Ode to gallantry, p.48
Ode to Gallantry, page 48
He still did not know that his strong internal energy actually has forced this acute poison out of his abdomen through the meridians to the palm. After learning the ‘arhat’s divine demon subduing skill’ in the ancestral hall, he was practicing his internal energy every day, so gradually as this violent poison reduced, his internal energy was also improving along with it, this way after the nineteenth day all the poison from his body will be expelled.
He leisurely strolled along the road, walked about half of the day and arrived near the Yangtze River. Along the shore he saw a main road so he took it went ahead immediately.
Shortly before noon he bought some noodles from a small town to eat and then traveled in the East direction. He had no cares, so he roamed willfully. As the evening came he saw a yellow wall in front of him in the woods. He went near that place and saw it was a temple, the house was grand, before the gate was a broad and straight greenish-black slate road, at the entrance were standing two guards carrying long sword's and wearing yellow hat like a Taoist.
The two guards saw Shi Potian approaching towards the temple.
One of them a middle-aged person asked: where are you coming?"
He saw Shi Potian wearing dirty cloths, looked quite young and also a bit slow-witted; the way he was looking around, so he spoke in a very impolite manner.
Shi Potian didn’t think much about it and said with a smile: "I just walk casually and there isn’t anything specific I want. Is it a Buddhist temple? I have money, so I can buy food to eat.
That guard got angry: "this boy talks nonsense. Do we look like Buddhist priest? We have not opened a hotel here and are not selling food. Who are you showing your money? Get lost! Get lost quickly or if you deliberately start trouble again here, I will break your leg."
The other young guard pressed the sword hilt, on his face a wicked grin appeared and he looked as though he will draw his sword and kill him.
Shi Potian said: "I was hungry that’s why I asked to buy some food to eat. I am not interested in fights. Why should I kill you?" as he was saying he turned around to get out of the way.
That young guard got angry and said: "what did you say?" and he move ahead to catch him.
After saying that Shi Potian understood that this person might have misunderstood him; He remembered how in the tunnel hall so many ‘Iron fork sect’ people have died and in his heart regretted it. He didn’t want fight with more people, so when he saw that young guard moving towards him with an intension to fight, he was scared that he might kill him so he immediately ran away into the woods.
He only heard the two guards laughing at him and the middle-aged person saying: "That dirty boy really got frightened, a real coward, the moment he saw us he ran away with his tails in between his legs.
He saw the two Taoist priests are no longer pursuing him and also saw it was getting dark. He wanted to look for a wild fruit or something to appease his hunger, but in the forest there were only pine trees or the cedar trees or nothing that had any fruits on them.
He rushed to a small hillside took a higher position to look out. He saw only that Taoist temple and around ten or so houses. From one of the chimneys of house he saw a white smoke coming out; obviously someone was boiling the vegetable to cook.
Besides this Taoist temple, he looked out in all directions as far as the eye can see, there were no other houses.
He saw the smoke coming from kitchen chimneys and heard chaotic sound from his stomach.
He thought: "these Taoist guards are really fierce, as soon as I open my mouth they will start to fight, maybe I should take a look from behind, if it has anything to eat, I may took it and then walk away. Only in that case I need to put down the money or I will be a young thief."
Immediately he circled the forest around the Taoist temple, looked for the on the smoke from kitchen chimneys, jumped over a wall, stayed in line of the wall, saw one of the back door semi-open and moved sideways to enter inside.
By now it was totally dark, even one can go to the courtyard, but he heard the sounds of people talking, the sound of spoons in the vegetable pot, the ‘pssst’ sound of oil in a cooked food, the intermittent fragrance fluttered in the entire courtyard. He was looking precisely at the kitchen. Shi Potian swallowed the mouth saliva quietly and immediately hid in a dark corner in the corridor to the kitchen entrance and thought "It looks as this these meals are to be delivered there. I hope that if I walk away with a bowl of meat then these people will not fight and kill people for the rest of the food."
He was really thinking of going in, and then three people came out from the kitchen. All three were young Taoist priests, one person was raising a lantern and the other two were following him with various trays, in the plate were hot cooked food, fragrant overflowing, obviously there were several delicious meat dishes.
Shi Potian swallowed greedy saliva, put the light footsteps and followed them on the heels quietly. Three young Taoist priests passed through the corridor, and arrived in a main hall, and put down the cooked food on the table. The young Taoist priests turned around to go out, keeping down the chair for one more person, keeping the cups and chop sticks for a total of three people.
Shi Potian hid outside the long window; he looked for anyone in the hall or in the corridor. He waited with extreme anxiousness while those young Taoist priests moved out of his sight and then quickly went inside the hall. He quickly started with the bowl and the braised beef and filled them in his mouth and both his hands ripped through the steam chicken's leg.
He had only swallowed the first beef, and then he heard a sound outside the long window, someone saying: "Younger brother, younger sister, please come in."
He then heard footsteps sound and several people were arriving at the hall.
Shi Potian thought in his heart: "It’s not good!"
