BBW – Chapter Nine and Chapter Ten
BBW – Chapter Nine
‘What happened now?’ Murong Yun Su asked.
‘Mistress, there were people who destroyed Qian Sect’s door,’ Qian Song Quan said. ‘And there were people who refused to accept Hai Feng Qian’s credit notes. It’s chaos.’
Murong Yun Su frowned. ‘Relay my message. Tell them don’t forget it was Murong Sect who helped them become rich, and gave them protection. Whoever causes trouble for Murong Sect is an enemy of Mo Jiao Cult.’
‘Mistress, wouldn’t that spur them on?’ Qian Song Quan asked.
‘Don’t worry,’ Murong Yun Su said. ‘Their guts aren’t big enough to cross Mo Jiao Cult.’
‘It’ll mean the end of Murong Sect’s good reputation,’ Qian Song Quan said.
‘What value is a good reputation if we become bankrupt?’ Murong Yun Su asked.
‘Yes mistress,’ Qian Song Quan said.
Qian Song Quan didn’t understand what’s inside Murong Yun Su’s head, but he went out, and followed her instruction.
‘Mistress, you brought home a big dog,’ Lu Ji said.
‘I’m borrowing a big dog to attack for me,’ Murong Yun Su said.
‘Mistress, you’re cursing Master Chu,’ Lu Ji said.
‘Better than cursing myself,’ Murong Yun Su said.
‘Master Chu has a good reputation,’ Lu Ji said.
‘Why else would anyone agree to marry him?’ Murong Yun Su asked.
‘Mistress, is that why you want to marry Master Chu?’ Lu Ji asked.
‘No,’ Murong Yun Su said.
Lu Ji was relieved Murong Yun Su might have feelings for Chu Zhang Ca.
‘I like his h.o.a.rding of gold treasures,’ Murong Yun Su said.
‘Mistress, you’re too much,’ Lu Ji said.
‘Um, I should be greedier,’ Murong Yun Su said.
The rumor about Fang Hong Fei leading people to destroy Murong Sect spread to Chu Zhang Ca’s ears.
‘Leader Chu, one word from you and I’ll go and destroy Ming Jian Sect,’ East Mo said.
‘I’ll kill his whole family,’ South Mo said.
‘I’ll dig up his ancestors’ graves,’ West Mo said.
‘What can I do?’ North Mo asked. ‘Sleep with his woman?’
‘Why would you want to sleep with his woman?’ West Mo asked. ‘Leader Chu’s woman is many times better than his woman… I mean…’
‘What did you say?’ Chu Zhang Ca asked. ‘Did you say you want to sleep with me or sleep with my woman?’
‘I…’ West Mo said, and silently pleaded with the other three direction men to save his life.
‘Why would Xiao West Mo want to sleep with a man?’ South Mo asked.
‘Maybe he wants to sleep with Leader Chu and Madam Chu at the same time,’ North Mo said.
West Mo was betrayed by his fellow sworn brothers. What happened to their pact to look out for each other’s backs since joining Mo Jiao Cult? Chu Zhang Ca looked ready to skin him.
‘I’m in no rush,’ Chu Zhang Ca said, and smiled devilishly. ‘In the future, I’ll swap my horse for a sedan-chair.’
‘Leader Chu, I’ll help you find the best sedan-chair,’ West Mo said.
‘Of course I’ll only use the best of everything,’ Chu Zhang Ca said, ‘including the best porters.’
The four direction men feared Chu Zhang Ca wanted them to be his porters.
‘The four of you will be my porters,’ Chu Zhang Ca said deadpan.
‘Leader Chu, these days hiring porters are cheap,’ East Mo said.
‘Leader Chu, even we can afford to hire porters for you,’ South Mo said.
‘We’ll even buy the best sedan-chair for you,’ West Mo said.
‘We’ll even be your sedan-chair,’ North Mo said.
‘Xiao North Mo!’ the other three direction men called.
‘Leader Chu, I said the wrong thing,’ North Mo said.
Chu Zhang Ca patted North Mo’s back. ‘North Mo knows how to make me happy. The three of you should learn from North Mo’s example.’
It was North Mo’s turn to feel the burn from his sworn brothers.
‘Leader Chu, we’ll destroy Ming Jian Sect first then we’ll return to be your sedan-chair,’ East Mo said.
‘Give me a reason why,’ Chu Zhang Ca said.
‘Fang Hong Fei ganged up on Madam Chu,’ East Mo said.
‘Did he succeed?’ Chu Zhang Ca asked.
Chu Zhang Ca didn’t believe his wife was easily ganged up on.
‘No,’ East Mo said. ‘But he intended to.’
‘Intention isn’t enough,’ Chu Zhang Ca said. ‘Mo Jiao Cult has a reputation for killing people for a reason to uphold.’
