The Legend of the Condor Heroes

By this time out of shame Yang Kang became indignant. "The truth is good, yet hypocrisy is also good. She was captured by that bastard for quite some times, she has lost her innocence. How could she and I be together again?"

Mu Nianci was outraged, "I … I … What innocence have I lost?"

"You were in that man's possession for many days; he must have cuddled you, you must have embraced him. How could you keep your crystal clear purity?" Yang Kang mocked.

Mu Nianci really could not hold herself any longer. She was tired and angry. This last attack was too vicious for her to bear. With a 'wah' sound she spurted some blood and fell backward.

Yang Kang realized his words were too vicious; seeing her like that he felt remorse and wanted to embrace and comfort her; but he remembered she knew his secret. Huang Rong had voiced her suspicion earlier; if Mu Nianci should open her mouth, his life would be in danger. Moreover, he was worried about his father king; so without saying anything he turned around, rushed outside and leaped over the wall.

Huang Rong had to massage Mu Nianci's chest for quite a while before she finally came to. She was unusually composed; did not even cry at all. "Little Sister," she calmly said, "Let me borrow the dagger I gave you earlier."

"Brother Jing!" Huang Rong loudly called out, "Can you come over, please?" Guo Jing quickly came. "Please give the dagger that belongs to Brother Yang to Elder Sister Mu," Huang Rong said.

"Certainly," Guo Jing complied. He pulled the dagger out of his pocket; it was the dagger taken by Zhu Cong from Mei Chaofeng. It was wrapped by what to the casual onlookers would look like a thin sheet of leather. The leather was full of characters tattooed with a needle. Guo Jing was not aware that the characters were actually the second part of the Nine Yin Manual. He casually unwrapped the leather and gave the dagger to Mu Nianci.

Huang Rong also took a dagger out from her pocket; she softly said, "Brother Jing's dagger is in my possession; Brother Yang's dagger is now in yours. Elder Sister, this is a destiny that will bring you two together. You have a disagreement but for a moment, please don't be sad. My father and I are also having some disagreements. Brother Jing and I are going to Beijing to look for Wanyan Honglie. Elder Sister, please don't let your heart be troubled. Why don't you come with us? We can leisurely walk together. I am sure Brother Yang will come back to you."

Guo Jing was puzzled, "Brother Yang?" Huang Rong stuck her tongue. "He provoked Elder Sister to anger; Elder Sister slapped him hard. Elder Sister Mu, if Brother Yang did not like you, when you slapped him, how come he did not retaliate? His martial art is stronger than yours. The fight between you …" She wanted to say 'the fight between you two must be a habit' (she was referring to the 'Joust to Find a Spouse), but she saw Mu Nianci was grieving and she did not have a heart to say any joke.

"I am not going to Beijing," Mu Nianci said, "You also don't have to go. Within the next half a year that traitor Wanyan Honglie won't be in Beijing. He is afraid of you. Brother Guo, Little Sister, you are good people, your life must also be good …" She choked up; covered her face and rushed toward the door. With a leap she was gone.

Huang Rong looked down and saw the blood Mu Nianci spurted earlier. She hesitated for a moment, and in the end did not feel comfortable; so she also leaped over the wall and chased after her, only to see Mu Nianci under a big willow tree in a distance. The sunlight was reflected by the naked dagger's blade. Mu Nianci lifted the dagger high above her head. Huang Rong was anxious, she thought Mu Nianci was going to kill herself. She loudly shouted, "Elder Sister! Please don't …" But the distance between them was too far; she would not be able to prevent her. Luckily Mu Nianci only lifted her left hand and pulled up her hair. With a slash of the dagger in her right hand she sheared a big clump of hair, threw them to the ground and ran away.

"Elder Sister! Elder Sister … !" Huang Rong called out. Mu Nianci turned a deaf ear and kept going.

Huang Rong stared blankly at a distance, she was lost in thought. She saw the clump of soft hair was dancing in the morning breeze. A short time later the hair was scattered to the rice field, some went to the creek, some flew up to the trees lining the pathway, some followed the blowing dust, going don't know where, yet some fell into the flowing water. Huang Rong had always been tender, carefree and mischievous since her childhood. She laughed when happy, cried or sulked when not; the word 'anxiety' was never in her vocabulary. But now she saw what had just happened, could not keep sadness from creeping into her heart. Now, she found out about the world's anxiety.

Slowly she walked back to the temple and told Guo Jing what had happened to Mu Nianci. Guo Jing did not know why those two people were having disagreement; he simply said, "I don't understand why Elder Sister Mu took a big deal out of it. I think her character is just too strong."

"How could a woman hugged by some stranger lost her innocence? Even her loved one did not respect her anymore? Did not care about her anymore?" Huang Rong thought. She did not have a clue the reasoning behind all that, so she brushed it off as that was the way it was and stopped at that. She slowly walked to the rear courtyard, sat against a pillar. Her mind was still heavy with thoughts. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

That very evening Li Sheng and other Beggar Clan members threw a banquet in honor of their leader, Hong Qigong, and to congratulate Guo Jing and Huang Rong. They have been waiting until around midnight but Hong Qigong still did not show up. Li Sheng knew his Leader's unusual habit so he did not give any thought; he kept serving wine to Guo Jing and Huang Rong and they drank to their hearts' content. The Beggar Clan people had a high respect toward these two people, so their conversation was congenial. Miss Cheng had personally prepared some food and four big pots of good quality wine and delivered everything via her servants.

After the banquet was over Guo Jing and Huang Rong discussed what to do next. Wanyan Honglie would not be in Beijing, so it must be difficult to find him in a short period of time. The Peach Blossom Island appointment was drawing near. Guo Jing needed to go back to Jiaxing immediately and consulted his six masters on what action they would take.

Huang Rong nodded her head in agreement. "I think it is best for your six masters not to go to the Peach Blossom Island," she added. "You fought with him and received quite a few beatings; for him to hit a few more heads is no big deal, is it? If you don't agree with me, let me hit you a few times in the head. If your six masters meet my father, what good will it brings?"

"You are right," Guo Jing said. "But you don't need to hit my head."

Early the next morning two people rode south. It was the beginning of the sixth month; the weather was burning hot. Natives of Jiangnan had a saying, 'the sixth of the sixth month, a duck egg cooked by the sun.' Traveling under the hot sun they were very miserable. So they would hurry along early in the mornings and later in the evenings; and took some rest at noon.