Chapter - 8 Hiss of the Tiger, Moan of the Dragon (2/2)

Emperor Baoding ordered that stools be brought for each of them, then ordered for them to be seated. Dismissing the servants, he explained how it was that Duan Yu fell into the enemy's hands. Everyone knew that the man in green was the key to the situation. Upon hearing Emperor Baoding say that not only did this person know the 'Solitary Solar Finger', but that his skill in it was above the emperor's own, everyone present didn't dare to interrupt. Each of them lowered their heads in thought. They all knew that the 'Solitary Solar Finger' was something which was passed down from one generation to the next within the Duan family. Only the sons were trained in it, and not the daughters, much less outsiders. If the man in green knew this art, he must be the offspring of the royal line.

(Note: This rule was unbroken until a later descendant of the Duan family, Duan Zhixing, also known as master Yideng, broke the ancestral proscriptions by teaching this divine art to Wang Chongyang in order to subdue Ouyang Feng. He later passed the teachings of it to his four disciples: The fisherman, the woodcutter, the farmer, and the scholar. For a comprehensive overview, see 'Legend of the Eagle-Shooting Heroes'.) [Translator's note: This note was not put in by me, but was included in the text of my copy of the novel.]

Emperor Baoding said to Duan Zhengchun, ”Younger brother Chun, try and guess who this person is.” Duan Zhengchun lowered his head. ”I can't guess it. Can it be that someone from the Heavenly Dragon Monastery has returned to the secular world?” Emperor Baoding said, ”No. It is Crown Prince Yanqing!”

After these words were spoken, everyone present was extremely shocked. Duan Zhengchun said, ”Crown Prince Yanqing left the mortal world long ago! This man surely must be an imposter who is faking his identity!” Emperor Baoding replied, ”His identity can be faked, but the 'Solitary Solar Finger' cannot be. It's a commonplace occurrence in the wulin for someone to secretly learn the martial arts of another sect. But how could anyone possibly manage to pilfer his way into this type of internal energy learning? This person is definitely Crown Prince Yanqing. There is no mistaking it!”

Duan Zhengchun pondered this for a long time. He asked, ”Then he is a noble figure within our Duan family. Why would he choose to destroy pristine and pure reputation of our house?” Emperor Baoding sighed. ”This person's entire body is crippled. His temperament is strange as well. Nothing can be understood through conventional reasoning. Much less, I now sit on Dali's imperial throne. His heart is naturally filled with resentment and melancholy. He wants for us brothers to have our reputations swept away.”

Duan Zhengchun said, ”Elder brother, you assumed the throne long ago. The ministers and the common folk alike support you, and the borders are peaceful. Forget about Crown Prince Yanqing, even if Emperor Shangde [Duan Yanqing's father] was reborn, he couldn't reclaim the throne.”

Gao Shengtai rose to his feet. ”The South-Subduing Prince's words are absolutely correct. Let's just have Crown Prince Yanqing deliver young lord Duan into our hands. In fact, there's no need for us to recognize him as a Crown Prince at all. We should only view him as the leader of the four most evil villains in all the world, whom every man must condemn and punish. Although he possesses a high level of martial arts, in the end, he can't overmatch all of us.”

[This excerpt is translated partially by Laviathan, partially by me.]

More than ten years ago during the fifth year in the reign of the Emperor Shangde Duan Lianyi, a great and sudden upheaval occurred in the court of Dali. The Emperor Shangde was killed by the treacherous official Yang Yizhen. Consequently, Duan Shouhui, the nephew of the deceased emperor, sought the assistance of the eminent monks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple and the loyal minister Gao Zhisheng to have Yang Yizhen killed. After ascending the throne, Duan Shouhui became the Shangming emperor. Emperor Shangming did not want to be an emperor. After reigning for but a single year, he abdicated and became a Buddhist monk at the Heavenly Dragon Temple, giving his position to his younger cousin Duan Zhengming, who became the Baoding emperor. The Emperor Shangde had a son, whom the court addressed as Prince Yanqing. During the coup of Yang Yizhen, the situation had been so chaotic that no one knew where Prince Yanqing had gone. He was soon presumed dead, killed by Yang. Therefore, no one had expected that Prince Yanqing would suddenly reappear so many years after the incident.

[Excerpt completed.]

After hearing Gao Shengtai's words, Emperor Baoding shook his head. ”The position of emperor originally belonged to Crown Prince Yanqing. It was only because he could not be found that Emperor Shangming accepted the throne, then passed it to me. Since Crown Prince Yanqing has appeared, I should resign my position to him.” Turning his head, he said to Gao Shengtai, ”If your esteemed father was still alive, he would be of like mind.” Gao Shengtai was the son of Gao Zhisheng, a minister who had rendered outstanding service. The wiping out of the rebel forces in the past was completely due to the great efforts Gao Zhisheng had exerted.

Gao Shengtai took a step forward, then knelt down. ”My late father was loyal to his lord and loved his citizens. This freak in green claims to be the leader of the Four Evils. If he became the monarch of Dali, who can imagine how much the people would suffer under his reign? Even if I, your servant, were threatened with ten thousand deaths, I cannot accept your abdication!”

Also kneeling down, Ba Tianshi said, ”Earlier, I heard the monstrous voice of the Divine Crocodile calling out and saying that their leader, the head of the Four Evils, was known as...what was it again? 'Evil Beyond Human Capacity'? If this person is not Crown Prince Yanqing, he naturally cannot be allowed to achieve his goals. But even if he is Crown Prince Yanqing, how can such a vicious, treacherous knave be allowed to rule over the people of Dali? If that were to happen, the country would certainly collapse, and many lives would be lost.”

Emperor Baoding waved his arm. ”The two of you, please rise. Your words are full of sense and reason. But Yu'er has fallen into his clutches. Aside from me abdicating, what method is there for us to get Yu'er back home?”

Duan Zhengchun said, ”Elder brother, we, the subjects, should be the ones giving away our lives to help protect our emperor. Even though you love Yu'er, how can you throw away your important position for him? Even if Yu'er manages to escape using your method, he would become the greatest sinner of all Dali.”

