Smiling Proud Wanderer Vol 02, page 61
“With my small capacity for liquor, I certainly dare not to come and ask for trouble.” Xiang Wentian showed a smile.
After cupping his hands one more time, he walked out, holding Linghu Chong’s arms. Mr. Black-White and the others also walked out.
“Three Manor Masters please don’t bother to see us out,” Xiang Wentian said.
“Ha, do you think we are seeing you out? We are here to see Brother Feng off. If you had come all by yourself, Brother Tong, just watch us and see how many steps we’ll take to see you off,” Mr. Bald-Brush said.
“I see,” Xiang Wentian grinned.
Mr. Black-White and the others walked all the way out of the manor gate before saying good-bye to Linghu Chong. Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint stared at Xiang Wentian all the way out. How they wished they could just snatch the package off Xiang Wentian’s back.
Holding Linghu Chong’s hand, Xiang Wentian walked deep into the willow woods. When they were far from the Plum Manor, he finally asked, smiling, “Brother, the First Master’s ‘Invisible Sword’ energy from his zither is very powerful. How did you manage to defeat him?”
“Oh, so Big Brother knew everything already. Luckily I have lost all my inner strength, or else I am afraid I probably would have lost my life over that. Big Brother, did you have some scores to settle with these four Manor Masters?” Linghu Chong asked.
“No. I’d never even met them before today, what scores could there be?” Xiang Wentian answered.
Suddenly, shouts came from behind. “Brother Tong! Brother Feng! Please come back.”
Linghu Chong turned around and then saw Mr. Paint running toward him in quick trots. He held a bowl in his hand, which was more than half full with wine.
“Brother Feng, I have half a bottle of more than one-hundred-year old Bamboo-Green. You’d really regret it if you didn’t have a taste,” he said, handing the bowl over as he spoke.
Linghu Chong took the bowl and then took a look. The wine inside the bowl was so green that it almost looked like one solid emerald stone and he couldn’t even see the bottom of the bowl. The strong and mellow smell of the wine soon filled his nostrils. “Great wine, indeed!” he praised.
“Excellent!” after a small sip of the wine, he praised again. Then with another four quick gulps, he poured the entire content of the bowl down his throat. “The flavor of the wine tastes mild yet rich at the same time. It had to the product from around the city of Yangzhou or Zhenjiang,” he commented.
“Right on!” Mr. Paint beamed with delight. “This is the ultimate treasure of the Golden-Hill Temple in Zhenjiang. They had a total of six bottles. The monks in the temple abide by their commandment and do not drink, so they gave me one bottle as a present. After enjoying half of the bottle myself, I begrudged drinking any more of it. Brother Feng, I have several more great wines at my place. I’d really like you to come over and judge them for me. What do you say?”
Linghu Chong was already feeling great intimacy toward the “Four Playfellows of Jiangnan,” now with the prospect of tasting some great wine in addition, he found himself all jubilant. Turning his head over, he looked at Xiang Wentian for his reaction.
“Brother Feng, Fourth Master wants to invite you for some wine. You go ahead. As for me, since Third Master and Fourth Master gets grouchy when they see me, I think I’d better…um, well,” Xiang Wentian said.
“Who said I get grouchy when I see you? Let’s go. All of us! You are Brother Feng’s friend, and you are invited too!” Mr. Paint smiled.
Before Xiang Wentian had any chance to decline, Mr. Paint had already coiled his left arm around Xiang Wentian’s right arm and his right arm around Linghu Chong’s left arm and began walking. “Come on! Come on! Let’s have some more drinks!” he insisted, beaming brightly.
“When we bid our farewell to the Manor Masters earlier, Fourth Master showed a very unfriendly attitude toward Big Brother Xiang. Why has he turned so intimate all of a sudden? Is it possible that he simply couldn’t forget the painting in the package on Big Brother Xiang’s back for a moment and decided to fetch it using some other ways?” Linghu Chong thought to himself.
Soon, the three of them returned to the gate of the Plum Manor, at which Mr. Bald-Brush had been waiting for them.
“Brother Feng is back! Excellent! Excellent!” Mr. Bald-Brush uttered.
