Chapter 9 - IRON SPEAR TEMPLE

1

Two dozen or so men disembarked, among them Tiger Peng and Hector Sha. Then, a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped ashore, accompanied by someone older, slight but nimble—Wanyan Honglie, the Sixth Prince of the Great Jin Empire, and Qiu Qianren, leader of the Iron Palm Gang. Now that the Jin Prince had gained the support of both Viper Ouyang and Qiu Qianren, he was confident that his cortège would win the contest, and felt safe venturing south again.

"Pa, that old fossil almost killed me with his palm thrust," Lotus said, pointing at Qiu.

Apothecary Huang had met the man twice before, at Roaming Cloud Manor and at Ox Village, and, both times, he had scampered away whimpering. How could that imbecile be capable of hurting his daughter? Of course, he had yet to realize that his dealings had been with the impostor and identical twin Qiu Qianzhang.

The Venom got up from his feast to welcome the new arrivals, conversing with the Prince in hushed tones, then approached Count Seven Hong.

"Brother Seven, you said you wouldn't take sides in the upcoming fight. Does that hold true?"

The Beggar sighed. I'm in no state to help, even if I wished to.

"What upcoming fight? I said I wouldn't help anyone on the fifteenth of the eighth moon."

Viper ignored his response and turned to the Heretic. "Brother Apothecary, neither the Quanzhen Sect nor the Seven Freaks of the South appear to know their place, offending a paramount master like yourself. It is beneath your status to raise your hand against such feeble warriors. Allow your brother, here, to deal with them, while you watch."

Apothecary Huang weighed up the situation. If Count Seven Hong stayed true to his word and refrained from taking part, then the Quanzhen Sect would be annihilated by Viper Ouyang; though, if Guo Jing took the position of the Heavenly Jade, there would be a good chance that the formation could vanquish the Venom. And yet, the boy had been so single-minded about attacking him …

How ironic that the future of the Quanzhen Sect rests upon the whim of this unweaned idiot, he thought. If Wang Chongyang could see us from the world beyond …

From Apothecary Huang's blank look, Viper knew his words had not had the desired effect. But he could not miss a chance to obliterate the Quanzhen Sect before Zhou Botong could come to their aid.

"What are you waiting for?" he taunted the Taoists. "Make your first move!"

"What did you just promise?" Count Seven roared.

Viper pointed to the sky with a smirk. "Midnight has passed. We're now in the early morning of the fifteenth."

Count Seven looked up. The moon had indeed crept westward, though half obscured by clouds. He could not deny that they had entered a new day.

A tap of the Serpent Staff against the ground and the Venom was suddenly standing right in front of Qiu Chuji. The Martial Great unleashed one deadly kung fu after another, keen to show off his signature techniques in the presence of such an illustrious audience.

The Quanzhen monks knew that the slightest error would spell the end—for themselves as well as their martial branch. Steeling their hearts, they engaged Viper Ouyang head-on, employing all their learning to maximize the power of the Heavenly Northern Dipper formation, but, within a handful of moves, they were straining to cope with the Venom's onslaught.

Guo Jing was scarcely aware of the Taoists' struggles. His eyes were trained on the murderer of his shifus. He would be battling him even now if he had not been forced to stand down by Count Seven Hong.

Lotus had been wondering how she could break Guo Jing's fixation on her father. The arrival of Wanyan Honglie gave her the perfect diversion.

"So, all your talk of revenge turns out to be mere empty words," she said, her voice ringing with derision. "Your father's murderer has come to you, and yet here you sit, doing nothing."

Giving her a baleful look, Guo Jing drew the golden dagger and charged at Wanyan Honglie.

I'll kill the Jin dog, then I'll kill the Heretic, he swore to himself.

Hector Sha and Tiger Peng planted themselves in Guo Jing's path. The young man hacked his dagger at them an angled backhand slash. Peng crossed his Scribe's Brushes—claaang!—and blocked the blade, but his numbed arms could not hold Guo Jing back. Sha swiveled to check his progress, employing Shape Changing kung fu to bar his way, but the young fighter pushed past him with ease.

Graybeard Liang and Lama Supreme Wisdom joined the effort to halt Guo Jing, brandishing their weapons. Old Liang threw two Bone-Piercing Needles, which the young man sidestepped smoothly before retaliating with a move known as Horns in the Fence, launching palm, dagger and body at his opponent. Graybeard cast himself to the ground and rolled out of harm's way—he knew he had not the skill to counter such a powerful attack.

Lacking Liang's agility, the fleshy Lama Supreme Wisdom knew he could not get away in time, so he held his cymbals firm against the assault. After all, he was the last line of defense for his patron Wanyan Honglie, the Prince of Zhao. Bong, bong … both cymbals flew straight up into the air as a gust whipped into his face. The lama thrust out a palm in reply, assuming that his great strength and the poison on his skin would make his attacker think twice, and yet, moments later, he felt his breath catch in his lungs, his arm racked with pain and his hand flopping uselessly as his wrist was knocked out of joint.

He stood stupefied, deserted by his supreme wisdom, his toxic touch nullified. The two copper-coated discs descended, one after the other, leaving a glistening, golden trail. The first landed square on the lama's glossy pate. If it had not fallen flat, its razor-sharp edge would have split his skull down the middle. Its fellow followed soon after. The steel plates clashed with a resounding crash and a deafening hum that traveled far into the night.

If Guo Jing wished to dispatch the lama, he could have done so with ease, but he had no quarrel with the man. He made straight for Wanyan Honglie, the golden dagger leading the way.

The Jin Prince stood petrified. He had counted on the four martial Masters in his employ to keep him safe, but they had been shoved aside in an instant. Not a single fighter now stood between him and Guo Jing.

Aiiiiyaaaa! Shrieking, he bolted.

Dagger held high, Guo Jing followed in hot pursuit. Two palms materialized from a blur of earthy yellow, striking at him from the side. Guo Jing slewed away and arced the blade in retaliation, only to realize his body had been drawn into the wake of the powerful ambush. He took a step forward to steady himself and turned his eyes on this new opponent: Qiu Qianren.

Guo Jing drew in a deep breath to focus his mind. If he wanted to get past the leader of the Iron Palm Gang, he would need to forget about Wanyan Honglie and push aside any thoughts of revenge, for the time being. He readied himself, shifting his grip on the dagger in his right hand.

With Guo Jing now occupied and Wanyan Honglie once more under the protection of Graybeard Liang and Hector Sha, Tiger Peng allowed himself a sigh of relief. The danger had passed. He approached Ke Zhen'e and asked with mock concern, "Master Ke, where are the rest of you Freaks?"

Ke flicked his wrist, letting fly a poisoned devilnut, and settled into a defensive stance. Peng had suffered the effects of this secret weapon before and knew it would be too risky to try staving off the projectile in the dim moonlight. He jabbed both Scribe's Brushes into the ground, using them for leverage to vault up high, like a bird frightened by an arrow's song.

Swash! The devilnut zoomed by, passing under his feet.

Once safely back on firm ground, Peng noticed that the Freak had no weapon to defend himself. He lunged, thrusting his brushes, his jaw set tight.

The Exorcist's Staff was more than a weapon to Ke Zhen'e, for he was lame in one leg and relied upon its support to move around. At the sound of his enemy's approach, the Freak half hopped, half hobbled two paces to the side, but, as he took the last step, his legs buckled and he toppled face-first to the ground.

Peng speared one of the brushes at Ke's back, while holding the other close to his chest in case the blind man still had another trick up his sleeve.

Hearing the attack, Ke rolled sideways and the metal brush struck the ground, raising a smattering of sparks.

"You can't flap away from this, blind bat!" Peng roared, thrusting the other brush forward.

Still lying prone on the ground, Ke evaded the blow and—hiss!—flung another devilnut. Then he heard a muttering of insults and sensed a rush in the air, as it was first sucked upward, then pushed down toward him.

In his bid to escape Tiger Peng, the First Freak had dragged himself into Lama Supreme Wisdom, who had been nursing his injured wrist and cursing Guo Jing. Ke pressed a hand against the ground and propelled himself to the side. Although he managed to avoid the lama's descending foot, he felt a prick on his back. There was nothing more he could do, now, to escape Peng's brushes. He readied himself to face his fate, and yet, what followed was a girlish cry of shoo! then a gruff voice bellowing aiyoooo! before it was cut short by a thump.

Lotus had come to the rescue, sending Tiger Peng flying with the same technique she had used to disarm Ke Zhen'e earlier. Unlike the Freak, Peng held fast to his weapons, and so his stocky form took to the air along with the brushes.

"No one wants your help, she-demon!" Ke hissed as he climbed to his feet.

"Pa, look after this blind buffoon. Don't let him get hurt!" Lotus cried, and sprinted over to Guo Jing's side to fight Qiu Qianren.

Stunned, Ke Zhen'e stood alone in the midst of fierce fighting, struggling to grasp the meaning of Lotus's behavior.

Tiger Peng hauled himself back onto his feet, shamefaced but determined to get even. He sized up Apothecary Huang, who was facing the other way and did not seem to have heard his daughter. Peng crept up behind Ke, preparing to strike. Even if the Freak somehow recovered his sight and his staff, he would not be able to ward off this assault.

But, just before the brush had found its target, Peng heard a swoosh. A small speck of earth smashed into his weapon, dissipating into a puff of dusty smoke. A great force tore at the skin between his thumb and forefinger, knocking the brush out of his grasp. Peng could not understand where the projectile had come from or how it could make such an impact. He glanced at Apothecary Huang. His hands were clasped behind his back, his eyes fixed on the dark clouds on the horizon.

Ke Zhen'e recognized the unique fizz in the air. He had heard it once before, when Guo Jing fought Cyclone Mei at Roaming Cloud Manor. The Heretic's Divine Flick. How could he accept help from the murderer of his siblings? He threw himself at Apothecary Huang.

