Chen held the dagger in his hands and stood watching
dumbly as Huo Qingtong caught up with the Muslim
column and gradually faded towards the horizon. He was
about to go and ask Lu Feiqing about his pupil when he
noticed a horse galloping towards him fast. As it came
closer, he was disappointed to find it was only Xin
Yan returning on the white horse.
"Master!" he shouted excitedly. "Master Zhang Jin has
a prisoner."
"Who is it?" Chen asked.
"I went to the old temple and found Master Zhang Jin
arguing with a man who wanted to pass. The man saw the
horse I was ridingand began cursing me as a horse
thief and struck out at me with his sword. Master
Zhang Jin and I fought with him. His kung fu was
really good. He fought the two of us single-handed
until finally I picked up some stones and started
throwing them at him, and Master Zhang Jin clubbed him
on the thigh. It was only then that we managed to
capture him."
Chen smiled. "What is his name? What was he doing?"
"We asked him but he wouldn't say. But Master Zhang
Jin says he must be a member of the Han School of
Luoyang because he was using Iron Pipa Hand Kung Fu."
Zhang Jin galloped up, dismounted and bowed before
Chen, then pulled a man off the horse's saddle. He was
tied hand and foot, but he stood haughtily, exuding an
air of insolence.
"I understand you are a member of the Han School of
Luoyang," Chen said. "What is your honourable name?"
The man said nothing.
"Xin Yan, undo this gentleman's bonds," Chen said.
Xin Yan drew his knife and cut the rope that bound the
man's hands and legs then stood behind him, his knife
at the ready.
"My friends have wronged you, but please do not be
offended," Chen said. "Come into my tent and take a
seat."
Chen and the man sat on the ground while the other
heroes came in and stood behind Chen's back.
When he saw Luo Bing enter, the man's anger flared and
he jumped up. "You stole my horse," he shouted,
pointing at her.
"So it's Master Han," Luo Bing replied with a smile.
"We exchanged horses and I compensated you with a gold
ingot. You did very well out of the deal. What are you
angry about?"
Chen asked what had happened, and Luo Bing recounted
how she had taken the white horse. The others laughed
as they listened.
"In that case, we will return the horse to you, Master
Han," Chen said. "There is also no need to return the
gold ingot. Consider it a token of our respect and as
payment for the rental of your horse."
Han was about to reply when Luo Bing said: "Great
Helmsman, this won't do. Do you know who he is? He's a
Zhen Yuan Bodyguard Agency man." She pulled out Wang
Weiyang's letter and handed it to him.
Chen's eyes flashed down the lines. "The great name of
Wang Weiyang has been known to me for a long time, but
regrettably I ave never met him," he said. "You are a
member of the Han School of Luoyang. What relation are
you to Fifth Madame Han?"
"And what is your honourable surname and esteemed
name, sir?" Han replied.
Chen smiled. "My surname is Chen, my given name,
Jialuo."
Han stood up. "You...you are the son of Chief Minister
Chen?" he asked in a quavering voice.
"This is the Great Helmsman of our Red Flower
Society," one of the Twin Knights said.
Han slowly sat down again and began weighing up this
young Great Helmsman.
"Someone in the underworld started the rumour that our
society was connected with the death of one of your
school's members," Chen said. "In fact, we know
nothing of it. I dispatched one of our brothers to
Luoyang to explain the matter, but something came up
and he was forced to postpone the trip. So your
arrival could not have been better timed, Master Han.
I don't know how this rumour started. Can you tell
me?"
"You...you're really the son of Chief Minister Chen of
Haining?" Han asked.
"Since you know my identity, there is no point in
trying to deceive you," Chen replied.
"Your family announced a large reward for finding you
after you left home," Han said. "It was said that you
had joined the Red Flower Society and had gone to the
Muslim border regions. My late comrade Jiao Wenqi was
engaged by your family to look for you, but he
mysteriously disappeared on the way. That was five
years ago. Recently, someone found the Iron Plate and
Pipa darts that Brother Jiao used in Shanxi province,
and we now know for certain that he was murdered.
No-one knows the exact circumstances of his death, but
consider, sir: if it wasn't the Red Flower Society,
then who did it?"
"I killed Jiao Wenqi," Lu Feiqing interrupted. "I am
not amember of the Red Flower Society, so this matter
has nothing to do with them."
