Chapter - 12 Forevermore Intoxicated (1/2)

The small boat weaved its way past a copse of weeping willows. Far in the distant, a reflection of crimson blossoming flowers could be seen in the water, as glorious as rosy clouds in the sky. Duan Yu let out an exclamatory 'Ah!' of appreciation.

Ah Zhu asked, ”What's wrong?” Pointing to the blossoming flowers, Duan Yu said, ”These are the camellia flowers native to Dali. How is it that this type of 'Dian tea-leaves' exist in the middle of Lake Taihu as well?” Camellia flowers of Yunnan province were the most famous of all, and were known as 'Dian tea-leaves' [Dian is another name for Yunnan]. Ah Zhu asked, ”Really? This place is known as the Highland Manor of the Mantuo Flowers. It's filled with camellia leaves.” Duan Yu thought to himself, ”Camellia flowers are also known as 'jade leaves', but a third name for them is 'mantuo flowers'. Since this place is named after camellia flowers, it should be interesting for me to see what famous techniques they use to cultivate them here.”

Rowing the oars, Ah Zhu sent the boat speeding directly towards the midst of the camellia flowers. As soon as they reached the shore, Duan Yu cast a glance at the land, but all he could see was red and white camellia flowers, with no buildings anywhere in sight. Duan Yu was raised in Dali, where camellia flowers were commonly seen everywhere. He didn't think the sight was particularly extraordinary at all, and thought to himself, ”Although there are a lot of camellia flowers here, none of them appear to be of a high quality. I imagine that the best specimens are probably within the manor itself.

Ah Zhu pulled the boat ashore and smiled. ”Young gentleman Duan, we'll go inside for a bit. We'll come back out very shortly.” Holding Ah Bi's hand, she prepared to jump ashore. But suddenly, the scattered sounds of footsteps could be heard, and a servant girl dressed in green appeared.

The girl was holding a bunch of flowers and plants in her hands. Upon seeing Ah Bi and Ah Zhu, she hurriedly rushed towards them, her face filled with happiness. ”Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, you two are really too daring! You snuck over here again! The madame said, 'Use a knife to cut a cross on the faces of those two girls and ruin their flower-like, pure-as-jade complexions.'” Ah Zhu laughed. ”Sister Youcao, is the madame at home?” [The exact phrase Ah Zhu uses is not 'madame', but 'maternal uncle's wife', which is her relationship to Murong Fu.] The servant girl, Youcao, cast a few glances at Duan Yu, turned her head towards Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, then laughed, ”The madame also said, 'Those two brats also brought a strange man to the Highland Manor of the Camellias. Go and chop off that man's legs immediately!” Before she finished the sentence, she began to laugh out loud.

Patting her heart, Ah Bi said, ”Sister Youcao, don't scare us! Is that really true?”

Ah Zhu laughed, ”Ah Bi, don't be scared. If the madame was really at home, how would this girl have the courage to be so impish and mischievious? Little sister Youcao, where did the madame go?” Youcao laughed, ”Pooh! How old are you? Are you fit to be my big sister? Clever little demon that you are, you actually managed to guess that the madame isn't at home.” She let out a light sigh. ”Sister Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, it's such a rare occasion that you two can come visit. I really want to keep you two here for a few days, but…” As she spoke, she shook her head. Ah Bi said, ”I really want to spend some extra time with you too! Sister Youcao, whenever you are able to come pay a visit to us, I'll accompany you three days and three nights without even getting sleepy, alright?” As they spoke, Ah Zhu and Ah Bi went ashore. Ah Bi whispered quietly into Youcao's ears. Youcao let out a sudden laugh, then glanced at Duan Yu. Ah Bi immediately blushed scarlet. Pulling Ah Zhu with one hand and Ah Bi with the other, she laughed, ”Let's go inside.” Ah Bi turned her head and said, ”Young gentleman Duan, please wait and rest here for a bit. We'll be back soon.”

Duan Yu replied, ”Okay!” He watched as the three girls happily walked hand-in-hand into the forest of flowers.

He too walked ashore. After first checking to make sure no one was about, he relieved himself by the side of a tall tree. He sat next to the boat for a while, slowly growing bored. He thought to himself, ”Why don't I go check out what types of extraordinary camellia flowers they have here?” He began to stroll around and view the sights. Aside from camellia flowers, there were no other flowers or plants here, not even the most commonly seen plants such as the morning-glory, climbing roses, or red roses. But all of the camellia flowers were very mundane and not the least bit extraordinary. The only thing extraordinary was their quantity. After walking for one or two hundred meters, the diversity of the camellias improved, and occasionally there were some high-quality ones, but even those were not planted properly. He thought to himself, ”This manor is named after camellia flowers, but they have absolutely ruined these perfectly fine camellias.”

Then, he thought to himself, ”I need to go back. If Ah Zhu and Ah Bi can't find me upon returning, they'd be really worried.” Turning around, he headed back, but after taking a few steps, he exclaimed to himself, ”How terrible!” During his journey through the sea of flowers, he had only paid attention to the scenery, and not to the path he had taken. Two small roads forked away from each other, one headed east, the other headed west. He didn't know which one was the road he had originally taken. It would be a bit difficult for him to retrace his steps and return to the place where the boat was anchored. He thought to himself, ”Let me go to the water's edge first.”

But the farther he walked, the more he felt he was going in the wrong direction. All of the camellias he saw were new ones that he hadn't seen previously. Just as he was starting to get worried, he suddenly heard someone speaking from a forested area to his left. It was Ah Zhu's voice. Duan Yu was overjoyed. He thought to himself, ”I'll wait here for them a while. After they're done chatting, we'll leave together.”

He heard Ah Zhu say, ”The young master is in good health and has a healthy appetite. These past two months, he has been practicing the 'Dog Beating Staff' technique of the Beggar's Clan. It seems he will soon spar with the members of the Beggar's Clan.” Duan Yu thought to himself, ”Ah Zhu is talking about the affairs of young master Murong. I shouldn't eavesdrop on other people's private affairs, and should walk a bit farther away. But I can't go too far, or else I won't know when they are done talking.”

Just at this moment, he heard the sound of a gentle sigh from a female voice.

Instantly, Duan Yu's entire body involuntarily trembled. His heart began to beat frantically, and he thought to himself, ”What an incredibly lovely sigh that was! How can there be such a beautiful sound in the world?” That voice gently asked, ”Where is he headed this time?” After having heard her let out a sigh, Duan Yu's mind was shaken. Now, hearing her say this sentence, he felt as though all the blood in his body was boiling. He felt a sour, bitter feeling in his heart, and an unspeakable degree of envy and jealousy. ”She clearly is asking about young master Murong. She's so concerned about him and cares so much about him. Young master Murong, how is it that you have been blessed with such incredibly good fortune?”

Ah Zhu said, ”When the young master left, he said he was headed to Luoyang to meet with some masters of the Beggar's Clan. Big Brother Deng went with him as well. Miss, set your heart at ease.”

