Martial Art Fantasy Short Story
Author: Hani Law Copyright © 2006
Author: Hani Law Copyright © 2006
SWAN BEAUTY
CHAPTER 15
The next day, I leave the little house that has been
my home during the best three years of my life. It is
here that I witnessed my almost unbelievable
progress in the martial-arts skills. It is here that I
also found my true love. Oh, how happy I am going
over the precious moments I have spent with
Stepso! How sad it is for me to leave the little house
in its lovely setting of green landscape, pebbled
paths, mountain and stream! I know it will linger
forever in my memory.
It is Spring; the weather is, therefore, mild.
Everything seems to come alive: leaves have
started appearing on the trees and flowers of
different colours blossom everywhere. Birds burst
into song. Even the sun is kind to us. But even as I
am absorbing these picturesque sights, I cannot
keep my mind off Stepso. I find myself wondering
several times a day how he is doing, whether he is
finding the journey too tough and if he will make
new friends en route. On the way, I also see groups
of people apparently heading for the championship
in Suchau.
I also find my thoughts turning to my parents and
my village. How wonderful it would be if I could
return home with the honour of winning a martial-
arts championship and be in a position to abolish
the village’s abominable custom! Having done so, I
could ensure a far better life for future
generations of young girls.When I arrive at the
town in which the competition is to take place, I
find most of the boarding houses full. I learn from
those I come across, that not only have people
travelled all the way here to take part in the
competition, but there are some who have come
exclusively to watch the fight, while others have, in
fact, arrived to look for famous martial-arts
experts with whom they hope to train. Of one thing
I am sure: the leaders of most of the famous
martial-arts schools in the country will participate
in the contest. I start wondering at that point
whether I will meet my old mates from Swan
Mountain again. The very thought fills me with
enthusiasm and the longing to see those who were
once my best friends there.
After much effort, I manage to find a decent room
in a small inn for the night. Tomorrow will be a big
day for me. I should, therefore, have plenty of
sleep to energize myself so that I can perform well
in the competition. However, contemplating my
future with Stepso fills me with excitement. Then
my thoughts wander to my parents and the barbaric
tradition in my village I am so desperate to abolish.
It is a long time before I fall asleep.
Day is breaking over the horizon when I wake up
and get out of bed. I open the window and see that
the streets are already busy with people. Weapons
of all sorts are being sold by some of them. Having
washed and dressed for the occasion, I go out. I am
carrying my ribbon and my precious daggers with
me. I am hoping to bump into Stepso on my way to
the venue of the championship just to see how he is.
I miss him terribly. The competition is scheduled to
take place in a large, open-air stadium. After I
have paid the registration fee and completed all
the formalities, I am allowed to enter it. Right in
the centre is a ring. A large number of people are
already gathered around it. I am on the lookout for
Stepso, but he is nowhere in sight.
Around noon, a loud gong rings out. I turn my gaze
towards the ring and can hardly believe my eyes.
Inside the ring stands the Headmaster of the Yau
Dong Mountain Martial Arts School. I gather from
the announcement made that he was crowned
champion three years ago. It is no surprise that he
is so widely respected in the martial-arts field.
Since he must defend his title, he will be the first
contestant today.
Being new to the competition and having no prior
experience of such tournaments, I consider it
prudent to wait for a while before I participate. No
sooner have I made up my mind than an elderly
man claiming to be the leader of the Yin Yang
Martial Arts School leaps into the ring and
challenges the headmaster of the Yau Dong
Mountain School. After an exchange of niceties,
the challenger starts by attacking the Headmaster
with a series of very powerful fist strikes. The
target manages, however, to duck all the thrusts
with ease. Since by now, I have developed my
martial-arts skills to a considerable extent, I
realize right away that the leader of the Yin Yang
School is placing too much emphasis on the Yang of
his attack, thus ignoring the Yin aspect. Strikes that
are too powerful tend to be direct and can,
therefore, be anticipated and dealt with quite
easily. As long as the Headmaster of the Yau Dong
Mountain School places his arms on those of his
opponent, he can immediately sense any powerful
strikes about to be directed against him and deflect
them effectively. The moment the Headmaster of
the Yau Dong Mountain School wards off his
opponent’s seventh strike, the leader of the Yin
Yang School loses his balance. No sooner have I
noticed this than the Headmaster of the Yau Dong
Mountain School summons his inner energy to give
his opponent a mighty heave. Having already lost
his balance, the man is more or less defenceless
and thrown more than twenty feet backwards.
