It was the third day since Wu Tatong and Fong Jiefang left Hangzhou. The nephew and uncle had been traveling hard and only noticed their surroundings when darkness enveloped everything.
They were in the middle of a large forest. There were no houses anywhere, and darkness was gradually taking over. Doesn't night arrive quickly in deep, deserted forests?
Wu Tatong grew up in a village outside Hangzhou, so he wasn't unfamiliar with nature. He was beginning to feel a little afraid. Little Fong Jiefang, however, was carefree as children are, exploring his surroundings.
"Young Master, it's getting late. It's not good in the deep forest. Let's find a place to rest first, then we can eat the dried meat we brought for dinner."
"As you wish, Uncle Wu. Thank you for bringing me along. I will repay this kindness someday."
Wu Tatong shook his head vigorously.
"No, Young Master. It's my duty to look after you now that Master is gone. I will follow you for my whole life, Young Master. Come, come, let's find a place to rest first. It's getting late."
Afterward, Wu Tatong searched around their location for a suitable place to spend the night. Just then, a group of rabbits scurried past through the trees. Here, Wu Tatong was very swift.
He quickly picked up a few stones and threw them at the rabbits. Was it good fortune, or was his aim too true? It's hard to say. Two rabbits fell to the ground, lying still, hit in the head by the stones.
Fong Jiefang felt a paing in his heart and pity for the little rabbits. However, he not only didn't stop his Uncle Wu, but he even helped pick up the two fallen rabbits.
Hadn't he decided to live a tough life, forgetting his pampered existence as the sole grandson of the great scholar Fong Zhou Ta? In any case, with two rabbits, they wouldn't need to use their dried provisions. Their dinner was now sufficient.
The nephew and uncle searched for a while in the forest and decided to rest and sleep for the night at the foot of a large tree.
"Let's sleep here, Young Master. It's my fault we have to sleep in such a deep forest. I was a little careless."
Fong Jiefang waved his hand.
"It doesn't matter where we sleep, Uncle Wu. We'll face even more hardship later. Don't blame yourself."
Little Fong Jiefang's way of speaking was mature. This child, barely over seven years old, had matured beyond his years in a short time due to the hardships of life. Wu Tatong felt a lump in his throat, and tears welled up in his eyes. He blinked to hold back the tears, lowered his head, and quickly butchered the rabbits. Then, he built a fire with dry branches and roasted the rabbits.
The fire was strong, and in a short while, the roasted rabbit turned reddish-brown, glistening with fat, and emitted a fragrant aroma. Both of them were hungry. Wu Tatong split one roasted rabbit in half and handed it to Fong Jiefang. He then gobbled down the other half heartily.
Although little Fong Jiefang had initially felt pity for the rabbits, he couldn't resist when he saw Wu Tatong eating. He took a bite of the roasted rabbit and ate heartily.
While eating, Fong Jiefang started a conversation.
"Uncle Wu, what is martial arts?"
Wu Tatong scratched his head.
"I don't know either, Young Master. Master used to talk about it occasionally. But I'm too dull to understand."
Fong Jiefang frowned, seemingly contemplating something.
"There are also books about martial arts in Grandpa's study, Uncle Wu. I remember some of them. Since the journey to Shaolin will take about three months, maybe I should practice a cultivation method I read about in my free time?"
Wu Tatong's eyes widened.
"What cultivation method, Young Master? Is it possible? You're just a child. You don't know anything about martial arts."
"The book said there's no danger, Uncle Wu. Anyone, child or adult, can practice it. It says it's a method for longevity, good health, and good blood circulation. If you practice it for a long time, your internal energy will improve, and your limbs will become light. Isn't that good?"
Wu Tatong was surprised.
"What's the name of the cultivation method, Young Master?"
"The name of the method is strange, Uncle Wu. It's called the Silk Robe Cultivation Method," Fong Jiefang began, explaining to Wu Tatong, like a know-it-all, everything he remembered about the Silk Robe Cultivation Method.
The Silk Robe Cultivation Method is also called the Ba Duan Jin Cultivation Method. "Ba" means eight. "Duan" means sections. So, "Ba Duan" means eight sections. "Jin" refers to a very beautiful piece of silk woven with colorful threads.
