Wie Kie-hong turned his head back to gaze at Boh Tan-ping.
"I'll ask you one more time. Where is my father?" "I don't know." Suddenly, Wie Kie-hong lunged forward.
Boh Tan-ping was cornered, unable to escape anywhere.
Wie Kie-hong's knife swiftly aimed for Boh Tan-ping's face.
Boh Tan-ping dodged the attack by tilting his head to the right.
Wie Kie-hong swung his knife to the right, intending to keep pressing Boh Tan-ping.
Boh Tan-ping ducked and immediately rolled away.
Once again, Boh Tan-ping found himself cornered, standing with his back against the wall.
He mumbled indistinctly, seemingly frustrated and cursing why Uncle Tan's living space was so cramped.
Wie Kie-hong kicked the wall and launched himself toward Boh Tan-ping.
Boh Tan-ping quickly swung his serrated sword at Wie Kie-hong.
Fortunately, Wie Kie-hong managed to halt his advance.
The serrated sword lodged into the cupboard.
Wie Kie-hong immediately slashed his knife at the sword's handle, intending to cut Boh Tan-ping's hand.
Boh Tan-ping quickly released his sword.
Wie Kie-hong seized this opportunity to press Boh Tan-ping further.
Once again, Boh Tan-ping was backed into a corner.
This time, Wie Kie-hong had truly rendered him powerless.
"Tell me! Where is my father?" "I don't know." Wie Kie-hong stared deeply into his eyes.
Boh Tan-ping knew if he didn't speak, Wie Kie-hong would truly harm him.
Wie Kie-hong took a deep breath and swung his knife toward Boh Tan-ping's neck.
"Wait!!" Wie Kie-hong's knife halted just as the sharp tip touched his neck.
Wie Kie-hong waited for Boh Tan-ping to continue his words.
Boh Tan-ping swallowed hard. After a moment, he continued, "Wie Kie-hong, do you want to meet your father?" "Of course." "Go to the San-poa alley." "Is he there right now?" "Yes. He's in Bu Tiat-cui's residence." "Why is my father there? Didn't you say Thiat-yan and Cu Siau-thian are also there?" "That's right. When I left Bu Tiat-cui's house before coming here, your father was lying down. He was gravely injured, continuously bleeding fresh blood. If you hurry, you might still catch his last moments." "Who attacked him?" "Thiat-yan." Suddenly, Wie Kie-hong's emotions erupted. He went berserk like a madman. Without caring about anything else, Wie Kie-hong released Boh Tan-ping and ran out.
Boh Tan-ping didn't say anything. He just watched Wie Kie-hong leave in silence.
0-0-0
Tu Liong continued to run through the dark night. Tan Po-hai tried to match his speed with little success. His breath was heavy, like a buffalo's. Tan Po-hai tried to call out to him, "Brother Tu Liong, please slow down." Finally, Tu Liong reduced his running speed, and after a short distance, they stopped.
Tan Po-hai could only stand, bent over, catching his breath. Once his breathing steadied, Tan Po-hai asked, "Brother Tu Liong, where are you going?" "I intend to meet Cu Siau-thian at Bu Tiat-cui's residence." "I'm not sure I can keep up running there with you." Tu Liong considered the situation. After some time, he said to Tan Po-hai, "Uncle Tan, it's best if you find a carriage to take you to Leng Taiya's residence and wait for Wie Kie-hong there. At least you'll be safe there. We'll meet again later. I'm just worried that Cu Siau-thian might have secretly sent someone to follow you. If that's the case, you might be in more danger."
Tan Po-hai, being a man of great heart, simply said, "Life and death have their destinies. Wealth and poverty are also determined by the heavens. If I'm meant to die, there's no escaping it. I'm worried that the situation at Bu Tiat-cui's house might become complicated. If I'm with you, I fear I'll only be a burden." "Uncle Tan, you must be careful. Once you reach Leng Taiya's residence, don't go anywhere else." Finally, they stopped a passing carriage, and Tu Liong helped Tan Po-hai onto it, watching it go until it disappeared from view. Once it was out of sight, Tu Liong resumed his run toward San-poa alley.
