Wie Kie-hong could only hear the words being murmured softly and hoarsely.
"Wie Kie-hong, I don't intend to hurt you. Don't be afraid," Wie Kie-hong didn't say anything.
"Tomorrow morning, go to Sie-san." "For what?" "No need to ask... as long as you go, you'll find out." "I will definitely go." "I know you will go." "But I can't just go because someone has entered my room, pointed a knife at my neck, and forced me to go." "I know, a sword can't force someone like you to do something. This sword is just a tactic. If I didn't use this sword, you would have screamed and ruined the atmosphere."
"No matter what you say, the sword is now at my neck. Therefore, I can't go to Sie-san. And I can't agree to anything you ask. If you lower this sword, maybe we can have a conversation."
"Alright... you are very good at controlling your emotions. This sword doesn’t need to hurt anyone, so I don’t need to keep it out."
The sword was removed from Tu Liong's neck. From the sound, it was clear that the person was standing behind Wie Kie-hong, but Wie Kie-hong didn't feel anyone's presence at all.
"Wie Kie-hong, will you go to Sie-san tomorrow morning?" "If there's something you want to talk about, isn't it the same if we discuss it here?"
"I'm not here to talk to you... Wie Kie-hong, I wouldn't take you to Sie-san just to harm you. For me, if it's only to hurt someone, it's not worth the effort."
"I don't understand why I still have to go to Sie-san..."
"If you really want to know, now I will give you a little hint. There is someone who wants to meet you. The place and time have been determined by them. It can't be changed now because I don’t know where they live."
The person's words not only failed to satisfy his curiosity, but instead, Wie Kie-hong felt even more intrigued. In his heart, he secretly decided that he would definitely go to meet this appointment tomorrow morning. Even if it was a trap, he didn't care.
"May I turn on the light?" "I'm about to leave." "I just wanted to say that before you go, I want to turn on the light." "Why?" "I want to see you. Just in case tomorrow morning I go to Sie-san and don’t recognize anyone." "Recognizing me is enough." "And I also want to see your sword." "Oh...?" "The sword felt very cold; I'm sure it's not an ordinary sword. I like meeting unique opponents, and I also like seeing antique weapons." "Alright, you can turn on the light."
Wie Kie-hong immediately turned on the light. As the light illuminated the room, he quickly turned to see the person. But it turned out the person had already disappeared. Wie Kie-hong had been tricked, but he didn't feel angry. If the roles were reversed and he were the attacker, he would have done the same. In fact, he still felt a sense of pride, knowing the person didn’t dare reveal their true intentions because they feared him.
Still, a big question loomed in Wie Kie-hong's mind. Was that person the same one who pried open Leng Souw-hiang's window? Was the sword used truly his father's heirloom? Who would appear at Sie-san tomorrow morning to meet him? Could it be that person was his father? When this final question arose in his mind, his body trembled uncontrollably. He hoped this wasn’t just a false hope.
That night, he found it hard to sleep soundly. He kept waking up repeatedly. Before long, the sky brightened. Wie Kie-hong quickly bathed and prepared himself. Then, he immediately left the Leng residence. He kept walking until he reached the end of the alley. Since it was still early, no carriages were in sight. So, he had to walk towards Sie-san, hoping to find a carriage along the way to take him there.
From a distance, he saw someone approaching. It turned out to be Thiat-yan. Like him, she was also walking slowly. But not exactly right. Because after seeing him, she immediately spoke to him.
"Wie Kie-hong, I know where you’re going. But I want to give you a warning, don't continue your journey there." "Oh... you know where I'm going?" "Of course, I know." "Go ahead, tell me so I can hear." "You’re going to Sie-san to meet someone you’ve never seen before. This person set up an appointment last night. Right?" "Where did you hear this news?" "Last night, I didn't leave your house immediately. So, I overheard your conversation in the room." "Miss, do you enjoy listening to others' secrets?" After these words left his mouth, Wie Kie-hong was stunned. He truly didn’t understand why he had said that.
Thiat-yan was also stunned; she seemed a little embarrassed, but she didn’t appear angry. Instead, she quickly replied, "You misunderstood, I stayed there not to eavesdrop on your secrets, but because I wanted to know who that person really was." "Did you see them?" "Of course, I saw them." "Do you recognize them?" "Yes." "Who?" "Even if I tell you, it seems it wouldn't be much use, because you've never known this person before. But even if you haven't heard the name before, I still want to tell you one thing... don't go to Sie-san!!!" "Why?"
