Black Pearl Chapter 31

This was the level of sword master who had already mastered control, channeling inner energy (*hawa sakti*) so that any flexible object could be used to counter hard weapons.

However, facing the encirclement of the twelve Cap-Ji-liong who utilized twelve different weapons, Kwi Lan was truly heavily pressured. The opponents' weapons struck her like rain, and only by relying on her body's agility and her strange sword technique was she temporarily able to hold on. Just like before, the twelve people ganging up on her did not attack haphazardly; instead, they surrounded her, forming a solid, strong formation. Slowly but surely, they began to press and push her back. Suddenly, a commotion was heard from inside. Shouts rang out.

"Fire..."

"Fire..."

"Catch the devil brat..."

"Damn it, the captive girls have been spirited away..."

All the guests were startled, and the twelve Cap-Ji-liong, who had begun to encircle and pressure Kwi Lan, were affected by these shouts, causing the pressure on the girl to ease slightly. At that moment, a laughing shadow flashed past,

"Ha-ha-ha, truly shameful. Twelve old monkeys ganging up on a beautiful girl. The twelve dragons have now become twelve tailless monkeys."

This shadow was none other than Hauw Lam, who, with a swift movement, had leaped forward and spun his saber, charging into the besieging formation, thus breaking the line. Seeing this, Ma Kiu issued a command. The formation that Hauw Lam charged into intentionally opened a "door."

And the young man now entered the encirclement of the twelve formidable figures.

"Hey, Mutiara Hitam. We came together, how can you now feast alone, beating up these twelve old monkeys? I'm joining. Let's race now. We'll stand back-to-back and see whose sword or whose saber cuts them down first."

Kwi Lan smiled. She had been heavily pressured and pushed back earlier. Yet, she did not feel fear even by a hair's breadth. She had been ready—if she were to lose and fall at the hands of her twelve assailants, she would certainly drag a few of them, especially Ma Kiu, to die with her.

For this intention, she was already gripping seven green needles in her left hand.

Now, seeing the appearance of Hauw Lam, who invited her to race, her spirits lifted, and she shouted.

"Little scoundrel!"

You watch how I take them down!"

Having said that, Kwi Lan wielded her sword and charged forward. Four people in front of her quickly raised their weapons to parry and counterattack, but at that moment, Kwi Lan's left hand moved, and a green light flashed forward.

"Watch out!"

Ma Kiu shouted, warning his juniors. However, the fine green needles were thrown from close range, so even though the four men tried to dodge, two of them were too slow and collapsed, letting out cries of pain.

The disciples of Thian-liong-pang immediately helped them, and now the ten remaining assailants charged forward furiously. Hauw Lam laughed, and standing back-to-back, he and Kwi Lan spun their weapons to face the attackers. Kwi Lan felt relieved now that Hauw Lam was helping her. What had troubled her greatly earlier were the attacks coming from behind her. But now she no longer needed to worry about her back, giving her the opportunity to counterattack. Every time an attack came, she did not evade it; instead, she immediately met the attack with a thrust or a pressure point strike (*totokan*) that preempted the opponent, forcing the attacker to withdraw their move.

"Everyone, retreat!"

Suddenly, Ma Kiu shouted loudly, giving orders to his juniors. The ten men simultaneously leaped back while moving their left hands. Secret weapons shaped like star pellets scattered like rain, attacking Hauw Lam and Kwi Lan. The two young people quickly spun their saber and sword, knocking down all the secret weapons.

"Wow, you taught those monkeys. Now they're retaliating. We better get out of here quickly."

Hauw Lam grumbled. Kwi Lan, realizing the great danger if the opponents started attacking from a distance with secret weapons, agreed with the suggestion. But before they could find a way to escape, the floor they stood on suddenly trembled, and with a loud noise, the floor opened, dropping them down.

"Damn it!"

Hauw Lam shouted, and together with Kwi Lan, his body plunged downward without being able to stop it.

"Find a grip!"