The others were startled. Lu stood up and told the
story of how Jiao had found him one night, how he
fought one against three, and had been injured, but
had still managed to kill them on the deserted
hillside. The heroes listened and then cursed Jiao,
saying he was shameless and deserved to die. Han's
face darkened but he said nothing.
"If Master Han wishes to avenge his martial brother's
death, there is no reason why he should not do so
now," Lu said. Heturned to Luo Bing. "Mistress Wen,
return Master Han's weapon to him please."
Luo Bing pulled out the Iron Pipa and handed it to Lu.
"Since Jiao was commissioned by the Chen family to
find their son, he should have stuck to his mission,"
Lu said. As he spoke, he absent-mindedly excercised
his Inner Strength kung fu on the body of the hollow
Iron Pipa, slowly flattening it. "What was he doing
using their money to come and give me trouble? Even if
we of the fighting community are not able to sacrifice
ourselves to save our country from the Manchu
barbarians, we should still fight for justice and
against those who oppress the people."
His Inner Strength kung fu was extraordinary. His
hands rolled the flattened iron plate round so that it
was transformed into a tube, and then with a few
sqeezes, into an iron club.
"What I detest most are the Manchu court's Eagles'
Claws and the bodyguard agency running dogs who use a
small knowledge of the martial arts to assist the
wicked with their evil deeds."
His voice suddenly hardened and he twisted the iron
club into an iron ring.
As Lu talked, Han watched him twist and squeeze his
school's famous weapon as if he were making noodles,
and was both startled and afraid. He knew that Jiao's
kung fu had been about the same standard as his own,
and realised that fighting with this old manmeant
certain death.
Han's courage had already evaporated and he did not
dare to challenge Lu. But although shocked and
humbled, he did not wish to appear too cowardly.
"This affair of Jiao Wenqi in fact arose because of
me," Chen said. "I will write a letter to my elder
brother telling him that Master Jiao found me, but
that I was not willing to return home; also, that on
his way back, Master Jiao met with an accident and
passed away. I will then ask my brother to pay the
reward and compensation money to Master Jiao's
family."
Han continued to hesitate, and Chen's eyebrows rose.
"But if your heart is set upon revenge, then I will
fight you myself."
Han shuddered. "I will do exactly as you say, sir," he
replied.
"That's a good fellow," Chen said. "One has to be
flexible."
He told Xin Yan to hand him his writing brush,
instone, ink and writing paper, and using a vigorous
calligraphic style, wrote out a letter which Han
accepted.
"Master Wang asked me to help escort a cargo back to
Beijing and then to escort some treasures the Emperor
has presented to your honourable family down to the
south. But faced with the extraordinary talents of you
all, I would only make a fool of myself if I made
further use of my own minor abilities in the martial
arts. I will take my leave of you, sir."
"Did you say items belonging to my family, Master
Han?"
"The bodyguard agency caller who brought me the letter
said the Emperor is extremely generous towards your
family. Every few months, he bestows an amount of
precious stones and treasures, and there is now a
large accumulation of these that must be sent south to
your home. Your family asked us to escort them, but I
would not dare to continue earning my daily rice in
such a business. After I have made suitable
arrangements for Brother Jiao's dependants, I will
return home."
"It is good that you are willing to follow Master Lu's
invaluable words of advice," Chen said. "In that case,
I might as well make friends with you. Xin Yan, please
bring in the other gentlemen from the Zhen Yuan
Bodyguard Agency."
Xin Yan went out and led in Lead Escort Qian and the
others. Han and the escorts stared dumbly at each
other.
"Master Han, please take these friends with you," said
Chen. "But if we ever catch them again doing anything
but good deeds, do not blame us if our hands are not
stayed by mercy."
Chen did not again mention the return of the white
horse, and Han did not dare to bring it up.
"We will leave first," Chen said. "I will ask all of
you to rest here for a day before making a start."
The Red Flower Society heroes mounted their horses an
started off, leaving the Agency men and the Yamen
officers standing silently behind.
"Master Chen," Lu Feiqing said after they had
travelled for a while. "My pupil will meet up with
those bodyguard agency fellows before long. They have
been humiliated and have no way to get their revenge,
so they may cause trouble. I would like to stay behind
and watch them for a while before following after
you."
"Please do as you wish, Master Lu," Chen replied.
Lu saluted, then galloped off the way they had come.
Chen realised as Lu disappeared that he had not asked
him about his pupil. |