"What's the point of living when my brethren are dead?"

The Heretic did not seem to have heard the outburst, but when Ke Zhen'e came within three feet of him, he wafted his hand sideways across his back. A wave of energy surged toward the Freak, pushing his body to the ground until he found himself sitting on his rump. This strange force continued to pin him down, causing a curious sensation in his chest, as if his blood and breath were churning like a tempestuous sea.

2

The skies had grown darker. The thick mist was now creeping onto land, shrouding everyone's feet.

With Lotus's help, Guo Jing was able to hold his own against Qiu Qianren, but the Quanzhen monks were making their last stand. Hao Datong had suffered a blow from the Serpent Staff and Sun Bu'er's outer robe was ripped in two. Wang Chuyi realized that one of his siblings would be grievously wounded or worse before long, and pulled out a flare during a fleeting respite when it was the turn of Ma Yu and Liu Chuxuan to bear the brunt of the Venom's wrath. A flash of light, whistling, drew across the night sky.

Over the years, the Seven Immortals of the Quanzhen Sect had each taken on a sizeable number of disciples, and this third generation included a number of particularly skilled novices. Tiger Peng and his fellows were also known to have a multitude of students. Apprehensive that their unsporting opponents might try to carry the day through sheer weight of numbers, the Taoists had ordered their most accomplished protégés to wait on the far shore of South Lake. Should they see a flare, they were to cross the water to come to their teachers' aid. Yet, Wang Chuyi feared he might have sent his signal too late, for they were now completely engulfed by a pall of dense fog and could barely see a few feet ahead.

By now, the brume was clinging to their bodies like a white film, suffocating in its dampness. The gathering clouds crowded around the full moon, dimming its glow, and soon blotting out all light. In the gloom, caution was the watchword. The intensity of each fight dipped as they all drew back to focus on defense.

Since Guo Jing could only catch occasional glimpses of Qiu Qianren's fading form, he decided to take advantage of the mist's hazy cloak to seek out Wanyan Honglie once more. He opened his eyes as wide as he could, trying to catch a glint from the Jin Prince's golden coronet, but he could make out nothing in the muggy darkness. He dashed east and darted west, searching blindly, finding nothing.

"I'm Zhou Botong. Who wants to fight?" His voice sounded just a couple of steps from Guo Jing.

"Uncle Zhou!" Qiu Chuji called back, also close by.

For an instant, the clouds parted and a shaft of moonlight sliced through the mist to gasps of alarm as the combatants suddenly realized their enemies were no more than an arm's length away.

"Oooh, how wondrous! You're all here!" Squealing with excitement, the Old Urchin pulled up his sleeve and rubbed the skin over the crook of his left arm with vigorous relish.

"Deadly poison for you!" He cried, slapping his hand over Hector Sha's mouth.

The Dragon King responded with a Shape Changing move as he tried to flee, but he could not outrun the Hoary Urchin. An iron grip closed around his wrist and a ball of dead skin was forced between his lips.

Hector Sha had spent enough time with the irreverent martial Master to know that, if he spat out the revolting pellet, a worse fate would follow, so he kept it on his tongue, choking back the humiliation, waiting for an opportunity to get rid of it. Nobody has ever died from a bit of grime and dirt, he repeated again and again under his breath.

"Uncle Zhou, we're so pleased you're alive!" Wang Chuyi was as delighted as he was relieved that Zhou Botong had appeared at this crucial juncture.

The Urchin glowered. "Who said I was dead?"

"We heard that you'd been killed by the Heretic—"

"The Heretic?" A derisive snort. "Well, try he did. And for fifteen years, too. But, as you can see, he failed…" He let out a burst of gleeful laughter. "Hey, Heretic Huang, would you like to try killing me again?"

Apothecary Huang answered the Urchin's playful but powerful punch at his shoulder with a Cascading Peach Blossom Palm.

"Your martial nephews have been hounding me because they thought I killed you. They wanted to avenge your death."

"What? You killed me? When? Don't blow your own trumpet! Look! Am I the Hoary Urchin or the Ghostly Urchin?" His palms flew as fast as his words.

Apothecary Huang growled silently as he devoted his full attention to countering Zhou Botong's intricate rapid-fire onslaught.

The Quanzhen Masters looked on aghast. They had taken it for granted that their martial uncle would help them subdue Viper Ouyang, but here he was already sparring with Apothecary Huang.

"Uncle Zhou, stop! Don't fight Lord Huang!"

Ma Yu's entreaty fell on deaf ears.

"Urchin, listen to your nephew, leave Lord Huang alone," Viper echoed slyly. "You're no match for him. Run for your life. Run!"

Of course, Zhou Botong took the bait, bedeviling the Heretic further.

Lotus made her own attempt to break up the fight. "Old Urchin, you promised your martial brother Wang Chongyang never to learn kung fu from the Nine Yin Manual! Why are you fighting Papa with those skills? What would Immortal Wang say?"

"Kung fu from the Nine Yin Manual? No, no, no, no, no, watch me closely! See, I'm not! You don't know how much trouble it took to purge the Manual from my head! It was so easy to learn, but so hard to forget! Look, I'm using Luminous Hollow Fist, all seventy-two moves invented by me, and now this is Competing Hands, an original Urchin boxing technique." He gave Lotus a running commentary as he demonstrated his kung fu. "Can't you see? It's all my own invention. Not a stinking whiff of the Nine Yin Manual!"

Their last exchange on Peach Blossom Island was still fresh in Apothecary Huang's mind. This time, the overwhelming strength derived from the Nine Yin Manual that had so surprised him back then was missing from the elaborate moves, so the Urchin was once more his martial equal.

What strange methods had this man employed to unlearn something so entwined with his core? Huang wondered.

Satisfied by the sight of Zhou Botong wrangling with Apothecary Huang, Viper Ouyang redoubled his attack on the Quanzhen monks. He needed to break their formation before Zhou Botong came to his martial nephews' aid. His merciless assault, led by sweeps and thrusts of his Serpent Staff, put the Taoists in mortal danger.

"Uncle Zhou!" Wang Chuyi cried.

It finally cut through to Zhou Botong how much his brethren were suffering, but he was not ready to abandon his game with Apothecary Huang just yet. Left palm hacking sideways while his right fist jabbed straight ahead, he darted up to the Heretic's face and burst into laughter. In that moment, left flipped into right and right into left, the hack became a jab and the jab became a hack—what had been chopping athwart was now thrust forward.

Apothecary Huang had never encountered such a mercurial move. He flung his arms up to protect his face, but he was a fraction too slow. A sting at the end of his left eyebrow, where the skin was grazed by Zhou Botong's fingertips.

"Damn, damn, damn! That's from the Nine Yin Manual!" The Urchin slapped the offending hand.

Apothecary Huang saw his chance. His palm shot forward, swift and silent, striking at Zhou Botong's shoulder.

"Aiyoooo! Retribution comes apace!" the Hoary Urchin cried as he hunched his back and doubled over.

The mist had grown yet more impenetrable. Concerned for his two shifus' safety, Guo Jing helped Ke Zhen'e to his feet and led him over to Count Seven Hong.

"Masters, please rest in the Tower until this fog passes," he said under his breath.

"Old Urchin," Lotus called. "Will you do as I say?"

"Don't worry, I can't beat your father."

"I want you to deal with the Old Venom. But you mustn't take his life."

"Why should I?" The Urchin was still engaged in a fierce battle with Apothecary Huang.

"If you refuse, I'll tell everybody about your dirty past."

"Hogwash! What dirty past?"

"As you wish!" And she began to chant in a sing-song voice:

"For the fourth time the loom is ready,

To weave a pair of lovebirds so they can take flight."

"Anything you say!" the Urchin shrieked. "Venom, where are you?"

"Uncle Zhou, take the North Star!" Ma Yu called through the haze.

Once Zhou Botong had joined his martial nephews' formation, Lotus cried out, "Pa, Qiu Qianren is a traitor to our country. We can't let him live!"

"Come to me, child." But the leader of the Iron Palm Gang had melted into the thick mist. The only figure Apothecary Huang could identify was the Hoary Urchin, thanks to his constant chortling.

"Venom, oh, Venom, bend the knee and Grandpa will let you live."

3

Once Guo Jing had settled Count Seven Hong and Ke Zhen'e inside the Tower, he resumed his search for Wanyan Honglie, but, in those few dozen steps between the courtyard and the Tower, he had lost the Jin Prince, who, along with his henchmen—Hector Sha, Tiger Peng, Qiu Qianren and the others—had simply vanished.

All that remained was Zhou Botong's booming voice. "Huh? Venom? Where are you? Have you run away from me?"

The weather that mid-autumn night was most peculiar. So dense was the fog that it had obscured the full moon as well as the faces of those standing hard by, leaving nothing but vague shapes in the murk. Voices were dulled by a dampness so palpable that it seemed to be forming a physical barrier. The curious weather had robbed everyone of their sight. Lotus stayed close to her father. Ma Yu muttered instructions to draw in the formation. Everyone listened out for the enemy, on their guard and ill at ease.

Utter silence.

Then, a low rustling. Growing louder, growing closer.

"Hark! What noise is this?" Qiu Chuji asked.

"Snakes!" Lotus cried. "The shameless old toad!"

"Come up," Count Seven shouted from the first floor of the Tower. "The Venom has let loose his snakes."

Yelping, Zhou Botong scrabbled toward the Tower as quickly as he could. He might be the most powerful martial artist present, but these creatures had always terrified him. He would not even risk the stairs, in case he got waylaid and bitten on the ankle. He sprang up using his lightness kung fu and landed, shivering, on the highest ridge of the roof.

The serpents slithered ever closer. Lotus clung to her father as they raced for the Tower. The Quanzhen monks felt their way up the stairs, hand in hand, but Harmony Yin stumbled and fell, bumping his head. When he rejoined them, moments later, he was sporting a huge lump.

