The old master should have remained in bed to heal his wounds.
"Don't be surprised anymore," "It seems you've thought it through well..." After saying this, Leng Souw-hiang paused for a moment.
"Do you know why I instructed you not to associate with Tu Liong anymore?" "I think you must have a strong reason." "You didn't even bother to ask me..." "What is there to ask? If you've made such a decision, whatever the reason, I'm sure it can't be wrong." "Actually, Tu Liong is a kind-hearted young man. He remembers favors well. It's just that his master, Cu Siau-thian, is terrifying. I told you to avoid Tu Liong so that you would also avoid Cu Siau-thian." "Oh...?" "In fact, I never knew someone named Bu Tiat-cui. I never gave him a yellow leather suitcase either." "But...." "Listen to my story! After we conspired against Tiat Liong-san together, we considered the consequences that would befall his descendants, even all families with the Tiat surname, his siblings would surely hold a grudge. We thought about everything, how we would deal with it one day. Cu Siau-thian wrote four secret orders, each distributed among the four of us. The letters instructed us to do something to maintain secrecy. If a critical problem arose, we were to open the secret letter and follow its instructions....Kie-hong! I asked you to take care of one matter, which was an order I followed according to what was written in the letter." "Oh...?" "Don't you believe it?" "Not at all! How could I not believe your words?" "Hui Ci-hong has hanged himself, I'm worried that it was an order written in the letter given to him by Cu Siau-thian." "I don't think that's possible," Wie Kie-hong immediately interrupted.
"Oh..." Why not?" "Master Hui's eyes were gouged out. He couldn't possibly read what was written in the letter. If he asked a trusted person to read it for him, and the letter instructed Master Hui to end his life, that person wouldn't have conveyed the command as it was." "Right! Right!" Leng Souw-hiang nodded his head in agreement.
"I have a request," Wie Kie-hong said sincerely. "But you don't have to agree to it," he added.
"Speak up." "I want to investigate what is written in the remaining three secret letters." "No!" Leng Souw-hiang immediately cut him off and forbade him.
"Why not?" The question slipped out reflexively.
"The basic reason for someone wanting to protect themselves is not to meddle in others' affairs, especially not to pry into their secrets. The more you know others' secrets, the greater the danger you face." Leng Souw-hiang took a deep breath.
"Besides, I don't want to deal with Cu Siau-thian!" "I don't understand what you just said. Do you mean there's something to be feared from Cu Taiya?" "Cu Siau-thian is a warrior in the martial world. Moreover, he's an experienced one. Such a person is best left undisturbed." "If that's the case, did you all need to...." "Kie-hong! There's no need to discuss past matters. Ice thirty centimeters thick doesn't form just because of one cold night. There's no need to talk about it now." Wie Kie-hong realized that discussing this matter further wouldn't yield much. Therefore, he tried to end the conversation. "You should rest now. Eat plenty and calm yourself. Get well soon. That's my only hope." "No! No! My spirit is already restored. We can still chat a bit more." Reluctantly, Wie Kie-hong sat back in his original place. Now he didn't ask much. Since Leng Souw-hiang had asked him to stay, he naturally had to open the conversation. Sure enough, Leng Souw-hiang now had a new topic for discussion.
"Kie-hong! I want to ask you a favor. There's someone whose whereabouts I want to know. Can you help me find out?" "Who?" "This person is surnamed Ciu. I can't remember the name he used before. But I've heard that he's now called Ciu-sam. Maybe he's living in the Tian-kao area now." Wie Kie-hong's enthusiasm returned, and he immediately asked, "What does this person usually do?" "He's a prison warden." "A prison warden?" Wie Kie-hong's enthusiasm was further ignited.
"He's the chief warden of a large prison called Thian-ci. Before Tiat Liong-san was executed, he was once detained in his prison..." "Do you mean...?" "People living in the mountains live off the mountain, those living by the water live off the water. Prison wardens live off the criminals residing there; this warden named Ciu-sam used to oversee Tiat Liong-san. I assume Tiat Liong-san must have asked him for a favor. Perhaps delivering a letter or some other task." "Mmm... how old is this person approximately?" "He should be around sixty years old now." "Why did you suddenly remember him?" "Based on what Thiat-yan has done, it's clear that he understands the situation when we conspired against Tiat Liong-san back then. I've been thinking about this. The only one who knew all those events clearly was Tiat Liong-san himself. Surely, before he died, he sent out a letter." "Looking for Ciu-sam, is it to prove this matter?" "Exactly." "Then, if it's proven, what benefit is it to you?" "I can understand someone." "Who?" "Cu Siau-thian!" Leng Souw-hiang spoke gently, but his words carried weight.
