Chapter - 23 The Promise Made About the Cattle And Sheep of the Northern Land Came to Naught. (1/2)

Xiao Feng put Duan Zhengchun lightly on the ground and retreated several steps.

Ruan Xingzhu took a deep bow to express her gratitude and said: 'Chief Qiao, first you saved my daughter. Now you've saved him… him… I really don't know how to thank you.' The people such as Fan Hua and Zhu Danchen also came over to thank him.

Xiao Feng said sternly: 'Xiao Feng saved him totally out of self-interest. All of you need not mention it. Prince Duan, I ask you 1 question. Please answer honestly. That year you made a big mistake that in your heart you've been ashamed of, right? Though this mistake might not have stemmed from your true intentions, you harmed a child to the point of being wretched for life and not knowing its own parents. Is that right?' Every time thinking about the fact that both his parents had died tragically outside Yanmen Pass, he was in agony, so he was unwilling to state it clearly in front of everybody.

Duan Zhengchun's face reddened greatly all over then immediately turned pale. He lowered his head, saying: 'Yes, all my life I've been troubled by this matter. Every time thinking about it, I feel very uneasy. But the blunder was already made. It's hard to make up for it. Heaven has shown pity on me and today allows me to meet a parentless child of that year again. But… but… alas, I've wronged other people all the time.'

Xiao Feng said in a severe voice: 'You already know that you made a big mistake and made other people suffer, but why have you still continuously committed one wrongdoing after another since then?'

Duan Zhengchun shook his head and said in a low voice: 'My conduct has been improper, my virtue has been deficient, and in my life I've really done too many absurd things. I feel deeply ashamed thinking about them.'

After hearing Madam Ma say Duan Zhengchun's name in Xinyang, Xiao Feng had day and night thought that after finding Duan Zhengchun he would execute him by dismemberment. He had been determined that he would only take Duan Zhengchun's life after making him taste sufficient bits and pieces of suffering. But just now, seeing that Duan Zhengchun was benevolent and righteous to his friends, bold and generous to his enemies, and did not look like a despicable evildoer, he could not help but become suspicious, thinking: 'His killing of my parents outside Yanmen Pass was due to misunderstanding. Everyone can make this kind of mistake. But he killed my foster parents--Qiao Sanhuai and his wife--, and harmed my benevolent master Xuan Ku. Those are absolutely unforgivable crimes. Could there still be other details in this?' He was never rash in his actions, so he asked Duan Zhengchun directly, wanting him to personally answer before he himself determined. Duan Zhengchun, with a deeply embarrassed expression, had said that he had committed grave mistakes which had made him feel uneasy through his life, and that today he had met a parentless child of that year again. As for the matters such as murdering Qiao Sanhuai and his wife, and murdering Venerable Xuan Ku, he had admitted that 'his conduct had been improper, and his virtue had been deficient.' Observing all of this, Xiao Feng knew clearly and firmly at once. His face seemed to be covered by a layer of grim frost, and he made a 'humph' sound with his nose.

Suddenly, Ruan Xingzhu said: 'He… he's always been like this. I don't… don't blame him.' Xiao Feng turned to her and saw that she was having a smiling expression and looking at Duan Zhengchun with her pair of starry eyes which was exuding tenderness and love. His anger surging up, he let out a 'humph' sound and said: 'Well, so he's always been like this.' Then he turned his head back and said to Duan Zhengchun: 'Tonight, at the 3rd watch (midnight to 2 a.m), I'll be waiting on that bluestone bridge. I have something to discuss a little with you, sir.'

Duan Zhengchun said: 'I'll definitely arrive on time. I dare not repay this great debt of gratitude with words, but you've come here from afar, why not go into that small house over there to for a few cups?' Xiao Feng said: 'How is your injury, sir? Do you need to rest for a few days?' Unexpectedly, he seemed to turn a deaf ear to the invitation to drink wine. Slightly baffled, Duan Zhengchun said: 'Brother Qiao, many thanks for your solicitude. This minor injury is not significant.'

Xiao Feng nodded, saying: 'Then that's good. A'Zhu, let's go.' When he had walked 2 steps, he turned his head around and said to Duan Zhengchun: 'There's no need to take those good subordinate friends of yours along.' Seeing that the people such as Fan Hua and Hua Hegen all were completely loyal brave fellows, he felt that it would certainly be a pity if they went to the bluestone bridge with Duan Zhengchun and thus unavoidably died at his own hands one by one.

Duan Zhengchun thought that this man's words and actions were rather strange. Even the Emperor, also his brother, only smiled about all of these many romantic demerits of his. This man, however, had denounced him in stern words in front of everybody. This was a bit too unduly, but Xiao Feng was the person who had saved his life, so he said: 'Just as you instruct, honorable brother.'

