Ode to gallantry, p.56
Ode to Gallantry, page 56
Shi Qing hesitated and said: "If we three people just go to Clan of eternal happiness and reveal this matter, not only they will get angry out of shame, maybe even resort to violence. We three people will be overwhelmed by sheer numbers; moreover several people in the martial arts world might make a testimony in their side, so again it will be difficult matter for Yu’er in future too."
Min Rou said: "South of Yangtze River, in Songjiang District, government officer silver halberd Elder brother Yang Guang loves to make friends and he is also our good friend. We should visit him and might ask him to come along with us to Clan of eternal happiness in official capacity, this way we can visit and pay out respects too."
Shi Qing said: "this idea is really good. In the area south of Yangtze river, we have several friends in the martial arts world too; at least they will give us husband and wife some face."
The personal connection of the Shi couple was extremely good in the martial arts world, for 20 years they were generous in aiding other people, faced difficultly themselves to help other people overcome their difficulties, not only that they were always busy helping someone but never asked others for help for any matter. They were sure that if they need help, they will definetly find people to help them so they decided to leave for Songjiang
Chapter 14 - The Guan Dong School
The family immediately left in the south-east direction for Songjiang. On the road they arrived at a small town, it was getting late and dark so the three decided to stay overnight in some inn. The Shi couple stayed in a big spacious room and Shi Potian stayed in a small room near courtyard.
Min Rou treasured her son and originally wanted him to take a good room too but all the good room were already filled apart from one so he took the small room.
In the evening Shi Potian sat cross-legged on the bed and did some breathing exercise. He really felt extremely good as though some warm energy is flowing inside his entire body. He felt the fresh air on his skin and liked it, suddenly looked at his palm in the light of lamp. The red spot and the blue clouds were very vague. He did not know that those two bottle gourds of poisoned liquor; most og it has increased his internal energy even more and also as he was practicing hard recently, he was able to sweep-out most of the poison out of his body, in his heart he was overjoyed.
As he was resting in the night, he heard a tapping sound in the window suddenly. Shi Potian stood up and asked in a low voice: "who is there?"
He only heard again three tap on his window, this time when he heard the taps he understood, his heart thumped violently and he asked: "Is it Ding dang?"
He heard the voice of Ding Dang in a very low voice: "Obviously, who else are hoping for?"
Shi Potian heard the sound of the Ding dang, he felt very happy and at the same time he was also got alarmed, he didn’t spoke for a while. He heard a slight sound as the window paper wore out, a finger came out from the extended window lattice, he put his ear firmly on the hole and heard Ding dang saying: "why don’t you open the window?"
Shi Potian calmed himself as he feared that his parents might listen her voice and might get alarmed, he did not dare to make any noise, shoves open the window gently. Ding dang jumped inside quickly, as soon as she saw him, she smiled and said: "Elder bother, do you think of me?"
Shi Potian said: "I ......I ......I ......"
Ding dang got angry and said: "good, you do not think me? You were only thinking that girl. You and that girl have bowed to heaven and earth and now you have taken a new bride."
Shi Potian said: "when have I bowed to heaven and earth with her?"
Ding dang said with smile: "I saw with my own eyes, who else will I rely on? Good, I do not blame you, you are romantic in nature, and actually I like it. That girl likes it too?"
Shi Potian said: "I did not see her, when I returned to the cave, could not find her again." He thought of A’Xiu and remembered her charming refined look, her loving meaningful glance, and hereafter actually didn’t saw her again felt sad in heart.
As soon as she heard it Ding dang laughed and said: "Bodhisattva blesses us, I hope you never see her again ever…forever."
Shi Potian thought: "I must surely find A’Xiu again."
He couldn’t say it in front of Ding dang so he immediately changed the topic and asked: "your grandfather? Is he good?"
Ding dang puts out her to turn him towards her and said in an angry voice: "you did not ask that I am good? Oh Devil!"