The four of them returned to the Game Room where Mr. Paint brought out many kinds of great wine and had a good drink with Linghu Chong. But Mr. Black-White never showed his face all the while.
The time was getting late now. It seemed as though Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint was waiting for someone, since both of them kept glancing toward the entrance from the corner of their eyes. Xiang Wentian took leave of them several times, but the two hosts repeatedly urged him to stay. Linghu Chong, on the other hand, paid no attention to it and kept drinking his wine.
“If two Manor Masters do not invite us for dinner, I’ll starve to death!” Xiang Wentian checked the color of the sky and then complained with a big grin.
“Right! Right!” Mr. Bald-Brush replied and then called out loudly, “Steward Ding, arrange the banquet! Hurry!”
Ding Jian acknowledged from outside when suddenly, the door was pushed open and Mr. Black-White stepped into the room.
“Brother Feng, there is another one in our manor who would like to have a sword contest with you,” he said to Linghu Chong.
As soon as Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint heard these words, they jumped back onto their feet in unison, beaming with joy. “Big Brother has agreed!”
“So First Master had to give his permission before that person can have a sword contest with me,” Linghu Chong thought inwardly. “It seems that they had kept me here so the Second Master could talk it over with the First Master. And only after a long plead did the First Master finally consent. Then this person must be either a junior in First Master’s family or his disciple or underling of some sort. Is this person’s sword skill really even better than that of the First Master?” Suddenly another thought popped into his brain and he groaned inwardly, “Oh no! They knew that I have lost all my inner strength. In consideration of their own status, they feel unbefitting doing it themselves. But if they send a junior or an subordinate to fight me and specially challenge me in the department of inner strength, it would take him no time to finish me off!” But then he thought, “These four Manor Masters are all fair champions. How could they commit such despicable act? But Third Master and Fourth Master are simply crazy about that painting and that calligraphy book, and although the Second Master looked calm from the outside, he would certainly not rest contented until he gets his hands on those game manuals. Well, using such a bad method for the sake of those painting, calligraphy book, and game manuals is still well within the logic. If anyone really wants to injure me using inner strength, I’ll just stab his joints or some crucial key points on his body first.”
“Young Hero Feng, May I trouble you with another short trip?” Mr. Black-White asked.
“In regard to genuine Kung Fu skills, I am really no match for Third Master or Fourth Master, much less Second Master and First Master. The four senior masters of the Plum Manor of the Lone Hill all have unsurpassed Kung Fu skills. Only because of the congeniality you felt with me, you have been very tolerant and considerate. It is really needless for me to show my immature and shallow skills again,” Linghu Chong declined.
“Brother Feng, of course that person’s Kung Fu is higher than yours. But you don’t need to be afraid. He…,” Mr. Paint said, which was promptly cut off by Mr. Black-White.
“In our humble manor, there is yet another grandmaster who is an expert at the art of sword. Once he heard about Young Hero Feng’s brilliant sword skills, he longed for a sword contest. I hope Young Hero Feng wouldn’t mind having just one more match.”
Afraid that he might be forced into injuring his opponent in the additional match and thus have a fall out with the “Four Playfellows of Jiangnan,” Linghu Chong said, “Four Masters have been very kind to me. If I have this additional match, I wonder what kind of temper this grandmaster might have. If, for any reason, this ends in discord, or maybe I get injured from this grandmaster’s sword, that would, for sure, hurt the friendly feelings.”
“No worries! He won’t…won’t…,” Mr. Paint tried to comfort him, but again, Mr. Black-White didn’t let him finish.
“No matter what happens, the four of us will never blame you, Young Hero Feng,” Mr. Black-White assured him.
“Fine! You might as well have another match,” Xiang Wentian said. “But I have some things I need to take care right away and can’t stay any longer. Brother Feng, I’ll see you again in the city of Jiaxing.”
“Are you leaving already? You can’t leave yet!” Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint cried out in unison.
“Unless you leave Zhang Xu’s calligraphy book behind,” Mr. Bald-Brush demanded.
