Chapter 1

A *sou* was heard as a feathered arrow shot out from behind the col(1) on the east. The arrow crossed the vast expanse of sky with a loud buzzing (*wu wu*) sound before piercing the neck of a wild goose overhead. The goose and the arrow that was embedded in its neck spun several times in the air and fell on to the snow-covered ground.

Several tens of zhang (1 zhang = 10/3 metres) to the west, four horses stepped across the expanse of pure white snow in an urgent gallop. When the riders heard the sound of the arrow, all of them reined in their horses at the same time, an act that they had not planned on doing. The four horses were tall and sturdy animals from good breeds, so as soon as the reins were pulled, they came to a stop. The riders were highly skilled in horsemanship and the horses had been trained for a long time. Therefore, the act of reining in the horses brought out the best in both man and beast.

The four men watched as the arrow-stricken wild goose fell, cheering in their hearts and wondering what kind of person the hunter was. They waited for quite a while, but no one emerged from the col. By and by, they heard the sound of hoofs, indicating that the hunter had gone away.

One of the four riders, a tall and thin old man with a rather fierce countenance, frowned slightly and rode towards the col. The remaining riders followed him. As they rounded the side of the mountain, they saw five horses galloping urgently less than a li (500 metres) ahead of them. With metal-shod hoofs pounding on the snow and silvery manes flying in the wind, it was clear that these horses could no longer be caught up with.

The old man waved his hand and said, "Elder Brother Yin, this is quite strange."

The 'Elder Brother Yin' was also an elderly man. Plumpish with a pair of whiskers on his face and a coat of marten(2) fur on his body, he looked just like a rich merchant. When he heard the thin old man's words, he nodded. Then, he pulled at the reins of his horse and rode back to the spot where the wild goose had fallen. Lifting his whip, he struck the snow-covered ground. When he raised the whip again, it had already picked the goose up.

Holding the shaft of the arrow with his left hand, he took one look at it and let out a shout: "Ah!"

His three companions galloped up at once.

'Elder Brother Yin' threw the goose and the embedded arrow at the other old man and said, "Elder Brother Ruan, please take a look!"

The thin old man reached out with his left hand and caught the goose. Taking a look at the arrow, he shouted: "This is the place! Hurry, let us give chase!" He turned his horse's head and sped off. There were no people on this seemingly-boundless snow-covered hillside, so it was very easy to track down the movements of someone or something that had just gone by.

The remaining two riders were men in the prime of their lives. One was a tall fellow with muscular arms who looked very impressive sitting on his large horse; the other was a medium-built man with a pale face. However, his nose had been so badly affected by the cold that it had turned entirely red.

As the four men whistled in unison, their horses responded by setting out in pursuit.

This was the fifteenth day of the third month, in the forty-fifth year of the Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (approximately, the year 1780 A.D.). The lands of Jiangnan, located south of the Great River, were already abloom, but here in the bitter cold of the Changbai Mountains of the North-East, the snow was just beginning to melt. There was no sign of spring at all. A reddish sun rose behind the mountains in the east, its pale yellow rays bringing no warmth to the people on which they fell.

Although the mountains were cold, the four riders were soon perspiring from their urgent gallop.

The tall man took his outer cloak off and hung it across his saddle. He was dressed in a leather robe that was lined with green silk, with a long sword hanging from his waist. He seemed very angry, for his brow was knitted into a deep frown and his eyes looked as if they could spurt fire at any time. He urged his horse on without a stop.

This man was the newly-appointed leader of the northern faction of the Tianlong School in Eastern Liao, the 'Sword of the Galloping Dragon' (Teng2 Long2 Jian4) Cao Yunqi. The Tianlong School was well-known for the twin consummate skills of the fist and the sword, techniques that Cao had learnt with quite a degree of accomplishment.

The pale-faced man was his younger brother-at-arms, the 'Sword of the Returning Dragon' (Hui2 Long2 Jian4) Zhou Yunyang. The tall and thin old man was their uncle-at-arms, the 'Hand of Seven Stars' (Qi1 Xing1 Shou3) Ruan Shizhong, who was considered the top pugilist in the northern faction of the Tianlong School. As for the old man who looked like a rich merchant, he was the leader of the southern faction of the same school, the 'Impressive Shaker of the Skies in the South' (Wei1 Zhen4 Tian1 Nan2) Yin Ji. He had travelled thousands of li (1 li = 500 metres) to the North-East because the issue at hand affected both the southern and the northern factions of the Tianlong School.