The night breeze blew gently, and the moonlight, obscured by clouds, slowly began to illuminate the path he was taking. Suddenly, in the distance, he saw a white figure. At first, he thought he was seeing things. Was he looking at a ghost? Tu Liong looked up at the sky. Indeed, the moon was full. He had heard that during a full moon or when the moon was dark, many mystical events often occurred. But he was sure he wasn't seeing things, and he continued to run closer to the white figure. In his heart, he felt a bit uneasy, but as he got closer, he felt a sense of relief. It wasn't a ghostly figure. It was a bald-headed novice nun. Indeed, the Hai Ceng usually worn by novice nuns is either white or black. Tu Liong was grateful this nun wasn't wearing black.
Seeing Tu Liong approaching, she pressed her palms together and bowed respectfully. "Amitabha..." Tu Liong felt awkward too. But he knew the proper etiquette for greeting such nuns. He followed the nun's gesture. "Amitabha... nun, what brings you to a place like this in the middle of the night?" "Do you know where I might find Cu Siau-thian?"
0-0-0
In the dark of the night, Wie Kie-hong continued to run as if possessed. Various thoughts, suspicions, and questions swirled in his mind. Tears streamed down his face. He was weary of the confusion caused by all the questions and deceptions. It seemed like nothing made logical sense to him. Suddenly, a memory struck him. The person he met in Bu Tiat-cui's residence, who had a hoarse voice and white eyebrows... could that person be his father? It felt like he had heard that hoarse voice several times. It sounded like the person who whispered to him in his room when someone pried open the window of his late stepfather's bedroom. The same voice that had greeted him on his journey to deliver the paper umbrella to Miss Thiatyan. Why hadn't he thought of this when he was confronting him? "How could I have known if his father suddenly appeared before him?" he said to himself. UGH! If that were true, he had missed a great opportunity. A great opportunity that turned into a great tragedy. Thinking that his father might now be gone due to his foolishness, Wie Kie-hong became even more frantic. He quickened his pace until his waist ached. He didn't care about his labored breathing. His destination was none other than Bu Tiat-cui's residence.
The night grew later, and the atmosphere was very quiet. The atmosphere in San-poa alley was as silent as anywhere else. There was no sense of murder in the air at all. The entrance gate to Bu Tiat-cui's garden was half-open. But inside, there was no sound. Wie Kie-hong waited until his breath returned to normal, only then did he dare to step inside. The lamps inside the house were lit, but he found no one. The curtain covering the entrance to the side room was half drawn open. Bu Tiat-cui's corpse still lay stiff where he had left it earlier. Besides that corpse, there was another person sitting on the bench Bu Tiat-cui usually occupied. He sat leaning back, his head tilted backward. His right hand clutched his chest, fresh blood smearing his hand.
Wie Kie-hong tried to examine him more closely. It turned out this person was still breathing, albeit very slowly. Wie Kie-hong wanted to approach immediately. However, he suddenly remembered his brother Tu. He was always cautious. If he were with him, he would surely pull his shoulder. He would warn him to be more vigilant. Therefore, Wie Kie-hong examined all four corners of the room until it was clear, then he quickly walked up to the injured person. Wie Kie-hong's head felt very hot. He was like an ant in a cauldron. He studied the face of the injured person.
**
Glossary:**
- **Gang San-poa:** A location mentioned in the story, possibly an alley or street.
- **Bu Tiat-cui:** A character whose residence seems to be central to the plot.
- **Thiat-yan:** A character mentioned as the one who attacked Wie Kie-hong's father.
- **Cu Siau-thian:** Another character involved in the plot, possibly an antagonist.
- **Leng Taiya:** A location mentioned in the story, possibly a residence.
- **Nikoh:** A term for a novice nun in Chinese Buddhism.