Pulling A'Zhu's hand, Xiao Feng left immediately without turning his head around.

Xiao Feng and A'Zhu went to a farmhouse and bought some rice to cook and 2 chickens to boil to eat their fill. Because there was no wine, the meal was unavoidably somewhat unexciting. Seeing that A'Zhu seemed to be full of worries and all along she had not said anything, he asked: 'I've found my archenemy. You should feel happy for me.'

A'Zhu smiled, saying: 'Yes, I should be happy.' Seeing that her smile was very unnatural, Xiao Feng said: 'Tonight, after killing this fellow, we'll immediately go north to the outside of Yanmen Pass to gallop on horseback, go hunting, and pasture cattle and sheep, then we'll never go any step inside the Pass. Oh, A'Zhu, before seeing Duan Zhengchun, I took an oath that I'd kill his whole family without sparing even fowls and dogs. But unexpectedly this fellow has personal loyalty, so I think only the one who did the deed should be responsible for it. There's no need to find the other members of his family.' A'Zhu said: 'Having this humane thought, you'd amass a lot of credit in the Underworld and future blessing.' Xiao Feng burst out laughing and said: 'My pair of hands has killed many people. What credit in the Underworld or future blessing would there still be for me?'

Seeing A'Zhu's elegant eyebrows wrinkling, he asked again: 'A'Zhu, why aren't you happy? You don't want me to kill again, right?' A'Zhu replied: 'It's not that I'm unhappy, but somehow my stomach is aching very much.' Xiao Feng stretched out his hand to check her pulse and felt that it was beating unsteadily and hastily. He said softly: 'The journey has been hard on you. I'm afraid you've caught a cold. I'm gonna ask the granny to cook a bowl of ginger soup for you to drink.'

When the ginger soup had not yet been done, A'Zhu shivered all over repeatedly and said in a quavering voice: 'I'm cold, I'm cold.' Xiao Feng, sympathizing with her very much, removed his robe and wrapped it around her body. A'Zhu said: 'Big brother, after getting your revenge tonight, you will have fulfilled your great goal. Naturally I should go with you. Hopefully I would get somewhat better.' Xiao Feng said: 'No! No! You stay here to rest and have a sleep. When you wake up I'll have already brought Duan Zhengchun's head back.'

A'Zhu sighed and said: 'I'm feeling very ill, big brother, it can't be helped. I'm unable to go with you. I really want to accompany you and be together with you. I really don't want to be separate from you… You… You're such a lonely man. I'm not treating you well.'

Hearing her say in a deeply tender manner, Xiao Feng was touched. He held her hand and said: 'We'll only be separate from each other for a while. What's the big deal? A'Zhu, you treat me really well. I don't know how I should repay your kindness.'

A'Zhu said: 'We won't be separate for just a while. I feel that it will be very long, very long. Big brother, after you leave me, I'll be all alone. And you'll be all by yourself, too. You had better take me beyond Yanmen Pass immediately. We'll go pasture cattle and sheep like this. And you'll take revenge on Duan Zhengchun 1 year later. Is that all right? Let me be with you for 1 year first.'

Xiao Feng gently stroked her beautiful hair, saying: 'We've found him with great difficulty. After settling this score tonight, we'll never return to the Central Plains. Duan Zhengchun's martial arts are far inferior to mine. He can't use the '6 Meridians Divine Sword' either. But if we waited for 1 year, we'd have to go to Dali. The Duan Family of Dali has very many experts, if your big brother encountered a master of the '6 Meridians Divine Sword', I'd probably lose. It's not that I don't want to listen to you, but there're many problems in this.'

A'Zhu nodded and said in a low voice: 'That's right. I shouldn't ask you to wait for 1 year then go to Dali to find him and get your revenge. You absolutely mustn't go into the tiger's den alone.'

'Ha-ha,' Xiao Feng laughed and lifted the empty bowl up and took a gulp. He was in the habit of drinking with big bowls. At the moment there was nothing in the bowl, but doing so was still good enough. He said: 'If I, Xiao Feng, was alone, even if the Duan Family in Dali is a dragon's lair or tiger's den, I'd still rush in without worrying the least about life and death and dangers. But now I already have little A'Zhu. I want to take care of you and be with you for life, so Xiao Feng's life is very precious.'

