Song Of Exile Chapter 114

 Chapter 114: Precipitous Paths

“A spy!” another man yelled, drawing his sword and coming forward . “Ready your weapon, friend, it’s…” He leapt close to Wenchang, just eight feet away .

Wenchang moved swiftly, striding forward two steps right at him . The man’s sword had just left the scabbard when he stopped short, but Wenchang was there, and a sabre came whistling through the air at him and he had to meet it .

The man came on too ferociously and didn’t expect that Wenchang would not only not flee before the chief and the other four masters, but would actually advance and attack instead . But Wenchang darted over and a flash of light appeared and the wind pushed by the sabre arrived and the man slashed with his sword, trying to knock away the sabre coming at him .

Wenchang was determined to have his way . He moved fast and attacked viciously, accurately, and before the sword slashed at him he cut in close and brushed behind the man, suddenly standing rock steady behind him, his sabre leveled before him, the blade shockingly covered with blood .

Those watching only saw the flash of the sabre and then the two separate . That was all .

The man’s sword pa.s.sed by Wenchang, missing him by a hair, and he rushed forward eight feet, then suddenly spun to his right, the momentum of his sword turning him around the other way, his feet unsteady, his body wavering . The sword suddenly fell from his hand and he spun out thirty feet .

“Argh…” he cried . He tried to stand straight, but he quickly fell down and clutched his intestines that were spilling out of his right side with his trembling hands . He struggled briefly, then was still and silent .

Everything happened so quickly, so suddenly, no one had a chance to step in and help, nor did anyone see clearly what had happened . In the dark it was hard to see the two of them fighting . The man cried out after taking the slash from the sabre, then fell down, so they knew Wenchang’s sabre was quite fast and vicious .

The man who first spoke bellowed and threw off his fur overcoat and tossed it beside the path and drew his sword . “Alright, buddy, you anonymous dog too ashamed to show yourself in front of others, since you came to Taibai Mountain for trouble, this chief will grind your bones to dust . ”

Just then, flames lit up and and a dozen or so men ran out from the fortress, leading Jade-faced Tiger, all of them carrying torches . There was no way to hide now . The stronghold chief had a pointed chin and sunken cheeks, a squirrely beard, green eyes, a narrow forehead, and he was skinny . He was the Taibai Wolf, Xu Zhonghua .

Jade-faced Tiger still didn’t know what was going on . He followed Evil Dragon Jiang Gui and cur in front of him into the torchlight . “Who dares make a ruckus at this stronghold?”

But Taibai Wolf was not listening . He leveled his sword and charged, attacking with “Shooting Star Chases the Moon”, thrusting viciously, his gleaming sword licking out .

Wenchang let out a long laugh and swung his sabre, clanging sharply against the sword twice and shooting sparks .

They separated, pretty much even, each flitting eight feet to the side .

Evil Dragon Jiang Gui happened to arrive then and saw the fight clearly . He happened to be right behind Wenchang who had just backed up . He suddenly threw a throwing knife . “Die! Masked b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”

Jade-faced Tiger suddenly drew his sword as well and attacked from the side . “I too will beat this drowning dog . ” As he yelled, his sword closed in on Wenchang’s backside .

Wenchang turned and swung his sabre wildly and grabbed the oncoming throwing knife in his hand, then caught Jade-faced Tiger’s sword with a swish of his sabre . He threw the knife back the way it came and yelled, “You can have it back, nice move . Take this!”

The first part was intended for Evil Dragon Jiang Gui, the last two were for Jade-faced Tiger .

Their blades crossed and clanged three times, Yan Ruyu backing up, then again, backing up twenty feet, his face ashen, but in the end he was able to escape Wenchang’s sabre .

“Argh…” Jiang Gui cried as his own throwing knife sunk into his belly right in his dantian acupoint . He staggered and fell backward .

