Chapter 2: The Secret of Mo Nu

Book: The Legend of the Longsword Master

Author: Huang Yi

Chapter 2: The Secret of Mo Nu

That night, all three of us sat around in the house eating supper that Xi Qi prepared. Besides venison and mutton there was wheat soup boiling. This place was at the border of the empire, very far from the capital Sunrise City. The Emperor Shan Gao was far away, therefore people had to work diligently in fields so that they could provide enough sustenance for their families. It wasn't like Sunrise City where the empire provided everything. Around here most of the commodities were already taken by the thieving empire, so the people were forced to live in poor miserable conditions.

Qi Bei was silent as he ate with a good appetite. Xi Qi and I didn't dare break the oppressive atmosphere so we ate with single-minded devotion.

Qi Bei exhaled heartily as he laid down his wooden bowl. On his face it appeared that a deep question was troubling him.

Xi Qi and I also stopped eating and looked at him expectantly. Qi Bei looked at Xi Qi and a strange look flashed through his eyes. His expression appeared to be full of care and affection, but there was also shame.

Finally speaking out Xi Qi said, "Grandfather, what are you so concerned about?"

The aging eyes of Qi Bei looked out the window towards the dark and lonely night. He began to speak in a voice so low that they almost could not hear, "In ten days, after Lan Te is fully healed, we will go to the country of Mo Nu." When he uttered the four words 'Country of Mo Nu' an expression of excitement flashed accross his face. Those four words represented the most life-changing events of his life. It was within that legendary mystical country that he underwent an earthshaking change. Once the emperor's faithful top general, he turned into a rebel of the empire. He was also the only person at that time who dared to publicly rebel agains the empire.

But! Now he has me.

Xi Qi spoke, "Do you fear the colonel and his gang?"

With a snort Qi Bei said, "The colonel and his gang aren't even worthy of my concern. I am more worried about imperial interference from Black Widow, The Sorcerer, or the Black Helmet Soldier's commander Ge Zhan. None of them should be trifled with. This matter is related to the rise and fall of the empire and probably important enough for the emperor to personally come. We will still be in a lot of danger, but we should take advantage of the fact that the emperor hasn't acted sooner and escape to Mo Nu."

My heart trembled when I heard Qi Bei say,"related to the rise and fall of the empire." What exactly did that mean?

Does he know where the location is on my map? As long as the lost cemetary from the map can be found, then enough strength can be gained to destroy the empire.

Seeing the change spread accross my face Qi Bei smiled proudly, "In the early days your father and I received a secret command from the emperor to go to the country of Mo Nu and steal the Canon of Wisdom. We pretended to be two old pharmacists from the mountains, and we infiltrated Mo Nu, ai...." He sighed deeply as he was lost in memories.

His time in Mo Nu was emotional causing his eyes to be opened wide, and his horizons to be expanded. Whenever I asked my father about what happened in Mo Nu he also would have this kind of expression, but he would never tell me what happened in Mo Nu.

I didn't dare interrupt Qi Bei's reverie. Although I wasn't happy that he didn't freely share everything that happened in Mo Nu, I thought it would be better to endure, not to making a sound.

At that moment, Xi Qi said, "Grandfather, why didn't you ever mention what happened in Mo Nu to me?"

A look of shame and regret flashed across Qi Bei's face as he sighed, but didn't say a word.

Just when Xi Qi and I thought he wouldn't say anything more, Qi Bei actually opened his mouth saying, "Your father Lan Ling and I were the two best warriors of the empire. There was nobody better than us and there never will be again."

Blood surged in my heart as I thought to myself, "I may not be better than you now, but in the future I will certainly surpass you."

It looked like Qi Bei saw through my thoughts as an unusual smile spread accross his face. That only made me feel like he said it on purpose which caused my pride to flare even more.

Xi Qi not letting things go easily said, "Grandfather, you have been hesitant to speak all night, just say it already!"

"At that time we experienced infinite hardships, it seemed like one came after another. Finally entered Mo Nu palace where we met the Devil Woman."

(Note: Mo Nu literally means Devil Woman, but it sounds stupid to call it devil woman country so I kept that element separate until now where a little extra insight might be helpful.)

My whole body began to shake, in disbelief I called out, "What?"

Confused Xi Qi looked over at me.

