Li started in surprise and hastily assented.
"Commander Li, we will take our leave of you," Chen continued and saluted with his fists. "When you are promoted and become rich, take care not to oppress the common people."
Li saluted in reply. "I would not dare," he said.
Yuanzhi and Yu dismounted and walked over to Li and knelt down in front of him. Li realised sorrowfully that he would never see his daughter again.
"Look after yourself, child," he said quietly. He stretched out his hand and stroked her hair, then turned his horse round and rode back to the palace. Yuanzhi began to cry as Yu helped her onto her horse.
The heroes galloped to the city gate where 'Pagoda' Yang and 'Leopard' Wei were waiting for them. Fu ordered the city gate to be opened. The huge bell in the bell tower above sounded, ringing out the start of the fourth watch.
As they passed out of the city, the heroes saw an expanse of reeds beside the city moat flailing about in the pale moonlight. A bit further on, they came upon a graveyard, and noticed a crowd of people there wailing and singing a Muslim funeral dirge. Chen and Huo Qinging rode over to investigate.
"Who are you mourning for?" they asked the crowd.
An old Muslim man raised his head, his face coursed with tears, and said: "Princess Fragrance."
"Princess Fragrance is buried here?" Chen asked.
The old man pointed at a new grave, the yellow mud on which was not yet dry. "There," he replied.
Huo Qingtong began to cry. "We cannot allow her to remain buried here," she said.
"You're right," Chen replied. "She loved that Jade Pool in the heart of the White Jade Peak, and said how much she would like to live there forever. Let us take her remains and bury them there."
"Yes, I agree," Huo Qingtong said, swallowing her tears.
"Who are you?" the old man enquired courteously.
"I am Princess Fragrance's sister," Huo Qingtong replied.
"Ah!" another of the Muslim suddenly shouted to the other mourners. "It's Mistress Huo Qingtong!"
"Let us open up her grave," she said, and Chen and the heroes started work helped by several of the Muslims. They shifted the earth as fast as they could and in a moment, had uncovered the stone slab placed over the grave. They lifted the slab up and a perfumed fragrance emerged. But when they looked inside, they found the grave was empty.
Chen took a burning torch from one of the mourners and held it over the grave opening. On the floor was a small pool of blood and the piece of jade that he himself had given her.
"We brought Princess Fragrance's remains here and buried them ourselves," said the Muslims. "We have not left this spot since. How could her body have disappeared?"
"She was so wondrously beautiful. Perhaps she was a spirit that descended to earth," Luo Bing suggested. "Now she has returned to Heaven. Don't be distressed."
Chen bent down into the grave and picked up the piece of jade. Suddenly, he began to cry, the tears running down his face like rain. She was so beautiful, so pure. Perhaps she was a spirit.
The people sighed and covered up the grave once more, and as they finished the work, a large jade-coloured butterfly appeared and began dancing to and fro above the pile of earth.
Chen turned to the old man. "I will write a few words. Please ask a master carver to erect a stone engraved with the inscription on this spot," he said.
The old man nodded, and Xin Yan gave him ten taels of silver to cover the cost. Then he took writing implements from his bag and handed them to Chen.
Chen raised his writing brush and wrote: "Fragrant Tomb" in large characters. Then after a moment's thought, he wrote:
The heroes stood for a long time in silence. Only when the eastern sky was already light did they mount up and ride off westwards.
Jin Yong
Jin Yong, originally named Louis Cha, was born in Haining County (near Hangzhou) in 1924. As a well-known journalist, litterateur, and scholar in China, he has done great achievements throughout his life.
Jin Yong is an outstanding media figure in China. He used to work as a journalist, translator, and editor for news papers in Shanghaiand the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region). In 1959 he initiated several newspapers in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore.
As the President and the Director of the Board of the Ming Bao from 1959 to 1993, Jin Yong continually wrote editorials both in Chinese and English. Due to his excellent work, Jin Yong was awarded the title of OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 1981.
Apart from his work in the press sector, Jin Yong has shown great enthusiasm for social community in Hong Kong. From the 1970s to the 1980s, he served in the Independent Commission Against Corruption as well as the Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong. He also actively participated in the drafting of the Basic Law in Hong Kong. In order to show gratitude to his contributions, the Hong Kong SAR Government awarded Jin Yong the GBM (Grand Bauhinia Medal) in 2001. In the same year, a small planet discovered by the Beijing Astronomical Observatory was named after him.
Jin Yong is also the most famous writer of martial arts novels in China, and dozens of his novels have become all-time bestsellers, with some of them being translated into English, Japanese, French, Malaysian, and Korean and so on. Meanwhile, most of his novels have been adapted into other forms, reaching a global audience through TV serials, radio programs, and stage performances.
Not confining himself to novel writing, Jin Yong used to work as a playwright and director in the Hong Kong Great Wall Film Company. He produced dozens of film scripts, among which Peerless Beautiful Woman was awarded the Golden Prize by the People's Republic of China's Ministry of Culture. In addition to producing novels and film scripts, Jin Yong has written a great number of essays and reviews on films and plays.
The last but not the least important part of Jin Yong's achievements are his outstanding academic researches, including law, history, and Buddhism. He established and chaired the Louis Cha Academic Fund in Hong Kong University.
From the 1980s till today, Jin Yong has successfully won doctorate degrees in several universities including the Hong Kong University, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Open University of Hong Kong, the University of British Columbia in Canada, and the USTC in Japan. He was also invited to be the Honorable Professor in several universities in Hong Kong, Canada, Mainland China, and Taiwan Province.
The last but not the least important part of Jin Yong's achievements are his outstanding academic researches, including law, history, and Buddhism. He established and chaired the Louis Cha Academic Fund in Hong Kong University.
From the 1980s till today, Jin Yong has successfully won doctorate degrees in several universities including the Hong Kong University, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Open University of Hong Kong, the University of British Columbia in Canada, and the USTC in Japan. He was also invited to be the Honorable Professor in several universities in Hong Kong, Canada, Mainland China, and Taiwan Province.
