| Fan Fiction |
by Melanie
Guest appearances in this chapter:
Margie Tsang Wah Sin---mother of toddler
Sean Lau Ching Wan---father of toddler
Not paying close attention to her path, Chi Chi collides right into another person running up the stairs. Reeling from the impact, both parties fall backward, landing on the ground in a tangle of arms and legs. Shocked, both women look up at each other, their eyes round with surprise.
Chi Chi bursts out in a surprised, breathless voice. "Sui Han! What are you doing here?"
Sui Han scrambles up and reaches down to assist Chi Chi. "Fourth Young Mistress! What are you doing here? Your parents have been searching for you!"
Both young women stagger to a standing position and regard each other with bewilderment, as they absently dust off their gowns. Suddenly, Chi Chi remembers the Sun Moon Sect members and her dangerous situation. Grasping Sui Han's arm, Chi Chi pulls Sui Han urgently over to a dark corner of the hallway.
Chi Chi peeks furtively out toward the stairs to see if any Sun Moon Sect members have returned. "Shhh! I was captured by the Sun Moon Sect ever since that night when Lam Mansion was attacked. My captors happened to be gone this morning, so I was planning to escape when I bumped into you."
Sui Han lowers her eyes guiltily upon hearing about the Sun Moon Sect. "They didn't harm you, did they, Fourth Young Mistress?" Sui Han scans her eyes over Chi Chi worriedly as she looks for bruises. "Are they close by?"
Chi Chi shakes her head impatiently, whispering frantically. "No, they didn't hurt me. In fact, they basically ignored me throughout the journey. But the two brothers who captured me have powerful kung fu. We have to leave quickly before they return!"
Chi Chi hurries toward the stairs, dragging Sui Han along, not realizing that Sui Han is only following reluctantly.
Sui Han frowns as she allows herself to be pulled down the hallway to the stairs. "What do the Sun Moon Sect members look like?"
Chi Chi looks back at Sui Han, her tone a bit preoccupied. "Well, two of them are brothers. The older brother especially stands out, with his stern, tanned looks. And I guess he COULD be considered handsome, if he would stop glaring at everyone who walks by."
Grumbling a little to herself, Chi Chi tiptoes to the top of the stairs with Sui Han in tow and peaks down into the lobby of the hotel, her eyes scanning for signs of Sun Moon Sect members.
Chi Chi speaks in an excited whisper. "Sui Han! There are no Sun Moon Sect members around! We have to run now before they return!"
Before Chi Chi could leap out, Sui Han pulls Chi Chi back. "Fourth Young Mistress, wait! If these people are as powerful as you say they are, then we should come up with a plan just in case we bump into one of them while trying to escape."
Chi Chi looks thoughtfully at Sui Han, then breaks into a beautiful smile and remarks teasingly. "You're right, Sui Han! Clever, graceful, and beautiful! I always knew Eldest Brother has great taste in women."
Chi Chi, her eyes twinkling mirthfully, winks teasingly at Sui Han. However, as a new thought occurs to her, she frowns worriedly.
Looking uncertainly at Sui Han, Chi Chi frowns. "But uh…I don't have a plan. And we don't have time to wait around thinking up plans, because they could return any minute."
Sui Han smiles winningly. "Don't worry, Fourth Young Mistress. I have a way to elude those Sun Moon Sect members." She pulls Chi Chi toward the room she shares with Lun, speaking as she walks. "Here is what we should do…"
MEANWHILE…
BACK IN THE FOREST AT THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY OF HOI YEUNG
Taking the fight to the ground level, Lun and Fei land in a cloud of dust, swords clanging together in such power that orange-red sparks spew from the metal to metal contact. Bushes rustle nearby as a doe and her baby fawn crash through the shrubbery, escaping from the humans who are disturbing the tranquility of the forest. A majestic, white eagle circles the sky above, it's sharp eyes catching the glint of sword metal before swooping in a graceful arc and disappearing into the clouds, the echoes of its faint cry blending in with the discordant clash of swords.
