Hua Hu was an ancient Taoist Scripture written and circulated in China since the fourth century.

By decree of the Mongol Emperor Kubilai Khan who ruled the land during most of the later half of the thirteenth century, the scripture was banned and every copy burned.

One survived. It was hidden and long forgotten deep in a desert cave until its accidental discovery almost seven hundred years later.

Subsequently, it has been on display at British and French museums in Europe.

Although no longer in its entirety, the reappearance of the Hua Hu scripture has continued to provoke rumors and speculation.

We all have dreams.

Again, she dreamed.

In the dream, she ran frantically in a vast desert. All she could remember was that she was wearing a strange blue gown with a foreign design as a uniform. She could not tell what it was for.

The wind howled.

Sands swirled up, casting a veil in front of her.

Heaven and earth were filled with deep yellow, making the entire area so desolate and barren that she felt at that moment the whole surrounding was suddenly starting to retreat into its primitive past. No matter above or below, everything was colored with earthiness.

In her dream, she ran desperately, thrusting toward the direction of the remaining sunlight. She dashed as though she could overtake the steps of the sun.

The sun was setting.

The sky turned red.

She was desperate, and ran as fast as she could in this competition, but she knew she was doomed. There was really no contest between a human being and the speed of the revolving sun on the horizon.

Nightfall had come.

The road ahead changed from gray to black forecasting the arrival of night. It crept up on her from behind.

Soon she was swallowed entirely and then abandoned alone in the dark.

The night marched on covering things with darkness until everything near or far gradually turned black.

Totally black--almost.

2

She was no longer running because she had lost her sense of direction.

She found a low spot to settle down at the back of a sand hill. She sat with her legs crossed in meditation.

Here the winds could not reach her.

Sand was flying overhead.

Her cross-legged posture was so natural she looked as if she was doing a routine exercise. Her right hand pointed toward heaven. Her left hand pierced downward at the earth. At the same time, she felt that her tongue moved periodically inside her mouth, on and off against her upper gums while she breathed in rhythm.

She did not understand why she was doing this. She only knew she was in her dream.

It was a very strange dream. She remembered taking a book from her bosom after her exercises and fetching a wooden match from her handbag. It lit magically when she waved it in the air.

Holding the book in one hand, and the match in the other, she could see the title of the book on its cover. There were two picturesque symbols. One was a calligraphic pattern of ‘Hua’. The other a pattern of ‘Hu’.

3

In the darkness, she attempted to open the book with one hand. But, while she was doing so, the book fell to the ground. It immediately revealed the contents of ten smaller volumes, which were bound together as a whole. They were hand-written copies of calligraphic symbols in a foreign language.

She read and turned pages of these volumes as though she thought she knew the language well.

"But where have I learned such a language?" she questioned herself once she was awake. She did not remember what she had read in the dream, nor did she have recollection of the book’s nature.

The strangest part of all was that the wind increased from nowhere at this point and caused the volumes to scatter. The lighted match in her hand also flickered, as if it was going to extinguish. With the exception of the copy she was holding, the rest of the volumes were blown into the air.

She was very frightened.

She tried frantically to catch them with her hands; she ran fearfully back and forth, groping, fetching, and searching. She crawled and leaped through the high winds and sand. She had done everything that she physically could, but her efforts were in vain.

The volumes were flying and falling around her in a mess.

She began to cry. The more she cried, the greater she feared for the loss of the book.

She woke up in fear.

4

It was not the first time she had dreamed about this.

Every time, it was the same. Every time, she was going after the book. Every time, she was awakened in tears. Every time, she remained unhappy and worried for hours.

Finally, she decided to try to memorize what she had read from the cover of the book in her dreams. She was able to reconstruct the two symbols of the title she had seen.

She asked people, "Do you know the meanings of these two symbols?"

She was born an American in the United States. By her looks, it was hard to tell if she were a descendant of Oriental or European ancestry. She was probably a combination according to what she was told by her mother a long time ago. She did not know any language other than English and paid no attention to cultures other than that of her own country.

When she asked people about the meanings of ‘Hua’ and ‘Hu’, she had a hard time finding the information she wanted.

From people she already knew and others she casually met, she sheventually learned the fact that ‘Hua’ and ‘Hu’ were two Chinese characters.

"But, what do they mean?"

She was fortunate to get the correct answers from a friend who understood Chinese. ‘Hua’ meant ‘to teach’; ‘Hu’ meant ‘a barbarian’. Together they meant either ‘teach barbarians’ or ‘the teaching for barbarians’.

She was still very confused.

5

"How can I possibly relate to this discovery?"

She remained puzzled and without answers. The dream still occurred repeatedly and seemed to never end.

With little other help, she kept in mind that an answer would come when she met the right person.

That happened exactly as she had expected.

One day, she met a Chinese couple at a friend’s party. During their conversation, she learned that the white-haired old man was a retired professor of Chinese history and a Chinese native. She certainly did not want to miss the opportunity and asked if he knew anything about a book called Hua Hu. The professor was rather surprised at her question, but said: "It was an old Taoist scripture! Why do you ask? What do you know?" He did not wait for her answer and continued with this statement: "The book vanished seven hundred years ago in China and was reported to have resurfaced, but only in fragments, at the beginning of the twentieth century."

"Yes?" She responded with curiosity.

"But it is no longer in China now. Some large fragments of the book are kept in a museum in France." He continued: "The British also have parts of it at their National Library in London. All together, they are only about one quarter of the original text. The rest is still unaccounted for."

It was really a surprise for her to hear so much about the book.

"Do you know what was originally written in that book?" She asked again.

"For generations, we have only known the title of the book. As for its contents, it has been documented in historical writings that Hua Hu contained the untold west-bound journey of an ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu who lived and taught around 600 BC in China and about the events on that journey."

"Hua Hu, also known as Hua Hu Jing, was often called Lao Tzu Hua Hu Jing in the past because of its contents from the philosopher, Lao Lzu. It was once a very important Taoist scripture."

"Did you say ‘Taoist’?"

"Yes, it’s a Taoist scripture." He answered and explained, "Taoism, a native religion of China, was derived from the Chinese worship of Heaven and Earth combined with the philosophical ideas of philosopher Lao Tzu. The aim of Taoism, as it proclaimed publicly, was, and still is, to teach people how to conform to nature and achieve longevity. In general, it is a religion of metaphysics meant to guide people to the path of immortality and also to master various techniques of magic."

"Was it founded by Lao Tzu?" She asked.

"No. Lao Tzu himself did not create it. Only the believers of Taoism regarded him as the founder. In fact, the founding happened at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty in about 200 AD in China, almost seven hundred years after his death."

"Why?" She was curious.

The professor said, "Because at that time, there was a rebel who wanted to revolt against the emperor. He made use of the mysterious image of Lao Tzu as well as his metaphysical teachings, to form a religion behind his band of rebels, in order to lure people to join him. It was he, historically known as Chang Tao-Ling, who honored Lao Tzu as the founder."

2

"So what was the relation between Hua Hu and Taoism?" She asked. To her, there were so many things still unclear on the subject.

"Hua Hu Jing was written by a Taoist in the time of the Eastern Tsin Dynasty in China." The professor said. "Its contents primarily dealt with Lao Tzu."

He paused for a moment and then continued.

"Lao Tzu was a legendary philosopher who lived around the time of Spring and Autumn during the Chou Dynasty. He was older than Confucius. Lao Tzu was known for his work of Tao Te Ching , the classic of Way and Power, which was hailed by subsequent scholars as a very profound philosophical treatise. Yet he had always been a shady figure. Even the most accurate Historical Records of China noted that, ‘At his old age Lao Tzu exited the North Gate, of the Chou Kingdom during the Chou Dynasty, and rode off for a journey west after he had completed the Tao Te Ching. He was unheard of thereafter’."

The professor then changed to a joking tone, "You know, the funniest thing is that someone later on claimed that he knew exactly where Lao Tzu had gone. He wrote a book to state his conviction. In short, he said Lao Tzu, after leaving on an ox, not only went to India, but also had a last disciple whose name was Shih-chia-mou-ni, or Sakyamuni, the Buddha."

