Chapter 1 – A Meeting of Legends

Part 1

Du Qi’s hand rested on the table, covered by a large straw hat.

It was his left hand.

No one knew why his hand was under the hat.

...***...

Of course, Du Qi had more than one hand. In his right hand he held a piece of hard bread. His body and the chunk of bread were very similar; dry, cold and hard.

He sat in a restaurant called Heavenly Fragrance.

Food and wine were on the table in front of him.

However, he didn’t touch them, didn’t even take a drink. He only slowly gnawed on the hard piece of bread that he had brought.

Du Qi was a cautious person, and he didn’t want anyone to hear that he had been poisoned to death in a restaurant.

According to his calculations, at least 770 people in the jianghu wanted to kill him. And yet, he still lived.

It was evening, before dusk.

Outside in the busy streets, a galloping horse appeared. It sped down the street, knocking over people, vendor stalls, and wheelbarrows before stopping in front of the restaurant.

The person on the horse was lean and supple, and had a long sword hanging from his waist. As soon as he saw the sign “Heavenly Fragrance,” he leaped from the saddle, body spinning, and flew up into the restaurant.

The restaurant burst into commotion, but Du Qi remained motionless.

When the large, sword-bearing man caught sight of him, his muscles visibly tightened; he let out a long breath before striding forward.

He didn’t greet Du Qi. Instead, he leaned forward and lifted up the hat that was on the table, just a bit. He looked underneath for just a moment, and his ruddy face suddenly became pale. “Yes,” he muttered, “it’s you.”

Du Qi didn’t move, didn’t even open his mouth.

The man drew his sword, which glinted as he slashed at his left hand.

Two bloody fingers dropped onto the table, a pinky finger and a ring finger.

Cold sweat dripped like rain down the man’s pale white face, and with a hoarse whisper he said, “Is this enough?”

Du Qi didn’t move, didn’t even open his mouth.

The large man gritted his teeth and again raised his sword.

This time, a bloody hand fell onto the table. “Is this enough?” he asked.

Du Qi finally looked at him, then nodded his head and said, “Go.”

The man’s face was contorted with pain; nonetheless he let out a long breath and said, “Thank you very much.”

Without another word, he staggered out of the restaurant.

The large man’s movements carried great strength, and his martial arts were clearly very high. How could it possibly be that after merely looking under Du Qi’s hat, he was willing to cut off his own hand and then offer thanks?

What secret lay under this hat?

No one knew.

...***...

It was dusk.

Two people hurried into the restaurant. They wore silk outfits and looked like lords of some sort.

Catching sight of them, many people in the restaurant stood and bowed, faced filled with reverence.

Within 250 miles, there were few people who didn’t recognize the “Golden Whip, Silver Blade, Duan Clan Elites,” Duan Jie and Duan Ying. Even fewer people would risk being impolite to them.

The Duan brothers didn’t greet anyone, not even Du Qi. They merely approached the table and looked under the hat. Their faces paled.

Exchanging a glance, they said, “Yes, it’s him.”

Duan Jie placed his hands at his sides, bowed and said, “Welcome, sir. Do you have any instructions?!”

Du Qi didn’t move, didn’t even open his mouth.

Because he didn’t move, the Duan Clan Elites also dared not move, and were forced to stand there awkwardly.

Two more people entered the restaurant. They were “Jinx Sword” Fang Kuan and “Invincible Iron Fist” Tie Zhong Da. Just like the Duan brothers, they lifted up the straw hat and looked under, then immediately bowed and asked “Do you have any instructions?”

There were no instructions, so they too stood silently. With no instructions given, no one would dare leave.

These people were all mighty heroes of the martial world, why, after merely looking under the hat for a moment, would they display such fear and veneration?!

Could it be that underneath the hat was concealed some terrible magic?!

...***...

It was after dusk.

Lanterns illuminated the restaurant.

The lantern light shone on the faces of Fang Kuan and the others, which dripped with sweat. Cold sweat.

No instructions had been given by Du Qi, so one might think they would be at ease.

But looking at their expressions, it seemed they expected something terrible to happen at any moment.

Night had fallen, and the stars were out.

Outside of the restaurant, in the darkness, there suddenly arose the sound of a whistling bamboo flute, piercing and shrill, like the wail of a ghost.

The facial expressions of Fang Kuan and the others changed yet again, their pupils contracting.

Du Qi didn’t move. Therefore, they didn’t move.

Suddenly, a booming sound erupted from the rooftop, and four holes appeared.

Four people floated down, strapping men, each over seven feet tall and bare-chested, their blood-red pants gathered at the ankles and secured at the waist by shining gold belts. Strapped to their belts were strangely-shaped machetes, hilts crafted from shining gold.

