Published at 1st of April 2019 9:51 am

Part 2

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Li Wenxiu declared, “My father and mother must’ve known your name. I was only eight years old when I came to the Muslim Region, and was ignorant about everything.” Hua Hui’s expression turned cheerful, and said, “That’s for sure. You…” He hadn’t finished his sentence when they heard someone in the cave passageway say, “She must be hiding here! Be careful of her poisoned needles!” Then footsteps rang out. The three bandits walked inwards, halting after taking each step.

Hurriedly, Hua Hui took out a poisoned needle, and stuck its end into the head of his staff. He handed it to her. Pointing to the entrance, he said in a low voice, “When one of them enters, prick his back. You must not be impatient and prick his chest.” Li Wenxiu mused, “This entrance is so narrow. Wouldn’t it be easier to prick his chest while he is entering?” When Hua Hui saw her hesitant expression, he said, “This is a matter of life and death, there cannot be any delay. Do you dare to disobey my instructions?” Although he spoke in a soft voice, his tone was harsh. At that moment, a gleaming blade was extended into the cave via the entrance. It was brandished swiftly, protecting the owner’s face and chest, preventing the enemies from launching a sneak attack. Then a black figure crawled in slowly. It was the bandit surnamed Yun.

Li Wenxiu remembered what Hua Hui had instructed. Hidden in a corner, she did not dare to move one inch. Coldly, Hua Hui said, “Look at what I have in my hand!” Then he swept his arm as a false move. The bandit surnamed Yun darted to one side, his blade protecting the front of his body. He gazed intently at him, to guard against him from hurling projectiles. Hua Hui yelled, “Prick him!” Li Wenxiu lifted her hand up and brought the staff down. Its head made contact with his back, and the poisoned needle entered his skin. The bandit felt a slight pain in his back, as if he had just been stung by a bee. He gave a shout, then died. The bandit surnamed Quan, who was following swiftly behind him, saw that he had been killed by the poisoned needles. He thought that Hua Hui was firing needles, and frightened out of his wits. Without even turning around, he retreated by crawling out on all four limbs.

Hua Hui sighed, “If I hadn’t lost my martial arts skills, these five trifling bandits would be nothing to me!” Li Wenxiu recalled that his nickname was ‘One Finger Shakes Jiangnan’, and his martial arts skills were obviously superior. But why did he seem so helpless when facing five insignificant bandits? She asked, “Uncle Hua, are you unable to use your martial arts skills because of your illness?” Hua Hui replied, “No, no. I… I once vowed that I would not use my martial arts skills easily unless it was a matter of life and death.” Li Wenxiu felt that he spoke insincerely. He just said that he had ‘lost his martial arts skills’, but was now making evasive statements. Since he did not wish to talk about it, she did not pursue the matter.

Hua Hui had also realised that there had been inconsistencies in his speech. Changing the topic, he said, “Do you understand why I asked you to prick his back? When he enters the cave, he would be preoccupied with guarding against enemies in front of him. Since you don’t know any martial arts skills, you will not be able to attack him successfully from the front. I then attract his attention, so he is wary of me. Then you prick his back, and we have a successful attack.” Li Wenxiu nodded and said, “Uncle, your plan is excellent.” Hua Hui had had a rich experience of the pugilistic world, and manipulating such a little crook was as easy as flipping his palm. Hua Hui took out a large piece of dried honey melon and handed it to Li Wenxiu, saying, “Eat some first. Those two crooks won’t dare to enter anymore, but we won’t be able to escape either. Let me think of a plan first, so we can kill two birds with one stone. If we only kill one of them, the surviving one is sure to escape and report to his masters. It would be extremely troublesome to have a whole contingent of men and horses after us.” Li Wenxiu saw that he, with his resourcefulness, was contemplating the situation carefully. She thought that since she would not possibly be able to think of a plan more brilliant than his, she decided not to rack her brain for ideas. Instead, she ate her fill of dried melon, then leant on the stone wall and rested.

Around one hour later, she suddenly sensed an acrid smell, and began to cough. Hua Hui cried, “Oh no! The crooks are trying to smoke us out! Quick, seal the entrance!” Li Wenxiu swiftly gathered up sand and rocks from the ground to seal the entrance. Luckily, the entrance was extremely small. Upon its sealing, the amount of smoke entering the cave was significantly lessened. And since the cave was large, smoke blown into it would diffuse out from the hole in the back.

This stalemate went on for quite a good while. The sunlight shining through the hole in the back became brighter and brighter, as if it was already high noon. Suddenly, Hua Hui gave a loud cry, then crashed to the ground, and his entire body went into spasms. But this time he seemed to be in more pain than previously. He was actually unable to control his limbs which were flailing madly. Li Wenxiu was alarmed, and went over to massage him. The pain he suffered was reduced slightly, and he panted, “Mi… Miss, I’m afraid it isn’t good this time.”

Li Wenxiu comforted him: “Don’t think that way. You’ve met several formidable opponents today, and it was unavoidable that your energy was sapped. You’ll be fine after a short rest.” Hua Hui shook his head, and said, “No, no! Since I am going to die anyway, I’ll tell you the truth. A acupoint of my back was hit… hit by a poisoned needle.” Li Wenxiu said, “Ah, you were hit by a poisoned needle? When were you hit? Today?” Hua Hui answered, “No, I’ve been hit for twelve years!” Li Wenxiu was stunned: “Is it such a formidable poisoned needle?” Hua Hui answered, “It is not much different from the rest. But I slowed down its spread by channeling my energy to resist it. Later I ingested the antidote, and managed to survive for twelve years. But today, I don’t think I can live any longer. Ai, for these twelve years that the needle has been lodged in my body, I have had to suffer two or three bouts of great pain daily. If only I had not ingested the antidote that day. It has not done me any good; I have suffered for these twelve years.” Her heart gave a shudder, for his words evoked her memories. If she had died with her parents ten years ago, perhaps she would have had suffered less misery.

But had she always suffered misery for all these ten years? No, there had been happy times. Although this young girl, aged about seventeen or eighteen, was sad and lonely, she had enjoyed much laughter and sweetness in her current youth.

When she saw Hua Hui gritting his teeth, trying to bear with the pain, she said, “Uncle, try removing the needle, you might fell better then.” Hua Hui retorted, “Rubbish! Isn’t that obvious? I’ve been alone in these desolate hills, who would help me remove the needle? None of those who enter the hills had kind intentions, hmm, hmm…” Li Wenxiu was puzzled, “Why didn’t he go elsewhere to look for someone who could cure him? For what reason did he live in these desolate hills for twelve years?” It was apparent that he still harboured deep suspicions against her. But she observed that he was truly in pain, deserving to be pitied, so she said, “Uncle, let me try. Don’t worry, I won’t try to harm you.”

***

Hua Hui stared at her, his brows tightly furrowed. He pondered over her proposal countless times, and was unable to come to a decision. She pulled the poisoned needle off the head of his staff, and handed it to him, saying, “Let me see the scar on your back. If you see that I have evil intentions, then you can use the poisoned needle to prick me!” Hua Hui replied, “Good!” He undressed and revealed his back. When she looked at it, she could not help be give a low gasp. On his back were spots and blotches. Who knew how many hundreds or thousands of scars were there? Hua Hui said, “I’ve tried countless means and ways to dig the poisoned needle out, but to no avail.” Some of these scars seemed to be have been made by hitting against sharp rocks. Others seemed to be made by sharp fingernails. As Li Wenxiu looked at these scars, she realised the amount of pain he must have suffered these twelve years. Her heart was filled with sorrow, and she asked, “Where is the poisoned needle located?” Hua Hui said, “There are three in total. One is at the Po Hu Acupoint, one is at the Zhi Shi Acupoint, and one is at the Zhi Yang Acupoint.” As he spoke, he twisted his hand backwards to point out the location of each poisoned needle. Since a long time had passed, coupled with the numerous scars on his back, it was impossible to see the holes made by the needles.

Li Wenxiu gasped, “There are three needles in all? Didn’t you say you were hit by only one?” Angrily, he said, “Previously, you did not say that you were going to remove the needles for me, so why would I tell you the truth?” Li Wenxiu knew that his heart was heavy with suspicion. The truth was that he had lost all his martial arts skills after being hit by the three poisoned needles. Afraid that she would try to harm him, he lied that he had vowed that he would not use his martial arts skills easily. As for the number of poisoned needles which had hit him, he had declared two less than the true number. He could thus protect himself if she had the intention to harm him. She did not like his lies and suspicions, but since she had decided to help him, she would help him to the end. This old man was certainly pitiful. Thus, she put down all her misgivings, and pondered on how she was going to remove the poisoned needles which had sunk deep into his flesh.

Hua Hui queried, “Can you see clearly?” Li Wenxiu replied, “I cannot see the ends of the needles, so how do you think I should go about removing them?” Hua Hui said, “You must use a sharp object to cut open the flesh, and only then can you see them. They have sunk deep inside, and are hard to find.” As he spoke, his voice began to tremble. Li Wenxiu answered, “It’s a pity that I did not bring my small knife.” Hua Hui said, “I don’t have a knife either.” Suddenly, he pointed to the long sabre which had fallen to the ground, saying, “Use this sabre!” That long sabre gleamed with a green light, and was very sharp. It lay next to the body of the bandit surnamed Yun. At this point, the owner was dead, but the sabre remained. It struck terror in those who saw it.