With only the steam chicken leg in his hand, he hurriedly pulled out some money from his bosom and put it on the table and then rushed to the back room, he heard the footsteps sound from back room too, and obviously there were also some people. He glanced around in the main hall and saw that there was no place for him to hide completely. He cannot help but cursed his luck: "It looks that I have to fight these people."
In a few moments all these people were already near the long window, he remembered the ‘Iron fork sect’ main hall and how everyone died. He exactly didn’t know how they all died but he still felt guilt in his conscience about their death, as he was fighting his own demons. He was desperate to avoid any fight so he glanced again and saw a big plaque hanging at the crossbeam. He didn’t think much and immediately jumped up onto the crossbeam, and hid behind the plaque.
He straightens up after bowing and performing the kowtow, and took shelter apologizing. The moment he hid behind the plaque, the long window was shoved open and several people walked in.
He only heard one person saying: "Brothers please, senior brother is really too polite to have prepared such delicious food and wine."
Shi Potian listens to this voice and felt familiar; he peeped downward from the gap between wooden plaque and crossbeam and only saw several people accompany a male and female, both these people sitting together. Obviously these two people were the famous Shi couple; Shi Qing and Min Rou. He felt really grateful to these two people, especially Madam Min Rou. He remembered how she had in the past presented him silver as a gift, also that day in temple of village god she taught him some sword skills and was very compassionate towards him. As soon as he remembered it, he felt warmth in his heart.
The person with white hair said: "Younger brother, Younger sister, you have come from far away. I am really happy and am offering did glass of ordinary wine."
Suddenly he saw on the table, some juice was dripping, in a large bowl, there was only left over remnant soup. In bowl's main meat dishes, a chicken leg was missing. He did not know how it suddenly vanished into thin air, also nearby the bowl were kept some silver ingots.
The person with white hair wrinkled his brows and thought that these young Taoist priests are really negligent, nobody is on guard here. It looks as if a cat has eaten some food and ran away. These visitors have come from such a far place; I can’t even reprimand these fellows for their mistake.
By now the young Taoist priest who cane to serve food and all other people too saw that bowl of remnant soup and felt awkward. That priest hurriedly moved and tidied the place as nobody said about anything.
That old person than asked Mr. and Mrs. Shi Qing to take the seat of honor and himself sit at the side, he stroked his gown sleeve stroked lightly and covered up the silver ingot. He waited for a few moments and then removed it n such a way so that no one can he see it.
In the centre these three people took their seat and the rest of the Taoist priests divided themselves in two rows and sat on the other side.
After three rounds of wine that old person sighed and said: "I’m seeing you after eight years… such a long time. Younger fellow-disciples, you look great and wonderful. Your stupid Elder fellow-disciples have grown old and withered.
Shi Qing said: "senior brother had grown his hair white but in his spirit he is still healthy and vigorous."
That old man said: "what white? I am still like a bull in my heart. All my hair turned white in only one night. Younger brother, younger sister if you people had arrived three days ago, you could have seen my beard and hair at least half black and half white.
Shi Qing asked: "Senior brother, Are you worried about the two envoys of the ‘command of reward and punishment’?"
That old man sighs and said: "Perhaps apart from this matter, there isn’t any other matter in this martial-arts world right now. Only two things matter right now, this ‘Shan Qing’ temple and these young Taoist apprentices."
Shi Qing said: "I and younger sister were nearby Lake Chaohu when we heard from some people that the two envoys of ‘command of reward and punishment’ have resurfaced in the martial-arts world. So we traveled through out the night and came here to discuss a strategy with the chief of ‘Shan Qing temple’ and all your fellow apprentices.
‘Shan Qing’ temple has such a high reputation in martial-arts world for past ten years. Perhaps high position invites criticism, so those two envoys of ‘command of reward and punishment’ can be targeting you senior brother as you are the head of this temple. If you don’t have any problem than younger brother and sister will like to stay in the temple for a month in case those two visit us, although our skills are pretty poor but still if senior brother doesn’t mind, we can serve with our lives."
That old person Tian Xu sighed gently, fishes out two bronze medals from his bosom, and placed them on the table.
Shi Potian was sitting above their head; saw it clearly, same two signs, a smiling face and an angry face, just as he had seen earlier. He was unable to restrain his heart to thump madly and thought: This old Taoist priest also has these two signs?"
Shi Qing too was shocked and cried: "Ohhh", then said : "so those two envoys of ‘command of reward and punishment’ already got you, so after all we are one step late. It’s a difficult matter. When did it happen? Senior brother you ......How did you dealt with it?"
Tian Xu sat silently, didn’t answer for a while, and then said: "This happened three days ago. As head of ‘Shan Qing temple’ and for the righteous cause, I had complied with their wishes and accepted the invitation to take the ‘Eight meat gruel’ in the island of heroes.
Shi Qing saw the two bronze medals, also saw the look in the faces of all the priests in the temple, he had already guessed the situation the moment he came in, stood up suddenly and immediately bowed in front of him clasping his hand and said: "Senior brother has taken the heavy burden of taking care of this ‘Shan Qing’ temple alone, younger brother feels ashamed and expresses his thanks. But younger brother has a presumptuous request; I hope senior brother doesn’t refuse."