Thrusting his sword forward, Fei aims the tip toward Lun's throat, intending to kill. In defense, Lun angles his body slightly sideways to evade the approaching weapon and, simultaneously, stops the advancing sword by sandwiching the blade between his index and third fingers. Transferring a burst of inner energy to the tip, Lun snaps the blade in two, the impact of the breakage causing Fei to backflip several times away from the force field.
Lun flings the sword tip away, sending it shooting through the air toward Fei. "Here's your sword tip back. I've won the duel."
Fei adroitly snaps the sword tip between his fingers. "Not so fast. I haven't lost."
Lun slides his sword smoothly into its scabbard and gives Fei an appraising look. "Your sword technique is pretty good. But I don't have time for your games. Go home and come back to Lam Mansion another day if you want a challenge."
Fei extends his arm out to block Lun's exit. "What's the rush, Hero? Are you too tired to continue the fight?"
Lun halts midstride and stares at Fei coldly. "Do you have a problem with me? Do I even know you?"
In response, Fei glares at Lun. "Let's just say that I don't like you. Your voice grates on my nerves. Your face irritates me. Just seeing you around makes me violent."
Lun his mouth twisted in a smirk. "You crazy man. Why am I wasting my time speaking to you?" He gives Fei a condescending look.
Throwing his broken sword away in disgust, Fei rubs his palms together, his eyes focused murderously on Lun. A flicker of flame rises from his clasped hands, enlarging rapidly to become a licking ball of heat.
Lun, eyes narrowed as recognition dawns on him, remarks knowingly. "I've seen this fireball kung fu before." He chuckles mockingly. "So it's you, the coward who had to resort to blinding me that night in the forest near Lam Mansion in order to gain the upper hand."
Fei, his eyes glowing, their ferocious glint mirroring the dangerously licking flames in his hand, twists his mouth angrily. "We'll see who the coward is. You'll be begging for mercy once I am finished with you."
With that said, Fei hurls his fireball straight upward. He then somersaults through the air and kicks the fireball toward Lun. As Lun executes a back flip to avoid the fireball, Fei flies straight toward his enemy, arms outstretched, intending to palm him. Missing its target, the fireball crashes into the grove of trees behind Lun, turning the greenery into a huge bonfire.
Seeing Fei's approach, Lun stabs his sword vertically down into the earth before leaping upward to meet Fei's palms head-on. As their palms meet in mid-air, a resounding clash reverberates throughout the forest. An internal energy field surrounds the two combatants as explosions shatter the silence of the woods. Pigeons scatter in a flurry of wings, and tree leaves quiver before falling to the ground.
Oblivious to their surroundings, Fei and Lun continue their battle of internal energy, their eyes locked on each other, their jaws clenched tightly. For ten intense minutes, a deadly silence descends upon the woodland. Suddenly, several smoke bombs fly toward the two combatants, the hissing of poisonous gas from the bombs echoes loudly throughout the eerie silence of the forest.
Sensing grave danger, Fei and Lun immediately break free of their struggle, each executing a series of backflips away from the collection of bombs lying on the ground. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, both meditate, focusing their inner energy into closing out the sickenly sweet scent of gas encompassing the woodland in a thick hazy mist. But the poisonous gas seems to be too strong to block out, as its cloying fumes curl around Fei and Lun like fingers of death. With beads of perspiration collecting on their foreheads, both spew out a mouthful of dark, red blood.
At that instant, a rain of arrows shoots out from the depths of the trees, heading start toward Fei and Lun…
ONE HUNDRED MILES FROM LAM MANSION
IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY OF LAM ON
IN THE OPEN MEADOWS, NEAR A STREAM
Squinting against the hot, golden rays of sun, Lam Siu Tin tramples through the tall weeds gently undulating in the soft breeze. Holding his hand up to his forehead to block out the bright beams, he scans the wide expanse of field, noting a small stream gurgling behind a collection of medium sized rocks a few feet away. Turning around, he looks back at his wife and his son.
Siu Tin takes a few steps back toward his wife and son. "Sui Yuk, there is a stream up ahead. Why don't we rest there for a few minutes and take a drink of water?"