LOTUS WAS keeping count of who was ascending the Tower's stairs but she did not hear Guo Jing's footsteps. "Guo Jing? Are you here?" Her concern was apparent. She asked several times, but received no answer. "Pa, I'll go down to look for him."

"There's no need." A frosty reply. He was just a few steps away. "Don't use my name again. I won't answer."

"How dare you speak to my daughter thus!" Apothecary Huang swung his arm out. Guo Jing ducked away from the blow and twirled his palm, ready to fight back.

Tak, tak, tak! Arrows. Lodging into the window lattices.

"Catch the rebels!"

War cries rose from every direction. Bolts thudded into the woodwork of the Tower. There was no telling how many soldiers were out there.

"The Jurchen dogs must have bribed the governor of Jiaxing to send his army!" Wang Chuyi growled.

"We'll slay the turncoats, every last one!" Qiu Chuji roared in reply.

"Wait! There are snakes down there," Hao Datong reminded his hot-blooded brother.

The Venom's minions had almost reached the Tower and the archers were firing with increasing rapidity. It was clear that this was a planned ambush. Wanyan Honglie must have sent his soldiers out in small boats to surround the Tower, but he could not have predicted the weather. The fog might be giving his men cover, but it was also frustrating their aim—their only target was the hazy outline of the building.

Zhou Botong, alone on the exposed roof, was shouting curses at the snakes. He had caught two long bolts and was waving them around to ward off any others that came his way.

"We can't deal with both snakes and arrows up here," Count Seven said. "We have to retreat … Let's head west. We can take the land route." As the Chief of the largest gang under the heavens, he had a compelling way of speaking that commanded attention, and even the respected characters of the wulin gathered in the Tower were willing to lend him their ears.

The Tower of Mist and Rain jutted out into South Lake, embraced by water on three sides. When approached by boat, the Tower appeared to be floating on the ripples, and yet there were footpaths connecting it to the city.

The Quanzhen Taoists led the way, groping through the mist down the stairs. They could barely make out their own hands. How were they supposed to find a path to safety?

Qiu Chuji and Wang Chuyi twirled their swords in tandem to deflect as they picked their way through a torrent of missiles to find the route least bedeviled by archers. The rest of the group ventured forward hand in hand, reaching out to friend and foe alike, lest anyone got left behind. Guo Jing held Count Seven's hand in his right and extended his left to grab the person next in line. The fingers were dainty and the skin soft and smooth. He felt a pang of longing and let go immediately.

"Who wants to hold your hand?" Lotus muttered.

"Turn back! Turn back!" Qiu Chuji shouted. "Too many snakes ahead! There's no way through."

Apothecary Huang and Ma Yu had been bringing up the rear of the column, guarding against an attack from behind. At Qiu's cry, Apothecary Huang broke off two long branches of bamboo and brushed them against the ground. Hisses. The way back was blocked by serpents. An awful stench filled the air. Lotus tried to stop herself retching, but soon succumbed.

"There's nowhere to go. It's time to submit to our fate." Apothecary Huang threw the bamboo sprigs down and lifted Lotus into his arms.

Archers alone could not have stopped these martial Masters, but the Venom's snakes were another matter. One bite meant instant death. And there were hundreds and thousands of the creatures. All their martial learning was no use against serpents, since Apothecary Huang had snapped his jade flute and Count Seven Hong was not yet capable of launching his Skyful of Petals technique. Blinded by the brume, they stood on the spot, listening to the slither and hiss as the snakes closed in. Even if there were a way out, they could not see through the haze to find it.

"Little witch, give me your cane."

Lotus immediately handed the Dog Beater over to Ke Zhen'e. The blind man prodded the ground with the stick—"Follow me!"—and hobbled ahead, muttering as he made his way forward. "What's so surprising about a bit of fog? How do you think the Tower got its name?"

A native of Jiaxing, he had explored every single trail around the Tower in his childhood, and, for a sightless man, day, night, mist and fog were all the same. He could tell from the whistling of the arrows and the hissing of the snakes that a path he knew that led to the west was unobstructed, and was now heading confidently in that direction. Yet, seven or eight steps later, he found himself marching into a dense bamboo grove. Of course, he had not known that, in the intervening years, the track had become overgrown with vegetation, which was why it was not infested with snakes.

Qiu Chuji and Wang Chuyi slashed and chopped a way through with their swords, while Ma Yu called for Zhou Botong. The Hoary Urchin sat tight-lipped on the roof, scared of making the slightest sound. What if the wriggly creatures heard his reply and swarmed up the Tower to devour him? He knew they loved the taste of his flesh. It was not a risk he was willing to take.

4

The group emerged from the bamboo grove a hundred or so paces later to find a footpath. The rustling of snakes was behind them, but the thunder of soliders on the march was drawing near. The governor of Jiaxing's men were hurrying overland to outflank them. But what harm could crudely trained men-at-arms inflict upon warriors skilled in kung fu?

"Brother Hao, shall we?" Liu Chuxuan said.

"Marvelous!" Hao Datong hefted his blade and charged with his martial brother. Arrows buzzed in the mist, like swarming locusts. The Taoists beat them back with their swords.

Soon, the rest of the group found themselves on the main road. The heavens opened, tipping down buckets of water amid wild flashes of lightning and continuous cracks of thunder, washing the fog away in a trice. Still, with the moon blanketed by layers of clouds, the night was dark and everything was an indistinct blur.

"The danger has passed, fare thee well." With those words, Ke Zhen'e shoved the cane into Lotus's hand and limped eastward.

"Shifu!" Guo Jing called.

"Take Great Hero Hong to a safe place to rest, then come and find me at Ke Village."

"Yes, Master!"

Apothecary Huang plucked a stray arrow from the air and approached Ke Zhen'e. "I did not intend to spell it out, but, since you saved my life today—"

The Freak spat in the Heretic's face. "This day will be the reason I can't face my six siblings when I die!"

Apothecary Huang had bent low to speak to Ke Zhen'e, so their faces were less than a foot apart. Despite his extraordinary reflexes, he was caught out and the spittle skimmed across his cheek. He raised his hand, ready to strike the offender dead.

Guo Jing had been keeping an eye on his shifu, but, from a distance of twenty paces, all he could do was watch the exchange turn sour—he ran, knowing he would never make it in time, that he was about to witness the death of yet another of his teachers, but the next thing he heard was a dry chuckle.

"How could a man of my status behave like one of your ilk?" Apothecary Huang let his arm sink slowly and wiped the spit away with his sleeve. "Let's go, Lotus."

The Heretic's words and tone gnawed at Guo Jing, giving him pause. He could feel in his gut that something did not quite fit, but the notion in his head was so muddy and undefined that he could not say what it was he was unsure about. Before he could untangle this mystery, a scud of thick mist enveloped him and war cries could once more be heard. The Quanzhen monks raised their swords and charged at a squad of soldiers storming their way.

Apothecary Huang had no interest in tussling with lowly conscripts. "Brother Seven, why don't we find a tavern where we might enjoy a few drinks?"

"Perfect!" It was just the thing the Beggar had been craving, so the two Martial Greats disappeared into the gloom, arm in arm.

Guo Jing was a few steps away from Ke Zhen'e when a small band of soldiers rushed into him, separating him from his mentor. Never one to wish harm upon another, he used minimal force to repel them, but they turned out to be tougher than he had anticipated, for Jurchen soldiers and Iron Palm Gang members had been embedded into the ranks of the Song army.

"First Shifu! First Shifu! Where are you?" he cried, afraid that his teacher, without his sight or his weapon, would be hurt in the chaos, but he could not make out his Master's voice in the din, only the Quanzhen Taoists calling to each other amid the cacophony of battle.

LOTUS WAS standing close to Ke Zhen'e when her father approached him. She had followed their exchange with cautious optimism, but, in the blink of an eye, her heart was crushed and trampled. The Freak had not merely spat at her father, he had spat on all her hopes and dreams, and her one chance of finding happiness.

Numbed, she stood fixed to the spot, unaware of the men and horses tearing around her, until a cry of aiyoo! brought her back to the present.

She knew that voice. Ke Zhen'e.

She peered through the louring half-light to see an officer chopping his saber at the blind man from behind.

Ke rolled away, straightened up and threw a punch. He knocked the man over, but, when he pushed himself onto his feet, he fell back down. Lotus was much closer now. She could see something sticking out of his thigh. An arrow. She seized his arm and hauled him up. He flung her helping hand away, but the bolt was lodged in his good leg and he could not support himself on the lame one. He swayed and fell.

"Don't play the hero." Lotus caught him by the back of his collar and flicked at the True Shoulder pressure point above his right armpit with her Orchid Torch. Then she let go and grabbed him in a slightly more dignified manner, by the left arm. Ke desperately wished he could free himself from her grasp, but, having lost command of half his body, he could not resist her assistance, so he settled for demonstrating his displeasure with a mouthful of vulgarities.

Lotus half dragged, half carried Ke Zhen'e a dozen paces to a nearby tree, which provided some meager protection from the chaos around them. But, before she could catch her breath, they were spotted by soldiers and a shower of arrows rained down. Lotus stood in front of Ke Zhen'e and flourished the Dog Beater to protect her face.

"Leave me. Save yourself!" Ke grunted, grappling with the fact that she was shielding him with her body. Then he heard the arrows glancing off the Hedgehog Chainmail before clattering to the ground.

Lotus snorted at the old man's sentimental plea. "I won't desert you. I'll make sure you owe me your life. And there's nothing you can do to stop me."

She hauled him over to a low wall that would shelter him from the archers. Once they had traversed the short distance, she slumped against the barrier, panting hard, her heart hammering. Ke Zhen'e was a heavy load.

"Let any feud between us be crossed off." Ke heaved a sigh. "Go on your way! Consider this blind man dead."

"How am I supposed to consider you dead when you're very much alive? You can choose not to seek revenge from me, but I'm going to hound you for retribution." As she spoke, she thrust the Dog Beater at the Bend Middle acupoint behind each knee.

