(Opening Theme:
Water Margin 2011 1st Opening Theme)
Chapter 20: The Tale of Shi Jin- Broken Staves (Part 2)
On the Balcony Overlooking Lord Chai's Courtyard
"Must you call me that here,
Lord Chai?" responded
Chao Gai. Drinking from a wooden chalice, the Heavenly King took off the straw hat, stood up, and faced them.
Her blood-red hair was tied in a military topknot, revealing a tanned, heart-shaped face. Even with the conservative light green tunic,
Shi Jin could tell she was strong as her rounded shoulders, thin waist, and thick legs indicated. The sun shone off of her tanned skin and brown eyes as she looked amusingly at the elf.
"We're not in my village, after all. To the Empire, I am simply
Ward Chief Chao. Of course, you may call me by my birth name,
Chao Gai, my lord. For I always admired your character and I can only wish to be as gallant as you are."
"In flattery, you are getting there perhaps," the elf responded, then gestured towards
Shi Jin, "this is my guest,
Shi Jin."
Shi Jin gave a large smile, his surprise turning into awe the more he gazed at her. Ever since
Liu Tang mentioned her as the 'Big Sis' of Dongxi Village, he wondered about
Chao Gai: what she looked like, her character, and whether or not she would like him if he lived in that village. He thought she would look more like
Liu Tang- scruff and rugged.
Her beauty already exceeded his imagination.
"I know of you,
Shi Jin," she remarked with a cold gaze that surprised the young man, "I heard about you from family. Does the name,
Liu Tang sound familiar to you?"
It looked like his mistake of distrusting someone based on their appearance continued to backfire on him. He should've known that
Liu Tang, who overheard his past remarks and heavily resented them, would've blabbed to
Chao Gai.
"
Shi Jin-" he began to apologize for the third time today.
"No," she immediately cut him off, "I do not accept... just yet. You'll be sitting next to me, so I'll determine your sincerity by the end."
Lord Chai placed a hand on one of
Shi Jin's shoulders.
"Perhaps," the elf suggested, "you should give some leniency to the young man. Heroism is forgiving the ignorant. I too lacked such knowledge once, after all."
Chao Gai nodded, now deep in thought, causing the young man to give a grateful smile
Lord Chai. Meanwhile, the other elf,
Dai Zong, struggled to stifle his amusement at
Lord Chai's words. Others were not so restrained.
Mu Hong laughed loudly and even a bark of laughter came out of Stone General
Shi Yong's mouth.
Shi Jin turned his head to look at the elder dwarf but then felt a tug from
Mu Hong.
Mu Hong, the Unrestrained dwarf, quipped, "that was before the sun and moon existed! We certainly wouldn't have gifted you that pearl if you were ignorant!"
The giant pearl brilliantly gleamed in the sun as
Lord Chai warmly replied, "and I will forever be grateful for this gift that, as I recall, was worth a mountain of nightsoil at the time."
More laughter ensued. Then, surprisingly,
Shi Yong commented, "as I said before, I'd have gifted you it when it was worth a mountain of wealth, old friend."
"A day I will treasure even after the world and my body fades. But I believe this was originally about heroism and forgiving people, was it not
Chao Gai?"
"And yet..."
Ward Chief Chao remarked, breaking her silence, "my teacher told me of you,
Lord Chai, and how you obtained this pearl by badmouthing a legendary elven king, the father of the Goddess, in front of the dwarves. You never forgave that elf for convincing so many people... so much of your family, to leave your home. You clearly do not forgive everybody. Why should I forgive this
Shi Jin for insulting my late sister's son?"
The smile left
Lord Chai's face and for a moment,
Shi Jin saw a sharp look in his eyes akin to the cold reflection of a moonlit blade. The other elf, fleet-footed
Dai Zong, briskly walked back into the manor.
CRACK!
Shi Jin's head whipped toward the sound and saw that Stone General
Shi Yong crushed a bronze cup with his hand. Before he could blanch at that feat of strength, he felt someone sharply grip his clothing.
"Hey!" shouted
Mu Hong, "that elven king screwed and insulted ALL the dwarves. NOT! THE! SAME!"
"Hmph!" loudly grunted
Shi Yong as he gathered the pieces of his broken cup in one place, "that king never punished the murderers who hunted our exiles like animals! We should have never let our folk leave the mountains! They're all dead! Nobody should forgive that one, especially not
Lord Chai!"
Shi Jin could feel the tension on the balcony. Although he didn't really know what they were talking about, the tale of an elven king that was strangled to death by their own intestines by the dwarves was well-known in the empire. His eyes darted from the angry dwarves, the now stoic
Lord Chai, and an utterly surprised
Chao Gai.
"I,
Chao Gai, do not mean offense to the dwarves," she said, clasping her hands and bowing once to
Mu Hong and once to
Shi Yong, "your hostility and grief I cannot fathom, for mine is merely a fraction. My late sister's son is the only family I have left; insulting them is insulting me. Please understand, I beg thee."
Whatever resentment
Shi Jin felt evaporated and pity overwhelmed him. It made sense now why
Liu Tang spoke so favorably of
Chao Gai and why the latter was so protective. Their bond must have been sacred.
The Unrestrained dwarf merely grunted while the Stone General did not even respond, turning his glare to the courtyard.
Undeterred, she turned to
Lord Chai and apologized: "I understand if you wish to kick me out,
Lord Chai. I apologize for my ignorance..."
The elf sighed, "please rise,
Ward Chief Chao. You merely asked a question, an apt one.
"As I told the dwarves long ago, I would be willing to apologize to the elf that you would call '
E Lu' (the name I know them by is unpronounceable in the Empire's tongue), for they were my kin. That is... if they would have explained to us what in the world they were doing. A complex person
E Lu was, from birth to death! Their thoughts I struggle to understand, ever-changing like the weather. Much I wish to speak to them... yell at them perhaps, for such is the anguish they contributed to in our sundering!
"How could
E Lu not see the harm in dividing our kindred? Why did
E Lu convince many of our brethren that they could return to our homeland when none of them did? If
E Lu desired to see the sea, why did they not go east instead of west? Was there some political maneuvering afoot? When
E Lu chose not to go to Penglai (the Empire's name for the Undying Lands), why did they not return to our homeland? 200 years was more than enough time to come back. Their wife was one of the Five Guardians, and their girdle could have prevented the Cataclysm. Why did
E Lu claim lordship over all of the west when the Third Elf-Father, whom you'd call our common forefather, still was here? Not to mention
E Lu's policies on banning a language and their slights against the dwarves. Were these decisions made by the so-called king, or the king's councilors?"
