my apprentice. Later, I might not have the same inclination. Good opportunities don’t come by easily. You seem to be a smart lad. Why are you acting so foolishly? How about this? You kowtow to me and call me your Master first, and then I will go talk to your father. I am sure he wouldn’t dare have a different opinion.”

Lin Pingzhi suddenly had an idea. “Hero Mu,” he said, “my parents were taken prisoners by the Qingcheng Sword School. I don’t even know if they are still alive or dead yet. I beg you, hero Mu, to get them out. By then, I would be so appreciative that no matter what you tell me to do, I will follow with all my heart.”

Mu Gaofeng became livid. “What?” he exploded. “Are you bargaining with me? Do I have to have you as my apprentice? Who do you think you are? This is just outrageous!” Then he remembered that even Yu Canghai gave in right in front of so many eyes and did not want to tear his son’s killer into two – he must have had very good reasons. People like Yu Canghai were not the type that could be easily fooled. The rumor was probably true that the Evil-Resisting Sword Art was truly amazing. If he could take this lad as his apprentice, then sooner or later, he could get his hands on that outstanding martial arts book. At that thought, he urged again.

“Hurry up and kowtow to me. After three kowtows, you will be my apprentice. Of course the Master will take care of the apprentice’s parents. Since Yu Canghai captured my apprentice’s parents, when I go ask for them from him, it would be totally justifiable. How dare he object?”

Lin Pingzhi really wanted to save his parents. He thought, “Mom and dad are prisoners of that villain. Every day would seem like a year for them. I need to get them out as soon as possible. As long as he can rescue my parents, I’d be willing to give up anything, let alone taking him as my Master.” So he knelt down in front of Mu Gaofeng to kowtow.

Afraid that Lin Pingzhi might change his mind again, Mu Gaofeng laid his hand on Lin Pingzhi’s head and pushed down. Lin Pingzhi was ready to kowtow to him, but when he felt the push from the top of his head, he was filled with repugnance and naturally straightened his neck and resisted.

“Hey, kowtow!” Mu Gaofeng yelled angrily. He pushed down even harder.

Lin Pingzhi was egotistical; when he was still the Young Master of the house, others always flattered him and he never had to take any humiliation. Now in order to rescue his parents, he had already decided to kowtow, but when Mu Gaofeng pushed on his head, it actually aroused his stubbornness.

“I will agree to be your apprentice, only after you agree to rescue my parents. But there’s no way I am going to kowtow today!” he said loudly.

“Did you say no way? Let’s give it a try and see if there’s really no way!” Mu Gaofeng said angrily. He pushed even harder.

Lin Pingzhi fought with all his strength and struggled to stand up, but he felt as if he was under a thousand-pound rock, and simply could not, so he pushed on the ground with his hands and struggled some more. Gradually, Mu Gaofeng put more and more strength into the push. Lin Pingzhi could hear his neck joints cracking because of the pressure.

“Kowtow or not? Just a bit more strength from my hand would break your neck,” Mu Gaofeng said while laughing loudly.

Lin Pingzhi’s head was pushed down inch by inch, and soon was only half foot from the ground. “I won’t! I won’t!” he kept on yelling.

“Let’s see how you won’t kowtow.” Mu Gaofeng used a little bit more strength and Lin Pingzhi’s forehead went two inches closer to the ground. Suddenly, Lin Pingzhi felt heat coming from his back and a stream of smooth energy fed into his body; the push atop his head suddenly felt like nothing. He pushed at the ground and then easily stood up.

This was a complete surprise for Lin Pingzhi. To Mu Gaofeng, the surprise was even greater. The inner energy that overwhelmed his strength seemed to be the famous “Divine Art of Violet Twilight” of the Huashan Sword School. He had heard before that this style of inner energy started off indistinct, like the twilight in the sky, but the stamina had great persistency, and the strength would be later released like a storm with devastating power. That was why it got its name of “Violet Twilight.” Astonished, Mu Gaofeng quickly put his hand back on Lin Pingzhi’s head, but as soon as his hand touched Lin Pingzhi’s forehead, a stream of persistent energy rose from Lin’s forehead and shocked his hand. Mu Gaofeng felt numbness in his arm and dull pain coming from his chest.

