Blood-Stained Love Chapter 21

A chuckling voice was heard speaking. Lin Lin turned her body, right and left, spinning around to look at her surroundings. However, no human being was visible. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up, and both her knees trembled. She was a brave girl, and facing anyone, she would never retreat, never know fear. But this incident made her certain that she was being disturbed by a demon, and the tales of demons she had heard made her terrified.

"Who are you?"

"Who am I? Who am I? Heh-heh, I myself don't know who I am or where I come from, let alone you, snot-nosed brat. Heh-heh-heh, you and I are the same."

The voice was right behind her, so quick as lightning, Lin Lin spun her body with the movement of *Hek-yan-tiauw-wi* (Swallow Slashes Tail). Her movement was incredibly fast, and she deliberately exerted her *gin-kang*. Yet, again, she only saw an empty spot; there was no shadow, much less a person.

"Heh-heh-heh, who am I? Who am I? Come on, search and guess, where and who am I, heh-heh-heh."

The voice laughed gleefully like a child playing hide-and-seek. Lin Lin's chest grew hot. She was now certain that the speaker must be an ordinary human, albeit one possessing extraordinary skill. *How can I not find you?* she thought furiously. Quickly, she leaped again, spinning and unleashing her skill, flipping here and turning there, running in circles as fast as a pinwheel. But she never managed to see a shadow around herself, even though the voice continuously sounded, laughing behind her, to her right, and to her left.

"Heh-heh-heh, you are like a dog trying to bite its own tail, spinning around. Heh-heh... funny... funny... again, Miss. Once more, truly funny..."

Of course, Lin Lin was unwilling to spin again; instead, she quickly stopped and stomped her foot. She was close to tears.

"Are you a demon or a human? If you're human, show yourself. If you're a demon, get out of here, I don't need demons!"

She snapped, hands on hips.

"Heh-heh, it's better to be a demon; even though they always commit evil, that is their duty. If they don't do wicked things, how can they be called demons? At least demons admit their wickedness, whereas many humans pretend to be holy and clean, yet they are wickeder and dirtier than demons themselves. Heh-heh, Miss, I'm behind you, can't you see?"

Lin Lin turned her body and... saw nothing.

"Are you playing hide-and-seek? I refuse to play games with you."

"Oh, I'm here, look closely."

Lin Lin lowered her gaze, and sure enough. Standing before her was an old man whose body was short, only chest high, and because the old man had been squatting earlier, he naturally wasn't visible. Now this old man was standing; his short legs were bare, looking quite comical. His body was slightly plump, his head round like a rubber ball, slick and completely hairless. But his eyebrows were extremely thick, and the eyebrow hairs stood straight up. His mustache and beard were long, waving down to his chest. Both his earlobes were wide, like the ears of the *Ji-lai-hud* area, adorned with a pair of silver earrings. Seeing such a strange person, Lin Lin couldn't help but laugh.

"Hi-hi-hik, what group do you belong to? Are you a puppet player?"

Lin Lin laughed and covered her mouth.

"Indeed, this world is a puppet stage, and we are the puppets. How the play goes and what role we must hold is up to the Director. Heh-heh-heh, and it seems the Director wants me to play the role of saving you from the threat of *It-gan Kai-ong*, the rotten beggar."

"Short Kek, how were you able to carry me flying just now? And how were you able to disappear? I have studied *gin-kang* for years, but it is not even a black fingernail compared to your movements. Did you use sorcery?"

"Heh-heh, a naughty brat like you, just learning to walk yet daring to climb mountains and cross oceans. I guarantee that with your skill that is only class zero, you will always encounter danger and eventually collapse. Your movements are still so stiff and slow; you call that *gin-kang*? Ho-heh-hoh, how funny."

Lin Lin's stomach grew hot; her lips pouted, and her eyes shone with anger. But the old man merely laughed, holding his stomach and hopping around as if he could no longer contain his amusement.

"And that sword... heh-heh-heh, why carry a sword like that? Is it for slicing onions or for slaughtering a chicken? Heh-heh, it's not sharp enough even for that; it's best for scaring mice. Heh-heh, you're afraid of mice, aren't you?"

Lin Lin stomped her foot.

"Short Kek, dwarf, bald pate. Old and toothless yet still arrogant..."

The old man suddenly grimaced, showing the inside of his mouth. Amazing—his teeth were lined up neatly, just like Lin Lin's own.

"You see, who is toothless? My teeth are no worse than yours? Come on, you grimace, let's see whose teeth are whiter, shinier."

Lin Lin was amused. Indeed, this girl had a strange temperament—easily angered, easily cheerful. Easily crying, easily laughing. Seeing how the old man grimaced and showed off his teeth, she couldn't help but laugh too.

"Ugh, disgusting. Your teeth are all yellow."