"That is really interesting," she said. "Is it true?"

He continued, "In old China, this was hardly a funny matter. The book came out at the time when Buddhism and Taoism were flourishing and controversial , and both wanted very much to absorb their followers from the general public. Therefore, arguments started. Issues arose from the book specifically regarding whether the story was factual or slander, followed by who created his religion first, whether Lao Tzu or Buddha was the teacher or student, and even who was better between Lao Tzu and the Buddha. These were all subjects of many indignant debates."

"How were all these settled?" she asked.

"The confrontations between the Buddhists and the Taoists on the story of Hua Hu were not to be settled quickly nor easily. They continued to worsen. What was a private argument in the beginning became an open feud and spread to include the general public…."

"At a later stage, the emperors of China were drawn in as the arbitrators of debates which were formally held at the imperial courts. Officials who sided with either Buddhism or Taoism brought complaints to the attention of their highness, the Son of Heaven, the name for all Chinese rulers. So, you see, the polemics between the two were escalating."

"What happened in the end?" she wondered and so asked.

"It was not simple." The professor sighed.

"You have to understand that the Chinese were largely seasonal believers of both religions. They sometimes favored Taoism, other times Buddhism. As a result, there were mixed teachings and overlapping themes. Adding to the confusion, the religious preference of some emperors also caused favor for Taoism or Buddhism to fluctuate from one dynasty to the other as they quarreled.

In fact, the polemics dragged on from Tang Dynasty to Sung Dynasty for several hundred years, and neither side could claim victory."

The more she listened, the more complicated it became. She was still very puzzled as to how this Hua Hu Jing related to her.

Still, the more she found out, the stranger her dream became. She could not wait to call on the retired Chinese couple, hoping that with the professor’s help, she might be able to understand more of her involvement with the book.

She told him more of her dreams.

"I was with someone inside a foreign monastery. We were wearing the same kind of uniforms; long gowns of the same color and design.

"The woman with me handed me a book, and solemnly said, ‘You must go now! Hurry! Leave by the back door!’ And then gripping a long saber firmly, she opened the front door and dashed out into a group of menacing soldiers with spears and swords who attacked her ruthlessly from all directions.

"I heard the sounds of the killing. Roaring and noises of metal striking. I was petrified there with the old book in my hands, and I was weeping and shaking…."

"Who was that woman?" The professor asked.

"I do not know." She answered.

"What did the woman look like?"

"I did not notice!" She said, "I only saw her hands which held the book, and then the book was in my hands."

"What kind of book was it?"

"Hua Hu!"

"That’s really strange!" The professor said.

"And I had an even stranger dream a few nights after, " she eagerly continued. "This time, I saw two groups of people standing next to each other in a huge hall. They were wearing costumes of two different colors and styles. One group of people, who all had bald heads, were having an argument with the other group who all wore hats of the same fashion…."

She paused to think and then recalled again. "There were seventeen in total."

"Seventeen of what?" The professor asked.

"I do not know…. those were the ones with the hats on. I saw them standing in this spacious room debating with those who had no hats…."

"Suddenly, a man, who had occupied the only seat in the center of the room, slowly raised his hand. The talking stopped and the whole room, full of hundreds of people, fell into silence.

"The group of seventeen was ordered to kneel, and after a short while, their heads were shaved bald by a band of barbers who were summoned to perform the task in front of everyone. Tears were streaming from the eyes of the seventeen; the room remained silent and no one dared to utter a sound….

"Yet, I did not see myself; I mean…. I was not in the room." She said with a question in her tone.

"Were those all Taoists?"

"Taoists? I do not know. I have never met nor seen a Chinese Taoist before! How should a Taoist look? Really, I could not tell." She said.

"Seventeen Taoists were forced to shave their heads bald and ordered to become monks at the imperial court in front of the emperor…." The professor mumbled. "That only happened once in Chinese history, and that was during the time of the beginning of the Mongol Dynasty." He said deep in thought.

As she nodded, he continued: "At that time, the Mongols occupied the north of China. Genghis Khan had died….his grandson Kubilai Khan was crowned and he frequently stationed himself in the city of Yenching, now Beijing, in his military palace for better maneuvering to conquer the rest of China. For the time being, the south was still ruled by the Han of the Sung Dynasty and as a result, wars between the two were often waged.

"At the same time, the frequent disputes between the Buddhists and the Taoists on Hua Hu flared up. Following the previous practices, Chinese officials who now served under the Mongols scheduled debates to discuss unsettled issues. These debates were held at the imperial court in front of the Emperor Kubilai Khan who, according to tradition, became the arbitrator."

She was stunned by all the information pouring out from the professor.

He continued, "The Buddhists and the Taoists were summoned to send representatives to Yenching to take part in this upcoming event."

She listened and wondered: "How am I possibly involved in this?"

Taoist girl Mystic Pearl followed her Sifu Chasing Wind quietly, hurrying through a series of currently desolate rooms within the Evergreen Monastery, and arrived at the main hall of the Taoist building which was in great chaos. (Sifu, in English, meant, "mentor" or "master".)

They were looking for a way to escape.

As they walked out the door of the main hall, they entered a courtyard. It was enormous extending all the way to the area where the entrance of the monastery started.

With jumps and bounces, they reached a stone bridge marking the beginning of the inner boundary of the monastery’s sacred ground.

Beyond the stone bridge was an arch with a name carved on it for the Evergreen Monastery. That was where its celestial domain was to be divided from the earthly world.

Countless soldiers were under the arch guarding the entrance of the domain.

Beyond that, more soldiers were on the way to reinforce the siege.

Seeing that, Chasing Wind paused and considered whether she could fight her way out or not.

She turned to look at Mystic Pearl and signaled for the sword that her disciple carried. After grasping the sword in her hand, she whispered for Mystic Pearl to follow her as closely as possible while she began thrusting the sword vigorously forward.

Several soldiers were targeted and downed by her first round of thrusts.

Other soldiers cried out and came upon them like waves crashing onto the beach; they roared as if they were lions being disturbed abruptly from rest.

Chasing Wind was not afraid of the soldiers, and she held the sword high before she made her strikes again.

Mystic Pearl followed closely. She was terrified- avoiding the path of the falling soldiers that sometimes tumbled in her way as the fighting went on. She was doing her best with leaps and jumps, left and right, up and down, to avoid the fallen bodies that were disposed of by her mentor as they moved strategically towards the front gate.

2

Chasing Wind, with the waving of her sword, dashed toward the arch.

Soldiers approached her. But they were skillfully challenged by her sword and immediately fell back. Others attacked again and also failed. The soldiers fought her hard; they tried once, twice, and three times. All ended in disarray.

The rest of them retreated. In the end, they became so fearful that they left the middle part of the road open to let her pass.

Chasing Wind, waving her sword defensively, continued to move forward. Mystic Pearl followed her as close as she could.

When they neared the arch, something strange happened. Next to the entrance on the other side of the arch they saw the soldiers part to either side leaving the middle of the road empty – just as the soldiers had done on their side.

A monk emerged from a group.

Behind him, a great number of armed monks followed. They shouted as they approached the entrance of the arch. "Don’t let the bald-head Taoist woman get away!" And then louder, "Don’t let her get away with the forbidden scripture!" The shouting echoed and continued, wave after wave, as they marched.

Hearing that, Chasing Wind began to realize the fact that she had escaped and returned for the scripture was no longer a secret. "We were constantly under watch when we were in prison," she concluded.

She held onto the sword and moved with her disciple as quickly as possible.

"She is an imperial prisoner! Help us catch her! Don’t let her get away!" shouted the monks.

3

Shouting increased as the lama who led that group of martial monks marched through the entrance of the arch.

He was the lama from Tibet named Chicelon.

The moment Chasing Wind saw the Tibetan monk, she paused, quickly picked up a long saber from the ground, and handed the sword that she was holding to Mystic Pearl. After a long pause she said, "We’ll fight our way out! Show them what you have learned!"

