Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/308

 Then Kuan Yü began to be angry, and he told them what had happened to K‘ung Hsiu. “Do you also seek death?” asked Kuan.

“Who will capture him for me?” cried Han Fu, and Mêng T‘an offered himself. He rode out, whirling his double swords and made straight for Kuan Yü.

Kuan Yü sent back the carriage out of danger and then rode toward Mêng. They engaged, but very soon Mêng turned his steed and fled. Kuan Yü pursued. Mêng, intent only on leading his enemy toward the ambush, took no account of the speed of “Red Hare.” Very soon he was caught up and a stroke of the mighty sword cut him in two pieces. Then Kuan Yü stopped and turned back. The archers in the gate shot their hardest and though it was a long way off one of them lodged an arrow in his left arm. He pulled it out with his teeth but the blood streamed down as he rode toward the Prefect, Han Fu. The men scattered. Kuan Yü rode straight at his next victim. He raised his sword and made an oblique cut which sliced off the head and shoulder of his opponent.

Then he drove off the soldiers and returned to escort the carriage. He bound up his wound, and, fearing lest any one might take advantage of his weakness, he made no long halts on the road but hurried toward Ishui Pass.

The warden of this pass was Pien Hsi of Pingchou, a warrior whose weapon was a comet-hammer. He had been a Yellow Turban and had gone over to Ts‘ao, who had given him this post. As soon as he heard of the coming of the redoubtable warrior he cudgelled his brains for a ruse to use against him. He decided upon an ambush. In a temple at the pass he placed two hundred “axe and sword” men. He reckoned on enticing Kuan to the temple for refreshment and when he let fall a cup as signal the hidden men would rush out.

All being thus arranged and ready, he went out to welcome Kuan Yü in friendly guise and he dismounted at his coming. Pien Hsi began very amiably.

“Your name, General, makes the very earth tremble and every one looks up to you. This return to the Imperial Uncle proves you to be noble and true.”

Kuan Yü in reply told him the story of the men he had slain. Hsi replied, “You slew them; that is well. When I see the Minister I will explain to him the inner reasons for these acts.”

Kuan Yü thought he had found a friend and so mounted and rode through the pass. When he came to the temple a number of priests came out to meet him with clanging bells.

This temple, that of a Guardian of the State, had a courtyard in which the Emperor Ming had burned incense. In the temple were thirty priests and among these there happened to be one who came from the same village as Kuan Yü. His