Heaven-relying Sword And Dragon-slaying Sabre

At that moment a burning big pillar of the Pagoda fell down, crushing Concubine Han's body and in a short moment her body was caught on fire. The people on the ground shouted repeatedly, "Quickly jump down! Quickly jump down!"

Fan Yao fled to the east and leaped to the west to avoid the fire. As the main pillars burned down, the bricks and tiles from the Pagoda started to fall down like rain. The Pagoda was starting to sway, looked like it would collapse anytime.

In stern voice Miejue Shitai said, "Zhiruo, jump down!"

"Shifu, you jump first, then I'll jump!" Zhou Zhiruo replied.

Miejue Shitai suddenly leaped and hacked Fan Yao's left shoulder with her palm, while shouting, "The Devil Cult's thief, I can't let you go!"

Fan Yao let out a long laugh and jumped down. Zhang Wuji received him with a slap of his palm, let him gently landed on the ground.

"Fan Youshi," Zhang Wuji praised him, "You have successfully accomplished a very difficult task!"

Fan Yao steadied his feet before answering, "If not because of Jiaozhu's matchless skill, everybody would become roast pork on top of that Pagoda. Fan Yao's way of handling affair was improper; what merit do I have?"

Miejue Shitai stretched out her arm to grab Zhou Zhiruo and take her jump down. When she was about a little over a 'zhang' away from the ground, she sent all her strength to her arms and threw Zhou Zhiruo several feet upward. That way she broke the momentum of Zhou Zhiruo's fall that she only had about a 'zhang' to fall to the ground, while at the same time her own falling down momentum was actually strengthened.

Zhang Wuji dashed forward to pat her waist with the 'qian kun da nuo yi'. Who would have thought that even in her death Miejue Shitai was not willing to receive any kindness from the Ming Cult. Seeing Zhang Wuji's palm was about to reach her, she gathered all her remaining strength to launch an attack. Two palms collided. 'Bang!' Zhang Wuji's palm was shifted sideways. 'Crack!' Miejue Shitai crashed on the ground; her spine, as well as several bones on her body, broke immediately.

On the other hand, Zhang Wuji was hit really hard from her palm strength plus the falling down momentum; blood bubbled up in his chest and he staggered several steps backward. He did not understand because with this one palm attack Miejue Shitai obviously was trying to kill herself.

Zhou Zhiruo threw herself on top of her Shifu's body while crying out, "Shifu, Shifu!" The rest of the Emei disciples, both males and females, all gathered around their master's body in great confusion.

"Zhiruo," Miejue Shitai said, "From this day on, you are our school's Sect Leader. The things I want you to do, you won't disobey all … all of them?"

Zhou Zhiruo cried and said, "Yes, Shifu, disciple does not dare to forget."

Miejue Shitai showed a faint smile and said, "Then, I can die with closed eyes …"

Right away Zhang Wuji came forward to check on her pulse, but suddenly Miejue Shitai flipped her right hand and grabbed Zhang Wuji's wrist. In a stern voice she said, "Devil's Cult evil disciple, if you dare to violate my beloved pure disciple, even being a ghost I will not spare …" The last 'you' word had not been uttered, she had already breathed her last; yet her grip was not loosened up, her five fingernails dug Zhang Wuji's flesh until he was bleeding.

Fan Yao called out, "Everybody, come follow me; we are going out from the western gate. If we tarry, that scoundrel king's cavalry would catch us here."

Carrying Miejue Shitai's lifeless body in his arms Zhang Wuji said in low voice, "Let's go!"

Zhou Zhiruo gently pried her master's fingers from Zhang Wuji's hand, she held out her hand to take her master's body, all the while she avoided Zhang Wuji's eyes; and then she quietly walked out of the temple.

By then the masters from Kunlun, Kongtong and Huashan had already swarmed out the temple. Only Shaolin Pai's Kong Wen and Kong Zhi, two 'shen seng' [divine monks], did not lose their seniority demeanor; they came to Zhang Wuji with clasped palms to express their gratitude. And then they exchanged some modest greetings with Song Yuanqiao, Yu Lianzhou and the others before finally they left the temple together.

Zhang Wuji had spent a lot of energy in using the 'qian kun da nuo yi' to rescue the masters from the Six Major Sects; his internal energy was depleted. Last of all he exchanged a palm with Miejue Shitai that he suffered a major internal injury; by now he was so weak that he could not walk. Mo Shenggu took him and carried him on his back. Zhang Wuji took that opportunity to silently cultivating his 'jiu yang shen gong' [the Nine Yang divine strength/energy] that at last his strength was recovered.

Meanwhile it was almost dawn; as the crowd of heroes reached the western gate, they dispersed and went out the city separately to avoid the gate guards. Several 'li's outside the city they met Yang Xiao who had already prepared several large mule and horse carriages. He congratulated them on escaping the danger.

Kong Wen Dashi [Reverend Kong Wen] said, "If not for the Ming Cult's Zhang Jiaozhu and gentlemen's help today, it is difficult to say what our Central Plains' [zhong yuan] Six Major Sects' fate would be, our gratitude of your kindness is unspeakable. Now about next step, how we are going to proceed, please Zhang Jiaozhu gives us instruction."

"My knowledge is shallow," Zhang Wuji answered, "I don't have any plan, so I invite Reverend Abbot of the Shaolin Pai to give us orders." But Reverend Kong Wen strongly refused.

Zhang Songxi said, "This place is not too far from the city. Today we have made an earth-shattering disturbance inside the Tartar's capital; how could that evil king let it go? As soon as the fire in the palace is extinguished, he would certainly dispatch a cavalry to pursue us. Let us leave this place first before deciding on our next action plan."

He Taichong said, "If that evil king sends a cavalry to pursue us, then that would be best. We can kill them all to vent our several days of built-up anger."

"Our internal strength is not completely recovered yet," Zhang Songxi said, "Killing the Tartars right now is not our priority; we'd better avoid them first."

"Zhang Sixia [fourth hero Zhang] is right," Reverend Kong Wen said, "We could kill many Tartars today, but our own casualty would not be small. We'd better withdraw for the time being." Certainly the words of Shaolin's Abbot carried a different weight. As soon as he opened his mouth, nobody dared to raise any objection anymore.

Reverend Kong Wen asked again, "Zhang Sixia, according to your respected opinion, where should we go to temporarily avoid the enemy?"

Zhang Songxi replied, "The Tartars would certainly expect us to go if not to the south, then to the southeast. We will go to the opposite direction; to the northwest. What do you think?"

Everybody was stunned; yet Yang Xiao actually clapped his hands and said, "Zhang Sixia's plan is really marvelous. The people of the northwest is sparse, we can look for any uninhabited mountain and hide there for a while. The Tartars would not think of looking for us there." The more the rest of them think, they more they realized Zhang Songxi's plan was indeed marvelous. Thereupon they turned their carriages around and went northwest.

About fifty 'li's later the group of heroes stopped at a valley to take a rest and eat. Yang Xiao had already prepared dried provisions, dried meat and wine; nothing was lacking. They were talking about the rescue operation they had just undergone and they all agreed that Zhang Wuji and Fan Yao were in charge of the entire battle and the rescue operation.