The Tibetan Lama Chicelon then discovered Taoist Priestess Chasing Wind. A glimpse of a smile appeared on his face. He pulled out a pair of bronze rings from his gown and positioned himself to block the road. He said, "I won’t let you to go free this time!"

As he spoke, he separated the two rings. With one in his left hand and the other in his right he said: "You were able to break out of the imperial prison only because I was not there." He laughed cunningly for a very short while and continued, "I figured by now you probably would have obtained the forbidden scripture from this monastery. If it is true, then turn it in. I might consider sparing your life."

Chasing Wind brandished her sword in the air as her answer. The move of her sword created a flicking of silver lights and a sound of roaring wind. She did not move forward. She stood there firmly and stared at him with her cold eyes.

The Lama shook his rings in response, moving them one on top of the other. He was waiting for the right moment to strike.

He observed Chasing Wind closely; at the same time, he gave orders to all his martial monks, who were now very eager to start fighting. "Don’t be fools! You all should go and take care of that young girl!"

The martial monks shouted in response and moved with their weapons out and ready.

4

Taoist girl Mystic Pearl was very artful and fast with her sword.

She brandished the sword in a protective way with shadows of blades surrounding her.

Her first round of attacks injured several monks near her and they cried out as the sword hit them from constant changing angles. Some of them had cuts on their arms, others on their legs. The damages were minor. However, many of their weapons were dropped as a result.

Other monks kept coming. They moved in-groups attempting to ambush her, one after another, in a series of circles.

In order to evade their entrapment, Mystic Pearl shifted her position as frequently as she could. She often broke through their lines and moved from here to there. But, no matter which way she ran there was always another group of armed monks waiting.

Mystic Pearl prepared her sword for another round of attacks. In her mind she only meant to scare them away.

The monks were coming at all angles. They all carried deadly weapons such as maces and halberds, waving and making strikes from all directions.

With no intention to kill anybody, Mystic Pearl held on to her sword and looked for ways to retreat.

Then, she realized she was surrounded. There were monks everywhere she turned.

They all raised their heavy weapons and moved in from right and left and forward and behind to strike.

Unknowingly, she walked into their trap.

5

Chasing Wind was so worried about the safety of her disciple that she avoided the challenge from Chicelon, and made an attempt to stop the martial monks before Mystic Pearl was in trouble.

She used the saber to resist the advance of monks. But there was more of them coming.

She and her disciple were separated. They had to fight their own enemy. They couldn’t join forces. Besides, the Tibetan lama was watching.

The monks gathering around them turned up in greater and greater numbers. At the same time, soldiers of the Mongols had come to join the siege.

Chasing Wind and Mystic Pearl were now under attack by two different groups and they were trapped in two big circles.

Monks and soldiers carrying spears or clubs rushed on.

Chasing Wind relied on her skillful jumps to evade entrapment. She bounced here and there, back and forth, from one place to another in order to escape attack. The monks and soldiers could not get close enough to her. They tried and tried, yet failed.

The Tibetan monk saw this and showed his anger. Suddenly, he joined in and tried to hit her with the power of a Buddha palm, which would produce force the moment he pushed. The internal energy released from his palm was so powerful that whatever it struck broke into pieces.

He meticulously calculated the right time to hit - when she was way up in the air. Several times, Chasing Wind narrowly managed to escape harm from his attack. Then there was the exception. She was so preoccupied and worried seeing Mystic Pearl in danger, she became a little slow on her twisting.

Before she realized, she had been struck and almost fell to the ground. As she stumbled, she managed to change direction. She flew with whatever strength she still possessed, going directly toward her disciple.

Mystic Pearl moved to evade assault by leaps and bounds like her Sifu.

She had no trouble jumping away from one of the encirclements of monks, but as soon as she was on the ground again, she found herself encircled by another group. The martial monks followed her like shadows.

She could not but resolve to leaps and jumps again for safety. Whenever she was on the ground again, she was trapped. What was more, the monks increased in number. They arranged in layers and formed in rings of rings.

It didn’t take long for her to realize that the heads in front of her were dense and thick. They were the heads of monks; horrible monks. They had ferocious looks and were closing in to attack.

She used whatever strength she could and made a very quick swing with her sword. The move produced a ring of light from the blade meant to protect her body.

A continuous noise came as a result of the crash of metal.

After that, she felt pain and aches in her hand. She was not hurt, but she was exhausted. Suddenly she remembered some words her Sifu had told her, "Women are generally fragile, therefore, it is not wise to crash directly with anyone when you fight. It’ll be better if you either stay clear of the enemy’s main force and strike at his weakest point, or kill to win."

"Yes, to protect yourself, you kill to win!" For a moment, Mystic Pearl thought she heard her Sifu reminding her once again.

2

Mystic Pearl brandished her sword and made it move like a spinning wheel.

Still, she dared not kill anybody. Therefore, as soon as she had one group of monks defeated, another came.

Mystic Pearl managed to retreat as she fought. The monks gathering around her increased in number and became thicker in layers. Weapons were all pressed upon her. Before long, she was in a tight squeeze. She realized it was a matter of life or death. Either she had to kill or she would be killed.

She was terribly frightened and tears poured from her eyes. She was no doubt trapped in a perilous situation.

At this critical moment, Chasing Wind flew over. Her saber that warded off all the weapons chopping at Mystic Pearl was there before she even arrived. What followed was that by forcing and shoving of the saber in her hand, Chasing Wind forced the monks to fall back. With that opportunity, she, by twisting and jumping, lifted her disciple from the deadly entrapment of monks.

She said, "Being merciful to others can mean being cruel to yourself. Sometimes, in our secular world, if you want to live, you need to kill." She put Mystic Pearl down and continued, "Whenever someone wants to eliminate you, you must act first!"

At this point a large number of monks and soldiers, who were all shouting, rushed over.

"We need to find a way to leave this place," said Chasing Wind, as she wielded her long saber to hinder the assault. Mystic Pearl, who was now timidly brandishing her sword again, followed as close as possible.

3

Chasing Wind desperately wielded her saber up and down and kept launching forward.

The monks and soldiers of the Mongols were frightened by her prowess and they fell back on both sides as a result. Mystic Pearl followed. The two of them kept running until they reached a building that stood alone as a sacred site.

"Hurry!" Chasing Wind said. And as soon as they were inside, she shut the door tight.

A great number of monks and soldiers followed them. Several monks had already gone up to the door, but they were stopped by a thunderous command.

"Stop! Stop!"

The command was from the reverend abbot of the Shaolin Temple, who also led a group of martial monks joining the search at this Taoist monastery. He addressed those monks solemnly, "This hall houses the burial place that was built under the decree of Genghis Khan for Taoist Chiu Chu-Chi of the Absolute Truth Sect. If we do not have a proper order from the Mongol Emperor, we should not enter."

Hearing that, everyone raised his head and noticed a golden plate carved with a tiger head hanging above the threshold of the door.

At this point the Tibetan Lama arrived. He said, "In that case we will temporarily stand guard here. That old Taoist woman is a spent arrow. Let her rest for a while. I believe it won’t cause us any harm."

Lama Chicelon returned his weapon to his waist when he finished talking. But a disdainful smile lingered on his face.

4

The Chiu Hall was a shrine for the founder of the Dragon Gate Branch of the Absolute Truth Sect. It was named after Taoist Chiu Chu-chi, who was in fact one of the seven disciples of Wang Chung-yang who founded the Absolute Truth Sect of Taoism during the time shortly before the Mongols rose to power. Chiu became the most famous surpassing them all in fame during his later years. This was due to the fact that when Chiu was seventy-two, Genghis Khan, the then greatest of all the Mongol Khans, learned of his fame and decided to send an envoy to the mainland to invite him to come to the desert for a meeting. Much to the surprised of all, Chiu accepted. To accompany him for the journey, he selected eighteen of his better-trained disciples. The journey required long and arduous travel and took more than two years. They needed to cross through grasslands and snowy mountains, including endless miles in the vast desert, until they finally caught up with the constant moving Khan’s camp. This was while the Mongols were conquering the Kingdom of Western Hsia at the west part of the Big Snow Hill in the wilderness.

