Gentleman Free-Flowing Cloud

Prologue – The First Person

She lifted a silk curtain and walked into a dimly lit hall.

Really, it is such a waste to have poor lighting for such

good hall. Upon the advice of some expert, the candles
have been strategically arranged to bask the Sect Leader
in an eerie glow when the candlelight is cast on his seat.

“Look Yun-er, what new toy have I got for you!” Sect
Leader smiled as he waved a hand at her.

She walked slowly to his chair and let him held up her
little hand. “What interesting toy have Master got for
Yun-er?” she replied calmly, with nary a flicker in her
eyes.

“You are so young but always act old” Sect Leader

smiled.

No, it was not her intention to act older than her

age. Her dream was in fact, to be able to act her
age. According to her research, a normal girl of her age
should be learning embroidery or something like that,
and not engage in a mental battle with Sect Leader day
after day.
When she was standing in front of the mirror yesterday,
she spotted a strand of silver on her head. After
thinking about it, she concluded that the silver hair was
not a natural occurrence, so it must have been a result of
overexertion.

“Look, that is the good stuff I brought back for you.”

Sect Leader looked expectantly at her, eager to catch
her every reaction.

At the bottom of the marble steps was a young man in

white. He was kneeling and looked rather
unkempt. Actually, she has noticed him the moment
she walked into the hall. She only pretended not to see
him as her Way for Life-Preservation.

“Master, who is he?”

“An orthodox pugilist who has overestimated his

powers when he sneaked into Bai Ming Sect to
assassinate me. He should have died, but I’m a
generous man and decided to keep him as a Sky
Slave. Yun-er, I recall that you do not have a Sky Slave
yet?

“Yun-er is still young and has no use for a Sky Slave at

the moment.”

Sect Leader gave a mysterious laugh: “Yun-er has lost

your family since young and lack guidance. However,
you will come to this bridge sooner or later. Since this
young man is quite good looking with a good bone set,
you can take him and use him.”

Take him and use him

… from what she know, she is 10 years old this
year. There are many things she need not use and there
is no need to force this on her.

“Men! Bring the bangles!”

A long box was brought to him. Resting on the red silk

lining was a pair of shiny golden bangles. The bangles
are engraved with a snake emblem and attached with a
bell. When worn, the bells will tinkle as the wearer
moves. Although it was a pleasant sound when she
heard it along the corridors, this moment has taken a
rather dangerous turn for her. She has no choice but to
take out the bangle from the box and smiled “Thank
you Master for the bangles.”

“These bangles are engraved with the snake emblem

which is worthy of the Huang Fu name. There is only
one such pair in the sect, so you can wear it for him
now.” Like a thorn among cotton, a knife hiding behind
a smile, Sect Leader was unable to hide his undisguised
glee.
“Yes Master.” She also gave a co-operative smile.

She walked slowly to the steps and looked at the

kneeling youth in white. Although there were some
blood stains on his clothes, it could not disguise his
distinguished air. He should be a promising young
master from the orthodox sect who had hoped to
acquire fame by boldly sneaking into Bai Ming Sect.
And meet with a bad end.

She titled her chin and looked at him. He was bound

and the deep cuts along the wrists indicate that he has
been struggling for a long time. Which means the ropes
holding him would likely break soon. Although
someone has hit his acupuncture points to render him
immobile, it was highly possible he still retain control
over his legs. If he managed to strike out her with even
thirty percent of his strength, the force would be enough
to kill, if not seriously maim a small girl like her.

She looked at his murderous eyes – it was obvious he

can’t wait to eat her alive, or break her like a
twig. How could a small girl survive his attack?

Once a Sky Bangle is put on, it can never be

removed. Even if he managed to escape back to the
Central Plains in future, he will be mocked and
scorned. It is no wonder this proud youth would rather
die than become her Sky Slave.
She can clearly see his antagonism; his strength against
her weakness. Behind her, she can also feel Sect
Leader’s anticipation. With a tiger in front and a wolf
behind, here she is, stuck in the middle trying to
live. She, who is just a young girl….

She sat on the steps and asked “What is your name?”

The young man glared at her and said nothing. She

toyed with the snake bangle in her hands and pretended
that she did not see his murderous intent. She
continued: “My name is Huang Fu Yun and I will be
your Master from today onwards.” With a click, she
has snapped a bangle on her own wrist.

The youth gave a start. The bangle is part of a pair and

should be fastened on his ankles, forever branding him
to a life of shame. Why did she….

She waved her hand and the tinkling sound of the bell
rang crisply across the hall. “This snake bangle is so
pretty, how could I let you have all of it? I will take
one, you shall take the other, and that will be fair. From
henceforth, your Master will only be me. If someone
else calls you, you need not answer.” She finally
moved and snapped the other snake bangle over his left
ankle.
He did not move and continued to stare at her. She
went back to the Sect Master and said: “Thank you
Master for giving me a Sky Slave. Yun-er will bade her
leave now.” She walked a few steps before turning
around. “Aren’t you going to follow me.” With that, she
walked out of the hall without a backward glance.

The youth got up and chased after her small frame. Her
pace was slow as a snail and with her hands folded
behind her, she reminded him of an old woman. Why
was there such a dumb lass in the unorthodox sect who
would fasten a Sky Slave bangle on her own wrist?

When he paid more attention, he could hear muttering

as her head swayed back and forth. “….. so ask the
sage: if the world scorn me, humiliate me, laugh at me,
treat me like nothing, treat me like dirt, lie to me, how
to handle thus? So speaks the sage: just one word
“endure”. Let him be, go along with him, avoid him, be
patient with him, ignore him, in another few years you
will no longer see him…. I shall endure, endure,
endure… endure some more…”

Second Prologue: The Second Person

When someone is unlucky, it will not be affected by

time, place or a young girl's weak heart.
 After she finished soaking in the hot springs, she was
going to head home under the moon light, so rarely she
had the mood to serenade an ode to the moon, when a
bright sword blade appeared at her neck out of nowhere.

It even carelessly cut off a piece of her wet locks.

"Miss, pardon my offence."

That voice, behind her back, it sounded like the voice

changed, but it was definitely a male.

The night wind blew, she smelt a special sulfur smell

from the male behind her, it was the same smell as her!

In that moment, her lids that looked down had a flash

of killing intent.

"Gentleman had followed me since the Tian Bi cliff?"

She lowered her voice to change her original voice.

"....... Pardon the offence, Miss."

 That voice had a trace of apology. That means this
person from the central plains indeed came from Tian
Bi cliff. Tian Bi cliff has the natural hot springs, in
which she just soaked.... does that mean he has seen
everything?

Her face twitched, tolerate, she must tolerate!

She took a deep breath and let her heart widen. A hero
must be able to discern the times, few people from the
central plains are able to reach Tian Bi cliff, his martial
arts must be greater than her, his movements are also
definitely faster than hers, she recognised that the four
swords behind her back will not be able to beat a highly
skilled pugilist who can reach the Tian Bi cliff.

Additionally, she was only fourteen this year, but due

to her emotional stress, her physical development was
later than other people by about two to three years, even
if she was seen... ah, it was nothing, she will tolerate,
tolerate!

Thinking of this, she gazed at the sky, thinking of the

sword that may dropped on her head at any time.
Tolerate!
 "Miss must have misunderstood, in the midst of going
up Tian Bi cliff... I've been poisoned by the smoke, my
eyes cannot see."

"I definitely believe you!" She said strongly. Even if

she did not believe, she must believe! "Gentleman you
can follow the sound of my bell down the mountain..."
She placed her hands behind her back, she did not dare
to make any huge movements for fear of being
innocently killed.

"I ask Miss to send me out of this place."

"No problem!" She agreed heartily. There were no

hidden traps here, anyone can pass easily, every single
road leads to outside, the person behind her must indeed
be temporarily blinded. "Gentleman need not worry, the
poisonous mist at Tian Bi cliff will evaporate when it
sees daylight, upon daylight your eyesight will
recover."

"..... Ah, many thanks, Miss."

 "Can I start walking?" She tested.

"Please."

The blade retracted.

She did not even turn her head and walked forward.
She was extremely careful, but no matter how much
effort she placed in listening, she could not hear any
footsteps following her.

"Gentleman?"

"I'm here."

Her heart was shocked. He was behind her, but she

could not hear a single footstep, doesn't this prove this
person's martial art skills was incredibly high? Now,
she can only hope his character was as high as his skills,
that he wouldn't send her to meet King Yan Luo (ruler
of the Underworld) after he finished using her.
 Her head --- must not ever turn back. The people in the
central plains like to talk about face, when they intrude
into the Demon Sect, it was to eliminate the Demon
Sect Leader, now that his task did not succeed.... would
he kill her to vent his anger?

"Miss is a Sky Slave?"

Oh no, she shook the bell on her hand, and answered,

"Gentleman have recognised wrongly, this is only an
ordinary bell sound. The Sky Slave Males have it on
their feet, the Sky Slave Females have it on their hands,
but I only have one, this is a bangle I bought from the
central plains." He better not be mistaken, the people in
the central plains especially look down on the Sky
Slaves, when some Sky Slaves escape back to the
central plains, their outcome can only be described as
terrible. She did not want to bear such punishment.

The person behind her did not make a sound.

After a while, he seemed to realised that she was

indeed leading him out of Tian Lin (sky forest), he said,
"Miss has a good heart, you have truly brought me out."
 She pursed her lips, then replied, "My heart is not only
good, I also hanker for peace and a quiet life. I have
never killed anyone and have never blocked anyone's
road." This must be said clearly.

She did not want to attract trouble, naturally she would

not lead him into the sect, she only wanted to quickly
send him away, to treat it as a ridiculous dream and not
leave a trace.

"So it turns out that Bai Ming Sect (the original name
of the sect) also has a character like Miss, a pity about
where you were born."

"Ah, I also feel the same way," She shook her head
and sighed, "If I was born in an ordinary family, I
would not need to suffer such a life and death fate in the
middle of the night, still hoping that Gentleman will be
aboveboard, and not take my life as well." She
emphasised on the word "aboveboard".

"That is natural, the grace Miss have shown tonight, I

will definitely remember." He also copied her way of
emphasising the words.
 "No no, this is a small favour, only sending you as I
take a stroll, it is nothing nothing." Please don't
remember her, please.

It was not known if the person behind her was

surprised at her humility or shocked that there was such
a weak person in the Bai Ming Sect, essentially, he did
not reply her.

She continued to walk as if she was on a stroll, not

daring to go faster or slower. The night air continued to
blow, causing her long untied hair to sway with the
wind, she did not expect something to happen tonight,
so she wore very casually, a loose young male's outfit,
so that she could take it off and sleep immediately when
she is home, who would know.... ah, Heaven plays with
all of us.

"There's someone in front." Suddenly, the person from

the central plains spoke, his voice was extremely low.

She reacted quickly, she immediately stopped and

said, "Gentleman, please turn around."
 Following which, she turned around with her hands
behind her back, she saw that five steps away, was a
young male.

Her pupils widened. This young male from the central

plains wore a robe of white, his tall figure appeared
elegant and handsome, he did not appear to have passed
twenty, such a person, was already a highly skilled
pugilist?

Her heart inwardly cried that she was lucky. So young

and already highly skilled, this kind of person was
likely a genius, and geniuses are easily agitated. If she
had tricked him, even if his eyesight was not good, he
could have killed her with one stroke!

Lucky, lucky! Her personality that disliked more

trouble had saved her life today.

"Who is ahead?" The patrolling guard cried.

"Who else?" She replied unhappily, she did not turn

her head and pretended she was admiring the moon.
 Every month during night time, she would go to the
hot springs for a few times then return to her residence.
There was usually no one so she was used to walking
around without makeup, who knew that a man from the
central plains will arrive, and cause her to meet others,
this example reminded her to never loosen her guard, in
future other than when she was at home, she will not
remove her "protector makeup".

".... protector?" The guard asked suspiciously. This

voice, this figure, this little old woman appearance, it
was clearly the weakest small protector in Bai Ming
Sect.

"Good that you know. Hard on you to patrol tonight,"

She said lightly.

"Protector, he..."

"He is my Sky Slave, don't you recognise him?"

"Yes, yes." Four years ago, the protector received a

young Sky Slave, from then on they never parted.
 She waved her hand, "Go go, don't spoil my
admiration of the moon."

"Yes."

She let out a breath of air. Although she just bathed,

her body was now covered with sweat again. Drats, but
she must tolerate.

She did not want to see the person from the central
plains again, she turned around, her back facing him
and said, "Gentleman, we can go."

She heard him turn around, and laughed, "Gentleman,

although this is the first time we met, who knew we
could cooperate so well." She wanted him to turn, he
turned, they cooperated seamlessly and had great
chemistry.

"Miss treats people with sincerity, naturally I will trust

you."
 What an apt compliment, she decided to accept it. In
reality, she was forced to take out all her sincerity to
resolve the greatest danger in her life so far!

Asking him to turn around was to prevent him from

seeing her face. What a joke, if he recognised her face,
who knew what trouble it would cause?

After a while, they finally reached the exit.

She said, "The morning is arriving, Gentleman's

eyesight should return soon, I have led you out of Tian
Lin, please go."

"......"

"Gentleman?"

"Miss is Bai Ming Sect's Protector?"

"Even though I am a protector, I am unsoiled by the

roots I come from. If Gentleman want to repay grace
with revenge, then it ruins the so called righteousness of
the central plains."

He laughed, "Don't misunderstand, Miss, I only

wanted to know your name, I remember the Bai Ming
Sect has a right and left protector, the left protector is
Huang Fu Yun..."

"I am the right protector Che Yan Yan!" She

shamelessly pushed the disaster to someone else.

"Che Yan Yan......" The voice repeated it, as if he

wanted to remember her.

Her back started to sweat, don't remember don't

remember.... oh wells, you can remember, as long as it's
not her.

"I remember that Che Yan Yan is the right protector,

sixteen this year... Miss, your figure.... your voice
doesn't match."

"Are you saying my voice sounds like a child?" She

sighed, "Although I'm sixteen, the Sect Leader forces
me to practise dark arts, ruining my figure, causing my
voice to be like a child... I don't want this either!"

"It is spread that Che Yan Yan is a big beauty..."

"Gentleman, I have low self esteem. Even though I

look like a child, I still want face, so I ordered people to
spread the rumour that I was beautiful to satisfy my
superficial heart..." Are you happy now?

"Oh so it is, I have offended." He sympathised.

"Oh no offence taken, I just hope that you will not

reveal my lie when you hear people talking about Che
Yan Yan's beauty next time. Gentleman, quickly go."
She did not want to wait for daylight to arrive and for
them to stare at each other.

"......"

"Gentleman?" This person was not planning to leave,

was he intending to stay here for the rest of his life?
 "Miss Che, since I owe you a debt, I must repay it,
you... do you have a hankerchief?"

She almost fell to the floor. Handkerchief? Even

though she's not someone from the central plains, she
also read books. A handkerchief was akin to a love
token, does this person want to repay a debt or confirm
feelings?

"It's easy if you want to repay the debt. In future if

Yan Yan goes to the central plains, you can come find
me."

"Miss is right."

"Now is there any other matter..."

He quietly analysed, "Although the pugilist world in

the central plains is righteous, one cannot guarantee that
someone will not falsely impersonate Miss Che... I
think it's better if I see your appearance at daylight so I
do not repay the debt to the wrong person......"

She narrowed her eyes.

 "Miss?"

The sky was brightening, she quickly decided, she

turned around and faced him, her face leaned
downwards, she did not raise her head to meet his gaze.

She took out a clean white handkerchief from her

waist.

"Gentleman, you may use this to recognise me in

future."

He received it, then placed something in her hands. She

looked, it was a jade pendant.

"If Miss have trouble in future, just bring this to any

big sect and they will bring you to see me."

Any big sect? How arrrogant, she never knew the

pugilist world in the central plains had become so
united? She pretended to carefully keep it, she stared at
the soil and laughed, "I hope I lead a life of peace and
will never have to use the jade pendant."
 "Miss, you don't even have a flower embroidery on
your handkerchief."

She had a big smile on her face, "To be honest, I know

that Bai Ming Sect has done many evil things, but my
heart leans towards the righteousness in the central
plains, this handkerchief is like a sacred land in my
heart, whenever I see it, my heart becomes at peace."

"..... Miss really has the heart."

The voice carried an uncontrollable suppression, was

he touched by her?

"...Che Yan Yan.... Che Yan Yan..." He seemed to be

interested in her name, he kept repeating it.

"Gentleman, the light is arriving." She reminded.

"Then I shall bid farewell, many thanks to Miss Yan

Yan."
 She peeked and saw the person was paying her a
respectful gesture, so she returned it. She stared at his
shoes for a long while, seeing that he finally moved, he
passed her by and headed out of Tian Lin.

At this time, she noticed that the person's white robes

and shoes were a little wet... she bit her lips, she could
not control her anger. For it to be wet, he must have
been very near the hot springs.

For someone whose eyesight is not good, how much

can he see at close lengths?

"Gentleman," She tried to tolerate, until she could no

longer tolerate.

The footsteps stopped.

She did not turn back, she slowly grabbed her wide
sleeves on her red robe, and coldly said, " Gentleman
wears a dashing snow robe, but I am used to wearing
black robes. White and black contrasts with each other,
as if marking our opposing stance."
 He did not even pause and answered, "If Miss Yan
Yan like to wear black, that is your own personal taste,
it has nothing to do with good or evil."

"So.... Gentleman held my handkerchief, how do you

know that it did not have any embroidery?"

"Just now Miss Yan Yan did not see? I had touched
the handkerchief, there was no pattern."

"Oh so it is. After today's parting, it will be difficult to

meet again, Yan Yan will not tell the Gentleman that
we will meet again."

"Miss... take care. If you ever have trouble, please

come and find me in the central plains. Goodbye."

She did not turn around and continued to play with her
belt at her red robes. She wore a whole body of red
today, but he had followed her words, if this person
wasn't really blind, he was incredibly smart.

......
edited on 23/4/2014:

Although to be suspicious is the best way to survive,

right now, she rather believed that he was blind, better
than to have her heart all fired up and yet having to
tolerate such humiliation.

She heard the person receiving him softly crying, "(闲

)Xian..."

贤? (This character has the same sound "Xian" but

means worthy person.)

The person's words were stopped and she did not plan
to eavesdrop. She stood for a while then turned back.

Ah, everyone has gone.

She left out a big sigh of relief. Today she has

survived her big crisis, thanks to the protection of
heaven. She looked at the jade pendant in her hand,
quickly threw it on the ground, kicked some sand to
bury it.
 She will not leave a single item, she didn't care if he
wanted to return gratitude, vengeance or exchange
feelings, it would be hard for them to meet again, even
if they meet they must not recognise each other.

She wanted very much to face the sky and let out a
hearty laughter. Since she is a girl, she liked to be clean,
it was natural to carry a handkerchief, but she has
always been cautious, the handkerchiefs she chose were
all plain white, with no flower embroidery on top at all,
she was scared that if she was forced to do something
bad one day, she might accidentally leave a clue behind.

Truly! She truly has foresight and she was able to use
this today!

From tomorrow onwards, she will use flowery

handkerchiefs, to avoid being recognised by the highly
skilled central plains pugilist. Oh yes, she remembered
that Che Yan Yan's handkerchief always embroidered a
Mu Dan flower, she better go do something so that Che
Yan Yan will use plain handkerchiefs.
 To give disaster to someone, one must be thorough.
However, if the central plains person wanted to return
the favour to Che Yan Yan or even betroth himself to
her, it is fine with her, she will be happy to see it.

Although she lost out a little, since she bathed in the

hot springs and did not even realised he was there... she
will not think, she will not think, she definitely will not
think.

She crossed her arms on top of her chest and fell in

deep thought, she touched her long hair which had been
blown dry by the wind, she was ready to return to her
residence to catch up on sleep, when she saw the Sky
Slave she had received four years ago standing behind
her.

To think they were supposed to be inseparable, now

then he appeared... she did not ask where he had hid,
only laughed, "Let's go back." She passed him, and
headed back.

"Miss, he is a real gentleman, he will not hurt anyone

for no reason," Her Sky Slave said.
 "Oh?" She wanted to know if the central plains highly
skilled pugilist had tried to hurt her, will her Sky Slave
that followed her for four years still hide and refuse to
come out? But she thought, it is better not to know the
outcome.

The outcome will usually hurt people. In this world,

even the closest person, you also cannot easily trust and
depend on.

To rely on one's self, that is the true way to survive.

She idly walked, he followed behind, as usual. Their

two Sky Slave bangles rang... ding ding dang dang,
ding ding dang dang, as they have always been
sounding in each other's lives.

And with that, Yun Er went to change Che Yan Yan's

handkerchiefs to plain white handkerchiefs so nothing
can be traced back to her. But, Gong Sun Yun is so
intelligent, do you doubt that he will not be able to find
her again?
 And thus, another epic love match begins.
Chapter 1 (1/2)

The secret to longevity is to know one’s limits

according to Wang Yun’s beliefs.

Her case is a classic case of name and personality

mismatch. The ‘Yun’ (澐) in her name refers to the big
waves on the river, but she is only of average smarts,
average charisma, average kongfu, and possess zero
guts to boot. It is ironical that she lives in Bai Ming
Sect where people say things like “fight!” or “kill!”
every other day. Thankfully, there are only small waves
and no big waves so far….

No, she should be honest and acknowledge that there

were times when there were big waves. Luckily, she
managed to tide through each crisis time after time,
almost as if the heavens have no eyes or that it
is blind. Since she will be turning twenty this year, it
seems that her luck is not too bad and she should be
able to live till a ripe old age… As long as she did not
walk into a snakepit called the Central Plains. And right
into the heart of the enemy camp no less….

Speaking of the Central Plains… wow, this place is so

prosperous, so amazing. She looked around her and
finally turned to the young man behind her “He Zai, are
they looking at you?”

The young man in question looks around twenty-five or

twenty-six. He is a big man and has a pair of clear
brows, full lips, and long hair which he let fall freely on
his shoulders, giving him a wild look. He wears heavy,
exotic make-up like her with a snake painted on one
side. Without batting a lid, he answered: “They should
be looking at both of us.”

She did not sound pleased at his answer and continued

strolling with her hands folded behind her back. The
Sky Slave bell on her wrist matched the Sky Slave bell
at his ankle and gave off a pleasant tinkling
sound. However, the people of the Central Plains did
not seem to recognize good stuff when they hear or see
one for she noticed they were the recipients of many
unfriendly stares.

“They are looking at us because... we are Sky Slaves?”

“Miss is clever”

She continued to probe: “So the people in Central

Plains are all aware that the bells and snake emblem are
the mark of Sky Slaves?”
“Miss is very clever”

She gave the matter more thought, paused, and

suddenly skirted behind him: “I am a timid person and
am not used to people staring at me. You shall walk in
front.”

The young man’s brow puckered before he concurred:

“Miss indeed has a timid disposition.”

With that, he continued to stride confidently ahead

while she followed suit. It is really fortunate that he is
big and tall so that he can block out most of the
unfriendly stares thrown their way. “Ay, we are akin to
“walking towards a mountain when knowing full well
that a tiger lives in it”. He Zai, you must protect me. I
still wish to live and be able see the green mountains
and charming streams.”

“That is but of course, Miss” and he added: “Miss can

just say she wishes to live till a hundred.”

“Yes, I do wish to live till a hundred, so you must

remember to protect me especially if a sword suddenly
come swinging towards me.”
He gave up and kept silent.

After a while, they reached a house with the words

“Tian He Manor” hung prominently above the
door. Two white lanterns were hanging on either side
of the door and there were numerous people in
mourning clothes milling around. At their appearance,
everyone paused and looked at them warily. Some even
shifted their hands nearer to the hilt of their swords,
disgust clearly showing on their faces.

One of the servants in mourning clothes scrambled

through the door and shouted: “Young Master! There
are Sky Slaves! The Sky Slaves from the Evil Sect are
here!”

Does he really need to act so alarmed? She fingered the

snake emblem on her face and looked at her red
robes. Although she is dressed in male garb, she has
styled her hair in the same way as a woman would from
the Central Plains, so it should be obvious she is a
woman. To avoid unnecessary clashes, she has also
plastered a friendly smile on her face so it is be unlikely
that the people of Tian He Manor would start banishing
their weapons.

While she is lost in her thoughts, a young man dashed

out from the manor. He recovered his composure when
he saw them and graciously raised his fist in greeting. “I
am the current Master of Tian He Manor, He Rong
Hua. May I enquire what you are doing at Tian He
Manor?”

Seeing that He Zai is keeping mum, she has no choice

by to reply “My name is Wang Yun, and he is He
Zai. We are passing by when we heard that the
esteemed former Master of Tian He Manor has passed
away. We are here especially to pay our last respects.”

At her reply, He Rong Hua’s face softened: “I see…”

One pugilist stepped forward: “Young Master, they are

Sky Slaves who have brought disgrace to our
wulin[i]. If we let them pay their respects, it will be
like a slap across the face for the Old Master.”

He Rong Hua looked troubled and said regretfully:

“Miss Wang, we appreciate your thoughts but it is not
convenient now…”

The same pugilist mocked “Why be so polite to them

Young Master? They are Sky Slaves! Everyone knows
that Sky Slaves are useless dogs who have deflected to
the Evil Sect. Since they were no match for their
opponents, they should have chosen an honorable death
instead of a cowardly existence. If such people are
allowed into the manor, it will only sully Old Master’s
reputation!“
He Rong Hua has turned rigid but Wang Yun was not
too concerned: “Since it is not convenient, we shall not
impose and will bade our leave now.”

He Rong Hua lowerd his eyes and kept silent.

He Zai finally spoke: “Miss, please wait. It was said

that the Old Master of Tian He Manor has agreed to
record all the things he did in the last sixty years after
he died, regardless of right or wrong, and for the
records to be given to Cloud Manor. In doing so, he has
hope that future generation will have a chance to read
about and avoid the same mistakes he did. I admire a
man of such high spirit from the bottom of my heart. If
the Old Master is looking down from the heavens
above, an admirable man such as him would surely not
mind to see Sky Slaves among the mourners.”

He Rong Hua raised his head and stared at him with his
eyes bright. “You are right, my late father would not
have minded your status. Had he been alive, he would
have welcomed you into the manor himself. Men!
Make the necessary preparations for we do not wish to
slight our two friends here.”

The righteous-sounding pugilist from just now was

unhappy over the turn of events. He Rong Hua said to
him “Brother Shao De, Gentleman Xian Yun will be
arriving soon. If he thinks that Tian He Manor is acting
petty over this and record it in the wulin annals, young
brother me would have no face left to see my late father
in the neither world.”

Gu Shao De shifted his feet. “Even if that is the case,

they should not be allowed to enter through the main
door.”

He Rong Hua looked troubled again and glanced at He

Zai.

Wang Yun smiled. “No problem. Main door, side door,

both are doors. We are fine with whatever is
convenient.”

So Wang Yun and He Zai entered the manor through a

small side door while He Rong Hua waited for them
inside. Wang Yun shot He Zai a look, and with a
familiarity borne from years of companionship, both
started towards the hall with He Zai in front and Wang
Yun following closely behind, the sounds of their bells
tinkling with every step they took.

She looked at the back view of He Rong Hua and

thought to herself that here is someone from the
orthodox sect. He does not have a devilish glint in his
eyes and he is not tall or big as He Zai. Even if he is a
Manor Master, she does not find him pleasing to the
eyes…

No, it is not merely unpleasing. It is actually bad. Very

bad in fact. Is this fellow suffering from an unknown
illness? Why are his hands trembling so badly?

After she paid her most respects in the inner hall, she
walked out to the main hall and waited for He Zai to
come out. After a while, she started to play with the
jade flute which she always carried around to while
away the time. She can hear someone calling her
“Demoness!” but she ignored it. Smile, she thought,
may peace be with you…

“Shameless!” said another voice but she knows she is

not, so she sees no reason why she should think the
word is being used on her. Seeing that she has turned
her back to them, someone walked up to her. She
raised her eyes when she saw a pair of boots in front of
her, and when she saw who it was, she smiled: “Hello
Young Master Gu, I was just angsting over the fact that
I have no chance to speak with you.”

Gu Shao De swallowed the insult at the edge of his lips

“Are you looking for me?” he asked suspiciously.

“Yes” she said with her eyes bright. “I heard that all
those who are here to pay their respects to the Old
Master are prominent figures of the wulin. But when
compared with the people here, you look so young and
dashing. Why, the wind seems to billow behind you
when you walk! If I have to guess, you must have made
a name for yourself a long time ago in order to have
become a big shot now.”

Gu Shao De gave a slightly embarrassed cough. “Miss

is mistaken. I am but someone who took up a few
pages of the wulin annals. It is really nothing.” At her
quizzical look, he continued “Or has Miss never heard
of Cloud Manor?”

“Er, is Cloud Manor famous?”

Now it was Gu Shao De turn to look quizzical. “Is

Miss not from the Central Plains?”

She smiled and shook her head: “This is my first visit to

the Central Plains.”

“I see. So I am mistaken.” He softened his

tone. Although the majority of Sky Slaves were the
disgrace of the Central Plains, there were also some
who willing became slaves of the Evil Sec due to
poverty. “People from Cloud Manor are scholars who
record all the matters that are happening in the
wulin. They are a neutral party and hold the respect of
all major sects. In particular, Gentleman Xian Yun is
especially knowledgeable. He has attained the title of
‘Gentleman’ at the young age of thirteen and has built
up a strong rapport with the other sects in the past
decade. Do you think he is impressive?”

She agreed: “Impressive, impressive indeed….” Isn’t

He Zai taking a bit too long?

“With his outstanding temperament, admirable morals,

unparalleled talents, it is such a waste that he iives in
the messy pugilist world and taint his halo...”

“Yes, such level of talent is rare in both heaven and

earth, very rare indeed.” It is not without regret when
she says this. People who are very pure are usually
quick to move on to the Western
Paradise. Amitabha…

“He is also one of the most handsome man in the

pugilist world. Refined and elegant, flawless like a
beautiful piece of jade. Be it young or old in the
pugilist world, the feeling you get from him is as if he
came from the nine heavens. With him around, it is as if
a piece of free-floating cloud has floated from the sky to
grace our mundane world.”

“… wow, great!” She nearly clapped to complement his

admiration. Where did this nincompoop come from to
have such blind devotion? or could it be that Gentleman
Xian Yun knew black magic that can beguile people?
Before Gu Shao De could carry on more about
Gentleman Xian Yun this and Gentleman Xian Yun
that, they heard a commotion at the
entrance. “Gentleman Xian Yun is here!” as he rushed
out “Open the main doors wide and welcome the
gentleman into the Manor!”

The servants rushed obey. From her corner at the hall,

she noted that the side door was so small, it was almost
like a pet entrance. So she came in through the small
door like a dog while another waltzed through the main
door like a king…. these people in Tian He Manor were
indeed a bias lot.

She decided to stop looking and took a cup of tea from

a nearby servant. A good listener who can say the right
things at the right time must take good care of her voice
…

The commotion got louder as everyone present seemed

to swarm around the new arrivals. Are these people
really here to mourn, or are they waiting for Gentleman
Xian Yun?

“Gentleman Xian Yun, this way please.”

“We are like family Brother Shao De, please do not

stand on ceremony.”
The voice sounded like warm jade with a hint of
coolness in it. The voice is much more pleasant-
sounding then He Zai’s and if the owner has a beautiful
face to match, how great would that be? Although she
was wary of beautiful things, she appreciated eye-candy
and so it is with great anticipation when she tried to
locate the owner of the voice.

When she saw a dashing figure in white, she

froze. This is the like-a-flawless-jade Gentleman Xian
Yun?

Gentleman Xian Yun gave her a cursory glance before

his eyes was drawn to the Sky Slave bangle on her
wrist. She noticed his split-second pause but she gave
nothing away as she nodded at him. He did not lift his
eyes from her and returned with an equally polite nod.

“She is a Sky Slave.” said Gu Shao De in low tones.

“I see, she is a Sky Slave…” muttered Gentleman Xian

Yun, and finally looked away to light a joss stick.

Wang Yun looked at the crowd in the hall and asked Gu

Shao De. “Young Master Gu, those dogs (狗)
outlside … I mean who is the rather dashing (够帅
) young master outside?” [note: ‘rather dashing’
sounds similar to ‘dog’] No matter from which angle,
the scene before her was exactly like a pack of dogs
fighting over a bone. If her guess was correct, the man
arrived together with Gentleman Xian Yun.

“That is Fifth Gentlemen as he is ranked fifth among

the numeric scholars. He is Gentleman Xian Yun’s
assistant”

“Oh I see.” What a clever move! The next time there is

a crisis, she could take a leaf from Gentleman Xian
Yun’s book, and throw He Zai to the wolves while she
escape. Seamless collaboration – that has always been
the best word to describe her relation with He Zai.

