0 Chapter 5

After travelling for many days, Linghu Chong was finally getting closer to Hengyang City. He decided to take a short rest under a tree and enjoy some wine before heading into the city. He was worried that he might not be able to drink his wine so freely when he gets to his martial uncle's residence. He took a small gulp of wine, “Master should be leaving Mount Hua by now. It won’t be long before I get to see Little Apprentice Sister again,” The moment he thought about his little apprentice sister his heart was filled with joy.

There was a little nun standing at a nearby riverbank washing her hands. All of a sudden, a grey figure somersaulted in the air and landed beside young nun. A man around the age of thirty clad in grey robe stooped down and took a closer look at the little nun.

The little nun was startled and got up quickly. The man in grey thrust his hand out and stabbed her shoulder, sealing her acupoints. “Miss, has anyone told you that you look beautiful? It’s a pity that you become a nun” he gave a sly grin.

The little nun was startled by his words. “What?!! Let me go!” she shouted.

The man in grey shook his head in a quick succession. “I’m going to make you my wife!” he said.

The little nun tried to break away from him but could not move at all. “Stop joking around! Let me go!” she said loudly.

“I’m the Thousand Miles Loner Tian Boguang! Once I’ve decided to do something there isn’t anyone who can change my mind. You’re going to be my bride!” the man in grey asserted.

Linghu Chong crouched in the bush looking at them. “From the looks of her clothing she must be from the Northern Hengshan Sect. This lustful man here seems to have great martial arts skills. It would be unwise for me to go head to head with him. I need to think of another way to deal with him,” he thought to himself.

Just as the man in grey carried the little nun in his arms and turned around, a loud male voice suddenly came from the woods. “Despicable fool! How dare you force yourself on a girl under the broad daylight!” Linghu Chong yelled in a loud and clear voice.

The man grey was startled to hear his voice. He halted his steps and placed the little nun back to the ground. He took a quick look around the area, and yelled back, ““Who is it?! Show yourself if you are a hero!”

“I was never a hero to begin with!” Linghu Chong hummed. “I’m Qingcheng Sect’s Yu Canghai!”

Yu Canghai was the leader of a renowned righteous sect thus his was known by those in the martial arts world. After seeing Yu Canghai’s shameless and evil behavior Linghu Chong decided to use his name to make fun of him and at the same time scare the man in grey away.

The man in grey was startled when he heard the name Yu Canghai. He narrowed his brow and asked suspiciously, “Are you really Yu Canghai?!”

Linghu Chong snickered, “If I lie to you then Yu Canghai is not a human but a big turtle!” After finishing his words, he quickly covered his mouth with his hand to contain his laughter. He paused for moment and then continued, “So you’re the notorious pervert Tian Boguang?!”

“I’m not really that notorious. Forcing a female to have make love with me is just my hobby,” the man in grey giggled.

Linghu Chong took a deep breath and continued, “Though I, Yu Canghai cannot be considered as a hero but I still cannot stand such degrading behavior. I will not turn on a blind eye!”

The man in grey snorted, “Come out if you want to save her! Only a coward would hide and talk big!”

Linghu Chong scratched his head as he tried to figure what to say next. “I’ve an ugly appearance thus I don’t want anyone to see me!” he responded.

The man in grey got tired of conversing with him. “Since you don’t have the guts to show yourself I’m not going to waste any more of my time on a coward!” he lifted the little nun and ran away.

Linghu Chong stepped out of the bush. “Damn! Looks like my trick didn’t work on him! I need to think of another way so save that Junior Martial Sister,” he thought to himself.

There were red lanterns hanging around a village that night. The peasants were hosting a small wedding ceremony. Five peasant girls were happily dancing around a bonfire.

Tian Boguang dressed in a bridegroom clothing ran into a cottage.

Two elderly women inside the cottage were busy helping the little nun to dress up.

“Where is my little wife!” he over to the girl. "Can we consummate our marriage now?"

One of the elderly women got in his way. "The groom needs to wait outside!" she yelled.

Tian Boguang placed his hands at his waist and asked, "Why is that?"

"The husband and wife mustn’t see each other before the ceremony otherwise it’s not auspicious!” she explained.

Tian Boguang made a rude hand gesture. “My foot! You’re lying to me! I’ve consummate marriage many times but never heard of this rule before!” he yelled angrily.

The elderly woman hummed agitatedly and replied, “Has any of your marriage lasted?”

Tian Boguang lowered his head and responded embarrassingly, “No…”

The elderly woman grinned, “That’s because you always meet the bride before marriage. If you want your marriage to last then you better wait outside.” She extended her hands and pushed him to the door.

