Author Angel Chua
Adapted from Princess Agents drama series and original novel by Xiao Xiang Dong'er – Chu Qiao Chuan Biography
Unexpected visit (edited 09.13.2022)
Yuwen Yue heard but pretended he is asleep so the bird can calm itself.
Suddenly a group of black ninjas surrounded his room. Yuwen Yue sensed some danger when the bird quacked on its second, third, fourth and so on. Quietly he stood up, put the bird in a safety zone, and closed his eyes to sharpen his senses. Yuwen Yue is unarmed. His sword lost during the icy lake tragedy managed to buy some small cold weapons like the classic dagger for a close fight. He grabbed the handmade bow and arrow he assembled by himself if he decides to switch his tactics to an offensive fight.
Since his last action at the frozen lake, Yuwen Yue did not practice his Gongfu martial arts but still confident, he has all these skills for a lifetime. With sharp and keen ears, the footsteps reveal that these were assassins. Though he did hear any clanging of the sword, heard footsteps running above the roof. He slowly put on his hood and waited for an attack.
Yuwen Yue also thought of the father and son living below, who happens to be wealthy merchant that runs their own lodge. He made up his mind that if this night Yuwen Yue encounters some unknown entity, he will not hesitate to protect the very people who helped him save his life and still helping him until now.
Suddenly, sounds of dismounting tiles from the roof were heard. Yuwen Yue counted it five pairs of footsteps which means there are five men to take down. Yuwen Yue blew the candles in his room.
The moment the black ninja reached Yuwen Yue's room, he grabbed the neck and strangled it with the rope, dragged it, and banged the black ninja into the rustic wooden wall. Because it is dark, Yuwen Yue cannot clearly see his face. Yuwen Yue is still waiting for the rest to come down, but no one came. Then the black ninja reversed the hand of Yuwen Yue. The two danced in the dark with their martial arts, and both have been very good at it. Eventually, Yuwen Yue quickly took out a matchstick in his pocket and played little fire using it.
Neither would want to give up the late fight, and they continued until the bird called again the name: "Xinger" three times, and both stopped at that moment.
When the black ninja's attention was diverted to the bird sound, Yuwen Yue took advantage of it.
He captured the black ninja facing the floor while Yuwen Yue is tying his hands.
Yuwen Yue claps his hand like he was getting off some dirt. He learned these gestures outside Yuwen household, and it means, the job is done.
As cold as he is, he didn't bother to see the black ninja's face, especially at this time of the night, he dragged him onto the veranda and was about to push him to another roof, but the black ninja shouted at him.
"You cast a shadow!"
Huh!? Yuwen Yue looked him in the eye.
"I said you cast a shadow!"
Yuwen Yue took off the black ninja's mask and found the face of the young man he fought in the circle of fight arena earlier.
"I just realized you are not the seventh Yue! Now go, I made a mistake!"
Just like that Yuwen Yue dismissed him and he turned his back to his room when...
"Casting a shadow means you are a master, that can illuminate the lives of their followers or cover them in darkness!"
Yuwen Yue was a bit startled; he didn't expect the young man who looked like Yue Qi would define what he and his servant Yue's code of expressions.
Yuwen Yue continued this code of expression and said: "the master casts light when they do good to others but casts a shadow when they abuse their powers. The slaves obey, but the servant teaches the master when they abuse their powers but helps the master when they help others."
The black ninja did not blink an eye at Yuwen Yue, but he still gave him a mocking look not wanting to drop on his knee. Judging from their looks, both know what that code of expression means. The black ninja told him: "I shall meet you again until then you have to wait for me!" and he again disappeared.
Yuwen Yue was left alone again, and this black ninja just left him with another impression and deep thoughts.
He never thought that another person other than his bodyguard knows and understands the code of expression Yuwen Yue expressed in the circle of fight. Not sure if he is under the surveillance of the Yuwen household or might have been spying on him lately. Until now, not yet capable to face Yuwen household and has not gathered enough strength for the journey to go back, for his body is still under recovery. One thing, he has a lot of questions left unanswered yet, most especially about his mother and Xinger.
Looking back at his past, Yuwen Yue was almost killed when he formed a gatecrash party at Yuwen Huai household. He quickly passes through the stratagems around and forced himself to talk to the third concubine of the Yuwen household. When he thought the third concubine his Aunt was dead, he discovered that she is alive but disabled. Locked up for years and she told him she cannot do anything but to become a prisoner of the Yuwen's vilest and most dangerous stratagems ever made in the entire Jile Pavilion.
