For some people, going without sleep for three days and three nights was not a problem. Naturally Chu Liuxiang could be considered one, and so was Wuhua; it turned out that NanGong Ling was also one.
Practically Wuhua did not need to knock at all, because NanGong Ling was not sleeping. He was already pouring some drink alone, as if he was waiting for them to come.
After the chessboard was setup, and the food and the wine were ready, NanGong Ling said with a laugh, "Apparently, this time the three of us absolutely must decide who's the best among us. No one is allowed to lie down, no one is allowed to leave. I wonder what does Chu Xiong think?"
Chu Liuxiang laughed heartily and said, "You knew that I am a drunkard who would not go home before I am drunk; why didn't you ask Wuhua instead of me?"
He drank and played chess at the same time. He looked so happy that it seemed like no one would be able to get rid of him even with a whip.
Wuhua said with a laugh, "NanGong Xiong did not know the pleasure of playing chess. It is indeed a great pity."
NanGong Ling laughed and said, "Playing chess requires hard thinking, it involves worrying about personal gains and losses; how could it be compared to the carefree enjoyment of watching others playing chess?"
Wuhua was about to respond when he suddenly saw Chu Liuxiang moved his chess piece to the corner of the chessboard.
This move was absolutely unreasonable, practically it could be regarded as a blunder in chess; yet since it came from Chu Liuxiang's hand, it forced others to have a real headache.
Knitting his brows, Wuhua said, "Pinseng has read all records of chess game throughout the ages, yet I have not seen such move; this is the territory under the belly [not sure: 这腹下的地盘]. Could it be that Chu Xiong does not want anything anymore?"
Chu Liuxiang laughed heartily and said, "My move is infinitely magical. Think about it carefully, I want to take this opportunity to relieve myself … as for where I could relieve myself, I am afraid I must trouble NanGong Xiong to show me the way."
With a smile on his face, NanGong Ling took him to the rear courtyard. Chu Liuxiang acted as if he could not wait anymore, he hurriedly ducked inside, but leaped out from the ventilation window on the back and flew away.
The ventilation window was no more than a chi in diameter; even a child would not be able to go in and out. Who would have thought that all the joints in Chu Liuxiang's entire body were able to lengthen and shorten freely, so that he could go through places that other would never have imagined.
After going straight for several dozen zhang, Chu Liuxiang laughed inwardly and said, "Wuhua, oh Wuhua, that move of mine basically stinks to the highest heaven. If you want to figure out the beauty of my move, it is practically the same as trying to pick the bones from an egg … But my move was totally amazing; by the time you guys think that I have fallen into the septic tank, I am afraid I have already reached Mount Ni."
Outside the southern gate, there were weeping willows everywhere. 'Jinan scenery is just like Jiangnan' [area south of Yangtze River, i.e. the sunny south], particularly in this night under the moon and the stars, it appeared even more so.
Under the shadow of the willow tree, he could not see anybody; all he could see was a pair of bright eyes.
Like a light smoke Chu Liuxiang flew over, and spoke quietly, "The horse?"
Hei Zhenzhu said, "You are so sneaky; where exactly are you going?"
Chu Liuxiang replied, "If it wasn't a secret, why would I be sneaky? But if it is a secret, how could I tell you?"
Laughing coldly, Hei Zhenzhu said, "If you don't trust me, why should I trust you? If I don't trust you, why would I lend this precious horse to you?"
Chu Liuxiang laughed and said, "Only women love to pry into other people's secret; only women would use this kind of trick to threaten others. Are you sure you don't have any women's temperament?"
Hei Zhenzhu was stunned; although in the dark of the night his face could not be seen, but his cold and indifferent eyes seemed to undergo complex changes again.
Finally, he let out a sudden whistle and the horse immediately galloped over. The hoof beats were just like the weeping willows, they barely made any noise.
Chu Liuxiang laughed and said, "I knew you would never want anybody to think that you are a woman."
Hei Zhenzhu quickly turned his head around, but just as quickly he looked back again and said, "When are you going to return the horse to me? Where do you want me to wait for you?"
As he was leaping onto the horse, Chu Liuxiang said, "This moment you are no longer in danger, just feel free to walk around the city, no one is going to hurt you. Within two days, I am going to return the horse to you. That is, if I did not die."
Hei Zhenzhu coldly said, "I don't care if you died or not, but you must never harm my horse."
Before he finished talking, Chu Liuxiang already left amidst his long laughter.
This horse was indeed an exceptional 'thousand-li colt'; galloping on the horseback, Chu Liuxiang only felt the wind gusting over his two ears, and the trees on the side of the road seemed to fly backward.
He loved the thrill of this kind of speed, but that was not the entire reason he borrowed the horse; he just did not want to waste his strength on the journey.
He had to preserve his strength to do more important things.
By the time the horse reached Mount Ni, the long dark night already passed. At the foot of the mountain, Chu Liuxiang looked for an appropriate home belonging to a woodsman family where he entrusted the horse, and then immediately took advantage of the sunrise to go up the mountain.