A'Zhu leaned on his bosom, her back slightly shaking. Xiao Feng gently caressed her hair. There was a feeling of quietude and warmth in his heart. He thought: 'Having such a wife, what is still there to regret?' In an instant, he could not help letting his mind gallop to the frontier and his heart fly beyond the Pass. He thought that 1 month later, he and A'Zhu would ride on horseback together in the prairies, go hunting and do shepherding without having to take precautions against being harmed by the enemy, and without worry and anxiety. How carefree and relaxed would they be! But he had not yet repaid the man in black for the great kindness of saving his life at Juxian Manor that day, so he was unavoidably uneasy. However, because this kind of great hero of course did benevolent deeds without hoping for requital, Xiao Feng thought that in this lifetime he would have no choice but to owe him this debt of gratitude.

Xiao Feng noticed that it was gradually getting dark. Leaning on his bosom, A'Zhu was already sleeping deeply. He took out 3 Qian of silver (~ 4 g), gave it to the farmer, and asked him to prepare a vacant room. Then he carried A'Zhu and set her down on the bed, covered her with a quilt, lowered the bed's curtain, and sit in the hall of the farmhouse with his eyes closed in meditation. Not long after, he felt asleep deeply.

After sleeping for more than 4 hours, he opened the door and walked out. He saw that the new moon was hanging above the tops of the trees at an oblique angle, and in the northwest corner, dark clouds were gathering. It appeared there would likely be a big thunderstorm tonight.

Xiao Feng put on his robe and went towards the bluestone bridge. After going 5 li or so (0.5 km) he arrived at the river bank. He could see the reflection of the moon in the river, but half of the sky in the west side was already full of dark clouds. At times, there were several bolts of lightning shot out from the clouds, illuminating the surroundings. But after the lightning was gone, it seemed to be even darker. In a distant graveyard, will-o'-the-wisps were fluttering to and fro on the grass.

Xiao Feng went faster and faster. Before long, he arrived at the bluestone bridge. Taking a look in the direction of the Ursa Major, he noticed that it was not yet past the second watch (10 p.m – 12 p.m), still early. He thought: 'Because I want to settle the big score, I couldn't remain calm and have unexpectedly arrived 1 watch earlier.' In his life, he had had many appointments in which his life had been at stake, and he had met not just a few opponents who were better at martial arts and more renowned than Duan Zhengchun. However, tonight he felt unusually uneasy in his heart, and he was lacking the indomitable, do-or-die spirit of the past.

Standing at the side of the bridge and looking at the water which was slowly flowing under it, he thought: 'That's right. In the past I came and went alone and didn't have to take care of anyone. But tonight I have A'Zhu in my mind. Oh, this's really known as 'when immersed in love, a hero loses heart.'' As he thought to here, some tender feelings could not help emerging from the bottom of his heart. The trace of a smile was visible on his mouth. He thought: 'If A'Zhu was standing here with me, it'd be much better.'

Knowing Duan Zhengchun's martial arts were nowhere near as good as his own, he thought there was no need to be worried about the outcome of the duel tonight. Seeing that the time of the appointment had not yet come, he sat down beneath a tree beside the bridge to concentrate his mind and do breathing. Gradually, his Lingtai (an acupuncture point at the middle of the back) became empty and clear, and miscellaneous thoughts no longer existed.

Suddenly, lightning flashed, followed by a boom of thunder. Then a bolt of lightning struck down from the mass of clouds. Xiao Feng opened his eyes and thought: 'There's going to be heavy rain in an instant. Is it already near the 3rd watch?'

Right at this moment, he saw a man walking slowly on the road leading to the Little Mirror Lake. It was none other than Duan Zhengchun.

He walked up to Xiao Feng, took a deep bow with hands clasped and said: 'What, may I ask, does Chief Qiao want to instruct me by summoning me?'

Xiao Feng slightly tilted his head and looked askance at him. Suddenly, he was burning with rage. He said: 'Prince Duan, the purpose of my making an appointment with you here--could it be you don't know what it is?'

Duan Zhengchun sighed and said: 'You do this because of the incident outside Yanmen Pass that year when I listened to the words of an evildoer by mistake, was stirred up by them and harmed your mother to death, causing your father to commit suicide. It was really a big mistake.'

Xiao Feng said sternly: 'Why did you also harm my foster parents--Qiao Sanhuai and his wife--, and murder my benevolent master Venerable Xuan Ku?'

Duan Zhengchun slowly nodded and said sorrowfully: 'I only hoped to conceal this matter. Who would have thought that I would sink more and more deeply and eventually wouldn't be able to extricate myself from this?'

Xiao Feng said: 'Ha, who'd have thought you're a straightforward fellow? Will you punish yourself, or gotta wait for me to go into action?'

