Ode to gallantry, p.46
Ode to Gallantry, page 46
Both these people originally said so that Shi Potian can drink that the poisonous wine and thought that he will die immediately, so thoughtlessly consented to swear brotherhood with him, even in their wildest thought they had not expected that he will survive. These two people were usually proud; once the word leaves their mouth as a true martial-art master will never go back on their words. Although they were no willing to swear brotherhood with this dumb kid, but were also not willing to break a promise.
That fat person coughed and said: "I am called Zhang San, as far age is concerned this Brother Li Si is older then me. Little brother, you are nameless and don’t have a surname, how can we swear brotherhood with you?"
Shi Potian said: "my original name is not pleasant to hear, my master has given me a name Shi Yidao, and you can call me with this name as well."
That fat person said with a smile: "then we three people today will pay respect to each other and will swear brotherhood."
He then knelt on a single knee and said in clear and resonant voice: "Zhang San, Li Si and Shi Yidao, today swear brotherhood and hereafter have the same luck, shares sorrows and happiness; if Zhang San disobeys this word then he should be cut open like this wild boar, killed by humans, roasted and eaten, ha, ha!"
This name Zhang San was definitely a fictitious name. He kept on proclaiming Zhang San every time and never used the word "I" so he swore just to show off.
That thin person also knelt and said with a smile: "Li Si, Zhang San and Shi Yidao today become sworn brothers and are willing to die on the same month same date and in the same year, if disobeys this oath, Li Si should die a very violent death with knives gutting his intestines Ha ha ha." He also sneered repeatedly to show his deceit.
Shi Potian did not know that Zhang San and Li Si are general terms used; neither did he perceived there facial expression as false, he knelt down and sincerely said: "I, brother Zhang San and brother Li Si are sworn brothers from today onwards, If we have nice wine and good meat then I‘ll let these two elder brothers to eat first, if some people must
attack these two elder brothers then I will resist first.
If I had said these words and did not keep my promise then God punish me daily with the stomach pain like I had a moment ago."
When both people listened to him to say such words sincerely, they cannot help but felt qualms of conscience.
That fat person stood up, said: "Third younger brother, we two people have some important matter to attend, we bid good-bye."
Shi Potian said: "Elder brothers, is it really important to go now? Eldest brother just said that once we are sworn brothers, we share sorrow and happiness and I’ll be fortunate to share. In any case, it’s fine with me, Is it fine if I too go along with you two elder brothers?"
As soon as that fat person heard it he smiled and said: "we are not going for a dinner and it’s no matter of amusement; so you need not to go." He said with arrogance.
Shi Potian has got friends for the first time in his life, he never had a friend, today when he met these two and became sworn brothers, he was extremely pleased and didn’t want them to depart.
He said: "I’ll accompany the two elder brothers to whichever road they follow. I don’t know when I will see you both brothers again and whether I will get the opportunity to eat meat and drink wine again with you two."
That thin person Li Si kept the gloomy face and completely ignored Shi Potian however that fat person Zhang San was more open minded, he pulled him aside and said: "brother, you said that your master had given you this name Shi Yidao so what is your real name. Now that we are sworn brothers we shouldn’t have any secret between us?"
As soon as Shi Potian heard it he gave an awkward smile and said: "I’m not hiding the truth from elder brother but actually my real name is too coarse and not that god to listen. My mother used to call me bastard."
Zhang San laughed and said: "bastard, bastard…this name is really strange."
Then Zhang San and Li Si started to move, although it looked that they were walking normally but their speed was really swift and with in a moment they used their lightness martial art and looked like a blur passing through the trees.
In a moment Shi Potian fell behind about tens of feet from both of them, he too leapt hurriedly and pursued them. After some time he caught them and as only at about three paces from those two.
Li Si and Zhang San were eager to get rid of this dumb kid, so they used their lightness martial-art; however Shi Potian was still following them closely.
