Smiling Proud Wanderer Vol 02, page 59
“This one’s sword skills are to the extreme,” he thought secretly, “in the entire world, that person probably is the only one who could defeat him. The look on those two’s faces suggested that they had great confidence. If I have another contest of darts, most probably I’ll end up making myself a fool one more time.”
At that thought, he shook his head and showed a wry smile, “I have already admitted my defeat. What’s the need for another match of darts?”
Chapter 20: Imprisonment
Linghu Chong picked up the bamboo flute and waved gently. Air flew through the holes on the flute and made several soft tones. Mr. Huang-Zhong plunked the strings a couple of times with his right hand, in the echoing, the end of the zither was already on it's way towards Linghu Chong's right shoulder.
“Brother Tong, will you please let me take another look at your calligraphy book?” still concerned about the “Willful Book” by Zhang Xu, Mr. Bald-Brush begged.
“As soon as First Master defeats my Brother Feng, the book will be part of Third Master’s private collection. Even if you want to look at it for three days and three nights in succession, that’s your own call,” Xiang Wentian said with a grin.
“I’ll look at it for seven days and seven nights in succession!” Mr. Bald-Brush exclaimed.
“Okay, you’ll look at it for seven days and seven nights then,” Xiang Wentian replied.
Mr. Bald-Brush felt his heart itching with that possibility. “Second Brother,” he called out, “I’ll go ask Big Brother to have the match. What do you think?”
“You two stay here to accompany our guests. I’ll go talk to Big Brother,” Mr. Black-White arranged and then stepped out of the room.
“Brother Feng, let’s drink,” Mr. Paint suggested. “Alas, much of this barrel of wine was wasted by Third Brother.” He poured the wine into the wine cups.
“Wasted?” Mr. Bald-Brush rebuffed angrily. “When you drink the wine into your belly, it will only turn into urine and get relieved. How can that even be comparable to the fact that it will now stay on the white wall as calligraphy artwork and last for the eternity? Your wine will only live on because of the calligraphy. One thousand years later, only when people have seen my calligraphy art would they be able to know that this barrel of Turpan red wine ever existed.”
Facing the white wall, Mr. Paint raised his cup. “Hello wall, you are so fortunate to be able to taste the wonderful wine brewed by your Fourth Master, himself. Even if my Third Brother didn’t write calligraphy on your face, you…you…you would have lasted for the eternity.”
“Compared to this ignorant wall, I am much more fortunate to be able to taste such wonderful rare-even-in-one-thousand-year wine,” Linghu Chong showed a big smile. Raising his own cup, he drank it up.
After drinking two cups in accompany by the side, Xiang Wentian stopped drinking, but Mr. Paint and Linghu Chong kept pouring wine down their throats and found their exhilaration surging.
After they each had at least another seventeen or eighteen cups, Mr. Black-White finally returned.
“Brother Feng, my Big Brother would like to meet you. Please come with me. And is it okay if Brother Tong stays here and enjoy some more wine?” he said.
“Well…,” Xiang Wentian was taken by surprise. He could see clearly that Mr. Black-White had no intention of inviting him to tag along, and he couldn’t insist on going after all. “What a pity for life that it’s not my karma to have the honor in meeting First Master,” he sighed.
“Please pardon me, Brother Tong. My Big Brother has been living in seclusion for many years and has repeatedly declined our guests’ requests for an audience. It is only because he heard that Brother Feng’s skills in the art of sword have reached the extreme and felt his admiration soaring, did he decide to invite Brother Feng for a private meeting. We certainly dare not to show any disrespect to Brother Tong,” Mr. Black-White explained.
“I understand. I understand,” Xiang Wentian replied.
Setting his wine cup down on the table, Linghu Chong followed Mr. Black-White out of the game room. He went empty-handed, thinking that it would be inappropriate to bring a long sword with him in the meeting with the lord of the manor.
