The Legend of the Condor Heroes

Ouyang Feng walked in big strides towards the pine tree. He snatched the mutton smeared with urine and threw the clean mutton on the ground while laughing coldly before turning around to leave.

Guo Jing knew that at this moment he must not reveal anything suspicious from his face. However, it was not in his nature to pretend; he was forced to turn around and did not dare to look at Ouyang Feng. He waited for Ouyang Feng to be far away before rushing to Huang Rong. He laughed and said, "How did you know that he will come and exchange the meat?"

Huang Rong smiled and said, "According to the military tactic, void is actually solid, while solid is actually void. The Old Poison knew that we will be applying some kind of trick on the food and does not want to be tricked. As a result, I just let him to trick himself." Guo Jing listened to all of this in awe while tearing the clean mutton into smaller pieces before taking it up to the pavilion. The three of them ate the mutton.

While all of them were eating happily, Guo Jing suddenly said, "Rong'er, you really came up with a wonderful ruse just now. Nevertheless, it was still a dangerous one."

Huang Rong immediately asked, "Why?"

Guo Jing then replied, "If the Old Poison did not come and exchange the mutton, wouldn't we be eating the mutton covered with master's urine?"

Huang Rong who was sitting on a branch while listening to Guo Jing's words laughed loudly until her waist bended and she tumbled down the tree. She then leaped up the tree again unharmed and said, "Very, very dangerous indeed."

Hong Qigong sighed and said, "Dumb child, if he did not come to exchange the mutton, can't you just not eat the tainted mutton?"

Guo Jing was startled at the truth of the statement and gave a loud laugh before falling down from the tree as well.

Ouyang Feng uncle and nephew ate the mutton, they thought the wild goat had urine smell, but they did not suspect anything. In fact, they still praised Huang Rong's wonderful skill in roasting the mutton that she gave the meat a salty taste. Not long after that, the sky was turning dark. It was at this moment that Ouyang Ke's wound started to ache, causing him to groan loudly.

Ouyang Feng walked out towards the pine tree and called out, "Come down little girl!"

Huang Rong was startled because she did not expect Ouyang Feng to come that soon. She asked, "What is it?"

Ouyang Feng answered, "My nephew needs tea and water. Quickly go and serve him now." The three people on the tree listened to everything and could not help but felt very angry. Ouyang Feng shouted angrily, "Hurry up! What are you waiting for?"

Guo Jing whispered, "Let us fight him."

Hong Qigong added, "The two of you quickly run towards the back of the mountain. Don't you worry about me."

Huang Rong had already calculated properly on the two choices that they have now. Whether they flee or duel with Ouyang Feng, their master's life would be lost. The only thing that can be done now is to compromise for the sake of their master's safety. She leaped down the tree and said, "Alright, let me go and have a look at his wound."

Ouyang Feng sneered and said, "The boy surnamed Guo, come down and follow me. Are you still soundly asleep? I have a good idea." Guo Jing swallowed his anger and leaped down from the tree.

Ouyang Feng said, "Go get 100 lumbers for me by the night fall. If you are short by one lumber, I will break one of your legs. If you are short two lumbers, I will break both of your legs."

Huang Rong asked, "What do you want to do with the lumbers? Besides, how are we going to see where we are going in the dark?"

Ouyang Feng cursed her, "You talk too much girl! What does this have to do with you? Quickly go and attend to my nephew. If there is something amiss or wrong, all of you will suffer the consequences!"

Huang Rong gave Guo Jing a hand signal telling him not to make things worse. Guo Jing saw Ouyang Feng and Huang Rong's shadows disappeared in the darkness. He was so angry that tears flowed down from his eyes.

Hong Qigong suddenly said, "When I was young, my grandpa, my father and I were slaves of the Jins. What is this hardship compared to what we went through?"

Guo Jing was startled, he came to his senses, "Turned out benevolent master was once a slave, but later on he mastered a matchless martial art. I feel wronged today; can't I just endure it patiently?" Guo Jing then leaped down from the tree and lighted a fire using a tree branch before heading towards the back of the mountain. He launched the 18-Dragon Subduing Palms, hacking down trees as big as a rice bowl cup in diameter. He was fully aware that Huang Rong would be able to escape from harm, just as the other day when she was surrounded by a whole bunch of criminals at Zhao palace. No matter how difficult the situation somehow she managed to escape unharmed. Therefore, he concentrated his attention and energy to cut down the trees.

But launching the 18-Dragon Subduing Palms took a lot of his energy. After a while he started to feel strained and numb. In less than an hour Guo Jing managed to knock down twenty one pine trees. While knocking down the twenty-second tree, Guo Jing's arm was already sore and tired. When he launched the Seeing Dragon in the Field, his palms were uneven; the branches and leaves were shaken, the trunk swayed but did not break; while he felt his chest tightened. Turned out the energy did not flow to his palm, but went up in reverse to his chest. His master had repeatedly warned him against this condition; the 18-Dragon Subduing Palms carried a tremendous force, but if his own strength was not enough, he would suffer tremendous self-inflicted injury. He was shocked; immediately sat down and focused his attention to control his breathing. After about an hour he struck that tree again; but he felt his body was worn out, his arms and legs were weak.

Guo Jing knew that if he forced himself to exert more strength, not only it would still be difficult to accomplish his task, but he would suffer internal injury as well. In this desolate island there was no saber or hatchet, how would he be able to chop down more trees?

He noticed that out of the hundred lumbers needed he was still about seventy, eighty lumbers short; while his pair of legs was about ready to give up. He thought aloud, "His nephews legs are crushed; he must have hated me to his guts. Even if I manage to give him a hundred lumbers tonight, tomorrow night he will require a thousand. When will it end? We can't fight him, and on this desolate island nobody would help us." Having thought this he heaved a long sigh, "We are stuck here on this desolate island, who in the world would come to rescue us? Benevolent master Hong has lost his martial art, whether he will live or die is difficult to tell. Rong'er's father despised me. All Quan Zhen Seven Masters and six benevolent masters are not the Western Poison's match. If only … if only my sworn brother Zhou Botong were here … but he had killed himself by jumping into the sea early on." As soon as Zhou Botong came into his mind, he hated Ouyang Feng even more; thinking that this old sworn brother of his, who was skilled in the Nine Yin Manual and had created the mutual hands combat technique, was forced to his death by Ouyang Feng.