Duan Zhengchun said: 'Chief Qiao, if you hadn't shown your skills and saved me, today at noon I would have lost my life beside the Little Mirror Lake. It's all thanks to your favor, sir, that I could live a half more day. Chief Qiao, if you want to take my life, then you should just do it.'

At this moment, there was a bang of thunder, and raindrops, big as soya beans, suddenly poured down noisily.

Hearing his bold and generous words, Xiao Feng could not refrain from feeling touched. Usually, Xiao Feng liked to make friends with heroes and brave men, so after he had seen Duan Zhengchun, observing that this man had a heroic bearing and was straightforward, he had taken a liking to him. If this was an ordinary mistake, then even if it was a great insult to Xiao Feng himself, he would have already dismissed it with a laugh, and gone drinking tens of bowls of spirit with Duan Zhengchun. But the deaths of his parents did not allow him to live under the same sky with the enemy, how could he let Duan Zhengchun pass at this juncture? He raised 1 hand and said: 'As a son and a disciple, I'm not allowed not to get revenge for the deaths of my parents and master. You killed my father, mother, foster father, foster mother, and my first benevolent master, 5 people altogether, so I'll attack you with 5 blows of my palms. After you've undergone 5 palm attacks of mine, whether you'll be dead or alive, the enmity in the past will be written off at 1 stroke.'

Duan Zhengchun forced a smile and said: 'Exchanging 1 life for only 1 palm attack, this retribution is a bit too easy on me. I deeply appreciate your great kindness.'

Xiao Feng thought: 'Don't you think that your Dali Duan Clan's martial arts are preeminent. I'm afraid you won't be able to withstand the force of 1 blow of my palm.' Then he said: 'Watch out for this palm.' His left hand moved in a circle, and his right palm struck out with a 'hu' sound.

Suddenly lightning flashed, followed by a boom of thunder in mid air. The thunder strengthened the force of the palm, so this palm attack of Xiao Feng was executed with the power of heaven and earth, and wind and thunder. With a 'peng' sound, it hit Duan Zhengchun's chest squarely. At once, Xiao Feng saw he stood unsteadily and fell down. A 'pai' sound was heard as he bumped against the railing of the bluestone bridge. He drooped weakly, motionless.

Xiao Feng was startled: 'Why didn't he raise his hands to meet my attack? And why is he so bad?' He jumped forwards, grabbed the back of Duan Zhengchun's collar and lifted him up. He was alarmed. His ears heard ceaseless rolls of thunder, and the heavy rain was sprinkling water on his face and his body, but he felt nothing. He only thought: 'How has he become so light?'

Today at noon, when going into action and saving Duan Zhengchun, he had lifted him up for quite a while. A person with excellent martial arts could immediately detect the difference of even 1 Jin or half a Jin (0.6 kg) in weight in their hands. But at this moment, Xiao Feng felt that Duan Zhengchun's body had suddenly become lighter by tens of Jin. A burst of indescribable fear suddenly emerged in his heart. He broke into a cold sweat all over.

At this moment, a bolt of lightning flashed again. Xiao Feng stretched out his hand and made a grab at Duan Zhengchun's face. In his hand was a pile of squishy matter which fell away after just a wipe of his hand. In the light of flashes he could see clearly, and so he shouted involuntarily: 'A'Zhu, A'Zhu, so it's you!'

He felt that his whole body had not the slightest strength, so he could not help but kneel down, hugging A'Zhu's legs. He knew that the palm attack just now had been executed with all his power, so not even a first-class hero or bold man in wulin would be able to remain unharmed without using their palm attacks to receive it, to say nothing of this fragile little girl A'Zhu. This blow of the palm certainly had broken all her ribs and crushed her 5 internal organs. Even if Divine Doctor Xue was here and gave her immediate treatment, he would still surely have a hard time snatching her life back.

A'Zhu leaned against the railing of the bridge. Her body slowly slid down and fell on Xiao Feng's body. She said in a low voice: 'Big brother, I… I… treated you very badly. Are you angry with me?'

Xiao Feng said loudly: 'I'm not angry with you. I'm angry with myself.' As he finished, he raised his hand and brought it down on his own head in a fierce blow.

A'Zhu made a slight move with her left hand, wanting to prevent him from hitting himself. But she was unable to raise her arm, so she said: 'Big brother, you must promise me that you'll never ever harm yourself.'

Xiao Feng cried: 'Why are you doing this? Why? Why?'

A'Zhu replied in a low voice: 'Big brother, unfasten my gown, and take a look at my left shoulder.' On their thousand-of-li journey, Xiao Feng and she had travelled together and lodged in the same inns, but from beginning to end, they had always controlled themselves and observed etiquette. At this moment, hearing her tell him to unfasten her gown, he was startled. A'Zhu said: 'I've already belonged to you. My… my… whole body is yours. Just take a look… take a look at my left shoulder, then you'll understand.'