Li Wenxiu was extremely hesitant to use such a long sabre to cut open his back. Hua Hui guessed what she was feeling. His tone becoming gentle, he said, “Miss Li, if you help me remove the poisoned needles, I will give you lots of gold and jewels. I’m not lying to you; I will really give you lots of gold and jewels.” Li Wenxiu answered, “I don’t need those treasures, neither do I want your thanks. As long as you don’t suffer from any more pain, that is good enough for me.” Hua Hui said, “All right, please do it quickly then.” Li Wenxiu went over and picked up the long sabre. She then cut off about ten strips of cloth from the bandit’s clothes to be used for stopping the bleeding and bandaging the wound. She said, “Uncle, I will do all that I can. Please bear with the pain.” She gritted her teeth, and aimed the tip of the sabre near the Po Hu Acupoint which he had previously pointed out to her. Then she cut his flesh gently.

The sabre entered his flesh, and blood spurted out. Astonishingly, Hua Hui did not even make a sound. He asked, “Can you see it?” Since he had managed to bear with the pain for twelve years, being cut by a sharp blade did not really affect him. Li Wenxiu pulled a hairpin off her hair, and used it to probe the wound. She found a thin needle nailed tightly to the bone.

She stretched two fingers into the wound, and grasped the end of the needle. She gave a strong pull, but her fingers slipped, and she was unable to pull the poisoned needle out. She managed the pull the needle out only in her fourth try. Hua Hui gave a loud shriek. The pain he felt was so immense that he fainted. Li Wenxiu thought, “At least he will not feel the pain, seeing that he has lost consciousness.” She cut open his flesh to remove the other needles. After she had removed the remaining two needles, she used the strips of cloth to bandage the wounds.

After quite a while, Hua Hui slowly regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and saw the three pitch-black poisoned needles placed in front of him. Hatefully, he said, “Damnable needles, wicked needles! You’ve stayed in my flesh for twelve years, and today, you have finally come out.” To Li Wenxiu, he said, “Miss Li, you saved my life but I have nothing to give you in return. I’ll give you these three poisoned needles as a gift. Although they were lodged in my flesh for twelve years, their toxicity still remains.” Li Wenxiu shook her head, saying, “I don’t want them.” Hua Hui was amazed: “You have witnessed the formability of these poisoned needles with your own eyes. With these needles, everyone will fear you.” In a low voice, she said, “I don’t want other people to fear me.” In her heart she thought, “I only want other people to like me. These poisoned needles would be useless then.”

After the poisoned needles had been removed, Hua Hui was extremely weak due to an excessive loss of blood. But he was in high spirits and full of vitality. He shut his eyes and slept for more than two hours. In his dreams, he heard someone cursing loudly. Startled, he woke up. He heard the bandit surnamed Song, standing outside the cave, cursing with filthy expletives. Every word he said was extremely vicious. He obviously did not dare to enter, but wanted to taunt his enemies into coming out. As he listened, he became more furious. He stood up and said, “Since the poisoned needles in my body are gone, how can ‘One Finger Shakes Jiangnan’ be afraid of two insignificant crooks?” He tried to channel his energy up, but was unable to do so. He sighed, “The poisoned needles were lodged in my body for too long a time, it seems that I will not be able to regain my martial arts skills until after three or four months.” Hearing the bandit scold “A thousand crooks, ten thousand crooks” viciously, he said angrily, “Must I wait many months before killing you, while you curse me in the meantime?” Then he thought, “If they don’t enter the cave, and this deadlock continues, they’ll probably go back and return with a large contingent of men. That would be dreadful. So what shall we do?”

Realisation hit him, and he said, “Miss Li, let me teach you a martial arts sequence, and you can settle those two crooks outside.” Li Wenxiu asked, “How long will I take to master it? It won’t be that soon, will it?” Hua Hui said, “If I teach you how to seal acupoints, swordfighting and fistfighting, you’ll need at least half a year to master them. You have to master something quickly, an unorthodox weapon which you can see immediate results after some practicing, and can use to defeat your opponent in one or two moves. But where can we find an unorthodox weapon in this cave?” He lifted his head, and joyfully cried, “Got it! Pick two of the bottle gourds over there. They must be linked by vines. We’ll practice the meteor hammer.” In the area where sunlight shone into the cave, Li Wenxiu saw about ten bottle gourds hanging there. They had withered a long time ago, and she could not tell when they had first grown there. Using the sabre, she cut down two gourds with the vines still attached. Hua Hui said, “Excellent! Use your sabre to dig a small cavity on the gourds, and pour sand into them. Then stuff the cavities with the vines. Li Wenxiu obeyed his instructions. Both gourds were completely filled with sand, and each weighed about seven to eight jin. It looked exactly like a meteorite hammer. Hua Hui received it, and said, “I’ll teach you the stroke ‘Stars and Moon Vying for Splendour.’” He lifted the meteor hammer up, and demonstrated the movement. In this stroke, the left hammer would hit the enemy’s Shang Qu Acupoint located between the chest and the belly. Meanwhile, the right hammer would swing out, then back again, curving around to hit the enemy’s Ling Tai Acupoint located on his back. Although it was only one stroke, it included various skills like arm strength, good judgment, being able to use the hammer to hit the correct acupoints. At the same time, the user had to be on guard against the enemy’s dodging, and borrowing power to strike back. Thus, Li Wenxiu practiced for more than two hours, before she could wield the hammer with accuracy.

***

She wiped the perspiration off her forehead, and said apologetically, “I’m really stupid, taking such a long time to master it!” Hua Hui answered, “You’re not stupid at all, and can be considered extremely intelligent. Don’t look down on this stroke, for it can change beyond imagination and extremely powerful. Ordinary people take eight to ten days to master it, and then they might not achieve as much as you have. To deal with top pugilists, one stroke will be of no use. But to defeat two crooks, it is more than enough! Rest a while before you go out to kill them.” Li Wenxiu was stunned: “Is a mere one stroke enough?”

How could Li Wenxiu know how good were the skills of the Two Greats of Min Bei? When she saw that he was angered, she had no option but to brace herself up. She moved away the rocks which had sealed the entrance. In her right hand she held the meteor hammer, and she used her left to pick a poisoned needle from the ground. She yelled, “Damnable crooks, the poisoned needles are here!” When the two bandits, who had been guarding the entrance of the cave, heard “the poisoned needles are here”, they were frightened out of their wits, and swiftly retreated. The one surnamed Song realised that if she had wanted to fire poisoned needles at them, she would obviously not give them a prior warning. Since she had yelled in such a manner, it probably meant that she would not fire poisoned needles at them. But he had witnessed three of his companions perish in succession after being hit by the needles, and so did not dare to take too large a risk. Li Wenxiu chased after them unhurriedly. The fear she felt was no less than that felt by both bandits. All three of them were extremely frightened. They finally passed through the narrow passageway which was about ten zhang long.

When the bandit surnamed Quan looked back, Li Wenxiu raised her left hand. Flustered, he stumbled and fell. The one surnamed Song thought that he had been hit by a poisoned needle. Quickening his pace, he fled out of the cave. Then the one surnamed Quan also dashed out. Both men protected their bodies with their sabres. One of them said, “Let’s deal with that girl out here!” The other said, “That’s right, we’ll able to see clearly when she fires poisoned needles at us.” At this time, the sun was setting in the hills. The bright golden light shone on their faces. They tilted their heads slightly, so that the sunlight would not shine directly into their eyes. Suddenly, they heard a feminine voice cry out from inside the cave: “The poisoned needles are here!” They hurriedly dodged to the side, only to see two bottle gourds fly out of the cave. Then Li Wenxiu leapt out. At first, they were taken aback. But when they saw that she was holding two withered bottle gourds, they laughed in spite of themselves. But in their laughter was also wariness. Li Wenxiu’s heart beat furiously. She had only learnt a bit of martial arts, and did not know whether this stroke was really usable. When she was young, she had learnt some martial arts from her parents. But after her parents died, she did not practice martial arts anymore, and forgot completely about them. As she faced these two fierce-looking bandits, she was well and truly terrified. The best thing she could do without dueling would be scaring them off, by making an empty show of strength. Loudly, she cried, “If you still do not flee, my master ‘One Finger Shakes Jiangnan’ will come out! His killing of people using poisoned needles is as easy as taking something out of a bag. You are really audacious to dare to set yourself against him!” These two bandits were common characters, and had vaguely heard of ‘One Finger Shakes Jiangnan’ many years ago. But since they had no connections with him, they did not put his name to heart. They glanced meaningfully at each other, and thought, “If we catch this girl as soon as possible so that she can be taken to First Master Huo and Second Master Chen, we will have done a huge service to them. Who cares if he shakes Jiangnan or Jiangbei?” Calling out in chorus, they leapt towards her from both the left and right sides.

Li Wenxiu was stunned: “How shall I use this ‘Stars and Moon Vying for Splendour’ stroke, since they are both attacking me simultaneously?” Hua Hui had wholeheartedly taught her how to deliver strokes to hit the enemy’s acupoints, but had forgotten to teach her how to deal with them if both of them attacked her together. After all, when exchanging strokes with opponents, there would be a myriad changes in delivering the strokes. How much could one teach another in two to four hours? Li Wenxiu was in a frantic tangle, and leapt three chi (about 1.5 metres) to the right. The bandit surnamed Quan was standing on her right, and was the first to dash towards her. Without a single care, she swung both bottle gourds outwards. In her anxious state, she delivered the stroke ‘Stars and Moon Vying for Splendour’ only half-correctly. The left hammer did hit his Shang Qu Acupoint located on his chest, but the right hammer hit the blade of his long sabre. With a swish, the gourd was sliced open by the blade. Yellow sand flew everywhere.

