"Pang-cu, no one can force me to fight and no one can stop me from fighting. Therefore, you do not need to be surprised," Ban-tok Sian-li replied curtly.
This woman indeed had a strange character. If she was challenged, she would fiercely retaliate. It seemed that this trait was common among the martial arts elders.
"No, Sian-li, who dares to stop you? You can stay here, and as long as you are here, you will be safe from the pursuit of troops. I apologize, I have other matters to attend to, I must leave now."
He then left the room, leaving Kok Bu whose attitude was vastly different from his father's. He was serving his two guests courteously and respectfully, showing them a room and providing food for them.
The next morning, Siang Hwi had already bathed and left her room early. Her master was still resting as she had hardly slept the previous night, instead gathering her inner energy to heal the bruise on her thigh.
The official's residence was quite large with a spacious yard, and at the back, there was a beautiful and wide flower garden. Siang Hwi entered the garden. The morning air was extremely clear, many birds were still chirping in the garden, having not yet left to find food. The morning sun started to warm the garden. Siang Hwi approached a bunch of red flowers, plucked one and placed it in her hair.
"Miss !"
She was startled and turned around. It turned out that it was Kok Bu who had called her earlier and the young man stood in front of her, staring at her with enchanted eyes. To Kok Bu, the girl looked incredibly beautiful that morning, especially with the red flower in her hair, appearing like a celestial maiden descending into the garden with the morning sunlight.
"Oh, Toako Bu, good morning. Eh, why are you looking at me like that?"
"Why ?" "You're looking at me as if you've never seen me before!"
Kok Bu smiled awkwardly and replied nervously, "I... ah, the flower in your hair makes you look incredibly beautiful like a celestial maiden, Miss."
"Well, you're overpraising me, Toako!"
"Sincerely, I'm not flattering or giving empty praises, Miss Siang Hwi. You are the most beautiful girl I've ever met in my life."
"Nonsense! You live in the royal city, you even know many nobles. There are many beautiful noble daughters in the royal city, let alone the princesses."
"I have indeed met many noble daughters, but none of them can compare to you in terms of beauty and bravery, Miss. I am truly enchanted and fell in love with you at first sight. Please forgive my boldness."
Siang Hwi's face turned red, but she was not angry. The young man's attitude was too honest and his words were not flattery, she could feel it very clearly. However, she had no romantic feelings for this young man she had just met, even though she felt grateful and admired him for helping her and her master.
"Enough, Toako, don't talk about it. I don't like hearing it. The issue you raised is not in my thoughts at all. Please forgive me." She then left the young man and went to the house to enter her room where her master was still sleeping.
However, she saw a shadow flitting by and knew that it was Gan-pangcu, Kok Bu's father. Wanting to know what was going to happen, she sneaked behind a tree and spied.
Gan Liang criticized his son loudly, so Siang Hwi didn't need to strain her hearing to understand what the head of Hek-tung Kai-pang was saying.
"What? You love that girl? Don't you know who her master is? Her master is Ban-tok Sian-li, a renegade elder who lives in the Devil's Valley! No, I don't like you loving that girl. Especially not marrying her! I don't want to be in-laws with a renegade elder!"
Hearing this, Siang Hwi furrowed her brow and quietly left the place, returning to the building. She found her master already awake and had bathed.
"Subo, we should leave this place and exit the royal city quickly," said Siang Hwi.
Seeing her disciple's face, which looked angry, Ban-tok Sian-li looked at her carefully,
"What's wrong, Siang Hwi?"
"Subo, I heard Gan-pangcu telling his son that he was worried and unhappy if we stayed here longer because it could endanger him and his gang. Therefore, we should leave now, Subo. They have helped us, it's not good if we trouble them further."
Her master nodded. "You're right, Siang Hwi. In that case, let's pack up and leave now."
Siang Hwi was glad and quickly began to pack with her master.
While they were packing, Kok Bu appeared in front of their room. Seeing the master and disciple busily packing and carrying bundles of clothes on their backs, he was very surprised.