Emperor Baoding rose to his feet. With his left hand, he stroked his long beard, while he lightly tapped his forehead with two fingers of his right hand. He began to pace in a circle in the study room. Everyone here knew that he always pondered in such a way when he was unsure as to how to best deal with an important issue. No one dared to make a sound, for fear of derailing his train of thought. Emperor Baoding walked back and forth. Only after a long time had passed did he speak again. ”Crown Prince Yanqing is a poisonous and vile schemer. He fed Yu'er the 'Yin and Yang Conjoining' powder. The strength of this drug is very profound. It's difficult for ordinary people to resist. I fear...I fear that his brain has already been fully bewildered by this drug.” He sighed. ”This is is a villainous plot indeed. We can't hold Yu'er responsible for what he does.”

Duan Zhengchun lowered his head. His sense of shame was boundless. He thought to himself that the root of this disaster came from his dissolute, lascivious way.

Emperor Baoding returned to his seat. ”Minister Ba, issue a decree. Have the Imperial Hanlin Academy prepare a written edict, conferring up on my brother, Zhengchun, the position of Huang Taidi, 'Imperial Crown Brother'. [This is a title conferred upon a sibling of an Emperor which puts that sibling first in the line of succession for the throne, above that of even the Emperor's own children.]

Duan Zhengchun was startled, then hurriedly knelt down. ”Elder brother, you have always been benevolent and upright, and have governed the people virtuously. The heavens will surely protect you, and you will have countless sons and grandsons. Please rescind your edict!”

Extending his hand, Emperor Baoding lifted Duan Zhengchun up. ”You and I are brothers. The country of Dali should've been administered by the both of us to begin with. Forget about the fact that I don't have sons or grandsons. Even if I had both, I would transfer my throne to you. Younger brother Chun, I made the decision to make you my heir long ago. Everyone in the country knows that. Today, we'll make it official, to let Crown Prince Yanqing know that he will not achieve his heart's desire!”

Duan Zhengchun declined multiple times, but Emperor Baoding refused to allow him to. He had no choice but to kowtow and thank the emperor. Gao Shengtai and the others rushed forward to congratulate him. As Emperor Baoding was without sons, the imperial throne would definitely go to Duan Zhengchun in the future. This is something which had been long anticipated, and no one was surprised at all. Emperor Baoding said, ”Everyone, go get some rest. This affair with Crown Prince Yanqing can only be told to Minister of Education Hua, and Minister of War Fan. Besides those two, this secret cannot be divulged.” Everyone agreed in one voice, then left after paying their respects. Ba Tianshi immediately left for the Imperial Hanlin Academy to publicly declare the imperial order.

Emperor Baoding ate some food, then took a little nap. When he woke up, he faintly heard the sounds of celebration from outside, as firecrackers exploded ceaselessly. A servant helped him into his robes, then reported, ”After hearing that your majesty conferred the position of 'Imperial Crown Brother' upon the South-Subduing Prince, the common people were filled with joy and started to celebrate. It's quite lively outside.” In the past few years, military ventures had become outmoded in Dali, and the imperial court was pure and bright. The citizens lived and worked in peace and happiness. They absolutely loved and respected such rulers as Emperor Baoding, the South-Subduing Prince, and the Marquis of Virtuous Enlightenment.

Emperor Baoding said, ”Send forth my decree. Tomorrow, hang out colored lanterns in celebration everywhere. Cancel the usual curfews. Reward the entire army, and bestow a gift of wine and meat to all the elderly and all the orphans.” After this edict was passed out, the joy of the common people only increased even more, to the point of the entire city boiling with it.

At the fall of night, Emperor Baoding changed into cheap clothes and left the palace by himself. He covered much of his face with a big hat, hiding his features behind it. Everywhere he went, he only saw the common people clapping and singing songs of praise, with young men and women singing and dancing together.

At the time, the people of the central plains considered the people of Dali to be barbarians, as their etiquettes and customs were very different from that of China proper. The streets were filled with young men and women holding hands, flirting, and laughing together as though they were in a secluded area. No one thought this was strange at all. Emperor Baoding secretly prayed, ”If only the people of Dali can forever be so happy.”

After leaving the city, he hastened his steps, traveling more than twenty li before he entered a mountain range. The farther he walked, the more barren was the land around him. After passing through four mountain cavities, he arrived in front of a small monastery. At the monastery gates were written the words, ”Flower Gathering Monastery”. The national religion of Dali was Buddhism. There were tens of large monasteries outside the nation's capitals, and over a hundred small ones. The 'Flower Gathering Monastery' was far away from civilization, and few joss sticks were burning in front of it. Even if one was a citizen of Dali, one might not know of the place.

Emperor Baoding stood silently in front of the monastery for a short moment, then strode forward and lightly knocked three times at the gate. After quite some time, the monastery gates opened and a novice monk came out. He politely asked, ”A respected guest has brightened our doorway. What worthy purpose has led you here?” Emperor Baoding replied, ”I'd like to trouble you to inform Master Huangmei [lit. 'Yellow Brows'] that an old friend, Duan Zhengming, is requesting to see him.” The novice monk said, ”Please, enter.”

Turning, he respectfully waved him in. Emperor Baoding lifted up his foot, preparing to step inside the monastery. He suddenly heard two clear 'ding' sounds emanate from a chime the inner courtyard. All of a sudden, his entire body felt cool and pure. His thoughts became tranquil, and his spirit filled with peace.

Freed of anxiety, he entered the monastery and headed for the inner courtyard. The novice monk said, ”Respected guest, please wait here. I will go report to my master.” Emperor Baoding said, ”Alright.” Folding his hands behind his back, he stood in the middle of the courtyard.

There was a gingko tree standing in the courtyard. He watched as a single yellow leaf slowly drifted down from it. In his entire life, there had been extremely few instances of him standing outside and waiting for someone else. But as soon as he entered the 'Flower Gathering Monastery', customs and conventions died away. He totally forgot that he was the emperor.

Suddenly, an aged voice laughed. ”My worthy younger brother Duan, what problems do you have in your heart?” Emperor Baoding turned around, seeing a tall, lofty old monk with a face full of wrinkles push open the door from a small residence. On this old monk's face was two long, sickly yellow eyebrows, the tails of which sagged downwards. It was the Yellow Browed Monk.

Cupping his hands, Emperor Baoding said, ”Excuse me for disrupting your meditations.” The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. ”Please, enter.” Emperor Baoding strode forward and entered the small residence. Two middle-aged monks immediately cupped their hands, paying their respects to him. Emperor Baoding knew that they must be the disciples of the Yellow Browed Monk, and quickly returned their salute. He sat down on a prayer mat to the left of the main prayer mat, which the Yellow Browed Monk took.