The female slowly said, ”The Beggar's Clan possesses two divine skills: The 'Dog Beating Staff' technique, and the 'Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms' technique. These two are secret skills which are not taught to others. Even if we compile all of the information in your 'Water Pavilion of Bestowal and Repayment' and our 'Jade Cavern Library', we would only be able to piece together some fragmentary, incomplete staff techniques and palm techniques. We would have no information at all about how the internal energy is supposed to be generated. How, exactly, does your young master practice the technique?” [Note: The 'library' in 'Jade Cavern Library' comes from a character 'huan' that is typically used to refer to a library of fairies and immortal sages that contains many precious, rare, and often mystical books. The name is a very elegant one, but very difficult to reproduce while being both 'fluid' and 'complete in meaning', and I have translated it on the basis of the former.]

Ah Zhu said, ”The young master said, 'The internal energy component of the 'Dog Beating Staff' was invented by human beings. Why can't I figure out how it works on my own? Since I possess the staff techniques, it shouldn't be too hard for me to understand the internal energy component.'” Duan Yu said, ”Young master Murong's words make some sense. He probably is an extremely talented, extremely ambitious person.”

That female let out yet another soft sigh. ”Even if he's able to figure it out, it would take eight or ten years. How can it be accomplished in such a short time? Did you see the young master practicing the technique? Were there any sluggish, awkward-looking parts?” Ah Zhu replied, ”The staff technique was executed extremely quickly by the young master. From the beginning to the end, he executed it smoothly and gracefully.” The female let out a cry. ”That's not good! He…he really executed the technique very quickly?” Ah Zhu said, ”Yes, why? Is that wrong?” The female said, ”Naturally, that's wrong. Although I don't know the internal energy component to the Dog Beating Staff, judging from the staff techniques themselves, there are several parts where the slower the techniques are executed, the better. There are some other parts which fluctuate between being slow and being fast; in the fast movements there is hidden slowness, and within the slow movements quickness is hidden. There's no question about that. He…if he just focuses on executing the technique very quickly in fighting with the experts of the Beggar's Clan, I fear…I fear…you two…can you think of a way to bring a message to him?”

Ah Zhu let out a groan. ”We don't know what route the young master is taking or where he is passing by. We don't even know if he's already met with the elders of the Beggar's Clan. Before he left, the young master said that the Beggar's Clan was wrongly accusing him of having murdered their Vice-Clan Leader, a man surnamed Ma. His purpose in going to Luoyang was to defend himself against these chargers, and not necessarily to fight against them. Otherwise, he and brother Deng, despite being heroes, would be unable to overcome the sheer advantage in numbers which the Beggar's Clan possesses. I'm just worried that he wouldn't be able to fully explain everything, and that the two sides will become estranged…” Ah Bi said, ”Miss, is it really so improper for him to execute the Dog Beating Staff technique very quickly?” The female said, ”Naturally, it is definitely improper. What else is there to say? He…why didn't he come and visit me before leaving?” As she spoke, she lightly stamped her feet, seemingly very agitated and deeply concerned, but her voice remained tender, soft, and lovely to hear.

Duan Yu was extremely astonished. He thought to himself, ”In Dali, everyone spoke of 'Gusu's Murong family' with the utmost reverence and fear. But from the words of this girl, it sounds as though young master Murong needs her advice and her pointers on martial arts. Can it be that such a young girl possesses such an incredibly high level of ability?” Lost in thought, he suddenly bumped his head into a tree branch. He couldn't help but let out a cry. He hurriedly shut his mouth, but it was too late. The female asked, ”Who is it?”

Duan Yu knew that he was unable to hide, and so coughed and said from within the thicket, ”I am Duan Yu. I was touring your respected manor's camellias, and accidentally arrived here. Please forgive me.”

The female said in a low voice, ”Ah Zhu, is it the gentleman who arrived with you two?” Ah Zhu hurriedly said, ”It is. Miss, don't mind him. We'll leave immediately.” The female said, ”Wait. I'm going to write him a letter and explain to him that if he really gets into a fight against the Beggar's Clan, he must not use the Dog Beating Staff technique no matter what. He needs to use his own original skills. Even if he's unable to 'Use the opponent's skills, and exercise them upon the opponent', there's no other option. Take the letter and think of a way to get it to him.” Ah Zhu hesitantly said, ”This….well…the madame once gave orders…”

The female said, ”What? You only obey the madame's commands and ignore mine?” In her voice was the slightest hint of anger. Ah Zhu hurriedly said, ”Miss, as long as you keep the madame from finding out, your humble servant will naturally follow your orders, especially seeing as how this is beneficial to our master.” The female said, ”Come with me to the study room to prepare the letter.” Ah Zhu still seemed very hesitant, and only reluctantly said, ”Alright.”

After hearing that first sigh, Duan Yu was becoming only more and more enthralled by this girl. Hearing that she was about to leave, he feared that he would never be able to meet her again. This would be something which he would regret all his life. Even if it were to mean risking being blamed as too forward and bold, he had to see this girl with his own eyes. Summoning up his courage, he said, ”Sister Ah Bi, can you stay here with me for a bit?” As he spoke, he walked out from the thicket.

Upon hearing him walk towards them, the female let out a startled cry and hurriedly turned her back to him.

After leaving the thicket, Duan Yu saw a maiden who wore a pale, pinkish gray garment. Her face was turned towards the flowers, her form was slim and slender, with long hair hanging over her back and gently tied together with a silvery hairpin. Gazing at this maiden's back, Duan Yu couldn't help but feel as though she was enveloped by light mist and clouds, as though she really weren't a person of the mortal world at all. He deeply bowed and said, ”Duan Yu pays his respects to you, miss.”

The girl stamped on the ground with her left foot. ”Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, this is all your fault. You know I do not associate with male strangers.” As she spoke, she walked forwards. After a few twists and turns, her form gradually disappeared within the dense growth of camellia flowers.

A small smile on her lips, Ah Bi said, ”Young gentleman Duan, this young lady has a really bad temper. Let's leave quickly.” Ah Zhu also softly laughed, ”Thank you very much for rescuing us from this predicament. If you hadn't, Ms. Wang would have forced us to deliver a message on her behalf. Our petty little lives would have been put at risk.”

Duan Yu had summoned all of his courage to rush out like that, but then was scolded by the girl. He felt deeply snubbed, and was worried that Ah Zhu and Ah Bi would blame him as well. He didn't expect that the two of them would actually be grateful towards him instead. Only, although that maiden was by now far away, her pretty shadow still seemed to be before his eyes, filling his heart with melancholy. He dully watched as her back disappeared into the clusters of flowers.

Ah Bi gently tugged on his sleeves, but Duan Yu still remained in a daze. Ah Zhu laughed, ”Young gentleman Duan, let's go!” Duan Yu's entire body jumped. Only after calming himself did he say, ”Right, right. Are we really leaving?” Ah Zhu and Ah Bi walked in the front, leaving him with no option but to follow them. With each step he took, he looked back, filled with a reluctance to leave.

