Chapter 27 – Battle of wits and strength, Part 7
Yang Guo rode speedily; he saw the trees on the roadside flying away. He looked at Guo Xiang on his bosom, seeing her tender and delicate small face, he thought: “Uncle and Aunt Guo, your youngest daughter will always be mine, think of it as a kind of compensation for my lost arm. They would feel grieved and dejected, especially because they excel me.” After a while he thought: “Why didn’t I take revenge directly? Is it because Guo Fu is a beautiful young girl? If the one who cut off my arm was a male, would I also have forgiven him?” Thinking about it half a day he could only shake his head and smile wryly. He himself couldn’t understand his unstable and unpredictable behavior.
After traveling two hundred li there gradually appeared houses with smoke coming from them. He got something to eat and Guo Xiang some goat milk. He decided to go to the Ancient Tomb looking for the Xiao Longnü. After several days he arrived at Mount Zhongnan. As the horse climbed the mountain and found the right path to the Ancient Tomb he pondered about past things.
The inscription ‘Tomb of the Living Dead’ still stood on the majestic tombstone. After Li Mochou’s attack, the tomb had been sealed, if one wanted to enter, they had to use the secret entrance through the water. For him it wouldn’t pose a problem but what about Guo Xiang? She would drown in the water. But the thought of soon meeting Xiao Longnü in the tomb greatly excited him. He took a pastry from his pocket, chewed a bit for Guo Xiang, and then he found a cave nearby. He put Guo Xiang in it and hid the cave mouth with thorny wood. Whether he met Xiao Longnü or not in the tomb, he planned to return and put the baby in a safer place.
Suddenly he heard the far away sound of weapons clashing coming from the direction of the Chongyang Palace. He was suspicious for a bit and then saw a buzzing silver wheel flying fiercely into the sky. That was Jinlun Fawang’s weapon. Growing curious, he hurriedly followed the sound to the Chongyang Palace. During this time, Xiao Longnü was enduring Quanzhen Five Masters’ “Gathering of the Big Dipper” (Qi Xing Ju Hui) and Jinlun Fawang’s wheel strike, her body seriously injured.
Had Yang Guo arrived earlier, he could have prevented the disaster. But how could things be as easy as one desired? Life was full of sorrow and joy, the difference between disaster and good fortune was often very small.
Upon seeing Yang Guo, the Quanzhen Five Masters knew this mess was escalating. Qiu Chuji cried out: “My Chongyang Palace has been a respected place but today all of you are here to violate it. Why is that?”
Wang Chuyi was also furious, shouting: “Long Guniang [Miss Long], even though your Gu Mu sect and our Quanzhen sect share the same mountain ridge, we both stick to our own sides. What is the reason you are leading these foreign people from the West, these evil miscreants, to kill many disciples of mine?”
Xiao Longnü, badly injured, thought, these people couldn’t tell right from wrong, why bother arguing with them? Their many disciples witnessed how Zhen Zhibing was pierced by her sword and how Zhao Zhijing was wounded but, in this time of trouble, nobody came forward to explain the truth.
Yang Guo gently stretched his left arm to support Xiao Longnü’s waist, softly saying: “Gu Gu, let us go back to Gu Mu. Don’t pay attention to these people!”
Xiao Longnü then asked: “Does your arm still hurt?”
Yang Guo shook his head, replying: “It’s all fine.”
Xiao Longnü continued: “Has the Passion Flower (Qing Hua) Poison in your body acted up again?”
Yang Guo replied: “A few times, but it’s nothing to worry about.”
After being slashed by Xiao Longnü, Zhao Zhijing went to hide, not daring to show his face. Seeing the Quanzhen Five Masters coming out, he realized that after a series of investigation, he would be expelled from his charge and also severely punished. Originally he was only of a short-tempered and narrow-minded nature, not really a traitorous and wicked person. Only he was considered the first at Wu Gong in the third generation disciples, yet the Zhang Jiao (leader of the generation) position fell to Zhen Zhibing. His resentment festered, trapping him into his erroneous way of thinking. Quickly looking at the situation, disturbed and afraid of his five teachers, he grasped at the present opportunity. Suppose Jinlun Fawang and the Mongolian warriors wiped out the Quanzhen Five Masters, he would be able to escape forever. Also, he saw Yang Guo’s right arm missing and left arm holding Xiao Longnü, looking like his hands were bound, waiting for violent death. To the betraying disciple, Yang Guo was his most hated person, now he had a good opportunity, why would he let it pass? Glancing at Lu Qingdu who was nearby, he loudly shouted: “Treacherous disciple Yang Guo, your two masters are speaking to you. You don’t kneel down and kowtow, how dare you to pay no attention?”
