The Tale Never Ends Chapter 129

Chapter 129 Shang Pei And Old Man Chen
Old Shang turned forlorn and mournful once he heard about Old Man Chen losing his eyesight. His son judiciously ushered us out of the main hall. He made some arrangements for our accommodations and had a manservant lead us to our rooms while he attended to his father and prepared the feast tonight.

Later, Shang the younger came to me and he told me what he knew about Old Men Shang and Chen many years ago.

It was the year 1976; a year recurring so frequently in this story of ours. The same year when the calamitous Tangshan Earthquake took place. Everywhere was turmoil and pandemonium in the entire northeastern region of Hebei province following the huge disaster, so was the Underworld due to the great loss of lives. Fearing that evil parties might exploit the turmoil to exact their insidious schemes, the Underworld mustered help from all mediums and pract.i.tioners of magic from across the lands to help restore peace. The message from the Underworld was conveyed via strange dreams to every clairvoyant, conjurer, and even witch doctors across the country and everyone, be they shamans from the South or mystic hermits from the Northern wilderness, traveled as fast as they could to Tangshan proper. Murong Hai, my father, was appointed their chief, and this was why Father had left Aunt Ulan decades ago.

Old Shang was one of those who had rushed to Tangshan then. Shang Pei had just begun to achieve breakthroughs in his study of magic and hence he was seen as one of the few superiors among the many, along with a seer of great renowned whose name was Chen, and a shamanistic healer, Xie Bingyi, whose expertise in the forgotten arts of Zhuyou was a myth on its own. Being able to attain the elementary mastery of immortality in his young age, Shang Pei looked extraordinarily fair and young despite his age and magic. With his other two peers who were also in their twenties, they became fast friends and were inseparable.

The three forged new legends: Shang Pei, the invincible conjurer with invincible magic; Old Man Chen, whose impeccable divinations complemented Shang Pei at every juncture; and the supportive role by Xie Bingyi using the curses and enchantments from his Zhuyou magic. The three became known as the Triune of Wu Zhong by all pract.i.tioners of magic and arcane arts in the vicinity for they were a.s.signed to operate in the region, thwarting any attempts of evil folk to usurp the dead souls of the innocent for their diabolical rituals.

But all that is good must come to an end. Once their work was complete, the three separated their own ways. Shang Pei tearfully said his goodbyes to his two brothers-in-arm and set off with his five other comrades back to their homes at the outskirts of the frontier. But before he left, Old Man Chen held his arm. “On the path to North on which you roll; Here's a gift that keeps the soul; Remain steadfast in the storm of life; The Phoenix will flap its wings of strife!” This was his cryptic message as he squeezed a long bundle into his arms. Nestled in Shang Pei's arm was a sword wrapped in oiled cloth.

Shang Pei was no fool; he was a learned student in the magic of immortality. Immediately he could only surmise one reason: Old Man Chen must have divined his impending doom and was trying to save him!

Expectedly, Shang Pei and his comrades returned to Mongolia and the sky turned dark and gloomy. Dark c.u.mulonimbuses hung over their heads ominously with bolts of lightning flas.h.i.+ng intermittently. A lightning storm was upon them. Strangely, no matter which direction they rode to, the dark clouds never seemed to lose them. It shadowed them from overhead whenever they went. Shang Pei began to understand that the dark clouds were after him like bloodhounds on a trail. They were about to enter the Labyrinthian Canyon when the gloom above them stretched for miles, shrouding over them maliciously! Bewildered, Shang Pei looked up poignantly at the sky; Heaven was wis.h.i.+ng for his death to stop him from gaining true immortality!

As it turned out, Shang Pei had once requested for Father's counsel during their time together in Wu Zhong about the studies of achieving immortality. With a little advice, the bright Shang Pei immediately understood the lessons that Father tried to impart to him. Since then, he began to feel indebted to Father. Unbeknownst to him, long before they met, Father was already a minor legend in the domain of mediums and pract.i.tioners of magic called the DemiG.o.d of the Soaring Sword, a true immortal who wielded supreme capabilities. Heaven might have spared him if he were to discover the truths of immortality without Father's help. But Father's subtle hints had prodded him into the right direction, allowing him to achieve several breakthroughs that he achieved enough magic to be a partial immortal! Angered by this, Heaven was determined to rain lightning upon him as a test. Survive the test, and Shang Pei would be allowed to live. But the Shang Pei then, in all his invincibility and prowess, was still no match for a stroke of Heaven's blow. It was then he remembered Old Man Chen's gift and his cryptic poem and he extracted the bundled sword his friend had given him.

