Wiro Sableng Book 3 Chapter 7-2
Tapak Luwing’s minion had no choice but to confess everything: “Duke Seta Boga of Linggajati sent a messenger to us. He had devised a plan to conduct extortion in this village. We were offered the job to extort the villagers with the agreed arrangement that the levied tax will be divided into two. Our leader accepted the terms and…and…”
“Okay, stop. That’s enough!” interrupted Wiro Sableng.
Village Chief Kundrawana stepped forward. “So, Duke Seta Boga is the mastermind of this crime…?”
“Yes…”
“We must capture that Duke!” shouted a villager.
“Just hang him together with these sc.u.ms!” condemned the other.
212 Fighter raised his left hand. “Leave the Duke to me,” he said. “What is important now is saving the Village Chief’s son…”
The blood rushed in Village Chief Kundrawana’s body hearing Wiro mentioning about the fate of his son. He grabbed and yanked the hair of Tapak Luwing’s minions. “Where do you hold my son?!” he yelled.
The man laughed horribly. It was extremely hideous, seeing his burned blackened face with skin dangling abraded. “Don’t expect to see your son again, Kundrawana!”
Kundrawana yanked the man’s head. “Where, d.a.m.n it?!”
“Probably killed by my leader, like I care!”
Kundrawana took the torch from Wiro Sableng’s hand. Tapak Luwing’s minion screamed with all his might when the torch was pierced to his right eye. The eye was crushed and blood spurted on his blackened smoldered skin face!
“I’ll crush both your eyes, you worthless sc.u.m! Unless you tell me right away the whereabouts of my son!”
The man actually realized that he would not leave the place alive once he was captured by those people. It was futile for him to provide information for them. Cornered in such miserable condition, in the heart of Tapak Luwing’s minion there was nevertheless a flick of hope to be able to save his own skin, thus seeing how his eyes would be blinded inevitably terrified him in such way!
In the end, he blurted out the information: “The boy is being held hostage in an old temple in Parit Kulon…”
Kundrawana was slightly relieved. “However,” he said in a low voice, “if I go there and cannot meet my son or I don’t find him alive, I will never let you live another day!” Now, 212 Fighter advised: “Brother, whatever you will do to these lowlifes, it is no longer my business. However, it’s better to leave them unharmed at least before you can find the Village Chief’s son alive and well. Of Duke Seta Boga in Linggajati, leave him to me. Tomorrow you can fetch his body at Linggajati the Duchy. However I cannot promise you can find him dead or alive. It all depends on his reaction! Provided that tomorrow I spare him his life, it will be best if you just take him to the Capital… Well, goodbye!”
“Brother, please wait!” Kratomlinggo and Kundrawana shouted concurrently. However the Deadly Fire Dragon Hatchet 212 Fighter had flashed away, pa.s.sing through the terrace and jumping overhead Bojongnipah villagers then vanished in the dark of the night.
The silence was broken in just few moments. Once 212 Fighter’s shadow was engulfed in the darkness, Bojongnipah villagers already ignored his advice. In groups they charged Tapak Luwing’s two minions in their helpless state, tied to the pillar and accublocked. Dozens of weapons rained down upon the head and body of those two bandits. There was no scream coming out of their mouth, not even a single gasp! They met their end because of their own crimes. Both of them breathe their last with their body full of gaping wounds and spurting blood, with their face crushed and disfigured beyond recognition.
Village Chief Kundrawana didn’t have time to witness Bojongnipah villagers’ exaction of revenge. Accompanied by Kratomlinggo and three other villagers, he rode his horse and led them to leave Bojongnipah to Parit Kulon, a remote area at the outskirt of village where men rarely come, sited around four kilometers from the village. The only building existed at Parit Kulon was an old temple pointed out by Tapak Luwing’s minion. Therefore it was not difficult to locate the building despite the darkness of the night.
Village Chief Kundrawana lit the torch he brought. Along with other four people, he entered the old temple. Kundrawana was overjoyed to find his only son still alive and breathing despite his filthy condition. His son was sleeping on the floor with dirty ragged clothes. Kundrawana saw his son looked so skinny with pale face. His hands and legs were tied. Kundrawana knelt down and hugged his son. Kratomlinggo cut the rope binding the boy’s hands and legs and he slowly woke up. Tears flew on Village Chief Kundrawana’s cheeks. This time, they were tears of joy.
Meanwhile, at another place…
Tapak Luwing with his body frozen due to the opponent’s accublocking technique felt that someone was running while carrying him in that darkness. The dim moonlight slipped through the leaves along the road they took and vaguely illuminated the man’s face. Intrigued, Tapak Luwing thought deeply. The man carrying him was a complete stranger. Who he was and where he was heading was beyond Tapak Luwing’s knowledge! Did he commit the action upon good will or he has another objective? Nonetheless, seeing the att.i.tude and remarks to the long-haired young man, Tapak Luwing could predict that the man had no evil intention to him. Secretly he felt relieved. Thus, he dared to ask: “Comrade, who are you?”
