THE SMILING PROUD WANDERER by Jin Yong

Invitation Part 5

Linghu Chong stood up and said angrily, "You beat me within thirty moves. You have excellent Kung Fu. So what? If you want to kill me, then kill me, why are you laughing at me? If you want to laugh, then laugh. Why are you sneering?"

Tian Boguang took a step back. "Brother Linghu, you have a good accusation. Yes, I am wrong." He cupped his hands and said, "I apologize sincerely. Will you, brother Linghu, please forgive me?"

Linghu Chong was struck dumb. Tian Boguang just had a brilliant victory, yet he was willing to apologize. That's far from what Linghu Chong had expected. So he too cupped his hands and saluted back.

"That's quite alright!" he said as he pondered upon the question, "When someone shows great courtesy to his inferior, he must have his purpose. I wonder why he is treating me with such great respect."

He pondered over the question but still couldn't figure it out, so he decided to simply ask about it straight forth.

"Brother Tian, I have a question in my mind. Will you give me a straight answer?" he asked.

"I have no problem telling anything to anyone. For things like raping and looting, murdering and arson, others might try to hide or deny them. When I, Tian Boguang, want to do something, I'll do it and admit to it! Why bother denying it?" Tian Boguang declared.

"Then, brother Tian, you are really an open and aboveboard true man," Linghu Chong commented.

"A true man? You are really flattering me. But at least I am an honest villain whose deeds match his words." Tian Boguang said.

"Aha, brother Tian, people of your type are really rare in the Martial World. Will you please answer this question for me? You had planned carefully to lure my Master far away from Mount Huashan, and then you came to Mount Huashan and insisted on having me leave together with you. Where on earth do you want me to go and what's your purpose?"

"I've told you right at the beginning that I am here to invite you to pay a visit to Little Sister Yilin so she won't be hurting from lovesickness."

"That is just so too absurd and bizarre. I am not a three-year old kid. How can I believe you?" Linghu Chong shook his head.

Tian Boguang was enraged. "I consider you a true hero, but you are treating me like I am the shameless low life scoundrel. Why can't you trust my words? Are you thinking that all the words that are coming out of my mouth are just crap? If there were anything untrue in my words, I would be even lower than a filthy pig," he snapped.

Feeling the sincerity in his words, Linghu Chong had to believe in him, and at the meantime, he was totally amazed. "Brother Tian, your submitting to become Little Sister Yilin's apprentice was just a joke, not to be taken seriously. Why did you come such a long way to invite me for her sake?" he asked in disbelief.

"Of course there are other reasons involved. Just with her little Kung Fu, how could she ever be worthy to be my Master?" Tian Boguang looked quite embarrassed.

Linghu Chong suddenly got an idea. He thought to himself, "Could it be possible that Tian Boguang has fallen in love with apprentice sister Yilin, and all his previous ill intention has transformed into deep affection?"

"Have you fallen in love with Little Sister Yilin at first sight and are most willing to do what she tells you?" Linghu Chong asked.

"You can stop imagining things. There's nothing even close to that!" Tian Boguang shook his head.

"Then what are the other reasons involved? Brother Tian, will you please share those with me?" Linghu Chong demanded.

"This is the worst luck for me. Why ask so much? In short, if I can't invite you down Mount Huashan, I will die a dreadful death," Tian Boguang answered.