Shi Jin followed the conversation, but the more the elf said, the more his brow narrowed. By the end, he had no idea what
Lord Chai was talking about. He had no familiarity with the First Sundering of the Elves. What was this about clothing preventing a cataclysm? Did the lack of a
girdle really destroy the elven homeland?
Lord Chai briefly made eye contact with
Shi Jin and the elf's smile returned, "I know this, however: no matter how complicated
E Lu was, let me assure you that my guest,
Shi Jin is the complete opposite,
Ward Chief Chao! Rest easy on that fact."
The young man's smile became wider as he nodded at
Lord Chai. The sentiment was greatly appreciated; he did not want to be compared to such a hated person! Better to be the opposite!
"Exactly, I am not complicated at all. Please know that I did not mean any offense to
Liu Tang,"
Shi Jin added.
"Yes... hehe, umm mmph! I can see that now,"
Chao Gai replied, unable to cover up her giggle.
Eh?
Now he heard laughter from inside the manor. Was
Dai Zong in there laughing? Then
Mu Hong, the Unrestrained dwarf, guffawed, commenting, "you certainly lack that elven king's pride!"
Even Stone General
Shi Yong added his input: "If more were like
Shi Jin, I would still be in my halls!"
Shi Jin blinked multiple times, and finally it dawned on him. The complete opposite of being complicated was
being simple! He might as well call himself a dumbass!
Simpleton Shi Jin, he'd never live it down!
~~~
Minutes Later
Once
Lord Chai settled things down in the balcony, the festivities before the duel began. Apparently,
Lord Chai had an entire program of entertaining events leading up to
Instructor Luan and
Instructor Wang's bout. This included the ambiance of music that was played throughout the courtyard.
Not to mention the dazzling array of food that was brought out.
Heaping piles of sizzling roast goose appeared, one for each guest. Plates of steamed fish with sliced scallions also graced their table, much to the delight of
Mu Hong. Bowls of stewed vegetables in oil, roasted nuts, and freshly picked mountain berries brought extra variety. Not to mention the bowls of soup, one big bowl per table, with crescent-moon dumplings floating like ships on top.
"It is not the New Year, but this is a great gathering nonetheless!"
Lord Chai commented when he placed the bowls on each table, "I rolled these dumplings myself. Quite nostalgic from my time in the Imperial Court."
"You were the Empire's First Scribe, were you not? If I may ask, did you ever roll these dumplings with the Mother of the Empire?" asked
Ward Chief Chao, who was sitting next to
Shi Jin, filling her own bowl with soup and a couple of the dumplings.
Mu Hong sat on his other side, carefully separating his fish meat from the bones.
The elf wistfully smiled;
Shi Jin thought he saw a hint of melancholy.
"These, the
jiaozi, were not invented then. I do wish we could have rolled dumplings together, as I did with later emperors. There are times when I would think about how they would feel about this tradition. Gathering around as a family, speaking of both trifle and grand things in the past, present, and future. What filling would we use? How many could we make together by sundown? How many would we eat? Leave behind? Alas... alas."
"Never enough. Not as many as there should be," the Ward Chief sighed, slurping her soup.
In the midst of eating one of the fish,
Shi Jin recalled his childhood, making dumplings with his family. His made dumplings were always crooked. His mother's dumplings were always beautiful, however, as his dad would say. As
Shi Jin grew up, however, he'd often skip those days before the Lunar New Year, either training with a weapon or going out the whole day with others. When his mother left, he tried to make dumplings again with his father... but after one too many insults,
Shi Jin would storm out angrily, only returning after sundown.
Funnily enough, the more he thought of his father, the more homesick he became.
"Hey, are you going to eat that head?"
Mu Hong asked.
"Hmm?"
Shi Jin responded, "oh, of course. Here."
The young man did not like eating fish heads, so he gratefully gave it to the dwarf who began eagerly gnawing at it.
"Picky eater?"
Shi Jin heard
Chao Gai ask.
"Hah! I eat everything!" proclaimed
Mu Hong.
"I beg your pardon, Master
Mu, I was asking...
Shi Jin, was it?"
In the middle of chewing the crisp goose skin that melded perfectly with its juicy, tender meat,
Shi Jin blinked a few times, looking over at
Ward Chief Chao. They locked eyes for a second and
Shi Jin looked away first, his face feeling warmer with each passing second. She could not be much older than he was; how could she be
Liu Tang's aunt?
"Um, erm, yes, uh I ate the fish, did I not?"
Shi Jin stammered.
"Not the head. Your village must have been well off; we let no food go to waste," the Ward Chief responded.
Shi Jin looked at her plate next to her bosom and he could not see any meat or skin left whatsoever, only the skeleton.
"Eyes up here!" she ordered.
"Huh?"
Shi Jin asked in confusion, looking back at the now-glaring
Chao Gai, her eyes striking, and yet entrancing at the same time.
The glare turned into a look of befuddlement, then finally the Ward Chief closed her eyes, shook her head, and waved him off.
"Never mind," she sighed, "we'd better eat this before the food gets cold."
Unsure what all that was, the young man continued eating and drinking, hoping that he was proving to
Ward Chief Chao he was not whatever thing
Liu Tang described him as.
Time passed as much of the food and drink was eaten and drunk. When
Chao Gai excused herself to go back into the manor to handle some business,
Mu Hong patted
Shi Jin's arm and got his attention.
"Hey," the Unrestrained dwarf said in a low voice, "I know I'm just a 72-year-old dwarf, but want me to give you pointers on how to speak to
Ward Chief Chao?"
"I know how to speak to women!"
"Sure sure. But with that one...
Chao Gai has done business with many of my friends in the mountains, believe it or not. What the Ward Chief likes is someone who knows economics, taxes, laws, and accountancy. They like fighting and weapons, but their village is full of people who know that stuff. Know any of those four subjects, and you're good as gold with them!"
"I... am unfamiliar with all four of those,"
Shi Jin commented with a frown, "all I know is fighting and weapons."