Originally Shi Potian was regulating the internal energy inside his body before she came; as soon as she caught him with her hands she felt a violent jolt in her hands.
Shi Potian said: "Ding dang listen, that day you threw me into the river, luckily I fell on that ship, or I would have drowned to death."
He immediately thought how he fell beside A’Xiu and both of them were sleeping together. He again got concerned about her and thought: "where has A’Xiu gone? Why didn't she wait for me?"
These days whenever he was practicing martial-arts, occasionally he remembered A’Xiu, her face suddenly flashes in his mind and he forgot everything. In fact here was sitting with Ding dang still he was only thinking of A’Xiu and for a moment forgot that even Ding dang there or not.
Ding Dang said: "what I fell luckily on a ship? Obviously I threw you intentionally, don't tell me… you do not know that?"
Shi Potian felt ashamed and said: "In my heart I knew that you treat me well, what I meant to say but ......but I was a bit confused about the situation."
As soon as Ding Dang heard that she smiled and said: "I and you are husband and wife, what are you confused about?"
Two people sit shoulder to shoulder in the side of the bed. Shi Potian smelled the light fragrance of orchid on the body of Ding dang; was unable to restrain himself and moved his hands but suddenly he thought of A’Xiu and felt that if she knew that I and Ding Dang are intimate then will certainly be angry."
Originally He stretched out his right arm to hug Ding dang but then he retracted them before touching her.
Ding Dang said: "Elder brother, you tell me honestly, what is it? Is your new wife is more attractive?"
Shi Potian said: "what new wife are you talking about? Only you ......Only you are my wife." As he was saying this he sighed and thought: "I am willing to give my life if A’Xiu is willing to be wife. Don’t know if get to see her again? Don’t know If she is willing to be my wife?"
Ding Dang grabbed his neck with her one hand and pulled in to kiss him on his lips. She puts out a hand on his head to pat his and said immediately: "I have only one wife, why are you unhappy about that? Also why are you sighing?"
Shi Potian knew that she had seen through him and got embarrassed, his face reddened all over, grasped her, did not know what is good, his mind was resisting but on the other hand couldn’t give up the this gentle taste, thought for a moment than hugged her but actually didn’t dare to kiss.
Ding dang was used to handle worldly affairs boldly but she too was a young girl and panicked, and couldn’t kiss Shi Potian. She was quite ashamed, and shrank her body to hide into the corner of bed.
Shi Potian hesitated for half of the day, called in a low voice said: "Ding Dang!"
Ding Dang didn’t pay any attention to him and said nothing. In his heart Shi Potian was only thinking of A’Xiu, suddenly he remember how A’Xiu was looking at him with that meaningful glance in the woods of Azure Mist Island, that day, he remembered how she was calling him "elder brother", and in his heart he felt a wild joy as he realized that she was willing to be his wife."
He immediately thought to go and look for her, he sighed and sat on the chair, bent over his desk and did nothing.
Ding Dang saw him not coming towards him felt relived and somewhat disappointed at the same time, thought: "Finally, I found him!"
Day after day were passing and I was not able to found him, I was getting concerned, but now in my heart as though I am feeling such infinite relief.
They sat that way till the dawn, Shi Potian on the chair and Ding Dang on the bed. They heard a gentle knock on a door, Min Rou called out from the other side of the door: "Yu’er, have you gotten up?"
Shi Potian immediately replied without thinking: "mother!"
He stood up and then looked at Ding Dang. He cannot help but felt embarrassed.
Min Rou said: "Open the door; I have few words to say!"
Shi Potian hesitated slightly and then said: "yes!"
Then he went to open the door.
Ding dang too was very shy; she thought that she and Shi Potian were in the same room for entire night, although they had done nothing but still if other people saw it than they will obviously think otherwise.