They crossed through a long corridor and soon arrived at a moon-shaped entry. The tablet above the entry read “Zither Spirit.” The words were made of blue colored glaze and showed vigorous style, most likely the creation of Mr. Bald-Brush. After the moon-shaped entry, a quiet and deep flower-strewn pathway extended further. On both sides of the pathway, thin and long bamboos swayed leisurely in the breeze. The cobblestones in the pathway were covered by moss, clearly indicating that this was a path seldom used. At the end of the pathway were three stone buildings. Seven or eight dark green pine trees stood at the front and the back, each towering high with their branches extending gracefully in all directions, casting a layer of gloom to the surroundings.
Mr. Black-White slowly pushed the door open. “Please come in,” he said in a gentle voice.
As soon as Linghu Chong entered the room, he smelled the pleasant fragrance of sandalwood.
“Big Brother, Huashan School’s Young Hero Feng is here,” Mr. Black-White introduced.
An old man walked out from the bedroom, cupping one hand in the other. “Please excuse my lack of manners for having not greeted Young Hero Feng properly. It is a great honor to have Young Hero Feng in our humble manor.”
The old man appeared to be about sixty years of age. Thin as a lath, and with the muscles on his face sinking deeply, he looked more like a skeleton with the exception of the two bright piercing eyes.
“It was I who took the liberty for the unannounced visit. I’ll have to ask for Senior Master’s pardon,” Linghu Chong said with a bow.
“That’s quite alright,” the man answered.
“My Big Brother’s name is Mr. Huang-Zhong.86 I am sure Young Hero Feng has known that already,” Mr. Black-White said.
“I have long heard the great names of the four Manor Masters. It is so fortunate that I finally get to meet you in person today,” Linghu Chong said as he thought to himself, “This is quite a joke that Big Brother Xiang has played on me. He didn’t tell me anything beforehand and only told me to let him arrange everything. But now he is nowhere near me. If this First Master here gives me some difficult puzzles to solve, I wonder how I should handle them.”
“I heard that Young Hero Feng is the very disciple of the venerable Grandmaster Feng of the Huashan School and possesses brilliant sword skills,” Mr. Huang-Zhong said. “I’ve always admired Grandmaster Feng’s conducts and his martial arts skills very much. It is such a pity that I never had the honor to meet him. Some time back, it was said around the Martial World that the venerable Grandmaster Feng had passed away. The news brought deep sorrow in my heart. Today, to have the opportunity to meet venerable Grandmaster Feng’s disciple is very gratifying. Is Young Hero Feng a descendent of Grandmaster Feng?”
Linghu Chong thought inwardly, “Grand Uncle-Master Feng earnestly exhorted me to not reveal his whereabouts. Once Big Brother Xiang saw my sword techniques, he figured out that it must have been Grand Uncle-Master who taught me those. He not only wantonly made that widely known, but also claimed that my last name was none other than Feng, which probably had a good amount of swindle and bluff. But if I tell the truth straightforward, it wouldn’t be appropriate, either.” At that thought, he gave an ambiguous answer, “I am a junior of his later generation. I’ve only studied from him for a short while. Being a slow learner, simple and uninformed, I haven’t even mastered ten or twenty percent of his sword arts.”
“If it is true that you have only learned ten to twenty percent of Grandmaster Feng’s sword arts, yet my three brothers have all lost to your long sword, then venerable Grandmaster Feng’s attainments had to be fathomless,” Mr. Huang-Zhong sighed.
“The three Masters only each exchanged a few random moves with me, and before any of the matches had any result, they had already held back their hands,” Linghu Chong said.
Mr. Huang-Zhong nodded, his skinny face revealing a slight smile. “It is rare to see a young man free from arrogance and rashness. Please come in to the Zither Hall and have some tea,” he said.
Linghu Chong and Mr. Black-White followed him into the Zither Hall and seated. Soon, a servant boy brought out green tea.
“I heard that Young Hero Feng has the ancient music score of the ‘Guang-Ling Song.’ Is it true?” Mr. Huang-Zhong asked. “I am rather fond of music. And I’ve always bemoaned when I thought of how Ji Kang played the ‘Guang-Ling Song’ with his zither one last time just before his execution, exclaiming, ‘Guang-Ling Song would be lost for ever from now on.’ If this music can reappear in the world, and I get to follow the music score and play it once in my old age, I would have no regret left in this life.” At these words, his pale face actually showed some redness of skin, looking earnest and anxious.