Just then the other elderly woman let out a loud cry, “Is your bride a fool? How come she is motionless?”

Tian Boguang turned around and smirked at her, “You’re the one who is a fool! I blocked her acupoints. If I don’t do that she will become crazier than the two of you!”

The two elderly women pulled the little nun up and placed her on the bed and covered her face with a red veil. After that, the two of them walked over to Tian Boguang and pushed him out of the cottage. “Go out first! Go! Go! Go!” they yelled together.

Suddenly, a few pieces of tiles fell off from the ceiling. Linghu Chong stopped down, popped his head through a hole and looked at the girl. “Hengshan Sect Junior Martial Sister! I’m Huashan Sect’s Linghu Chong! I’m here to save you,” he then jumped into the cottage.

The little nun heaved a sigh of relief and smiled.

Moments later, Dongfang Bubai dressed in a man clothing walked through the woods and passed by the village. Seeing that the place brightly lighted up with red lanterns and the peasants were in such a joyous mood she decided to find out what was going on. She placed her hands behind her back and walked past the gates.

An elderly man walked up to her. “Hello there! You must be from another province!" he said. "You came at the right time. We are hosting a wedding ceremony. Care to have a few drinks?” he asked.

Dongfang Bubai took a quick glance around the place. “Sure! It’s good to share the joy,” she replied.

“Great!” the elderly man led walked her into the village. “You’re not allowed to drink for free though. You need to post a question to the groom and if he is able to answer it, only then will he be allowed to enter the bridal chamber. If he fails to answer it he’ll have to continue drinking here.”

They walked over to Tian Boguang's table. He was busy talking to an elderly lady.

The elderly man pointed at Tian Boguang. “He’s the groom,” he said. He then looked at Tian Boguang and introduced Dongfang Bubai to him. “We’ve a guest from afar,” he said.

Dongfang Bubai pulled a stool out and took a seat. “Okay. I’m going to ask you a question. If you can answer it then you can enter the bridal room.,” she said.

Tian Boguang nodded and said, “Go ahead!”

Dongfang Bubai paused for a moment and then said, "In spring one sleeps a sleep that knows no dawn. What comes next?”

Tian Boguang blinked his eyes nervously. He was dumbfounded by Dongfang Bubai's question. He scratched his head and tried to come up with an answer.

Dongfang Bubai could tell that he wasn't well versed with literature. She folded her arms and grinned.

Tian Boguang embarrassingly said, “I’m an illiterate and I don't know how to make poems…” He gave up and rose from his seat, “I'm not playing this! I’m going to consummate!”

The elderly man and elderly lady quickly got in his way. “You can’t enter the bridal chamber until you until you can answer the poem!” the elderly man said.

The elderly lady nodded, "You can't consummate just like that." She looked at the people sitting in the back. "Do you all agree with me?" she asked loudly.

"That's right!" the people shouted simultaneously.

Tian Boguang made a hand gesture angrily, “Shut up! Let me think!” He pondered for a bit, and said, "In spring one sleeps a sleep that knows no dawn...The pleasure of consummating has no limits!" He jumped for joy, "This is good!"

Dongfang Bubai just laughed softly.

"Am I right? Am I right?" Tian Boguang looked at her.

The elderly couple turned their heads to look at her as well. "Is he right?"

Dongfang Bubai replied, "Every minute of the wedding night is precious therefore whatever said will be right."

"Yay! I got it right!" Tian Boguang was very proud of himself. "I'm going to consummate now! You all can continue drinking!" he turned around and ran to the cottage.

The elderly man filled a bowl with wine and placed it in front of Dongfang Bubai. "Sir, enjoy your drink," he said.

Dongfang Bubai replied with a smile. It was her first time attending a wedding ceremony in a village. Seeing that the groom was such a funny man she couldn't help but smile. It was certainly an interesting experience for her.

Tian Boguang pushed the door open and walked into the room hastily. “Little wife! I 'm here!” he yelled. He stood walked over the bride who was seated in the bed and laughingly said, "You must have been waiting impatiently. Tonight I'll let make you real happy."

The bride wiggled the hips indicating that she was feeling shy.

"Oh you don't have to be shy...don't be afraid. I'll treat you well," he reached for the veil and pulled off from the bride's head.

The bride was actually Linghu Chong in disguise. He unsealed the girl's acupoints and set her free while Tian Boguang was busy socializing with the people outside,

"Do I look good?" Linghu Chong said in a feminine voice and made an air kiss gesture.

Tian Boguang took a step back and looked at Linghu Chong in shock. "What the?! Where did this ugly freak come from?!" he yelled angrily. "Stinky kid! where's the little girl?! Where are you keeping my little wife?!"

