The one with beautiful women accompanying him left and right was, unexpectedly, Duan Yucheng, who has been without any news, whose life or death was difficult to foresee.
In the past, not long after the Shuanglong Bang [twin-dragon gang] was established, Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, and the four brothers from within the gang that were selected very carefully, Duan Yucheng, Bao Zhifu, Shi Jie, and Ma Gui, four men – transported a batch of salt to the north. Along the way, misfortunes repeatedly happened, until finally Bao Zhifu, Shi Jie, and Ma Gui were killed by Shangguan Long, while Duan Yucheng managed to break the siege and fled, since then his whereabouts was unknown. Who would have thought that they would meet him again in this foreign place brimming with Han and indigenous air?
Kou Zhong was about to pounce forward to make himself known to Duan Yucheng, but Xu Ziling pulled him back into a side alley, while Xu Ziling’s voice rang inside his ears, “These two Huihe girls are very demonic; it’s not suitable to act blindly without thinking.”
Kou Zhong focused his attention to look at the young Huihe women by Duan Yucheng’s side. They were dressed like lovely scene of blossoming plants swaying in the breeze [or simply: gorgeous] with the luster of pearl and air of jewel, their appearance had ten thousand kinds of flirtatious expressions, exuding beauty all around. Indeed like Xu Ziling said, they were not women of good family at all; moreover, they were top quality Wulin martial art masters.
Other people were sizing them up, they were also sizing the passersby up; not only they were unafraid of men’s wanton gaze, they did not stop whispering to one another’s ear on horseback, as if they were having idle chat about the good-looking men on the street. Fortunately they did not look at the two boys’ direction.
Kou Zhong stared blankly at Duan Yucheng, which, by this time, was urging his horse over in front of him. Feeling his mouth and teeth hard and rough, he said, “My Niang! What’s happening here? Are we still dreaming?”
Xu Ziling followed Duan Yucheng’s lofty back, which gradually went away – with his eyes; lowering his voice, he said, “You go look for Guan Ping, I go to see where Yucheng is staying, and then we’ll meet again at our place to discuss our next action; what do you think?”
Exhaling slowly, Kou Zhong said, “Be careful. If I am guessing correctly, these two pretty women should be Da Ming Zun Jiao people. Didn’t Zhu Yuyan say that Shangguan Long is a Da Ming Zun Jiao disciple? I hope Yucheng did not betray us. Ay! How did it happen?”
Xu Ziling comforted him by patting him twice on the shoulder, and then he flashed out of the alley to pursue Duan Yucheng, three riders.
Kou Zhong left from the other end of the alley.
Reaching the foreign guesthouse, Kou Zhong was about to sneak inside by leaping over the wall when he unexpectedly saw Guan Ping slipping out via the back door. His countenance was pale and unsightly, as if he was lost. It must be because he had not recovered from Ba Fenghan’s torturing technique last night. Kou Zhong could not help smiling wryly in his heart. It looked like he’d better let him off this time; otherwise, if he tortured him again, perhaps he might not be able to take it and breathe his last instead, and then wouldn’t Kou Zhong be guilty of serious crime? But his curiosity was piqued; this fellow’s body was still so weak, yet he still sneaked out, where could he be going?
Obviously Guan Ping was afraid of being followed; he continuously glanced left and right. Kou Zhong quickly hid behind a big tree. He waited until Guan Ping was out of the alley and sneaked into the stream of people, vehicles and horses on the main street before he chased after him. Along the way, he also looked over on Guan Ping’s behalf to see if anybody was following him.
Since they grew up, it seemed like Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were constantly playing a treasure hunt game. When they were little pickpockets, their target was the silver in other people’s purse. And then, after they became outstanding martial art masters of the younger generation, their target became the Jade Annulus of He Clan, the Duke Yang’s treasure, and other treasures such as the emperor’s throne.
Now, chasing behind Guan Ping, he also had the feeling of being in a treasure hunt. Who was he going to see?
Would it be the ‘Tianzhu Mad Monk’ Funantuo?
Just by looking at how this person could easily break Ba Fenghan’s sealing-acupoint-shutting-meridian technique, which was clearly a challenge to him, he could see that this person was definitely not a small matter, absolutely not someone who was easy to deal with.