Then comes another challenger: a young, arrogant-
looking fellow. He wields an axe with great force
and dexterity, but I notice that when launching an
attack on the Headmaster of the Yau Dong
Mountain School, he leaves huge gaps in his
defence and opens himself to easy attack. Using a
beautiful sword which he manoeuvres with supreme
grace, the Headmaster of the Yau Dong Mountain
School dispatches the young man within a matter of
minutes.
The next to enter the ring is a person who seems
very familiar. With a sense of shock, I recognize
Master Swan. She is looking extremely well and
energetic. Her head is high and so is her chest.
Confidence radiates from her. After the
observance of formal protocol, she wastes no time
and swings her dancing ribbon directly at the most
vulnerable part of the Headmaster’s body. Had the
latter not swerved to the left, he would not have
been able to escape the blow. It is evident from his
expression that he regards the tournament as a
friendly contest and is outraged by Master Swan’s
merciless attack. Suddenly, the Headmaster roars
and wields his sword in a continuous movement in
Master Swan’s direction as if it were a bolt of
cloth. But the lady remains unscathed, as her light-
footsteps skill is of such a high order that she is
able to leap from side to side to avoid the thrusts. It
is clear to me, however, that her counter-attacks
are haphazard. She has to resort to a variety of
skills to defend herself and after a few more
exchanges, her movements become disorderly. Her
offensives are, therefore, less effective. Suddenly, I
hear a hiss: Master Swan’s ribbon has been slashed
to pieces by her opponent. She has lost the fight.
When she leaves the ring, her face is bitter and
angry.
Having watched the Yau Dong Headmaster’s
combat techniques, I realize that the various forms
of the twelve animal zodiac martial-arts set
discovered at the bottom of the well on Yau Dong
Mountain had, in fact, been specifically designed
to resist and overcome the different strokes of the
martial-arts sequence used by the Headmaster of
the Yau Dong Mountain School. Although I might
not share his high level of inner energy, I know in
my heart that I might have a fair chance of
defeating him in the ring.
I think it is about time for me to try my luck. Just as
I am preparing to make a move, I notice the Prince.
Yes, the Prince! He jumps up, light as a feather,
and after only a couple of leaps, he is in the ring.
Although he has gained a bit of weight, he is still
handsome, still attractive. The wonderful effects of
the Magic Lake have lasted.
After both men have gone through their usual
protocol ritual, they prepare themselves for
combat. Both are using almost identical swords.
They engage themselves in a fierce fight. Standing
where I am, I can feel the rush of air as their
swords cut through space. Both are such skilful
swordsmen that very seldom do I hear the clang of
their weapons in collision. While the Prince
appears to be more energetic and agile, his
opponent’s movements are well-anchored and
economically executed. Although the Prince is
using some of the sword strokes from the Lovers’
Swords Sequence, it is clear that they are not quite
as effective as when used by a pair of lovers.
After another ten exchanges, the Headmaster
suddenly changes his tactics and resorts to
techniques that produce a whirling effect from his
sword. The strokes are forceful enough to put the
Prince on the backfoot. Suddenly, his opponent
yells, “Watch it!” Thrusting his sword at the
Prince, he draws it back immediately and rolls
over the ground to attack his opponent’s flank. The
Prince is caught off-guard and hurriedly moves his
sword to meet the thrust of his opponent’s weapon.
By this time, the Headmaster has already moved to
the Prince’s rear and touched him on the back with
his sword. Realizing that he has lost the contest, the
Prince steps back and bows out of the ring with
dignity.