He unfolded the cloth that clothed the sword. But Heaven gave him no time for respite; a bolt from the sky lashed mercilessly down at him! A single speck of glitter from the sword twinkled in the glow of the lightning flash just as the blow from Heaven fell. The sword shot up, rising into the sky like a shooting star with its sheer speed and force puncturing a hole through the clouds and met the bolt of lightning! A huge explosion of lightning poured forth, flooding everything in sight with pure white brilliance. Finally, when the radiance subsided, Shang Pei looked up. The sword was no more. In its place, was a gold-crimson phoenix, holding back the stroke of Heaven's fury!

Never had anyone present laid eyes on such a transcendental spectacle!? Stunned beyond words, they watched the phoenix's battle with their jaws hanging loosely. The mythical bird, its feathers covered with a coat of glimmering gold-scarlet l.u.s.ter, cawed with rage. It pushed forth again to meet the lightning bolt, shrieking ferociously that Shang Pei and his companions' horses collapsed to the ground, startled with shock. The final line of his friend's poem echoed in his mind, “The Phoenix will flap its wings of strife!”

The phoenix emitted a long howl, followed by another before it burrowed into the murky darkness of the rain clouds overhead and disappeared, its sparkling sheen engulfed by the shadowy plumes. Seconds pa.s.sed and the dark clouds began to thin and dissipate. The groaning thunders began to cease and the Phoenix reappeared, circling triumphantly in the atmosphere before veering South and vanished out of sight!

This was the story that Old Shang had recounted many times to his son. He could also see his father again, excited beyond control at the unbelievable episode which had almost spelled his doom. The story was also why Old Shang was so concerned about Old Man Chen, the dear friend who had saved his life! But for decades he had not realized that Heaven was jealous and Old Man Chen was punished for his resistance. The robbing of Old Man Chen of his eyesight was the penance for standing up against the will of Heaven! For this very reason, Old Shang was devastated to hear about his friend's plight. The plight which his friend had suffered in order to save him. Even we were also surprised, for we did not expect to know that Old Man Chen, who always exuded a vile and sinister demeanor, had accomplished such a heroic deed!

It was a matter that I would later speak to Father about. “Shang Pei did seek my counsel on some methods to help overcome his obstacles in his studies in the magic of immortality. But he was a genius himself; I had merely pointed out a little and he quickly understood the rest. At that very moment, I feared the worst: his brilliance could one day be his undoing. Knowing better, I decided that Destiny should determine his fate. Little did I know that Old Chen too had divined what would happen to Shang Pei. He lied to me, asking to borrow my sword. I knew what he was up to, but I made no mention of it, merely acceding to his request. His loss of sight came not long later and he came to me, asking about the reason Heaven took away his sight. I made some simple and perfunctory inquiries and did my best to placate him, hoping he would never know the actual truth about his blindness. But just like how everything is written in the stars, I fear that he will one day realize the truth, since you have visited Fort Enigma.”

But Old Man Chen was hardly a fool himself. He would never have not realized that it was by his own hand that his gift of sight was revoked by Heaven? But he was vain, more so following his fall from grace. He refused to admit that it was Heaven's retribution towards what he did. By the time he came to terms with everything, Chongxi had already grown up.

With a bleak and rueful smile, young Shang ended his tale about his father. We breathed heavily, hardly saying a word. The tale was incredible and its outcome even more so. We began talking about other cheerful matters to lift the mood. A handmaiden entered the chamber and reported to Shang the younger that the feast was ready. Should we fetch the Master, she asked him. “Let us do the honors, Young Master Shang!” I interjected and said, “It is only right that we extend this courtesy ourselves!” We got up and returned to the hall with the handmaiden in tow. Old Shang had regained his composure. Beaming once again widely, he led us into his dining hall.

Eat up, shouted Old Shang merrily, presenting to us his best stock of liquor and wine and meat as if we were his own sons. Abashed by the cordiality of our host and his son, we toasted to his health and prosperity. Cup after cup, we drunk ourselves sot. Drinking and fistfights were two of the best ways for men to bond and liquor often loosed one's tongue.

Just then I remembered something. “Uncle,” I asked Old Shang, “The elder man at the Labyrinthian Canyon. Who is he? Well, I still don't know his name and he made no mention of it…”