Xiao Feng's eyes were full of tears. Noticing that she was of sound mind when saying those words, he still had a faint hope. Immediately, he propped her up with his left palm put against her back, then hurriedly channelled his internal energy and constantly transferred it into her body, hoping that he could make up for his blunder. His right hand slowly undid her gown, exposing her left shoulder.

A long bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Everything before his eyes was lit up. He saw that the skin of her shoulder was whiter than snow, but there was a 'Duan' character, deep red as blood, tattooed on it.

Xiao Feng was both amazed and grieved. Not daring to look at it for long, he pulled her gown and covered her shoulder. Then he gently embraced her, saying: 'There's a 'Duan' character on your shoulder--what does it mean?'

A'Zhu replied: 'When my father and mother gave me to other people, they tattooed it on my shoulder so that… so that we would recognize each other someday.' Xiao Feng said in a tremulous voice: 'This 'Duan' character, this 'Duan' character…' A'Zhu said: 'Today, when they discovered an identification mark on Miss A'Zi's shoulder, they knew at once she was their daughter. You… You… Did you see the mark?' Xiao Feng replied: 'No. It was improper for me to see it.' A'Zhu said: 'She… She is also tattooed with a red 'Duan' character on the shoulder, which is the same as mine.'

Xiao Feng suddenly understood. He said in a quavering voice: 'You… You're their daughter too?'

A'Zhu said: 'At first I didn't know. Only when I saw the word on A'Zi's shoulder did I know that. She has a gold lock too, which is the same as my gold lock. Both are engraved on with 12 characters. The characters on her lock are:

'Lakeside bamboos are emerald green. They herald quietude and plenty of happiness.'

(湖边竹,盈盈绿,报平安,多喜乐 – Pinyin of the 1st 3 words: Hu Bian ZHU - Bamboo)

And the characters on my lock are:

'Celestial stars are sparkling. They'll glitter forever. You'll be well forever also.'

(天上星,亮晶晶,永灿烂,长安宁 – Pinyin of the 1st 3 words: Tian Liang XING - Star)

I… I have never understood the meaning of the poem. I only thought it used nice words that rhyme. But it turns out it contains the name of my mother. My mother is that woman Ruan… Ruan Xingzhu. This pair of locks was given to my mother by my father. After giving birth to me and my sister, she gave each of us 1 lock, tying them around our necks.'

Xiao Feng said: 'Now I understand. I'll think of a way to cure your injury at once. Let's slowly talk about this matter later.'

A'Zhu said: 'No! No! I must say to you clearly. If I'm delayed for another while, there won't be enough time. Big brother, please wait until I've finished.' Xiao Feng could not bear to go against her will. He had no choice but to say: 'Alright, I'm gonna listen to you to the finish. But don't exert yourself excessively.' A'Zhu smiled, saying: 'Big brother, you're really nice, taking me into consideration in everything. How can you dote on me so much?' Xiao Feng said: 'Later on I'll dote on you 100 times as much, 1000 times as much.'

A'Zhu smiled and said: 'This is enough, this is enough. I wouldn't like you to treat me too well. If I became unruly, then who would control me? Big brother, I… I hid at the back of the bamboo house and eavesdropped on the conversation between my father, mother and younger sister A'Zi. It turns out my father is already married. He and my mother aren't legit husband and wife. They gave birth to me first, and 1 year later they gave birth to my younger sister. After that my father wanted to return to Dali. My mother didn't let him go. The 2 of them had a big quarrel. My mother even hit him, but my father didn't strike back. After that… after that… there was no way, so they couldn't help but break up. My maternal grandfather was very strict when it comes to family education, if he'd known about this affair, he surely would've killed my mother. My mother dared not take me and my sister home, so she had no choice but to send us into other people's houses. But she hoped we would be able to recognize each other someday, so she tattooed a 'Duan' character on my and my sister's shoulders. The person who adopted me only knows that my mother's surname is Ruan. In fact, in fact, my surname is Duan…'

Feeling even sorrier for her, Xiao Feng said in a low voice: 'You're such a miserable child.'

A'Zhu said: 'When my mother gave me to another family, I was just over 1 year old. So of course I couldn't recognize my father. I couldn't even recognize my mother's face. Big brother, you're also like this. In the apricot forest in the evening of that day, when I heard them talking about your origin, in my heart I felt very sorry for you because both of us are similarly miserable children.'

