Upon hearing his words, the four great sect leaders were stunned and nearly simultaneously exclaimed, "The thief of the Mestika Golok!!"
Ciong-tosu, a prominent figure in the Kun-lun-pai sect, lunged forward to confront the giant. He pointed at him and shouted, "So you are the thief of the Mestika Golok and have slandered us! Now face us, surrender so we can capture you and take you to the royal city!"
"Ha-ha-ha, you're Ciong-tosu from Kun-lun-pai, right? If I were afraid of you, why would I come out and meet you here?"
"Sian-cai...! Arrogant man, state your name!" Ciong-tosu said angrily. "What is the need for me to introduce myself if you all are going to die? Ha-ha-ha!" He moved his right hand and "singggg.....!!" a gleaming golok had been pulled from behind his loose clothes. Easily recognized, the golok had a dragon carved on it, and it was beautiful. That was undoubtedly the Mestika Golok Naga, stolen from the palace's treasure vault!
"Just call me Si Golok Naga, ha-ha-ha!"
Ciong-tosu grew even angrier. He drew his sword and shouted loudly,
"Arrogant man, behold my sword!"
And he attacked with a series of lightning-fast thrusts as he used the deadly technique Liong-li-coan-ciam (Liong-li Piercing with Needle). This technique is extremely powerful with the sword thrusting continuously at the thirteen blood routes in the front of the opponent's body. However, the giant laughed heartily while swinging his golok, and the loud clash of the two weapons made Ciong-tosu stagger! All the figures were shocked. Ciong-tosu's martial arts skills from Kun-lun-pai were high, but he staggered in just one push.
The leaders of the four sects were third-class figures, their skills were high, so they were also reluctant to gang up, and earlier when Ciong-tosu stepped forward, they became mere spectators.
"Ha-ha-ha, with such low skills, you want to capture Si Golok Naga? Ha-ha-ha, all four of you come forward, so it's faster and easier for me to kill you!" the giant challenged arrogantly. The four figures. Now it was not disgraceful for them to step forward together because they were challenged and it was clear that the giant's martial arts skills were very high so if they advanced one by one, they would not possibly be able to compete with him. Kiang Cun, a figure from Butong-pai, also drew his sword, Thian ceng Cu, a figure from Hoa-san-pai, also pulled out his siang-kiam (a pair of swords) from his back and Tek Hwat Hwe-sio from Siauw-Iim-pai advanced with empty hands because this hwe-sio, besides not carrying a weapon, could also use the ends of his sleeves as powerful weapons.
The black giant who used the alias Si Golok Naga was still laughing, looking down on the four opponents who had surrounded him, then suddenly he let out a growling sound like a tiger and the four people were shocked because they felt their hearts trembling and they staggered.
At that moment, Si Golok Naga moved his golok fiercely. The golok turned into a roll of bright light and issued a roaring wind sound. The four major sect leaders were even more shocked. They vaguely recognized the golok technique as the Ngo-houw-toan-bun-to technique (Five Tigers Guarding the Gate Golok Technique), but the movement had a strange development and was also very strong.
They immediately moved their weapons and attacked from four directions. Tek Hwat Hwe-Sio moved both his hands, led by a pair of sleeve ends, his movements contained sinkang energy and brought about a sweeping wind. Kiang Cun's sword from Butong-pai also moved quickly and beautifully as it was the speciality of Butong-pai's sword technique.
Similarly, Ciong-tosu attacked again with his sword, and Thian Seng Cu from Hoa-San-pai quickly played his siang-kiam.
Even though he was attacked by four major sect figures with high skills, the black giant was not afraid at all. He was still able to laugh when the golok in his hand formed a light barrier that repelled all four of their attacks.
A fierce battle ensued. Although the proficiency of Si Golok Naga was much higher, because the four sect leaders advanced together, they could compete as well, and the match occurred fiercely.
Since earlier, a middle-aged man in his forties and a five-year-old boy had been trembling behind the bushes out of fear. This man was a village resident who, besides farming, occasionally hunted animals to supplement his modest income.
The man's name was Tan Hok, and his son's name was Tan Tiong Li. That day, unlike usual, Tan Hok took his son to climb to the peak because since earlier they hadn't found any prey on the slope.
When they saw strange people at the peak, they hid out of fear. What's more, when a black giant appeared who was now competing with the four major sect leaders. They became frightened and huddled behind the bushes, trembling.
