Dao Ge

The jarring screech of metal against metal made Qingqing wince even as she flinched away. Opening her eyes, she looked up dazedly to see someone's broad back in front of her. The light ran merrily along the edge of a large saber as it knocked Lao Lu's small one to the floor with a deep chip gouged into the blade.

Startled, the three men fell back, glaring at the intruder. They glanced at the big knife in his hand, clearly debating how dangerous he was.

"I say, you Three Gambling Ghosts ought to be ashamed of yourselves. If your reputation isn't shabby enough here you are bullying a young boy half your size. Three against one! You'll be a laughingstock in the jianghu if anyone hears about this." rumbled a gruff voice.

He was a thickset man with a slight limp in the left leg, and the broadest shoulders Qingqing had ever seen. Wiry black hair touched with gray at the temples over rather large ears, and small deep-set eyes. A broad, generous nose, and wide mouth partially hidden by a grizzled moustache, though it looked grim right now.

"This is none of your business, Dao XieMing," spat SuanRong. "Don't go poking your nose where it doesn't belong or we'll cut it off for you."

Qingqing pushed herself up hastily and retreated, watching the stranger who had come to her defence warily. She massaged her throat, feeling a bruise from SuanRong's arm coming up on it. "I'm not a young boy," she called out crossly, taking offense that her efforts were being dismissed. "Did you even see me just now? I'm perfectly capable of bringing any one of them to their knees."

Surprised, her defender turned with raised eyebrows at this unexpected reply, and Lao Lu darted forward as he did so. Snatching up his blade from the ground he slashed swiftly at Dao, leaving a long cut down his arm. The next moment Dao had hefted the hilt of his saber up and struck him heavily on the temples, knocking Lao Lu clear out.

"At them!" gasped WangFan, turning to SuanRong. The two of them charged Dao, WangFan with his fists, SuanRong grabbing a spar from the wreckage of the chair. Dao met them without flinching, slicing the spar into splinters with his knife.

Qingqing sighed. "Looks like I can't just run off. That big ox took a cut for me after all."

She broke into a run, catching up a jar of wine from a nearby table along the way, and leaped into the air, hurling it with all her strength. It shattered against WangFan's head and he fell to the ground like a block of wood, drenched in the alcohol.

The wine splashed across SuanRong's face and he grimaced as a flying shard grazed his cheek. Dao's foot sank into his stomach, knocking the air from him.

As SuanRong staggered back gasping Qingqing's arm locked around his neck and she forced the trotter bone viciously into his mouth. "There. That's for ruining my meal. I really should kill the three of you useles scums but that's enough excitement for one day. Get lost!"

She flung him aside, panting, and glared at them as they crawled backwards, subdued, to pick up Lao Lu's unconscious form and drag him out.

The crowd fell back to make room for their hasty exit, seeing that the fight was over.

Drawing a deep breath, Qingqing sauntered up to Dao, looking him up and down coolly.

"You talk like a man who's confident of himself. Is that why you interfere in fights that aren't your own?"

Dao chuckled, amused at her belligerent expression and fearlessness. "And it seems like I underestimated you, little brother. But there's no shame in needing a little help sometimes. They outnumbered you, after all."

Qingqing raised her eyebrows, but she found herself smiling. "They deserved everything they got. I'm a good judge of character and I knew they weren't to be trusted."

Dao returned his knife to its sheath across his back. "You watch out for them now. Likely they'll want some sort of revenge on you for today. Won't be the first time they've made trouble because their ego's hurt. Well, I'll be making a move."

She hesitated, then impulsively put her arm out. "You did me a favour today, and got wounded because of me. Join me for some meat and wine. This young lord never leave debts unpaid."

He looked keenly at her, then flung his head back and laughed. "There's nothing I like better than a good wine to go with some meat, unless it's making an interesting friend, and you seem like one, little brother. I'll gladly accept. Dao XieMing at your service!"

Qingqing bowed gracefully, pleased. She was in good spirits. "Third Young Master QingYi at yours. Take a seat, Brother Dao. We're not leaving till we're drunk!"

Kicking aside the ruined chair and pulling another one from the table next to hers, she sat down and dragged the plate of pig trotters over. "Help yourself. Waiter! Another jar of wine over here."

She glanced at the blood streaming from Dao's arm and remarked, "Do you want to see a doctor for that?"

Dao shook his head. "Not to worry. I won't die from a scratch like this. That Lao Lu, he's a shifty one. I've long known this bad habit of his, it's not the first time he's knifed someone during a commotion. Why, he's gotten out of several debts that way if I'm not wrong. Stupid of me to let my guard down."

He downed a bowl of wine. "So what is a fine gentleman like Young Master Qing doing here? Is this your first time in our city?"

Qingqing played with her bowl of wine, swirling the alcohol playfully. "I'm here to have a good time," she said firmly. "I'm going to remind myself what it's like to live freely without a care."

Dao Ge glanced at her thoughtfully. "You're young," he said at last. "But it seems like the ghosts of the past haunt you too. Well, I wish you luck with that, Young Master Qingyi. If you need a guide to show you around the town, you can call on me."