Lightning flashed nonstop. 1 crash of thunder was heard after another. Suddenly, a big tree on the river bank was struck by lightning and fell down with 'ka-la-la' sounds. However, because the 2 of them were paying no attention to external things, even though Heaven and Earth were changing greatly, they were still totally unaware of that.

A'Zhu continued: 'Who'd have thought the person who harmed your parents to death is my father? Alas, Heaven's predestination is really too cruel to us. Besides, besides… it was I myself who tactfully discovered the name of my father from Madam Ma. If I hadn't disguised as Bai Shijing and tricked her, she surely wouldn't have been willing to say my father's name. They say that there is Heaven's will in the dark. I've never believed it. But… but… in your opinion, can I believe it now?'

Xiao Feng raised his head. The dark clouds, which were all over the sky, had been blocking the Moon insomuch that there was not the slightest hint of light. A long bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, brightly illuminating the surroundings. It seemed as if Heaven had just suddenly opened its eyes.

He lowered his head dispiritedly, nonplussed in his heart. He asked: 'Do you know for sure Duan Zhengchun is your father?'

A'Zhu said: 'This can't be wrong. I heard my parents hug my younger sister, cry bitterly and tell her how they had abandoned me and my younger sister. My father even said that, in this life, he'd find and bring me back, no matter what. They couldn't have guessed that the daughter they gave birth to was crouching outside the window. Big brother, just now I pretended that I was ill, but I disguised myself as you then went and told my father that the appointment at the bluestone bridge tonight was canceled, and every mistake was written off at 1 stroke. Then I disguised as my father and went to meet you… to let you… to let you…' As she said to here, her breathing was already faint like the threads of a cobweb.

Xiao Feng transferred more internal energy through his palm to keep A'Zhu from exhaustion. He said tearfully: 'Why didn't you tell me? If I had known he is your father…' But he could not say the words following that, because he himself did not know what he should have done if he had known beforehand that Duan Zhengchun was the father of his beloved either.

A'Zhu said: 'I tossed and turned and considered for a very long time. Big brother, I wanted to be with you for life so much. But how could that be possible? Could I beg you not to seek revenge for the deaths of your 5 relatives? Even if I talked rot and begged you, you would still give your consent. So, in the end, that was out of the question.'

Her voice became lower and lower as she said. It was still thundering endlessly, but to Xiao Feng, every word A'Zhu said was more soul-shattering than the sky-shaking thunder. He held his head in his hands tightly, saying: 'You could've told your father to run away and not to keep this appointment! Or if your father is a hero or brave man and is unwilling to break this appointment, you could've disguised as me and made another appointment with your father so that we'd meet at a distant place and in the distant future. Why should you, should you make yourself suffer like this?'

A'Zhu said: 'I want you to know that it may not be due to his true intentions at all that a person killed others. Of course you don't wanna harm me, but you hit me with a blow of the palm. My father harmed your parents to death, and that's also a blunder he made without intent.'

Xiao Feng had always been looking intently at her with his head lowered. During the several times when lightning flashed, he saw that the look in her eyes was infinitely tender. His heart was stirred. Suddenly, he realized that the deep love she had for himself was really beyond his previous imagination. And he suddenly understood: 'Though Duan Zhengchun is her real father, he didn't bring her up at all. If she had merely wanted to make me understand that unintentional mistakes could be forgiven, she wouldn't have had to lose her life in vain like this.' He said tremulously: 'A'Zhu, A'Zhu, you surely have another reason. It wasn't because you wanted to save your father, and nor was it because you wanted me to know that it was an unintentional blunder. This's for my sake! This's for my sake!' Then he rose, embracing her.

A'Zhu had a smiling expression on her face. Seeing that Xiao Feng had eventually understood her underlying intention, she could not help feeling happy. She knew that she was at the end of her life. Even though she had not hoped that her lover would know the intention concealed at the bottom of her heart, he had eventually realized it…

Xiao Feng said: 'This's totally for my sake, A'Zhu, is that right?' A'Zhu said in a low voice: 'Yes.' Xiao Feng said loudly: 'Why? Why?' A'Zhu said: 'The Duan Family of Dali has the 6 Meridians Divine Sword. If you killed their South-Stabilizing Prince, how could they be willing to leave you alone? Big brother, we can't read the words in that 'Muscle Changing Sutra'…'

Xiao Feng suddenly understood. His eyes could not help brimming with tears. Then tears rolled down his face.