These four muscular men landed on the floor as lightly as cotton, and instantly assumed positions guarding the four corners of the restaurant.

Their expressions were nervous, and in their eyes could be seen an indescribable fear.

At the same moment that everyone in the restaurant laid eyes on the men, there suddenly appeared another person.

This man wore a golden crown and a brocaded golden silk robe. His waist was encircled by a golden belt, upon which was hanging a golden machete. His ivory-colored face was as round as the moon.

Even though the Duan Clan Elites and Fang Kuan were sharp-eyed martial arts masters, they were unable to see how this person had entered the restaurant, whether it was down from the roof or in through the windows.

However, they did know who he was.

The South Sea Millionaire, Golden Crown King of the Golden Mountain, Prince Wu Ji.

Even if one hadn’t seen him before, a look at his clothing and impressive air should be enough to able to deduce his identity.

Du Qi didn’t move, didn’t even look at him.

Prince Wu Ji stepped forward, lifted up the hat, and looked underneath. He let out a breath and said, “Yes, it is you.”

At first his expression had been very nervous, but now he wore a comfortable smile. He suddenly unclasped his wide golden belt and from within produced eighteen smooth, sparkling pearls.

Prince Wu Ji placed the pearls on the table, surrounded by the belt, and with a smiling bow said, “Is this enough?”

Du Qi didn’t move, didn’t even open his mouth.

In the darkness, the sound of the bamboo flute became more and more urgent, nearer and nearer.

Prince Wu Ji’s smile seemed forced as he took the golden crown off his head, a crown trimmed with eighteen pieces of verdant jasper.

He placed the crown on the table and said, “Is this enough?”

Du Qi didn’t move, didn’t even open his mouth.

Prince Wu Ji threw down his golden machete, and urgently barked, “Is this enough?”

Du Qi didn’t move.

Brow furrowed, Prince Wu Ji said, “What more do you want?”

Du Qi suddenly said, “I want the thumb of your right hand!”

With the thumb cut off, the right hand could neither wield a blade nor throw daggers!

Prince Wu Ji’s face distorted.

The whistling of the bamboo was even more urgent, even more near; the sound was like needles piercing the ear.

Prince Wu Ji gritted his teeth, extended his right hand and stuck out the thumb, then snapped, “Blade!”

One of the strapping, shirtless fellows in the corner drew his blade. There was a flash of gold as it flew across the room and then spun back into the man’s hand.

A bloody thumb landed onto the table.

Prince Wu Ji’s face was green. “Is this enough?”

Du Qi finally nodded his head and looked at him, “What do you want?!”

Prince Wu Ji said, “I want you to kill someone.”

“Kill who?!”

“The Ghost King.”

“Yin Tao?!” asked Du Qi.

“Yes.”

Du Qi said nothing more, and did not move.

Fang Kuan, Tie Zhong Da, the Duan Clan Elites stood by pale-faced.

The name “Ghost King” Yin Tao was in itself enough to shake their souls.

Suddenly the blowing bamboo changed into the sound of a mourning woman, or a blind person playing music in the night.

In a low voice, Prince Wu Ji said, “Extinguish the lamps!”

The restaurant was brightly lit by at least twenty lamps.

The four bare-chested men waved in unison, and a golden light shone as the energy from their blades flew about, extinguishing the lamps in an instant.

Darkness filled the restaurant, but suddenly, dozens of lanterns sprang to life outside.

The lamplight was a sickly green color, floating on the wind quietly like foxfire.

Prince Wu Ji gasped: “The Ghost King is here!”

**

The night wind cut sharply and the sickly green lamplight shone on the people present. All of them had terrified, distorted expressions on their face, as if they were souls recently expelled from the depths of hell.

Within the lingering, mournful whistling of the bamboo, there suddenly burst forth a cold, evil laugh. “Correct! I have arrived!”

Long haired, with a face like wax, the Ghost King wore a long, white linen robe and was tall and thin like bamboo. He flew into the room and stood there swaying back and forth eerily.

His eyes were a diseased green color, and they flashed as he stared at Prince Wu Ji. With a sinister laugh, he said, “I already told you, you’re dead!”

Prince Wu Ji laughed coldly. “Actually, you are dead!”

“Me?!”

“You shouldn’t have come here,” Prince Wu Ji replied. “Now that you have, you’re dead!”

“Who here could possibly kill me?!”

“Not me,” Prince Wu Ji admitted.

“Well then? Who?!”

“Him!”

“Him” was Du Qi, of course.

Du Qi still hadn’t moved, even his expression hadn’t changed.

Ghost King Yin Tao’s sickly green eyes stared at him. “You can kill me?!”

The answer was simple: “Yes!”

Yin Tao laughed loudly. “What are you going to kill me with? Don’t tell me you’re going to use that crappy hat!”

