[nsw-fic] The Legendary Zhuge Liang - XII

[christos200]

(Chapters:

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - I

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - II

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - III

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - IV

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - V

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - VI

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - VII

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - VIII

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - IX

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - X

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - XI

 

I hope that you will enjoy the story. )

 

The Legendary Zhuge Liang - XII:

 

 

In the streets of Jiangling

 

Old Beggar So is walking in the streets of Jiangling. Because all his students are away, he has to go buy wine on his own. As he walks, an old man approaches him.

 

"So!" the man says. "My good friend!"

 

"Shang!" So, laughing, shouts. "How are you doing?"

 

"I am alright. However, you will not be."

 

"Why?"

 

"I have heard news that the Masters of Kongjiing Fist, Invincible Kick and Taijoi Fist have all been killed by a young man who wants to become ruler of the pugilist world."

 

"Who?"

 

"The man's name, from what I heard, is Tang. He has hired many Barbarian pugilists, like Mongols and Indians."

 

"And why I should worry about him?"

 

"I've heard that he wants to kill you in order to prove that he should rule the pugilist world."

 

"Well, let him try. Even Fong Yuen failed to kill me. I do not believe that a young man and some barbarians can do what Fong Yuen failed to achieve."

 

The next day, Beggar So's house

 

Beggar So is smoking his pipe and drinking some wine while lying on the ground, just outside of his house. The grass, which is cool, helps him relax. As he is relaxing, he sees a few men coming towards him. They seem to be led by a young man wearing a red silk robe and holding a hand fan. A muscular man armed with a sword approaches Beggar So and says "Young Master Tang demands that you kowtow before him and accept him as ruler of the pugilist world!"

 

Instead of replying, So continues smoking his pipe.

 

"Are you deaf?" the man asks.

 

"No." So replies. "I am just not in the mood to hear jokes."

 

"You think that I am joking?!"

 

"A bit."

 

The man tries to kill So with his sword, but So blocks the sword with his pipe and then punches the pipe on the man's face thrice. He then gets up and kicks twice the man's stomach with two powerful back kicks. The man tries to attack again with his sword, but So jumps on the air, dodges the sword attack, lands behind the man and hits him very hard on the head with the pipe, causing him to fall on the ground. The man tries to get up, but So grabs him and throws him on his house. As the man's body hits the wooden wall of the house, he loses his consciousness

 

"Impressive!" the young man, approaching towards So, shouts. "Very impressive. I, Tang, have heard of your skills, but I thought that those were just rumors. But you have proved to be very skilled. However, do you believe that you can defeat my other fighters?"

 

"Of course."

 

"Well, let me introduce you to them."

 

Tang points at tall and very, very fat man, so fat that it is a miracle that his legs can stand such huge body. The man hold a huge wooden club and has all his hair shaved.

 

"This is Bolai." Tang says. "He comes from Mongolia."

 

Tang then points at a man of average height with long black hair and swarthy skin. He wears a long white teared robe and is unarmed.

 

"This is Magnayara, an Indian Monk."

 

Tang then points at a tall, muscular man with long black hair and a black scruffy beard that covers almost all of his face, with scars on his chest and back and wearing only brown trousers. The man is armed with two long swords.

 

"This is Omar, a Turkic warrior from the Turkish Khaganate. So, So, which one will you fight first?"

 

"I have no problem fighting all three of them together."

 

"But that would be unfair and I would be accused of bullying you. "

 

"Then, choose one of your warriors to fight me."

 

"Alright. I choose........Bolai!"

 

Bolai charges towards So with his huge wooden club. Although he is very fat, Bolai is able to move very fast, and although the club is very heavy, Bolai wields it with ease. So, using his pipe, blocks the attack and kicks with his right leg Bolai's stomach. However, Bolai seems to not be bothered at all about this and continues his attacks. So tries to block again the club with his pipe, but the pipe is broken and So is able to dodge the deadly attack in the last second.

 

"Bolai, stop!" Tang shouts. He then turn to So "Please, take an other weapon. I want this fight to be fair. But, if you lose again, I will not show you any mercy."

 

"Very well."

 

So goes to his house and returns a few minutes later holding a long Jian, a double-edged straight sword, which is carved from a single solid piece of jade. The blade is 80 centimeters (31 inches) in length. The weight of the sword is approximately 900 grams (2 pounds). A hilt protects the hand of wielder from an opposing blade. The shape of the hilt is short wings pointing forward. A handle behind the hilt accommodates the grip of one hand plus two fingers of the other hand.

 

The end of the handle is finished with a pommel for balance, to prevent the handle from sliding through the hand if the hand's grip should be loosened, and for striking or trapping the opponent as opportunity required — such as in "withdrawing" techniques. The blade itself is divided into three sections for leverage in different offensive and defensive techniques. The tip of the blade is the jiànfeng, meant for stabbing, slashing, and quick percussive cuts. The jiànfeng curves smoothly to a point. The middle section is the zhongren and is used for a variety of offensive and defensive actions: cleaving cuts, draw cuts, and deflections. The section of blade closest to the hilt is the jiàngen and is mainly used for defensive actions. The blade features subtle profile taper (decreasing width). Upon the Jade Sword, a red Dragon is carved.