Guan Ping suddenly entered a grocery store on the east side of the Vermillion Bird Boulevard.
Very pleased with himself, Kou Zhong chuckled softly, and focused his power into both ears, immediately he locked into the sound of Guan Ping’s footsteps, all other sound of footsteps, rolling wheels, and hoof beats on the street were completely isolated, they could not affect his highly concentrated sense of hearing the slightest bit.
Guan Ping’s footsteps became the canopy over his spirited senses, just like the ability to grasp the location of the enemy’s sword blade from among millions of phantom images.
Guan Ping slipped out from the back door of the shop.
‘Crafty!’ Kou Zhong cried inwardly, and turned into a side alley, cutting into another big street parallel to the Vermillion Bird Boulevard. Guan Ping’s back reappeared ahead. He turned into a feed store. Kou Zhong nearly lost connection.
‘Marvelous!’ Kou Zhong cried inwardly. If someone passed through the shop to trail him, there was a good chance that Guan Ping would be able to throw him off.
Arriving outside the feed store, there were two men squatting down by the street, playing chess. There were also several men standing in circle to watch. Kou Zhong also leaned forward, pretending to watch the game, while secretly sending enough power to his ear to eavesdrop Guan Ping’s movements inside the shop.
An old-sounding voice suddenly said, “Why is your face so ugly?”
Kou Zhong’s heart was shocked; why did this voice sound so familiar, yet he could not think who it was?
Xu Ziling sat at a table set up by an outdoor tea stall on the main street of the East Market, keeping watch of the main entrance of a sheepskin wholesale shop located catty corner from where he sat, where Duan Yucheng and the two Huihe girls were disappearing into.
Longquan had the East Market, but they did not have the West Market. However, the market was as bustling with noise and excitement as the real Chang’an. The main street was crowded, ox-, mule-, and horse-drawn carts were going back and forth in unending stream, the din shook the heavens, brimming with vitality.
Suddenly he felt someone was watching him, and then the person came over to him and sat beside him.
Without even looking, Xu Ziling spoke in heavy voice, “Zhu Zongzhu, I trust you have been well since we last met.”
Zhu Yuyan’s sweet and charming voice rang, she spoke in astonishment, “Ziling did not look back at all, and the route that I took to come here was not your pair of eyes could reach; how did you know it was me?”
Xu Ziling replied, “Everybody has their own special scent; hence Wanbei knew it was Zhu Zongzhu.”
Zhu Yuyan spoke indifferently, “I already applied my power to restrain the pores on my entire body, so that no scent would leak out. This explanation is clearly perfunctory, beating around the bush.”
Xu Ziling turned his head around, Zhu Yuyan was back at wearing Han attire again, still with a layer of muslin covering her face. Even in the full light of day, sitting at the same table in the middle of the market, he could still feel her strange, mysterious characteristics. One after another the passersby cast curious gaze toward her, yet she simply turned a blind eye them.
Knitting his brows, Xu Ziling said, “In that case, it must be because of the telepathic senses I grew toward Zhu Zongzhu. Just like looking at a culinary delicacy from a distance, although cannot directly smell the aroma, but because of memory, it looks as if I can smell the aroma.”
Zhu Yuyan stared at him from behind the veil, as if she was trying to see through the natural endowment that was different from ordinary people inside his heart. It was quite half a day later that she spoke softly, “You are a very frank person, and I like frank people.”
Xu Ziling naturally could not misunderstand that her ‘like’ was referring to the emotion between a man and a woman. Although Zhu Yuyan knew the technique to maintain a youthful appearance, that she was able to maintain youthful glow of her outward appearance, the fact was that she was of the same generation with Ning Daoqi, Shi Zhixuan, Yue Shan, and the like, those who had seen the world’s situation, who had been through the hardships of life, old enough to be his paternal grandmother.
Reverting his gaze back toward the sheepskin shop, he took a deep breath and asked, “I wonder if I could ask for a guidance from Zhu Zongzhu?”
With a bit of tenderness, coyness, Zhu Yuyan responded in soft voice, “Just ask. We are still comrade-in-arms, aren’t we?”
Xu Ziling nodded his head in response. He said, “Why did Zhu Zongzhu let yourself be sucked into the vortex of contention over the world?”
