The Twin Eagles were overjoyed when they heard this.

They passed through doorways and courtyards and

finally arrived in front of the Precious Moon

Pavilion.

"You wait here," the thin man said and disappeared

upstairs, leaving the fat man standing alone by the

front door. The Twin Eagles crept round to the side of

the pavilion and climbed up onto the roof. Then, with

their feet hooked onto the eaves, they hung down over

a balcony smelling of fresh paint and flowers and saw

a row of windows, one of which glowed with the faint

light of a candle. They slipped onto the balcony, just

as a shadow passed across the window paper. Madame

Guan carefully wet the paper with her finger, making a

hole and then looked through to find Qian Long seated

in a chair, a fan in his hand, and the thin man

kneeling before him: it was Bai Zhen.

"The Tranquillity Hall in the Lama Temple has been

burned to the ground and not one of the soldiers

guarding it escaped," he said.

"Excellent!" exclaimed Qian Long, very pleased.

Bai Zhen kowtowed. "Your slave deserves to die. The

Red Flower Society bandits eluded capture."

"What?"

"They saw through the attempt to poison them with the

wine, and they escaped while I was dealing with the

guards."

Qian Long grunted and hung his head, deep in thought.

Bald Vulture pointed at Bai Zhen and the Emperor,

indicating to his wife that he would attack Bai Zhen

while she killed Qian Long, and the two were just

about to burst through the window when Bai Zhen

clapped his hands twice and twelve bodyguards slipped

noiselessly out from behind cupboards and screens,

each one carrying a sword. The Twin Eagles knew they

were no match for so many expert fighters and decided

to summon the other heroes first. Bai Zhen whispered

something to one of the bodyguards who left and

brought the fat man back with him.

The fat man, wearing the yellow robes of a Lama

priest, kowtowed energetically before the Emperor.

"You have done well," Qian Long said. "Are you sure

you left no clues?"

"Everything was done according to Your Highness's

wishes. Nothing is left of the Tranquillity Hall or

what was in it."

"Good, good, good! Bai Zhen, I promised that he should

be made a Living Buddha. Go and see to it."

"Your Highness," Bai Zhen replied with a bow.

The Lama kowtowed again.

As they walked out of the pavilion, Bai Zhen stopped

the Lama. "Show your gratitude to his Highness,

abbot," he said.

The abbot looked at him in surprise, but unwilling to

disobey an Imperial bodyguard, he knelt down again and

kowtowed in the direction of the Precious Moon

Pavilion. Then he felt an icy coldness on his neck,

and started in shock.

"What...what's happening?" he asked, his voice

shaking.

Bai Zhen laughed coldly. "The Emperor said to let you

become a Living Buddha, so I'll send you to the

Western Heavens where you can be one."

He twitched his hand and the blade did its work. Two

eunuchs brought a carpet over, wrapped the abbot's

corpse in it and carried it away.

Suddenly, Bai Zhen heard shouting in the distance. He

turned and ran back into the pavilion.

"There are bandits outside causing a disturbance, Your

Highness," he said. "Please retire to the inner

palace."

Qian Long had seen the Red Flower Society fighters in

action in Hangzhou and he knew that his bodyguards

were no match for them, so without questioning Bai

Zhen further, he stood up.

Just then, Bald Vulture released a flare, and with a

'whoosh' it scrawled a path of white light across the

night sky.

"Where do you think you're escaping to?" he roared as

they burst through the window into the room. "We've

waited a long time for this!"

The bodyguards around the Emperor stared for a moment

in surprise at the red-faced old man and white-haired

old woman who had suddenly appeared in their midst,

then rushed at the intruders. Bai Zhen slung Qian Lung

over his back and with four bodyguards protecting the

front and rear, ran for the stairs. But Madame Guan

forced the bodyguards back with a fistful of

projectiles and lunged at Qian Long with her sword.

Bai Zhen leapt backwards in fright.

Meanwhile, Bald Vulture was fighting with three guards

simultaneously. Bai Zhen gave a whistle and four other

guards joined the other three and completely

surrounded Bald Vulture. But he fought like a demon

and kept all seven at bay for a while, until one of

the guards lashed out with a whip which cracked loudly

against his right arm. In great pain, Bald Vulture

switched his sword over to the left hand and forced

the bodyguards back.

