Chapter 2: Cold Truth
Man Mo Temple, Scarlet Hills, Wan Chai.
Xiuying sighed warily. She had spent the whole night staring out of the window, into the storm, thinking...thinking about life, what it meant to devote your life to the martial-arts. Questions she had been mulling over since her trip back to the orphanage in Kowloon.
She sat in a make-shift chair in one of her favourite spots in Man Mo Temple, the library, a book open wide on her lap. Gently Xiuying ran her fingers over a image of the Phoenix. She sighed again.
"I always thought...since that day if Ziming was the one...Ziming, my brother..." she thought. Wistfully Xiuying remembered Guilin, with it's beautiful scenery and unique features, such as the five colours spring. Xiuying cast her eyes downwards at the sudden pain she felt inside. Carefully, she glanced at her watch, waiting for the evening...for her one chance at preventing another from treading the path of evil.
Chi You Men HQ, Guilin.
Ziming stood on the grounds of the impressive, yet sinister building, staring into the distance, his long hair blowing wildly. His cold, murderous eyes swept in the surrounding mountains. From with in the building a long tortured scream of a dying man filtered through the thick walls. Ziming didn't even appear to notice anything unusual.
Ten minutes later, the woman in red came up behind him, silently as normal. She reached a hand out...
"Niao-Sun" Ziming said, without emotion. The woman's black eyebrows rose in surprise.
"You heard me?" Niao-sun asked. Ziming didn't say anything. "I'm impressed," Niao-sun purred. She stepped around to stand in front of Ziming. There was a thick streak of blood across her skin which her low-cut dress revealed. Niao-sun seeing the blood smiled insinuatingly. She stroked her dress.
"I need to learn more...restraint. It is too easy to get...excitied while I'm working." Ziming remained silent, watching the mountains. Niao-sun stepped forward and kissed Ziming passionately on the mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Ziming broke away from Niao-sun. Niao-sun sighed.
"I have waited eighteen years...soon the wait will be over" Ziming whispered, staring into space.
"We are after the Phoenix Mirror to revive our master, Chi You. Have your revenge, Ziming...but if your desire for revenge gets in our way....you know what will happen." Niao-sun turned and walked back into the building.
Ziming walked towards the building, until he was an arms length away from it.
Eighteen years...I will not forgive the one who killed Mum and Dad! The cold murderous fire of hatred flared up in Ziming eyes.
I will get my revenge! Ziming thought. Hatred consumed him, he snapped out his arm, hand straight up to slam into the stone of the Chi You Men's Headquarters.
Man Mo Temple.
Xiuying snapped her arm out into an iron-palm into the red-leafed tree. Her hand made an impact against the wood of the tree and a shower of red leaves fell from the tree. She had swapped her red top and brown skirt for a blue cheongsam. The dress reached down to her calves yet slits up the top of the thighs gave the martial-artist freedom of movement...and showed off a lot of leg as well. Xiuying glanced at the sky, the sun was setting. Soon she would have to make her move.
Under the starry night, Xiuying stood in the courtyard of the temple, facing the door, waiting. Then she heard footsteps.
Exactly on time. Important for a legend. Xiuying thought. Bracing herself, she walked around in a circle. With much movement of her arms she gave an impressive display of martial-arts.
Drawing her elbow back, Xiuying launched into one of the more powerful moves of the Bajiquan style thrusting her arms out three times. Straightening up, Xiuying brought her arms into her dress, facing away from the person behind her. The person behind her moved closer. There was a soft thud, like a bag hitting the concrete.
"What was that last move?" a voice behind her asked.
Xiuying spun round to face a young man, hardly more than eighteen. He was clearly Japanese, and had short spiky black hair. He was dressed casually, in blue jeans, with a white t-shirt under a brown leather jacket, which bore a symbol of a tiger on the back.
"One of the Badazhao, of Bajiquan...Demon's Triangle," Xiuying replied.
"Demon's Triangle..." the young man repeated.
Out of the shadows a middle aged man, dressed in s white robe and dark trousers, with short, dark hair and began to walk up to Xiuying and the young man
"Hm?" the younger man said. Reaching the young man, the older man offered him a green scroll in a red box.
"The move is explained in there." Xiuying said.
"Take it." the older man commanded, offering the box slightly more forcefully. The man in white then bowed to Xiuying and departed. Xiuying was staring sorrowfully into space. As the young man went over to the bright green travelling bag he had thrown onto the ground, Xiuying glanced at him.
The man straightened and walked towards Xiuying. Xiuying turned so she was facing him.
"You are leaving?" she asked.
"Yes" the man replied. "Lan Di has left for Guilin"
"Guilin" Xiuying said. So he has already gotten that far she thought sadly. Mentally she sighed. I cannot do this...he is a legend...he will survive...I'm sorry
Hating herself Xiuying stepped forward.
"Here," she said, handing him her only link with Ziming, the white bead.
"This is...?" the man asked. Xiuying stared at him as the memories of Ziming giving her the bead came back. Quickly she snapped out of it.
"I don't wish you to follow the same path my brother followed." Xiuying turned so her back was facing the man, so he couldn't see the pain in her eyes. "Striking with hatred and eventually destroying yourself...I don't want you to follow such a path."
The man gripped the bead and placed it in his jeans pocket.
"I can understand how your brother felt." he began. "You know too, how he felt." At that Xiuying twisted round to face him.
"I won't die..." the man continued. "You brother must be alive somewhere, as well."
He still lives...but he has followed the evil path and killed himself...as you will soon know. Xiuying thought.
The man took a step back and bowed. Picking up his bag the man left without another word.
Into the shadows Xiuying whispered part of a poem, one which had been recited to her over and over again.
When he is ready, he shall seek me,
And we shall walk the rocky path together.
Soon the legend of the Phoenix will begin...Xiuying thought. She looked at the sky.
Are you truly ready to brave the rocky path, Shenhua?