This cultivation method has eight sections. If practiced diligently, it greatly improves blood circulation and is extremely helpful for internal energy cultivation. It purifies not only the practitioner's physical body but also their mind, making their life as brilliant, beautiful, and vibrant as silk. This is why it is called Ba Duan Jin or the Silk Robe Cultivation Method.
In reality, the Ba Duan Jin Cultivation Method is not ordinary. It is a cultivation method developed by a prominent martial artist from the Tibetan region, a contemporary of the great Bodhidharma. The method has a history spanning thousands of years. It is a cultivation method that has disappeared from the martial arts world.
The core essence of Ba Duan Jin is to focus on blood circulation and stimulate latent forces within the body. Furthermore, it greatly purifies the mind, which can aid in practicing any type of martial art.
In other words, Ba Duan Jin is neither a pure internal energy cultivation method nor a method that dictates specific martial arts moves. It is a foundational cultivation method that should be practiced before beginning other martial arts.
Wu Tatong watched Fong Jiefang explaining with enthusiasm and felt a slow, growing warmth. Then, suddenly, he felt like crying again.
This child, who had grown up in his care, had already clearly decided his life's path. The realization that he had to fight to survive given the circumstances and rely only on himself had transformed this child beyond his years.
Wu Tatong's eyes slowly blurred. Oh my god... he was crying. He lowered his head so the child wouldn't see. He didn't want his tears, symbols of weakness, to disrupt the child's vibrant spirit. The saddened Wu Tatong managed to compose himself and began to speak.
"Wow, Young Master, if what you say is true, this cultivation method is really good. Since you're going to learn martial arts, you should practice this Ba Duan Jin method. It will help you when you learn martial arts."
Fong Jiefang smiled.
"You have to practice with me too, Uncle Wu. This Ba Duan Jin is said to be very good for health. Uncle Wu, you're old. So you have to practice to stay healthy. Uncle Wu, you can't die yet. You have to live until I'm old enough to take care of you in return."
Fong Jiefang's words sent shivers down Wu Tatong's spine. His entire body trembled with joy. He couldn't control himself. He knelt before Fong Jiefang and sobbed uncontrollably, crying his heart out.
The little child watched the crying Wu Tatong with tenderness.
"Cry, Uncle Wu. I know you're sad. Just cry it all out. I won't cry anymore. I'll cry my heart out only when I can repay our vengeance, Uncle Wu."
The night gradually deepened. The entire forest was silent, except for Wu Tatong's loud sobs.
Just then....
(The Ba Duan Jin cultivation method actually exists in real life. It is an ancient Chinese Qigong method that is said to be genuinely beneficial for health. It consists of eight exercises. (Author's note))
Suddenly, the sound of clothes rustling in the wind emerged from the depths of the forest. Wu Tatong's crying abruptly stopped. Hadn't he felt the scent of danger? He wiped his tears and looked around, his eyes darting like a crow. He blurted out...
"Young Master, I think someone's coming."
Fong Jiefang was surprised.
"Uncle Wu, it's good that someone's coming. We'll even have company."
Wu Tatong couldn't reply to Fong Jiefang's words. He was already worried. He stared intently, without blinking, at the direction from which the sounds were coming. In a deserted forest in the dead of night, those moving about were more likely to be bad people or robbers than good people, weren't they?
While Wu Tatong was worrying,
"Hey, there's a light here, it looks like people!"
Along with the voices, three men emerged from among the trees. These men walked directly towards Wu Tatong and his nephew. Looking at the appearance of the three men, Wu Tatong felt a chill down his spine.
The first man had a large sword scar across his face, and his pupils were narrow, clearly revealing a cruel and ruthless demeanor. The second man was extremely thin and tall. What was unusual were his fingers. The thin man's fingers were black, and his fingernails were long. The third man was stout and plump, like a rolling barrel, and his entire face was greasy and disgusting.
Little Fong Jiefang's eyes widened, and his sleepiness vanished due to the strange appearance of the three men. He spontaneously felt like laughing. Wu Tatong, however, had wide eyes and was extremely worried and frightened. These men clearly could not be good people and were obviously robbers.
When the three men reached the bonfire, they observed Wu Tatong and Fong Jiefang. They seemed to realize that a small child and a frightened-looking man were not worth paying attention to. The man with the sword scar on his face frowned. Just then, the plump man said...
"Oh, there's a roasted rabbit here! Perfect, I'm starving, hehe!"