Linghu Chong smirked, "Your grandpa here is your little wife!" He reached for his sword tucked under the pillow and started attacking Tian Boguang aggressively. Tian Boguang swayed his body to the left and right dodging the attacks. He then reached for the short saber tucked in his boot and retaliated. The two of them started exchanging intense stances.

As the battle went on Tian Boguang's attacks became faster and faster. Linghu Chong was struggling to keep up with the pace. Tian Boguang knocked Linghu Chong's sword out with his short saber and instantaneously slashed his's arm. Linghu Chong took eight steps back as blood gushed out out his arm. Tian Boguang charged forward and kicked him in the chest. Linghu Chong crashed into the wooden wall and flew out of the cottage before he fell on the ground.

As Dongfang Bubai was enjoying her wine, she heard the loud crashing noise. She placed the bowl on the table and turned her head towards the direction of the noise.

Seeing that there was fight going on the peasants quickly rose from their seats and started to run in panic.

Dongfang Bubai noticed that the person lying on the floor was in fact Linghu Chong. From the last encounter outside the brothel she could tell that Linghu Chong was a chivalrous man, meaning that Tian Boguang was the villain. She stared coldly at Tian Boguang.

Tian Boguang stomped his foot and said, "Stinky kid! How dare you spoil my wedding! Why are you so annoying! Did you really think that she can escape? Don't you know am I? I'm the Ten Thousand Miles Loner, Tian Boguang!" He paused for a moment and continued, "When I want a woman, even if she goes to the end of the earth I'll still be able to track her down!

"Hey!" Linghu Chong got up and walked towards Tian Boguang. "Looks like I've finally found a companion. You know what? You are just like me. When I, Linghu Chong want to rescue someone even if she goes to the end of the earth I'll still be able to rescue her."

Dongfang Bubai remained in her seat as she continued listening to their conversation.

Tiang Boguang smirked, "We'll have to see about that then!" He turned to the left and walked away.

"Hold it!" Linghu Chong quickly jumped over a table and swung his sword at Tian Boguang's face.

Tian Boguang blocked the attack with his short saber. He subsequently slashed Linghu Chong across the abdomen with his short saber and kicked him in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

Dongfang Bubai continued to watch them from her seat. From their exchange of words she could tell that Linghu Chong was trying to save a girl again. Unfortunately, this time the opponent had much better martial arts skills.

Just as Tian Boguang turned around to leave the village. he heard some noise coming from behind. He looked back and saw Linghu Chong slowly propping himself up from a table.

Dongfang Bubai maintained her cold and indifferent look she watched them, with no intention of reaching out to help Linghu Chong. She could tell that Linghu Chong was determined to stop Tian Boguang even if he gets killed.

"Wow...you're so badly injured but yet you can still get up?" Tian Boguang looked at him with amazement.

"Look at how bad have you injured me...?" Linghu Chong reached for a pot of wine. He took a gulp of wine, then threw the pot to the floor and subsequently threw the table toward Tian Boguang.

Tian Boguang swung his short saber at the table and tore it apart.

Linghu Chong darted towards Tian Boguang, grabbed him by the waist and tried to hold him still.

Tian Boguang raised his short saber to make another attack but stopped at the last moment. He had no intention of killing Linghu Chong at all. He shrugged and used his elbow to hit Linghu Chong's back instead. Each time Linghu Chong got knocked down to the ground he would get up and go after Tian Boguang again. This went on for quite a while.

Dongfang Bubai on the other hand reached for a bowl and slowly sipped a mouthful of wine as she continued to watch them from her seat.

Tian Boguang was getting irritated. He grabbed Linghu Chong from behind and slammed him on to a table, breaking it into pieces. "Annoying kid!" he snorted.

Linghu Chong once again pulled himself up from the ground. His injuries got worst but he wasn't going to let Tian Boguang leave.

Tian Boguang stepped forward and sighed, "You'll die if you keep getting in my way!"

Linghu Chong grinned, "I'd rather die than to leave someone in the lurch."

Tian Boguang clenched his teeth and stomped the ground. "Fine! It was my fault! My fault! I've wronged you!" he yelled in anger. "I won't fight you anymore! You have my respect!" He walked to Linghu Chong and patted his shoulder. "You're a true hero. Please take care!"

Linghu Chong lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Tian Boguang stared at Linghu Chong with his eyes wide open. Seeing that Linghu Chong would not survive much longer he waved at Linghu Chong and walked away with a sigh.

Dongfang Bubai finally rose from her seat and walked towards Linghu Chong. "Hey! Was that girl you saved a family member or friend of yours?" she asked curiously.