Thiat-yan answered slowly, word by word. "Because that place is a trap waiting for you to step into."
"Miss!" Wie Kie-hong said coldly, "Except for you, I have no enemies." "I'm not your enemy either...." "Alright... Miss! Please don't waste my time. I still intend to go to Sie-san to meet the appointment."
Thiat-yan glared, perhaps because Wie Kie-hong completely ignored her warning, or maybe angry because Wie Kie-hong didn’t appreciate her presence. Regardless of the reason, she didn’t show it in front of Wie Kie-hong.
"You’re really strange!" Wie Kie-hong said to her, "you are an enemy. You’ve wounded my adopted father’s hand. Why should I heed your warning?" "You’re really reckless. But wait until you get to Sie-san, you will regret not listening to my advice." "I’m willing to regret it." "Alright," Miss Thiat-yan quickly walked away, "anyway, you don’t want to listen to my warning. Just go to Sie-san. Arrogant people like you, if you don’t experience the harshness of reality, you’ll never know how dangerous the martial world is."
Wie Kie-hong didn’t say a word. He simply continued his journey, inadvertently making Thiat-yan feel awkward. He only thought that he was treating Thiat-yan too kindly, betraying his foster father. Before long, he found a passing carriage. Fortunately, it was heading to Sie-san.
This journey couldn’t be considered short. By the time he reached his destination, the day had turned to dusk. In the Sie-san area, there were many people bustling about; he hadn’t set a specific meeting place. He didn’t know who he was supposed to meet. Wie Kie-hong could only stand in a visible spot and wait.
Finally, someone came to meet him. Of course, Wie Kie-hong recognized this person, but in his heart, he suspected this might be the person who arranged to meet him.
"Are you Wie Siauya?" Hiong-ki asked politely. "Yes." "It would be better if we went over there to talk..." Hiong-ki pointed to a quiet spot. Wie Kie-hong followed him.
Wie Kie-hong continually tried to observe the weapon Hiong-ki carried, but he couldn’t find it. A sword can easily be concealed. Wie Kie-hong couldn’t resist asking. Even though they weren’t acquainted, he felt he had seen him before. He then asked Hiong-ki, "Were you the person last night?" "Last night?" "You pried open Leng Taiya’s bedroom window, and then..."
"You’ve got the wrong person...." "I can’t be mistaken. Your voice, your stature, I recognize them. Besides, you invited me here...." "Kie-hong, last night after it got dark, we met in your courtyard. We talked a lot there. Right?" "Of course, I remember, you talked about Tu toako. But after that, you still tried to sneak into my master’s room...." "You’ve guessed wrong. That person wasn’t me." "If it wasn’t you, why did you invite me here today?" "What? Are you waiting for someone?" "Yes. Otherwise, why would I be standing there like that?"
"It seems there has been a misunderstanding. A really big misunderstanding. I saw you by chance, and because we talked quite a bit last night, I thought I’d chat with you again. Go! Let’s go our separate ways; I don’t want to delay your business."
This event left Wie Kie-hong confused. Hiong-ki left immediately, and Wie Kie-hong didn’t stop him. Even if Hiong-ki wanted to play a trick, Wie Kie-hong couldn’t prevent it. Naturally, he couldn’t keep waiting there. He quickly returned to the Leng residence. Upon arriving home, someone gave him a letter. After examining the envelope, he asked, "When was this letter delivered?" "Just now, not long ago," the servant who handed over the letter explained to him.
---
**
Glossary:**
1. **Wie Kie-hong** - Protagonist of the story.
2. **Sie-san** - A location where the meeting is to take place.
3. **Thiat-yan** - A character who warns Wie Kie-hong.
4. **Hiong-ki** - A character who meets Wie Kie-hong at Sie-san.
5. **Leng Souw-hiang** - Mentioned as having their window pried open.
6. **Tu Liong** - Mentioned in context with the sword.
7. **Siauya** - An honorific title, possibly indicating a young master or nobleman.
8. **Taiya** - An honorific title, possibly indicating a master or elder.
These terms reflect the cultural and narrative context of the story, maintaining the original storytelling style.