The one surnamed Song ran up, and had almost reached her. He did not expect that a large amount of yellow sand would fly out of the gourd. Some ten grians of sand went into his eyes, and raising his hands, he quickly rubbed his eyes. Li Wenxiu swung her hammer outwards again, but since the the right hammer had split, its power was lessened. It did hit his back, but not his Ling Tai Acupoint. But when this flying hammer weighing seven or eight jin made contact with his back, he stumbled. Without opening his eyes, he threw himself forwards and grabbed hold of Li Wenxiu’s shoulders. Li Wenxiu cried, “Aiyo!” Using her left hand, she hurriedly pushed him away. But in her flurry, she had forgotten that she still a poisoned needle in her hand. The push made the poisoned needle prick his belly. His arms stiffened, and he died.

Although he had died, his arms still grasped her very tightly. Li Wenxiu struggled vigorously but was unable to shake him off. Hua Hui (I don’t know how come he suddenly appears here, maybe the text I got off the internet is inaccurate) sighed, “Stupid girl, when you were learning, you were excellent, but when you put it into practical use, you make a mess!” Lifting his leg, Hua Hui kicked him in the tailbone. The corpse loosened its grip, and fell backwards.

Li Wenxiu had not recovered from her fright. She turned to look at the bandit surnamed Quan, and saw that he was lying straight on the ground. His eyes were open wide, and he was motionless. He had been killed after her sand-filled bottle gourd had hit one of his vital acupoints. Li Wenxiu had killed five people in succession in a single day. Although she had avenged her parents’ deaths and resisted evil, she still felt uneasy. Gazing at the two corpses sadly, she could not help but burst into tears. Hua Hui smiled, “Why are you crying? Isn’t the stroke ‘Stars and Moon Vying for Splendour’, which I taught you, excellent?” Li Wenxiu sobbed, “I… I killed people again.” Hua Hui said, “What is killing a few little crooks worth? When I regain my martial arts skills, I will impart all of them to you. When you have mastered all of them, we’ll return to the Central Plains. Then, both master and disciple will control the pugilistic world, unrivalled by no one. Come, come to my house to take a rest and have a cup of hot tea or two.” As he spoke, he led her towards the back of the forest on the left side. After walking for about a li, they passed a row of white birches and arrived in front of a thatched cottage.

***

Li Wenxiu followed him into the cottage. She saw that although it was sparsely furnished, it was clean and elegant. In the centre of the hall hung a pair of wooden couplets, and on each plank was carved seven characters. The first couplet read, “Bai shou xiang zhi you an jian.” The second couplet read, “Zhu men zao da xiao tan guan.” Ever since she came to the Muslim Region, she had never seen any couplets. Neither did anyone teach her how to read. But these fourteen characters were not difficult to recognise, and her mother had taught her these characters before.

However, she did not understand their literary meaning, and muttered, “Bai shou xiang zhi you an jian…” Hua Hui asked, “Have you ever read this poem before?” Li Wenxiu answered, “I’ve never read it before. What are these fourteen characters describing?” Hua Hui was well versed in both the artistic and martial arts, and said, “These are two lines of a poem by Wang Wei. The first couplet says, if you have a bosom friend, and you’ve befriended him for you whole life and even when your hair has turned white, you must still never trust him, for he may try to harm you secretly. When he walks in front of you, you had better hold on to the hilt of your sword. The line before these two is “Ren qing fan fu shi bo lan” (the ups and downs of human relationships are like great waves). As for the line “Zhu men zao da xiao tan guan”, it means that your friend is proud of his successes and rising swiftly to fame. However, if you hope that he will promote or help you, you will only provoke him to ridicule you.”

After Li Wenxiu met him, she saw that he was extremely suspicious and cautious of her. He had believed that she no intention of harming him only after she had removed the poisoned needles from his body. As she looked at this pair of couplets again, she thought that he must have been greatly harmed by someone sometime in his life, and this person was probably a bosom friend of his. That was why he reacted so furiously and suspiciously to everyone. But at this moment, it was inappropriate for her to prod further, so she went off to boil water for brewing tea.

After drinking two cups of hot tea each, their spirits rose. Li Wenxiu said, “Master, I must return.” Hua Hi felt surprised, and an extremely disappointed expression appeared on his face. He said, “You’re leaving? You’re not going to learn martial arts from me?” Li Wenxiu answered, “No! I didn’t return home for the entire of last night, and Grandfather Ji must miss me terribly. After I tell him what happened, I’ll come back and learn martial arts from you.” Hua Hui flew into a sudden fury. His face swelled and turned red, and loudly he said, “If you do tell him, then don’t ever come back to see me.” Li Wenxiu was taken aback, and in a low voice she said, “Can’t I tell Grandfather Ji what happened? He… he dotes extremely on me.” Hua Hui said, “You cannot tell anyone. Quick, take an oath, vowing that you will not tell anyone what happened today. Or else, I will not let you leave this hill…” Due to his burst of fury, the wounds on his back ached terribly. With a cry, he fainted.

Li Wenxiu hurriedly helped him up, and sprinkled some clean water on his forehead. After a while, he gradually awoke. Amazed, he asked, “You haven’t left?” But Li Wenxiu asked, “Is your back very painful?” Hua Hui answered, “I feel better now. You said you wanted to return home, how come you haven’t left?” Li Wenxiu thought, “At most, Grandfather Ji will miss me in his heart. But Master has suffered serious injuries, and if I don’t take care of him carefully, he might die.” So she said, “Master is unwell, let me stay on for a few days to attend to you.” Hua Hui was overjoyed.

That night, both of them slept in the thatched cottage. Li Wenxiu found some dried grass, and made a bed in the hall. As she slept, she woke up several times from her dreams with a start. Not only did she dream that she had been caught by bandits, she also dreamed that evil spirits, dripping with blood, demanded her to return their lives.

When she got up the next morning, she saw that Hua Hui was in excellent spirits after resting a night. After breakfast, Hua Hui taught her martial arts, starting from the basic internal skills. He said, “You are already quite old, and it is a little late for you to start learning superior martial arts now. But the disciple is naturally intelligent, and the master is no ordinary person. A famous teacher accepting a brilliant pupil, what is there to be afraid of? In five years’ time, you’ll be invincible in the pugilistic world.” After practicing for seven or eight days, her skills improved quickly. The wounds on Hua Hui’s back also gradually healed. Only then did she bid farewell to her master, and rode the white horse home. But Hua Hui did not force her to take an oath this time. After she returned home, she did not tell Grandfather Ji what had happened. Instead, she said that she had lost her way in the great desert, and the more she walked, the farther she went. Fortunately, she met a group of camel riders, and thus did not die of thirst in the desert.

From then onwards, after ten days or half a month, Li Wenxiu would go and stay with Hua Hui. She was extremely afraid that she would meet bandits again, so whenever she left home, she wore the clothes of a Kazak man. During these stays, Hua Hui devoted all his attention to teaching her martial arts. Li Wenxiu had nowhere to place her hopes in, so she invested all her heart and soul into learning martial arts. Indeed, it was a case of a famous teacher accepting a brilliant pupil, and she made extremely rapid progress.

Two years passed. Hua Hui often praised, “With your present capability, you can now be considered one of the top pugilists in the pugilistic world. If you return to the Central Plains and display your skills, you’ll become famous instantly.” But Li Wenxiu did not want to return to the Central Plains at all; neither did she want to become a famous pugilist. But she wanted to avenge her parents’ deaths, and to prevent herself from being harmed by bandits when she met them again, she had to perfect her martial arts skills. Deep down in her heart, another thought urged her on: “If I master the skills, I can win Su Pu back.” But she did not dare to think too much of this thought. Every time she thought of it, she would blush. Even though she did not dare to think too much of it, this thought was still hidden deep in her heart. Thus, she spent less time in old man Ji’s house, and more time at her master’s. Old man Ji did ask her a couple of times about it, but she refused to tell him. He knew that she was stubborn since she was young, and would never turn back once she had made a decision, so he did not press her. One day, Li Wenxiu rode her white horse towards home, from her teacher’s house. Halfway into the journey, she realised that the sky was suddenly overcast with red clouds. The weather in the desert was unpredictable, and the northerly wind blew increasingly strongly. It seemed as if a huge blizzard was about to occur. She urged the horse to gallop more swiftly, and saw the shepherds herding their flocks home hurriedly, and there was not a single bird in the skies.

As she was about to reach home, she suddenly heard hoof beats, and a horse galloped towards her. Li Wenxiu felt slightly puzzled: “How come some people are leaving their homes, when there’s a blizzard coming?” As the horse galloped closer, she saw that the rider had a large red woolen cloak draped over her shoulders. It was a Kazak woman.

***

At this time, Li Wenxiu’s eyesight had improved greatly from two years ago. From far away, she could see that this woman had a graceful figure and beautiful face. It was A’man. Li Wenxiu did not wish to meet her face-to-face, so she turned her horse around, she moved to the south of a little hill, and reined in her horse behind some trees. But she saw that A’man also rode towards the little hill. When she neared the hillside, she gave a whistle. Then an answering whistle came from the trees on the top of the little hill. A’man leapt off the horse, and a man ran towards her. They embraced each other, laughing heartily. The man said, “There’s a blizzard coming in the twinkling of an eye, why are you still out here?”

A’man laughed, “Little fool, since you knew a blizzard was coming, why did you wait bravely for me here?” Su Pu laughed, “Our meeting here every day is more important than eating. Even if I have to battle enemies, I will still come here to wait for you.” They sat on the hill, shoulder to shoulder, whispering sweet nothings to each other. Several trees away, Li Wenxiu could not help but become lost in reverie. Sometimes their conversations were loud, and could be heard very clearly; other times they became soft, and not a word could be heard. Suddenly, their conversation came to some funny happening, and they chuckled loudly together.