After the Yellow Browed Monk seated himself, Emperor Baoding said, ”I have a nephew named Duan Yu. When he was seven, I carried him here, and we listened to you, martial brother, expound on the scriptures.” The Yellow Browed Monk let out a small smile. ”That child has an extremely remarkable comprehension. He's a good kid. Good kid!” Emperor Baoding said, ”He has been enlightened by Buddhism doctrine and has a merciful heart. He was unwilling to learn martial arts in order to avoid killing others.” The Yellow Browed Monk said, ”If one doesn't know martial arts, one can still kill others. If one learns martial arts, one still might kill others.”

Emperor Baoding replied, ”Yes!” Thereupon he related the story of how Duan Yu was firmly opposed to learning martial arts and ran away from home, how he met Mu Wanqing, and how he was trapped by 'The Most Evil Man in the World', Crown Prince Yanqing, inside the stone house. A small smile on his lips, the Yellowed Browed Monk listened quietly, not interjecting a single time. The faces of his two disciples, who were standing behind him and waiting on him, didn't change in the slightest.

After Emperor Baoding was finished, the Yellow Browed Monk slowly said, ”This Crown Prince Yanqing is your older male cousin. It's inappropriate for you to fight with him. It's even inappropriate for you to send your subordinates to fight with him.” Emperor Baoding replied, ”Martial brother, you see things clearly.” The Yellow Browed Monk said, ”The elder monks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple are extremely virtuous, and their martial arts exceed yours as well, worthy brother. But by entering Buddhist orders, they have severed their ties with the Duan dynasty. It's also inappropriate for them to side with you, worthy brother, in an internicine dispute. Thus, you cannot request aid from the Heavenly Dragon Temple as well.” Emperor Baoding said, ”Exactly so.”

The Yellow Browed Monk nodded. He extended his middle finger slowly, then pointed towards Emperor Baoding. Emperor Baoding let out a small smile, then pointed out with his own finger as well. Aiming at the Yellow Browed Monk's middle finger, he pointed towards it. Their figures swayed, and they immediately withdrew their fingers. The Yellow Browed Monk said, ”Worthy brother Duan, the force from my 'Vajra Finger' cannot overcome your 'Solitary Solar Finger'.” Emperor Baoding replied, ”Martial brother, your wisdom is deep and your intelligence is vast. You can achieve victory without purely relying on the power of your fingers.” The Yellow Browed Monk lowered his head and was silent.

Emperor Baoding rose to his feet. ”Five years ago, you told me to revoke the salt taxes. But I did not, for two reasons. First, the country did not need it. And secondly, I desired for Duan Zhengchun to assume the throne after me, and intended for him to do it in my stead, thereby winning the hearts of the populace. But tomorrow, I will immediately order for the salt taxes to be abrogated.”

The Yellow Browed Monk stood up, then knelt and respectfully prostrated himself before the Emperor. ”Worthy brother, you take such care of your people. This old monk is endlessly gratified.” Emperor Baoding also knelt down and returned the bow. He said nothing more, and quickly glided away from the monastery.

Returning to the palace, Emperor Baoding immediately ordered the servants to summon Minister Ba. He ordered him to abolish the salt tax. Ba Tianshi kowtowed, thanking the Emperor for his benevolence. ”Majesty, your great benevolence is the utmost fortune of the common people.” Emperor Baoding said, ”Make sure that our own use of salts is reduced and restrained whenever possible in the palace. Go discuss this with ministers Hua and Fan and see if you can think of any areas where we can cut back.” Ba Tianshi agreed and left the palace.

Ba Tianshi immediately arranged for a meeting with Minister Hua Hegen, and together they arrived at the manor of Fan Hua, the Minister of War. He informed them of the abolishment of the salt tax. With regards to the matter of Duan Yu being kidnapped, he had already informed them earlier.

Fan Hua muttered to himself, ”The South-Subduing Prince's son has fallen into the hands of a vile man. For the Emperor to suddenly decide to abolish the salt tax…he must be using this as a method of beseeching heaven for its help to return the South-Subduing Prince's son safe and sound. If we cannot help alleviate his concerns as a Emperor and as an uncle, what face will we have to remain in the leadership position of the imperial court?”

Ba Tianshi said, ”Exactly so. Second brother, what brilliant scheme have you thought of to rescue the child?” Fan Hua replied, ”Since our opponent is Crown Prince Yanqing, the Emperor will do everything possible to avoid directly confronting him as an enemy. I do have a plan, but I'm afraid it will be burdensome for our elder brother.” Minister Hua Hegen hurriedly said, ”So what if it requires hard work? Second brother, hurry and explain.”

Fan Hua explained, ”The Emperor himself said that Crown Prince Yanqing's martial arts ability was slightly above that of his own. Naturally, it won't be possible for us to forcibly break Duan Yu out of the house. Elder brother, why don't you once more take up that old profession of yours from twenty years ago?” Minister Hua's entire face blushed red. He laughed. ”Second brother, you're making fun of me again.”

The Minister of Education Hua Hegen was originally named Hua Egen. He was of lowly birth. Although he had now risen to the stature of being one of the three most powerful ministers of Dali, before his rise, he was in the business of graverobbing. His best skill was in looting the tombs of princes and rich merchants. After they died, these wealthy people would often be buried with many riches and precious treasures. Hua Egen would tunnel his way into the tombs and steal the treasures. Although it required a tremendous amount of effort, he was never detected by anyone.

Once, upon tunneling his way into a particular tomb, he discovered a secret martial arts manual. Practicing in accordance with it, he managed to learn an extraordinarily powerful set of exterior martial arts. Following that, he abandoned his mean job and became an assistant to Emperor Baoding, rendering outstanding service and finally rose to the prestigious level of Minister of Education. He felt that the deeds attached to his old name were too vulgar, and therefore changed his name to Hegen. Aside from Ba Tianshi and Fan Hua, those two dear friends of his whom he had undergone life and death experiences with, very few people knew of his origins.

Fan Hua said, ”How would I dare mock you, elder brother? I was thinking of us secretly sneaking inside the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge, then digging a tunnel straight into the stone house where the South-Subduing Prince's son is kept. That way, without a single soul knowing, we would be able to rescue him.”

Hua Hegen slapped his thigh. ”Brilliant! Brilliant!” He was born addicted to the hobby of tomb-robbing. Although in the past twenty years he didn't dare do such a thing, whenever he thought about the old days and reminisced, his hands couldn't help but itch. But he was a high official of exceeding rank and glory. How could he possibly go back to grave-robbing again? But now, upon hearing Fan Hua's words, he couldn't help but be hugely delighted.