The horses that the four men rode on were good and fleet-footed breeds from the North-East. After galloping seven or eight li (3.5 or 4.0 km) in one breath, the five riders ahead of them were no longer far away. Cao Yunqi called out in a raised voice: "Hey, friends, stop!"

The five riders did not pay them any attention at all. Instead, they rode even faster.

"If you do not stop," shouted Cao Yunqi sternly, "do not blame us for being rude!" He heard one of the riders in front of him rolling his tongue. Making a *du* sound, the rider pulled at the reins of his horse and turned around. The remaining four riders continued galloping.

Cao Yunqi rode ahead, only to see the man putting an arrow to his bow and pointing it directly at his (Cao's) chest. As a man whose boldness stemmed from his high level of martial arts, Cao Yunqi was not bothered by the arrow at all. Waving his whip, he called: "Hey, is that Brother Tao?"

The man, a handsome twenty-three- or twenty-four-year-old with oblique eyebrows and simple clothes, laughed loudly in response. "Watch out for the arrows!" he shouted. *Sou-sou-sou* Three feathered arrows went forth in rapid succession at three different levels: high, mid and low.

Cao Yunqi was slightly startled, for he had not expected the three arrows to come at such a speed. He threw his whip out, knocking the high- and mid-level arrows down. Then, he pulled at the reins of his horse, causing the horse to jump upwards. The third arrow went by under the horse's belly and between its legs, narrowly missing its target by several cun (1 cun = 3.33 cm).

The young man laughed, turned the head of his horse and rode away.

Turning green with anger, Cao Yunqi set off in pursuit.

"Yunqi!" shouted Ruan Shizhong. "Stay calm! You do not have to fear that he would fly up to the sky!" He dismounted and picked up the three feathered arrows from the snow-covered ground. Sure enough, they were exactly the same as the one that had shot down the wild goose.

Yin Ji pulled a long face and snorted in disgust. "So it was him!" he said.

"Let us wait a moment for Younger Sister," said Cao Yunqi, "and see what else she has to say."

The four men waited for as long as it took to cook a pot of rice (about 50 minutes), but they did not hear any hoofbeats coming along the route that they had travelled earlier.

Cao Yunqi became impatient: "I will go and take a look!" He slapped his horse on the rump and rode off.

Ruan Shizhong sighed as he watched the younger man riding away. "He cannot really be blamed for acting like this," he said.

"What did you say, Brother Ruan?" asked Yin Ji.

Ruan Shizhong shook his head, not wanting to answer the question at all.

+ + +

Cao Yunqi rode for several li (1 li = 500 metres) until he came upon a riderless grey horse standing on the snow-covered ground. A woman in white knelt on one knee beside it, as if she was looking for something in the snow.

"Younger Sister, what is going on?" asked Cao Yunqi.

The woman did not reply; instead, she suddenly stood up straight with a shiny yellow object in her hand. The object glowed under the rays of the sun.

Cao Yunqi walked up to the woman and took the object from her. It was a small but exquisitely-made writing brush of yellow gold. Measuring approximately three cun (10 cm) in length, the brush had a very sharp tip. The character 'An' (meaning 'peace') was carved in a tiny hand on its shaft. In all, the golden brush looked like nothing more than a toy, but it could be used as a hidden weapon or a projectile. Cao Yunqi could not help but frown. "Where did this come from?" he asked.

"I followed all of you after you left," answered the woman. "When I reached this spot, a rider suddenly came up behind me. His horse was very fast, so he rode past me within moments. As he did, he raised his hand and threw this brush at me. I ... I ..." At this point, her face turned red. She was unable to finish her tale.

Gazing at her, Cao Yunqi saw a faint reddish glow beneath her snow-white complexion and a pair of slightly lowered eyes. These signs of shyness made the woman look so incomparably charming that his heart could not help but skip a beat. Then, almost immediately, he was seized by great suspicion. "Do you know who we are pursuing?" he asked.

"Who?" asked the woman in return.

"Hmmph, do you really not know?" asked Cao Yunqi in a cold voice.

The woman raised her head towards him and said, "How should I know?"

"He is the one on your heart," answered Cao Yunqi.

"Tao Zi'an?" blurted the woman. An instant later, her face turned totally red.