Yang Guo turned back, his eyes filled with hatred, and thought: “Gu Gu has already wounded one Quanzhen smelly priest. Today I’ll temporarily pay no mind to you. I’ll deal with you later.” Sweeping his empty sleeve at the crowd disgustedly while supporting Xiao Longnü, they then moved forward.
Zhao Zhijing shouted: “Fight!” He and Lu Qingdu both pulled out their swords, attacking Yang Guo’s right side. Although Zhao Zhijing had been wounded earlier, the damage was not severe. His sword was thrust towards Yang Guo’s missing arm to stop him from fighting back but it was held down by a strong wind, which was actually caused by Yang Guo’s cultivated internal energy.
Even though Qiu Chuji didn’t particularly care for Yang Guo’s arrogant ways of doing as he pleased, and not honoring traditions, he thought about Guo Jing’s great trust and also his master-disciple bond with Yang Guo’s father, Yang Kang. He shouted: “Zhijing put down your sword. Show mercy!”
On the other side Ma Guangzuo loudly cursed: “Old fart, aren’t you ashamed? Stabbing a person’s missing arm!” He and Yang Guo were very good friends. Seeing Yang Guo in danger, Ma Guangzuo rushed to help but he was a distance away so his help was too late.
There suddenly was a flashing gray shadow; Lu Qingdu’s fat body flew up. He let out the Wah-Wah battle cry before a crashing sound came as the fat body hit Nimoxing. Based on Nimoxing’s Wu Gong, even though it took him by surprise, he shouldn’t have been hit. Since both his legs had been removed, he used both hands to prop himself with a crutch, and was not able to push out to defend himself. He was hit immediately, and collapsed. While trying to support him self on the ground, Nimoxing’s crutch hit Lu Qingdu in the back, knocking him out.
On this side Yang Guo’s right foot stepped on Zhao Zhijing’s long sword, Zhao Zhijing used his force to pull it out, his face turning bright red. Unexpectedly, the long sword wouldn’t move an inch.
At the time both swords were thrusting towards him, Yang Guo’s empty right sleeve fiercely brushed out, sending a rush of great force to throw Lu Qingdu to the ground. Zhao Zhijing, however, felt the sleeve abruptly sinking, caused by an “extremely heavy” body anchor. This forced the long sword down. Yang Guo stepped out with his foot, stepping on the blade of the sword. He had practiced his swordplay and anchoring technique in mountain streams and even strong current couldn’t topple him. This time, when he put his foot down, it was like the weight of a mountain, how would Zhao Zhijing’s force be able to pull away the sword?
Yang Guo coldly said: “Zhao Dao Shi [Priest Zhao], at the time I was with Guo Da Sha [the Chivalrous Guo] at Da Sheng Guan, you pronounced yourself my master. Today how would you be able to go on saying that? Considering that in the past I used to call you master, I’ll let you off!” Saying that, without moving his right foot, the powerful force beneath it suddenly vanished without a trace.
Applying full force to pull back the sword that was suddenly released, Zhao Zhijing’s hand was suddenly in the air. The sword snapped back, making a crashing sound as its handle hit his chest hard. Undoubtedly, the sword handle struck him with his own force. With this strength, if used to hit an enemy, the enemy wouldn’t be able to block and must use internal force to counter the strike. Now hitting himself involuntarily with no counter-force, Zhao Zhijing felt severe pain in his chest and coughed up blood. His vision went dark, his eyes rolled upwards and he collapsed.
Wang Chuyi and Liu Chuxuan pulled their swords out from their sheaths, dividing themselves left and right to attack Yang Guo. Suddenly, a shadow dashed out, knocking the two swords out of the way. This person was of course Nimoxing. Even though he did hit Lu Qingdu, throwing him onto the ground, his mind was hateful. It was originally Yang Guo who started his troubles. Whirling his crutch and leaping forward, his left crutch struck the two swords while the right one attacked Yang Guo and Xiao Longnü.
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