Gentleman Free-Flowing Cloud Chapter 4

Chapter 4   The next morning, the sky was tainted a faint orange and the smell of wet earth lingered in the air.   A storm was brewing and the strong wind was causing everyone’s robes to dance wildly.  He Zai was beside her and blocked some of the wind.  Normally, she would find such weather refreshing but for some reason, she could not help but feel restless and uneasy.   Although she has said before that luck was the primary reason she was still alive, she has never doubted the strength of her sixth senses. She could feel the danger in the air but could not guess what was going to happen next.   Suddenly, colorful fireworks exploded in the distant sky.  Gong Sun Yun narrowed his eyes and ordered Gong Sun Zhi to stick close to the two Protectors while he displayed some rather impressive qinggong* and flew quickly out of the woods.    Originally, Cloud Manor has arranged for a shelter point in front, in anticipation of the rain.  With the turn of events, everyone could only hurry after Gong Sun Yun in case an unseen enemy was planning to divide and conquer.  The woods passed in a green blur as she steadily followed three paces behind Che Yan Yan and her Sky Slaves. He Zai was besides her and Gong Sun Zhi was at her back.   Gong Sun Zhi tried to comfort her. “You do not need to worry.  There are very few in the pugilist world who would pit themselves against Cloud Manor and the people who dare to do so are either some nobody or mountain bandits.  The fireworks are a sign that our men had encountered some difficulty.  Based on the location where the shot is being fired, it was where we discovered two young pugilists previously, so perhaps our men are having difficulty persuading them to leave.”   Wang Yun was surprised.  “You could tell what I am thinking?”   He returned her question with a gentle smile. “Whenever you are thinking on something, you would touch your flute.  The flute contains a sword and is probably something very important to you. However, try not to expect the worse in every situation to prevent stress from accumulating and affecting your health.”   She gave an involuntary shiver, afraid that he would lapse into his lecturing mode.  She stopped touching her flute but could not stem her thoughts.  How could she not expect the worse in everything?  Had she not done so, she would have died a long time ago. 

“Gentleman Xian Yun, we witnessed everything!” said a young pugilist from another sect. “Although we are a step late in getting here, but the bodies tell their own story. There are no sword or knife wounds so the murderer must have used his internal strength to shatter the internal organs of these Cloud Manor disciples.  The Right Protector of Bai Ming Sect uses a whip and the Left Protector uses a sword, but their Sect Leader is known to be able kill with his bare hands.  Such evil martial arts have the fingerprints of Bai Ming Sect all over it!”   Wang Yun gave a faint smile and said: “If it is Master, there should not be any survivors.  It is possible that someone could be trying to frame us.”   “Demoness, pay with your life!  Bai Ming Sect has turned my brother into a Sky Slave and let him die in shame while leaving my father too ashamed to face the others.  Let me turn you into a slave today and parade you like a dog to give you a taste of your own medicine!”   Someone drew his sword and He Zai was in front of Wang Yun in the next instant.  Che Yan Yan flicked her whip and said coldly. “Sure!  Let us see who is the one who is going to die!”

Wang Yun quickly took a step back and managed to block the third dart with her flute. As she stumbled back another step, she wanted to breathe a sigh of relief when she realized there was nothing beneath her feet.  He Zai leaped forward to grab her but another chain of darts shot out from the woods, this time all aiming at He Rong Hua.   If he persisted in going after her, He Rong Hua will die without a doubt.   In that instant, she suddenly understood what Sect Leader has planned.  So this was it, this was it!   Some things are easier said then done…. easier said than done…  she saw a flash of hatred in He Zai’s eyes before he made a half turn and deflected He Rong Hua from the secret weapons.   “Miss Huang Fu!”  Gong Sun Zhi has also turned and tried to grab at her.  Gong Sun Yun uncoiled the band at his waist and hastily festooned a hold on Gong Sun Zhi while the latter leaped after Wang Yun.  As some loose rocks hit him along his descent, Gong Sun Zhi knew it will not be enough. Although Xian Yun’s qinggong was very good, the ground was unstable and he has Seventh Brother on his back, how long could he last?   Just as the thought crossed his mind, he felt the band tightened around his waist and he was jerked upwards.  In that split second, he understood that Xian Yun has made a snap decision and he averted his eyes from the falling Wang Yun.   Gong Sun Zhi has not dared to meet her eyes, but what was there not to dare?  The wind was howling around her as she fell.   As the white mist swallowed the figures on the cliff, she burst out laughing. “Ha, ha..ha.ha…!”   To think she has been mulling for ten years over this question! Is it not a good thing that the answer is now out?  She closed her eyes and let the wind accompanied her fall.  Isn’t a dying person supposed to see her life flashing before her?  Why is it that the only thing she sees is the scene from yesterday when He Zai promised her that he will follow her this lifetime?   She has thought she felt a bit more secure now that she has a family.   She recalled how Gong Sun Yun would smile warmly at his family members.  Hasn’t the world always been like this?  Everyone has someone important in their hearts whom they will not give up on.  She is just a little unlucky to belong to the second category, to be classified as someone who could be saved if one is able, but could be discarded if it is beyond one’s means.  There is really nothing much to it.   He Zai has asked her for the reason she allowed him to return for his father’s funeral when knowing full well they would be caught home.  The answer was because she has been waiting for him to turn his back to her.  Even if it did not happen today, that day will still come in future.  She has expected this.   As for Gong Sun Yun, he too has offered protection if she ever leaves the sect. Too bad he has chosen his family when the crunch came.  It is only natural. She will not bear any grudges.  At most she should only be relieved that ah, it finally happened.   So there is no need for her to ponder when the people closest to her will leave her. Perhaps this is another form of good luck?  But Sect Leader has chosen a really harsh way to drive home the fact of her loneliness.   Can he not just tell her nicely? She is sure she can understand.  If she falls to her death today, where is the crazy man going to find another successor?  Che Yan Yan is never an option and from the look of things, Che Yan Yan is unlikely to live long if there is a new leader.   Her thoughts were adrift and the roar of the wind seemed to make her even more confused.  Why did she get the feeling that the wind is blowing her up to heaven?  She inhaled the cold air and understood that although it has only been mere seconds, she has already lived an eternity.   She opened her eyes as her survival instincts kicked in.  She tried kicking out with her legs, and after several tries, she thought she has hit the side of the cliff.  Quickly, she tried to dig her flute into the rocks around her to try to slow her fall.   A pity she did not have enough strength and her flute without its sword was not hard enough to create much hold as she continued to plunge.  She bit down hard on her lips and uncoiled the belt around her waist.  She tried to swing it and see if she could hook one of the huge rocks near to her, but the wind blew her attempts away.  She laughed again, perhaps it was all meant to be.  Her belt continued to dance in the wind, like a red river of blood flowing around but dazedly, she saw the belt has actually caught on some branches growing by the cliffs.  She quickly coiled more belt around her hands as happiness coursed through her, and she prayed fervently that the belt would not break so soon.  Thankfully, the belt broke her fall and when it finally snapped, although she still fell with a hard ‘thumph!’ to the ground, it was no longer a deadly fall.

*a branch of martial arts whereby a person with good qinggong can make his body very light, and can run faster and leap higher than a person without qinggong.

Chapter end