A cold light reflected from Qi Bei's eyes, "You have also heard the legend concerning the Devil Woman. Yes, she never allows herself to age. Every once in a while she will undergo a transformation, where she will exchange her current body for a new beautiful body, aiya! Her inner beauty is also so astonishing that nobody can resist. Even if she were an ugly woman, her strength and wisdom are simply irresistable."

I said, "Even if that were the case, your goal was to steal all twelve volumes of the Canon of Wisdom. Why did you actually meet her instead of avoiding her altogether?"

"From a secret source the emperor received some news. He learned that each time the Devil Woman undergoes a transformation, she will be very weak for thirty days. We were only taking advantage of this information to kill her."

A look of excitement flashed accross Qi Bei's face as he continued saying, "Mo Nu city and Mo Nu palace were not only grand and beautiful, but they also surpassed the empire in architecture and construction. In comparison the Sunrise Palace would be small if it were put next to Mo Nu palace. To describe that place, the only appropriate term would be "paradise". There also wasn't one male inside, only servant girls. Separately Lan Ling and I snuck accross the palace moat. From there we followed the instructions the emperor obtained that led us to the palace core."

With total conentration Xi Qi and I were raptly listening. Devil Woman, Mo Nu Palace, Mo Nu City, Mo Nu country; the strangest and most colorful tales within the empire were always about those places. Since Mo Nu and the empire were separated by a river, the empire didn't dare to carelessly overextend.

"Lan Ling and I separated when we entered the palace. For about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense I searched the palace hall furiously. Unexpectedly I found myself in a room with a large pool. Inside the pool the devil woman was bathing. I saw her and I knew it had to be her. She was so beautiful that she had to be at least ten thousand times more beautiful than the most beautiful woman of the empire, ai!"

Jealously Xi Qi replied, "Was she really so beautiful?"

With infinite gentleness and affection Qi Bei responded to Xi Qi, "You are also a rare beauty, but the devil woman is different. Her beauty is magical, it can turn any man or woman into a babbling idiot. It can cause the hardest refined steel to suddenly soften and wrap around her finger."

Changing he turned to me, "I heard that the emperor's daughter, the princess, is also very beautiful, right?"

A trace of guilt and shame came over me.

I wasn't prepared for that and all of the sudden I looked like a fool. Yes, the princess really was the most beautiful woman in the empire. Compared to Xi Qi, the princess looked like a rose in full bloom, but Xi Qi was an orchid in a secluded valley. How surprised I was! Qi Bei rebelled and left the empire over ten years ago. Why would he care if the princess was beautiful or not?

In one breath Qi Bei said, "Its late! Go to sleep."

Xi Qi and I wanted to protest, but from the resolute expression on his face we knew he wouldn't talk again.

As usual, that night I rested in the woodshed. I rested my back and head on the dry hay while I listened to the mountain crickets chirp outside. Within my heart I had a peaceful feeling. My father was arrested one month ago by the emperor and jailed within the sunrise palace. I fought my way into his room and watched him take his last breath and then I immediately fled Sunrise City. Since then I haven't felt such a feeling of tranquility.                        

Comparing between this place and the beautiful Sunrise City they really can't be mentioned in the same breath. But retreating far from the luxuries of the city to the myriad vegetations, and becoming more intimate with Mother nature does actually make it a comparable place.

I also began to think about Qi Bei and the Mo Nu palace matter, but soon my mind wandered back to the rhythmic sounds of nature surrounding me. Even though I couldn't practice the sword, I was able to meditate through my sword sets, pondering each strike and movement. Many times in the past I couldn't make much progress, but this time it was as if the ocean tide was bubbling up to my mind from within. It wasn't until before sunrise that I finally fell into a deep sleep.

The next thing I knew I was aware of several loud noises. Qi Bei repeatedly went out, making me aware that he was trying to find any evidence of imperial activity. It was a good idea to plan the route for the escape to Mo Nu. Even though I haven't seen him very much, and his face appeared to be expressionless, I still thought that there was an excitement radiating from his eyes that was difficult to hide. Is there such a power that would make him have an eternally strong attraction to the Devil Woman? Is Mo Nu palace a man's dream land? Ever since obtaining the Canon of Wisdom the empire has been prosperous, but why haven't they annexed Mo Nu? I once heard that the emperor had a goal. He wanted to have the Devil Woman for his own private pleasure. Maybe this is every man's dream in the empire.