A'Zhu said: 'I have 1 thing to beg you, big brother, are you willing to promise me it?' Xiao Feng replied: 'I'll promise you even 100 or 1000 things, not to mention 1 thing.' A'Zhu said: 'I only have 1 younger sister. The 2 of us haven't been able to be together since childhood. Keep an eye on her, I beg of you. I'm worried she would go down the wrong road.' Xiao Feng forced a laugh and said: 'Wait till you've gotten well, we'll find her so that you'll have a reunion.' A'Zhu said softly: 'Wait till I've gotten well… Big brother, then I and you will go outside Yanmen Pass to ride on horseback, go hunting, and pasture cattle and sheep. Do you think my younger sister will be willing to go there?'

Xiao Feng replied: 'Of course she'll go. Her elder sister and her brother-in-law invite her, how will she still not go?'

Suddenly a 'hu-la' sound was heard. From the cavity under the bridge, a person moved out, saying: 'How shameless! What is elder sister? What is brother-in-law? I won't go.' This person was small and slender, and was wearing a suit of waterproof clothes. She was none other than A'Zi.

After accidentally hit A'Zhu with a palm attack, Xiao Feng had totally focused his mind on her. Otherwise, with his skills, he definitely would have noticed that there was a person hiding in the water beneath the bridge. But because, firstly, it had been thundering and raining heavily, and secondly, his mind had been in great turmoil, so he had been unable to detect A'Zi until she showed herself. He could not help being slightly shocked and called: 'A'Zi, A'Zi, you quickly come and see your elder sister.'

A'Zhu slightly pouted her small lips, saying: 'Originally I hid under the bridge to see you and my father fight and to have a jolly time. Who'd have thought you'd hit my elder sister? You two haven't finished rattling on and saying loving words. I don't like to hear. You two can talk about love, but why drag me into this?' As she finished saying, she moved towards them.

A'Zhu said: 'Good sister, later on big brother Xiao will look after you, you… you'll look after him, too…'

A'Zi said with a giggle: 'This ugly rustic barbarian--I'll ignore him.'

Suddenly Xiao Feng felt A'Zhu, who was leaning on his bosom, slightly tremble. Her head drooped and her beautiful hair spread over her shoulder. She was motionless. Horror-stricken, he called: 'A'Zhu, A'Zhu.' He checked her pulse at once, but it had already stopped beating. It seemed as if his heart had also already stopped. He held out his hand and checked her breathing, but she no longer breathed. He called loudly: 'A'Zhu! A'Zhu!' However, even if he called 1,000 or 10,000 times, A'Zhu would not be able to answer him. He hastily transferred his internal energy into her body, but all the while A'Zhu did not move at all.

A'Zi, seeing that A'Zhu had stopped breathing and died, was also shocked. She stopped grinning cheekily and and said angrily: 'You beat my elder sister to death. You… you beat my elder sister to death.'

Xiao Feng said: 'Yes, it's I who beat your elder sister to death. You should take revenge for your elder sister. Quick, quickly kill me!' With his 2 hands drooped, he lowered A'Zhu's body. Then he held forth his chest, crying: 'Quickly kill me.' He really hoped A'Zi would draw a knife and stick it in his chest, thus finishing all his troubles with death and freeing him from endless sufferings.

A'Zi, seeing his facial muscles twitching and his frightening expression, could not help being extremely scared. She retreated several steps and cried: 'You… Don't kill me.'

Following her, Xiao Feng walked forwards several steps. He reached for his chest and, with a 'chi' sound, ripped the cloth that covered the chest, exposing his skin. He said: 'You have poisonous needles, poisonous thorns, poisonous awls… quickly puncture me to death.'

In the light of a flash, A'Zi saw that deep blue wolf head tattoo on his chest with fangs bared and teeth shown, looking ferocious, so she was even more frightened. She suddenly uttered an exclamation, turned around and ran away very fast.

Xiao Feng stood in a daze on the bridge. He was extremely grieved and infinitely remorseful. He raised his hand and with a 'peng' sound he hit the stone railing, causing stone bits to scatter around. He kept dealing 1 blow of the palm after another. Then, a loud 'hu-la-la' sound was heard as a block of the stone railing fell into the river. He wanted to wail but was unable to weep anyway. A bolt of lightning flashed by, shining clearly on A'Zhu's face. Those deep love and deep concerns still remained on the tips of her eyebrows and the corners of her mouth.

Xiao Feng let out a scream: 'A'Zhu!' Then, carrying her body, he rushed into the wilderness.

It kept thundering and raining heavily. He ran up the mountain for a while then ran down the valley for another while, totally not knowing where he was. His mind was in chaos, insomuch that it seemed to have gone blank.

The thunder gradually stopped, but it kept raining heavily unceasingly. In the East, dawn was breaking and the sky slowly lightened. Xiao Feng had been rushing around for 4 hours, but he was not tired in the least. He only wanted to punish himself as much as possible, and only wanted to die immediately to be with A'Zhu forever. Uttering hoarse cries of distress, he rushed around chaotically. Unconsciously, he suddenly returned to the bluestone bridge.

