Return of Condor Heroes (88 page)

Guo Jing loved Yang Guo very much, it was unavoidable that he would want to plead and scold him deeply and severely. Today he saw Yang Guo show himself in front of all these heroes, he was feeling delight and content when he suddenly found out that Yang Guo had done something he should never have done. His heart was anxious and urgent, his tone was especially strict, he continued, “Your deceased mother must have told you this before, your name is ‘Guo’, what are the words that accompanies it?”

Yang Guo remembered that his mother had told him this before, but then he was young, no one had used these words in regards him, he himself almost forgot it. Yang Guo replied, “They’re ‘Gai Zhi’.”

Guo Jing said with a severe tone, “Correct, and what does it mean?”

Yang Guo thought for a while and remembered the literature that Huang Rong had taught him when he was younger, he said, “Uncle Guo is saying that ‘if I have made mistakes then I must correct them’.”

Guo Jing’s tone now became gentler, he said, “Guo’er, people make mistakes, mistakes can be changed; this is the greatest advice. They are the words of the first virtuous men and sages. You’ve been disrespectful towards your seniors; this is a big mistake, think well about it.”

Yang Guo said, “If I was wrong, of course I would change. But he…” He pointed to Zhao Zhijing and said, “He beat me, insulted me, lied to me and hated me, how can he still be my Master? Gu Gu and I are clean and innocent, the day can be our witness. I respect her, and love her, could it be that’s wrong?” He said this boldly, with justice on his side.

Guo Jing’s intelligence and verbal ability couldn’t compare with his, how could he argue with him? But he knew that his actions were very wrong yet he didn’t know how to tell him clearly, he could only say, “This… this… you’re wrong…”

Huang Rong walked forward slowly and softly said, “Guo’er, Uncle Guo is looking out for your well being, you must understand this.”

Yang Guo was moved by her soft and gentle words; he lowered his voice and said, “I know that Uncle Guo has always treated me extremely well.” His eyes became red, he almost cried.

Huang Rong said, “He’s giving you sincere advice, don’t take this the wrong way.”

Yang Guo said, “I don’t understand, what, exactly, have I done wrong?”

Huang Rong’s face sank and said, “You really don’t understand, or are you deliberately stirring things up?”

Yang Guo was angry in his heart, he thought, “You have treated me well, I have paid you back well, what more do you want from me?” He bit down on his lips and didn’t reply.

Huang Rong said, “Fine, since you want me to tell you the truth, I won’t go around in circles. Since Miss Long is your Master, she is your senior, you cannot be lovers.”

This rule was not unheard of by Yang Guo as it was by Xiao Longnu, but he couldn’t accept it; why couldn’t Gu Gu be his wife just because she taught him some kung fu? Why even Uncle Guo doesn’t believe that he and Gu Gu have done anything immoral? When he thought about this, his anger erupted. He was already someone who wasn’t afraid of neither heaven nor earth; now that he’s being accused, he was even bolder and loudly said, “What have I done that has hindered you people? Who have I hurt? Gu Gu has taught me kung fu but I still want her to be my wife. Even if you chop me up into a thousand pieces I will still want her to be my wife.”

These words shocked and startled those who heard it. The Song at that time adhered to customs and traditions strictly; where on earth have they heard such fearless, wanton and rebellious logic? The person that Guo Jing respected the most was his Master, when he heard this, his anger erupted and he dashed forward, stretching out his arm, grabbing his chest.

Xiao Longnu was shocked and stretched out her hand to block this grab. Guo Jing’s martial arts were much stronger than Xiao Longnu’s and now he was furious; he used all his strength, a lead and a wave and he had flung her over ten feet away. He stretched out his arm and grabbed Yang Guo’s ‘Celestial Charge’ pressure point; with his left hand raised he shouted, “You animal, you dare to say such heresy?”

Yang Guo’s lost all his strength by this grab, but there wasn’t a shred of fear in his heart, he said, “Gu Gu loves me with all her heart; I treat her the same way. Uncle Guo, if you want to kill me then do it. But I will never change my mind.”

Guo Jing said, “I treat you like my own son, I cannot allow you to do wrong and not change.”