Today I helped Xi Qi pack the luggage so that we could be prepared at any time to leave. Then I went with Xi Qi to a nearby mountain to hunt for some food. It felt good to get some exercise.

Because I had been trained strictly from my childhood I was already healing more quickly than even Qi Bei anticipated. I was able to easily spot and kill a small deer.

We sat down to rest on a hillside.

Xi Qi shyly sat next to me and hooked her arm in mine while we happily chatted with each other.

I couldn't help to ask, "Where are you parents?"

Xi Qi blinked her beautiful eyes as she looked at a loss, "I don't know because grandfather never told me."

I felt sorry for her to see her there with such a big wish. I put my arm around her shoulder and hugged her to me, and she let out a small sigh.

Her face blushed, not pushing me away she suddenly became soft. I had never before been to a place with so many flowers waving back and forth. We were in a difficult phase for our happiness as a man and a woman, but I just didn't know what to do next. After sitting through an intensely sweet meeting, we grabbed the game we caught and started down the mountain.

Rushing down the mountain we wanted to take advantage of the light before the sun set.

Before we arrived at the main trail I suddenly felt that something was out of place. I stopped to look around, but Xi Qi wanted to continue on and pulled me forward saying, "Whats the matter?" In a sinking voice I replied, "There are people! I can hear the sound of many heartbeats."

At that instant there was already a sudden change.

*Crash* *Bang* *Crash*!

A large hanging net began to fall right over our heads. The sky was covered as it fell towards us, Xi Qi obviously didn't know how to deal with this situation.

I grabbed Xi Qi by the waist and then rolled to the ground until I came to a nearby tree. A shadow dodged and the net rested covering the tree trunk with the edges barely touching the ground. I drew my sword and swugn it at the perfect angle. *Clang* the net responded accordingly and flew upward.

Embracing Xi Qi once again I was able to roll just beyond the net's reach.

The intense pain was just starting.

A body appeared wrapped entirely in dark black leather with only the eyes, ears, and nose showing; it was a black helmet soldier. Like a wasp nest they started appearing from every place that offered concealment. In their hands they were holding either a knife, spear, axe, or gun as they rushed towards us in a full attack. I shouted at her, "Follow me closely!" If I could kill my way to the south, towards the forest then we would have a much better chance of escaping.

Blood was flying now since my body had recovered. If I was by myself I was confident that I would be able to escape, but I had to look after Xi Qi as well. "YA!" I heard Xi Qi cry out.

I turned my head to look and she looked like a tiger entangled by a pack of wolves, surrounded by black helmet soldiers. Ten paces away from her was a rushing tide of eight sparkling black humans. I gathered my great strength and began to swing my sword repeatedly aiming at their necks. I ran towards Xi Qi intent on killing. I heard her cry out once again. The sword in her hand fell to the ground while she followed it falling prostrate to the ground.

A fierce hiss escaped my lips, my sword appeared to transform into a long rainbow. The enemy's fresh blood flew horizontally, as I powerfully cut through layer upon layer of their soldiers. I rushed to Xi Qi in an instant, at the same time my shoulder, head, and thigh were hit. That was the price.

I was ready to cut any of the soldiers down to protect Xi Qi when I felt a fresh breeze assault my body. The enemy's leader finally appeared.

Xi Qi struggled on the ground to look over at me. Her face was full of fright and despair. That look made my heart ache like a burn and I let out a melancholy sigh. I stopped trying to rescue Xi Qi sweeping my sword back around colliding with an attacking sword that came at me from behind.

My gaze fell on my opponent, and was met by a fierce look.

Ge Zhan! The commander of the black helmet soldiers, and the emperor's faithful dog. Next to the sorcerer and the black widow he was the most feared person in the empire.

Pushing against my sword Ge Zhan said with a fierce smile, "Little lamb, you only have half your strength. How can you hope to escape from me?"

The person who Ge Zhan hated the most was me, because he thought that if it weren't for me the princess would be his.

I snorted as I bent my body down, my sword passed under his throwing small chunks of dirt in his direction. Ge Zhan grunted coldly whirling his sword back around. Both swords collided more than ten times in a small instant. I was at a loss since my old wound had not recovered. My mad killing spree to save Xi Qi also consumed a lot of my strength and soon I stumbled in the exchange. Although the black helmet soldiers had been commanded to halt, they formed a sphere around us many layers thick. Psychologically this turned out to be an almost unbearable burden resulting in a helpless feeling.