Cao Yunqi's brow took on the appearance of a black cloud. "As soon as I mention the one on your heart," he shouted, "you say the words Tao Zi'an!"

The woman's face became even redder when she heard these remarks, and tears began to gather in her bright eyes. Stamping her foot, she said, "He ... he ..."

"He?" asked Cao Yunqi. "What about him?"

"He is my fiancé," answered the woman, "so it is only natural that he is the one on my heart."

Cao Yunqi was so furious that he pulled his sword out with a long clang.

"If you have the guts, kill me!" shouted the woman as she took a step closer to him.

Gritting his teeth, Cao Yunqi gazed at her slightly upturned face. Then, his heart softened: "Forget it, forget all it!"

Suddenly, he turned the sword around and sent it into his own chest. The woman responded very quickly, unsheathing her sword and sending it out against the man's. *Dang!* The two swords clashed in a burst of sparks.

"Since you no longer care about me, why are you allowing me to remain in this world?" asked Cao Yunqi bitterly. "Why are you allowing me to endure additional suffering?"

"You knew a long time ago that Father had given my hand in marriage to him," answered the woman in a quiet voice as she returned her sword slowly to its scabbard. "Would I have made such a decision myself?"

"But I am willing to roam all over the world with you," said Cao Yunqi, raising his brows in earnestness. "I am willing to live in seclusion with you on a deserted island or a remote mountain. Why have you not agreed?"

The woman sighed. "Elder Brother-at-Arms," she said, "I know that you are infatuated with me. I am not a fool, so how can I not notice your strengths? But you have taken over the leadership of the northern faction of the Tianlong School. If you carry out the relationship, the Tianlong School will be totally discredited. How then will we ever face the jianghu again?"

"But I am willing to have my bones shattered and my body turned into dust just for you," Cao Yunqi declared. "I do not even care if the sky collapses, so what is the leadership of the school to me?"

The woman smiled and reached gently for his hand. "Brother, it is this very temper of yours that I do not like," she said. "It strikes like a thunderbolt, all fiery and without regard for anything or anyone."

Cao Yunqi sighed, for he simply could not have another outburst after the woman's criticism. "Why do you treasure that thing of his so much?" he asked.

"Who said he gave it to me?" asked the woman in return. "When did I see him?"

"Hmmph, that thing is very valuable," answered Cao Yunqi. "Would anyone actually use it as a projectile? Is his name not inscribed clearly on the shaft? If it was not him, who gave it to you?"

"Since you like indulging in blind suspicion, you should just stop talking to me," snapped the woman. She went over to the grey horse, leapt up on to the saddle and lifted at the reins. The horse galloped off at once.

Cao Yunqi climbed on to his horse and sped off in pursuit. He kicked the horse so hard in the flanks that he caught up with the woman within moments. Reaching forward, he caught the bridle of the grey horse with his right hand and said, "Sister, listen to me!"

"Let go!" shouted the woman, raising her whip to lash his hand. "How would it look if others saw us?"

Yet, Cao Yunqi did not release his grip on the bridle. A loud smack sounded, and a bloody mark appeared on the back of his hand.

Almost at once, the woman's heart softened. "Why do you irritate me time and again, and make yourself suffer in the process?" she asked.

"It is all my fault," said Cao Yunqi. "Go ahead and hit me again!"

A charming smile appeared on the woman's face. "My arm aches," she said. "I cannot move it any more!"

"Let me massage it for you then," said Cao Yunqi with a laugh. As he reached for her arm, the woman raised her head and lashed out with her whip again. Cao moved his head, avoiding the whip successfully this time. "Why is your arm no longer aching?" he asked with another laugh.

"I do not want you to touch me," answered the woman with a straight face.

"All right," said Cao Yunqi with a smile. "In that case, tell me exactly where this gold brush came from."

"It was a gift from the one on my heart," answered the woman, smiling as well. "If it was not from him, who else could it have come from? Do you think that you would have given it to me?"

Cao Yunqi's heart ached as hot blood rose in him. He wanted to erupt in anger again, but the sight of the woman's flower-like dimpled smile, trembling red lips and jade-like teeth soon caused his rage to subside.

The woman glared at him before heaving a quiet sigh. "Brother," she said gently, "you have cared for me with all your heart since I was young, for you have treated me even better than a blood brother can. I am not someone who is totally devoid of conscience, so how can I not think about repaying your kindness? Besides, we ... ... the only problem is, I am in a really difficult position. You have always cared for me, loved me, protected me. Unfortunately, Father died a tragic death. Our Tianlong School is now at a crucial juncture that will determine its future success or failure. So why are you unwilling to show me some understanding and sympathy?"

