Chapter 63 Netherworld Sect I

　　—Sometimes justice and evil are separated by only a single line.

　　Everything upon the streets of Junma City left Gong Jie staring in amazement. Compared with Wangqiu City the commerce of Junma City was flourishing, the flow of people bustling—like a shopping paradise.

　　“Uncle Ji—this journey has truly not been in vain. This place is too prosperous—simply a paradise upon earth.” Gong Jie was as excited as a child.

　　“Humph—the Horse People are no good at fighting and only know how to do business. In the eyes of these merchants there is only money. This restless place this old man is unwilling to visit.”

　　They came before a small pastry stall. The pastries were shaped like flowers; beside them stood a sign explaining that the pastries were made of camelhorse cheese, cane sugar and honey; the fragrance filled the nostrils.

　　“How much for one of these?” Gong Jie asked.

　　The proprietor of the small pastry stall glanced sideways at Gong Jie and Ji Mazi and said: “Not for sale.”

　　“I have money here—why will you not sell to us?” Gong Jie was a little impatient.

　　“Not only will I not sell to you here—you may ask the other stallholders and shops here. Even if we throw our things away we will absolutely not sell to you ‘YellowCloth Army.’”

　　“You…” Gong Jie was temporarily speechless. Only then did she notice that her own and Old Wu’s clothing differed markedly from that of the surrounding crowd.

　　The Gongyou Clan practiced universal conscription; the entire people were soldiers. In peacetime they were common people; in wartime they were called up. The entire people uniformly wore yellow garments and yellow headcloths and were called the “YellowCloth Army.”

　　The FireWorship Clan practiced recruitment; although the army had uniform dress the clothing of civilians was unrestricted. The clothing of the common people upon the street was of every description and every color, yet almost no one wore yellow.

　　Gong Jie and Old Wu in their yellow garments were extremely conspicuous upon the street and were at once recognized as coming from the Gongyou Clan.

　　Gong Jie had been pampered from childhood; no one had ever dared speak to her in such a manner. After receiving the cold eye of this small vendor her younglady temper immediately flared. She drew from her waist the leather bag containing gold coins and said in a loud voice: “I tell you, this leather bag is full of gold coins. I simply do not believe…”

　　Before she finished speaking she was pulled aside by Ji Mazi.

　　Ji Mazi whispered: “Second Miss—what are you doing? When one goes out one does not display wealth. Although we are all humans the Horse People harbor deep hostility toward us hunters. Better we simply stroll a little and return.”

　　When one enters a place one must follow its customs; trade requires both a willing seller and a willing buyer; one cannot force a sale.

　　Seeing that she could only stroll yet could buy nothing, Gong Jie’s interest immediately diminished greatly. She followed Ji Mazi a little farther and was just about to return to the posthouse when a person dressed like a beggar, filthy and disheveled, walked past from the opposite direction and casually bumped into her.

　　“How can you walk without eyes?” Gong Jie covered her nose and said with disgust.

　　“Oh—sorry, sorry.” The person apologized while hurriedly wishing to leave.

　　Ji Mazi had wandered the rivers and lakes for many years and possessed a sharp eye. He glanced at the beggar and at once said to Gong Jie: “Second Miss—check whether your moneybag is still there.”

　　Hearing this the person took to his heels and ran.

　　Gong Jie felt at her waist; the moneybag that had been there a moment before was already gone.

　　“Stop!” Ji Mazi shouted and pursued the beggar; Gong Jie also took to her heels and pursued closely behind Ji Mazi.

　　This thief ran extremely fast; moreover he was very familiar with the locality and deliberately chose dark alleys. In a flash he vanished.

　　Ji Mazi grew anxious; he sank his energy into his dantian and shouted: “Catch the thief! Quickly catch the thief!”

　　This shout was like a clap of thunder; several streets ahead could hear it. It happened to startle two people walking in the alley ahead.

　　This alley was deep and dark; the road was narrow and could accommodate only two or three people walking abreast.

　　The thief ran up behind those two people and shouted: “Out of the way—quickly out of the way!”

　　The two people stepped aside, backs against the wall. Just as the thief was about to race past, one of them thrust a foot forward; a “pa!” was heard and the thief fell flat on his face.