But even if they spoke very loudly, Li Wenxiu heard but paid no attention for she was not eavesdropping on their lovers’ prattle. It was as if she saw a little boy and a little girl before her eyes, sitting shoulder to shoulder on the grass like they were doing now. The little boy was Su Pu, but the little girl was herself. They were telling stories, but as to what stories they were, she had long forgotten, but the scene from ten years ago still appeared clearly before her eyes…

Snowflakes as large as chicken feathers floated down, one by one, falling on all three horses, falling on all three people. Su Pu and A’man were deeply engrossed in their conversation, and did not take notice, while Li Wenxiu did not feel a thing. The snowflakes piled up on their heads, turning their hair white.

Several decades later, when the hair of all three of them really turned white, would Su Pu and A’man be talking and laughing happily together, and Li Wenxiu still be lonely as ever? While she continued to remember someone, did that someone have no trace of her in his heart? Suddenly, the branches resounded with loud noise. Su Pu and A’man jumped up together, crying out, “Hailstones are falling! Let’s go home quickly!”

When Li Wenxiu heard their crying, she was roused from her reverie. Hailstones as big as fingers hit her head, face and hands, causing her to feel much pain. She hurriedly pulled out a woolen rug from beneath the saddle, and placed it on her head before riding home.

As she neared the front door of her house, she saw that two horses were tied to the pillars of the verandah. One of them was the horse A’man had ridden. Li Wenxiu was stunned: “What did they come to my house for?” At this time, the falling hailstones became bigger and bigger, so she led the white horse away, and entered the house from the back door. She heard Su Pu’s bright, clear voice say, “Old Uncle, the hailstorm is really heavy, so we’ll have to stay a little longer.” The old man Ji answered, “Normally, I wouldn’t be able to get you as guests. I’ll go and brew a pot of tea.” Ever since the bandits from Jinwei Protection Agency plundered these pastures, the Kazaks hated Hans extremely. Even though old man Ji had lived there for a long time, and the Kazaks were naturally hospitable, they did not resort to driving him out, but instead distanced themselves from him. If there wasn’t a joyous occasion, they would not buy wine from him; if their sick livestock could not be cured, they would not ask him to treat them. Su Pu and A’man’s tents had by then relocated far away. If not for finding a place to shelter from the hailstorm, ten years could pass without them even coming to his house.

The old man Ji walked to the stove, and saw that Li Wenxiu’s face was very red, and was sitting there, spellbound. He said, “Ah, you’re ba…” She got up and covered his mouth with her hand, and whispered into his ear, “Don’t let them know that I’m here.” The old man Ji was perplexed, but nodded his head.

After a while, the old man Ji took out sheep’s milk wine, junket and black tea to serve to his guests. Li Wenxiu sat by the fire, and could hear the vague sounds of Su Pu and A’man’s conversations coming from the hall. She was unable to control one thought at the bottom of her heart: “I want to see him, and say something to him.” But then she recalled Su Lu’ke’s scoldings and whippings. For ten years, the sound of the whippings had continuously rung in her mind.

Old man Ji returned to the stove, and handed her a bowl of hot tea mixed with cream. His eyes shone with affection for her. Both of them had lived together for ten years, and their relationship like a grandfather and his real granddaughter. They showed care and concern to each other, but neither really knew what the other what thinking at the bottom of his heart.

After all, they were not biologically related, and thus did not have that natural connection between related flesh and blood.

Li Wenxiu suddenly said in a low voice, “I’m not going to change my clothes, and will pretend to be a Kazak man who is seeking shelter from the hailstorm at your house. You mustn’t give away my disguise.” Without waiting for him to answer, she left by the back door. She led her horse through the heavy blizzard, and walked away, quietly. She walked on for about a li, before she mounted the horse. Turning around, she galloped towards the front door. In the midst of strong gales, she felt as if the dark clouds were going to compress her head. She had lived in the Muslim Region for twelve years but had never seen the sky such a strange colour, and felt afraid.

She rode up to the door, and knocked on it. In the Kazak language, she said, “Excuse me, excuse me!” Old man Ji opened the door and came out, and also using the Kazak language, asked, “Brother, what is it?” Li Wenxiu answered, “This heavy blizzard is really terrible. Sir, may I seek shelter in your honourable abode?” Old man Ji replied, “Of course, of course! People away from home do not carry their houses on their persons. There are already two friends here seeking shelter from the hailstorm. Brother, please enter!” As she spoke, he let Li Wenxiu to enter, and asked, “Where is Brother planning to go later?” Li Wenxiu said, “I want to go to the Black Stone Wall, how far is it from here?” But she thought, “Grandfather Ji’s pretense is faultless.” Grandfather Ji pretended to be surprised, and said, “Aiyo, you want to go to the Black Stone Wall? The weather is so bad, you won’t be able to reach it today. Why don’t you stay here for one night, and leave only tomorrow. If you lose your way, that wouldn’t be a trifling matter.” Li Wenxiu said, “I’m sorry to impose on you.” She went into the hall, and shook the snow off her body. She saw Su Pu and A’man sitting together shoulder to shoulder, around a fire. Su Pu smiles, “Brother, we’re also here to shelter from the hailstorm too. Please come over here to warm yourself.” Li Wenxiu said, “Good, many thanks!” She went over and sat next to him. A’man greeted her with a smile. Su Pu had not seen her for eight to nine years. She had grown from a little girl to a young woman, and was also pretending to be a man, so how could Su Pu recognize her? Old man Ji presented her with food and drink. As she ate, she asked the three people their names. She introduced herself as Asituo, and said that she was a Kazak shepherd from more than two hundred li away.

***

Su Pu looked out of the window to look at the colour of the sky. Actually, just by listening to the sounds of the earth-shaking winds, and without looking at the sky, one could know that it was unwise to leave. A’man said worriedly, “Do you think the house will be blown away by the wind?” Su Pu answered, “I’m more worried that the snowfall will be so heavy that the roof will be unable to stand it. I’ll climb up to the roof and sweep off the snow later.” A’man said, “Don’t let the wind blow you off.” Su Pu laughed, “The layer of snow covering the ground is so thick, even if I fall down, I won’t die.” Li Wenxiu’s hand trembled slightly as she held the bowl of tea. Her thoughts were muddles, and she did not know what to think. Her childhood friend sat next to her. Did he really not recognise her, or had he recognised her, but was pretending not to? Had he forgotten her completely, or did he still remember her but was not willing to let A’man know? Dusk gradually fell, and Li Wenxiu sat further away. Su Pu and A’man held hands, and whispered sweet nothings to each other. Others would find them meaningless, but lovers found them pleasing to the ears. The firelight flickered, lighting both their faces.

Li Wenxiu sat beyond the edge of the firelight.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of hooves treading on snow. A horse was coming towards this house. The layer of snow on the pastures was extremely thick, and the horse used a lot of strength to move its legs, and was unable to run swiftly.

As the horse approached, even old man Ji heard it, and muttered, “Another one who wants to shelter from the hailstorm.” Su Pu and A’man did not seem to have heard, or perhaps they heard but ignored it. Holding each other’s hands, they leant on each other and whispered things. After quite a while, the horse reached the front door. Then there was a rapping on the door. The rapping was extremely rude, and did not have the courtesy of someone seeking shelter. Old man Ji furrowed his brow, then went to open the door, only to see a tall, well-built man standing there. The man, who was bearded, wore a woollen coat, and a long sword hung at his waist. Loudly he said, “The hailstorm outside is really heavy, and my horse cannot move!” He spoke in broken Kazak. His bright eyes scrutinized everyone on the house. Old man Ji said, “Please come in. First, have a bowl of wine!” As he spoke, he handed a bowl of wine to him. That man finished the wine in one gulp. He sat next to the fire, and when he removed his outer coat, one could see a pair of shiny daggers stuck at his waist. One of the daggers had a golden hilt; the other, a silver one.

When Li Wenxiu saw this pair of daggers, her heart lurched, and she felt as if there was an obstruction in her throat. Giddy, she thought, “Those are Mama’s daggers.” Although Li Wenxiu was very young when ‘Gold and Silver Little Swords Sanniangzi’ had died, but there was no mistake; she recognised this pair of daggers very clearly. She shot a sideways glance at the man, and recognised him. He was one of the three leaders who had led the men on a pursuit of her parents. After twelve years, her facial features and posture had completely changed, but when a thirty-something man to age twelve years, there would be hardly any physical changes. She was very afraid that he would recognise her, so she did not dare to look too frequently at him, and thought, “If not for this heavy snowstorm, I would not be able to see Su Pu or this bandit.” Old man Ji asked, “Where does Sir come from? You are going to a faraway place, aren’t you?” The man answered, “Yes, yes.” Then he poured another bowl of wine and drank it.

At this time, there were five people sitting around the fire, so Su Pu could not continue whispering sweet nothings to A’man. He gazed at old man Ji for a moment, and suddenly said, “Old Uncle, I would to ask you about someone.” Old man Ji asked, “Who is it?” Su Pu answered, “It was a little Han girl with whom I used to play with frequently when I was young…” As he spoke, Li Wenxiu’s heart gave a sudden leap. She turned away, not daring to look at him. She heard Su Pu continue, “She was called A’xiu. Later, eight or nine years passed and I never saw her again. She lived with an old grandfather of Han descent. So that must’ve been you?” Old man Ji coughed several times, attempting to receive a signal from Li Wenxiu’s expressions. But Li Wenxiu had turned her head away. He did not know how to answer, and muttered “Um, um” non-committally.

Su Pu continued, “She could sing extremely well, and some said she sang better than the Tianling birds. But for the past few years, I have not heard her singing. Does she still live with you?” Old man Ji was very embarrassed, and said, “No, no! She isn’t… she isn’t here anymore…” Li Wenxiu interrupted, “I also knew the Han girl that you speak of. She has been dead for quite a few years now!” Su Pu was stunned, “Ah, she’s dead, how did she die?” Old man Ji glanced at Li Wenxiu, and said, “It was an illness… an illness…” Tears glistened in his eyes, and he said, “I used to herd sheep with her when I was young. She sang many songs for me, and told me many stories. I hadn’t seen her for quite a few years, and I did not expect that she… she had died.” Old man Ji sighed, “Ai, poor child.”