Fan Hua laughed. ”Elder brother, don't be too happy this early. There are plenty of difficulties with regards to this plan. The Four Evils are residing with this gorge; in addition, Zhong Wanchou, his wife, and the Asura Sabre are also exceptionally formidable people. To keep this hidden from them really is no simple task. In addition, Crown Prince Yanqing has personally decided to serve as garrison for the stone house. If the tunnel is dug past him, how could he not feel it?

Hua Hegen mumbled to himself for a long while, then said, ”The tunnel must be dug from the back of the stone house, so as to avoid Crown Prince Yanqing.” Ba Tianshi said, ”The South-Subduing Prince's son is in imminent danger. Digging a tunnel is no small task. I'm worried that we won't be able to complete it in time.” Hua Hegen said, ”Let us three brothers do it together. I'll have to request that you lower your stations and dignity, and learn the arts of being a petty graverobbing thief from me.” Ba Tianshi laughed. ”It seems that the three great ministers of Dali are now unshakeably duty-bound to engage in the unsavory business of tomb raiding.” All three of them laughed, clapping their hands together.

Hua Hegen said, ”There's no time to waste. If we're going to do it, let's do it!” Ba Tianshi immediately whipped out the map of the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge. Hua Hegen drafted out a proposed tunnel route. The issues of what to do with the dirt they dug out, or how to avoid being detected, were things that he was incomparably skilled at.

Duan Yu had felt hot and agitated for every moment within the past day and night. He began to use the 'Graceful Steps Upon the Waves', walking about quickly within the room. He only needed to complete one or two revolutions before feeling a sense of coolness. But Mu Wanqing's entire body felt as though it were scorching, and her senses were addled. At least half the time, she would just dazedly lean against the stone wall.

At midday, Duan Yu once more began to stride about the room. Suddenly, he heard an aged voice speak from outside. ”So very many people have been engrossed by the nineteen horizontal and vertical lines. Layman, would you be in the mood to discuss some things with this old monk?” Duan Yu felt strange. He immediately slowed down his footsteps, and after taking ten more, came to a halt altogether. He peered outside via the hole through which food was delivered.

He saw an old monk with sallow yellow eyebrows and a face filled with wrinkles. In his left hand, he held a steel muyu instrument [Buddhist percussion instrument used to beat a rhythym while chanting prayers] the size of a rice bowl. In his right hand, he held a hammer. He repeatedly struck the muyu with the hamer several times, producing a series of loud clangs. From the sound of it, the hammer must have been made of steel as well. While doing so, he chanted Buddhist prayers. ”Amituofo! Amituofo!”

Bowing his head, he pointed the hammer at a blue stone in front of the stone house and began to draw a line. With a 'chi' sound, bits of stone began to fly everywhere, and a straight line immediately appeared. Duan Yu felt strange. He vaguely felt as though he had seen this old monk before in the past. The power in his hands was incredible. With but a casual wave of the hand, a deep mark had been made in the blue stone. The results were similar to that which a stonemason might have achieved using hammer and chisel over a long period of time. The line carved was extremely straight as well. If a stonemason had wanted to carve out a line so straight, he would have had to draw it out first.

A gloomy voice in front of the stone house spoke. ”Power of the Vajra Finger. Good skill!” It was the man in green, ”Evil Beyond Human Capacity.” Stretching out his left cane, he also carved out a horizontal line on the stone. This straight line intersected perfectly with the one carved out by the Yellow Browed Monk. His line was also carved deeply within the stone and very straight, without any crookedness or curvature.

The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. ”Benefactor, you are willing to grant your instructions to me? Excellent, excellent.” He carved out a second vertical line with his steel hammer. Following him, the man in green carved out a horizontal line with his steel cane. And thus, in such a manner, these two exerted their energies to carve. They carved slower and slower, unwilling for there to be the slightest difference in the depth of their respective lines, or crookedness in their lines. If that had happened, they would have lost to their opponent.

In the time it would take to cook a bowl of rice, the nineteen horizontal and vertical lines of a Go chessboard had been neatly carved out on the stone. The Yellow Browed Monk thought to himself, ”Mr. Zhengming spoke truly. Crown Prince Yanqing's internal energy really is formidable.” Crown Prince Yanqing didn't know that the Yellow Browed Monk had come with a specific purpose in mind. He was shocked, wondering to himself, ”Where did such a powerful old monk come from? Hm, he must be a helper whom Duan Zhengming called for. With him keeping me entangled, if Duan Zhengming were to go rescue Duan Yu, I would be unable to prevent him from doing so.”

The Yellow Browed Monk said, ”Benefactor Duan, your strength is deep and profound. Admirable, admirable. Your skill at chess is surely tenfold that of this old monk's as well. This old monk would like to request that you allow me a handicap of four stones.” The man in green was startled. He thought to himself, ”The power of your fingers is so very profound. You must be a famous man of high status. You came to challenge me. How could you immediately ask for me to give way to you?” He replied, ”Master, no need to be courteous. Victory and defeat must naturally be determined on an even playing field.” The Yellow Browed Monk replied, ”You really must allow me the handicap of four stones.” The man in green said emotionlessly, ”Since you claim that you have little skill in chess, there is no need for you to force yourself to play.” The Yellow Browed Monk replied, ”Then just let me have an advantage of three stones instead?” The man in green replied, ”I will give you a handicap of one stone, if you give me the same.”

The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. ”Evidently, your accomplishments in the field of chess are limited. I'll allow you the handicap of three stones instead.” The man in green replied, ”That is also unnecessary. We shall simply play.” In the Yellow Browed Monk's heart, a feeling of dread grew. ”This man is neither conceited nor rash. He is somber to the extreme. A truly formidable opponent. No matter how I badgered him, he wouldn't react to me.” As it happened, the Yellow Browed Monk wasn't certain of victory. He knew that all chess players liked to outdo others. Generally, when he requested a handicap of three or four stones, his opponents would agree. He himself was beyond such worldly things, and cared little for such empty things as reputations. If Crown Prince Yanqing, desiring to flaunt his abilities in chess, had agreed to allow a handicap, the Yellow Browed Monk would have gained a massive advantage, and naturally would have had an increased chance of success in this battle. He didn't expect that Crown Prince Yanqing neither allowed others to take advantage of him, nor would take advantage of others. He wasn't the least bit negligent, showing an unparalleled solemnity and sternness.