Ge Zhan shouted angrily and his sword flashed brightly executing a series of exquisite movements. My face remained impassive even though I was the first to draw blood. I wasn't surprised by his angry response. I moved in to sweep away

his sword with a skillful sword pattern. Now no matter what timing or angle he uses this strike will certainly hit. Ge Zhan was not able to escape in time, and blood splashed from his shoulder.

The black helmet warriors let out a loud battle cry to boost his spirit. I took advantage of Ge Zhan's retreat to look for Xi Qi when a rope flew out and wrapped around my left ankle. A strong pull almost dragged me to the ground.

I sunk my waste into a horse stance and it seemed as if the soles of my feet had grown roots into the ground. I resisted the vigorous pulling on the rope while I tried to slice through it with my sword. Like a poisonous dragon Ge Zhan's sword shot towards my right side aimed at my throat.

I can't blame him for taking advantage of my precarious position. The difference between living and dying is like the edge of a knife. The person who succeeds lives, and the person who fails will die. At that point there is no righteousness or

contempt. Meanwhile I blocked Ge Zhan's sword many times, but I could never find an opportunity to sever the rope around my ankle. That was the crucial key to my defeat.

"Ya!" came a pitiful yell from my mouth. My entire body shook and was swept away as more than ten black helmet warriors pulled strongly on the rope. Losing my footing I was reluctantly dragged to the ground. It was all over.

The ice-cold points of axes, spears, and guns were all aimed at my vital points.

I was roughly tied up, escorted, and placed in the corner of the house with Xi Qi. Ge Zhan sat on the chair while he inspected my sword. His face darkened as if a storm was about to come.

Ge Zhan's face was devoid of expression when he considered my captivity. With a cold voice he said, "Where is the map?" In my heart I felt fear. Nobody that fell into his clutches has ever failed to spit out the truth. My father was the only exception. I also remember that his torture made my father so unrecognizable that I wasn't sure I was seeing a human.

My hatred was replaced by fear. I clenched my teeth saying, "You will use the same cruel torture that you used on my father, but I am afraid you will only get the same result!"

Ge Zhan kicked me in the pit of the stomach.

I cried out pitifully as I flew backwards. My head hit heavily on the wall, I immediately saw stars, and I could barely breathe.

"Don't!" screamed Xi Qi.

Ge Zhan was preparing to continue the torture when a sound from the other side of door interrupted him, "Commander! That hunter needs to see you." Enduring the pain I opened my eyes to see the colonel walk through the door and shrink in fear. I suddenly realized that the colonel was an informant.

Ge Zhan stared at the colonel.

Awkwardly he said, "Sir, you promised that when the matter was concluded you would give the woman to me."

Ge Zhan turned to look at Xi Qi and for the first time he took a good look. A strange light appeared in his eye, and it was obvious that he was attracted to the beautiful Xi Qi. I had an ominous feeling in my heart.

Sensing that something was not right with the situation the colonel humbly said, "Sir! Big ...."

Ge Zhan coldly interrupted him, "Come here."

Startled he replied, "What is going on?"

A smile appeared on Ge Zhan's face, "If you do not come here, how can I reward you?"

Overjoyed the colonel advanced two steps and was about to kneel down to accept the gift when Ge Zhan's right hand moved, the point of the sword flashed, and it cleanly entered his chest.

The colonel couldn't believe what had happened as he stared at the sword in his chest. The sword was so sharp that he felt no pain when it pierced him.

Xi Qi screamed in fear. Although she was accustomed to using a sword every day, it was the first time she had witnessed someone being murdered. Even worse was the cruel way in which it was done.

With a hissing sound the colonel withdrew the sword. Along with the sword came blood that violently spurted out everywhere. "Wump!" looking up to heaven he fell to the floor, and he never moved again.

With pity I looked at Xi Qi, her face was full of tears while her body twisted away. I understood that Ge Zhan killed the colonel in front of us to deliberately create more pressure.

Ge Zhan stood up calmly, his body was splashed with the colonel's blood giving him an even fiercer bearing. He slowly walked over to Xi Qi and stopped in front of her. Suddenly he grabbed her and hugged her body to him. Although Xi Qi's hands and feet were bound she still screamed and struggled with all her might.

