The Legend of the Condor Heroes

"That's not right!" Yang Kang anxiously called, "You hack the coffin's lid, zombie might poke his head out and bite your hand, that won't be good!"

He was successful in making Huang Rong more scared than ever. She was shivering and halted her movement. Suddenly a cry came out of the coffin; it was a woman's voice. Huang Rong jumped. She was extremely terrified. "A female ghost!" she cried. Flailing her hands she ran outside and cried, "Quick! Get out of here!"

Guo Jing was brave, "Brother Yang, let us lift the coffin lid and take a look," he said.

Yang Kang was drenched in cold sweat, but how could he refuse Guo Jing's request? Surely he could not make himself an enemy of these Guo-Huang couple. But then he heard that woman's voice again, so he rushed ahead to raise the coffin lid. They used a knife to jack the lid up, and together they open the lid, which actually had not been nailed down to the coffin.

Guo Jing had directed his strength to his arms, ready to strike the zombie's head. But when he looked down, he was stunned. There was no zombie; it was a good-looking young girl, with a pair of big eyes looked up on them. She was none other than Mu Nianci.

Yang Kang was pleasantly surprised, quickly he held out his hand to help her out.

"Rong'er, come here, quick!" Guo Jing called out. "Look who is here?"

Huang Rong turned her head with eyes closed. "I don't want to see!" she shouted back.

"But it's Elder Sister Mu!" Guo Jing urged.

With left eye still closed, Huang Rong took a peek with her right eye. She saw Yang Kang was embracing a woman, whose appearance looked like Mu Nianci. She felt relieved, and timidly entered the room again. Who was that woman if not Mu Nianci?

Huang Rong saw Mu Nianci's face was haggard, two streams of tears flowed down her cheeks. She was unable to move. Huang Rong unsealed her acupoint and asked, "Elder Sister, why are you here?"

Mu Nianci's acupoint had been sealed for quite a while, her whole body was stiff and her breath was uneven, so Huang Rong helped by rubbing her back. After a while [lit. time needed to drink a cup of tea] Mu Nianci told her, "I was captured and held prisoner."

Huang Rong saw that the acupoint sealed was located at the center of palm of the foot, the 'yong quan' [bursting fountain] acupoint; which was rarely done by the wulin characters of the central plain. So with 80, 90% certainty she guessed, "Was it that bastard Ouyang Ke?" Mu Nianci did not answer, but she nodded.

That day when she was trying to contact Mei Chaofeng for Yang Kang's sake she was captured by Ouyang Ke near the pile of skulls and her acupoint was sealed. After Huang Yaoshi played his jade flute to disperse the snakes and help Mei Chaofeng; Ouyang Ke's concubines and his three snake slaves were unconscious under the flute sound, and Ouyang Ke ran away, distressed. By daybreak the concubines and the slaves woke up and found Mu Nianci lying on her side, unable to move; so they took her to their master. Ouyang Ke tried to rape her, but she was determined to fight to her death. Although Ouyang Ke was conceited and lecherous; but he always pride himself as an elegant and cultured man, his martial art's skill was high, so he could easily melt women's hearts. If he resorted to violence and brute force, he would certainly succeed in raping her; but then he would mar the name of the White Camel Mountain. So because of this pride, Mu Nianci was fortunate and able to keep her purity.

Afterward they arrived at Baoying and Ouyang Ke hid her inside one of the Liu ancestral temple's coffins. He sent his concubines to 'invite' several beautiful young women of the rich families, including Miss Cheng. It was then that the Beggar Clan interfered that resulted in a battle. Ouyang Ke left in a hurry. He had had several women these past few days that he did not remember Mu Nianci was still inside one of the coffins. If Guo Jing and the others were not looking for Wanyan Honglie, she would have been starved to death inside the coffin.

Yang Kang was unexpectedly happy to see his lover here. With a compassionate face he said, "Little sister, just take a rest here, I am going to boil some water for you to drink."

"How can you boil some water?" Huang Rong smiled, "I'll go. Brother Jing, come with me." She had a mind to let those two alone in private to alleviate their lovesickness. Who would have thought that Mu Nianci sat up straight, "Hold a moment!" she said without a smile, "Mister Yang, I congratulate you on your unlimited riches and honor in the future."

Yang Kang felt redness came creeping to his entire face, but his heart turned cold. "She must have heard my conversation with father king in here." He stood still not knowing what to do.

Mu Nianci saw he was distressed, her heart melted; she did not have a heart to reveal the secret that he was the one who let Wanyan Honglie go, for fear that Guo Jing and Huang Rong would kill him out of their angers.

"You called him 'Father', wasn't that better? It was much more intimate than if you call him 'Father King', wasn't it?" she coldly said. Yang Kang felt so ashamed; he hung his head and did not say anything.

Huang Rong did not know what was going on; she thought this young woman was upset and blamed Yang Kang for not coming earlier to rescue her. He pulled Guo Jing's sleeve and whispered, "Let's go out, I am sure those two will immediately make up." Guo Jing smiled and went along with her.

"Let's eavesdrop what they are saying," said Huang Rong as soon as they reached the courtyard.

Guo Jing smiled, "Don't you intentionally create trouble. I don't want to go."

"Very well!" Huang Rong sulked. "Just don't be disappointed if I heard something interesting and I won't tell you about it." She leaped to the roof and walked quietly back to the west wing; only to hear Mu Nianci was speaking harshly.

"You called an enemy your father. I can understand that considering your past relationship; you will get over it. Who would have thought you have delusional thoughts; you want to destroy the country of your own parents, this … this …" Speaking to this point she was so furious that she could not continue.

Yang Kang smiled nervously. "Little sister, I …" he said softly, but Mu Nianci cut him short. "Who is your little sister? Don't touch me!" she screamed. 'Slap!' her hand left a red print on Yang Kang's face.

Huang Rong was surprised. "They were fighting already, must stop them," she thought. Entering through the window she laughed and said, "Aiyo! Even if you don't agree with each other, please don't resort to violence." But she stopped dead on her track seeing Mu Nianci's cheeks were fiery red while Yang Kang was very pale. She was about to open her mouth again when Yang Kang suddenly shouted, "Good! You have met the new one and abandon the old. Your heart is already occupied by another that you treated me like this."

"You … what did you say?" Mu Nianci stammered. Yang Kang snickered, "You and that fellow surnamed Ouyang. His martial art is ten times better than mine; of course you would immediately brush me off from your heart."

Mu Nianci was so angry that her hands and feet were icy-cold; she nearly passed out.

Huang Rong interrupted, "Brother Yang, you must not speak nonsense; if Sister Mu liked him, how could that bastard seal her acupoint and let her starving inside the coffin?"