A plot of sly
Wai Tsun Tong, Group 4: Fiction, SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School
wisp of smoke rose from the once-glorious Great wall, climbing its way up to the heavenly stars
above even as a fierce-looking falcon dove through rushing air towards the chaos below. A fearsome
warrior was about to swing his sword against his disarmed enemy when the falcon’s beak struck him
in the eye, preventing the warrior from killing the enemy. Having regained his feet and retrieved his
weapons, the villain seized the opportunity to launch an attack on the injured warrior. The warrior,
bellowing in pain as he covered his bloody face, could neither dodge nor block the blow. The sword slashed
through his chest like a hot knife sliced through butter. The villain regained his breath while the falcon landed
on his out-stretched hand.
‘
We are going to win the war and kill that god-forsaken emperor,’ said the villain firmly as he gazed over
the Great Wall. Towards the horizon ahead.
‘
We surrounded the general of the Imperial Army and his family, should —’ a soldier reported to the
villain as he kneeled before him.
‘
Good, lead me to him. I want him to kneel before me like you do!’ ordered the villain.
‘
Yes, General Khan!’
They rode off immediately, traveling fast as the general eagerly lashed his horse with his whip.
Having arrived at the Great Wall, the two dismounted and climbed the bamboo ladder up to the top. On top of
the wall were two dozen infantrymen surrounding a man dressed in full armor and a woman holding a baby. The
man held his sword high, as if daring anyone to take a step closer. The soldiers cleared a path for General Khan
as he reached the top.
‘
I respect you, General Zhu – for I am a general myself. One warrior to another, I advice you to surrender
and become my right-hand-man,’ offered General Khan, ‘If you do, I will spare your family's life. Even if you
don't care about your own life, think of them, Zhu.’
‘
I am not your comrade!’ spat General Zhu, ‘I am nothing like you and I will never betray my own
country even if it means the death of me and my –—’
‘
How is it that you are different from me? You raided my people and annexed more than half of my
territory! Shrinking our home! Suffocating us!’ accused General Khan. ‘Do you think you are nobler than I am?
Raiding a city with palace horse doesn't make your act rightful!’
‘
I followed my order from the emperor who I will never question and defy. It is my honor to serve my
country. Kill me if you will, but spare my wife and child, they are innocent in all this,’ demanded General Zhu.
‘
Very well, if you insist,’ replied General Khan as he drew his sword and swung it at Zhu in one swift
motion. Zhu flicked his sword to deflect Khan's blow and stabbed the blade towards Khan’s chest. ‘Run!’ he
yelled. As soon as Khan countered Zhu's attack, he responded, 'Take them!' The soldiers immediately rushed
towards the duo for fear that their general might punish them if they failed him. Zhu, knowing he would never
survive, turned to face his family for the last time. 'Live for me,' he said as he threw his sword to his wife. Khan
saw the opportunity and thrust his sword through Zhu's heart. The woman caught the sword and in a desperate
attempt to save her baby, jumped off the Great Wall. Using her body as a cushion, the mother died in the impact
while the baby lived. However, when the two of them hit the ground, the baby slipped and hit the hilt of the
blade, marking the emblem of his family on his arm forever.
‘
Stop pushing yourself so hard, even if you don’t have to rest, your friend Ying has to rest. She is a
woman and a woman isn’t supposed to practice martial arts anyway,’ commented a woman.
‘
Come on, mother. How many times have we talked about this? Don’t be a stereotype. Practicing martial
arts is her passion and so is mine,’ complained a teen boy no older than twenty.
‘
I am home, Zhen. I brought back a duck for dinner!’ a deep voice shouted from across the house.
‘
Great! I am starving from all my training today,’ answered Zhen in joy from the backyard.
‘
How’s your training today, Zhen?’ asked the man as he entered the living room.
‘
It was great! Ying and I exchanged a few moves ––’ Zhen stopped in mid-sentence as he saw his father
left.
Zhen’s mother quickly pulled him to a corner and whispered under her breath, ‘You should know better
not to tell your father that. Your wedding is in this month and we expect you to focus on the marriage instead of
this girl from next door.’
‘
I understand, mother. I ––’ responded Zhen before being interrupted by Ying.
‘
Let’s continue the training, shall we?’ asked Ying while dragging Zhen to the backyard by the hand
playfully.
‘
Sure!’ answered Zhen before quickly pulling his hand back ‘Err…I mean…okay.’
A