Chapter 18 – Master Gongsun of the Valley, Part 3
Valley Master Gongsun pointed to Yang Guo and said, “I don’t want to hurt you. I’ve warned you many times to leave the valley but you chose to stay here and stir up trouble. This is your final warning, leave quickly.”
Even someone with Ma Guangzuo’s courage shivered at the sight of the nets; when he heard the hooks and knives colliding with each other, he was even more afraid. He stood up and pulled Yang Guo’s hand, “Brother Yang, it would be better for us to leave than face this evil thing; why do you insist on quarrelling with him?”
Yang Guo looked at Xiao Longnu waiting to see her response.
As soon as Xiao Longnu saw the Valley Master summon out blade and hook laced nets, she had prepared for death. As soon as Yang Guo gets caught in the nets she would throw herself on them. They would die together in each others arms. When she thought about this, she felt peace in her heart, thinking that all the world’s pain and suffering will be gone in a flash. Her lips couldn’t stop themselves from showing a smile.
How would Yang Guo know what she was feeling at this time? He thought about how he was about to face a great danger yet she could still smile; his heart was in pain, even more deeply than before. In the midst of these feelings of hurt, sorrow, indignation, and approaching danger, he suddenly had an idea and didn’t continue on with these thoughts. He went over to Xiao Longnu and bowed lightly. He said, “Gu Gu, Guo’er is in danger today; I would like to borrow your silk belt and silk gloves.”
Xiao Longnu was only thinking about the joy of dying with him and nothing else; when she heard these words she immediately took out a pair of silk gloves and a silk belt to give to him.
Yang Guo received them slowly and stared at her, he said, “You’re acknowledging who I am now?”
Xiao Longnu was filled with love and smiled, “My heart acknowledged you long ago!”
Yang Guo’s spirits were greatly lifted and he quivered, “You’ve decided to leave with me and not marry that Valley Master?”
Xiao Longnu smiled and nodded, “I’ve decided to go with you, and of course I won’t marry anyone else. Guo’er; naturally that makes me your wife’.”
When she said ‘go with you’, she was talking about dieing with Yang Guo. Yang Guo didn’t understand so of course the others would not either; but her words of ‘naturally that makes me your wife’ couldn’t be clearer.
Valley Master Gongsun’s face went white and he hurried the disciples in green to make their move. The sixteen disciples set the nets in motion and moved around.
After hearing these words of Xiao Longnu’s, Yang Guo felt as if he was bought back to life from death; his courage and valor soared; even if he were facing greater dangers he wouldn’t care. He put on the impregnable silk gloves and held the silk belt in his right hand. The silk belt was sent out with its ringing noises like a white snake.
At the end of the silk belt was a gold bell, the belt extended and retracted once, the bell had struck the ‘Concealed Valley’ pressure point of one of the disciples in the southern position and on its way back it struck the ‘Crooked Pond’ pressure point of one of the disciples in the eastern position. The ‘Concealed Valley’ pressure point is found on the knee, the person could not stay upright and knelt on the floor; the ‘Crooked Pond’ pressure point is found on the elbow area, as soon it was struck, the person’s arm became numb and limp, the fish net slipped out of their hands.
After those two pre-emptive attacks, the fish net formation immediately broke up. The four disciples in the west were shocked and when they attacked they were slightly slow; Yang Guo’s gold bell turned towards them and after another two strikes, another two disciples had their pressure points struck. But at this time, the net from the north was thrown over his head. The knives and hooks were half a foot away from his head; he couldn’t use the silk belt to deal with them.
Yang Guo’s left hand turned upwards and grabbed the fish net; he used its force and flung it away. Although he grabbed hooks and daggers, his hands were covered by the silk gloves and were completely protected. The net was now heading back towards the four disciples in green.
When these disciples practiced this net formation, the only thing they were afraid of was the enemy slipping through the net; they concentrated on keeping it tight and unyielding. The thought of the net returning over them had never entered their minds. They watched as the glittering knives and hooks came towards their heads; they knew exactly how powerful the net was and called out in alarm as they let go and leapt away. The youngster who replaced Gongsun Lu E was weaker than the rest; a dagger eventually pierced his thigh, blood poured and he fell down, crying out in pain on the floor.
Yang Guo laughed, “Little brother, don’t be scared, I’m not going to hurt you.” His left hand flipped the net away and his right moved the silk belt. Sounds of ‘qiang lang lang’ and ‘ding ling ling’ were heard as the hooks and daggers collided with each other with the golden bell ringing. The sounds were extremely crisp. After this, none of the disciples dared to come forward and stood far away by the wall. But because they hadn’t received the order to back down by their master, they didn’t dare admit defeat and run away. Though they didn’t admit defeat, they had already lost.
Ma Guangzuo clapped and cheered for a while but because he was the only one, he felt a bit lonely and glanced over to Fawang saying, “Hey monk, aren’t brother Yang Guo’s martial arts great? Why aren’t you cheering?”
Fawang laughed and said, “His skills are great, extremely good but there’s no need to call out like that.”
Ma Guangzuo asked, “Why?”
Fawang saw that the Valley Master was frowning and was now making his way towards the centre of the hall slowly. Fawang concentrated on him and ignored Ma Guangzuo.
When Valley Master Gongsun heard Xiao Longnu say, ‘naturally that makes me your wife’, he knew that his sweet dream of the past two weeks had come to an end; though he was disappointed and angry, he thought, “Even if I can’t have your heart I’m going to have you. I’ll kill that bastard in one palm and I don’t care what your feelings towards me will be, after a time, your heart will eventually return to me.”
Yang Guo saw that his eyebrows were rising higher and higher to a point where his brows and eyes looked like they were standing straight up; he didn’t know what school of martial arts this was from and became slightly afraid. His right hand lifted the silk belt and his left clutched the net, he was completely prepared. He knew that this battle would decide the life and death of he and Xiao Longnu; he didn’t dare to allow one strand of carelessness in his actions.
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