Cao Yunqi was dumbfounded for a moment, for he had nothing more to say in response. Then, waving his left hand, he muttered, "You are always right. I am always wrong. Let us go!"

The woman gave him a charming smile. "Wait!" she said, taking out a handkerchief and wiping the sweat on his brow. "When you go out in the snow without wiping your sweat, you can catch a cold."

An indescribably sweet feeling crept into Cao Yunqi's heart, melting away the anger in his chest at once. He lifted his whip and gave the rump of the woman's grey horse a gentle tap, before riding away with the woman alongside him.

The woman was named Tian Qingwen. Although she was young, she had already garnered quite a reputation in the martial arts circle of the North-East. In particular, her beautiful facial features and innate intelligence earned her the nickname "Brocade Marten" (Jin3 Mao2 Diao1) from the martial arts circle of Eastern Liao, after the fleet-footed and clever rodent that seemed to fly over the vast snow-covered ground. The word 'brocade' was a reference to her beauty. Her father, Tian Guinong, had passed away recently. Consequently, she wore white mourning clothes (gao3 su4) as a heartfelt expression of her grief.

After some urgent galloping, the duo caught up with Yin Ji, Ruan Shizhong and Zhou Yunyang.

Casting a sideways glance at Cao Yunqi, Ruan Shizhong said, "You were gone for such a long time. Did you see anything?"

Cao's face turned red. "No, I did not see anything," he answered, before giving his horse a kick and speeding off.

The group galloped on. After several li (1 li = 500 metres), the mountainous terrain became steeper. The snow on the ground was deeper as well, causing the horses' hooves to slip and slide. Afraid to urge their horses on, the five riders loosened their grips on the reins and settled for a slowly pace.

They rode around two cols, and soon found the going dangerously steep.

Suddenly, a horse neighed towards their left. Tapping the stirrup with his right foot, Cao Yunqi launched himself sideways into the air and landed behind a large pine-tree. He hid himself at once, before peering out and looking as far ahead as his eyes could see.

By and by, he noticed five horses tethered to a few trees by the hillside, as well as a trail of footprints on the snow-covered ground that led straight up the hill. "Uncles," called Cao Yunqi, "the scoundrels have fled up the hill! Let us go after them!"

Yin Ji, who had always been a cautious man, replied: "If our opponents have led us here on purpose, I am afraid that there will be an ambush up ahead."

"The pool of the dragon and the den of the tiger would have to be broken into today!" said Cao Yunqi.

Unfortunately, this rash remark did not sit well with Yin Ji. Turning to Ruan Shizhong, the elderly man asked, "Brother Ruan, what do you say?"

However, before Ruan could respond, Tian Qingwen cut into the conversation: "With the 'Impressive Shaker of the Skies in the South' Uncle Yin with us, we do not have to be afraid of even the most formidable of ambushes."

Yin Ji smiled. "Considering how quickly they left," he said, "they did not look as if they were going lay an ambush." Pointing to the right, he added, "Let us do it this way: We will make a detour over here, ascend the hill, turn around and launch an unexpected attack on them."

"Good!" said Cao Yunqi. "What a wonderful idea!"

The group dismounted and tethered its horses beneath a large pine-tree. After tying the hems of their long robes around their waists, the men exercised their qinggong(3) skills and made their way up the hill.

The thick growth of trees and the jagged rocks in this area made movement rather difficult, but these hindrances also provided the group with extra cover from enemy eyes.

Initially, the five moved like a school of fish, each staying close to his companions. As time passed, however, the level of each person's skills began to show. Yin Ji and Ruan Shizhong led the pack, each moving shoulder-to-shoulder with the other. Cao Yunqi was a zhang (3.33 metres) behind them, followed by Tian Qingwen and Zhou Yunyang several zhang (1 zhang = 3.33 metres) away.

By and by, Cao Yunqi thought: Uncle Yin, who is known as the Impressive Shaker of the Southern Skies, is also the leader of the southern faction. So I wonder: Whose martial arts skills are better - those of the south or those of the north? I should take the opportunity and find out today. Hence, he summoned up his energy, increased his pace and rushed ahead of Yin and Ruan.