The Yellow Browed Monk said, ”Fine. You're the host. I'm the guest. I'll take the first move.” The man in green said, ”No! A powerful dragon cannot crush a snake in his own haunts [lit., a powerful force must give way to a weaker one if on the weaker one's turf]. I will go first.” The Yellow Browed Monk said, ”Then the only way we can determine who will go first is via a guessing game. Please guess if my age this year is even or odd. If you guess correctly, you may go first. If not, I go first.” The man in green said, ”Even if I guess correctly, you will deny it.” The Yellow Browed Monk said, ”Fine! Then guess something which I won't be able to deny. When I am seventy years old, will the number of toes on my feet be even, or odd?”

This riddle was extremely bizarre. The man in green thought to himself, ”Everyone has ten toes. Of course the number will be even. He's purposefully trying to lead me into saying that the number of toes he has when he is seventy will be an odd number. It is written in the Art of War that lies are hidden within the truth, and the truth is hidden within lies. He has ten toes, but purposefully made the exact number seem mysterious so as to deceive me. How can I fall for such a trick?” He said, ”The number is even.” The Yellow Browed Monk replied, ”Wrong. It is odd.” The man in green said, ”Remove your shoes and prove it.”

The Yellow Browed Monk took off his left shoe, revealing five toes in perfectly good shape. The man in green, observing his opponent's countenance, saw a small smile on his face. He thought to himself, ”So he really only has four toes on his right feet.” He watched as the monk unhurriedly removed his right shoe as well, then slowly began to remove his socks. He was just about to say, ”No need to check. Just go ahead and play the first stone.” But suddenly, he thought to himself, ”Wait. I can't fall for a trick.” He watched as the monk removed the sock from his right foot as well. Once again, five perfect, undamaged toes were revealed. Where was any disfigurement? There was none at all.

Countless thoughts flashed through the mind of the man in green, as he wondered what was the meaning behind this move of his opponent. Only to see the Yellow Browed Monk casually wave his small steel hammer downwards. With a 'ka' sound, he chopped off the pinky toe of his right foot. His two disciples stood behind him. Upon seeing their master disfigure himself, causing blood to flow in front of him, they couldn't help but let out an 'ah' cry. Uncertaintly, the elder disciple took out the 'Golden Salve' medicine from his breastpocket, applying it to his master's wounds. Ripping off part of his clothes, he bound up the wound.

The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. ”This old monk is sixty nine years old. When I am seventy years old, the number of toes on my feet will be odd.”

The man in green said, ”So it will be. You may move first.” He was known as 'The Most Evil Man in the World'. What type of vile or brutal atrocity had he not committed? Why would he care about the mere chopping off of a pinky toe? But upon seeing this old monk be willing to part with his own toe and resort to such extreme methods in order to gain the small advantage of moving first, he knew that he would definitely prove the victor in this game of chess. Even if he lost, the terms which he would exact would be harsh beyond imagining.

The Yellow Browed Monk replied, ”Thank you for giving way.” Extending his steel mallet, he drew two circles on a diagonal line of the inside of the board, symbolizing white chess pieces. The man in green extended his own cane and lightly pressed on the line of the opposing diagonal. The circular indentation served to symbolize the black chess pieces. Together, the four formed a square within the middle of the board. To place two black and two white chess pieces on the board in such a fashion, forming a 'shizi', was a rule in the ancient Chinese art of Go. The white pieces would be placed first, followed by the black pieces, opposite of what later generations would do. Following this, the Yellow Browed Monk placed a white piece in the 'Ping' quadrant, where the sixth vertical and third horizontal lines intersected. The man in green answered with a piece at where the ninth vertical and third horizontal lines intersected. These two starting moves came extremely quickly. The Yellow Browed Monk didn't dare to be the slightest bit negligent, for fear of losing the advantage which he had purchased using his own pinky toe.

By the time the seventeeth or eighteenth stones were laid, the two sides were in diametric opposition to each other, engaging in a fierce struggle. At the same time, the power from each person's finger continued to be used up. They focused on the game, striving for victory, while also generating their internal energies. The game began to slow down.

The second disciple of the Yellow Browed Monk, Pochen, was also an expert at this game. He saw his master and the man in green utilize marvelous military tactics, and many variations were used. A threat to the Yellow Browed Monk's pieces in the lower right corner of the board appeared. If the Yellow Browed Monk did not move to cope with the threat, he would be exposing those pieces to extreme hidden dangers. But if he used a piece to guard that corner, he would have lost the offensive.

The Yellow Browed Monk was unable to make up his mind for a long time. Suddenly, a voice cried out from the stone house. ”Counterattack at the 'Qu' quadrant, and you won't lose the offensive.” As it happened, Duan Yu excelled at chess ever since his youth. At this moment, seeing the vicious battle which those two were engaged in, he couldn't help but blurt out what the next move should be. A common saying described this situation most aptly: ”The spectators see clearly, the players' eyes are clouded.” Duan Yu's skill in chess was higher than that of the Yellow Browed Monk. With him being in the position of a spectator, it was all the more easier for him to see the key to solving the dilemma.

The Yellow Browed Monk said, ”This old monk was going to make that move all along. Only, I was unable to follow through with that choice. Young benefactor, your words have removed the doubt in my mind.” He immediately placed a piece at the 'Qu' position, where the seventh vertical line met the third horizontal. According to ancient Chinese rules of playing Go, the chessboard was divided into the quadrants of ”Ping”, ”Shang”, ”Qu”, and ”Ru”. The ”Qu” quadrant was in the upper right corner.

The man in green said emotionlessly, ”The onlooker who does not speak is of noble character; the player who makes his own move is a true man.” Duan Yu yelled back, ”You imprisoned me in this room. You aren't a gentleman of noble character to begin with!” The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. ”I'm a true monk, not a true man.” The man in green said, ”Shameless. Shameless.” After thinking for a moment, he pressed his cane down and created an indentation within the 'Qu' quadrant.

After their armies had exchanged countless attacks, the Yellow Browed Monk's forces were once more in danger. His disciple, Pochen, was worried while watching. Duan Yu, however, didn't make a sound. Thus Pochen walked next to the stone house. In a low voice, he whispered, ”Mr. Duan, how should this next move be played?” Duan Yu replied, ”I already thought of a solution. The problem is, the solution must be implemented across seven moves. If I say it and the opponent hears me, he'll counter it. That is why I hesitated to speak.” Pochen extended his right palm. With his left hand, he wrote on his right palm, ”Please write it out.” Following that, he immediately extended his hand into the hole in the boulder. But as he did so, he said, ”Since this is the case, there's nothing that can be done.” He knew that the internal strength of the man in green was astonishing. No matter in how low a voice Duan Yu whispered, he would overhear.