Ke cursed himself for letting his guard down against the she-demon, as he flopped helplessly onto his backside. As he berated himself, picturing the horrendous ways in which she would torment him, he picked out the sound of her nimble feet as she skirted around the wall, hurrying away from him.

The roar of battle was growing faint and distant. The Quanzhen monks must have scattered the troops, unwittingly chasing them away from Ke's hiding place. He thought he could hear Guo Jing calling his name, but his disciple was also moving farther and farther from him. He wanted to respond, but all his strength had been drained by the night's exertions, and he was further weakened by the injury he had just suffered. He could not summon the qi to project his voice far enough to reach Guo Jing's ears above the tumult.

Before long, silence returned. No more soldiers. No more fighting. A cock crowed in the distance and another replied, the heralds of dawn crying out.

On the morrow, the cocks will still crow in Jiaxing, Ke Zhen'e said to himself, but this life of mine will have been snuffed out by that she-demon. Never again will I hear the call of a new day.

Footsteps interrupted his morbid thoughts. Three people. One light and fleet. Lotus. The other two … their feet thumped heavily and dragged on the ground before each new step. Untrained.

"Here he is. Lift him up. Quickly!"

Lotus was standing right over him as she spoke those words. Then he felt her hand kneading his flesh as movement and control returned to his body—the binds on his pressure points removed. Immediately, he was taken by the shoulders and legs, lifted up and placed on a stretcher. Bamboo, he noted. A little jostling. The heavy-footed men lumbered forward.

What's going on? The question whirled in Ke Zhen'e's mind, but he knew better than to invite another tongue-lashing from the girl. Thwack! The bearer at the front yelped in pain. Did she just cane him?

"What was that mumbling?" Her tone was pure menace. "Faster! I know what you soldiers are like. You fleece the common people. Not a single one of you has a shred of decency." Thwack! The man at the back this time, but he had learned from his comrade's mistake and he swallowed his groan.

Now Ke was beginning to wrap his mind around what was going on. She had captured two soldiers to carry him. Only this little witch could have come up with such a plan. The pain in his leg was getting worse. He could feel the arrowhead scraping and digging in deeper as the men carried him along the increasingly rugged path. He clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth. He would not give her any excuse to turn that barbed tongue of hers on him.

Soon, branches and leaves began to brush against his face and body. They were in a forest now. The men staggered and stumbled their way forward in fear of the cane, wheezing, huffing, out of breath.

Ke Zhen'e reckoned that they must have covered around thirty li and that it must be around midday by now, for his clothes were almost baked dry by the sun after being drenched by the predawn downpour. He could hear the tireless chirping of cicadas and the occasional barking dog. There was also singing, men and women conversing in song across the fields. This pastoral harmony was worlds away from the clash and clamor of the battle on South Lake just hours before.

They stopped, and he was lifted onto a bench. He could hear Lotus asking for two pumpkins and some rice, and then she disappeared for some time. They must have found a farmhouse they could rest in. When she came back, she set a steaming bowl down beside him.

"I'm not hungry," he croaked.

"I know your leg hurts, but I'm not going to help you just yet. I want you to suffer a bit longer."

He grabbed the bowl and splashed its contents at her. Snickers and shrieks. She must have skipped away, only for the scalding congee to catch one of the soldiers instead.

"Stop that racket! Master Ke has gifted you lunch! Lick it up."

Cowed by the girl's cane, the man threw himself down and picked up pumpkin pieces from the ground, stuffing them into his mouth. His face was stinging from the hot liquid, but it had been a day since his last meal.

Ke Zhen'e felt remorse. His rage had ended up hurting and humiliating an innocent man. The arrow was still embedded in his thigh and the wound would need tending soon. He felt around the shaft. He could pluck it out, but what if he could not stem the flow of blood? It went without saying that she would stand by and watch him bleed dry with relish, most likely mocking him as he faded away. As he debated what to do, he heard her say:

"Get me a basin of water. Double quick!"

Smack. The unmistakable sound of a box on the ear. Her orders were always underlined by a physical threat, he noted.

"Take the knife. Cut the fabric around the wound." He sensed the leg of his trousers being sliced open.

"I'll warn you now, old codger, I can't stomach screaming. If you're a proper man, you'll be able to handle this."

Before Ke Zhen'e could retort, a searing pain shot from the wound. She had jammed the bolt deeper into his leg. He threw a punch at her as a second shock of pain rocked him.

"If you move again, I'll cuff you too!"

He knew the she-demon was not making an empty threat. He could not bear to suffer the shame of being slapped at death's door. No, he would not allow himself to be so debased. For now, he would keep his face stony and submit to her—he knew he was no match for her in his current state. He only hoped she would finish him off with one clean blow.

The next thing he heard was the ripping of fabric. Was she making bandages? Confirmation came when a strip of cloth was bound tight around his thigh above the lesion, then another above his knee but below the gash. Very soon, it was no longer warm blood he felt trickling down his skin but something fresh and cooling. She was rinsing the wound.

Ke was perplexed. Why would she do this when she wants me dead? She can't mean well, not where I am concerned, not when she's the spawn of that bastard. How can either of them ever do any good? This must be one of her infernal schemes—she's always plotting.

The Freak tried to persuade himself that she was sowing evil as she applied a curative for blade cuts and bandaged his leg. Before long, the wound had stopped throbbing and much of the pain had eased. His stomach groaned loudly.

"What's that noise coming from your belly? Didn't you say you weren't hungry? Well, there's nothing left now." Pak, pak. "Move!" She rapped the soldiers over the head with the cane and, instantly, he was lifted onto the stretcher and carried off.

THEY TRUNDLED on for another thirty or forty li. Ke Zhen'e reckoned that it must be dusk, for he could hear crows squawking and croaking. But wait … He listened; this was no ordinary murder of crows. He could hear hundreds and thousands of them, flapping their wings, cawing, shrieking. They must be in the vicinity of Iron Spear Temple. Nowhere else near Jiaxing was home to so many of the birds.

The temple had been built to honor General Wang Yanzhang, who lived three hundred years ago, during the Five Dynasties era. Near the main temple complex there was a pagoda, in the roof of which crows had nested for generations. The local people believed these birds were soldiers and generals from the heavens, so their habitat was never disturbed and the colony thrived.

"Hey, you're from this area." Lotus's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Where should we spend the night? It's getting dark."

Ke weighed up their options. The army might still be looking for them and he could not trust the local people not to give them away.

"There's an old temple up ahead," he said.

"Oi, have you never seen a crow before? Move!"

The soldier yowled, but Ke did not hear the swish of the cane. She must have jabbed him with her finger or kicked him with her dainty foot.

They walked on for a little while before stopping. He heard doors being kicked down. A cloud of dust mixed with the stench of bird droppings drifted overhead. The temple must have been abandoned for years. He was waiting for her to give orders to move on and find a less filthy place to stay, but instead she barked at the men to sweep the floor and boil water. While they busied themselves with their tasks, she also bustled around, humming a song about lovebirds taking flight and growing gray before their time.

Soon, Ke Zhen'e was settled on the floor of the temple's main hall, with a prayer mat to use as a pillow. When the soldiers returned with hot water, she first tended to his wound and changed the dressing—to the Freak's great surprise—before turning her attention to herself, washing off the grime from the road.

"Are you looking at me? Do you want me to pluck out your eyes?"

Dok, dok, dok, dok … One of the men was knocking his forehead very loudly on the floor to show his remorse.

"Why do you watch me wash my feet?"

"This lowly man deserves to die," he mumbled through his kowtows, answering honestly. "My lady's feet are as white and beautiful as snow … and the pink toenails … like Guanyin the Observer of Sound…"

Ke Zhen'e was flabbergasted. What a stupid man! Who in his right mind would admit impure thoughts about such a sadistic captor? He wondered what gruesome punishment she would devise for him. Flay him alive? Cut his tendons and leave him to die?

No. She tittered!

"A cretin like you has seen Guanyin's feet?"

The soldier flipped in a somersault and—pang!—crashed to the floor. That was it. She did not take the matter any further. The two men scampered over to the rear part of the temple and were not heard from again.

Lotus paced the room, muttering to herself. "The name of the Iron Spear General intimidated and inspired during his lifetime, and yet, he was still caught and beheaded in the end. Being a hero can't save your life. Being a great man can't stop people mutilating your body. Hmm, this spear looks like it could be cast from iron."

"Of course, it is!" Ke Zhen'e could not stop himself answering her. He had spent many a happy hour with Zhu Cong, Ryder Han, Woodcutter Nan and Zhang Asheng in this temple, decades ago. Back then, he still had his sight. They were all children, but they were strong, and one of their favorite pastimes was to play fight with the spear forged in honor of the deified General.

Lotus pulled the weapon from the rack. "This should work. Feels at least thirty jin," she said aloud to herself, before turning to Ke Zhen'e. "I hurled your staff into South Lake and there isn't time to get a new one made for you. Take this spear. You'll need a weapon to protect yourself when we part ways on the morrow." She went into the courtyard. He sat up and listened. Loud banging, stone on metal. When she came back, she pressed the iron shaft into his hand—she had knocked the spearhead off.

Ke Zhen'e had never been alone. His elder brother Ke Bixie had been there with him all his life, until his untimely death at the hands of Twice Foul Dark Wind. He had also had his six sworn siblings—they had always been by his side … Now he knew they were to part ways, Ke realized he would miss Lotus's company—even though they had spent a mere day together. This feeling of loss baffled him. He took the spear. It was a little heavier than his staff—not that he had a choice right now. Her handing him a weapon, he had to admit, albeit grudgingly, showed that she did not harbor any ill will toward him. Why would anyone arm an enemy?

"This shark gall and notoginseng powder will help the healing of your wound." She reached out, offering him a small envelope. "Papa made this. It's up to you what you want to do with it. I know you hate the two of us."

