THE SMILING PROUD WANDERER by Jin Yong

Energy Streams Part 2

"Master Cheng," Linghu Chong pointed the handle of the broom at Cheng Buyou, "you are no longer a member of our school. I guess I won't be calling you an Uncle-Master. If you have already realized your mistakes and want to mend your ways so you can join Huashan School again, I am not too sure whether my Master is still willing to take you back. Even if my Master is willing to make the sacrifice and take you back in, according to school rules – the earlier the more senior status – you will have to call me a senior apprentice brother. Come on, let's play!"

"Nonsense, you filthy swine! If you can survive these four moves of mine, I'll submit myself to you as an apprentice," Cheng Buyou shouted in outrage.

Linghu Chong shook his head. "I am not sure I want an apprentice like you...." Before he even finished the sentence, Cheng Buyou had interrupted him with a shout.

"Draw your sword and get ready to die!"

"Even a branch can be used as a sharp blade once it carries enough inner energy. Brother Cheng, just to counter those couple of your sloppy sword moves, I don't think there's a need to use a real sword," Linghu Chong answered.

"Fine. Don't blame me for being cruel then. Blame it on your own arrogance!"

Yue Buqun and Madam Yue both knew very well that Cheng's Kung Fu skills were far superior to Linghu Chong's. Using a broom against Cheng Buyou's sword would be almost like fighting him with bare hands – way too dangerous. They shouted almost in unison.

"Chong, step back!"

In blazing flashes, Cheng Buyou lunged his thrusts toward Linghu Chong. It was the same move he had attacked Yue Buqun with a minute earlier. He had his reasons for using the exact same move. Firstly, those moves were among his best techniques. Secondly, he did say that he would use the same sword moves. Thirdly, by using the same moves again, he was letting his opponent gain certain advantages by knowing what to expect, thus getting compensated for his own advantage of using a better weapon.

Linghu Chong had already figured out ways to counter Cheng's moves before he challenged Cheng Buyou. In those drawings on the rock wall in the back cave, all figures used unique weapons to counter sword moves. If he chose to use a sword in the fight, he wouldn't have the certainty of success because he had not mastered the techniques in the Dugu Nine Swords. But the shabby broom had the shape of a thunderbolt mace and would be perfect for those moves in the drawings.

Seeing Cheng Buyou's sword thrusting toward him, Linghu Chong brushed the broom toward Cheng Buyou's face. This brushing move was a very risky move indeed. A real thunderbolt mace is made out of steel, and if the brushing move had landed squarely, the opponent would have been either killed or at least severely wounded. If he had a real thunderbolt mace in his hand, the brushing move would be an ingenious move and the opponent would be forced to suspend his thrust and draw his sword back to defend. But what kind of damage would a shabby broom do to the opponent? He only had plain ordinary inner energy strength and was just talking big when he said "Even a branch can be used as a sharp blade once it carries enough inner energy." Even if the brushing move hit Cheng Buyou on the face, the most damage would be no more than a few scratches, nothing major at all, but Cheng Buyou's thrust would for sure penetrate his chest all the way. Linghu Chong was really betting on the theory that a senior master like Cheng Buyou would never allow the filthy and shabby broom to hit him in the face, because the humiliation would be too great compared to the satisfaction from killing Linghu Chong.

Surely enough, in the gasping sounds from the watching crowd, Cheng Buyou turned his head aside and pulled his sword back to chop at the broom. Linghu Chong moved the shabby broom to the side and dodged the chop.