time Linghu Chong finished one, the punk had returned with some small pieces of silver.

"It's p.a.w.ned for three taels and four ounces," the punk said as he gave the silver and the p.a.w.n ticket to Linghu Chong.

Linghu Chong weighted the silver in his hand. It didn't even weigh a full three taels, but he didn't complain and went straight back into the gambling game. The game lasted till around dusk when the three taels of silver exchanged hands again – from both losing in the gambling and paying for the wine he drank.

"Hey, loan me three taels of silver. I'll pay you back double the amount if I win," Linghu Chong said to a punk named Twitch-Lip Chen.

"What if you lose?" Twitch-Lip Chen asked with a snicker.

"If I lose, I'll pay you back tomorrow," Linghu Chong answered.

"How do I know if you have money at home or not? If you lose, how are you going to pay me back? Are you gonna sell your b.i.t.c.h or your sister then?" Twitch-Lip Chen mocked.

Linghu Chong's anger exploded. He raised his arm and slapped Chen across the face with a backhand. By then, he had consumed a good amount of wine and was already half drunk. Reaching out, he s.n.a.t.c.hed the small pile of silver in front of Twitch-Lip Chen.

"What the h.e.l.l! This son of a b.i.t.c.h is a mugger," Twitch-Lip Chen yelled out loud.

The group of punks all came from the same clan, and immediately, they swarmed forward and started throwing punches toward Linghu Chong. Having no sword in his hand and having no strength to defend himself, Linghu Chong was pushed down on the ground. The punks punched and kicked, and within moments, gave Linghu Chong bruises all over his face and his body.

Sounds of hoof beats rose. Several horses came by in short trots.

"Move out of the way! Get lost!" someone on the horseback yelled and whipped his horsewhip to drive away the punks.

Linghu Chong just lay still on the ground face down and couldn't even get up.

A girl's voice suddenly cried out, "Isn't that big apprentice brother?" It was the voice of Yue Lingshan.

"Let me take a look," another voice answered. It was Lin Pingzhi this time.

Lin Pingzhi dismounted from his horse and then turned Linghu Chong's body around. "Big apprentice brother? Are you ok?" he cried out in shock as soon as he recognized Linghu Chong's face.

"I got drunk! And I lost my bets!" Linghu Chong squeezed out a wry smile and shook his head.

In a hurry, Lin Pingzhi propped him up and helped him onto the horseback. Besides Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan, there were four other riders in the pack – they were the two daughters of w.a.n.g Bofen and the two sons of w.a.n.g Zhongqiang, cousins of Lin Pingzhi. The six of them had set out in the morning to tour around the various temples and historical sites in the city of Luoyang, and were on their way back home after the fun. They certainly didn't expect to find a Linghu Chong all beat up in the middle of the small alley. All four of them were astounded.

"The Huashan Sword School is a member of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance," they thought. "When Grandpa mentioned about them, he would always praise dearly. And when we exchanged pointers with them in martial arts a couple of days ago, they did each show outstanding Kung Fu skills. Isn't this Linghu Chong the Head Apprentice of the Huashan Sword School? How come he couldn't even overcome several local punks? But if Linghu Chong's nose was really bleeding so badly, how could this not be true? How odd!"

Returning back to w.a.n.g Yuanba's mansion, Linghu Chong slowly recovered after several days of good rest. Yue Buqun and Madam Yue were both aggravated at the news that Linghu Chong went gambling with some local rascals and went in a fistfight after losing his money, and neither of them paid a visit to him. By the fifth day, w.a.n.g Jiaju, the younger son of w.a.n.g Zhongqiang, walked in Linghu Chong's room excitedly.

"Big brother Linghu, I've vented the spleen for you today! I gathered up the seven punks who beat you up that day and gave them each some good lashes."

Linghu Chong didn't really mind this incident much, so he replied casually, "That's really not necessary. I got drunk that day, and it was really my fault to start with."

"Nah, they can't do that to you. You are a guest of the Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family. How can the Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family let its guest get beat up in the city of Luoyang and not get even? If we don't straighten this out, would others still show the same kind of respect to the Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family?" w.a.n.g Jiaju disagreed.

