"Kwee-taihiap saved me from Si Laknat Bayisan. I owe Kwee-taihiap a debt of gratitude, a debt of life and honor! Even though you wasted his love, acted cruelly toward him, yet I... I... ah..."
She cried again.
"Cici! You love him?"
Lu Sian felt offended, yet also pitied the girl.
"Yes! I love him! I... I... will never be willing to be matched with anyone else! Now he is dead... ah, what more can I hope for in this world? I... I will pray forever for his soul..."
While sobbing, Kui Lan turned her body and quickly ran down the peak.
Lu Sian took a deep breath, secretly regretting the outcome of the match between her father and Kwee Seng. She did not return Kwee Seng's love because her own heart had been stolen by the valor and masculinity of Kam Si Ek, yet she also could not hate Kwee Seng, nor did she wish for that hero to die so tragically. As night began to turn to dawn, her father appeared. Lu Sian quickly rushed to meet her father, full of hope that he had managed to capture and kill Bayisan, who had cheated Kwee Seng. However, her father's face was gloomy, and she heard him speak angrily.
"That damned devil Bayisan! His skill is decent, his swift running technique is formidable, and he used the darkness of the night to disappear from my pursuit. Lu Sian, you are an utterly foolish girl!"
Lu Sian widened her eyes, astonished to hear her father's rebuke. However, when her father was angry, the girl dared not speak much, knowing that when her father was enraged, he was difficult to control.
"Your rejection of Kwee Seng is like throwing a pearl into the sea; do you intend to choose a river stone instead? Where in this world is there a better and more valiant prospective husband than Kwee Seng? Whoever you choose, I certainly will not approve after you rejected Kwee Seng."
"Father, regarding marriage, I want to choose for myself. I do not love Kwee Seng, no matter how valiant and skilled he is!"
"Hmph! You are stubborn and arrogant! There will be no second Kwee Seng in this world."
"There may be no second Kwee Seng, but there will surely be someone who surpasses him!"
"Impossible! Enough, let us just go home. This incident truly fills my heart with disappointment and regret."
"Father, you regret it because you couldn't drain Kwee Seng's stored knowledge. You don't care about my marriage, as long as you can add to the martial arts you collect!"
Because his secret was accurately guessed by his daughter, Pat-jiu Sin-ong became furious.
"What do you know, child? However much I like collecting techniques, I still think about your prospective husband. If you had married Kwee Seng, it would mean one arrow getting two tigers. First, you would get the most formidable young man in the world as a match; second, once he became your husband, he would become part of our family, and his techniques would also become our family's techniques, which would make the Beng-kauw shine even brighter. You are foolish. Let's go home!"
"No, Father. I don't want to go home yet. I want to wander."
Lu Sian argued, as she actually wanted to approach Kam Si Ek, the idol of her heart. Pat-jiu Sin-ong glared, but his heart was already too disappointed to worry about this matter. His daughter had wandered alone too often, and he was not worried because she possessed more than enough skill to protect herself.
"Have it your way, you unruly child. But if you do not return within a year bringing a suitable match, I will search for you and drag you home, locking you in your room for five years without permission to leave. Conversely, if you return bringing a repulsive match, I will kill that man and marry you off to a Beng-kauw member of my own choosing. Now, listen carefully to my warning!"
Having said that, the old man snorted, and his body flashed, vanishing from the spot.
For a moment, Liu Lu Sian was stunned. No matter how great her father's affection for her was, he had a harsh temperament, and his words would certainly be held firm. What if her father did not approve of her choice later? Ah, she would worry about that later, she consoled herself. Then she picked up her sword, which Kwee Seng had dropped earlier, stood for a moment at the edge of the cliff looking down, shuddered upon seeing the bottomless black abyss and hearing the gurgling sound of falling water below, then took a deep breath and walked away, leaving the peak. When his body plummeted downward with breathtaking speed, Kwee Seng realized that his life was threatened by a death he could not possibly avert himself. He fell into a place whose depth he did not know, pitch black, where nothing could be seen around him. Therefore, he dared not move his body and surrendered his fate to the Almighty God.
Glossary
- Kwee-taihiap: An honorific meaning "Great Hero Kwee," used to address Kwee Seng, indicating respect for his martial prowess and heroic status.
- Si Laknat Bayisan: A derogatory title meaning "The Accursed Bayisan," referring to the villain who cheated Kwee Seng during the martial arts match.
- Cici: An affectionate or respectful term used to address an older sister or a young woman who is close to the speaker.
- Pat-jiu Sin-ong: A powerful title meaning "Eight-Armed Divine King," which is the nickname or title of Liu Lu Sian's father, indicating his supreme martial arts skill.
- Beng-kauw: The Ming Cult, a major martial arts sect or organization in the Wuxia world, often depicted as powerful and sometimes heterodox.
- Kam Si Ek: A young man whom Liu Lu Sian secretly loves and admires for his valor and masculinity.