In a Grove

Far off in the Eastern Seas there is a phenomenon observed particularly in the summer months called the 'Dragon's Ascent' .

It begins with the sudden appearance of a legion of dark clouds that descend toward the water, while the water itself rises to meet the clouds, as if being sucked through a hole in the sky, creating an enormous, whirling, black pillar of water and clouds.

And if one gazes intently into that fearsome pillar the person will clearly discern the figure of a dragon ascending toward the heavens.

So it was said in a book that Ling Yun had read long ago chronicling the wonders of the vast world that lay beyond.

For some reason , the passage stuck firmly in his mind as he watched as the skies roiling ; the fair weather just moments ago giving way to an offspring of wrath.

He had already headed out far enough , another couple of leagues he would be entering a land of no-return ; uncharted territory belonging to ever-hungry fearsome beasts whom he could not match .

If he didn't find a badge he would have to return empty handed and take his chances in getting one by more unpleasant methods.

He headed out of the thicket and into a clearing what he saw there elicited a sigh from him.

Seated in the middle of the clearing was a lone youth , his head anchored by his chin , his eyes half-closed ; his figure the very epitome of lethargy. A long broadsword placed carelessly by his side in an ornament like fashion served to accentuate his image.

Based on this , one could have mistaken him being a member of the category of prodigals who with their frivolous nature and aimless antics had carved out a special niche for themselves.

There was just one thing that destroyed this pleasant association.

The fact that by his feet there lay , their faces still contorted in stark terror , a host of severed skulls ; some of them had been known by Ling Yun in fact , for the short span when they had been standing in the same line.

His brows raised involuntarily.

His expression didn't change at all at the gruesome sight instead his visage turned rock-like as his mind began to ponder deeply.

The youth yawned visibly , he then crossed his hands to show his apparent tiredness before turning his puffy red eyes towards this intruder who had been so rude as to disturb his pleasant sleep.

On seeing Ling Yun's face , he rubbed his eyes a couple of times to be sure of what he was seeing and then grinned in delight ; his striking appearance not being obscured the least by the sorry state that he was in.

"Brother Martial Arts Master ! We meet at last !"

Ling Yun's forehead compressed into black lines in response.

"That's a strange way to address someone you have just met ."

On hearing this , the youth's smile only grew wider

"It really is you isn't it ? " , he said eagerly , "Honestly I wasn't so sure at first but that bearing , that demeanour !" , he smacked his lips ," plus this little one , here doesn't lie " , he continued whilst patting gently his right shoulder where a miniscule white beetle could be seen waving its feeler in excitement.

He stood up abruptly , not caring if his feet stuck against one of the many skulls arranged in the fashion of a cordon.

He promptly kicked at it with the back of his foot in a nonchalant manner.

The head took flight into the skies , flying straight for a while before swerving in a beautiful manner as if heading towards the corner of an invisible net .

Out of reflex Ling Yun plucked it out of thin air and held it close studying it with the air of a connoisseur appraising a treasure.

He ignored the face frozen as it was in fear , but instead stared at the joint where the neck had been once attaching it to the trunk ; his eyes narrowed as he came to a conclusion.

"Here " , he tossed it back to the other youth whose face on careful observation greatly resembled that fellow from the Fang clan who had been his first victim ages ago.

When collaborated with his memories of the gathering before the teleportation formation and his strange way of address , he had a rough idea of who he was facing.

Good, he had something to work with.

Fang Xingchen caught the head thrown back at him without any difficulty from the young man's eyes he gathered that his message was understood.

The head was useless then , he promptly threw it away unconcerned.

Refreshing , indeed.

It was truly refreshing to finally meet someone who could entertain him for a while.

Just as the ancients said , the wait was the greatest spice for an excellent meal !

His face quivered as he did his best to contain his excitement.

The hair on the back of his neck stood-up in anticipation .

He couldn't help but mutter an invocation inwardly.

"Please don't disappoint ...Please don't disappoint ... Please don't disappoint . Heavens above , grant me my wish to have some fun !"

He could feel the little one twitching in response to his enthusiasm , he placed a hand on it to quieten it down .

It will get its fill later.

Ling Yun couldn't stop himself from smiling on seeing the other man's strange actions , he wondered what would his countless admirers think back in ZiLin city if they were to see their idol in such a state ; drooling like a child !

He didn't blame him for it though . Beneath his calm exterior the surging waves could still be felt by him in response .