Deep inside Linghu Chong's heart, he had already disliked the "Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family." Now when he heard w.a.n.g Jiaju mention the "Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family" left and right, as if the "Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family" was the most powerful and influential family in the entire Martial World, he couldn't help but mock, "It sure takes the Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family to deal with a bunch of punks and rascals."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he regretted saying them. Just when he was about to apologize, w.a.n.g Jiaju had responded with a stern face.

"Brother Linghu, what are you talking about? If it weren't for my brother and I who drove those seven punks away, would you still be alive today?"

"I do owe the two of you a debt of grat.i.tude for saving my life," Linghu Chong replied with a casual smile.

w.a.n.g Jiaju could tell from how Linghu Chong said the words that it was sarcastic and that he didn't mean it at all. Feeling more irritated, he snapped.

"You are the Head Apprentice of the Huashan Sword School, yet you couldn't even handle a couple of local punks and rascals in Luoyang. Humph, aren't people going to say that you don't deserve your reputation?"

At this time, Linghu Chong really didn't care about anything. So he replied, "I don't even have a reputation to start with, what's there to deserve or what not?"

"Brother, what are you discussing about with brother Linghu?" a voice rose from outside the door. Then the curtain was lifted and a man walked in. It was w.a.n.g Jiajun, the elder son of w.a.n.g Zhongqiang.

"Brother, I thought I'd be doing him a favor and help vent his anger, when I gathered up those seven punks, and gave each of them some good lashing. Who would have thought that this Hero Linghu would blame me for interfering?" w.a.n.g Jiaju exclaimed angrily.

"Ah, there's something you don't know," w.a.n.g Jiajun responded. "I just heard from apprentice sister Yue a moment ago that this brother Linghu is very good at concealing his real abilities. That day outside the monastery of the Buddha of Herb, he blinded fifteen first-cla.s.s fighters' eyes with only one swing of his long sword. What brilliant sword art that must have been! Got to be very rare indeed! Hha!" His grin had a sense of mockery. Obviously he didn't believe a single word from Yue Lingshan.

w.a.n.g Jiaju also let out a big grin. "I suppose the martial arts skills of those fifteen first-cla.s.s fighters must be far from the martial arts skills of the local punks in Luoyang then! Hha! Hha!"

Those words didn't bother Linghu Chong a bit. He chuckled and then simply sat down on his chair, swaying back and forth gently with his arms around his right knee.

w.a.n.g Jiajun was actually sent here by his father and his uncle to interrogate Linghu Chong. Originally, the brothers w.a.n.g Bofen and w.a.n.g Zhongqiang had told him to try to coax secret using kind words without offending the guest, but seeing the arrogant look on Linghu Chong's face and how he had treated the two brothers like dirt, he lost his temper.

"Brother Linghu, would you be kind enough to answer a question of mine?" He raised his voice high.

"Certainly," Linghu Chong answered.

"I heard from cousin Pingzhi that when my uncle and aunt pa.s.sed away, brother Linghu was the only one there to attend upon," w.a.n.g Jiajun said.

"That's right." Linghu Chong nodded.

"Then it was you, brother Linghu, who pa.s.sed the last words from my uncle and aunt to my cousin Pingzhi?" w.a.n.g Jiajun continued.

"Correct," Linghu Chong replied.

"Then how about my uncle's 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script'?" w.a.n.g Jiajun pressed on.

At these words, Linghu Chong stood up abruptly. "What did you say?" he yelled loudly.

Worried that Linghu Chong might launch a sudden attack against him, w.a.n.g Jiajun took a step back.

"My uncle owned the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script' and asked you to give it to my cousin Pingzhi. Why haven't you given it to him?" he charged.

Hearing such irresponsible calumniation from him, Linghu Chong trembled in rage. "Who…who said that there's an 'Evil-Resisting Sword…Sword Ma.n.u.script' for…for me to give to apprentice brother Lin?" he asked with a trembling voice.

"If there isn't one, why do you look so scared and can't even talk right? Aren't you showing a guilty conscience?" w.a.n.g Jiajun challenged with a smirk.