Mu Gaofeng stepped back. “Is that Brother Yue of the Huashan Sword School?” he asked with a dry smile. “Why are you hiding behind the corner to play tricks on a hunchback?”

Smiling, a man with the look of a scholar strolled out from behind the corner of the wall. Waving a folding fan leisurely in his right hand, he looked very graceful.

“Brother Mu,” the man greeted, “after so many years, you still look so young and energetic. How wonderful!”

Mu Gaofeng immediately recognized him. He was indeed “Gentleman Sword” Yue Buqun, Head Master of the Huashan Sword School. Mu had always been in dread of him. Now since Mu was caught bullying a junior who basically had no Kung Fu skills, and because Yue even gave the young lad a helping hand, Mu Gaofeng felt very awkward.

“Brother Yue,” he grinned, “you are just getting younger and younger. I wish you could be my Master and teach me this ‘Yin Yang Nourishment’[4] method.”

“Bah! You hunchback, stop the silly jokes. When old friends reunite, there are many good topics to talk about, yet you only spout nonsense! How would I know such a lewd method?” Yue Buqun rebuffed.

“Nobody’s going to believe that you don’t know that nourishment method, otherwise, how do you manage to look as young as my grandson when you are actually almost sixty years old?” Mu Gaofeng said.

When Mu Gaofeng’s hand moved away from his forehead, Lin Pingzhi had already jumped back several steps. He looked at the scholarly man carefully. The man had a long goatee and a neat and clean face that shined with honesty and integrity. Admiration rose from within Lin Pingzhi’s heart. Hearing Mu Gaofeng calling him “Brother Yue of the Huashan Sword School” and figuring out it was this man who had just saved him, it suddenly dawned on him.

“Could this graceful man be the Head Master of the Huashan Sword School, Mr. Yue? But his age is far from what I expected. He looked like a forty year old man. Lao Denuo is his apprentice, but is much older than him.” After he heard Mu Gaofeng’s comments regarding Yue’s way of staying young, he suddenly remembered what he had heard from his mother before: “When a Kung Fu master reaches the highest state with his inner energy, he can not only extend his life span, but also recover his youthful vigor.” Maybe this Mr. Yue had reached that state. His admiration grew even more.

“Brother Mu is kidding me again,” Yue Buqun said with a light smile. “Brother Mu, this young man is a dutiful son, also a man of integrity. He is good material for an apprentice; no wonder Brother Mu likes him so much. All the trouble he has today originated from his saving my daughter Lingshan in Fuzhou. I really could not just stand aside and not do anything. Will you please show him mercy for my sake?”

Mu Gaofeng appeared to be amazed. “What? Just with the little Kung Fu he has, he could save niece Lingshan? We probably have to reverse that; it was more likely that niece Lingshan’s sharp eyes picked out this handsome boy….”

Knowing that the hunchback was a mean and obscene person and that there probably wouldn’t be any good comments coming from his mouth, Yue Buqun quickly cut him off.

“When people from the chivalrous side encounter trouble, they help those in need. The help could be as much as risking one’s life, or as little as giving a word of advice. It doesn’t really matter how great one’s Kung Fu skills are. Brother Mu, if you are determined to take him as your apprentice, why don’t you let the young man ask permission from his parents first, and then come to submit himself to you. Wouldn’t that be a win-win solution?”

Mu Gaofeng knew well that once Yue Buqun stepped in, things would simply not go as he had wished. So he shook his head.

“I just had a sudden impulse and wanted to take him as my apprentice. But I’ve lost that interest. Even if this lad kowtows to me ten thousand times now, I won’t take him any more.”

