The Legend of the Condor Heroes

"You really aren't going to run away?" Mei Chaofeng asked.

"No!" Guo Jing asserted.

"Good!" shouted Mei Chaofeng. "I am willing to write off the Six Freaks' debt. Good boy, come follow me!"

"Mei Shijie, he is a real man. You on the other hand, will be the laughingstock of the heroes of Jianghu!" Huang Rong suddenly called out.

"How come?" Mei Chaofeng was angry.

"He is the only heir of Jiangnan's Six Freaks' skills," Huang Rong explained. "The Six Freaks martial arts cannot be compared to the past. It really is a piece of cake if they really wanted to take your life. But actually they have forgiven you. Not only that, they also gave you face. It was you who don't know the good from the bad; yet you are still boasting."

"Bah! I want them to forgive me?" Mei Chaofeng was furious. "Six Freaks, your martial arts improved greatly? Want to try?"

"Why would they want to personally fight you? Even their disciple won't necessarily lose to you," Huang Rong said.

Mei Chaofeng was so angry she almost screamed, "If I can't kill him in three stances, I will kill myself right here right now." She had fought Guo Jing in the Zhao palace that she thought she knew his level of martial arts. What she didn't know was that in the past few months Guo Jing had received the tutelage of the Nine-fingered Divine Beggar, that his skill now couldn't be compared with his skill then.

"Good!" Huang Rong said, "Let all the people here bear witness. Three stances are too few, let's give you ten."

"I will accompany Senior Mei for fifteen stances," said Guo Jing. He only learned fifteen out of the eighteen moves of the '18 Dragon-Subduing Palms', hence he thought he could at least survive fifteen stances.

"Ask Martial Brother Lu and the guest who accompany you to be the witnesses," Huang Rong added.

"Who accompanies me?" Mei Chaofeng was taken aback. "I rushed to this village alone. Who came with me?"

"Who is that behind you then?" Huang Rong asked.

Mei Chaofeng threw a backward punch, quick as lightning. Nobody saw the man moved, but her attack hit an empty space. That person moved like he was a ghost or spirit; the amazing part was that he moved without making any sound.

After she arrived in the south (Jiangnan), Mei Chaofeng always had a feeling that somebody was following her, but no matter how she spoke or she attacked, she could not even hear anything. She thought she was losing her mind, or it was a ghost haunting her. And then she heard the flute driving away the snakes, she was certain someone with a very high level of martial arts was shadowing her. She tried to express her gratitude to the air, but nobody answered. She waited among the trees, but was not sure if that person had already left. Now she heard Huang Rong spoke, she was unable to hide her feeling.

"Who are you?" she tremblingly asked, "What do you want from me?"

That person did not answer. Nobody knew if he even heard the question. Mei Chaofeng thrust herself forward. That person did not seem to move but again she did not touch anything. Everybody was stunned. They had never seen someone with this person immeasurable skill.

Lu Chengfeng boldly asked, "Honorable Guest had come from a long way, I have not had the opportunity to welcome you. Would you please sit down and have a drink with me?"

That person turned around, seemingly floating on air he went outside.

Mei Chaofeng gathered her courage and asked, "Is Honorable Senior the one who played the flute to help me? Mei Chaofeng is deeply grateful."

Nobody was able to restrain their amazement, being a blind woman, Mei Chaofeng had very sharp ears, but she could not hear that person leaving the hall.

"Mei Shijie, that person has already left," Huang Rong said.

Mei Chaofeng was startled. "He did? I … How could I not hear him?"

"Go after him quickly, don't boast yourself in here," Huang Rong said.

Mei Chaofeng was dumbfounded. Her face showed sadness, yet there was a tinge of anger. Suddenly she shouted, "Guo Kid, take this!" She lifted both hands with all ten fingers stretched, emanating a spooky bluish green light under the candlelight; but she did not attack.

"I am here," Guo Jing said.

As soon as Mei Chaofeng heard the word 'I' her right hand moved, followed by her left hand's five fingers toward Guo Jing's face.

Guo Jing saw her fast movement; he slightly leaned his body sideways and sending his left palm toward her. Mei Chaofeng heard the sound of the palm and was about to evade, but she was not fast enough for the '18 Dragon-Subduing Palms' exquisite move and her shoulder was struck. She was shaken and was forced to step back three steps. But her martial art was not weak. While stepping backward she sent her fingernails to counterattack. Guo Jing was taken by surprise; his right wrist was caught by Mei Chaofeng on three acupoints: 'nei guan' [inner gate], 'wai guan' [outer gate], and 'hui zong' [ancestor meeting]. Guo Jing had carefully heeded his masters warning, that Mei Chaofeng's 'nine yin white bone claw' [jiu yin bai gu zhua] was very lethal; hence he guarded himself carefully. But now he could not avoid being grasped by those deadly fingers. "Not good!" he screamed. His whole body felt weak. In that critical moment he managed to bend his two fingers; and with his hand forming a half-palm-half-fist he hit her chest. That was the 'qian long wu yong' [hidden dragon is useless (?)]. It was supposed to be followed by his left hook – a brilliant stance difficult to fend off; but since his left wrist was in the enemy's hand; he could only launch a half stance. But the '18 Dragon-Subduing Palms' was amazing; half stance was no small matter.

Mei Chaofeng heard the wind generated by this half-palm-half-fist move was incredible; she did not dare to parry, but tried to elude it. Still her shoulder was hit real hard and she was forced to let Guo Jing go.

Guo Jing was struggling to free himself; he pulled hard, so when his hand was suddenly free both people were thrown backward and each hit a pillar. The roof was shaken; bricks, stones and dust fell down the hall. Many village people cried and ran out to escape.

The Six Freaks of Jiangnan looked at each other with amazement but pleasantly surprised. "Where did Jing'er learn this kungfu?" they asked in their heart. Han Baoju looked at Huang Rong suspiciously; he thought she was the one who taught Guo Jing and secretly felt admiration, "Peach Blossom Island martial art is amazing."

By now Guo Jing and Mei Chaofeng had engaged themselves in a fierce battle. Palms, fists, and claws were exchanged. Mei Chaofeng was furious; she fought with gusto. Guo Jing was calm but agile. Both had exerted their full strength, the hall was filled with the sound of their blows.

Suddenly Mei Chaofeng jumped vertically; her attack seemed to come from every direction, one after another, ever changing. Guo Jing knew this attack was fierce; he would suffer defeat if he let any opening in his defense line. He recalled Hong Qigong's lesson on how to deal with Huang Rong's 'luo ying shen jian zhang' [fallen (flower) divine sword palm]; no matter how much changes his opponent executed he steadily used 15 moves out of the '18 Dragon-Subduing Palms'.

By repeating these 15 moves he was able to defend himself for forty – fifty moves; without giving Mei Chaofeng even half a step advantage.

Huang Rong was keeping her eyes on her 'Brother Jing' with smile on her pretty face. The Six Freaks stood with amazement, sometimes clucking their tongues in praise. Lu Chengfeng and his son could only look in dismay.