Book 11 Chapter 2 - Siren Flaunting Her Power
Over twenty riders under Feng Ge leadership galloped along the main street toward the Duba Manor House at the heart of the city.
The street was bleak; most of the shops have ceased to do business. If there were any pedestrians, they were all walking hurriedly. The fall of the city was imminent; the hearts of the people were suffocated with the doomsday approaching.
Kou Zhong spurred his horse at full speed. He rode alongside Feng Ge and complimented him, "Feng Lao is indeed exceptional; you are able to make prompt decision. Otherwise we would have massacred each other. It's totally not worth it!”
Feng Ge was not pleased at all; still with heavy expression he said, "Since the first day Laofu saw Madame Wanwan, I already had a feeling that she is a root of trouble. I racked my brain trying to think of any acupoint sealing technique that can make someone stop breathing and appear to be in an eternal sleep. And then this time she was brought back by Zhuangzhu as if nothing has ever happened to her, and she accused Kou Ye and Xu Ye of having bad intention toward her. I was getting more suspicious. Pity that loyal advice has fallen in deaf ears, nobody believed Laofu.”
Kou Zhong nodded, "This is called everybody is drunk, only Feng Lao is sober,” he said, "I have one thing I want to ask: what happened to my four companions?”
Feng Ge replied, "I heard that since Zhuangzhu believed that demon, he flew into rage, and immediately sent Kou Ye's four brothers to Huaqing border under escort. Afterwards I did not hear anything about them anymore.”
After thanking him, Kou Zhong slowed down a bit and told Xu Ziling everything he knew.
Shang Xiuxun, who was riding on the other side, said, "How do you plan on dealing with that female demon? If she denied everything, what should we do to her?”
Smiling slightly, Xu Ziling said, "If we can't deal with her nicely, we'll just use force. Do you think she'll let us get rid of her that easy?”
Shang Xiuxun was delighted; she said, "Yin Gui Pai's conduct and deeds angered everybody. If we can put an end to this female demon this time, we are doing good things to the world without doing any harm. Therefore, as soon as we make our moves, we must not show any mercy.”
Liang Zhi and the others acknowledged in loud voice.
Feng Ge took the lead into the main gate. The guards recognized him, hence they did not dare to stop them, so everybody was able to enter swiftly. This allied force of Flying Horse Ranch elite troops, Jingling's high-ranking military officers plus Kou and Xu, two boys, galloped toward the stone steps in front of the Master's Mansion, leaped off their mounts, and grandiosely swarmed up the steps and straight into the mansion door.
Over a dozen guards walked out of the Mansion and stopped at the top of the stone steps to meet them. The young general, who was apparently their leader, suddenly thundered, "Without Zhuangzhu's permission, breaking into the Mansion's gate is punishable by death. You still haven't stepped down?”
Feng Ge thundered in response, "Suffering untold hardship Flying Horse Ranch's Shang Changzhu led the brothers here to help, even if Zhuangzhu's passion is inside he ought to immediately welcome her personally and jointly discuss the important matter at hand. And now not only even after repeated urging he did not respond, he is closing the door and refusing to receive the guests. Is this Zhuangzhu's idea, or you, Ma Qun, acting on your own initiative?”
Ma Qun angrily said, "Feng Ge, don't you rely on your seniority to bully me, Zhuangzhu assigned the responsibility of guarding the Mansion to me, Ma Qun. I am simply executing Zhuangzhu's strict order. If you want to see Zhuangzhu, stay here nicely for me, let me report to Zhuangzhu first to see how he decides. Otherwise, don't blame me for disregarding the sentiment between colleagues.”
Kou Zhong, who was standing behind Feng Ge, could not help asking another Jingling's high-ranking military officer by his side, "Who is this guy?”
In disdain, the high-ranking military officer replied, "He is a nobody. Were it not for Madame Wanwan favoring him, he would never hold any position in the Mansion.”
When the two were still talking, Shang Xiuxun stepped out of the crowd and scolded tenderly, "Even when Fang Zhuangzhu sees me, he would be respectful toward me. How could you, a dog slave, dare to speak arrogantly in my presence? Get lost!”
Seeing more than a dozen of his subordinates appeared behind him, Ma Qun's courage was boosted. On the contrary, the warriors guarding the gate stood afar off, watching with folded arms. Evidently the fact that Fang Zetao was losing himself to Wanwan had already caused disgust among quite a number of his men, not to mention everybody in the city of Jingling was aware of their good relationship with the Flying Horse Ranch. This time, witnessing Ma Qun's arrogance and overbearing attitude, it would be strange indeed if they did not feel ill will toward him.
Ma Qun stood with his saber held across his chest; he shouted, "I, Ma Qun, received Zhuangzhu's order to guard the door; who dared to tell me to get lost?”
With hands behind her back, Shang Xiuxun slyly said, "Guards! Arrest him! We'll take him to Fang Zhuangzhu's presence and have him punished.”
Before Ma Qun had any chance to speak, as fast as lightning Shang Peng and Shang He, two senior martial art masters of the Ranch flashed by, two pairs of withered palms fantastically turned into palm shadows with myriads of changes, enveloping Ma Qun inside the shadows.
