“When did you regain awareness, Miss Su?” Hua Qing helped up Su Li since she had no strength in her legs despite her appearing fine on the surface.
Su Li mumbled under her breath, “I actually n-”
“You weren’t out for long, were you?” Ming Feizhen cut in. “She has an antidote for poison on her. She only needs a sniff of the pill when she comes across poison gases to neutralise the poison. Although it wouldn’t be enough to neutralise Tang Clan’s poisons, it’s enough to reduce the effects considerably. Don’t you notice everyone else still out cold? The pill she has on her is worth several thousands of taels, at the very least… You’re pretty rich, huh, lass?”
Indeed, Su Li did feel sick when the poison hit, but she never passed out. In saying that, the poison was only cleared from her system after Ming Feizhen spread the antidote, or she’d still be defenceless.
“You know about this, too? How old are you? Why are you acting like you’re some old sage?”
Hua Qing’s provocation was his means of trying to bait Ming Feizhen into revealing more about himself. Sadly, Ming Feizhen didn’t bite. Instead, Ming Feizhen clocked Hua Qing.
“I started learning boxing at three and swordplay at five, but I was still useless at seven, so my shifu taught me internal strengthening. However, I was born with a discerning eye for treasures. Grandmaster is right: we shouldn’t forget the skills our ancestors pass down.”
Hua Qing: Where’s your gang’s den located? Let me join you guys to make some cash.
Of course, Hua Qing wouldn’t have actually explicated that when he was bleeding from his head.
“Since Lass Su is also a target now, she can’t escape, either. She might as well listen in and save me the trouble of repeating myself.”
Su Li griped, “Where are your manners?! Who are you calling ‘Lass’?”
“Are you telling me you’re a guy?” Ming Feizhen blinked in rapid succession.
“I’m a girl!”
Hua Qing decided to end the argument. “Can we put that aside for now? We can discuss who the lass is after we’re done with figuring out how to survive?”
Ming Feizhen and Su Li. “You must have a death wish.”
Hua Qing: Why are you two coming at me?!
Done eating – presumably – Ming Feizhen kicked the table over, startling the two, then crossed his arms. “You’ve been asking all the questions. Now it’s my turn. Where is Xu Clan’s daughter?”
“I’ve been accompanying her since I found her. I was the one who suggested escorting Miss Su; she is still waiting for me at Yichang.”
Ming Feizhen then turned to Su Li. “And what’s your story?”
Su Li complained, “How old are you to be speaking to me in that tone? You should be addressing me as ‘Miss’.”
“I’d even call you grandma if you wished. I can’t promise the people after you will be as nice as me if we don’t finish our talk tonight, on the other hand.”
Ming Feizhen’s warning led Su Li into imagining the worst scenario.
“… I am from a family in the silk business in Suzhou. After completing a deal I was tasked with handling in Chengdu, I was planning to return home when I received,” Su Li glanced to Hua Qing, “Hua, the rapist’s letter. The letter said… said…”
“Said what?”
Su Li stamped. “I can’t say it!”
Hua Qing deployed a tactical cough. “Kids are better off not knowing.”
Ming Feizhen: “Let me guess: he said he was going to bed you.”
Hua Qing and Su Li: “Don’t ask questions you know the answer to! Also, who taught you that?!”
Ming Feizhen scratched his head. “You need to be taught that now? Doesn’t your shifu usually take you to brothels?”
Hua Qing and Su Li: “?”
Ming Feizhen: “?”
Su Li grabbed her head as if it could alleviate the question that did a number on her sanity. “I found out the letter came from the notorious rapist and murderer later on, prompting me to hurry home. I got to know Young Master Hua on the way home. The rest, you already know.”
“I see.”
Su Li queried, “And you are?”
“Ming Feizhen. I came from Mount Wudang.”
Hua Qing had a strong urge to clap for Su Li because she asked the question he was too afraid to ask, but Ming Feizhen already answered. Judging from his reaction time, his identity wasn’t some important secret. To the contrary, it seemed he wanted someone to ask. Else, he wouldn’t have even mentioned his affiliation.
“You are a disciple of Wudang?’ Su Li’s tone changed subtly. After all, Wudang wasn’t just any other sect.
In the last two decades, Wudang had been at the forefront of squashing evil, correcting morals, punishing people in the martial world extorting people or other criminal conduct. They resolved the challenges of people who couldn’t practice martial arts due to distance, allowing children to learn martial arts. In turn, the imperial court adopted a system that allowed practitioners to enter the imperial court’s employment. As a result, Wudang was on track to becoming the most influential sect in the martial world.
“Ar-are you really from Wudang?” Given Hua Qing’s dream to be a hero, it was no surprise he recognised the sect and was excited to meet someone from there. Anyone who genuinely loved learning martial arts would consider it a must-visit location to train.
Ming Feizhen couldn’t understand why the two were so excited all of a sudden. “No. I just sojourned there.”
Hua Qing and Su Li: “Say so sooner!”
Owing to the misunderstanding, Hua Qing no longer felt that Ming Feizhen was hard to get along with. While Ming Feizhen’s tone wasn’t exactly welcoming, he clearly didn’t harbour ill will. Perhaps Ming Feizhen just didn’t know how to socialise. Rather, mayhap he didn’t know how to socialise with ordinary people.
Hua Qing asked, “How come you came to Three Gorges Dam?”
“I went to see my shifu on Mount Emei.”
“Oh, you’re a disciple of Emei?”
Trivia
Tang Clan – This is a borrowed fictional clan that Gong Baiyu first introduced to the wuxia genre before the genre was banned in Mainland China.
Yichang – You may sometimes see the prefecture-level city in Hubei Romanised as Ichang.
