Chapter - 47 Camellias Blossoming, But For Who? (1/2)

Duan Yu and his entourage rode without stopping. In a few days, they have travelled south from Lingzhou to Gaolan and Qinzhou. Then heading east towards Hanzhong, cutting through Guangyuan, Jiange and finally arriving at Shubei*. Along their journey, they receive updates from Lingjiu Palace's Xuantian and Zhutian factions. These two factions are female organizations and all their reports indicated Lord Zhennan is heading south. One of the reports mentioned two female companions travelling with Lord Zhennan and at Zitong County, the two ladies engaged in a ferocious battle with no clear victor.

(Not sure about ancient China geography but Shubei and Shunan could also be Northern Shu and Southern Shu. FYI.)

In his heart, Duan Yu easily predicted that one of the ladies is Mu Wanqing's mother, Qin Hongmian; while the other lady is the mother of Ah Zhu and Ah Zi, Ruan Xingzhu. In terms of martial arts, Qin Hongmian is superior but in terms of strategy, Ruan Xingzhu has the upper hand. With Father (DZC) mediating between the two ladies, there should not be too much trouble. True enough, in less than two days, a report came, saying that the two ladies are presently on good terms with each other. Together with Lord Zhennan, they are enjoying some nice wine in a restaurant. Xuantian faction has already delivered the warning to Lord Zhennan, telling him there is a strong opponent waiting to ambush him in the later part of his journey.

During their travel, Duan Yu, Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen held several discussions. All the three of them agreed that except for Duan Yanqing, the head of the Four Evils, no one else could be the culprit. Duan Yanqing's martial arts are amazingly good; within DaLi country, except for Emperor Baoding, no one is his match. If he (DYQ) manages to catch up to Lord Zhennan, it will be catastrophic. Presently, all they could do is journey as fast as they can and reunite with Lord Zhennan. With strength in numbers, they will be able to resist Duan Yanqing.

Ba Tianshi state: ”If we come across Duan Yanqing, we must drop everything and immediately launch a full out group attack on him. We must overcome him by our superior numbers and never repeat the same mistake of letting him engage in a solo duel with His Lordship.”

Zhu Danchen agreed: ”That is right. Here, we have Prince Duan, Miss Mu, Miss Zhong, Miss Wang and the two of us. Adding His Lordship and the two ladies, Minister Hua, Minister Fan, Brother Gu, and not forgetting the Ladies from Lingjiu Palace. With our combined forces, even if we fail to kill Duan Yanqing, we must at least put an end to his bullying.”

Duan Yu nodded: ”I share the same idea.”

When their party is about to reach Mianzhou, sounds of horses galloping can be heard. Soon, two riders rode towards them. The two female riders flipped down their horses and called out: ”Xuantian Faction of Lingjiu Palace pays their respect to Mister Duan of DaLi.”

Duan Yu hurriedly got off his horse and acknowledged: ”The two of you must have suffered. Have you seen my Father?”

On his right, the middle-aged lady replied: ”Reporting to Mister, Lord Zhennan has received our warning and accordingly, he is now heading east, planning to make a big detour before returning to DaLi. This is to avoid running into his nemesis.”

When Duan Yu heard the news, he was instantly relieved. Ecstatic, he enquired: ”That is a good plan too. Father is an important figure and of royal blood; there is no need for him to personally dirty his hands with common criminals. Poisonous bugs and wild beasts; avoidance is better than engagement. This is wisdom, not fear. Ladies, do you know who is the enemy? Who tipped us off?”

The middle-aged lady explained: ”The news originated from a young lady named Ah Bi. She was the person who divulge the information to Miss Chrysanthemum Sword…”

Wang Yuyan was elated: ”So it is Ah Bi. I have not seen her in ages.”

Duan Yu added: ”Ah, so it is Miss Ah Bi. I have met her before. She used to be Mister Murong's personal maid.”

The middle-aged lady continued: ”That is the same person. According to Miss Chrysanthemum Sword, Miss Ah Bi and her share the same age. With an attractive face, she is adored wherever she goes. The only shortcoming is her Jiangnan accent; sometimes, it is really hard to understand what she is saying. Miss Ah Bi is the protégé of Mister Kang Guangling, the lay disciple of our Owner (XZ). To a certain extent, she is part of our Lingjiu Palace family. Miss Chrysanthemum says Owner (XZ) is accompanying Mister (DY) to the palace for the wedding proposal whereas Miss Ah Bi is going to Xixia in order to meet up with Mister Murong. During her journey, she received word about some formidable foes scheming to harm Lord Zhennan. She says Mister Duan has been kind to her and she wants us pass the warning message.”

Duan Yu reminisced about the circumstances that led him to meet Ah Bi in Gusu. Through her, he got to know Ah Zhu and finally, Wang Yuyan. This time, it was her again who sent him the warning. Filled with gratitude, he inquired: ”Miss Ah Bi, where is she now?”

The middle-aged lady replied: ”Subordinate (I) has no idea. Mister Duan, according to Miss Plum Sword, the nemesis coming after His Lordship Duan is a dangerous fellow. Therefore, without waiting for approval by Owner, she gave instructions for the two factions, Xuantian and Zhutian to set off immediately. Mister should exercise caution as well.”