Saying so, he took the roasted rabbit remaining on the fire and ate it noisily. Then the tall, thin man said,
"Tch! How can you eat with just one roasted rabbit? These people are so inconsiderate!"
He then unreasonably blamed Wu Tatong and his nephew. Little Fong Jiefang became furious due to the men's contemptuous expressions and words.
"Hey, you guys! You guys..."
His words were cut short. Wu Tatong grabbed his hand and subtly shook his head. The plump man didn't pay attention to their conversation and continued to focus on eating the roasted rabbit. However, the man with the scar on his face seemed to notice Fong Jiefang's expression, frowned, put his hands on his hips, and asked.
"Hey kid, are you unhappy? What do you want?"
Wu Tatong's eyes widened at the scarred man's question. He quickly interjected before Fong Jiefang could answer.
"We're satisfied, sirs, very satisfied. Please eat. If you're still hungry, we'll catch more rabbits."
Just then, Fong Jiefang struggled free from Wu Tatong's grasp and shouted,
"You people are very rude! Taking someone else's property without them knowing is stealing! Forcibly taking someone else's property is robbing! People are only truly human if they follow human ethics and rules!"
When the three strangers heard Fong Jiefang's words, they looked at each other and burst out laughing simultaneously.
"Hahaha!"
The three men's laughter echoed loudly. Wu Tatong couldn't bear it any longer. He grabbed Fong Jiefang and tried to stop him.
"Young Master, please don't say anything more. Let them eat."
"Uncle Wu, these people are doing something wrong! Grandpa taught me that if you don't have ethics or rules, you're not truly human. Should I be afraid of people who aren't truly human, Uncle Wu?"
Wu Tatong was startled when he heard Fong Jiefang's fearless words, as he spoke with his chest puffed out and his head held high. The three strangers looked at each other and laughed again. After laughing for a while, the tall, thin man mocked Fong Jiefang.
"Hey kid, we're people who don't follow any ethics. What are your human ethics? Are they better than roasted rabbit, huh? Hahaha!"
When Fong Jiefang heard the man's mocking tone, his face flushed red. He was getting angry. However, he controlled his anger and retorted to the tall, thin man in a cheeky tone.
"Do you want to know what human ethics are? I can teach you. But it's not free. You'll have to accept me as your master."
The tall, thin man's face darkened. Seeing the tall, thin man's predicament, the scarred man and the plump man laughed heartily, mocking him.
Just then, the scarred man looked at the other two and said,
"What do you say, brothers? I'm starting to like this kid. He's really not easy to deal with. His bone structure is also very suitable for learning martial arts."
When the other two men heard the scarred man's words, they looked at each other.
The tall, thin man's face twisted into a grimace.
"This kid doesn't seem like he can be reasoned with. It won't work, Big Brother."
The plump man laughed.
"Hahaha, we didn't listen to anyone either when we were young, Middle Brother."
The scarred man stared at Fong Jiefang and asked,
"Kid, will you follow us?"
Fong Jiefang scowled.
"Why should I follow you?"
"We three will teach you martial arts! With our martial arts, you'll become someone important in the martial arts world!"
Although Fong Jiefang desperately wanted to learn martial arts, he knew these three men were not good people, so he decided to refuse. Besides, he had already decided to learn martial arts only at the Shaolin Temple. Wasn't it said that all martial arts originated from the Shaolin Temple? He wasn't interested in peripheral arts. He was someone who would only follow the source.
"I know you people aren't good. So I won't follow you."
All three men who were trying to persuade Fong Jiefang to learn martial arts became furious. These three men were not ordinary. They were top-tier martial arts masters in the dark martial arts world. If you heard the saying, "Even dogs shiver in fear at the mention of the Three Demons of Mount Zhongliang," you could clearly see what kind of people these three were. There were also rumors that they were offshoots of the Skeleton Demon, who was prominent about 100 years ago.
The scarred man spoke in a harsh tone.
"Hey kid, you must not have heard about us. Do you know that there are so many people who want to become our disciples and learn martial arts that we couldn't even kill them all? Even Shaolin Temple gets headaches when they hear about the Three Demons of Mount Zhongliang!"
"Don't brag. I'm not learning. If there are so many people who want to learn, go teach them!"
"You really won't learn?"
"Really!"