Su Pu gazed into the flames, lost in thought for a moment, then said, “She said that her parents had been killed by evil people, and she came to this place, orphaned and helpless…” A’man asked, “This girl must’ve been very beautiful?” Su Pu answered, “I was very young at that time, and cannot remember now. I only remember that she sang songs very well, and told stories very well too…” The man with the daggers stuck at his waist suddenly said, “Are you talking about a little Han girl? Her parents were harmed, and she came here alone?” Su Pu replied, “Yes, did you know her too?” The man did not answer, but asked, “She rode a white horse, didn’t she?” Su Pu said, “Yes, so you’ve met her before.” The man stood up suddenly. To old man Ji, he demanded fiercely, “She died in this house of yours?” Old man Ji made an ambiguous response. The man asked, “Where are the things she left behind? Have you kept them carefully?” Old man Ji gave him a sideways glance, and asked, amazed, “What has this got to do with you?” The man answered, “That little girl stole an important object from me. I searched for her everywhere but to no avail, but I never expected that she had died…” Su Pu leapt up, and said loudly, “Don’t talk nonsense, why would A’xiu steal your things?” The man said, “What do you know?” Su Pu replied, “A’xiu has been with me since young, and she is a very very good girl, who would never steal someone else’s things.” The man tilted his mouth, making a scornful expression, and said, “But it so happened that she stole something from me.” Su Pu grabbed hold of the hilt of the sabre hanging at his waist, and shouted, “What is your name? I believe you’re not a Kazak, perhaps you are one of those Han bandits!”

That man walked to the door, opened it and peered outside. Once the door was open, a blast of strong wind blew countless snowflakes inside. He saw that the snowstorm filled the entire area, and neither man nor horse would be able to move. He thought, “No one else will be coming here. I can easily defeat the woman, the old man, and the skinny youth in this house. But I will have to spend slightly more effort to defeat this strong youth.” But he was not too concerned about this, and said, “So what if I’m a Han? My surname is Chen, and my name is Dahai, and in the pugilistic world I am nicknamed Green Python Sword. Have you heard?”

***

Su Pu did not understand these pugilistic customs of the Hans. Shaking his head, he said, “No, I’ve never heard. Are you a Han bandit?” Chen Dahai replied, “I’m a protection agent, and depend on defeating bandits for a living. So how could I be a bandit?” When Su Pu heard that he was not a bandit, the expression on his face immediately relaxed, and said, “You’re not a Han bandit, so everything is fine! I always said that there were good people among the Hans, but my father refused to believe me. You mustn’t say that A’xiu took your things ever again.”

Li Wenxiu heard Su Pu defend her, and her heart stirred, “He did not forget me, did not forget me! He still treats me very well.” But she heard Chen Dahai continuously asking about the belongings that she had left behind, and felt puzzled, “I’ve never taken anything from him, whatever is he looking for?” Then she heard old man Ji ask, “What has Sir lost? That little girl was always honest, and I trusted her completely. She would never take another’s belongings.” Chen Dahai made a slight noise, and said, “It was a painting. Ordinary people would have no use for it, but because it was… it was painted by my late father, so I must get that painting back. Since that little girl lived here before, did you ever see this painting?” Old man Ji inquired, “What kind of painting was it, depicting scenery or humans?” Chen Dahai said, “I believe it was… was depicting scenery?” Su Pu smiled coldly and said, “You don’t even know what kind of painting it was, and still dare to accuse her of stealing it.” Chen Dahai flew into a great fury. With a swish, he pulled out the sword hanging from his waist, and yelled, “Little crook, are you tired of living? I can kill a whole lot of people and still not put it to heart.” Su Pu also pulled his sabre from his waist, and coldly said, “I’m afraid it isn’t that easy to kill a Kazak.” A’man cautioned, “Su Pu, don’t be ignorant like him.” After Su Pu heard what A’man said, he slowly placed his sabre back into its scabbard. Chen Dahai was extremely determined to get the map of the Gao Chang Labyrinth. They had lingered in the desert for a decade, searching miles of desert and pastures, just to find Li Wenxiu. After much trouble, he had finally managed to receive a little information about her. Although he was impatient and violent by nature, he did understand that he had to tolerate little things so as to not mess up the big picture. So he glared at Su Pu, before turning to old man Ji and asked, “Well, about that painting, it could be considered a map, depicting the topography of some land features in the desert.” Old man Ji trembled slightly, saying, “How did… did you know that the map was in the hands of the little girl?” Chen Dahai answered, “This thing is absolutely true. If you can find the map and return it to me, I will reward you handsomely.” As he spoke he took out two silver ingots from his bosom and placed them on the table. Illuminated by the firelight, the ingots sparkled brightly.

Old man Ji thought deeply for a second, then shook his head slowly, saying, “I’ve never seen it before.” Chen Dahai replied, “I want to take a look at the things that that little girl left behind.” Old man Ji stammered, “This… this…” Chen Dahai raised his left hand and grabbed his silver-hilted dagger, and stuck it into the wooden table, saying, “What’s so this and that? I’ll go inside and take a look myself.” As he spoke he lighted a candle made from mutton fat, pushed the door open and entered the room. He entered old man Ji’s bedroom first. Seeing that the furnishings looked unfamiliar, he causally rummaged through several boxes and baskets before moving to Li Wenxiu’s room.

He saw the clothes which Li Wenxiu had removed in a hurry, and said, “Ha, she died after reaching maturity.” This time he conducted his search very carefully, and even rummaged through the clothes Li Wenxiu wore as a child. Although she could not fit into these clothes because she had grown up, she still kept them intact for they were sewn by her mother. As soon as Chen Dahai set his eyes on those colourful clothes, he vaguely recalled the scene from a decade ago, where he had pursued her in the great desert. Joyfully he cried out, “Yes, yes, it is her!” But he had already ransacked the room, even cutting open the linings of all the clothes, yet he was still unable to find the map. When Su Pu saw him ruining her belongings like that, he pulled his sabre out several times, wanting to strike, but each time he was restrained by A’man.

Old man Ji looked out of the corner of his eye at Li Wenxiu occasionally, only to see her gazing into the fire, seemingly oblivious to Chen Dahai’s savaging. Old man Ji felt sadness in his heart, “But what can she do when faced with the sword of this violent visitor?” Li Wenxiu looked at the expression of Su Pu’s face, and felt miserable yet heartened, “He has always remembered me; he actually dares to pull out his sword and duel with that man just to protect my belongings.” But she was also perplexed, “This evil bandit said that I stole his map, what exactly is that map?” That day, before Li Wenxiu’s mother died, she had stuffed a map into Li Wenxiu’s clothes. But the circumstances were pressing, and she did not have time to explain before mother and daughter parted ways forever. The men from Jinwei Protection Agency spent the last decade searching for her everywhere, but Li Wenxiu herself was completely unaware of all this.

Chen Dahai spent a long time rummaging through the room, but his efforts were fruitless, making him extremely discouraged. Suddenly he asked sternly, “Where is she buried?” Old man Ji was froze for a moment, then said, “Somewhere far, far away.” Chen Dahai removed a iron spade from the wall, ordering, “You take me there!” Su Pu stood up, and yelled, “What are you going there for?” Chen Dahai answered, “Why should you care? I’m going to dig open her grave to take a look, who knows, she might have brought the map with her into her grave,” Su Pu positioned his sabre horizontally, barring the doorway, crying out, “I won’t let you touch her grave!” Chen Dahai raised the iron spade, and struck Su Pu’s head, shouting, “Get lost!” Su Pu dodged to the left, and sent his sabre outwards. Chen Dahai threw the iron spade aside, and pulled out the long sword hanging from his waist. There was a clang as sword and sabre clashed. Each man leapt backwards one step, then immediately launched their attacks, fighting each other.

The hall of this cottage was small, and as the sword and sabre swung everywhere, old man Ji and A’man retreated to the sides, their backs against the walls. Only Li Wenxiu remained standing at the windows. A’man dashed over, and pulled out the daggers which Chen Dahai had stuck into the table, intending to aid Su Pu. But as they were in the thick of the battle, she did not have the chance to interfere. By this time, Su Pu had inherited all of his father’s skills, the steps of his swordplay permutated continuously, and his strokes were fierce and powerful. At the beginning, Chen Dahai was on the losing end, and was secretly shocked, “Who would have thought that the martial arts skills of this Kazak lad are on par with the excellent pugilists from the Central Plains?” At that moment, he felt a gust of wind breeze past his back. A’man had tried to launch a sneak attack on him by throwing a small dagger at him. Chen Dahai dodged it by moving to the right. Chi! Su Pu’s sabre had cut an opening in his left arm. Chen Dahai was extremely furious. Swish! Swish! Swish! With three successive strokes, he displayed his famous skill, the Green Python Swordplay.

***

Su Pu saw the tip of the sword sparkle as it moved exactly like a spitting python. He did not know which part of his body the tip of the sword was going to pierce. He was unable to block off a blow, and his enemy sent his long sword right into his face. He hurriedly cocked his head to one side, but the side of his neck was still stabbed. Blood flowed profusely. Chen Dahai did not retreat once he had gained the upper hand. Another thrust of his sword, and he had stabbed Su Pu’s wrist. His sabre fell to the ground with a crash.

