As she talked, Chen gazed at her in wonder. He could

never have imagined such jade-like beauty, even in his

wildest dreams. Such a scene, such a situation was

simply not of this world.

The girl finished combing her hair, picked up an ox

horn and blew several notes on it. A short while

later, a number of Muslim girls on horse-back galloped

towards them across the pastures. She went over and

talked with them while the other girls weighed Chen

up, very curious as to who he was. She then walked

over to a tent pitched between the trees and came back

leading a chestnut horse carrying food and other

essentials.

"Let's go." She mounted in one effortless bound, and

rode off ahead of him heading south along the course

of the stream.

"How did the Chinese people treat you when you were in

the Chinese areas?" she asked as they rode along.

"Some well, some not, but mostly well." Chen replied.

He wanted to tell her he was himself Chinese, but her

complete lack of suspicion somehow made it difficult

for him to do so. She asked about what the Chinese

regions were like. Chen chose a few interesting

stories to tell her, and she listened enthralled.

As the sky grew dark, they camped for the night

underneath a huge rock by a river. The girl lit a

fire, roasted some dried mutton she had brought and

shared it with Chen. She was silent throughout, and

Chen did not dare to speak, as if words would

desecrate the sacred purity of the scene.

The girl began telling him about her youth, how she

had grown up as a shepherdess on the grasslands, and

how she loved flowers more than anything in the world.

"There are so many, many beautiful flowers on the

grasslands. As you look out, you can see flowers

stretching to the horizon. I much prefer to eat

flowers than mutton."

"Can you eat flowers?" Chen asked in surprise.

"Of course. I've been eating them since I was small.

My father and my elder brother tried to stop me at

first, but when I went out by myself to look after the

sheep, there was nothing they could do. Later, when

they saw that it did me no harm, they didn't bother

about it any more."

Chen wanted to say that it was no wonder she was as

beautiful as a flower, but he restrained himself.

Sitting beside her, he became aware that her body

exuded a slight fragrance, more intoxicating than that

of any flower. Light-headed, he wondered what lotion

she used that was so fragrant. Then he remembered the

rules of etiquette and discreetly moved to sit a

little further away from her. The girl saw that he had

noticed the fragrance and laughed.

"Ever since I was young, my body has given off a

fragrance," she said. "It's probably because I eat

flowers. Do you like it?"

Chen blushed at the question and marvelled at her

simplicity and frankness. But gradually, his reticence

towards her faded.

The girl talked of shepherding, of picking flowers and

looking at stars and of the games that young girls

play. Since leaving home, Chen had spent all his time

amongst the fighting community and had long ago

forgotten about these child-like matters. After a

while, the girl stopped talking and looked up at the

Milky Way sparkling its way across the heavens.

Chen pointed up. "That constellation is the Weaving

Girl star," he said, "and that one on the other side

is the Cowherd Star."

She was fascinated by the names. "Tell me the story

about them," she said, and Chen told her how the

Cowherd and the Weaving Girl fell in love but found

themselves separated by a silvery river, the Milky

Way, and how a stork built a bridge across to unite

them once a year.

The girl looked sombrely up at the stars. "I have

never liked storks before, but seeing as they built a

bridge to bring the Cowherd and the Weaving Girl

together, I have changed my mind. From now on when I

see them, I will give them something to eat."

"They may only be able to meet once a year, but they

have done so for hundreds of millions of years. They

are much better off than we ordinary people, doomed to

die after a few decades," Chen replied. The girl

nodded.

The desert had grown very cold with the coming of

night and Chen went to look for some dead wood and

grass to build up the fire. Then they wrapped

themselves in blankets and went to sleep. Despite the

distance between them as they slept, it still seemed

to Chen that he could smell the girl's fragrance in

his dreams.

Early next morning they started out again heading

west, and after several days arrived at the banks of

the Tarin River. That afternoon, they chanced upon two

mounted Muslim warriers. The girl went over and spoke

with them and after a moment the Muslims bowed and

left.

"The Manchu army has already taken Aksu and Kashgar,

and Master Muzhuolun and the others have retreated to

Yarkand," she reported to Chen. "That's more than ten

days's ride from here."

Chen was very concerned at the news that the Manchu

forces had scored a victory.

"They also said that the Manchu troops are so numerous

that our army's only option is to retreat and stretch

their lines of communication. When their rations are

exhausted, they will not have enough strength left to

fight."

Chen decided the Muslim force would probably be safe

for a while using this strategy. Once Qian Long's

order to halt the war arrived, General Zhao Wei would

retire with his troops. Huo Qingtong was now far away

from central China and had the protection of a large

army, so there was no longer any reason to fear the

vengeful Devils of Guandong, Tang Yilei and his two

friends. With that thought, he relaxed.