Zhu Yuyan sighed faintly and replied, “Why didn’t Ziling take the same question to ask Shi Feixuan?”
Xu Ziling turned his head to look at her. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “Because I understand why she did it, and she never hide it from me.”
“Very well!” Zhu Yuyan replied indifferently, “It’s not any extraordinary secret anyway, there is no harm in telling you. To the people of the demonic school, whether it was from the Two Sects or the Six Ways, what we are pursuing is the ten scrolls ‘Tian Mo Ce’ [demonic policy/plan/scheme]. Only by obtaining all ten scrolls will it be possible to pry into the pinnacle of the demonic way, to arrive at the highest mastery of the Great Method of ‘Dao Xin Zhong Mo’ [the heart of the road, the seed (or cultivation) of magic].”
Emotionally moved, Xu Ziling said, “Wanbei understands! The reason why Zhu Zongzhu wants to strive for the world is to unify the demonic way, so that the ten scrolls of ‘Tian Mo Ce’ will return into one, to accomplish the dream of the demonic school.”
Zhu Yuyan spoke heavily, “Striving for the world is akin to having a frontal confrontation with the Wulin under Ci Hang Jing Zhai’s leadership. Whichever side can occupy the upper hand, the other side will have to find a place to hide, becoming an outside way. In this struggle, we have always been in the disadvantageous position since the Han dynasty. And now you ought to understand why Shi Zhixuan must destroy the Great Sui!”
“But have Zhu Zongzhu ever considered all the people?” Xu Ziling asked.
Sneering lightly, Zhu Yuyan said, “Isn’t this a case of a wise person reflecting a thousand times can still make a mistake [idiom: nobody is infallible]? Whoever ascended to the emperor’s throne would have no choice but to seek the people’s happiness, otherwise his seat would be unstable. History has already had clear examples. You think that when our demonic people become emperors, we must be brutal and heartless? This idea is indeed too childish. Our demonic school reject the evil spirit for real situation, real character. What we despise are those whose mouth exclusively filled with compassion, duty, propriety and integrity, those hypocrites Kong Meng Fo Dao [Confucius and Mencius, Buddhist, Taoist]. Fortunately Ziling is not that kind of person. Otherwise, I won’t even speak half a word with you.”
Xu Ziling awkwardly agreed, he said, “Thank you very much for Zhu Zongzhu’s direction. But people like Li Shimin definitely have very big essential difference with you.”
Zhu Yuyan laughed and said, “Difference? What difference? Did he kill less people than we did? The longer he does not turn around to deal directly with his father and elder brother, he could forget about sitting on the emperor’s seat. Isn’t striving for the world means following me you prosper, opposing me you perish? Since Han Wu, we have suffered enough from persecution by being pushed aside. Without any emergency measure, how can we survive?”
Xu Ziling replied with bitter laugh, “I understand that too!”
Gently, happy and pleased, Zhu Yuyan said, “You are willing to speak about this, I am very happy to listen.”
Xu Ziling cast his gaze toward the sheepskin shop again, he spoke indifferently, “What relation does Zhu Zongzhu have with Da Ming Zun Jiao?”
“Up until now, it is still a cooperative relationship,” Zhu Yuyan replied, “But this cooperation is entirely based on common benefit. When I rescued Shangguan Long from your hands in the past, it was merely to cover this spirit of cooperation.”
Xu Ziling spoke heavily, “I wonder if Rong Jiaojiao is Da Ming Zun Jiao’s disciple?”
Laughing tenderly, Zhu Yuyan replied, “Your guess is spot on.”
Xu Ziling had never expected that Zhu Yuyan would easily give him such an affirmative answer. Turning his head around, his eyes were blazing as he looked closely at the jade countenance behind the veil, he asked in astonishment, “Does Zhu Zongzhu no longer have the intention to continue the cooperation with Da Ming Zun Jiao?”
The tone of Zhu Yuyan’s voice turned cold, she slowly said, “Presently, the most important thing for me is to kill Shi Zhixuan; other things are secondary.”
Frowning, Xu Ziling asked, “What does Da Ming Zun Jiao have to do with Shi Zhixuan?”