The four direction men couldn’t believe their reputation had a good redeeming aspect. Weren’t they bad enough?
The next day, news spread that all the men from Ming Jian Sect had hair shaved off their heads, and written on their shaved heads in black ink was ‘Chu was here to discipline’.
‘Father, Chu Zhang Ca disrespected Ming Jian Sect,’ Fang Hong Fei said. ‘Why don’t we ask the martial arts world to help us destroy Mo Jiao Cult?’
‘Who do you think you are?’ Fang Cheng Cheng asked. ‘Why are you determined to ask others to do dirty work?’
‘Father, Mo Jiao Cult are evil doers,’ Fang Hong Shi said. ‘Everyone wants to destroy them.’
‘Chu Zhang Ca is a powerful fighter,’ Fang Cheng Cheng said. ‘You can’t underestimate how strong his Mo Jiao Cult is.’
‘Father, we can’t do nothing and let everyone laugh at us,’ Fang Hong Fei said.
‘If you dwell on trivial matters,’ Fang Chen Cheng said, ‘you’ll lose the bigger picture.’
‘But-’ Fang Hong Fei said.
‘Why are you being stubborn?’ Fang Cheng Cheng asked.
‘One day I’m going to make Chu Zhang Ca beg for mercy under my sword,’ Fang Hong Fei said, and walked off angry.
‘Husband, Xiao Fei…’ Madam Fang said.
‘Let him go,’ Fang Cheng Cheng said, and sighed.
Fang Cheng Chen regretted letting Fang Hong Fei break off the betrothal. He’d pinned Ming Jian Sect’s future onto Fang Hong Fei. But nurturing a weed would only reap weeds in the future.
In Murong Sect fragrant garden, Lu Ji animatedly recounted the rumor about Chu Zhang Ca avenging Murong Yun Su.
‘Mistress, Master Chu is amazing,’ Lu Ji praised.
‘Um,’ Murong Yun Su said.
‘It shows Master Chu cares about mistress,’ Lu Ji said.
Murong Yun Su shivered at Chu Zhang Ca’s way of showing he cared. ‘Forget it.’
‘Everyone envies mistress is marrying a good gentleman,’ Lu Ji said.
Murong Yun Su felt everyone who were envious probably wanted to join Mo Jiao Cult. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Mistress, who’s that man on horseback that you’re painting?’ Lu Ji asked.
‘No one,’ Murong Yun Su said.
Lu Ji looked closely at the face of the man on horseback on top of a mountain that Murong Yun Su was painting.
‘Mistress, are you painting Master Chu?’ Lu Ji asked.
‘Who wants to paint him?’ Murong Yun Su asked, and blushed.
‘I didn’t say anything,’ Lu Ji said.
Lu Ji didn’t say that it was obvious Murong Yun Su liked Chu Zhang Ca.
‘Go get the capsule to protect this painting,’ Murong Yun Su said.
‘I’ll find the best capsule,’ Lu Ji teased, and left the garden.
Murong Yun Su fanned her hot face, and finish the portrait of Chu Zhang Ca. She was shock at how much his face was carved in her memory.
‘Strange…’ Murong Yun Su said softly.
‘Mistress, it’s strange how you depicted Master Chu as someone heroic,’ Lu Ji said.
‘You don’t think he has heroic traits?’ Murong Yun Su asked.
‘Master Chu lacks mercy,’ Lu Ji said.
Murong Yun Su didn’t say Lu Ji couldn’t see Chu Zhang Ca’s real essence. ‘Lu Ji, did you hear that the kingdom wants to capture Chu Zhang Ca?’
‘Yes mistress,’ Lu Ji said. ‘I sneaked Master Chu’s wanted portrait home. There’s a big bounty on Master Chu’s head.’
‘Lu Ji, take this painting to the magistrate court to receive a reward and use it to buy rations,’ Murong Yun Su said.
‘Mistress… you want me to take this painting to the magistrate court?’ Lu Ji asked.
‘Um, this painting of him is too ugly,’ Murong Yun Su said. ‘It doesn’t look like him.’
‘Mistress, the nose and eyes aren’t exactly proportion,’ Lu Ji said, ‘but the man you’ve painted looks like Master Chu. How can you ask me to hand over Master Chu’s portrait to his enemy? What happened to supporting your husband to the end?’
‘Um, you have a point,’ Murong Yun Su said. ‘Chu Zhang Ca wouldn’t be satisfied with this painting of him.’
Lu Ji looked up at the sky, and she pitied Chu Zhang Ca’s future with Murong Yun Su.
End of Chapter Nine
BBW – Chapter Ten
Chu Zhang Ca was shock by his resemblance in the wanted portrait of him.
‘It’s a remarkable portrait,’ Chu Zhang Ca praised.
Chu Zhang Ca compared his reflection in the mirror with his wanted portrait, and he was satisfied.