"Brothers, I am a guest here in your house. Do these words of yours represent what your father and grandpa think of me, or simply what the two of you think of me?" Linghu Chong asked, working hard to control his temper.

"I am just asking you a casual question. What's the big deal? It has nothing to do with my grandpa or my dad. But it is well known in the Martial World that the Evil-Resisting Sword Art of the Lin Family in Fuzhou is a very powerful sword art. Since Uncle Lin pa.s.sed away so abruptly, and the precious 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script' that he always carried with him disappeared all of a sudden, as his close relatives, we certainly want to hear about it," w.a.n.g Jiajun replied.

"Little Lin sent you to ask me the question, didn't he? Why doesn't he come and ask himself?" Linghu Chong mocked.

"Cousin Pingzhi is your junior apprentice brother. How would he ever dare to ask you?" w.a.n.g Jiaju let out some laughs.

"Now with your Luoyang Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family backing him up, humph, you sure can force me to talk now. Why don't you go get Lin Pingzhi now?" Linghu Chong sneered.

"You are the guest of the house. We dare not force you to talk. The two brothers of us are simply curious about it; that's why we asked the question. If brother Linghu is willing to answer, that would be great. If you do not want to answer, then there's really nothing we can do about it," w.a.n.g Jiajun said.

Linghu Chong nodded. "I don't want to answer. There's nothing you can do about it. Please leave me alone now!"

The w.a.n.g brothers gazed at each other in speechless despair. Neither had expected Linghu Chong to be so straightforward and closed the topic so quickly. w.a.n.g Jiajun cleared his throat and then tried to start the conversation again.

"Brother Linghu, you blinded fifteen first-cla.s.s fighters' eyes with only one thrust of your sword. This move is brilliant. Perhaps you learned it from the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script,' didn't you?"

Linghu Chong was dumbfounded. Cold sweats broke out all over his body and his hands trembled. It had all become so clear to him now: "I have been wondering about this for many days. Why didn't Master, Master-Wife, and the bunch of apprentice brothers and sisters feel grateful that I saved their lives, yet they all became suspicious of me? Now I know! That's it! So they are all convinced that I embezzled Lin Zhennan's 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script.' Since they've never seen the Dugu Nine Swords before, and I refuse to let out the secret that Grand Uncle-Master Feng trained me in sword art, when they saw that my sword skills progressed so tremendously, all of a sudden, after spending several months on top of the 'Cliff of Contemplation,' they all concluded that I had learned brilliant sword techniques from the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script.' If that wasn't the case, where else would I be able to learn such terrific sword arts? It was such a coincident that Grand Uncle-Master Feng showed up and taught me sword arts. No one would ever have expected that. But when the Lin Zhennan couple pa.s.sed away, I was the only one by their side, so naturally everyone would a.s.sume that the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script', the ultimate sword art book that many elite masters would cast greedy eyes on, had fallen into my hands. It is understandable that others would have guessed like that. But Master and Master-Wife have brought me up, and little apprentice sister is as close to me as a real sister. They all know me well yet didn't trust me on this one. Humph, you have really belittled me!" At that thought, his face naturally showed the expression of indignation.

"I guessed it right, didn't I?" w.a.n.g Jiajun said with a triumphant grin on his lips. "Where is the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script' then? We are not interested in reading it at all. All we want is to return the ma.n.u.script to its rightful owner. Just give the sword art ma.n.u.script back to cousin Lin, will you?"

"I've never seen any 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script'." Linghu Chong shook his head. "Chief Master Lin and his wife were taken prisoners, first by the Qingcheng Sword School, then by 'Hunchback of the North' Mu Gaofeng. If he had any sword art ma.n.u.script on him, they would have found it first."

"Precisely!" w.a.n.g Jiajun immediately followed. "The 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script' is so precious. Why would my uncle and aunt carry it everywhere with them? Of course they had hid it in a very secret place, and only before they pa.s.sed away, they asked you to pa.s.s the message on to cousin Pingzhi. Who would have thought…who would have thought that…? Humph!"