Out of the blue, he gave Lin Pingzhi a hard kick, which sent him into the air and sprawling twenty feet away. Yue Buqun did not expect that in any way. Mu Gaofeng had shown no sign of a sudden kick. Once his leg was extended, it was already too late to stop him. Lin Pingzhi jumped up immediately after he landed, and did not appear to have been injured.

“Brother Mu, why are you acting like a child? I’ll have to say you are the one getting younger now,” Yue Buqun said.

“Relax, Brother Yue,” Mu Gaofeng grinned. “Although I am bold, I would never dare to offend this…this your…ha-ha…I don’t even know what he’s going to become of yours. See you! Good-bye! I’d never thought even the famous Huashan Sword School would be interested in the ‘Evil-Resisting Sword Manuscript’.” He started stepping back as he spoke.

Yue Buqun jumped forth. “Brother Mu, what are you talking about?” he demanded loudly. Suddenly, his face seemed to turn a violet color. But the violet color only stayed for a brief moment before returning to Yue’s normal coloration.

Mu Gaofeng saw the color change and felt a shiver from his heart. “So that was indeed the ‘Divine Art of Violet Twilight’ of the Huashan Sword School!” he thought. “Yu Buqun has good sword skills on top of this amazing inner energy. I’d better not get into a fight with him.” So he let out a grin. “I have no clue as to what that Evil-Resisting Sword Manuscript is. I am only joking about it since I saw how Yu Canghai of the Qingcheng Sword School worked hard to get his hands on it. Brother Yue, please don’t mind me.” He turned around and walked away.

Yue Buqun watched until Mu Gaofeng disappeared into the darkness of the night. Letting out a sigh, he murmured, “People having that level of Kung Fu skills are rare in the Martial World, but he would rather abandon himself to….” He held back the word “vice” to himself and just shook his head in disappointment.

Lin Pingzhi came rushing over, knelt down in front of him and started to kowtow.

“I beg you, Master, to take me as your apprentice. I promise to follow your word of advice and obey all school rules. I will never dare to not listen to the Master’s word.”

“If I take you as my apprentice, Hunchback Mu will probably start a rumor saying that I robbed him of his student.” Yue Buqun smiled lightly.

“As soon as I saw you, Master, I felt unspeakable admiration. It’s my honest wish from the bottom of my heart to become your apprentice,” Lin Pingzhi said while kowtowing nonstop.

“Very well,” Yue Buqun smiled, “I will take you. But you have not asked permission from your parents yet. We need to find out if they agree or not.”

“If I am lucky enough to become your apprentice, my parents would be very grateful. There would be no reason why they would object. The villains of the Qingcheng Sword School captured my parents. I will need the Master’s help in that matter,” Lin Pingzhi said.

Yue Buqun nodded. “Alright! Get up! Let’s go look for your parents.” He turned and shouted, “Denuo, Liang Fa, and Lingshan, you can come out now.”

A group of people walked out from behind the wall. Lin Pingzhi recognized them as the apprentices of the Huashan Sword School. It turned out that they had all arrived a while ago. Yue Buqun had told them to hide behind the wall, and only to come out after Mu Gaofeng had left, thus saving some embarrassment for Mu Gaofeng.

“Congratulation on taking a new apprentice, Master!” the Huashan apprentices all said cheerfully.

“Pingzhi,” Yue Buqun said with a smile on his face, “you have met these senior apprentice brothers a while back in the small teashop. Now go ahead and pay your respects to them.”

The old man was second senior brother Lao Denuo; the big, tall apprentice was third senior brother Liang Fa; the apprentice who had dressed as a porter was fourth senior brother Shi Daizi; the one holding an abacus was fifth senior brother Gao Genming; then there was sixth senior brother Lu Dayou. Each of these apprentices was the type not easily forgotten. Seventh senior brother Tao Jun and eighth senior brother Ying Luobai were two young apprentices. Lin Pingzhi saluted them one by one.