It was said that Genghis Khan greeted Chiu the Taoist with the utmost respect. The Great Khan consulted him on two topics. First he asked Chiu about governing. Chiu answered that the most essential rule was to care for the welfare of the people. Then, the Khan asked about the elixir of life. Chiu replied bluntly that for longevity it was the serenity of living that really mattered.

After that, Khan called Chiu, "the truly immortal" and honored him, "the national teacher." Chiu stayed as a guest at the camp for almost a year and then bade farewell. The Great Khan dispatched an armed escort for Chiu’s return.

During his last years, Chiu chose to live at the Evergreen Monastery in Yenching. When he died, the Chiu Hall was built to enshrine his remains. A golden plate engraved with a tiger head given by the Khan was hung on the top of its threshold.

The soldiers who saw the tiger plate dared not enter the hall without proper permission.

Chasing Wind knew the reason for their hesitation. She understood her enemies would remain outside, undoubtedly, for as long as they needed. The Tibetan Lama, who had followed her like a shadow ever since the purge had started, would never retreat. Making matters even worse was the force led by the abbot of Shaolin Temple, who had joined the suppression with another group of martial monks known for their superior fighting skills. She was also convinced that she shouldn’t wait too long to act.

5

Outside, the incessant shouting orders to kill sounded frightening and menacing.

"Don’t let that old Taoist priestess get away!" "Catch the imperial prisoner!"

Even though Chasing Wind and Mystic Pearl were inside, they could clearly hear them.

Chasing Wind was angry and agitated. She felt a sharp pain run through her body and then spit out a mouthful of blood.

She sighed as she came to believe her fate. She retrieved the Hua Hu Jing from her bosom.

"The mission is yours!" she said as she handed Mystic Pearl the forbidden scripture. Then she spoke solemnly, "You must always remember my words: ‘If the scripture survives, our sect will stand.’"

Mystic Pearl took the scripture from her mentor and nervously uttered, "Sifu!"

Chasing Wind stopped her and explained, "The monks outside all came for this book. Hua Hu Jing is the most important treasure of our sect. It is also the solid proof of their unforgiving crime. They are treasonous. You should never forget: ‘All the Buddhists in this world are rebels of our Taoist religion!’"

"But I want to fight side by side with you!" replied Mystic Pearl. This was in fact what she wished.

"Given the present circumstances, you and I must part and go for our different tasks. You must leave by yourself … and bring this scripture to the Eighteen Uncle of our sect. Let him know what has happened. He will know what to do…"

"Sifu, … but this is my first trip away from our convent. How do I know which road I should take?"

"To find the road, use your mouth!" said Chasing Wind. "And, do remember, I’ll join you someday if we are meant to be together again in this world."

Then … she dashed out and with the long saber in her hand, she ran through the front door.

The landscape of picturesque scenery was full of natural beauties and attractions.

The highway leading to Yenching, where the Mongol Emperor Kubilai Khan housed his military palace, was bustling with activity. Amid the rise of yellow dust, a light breeze blew on the faces of people who were traveling on this earthy road. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry. They rushed as if there were things too urgent to be late and moved as if they could not afford to miss an opportunity in this lifetime.

Or they hastened because they were going to fight for a better future and wanted to make sure in their lifetime not to entail calamity on their posterity.

In fact, this was a common scene one day earlier; people on their way approaching the city were gradually increasing in number since that morning. Because this was the main highway, sometimes men on horses galloped through and occasionally there were women in carriages. Yet, most the travelers hurried on foot.

Among those in the hasty horde were two people traveling unusually fast passing others in an even greater rush toward their destination.

They were both wearing the same style of caps and gowns for Taoist women, slightly blue in color meddled with a yellow dust, for they had been traveling far.

One looked old, the other young.

They walked in haste and aroused curious attention. Besides their unusual pace, it was also their look and quickness drawing glances.

The old one had nothing outstanding in her appearance, however, the young one was strikingly beautiful. With a face shaped like an almond, she blushed pink like a peach. She had watery clear eyes with solid black long eyelashes. She brimmed with excitement as she walked alongside her companion, who kept moving bold and strong - still hale and hearty.

It was also noticeable that the old woman had faced many obstacles in her life but looked very sophisticated, probably because she had already seen much of the world. The young one behaved as brisk as a bee or like a bud ready to bloom.

Needless to say, she was green and inexperienced; and she could not--or would not--hide herself from showing reactions of being carefree and innocent.

The path of life and future experiences seemed so fresh and fascinating that she occasionally, with a laugh of naivete, clearly revealed signs of an inexperienced girl.

In addition to carrying their backpacks, each of them also carried a sheathed sword.

2

The two women looked like mother and daughter; yet, under scrutiny, they were not exactly that.

It was because of the resemblance of their clothes - in color and design.

Sometimes, costumes and styles unintentionally showed background and relationship. For instance, what they currently wore were the same blue color gowns of Taoist females; what they wore on their heads were also caps for the same gender in Taoism. However, in old China, these kinds of clothes were similar to those for Buddhist nuns, who might also wear them in that period. Differences in colors might signify distinction on one hand; on other hand, the most outstanding difference between the two religions in female dress was simply whether there were caps worn on their heads or not. In general, Buddhist nuns hardly wore hats. Rather, they often showed their bald foreheads displaying scars made by burning incense marking their conviction to abandon the lust of an individual mind and to also signify an end to their attachment to the secular world.

This was not the same case for women in Taoism.

The Taoists, who sought longevity and immortality, had an opposite view on life.

Female Taoists were careful not to disfigure their looks. In addition, they treated their opposites as compatible and undeniable partners. They existed like "yin" and "yang," or heaven and earth; and drew comparison of the female and male, as day and night. They believed in their religious teaching that the Celestial Principle became the male, and the Terrestrial Principle, the female. Reciprocally, they were yin within yang, and yang within yin.

It was also the reason that the Taoists called their female members as "Kun-tao" meaning the "yin" of Taoists; and called their male members as "Chien-tao," an equivalent to the "yang" of Taoist. But they used those terms only when it was necessary to make a distinction. Otherwise, they called both male and female "Tao-chang," meaning an "Honorable person in "Tao." "Tao," in English meant, "Way" or "Principle towards perfection."

For the general public, an unmarried woman who practiced Taoism usually would be called "Taoist girl" or "Taoist lady." A man would be simply, "Taoist."

Sometimes, it was difficult to tell the difference between the Buddhist nuns and the female Taoists. Therefore, in some cases, the female Taoists would keep their hair long like ordinary women but bind it in a knot on top of their heads. By rules and regulations of certain sect, some men and women had permission to get married.

This kind of practice and distinction varied from sect to sect in Taoism and was often misunderstood bringing further confusion among the populace.

3

They walked as though they were sliding forward on ice - with almost no effort.

It was obvious they were not ordinary Taoist women. One could tell by the way that they moved they had been well trained in the technique of a style called cloud-walk, a combination of dashing and jumping movement in martial arts. When they walked, their steps glided with the wind as though they were strolling leisurely. What was more, they could keep their composure smooth and easy; there was no sign of any strain or fatigue.

Yet they were fast.

Their current movement was similar to a pair of ducks swimming quietly in a pond; on the surface, they floated effortlessly on the water appearing relaxed and playful. Underneath, their feet were paddling as hard as a wheel. Without anyone noticing, they could silently glide out of the scene in a wink.

They had been traveling for sometime now. At nightfall, they checked into inns and at daybreak, they would continue their journey. Sometimes they needed to cross rivers and climb mountains. Needless to say, they had passed through many woods and numerous hills on the trip. In fact, they had been traveling from the south to the north and then going east from the west for almost a month before they now reached the outskirts of Yenching.

The older one was a Taoist priestess belonging to the second-generation disciples of the Dragon Gate Branch.