Duan Yu thanked: ”Many thanks to Elder Sister for your hard work and efforts. How do I address Elder Sister? In the future, when I meet up with Second Brother, I can mention (praise) your name.” The lady was thrilled and she smiled: ”We, the two factions, Xuantian and Zhutian, are just doing our job. Mister need not bother with our lowly names. Junior Lady (I) thanks Mister for your kind gesture!” As she spoke, she and the other lady clasped their hands in these sleeves in an expression of respect. Nodding to everyone as a sign of acknowledgment, the two ladies promptly left on their horses.

Duan Yu checked with Ba Tianshi: ”Uncle Ba, what do you think?” Ba Tianshi proposed: ”Since His Lordship has taken a detour to the east, we can continue heading south on our own. By the time we arrive in Chengdu, we should be just in time to intercept His Lordship.” Duan Yu nodded his head in agreement: ”That is right.”

As they rode southwards, they went through Mianzhou City and arrived at Chengdu. Mianguan City is a prosperous and lively metropolis, the most developed city in the southwest region. After spending a few days idling in the city and still not catching any sight of Duan Zhengchun, Duan Yu and company thought: Lord Zhennan is accompanied by two ladies on his travel. Besides wonderful sightseeing, his needs are well attended to. Naturally, he would take his own sweet time. Once he is back in DaLi, all these comforts and carefree ways will come to an end.

Taking up reins, Duan Yu and company decided to head south again. Each step they take brings them one step closer to DaLi, and their spirits are lifted accordingly. Along their route, beautiful scenery can be seen everywhere. To avoid irritating Mu Wanqing and Zhong Ling, Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan rode separately. This way, the two sisters will not feel left out. During their ride, Mu Wanqing revealed the truth to Zhong Ling, telling her that Duan Yu is actually her (MWQ) own elder brother, and that Zhong Ling is actually the daughter of Duan Zhengchun too. The two girls now address each other as sisters. Observing Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan happily interacting and behaving intimately with each other, the two of them can only helplessly watch and sulk to themselves.

This particular evening, near a willow plantation, the weather started changing rapidly. Raindrops as big as yellow beans battered down upon them. Pushing their horses to go faster, they looked around for shelter concurrently. Riding around a row of willow trees, they came across several white-walled, black-tiled houses erected by a small stream. Cheered, everyone slapped their respective horses and rode towards the structures. Nearing the houses, they saw an old fellow standing on a veranda, with both his hands behind his back. He was staring at the thickening rain clouds.

Zhu Danchen flipped down his horse and stepping in front, he clasped his hands, asking: ”Old Sir, sorry to disturb. My companions and I are travelling through this area when it starting raining. We hope to take temporary shelter in your treasured property. Would you please grant us this convenience?” (humble talk)

The old fellow welcomed: ”Well said. Well said. When travelling, it is impossible to bring your house (shelter) with you. Gentlemen, Ladies, please enter.” Zhu Danchen observed that the old man speaking with an energetic voice and without a local Chuannan accent. Additionally, his eyes are brimming with energy. Secretly alarmed, he clasped his hands and thanked: ”Thank you very much.”

After everyone has entered the house, Zhu Danchen pointed to Duan Yu and introduced: ”This is Mister Yu, my master, who has just visited some relatives in Chengdu. This is Senior Brother Shi; my surname is Chen. How do I address Elder?”

With a small chuckle, the old fellow invited: ”Elder's surname is Jia. Mister Yu, Big Brother Shi, Big Brother Chen, Ladies, please come into the inner hall for a cup of refreshing tea. Looking at the storm, I think you will be here for some time.” Hearing Zhu Danchen using an alias for everyone, Duan Yu and the others were alerted to some possible danger. The group naturally kept their guard up.

Old Fellow Jia led everyone into a particular room. The walls of the room are decorated with paintings and the room itself is in pristine condition; it is completely unlike a typical room that one might find in a village. Exchanging glances, Zhu Danchen and Ba Tianshi increased their awareness level. Noting the vulgarity of the paintings in the room, Duan Yu kept his eyes away from them. Old Fellow Jia remarked: ”I am going to get someone to prepare tea.” Zhu Danchen acquiesced: ”Sorry to trouble Elder.” Old Fellow Jia smiled: ”I hope I don't disappoint valued guests.” As he spoke, he turned around and left, closing the door on his way out.

When the door was closed, it revealed a painting behind the door. In the painting, there are a couple of stalks of large Camellias. The first stalk is brilliantly painted in red and silver colour while the second stalk is totally white and half-withered. The contrast is extremely gratifying.

With one look, Duan Yu was instantly filled with gladness. Then he noticed a column of words next to the drawing: The Crown of Flowers Camellia, 71 in variety, as big as a peony, resembling a fire _ cloud _, mammatus _.