When Gentleman Xian Yun has finished paying his

respects, Gu Shao De informed him that the young
master of the manor has brought a Sky Slave to see the
body, and that he should will be back soon. A fleeting
look crossed Gentleman Xian Yun eyes but he was
expressionless as he replied: “Old Master is indeed a
man of high standing, that even Sky Slaves would come
pay their respects to him.”

He turned to her: “I am Gong Sun Xian Yun (闲云

) [meaning: free-floating cloud].”

“Young missy here is Wang Yun (王澐)” she

replied. So much etiquette! She suspects a normal
person in the Central Plains would probably spend half
of his life on such polite exchanges.
He repeated her name slowly “Wang Yun (王云)?”

“Gentleman is a free-floating cloud high up in the

skies, while I am but a puff of cloud above the
water.” For some reason, she felt her skin crawl when
he repeated her name, although his voice sounded
somewhat familiar….

He looked at her for a while before continuing: “So

Miss is the waves above the river (澐). It is indeed a
good name. Would Miss be so kind to enlighten me on
who you work for?”

She smiled and replied without missing a beat “I work

for the Huang Fu family, but it is all menial tasks I do.”

“Oh I see, the Huang Fu family of Bai Ming sect…” he

circled her and his eyes landed on her hair “It is indeed
true that a strong general has no weak troops. Xian Yun
deeply admires Miss Wang’s courage to tour the
Central Plains with your fellow companion.”

He Rong Hua finally walked into the hall with He Zai

behind him. “Huang Fu family? Are you referring to the
Left Protector of the Evil Sect? Over the past few
decades, the Huang Fu family has lost its standing
within Bai Ming sect. Xian Yun, do you have any
records of them in your library”
"Ever since Huang Fu passed his title to his three-year
old daughter seventeen years ago, there have been no
more reports on them.” Gentleman Xian Yun paused
and added meaningfully “Until today, Cloud Manor has
no idea on how she looks like, her whereabouts, her
interests, or how many men she has under her.”

He Rong Hua gave a cold snort: ”It does sound quite

mysterious. Historically, the Left and Right Protectors
are potential successors to the Master of the Evil
Sect. The current Left Protector is Huang Fu Yun and
Right Protector is Che Yan Yan. The latter loves to
acquire Sky Slaves and has provoked us on multiple
occasions. It is likely she would become the next
Master…. Miss Wang, since you work in the Huang Fu
family, do you know the Left Protector thoughts on
this?”

Wang Yun waited until He Zai has reached her side and
that she is within his protection zone before replying:
“Ay, how am I supposed to answer when Young Master
put it like that? Afterall, I do work for them.” She
pretended to look torn, and sighed when Gong Sun Xian
Yun did not lift his eyes off her still. “Actually there is
nothing much to hide. The Huang Fu family is not
mysterious, it is just that they have declined. Miss
Huang Fu is weak in intellect and is incapable of
fulfilling the duties of a Protector, much less become
the next Master. I think in another two years, someone
else will be taking over her position, and there will be
no further need for Gentleman Xian Yun to record
anything about the Huang Fu family.”

Gong Sun Yun did not speak, and continued to stare

unwavering at her. She ignored him and turned to He
Zai: “Let us not stay here and trouble Young Master
further.”

He Zai nodded “It is indeed time to leave.”

She noted once again that He Rong Hua’s hands were

shaking. Disease. Confirm he must be suffering from a
disease!

“Are you leaving so soon?” He Rong Hua summoned a

maid to serve tea. “Brother He, Miss Wang, if you
leave so hastily without even drinking some tea, it will
really be too remiss of me.”

“The fact that Young Master allowed us to pay our

respects already spoke volumes on your magnanimity.
Old Master must be smiling from the heavens to know
that he has such a worthy successor.” She saw a maid
passing a tray of tea to Gu Shao De, which He Rong
Hua then took a cup from the tray for He Zai. He Zai
passed the first cup to her before taking another cup for
himself.
Gong Sun Yun said “It may not be safe for Sky Slaves
to travel in the Central Plains so Miss Wang and
company must remain vigilant. If you encounter
trouble, you must look for people to help you out.”

“Of course, of course.” She sipped her tea and found it

to her liking. If she has the chance, she must find a way
to bring some tea home.

He Zai, Gu Shao De finished their drink in one

gulp. Gong Sun Yun waited until all have finished
before turning to He Rong Hua: “I have written an extra
copy of the chronicles of Old Master last night which
you can place in his coffin at a later time.”

He Rong Hua was full of gratitude: “Xian Yun, thank

you so much!”

Seeing that they have changed the topic, Wang Yun was
about to signal He Zai to leave when she suddenly felt
dizzy and a sharp pain in her abdomen. “Miss Wang!”
Gong Sun Yun was the first to notice something was
wrong and reached out to catch her as she fainted.

He Zai was a step faster as he caught her and nestled

her to his chest “Miss!"

That scumbag! She just knew the better tasting

something is, the more likely it is to bring trouble. The
stench of blood has already risen her throat and Wang
Yun did not bother to hold back as she threw up all over
He Zai’s as an outlet for her anger.

[i] wulin - the pugilist world

Chapter 1 (2/2)

“What!”

The exclamation of a male voice jolted her back to

consciousness.

“Miss and I will stay in the same room. Young Master

need not send anyone to take care of us.” She
recognized the second voice as He Zai’s.

She has to struggle before she managed to open her

eyes a crack. The surroundings were unfamiliar –
unfamiliar bed, unfamiliar house. Through the half-
open door, she could see that it was now night
time. There were two men outside the room; one is He
Zai, and the other…. is it the disease-stricken He Rong
Hua?

“Are you husband and wife?” He Rong Hua sounded

alarmed.
“No.”

“Since you are not, it is inappropriate for an unmarried

man and woman to spend the night together in the same
room…”
“If someone else were to look after Miss, it will be even
more inappropriate. Miss was poisoned while she was
in the manor. Unless Young Master can find the
culprit, He Zai would not dare to let anyone else get
close to Miss.”

“That is impossible! No one in Tian He Manor would

do such a despicable thing.”

“It is a fact that Miss was poisoned. Your doctor has

confirmed this; the poison has been found in the tea. Or
does Young Master believe that your people could not
have done this so it must have been Miss who poisoned
herself?”

“No, that is not what I mean…” The protest sound weak

and even placatory.

“I hope Young Master finds the culprit soon.” He Zai

did not speak more and proceeded to close the door in
He Rong Hua’s face. He came to the bedside and
frowned as he met her eyes. “Miss has been poisoned
and has been sleeping for several hours. It is night time
now.”

She struggled to sit up despite feeling weak all over. “I

know.”

He Zai steadied her gently. “It is lucky that Fifth

Gentleman of Cloud Manor is here. He is well-versed
in the arts of healing and he is the one who found that
Miss has been poisoned. I have fed you the medicine
but you will need to rest for a few days.”

She shot him a look. Ignoring her aching body, she

moved to the table and snuffed the candle. As the room
plunged into darkness, she ordered: “He Zai, come to
bed.”

Outside, someone sighed.

“Yes… Miss.” He Zai did not move a muscle.

She closed her eyes and after a while, she heard a set of
footsteps stomping away.

“Although your vital organs are not harmed, you will

need to rest. It is best not to exert your qi (energy) in
the next few days.”
She did not open her eyes and fingered her jade
flute. Her breathing was unsteady and her lips were
white.

“Miss?”

“He Zai, how long have you been with me?”

“It has been ten years exactly.”

“So it has been ten years… tell me, have I been

poisoned in these ten years?”

“Missy is more intelligent than most, and has not fallen

into anyone’s trap.”

She opened her eyes slowly: “Wrong. It is because I am

lucky.” Across the darkness, she locked eyes with him.
“He Zai, I have something to ask you. Come here.”

He Zai has never disobeyed when she used this tone and
he came to her.

She looked at his mane of long hair, the prominent

muscles on his chest and back. Just a blow and he
could have killed her easily. Thinking back, although
He Zai used to have flower-boy looks, the same could
no longer be said about him now. This was one of her
regrets and was something that would haunt her dreams
from time to time. Speaking of good looks –

“What do you think of Gentleman Xian Yun?”

Surprise flickered across his eyes and she sighed:“Who

is the one who started the rumor that his looks is out of
this world?” Although his looks were above average
and he was indeed refined and elegant, he was too cool
and aloof when talking with people.

And his looks…. unless her eyes were blind, the

outstanding air the descend-from-nine-heavens thingy
was utter rubbish! Although he was pleasing to the
eyes, he was definitely not a diamond of the first
water. She was utterly disappointed and has proven to
herself once again that rumors cannot be trusted.

“Is Miss asking me on the looks of Gong Sun

Yun?” Has she gone off tangent?

She asked with meaning: “What else should I be

asking?”

He did not meet her eyes and replied in low tones.

“When I left the Central Plains ten years ago, Gong Sun
Yun has already achieved the title of “Gentleman”. In
the Cloud Family, the historians are called “Gentleman”
while ones who excelled in martial arts are called
“Master”. Together, both title holders will run the
family. But ever since Master Fu passed away many
years ago, the title of “Master” has been left
vacant. Because Gong Sun Yun is both skilled and
knowledgeable, everyone views him as the only leader
of the clan. For this alone, he can be considered to be
one of the most successful person in this generation.”

She said half in jest: “From what you said, you and him
are poles apart. Ten years ago, you were at least a
promising young hero. Now, you are only a Sky Slave
whom anyone can trample upon.”

He did not get angry. “What Miss said is true.”

“Famous people would often get elevated to god-like

statuses. What we can tell from this is that there are
very few new talents in the past twenty years, in order
for the rumors to make Gong Sun Yun sound so
outstanding. If this carries on, I bet Gong Sun Yun
would have become an actual Deity from the Nine
Heavens in another forty years.” She found it funny
just thinking of the possibility.

Although he knew she has exaggerated, he went along

with her. “It is quite possible. Of every ten young
heroes back then, seven or eight would have either
ended up like me or they would prove to be only
mediocre when they grow up.... Miss, although you are
feeling fine now, it is best not to over exert
yourself. Let me carry you to the bed.”

She was silent for a long time. Finally when

the watchman's clapper sounded, she gave a small nod
and He Zai picked her up carefully and placed her on
the bed. She closed her eyes and let him pull the
blankets over her.

“Miss.” The word was whispered into her ears.

“Hmm?”

“The body in the coffin did not belong to the Old

Master”

She did not open her eyes.

He continued: “Someone swapped the body and

changed the face to make it appear like the Old
Master.”

“Is that so?”

“Could Miss guess what happened?”

“If I am able to guess correctly with so little

information, I would have beaten Gong Sun Yun to
become a god from heaven.”
He Zai fell silent and asked no more. He moved a stool
to the bedside and closed his eyes to rest for the
night. Just when he thought she has fallen asleep, he
heard her speak: ”He Zai, it is not that I do not wish to
think from your point of view. But look at me – I
already have white hair despite my age. If a person does
not have the intellect and yet persists in over-thinking,
this is what happens. Do take pity on me and let me
keep my black locks for a few more years.”

“…I should not have let Miss over-exert.”

“It is just as well that I am poisoned and need to

recuperate for a few days. You can take this
opportunity to stay in Tian He Manor and find out what
happened.”

For some reason, he got the feeling her ‘just as well’

contained a second meaning. He replied softly: “We
can talk more about this tomorrow. Please rest early
Miss.” They have been together for ten years, with one
never far from the other. He has not noticed this earlier
but over the last two years, he realized that woman are
indeed weaker than man in some aspects. Although she
has been treated immediately when she was poisoned,
her core was injured and she needed to rest.

She gave a snort. “He Zai, do you know why I always

say that it is thanks to pure luck that I am still alive
today?”
No, he knew she was not lucky, she was…
She did not need to look at him to be able to see
through his thoughts. She smiled. “It is true. I am
lucky. But my luck is built on the pretext of my beliefs
and habits. The better-tasting something is, the more
problem it contains and cannot be consumed. The more
attractive something is, the more likely it is to conceal
poison and cannot be touched. The more addictive a
feeling is, the more it must be avoided to prevent falling
into a trap. The closer a person is to you, the more
important it is to keep a distance so that one do not end
up died. These are my beliefs that have kept me alive
till now. Who would have guessed that I would still
have fallen into a trap despite all this?”
*****

“They are sharing a room!” He Rong Hua clenched his

hands tightly into fists. The night was cool as water but
the flames of his anger could have easily reached the
sky.

Gong Sun Yun leaned against the wall. He lowered his

eyes and did not reply.

“I have not thought… I have assumed…. but they were

not husband and wife… Xian Yun, do you think that
person…”
“Which person? Him, or her?” In the night, Gong Sun
Yun sounded even colder than normal.

He Rong Hua swallowed his anger and bit out: “Of

course I am referring to Wang Yun! She is utterly
shameless to be sharing room with a man!”

“Sons and daughters of the pugilist world are less

particular over such matters. There were similar cases
of sharing arrangements before this, so Rong Hua
should not take it to heart.” Gong Sun Yun glance
remained downcast, his heart clearly not on the subject
matter at hand.

“So you are saying the two did not…. did not…”

“I would think not.”

“But such situations are still best to be avoided. I have

only expected one to show up but now there were
two… And who on earth is the culprit? Only Wang Yun
was poisoned when there were five, six cups on the
tray. Who would know that she would definitely get
the cup with the poison? And why would someone want
to poison a Sky Slave who is a nobody? Xian Yun, have
you guessed the answer?”

Gong Sun Yun tore a small branch off a nearby tree and
started toying with it. “Fifth Brother, will the poison
leave any residual effects?”
Gong Sun Zhi (Fifth Gentleman) replied: “Although
this is a fast-acting poison, it is also quick to
remove. The person who administered the poison must
have known that I am well-verse in the healing arts and
that I could save her in time. Plus, Miss Wang has a
good foundation, so if she rests well over the next few
days, there should not be any residual effects.”

Gong Sun Yun snapped the branch into two. “Rong

Hua, the answer is out.”

He Rong Hua was still confused. “I only know that it is

not you, and definitely not me.”

“Young Master, Xian Yun is referring to He Zai.” said

Gong Sun Zhi.

He Rong Hua could not believe what he has just heard:

“You are saying… Impossible! Even if it is him, it must
have been the two of them in it together….”

Gong Sun Yun’s voice was like jade hitting on rock and
he did not mince his words. “You can choose what you
want to believe. The closer someone is to you, the
easier it is for the person to strike. She has raised a
tiger and this tiger could turn on her anytime.”

“Xian Yun, should we drop a hint to Miss Wang?”

asked Gong Sun Zhi.
“She will know who poisoned her when she wakes
up. We need not interfere.” Gong Sun Yun threw the
broken branch on the ground. When he raised his eyes,
his expression was normal again. “Rong Hua, you have
to be mentally prepared. Fifth Brother has conducted
some experiments and found that the snake tattoo on a
Sky Slave’s face cannot be removed. If you wish to
retain this person, Tian He Manor would have to face
unspeakable pressure in future.”

“I know. Even if Tian He Manor was to revert to its

humble beginnings or become ousted from the pugilist
world, I will still insist on keeping He Zai. But Wang
Yun is a problem. If she tried to stop him or sought
help from Huang Fu… Xian Yun, do you think we
should strike first?” At Gong Sun Yun’s icy stare, he
backpedaled. “If not, what do you think?”

“If you wish He Zai to stay, leave her alone.” Gong Sun
Yun could only say so much. His clear eyes took on an
unreadable expression as he looked towards the room
where Wang Yun and He Zai were spending the
night.

Chapter 2 – Part 1 of 2
She has miscalculated. She should not have hankered
after the warm morning breeze and chosen this secluded
spot in the courtyard to take a nap...

“Xian Yun, will you be coming to my dad’s birthday

party next month?”

“Xian Yun will definitely be there to congratulate Elder

Deng on his sixtieth birthday. If Xian Yun cannot make
it, Cloud Manor will arrange for another person to be
there, so Miss Hai Tang (海棠) [meaning: Asiatic Apple
blossom, a type of ornamental flower]need not worry.”

The delivery was so polite, it only made his rejection all

the more pronounced. The old tree besides her has
blocked her from the view of the new comers but it did
not block their voices.

Hai Tang, Hai Tang... now she remembered where she

heard this name. When He Rong Hua came to look for
He Zai this morning, he has intentionally mentioned the
name in her presence. According to him, Deng Hai
Tang was the No. 1 Beauty in the pugilist world and she
was here at Tian He Manor. Because she was so
beautiful, her nickname was Hai Tang Fairy.

She perked up at the mention of such a pretty nickname

but was quickly put back in place when He Rong Hua
gave her a faint look of disdain. She touched her
heavily painted face and thought that although the
exotic make-up has obscured her original looks, it
should have helped in making her look attractive. If He
Rong Hua looked down on her looks, did it mean that
his Fairy would live up to her nickname?

Her curiosity got the better of her and she stuck her
head around the tree to check out the man and woman
in the courtyard. The man was back-facing her but she
recognized him as the deity-from-nine-heavens from his
silver white robes. Although Deity’s looks were only
above-average, he carried himself very well and it was
pleasant just staring at his back.

As for the woman… she blinked her eyes. She was a

rare beauty, but… shouldn’t a Fairy be prettier?

Rumors were indeed exaggerations of the truth. If she

had been disappointed with the deity-from-nine-
heavens; she had urge to cry when she saw this flower
nymph. If she were ten years younger, her utterly
disappointment could have driven her to rebel and
become a demoness for real.

Turning back, she decided to continue napping. When

she was looking at the couple, she had felt the
emotional distance between the two despite their
physical closeness. And the distance was intentionally
put there by deity-from-nine-heavens.
“Xian Yun… you are twenty-six this year… do you not
wish to…”

“Miss Deng,” His voice was polite as ever. “it is not

that I do not wish to marry. I have met many ladies in
the Central Plains but none of them is the one I
want.” In other words, he is not the least bit interested
even if you are the No. 1 Beauty. Wang Yun could
almost hear his impatience, which was getting more and
more palpable.

“Not even I… even I…”

This time, his words were even more direct: “Hero is a

definite match for Beauty, but Xian Yun can never be
your hero.”

Hai Tang was not giving up. “Xian Yun, you said that
you have not met the girl you like in the Central Plains.
Are the rumors true then that the one you like is Che
Yan Yan from Bai Ming Sect? You hoard your smiles
from everyone but you smiled at Che Yan Yan…”

Wang Yun nearly fell off from her railing. Deity-from-

nine-heavens with man-lover Che Yan Yan? What a
good match!
Still, she did not wish to eavesdrop further and risk
endangering her life. If she did not know what they
were talking about, all this would naturally become
none of her business. But how should she
escape? Climb a tree, or try to sneak out?

In the end, she chose to stay put and tune out all
conversation happening around her. With her eyes
closed, she discovered that she was actually quite tired
and she slowly slipped into slumber.

When she was young, she had feared that Sect Leader
would poison her, so she tried consuming small
amounts of poison every day to increase her tolerance
level for toxin. Unfortunately, she could not bear the
pain and gave up the training eventually. She was at
fault for being lazy and thinking that she could depend
on He Zai to keep poison at bay. In the end, the person
closest to her was the one who poisoned her…

She was unaware of dozing off but when she woke up,
the surroundings were quiet. She should be relieved that
she managed to remain undetected but something made
her uneasy and she opened her eyes abruptly. And saw
someone beside her.

A polite voice floated down. “Miss Wang is awake.”

Thank goodness she has mastered her poker face! She
sighed inwardly and greeted Gong Sun Yun, who was
leaning against another railing.

His refine air was really much more attractive than his
looks. Looking at him, she thought that his eyes were
probably his best feature - had they not look like
stagnant pools from the utter lack of any emotion in
them. Where was the x-factor that that has charmed
everyone? What did Hai Tang Fairy and Che Yan Yan
see in him? Is it for his talent or status? She decided to
feign innocence and asked drowsily: “Have I fallen
asleep?”

“You have been sleeping for a while. Probably soon

after I have rejected Miss Deng.”

This man was indeed highly skilled in kungfu to be able

to discern the changes in her breathing pattern. She
stared at him for a while before saying slowly:
“Gentleman Xian Yun, it was not my intention to
eavesdrop.” It was best to make this absolutely clear in
case he bear a grudge.

“I know Miss Wang did not mean to eavesdrop, or you

would not have fallen asleep. Can you give me your
hand and let me take your pulse?” Seeing her surprise,
his lips curved up involuntarily before he resisted the
urge to smile. “Although my Fifth Brother is better then
me in the arts of healing, I also have a little medical
knowledge as a practitioner of martial arts.”

Since it was unlikely that he would kill her by holding

her hand, she graciously extended her right hand for
him.

“Is it not convenient to give me your left hand?”

“My Sky Slave bangle is worn on my left hand and I

worry that Gentleman Xian Yun will take offence.”

He placed his fingers gently above her pulse and asked:

“Sky Slave bangles are usually worn on both hands for
woman. Why did Miss Wang only have one?”

“Sigh. Protector Huang Fu was the one who put it on

for me. In any case, I could only obey if she wishes to
put ten bangles on me. How would I dare to have asked
why?”

“Who is the person who gave you your medicine

today?”

“He Zai prepared the medicine personally so Gentleman

Xian Yun need not worry that someone would poison
me again.”

She knew she was a patient person, but wasn’t Deity

taking too long with her pulse?
Finally he removed his hand. “There is nothing wrong
with Miss Wang now. I remembered that the
medication prescribed by Fifth Brother consist three-
fifths of herbs that are able to remove poison, and two-
fifths of herbs that aims to strengthen the body.
Gauging by the time now, Miss Wang should be down
to your last two packets of medicine.”

She was a little taken back. He had paid a lot of

attention, down to the contents of her
medication. Wasn’t she merely a Sky Slave? What had
drawn him to her? Thinking back on yesterday, he was
also the first person to realize that she has been
poisoned. If he was not focusing on her, he could not
have reacted the moment she fainted.

She was still trying to think of a reason for his attention

when she noticed that he has taken out a
handkerchief. The hanky was pristine white and has
neither words nor pattern - ah, so Deity has a
cleanliness streak! But even if her skin is the color of
honey, surely she is not filthy? Did he need to wipe his
hands quite so slowly and thoroughly?

“Miss Wang is looking at my handkerchief… do you

need it?”

“Thank you, there is no need. I have my own.” And

she took out her own colorful hanky. Every year, she
would change the design of her hankies. Last year’s
design was mandarin ducks, the year before was
chrysanthemum. She noticed he was staring at her
hanky. Was something wrong?

It hit on her suddenly that when Gong Sun Yun was

talking to Deng Hai Tang, he was polite but aloof and
would refer to himself as “Xian Yun”. However when
talking to her, he would use “I” to refer to himself.

She has learnt to be wary when a person deviates from

his normal behavior. Especially when the abnormality
involved her, her inner alarm would go into double
duty. She jumped down from her resting spot and
smiled at him. “Gentleman Xian Yun has been very
kind and I shall not thank you verbally. Instead, I will
remember the care and concern that you and Fifth
Gentleman has showered on me in my heart, and will
not forget it even when I am back in Bai Ming Sect.”

“A Sky Slave could not have left Bai Ming Sect without
his Master’s consent. Is Miss Wang sure you could
return?”

She blinked. “Who said I did not have my Master’s

permission? I have Left Protector’s blessing to be
here!” There was a saying in the Central Plains that it
never hurt to have more manners, so she bade her leave
politely. Just when she turned around she heard him
called her name.
She plastered on a smile before she turned around to
face him and saw him walking towards her. For a
moment, she was struck by his way he moved with his
robes billowing behind him. The phrase "graceful as
wild geese; fluid like dragon; in splendor brighter than
the autumn chrysanthemum; in bloom more flourishing
than evergreen pines" suddenly popped into her
mind. This phrase was from a poetic essay she read in
her younger days describing the beautiful Water Fairy,
Luo Shen. At that time, she has thought if there ever
was a beauty like the one described in the poem,
she would likely come from the Central Plains, which
was why she was so interested to check out Deng Hai
Tang earlier.

It was a pity that Deng Hai Tang fell short of her

expectations for the Water Fairy but here was a man
that she thought would fit the bill. If He Zai knew
about this, would he laugh at her for misuse of
language? How could the description for the Water
Fairy be used on a man?

He called her name again and jolted her out of her

daze. She looked at the bright sun hanging overhead,
and blinked several times to clear her vision so that the
person she saw in front of her was simply Gong Sun
Yun. The illusion was probably caused by a
combination of the sun and the fact that she had not
fully recovered. Otherwise, if a man was the Water
Fairy, what could she a woman, be?

She smiled and finally replied him: “Gentleman Xian

Yun, is anything else the matter?”

He took out a small box from his vest. “Has Miss Wang
guessed who poisoned you?”

“I was foolish to believe that there were only righteous

heroes in this place, and did not expect someone to
poison me. As for the culprit… sigh, since I am in the
Central Plains, I think it is best for me to let the matter
rest.” She decided to deflect all suspicions to the
righteous pugilists.

He did not argue. “If that is the case, you have be more
careful. This is the Thousand Cleansing Pill that could
neutralize a thousand type of poison. Please keep it in
case you have a need for it one day.”

She was amazed and did not take the offered box
immediately. Not only are they big on etiquette in the
Central Plains, it also extend to offering gifts? After a
while, she smiled and said: “Thank you for your
concern. However, I could not accept such expensive
medicine...”

“If you are unfortunate enough to be poisoned again,

your body will get hurt even if the person has held
back. If you think you could have been poisoned, take
one pill immediately. Even if it could not neutralize the
poison, it will help protect your vital organs.”

She understood his hidden meaning – the person who

poisoned her was someone close to her. Finally she
could understand why a flock of beauties have fallen for
him. This man was obviously a very caring
person. She believed some famous people viewed
thewulin as their home and felt a sense of duty to
undertake a parental role... and he was probably one
such parent-cum-cleanliness-freak!

She looked at the box and smiled. “Thank you very

much for kindness then. Should there be a day that
Gentleman needs my help, please do not hesitate to tell
me.” She did not believe a father figure would ask a
little Sky Slave for help. Besides, it may not be easy to
find her once she disappeared from here.

She tried to take the box with both hands but found that
he was exerting his hold on the box. She knew
something was up but she did not meet his eyes and
waited for him to speak. “Actually, we are only helping
each other. A long time ago, a young lady has helped
me too.”

Surely she did not need to know about his past?

“Perhaps to her, it was just a small matter. But to me, I
have always remembered her in my heart. For the past
few years, I have been waiting for her to come to me
with my jade pendant but she never showed
up. Considering the environment she grew up in, she
has managed to survive without receiving help from
anybody. Should I say that she is really intelligent? Or
that she is the fittest survivor?”

She met his eyes and smiled: “I did not know

Gentleman have such a past. No wonder you paid so
much attention to a nobody like me! Gentleman, please
rest assured that should I meet someone who needed
help in the future, I will do my best to help him and
pass on the spirit of your good deed.”

He looked at her thoughtfully and finally released his

hold on the box. Someone called her name and it was
Fifth Gentleman. He greeted her warmly before turning
to Gong Sun Yun. “Che Yan Yan from Bai Ming Sect is
at the main hall and she says she is here to pay her last
respects. However, I think it is more likely that she is
here to make trouble.”

Gong Sun Yun frowned and turned to Wang Yun.

“Miss Wang, since the Left and Right Protectors of Bai
Ming Sect seldom see eye to eye, I think you should
remain here and stay away from the hall.”
“That is of course, that is of course.” and she very
respectfully watched them leave.

And sighed.

This was a no-brainer. Che Yan Yan would definitely

spot He Zai, who at this very moment was beside
Manor Master He Rong Hua. What should she
do? Dump He Zai while she escape? Had she known it
would turn out like this, she would not have permitted
He Zai to come to Tian He Manor and simply hightail
out of the pugilist world.

“I just knew He Zai would become my death spot one

day.” She felt like a bird in cage - no matter how she
tried, she could not seem to escape from the control of
Sect Leader. If there is no He Zai, will her future be
any easier? If there is no He Zai…

She looked at the embroidered box in her hand and

smiled. It was best not to have too many ties. She was
only an ordinary girl and would not dream to catch any
deity-from-nine-heavens, much less mention any jade
pendants.

In any case, she did not recall ever owning a jade

pendant.
With that, she threw away the embroidered box and
strode towards the hall.

Moonblossom: Oh Wang Yun, he does not find

touching you unhygienic – he just wanted you to see
that he kept your handkerchief! ha.ha.
Chapter 2 – Part 2 of 2

"Gentleman Xian Yun.” said an attractive woman

dressed in flaming red. When she saw the person she
was pining for, she quickly reined in the tantrum she
was throwing and turn all solicitous. She remembered
that this man is very big on civilized conversations.
“Protector Che, it has been a long time.” His glance
landed on He Rong Hua. He could only do so much in
certain matters and now was the time for the Master of
the Manor to take the lead.

He Rong Hua rein in his temper with difficulty and

forced out: “I thank Protector Che for crossing
thousands of miles in order to pay respects to my late
father.”

Che Yan Yan ignored him and smiled prettily at Gong

Sun Yun. “Xian Yun, how I wish I could say I am here
for you. Unfortunately, I am here under the orders of
my Master to deliver a present.”
He Rong Hua replied: “There is no relation between
your sect and Tian He Manor, but we appreciate your
Sect Leader’s kind intention in our hearts.”

Che Yan Yan gave a cold laugh. “How can you say that
there is no relation? Is the Eldest Master of Tian He
Manor not a Sky Slave of Bai Ming Sect?”

He Rong Hua glanced towards He Zai and bit out:

“Protector Che must be joking. My eldest brother has
died of an illness ten years ago. Are you trying to make
trouble by spreading such lies of my brother at my
father’s funeral?”

Che Yan Yan continued to smile. “My, just how many

young masters from prominent pugilist families have
died of illnesses over the past ten over years?” She
pointed a slender finger to the Sky Slaves behind her -
all were masked, barefooted, and marked with a Sky
Slave bangle on their ankles. “Do you want to make a
bet with me that if I get them to remove their masks,
how many dead people would suddenly come back to
life?”

Among those present, many who were above thirty

years of age, paled at her words.

Outside the hall, Wang Yun sighed. Besides her

someone else sighed as well.
“Fifth Gentleman, are you not going to lend a
hand?” She has walked to the hall at a snail’s
speed. The moment he saw her, Gong Sun Zhi has
joined her to enjoy, no, angst over what was happening
in the hall.

“There is not much I can do. Xian Yu’s kungfu is

better than mine. I will only be more hindrance then
help if I go in.”

“Oh I see. Can I ask Fifth Gentleman how do you

people handle such situations usually? What would you
do to people who are here to create trouble?”

“Xian Yun does not recommend that we use force.”

This was such a pity, she felt like recommending him to

kill whoever that blocked his way, which would be so
cool. Sigh. It was best if she could kill a person using
someone else’s sword - too bad someone was not
obliging. She looked towards He Zai, who whether
intentionally or no, has chosen to stand at the entrance
of the inner hall as if guarding it.

She stroked her jade flute and glanced at the ten over
Sky Slaves in the hall. Che Yan Yan likes to take in
Sky Slaves, especially those who are skilled in
kungfu. This woman also likes to make her presence
felt and will bring along her Sky Slaves wherever she
goes. The Sky Slaves were controlled by drugs so it
was extremely difficult for them to escape and even
more difficult for them to seek death. She chewed her
lips and continued her contemplation.

Che Yan Yan looked at everyone in the hall. She was

surprised when she spotted He Zai behind He Rong Hua
and spoke before she could hold back the words. “Sect
Leader is really clever and knew exactly of her
whereabouts. I like to see where she can escape to in
her lifetime?” The words fell into the ears of Gong Sun
Yun who was the nearest to her.

Che Yan Yan asked with glee: “He Zai, where is your
Master?”

She did not press further when he remained silent. “Our

Sect Leader is wise and knew that Huang Fu Yun is
hiding here. Both of you have always been like each
other’s shadow and where one is, the other will be
nearby. By orders of our Sect Leader, Huang Fu Yun is
to present his gift personally to Tian He Manor. Huang
Fu Yun, are you not going to show yourself?”

After a long while, no one appeared. “Huang Fu Yun,

dare you disobey!?”
“Aren’t I here now?” rang a clear voice from outside
the hall. For a moment, all anyone could see was a
swathe of red as young woman in flowing red robes
strolled into the hall with her hands folded behind her.
The woman was none other than Wang Yun, the one
with a Sky Slave tattoo on her face.