A tornado-like wind rose up, as if Ma Qun was standing right in the eye of the storm, totally oblivious of the terrifying power of the incoming storm, while his subordinates have been wiped out left and right by the force of the palms that they staggered and stumbled backwards.
If even Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were emotionally moved, there is no need to mention the effect of this display of power to the others who did not know the real identity of these two old men. Nobody has ever imagined that these two, who, no matter how you look at them, would look like a pair of old muddle-heads, would have such a formidable martial art skill.
Not only that, it was obvious that these two men mastered some kind of fantastic technique of fighting together, so that their combine power was doubled. Actually, based on their individual power, they were not inferior to Li Zitong, Yuwen Zhiji, and martial art experts their caliber.
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling exchanged glances, they both thought that they were lucky; if they really had a falling out with Shang Xiuxun the other day, even if they managed to get away, perhaps the price they had to pay would be exorbitant. But now naturally their spirit had received tremendous boost, because they had more confidence that they would be able to deal with Wanwan.
‘Bang! Bang!'
While Ma Qun was hacking down left and right although he did not know what he was hacking at, he had already been hit by two palm strikes and fell down to the ground.
Watching this, naturally Feng Ge and the other Jingling generals were grieved, because Ma Qun had caused them to lose face.
Meanwhile the two old men no longer paid any attention to Ma Qun, they charged toward the guards standing in front of the door, much like a tiger charging toward a flock of sheep, so that the guards' weapons were thrown away, and they were either falling face down or flat on their backs.
With Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling escorting her from left and right, Shang Xiuxun, with her hands behind her back, proudly but leisurely strode into the Mansion.
Not a soul in sight at the spacious main hall.
"Come with me!” Feng Ge called out, and preceded them storming through the back door, into the winding corridor leading toward the rear courtyard.
Straight ahead there were two servant girls; when they saw these people, they were so scared that their flowery countenance turned pale as they cowered to one side, with their bodies trembling.
Feng Ge pointed to one of the maids and asked, "You! Where is Zhuangzhu?”
The maid's pretty face turned deathly white; her knees gave up as she dropped to the floor and replied in trembling voice, "In … in Yi Qing [harmonious passion] Courtyard.”
Another high-ranking officer asked, "What about Madame Wanwan?”
"Also in there,” the maid replied.
In high spirit they all flocked inside.
After passing through several buildings and a dozen or so warriors on guard duty at the Mansion, they reached a big, secluded garden.
The faint sound of zheng [long zither with 13 to 16 strings] came from behind a bamboo forest, the melody was haunting and poignant, making those who hear it had their soul melted and their mind went weak; automatically everybody's murderous intent was lessened somewhat.
Kou Zhong whispered in Shang Xiuxun's ear, "I want Shang Changzhu to deal with Fang Zetao, while me and Xiao Ling deal with that female demon. Have other people stand guard in all directions to prevent her from escaping.”
Raising her eyebrows, Shang Xiuxun spoke in heavy voice, "How could we make such arrangement? Let's just act according to circumstances!”
While talking, they all flitted across the bamboo forest along a small pathway. Past the bamboo forest, they came to a wide clearing, another big garden that was also serene, elegant and quiet.
There was neither maid, servant, nor mansion guard in the garden, only a couple people, one man and one woman, who were sitting in the small pavilion in the middle of the garden.
The man was Fang Zetao. He was closing his eyes, as he was totally immersed in the world of the zheng, so that he was totally blind and deaf toward all things outside this world.
The woman had her back toward them; her hands were dancing on the zither, but merely the sight of her beautiful figure was enough to move anybody's heartstrings. Even if she turned into ashes, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling would recognize her as Wanwan.
The sound of her zheng had a different flavor from the sound of Shi Qingxuan's xiao [vertical flute]. The latter carried some kind of near, yet far; making one felt that he had left the world and was alone in the universe. Yet Wanwan's zheng carried a lingering attachment, making one felt unable to divert oneself from the sadness of loneliness. The more one listen, the more difficult it was to free oneself from this entanglement, as if their heart and mind were pressed down under a thousand-jin rock, so that only by looking up to heaven and cried out would they be able to vent out this burden.
‘Ring!'
Kou Zhong pulled his Moon in the Well. It left its scabbard with clear ringing noise, so that Fang Zetao was awakened from his stupor.
By the time Fang Zetao suddenly opened his eyes, other than Shang Xiuxun, Feng Ge, Shang Peng, Shang He and Kou and Xu, six people, the other men had already spread out to form a net around the small pavilion.
‘Zheng! Zheng! Zheng!'
After letting out a series of notes full of murderous intent, the zither stopped suddenly.
‘Whoosh!' Fang Zetao stood up abruptly; his eyes swept everyone, his face showed an angry look.
With a cold laugh Shang Xiuxun said, "Outside, your warriors throw their head, spill their blood, but Zhuangzhu is peacefully enjoying tenderness in here, so happy that you forgot to return. Don't you have any shame?”
Everybody could not refrain from showing disdain look on their faces.
Fang Zetao's thick face reddened; he said crossly, "Jingling's matter is my business; there is no need for Changzhu to lecture me.”
Wanwan was sitting calmly in the pavilion, as still as water, as if although she neither saw nor hear them, making everybody felt that she was unfathomable.