Duan Yu thought to himself that this strategy was brilliant. He immediately stretched out his finger and wrote out the seven moves. He said, ”The venerable master is an expert at chess. He certainly has a wonderful move in mind. There's no need for me to give any more advice.” Pochen thought for a while, then realized that these seven moves truly were extremely clever. He returned to his master's side. Extending his finger, he began to write out those moves on his master's back. The billowing folds of the sleeves of his cassock hid his hands, rendering the man in green unable to see his chicanery. The Yellow Browed Monk thought for another moment, then made his move as instructed.

The man in green let out a 'heng' sound. ”Another instructed you to make this move. Based upon your own accomplishments in chess, master, you could never have formulated such a move.” The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. ”The game of chess originated as a battle of the wits. A person must be modest and not reveal their real skill to the opponent. If the depths of my chess abilities could be see easily and totally seen through by you, benefactor, would we even need to play this match?” The man in green replied, ”Crafty, cunning schemer, playing tricks with your sleeves.” He had seen Pochen walk back and forth, then cover the Yellow Browed Monk's back with his sleeves. He knew that there must be something odd about that action. But he was too busy concentrating on the changes and variations within the chess game, and so could not spare any more attention to other things.

The Yellow Browed Monk's next six moves were all acccording to Duan Yu's instructions. He did not need to use his energy to think of them, and only needed to exert his energy to draw the actual pieces on the board. Correspondingly, the six circles which he drew with his steel hammer were extremely round and deep, giving him the appearance of being full of vigor and an unending source of energy. The man in green, seeing that each of these six moves were more powerful than the previous, was forced to ponder deeply in order to defend against each one of them. He was totally forced to the defensive, and the indentations which his steel canes made began to show some differences in depth. After the Yellow Browed Monk played his sixth piece, the man in green simply sat there for a long moment. Then, suddenly, he played a piece in the 'Ru' quadrant.

This move was strange to the extreme. It was completely different from what Duan Yu had anticipated. The Yellow Browed Monk was stunned. He thought to himself, ”This seven-step strategy of Mr. Duan was carefully devised and perfect in the details. By the time I laid down the seventh piece, I would have advanced from being one move ahead to being two moves ahead. But now, I'll no longer be able to make the seventh move. All my previous efforts were wasted.”

As it happened, the man in green saw that the battleground was becoming more and more disadvantageous to him. No matter what defense he might use, he would still be in trouble. So instead, he decided to ignore the threat to his own pieces, and attack the opponent's pieces in a different area instead. This was known as ”defending without defending”. Truly, it was a formidable move. Furrowing his forehead, the Yellow Browed Monk tried to devise a good reply.

Pochen saw the sudden change in the battlefield of chess pieces and that his master's pieces were once again in great danger. He immediately ran next to the stone house. Duan Yu had long ago come up with a strategy, and wrote six countermoves on Pochen's palm, one after the other. Pochen then rushed back to the Yellow Browed Monk's side, once more writing down the moves on his master's back.

The man in green was known as ”The Most Evil Man in the World.” How could he possibly ignore his opponent's constant cheating and trickery? He stretched out his left steel cane, pointing it at Pochen's shoulder. He shouted, ”Junior disciple, stand farther back!” And as he pointed, a 'chi' sound emanated from the cane.

The Yellow Browed Monk saw that his disciple wouldn't be able to resist the enemy's power, and that it would be difficult for him to avoid sustaining a heavy injury. He thrust out his own left palm in a snatching attack towards the cane. The man in green's cane trembled, then pointed towards the acupoint beneath the left side of the monk's chest. The Yellow Browed Monk turned the snatching attack into a chopping attack on the cane. But once again, the steel cane changed position.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged over eight stances. The Yellow Browed Monk thought to himself that his arm couldn't reach long enough. He struck with his finger at the steel cane. The man in green didn't budge a single step, and the monk's finger and the steel cane touched. Both of them generated their power and began to compete in internal energy. Immediately, the steel cane and the monk's fingers came to a halt, neither of them moving in the slightest.

The man in green said, ”Master, it is your move. You have delayed for so very long now. Are you preparing to forfeit?” The Yellow Browed Monk laughed. ”Sir, you are an elite master of a senior generation. Why would you launch a sneak attack against my disciple? I'm afraid you really are lowering your own status!” With his right hand, the monk drew another small circle on the blue stone with his steel hammer. The man in green didn't even take time to think. With a casual wave of his hand, he made his own move. And so, their left hands remained locked in a fierce internal energy competition, with neither side daring to slacken off in the slightest. Their right hands continued to play chess. Each side continued to advance their own pieces, continuing to counter each move of the other.

Five years ago, the Yellow Browed Monk had pled on the behalf of the commoners of Dali, asking Emperor Baoding to abolish the salt tax. Only now did Emperor Baoding agree. The two of them had reached a tacit understanding that the Yellow Browed Monk would rescue Duan Yu in Emperor Baoding's place. The Yellow Browed Monk thought to himself, ”It is of little consequence if I lose my life. But if I cannot rescue Duan Yu, how can I possibly face my worthy brother, Zhengming?”

When martial arts exponents were cultivating their internal energy, they couldn't allow themselves to be distracted in the slightest. This is what is described as ”Reflecting the brilliance of emptiness, forgetting both myself and the world.” But in playing chess, one must strive to outdo someone else. Each game of chess had three hundred and sixty one possible moves, and every single move had to be carefully contemplated. It truly did require that one calculate out ever minor detail, and haggle over every minor point. These two principles were directly opposite to each other, highly incompatible. Although the Yellow Browed Monk was a master at chan meditation, his skills in chess were inferior to his opponent. While secretly generating internal energy to resist the opponent, he neglected the game. If he focused on the game of chess instead, he would find himself disadvantaged in the internal energy competition. It seemed as though today, he found himself in an inextricably dangerous and strange situation. His only option was to die fighting, so as to repay his bosom friend. His own safety was no longer a concern for him. As the ancients said, ”An army burning with righteousness is guaranteed victory.” But although the Yellow Browed Monk certainly was filled with righteousness, the words 'guaranteed' and 'victory' really did not apply.