They travelled by day and slept by night, talking and

laughing as they went. As the days passed, they became

closer and closer, and Chen found himself secretly

hoping that the journey would never end, that they

could continue as they were forever.

One day, just as the sun was about to disappear

beneath the grasslands, they heard a bugle note, and a

small deer jumped out of a spinney of trees nearby.

The girl clapped her hands and laughed in delight.

"A baby deer!" she cried. The deer had been born only

a short time before and was very small and very

unsteady on its feet. It gave two plaintive cries and

then leapt back into the trees.

The girl watched it go, then suddenly reined in her

horse. "There's someone over there," she whispered.

Chen looked over and saw four Manchu soldiers and an

officer carving up a large deer while the fawn circled

around them making pitiful cries. The dead deer was

obviously its mother.

"Goddamn it, we'll eat you too!" cursed one of the

soldiers, standing up. He fixed an arrow on his bow

and prepared to shoot the fawn which, ignorant of the

danger, moved closer and closer to him.

The girl gave a cry of alarm. She jumped off her

horse, ran into the trees and placed herself in front

of the fawn. "Don't shoot, don't shoot!" she cried.

The soldier started in surprise and took a step

backwards, dazzled by her beauty. She picked up the

fawn and stroked its soft coat. "You poor thing," she

crooned. She glanced hatefully at the soldier, then

turned and walked out of the trees with the fawn.

The five soldiers whispered amongst themselves for a

moment, then ran after her, shouting and brandishing

their swords. The girl started running too and quickly

reached Chen and the horses. The officer barked out an

order and the five fanned out around them.

Chen squeezed the girl's hand. "Don't be afraid," he

said. "I'll kill these villains to avenge the death of

the fawn's mother." She stood beside him, the fawn

cradled in her arms. Chen stretched out his hand and

stroked the animal.

"What you doing?" the officer asked haltingly in the

Muslim tongue. "Come here!"

The girl looked up at Chen, who smiled at her. She

smiled back, confident that they would not be harmed.

"No weapons!" the officer shouted, and the other

soldiers threw their swords to the ground and

advanced. Strangely, despite the usual preference of

soldiers for young maidens, they seemed cowed by her

glowing beauty and made for Chen instead. The girl

cried out in alarm, but before the cry was fully out,

there was a whooshing sound and the four soldiers flew

through the air, landing heavily on the ground some

distance away. They grunted and groaned, unable to get

up, for they had all been touched on Yuedao points.

The officer, seeing the situation was unfavourable,

turned and fled.

"Come back!" Chen ordered. He sent his Pearl Strings

flying out and wrapped them around the officer's neck,

then sharply pulled him back.

The girl clapped her hands and laughed in delight. She

looked over at Chen, her eyes full of admiration.

"What are you doing here?" he asked the officer in the

Muslim language. The officer clambered to his feet,

still dazed. He looked around and saw his four

comrades lying morionless on the ground and knew he

was in trouble.

"We, General Zhao Wei, soldiers, orders, here, we

here," he replied.

Well said, thought Chen. "Where are the five of you

going? You'd better tell me the truth."

"Not cheat," the officer said, shaking with fear.

"Orders, go, Stellar Canyon, meet people."

His stuttering Muslim speech was unclear and Chen

switched to Chinese. "Who are you going to meet," he

asked.

"A deputy commander of the Imperial Guard."

"What is his name? Give me the documents you are

carrying."

The officer hesitated then pulled an official document

from his pocket. Chen glanced at it and noted with

surprise that it was addressed to "Deputy Commander

Zhang Zhaozhong".

Master Ma Zhen took Zhang away to discipline him, he

thought. How could he be on his way here?

He ripped the letter open and read: "I am delighted to

hear you have received Imperial orders to come to the

Muslim regions, and have sent this detachment to meet

you." It was signed by General Zhao Wei.

If Zhang is coming at the Emperor's command, he must

have been entrusted with passing on the order to

retreat, Chen thought. I shouldn't interfere. He gave

the letter back to the officer, released the paralysis

of the four soldiers, then rode off with the girl

without saying another word.

"You are very capable," the girl said. "Such a man as

yourself would certainly be very well known in our

tribe. How is it I have never heard of you before?"

Chen smiled. "The little fawn must be hungry," he

said. "Why don't you give it something to eat?"

"Yes, yes!" she cried. She pured some horse's milk

from the leather gourd into her palm and let the fawn

lap it up. After a few mouthfuls, the fawn bleated

mournfully. "She's calling for her mother," the girl

said.
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