There are several blanks in the writing. This string of verses originated from Dian Zhong's , which Duan Yu has memorized since young. There are actually 72 varieties of Camellia but in the verses, it is written as 71. Noting a complete set of stationery laid on the table, he could not help but lifted a brush and dipped it in ink. Under the '1' he added another horizontal stroke, turning it into a '2', after the word 'fire', he added a word 'like', after the word 'cloud', he added a word 'formation', after the word 'mammatus', he added a word 'wonder'.

In the blink of an eye, the words now read: The Crown of Flowers Camellia, 72 in variety, as big as a peony, resembling a fire-like cloud formation, mammatus wonder.

The verses are written in font and Duan Yu used the same font. Nobody could tell that the words have edited.

Zhong Ling clapped her hands and cheered: ”With you filling up the blanks, the painting is now complete and perfect.”

Not long after Duan Yu replaced the ink brush, Old Fellow Jia pushed open the door. After entering, he was closing the door when he discovered that the blanks in the painting have been filled up. His face brimming with joy, he chuckled: ”Valued Guest, Valued Guest. Old Man has been lacking in respect. This painting is drawn by an old friend; his memory is terrible and could not recall the exact verses. Initially, he wanted to return home and refer to his books, planning to fill up the blanks the next time he visits. Ai! Upon reaching home, he fell sick and never recovered, leaving me with this incomplete drawing. I did not expect Mister Yu to possess such deep knowledge and finally fulfill this dying wish for my dead friend and I. Wine! Wine! Bring out our wine!” He yelled as he left the room.

A brief moment later, Old Fellow Jia re-emerged in a brand new silk robe, inviting Duan Yu and company to the main hall for wine. The group gazed out of the window and could see for themselves that it is raining cats and dogs. On the ground, countless streams of rainwater are gushing through and fro. It is impossible to leave for the next few hours. Faced with Old Fellow Jia's sincere pleading, they cannot bear to reject him anymore and proceeded to the main hall. On the dining table, there are over ten dishes of fresh fish, game meat, poultry and vegetables. Thanking their host, Duan Yu and the others sat down.

Pouring wine into cups, Old Fellow Jia introduced: ”This wine is fermented in our own village and it is not as strong as what you usually get. Mister Yu, Old Man (I) is actually born in Jiangnan. In my younger days, I mastered some basic martial arts and during a fight, I killed two enemies by accident. Unable to continue staying in my hometown, I was forced to flee to this place. Ai. Although I have been here for decades, I still miss my hometown. Back there, our wine tastes much better than this.” As he spoke, he continued pouring wine for everyone.

Hearing him talking about his background, nobody believed it is entirely true. But since he confessed he knew some martial arts, they are less suspicious of him. After he poured wine for everybody, he exclaimed: ”Let me toast everyone first as a sign of respect!” In one mouthful, he swallowed the full cup of wine. Duan Yu and the others find it reassuring that the wine is not poisoned and started drinking too. Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen barely drank. They also waited for Old Fellow Jia to eat from the dishes first before eating from the same dish.

The dinner and drinking has concluded but the rain has not. Old Fellow Jia again sincerely offered accommodation for the night so Duan Yu and company spent that night in the village.

Before retiring, Ba Tianshi secretly conveyed to Mu Wanqing: ”Miss Mu, tonight, keep your guard up, as this place still gives me some evil vibes.” Mu Wanqing nodded her head. That night, she slept fully clothed and her poisonous arrows are tucked in her sleeve. Throughout the night, the pitter-patter pitter-patter sounds of raindrops occupy her ears. Drifting in and out of sleep, she woke up next morning without any incidents.

As they are washing up, they noted that the storm is over and bade farewell to Old Fellow Jia without any delay. Old Fellow Jia escorted them out of the house and accompanied them for some distance before sending them off. All this time, his behavior is entirely respectful and courteous.

Leaving the property far behind, everyone is still befuddled by the episode. Ba Tianshi remarked: ”This Old Fellow Jia, what is he up to? Everything is so mysterious and honestly, I cannot decipher his tricks, if there is any in the first place.” Zhu Danchen mused: ”Brother Ba, my guess is that Old Fellow Jia originally had evil intentions but after he discovered Mister filling up the missing words, his attitude changed. Mister, the painting and the words, is there any connection between the two of them?”

Duan Yu shook his head: ”The two stalks of Camellia are pretty common. One stalk is the 'Fenhou' variety' the other is 'Xueta' variety. Although they are special breeds, they are not rare in the market.” Unable to make head or tail of the situation, everyone stopped talking about it.

Zhong Ling joked: ”It will be great if during our journey, we are able to encounter more paintings with missing words. Once our Mister Duan filled up the blanks, it will be a wonderful bargain. We will profit two meals of dishes and wine, one night of accommodation, all without spending a single cent.” Everyone was tickled and starting laughing.

Truth is stranger than fiction. Although Zhong Ling was simply kidding; during their journey, Duan Yu and company are indeed confronted by a series of paintings. All the paintings are related to Camellia; some paintings are missing words; some contain words that are written wrongly, etc. There were even instances of drawings of flower stalk without the actual flower or the flower and stalks are drawn but the leaves are missing. Whenever Duan Yu came across a defective painting, he would rectify it without hesitation. Once the correction is completed, the owner of the painting will welcome everybody with the best hospitality: serving the best wine and food but never asking for a single cent in return.