Ke Zhen'e took the packet and put it in the inside pocket of his shirt. He wanted to say something, but he could not form the words. He secretly hoped that she would keep talking.

"Go to sleep."

Ke lay back obediently, setting the iron spear down next to him. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind, chasing sleep away. He listened to the crows perched atop the pagoda. They had quieted down with the deepening night, and yet Lotus did not fall asleep. It sounded like she was just sitting still, doing nothing.

After some time, she began to mumble to herself.

"For the fourth time the loom is ready,

To weave a pair of lovebirds so they can take flight.

Pity the hair that grows gray before its time!

The ripples of spring among green grass,

The chill of dawn lurking in the deep,

In each other scarlet feather bathe."

She chanted the verse over and over again, savoring the words. Ke was not educated in literary matters and could not understand the poem's meaning, but he was moved by the melancholic note in her voice and was shaken by the depth of her despondency.

At length, she got to her feet and arranged the prayer mats into a makeshift bed. She lay down on her side and soon her breathing slowed. She was deep in slumber.

Ke put his hand on the spear shaft; and childhood memories came flooding back. Zhu Cong clutching a tattered old book, reading out loud and nodding in appreciation. Ryder Han and Gilden Quan climbing onto General Wang's statue, tugging the deity's beard for fun. Teaming up with Woodcutter Nan to play tug-of-war with Zhang Asheng, using this very same iron spear. Jade Han, a small child of four or five, clapping and cheering, the red ribbons on her two pigtails bobbing up and down …

Blackness. Once more, he could see nothing. His sworn siblings, his own brother, all of them taken from him, from this world, by Apothecary Huang and his disciples. The fire of hatred was rekindled in his heart. There was nothing he could do to quench it.

With the iron shaft's support, he limped softly over to stand before Lotus. She was fast asleep, her breathing light and even.

One strike. She won't know what killed her, he said to himself. I will never beat Apothecary Huang one-on-one. This is an opportunity granted by the heavens. This is my one chance to get revenge, so he can taste the pain of losing his own blood! And yet, she saved me. How can I repay the gift of life with death? Yes, that's what I'll do. I'll kill myself afterward, to thank her for today.

His mind made up, he raised the shaft.

I, Ke Zhen'e, have followed the path of righteousness all my life, he silently intoned to the gods above. I have not done a single deed that would be considered shameful to the heavens or the earth in all the decades that I have been alive. Tonight, I shall strike this maiden while she dreams. It is a reproachable act, but, when the deed is done, I shall atone for my trespass with my own death.

5

A gruff cackle rang in the night, jolting Lotus from her sleep. She jumped up to see Ke Zhen'e standing over her and at once understood what he must be contemplating.

"Viper Ouyang," she whispered, recognizing the spine-chilling laugh.

Hearing her scrabbling to her feet, Ke knew he could not follow through and he lowered his weapon, focusing on the noise coming from outside the temple instead. He heard voices, but they were too far away for him to make out what they were saying. Soon, he was able to pick out footsteps … a large group, at least thirty or forty men, some on horseback, heading his way.

"They must have seen the pagoda and decided to take shelter here. We should take cover." He held out his hand, waiting for Lotus to kick the prayer mats into disarray. The last thing they wanted was for the new arrivals to realize someone had been sleeping there. Ke could still see in his mind's eye every nook and cranny of this place, and he was confident he could find somewhere to hide. What about the doorway at the back of the main hall that led to another part of the temple? He tried the doors. They were barred.

"Damn those soldiers," he rasped. They must have bolted them when they scrambled away earlier.

They were trapped in the hall.

The main gate creaked as it was pushed open. Too late to break down the doors now. The Venom would hear them …

"Behind the statue," he whispered.

They were only just in time. The second they crouched down beneath the colossal effigy of General Wang, a dozen men walked into the hall. A scraping sound. The smell of sulfur. A torch had been lit.

"Your Highness, even though we could not claim a victory at the Tower of Mist and Rain, we have crushed our enemy's morale." Viper Ouyang's metallic voice.

"Thanks to the Master's foresight." This was Wanyan Honglie, without a doubt.

The same grating laugh. "It was all thanks to your son the young Prince's clever plan to deploy Jiaxing's army. We would have annihilated the rogues—if it weren't for the fog."

"With Master Ouyang on our side, we shall, for a surety, crush them another day," Yang Kang said. "But it's a shame I arrived too late and missed the chance to witness Master Ouyang in action."

Ke Zhen'e was simmering inside: Yang Kang was still consorting with his father's killer and his country's enemy!

Graybeard Liang, Tiger Peng, Hector Sha and the others took turns to heap praise upon Viper Ouyang, following the young Prince's example, making exaggerated claims for his martial flair and the ignominy to which he had consigned the Quanzhen Taoists.

And yet there was not one mention of Qiu Qianren. Ke Zhen'e surmised that he must be elsewhere. Still, there were enough wulin masters present to make him wary of breathing too freely, lest it expose their hiding place. He was fully aware of the contradiction inherent in the fact that, just moments ago, he was going to kill Lotus and then himself. He thought he had made peace with death, but now he could not stop praying that they would not be discovered and that no harm would come to either of them.

He wanted to live, and wanted her to live too.

A servant came up timidly to the Princes and Viper Ouyang, informing them that their beds were ready.

Once the man had been dismissed, Yang Kang sighed. "Master Ouyang, though my acquaintance with your nephew was short, we shared something of a rapport and I hoped we would become great friends, for he was not only cultivated in the martial arts, he was also learned in all things scholarly. Whenever my mind turns to his memory, such pain and anger grips my heart. I have sworn to slay each and every one of those loathsome Taoists of the Quanzhen Sect with my own hands, to bring peace to the spirit of Brother Ouyang in the heavens, but I am also aware of the limitations of my own power. I might have the heart, but I do not have the skill."

Yang Kang was hoping that Viper Ouyang would dispatch his shifu Qiu Chuji so nobody would question him again over his loyalty to his adopted father. So, at every given opportunity, he had been reinforcing the idea that the murder of Gallant Ouyang in Ox Village was committed by the Quanzhen Sect.

There was a long silence before Viper Ouyang responded, sounding more subdued than usual. "I have always suspected that odious boy Guo Jing of having a hand in my nephew's death. I did not realize it was the evil doing of the Quanzhen Taoists, until you told me about Qiu Chuji earlier. Do not doubt that I will have my revenge. But, for now, I have a proposal for you, young Prince. Since White Camel Mount has lost its heir, I will take you on as a disciple."

"Shifu, please accept your student's kowtows!"

Yang Kang's joyous tone and the audible knocks of his forehead on the floor as he bowed to Viper Ouyang filled Ke Zhen'e with repugnance. Although the young man was descended from a line of patriots and honorable men, he had not only denied his birth father and chosen to side with his country's invaders, he was now happy to call a wicked, unscrupulous man his mentor.

He's on the path of no return, Ke thought, feeling a great contempt for the young man's lack of judgment.

"We have no suitable gifts with which to honor the teacher today, but I shall make sure our respect is shown handsomely in due course," Wanyan Honglie said.

"White Camel Mount has a small store of treasure already," the Venom replied. "I have come to realize how clever this child is and I simply wish to have someone to inherit my martial knowledge."

"I beg your pardon, Master. I spoke out of turn." Wanyan Honglie's painfully polite apology came amid a chorus of congratulations from the rest of the retinue.

"I'M HUNGRY! I want food!"

Wait! Was that the girl from Peach Blossom Island? Ke Zhen'e could not believe his ears. How did she end up here, and in such company?

"It's coming, it's coming," Yang Kang soothed, placating her with good humor. "Quickly, bring something for the lady."

A little while later, Ke was treated to the sound of the Qu girl smacking her lips, devouring whatever she had been given with great relish.

"Nice brother, you said you'll take me home," she slurred, her mouth full. "I'm a good girl and I listen to you. Why am I not home yet?"

"We'll be there tomorrow. Just make sure your tummy is full so you sleep well." Yang Kang was exceedingly patient with her.

She wolfed another helping of food. "What's that swishing noise? It's coming from the big building."

"Birds? Mice?"

"Scary!"

"Nothing to be scared of."

"They're ghosts. I know. I'm scared."

Chuckling, Yang Kang replied, "Look how many of us there are. Ghosts and monsters are too scared to come out."

"I'm scared of the tiny fat ghost."

"Now you're being silly!" His mollifying tone was cracking, and irritation was beginning to show through. "There's no tiny fat anything, here."

"Huh! I know the tiny fat man died in Grandma's tomb. Grandma's ghost will chase him out. She won't let him live with her, so he'll come and haunt you."

"Another word from you and I'll tell your grandpa and he'll drag you back to Peach Blossom Island!"

The threat silenced the girl, but now Ke heard a scuttle of scurrying feet.

"Ow, you stepped on me!" Hector Sha barked. "Stop running around. Sit down!"

Questions and doubts gnawed at Ke Zhen'e. The tiny fat man must be Third Brother, he said to himself. Ryder Han was killed by Apothecary Huang on Peach Blossom Island. Why would his ghost haunt Yang Kang? He knew that the girl did not have all her wits about her, but she must know something to have come to that conclusion. How he wished he could go out and question her, but what could he achieve on his own with so many martial masters about?

Now the last thing Apothecary Huang said to him came to his mind: "How could a man of my status behave like one of your ilk?" He had brushed it off, at the time—he thought the Heretic was simply being his usual condescending self—but it chimed with a different tone now. If he deigned killing me to be beneath him, then why would he lower himself to butcher my little brothers and sister? But, if it wasn't Apothecary Huang, then why did Fourth Brother say he saw him murder Second Brother and Seventh Sister?

As uncertainties continued to chip away at his prior conviction, he realized Lotus had taken his left hand and was tracing a character on his palm, stroke by stroke.

P-L-E-A-S-E

She paused and waited for his reaction before continuing.