“If you leave now, where are we going to find you to get your painting, calligraphy book, and game manuals after Young Hero Feng loses the match? No, no, you’ll have to stay just a little bit longer. Steward Ding, hurry up with the banquet!” Mr. Paint shouted.
“Young Hero Feng, I’ll go with you. Brother Tong, please have something to eat. We’ll be right back to accompany you. It won’t take very long,” Mr. Black-White said.
But Xiang Wentian shook his head again and again. “You are after a sure triumph with this match. Although my Brother Feng has excellent mastery in the art of the sword, his experience in confrontations is still very shallow. Besides, you have already found out that he has lost all his inner strength. Without me guarding onsite, even if we lose this match, we would not be reconciled to the defeat.”
“What is Brother Tong saying here? Do you really think that we would cheat in the match?” Mr. Black-White asked.
“The four Masters of the Plum Manor of the Lone Hill are all people of exceptional virtues. I’ve always held the four masters in great reverence and, of course, have faith in you. But Brother Feng is having the sword match with someone else. I really had no idea that there’s actually another grandmaster in the Plum Manor besides the four Manor Masters. May I ask Second Master here who is this person? If I know that this person is an honest had straightforward champion just like the four Manor Masters, then I’ll feel much more at ease,” Xiang Wentian said.
“The Kung Fu skills and the fame of this person are only higher than the four brothers of us. There is simply no comparison between him and us,” Mr. Paint said.
“In the Marital World, there are only a few people whose fame could be in comparison with that of the four Manor Masters. Then I am sure I must have heard of his name before,” Xiang Wentian said.
“But we can’t tell you his name,” Mr. Bald-Brush answered.
“Then I must guard onsite during this match. Otherwise we can just forget about the match,” Xiang Wentian insisted.
“Brother Tong, why are you so stubborn? It’s not gonna do you any good coming to this match. This person has lived in seclusion for a long time and would rather not let any other people see his face,” Mr. Paint explained.
“How does Brother Feng have the sword contest with him, then?” Xiang Wentian asked.
“Each side will be wearing a mask, exposing only the eyes. That way, neither could see the other,” Mr. Black-White clarified.
“Will the Four Manor Masters be wearing masks as well?” Xiang Wentian asked.
“That’s correct. This person has very eccentric tempers. If we don’t, he would not fight,” Mr. Black-White affirmed.
“I’ll just wear a mask as well,” Xiang Wentian persisted.
After a long hesitation, Mr. Black-White finally said, “If Brother Tong is determined to watch the match onsite, I suppose we have no choice. But Brother Tong must make a promise that you’ll not make any sound through out the match.”
“Pretending to be deaf and dumb, that’s easy!” Xiang Wentian grinned.
So Mr. Black-White lead the way in the front, Xiang Wentian and Linghu Chong followed in the middle and Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint followed behind. Linghu Chong couldn’t help but notice that they were actually following the same path that led to First Master’s house earlier. Soon, they arrived outside of First Master’s Zither Hall. After three gentle knocks on the door, Mr. Black-White pushed the door open and stepped in. A man already stood in the middle of the room, a mask made of black cloth covered his head. Linghu Chong easily recognized him as Mr. Huang-Zhong from his clothing. Mr. Black-White walked next to him and then whispered some words in his ears. Then Mr. Huang-Zhong shook his head and whispered some words back, obviously unwilling to let Xiang Wentian participate. Mr. Black-White gave a nod and then turned to the group behind him.
“My Big Brother thinks that the sword match is only a small matter. But if we provoke that friend in any way, there will be much unnecessary trouble. Let’s call the match off.”
The five of them bowed to Mr. Huang-Zhong and then went out of the room.
“Brother Tong, you are really an oddball, you know that?” Mr. Paint said irritably. “Did you think that we would just all swarm forward and bully Brother Feng? Well, your insisting on looking on the match has really cost us the match. Thank you for ruining the day for us!”
“It took Second Brother a great effort to convince Big Brother and get his permission. You’d rather make more trouble,” Mr. Bald-Brush grunted.
“All right! All right! I’ll yield a step. I won’t insist on watching this match. But you have to promise that it’s going to be a fair match and you won’t deceive my Brother Feng,” Xiang Wentian said with a grin.