The reaction was involuntary.

What does a lion feel when it meets another ?

What does a sword with a peerless edge feel when its meets another ?

What does an ambitious general feel when he meets another ?

The answer is not so simple.

Tinged within the red shades of contest , complex emotions of camaraderie dwell as well .

Irrational as it is , there is a strange sense of understanding linking them mixed with regret at having met so late even so they only serve as sparks that light up the burning fire to a crescendo.

The meeting begins with the sudden appearance of a legion of dark clouds that descend toward the water, while the water itself rises to meet the clouds, as if being sucked through a hole in the sky, creating an enormous, whirling, black pillar of water and clouds.

In that fearsome pillar only one dragon shall ascend to the heavens high above.

"Before we get down to business , would you mind hearing a story of mine ? Just to you know , set the mood !" Fang Xingchen propositioned , his red eyes drooping down in a wistful expression.

"I wouldn't mind , but aren't you sure that our negotiation hasn't started already ?"

Ling Yun said with a smile.

"I knew you would get it brother ! You really are different from all of those boors ! What is the point if we can't even appreciate the finer points of life ? "

"All motives look so pale in comparison when the furthering of oneself is considered along the Grand Way and what better way to progress ahead than through a discussion that lays oneself bare to the world !"

"Why do I get the feeling that your broad-mindedness shall last only for a short duration only to be replaced with an overwhelming blood lust ? " Ling Yun replied quizzically.

"You can't blame me for that , Brother Martial Artist ! "

"If it had been up to me I would have made sure that our fun lasts for as long as possible but you for some stupid reason have involved yourself with some really scary people."

"Brrr!" , he shivered in an exaggerated manner in a bid to convey his supposed fear.

Ling Yun's mouth curved upward . He didn't expect that they would have come after him already , truly a miscalculation on his part.

"How many ? " he asked calmly , his meaning evident.

"It's just one , Surely you aren't thinking ....? "

" However trust me on this one , going after her is no different than offering yourself from a plate."

"I see .'

Nevertheless you are wrong, I am not bold enough to do whatever you think I'm suggesting it is just that , don't you think it is a pity that while we have are having so much fun here , she is left out all on her own ?"

Fang Xingchen scrutinised him carefully to be sure that the other person wasn't kidding , when he realized that he was indeed being serious , he couldn't stop himself from laughing uproariously.

Ling Yun smiled ruefully in response.

"Really brother ! I never knew you were such a laugh ! " "Sigh ", he wiped the tears from his eyes , "Now then let's get along , otherwise the way things are going we will be here till sundown and after !"

Ling Yun looked at the skies ; from what he could make out there were barely a couple of hours away from dusk , he must be exceptionally confident to make search an assertion.

Interesting ..

What was the source of his confidence ?

An overwhelming strength ? Perhaps some powerful treasure , it could even be a trap that he had arranged beforehand .

He would have to wait and see.

His hands went into his robes in a subtle manner.

Fang Xingchen went on , unmindful of Ling Yun's small actions

"The story goes like this :"

"Long ago , in a distant land , a corpse was found within the mountains . After some investigation , the officials conclude that the person was in fact , murdered."

"As a result the leading official begins to question witnesses and suspects who could have any bearing to the case. The first they question is a woodcutter who happened to be passing by the site of the murder ."

"Their conversation goes like this ,"

"YES, SIR. Certainly, it was I who found the body" , said the woodcutter ," This morning, as usual, I went to cut my daily quota of cedars, when I found the body in a grove in a hollow in the mountains. "

"The exact location? About 150 meters off the main road. It's an out−of−the−way grove of bamboo and cedars."

"

"The body was lying flat on its back dressed in a bluish silk kimono and a wrinkled head−dress . A single sword−stroke had pierced the breast. The fallen bamboo−blades around it were stained with

bloody blossoms. No, the blood was no longer running. The wound had dried up, I believe. And also, a gad−fly was stuck fast there, hardly noticing my footsteps."

"You ask me if I saw a sword or any such thing? No, nothing, sir. I found only a rope at the root of a cedar nearby. And...well, in addition to a rope, I found a comb. That was all. Apparently he must have made a battle of it before he was murdered, because the grass and fallen bamboo−blades had been trampled down all around."

"A horse was near by?"

"No, sir. It's hard enough for a man to enter, let alone a horse."

" With this his interrogation ends , and the official turns to the next witness who happens to be a Buddhist Monk ."