“Big Brother Xiang’s one lie after another really fooled them well,” Linghu Chong thought to himself. “I can tell that these four Masters of the Plum Manor of the Lone Hill are no ordinary people. Besides, I am here to ask them to treat my injury. How can I keep them guessing? If this music score is really the ‘Guang-Ling Song’ Senior Master Qu Yang obtained from the tomb of that Cai-Somebody of the East Han Dynasty, I should let him take a look.”
Retrieving the music score from his chest pocket, he stood up and then presented it with both hands. “Please take a look, First Master.”
Mr. Huang-Zhong raised himself slightly and took the booklet. “The ‘Guang-Ling Song’ music had been long lost in the world. It is so exhilarating to be able to take a look at the legendary ancient score. But…but I wonder….” He seemed to implicate that how would he be sure that this music score was the authentic “Gang-Ling Song,” not a counterfeit some busybody had faked to fool people.
He thumbed through a few pages at random and then muttered, “Oh, this is a long piece.” Turning back to the first page, he began reading the details. Only moments into it, his face had changed color. Flipping through the music score with his right hand, he set his left hand on the table and the five fingers plucked, twiddled, and pressed as though he was playing an invisible zither.
“Marvelous! Peaceful and fair, yet melodious and deep to the extreme,” he praised.
Turning to the second page, he read for a little while and then praised again, “Lofty and elegant, profound and abstruse. Just by imagining the sounds in my head, I can already feel the utter exhilaration.”
Seeing how Mr. Huang-Zhong was already slightly out of his mind after reading only two pages of the music score, Mr. Black-White knew that if he kept reading, it would be hours before he’ll even take a break. So he cut in.
“This Young Hero Feng here and a Brother Tong from the Songshan School came here and said that if someone in the Plum Manor can defeat his sword art….”
“Um, only if someone can defeat his sword art will he be willing to loan me the ‘Guang-Ling Song’ and make a copy, is that right?” Mr. Huang-Zhong asked.
“That’s right! All three of us have lost our matches. Unless Big Brother takes the field, our Plum Manor of the Lone Hill…well…,” Mr. Black-White replied.
“If you can’t do it, I can’t either,” Mr. Huang-Zhong let out a light smile.
“How can the three of us be comparable with Big Brother?” Mr. Black-White said.
“I am too old. I am of no use now,” Mr. Huang-Zhong replied.
Linghu Chong got back onto his feet. “First Master’s name is ‘Mr. Huang-Zhong,’ then naturally you are an expert in the art of zither,” he said. “Although this music score is rare, it is not classified secret or anything. First Master, please feel free to hold on to it and make copies. I can come back to pick it up three days from now.”
Mr. Huang-Zhong and Mr. Black-White were both taken aback. Mr. Black-White had witnessed, himself, how Xiang Wentian had worked hard at baiting them, deliberately making things more difficult and made his heart itchy as hell. He certainly did not expect to see such a generous Feng Er-Zhong. Being an expert in the art of gamesmanship, he immediately concluded that this had to be a trap Linghu Chong was setting up to trick Mr. Huang-Zhong, but no matter how hard he tried, he still failed catch any clue.
“One does not receive a reward without making a merit. You and I don’t have any prior association. How could I accept such a generous gift from you? Will you please be very frank with me and tell me the real reason for you and your companion’s visit to our humble manor?” Mr. Huang-Zhong asked.
Linghu Chong thought, “Big Brother Xiang didn’t mention a word to me about why we are visiting the Plum Manor beforehand. I suppose it must have something to do with asking the four Manor Masters to treat my injury. But all his arrangements seemed so secretive. Besides, the four Manor Masters are all very unusual people. Perhaps telling them the truth isn’t the right way to address the issue. I honestly don’t have a clue about the intention of Big Brother Xiang’s visit, anyway. I guess telling them this part frankly wouldn’t count as trying to deceive them intentionally.” So he said, “I was only accompanying Big Brother Tong in the visit to your respectable manor. To be very honest with you, before stepping into your respectable manor, I have never heard of the names of the four Manor Masters, nor was I ever aware of the existence of the Plum Manor of the Lone Hill.” After a short pause, he added, “That is, of course, only because I am ignorant and ill-informed, and consequently failed to recognize the many respectable senior masters in the Martial World. I beg the two Masters’ pardon.”