A strange smile appeared on the face of the scarred man, the leader of the Three Demons. He stared at Fong Jiefang from head to toe. Since he himself was stubborn and headstrong, he liked this stubborn child even more.
"Even if you don't want to learn, you will. What can you do if we capture you, hehe?"
Fong Jiefang became furious.
"Should I follow just because you capture me? Should I learn just because you force me to? That's ridiculous, hahaha!"
He retorted, determined not to be outdone, to the leader of the Three Demons.
"Tch! If you don't learn, I'll kill you!"
"If you want to kill me, kill me! People are born to die one day. If I don't die, I'll take revenge on you!"
The leader of the Three Demons liked Fong Jiefang even more. Wasn't this child's stubbornness exactly like his own when he was young?
"Hahaha! What a stubborn brat! Good, good! If I had a disciple like you, the entire martial arts world would tremble!"
"Who said I'd be your disciple?"
The Three Demons looked at each other. This child was so stubborn that he didn't seem easily persuaded. The leader of the Three Demons gave the tall, thin man a meaningful look. The tall, thin man immediately understood. He quickly leaped forward and seized the throat of the frightened Wu Tatong. Poor Wu Tatong struggled like a duck with its neck squeezed in the tall, thin man's hand.
The leader of the Three Demons pointed at Wu Tatong and said with a smirk,
"Listen, brat, if you don't follow us, I'll strangle your uncle to death."
This time, Fong Jiefang was truly frightened. He quickly stopped them.
"Hey, wait a minute! What does this have to do with my Uncle Wu?"
"Whether it concerns him or not, if you don't follow, we'll kill him."
"Tch! You people are villains!"
Fong Jiefang said grudgingly.
"Hahaha! We never said we were good people!"
Fong Jiefang was disappointed. He looked at Wu Tatong and made a decision.
"If you promise not to kill my Uncle Wu, I'll go with you."
The leader of the Three Demons was delighted.
"Rest assured, we won't kill him. Not only won't we kill him, but we'll also make him cook for us, hehe!"
"Alright, then I'll go with you."
And so, the two of them had to follow the Three Demons. The journey that was destined for Shaolin Temple had taken a sharp turn midway.
It was a moonlit night. The moon was struggling to illuminate the entire world, fighting against the tyranny of the dark clouds. Perhaps nature pitied the moon's efforts. The wind blew swiftly. The strong wind blew the clouds away. The moon was now able to shine its light to the fullest.
Beneath the moonlight, the Three Demons of Mount Zhongliang walked quickly with their heads bowed. Although they were walking on a rough path, it felt as comfortable as walking on a bed of flowers for the Three Demons. Even without using lightness skills, they were incredibly fast.
It was not easy for Fong Jiefang and Wu Tatong. It was especially difficult for the young Fong Jiefang. Besides being very young, he came from a pampered life. Far from having experienced hardship, his grandfather would often scold him if he even played enough to sweat!
However, this child had made up his mind about his life's path ever since leaving home. He had decided. Even though his knees trembled and he felt so tired he might collapse, he continued to walk, gritting his teeth without a single sound. Wu Tatong, who always watched his young master with a watchful eye, sensed his master's condition. He began to speak.
"Young Master."
Before he could even finish, the leader of the Three Demons, walking at the front, shouted loudly without looking back,
"If you try to escape, I won't keep my promise. Your uncle will die first, and then I'll slowly torture and kill you."
Fong Jiefang became furious.
"Who said we're running away? Uncle Wu was just going to ask if I was tired."
"Oh, well, if you're not running, then just fall. Not that you'd escape anyway, hahaha! Listen, kid, if you want to be a martial artist, you have to endure hardship. When I was your age, I endured more than this! So just keep walking, don't complain."
Fong Jiefang scowled.
"Did you hear me complain once?"
The leader of the Three Demons said nothing in return and continued walking. Fong Jiefang and Wu Tatong had to shut their mouths and keep walking. Hadn't they already reached a situation where they had no choice but to walk?
As Fong Jiefang and Wu Tatong followed the Three Demons, time gradually passed. The dawn was even beginning to break in the east. Hadn't they been walking all night? They no longer knew where they were or which direction they were heading. They were lost.
