Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Steps of the Celestial Dragon ❯ Part 2: ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Date : 170509

Disclaimer : All Ranma and Jin Yong characters and concepts belong to respective creators and owners.

Ranma suffers from the Ultimate Moxibustion Point. To correct the problem, he uses the Nanban Mirror to travel to the past. But will this action truly help him? A part of the Timerunner series ...

STEPS OF THE CELESTIAL DRAGON

Part 2:

"We have to bring the Prince back to the palace. The King would not be pleased if something were to happen to Duan Yu," one of the watching men said.

"Let's go!" They both leaped into the air towards the Prince and the pigtailed girl who were fighting.

In reality, it wasn't much of a fight. Duan Yu was doing his best trying to avoid being beaten up by his boy-turned-girl friend by dodging and parrying all her blows without returning back a single blow.

"Now, look here. I didn't see a thing," the Crown Prince pleaded.

"Die!"

"Honest! I swear it!" Duan Yu spoke with righteous conviction.

"Stand still and take your punishment like a man!"

"I'm sure we can discuss this in a more civillised manner," he tried again.

"Die, pervert!"

"Please give me another chance," Duan Yu begged.

"Shut up!"

"This is all just a big misunderstanding!" the Crown Prince tried to explain to the angry pigtailed girl.

Suddenly, there was the sound of cloth beating against the air and the Jusenkyo-cursed martial artist found herself underattack by two men that he did not recogtnize. They were fast and struck simultaneously with their swords, giving the pigtailed girl no chance to retaliate. Then there was a blur of movement in the form of afterimages of the Jusenkyo-cursed martial artist as she evaded both her attackers with ease.

'She's using the Wave-like Subtle Steps Technique to avoid their attacks,' Duan Yu thought as Ranma swerved to avoid two blades cutting into her with apparent ease.

A third man in black clothing appeared in front of him.

"Your Highness, your father has instructed me to bring you home. Please come back with us to the Imperial Palace," the man said as he bowed his head slightly before the Crown Prince of Dali in deference to his rank.

The sounds of explosions, swords flashing, punches and kicks being thrown continued to sound through the night.

Finally, the sound of someone falling to the ground in a heap could be heard. Duan Yu saw that the man-turned-woman dropped to one knee, huffing and puffing. The man leaped forward to take her down and the Crown Prince gave vent to a cry of alarm.

"No! Ranma's still weak! Her inner force has been cut off!" he shouted.

He was too late.

The blow struck the red-haired girl and then a ripple-like wave travelled from the man into her. The man who was so sure of himself a moment ago found himself weakening rapidly. It was like the very life had been drained out of him into his opponent. He tried to let go but found himself unable to move from the girl's body. It was like he was rooted to the ground right where he stood. His companion who had been assaulting Ranma a moment ago, quickly rushed to help him by pulling him off the girl. Unfortunately, the moment his hands came into contact with his companions' body, he too was caught in the same predicament unable to move. Ripple-like waves began to move from his body to his companion's body from where he had bodily contact with him.

The man who was speaking with the Crown Prince quickly leaped to assist his two companions.

"WAIT!" Duan Yu shouted but it was too late.

The man leaped forward to pull his companions apart only to find himself in the same predicament. Unable to move and growing weaker by the second. The Crown Prince channelled his inner force through his palm and a transparent ki blast was launched through the air. It struck the four people with a loud BOOM throwing everyone off in different directions.

There were groans of pain as everyone stirred awhile before getting to their feet. All except for Ranma. She began to convulse uncontrollably on the ground.

Duan Yu ran up to her, worry creasing his features.

"What kind of martial arts style was that?" one of the three men asked.

The Crown Prince who did not want to reveal Dear Goddess's secrets ignored the question.

"This is not good. Ranma appears to be having trouble integrating the inner force she absorbed from you three into her body. They're not coming together. That's what is giving her pain. Inner force from outside the body. Her body is having great difficult adjusting to the sudden intake of foreign ki. They're flooding her body's internal energy pathways. She could die. We have to take her to Dragon Temple now," the Crown Prince answered. with resolve.

