Return of Condor Heroes (180 page)

Huang Rong: “Can’t imagine what matter I’m able to explain to you!”

Li Mochou: “The bamboo stick technique is a unique skill of the Nine Fingered Divine Beggar, whereas Tao Hua Island’s wugong is famous in the realm, why doesn’t Mrs. Guo use your own family’s wugong?”

Huang Rong thought: “This person is tricky; she isn’t able to win against my stick and tries to provoke me.” She said with a smile: “If Elder knows this stick method is Nine Fingered Divine Beggar’s, then you also know what it’s called?” Li Mochou humphed but didn’t reply. Huang Rong sneered: “It’s called ‘if you meet a dog, flog it’ stick method.”

Li Mochou resigned. She didn’t succeed in luring Huang Rong to use her palm instead of the stick; the enemy even mocked her, using her glib tongue. Inserting the whisk on her waist she said: “Beggars use to chant the lian-hua (begging) chant, their Bang Zhu is no exception.” She strode to the nearest tree and sat on a branch.

That Li Mochou admitted defeat was what Huang Rong wanted. But the demoness didn’t leave and Huang Rong could guess her intention very well, she would immediately attack as soon as Huang Rong tried to get the baby. With Huang Rong holding the baby and hampered by it, their skills would even out. So, with the baby practically in her hands, she couldn’t bring it safely home without killing or injuring the demoness.

Suddenly Huang Rong moved, approaching Li Mochou with three steps to the left and four steps to the right. Those steps seemed common, but they bore the intricacies of the “Eight Diagrams” (Ba-gua), in whatever direction Li Mochou would try to flee, Huang Rong could still have blocked her path, that’s the purpose of the movement. Huang Rong already threatened her left elbow with the stick.

Li Mochou parried with her palm and shouted: “After Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng died, Huang Yaoshi truly has no disciples who have inherited his skills.” What Li Mochou said not only ridiculed Huang Rong for using the ‘foreign’ “Dog Beating Stick” method but also to try to humiliate her father as well. Actually Huang Rong had inherited the Huang family’s skill “Jade Flute Sword Method” (Yu xiao jian fa) with profound mastery, but using a sword and not a stick, she was unsure of winning against such a formidable adversary. She answered faintly smiling: “It is true that my father had unworthy disciples, they certainly can’t be compared to pure and chaste apprentice sisters like Elder Li and Miss Long.”

The demoness went sick with rage. Waving her sleeve, two “Soul Freezing Silver Needles” were shot, aiming at Huang Rong’s lower abdomen. Although she was incomparably cruel and could kill without batting an eye, she was still a virgin. Hearing Huang Rong put her on par with her ‘dishonored’ apprentice sister, made her use her lethal poisoned needles.

Huang Rong, staying very close, never had a chance to dodge them. But having perfect command of the Dog Beating Stick method, she still could hurriedly fend them off with the stick. The needles flew about two inches past her face; she could faintly sniff their poisonous smell. She remembered her eagle whose foot was hit by such a needle and it took about six or seven months to cure. Meanwhile another pair of needles shot out.

Huang Rong hastily leapt up and ran towards the East, two needles whizzing near her ear. She thought: “This place is too near to Xiang’er; if she got struck by a random flying needle, it would be lethal for her.” She rushed further, leaving the forest.

Li Mochou chased joyfully, she felt that with the exception of ‘Da gau bang fa’, her other skills were superior to that of Mrs. Guo. She shouted: “Victory or defeat hasn’t been decided, why do you run away?”

Huang Rong stopped, faintly smiling.

Li Mochou said reproachingly: “Mrs. Guo, do you need the stick to keep my needles away?”

Huang Rong knew that as long as she used the stick, Li Mochou wouldn’t accept her defeat. She inserted the stick on her waist and chuckled: “Li dao-zhang, I’ve long heard about your incomparable “Five Poisons Divine Palm” (Wu du shen zhang) and how it has killed numerous people, junior wants to try out that ominous palm.”

Li Mochou was rather startled: “She is aware of my fierce (li hai) palm but wants to try it.” She channeled her inner force to the palm and said: “I also want to try Tao Hua Island’s “Luo Ying Divine Sword Palm” (luo ying shen jian zhang).” She moved her left palm to parry Huang Rong’s palm, her right palm aiming for the shoulder. Both palms moved at the same time, but the right palm also ejected two needles aiming between Huang Rong’s chest and belly. This striking and simultaneously ejecting needles stance had been developed by herself after leaving Gu Mu. The adversary who only guarded against the palms wouldn’t think of being attacked with the needles at such a close distance. Many wuxia experts had been killed by this move of hers.