Back to the present, Yuwen Yue finally accepted the young boy cannot be Yue Qi but maybe a doppelgänger. Having no news from Yuwen household and having been intentionally not let his Yuwen bodyguards find him, he thinks the black ninja not connected to the Yuwen household. Yuwen Yue could only hope that Yue Qi survived after Yue Qi defended him from a thousand arrows and if not, maybe this is the reason why Yuwen Yue is still missing today. Yuwen Yue wants to give in to this thinking, but he remained strong about his emotions and does not even want to start to walk on that path. He thinks the Yue Qi is alive, his bodyguards are looking for him and will find him soon maybe but not today.
Zuo Zong the next day went to attend his usual Shaolin temple duties. He swept the floors, scrub the walls, cooks in the kitchen, and after all, the chores are done, he went with his usual meditation and Kungfu practice. Zuo Zong was the only master permitted to grow his hair because Zuo Zong is not part of the chanting fighting monks. Yet it oversees most of the specific infiltration, espionage, and surveillance jobs in times the temple needs its services.
In his meditation, he saw Yuwen Yue in his vision. He cannot focus anymore. The face of Yuwen Yue kept coming back to his mind, so he changed his thoughts and went back to the thoughts of brother Zuo Shan. A fragmented part of himself flashed, then there is Yuwen Yue again. He stopped the meditation, as if, the wind is again calling him to see the master. Zuo Zong agreed and hummed in peace. He promised himself to see Yuwen Yue and to know more about him, about the secret code that no one else knows except his father and Zuo Shan.
Zuo Zong is dressed in an orange Shaolin monk outfit, long bead sash on his right shoulder, and highly pony-tailed hair, he looks dashing and charming. Zuo, is the only monk with long hair, unlike others. He was about to dismiss his thoughts and turned around and was surprised to see a man sitting in a Buddha position in the middle of the temple. His hands were on top of each fist and closed his eyes. Zuo Zong looked stuck, unable to move from his place when he saw the man in the middle and just can't ignore him.
The man dressed in a neat, peasant powder blue fighting costume, wide pants, V-shape long sleeves with a tie on its left side, black belt on his waist with jade stone, black flat clean shoes with brown laces perfectly crisscrossed up on his knee on top of his white socks. His hair was tied just right at the middle not too high not too low just like when he met him first at the circle of fight arena. His aura radiates like the sun as the winds brush off several tea candles surrounding the temple smells divine and cleansing the mind. Zuo Zong's eyes gleam at it as it took his breath away. Like a butterfly in his stomach when he saw the man, excitement flew. It seems his outfit did not match his god-looking face especially when his eyes closed: "did a god come down today" Zuo Zong said to himself.
After an extended meditation, he rose and went to the Buddhist altar to offer the money he gained from his accidental, forceful fight. Yuwen Yue was looking for someone because he knows the black ninja was meditating in front of the temple a while ago. Yuwen Yue knows that he found the black ninja but: "where is he? gone again?" he thought of himself. Yuwen Yue is sure to follow the trail of the black ninja who accidentally left this wooden dark brown beaded bracelet last night. The beads in the wooden bracelet tell the level of martial arts mastery he finished and rewarded to the owner. Yuwen Yue kept it under his pocket. In case the owner turns up, he has a plan.
Yuwen Yue is the former master of eyes of God, and once he got interested in its subject, it is impossible not to catch him. Yuwen Yue bowed with his two hands tightly clasping in front of each of the monks as a sign of respect, he talked to the monks who are sweeping the ground with their long stick brooms outside the temple. Yuwen Yue politely asked who the owner of the beaded bracelet is. The monks bowed to him, and one monk with a little chinky eye asked: "What can we do for a stranger?" One of the monks looked at the bracelet on Yuwen Yue's hands and thought: "This is the master Zuo's bracelet how come he has it?"
Zuo Zong hid somewhere watching Yuwen Yue and these junior monks, and suddenly recalled his bracelet was missing since last night. Zuo Zong shook his head and smiled a little and thinks someone as quick as him was able to bypass him, and Yuwen Yue got it. For it is impossible to misplace the bracelet, it will reveal his identity, and his whereabouts, if the one who finds it knows how to read the inscriptions.
By this time, Zuo knows that Yuwen Yue must be an elite master that hides an ordinary person in public. The way he carried himself today at the temple speaks a lot of him, a dignified master with integrity and honor. Back to the bracelet, Zuo turns his concerns to the bracelet. Zuo must get it back before the temple master sifu (teacher) knows or he will face the punishment of a journey to the far icy mountains of Woolong.