"Your father has asked you to return home, Sire," the bodyguard answered.

"Tell my father to meet me at Dragon Temple," the Crown Prince answered while wrapping Ranma up in a large roll of cloth.

"The two of you help me to carry her there," he answered.

The three men lifted Ranma's cocooned body and leaped into the air. They moved quickly and disappeared into the night.

They were making quick progress, carrying the body of the pigtailed girl to Dragon Temple who was mercifully unconscious. She stirred slightly.

"No ... no more, dad!"

Duan Yu turned to look at the pigtailed girl with concern.

"Not the hole again!"

Ranma began to squirm and struggle in the cloth binds.

"She's having a nightmare, Sire."

And then mercifully, the red-haired girl lapsed into unconsciousness again.

"Sir, we've been running for an entire day. We need to rest or none of us are going to reach Dragon Temple in this state," one of the men escorting him answered.

"We don't have much time," the Prince answered as he picked up his pace again.

"Sire, let us approach one of the nearby villages. Perhaps they may be kind enough to provide us with a horse," one of the men suggested.

Duan Yu agreed with the suggestion and they began to look around for one of the nearby villages. A few minutes later, their efforts were rewarded.

'WANGJIE VALLEY' the sign read.

'Everybody is welcomed here except for people with the surname of Duan who are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN FROM ENTERING. Those people with the surname of Duan who try to enter will be hunted and killed without further warning.'

"This could be dangerous, Sire. It seems like the owner of this place has a grudge against everyone with the surname of Duan. Let us find another dwelling," one of the two men accompanying him suggested.

The pigtailed girl began to convulse unconstrollably in her cloth bindings.

"There may not be enough time to search for another place. I have an idea," the Crown Prince answered and began to relate it to his two companions.

Thock! Thock! Thock! Thock!

Thock! Thock! Thock! Thock!

The old wooden doors opened to reveal an old man and woman standing at the entrance. Actually the man looked old but the woman did not. She still retained her beauty despite no longer being in her youth.

"Greetings. I'm Soo Yen Tai, a traveller from the South. The two men are my companions, Lee Soon and Xin Jiang. Sorry to disturb you at this time of the night but we have an emergency. I hope that my the owner of the place does not mind if we borrow a horse to get to Dragon Temple quickly," the rich young man explained.

"What's the emergency?" the man asked.

"My fellow companion has fallen unconscious. We're taking her to Dragon Temple in the hope that the abbot, Ben Yin, would know how to treat her problem," the rich young man answered.

"May I take a look at your companion?" the old man asked.

"By all means," the rich young man answered.

The old man stepped forward towards the blanket-wrapped woman and studied her closely before reaching out with his hand. The rich young man stopped him immediately. When asked about it, he explained that the girl's medical condition did not allow her to be touched safely. The old man looked satisfied with the explanation and called out loudly. In a few minutes, one of the manservants approached them with a horse.

"Thank you for your help, kind sirs. May I know the name of my benefactors?" the rich young man asked.

"I am Zhong Wan Chow and this is my wife, Gan Bao Bao," he said.

"Then Zhong Wan Chow and Gan Bao Bao. I, Soo Yen Tai, thank you for this act of kindness and hoped to repay it one day," the rich young man answered before putting the unconscious girl on the horse.

"Don't mention it," the woman answered quickly before her husband could get in a word.

The rich young man got on the horse and in a heartbeat they had disappeared into the night.

Once they were out of sight, the old man turned to his wife.

"Why did you stop me from telling them how to repay it?" he asked.

"I know about your hatred for Duan Zheng Chun. Asking a total stranger to kill someone that you hate in return for your kindness, though, is considered to be in very bad taste, dear. Also, if they were not who they claimed to be but spies from the Imperial Palace, you would have had it. Especially if they were members of the Duan Royal family," the beautiful woman answered.