Wenchang beat Yan Ruyu back with three sabre slashes, then suddenly ripped off his mask and bellowed, “So it’s you, you shameless pervert . Tonight you will suffer retribution . ”

Jade-faced Tiger flinched . He wanted to get revenge on Wenchang for his humiliation in Chang’an, but once she saw Wenchang’s face his heart froze and his feet hesitated . “The Fugitive Cai Wenchang! Good! You d.a.m.ned b.a.s.t.a.r.d . ”

Wenchang didn’t wait for him to finish but charged in like a crazed tiger, sabre slas.h.i.+ng, whizzing through the air, slash after slash forcing Jade-faced Tiger to change positions five times . The final blow knocked Jade-faced Tiger’s sword to the side, exposing his body . The sabre flashed again and Wenchang was in close, thrusting the point of his blade out with “Push the Boat With the Current” . [1]

The Taibai Wolf happened to find a seam between them and slipped his sword in, driving toward Wenchang’s back . “Die, junior!”

Wenchang felt the force of the tip of his sword coming at him . He didn’t want to take himself down with Jade-faced Tiger, so he retracted his sabre and shot it out to the right . There was a sound of ripping silk as Jade-faced Tiger’s robe was split at the chest, the flash of the sabre leaving a shallow seam across his robe . The Taibai Wolf’s sword missed, nearly plunging into Jade-faced Tiger’s chest, just missing him .

Wenchang shouldn’t have revealed himself . Jade-faced Tiger shouting his name was going to be troublesome .

Days ago, Black Flag Sovereign had stopped by here and everyone at the stronghold received instructions to either capture or kill the arrogant Cai Wenchang, offering an unprecedented reward .

Following the chief and the four others down the mountain, someone suddenly howled, s.n.a.t.c.hed a torch from someone, and threw it at Wenchang with all his might . Flames arced through the air . three throwing knives behind it .

All the bandits responded by throwing their torches as well, and darts and spearknives rained down from all directions on Wenchang .

The torch flew so fast it was dazzling, and it was not easy to see so many concealed weapons zipping at you . Anyone who had not cultivated to the point of being impenetrable and hard as steel would find it d.a.m.n near impossible to avoid it .

Wenchang wounded Jade-faced Tiger, then was barely missed by Taibai Wolf’s sword . He zipped eight feet away and before his feet had touched the ground the torches and concealed weapons were there . It was likely too late to dodge them . At that moment there was nothing to do but drop down to the ground as quick as he could .

“Aiyo!” Jade-faced Tiger yelped, and quickly stepped back .

The Taibai Wolf knew his men would volley concealed weapons, so he dropped to the ground and scurried thirty feet away . “I want him alive!”

Wenchang was a concealed weapons expert, but the torches were coming at him fast so he couldn’t see the concealed weapons well . By the time he felt something was wrong it was already too late . He hit the ground just as a throwing knife lodged into the back of his left shoulder . Fortunately, he concentrated his qi to resist it, reducing the force of the knife considerably . It only entered three-tenths of an inch and stopped . The jolt of him hitting the ground made the knife drop out and blood welled up on his flesh .

Torches were flying all over, hitting the ground and snuffing out . The rest of the concealed weapons missed as it soon became dark .

Suddenly, two dark gray figures appeared below them, two swords entering the fray like a violent storm as screams suddenly went up .

“Ah…” Two men fell, one of the slightly taller newcomers suddenly entered broke away and continued on .

The other slightly shorter dark figure was biting enough, sword flas.h.i.+ng swiftly, screaming through the air as three men before and aft fell down and there was a gap in the encirclement . A sharp, clear voice shouted, “Go quick! The bandits are going to attack en ma.s.se . ”

Yes, they had already begun their a.s.sault . The stronghold torches were fully lit as countless bandits streamed out . Men also ran out of the nearby fortress and hurried over one after another .

Wenchang leapt to his feet and s.n.a.t.c.hed up the knife that lay next to him and charged down, loosing the throwing knife as he went .