‘Of course Madam Chu’s portrait of Leader Chu is remarkable,’ East Mo said.
‘My wife painted my portrait?’ Chu Zhang Ca asked.
‘Yes,’ Xie Master said.
Xie Master believed the heavens sent Murong Yun Su to punish Chu Zhang Ca.
‘My wife knows how to paint?’ Chu Zhang Ca asked.
‘Madam Chu is an exceptional painter,’ East Mo praised.
East Mo was proud of himself for stealing the wanted portraits of Chu Zhang Ca, and presenting them to Chu Zhang Ca.
Chu Zhang Ca couldn’t believe his wife painted his portrait. If it was true, then three years ago who painted that ugly painting he found at the bamboo house?
‘Leader Chu, do you want someone to bring Fang Hong Fei here to relieve stress?’ Xie Master asked.
Chu Zhang Ca looked at East Mo’s guilty face. ‘Looks like his people were disciplined already. Don’t cause more trouble.’
‘Why didn’t anyone bring me to discipline them?’ East Mo denied his involvement.
‘Do you want people to think I pick on weaklings?’ Chu Zhang Ca asked.
‘Ming Jian Sect has many people,’ East Mo said.
‘Ming Jian Sect only has one human in my eyes,’ Chu Zhang Ca said.
‘Who?’ East Mo asked.
‘Fang Song Fei,’ Chu Zhang Ca said.
‘He counts as human?’ East Mo asked.
‘If he doesn’t count as human,’ Chu Zhang Ca said, ‘people will curse me for picking on weak animals.’
The four direction men were scared of Chu Zhang Ca’s kind of merciful trait.
Chu Zhang Ca smiled at his wife’s portrait of him, and he painted another portrait. ‘Send someone to deliver this to Murong Sect.’
Chu Zhang Ca had painted a portrait of Murong Yun Su sitting on horseback facing Chu Zhang Ca, hugging him, and smiling at his happy face.
Murong Yun Su was embarra.s.sed at Chu Zhang Ca’s intimate portrait of them on horseback. She wrote a message on the painting, and she asked his messenger to take it back to him.
‘Mistress, everyone is envious that you and Master Chu send beautiful love portraits of each other while the rest of us can only settle with sending love letters,’ Lu Ji said.
Murong Yun Su blushed, and changed the subject. ‘Where’s Qian Song Quan?’
‘He’s waiting in the study,’ Lu Ji said.
Murong Yun Su went to the study to hear Qian Song Quan’s report.
‘Mistress, the kingdom sent people to Hua Da Courtyard,’ Qian Song Quan said. ‘Do you want me to send reinforcements?’
‘I’ll go to Hua Da Courtyard myself,’ Murong Yun Su said.
‘Mistress, Hua Da Courtyard is notorious for bandits,’ Qian Song Quan said. ‘It’s too dangerous for mistress to go there.’
‘If I don’t enter the tiger’s cave, how can I capture the cub?’ Murong Yun Su asked.
A carriage travelled along a remote windy mountain trail.
‘Where on earth is this Hua Da Courtyard?’ Lu Ji mumbled.
‘Are we at Hua Da Courtyard?’ Murong Yun Su asked the carriage driver.
‘Mistress, we’re here,’ the carriage driver said. ‘From here, mistress can only walk on foot.’
‘Will I meet any strange people?’ Murong Yun Su asked.
‘Mistress, this is a remote place…’ the carriage driver said. ‘But an hour ago, I heard there was a sighting of a group of scary people wearing expensive clothes travelling slowly on a big carriage here.’
‘It’s normal to see strange people in remote places,’ Murong Yun Su said. ‘Lu Ji, wait here with the carriage. I’ll walk ahead on my own.’
‘Mistress, I… I’ll go with mistress too,’ Lu Ji said.
‘Lu Ji, don’t worry,’ Murong Yun Su said. ‘If bandits want to appear, they won’t wait until we leave to appear.’
‘Mistress… I’ll wait here for you,’ Lu Ji said.
Murong Yun Su laughed at Lu Ji’s small guts, and she walked up the narrow and steep mountain trail. The air became thinner, and colder as she ascended.
Hua Da Courtyard defied nature. Murong Yun Su didn’t expect to see a thriving lush cherry blossom forest on top of a cold mountain. It was a heavenly place on earth.
If there wasn’t the words ‘Hua Da Courtyard’ carved on a giant rock, Murong Yun Su wouldn’t believe this heavenly place hosted bandits.
Murong Yun Su walked in circles in the cherry blossom forest, but it felt like she was trapped at the same spot, and didn’t make any progress. She realized it was pointless to keep wasting energy walking in circles. So she sat on a clean rock, and contemplated different ways to solve the cherry blossom forest maze.
End of Chapter Ten