“What kind of people did you think we were? We’d never deceive Young Hero Feng!” Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint cried out with joy in unison.
“I’ll wait for you guys in the Game Room,” Xiang Wentian said, smiling. “Brother Feng, I don’t know what kind of clandestine tricks they are trying to pull here. You’d better keep a weather eye open all the time and be very careful.”
“The Plum Manor only has gentlemen with lofty virtues. How can there be anyone resorting to trickery and swindle?” Linghu Chong replied with a smile.
“Right on! Young Hero Feng is not like you, who measure others’ corn by one’s own bushel.” Mr. Paint showed a broad grin.
Xiang Wentian took a few steps and then turned around and waved at Linghu Chong. “Brother Feng, come over here. I’d better exhort you some more so you wouldn’t fall for other’s tricks,” he said, at which Mr. Paint sneered but paid no attention.
“Big Brother Xiang is being too careful. I am not a three-year-old kid. Even if they really plan on fooling me, it’s not gonna be easy,” Linghu Chong thought to himself as he walked toward Xiang Wentian.
Xiang Wentian grabbed hold of Linghu Chong’s hand, and immediately Linghu Chong felt a paper ball placed in his palm. A quick squeeze told Linghu Chong that there was a piece of hard object wrapped inside the paper ball. With a broad smile, Xiang Wentian pulled him closer and then whispered to his ears.
“After you see that person, shake his hands to show your proximity, and then secretly place this paper ball together with the object inside into his palm. This is a very important matter. Don’t take it lightly. Ha-ha! Ha-ha!”
When he said these words, the tone of his voice was very solemn, but he kept the broad smile on his face. The laughter at the end simply had nothing to do with his words. Mr. Black-White, Mr. Bald-Brush and Mr. Paint all presumed that he must have been ridiculing the three of them.
“What’s so funny? Young Hero Feng, no doubt, has excellent sword skills, but we haven’t had a chance to check out the sword skills of Brother Tong,” Mr. Paint challenged.
“My sword skills are most ordinary. There’s no need to check it out,” Xiang Wentian laughed out before waddling out of the room.
“Great! Let’s go see Big Brother again,” Mr. Paint said merrily.
The four of them entered Mr. Huang-Zhong’s Zither Hall once again. Mr. Huang Zhong did not expect their return and had already removed the mask from his head.
“Big Brother, we have finally convinced that Brother Tong. He has agreed to not watch the match,” Mr. Black-White said.
“Good,” Mr. Huang-Zhong replied. Picking up the black cloth mask, he put it back onto his head.
Mr. Paint pulled out a drawer from the wooden cabinet and took out three black cloth masks. He handed one of them to Linghu Chong and said, “This one is mine. You can wear it. Big Brother, I am borrowing your pillowcase.”
He went inside the bedroom and soon returned with a green cloth pillowcase over his head. Two holes had been cut off the pillowcase, showing his two eyes.
Mr. Huang-Zhong nodded his approval and then said to Linghu Chong, “When you have the sword context later, both of you will be using wooden swords in case inner strength is used is used and put Brother Feng into disadvantage.”
“That would be great!” Linghu Chong said happily.
“Second Brother, bring two wooden swords,” Mr. Huang-Zhong said to Mr. Black-White, who, in turn, pulled another drawer from the cabinet and took out two wooden swords.
“Brother Feng, regardless of who wins this contest, will you please not mention a word to anyone else?” Mr. Huang-Zhong said to Linghu Chong.
“That’s of course! I’ve said before that I didn’t come to the Plum Manor to make a name for myself. Why would I want to go out and make it widely known? Besides, there’s a high probability that I’ll be losing this match. What’s there to brag about?” Linghu Chong answered.
“Well, that’s not necessarily a sure thing, but I believe Brother Feng is a man of his words and won’t let the word out. Will you please also not mention a word about anything you see afterwards, not even to that Brother Tong? Do you think you can do that?” Mr. Huang-Zhong asked.
“Not even Big Brother Tong? After the sword contest, naturally he would ask me about the entire course. If I keep my mouth completely shut, isn’t it rather harsh for our friendship?” Linghu Chong hesitated.