Economics was complicated. Taxes were too high. There were too many laws. Accountancy was boring. That was all he knew about those four subjects.
"Ah. Good luck then. Hopefully, you won't offend them to have them leave, but more food for us then!"
That thought worried
Shi Jin, not only because it probably would disappoint
Lord Chai, but he wanted to get to know more of what she was like.
Mu Hong then asked, "speaking of food. Are you going to eat that goose head?"
~~~
Finally, just as
Chao Gai returned, the music ceased and all attention was on the courtyard grounds, where
Lord Chai was in the center, addressing everyone. Though his voice was loud, it was as if his normal speaking voice was amplified.
"Strangers, acquaintances, and friends from lands both distant and near, I welcome all of you to Cangzhou, where a duel between two of the finest Arms Instructors in the Empire shall occur. If you wish to bet on either of these two, please talk with one of my workers and they shall give you the gambling odds. There is a little time before then, though, as there will be entertainment before this main event.
"BOOOO!" jeered someone that suspiciously sounded like
Sun Xin.
Shi Jin was amused to see, however, that
Gu's husband was getting lectured by both
Sun Li and
Gu Dasao over the outburst.
"... no
Lu Bu will not be fighting today, that one has been dead for over 700 years in fact, but as I was going to say... First, let me introduce to you a wandering spear and staff specialist. Please give a warm hand to
Xue Yong!"
There was scattered applause from the general audience, but next to him,
Chao Gai seemed to be genuinely applauding. So
Shi Jin mimicked her... to her annoyance: she glared at him as he began applauding. Next to him, he could see
Mu Hong shake his head.
Out came a disheveled fellow in rags. Whereas the tall, slim candlesticks surrounding him gleamed in the sunlight, their brilliance contrasted with him. There was grime and dirt on his clothing that even
Shi Jin could see at a distance.
Xue Yong's skin was dark, though whether it was his actual skin or dried dirt
Shi Jin could not tell.
Xue Yong's facial hair was unkempt, and his head hair was bound in a very loose topknot.
The only clean part of this man was the staff that he held behind his right arm and across his back. The surrounding crowd was murmuring too, as if unsettled and surprised that such a fellow was even allowed in the elf's estate.
Shi Jin looked around the balcony, interestingly seeing a tentative
Shi Yong and a bored-looking
Dai Zong. Did they recognize this person?
"You know this bum,
Ward Chief Chao? I wanna beat their ass for showing up like this,"
Mu Hong asked
Chao Gai.
"I understand why. But looks are deceiving, Master
Mu," she responded, as
Lord Chai's workers began carefully lighting up the 15 candlesticks, making sure that they did not fall over while they did so, "I have seen
Xue Yong's stunts. I even heard that they used to perform in the capital until some gang beat them up. Apparently was rescued by the future Head Arms Instructor. Judge them after you see their performance."
Wait, wasn't Wang Jin the former Head Arms Instructor of Dongjing? thought
Shi Jin. He chanced a look at
Chao Gai who was looking intently at him.
Shi Jin at once broke eye contact and focused on the courtyard. He was not going to risk offending her even more.
"Hmph. We'll see," responded
Mu Hong, who was busy digging into his pockets, "wanna bet that this bum will mess up at least once?"
"I must decline. I do not gamble,"
Chao Gai replied.
"Hmph! What about you,
Shi Jin?"
"I... don't have money on me."
"Bah! How about you then, Magic Traveler
Dai Zong?"
"Ikeepontellingyounottocallme... Fine,"
Dai Zong responded.
"Hah! A taker! You're going to be cursing out this disheveled bum in no time!"
Shi Jin was tempted to ask why
Mu Hong did not ask the other dwarf,
Shi Yong, but that could've raised either of the dwarves' ire for some reason, so he kept silent, focusing instead on the disheveled man.
Xue Yong's eyes were closed, his free hand in front, legs apart, with his staff still held across his back. The young man wondered what this performer was going to do. It would be easy to simply smash the candlesticks; any child with a staff could do that, after all.
"
Boom.... boom... boom... boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom," sounded a war drum on one side of the courtyard.
To
Shi Jin's surprise, and much of the audience (he heard many gasps), none other than
Lord Chai was banging the war drum with an exaggerated flair that somehow demonstrated both might and grace. Then with one sharp clack of the two drumsticks colliding together in a stick click,
Xue Yong at last opened his eyes and with a great yell, he thrust his staff out, extinguishing one of the candles.
The tall candlestick that held it did not even move. How?
Lord Chai banged the drum again, a much quicker tempo this time.
Xue Yong then twirled his staff, moving to and fro around the candlesticks like a single warrior wading through stationary enemies, all the while twirling his staff in all sorts of directions: overhead, behind his back, in front of his body. Then, in unison with the elf's stick clicks, with sharp thrusts, and slashes, he put out each candle, one by one. Each consecutive extinguishment aroused more cries of "oohs," "aahs," and "woahs" from the audience. The thrusts ranged from one-handed stabs and spinning thrusts to jumping thrusts. The slashes were unpredictable, and
Shi Jin's eyes widened each time an unexpected slash extinguished a candle.
None of the slim candlesticks even swayed.
Then with one final move, as the drums crescendoed in both noise and speed, he backed away a few paces from the last lit candlestick.
Xue Yong raised his weapon above his shoulder as if he was going to throw it. Then out like a wooden javelin, he threw his staff straight through the candle's fire, putting it out.
His weapon clattered on the ground. But the candlestick did not even shake.
There was a slight pause before the audience roared with applause. This included the Xining Villagers, though only
Xie Zhen and
Xie Bao (still clad in their tiger skins) stood.
"Awesome!" cried
Shi Jin, standing and clapping until his hands hurt, "incredible!" He chanced a look at a beaming
Chao Gai who was doing the same. Even Stone General
Shi Yong cracked a small smile and clapped, though he was still sitting.
Dai Zong, meanwhile, whistled his approval. High praise indeed!
The only one who did not applaud was the dwarf next to
Shi Jin.
Mu Hong had an annoyed expression on his face, his arms crossed.
"The candlesticks are fixed to the ground! There's no way..."
Mu Hong muttered.