He Rong Hua and Go Shao De were shocked. “You…”

Wang Yun walked towards Gong Sun Yun – no, on

second thoughts, this spot was not so safe – and strolled
with pretended nonchalance to stand beside He
Zai. “Protector Che, I have rushed across thousands of
miles to Tian He Manor and has beat you to reach here
by a day. Did you perchance stop somewhere to play
during your journey?”

Che Yan Yan was not bothered by her accusation.

“What rubbish are you sprouting?”

“I am not sprouting rubbish. Whatever orders Master

gave you, he gave the same to me. He always like to pit
us against the other and this time, you have
lost. However, since our emperor is far away, I can let
you claim the credit.” She took the long box from a
Sky Slave behind Che Yan Yan and continued. “I have
the exact same gift but I have given mine to Tian He
Manor yesterday so you can return yours to
Master….” She opened the box and froze.
Che Yan Yan’s lips curved. “To think I was nearly
taken in by you. Huang Fu Yun, the thing in the box is
unique and there is only one of its kind in the
world. Sect Leader knows your every move so he also
knows about the things you let He Zai bury all those
years ago.”

The box contained a set of young man’s clothing, boots,

sword, and some equipment used for
tattooing. Although the clothes were old, the mark of
Tian He Manor could clearly be seen on the
hems. Although the sword has rusted, it was still
recognizable as the custom-made weapon for the former
Young Master of Tian He Manor. The tattoo equipment
bore the mark of Sky Slaves from Bai Ming Sect.

A victor will go with the flow and Wang Yun sighed.

“Alright. It seems I could not outsmart Sect Leader
afterall. I will follow you back.”

Che Yan Yan made a gesture and her Sky Slave

presented a white handkerchief to her
straightaway. After she has cleaned her hands
carefully, she put on a pair of specially made gloves.

While Wang Yun’s eyes followed her every move, Che

Yan Yan did not bother with her and turned towards
Gong Sun Yun. Giving him a brilliant smile, she said:
“Xian Yun. Cloud Manor has always maintained a
neutral position on wulin matters. Besides recording
what happened, Cloud Manor will not interfere in
whatever happens. Did I remember this rule correctly?"

“Our rules are indeed so.”

Che Yan Yan smiled. “Once I have settled this matter, I

would love to catch up with you.”

“Xian Yun does not have anything to catch up with

Protector Che.”

A flash of temper flashed across her eyes. She curled

her lips and decided to vent her anger on Wang
Yun. “Upon orders from Master, your Sky Slave has
left Bai Ming sect without permission. As the eldest
son of the He family, He Zai shall whip the coffin thrice
in punishment. Huang Fu Yun, accept the order!”

Wang Yun lowered her eyes and stroked her jade flute.

“Huang Fu Yun!”

He Rong Hua could remain silent no longer. “This is

Tian He Manor and is not the place for a demoness
from the Evil Sect to throw your weight around!”

“He Yue Hua is now a member of the Evil Sect

too. Master He, do you not fear that your position will
be replaced if your brother returns to the manor? Are
you not worried of bringing shame to the manor?”
“You…” He Rong Hua wanted to rebut further, but he
held back when he saw the number of avid listeners
around him. It was very shameful when a member of
one’s family became a Sky Slave. If anyone tried to
help, he or she would also have to bear the brunt of the
wagging tongues when the news got out. Even if his
father was highly regarded when he was alive, he was
dead now and what was left for him was only goodwill
. And whoever who lends a hand would also measure
his goodwill against the benefit it would bring…

Wang Yun gave a long-suffering sigh and said

listlessly: “Protector Che, you are making things
difficult for me. He Zai is my only Sky Slave. If I
ordered him to whip his father’s coffin, it is akin to
making him hate me for the rest of his life.”

“That is the order from Master. Do you dare to reject?”

“Protector Che. You are also making an enemy of the

Central Plains wulin by doing so.” Wang Yun analyzed
the situation for her patiently. “Both sides have been co-
existing peacefully for many years and there is no need
to rock the boat. Historically, the Master of our sect is
always chosen among the Left or Right
Protectors. Based on our capabilities, my guess is that
that next sect leader will be you. But if you acted out
today, you will also be the one who would have to pick
up after the mess. Why would you want to bring
suffering upon yourself?”

“Huang Fu Yun, you really are a disgrace to Bai Ming

Sect! Men, drag the coffin out!”

Seeing that she refused to listen to reason, Wang Yun

flipped her sleeves in anger: “You know full well the
extent of Huang Fu family martial arts. Both He Zai
and myself are gifted learners who has benefitted from
the guidance of Huang Fu skills. Che Yan Yan, are you
sure you wanted to go against me?”

“It is not me who is going against you. Rather, you are

the one who is going against Bai Ming Sect. Huang Fu
Yun, you are the one who is seeking trouble for
yourself!”

Wang Yun shouted ”He Zai!” and quickly stepped

back.

In the next instant, He Zai has flashed past her with a

short sword in hand. Before anyone could even figure
where his weapon came from, He Zai was already
weaving among the Sky Slaves, his movements quick
as lightning.

Wang Yun has turned around and did not at the

fight. She fingered her jade flute as if victory is already
within grasp.
He Rong Hua stared but could not find the
words. Finally, he could only manage: “That set of
skills is not from the He family.” He remembered that
his brother has mastered the family martial arts when he
was sixteen and his father had been greatly pleased at
that time.

Wang Yun did not look at him. “I made him got rid of
his He family martial arts.”

At his glare, she smiled: “The He family martial arts

could not even match ten blows against Huang Fu
family’s. Why should he retain such kungfu?”

“He is but a lowly Sky Slave in Bai Ming Sect, why did
you let him learn the kungfu of the Huang Fu family?”

When she did not reply, He Rong Hua continued: “And

why are you not helping my brother? Since both of you
trained in the Huang Fu martial arts, will you not have a
higher chance to defeat Che Yan Yan if you join
forces?”

Wang Yun shot him a look before she lowered her

eyes. “Protector Che is one of our top fighters. Why
should I remove her to make you happy? Besides, given
He Zai’s opposition against Protector of Bai Ming Sect
today, he would have gained credit for defending his
father. Even if his life is going to be difficult if he
chose to stay in the Central Plains in future, at least it
would not be a situation where everyone would want to
kill him and mutilate his corpse.”

He Rong Hua was silent – how did this woman know he

wanted to keep his brother at Tian He Manor?

Wang Yun twirled her hair and said suddenly: “Mind if

I see the coffin?” and she walked into the inner hall
without waiting for his reply. Her suspicions were
confirmed when she heard some footsteps behind
her. Sigh, it is really unlucky to see a coffin. If she had
a choice, she would not have chosen to come in.

She noticed that the lid of the coffin has been nailed
shut. In other words, it now contained the true body of
Old Master He. She knew this was all for He Zai, or
else the person would not have followed her.

As she stood in front of the coffin, she could feel a long

whip lashing down in her direction. She forced herself
to remain still and clasp her hand as if in prayer.

The whip did not make contact.

She was saved! She discreetly wiped her sweaty

palms. After years of practice, she has mastered the
ability to keep her face expressionless even when her
heart is gripped with fear. Now, it is not even obvious
when she breaks out in cold sweat. Endurance – she
could probably be hailed a master in endurance.

The male voice was cold. “Protector Che! Are you sure
you wanted to whip the deceased?”

Che Yan Yan was furious. “Xian Yun! Are you

protecting the coffin or the person!”

Of course he is protecting the coffin! Wang Yun

silently thanked Old Master He for protecting her even
in death. It was indeed worth the times that she has
helped He Zai.

She has counted on the fact that today’s coffin would

contain the real body, which was why she came in to
seek refuge from a coffin. Given the circumstances
today, even the legendary Gentleman Xian Yun would
be forced to interfere in order to stop Che Yan Yan
from humiliating the body of a respected pugilist.

And it worked!

She sighed inwardly and turned around to face Che Yan

Yan. “Protector Che, you have seen with your own
eyes. With so many skilled pugilists around, I need not
even draw my sword; just one Gentleman Xian Yun is
able to stop you. It is obvious that he would not allow
you to humiliate the deceased and you…. if he is in
your heart, you should let him have his way!” Her eyes
drifted to the black whip coiled in Gong Sun Yun’s
hands and could not prevent from breaking out into cold
sweat.

Judging from the angle of the attack, Che Yan Yan was
obviously aiming for her! Her real intention is probably
to get rid of her among all the confusion.

Wang Yun continued. “You have already obeyed

Master’s orders. But do you really think he wanted you
to whip the coffin? That is but his way of testing our
loyalty and having some fun with the people in Tian He
Manor.”

Che Yan Yan gave her a considering look. “Why would

Master think that?”

“Because that is just the way he is!”

Chee Yan Yan was silent and a strange expression

crossed her face. “Huang Fu Yun, why are you always
able to second guess the Sect Leader? Master did say
that if you can guess his real intentions, I would have to
stop making a scene.”

Wang Yun took a deep breath - life is wonderful; she

took another deep breath – even though there is Sect
Leader, life is still wonderful. Her blood was boiling
but she managed a wan smile. “Protector Che, that is
because you were too busy seeking fun amongst the
flowers while I ponder on his divine orders every day
until my hair is turning white. Unlike me, you only
grow more and more alluring. In fact, if there is a man
who is not charmed by you, he is probably not a man to
begin with.”

She stared pointedly at Gong Sun Yun, fervently hoping

he would smile or say something to placate Che Yan
Yan.

He returned her look with an icy glare.

Ok, she asked for this one. But what is the use of looks
if one does not use it to his advantage?

Che Yan Yan called her Sky Slaves to cease

fighting. She did not attempt to count the number of
survivors when He Zai returned to stand beside Wang
Yun. “You are so nice to your Sky Slave to impart your
family skills to him.”

“A person cannot be selfish. Besides He Zai is very

loyal to me and I can’t really ill-treat him, is it not?”
She flicked her wrist and He Zai sheathed his sword
back in her flute.

“Both of us would need to return to the sect.” Che Yan

Yan turned towards Gong Sun Yun and sweetened her
tone. “If Xian Yun is escorting me, I will be willing to
set off immediately.”
Wang Yun was floored from the whiplash. She knew
this woman likes to hunt for quality man, but surely this
turnabout is too fast? They were still fighting a moment
ago…. she sighed and turned to contemplate the wall.

She will not interfere in affairs of the heart. Deity-of-

nine-heavens will never set his heart on someone from
the Evil Sect. Besides, she did not believe Che Yan Yan
really loves Deity either…. she continued to admire the
plain white wall in front of her.

He Zai called to her. “Miss.”

She decided to be gracious. “I am not an unreasonable

person. I will let you go if you wanted to continue
staying here.”

She sighed when he did not reply. “Yesterday, you

asked me why Old Master has been disguised. The
answer is actually very simple - if the body is a guise
and yet He Rong Hua and Gong Sun Yun acted
unaware, the answer could only be that they were in it
together. Can you guess why?”

He Zai looked at the coffin and lowered his eyes.

“I think the Old Master has regretted what he did.” She

focused on a particular spot on the wall. “The Old
Master must have felt extremely sore when you became
a Sky Slave, but instead of trying to rescue you from
Bai Ming Sect, he let out news of your death. If I am
not wrong, he probably regretted his actions when he
was near death.”

He Rong Hua entered the inner hall. “Exactly.

Although Miss Huang Fu was not around when my
father passed away, you have read his mind
correctly…. Big Brother! Father has regretted his
decision several years ago. He could not find you and
sought the help of Gentleman Xian Yun to hide his
body and delay his burial. If you still remember your
father, you would definitely try to return for his
funeral. If you can recognize that the body is fake, it
would prove that you have not forsaken the skills you
have learnt to be able to see though the guise. If you
tried to pursue the matter further, it would show that the
father-son relationship has not been severed and that
you are still the same you. Tian He Manor will be
yours and the title of Manor Master will be
yours. Regardless if you are a Sky Slave or not, you
will always be a son of the He family!”

So touching. She touched her nose to check that she

has controlled her tears. This was why He Zai had
chosen to poison her – so that he could stay in Tian He
Manor to discover the truth... but can he not be so
coldhearted and poison himself instead of her?
Thinking that she should give the brothers room to talk,
she started to leave the room.
Actually, she is a rather pitiful herself. Everyone seems
to be part of a pair while she is the only being chased
around. Looking around, she was surprised to see Gong
Sun Yun still around while there was no trace of Che
Yan Yan. Yet he did not seem to be in a hurry to
leave. On second thoughts, that was reasonable too
since he was a historian who was supposed to record
what happened today.

She walked to him and said: ”Gentleman Xian Yun,

thank you for your help earlier on.”

“I was only protecting the coffin and not protecting the

person. I hope Miss Yun got that clear.” He
emphasized “protecting the person” and she smiled as
she pretended not to have heard. “Of course, of
course. So… will Gentleman Xian Yun be escorting us
from the Central Plains?”

Or to put it another way, to keep tabs on them until they

were out of the Central Plains.

“To prevent further misunderstandings with Protector

Che, I will not be the one doing the sendoff and will
instead ask an elder to help.

Wang Yun digested this news with a frown - this

sounded like they were being chased out. Although
their movements were going to be monitored no matter
what, how this was to be done have different impact. If
he was the one sending them off, at least Che Yan Yan
would be leaving willingly.

She disliked being in the same room with Che Yan

Yan. That woman had a bad habit of killing people
when she was in a bad mood, and she did not bother to
remove the bodies after the deed. If it was her, she
would have at least dug a grave,or get ready some acid
to dissolve the body before she strike… of course, this
was all theoretical because she would not kill. Nope,
not kill, not kill.

He appeared unconcerned and was contented to

continue exchanging stares with her. But from the set of
his brows, he seemed to be waiting for something.

She took another deep breath. Since coming to the

Central Plains, she found that there were more instances
when she needed to take in more air. This could be
because the word ‘endurance’ (忍) has a knife (刃) on
top of the heart (心). When a knife is hanging in the air
above the heart…. one will need more air.

She asked very humbly: “Are you really not going to

send us off? Is there no chance of it happening?”

“Well, there may be a way….”

“I remembered…. Gentleman Xian Yun mentioned
before that you have received help from someone
before?” She said this rather unwillingly.

“Yes.” His top-grade skin was like the ancient

mountains - no change whatsoever.

“To repay the person, you have given her a

pendant?” At his nod, she sighed. “Now that you
mentioned this, it sounds similar to an incident of my
youth. I remembered lending a hand to someone under
very casual circumstance… and he also gave me a jade
pendant.”

He continued to look unimpressed. “I hope Miss Yun is

not simply building on my story and trying to pull a fast
one on me.”

“Why would I do so? I remember the pendant looks…”

He interrupted very politely. “Everyone in the pugilist

world knew there were three jade pendants in Cloud
Manor. My pendant is shaped like a gourd with a piece
of cloud swirling at the top. Since becoming a
“Gentleman” at the age of thirteen, the words “Xian
Yun” has been engraved on the jade. Even a person
who has never seen the jade would be able to describe it
quite well.”
She stared at him for a good long while before she
slowly took out something from her left sleeve, then the
right sleeve. When she passed the items to him, he did
not blink but his normally dull eyes have taken on a
sparkle.

“If you put these pieces together, would it look like

Gentleman Xian Yun’s jade pendant?”

“Yes, this is mine.”

She sighed. “Who would have guessed that I am the

benefactor of Gentleman Xian Yun?”

“I have been wanting to repay the great favor bestowed

by Miss Yun.” His appeared rather smug and eyes were
shinning.

“Gentleman Xian Yun can take this chance to repay me

, and once you have done so, you can put all thoughts of
repayment behind you. Can I trouble you to escort Che
Yan Yan and myself out of the Central Plains. I will be
so grateful if you can do that.”

---------

Gong Sun Yun, twenty-six, reunited with his sweetheart

and was inseparable from her since.
- Wulin Annals
 Recorded by Xian Yun -

Moonblossom: That willy fox! He did this on

purpose to force her hand. I hereby declare winner of
Round 1 is Gong Sun Yun!

Chapter 3 – Part 1 of 2

There is only one word to describe the feeling when

someone is trying to repay you – Great! with
exclamation mark!

Had she known this earlier, she would have tried to

save more people and asked each of them for a
repayment token before letting them go.

Luckily she was someone who likes to overthink and

has retrieved the jade pendant after she has buried it. To
prevent trouble if it was ever found on her, say by his
enemies if he has any, she has asked He Zai to shatter
the pendant with his internal strength as a precaution.

Ah, life is really Great! This journey is comfortable if

not outright luxurious, even if she was technically in the
midst of being chased out of the Central Plains. Cloud
Manor had many disciples and was held in high esteem
by many pugilists in the Central Plains. Gentleman
Xian Yun especially, was very well regarded and his
name is literally like a shiny piece of gold. Thanks to
him, she had no worries on lodging, food or
clothing. She congratulated herself again for being the
one who saved this gold nugget. The more she thought
about it, the more she felt that saving him was probably
the best thing she has ever done.

To prevent clashes, Gong Sun Yun has gotten them to

travel on less frequently used routes. Before they
arrived at a resting spots, other Cloud Manor disciples
would have made prior arrangements to ensure a
comfortable stay. If not for her strong willpower, she
would have happily sponged off Gentleman Xian Yun
for the rest of her life.

“Do you like Xian Yun?”

The question came out of the blue and she nearly

tripped. She looked in front where Gong Sun Yun was
standing. He was dressed in his customary white but he
no longer gave off vibes that got her confused with the
beautiful Water Fairy, Luo Shen.

Thinking that she did not hear the question, Che Yan
Yan repeated. ““Do you like Xian Yun?”

“Definitely not.” That was the standard, life-preserving

answer.
Che Yan Yan was suspicious. “You would deny it
when everyone – man, woman, old, and young - in the
Central Plains like him? How could you not like him?”

Every man, woman, old and young? Maybe that was in

response to his parental love! Still, she could only
answer: “It must be because my eyesight is poor.”

“It is such a pity you do not like him.” snarked Che Yan
Yan. “If I snatch your man, I think the feeling would be
very gratifying."

“Protector Che may not take a fancy to the things I

like. But if you are able to snatch the man belonging to
the No. 1 Beauty of the pugilist world, I bet the feeling
would be truly gratifying.”

“Who is Deng Hai Tang to warrant a nickname like Hai

Tang Fairy!?”

Wang Yun was quick to nod her agreement. “No matter

if it is carriage or looks, Protector Che is the only one
who truly deserves the title of ‘Fairy’!”

Che Yan Yan was looking longingly at Gong Sun Yun,

but her suspicions were roused by her honeyed
words. She returned her focus to Wang Yun. “Huang
Fu Yun, you really confuse me sometimes. We are both
from the same sect but our characters are miles apart.”

“That is so. As the saying goes, different feathers do

not flock together. Our characters are different so we
are not suitable to be friends, although I have always
kept abreast of the things you do. You are bold… no, I
mean your gutsy approach to things, tells me that you
are an intelligent heroine. You should have seen
through it long ago that I am not suited for life in the
Sect. If given a chance, I would rather live peacefully
in some remote village and I hope Protector Che would
consider this and leave me a lifeline in future.”

Che Yan Yan looked at her with disgust. “Our

characters are indeed different. You seem so mousy
and careful, but your mouth will never let up in saying
nice things to please Master. The worse part is, you can
always guess what Master is thinking. Huang Fu Yun,
your contradiction is the one thing I despise most about
you! If you are interested to become the next Sect
Leader, you should be upfront about it. I would accept it
if I ever lost. But you keep doing things in the sly while
denying that you want to snatch the master’s seat - for
that I look down on you!”

Wang Yun lowered her gaze and fingered her jade

flute. She did not want to snatch anything, really…
Che Yan Yan gave a cold snort and decided to chase
after Gong Sun Yun. She just passed Wang Yun when
she turned to her again. “I have something to do
tonight. You and that Sky Slave of yours better stay far
away from me. If you try to foil my plans, I will not let
you off!”

Che Yan Yan left, leaving a confused Wang Yun

behind. She must be joking – just who was the one
doing things in the sly now? It was obvious Che Yan
Yan was trying to seduce… umm, on second thoughts,
should she send Che Yan Yan some aphrodisiac to
maintain friendly relations? But maybe Che Yan Yan
would prefer to use beauty instead of drugs to overcome
Gong Sun Yun…

She looked at deity-from-nine-heavens. For someone

who grew up in civilized society, he probably has never
come across a woman who wanted to seduce
him. Would he be able to survive the attack? She
coughed to cover up her wicked smile. In truth, she
would love to be a fly in the room when it
happens. Unfortunately she has to abide by her
principle to see no evil, hear no evil….

Someone came to her side and she smiled in greeting

“Is Fifth Gentleman looking for me?” Thanks to him,
this journey has not been boring. He Zai was a man of
few words but deity-from-nine-heavens and Fifth
Gentleman were always gracious and friendly despite
their “escort”.

“It is nothing, just time to take your pulse.”

Again? She raised her brows but she rolled up her

sleeves nonetheless.

She thought his kungfu must be quite impressive to be

able to walk and take her pulse at the same time. Over
the last few days, she has managed to learn more about
Cloud Manor and found that they have many
outstanding disciples. As for Fifth Gentleman and
Gentleman Xian Yun, their relationship was like real
brothers but she was skeptical and felt that no matter
how close, someone would betray the other one day.

To pass the time, she asked casually: “Fifth Gentleman,

may I ask you a question?”

Gong Sun Zhi has taken a liking her and he replied her
warmly: “Miss Huang Fu may speak her mind.”

“Well… I heard some rumors that Gentleman Xian Yun

once smiled at Protector Che?”

He froze and she continued with a smile. “I am not

blind. Over the past few days, I have noticed that while
Fifth Gentleman smiles a lot, Gentleman Xian Yun
never smiles. If his smile is so precious and yet he
chose to smile at her, it could only mean…”

Gong Sun Zhi released her hand and strolled leisurely

with her along the mountain path. “Actually, the
rumors are only half correct. Xian Yun happened to be
around when Protector Che came to the Central Plains
that day. When he heard the new arrival announced
herself as ‘Che Yan Yan’, he smiled.”

“That is it?” She had thought the story would at least

be something along the lines like I-pledge-my-love-to-
thee-with-three-smiles. And wasn’t Che Yan Yan a tad
too useless to fall for just a smile?

He continued. “That happened two years ago. They

were standing quite far apart but who would guess Che
Yan Yan would see his smile … Actually, Xian Yun
already has someone in his heart…” he broke off and
waited for her to ask further.

Endure, she will endure. Usually, she would not delve

too deeply into casual talk for fear that curiosity will
kill the cat. Although she would love to hear more, she
has decided not to probe further.

Seeing no response from her, Gong Sun Zhi continued

speaking after a while. “Miss is already recovered but
should still rest more. Ay, traveling under the hot sun is
actually pretty damaging to your body. Although its
effect is not apparent in the short run, you would feel
the difference when you are older. According to ….”
To Wang Yun’s amazement, he continued his lecture
from not paying attention in the twenties, to organ
failure at the seventies. Is the weather too hot that this
Gentleman is using her to while away the time?

For the sake of harmony, she continued to smile and

listen. Endure, yes, endure. A true master in endurance
is someone who could smile even when she is covered
with shit. She would simply let the words enter from
the left ear and exit from right ear. There is nothing to
it…

Half an hour passed…. another half an hour passed….

her face started to twitch.

“… Let us do this, I will write a prescription for you

tonight. If Miss Huang Fu is able to take what I
prescribed on a long term basis, I guarantee that you
will look thirty even when you are fifty or sixty.”

The only reason she managed to hold on to her

composure was because of her long practice in the Art
of Endurance. He merely neutralized her poison once,
surely there was no need for him to take care of her for
the rest of her life?

“Fifth Gentleman is indeed… well-versed in medicine!”

He accepted the praise at face value. “Everyone in
Cloud Manor wants to live to a hundred, so it is only
right that I spend more effort to understand the
properties of different medicines.”

She smiled. “Sometimes, it may not be a good thing to

live so long.”

“How could you say so? A person can only hope to

fulfill his dreams if he lives long enough. Even if one
has no aspirations, he can go look for one - the sky is
vast and one will surely find something. For me, my
goal in life is to let my brothers stay healthy even when
they are seventy or eighty. Just think, if you are able to
live a ripe old age with someone that you like, how
wonderful would that be…”

She was wrong. She was really wrong.

Another half an hour passed …. endure… she must

endure even if her soul is starting to leave her body…

“… of course, nutrition is also effective. If medication

is coupled with good nutrition, I can guarantee you that
no illness will trouble you. Why not Miss come stay at
Cloud Manor? I can let Miss….”

Another half an hour passed as he tried to persuade her

to stay. Finally, the thread of her endurance
snapped. She took a deep breath and exclaimed loudly:
“Gentleman Xian Yun! I am sorry I did not catch you…
please excuse me Fifth Gentleman, I think your
Gentleman is looking for me.” She marched unsteadily
to Gong Sun Yun and ignored the hateful looks thrown
her way by Che Yan Yan.
“Miss Yun?”

She gave him a big smile as she reached his side:

“Gentleman Xian Yun, may I trouble you with
something?”

“Miss Yun could speak her mind.”

“As I was walking, I thought I felt the presence of

people shadowing us….” She knew that Che Yan
Yan’s Sky Slaves were following behind their group
and would not appear unless summoned. “What I mean
is, there could be tigers or wolves on our trail. Could I
trouble to you take a look?”
His lips started to curve upwards but he managed to
resist the urge to smile. “I think Miss worries too
much.”

“Really?.... is Fifth Gentleman behind us?”

“He is talking with Master He.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. One can never judge a

book by its cover. Gong Sun Zhi is in his twenties and
looks gentle, refined. But the moment he starts to talk,
she does not think she has enough endurance in the
world for him.”

She pretended to take a great interest in deity-from-

nine-heavens and he helpfully kept the conversation
going. Both of them talked about anything and nothing
until she noticed Che Yan Yan has lagged
behind. However at this stage, she was beyond caring
and would rather offend Protector Che than face a long-
winded, old coot masquerading as an upright, young
man.

“We will be parting in another two days. Is Miss Yun

really going back to Bai Ming Sect?”

“That is a given since I am a Protector… although the

last ten years have been relatively peaceful and mine is
almost an empty title since Sect Leader is holding on
the actual power. Nonetheless I should return.”

“I remembered Miss sounded envious when you said I

am like a free-floating cloud high up in the skies. If
there is another place for you, would Miss be interested
to leave Bai Ming Sect?”

This was easier said than done, besides who on earth

would have this ability? Even if there was a safe haven,
there was no such thing as a free lunch. Is Gong Sun
Yun trying to lure her away from Bai Ming Sect, or did
he have another motive? What was his
intention? Cloud Manor was a neutral entity, was he
pointing an out for her simply because she has saved his
life before?

She fingered the two broken jade pieces in her

sleeve. When she has presented him with four broken
pieces that day, he has taken back two pieces while
insisting that she keep the remaining two. Nature is
indeed cyclical. Before, she has lead him out of the Sky
Forrest; now it was his turn to lead her out of the
Central Plains.

But what will be, will be.

“Since you are a historian yourself, Gentleman Xian

Yun should somewhat understand how Bai Ming Sect
operates. Traditionally, both Left and Right Protectors
seldom see eye to eye and when one becomes the Sect
Leader, the other one will usually end up dead. What
do think will be the ending for me and Protector Che?”

At her words, he stopped and looked at her. She

returned his look “Gentleman Xian Yun?”

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “The

Master’s successor has been decided a long time ago,
isn’t it so?”

The Master’s successor has indeed been decided a long

time ago.
It was her.

Since she was fifteen, she has understood this. No

matter where she flees, how she tries to act dumb, that
seat has always been waiting for her.

She lowered her eyes and let the night wind play with
her robes while the night consumed bright red of her
robes.

Chapter 3 – Part 2 of 2
“Miss?”

“Hmm?” She did not turn back.

“The people of Cloud Manor has prepared a change of

clothing. Do you wish to change?”
“No.” She is used to her own clothing. It feels more
natural and safer.

“Do you wish me to comb your hair?”

“That will be good.” And she sat on a big rock. She

stroked the jade flute that she always had with her. Her
eyes landed on a small creek and she started to
contemplate at the reflection of the crescent moon on
the waters.

He Zai deftly removed her hair ring and gently combed

her long hair.

“What is Miss thinking of?”

She said rather listlessly: “I am thinking if someone

would fall for a beauty’s temptation and done the deed
in a moment of folly.”

“Is Miss referring to Protector Che and Gong Sun

Yun?”
Who else could there be? Once night has fallen, she has
hastily grabbed some food and led He Zai away from
base camp. She would not peep, would not
eavesdrop. Even if the images were guaranteed to be
stimulating, she would remain calm as water and would
not let her imagination run wild.
Although she was still curious what expression would
cross the face of Gentleman Xian Yun? Would his
iceberg façade finally slip? If it did, what could one
find underneath?

She mumbled more to herself. “I did not notice in the

past but have she ever missed when she goes hunting?”

“Miss was young and would not have noticed. What

Protector Che wants, she would definitely find a way to
get it.” He has completed tying her hair. “Would Miss
like to touch up your make-up?”

She thought about it and nodded. “What will be

good.” Seemed like Gong Sun Yun would not be able
to escape tonight.

He Zai turned to face her and applied her make-up with

expert strokes under the dim light. She looked at him
and asked suddenly: “He Zai, you are from the Central
Plains too so you should understand Gong Sun Yun
better in some aspects. People from the Central Plains
are usually more restrained so most would not be able
to withstand the onslaught of a hot-blooded young
woman, is that right?”
“For someone who came to a high post when young, the
person must have a strong will. Oherwise there is no
way he could have held on to the position for long.” He
could only reply as such.

She did not quite buy his words. “It would depend on
what is at stake. No one is perfect, and Gong Sun Yun
is bound to have some weakness. Furthermore, the
beauty trap is one trap which most heroes would find
difficult to resist… "

“He Zai, there is still time if you turn back now. Even
if you have the Sky Slave mark, He Rong Hua would
not abandon you.”

He Zai was silent. After a while he answered: “I will

follow Miss.”

She did not ask for his reason. In any case, she believed
he would regret it in the end. Whatever moving or
touching words that she is hearing now cannot be
trusted.

“Do you think Sect Leader would let me off if I return

with a head of white hair?”

“Unless Miss is dead, Sect Leader would never let you

off.”
“There is no need for you to sound so sure.” She is
already disheartened as it is; he do not need to punch
her to the ground.

“Miss would have guessed that Sect Leader would bring

us back if you let me return for my father’s funeral, but
you still permitted my trip. Why?”

Her face remained expressionless as she stroked her

precious jade flute. She closed her eyes to enjoy the
night breeze. “Because… I respect the elderly.”

He Zai gazed at her face. “That is not how this phrase is

used.”

She laughed. “That is the only way I know how to

talk. If He Zai wants to follow me, you must learn to be
accustomed to the way I speak.”

He Zai nodded. “Miss is correct. Since I have decided

to be with Miss, it is only right I get used to the way
you speak.”

Her face was still expressionless but the hand that was
touching the flute trembled.

“Go take a look at Che Yan Yan and see if she has
succeeded. If both of them are still lovey-dovey, go
figure where Gong Sun Zhi and the rest of the Sky
Slaves are, and we will stick with them tonight to
prevent any mishaps.”

He Zai left silently.

The breezy summer night contained a hint of

humidity. Looks like there will be a thunderstorm
tomorrow. She started to pace to and fro but when she
realized that her fingers were still trembling, she gave a
wan laugh. So He Rong Hua was not diseased-stricken,
he was merely overwhelmed by his brother’s return.

There was little semblance between today’s He Zai and

his younger self. The fact that He Rong Hua could
recognize him instantly, especially in his heavy make-
up, indicated that he has been planning this reunion for
quite some time. She looked at her own shaking fingers
and realized that she has quite a number of weaknesses
to overcome since she was behaving like He Zai’s
brother when excited.

Follow her?

Although He Zai did not say so explicitly, she knew

that the word “follow” encompasses one lifetime.

She also knew this was easier said than done. Although
He Rong Hua has hoped that his brother could stay in
Tian He Manor, she knew He Zai has chosen to follow
her because it was not just his looks that has
changed. Whoever he is inside has also changed. He is
no longer suited to live in the Central Plains so his only
choice was to be with her.

And she is very happy to have him.

The warm breeze blew her thoughts back to the

present. They will be out of the Central Plains in
another two days. Sect Leader will definitely do
something. She will stake her life that Che Yan Yan’s
appearance cannot be simply to bring her back. What
will happen? He will pass his master’s seat to his
successor within the year, what will he do to force her
hand?

She was pondering on this when she felt a chill at her

back. There was little light in the woods, but she could
see the slender outline of a man about ten paces
away. If not for the gentle movement of his clothing in
the wind, she could almost believe there was no one.

“Miss Yun.”

The voice was clear as a stream flowing down the

mountains.