Hauw Lam shouted again and stretched out both arms. He stabbed his saber into the side, and finally, his left hand managed to grab the wall. He moved his body so that his sliding body slammed to the left, hitting the wall, and the next moment, his body was hanging from the hilt of the saber he held tightly. However, Kwi Lan, who possessed extraordinary *gin-kang*, was able to slow her descent by moving her limbs, and when her feet touched the bottom of the pit, her body bounced back up more than two meters, as if her feet were fitted with extremely flexible springs.

"Mutiara Hitam... where are you...?"

Hauw Lam's voice was heard above. Kwi Lan was already sitting on the rocky ground and replied,

"Down here. Come down. Why are you hanging there?"

Hauw Lam looked down. The light entering from above provided dim illumination, but he could see that the girl was already sitting comfortably below, about three meters from where he was hanging. He exerted his strength, pulled out his saber, and leaped down near the girl. At that moment, a loud creaking sound was heard, and the hole above closed tightly again. The situation became pitch black; he couldn't even see his own hand.

"Wow, we're like two rats walking into a trap."

Hauw Lam said, trying to laugh, but held it back, worried that it might displease the girl.

"What's wrong with you? If you want to laugh, laugh. Why are you looking at me like you're hesitant? Do you think I'm scared? Huh, it's comfortable here."

Said Kwi Lan, who immediately sat down, stretching out her legs. Hauw Lam was surprised.

"What did you say...? How did you know that I... hey, Mutiara Hitam, do you have a name like a cat?"

"Hmph, if I'm a cat, you're a rat. Enough, stop being fussy and tell me what you did earlier."

Of course, Hauw Lam did not know that the girl had lived underground since childhood, in an underground palace, which was why she felt comfortable being underground.

Because she was accustomed to living in the dark since childhood, Kwi Lan possessed eyes that were used to darkness and could see objects in the dark, at least better than ordinary people. Hearing the girl's genuine voice, he secretly felt increasingly impressed and fond of her. This girl is truly amazing, he thought. Besides being as beautiful as a goddess, she was also natural and innocent, coupled with extremely high martial arts skill. Earlier, when she was ganged up on by the Cap-Ji-liong, the girl had shown that she possessed truly extraordinary skill. Rarely was there a figure capable of defending themselves against the Cap-Ji-liong's assault, let alone injuring two of them during the attack. And now, even though she was trapped in a pit, the girl remained calm and comfortable, showing no sign of fear whatsoever.

"Wait a minute, the most important thing is for me to investigate the condition of this place, to find a way out."

Hauw Lam said, extending both arms forward, feeling around.

"You don't need to investigate anymore. It's useless; this pit was deliberately made to trap enemies. Its walls are made of thick stone, it is more than five *tombak* deep, and the top is covered with an iron sheet that has tiles on it, and can open or close automatically with a secret mechanism."

Hauw Lam was again surprised. The girl spoke as if she were not in the dark, as if describing a situation she clearly saw. He didn't believe it, so he felt the walls with both hands. And indeed, what the girl said was true. The pit walls were square, three meters wide on each side, and made of thick stone. Because the place was extremely dark for Hauw Lam, he couldn't see anything while feeling around, so suddenly he touched the girl's head.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing? Like a blind person."

The girl snapped.

"Wow, sorry... I... I really am like a blind person here..."

"Sit down and stop wandering around."

Hauw Lam then sat down on the pit floor. The rocky laterite ground was slightly wet. Regardless, he couldn't afford to be as nonchalant as the girl. Were they supposed to accept death like two rats in a pit? He had to find a way to get out of this pit.

"Mutiara, I don't understand how you know the condition of this pit. But if it's really five *tombak* deep, it's impossible for us to jump out of here. Even so, with the help of your saber and sword, I can leap up, alternately stabbing the saber and sword into the wall, until I get out. After that, I will find a rope to pull you out too."

"Hey, are you afraid here?"

"Not afraid. But we have to find a way out."