Originally, she was enlisted as a disciple of the first generation Taoist priestess Sun Bu-erh, the only female or "yin" among the first seven disciples of Wang Chung-yang, the founder of Absolute Truth sect in Taoism; however, Sun passed away early. So she changed to become the student of Chiu, who was also one of the first generation disciples in the sect and he subsequently developed the Dragon Gate Branch. Later on, when Chiu made the famous journey north to meet Genghis Khan, this old woman was also selected as one of the eighteen disciples who accompanied the master throughout the whole trip, walking thousands of miles beyond the Great Wall.

Now she was one of the very few from that journey still alive and healthy. She was also the only ‘Kun-tao’ Taoist, a female, who had participated in that trip.

As for the young one, she was an orphan before her mentor adopted and raised her as a disciple in a small convent under the Dragon Gate lineage.

4

Whether it was because they were closer to their destination, or because she was expecting to see many new things, the Taoist girl was very happy.

She smiled a lot during the journey often attracting the eye of people who passed by to glance in amazement at her beauty and sweetness. Now they were alone moving up from the slope of a hill.

"We only need to climb over the peak…" the old one began.

"Then we will see the capital!" the young one finished.

Actually, the old woman started and repeated that sentence before they were even at the bottom of prior hills. One wondered whether she was just trying to encourage the young girl to hurry up, or if she was testing her memory.

In fact, how could she forget?

The city of Yenching was the place where her master lived before he died. Now it was the headquarters for the Dragon Gate branch and also for the entire Absolute Truth sect that presently had spread and developed into seven branches by the seven disciples of the first generation. In addition, it also served as the largest monastery for all Taoists who needed a free room to rest between trips.

It had been a long time since the Mongols rose in the desert and fought for their supreme power to rule over the entire region. The old woman proudly recalled that she was one of the eighteen disciples whom the most famous Taoist Chiu chose as followers to accompany him for the journey which took more than two years climbing over snowy mountains and combing through endless grasslands. The meeting between Taoist Chiu and Genghis Khan later proved to be a very important historical event. It not only influenced the Great Khan for less bloodshed in conquest, but also made Chiu as a person more famous than before. As a result, the Absolute Truth sect became the most attractive among other rivals in Taoism.

Who could say they had not heard of the name of Taoist Chiu of the Dragon Gate?

Who could deny the fact that even the Great Genghis Khan of Mongols called him "the truly immortal!"

As for the young girl, she was here to experience the world for the first time.

5

Soon, they were almost at the top.

The young girl could not wait and she dashed up the peak with her cloud-walk. As she approached the top of the hill, a spectacular view of a majestic city appeared.

Yenching was a vast city.

It was situated on a plain below in the valley. A water-filled moat surrounded the city creating a natural defense. There was an arched bridge leading to the front gate.

It was early in the morning. The two iron gates remained in their wide opened position, as if the city showed its stretching arms to welcome visitors streaming in from all walks or directions.

Behind the high walls, which formed a long band of bricks around the city, were sights of tall buildings that were erected high into the sky; towers and pagodas, chambers and mansions, and palaces and temples. They all lined up one after another on the horizon for as far as the eye could see. Layers and layers of red walls and green roofs everywhere looked like the ornamental costume of the host. Roofs beyond roofs rising high and towers behind towers waving like arms and fingers together brought out a magnificent display.

The young Taoist girl was excited and jubilant. She might for the moment in her heart want to rush down the hill, yet she paused and knew she had to wait.

She turned her head and smiled to greet and quickly cheer her mentor who hurried up the hill. She brimmed with joy in triumph.

Yenching (literally called, "a grand city of swallows") was a prosperous city in the Mongol Kingdom. Its buildings were gigantic and magnificent. No matter which way one looked, there were pavilions and pagodas, chambers and mansions, and towers and temples to catch the eye. It should be pointed out that Yenching was previously the Middle Capital of the Kingdom of Kin, the Jurcheds. When the Mongols defeated the Jurcheds, the city was re-named.

Originally, the Mongols had their capital built in Karakorum; and when Kubilai Khan was crowned, he initially used Kaiping as his capital. But Karakorum & Kaiping were both situated in the desert. For his military convenience, Kubilai Khan often stationed in Yenching when he was at war with the Southern Sung; therefore, some considered Yenching his second capital. Indeed, when he later decided to change the name of "Mongol Kingdom" to "Yuen" and started a dynasty in Chinese tradition, Yenching became his choice for new capital, and so the city was eventually re-named as the "Grand Capital" of Yuen Dynasty.

Yet, for the time being, it was still called Yenching, a favorite for Kubilai Khan to house his military palace. Even during those days, whoever ventured to enter the city discovered shops of all kinds densely packed like fish scales, lined up on both sides of the streets. All the stores opened to greet visitors and customers with attractive merchandise. If one walked along the main streets, one could enjoy tidy and unsoiled pavement of stone slates on most of the roads. Clean and orderly, neither mud nor wild grasses could be found.

This was surely a sign of wealth and prosperity in the past, for using thousands of big stones to pave most of the roads in a city was extremely unusual. This was yet another indication that materials and supplies in the kingdom were abundant.

Anyone who walked on the slates could create a variety of sounds by merely their gait. If horses pranced on it, the sounds would be loud. One could clearly hear the gallop of horses, which produced echoes and vibrations, rhythms quick and slow. One might imagine that it was a performance of some sort of beating drums. In fact, one could actually sense the coming of horses on the pavement since the sounds would get louder and louder while horses galloped upon approach.

That was what happened.

The sounds people heard revealed the fact that the horses had already been on their way. And the closer the horses came, the louder the sounds roared. It was a procession made up of horses and people currently marching down the main street. In the procession there were people on foot--all were dressed in red. They proceeded in lines with a band of musicians following and playing various kinds of musical instruments including drums, cymbals, pipes, flutes, gongs, and Chinese clarinets. The music from the procession was almost deafening, but wonderful.

They were here for something merry and cheerful; they must be, for they all wore red.

2

The person who led the procession was dressed like a warrior and riding a fine white horse. The combination of color between the white horse and the warrior clad in red made his appearance very outstanding.

He, while riding high on the saddle, looked like a hero ready for war. His profile was masculine with thick eyebrows and big eyes on a somewhat square face. He was obviously still a youth, but looked tough and strong. He could hardly pass for handsome, his looks seemed dignified and distinguished; full of vigor and vitality and his manner suggested a character of honesty.

With a hasty impression, one could mistaken his outfit in full battle array and think him a general. In his right hand he held a long handled halberd; with his left, he controlled his horse by the reins. Riding in the front, first and surely, made his appearance powerful and strong. And, what was more, he was - for the moment - in high spirit.

But, the people who followed him in this procession were not exactly soldiers. At least they were not dressed like Mongol soldiers. Even those who carried weapons and wore uniforms were behaving like guards of some kind. So it was safe to assume that he, a young warrior, was not a general after all.

It was a scene of hustle and bustle on the main street; and, with pedestrians thick and fast, coming and going in all directions, everyone still seemed to know when and how to yield for each other. There had hardly been an accident in the crowd the whole morning.

Because of the procession, many of those who had been walking on the street hurried off to the sides. Still, there were people who wanted to stand by and watch.

Questions such as, "What’s new?" or, "What is the occasion?" were asked.

Some pedestrians carried boys and girls and others helped the old and the young. Occasionally, there were pushes and shoves. As the procession got closer, people who had accidentally trodden on the heels of another began to show a little panic.

Among cheers and applause, the middle part of the pavement was hastily cleared of the people, and spared by all means, for such a procession of happiness to parade and pass through.

As soon as she went through the main gate of the city while following her Sifu, Taoist girl Mystic Pearl was completely captivated by the sights of shops that lined both sides of the streets.

Her curiosity and interest caused her to stop and browse. Enchanted, she picked up one of the many silk pieces from the displayed merchandise.

It was colorful and smooth to touch; what was more, it did not wrinkle even after it had been folded. She was amazed and delighted. So she tried another and then another. There was one with embroidered flowers; there was one with singing birds. This one had patterns, and that one was brocaded.

"They are superb!" she thought. "If I had it made into a dress, it would be beautiful." She imagined it being hers.