In some weird coincidence, while
Xue Yong was clasping his hands and bowing towards the sections of the audience, a sudden westerly wind blew across the courtyard, causing half of the candlesticks to fall over, leaving the rest swaying.
Mu Hong shouted words that sounded like dwarvish curses and shook his fist toward the direction of the Western Mountains,
Chao Gai chuckled at the Unrestrained dwarf's expense.
Shi Jin did his best not to laugh, focusing his attention on both
Lord Chai and
Xue Yong in amazement. Just how did the elf find such an... uncut ruby on a beach (his master had a way with sayings)? If the rest of the leadup to
Luan Tingyu and
Wang Jin's duel was this exciting, how could the latter two measure up?
~~~
"That was very impressive of
Xue Yong, was it not?"
Lord Chai asked the surrounding crowd. Nods and vocal approval greeted him.
Smiling, he then added, "but what I would find more impressive is whoever could best one of my retainers in our next contest. They are one of the strongest people I have ever met, and I do not mean that lightly. Lately, however, they have been trained by an arms instructor. Let me introduce you...
Erlang!"
Who is this 'Erlang'? wondered
Shi Jin. That thought bubble burst as he recognized immediately the giant man stumbling out into the courtyard, holding a giant wine vessel with one hand and shakily waving to the crowd with the other, spilling some of the wine in the process.
"What is that idiot doing here?!" shouted
Shi Jin, pointing at the clearly inebriated
Wu Song, "you're embarrassing yourself and our master with your foolishness! Get out of here!"
Wu Song gave an obscene hand gesture in response.
"You're friends with this '
Erlang?'" asked
Chao Gai amusingly to a fuming
Shi Jin.
Agitated even further, he turned towards
Chao Gai and yelled, "I'm not friends with that dumbass!"
As she wiped her face with her sleeve,
Shi Jin's angry face turned into one of horror as he belatedly realized that maybe he shouldn't have literally spat out that response at her.
"Of course... I'm not surprised," she continued, glancing first at her sleeve then glaring coldly at
Shi Jin, "
why would you have friends?"
Shi Jin turned his head, lowering it in shame. He wanted to apologize, but he felt like that would make the situation worse. That stupid drunkard
Wu Song ruined everything!
The audience's reaction was mixed. Some shared
Shi Jin's disgust. Some laughed, including
Sun Xin. Others... he heard both wolf whistles, squees, and a few "so handsome! Are they single?" reactions. Apparently
Wu Song was so athletic and handsome, that even stumbling drunk carrying alcohol, he still was attracting half the empire to lust after him. Women, especially. This also pissed off
Shi Jin.
"Rather touching," commented
Lord Chai, "a fellow comrade of
Erlang's cares for their safety. Such passionate words! Is this what you would call 'tough love'? Fighting drunk usually leads to defeat, after all! Even for us elves!"
There was a collective "awww" from the crowd as they were touched by the "tough love."
NO! I DON'T LOVE WU SONG! screamed
Shi Jin's brain as he slammed his fist on the top railing of the balcony, then cursed and shook his fist in pain because it was made of metal!
"Take it easy there, kid,"
Mu Hong reassured, patting him on the back, "now I don't know much about wooing men, though a few of our women look a lot like us. But you can't have people just give you middle fingers and have a healthy relationship."
SOMEBODY KILL ME!
"
Mu Hong," commanded the low voice of Stone General
Shi Yong, "over here."
The younger dwarf sighed. "What did I do now?" he muttered.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard,
Lord Chai continued speaking, "but perhaps my inebriated retainer will create more demand for what I shall propose. I will choose a single volunteer to go one-on-one in unarmed combat with
Erlang. Whoever wins shall win... this!"
Shi Jin raised his head, looking bemused at the courtyard, seeing
Lord Chai hold aloft a brilliant gold
yuanbao, a boat-shaped currency used by the affluent in the empire. This one looked heavy, well worth quite a few taels of gold. The audience knew it too, as multiple people gasped.
A few seconds went by and quite a few people stood and volunteered themselves. While some looked like they could fight, others... given their slim figures, flowers in their hair, and head ornaments, looked more like suitors wanting to "fix"
Wu Song through romance. The giant man, to
Shi Jin's annoyance, laid on the ground as if it were an armchair, using his hand as a headrest, side-facing part of the crowd. Could this drunkard take this seriously? If he lost, he not only would embarrass
Master Wang but
Lord Chai as well!
Then, from the Xining contingent,
Xie Zhen,
Xie Bao, and
Sun Xin stood up.
Very interesting. Although they were shorter than
Wu Song,
Shi Jin deduced that they each were formidable in their own right. The tiger hunters,
Xie Zhen and
Xie Bao likely regularly faced beasts far outweighing them.
Sun Xin also was no slouch, and
Gu Dasao would probably not marry a weakling.
While
Lord Chai made a show of choosing who would fight the giant man, the Ward Chief broke her silence: "I know you do not like this
Erlang, but if I heard correctly... you share the same master. Why so hostile?"
Choosing his words carefully and careful not to raise his voice and not spray his spittle on
Chao Gai's face again, he turned towards her (maintaining eye contact) and replied, "just look at them. That fool is called to perform and demonstrate their martial skill, and they are unfit to do so! They mock our master! Why should I not be hostile? Why should I not be angry?"
She nodded slightly, mulled over her words, then asked, "
Liu Tang told me who your master is. Would such an instructor tolerate such foolishness?"
"No."
"Yet your fellow student persists in such tomfoolery?"
"I..." he began to respond. Then it dawned on him: nothing made sense.
Wang Jin was not the type of instructor that would tolerate this at all. Particularly after
that incident. Neither did he ever hear
Wang Jin ever chide the large man on his drinking. What was going on?
"... I do not know,"
Shi Jin responded.
"Hmm. Then if I were you, depending on how
Erlang fares, I would ask your master about this."
Good advice. Surprising that he even got it given how many times he possibly offended her.
"
Shi Jin thanks Heav-...
Ward Chief Chao... and I also am sorry for accidentally spitting at you earlier."
"Mmm," she responded, nodding, "best you concentrate on
Erlang, now. Looks like
Lord Chai's made their choice."
~~~
In the end,
Sun Xin was chosen.