"Who would have thought that you would go find it behind everyone's back and embezzled it to be your own!" w.a.n.g Jiaju finished the sentence for his brother.

The more Linghu Chong heard, the angrier he became. He really didn't want to argue any more, but since this was a very important matter, he would not want to take the blame for it. So he responded.

"If Chief Master Lin really had such a brilliant sword arts ma.n.u.script, he should have become invincible himself. Why couldn't he even defeat a couple of apprentices from the Qingcheng Sword School and was taken prisoner by them?"

"That…that…." w.a.n.g Jiaju could not find any answer to that question and became tongue-tied.

w.a.n.g Jiajun, on the other hand, had a glib tongue. He argued, "That wasn't unique. Brother Linghu, you learned the Evil-Resisting Sword Art and achieved outstanding sword skills, yet you couldn't even defeat several punks and rascals and was taken prisoner by them. How are you going to explain that then? Hha, it's called pretending. It's too bad that you have gone a bit too far this time. The Head Apprentice of the Huashan Sword School couldn't even defend himself against several punks on the Luoyang streets. No one will ever be convinced by this act of yours. And since this is completely impossible, then it must be a trick. Brother Linghu, why don't you listen to my advice and just admit it?"

Under normal circ.u.mstances, Linghu Chong would have answered back sarcastically. But what had happened was such a coincidence, which set him right under the spotlight with the most suspicion. He cared nothing about the "Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family" or the young w.a.n.g brothers, but he couldn't let Master, Master-Wife, and little apprentice sister be suspicious of him.

"I, Linghu Chong, have never seen anything called 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script.' What Chief Master Lin from Fuzhou told me before he pa.s.sed away I have already pa.s.sed on to apprentice brother Lin without omitting a single word. If I had lied about any part of it, may Heaven cast me down to h.e.l.l for eternal suffering and never bring me back," Linghu Chong spoke with a solemn face. He positioned his hands behind his back after those words, his face looking awe-inspiring with ultimate righteousness.

"Did you think you can get yourself off the hook so easily just by swearing a casual oath? We are talking about a serious matter concerning a secret martial arts ma.n.u.script here. Did you think everyone is plain stupid?" w.a.n.g Jiajun grinned.

"So what's your idea then?" Linghu Chong asked while forcing himself to stay calm.

"Please pardon our boldness, but we'd like to make a body search on you, brother Linghu," w.a.n.g Jiaju suggested. He paused for a second and then added with a smirk, "That day when brother Linghu was seized by those seven punks and couldn't move a muscle, they could have searched all over you, couldn't they?"

"You want to make a body search on me? Humph! Are you saying that I am a thief?" Linghu Chong mocked with a sneer.

"We dare not!" w.a.n.g Jiajun replied. "Since you stated that you never took the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Art,' why be afraid to let us search you? Once we do a body search on you and there isn't any sword ma.n.u.script on you, you would be cleared from suspicion. Wouldn't you want that?"

"Fine! Why don't you go get apprentice brother Lin and apprentice sister Yue, so the two of them can be witnesses?" Linghu Chong nodded his agreement.

But w.a.n.g Jiajun didn't like the idea at all, fearing that as soon as he walked away and left his brother alone with Linghu Chong, Linghu Chong would be able to overpower his brother with ease. But if both of them went together, then of course Linghu Chong would hide the "Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script" and they would have no chance of finding it ever again. So he rejected.

"The search would still be the same. If you aren't afraid of the search, why use so many excuses?"

Linghu Chong thought to himself, "I agree to let you search my body only because I want to prove my innocence in front of the Master, Master-Wife, and little apprentice sister, the three of them. Whether you believe me or not, what do I care? There's no way I am going to let your filthy claws touch my body if little apprentice sister weren't here." So he shook his head slowly.

"Just the two of you? I am afraid you are not worthy of searching me!"