"Brother Cao, what handsome skills!" said Yin Ji with an appreciative tone. "You are indeed a man who has become a hero at a young age."

Afraid that the elderly man would catch up with him, Cao Yunqi did not turn around. Instead, he merely said, "Please give me more pointers, Uncle Yin." As he spoke, his feet did not stop moving at all. After running for a while, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around for a look and jumped with fright, for Yin Ji and Ruan Shizhong were not far behind! Hence, he increased his pace and dashed several zhang (1 zhang = 3.33 metres) forward.

Yin Ji smiled, and continued to follow Cao at a leisurely pace.

The snow on the mountain was deeper than that on the plains below, making movement across the rugged terrain rather exhausting. Half a stick of incense later (about 15 minutes), Cao Yunqi began to slow down. Suddenly, he felt a slight warmth at the back of his neck, as if someone was breathing close to him. Just as he was about to turn around, someone tapped him lightly on the right shoulder. "You have to make a greater effort, young man!" said Yin Ji with a laugh.

Cao Yunqi was shocked. Summoning his energy up again, he charged forward. This time, he managed to leave Yin and Ruan more than ten zhang (33.33 metres) behind, but his heart was begun to palpitate. At the same time, his breathing had become laboured and his head had started to perspire. As he stretched out a sleeve to wipe his forehead, he recalled the scene where Tian Qingwen had wiped his perspiration earlier. A smile appeared involuntarily on his lips, just as footsteps sounded on the snow behind him. Yin and Ruan had caught up with Cao once more.

By then, Yin Ji could tell from Cao Yunqi's erratic pace that the latter's qinggong abilities were far beneath his own. The Hand of Seven Stars Ruan Shizhong, however, had been travelling shoulder-to-shoulder with Yin without a single sound. When Yin increased his pace, Ruan went faster as well; when Yin slowed down, Ruan reduced his speed too. Since it appeared that Ruan had more than what it took to keep up with Yin, the latter thought: So the uncle and his nephew want to test my skills today. Hence, Yin took a breath, exercised the qinggong skills that he practised diligently for decades and sped up the mountain. He moved so quickly that his feet seemed to slide over the snow without touching it.

+ + +

Established at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty (c.1644), the Tianlong School was initially a single organisation. During the reign of the Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722), the two oldest disciples of the school-leader fell out with each other. When the leader died, the school was split into the southern and the northern factions. The southern faction focused on agility and courage in its pugilistic training, while the northern faction emphasised stability and ruthlessness. Consequently, the two factions executed the same set of pugilistic forms in different ways.

+ + +

The southern faction was better when it came to the use of qinggong skills in ascending mountains. Although Yin Ji was fat, he became as vigorous and agile as the monkey and the ape the moment he exercised the qinggong methods of his school. Hence, he was able to beat Cao Yunqi by more than a li (500 metres) within moments. Yet, Ruan Shizhong kept on travelling shoulder-to-shoulder with him without moving ahead or falling back. Yin increased his pace on several occasions to shake Ruan off, but each time he moved ahead by a few zhang (1 zhang = 3.33 metres), the latter would simply catch steadily up with him.

When the peak of the mountain was two or three li (1.0-1.5 km) away, Yin Ji laughed and said, "Elder Brother Ruan, let us test the strength of our legs and see who reaches the summit first."

"How can I catch up with you, Elder Brother Yin?" said Ruan Shizhong.

"You do not have to be so polite!" answered Yin Ji, suddenly dashing ahead like an arrow that had just left the string of a bow. Less than a moment later, he had come within several zhang (1 zhang = 3.33 metres) of the peak. Turning around, he saw Ruan Shizhong about a zhang behind him, so he took a deep breath and prepared for another forward charge.

Just then, Ruan Shizhong leapt suddenly into the air and landed beside Yin Ji. "There are people over there!" he said in a low voice, pointing to a clump of trees to the left of the peak.

A chill entered Yin Ji's heart: This man's 'qinggong' is certainly better than mine. Noticing that Ruan Shizhong had bent his body, lowered his head and begun walking quietly towards the clump of trees, Yin Ji did the same.

When the duo arrived behind the trees, they hid themselves behind a boulder that protruded from the ground. Then, poking their heads out for a look, they saw sabres and swords flashing in the valley below.