Shi Jin expected a rather boisterous, arrogant, foul-mouthed entrance, but for some reason,
Sun Xin was rather more stoic than usual as he leaped over the surrounding wall and into the courtyard. It appeared he was taking
Wu Song seriously while
Wu Song... didn't even turn his body to face
Sun Xin. Was that oaf even awake?
"
Erlang, wake up! Your opponent is here,"
Lord Chai said, nudging him with his foot.
Wu Song tried his best to stand up, drank some more wine, stumbled about for a few steps, then promptly tripped and fell on his butt, much to the mixed laughter and worried cries of the crowd.
Noticing that
Mu Hong returned to his seat, the young man half expected the Unrestrained dwarf to make a wise crack. But strangely,
Mu Hong seemed content to just stare down at
Wu Song as if focusing on every single movement of the large man.
Shi Jin looked to his right, seeing
Chao Gai drink from her wooden chalice. He looked behind him, seeing
Dai Zong with a small smile on his face as if he knew what was going to happen but was not going to spoil anything.
Shi Yong on the far side of the balcony was both counting his money and watching intently at the same time.
Just what did they know that
Shi Jin didn't?
Down in the courtyard,
Lord Chai spoke aloud the rules of the unarmed contest. Whoever kept their opponent down for 10 seconds or sent their opponent out-of-bounds (over the surrounding courtyard wall) would win the bout. No weapons besides their fist and feet were allowed. To
Wu Song's great protest, the elf had to confiscate his wine vessel.
Laughter ensued in the crowd.
Sun Xin, meanwhile, pulled out a knife hidden in one of his shoes and handed it to
Lord Chai.
The crowd jeered.
Shi Jin noticed
Sun Li place a palm on his face.
"BOOO! CHEATER!" shouted an audience member.
"DON'T YOU HARM MY
ERLANG, VIRGIN BASTARD!" yelled another one.
Infuriated,
Sun Xin turned towards the audience members, cursing at them, flipping them off, and further incensing the crowd. Someone threw their shoes at
Sun Xin, who dodged the first and caught the second. Said audience member was then hit by their own shoe as
Sun Xin chucked it back at them.
"Partorcperhaps?" mumbled
Dai Zong. Worried that the villager was going to cause a riot, he could not help but overhear a certain word that reminded him of his childhood. Orcs were monsters his mother and father told tales about to get him to stop wandering away from the house at night. There was a longstanding rumor that their body parts had medicinal properties and boosted virility as well as fertility in humans. The elves neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, only saying that they much preferred a dead orc over a living one. In contrast, the dwarves confirmed the rumors and gave lucrative bounties and trading benefits to hunters and merchants to hunt them down. Thus, it was rare to see such monsters east of the Western Mountains.
"Bah, orcs have thicker skin," commented
Mu Hong.
Once
Sun Xin calmed himself down, the two combatants faced each other, five feet apart.
Sun Xin adopted the same combat stance as
Gu Dasao when the latter fought against
Wang Jin. One fist in front, the other chambered, while one leg was in front and most of his weight was placed on the back leg.
Wu Song had no recognizable combat stance whatsoever. He had one hand in front of him in the shape of a cup. His feet kept on moving forward and backward while his body could not stay still, like an unsteady tree facing a swirling wind.
... He hated to admit it, but
Shi Jin really wanted
Sun Xin to kick "
Erlang's" ass.
Lord Chai had moved back in order to give them space. He now held a flag in his hand as he raised it, hushing the crowd, who now waited in anticipation.
"Begin!" the elf shouted, lowering the flag.
Instead of charging, both fighters remained where they were. A few seconds passed.
Sun Xin took a step closer. Suddenly, he aimed a low kick toward
Wu Song's right ankle. At the last second,
Wu Song sloppily leaned his ankle back, lunging his cup hand forward into a straight punch that was blocked at the last second by
Sun Xin's forearms. The latter backed away, cursing as he went back into his attack stance.
Wu Song turned his fist into the shape of a cup and pantomimed drinking from it.
Sun Xin, looking more irate, attempted a duck kick with a simultaneous straight punch. Somehow, the drunkard ducked the punch, twirled, and performed a leg sweep that tripped
Sun Xin flat on the ground.
Wu Song himself then lost his balance on the follow-through, also falling flat on his back.
A mixture of applause and laughter from the audience greeted the pair while
Shi Jin gave a frustrated sigh. That oaf was making
Sun Xin look like a fool but wasn't taking advantage of it! The people around the young man did not seem as frustrated, however.
Chao Gai was smiling, giving a short burst of applause, while
Mu Hong still had an intense appraised look on his face as he watched the match.
In an impressive feat of flexibility,
Sun Xin reverse-somersaulted from the ground into his attacking stance.
"You lout!"
Sun Xin shouted, "ya learned this from your harlot of a mast- GET BACK HERE!"
Wu Song had begun rolling like a rug to the nearest wall, much to the crowd's amusement. His opponent rushed over with a great yell to intercept
Wu Song. However, as soon as
Sun Xin was within arm's length,
Wu Song suddenly leaned himself on one arm and propelled two successive kicks straight into the charging man's chest.
The battle cry turned into a battle gasp as for the second time,
Sun Xin lay flat on his back, wincing in pain.
Wu Song had popped back up...
And he stood rigid, a furious look about his face.
Shi Jin was both shocked and perplexed at the contrast. Wasn't
Wu Song drunk only a second ago? And yet now he stood like an intimidating statue.
The crowd began uneasily murmuring, also perplexed at the change in mood from the large man. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw what appeared to be
Sun Li doing his best to restrain the injured
Gu Dasao from interfering in the match.
"You dare call my master a harlot? Some nerve you have!"
Wu Song yelled, then changed his form. His legs widened apart, knees bent, one fist in front of the other.
This was the form
Wang Jin favored.
Shi Jin knew immediately now that
Sun Xin was doomed. If the latter could not best an inebriated
Wu Song, then how could he stand a chance against a serious
Wu Song?
"I dare!"
Sun Xin barked back, standing up and re-entering his battle stance, "and if ya become one, you'd make a lot of money! Half the arena wants to sleep with you! Sober you up and you'll be the richest courtesan in the empire!"
Several of the crowd began yelling in response.
Sun Xin spat on the ground. Boos and jeering crescendoed; some of the crowd even through garbage in the courtyard.