　　The thief was about to rise when the two people held him down; they drew out rope and bound the thief tightly.

　　By then Ji Mazi and Gong Jie had also caught up. Ji Mazi clasped his fists: “Many thanks to the two friends for lending a hand!”

　　The two people made no reply. They searched the thief’s person and produced several moneybags, which they laid upon the ground.

　　Ji Mazi blew upon a firestriker; the alley immediately brightened a great deal. The pockmarks upon his face flashed in the firelight. Then Ji Mazi squatted upon the ground, found Gong Jie’s moneybag, spoke a few more polite words, and was about to turn and leave.

　　Just at that moment one of the two people suddenly said: “Elder brother—please wait a moment. You look familiar. Are you not Elder Brother Ji, the GiantCatcher?”

　　Hearing this Ji Mazi turned his head. The speaker had also blown upon a firestriker; in the flickering firelight the face of a lean, wiry man appeared. It looked very familiar yet for the moment he could not recall who it was.

　　The lean man said: “Elder Brother Ji—this younger brother is Zhao Wu of the FireWorship Clan. In the RoeDeer battle of that year we once fought a Giant together—do you still remember?”

　　“Ah! So it is Brother Zhao Wu.” Ji Mazi remembered.

　　Immediately the two embraced. They had once lived and died together upon the battlefield; meeting again more than ten years later, how could they not be excited?

　　Ji Mazi’s thoughts floated freely; before his eyes once more floated the tragic scenes of the war of that year.

　　Zhao Wu, nicknamed Monkey, was a Horse Person of the FireWorship Clan.

　　That year the RoeDeer battle had broken out suddenly; once fighting began it was extremely chaotic. The two great human clans mixed together—you within me, I within you—and fought a bloody battle against the Green Clan.

　　At that time Ji Mazi and his two younger brothers together with several cooks, along with Zhao Wu and other Horse People—about a dozen in all—had entangled themselves with a Giant in a lifeanddeath struggle and finally killed that Giant by combined effort.

　　After the war ended, of that group only Ji Mazi and Zhao Wu and two or three others remained alive.

　　Having once shouldered weapons together and gone upon the battlefield, how could they not properly renew old acquaintance upon this chance meeting?

　　Zhao Wu ordered the companion to take the thief away first; he himself took Ji Mazi and Gong Jie and found a tavern in which to drink.

　　After entering the tavern Zhao Wu seemed to possess considerable prestige locally; the proprietor not only did not make difficulties for Ji Mazi and Gong Jie, these two “YellowCloth Army,” but led the company into the best private room.

　　Wine and meat were quickly set out in abundance; Zhao Wu and Ji Mazi began to exchange cups.

　　Gong Jie could not hold her liquor; she merely poured half a cup symbolically and listened to the two men renewing old acquaintance.

　　Zhao Wu offered Ji Mazi a bowl of wine: “Elder Brother Ji—where are you presently employed? Why have you come to Junma City this time?”

　　“I am still a cook; this time I am accompanying Great Chieftain Gongdian on an embassy to the capital.”

　　“Surely not? Elder Brother Ji was a meritorious hero who killed a Giant that year. Had it not been for you, the several of us would long since have met our end upon the RoeDeer Grassland. With Elder Brother’s courage and martial skill Great Chieftain Gongdian ought at the very least to have given you a generalship.”

　　“Younger brother, you jest. I am not material for an official. To be able to carry water and cook for the Great Chieftain and serve before and behind him I am already very content. May I ask what livelihood Brother Zhao Wu is presently engaged in?”

　　“I? At present I do some things that eliminate the violent and protect the good, that rid the people of harm.”

　　“So younger brother works in the yamen.”

　　“Not so—I work in a church.”

　　“A church?”

　　Ji Mazi felt rather astonished. Just now when he saw Zhao Wu and the other man, they had drawn their blades to help at the sight of injustice and had subdued the thief. After the moneybag was found and they were about to leave, Zhao Wu’s companion had not unbound the thief but had taken him away as though escorting a prisoner.

　　Looking at the clothing of Zhao Wu and the other man they did not appear to be official employees; Ji Mazi had at that time thought they were yamen runners in plain clothes.