Laughing wildly Ge Zhan said, "Interesting, very interesting! I like it the most when a young woman struggles, especially when they are so beautiful."

I heard a ripping sound as Xi Qi's clothes were largely torn off revealing the tender snow white flesh of her back. She desperately cried out in anguish.

Suppressing the burning anger in my heart I calmly said, "Put her down!"

Shouting loudly Ge Zhan replied, "Where is the map?"

"I didn't bring it with me, but it is still in the empire."

Ge Zhan roared pushing Xi Qi toward the wall causing her to hit it.

Pulling me from the ground he shouted at me, "Where?"

I coldly laughed, "Even if I told you where, you wouldn't believe me so easily would you?"        

Anger flared in Ge Zhan's eyes. Suddenly he squatted down and began to pummel me in my stomach. It was so painful that my entire body reacted with convulsions.

*CRASH!*

I tossed him to the ground, and he rolled to the wall coming to an abrupt stop. An unrestrained hatred overflowed my heart.

Ge Zhan was breathing heavily now. If he could get the map from me, he would immediately torture me to death in order to quench his hatred for me. For now he will have to wait until he finds the map.

Gradually suppressing his anger Ge Zhan said in a low voice, "Good! I will take you back to the empire where you will learn your final fate."

Three days later I looked like a bundle of merchandise packed in a cart. My hands and feet were bound in imperial handcuffs. I did not know if Xi Qi was here, or if she was being held on another cart. It is also possible that they wouldn't bring her along at all. Everywhere I looked there were black helmet soldiers. There were so many that I couldn't even catch a glimpse of Ge Zhan. They only gave me enough food and water to keep me alive. After three days I felt very weak, but fortunately I have an excellent physique. Even though I was being held in such a bad environment, my strict training enabled me to continue the quick recovery of my wounds. My only hope now rests on Qi Bei. I thought it was strange that Ge Zhan didn't mention him. It is possible that the colonel didn't inform him of all the details, or perhaps that arrogant and cruel Ge Zhan isn't concerned about the men who live in the country. If he knew that Xi Qi was the granddaughter of the empire's most oustanding swordsman Qi Bei, he probably wouldn't sleep so soundly at night. Where was he at? That night the caravan made camp in the woods. Around midnight sounds of chaos came from all around. I opened my eyes suddenly hearing a strange crackle and pop noise. It took me a few moments to realize what was happening.

"Fire!" It was the sound of fire. I immediately hoped that it was Qi Bei. He had to be following the caravan and waited until Ge Zhan pitched camp in the forest. He then used fire to create chaos and disorder. I could hear Ge Zhan shouting outside the carriage, "Drive this carriage out first! I think the fire was intentionally set by someone, if not then how could three different fires on the east, west, and south start simultaneously? We can only escape to the north."

Another voice said, "Even if there is someone so daring, I guarantee that the package won't be able to escape." Ge Zhan snorted, obviously he was very angry.

The carraige began to move slowly. Bits of ash began to fly in through the carriage window. As I lay down in the carriage I caught glimpes of the flames. Only an experienced soldier like Qi Bei could set a fire like this. Ge Zhan was too negligent, he should have never camped in the forest.

The front and the back of the carriage was guarded by black helmet soldiers. It wasn't going to be easy for Qi Bei to rescue me. As I thought about these things two large bangs rang out. It looked like two large burning trees fell around the carraige.

The horses pulling the carriage all began to noisily scream in fear, they jumped around and struggled to get away causing an immense disorder.

Suddenly the carriage was moving again, but this time it moved forward with a jolt and settled into a high speed.

I was tossed to my left, and then I rolled to the right colliding mercilessly with the carriage wall. I was actually wild with joy because I knew that Qi Bei was driving the carriage. He was carrying me away from the evil clutches of Ge Zhan.

The sounds of a close chase behind us soon began to gradually fade. Ge Zhan was definitely not willing to let me walk.

"Peng!" The carriage suddenly stopped.

I was shocked, how could the carriage stop now?

The carriage door banged open.

Like a tornado Qi Bei rushed into the carriage and pulled me out. As soon as I was on the ground, Qi Bei gave a great shout. The horses neighed and began to dash off wildly once again. Qi Bei stabbed one of the horses in the thigh so that the horses could not go all out in their mad rush.

Qi Bei jumped on me and we rolled into a thick patch of grass nearby. We were soon soaked by the cold dew in the grass.