“Ai…” The Taibai Wolf cried out, the knife sinking into the hollow of his left shoulder . If his right foot had not been in the air and himself leaning over to the right a bit, then the knife would have hit him square in the chest instead of the shoulder .

The Traveler Tong Ning was close by on the right . This guy was very clever . Wenchang was formidable enough on his own, but now with these two gray figures added to the mix, how could his strength not be redoubled? He would not get another opportunity to flee for his life; he would lose it on Taibai Mountain if he didn’t get out of there . He turned and ran down, breaking through the encirclement, following the people in gray as fast as a shooting star .

The Traveler ran five or six steps, then felt a jolt in his back and he went numb . His legs went weak and he could no longer stand and pitched forward and to the side .

Then, a remarkable pain a.s.sailed him . He wanted to scream but his tongue was numb . His legs gave out and he crashed to the ground . His arms and legs twitched, then gradually stilled . A sabre was stuck into his back, the point penetrating through his chest and sticking out eight inches or so .

The Taibai Wolf gnashed his teeth and pulled the knife out of his shoulder . “After him! After him, quick…”

But Wenchang and the two gray-clad people were already a hundred feet away, disappearing into the night, their images wavering a couple times in the distance and then vanis.h.i.+ng .

Wenchang hurried after the two in gray . Strange! His lightness skill was had already reached sublimity, but he was still not near as good as these two in gray . He chased after them for a mile or so, losing ground, going from 30-50 feet away to more than 100 feet away . He was awed . “You two, please slow down, wait…”

But they kept getting farther away, speeding up as soon as he opened his mouth, rounding the spur of a mountain and suddenly vanis.h.i.+ng .

He stopped at the spur of the mountain and stared after them blankly, unsure if the two gray figures were people or ghosts . Suddenly, a piece of white silk gauze fluttered over a short tree on the side of the road . He went over and a wonderful fragrance hit him, a familiar fragrance . Maybe he had smelled it over there before .

He was curious and took out a fire stick and lit it for a closer look . It was embroidered with several orchids and the word “Juan” . It was not a handkerchief for wiping off sweat, but a girl’s decorative silk gauze kerchief . A hairpin had been used to scratch some words on the surface that read: “Don’t stir up trouble, look out for yourself . ”

It was unbelievable that a hairpin could be used to etch words into silk gauze cloth . It would be difficult even with a sharp blade . He couldn’t help but be shocked .

It’s a girl, but who? he thought, puzzled .

He couldn’t recall who had come to help him back there when he was surrounded, then slipped away .

Juan, could it be Fang Xiaojuan? He recalled Fang Song and his daughter, who had helped him earlier on that other mountain, and that Xiaoshan was her little brother . He thought if it had been Xiaojuan and her father, why such a coincidence? And there was no reason for them to leave without saying anything .

“Whoever she was, I’ll figure it out later,” he said to himself . He stuffed the kerchief into his robe and turned and looked back .

Behind him flames lit up the sky . A ma.s.s of bandits was coming for him . He snorted coldly and launched his lightness skill and took off .

All that trouble he caused tonight, and not a single tael of gold to show for it . But he knew that Black Flag Sovereign would be very busy indeed because of him .

The ancient path he was on stretched 700 miles in total, and 2,989 gallery roads and 2,992 wooden pavilions along the way . Most were collapsed or crumbling, and travelers hesitated before crossing . Very few people came and went this way, so it gradually became a desolate area with signs of habitation becoming fewer and fewer . Now this was a world dominated by wild animals and bandits . Years ago, it bordered Hanzhong and there was a place called Huayang County, later changed to Zhenfu County .

Now, the county was abandoned . For two hundred miles to Yangzhou it became known as yang County, so it is easy to see that the area had declined from bad to worse, and there were fewer and fewer people living there .

Entering an endless chain of mountains, Wenchang had no choice but to leave his donkey behind, carry his pack on his back and his pipa, and head south all by his lonesome .

