The Story of Gao An Ning and Niu Bang Rong Long ago in the Himalayan Mountains, a young beautiful woman sang every day to acquire a husband. It was every woman’s duty from the day of her thirteenth birthday to sing from the top of the mountains to find her future spouse. This woman was Gao An Ning. She had fair skin paler than the moon with black sparking eyes and ebony hair that flowed like water from the river. Every morning until noon, she sang the Swan Song, a hauntingly beautiful melody. Every night, her father, Gao Tan Kai, checked on her and scanned the nearby area to see if there were any eligible suitors he could direct towards the mountain. One day, a young man on his way home from a battle between neighboring villages stopped and heard her beautiful singing. A strong-shouldered man who was still a bachelor, Niu Bang Rong had waited for the day he could get a wife. Enchanted by the voice, the soldier climbed up the mountain to see the beauty who awaited the coming of her fated spouse. It was love at first sight. Only after they talked did they discover that their villages were enemies, and that Niu Bang Rong had unknowingly killed her brother in battle. Undeterred by their villages’ conflicts, they decided to marry anyways. Every day, Niu Bang Rong visited Gao An Ning, keeping their relationship secret. One day, however, while returning from the mountain, Niu Bang Rong was spotted by Er Tian Rui, a man who lived for enmity and battle. Er Tian Rui climbed the mountain and found the beauty brushing her hair, happy as she always was after Niu Bang Rong’s visits. When she saw the strange man behind her, she knew that he had discovered her secret. He, on the other hand, realized that a marriage between Gao An Ning and Niu Bang