She could not resist and touched them again.

4

"This is the highest grade of silk you can find, young lady. Buy some for yourself!"

The salesman from inside came out to greet her.

Her beauty stunned his eyes as soon as he saw the Taoist girl and he had almost forgotten what he had said and the reason he came out.

"This is really beautiful, isn’t it?" Mystic Pearl responded with admiration.

"My young … " the word "lady" stopped half way in his mouth, for he suddenly realized that word he was going to address her with was not appropriate. He noticed that the girl in front of him was actually a Taoist nun. He changed what he was about to say for a simple, "Yes. Yes…" Beyond that, he turned almost speechless.

"It must be very expensive…is it?" Mystic Pearl asked. She behaved naturally even though she knew the salesman was in awe. She did not flinch nor shy away.

The shop salesman was dumbfounded. "You… really want to buy?" he asked awkwardly with hesitation in his tone. For the moment he seemed he had so much to absorb and ideas to fight and compromise in his head.

"I am only asking," she replied pleasantly, brimming with a big smile.

"All right! All right!" He repeated.

"The silk materials are extremely beautiful!" She put down the material, which was in her hands.

He bowed politely as she turned and walked away.

5

The shop salesman kept standing and gazing at Mystic Pearl as she floated down the busy street. Even among the crowd, she clearly stood out.

"She must have a gorgeous figure underneath that bulky robe of blueness," he thought. Even from afar, her motion in swaying as she walked seemed so light and captivating that he was still not himself. Although it was just her back, he kept watching and admiring until she was completely gone. Then the daydream was finally over. When he awoke he began to mumble, "Damn it! For God’s sake, what a waste!" He made it sound like he was really angry with somebody for something.

Another salesman from the shop came out at that moment. Hearing what the first salesman had just said, he responded without knowing the situation. "Even if you couldn’t make the sale this time, you shouldn’t be upset! There will be other chances, don’t worry, please!" Of course, he did not know what had just happened.

"What I meant was, … what I really wanted to say was …" The first salesman could not finish his sentence and stared hard into the distance where the Taoist girl had disappeared into the crowd. He could not forget what a beautiful face she had. So he uttered some words abruptly, "What a beauty! Why? … I just can’t understand why? Why would she want to be a nun? "

"What did you say?" the other salesman asked.

"Sifu! Sifu!"

Mystic Pearl looked for her mentor in the crowd on main street.

Thousands of heads were moving in front of her. It was hard to tell which one could be her mentor.

Mystic Pearl figured that her mentor would probably be quite a long way ahead, so she dashed into the crowd and moved as fast as she could.

Amongst all the hustle and bustle of main street, she saw a procession approaching with a group of musicians dressed in red.

Others in the procession were carrying flags. It looked like there were a large number of people in carts overflowing with boxes all wrapped in red. Boxes normally wrapped such as this suggested gifts for an up-coming wedding.

She could see someone riding a white horse in the lead.

The music they played began to turn soft but still very loud because of the drums and cymbals. It was not close to stopping.

Mystic Pearl was glancing all around the crowd in search of her mentor, when all of a sudden a string of firecrackers exploded. It startled pedestrians nearby.

A shop down the street was celebrating its grand opening.

Amid the thunderous noise of the fireworks, a nicely dressed merchant stepped out in front of his shop. He held his hands up to his forehead and turned towards the four directions in proper order and then he bowed and yelled out with joy, "Small profits and quick returns bring us a roaring trade and a good fortune!" Others surrounding him cheered.

2

At the same time, there were shouts of fear and the neighing of a startled horse.

"Run! Quick, everybody run!"

"The horse is coming!"

Indeed, when Mystic Pearl turned her head, she saw a horse heading her way at full speed.

She could see the horse galloping with hooves moving high and low. They were pounding with such force on the path that the sound proved frightening.

People on the street were terrified. They rushed to the sidewalks with abrupt pushes and shoves.

Mystic Pearl looked around. She was stunned and alarmed to find that - not far from where she stood - there was a child who had stumbled onto the road. The poor little boy suffered a fall while he was running and now he was petrified crawling helplessly in the middle of the street.

It was exactly where the horse would come, because the central part of pavement was always meant for heavy carts, carriages, and horses.

The situation was horrible. With the horse racing towards them at such a rapid pace, the frightened child would undoubtedly be trampled.

Death was seconds away.

Without any hesitation, Mystic Pearl quickly stepped forward and embraced the child in both hands; then, in the blink of an eye, she bent and jumped.

She shot through the air like an arrow carrying the child in her bosom. Straight up, high up.

3

At that moment, the man on the wild horse tried his best to pull the reins. The horse was hauled to a stop. It whined repeatedly in pain. It was standing on its hind legs like a human, but its front hooves were up high and kicking. It neighed and turned stubbornly in a circle where on the same spot it was drawn to a pause. It refused to go forward or backward and just constantly stepped round and round.

It was obvious that the man riding on the horse had also noticed the boy crawling on the path, so he did whatever he could to tame the frantic horse by pulling on the bridle. He too, certainly, did not want the horse to trample the child.

He did not expect a girl to pick up the child and fly into the air moments before the horse had arrived.

The resulting scenario was amazing. For Mystic Pearl, the situation became quite awkward. On the one hand, it was undoubtedly very fortunate that no one was hurt; but, on the other, it was unfortunate that those in the air and those on the ground were where they were.

The horse was still violently swinging from right to left and left to right, whining and kicking.

Mystic Pearl, with the child still in her bosom, was in the process of coming down from up in the sky.

Originally, what she had in mind was that the horse would be gone and the ground would be clear so she could get back down on her feet using her skill. The situation was quite different and very unexpected. She felt embarrassed when she thought of landing on top of someone below. It was not exactly what she had imagined. Besides, it was a man on that horse.

"What should I do?" she quickly pondered in her mind while she was falling.

The man was looking up. Seeing her, he raised both hands as though he was ready to catch her.

Mystic Pearl felt a blush immediately rushed to her face. It was simply because a man was greeting her below with open arms. This was unthinkable and, needless to say, unacceptable.

4

The man below had his arms raised up.

The muscles around his shoulders indicated that he was strong and masculine. The weapon he carried earlier had already been dropped; it was a halberd, which was now lying on the ground.

No doubt, he was ready and hoping he would be able to bring them to safety.

"But he is a man!" Mystic Pearl objected in her own mind. "How could I let this happen?"

Like it or not, she was falling fast.

She was still holding the child in her bosom as she fell closer and closer to the man.

His arms were almost within reach.

Mystic Pearl had an idea. She swiftly handed the child over to the man on the horse, and then she performed a somersault with the strength she had left. When the man took the body of the little boy in his arms there was a hair’s breadth of time. She acted and it was done. She gracefully flapped like a swallow into the air. In another motion, she hovered and landed a few feet away from the man and the horse.

She remained graceful and at ease.

The person on the horse held the child tightly. When Mystic Pearl was safely on the ground, he uttered one word of admiration, "Excellent!" He was referring to her unusual jumping skill.

A thunderous applause came from pedestrians who stood and watched the whole incident.

5

Mystic Pearl turned her head to get a good look at the person who was riding the horse.

Their eyes met.

The man, young and full of vigor, seemed very surprised to find that the girl who saved the little boy looked elegant and beautiful.

For a moment, he was stunned.

He could not take his eyes off that girl’s face. The image he saw was so innocent and so charming, he swore he had never met any girl who could dare compete in beauty with this one. He found she was enchanting when he gazed at her. Her eyes, brimming like crystals of water, were bright and captivating. Her face, shaped like an almond and blushing like a peach, was like nothing to be compared with on earth; she was really peerless, he thought. For now, he was so bewildered; he could hardly take his eyes from her.

Noticing this man was looking her up and down, she was neither shy nor evasive. She glanced at him once again. She had a rough impression that he was actually a young man with a very square face, looking tough and strong, with big round eyes, which were now fixed on her.

She was not sure whether the look he was giving her was good or bad? "Who cares!" she said to herself and turned away.