Huang Rong retracted her left palm to parry, her right hand moving about her bosom as if she herself wanted to pull out a hidden projectile (an qi) but it was already too late, the needles were already about five inches near her ribs, even someone with a much higher ability than her wouldn’t avoid being hit. Li Mochou felt up surging joy as she saw the needles penetrating the cloth. “Oh!” Huang Rong cried bending, her right hand touching her stomach, her left palm striking Li Mochou’s chest. That palm really came swiftly, Li Mochou cried: “Good! She dodged and struck with both palms aiming at Huang Rong’s chest. She knew the poison would instantly show its effect. So her stroke only was meant to shove Huang Rong a bit before she died of the poisoning. She saw Huang Rong’s upper body only showing a slight reaction and she wondered how the poison could paralyze that quick. Her pair of palms soon touched the chest of her adversary; she felt some slight pain from being pricked. Hurriedly and in great surprise she leapt backwards, looking at her palms she saw two tiny holes, black blood oozing out, revealing she had been injured by her own needles. She was startled, angry and didn’t understand how it could have happened. She saw Huang Rong taking two apples from her bosom with a smile, lifted them high, and showing a needle in each apple. Li Mochou now realized that Huang Rong hid the apples, didn’t try to parry her stroke, put her hand in her bosom to hold the apples, receiving the needles and lured Li Mochou to strike the apples herself.

Li Mochou was not a stupid person, but in a duel of cunning today she had to admit defeat, she moved her hand to her bosom to take the antidote. But with a windy sound Huang Rong had attacked her face. Li Mochou hurriedly lifted her left hand to fend, suddenly Huang Rong’s snow white palm opened, its five fingers, shaped gracefully like an orchid, threatened the xiao hai accupoint on her right elbow. She thought: “Is that the famous “Orchid Hand Strikes Accupoint” (lan hua fu xue shou)?” Her right hand, which had failed to take the antidote, was trying to grasp Huang Rong’s hand. Huang Rong retracted her right hand, her left hand aiming at the que pen accupoint on the neck. She attacked using Luo ying palm alternately with orchid hand, her moves were not only swift and fierce but also utterly graceful. Li Mochou couldn’t help thinking: “Today I have witnessed Tao Hua Island’s divine techniques, it is really superb, and even if I was not poisoned I wouldn’t be her match.” She eagerly withdrew to take the antidote, but Huang Rong attacked again, not giving her time for it. The “Soul Freezing Silver Needle” had severe poison on it, hadn’t Li Mochou been used to it, she would already have broken down. But even so, as soon as the poison had reached the pit of her stomach, it would be hopeless for her. Huang Rong observed her face getting paler, her adversary got weaker and weaker, Huang Rong thought of the demoness killing the Wu brothers’ mother, at last now she would succumb to her own poison, Huang Rong pressed steadily on, but also guarded herself, fearing a last counter attempt by her adversary.

Li Mochou felt a numbness creeping up her elbow, after several stances more the numbness had reached her armpit, her arm couldn’t bend anymore. She called out: “Hold a minute!” Stepping aside she said: “Mrs. Guo, since I’ve killed many people, I hadn’t expected to live this long. In martial arts and cunning I’m inferior to you; it’s fitting to die by your hands. But I must be bold and beg something of you.”

Huang Rong: “Beg for what?” She guessed the demoness was trying to use delaying tactics so she watched her hands carefully; she saw her arms sagging and she then listened to her adversary saying: “I don’t have an affectionate relationship with my shi mei, but her child is adorably cute, I beseech you to show a forgiving heart and not to take her young life.”

Huang Rong felt the Scarlet Serpent Deity spoke with sincerity, she was unable to suppress being moved. She thought: “This demoness’ misdeeds heaped up like a mountain, who would have thought that in the time of approaching death she would show such a loving concern for my daughter.” She answered: “The parents of this child are no ordinary people, if I let her live she would pose a great danger to me.”

Li Mochou sighed and said with a failing voice: “I understand, but I’m still hoping you would be forgiving ....”

Huang Rong was very moved, but wanted to try her further, she approached and hit an accupoint before taking a bottle out, asking: “Is this the antidote?”

Li Mochou: “Yes!”

Huang Rong: “I can’t forgive two people at the same time; should I forgive you, I have to kill the baby. If you yourself choose to die, I will save the baby.”

Li Mochou was totally dumbfounded. Never did she dream of getting a second chance to live, but she was unable to ask Huang Rong to kill the child, whereas to sacrifice herself in order to save the child ....., she saw Huang Rong in front of her, waving a pill from the bottle, waiting for her reply. She trembled, stuttering: “I ...., I ....”

