DEMI GODS AND SEMI DEVILS BOOK 4 OF 5 (SONG OF THE CAVE IMMORTAL) by Jin Yong

Victory Or Defeat, How Can It Be Predicted? - Part 3

Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea was furious, he shouted: "Hey you little monk, you are not fit to comment on my boss chess move!" he gripped Xu Zhu's back and drag him over. Duan Yu said: "Good disciple, don't harm this little master!" When Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea arrived, he already saw Duan Yu, he felt really awkward and embarrass, its best if Duan Yu keeps his mouth shut but eventually he still blurted it out, he said angrily: "So be it, i won't harm him, why so anxious!" he dropped Xu Zhu on the floor.

Everyone saw how this barbaric and ruthless Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea actually take orders from Duan Yu, he didn't even refute when being address as 'good disciple', everyone felt really strange. Only Zhu DanChen and the rest knew the underlying reason, they laugh inwardly.

Xu Zhu sat down on the floor, his having second thoughts: "My master often tell me, the cultivation method pass down by our founder is discipline, calmness and wisdom. The < Shurangama Sutra> says: 'Assimilate discipline in your heart, discipline leads to calmness, calmness leads to wisdom.' We are blunt people, its difficult for us to assimilate discipline in our heart, thus founder Damo pass down an easier method, he let us learn martial arts to discipline out heart, but you can also use chess to discipline your heart. Martial arts pay particular attention to victory and defeat, chess also focuses on victory and defeat, but both of them are contrary to teachings on Buddhism, thus whether you practice martial arts or play chess you must ensure that you do not focus on victory and defeat. Reciting scripture, eating, travelling, its easy to forget about victory and defeat, but competing martial arts and playing chess its extremely difficult to forget about victory and defeat. If you forget about victory and defeat while competing martial arts or playing chess, then the match is already over. The < Dharmapada Sutra> says: 'The winner feels hatred, the loser feels ashamed. You will be agitated while pursuing victory, you will be calm if you don't not compete.' My martial art is poor, my chess skill lousy, when i compete martial arts with my martial brothers or play chess, i will suffer more defeat than victory, but my master praise me as i was not angry and i did not complain, i don't really care about victory or defeat. But how come when i saw this Benefactor Duan make a wrong chess move, i worry that he will suffer a defeat, i even spoke out and give advice? Moreover with my level of chess skill, how can i even advise him? Although his chess moves may be similar to gentleman Murong now, but afterwards it may be different, i don't understand all these, instead i just blurted out and insist it won't work, aren't i overestimating myself?"

Duan YanQing made another move, he thought for a while, he made moves after moves, his taking a long time to think, he made a total of 20 moves and the sun is inclining to the west, suddenly XuanNan said: "Benefactor Duan, your first 10 moves are correct and orthodox, but on the 11th move you start to deviate from the correct path, you stray from your original path from that point onwards and now its difficult to save." The muscles on Duan YanQing's face is stiff and rigid, his expression wooden and blank, a voice resonated from his throat: "Your Shaolin is a famous orthodox school, base on your orthodox method, how can you break this formation?" XuanNan sigh and said: "This chess formation seems to be orthodox yet unorthodox, it seems to be demonic yet not demonic, you cannot break it using pure orthodox method, but if you use pure unorthodox method it still won't work!"

Duan YanQing's left crutch hovered in mid-air, he trembled slightly, he dare not put down the chess piece, after a long time he said: "There is no path forward, the soldiers are pursuing at the rear, orthodox method won't work, unorthodox method won't work, this is really difficult!" the martial arts pass down by his family is the orthodox skill of Dali's Duan family, but he eventually deviated and became evil and unorthodox, the words by XuanNan stir up his emotions and mind, unexpectedly he became like Murong Fu, gradually he start to hallucinate.

This 'Zhen Long' has many changes and fluctuates irregularly, its effect is dependent on the person, a greedy person will fear losing his stuff, an angry person will fear his anger interfering with his work. Duan Yu was defeated because he had too much compassion, he refuse to abandon his troops, Murong Fu was defeated because he stubbornly held onto power and influence, his able to abandon his troops but he simply refuses to give up power and influence. The greatest regret and hate in Duan YanQing's life is his deformity, his forced to give up his orthodox martial arts, he had to change and practice unorthodox and demonic skills, he concentrated his attention completely and this made it easy for external demons to invade, thus his mind entered demonic path and he cannot control himself anymore.

Ding ChunQiu smiled and said: "Yes! Its easy for a person to enter demonic path, but its extremely difficult to turn over a new leaf, you entire life is doom to failure, failure, failure! Alas, what a pity, one wrong step cause a thousand hatred, if you want to turn back, i am afraid you can't do it anymore!" his speech is filled with pity and tenderness. XuanNan and the other experts knew Ding ChunQiu harboured malicious intentions, his trying to make Duan YanQing fire-deviate so that he can eliminate a powerful opponent.