Meanwhile, Zuo Zong is forced to jump from a nearby lion headstone figure where he is hiding and come out to interrupt them. This time, Zuo not on his open and arrogant attitude, he showed a low attitude stature. When the monks saw Zuo, they bowed at him and paid their utmost respects. Zuo Zong bowed his head to Yuwen Yue. Yuwen Yue nodded back at him and slightly bowed his head and looked at him, eyes were cold but calm. Yuwen Yue did not bow, but he knows his actions were intentional. Zuo Zong on his prayer beads, his eyes still closed, suddenly opened to meet Yuwen Yue's cold eyes. Zuo Zong did not wait for Yuwen Yue to introduce himself. As part of being an intelligent spy in front of his subordinates, he must show there is nothing Zuo doesn't know, especially this man in front of him looking like a god.
"I see why the stranger came."
Zuo Zong on his stern eyes told the young monks: "Let me handle it."
The monks bowed to him and left when they heard Zuo's order and knew what it means. Only the two went on site, Yuwen Yue and Zuo Zong were left in one place, both looking cold, and their eyes just got narrower. In his quick move, Zuo Zong started to pick a fight with Yuwen Yue. Zuo at once took the beaded bracelet from Yuwen Yue's hand. Yuwen Yue is usually sharp after this meditation; he was able to quickly react to Zuo Zong's surprise attack. Yuwen Yue throws the bracelet on air, but Zuo Zong easily catches it on air. Impressed by it, Yuwen Yue bats Zuo Zong's right palm but Zuo Zong threw on air and passed it to his left hand to catch it. Yuwen Yue did not stop this going back and forth while Zuo Zong in his usual fighting stance the place turned so dusty as they jump, flying kicks in the air, mimicking each other. Until Zuo Zong could no longer hold his temper, he switched to his defensive attacks. Because of Zuo's anger, Yuwen Yue did not give up playing his sacred bracelet.
The fight and their level of martial arts advances moved from one place to another. Suddenly without any regard, Zuo Zong on his tip-toe feet, at the edge of the cliff, he is standing only on one foot, fell. Yuwen Yue on his closed eyes grabbed his left hand. Zuo Zong, in a dangerous and desperate situation, and yet Yuwen Yue not letting his guard off looking so calm but cannot hide in such distressful moment. Yuwen Yue knows his hands won't be able to endure, he quickly untied the ties from his shoes and excellently tied to their hands. Yuwen Yue left with no choice, gave all his force and strength to save Zuo Zong from the cliff where Zuo Zong nearly gave up because if he will not, Yuwen Yue will fall off too. Yuwen Yue did not think twice to save him and was able to pull him using the tied knot on both of their left hands.
"Why did you save me?"
"Because you are in a cliff and about to die" just like that, bland and cold voice from Yuwen Yue while he was untying the rope he tied to their hands and tying it back to his shoes.
After Yuwen Yue is done tying his shoes, he gave the beaded bracelet to Zuo Zong, and the cold wind blew between them. Yuwen Yue did bother to see him eye to eye, while Zuo Zong is waiting for it. Yuwen Yue turned his back and started to walk away.
Zuo Zong to his surprise is about to call his name however he stopped himself. Zuo admits this time, he does not know any information about him. But whatever it is, it is rude not to pay respect to the person who saves your life in times of life and death situation. The random kindness that Yuwen Yue gave to him today by giving him back his bracelet tells, this is not just coincidence that happens every day.
"Master!" he shouted at Yuwen Yue.
Yuwen Yue turning a deaf ear is already far. Although he is still able to hear, he did not turn his back.
Zuo Zong bowed his head (but not kowtow position) up until his waist to express thankfulness that he owes him that much. His kindness cannot be repaid even if he offers his entire life to serve him. Then one full bow for his life that he owes to Yuwen Yue and one-half bow on his head for sending him back the beaded bracelet to the rightful temple master owner.
Suddenly a young monk who asked Yuwen Yue earlier is watching them closely in secret, but Yuwen Yue caught him.
"You are not going to tell what happened today." Yuwen Yue warned him while he strangles the neck of the young monk.
"Yes, ma...mas...master." The young monk is shaking in fear.
Yuwen Yue left but aware of what Zuo Zong did on his back but pretended he did not bother to turn around or acknowledge it.