"Give up! I can already tell my master's quicker and stronger than you. You're a tortoise with no shell!"
Wu Song countered, audibly cracking his knuckles with only one fist.
"YOU! I barely even did... you know what? Screw you! Screw your master! I'm better than both of you! NOW DIE!"
And with a roar,
Sun Xin pressed the attack, launching a flurry of kicks and punches at
Wu Song. The larger man dodged and blocked nearly all of them, however. Then when
Sun Xin went for a right hook,
Wu Song suddenly grabbed his arm, rotated his body, and slammed
Sun Xin into the ground.
With another yell of pain,
Gu's husband greeted the earth yet again, clutching at his left shoulder. Before he could recover,
Wu Song kneed him in the stomach, driving the air out of him, lifted and held him like he was a sack of rice, then began running towards the wall.
Sun Xin tried vainly punching, clawing, and biting his way out, but within seconds he was flung over the wall into the crowd.
A crowd that would NOT have hesitated to continue the beating. Luckily (or unluckily), the crowd's favorite fighter leaped over the wall too.
Wu Song gripped
Sun Xin by the scruff of the neck and held a fist over him.
"Somebody stop them!"
Shi Jin shouted.
Wu Song was going to kill him!
Chao Gai stood up. Yet oddly
Mu Hong and
Shi Yong sat with pensive expressions on their face.
Dai Zong was nowhere to be found. The Xining villagers from the other side of the courtyard began leaping over the wall (including the injured
Gu Dasao, who out-sped all of them), intending to rescue
Sun Xin.
All would've erupted into chaos if not for a sharp whistle that stopped everyone. The crowd immediately silenced, and all eyes were on one person.
"ENOUGH!"
Lord Chai shouted. He briskly walked over to where the two fighters were and stated, "
Erlang, you won! Let
Sun Xin go."
And indeed
Wu Song let him go, but not before
Sun Xin decided to spit in
Wu Song's face. The crowd gasped, then gave another chorus of boos.
Gu Dasao and
Sun Li had reached the other side of the courtyard wall, dragging
Sun Xin away. The
Sun brothers disappeared somewhere, while
Gu Dasao shook her head and surprisingly walked all the way back to her seat on the other side of the courtyard, the tiger hunters following suit as well.
At the same time,
Wu Song wiped his face with a sleeve and began storming off. Suddenly, he stopped, switched direction, and walked below the 10-foot balcony where
Shi Jin stood.
Wu Song gave a quick bow with his hands clasped to
Shi Jin, then stormed off the courtyard, carrying his large wine vessel with him.
"I guess
Erlang likes you, after all," commented
Mu Hong, raising an eyebrow.
"... Why did... what?... I don't..."
Shi Jin stammered.
"Another one you should talk to," added
Chao Gai, who sighed as she sat down, "things almost went awry. Not quite a vacation if I have to stop a fight!"
Questions filled
Shi Jin's head as he collected himself and breathed out a relieved sigh. What... was that fighting style
Wu Song did in the beginning? Or was he just drunk and sobered up once
Sun Xin insulted his master? Was that what
Wang Jin was teaching him? How to defend and fight while drunk? Finally, why did
Wu Song bow to him in the end? Was it mockery? Or was it thanks for something that
Shi Jin couldn't fathom?
These thoughts almost overshadowed his anticipation for the actual main event of today's festivities: the fight between
Wang Jin and
Luan Tingyu.
~~~
While
Lord Chai and his workers were cleaning up the thrown trash and preparing the courtyard,
Shi Jin handled his business. Re-entering the balcony, he overheard the middle of a heated conversation.
"... Why
can't I throw my goose bones at that guy? You threw your entire goose carcass!"
Mu Hong incredulously asked
Shi Yong.
"I have nothing to lose. You and your brother have everything to lose!"
Shi Yong chided.
Remembering
Lord Chai's caution not to eavesdrop on the internal affairs of the dwarves,
Shi Jin returned to his seat and looked aghast at the middle of the courtyard where a pile of thrown food and garbage gathered around the Faceless Drifter,
Jiao Ting, who was busy packing up his instrument and leaving with a wicker basket that was filled with food that looked suspiciously half-eaten or mushed.
"What in the world did I miss?" he wondered aloud.
"An awful performance," responded Ward Chief
Chao with disgust, "this
Jiao Ting visited my village once and almost caused a riot with their antics. In this performance, they repeatedly insulted both Cangzhou and
Lord Chai. Then they asked if any of 'Cangzhou's sweathog denizens' would like to 'walk with them.' That's when everyone started throwing things. Why did
Lord Chai even invite this Faceless Drifter here?"
"I... don't know," replied
Shi Jin. He looked around the courtyard and saw
Lord Chai, who certainly did not look angry. In fact, he looked quite amused, helping clean up the mess with his workers. Truthfully, when
Liu Tang brought
Wang Sheng and
Shi Jin into Cangzhou he actually thought
Jiao Ting was hilarious. Perhaps that was why there weren't as many tourists sightseeing the Iron Lion of Cangzhou now that he thought of it.
Some time passed and finally, the courtyard was clean and ready. Everyone quieted as
Lord Chai stood in the center. He carried in both hands a wooden staves 10 feet long, both ends bound by protective rope.
"Now that
that performance is over, it is time for what you've all waited for. Allow me to first introduce, from Zhu Family Village, the 'Invincible Iron Staff,' Frontier Arms Instructor
Luan Tingyu!"
Instructor Luan entered from the right side to a chorus of loud cheers, most of which came from the Xining Villagers.
Sun Li had apparently cooled
Sun XIn off as both sat near
Gu Dasao and the
Xie brothers. They all stood, cheering and applauding the heavily scarred warrior.
Luan Tingyu dressed in all-white garb, akin to mourning attire, save for a black cloth that bound her military topknot. The hem of her white dress stopped at the top of her feet and did not trail to the ground. Much of the crowd murmured as they got a closer look, artists with brushes and paper inching their way toward the front in particular, perhaps based on her rugged scarred face or impressive physique. She strode confidently to
Lord Chai, bowed with hands clasped, accepting the staff. She then stepped back and using just her
left hand she whipped the air with the staff using a variety of overhead spins, figure eight spins, and behind-the-back spins.
Luan then threw the staff in the air, then without even looking, grabbed it with her outstretched left hand. She then placed her left hand in front, and right hand in the back of the staff, which meant...