Zhu Yuyan replied, “Not much relation, but if Da Ming Zun Jiao can put down roots in the Central Earth and preach their teachings, one day they might become another big danger to our Two Sects Six Ways. In fact, their hands have already reached the Central Plains, it’s just that they are not being noticed, that’s all.”
Xu Ziling remembered Sao Niangzi and Liexia, deep in his heart he knew that what Zhu Yuyan said was not empty words at all. “Who are the formidable figures among the Da Ming Zun Jiao?” he casually asked.
Zhu Yuyan replied, “In Da Ming Zun Jiao, there are the Da Zun [great venerable], the Shan Mu [benevolent mother], and the Five Bright Sons in leadership position. I only have the predestined affinity to meet the Shan Mu Sha Fang one time. She is proficient in the cultivation of the ‘Yao Wang Jing’ [lit. king of medicine scripture] and the ‘Guangming Jing’ [lit. light/bright scripture] subduing-cult-secret-canon ‘Suo Bu Luo Gan’ [I don’t know how to translate this, my guess is that this is a transliteration of some foreign language]. Her martial art skill is not below mine, plus she is adept at using poison. Merely this person is enough to deal with you.”
Xu Ziling drew out a mouthful of cold air. With Zhu Yuyan’s identity and status, no one dare to ignore whatever she was saying. Above the Shan Mu Sha Fang, there was still the Da Zun; wouldn’t that mean that his martial art skill could be compared to Song Que, Ning Daoqi, Bi Xuan, and the likes? There is sky above the sky, there is man outside the man, it was indeed the truth.
Zhu Yuyan said, “In the Central Earth, you have repeatedly messed up Da Ming Zun Jiao’s affairs, they will certainly not let you off. You and Kou Zhong must be careful to guard against them.”
Smiling bitterly, Xu Ziling said, “Thank you very much for Zongzhu’s direction. I wonder if this moment Shi Zhixuan is in Longquan?”
Sidestepping the question, Zhu Yuyan said, “Shui Nucha [water baby girl] and Huo Nucha [fire girl, 姹女 (nucha) is Taoist term for little kid (Courtesy of Akolaw)] are coming out!”
Xu Ziling turned his head around. Duan Yucheng and those two Huihe beauties left the sheepskin shop, mounted their horses, and continued their journey.
A group of Mohe girls wearing traditional Han dresses walking hee hee ha ha along the street, seeing the tall, straight, heroic and mighty, brimming with intimidating charm Kou Zhong, none of the pretty eyes did not brighten up, they boldly fixed their attention to him. Although Kou Zhong’s two ears were occupied, he still had the time to flash his brilliant smile toward the most beautiful among those girls.
This moment came the sound of Guan Ping sitting into the chair. In Kou Zhong’s mind immediately appeared the image of Guan Ping’s posture as he was sitting, light or heavy, slow or urgent, as if he saw it with his own eyes.
The girls cast him charming smile, but he did not have time to enjoy.
Guan Ping sighed heavily. A little impatient, the old man asked, “What exactly happened?”
With sighing voice, wailing breath, Guan Ping said, “Something very strange happened last night. I just remember stepping out the main gate of the guesthouse, and suddenly lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was inside the Palace City, with Bai Ziting and Funantuo standing beside me. They said that someone sealed my acupoint and left me outside the palace gate.”
The old man was silent for half a day, he slowly said, “This is indeed extremely weird; what else did they say?”
Up to this moment, Kou Zhong still could not remember where he heard the old man’s voice; he nearly could not bear not to stick his head inside the shop to take a look.
Guan Ping replied, “They didn’t say anything. Only Funantuo repeatedly asked me if before my acupoint was sealed, I saw anyone in wide yellow robe. Ay! I really cannot remember a thousand things.”
Muttering to himself irresolutely, the old man said, “From this question, clearly Funantuo already guessed from the technique being used to seal your acupoint who the other side is. The question is, from so many people to choose from, why did you get picked? This matter must be immediately reported to Furen [Madame].”
Hearing ‘Furen’ two characters, Kou Zhong’s tiger-body shook; he finally remembered who the old man was.
Furen was clearly Meiyan Furen, so the old man in the shop must be her Right Elder. That day in Tong Wan City, the words that the Right Elder spoke added together were less than five sentences, hence the reason Kou Zhong momentarily failed to remember.