Linghu Chong looked at her and said, "Who says that she is family or friend?"

Dongfang Bubai replied, "Than she is must be your lover."

Linghu Chong pressed his hand on his back, enduring the pain and said, "She is Hengshan Sect’s young disciple. I just don’t want to see her lose her purity."

Dongfang Bubai folded her arms and commented, "She's only a stranger but yet you were willing to sacrifice your life to save her. I must say that you're very silly."

Linghu Chong slowly lifted up his head to take a closer look at Dongfang Bubai and noticed that she looked familiar. "Hey! Where have I met you before?" he asked curiously. He paused a moment and then said, "Oh wait! You're the girl from the entertainment house!"

Dongfang Bubai looked away as she replied, "Did all those beatings made you lose your mind? I'm a man! You can't even tell the difference between a man and a woman anymore?"

Linghu Chong was in so much pain that he only nodded.

"You're badly injured. I'll bring you to get some medical treatment. Let's go!" Dongfang Bubai helped him up from the ground, carried him on her back and walked away. Since he tried to save her the last time she decided to return him a favor.

"Am I heavy?" Linghu Chong suddenly asked.

"Not really," Dongfang Bubai replied.

The physician placed Linghu Chong's hand on a table to examine his wounds.

“How are his wounds? Is it serious?" Dongfang Bubai asked

"The cut wounds are quiet deep, it must be stitched up. I just hope that this little brother can handle the stitch pain,” he explained

Dongfang Bubai turned her head to look at Linghu Chong, unsure whether he would be able to endure the pain that he needed to go through.


“What’s a little pain to a man? Go ahead doctor!” Linghu Chong responded.


The physician reached for his tools and started stitching up the cut wound on Linghu Chong's arm.


Linghu Chong shut his eyes, clenched his teeth and groaned in pain.

Seeing that Linghu Chong was in so much pain Dongfang Bubai cast a fierce glare at physician. “Can you be gentler? Can't you see that he's in pain?” she asked angrily.


The physician sighed, “There’s nothing much that I can do. Stitching up a wound is normally very painful.”

Dongfang Bubai snorted, “You’re the one incapable but yet you have so much excuse. If you’re competent don’t say stitching, even if it’s cutting and cleaning up intestines or changing eyes, the patient won’t feel a tingle.”

The physician replied, “That would be the reincarnation of the famous physician in the Han Dynasty, Hua Tuo. Only his anesthetic powder would be able to ease all pain. An old doctor like me cannot be compared with the legendary doctor. Old man doubt there is any doctor with such skills either.”

Dongfang Bubai stared at him viciously. “You’re just like a frog in a well!” Seeing that Linghu Chong was still in much pain, she grabbed the physician by the wrist and twisted his arm. “If you won’t be gentler I’ll cut a hole in your body and let you stitched it up by yourself. Let’s see if you will be as rough.”

The physician started yelling in pain. “Mister please be merciful! I’ll be gentler…”

Linghu Chong turned his head to look at Dongfang Bubai and pat her arm, “Brother, it’s okay. Let him carry on.”

Dongfang Bubai let go of the physician and turned away. She was still mad at the physician's incompetence. If it wasn't for Linghu Chong who asked her for mercy she would have taught him a lesson.

"Doctor, just do it however you want but you've to be quick. The longer you take the more painful it is!" Linghu Chong explained.

The physician nodded, "Got it!" He continued stitching up Linghu Chong's wounds.

Dongfang Bubai felt uneasy as she watched the blood spew out from Linghu Chong's hand. This was not her first time seeing someone bleed, but seeing Linghu Chong under such condition just made her tense.

Linghu Chong could barely withstand the pain any longer. Since it was going to take the physician some time to finish with his work he decided to think of something that could ease his pain. He looked at Dongfang Bubai and asked, "Brother, do you know how...to tell jokes?”
Dongfang Bubai looked at him confusingly, "What?"

"Telling me a joke can divert my attention..." he gasped.

"I don't know how to tell jokes," Dongfang Bubai replied.

Linghu Chong clenched his teeth in pain and then said, "Can you sing?"

Dongfang Bubai knitted her brows and responded, "I'll sing you a nursery rhyme then. I heard this from my mother when I was a kid so I might not remember the lyrics too well. You better not laugh at me." She took a deep breath and started singing. Her voice was the perfect combination of richness, intensity, and brilliance.

Linghu Chong turned his head to look at her. He was surprised at how pleasant her voice was to listen to.

Dongfang Bubai looked away as she sang, she felt shy. It was her first time having such an odd feeling.

Later, Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bubai exited the medical center and walked along the street.

