HEAVEN SWORD DRAGON SABRE Book 2 of 2

Long Flute, Short Zither, Flowing Yellow Clothes Part 3

Chen Youliang realized that the longer he let this matter go on, the more disadvantageous it would be for them; the best plan would be to turn their attention someplace else. Thereupon he asked the lady in yellow, "May I ask Miss' honored surname? I wonder what relationship do you have with us?"

The lady in yellow laughed coldly and said, "What relationship do I have with you? I only have a relationship with this Dog Beating Stick." She pointed her finger to the dark green bamboo stick in the ugly girl's hand.

The crowd of beggars had early on recognized the stick to be the Dog Beating Stick [da gou bang], the symbol of authority of their own Clan's Clan Leader; however, they were not clear on how this stick could fall into someone else's hand. Everybody turned their attention toward Shi Huolong. They saw his face was deathly pale and looked desperate.

"Bangzhu," Chuan Gong Zhanglao asked, "Is the Dog Beating Stick in this girl's hand fake?"

"I ... I ..." Shi Huolong stammered, "I think it is a fake."

"Fine," the lady in yellow said, "Take the real Dog Beating Stick out so that we can compare the two sticks."

"The Dog Beating Stick is the Beggar Clan's most precious article, how can we casually show it to anybody?" Shi Huolong replied, "I don't have it with me, because if I lose it, won't it be terrible?"

As the crowd of beggars listened to him, they felt he did not make any sense; as the Clan Leader of the Beggar Clan, how could he be afraid to lose the Dog Beating Stick?

The little girl lifted high the bamboo stick and with a loud voice said, "Everybody, come and see. This Dog Beating Stick is our Clan's ... our Clan's heritage, which was passed on from the first generation to the next. How can it be a fake?"

As the crowd of beggars heard her saying 'Our Clan', they were astonished; so they came near to examine the stick. They saw the stick was as crystal-clear and smooth as jade, and as hard as iron; without any doubt this was the real Clan Leader's symbol of authority. They looked at each other in confusion.

The lady in yellow said, "It is widely known that the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms and the Dog Beating Stick technique are two of the Bangzhu of the Beggar Clan's most famous divine skills. Xiao Hong, go and ask Shi Bangzhu for some advice in the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms first, and then Xiao Ling, after Xiao Hong Jiejie [elder sister] has won, ask Shi Bangzhu for some advice in the Dog Beating Stick technique." Two flute-player young girls responded and jumped out; they stood side by side in the courtyard.

Chen Youliang indignantly said, "By not willing to reveal your name, Miss has already despised the Beggar Clan; and now you ordered two little maids to fight our Bangzhu. How can there be such logic in the Jianghu? Shi Bangzhu, let disciple deal with these two maids first, and then we can ask this Miss to show her expertise. In the end we will see what kind of master has showed such contempt toward the Beggar Clan."

"Damn it! [orig. ta1 nai3 nai5 – his granny]" Shi Huolong said, "Very well, Chen Zhanglao, please take care of this matter for me."

'Swish!' Chen Youliang unsheathed his sword, and slowly walked to the courtyard.

Xiao Hong said, "Miss told me to ask some advice in the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. Do you know this palm technique? Does the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms technique use a sword?"

"What kind of position do you think Shi Bangzhu holds?" Chen Youliang shouted in response, "How can he fight a lowly servant like you? The Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms is a divine skill, how can a lowly servant like you see it that easily?" While saying that, he took another step forward.