DO THIS FOR ME

He took her hand and wrote: YES.

She was scrawling faster now.

TELL PA WHO KILLS ME

Dumbfounded by her request, Ke reached out for her hand to seek clarification, but all he caught was a breeze on his fingertips. She had leaped out from their hiding place.

"Good evening, Uncle Ouyang."

Her unheralded appearance was greeted by cries of "Who goes there?" and "Assassin!" accompanied by the swish and clinks of weapons being unsheathed and the shuffle of footsteps. Ke could tell she was surrounded.

"Papa sent me to wait for Uncle Ouyang here. Why are you all so on edge?" She sounded unfazed. There was even a hint of amusement in her tone.

"How did your father know we'd be here?" Viper sounded tense.

"Papa is an expert in medicine, divination, astrology, physiognomy and many other things. All he needs to do is to consult the heavens using the King Wen's Afore Heavens method."

The Venom chuckled. He did not believe a word of it, but he also knew that the young woman would not tell him the truth, however much he threatened her.

Hector Sha, who had taken several men to check the temple grounds, now returned, having found nothing irregular. They clustered protectively around Wanyan Honglie.

Lotus, meanwhile, had made herself comfortable on one of the prayer mats. "Uncle Ouyang, you've put Papa in a very awkward position," she said, with a wide grin.

A thin smile hovered on Viper's lips. He knew better than to give her a verbal response—he could not outwit her, and anything he said would provide her with more material to tease and taunt him with. He could not allow that to happen in front of this audience.

"Uncle Ouyang, Papa is trapped by the Quanzhen mob on the Little Island of Fleabane and Goosefoot in Xincheng Town. He can't get away without your help."

"Indeed?"

"Yes! A real man owns up to his deeds. It was you who killed the Quanzhen monk Tan Chuduan, but those stinking Taoists won't stop pestering my father about his death. And when you add in the meddling Hoary Urchin and Papa's refusal to explain himself … It's one big mess!"

"Your father's kung fu is unparalleled. Surely those Quanzhen fledglings could not possibly inconvenience him." The Heretic's tribulations were welcome news to the Venom.

"True, but the cow muzzles have the Urchin on their side, so Papa's really struggling. And he also bade me tell you this. He has beening poring over this one text for seven days and seven nights, and he's at last unraveled its meaning."

"What are you talking about?"

"Mahaparas gatekras suryasanyanagha sirahstha hahoramanpayas…"

No one present could understand a single word, including Viper Ouyang, but he knew she had just quoted the first line of the incomprehensible passage at the very end of the second volume of the Nine Yin Manual. He had read those pages over and over again to the point where he almost had them memorized, and yet he could not unlock their meaning at all. Could Apothecary Huang really have worked it out? The thought excited him, but he made sure he did not betray a smidgeon of agitation or curiosity in his reply.

"Is this what little wenches like to joke about, these days? Who can understand such a random collection of characters?"

"Papa has translated it, line by line. It makes perfect sense. I saw it with my own eyes. Why would I jest with you?"

"Well, he deserves my congratulations, then." The Venom tried to sound nonchalant. He would never admit it out loud, but, deep down, he had always admired Apothecary Huang for the breadth of his accomplishments and expertise beyond matters martial. If anyone were to make sense of that passage, it would be him.

Lotus could tell that she would have to work harder to catch him in her snare. "I can still remember a few lines. Would you like to hear them?"

Without waiting for an answer, she began:

"Sometimes the body aflutter stirs; sometimes the body heavy as if weighed down; sometimes the body light as if to take flight; sometimes as if restrained and bound; sometimes in curious cold or harsh heat; sometimes in merriment gambols; sometimes as if touched by matter malevolent, in alarm, the hairs stand on end; sometimes in great joy inebriated. All such many states with the method below can be guided into the mystic marvel."

Lotus had cited a few lines from the passages Reverend Sole Light had deciphered. These states and sensations, strange and indescribably wonderful, were familiar to anyone who had reached the higher levels of internal neigong training. These were moments when a practitioner should proceed with the greatest caution to ensure that heart and spirit were calm and in control, or else one could easily misfire into the demonic way. If there were methods to rein in and tame the heart-fiends she had just cited into the mystic marvel, then they would represent the most precious, treasured wisdom under the heavens.

A master of internal cultivation himself, Viper Ouyang recognized that the author must have achieved and experienced the supreme state to be able to pen such vivid descriptions. There was no doubt about its authenticity—the little girl could not have made it up, and indeed she had not.

"What comes next?" He was eager to hear more.

"Oh, there's a huge chunk I can't remember … but this line sticks in my head:

Each and every pore on the body clear and wide, and with the eye in the heart sees the thirty-six matters inside the body, as if opening up the garner and catching sight of the grains and pulses within, to the heart's wondrous joy, quiet calm and carefree stillness."

Viper regarded Lotus with distrust, trying to guess at her intentions. Why does she tell me about this now? he asked himself. She clearly knows the whole passage from top to bottom, but she chooses to play dumb, giving me the symptoms and the results, and skipping the portion in the middle that explains the process of cultivation.

"Papa also instructed me to ask Uncle Ouyang this: would you prefer the five-thousand-word version or the three-thousand-word one?"

"Do explain."

"If you help Papa, and together you destroy the Quanzhen Sect, then he will share with you the full translation of this mystical method from the Nine Yin Manual."

"And if I don't?"

"Papa entreats you to avenge him. Once you have killed Zhou Botong and the Six Immortals of the Quanzhen Sect, I am to recite the three-thousand-word version for you."

"Your father and I have never been close friends. What makes him think so highly of me?"

"Papa says, firstly, he knows your nephew's murderer was a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, and he believes that you will be keen to take vengeance."

It is well known that I'm Qiu Chuji's disciple … Yang Kang shuddered at the sly, insinuating expression on her face.

"Are you cold?" The Qu girl, sitting next to Yang Kang, noticed his reaction. He mumbled a few words to humor her. He could not let her tongue run wild and draw attention to him.

"Secondly, the fight with the Quanzhen monks started very soon after Papa had finally made sense of the text," Lotus continued, pretending that she had not noticed the exchange between Yang Kang and the girl. "He hasn't even had a chance to explain the details to me and he feels it would be such a shame if this amazing martial formula were to die with him.

"Now, of all the great masters in the world, he considers you a kindred spirit, not just his equal in martial learning, but alike in temperment also. He still remembers the honor you bestowed upon us, coming to Peach Blossom Island personally to ask for my hand for your nephew. It was a great misfortune that he was set upon by a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect, but my papa hopes that you will remember the bond you shared with your nephew and teach me this mystical method, once you have mastered it."

Viper's heart softened at the mention of Gallant Ouyang. She's not lying, he decided. Without the guidance of a master, a little girl like her can't possibly make sense of the method, even if she can quote it back to front. Still, he couldn't let her off the hook just yet …

"How do I know your version is genuine?"

"You've got the text with you, right? Once I explain the cipher, you'll be able to check, and you'll see for yourself."

"We'll rest here for the night. I'll help your father tomorrow."

"There's no time to lose. Tomorrow might be too late."

"Then I'll avenge him—it's all the same to me." Viper smirked. The translation of the Manual's final section was now firmly in his grasp, for it would merely be a matter of time before the girl was compelled to share its key, and, after that, he was confident that he could interpret its content fully. If Apothecary Huang and those Quanzhen Taoists were to hurt each other in the meantime, it would only be to his benefit.

"Will we leave first thing in the morning?"

"Of course. You should get some rest too."

6

Ke Zhen'e had been paying close attention to every word exchanged and yet he could not make sense of how this talk of the Nine Yin Manual related to the grave message Lotus had written in his hand.

TELL PA WHO KILLS ME

What did she mean? The conversation with Viper Ouyang had reached its natural conclusion and what she had foretold had not come to pass. He could hear her dragging a prayer mat to another spot.

"Hey, Grandpa took you to Peach Blossom Island. How come you're here now?" he heard Lotus ask softly.

"I don't like being around Grandpa. I want to go home."

She's moved over to speak to the girl from Peach Blossom Island, Ke said to himself, still unable to fathom why Lotus thought she would be killed.

"So, Brother Yang sailed to the island and took you away on his boat. Is that how you got here? Am I right?"

Ke's ears pricked up. When did Yang Kang visit Peach Blossom Island?

"Yes, he's very nice."

"Where's Grandpa?"

"Don't tell him I ran away. He'll beat me."

"I won't tell—if you're a good girl and answer my questions nicely."

"You mustn't tell Grandpa. He'll drag me back. He'll force me to read."

"I won't, I swear. Grandpa teaches you to read?"

"Yes, he makes me read in the study. He makes me learn Papa's family name. He said it's qu-chirp-chirp, like a cricket, and that's my name too, qu-chirp-chirp. He drew it on the paper and said I must memorize it. He also said Papa's called … some kind of wind. I can never remember what it is. Grandpa got so cross. He shouted at me for being silly. But I am called Silly."

"Grandpa is very bad for shouting at you."

The Qu girl agreed vehemently.

"What happened next?"

"I said, 'I want to go home.' Grandpa shouted some more. Then, a funny man came in. He couldn't speak. He just waved his hands and made this yeeee-yaaa noise. Grandpa said, 'I'm not receiving visitors. Tell them to leave.' He came back with a piece of paper, not long after. Grandpa looked at it, then told me to follow the funny man and welcome our guests." She laughed at the memory. "The tiny fat man was so ugly. I glared at him and he did the same to me."

Her words brought Ke Zhen'e back to that fateful trip. They had heard that the Quanzhen Taoists were on their way to Peach Blossom Island to seek revenge, and took it upon themselves to warn Apothecary Huang. Their plan was to persuade the Heretic to avoid direct confrontation and let them mediate on his behalf. They were pinning their hopes on the friendship between the Six Freaks of the South and the Seven Immortals of the Quanzhen Sect, which went back almost two decades. He recalled that, when they presented themselves on the island, Apothecary Huang refused to grant them an interview, but, once he had read Zhu Cong's letter, explaining the reason for their visit, he sent the girl to receive them. Her trivial little exchange with Third Brother was etched on his mind.

