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

A Beauty Abruptly Age, A Fleeting Moment Of Bliss Part 3

The little girl picked up a dried branch, she is drawing on the snow ground, she kept drawing straight lines, after a while she completed a drawing of a chessboard with 19 horizontal and vertical lines. Xu Zhu is startled: "She want to force me to play chess, i am really in trouble." But after drawing the chessboard, she start drawing the chess piece, an empty circle is white chess-piece, a circle with a dot at the center is black chess-piece, the chessboard is filled with chess piece. When the arrangement is half complete, Xu Zhu recognize it, its the 'Zhen Long' chess formation which he solved, he pondered: "So you also knew about this 'Zhen Long'." He thought: "Don't tell me you also tried to solve it many years ago, you think bitterly and eventually died due to anger?" as he thought about it he felt a cold chill on his back.

The little girl complete the 'Zhen Long' chess formation, she said: "You said you solved this 'Zhen Long', what is the first move, demonstrate it for me to see." Xu Zhu said: "Yes!" he killed his own side with the first move and sacrifice a huge group of white chess piece to his opponent, at once the situation became optimistic, afterwards he followed the directions given by Duan YanQing and counterattack the black side. Sweat pour down from the little girl's forehead, she muttered: "Fated, fated! Who in the world would think of such odd method, kill yourself before attacking the enemy?"

When Xu Zhu solved the 'Zhen Long' the little girl pondered for a long time, she said: "So it seems that little monk is not talking rubbish. This move is called 'nothing less than complete destruction'. Wu YaZi pass on this 'Seven Treasure Ring' to you, tell me the entire process in detail, you cannot cover up the truth."

Xu Zhu said: "Yes!" he narrated everything from the start, how his Master dispatch him down Shaolin Temple, how he broke the 'Zhen Long', how Wu YaZi pass on his internal energy and ring, how Ding ChunQiu use his poison to kill Su XingHe and XuanNan, how he tried to find HuiFang and his martial uncles, etc, he narrated everything.

The little girl did not say a word, she let him finish speaking, finally she said: "Then Wu YaZi is your Master, how come you didn't address him as Master, why you address him as 'Mr Wu YaZi'?" Xu Zhu's expression is awkward, he said: "Junior monk is a Shaolin monk, i really cannot change sect." The little girl said: "So you are unwilling to become Carefree Sect Leader?" Xu Zhu nod his head repeatedly and said: "Absolutely." The little girl said: "Then its easy, give this 'Seven Treasure Ring' to me. I will replace you and become Carefree Sect Leader, how about it?" Xu Zhu is elated, he said: "This is exactly what i been hoping for!" he remove the gem ring from his finger and gave it to her.

The little girl's expression is fluctuating, she seem to be happy yet sad, she took the ring and put in on her finger. But her finger is tiny, the ring will fall off if she wore it on her middle finger or ring finger, eventually she put in on her thumb, she scrutinize the ring for a long time, finally she ask: "You said Wu YaZi gave you a painting, he ask you to go to WuLiang Mountain and find someone to teach you the higher level martial arts of Carefree Sect, where is the painting?"

Xu Zhu retrieved the painting from his bosom, the little girl open the scroll, she look at the beautiful woman in the painting, suddenly her countenance changed, she cursed: "He....he wants this **** to teach you martial arts! He....his on his death bed, yet he still constantly think about this ****, he draw her appearance so nicely!" her face is full of anger and jealousy, she threw the painting on the floor and step on it.

Xu Zhu call out: "Ayo!" he quickly snatch away the painting. The little girl said angrily: "You feel its a pity?" Xu Zhu said: "This is such a nice painting, obviously its a pity to destroy it." The little girl said: "The identity of this ****, that little thief Wu YaZi, did he tell you?" Xu Zhu shakes his head and said: "No." he pondered: "How come Mr Wu YaZi became a 'little thief'?"

The little girl said angrily: "Heng, little thief is deluded, its been 10 years already, how can her appearance be like this! Pei, even at that time, how can she be so good looking?" she is getting more and more angry, she stretch out her hands and wanted to snatch the painting to tear it up. Xu Zhu quickly withdraw his hands and kept the painting in his bosom. The little girl is short, her strength weak, she can't snatch it, she gasp for breath and cursed: "Little thief have no conscience, shameless and stinky ****!" Xu Zhu don't understand, since the old ghost that reside in this little girl recognize the beautiful woman in the painting, then both of them must have some prior hatred, although its just a painting but her anger is really hard to eliminate.

The little girl is still cursing viciously, suddenly Xu Zhu's stomach groan in hunger. He ran for almost half a day, moreover he rush wildly and jump about, yet he did not eat a single grain of rice, obviously he is very hungry.

The little girl said: "You are hungry?" Xu Zhu said: "Yes. I am afraid there is nothing edible in this snow peak." The little girl said: "Why no? There are a lot of bamboo partridge on snow peak, there are also sika deer and antelope. I will teach you a lightness martial art that allows you to sprint on flat ground, i will also teach you techniques to catch chicken and sheep....." Xu Zhu did not wait for her to finish, he quickly wave his hands and said: "How can monk kill? I rather starve to death than eat meat and fish." The little girl cursed: "Thieving monk, don't tell me you never eat meat and fish before in your entire life?"