"You have saved a life!" he said to her.

"You too!" she replied only in her heart. Yet, she turned and gave him a friendly smile. At the same moment, she spotted her mentor, who was presently strolling ahead of her among the hustle of a passing crowd.

"Sifu, wait for me!" she yelled and leaped forward. Within a moment, she was gone.

The warrior was now himself again. He found an ordinary woman at his side who came over to thank him and fetch the boy. Although alive and lucky, the poor child was still in shock and crying.

Even from a distance, the arch was visible.

It had elaborate decor on both sides and carvings at the top. It looked gorgeous and magnificent.

When one passed through the arch, known as a celestial gate in Taoist terminology, he was considered to be entering the domain of a fictitious dwelling for deities. In reality, it was but a spacious court that contained a variety of stones and pine trees planted on both sides along a path.

A mixture of white small and large stones along with tall pines and flourishing greens suggested another interesting preference for duration in Taoism.

Further in, at the end of the path, there was a stone bridge. Beneath, there was a shallow creek. Clear waters flowed quietly out of nowhere from the stones and in a short distance, disappeared into oblivion. It seemed to suggest a metaphor of life - that we all exist as mysteriously as the water below, coming out in a surprise and gone without a trace.

Once the stone bridge was crossed, it began the "land of deities" - in a Taoist term. After that was the front yard of Evergreen Monastery. It was actually the first quarter of four consecutively enclosed quarters for the entire structure.

A stone path lead straightforward, as always, with tall trees and grown plants casting shadows from the sides. The path stretched all the way to the doors of the main hall. But before the doors stood a huge urn where incense was burning. Smoke twisted and floated mystically before it went up into the sky.

The path going forward was long and deep. It also exuded a feeling that to proceed, one must struggle hard. The images ahead were like dreams in our lives that were seemingly visible yet unlikely reachable.

2

Walking along the path, the first buildings that could be seen were two towers; one was the Chamber of Bell and the other was the Chamber of Drum. They stood like guards on either side of the road.

Further in were house after house lined up along sides of the courtyard.

While Mystic Pearl was looking around, her Sifu Chasing Wind was already heading for one of the houses. It was called, "Hall of Cloud and Water," commonly known as "Hall for Guests." As the name suggested, it was a place all visitors stopped to report their arrival if they wished to stay overnight.

Her Sifu put down her backpack outside the door and signaled Mystic Pearl to do the same.

Then she poked her head inside and announced in a low voice, "Our god be merciful! I beg your kindness. We have come to report for an accommodation."

Before long, a Taoist dressed in a tidy uniform appeared at the door. He glanced outside and then responded, "Our god be merciful!" He greeted them by putting his two hands together. Then he lifted his left foot and stepped to the left side of the door.

According to the rules and regulations for genders, males always went to the left and females went to the right. Sifu Chasing Wind reacted with another iteration of "Our god be merciful!" She also put her hands together and moved inside to the right with her right foot first. She bowed three times to the sky - paying her respects to the three highest gods in Taoism. And then she turned to face the man and said, "And many respects for your kindness!" She bowed again and again as she spoke.

"Enough, enough!" the man said politely. After that, they both bowed to each other once more.

"Please sit down," the man said. "May I ask where you are from?"

Sifu replied, "You are very kind! I am from a small place called, ‘Convent of the Wonderful Sound’ in a remote region."

The man then asked, "What is your honorable name in our Taoist practice?"

3

Outside Mystic Pearl listened impatiently to the two who followed every tedious procedure inside.

The man asked another routine question, "What sect do you belong in your practice?"

Her Sifu answered dutifully, "Our god be merciful! I currently belong to the Dragon Gate Branch of the Absolute Truth Sect, …."

As Mystic Pearl overheard their conversations, she felt that it was merely a formality, a waste of time.

"Why ask?" she questioned in her mind, because she knew that her Sifu was not just anybody.

In fact, Chasing Wind was not only a renowned disciple of the Dragon Gate, but a senior who was one generation higher than the present chief was.

It was commonly known that the Absolute Truth Sect was founded by Wang Chung-yang at the later part of Southern Sung Dynasty when the north was ruled by the Jurcheds under Kingdom of Kin.

According to the legend, Wang was a Confucian scholar in the beginning. He had succeeded in early years in a competition to become a qualified candidate for the post of a military general. Later on, he met some deities who lured him to practice Taoism. When he was finally given some secret scriptures to ponder by himself, he dug a tomb and stayed inside in meditation for two years. After he found "Tao," he buried the tomb and built a hut on the same site to continue his practice. For years, he kept on preaching without success. So he moved to the Shantung area, where he eventually converted seven people as students. They by order of seniority were: Ma (Dan-yang), Tam (Chu-dawn), Liu (Chu-yuen), Chiu (Chu-chi), Wong (Chu-yi), Hao (Da-tung), and Sun (Bu-erh) who was also a female.

So the legend continued, because the place Wang Chung-yang stayed was called, ‘Temple of the Absolute Truth,’ he used the same name to found his sect. The seven disciples who had followed him were later known as ‘Seven Immortals’ of the sect.

Wang passed away in the tenth year during the Kingdom of Kin. His disciples, Ma, Tam, and Liu, became Chief Administrators of the sect in succession; however, the area was still under the rule of the Kingdom of Kin at that time.

4

When it became Chiu’s turn to take over as Chief Administrator to head the Absolute Truth Sect, the Mongols had conquered the Jurchets. The public had largely suffered because of wars. As a result, to make their escapes into any religion became a prime choice for the poor and innocent; and whoever was Chief Administrator for a religion also became a favorite for those in power to try and make friends with. It was said that Chiu had received earlier invitations from emperors of the Sung and Kin. He turned them down. It wasn’t until Genghis Khan of the Mongols sent his special envoy for the same reason, did he - at the age of seventy-two - surprisingly accept the call. For the journey he selected eighteen disciples to accompany him. Then, after combing through grasslands and climbing over snowy mountains for two years, Chiu met with the Great Khan on three different occasions. Besides answering Khan’s questions on governing and immorality, Chiu also advised the Great Khan by saying that, "One must stop slaughtering, if one wish to become ruler of rulers in all lands."

He earned great respect from Genghis Khan and returned to Yenching with honors.

The Taoist monastery he stayed before he passed away several years later was originally called "Taichi Monastery." It was changed to "Chung-chun" (meaning ‘Evergreen’) by decree of the Great Khan, for "Chung-chun" was Chiu’s nickname. Genghis Khan granted him a tiger plate as credential to rule over all the Taoists in the land. In addition, all the monasteries under the sect were exempt from all governmental taxation.

Since then, the Absolute Truth Sect flourished swiftly - as though it had turned into a tiger with wings. In the years that followed, additional monasteries were built, and disciples increased. It was a prime time for the development of the Absolute Truth Sect.

5

For now, the Evergreen Monastery remained the dwelling for the Chief Administrator of the Absolute Truth Sect. The only difference was that the position of Chief Administrator had already changed hands three times since Chiu. Yet, it was still held within the hands of disciples from the Dragon Gate Branch.

The current Chief was named Chang (Chi-jing), who by lineage was a grand student of Master Chiu.

Chiu founded the Dragon Gate Branch six years after his mentor Wang Chung-yang died. It was said that Dragon Gate was a place where Chiu had practice Taoism. He was known for leading a severe life while he was preaching. He was seen wearing the same exact clothes and the same exact hat for six years without changing, and that earned him a big name for his severity.

After Chiu passed away, one of his senior students named Yum (Chi-ping) took over as Chief Administrator of the branch and also control of the sect. Yum resigned of old age and asked Li (Chi-Sheung), a classmate - and like Yum himself also one of the eighteen disciples of Chiu - to succeed. But when Li died, the position was handed down to his best student Chang (Chi-jing) whom was the present Chief Administrator. Therefore, Mystic Pearl’s Sifu Chasing Wind was in fact a generation senior.

"Chasing Wind" was merely her nickname in the sect. This was because of her supreme skill in cloud walking. At present, she was answering a summon from Chief Administrator Chang to come to Yenching for an upcoming debate between the Taoists and the Buddhists on some religious issues.