The three of them returned to their small boat. Ah Zhu and Ah Bi picked up their oars and rowed out. Duan Yu gazed at the camellias on the shore, thinking to himself, ”If I, Duan Yu, am an unlucky man, how could I have had the great fortune to hear that girl's sighs and her words, much less see her goddess-like form? But if I am a lucky man, why is it that I didn't even have the chance to see her face?” As the camellias grew more and more distant, his heart became more and more downcast as well.

Suddenly, Ah Zhu let out a startled cry. ”The madame…the madame has returned.” Turning his head, Duan Yu saw a fast ship flying towards them. In the blink of an eye, it drew near. On the front of the ship's bow was painted an innumerable amount of multicolored flowers. When the boat drew nearer, it became evident that these, too, were camellia flowers. Ah Zhu and Ah Bi stood up, bowing their heads and staring at their feet, appearing to be extremely respectful. Ah Bi repeatedly gestured towards Duan Yu, telling him to stand up as well. Smiling, Duan Yu shook his head. ”After the master comes out and speaks, I will naturally rise to my feet. A real man cannot be too humble and modest.”

A female voice shouted out from the fast ship, ”What male has the audacity to charge into the Highland Manor of the Camellias? Can it be that he doesn't know that any male who comes uninvited will have both his legs cut off?” The voice was very stately and majestic, but was also very clear, melodious, and pleasing to the ear. Duan Yu replied in a loud and clear voice, ”I am Duan Yu. I temporarily took refuge in your honored abode, and had no intention of charging in. I sincerely thank you.” The woman said, ”Your last name is Duan?”

In her voice was a hint of astonishment. Duan Yu replied, ”Precisely so!”

The woman said, ”Hmph! Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, so it's you two brats. That boy, Murong Fu, refuses to learn how to act properly. Sneaking and sly, he specializes in doing bad things!” Ah Zhu replied, ”Reporting to madame, this servant was pursued by enemies and passed by the Highland Manor of the Camellias. Our young master has left, and this matter truly has nothing to do with him at all.” The woman laughed coldly. ”Hmph. Nothing more than sweet words and blandishments. Don't be so hasty to leave. Come with me.” Ah Zhu and Ah Bi replied simultaneously, ”Yes, madame.” They paddled their small boat towards the fast ship. Actually, they had not travelled too far from the manor, and in a short time both ships successively docked at the shore.

The sound of jewelry clinking against each other could be heard, and many females in green clothes exited the fast ship. All of them were dressed as servants, and each of them wielded a longsword in their hands. In the twinkling of an eye, their bared swords covered the ground like frost, light of their blades reflecting onto the flowers. Nine pairs of servants came out in total. The eighteen of them formed two lines, holding their swords at waist-level, pointed upwards. After they finished lining up, a woman left the ship.

Upon seeing this woman's appearance, Duan Yu couldn't help but let out an involuntarily cry of startlement. He was temporarily tongue-tied, feeling as though he had entered the dream world. This woman was dressed in light yellow. In her clothes and in her decorations, she seemed exceedingly similar to the jade statue within the cavern with Mt. Wuliang of Dali. Only, this female was a beautiful married woman who appeared to be not quite forty years of age, whereas the jade statue portrayed a girl of eighteen or nineteen. After his initial surprise, Duan Yu took another look at this beautiful woman. Compared to the jade statue, her eyebrows, lips, and nose were not as peerlessly gorgeous, and obviously there was an age difference as well. In addition, her face showed the marks of hardship suffered during her journey through life. Nonetheless, there was still a fifty or sixty percent resemblance. Seeing him stare at Madame Wang without blinking, Ah Zhu and Ah Bi felt that he was really being too impolite, and in their hearts both of them were groaning. They repeatedly gestured towards him, telling him not to stare, but Duan Yu's eyes remained fixed on Madame Wang's face.

The woman glanced at him, then coldly said, ”This person is totally without courtesy. Later, chop off both his legs, gouge out his eyes, and rip out his tongue.” A servant bowed and said, ”Yes!”

Duan Yu's heart sunk. ”If she really wants to kill me, fine. But to chop off my legs, gouge out my eyes, and tear out my tongue, putting me in a half-dead, half-living state, would be a really, really bad thing.” Only now did fear truly enter his heart. Turning around, he glanced at Ah Zhu and Ah Bi. Both of their faces had turned a deathly pale color and were transfixed with fear.

After Madame Wang left the cabin, two more servant girls followed her out, each holding a set of metal chains in their hands. They dragged two chained males from within the cabin. Both of the males were bound by their hands and appeared to be very dejected. One man had a delicate and pretty face, seeming like a scion of a wealthy family. The other person, Duan Yu recognized. He was a disciple of Mt. Wuliang's Sword Sect named Tang Guangxiong. Duan Yu was amazed. ”This person resides in Dali. How is it that he was captured by Madame Wang and brought to Jiangnan?”

Madame Wang said to Tang Guangxiong, ”You are obviously from Dali. Why do you deny it?” Tang Guangxiong said, ”I'm from Yunnan. My hometown is within the borders of the Great Song and is not part of Dali.” Madame Wang asked, ”How far is your hometown from Dali?” Tang Guangxiong said, ”Four hundred li or so.” Madame Wang said, ”If you aren't over five hundred li away, you might as well be considered a person of Dali. Bury him alive beneath our camellias as fertilizer.” Tang Guangxiong loudly shouted, ”What on earth have I done? Tell me clearly, otherwise I will not be able to close my eyes even in death.” Madame Wang coldly laughed, ”Anyone I meet who is from Dali or who has the surname Duan will be buried alive. Why did you come to Suzhou? After you did come to Suzhou, how dare you speak with a Dali accent and make a loud commotion at the upstairs of the tavern? Even though you aren't from Dali yourself, you are a neighbor of Dali. I'll treat you the same way I would treat them.”

Duan Yu said to himself, ”Ah hah, you obviously are directing that to me. There's no need for you to ask, I'll just admit it point-blank.” He loudly shouted, ”I am from Dali, and my surname is Duan. If you want to bury me, go ahead and be quick about it!” Madame Wang coldly said, ”You already reported your name, saying that you are called Duan Yu. Hmph. No person from Dali who is of the Duan family will be allowed to die so easily.”

She waved her hand, and a slave girl pulled Tang Guangming away. Tang Guangming must have had his acupoints sealed or sustained severe injuries; he wasn't able to resist in the slightest. He only shouted, ”There's no such rule in the world! There are millions of people within Dali, can you kill them all?” But as he was dragged deeper and deeper into the sea of flowers, his voice gradually grew faint, then disappeared.