"Are they? Ah, how can that be? I brush them with brick at least twice a day. You're lying..."

Lin Lin saw the old man stretch out his hand toward her. She quickly stepped back, but suddenly, the bun on her left side, wrapped in silk, came undone because her silver hairpin was already in the old man's hand. Why did the old man snatch her hairpin? To look at himself. The silver flower on the hairpin was the size of a fingernail, and the old man tried to use it as a mirror, checking his teeth from the reflection of the starlight hitting the silver flower. Of course, the result was futile. Lin Lin was secretly extremely shocked. How could the old man snatch her hairpin so quickly that she didn't feel it at all? It was clear that this old man possessed tremendous power. If only he would pass that skill on to her.

"Kek, why did you save me from *It-gan Kai-ong*? Why did you bring me here?"

Finally, she asked. The old man grumbled,

"My teeth are white... not yellow..."

"Why did you save me?"

"Who said my teeth were yellow, how embarrassing."

The old man muttered. Lin Lin wanted to get angry, but seeing the old man acting like a pouting child, she laughed again.

"Your teeth are white, who said they were yellow?"

"You said it just now."

"And you believed it? Ugh, it's your own stupidity for believing it. Your teeth are white like... like chalk."

The old man looked delighted. Chalk is very white, so he was happy to hear this statement. His hand moved, and a white flash streaked toward Lin Lin's head. The girl didn't have time to dodge; when she felt her bun, the hairpin was back in its place, and she hadn't felt a thing."

Her admiration grew.

"Kek, why did you save me, and what do you want by bringing me here?"

"Because you are beautiful, like my daughter used to be."

A moment of emotion slipped into Lin Lin's heart.

"Where is your daughter, Kek?"

"Where? Where, yes? The Director long ago freed her from her duties on the puppet stage. She is not PLAYING anymore."

Lin Lin felt even more moved.

"Your daughter is dead?"

The old man did not answer, but laughed again.

"You are of my people, heh-heh, no mistake, that's why I like you. I saved you, and if you want, I will give you the foundation so that no one will dare insult you in the future."

"I am of your people? What people, Kek?"

"Look at your nose, isn't it the same as mine? Also your teeth, the same as mine. You are *Khitan*, no mistake."

Automatically, influenced by the statement, Lin Lin looked at the tip of her nose.

Of course, even if both her eyes crossed inward, she still failed to see her own nose. Much less her teeth. Nevertheless, this statement pierced her feelings, making her heart pound nervously. She was clearly not a child of the Kam family because she was only adopted. Her father or anyone else had never told her who her true parents were. Because of this, she greatly wished to meet *Bu Song*, her adopted father's eldest son, because she suspected that *Bu Song* must know about her. Now, hearing this old man state that she was *Khitan*, even though she couldn't fully believe or disbelieve it, her heart still fluttered. However, what made her happiest was the old man's declaration that he intended to give her a foundation of skill.

"Are you really going to teach me martial arts, Kek? Wow, thank you in advance. I desperately need it, to defeat my great enemy."

"Heh-heh, there is no greater enemy in this world than one's own desires. Who is your great enemy?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know myself, Kek,"

Lin Lin shook her head.

"My adopted father and his family were killed by an unknown person. My adopted mother only left a final statement that the great enemy carried a flute."

Suddenly, the old man leaped very high, vanishing from in front of Lin Lin. When Lin Lin looked up and was about to call out, the short body floated down from above and was standing in front of her again.

"*Suling Emas*? Did *Suling Emas* kill your parents? Who were your parents?"

"Adopted parents, Kek. My adopted father's name was *Kam Si Ek*..."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha, *Kam Si Ek*, *Jenderal Hou-han*?"

"You know my adopted father, Kek?"

The old man shook his head. His extremely thick eyebrows furrowed and twitched. His lips also twitched, then his words were heard.

"Strange but true. It might very well be *Suling Emas*..."

Lin Lin's heart pounded.

"What? Is my great enemy truly that *Suling Emas*, Kek? Do you know where he is? If it's really him, I will challenge him to a life-or-death duel."

The old man instantly looked at her as if startled, then he burst into chuckling laughter, holding his stomach, bent over from how hard he was laughing. Lin Lin grew angry.

"What's so funny? Don't laugh at me, Kek. It's unpleasant to see you laugh, your teeth are yellow..."

The old man immediately stopped laughing.

"What did you say? My teeth are white like... like..."

"...like chalk,"

Lin Lin said, smiling.

"Now, don't just laugh, what was so funny?"

"You want to fight *Suling Emas*? Aha, even if you squeeze and drain all your skill, you might not win."

"I don't care. I will meet him. Take me to him, Kek, and you will surely help me if I lose. Our noses and teeth are the same, aren't they?"

"True, true. We are of the same people, the same tribe, I will help you. Watch out for him if he dares bother you."