Chapter 7
At the sight of this magnificent scene, the general demanded in shock, “Who did this?”
I stepped forward proudly.
“Father, it was me.”
He looked at the people on the floor, then at my face. Then back down at the floor, then at my face again.
He bellowed,
“Ye Cangfeng, get out here!”
“Was it you? You little bastard, how dare you pin the blame on your sister—”
Before he could finish, Ye Cangfeng lifted his head, revealing a face battered black and blue.
The general fell silent.
He could no longer lie to himself.
In a grief-stricken voice, he said, “Little Zheng, don’t be afraid. I’ll see justice done for you. Be brave and tell me: did your brother put you up to this?”
I flew into a rage. “Father, how can you say that about my brother! You’re supposed to be his father, and even you bully him!”
I remembered what Mother had told me: You may beat anyone in this household except me and my cat.
And my adoptive father was neither Mother nor a cat.
So I lifted the iron pole and, without another word, went clanging into battle with the general.
He roared, “You unfilial girl! Turning the whole order of heaven upside down! Fine! I’ll teach you a lesson today. Show you your limits! Someone, fetch my sword!”
We fought, our afterimages crossing and blurring.
The onlookers could judge the battle only by the sound of our moves.
“Don’t get cocky, little girl! Take my Prodigal’s Football Kick!”
“Old geezer, try my Bear Shaking Its Fur! Drum-da-dum, drum-da-dum, drum-drum-drum-da-dum!”
“Ha! And what will you do against my Head-Shaking Technique? Drum-da-dum, drum-da-dum, drum-da-dum-da-dum-da-dum!”
Everyone marveled.
The young gentlemen had meant to complain now that their parents were here. But seeing that I even hit my own father, the wrinkles in their brains smoothed out, and they all made peace with it.
The chief minister, the minister of revenue, and the others were in no hurry to get angry about their sons anymore.
Instead, they respectfully invited the minister of war to provide a commentary.
Only Ye Cangfeng stood to one side, apparently stripped of every last ounce of strength and resourcefulness, staring silently into space.
His expression was serene and otherworldly, as though all worldly troubles had left him behind.
The general and I fought from daylight into darkness. We nearly ground the Great Way itself out of existence.
He’d been furious at first, but the longer we fought, the happier he became.
He looked at me like the prodigy of his martial sect, his eyes full of love and pride.
In the end, my mother hurried over and separated us. She unleashed a torrent of abuse at the general. “You’ve really been itching for a beating, haven’t you? How dare you hit our daughter!”
But he took her hand, deeply moved, and said with feeling, “My wife, I, old Ye, am convinced at last. You’re the true judge of talent!”
“Piss off!” she snapped.