Madame Wang inclined her head slightly and said to the delicate looking man, ”What do you have to say yourself?” That man suddenly fell to both his knees, kneeling in front of her. ”My father is an official in Beijing, and I am his only son. Madame, I beg you to spare my life. If you have any instructions, my father will definitely carry them out.” Madame Wang coldly said, ”Your father is a powerful official within the imperial court. Do you think I don't know that? There's an easy way for you to be spared. This very day, go back to your home and immediately kill your official wife. Then, tomorrow, immediately marry your secret lover, Ms. Miao, and take her as your wife. The wedding ceremony needs to be complete and done properly; the six ceremonial rites must be conducted, and the three documents must be completed. Will you accept?” The man said, ”This…I can't really bear to kill my wife, and my father and mother would definitely not allow me to formally marry Ms. Miao. Isn't this my…” Madame Wang said, ”Take him away and bury him alive!” The servant holding his chain said, ”Yes!” Tugging at the chain, she started to drag him away. The man was so frightened, his entire body quivered. ”I…I agree, alright?” Madame Wang said, ”Xiaocui, escort him to Suzhou. I want you to personally witness him killing his wife and marrying Ms. Miao returning.” Xiaocui replied, ”Yes!” She dragged the man towards another small boat on the shore.

The man begged, ”Madame, be merciful. My wife has no enmity with you, and you don't know Ms. Miao. Why must you help her like this and force me to kill my wife? I…I've never been acquainted with you, much less…much less have dared to offend you.” Madame Wang said, ”Since you already have a wife, you shouldn't have entangled yourself with another maiden. Since you deceived the girl with your flower words and lies, then you definitely must take her as your wife. If I don't hear about these types of things happening, then no matter. But if I do find out, then of course I will handle the situation. You aren't the first one I've done this to. What do you have to grumble about? Xiaocui, how many times have we done this?” Xiaocui said, ”I have done this seven times at places such as Changshou, Danyang, Wuxi, and Jiaxing. Xiaolan and Xiaoshi have also overseen a few of these events.”

Hearing that this was how she always handled this sort of affairs, that man could only moan and groan. Rowing the oars, Xiaocui propelled her boat off into the distance.

Seeing how this Madame Wang handled matters in totally irrational ways, Duan Yu was boggled, totally struck dumb. The only thing which filled his mind was four words. ”This is absolutely preposterous.” Unconsciously, he blurted those words out. ”This is absolutely preposterous. This is absolutely preposterous!” Madame Wang let out a humph. ”There are even more absolutely preposterous things in the world. Many more!”

Duan Yu was both disappointed and miserable. That day, when he found the statue of his dear goddess within the jade cavern of Mt. Wuliang, his heart was filled with admiration. The person in front of him appeared similar to the jade statue, but in speech and demeanor acted as though she were a demoness or an evil spirit.

Lowering his head, he was lost in thought. Four servant girls left the cabin of the fast ship, each holding a vase of flowers. Duan Yu, upon seeing them, was startled. All four vases were filled with rare, famous, and extremely difficult to obtain breeds of camellia flowers. Dali possessed more and better camellia flowers than any other place in the world, and within the South-Subduing Palace alone were innumerable camellias. Duan Yu was long since used to seeing them. When bored, he would listen to the ten famous gardeners who served at the palace comment on and appraise the camellias. Naturally, he fully understood the differences between superb breeds of camellias and poor breeds. His understanding in this field was as deep as that of a farmer's understanding of the differences between beans and wheat, or a fisherman's understanding of the difference between fish and shrimp. After strolling about the Highland Manor of the Camellias for some time, he was unable to find a single truly outstanding breed of camellias, and had long since decided that the manor did not live up to its name. But at this moment, seeing those four vases, he inwardly said, ”Now that is more like it.”

Madame Wang said, ”Xiaocha, it was very difficult for us to obtain these four 'Full Moon' [Manyue] camellias. They need to be taken good care of.” The servant named Xiaocha said, ”Yes!” Duan Yu felt that these words were too amateurish and let out a sneer. Madame Wang said, ”Because the wind on the lake was too strong, we've kept these four flowers within the cabin for many days now. It's been a while since they've gotten some sunlight. Quick, take them to a place where they can drink in some sunlight. Add some extra fertilizer as well.” Xiaocha repeated, ”Yes!” Duan Yu could no longer hold in his mirth, and began to roar with laughter.

Madame Wang felt that his laughter was weird and asked, ”What are you laughing at?” Duan Yu replied, ”I laugh at the fact that you know nothing about camellias, but insist on planting them. For such an exquisite specimen to fall into your hands is truly a waste, like burning a zither for firewood or cooking a crane for meat. This really disheartens me! What a pity, what a waste. I feel so sorry for it.” Madame Wang angrily said, ”I don't know anything about camellias? So you do?” But suddenly, her heart stirred. ”Wait,” she said to herself, ”He's from Dali and his surname is Duan. Maybe he really does understand camellias.” But her words were still stubborn. ”The name of this manor is the 'Highland Manor of the Camellias'. Camellias populate this place, inside and out. See how exuberant and brilliant they are! Why do you say that I don't understand camellias?” Duan Yu smiled, ”Commonplace flowers of low quality will naturally flourish. But the four vases of camellias you have there are are exquisite specimens. If amateurs like you are able to properly plant and take care of them, then my surname isn't Duan!”

Madame Wang exceedingly loved camellia flowers. She didn't care about the cost; wherever she went, she would purchase beautiful specimens to take home. But when the new camellias arrived, not a single one of the famous and rare specimens would thrive or flourish. Usually, within a year or so, they would wither and die or be at death's gate. She was always vexed by this problem. Now, hearing Duan Yu's words, her anger turned to joy. She took two steps forward and asked, ”What is so special about these four vases of camellias? What must I do to make them flourish?” Duan Yu replied, ”If you want to consult me, then you need to follow the proper etiquette for asking advice. If you want to threaten and compel me into answering, go ahead and chop off my legs first. You can always ask me afterwards.”

Madame Wang angrily said, ”What's so difficult about chopping your legs off? Xiaoshi, chop his left foot off first!” The servant girl named Xiaoshi replied in the affirmative, then advanced towards Duan Yu, sword in hand. Ah Bi hurriedly said, ”Madame, don't ya be doin' that, yeah. If ya hurt this fella, he's real stubborn-like and would rather die and speak.” Madame Wang only wanted to scare Duan Yu in the first place. With a wave of her hand, she beckoned Xiaoshi back.

Duan Yu laughed, ”Go ahead and chop off my legs, then place them next to those four vases of white camellias. They really will serve as a superb fertilizer. These white flowers will grow bigger and bigger. Maybe they'll flourish into a sea of camellias! Haha, beautiful, wonderful, brilliant!”

Madame Wang originally really was thinking of doing just that, but Duan Yu's every word was filled with irony and sarcasm, rendering her speechless. After being stunned for a moment, she said, ”What are you babbling about? What, exactly, is so special about these four vases of mine? Tell me. If you are correct, I'll pay the proper respects to you then.”

Duan Yu replied, ”For starters, Madame Wang, you made the mistake of calling these flowers 'Full Moon' camellias. If you don't even recognize what the exact breed of flowers you have are, how can you be said to understand flowers? One of the flowers is named 'Red Makeup, White Wrappings'. Another is called 'Clawing a Beautiful Woman's Face'.” Intrigued, Madame Wang asked, ”'Clawing A Beautiful Woman's Face?' Is there really such a weird flower name? Which one is it?”