The morning sun shone its light on the stone beam, making it glitter. But this time there was no one on the stone beam trying to stop Chu Liuxiang. The birds were singing over the empty mountain, otherwise all was quiet. The serene and elegant cottage was also quietly immersing itself in the sunshine. The wooden single-leaf door was half-closed. Looking inside from the half-opened window, everything was even quieter.
From all these, there was not the slightest degree of any ill omen, but he did not like it, because it was too quiet. Too quiet to make Chu Liuxiang felt somewhat uneasy instead. Not wanting to waste any time, Chu Liuxiang simply broke in.
Qiu Lingsu has indeed disappeared!
On the green-gray putuan [Buddhist praying mat, made of woven cattail] only a piece of black hairpin remained, a faint scent of hair fragrance still remained on the black hairpin.
Chu Liuxiang called out loudly, "Madame Ren … Madame Ren … where are you?"
Naturally he knew that the call would not be answered. While calling out repeatedly, he quickly searched through all three small cottages. Inside the thatched cottages, everything was in order, there was not the slightest bit of disarray, and there was not the slightest remnant of a fight either.
But where has that Madame Ren, Qiu Lingsu gone?
Chu Liuxiang immediately became like a hunting dog; he started to search around everywhere, hoping that Madame Ren would leave something; even the tiniest bit of clue would be good.
But after searching every nook and cranny, he could not even find a single character on a piece of paper; even more so, he could not find anything out of ordinary. The bedding was neatly folded on the bed, the clothes were neatly stacked in the wardrobe, the dressing table still had three cleanly-washed combs, the cupboard still had several cleanly-washed porcelain bowls … Everything that was normally there was still there, so neat and orderly, absolutely without the slightest degree of clutter. Chu Liuxiang has practically never seen anywhere more neat and tidy than this place.
If there seemed to be something wrong with this place, it was precisely because everything was too neat and tidy, as if it was deliberately set to be displayed for other people to see.
Deep in thought, Chu Liuxiang was on his way out when suddenly his eyes fell on the ebony hairpin.
This putuan was the one Madame Ren used to sit on. Her hairpin was lying on the putuan, it could not be regarded as completely out of place, hence originally Chu Liuxiang did not pay more attention to it.
But now that he found that the house was extraordinarily organized, this hairpin seemed to be exceptionally conspicuous.
Since every item in this house was put on its most appropriate place, on its most logical place, then the hairpin ought to be placed on the dressing table; however, why was it on the putuan now?
Using his two fingers, Chu Liuxiang gently picked the hairpin up. Suddenly he became aware that the pinhead of the hairpin was pointing to the small door on the back of the house.
But at the moment the small door was closed.
Chu Liuxiang flew over, and found that unexpectedly someone had tied the door up from the outside.
Immediately a happy expression flashed across his eyes. Without hesitation he kicked the door open and flew out of the house!
The mountain behind the house was even more desolate.
Like a leopard cat [Prionailurus bengalensis] Chu Liuxiang moved swiftly among the wild grassland, thistles and thorns. Suddenly he saw hanging on the thistles and thorns to his left several pieces of shattered black fabric.
It looked like these pieces of cloth were torn from Madame Ren's clothes.
Chu Liuxiang turned left and kept moving swiftly. Suddenly he heard a peal of evil laugh.
A man was laughing aloud and said, "Since you won't allow me to touch even one finger of yours, and I already complied with your request, why haven't you jumped down?"
This fierce and evil laughter unexpectedly came from the 'Wulin Evil Beggar' Bai Yumo.
And then he heard Madame Ren's voice replying, "I am going to die anyway, why are you still so anxious?"
Chu Liuxiang sneaked quietly over. He saw Madame Ren's charming figure standing on the edge of the overhanging cliff ahead. The mountain breeze blew her clothes; it looked like she could fall down at any moment.
Her face was still covered by the black gauzed veil, but in her hands she was holding the urn containing the Old Gang Leader's ashes. Laughing evilly, Bai Yumo stood about four chi behind her, but the weapon in his hand was a heavy, overbearing wolf-tooth mace.
There was no one else but Bai Yumo. Chu Liuxiang could not help heaving a sigh of relief in his heart.
Qiu Lingsu said, "Life is so precious, it is always better to be able to live a moment longer."
Bai Yumo ground his teeth, producing creaking noise; he said, "In order to exact revenge on that laotouzi [old man], I have been waiting for twenty years! Since I cannot personally kill him, seeing his bones have turned into ashes and now I can hound you to death, I finally am able to vent my resentment!"
Qiu Lingsu said, "I knew you were coming to seek revenge on me, but how did you find this place?"
With an evil laugh Bai Yumo replied, "Do you think this place is a secret?"
"This place is indeed a secret," Qiu Lingsu replied.
Bai Yumo roared in laughter and said, "Such a secret place, but who brought you here? That person ought to know that you live here!"
Qiu Lingsu was silent for half a day; she sighed softly and said, "I should have thought, sooner or later he won't let me off!"
Bai Yumo shouted, "You have asked the questions you wanted to ask; what are you waiting for?"
Qiu Lingsu replied, "Since you have been waiting for twenty years, why do you care if you wait a moment longer?"