This time, I move towards the centre of the stadium
without any hesitation and leap into the ring. In the
course of the usual protocol that needs to be
observed, I realize that the Headmaster of the Yau
Dong Mountain School has failed to recognize me
as the person who had disguised herself as a man in
order to gain admission to the martial-arts school.
“Young lady,” announces the Headmaster in a tone
that combines disdain and consideration for my
apparently inferior position, “since you are so
young and inexperienced, I will allow you to strike
me three times before I fight you back. However,
after the first three strikes, you must be on your
guard.”.
I thank him for his kindness and insist that there is
no need to offer me a handicap. I initiate combat
by using one of my twin daggers to strike at his
head while the other is aimed at his waist. The
Headmaster steps aside calmly and waits for my
second strike. I am furious at being patronized and
use one dagger to attack him from the top and the
other from the bottom. Again, he simply steps back.
My offensives are of no avail. He has not even
lifted his sword so far.I then aim for two separate
pressure points on his chest, swivelling around
quickly to evade his attack.The Headmaster brings
his long sword swinging down from high above to
the top of my head. I avert the move by stepping
swiftly aside, execute a ninety-degree turn and
thrust my daggers at the Headmaster’s armpit and
loin. I am surprised at the ease with which I can do
this. This confirms my belief that the zodiac
sequence featuring the twelve animals had been
designed to resist and overpower the Yau Dong
style of swordplay. This serves as an immense boost
to my confidence. I also sense how surprised the
Headmaster is when he immediately quickens the
pace of his attacks. However, I do not have any
problems fending them off . Indeed, much to his
consternation, I am able to counter-attack him. I
can feel my opponent’s growing anxiety over his
failure to rout me within a matter of minutes. He
then changes the nature of his game by marshalling
as much inner energy as he can to concentrate it on
his attacks. I know that this involves more than
mere technique and try to avoid coming into direct
contact with his sword. By now, I have a good feel
of the Headmaster’s swordplay. I am deliriously
happy that my three years of dedication to the
practice of the sword sequence discovered on the
wall of the well has reaped rich dividends. When I
launch into the “dragon” style of combat, the last
set of the twelve animals in the zodiac martial-arts
sequence, to attack the Headmaster, I observe that
he is still able to fend off my attacks, though not
without difficulty.
In order not to prolong the fight, I decide to use
both the daggers and the ribbon, hoping that the
Headmaster will find it difficult to deal with
weapons of different length and texture. Gripping
both the daggers in my left hand, I take out the
ribbon from my waist with my right. Held together
in my left hand, the two daggers seem to weld into a
single weapon and the combined weight of the two
makes my blows exceedingly powerful. I swing the
ribbon towards the Headmaster. He tries to use his
sword to fend it off and cut it into pieces at the
same time. Having anticipated his response, I
immediately use the two daggers in my left hand to
strike at his sword. The impact is forceful enough
to send his sword spinning into the air. It is obvious
that dealing with an attack from a soft weapon and
a simultaneous attack from a hard weapon is quite
beyond him. Within seconds, there is loud applause
from the spectators. I know I have won the battle. I
bow to the Headmaster as a matter of courtesy.
“Sir, do you not recognize me?” I enquire. “I am
the girl who disguised herself as a boy to be
eligible for admission to your school.”
“Where did you learn this form of martial arts?”
he asks me in turn in a voice that suggests a lump
in his throat. “I have never seen it before. Did you
pick it up from some unorthodox master?”
I do not feel obliged to answer his question. Amidst
loud cheers and applause, I am crowned champion.
At that moment, I notice Stepso approaching me.
Enveloping me in a big hug, he congratulates me
for winning the competition. We are both overjoyed
at how everything has turned out.
“What are your plans now?” Stepso asks me.
“I would like to go home now and see my parents,”
I tell him. “Now that I have won the title of
Champion of the Martial Arts Masters, I would like
to do everything within my means to abolish the
barbaric custom prevailing in my village.”
“I will go with you,” he offers. “Wait here. I will
let my Headmaster know about my decision.