There were five people in the valley, three of whom stood guard at the three entrances with weapons in their hands. They seemed concerned about intruders. The remaining two people, who had a steel hoe and an iron shovel between them, dug hard into the ground beneath a large tree. Their arms moved up and down in an unusual display of hectic activity, for they obviously knew that they did not have much time, especially with some formidable enemies on their trail.

"Just as I had expected," whispered Yin Ji. "They are indeed the father and son from the Tao Family of the River of Drinking Horses (Yin2 Ma3 Chuan1). Who are the other three?"

"The stockade-leaders of the River of Drinking Horses," answered Ruan Shizhong softly. "They are all tough pugilists."

"Great," said Yin Ji. "Five against five."

"You and I, Elder Brother Yin, as well as Yunqi, will naturally have nothing to fear," said Ruan Shizhong, "but Yunyang and Qingwen are weak. Let us first kill one or two of them by surprise; then, it will be easier to deal with the remainder."

Yin Ji frowned. "If news of this gets out into the realm of the rivers and lakes," he said, "and our Tianlong School is accused of launching a sneak attack, will we not become the laughing stock of all the heroes under the sun?"

"For the sake of avenging Elder Brother Tian, we will have to cut the grass and dig up its roots," answered Ruan Shizhong coldly. "We cannot spare even one of them. If we do not speak of this, no one will know."

"Are the father and son from the Tao Family really difficult to handle?" asked Yin Ji.

Ruan Shizhong nodded. After a pause, he said, "If we engage in a fair fight, I am not confident of victory."

Yin Ji was aware that after the death of Tian Guinong, the leader of the northern faction, Ruan Shizhong had become the top pugilist of his school. Yin had also heard that even Tian had dreaded Ruan's abilities three-tenths of the time when he was alive. Ascending the mountain with qinggong earlier, Ruan had seemed to give way to Yin on purpose; that was why the outcome had been a draw. If Ruan had exercised his full strength, Yin would have probably lost. Hence, Yin acknowledged Ruan's statement about fighting the Tao Family with a nod and said, "I am your guest, so it is only right that you, Elder Brother Ruan, take charge of the situation."

Ruan Shizhong snorted inwardly in disgust: Hmmph! So you want to be the hero; and I have to be the crook. He did not speak after that.

By then, Cao Yunqi had arrived. Zhou Yunyang and Tian Qingwen followed a short while later, coming in one after the other.

Ruan Shizhong said, "Elder Brother Yin, Yunqi and I will send out a poisoned awl (du2 zhui1) each and get rid of the three guards before surrounding the father and son from the Tao Family. Yunyang and Qingwen must wait until we have acted before moving forward."

Hearing the instructions, Ruan's four companions began to moving with bent waists and light footsteps. The boulders on the mountain provided them with cover as they crept forward.

Tian Qingwen, who was right behind Ruan Shizhong, whispered: "Uncle Ruan!"

"What?" asked the elderly man, coming to a stop at once.

"The father and son from the Tao Family must be captured alive," answered the woman.

Ruan Shizhong rolled his eyes until the whites could be seen. "Are you still trying to protect that scoundrel Tao Zi'an?" he growled beneath his breath.

"I keep getting this feeling that he is not the one," said Tian Qingwen.

Turning white with anger, Ruan Shizhong pulled out the feathered arrow that he had in his belt and handed it to the woman. "Go and take a look yourself!" he said. "This was the arrow that the scoundrel used to shoot a wild goose down just now!"

Tian Qingwen took the arrow and glanced at it only once before her hands started to tremble involuntarily.

The sight of Tian Qingwen's discomposure brought Cao Yunqi both delight and anger. He had been by her side, paying more attention to her than to the enemy ahead. He was delighted because Tao Zi'an's life seemed unlikely to be spared. At the same time, he was angered because Tian Qingwen still harboured deep affections for the scoundrel. Being the hot-tempered man he was, Cao became increasingly annoyed as he thought about the situation. Just as he was about to say something sarcastic, Ruan Shizhong tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the back of the person who was standing guard to their east.

By then, Tian Qingwen and Zhou Yunyang were both crouched on the ground, for they had stopped moving forward.

Ruan, Yin and Cao chose an opponent each, took three poisoned awls in their hands and crept quietly towards their targets. The use of poisoned awls was a unique skill that was passed down from generation to generation in the Tianlong School. Sent out with deadly accuracy and speed, the awls and their virulent poison ensured the victim's demise within three shichen (six hours). Consequently, these peerless weapons were known in the realm of the rivers and lakes as the 'Life-Pursuing Poisoned Awls of the Dragon (Zhui1 Ming4 Du2 Long2 Zhui1)'.