“Gentleman Xian Yun. It is late….” So one of the

lovebirds have flown. She wondered how he managed
to escape.
“Precisely because it is late, Miss should return to the
camp and rest.” His voice contained his customary
aloofness but when he stepped out from the shadows
into the moonlight, she saw that he was smiling.

She eyes rounded in surprise while he brushed past her

to sit on a rock. “If you are wondering how I managed
to find you, it is because of the bell you are
wearing.” When she did not reply, he continued
smiling: “Or are you mesmerized by my smile?”

“…surely you jest, Gentleman Xian Yun.” She has to

shake herself out of her reverie with god-almighty effort
but her voice still sounded a trifle hoarse. She took a
step a forward and studied him. What did she just see?
When he smiled…. she dazed off again.

“… slim throat and curving neck, the pale flesh lies

open to view …red lips that shed their light abroad,
pearl-like teeth gleaming within…. Bright eyes skilled
at glances, ….”[Sidenote: this is a verse from the poetic
essay on Luo Shen, the Water Fairy. The next verse is
“a dimple to round off the base of the cheek”]

“Miss Yun?”

“Please ignore me. Recently I seem to have an affinity

with Luo Shen… Do you have dimples, Gentleman
Xian Yun?”
He gave a start and appeared to be smiling again. “Miss
Yun must be paying close attention to have found out.”

She recovered from her daze and coughed. So

Gentleman Xian Yun has dimples. Would it benefit her
in any way if she spread the news?

He turned serious. “There are some things that is

inconvenient for me to say during the day. Now that
there are only two of us, I shall be frank. If you wish to
leave Bai Ming Sect, Cloud Manor could offer you
assistance.”

They stared at each other for a long time before she

broke the silence. “Cloud Manor is a neutral entity and
I have heard pugilists recounting the adventures of its
Gentlemen over their cup of afternoon tea. However, I
do not recall hearing any stories that the Manor or its
disciples are life-saving bodhisattvas.

“That is because I am not on close terms with them.”

“If you are making an exception for me because I saved

you before, your sums do not seem to add up. To be
frank, you are not the only prominent pugilist I rescued
in the last few years…”

His gaze sharpened and he sounded strange. “Did all of

them came from Tian Bi cliff?”
“Of course not. You are the only one who came from
Tian Bi Cliff. What I am trying to say that is that my
help is simple and is no different from lifting a hand.
But what you are offering is as good as pitting yourself
against Bai Ming Sect. If I accepted your offer, would I
not end up owing you big time?”

“Is it important who owes who? Why don’t you give it

some thought? If you say the word, I would be very
glad to help.”

No, it is not really important who owes who. Besides,

defaulting on payment is not unusual. The question is -
what is Gong Sun Yun really after?

Ding dang, ding dang… someone was approaching. He

got up from the rock and folded his sleeves. “Different
sects from Central Plains have been sending people to
follow us ever since we left Tian He Manor. I have
already told them to back off, as well as gotten other
Gentleman to persuade them to drop the trail. Although
Miss is innocent, your identity makes you an easy
target.” He looked at a point behind her shoulder. “I
will do my utmost to protect Miss and not let anyone
have a chance to strike.”

“Thank you Gentleman. With your promise, I feel more

at ease now.”

“Then let us return to camp.”

She smiled and followed his footsteps. If Che Yan Yan
was unsuccessful tonight, she should not blame it on
her. If anything, she could only blame deity-from-nine-
heavens for his will power. Or maybe he was simply
not the kind who would fall for beauty traps?

He Zai has followed behind her and she asked him in

low tones. “Are there people trailing us?”

“Yes. They are some young men who started trailing us

since Tian He Manor.”

She sighed and replied in the same low tone. “Our Sky
Slaves have always been a sore point with pugilists
from Central Plains. I think they will wait until Gong
Sun Yun leaves before they strike. But if Gong Sun
Yun is persuading them to leave, I think they would
respect his request. My only worry now is Sect
Leader…” It was such a headache. It was not difficult
to second-guess a normal person. But to predict the
actions of a mad man was sheer torture. How could she
guess what he thinks when she is not a whacko? The
only thing she could be sure is that something will
definitely happen because Sect Leader would never
have passed up such an opportunity!

When they returned, she saw Gong Sun Yun resting

together with Gong Sun Zhi, while Che Yan Yan was
resting in another corner with her Sky Slaves. She was
sitting very straight and her eyes were blazing with
anger while her face was flushed.

“What happened to her?”

He Zai: “Someone has immobilized her.”

She couldn’t help looking at Gong Sun Yun. Is this

man straight? Che Yan Yan is like a fresh bloom and
instead of plucking it, he actually planted her back to
the soil? He felt her gaze on him and returned her look,
his eyes calm as water.

Her heart skipped a beat and she looked away. She sat
down and He Zai put a blanket over her knees. “You
can sleep behind me.”

“Yes.”

He Zai proceeded to sit crossed legged behind her, his

back to her back. From afar, they looked like they were
garnering warmth from each other, but it was also a
position for watching each other’s back. She was very
accustomed to this arrangement but someone was
apparently not used to their habit.

Gong Sun Yun looked at her, his normally

expressionless eyes rippling like water. She closed her
eyes to shut him out. Recently, verses from the Luo
Shen poem has wandered unbidden into her mind when
she least expects them to, and she has no intention to
continue her recollection of the poetic essay on the
Water Fairy.

She felt very happy tonight. For one, she received a

promise from He Zai - an easier-said-then-done promise
is still a promise. At the same time, another man has
smiled at her.

A parent to everyone… the people of Cloud Manor

must have seen him like this frequently. If his martial
arts were as good as reported, she was likely his only
savior which was why he would treat her like family
and care for her like one.

His smile was not mesmerizing because it lit up his

features, but because of its warmth. She took it as
much as the woods would welcome a spring breeze and
the feeling was like having received a precious gift. No
wonder he was always expressionless; he probably
reserved his expressions only for his family. It was a
pity she did not have a family, so she will not dwell on
it or harbor any regrets.

She closed her eyes. She felt very safe leaning on He

Zai, and she quickly fell asleep thinking of smiles like
warm spring breezes. She knew such smiles are like
drugs and cannot be indulged. Even in sleep, she
resisted their pull while her sub-consciousness
continued to ponder on her future path with He Zai.
 Chapter 4

The next morning, the sky was tainted a faint orange

and the smell of wet earth lingered in the air.

A storm was brewing and the strong wind was causing

everyone’s robes to dance wildly. He Zai was beside
her and blocked some of the wind. Normally, she
would find such weather refreshing but for some
reason, she could not help but feel restless and uneasy.

Although she has said before that luck was the primary
reason she was still alive, she has never doubted the
strength of her sixth senses. She could feel the danger in
the air but could not guess what was going to happen
next.

Suddenly, colorful fireworks exploded in the distant

sky. Gong Sun Yun narrowed his eyes and ordered
Gong Sun Zhi to stick close to the two Protectors while
he displayed some rather impressive qinggong* and
flew quickly out of the woods.

Originally, Cloud Manor has arranged for a shelter

point in front, in anticipation of the rain. With the turn
of events, everyone could only hurry after Gong Sun
Yun in case an unseen enemy was planning to divide
and conquer. The woods passed in a green blur as she
steadily followed three paces behind Che Yan Yan and
her Sky Slaves. He Zai was besides her and Gong Sun
Zhi was at her back.

Gong Sun Zhi tried to comfort her. “You do not need to

worry. There are very few in the pugilist world who
would pit themselves against Cloud Manor and the
people who dare to do so are either some nobody or
mountain bandits. The fireworks are a sign that our
men had encountered some difficulty. Based on the
location where the shot is being fired, it was where we
discovered two young pugilists previously, so perhaps
our men are having difficulty persuading them to
leave.”

Wang Yun was surprised. “You could tell what I am

thinking?”

He returned her question with a gentle smile.

“Whenever you are thinking on something, you would
touch your flute. The flute contains a sword and is
probably something very important to you. However,
try not to expect the worse in every situation to prevent
stress from accumulating and affecting your health.”

She gave an involuntary shiver, afraid that he would

lapse into his lecturing mode. She stopped touching her
flute but could not stem her thoughts. How could she
not expect the worse in everything? Had she not done
so, she would have died a long time ago.
They spotted some people in front and slowed their
pace. When Fifth Gentleman saw the young man in
Gong Sun Yun arms, he shouted “Seven Brother!” and
dashed to kneel beside the two.

There were several other bodies on the ground and they

were all dressed in Cloud Manor robes. She observed
the scene before her and fingered her flute from
habit. After a brief examination of the bodies He Zai
reported to her in low tones: “Miss, these people has
just expired.”

She did not reply and turned her attention to their

surroundings. They are at the top of a cliff and a recent
shower has given visibility to the normally misty
surroundings. She walked to the edge and peered down
the cliff. From what she could see, this cliff was not as
tall or steep as Tian Bi cliff but anyone who fell off the
cliff would still die or become severly injured at the
very least.

She went to Gong Sun Yun and found that he has sealed
the major meridian points of Seventh Gentleman. Gong
Sun Zhi was trying to help but his fingers were shaking.
Seventh Gentleman was very weak but he managed to
breathe “The seven disciples I brought, are they…
gone?”

Gong Sun Yun was in the midst of transferring his inner

energy to him, but he managed to reply: “They have all
gone without any pain.”

“Is that so? Xian Yun, I do not know who he is except

that his skills are extraordinary. Perhaps, it could also
be two or three people…” Seventh Gentleman’s voice
grew hoarser and blood dripped from the corner of his
mouth.

Gong Sun Zhi tried to stop him from talking but he

stubbornly continued: “I may not have the chance so
hear me out. I did not see him or them. Had Xian Yun
not taught me qinggong personally, I would not have
been able to dodge the last strike, and now…”

“Little Seven, I do not care about that! You are not

going to be telling us your last will!” With that, Gong
Sun Zhi sealed his meridian point for speech and glared
at him. “If you want to talk, you will need to recover
first!”

“Gentleman Xian Yun, we witnessed everything!” said

a young pugilist from another sect. “Although we are a
step late in getting here, but the bodies tell their own
story. There are no sword or knife wounds so the
murderer must have used his internal strength to shatter
the internal organs of these Cloud Manor disciples. The
Right Protector of Bai Ming Sect uses a whip and the
Left Protector uses a sword, but their Sect Leader is
known to be able kill with his bare hands. Such evil
martial arts have the fingerprints of Bai Ming Sect all
over it!”

Wang Yun gave a faint smile and said: “If it is Master,

there should not be any survivors. It is possible that
someone could be trying to frame us.”

“Demoness, pay with your life! Bai Ming Sect has

turned my brother into a Sky Slave and let him die in
shame while leaving my father too ashamed to face the
others. Let me turn you into a slave today and parade
you like a dog to give you a taste of your own
medicine!”

Someone drew his sword and He Zai was in front of

Wang Yun in the next instant. Che Yan Yan flicked her
whip and said coldly. “Sure! Let us see who is the one
who is going to die!”

Seeing that the situation was getting out of control,

Gong Sun Yun moved quickly to deflect the falling
swords and whip. His face was pale but stern. “You
are not giving me face if you choose to fight.”

“Gentleman Xian Yun, he killed your people – “

At that moment, Wang Yun could imagine herself
kneeling from admiration in front of an altar with a
Gentleman Xian Yun statue on it. From what she could
see, he was someone who favored his own. Yet when
faced with the death of his sect members, he could still
refrain from turning against Che Yan Yan and her on
the spot. Deities were indeed made differently from
common folks.

She looked around thoughtfully. Things could not be so

simple - there must be another shoe waiting to
drop. She knew Sect Leader was not after discordance
between Bai Ming Sect and other clans. She ought to be
his main target, but what did he hope to accomplish
with the death of some Cloud Manor disciples?

While she was still pondering, some hot-blooded young

pugilist could hold back no longer and started
fighting. These young men were probably too young to
hold much respect for Cloud Manor. As for Gong Sun
Yun, she knew he has transferred all the energy he
could to Seventh Gentleman earlier and his face was
very pale. From one young man swinging his sword, to
a second, a third… the situation was fast getting
chaotic.

She continued to observe the situation coldly and

thought to herself that Gong Sun Yun would not fight to
kill. True enough, his moves were aimed at disarming
the young men and many were soon empty-
handed. When someone turned to attack her, she did
not even move except say to He Zai, “Maim but do not
kill.”

Ignoring the fight around her, she went Fifth

Gentleman. “Can you save Seventh Gentleman?”

His reply was confidant. “Yes!”

She smiled as she recalled his earlier words that his goal
was to let his family live a long life. “It is chaotic here
and Seventh Gentleman cannot not sustain further
injuries. Let us move him away.” This was a good
opportunity for her to score some friendship points,
and it was also good to showcase her difference with
Che Yan Yan, since the latter would not hesitate to kill
when given the opportunity.

They managed to move Seventh Gentleman to the edge

of the cliff. Wang Yun was startled when she saw that
Seventh Gentleman has opened his eyes and seemed to
be focusing on her. His eyes were bloodshot and he
could not be far away from death’s door. She prayed he
did not mistake her as the enemy and that his purpose
for remembering her was so he could seek revenge in
his next life!
Gong Sun Zhi caressed his eyes gently with his fingers.
“This is Huang Fu Yun. Xian Yun has guessed
correctly, it is her.”

Seventh Gentleman tried to reply but Gong Sun Zhi

continued with forced positivity. “It is exactly like what
Xian Yun thought. Did you volunteer to take care of
our lodgings in order to seek a peek at her? Do focus
on getting well, after which you can look at her to your
heart’s content.”

With that, tears started to fall from Gong Sun

Zhi. When she turned to look at Seventh Gentleman,
there was a ghost of a smile at his lips but he still
looked frightening with blood at his lips. His hands
trembled and she hesitated before holding his cold palm
in hers.

The winds were very strong at the edge of the cliff. But
there was another sound…

The ground was shaking!

Gong Sun Zhi quickly shouted: “Xian Yun! The earth

dragon has awakened!”

No. It was not that. There were just too many

coincidences. It crossed her mind that the earthquake
could have been caused by dynamite, having witnessed
a similar scene in her youth. Quickly, she helped
Seventh Gentleman onto Fifth Gentleman’s back. He
Zai was back at her side and she issued the order
without her usual cower: “Let us leave this place!”

Gong Sun Yun has also noticed the abnormality and

shouted: “Everyone, leave the mountain. Quickly!”

Wang Yun was at the back of the group. Once she

stumbled and He Zai held her up and dodged some
falling rocks. As she was fleeing, the sense of unease
continued to tug at her. Ever since leaving Tian He
Manor, it was as if she has been reeled by an invisible
thread to this place. Looking at the falling rocks, whom
did Sect Leader wanted dead?

Gong Sun Yun went to Gong Sun Zhi and took over the
task of piggy-back Seventh Gentleman. When he
passed her, he asked: “Can you keep up?”

“Of course.” Besides, she still has He Zai. But his

action has impressed her nonetheless. Seventh
Gentleman’s life was hanging by a thread but these two
showed no signs of giving up. A pity, such a pity! She
can only be an observer in such situations and will
never belong to the other side of the fence as a person
who has someone who would never give up on her.

She stumbled and He Zai caught her again. The ground

was crumbling at an astonishing speed. She has barely
taken two steps when the ground disappeared under her
feet and she fumbled again. Just when He Zai steadied
her, they heard a shout. “Big Brother!”

From out of nowhere, the young master of Tian He

Manor was thrown out from the woods. She could not
move as she was caught in an icy grip, He Zai also
knew something was very wrong. “Miss, stick close to
me!”

He flew forward and caught an immobilized He Rong

Hua in midair. In the next instant, three darts shot out
from the woods, all aiming at Wang Yun. He Zai was
holding on to He Rong Hua with his right hand but he
managed to block a dart with his left hand. Next to her,
Gong Sun Yun flipped his sleeve and managed to
deflect the second dart as he shouted: “Huang Fu Yun,
duck!”

Wang Yun quickly took a step back and managed to

block the third dart with her flute. As she stumbled back
another step, she wanted to breathe a sigh of relief when
she realized there was nothing beneath her feet. He Zai
leaped forward to grab her but another chain of darts
shot out from the woods, this time all aiming at He
Rong Hua.

If he persisted in going after her, He Rong Hua will die

without a doubt.
In that instant, she suddenly understood what Sect
Leader has planned. So this was it, this was it!

Some things are easier said then done…. easier said

than done… she saw a flash of hatred in He Zai’s eyes
before he made a half turn and deflected He Rong Hua
from the secret weapons.

“Miss Huang Fu!” Gong Sun Zhi has also turned and
tried to grab at her. Gong Sun Yun uncoiled the band at
his waist and hastily festooned a hold on Gong Sun Zhi
while the latter leaped after Wang Yun. As some loose
rocks hit him along his descent, Gong Sun Zhi knew it
will not be enough. Although Xian Yun’s qinggong was
very good, the ground was unstable and he has Seventh
Brother on his back, how long could he last?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he felt the band

tightened around his waist and he was jerked
upwards. In that split second, he understood that Xian
Yun has made a snap decision and he averted his eyes
from the falling Wang Yun.

Gong Sun Zhi has not dared to meet her eyes, but what
was there not to dare? The wind was howling around
her as she fell. As the white mist swallowed the
figures on the cliff, she burst out laughing. “Ha,
ha..ha.ha…!”
To think she has been mulling for ten years over this
question! Is it not a good thing that the answer is now
out? She closed her eyes and let the wind accompanied
her fall. Isn’t a dying person supposed to see her life
flashing before her? Why is it that the only thing she
sees is the scene from yesterday when He Zai promised
her that he will follow her this lifetime?

She has thought she felt a bit more secure now that she
has a family.

She recalled how Gong Sun Yun would smile warmly

at his family members. Hasn’t the world always been
like this? Everyone has someone important in their
hearts whom they will not give up on. She is just a little
unlucky to belong to the second category, to be
classified as someone who could be saved if one is able,
but could be discarded if it is beyond one’s
means. There is really nothing much to it.

He Zai has asked her for the reason she allowed him to
return for his father’s funeral when knowing full well
they would be caught home. The answer was because
she has been waiting for him to turn his back to
her. Even if it did not happen today, that day will still
come in future. She has expected this.

As for Gong Sun Yun, he too has offered protection if

she ever leaves the sect. Too bad he has chosen his
family when the crunch came. It is only natural. She
will not bear any grudges. At most she should only be
relieved that ah, it finally happened.

So there is no need for her to ponder when the people

closest to her will leave her. Perhaps this is another
form of good luck? But Sect Leader has chosen a really
harsh way to drive home the fact of her
loneliness. Can he not just tell her nicely? She is sure
she can understand. If she falls to her death today,
where is the crazy man going to find another
successor? Che Yan Yan is never an option and from
the look of things, Che Yan Yan is unlikely to live long
if there is a new leader.

Her thoughts were adrift and the roar of the wind

seemed to make her even more confused. Why did she
get the feeling that the wind is blowing her up to
heaven? She inhaled the cold air and understood that
although it has only been mere seconds, she has already
lived an eternity.

She opened her eyes as her survival instincts kicked

in. She tried kicking out with her legs, and after several
tries, she thought she has hit the side of the
cliff. Quickly, she tried to dig her flute into the rocks
around her to try to slow her fall.

A pity she did not have enough strength and her flute
without its sword was not hard enough to create much
hold as she continued to plunge. She bit down hard on
her lips and uncoiled the belt around her waist. She
tried to swing it and see if she could hook one of the
huge rocks near to her, but the wind blew her attempts
away. She laughed again, perhaps it was all meant to
be. Her belt continued to dance in the wind, like a red
river of blood flowing around but dazedly, she saw the
belt has actually caught on some branches growing by
the cliffs. She quickly coiled more belt around her
hands as happiness coursed through her, and she prayed
fervently that the belt would not break so
soon. Thankfully, the belt broke her fall and when it
finally snapped, although she still fell with a hard
‘thumph!’ to the ground, it was no longer a deadly fall.

When she landed, her whole body flooded with

pain. She opened her mouth to gasp but it was blood
that spurted out, tainting her face and vision a fiery
red. It took a while for the pain to subside and for her
to be finally able to recognize a cloud in the sky… she
was alive!

She tried to stop coughing up more blood. Her left

shoulder was burning and her face could not stop
twitching. Her back was starting to feel numb but she
knew she needed to stand up. She has to stand up or
she would never stand again…

Her face continued to twitch uncontrollably and when

she looked at her left shoulder, she saw that it was an
open facture and part of the bone has broken through
the skin. No wonder she was in so much
pain! Although she was no stranger to scrapes and
bruises while growing up, she has never encountered
such a close brush with death. She was vaguely
impressed that she could still endure the pain without
moaning. Wiping the blood from her face and she found
that her hand was still holding tightly to her jade flute.

She stared at it – what is the use of keeping this now? –

and let the flute fell to the ground.

She wiped her face and found blood and tears on her
face. Why was she crying? What was there to cry?
Although she managed to break her fall, she has
sustained a hard fall and besides her bleeding head, her
broken shoulder, there was also a dull ache in her
abdomen when she tried to breathe.

Is heaven playing a trick on her or giving her luck, to

have her seriously injured instead of dead? She tried to
walk but she has barely taken a step before her knees
folded beneath her. Although she has tried to suppress
it, her mouth opened and out came more blood.

When her eyes fell to the Sky Slave bangle on her hand,
her eyes turned cold and she removed the bangle. The
bangle has no key and was supposedly
irremovable. But since she was fourteen, she has
figured out how to remove the bangle although she had
kept it from He Zai.
Why did she need to wear the bangle now?

The pain in her heart warred with the pain in her

head. She took a deep breathe and forced herself to
stand again. She heard a clap of thunder and figured it
was going to pour. And the rain would erase all her
traces….

She bit her lips again and walked away from the foot of
the cliff. With every step, the broken bone at her left
shoulder seemed to pierce at her heart, bringing her
unspeakable pain. Great, now she was not only
bleeding, she was also perspiring. The slight weight in
her sleeves reminded her that there were two pieces of
broken jade inside. She wanted to throw them away
too, but it was too bad she did not even have the
strength for this.

She turned to survey the place where she fell. There

were many fallen rocks but there was clearly no body
buried beneath them. The blood on the ground would
likely be washed away but if someone came down to
look for her body, he or she would conclud that she has
left.

Which was exactly what she was going to do.

From henceforth, there will only be her. There will no

longer be a companion by her side. This is good since
no one will know her whereabouts, and she need not
worry if she will be betrayed one day.

She turned to leave again but the pain stopped her after
a few steps. If only the pain could go away, how great
would that be? But she knew she has to endure the pain
because if she could not feel the pain, it would mean
she was losing consciousness, so she got up again and
slowly staggered away.

The rain started and she thought that the rivets would
wash away her footprints. How great! Wipe away all
her traces, wipe away He Zai, wipe away Gong Sun
Yun. Who cares about them? Scumbags.

The pain… she could definitely endure the pain. In

ancient times, Gou Jian could eat bitter gall every day
so what was this in comparison? Just endure, if her
hand breaks, just endure a bit more and it will be
over. She bit down hard on her lips…endure… so long
as she could walk out of here, so long as she could keep
breathing, there will be a wide ocean and vast sky
waiting for her…

A wide ocean and vast sky…

And the figure in red slowly disappeared into the

pouring rain.
*a branch of martial arts whereby a person with
good qinggong can make his body very light, and can
run faster and leap higher than a person
without qinggong.

Some thoughts of mine:-

What an unexpected turn of events! Poor Wang Yun,
her mental despair seems greater than her physical
injuries, which are already quite severe by any
standards. I realize that Yu Qing likes to rough up her
heroines somewhere in the middle of her stories and
although this is quite mild in comparison of what Nan
Ling Slave Girl ended up with, the pain she wrote about
still sounded pretty nasty. What does she mean by 'if
her hand breaks, just endure a bit'? And internal
bleeding? Girl, best go find a doctor fast.
Gentleman Free-Floating Cloud (闲云公子）
Chapter 5 Part 1 of 2

Half a year later.

A young lady walked into a restaurant. She was

dressed in a short-sleeve yellow top with a matching
long skirt, tied at the waist with a long belt. Although
the design was plain, her robes were made of top-
quality fabric giving her a simple but elegant look. Her
black hair was braided at the top with a jade hairpin
while the rest of her hair flowed softly to her tiny waist.
Her features veered towards handsome rather than
pretty, but she was nonetheless very easy on the eyes.

She asked the waiter for a table on the second

floor. There were plenty of empty seats and she chose a
seat next to the window. After studying the menu, she
said: “Please bring me some deep fried dishes. The
oilier the better.”

“Would miss like to try our herbal menu? We have the

honor to get Fifth Gentleman of Cloud Manor to share
some of his recipes, and we are probably the only
restaurant to offer such herbal cuisine in the whole of
Central Plains.”

She blinked and gave the waiter a pleasant smile

“Perhaps next time. Please give me what I have
ordered for now.”

As the waiter poured tea for her, he noticed that the lady
has very nice features although her eyebrows were
rather manly. If she has worn a man’s robes, he would
probably not be able to tell that she was a woman.

She returned his look. “Is anything amiss?”

“None at all. I am just thinking that this is the first time

I have seen a person with such unisex features. Miss is
really…” after running through his mental vocabulary
list he finally hit on “…really handsome.”

“Ay, if I must be quite a failure if you think that I look

like a man when I am dressed like this.” She sighed. “It
is indeed not easy for a man to cross-dress as a
woman…”
The waiter was flustered by her reply. “What I mean is,
Miss has features that will look good on either man or
woman. If you choose to wear man’s clothing, you
would have look like a handsome gentleman. But if
you wear a dress, you will naturally look like a pretty
lady… besides you are obviously a woman with your
current dressing.”

She gave him a wan smile and asked him to serve her
lunch quickly as she was getting hungry.

She played with her chopsticks out of habit while

observing the street below. Because it was noontime,
the restaurant got progressively crowded. By the time
her dishes arrived, another three to four tables on the
second floor were already occupied.

The waiter noticed that her chopsticks dropped several

times from her left hand. Perhaps her left hand has a
problem? As he laid the dishes on the table, he caught a
sniff of herbs from her. He discreetly looked down and
saw a waist satchel that he did not spot earlier.

“Is anything the matter?” she asked again.

The waiter took a while to sort through his thoughts.
“Oh I see. Miss’s belt is overly long and has concealed
your fragrant satchel when you walk. But once you sit
down, the satchel would be revealed.” The lady has a
tiny waist and surely need not wear such a long belt?

“A belt can do many things, like saving a life for

example.”

“Oh I see.” Although he was still curious, the waiter

knew that he must do his utmost to serve his customers
and if this customer only wished to comment so much,
he would not ask further and so he left her.

A while later, all the tables on second floor were taken

up. Two young men walked up to her and requested
politely: “Miss, can we share the table?”

The new comers were in their twenties, with refined

manners and fairly good looks. When she agreed
graciously, they thanked her and proceeded to place
their food orders with the waiter.
One of the young pugilists asked her: “Is Miss from
the jianghu [pugilist world]?”

“I should be considered one.” She concentrated on

eating, being careful not to stuff herself, as a way to
stay healthy.

“Do you have a title?”

“No, I think.”

The young men thought that she could be someone new

to jianghu and let down their guards. Still, they could
not help but sneak a second look at her. She looks
young but lacks the flighty or delicate airs of an
inexperienced heroine.

Usually, young female pugilists tend to be rash and will

follow their fellow brothers from the same sect when
they travelling around the jianghu. But this young lady
is very steady and does not seem to be the rash sort.
Besides, her eyebrows are extraordinary handsome,
with healthy, delicate skin…. as their thoughts took on
another direction, both men turned a dull red and
coughed in an attempt to cover up their nervousness.

She noted their cough, and the distance from their

mouth to her food. She can tolerate this. It was nothing
really, to eat another person’s saliva, she can definitely
endure.

One of the young men tried to change the topic and

asked his companion. “Brother Gu, are you going to
Cloud Manor?”

Young Master Gu replied: “Yes. The Imperial Court

holds a martial arts examination once every six years,
and this year’s winner is Silver-Hand Third Master Tu
San Long. He does not have a fixed residence but he is
a good friend of Gentleman Xian Yun and I heard he is
currently putting up at Cloud Manor. My master has
sent me to congratulate Master Tu on his behalf, and to
bring back some scrolls from Cloud Manor pertaining
to Silver-Hand Third Master, so that our other disciples
learn from him. Is Brother Huang going to Cloud
Manor for the same reason?”
Young Master Huang smiled. “That is right. I have
another agenda as I would like to find out from the
other Gentlemen if Silver-Hand Third Master would be
receptive to our Master Deng’s idea for him to marry
his daughter. I would also like to…”

Young Master Gu continued for him “…sneak a peek at

Fairy No Waves (无波仙子)?”

She nearly choked on her rice upon hearing “Fairy No

Waves”. Tolerate. Tolerate! She took a deep breath
and tried to pour some tea for herself with her left
hand. Unfortunately, the teapot was too heavy and the
action caused a shot of pain up her left arm.

Both men offered to pour for her. Embarrassed when

they spoke out at the same time, they diverted their
eyes. In the end. Young Master Gu poured the tea for
her and enquired: “Did Miss injured your left hand?”

“It is just a small injury. Thank you young master”

“My name is Gu Shao De.” He was quick to introduce

himself
“My name is Huang Zai Ran.” His companion did not
want to lose out either.

“I see.” She looked out of the window. “Pray, do

continue with your chat.”

“Is Miss waiting for someone?”

She did not wish to talk while eating so she looked out
of the window again. “Yes I am.”

Seeing her disinterest, the two young men continued to

eat. The people at the next table were talking rather
loudly and Gu Shao De commented in low tones when
he heard what they were talking about. “Ay, they were
still talking about that incident which happened half a
year ago.”

Huang Zai Ran appeared a little embarrassed and

mumbled: ”For a small matter that happened so long
ago, I don’t see what else is there to talk about.”
“How could Brother Huang say so? Several Cloud
Manor disciples were either dead or injured, while
Protector Huang Fu of the Evil Sect has fallen to her
death. Rumor has it that it was a setup because they
found dynamite buried under at the cliff. Who could
have done it? When Che Yan Yan and Gentleman Xian
Yun attempted to look for Huang Fu Yun at the base of
the cliff, all they could find was her body. It was such a
mystery”

Mystery? Of course it was a mystery. Besides the

Cloud Manor disciples who perished in the incident, the
Evil Sect has also lost Huang Fu Yun and Sky Slaves
belonging to Che Yan Yan. Even more surprising was
the fact that the Leader of Bai Ming Sect has decided
not to pursue the matter of Huang Fu Yun’s death and
only summoned her Sky Slave, He Zai, back to the
Sect.

According to rumors, He Zai has chosen to return to

Tian He Manor but no one has seen him ever
since. Whenever Cloud Manor dispatched someone to
Tian He Manor, He Zai would refuse to meet the
messenger. He Rong Hua was still the master of the
manor and things were sort of left that way. Whatever
the historians of Cloud Manor have chosen to write
about the incident were kept behind the three locked
gates of their library without anyone being wiser. No
one wanted to probe further which also made sense, for
who would dare shoulder the upheaval if they stirred a
hornet’s nest?

Gu Shao De sighed and continued. “Rumor has it that

there were ten young men who have trailed the group
ever since they left Tian He Manor. Their aim was to
kill the Protectors of the Evil Sect and make a name for
themselves. But when the landslide happened, it was
Gentleman Xian Yun who saved their lives. Out of
shame, all of them have refused to speak of the incident
ever since. I wonder who these dumb asses are? For all
we know, they could be the ones who planted the
dynamite.”

Huang Zai Ran did not meet his eyes and concentrated
on eating. She too kept silent and concentrated on
savoring her oily fried chicken wing. When she heard a
disturbance at the streets below, she looked out of the
window and saw that someone has entered the city and
were leading their horses down the street.

According to the rules of Cloud Manor, riders have to

dismount once they have entered the city unless in
situations of emergency. She saw two white figures
leading their horses. The one walking behind was Gong
Sun Zhi and the one in front was naturally the legendary
deity-from-nine heavens, Gong Sun Yun.

Gu Shao De was overjoyed. “They are back! How

wonderful. Now we can follow Gentleman Xian Yun to
the manor.”

He was about to go down when he saw that Gong Sun

Yun has lifted his head to their second-storey window.
Gu Shao De was about to smile and wave his greetings
when he saw Gong Sun Yun curved his lips into a
generous smile.

For a moment, Gu Shao De was mesmerized.

Gong Sun Yun’s voice was cheerful. “Wu Bo, let us

return together.”

She sighed: ”Endure, endure... I have already

memorized the entire poetic essay of Luo Shen to heart,
so this is but a small matter.” She went down the steps
with her hands folded customary behind her, her long
belt nearly dragging the floor.