And now he's gone forever … His heart contracted at the thought.

"Did Grandpa meet with them?"

"Grandpa told me to eat with them, then he went off somewhere. I didn't like looking at the tiny fat man, so I went to play on the beach. Grandpa was sitting behind a rock and looking at the sea, so I looked at the sea too. A boat! Coming to us. Grandpa called the people in the boat cow muzzles." She bent over in laughter. "Cow muzzles!"

How come she saw their boat? Fresh questions whirled in Ke Zhen'e's mind. We never saw the Quanzhen monks on the island.

"What did Grandpa do?"

"Grandpa waved at me and told me to come over to him. I was so scared. He caught me playing. He caught me not doing what he told me to. I stayed where I was. I didn't want to be caned. But he swore he wouldn't hit me, and said I should come over so he could talk to me. So I did. He told me he was going on a boat to go fishing in the sea. He had an important task for me. I was to tell the cow muzzles: Grandpa is not at home. He is out at sea. They should turn back. They won't know the way around the island. So, when the cow muzzles arrived, I went up to them: 'Grandpa is not home. Grandpa doesn't like looking at cow muzzles. Ha ha! Cow muzzles. Is that a cow muzzle on your face? I think it looks more like a pig's snout!' They glared at me. So I glared back at their pig snouts. Then they went back to the boat."

"And then what happened?"

"Grandpa went behind the big rock and got on his boat. I know Grandpa didn't want to see them, because the cow muzzles were ugly!"

"Yes! You're right! When did Grandpa come back?"

"Huh? He didn't."

Ke Zhen'e felt his body spasm at that answer.

"Are you sure?" There was a quiver in Lotus's voice too. "What happened next?"

"Grandpa was just about to set sail when two big birds flew in from the sky. Your white birds. Grandpa whistled at them and they came to him. They had something tied to their feet. I liked the look of it, so I shouted, 'Grandpa! Give me! Give me!'" The Qu girl was yelling as loudly as she had on the island.

"Shush! We're trying to sleep!" Yang Kang hissed.

"I want to know what happened next," Lotus whispered.

"I will speak softly," the girl replied under breath. "Grandpa ignored me. He tore off a piece of his robe and tied it to one of the big birds' feet. Then he let them fly away."

"Who fired arrows at the birds?" Lotus whispered back.

Now she understood why her father sent her that cryptic piece of cloth instead of the golden salamanders.

"Arrows? No one." The girl's expression was more blank than usual and she seemed to be far, far away from the present.

"Alright … and then?"

"Grandpa took the robe off and told me to get him a new one. By the time I came back, Grandpa was gone. The cow muzzles' boat was gone too. The only thing left was the torn robe on the ground.

This time, Lotus did not urge the Qu girl to continue. Ke speculated that her mind—like his—was racing through these revelations.

"Where did they go?"

"I could see them in the sea. I shouted for Grandpa, but he didn't answer me. So I climbed up a tree to get a better look. Grandpa's little boat was on this side. The cow muzzles' big boat was on that side." She demonstrated with her hands. "They moved slowly, slowly, slowly, and then I couldn't see them anymore. I didn't want to look at the tiny fat man, so I stayed on the beach, picking pebbles and playing in the sand until evening, when I took Grandpa, here, and nice brother back to the house."

"This Grandpa is not the one who makes you read?"

The Qu girl giggled. "No, this Grandpa doesn't make me read. He gives me cake."

"UNCLE OUYANG, have you got more cake? Give her another piece," Lotus said.

Viper cackled. "Gladly."

Ke Zhen'e was certain that his heart was about to leap out of his mouth. Viper Ouyang was also on the island that day? The Qu girl's screech cut through his shock, and his mind was forced back to the present. He heard a scuffle, more squealing from the Qu girl, and then Lotus asking, in a voice of calm authority, "Are you trying to silence her?"

The Venom's raspy laugh rang out again. "What's the point? She's a silly girl, and I do realize that I can't very well hide what happened from your father, even if I can fool everyone else. If you want to question her, go ahead, get to the bottom of it."

But the girl was groaning and whimpering, making a string of unintelligible sounds. She must have been struck at a point that impeded her speech.

"I don't need to; I've worked it out already. I just wanted it to hear it from her mouth."

"You are indeed your father's daughter," Viper said with a sneer. "Do enlighten me…"

"To begin with, I also thought Papa had killed five of the Freaks, but, once I had a moment to think about it, I knew it couldn't possibly be him. Do you think he'd leave three dead men behind in my mother's tomb? Do you think he'd leave the tomb entrance ajar?"

"Ahhhh." Viper slapped his thigh. "We've been careless indeed, haven't we, Kang?"

Ke Zhen'e thought his heart was about to explode. He had finally unraveled the full meaning behind the words she had written in his hand.

TELL PA WHO KILLS ME

She had known it was Viper Ouyang and Yang Kang who murdered his siblings all along. She went out to confront them—laying down her life to reveal the truth, to prove that her father was innocent. That was why she wrote that message.

Oh, miss, you could have just told me who the murderers were! There was no need to throw your life away like this! But would I have listened to her? No! I've always been rash, always jumping to conclusions. Now I know the Flying Bat isn't just blind in the eyes but in the heart too … I've wronged Apothecary Huang and I've wronged his daughter. I'd have never believed her if she'd told me the truth to my face … Ke Zhen'e, oh, Ke Zhen'e, you're no Suppressor of Evil, you're a Suppressor of Good that deserves to be hacked into a thousand pieces! You're a blind fool and you've condemned a good woman to death!

Wallowing in self-loathing, Ke raised his hand, about to slap some sense into himself, only remembering at the last moment that he was in hiding. Viper Ouyang's grating voice assailed his eardrums once more.

"What made you think of me?" he asked Lotus.

"Not many people in this world have the skill to dispatch a horse with just one palm strike, or to snap a steel pole as thick as a child's arm with their bare hands. But, as I said, I didn't think of you at first. It was when we found Woodcutter Nan that I grew suspicious. Guo Jing asked the poor man who had hurt him, but he couldn't speak. He tried scoring the name of his murderer into the ground, but he expired after scratching three strokes."

"Woodcutter Nan was a tough man to have lasted so long." Viper laughed in cruel appreciation. "He was hiding from us. When we left the tomb, we found we had one body fewer than anticipated. We couldn't leave anyone behind, could we? We looked for him for several days. Luckily, Kang, here, has a map of Peach Blossom Island, with every strange twisting path and every trap and snare clearly marked. We searched the island section by section and eventually we found him."

It was Lotus's turn to be baffled. How did the map fall into Yang Kang's hands? Papa gave it to Gallant Ouyang for one month as a consolation prize when his suit for my hand came to nothing … Yang Kang must have seized it after he stabbed Gallant in Ox Village. That's how they were able to open Mama's tomb. I see how it all happened, now.

"When I saw how Woodcutter Nan died," she said aloud, "I thought he must have been poisoned. The toxin had such strange effects … It was probably the handiwork of Qiu Qianren. That old man's known for his poisonous palms." Lotus said this to rile Viper Ouyang, and to gull him into confessing his crimes. She knew exactly what Qiu's kung fu could do, having suffered at his hands herself.

"Qiu Qianren's martial learning is superb, but the power of his palms comes not from poison. In fact, there's no deadly substance in his touch, though he makes use of toxins in his training. It's a way to cultivate strength—pushing venom out through the palms. Tell me, when Woodcutter Nan died, was he howling, trying to speak, but no words would come? And, rather than groaning in misery, he was smiling, was he not?" The vain man had fallen for her ruse, for Viper Ouyang would never concede that someone else possessed knowledge superior to his, nor let another person take credit for his handiwork.

"Yes, that's right! What poison could have done that?"

"He was twisting and rolling on the ground, and he struck with great strength—greater than he had ever known. Am I right?"

"Indeed! I thought such an unusual poison must surely be the work of Qiu Qianren. Who else under the heavens could have achieved such a thing?"

Lotus was openly baiting Viper Ouyang now, and the martial Master knew it.

"Why do you think I am called the Venom of the West?" he roared, thumping the butt of his Serpent Staff against the floor. "He was bitten on the tongue by one of the snakes in this very staff! That's why you couldn't find a mark on his body. That's why he could not speak."

Hot blood rushed to Ke Zhen'e head. He swayed and almost collapsed. Lotus thought she could hear a faint sound coming from behind the statue and she coughed loudly to drown it out.

"So, that's what happened!" She made a show of finally figuring out the last piece of a fiendish puzzle. "You slaughtered five of the Freaks, but somehow Ke Zhen'e managed to escape. And, since he can't see, he had no way of knowing who had done the foul deed."

At first, Ke Zhen'e wondered why she was stating the obvious, and then it came to him. She's reminding me to stay put, not to do anything rash. There's no point in us both dying, and for no reason, at that!

"You think that blind bat could slip from my clutches?" Viper crowed. "I let him go. Woodcutter Nan saw me in the act. He hid from us, but for how long? We could never let him live, and, if it took a few days to find him, so be it. As for the sightless old fool? We could afford to show some mercy."

"Ah, I understand. You let Master Ke believe that my father murdered his brethren. You wanted him to spread word throughout the jianghu, turning all good men and heroes under the heavens against Papa."

"It wasn't my idea. Kang came up with the plan. Didn't you?"

Yang Kang grunted his assent with reluctance, since it would be a great offense to the bond of shifu and disciple to ignore a direct address.

"What a clever strategy. I am full of admiration," Lotus jeered.

"You haven't explained what made you think it was I?" Viper was itching to find out what clues he had left for her to find, since he thought he had been very careful in planning the perfect crime.