Cao Yunqi thought: Uncle wants me to hit the person in the east, but I want the poisoned awl to take the life of that scoundrel Tao Zi'an first. In this way, I can settle the grudges of our school and get rid of the thorn in my flesh at the same time. If we capture him alive, I do not know what other strange ideas Younger Sister will have. After all, a long night is often fraught with many dreams, and a lengthy delay in getting rid of the enemy will bring only trouble.

Plan in place, Cao crept even closer to his target. When he was less than fifty steps away from the enemy, he crouched down and fixed his gaze on Tao Zi'an's back as the latter continued digging into the ground. As soon as Ruan Shizhong waved his hand and gave the go-ahead, Cao would release the three awls in his hand.

*Zheng* The steel hoe in Tao Zi'an's hands struck a metal object in the ground.

Ruan Shizhong's left hand was already raised, but just as he was about to lower it, the sound of objects ripping one of the other through the air was heard. Seven or eight projectiles shot out of the snow-covered ground around them and headed for Tao Zi'an and his group. What made the attack really unimaginable and strange was the fact that the projectiles had come from beneath the ground without any warning at all.

Highly skilled in martial arts, the father and son from the Tao Family were able to depend on the attentiveness of their visual faculties and the speed of their hands to raise their hoe and shovel, and fend the projectiles off. This was despite the short distance between them and the projectiles, as well as the amazing swiftness with which the projectiles had come.

One of the three guards fell on his back and rolled into a gully, as two sleeve-arrows (xiu4 jian4) whizzed past the top of his head. He was fortunate to escape with his life. Unfortunately, the other two guards did not even have the opportunity to snort, for they were struck respectively in the middle of their backs by a steel dart and a flying dagger. They did not move after falling forward on to the snow-covered ground.

This turn of events happened so quickly that the father and son from the Tao Family were caught totally unaware. Ruan Shizhong and his group were also stunned.

Tao Zi'an's father, the Pressure of the North-East (Zhen4 Guan1 Dong1) Tao Baisui shouted: "Mice-like scoundrels, how dare you attack in stealth!" His voice sounded like thunder, creating a picture of incomparable impressiveness and ferocity.

Almost immediately, sabres flashed against the snow-covered ground beside him as four people leapt out from the ground. Apparently, these people had known beforehand that the father and son from the Tao Family would come to this place. Hence, they had dug trenches and lain in wait for several days. No one knew about these trenches because they were covered with branches and snow, with only tiny openings to give their occupants air.

The father and son from the Tao Family threw their hoe and shovel aside, and reached quickly for the weapons beside them. Tao Baisui used a steel whip that weighed sixteen jin (8 kg), while Tao Zi'an used a sabre. As for the stockade-leader who had rolled into the gully -- he was surnamed Ma -- he had kept on rolling for fear of another stealth attack by the enemy. Now, he too had leapt out into the open, a pair of chained hammers (lian4 zi3 chui2) in his hands.

As the trio turned their eyes towards the enemy, the first figure they saw was a dark and skinny man whom they recognised as the Chief Escort of the Pingtong Armed Escort and Delivery Agency in Beijing, Xiong Yuanxian. Xiong was highly skilled in the 'Di Tang' Sabre Technique (Di4 Tang2 Dao1), a skill that was generally executed close to the surface of the ground. The River of Drinking Horses Stockade had once robbed a sizeable consignment belonging to the Pingtong Agency, but Xiong Yuanxian had been unable to retrieve it despite several carefully-planned attempts. Consequently, the two parties had become foes.

The second member of the enemy was a woman about thirty-two or thirty-three years old. Stockade-Leader Ma recognised her as the Double Sabre, Third Madame Zheng. The woman's husband was an escort leader in the Pingtong Agency, but he had suffered fatal sabre wounds during the robbery by the River of Drinking Horses.

In addition, there was a big fat monk with a monastic sabre (jie4 dao1) and a purple-faced man with a pair of iron crutches. The men from the River of Drinking Horses could not recognise them, but they guessed that the duo were probably highly skilled pugilists that the Pingtong Agency had invited to lend a hand in settling the old scores between them.