"Eh, Toanio, and Miss, where are you going?" Ban-tok Sian-li was the one who answered firmly.
"We are taking our leave and leaving right now."
"But that's extremely dangerous! The guards and soldiers will recognize you and you will certainly be captured! Besides, in this royal city, where will you hide? Here is the best place for you to hide."
"We're leaving the royal city!" said Siang Hwi, speaking with a cold tone.
"But... but that's even more dangerous!" said Kok Bu. "All the city gates are tightly guarded by the troops and it's impossible for you to pass through the city gates safely."
"We're not afraid! We will fight to the death!" added Ban-tok Sian-li. "Oh, why are you forcing yourselves? If you insist, fine, we will arrange for you to pass through the city gate safely. The only way is to disguise as members of Hek-tung Kai-pang."
" Disguise?" asked Ban-tok Sian-li.
"Don't worry. Among our subordinates, there is one who is an expert in disguising people. In a short time, you will be completely unrecognizable, even to those closest to you. What do you think? That is the only way to escape through the city gate safely."
Of course, the master and disciple could not refuse such an attractive and beneficial offer. The Hek-tung Kai-pang member who was an expert in disguising people was summoned and immediately he disguised Ban-tok Sian-li and The Siang Hwi. In less than an hour, both master and disciple were completely transformed, becoming two bent, hobbling beggars carrying walking sticks.
Not long after, at the northern gate, a group of beggars consisting of seven people passed through the gate, and the guards, of course, didn't want to be approached by the beggars who were dressed in dirty clothes and smelled bad. So they let the beggars go.
After passing through the city gate, the beggars quickly dispersed. Two of them, who were walking bent over, continued their journey quickly heading west. However, not long after the beggars passed through the city gate, a group of about a dozen horse riders arrived, which was a group of guards from the Prime Minister's residence, led by a black giant who was none other than Hak Bu Cu.
"Did a group of beggars pass through here?" asked Hak Bu Cu who was dressed as an officer.
The gate guards did not recognize Hak Bu Cu, but seeing his attire, they saluted and one of them answered that a group of seven beggars had just passed through and left the city.
"Go quickly and pursue!" Hak Bu Cu shouted and his subordinates immediately spurred their horses to chase outside the city through the northern gate.
How could the guards suspect a group of beggars? All of this was the doing of the head of Hek-tung Kai-pang himself. After he allowed his son to help the two women escape by disguising them as beggars, Gan Liang sent one of his men to inform Prime Minister Jin Kui that a group of criminals disguised as beggars were escaping the royal city through the northern gate!
Of course, Prime Minister Jin sent Hak Bu Cu to pursue them. Meanwhile, hearing about his father's action, Gan Kok Bu was very angry with his father.
"Father, what have you done? Why did you betray those who clearly helped the fighters?" "At first, I agreed with you helping them because they helped the fighters. But after I found out who the woman you helped was, I was happier seeing them caught and punished! You don't know who Ban-tok Sian-li is! When she was a girl, many people became victims of her beauty! Many young men were infatuated with her and proposed to her. But what did she do? She insulted everyone who proposed to her and beat every man who dared to propose to her, some even got killed by her! What kind of woman is that? Let her be caught and sentenced to death, only then will I be satisfied..."
Seeing how his father seemed to hold a deep grudge against Ban-tok Sian-li, Kok Bu asked with a frown,
"Hmm, it seems that father was one of those who was rejected?"
His father's face turned red.
"Yes, and she defeated me, almost killing me. I can never forget that insult!"
Glossary
- Pang-cu: A respectful title used to address an elder.
- Ban-tok Sian-li: The name of a martial artist, likely a master or elder.
- Kok Bu: A character's name, likely a younger martial artist.
- Siang Hwi: A character's name, likely a female disciple or martial artist.
- Hek-tung Kai-pang: A martial arts sect or organization.
- Subo: Honorific for a female master or teacher.
- Prime Minister Jin Kui: A high-ranking government official.
- Hak Bu Cu: A character's name, likely a martial artist or soldier.
- Gan Liang: A character's name, likely the head of Hek-tung Kai-pang.