Chapter 13 - The Flower Girl

 

It was a cold, cloudless, and starry night. Under starlight, the back of the mystical flower girl was surprisingly familiar, as if she was an old acquaintance. She didn't use her lightness kungfu, nor did she run. But Ma Rulong actually couldn't catch up with her.

So he used the Hall of Celestial Horse lightness kungfu, which was renowned in Jianghu. But suddenly she was fifty, sixty feet away. He tried to overtake her again but she was even farther ahead.

He slowed down, and she also slowed down.

He stopped, and so did she.

It appeared that although she didn't want him to catch up with her, she didn't really want to leave him much behind.

All of a sudden Ma Rulong asked, "You don't let me see you because you don't want me to know who are, is that right?"

She didn't reply. She didn't deny it either.

Ma Rulong chuckled, "Too bad, I already know who you are."

Suddenly the flower girl laughed, and her voice filled the cold, lonely night like a cup of wine warming a man's body.

"Of course, you should know."

She giggled and said, "Because you certainly aren't too dumb."

Surely she was Dawan, who had orginally been frightened away by a flower girl. At the moment, she had on the flower girl's clothes, and even a flower basket in her hand belonged to that girl. But where was that mystical flower seller?

Ma Rulong couldn't figure her out. Dawan's life, her kungfu, and her origin were all too mysterious. How come she was buried under ice and snow the other day? The merciless monk and the jade taoist were among the finest masters in Wulin, why were they so afraid of her? Nobody could possibly use any common sense or reason to explain whatever was happening around him. The more he spent time with her, ironically the more he couldn't understand her.

And he definitely couldn't leave. Every time she appeared, something mysteriously strange would surely happen. This time, what was she going to do again? What sly trick did she have up her sleeve? He really wanted to know.

Sure enough, Dawan had another trick. Eyes flashing with slyness, she suddenly said, "I've known all along that your courage is not lacking, so this time I will lead you to a strange place."

"To do what?"

"To see someone." Dawan was intentionally acting mysteriously. "An extremely strange woman."

"Have I met her?"

"Probably once."

"You are talking about that flower girl?"

"You really aren't dumb."

Then Dawan gave him a stare and asked, "Do you dare to go see her?"

Ma Rulong definitely did. Even if that flower girl was a man-eating monster, he would still want to see her.

With a meaningful wink, Dawan asked again, "You won't regret it? After you see her and whatever happens, you won't regret it at all?"

Ma Rulong's reply was unmistakable. "I already did these many regrettable things. What's the big deal with another one?"

Dawan laughed and said, "No big deal." Her laugh rang clear like a bell. "No big deal indeed."

And so they went. While on the road, Ma Rulong kept wondering about where she was leading him to. He'd thought about so many strange places but could never have expected that she would actually bring him to the public office(1) of Xiangcheng.

Even though the magistrate here was only of a small rank, this was still a bureaucrat's office and it was much bigger than what Ma Rulong had imagined. The front entrance was already closed so they went in through the side gate.

This was the first time Ma Rulong entered a public office. Over his head was a drum and hung in the main hall was a bamboo stick for corporal punishment. There were also all kinds of torture instruments on display. Everything here made him feel odd, oddest indeed.

Also, there were those officers in red caps. Although the magistrate had earlier withdrawn from the main hall, there were still officers on duty keeping guard, two at each door. But these officers looked like they were all blind, not noticing the two of them coming in.

The officers were not blind. He and Dawan obviously walked right past them. How could they not see? Was Dawan using some mysterious black magic? Did she somehow hide them from the officer's sight?

Behind the main hall was a gloomy courtyard, with another pair of officers in red caps on duty. Suddenly Ma Rulong walked over to one of them and said, "Hey, don't you see me?"

The officer paid him no attention, not even looking at him. He actually asked the other officer, "Did someone speak just now?"

"No."

"Did you see anybody?"

"No, not even a shadow of a ghost."

Sure enough, Ma Rulong found himself another puzzle. If not for Dawan who was already dragging him into the courtyard, he would try give them a pinch. Would they feel pain?

With a giggle Dawan said, "Even if you do a somersault in front of them, they won't see you."

"Why?"

She suddenly changed the topic and said, "Do you know what place this is?"

Ma Rulong did not but he could already feel the unspeakable ghostly air of the place.