Furthermore, it is about time that I left the school
and led my own life.”
CHAPTER 15
The next day, I leave the little house that has been
my home during the best three years of my life. It is
here that I witnessed my almost unbelievable
progress in the martial-arts skills. It is here that I
also found my true love. Oh, how happy I am going
over the precious moments I have spent with
Stepso! How sad it is for me to leave the little house
in its lovely setting of green landscape, pebbled
paths, mountain and stream! I know it will linger
forever in my memory.
It is Spring; the weather is, therefore, mild.
Everything seems to come alive: leaves have
started appearing on the trees and flowers of
different colours blossom everywhere. Birds burst
into song. Even the sun is kind to us. But even as I
am absorbing these picturesque sights, I cannot
keep my mind off Stepso. I find myself wondering
several times a day how he is doing, whether he is
finding the journey too tough and if he will make
new friends en route. On the way, I also see groups
of people apparently heading for the championship
in Suchau.
I also find my thoughts turning to my parents and
my village. How wonderful it would be if I could
return home with the honour of winning a martial-
arts championship and be in a position to abolish
the village’s abominable custom! Having done so, I
could ensure a far better life for future
generations of young girls.When I arrive at the
town in which the competition is to take place, I
find most of the boarding houses full. I learn from
those I come across, that not only have people
travelled all the way here to take part in the
competition, but there are some who have come
exclusively to watch the fight, while others have, in
fact, arrived to look for famous martial-arts
experts with whom they hope to train. Of one thing
I am sure: the leaders of most of the famous
martial-arts schools in the country will participate
in the contest. I start wondering at that point
whether I will meet my old mates from Swan
Mountain again. The very thought fills me with
enthusiasm and the longing to see those who were
once my best friends there.
After much effort, I manage to find a decent room
in a small inn for the night. Tomorrow will be a big
day for me. I should, therefore, have plenty of
sleep to energize myself so that I can perform well
in the competition. However, contemplating my
future with Stepso fills me with excitement. Then
my thoughts wander to my parents and the barbaric
tradition in my village I am so desperate to abolish.
It is a long time before I fall asleep.
Day is breaking over the horizon when I wake up
and get out of bed. I open the window and see that
the streets are already busy with people. Weapons
of all sorts are being sold by some of them. Having
washed and dressed for the occasion, I go out. I am
carrying my ribbon and my precious daggers with
me. I am hoping to bump into Stepso on my way to
the venue of the championship just to see how he is.
I miss him terribly. The competition is scheduled to
take place in a large, open-air stadium. After I
have paid the registration fee and completed all
the formalities, I am allowed to enter it. Right in
the centre is a ring. A large number of people are
already gathered around it. I am on the lookout for
Stepso, but he is nowhere in sight.
Around noon, a loud gong rings out. I turn my gaze
towards the ring and can hardly believe my eyes.
Inside the ring stands the Headmaster of the Yau
Dong Mountain Martial Arts School. I gather from
the announcement made that he was crowned
champion three years ago. It is no surprise that he
is so widely respected in the martial-arts field.
Since he must defend his title, he will be the first
contestant today.
Being new to the competition and having no prior
experience of such tournaments, I consider it
prudent to wait for a while before I participate. No
sooner have I made up my mind than an elderly
man claiming to be the leader of the Yin Yang
Martial Arts School leaps into the ring and
challenges the headmaster of the Yau Dong
Mountain School. After an exchange of niceties,
the challenger starts by attacking the Headmaster
with a series of very powerful fist strikes. The
target manages, however, to duck all the thrusts
with ease. Since by now, I have developed my
martial-arts skills to a considerable extent, I
realize right away that the leader of the Yin Yang
School is placing too much emphasis on the Yang of
his attack, thus ignoring the Yin aspect. Strikes that
are too powerful tend to be direct and can,
therefore, be anticipated and dealt with quite
easily. As long as the Headmaster of the Yau Dong
Mountain School places his arms on those of his
opponent, he can immediately sense any powerful
strikes about to be directed against him and deflect
them effectively. The moment the Headmaster of
the Yau Dong Mountain School wards off his
opponent’s seventh strike, the leader of the Yin
Yang School loses his balance. No sooner have I
noticed this than the Headmaster of the Yau Dong
Mountain School summons his inner energy to give
his opponent a mighty heave. Having already lost
his balance, the man is more or less defenceless
and thrown more than twenty feet backwards.