Several times, Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen tried to probe for more information. Amazingly, every painting owner has the same reply template: Due to circumstances, the original artist is unable to complete the work, thanking Duan Yu profusely for remedying the painting and filled with deep gratitude. Duan Yu and Zhong Ling are young and na?ve, treating these errands as a game. They hope for more incomplete paintings to come along. Seeing Duan Yu in a happy mood, Wang Yuyan is happy too. All along, Mu Wanqing has been a fearless character; whether the host is kind or evil, she couldn't be bothered. Only Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen are increasingly worried. Reviewing the enemy's meticulous planning, they suspect a grand scheme is unfolding. However, they are unable to detect any loopholes or evidence.

Whenever Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen received warm hospitality, they would carefully scrutinize their surroundings and keep a lookout for poison in their food and drink. Sometimes, it is hard to detect slow-acting poisons, as they require taking several doses in order to cause harm. Ba Tianshi is observant and streetwise, if someone tries to poison his food, he would be able to catch him in the act. However, he is unable to detect any abnormalities. Moreover, the owners of the paintings shared their meals, proving that the food is safe for consumption.

It is now early October as they sustained their southwards voyage. It has yet to turn cold and during their travelling, they are mostly surrounded by mountain ranges, thick forests and overgrown grass. Compared to the northern region of Xixia, the environment is vastly dissimilar.

This singular evening, the group is riding near a sea of grasslands, with the jade green and wild grass reaching out to the horizon, as far as the eye can see. On their left is a dense and extensive forest. Scanning their surroundings, there are no signs of human civilization. Ba Tianshi advised: ”Mister, this is unsafe territory. We should quickly seek accommodation.” Duan Yu nodded in agreement: ”You are right. We are unlikely to go through these grasslands by today. I wonder where can we rest for the night?”

Zhu Danchen warned: ”The sea of grass is heavily populated by venomous mosquitoes and other bugs. Furthermore, there is the presence of smog. The Osmanthus smog is nearly over and the Hibiscus smog is just starting. When these two smog are mixed together, its toxicity is even more devastating. If we are unable to find accommodation, we will have to spend the night in the trees, thereby avoiding the smog and venomous insects.”

Everyone proceeded to make a left turn and rode towards the forest. Since this is the first time she is learning about smog and their toxic effects, Wang Yuyan quizzed Zhu Danchen about Osmanthus smog and Hibiscus smog. Zhu Danchen described: ”Smog is the poisonous fumes that are released from swamps in wild mountainous areas. The Peach flower smog from March and the Durian flower smog from May are considered the most toxic. Actually, these fumes are all the same but due to different time periods, we use the names of flowers to label them by the month. Between March and May, the rise in temperature is the most significant, leading to mass breeding of venomous bugs, creating the worst season for smog. At this time of the year, the effects of smog are generally limited. However, in this specific area, the air is humid, catalyzing the rot and decay of dead vegetation, therefore exacerbating the power of the smog.”

Wang Yuyan asked: ”Hmm, is there a smog named after Camellia?”

Duan Yu, Ba Tianshi and the others broke out into laughter. Zhu Danchen clarified: ”We, the people of DaLi, adore Camellia, and would never link Camellia to the nasty smog.”

As they spoke, the group has already entered the forest. The hooves of their horses are treading in mud and every step is a sinking sensation followed by a tedious pulling out. It is a horrible experience. Ba Tianshi suggested: ”I think we need not move any deeper into the forest. Tonight, let's learn from birds and make a nest on the trees. When the sun is out tomorrow and the smog has diminished, we will continue our trip.” Wang Yuyan asked: ”When the sun is out, the smog will be weakened?” Ba Tianshi educated: ”That is right.”

Suddenly pointing to the northeastern direction, Zhong Ling worriedly exclaimed: ”Aiyo, this is bad, there is a smog cloud rising in that direction. What kind of smog is that?” Everybody's eyes followed the direction of her finger and gaze. True enough, there are several waves of clouds rising out from within the forest.

Ba Tianshi answered: ”Miss, that is Making Dinner smog.” Zhong Ling anxiously asked: ”What Making Dinner smog? Is it powerful or not?” Ba Tianshi laughed: ”This is not a smog; it is the smoke being produced when someone is making dinner.” True enough, from the green cloud, there are tinges of black smoke and white steam, like a gentle fog. Everyone started laughing. Encouraged by their new discovery, they cried: ”Let's look for the Making Dinner smog.” Zhong Ling was so embarrassed her face turned completely red. Wang Yuyan consoled her: ”Sister Ling, fortunately, you discovered this Making Dinner... Making Dinner smoke. Otherwise, we will all be sleeping in trees.”

The group rode towards the rising smoke. In closer proximity, they observed a clearing in the forest where several wooden cabins have been erected. Besides the houses, there are stacks of chopped wood. It appears that this is the accommodation for logging workers. Pushing his horse forward, Zhu Danchen shouted in a loud voice: ”Head of the timber mill, we are passer-bys and would like to spend a night in your prestigious estate. Is that all right with you?” After some time, there was still no reply from within the house. Zhu Danchen repeated his request and it was again met with silence. On the roof, the chimney is still emitting smoke, indicating that the house is occupied.