"And I was just wondering who you were!" roared Tao Baisui. "As it turns out, you are those whom I have vanquished. Besides that mouse-like scroundrel who is surnamed Xiong, there is no one else in the martial arts circle who is capable of engaging in such a despicable act."

Although the statement was meant as a reprimand for Xiong Yuanxian, Yin Ji could not help becoming hot in the face when he heard it. Glancing sideways at Ruan Shizhong, he found him looking attentively at the feuding parties in the valley. Ruan did not appear to have heard the statement at all.

Xiong Yuanxian spoke in a soft and gentle voice: "Stockade-Leader Tao, let me make some introductions. This is the Great Master(4) Jing Zhi from the Temple of a Hundred Meetings (Bai3 Hui4 Si4) in Shandong. And this is a member of the First-Class Guard from the capital, the Honorable Liu Yuanhe. He is my Elder Brother-at-Arms. Please do get better acquainted with one another."

Now, Tao Baisui was a tall and well-built man with a thunderous voice, but Xiong Yuanxian was exactly his opposite. With one manly and tough, and the other somewhat effeminate and mild, the two men seemed born to be enemies.

"All right, you attack all at once, and our weapons will get better acquainted with one another," said Tao Baisui in an irritated voice. He waved his steel whip in the air, creating swooshing sounds in an a display of astonishing muscular strength.

Unfazed, Xiong Yuanxian replied in a quiet voice: "I am but your defeated opponent, Stockade-Leader Tao, so I do not dare to take you on in a fight. I ask only for the gift of an object."

"What?" asked Tao Baisui angrily.

"The object over there," answered Xiong Yuanxian, pointing towards the hole that the Tao Family had dug in the ground.

Tao Baisui ran a palm over the greyish-white beard on his cheeks. Then, without so much as a word, he lashed out with his whip.

"Wait!" shouted Xiong Yuanxian, dodging the oncoming weapon.

"What else do you have to say?" roared Tao Baisui.

"I have already waited here for three days and three nights just for you, Stockade-Leader Tao," answered Xiong Yuanxian. "If not for the highly-distinguished reputations that you and your son possess, the object would have been taken away a long time ago. It has never belonged to the River of Drinking Horses in the first place, but has always come under the care of the Tianlong School. There is no harm in effecting a change of ownership at this point in time."

"Escort Xiong, you speak beautiful words," said Tao Zi'an. "This snow-covered mountain is hemmed in by ice for a thousand li (500 km). If you know where the object is hidden beforehand, why do you not take it away earlier?"

Third Madame Zheng, whose thoughts were focused on avenging her husband, cut in: "What else is there to talk about? Let us get down to it!" Even before she had finished sounding her words, she had released three flying daggers in rapid succession towards Stockade-Leader Ma.

The pair of chained hammers in Ma's hands flew up and knocked two of the daggers down. As the third dagger headed straight for his torso at a frenzied pace, Ma gave the iron chains of his hammers a tug and held them horizontally across his chest. As soon as the last dagger was deflected, he retracted the hammer in his left hand and sent the right one out.

Third Madame Zheng responded with agility, crouching her body and lowering her head before charging ahead with her double sabres in a move called the 'Force of the Whirlwind' (Xuan2 Feng2 Shi4). Stockade-Leader Ma then sent the left hammer out, turning the attack to nought.

As Ma and Zheng fought, the monk lashed out at Tao Baisui with his monastic sabre. Instead of dodging the blow, the Pressure of the North-East responded head-on with a horizontal stroke from his metal whip, causing sparks to fly when the two weapons struck each other. The monk's arm went numb as a kink appeared on the blade of his sabre. Meanwhile, Tao Zi'an went after Xiong Yuanxian, brandishing his sabre as he did. Soon, the six pugilists were fighting for their lives in three pairs.

Liu Yuanhe observed the battle from the sidelines, his crutches in his hands. When he saw that the monk was not Tao Baisui's match, he called out: "Great Master, move aside. Let me take on the Pressure of the North-East."

To be continued...

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Definitions, explanations and/or words generally left in their original form:
Those covered in earlier chapters, if any, are not repeated.

1. Col (shan1 ao4 山坳) = low-lying land between or amidst higher points in a mountain range.
2. Marten (diao1 貂) = a kind of rodent valued for its fur.
3. Qinggong (qing1 gong1 轻功) = the highly-practised ability to move swiftly and quietly over long distances.
4. Great Master (da4 shi1 大师) = this is an honorary form of address for monks.