Then comes another challenger: a young, arrogant-
looking fellow. He wields an axe with great force
and dexterity, but I notice that when launching an
attack on the Headmaster of the Yau Dong
Mountain School, he leaves huge gaps in his
defence and opens himself to easy attack. Using a
beautiful sword which he manoeuvres with supreme
grace, the Headmaster of the Yau Dong Mountain
School dispatches the young man within a matter of
minutes.
The next to enter the ring is a person who seems
very familiar. With a sense of shock, I recognize
Master Swan. She is looking extremely well and
energetic. Her head is high and so is her chest.
Confidence radiates from her. After the
observance of formal protocol, she wastes no time
and swings her dancing ribbon directly at the most
vulnerable part of the Headmaster’s body. Had the
latter not swerved to the left, he would not have
been able to escape the blow. It is evident from his
expression that he regards the tournament as a
friendly contest and is outraged by Master Swan’s
merciless attack. Suddenly, the Headmaster roars
and wields his sword in a continuous movement in
Master Swan’s direction as if it were a bolt of
cloth. But the lady remains unscathed, as her light-
footsteps skill is of such a high order that she is
able to leap from side to side to avoid the thrusts. It
is clear to me, however, that her counter-attacks
are haphazard. She has to resort to a variety of
skills to defend herself and after a few more
exchanges, her movements become disorderly. Her
offensives are, therefore, less effective. Suddenly, I
hear a hiss: Master Swan’s ribbon has been slashed
to pieces by her opponent. She has lost the fight.
When she leaves the ring, her face is bitter and
angry.
Having watched the Yau Dong Headmaster’s
combat techniques, I realize that the various forms
of the twelve animal zodiac martial-arts set
discovered at the bottom of the well on Yau Dong
Mountain had, in fact, been specifically designed
to resist and overcome the different strokes of the
martial-arts sequence used by the Headmaster of
the Yau Dong Mountain School. Although I might
not share his high level of inner energy, I know in
my heart that I might have a fair chance of
defeating him in the ring.
I think it is about time for me to try my luck. Just as
I am preparing to make a move, I notice the Prince.
Yes, the Prince! He jumps up, light as a feather,
and after only a couple of leaps, he is in the ring.
Although he has gained a bit of weight, he is still
handsome, still attractive. The wonderful effects of
the Magic Lake have lasted.
After both men have gone through their usual
protocol ritual, they prepare themselves for
combat. Both are using almost identical swords.
They engage themselves in a fierce fight. Standing
where I am, I can feel the rush of air as their
swords cut through space. Both are such skilful
swordsmen that very seldom do I hear the clang of
their weapons in collision. While the Prince
appears to be more energetic and agile, his
opponent’s movements are well-anchored and
economically executed. Although the Prince is
using some of the sword strokes from the Lovers’
Swords Sequence, it is clear that they are not quite
as effective as when used by a pair of lovers.
After another ten exchanges, the Headmaster
suddenly changes his tactics and resorts to
techniques that produce a whirling effect from his
sword. The strokes are forceful enough to put the
Prince on the backfoot. Suddenly, his opponent
yells, “Watch it!” Thrusting his sword at the
Prince, he draws it back immediately and rolls
over the ground to attack his opponent’s flank. The
Prince is caught off-guard and hurriedly moves his
sword to meet the thrust of his opponent’s weapon.
By this time, the Headmaster has already moved to
the Prince’s rear and touched him on the back with
his sword. Realizing that he has lost the contest, the
Prince steps back and bows out of the ring with
dignity.