She brought Mystic Pearl with her on the trip for two reasons. One, she wanted Mystic Pearl to have experience with the outside world other than the convent they lived in. Two, after the debate, she wanted to arrange Mystic Pearl for a ceremony of confirmation in priesthood at the Evergreen Monastery.

As for Mystic Pearl, it was a very long wait till her Sifu called her in for reporting.

She too followed all the proper rules and etiquette to announce her name and association in formality. She belonged to the third generation of Dragon Gate Branch and was a fourth generation disciple of the Absolute Truth Sect. She was not listed in their records because she was still to be confirmed and recognized. That explained the reason her Sifu brought her.

Nevertheless, at the end, she was allowed to stay with her Sifu in the same guestroom.

Chasing Wind was asked to go to the inner chamber for an immediate meeting with the Chief Administrator, so an usher boy in Taoist dress lead Mystic Pearl to their guestroom for some much needed rest.

As they went along, the boy began to chat about what had happened at the Monastery.

"It has really been exciting to see and meet all our uncles and their disciples over the last few days. It is getting very crowded."

The boy’s name was Round Tom. He had big ears that matched his round nose and a pair of round eyes on a big head. He was currently a training usher who helped greet all the visitors.

He told Mystic Pearl that the Chief Administrator and all the other uncles of the sect had been having urgent meetings in the inner chamber since their arrivals yesterday and today.

He added, "You know, there is something big going on. I assume your Sifu must have come for the same reason."

"I don’t know. My Sifu hasn’t told me anything of the sort." Mystic Pearl replied.

"Our monastery is packed with guests from our sect. Some of the uncles don’t even have a decent guestroom to stay in. Cousins who came with our sect uncles were unable to get extra rooms to sleep, so they are staying with us. We are all cramped into one room." He then paused to glance at Mystic Pearl and said with envy, "You know, you are lucky you can stay in the same room with your Sifu. It’s a nice and warm room." He turned and spoke again in low voice, "We have to sleep on piles of hay in storage room."

"But, why?" Mystic Pearl asked.

"Because we have offered our bedrooms for our sect uncles, you know. They came from far away and are the seniors in the sect. I presume that’s the right thing for us to do to show our respect."

2

Soon they arrived at the main hall of the monastery.

From outside, one could see a statue of Lao Tzu standing in the center.

"This shrine is for Lao Tzu, the Grand Supreme Lord of Tao (another dignified title for Lao Tzu). He has been here ever since the Tang Dynasty. This entire statue was carved from a single piece of white jade. Every time we pass, we need to kowtow to show our respect." Round Tom explained and led the way to bow three times. Mystic Pearl followed.

She noticed that on both sides of the statue - shoulder to shoulder - were two other statues. One was dressed like a scholar, the other obviously a monk. "These two others look like strangers to me," she thought.

"Who are they?" she asked.

Round Tom said, "This one is Confucius." He pointed his finger to the scholar as he spoke. "This is Sakyamuni, the Buddha," he shifted his finger to the monk.

"At our Convent of Wonderful Sound, we don’t have these two statues," said Mystic Pearl. She turned and questioned Round Tom with her curious eyes. She added, "Confucius belongs to Confucianism; and this big monk, Sakyamuni, should have his place in Buddhism. Why are they here?"

Round Tom raised his head to a big piece of carved wood, which hung overhead. He said, "Read this, ‘Three religions from the same source’." And then he continued, "Our founder of Taoism was reincarnated eighty-one times. Confucius was once his student and Buddha was once his student." He gave Mystic Pearl a curious look that seemed questioning, "Hasn’t your Sifu told you anything about this?"

3

As they walked further into the courtyard, they came to the Hall of the Founder. Inside the shrine was a statue for Wang Chung-yang in a Taoist dress, looking very solemn and cool.

Round Tom went up to the altar and kowtowed to pay his respect. Mystic Pearl followed suit.

Round Tom now started talking again, "Actually, his relic was kept at our Old Monastery in the South End Mountain but, since he was our sect’s founder, we also built a shrine for him here."

When Round Tom finished he turned around and pointed to the other side. Far in the opposite direction another pavilion stood in the courtyard. "That’s where we have our shrines for the Seven Immortals."

It should be noted that the Absolute Truth sect had seven disciples from the start; after they all died, they were collectively known as the Seven Immortals. The pavilion Round Tom pointed out was called the Hall of the Seven Immortals.

Standing from where they were, they could see the massive Chiu Hall in the distance.

Round Tom continued by saying that although Chiu had his place in Hall of Seven Immortals, he also had an individual hall. It was known by Chiu’s name as the Chiu Hall.

"It’s said that when Chiu found ‘Tao,’ he flew away from there to heaven. One of his best disciples, Yum, the late Chief Administrator, built the hall to house his master’s remains. Of course, now Yum had gone and the previous Chief Administrator Li had gone, too. Li’s death was rather sudden two years ago. Now we have all their relics kept inside."

"Their remains are kept there?" Mystic Pearl asked curiously walking towards the hall.

Round Tom followed her with hesitation and said, "That hall is sacred and we are not allowed to go in there as we wish."

4

After that, Round Tom led Mystic Pearl to another chamber. He told her that he liked to come to this place whenever he was alone and had free time.

Inside the chamber there were statues of the Eight Fairies. In the lineup side by side they were Li (Tieh-kuai), Chung (Li-chuan), Chang (Kuo-loa), Ho (Hsiang-ku), Lan (Tsai-ho), Lu (Tung-pin), Han (Hsing-tzu), and Tsao (Kuo-chiu). According to legends, Li was known as a medicine fairy; Chung, a carefree fairy; Chang, a matchmaking fairy; Ho, a lady fairy; Lan, a youth fairy; Lu, a knight fairy; Han, a witchcraft fairy; last but not least, Tsao, a bureaucrat fairy. In short, they all had specialties in skills and charms. They might have been idols made of mud, but they were so vivid and seemed so lively that they looked as if they were ready to strike at any moment.

Round Tom pointed to one of the Eight Fairies and said that Lu had always been his model. He said he wanted to be a knight and with his sword he would provide aid to the poor and the helpless.

"Which one do you like most?" he asked.

Mystic Pearl had never thought about it before. She figured she wanted to be Lady Ho; after all, there was only one female among the Eight Fairies. Like it or not, Ho was the only female model – there was no choice!

So she said calmly, "I would like to fly around like Lady Ho." As the legend said, Lady Ho had a body as light as a swallow, so she could fly around -effortlessly.

There were other stories about the Eight Fairies. The most popular and well-known one was how on one occasion, they had to cross a sea. They each performed different magic from their specialty to complete the task.

"Try what you can like the Eight Fairies!" became a popular expression among the Chinese.

5

"This is where we all come for our daily meditation," Round Tom explained as they entered another pavilion. Then he cheered mockingly, "To strike to become an immortal, one must meditate and practice hard!" This was a common motto from mentors when they started to teach.

"Yes, it’s true!" Mystic Pearl nodded in response as some thoughts went through her mind. She asked Round Tom, "Have you ever seen anyone who really became an immortal?"

"I haven’t." Round Tom replied quickly, and he stared at Mystic Pearl as though she might have a different answer. He added with expectation, "And you?"

"Me? Oh, no!" she said.

"I’d really like to know what it would be like to become immortal." Round Tom’s face showed his bewilderment. The question obviously bothered him a lot.

"It would be fun! I’m sure!" Mystic Pearl said and showed she was confident.

"How do you know?" Round Tom asked again. He seemed to be hoping she would be able to tell him a little more on the subject.

Mystic Pearl looked into his eyes and realized he was truly perplexed which showed his doubt, so she uttered some words to console him, "I figure, it should be fun." And she continued with a tone of certainty, "Who hasn’t heard people always say ‘as happy as being a fairy’! Haven’t you?" She maintained her confidence with ease.

Round Tom turned silent. And there was no time for other questions because they had entered the inner courtyard where they saw doors for all the bedrooms.