“Silence!” answered the man carrying him. His voice was low and hoa.r.s.e and he ran with swift speed.
“Where are we heading?” asked Tapak Luwing again.
“I said ‘silence’! Which part of it you don’t understand?!”
Tapak Luwing grumbled. But he obeyed and said nothing. Along the journey, the only thing Tapak Luwing about the man running and carrying him was that the man’s right arm was only a stump on his shoulder!
When they arrived at a small pond, the one-armed man stopped. Tapak Luwing was dropped down and leaned against the tree at the side of the pond. Then he released the accublock on Tapak Luwing’s body.
“Quickly control your breathing and blood flow. Circulate your inner power!” said the one-armed man.
Tapak Luwing immediately executed it. Without ordered to do so, he was already about to because that is the basics of martial arts of any schools and parties.
With his remaining hand, the one-handed man skillfully tended to Tapak Luwing’s broken arm and wrapped it with a cloth.
“I owe you for saving my life, comrade,” said Tapak Luwing gratefully.
The man helping him just laughed. “When there is debt, there is payment…,” he said between his laugh. “When there is grat.i.tude, there is reward…”
“What do you mean, comrade?” inquired Tapak Luwing.
“One day, I will ask you to pay back what you owed me today…”
Tapak Luwing frowned. “Even if you don’t remind me, I will repay what you did when there is chance. If I am healed and you agree to come with me to Comel River, I will reward you with money, jewelries, treasure, anything you desire”
The one-armed man grinned. His teeth were rotten, black and brown in color. “I don’t need any of that” he hissed. He held Tapak Luwing’s wrapped arm. In a moment, Tapak Luwing felt a rush of inner power channeled to his body. He felt reinvigorated and the pain in his broken arm eased off.
“Thank you,” said Tapak Luwing. “Is this a proper time for me to know you? I am Tapak Luwing…”
“I know who you are. I have long heard about your group prowling and terrorizing the areas throughout Comel River. And when I know you are around here, I think I should pay you a visit”
“What do you mean by that?” asked Tapak Luwing. “I’ve told you, when there is debt there is payment, when there is grat.i.tude there is reward. One day, I will need your aid…!”
“Don’t worry, I am more than willing to aid you. But to serve what business?”
“You don’t need to know my objective now. Later you will know it yourself. Listen, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month you must come to Tangkuban Perahu Mountain…”
“Tangkuban Perahu Mountain…?”
“Yes. It’s more or less eight months from now. And one thing you must remember. Don’t you dare to go back to Bojongnipah village to settle the score with Village Chief Kundrawana, otherwise you risk yourself to meet that b.a.s.t.a.r.d who just beat you down! No matter what happen, right now he is beyond your league to confront! There will be time to finish your business with him. That’s why you must come to Tangkuban Perahu on the thirteenth day twelfth month later. You understand?”
Tapak Luwing nodded. “You are familiar with that son of a b***h, I a.s.sumed?” he inquired.
“His mark was branded on your forehead.”
Tapak Luwing was shocked. He touched his forehead. There was no pain, but he felt the skin was more wrinkled.
“Take a look on the pond water.”
Tapak Luwing moved to the side of the pond. He knelt down on the crystal clear water of the pond and under the stars and moonlight he could obscurely see three numbers on his forehead. It was 2 1 2! Tapak Luwing saw with astonishment on the one-armed man then reflected back on the pond water. He rubbed his forehead.
He rubbed it again several times but still could not erase the 212 number. He sprinkled the pond water to his forehead and rubbed it again. Still, the 212 number was there!
“Listen. Whatever you do, no matter what happen, that number can never be erased from your forehead, Tapak Luwing! That number was branded with such mighty palm technique filled with inner power beyond your level. Even if you flay your forehead skin all the way to your skull, that number would still be marked there!”
“Who is that long-haired brat with this blasted 212 number…” asked Tapak Luwing.
“His name is Wiro Sableng. He is a formidable foe…” answered the one-armed man. “However,” he added, “on the thirteenth day twelfth month, he will meet his end!”
Secretly, even without the one-armed man explaining more to Tapak Luwing, he already knew there was a deep bitter enmity between the one-armed man and the long-haired young man.
“For the eight months to come,” the one-armed man said again, “I advise you to hone your martial arts so it can be more formidable later.” Tapak Luwing nodded.
The one-armed man said: “Now we part our ways. Don’t forget to come at thirteenth day of the twelfth month. And don’t you dare to defy my order…”
“Where are you going, comrade?”
“I have many things to do…”
“But you haven’t revealed to me your name”
“My name is Kalingundil!”