He was about to thrust his sword out a third time. Su Pu was utterly defenceless and was certainly going to be killed. Li Wenxiu stepped forward, and waited until he thrust his sword out the third time, then she would use ‘Great Adept Seize’ to grab his arm. But A’man leapt forward, and shielded Su Pu, crying out, “Don’t harm him!” When Chen Dahai saw that A’man’s beautiful face was full of anxiety, his heart skipped a beat. He did not send his sword out a third time, but pointed his tip at her chest, and laughed, “You’re so concerned about him; is this lad your lover?” A’man blushed slightly and nodded her head. Chen Dahai said, “Fine, I’ll spare his life if you want me to. But once the hailstorm dies down tomorrow, you’ll have to leave with me!”

He had hated Hans his entire life, but now this belief was wavering. He was furious at himself for being so drunk last night and was thus unable to battle with that Han bandit. Instead, he needed another Han to come and rescue him. In his entire life, when something critical happened, he was always so unfortunate, always so unlucky. But when that bandit’s long sword had struck his head just now, that young man had arrived in the nick of time to rescue him. Could this be considered misfortune? Could this be considered bad luck?

Su Pu was greatly angered. With a tremendous roar, he leapt forward from behind A’man. With a flick of his sword, Chen Dahai had pointed it at Su Pu’s throat. Chen Dahai’s left foot kicked Su Pu’s leg, and the latter crashed to the ground. The long sword was still pointed at his throat.

Li Wenxiu stood at the side, watching intently. As soon as Chen Dahai truly intended to harm Su Pu, she would step in and save him. At this time, with her martial arts skills, dealing with Chen Dahai would be as easy as a flip of the palm.

But how could A’man have known that help was at hand? As the circumstances were pressing, she could only say, “Don’t hurt him; I’ll agree to your request.” Chen Dahai was jubilant, but did not move his sword away. He said, “You’ve agreed to leave with me tomorrow, and you’d better not go back on your promise.” A’man gritted her teeth, “I won’t go back on my promise; you can take the sword away.” Chen Dahai laughed uproariously, and said, “Even if you do go back on your word, you won’t be able to escape!” He then placed his sword back in its sheath, then picked Su Pu’s sabre up, and held it tightly in his hand. In this manner, the only person in the cottage with weapons was him, and he did not need to fear that they would resist him. He looked out of the window and said, “We can’t leave at this moment, so we’ll have to wait until the weather’s fine to exhume the grave.”

A’man helped Su Pu to one side. When she saw that his neck was bleeding profusely, she was in a flurry. She was about to tear off a piece of her clothes to bandage his wound when he removed a large handkerchief from his bosom, and said, “Use this handkerchief to bandage my wound then!” A’man received the handkerchief, and bandaged his wound properly. When she thought that she had landed in the clutches of this strong opponent, and did not know if she would have to opportunity to escape, she began to weep. In a low voice, Su Pu cursed, “Damnable bandit, damnable bandit!” He decided that if this bandit really tried to take A’man away, he would fight it out with him even at the risk of losing his life.

After the fight just now, the five people sitting around the fire felt extremely nervous. In one hand, Chen Dahai held the sabre; in the other, a bowl of wine. He would glance at A’man, then Su Pu from time to time. Outside the house, the northerly winds howled angrily, bringing up pieces of snow which hit the walls and roof of the cottage. Nobody spoke a word.

Li Wenxiu thought, “I’ll let this evil bandit have the time of his life first; there’s no hurry to kill him.” Suddenly, one of the pieces of firewood in the fire exploded with a resounding clap. The flame diminished slightly, then shone brilliantly, illuminating each person’s expression clearly. Li Wenxiu saw the handkerchief bound around Su Pu’s neck, and her heart trembled, and stared at it without blinking. Old man Ji spotted the strange light in her eyes, and also glanced at that handkerchief several times. He asked, “Where did you get that handkerchief from, Su Pu?” Su Pu was taken aback momentarily, then touched his neck, and said, “Are you talking about this one? It was given to me by that A’xiu who has since died. When we were young, we used to herd sheep together. There was a big grey wolf which came to attack us. I killed that wolf but also got bitten by it. A’xiu used this handkerchief to bandage my wounds…” When Li Wenxiu heard these words, her vision became blurry. Her eyes had by then filled with tears. Old man Ji walked into the inner rooms, and took out a piece of white cloth. He handed it to Su Pu, saying, “Please untie the handkerchief and let me look at it closely; you can use this piece of cloth to bandage your wound.” Su Pu asked, “Why?” While old man Ji was speaking, Chen Dahai kept staring at the handkerchief tied around Su Pu’s neck. Suddenly, he got up, sabre pointed, and shouted, “Do as you’re told!” Su Pu glared at him, refusing to move. A’man feared that Chen Dahai might use force, so she untied it for Su Pu, and gave it to old man Ji. Then she used the piece of white cloth to bandage his wound.

Old man Ji placed the blood-stained handkerchief on the table. He lit an oil lamp, and bent over to scrutinize the handkerchief. Chen Dahai stared at it for a while, then cried joyfully, “Yes, yes, this is the map of the Gao Chang Labyrinth!” He stretched his hand out and grabbed it, laughing heartily, over the moon in happiness.

Old man Ji’s right arm twitched, as if he wanted to snatch it back, but finally managed to restrain himself.

Then they heard someone call from far away, “Su Pu, Su Pu…” Then someone else called out loudly, “A’man, A’man…” Su Pu and A’man leapt up together, crying in unison, “Father is looking for us.” Su Pu rushed to the door and was about to open it when he felt a sudden coolness at the back of his neck. A long sword was next to his neck. Coldly, Chen Dahai said, “Sit down and don’t move!” Su Pu had no choice but to sit down dejectedly.

After a while, the two people’s footsteps approached the entrance. They heard Su Lu’ke say, “Is this that thieving Han’s home? I’m not going inside.” Che Erku answered, “Not going inside? Where will we seek shelter from the blizzard then? My ears and nose are so frozen that they might drop off.” Su Lu’ke was holding a gourd of wine, and had been drinking along the way to drive away the coldness. By this time he was almost drunk, and muttered, “I’d rather lose my head to frostbite than enter a Han’s home!” Che Erku said, “You can stay outside and freeze to death in the blizzard then. I’m going in.” Su Lu’ke answered, “We haven’t found my son or your daughter, so how can we seek shelter in a Han’s home? You… you don’t have an ounce of heroism.” Che Erku said, “We didn’t see any sign of them on the way here; they must’ve sought shelter somewhere, so there’s no need to worry about them. The two old ones might just freeze to death even before the two young ones are found.”

***

Su Pu saw Chen Dahai hide by the door, his sword drawn. As soon as someone entered, he would immediately stab that someone. The situation was extremely precarious, so he cried, “Don’t come in!” Chen Dahai glared at him and shouted, “If you make any more noise, I’ll kill you immediately.” Su Pu knew his father was in a dangerous situation, so he grabbed a stool and threw himself towards Chen Dahai. Chen Dahai turned his body to avoid the blow. With a swish, his sword pierced Su Pu’s leg. Su Pu yelled loudly, and fell over onto the ground. He was quick and agile; afraid that his enemy would deliver another blow, he quickly rolled over, covering quite a distance. Chen Dahai did not pursue him, but continued to guard by the door with his drawn sword, thinking, “I can easily settle this Kazak lad in the twinkling of an eye, so I’ll let him live a little longer. But I must quickly defeat the two people outside.”

They heard Su Lu’ke speaking loudly outside, “If you enter that damnable Han’s home, I’ll hit you!” As he spoke, his fist hit Che Erku’s chest. Normally, if he was dealt a heavy blow by Su Lu’ke, he would not retaliate as he knew Su Lu’ke was a drunken man. But this time, the wine in his stomach also gushed upwards, and he stretched his leg out to catch Su Lu’ke leg. Su Lu’ke was already in an unstable position, so he stumbled, and immediately fell down. But he took advantage of his fall to cling to Che Erku’s leg. The two men fought each other, rolling about in the snow.

Suddenly, Su Lu’ke grabbed a handful of snow from the ground and stuffed it into Che Erku;’s mouth. Cher Erku scratched and scrabbled madly, while Su Lu’ke was so amused that he laughed heartily. Che Erku spat out the snow. With a resounding punch, he caused Su Lu’ke’s nose to bleed profusely. Su Lu’ke did not even feel any pain, and continued to laugh, but grabbed hold of Che Erku’s hair, refusing to let go. Both men were Kazak warriors, their names known for a thousand li around, but when they fought each other in a drunken state, they were exactly like naughty children fighting.

Su Pu and A’man were extremely anxious. They both hoped Su Lu’ke would win, for then he could stop Che Erku from entering. They heard a never-ending volley of crashes and knocks coming from outside. You hit me, I hit you; they laughed and scolded, full of drunken words. Suddenly, the wooden door flew open with a rumbling crash. The icy wind blew snow into the house; then Su Lu’ke and Che Erku who were hugging each other, also rolled into the cottage. The sudden opening of the door trapped Chen Dahai behind it, preventing him from dealing his blow. Su Lu’ke and Che Erku continued to fight even though they had entered the cottage.

Che Erku laughed, “Aren’t you inside now?” Incensed, Su Luke tried to choke Che Erku with his arm, yelling, “Get out, get out!” The two men were struggling on the floor. One man wanted to drag the other out, while the other man wanted to suppress the other party, to prevent him from moving. Suddenly Su Lu’ke began to sing, and yell, “You can’t defeat me, I’m the top Kazak warrior, Su Pu’s second, Su Pu’s future son will be third… You, Che Erku are fifth…” Chen Dahai saw that they were two drunkards, and decided that he need not fear them. Then the wind blew strongly, sending sparks from the fire flying everywhere. Chen Dahai shut the door forcefully.

