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contents
Master Lam
Sai Wing is Lured into a Death Trap.
Once Master
Lam Sai Wing came to a social meeting held in some yard. A lot of people herd speeches there, and many, allured by them, believed in each word and decided to join the leaders. All broke up, elated, as if they
"came back from a victorious military campaign". Lam
Sai Wing was also allured with those speeches and gave way to temptation to enter that society.
Lam Sai Wing who headed a lot of people led them a wrong way. He intended to pay off old scores and solve problems by force and a pull.
Lam allured with sugary speeches was tempted into that society where he decided to realize his abilities and skills. At the meeting in the yard he was brought tea and some sweets. Then they started to form various structures from sympathizers - men of courage.
They influenced the people and the people could not but agree with the right arguments. They persuaded those who hesitated and drew them into their
"Society".
At any time a lot of policemen from the local yamen (the police station) like
"scudding clouds" rushed to the esteemed Lam Sai Wing. They took him for a model of
virtue and honestly did their duties. But there were other people in
Sects and Secret Societies who opposed Lam, carefully concealed their true intentions and tried to approach Master
Lam Sai Wing under a false mask of hearty sympathy. Using secret signs between themselves and following him everywhere, cocking an ear and snooping around, they expected a chance to lure
Lam Sai Wing into a death trap.
At the right moment they invited
Lai Sai Wing to visit one of the schools of Fighting Arts in the outskirts of
Canton. They sent an invitation in the name of the Tutor of that school.
Lam Sai Wing calmly came there without any idea about their hostile intentions. The host pretended to be glad to see him. After a few polite words they exchanged some secret signs between them.
Guan Kun who accompanied Lam Sai Wing, a vigilant and watchful man, felt that they were trapped and placed in a very
dangerous
situation.
Guan Kun hastened Lam Sai Wing to run like a deer towards the town of
Fui, but the gate was already closed. At that moment the
mob armed with side-arms and sticks attacked Lam and his
companions. Only now treacherous and mean intentions of the people who entrapped
Lam Sai Wing became clear to him. As Lam and his companions came there in a hurry without any weapon, they had to defend themselves barehanded. Soon several assaulters fell down and in a violent struggle
Lam Sai Wing was able to seize from the enemy two jians (jian
is a Chinese old time four-edged long metal weapon without a blade, narrow to the end, with a
handle).
Lam gave one of the jians to his disciple, the other one he left for himself. After having seized some weapons,
Lam Sai Wing and his companions cheered up and made an attempt to break through the hostile mob. Alas, the gate was still closed.
Lam Sai Wing's men who stood behind the gate could not do anything to help his comrades. In that bloody mess
Guan, Deng and the others withstood the large crowd and did their best to defend their tutor. Suddenly a man behind
Lam's back raised a sword, but Lam Sai Wing, in a quick movement, was in time to move up his
jian and to beat the attacking sword off the hands of the assailant. The sword flew a few
zhangs away (zhang is a Chinese unit of length equal to 3.33 m) and while falling down stroke
Guan Kun eyebrow which started to bleed.
It was lucky that the sword missed his eyes, because Guan could become blind. Although he was wounded, he felt a surge of strength and valor and rushed to the enemy. He stroke down more than ten assailants one by one. The enemy was shocked.
Guan took this opportunity to come to the rescue of Lam. Master
Lam Sai Wing rounded up by the enemies showed the extraordinary valour. He did not feel tired at all.
Jian in his hands was striking like a lightning. The foes were falling on the ground around him one after another, but new men advanced. All of a sudden, a man, that was
Tan, a former Lam's disciple, jumped out of the hostile mob and started to defend his
Master.
Lam realized that he was in a desperate situation. Life and death - it was all the same for him. He fought like a possessed. It seemed that nobody and nothing could stop him.
...Broken weapons scattered the battlefield, the earth was red with blood. Here and there lied the wounded who loudly moaned.
Lam Sai Wing, being a very brave and valiant man, understood that he was
"like a fish in a pot or a bird in a cage" (Fu zhung zhi yu, Long zhung zhi niao). He did not see a way out.
Meantime, the number of the wounded and the killed among the assailants stunned the enemy and they called soldiers to help them. Five battalions under the command of
Shi Xiaozhun came to form an impenetrable ring around the School of
Fighting Arts. It was like the death sentence to Lam. Yet, as saying goes,
"The trouble gives a birth to wit" and the man with a sword raised above his head becomes ready-witted.
Lam Sai Wing found a stone and threw it at the lamp which lighted the yard. In a moment the battle-field plunged into pitch-darkness. Thanks to it Master
Lam opened the gate with his jien, ran out into the street and mixed up with the crowd. Lam escaped the danger, but a little later a great scandal broke out because of
hundreds of the wounded and the killed. He realized that he had to go away from the place of the incident as far as possible to avoid repression.
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