When she reached their side, Gong Sun Zhi was the
first to ask: “Have you taken your medicine today?”

“Yes, I have.” Hi Mom, you are back.

Gong Sun Yun gave her a slight smile: “Fifth Brother is

just worried about you. Although you have made a
speedy recovery, your tolerance too good and you could
have pushed yourself harder than you realized.”

“I understand and will be careful.” Hello Dad, you are

home too.

Since losing her parents since young, she has never

thought that there could come a day when she would
inherit another set of parents. Shouldn’t they have
made their appearance earlier? Twenty seems a bit late
to get another Mom and Dad right?

“Let us return.”
She nodded and pointed behind. “There are others who
wanted to return with us.”

Gong Sun Zhi saw the men behind her and whispered:
“Did that Huang fellow recognize you?”

She shrugged.“I think not.” and taking the reins of

Gong Sun Yun’s horse, she proceeded to lead the way
at a very leisurely pace.

*****

Jiang Wu Bo was from the Capital, and the

granddaughter of Reverend Zhou Shang before the
latter became a monk. She arrived at Cloud Manor with
her brother two months ago. Although Cloud Manor do
not accept outsiders usually, Reverend Zhou Shang was
a close friend of the Manor so they have made an
exception for her while keeping her brother as a
disciple. Although her father is a scholar, Reverend
Zhou Shang was a well-known pugilist in his younger
days, so she could be considered a descendant of
reputable family.
Someone said that when the Gentleman of Cloud Manor
first saw her, they were so enamored by her that they
has penned her as “Fairy No Waves” on the spot.
Gentleman Xian Yun has even wanted to acknowledge
her as his sworn sister but she has turn down his offer
gently.

This has caused many to wonder if this beauty is more

outstanding if one were to compare her say, with Hai
Tang Fairy? As a result, there were a lot more visitors
at Cloud Manor recently on the pretext of borrowing
scrolls. Many young men have spotted Fairy No Waves
when they visited the manor. When looking at her for
the first time, “handsome” is the first word that usually
comes to mind and to call her a ‘Fairy’ seems to be
stretching the term quite a bit. But on the second look,
one would discover her sanguinity and refined
airs. Although she is not a conventional beauty, she has
her own qualities that could be deserving of the title
‘Fairy’.

Besides, a title will grow on a person as time goes by,

regardless if the title is suitable or not. Especially when
it is a title endorsed by the Gentlemen of Cloud Manor,
who would go against popular consensus and get peg
for poor judgment?
She happened to overhear the last bit when one
Gentleman boasted about this to another. This was an
obvious abuse of position! and she silently vowed to
herself never to believe in anything that she sees or
hears in the jianghu ever again.

Some thoughts of mine:-

I want to mention the word play here, just in case

anyone is wondering why our heroine is spotting such
an awful-sounding name. At the beginning of the story,
the author explained that the 'Yun' (澐) in 'Wang Yun'
refers to the waves (波) on the river (江). 江无波
(Jiang Wu Bo) is thus the complete opposite of Wang
Yun because it means the 'No Waves on the River'.

I find the middle part of the book a bit dreggy so I have

tried to summarize more and post the chapters
closer. Still, I have retained the occasional funny like
"Hi Mom!" & "Hello Dad!" because her thought
process is really quite a gem. Speaking of which, I have
lowered my ratings for Gong Sun Yun, because 6
months with your love interest and you only get her to
view you as her Dad? Dude, I think you seriously need
to charge your batteries. If smiling doesn't work,
cheery voices don't do the trick, you could try showing
some skin.
Chapter 5 Part 2 of 2

Every evening, Jiang Wu Bo will visit a particular

courtyard where a Gentleman will be standing
guard. When he saw her, he greeted: “Miss Wu Bo, I
am wondering where you are when I was told you have
gone to the restaurant. I remember you could barely
walk two months ago and although it is good you have
regained your mobility, do remember not to overexert
yourself and break Fifth Brother’s reputation (as a
healer).”

“Thank you, Fourth Gentleman for your advice.”

She waited in a corner and after a while, Gong Sun Yun

appeared from the inner room. His forehead was
beaded in perspiration despite the cool spring
weather. Fourth Gentleman took in his appearance and
sighed. “Is everything still the same?”

“It is good that it is still the same. Perhaps he would

wake up tomorrow.” When Gong Sun Yun spotted her,
he gave her a smile and bade her to enter the room
where Gong Sun Zhi was waiting for her.
When she entered the room, she noticed that the
medicine bowl was empty. Gong Sun Yun must have
fed the patient his medicine after transferring his energy
to him. She moved a stool to the bedside and looked at
the person lying on the bed. “Let us begin.”

Gong Sun Zhi started speaking to the person on the bed:

“Ah Yao, I am Fifth Brother and I am here to see you.”

“Ah Yao, I am Wu Bo and I am here to see you.”

“You have lain here for half a year and it is time for you
to wake up. If you do not wake soon, the other brothers
are going to laugh at my poor doctoring skills.”

She repeated after him “You have lain here for half a
year and is time for you to wake up. If you do not wake
soon, the other brothers are going to laugh at his poor
doctoring skills.”

Gong Sun Zhi went on to talk about his day. “Ah Yao,
Xian Yun and I have skipped breakfast in order to rush
home. Lunch was only some buns.”

“Ah Yao, I…. ate at the restaurant today.”

Gong Sun Zhi look thoughtfully at her while he

continued. “For lunch, Xian Yun and I had wheat
buns. When in the jianghu, sometimes there is really no
choice, and one cannot take nutritious meals all the
time.”

“Ah Yao… I let the waiter ordered for me today. He

served me the oiliest fried soy sauce chicken and the
crispiest baked biscuits. I was powerless to resist, so I
ate them all. When you wake up, you would be able to
try it.” End of report.

“Miss Jiang had a sumptuous lunch?”

She was very polite. “You are too humble. After

getting used to the food at your manor, the food outside
is simply too oily for words.”

“Since it is oily, you should take something bland for

dinner. Please join us for dinner at Double Cloud
Pavilion tonight.”

She thanked him and stayed another hour talking to the

unconscious man on the bed. By the time she left, the
skies had turned a dusky grey and night was
falling. Because of the recent increase in visitors, there
were more lamps being lit at night which will be
extinguished the next morn. She gave some thought to
the cost of candles, which should have cost the manor a
pretty penny, but the people here seemed contented to
see money burn. Where did Cloud Manor get its
money?
Originally, she has thought that the people of Cloud
Manor would be a thrifty lot behind their glamorous
front. However, she found it is not the case. She
guessed Gong Sun Yun could have discovered a gold
mine.

Someone tugged at her sleeve. When she looked down,

she saw a little boy who was her supposed younger
brother looking at her. “Big..big..big sister..” He was
barely eight and still has some baby fat. “Fourth
Gentleman invites you to dine at Double Cloud
Pavilion. Before you go there, he would appreciate it if
you can make an appearance at the ladies quarters.”

Although not exactly willing, she nodded. “Sure.”

When living under another’s roof, it is best to do as one

is told. Just take her ‘brother’ for instance; he was a
newly-accepted disciple in the manor but he has to take
on a new identity to lend credence to her cover story.
Never mind, she could tolerate such a small matter. If
Cloud Manor wanted to fake something to such an
extent, she could comply, no problem.

Although her ‘brother’ gave her all the due respect of a

real sister, she did not think she has gain any advantage
because she has to give equal respect to the unconscious
Seventh Gentleman, Gong Sun Yao. He was the
youngest among the Cloud Manor Gentleman and
supposedly one of the most ardent admirer of Gong Sun
Yun.

Although Gong Sun Yun has managed to bring him

home, he has been in coma ever since the
inccident. From a moral standpoint, it was partly
because of her that he ended up in this state, so it was
only right she bear some responsibility towards
him. For that reason, she has been quick to agree when
she was requested to speak to him every day to aid his
recovery.

Small matter. Small matter. She will not lose any meat
or bone by talking to an unconscious man; this is
definitely within her tolerance level.

Little Brother shook her from her reverie.

“Big…big..big sister, please follow me and do not get
lost again. The last time you took a wrong turn to the
man’s quarters, Sixth Gentleman has scolded you. It is
better to be more careful this time round.”

She made a non-committal sound and followed the little

boy. She is living under another’s roof and has to
follow another’s instructions. Such is the sad truth of
her pitiful fate.
She, Wang Yun, former Left Protector of Bai Ming
Sect, has changed her name to Jiang Wu Bo and is
living incognito in Cloud Manor. Luckily, it does not
take much effort to keep her head lowered, so she has
tolerated everything till now. Although she was not
keen to revisit her memories of that day, she felt she has
attained superhuman levels for pain endurance after the
incident.

She remembered vaguely of walking in the rain. She

stumbled several times, not knowing how long she
could last, but she has continued walking. As time goes
by, she found she could no longer hear the rain and it
was getting harder and harder to decipher her
surroundings.

When a shadowy figure appeared about ten steps in

front of her, she stopped. The figure appeared to be
saying something but she could not comprehend so she
did not respond. The figure came closer and reached
out a hand towards her. She did not move initially but
when she registered the hand was reaching for her
forehead, she flinched.

The hand stopped and he noticed her shoulder.

What was he saying? She could not understand.

He reached out and sealed several of her acupuncture

points.
“Miss Yun, did I come too late?”

The voice was slightly hoarse but finally, she started to

catch what he was saying. She even managed a polite
reply: “Not too late, at least I am still alive.”

She did not know if she has spoken out loud as he only
continued staring at her. She tried again. “Gentleman
Xian Yun, where is He Zai?”

“I did not pay him much notice. Perhaps, he is trying to

find a way down here.”

She thought she must have walked for a long time until
Gong Sun Yun and He Zai have found a way
down. Apparently it did not seem to be the case.

“Miss Yun, shall I bring you back to Cloud Manor?”

The hoarse voice with its careful tone bothered her for
some reason. Her thinking was not as clear as before
and she has to think for a long time before she
understood his meaning. Her pale lips curved up in a
smile but there was no warmth in her eyes. “Gentleman
Xian Yun need not fear my hatred for I bear you no
grudge. It is only natural for one to save the one who is
closest to them during crisis.”

The problem lies with her. She, who is a nobody to him

or He Zai. The truth is simple; some things are easier
said than done. Although she was happy when He Zai
said he would follow her for this lifetime, she has not
truly believed him in the deepest recess of her
heart. What happened today was only a manifestation
of her expectations.

Her heart was now as calm as water. “If I encounter a

similar event, I would naturally save my own people
too.”

“I could not save you the first time, or even the second
time; surely I could save you the third time?”

She has grown accustomed to such polite words.

“Thank you. The remaining two pieces of jade are in
my sleeves.” Take them back yourself if you want to.

“Let them remain where they were.” He paused and

said gently. “Would you let me rescue you?”
It took a while, but she finally understood why he was
standing motionless in front of her. She lowered her
eyes and laughed without mirth. “I have to trouble
Gentleman then.” She finally allowed the pain to
overtake her as she fell into a dead faint into his arms.

When she woke up, she was already in Cloud

Manor. She could hear Gong Sun Zhi in the
background. “I am really amaze she can walk so far
given her injuries.”

In that instant, she wanted to groan. Did it have to be

like this? Yes, she was seriously injured but her
hearing was fine. Why did she have to meet this long-
winded person now?

“Don’t you worry, besides the few of us, no one knows

that Huang Fu Yun is still alive. It rained for six hours
that day. When the rain finally stopped, Xian Yun
suggested to Che Yan Yan to search for you at the foot
of the cliffs. Before that, we have dressed one of our
disciples in your clothes and pretended he was you. The
body was badly scarred and Che Yan Yan did not
suspect anything. We have buried him in situ and in
another two years, Xian Yun will arrange for the
disciple to be buried back at Cloud Manor under his
own name.”

“Xian Yun was carrying Ah Yao and holding on to me,

he was really unable to save you. The rain was very
heavy and Che Yan Yan and the rest has retreated
further down the mountain. We were right at the back
and Xian Yun leaped down the cliff after he passed Ah
Yao to me.”

“He was not trying to commit suicide. His qinggong is

very good and he would not have a problem scaling that
cliff normally. But given the conditions that day, it
hasn’t been easy for him to go down either. When Miss
Yun is able to talk, you really must thank Xian Yun.”

She tried to talk but there was no sound. So what if

Gong Sun Yun went down the cliff? Had she not been
lucky, all he found would have been a corpse. But
Gong Sun Yun did seem to take his parental role
seriously and would try to save whoever he
could. Besides, it was also her wish that Huang Fu Yun
disappeared since there will then be no more mental
games, no more dealings with a Sect Leader who has
gone crazy from practicing his martial arts. She should
be grateful to him.

She estimated that Sect Leader could only last another

year at most. Once he has passed his position to his
successor, she would not care if she was exposed for
she would then truly be a free-floating cloud amongst
the wild geese in the skies.
“Do you know how long you have been
unconscious? Only two days. However, I know this is
not because of your good martial arts foundation. You
sustained a head injury, a broken shoulder, a twisted left
leg, and your organs were shaken out of place. How
did you managed to walk so far? Even if I have
increased the dosage for painkillers, you should still be
in a lot of pain. Why did you not show any expression
of pain?

Since she couldn’t talk, she decided that she need not
answer him.

Gong Sun Zhi gave a small smile and hit one of her
accupuncture points. “Now you can talk. Previously, I
have sealed your speech point for fear you would be
groaning and howling. But you can speak now.”

She stared at him for the longest time. Gong Sun Zhi
waited patiently. She is now lying under another’s roof,
ANOTHER’S roof. Finally, she blurted “… hurt….”

He looked innocent. “I beg your pardon? I did not hear

you clearly.”

She tried again hoarsely. “…It hurts. I’m in great

pain!”

Tolerate. He wanted to hear; she can humor him, no

problem.
“Did it really hurt? Why are you not crying?”

Toleerrrateeee….

A hoarse voice spoke up “Fifth Brother should stop

bullying Miss Yun.”

It was only then that she noticed Gong Sun Yun

standing in a corner. He came to the bedside but she
could not make out his expression with the light behind
him. “You have awaken too soon which is not a good
thing. Although I know it is your habit, you need to try
to rest more.” Pressing his palm over her eyes, he
continued. “Will this make you sleep better?”

“Xian Yun, you stay and accompany her. I like to take a

look at Ah Yao now.”

He nodded and moved to sit besides the bed. But his

voice still sounded hoarse; had he hurt his throat?

The warmth from his palm seeped through her

eyelids. She remembered the same hands had covered
her eyes when she has woken up in pain on the way
back to Cloud Manor. She was battling the pain and
trying desperately to stay awake but he kept repeating
beside her ear: “Try to sleep a while more. The pain
will be easier to bear once you are asleep.”
Now, it was indeed alright if she slept a little
longer. Cloud Manor should be a safe haven for the
time being and both Gentleman Xian Yun and Fifth
Gentleman seemed to be true gentlemen. Recuperating
here would be her best choice. She decided to indulge a
little and let the warm hands lulled her to sleep. It
wasn’t until much later that she found …

She has been conned!

Chapter 6 Part 1 of 2

She has been conned! From what she can see in the last
six months, Cloud Manor is definitely not what it
appears to be.

As she strolled across the bridge, Little Brother Jiang

will blow out the lights behind them until the entire
bridge is engulfed in darkness.

A normal person would not take an unlit path and the

people of Cloud Manor have used this psychology to
find their quiet moments among the bevy of
visitors. Just last month, she was forced to witness this
first-hand when Gong Sun Zhi got the kitchen to
prepare a herbal feast and invited all the Gentlemen
(including her) to dine at Double Cloud Pavilion by
employing this tactic to keep out uninvited guests.
“Big… Big Sister. I will make a move first.” Little
Brother Jiang was red-faced and grabbing a lantern
from a concealed cupboard at the end of the bridge, he
headed back the now-darken path. As she strolled to
Double Cloud Pavilion, she found her host, who has
fallen asleep while waiting for her.

He looked very good in white with his hand supporting

his forehead as if taking a short nap. His long hair has
unbound behind his back and when the wind gently
blew on it, the image is rather surreal. When still, he
did resemble a deity. What a pity...

He opened his eyes and smiled when he saw her. “You

are finally here.”

“You could eat first if you are hungry.”

His smile widened and he looked rather adorable. So

adorable in fact, she could see his tiger tooth. Did she
see wrongly? Deities are not supposed to have dimples
or cute canines right?

“Why is Wu Bo so formal with me when we are

family? Quick, bring out the stuff.”

She reminded herself that she is now staying under his

roof. Taking a deep breath, she took out a small
bamboo basket. “Here is the soy-sauce fried
chicken. Remember to get rid of the evidence after you
eat.” She did not want to ask how he could guess her
every move.

He cut up the chicken with a small knife and gave her

half: “Did you hear anything interesting at the
restaurant today?”

“Nothing much of interest.”

“The restaurant is a place rife with idle talk. But with

Gu Shao De and the disciple from Huang family, they
would have likely talk about more serious matters?”

She gave the matter some thought. “Well, they

mentioned the possibility of Hai Tang Fairy marrying
Tu San Long.”

“I was about to bring this up to you as well. The Dengs

are keen to form an alliance with Tu San Long and the
wedding will definitely take place. Cloud Manor will
be there at their wedding and if you are feeling better by
then, do attend the wedding as well.”

“Gentleman, although the flowers have fallen for the

river, the river does not feel the same and flows
mercilessly on…”

He gave her a meaningful look and did not reply. She

took another deep breath.
“Xian Yun, although the flowers have fallen for the
river, the river does not feel the same and flows
mercilessly on. For all that is said and done, Hai Tang
Fairy is the No. 1 beauty of the pugilist world, do you
really have no feelings for her?”

At her change of address, he smiled and answered.

“According to your logic, does it mean I would have
lost my head every time I see a beautiful woman?”

“True, what you say is correct as well. Virtue is more

important than looks when deciding which woman to
marry. Whoever Xian Yun marries in future must be a
woman peerless in virtue, even if she is ugly.”

He only looked on with his warm smile. His smile made

his features came alive and it was as if his eyes and
brows has been tainted with the colours of spring. But
like him, she can also be unaffected by beauty, even
when he is pretending to be Luo Shen.

Besides, his spring-like warmth brought back memories

of the time she was injured and bedridden. She has
willed herself to walk within two months and although
Gong Sun Zhi was against her trying to walk originally,
he relented when Gong Sun Yun offered to help.
At the beginning, she would break out in cold sweat
even with the simple act of getting out from bed and
walking a few steps with Gong Sun Yun supporting
her. He did not stop her and let her walk to her heart’s
content. It was only when she could not move a muscle
the next day that she found that her mental readiness
was way ahead of her body. Try as she might, her body
refused to cooperate and she could only lay prone and
stare at the ceiling of her bed.

Looking at her, he morphed into Luo Shen again as

gave her a charming smile. “Wu Bo, if you cannot
walk, I can piggy back you. That way, you could tell
yourself that you have walked for today.”

That hypocrite!

Since that incident, she became more conscious and

would not force herself to continue when she became
tired. After some time, she could even walk unassisted
while he merely sat in the courtyard, wearing a smile
like spring when it was already autumn.

He even has the gall to suggest. “Why not we do this.

Woman likes pretty things so I will sit here and provide
you with some eye-candy as incentive. Once you have
reached my side, you could take a rest.”

The first time she heard this, she thought some alien has
swapped his body. But as she heard more and more of
such banter, she soon got used to it. Everyone would
have a side unknown to others. A person who looks
righteous and just, can also be a psycho rapist. Gong
Sun Yun may be like a basin of cold water in public,
but in private, he smiles a lot. Furthermore, his smiles
are always hearty and sincere, which is something she
admires.

He seemed to have seen through her thoughts and

smiled. “Has Wu Bo ever considered that if one has to
wear a mask even in front of his family, what kind of
sad existance would that be?”

“What Xian Yun said is correct.” It is a pity she has no

family and could not verify his statement.

They ate their meal in silence. Unlike last time, she did
not think of anything else and simply focused on
eating. Recently, she found that such simple moments
seemed to be occurring more and more often. Although
she did not know if it was good or bad, she has allowed
herself to relax her guard.

Other than the fried chicken, the rest of the food was
rather bland and the wine flask contained nutritional tea
instead of wine. In truth, she would rather someone kill
her with a knife then live such a painfully, healthy,
lifestyle. Why would one want to live so long? To
witness history?
She sighed when she was forced to take a cup of
tea. Unobtrusively, she moved the healthier dishes to
the person seating opposite her, while she devoured her
soy sauce fried chicken. The mouth-watering scent, the
crispy skin - they made her feel much better!

He noted her choice of food and poured her another cup

of nutritional tea. “Regardless of what it is, things are
only good when it is taken in moderation.”

Her reply was smooth. “My body is weak so I need to

fatten myself.”

Resigned, he helped her polish off the herbal dishes,

and at the end of the meal, she presented her plate of
chicken bones respectfully to him. He walked to the
railing and using his internal energy, he shattered the
bones into dust before he tipped the plate over and
emptied its contents into the lake.

Cool! She found herself becoming more and more in

awe of him. With him around, she could happy sneak
around, without fear of being caught.

He took out a white handkerchief and cleaned his hands

thoroughly. When he saw her took out the same type of
handkerchief, he smiled “I thought you only use colored
handkerchiefs?”
She answered frankly: “Since I am no longer a Wave on
the River, it is only appropriate that I follow the rest of
the people in Cloud Manor in using white
handkerchiefs.”

“Based on your habits, there is nothing that can be

retained for long. Is that your way of survival?” His
lips were smiling but his eyes were full of compassion

She turned to admire the lake in the darkness and

pretended that she saw nothing.

“Wu Bo, don’t you find it unusual that a lot of people

uses white handkerchiefs, be it me, Cloud Manor
disciples, or even other pugilists?”

He likes to engage in idle chat with her and in truth she

has grown to like their casual talk. She thought about
what he said: “I thought that that is the preference of the
people in Central Plains.”

He was all smiles. “Truth be told, I met my savior when

I was twenty. She gave me a plain white handkerchief
as a token although I could tell she did so
unwillingly. When I returned home, I made everyone
changed to using white handkerchiefs. Over time, other
pugilist took the cue from us and also started using
white handkerchiefs”
He waved his snowy white handkerchief to emphasize
his story. The gesture was so elegant, it was little
wonder everyone switched to white handkerchiefs in
order to emulate him.

She took a deep breath: “So you have already seen

through your savior’s intentions. When even Che Yan
Yan starts using white handkerchiefs, a person who
uses a brightly-colored handkerchief would become
highly suspect, will it not?

She has obviously fallen into her own trap! Seeing that
he only smiled, she rubbed her nose and decided not to
press further. Turning around, she admired the moon
with him.

Today was not yet the fifteenth and the moonlight fell
evenly on the ground. In the distant, the manor was
ablaze with lights. She could almost envision the other
Cloud Manor disciples busy entertaining at the front
halls, while she soak in the peace at this darken corner.

He said tenderly. “Night has fallen and you could catch

a cold. Let me accompany you back to your room.”

Actually, she was contented to admire the moon till

morning but she only replied: “I can go back by
myself.”
“That will not do. You have not fully recovered. If you
meet a young pugilist who wants to profess his love for
you, you will not be able to turn him down even if you
want to. It is better that I send you back.”

She nearly fell over the railing and into the

lake. Excuse me, she has never encountered a young
pugilist who wanted to profess his love to her, ok?

He continued. “He Zai’s skills are good; top notch

even. Although his martial arts are taught by you and
although achievements vary from person to person,
your kungfu should still have been better then when you
were fourteen. How come your kungfu... is really too
weak for words?”

In her heart, she was laughing. You thought I am a

kungfu master, don’t you Gong Sun Yun? But who
knows I would end up in such sorry state when I fell off
a cliff? But since he has seen through her, she decided
to be frank. “During the winter of my fourteenth
birthday, I fell into Sect Leader’s trap which limited my
progress in martial arts. As a result, I did not spend too
much effort developing my skills after that but luckily
there was He Zai by then. My surname is originally
Wang but I followed my father when he changed his
surname to Huang Fu. Although He Zai’s surname is
not Wang, he is the better student compared to me, and
he mastered all the Wang family skills I imparted him.”
Her tone was very calm when she mentioned He
Zai. From the corner of her eye, she saw his sleeve
moved, but she cannot be sure it the wind caused it to
move, or if he was intending to give her a hug.

After a while, she heard him sigh. “Since you have

nothing to do at Cloud Manor, you could use this time
to brush up your skills.” His gazed across the dark
waters. “In fact, we can start now.”

She got an ominous feeling. “May I ask, how do you

intend to start?”

His smile was charming beneath the moonlight. “I am

not a strict teacher so there is no need for you to be
wary. Double Cloud Pavilion is not far from the shore,
but there are no stepping points in between. Is
your qinggong good enough to leap to the shore?”

She hesitated before giving a slow nod. “Should be

possible.”

He smiled. “If you need help, I will be right at your

side.”

Did he expect her to object when she was living under

his roof? She took a moment to gathere her qi (internal
energy) and leaped from the pavilion after him.
His white robes were flying and he looked like a
beautiful illusion under the silver moonlight. She
concluded that his fashion sense must be very good for
this clothes to accentuate his calm air and seductive, no,
warm smile. If his clothes made him look like a deity,
would he still look like one if he was not wearing
anything?

Distracted, she nearly fell into the lake if not for a

helping hand that suddenly appeared from her left and
propelled her safely to shore. Wasn’t he in front of her?
How did he manage to appear beside her so fast? No
wonder he has dared to venture down the cliff amidst all
the falling rocks that day...

“Wu Bo?”

“It is nothing. I suddenly have a weak spell.” She

lowered her head and noticed that his hand was still
around her waist.

He withdrew his hand. “I beg your pardon. I had

wanted to hold on to your shoulder, but your left hand is
injured so I could only hold on to your...”

She lifted her face and found that he has averted his
eyes. He looked really apologetic - if she could
disregard his happy smile. Did he really take her for a
fool, or as his family member, that he would make no
attempt to hide his feelings in front of her?
Inwardly, she sigh and reminds herself that she is living
under another’s roof. Besides, the sons and daughters
of the pugilist world are not be encumbered by such
small matters. Why, he has even carried her in his arms
when she fainted at the foot of the cliff. This is but a
small matter, small matter.

Halfway to her quarters, they were stopped by a

disciple. “Gentleman, the Jade-face Scholar would like
to see you.”

She was amused by the name “Jade-face Scholar? What

an interesting title.”

“His is called Jade-face because he looks handsome.”

was the off-handed reply. “Wu Bo, I will leave you to
sleep early.”

She nodded and walked into her courtyard. When she

turned, she saw that he has remained at the same spot,
deep in thought. She shrugged and went to her
room. Soon after, she could hear his footsteps leaving.

She opened her windows and let the night air blew over
her face. She looked at the night and played with her
belt that was so long, it nearly reached the floor. The
tip of it was wet from her near brush in with the
lake. She stared at it for a while before she noticed
some new clothes folded on top of the dresser.
She walked over to examine the new clothes. The style
was similar to the clothes she was wearing now with
long belts, except that they were all white. Clever. He
knew she was still scared and would insist on wearing
long belts.

Her hands started to sweat just by the thoughts of that

day. Had her belt not managed to catch onto some
branches and broke her fall, she would have crashed to
death. No matter how many things she can tolerate, she
must wear a long belt with her dress. Isn’t there a
saying that goes like, once bitten by a snake, one would
be frightened by the sight of a rope for the next ten
years. Did she use the phrase correctly?

This year’s winter is rather warm so her recuperation is

little hardship, as she climbs happily to her bed. She
likes this bed which makes her feel safe, unlike the past
when she can only sleep soundly if He Zai is around.
Her days now are so idyllic, she sometimes feel like
that she is in a dream.

And when she wakes up, she will find that that she is
actually lying at the foot of the cliff with her brain
splattered all around her.
Chapter 6 Part 2 of 2

“Miss.”
She opened her eyes, instinctively on guard. He Zai’s
voice seemed to have come from right beside her
ear. After carefully scrutinizing the dark room, she let
out a sigh when she was sure that there was really no
one.

Her forehead was beaded in perspiration and she got off

the bed for some water. The oily chicken has lived up
to its name and made her thirsty. She opened her
window and saw that the distant lights have been
extinguished.

Although she no longer touches her jade flute or hears

the sound of bells behind her, she found herself thinking
of He Zai sometimes.

She did not want to stay in her room and decided to take
a walk because each blade of glass, each tree in Cloud
Manor can help her feel more settled. Although
indulgence is not wise, surely an occasional lapse will
not hurt?

She came to the house where Gong Sun Yao was

recuperating. When she saw a light inside, she paused
before going in. Although the room was lit, here was no
one around. She sat beside the bed and looked down at
the sleeping man. She knew that they were not trying to
make her feel guilty by asking her to visit Gong Sun
Yao every day. Rather, they were hoping that she would
slowly start to view him as family; how could she
not see through their intentions? She sighed: “I brought
some fried chicken home but was forced to share with
Xian Yun. You guys are weird. Why are you so
fixated on nutrition and living to your seventies or
eighties?”

Her lips curved as she continued. “However, I respect

your little quirks. I heard that both of us were sent back
to Cloud Manor at the same time. By right, you are the
one who should have woken up, but reality is the other
way round. And to wake up is the same as receiving a
new lease of life, is it not?”

He Zai. He Zai. There were times when she dreamt that

they could shake off Sect Leader one day and live
peacefully in some remote place like siblings, just the
two of them. Of course, she has tried to be realistic
most of those times and guessed that there would only
be her in the end, and ultimately, reality has proven her
right.

“Xian Yun has asked me several times to become his

sworn sister, do you think I should accept?” At this,
she cannot help but smile. Since the age of ten, she has
been forced to accept He Zai as her Sky Slave. In order
to survive, the young her has tried all ways endear
herself to a much bigger sixteen year-old. On the
surface, both appeared to depend on each other
although the truth of it was that their relationship could
never measure up to that with his blood
brother. Because she has been so busy being wary, it
has never crossed her mind about entering into any
relationships.

“Xian Yun seems to have developed a liking for me, but

where did it stem from?” What has he seen when she
was fourteen?

Even if he has seen her naked, she does not believe that
he is the kind of man who will take responsibility for a
woman if he is not really willing. Although he appears
very solicitous on the surface, she has come to realize
that he has very distinct likes and dislikes. She even
thought he could be mildly mysophobic. For instance,
she noticed that he would not touch a dish during
mealtimes if someone else other than his family has
eaten from it. But since he eats with her and other
Gentlemen, does it imply he sees her as part of his
family?

She likes the idea but knows she cannot dwell too much
on it. Her conclusion after half a year is that Gong Sun
Yun is like an addictive drug and it will be hard to
disengage herself if she really fell for him.

Although she likes his looks and the peaceful days.

There was a soft sound behind her but before she could
turn behind, she noticed that the person on the bed has
opened his eyes and was looking at her strangely. He is
awake. Awake!

She can only stare “You…”

A calm voice came from behind her “You are awake!

That is really great!”

She turned around and saw Gong Sun Yun standing

beside her. He seemed surprised to see her and reached
out to touch her eyelid which she backed away
instinctively.

“I have no other meaning, but your eye… is tearing.”

She rubbed her eyes and stared at him again. Gong Sun
Yao looked at her, than at Xian Yun and asked: “Who
are you?”

She smiled. “Me? I am Jiang Wu Bo and am currently

staying at Cloud Manor.” She held his frail hands in
hers. “You hold on a second, let me fetch Fifth
Gentleman.”

She wanted to get up but he held on to her. He looked

at Gong Sun Yun, then back at her, and said softly:
“Your voice…I have heard it in my dreams… Your
fried chicken… cannot let Fifth Brother know…”
She laughed at that. “Sure!” She tried to get up again
but he would not let go. Unconsciously, she fingered
her long belt. “I will leave with Xian Yun and return
shortly.”

He tried to speak further but she batted her lashes at

him. Finally, he loosen his hold and closed his eyes.
“Miss Jiang, I have a small box in my drawers which
contains licorice. Please bring it along with you to see
Fifth Brother and ask him to bring a few more boxes
over because I love their smell.”

“Sure.” She turned back. “Xian Yun, do you want to

take the box or shall I?”

“You take it please.” Xian Yun sat by the bedside with

Gong Sun Yao.

She opened the drawers and found several small

boxes. She opened each of them until she found the
box containing licorice. When she left the room with
Xian Yun, she opened the box and sniffed at it again.
“This smells nice.”

“Is it so?” He was expressionless.

She asked casually “Why are you looking for Seventh

Gentleman in the middle of the night?”
The night breeze was the same, but there was another
scent in the air.

“No, I am actually looking for you. I followed you

when I saw you leaving your room.”

