He passed along a covered pathway and into yet anotherhall lit by two massive, flickering candles and filledwith row after row of wooden cabinets, each one markedwith a piece of yellowing paper stuck to the side. Hepicked up one of the candles and began his search.

　　Before long, he located the right cabinet. He openedits doors and found inside three parcels wrapped inyellow cloth. The parcel on the left was inscribed invermilion ink with his foster father's name: 'YuWanting'. Chen's hands shook slightly and severaldrops of candlewax splattered on the floor. Then, witha silent prayer, he opened the parcel.

　　Inside was a thick file of yellowing papers, a man'sembroidered waistcoat, and a woman's whiteundergarment which was badly ripped and speckled withblack spots that appeared to be blood stains. Chenopened the file and began reading from the beginning:

　　"I, Yu Wanting, a twenty-first generation pupil of theShaolin Monastery of Putian, Fujian Province, dohereby respectfully confess in full my misdemeanors.

　　"I was born into a peasant family and spent my youthin great poverty and hardship. I knew the girl XuChaosheng, who lived next door, from when we were veryyoung. As we grew, we came to love one another...."Chen's heart began to thump wildly. "Could it be myfoster father's misdemeanor had something to do withmy mother?" he wondered. He continued reading:

　　"We secretly agreed to remain faithful to each otherfor life, and would marry no-one else. After the deathof my father, there were several years of drought, andwith nothing in the fields to harvest, I went out intothe world to find a life for myself. Due to thecompassion of my benevolent master, I was taken in bythe monastery. The embroidered waistcoat enclosed wasgiven to me by the girl Xu when I left home.

　　"Before I had been fully initiated into the higherskills of the Shaolin martial arts school, I lefttemporarily to return to my home village. Because ofthe girl Xu's kindness, I was unable to abandonworldly emotions and went back to see her, but wasshocked to find that her father had married her intothe family of the local landlord, surnamed Chen. In astate of extreme anguish, I entered the Chen mansionone night to visit her. Using martial skills I hadlearned from the Shaolin School, I trespassed on theproperty of an ordinary citizen for personal reasons.

　　This was my first breach of discipline.

　　"The girl Xu moved with her husband to Beijing, andthree years later, having failed to renounce my lovefor her, I went to visit her again. As it happened,that very night, she gave birth to a son. I wasoutside the window and managed to catch a glimpse ofthe child. Four days later, I returned once more andfound the girl Xu looking very pale. She told me thather son had been taken away by the Princess Rong Zhangand replaced by a baby girl. Before we had a chance totalk further, four assassins entered, obviously sentby the Princess to kill the girl Xu. In the heat ofthe fight, I received a sword wound on my forehead,but killed all four assassins before passing out. Thegirl Xu bandaged my wound with the enclosedundergarment. Having heard a secret of the ImperialPalace and having been seen to use Shaolin kung fu, Irisked bringing great trouble upon the school. This ismy second breach of discipline.

　　"For the next ten years, although I was in Beijing, Idid not dare to go and see the girl Xu again, butsubmerged myself in learning kung fu. Finally theEmperor Yong Zheng died and Qian Long succeeded him tothe throne. I worked out the dates and realised thatQian Long was the son of the girl Xu. Knowing howcold-blooded Yong Zheng was and afraid that he mighthave left orders to have her killed to silence her, Ientered the Chen mansion again. One night, twoassassins did indeed come. I killed them both andfound Yong Zheng's written order on one of them. Ienclose the document."Chen fl............