Duan Yu said, ”If you want to ask for my advice, you need to follow proper etiquette.”

Duan Yu had mocked her mercilessly, without her being able to defend herself, but upon hearing that one of her four vases of flowers had such a unique name, Madame Wang was filled with delight. Smiling, she said, ”Fine! Xiaoshi, order the cooks to prepare a banquet at the 'Pavilion of Glorious Clouds' in order to entertain young gentleman Duan.” After acknowledging the order, Xiaoshi left.

Ah Zhu and Ah Bi gazed at each other. Seeing that Duan Yu had not only escaped death, but was also now being treated as a guest by Madame Wang, both of them were overjoyed at the surprise.

The servant who had taken Tang Guangxiong returned and reported, ”That person surnamed Tang from Dali has already been buried beneath a red camellia in front of the 'Pavilion of Rosy Clouds'.” Duan Yu's heart went cold. Madame Wang didn't seem to care at all. She simply nodded, then said, ”Young gentleman Duan, please come this way!” Duan Yu said, ”I dared to disturb you; I am very blessed indeed that you, my host, are so forgiving.” Madame Wang said, ”An able and worthy person has come, bringing great honor and glory to the flowers and ramparts of the Highland Manor of Camellias.” The two of them spoke courteously to each other as they walked, not revealing a shred of the life-and-death danger Duan Yu had been in just moments ago.

With Madame Wang accompanying Duan Yu, the two passed by a forest of flowers, a stone bridge, and a small alleyway before arriving in front of a small pavilion. Below the eaves of the pavilion, Duan Yu saw an inscribed wooden board with the words, ”Pavilion of Glorious Clouds”, written in blackish-green ink in the seal-script style. Camellia flowers blossomed all around the pavilion. But in Dali, these camellia flowers were considered to be third or fourth class rubbish. Their appearance totally clashed with the refined-looking and elegantly constructed pavilion.

Madame Wang actually seemed to be very pleased with herself. ”Young gentleman Duan, in your Dali there are many camellia flowers, but I'm afraid that compared to my place, there still aren't quite as many.” Duan Yu nodded. ”It's true that we don't plant this sort of camellia flowers in Dali.” Madame Wang chortled, ”Really?” Duan Yu replied, ”In Dali, even country bumpkins know that these camellias are not of very high quality, and too mundane to plant.” The color of Madame Wang's face changed, and she angrily said, ”What did you just say? You say that these flowers of mine are of poor quality? Aren't these words of yours too…too infuriating and insulting?”

Duan Yu said, ”Madame, if you don't believe me, that's your choice.” Pointing to a gorgeous, five-colored camellia in front of the pavilion, he said, ”This flower, you no doubt treat as a precious treasure, right? Hm. Actually, the jade railing next to the camellia is made from actual Hotan jade. It's very beautiful, very beautiful.” He was gushing with praise for the jade railing next to the camellia while not saying much about the flower itself; this was akin to a person, while viewing someone else's calligraphy, praise how dark the ink was and how famous and rare the paper was.

This camellia was both red and white, both violet and yellow. The variety of colors it possessed were magnificent and resplendent. Madame Wang had always treated it as a treasure. Now, seeing Duan Yu showing such disdain for it, she immediately furrowed her eyebrows, emitting a murderous look from her eyes. Duan Yu said, ”Madame, if I may ask, what is this flower known as here in Jiangnan?” Madame Wang vehemently said, ”We don't have any particularly special name for it. We just call it the 'Five-Colored Cammelia'.” Duan Yu smiled. ”But we in Dali have a name for it. We call it the 'Failed Scholar'.”

Madame Wang spat. ”Bah! Such an ugly name! You must have made that up. This flower is gorgeous to behold. Why would it be called a 'Failed Scholar'?” Duan Yu said, ”Madame, please take a look and count for yourself. How many colors do the blossoms of this camellia flower have?” Madame Wang said, ”I counted them long ago. There's at least fifteen or sixteen.” Duan Yu said, ”There are exactly seventeen colors. In Dali, there is famous camellia flower called the 'Eighteen Scholars'. It is one of one of the highest grade camellias in the world. Each plant has precisely eighteen flowers, and each flower is of a different color. The red flower is totally red; the violent flowers are totally purple. There's not a single hint of intermingled color. In addition, the shape of each of the eighteen blossoms is different as well, with each possessing their own unique beauty. When they bloom, they bloom at the same time; when they wither, all eighteen flowers wither at the same time. Madame, have you seen it before?” Madame Wang had been listening, stunned. She shook her head. ”Camellias like this actually exist? I've never even heard of it!”

Duan Yu said, ”Compared to the 'Eighteen Scholars', there are some other famous flowers that are similar to it in quality. The 'Thirteen Grand Protectors' are camellia plants that have thirteen blossoms, each with a totally different color. The 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea' refers to camellia plants with eight different colored blossoms. The 'Seven Celestial Maidens' refers to camellia plants with seven different colored blossoms. The 'Three Heroes of Hardship' have three blossoms, and the 'Two Qiao Sisters' have two blossoms; one red, one white. For all of these camellia flowers, the color of each blossom must be pure. If there's a hint of white within a red flower, or a blush of red in a white flower, it is considered a low-grade version.” Madame Wang couldn't help but be carried away and raptured by his explanations. Lifting her head up, she quietly whispered to herself, ”Why didn't he ever tell me this?”

[Translator's note: All of the above refer to famous historical or mythical personages in ancient China, each with many legends attached to them. The 'Thirteen Grand Protectors' refers to a group of thirteen legendary warriors during the Five Dynasties period who protected Li Cunxu, who proclaimed himself Emperor Zhuangzhong of the Later Tang dynasty. The 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea' is a very famous story in its own right. The 'Seven Celestial Maidens' are all daughters of the emperor of Heaven. The 'Three Heroes of Hardship' refers to Li Jing (who later became deified) and his two sworn brothers. The 'Two Qiao Sisters' refers to two lengendarily beautiful sisters of the Qiao family during the Three Kingdoms period. The younger sister married Zhou Yu; the older sister was married to Sun Ce, Sun Quan's older brother.]

Duan Yu continued, ”Within the 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea', there must be a deep violet flower and a light red flower. These two represent Iron-Crutched Li and Female Celestial He. If this isn't the case, even if all eight flowers have different colors, they cannot be called the 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea'. They would simply be called the 'Eight Precious Adornments'. They are also considered to be famous flowers, but are a level inferior to the 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea'.” Madame Wang said, ”So that's how it is.”