　　Now when he asked, Zhao Wu actually said they merely worked in a private church—how could Ji Mazi not be astonished?

　　Ji Mazi returned a bowl of wine and asked probing: “May I ask in what church younger brother works? Is it convenient to tell this elder brother?”

　　“Ah—I conceal it from others; how could I hide it from Elder Brother?” After drinking another bowl of wine Zhao Wu’s drunkenness rose and his tongue grew a little stiff. “I work in a church called ‘Netherworld,’ specially devoted to clearing away the scum of society.”

　　At that moment Zhao Wu’s speech was already not very clear; his blackandwhite eyes, without his noticing, suddenly turned bloodred.

　　In an instant those bloodred eyes returned to their original state. This minute change was extremely rapid and did not attract the notice of Ji Mazi or Gong Jie.

　　Ji Mazi shook his head: “Netherworld Sect? I have never heard of it.”

　　“Ah—Elder Brother is truly illinformed. The Netherworld Sect has established meeting places not only in our FireWorship Clan but also has branches in your Gongyou Clan.”

　　“Is that so? This elder brother is hearing of it for the first time.” Ji Mazi filled Zhao Wu’s bowl with wine. “About that thief just now—I wonder how you intend to deal with him.”

　　“That thief? That will certainly be a single ‘kacha.’” Zhao Wu made a gesture of beheading.

　　“What?” Ji Mazi and Gong Jie cried out simultaneously.

　　Zhao Wu was unconcerned; he raised a bowl of wine and drank: “These human dregs, these scum—the upper levels of the FireWorship Clan do nothing. There is no help for it; our Netherworld Sect must act for Heaven and decide for the people, serving as the purifiers of society and clearing away the scum for society.”

　　By then Zhao Wu’s eyes were already a little vacant; clearly he had drunk too much and his words had become more numerous.

　　“Elder Brother Ji, I advise you to resign that cook’s post and come work with us. I shall recommend you to the church. With Elder Brother’s skill, to serve as head of the Wangqiu City branch would be using a great talent for a small task. Let me tell you…”

　　“Younger brother, I see you are drunk. It is already late at night; we must set out early tomorrow morning. Another day when younger brother comes to Wangqiu City to visit this old elder brother, we two brothers shall properly gather again—how about it?”

　　“I am not drunk—I am not drunk at all. Come—continue drinking…” Zhao Wu again poured a bowl of wine down his throat. The moment the wine was finished his entire person slipped under the table.

　　Ji Mazi did not know where Zhao Wu lived; he could only arrange several long benches and, together with Gong Jie, help Zhao Wu onto the benches to sleep.

　　Ji Mazi paid the proprietor extra wine money, instructed the proprietor to look after Brother Zhao Wu and let him sleep there, then disappeared with Gong Jie into the black night.

　　Upon the return road Ji Mazi still sighed repeatedly: “The Zhao Monkey of that year—Brother Zhao Wu, so shrewd—how could he have entered an evil sect? Truly the affairs of the world are hard to predict.”

　　“Uncle Ji, just now Zhao Wu called you ‘GiantCatcher’—did you truly kill a Giant in the RoeDeer battle?”

　　“Indeed I did. That Giant killed my two younger brothers; how could I let him off lightly?” Ji Mazi gritted his teeth.

　　“I and Brother Zhao Wu and the others killed him by combined effort; yet the final stroke that killed the Giant was the one I delivered. Thereafter Brother Zhao Wu and the others called me ‘GiantCatcher.’”

　　“Uncle Ji, inside Fumu Forest I saw your skill. I feel that even my third uncle Gong Wei and Yi Wu are probably no match for you. The only one who could contend with you is probably Master Lü Jin. When you have time teach me a little.”

　　“Second Miss, you are a young lady of a great family—what need have you to learn these things? So long as this Old Ji is here no one will dare touch you. Remember that year in the War of the Gods the enemies who died beneath my hand were not few…”

　　Ji Mazi was filled with the smell of wine; wine strengthens a hero’s courage. His words were not without heroic spirit and differed greatly from his ordinary submissive self. The dim lights along the roadside lengthened his shadow…