Yin Yuk, her hands holding onto her son's arm to support him, follows her husband's gaze toward the stream and nods happily. She looks at her son, who appears pale and tired. "Yik Wah, honey, let's get you some water to drink." She peers at Wah with a worried frown, before reaching up and touching his forehead with the back of her hand. "How are you feeling?" She suddenly pulls her hand back in shock. Brother Siu Tin! Come quickly!"
Hearing the urgency in his wife's voice, Siu Tin quickly rushes over, his eyes scanning the distressed look on Yin Yuk's face.
Yin Yuk takes Siu Tin's hand nervously, her eyes brimming with tears. "Brother Siu Tin, Yik Wah is feverish!" She gently cups her palm against her son's cheek, as she glances up at him. Yik Wah, why didn't you tell us something was wrong? We could have stayed for another day at the last inn. You could have gotten some more rest. We could have called for a doctor…”
Wah interrupts his mother's frantic string of sentences. "Mother, I am fine. I just feel a little tired, but that is all." Forcing his pale, dry lips upward, he cracks a brave smile for his mother's benefit. "You and father didn't raise me to be a weakling. I refuse to be thwarted by a little poison."
Stubbornly refusing to be coddled by his mother, Wah gently shrugs away from her hold and walks stiffly toward the bank of the stream, his jaw clenched tightly against the pain coursing through his entire body with each agonizing step.
Looking after her son's painful movements, Yin Yuk makes a move to go after Wah, intending to assist him. However, Siu Tin holds her back, shaking his head slightly as he stares at his son's straight, proud back.
Siu Tin places his hand on Yin Yuk's shoulder, detaining her. "Don't, Sui Yuk."
Yik Yuk opens her mouth to object. "But Brother Siu Tin…"
Siu Tin interrupts her gently. "Let him be. He is a grown man and very proud. We are only making him uncomfortable by hovering over him like a child."
Yin Yuk nods reluctantly, with tears glistening in her eyes. "Yes, you are right. I wasn't thinking clearly. It's just that I hurt so much to see my baby like this…"
Siu Tin gathers Yin Yuk into his arms, tucking her head underneath his chin, his hands soothingly rubbing her back. Looking into his wife's distressed eyes, he sighs, "I know, Sui Yuk, I know. Shhh…"
Tenderly, he brushes aside her bangs and places a soft kiss on her forehead, before gathering her close again. In the distance, he sees Wah gingerly and slowly bends his knees to sit down on the grassy bank, his pale complexion a stark contrast to the deep, royal blue of his gown. Sighing, Siu Tin diverts his attention back to his wife.
Siu Tin takes Yin Yuk by the hand, leading her over to a cluster of large rocks conveniently situated under a willow tree several feet away from the stream. "Sui Yuk, come on. Let's go sit in the shade over there and give Yik Wah some space and time alone."
Reluctantly, Yin Yuk glances worriedly back at her son one more time before docilely allowing Siu Tin to take her to the tree. Gracefully spreading her gown around her as she sits on the rock, she looks up gratefully at her husband, who hands her a container of water.
Yin Yuk smiles wanly at him. "Thank you. I hope we find a cure for Yik Wah's poison soon. I feel that our internal energy is no longer benefiting him as much anymore." She frowns. "I think the poison is getting deeper into his body and doing more damage as time passes."
Siu Tin crouches down to stare Yin Yuk in the eyes. "Listen to me, Sui Yuk. Everything will be fine. I won't let anything happen to my family." He takes her hand into his. "Trust me, all right?"
Yin Yuk covers her other hand on top of Siu Tin's hand and nods at him. "All right."
At that moment, another family of three traveling by stops near Yin Yuk and Siu Tin as they, too, seek some rest and shade from the hot sun. The husband looks adoringly at the toddler in his arms, as his wife coos at her son from the side. Basking in all the attention, the toddler swings his body over toward his mother, squealing happily, reaching his arms out in a demand to be carried. Laughing at her son's cute antics, she transfers him into her arms and jiggles him playfully.
The young woman places a light kiss on her son's soft hair as the toddler plays with the loose thread on the collar of her simple, light green gown. "Hong Yee, are you hungry? Here, do you want a piece of rice cake?"