Little Fong Jiefang was still very young and couldn't endure the lack of sleep like Wu Tatong. Although he was extremely tired, he gritted his teeth and held on without a sound. And so, it was fully daylight. Fong Jiefang felt dizzy and nauseous, and then he suddenly collapsed onto the ground. The poor child had lost consciousness.
The leader of the Three Demons, who seemed to have seen the entire incident, looked at the unconscious child with a look of praise. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
"What a great kid! He only passed out, he didn't complain once. He truly has a strong spirit! Good, good!"
The leader of the Three Demons said, walking towards the child and picking him up. Then he said to Wu Tatong,
"There's a ruined temple ahead. Beyond the temple, there's a stream. Go fetch some water, and then come to the ruined temple."
After some time, Fong Jiefang regained consciousness. The first thing he saw was Wu Tatong's worried eyes. Wasn't this old man someone who loved him like a son and worshipped him like a master?
The ruined temple was dry and warm because of the large bonfire. On the fire, four wild chickens and two rabbits were lined up, roasting. The fire was strong, so the roasted chickens were ready to eat.
As they gathered to eat, the leader of the Three Demons spoke.
"Where do you think we're taking you?"
Fong Jiefang replied,
"How would I know? We're your prisoners, aren't we? We have to follow wherever you take us."
All three Demons burst out laughing heartily. The tall, thin man said,
"Hahaha! I guess you're angry from walking all night. Don't be angry, kid. We were just testing your endurance. If you had complained once, we would have killed both of you."
His words clearly showed that he regarded human lives as lightly as chickens or birds. The nephew and uncle felt a chill down their spines. It was only by sheer luck, wasn't it?
The leader of the Three Demons continued,
"The place we're going is called Red Bone Valley. From here, we first need to reach the Yangminguan Fortress, due north. It's a long journey, so it will take about a month and a half. But don't worry, you won't have to walk anymore after that. We'll travel by horse-drawn carriage. There's a horse-drawn carriage already prepared outside the temple. Once we've eaten and drunk, we'll continue our journey."
And so, they continued their journey. The carriage was enclosed, so the nephew and uncle had no idea where they were or where they were heading. They could only assume that everything that happened was for the best. The carriage they were riding in traveled hard all day and only stopped in deserted forests in the dead of night.
Since time was passing anyway, little Fong Jiefang decided to make the most of it and practiced the Silk Robe Cultivation Method, also known as the Ba Duan Jin Cultivation Method, as much as possible in the carriage. Aren't clever people those who can utilize their time effectively?
About a month and a half later, Fong Jiefang's practice had progressed considerably, and their journey was nearing its end. The carriage had passed the Yangminguan Fortress and was slowly entering the space between two large mountains.
Red Bone Valley was a strange place. The martial arts world had many extraordinary and mysterious places. If you were to list these places in order, Red Bone Valley would rank at least second or third, if not first.
Fong Jiefang's carriage slowly drove along the naturally formed mountain path between two large mountains. It was impossible to drive fast.
Along the mountain path, large rocks and boulders formed a natural labyrinth, and numerous narrow paths branched off the main road like tributaries from a river, disappearing into the mountain walls.
If you didn't know the way, there was no way to find Red Bone Valley. And if you got lost and entered by mistake, you were likely to be trapped there for life.
The carriage passed through numerous twists, turns, and numerous forks in the road. After an unknown amount of time, the sight in Fong Jiefang and Wu Tatong's eyes suddenly cleared.
What a vast mountain valley plain! The entire plain was overgrown with long wild grasses. At the edge of the plain was a beautiful lake. Beside the lake was an area with small clumps of trees, forming a small forest.
The soil of the valley was as red as if it had been splattered with blood. The boundaries of the valley plain were towering mountain walls that reached the sky. The only entrance and exit seemed to be the one Fong Jiefang and the others had entered through.
The carriage drove across the plain, heading towards the area with small clumps of trees near the lake, and stopped in front of a small house. The long journey, which had lasted about a month and a half, was finally over.
This place was the lair of the Three Demons of Mount Zhongliang. (The larger of the two mountains forming the valley path is called Mount Zhongliang. The three of them are called the Three Demons of Mount Zhongliang after this mountain... This is an author's note.)