What more is that the person coming in is her mother-in-law. She thought that he should simply jump out of the bed, shoves open the window, and jump to escape, but then she saw Shi Potian and remembered how difficult it was to find him and now after meeting him how can she leave without even saying good-bye, she even did not know when will they meet again. She gestured him to not open the door.
Shi Potian said in a low voice: "It is my mother, it doesn’t matter."
His both hands bumped into the door bolt. Ding dang was greatly anxious, she thought: "For anyone else it doesn’t matter but it’s your mother so it is most important to me."
She again thought of leaping through the window and run away.
She originally was not afraid of anyone but when it came to meeting her mother-in-law and that too in such awkward situation she cannot help but felt as though her whole body is giving off heat, she saw that Shi Potian had just pulled out the bolt to open the door. She was desperate, her left hand puts forth a move "the tiger fingernail" to attack his Lingtai acu-point, the right hand made a move "beautiful woman picks up the needle" to attack his Xuanshu acu-point.
Shi Potian only felt both acu-points in his body, slightly numb and aching and fainted, Ding Dang held his body and hid in the bottom of bed.
Min Rou was a veteran in martial-art world, she heard a light sound ‘Yi’ when Ding Dang struck Shi Potian and immediately knew something was wrong. She cherished her son’s life very much and didn’t wait and struck the door with her shoulder, the door bolt gave away in a single hit, she stepped inside and saw the open window, and her son was not in the room. She called out immediately: "Elder brother come quickly!"
Shi Qing rushed in quickly.
Min Rou said: "Yu’er ......someone has kidnapped him!"
As she was saying she moved for the window. Both people did say anything and simultaneously jumped out of the window. Both coming out of the window, one black one white, just likes two big birds swaying gracefully in the air, looked extremely elegant and wonderful.
Ding Dang saw them from the bottom of the bed and cannot help but to say: "Thank God".
The Shi Qing couple were senior martial-art experts in the realm of rivers and lakes, originally it was not easy to get swindled so easily, but it all happen suddenly, as soon as Min Rou saw her beloved son not in the room and she had just heard from her, she lost her mind, she believed the first bad thoughts which came to her mind, she expected that someone with Snow mountain sect or from Clan of eternal happiness might be behind it. She burst opened the door the moment she heard that ‘Yi’ sound, it all happened in a very short period of time. As she came out she calculated that whoever was there he couldn’t take Yu’er out and room and disappear in air, definitely they are still in the room.
Shi Potian initially got startled when Ding dang locked his acu-point but his internal energy was extremely vigorous, he managed to open his acu-points immediately, but his body was being held by Ding Dang and actually didn’t wanted to make noise and alert his parents so he hesitated. Suddenly the Shi couple came back to the room jumping back from the window.
Under the bed some dust particle entered his nose, Shi Potian sneezed three times as he was being held by Ding dang he looked towards her, saw only her face still red looking extremely charming.
Shi Potian said: "these are my father and mother."
Ding Dang said: "I already know! Yesterday I heard you calling them in the afternoon."
Shi Potian said: "wait for my father and mother to come back, I will introduce you with the?"
Ding dang moved to one side and said: "I do not want it. Your parents despise my grandfather; also they will naturally despise me."
Shi Potian was living with his parents for some time now, he listened to both these people style of speaking, and thought that both are extremely chivalrous, frank and upright people, however with Ding Busan it was different matter, he hesitated a bit and said: "how do you know that?"
Before the Shi couple could reply or say anything Ding dang said hurriedly to Shi Potian: "you come to my room, I have something to say."
Shi Potian asked: "you also are staying in this inn?"
Ding Dang said with a smile: "will I want to grab my husband in midnight; obviously I have a place to sleep?"
As soon as she said these words she went through the window, passes through the courtyard, saw no one so pushed the gate to enter a small room.
Shi Potian followed her, did not see Ding Busan and felt relieved, he asked: "your grandfather?"
Ding Dang said: "I ran away, my grandfather is not with me."
Shi Potian asked: "why?"