Giggles came from behind Yue Buqun’s back. A gentle but crisp voice asked, “Daddy, am I a senior apprentice sister or a junior apprentice sister?”

In a daze, Lin Pingzhi recognized the wine-selling girl as the one called “little apprentice sister” standing by all the other Huashan apprentices. She was actually the Master’s daughter. Sticking her head out from behind Yue Buqun’s back, showing only half of her snow-white face, she quickly glanced at Lin Pingzhi with her rolling eyes then hid back behind Yue Buqun again.

Lin Pingzhi thought, “I remember the girl in the wine shop had a very ugly pox-covered face. How did her face change?”

In the dim moonlight, he could not see the girl’s face clearly when she stuck her head out and then drew it back so hurriedly, but even so, he could tell that the face was a pretty one. He then remembered.

“She did mention that she disguised herself when she sold wine outside of the town of Fuzhou. Sister Dingyi also said that she had taken on a very grotesque disguise. Obviously, she intentionally concealed her face with an ugly disguise.”

“Everyone here all joined the school later than you, but they still call you little apprentice sister. You are destined to be called little apprentice sister, so of course it’s little apprentice sister again.” Yue Buqun laughed.

“No way!” the girl declared with a grin. “Starting from now on, I am going to be a senior apprentice sister. Daddy, junior apprentice brother Lin will have to call me senior apprentice sister. Later when you get another one hundred or two hundred apprentices, they all have to call me senior apprentice sister.”

Giggling, she walked out from behind Yue Buqun. Under the dim moonlight, Lin Pingzhi could vaguely make out a pretty oval face and a pair of bright eyes looking straight at his face. Lin Pingzhi bowed deeply.

“Senior apprentice sister Yue, I only gained Master’s mercy and became an apprentice today. The one who becomes an apprentice earlier is the senior. Of course I am the junior apprentice.”

Yue Lingshan was very pleased. She turned to her dad. “Daddy, he called me senior apprentice sister out of his own free will. I didn’t force him.”

Yue Buqun laughed. “He had just joined our school, and you are already talking about ‘forcing.’ He will probably think that everyone in our school is like you, the seniors forcing their wills upon the juniors. What a frightening prospect!”

All the apprentices laughed at these words.

“Daddy,” Yue Lingshan said, “big apprentice brother was hiding here to recover from his wounds. He was struck by that stinky Taoist Priest, and is in serious condition. Let’s go find him quickly.”

Yue Buqun frowned and shook his head. “Genming, Daizi, you two go carry big apprentice brother out,” he said.

Gao Genming and Shi Daizi answered in unison and both jumped into the room through the window. But soon they reported, “Master, big apprentice brother is not here. There’s no one in the room.” Candlelight spilled through the window when they lit the candle in the room.

Yue Buqun frowned even more as he really did not want to enter such a disreputable place. “You,” he said to Lao Denuo, “go in there and check it out.”

“Yes, Master!” Lao Denuo answered and then walked toward the window.

“I’ll go check too,” Yue Lingshan suggested.

Yue Buqun grabbed at her arm. “Nonsense! You are not allowed to go into places like this.”

Yue Lingshan almost cried. “But…but big apprentice brother is so badly wounded…I am afraid that he will die.”

“Don’t worry,” Yue Buqun whispered, “he had the ‘Heavenly Connecting Glue’ of the Heng-Shan Sword School applied already. He won’t die.”

“Daddy, how…how did you know?” Yue Lingshan was surprised while cheerful.

“Shut up! Don’t be so noisy!” Yue Buqun cut her off.

Linghu Chong was already badly wounded before he took the energy blow from Yu Canghai’s palm strike. His wounds pained him greatly and he spat out more blood, but his mind was still clear. He heard the arguments between Mu Gaofeng and Yu Canghai, how everybody left, and how his Master had showed up. He was a man who feared nothing except his Master. As soon as he heard his Master talking to Mu Gaofeng, thoughts of how his Master would punish him for all the mischief he had gotten into crossed his mind. The worry was so great that he even forgot about the pain from his wounds.