"I suspect that he betrayed us all, that Thiat-yan's acts of revenge were likely ordered by Cu Siau-thian." Renowned martial artists in the martial world are, in essence, the most dangerous and wicked people. Just a few words, and they would act. Even if they became wealthy merchants or officials managing governance, they would still commit evil deeds. Leng Souw-hiang had such thoughts; how could he not have a clear reason for associating with such people back then? Leng Souw-hiang's words about "Ice thirty centimeters thick" clearly reflected his deep sorrow. Therefore, Wie Kie-hong couldn't directly question him at that moment. What was in his mind was only one thing: for his adopted father to spend his twilight years in peace.
"Alright!" Wie Kie-hong nodded in agreement. "After tonight, I will send someone to Tian-kao to find Ciu-sam. As long as he is still alive, I will surely find him." Wie Kie-hong then left the room. Although he had promised to act immediately, he didn't start executing his plan right away. He needed to think through all possible scenarios. A thick fog covered the moon. Sometimes the earth appeared bright, sometimes dark. Wie Kie-hong sat alone in the garden to rest. Suddenly, he noticed a shadow flitting from the garden wall past him...
Wie Kie-hong's eyesight was excellent. He knew he wasn't mistaken. He immediately went to investigate the source of the fleeting shadow. Once he found it, he prepared to encircle it. He didn't make a sound. He was confident he could handle it. Any strong warrior would want to win an easy fight. After the person landed on the ground, they didn't immediately hide or erase their tracks. On the contrary, the figure walked openly towards Wie Kie-hong.
"Wie Kie-hong?" Hiong-ki asked slowly.
"That's right. Who are you?" "Hiong-ki." "Hiong-ki?" "You don't need to waste your energy thinking. You haven't heard my name before, but I know about you." "What business do you have with me at this late hour?" Wie Kie-hong asked sharply, with no small talk.
"I'm visiting." "Visiting whom?" "Of course, you." "Why didn't you enter through the front gate?" "This matter is very secret; it can't be known by a third party." "How did you know I was in the garden?" "Besides you, no one could have detected my movements earlier." Wie Kie-hong fell silent. Hiong-ki's words weren't wrong. His movements were so agile and quick that not just anyone could notice them.
"If you have business with me, you can say it now." "What's your impression of Tu Liong?" Wie Kie-hong weighed the question for a moment. After that, he replied, "He's an honest person who lacks selfishness. His knowledge is vast, and he's brave. His martial arts skills aren't bad either." "How do you feel about him?" "We get along well." "Are you always by his side?" "I don't think that's possible. He's an adult, and he's much stronger than I am. Only he can influence me. I have no ability to influence him." "If you indeed feel in sync, you should warn him." "Warn him about what?" "Warn him to stay away from Cu Siau-thian." "That's impossible," Wie Kie-hong immediately cut off the brief debate.
"Why is it impossible?" "I mean, Tu Liong won't leave Cu Siau-thian because he owes him for raising him to adulthood." "You should sincerely warn him. A true man shouldn't be blinded purely by his emotions." Hiong-ki's words sounded very sincere. Wie Kie-hong felt sympathetic towards him.
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**
Glossary:**
1. **Tiat Liong-san**: A character in the story who was executed and whose past actions are causing current tensions.
2. **Cu Siau-thian**: A martial arts master with a fearsome reputation.
3. **Wie Kie-hong**: An individual involved in the martial world, tasked with certain responsibilities.
4. **Ciu-sam**: A prison warden with potential ties to past events involving Tiat Liong-san.
5. **Thian-ci**: A large prison mentioned in the story.
6. **Hiong-ki**: A mysterious figure who approaches Wie Kie-hong with a secretive agenda.