Duan Yu continued, ”Now, let's talk about the 'Three Heroes of Hardship'. There's differences between high quality and low quality versions of these flowers as well. In authentic versions, the violet flower must be the largest in size, symbolizing Qiu Ranke. The white flower is second, symbolizing Li Jing. The red flower is the most delicate and the smallest, as it represents lady Hong Fu. If the red flower is larger than the violet flower or the white flower, then the flower is considered to be of a low quality, and has a much lower status ranking.” Duan Yu spoke of these flowers as though he were enumerating his own family's valuables, because these flowers were indeed treasures of the Duan family. Naturally, he was very familiar with them. Madame Wang listened to him talk with keen pleasure. She sighed, ”I haven't even seen low quality flowers, much less high quality ones.”

Duan Yu pointed towards the five-colored camellia. ”This flower not only has one less color than the 'Eighteen Scholars', but the flowers are not pure in color. They bloom at different times, and are all of different sizes. In every aspect, it attempts to imitate the 'Eighteen Scholars', but is never able to match up. Isn't that a sad, miserable thing? Thus, we call this flower a 'Failed Scholar'.” Madame Wang couldn't help but let out a breath, then laughed, ”This flower's name is really too acrimonious and unkind. Most likely, you scholars came up with it.”

By this point in time, Madame Wang had full faith of Duan Yu's knowledge of camellia flowers. She immediately escorted him into the 'Pavilion of Glorious Clouds'. Duan Yu saw that the furnishings upstairs were rich and beautiful, with a large painting of a peacock spreading its feathers in the middle of the room and two matching poetic lines carved in wood at each side of the painting. The lines read, ”A dense cloud of leaves coats the land, even the snow is jealous of the camellia's beauty.” Very shortly, the banquet began. Madame Wang invited Duan Yu to take the seat of honor, while she herself took a right-hand seat to keep him company.

The dishes prepared at the banquet were very different from the ones which Ah Zhu and Ah Bi had earlier prepared. The dishes Ah Zhu and Ah Bi prepared were very light and refined, showing great craftsmanship in simple dishes. But the banquet dishes at the 'Pavilion of Glorious Clouds' emphasized luxuriousness, with such rarities as bear paws and shark fins. Every dish was made from rare and precious ingredients. Duan Yu, being a scion of the royal family, had become accustomed to eating rare and precious dishes since birth. In his mind, the banquet here was actually inferior to the food the two girls prepared at the 'Pavilion of Zither Melodies.'

After three rounds of drinks, Madame Wang asked, ”The Duan family of Dali is a famous, aristocratic family of the martial world. Why is it that you do not study martial arts?” Duan Yu replied, ”There are a large number of people in Dali who have the surname Duan. Only the royal descendants of the imperial family study martial arts. Commoners like me do not study martial arts.” Whether he would live or die was wholly under the control of this woman. Being in such a humiliating position, he had decided that no matter what he could not reveal his real identity, for fear of degrading the fame and prestige of his uncle and his father. Madame Wang said, ”You are a commoner?” Duan Yu replied, ”I am.” Madame Wang said, ”Do you know any members of the royal Duan family?” Duan Yu replied, ”None whatsoever.”

Madame Wang was lost in thought for some time, then changed the topic. ”Earlier, you were speaking about the various merits and qualities of camellia flowers, causing me to suddenly see the light. The flower artisans of Suzhou from whom I acquired these four vases of flowers called these flowers 'Full Moon' flowers, but you said that one is named 'Red Makeup, White Wrappings', and that another is named 'Clawing a Beautiful Woman's Face'. I don't know how they can be told apart, and would like to ask for your advice.”

Duan Yu replied, ”The plant with the large white flowers with faint black spots is the one known as the 'Full Moon' flower. Those faint black spots are the cassia twigs which grow on the moon. That other plant with white flowers which has two olive-pit sized black spots on the petals is known as the 'Beautiful Eyes' flower.” Madame Wang happily said, ”This is a very good name.”

Duan Yu continued, ”The plant with white flowers that are sprinkled with red dots is known as 'Red Makeup, White Wrappings'. Lastly, the plant with white flowers covered by a faint green sheen and thin, hair-like strips of red is known as 'Clawing a Beautiful Woman's Face'. However, if too many of those red lines appear, the flower is no longer known as 'Clawing a Beautiful Woman's Face', but rather it is called 'Resting On a Lovely Railing'. Madame, please consider this. A beautiful woman must be gentle, refined, and warm. If by chance a scratch occasionally appears on her face, it can't be because she damaged herself while putting on makeup, nor can it be that she got into a fight with someone else. The only possible explanation is that while she was playing with her pet parrot, it scratched her. This is very normal and understandable. Thus, this flower must have a green sheen, which represents the green feathers of a parrot. But if her entire face is scratched and clawed, the only explanation is that this woman always gets into fights with others, in which case, how can she be considered to be beautiful?”

Up till now, Madame Wang was repeatedly nodding as he spoke, very pleased. Suddenly, her face sunk with anger as she shouted, ”How dare you! Are you mocking me?”

Duan Yu was startled, then hurriedly said, ”I wouldn't dare! I don't know how I offended you, madame.” Madame Wang angrily said, ”Whose stories did you listen to, for you to come here and concoct these wild lies to insult me? Who says that a woman can no longer be considered beautiful after learning martial arts? What's so good about being gentle, refined, prim and proper?” Duan Yu was startled. ”My words were based upon the standard, accepted explanation for the naming of this flower. There are many women who know martial arts that are both beautiful and stately.” He didn't expect that Madame Wang found these words grating to the ear as well, as she yelled, ”So are you saying that I'm not stately?”

Duan Yu replied, ”Whether or not you are stately, you yourself know best, madame. How would I dare comment wildly? But for you to demand that a man murder his wife and wed another woman is definitely not proper at all.” By now, he himself was getting angry as well, and no longer cared about what he was saying.

Madame Wang gestured with her hand, and the four girls who were serving them stepped forward in unison. Bowing, they said, ”Yes, madame?” Madame Wang said, ”Take this man into your custody and away from my sight. I command that he be given the task of watering my camellias!” The four servants said in unison, ”Yes, madame!”

Madame Wang said, ”Duan Yu, you are a person from Dali, and your family name is Duan. I should have killed you long ago. For the moment, I'll postpone your execution, but I'll punish you by giving you the task of taking care of all of the camellias in this manor. You need to take especial care with the four which we have brought home today. Let me be clear. If a single one of these four vases of camellia flowers dies, I will chop off one of your hands. If two die, I will chop off both. If all four die, I will turn you into a limbless cripple.” Duan Yu asked, ”And if all four live?” Madame Wang said, ”After all four flowers begin to flourish, your job will be to cultivate other famous camellias for me. 'Eighteen Scholars', 'Thirteen Grand Protectors', 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea', 'Seven Celestial Maidens', 'Three Heroes of Hardship', and the 'Two Qiao Sisters'. I want several of each! If you can't accomplish it, I'll tear your eyeballs out.”

Duan Yu loudly objected, ”These famous flowers are rarely seen, even in Dali. It will be almost impossible to find them in Jiangnan. If you can get several of each just like that, how can they be considered to be rare and precious breeds? Just go ahead and kill me now! I refuse to accept the torture of having you cut off my hands today and gouge out my eyes tomorrow.” Madame Wang loudly rebuked him, ”You must be tired of living, to act so rudely in front of me. Take him away!”