Su Pu and A’man saw their fathers rolling towards the fire, and rushed over to help them, crying out in unison, “Father, father.” But they were both heavy men, and could not be helped up easily. Su Pu cried, “Father, father! This man is a Han bandit!” Although Su Lu’ke was thoroughly drunk, but these ten years he had not forgotten the deep hatred he felt towards the Han bandits. As soon as he heard the words ‘Han bandit’, his mind cleared. Leaping up, he cried out, “Where is the Han bandit?” Su Pu pointed at Chen Dahai. Su Lu’ke wanted to grab the sabre at his waist, but after his struggle with Che Erku, the saber had fallen in the snow outside. Coming into contact with air, he cried, “Where’s my sabre? Where’s my sabre? I will kill him!” Chen Dahai flicked his sword and pointed it at Su Lu’ke throat, ordering, “Kneel down!” Angered, Su Lu’ke threw himself forward. But he had lost his strength after drinking much wine. Before he could leapt in front of the enemy, he had crashed to the ground. Chen Dahai laughed coldly, and slashed down, and Su Lu’ke’s shoulder began to bleed. Su Lu’ke yelled in pain, and wanted to get up and fight. But both his legs seemed as soft as mud, and he was completely unable to stand up. With an angry roar, Che Erku got up and rushed towards Chen Dahai. Chen Dahai thrust his sword forwards, piercing his right leg. Che Erku immediately fell down.

Old man Ji turned to look at Li Wenxiu, and saw that her expression was calm, with absolutely no hint of fear.

Chen Dahai laughed coldly, “You Kazak dogs, today I shall kill all of you.” A’man rushed forwards, blocking her father. In a trembling voice she said, “I promised to leave with you, so you cannot kill them.” Che Erku was furious, “No! You cannot leave with this bandit dog, just let him kill me:” Chen Dahai removed a goat’s leash from the wall, and placed the hoop around A’man’s neck, and laughed evilly, “Good, you are my prisoner, my slave! You must swear that you will never betray me from this day onwards, then I will spare these Kazak dogs!” Tears rolled down A’man’s face. She thought, “If I don’t agree to his request, my father and Su Pu will be killed.” So she swore, “Great Allah above, from this day onwards, I am the slave of my master. I will listen to all his commands, and never dare to escape, or dare to disobey his orders! Or else, I will land in a burning pit after my death, and suffer for all eternity.” Chen Dahai laughed uproariously, extremely pleased with himself: he had obtained the map of the Gao Chang Labyrinth and this beautiful young girl. He was happier than if he had become an immortal. He had stayed in the Muslim Region for a long time, and knew that the Kazaks were pious Muslims, and woukld never dare to break an oath made in the name of the Great Allah. Pulling at the leash, he said, “Come over and sit at the feet of your master!” A’man felt greatly humiliated, but could only walk over to his feet and sit down. Chen Dahai stroked her hair, and A’man began to cry.

Su Pu could not control himself, and leapt up, throwing himself at Chen Dahai. Chen Dahai’s sword shot out, pointing at his chest. If he moved forwards by half a chi, the tip of the sword would pierce his chest. A’man called out, “Su Pu, get back!” Su Pu’s eyes blazed. He gritted his teeth and stood there. After quite some time, he retreated, and sat on the ground dejectedly.

Chen Dahai poured a bowlful of wine, and took a mouthful. He took out the handkerchief, then placed it onto his knees for scrutiny.

Suddenly, old man Ji asked, “How do you know this is the map of the Gao Chang Labyrinth?” He spoke in the Chinese language. Chen Dahai thought, “Since all of you are going to die anyway, there’s no harm in telling you.” He had searched for twelve years, and his heart’s desire had finally been fulfilled. Full of joy, he would not be comfortable if he did not get it off his chest, so he would have talked about the matter to himself had old man Ji not asked him about it. Holding the handkerchief with both hands, he said, “We have proven beyond doubt that the map of the Gao Chang Labyrinth was in the possession of White Horse Li San and his wife. Since we could not find it on their bodies, it must be with their daughter. This handkerchief belonged to that little girl surnamed Li, and there are mountains, rivers and roads depicted on it, so naturally it must be the map.” He pointed at the handkerchief, and said, “See, this handkerchief is made of silk. Those depictions of the mountains and rivers in the desert, are sewn in the middle using cotton thread. The silk is yellow silk, while the cotton thread is yellow thread. Normally one would not be able to see it, but once it is stained with blood, the cotton thread absorbs more blood than the silk, and the two can be told apart.”

***

Li Wenxiu gazed at the handkerchief. As he had said, once the yellow silk handkerchief was stained with blood, its depictions could be seen clearly. The areas which had not been stained with blood remained yellow. On the day that Su Pu was bitten by the wolf, he had bled only a little, and only revealed one corner of the depictions. But tonight, he had suffered a wound from a sword, revealing a large part of the depictions. Only then did she realise that this handkerchief actually hid such a great secret. Chen Dahai calculated, “If these few people join forces to deal with me, and all rush at me at once, that would be unthinkable. While these two Kazaks are still drunk, I’ll kill them first, to ensure the success of my plan.” He walked slowly towards Su Lu’ke, and suddenly pulled out his sword, sending it down on his head. The dealing of this sword blow was so sudden and the movement so quick that Su Lu’ke had no chance to avoid it. Su Pu gave a loud cry, and attempted to leap forward to save his father, but there was no time to do so. Chen Dahai’s sword was about to strike Su Lu’ke’s head, when he heard a sudden swoosh. An object was thrown towards his face, travelling at a high speed. In his haste, he did not bother to harm Su Lu’ke, and quickly leaped to the left. With a loud cling clang, the object hit the wall and was immediately smashed to smithereens. It was actually nothing but a tea bowl. After he had calmed his nerves, he realised that the person who had thrown the tea bowl at him was none other than Li Wenxiu.

Chen Dahai was livid. All along, he saw that this Kazak lad was skinny and fair, just like a woman, and thus ignored him. Whoever knew that ‘he’ would actually dare to swat flies on a tiger’s head? With his sword drawn, he pointed at her and scolded, “Little Kazak dog, are you tired of living?” Li Wenxiu slowly unbuttoned her Kazak coat, and removed it, revealing the Han-style short coat she wore inside. In the Kazak language, she declared, “I am not a Kazak. I am a Han.” Her left hand pointing at Su Lu’ke, she said, “This Kazak uncle thinks that all Hans are bandits and evildoers. I want him to know that not all of us Hans are bandits, we have good people too.” Everyone had clearly seen that if not for Li Wenxiu throwing the bowl to save Su Lu’ke, he would have died from the blow from Chen Dahai’s sword. After hearing what she said, Su Pu was first to reply, “Thank you very much for saving my father!” Su Lu’ke remained very stubborn and shouted, “You are a Han, I don’t need you to save me, just let this bandit kill me.” Chen Dahai stepped forward, and asked Li Wenxiu, “Who are you? You are a Han, so what are you doing here?” Li Wenxiu smiled a cold, small smile and said, “You do not recognize me, but I recognize you. The people who robbed Kazak tribes and caused the deaths of many Kazak were your gang of Han bandits.” As this point, her voice became bitter, and thought, “If not for your gang of bandits committing so many evil deeds, Su Lu’ke would not hate us Hans to the core.” Chen Dahai answered loudly, “So what if it was me?” Li Wenxiu pointed at A’man, and said, “She is your female slave, I want to seize her, to be my female slave!” Everyone was surprised to hear these words.

Chen Dahai was stunned momentarily, then laughed loudly, saying, “All right, if you’re good enough, then try to seize her.” He waved his sword. The blade trembled and made a buzzing sound.

Turning her head, to A’man she said, “You have swore an oath in the Great Allah’s name, to be his female slave for all your life. If he is unable to defeat me, you will be seized by me, and be my female slave for all you life, am I right?” When Kazaks fought with people of other races, they would treat captured prisoners as slaves. There were specific instructions regarding this in the Islamic Quran. The status of a slave was no different from a domesticated animal; he had no freedom to act on his own, and was bought and sold in accordance with his owner’s wishes. If his owners were defeated by someone else, his property, domesticated animals and slaves would be taken by others. After hearing what she said, A’man thought, “Since I am already a female slave, I’d rather acknowledge you as my owner than follow this evil bandit and be tormented by him.” So she nodded her head and answered, “Yes, it is so.” She added, “You… you won’t be able to defeat him. This bandit’s martial arts are excellent.” Li Wenxiu replied, “You needn’t worry about that, if I cannot defeat him, then naturally I will be killed by him.” She clapped her hands, and to Chen Dahai she said, “Come on then!” Amazed, Chen Dahai said, “You are fighting me with bare hands?” Li Wenxiu said, “Why would I need any weapons to kill an evil bandit like you?” Chen Dahai thought, “Everyone here is my enemy, if I linger a moment longer, I will be in more danger. If he wishes to overestimate himself, then that would be excellent.” He shouted, “Beware the sword!” His sharp sword was thrust out, displaying the stroke, ‘Poisonous Snake Exiting its Cave’. The sword was sent towards Li Wenxiu’s chest, and was travelling at a powerful speed.