He turned to the bed and whispered, “A disaster is about to strike! My Master is here! Let’s get out of here!” Right after these words, he staggered out the room steadying himself against the wall.

Qu Feiyan dragged Yilin from under the quilt and followed him. Seeing how Linghu Chong teetered along and was on the brink of falling down at any second, Yilin and Qu Feiyan both rushed over and supported him by his arms. Linghu Chong clenched his teeth and walked through a corridor. He knew that his Master had outstanding eyes and ears; the moment he walked out, the Master would know about it. Seeing a big room to the right, he immediately walked into it.

“Close…close the door and the window,” he said.

Qu Feiyan followed his instruction and shut the door and window. Linghu Chong could not maintain his composure any longer and collapsed onto the bed, breathing hard.

The three of them kept very quiet, and after a long while, they heard Yue Buqun’s voice far away saying, “He’s not here. Let’s go!” Linghu Chong let out a long breath and felt much more relaxed.

After some time had passed, someone came into the backyard and called out in a low voice, “Big apprentice brother? Big apprentice brother!” It was Lu Dayou.

Linghu Chong thought, “Monkey Six has always been the closest to me.” He almost answered when he suddenly heard the bed-curtain shaking. It was Yilin trembling in fright when she heard somebody approaching. “If I answer Monkey Six,” Linghu Chong thought, “I could really ruin the little Sister’s reputation.” So he kept his silence.

Lu Dayou walked past the window while calling “big apprentice brother, big apprentice brother” all the way. The calling receded further and further and finally faded into the night.

“Hey, Linghu Chong,” Qu Feiyan suddenly broke the silence, “are you going to die?”

“How can I die? If I die, it would really hurt the reputation of the Heng-Shan Sword School, and I’d be letting them down!” Linghu Chong answered.

“How do you figure?” surprised, Qu Feiyan asked.

“I’ve had so much of that magical medicine of the Heng-Shan Sword School, both inside and outside. If I still can’t be healed, I’d be letting…letting this Sister of the Heng-Shan Sword School down.” Linghu Chong replied.

“Yep! If you died, you would really be letting her down!” Qu Feiyan grinned.

Knowing how seriously Linghu Chong had been wounded and seeing how he was still making jokes, Yilin admired his attitude and also felt a bit less stressful.

“Big brother Linghu, you’ve just taken a hit from Yu Canghai. Let me see your wounds again.”

Linghu Chong struggled to sit up, but Qu Feiyan said, “Never mind your manners. Lie down.” Linghu Chong felt so weak that he really could not sit up, so he lay back down.

Qu Feiyan lit a candle. Yilin could see blood all over Linghu Chong’s robe, so she threw away all worry about propriety, gently lifted his long robe, and wiped off the blood around the wounds with a towel hanging by a rack. Taking the “Heavenly Connecting Glue” from her pocket, she applied all of the remainder onto Linghu Chong’s wounds.

“What a waste to put so much precious medicine on me!” Linghu Chong laughed.

“Big brother Linghu,” Yilin said, “you were badly wounded all because of me. This medicine is the least I can offer, even if…even if….” She did not know what to say, so just mumbled a little and then continued, “Even my respectful Master praised you as a young hero who is always ready to take on villains for a just cause. Because of that she even got into an argument with Master Yu.”

“No need to praise me. As long as the respectful Sister doesn’t scold me, I’d be completely thankful!” Linghu Chong grinned.

“Why would my Master scold you?” Yilin said. “Big brother Linghu, just rest quietly for twenty-four hours, and if your wounds don’t break open again, you should be alright.” She took out another three “White Cloud Bear Gallbladder Pills” and helped Linghu Chong to take them.

“Sis,” Qu Feiyan said out of a sudden, “you stay here and be his company. Watch out for bad guys who want to get him. My grandpa is still waiting for me. I got to go.”

