"Thank you, tai-hiap!" The fifteen individuals knelt in respect, but when they lifted their faces, the youth had vanished from their sight as if he had disappeared. This experience scared them, leading them to earnestly search for a group of fighters to join.
After this experience, Tiong Li felt happy. He now understood what his masters meant. Indeed, he could use his skills for good and he would continue to do so. Along his journey, whenever he met robber gangs, he would subdue them and persuade them to repent. If he encountered any selfish nobles or wealthy individuals, he would step in, discipline them, and persuade them to change their wrong ways.
Tiong Li was heading towards the royal city. Throughout his journey, he lacked nothing because those he helped were not hesitant to provide him with provisions and clothing, seeing how the hero had nothing of his own.
And Tiong Li gratefully accepted these willingly given provisions, as he indeed needed supplies for his journey. He was too proud to steal or rob others, nor did he have the heart to beg. One morning, when he arrived north of the royal city near a forest, he saw two women being besieged by a band of men led by a giant black man. Recognizing the giant as Si Golok Naga, the man who killed his father and his first master, Рек Hong San-jin, his heart pounded in fear. This was the man who murdered four major sect leaders and stole the Mestika Golok Naga from the palace.
Who were these two women? None other than Ban-tok Sian li and The Siang Hwi! As told earlier, the master and disciple had sneaked out of the royal city gate disguised as beggars. After successfully escaping, they removed their disguises in a secluded place and parted ways with the other beggars, continuing their journey.
However, they were suddenly startled by the sound of horse hooves from behind. Since they were far from the city gates, they were no longer afraid. If they had to fight enemies within the city, it would be dangerous as they would be trapped with no escape. The city was also heavily guarded. But outside the city, they were not afraid of just a handful of guards.
They stopped at the roadside, and it turned out they were being pursued by a select group of guards led by Hak Bu Cu himself!
"There they are! Surround them!" "Kill!" "Capture!"
A dozen guards leaped off their horses, weapons in hands, and surrounded them. Secretly, Ban-tok Sian-li was also shocked. Again, the black giant had appeared, and he had unsheathed his formidable weapon, the Mestika Golok Naga. Ban-tok Sian-li was extremely surprised. Mestika Golok Naga was a treasure stolen from the royal armory, so why was it now in the hands of a guard officer? But she had no time to think too deeply, as the black giant was already charging at her, shouting angrily,
"Rebel, where do you think you're running to?"
The saber slashed fiercely, and Ban-tok Sian-li quickly dodged and retaliated with her sword, thrusting up towards the giant's stomach. However, despite his large size, Hak Bu Cu was surprisingly agile. As soon as his stomach was stabbed, he dodged and parried with his saber.
"Trangggg!" Sparks flew as the sword met the saber, and the two began to fight fiercely. Soon, five guards joined the black giant to besiege Ban-tok Sian-li. This woman had just recovered from a leg wound.
Although it was no longer painful, standing and exerting force made her leg ache slightly, as it had not fully healed. Still, she stubbornly defended herself and swiftly counterattacked her assailants, like a tiger surrounded by a pack of wolves. Meanwhile, Siang Hwi was also besieged by ten guards, who were all skilled martial artists, as those chosen by Hak Bu Cu to pursue them were elite guards. Just like her master, Siang Hwi fought fiercely, but no matter how skilled she was, she was outnumbered and soon heavily pressured.
Luckily for Siang Hwi, the guards had received orders from Jin Kiat to capture her alive, so their attacks were only to pressure and look for an opportunity to subdue her without severely injuring her. Thus, Siang Hwi was still able to fight fiercely.
Nevertheless, the master and disciple were being pushed back, and it seemed they would soon be defeated. In this dangerous situation, Tiong Li appeared. He recognized the black giant, and after observing closely, he also recognized Ban-tok Sian-li, not to mention Siang Hwi, the girl who had once saved him from Ban-tok Sian-li's murderous intent.
It was not hard for Tiong Li to decide whom to help. Seeing that the most skilled opponent was the black giant, he dropped his bundle of clothes on the ground, and with a branch in his hand, he jumped and flipped over, suddenly facing Hak Bu Cu and jabbing at the giant's right arm with his branch.
Although it was only a branch, it whistled through the air and produced a powerful, swift strike that greatly surprised Hak Bu Cu, who quickly retreated to avoid his arm being hit.
"Bibl, please assist little sister Siang Hwi and leave this black giant to me," said Tiong Li, who immediately attacked again with his branch.
His attack was so fast that it didn't give Hak Bu Cu a chance to strike first. He tried to chop with his saber to block and break the branch, but the branch moved too fast to be touched by the saber. Meanwhile, seeing a skilled youth appear and tackle the black giant, and seeing that her disciple was indeed being pressured, Ban-tok Sian-li jumped in to help her disciple.