The nephew and uncle had not even gotten off the carriage yet. The leader of the Three Demons spoke in a harsh voice,
"This is the house where we three live. On the other side, quickly build a hut for you two. Make it a stilt hut. This valley gets bone-chillingly cold at night. If it's a ground-level hut, you won't even see tomorrow's sunrise. Behind the house, there are bamboo-cutting knives and various shovels. Now, get to work. Once you've built the hut, cook rice for us. It's almost dinner time. In the kitchen, there's various dried meat, rice, oil, and salt."
The story had just begun. Who knew what would happen next? For now, they just had to get along with the Three Demons. Fong Jiefang and Wu Tatong nodded with a sigh and prepared to build the hut.
Once the hut was built, they couldn't rest. They had to cook dinner. By the time dinner was over, the nephew and uncle were so exhausted that they couldn't even lift their heads and fell straight into a deep sleep.
The next day, at dawn, the Three Demons, whom one might consider their masters or perhaps even kidnappers, took Fong Jiefang to the other side of the lake. Then the leader of the Three Demons said...
"Listen, kid, I know you're unhappy because we brought you here by force. But this place is somewhere that only has an entrance but no exit if we don't show you the way. So, what will you do? Will you comply with our wishes and learn martial arts, or will you live out your life here in this valley without learning anything and die here? You decide. If you learn martial arts, once you've mastered them, we'll allow you to step into the martial arts world. If you don't learn anything and don't accept us as masters, that's fine too. Just prepare to live out your life in this valley as a cook and water-carrier."
The leader of the Three Demons' words were clear and decisive. It seemed there were two paths to choose from. However, there was no other way but to choose the first path. The leader of the Three Demons was pleased with his own words and smirked, listening for the sound of Fong Jiefang reluctantly calling them master. What could this stubborn brat do? If he wanted to return to the outside world, he would inevitably have to accept them as masters.
In reality, the Three Demons underestimated Fong Jiefang's pride. This child was not an ordinary, artistic child from an ordinary family. He was the sole young grandson of the great scholar Fong Zhou Ta, number one in the Tang Dynasty. Even though he wasn't a martial artist, he possessed intense pride. Even if he wanted to learn martial arts so badly he felt insane, he would not accept unjust acts or coercion.
Fong Jiefang smirked and said,
"Is that all you wanted to say? It's almost lunchtime. Uncle Wu is cooking alone over there. I'll go help him."
As soon as he finished speaking, Fong Jiefang turned and walked away. The unexpected answer left the Three Demons astonished, their mouths hanging open.
Time passed slowly. Time is said to be like water in a constantly flowing stream. Just as you cannot drink the same flowing water twice, you cannot recover lost time. Isn't it said that time and tide wait for no man?
And so, a winter passed, a summer changed, and then the rainy season returned. Everywhere one looked, dark rain clouds slowly rose. Everywhere one looked, it was gloomy and overcast.
The rainy season in Red Bone Valley was worse than in other regions. It rained continuously, and the strong winds that accompanied the rain were fierce. The towering mountain walls enclosing Red Bone Valley were hazy and indistinct amidst the mist and raindrops, appearing like a giant ghost sitting silently.
Due to the heavy rainfall, the lake in the valley was churning. At the edge of the lake, a child about ten years old was fishing with a handmade spear. The child's face was delicate and charming, but his skin was reddish-brown, clearly showing that he had survived harsh conditions.
The child's physique was remarkably strong for a ten-year-old. His sturdy legs seemed to treat the scattered stones and thorns along the lakeside as a path of flowers.
The child paid no attention to the heavy rain or the fierce red winds that seemed to tear the world apart. His concentration was solely on the spear firmly in his hand and the fish frolicking in the lake.
One spear thrust, one fish. One spear thrust, one fish. His aim was precise. It was clear that this child was very accustomed to and skilled at this task.
The child focused on fishing as if he were the only one in the world. In reality, he wasn't alone. From inside a stilt hut built among the trees some distance from the lake, an adult watched the child fishing. The adult's face showed great sadness and grief, and his eyes were welling up with tears.
Some distance from the stilt hut, there was a reasonably sturdy and neat house. Beneath the eaves of the house, three men sat silently, watching the child fishing. Praise for the child showed in their eyes, but looking at their faces as a whole, all three appeared disheartened.
These three men were none other than the Three Demons of Mount Zhongliang. This being the case, it was clear that the ten-year-old child fishing was Fong Jiefang, and the adult in the stilt hut was Wu Tatong.