Yang Guo said proudly and boldly, “I haven’t done anything wrong! I haven’t done anything bad! I haven’t harmed anyone!” Those words were like the sounds of metal clanging.

Everyone’s heart shook when they heard this; his words really did have some reason in them. If a Master and disciple didn’t say anything and they got married on some remote island or deserted location then no one would know about it, it would not affect anyone. But publicly announcing such a wrong really contradicts the mentality of the people of this time, and means becoming the scum of Wulin.

Guo Jing raised his palm and mournfully said, “Guo’er, my heart is in great pain, do you understand? I’d rather you die than let you do bad things, do you understand?” As he reached this point, his voice choked.

When Yang Guo heard him say this, he knew that if he didn’t change what he said, Uncle Guo would kill him with one palm. Though he was crafty and sly at times, at this point, nothing could compare with his stubbornness, he said clearly, “I know I haven’t done anything wrong, if you don’t believe it then kill me.”

Guo Jing raised his palm; what chance has he of living if the palm landed on his head? Everyone watched without making a sound, hundreds of eyes stared at his palm.

Guo Jing’s palm stopped in midair for a second and he looked at Yang Guo again. He was biting down on his lips, his brows wrinkled. What Guo Jing saw was the picture of his father, Yang Kang, from years ago. His heart ached and he let out a long sigh, he loosened his right hand and said, “Think well about what you’re doing.” He turned around and went back to his place; he didn’t take another glance at Yang Guo, his face was full of hurt and grief. He was extremely disheartened.

Xiao Longnu signaled to him with her hand and said, “Guo’er, these people are extremely unreasonable, let’s go.” She didn’t know that just now, Yang Guo’s life was hanging by a thread.

Yang Guo thought that the word ‘unreasonable’ was extremely apt, he stepped towards the exit, holding Xiao Longnu’s hand as they went out. Outside the manor, they lead the skinny horse along as they made their way.

Everyone watched their backs as they left, a few were shocked, others despised them, some were regretful and a number of them were angry.

Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu walked shoulder to shoulder; it was deep into the night now. The two of them had finally reunited with each other; all the things that had happened today, the heated battle, the arguments, they were all clearly forgotten. They felt as though they were in heaven right now; all those wasted days they had lived apart before were in vain. Now there was no need to worry about the days that were to come. The two of them were linked to each other by thought; they didn’t exchange a word as they walked on silently. The two arrived at a willow tree and sat down by the tree trunk. They gradually grew tired and fell asleep. The skinny horse was grazing on grass faraway, making quiet neighing noises.

The sky was bright when they woke up; the two looked at each other and smiled. Yang Guo said, “Gu Gu, where are we going?”

Xiao Longnu pondered for a while and said, “Let’s go back to the tomb.” Ever since she’d left the tomb she felt that, although outside was bustling and flourishing, it wasn’t as carefree and comfortable as the tomb. Yang Guo was deep in thought, “If I could spend the rest of my life with Gu Gu in the tomb, I would have no other desires.” Before, he longed for the outside world, hoping that she would let him leave the tomb but after going outside, he too longed for the quite life in the tomb. The two of them slowly started to head north. One still called the other ‘Guo’er’, the other one still called the other ‘Gu Gu’, and they both felt that being together and calling each other this way felt the most natural.

By midday, the two started to talk about Jinlun Fawang’s martial arts, they both said that his martial arts were excellent; it would be extremely hard to defend against it.

Xiao Longnu suddenly said, “Guo’er, we haven’t completed the final stage of the “Jade Heart Manual”, can you remember it?”

Yang Guo said, “I can remember it but we spent a lot of time pondering about it and still were unable to succeed; it seems like there’s something wrong somewhere.”

Xiao Longnu said, “Originally, I didn’t understand it but last night when the Taoist nun took her precious sword out, it allowed me to remember something.”

Yang Guo recalled the stance that Sun Bu’Er used last night and immediately understood, he called out, “Ah yes, yes, it requires the kung fu of the Ancient Tomb to be used simultaneously with the kung fu of Quanzhen, no wonder we’ve been going wrong.”