Tian Xu returned his salute and said: "Worldly thing, at this moment doesn’t matter to me lot. My worthy brother what ever you say I will do."
Shi Qing said: "So it means Senior brother has consented?"
Tian Xu said: "Obviously consented. My worthy brother, but can I know what exactly your instructions are?"
Shi Qing said: "Your younger brother is brazenly bold, but senior brother you must invite us husband and wife to share the command of this ‘Shan Qing’ temple."
The moment he said his words the countenance of the people in the hall changed.
Tian Xu didn’t reply and hesitated.
Shi Qing said: "Younger brother and his wife want to share the command of this sect so we can go the island of heroes and taste the ‘Eight meat gruel’."
Tian Xu laughed, but his laughter was actually filled with bitter, astringent meaning. Tears glistening in his eyes, he said: "my worthy brother, I declined your request with thanks. I have been chief of this ‘Shan Qing’ temple and the sect for past ten years. It is well-known in the martial-art world, today in time of crisis, if I evade my responsibility or even shrink back in fear than what face can I show to others.?"
He spoke these words and put out a hand to hold Shi Qing right palm, said: "my worthy brother, you are far to younger than me right now, you also have a family although small but still you have one. Your martial-arts is really very good even you are best in our sect and so is your moral behavior. I usually drink a lot and getting old.
I have already agreed to go to island of heroes and eat ‘Eight meat gruel’. I would have happily given you command of the ‘Shan Qing temple’ but in these circumstances I really can’t follow your instruction. ha, ha!"
His laughter was full of irony.
Shi Potian listened about that island of heroes and the ‘eight meat gruel’ and didn’t understand any thing. He once listened about it from his eldest brother at the ‘Iron fork sect’ main hall, however the way this old Taoist was speaking about eating that ‘eight meat gruel’ was entirely different. As soon as that Taoist mentioned that appointment, his look changed entirely.
He thought: "is it some fatal poison in that gruel or what?
He again heard Tian Xu saying: "my worthy brother, my hair turned white in a single night, it is not that I covet my life or am afraid of death. I am already sixty-two this year, even if I have died this year, it could have been considered as is dying of old age. My only concern is this great misfortune of the martial art world every ten year. Can we maintain the prestige and honor of our sect?
That is the true difficult matter. During the past 30 years, the island of heroes has organized this ‘eight meat gruel’ feast about three times.
At each meeting, whichever head of any sect has attended this feast, no one has come back. As soon as I die, you should not pity, but it’s a time of damage control, we actually must think of some proper method to move forward."
As soon as Shi Qing heard this he too smiled, carried his wine cup, drinks up, said: "senior brother, We husband and wife are overreaching ourselves, but still I must ask the senior brother to yield. It is not the case that we are sending two people of senior generation to deliver their life but actually we must go to find the truth about these people. Perhaps if God blesses us, we can uncover the truth of this island of heroes. Although we did not dare to say that out martial arts can match them but if in the martial-art world no one will try than how can we know about this great evil. As long as someone can unravel this mystery, the martial-art world will be in chaos and no one will be able to stand off against island of heroes."
Tian Xu shakes his head slowly, said: "It is not that I am disparaging your ambitions my worthy brother. Look, the likes of Shaolin Temple’s wondrous truth abbot, Wudang sect’s simpleminded Taoist priest, Qingcheng sect’s the clear spatial Buddhist priest and so on, several master have gone there and that’s it. Although my worthy brother, your martial-arts is high, eventually ......Still in comparison to the Shaolin temple’s abbot and Wudang sect’s Taoist priest, it’s nothing."
Shi Qing said: "Younger brother actually do know about all these stuff but every thing is not just a matter of merit but also half depends on the luck. We have to somehow exterminate this big evil, or at least try to acquire some knowledge about them otherwise everything else is a futile exercise."
Tian Xu still shook his head, said: "’Shan Qing’ temple should prosper for hundreds of year. After I die you should take care of it. Hereafter my worthy brother, you husband and wife must make every effort to stop this sect from deterioration and annihilation. If you accept this offer I will be deeply grateful."
Shi Qing said over and over but that old person didn’t relent. Various people didn’t drink at all and put the wine cup as it is, even forgot to eat the delicious food. Shi Potian tore down the chicken gently, squeezes in his mouth; he was afraid that they might hear him chewing and swallowed it completely. He was eating but his entire attention was on the people and their discussion.
He saw Shi Qing and Tian Xu discussing and rest of them listening. Madam Min Rou didn’t interrupted, after some time she slowly puts out a hand and took the two bronze medals, looked at the meeting and conveniently held it to her bosom.
Tian Xu called out: "Younger sister, please lay it down!"
Min Rou shows a faint smile and said: "I am receiving it for the senior fellow-disciple, isn’t the same."
Tian Xu saw that she is not willing to give up these bronze medals so puts out a hand to seize. This time Min Rou stretched out her chopsticks towards the bowl of red-roasted rice field eel, intercepting his move, his right arm just blocking Tian Xu’s palm.
As soon as this happened, Madam Shi collided her empty hand with that of Tian Xu and quickly pulled it back. She exchanged the bronze medal in a flash from her other hand and said: "Now I received it from you!"