"We fought Qiu Qianren in North Jinghu. He could have made straight for Peach Blossom Island, but could he outstrip our Fergana horse? Not very likely, is it? And then there were the three strokes Woodcutter Nan managed to write on the ground—a horizontal, a short vertical and an enclosing hook. He could have been writing the character dong—east—for Eastern Heretic, but then it could also have been the character xi—west—for Western Venom, couldn't it? I realized that when I was on Peach Blossom Island, but I had yet to comb through all the details."

"I thought we'd been meticulous, but still, so many traces were left … Woodcutter Nan must have sensed something. He tarried and dragged his feet when we entered the tomb. When he saw me set upon Gilden Quan, he ran."

"Master Nan was a man of few words, but he noticed everything." Although Lotus and the Freaks had not got along at first, she had always had genuine respect for those upright heroes, since they were Guo Jing's teachers, and, as such, her seniors too. "I spent a lot of time wondering about the little cross Jade Han wrote on my mother's sarcophagus, trying to work out what the character could be.

"I know the young Prince is still a novice in all things martial, and he doesn't have the skill to have finished off the five Freaks by himself, so I never suspected him." She spoke as if Yang Kang was not there and took no notice of his indignant grunt.

"I was left all alone on Peach Blossom Island and I was in a stupor. I kept dozing and waking, my mind wouldn't stop, but I couldn't think clearly. I dreamed of a great many people. One of them was Sister Mu. I dreamed of her in the Duel for a Maiden. Suddenly, I was wide awake and everything became clear—I knew who the second killer was." For the first time, she acknowledged Yang Kang's presence and looked him in the eye.

Her words and her tone had long since conjured a cold sweat on Yang Kang's back. "Are you saying Mercy Mu spoke to you in a dream?" he said with a sneer, attempting to belittle her.

"Yes, she did," Lotus replied with a straight face. "If it weren't for the dream, I would never have thought of you. Now, tell me, where's your little jade shoe?"

Yang Kang gaped at her before assuming a haughty tone. "How do you know about that? Did Mercy mention it in your dream?"

"For that, I have no need to dream." A triumphant smile. "After you struck Zhu Cong down, you stuffed gems and jewels from the tomb into his robes, so it looked like he'd come to steal my mother's offerings and got himself caught and put to death by my father. I have to admit that it was a very clever plot to frame him. But you forgot one vital detail. Zhu Cong was known as Quick Hands."

"So?" Viper asked.

"Well, you thought you were planting the proof of his greed on him, but you had no idea he'd pilfered the proof of your guilt from you."

"What do you mean?"

"Zhu Cong's kung fu might have seemed insignificant to you." She inclined her head toward Viper Ouyang. "But, with his last breath, he lived up to his name, and picked the young Prince's pocket, clinging tight to his prize. His sleight of hand was so swift that neither of you—to this day—ever realized. If not for this object, I'd never have imagined that a young prince of the Great Jin Empire would deign to grace Peach Blossom Island."

"This is most amusing. So, Zhu Cong spoke to the living from beyond the grave." Viper laughed. "I did indeed underestimate the might of his quick hands. I presume the object he took was this jade shoe?"

"That's right. I know every single offering that was interred with my mother, and I had never before set eyes on the jade shoe clasped so firmly in Zhu Cong's hand as he died. There had to be a reason why it was there. The little shoe has the character bi on the sole and the character zhao carved on the heel. I couldn't make any sense of it—they don't form any comprehensible sequence. But then, that night, when I dreamed of Sister Mu fighting in the marketplace, that's when I saw the characters on a banner flapping by the stage. Bi wu zhao qin. Duel for a Maiden. That was when everything became clear."

"I wouldn't have suspected there was such a romantic story behind this little jade shoe." Viper laughed once more, greatly entertained.

"When Uncle Yang organized the Duel for a Maiden in Zhongdu, our young Prince, here, showed off his skills against Sister Mu, and I was lucky enough to catch the display," Lotus explained. She knew the Venom was not interested in such details, but Ke Zhen'e needed to understand how she worked out who was responsible for the massacre. "The young Prince pulled off Sister Mu's shoe, and that was enough to win the duel. How he treated his prize of the maiden later … Well, that's another story entirely."

And, indeed, much had stemmed from the Duel for a Maiden. The martial Masters in the service of Wanyan Honglie were present at this fight—Graybeard Liang, Hector Sha, Tiger Peng … They had also witnessed the Consort's death and Yang Kang's attitude toward his birth father and the maiden's godfather, Ironheart Yang. Thinking back on all that had occurred since the duel on that snowy, wintry day, just six months or so ago, even these battle-hardened men felt almost wistful.

"Thanks to the duel, everything fell into place. It made sense that, when the young Prince and Sister Mu promised themselves to each other, their love token would be a pair of jade shoes. I expect they each kept one. This one has the characters bi and zhao, and I imagine Sister Mu's has the characters wu for martial and qin for familial. Am I right, Your Highness?"

Lotus waited for a reply, but Yang Kang was not prepared to grant her the satisfaction.

"Now, it really can't be more obvious and straightforward. Ryder Han was taken by the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw. Twice Foul Dark Wind were the only two warriors in this world who knew that kung fu, and they are both gone. It's assumed that their teacher would've been skilled in the technique, but few know that Papa has never practiced a single technique described in the Nine Yin Manual—or that Iron Corpse Cyclone Mei actually took a disciple.

"Jade Han saw with her own eyes the young Prince kill her cousin Ryder Han with the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw. After she put the sword to her throat, she dabbed her fingers in her own blood to write the name of the killer. Alas, life left her before she could set it down. All she bequeathed us was a small cross. A horizontal line intersects with a vertical one. The muddle-headed Guo Jing insisted it was the first two strokes of Huang, but she was actually trying to write down the character of Yang, which begins with the same stroke order…"

Lotus tailed off, subdued by the thought of the irreparable breach between herself and Guo Jing, but Viper Ouyang was in exceedingly good humor, roaring with mirthless laughter.

"I was going to wipe away this little cross, but Kang knew better. 'This could be the first two strokes of the character Huang,' he said. So I let it be. No wonder the Guo boy fought your father with so little thought for his own well-being."

"I cannot deny the ingenuity of your plan, and poor Guo Jing did not have the capacity to discern the truth in his state of extreme grief. You know, I had assumed that you'd coerced the servants into showing you around the island. I'd never have guessed that she was your guide, but seeing her here, I imagine that Your Highness must have promised to bring her back to Ox Village. That's why she likes you and calls you her 'nice brother', obeying your every command.

"Actually, even without her, you'd be able to navigate the island, since you've got the map. I dare say you were hiding near the tomb, and you told her to tell the Freaks that my father would meet them there. With Uncle Ouyang on your side, what chance did they have? It's a perfect plan—like catching turtles in a tank."

Ke Zhen'e was amazed. Her description was so close to what he had experienced, it was as if she had been there with him. How well he remembered being ambushed in the antechamber, and how he had hobbled up the passage from the subterranean room with Woodcutter Nan …

"Uncle Ouyang must have picked up Papa's discarded robe when he disembarked. In the dim light of the tomb, if he donned the garment, he might pass for him, especially when several of the Freaks were already seriously wounded. Woodcutter Nan, being the vigilant one, must have entered the tomb passage last, and when he heard Gilden Quan's steelyard being snapped, he pulled Ke Zhen'e along with him. At the time, he believed it was my papa who had dealt the death blow. But, in fact, Gilden Quan and Zhu Cong were killed by Uncle Ouyang, and the young Prince killed Ryder Han, while Jade Han slit her own throat. You always intended to let Ke Zhen'e live, but not Woodcutter Nan. His escape wasn't part of your plan. He managed to find a secluded spot on the island and cheated death for a few days, but eventually you caught up with him and killed him with your snake.

"After your killing spree in the tomb, you went to Papa's study and turned the place upside down, so it looked like Papa and the Freaks had had a nasty fight. But, Uncle Ouyang, if Papa wanted to do away with them, do you think they could put up enough of a fight to leave the room like that? Don't you think you were trying too hard to cover up your tracks and ended up flaunting your crime instead? I sensed something was wrong the moment I stepped into Papa's study."

"I cannot fault your version of the events," Viper said, impressed by her account. "Though, I must say, it was the Freaks who sealed their own wretched fate. Kang and I didn't know they would be there when we set off for Peach Blossom Island."

"Well, to be honest, I suspected that too."

"I can't hide anything from you, you clever little thing."

"Let me guess—and please don't be offended if I get it wrong. When you first came ashore, you were hoping that the battle between the Quanzhen Immortals and Papa would end in injuries or worse for both parties, so you could rid yourself of both the Quanzhen Sect and Peach Blossom Island in one fell swoop, just like how Bian Zhuangzi slayed the war-wearied tigers.

"But, as it turned out, you arrived too late. The Taoists and Papa had left the island. Then, the young Prince found out from the Qu girl that the Freaks were there, and that was when you hatched your plan, and showed off your cunning, framing my father for the death of five of the Freaks. Once the deed was done, you slaughtered every single servant on the island and disposed of their bodies, so no one could dispute your story. Then you spent a few days hunting down Woodcutter Nan.

"Your hope was that, when word of the atrocity spread, Count Seven Hong and King Duan would have to stand against Papa. The young Prince was worried that, when Papa returned, he would see through your ploy and destroy the incriminating evidence, so, as insurance, you let Ke Zhen'e get off the island alive. He's lost the use of his eyes, but not the use of his tongue, and you wagered that his blindness would prevent him from seeing the truth and that he would make the necessary accusations for you."

Ke Zhen'e had never felt more ashamed or angry at himself. He really had been as blind as a bat!

"I truly am envious of the Old Heretic that he should sire such a daughter," the Venom said admiringly. "You have worked out every twist and turn of the whole sorry business as if you were there. Young lass, I don't enjoy acknowledging this, but you are incredibly bright."