Ge Zhan's large force soon arrived on horseback chasing after the distant carriage. The hoofs sounded like thunder, while my heart was stuck in my throat. More than a hundred Black Helmet soldiers rode past us and the hoof of one horse almost stepped on me. The danger still wasn't over. If the uncontrolled carriage were to hit a tree then it would turn on its side. Ge Zhan would then circle around turning our fortunate situation into an extremely unfortunate one.

"Stand up!" shouted Qi Bei.

I wanted to stand up but the cuffs binding my feet caused me to fall back down.

"Clang!"

Sword light flashed and Qi Bei's sword cut right through the center of the cuffs immediately separating them. The speed and accuracy made me feel ashamed of my inferiority.

"Raise your hands" he commanded.

I just finished raising my hands when Qi Bei's sword arrived. Another metal clang sounded out and my handcuffs fell in two pieces to the ground. Beneath his sword the handcuffs snapped like dry decayed branches.

The distant noise of wild neighing followed by chaotic screaming rang out.

Qi Bei said lightly, "There is a cliff over there." The revelation shocked me. In the darkness I could only see Qi Bei's eye sparkling brightly. The heroic feelings and prestige of his former days was temporarily reignited when his sword shed blood anew. "Come with me, son of Lan Ling."

By the time the sky began to brighten we were far away from the forest. We stopped to rest by a mountain stream. I bent down next to the stream and allowed myself to submerge my head in the water. This taste of freedom was worth more than any riches.

Qi Bei asked, "Xi Qi?"

My whole body shook, "You haven't saved her?"

Qi Bei raised his head to gaze at the sky, "Ge Zhan is a crafty old fox. That day I was on the road gong home when I met the caravan transporting you and it didn't look good. I thought that Xi Qi was imprisoned with you on the same carriage."

I stood suddenly and said decidedly, "The only way we will find Xi Qi is if we find Ge Zhan first."

Qi Bei calmly replied, "Son of Lan Ling, impulsiveness only leads to disaster. First tell me why Ge Zhan was sent to capture you."

Dejected I sat down, but I didn't tell him that Ge Zhan was an extremely skillful swordsman. Instead I talked about the several hundred black helmet soldiers that I had to deal with. I told him of how I fled Sunrise City with the imperial troops chasing me. Inevitably they sent out more than one search party to find me, but exactly how many they sent to find me I didn't know.

I hesitated for a long moment before I said, "Also, they are chasing me because they couldn't get the map."

Stunned, a severe look reflected in Qi Bei's eyes.

I couldn't look at him. Suddenly Qi Bei raised his head to the sky and began to laugh. He was extremely delighted and after a long period of laughter he finally said, "Great! I always knew your father was impenetrably stubborn, but I also thought he was blindly devoted to the emperor. It seems that he hasn't given the map to the emperor when he gave him six of the total twelve volumes of the canon of wisdom.

This time I was the one surprised, "What?"

Indifferently Qi Bei replied, "When Lan Ling and I split up to sneak into Mo Nu palace, I met the Demoness. The emperor wanted us to find the demoness and immediately assassinate her. I actually couldn't do it, also...." A gentle look crept into his eyes. I didn't need him to say anything else to know what happened after that.

According to my father he couldn't avoid falling in love with the demoness. He ended up forgetting the mission he was sent to complete and betrayed the empire.

Sighing Qi Bei continued, "Your father actually met with a Mo Nu soldier and was force to flee the palace. We lost contact for a total of three months."

"But you enjoyed a life of luxury, right?"

Dodging the question Qi Bei coldly barked, "It is only natural that your father would think that. At that time I didn't join forces with the Demoness, but I spent two months learning a lot there. Most importantly I realized that the emperor is actually a tyrant who is sqeezing the blood, marrow, and sweat from the people in order to satisfy his every selfish desire.

"Father also said something like this once." I said in surprise.

With a smile on his face Qi Bei replied, "Of course he did! I was the one who told him that, but at the time he didn't believe me. He also snuck into Mo Nu palace a second time. He was lucky that time since the Demoness went on an inspection tour while he snuck in. He took the opportunity to steal six volumes of the Canon of Wisdom, including the one volume that contained the map. I immediately chased after him. It wasn't until after he was back in the empire that I caught up with him. Fighting, my skill did not yield in the least and I continually blocked him. During that time I was able to tell him some of what the Demoness had told me.

