Dragon and Phoenix
Chapter 47: On the Edge of a Lake

Cio San had far left that hill. From where he now sits, smoke rises from the hill. He was sure that the people there would be able to save themselves. They are the ones to be pitied. But Cio San knew, he didn't have to do anything there.

Now he sits in a small pavilion on the edge of the lake. This lake was not as beautiful as the lake where he had been bathing. But pretty quiet and quiet. He leaned back in his chair, and enjoyed the jar of wine he had bought before reaching the lake.

He enjoyed it slowly. Slowly. How to drink wine like this he did if he was thinking hard. Arak sometimes helps the mind to become clearer.

From far away, Cio San heard the clattering of horse legs galloping. People who drive it are in a hurry. Before long, Cio San could get to know the horseman. He is Beng Liong!

What is he doing in a hurry?

“Liong-ko!” Cio San said slowly. But his voice had reached right in Beng Liong's ears. The science of sending sounds like this requires a very high level of inner power.

Beng Liong stopped his horse.

“San-te! Ah, thank goodness you're safe!” said Beng Liong.

“Why rush, Liong-ko?” ask Cio San.

“I'll be on the hill there.” He pointed at the hill full of smoke and fire. “In the middle of the road, I met Cukat Tong. He said you were on that hill too. So I hurry,” Beng Liong replied.

He got off his horse. His face is full of light. In an afternoon like this, his face shone brightly. The smell of his body is very famous, it is not a mere empty story. Even from a distance of a spear, Cio San could smell it. A pleasant smell. No stabbing. Soft and caressing. From the smell alone, without seeing a face, perhaps women will immediately fall in love with him.

His clothes look very decent. Beng Liong is very good at choosing clothes. Although not the most luxurious, his clothes always looked neat and clean. The color always fits. The cut model is always good.

Her hair was neatly pinched. His face was free of whiskers and jambang. His eyes were always bright and his lips were always smiling. If Cio San's smile sometimes feels naughty and stubborn, Beng Liong's smile actually feels warm and pleasant.

They both hugged. It felt like they hadn't met for a long time.

“It's nice to see you're okay, San-te. What happened up there on the hill? Fire is what you did, isn't it?”

“Haha.” Cio San laughed as he played the end of his hair.

“You alone, what business to that hill, Liong-ko?” he asked back.

“I'm chasing Bwee Hua Sian.”

“Oh, so his name is Bwee Hua Sian (Goddess of Bwee Flowers).....,” as always Cio San.

“You've met him, haven't you? What happened?” ask Beng Liong.

Cio San told me everything.

“You.... leave those people in the burning garden?” said Beng Liong flabbergasted. He quickly moved towards the hill. He no longer rides horses. His feet were much faster than any horse.

Cio San had to follow him from behind. They keep ‘terbang’ up to that hill. Cio San sends a voice message to Beng Liong's ear, “Close the airway, the smoke is toxic.”

Once they reached the smoke-filled garden, they found no one there. Cio San was relieved of his heart, because from afar, he had not heard anyone's voice. He was worried that they were all burned to death. Thankfully, there was nothing there.

Beng Liong was also relieved.

“Why were you careless to leave those people behind, San-te? Can't they die of being roasted?” ask Beng Liong.

“Because I know they will definitely be safe,” Cio San said with a smile.

“Where are you sure?”

“Bwee Hua Sian still needs their power. I don't know who they are. But they must be important people. Famous figures.”

“You know Bwee Hua Sian will come back to save them?”

“At first, I didn't care. But while on the road, I thought about their fate. When I was about to return again, I thought that it must be Bwee Hua Sian who would save them.”

“You deliberately did not return and did not scoop it there, because you know it would endanger the fate of those people, right?”

“Yes, Liong-ko. If I fought with him there, the battle would probably last a long time, and we would not even have time to save those people.”

“Then, why didn't you tell me? Know that, we do not bother to come here.”

“So the time at the edge of the lake, I suddenly thought, that it might be possible that Bwee Hua Sian was unable to save them. Or it could be, he suddenly changed his mind, and killed them all.”

They both went down the beautiful road on the hill.

"Liong-ko, actually, why are you looking for him?”

“Not much different from you. I've been investigating him for a long time. I suspect, he is ‘otak’ behind all these events,” explains Beng Liong.

“Hmmm, I didn't even believe there was a woman like her at first. But after meeting, I was sure. At first I was suspicious of others.”

“Who?” ask Beng Liong.

“Cukat Tong,” Cio San replied lightly.

“Why?”

“Everything fits. When there was a poisoning at Ma Kauw's headquarters, he was there. Although I was able to save them, but my own treatment was only temporary. It was possible that he had a very high inner strength to help him fight or at least tame the poison. But I don't know. If

he survived the poison, of course because previously he had the antidote.”

Cio San, continue,

“He was also the only survivor of the ship burning incident at the dock. He is the King of Maling! Easily, he can steal secrets, sacred books, and various things that we cannot imagine!”

“Betul also,” said Beng Liong, “Then now your mind changes?”

“Iya. Bwee Hua Sian is much more dangerous than Cukat Tong. Much more plausible, if he was the culprit,” said Cio San. “Eh, Liong-ko, actually, what kind of human is Bwee Hua Sian?”

“From the results of my investigation, he lives at the northern end of Tionggoan, near a snowy area. All this time, he never got in here. Only, in recent years, many strange suspicious events. My investigation then led to him. For the past two years, I've been looking for and collecting news about him. Do you know how old he is? It's been almost 80 years!”

“Hah?? It's been almost 80 years? But she looks like a teenage girl.”

“According to the news, he has learned a kind of science that keeps him young. Since childhood, he has eaten certain plants that help him stay beautiful as now,” explained Beng Liong.

“Then, what does he mean to do this all?” ask Cio San.

“Entahlah. All I know, he might want to rule the world.”

“Indeed there is a temporary person who feels, that power is for him, already like eating, drinking, and breathing,” said Cio San.

“People like that, where might be happy?” Beng Liong just bobbing heads.

They walked for a long time and talked about many things. When they reached the pavilion where they met earlier, it turned out that Beng Liong's horse was still there.

“Liong-ko, I am amazed and thank you,” said Cio San.

“You came here on horseback. You are faster than any horse. That means you are saving your strength to fight with ‘dia’. Besides, you did that out of believing in me,” explained Cio San.

Beng Liong smiled and said, “Of course I believe you. On your intelligence and the wisdom of your knowledge. That's why I ride horses. I'm sure it won't be too late. Are you there, when I should be worried?”

They both laughed.

“Eh, out of this, where are you?” ask Beng Liong.

“Following my friends in the front city,” said Cio San. “If you are, Liong-ko?”

“I will join the government army. There was a little task that was assigned to me by Lau-ciangbun. When did you join?”

“Soon. After Bu Lim Bengcu's affair at the top of Thay San is done,” Cio San said with a smile.

“Good. See you at the top of Thay San, San-te,” Beng Liong said as he rode his horse.

“See you, Liong-ko. Be careful on the road.”

Beng Liong pulled his horse. Cio San can only look at Beng Liong's back and make a mind, “Urusan big, indeed only Beng Liong who can do it.”

He smiled and continued his journey.