Du Qi didn’t say a word. He just stretched out his right hand, and slowly lifted up the straw hat.

**

What was under the hat?!

There was nothing under it, except a hand.

A left hand.

The hand was long, with seven fingers.

**

It was a rough hand, like a seaside rock that since ancient times has been pounded by the ocean waves.

When he saw the hand, Ghost King Yin Tao suddenly looked like he himself had seen a ghost. “7 Killers!”

Du Qi didn’t move, didn’t open his mouth.

Yin Tao said, “I didn’t come looking for you. It would be best for you to mind your own business.”

“It is my business.”

“What do you want?!” asked Yin Tao.

“For you to leave!” replied Du Qi.

Yin Tao’s foot twitched. “Fine. Because it's you, I’ll leave.”

“Leave behind your head, then you can go!”

Yin Tao’s pupil’s contracted. “My head is right here, why don’t you come and take it?!

“Why don’t you deliver it me?!” replied Du Qi.

Yin Tao laughed a shrill laugh.

As he laughed that shrill laugh, his body flew toward Du Qi like a specter.

Ahead of his body shot twelve pulsing green flashes of light.

Du Qi waved the straw hat, and the green lantern light that previously filled the air suddenly disappeared. At this exact moment, a long, jade-green sword appeared in Yin Tao’s hand, stabbing toward Du Qi.

The sword flew through the air, with bizarre slashing movements, but only the glinting of the green handle was visible, making it impossible to see the exact direction from which the blade stabbed.

And yet, Du Qi’s hand had already clawed forward.

Within the sickly green shine generated by Ghost King’s attack, there was a long, gray, seven-fingered hand, clawing up.

The sword’s shadow spun, and the hand’s shape changed in kind. The hand attacked, seven moves in a row, and suddenly a “ding” sounded out, whereupon the flashing of the sword disappeared. The sword in Yin Tao’s hand was now half a sword.

The sword light flashed again, heading toward Du Qi’s hand.

But Du Qi had already sent the broken half of the sword flying back; it was embedded deeply in Yin Tao’s throat.

The speed of the sword was indescribable. The movement of the hand was also impossible to see clearly.

The bystanders only heard a miserable gurgling, and the sound of Yin Tao dropping to the ground.

There was no sound, no light.

Outside the restaurant, the lanterns were all extinguished, and there was darkness everywhere.

A deathly silence, a deathly darkness.

Even the sound of breathing was absent.

After a period of time, Prince Wu Ji’s voice could be heard: “Thank you very much.”

Du Qi said, “Leave. And take Yin Tao with you!”

“Yes.”

After that, the sounds of footsteps could be heard hurrying down and out of the restaurant.

Du Qi’s voice again spoke out, “You four leave, too. Leave your weapons behind.”

“Yes!” The four men responded in unison, dropping their weapons onto the table. A whip, two blades, and the Jinx sword.

“Remember,” Du Qi said, “next time you bring weapons into my presence, you will die.”

No one spoke a word. The four men left quietly.

It was silent again in the darkness. After a period of time, the light of a lantern sprang forth.

The lantern was in the hand of a person who had previously been drinking alone in the restaurant. All the other customers had departed, he had not.

He appeared to be an amiable, middle-aged man with a friendly smile. He looked at Du Qi. “One hand, seven killers,” he said. “It really lives up to its reputation.”

Du Qi ignored him, not even looking at him. Instead, he took the weapons and treasures from the table and placed them into a hemp bag, then slowly made to leave.

“Please, stay a bit,” called the middle-aged man.

Du Qi turned his head. “Who are you?!”

In a humble voice, the man replied, “I am your humble servant, Wu Bu’ke.”

Du Qi laughed coldly. “Are you also looking to die today?!”

Wu Bu’ke responded, “I have orders to deliver a message to you.”

“What message?!”

“There’s someone who wants to meet Master Du.”

With an ice-cold voice, Du Qi said, “It doesn’t matter who wants to see me, they should come in person.”

“But, this person …”

“They can come to see me. You go tell them this, and also tell them the best thing is to come crawling. Otherwise they will leave crawling.”

Without another word, he began walking down the stairs.

Wu Bu’ke was still smiling. With the same humble voice he said, “I will definitely take Master Du’s message back to Lord Dragon Fifth.”

Du Qi suddenly stopped and turned his head again, and there was emotion on his stony face. “Dragon Fifth? The Dragon Fifth from San Xiang?!”

Wu Bu’ke smiled and said, “Is there some other  Dragon Fifth?!”

Du Qi replied, “Where is he?!”

“He’ll be at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion in Hangzhou, on July 15.”

Du Qi’s face was covered with a very strange expression, and he suddenly said. “Ok, I’ll be there.”

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