They only heard Shi Potian saying: "Elder brothers are really good, you two can effortlessly walk so quickly and here I’m running desperately still somehow only managed to keep the pace."
Speaking of posture with which they were walking, there was a great difference. Zhang San and Li Si were walking naturally and in a graceful manner on the other hand Shi Potian was actually running in strides, both his arms crazily moving like pendulum, his body bent like a bow as though he was running for his life.
When these people heard him running after them happily and still talking with no ill intension, hey can’t help but to admire his unyielding spirit.
Shi Potian saw these two people moving along the same road he came and they were going towards the same fishing village where ‘Iron fork sect’ people were hiding.
As they went near to that place he said loudly: "elder brothers, in front of us on this road is a very dangerous place and could be disastrous. If we change our way than we can avoid losing out life."
Li Si and Zhang San both paused and tuned around and asked together: "how do you know this is a dangerous place?"
Shi Potian also paused, said: "In front of us is the ‘red willow’ harbor and a fishing village. Many rivers and lakes people who want to avoid their pursuers come here and hide. If they saw us three people then they might attack and kill us."
Li Si gazed him coldly and said: "how do you know?"
Shi Potian told them how he entered the ship full of corpse, how he heard the’ Iron fork sect’ people hiding in bilge and briefly about their discussion.
Li Si said: "These people are hiding in the fishing village themselves from the ‘command of reward and punishment’, what can they do to us? Your fear is totally unwanted and irrelevant.
Shi Potian said: "No, no! These people are really ferocious and often kill people. They fear that someone will divulge their secret and have even killed people on their own side. You look, these body bloodstain, it is from the two people they have from their own sect, just look at the blood drop on my clothing, I hid under the deck in the bilge at that time, and even I didn’t dared to move."
Li Si said: "you are already afraid, you are with us…you shouldn’t be afraid!"
Shi Potian said: "Elder brothers please do not go there; this ......This ...... is not joke."
Li Si turned and Zhang San turned around and lead the way without consulting with each other and thought: "This kid has such an immense internal energy but not only is his martial-arts ordinary but he is also really timid like mouse".
They started moving counting ten feet at a time. Shi Potian took half steps but still followed them closely.
Zhang San said: "you are afraid that ‘Iron fork sect’ people might kill so what are you doing now, following us closely?"
Shi Potian said: "have we not taken an oath? We have to share sorrow and happiness. If you two elder brothers have to go surely, then we will die on the same month, same date, in the same year with you. Once a man real man had said the words, he has no alternative but to keep a promise."
Li Si said gloomily: "heh…heh, the ‘Iron fork sect’ has several dozens men there, even if all of them stab you once; you will become a big hedgehog, you are not afraid?"
Shi Potian remembered how he heard on the ship the miserable cry of people killed by ‘Iron fork sect’, at this moment he felt afraid. At present in that small fishing village at least 100-200 people were hiding, even though the martial-arts of both elder brothers is very good still surely they will be overwhelmed by sheer number.
Li Si saw his face changing its color, he sneered and said: "we seek our death voluntarily; we don’t need anyone to accompany us to death. Little brother, you go home. If this time we don’t die then we will meet ten years later."
Shi Potian waved his hand saying: "you elder brothers should take as many helpers as you can. We are small in numbers and at the critical situation if we can escape and save our lives than we should."
Li Si frowned and said: "hit and then run away, what kind of a real man does that? How can we disgrace ourselves?"
Shi Potian said: "good, then I too won’t run away."
Zhang San and Li Si were not able to get rid of him, they looked at each smiled and thought in their: "This dumb kid actually very loyal, even agreed to go with us in such dangerous situation.
He is by far more heroic than all the other so called heroes of the martial arts world."
Chapter 12 - Two Bronze Medals
Shi Potian saw no trace of that ship full of corpses. In the village he saw no one and it was unexpectedly very quiet, he walked one step, his heart thumping, his complexion was already pale, thought aloud: "Fortunately they are all hiding and hadn’t seen us."