“Are you feeling better now?” Dongfang Bubai asked.

Linghu Chong looked at her and said, “Yes. I’m feeling much better now. I almost forgot to thank the two of you for helping me out. By the way, I’m Huashan Sect's Linghu Chong. May I ask you your name and which sect do you belong to?”

Dongfang Bubai replied, “My surname is Dong and given name is Bo Fang. I’m not affiliated with any sect, just a wanderer in the martial arts world.”

Linghu Chong halted his steps and continued, “That’s not possible. Judging from your dressing and mannerism you don’t look like a wanderer at all.”

Dongfang Bubai looked at the ground uttered, “I…”

Linghu Chong turned away before she could even finish her words and said, “Forget it. One doesn’t reveal his true identity easily. We are just acquaintances therefore you don’t need to explain everything to me.”

He then turned towards Dongfang Bubai and reached out for her shoulder. “Brother Dong, anyways it’s truly an honor to…”

Dongfang Bubai quickly shrugged his hand off her shoulder, aggravating his hand injury.

Linghu Chong held his arm in pain.

“What’s wrong? It’s hurting again?” Dongfang Bubai asked.

Linghu Chong clenched his teeth and nodded his head.

Dongfang Bubai raised her eyebrow, “What should we do then?”

"You sang very well back there. Why don't you sing to me again?" Linghu Chong replied with a smile.

Dongfang Bubai looked away and felt shy. Thinking that Linghu Chong was teasing her she took a deep breath and shot her left hand out at Linghu Chong, pushing him to the ground. "You just like to talk nonsense," she said.

Linghu Chong lied on the ground, yelling in pain.

"Stop pretending!" Dongfang Bubai looked at him and said.

"What do you mean by pretending? Why did you use so much strength?" Linghu Chong complained.
Dongfang Bubai walked towards Linghu Chong and helped him up from the ground.

Linghu Chong snorted, "My hand is getting better but that blow from you could have caused me to suffer a serious internal injury!"

Dongfang Bubai's face became tense. Since she had profound inner strength she was really worried that she might have accidentally injured him internally. "What should we do then? How about I get that same physician to take look?" she asked.

Linghu Chong interrupted, "It's not necessary find that physician again! You almost scared him to death just now!"

Dongfang Bubai opened her eyes wide and looked at Linghu Chong. She was still worried that she had injured him internally.

A thought suddenly came into Linghu Chong’s mind. “I know of a place that can treat my wound! Do you want to go with me?” he said with a smile.

Dongfang Bubai was relieved to see him smile again. She returned a smile and said, “Sure!”


Later, Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bubai walked along the street until they arrived at a wine store. Linghu Chong pointed at the store indicating to her that this was the place. He started knocking the door, “Boss! I want to buy wine!”

Dongfang Bubai folded her arms and grinned. “I thought that it’s some panacea that you were looking for. Looks like it’s just wine. Brilliant! Wine can drown one’s sorrow. Getting drunk makes one forget pain. Unfortunately this wine store is already closed. I doubt you can get your wine tonight.”

Linghu Chong smirked, "It's no fun to buy wine with money. I, Linghu Chong have very little pocket money since I was a kid. If I needed money to buy wine then I would have been drooled for years.

Dongfang Bubai pondered for a moment, “Don’t tell me you want to rob the store?”

Linghu Chong shook his head disgustingly. “Only the devil cult would rob. I've an art called the Linghu Drinking Method. The philosophy in it is very profound.” He paused for a moment and walked toward Dongfang Bubai, "But you'll have to help me get to the roof. I'm unable to get up there myself due to my injuries."

Dongfang Bubai looked up to the roof trying to figure out what Linghu Chong's plan was.

Linghu Chong impatiently slapped Dongfang Bubai's shoulder, "Hurry up! Let's go!"

Dongfang Bubai turned her head and looked at him annoyingly. She placed her right hand around his waist and fly up to the roof.

Linghu Chong slowly pulled up a piece of tile from the roof and took a peep into the store and smiled.

Dongfang Bubai laughingly said, "I thought it was some kind of gentlemanly method that you were going to use. So it's not robbing but stealing instead."

Linghu Chong replied, "What is so meaningful about stealing? Watch me!" He hurled a coin at a paper lid covering a pot of wine, making a hole in it. He then reached for a bamboo straw behind him, sliding it through the hole, into the torn paper lid and started drinking some wine from the straw. "Great wine!" he cheerfully said.

Dongfang Bubai gave a soft laughter, "This straw is so long. Unless you use your inner energy there's no way that you can drink the wine from it."