The more Linghu Chong objected to the search, the more the two w.a.n.g brothers were convinced that the "Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script" was hidden on Linghu Chong's body. If they were able to find the "Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script," then firstly, they would look really good in front of their father and uncle, and secondly, they've heard that the "Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script" contained superior sword art techniques, and since they were the ones who found it, Cousin Lin would have no choice but to let them borrow the ma.n.u.script and take a look at it. w.a.n.g Jiajun had seen with his own eyes the other day that Linghu Chong couldn't even defend himself when the several rascals subdued him and gave him a good beating. He concluded that Linghu Chong must be only good with sword techniques, but not hand combat techniques. It would be a perfect opportunity right now when Linghu Chong had no sword in his hands. So he threw a meaningful glance at his brother before speaking to Linghu Chong again.

"Brother Linghu, better not refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. It's not going to be a pleasant scene if we get on the wrong side of each other."

With those words, the two brothers closed in on Linghu Chong.

Suddenly, w.a.n.g Jiaju squared his shoulders and charged forward. Linghu Chong raised his arm to block. "Hey, you hit me!" w.a.n.g Jiaju yelled out loud as he locked Linghu Chong's wrist and then pushed down with his elbow. Knowing that Linghu Chong is the Head Apprentice of the Huashan Sword School, not someone to be overlooked, he applied the joint manipulation techniques of the w.a.n.g Family with all his strength.

Linghu Chong was an experienced fighter. As soon as he saw w.a.n.g Jiaju charging in like that, he knew the opponent was all hostile. He had many different counter attacks in mind with this block. When the opponent locked his wrist, he could have turned his arm over and thrust it down in an angle to launch his counter-attack, but because he had lost all his inner strength and even though he executed the technique the right way, there was no strength behind it. He felt a tingle from the joint on his right arm and then heard a crack. w.a.n.g Jiaju had broken his right elbow. Excruciating pain immediately consumed him.

w.a.n.g Jiaju was quite ruthless. As soon as he broke Linghu Chong's right arm with a push, he threw a claw hand and dislocated Linghu Chong's shoulder immediately after.

"Brother, quick! Search him!" he shouted.

Kneeling down on Linghu Chong's legs with his left leg to prevent Linghu Chong from throwing any kicks, w.a.n.g Jiajun reached into Linghu Chong's chest pocket and began to empty it. Suddenly, his hand came to contact with a thin booklet. He took it out quickly.

"Here it is! Here it is! Here's Uncle Lin's 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script'!"

The two brothers flipped the booklet open in a rash. There were three words written on the first page in ancient scripts[1] – Smiling Proud Wanderer. The w.a.n.g brothers were only roughly literate. If those words had been written in normal script, they would have recognized them. But since they were all in ancient scripts, they had no clue. Flipping to the next page, they saw even stranger symbols and characters all over the page. They didn't know that those were actually symbols and characters for music scores, and since they had a.s.sumed that this was none other than the "Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script," by now, all their suspicious had been cleared away.

"Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script! Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script!" the two brothers shouted in unison.

"Let's show it to Father," w.a.n.g Jiajun suggested. He took the booklet and ran out.

"You shameless thief!" w.a.n.g Jiaju cursed as he kicked Linghu Chong in the waist heavily. After spitting on Linghu Chong's face, he also ran out of the room.

At first, Linghu Chong felt as if his chest was going to explode from the unbearable fury. But then he thought, "Those two brats are simply idiots. Their grandfather and father can't be so stupid. When they find out that this is only a music score, for sure they would come to apologize." Waves of pain came from his dislocated shoulder and elbow. He couldn't help but groan. "I've lost all my inner strength, and can't even defend myself against punks and rascals off the street. I am a good-for-nothing now. What's the point of staying alive in this world, then?"

He lay on the bed, sweating in pain. Tears streamed down as he grieved over himself. But remembering that the w.a.n.g brothers must be returning soon, he wiped off his tears so that he wouldn't show a sign of weakness.

After a long while, sound of footsteps rose. The w.a.n.g brothers rushed back in a hurry.

"Go see my grandpa," w.a.n.g Jiajun said with a sneer.

"No way!" Linghu Chong rebuffed angrily. "Your grandpa should have come here to apologize to me. Why should I go see him?"

The w.a.n.g brothers burst into loud laughter.