She waves a small rectangle of soft, rice cake in front of him, and the child excitedly grabs at the delicious treat, greedily stuffing the entire piece into his mouth, grinning at his mother. Laughing softly, she brushes the corners of his mouth with a threadbare handkerchief, while her husband looks on adoringly.
The young man smiles at his son. "Careful, Hong Yee. You might choke on the cake."
Sitting quietly on her rock a few feet away from the lovely, young family, Yin Yuk looks at them, mesmerized, her body held stiffly, a longing expression on her face. Suddenly she jolts out of her reverie as she feels Siu Tin's hand on her shoulder. For one silent moment, Yin Yuk stares into her husband's eyes, as if looking straight into the depths of his soul. A single tear rolls slowly down her cheek, glistening like a jewel against her porcelain complexion.
Siu Tin gently shakes Yin Yuk. "Sui Yuk? Sui Yuk?"
Breaking free from painful memories of old, she leaps up suddenly and rushes into Siu Tin's comforting arms, which close protectively around her.
Yin Yuk sobs softly against the front of his gown. "Brother Siu Tin! I…I…" She sniffs delicately and burrows her face deeper against his chest, shaking slightly from her sobs.
Siu Tin tightens his arms around her. "Shhh… I know what you are thinking about. Just let it go. We cannot change what happened in the past. He is now in a better place, and we must believe that he is happy."
Yin Yuk nods reluctantly against his chest. "I know, I know. But hearing that couple call their baby Hong Yee brings back all those old memories… It has been more than twenty years, and yet there is not one day that I do not miss OUR Hong Yee!"
Siu Tin rubs her hair comfortingly. "Don't, sweetheart. Don't make yourself sick by dragging up old memories. Let it go. We have to be strong for Yik Wah. He needs our internal energy to survive. And don't forget Chi Chi and Suk Yu. We still have to find them, right? And what about Yik Lun? He is on a dangerous mission to steal the antidote for Yik Wah. We have to catch up with him if possible to offer help."
He, too, relives the past in his mind, as he stares off into the distance. Shaking off the terrible memories, Siu Tin blinks rapidly to prevent his tears from falling.
Yin Yuk takes in a shaky breath. "Yes, there is so much we still have to do. I cannot break down at this point. We still have to find the Seer."
She smiles bravely at Siu Tin, who starts to lead her to the edge of the stream to meet up with Wah. As they walk past the young family, Yin Yuk gives them a big smile. She pauses before finally deciding to walk over to them.
Yin Yuk goes up to the young family, smiling at the parents before glancing sweetly at the innocent face of the child. "You have a very lovely son here."
She runs her fingers lightly against the toddler's cherubic cheek, eliciting a delighted gurgle from him. Taking in a deep breath, she looks back at Siu Tin, reaching for his hand for comfort and support.
Yin Yuk tries to keep her voice from choking up with tears again. "It's Hong Yee, right? We have a son by the same name. He used to love sweet rice cake just as much as your Hong Yee does. He would stuff his mouth full of that cake, and his cheeks would puff out like a chipmunk."
The young father laughs amusingly. "Yes, our Hong Yee is quite a handful. It sounds like yours is, too. How old is he?"
The smile on her lips freezes for one split second before Yin Yuk recovers and quickly answers. "Oh, our Hong is grown up now, in his early twenties."
Throwing one last longing look at the child, Yin Yuk nods politely and excuses herself and Siu Tin. As they walk away, the young couple exchange confused looks. The toddler, worn out from the excitement of meeting new people, now lay his head sleepily against his mother's shoulder.
The young woman pats her son's back absentmindedly, as she stares after Yin Yuk and Siu Tin. "They seem like such a nice couple, she so beautiful and he so handsome. But don't you think the lady looks so sad? I have the feeling that their Hong Yee is no longer with them…"
The young man pats his wife's back, as she leans into him, their son cuddled in her arms. Both stare into the distance, watching Siu Tin and Yin Yuk's retreating backs with puzzled expressions…
MEANWHILE…
BACK IN THE FOREST NEAR THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY OF HOI YEUNG
Seeing the approach of hundreds of arrows, Fei and Lun, with blood staining the corners of their mouths, somersault into the air, dodging the projectiles as best as their injuries would allow them. Both execute a series of air-borne flips, knocking several arrows away with their feet.