“You have something that need you to look for me in

the middle of the night?”

He stopped and looked at her. “Wu Bo, do you not

know my heart?”

She gave a tiny smile. “I know.”

“Then…”

She replied candidly: “Xian Yun, I think I have

developed a bit of the same feelings towards you.”

His eyes lit up at her words. “If that is the case…”

She fingered her belt and continued gently. “This is

strange. I can keep mum about this previously until this
moment under the pretty moon. I suddenly like to
know how you would look like without your clothes?”

She saw his surprise and smiled as she closed her

eyes. His breathing was irregular and she could feel
him coming closer. When he was about to kiss her, she
raised her right hand and cut through his robes to draw
blood.

She smiled while he was still stunned, and slashed at

him again this time aiming for his hand tendon. He
finally came out of his daze and grabbed her
hands. She deftly leaped back, neither shouting nor
showing any signs of running away. Her legs were not
entirely steady and she realized that although the box
that Gong Sun Yao gave her could counter some effects
of his drug, it could not stop her from feeling weak all
over.

“Jiang Wu Bo, where else can you escape tonight?“ He

sounded sure of his victory.

They started exchanging blows. When he stepped on

her long belt, he made use of her momentarily
imbalance to unravel her belt. Although she knew how
to counter him in her mind, her reaction was slowed
because of the drug. Just when she felt her belt
loosened, she felt a tug from behind and in the next
instant, the belt was securely fastened again. As a pair
of strong hands supported her from behind, her dagger
sliced her belt into half. When something has outlived
its usefulness, there is no use keeping it.

Her attacker cried “Gentleman Xian Yun!” but before

he could flee, several Could Manor disciples have
surrounded him.
The real Gong Sun Yun said from behind her. “Fifth
Brother, please take a look at Wu Bo. She has been
drugged.”

Gong Sun Zhi took her pulse and looked at Gong Sun
Yun. “The aphrodisiac is a very easy drug to cure.”

She blinked and tried to straighten. But he kept his hand

at her waist, keeping her in his arms.

Gong Sun Zhi nodded. “It is best you keep still because
the aphrodisiac scent is on your body. It would have
been fine if you have stayed in your room, why did you
suddenly go to Ah Yao’s room? Wait a minute, you
have smelt licorice?”

“Yes.” She took her time to reply. “Ah Yao gave it to

me.”

A moment of silence later, Gong Sun Zhi jumped up

and ran away without a backward glance. “Go back to
sleep! You will be fine after some erotic dreams.”

Erotic dreams? She sighed. She just knew that the

licorice could not be a full cure. She never had an erotic
dream in her life. Who would she dream of?

Gong Sun Yun suddenly said: “Let me accompany you

back to your room.”
“Aren’t you going to take a look at Ah Yao?”

“It is enough that Fifth Brother is there now.” He let

her walk in front while keeping no more than one pace
behind. When other disciples tried to approach her, he
would signal for them to keep their distance.

“There were several strange happenings in

the jianghu recently which I did not have a chance to
tell you during your recuperation. A pair of lovers
would… anyway, the man would deny he did
anything. I did not pay much heed to this until Third
Brother mentioned tonight that from his checking of
the wulin annals, the Jade-face Scholar was putting up
at these places when the disputes happened, and it so
happens that he is here tonight on pretext of accessing
our library.”

“So I see. His disguise is pretty good.” They have

reached her room. “There is only one Fairy in Cloud
Manor (so his target is obvious). To think I actually
have the ability to attract flies. Xian Yun, I finally
understand why you only smile in private and hoard
your smiles like a miser when outside. It is so easy for
your family to spot the real you if anyone ever try to
disguise himself as you. When he is not smiling, the
Jade-face Scholar does resemble you to the dot.”
“So you have seen through his disguise right from the
onset.”

She raised her brow. He was very restrained, as if

worried that she would jump him if he turned on some
of his usual charm. In truth, the drugged scent only
made her a bit weak, a bit hot, but nothing much
beyond that. Perhaps her endurance was indeed top-
notch like he said. She was about to enter her room
when he said from behind her.

“You will not shout even though it has been half a

year. You were really hurt badly that day aren’t you?”

She turned around. Was he referring the fact that she

did not shout for help just now?

His warm hands covered her eyes once more and this
time, she did not turn away. “It doesn’t matter. Be it
one year or two years, I will be here when you want to
shout. Although I failed to save you the first time, or
when the second and third times are unnecessary, I will
still try to save you. Wu Bo, you can let anyone into
your heart, but please do not live there alone.”

She remained silent when he removed his hands. He

smiled and said gently “Sleep early.”

She went into her room and shut the door. As she
leaned against the door, she covered her eyes with her
left hand. Her left hand, the limb which she has tried so
hard to retain. Her body and vital organs, which she
has spent ages nursing back to health. She will never
forget, or dare forget, the pain she has gone through.

She knew he was trying to wear down her will, but

on impulse, she opened her door and met his curious
eyes. “Xian Yun is still here? The last bird will get the
worm, is that how the saying goes?”

“Do you still wish for me to become your sworn

sister?”

His eyes gleamed and his lips curved upwards. “If you
are willing, be it Wu Bo, Huang Fu Yun, or Wang Yun,
you will always be my sworn sister this lifetime.”

She threw up her hands in greeting as she returned his

smile. “Brother Xian Yun, I will need to trouble you to
look after me in future.”

This time, his smile reached his eyes and he said gently:
“We still need to hold a ceremony, but we can do a
simple one tomorrow.”

She sighed. “That’s true. Tonight is such a hassle, is it

not?”

He did not meet his eyes. “Tonight has been hard on

you.”
She was surprised. “Is it hard to have erotic dreams? I
never have one in my life before, I wonder…”

He raised his eyes to her and said slowly. “Wu Bo, you
have always been clever. There are no other branches to
the Gong Sun family tree and we have no other kin
other than the ones you already know. There will never
be any female cousins who will suddenly appear out of
the blue, especially since I have never acknowledge any
outside family. You should be mentally prepared once
we become sworn siblings.”

“Dreams are always a reflection of one’s deepest hopes

and desires. How do I know who I will dream of? How
about this, I will tell you tomorrow when I wake
up. Good night, Sworn Brother.”

She closed the door in his face and bit down on her urge
to laugh. In the darkness, she disrobe until she was
dressed in her innerwear. She made her way to the
dresser and contemplated on her new
clothes. Fingering the long belts, she took a deep breath
before cutting them short decisively. Discarding the
portion that was in her hands, she went to bed.

Good, she never has any erotic dreams before. What

will she see? Her eyes drifted to the door where she can
see the shadow of a man standing outside her
room. Unbidden, a sense of security filled her heart,
together with the effects of the aphrodisiac. She starts
to feel a little dizzy, a little high, as warmth course
through her body.

Bring it on! She is curious to know who is the man

who will appear in her dreams.

Some thoughts of mine:

I am glad that Wang Yun has not lost her touch and is
able to see through the fraudster instantly. Even more
amazing is Gong Sun Yao, who can take in the situation
immediately after walking up from a 6-month sleeping
spell. This is probably a chapter where you need to
read twice, to realize that the words can mean two
different things at the same time.

I think they are talking about different things towards

the end. She knew they have used her as bait to catch
the rapist but she is very generous not to pursue it and
chooses only to talk about the erotic dream she is going
to have. Somehow I get the feeling she is truely
looking forward to that experience, like a child with a
new toy, and I love her zest for new things here.
On the other hand, I do not know what GSY is thinking.
I am glad he is uncomfortable using her as bait (and that
she knows it) and I hope he appreciates how forgiving
she is. His words about sworn siblings are a tad
mysterious so I think there will be a follow up in a later
chapter.
Gentleman Free-Floating Cloud (闲云公子) Chapter
7 Part 1 of 2

He seemed to be lost.

Looking at the same scenery for the third time, Gong

Sun Yun who has just turned twenty, wrinkled his
brow.
There were several black jade stone pillars erected
around the natural hot spring. Colourful chiffon cloths
hung between the pillars forming the walls of a
bath. There was no roof and whoever in the bath would
be able to see the stars, indicating that whoever who
built this structure knew how to enjoy life.

He gave up trying to find a way out by the front and

walked to the back. Behind a chiffon curtain was a
changing room and behind it was a little lounge. The
hot spring was located at the top of Tian Bi Cliff and
unless one possesses excellent qinggong, ordinary folks
would not be able to climb to the top. The other path up
the mountain was blocked by a maze filled with poison
mist, so he has thought that such a secluded spot would
be an ideal place to imprison unruly Sky Slaves. Who
would have guessed that it was actually a bath?

He sighed. He has been asked by the Old Master of

Tian He Manor to sneak into Bai Ming Sect to look for
He Yue Hua. It was a thankless task but he has no
choice since Cloud Manor was a neutral entity, since his
kungfu was good, since he was only twenty and needed
to respect the elders…
So what if he was highly skilled? No one would guess
he that he would often get lost, which was why he
always need to travel with another Gentleman. Since
no one is perfect, he is not usually bothered by his lack
of direction sense until times like now.
It was a secret that Old Master of Tian He Manor has
contacted an incurable illness and was unlikely to have
long to live. For this reason, he has agreed to try to
look for He Yue Hua and if he failed, he would have
tried his best. But at two hours past midnight, he would
be lucky if he could even figure a way out of Bai Ming
Sect.

He tucked his long sword into its sheath and cut through
the changing room. Lifting one semi-transparent
curtain, he did not expect to find another person
inside. At the sight of a young maiden’s bare back
soaking in the hot spring, he quickly turned around in
dismay. She was leaning face down on a black jade
stone and he did not see what she was doing.

Had he known this, he would never have come! It was

a small matter getting injured or captured, but he
definitely did not want get hitched with some stranger.
Troubled, he decided not to alert the young maiden to
his presence and sat down near a pillar behind the
curtain and waited patiently for her to leave.

“Ay…”

He kept still.
“Ay…”

He remained motionless. The sighs and tinkling of

bells continued and he thought she could be a Sky
Slave. But how could an ordinary Sky Slave have the
ability to reach Tian Bi Cliff, or bath in such exclusive
surroundings?

“Every fifteenth of the month is the day for me to

pamper myself. Otherwise, how I can carry on?” Her
self-mutterings were very soft, but he has very good
hearing and caught every word.

Besides, it wasn’t as if he has a choice.

He heard the familiar sound of a page turning. Was this
her way of pampering herself? By reading in a hot
spring?

“Ay, Guo Jian of the ancient times could taste his

enemy’s excrement, laugh happily and even wish his
enemy well after that. What excellent ‘taste’! What a
good model for endurance!” [Side Note from Mb:- Guo
Jian tasted bitter bile, not excrement. Oh Wang Yun,
where did you get your books?]

His eyes widen.

“I doubt I could ever reach his level of

endurance. Perhaps I could, under extreme duress, taste
my enemy’s perspiration. But excrement? Ay, I think I
need to practice some more, pamper myself some more,
before I can ever taste someone’s excrement without
batting an eyelid.”

To his amazement, she continued to read out other acts

of endurance from her book. That was her definition of
pampering? Which young girl in Bai Ming Sect was
able enjoy this hot spring and yet needed to attain such
levels of endurance?
After a while, her voice trailed off, leaving only the soft
sounds of her breathing. After some hesitation, he
decided to stick his head inside and confirmed that she
had indeed fallen asleep. From her words, she seemed
apt at endurance and coming here was her way to de-
stress and prep herself to endure some more. This
secluded spot must be within her comfort zone that she
could even fall asleep here.

The mist from the hot spring has obscured her features,
but he caught a glimpse of honey-coloured skin. Just
when he wanted to avert his eyes, he heard a sound and
he saw a poisonous snake slithering towards her.
Thinking, he picked up a fallen leaf on the floor and
aimed it at her bare shoulder. She was on guard even in
sleep and woke up the instant the leaf brushed past her
shoulders. She surveyed her surroundings with a cold
eye. It was a pity her kungfu was not very good and she
did not see the person behind the chiffon curtain.

He has been unwilling to look at her but when the snake

got closer, he has no choice. Behind the mist, he
vaguely saw that she was around thirteen or
fourteen. Her eyes and brows were quite pretty but the
expression in her eyes was at odds with her childlike
looks

When she has convinced herself that there was no one

and the leaf was just something the wind blew over, she
lifted her head to the skies. She heard a slithering
sound, turned and saw the snake. She did not move her
body but her small face backed away
instinctively. Then as if dissatisfied with her show of
fear, she leaned her face forward again.

He narrowed her eyes? Wasn’t she asking for trouble?

At her confrontational stance, the snake suddenly shot

forward while she remained motionless. When the
snake was only a finger length away. Gong Sun Zhi was
about to strike when the snake suddenly fell limply on
the ground.

She shook her head and mumbled. “Ay, which is why I

said it is best to depend on oneself.” Her slight quiver
gave away the fear she was suppressing. Slowly, she
got up from the pool, put on her clothes, and slowly left
the pool.
He waited until he was sure she would not return before
stepping out from his hiding place to examine the hot
spring. He found poison sprinkled around the pool
which was likely put there to handle such situations in
mind. At the sound of her distant bell, he left the hot
spring and silently followed her.

Her loose robes were dancing wildly in the wind, but

she paid them no heed as she walked with her hands
folded behind her. From time to time, she would stop
to enjoy the moon and her long hair would fall to her
waist. As the wind played with some tendrils of her
hair, he thought to himself that she looked very
adorable. Adorable?

Surprised at his turn of thoughts, he looked again at

her… white hair? This young lady was apt at keeping
her emotions hidden and revered endurance. However,
she knew how to let off steam so he did not think her
white hair was a result of overthinking, so maybe it was
genetics? Looking at her swaying back and forth, he
felt his lips curl up into an involuntary smile.

He touched his lips to confirm that he was indeed

smiling and started frowning instead. Since he turned
sixteen, he would receive marriage offers from time to
time which he would politely turn down every
time. Whenever there were female pugilists visiting the
manor, he was also careful to maintain a polite distance.

Most of the men in Gong Sun family were rather cool

towards the opposite sex, and he in particular, was
cooler than most. Others can say that he has very high
expectations, but he just didn’t like the idea of getting
close to some strange woman, or marrying a woman
who did not understand him even if she possesses
unparalleled beauty. What he wanted was someone he
would voluntarily put inside his heart.

“Ay.” She paused and dipped her head in

thought. “How did it go, the poem that He Zai taught
me last time? It would have been so suited to the
beautiful scenery tonight.”

He did not know where she was headed for, but if he

continued to follow her blindly, he would likely end up
at her home. And the most regrettable part of this
option was that she would not notice him. Thinking, he
drew his sword.
She froze immediately per expected. He has known she
would choose to stay still because she would have
deduced she was no match for him from the speed of
his draw. He was pained at her need for tolerance, and
was amused at the same time that he could be feeling
this way.

“Miss, pardon my offence.”

Worried that his sword may hurt her accidentally, he

lowered his hand. Unfortunately, the move cut off a
lock of her hair. Quick as lightening, he caught the
fallen strands in his hand. The hair was slightly wet,
black and smooth like silk.

He heard her sigh. “Gentleman had followed me since

Tian Bi Cliff?"

The hair in his hands was obviously wet, but they

seemed to contain fire which brought heat to his
face. Was it because he saw her shadowy outline or
was it because he was holding her hair in his
hands? When he lifted a finger to his face and
confirmed that his cheeks were flaming, he was amazed
a young lady could have made him feel this
way. Dazed, he could only say "...Pardon the offence,
Miss."

Who would know their next meeting would be six years

later?

As two carriages sped towards home, he went to the

back carriage which was heavily draped to prevent
people from looking inside. “How is the situation?”

Gong Sun Zhi gave a sad smile. “Still alive. She will
open her eyes occasionally so I know she is awake
although she seems a bit confused at her
surroundings. She must be in a lot of pain but she has
not uttered a single word. If I am her, I doubt I could
have kept it in.”

Gong Sun Yun went to her side. “Why not you take
care of Seventh Brother?” Gong Sun Zhi obliged and
went to the first carriage.

Three nights ago, he has used the excuse that he needed

to send Gong Sun Yao back to Cloud Manor in order to
hasten home. The woman hidden in the second carriage
has woke up a few times during the journey but has
silently endured her pain in order to maintain her grasp
on her surroundings. When he saw her move, he
quickly brought a bowl of medicine to her mouth and
said gently. “Drink this medicine, it will help ease the
pain.”

She only stared at the liquid and compressed her

lips. Her face was too pale and frail-looking. He knew
she has not eaten since her fall so she was probably not
coherent. Thinking, he whispered in her ear. “He Zai.”

When her mouth opened in surprise, he quickly fed her

some medicine.

He Zai, He Zai. How much of him did she put in her

heart? Should he feel fortunate that there were was not
one bit of affection in her eyes when she looked at He
Zai?
He finally got her to finish the medicine but she could
not sleep due to the pain. He placed his hand gently
over her eyes to make it darker and easier to fall
asleep. If she could sleep, she would not feel so much
pain.
He helped her lay down and held her firmly against
him, using his body to block out more light.

“..Who…are you..”
“I am Xian Yun.”
“...Don’t know you…”

“It does not matter that you do not know me now. You
will slowly get to know me when you are at Cloud
Manor.”

He kept looking at her and did not move away. Six

years, he has waited six years for a lady to come to him
with his jade pendant. When he met Che Yan Yan for
the first time, he knew then that his young miss was
Protector Huang Fu. But she was too well hidden
within Bai Ming Sect that not even Cloud Manor could
get a hold on her. So he could only wait.

“…Who are you?” She repeated again, as if in a dream.

“I am…” he bent his head and whispered in her ear. “I

am waiting for a young lady whom I know not how she
looks like. But when I finally meet her, I have to
abandon her so she must have been deeply hurt. Right
now, I am only a man who hopes she can forget her
pain and let me remember that for her.”

The faint scent of her hair floated up his nose. When he

opened his eyes, he was surprised to find her asleep on
his shoulder.

Despite being highly skilled, it was beyond him to save

three people at the same time. He has to save his
brothers whom he has been with for ten over years, and
was forced to forsake a woman whom he has been
thinking of for six years.

Now, he has been given a second chance.

Chapter 7 Part 2 of 2

“Gentleman, can we get down from the horse carriage

yet?” Little Brother Jiang was very excited to attend his
first ever wedding party at Deng manor.

“Are we here already? You can get off first and look
for Fifth Gentleman.”

Little Brother Jiang nodded and hopped off the carriage

while Xian Yun waited patiently for Wu Bo to wake
up. After a while, she stretched lazily and remarked:
“This is my first time attending a jianghu wedding.”
She has been awake for some, just that she was too lazy
to sit up.

“It is the same as any other wedding, except that the

guests are more casual.” Smiling, he held her at the
waist and helped her down. The scene was reminiscent
of the past when she was also in a carriage, as he eyed
her healthy movements covertly. The main difference
between then and now was that she has to be carried out
in the past, compared to being able to get down off the
carriage now under her own steam.

She crocked her head to one side and took in the

crowded scene before her. She wore a white dress tied
at the waist with a short belt which fell to her knees.
“Xian Yun, the one whom Deng Hai Tang likes is
you. What a pity that such a pretty Fairy has been
snatched away!”

He gave her a bland look lined with mirth. “Du San

Long is quite a good catch.”

“Hmmm…” Her lips curved up in a smile. Her face

should look handsome, why did it look so adorable?
She was still curious so she asked again. “Do you have
any regrets?”

“Not the least. It is enough to have one true love.” He

emphasized the last sentence and look on as her cheeks
reddened expectantly. He knew she was uncomfortable
with such intimate banter but she needed to get used to
it if she was to heal her emotional wounds.

He smiled and changed the subject. “Those three days

must have been hard on you.”

Her head throbbed just thinking of ‘those three

days’. Gong Sun Zhi has omitted telling her that the
effects of the aphrodisiac would last for three days,
causing her to think that her baser instincts have gone
wild, and that her wild thoughts in the day had
manifested into dreams at night. Luckily, her
endurance and control were very good, and she silently
congratulated herself for refraining from doing anything
crazy during that period.

His good-looking face lean in before she could close

her eyes, so she saw how he placed a gentle kiss on her
lips. Her lips were tingling but she kept her hands
folded behind her. His eyes were also open and the
black orbs reminded her of lakes in spring. In the past,
she has thought that his eyes were like stagnant pools;
now, she that his eyes, his lips, in fact the whole of him,
would only glow for his family, leaving a cold exterior
for others to see. If he was indeed the lofty Luo Shen
per his image, she believed he could never have kissed
anyone like that.

She lowered her eyelids and clenched her fist as he

placed one more kiss, and another one, until there was a
trail of gentle kisses all the way to her ears where he
stopped. “This time, there is no medicine smell.” He
fervently hoped that he would never smell medicine on
her again. At her confused look, he smiled. “Wu Bo,
your endurance skills are indeed second to none.”

She croaked: “You are too generous with your praise.”

He straightened and brushed his fingertips gently over

her cheek as she gave a small cough. He smiled.
“Come, let us go in and not keep our hosts waiting.”

She nodded. “Ok. Xian Yun shall walk in front.” She

was still accustomed to walking behind, and not be first
line of attention. As he turned and strode towards the
hall, she touched her lips. Actually, she did not
intentionally refrain from kissing him back; she was just
too used to restraint. Gosh, it was so confusing to
switch between things that needed control and things
that didn’t!

And speaking of control, she seriously doubted that her

level of control was anywhere near that of Deity-from-
Nine-Heavens. During the three days when she was
under the influence of the drug, he was the only person
whom she came in contact with, and yet he did not
appear to have any reaction at all. Was there some
problem with the aphrodisiac or was there a problem
with him? In comparison, she nearly wanted to wrestle
him to the floor when he kissed her just now.

This man, was a wolf. He has became much bolder

since she became his sworn sister and she knew he was
trying to wear her down her beliefs with his incessant
hanky panky.

He turned back and she saw the look that he reserved

for his family. So why had he not ask whom she had
dreamt of? Was he really that self-confidant, or was he
held back by some manly restraint?

But she was dying to ask! Some of the drug must have
rubbed off on him when he accompanied her during
those three days. Did he not even have the slightest,
slightest erotic dream?

She grumbled under her breath and heard him call her
name. Sighing, she walked up to him while muttering
under her breath. “I am enduring here and enduring
there, but what am I enduring for?” She was not trying
to be like Gou Jian and taste excrement, surely there
was no need to carry her endurance training to such
extremes?
Stepping into the wedding hall, she noticed something
weird straight away. Although there was no dress code
and people could dress whatever they like, many female
pugilists were dressed in the same style as her except
for the colour. They wore a short-sleeve top with
matching long skirt, tied at the waist with a long belt
that nearly touched the floor. Even the fabric seemed to
have come from the same source.

It was as if there were many Jiang Wu Bos all of a

sudden.

Gong Sun Zhi saw her expression and coughed

discretely. “It is not easy being a Fairy.”

Her question was calm. “How much did Cloud Manor

make this time?”

She has finally discovered the gold mine in Cloud

Manor. No wonder they were so enthusiastic about her
Fairy title! No wonder she was often asked to make an
appearance at the female quarters whether she was busy
or idle!

At this moment, the dignified halo of Cloud Manor in

her mind’s eye has taken on a very materialistic, golden
hue. It was not easy feeding an entire family, besides
the same gold has also provided for her soy sauce fried
chicken...
What can she say besides foretelling that Cloud Manor
will be around for a long, long time?

To preserve a bit of her uniqueness and prevent an

overdose of Jiang Wo Bos, she decided to break off
from the main wedding party and wandered
around. When she reached a certain spot, she paused
and listened to the faint sounds of bells. She has heard
this sound when she left Bai Ming Sect with He Zai and
they wrapped their bells with cloth to muffled their
sound. As she looked discretely around, she recognized
many Bai Ming Sect members in the hall.

Suddenly, a whip suddenly lashed out and sent a man

crashing to her feet. She did not move and looked
quietly at Che Yan Yan who appeared from the
darkness. With five Sky Slaves flanking her, she made
a pretty grand entrance. One of the taller Sky Slave was
carry a big gunny sack where a bit of wedding dress can
bee seen peeking out from the opening of the sack.

Che Yan Yan narrowed her eyes and looked up and

down at her. “Are you Fairy No Waves?”

“Yes.”

“How coincidental for you to run into me when I was

about to look for Xian Yun’s one and only sworn
sister?”
The man at her feet turned out to be He Rong Hua.
“Miss Jiang, leave quickly! Go inform Xian Yun that
Deng Hai Tang has been kidnapped and that your
brother has been injured.”

It took her two seconds to understand that he was

referring to the little plump ball who was supposedly
her little brother and she wrinkled her brow in
displeasure.

That is strange, why would she feel unhappy?

Che Yan Yan stepped forward to get a better view of

her and was shocked. “You…!”

She sighed and was about to say “Bingo! I am indeed

Huang Fu Yun.” when she heard Che Yan Yan
continue: “Your features are good-looking, but they are
better suited on a man.”

Jiang Wu Bo was speechless. Isn’t Che Yan Yan taking

her love for man a step too far? Did she even find her
attractive now? Oblivious to her thoughts, Che Yan Yan
continued. “It is pity that none of you could escape
from this place.”

“Isn’t Protector’s Che kidnapping the bride to force

someone to reveal herself?”
“How did you know? Wait, where have I heard your
voice before?”

She sighed. “It is not important where you have heard

my voice before. What is important is that you have
seen the body of Huang Fu Yun with your own eyes,
yet Sect Leader has refused to believe you and ordered
you to kidnap the wife of Silver-Hand Du San Lang and
injure He Rong Hua to force Huang Fu Yun to reveal
herself.”

Che Yan Yan eyed her suspiciously. “Did Xian Yun

guessed this?”

She made a non-committal sound and gestured with her

free hand behind her back for He Rong Hua to
leave. But He Rong Hua thought it was embarrassing
to abandon a lady in distress so he hesitated.

She could only sigh and continue. “Why not we make a

bet. Since you are after Huang Fu Yun, why not you
take me hostage instead? That will be so much better
than nabbing the wife of the martial arts scholar. At
least Bai Ming Sect would not anger both the Court and
the Central Plains pugilists. With me in your hands,
Xian Yun would naturally intervene and find Huang Fu
Yun for you.”

Che Yan Yan gave it some thought and returned with

beautiful smile. “That will be too troublesome! I am
not going to let either of you off. Men! Bring both of
them back!”

As a Sky Slave got near to her, she him a flying kick

and yelled for He Rong Hua to leave. Although she has
only mastered a third of her family skills and was not
on par with He Zai in terms of skill, she thought she
could still hold off their attackers until He Rong Hua
escaped, afterwhich she would be able to surrender.
Chapter 8 Part 1 of 2

“Ding ding dang dang. Ding ding dang dang…” The

familiar tinkle of Sky Slave bells rang incessantly in the
dungeon. She has not heard this sound for half a year at
least, and the constant ringing sounded quite piercing to
her ears.

She consoled herself with the fact that Bai Ming Sect’s
dungeon has always been clean and devoid of torture
instruments. She and Deng Hai Tang were led through
rows of cages where Sky Slaves were being
imprisoned. When she passed one of the cages, she
passive gaze lingered on a hunky Sky Slave locked
inside. His eyes were closed as if he was resting, and
he did not look at the newcomers.

Their jailor opened the door of the cage next to his and
shoved them inside. Deng Hai Tang nearly tripped but
she held her up just in time. As the iron doors closed
with a loud “clang!”, Deng Hai Tang said heatedly:
“This is as good as declaring war against the Central
Plains pugilist world. Is the Bai Ming Sect Leader
crazy?”

Jiang Wu Bo nodded her head feelingly and sat down

cross-legged against the side of their cage which
bordered the next cage.

Deng Hai Tang continued. “Miss Jiang, I have brought

trouble upon you.”

“I am still ok.”

At her words, the Sky Slave in the next cage opened his
eyes abruptly and stared at the back leaning against his
cage.

Jiang Wu Bo eyed Deng Hai Tang with interest. So this

was how a female heroine behaved. In contrast to the
gentle and soft-spoken woman who spoke to Xian Yun
the other time, she was all self-reliant at times like this.
So strong! But...

“Miss Deng will not succeed in finding a way out. Why

not wait for rescue?” Unlike her, she was a parasite and
would wait for a convenient rescuer.

An unreadable expression crossed the face of the Sky

Slave in the next cage.
“Wait for rescuers? When will that be? What do you
think is their aim for capturing us?”

Jiang Wu Bo sighed. “Ay, Sect Leader wants the

resurrected Huang Fu Yun.”

“Huang Fu Yun? The Bai Ming Sect Protecter who

died in an explosion half a year ago?”

“Yes, you see…” Jiang Wo Bo lowered her eyes and

played with her belt. “many people did not believe that
she has died. Bai Ming Sect Leader is one, the brother
of He Rong Hua is another. Sect Leader is waiting for
an opportunity but he has fatally injured himself with
his malpractice of the martial arts, so he does not have
much time left. As for He Yue Hua, he too believes
that she is alive, so he willingly returns to Bai Ming
Sect and stays in the dungeon, believing that she would
return for him one day. Even though Tian He Manor
claims that he is at the manor, he has faith that Huang
Fu Yun would be able to see through the lie and know
where he really is.”

Deng Hai Tang was shocked and shifted her eyes from
Jiang Wu Bo to the big man behind her.
“Miss.” That man finally spoke, his voice hoarse and
full of emotion.

Jiang Wu Bo continued to look at the floor. “He Zai, do

you think you can beat me when it comes to playing
games?”

“No.” His face shone with happiness. “Miss has a soft

heart and would return sooner or later.”

“And how could you tell that I am soft hearted?”

He fell silent before replying with a voice choked with

emotion: “Miss. I have never wanted to abandon
you. He is my father’s youngest son and would also be
his only son. His character is not as strong as Miss and
I thought: Miss is not someone who would give up
easily. Even if you have fallen off a cliff, even if there
are swords swinging wildly at you, you will not give up
until the last breath. So I…. Once I have rescued him, I
went down the cliff to look for you but I could only find
a body, a Sky Slave bangle and the jade flute.” His last
sentence was ripe with pain.

Deng Hai Tang eyes widen. “You are Huang Fu

Yun? But Huang Fu Yun does not look like you! She
has a tattoo on her face.”

“I am afraid of pain so that is not a tattoo, just make

up.”
“But… but the Sky Slave bangle is impossible to
remove…”

“I have figured out how to remove it since I was

fourteen. I only continued to wear it for fear that others
would know that I know.”

Speechless, Deng Hai Tang could only stammered.

“You… really fell off the cliff?”

She smiled. “Of course I fell off the cliff. I broke my

bones, my head and my intestines were shaken out of
place.”

She finally stood and faced He Zai. She lifted her

fringe to reveal a scar on her forehead. “You are
right. I have thought that there was no hope that day. I
was waiting to move on to Western Paradise (heaven)
but my survival instincts kicked in at the last
moment. The result is four months of bed rest, no
thanks to my excellent endurance skills, without which
I would have needed even longer to recover.”

His eyes contracted at her news. “Miss…”

She smiled and gave a casual wave with her hand. ”He
Zai need not feel guilty. Isn’t this the way of the
world? If you can save me, I will be deeply
thankful. If you cannot save me, we can still pursue our
separate paths. Years ago, you have no choice but to
become my Sky Slave. I was only ten that year and I
worried day and night that you would kill me, so I keep
emphasizing equality as the basis of our relationship. If
you have to wear the Sky Slave bangle, so would I. If
you are forced to tattoo your face, I will wear the same
mark on my face. I taught you martial arts but I did it
not for you to bring it to greater heights but to protect
me in event of danger. That is the truth of our
relationship for the past ten years - taking what we need
from each other. And my aim of coming today is to tell
you thus. We no longer owe each other anything. I will
help you remove your Sky Slave bangle and we will
walk our separate paths from henceforth.”

He watched her expression and said slowly: “I have

already guessed your intentions when I saw the Sky
Slave bangle and jade flute at the foot of the cliff that
day.”

She did not reply.

“Has Miss been happy in the past half a year?”

“Not too bad. My name now is Jiang Wu Bo. I have

things to eat, a place to sleep. Life is quite carefree.”

“Jiang Wu Bo?” He pondered on the name and laughed.

“No waves on the River? I should have guessed it
earlier. So it was indeed Gong Sun Yun who saved
you. I was hoping he could lend a hand that day, but
the unexpected darts that shot out from the woods
stopped him. So he saved you afterall. Does Miss like
him?”

She arched her brow and smiled. “Am I that

transparent?”

He Zai stroked the jade flute by his side gently. “Has it

been Miss of the old, she would have left the moment
she recovered and will never be seen again.”