Ding Dang humphed and said: "I wanted to look for you; he didn’t agreed so I sneaked off."
Shi Potian moved towards her and said: "Ding Dang, you were looking for me, it’s really good."
Ding Dang said with smile: "I am really embarrassed about last night, are you fine with this situation?"
Shi Potian said with a smile: "you said that we are the husband and wife, what is there to get embarrassed."
The complexion of her face changed and her face turned red.
They only heard some voices of people talking in the courtyard, Shi Qing said: "this is the money for room and food!"
The heard the sound of horse's hoof, the couple took the horse and left the place.
Shi Potian moved towards them for two steps, and then stood there for a moment, turned his head and asked Ding dang: "you know where the government office in Songjiang is?"
Ding dang relied with a smile: "It’s a big place, everyone knows about it?"
Shi Potian said: "father mother are going to the Songjiang District government office, they are looking for a person named silver halberd Yang Guang. I should go after them."
He had met with Ding dang after some time so he didn’t want to leave her so early and bid good-bye.
As soon as Ding Dang understood his intention, she said: "this idiot does not know the road, the Songjiang District government office is in the southeast direction, I will make him to walk toward Northeast, farther he is from his parents, and more are the chances that we will not meet."
Under her heart she felt assured and cannot help but smiled, her face blossomed like a flower. Shi Potian looked steadily at her for some time.
Ding dang said with a smile: "what are you looking at? Haven’t you seen me before?"
Shi Potian said: "Ding dang, you ......You are really attractive, you look really good compared to my mother."
He also thought: "If I compare she and A’Xiu, who is more beautiful?"
Ding Dang laughed and said: "elder brother, you are also very attractive, you too look good compared to my grandfather." She laughed aloud as she said.
As soon as two people were done with this idle talk, Shi Potian again got worried about his parents and said: "my parents didn’t ask me before leaving, I am worried about them, and I should go after them."
Ding dang said: "good, you are really their filial son."
She too paid the money for room and food and left the shop to go immediately.
In the inn the storekeeper and the servants saw Shi Potian coming with the Shi couple and staying in the inn but now coming out of the room with this unmarried beautiful looking girl. They all expressed admiration for this young person and they were the talk of the town for the next ten days, what is their relation, is it a romantic relationship or they did they already knew each other, everyone discussed it diversely and each had their opinions on this matter.
Shi Potian and Ding dang came out of that town and travelled to the East, walked aound three miles, then arrived at a three-road junction. Ding dang took the road to the northeast direction.
Shi Potian expected that she knew the path and so walked side-by-side with her, he said: "my father and mother are riding very fast horses, if they are not eating while traveling and wait for me then we can’t overtake them."
She purses her lips and said with a smile: "I expect that your parents are familiar to the Yang family of the Songjiang District, but I fear that even though your parents are such reputed people they might not recognize the road to that place?"
Shi Potian said: "my father and mother travel all over the world, how will they not recognize this road?"
Both people kept talking all the way. Shi Potian was living with his parents for some time now, they were teaching him and he had a better understanding of the worldly affairs now. When Ding Dang saw his talking in such a manner, she chuckled in her heart and thought: "After he got sick, he had forgotten many things of the past, but he only needed more time to recover. Once he remembers the martial-art world’s customs he won’t forget it again.
Both people arrived at a small town while traveling and stopped there to eat. They found a small hotel and entered lobby; saw nearly all the three tables were already occupied by other people. Two people were sitting in the corner on a very small table. That hotel originally was not really big, the servant were busy taking care of the meal for the people on three large table, and had no free time to pay attention to these two people.
She saw at least eighteen-nineteen people sitting on the large table, three of them were females; they were aged, looked ordinary but had pointed weapons clipped to their belts. They were talking in loud voices, drinking wine from large bowl and eating meat but were looking heroic from their appearance. She thought obviously these people are from martial-art world, not those petty government officials but chivalrous outlaws."