Listening closely to his surroundings, Lun estimates about thirty men hiding in the surrounding bushes. Grabbing a few of the arrows as they shoot toward him, he throws them forcefully back into the shrubbery. Within seconds, several men dressed in black flip out from their hiding spots, screaming in pain as the arrows burrow into their skin.
Taking Lun's cue, Fei kicks off from a tree trunk and launches himself toward a grove of trees. Within the leafy depths, he grabs out two assassins and flings them ten feet forward, causing them to crash into a trunk.
Immediately, the remaining assassins fly out from their hiding places and charge toward Lun and Fei, who stagger slightly as the inhaled poisonous gas begins to take effect, making their movements slow and their eyesight blurry. Using his fireball kung fu, Fei unleashes a rain of heat and flames toward his enemies, killing several men and severely burning a few.
Meanwhile, Lun sends his sword shooting toward the assassins, fatally slashing several more across their chests. However, as Fei and Lun valiantly fight off the men in black, twenty more flip down from their hiding spots in the thick foliage, flooding the forest with battle cries.
After ten minutes of combat, both Lun and Fei, weakened and groggy from the poisonous fumes, begin to show signs of fatigue. One of the men in black, the only one wearing a red belt around his waist, appears to be the leader of the group. Seeing Lun and Fei disoriented from the effects of the gas, he flies directly toward Fei, intending to deliver a fatal blow to his head. In defense, Fei throws the man he is fighting with forward, using him to block the leader's palms. Undaunted, the leader flings away his dead underling, and flies toward Fei again, who flips forward to meet his palms. A contest of inner strength takes place, while in the background Lun attempts to fend off the rest of the assassins.
Unfortunately, as Fei begins to use his internal energy, the poison starts to circulate faster through his bloodstream, causing pain to tear throughout his body. Weakening, he staggers backward a few steps. The leader, sensing victory, advances and delivers a huge surge of inner energy from his palms into Fei, thus causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
From behind, Lun flies toward the battling duo and hits his palms against Fei's back, combining his internal strength with Fei's. Several more minutes tick by, but Lun and Fei are fighting a losing battle, as the poison circulating through their systems significantly compromises their strengths.
Ruthlessly advancing forward, the leader in black sends Fei and Lun backing up several more steps. Using all their reserve, Fei and Lun, with beads of perspiration collecting on their brows, concentrate on channeling their internal energy into a force field, hoping to use this surge of energy to knock out their opponent. Unfortunately, at that moment, five of the other assassins charge toward them, slashing Lun on the arm and injuring Fei in the ribs.
Vomiting up blood, Lun uses his right arm to ward off the attacks of the other men in black, while keeping his left palm on Fei's back, so as not to disrupt the force field they are generating. But ten more assassins fly toward Lun and Fei, intending to disrupt the transfer of energy and cause them to have fire deviation.
Just when all hope seems to be lost, multiple small pebbles shoot out from the depths of the forest and hit several of the assassins exactly on the forehead, causing immediate death. From a grove of trees, the gentleman from the tea stand flips out and heads toward the trio, who remain locked in a battle for supremacy. The gentleman slaps his palms onto Lun's back, transferring his tremendous internal strength into Lun and Fei. The sudden addition of such power sends the leader in black crashing backward into the bushes. Placing one hand on Fei's arm and the other on Lun's, the gentleman flies off with both of them. While in flight, the gentleman laughs deeply, causing the forest grounds to shudder and ring with explosions. Then in the blink of an eye, the three vanish from sight, leaving the leader and the few remaining assassins to stumble to their feet as they stare in shock…
**********
If you enjoy this story, please also read my other story, Legendary Book of Sun-Moon Swordplay - The Prequel. Thank you.
http://www.winglin.net/fanfic/legendprequel/
3/1/03