Return of Condor Heroes (120 page)

When Xiao Longnu saw the suffering he was in; her pity was roused and as soon as this happened, the Passion Flower poison in her finger flared up and she felt the excruciating pain again. She thought, “I’ve only been pierced once by the Passion Flower and it is already this painful; but he’s covered with thousands and thousands of thorns, how can he stand it?”

Valley Master Gongsun knew what she was thinking and said, “Sister Liu, I sincerely want to marry and be with you; I have only admiration and love for you, I have no ill intent, you should understand this.”

Xiao Longnu nodded her head and said mournfully, “You have treated me well all along; but even if we met before you saved me and you treated me like an empress you wouldn’t be able to win my heart.” She hung her head for a short while and then gave a long sigh; she said, “Mr. Gongsun, if you hadn’t seen me that day by the mountainside, if you hadn’t saved me and had let me die there, it would have been better for the three of us. You know that forcing me to marry you will result in a lifetime of unhappiness for me. What good is that to you?”

Valley Master Gongsun’s eyebrows slowly rose again; he deepened his voice and said, “I have always been a man of my word; I don’t allow people to insult or lie to me. Since you’ve agreed to marry me, you have to marry me. When it comes to happiness, sadness, joy and pain, the future is hard to predict; who knows what tomorrow may bring? Let’s just see what happens.” He waved his sleeve and said, “This person has been pricked by the Passion Flowers all over his body; the suffering will deepen every two hours; thirty six days from now he will die in excruciating pain. I have a medicine that I can give to him which will cure him within twenty four hours; but after a day, even a god won’t be able to save him. It’s up to you whether he lives or dies.” He walked slowly towards the door and pushed it open; he turned his head and said, “If you’d rather watch him die slowly then you can stay here and watch him for the next thirty six days; it’s up to you. I won’t harm you so you can relax. If you change your decision within twenty four hours, all you’ve got to do it give a shout and I will bring the antidote to him.” He was about to leave the room.

Xiao Longnu saw that Yang Guo was trembling all over; his lips were bleeding because of him biting down in pain; his eyes had been as bright as a shooting star, but now there was not even a single speck of light in them. The pain that he was in now was already unbearable; but the pain would deepen every two hours for the next thirty six days; even hell wouldn’t have such a punishment. She bit down on her lip and said, “Mr. Gongsun, I’ll agree to marry you. Quickly let him go and give him the antidote.”

Valley Master Gongsun had been trying to force her to say this all along; when he heard this he was delighted but also resentful. He knew that from now on, she would detest him and loathe him. She would never have any love towards him so he nodded his head and said, “It’s for the benefit of everyone that you have changed your mind. After we’ve consummated our marriage tonight, I’ll give him the antidote in the morning.”

Xiao Longnu said, “First cure him.”

The Valley Master sighed and said, “Sister Liu, you think too little of me. I know that agreeing to this is not what you want; even if I was stupid, how would I not know? Do you think I would cure him first?” He turned to leave the room.

Xiao Longnu and Yang Guo looked at each miserably, neither one saying a word for a while. Yang Guo said slowly, “Gu Gu, even when I’m down in the underworld I will feel no pain because of your love. Just kill me with one palm!”

Xiao Longnu thought, “I’ll first kill him with one palm and then commit suicide.” So she raised her hand and gathered internal energy in her palm.

Yang Guo’s face had a smile, his eyes soft and peaceful; looking at her sweetly, he whispered, “This is where we’ll consummate our love.”

Xiao Longnu saw his air was glorious; she thought, “Why is heaven so cruel towards such a handsome and graceful man, wanting him to die today.” Her chest ached and suddenly she tasted sweetness at the back of her throat; it appeared that she would throw up blood again and the internal energy in her arm immediately dissipated. Suddenly, she threw herself on top of Yang Guo; the thousands and thousands of thorns of the Passion Flower pierced her body; she said, “Guo’er, we’ll endure the suffering together.”

Valley Master Gongsun called out, “Oh no!” in shock, he said, “You… you…” He then said coldly, “Why did you do this? Will your suffering lessen his?”

Xiao Longnu took one deep look at Yang Guo, then slowly turned around. She exited the room and didn’t look back.