"This is a morgue," said Dawan blithely. "If someone got murdered in this county, their bodies must be brought here for an autopsy."

Ma Rulong hadn't seen a corpse, nor smelt the foul stench of blood, but he was already uncomfortable in his stomach. At a place like this, nobody could possibly feel at ease. Why did Dawan bring him here?

In the courtyard were two rows of buildings, with no lamps nor windows. But from the last room on the right side, even though the door was closed, it seemed that there was light seeping through the cracks. And Dawan entered the room.

Ma Rulong couldn't help but ask, "Are you bringing me to see someone in that room?"

"Why don't you come in and see for yourself?" And she pushed the door open.

There was light in the room as expected, and one could see a dim lamp and a large bed. On the bed was a sheet of stark white cloth, covering a body underneath. This sheet of cloth was apparently too short. Although it covered the face of the body, it left her feet exposed.

The first thing Ma Rulong saw was her feet, a pair of snow-white feet and delicate ankles.

Her toes looked soft and beautiful. Whoever saw this pair of feet should realize that this was a pair of female feet, which surely belonged to a beautiful woman.

Ma Rulong now recalled that he didn't get a chance to see the flower girl's face in that dark alley. He couldn't help let out a sigh.

"She is dead?"

"Looks very much like it."

"It was you who killed her?"

Dawan indifferently replied, "She always looked down on me, thinking she was better than me and could beat me anytime. As soon as I saw her, I ran way. It was precisely to make her underestimate me."

Underestimating an enemy was forever an unforgivable mistake.

Dawan simply said, "She thought lowly of me, and that's why I'm still standing while she has dropped. To me, she's as good as dead."

Ma Rulong had to ask once again, "You say, as good as dead?"

"Hmm."

"So she's actually not dead yet?"

"Why don't you take a look for yourself?" She smiled mysteriously. "Take a really good look."

In order to look, that sheet of cloth had to be lifted. Ma Rulong lifted it and let it drop immediately, his face suddenly turning red and his heart beating faster. Although he had yet to see very clearly, he didn't dare to look any longer.

Underneath that cloth was a girl, who was completely naked. He'd never seen such a beautiful woman before, with that beautiful body and that beautiful face. If such a woman was really dead, it would really be a great pity.

Dawan asked again, "Take a look. Is she dead?"

Ma Rulong couldn't tell.

Dawan said, "You only got a glimpse of her, of course you can't tell if she's dead or not. But you should at least see that such a beautiful woman like her is rare."

Ma Rulong acknowledged that.

Dawan said, "In that case, you should know that she's still alive."

"How come?" Ma Rulong asked.

With a sigh Dawan said, "Because she's really too beautiful. I couldn't let her die. Even if I wanted very much to kill her, I wouldn't be able do it."

Ma Rulong sighed.

Dawan asked, "Why did you sigh?"

Ma Rulong said, "How did you find her?"

With another sigh Ma Rulong continued, "I've already looked at her, and I believe she's still alive. But I'm even more confused."

Dawan asked, "Confused about what?"

Ma Rulong said, "Do I know her?"

"No, you don't," replied Dawan.

Ma Rulong asked, "How is she related to me?"

"No relation as of now," replied Dawan.

Ma Rulong said, "Then why did you bring me to see her?"

Dawan said, "Because although the two of you aren't related yet, later you definitely will be."

Ma Rulong asked, "How will we be related later?"

Dawan's smile became even more mysterious. She said, "There are things I can't tell you right now but I promise whatever I want you to do, you won't regret it."

Ma Rulong asked, "What have you planned for me now?"

"I'm going to take you to see another person," said Dawan.

Ma Rulong asked, "Who is it?"

Dawan replied, "A man who likes you very much, and it appears you like him somewhat too."

Ma Rulong asked, "How do you know I like him?"

Dawan explained, "So long as one gets to see him, it would be very difficult not to like him."

Immediately Ma Rulong thought of a difficult-not-to-like man and he said, "Jiangnan Yu Five?"

Dawan said, "Who else but him?"

Ma Rulong asked, "He's also here?"

"Just on the other side," replied Dawan.

Ma Rulong asked, "What is he doing?"

Dawan laughed and said, "You won't, for the life of you, be able to guess whatever he's doing."

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(1) Yamen – local bureaucrat's office and residence