The four servant girls walked towards him. Two of them grabbed him by his arms, one by his chest, with the last grabbing him by the back. All five of them descended from the top floor of the pavilion. All four of the servant girls knew martial arts, and Duan Yu found himself totally unable to resist. All he could do was secretly lament, ”Damnit, damnit!”

Pushing and tugging, the four servants pulled him to a flower nursery. One servant stuck a gardening hoe in his hand, while another grabbed a watering pail. She said, ”If you listen to the madame's orders and obediently water the flowers, you can keep your life. But the way you keep offending her, you are tremendously lucky that she didn't immediately order for you to be buried alive.” Another servant said, ”Aside from doing your duties to preserve the flowers, you aren't allowed to run about wildly within the manor. If you break into one of the restricted areas, no one will be able to save you. It's the equivalent of asking to die.” The four servants lectured him in extremely solemn tones for some time before leaving. Duan Yu could only blankly stand there, not sure whether he should laugh or cry.

At Dali, he was only inferior in rank to his uncle and to his father. In the future, after his father ascended to the throne, he would become the crown prince. How could it have happened that he was kidnapped and brought to Jiangnan, almost be burned to death, then risk having his arms and legs chopped off or his eyes gouged out. As if that wasn't enough, now he was forced into being someone else's gardener. Even though he had an amiable temperament, and, in his palace, often chatted with the gardeners while watching them prune the flowers, work the earth, and spread the fertilizer, he was still a prince. In his heart, he felt that gardener's were very lowly people.

Fortunately, he was a happy person and a lively spirit by nature. Upon meeting any problems or setbacks, at most he would only be dispirited for a short while before becoming happy again. He said to himself, ”At the jade cavern of Mt. Wuliang, I already kowtowed and accepted the dear goddess as my master. Aside from the age issue, this Madame Wang looks very similar to her. Why don't I just think of her as my martial-uncle? It's natural for a pupil to labor hard and obey the commands of his master. Not to mention, cultivating flowers is an artistic sort of work done by literati. It's definitely much more elegant and sophisticated than waving around sabres or poking around with spears. And it's definitely ten thousand times better than being burned alive by Jiumozhi in front of Mr. Murong's tomb. The only problem is, these flowers are really too inferior in quality. Having the prince of Dali take care of them is a waste of talent, like killing a scrawny chicken using a giant blade meant for butchering cattle. Haha, actually, can I be really be considered a cattle-butchering blade? What sort of flower-planting talent do I have, anyhow?”

Then, he thought to himself, ”If I stay at the Highland Manor of the Camellias for a bit longer, there's always the chance that I might have the good fortune of seeing that girl who wore the pale pinkish grey dress. This can be called, 'Duan Yu, how do you know that planting flowers won't be a lucky thing for you?'”

Considering the question of whether he was lucky or unlucky, Duan Yu grabbed a handful of grass. ”Let's see how long it will be before I have the chance to see that girl.” He began to pass the grass from his left hand to his right, then from his right hand to his left, trying to tell his fortune. After divining for some time, he ended up with a 'Gen' divinatory symbol, with an upper 'Gen' and a lower 'Gen'. He thought to himself, ”'You shall see her back, but you will not win her body; you shall go to her courtyard, but you will not see her person. No fault.' This divination is really appropriate. Even though I won't see her, in the end, it won't be my fault.”

He started over. This time, he ended up with a 'Kun' divinatry symbol, along with an upper 'Dui' and a lower 'Kan' symbol. He inwardly groaned, ”'Hard-pressed down amongst plants, as though you had entered a secluded valley. You will not present yourself within three years.' I won't even see her within three years. I really am very hard-pressed.” Then he thought, ”If I can't see her within three years, that means I'll see her in the fourth year. There's plenty of time in the future. Why think of myself as being hard-pressed?”

Since his divinations were very unfavorable, he dared divine no more. Humming a little melody, he picked up the hoe and began to stroll about aimlessly. He thought to himself, ”Madame Wang told me to make those four vases of white flowers flourish. These four plants truly are famous breeds. I need to find a very graceful place to plant them, so as to show them off in the proper setting.” While strolling about, he reviewed the local scenery. Suddenly, he burst out in loud laughter. ”Madame Wang doesn't know a damn thing about camellias, but insists on planting them, and even calls this place the Highland Manor of the Camellias. She doesn't even know that camellias prefer the moon, not the sun, and planted them in places where there is a lot of sun. Even if the flowers manage to somehow survive, there is no way they can flourish. Then she smothers them with fertilizer, by which point, any and all famous breeds of camellias will have been killed by her. What a waste, what a waste! But so funny, so very funny!”

He avoided the sunlight, only going to shadowy areas underneath trees and other large plants. After passing a small hill, he heard the gurgling of water. To his left-hand side was a row of green bamboo plants. The entire place was very quiet and secluded. The area was hidden in the shadow of the hill, where the sun could not reach. Madame Wang, knowing that this place was not suitable for planting flowers, did not plant a single camellia here. Duan Yu was overjoyed. ”There's no better place than this.”

Returning to his starting place, he carried the flower vases one by one to where the bamboo plants were. He shattered each porcelain vase then planted each camellia along with the mud in the vases. Although he had never done this before, he had seen this done many times. Surprisingly, although he was just making it up as he went along, he did it perfectly. Within an hour's time, he finished transplanting the four white camellias next to the bamboo. He planted the 'Clawing a Beautiful Woman's Face' to the left, the 'Red Makeup, White Wrappings' and the 'Full Moon' to the right, and the 'Beautiful Eyes' flower right behind a large boulder. He said to himself, ”This is like the saying, 'Only after you call and entreat her to come out many times does she appear, carrying a pipa and covering half her face.' when these plants are placed in an appropriate setting do their true beauty and charm shine.” In Chinese history, flowers have always been compared to beautiful women. The art of cultivating flowers is equivalent to the art of a beautiful woman using makeup. Duan Yu came from a royal family and read many books; naturally, his understanding of these things was a level above most people.

Stretching his hands into the small stream, he washed away the dirt and mud. Taking a seat on top of the boulder, then stared at that 'Beautiful Eyes' camellia plant, turning his head this way and that to view it from every angle. Just as he was feeling proud of himself, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from a distance. Two females were walking his way. One of them said, ”This place is the most quiet and secluded place here. No one ever comes…”

The sound of her voice was very pleasing to the ear. Duan Yu's heart thumped loudly. The voice obviously belonged to the girl who wore the pale pinkish grey dress which he had seen earlier in the day. Duan Yu held his breath, not daring to make the slightest sound. He thought to himself, ”She said she refuses to meet with any male strangers, and I, Duan Yu, am obviously a male stranger. For me to be able to listen to her say a few words and hear her goddess-like voice is already my infinite good fortune. No matter what, I can't let her know I am here.” His head was originally leaning towards one side; now, he didn't even dare straighten his neck, and so he just left his head in that inclined position rather than risk his neck straightening and making even the slightest bit of noise, scaring that girl.