Retrieving his weapon-fan made of iron spines from his bosom, Zhu Danchen held it in his hand as he gently pushed open the door and entered the house. At first glance, the house is empty and yet, he could hear the 'bi bo bi bo' sounds of crackling firewood. Zhu Danchen walked towards the back of the house and arrived at the kitchen, finding an old woman tending to a fire stove. Zhu Danchen enquired: ”Old Grandma, is there anyone else beside you?” The old woman stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. Zhu Danchen asked again: ”Are you alone?” The old woman pointed to her own ear and mouth, producing a few 'ah ah ah' sounds, signaling that she is a deaf-mute.

Zhu Danchen returned to the main hall. By then, Duan Yu, Mu Wanqing and the others have already investigated the rest of the cabins. Among all the property, there is nobody except for the old woman. In every cabin, there is a wooden bed but there are no mattresses or blankets. It looks like the loggers have not started work. Ba Tianshi circled the area twice and did not find anything suspicious.

Zhu Danchen indicated: ”This old Grandma is deaf and mute; I cannot communicate with her. Miss Wang Yuyan is the most patient among all of us. It is better for you to interact with her.” Wang Yuyan nodded with a smile: ”Sure. I will give it a try.” Entering the kitchen, she gesticulated to the old woman and even presented a tael of silver to her. Eventually, the old woman approximately understood the intrusion. After the old woman has finished her cooking, Duan Yu and company managed to procure some rice from her. The wooden cabin does not store any meat or wine. By eating the cooked rice and some dry rations, the group managed to stave off their hunger.

Ba Tianshi instructed: ”We will stick together and everyone will sleep in this house.” The males promptly slept at the east wing while the females slept at the west wing. In the main hall, the old woman placed a lighted oil lamp on the table.

After everyone barely got into bed, the sounds of 'ta ta' can be heard from the main hall. It is clear that somebody is trying to light a fire with firestones but is unsuccessful. Opening the door, Ba Tianshi went out and noticed the oil lamp on the table has been extinguished. In the dark, he could still hear the 'ta ta' noise, which came from the old woman trying to re-light the lamp. Using firestones to start a fire is not easy; if the paper charcoal (fire starter) does not catch the sparks, it could be a trying process. Ba Tianshi immediately retrieve his firestones from his bosom and with one 'da', he managed to light up oil lamp. A slight smile formed on the face of the old woman. Gesticulating to Ba Tianshi, she wanted to borrow his firestones. Pointing to the kitchen, she probably wanted to start a fire there. Ba Tianshi handed over his firestones and returned back to his room to sleep.

Soon thereafter, from the main hall, sounds of 'ta ta ta ta' began to occur again. Duan Yu and company barely caught a few winks before they were fully awakened by the fire-starting noise. Seeing the lack of illumination between the seams of the wooden walls, they guessed the oil lamp must have been extinguished again. Zhu Danchen laughed: ”The old woman is really unlucky.” At first, he wanted to ignore her but the 'ta ta ta' sounds did not subside. It felt as if the old woman is planning to strike the firestones throughout the night if that is what it is going to take to relight the oil lamp. Finally losing his patience, Zhu Danchen got up and walked to the main hall. In the dark, he could vaguely envisage the arm of the old woman moving up and down, trying her best to strike the firestones. Retrieving his own firestones, Zhu Danchen got a light at his first strike and lighted the oil lamp. The old woman grinned at him and made some hand gestures, indicating that she wanted to borrow his firestones to light a fire in the kitchen. Zhu Danchen loaned her his firestones and went back to his room.

Unexpectedly, a brief moment later, the sounds of 'ta ta ta' came out from the main hall again. Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen were boiling with anger. They cursed: ”This old hag, what is her problem!” Still, the 'ta ta ta', 'ta ta ta' noise went on incessantly. Ba Tianshi jumped out of bed, went to the old woman and grabbed her firestones. Striking them, not a single spark came out. Feeling the firestones, he realised the firestones are not his. In a loud voice, he demanded: ”Where are my firestones?” Once the words left his mouth, he half-laughingly chided himself: ”Why am I venting my frustration on a deaf-mute old grandma?”

At this juncture, Mu Wanqing came out too. Producing her own firestones, she asked: ”Uncle Ba, are you trying to make a fire?” Ba Tianshi explained: ”The old grandma is really bizarre. The oil lamp was reignited and extinguished, reignited and extinguished. We have been at it for ages.” Receiving her firestones, with a 'da' sound, sparks came out and the oil lamp was lit again. The old woman had a look of satisfaction on her face and she smiled broadly as she stared at the fire in the oil lamp. To Mu Wanqing, Ba Tianshi commented: ”Miss, you must be tired from all the travelling. Please have an early rest.” Then he returned to his room.

Before the time needed to drink a cup of tea, the 'ta ta ta', 'ta ta ta' sounds arose again. Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen leapt out of their beds simultaneously, each ready to confront the noise. In a flash of realization, both men thought: This peculiar old woman is certainly suspicious. There must be some evil at work.