Mr. Huang-Zhong cast a glance toward Mr. Black-White and a smile crept onto his face.
“Young Hero Feng is very candid, and I am very thankful. Us, the four brothers, retired to the city of Lin-An to live a hermit’s life; few people in the Martial World knows about it. Besides, the Five Mountains Sword Alliance never had any association with us, so I was quite surprised to learn about your visit. So Young Hero Feng really has no idea about the origin of us the four brothers, have you?”
“This is so embarrassing. When I said earlier that ‘I have long heard the great names of the four Manor Masters,’ actually…actually…well…,” Linghu Chong murmured.
Mr. Huang-Zhong nodded. “Mr. Huang-Zhong, Mr. Black-White and so forth are only nicknames we picked for ourselves. Our true names have long been abandoned. It is only natural that Young Hero Feng has never heard of our names,” he said. Turning the music score booklet with his right hand, he asked, “Are you sincere about loaning this music score to me and let me make copies?”
“Yes,” Linghu Chong affirmed. “I said loaning the book to you only because the music score belongs to Big Brother Tong. Otherwise, you can just go ahead and take it. Like the old saying says, ‘A precious sword should be presented to a person of high endeavor.’ Once presented, there’s no need to return it.”
Mr. Huang-Zhong let out a long breath, and a trace of joy quickly flashed across his emaciated face.
“You agree to loan the music score to my Big Brother. But will that Brother Tong agree as well?” Mr. Black-White asked.
“Big Brother Tong and I are friends until death. He is bold and generous. If I agree to something, no matter how important the matter is, he wouldn’t mind at all,” Linghu Chong assured, to which Mr. Black-White gave a nod.
“I am very grateful for Young Hero Feng’s kindness. But since Brother Tong did not give his consent, himself, I am still very uneasy about it. That Brother Tong said that in order to get the music score, someone from our manor must be able to defeat your sword arts. It would be unfair for me to take advantage of your generosity. Why don’t we exchange a few moves?” Mr. Huang-Zhong proposed.
Linghu Chong thought to himself, “The Second Master said just a moment ago, ‘How can the three of us be comparable with Big Brother?’ Then the Kung Fu skills of the First Master must have been superior to the other three Manor Masters. The three Manor Masters each had unsurpassed Kung Fu skills, and only with the sword techniques I learned from Grand Uncle-Master Feng was I able to get the upper hand in the matches. If I spar with the First Master, I may not win again. Why bother bringing shame onto myself for no reason? Even if I could beat him in the match, what good does it do?” At that thought, he said, “Big Brother Tong was just seized by a whim and being meddlesome when he said something like that, which only embarrassed me more. I am already thankful that the four Manor Masters decide to spare me of reprimand for my arrogance. How dare I spar again with the First Master?”
“You are quite all right,” Mr. Huang-Zhong smiled. “Let’s exchange a few moves, and it’ll just be a harmless contest. That is all. What’s there to worry about?”
He turned around, removed a jade flute from the wall and handed it to Linghu Chong. “You can use the flute as your sword. I, on the other hand, will use my zither as my weapon.” Picking up a zither from the bedside table, he said with a grin, “I wouldn’t say that these two musical instruments of mine are invaluable, but each of them is one in a thousand. I certainly do not want them to smash into pieces. Let’s just put out some stances for the act. That’s all.”
Linghu Chong took a closer look at the flute in his hand. The entire body of the flute was in emerald green. Turned out that it was made of top-quality jade. The several spots close to the mouthpiece were in bright scarlet, and perfectly set off the striking green of the jade flute. The zither held in Mr. Huang-Zhong’s hands appeared dark and ancient. It must have been an antique over one thousand years old. A gentle bump of the two musical instruments would have broken them into pieces. They of course couldn’t be used in a real fight. Having no other excuses, he held the jade flute with both hands and spoke respectfully.
“I await First Master’s advice.”
“The venerable Grandmaster Feng was the ultimate swordsman of the generation. I’ve always had great admiration for him. The sword arts he taught must be extraordinary. Young Hero Feng, please!” Mr. Huang-Zhong said.