Yegu was actually an unbroken valley within the mountainous area, also called Yebao . The north end was called Ye, the south end was called Bao . This was also the ancient state of Bao during the Zhou dynasty and the hometown of the seductive concubine Bao Si, as well as Hanzhong’s Bao City . So as you can see, this valley was extremely long! The ancient path circled around the mountains over dangerous waters; the path was narrow and winding with precipitous overhangs and cliffs everywhere

At noon, he wound around a precipice, the path heading uphill . The sound of water boomed like thunder in the distance . Five miles up the mountain their appeared a gallery road with huge wooden planks stuck into the cliff face . Looking down there was a ravine very far down .

He finally reached the beginning of the gallery road and looked down . Heavens! A timid person would not have the nerve to cross it at all . Above, the towering cliff seemed to be ready to topple on top of him . Below, it was like a bottomless pit with strange rocks jutting out dangerously, and then a surging torrent of water sending up spray that twinkled like pearls or splas.h.i.+ng bits of jade . It sounded like ten thousand horses galloping at once, enough to make one dizzy and make one’s heart drop, enough to make one go weak at the knees . And the gallery road was only five feet across, the handrail on the outside rotten and decayed . The planks themselves, oncer st.u.r.dy wooden slats, long ago had started to show signs of rot . One misstep, or should one of the planks collapse, and Heavens! If you didn’t die from the drop then you must have the power of a Buddha . It would be a miracle for sure .

The gallery road was about half a mile long . The planks creaked underfoot, filling Wenchang with apprehension, until he got to the middle of the road and saw a bushy bearded man standing there by the cliff wall like a ghost . He wore an azure headscarf and a slim-fitting azure robe, with a long dagger in a sheath hanging from his waist . He stood there languidly and yawned and said cryptically, “Have a rest, buddy, stop and chat for a bit before you go . ”

1 . This is also a phrase that means “to seize an opportunity or take advantage of a situation for one’s own benefit .  

 Chapter 114: Precipitous Paths.

“A spy!” another man yelled, drawing his sword and coming forward . “Ready your weapon, friend, it’s…” He leapt close to Wenchang, just eight feet away

Wenchang moved swiftly, striding forward two steps right at him . The man’s sword had just left the scabbard when he stopped short, but Wenchang was there, and a sabre came whistling through the air at him and he had to meet it

The man came on too ferociously and didn’t expect that Wenchang would not only not flee before the chief and the other four masters, but would actually advance and attack instead . But Wenchang darted over and a flash of light appeared and the wind pushed by the sabre arrived and the man slashed with his sword, trying to knock away the sabre coming at him

Wenchang was determined to have his way . He moved fast and attacked viciously, accurately, and before the sword slashed at him he cut in close and brushed behind the man, suddenly standing rock steady behind him, his sabre leveled before him, the blade shockingly covered with blood

Those watching only saw the flash of the sabre and then the two separate . That was all

The man’s sword pa.s.sed by Wenchang, missing him by a hair, and he rushed forward eight feet, then suddenly spun to his right, the momentum of his sword turning him around the other way, his feet unsteady, his body wavering . The sword suddenly fell from his hand and he spun out thirty feet

“Argh…” he cried . He tried to stand straight, but he quickly fell down and clutched his intestines that were spilling out of his right side with his trembling hands . He struggled briefly, then was still and silent

Everything happened so quickly, so suddenly, no one had a chance to step in and help, nor did anyone see clearly what had happened . In the dark it was hard to see the two of them fighting . The man cried out after taking the slash from the sabre, then fell down, so they knew Wenchang’s sabre was quite fast and vicious

The man who first spoke bellowed and threw off his fur overcoat and tossed it beside the path and drew his sword . “Alright, buddy, you anonymous dog too ashamed to show yourself in front of others, since you came to Taibai Mountain for trouble, this chief will grind your bones to dust . ”.