The two men softly shook hands once and stealthily crept out of the room. From the left side and right side, they separately sneaked towards the old woman. Just as they are about to pounce on her, both of them concurrently caught a whiff of light fragrance. It turned out that the person striking the firestones is Mu Wanqing. The two men immediately recovered from their attacking stance. Ba Tianshi checked: ”Miss, is that you?” Mu Wanqing answered: ”Yes, I have a bad feeling about this place and I wanted to light a lamp and explore around.”

Ba Tianshi remarked: ”Let me have the firestones.” However, with a few tries and the 'ta ta ta', 'ta ta ta' sounds, he could not create any sparks. Stunned, he highlighted: ”This firestone is broken, it must have been switched by that old grandma.” Zhu Danchen ordered: ”Quickly locate that hag; don't let her escape.” Mu Wanqing rushed to the kitchen while the two men dashed out of the wooden house. With a speedy search, they discovered that the old woman has disappeared. Ba Tianshi reminded: ”That's enough chasing. Protecting Mister is our priority.”

Back at the wooden house, Duan Yu, Wang Yuyan and Zhong Ling were roused by the loud commotion.

Ba Tianshi demanded: ”Who still has his or her firestone? Let's light a fire before talking.” Two voices spoke out in unison: ”The old woman has borrowed my firestones.” The voices belonged to Wang Yuyan and Zhong Ling. Ba Tianshi and Zhu Danchen secretly lamented to themselves: We have exercise extreme caution; nevertheless, we fell into the enemy's trap.

From his bosom, Duan Yu produced his firestones. 'Ta ta ta'. After a few strikes, no sparks were seen. Zhu Danchen questioned: ”Mister, has the old hag borrowed your firestones before?” Duan Yu responded: ”Yes, that was before dinner. After she used them, she returned them back to me.” Zhu Danchen surmised: ”The firestones must have been switched.”

For a short spell of time, nobody spoke up. In the darkness, all they could hear were the sounds of forest bugs. It is a moonless and starless night; there is no natural lighting they can rely on. Gathered in the house, the six of them can barely make out each other's silhouettes. In their hearts, they felt as if they are being surrounded by an unseen danger. Ever since Duan Yu started filling up the missing words in the painting and receiving dedicated hospitality from Old Fellow Jia, the six of them are being blinded and lured into coming to this wild and secluded spot. Although they could somewhat guess that something is amiss, no one could comprehend the evil scheme or even identify any evidence that points to such a scheme. Everyone thought: If the enemy physically confronts us in an open battle, we can have a proper contest. Now that the enemy is sneaking around in the darkness, we are unable to take any precautions.

Mu Wanqing reasoned: ”The old grandma has stripped us of our firestones. She wants to keep us shrouded in the dark in order to execute her evil plans.” Zhong Ling suddenly shrieked out loud: ”What if they release centipedes and venomous ants to bite me in the dark? That will be my worst nightmare!” In his heart, Ba Tianshi shuddered once. He state: ”If we are assaulted by venomous insects in the dark, we would be entirely defenseless.” Duan Yu suggested: ”Why don't we get out of here and hide in the trees?” Zhu Danchen forbade: ”I think the trees are already planted with venomous bugs.” Letting out a scream 'Ah!', Zhong Ling grabbed onto Mu Wanqing's arm. Ba Tianshi comforted: ”Miss, do not be frightened. Let us light a fire before talking.” Zhong Ling wondered: ”Without firestones, how do we start a fire?” Ba Tianshi strategized: ”It is hard to fathom the enemy's plan but since they want us to stay in the dark without fire and lighting, we shall purposely create a fire. We certainly cannot go wrong with that.”

As he spoke, he entered the kitchen and came back with two pieces of firewood. Handing them to Zhu Danchen, he instructed: ”Brother Zhu, turn these firewood into wooden splints, the finer the better.” Hearing his words, Zhu Danchen immediately understood his idea and agreed: ”You are right, why should we remain as sitting ducks?” From his bosom, he took out a dagger and started paring the firewood. Duan Yu, Mu Wanqing, Wang Yuyan and Zhong Ling joined in as well. Retrieving their own daggers or small knives, they assisted by cutting, chopping or grinding the wooden chips, turning them into wood kindling. Duan Yu sighed: ”Unfortunately, I do not possess the incredible power of Grandmaster Kurong from Sky Dragon Monastery (TianLong Monastery). He can ignite this wood kindling by focusing his internal energy. I think Jiumozhi has this ability too.” In actual fact, the accumulated internal energy in Duan Yu has long surpassed Grandmaster Kurong and Jiumozhi. However, he does not know how to utilize this power.

As everyone worked tirelessly on breaking down the firewood into minute portions, there is hardly any peace in their hearts. Fully silent, they paid full attention to their hearing, the only ability they could depend on to detect any enemy activity. Everyone thought the same: Since the old grandma has conned us of our firestones, she probably will not wait too long before taking action. Even in the next moment, we could be under attack.

