"Ugh..."
The Sai-kong staggered, and Ciam Goan lunged forward to deliver the final thrust. However, at that moment, a white light shot out swiftly and
"Clanggg..."
The sword in Ciam Goan's hand was deflected and flew from his grasp. An ivory chopstick, which had just struck the sword, fell onto the floor in front of him. Ciam Goan's face paled. It was Ma Kiu who had thrown the chopstick to parry his sword and save the life of the Ci-lan Sai-kong. A mere thrown chopstick was enough to disarm his sword. If a thrown chopstick was that formidable, what more when the man himself advanced? Ciam Goan sighed and said,
"The skill of the Thai-lek-kwi is truly formidable. If one person is already this powerful, what more when the Cap-ji-liong of the Thian-liong-pang advance together? However, I, Ciam Goan, am a man who does not fear death. Advance, all of you, and let us stake our lives here."
Ciam Goan's demeanor was truly heroic, causing Kwi Lan to secretly feel immense admiration. Quietly, the girl prepared herself to defend this brave man. She heard her companion whisper,
"If he is ganged up on, hmph... I will pluck every hair from Ma Kiu's face, including his nose hairs."
Involuntarily, Kwi Lan laughed lightly upon hearing this remark. Being a natural and innocent girl, she did not restrain her laughter. Yet, at that moment, the situation was extremely tense and utterly silent. No sound came from the guests who awaited the next nerve-wracking development. Naturally, the sound of the girl's laughter was clearly heard. Sin-seng Losu then rose to his feet. Kwi Lan's laughter seemed to slap him across the face, and he said,
"Enough. We are about to conduct an important ceremony; there is no need for this contest to drag on. Moreover, we are not so base as to gang up on someone of limited skill like Ciam-sicu. You have succeeded in defeating the Ci-lan Sai-kong. Now, why don't you quickly leave this place? What are you waiting for?"
Ciam Goan sighed and said, "I must know my limits; it is impossible to fight all of you. Let these twelve girls suffer here; I am powerless to help. But remember this: Ciam Goan is not one to easily forget this kind of wickedness. We shall meet again next time."
Having said that, Ciam Goan retrieved his sword and left the premises. The Ci-lan Sai-kong had already been tended to and his severed arm treated. The area was cleaned by servants, and the Ci-lan Sai-kong was instructed to rest in the back room.
"Cu-wi, please stand. The ceremony will commence immediately."
Sin-seng Losu shouted loudly, and all the guests rose from their respective seats.
Although displeased, Kwi Lan, seeing Hauw Lam standing with a comical expression, was forced to rise as well. The atmosphere returned to silence, so much so that the footsteps of a head disciple of the Thian-liong-pang carrying a pot, followed by his brothers, were clearly audible. Kneeling, the disciple presented the pot to Sin-seng Losu, who had risen from his chair. He held the pot with both hands, and at that moment, Thai-lek-kwi Ma Kiu stepped forward and knelt facing the guests. Another disciple arrived from the back, and the commotion of a dog barking was heard. It turned out this disciple was dragging a black dog before his master. Without saying anything, Sin-seng Losu moved his left hand, two fingers open, and stabbed the black dog's neck.
The dog let out a loud yelp, but the disciple held its tail and lifted its body up. From its punctured neck, blood streamed out, which Sin-seng Losu collected into the pot. The dog struggled and whimpered, until finally its blood was drained, and it stopped convulsing. Its carcass was then tossed into a corner by the Disciple, who then retreated. Several servants then carried the carcass away to the back, and Kwi Lan heard Hauw Lam whisper behind her,
"Hmph, they're certainly going to cook that dog meat."
"Ihh..."
Kwi Lan exclaimed in shock, but they quickly redirected their attention to the center of the room where Sin-seng Losu held the pot filled with black dog blood. The elder then raised the pot high and said.
"Witnessed by all Cu-wi, and according to the stipulated requirements of our Thian-liong-pang association, I hereby transfer the position of Pangcu (Leader) to my first disciple, Ma Kiu. The life of this black dog shall be the witness, and its blood shall ward off all demons seeking to interfere with his duty."
Having said that, Sin-seng Losu poured the black dog blood over Ma Kiu's bald head.
"Ihh..."
Kwi Lan exclaimed again, and as if mesmerized, she poured soy sauce from a bottle into her cup until it was full. The soy sauce was thick and red like blood.
"Hmph, truly vile and filthy."
Whispered Hauw Lam behind her.
"Black Pearl (Mutiara Hitam), I am already disgusted, and my hands have been itching to act while remaining silent here. Must we simply watch the antics of these clowns? Come on, you liven up the show here, draw their attention, and I will go in to rescue those girls. Or should I provoke the disturbance while you handle the rescue...?"
"Ah, who cares about them. If you want to help, go ahead. I... I want to test the extent of their prowess."
Hauw Lam nodded, then quietly slipped away, taking advantage of the moment while everyone was focused on the ceremony appointing the new leader. Kwi Lan, who had been annoyed and displeased all along, felt even more unhappy upon hearing Hauw Lam's intention to rescue the twelve girls, for reasons unknown. And now, she wanted to vent her anger upon the people of the Thian-liong-pang. She carried the cup of soy sauce forward and said.
"A Pangcu newly appointed with a shower of dog blood. If he likes blood, let me offer congratulations with this dragon blood."
Kwi Lan smiled sweetly, and as soon as she moved her right hand.
"blood"
The 'blood' in her cup sprayed out and, with extraordinary speed, struck the head and face of Ma Kiu, who was still smeared with blood but was already seated in the leader's chair previously occupied by his master."
However, Ma Kiu was indeed formidable. Without getting off his chair, he exerted his internal energy and... along with the chair he was sitting on, he leaped, moving the chair one meter to the left. But because the spray of soy sauce was incredibly fast, he could not completely avoid some of it splashing his cheek and entering his mouth. When he realized that what had splashed his face was soy sauce, Ma Kiu understood that the girl was deliberately looking for trouble. However, because he had previously assumed the girl was an envoy of Jin-cam Khoa-ong, Ma Kiu still restrained his anger, then shouted in an irritated tone.
"Young Mistress, as a guest whom we respect, as an envoy of the esteemed Pak-sin-ong, what is the meaning of this action?"
Kwi Lan smiled mockingly. She had been displeased with them all along, especially Ma Kiu. She genuinely did not care about the fate of the twelve young women, but she considered the men too arrogant, treating her with disrespect by carrying out their actions in front of her as if she were incapable of doing anything. Kwi Lan's character was indeed very strange, and she always followed her heart's feelings. If her heart felt affection, such as toward Hauw Lam, she would behave kindly.
"It means, Beard-face, that I agree with the words of the man surnamed Ciam just now: that the Thian-liong-pang is led by rotten people. That I consider you a man who enjoys bathing in black dog blood, unfit to be the Leader of the