"My grandpa apologizes to you? Dream on! Let's go!" w.a.n.g Jiaju scoffed.

The two brothers grabbed onto Linghu Chong's robe, picked him off the bed, and carried him out.

"Your Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family still calls yourself chivalrous? You are arrogant and conceited, despicable and shameless," Linghu Chong cursed.
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w.a.n.g Jiajun slapped Linghu Chong with a backhand, which bruised Linghu Chong's face and blood started dripping down his lips. But Linghu Chong kept on cursing while the w.a.n.g brothers carried him all the way into the Back Hall.

w.a.n.g Yuanba and the Yue Buqun couple had been waiting in the Back Hall. w.a.n.g Bofen and w.a.n.g Zhongqiang also sat by w.a.n.g Yuanba. But that didn't keep Linghu Chong from spilling profanities non-stop.

"Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family, what a shameless and contemptible family. I've never seen a family so low and dirty in the entire Martial World!"

"Chong, shut up!" Yue Buqun yelled with a stern face.

Hearing his Master's rebuke, Linghu Chong finally stopped cursing, but he still glared at w.a.n.g Yuanba with angry eyes.

Holding the music score booklet in his hand, w.a.n.g Yuanba asked casually, "Nephew Linghu, where did you get this 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script'?"

Raising his head high, Linghu Chong laughed out loud.

"Chong, when a senior asks you a question, you answer to the best knowledge of yours. How dare you to be so rude? Where are you manners?" Yue Buqun admonished.

"Master," Linghu Chong answered, "because of my internal wounds, I have no strength left in me. And look how those two brats have treated me? Humph, is this how a guest should be treated?"

"Our w.a.n.g Family would never dare offend a good friend or a n.o.ble guest," w.a.n.g Zhongqiang replied. "But you have failed the trust from a dying man and pocketed the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script' to be your own. That's the act of a thief. The Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family in Luoyang is an honest family. How can we still treat you like a friend?"

"All three generations of your w.a.n.g Family keep on saying that this is the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script.' Have you ever seen the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script' before? How are you so sure that this is the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script'?" Linghu Chong challenged.

w.a.n.g Zhongqiang dazed for a second before replying, "This booklet was found on you, and apprentice brother Yue also confirmed that this is not a martial arts ma.n.u.script of the Huashan Sword School, then how can it not be the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script'?"

Fuming with anger, Linghu Chong couldn't help but laugh. "If you claim that this is the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script,' then 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script' it is! I wish your Golden Blade w.a.n.g Family will have a wonderful time learning the techniques and master the invincible sword arts. From now on, your w.a.n.g Family in Luoyang can be called the Ultimate Blade and Sword! Hha! Hha!"

"Nephew Linghu," w.a.n.g Yuanba said, "please don't take offense on what my grandchildren did to you. Everyone makes mistakes. As long as one will admit his mistake and correct himself, he will still be treated with respect. Since you have already given out the sword arts ma.n.u.script, just for the sake of your Master, I will not investigate any further. Starting from today, no one will ever mention this incident again. Why don't I put your dislocated shoulder and elbow back, first." At that word, he stood up and walked toward Linghu Chong and reached for Linghu Chong's left hand.

"Hold it! I don't need you to play up to me," Linghu Chong snapped, taking two abrupt steps back.

"What playing up to you?" w.a.n.g Yuanba was stunned.

"I am not a puppet. So you just break my arm when you feel like it and put it back when you change your mind?" Linghu Chong growled. He walked a few steps to the left until he was in front of Madam Yue and then called out, "Master-Wife!"

Madam Yue heaved a sigh and then put his dislocated joints back to place.

"Master-Wife, this clearly is a music score booklet for zither and flute. These people of the w.a.n.g Family are totally illiterate and insist on saying that it is the 'Evil-Resisting Sword Ma.n.u.script.' What a big joke!" Linghu Chong explained.

"Grandmaster w.a.n.g, is it alright if I take a look at this booklet?" Madam Yue said to w.a.n.g Yuanba.

"Ah, here you go, Madam Yue." w.a.n.g Yuanba handed the booklet over.