Just then, flames lit up and and a dozen or so men ran out from the fortress, leading Jade-faced Tiger, all of them carrying torches . There was no way to hide now . The stronghold chief had a pointed chin and sunken cheeks, a squirrely beard, green eyes, a narrow forehead, and he was skinny . He was the Taibai Wolf, Xu Zhonghua

Jade-faced Tiger still didn’t know what was going on . He followed Evil Dragon Jiang Gui and cur in front of him into the torchlight . “Who dares make a ruckus at this stronghold?”.

But Taibai Wolf was not listening . He leveled his sword and charged, attacking with “Shooting Star Chases the Moon”, thrusting viciously, his gleaming sword licking out

Wenchang let out a long laugh and swung his sabre, clanging sharply against the sword twice and shooting sparks

They separated, pretty much even, each flitting eight feet to the side

Evil Dragon Jiang Gui happened to arrive then and saw the fight clearly . He happened to be right behind Wenchang who had just backed up . He suddenly threw a throwing knife . “Die! Masked b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”.

Jade-faced Tiger suddenly drew his sword as well and attacked from the side . “I too will beat this drowning dog . ” As he yelled, his sword closed in on Wenchang’s backside

Wenchang turned and swung his sabre wildly and grabbed the oncoming throwing knife in his hand, then caught Jade-faced Tiger’s sword with a swish of his sabre . He threw the knife back the way it came and yelled, “You can have it back, nice move . Take this!”.

The first part was intended for Evil Dragon Jiang Gui, the last two were for Jade-faced Tiger

Their blades crossed and clanged three times, Yan Ruyu backing up, then again, backing up twenty feet, his face ashen, but in the end he was able to escape Wenchang’s sabre

“Argh…” Jiang Gui cried as his own throwing knife sunk into his belly right in his dantian acupoint . He staggered and fell backward

Wenchang beat Yan Ruyu back with three sabre slashes, then suddenly ripped off his mask and bellowed, “So it’s you, you shameless pervert . Tonight you will suffer retribution . ”.

Jade-faced Tiger flinched . He wanted to get revenge on Wenchang for his humiliation in Chang’an, but once she saw Wenchang’s face his heart froze and his feet hesitated . “The Fugitive Cai Wenchang! Good! You d.a.m.ned b.a.s.t.a.r.d . ”.

Wenchang didn’t wait for him to finish but charged in like a crazed tiger, sabre slas.h.i.+ng, whizzing through the air, slash after slash forcing Jade-faced Tiger to change positions five times . The final blow knocked Jade-faced Tiger’s sword to the side, exposing his body . The sabre flashed again and Wenchang was in close, thrusting the point of his blade out with “Push the Boat With the Current” . [1].

The Taibai Wolf happened to find a seam between them and slipped his sword in, driving toward Wenchang’s back . “Die, junior!”.

Wenchang felt the force of the tip of his sword coming at him . He didn’t want to take himself down with Jade-faced Tiger, so he retracted his sabre and shot it out to the right . There was a sound of ripping silk as Jade-faced Tiger’s robe was split at the chest, the flash of the sabre leaving a shallow seam across his robe . The Taibai Wolf’s sword missed, nearly plunging into Jade-faced Tiger’s chest, just missing him

Wenchang shouldn’t have revealed himself . Jade-faced Tiger shouting his name was going to be troublesome

Days ago, Black Flag Sovereign had stopped by here and everyone at the stronghold received instructions to either capture or kill the arrogant Cai Wenchang, offering an unprecedented reward

Following the chief and the four others down the mountain, someone suddenly howled, s.n.a.t.c.hed a torch from someone, and threw it at Wenchang with all his might . Flames arced through the air . three throwing knives behind it

All the bandits responded by throwing their torches as well, and darts and spearknives rained down from all directions on Wenchang