The five guards who had been assisting Hak Bu Cu to besiege the woman now chased and attacked the master and disciple. Now, the two women were surrounded by fifteen guards.
Hak Bu Cu held his saber across his body and roared, "Hold!" Hearing this, Tiong Li stopped
his movements and stood facing his large opponent while staring intently.
"Young man, who are you? Don't you know that these two women are rebels? We are on a mission from Prime Minister Jin Kun to capture the rebels, and you dare to assist them? Stand aside and don't interfere if you don't want to be considered a rebel too!" "I am Tan Tiong Li and I am not a rebel, nor are these two women. But you are the rebel and the troublemaker. You stole the Mestika Golok Naga and you killed four major sect leaders, killed my father, and killed Рек Hong San- jin!"
Hak Bu Cu's eyes widened as he looked closely. "Ahhh... so you are that insolent brat...."
Without any further words, he attacked with his saber. Seeing this, Tiong Li was excited. This was the stolen treasured saber. He had to get it and return it to the Emperor.
Hak Bu Cu was extremely frustrated. Rarely had anyone been able to match him. But this youth, armed only with a branch, had such fast movements and strange martial arts. His body flickered like a shadow, making Hak Bu Cu's eyes dazzle. And that branch was so dangerous, threatening his vital points with jabs, and several times threatening his eyes.
Although Tiong Li harbored resentment towards the giant for the deaths of his biological father and first master, his consciousness always reminded him that he must not wantonly kill people. So, he merely aimed his attacks to subdue his opponent, without any intent to kill! Meanwhile, the master and disciple fought fiercely, and after Siang Hwi was assisted by her master, within a short time, she and her master had knocked down and killed five guards! The remaining ten were frightened, especially after seeing how their leader was struggling against the youth who wielded the branch so skillfully!
So, they only surrounded them while keeping their distance, not daring to pressure them as before. Now, it was the two women who were launching the attacks. Three more guards fell, and the rest retreated.
At one point, Tiong Li attacked with lightning speed, and his branch accurately hit Hak Bu Cu's right wrist, causing the giant to scream in surprise as his right hand went numb and involuntarily dropped the saber.
Before the saber hit the ground, Tiong Li had snatched it with his left hand, and it was now in his possession. Seeing this, Hak Bu Cu lunged forward to seize back his saber using his left hand, but was met with a powerful spinning kick that sent him flying.
Unfortunately for him, his kicked body fell near Ban-tok Sian Li. Seeing the black giant fall near her feet, Ban-tok Sian Li swiftly moved her sword, and the black giant's head was severed. Blood spurted out, and the head was separated far from the body.
Seeing this, the seven guards were shocked and they immediately fled, jumping onto their horses and escaping in fear!
"They will bring reinforcements, we must leave quickly!" said The Siang Hwi, jumping up and running, followed by her master and Tio ng Li.
After running for a while, they finally stopped, and Siang Hwi looked at the youth and smiled.
"Tiong Li. !" She said softly.
"Siang Hwi, finally we meet again," Tiong Li replied with a smile and bowed to Ban-tok Sian-li.
"Sian-li, I hope Sian-li is well," he said.
Ban-tok Sian-li furrowed her brows. She had forgotten about Tiong Li and asked,
"Hmmm, who are you?"
"Su-bo, don't you remember? He's Tan Tiong Li, the disciple of the deceased Рек Hong San-jin whom we visited at Pek-hong San-кок that time." "Ohhh... are you that young man? But......." She didn't finish her words as she was completely baffled.
The young man was not very skilled back then, but now, she had witnessed how he had defeated the black giant using just a stick! And she saw the giant's saber in the youth's left hand.
"Did you seize the giant's saber?" she asked, looking at the saber intently.
"This is the Mestika Golok Naga that he stole from the royal library."
"Why did you seize it?"
"To return it to the Emperor, of course," Tiong Li replied.
Ban-tok Sian Li sneered.
"And to receive severe punishment from the Emperor? That saber is fake!"
"Ehh... ?" Tiong Li was surprised by Ban-tok Sian-li's words.
Glossary:
- Tai-hiap: A form of address or honorific used to respect an elder or superior.
- Tiong Li: The name of the main character in the story.
- Si Golok Naga: The name of the villain in the story, it literally translates to 'Dragon Saber'.
- Рек Hong San-jin: The name of Tiong Li's first master.
- Mestika Golok Naga: The name of a treasured saber that was stolen from the royal palace.
- Ban-tok Sian li and The Siang Hwi: The names of two women characters in the story.
- Hak Bu Cu: The name of a character leading a group of guards in the story.
- Jin Kiat: The name of a character who gave orders to the guards.
- Pek-hong San-кок: The name of a place visited by the characters.