Old man Ji called, “Quick, get back!” He thought that Li Wenxiu would have great difficulty in keeping him off. Li Wenxiu’s body jerked, lightly and silently avoiding the blow. She rushed to Chen Dahai’s left. Lifting her left elbow, she hit his waist. Chen Dahai called out, “Good!” His sword made a circular movement , and sliced towards her arm. Li Wenxiu kicked out with her right foot and hit his wrist. This stroke, ‘Flying Swallow Beneath Leaves’, was one of Hua Hui’s unique strokes. Li Wenxiu had mastered it only after seven to eight days’ of painstaking practice. Chen Dahai quickly drew back his wrist, but was too slow. His wrist was painful; it had been hit. As the other party did not use much force, Chen Dahai’s sword did not slip from his hand. He gave a loud roar, and leapt back a step. Old man Ji gave a cry, completely surprised. Chen Dahai stroked his wrist, and leapt forward with his sword drawn, duelling with Li Wenxiu. At this time he did not dare to look down on this weak, skinny youth any more. Seeing that the youth’s martial arts were remarkable, he immediately used his Green Python Swordplay. Each stroke was vicious and determined to stab the youth to death. Li Wenxiu had reiceved training from her master Hua Hui, her movements were quick and agile while her strokes were unusual. However, she has never sparred with others before, and had absolutely no experience in handling enemies. At first she was spurred on by hatred, and wanted to kill this evil bandit to avenge her parents. Later, she became more familiarized with her enemy’s swordplay, and her mind calmed gradually.

Old man Ji’s cottage was already narrow, and there was a fire burning in the hall. The two of them leapt around and dueled about the fire. The blade of the sword and fists seemed to come into close contact very often, and it was as if every blow from Chen Dahai was able to take Li Wenxiu’s life. But she was always able to hit back or dodge, and managed to counteract all his strokes. Su Lu’ke and the rest watched, their mouths wide open. Old man Ji became more and more fearful as he watched, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

When the pair became fully engrossed in duelling, Chen Dahai displayed the stroke ‘Divine Snake Spitting’, the tip of the sword pointed at Li Wenxiu’s throat. Li Wenxiu bowed her head, and leapt from under the sword. Her left arm clasped her enemy’s right arm, sending his long sword flying outwards. Her hands grabbed hold of the gold and silver daggers at Chen Dahai’s waist. With a pull and a push, there was a ringing noise, and the daggers had pierced both his armpits.

***

Chen Dahai gave a horrifying cry, and lost his grip on his sword. He stumbled backwards, his back against the wall and could only pant. The two swords were so deeply embedded in his armpits that only the hilts could be seen. The tips of the daggers pierced through his back. His muscles were broken, and both his arms had not a single iota of energy. He wanted to stretch his right hand to pull out the dagger in his left arm, but how could he lift up his right arm? One could hear all the people in the cottage cheering loudly, yelling, “The evil bandit is defeated, the evil bandit is defeated!” Even Su Lu’ke began to yell. Su Pu and A’man embraced each other jubilantly. Only old man Ji continued to tremble, gritting his teeth quite audibly.

Li Wenxiu knew he was afraid as he was worried for her. She walked over and clasped his large rough hands. Placing her lips at his ear, she said in a low voice, “Grandfather Ji, don’t be afraid, this evil bandit could not defeat me.” She realized his palms were ice cold, and he still trembled terribly.

Li Wenxiu turned her head, and saw Su Pu embracing A’man tightly. In her heart, the original happiness she felt from her victory melted into thin air in a twinkling. She felt herself trembling. Old man Ji’s palms were no longer cold, but her own palms had also become ice cold.

She let go of old man Ji’s hands, and walked over to take hold of the long leash still around A’man’s neck, and coldly said, “You are my female slave, and will have to follow me for the rest of your life.” Su Pu and A’man both felt coldness in their hearts, and their four arms embracing each other loosened. They knew this was a Kazak rule passed down for generations, and a destiny they could not resist. Both their faces turned deathly white! Li Wenxiu sighed, and removed the leash from A’man’s neck, saying, “Su Pu likes you, I… I will not let him be sad. You belong to Su Pu!” As she spoke, she gave A’man a gentle push, allowing her to lean on Su Pu’s bosom.

Su Lu’ke struggled to stand up, and his large hand clapped Li Wenxiu’s shoulder heavily. He said, “Even among Hans, there are actually good people. But… but, I’m afraid that you are the only one!” Che Erku called out, “Bring wine, bring wine. I’ll treat everyone to wine, treat the good Kazak people to wine, treat the good Han people to wine, to celebrate the capture of that evil bandit, eh! Where’s that bandit?” Everyone turned their heads, only to see that Chen Dahai had disappeared. A while ago everyone had been concentrating on Li Wenxiu and A’man, giving the bandit to chance to escape from the back door. Su Lu’ke was furious, and cried, “Let’s chase him quickly!” He opened the door, and a strong gust of wind blew into the cottage. His legs had no strength, his body swayed and he fell to the ground. Combined with snow, the frosty wind was fierce and unbearable. Everyone felt breathless. A’man said, “I doubt he’d be able to go far in such a great snowstorm. He’ll definitely die in the snow if he tries to struggle on. Let’s wait until the storm has died down tomorrow, before going into the snow to find this evil bandit’s corpse.” Su Pu nodded and shut the door.

Su Lu’ke stared at Li Wenxiu. After quite a long time, he said, “Little brother, you are a Kazak, are you not?” Li Wenxiu shook her head and answered, “No, I’m a Han!” Su Lu’ke said, “Impossible, if you are a Han, why did you attack that Han bandit and save us Kazaks?” Li Wenxiu replied, “Among the Hans, there are bad people, but there are also good people. I… I am not one of the bad people.” Su Lu’ke muttered, “There are good people among the Hans?” He shook his head slowly. But his life and that of his son’s, were saved by this young Han. He had no choice but to believe.

He had hated Hans his entire life, but now this belief was wavering. He was furious at himself for being so drunk last night and was thus unable to battle with that Han bandit. Instead, he needed another Han to come and rescue him. In his entire life, when something critical happened, he was always so unfortunate, always so unlucky. But when that bandit’s long sword had struck his head just now, that young man had arrived in the nick of time to rescue him. Could this be considered misfortune? Could this be considered bad luck?

When dawn broke, the snowstorm finally died down.

Su Lu’ke and Che Erku immediately set off to gather their tribesmen to pursue that Han bandit. His footprints clearly showed in the show. Furthermore, he had suffered serious injuries and could not have gone far. It would be best if he attempted to rendezvous with the other bandits. That way, they could finally take revenge after twelve years.

Three hundred of the most able-bodied Kazak men formed the first batch of pursuers. The remaining two batches set off in succession. There was of course no need to mobilize so many men just to catch one Chen Dahai, but their real motive was to exterminate the Han bandits who had been terrorizing the pastures.

Su Lu’ke and Che Erku were the vanguards. They wanted the remaining tribesmen to maintain a distance of ten li between them and follow them slowly, to prevent Chen Dahai from realising their presence and abandoning his rendezvous with his fellow bandits. Su Pu had suffered injuries last night, but since his condition was not serious, he wanted to accompany his father. A’man also insisted on accompanying her father, but everyone knew that she did not want to leave Su Pu’s side. Che Erku picked two of his disciples to follow him. One was the agile Sang Si’er, and the other was a young man as strong as a camel. His nickname was “Camel”, and that was what everyone called him, resulting in everyone forgetting what his actual name really was.

Li Wenxiu also wanted to join the vanguards, and Su Pu was the first to welcome her. After what happened last night, Li Wenxiu had become a hero, respected by all. Che Erku did not object to her taking part. Su Lu’ke was a little unwilling, but could not bring himself to voice his opposition.

Old man Ji seemed to have been thoroughly terrified by the events of the previous night. When he was drinking sheep’s milk in the morning, he accidentally dropped the milk bowl and broke it. Li Wenxiu poured a bowl of tea for him. When his trembling hands received the bowl, he splashed the tea onto his clothes. When Li Wenxiu asked after him, the light in his eyes revealed both fear and anger. Abruptly, he returned to his room, and shut the door with a loud bang.

The ground was covered with a deep layer of snow, and it was hard to ride. The seven-man vanguard went on foot, following footprints in the snow all the way. Chen Dahai’s footprints went in a straight line towards the west, as if towards the Gobi Desert. Although both his arms were injured, his legs were still very agile. The six Kazaks suddenly recalled the legendary demons which supposedly inhabited the Gobi Desert, and could not help but have some misgivings.

Su Lu’ke said loudly, “Even if we know that we are going to meet demons today, we must still go and capture the bandits. Su Pu, are you going to seek revenge for your mother and brother or not?” Su Pu replied, “Of course I will go with Father. A’man, you’d better return go home!” A’man said, “If you can go, I can go too.” But her heart said, “If you die, do you expect me to live on alone?” Su Lu’ke said, “A’man, you’d better accompany your father home. Che Erku is extremely timid, and is most afraid of demons!” Che Erku gave him a hard stare, and rushed to the front.

***

The thing which people feared the most in the Gobi Desert was the lack of water for miles. Once the supplies of fresh water which they brought along were exhausted, they would undoubtedly die of thirst. But after the snowstorm, one could pick up snow at a bend of the body. This alleviated their main worry. Although they were unable to ride, they did not need to bear the hardship of having yellow sand being blown into their faces. They travelled towards the west, and could see that Chen Dahai’s footprints were becoming more evident. Later, his footprints were uncovered by snow, and were obviously left after the snowstorm had died down.

Che Erku muttered, “This evil bandit is quite capable, he survived despite being trapped in a huge snowstorm.” Su Lu’ke suddenly cried out, “Eh, there are another person’s footprints!” Pointing to the footprints, he said, “This person made each step in that bandit’s footprints, if one wasn’t observant enough he wouldn’t have spotted it.” Everyone looked carefully, and saw that every footprint consisted of two layers, one deeper and the other shallower.

Everyone started speculating, unable to comprehend the significance of this observation. Luo Tuo suddenly said, “Don’t tell me it’s a demon?” This was what everyone wanted to say but didn’t. As soon as the words had left his mouth, everyone could not help but shiver.

The party steeled their nerves and continued travelling west. The deep snow hindered them and made their progress slow. That night, they camped in the snow. They swept aside the snow and dug pits in the ground. Wrapped in wool carpets, they lay in the pits, and did not know coldness at all.

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