Xu Zhu recalled the day he was tricked by that female at the restaurant, he ate fatty meat and drank half a bowl of chicken soup, he said bitterly: "Junior monk was deceived by someone, i ate meat and fish once, but that was unintentional, Buddha will not blame me. But you want me to personally kill the animal, i definitely cannot do that."

The little girl said: "You refuse to kill chicken and deer, but you are willing to kill human, that crime is even worse." Xu Zhu said in surprise: "How come i am willing to kill human? Buddha is merciful, sin, sin." The little girl said: "You still pray to Buddha, you are really funny. If you refuse to catch chicken for me to eat, after 4 hours, i will die, won't you be the culprit?" Xu Zhu scratch his head and said: "This mountain peak must have some grass or fungus, bamboo shoots, etc, i will go pluck them for you to eat."

The little girl expression is grave, she pointed at the sun and said: "If the sun reach the top of my head and by then i still did not drink fresh blood, i will definitely die!" Xu Zhu is extremely scared, he said: "You are perfectly fine, why the need to drink blood?" his hairs stood up, he cannot help but think of 'block-sucking ghost'.

The little girl said: "I have a strange illness, everyday at noon if i don't drink blood, the energy in my body will boil, i will be burnt to death, i will act violently at the verge of death, its not beneficial for you." Xu Zhu shake his head repeatedly and said: "No matter what junior monk is a Buddhist disciple, i have to maintain strict discipline, not to mention that i am determined not to kill, even if you intend to kill i also have to spare no effort to stop you."

The little girl fixed her gaze on him, although he is terrified but he is unyielding and firm, obviously he will not give in, she sneered: "You claim you are a Buddhist disciple, maintaining strict discipline, what are the disciplines?" Xu Zhu said: "Buddhist's disciple includes basic precept, the Mahayana precept, etc." the little girl sneered: "So much variations and pattern, what is basic precept, Mahayana precept?" Xu Zhu said: "Basic precept is quite simple, there are four categories, the first category have 5 prohibitions, the 2nd category have 8 prohibitions, the next one have 10 prohibitions, the last one is for monk initiation, there are 250 prohibitions. The 5 prohibitions are for everyone, do not kill, do not steal, do not engage in sex, do not lie, do not drink wine. For those who have taken the tonsure, they have to abide addition 8 prohibitions, 10 prohibitions and finally the 250 prohibitions, they are much stricter than the 5 prohibitions. In short, do not kill is the number one prohibition for Buddhist."

The little girl said: "I heard before, for eminent monks to achieve enlightenment, they have to maintain Mahayana precept, they are called 10 restrain, correct?" Xu Zhu trembled, he said: "Correct. Mahayana precept focus on sacrificing oneself to help people, its to make an offering to Buddha, sacrificing one's life to save all living things, but you don't have to really carry out the 10 items." The little girl ask: "What are the 10 restrains?"

Xu Zhu martial art is mediocre, but he is well-versed in Buddhist scripture, he said: "1st cut your flesh to feed the eagle, 2nd throw yourself to feed a hungry tiger, 3rd chop off your head to thank the heaven, 4th break your bone to extract the marrow, 5th pluck your body to light a thousand lamp, 6th pluck your eyes to give away, 7th skin yourself for scripture, 8th pierce your heart to show your resolve, 9th burn yourself and offer to Buddha, 10th sprinkle your blood to cover the floor."

As he say one line, the little girl will sneer one time. When he finish speaking, the little girl ask: "Cut your flesh to feed the eagle, what is it?" Xu Zhu said: "That is the early life of Sakyamuni Buddha, he saw a hungry eagle chasing a dove, he cannot bear it and hid the dove in his bosom. The eagle told him: 'You save the dove, but you starve me to death, aren't you harming me?' thus Buddha cut his own flesh to feed the hungry eagle." The little girl said: "The story of throw yourself to feed a hungry tiger, it must be similar?" Xu Zhu said: "Correct."

The little girl said: "Illuminating, Buddhist have such clear discipline, its really deep and profound, its more than just 'do not kill'. If you refuse to catch chicken or deer for me to eat, then you have to follow the example of Sakyamuni Buddha, sacrifice your flesh and blood for me to eat, if you don't do that you are not a Buddhist disciple." As she finish speaking she pull up Xu Zhu left sleeve, revealing his arm, she smile: "I can endure one day of hunger after eating this arm of yours."

Xu Zhu saw her reveal a dense row of teeth, it seems she want to bite down on his arm. This little girl is short and weak, there is nothing to fear, but Xu Zhu assume she is a female ghost that reincarnated into someone else body, her expression now is really terrifying, he cannot help but tremble in fear, he shout loudly and shake off her palm, he extend his legs and ran up the mountain peak.