Huang Rong thought: “The fact alone that she is hesitating counts as a plus point for her. No matter what choice she makes, I must let her live. She has accumulated such a huge blood debt; there will certainly be someone in the future that will take revenge on her.”

Thereupon she said smilingly: “Elder Li, many thanks to you for showing such a loving care for Xiang’er.” Li Mochou, confused: “What?” Huang Rong chuckled: “The baby is surnamed Guo with the name Xiang, she is my and Guo Jing’s daughter. Soon after her birth she fell into Miss Long hands, I don’t know how you came to your misunderstanding. Because you have taken good care of her, then junior must thank you profusely.”

Saying that, she bowed clasping her hands, then put a pill in Li Mochou’s mouth, asking: “Is this enough?” Li Mochou answered sorrowfully: “I’m heavily poisoned, I need three pills.” Huang Rong answered: “Very well”, gave her two more pills, then thought that the antidote could be of some use later on, so she put the bottle in her bosom, saying: “Your accupoints would unseal in three hours time.”

Huang Rong returned to the forest and thought: “Fu’er would be impatiently waiting for me, but if she sees her sister she will be very happy.” Entering the cane circle her body went cold like entering an icehouse. The cane circle looked no different but Guo Xiang was nowhere to be seen!. Huang Rong’s heart beat madly, although usually very smart, she didn’t know what to do.

After a while she calmed herself down and thought: “I must not worry, if a person took Xiang’er during my fight with Li Mochou, he can’t be very far.” She climbed up the highest tree to look off in the distance from that high place. The surrounding area of Xiangyang was flat; she saw nothing suspicious within a radius of several li. Huang Rong thought: “This person must still be in the near vicinity.”

Thereupon she looked carefully for traces around the cane circle but nothing was moved away. She pondered: “This cane maze is arranged according to Jiu Gong Ba Gua positions according to my own father’s concept; except Tao Hua Island’s [Peach Blossom Island] disciples nobody has an inkling of it. Even Jinlun Fawang (Golden Wheel Monk) with his broad knowledge couldn’t solve its secrets. Has my father arrived?...Oh my god!”

She remembered her meeting with Jinlun Fawang several months ago, she had arranged a stone maze, she had explained to Yang Guo about the system, although he was not yet skilled in Jiu Gong Ba Gua, he wouldn’t have difficulties solving this cane maze. Thinking of Yang Guo she couldn’t help but be anxious: “Fu’er cut off his arm so he has a feud with the Guo family and now Xiang’er is in his hands; he doesn’t have to kill her, he could just leave her in the wilderness and she would certainly die.” Thinking about the baby, she thought of her bad luck of being taken soon after she was born, she uncontrollably shed a tear. But being very experienced, she looked again very carefully for traces around the spot but couldn’t find any. She mused: “Although his qing gong is extraordinary, he must have left traces here in the mud, or could he possibly fly?”

This guess of Huang Rong was correct. Guo Xiang was taken by Yang Guo and he got into the cane maze from the air!

That day Yang Guo observed how Huang Rong hit Guo Jing’s accupoint and then followed her daughter out of town. Yang Guo also followed them from afar, thinking: “Aunt Guo, your daughter owes me an arm, if your husband doesn’t succeed in cutting it off, let me do it. I can see you, you can’t see me; if you want to save your daughter’s arm, I think that won’t be easy.” Huang Rong and her daughter being preoccupied didn’t realize they were being followed.

The meeting with Li Mochou in the small town and the fight, all were observed by Yang Guo. As the fighters left the forest, he immediately jumped up a tree, bound the end of a cane to the tree, slid into the middle of the cane circle on the cane, clamped Guo Xiang’s waist with his feet, then pulled his body up again into the tree. After landing on the ground again after several tree jumps, he returned to the small town.

He saw Guo Fu on the street corner, holding the reins of the hong ma (red horse) waiting impatiently for her mother. Yang Guo leapt to sit astride the red horse. Guo Fu was startled, turning she saw that the unexpected rider was Yang Guo. She unsheathed her sword, her normal sword, not Xiao Longnu’s “Lady Sword”, which she didn’t like using.

Yang Guo saw her face turning pale with a frightened look, if he had wanted to cut her arm off now it would be all too easy. Somehow in the last moment he moved his right shoulder, the empty sleeve wrapped around the sword and flung it away. Guo Fu had let the sword go and it hit the corner of a wall. Yang Guo’s left hand snatched the reins; clamping his legs to the horse’s belly urged it to gallop away like the wind. Guo Fu slowly walked to pick up her sword; it was bent like a square.