Princess Fragrance suddenly let out a scream. She didn't understand what Wei was saying, but she could feel the dark, sinister tone of his voice, and was terrified by it. She took hold of Chen's hand and snuggled up to him. Zhou Qi glanced at her in hatred.
Wei continued. "Zhang went to the kang, then lunged forward and sprang back again. Master Ma gave a wail of agony and jumped up, blood pouring from both his eye sockets. Both his eyes had been gouged out by the dog-hearted traitor."
Absolutely enraged, Chen leapt up and slammed his fist into the side of the pit sending sand flying in all directions.
"I swear I will kill that traitor," he said through clenched teeth. Princess Fragrance had never seen him so angry, and she tugged on his sleeve in fear.
Wei's voice shook as he went on: "Master Ma went silent. His face looked horrible. He walked slowly towards Zhang, then suddenly kicked out with his leg. Zhang leapt out of the way, and Master Ma's foot slammed into the kang. Zhang looked a little shaken, and tried to get out, but Master Ma made it to the door first and stood straining his ears to hear Zhang's movements. Zhang suddenly laughed, and Master Ma kicked out with his left leg in the direction of the sound. But Zhang stuck his sword out in front of him and Ma's leg hit the blade and was cut clean off." Zhou Qi ground her teeth and stabbed the walls of the pit with her sword.
"By this time, Twelth Brother and I could stand it no longer. We burst through the window into the room and fought with Zhang for only a second before he escaped, probably scared that we were not alone. We chased after him, but Twelfth Brother was hit by his golden needles, and I had to help him back into the house. I tried to stop Master Ma's bleeding, but he died after saying only a few words.
"What did he say?" asked Chen. A cold wind suddenly blew down on them and they all shivered.
"He said 'Tell Brother Lu and Yu Yutong to avenge my death!' Just then, some people outside who had heard the fighting started shouting, so I helped Twelfth Brother out and we returned to our lodgings. The next day, I went back to have a look and saw Master Ma's body had already been taken away. Twelfth Brother had been hit by five golden needles, but I extracted them for him and he's now convalescing in Twin Willows Lane in Beijing.
"Zhang said the Emperor wanted him to come to the Northwest to look for someone, and I thought perhaps it could be your teacher, Great Helmsman. I remember you said once that there were two important items relating to the Emperor being kept by your teacher, Master Yuan. So I came out with the others to warn him."
"How is Twelfth Brother?" Chen asked.
"His wounds are serious, but luckily not fatal," Wei replied.
By now, the cold wind was blowing hard, and thick, leaden clouds were gathering above them.
"It's going to snow soon," Princess Fragrance said, and moved even closer to Chen.
Zhou Qi could control herself no longer. "What did she say?" she demanded.
Chen was surprised by her outraged tone. "She said it's going to snow."
"Huh! How would she know?" She paused for a moment, then suddenly added: "Great Helmsman, just who it is that you love? Sister Huo Qingtong is a nice girl and I won't allow her to be cheated."
"Mistress Huo Qingtong is indeed a nice person and we all have a great deal of respect for her...." Chen began.
"Then why did you cast her aside as soon as you met her beautiful sister?" Zhou Qi interrupted.
Chen blushed, and Luo Bing came to his rescue. "The Great Helmsman, like the rest of us, has only met Sister Huo Qingtong once. She is just an ordinary friend. You can't start talking about whether he loves her or not."
"What are you supporting him for?" Zhou Qi demanded, even more agitated. "She gave him an antique dagger, and the way the Great Helmsman looked at her, it was plainly a case of love at first sight....."
Princess Fragrance listened to them talking excitedly and looked on with her big round eyes, full of curiosity.
"Mistress Huo Qingtong already had a suitor before she met me," Chen said. "Even if I had such an intention, what would be the point of unnecessarily making things difficult for myself?"
Zhou Qi stared at him in surprise. "Is that true?"
"Why would I deceive you?"
"Well, that's all right, then," she said, immediately changing her tone. "You are a good man. I was wrong to accuse you. I'm sorry." The others laughed at her frankness. Zhou Qi took Princess Fragrance's hand and squeezed it. Suddenly, they felt a wave of coldness on their faces and looked up to see snow flakes as big as goose feathers floating down towards them.