“And yet you would stay at a place like this to wait for
me?” She got a bit angry just thinking about it. Since
the first time she heard that He Zai was at Tian He
Manor but that no one has seen him, she had known that
this guy was not at Tian He Manor at all. How could
she not know his character after ten years?

In order to force her to reveal herself, to confirm that

she is indeed alive, he would definitely return and wait
by Sect Leader’s side be it for one year or two
years. Ten years was sufficient time for a person to
change and the He Yue Hua of today was no longer the
Eldest Young Master of Tian He Manor of yester
eve. If there comes a day in future where he needs to
kill someone from the orthodox sect, he will not
hesitate. That is He Zai.
He Rong Hua could not see it but she has
understood. Such a person was no longer suited to stay
at Tian He Manor. Should she be grateful for his firm
belief that she has sufficient self-protective skills and
will not die?

“Would Miss be willing to give me another chance? I

have already returned the gratitude of birth and have no
other ties.”

She looked at him. “Am I really that important to you?”

He returned her look but did not reply, silently stroking
the jade flute that symbolizes them. She pretended she
did not see and looked outside the cage. After a while,
she said: “He Zai, you are no longer a Sky Slave
material and I am no longer Huang Fu Yun of the past.

“I know.”

She smiled and to his delight, she took the jade flute
from him. “We spent ten years together. Although you
are no longer a Sky Slave and I am no longer Huang Fu
Yun, but it did not change what we have shared. This
flute is you - no matter where you are, so long as there
is a sword in the flute, it would mean that I have not
forgotten you. Do you think this is a good
arrangement?”

His eyes were brimming with emotion as he replied:

“Miss is generous beyond my expectations.”
“If I am still wearing long belts that reach the floor, I
would never have come today.”

At his confused look, she smiled again. “I am only

trying to make amends.”

“Amends?”

“In the past, you were a flower-youth, very easy on the

eyes. Every heart that sees you will be set aflutter. But
ever since you started learning martial arts of the Huang
Fu family, you have developed these big muscles.” She
shook his head and sighed. “Thankfully I only trained
till I am fourteen.”

He Zai stared at her and insisted. “Big muscles are the

hallmarks of a real man.”

She nodded obligingly. Men are like that; only their

attributes are manly. Put the same thing on someone
else and the spin may be totally different. Her
expression softened and she stroked the slightly-
damaged flute. “There are some things I have to
clarify.”

“When I was bedridden, Gong Sun Zhi would nag, nag,

nag and nag about the most mundane things every
day. Sometimes, I wished I have died at the foot of the
cliffs instead.”
“Does Miss want me to kill him?”

She glared at him. “The first strategy is always to

endure, and things have not reach desperate status
yet. What I mean is, thanks to him, I heard
many jianghu gossip including those of the Gong Sun
family. Their family has this bad tradition of marrying
their relatives such as marriage between sworn siblings,
cousins, et cetera. They may not do it intentionally but
somehow, destiny has it that they always inter-
marry.” Which was why many people had wanted to
become sworn siblings with Gong Sun
Yun. Unfortunately, she was the destined one.

He Zai narrowed his eyes. “And Miss is trying to

say…?”

“Are there any bad traditions that run in your family? If

there are, tell me now in case I fall into some trap in
future.”

“None.” Absolutely nothing at all.

She said seriously. “That is good. Since I take the

flute, I want to have whatever you have. And whatever I
have, you will have the same. In the past, I see you as
my family but yet I would suspect you will betray me
one day at the back of my mind. Now that we swear to
become brother and sister, we will become family for
real and will depend on each other. We will call each
other by name without regard for seniority, but if you
marry, I will address your wife as my elder sister-in-
law.” Finished, she stuck out her hand.

He looked at her and repeated her “depend on each

other” with rare gentleness. “After my abandonment,
Miss has actually learn to put your faith in others. It
seems that Gong Sun Yun’s credit cannot be ignored.”

His sounded a little bitter but he strike her offered hand

decisively nonetheless. “From henceforth, if I ever
forsake Miss again, let me be strike by lightening.”

She blinked and touched her jade flute. Finally, she

said. “I like to say I believe you but I still need
time. Right now, I can only tell you that I am not
afraid. Even if you leave me behind again, I will still
think of you as family, and family will never abandon
each other. You, He Zai, will always be my first family
in my heart.”

Some thoughts of mine:-

So bittersweet. I am glad she finally speaks how she

feels and to a large extent, it is thanks to the Gong Sun
brothers for their physical and emotional medicine,
because her words are not something one would say if
she did not feel the backing of a family behind her.

He Zai also won points for choosing to be locked up a

noisy dungeon in order to see her again. Knowing how
he felt, his hatred when he let her fell off the cliff was
probably directed at his brother and himself. He needed
to repay the debt of birth, especially since he no longer
view himself as a son of Tian He Manor, so all the more
he needs to preserve a lineage for his birth family. I
laugh everytime I think of his defensive "hallmarks of a
real man" and I thought he should look rather yummy,
like Lee Byung Hun. And if that is not Huang Fu Yun's
cup of tea, I think we should not deprive ourselves of
some mid-week ooos- and aaas- because of her
preference, so hope you like my picture of the week. : )
Chapter 8 Part 2 of 2

Half a month later.

He was extension of the shadows and moved swiftly
like a bird of the night. If someone caught sight of him,
he would have thought it was just a shadow and not a
cause for alarm.

He leaped up a building where the dark roof tiles would

provide further camouflage. After he left Bai Ming Sect
six years ago, he has retained a vague map of the place
in his mind. Thankfully, his lack of direction sense was
not acting up today and he was able to locate the
dungeon after only half an hour.

Crouching, he removed a roof tile carefully.

Yup, it was indeed the dungeon below.

Listening to a faint voice which floated up from below,

he moved twenty steps forward to where he thought
was directly above the voice, and removed another roof
tile.

“Master He, are you awake?”

He Zai leaned against his cage and muttered a sound in

response but did not open his eyes. Deng Hai Tang was
worried. “Miss Huang Fu, no, Miss Jiang has been
brought away. Do you think she will be fine?”

On top of them, the man’s eyes gleamed.

“Since it is not ordered by Sect Leader, she should be

fine.”

“Do you think it is because Che Yan Yan has

discovered Miss Jiang’s true identity? What good thing
can happen when she gets her Sky Slaves to bring her
away in the middle of the night?”

“Miss is very good at enduring. She will be fine.”

“But…”

The man on top of the roof straighten

soundlessly. After thinking about it, he took out a small
woven pouch, placed a piece of broken jade inside and
flicked it to the cage below.

He Zai was awake in an instant and caught the

pouch. Deng Hai Tang nearly gasp but controlled
herself in time and moved forward to peer at the pouch.

Inside were two pills and a broken piece of jade.

She was confused, especially when He Zai passed her

one of the pills. At the same time, He Zai said rather
loudly: “Protector Che asked many questions about
Gentleman Xian Yun before taking Miss away. Given
the character of Protector Che, Miss must have been
taken away because of this man.” He smiled as he
looked at the jade piece. “I have seen this before. The
original jade was a good piece but Miss has broken it
into four. Who would have thought the jade would find
its way back to its original owner?”

When the person on the roof remained silent, He Zai

continued. “Since Protector Che wants a private
inquisition, it would naturally be held at her private
quarters. To go there, just turn east from the dungeon
until you see a red house.”
Back on the roof, the man headed east without pausing
to check if the people below have swallowed the pills.

After more roof hopping, he finally found the red

house. The house and its courtyard were dimly lit, but
he could see about ten Sky Slaves standing neatly in a
row inside the house. Since he had no clue what Che
Yan Yan was thinking, he removed yet another roof tile
to better observe what was going on.

Under the flickering light, Che Yan Yan pursed her

lips. “You don’t like him either? Hey, I am giving you
a chance, Jiang Wo Bo. Although these Sky Slaves are
a choice of the moment and they have tattoo on their
faces, but they are definitely on par with Xian Yun.”

“Since Protector Che thinks that they are on par with

Xian Yun, why not let them accompany you instead?”

Both women were seated. Jiang Wo Bo stifled a yawn,

but was unable to control her smile when she saw Che
Yan Yan’s serious face, so she asked: “What is so good
about Xian Yun that you are fixated on him?”

“Humph. The man I want must also fall for my

charms.”
“That is simple.” Jiang Wo Bo stifled another yawn.
“Do you best to chase after him. I promise I will not
stop you.”

“It s not my style to rob another woman of her

man. When I wanted any man in the past, he would be
mine once I captured him and if he does not yet have
anyone in his heart. But if he already has someone, to
make him fall for me would be a test of my
powers. However, I will not shortchange their
sweetheart and will always compensate them. Since I
am intent on compensating you, you take a good look at
these men, choose someone you like, and finish the
deed tonight.”

Jiang Wo Bo nearly fell off her chair. “You call this

compensation? Are you sure you are not engineering a
betrayal before you come between a couple?”

Che Yan Yan was so angry that she stood up. “You
sounded annoying familiar and the more I hear you
speak, the more detesting you get. If you do not choose
a Sky Slave tonight, I will personally pick one for you!”

Jiang Wo Bo can only sighed to herself. A few years

back, she has heard about Che Yan Yan’s method of
seduction. She must get the man she wanted and yet do
so in a way that maintained her image as a female
fetale. On the surface, she would not resort to robbery
or murder in order to get her man if the man already has
a sweetheart. Who would have guessed a mere listener
like her to become a victim tonight? Luckily, she was
very good at endurance. She could stand this, no
problem.

Taking a closer look at Che Yan Yan’s Sky Slaves, they

were actually quite good looking without their
masks. No wonder this Right Protector wanted to keep
them around.

Rubbing her nose, she stifled another yawn. She

blamed her sleepiness on the bad habit she formed at
Cloud Manor. To remain healthy, all must sleep
early. If her head touched a pillow now, she would be
dead meat. If there ever was an occasion to showcase
her endurance, it would be tonight.

Che Yan Yan gave her a cold smile: “Actually, how can
you and Xian Yun be suitable for each other? Before I
caught you the other day, he was happily chatting with
the young Miss from Tang Manor.”

Jiang Wo Bo replied politely: “Protector Che, did you

use the wrong phrase to describe what happened?”

“Huh? Wrong phrase? I shall not keep it from Miss

Jiang. Your rescuers are already gathered at the foot of
the mountain and I am sure Xian Yun is among
them. However, he has been inseparable with Miss
Tang for the past two weeks. Do you get my drift?”
It was impossible to discern the expression of Jiang Wo
Bo under the dim candlelight, but she said suddenly: “I
do recall a Miss Tang at the wedding. She is about
eighteen years old and very pretty. I have wondered
why she is dressed differently from the current trend, so
it is because she is trying to outshine me. If it is her and
Xian Yun, they are indeed well-suited.”

As the man on top of the roof glared at her, she stood

and continued. “Since he is heartless, I shall not remain
true either. Come, come everyone! Line up so that I
can take a look who is better!”

A true heroine can bend with the tide. Rather than

blatantly opposing Che Yan Yan and risk a forced
encounter, it would be better to choose someone easy
on her eyes. She circled the men and reached out from
habit for her jade flute. A pity she has passed it back to
He Zai before she was escorted from the dungeon so it
was not with her now. Sigh!

Each man had his own merit, but there was none who
could set her heart aflutter. In any case, she just had to
find a way to delay this till dawn. Once the rescuers
reach the mountain, she would have passed this hurdle.

Che Yan Yan tried to hurry her to pick one when she
came to a stop in front of a youth who bore multiple
whip wounds on his body. Just when she was about to
say that she will choose him, all the lights suddenly
went out and the house and its courtyard was engulfed
in total darkness.

“What happened?” Che Yan Yan hollered. “Men!

Light the candles immediately!” Some Sky Slaves
rushed to the candle stand but found that the tip of the
candle had been cut off. When they tried to turn,
someone sealed their meridian points and they were
immobilized.

Before Jiang Wo Bo could react, she felt someone

grabbing her waist and into his arms. The sound of
wind whistled in her ears as she was carried past several
motionless Sky Slaves and landed a secluded spot far
away. Next she knew, her chin was lifted and a pair of
lips forcibly parted her own as she was devoured in a
kiss.

She froze at the familiar scent.

The kiss was intense and seemed to go on forever. Was

he making use of the fact that she could not see his
expression, to be kissing her with such abandon?

She eyelids fluttered close, and open. Close and

open. Her heart was racing a little fast but she thought
her control was still intact. She has seen such
passion…. alright, she has to admit that although she
has seen bit in her twenty years, she has only
encountered such things once, which was in her erotic
dreams.

But she could hold back.

No, wait. What was she holding back for? Some

matters need not hold back. Just when she has decided
to go ahead and make lemonade to repay his gift of
papayas*, she found that he has pushed a pill to her
with his tongue and stepped back.

She touched her moist lips and swallowed the pill.

“Are you alright?” he whispered hoarsely.

“I am still ok, except that my heartbeat is a bit faster

than normal. Did you just feed me poison?”

In the darkness, she could hear his suppressed

laughter. In the next instant, she was in his arms again
as he held her very, very tightly. Has she been too
focused on being alone that she overlooked his fear of
not being able to save her time and time
again? Although he was holding her very tightly, it did
not feel like a passionate hug. Rather, it was as if he
was afraid he would fall off a cliff again.

This man was so upright, anyone could put themself

safely in his hands. But why did she get the feeling that
she was comforting him at this instant?
“You need not feel apologetic since I would have come
back for He Zai sooner or later. This time was merely
going along with the flow.”

He only made a non-committal sound.

She lifted her head and the movement brushed her

cheeks against his smooth forehead. She could imagine
his forthright smile and she suddenly felt a lot
happier. It was weird, but she found herself
remembering how he would smile at home frequently in
the last two weeks. Her next thought that follow, was
that it was not good to indulge since it could easily lead
to disappointment.

She did not know how he did it, but there was a faint
light suddenly. Taking a quick look around, she found
that they were behind a boulder and on his palm was a
short candle stub. She lifted her eyes to his and felt her
heart quake. He was dressed in black and his hair was
not tied up in his customary bun atop his head. Instead,
he has pulled his hair to a knot behind and some tendrils
had fallen over his forehead, giving him a rather rakish
beauty.

So it was not that he actually favoured whites; He

probably wore white to accentuate his aloof exterior
instead of wearing other colours that would bring out
his warmth and steal people’s souls away. This
devil. Her heart thought that her endurance training
was really all for tonight.

He did not look anywhere else except at her, as if he

could never looked enough. She licked her lips and
asked softly: “I figured you are not here to rescue us
tonight?”

His lips curved. “No.”

“So what was the pill you fed me?”

“Miss-you-like-crazy pill.”

She blinked at his answer and took in his enticing look

again. The seductive scent of spring…. she swallowed
her saliva.

“That…”

“If you have a question, you need to ask quickly.”

She gave it two seconds before she started

laughing. What questions could she ask? What was
there to ask? Perhaps she should ask him how he felt
about Miss Tang? That would be a truly useless
question.

“Nothing much. I just want to tell you that I am well

and you need not worry about me.”
At her words, he smiled and snuffed the candle. As
darkness engulf them once more, he said “When you
return to your cell, try to exercise your qi. The pill will
help to protect your major arteries.”

She wanted to protest that she was not that weak but he
continued. “I cannot bring you away now. Since Bai
Ming Sect dares to abduct the bride of the martial arts
scholar, its aim is to rouse the court officers present at
the wedding to stage a rescue. They are at the foot of
the mountain as we speak, and will arrive up the
mountain in the morning. Per our ancestors’ teachings,
Cloud Manor disciples are not allowed to interfere with
the happenings of the wulin. Although I have never met
Bai Ming Sect Leader, you have mentioned before that
he gone off the deep end and should anything happen
tomorrow, you would be the first to get hit. I may not
be able to protect your well-being but with this pill, it
will at least help protect your heart.”

“So you are here to send me medicine?”

“Correct.”

She smiled. “I understand.”

He hugged her again before releasing her. “You take

care. Let me send you back.”
She suddenly reached out to pull him down by the neck
and touched the corner of his lips.

As she guessed, his lips were not curved and it was his
aloof look.

She figured his warm look a few moments ago was put
on for her benefit. Beneath his calm surface, he was
actually agitated and could not help but to rush up at the
earliest opportunity to check out if she was alive, if she
was safe?

When she was fighting Che Yan Yan and her Sky
Slaves at the wedding, it was inevitable for some to get
hurt, for blood to be spilled. As he stared at the blood
stains after the fight, did he also wondering whose
blood was it on the floor?

She felt something very foreign, but the strange feeling

also brought a wave of happiness to her heart. Surely,
even a poppy flower is allowed to lose a little, little bit
of control especially when the other poppy flower
around her is radiating its poison like crazy? So she
stood on her toes and gave him a small peck on his lips.

“This will really be the last time.” He

whispered. “There will never be such happenings ever
again.”
She was a bit skeptical but she decided now was not the
time to delve further so she smiled. “Xian Yun, at this
very moment, I am thinking it is not too bad to eat the
nutritious meals at Cloud Manor.”

“You will come to know the pain in future.” This time,

she could finally hear the smile in his voice.

She was held in a tight embrace and the next she know,
she was back at the hall. He brushed his finger gently
over her forehead and in the next instant, he hit her
meridian points and rendered her immobile. As his
familiar scent floated away, she found a faint smile
lingering on her face.

From outside the hall, a Sky Slave stumbled in and

started lighting the candles. She heard him shout for
Protector Che and from the corner of her eye, she saw
that Che Yan Yan and all her Sky Slaves where
immobilized too.

The Sky Slave quickly freed Che Yan Yan, only to earn
a slap from her. “Useless fools! How could you allow
someone to waltz in and grab my… wait, you are still
around?”

Jiang Wo Bo gave Che Yan Yan her most innocent

look.
While Che Yan Yan was suspicious as she went around
releasing everyone’s meridian points, she finally came
to Jiang Wu Bo and freed her.

Jiang Wo Bo took a deep breath. “That was so scary! I

thought it was you who struck me.”

“Why would I do that for?”

“I only know you were lamenting that I was not a man

the other day. How would I know what you wanted to
do with me?”

Che Yan Yan gave her a furious stare, before turning

around and barked. “Why are you all still standing
here? Go seal the roads immediately! I want to see who
dares to challenge Bai Ming Sect. Men, bring her back
to the dungeon!”

*Wang Yun has mixed up her idioms as usual. What

she wanted to say is something along the lines of
“making lemonade when life gives you lemons”.

So, was that swoon worthy enough for you? The image
of Xian Yun keep changing every other chapter -
from an aloof deity from the nine-heavens (do you
recall he is always referred to by his full title
"Gentleman Xian Yun" in the early chapters?), to
a cheerful man who smiles a lot at home, to an ordinary
man who can get lost, to Mr Hot Pants tonight... I must
admit that this is the best I have seen of him yet
although I am a bit skeptical how he intends for this to
be "the last time" when he has said it before? I'm so
looking forward to the showdown between the orthodox
and unorthodox sects next chapter. Until then, have a
nice weekend! - Mb.
Chapter 9 Part 1 of 2

Early next morning.

Deng Hai Tang watched with surprise as He Zai

removed his face paint.

Feeling her curiosity, he explained: “Since Miss has

returned and Tian He Manor now knows about He Yue
Hua being a Sky Slave, there is no need for me to hide
anymore. All things will come to an end today and the
least I can do is to face up to things with the looks I am
born with.”

Jiang Wo Bo smiled as she played with her flute. “Why

do you seem to be preparing for martyrdom when we
are not dying yet?”

He Zai chuckled. “Miss has mixed up your idioms

again”
Che Yan Yan arrived at the dungeon to personally
escort the prisoners and got a shock. “He Zai?”

Jiang Wo Bo tried to suppress her mirth as He Zai paid

no heed to Che Yan Yan. Now that she knew that a
good-looking, gladiator-type of guy has been living
right under her nose for the past ten years, did she feel
any regret? He Zai caught sight of her amusement and
shot her a look to quell her mirth.

The three of them were given pills to suppress their

strength before they were lead out. Their destination
was the front hall where she saw ten over pugilists from
the Central Plains had gathered.

He Zai was walking in front of her and blocked her

from most people’s view. Without turning back, he
said in a low voice which only she could hear. “These
in hall are renown wulin elders. Those outside the hall
are their disciples. Seems like they are going to try the
peaceful approach before fighting it out.”

She muttered a sound in response but continued

thinking. Besides the elders, she has spotted Tu Shan
Long as well. He was dressed in commoner’s garbs but
there was an old man dressed in official robes standing
beside him. Once the imperial court got involved
in jianghu matters, she knew that things would become
sticky. She was willing to bet that there were soldiers
stationed outside the hall who would be ready to step in
to suppress both sides if a big fight was to break up.

She guessed that many Bai Ming Sect disciples had

been summoned back for the occasion as well, and all
the chess pieces were now in place per Sect Leader’s
wishes.

In the beginning, Bai Ming Sect also had several

highly-skilled pugilists. Because their moral yardsticks
were different (or more accurately, they did not care
two cents about how others think of them), Bai Ming
Sect had been dubbed an unorthodox sect in the Central
Plains.

It was only later when many skilled members had gone

missing that she realized Sect Leader had gone
crazy. At that time, she could only endure and watch as
Bai Ming Sect became increasingly
convoluted. Historically, the new Leader for Bai Ming
Sect was always chosen among the Left or Right
Protectors, but with its degeneration, many members
had lost faith in the two female candidates for the
leader’s chair, and were secretly coveting to be the next
leader, which was also what Sect Leader had wanted to
see.
As she listened half-heartedly to Sect Leader’s
conversation with the other wulin elders, she caught
sight of the Gentleman from Cloud Manor in the side
hall directly facing her. When she failed to spot Xian
Yun among them, she took a step forward to sweep the
hall, and finally found him at the main door.

He was wearing his customary white robe but he had no

journals on him today. He stood against the wind,
hands folded behind, and he looked like his normal self,
except for his icy demeanor which had replaced his
usual polite aloofness. She could imagine the tense
situation outside, but with him on guard, no one had
dared cross the door yet.

He seemed to have felt her gaze and turned around to

meet her eyes directly. There was no emotion in his
dark eyes and for a moment, they just stared at each of
other. Without his customary sparkle in his eyes, she
could not hold his look for long and finally turned away
on the pretext of hiding a cough. When she turned
around to face him again, she noticed some fresh blood
stains on the corner of his sleeve.

Che Yan Yan announced, “Master, I have brought the

people here.”

An elder from Tang Manor spoke up: “Bai Ming Sect

and the Central Plains have lived peacefully alongside
each other for twenty over years. What was Leader
Jiang thinking when you capture the bride of the
Martial Arts Scholar and the sworn sister of Gentleman
Xian Yun?”

Ignoring him, Sect Leader said lazily: “He Zai, come

cover.”

He Zai moved to stand beside him without a word.

“What do you think? Is the Left Protector still alive?”

He Zai replied deadpan. “She is still alive.”

“Since she is alive, why do you think she has not shown
herself?”

“Your subordinate does not know why.”

“Do I have to start killing people one by one before she

shows up? What do you think?”

At this exchange, Tu San Long furrowed his brow and

stepped forward. “Sect Leader Jiang, Huang Fu Yun’s
death has nothing to do with us. If you are after
revenge, you are barking up the wrong tree. We can
overlook your capturing my wife and Xian Yun’s sworn
sister. If you can hand them over to us now, we can
pretend that today has never happened.”
Jiang Wo Bo caught Deng Hai Tang’s helpless
expression and thought to herself that it was not easy
being the wife of the Martial Arts Scholar. Here she
was being carted left and right, but her husband had to
put the big picture before her and could not even stand
up properly for her.

Normally, it was not easy to gather so many fractions in

one place. Was crazy Sect Leader trying to destroy Bai
Ming Sect, or was he waiting to see how she would
clear up the mess? If she were to guess correctly, did it
mean she is crazy too? At this, she decided she should
stop trying to think further.

Sect Leader was all smiles. “If you want them back, that
would not be possible. Protector Che, since the family
of the two women are here, why not you let them
collect their bodies today?”

Che Yan Yan hesitated but nodded. “Yes.”

Deng Hai Tang was very decisive and vaulted towards

Tu San Long at his words. Her move surprised many
but many pugilists quickly close in to help. Jiang Wo
Bo choose remain where she was, without knowing that
this would be her downfall.

“Be careful Miss!”

In a flash, a black shadow has materialized beside her
and it was only then that she realized her mistake. He
Zai only managed to move two steps before she heard a
rough voice breathing into her ear. “Yun Er, I have
found you.”

Before she could react, she felt someone pulling her

back with one hand, while his other hand started
exchanging blows with Sect Leader. The blows looked
straightforward but were infused with a lot of internal
strength. Given the close distance between the duelists,
there was little reaction time and Gong Sun Yun could
only react instinctively. When his palms clasp with Sect
Leader for the last time, the energy seemed to radiate
through the duelists and shattered something behind
them, while sending the two men staggering back
several paces.

Quickly, He Zai and Tu San Long moved behind Gong

Sun Yun to steady him. He Zai was quick to ask: “Is
Miss alright?”

Feeling the disruptive qi coursing through Gong Sun

Yun, the question clued Tu San Long on why Gong Sun
Yun has taken on the blow instead of deflecting
it. Given the internal strength of these powerful men,
Jiang Wo Bo would be severely injured if not dead by
now, since she was caught between them, had Gong
Sun Yun not taken the blow head on.
Worried, He Zai asked again. “Miss?”

Xian Yun replied for her: “She is merely out of

breath. Otherwise, she is fine.”

“Good skills!” praised Bai Ming Sect Leader before he

turned and walked slowly back to his seat, his eyes
unusually bright.

While the two were fighting, other fights had broken

out both within and outside the hall. Someone tried to
block Sect Leader on his way to his seat but he sent the
fellow flying out of the hall with a wave of his hand.

Tu San Long and Gong Sun Yun exchanged a glance.

What a mess! Inwardly, Tu San Long started to blame
Jiang Wo Bo. Earlier on, the situation was still under
control, thanks to Xian Yun who had volunteered to
guard the door in disregard of his Gentleman
status. Had it not been for her, Xian Yun would never
have left his post and the fight would not have escalated
to this extent.

Looking at the pleased-looking Court Official who had

followed him here, he knew that it would not be long
before the old coot would order his solders to intervene.

“Yun Er, can you guess how did I manage to spot you?”
Jiang Wo Bo finally opened her eyes and stared at the
middle-aged man atop the Sect Leader’s seat. Although
he was not really that old, his hair was white. She
disengaged herself from Gong Sun Yun and started
walking towards Sect Leader with her hands folded
customary behind her.

As she walked, someone took a swing at her but He Zai,

who was right behind her, blocked the attack. He was
about to return a death blow to her assailant when
someone held him back. Turning around, he saw Gong
Sun Yun who said calmly: “Try to forgive if you
can. If you can endure, just endure.” His colour has
returned to normal and it was hard to tell that this man
had just used his entire strength to exchange blows with
Sect Leader.

When He Zai gave a cold snort, Sect Leader Jiang

spoke: “When everyone else has succumbed to chaos,
Yun Er will be the only person who would remain
calm. I know you would never join the chaos until you
have determine your strategy and decided on your next
course of action.”

She smiled. “Master indeed knows Yun Er well.” She

walked to the steps where He Zai had been forced to
wear his slave bangle long ago. As she stroked her
flute, she asked thoughtfully. “Master has been trying
his best to test Yun Er all these years. Can I ask if today
is the day you receive your answer?”
“What have you learnt when you fell off the cliff?”

She crocked her head. “Besides being lucky to escape

with my life, I found that I have somehow ended up
with some new-found family members who would
require me to greet them in the morning and wish them
goodnight everyday.”

At her reply, Gong Sun Yun broke into a grin.

The answer was obviously not what Sect Leader has

expected to hear, so she continued. “Master’s explosion
has opened my eyes, and I was suppose to learn that I
can only rely on myself as even He Zai can forsake me
for his blood brother.”

While He Zai gritted his teeth, Sect Leader nodded his

head, satisfied.

Jiang Wo Bo continued her slow ascend up the

steps. When she reached Sect Leader, she leaned
forward and spoke in low tones: “Seeing that Master
has tried to force me out of hiding in such haste, can I
assume you have reached the end of your rope?”

The eyes of the white-haired man were burning too

brightly, like the last blaze of a candle that was about to
be extinguished. “Yun Er is so smart, you are worth the
love I have showered upon you all these years.”
“Ay, I am not smart at all. Master has aged overnight
ever since you have fatally injured yourself all those
years back. I have hoped to lie low until Master has
passed on, yet you have hang on for much longer than
expected, and here I am.”

She straightened. “The blow from Xian Yun was the

last straw wasn’t it?”

Instead of feeling aggrieved, Sect Leader bursted out

laughing. “Precisely.” His laughter was loud and
carried his qi across the hall, stopping many pugilists in
their tracks as they felt their intestines contract.

Jiang Wo Bo was the closest to him and she too felt the
pain. Fortunately, there were two pairs of hands who
appeared behind her and lent her strength.

Endure! No matter what comes today, she will endure

it all!

Gong Sun Yun let out a long, flat whistle which curbed
some of the effects of the jarring laughter.

Sect Leader coughed and looked at the expressionless

Gong Sun Yun. “Your internal qiis good.”

“Sect Leader Jiang is too generous with your praise.”

A corner of Sect Leader’s mouth twitched. “If you are
born twenty years earlier, I would have dueled with
you.”

In the next breath, he continued. “Bai Ming Sect Left

Protector Huang Fu Yun, accept my order. From today
onwards, you will become the thirty-first Sect Leader of
Bai Ming Sect!”

His power carried his words clearly into everyone’s

ears.

She stared at him for a long time, then turning around,

she walked down the steps. She walked past Che Yan
Yan who didn’t look too well, past a shell-shocked Tu
San Lang, but she ignored them all.

“Yun Er, there is no one you can trust in this world. I

have trained you personally and I know how you think,
especially He Zai, who must now be the chief thorn in
your heart. If you leave today, Bai Ming Sect would be
exterminated by the Orthodox Sect or become prisoners
of the court, without a leader at its helm. That would
make you the biggest sinner in Bai Ming Sect history
and there will forever be Bai Ming Sect disciples
hunting you for revenge. No matter where you go, you
will never find refuge even in the Central Plains!”

All Bai Ming Sect disciples have turned their attention

to her. As she stepped out of the hall, she stopped and
swept her glance at all who has gathered below the
steps.

The main hall of Bai Ming Sect was situated at mid

mountain. From the entrance, she could see Tian Bi
Cliff in the distance that reached high into the sky. A
wide gorge separated the path up the cliff and to people
unfamiliar with the area, it would be impossible to
ascend the cliff.

This was the first time in her life that she was in the
limelight. Perched on the steps, with everyone looking
on, could this be considered her moment of
fame? What a pity that after today, she could no longer
wander around the Central Plains without make-up.

Turning, she faced Sect Leader in the hall. She knew

he was about to die and that he wanted to pass her this
mess before his last breath. Had she not known that he
was crazy, she would have thought that his ambition in
life was to nurture people. If she had fallen prey to
hatred or disappointment when she fell off the cliff, she
would have become the type of person whom Sect
Leader truly wanted her to be.

She smiled and lifted both hands towards the Master’s

seat. “Huang Fu Yun accepts your order.”

“Miss!” He Zai could not help his protest as she made

her announcement in front of everyone,
She did not pay him any heed and folded her hands
behind her. “From today onwards, Huang Fu Yun will
become the thirty-first Sect Leader of Bai Ming
Sect. All disciples listen up. Kneel and send off our
Old Leader as he embarks on his last journey!”

Within and outside the hall, many disciples hesitated

before putting down their weapons and knelt.
Chapter 9 Part 2 of 2

“From today onwards, Huang Fu Yun will become the

thirty-first Sect Leader of Bai Ming Sect. All disciples,
kneel and send off our Old Leader as he embarks on his
last journey!”

As the disciples of Bai Ming Sect slowly knelt down

one by one, Huang Fu Yun arched her brow and looked
at Xian Yun. “Will Gentleman Xian Yun record all that
has happened today in the Wulin annals?”

Xian Yun met her gaze and replied steadily .

“Everything that happens today will be recorded in
detail in the Jianghu Major Happenings Scroll.”

She laughed and looked towards Sect Leader, who has

died with a smile on his face. She called loudly. “Where
is He Zai?”

He Zai stepped forward. “Your subordinate is here.”

“Since the age of sixteen, you have started learning the
martial arts of the Huang Fu family. Since you have
mastered the skill, you will become the new Left
Protector from henceforth.”

Although it was sudden, He Zai did not hesitate. “I will

obey Master’s orders.”

She looked again at the stiff outline of Sect Leader and

feeling a sense of loss at his departure, she looked away
as she issued her next order. “Left Protector He Zai,
listen up!”