Seeing her husband was wounded, Madame Guan went over

to help him, and the two retreated towards the second

floor of the pavilion. Bald Vulture knew they could

not tie down so many top-class kung fu fighters for

much longer, so he slipped over to the window and shot

off another flare. He and his wife blocked the stairs,

retreating a step at a time when the pressure was too

great. Luckily, the staircase was narrow and only

three or four bodyguards at most could attack at one

time. Even so, the strain of having to fight against

an enemy which always had the advantage of height was

very wearying.

Bai Zhen could see things were going badly. "Brother

Ma," he said to one of the bodyguards. "Put His

Highness on your back." The bodyguard squatted down

and the Emperor climbed on. Bai Zhen gave a shout and

charged at Bald Vulture. The two began to fight, and

Bald Vulture cursed his luck. The longer he fought,

the more painful the wound on his right arm became.

Bai Zhen by himself was as much as he could manage,

let alone the other four or five bodyguards that also

surrounded him. Bai Zhen's hands dived and flew, every

move accurate and deadly, and Bald Vulture, completely

absorbed in fending him off, was unprepared for a

cold-blooded attack from behind. A bodyguard thrust

his sword deep into Bald Vulture's back.

Bald Vulture knew instantly that he would die. He

swung his elbow back with all his strength and smashed

his attacker's skull, then with a huge roar, he raised

his sword and threw it forcefully across the room at

Qian Long. The bodyguard Ma who was carrying the

Emperor, saw the blade flying towards them and with no

time to dodge out of the way, put his hand up to stop

it. But this was a throw by a man on the verge of

death, backed by incalculable strength and outrage and

the sword sliced off half of his hand and plunged

through his chest and out the other side.

Bald Vulture was content, assuming that the sword must

have entered Qian Long. Exchanging his own life for

that of an Emperor made death seem worthwhile. Madame

Guan ran to her husband as Bai Zhen hurriedly picked

Qian Long up off the floor.

"Your Highness, are you all right?" he asked.

Qian Long was scared out of his wits, but he struggled

to control himself. "At least I was well-prepared," he

replied with a smile.

Bai Zhen could see the tip of Bald Vulture's sword

extending six inches out of Ma's back and the rip on

the front of Qian Long's gown, and he wondered in awe

how the Emperor had avoided injury.

"Your Highness is very fortunate," he said. "Truly,

the Son of Heaven has the protection of a hundred

Gods."

What he did not know was that Qian Long had been so

fearful of an assassination attempt as a result of his

decision to break his pact with the Red Flower Society

that he decided to wear a metallic vest at all times.

It had saved his life.

Bai Zhen looked round and saw there was no longer

anyone blocking the steps. He lifted Qian Long onto

his back, the bodyguards fell in around him and they

all ran straight downstairs. But just as they were

about to pass through the pavilion's main entrance,

Qian Long gave a shout of alarm and struggled free of

Bai Zhen's grasp: standing in the doorway was Chen

Jialuo. Behind him, their torches dancing and swords

glinting, were several dozen kung fu fighters. The

Emperor turned and ran straight back up the stairs.

The bodyguards swarmed like bees after him with the

Red flower Society heroes on their heels. Two of the

guards who were slightly slower than the rest were

intercepted by the Twin Knights and instantly killed.

Chen and the other heroes had had to fight their way

through the palace to the Precious Moon Pavilion, and

they were delighted to find that in spite of the

delay, the Emperor had not yet escaped. Shouting in

triumph, the heroes galloped up the stairs. Chen

assigned men to watch the various exits. Priest Wu

Chen stood with his sword at the ready at the head of

the stair well on the third floor, while the Twin

Knights guarded the bottom of the stairs. 'Buddha'

Zhao and three of the Shaolin monks took up positions

by the windows.

Huo Qingtong saw her teacher Madame Guan in a corner

embracing Bald Vulture, blood welling in great surges

from the gash in his back. She went over with Master

Lu who took out some ointment. Bald Vulture smiled

bitterly and shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said to Madame Guan. "Because of me,

you've been unhappy for all these years. When you

return to the Muslim areas you must marry ... marry

Brother Yuan ... and then I will be content in the

afterworld. Brother Lu, you must make sure for me that

this happy event takes place..."

Madame Guan's eyebrows flew up in outrage. "Do you

mean to say," she demanded, "that you do not know how

I have felt towards you in the past few months?"

Lu was just about to suggest it would be better for

her to say a few comforting words to her dying husband

rather than start another argument, when she jumped to

her feet and shouted: "Well, I'll rest your mind at

ease!" She raised her sword and drew it firmly across

her throat. Lu and Huo Qingting were standing at her

side, but neither was quick enough to save her. Bald

Vulture let loose a wail of grief which was cut short

as he also died. Huo Qingtong threw herself onto their

corpses and sobbed uncontrollably.