Zhang San and Li Si surveyed the terrain and arrived at a small thatched hut, Zhang San puts out a hand to shove open the wooden shutter of shop. He arrived near a stove without consulting anybody, looked around and slightly hesitated, held one big stone water cylinder and placed it aside, the cylinder bottom revealed a big iron hoop. Li Si held the iron hoop and raised it upwards with a creaking sound; a sheet of iron slid smoothly and appeared a big hole suddenly.
Zhang San leapt inside it following Li Si who jumped down first. Shi Potian only looked at them with admiration, and thought that this path might lead us to the hideout of ‘Iron fork sect’ and anxiously said: "two elder brothers, under this hole there may be …."
These words were not even said and he didn’t see either Zhang San or Li Si so he too didn’t think much and jumped in.
In front of him was a narrow corridor, Shi Potian followed after both people anxiously, only after few steps, he heard some people drinking and suddenly said: "what?"
Shi Potian felt a strong breeze moving towards Zhang San. Actually it was accompanied by an iron fork which someone moved towards him to stab. Zhang San used his both hands and hit the iron fork to reverse the attack; the two people attacking him fell to ground and died in a single move.
The corridor walls were ignited with large butter candle, he goes out about ten feet, then made a turn, at each corner there were two men guards.
Whenever Zhang San saw them he only waved his hand and grasped the iron fork and killed them on the spot got rid of them quickly and neatly, not even using a second move.
Shi Potian was very surprised to see such martial-art, he thought: "what Brother Zhang is using is magic martial-arts? This is martial-art is really unexpected, maybe he is even better than Grandpa Ding Busi, Ding Busan or even Master Bai."
He absent-mindedly followed both these people as he heard confused sound of a lot of people. Suddenly he felt a large dash of energy moving towards them. Zhang San and Li Si were still moving in a very casual way and show no concern. All the people facing them suddenly stood firm with a panic-stricken color on their face.
Zhang San said: "Is chief helmsman in here?"
A person with huge stature held his fist in the other hand and said: "I Yu Desheng am the chief of ‘Iron fork sect’. You two honorable people came and I apologize I missed you and have not greeted you earlier.
Please come to the hall and we can have some wine. Oh...there is also another honored guest; all three of you please honor me with your presence.
Zhang San and Li Si nodded. Shi Potian saw this strange scene and didn’t understand anything. Zhang San has killed twelve people of ‘Iron fork sect’ in one breath and unexpectedly the opposite party was willing to give up, he thought its not possible and only wanted to turn around to escape, however when he saw Zhang San and Li Si carelessly moving towards the hall he can’t withdraw now and followed them, but actually could not help his whole body to tremble.
The chief helmsman of ‘Iron fork sect’ acted in a very respectful manner, showing them the way, nearby the road was filled with numerous people of ‘Iron fork sect’, everyone holding a iron fork with sparkling edges in their hands.
Zhang San, Li Si and Shi Potian passed between two row of audiences, only made a turn, and suddenly were present in a brightly lit hall, on the wall were inserted innumerable flares, and it looked as though it was daytime in their.
All around that place were again numerous ‘Iron fork sect’ people. Shi Potian saw these people and visualized them cutting his throat, got afraid and turned his head hurriedly, didn’t dare to look again.
Yu Desheng invited both Zhang San and Li Si to take the centre seat. These two people didn’t decline and sat without consulting anybody.
Zhang San smiled and referring to the seat on his side said "Little brother, you sit in here."
After Shi Potian took his seat, Yu Desheng also took his seat.
After some time several people wearing blue gown, having no belt or weapon and who looked like a part of some religious sect, arrived carrying in the cup, chopsticks, food and wine. As soon as they departed Zhang San and Li Si put their left hand in their tunic and from their gown sleeve simultaneously departs a thing, it fell on the table in front You Desheng.