“No! No!” Yilin cried in worry. “You cannot go. How can I stay here by myself?”

“Isn’t Linghu Chong here too?” Qu Feiyan grinned. “You are not all by yourself?” She turned around and started heading out.

Yilin was greatly concerned. She jumped forth and gripped Qu’s left arm. In her rush, she had used the holding technique of the Heng-Shan Sword School and grabbed her arm tightly.

“Don’t go!” she cried.

“Ouch! Are you trying to fight me?” Qu Feiyan chuckled.

Yilin blushed and then let go of her arm. “My good girl, please stay and keep me company,” she pleaded.

“Okay, okay. Fine! I’ll stay to be your company. Linghu Chong is not a bad guy, why are you so afraid of him?” Qu Feiyan said.

“Sorry, Qu, did I hurt you?” Yilin asked while feeling less awkward.

“Nah, it doesn’t hurt, but Linghu Chong seems to be hurting a lot,” Qu Feiyan said.

Yilin was in a shock. She lifted the curtains and checked immediately, only finding Linghu Chong sleeping soundly with both of his eyes shut tight. She felt Linghu Chong’s breathing with her hand and could tell that he was breathing in a good rhythm. Just when she felt a bit better, she heard Qu Feiyan’s giggles and the sound of the window opening. She turned around in a hurry and saw Qu Feiyan jumping out of the window.

Yilin was astounded and felt completely lost. She walked next to the bed and called, “Big brother Linghu? Big brother Linghu! She…she just left.” But the effect of the medicine had kicked in. Linghu Chong was completely out. He didn’t hear any of Yilin’s words. Trembling, Yilin was very frightened. It took her a long while before she gained enough strength to shut the window.

“I’d better leave soon,” she thought aloud. “What if big brother Linghu wakes up and then starts talking to me? What am I going to do then?” Then she thought, “He is so weak right now, even a child could kill him easily. How could I leave him and just flee the scene?”

In the dark night, occasional dog barks echoed from deep alleys far away. Other than those occasional sounds, there was just dead silence. People from the brothel had fled a long time ago. It almost felt as if Linghu Chong behind the bed curtain was the only person left in the entire world beside her. Yilin sat stiffly on a chair, afraid to move. After what seemed an eternity, cockcrows could be heard from all directions; it was almost dawn. Yilin started to worry again.

“It’s going to be daybreak soon, and then people would be arriving. What should I do?”

She had been a Buddhist ever since she was a small child, and had always been taken care of by Sister Dingyi, so she really lacked real life experience on how to handle difficult situations. She could only worry, having no idea of what to do.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from the alley outside. It seemed to be from three or four people. The sound of their footsteps could be clearly heard in the stillness of dawn. The group stopped in front of the gate of the Jade House.

“You two search the east side. The two of us will search the west side. If anyone spots Linghu Chong, make sure you capture him alive. He is very badly wounded and won’t be able to resist,” a voice said.

When Yilin first heard the sound of people coming, she was terrified. Then when she heard them talking about capturing Linghu Chong, she formed a resolve in her mind, “No matter what, I will protect big brother Linghu and never let him fall into the bad guys’ hands.” As soon as she made up her mind, fear seemed to slip away and her brain started functioning again. She rushed over by the bed and pulled out the bed sheet. After quickly wrapping Linghu Chong in the sheet, she picked him up in her arms, blew out the candlelight, pushed open the door gently, and then sneaked out. She couldn’t tell which direction she was going, and just made sure she was walking in the opposite direction from which the voices came. Soon she passed a vegetable garden and arrived at the back door. The back door was already half open. When the occupants of the brothel left, they probably just left it open in their hurry. She carried Linghu Chong out of the back door and dashed along the small alley. In no time, she had reached the town wall.

“I must get out of the town. There are simply too many enemies for big brother Linghu,” she thought. She walked along the town wall and as soon as she reached the town gate, she dashed out.