"You were right," she said. "It's snowing!"
"If we don't get reinforcements to rescue us, we are going to die here," said Luo Bing.
"Master Muzhuolun will certainly send out scouts to look for his daughter and the Great Helmsman when they fail to return," Xu replied.
"I`m sure they have," Chen said. "But we have come so far south, I'm afraid they may have difficulty finding us."
"Well then, we will have to send someone out to get help."
"I'll go!" volunteered Xin Yan.
Chen thought for a moment and then nodded. He asked Princess Fragrance to write a note to her father, and Xin Yan took a writing brush and some ink from his knapsack and gave them to her.
"Take Sister Luo Bing's white horse," Chen said to Xin Yan. "We will make a diversionary attack to the east, and you can make a break for it to the west." He then gave him directions to the Muslim camp. On the signal, the heroes leapt out of the pit and charged eastwards with shouts and battle cries leaving only Zhou Qi and Princess Fragrance behind. Xin Yan led the white horse out of the hole, jumped onto its back and galloped off westwards. The Manchu troops loosed off a few arrows but none came even close to hitting him. Once the heroes were sure Xin Yan had escaped, they retreated back to the pit.
By this time, the snow was falling heavily and the ground about them had been transformed into a vast white carpet. They settled down for the night, but all slept badly except for Princess Fragrance was still fast asleep when dawn broke. Her hair and shoulders were covered with snow which shuddered slightly as she breathed. Luo Bing laughed gently. "This child is not the least bit concerned," she said.
Time dragged by and Xu frowned deeply. "Why is there still no sign of a rescue attempt?" he asked slowly.
"Could Xin Yan have met some trouble on the road?" said Wen.
"What I'm worried about is something else," replied Xu.
"What is it?" Zhou Qi demanded. "Stop mumbling and get on with it."
"Great Helmsman, who makes the decisions in the Muslim camp?" Xu asked. "Master Muzhuolun or Mistress Huo Qingtong?"
"Both, apparently. Master Muzhuolun discusses everything with his daughter."
"If Huo Qingtong refused to send out soldiers, then... things would be difficult," Xu continued. The others saw what he was getting at.
"How could you say such a thing about Sister Huo Qingtong?" Zhou Qi demanded, jumping up. "Doesn't she already have a suitor? And even if she was jealous of her sister, would she refuse to save the man she loved?"
"When women become jealous, they are capable of anything," answered Xu. Zhou Qi began shouting angrily, and Princess Fragrance woke with a start. The heroes had only met Huo Qingtong once and although she seemed nice, they knew very little about her. Xu's words seemed not unreasonable.
** 9 **
After breaking out of the ring, Xin Yan followed the route Chen had indicated, galloped to the Muslim camp and presented the letter to Muzhuolun. The old man had been frantic with worry, and jumped up joyfully as he read his daughter's note.
"Call the troops together!" he ordered.
"How many Manchu troops were there surrounding you?" Huo Qingtong asked Xin Yan.
"Four or five thousand altogether."
Huo Qingtong bit her lip and paced from one side of the tent to the other, deep in thought. Horns sounded outside as the soldiers began to gather, and Muzhuolun was just about to go out to join them when Huo Qingtong suddenly turned to him.
"Father, we can't go," she said.
Muzhuolun looked at her in astonishment, uncertain if he had heard correctly. "What....what did you say?"
"I said we can't go."
He was about to fly into a rage, but then remembered how clear-thinking and intelligent his daughter usually was. "Why?" he asked.
"Zhao Wei is a very capable general. He would not dispatch four or five thousand troops just to capture our two envoys. It must be a trap."
"Even if it is a trap, how can we stand by and let the Manchus kill your sister and our Red Flower Society friends?"
Huo Qingtong hung her head and said nothing. "I am afraid that if we go, we will not only fail to rescue them, but will sacrifice several thousand more lives as well." she said finally.
Muzhuolun slapped his thigh in exasperation. "But she is your own flesh and blood!" he cried. "And we owe Master Chen and the others a great debt. Even if we died trying to save them, what would it matter? You....you...." He was both angry and hurt by his daughter's ungratefulness.