The torch flew so fast it was dazzling, and it was not easy to see so many concealed weapons zipping at you . Anyone who had not cultivated to the point of being impenetrable and hard as steel would find it d.a.m.n near impossible to avoid it

Wenchang wounded Jade-faced Tiger, then was barely missed by Taibai Wolf’s sword . He zipped eight feet away and before his feet had touched the ground the torches and concealed weapons were there . It was likely too late to dodge them . At that moment there was nothing to do but drop down to the ground as quick as he could

“Aiyo!” Jade-faced Tiger yelped, and quickly stepped back

The Taibai Wolf knew his men would volley concealed weapons, so he dropped to the ground and scurried thirty feet away . “I want him alive!”.

Wenchang was a concealed weapons expert, but the torches were coming at him fast so he couldn’t see the concealed weapons well . By the time he felt something was wrong it was already too late . He hit the ground just as a throwing knife lodged into the back of his left shoulder . Fortunately, he concentrated his qi to resist it, reducing the force of the knife considerably . It only entered three-tenths of an inch and stopped . The jolt of him hitting the ground made the knife drop out and blood welled up on his flesh

Torches were flying all over, hitting the ground and snuffing out . The rest of the concealed weapons missed as it soon became dark

Suddenly, two dark gray figures appeared below them, two swords entering the fray like a violent storm as screams suddenly went up

“Ah…” Two men fell, one of the slightly taller newcomers suddenly entered broke away and continued on

The other slightly shorter dark figure was biting enough, sword flas.h.i.+ng swiftly, screaming through the air as three men before and aft fell down and there was a gap in the encirclement . A sharp, clear voice shouted, “Go quick! The bandits are going to attack en ma.s.se . ”.

Yes, they had already begun their a.s.sault . The stronghold torches were fully lit as countless bandits streamed out . Men also ran out of the nearby fortress and hurried over one after another

Wenchang leapt to his feet and s.n.a.t.c.hed up the knife that lay next to him and charged down, loosing the throwing knife as he went

“Ai…” The Taibai Wolf cried out, the knife sinking into the hollow of his left shoulder . If his right foot had not been in the air and himself leaning over to the right a bit, then the knife would have hit him square in the chest instead of the shoulder

The Traveler Tong Ning was close by on the right . This guy was very clever . Wenchang was formidable enough on his own, but now with these two gray figures added to the mix, how could his strength not be redoubled? He would not get another opportunity to flee for his life; he would lose it on Taibai Mountain if he didn’t get out of there . He turned and ran down, breaking through the encirclement, following the people in gray as fast as a shooting star

The Traveler ran five or six steps, then felt a jolt in his back and he went numb . His legs went weak and he could no longer stand and pitched forward and to the side

Then, a remarkable pain a.s.sailed him . He wanted to scream but his tongue was numb . His legs gave out and he crashed to the ground . His arms and legs twitched, then gradually stilled . A sabre was stuck into his back, the point penetrating through his chest and sticking out eight inches or so

The Taibai Wolf gnashed his teeth and pulled the knife out of his shoulder . “After him! After him, quick…”.

But Wenchang and the two gray-clad people were already a hundred feet away, disappearing into the night, their images wavering a couple times in the distance and then vanis.h.i.+ng

Wenchang hurried after the two in gray . Strange! His lightness skill was had already reached sublimity, but he was still not near as good as these two in gray . He chased after them for a mile or so, losing ground, going from 30-50 feet away to more than 100 feet away . He was awed . “You two, please slow down, wait…”.

But they kept getting farther away, speeding up as soon as he opened his mouth, rounding the spur of a mountain and suddenly vanis.h.i.+ng

He stopped at the spur of the mountain and stared after them blankly, unsure if the two gray figures were people or ghosts . Suddenly, a piece of white silk gauze fluttered over a short tree on the side of the road . He went over and a wonderful fragrance hit him, a familiar fragrance . Maybe he had smelled it over there before

He was curious and took out a fire stick and lit it for a closer look . It was embroidered with several orchids and the word “Juan” . It was not a handkerchief for wiping off sweat, but a girl’s decorative silk gauze kerchief . A hairpin had been used to scratch some words on the surface that read: “Don’t stir up trouble, look out for yourself . ”.

