But if he hankers after worldly passions and refuses to use his intelligence to break the bonds of emotion, then he should be immediately expelled. It is up to him."
So his foster father was expelled from the Shaolin School because he could not give up my mother, Chen thought.
He looked up and saw the stars on the western horizon were beginning to fade while in the east, day had already arrived. He blew out the candles, wrapped the things up in the yellow cloth and picked up the parcel. He closed the cabinet doors and slowly walked back out to the courtyard where he found a statue of a laughing Buddha gazing down him. He wondered what his foster father must have felt, being confronted with this Buddha as he left the courtyard after being expelled. He walked back through the five halls, all of them deserted.
As he passed through the last doorway, Lord Zhou and the Red Flower Society heroes came forward to greet him. They had waited anxiously for half the night and were delighted to see him returning safely. But as he came closer, they saw his weary look, and his red, swollen eyes. Chen gave them a brief account of what had happened, omitting only the relationship between his foster father and his mother.
"Our business here is finished," he said. The others nodded.
Lord Zhou accompanied Chen back inside to bid farewell to the abbot, then the heroes collected their belonging and started on the way.
Just as they were leaving the monastery, Zhou Qi went pale and almost fainted. Her father quickly helped her back inside to rest, and the monastery"s physician announced after examining her that she was in no condition to travel and would have to rest at the monastery to await the birth. Zhou Qi could only smile bitterly and nod in agreement.
The others discussed the situation and decided that Lord Zhou and Xu should stay to look after Zhou Qi, and join them in Beijing after the birth of the child. Zhou rented a number of peasant huts a couple of miles west of the monastery for them to live in, and Chen and the other heroes started off north.
** 3 **
When they arrived in the town of Tai"an in Shandong province, they were met by the local Red Flower Society Helmsman who informed them that "Melancholy Ghost" Shi had also just arrived from Beijing. The heroes were delighted and went to see him. Xin Yan ran on ahead and shouted "Twelfth Brother! The traitor"s dead!" Shi looked at him blankly. "Zhang Zhaozhong!" Xin Yan shouted.
Shi"s face lit up. "Zhang is dead?"
"Yes, he was eaten up by wolves."
Shi bowed before Chen and the others.
"Twelfth Brother," said Chen. "Have your wounds fully recovered?"
"Thank you for your concern, Great Helmsman, completely recovered. You and the others have had a long, hard journey."
"Is there any news from the capital?"
Shi"s expression turned grim. "None from the capital. But I have hurried here to report that Master Muzhuolun"s entire army has been destroyed."
"What?" Chen"s face went white and he stood up.
"When we left the Muslim regions, General Zhao Wei and the remains of his army was competely surrounded," Luo Bing said. "How could the Manchus score another victory?"
Shi sighed. "Reinforcements suddenly arrived from the south. From what the Muslims who managed to flee say, Master Muzhuolun and his son fought to the death. Mistress Huo Qingtong was ill at the time of the attack and was unable to direct the defence. No-one knows what happened to her."
Chen slumped down into his chair.
"Mistress Huo Qingtong has an excellent command of kung fu," Lu Feiqing said. "She would not come to harm at the hands of the Manchu troops."
They all knew he was just trying to ease Chen"s anxiety. It was difficult to see how a sick girl could protect herself in the confusion of battle.
"Huo Qingtong has a sister," Luo Bing said. "The Muslims call her Princess Fragrance. Did you hear any news of her?"