He was careless, leaping far away from the spot. After preparing himself, while cursing, he suddenly moved his legs and leaped far. His heart was delighted because his trick had worked; the proof was that when he leaped, nothing tripped his feet anymore. However, while he was feeling delighted and his body was still suspended above, suddenly his body, beyond his control, was pulled down and slammed onto the ground. When he realized he had been slammed back onto the mound of earth, he was even more shocked and cried out,
"Misfortune... I'm dead at the hands of a demon..."
"Heh-heh, who says death is a misfortune? Merely living is the misfortune, especially living enslaved to desire, that is an even greater misfortune."
Hauw Lam was extremely startled. Because the voice came from below, he looked down and... he almost stumbled and collapsed again when he saw a head on the ground. A head standing neck-deep in the earth, its hair disheveled, its face covered in thick sideburns and whiskers, its eyes bulging. With a pale face, Hauw Lam stared at the head, rubbed his eyes, looked again, and shuddered. His legs felt weak and paralyzed, his entire body trembling. While bracing his legs to keep from collapsing from weakness, Hauw Lam faced the head on the ground, bowed, and said, his voice trembling,
"I... Tang Hauw Lam... have always wished to be a good person... please do not disturb me..."
The head moved, tilted up, and its bulging eyes stared sharply, then a voice was heard from behind the thick mustache that concealed the mouth,
"Not disturbing, huh? You step on and stride over my head, and you still say you're not disturbing me?"
Seeing the head move and hearing the mouth behind the mustache speak like a human, the feeling of horror and fear gradually began to fade from Hauw Lam's heart.
He looked more closely. The head was on the ground, its neck protruding from the earth; apparently, its body was buried. This old man had just spoken about "my head," which could only mean that the elder still possessed other body parts. If he were a demon (siluman) and his body consisted only of that head, he certainly wouldn't refer to it as "my head." Furthermore, now that he looked carefully, even though the face was ugly, covered in thick sideburns and disheveled hair, it was clearly a human head. He didn't know how the elder's body had become buried in the grave earth, nor how the head had suddenly appeared when there had been nothing there before. He then dropped to his knees in front of the head and said.
"Venerable Elder (Locianpwe), I sincerely apologize if this foolish one (boanpwe) has committed a mistake against the Venerable Elder, for truly this foolish one did not know the Venerable Elder was here and did not do it intentionally..."
"Tsk-tsk, twisting your tongue is useless. Is this how one apologizes? Your mouth says sorry, but you kneel above my head? Too much... too much..."
The head grumbled at length.
Hauw Lam widened his eyes. This elder was too strange and seemed to be someone who enjoyed joking. He himself was a witty and always cheerful young man, so even though he felt annoyed by the elder's dissatisfaction with his apology, he racked his brain for a solution.
"Very well, Venerable Elder (Locianpwe). I shall apologize and pay my respects properly." After saying this, Hauw Lam drew his saber and used the weapon to dig the earth in front of the head. By exerting his internal energy (tenaga dalam), he quickly dug deep, and then entered the hole so that now only his head was visible above the ground, which he nodded while repeating his apology. The elder's mouth burst into laughter.
"Ha-ha-ha, excellent. You are suited to be my disciple. You are resourceful, not easily discouraged, and face all obstacles in life with a cheerful face. Come up!"
As soon as the elder uttered those words, Hauw Lam's body shot upwards. The young man was extremely startled and exerted energy to regain his balance. When he managed to land standing on the ground, the elder had already emerged from the earth, now sitting cross-legged on the ground. At a glance, he was shocked and surprised. The elder's head was large, like an adult's, but his body was small and short, like that of a teenager.
Realizing that this elder with the strange body was a powerful master (sakti), he immediately dropped back down, kneeling before the elder.
"Thus, Mutiara Hitam. Since that moment, I became the disciple of Bu-tek Lo-jin for one hundred days. I did not receive new martial arts techniques from my strange Master, but he examined and guided all the martial arts I had ever learned. Since then, my eyes were truly opened to the real meaning of martial arts."
Hauw Lam concluded his story.
Kwi Lan listened with full attention. She was very interested in all of Hauw Lam's experiences and secretly felt delighted that her aunt's son was truly a powerful young man and, if she was not mistaken, kind-hearted. A warm feeling filled her chest as she gazed at his handsome and witty face. She already felt very drawn to him, as if she were facing her own biological older brother. This feeling might have arisen because, since childhood, she had regarded Aunt Bi Li as her own mother. How could she not? Aunt Bi Li had cared for her since she was too young to understand anything, comforted her when she cried, fed her when she was hungry, and gave her drink when she was thirsty. And this young man was Aunt Bi Li's biological son. What difference was there between him and her own brother?
"Whoa, what are you daydreaming about?"
Suddenly Kwi Lan was startled by this exclamation, causing her to flinch. She was annoyed by the young man's reckless and sometimes rough demeanor.
"Why are you yelling at people?"
Hauw Lam laughed.
"Who's yelling? I only asked. Why are you daydreaming when I've been waiting here, straining my ears as sharply as possible?"
"Waiting for what? Straining your ears for what?"
"Waduh (Oh dear), what is this? I've been talking until my mouth is tired, telling you my history, my name, and my experiences. Now that I'm finished, you ask what I'm waiting for and what I'm straining my ears for? Naturally, to hear your story, about your name and circumstances, about your life history."