Burying the pain in my heart I replied, "Although he gave the Canon of Wisdom to the emperor, he tore the map out beforehand. Nobody knew of this secret until several months ago. I don't know how the emperor found out, but he immediately invited my father to the palace. Who would have guessed that it was a trap and my father was gone forever. I had to hide while my two sisters and my younger brother were all killed by the emperor. By all means I have to kill the emperor."

Qi Beido inquired, "Where is the map?"

"I snuck into the prison where my father was being held to see him. Before he took his last breath he told me where the map is."

"Is the prison so easy to sneak into?"

"I also knew that Ge Zhan intentionally let me sneak into the prison and then followed me to try and get the map again. Who would have thought that once I left the prison I would immediately leave the city on a fast horse. Ge Zhan and the others who were after the map thought this was strange so they pursued me again. I was already far from Sunrise City when I had several bloody battles, and finally met up with you and Xi Qi."

Qi Bei fervently asked, "So, where is the map?"

I raised my hand and pointed to my head, "It is in here. After my father tore it out of the Canon it has always hung in his bedroom. I can certainly draw it again."

Surprised it sounded like Qi Bei was making a choking noise in his throat when suddenly he began laughing wildly. He laughed so hard he began coughing before he said, "Good Lan Ling followed the empty principle. He took the empire's deepest secret and put it where anyone can see it, instead of trying to hide it from the emperor."

I grabbed a branch and broke it into two. From memory I rapidly drew the map into the ground at our feet.

Qi Bei's eyes began to shine brilliantly. Until I finished drawing the entire map neither of us broke the silence to speak.

When finished I said, "On the map there were written many geographic names. Father said that they belonged to an age long past. Now those names aren't used anymore." I pointed at four squares shapes in the center of the map saying, "These squares represent the ruins called the 'Lost Cemetary'. In large red characters next to the ruins was written 'Strange Object'. Another note was added that said, 'Humanity can reach its peak in power!' Father said that as long as I can find this unusual object, then I would have the most formidable strength in the world. It should be enough to overthrow the empire."

It didn't appear as if Qi Bei heard what I said when he replied, "I think that I am familiar with this terrain, but I cannot remember where I have seen it before."

I knew he had an extensive knowledge, but if he doesn't know where the ruins are located then it will be like finding a needle in a haystack. I felt despair in my heart.

Qi Bei shook his head and changed the subject, "There is something more important right now. We need to rescue Xi Qi."

I nodded in agreement, "Let plan immediately. I also want to rescue Xi Qi from a sea of bitterness."

Qi Bei spoke, "In reality we have very few opportunities to succeed. Once they enter the empire they will only have two paths. First to pass through the thin Jade Forest next to the Tian river and crossing over many valleys to eventually come out at the city walls. That is also the route that Ge Zhan was taking while he was transporting you. Another path passes through Mount Nan, veers around Si Ren swamp, joins back up with the Feng Wu mountain path that cuts through the great southern plain. If Ge Zhan wants to detain Xi Qi within the city then he will have to abandon this second route. If we can find several fast horses to chase them, we can expect to overtake the soldiers escorting Xi Qi by tomorrow evening. If we catch them off guard we can kill them." I stood up saying, "I hope we aren't too late." Qi Bei looked at me appreciatively while removing a second sword from his back which he gave to me. I grasped the hilt as confidence flooded back into me.

After suffering through these many miserable situations, I would finally be able to stand with my status as a swordsman once more.

Even if I have to stand unyieldingly before the empire's vast evil force and die in battle I won't lose my name as a swordsman. I also can't let my father's tragic death end with his reputation spoiled.

On Qi Bei's face a mysterious smile appeared, "Look here!"

Within his hand he was holding a bunch of shiny black objects that resembled tree branches, "What are those?"

Not answering my question directly Qi Bei said, "If you were Ge Zhan, and you knew we were going to chase you, what would you do?"

I sighed, "I would definitely use Xi Qi as bait, to entice us to attack again."

"Then they will regret tempting us, because there is no trap that can hold a ferocious tiger."

He raised his hand and explained, "In the past the sorcerer gave me these sticks of confusion fragrance. To dispatch a large group we just need to use it in a large open space."

With a stupid expression on my face I suddenly felt a ray of hope begin to grow in my heart, like a drowning person who was able to grab on to a floating log.