" The time? Certainly, it was about noon yesterday, sir. The unfortunate man was on the road from Red Mountain to Valley City . He was walking toward Red Mountain with a woman accompanying him on horseback, who I have since learned was his wife. A scarf hanging from her head hid her face from view. All I saw was the colour of her clothes, a lilac−coloured suit. Her horse was a sorrel with a fine mane. "

"The lady's height? Oh, about four feet five inches."

" Since I am but a Buddhist priest, I took little notice about her details. Well, the man was armed

with a sword as well as a bow and arrows. And I remember that he carried some twenty odd arrows in his quiver."

"Little did I expect that he would meet such a fate. Truly human life is as evanescent as the morning dew or a flash of lightning. My words are inadequate to express my sympathy for him "

" In this manner the questioning of the Monk ends and useful it is irrespective of its brevity for the official manages to further his understanding of the case .

"In his mind , little by little , piece by piece , a fine portrait is coming to existence . "

"He now ,decides to move on to the next person in order to learn more. "

"It just so happens that the next person in line happens to be a subordinate who through his valuable information can shed some light further on this case."

"The man has arrested a violent criminal who can have direct bearing on the case ;it is only natural that the interrogation proceeds in that direction."

"The man that I arrested? "

"He is a notorious brigand called Zhu Dan. When I arrested him, he had fallen off his

horse. He was groaning on the bridge at the Eastern Crossing."

" The time? "

"It was in the early hours of last night. For the record, I might say that the other day I tried to arrest him, but unfortunately he escaped."

"He was wearing a dark blue silk kimono and a large plain sword. And, as you see, he got a bow and arrows somewhere."

" You say that this bow and these arrows look like the ones owned by the dead man? Then Zhu Dan must be the murderer , without doubt. "

"The bow wound with leather strips, the black lacquered quiver, the seventeen arrows with hawk feathers −− these were all in his possession I believe."

" Yes sir, the horse is, as you say, a sorrel with a fine mane. A little beyond the stone bridge I found the horse grazing by the roadside, with his long rein dangling."

"Surely there is some providence in his having been thrown by the horse , the reason being of all the robbers prowling around Valley City, this Zhu Dan has given the most grief to the women in town ."

"Why just last autumn , a wife who came to the mountain back of the Red Cloud Temple, presumably to pay a visit, was murdered, along with a girl. It has been suspected that it was his doing. If this criminal murdered the man, you cannot tell what he may have done with the man's wife. May it please your honour to look into this problem as well."

"The official nods in understanding , he shows nothing in his face but there is a bright glimmer in his eyes ; the glimmer of a master painting who has received a vital inspiration !"

"The next witness called in is quite interesting ; She is an old woman who belongs to a respectable household in the Valley City ."

"Yes, sir, that corpse is of the man who married my daughter. "

"He did not belong to Valley City . He was a guard in the town of Guofu in the province of Western Dawn . His name was Gao Renming of Red Bristle (owing to the town he hailed from), and his age was twenty−six. He was of a gentle disposition, so I am sure he did nothing to provoke the anger of others."

"My daughter?"

"Her name is Qingwen , and she is but nineteen summers old. She is a spirited, fun−loving girl, but I am sure that she has not known any man except Renming .She has a small, oval, dark−complected face with a mole at the corner of her left eye."

"Yesterday Renming left for Western Dawn with my daughter. What bad luck it is that things should have come to such a sad end!"

" What has become of my daughter? I am resigned to giving up my son in−law as lost, but the

fate of my daughter worries me sick."

" For heaven's sake leave no stone unturned to find her."

"I hate that robber Zhu Dan, or whatever his name is. Not only my son−in−law, but my daughter...(Her later words were drowned in tears.) "

"The official makes no move to console her ; his firm expression unchanging to the pitiful wailing of the old crone ."

"After a while he sends her away and then brings the man with the greatest suspicion for being the perpetrator of the grisly act ; Zhu Dan , the deadly brigand , in the flesh ."

"Compared to what the official was expecting the investigation proceeds far more smoothly , too smooth in fact If you get what I mean ."

"Oh ! What am I even saying ? I'm sure you do , " herein Fang Xingchen 's droopy eyes bend into a mocking expression , it doesn't last for long however as he soon moves on with his story.

"I killed him, but not her, said the brigand ; his face showing no regret for the heinous act he was responsible for".