Linghu Chong exclaimed in amazement, "Brother Dong you're so knowledgeable! My master forces me to train my energy cultivation all the time. He said something like gather the inner energy in the lower abdomen, and let your energy travel up slowly. Initially I found it irritating. But later on I used this energy cultivation method to drink wine instead. I soon realized that our sect's energy cultivation method is the best!" He handed the straw to Dongfang Bubai. "Brother Dong, have some wine!"

Dongfang Bubai held the straw and took a sip of wine. She smilingly said, "Great wine!"

Linghu Chong chuckled, "The wine is great isn't it? Drinking wine this way is better than drinking at any stall."

Just then, there was a voice coming from below. An old man was leading two other young men to the store.

Seeing that they were probably the workers Linghu Chong quickly pulled the straw out of the hole so that they wouldn't see it.

The old man pushed the door open and walked into the store. "I want you two to add some water in every pot of wine," he said.

The two young men nodded, "Yes." They placed a pale of water on the floor and started peeling off the lids covering the pots.

"Remember not to add too much water! People will notice the difference if you add in too much water!" the old man continued.

Dongfang Bubai propped her head on her hand, "These pots of wine are already mixed with water. We should leave now."

Linghu Chong frowned, "No way! It's such a waste to add water in to such good wine." Suddenly, he thought of an idea. He took out another coin and threw it at one of the young man's hand.

The young man felt pain on his hand and dropped a ladle to the floor.

The old man was shocked. He looked around the store, "Who is it?!"

Linghu Chong smiled and spoke in a rough voice, "Old man is the legendary wine inventor, Master Du Kang! How dare you mix water into my wine! That's just too much!"

The three people inside the store started to panic. They tried locate the position of the voice but failed.

"Now listen! If you date take another step forward I'll start making holes on your bodies instead of the pots! Do you hear me?!" Linghu Chong yelled.

The old man made a hand gesture, "Let's get out of here!" He then ran out of the store with the two young men following him from behind.

Linghu Chong grinned at Dongfang Bubai, "See? I just did another good deed. Our pot of wine won't be going to waste anymore."

Dongfang Bubai smirked, "Now that I've seen your Linghu Drinking Method it's time for you to see my drinking method instead." She pointed her finger downward, aiming at the pot of wine that Linghu Chong opened earlier. The tip of her finger discharged a burst of energy into the pot, instantly pulling a surge of wine out through the small hole on the roof.

Linghu Chong looked at her with his jaw dropped. "Wow!" he reached for a flask tied to his waist and used it to catch the drops of wine falling from the air.

"Here's a pot of wine for you and a toast from me," Dongfang Bubai smiled.

Linghu Chong was truly amazed with Dongfang Bubai's astonishing ability. "Brother Dong, your drinking method is far greater than mine!" he asserted. He placed the flask at his lips and took in one gulp. "Great wine indeed! Here's some for you!" he handed the flask to her.

Right at that moment, the old man and his henchmen exited the store. His henchmen were armed with a bow and arrow. The old man looked up at the roof and yelled, "I was wondering if the god of wine truly existed! Looks like it's just two little thieves!" He looked at the two henchmen, and said, "Shoot them with your arrows!"

The two henchmen raised their bows and instantly shot their arrows at Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bubai,

Dongfang Bubai stretched her hand out and caught the two arrows in the blink of an eye. She clenched the arrows and stared at them viciously.

Linghu Chong could tell that she was going to teach them a lesson. He quickly grabbed her hand and said, "Brother Dong, we've had our drinks. Let's just ignore them and leave them alone."

Dongfang Bubai decided to listen to him. She threw the arrows away, grabbed Linghu Chong's arm and flew off into the air.

The old man and his henchmen looked gasped in astonishment as they watched Dongfang Bubai and Linghu Chong disappear into the air.

The two of them gently glided in the air. Linghu Chong was enjoying the breeze while looking at the city below them. His face was filled happiness. He winked at Dongfang Bubai with a smile on his face

Dongfang Bubai returned the smile. From their outing tonight she could tell that he’s an easy going guy who gets contented very easily. It was also a moment of happiness for her. It has been years since she smiled so much. She was actually enjoying Linghu Chong's company.

After finishing their city by night flight, they arrived at a large grassland. Linghu Chong held Dongfang Bubai's hand as he ran along grass lane. They were just like lovebirds.

Linghu Chong finally let go of her hand and lied down on the grass, feeling tired.

Dongfang Bubai sat down beside him, "Never expected Mount Hua Sect's head apprentice, Linghu Chong to run like a coward because of some store workers. If your master finds out about this he would definitely lose face."

Linghu Chong lifted up his head to look at her, "Please don't scare me. If master finds out that I stole wine I would just get some beatings from him. But if he finds out that I fought with someone who doesn't know martial arts then I'll be in big trouble. He would send me to the Repentance Cliff to repent."