Chen pointed his dagger at Qian Long. "Even forgetting

the pact we made in the Six Harmonies Pagoda, we

agreed on the dyke at Haining never to harm each

other. And yet you use poisoned wine to try and get

rid of me. What do you have to say?" He stepped

forward and pointed the dagger's blade, glinting

coldly, directly at Qian Long's heart. "You have

decided to throw in your lot with the barbarians. You

have cruelly oppressed the common people. You are the

enemy of all good men under heaven," he announced in a

formal tone. "Our fraternal bond is broken forever.

Today, I will drink your blood to avenge all those who

have been killed in your name."

Qian Long's face turned deathly pale and his whole

body quivered with terror.

Heavenly Mirror strode forward. "We of the Shaolin

Monastery led a simple life," he shouted. "We had no

quarrels with the world. What justification did you

have to send your evil underlings to burn our

monastery to the ground? Today, I will disregard the

sacred commandment against killing."

Chen helped Huo Qingtong up and placed his dagger in

her hand. "Your father and mother, your brother and

sister and countless members of your tribe died at the

hands of this man," he said. "You kill him."

Huo Qingtong took the dagger and walked towards Qian

Long. One of the bodyguards moved to intercept her,

but Wen stopped him and with eight or nine swift blows

broke all his ribs and his spine, so that he fell

limply to the floor in a heap. A hubbub of voices rose

from outside. 'Buddha' Zhao looked out and saw a sea

of torches and faces around the pavilion.

Wen walked over to the window. "The Emperor is here,"

he called. "If anyone dares to come up here, I will

kill him immediately." His tone was forceful and

commanding, and a hush fell over the crowd. The heroes

in the Precious Moon Pavilion also fell silent, and

stared fixedly at the gleaming blade in Huo Qingtong's

hand as she advanced step by step towards Qian Long.

Suddenly, a figure darted into the room and in front

of Qian Long. Huo Qingtong stopped in surprise as she

saw it was a Manchu officer holding a baby. He smiled

and held up the white, chubby baby which was sucking

its little fingers.

"Give me back my baby!" Zhou Qi screamed and lunged

forward.

"Come on, then," the man shouted. "If you want a dead

baby, come and get it."

Zhou Qi stopped in her tracks and stared at him in a

daze.

The officer, surnamed Fang, had been commander of the

troops sent by Qian Long to destroy the Shaolin

Monastery. He knew of the Emperor's wish to get rid of

the Red Flower Society, and during the night attack,

his men had snatched Zhou Qi's baby son. Fang had

recognised this as an achievement of great merit and

made his way to Beijing for an audience with the

Emperor.

Qian Long had questioned him closely that evening,

wanting to ascertain for certain that no evidence

relating to his origins could have survived at the

Shaolin Monastery. When the Twin Eagles appeared, Fang

had dodged behind a curtain, but he now recognised an

opportunity to gain even greater merit.

"All of you leave the palace and I will return the

child to you," Fang said.

"You devil!" Huo Qingtong shouted at him. "It's just a

trick!" In her excitement the words came out in the

Muslim and Fang looked at her uncomprehendingly.

The heroes had thought they finally had the Emperor in

their grasp. But one man, clearly ignorant of kung fu

and holding a baby, had left them powerless. They

turned to Chen, waiting for his decision.

Chen looked at Huo Qingtong and thought of how Qian

Long had forced Princess Fragrance to suicide. How

could the deaths of her whole family remain unavenged?

Looking round, he caught sight of the corpses of the

Twin Eagles of Tianshan. Then he saw Xu's face, full

of fear for his son, and glanced back at the child in

Fang's arms. It was only two months old and was

gurgling happily, stretching out its little fingers to

feel the knobbly hand holding its neck. Chen looked at

the other heroes: Heavenly Mirror's eyes radiated

compassion, Lu Feiqing sighed and Lord Zhou's white

beard shook as he trembled. Zhou Qi was standing with

her mouth wide open, a crazed expression on her face.

Chen knew Lord Zhou's last son and heir had died as a

result of the Red Flower Society and that the baby

before them was his sole hereditory lifeline. But if

they did not kill the Emperor today, they were

unlikely to ever have another opportunity to gain

revenge. So what to do?
关键字:书剑恩仇录
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