She kept running nonstop for at least three or four miles. She intentionally picked small roads that led into the mountains. When there were no more roads, she found herself in a small valley. Feeling a tad relieved, she looked down at Linghu Chong and found him staring right into her eyes, a smile on his face.

Yilin almost panicked. Her arms started quivering, and Linghu Chong’s body slipped out of her arms. “Oops!” she cried out and rapidly bent down and extended her arms with a move called “Carry the Holy Scripture.” Luckily, her reactions were quick, and she caught him before he hit the ground. But because she lost her balance, she staggered before regaining her balance.

“Sorry!” she said hurriedly. “Are your wounds still hurting?”

“I am fine. Why don’t you take a rest?” Linghu Chong smiled.

Yilin had completely forgotten about herself when she was running away from the Qingcheng apprentices. All she could think of was how to keep Linghu Chong out of danger. Now when they were finally safe, she felt like her body was ready to fall apart. She used up her last bit of strength and put Linghu Chong down on the meadow gently, and then collapsed onto the meadow breathing hard, trying to catch her breath.

“You forgot to control your breathing when you were running,” Linghu Chong said with a smile. “That is a big no for…for us martial arts students. It makes one more likely…more likely to get hurt.”

Yilin blushed slightly. “Thanks for the advice, big brother Linghu. My Master had taught me the same thing before, but I forgot in all the commotion.” She paused for a second and then asked, “How are your wounds?”

“They don’t hurt as much now, but they’re just a bit itchy and numb,” Linghu Chong said.

“Great! Great!” Yilin exclaimed. “When a wound gets itchy and numb, that means it’s healing. I didn’t expect it would start healing this fast.”

Linghu Chong was quite moved seeing Yilin’s joy. “It’s all due to the magical medicine of your respectful school.” He let out a sigh. “Too bad that we had to suffer humiliations from those low-life scoundrels because of my wounds. If we had fallen into Qingcheng’s hands earlier, it would be no big deal if I got killed right away, but most likely they would have try to humiliate us even further,” he said grouchily.

“So you heard everything?” Yilin asked. She felt completely embarrassed when she thought about how he could have been staring at her for the entire time she carried him while running away; her face reddened.

Linghu Chong didn’t realize that she was actually feeling embarrassed, and thought she was just exhausted from so much running.

“Apprentice sister, why don’t you do some of the breathing exercises of your school to help harmonize your inner energy, so you don’t suffer any internal injuries?”

“Alright,” Yilin agreed.

She sat down cross-legged and tried to work her inner energy with the breathing techniques taught by her Master. But she felt very uneasy and simply could not calm herself down to focus on the breathing exercises. Every other minute, she would glance at Linghu Chong to see if his wounds had gotten any better or worse, or if he was looking at her. At the fourth glance, her eyes happened to catch Linghu Chong’s eyes. With a big shock, she immediately shut her eyes tightly. Linghu Chong, on the other hand, started laughing loudly. Yilin blushed even more and asked shyly, “Why…why are you laughing?”

“Nothing,” Linghu Chong said. “You are still young and probably don’t do well with the meditative exercises. If you can’t calm down and get focused, then don’t force yourself. Uncle-Master Dingyi must have taught you that if you work too hard on your exercises, it actually does more harm than good. Especially for breathing exercises, you need to find yourself in a calm state.” He paused a moment to catch on with his breath, and then continued, “Don’t worry! My base energy is refilling itself slowly. Even if those Qingcheng crooks come after us, there’s no need to be afraid. We’ll just let them demonstrate…demonstrate that ‘Bum Bum Back…Back….’”

“Demonstrate the Qingcheng Sword School’s ‘Geese Landing in Sand’ technique.” Yilin smiled.

“Right!” Linghu Chong grinned. “That’s good. The ‘Bum Bum Back’ part does not sound very graceful. Let’s just call it the ‘Qingcheng Sword School’s Geese…Landing in Sand’ technique!” After saying the last word, he had to catch his breath again.

“Don’t talk too muc