"Repentance Cliff?" Dongfang Bubai murmured.

Linghu Chong sat up and said, "That's right! Repentance Cliff is a cliff behind Mount Hua. It's been said that our ancestors who did wrong would be sent to the Repentance Cliff to repent. That's why it's called Repentance Cliff."

"Oh! I heard that some eighty years ago Divine Sun Moon Cult's ten elders attacked Mount Hua and had a great battle with the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance near the Repentance Cliff," she commented.

Linghu Chong gave her a weird look, “Was there such a thing? Why have I not heard about this before?”

“This happened about eighty years ago. Even your master wasn't born yet. How could you have heard of it?" Dongfang Bubai replied.

Linghu Chong smirked, "You aren't that old either. How is that you've heard about it?"

Dongfang Bubai stared at him and said, "If you continue talking rubbish I'll stop here!"

Linghu Chong made a gesture of apology, "Alright...I'll stop talking rubbish then. So who won at the end? It must have been the orthodox sect who won and the unorthodox sect who lost, right?" Linghu Chong exclaimed.

"It was the opposite. Divine Sun Moon Cult elders came prepared. The Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance was no match against them. As a result many of them died in that battle. Even the remarkable sword moves from the respective sects vanished after that battle," Dongfang Bubai said.

Linghu Chong knitted his brow, "Was the devil cult that powerful? Let me guess! The devil cult must have used treacherous methods to win," Linghu Chong commented.

Dongfang Bubai gave him a cold stare, "Treacherous methods?" She paused for a moment, got up from the grass and took a step forward. "Did you really think that the Divine Sun Moon Cult is the only one who uses treacherous methods? Don't tell me that the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance would never use treacherous methods.” She paused for a moment and then said, “Although the Divine Sun Moon Cult elders won that battle but somehow they weren’t able to leave Mount Hua. They vanished from the pugilistic world completely."

Linghu Chong paused for a moment before continuing, “What happened next?”

Dongfang Bubai placed her hands behind her back, "There was no next. This became a mystery of the pugilistic world."

Linghu Chong laughingly said, "Mystery?! You made it sound so strange." He paused for a moment and slapped Dongfang Bubai's arm. "Brother Dong, did you just make this up?" he smirked.

Dongfang Bubai looked at her arm then looked at Linghu Chong. She was annoyed at Linghu Chong for being so impolite to her. She had completely forgotten that she was disguising as a man and that it was normal for men to hit each other when they are interacting. She looked away and said, "You only believe the good defeating the evil but you will never believe the evil defeating the good. It was a senior who told me about it. Believe it or not its up to you!"

Linghu Chong stood in front of Dongfang Bubai and looked at her as he rubbed his chin. "Brother Dong, I find you to be very interesting..."

Dongfang Bubai did not respond to his words. She gave him a cold glare, thinking that he was up to something funny again.

Linghu Chong stepped away and said, "Alright! Let's not discuss about the good and evil anymore. I still have half a pot of wine here. Do you dare to drinks with me?" He sat on the grass and reached for the wine flask.

Dongfang Bubai smiled as she sat down beside him. She had already accepted him as a friend. Since they were from the opposite sides of the martial arts fraternity she decided not to discuss about good and evil any further as it will affect their friendship.

After taking one gulp of wine Linghu Chong handed the wine flask to her.

Dongfang Bubai reached for the wine flask with a smile on her face. She took in one gulp and returned it back to him.

"Alright Brother Dong! Now that you've had your drink, if my master really does send me to the Repentance Cliff because of this pot of wine you'll have to come and accompany me!" Linghu Chong said.

Dongfang Bubai turned her head to look at him, "You want me to repent me you?"

Linghu Chong sighed, "There's no fun repenting with another man. I'm hoping that you'll bring me some fat chicken and good wine. Get it?"

Dongfang Bubai grinned, "Sure! If you do get punish I'll definitely go and visit you. But I'll only go after I've had the fat chicken and good wine."

Linghu Chong moaned, "In that case, I'll have to cherish this pot of wine here, in case I don't get to drink anymore." After finishing his sentence, he laughed aloud. He just enjoy being playful. It was one of his strengths but his master and mistress saw it as his weakness.

He took in a bigger gulp of wine while looking at the bright full moon above him. He hummed and said, "A bright moon in the sky. If only I have a sword with me right now."

Dongfang Bubai just smiled. She was waiting to see what funny thoughts he had in mind this time.

"Wouldn't it be nice to perform swordplay while drinking our wine?" Linghu Chong uttered.