They were actually two sheets of bronze and the way it was thrown it inserted on the tabletop smoothly exactly as though it is a part of table and resembling a fine piece of workmanship. On each piece was inscribed a person’s face, one a smiling face and the other angry gloomy face.
These bronze medals were exactly similar to the one nailed on the cabin door of the ship which had corpses of ‘flying fish sect’ people.
Wu Desheng’s complexion changed as he stands up, all around reverberated big ‘lang’ ‘lang’ sounds as hundreds of men vibrated their iron fork and exuded an ear-spitting sound, as various people have moved one step.
Shi Potian cried: "oh!"
He anxiously stood up so that he could flee and thought: "We are in this main hall, now it’s not easy to escape."
He looked at Zhang San and Li Si, one was grinning and the other had a mystifying look but still both maintained their composure, Shi Potian had no alternative so he simply sat down.
Yu Desheng said: "Is it so, or do you have something to say too?"
Zhang San said with a smile: "Chief helmsman Yu, you are the Shanxi ‘crouching tiger gate’ only disciple; in present age your ‘double short fork’ martial-arts is incomparable.
We are here to invite you to the island of heroes to eat a bowl of ‘eight meat gruel’. We don’t have any other intension and please don’t look over it suspiciously."
Yu Desheng hesitated for a moment, put out a hand on the table and the two bronze medals jumped, caught it and put in the bosom, said: "I accept the invitation for ‘eight meat gruel’."
Zhang San gave thumbs up sign and said: "many thanks Chief helmsman Yu, me and my brother didn’t came here on a futile pursuit."
From the crowd suddenly one man called out: "Although Chief helmsman Yu is our head but still our ‘Iron fork sect’ has numerous heroes who are not afraid to die. We cannot let the Chief helmsman to lose his life for us brothers."
As soon as Shi Potian heard this sound, he recognized him as that Brother Hu who killed two people in the cabin on that ship; he knew that this person is very fierce in nature and got afraid, his heart thumping madly.
Yu Desheng forced a smile and said: "give more lives in vain, what’s the gain? I have already decided; Brother Hu, no need to talk too much." As he was speaking this he took the wine pot and poured for Zhang San, but the right hand was trembling and he spilled the wine on the tabletop.
Zhang San said with a smile: "Chief helmsman Yu Desheng is a big hero, you have killed s many without batting an eye, are you a little afraid today?"
He took the wine glass to his mouth nearby, with a ping pong sound, the wine glass fell suddenly in ground and broke in to pieces, and his body leaned on one side on chair.
Shi Potian said: "eldest brother, how?"
He leaned to other side and asked Li Si: "elder brother, he ......He ......"
His words were not even finished and he saw Li Si leaning on the chair slowly. Shi Potian was frightened and felt helpless for a while.
In the beginning Yu Desheng thought that Zhang San and Li Si are doing this intentionally, but then he saw Zhang San face having a blood red color, breathing as though he have asthma, on the other hand Li Si had actually turned white, on his face appeared faint purplish black color, obviously they were severely poisoned.
Under his heart he felt great happiness but actually didn’t dare to take any action, he said with hypocrisy: "you two…what?"
He saw Li Si shrank to the bottom of the table and not even twitching now.
Shi Potian was busy helping out Li Si, he asked: "two elder brothers, you ......You ......are you feeling uncomfortable?"
He didn’t know that when he, Zhang San and Li Si were drinking wine it was actually poisonous wine and they had taken around eight-nine mouthful. By their skill if they normally used to drink three mouthfuls and quickly move their internal energy to neutralize the poison and face no problem.
But this time even though they faked and still were reluctant to show off at the first they drank more than they could have handled. Also even though they were used to this medicated wine but they didn’t feel any abdominal pain because they had taken anti-dote earlier.
Actually the purpose of the anti-dote was to postpone the break-out of poison inside their stomach. This poisonous wine they were taking was for increasing their internal energy so this antidote didn’t neutralized the poisonous nature but only negated it to act for a limited amount of time and waits for the internal energy to sublimate the poison.