With his hands feeling the wood kindling, Ba Tianshi estimated that he has enough to fill a typical rice bowl. Gathering them into a pile, he added some charcoal paper (fire starter) to it. Holding his own knife in his left hand, he borrowed Zhong Ling's knife and held it in his right hand. In a swift movement, he scrapped the blunt sides of the knives against each other with a 'zheng' sound. Fire sparks erupted in all directions and some of them came in contact with the wood kindling, causing the kindling to start burning. Unfortunately, the fire died down as soon as it is lighted, and did not spread to the charcoal paper. As everyone sighed with disappointment, Ba Tianshi continued grinding the two blades against each other. 'Zheng Zheng' the sounds rang out relentlessly. After more than ten tries, the charcoal paper finally started burning.

Duan Yu and everyone else cheered and whistled in delight. Using the charcoal paper, they managed to reignite the oil lamp. Afraid of the wind snuffing out the lamp, Zhu Danchen gathered and lit up all the oil lamps from the kitchen and the two bedrooms. The flames are weak and make everyone's face appear with a greenish tinge. The smell of smoke is thick and irritating to the nose. Nonetheless, the fire was created after much difficulty and everyone is in high spirits, feeling as if they had just won a big victory.

The wooden house itself is sparse and from the gaps of the door, wind is blowing continuously into the cabin. The six of them glanced at each other, hands on weapons, pricking their ears for any suspicious sounds. However, except for the sound of wind rustling the trees or the standard squeaking of the bugs, everything else remains normal.

After a prolonged period, there are still no signs of enemy activity. As a result, Ba Tianshi started exploring the interior of the wooden house. He noticed a few pillars are being wrapped with grass mats and the grass mats are secured in place by grass ropes. From his recollection, there were no grass mats and grass ropes when he first entered the house. He cut the grass ropes at once and with it, the grass mats fell off the pillars.

On two of the pillars, Duan Yu saw that a pair of couplets is engraved on them. The upper verse goes: Spring river flowing water _ camellia. The lower verse goes: Summer valley _ rise red lychee. There is a missing word in each couplet. Turning around, he saw that Zhu Danchen has dismantled another two grass mats from another two pillars, revealing another pair of engraved couplets. They go: _ in green robes a familiar face; _ camellia blossom with grace.

Duan Yu declared: ”Along our journey, I have been filling up blanks in paintings. Good, bad, who knows? Since they (enemy) have wrapped the pillars with grass mats, they evidently do not wish for me to see the couplets. We have always acted unconventionally, desiring to see what tricks the enemy is going play.” With that, he stretched his hand out. With sounds of 'chi chi', he has written the word 'white' next to the word 'camellia' and the word 'mist' next to the word 'valley'. The perfected couplet now reads: 'Spring river flowing water white camellia; summer valley mist rise red lychee'. His internal energy is profound and wherever he exerted strength, wood kindling would fall out. Clapping her hands, Zhong Ling giggled: ”If we knew about this, you can simply scrap your fingers against the firewood and we would have wood kindling. There is no need for us to expend so much effort.”

Immersed in his own world, Duan Yu is now at the other pillars filling up the blanks, muttering to himself as he wrote: ”Beauty in green robes a familiar face; September camellia blossom with grace” As he chanted, he swayed his head (like poets when composing poems) while stealing glances at Wang Yuyan. Wang Yuyan's delicate face glowed red and she turned her head away. (embarrassed)

Zhong Ling highlighted: ”I wonder which tree does this wood come from? The fragrance is pretty nice.” Everyone took a few sniffs and agreed that from the engraving hole made by Duan Yu's finger, there was an enchanting flowery scent. The fragrance seems to resemble osmanthus or rose but is neither of them. Duan Yu, too, exclaimed: ”Nice aroma!” The fragrance became thicker and thicker and after inhaling it, the body became more comfortable and alert.

Zhu Danchen's face instantly lost colour and he warned: ”Not good. I think this scent is poisonous. Everybody, cover your nostrils.” Hearing his reminder, everyone hurriedly used their handkerchiefs or sleeves to seal his or her mouth and nose. By now, everyone has breathed in a considerable amount of the fragrance. If it is poisonous, there should be signs of dizziness or discomfort. However, no one felt any signs of uneasiness.

After a short while, everyone was in need of oxygen and naturally started breathing again. Feeling no signs of poisoning, everyone gradually removed their seals. Discussing the situation, nobody could offer a good explanation for the enemy's scheme.

A long wait later, the air is suddenly filled with a series of buzzing noises. Mu Wanqing was alarmed and cried out: ”Aiyo! The poison has been activated. I keep hearing a weird noise in my ears.” Zhong Ling wailed: ”Me too.” Ba Tianshi instead clarified: ”That is not a weird noise in your ears. It sounds like a huge swarm of bees are flying towards us.” True enough, the buzzing sound became louder and louder, signaling the approach of thousands of bees.