"They were part of Duan's family? Why didn't you tell me?" the old man asked, his teeth gritted in rage.

"If anything had happened to his son over here, Duan Zheng Chun would have an excuse to destroy this valley. Not even Wangjie Valley would have been able to stand up to the Imperial Army for long," the beautiful woman answered.

"Fine then! But they had better not return here," the old man vowed.

"They won't," came the reply.

It was dawn but they had finally reached Dragon Temple. Duan Yu and his retainers quickly rushed up the steps with the boy-turned-girl in his arms. A monk in grey robes came out of the temple to greet them. The Crown Prince quickly told the monk of the problem asked to meet the abbot of the monastery. The young monk wasted no time in rushing inside to bring the abbot. A few minutes later, the old abbot in yellow and red robes, accompanied by his subordinates, appeared.

Duan Yu wasted no time in bringing Ranma up front before the abbot, telling him quickly about the problems. One monk seated Ranma in front of him in a lotus position before stepping away from him to take a meditative pose eight feet feet away from him. Four other monks joined him in a similar manner behind the pigtailed martial artist.

Five hands moved in unison before unleashing a beam of pure ki energy at the Jusenkyo-cursed martial artist. Ranma coughed before being thrown forward slightly by the blows.

"Is Ranma alright?" Duan Yu asked.

"I've done what I can but the way her ki flow is being cut off ... it's unlike anything I've ever seen," the abbot answered.

"There might be a way to restore her completely back to normal but the person who does it will have to join our order for the martial art technique requires a deep understanding of the precepts and guidelines of Buddha Dharma. If you are willing to do so, I will bring out the I-Ching Tome," he added.

"I will do it!" Duan Yu answered.

"Think carefully. You would have to become a monk. It is a lifetime commitment," the abbot warned.

"I will do whatever it takes to save the life of a friend," the Crown Prince answered, determination evident in his voice.

"Very well then. She would be proud to have a friend like you," he answered before giving out an order to one of the grey-robed monks to bring out the I-Ching Tome.

Duan Yu hoped that his sacrifice would be sufficient to save the boy-turned-girl from dying. A pair of monks arrived with shears to shave off his hair. Just as they were about to start, they heard a shout.

"No! I won't permit this!"

"Father? Grand-uncle??!!" the Crown Prince answered in surprise.

"Forgive me for the interruption, honourable Master Ku Rong," a well-dressed man accompanied by an aged man answered.

"When we heard from Fan Hua that you were coming to Dragon Temple, we came over as soon as possible. Duan Yu, you cannot become a monk. You are the Crown Prince. If you become a monk, there will be no one else left in the family to take over the kingdom after I'm gone. I've ruled for a long time and am now just an old man. I do not mind abdicating the throne. I've spoken about this matter with your father while you're gone," the Emperor of Dali explained.

"Grand-uncle?"

"Honourable Master Ku Rong, take me as one of your disciples instead," the Emperor of Dali prostrated himself before the feet of the abbot.

"It is the will of Buddha, then," the abbot nodded in acceptance.

He gave orders for the shears to be brought forward and they began the traditional ceremony of inducting a person to join the monkhood. The royal robes of office were removed to be replaced by a humble robes of an ordinary monk. His long hair was removed cleanly until none of it remained.

"No longer shall you be called Duan Zheng Ming but you will now be known as Ben Chen instead. Your earthly ties to the world are now ended," the abbot answered.

The former Emperor of Dali bowed each time the drum was struck. Just as the induction ceremony of the monkhood was finished, another monk rushed into the temple to whisper into the abbot's ear.

"There is a visitor at the gate sir. He insists on seeing you right now."

"Very well then. Let us see what he wants," the abbot answered before making his way to the courtyard of the monastery.

"Honourable elders of Dragon Temple and fellow believers of Buddha, I am Jiu Mo Zhi, a humble traveller and scholar from Dalun Monastery. I come with the hope that you would present to me as a gift, the scroll of the Six Meridian Divine Swords," the bald-headed man in saffron robes declared.