Perplexed, He Zai waited for her to continue.

“Bai Ming Sect needs someone capable at the helm to

steer it towards a thousand more springs and ten
thousand more autumns. It is a pity I do not have the
talent and will let down our former leader. From
henceforth, He Zai will take over and become the thirty-
second Sect Leader. He Zai, accept your order with
haste.”

From the back of the hall, somewhere near the Sect

Leader's seat, something fell with a loud ‘thud’ on the
floor. No one paid it any heed as everyone stared at the
woman at the door.
She was dressed in white and with her long hair falling
softly behind her back, she looked both elegant and
beautiful. Unfortunately, what she was about to do next
was going to ruin this image forever.

She lowered her face, lips compressed. She could

definitely see this through, now that the moment she has
been enduring for was finally here. She silently thought
to herself - Sect Leader, may you rest in peace!

“Miss…”

“He Zai, are you not going to accept?” She shot him a
look. A breeze swept up her fringe and revealed the
faint scar beneath.

As his heart clenched, he gritted his teeth. “Miss. Can

this be considered passing a cart of rotten apples to
me?”

Ay, if he put it so bluntly, it would hurt her

feelings. Her expression cold, she stroked her jade
flute. “Are you thinking to disobey my orders?”

He Zai turned his head and tried to look for Gong Sun
Yun. When he spotted him, he saw that the latter has
buried his nose in a journal as if he was busy taking
notes. These two… they were obviously in cahoots to
make him to take the fall!

“He Zai!” She lowered her voice until only he could

hear her. “I know your character only too well. Bai
Ming Sect will be an opportunity for you to showcase
your talents. Tian He Manor is too strict-laced and no
longer suits you. The place that is suitable for you is
actually Bai Ming Sect.”

“Miss is just trying to push the buck. What do you

intend to do now?”

“I will roam the skies and seven seas.” No, she should
not agitate him too much. “My home will be your
home, and your home will be mine. Once you become
Sect Leader, Bai Ming Sect will truly become my home
and not some place where I have to be wary all the
time.” Besides, she rather missed the hot spring at Tian
Bi Cliff.

“If today has not happened, will there be a place for me

when you roam the world?”

She replied without hesitation. “Of course there will

be. But you are born in Tian He Manor and if
everything has never happened, you would have been
the leader of Tian He Manor. You could roam the
world with me, but you would also be wasting your
talents. Within Bai Ming Sect, there are problems
aplenty. Do you not wish to test your capabilities and
see what Bai Ming Sect can become under your
hands?”

He fell silent. Finally, he asked. “Will Miss return

every three or five years?”

“Naturally. No matter what, Bai Ming Sect is still my

home. Besides, with you as the Leader, we would be as
cozy as bugs in a rug. What you have, I will have the
same. I will be treated like a precious daughter
here. And if anyone tries to bully me, I will surely
return to look for you.”

He Zai started laughing at her reply. “Miss is as

cunning as a fox, how can there be people capable of
bullying you? But if Miss ever say the word, He Zai
will put Bai Ming Sect behind me and leave with Miss
without a second thought. This is my promise to you
this lifetime and will never change.”

He looked down the steps towards He Rong Hua who

seemed to have something to say. Sighing deeply, he
said loudly. “The thirty-second Bai Ming Sect Leader
He Zai, accepts your order!”

The rapid turn of events had every head spinning from

whiplash.
With He Zai holding the fort, she decided it was not her
problem how things got resolved now. As a has-been
Sect Leader, all eyes were no longer on her and she
decided to return to the hall where she noticed a woman
standing close to Xian Yun. She narrowed her eyes as
the woman took out a clean white handkerchief and
tried to dab at the blood stains on Xian Yun’s clothing.

She did not know when Gong Sun Zhi appeared, but he
was suddenly there beside her and sighing into her
ear. “Miss Tang is being very proactive, is she not?”

“One must be proactive to have a future.” She replied

casually. Like her, she has proactively looked forward
until the very end. Even when she was down to her last
breath at the bottom of the cliff, even when she was
captured and brought back to Bai Ming Sect, she has
persevered in order to have earned her break now.

Gong Sun Zhi looked at her strangely. “Do you know

what you are saying?”

“Yes.”

“Wu Bo, have you endured too much and lost your
mind? Or does this happen to anyone who has been
appointed as Sect Leader? Quick, give me your pulse
and let me check if they have fed you something in the
last two weeks to muddle your thoughts, or interfere
with your endurance.”
She wanted to roll her eyes. Will this long-winded
Gentleman never stop? Just because she had not seen
him for half a month doesn't mean that she missed him!
He continued to tell her about the background of the
Tang family; about a Miss Tang who married into the
Gong Sun family a long, long time ago, which makes
the two families somewhat related; about the balance of
power behind various Jianghu families; about the
problems faced by good-looking man; about the
likelihood of her being with Xian Yun, etc, etc.
Her faced twitched, but she reminded herself she could
tolerate this. It did not matter even if there was a pool
of blood in her abdomen, she must endure!

“I think it is a ten percent chance” Gong Sun Zhi

sighed. “Now that your real identity is exposed and
with Xian Yun being a member of a reputable
family…”

Her face continued to twitch. Had she been too

arrogant just now and heaven has decided to punish
her? Never mind. Endure! There was a knife in the
Chinese word for ‘endurance’. Maybe today’s knife
was little sharp so it left a small cut at her heart. But.
She. Can. Endure.

“I will not hide from you. Everyone young and old in

Cloud Manor supports you. But it is also a fact that
there was no precedence of one of us tying the knot
with someone from Bai Ming Sect, and a former Sect
Leader of Bai Ming Sect at that. Even if you are the
leader with the shortest ever term…”

She will take it that Gong Sun Zhi was speaking

Greek. She did not hear him.

At his incessant chatter, she finally reached Xian

Yun. As she stood behind him, she could hear Miss
Tang cooing apologetically. “Xian Yun. To stop both
sides from coming to blows earlier on, you have taken a
hit from my father without any attempt to block it. I
truly felt very sorry for that in my heart.”

Looking at the blood stains on his robes, she finally

found out where they came from. Never mind, she shall
endure some more.
Instead of sticking close to He Zai, Tu San Lang strode
up next to join Xian Yun. When he caught sight of
Jiang Wo Bo standing behind, he decided to change
what he wanted to say and say instead: “You are the
star among our generation. What a shame that you have
to mingle with a Demoness!”

Pak! She thought she heard the sound of nerves

snapping. It did not matter, she has plenty of nerves left
to hold on to her control. One more or less would not
matter. But she was a bit alarmed when she heard more
snapping sound. Pak! Pak! Pak! One by one, the
threads holding her control snapped until none were
left.
Was it because she has just passed the greatest
endurance test in her life so her tolerance level was at
its all-time low, or was she simply jealous?

She played with the small box of pills in her hands. As

she took a pill from the box, the faint fragrance of it
reached the nostrils of the sensitive healer beside her
and his eyes widen. This pill…

“Xian Yun?”

Gong Sun Yun knew she was behind him but when he
turned and saw her, he knew that something was off
straight away. His expression as was cool as ever but
there was warmth in his eyes when he looked at
her. He saw Gong Sun Zhi’s shell-shocked expression
and following his glance, he spotted the small box in
her hands.

“It is not every day that I indulge myself. I have

decided that I shall not endure anymore and take it as a
reward to myself for holding back the last twenty
years. Do you think it is a good idea?”

Gong Sun Yun arched one elegant brow. “It is difficult

to keep enduring every day. I would encourage you to
loosen up a little.”
“Xian Yun has always been very good at control too,
aren’t you?”
“Merely passable.” He appeared to be smiling and yet
not smiling at the same time.

“In your heart, there is only your savior is it not?”

“Yes.” He could not contain his smile this time.

As everyone quieted down and tune in to the

conversation being held with the dignified Gentleman
Xian Yun, everyone heard her order “Open your
mouth.”

“Be careful Xian Yun!” Before Tu San Long could

finish his sentence, he saw that the Demoness has
popped a pill into Xian Yun’s mouth and tapped on
Xian Yun’sacupuncture points to render him
speechless. “What did you just feed him?”

It was Che Yan Yan who replied “The Uncontrollable

Blissful Pill! You..?”

At one side of the hall, the Gentlemen of Cloud Manor

were busy recording the changes happening in Bai
Ming Sect. At the mention of this unusual-sounding
name, all moved closer in anticipation of some breaking
news. They could afford to leave out some minor
details from the wulin annals, but how could they fail to
record what goes on in their own family? What was
more, they are getting the scoop of a hundred percent,
pure, unvarnished truth! All crocked their ears
expectantly.

“Uncontrollable bliss… blissful pill?” Tu San Long

was an upright man and had never heard of such a
thing. But he could tell that it was not something good
just from the sound of it. Beside him, he could see
Gong Sun Zhi shaking his head.

“How vicious! This drug is very potent and is capable

of making the holiest of sages lose control like they
never have it at all. The aphrodisiac drug is but a house
cat compared to a lion, a baby compared to an old
man!”

Tu San Long was shocked. “What about its antidote?”

She has decided she shall not endure a second

longer. “Antidote? What antidote? Xian Yun, follow
me!” Grabbing him by the shoulder, she lead him out
of the hall. The crowd parted a way for her while a
stream of Gentlemen followed closely on their
heels. The whole, unvarnished truth. They must get
every detail!

Tu San Lang finally collected his scattered wits and

tried to make a grab for Xian Yun. But for some
reason, Gong Sun Yun’s sleeve seem to fall out of his
grasp as Xian Yun unobtrusively avoided his hold as he
allowed himself to be steered away.

Tu San Long stopped in his tracks and stared at his

back. He Zai was equally shocked. “Miss?”

Her reply was clear and convincing. “Xian Yun has

been poisoned and I’m bringing him for treatment. I
will bring him back safely once his poison has been
purged.”

Behind her, the Gentlemen of Cloud manor nearly

tripped over each other.

This sense of liberation is great! She has been wanting

to do this for the longest time. Although everyone
seems very polite in the Central Plains, there are all
sorts of rumours running beneath the surface. If she is a
Demoness, let her do what a Demoness do!

“Where does Miss intend to ‘treat’ him?” He Zai asked

discreetly.

Sweeping her surroundings, her eyes landed on the high

peak in the near distance and she pointed a firm finger
at its direction. “The sky may be vast and the land may
be big, but only at Tian Bi Cliff can we remained
undisturbed.”
The heady sense of liberation has apparently gone into
her head. She is not going to be bothered about what
others do, or how they think. She is going to follow her
heart and if she wants Xian Yun, she will want him. If
she likes him, she will like him. Why should she waste
time listening to nonsense or allow others to snatch him
away?

She has never experienced such freedom. No wonder

there was only one Gou Jian in history! Gathering
her qi, she leaped towards Tian Bi Cliff with Xian Yun
in tow. Her white robes fluttered gracefully behind her
as she jumped across the wide chasm.

Behind her, the crowd finally broke out of their

daze. The Demoness has captured one of their own!

He Zai immediately announced. “So long as Huang Fu

Yun and Gong Sun Yun are not divorced, Bai Ming
Sect will never step foot in Central Plains!” His voice
rang across the hall.

Divorced? The two are not even married! But from the
look of things, they are as good as married. How can a
Gentleman shirk his responsibility with so many eye
witnesses?

As they hesitated, the opportunity to stop the two was

lost. Deity has already flown out of the human realm,
and mere mortals can only watch on as his shadow
disappeared into the clouds with another. From where
he was standing, He Zai could see that the smaller
shadow nearly stumbled but fortunately, Deity-from-
Nine-Heavens reached out a hand to steady her and
together, they ascend up Tian Bi Cliff

Some thoughts of mine:-

Where to start? Holy Moly? Long Live Liberation? Let

me start with He Zai, because if this chapter has a title,
it should be “He Zai Saves the Day”. Firstly, he is
going to take care for Bai Ming Sect while Huang Fu
Yun waltzes off to enjoy a carefree life. Secondly, his
quick thinking has created the opportunity for the lovers
to slip away. Hmmm, Uncontrollable Blissful Pill, what
at unusual-sounding name I hope the author will tell us
more it, purely from an academic point of view that
is. : )

Are the Gentleman really going to publish their family

scandal? I can’t wait to reveal it in the next and final
chapter, which I will post on Tuesday 17/6. Have a
good weekend ahead!

Chapter 10

Tian Bi Cliff.

The moment her legs touched firm ground, she reached

up to wipe the perspiration beads off her brow. What a
scare! She nearly slipped and fell down the thousand-
foot cliff! Shuddering, she recalled her last fall. If she
fell down this time, there will not even be bones left to
be found.

Frightened, she lost all her any crazy appetite to stake a

claim on Luo Shen.

She raised her hand to release his meridian points so

that he could speak. But when she saw a tinge of pink
on his fine features, she coughed and turned away. Who
was the one who gave him what-uncontrollable what-
blissful pill? Who was it? Fantastic, this was called
bringing suffering onto oneself. She dared not meet his
eyes and the two of them remained standing like that for
a while.

This was the first time she has seen Xian Yun like this
this but she was sure she had no intention of letting
other women see him when he was this alluring.
Swallowing, she tried to prep herself. She will do
it! No more enduring!

“Since the Uncontrollable Blissful Pill works on you, it

should work on me as well!” It did not matter she just
had a bad scare or that her endurance skill was good. If
she took a pill, it would surely level the playing field
somewhat?
Pulling him pass the hot spring, she lifted a chiffon
curtain and went into the little lounge at the back. She
peeked at Xian Yun and saw that his brow was
furrowed as if he was angry at something.

She silently acknowledged that he had the

right. Afterall, which man would like to be forced like
a duck to the slaughterhouse? She speed up her
movements and pushed him to lie on the
bed. Straddling him, she started tugging at his
robe. Halfway through, she recalled that he still could
not speak so she released his speech points. “Xian Yun,
if you have anything to say, say it quick!”

Even if she has regretted her actions, she was not going
to let him go. He needed a cure for his poison and it
had to be her.

She blinked and looked at the bare chest beneath

her. This was her first time looking at a half-naked Luo
Shen and she felt her heart began to race. The drug was
more fast-acting then she thought.

He asked drily. “Where did you get the pills?”

“Che Yan Yan gave it to me last night before you

came. She said this was the best way to control a
man.” She has accepted the pills without protest, never
expecting that she would put it to use so soon. Um, the
pills did appear effective…

“How many pills are there?”

“There is only one left.”

“How long is its effect?”

“I have no idea.”

He looked at her steadily and gently tucked a damp

tendril behind her ear. He put his hand behind her neck
and pulled her down as he whispered in her ear. “So this
is how you look like when you are reckless.”

Reckless? She thought she was just letting go a bit of

her control? She can feel the heat coursing through her
veins and knew her face must be red. He, on the other
hand, seemed to be in full control of himself other than
a brush of pink on his cheeks. His endurance skill was
indeed way above hers!

Should she test how far their endurance go? Just as she
was toying with the idea, he reached out to kiss her
fully on the lips. Before she gave it another thought,
she found herself kissing him back. So this was how it
felt to be kissing someone without needing to hold
back. As she continued to tug at his robe, she recalled
that this was the first time she returned his kiss, so she
took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth. “Xian
Yun, I want to make this clear; in my heart, there is
only one Luo Shen!”

“Luo Shen?”

Her thoughts were getting a little muddled. She did not

seem to hear his question and started mumbling
happily. “Let me show you what I dreamt of the other
night.”

He sighed. “Wu Bo, why did you have to take the pill?”

His words seemed to have gone over her head as she

finally got rid of his shirt. Giving it a careless toss, the
white robe flew out from the colourful curtain. As it
fluttered down, a round pill fell out from the sleeve and
started rolling towards the hot spring where it dropped
in and dissolved among the warm waters.

**********
Three days later.

A young man was hurrying along the path leading down

the mountain. Along the way, he saw many pugilists
going in the opposite direction. If it was a man he
passed, the man would likely be sighing; if it was a
female he passed, the female pugilist would likely be
near tears.

Was there a need for such mass sorrow? Did they know
that the man at Tian Bi Cliff was not Deity-from-Nine-
Heavens but was more like the Devil from hell? Ay, he
appeared to be the only clear-headed one among a
group of drunkards. These people were really poor
judge of characters!

Several men and women looked at him and asked: “You

came from the top?”

He coughed and replied: “I only managed to reach

slightly further up before I had to turn back!”

One youth gritted his teeth. “Oh I see. This Tian Bi

Cliff is really a tough one! Gentleman Xian Yun has
been trapped on top for three days. How much has he
suffered?”

He bit back his retort - who was the one who really
suffered?

Since birth, he had never experience regret like

now. From today onwards, he will engrave the word
“Endurance” in his heart, and will never, never
forget. Recalling all that has transpired at the cliff top,
he really wished to bury his head somewhere.
Someone huffed. “That Demoness dared to… dared to
commit such an immoral act against Gentleman Xian
Yun. And for three days. Three days! How could
Gentleman Xian Yun endure it? Her actions are simply
too despicable for words.” At this, the speaker’s face
flushed a deep red.

In contrast, the young man’s face was black. He

thought his heart should be black too, but he refused to
blush. He had this suspicion that Gong Sun Yun did not
swallow the pill at all and he was deeply regretful that
he did not render Gong Sun Yun immobile three days
ago by sealing his acupuncture points.

And as for why it has been three days, he suspected

Gong Sun Yun only allowed him to leave the mountain
after he was convinced that all the drug has been purged
from his bloodstream.

Maybe this was Gong Sun Yun’s way of revenge? For

three days of erotic dreams in the past, Gong Sun Yun
would return with three days of unadulterated, no-
holds-barred lovemaking. She would never forget
either, his utter lack of mercy …

Did he have to be so calculative who owed who?

He could only lament that the human heart was deep

and hard to fathom. From henceforth, he would revert
back to his Wang Yun self.
‘He’ was Jiang Wu Bo in disguise. She has blackened
her face in order to sneak out from the Sect. She was
too ashamed to face her father, too ashamed to face
Master Gou Jian, which was why she had to hide her
face!

Face it - she was a miserable failure at Endurance.

Someone said. “Gentleman Xian Yun was such a pure

soul. How could that shameless Demoness humiliate
him thus!”

Pure soul? That should apply to Jiang Wo Bo! Gritting

her teeth, she turned and continued her way down.

**********

November fifth, Jianghu rapist Guan Qi Lang, was

found bound at Cold Rain Manor. All his aphrodisiac
drugs were destroyed.

November thirtieth, Jianghu rapist Lin Da Dao, was

found bound at Lao Li Hill. All the aphrodisiac drugs
on him were destroyed. On the same day, a fire broke
out in the basement of Spring Flowing Manor. It was
subsequently discovered that Spring Flowing Manor
was selling Uncontrollable Blissful Pills.
December tenth, a fire broke out at Bai Li Enterprise. It
was subsequently discovered that Bai Li was a major
producer of drugs commonly used by rapists. As a
result of the fire, there was a shortage of aphrodisiacs
for the next three years.

The modus operandi was similar in all the cases and the
prime suspect was a woman. The execution was
efficient to the point of ruthless, but since it resulted in
many harmful drugs being taken off the streets, thus
saving many innocent from harm, this woman was
deemed to have committed a good deed overall.
- Wulin Annals
Recorded by Third Gentleman -

*****

The Ninth Generation Gentleman of Cloud Manor,

Gong Sun Yun, will be retiring from jianghu and getting
married early next year.
- Cloud Manor Historical Records
Recorded by Second Gentleman –

*****

A lady with a flute slowly walked down a street with

her hands folded behind her. From her waist came the
sound “ding ding dang dang” which sounded like a Sky
Slave bell, until closer inspection which will reveal the
bell to be a normal bell that can be purchased at any
market.

The lady was very tanned with fine features. At her

side was a fair, plump little boy, who also has a bell tied
at his waist.

When the duo reached a branch of Cloud Manor, they

saw a notice and they went in to browse through the
latest news. When Little Brother Jiang read the papers,
he said happily. “Big Sister, they are talking about you
in the news.”

A Cloud Manor disciple shot her a discreet look then at

the roundish little boy (who has obviously ate very well
in the last few months) before disappearing into the
manor.

“Indeed, one should never do something bad.” She

sighed. “It is time Little Brother. When you are older
and roaming the jianghu, you must remember to destroy
any immoral drugs that you come across. The more
you destroy, the merrier. That way, you will not risk
harming yourself.”

Little Brother Jiang looked at her in only half

comprehension.

“And remember - you can read any book except for the
“Poetic Essay on Luo Shen” as it is bad for your
health.” Finished, she sighed again.
A senior-looking Cloud Manor disciple rushed up to
her. Looking at her green garb, he tested the
waters. “Soy sauce fried chicken?”

Her jaw dropped open. What kind of secret code was

this?

“Nutritious Cloud Manor food.” replied Little Brother

Jiang with a straight face.

The senior-looking Cloud Manor disciple was

relieved. “Finally, Miss Soy Sauce Fried Chicken has
arrived. Please find this letter for you from Gentleman
Xian Yun.”

She opened the letter slowly and read its contents. “I

got the message, thank you. Little Brother, let us make
a move.”

“Big Sister, where are we going?”

“Let us go buy some fried chicken before we board a

boat. Remember, once you are on the boat, you must
say that you bought the chicken no matter who asked
you.” Since she has fed him so well to reach his
rounded state, no one would suspect anything if he
brought several fried spring chicken up the boat.
“Big Sister, are we returning to Cloud Manor?"

“No, we are going to board a boat.”

The duo spent a day wandering before they reached the

pier, having stopped along the way to buy many oily
snacks. She let Little Brother Jiang carried all the food
but given his recent gluttony, she had to remind him to
save some snacks for her.

Someone was already waiting for them at the

pier. Little Brother Jiang was very excited as they
approached. “Big Sister, it is a boat! Are we boarding
this boat?”

She knew that once she boarded the boat, she would not
be able to leave it for the rest of her life. Yet in some
deep recess of her heart, there was a corner that wanted
to be on board this boat. Smiling, she said. “Let us go
up the boat.”

She let Little Brother Jiang board the boat first before
strolling up after him. Once on deck, she was greeted
by many familiar faces from Cloud Manor, including
one whom has the closest relation with her. When he
saw her, there was no change to his expression, but his
eyes lit up like the stars in the sky. Turning to Gong
Sun Zhi, he smiled. “She is here. Let us begin the
journey.”
She walked to the deck but she avoided looking at him.
After al long time, she finally glanced his
way. “Gentleman Xian Yun is renowned in the whole
of Central Plains. For you to retire at twenty-seven, is it
a good move?”

Gong Sun Yun did not seem to mind the question and
replied. “If it is not what I want, no one could have
forced me.”

She grimaced. There she had her answer! He has said it,
he has said it! So he really did not swallow the pill that
day at Tian Bi Cliff. To think she had agonized over it
when the fact was that she was the only one enduring!
Humph!

“It has been fourteen years since I came to the title of

‘Gentleman’ at the age of thirteen. During this time, I
have seen many unsavory things, much greed, much
conflict. Among things I have seen were also tragedies
that resulted from lust so I have been careful not to give
anyone any false hope. Wu Bo, why does one train so
hard to be good in martial arts? Once I relinquish my
‘Gentleman’ title, I would be free to protect the one
person whom I hold dearest in my heart, and not get
sidetrack with other concerns.”

Beneath her tan, she blushed.

Smiling, he took out a clean handkerchief and started
rubbing away her tan to reveal her honey-tone skin and
pink cheeks. Looking away, she sighed. “I should
never have loose control the other day.” Now, she
could only reap what she sowed.

His grin has blossomed into a full-fledged smile “Had

you not felt anything towards me, I believe you would
not have reacted even if you have swallowed ten
Uncontrollable Blissful Pills.”

She did not retort his confidant reply nor make

unnecessary conjunctures since the deed was done. Ay,
at worse she would take it that she had a Very Real
Erotic Dream. Thinking back on their last night at Tian
Bi Cliff, she suddenly remembered something. When
she caught a sniff of sulphuric smell on him that day,
she recalled that he had the same smell on him many
years ago. Since their story began at Tian Bi Cliff, it
was fitting that it should end at Tian Bi Cliff. Is this
what they called divine retribution?

That day, he had personally darkened her face before

letting her down the mountain. Everyone has thought
her to be a Demoness but did they know that the real
Devil was the one who was strutting around with a
golden halo? Retribution! That was her retribution for
doing bad things.
To think he had appeared so magnanimous. They had
agreed that she would roam around for a few months,
with her reporting once a month at any Cloud Manor
Branch to indicate her safety. He would use the time to
handover Cloud Manor matters to his successor and
find a way to let her know his next course of
action. And his last letter was for her to board a boat
and leave Central Plains together.

When she saw the letter, she has struggled. Her beliefs
were deeply-rooted and it was not easy to convince
herself to only believe in what she had experienced for
a short time in Cloud Manor. It was likely he arranged
for Little Brother Jiang to roam with her so that she will
not forget the things about Cloud Manor or forget about
her promise.

Gong Sun Yun saw her face softened and reached out a
hand for her. “Wu Bo. Seventh Brother has not
recovered so the boat will be traveling slowly. It is
likely we have to spend the new year on this boat.”

Looking at his hand, she replied. “It is fine with me.”

“And when we are settled on the island, let us get

married. On our wedding day, I will let you read the
scroll on the Romance History of Gong Sun Yun. Every
day, I will put on make up for you and paint your brow
as your husband for the rest of our life.”
She slowly reached for his hand and smiled. “That
sounds pretty nice. I will look forward to it.”

“Just do not take those pills ever again. There is no

need for you to challenge your sense of control through
them.” After a short pause, he continued calmly. “And
to me, it is an insult as well.”

Flushing, she changed the topic. “Let us visit Ah Yao.”

He did not reply but when she was about to disappear

below the deck, he said suddenly. “Can you give me
the last remaining pill?”

No. Never. She was not one to forget any wrong done
to her. As the saying went, three* years was not
considered long for a gentleman to get his revenge. She
was very good at enduring and will wait for the right
time to repay his gift of papayas with lemonade...

“Wo Bo?”

She pretended that she did not hear him and

disappeared down the deck. That last pill will definitely
be used on him!

That year, the Ninth Generation Gentleman of Cloud

Manor left the Central Plains with several Gentlemen of
Cloud Manor without informing anyone. They settled
down on an unknown island and he never returned
to jianghu in his capacity as the Master of Cloud
Manor.

The boat they were on sailed gently away from shore,

away from all the strife. The sea and horizon merged
into the same line and there was no waves, no
turbulence. Everything seemed peaceful, warm, cozy,
and was exactly the kind life she has hoped for. And if
there were waves and turbulence, she believed her kin
on this boat would be behind her.

She was flipping through the pages of the Cloud Manor

history when Gong Sun Yao gave a small cough. He
was bed-ridden but he needed to make something clear.
“I am definitely not the one who gave you the
scroll. You must tell everyone that you snatched it if
you are ever found out. Do not frame me with
something I did not do!”

“Gong Sun Yun, twenty-seven, was imprisoned by Bai

Ming Sect Demoness at Tian Bi Cliff. After three days
and nights of utterly immoral behavior; after many
failed attempts by others to rescue him, the embodiment
of honor - Gentleman Xian Yun – choose not to shirk
his responsibility and retired from wulin to the ever-
lasting regret of the rest of the jianghu.
- Recorded by Fifth Gentleman.”

As she read, she only have one thought:- one should

only believe in oneself and not the half-truths by
others.

Family? What rubbish!

End Note

Gong Sun Yun longed not for any Fairy, except the one
in his heart.

At twenty, he met Huang Fu Yun of Bai Ming Sect by

coincidence at Tian Bi Cliff when the latter was
fourteen. She was nimble of heart and mind, and totally
 different from other ladies of the Central
Plains. Although he did not see how she looked like,
Gong Sun Yun had developed a liking for her.

At twenty-six, he chanced upon her again to his utter

delight. Unable to help it, his love for her
grew. However, she was like the wind who can
disappear in a wink. If he did not hold on tightly to her,
he knew he would regret for the rest of his life.

For three days and nights at Tian Bi Cliff, Jiang Wo Bo

lost control. She has fallen into her own trap while
Gong Sun Yun could only look on quietly with
happiness. There was no one in Jiang Wo Bo’s heart
and her heart was as calm as still water. When she has
decided to relinquish control, she would only follow her
heart desires. How could he not be happy to see her
true heart?

May her Wind forever accompany his Cloud, as the love

between man and woman, as the ties between husband
and wife, join them together, one love, one lifetime.

- Romantic History of Gong Sun Yun

Recorded by Gong Sun Yun –

She coughed slightly as she closed the scroll. While her

eyes shifted left and right, her Luo Shen bridegroom
took the scroll away and waited patiently for her
reaction.
“This words… seemed to be written for family.” Her
lips curved slightly upwards.

“It was written for the eyes of Mrs Gong Sun Yun
only.”

“It was… a trifle short.” So skimpy, no details at all!

“Naturally, I will add one page to it every year on this

day.”

She thought to herself that this was as good as saying

that they have to remain married for the rest of their
life. If she wanted to read more, she would have to
remain forever besides this Cloud. Feeling the heat on
her face, she felt a little frustrated and something else
that she could not pinpoint. Giving a flick of her finger,
she extinguished the candle in the room.

Face it; she has lost again. Her endurance was still not
as good as his.

He was fair of skin and aloofness came naturally to

him. If he was not smiling, he would appear polite but
distant and it was impossible to guess his thoughts from
his expression. Unlike him, she would blush at the
slightest reveal of his interest in her. Could this be due
to her lack of experience, to be adapting so slowly?
She sighed. “Let us retire for the night.”

Her bridegroom followed her to bed and lowered the

bed curtains.

“Xian Yun, have you ever fell in love with someone

before?” In the darkness, she could only think of this
question.

“No. Never.”

She blinked. “In the past, was your heart calm as still
waters?”

“You can say so.”

So in other words, they shared the same thoughts and

going by the same logic, shared the same feelings?

Sighing to herself, she felt someone pulling her into his

arms. “About that…”

“Hmm?” He was nibbling her ear and did not seem to

know what she was talking about

Coughing to clear her throat, she could only bit out

hoarsely. “Xian Yun. I… I…”

The man holding her did not pause in his actions, but
she could feel his body tightening in anticipation of her
reply. She tried several times but could not get beyond
“I… I…”. In the end, she decided to give up. “Forget
it. I will try to say it next year.”

She pretended that she did not hear his sigh. In the next
instant, he was on top of her.

“Xian Yun?”

“Hmm?” The single sound was full of hope again.

“…I…” She covered his ears, and finally muttered

some words which were totally foreign to her. Before
he could recover, she has switched their position around
so that she was on top. “Next year, I will say it again
and I need not cover your ears by then. But if I still
could not say it then without covering your ears, I
would try it again the year after next, and the year after
that. I am sure I would be able to say it out one day.”

Tonight is her wedding night. Surely no one would say

that she was engaging in utterly immoral acts with him
again?

- The End -

*The correct idiom is “ten years is not considered a

long time, for a gentleman to take his revenge.
A Note from Moonblossom:-

I hope you have enjoyed this story from Yu Qing. This

story is a spinoff from the first Cloud Family book
entitled “A Cry That Rocks the World” in which it was
mentioned that the parents of the male lead (Gong Sun
Xian) got married “after three days and nights of
utterly immoral behavior”. Ha! Gong Sun Xian was a
mix of his parents, with his mother’s 'handsome eyes'
and father’s aloofness & talents. Nearly everything he
did after the age of 10 was to keep the female lead alive
after she was poisoned by the Blood Eagle. Perhaps
because that book was a little dark, so Gentleman FFC
ended up light and sunny.

To the non-chinese literate readers: - Thank you very

much for your encouragement and appreciation! There
were only two comments made by two different people
on my writing in the last ten years, which was that I
should enroll in business-writing class to improve my
writing, so your encouragement really means a lot. I
think some of you will drop a note to say their thanks
and rather than reply individually, let me take an
imaginary bow here to say "You are most welcome!"
To the chinese literate readers:- I hope you have found
new insights to this story and I trust that you find the
same humor and style in the English version.

At the beginning, I was worried that I did not have the

tenacity to finish translating a book so I chose a short
book intentionally. I am vastly relieved to have crossed
the finishing line and at a relatively fast pace at that. I
have to thank Decembi, for being the best host ever with
One Second Spring, including a thank you post
yesterday! What started out as a simple email exchange
has given birth to the English version of GFFC some 7
weeks and 50,435 words later. Along the way, I have
met many wonderful readers like you, and experienced
a new kind of fun. I have no plans to translate other
books yet and just plan to catch up on my
reading. Lastly, as our hero would have said - Endure
and Endure is not good for health, so LIVE LIFE TO
THE FULLEST! And here is a box of Uncontrollable
Blissful Pills to spur you along!