These five people had lived together in Red Bone Valley for three years, relying on each other like islands and land. Affection is like an invisible string. It's the kind that you only realize you're bound by after you're already bound.
During these three years, Fong Jiefang, this child, had reached the age of ten, and the string of affection had bound the five of them tighter and tighter. Fong Jiefang had become like the little bell of Red Bone Valley. If Fong Jiefang was out of sight for even a short while, the Three Demons would become frantic.
Wu Tatong's relationship with the Three Demons had also gradually become smoother and more harmonious. Even the leader of the Three Demons, who used to speak domineeringly, had become gentler in his dealings with Wu Tatong. It could even be said that the little bridge of affection that was Fong Jiefang had fostered mutual understanding between Wu Tatong and the Three Demons.
As for Fong Jiefang, after his master's death, he had lived for exactly three years with these three tough men, apart from Wu Tatong, so it wasn't too surprising that he gradually grew fond of them. He would occasionally babble little words. Sometimes he would even act spoiled.
However, what was strange was Fong Jiefang's pride. Despite repeated attempts by the Three Demons to teach Fong Jiefang martial arts over the course of three years, their efforts were in vain. Fong Jiefang still refused to learn the Three Demons' martial arts.
And so, the five people continued to live in Red Bone Valley as before. As autumn arrived, a strange event occurred. This event changed the child's life once again.
It was autumn. Thick hoarfrost covered Red Bone Valley. Everywhere one looked, hoarfrost covered everything, turning even the red soil of the valley white.
Just then, a pigeon flew laboriously through the sky, battling against the headwind. This little bird, seemingly having flown a long distance, appeared exhausted. It struggled to flap its wings, doing its best not to be carried away by the strong winds blowing in the valley.
After a while, perhaps it ran out of strength, or perhaps it reached its destination and relaxed. It's hard to say. When it reached beneath the eaves of the Three Demons' house, it suddenly dropped.
A small silver tube was attached to the pigeon's leg. It turned out to be a carrier pigeon. It was only because it was a well-trained carrier pigeon that it could fly all the way to its destination in such harsh weather.
When they saw the pigeon, the bodies of the Three Demons jolted. The leader of the Three Demons quickly picked up the carrier pigeon and went inside the house. The tall, thin man and the plump man looked at each other and followed the leader of the Three Demons.
For three days and three nights, the three of them did not leave the house. Were they discussing something intensely, or were they struggling with something? No one but themselves would likely know.
Then, they mysteriously disappeared from Red Bone Valley. It wasn't a sudden departure without a word, like breaking a fresh branch. They had left a letter for Fong Jiefang.
The letter stated the following: The writing in the letter was unlike that of the leader of the Three Demons; it was gentle, tender, and filled with warm affection.
"My dear son, Fong, you have been living with us uncles in this valley for three years. During this time, we tried to teach you martial arts, but we were unsuccessful. We hoped that one day you would be interested in learning martial arts, but we don't know if we will still be around by then. An important matter has come up, and we uncles must go to the martial arts world for a while. It might take years, or we might not return. Therefore, when we are gone, you must leave Red Bone Valley. We have left a map of the valley in our house. All three of our wishes are for you to stay in this valley and wait for our return for one or two years. If you don't know martial arts, you will be looked down upon when you go to the outside world, my son, Fong. So, we have written down the essence of our martial arts and left it in our room. Practice diligently. If we still haven't returned by the time you've mastered martial arts, then go into the martial arts world. Seek out the Crimson Dragon. You will reach the pinnacle of the martial arts world."
Just by reading the letter, the sincerity of the Three Demons' affection for Fong Jiefang was clearly evident. Poor Fong Jiefang became lost in thought after reading the letter. Tears welled up in his eyes. How could three years have been wasted because of his meaningless pride?
He had set out to learn martial arts, and when he was face-to-face with an opportunity to learn, why had he refused for three years? Fong Jiefang no longer understood himself. Was it due to his ingrained respect for Shaolin martial arts? Or was it due to his resentment of the Three Demons' domineering treatment?
Whatever the reason, three years had been wasted. There was nothing he could do. Fong Jiefang decided to continue living in Red Bone Valley and learn the Three Demons' martial arts.
What was the origin of the Three Demons? What kind of martial arts did the Three Demons possess?