The Legend of the Condor Heroes

Still laughing, Huang Rong replied: "He doesn't know you're here, but rest assured I'll tell him for you. I'm sure he'll come straight away. Don't worry, I'm not bluffing."

Enraged, Mei Chao Feng propped herself up with both hands and sprung up suddenly. With staggering steps, she charged towards Huang Rong.

Originally, Mei Chao Feng had lost the use of her legs as a result of forcefully practicing the nei gong she didn't understand. A stream of Qi had flowed down to her lower dan tian (energy field) and was unable to work its way back up, paralyzing her lower body with numbness. She had stubbornly continued attempting to work the Qi back upwards but the harder she tried, the stronger the resistance met.

Presently her senses were consumed with fury, so much so that she forgot about her paralysis. She was in a state where she had disengaged from herself, her body; she was only aware of a violent surge of anger rushing up to her heart, suddenly her legs had become part of her body again and she charged towards Huang Rong.

Shocked that Mei Chao Feng had regained the use of her legs, Huang Rong leapt down to the other side and took flight into the night.

Suddenly regaining her senses, Mei Chao Feng thought: "Eh, how come I can walk now?" With this thought, a sudden wave of numbness washed over her legs and she fell, losing consciousness.

For the 6 Freaks to kill her now was a piece of cake, but they had a prior agreement with Ma Yu to spare her life. Thus, they leapt over the wall and left the palace together with Guo Jing.

Han Xiao Ying was the most anxious and hurriedly asked: "Jing'er, how did you end up here?"

And so, Guo Jing roughly narrated the events leading up to here – Wang Chu Yi coming to his rescue, getting poisoned at Wang Yan Kang's banquet, stealing the medicine, bumping into Mei Chao Feng in the tunnel, et cetera. For the moment, however, he did not mention the Yang family saga.

Zhu Cong said: "Let's hurry and see how Priest Wang is coping."

Having just been reunited with his wife, Yang Tie Xin felt an inexpressible mixture of joy and sadness. Carrying her in his arms, he leapt out of the palace. His foster daughter Mu Nian Ci was anxiously waiting outside the palace walls when she saw him carrying a woman in his arms.

Surprised and curious, she asked: "Father, who is she?"

Yang Tie Xin replied: "She's your mother. Let's go."

Mu Nian Ci said, bewildered, "My mother?"

Yang Tie Xin said, "Hush, we'll talk afterwards," and sprinted off urgently.

After a distance, Bao Xi Ruo slowly regained consciousness. It was near daybreak and in the dim light, she saw that the person bearing her was the husband she had been thinking of day and night for 18 years. She didn't know if it was real or just an illusion, but she felt like she was in a dream and reached out to caress his face. Her voice quivered as she spoke: "Tie-ge, am I dead too?"

Tearing joyfully, he replied in a gentle voice: "Both of us are alive and well…"

His sentence was interrupted by shouts from behind. Light from torches lit the area as soldiers streamed quickly forward. Raising their swords and spears together, they yelled: "Don't let the Consort's kidnapper escape!"

Yang Tie Xin quickly surveyed their surroundings but there was no place they could hide. He thought: "The heavens have pitied us husband and wife and allowed us to reunite against the odds. Even if I were to die now, I have nothing left to wish for." He called to Mu Nian Ci: "Here, hold your mother."

The scene at Lin'An, Ox Village 18 years ago suddenly sprung to Bao Xi Ruo's mind: her husband fleeing with her in his arms, the cries of soldiers in the night and the 18 years of separation and grief that followed after. Sensing that the tragedy was to repeat itself, she held on stubbornly to her husband, refusing to let go. The soldiers were nearing and Yang Tie Xin thought it was better to die fighting than be captured and humiliated. With that, he pried his wife's fingers away and entrusted her in Mu Nian Ci's arms. Turning around, he charged towards the soldiers and with a fist, knocked out a foot soldier and seized his spear. With a spear in hand, Yang Tie Xin was even more lethal. The troop's commander, Tang Zu De, was speared in the leg and fell promptly off his horse. With their leader down, the rest of the soldiers scampered away in all directions. On seeing that there were no skilled pugilists amongst them, Yang Tie Xin felt slightly more settled, only that it was a pity not to have been able to grab a horse. The three of them continued their escape.

By this time it was already morning. Bao Xi Ruo noticed the bloodstains on her husband's clothes and said, frightened: "Are you hurt?"

Hearing this, Yang Tie Xin was suddenly aware of a sharp pain in his arm. Because he had exerted too much strength during the fight, the wound from Wang Yan Kang's claws had burst and was now bleeding profusely again. Earlier on he had been fixated with escaping and was not aware of the pain, but now both arms felt stiff and weak and he was unable to lift them. Bao Xi Ruo was about to bandage his wounds when loud cries came from behind, and in the dust countless of soldiers were yet emerging in pursuit.

With a bitter smile, Yang Tie Xin said: "No need to bandage." He turned and said to Mu Nian Ci: "Child, run for your life! Your mother and I will just stay here…"

Mu Nian Ci successfully fought back tears and raised her head proudly, saying: "Three of us will die together."

Confused, Bao Xi Ruo asked: "How… how is she our daughter?"

Yang Tie Xin was just about to answer when he heard the soldiers nearing. Looking up, he saw two Taoist priests coming towards them – one had a white beard and brows and looked kindly; the other had a long black beard and slung a long sword over his back, and he looked grand and dignified. Great delight replaced his initial astonishment and Yang Tie Xin called out: "Priest Qiu, we meet again!"

Of the two priests, one was the Scarlet Sun Ma Yu and the other was the Eternal Spring Qiu Chu Ji. The two of them, together with the Jade Sun Wang Chu Yi, had arranged to meet in Zhong Du to discuss the upcoming duel with the 7 Freaks of Jiang Nan. Both had hurried here and chanced upon the Yangs. Qiu Chu Ji had an accomplished level of nei gong and thus his appearance did not age much over 18 years, only the hair on his temples were speckled with white.

Upon hearing this greeting, he looked more closely but it was someone he did not recognize.

Yang Tie Xin said: "18 years ago at Ox Village in Lin'An, we once drank and killed enemies together, do you still remember?"

Qiu Chu Ji said: "You are…"

Yang Tie Xin declared: "I'm Yang Tie Xin, have you been well?" Yang Tie Xin approached him and bowed.

Qiu Chu Ji hurriedly returned the formality but still harbored doubts. 18 years of hardship and grief had eroded his youthful appearance and Yang Tie Xin looked vastly different from before. Yang Tie Xin sensed his doubts but the soldiers were nearing, and it was not a good time to clarify in detail. Raising his spear, he displayed "Phoenix Striking Head". The red tassel trembled as the spear headed for Qiu Chu Ji's chest and he said: "Priest Qiu, you may have forgotten me, but you can't have forgotten the Yang Family Spear!"