He mumbled to himself: 'I'll go find Duan Zhengchun, find Duan Zhengchun, and ask him to kill me in revenge for his daughter's death.'

Before long, he arrived at the side of the lake. Xiao Feng yelled: 'Duan Zhengchun, I killed your daughter. Come and kill me. I definitely won't strike back. You quickly come out and kill me.' Carrying A'Zhu horizontally in his arms, he stood before the Square Bamboo Forest. After he had waited awhile, the forest was still silent, and no one came out.

He walked into the forest and stopped before the bamboo house. After kicking the door open, he walked into the house and said loudly: 'Duan Zhengchun, be quick and kill me!' The house was empty and without anyone. He searched one time everywhere, from the rooms in the wing to the backyard, but did not find Duan Zhengchun and his subordinates. Even the owner of the bamboo house Ruan Xingzhu and A'Zi were not here either. The utensils and furnishings in the house were still the same as before. It seemed everyone had gone away hurriedly, and in their hurry they had not had enough time to take along anything.

He thought: 'That's right. A'Zi brought the news. She only thought I still wanted to revenge myself on her father. Even if Duan Zhengchun was unwilling to run away, that surnamed Ruan woman and his subordinates would certainly force him to run far and fly high. Ha-ha, I've come here not to kill you, but to ask you to kill me, ask you to kill me.'

He yelled several times again: 'Duan Zhengchun, Duan Zhengchun!' His voice went very far, but he could only hear the rustle of high winds brushing bamboos. There was not the least bit of human voice.

There was nobody beside the Little Mirror Lake and in the Square Bamboo Forest, only silence. Xiao Feng felt that it seemed there was only him left under Heaven. Ever since A'Zhu had breathed her last, he had not yet put her down for even a minute. For many times he had channelled his internal energy into her body with the hope that Heaven would show pity on him and let her survive the serious injury, just like when she had taken a palm attack of Abbot Xuan Ci previously. But that time, the force of Abbot Xuan Ci's Great Diamond Palm hit the copper mirror in Xiao Feng's hand, so A'Zhu was only affected by the shock. This time, Xiao Feng's palm attack hit her squarely in the chest, how could he save her life? No matter how much internal energy he had channelled into her body, A'Zhu had always been motionless.

Carrying A'Zhu, he sat down before the house in a daze from the morn to midday then to sundown. By now, it had stopped raining, making visible the azure sky, and the setting sun was illuminating his body and A'Zhu's with its dull light.

When he was beset by exceptional fellows at Juxian Manor, even though he was utterly isolated and the situation there was extremely dangerous, he did not waver in his determination in the least. Now, having made an irredeemable blunder with his own hands, he felt more and more lonesome. He felt that he should not live on in the world. 'A'Zhu has died in her father's place, so I can't find Duan Zhengchun to get revenge. What else do I have to do? The great undertaking of the Beggar Society, the grand ambitions and lofty goals of the past all are not worth caring. I'm a Khitan, what great undertaking and grand ambition can I have?'

He walked to the backyard and saw a gardening hoe put at a corner of a wall. He thought: 'Will I stay here with A'Zhu forever?' He was still carrying A'Zhu in his left hand and did not want to let go of her for even a short while regardless. Lifting up the hoe with his right hand, he went into the Square Bamboo Forest, dug a hole then dug another hole. The 2 holes were side by side.

He thought: 'When her parents return, they'll probably dig up the grave to see what actually happened. I must put up a tablet in front of the grave.' He broke a bamboo section, cut it into two, went into the kitchen, smoothed them with a kitchen knife then walked into the room in the west wing. He saw paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones on the table. Putting A'Zhu horizontal on his knees, he ground ink, picked up a brush, and wrote on a piece of bamboo: 'The grave of a rash Khitan Xiao Feng.'

Then he picked up the other piece of bamboo and muttered to himself: 'What do I write, 'The grave of Madam Duan of the Xiao Family'? Though she and I had a promise of marriage, we haven't got married. At her death she was still a young lady who was pure like jade and clear like ice. Wouldn't calling her 'Madam' mean disrespect to her?'

Temporarily unable to decide, he raised his head and considered for a while. By chance, he saw a calligraphic scroll hanging on the wall. It had quite a few columns of words. He conveniently read from the top down:

We are too bashful and drunk to sing,

Your elegant hands fasten fragrant silk.

Leaning on the flower in the candlelight,

I secretly pass on my deep thoughts.

The aroma of wine has risen to your eyes.