It was unbelievable that a hairpin could be used to etch words into silk gauze cloth . It would be difficult even with a sharp blade . He couldn’t help but be shocked

It’s a girl, but who? he thought, puzzled

He couldn’t recall who had come to help him back there when he was surrounded, then slipped away

Juan, could it be Fang Xiaojuan? He recalled Fang Song and his daughter, who had helped him earlier on that other mountain, and that Xiaoshan was her little brother . He thought if it had been Xiaojuan and her father, why such a coincidence? And there was no reason for them to leave without saying anything

“Whoever she was, I’ll figure it out later,” he said to himself . He stuffed the kerchief into his robe and turned and looked back

Behind him flames lit up the sky . A ma.s.s of bandits was coming for him . He snorted coldly and launched his lightness skill and took off

All that trouble he caused tonight, and not a single tael of gold to show for it . But he knew that Black Flag Sovereign would be very busy indeed because of him

The ancient path he was on stretched 700 miles in total, and 2,989 gallery roads and 2,992 wooden pavilions along the way . Most were collapsed or crumbling, and travelers hesitated before crossing . Very few people came and went this way, so it gradually became a desolate area with signs of habitation becoming fewer and fewer . Now this was a world dominated by wild animals and bandits . Years ago, it bordered Hanzhong and there was a place called Huayang County, later changed to Zhenfu County

Now, the county was abandoned . For two hundred miles to Yangzhou it became known as yang County, so it is easy to see that the area had declined from bad to worse, and there were fewer and fewer people living there

Entering an endless chain of mountains, Wenchang had no choice but to leave his donkey behind, carry his pack on his back and his pipa, and head south all by his lonesome

Yegu was actually an unbroken valley within the mountainous area, also called Yebao . The north end was called Ye, the south end was called Bao . This was also the ancient state of Bao during the Zhou dynasty and the hometown of the seductive concubine Bao Si, as well as Hanzhong’s Bao City . So as you can see, this valley was extremely long! The ancient path circled around the mountains over dangerous waters; the path was narrow and winding with precipitous overhangs and cliffs everywhere.

At noon, he wound around a precipice, the path heading uphill . The sound of water boomed like thunder in the distance . Five miles up the mountain their appeared a gallery road with huge wooden planks stuck into the cliff face . Looking down there was a ravine very far down

He finally reached the beginning of the gallery road and looked down . Heavens! A timid person would not have the nerve to cross it at all . Above, the towering cliff seemed to be ready to topple on top of him . Below, it was like a bottomless pit with strange rocks jutting out dangerously, and then a surging torrent of water sending up spray that twinkled like pearls or splas.h.i.+ng bits of jade . It sounded like ten thousand horses galloping at once, enough to make one dizzy and make one’s heart drop, enough to make one go weak at the knees . And the gallery road was only five feet across, the handrail on the outside rotten and decayed . The planks themselves, oncer st.u.r.dy wooden slats, long ago had started to show signs of rot . One misstep, or should one of the planks collapse, and Heavens! If you didn’t die from the drop then you must have the power of a Buddha . It would be a miracle for sure

The gallery road was about half a mile long . The planks creaked underfoot, filling Wenchang with apprehension, until he got to the middle of the road and saw a bushy bearded man standing there by the cliff wall like a ghost . He wore an azure headscarf and a slim-fitting azure robe, with a long dagger in a sheath hanging from his waist . He stood there languidly and yawned and said cryptically, “Have a rest, buddy, stop and chat for a bit before you go . ”.

1 . This is also a phrase that means “to seize an opportunity or take advantage of a situation for one’s own benefit .  .