Valley Master Gongsun said, “Brother Yang, I’ll give you the antidote in twenty hours time. All you’ve got to do in these twenty hours is cleanse your thoughts and don’t rouse any feelings of love. Even if there is pain, it won’t be that hard to endure.” He then left the room and closed the door.

Yang Guo’s body was wracked with pain and his heart was full of hurt. “All the pain and suffering that I’ve experience before today is nothing compared to the pain I’m experiencing now. The Valley Master is such an evil person; how can I just die like this and let Gu Gu suffer at his hands? Besides, I still have to avenge my father; how can I allow the phony, righteous and benevolent Guo Jing and Huang Rong to not get what they deserve for their evil deed?” When he thought about this, his blood boiled, shaking and stirring him, “I cannot die; whatever happens I cannot die! Even if Gu Gu becomes the wife of the Valley Master I’d still need to save her. I need to train my martial arts and avenge my father.” So he clenched his teeth and sat up. Although he couldn’t assume the proper form in the fish net, he was still able to submerge his chi into his dan tian and started to circulate his internal energy.

Four hours later, midday had passed. A disciple in green entered with a plate; there were four new buns on it. The disciple said, “Our master is celebrating his wedding and he’s allowing you to have a good meal.” The disciple placed the plate by the fish net; his hand was covered with a coarse cloth to avoid getting injured by the passion flowers. As Yang Guo stretched out his hand through the net for the buns and ate them, he thought, “Since I’m going to fight with my life against that bastard Valley Master, I can’t torture myself.”

The disciple laughed, “I couldn’t have guessed that you would have such a great appetite.”

Suddenly there was a green blur by the door; another disciple had come through the door and had moved up silently behind the first disciple. That disciple threw a heavy punch against the first disciple’s back. The disciple fainted before he could see who threw the punch.

Yang Guo saw that the person who did the sneak attack was actually Gongsun Lu E; he said with surprise, “You… you…”

Gongsun Lu E first turned around and closed the door before whispering, “Quiet brother Yang, I’ve come to rescue you.” She untied the knots of the net and cleared the Passion Flowers away from Yang Guo, letting him out. Her hands were covered with a thick piece of cloth.

Yang Guo hesitated, “If your father finds out about this…”

Gongsun Lu E said, “I’ll ignore whatever heavy punishment I’ll get.” She picked up a Passion Flower and placed it in the mouth of the unconscious disciple so that he won’t be able to call for help when he wakes up. Then she placed him in the fish net and threw the Passion Flowers over him. She whispered again, “Brother Yang, hide behind the door if someone enters. I’ll go and get the antidote for your poison from the pill room.”

Yang Guo was extremely touched. He knew that she was putting herself in danger by doing this; his friendship with her was not even a day old and she’s actually rebelling against her father to rescue him. He said, “Miss, I… I…” He was so touched that he couldn’t say anything.

Gongsun Lu E smiled at him and said, “Just wait here for a little while, I’ll be right back.” She then left the room.

Yang Guo was lost in thought, “Why is she treating me so well? Though I’ve had an unfortunate life and suffered under other people ever since I was small, there are actually many people who have treated me sincerely. There’s no need to mention Gu Gu; there’s Grandma Sun, Hong Qigong, my Godfather Ouyang Feng and Island Master Huang. There’s also the girls Cheng Ying and Lu Wushuang, and now’s there’s Gongsun Lu E as well amongst them; all of them have treated me with great sincerity. My birth date and time must be of an extremely strange nature; otherwise how could those who’ve been good to me treat me so well and those who’ve been cruel to me have treated me so badly?” But he never thought about how all his encounters have been extraordinary; the people he meets either treat him with great sincerity or treat him with extreme insincerity. His character was such that he would only get on well with those who could agree with him; those whose words clashed with his, he treated as an enemy. How he treated others was, of course, how others repaid him.

He waited for a long while but Gongsun Lu E still had not returned. Yang Guo was getting more and more worried. At first he thought that there must have been someone else present in the pill room so she couldn’t steal the antidote. But as time went by, he thought that even if she couldn’t steal the antidote, she would have come back and told him so. It looks like something must have gone terribly wrong; she took such a big risk for me, how can I not try to save her? He opened the door slightly and peeked out. It was quiet outside and there was no one around; he slipped out but he did not know where Gongsun Lu E might be.

Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly heard footsteps from around the corner; he quickly hid behind the corner and saw two disciples in green passing by shoulder to shoulder. In their hands was a thorny stick; it appeared that it was something that was used for punishment.

Yang Guo was furious, “Gu Gu would rather die than submit, and that shameless Valley Master is actually trying to force her to submit through torture!” He lightened his steps and followed the two disciples. The two disciples did not notice him; they turned and twisted along a few corridors before arriving outside a stone room. They said clearly, “Master, the thorny stick is here.” They pushed open the door and entered.

Yang Guo’s heart raced; he saw that there was a window on the eastern side of the room and ran over to it. He looked inside and saw that it wasn’t Xiao Longnu; it was Gongsun Lu E who was standing in front of her father with her head hanging down. The Valley Master was sitting in the middle of the room while two disciples were holding long swords in their hands, guarding the left and right of Gongsun Lu E.

The Valley Master took the thorny stick and said coldly, “E’er, you’re my own flesh and blood; why did you betray me?”

Gongsun Lu E lowered her head and didn’t say anything.

The Valley Master said, “Do you think I don’t know that you’ve fallen for the one named Yang? I said I was going to let him go; why were you so anxious? When I see him tomorrow I’ll betroth you to him, how about that?”

How would Yang Guo not know how Gongsun Lu E felt about him; but right now when it was said aloud in public, his heart raced.

Gongsun Lu E still did not say anything and kept her head lowered. After a while, she lifted her head and said clearly, “Father, all you’re thinking about right now is your marriage; what time you do have for your daughter?”

Valley Master Gongsun gave a ‘heng’ grunt and didn’t say anything.

Gongsun Lu E continued, “You are correct; I admire master Yang’s decency and honesty, his passion and righteousness. But I know that there is only Miss Long in his heart. I saved him because… because I can’t stand what you have done; it is not because of him.”

Yang Guo was extremely moved by this and thought, “This scoundrel is so cruel and violent, yet he has a daughter who is so kind and righteous.”

Valley Master Gongsun’s face was unmoved. There were no signs of being angry on his face as he said dryly, “So according to you, I’m not an honest person; someone who’s not righteous and who’s not passionate?”

Gongsun Lu E said, “I do not dare to describe father this way. But… but…”

The Valley Master said, “But what?”

Gongsun Lu E said, “Master Yang has been pierced by thousands and thousands of Passion Flower thorns; how can he withstand the suffering? Father, you’re merciful and kind, just let him go.”

The Valley Master chuckled, “I’m going to let him go tomorrow. I don’t need you to be so meddlesome.”

Gongsun Lu E tilted her head and pondered; appearing as if she was weighing up whether she should say the words she had on her mind. Eventually her face became resolute and she said, “Father, you’re the one who raised me; that master Yang is an outsider I’ve just met; how can I betray you and help him? If father was really going to let him go and cure his poison, why would I need to take the great risk of going to the pill room?”

Valley Master Gongsun said sternly, “Then why did you go there?”

Gongsun Lu E said, “I know that you have ill intent towards him. After you’ve forced Miss Long to marry you, you will kill master Yang to end Miss Long’s longing.

Valley Master Gongsun’s eyebrows raised again; he said coldly, “Huh, it looks like I’ve reared an ill boding tiger. I brought you up and here you are now, biting back at me. Give it!” He stretched out his hand.

Lu E said, “What does father want?”

The Valley Master said, “You’re still playing dumb? I want the Passionless Pill that cures the poison of the Passion Flower.”

Lu E said, “I did not take it.”

The Valley Master stood up and said, “Then where did it go?”

Yang Guo examined the room; he saw the cupboards were lined with bottles of medicine and there were countless herbs hung on the wall. In the western side of the room were three pill cauldrons. This room looks like none other than that so called pill room. From the expression of Valley Master Gongsun, it appeared that Gongsun Lu E would definitely face a heavy punishment.