When Lin Chaoying developed the “Jade Heart Manual” alone in the ancient tomb, she wanted to defeat the techniques of the Quanzhen sect; but her love for Wang Chongyang still had not been extinguished. When she devised the final stage, she imagined that one day she would be fighting shoulder to shoulder with her lover. Because of this, the stage requires one person to use the techniques of the “Jade Heart Manual”, the other Quanzhen martial arts, mutually aiding each other and attacking together. That day, Lin Chaoying was filled with thoughts of love and affection, she was wrapped up in them; all those feelings were placed into this stage.

The pair of swords being horizontal and vertical is not the main aim; the most important aspect lies in fighting the enemy together hand in hand. But it wasn’t appropriate to mark this matter of the heart down clearly on the rooms ceiling. When Xiao Longnu and Yang Guo first practiced, their love had yet to blossom; they had no way to understand what their Ancestor Grandma sought. When they studied, both of them practiced the formulae of their own sect so of course they could not grasp the intricacies within.

Both of them now understood; they went and broke off a willow branch each, and began to study the stances. Xiao Longnu slowly used the “Jade Maiden Sword”, Yang Guo used the sword techniques of Quanzhen. After many stances, they felt that it was difficult to use them together harmoniously. The two of them did not envisage that when Lin Chaoying developed this particular swordplay, she was imagining herself fighting shoulder to shoulder with Wang Chongyang against an enemy. Every stance and move was designed to mutually protect the other. Right now, when Xiao Longnu and Yang Guo were studying it, they were treating each other as the enemy, thrusting and attacking each other. Killing the opposition was not what was intended. In reality, Lin Chaoying and Wang Chongyang were the first class fighters of the world at that time; there wasn’t anyone that was a match for just one of them. This particular set of unity kung fu didn’t have much use; it was just the unrestrained imagination of Lin Chaoying, showing her heart’s feelings. When she developed this swordplay her martial arts had already reached their pinnacle; the stances, postures and power were pressing, tight and continuous, not allowing a hair to be out of place. Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu did not understand the workings within and so, of course, it would be difficult for them to achieve this final level.

The two practiced for a while but still felt that something was wrong.

Xiao Longnu said, “It could be that we’ve remembered it wrong, let’s go back to the tomb and clarify things and then practice it again.”

Yang Guo was about to reply when suddenly the sounds of horse hoofs could be heard, and then a horse galloped past. The horse had red hair, the person on it was wearing purple, and they galloped past like the wind; it was Huang Rong who was riding on the little red horse.

Yang Guo didn’t want to be troubled by the Guo family so he discussed with Xiao Longnu about changing paths and followed a small path instead so they won’t bump into them again. Xiao Longnu was the Master; but aside from martial arts, she didn’t understand anything else, she had no opinions. That night the two lodged in a small inn. Yang Guo slept on the bed, Xiao Longnu hung a rope across the room and slept on the rope. The two had decided to marry each other, but naturally they still followed the sleeping arrangements that they’d had in the tomb for years. After meeting again and practicing martial arts as they used to, when they thought about their loved one being by their side, both felt limitless delight.

By midday the next day, the two arrived at a large town. People were everywhere, horses came, carts went; it was a great atmosphere. Yang Guo took Xiao Longnu to a restaurant for something to eat; as soon as they went upstairs he was surprised as he saw Huang Rong and Wu brothers at a table eating.

Yang Guo thought that since they’ve met, it wasn’t inappropriate for him to pretend that he didn’t see them so he greeted them and called out, “Auntie Guo.”

Huang Rong frowned, her face looked anxious and worried, she asked, “Have you seen my daughter?”

Yang Guo said, “No. Isn’t sister Fu with you?”

Before Huang Rong could reply, the stairs rattled, and a group of people came up. The first person was tall and slender; it was Jinlun Fawang. Yang Guo quickly turned around and didn’t carry on speaking with Huang Rong, he quietly went over to Xiao Longnu and whispered, “Turn your back, don’t look at them.”

But Jinlun Fawang’s eyes were very sharp, all the people upstairs entered his eyes, he gave a chuckle and sat down at a table. Yang Guo was about to turn his head around when suddenly Huang Rong called out, “Fu’er!”

He couldn’t stop himself from turning his head, and saw Guo Fu sitting at the same table as Jinlun Fawang. Her eyes were staring at her mother but she didn’t dare go over.