"Father, listen to me. It may be possible to save them and win a great victory as well."
Muzhuolun's expression changed immediately. "Well, why didn't you say so earlier, child?" he said. "How can we do it? I will do whatever you say."
"Father, are you truly willing to do whatever I say?"
"I was talking nonsense a moment ago. Don't pay any attention. How should we proceed? Tell me quickly!"
"Well, give me the Command Arrow. I will command this battle." Muzhuolun hesitated for a second then handed it to her. Huo Qingtong knelt to receive it, then prostrated herself on the ground, praying to Allah.
"Father," she said when she stood up. "You and Brother must follow my orders."
"If you can save them and beat the Manchus, I will do anything," he replied.
"All right, then it is settled." She walked out of the tent with her father and over to the troops, already waiting in ranks with their commanders.
"Brothers!" Muzhuolun called out to them. "Today, we will fight the Manchus to the death. The battle will be commanded by Mistress Huo Qingtong."
The soldiers raised their sabres and roared: "May the True God protect her and lead us to victory!"
"Right," said Huo Qingtong flourishing her Command Arrow. "Everyone return to their tents to rest." The commanders led their troops away. Muzhuolun was too stunned to speak.
They went back inside the tent and Xin Yan prostrated himself before Huo Qingtong and kowtowed frantically.
"Mistress, if you don't send troops to save them, my master will surely die," he pleaded.
"Get up. I didn't say I wouldn't save them."
"There are only nine of them, of whom your sister does not know kung fu," he cried. "But the enemy is numbered in thousands. If we delay even for a moment, they will be, they will be..."
"Have the Manchu armoured troops charged them yet?" Huo Qingtong interrupted him.
"Not when I had left, but I'm afraid they will have done so by now." Huo Qingtong frowned silently. Xin Yan cried even more mournfully and Muzhuolun paced about the tent, uncertain of what to do.
"Father, have you ever seen a wolf trap? A piece of mutton is fastened to a metal hook, the wolf bites on it and pulls and the trap snaps shut. Zhao Wei sees us as the wolf and my sister as the mutton. No matter how brave the Red Flower Society fighters are, they could not stop four or five thousand determined soldiers. That means that Zhao Wei has purposely decided not to order an attack." Muzhuolun nodded. "The Manchus let this young man out on purpose to get us to send a rescue force. Otherwise how could he have made it alone through so many troops?"
"Well, let us attack Zhao Wei's forces from the side and catch them unawares," he replied.
"They have more than forty thousand troops while we only have fifteen thousand," she pointed out. "In a pitched battle we would certainly lose."
"So from what you say, your sister and the others are bound to die," Muzhuolun exclaimed. "I cannot bear to lose your sister, and I refuse to leave our friends in danger. I will take five hundred men with me. If we can rescue them, it will be because of Allah's help. If we cannot, then we will die with them."
Huo Qingtong said nothing.
Xin Yan began frantically kowtowing before her once more, his forehead striking the ground heavily. "If our master has done anything to offend you mistress, please forgive him," he cried.
Huo Qingtong realised he suspected her motives. "Don't talk such nonsense," she said angrily.
Xin Yan looked startled for a second, then jumped up. "If you are determined to be so cruel, I will go and die with my master," he said. He ran out of the tent, leapt on the white horse and galloped away.
"We must go and help them!" Muzhuolun pleaded.
"Father, the Chinese have a saying that it is better to rely on a good plan than on bravery. We are out-numbered, so we must make use of surprise if we are to gain victory. We must beat Zhao Wei's trap with a trap of our own."
"Really?" said Muzhuolun, only half believing her.
"Father!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking. "Don't say that you suspect me too?"
Muzhuolun saw the tears brimming in her eyes and his heart softened. "All right," he said. "We will do as you say. Now send out the troops immediately."
Huo Qingtong thought for a moment, then said to an attendant: "Strike up the drums." The drums rolled and the commanders of each of the military units entered the tent. By now, the snow was falling thickly outside the tent and was already several inches thick on the ground.