 

"This is the 'Red Jade Dragon Sword'!" So says. "I will fight with this."

 

"Wow!" Tang, impressed, shouts. "That's quite a sword."

 

Bolai attacks once again with his wooden club. His first attack is blocked by the jiàngen part So's Jade Sword. Bolai attacks again but his club is deflected by the zhongren part of the Jade Sword. So, then, goes on the offensive and uses the tip of the blade, jiànfeng, to slash thrice Bolai's chest. He then uses again the jiànfeng to stab Bolai's stomach, causing him to let his wooden club fall on the ground. So then quickly kicks twice Bolai's head and with a swift move cuts off the man's head with his blade.

 

Tang, clapping and laughing, says "Impressive! But how well will you fare against Omar?"

 

Omar, holding is his hands his two long swords, charges at So. So, with swift moves, uses his blade to deflect and block Omar's attacks. But Omar continues with fury to attack. Omar's swordplay is very aggressive and he uses quite a lot of strength. So decides to retreat back and Omar runs towards him. So then counterattacks: he uses zhongren to slash and cut Omar's chest, but Omar continues his attacks. Omar attacks with his left sword and So dodges it just in time. He then uses both swords, one after the other, to attack. So, unable to deflect both swords at the same time, retreats back. As he retreats, he falls on the ground. He quickly gets up and realizes why he had fallen: he had stepped on a wooden stick. He grabs it and, now with two weapons, is ready to face Omar. Omar attacks again with his two swords, but So uses his Jade Sword to block his left sword and his wooden stick to block his right sword. He then kicks Omar with a powerful kick on the throat, killing him.

 

Tang, once again clapping, says "You are indeed very skillful. But this time, your victory was harder, right?"

 

"Bah, I was just a bit tired."

 

"Well, this is bad, because Magnayara, the Indian Monk, is quite skillful."

 

So puts down his weapons and is ready to face unarmed Magnayara, who is also unarmed. The duel begins with Magnayara attacking So using a flying kick, which So dodges in the last moment. Magnayara then punches his palms on So's chest. His palms have immense strength and send So, literally flying, back and cause him to fall on the ground. So gets up fast but vomits blood.

 

"This...is....the.....the...Palm of Death!" Magnayara, with the little Chinese he knows, tries to say.

 

So starts laughing. Tang, curious and surprised, asks "Why do you laugh?"

 

"Because of how stupid that name is!" So, laughing, shouts. "It cannot kill a fly, let alone a man!"

 

Magnayara, furious, charges at So. He tries to kick him again and again, but So dodges all of the kicks. Magnayara then jumps on the air, falls down very fast and with immense strength hits from above So's head with his right elbow. So's head is almost broken and he is bleeding. All of his face is covered with blood. However, instead of shouting in pain, So laughs.

 

"Why do you laugh?!" Tang, furious, shouts.

 

"I laugh at how weak Indian martial arts are!" So replies.

 

"Are you kidding me or what? He almost broke your head!"

 

"But he did not break it. If he had trained in the Chinese 'Divine Elbow', he would had already broken my head with the same move."

 

Magnayara attacks once again So using his legs, but So dodges again and again Magnayara's attacks. After a few minutes, So grabs Magnayara's right leg and, using his elbow, breaks it. Magnayara falls on the ground and So punches his palms on Magnayara's chest. Magnayara vomits blood and dies.

 

"This is a real Palm of Death!" So, laughing, shouts.

 

"Very....very...impressive!" Tang, furious and unable to stay calm, replies. "Now, you will face me and my 'Fan of Death'! Pick a weapon!"

 

So, calmly, picks up the wooden stick he had previously used against Omar.

 

"This is my weapon, kid!" So say.

 

Tang attacks swiftly and furiously So using his hand fan. So dodges, with great difficulty, Tang's attacks. Tang continues to attack, even faster, and So continues to dodge Tang's attacks. The whole fight seems like a dance. The fast movements of Tang's fan creates a 'ssss' like sound. So decides to go on the offensive and attacks with his stick Tang. Tang, using his fan, tries to deflect and block So's attacks, but after a few minutes is overwhelmed. So passes through his defense and hits him on the head, causing him to let his fan fall on the ground.

 

So, laughing at how easy he had defeated Tang, says "Each one of your warriors is far more eligible than you in becoming leader of the pugilist world. Kid, go back to your home and train more. Or, even better, give up martial arts and save yourself from humiliation."

 

Tang, furious, pulls out a dagger from his sleeve and throws it at So, stabbing him on the chest. He then pulls out an other dagger and charges towards So, but So dodges the attacks, grabs Tang from the hair and punches with all his strength his right fist on Tang's face, killing him.

[machievelli]

read