"That is very good of you," Chen replied, and immediately introduced the other members of the Red Flower Society to him.
"Your swordsmanship is extraordinarily fast," Muzhuolun said to Priest Wu Chen. "I have never in my life seen anything like it. It is lucky your hand was stayed by mercy, otherwise... hah..."
"I must beg your pardon," the priest replied with a smile. "I hope you won"t take offence."
While they were talking, a horse galloped up from the west. A youngster dismounted and address Lu Feiqing as "teacher". It was Li Yuanzhi who by this time had changed into her boy"s clothes. She caught sight of Huo Qingtong, and ran over and grasped her hand.
"Where did you go that night?" Yuanzhi asked. "I was worried to death about you! Did you get the Sacred Book back?"
"We just recovered it," Huo Qingtong said happily. "Look." She pointed at the red knapsack now on her brother"s back.
"Have you opened it to have a look? Is the Sacred Book inside?"
Huo Qingtong nodded and hurriedly undid the knapsack. Inside, was a pile of waste paper.
Muzhuolun grabbed a bodyguard agency caller who was squatting on the ground and boxed his ears. "Where has the Sacred Book gone?" he roared.
"I don"t know anything...about what the lead escorts do," he mumbled, and pointed at Lead Escort Qian who was sitting with his head in his hands. Qian had received several light wounds in the confused battle, and had surrendered after most of the others were killed. Muzhuolun dragged him over.
"Friend," he said. "Do you want to die or live?"
Qian said nothing. Muzhuolun angrily raised his hand to strike him.
"The other lead escorts took the book with them," Qian said.
Muzhuolun was skeptical and ordered his subordinates to search the mule train thoroughly, but they found no trace of it. He now realised why Yan had been unwilling to hand over the knapsack.
Meanwhile, Yuanzhi was questioning Lu on what had happened since they had parted. "I`ll tell you about it later," he replied. "Go back now, your mother will be worried about you. Don"t say anything about what you"ve seen here."
"Of course," she said. "But who are these people? Introduce me to them."
Lu considered Yuanzhi"s position as the daughter of a provincial commander-in-chief and decided it would be better not to. "I don"t think it"s necessary," he said.
Yuanzhi pouted. "I know you don"t like me," she said. "You prefer that martial nephew of yours, "Golden Flute Scholar", or whatever he"s called. Anyway, I"m leaving."
She mounted her horse, galloped over to Huo Qingtong, bent down and embraced her shoulder, then whispered a few words into her ear. Huo Qingtong laughed, and Yuanzhi spurred her horse forward and raced off back the way she had come.
Chen had watched the whole incident, and was astonished to see Huo Qingtong being so familiar with this handsome youngster. Conflicting feelings swept through his heart and he stood staring dumbly, a vacant expression on his face.
"Great Helmsman," Xu said, walking over. "Let"s discuss how we are going to save Fourth Brother."
Chen started, and then collected his thoughts. "That"s right," he said. "Xin Yan, you ride Sister Luo Bing"s horse and go and get Brother Zhang Jin." Xin Yan nodded and left.
"Ninth Brother," Chen continued, turning to "Leopard" Wei. "Patrol around and look for indications of where the Eagle"s Claws are. Come back this evening to report." Wei likewise assented and left.
"We will camp here tonight," Chen said to the rest. "We can resume the chase early tomorrow morning."
** 8 **
After all the hard riding and fighting they had done that day, they were all hungry and tired. Muzhuolun directed his Muslims to erect tents by the side of the road, set aside several for the use of the Red Flower Society heroes and also sent over cooked beef and mutton for them to eat.
When they had finished, Chen ordered Officer Wu to be brought in, and questioned him closely. Wu cursed Zhang Zhaozhong bitterly. He said that at first, Wen had been seated in the carriage, but that once Zhang realised they were being followed, he, Wu, had been told to sit in the carriage instead as a decoy. Chen also interrogated the other lead escorts, but failed to learn anything new.
Xu waited until the prisoners had been led out of the tent and then said to Chen: "Great Helmsman, Lead Escort Qian has a cunning gleam in his eye. Let"s test him out."
"All right," Chen replied.
Night fell, but still Wei and Shi did not return to report, and the others became worried about them.
"They probably discovered which way Fourth Brother is going and are following after him," Xu said. It"s not such bad news." The others nodded, and soon went off to sleep in the tents. The lead escorts and the Yamen officers were all bound hand and foot and placed outside with "Crocodile" Jiang guarding them.
The moon rose, and Xu emerged from his tent and told Jiang to go in and sleep. He walked round in a great circle then went over to where Lead Escort Qian was sleeping. He sat down and wrapped himself in a blanket, treading heavily on Qian"s thigh as he did so. Qian woke with a start. Not long after, Xu began snoring lightly, and Qian"s heart leapt for joy. The rope had not been knotted tightly, and after a short struggle, he managed to wrench himself free. He held his breath, not daring to move. Xu"s snoring grew heavier, so he quietly undid the rope binding his legs, stood up and tip-toed away. He went behind the tents, untied the reins of a horse from a wooden post and walked slowly to the road. He stood listening very carefully, but there was not a sound to be heard. He started walking again, gradually quickening his pace, until he arrived beside the carriage in which Officer Wu had sat.
Zhou Qi woke with a start as she heard a noise outside the tent. She lifted the foot of the canvas and saw a figure walking stealthily towards the road. She picked up her sword and raced out of the tent, and was just about to call out when someone grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth.
Very frightened, she struck backwards with her sword, but her assailant was very agile, grabbed her wrist and forced the sword away, whispering: "Don"t make a sound, Mistress Zhou. It"s me, Xu."
Zhou Qi no longer tried to make use of the sword, but she struck him solidly on the chest with her fist. Half in pain and half in pretence, Xu grunted and toppled over backwards.
"What did you do that for?"