Jin Yong: Sword Of The Yueh Maiden

Feng Li ordered his guard "Sew the body back together and bury it next to this lady's house."

Ah Ching stood up. Her face was stained by tears, but her eyes was happy. "Feng Li, you won't let them eat Old White?"

Feng Li said "Of course not. That's your Old White. No one is permitted to eat him."

Ah Ching sighed "You are nice. I always hate to let other people kill my goats so they can eat the meat, but mother said that unless we sell our goat, we will not have money for rice."

Feng Li said "From today on, I will ask people to send your mother rice and good clothes. You don't have to sell your goats anymore."

Ah Ching became happy and embraced Feng Li "You are a good man."

Feng Li held her hand, afraid that she might disappear like some immortal from legend. The goats followed them back to his mansion.

As Ah Ching herded her goats into the mansion she said "Your house is so large! How can you live here alone?"

Feng Li smiled "Yes, I think this house is too big for me. Why don't you come live here with your mother? Who else do you have in your family?"

Ah Ching said "Just me and my mom. I don't know if my mom wants to come. She always says that I shouldn't talk to strange man, but you are a good man. You won't harm us."

Feng Li told Ah Ching to leave the goats in the garden and ordered his servants to pick out the best snacks for Ah Ching. The servants watched in shock as the goats devoured the expensive flowers in the garden. They were even more shocked when they observed their master watching the destruction with a happy smile.

Ah Ching ate the pastries and drank the tea. Feng Li talked with and discovered that she's innocent of the intrigues of the world. Finally he asked "Ah Ching, who taught you sword skills?"

Ah Ching's large, clear eyes opened wider and said "Sword skill? No one ever taught me anything."

Feng Li said "The way you used that bamboo stick. That's sword skill. Who taught that?"

Ah Ching shook her head "No one. I always knew how to play with the bamboo stick."

Feng Li saw that she was too innocent to lie and thought "Did heaven finally send down a miracle?" He asked again "Do you know how to play with this bamboo since you're a child?"

Ah Ching said "No. When I was thirteen, Grandpa White came to ride my goats. I wouldn't let him and beat him off with my bamboo stick. He returned with a bamboo stick. I then fought with him. At first, he always score hits on me and I can't score hits on him. I play this everyday. Now, I score hits on him most of the time and he can't score hits on me. He isn't coming back as often now."

Feng thought he finally hit something and said "Where does this Grandpa White live? Can you take me to him?"

Ah Ching said "He lives in the mountains. You can't find him. He usually comes and find me. I never tried to find him."

Feng Li said "I want to meet him. Is there a way?"

Ah Ching said "Hmm. You can follow me to pasture. We will wait for him on the mountain side. I don't know when he'll show though." She sighed "I haven't seen him for a while now."

Feng Li said to himself "This is for Yi Kwan and the kingdom of Yueh. A little goat herding won't hurt." so he said "Good, I'll accompany you and wait for Grandpa White." He thought "Grandpa White must be the sword sage who taught this girl. He must have loved her youth and innocence, so he used play to teach her. He could make a young girl into the such a great master, then he could make our warriors destroy Wu.

After the meal, Feng Li followed her to mountain pastures to her goats. His subordinates didn't understand the reason. They were all baffled. Day after day, Feng Li went with Ah Ching to herd goat and sang songs, waiting for Grandpa White.

On the fifth day, Wen Chung came to Feng Li's mansion and saw a very worried chamberlain. He asked "I haven't seen Minister Feng for a few days now. The King is worried and ordered to me to visit. Did Minister Feng come down sick?"

The chamberlain said "Minister Feng is healthy, but…but…"

"But?"

"Minister Wen is the best friend of Miister Feng. You can say things to him that are not appropriate for us to say. Why don't you try to talk some sense into him?"

Wen Chung was baffled "Sense? What's wrong with Minister Feng?"

"Minister Feng fell love with that little shepherdess. Every morning he leaves with her and don't return until after sundown. He won't permit any guards following him. He will not be bothered even when I have urgent affairs."

Wen Chung laughed and thought "When Brother Feng was living in the kingdom of Chuh, everyone called him Feng the Crazy. He never does things like other people."

At that time, Feng Li was sitting on a mountain side grassland and telling Ah Ching the story of the goddess Hsiang Fei. Ah Ching was sitting close by his side and listened to him intent, her large bright eyese never left his face. Suddenly she said "Hsiang Fei is really that beautiful?"

Feng Li said "Her eyes are clearer and brighter than the water in this mountain stream…"

Ah Ching said "Does she have fish in her eyes?"

Feng Li continued "Her skin is like the clouds, but fairer."

Ah Ching said "Are there birds flying in those clouds?"

Feng Li continued obliviously "Her lips are softer than the petal of this flower and redder. Her lips are moist, even more than the dews on this petal. When Hsiang Fei stands next to the river, the beauty of her reflection made all the riverside flowers wilt in shame. Even fish dare not swim in water for fear of rumpling her reflection. When her white hand is dipped into the river, it was so soft that it could almost melt into the water…"

Ah Ching said "You saw her, didn't you. How else can you describe her so clearly?"

Feng Li said "I saw her. I saw her very, very clearly."

Of course, he was referring to Si Shi, not the goddess Hsiang Fei.

He looked at the north. His eyes looked beyond a wide, roaring river. Is the beauty in the royal palace of Wu. Is she with King Fu Chai? Is she thinking about me?

Ah Ching said "Feng Li! Your beard is strange, can I touch it?"

Feng Li thought "Is she weeping, or laughing?"

Ah Ching said "Feng Li, you have two strands of white beard, just like my goats."

Feng Li thought "When we're separated, she wept on my shoulder. Her tear soaked half of my robe. I never washed that robe. My tears were mingled with hers on that robe."

Ah Ching said "Feng Li. Can I pull out one of your beard? I will pull gently. You won't feel a thing."

Feng Li thought "She said she loved riding in a boat and float with the currents. After I take her back, I will not be a court minister anymore. I will ride a boat with her, floating in rivers and lakes, for the rest of my life."

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his chin. Ah Ching pulled out a strand of his beard. She laughed prettily. Suddenly the laugh was cut off and she said "You're here again!"

A green shadow flashed as Ah Ching shot forward. A green blur and a white blur was moving quickly around each other.

Feng Li cried gladly "Grandpa White's here!" It's a while before the two combatants slowed down enough for him to get a good look. Then he got a great surprise.

The one fighting Ah Ching wasn't human. It was a white ape.

The white ape, too, was holding a bamboo stick. The white ape performed intricate sword forms. The whooshing sound of the stick signaled the great strength it put into each form. But everytime he attack, Ah Ching was always able to block or redirect each blow and counterattack using even more intricate sword forms.

When Ah Ching fought the Wu swordmen, the forms she used were minimal. Only now Feng Li witnessed the vast skill Ah Ching wielded. He was no expert in swords, but he had looked at the Yueh swordmen train for many years. Now, he realized that the best swordmen of Yueh were but children playing with toys when compared to Ah Ching and Grandpa.