That wasn't even her dominant hand! The crowd collectively oohed and aahed, applauding, just as they did when
Xue Yong did his staff tricks. Except that
Instructor Luan did it with only one hand.
Shi Jin saw multiple people hurriedly rush to respective vendors, coin pouches in hand, probably making last-minute bets on who would win.
"As expected from Instructor
Luan," proclaimed
Lord Chai, himself applauding, "as for their opponent... allow me to introduce, from Parts Unknown, the Mysterious Arms Instr- wait."
To the confusion of everyone, the elf suddenly briskly walked to the opposite side of the courtyard. An awkward minute later, he returned to the center of the courtyard.
"Apologies for the delay, as our Mysterious Arms Instructor has decided to reveal their identity. For they are none other than the Former Head Arms Instructor of Dongjing's 80,000 soldiers, residing in Parts Unknown,
Wang Jin!"
All was silent... then a stir erupted in the crowd, as there were loud gasps, utterings of "Wang Jin? Wang Jin is here?", and other murmurs in the audience.
Shi Jin's brow furrowed until his eyes widened, remembering that she was a wanted criminal in the Empire. Why did she reveal herself in front of so many people? This was so reckless of her!
"THE
Wang Jin?" loudly asked
Mu Hong as he dug into his pockets, pulling out an assortment of gold, silver, copper, and iron coins, "don't care who's facing them (though that
Instructor Luan sure is pretty.) Betting it all on the Troll-killer!"
"
Mu Hong..." began
Shi Yong.
"I can bet on who I want, damnit!"
"The other part... last thing you said."
"Oh... sorry, didn't mean to blurt that one out."
Before the young man could comprehend what the conversation, his attention shifted to
Wang Jin, who entered the courtyard. Her appearance completely contrasted
Instructor Luan's.
Wang Jin wore an all-black garb, save for a white cloth that bound her topknot. A black mask covered much of her face as she quickly walked toward the center of the courtyard. She clasped her hands and bowed to
Lord Chai as he gave her a staff.
Unlike
Luan,
Wang did not do any flourishes or other tricks with the staff, simply holding it vertically with one hand.
"The rules for this one are similar to the last contest. Whoever steps outside the surrounding courtyard wall or is down for 10 seconds loses. An additional rule is that whoever receives
what I deem a fatal blow shall lose," announced
Lord Chai, "any questions from the combatants?"
Both instructors shook their heads.
"Then I shall survey this duel from my balcony. I will not be an obstacle in your bout. This is also the last time for everyone to place their bets. Once I start the duel, no more wagers shall be accepted."
With that,
Lord Chai walked away from the courtyard, leaving the two combatants squaring off against each other. Whatever words Instructor
Luan and Instructor
Wang shared,
Shi Jin could not hear.
"Why is your master wearing a mask?"
Chao Gai suddenly asked.
Shi Jin turned towards her, slightly startled that she once again wore her straw hat.
"Huh?" he replied not so eloquently. Was the Heavenly King getting sunburnt?
"
Liu Tang told me who your master was. I was not surprised by the reveal. What I'm surprised about is the mask... and your master not being quite as tall as I heard."
Telling her that a villager/tavern owner broke his master's face would do little to raise the Ward Chief's esteem of
Wang Jin, and
Shi Jin was not going to badmouth his master... no matter how much he was being deceived.
"They got into a fight,"
Shi Jin vaguely answered.
"Resisting arrest, perhaps?" Ward Chief
Chao asked with a raised eyebrow, "I saw the wanted posters. If not for them... well, I'll save those words for your master later, should we meet."
"Mmm,"
Shi Jin answered. Surprisingly, he was finding it easier to lie. This was only a small lie though.
"Does not bode well for
Wang's chances," she commented, then leaned over to talk with
Mu Hong, "are you sure you want to bet everything on
Instructor Wang?"
"Not listening! Not listening,"
Mu Hong replied, covering his ears, "last time I changed my mind, I regretted it. Sticking with my bet this time!"
"Suit yourself then," she wryly retorted, then sat a little straighter, adjusting her straw hat, "as for me, I love good fights. I heard they faced each other before, worthy of song I hear. Let us hope your master does not disappoint,
Shi Jin. I have heard tales of
Instructor Luan's valor as well. This will not be easy for
Wang Jin."
"I know,"
Shi Jin said, altogether not sure who was going to win, "hopefully this will be a duel worthy of song."
~~~
Finally,
Lord Chai re-entered the balcony, carrying one of those water clock contraptions that
Wang Jin told him about after being asked. He accepted bets from both of the dwarves on the balcony. In contrast to the metallic money
Mu Hong used,
Shi Yong just gave a piece of paper to the elf-lord and whispered his bet. The fleet-footed elf,
Dai Zong declined to gamble, instead walking towards the balcony railing to get a better view of the upcoming duel.
Soon,
Lord Chai raised his flag.
Luan Tingyu adopted her stance: one leg in front of the other, weight evenly spread out between the two bent legs, with the staff pointed slightly upwards.
In response,
Wang Jin adopted her stance, mirroring
Luan's but with her staff pointed slightly downwards.
A slight breeze blew over the field; only the clothing and stray strands of hair from both warriors swayed as they stood still.
"Begin!"
Wang immediately stepped forward with a swift poke of her staff, which was quickly blocked downward by one end of
Luan's weapon, who simultaneously slid back and immediately followed up with a downward strike from the other end.
Wang Jin performed a side block as both staves smacked against each other. She then tried shifting the staff down to
Luan's fingers, who countered by using
Wang's momentum against her as the staves merely rolled around each other counterclockwise one rotation. Both fighters then stepped back. Once more they stood still.
Shi Jin could see a small smile on Instructor
Luan's scarred face as she slowly circled around
Wang Jin's right side, the side where
Wang's broken orbital bone was. Both tried to poke each other with their staves for a bit, striking like coiled snakes, as if testing the other's defenses, the other blocking with little effort. The sound of colliding staves provided an unsteady beat echoing through the courtyard.