"The Six Meridian Divine Swords? Why do you want it? We at Dragon Temple do not simply give out martial arts techniques on demand to friends, much less strangers," one of the monks answered.

"I am deeply indebted to Master Mu Rong Ba who was my friend and mentor for imparting all his skills to me. When I asked him what I could do for him in return, he said that he had but one lifetime desire which had become his one deep regret. He wished to see the Six Meridian Divine Swords technique which he never had the chance to see nor experienced in personal combat," Jiu Mo Zhi explained.

"If he wanted the Six Meridian Divine Swords technique so much, why didn't he come to the temple itself to get it?" another monk asked.

"The Six Meridian Divine Swords belonged to the ruling family of Dali. The adminstration of the Duan family has brought peace and prosperity to the state. Consequently, it is well-loved by the people. Master Mu Rong Ba dared not steal nor borrow the Six Meridian Divine Swords manual from the temple because of that," Jiu Mo Zhi answered.

"Then you should follow his example. Neither borrow nor steal the manual from the temple," the same monk declared.

Jiu Mo Zhi threw a wooden box on the ground. With a simple application of his ki, he threw the lid open and three books floated into the palm of his hand. Three of the monks in front of him raised an eyebrow at the gesture. Taking no notice of their growing anxiety, he threw the three books on the ground in front of the monks.

"These three books contained all the 72 Movements of Buddha Dharma, their lethal techniques and all the methods on overcoming them. As my mentor and friend, he had provided the three martial arts tomes to me before he died. All he had asked me for in return was the Six Meridian Divine Swords manual. Allow me to bring back the Six Meridian Divine Swords manual to his grave so that his spirit might be able to rest in peace," the mysterious bald-headed man in saffron robes gave in reply.

"Even if the man is your friend, we cannot simply hand out martial arts techniques to people who ask for them just like that. Tell me what are you going to do the with the Six Meridian Divine Swords manual?" the abbot asked.

"Master Ku Rong, once a lifetime promise has been made to a friend, one must honour it. So if my request puts the temple in a difficult position, please extend your mercy to me so that I can bring back the manual and put it in a bag before burying it in Master Mu Rong's grave. I promise I will not even look at it," the scholar declared with a laugh.

"Forgive me for being doubtful of your intentions but I don't think that anyone here believes that you have come all the way to Dragon Temple just to get the Six Meridian Divine Swords manual only to bury it in your dead friend's grave," the Crown Prince snickered.

"You who are an outsider, be silent and respect your elders! This is none of your business," the scholar snarled maliciously.

"My son is right. Nobody here is fooled by your words," Duan Zheng Chun agreed.

"Fine then! I see that I'm unable to convince the monks of my sincerity in acquiring the Six Meridian Divine Swords manual. If none of you wish to respect the wishes of my dead friend then forgive me for doing this!" the bald-headed man in saffron robes shouted before leaping into the air in Duan Yu's direction.

At once five of the monks leaped forward to intercept the blow. There was a massive buildup of ki and the fight was on.

"Come with me," the abbot instructed Duan Yu.

"Where are we going?"

"You ask too many questions. We must hurry," the abbot answered they quickly made their way into the library of the monastery.

"Memorize the whole manual quickly. Once you're finished, give it back to me," the abbot instructed as he handed Duan Yu a scroll.

The Crown Prince wasted no time in opening and reading the entire scroll.

"The Six Meridian Divine Swords technique? I thought it was a myth," Duan Zheng Chun answered.

"It is very real. We at Dragon Temple have spent more than half our lifetimes in trying to decipher the techniques and teachings in the Six Meridian Divine Swords scroll but none of us were successful. There is a missing element, a key component that has escaped our grasp in understanding the methods used," the abbot explained.

"And you believed that Duan Yu can do it? I know that Duan Yu has always been a quick learner but ..."

"He has memorized all of Buddha's teachings and much of the present literature. Besides it is a technique from your ancestors. I believed they would want him to have it," the abbot explained.

TBC