The three ministers of Dali, 'Minister of Education' Hua Hegen, 'Minister of War' Fan Hua, and 'Minister of Soil and Water' Ba Tianshi, led thirty subordinates who possessed martial arts in their expedition. They brought along timber, shovels, kongming lanterns, and other tools, and snuck into the forest at the back of the Ten Thousand Calamities Gorge. After selecting a suitable location, they began to dig the tunnel. The thirty three men dug for an entire night, tunneling out a passageway that was several hundred feet long. The following day, they continued to dig, all the way until late afternoon. They calculated that they shouldn't be too far from the stone house. Hua Hegen ordered his subordinates to withdraw and dispose of the dirt, leaving only the three of them as they continued to dig. They knew that Crown Prince Yanqing's martial arts were extremely profound, and so they dug as quietly as possible, not daring to make even the slightest of sounds. Under the circumstances, their forward progress slowed greatly. They didn't know that at this moment, Crown Prince Yanqing was exhausting all of his energy and concentration in competing in both chess and internal energy with the Yellow Browed Monk. There was no chance that he might hear them digging a tunnel.

They continued to dig until the 'shenpai' hour [3 PM to 5 PM], then stopped, calculating that they should be beneath Duan Yu. They were now no more than ten feet away from Crown Prince Yanqing. Consequently, it was now all the more important for them to proceed with caution. They definitely could not risk making a single sound. Hua Hegen put down his iron shovel and began to dig using his ten fingers. He executed his 'Exceeding Claw Skill', and his ten fingers became much akin to a pair of steel claws, tearing through large chunks of dirt. Fan Hua and Ba Tianshi stood behind him, taking the dirt which his claws dislodged and disposing of it. At this point in time, Hua Hegen was no longer digging forwards; rather, he had begun to dig upwards. The architectural feat had been completed. But as to whether or not Duan Yu could be rescued, they would find out very soon. All three of them couldn't help but have their heart's beat faster.

Digging upwards was a much less taxing proposition than digging forwards. Once the dirt and mud was loosened, they would fall down of their own accord. After Hua Hegen had dug sufficiently upwards to allow himself to straighten his body, his digging speed increased even further. After digging for a while, he would stop and listen carefully, trying to hear any movement above him. In such a manner, he dug for the length of time which might take two joss sticks to burn down. By then, he judged that he could be no more than a foot away from the surface. He dug even more slowly now. As he gently brushed aside the remaining mud and dirt, his hand came into contact with a flat wooden plank. He was ecstatic. ”So the stone house has a wooden floor. That makes it much easier to deal with.”

Pouring power into his fingers, he slowly carved out a two-foot long square in the wooden board. He then withdrew the support his free hand had been providing the wooden plank, and the wooden square lightly fell down, creating an aperture which a single person could easily pass through. Hua Hegen lifted up his iron shovel, waving it in a circle above the floor in order to guard against a sneak attack. Suddenly, he heard a loud 'ah' sound, as a female voice screamed loudly.

Hua Hegen said in a low voice, ”Miss Mu, don't scream. I'm a friend. I'm here to rescue you.” With a leap, he jumped out of the hole.

But when he saw the insides of the room, he was hugely startled. What type of 'stone house' was this? The room was bright and clean, and all sorts of bottles and jars covered every single cabinet and table. A young girl with a terrified expression on her face was standing in one corner. Hua Hegen immediately knew that he had miscalculated, and dug into the wrong place. The location of the stone house was only known by Emperor Baoding, who had described it to Ba Tianshi, who in turn described it to him. Afraid of being caught, he hadn't dared to personally inspect the terrain. Operating on the basis of thirdhand information, he hadn't been too far off, but nonetheless a huge error had been made.

Hua Hegen had dug himself directly into Zhong Wanchou's house. That young girl was Zhong Ling. She was in the process of rummaging through her father's belongings, trying to find the antidote for Duan Yu. All of a sudden, a big man suddenly jumped up out of the floor. How could she not be terrified?

Hua Hegen's thoughts moved quickly. ”Since we dug to the wrong place, we'll have to start digging anew. I've already left behind traces of my passing. If I kill this girl in order to silence her, after finding her corpse Zhong Wanchou will certainly search the area. He'll find me before I can manage to tunnel my way to the stone house. The only option is to temporarily take her into the tunnel. If others go looking for her, they'll definitely search outside of the gorge.”

But at this very moment, footsteps could be heard outside the room as someone walked nearby. Hua Hegen waved his hands towards Zhong Ling, signifying that she wasn't to cause a disturbance. Turning his body, he extended his left leg towards the hole, as though he were preparing to go back down. But suddenly, he spun around and leapt towards Zhong Ling, covering her mouth with his left hand while hugging her around the waist with his right. He carried her within the hole, passing her downwards. Fan Hua received Zhong Ling from Hua Hegen, then grabbed a big handful of mud and covered her mouth with it. Hua Hegen jumped back into the tunnel, then placed the wooden square which he had cut out back to its original position. Pressing his ears against the cracks, he listened to any sounds which might come from above.

He heard the sound of two people walking into the room. A male voice said, ”You must have lingering affection for him. Otherwise, why would you keep on trying to prevent me from ruining the reputation of the Duan family?” A displeased female voice replied, ”What 'lingering' affection are you babbling about? I never had any affection for him to begin with.” The male voice said, ”If that's true, I couldn't be happier. Excellent, excellent!” Utter happiness was in his voice. The woman said, ”However, Miss Mu is my martial sister's daughter. She's one of our people. How can you mistreat her so?”

By now, Hua Hegen had already realized that the two people speaking had to be gorge-master Zhong and his wife. Hearing that the topic of their conversation had to do with Duan Yu, he became all the more attentive in his eavesdropping.

He heard Zhong Wanchou say, ”Your martial sister wanted to sneakily release Duan Yu. Fortunately, she was discovered by Ye Erniang. Your martial sister is already one of our enemies. Why care about her daughter? Wife, the people who are now at our halls are all famous members of Dali's wulin community. But you didn't pay the slightest attention to them. You walked into the room, widened your eyes, and glared at them. Isn't that a little…a bit…eh, not polite.” Madame Zhong angrily replied, ”What's the point of you inviting those fellows into our house? We don't have much of a relationship with any of them. Do you think they will dare offend the Emperor of Dali for our behalf?”

