Tian Xiang Biao (Up and Down)

Author: Wu Longsheng (Taiwan)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-03-01
Features: The wind is biting, and the morning chill is still cold. On the official road westward from Baoding Prefecture in Hebei into Shanxi, two sturdy horses gallop forward and backward. On one yellow-marked horse sits a tall man in his early forties, with a purple face, ringed eyes, and thick, wiry beard. He wears a deep blue fast-paced outfit, an outer silk cloak, a blue headscarf, and a long sword on his back, with a blood-red sword tassel fluttering in the wind. A three-foot-eight-inch iron cane hangs diagonally in front of the saddle. He looks imposing and majestic. On the other horse, a beautiful young woman in her early twenties rides, wearing a red cloak and dark short attire. A red silk cord is tied around her waist, with one end attached to a dazzlingly bright magpie-headed golden hammer and the other to a snow-white silver ball, hanging from the cord around her waist. The two are dressed in a unique style, instantly recognizable as martial arts figures. Despite the autumn morning chill, the two horses are still sweating profusely.
At this moment, the two are near a forest. The dark-clad young woman suddenly tugs the reins, and the chestnut horse dashes forward several feet, catching up to the large man’s horse. She laughs and says, “Brother, we’ve been rushing all night. Though we’re not tired, the horses must be exhausted. How about resting here by the woods for a bit before continuing?”
The purple-faced man reined in his horse, turned his head, and replied, “True. After such a sprint, we must have covered sixty or seventy miles. It’s time for the horses to cool off.” Despite his fierce appearance, he spoke to the young woman with great gentleness. He jumped off his horse first and led it into the forest.
The man and the woman sat down under a large (elms tree) by the roadside. The dark-clad young woman took a dry food bundle from the saddle and spread it on the ground, smiling. “At this Northern Mountain Conference, with the Green Forest heroes from the seven southern provinces and the six northern provinces, if all truly attend, the number could reach hundreds. To compete for the title of Green Forest Chief, it might not be easy. You were already renowned in the six northern provinces in your youth, unmatched in fame. Now, as for this position of Green Forest Chief, why must you insist on competing?”
The purple-faced, bearded man smiled slightly. “This Hengshan Conference may be called a competition for the Green Forest Chief, but it’s really about the Elder, the Two Wonders, the Three Heroes, the Four Stranglers, and the two of us. The Three Heroes and the Four Stranglers may have high martial arts skills, but I believe I can subdue a few of them. The Two Wonders are famous in the martial world and cannot be taken lightly. Though I’ve heard of them, I haven’t met either yet. Naturally, what I’m most concerned about is the Elder of Luofu. But with you by my side, things will be different.”
The young woman slowly lowered the dry food in her hands, her gaze fixed on the man’s face, her voice tinged with sorrow. “I know my abilities are limited. I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you.”
The purple-faced man suddenly burst into a hearty laugh. “As long as you stand by my side and look at me, you’ll inspire my belief in victory. How could you possibly be forced to truly lend a hand?”