Hauw Lam replied, exasperated.
Hearing this, Kwi Lan took a deep breath. She did not want to mention Aunt Kam Sian Eng, nor did she want to talk about her biological mother, the Khitan Queen, whom she had never seen. She wanted to talk about Bi Li, but felt the time was not yet right. So she said,
"What is the need for many stories? My name, you already know."
"Who?"
"Mutiara Hitam."
"Whoa, why do you enjoy playing games with me so much? I already told you my own name, Tang Hauw Lam..."
"But I know you only as a Rogue (Berandal), that's enough. And you know me as Mutiara Hitam. What does a name mean? What difference does any name make? The important thing is knowing the person and seeing their character. A name is merely empty."
Hauw Lam scratched the back of his ear and muttered softly,
"A name is merely empty."
"Eh, Mutiara Hitam, at such a young age, you are already so skilled at philosophy? Or... have you had a broken heart?"
"A broken heart? How can a heart break? Is a heart like dry wood... like this?"
Kwi Lan broke a wooden branch. Seeing the girl's serious face, Hauw Lam couldn't help but laugh.
"Enough, it's not easy to talk to you. If you don't want to tell me your name, fine, at least tell me your history, which must be very interesting."
"I have no history. You better continue your story. You just said you were all alone (sebatang kara). Where are your Father and Mother?"
For a moment, the witty and cheerful face was covered by a cloud of sorrow. But it was only brief, for the handsome face became bright again as he answered,
"My mother has passed away and..."
"Who says your Mother passed away?"
"Lho (Huh), why are you angry?"
Hauw Lam asked, hearing the sharp question and seeing her sour face.
"Who says your Mother passed away?"
Kwi Lan repeated. The young man gaped. A maiden as beautiful as a celestial nymph (bidadari), brave and powerful, yet incredibly strange, possessing a character that was extremely difficult to fathom or predict.
"Who said? My Father, of course. My Father said that Mother had passed away."
It was on the tip of Kwi Lan's tongue to deny it, to state that the young man's father was lying, but she managed to restrain herself.
"And where is your Father?"
"Father? Father didn't love me. When I was five years old, Father left me at the temple on Kim-liong-san Hill, and since then, I have never met him again. Well, now my history is complete, now it's your turn..."
Hauw Lam's words stopped because suddenly the sound of horses' hooves was heard, followed by human voices. Not long after, seven horsemen appeared. Their clothing, hats, and language proved that they were foreigners. The horses they rode were large and fine. However, their seven mounts seemed insignificant compared to one horse being led by one of them. The horse being led was taller, its body slender, encircled by powerful muscles. Its four legs were small and neat, and its coat was smooth, black, and glossy. Its pair of eyes were wide and luminous.
"What a magnificent mare."
Hauw Lam was heard praising in a loud voice, his eyes fixed on the black horse with admiration. However, Kwi Lan, who knew nothing about horses, did not know what was so magnificent about the black horse, so she paid it no attention. Instead, she was interested in the seven men riding the horses. They were generally around forty years old, stout and tall, reflecting agility and strength. Their faces were rugged and somewhat darkened by the sun.
Meanwhile, these seven men also pulled back their reins when they saw Hauw Lam and Kwi Lan. However, the gaze of all these men was directed at Kwi Lan, and there seemed to be no difference between their gaze toward Kwi Lan and Hauw Lam's gaze toward the black horse. Full of admiration. Their gaze, filled with vibrations of lust, seemed to be felt by Kwi Lan as well, making the maiden feel embarrassed and angry internally. However, because they did not utter any words, Kwi Lan restrained her anger and plucked a few blades of green grass while lowering her face, only occasionally glancing their way. She remained seated on the tree root. But Hauw Lam had already leaped to his feet. This young man had traveled widely and had many experiences. Seeing the attitude and gaze of the seven men directed at his companion, he felt annoyed too. However, his face was cheerful, and he smiled broadly as he said,
"Greetings, friends encountered on the road."
"Greetings."
The seven men replied, their voices generally loud and hoarse.
The smile on Hauw Lam's mouth widened, and he stepped closer to the black horse. Now that he was close and looking carefully, he became even more amazed. Truly a magnificent horse, he thought. When he tried to pat the black horse's neck, the black horse neighed and almost bit Hauw Lam's hand if the young man hadn't quickly pulled his hand back.
"Magnificent horse..."
He praised again.
Glossary
- Locianpwe: A highly respectful honorific used to address a venerable elder or senior martial artist, implying great age and experience.
- Boanpwe: A self-deprecating term meaning "this foolish one" or "I," used when addressing a superior (like a Locianpwe) to show humility.
- Mutiara Hitam: The nickname or title of Kwi Lan, translating literally to "Black Pearl."
- Bu-tek Lo-jin: The name/title of the strange, powerful elder who became Hauw Lam's master for a short period, meaning "The Unrivaled Old Man."
- Berandal: An Indonesian term meaning "Rogue," "Hooligan," or "Scoundrel," used by Kwi Lan to mock Hauw Lam.
- Kim-liong-san: A place name, specifically the hill where Hauw Lam was abandoned at a temple by his father.