That maiden continued, ”Xiaoming, what have you…have you heard, regarding news of him?” Duan Yu couldn't help but feel a sour feeling in his heart. The 'him' the maiden was referring to obviously couldn't be himself, Duan Yu; rather, it was young master Murong. From Madame Wang's earlier words, young master Murong seemed to have the given name of 'Fu', 'recover'. The maiden's question seemed to be filled with concern and tender affection for him. Duan Yu could not control the feelings of jealousy from springing forth from his core as they once more hurt his heart. Xiaoming mumbled haltingly for a long time, appearing to be very uncomfortable.

The maiden said, ”Tell me! I definitely will take good care of you afterwards.” Xiaoming said, ”I'm afraid…I'm afraid the madame will blame me.” The maiden said, ”Silly girl, after you tell me, do you really think I will go tell the madame?” Xiaoming asked, ”What if the madame asks you?” The maiden said, ”Naturally, I still won't tell her.” Xiaoming hesitated for another period of time before saying, ”Your cousin, the young-master went to Shaolin.” The maiden said, ”Shaolin? Why is it that Ah Zhu and Ah Bi said he was going to Luoyang to meet with the Beggar's Clan?” Duan Yu thought to himself, ”Her cousin, the young master? Oh, young master Murong is her maternal cousin. The two of them must share the innocent affection of cousins, which they have had since childhood. Then…then…”

Xiaoming said, ”This time, when the madame was out travelling, she came across second master Gongye. He said that the all the leaders of the Beggar's Clan have come to Jiangnan, intending to put on a huge show of force and question the young master about something which had to do with one of their masters. Second master Gongye said that he received a letter from the young master. The young master wrote that he had arrived in Luoyang but was unable to find any of the leaders of the beggars, and so went to Mt. Song to visit Shaolin.” The maiden said, ”Why did he go to Shaolin?” Xiaoming said, ”Second master Gongye said that in the letter, the young master wrote that an old Shaolin monk died in Dali, and that Shaolin was falsely accusing Gusu's Murong family of having done the deed. The young master was very angry. Fortunately, Shaolin isn't very far away from Luoyang, so he decided to go there and clear up the matter.

The maiden said, ”If he's unable to clear things up, then won't things end up in violence? Since the madame found out about this news, why did she come back home instead of rushing to Shaolin to help the young master out?” Xiaoming said, ”This…well, I don't know. I imagine that it is probably because the madame doesn't like the young master.” The maiden angrily said, ”Hmph. Even if she doesn't like him, he's one of us. If Gusu's Murong family loses face to outsiders, will our Wang family gain anything from it?” Xiaoming did not dare to reply.

The maiden walked back and forth near the copse of bamboo plants. Suddenly, she saw the three white camellia plants which Duan Yu had planted, as well as the shattered remains of the porcelain vases. She let out a startled sound, then asked, ”Who is planting camellias here?”

Duan Yu moved quickly, emerging from behind the boulder. Bowing deeply, he said, ”In accordance with the madame's orders, your humble servant came here to cultivate camellia flowers. I'm sorry to have disturbed you.” Although he bowed very deeply, he stared straight ahead at her. He was afraid that the maiden would just repeat the words, ”I don't associate with male strangers,” then leave again, with him once more missing a wonderful opportunity.

As soon as he saw the young lady, he felt a buzzing sound in his ears. He felt as though his vision was becoming blurry, and his legs went weak. He couldn't help but sink to his knees. If he didn't exert all of his energy to keep himself straight, he would have kowtowed to her. Finally, he managed to cry out, ”Dear goddess! I…I have been so miserable, dreaming about you! Master, your disciple, Duan Yu, pays respects to you!

The girl in front of him looked totally identical to the jade statue of the jade cavern. There were no differences whatsoever. Although Madame Wang looked very similar to the jade statue, she was obviously older, and was not as beautiful. But the girl in front of him, aside from her choice of clothes, looked exactly the same as the statue. Face, eyes, nose, lips, ears, skin color, body figure, hands, feet; there was not a single difference. It was as though the jade statue had come to life. In his dreams, he had longed for the jade statue a thousand or ten thousand times. Now, seeing her before his own very eyes, he really did not know where he was. Was he on earth, or was he in heaven?

The young maiden thought he was a lunatic. Letting out a soft cry, she retreated two steps. Shocked, she said, ”You…you…”

Duan Yu rose to his feet. His eyes remained locked on the young maiden, and now he saw her even more clearly than before. Only now did he realize that there were still some differences between the girl in front of him and the jade statue. The jade statue was gorgeous, seductive, and arousing; it had the power to entrance one's senses and steal one's soul. The maiden in front of him, on the other hand, was dignified and sedate, with a hint of childishness. In terms of appearances, the jade statue actually appeared to be more animate and alive than the girl in front of him. He said, ”Ever since that day in the jade cavern, when I kowtowed to your celestial statue, dear goddess, I felt that I was the luckiest of men. I never would have imagined that today, I would be able to see your appearance with mine own eyes. Goddesses really do exist on earth. The world isn't an empty place at all!”

The maiden said to Xiaoming, ”What is he talking about? He…who is he?” Xiaoming said, ”He's that bookworm which Ah Zhu and Ah Bi brought. He claimed to know how to plant camellias. The madame actually believed his rubbish.” The maiden said to Duan Yu, ”Bookworm, did you overhear the conversation I had with her just then?”

Duan Yu laughed, ”Your humble servant has the surname of Duan, with the given name of Yu. I am a citizen of Dali, not a bookworm. Dear goddess, I accidentally overheard the conversation between you and sister Xiaoming. But neither of you need to worry; your humble servant won't leak a single word of your conversation. I guarantee that I will not cause sister Xiaoming to be blamed by Madame Wang.”

The maiden's face sank. ”Who are you calling your 'dear goddess'? You refuse to admit you are a bookworm? When did you ever meet me?” Duan Yu replied, ”If I'm not to call you 'dear goddess', how should I address you?” The maiden said, ”My family name is Wang. You can just call me Miss Wang.”

Duan Yu shook his head. ”No way. There's hundreds of millions of Miss Wang's in the world. Miss, how could I address a celestial personage such as yourself simply as 'Miss Wang'? But how am I to address you then? This is a really tough problem. How about Celestial Maiden Wang? That seems too vulgar. Princess of the Camellias? But the Great Song, Dali, Liao, Tibet, and the Western Xia all have many princesses. Which one can compare to you?”

The maiden felt as though his words were filled with poetic diction. She all the more felt he was a total bookworm. Nonetheless, seeing him so enraptured by her and hearing him pour forth so many praises of her beauty, she couldn't help but be a little delighted. Smiling she said, ”Your luck is not bad at all. My mom didn't chop your legs off.”

Duan Yu said, ”The madame's looks are comparable to yours, dear goddess. Only, her temperament is a bit too weird, and she randomly wants to kill people. It's really a bit at odds with her goddess-like appearance.”