Dongfang Bubai gazed at him, "Drinking and perform swordplay? I've to say that you're quite sophisticated. Let me do it!" After finishing her sentence, she stretched her hand out and pulled away the hairband tied to Linghu Chong's hair, performing a slow graceful sword moves with the long hairband in her hand.

Linghu Chong took another gulp of wine as he watched her perform. Each and every move was exquisite. "Great sword move!" he cheered.

As she whirled across the grass performing another move, the hairband tied to her hair suddenly snapped. Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders. She was so engrossed with her performance that she completely ignored it. Her hair swayed softly with the wind, with a smile on her face as she continued her performance.

Linghu Chong's eyes became still. With Dongfang Bubai's hair over her shoulder and her facial features, the image of the girl whom he met at the brothel flashed through his mind. He thought that they looked very much alike. He knitted his brow mulling over it.

Dongfang Bubai ended her performance by spinning in a circle, thrusting her hand outward, and uttering a verse smilingly, "The trace of a drifting life gloats at the shining moon. The countless woes once dissipated will be as light as a sword."

Linghu Chong gave her a weird look without saying a word.

Seeing the weird expression on Linghu Chong's face Dongfang Bubai bend her head to left and asked, "Is there something on my face? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Linghu Chong got up from the grass and walked toward her. He looked at her up and down, and said "I'm not sure why is it that the more I look at you, the more I think that you look like the girl I met before."

Dongfang Bubai gave him a stern look, "You can't even differentiate between a male and a female. What with that expression of on your face?!"

Linghu Chong looked at her, his eyes wide, "Are you really not her?"

"You want to verify my identity? Go ahead," Dongfang Bubai said, with her hands extended sideways.

Linghu Chong made a hand gesture, signaling that it was unnecessary. "Forget it. I'm not that nosy," he said. "But if you're really a woman than that's bad."

Dongfang Bubai folded her arms, "Why is that? If I was really a woman would I look ugly?"

Linghu Chong shook his head, "If you're really a woman you won't look ugly. In fact, you'd look very beautiful. However, I've decided not to look at other women."

Dongfang Bubai looked at him curiously, "Why is that?"

Linghu Chong replied with a serious look on his face, "That's because I already have my little apprentice sister!"

"Little apprentice sister?" Dongfang Bubai murmured.

Linghu Chong nodded, "My little apprentice sister is my master's daughter. She may be willful and unreasonable but I still feel that she's the best girl in this world. I've already made up my mind that I'll only be nice to her."

Dongfang Bubai smirked, "A person will change and the moon will wane. How many women have you really met? Isn't it too early to talk about eternity?"

Linghu Chong pointed his finger and said, "Well I'm stubborn person. Once I've decided on something even a loved one or a friend will not be able change my mind."

Dongfang Bubai looked at him with a smile of admiration.

Linghu Chong yawned and said, "It's getting late. I'm going to get some sleep. If you want to practice your sword skills please go ahead." After finishing his sentence he patted Dongfang Bubai's arm and went on to lay down on the grass.

Dongfang Bubai turned around and gazed at him. "I've been pursuing fame and fortune my whole life. Now that I have everything I still don't feel happy. This man here whose only desire is to be nice to another person with all his heart seemed to live such a happy life. Sometimes I just wonder if heaven is fair or unfair. If I had someone like him by my side, dominating the world would no longer mean anything to me," she thought to herself. "So this is what Yu Niang tried to tell me? This is what love is all about? To spend your life with a person who likes you wholeheartedly?" She was trying to grasp the meaning of love but the moment she remembered that Linghu Chong had already decided to be with his little apprentice sister she snapped out of it. She turned around and walked away.

Since she knew that it would not be possible for her to be with Linghu Chong she refocused her mind on what matters most. She started asking herself why she came to Hengyang City in the first place. She came because she had some urgent cult matters that she needed to attend to. As she walked along the grass pathway she noticed a sky lantern above her.

Right at that moment, a hooded masked man somersaulted in the air, landed on the ground and ran towards her. He knelt at her with his hands cupped, "Greetings Chief!"

Dongfang Bubai folded the hairband in her hand, placing it behind her back, "How is it? You got any news for me?"

The hooded masked man replied, “Qu Yang is keeping a low profile. He isn’t staying at any inns to avoid unnecessary attention. He has reserved a famous brothel by the name of Qun Yu Yuan for lodging. We’ve seen Liu Zhengfeng going in and out of the brothel more than once. Subordinate awaits Chief's further instructions.”

Dongfang Bubai looked at the hooded masked man and said, “We’ll pay a visit to Qun Yu Yuan then.”

End of Chapter 5