Bees are actually nothing to be afraid of. Still, this is the first time everyone has heard such a loud buzzing sound. Nobody could even confirm if the buzzing sound actually came from bees or something else. For a split second, everyone was stunned on the spot, not knowing how to react. As the 'weng weng' sounds grew closer and closer, it sounded like countless vampires howling and dashing towards them, ready to bite every person. Zhong Ling is basically grabbing onto Mu Wanqing's arm while Wang Yuyan is holding Duan Yu's hands as tightly as she could. Everyone's heart is thumping like a beating drum. Although they expected an enemy concealed in the darkness, no one expected such a horrifying noise to herald the arrival of their attackers.

Abruptly, with a 'pai' noise, it sounded as if a small object has knocked onto the wooden wall of the wooden house from outside. Following that came a continuous stream of 'pai pai pai pai' sounds, as if scores of small items are knocking at the wall. Mu Wanqing and Zhong Ling screamed in unison: ”They are bees!” Ba Tianshi rushed to close a window and out of the blue, the air is pierced by the dreadful long cries of horses and sounds of their stomping. Zhong Ling shrieked: ”The bees are stinging the horses!” Zhu Danchen announced: ”I will go and cut the ropes binding the horses!” Tearing the collar of his long robes, he wrapped the cloth around his head. As he barely pushed open the wooden door with his left hand, a gust of wind brought thousands of bees into the house. Zhong Ling and Wang Yuyan instantly screamed at the top of their voices.

Ba Tianshi dragged Zhu Danchen back into the house, and with his knee, he knocked the door close. However, the house is already filled with bees. Once they entered the house, the bees started stinging everyone and in a few minutes, everyone's head, arms, face have all been stung several times. Opening his folded fan, Zhu Danchen smacked randomly in the air. Tearing his own collar, Ba Tianshi used it against the bees as a weapon. Enduring the painful stings, Duan Yu, Mu Wanqing, Wang Yuyan and Zhong Ling also did their best in smacking the bees.

When Ba Tianshi, Zhu Danchen, Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing attacked the bees, they utilized their maximum internal energy. Soon, there are only a few dozen bees left in the house. Strange enough, these bees are like moths attracted to fire. Despite the circumstances, they continued stinging everyone relentlessly. Another brief skirmish later, everyone finally realised that all the bees within the house are dead. Zhong Ling and Wang Yuyan are both crying profusely due to the pain. In the ears of everyone, the sounds of 'pai pai' outside the house are as dense as ever. There could be another tens of thousands of bees waiting to penetrate the wooden cabin. Paled-faced, everybody temporary ignored their bodily pain and hastily tore at their collars or sleeves, using them to plug every single gap in the wooden house.

Numerous red and swollen marks occupy their six bodies and faces; everybody looked the worse for wear. Duan Yu consoled: ”Luckily, we are able to seek shelter in this wooden house. If we are outside in the open wilderness and with these millions of wild bees coming after us, we will be slaughtered.” Mu Wanqing warned: ”These wild bees are being lured here by our enemies. Will they give up now? Or will they try to break down the wooden house?” Zhong Ling let out a shriek and asked: ”Sister, you… you are saying that they will break down this wooden house?”

Before Mu Wanqing could reply, a loud 'PONG!' sound was heard above her head. A large rock has apparently landed on the roof. The rafters of the roof went 'ge ge' as it shook. Fortunately, the roof remained intact. The 'ge ge' sound barely ended when another two large rocks broke through the roof and landed in the house. The oil lamps were instantly extinguished.

Duan Yu hurriedly held Wang Yuyan in his bosom and covered her head and face. Faced with ear-deafening buzzing noise, the group realised fighting is futile and quickly used their robes to cover their faces. In seconds, their arms, legs, shoulders are pierced by thousands of stings. Shortly, everything went black as the six of them fainted simultaneously.

Duan Yu has ingested the Crimson Buffalo Toad and originally, he is immune to poison. However, these bees are raised by humans. Besides the venomous bee sting, sleeping drugs are applied to the bee's stinger. After being stung consecutively by hundreds of bees, he succumbed as well. Nevertheless, his internal energy is overwhelming and among the six, he was the first to regain consciousness.

The second he woke up, he immediately reached out his hand to hug Wang Yuyan. However, he is unable to move his arms. At the same time, he realised that Wang Yuyan is no longer in his bosom. Although his eyes are wide open, all he could see is complete darkness. It turns out that his arms and legs are securely fastened; his eyes are blindfolded with a black cloth and there was a large walnut stuffed in his mouth. His breathing is limited and speaking is impossible. All over his skin, he can feel countless small but painful spots, the places where the bees have left their marks. He could sense that he is in some underground chamber but has no idea where he is or how long he has been knocked out.

In his state of helplessness, Duan Yu suddenly heard a firm female voice reprimanding: ”I have expended so much energy, planning to capture the old dog surnamed Duan from DaLi. Why did you catch this little puppy instead?” Duan Yu felt that this voice is familiar to him but for the time being, he could not recognize the speaker.

A voice from an old woman replied: ”Servant (I) has followed your instructions carefully and nothing was neglected.” The lady snorted: ”Humph, I believe there is some funny business going on. The old dog was heading south from Xixia, taking the main road and passing through Xichuan; why did he abruptly head east? All the drugged wine that we carefully prepared along the journey was consumed by this puppy instead.”