Sure enough, Duan YanQing was expressionless and motionless, he said in a distressed voice: "I am the crown price of Dali Kingdom, but today i wander around and degenerated into such a state, i am really ashamed and cannot face my ancestors."

Ding ChunQiu said: "Even in the underworld, you still don't have the face to see your Duan family's ancestors, since you are ashamed why don't you commit suicide, its the proper conduct of hero, alas, alas! It would be better to commit suicide, it would be better to commit suicide!" his voice is gentle and pleasant, those with low internal energy already became drowsy and dazed when they hear his voice.

Duan YanQing mumbled to himself: "Alas, it would be better to commit suicide!" he raised his steel crutch and slowly drive it towards his chest. But he has extremely deep cultivations, he faintly felt something was amiss, there seems to be an inner voice within him that said: "Wrong, wrong, you will be in deep trouble if you continue to drive downwards!" however the steel crutch still slowly move inch by inch towards his chest. When he was exiled from Dali Kingdom and suffered serious injuries, he thought of committing suicide, but he met a peculiar event and manage to pull himself together, but now his self-control faltered and his buried desire to commit suicide surface again.

There are many martial art experts around, XuanNan is merciful, he wanted to speak out and advise him, but to shock Duan YanQing out of his trance would require internal energy equivalent to his, to be effective the voice have to be so loud that even the deaf can hear it, else not only would it be not beneficial he could end up harming Duan YanQing, XuanNan was secretly anxious, his hands are tied and he cannot do anything to help. Su XingHe is bound by the rules set by his Master, he cannot assist him. Murong Fu knew Duan YanQing is an evil person, its a good thing for him to fire-deviate and die and he would eliminate a great evil from the world. Jiumozhi rejoice in other people's misfortune, he smile and look on without lifting a finger. Duan Yu and You TanZhi both have deep and profound internal energy, but they don't know what Duan YanQing is trying to do when he lifted his crutch. As for Wang YuYan, although she is knowledgeable about martial arts of various sects and schools, but the evil technique employed by Ding ChunQiu to put Duan YanQing in a trance is not martial art, thus she doesn't understand it at all. Ye ErNiang is frequently oppressed by Duan YanQing, his extremely rude and bossy, she amassed the hatred for a long time and now she did not bother to save him. As for Deng BaiChuan, Kang GuangLing and the rest, they lost all their internal energy, furthermore they do not want to interfere in the tussle between Old Freak of XingXiu and the 'Number One Evil'.

Thus, only the Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea is anxious, he saw the crutch is only a few inch away from his chest, in a few moments he would seal off his own death acupoint, immediately he grabbed and lifted Xu Zhu and shouted: "Boss, catch this monk!" as he finish he threw Xu Zhu at Duan YanQing.

Ding ChunQiu push out with his palm and said: "Go away! Don't disturb this chess match!" the throwing force by Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea is extremely vigorous, Xu Zhu is shrouded by strong wind and he fly forward swiftly, but the palm by Ding ChunQiu is soft and flexible, Xu Zhu got redirected back and he bump straight at the Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea.

Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea caught Xu Zhu with both hands, he thought of throwing Xu Zhu at Duan YanQing again, unexpectedly Ding ChunQiu's palm contains 3 wave of hidden force, Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea suddenly open his eyes fully, his forced to retreat 3 steps, as he stabilizes himself the 2nd wave of force arrive. Both his knees soften and he sat down on the floor, he thought it was over, who would have imagine the 3rd wave of force crashing in. He cannot help but somersaulted, but both his hands still held onto Xu Zhu, he press down on Xu Zhu and roll over. He thought the palm by Old Freak Ding contains another 4th wave of force, thus he quickly push Xu Zhu forward to block the force.

But there is no 4th wave of force, Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea open his eyes and cursed: "Damn your grandmother is powerful!" he put Xu Zhu on the floor.

When Ding ChunQiu push out with his palm, he got distracted and he attention slacken a little, Duan YanQing's steel crutch stop in mid-air and did not move anymore. Ding ChunQiu said: "Its too late, its too late, Duan YanQing, i help you to commit suicide, just commit sucide!" Duan YanQing sigh and said: "Yes, what's the point in living? Its better to just commit suicide!" as he finish speaking his crutch move closer by another 2 inch.

Xu Zhu's compassion flare up, in order to free Duan YanQing from Mara (demon of temptation in Buddhism), he knew he have to disrupt the chess formation, but his chess skill is really low, its impossible for him to break this complex and complicated chess formation, he saw Duan YanQing stare stupidly at the chessboard, his really in a crisis, suddenly he had a bright idea: "I can't break this chess formation, but it easy for me to intentionally mess it up, as long as his concentration gets diverted he can be saved. If there is no chess formation, where is the need for victory and defeat?" he quickly said: "I will break this chess formation." He quickly move forward and took a white chess-piece from the small wooden box, he close his eyes and randomly put the chess-piece on the board.