He could not help feeling greatly delighted inwardly. If he hung around behind the Right Elder, wouldn’t he be able to find this cunning beauty?
This thought was just flashing in his mind, warning sign suddenly grew in his heart; immediately he looked across the street.
A graceful woman, wearing clothes as white as snow, bamboo rain hat on top of her head, hanging muslin veil covering her face, was waving at him.
Kou Zhong groaned inwardly, but he had no choice but to respond to the call immediately. Although he could not see her face, but even if the other side turned into flying ashes, he could still see at a glance that she was Fu Junqiang.
The young martial aunt publicly summoned him, how could he not obediently comply?
“No need to pursue!” Zhu Yuyan said, “The place they are staying is a small Hui courtyard at the Renli Lane south of Quan Bridge in the southern part of the city. If you follow them, sooner or later they will find out.”
Xu Ziling gratefully said, “Thank you very much for giving directions.”
Zhu Yuyan spoke heavily, “If you despise Da Ming Zun Jiao, perhaps the illustrious name you built your whole lifetime would die in this place.”
Xu Ziling met the fierce and severe gaze that she shot out through the veil, “I understand,” he said, “In Hualin, we came across the head of the Five Bright Sons, Liexia; definitely not a simple person.”
Zhu Yuyan was silent for half a day. “Where are you guys staying?” she asked coldly.
Xu Ziling explained the location of the courtyard house where they were staying. And then, knitting his brows, he said, “Zhu Zongzhu has not answered Wanbei’s question earlier.”
Zhu Yuyan said, “Shi Zhixuan is definitely here. When I get new discoveries, I will get in touch with you. Your sweetheart is here!”
Hurriedly she told him how to get in touch with her, and then she got up and left.
Kou Zhong ran behind Fu Junqiang, through a narrow alley, and saw a stream of hot spring ahead, extending all the way across, where houses were standing on both sides. Fu Junqiang stepped across the stone bridge spanning the stream, she stopped and turned around, and then with her tender voice she sternly said, “You are standing there like a dumb bird, what are you doing?”
Kou Zhong was sighing over the lost opportunity to find Meiyan Furen, hearing the question, he did not dare not to answer, putting on a respectful expression, he said, “I was watching people playing chess!”
Fu Junqiang began to feign anger coquettishly, “Lying!” she said.
Smiling wryly, Kou Zhong said, “Xiao Shiyi [young martial aunt] is really smart, I was indeed lying. Actually, I was eavesdropping two idiots talking inside the shop.”
Fu Junqiang’s hand grabbed the hilt of her sword, with frosty voice she spoke fiercely, “You call me Xiao Shiyi again, I am going to cut off your stinky head.”
Kou Zhong spoke in horror, “Not calling! Not calling! As long as Shi … Oh! As long as you, Da Nuxia [great (female) hero] understand that Yuwen Huagu affair was just a misunderstanding, you want me to call you Da Nuxia, you want to be the Niang, I’ll do it.”
Beyond his expectation, “Pfft!” Fu Junqiang giggled tenderly and said, “Misunderstanding? Fancy that you can say that.”
A cold snort came from behind.
Someone laughed aloud and said, “How’s Shaoshuai’s current situation?”
Shaken, Kou Zhong looked back; two men leisurely came to the bridge, sealing his retreat route. One of them was Jin Zhengzong, the Gaoli King’s chief warrior who had fought with him on the ocean.
The other man was even taller than Jin Zhengzong; he was wearing black clothes, with a pair of short halberds, each was about three chi long, hanging across his back, around thirty years old, his face was quite rough and imposing, his bearing distinguished and accomplished, his appearance was out of the ordinary.
The man greeted by raising his clasped hands, and said with a smile, “Han Chao’an of Gaoli pays his respect to Shaoshuai.”
Kou Zhong groaned inwardly, knowing that he had fallen into Fu Junqiang’s trap, putting him into the inferior position where there were enemies in front and behind him.
Any one of these three was enough to deal with him, not to mention all three were joining hands.
Laughing tenderly, Fu Junqiang said, “Isn’t this what you, Han people say heaven has a road you don’t want to go, hell has no door yet you insist on breaking in?”