"Clearly the official is far from happy , he therefore presents some questions of his own in order to coax some facts out of the reticent man."

" Where's she gone? I can't tell , he says , his brow hanging in a scornful expression. "

"The official is not satisfied and retorts back in a curt manner with an interesting proposition.Regretfully it does nothing to assuage him from his stance"

"Oh, wait a minute. No torture can make me confess what I don't know. "

"Just when the official despairs of using conventional means ; the criminal , uncooperative till then begins to speak of his own accord :"

"Now that things have come to such a head, I won't keep anything from you , with these words he begins his own gruesome story ; which takes the listening official on an odyssey into the darkest bowers of the Human Heart "

"He says , "

" Yesterday a little past noon I met that couple. Just then a puff of wind blew, and raised her hanging scarf, so that I caught a glimpse of her face. Instantly it was again covered from my view."

"It may have been one reason but the main crux was that she looked like a Bodhisattva , pure and unsullied ; beyond all reach of mortal folk."

"It was then that I decided that I had to have her even if I were to kill her man."

"Why? To me killing isn't a matter of such great consequence as you might think. When a woman is captured, her man has to be killed anyway."

" In killing, I use the sword I wear at my side. After all ,am I the only one who kills people? "

" You ? "

"Don't make me laugh !"

"You may not use your swords , like I do , officer even so you kill people with your power, with your money. Sometimes you even kill them on the pretext of working for their good. "

" As the saying goes It's true that these people don't bleed , at least not the same blood that flows in our veins. "

"Even so men they are and that too in the best of health, but all the same you've killed them. It's hard to say who is a greater sinner, you or me , The brigand smiles ironically at the officer ."

"He then continues in a morbid fashion , It would certainly be good if I could capture a woman without killing her man. So, I made up my mind to capture her, and do my best not to kill him. But it's out of the question on the road. So I managed to lure the couple into the mountains."

"It was quite easy. I became their travelling companion, and I told them there was an old mound in the mountain over there, and that I had dug it open and found many mirrors and swords. I went on to tell them I'd buried the things in a grove behind the mountain, and that I'd like to sell them at a low price to anyone who would care to have them. "

"Then...you see, isn't greed terrible? "

"He was beginning to be moved by my talk before he knew it. In less than half an hour they were driving their horse toward the mountain with me."

"When he came in front of the grove, I told them that the treasures were buried in it, and I asked them to come and see. The man had no objection−−he was blinded by greed. The woman said she would wait on horseback."

"It was natural for her to say so, at the sight of a thick grove. To tell you the truth, my plan worked just as I wished, so I went into the grove with him, leaving her behind alone. The grove is only bamboo for some distance. About fifty yards ahead there's a rather open clump of cedars. It was a convenient spot for my purpose. Pushing my way through the grove, I told him a plausible lie that the treasures were buried under the cedars. When I told him this, he pushed his laborious way toward the slender cedar visible through the grove."

After a while the bamboo thinned out, and we came to where a number of cedars grew in a row. As soon as we got there, I seized him from behind. Because he was a trained, sword−bearing warrior, he was quite strong, but he was taken by surprise, so there was no help for him. I soon tied him up to the root of a cedar. "

"Where did I get a rope? Thank heaven, being a robber, I had a rope with me, since I might have to scale a wall at any moment. Of course it was easy to stop him from calling out by gagging his mouth with fallen bamboo leaves."

"When I disposed of him, I went to his woman and asked her to come and see him, because he seemed to have been suddenly taken sick. It's needless to say that this plan also worked well. The woman, her sedge hat off, came into the depths of the grove, where I led her by the hand. "

"The instant she caught sight of her husband, she drew a small sword. I've never seen a woman of such violent temper. If I'd been off guard, I'd have got a thrust in my side. I dodged, but she kept on slashing at me. She might have wounded me deeply or killed me."

"But I'm Zhu Dan . I managed to strike down her small sword without drawing my own. The most spirited woman is defenceless without a weapon. At last I could satisfy my desire for her without taking her husband's life."

"Yes,...without taking his life. I had no wish to kill him. I was about to run away from the grove, leaving the woman behind in tears, when she frantically clung to my arm. In broken fragments of words, she asked that either her husband or I die. She said it was more trying than death to have her shame known to two men. She gasped out that she wanted to be the wife of whichever survived. Then a furious desire to kill him seized me , herein he shows a face flush with gloomy excitement giving the official chills as a consequence."