The competition had reached its climax when Si Golok Naga changed his golok technique which was now flashing like lightning. The four attackers tried to protect themselves, but it was in vain. The Golok Naga struck fiercely, making a horrifying whizzing sound, and Tek Hwat Hwe-sio, who was the first to be struck by the golok light, was seriously injured in the chest, fell and died instantly!
The three of his companions went red and berserk, but within five moves, Ciong-tosu from Kun-lun-pai also fell and died with his neck nearly severed!
Tan Hok and his son became even more frightened watching the two people fall with horrific gushing blood. Tan Hok immediately grabbed his son's hand, made him stand up and ran away from there.
Si Golok Naga noticed their movement, but since he was still facing two attackers, Si Golok Naga continued his rampage and in turn, Kiang Cun and Thian Seng Cu also fell and died.
Si Golok Naga laughed heartily and when he saw the father and son who had been hiding and running away earlier, he immediately jumped and started chasing.
"Hey...!!, you two, stop!" shouted Si Golok Naga when he saw the two had run quite far, on the slope of the hill in front. Hearing the very loud shout, Tan Hok panicked even more. He then pushed his son to climb to the top of the hill and said, "You climb up there and hide! I will lure him to chase in another direction!" Tan Tiong Li was only five years old but he was a very smart child. He could understand what his father meant, so he climbed the peak alone while his father purposely ran across the meadow to be seen by the chaser. This father did not care about his own safety. For him, the most important thing was his child's safety.
His diversionary tactic worked. Si Golok Naga saw him running across the meadow and immediately pursued him. Not long after, Tan Hok was easily overtaken and without much further words, Si Golok Naga swung his golok and Tan Hok's neck was severed. He fell and his head rolled away from his body.
Si Golok Naga looked left and right. "Ehh, he was with a little child earlier. Where did that child go? Damn, he will become a detrimental witness. I must find and kill him!" he said to himself and seeing a peak in front, he then climbed it with a golok in his hand. He was sure that the child must be hiding on the peak.
With panting breath, Tan Tiong Li managed to get to the top of the hill. He was very tired and out of breath, so when suddenly a human being emerged from behind the big rock, he was so shocked and frightened that his body tumbled and he was already on his knees crying. Two gentle hands pulled him up and Tiong Li saw that the person was not the black giant who had been chasing him and his father earlier, rather it was an old hwesio in a yellow robe. The old hwesio smiled at him.
"Omitohud.... a small child climbing the peak alone. Good child, who are you and why are you running to this place?"
"Lo suhu...... I'm being chased by a black giant who wants to kill me."
The hwesio was still smiling, "Black giant? Where is there a black giant, good child? You're probably imagining things."
"No, lo-suhu. The giant really killed many people at the peak over there with his golok. It's terrifying. Then he chased my father and me."
"Your father? Where is your father?"
"Father ran in a different direction so the giant wouldn't chase me. Please, lo-suhu."
Now the hwesio was no longer smiling, instead he furrowed his brows as he began to believe that the child was not lying or imagining things. He then looked down from the peak and at that moment he saw a tall, dark-faced man carrying a gleaming golok running fast up the peak.
"Omitohud.... it seems all your stories are true, good child. Don't be afraid, this monk will protect you from that black giant."
Meanwhile, Si Golok Naga climbed up with frustration looking for the missing child. That child must die! No one who witnessed what happened on the peak earlier is allowed to live.
Finally, he arrived at the peak and saw the child kneeling in front of an old, decrepit hwesio. He sheathed his golok and laughed.
Glossary
- Si Golok Naga: The thief of the Mestika Golok, a significant weapon in the story
- Mestika Golok Naga: A powerful weapon, a golok (traditional Indonesian machete-like weapon) with a dragon carved on it
- Ciong-tosu: A prominent figure from the Kun-lun-pai sect
- Kun-lun-pai: One of the major sects in the story
- Liong-li-coan-ciam: A deadly martial arts technique, literally translated as 'Liong-li Piercing with Needle'
- Kiang Cun: A prominent figure from the Butong-pai sect
- Butong-pai: One of the major sects in the story
- Thian Seng Cu: A prominent figure from the Hoa-san-pai sect
- Hoa-san-pai: One of the major sects in the story
- Tek Hwat Hwe-sio: A prominent figure from the Siauw-Iim-pai sect
- Siauw-Iim-pai: One of the major sects in the story
- Ngo-houw-toan-bun-to: A powerful martial arts technique, translated as 'Five Tigers Guarding the Gate Golok Technique'
- siang-kiam: A pair of swords