This time, I move towards the centre of the stadium
without any hesitation and leap into the ring. In the
course of the usual protocol that needs to be
observed, I realize that the Headmaster of the Yau
Dong Mountain School has failed to recognize me
as the person who had disguised herself as a man in
order to gain admission to the martial-arts school.
“Young lady,” announces the Headmaster in a tone
that combines disdain and consideration for my
apparently inferior position, “since you are so
young and inexperienced, I will allow you to strike
me three times before I fight you back. However,
after the first three strikes, you must be on your
guard.”.
I thank him for his kindness and insist that there is
no need to offer me a handicap. I initiate combat
by using one of my twin daggers to strike at his
head while the other is aimed at his waist. The
Headmaster steps aside calmly and waits for my
second strike. I am furious at being patronized and
use one dagger to attack him from the top and the
other from the bottom. Again, he simply steps back.
My offensives are of no avail. He has not even
lifted his sword so far.I then aim for two separate
pressure points on his chest, swivelling around
quickly to evade his attack.The Headmaster brings
his long sword swinging down from high above to
the top of my head. I avert the move by stepping
swiftly aside, execute a ninety-degree turn and
thrust my daggers at the Headmaster’s armpit and
loin. I am surprised at the ease with which I can do
this. This confirms my belief that the zodiac
sequence featuring the twelve animals had been
designed to resist and overpower the Yau Dong
style of swordplay. This serves as an immense boost
to my confidence. I also sense how surprised the
Headmaster is when he immediately quickens the
pace of his attacks. However, I do not have any
problems fending them off . Indeed, much to his
consternation, I am able to counter-attack him. I
can feel my opponent’s growing anxiety over his
failure to rout me within a matter of minutes. He
then changes the nature of his game by marshalling
as much inner energy as he can to concentrate it on
his attacks. I know that this involves more than
mere technique and try to avoid coming into direct
contact with his sword. By now, I have a good feel
of the Headmaster’s swordplay. I am deliriously
happy that my three years of dedication to the
practice of the sword sequence discovered on the
wall of the well has reaped rich dividends. When I
launch into the “dragon” style of combat, the last
set of the twelve animals in the zodiac martial-arts
sequence, to attack the Headmaster, I observe that
he is still able to fend off my attacks, though not
without difficulty.
In order not to prolong the fight, I decide to use
both the daggers and the ribbon, hoping that the
Headmaster will find it difficult to deal with
weapons of different length and texture. Gripping
both the daggers in my left hand, I take out the
ribbon from my waist with my right. Held together
in my left hand, the two daggers seem to weld into a
single weapon and the combined weight of the two
makes my blows exceedingly powerful. I swing the
ribbon towards the Headmaster. He tries to use his
sword to fend it off and cut it into pieces at the
same time. Having anticipated his response, I
immediately use the two daggers in my left hand to
strike at his sword. The impact is forceful enough
to send his sword spinning into the air. It is obvious
that dealing with an attack from a soft weapon and
a simultaneous attack from a hard weapon is quite
beyond him. Within seconds, there is loud applause
from the spectators. I know I have won the battle. I
bow to the Headmaster as a matter of courtesy.
“Sir, do you not recognize me?” I enquire. “I am
the girl who disguised herself as a boy to be
eligible for admission to your school.”
“Where did you learn this form of martial arts?”
he asks me in turn in a voice that suggests a lump
in his throat. “I have never seen it before. Did you
pick it up from some unorthodox master?”
I do not feel obliged to answer his question. Amidst
loud cheers and applause, I am crowned champion.
At that moment, I notice Stepso approaching me.
Enveloping me in a big hug, he congratulates me
for winning the competition. We are both overjoyed
at how everything has turned out.
“What are your plans now?” Stepso asks me.
“I would like to go home now and see my parents,”
I tell him. “Now that I have won the title of
Champion of the Martial Arts Masters, I would like
to do everything within my means to abolish the
barbaric custom prevailing in my village.”
“I will go with you,” he offers. “Wait here. I will
let my Headmaster know about my decision.
Furthermore, it is about time that I left the school
and led my own life.”
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