"Telling you in this way, no doubt I seem a crueller man than you. But that's because you didn't see her face. Especially her burning eyes at that moment. As I saw her eye to eye, I wanted to make her my wife even if I were to be struck by lightning. I wanted to make her my wife... this single desire filled my mind. This was not only lust, as you might think. At that time if I'd had no other desire than lust, I'd surely not have minded knocking her down and running away. Then I wouldn't have stained my sword with his blood."

"But the moment I gazed at her face in the dark grove, I decided not to leave there without killing him.But I didn't like to resort to unfair means to kill him. I untied him and told him to cross swords with me. (The rope that was found at the root of the cedar is the rope I dropped at the time.) "

"Furious with anger, he drew his thick sword. And quick as thought, he sprang at me ferociously, without speaking a word. I needn't tell you how our fight turned out. The twenty−third stroke... please remember this. I'm impressed with this fact still."

"Nobody under the sun has ever clashed swords with me twenty strokes , now his face is awash with an unearthly cheer as he boasts of his accomplishment."

"When he fell, I turned toward her, lowering my blood−stained sword. But to my great astonishment she was gone. I wondered to where she had run away. I looked for her in the clump of cedars. I listened, but heard only a groaning sound from the throat of the dying man."

"As soon as we started to cross swords, she may have run away through the grove to call for help. When I thought of that, I decided it was a matter of life and death to me. So, robbing him of his sword, and bow and arrows, I ran out to the mountain road. There I found her horse still grazing quietly. It would be a mere waste of words to tell you the later details, but before I entered town I had already parted with the sword. "

"That's all from my side. I know that my head will be hung in chains anyway, so put me down for the maximum penalty , he sneers defiantly leaving the official in deep thought ."

"What do you think ? Wasn't it good , yes ?"

"Good but incomplete " , Ling Yun gave his evaluation in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Why do you think so ?"

"Because it didn't take into account the emotions of the two victims thus turning into a lopsided narrative which serves no purpose . Not to mention the fact that the fate of the woman remains unknown , the wisdom of the ancients would certainly not leave such a loophole behind therefore the story is incomplete or more specifically either the version found by you is or you are deliberately withholding the remaining part."

"That's my brother for you ! I knew you had it in you ! To present such an analysis in an objective manner that's just awesome ! "

"Most get obsessed with the plot and like hawkers at a fish market create a ruckus with no basis at all ; the degree of Immersion ,you see in this story runs deep .If you aren't strong enough you would find yourself being swept off your feet ."

Ling Yun nodded in understanding .

There was indeed some truth behind what he said..

"As a matter of fact the version I found is indeed incomplete ; What do you think the last part could've been."

Ling Yun contorted his expression into one of mock contemplation before suddenly in a single movement hands tossed something towards Fang Xingchen , following this silhouette flickered and vanished from the spot it was in previously.

A raging fireball materialised in an instant before Fang Xingchen 's eyes , " Really now " , he said incredulously ," That's so rude ! " .

His face twisted into an expression of sadistic glee , "But I enjoy the way things are going !"

His hand reached below in a movement unseen to the naked eye went upward and then descended again , all in such a short span that to the untrained eye it was as if he hadn't moved at all.

The fireball was pierced right through ; shattering into two bursts on either side of his body.

The sound of the wind was eerily quiet deafening the grove in a heavy silence.

"Wait for it ...Wait for it ... Wait for it .." , Fang Xingchen chanted inwardly , a smile blossoming on his face as the expected courier arrived albeit with a sound that was even more lower in intensity than he expected.

He raised his arm in greeting ...

...and plucked a short sword out of thin air .

The sword glowed for a brief moment before losing its shine ; turning dull and lifeless.

"Brother hasn't anyone informed you of the basics , the telekinesis works only on those lower in cultivation than you ! Really , I didn't think you would disappoint me so much !"

"Still the game has only just begun , I suppose."

"Don't hide now ! Come out , come out wherever you are ."

" Into the grove you come ."

'We have a story to finish , remember ? "

Ling Yun's face did not change even as he watched his attack being dismantled clinically by Fang Xingchen .

If that person wasn't able to do that then there would be something wrong and he would instead have to be much more careful as it was now the stage was set for a satisfactory conclusion.

Truth be told , he was far more curious to figure out how the story would end.

He even had a nice title ready for it ,

'In a Grove'.