Zhong Wanchou said, ”I didn't invite them here for the purpose of asking them to loan us their fists in battle and rebel against Duan Zhengming. As it happened, they all were present within Dali. I invited them here to drink wine and serve as witnesses for what will happen. Duan Zhengchun's own son has shared a room with his own sister and engaged in licentious, incestuous acts, as though they were animals. The guests that I invited today even include some heroes from the Central Plains to our north. Early tomorrow morning, we'll open the door to the stone house and give everybody something to see. The heir of the Duan family's 'Solitary Solar Finger', in such a state…won't that be so very amusing? Won't this be spread far and wide throughout the jianghu?” As he spoke, he began to laugh loudly, utterly delighted.

Madame Zhong let out a 'heng' sound. ”Contemptible and despicable! Brazen and shameless!” Zhong Wanchou said, ”Who are you cursing as being despicable and shameless?” Madame Zhong said, ”Whoever performs despicable and shameless acts is a despicable and shameless person. There's no need for me to curse them as being such!” Zhong Wanchou said, ”Right! That evil fellow, Duan Zhengchun, describes himself as being a dissolute playboy, and has brought many sins upon his own head. In the end, his own children will fall in love and engage in an illicit sexual relationship. He really is extremely despicable and shameless!” Madame Zhong let out a cold smile, but did not respond. Zhong Wanchou asked, ”Why did you just smile coldly like that? Can it be that those two words, 'despicable' and 'shameless', were not directed towards Duan Zhengchun?”

Madame Zhong smiled coldly again. ”You aren't able to overcome the Duan family with your own abilities, and hide yourself here in this gorge, not daring to show yourself. Fine, whatever. As the saying goes, knowing how to avoid being shamed is something akin to courage. This is still something which a man might do. But I never would have imagined that you would use such despicable means to manipulate his children instead. The heroes of the world won't be laughing at him, no. They will be laughing at you! Zhong Wanchou!”

Zhong Wanchou leapt to his feet. He angrily said, ”You're calling ME shameless and despicable?”

Tears flowed down Madame Zhong's face. Her voice choked with sobs, she said, ”I didn't imagine that the husband whom I married, the good man to whom I entrusted my entire being, would be…would be a person like this. I….I…my life is so bitter!”

Seeing his wife cry, Zhong Wanchou couldn't help but be flustered. ”Fine. Fine! If you want to curse at me, then curse at me as much as you want!” He stalked back and forth across the room. He wanted to offer his wife some sort of apology, but couldn't immediately think of anything appropriate to say. Finally, he said, ”This wasn't my idea! Duan Yu was captured by the Divine Crocodile. Mu Wanqing was seized by 'Evil Beyond Human Capacity'. The 'Yin and Yang Conjoining' powder belongs to him as well. How could I use such a despicable and shameless sort of drug?” At the moment, he wanted to disavow all responsibility. Madame Zhong laughed coldly. ”As long as you know what the words 'despicable' and 'shameless' mean. If you don't approve of this idea, then you should release Miss Mu.” Zhong Wanchou said, ”That won't work, that won't work. If I release Mu Wanqing, what type of performance can Duan Yu put on by himself?”

Madame Zhong said, ”Fine! If you want to be despicable and shameless, I'm going to do something despicable and shameless as well for you to see!” Zhong Wanchou was startled, and hurriedly asked, ”You…you…what are you going to do?” Madame Zhong let out a 'heng' sound. ”Just go imagine it by yourself.” In a trembling voice, Zhong Wanchou said, ”You…are you going to find Duan Zhengchun…find Duan Zhengchun, that evil thief, and commit adultery with him again?” Madame Zhong angrily roared, ”What do you mean, AGAIN?” Zhong Wanchou hurriedly laughed. ”Wife, don't be angry. I misspoke. Of course you never…never…never did that with him. When you said you would do something despicable and shameless for me to watch, that was…that was just a joke. Right?” But Madame Zhong did not respond.

Zhong Wanchou's mind was greatly disturbed. Casting his gaze wildly about the room, he saw that all the bottles and jars were all jumbled about. He said, ”Humph. What a mischievious kid Zhong Ling is. At her tender age, she actually came and asked me about the 'Yin and Yang Conjoining' powder. Where did she hear about it, anyhow? Now she came here and made a mess of things.” As he spoke, he went into the room and began to straighten and reorganize the medicine cabinets. One foot strode on top of the piece of wood which had been cut away earlier. Hua Hegen hurriedly exerted his strength to keep the piece of wood from collapsing, in order to prevent Zhong Wanchou from discovering them.

Madame Zhong said, ”Where is Ling'er, anyhow? Where'd she go? Why did you need to take her to the grand hall to meet the guests, anyhow?” Zhong Wanchou laughed. ”The two of us made such a beautiful little girl together. How can I not introduce her to my friends?” Madame Zhong said, ”What, are you a monkey showing off your treasure? I saw the wicked look in the eyes of that Yun Zhonghe fellow as he stared nonstop at our daughter. You need to be careful.” Zhong Wanchou laughed. ”I only need to be careful about you. You are a lovely woman with the complexion of a flower and are as beautiful as the moon. Who wouldn't be scheming to steal you away?”

Madame Zhong spat, then shouted, ”Ling'er! Ling'er!” A serving girl walked towards her. ”The young miss was just here a moment ago.” Madame Zhong nodded. ”Go find that young lady. I have something to tell her.”

Underneath the floor and within the tunnel, Zhong Ling clearly heard every single word her parents exchanged. Unfortunately, there was no way for her to respond. Her heart was filled with fear, and in addition, her mouth was covered with mud, making her feel even worse.

Zhong Wanchou said, ”Take a rest. I'll go keep our guests company.” An icy expression on her face, Madame Zhong coldly replied, ”Why don't you rest instead. I'll go keep them company.” Zhong Wanchou said, ”Let's go together.” Madame Zhong said, ”The guests want to see my 'flower-like complexion' and my 'moon-like beauty'. Why would they be interested in seeing your long, horse-like face? One day, even I'll be tired of seeing that face, and then you'll know how it feels.”

These past few days, Zhong Wanchou had been getting blamed for everything he did. No matter what he said, his wife would abruptly ridicule him. He clearly saw that after his wife had met with Duan Zhengchun again, old passions once more began to rise in her thoughts. Even though he was unhappy, he never dared to snap back at her. He could only let out a laugh, then walk towards the great hall. While walking, he thought to himself, ”She's going to do something shameful and despicable for me to see? Then she said that one day, even she'll be sick of seeing my face. Hmm. That means, she isn't sick of seeing my face yet. Things aren't so very bad! I'm just worried about Duan Zhengchun, that thieving scoundrel…”