After an upward poke was blocked,
Wang suddenly aimed a cross strike straight at
Luan's head. The latter ducked, stepped inside, spun, and performed a full-body downward smash that was blocked at the last second by
Wang Jin, her body bending backward at the pressure. Before
Shi Jin thought his master was going to fall on her back, she kicked
Luan's chest with enough force to stagger her back. Instructor
Luan backed away a few steps, grunting in pain, though her smile returned soon enough. A smattering of applause greeted the pair as a split-second respite ensued.
"Your defense is much better, sister!"
Instructor Luan, "... but you used to be the 'Great Attacker,' what happened?"
Wang Jin simply responded by re-entering into a battle stance, shifting her hands on her staff in a way that
Shi Jin knew all too well. Whenever she did this, this signaled an upcoming furious array of stabs and thrusts at her opponent. When she sparred with
Shi Jin, the latter never went unscathed after such an onslaught.
Thus,
Wang Jin rushed forward, stabbing and thrusting her staff like a spear, only this time with much more speed and ferocity than
Shi Jin ever saw. The wind whistled each time with each attack.
But
Luan Tingyu had an answer with some of the most dazzling defenses the young man ever saw. While moving backward,
Luan did an athletic combination of spinning blocks with her staff, dodging or deflecting each attack by
Wang Jin. The "Invincible Iron Staff" turned her defense into offense, as each deflection caused
Wang Jin's attacks to slow, until finally
Wang Jin's staff was blocked with so much force, she had to retreat backward a few steps. The appreciative applause that ensued was cut short, though.
Now
Luan's face appeared expressionless as she launched her own offensive. She both ran to
Wang and performed rapid staff uppercuts at her. Instead of attempting to block,
Wang both threw her staff a few feet and somersaulted to dodge her opponent at the last second.
Luan pivoted, veering around, and refused to let up, this time performing her own onslaught of thrusts and stabs.
Wang Jin hurriedly grabbed her staff and summoned a defense.
While
Luan's attacks were not as speedy as
Wang's onslaught,
Wang Jin failed to put up such a dazzling defense. The masked fighter grunted in frustration each time she blocked and dodged but did not have the time to follow through with her own strikes. Then suddenly after dodging a thrust,
Wang Jin bolted, turning her back to
Luan Tingyu and running away.
"THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE! NOOO!" cried
Mu Hong.
Shi Jin was about to concur until a memory struck him. The first time he met
Wang Jin, she did the same thing... albeit in a completely different fighting context.
But unlike
Shi Jin during his fight with
Wang Jin,
Luan Tingyu did not follow
Wang Jin in a straight line. Instead, she sprinted in an arc towards
Wang's's right side: her injured side.
Wang turned her head, the immediately began running in an arc too, so both combatants ended up chasing each other in a large oval.
Eventually,
Wang Jin stopped, stuck her staff into the ground, and used it to fling some loose dirt that struck
Instructor Luan's face. The scarred warrior grunted and walked backward a few steps, wiping her face in annoyance. The audience, also annoyed, booed.
Yet his master did not take advantage to attack her opponent once more. Instead, she held her staff vertically, her shoulders rising and falling with each breath.
Shi Jin could not see his master's face, but he could tell through body language that
Wang Jin was furious.
"It's that stupid cicada's fault! If only I had both eyes..."
Wang Jin loudly complained.
"Don't..."
Luan replied, recomposing herself and shifting into an attack stance, "you're lasting longer than I thought. Still... at your peak you're still mortal."
"Maybe you're right," conceded
Wang Jin, "perhaps I should give up... after I take out that cicada first!"
Wang Jin then bolted again, this time sprinting directly at the short wall where the Xining villagers were behind.
"No!" cried
Luan Tingyu, sprinting directly at her opponent.
Shi Jin stood, alarmed, seeing
Gu Dasao also stand, tugging with her healthy hand at
Sun Li's spear attached to his back.
Sun Xin stood in front of her wife, pulling out the knife he got back from the elf. The
Xie brothers struggled to get their tridents out. This was not good!
Wang Jin was merely feet away now and if
Gu managed to get that spear and wield it....
But lo! It was a feint!
Wang Jin suddenly turned around, raising her outstretched staff vertically.
Luan Tingyu, shocked, moved her staff horizontally upwards to block a smash. It was too soon, though!
Instructor Wang instead aimed an uppercut at her opponent.
Luan tried to block it but could only block the tip, where
Wang's power was at its apex.
Luan's staff was sent flying into the air, and
Wang Jin caught it with one hand.
Luan Tingyu was disarmed and at
Wang Jin's mercy.
Luan retreated and entered into a haphazard unarmed fighting stance, unsettled, not attacking.
"YEAH! I WIN! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT ALL ALONG!"
Mu Hong screamed, celebrating.
What happened next was completely unexpected.
Wang did not attack. Instead, she rolled
Luan's staff back. Surprised,
Luan hesitated and spoke a few words
Shi Jin could not hear.
Wang Jin replied, and
Luan's face formed into one of the broadest grins he'd ever seen from anyone. The crowd, stunned, slowly clapped their hands, crescendoing into deafening applause.
One of the people applauding was a smiling
Lord Chai, who commented, "that... I did not expect. A very welcome surprise."
"... Sometimes it's worth living in the outside world... seeing moments like these," stated Stone General
Shi Yong, clapping his calloused hands.
"Dishonorable and honorable at the same time... your master is quite interesting,"
Ward Chief Chao noted.
"WHAT? NO! GIVE ME MY FREAKIN' MONEY! YOU STUPID IDIOT! JUST WIN THE DAMN THING!"
Mu Hong shouted.
"Justenjoytheshow,"
Dai Zong rebutted, folding his arms and smiling.
Shi Jin breathed out a happy sigh. Sure, the Xining Villagers collectively looked absolutely murderous, but to everyone else,
Wang Jin proved that despite her claims that honor would get people killed, one needed to practice deception to become a true warrior, in her heart she was every bit the honorable person that
Luan Tingyu claimed she was.
The pair seemingly chatted amicably with each other as they walked back to the center of the courtyard as if they were sightseeing a garden rather than fighting each other in a pitched duel.
Their fight was not over, however, as evidenced by their re-entering their battle stances when they reached the center.
Shi Jin, once again, sat straight and leaned over to get a better view of the duel between these two instructors, which will continue in the next chapter.
(Ending theme:
好汉歌 (Heroes' Song), first ending theme of the 1998 Water Margin)
)
