The Legend of the Condor Heroes

Ouyang Feng's mind was totally confused; he knew the name 'Ouyang Feng' to have a very close relationship with himself, but who could that be? "Who am I?" he asked nobody in particular.

"You are you," Huang Rong sneered, "You don't know who you are, why do you ask me?"

Ouyang Feng's heart turned cold, he leaned his head sideways, trying to think hard; but his brain did not want to cooperate, he could not figure out who he was, he could not understand anything.

He was an intelligent man; oftentimes when he was alone he liked to ponder the old-age philosophical questions like, "Who am I? What am I during my lifetime? What will I become after I die?" Ouyang Feng was a smart person, his comprehension ability was outstanding; these questions sometimes came flashing in his mind. That particular day he had defeated three great martial artists but his energy passages were reversed; he would be happy but suddenly turn angry. Listening to Huang Rong he looked around in confusion and muttered, "I, who am I? Where am I? What happened to me?"

"Ouyang Feng wanted to fight you, he wanted to snatch the Nine Yin Manual away from you!" Huang Rong said.

"Where is he?" Ouyang Feng asked

Huang Rong pointed toward his own shadow and said, "Look! He is behind you!"

Ouyang Feng quickly turned around and saw his own shadow. He was shocked. "This … this … he … he …"

"He is going to beat you!" Huang Rong said.

Ouyang Feng squatted and hacked the shadow. The shadow also squatted and hacked him.

Ouyang Feng was scared, he hacked and he chopped left and right, but the shadow also moving incessantly. Ouyang Feng felt his opponent was so fierce, he turned around to evade. Facing the sunlight he did not see his shadow anymore "Where did you run?" he shouted, and ran toward the left.

Their left side was actually a barren rock wall. The sun was behind him, casting a shadow on the wall. It looked like the enemy was standing straight in front of him. Ouyang Feng sent out his right palm, striking the wall with all his might. He felt a shot of pain straight to his bone. "Very fierce!" he shouted. Immediately he sent a left kick toward the wall, and the shadow also sent him a kick. His foot hit the wall, hard. The pain was unbearable. Ouyang Feng did not dare to fight again; he turned around and ran away.

This time he was running toward the sun, the enemy disappeared. Several 'zhang's later he turned around to look, and to his surprise the enemy was right behind him. He was frightened and shouted loudly, "You can be the world's number one, I admit defeat." But the shadow was motionless.

Ouyang Feng turned around and ran again, but as soon as he turned his head he saw the shadow was closely following him. He could not run, he could not fight, his heart was stricken with terror; screaming and cursing he ran toward the valley below. A moment later his voice could still be heard from the other side of the hill, "Don't chase me, don't chase me!"

Seeing a great grand master of martial art of their generation ended up this way Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong looked at each other and heaved a deep sigh. By that time Ouyang Feng's cry was intermittent, it sounded like he was already several 'li's away. The mountains and valleys echoed his cry, which sounded like a wolf's howl or a ghost's cry. The four of them were standing under the bright sunlight, yet they felt coldness creep into their hearts.

Hong Qigong sighed, "This man won't live much longer."

All of a sudden Guo Jing mumbled, "I? Who am I?"

Huang Rong knew him to be honest and upright, she was afraid he might think over this matter too much and as a result being possessed by an evil spirit; quickly she said, "You are Guo Jing, Jing Gege. Quickly think about yourself, don't think too much about other matters."

Guo Jing shivered in cold, startled, and came to his senses, "Right! Shifu, Huang Daozhu, let us go down the mountain."

"Dumb kid!" Hong Qigong scolded him, "You are still calling him Huang Daozhu? I'm going to give you several slaps on your face."

Guo Jing was startled; he saw Huang Rong was blushing, looked like she was smiling, yet she was not. He knew what to do; bashfully he called, "Father-in-law!" his face was red.

Huang Yaoshi laughed a big laugh; he pulled his daughter's hand with one hand, then pulled Guo Jing's hand with the other, said to Hong Qigong, "Qi Xiong, martial art study is inexhaustible. Today we've seen the Old Poison's martial art, which made others frightened and ashamed at the same time. Ever since Chongyang Zhenren died, there is no more the Number One Martial Artist in the World."

"Rong'er's culinary skill is number one in the world, this I can guarantee," Hong Qigong said.

Huang Rong pursed up her lips and laughed, "No need to praise me, let us go down the mountain; I am going to prepare some good food for you to enjoy."

Hong Qigong, Huang Yaoshi, Guo Jing and Huang Rong four people went down Mount Hua. Huang Rong demonstrated her superb culinary skill by handpicked the ingredients and cooked some out-of-this-world quality dishes. Hong Qigong ate to his heart's content.

That very evening four people slept in an inn; Huang Yaoshi father and daughter shared a room, while Guo Jing and Hong Qigong shared another. Early the next morning Guo Jing awoke only to find the other bed empty; Hong Qigong was nowhere to be seen. On the table top he saw three letters written with grease: 'I am gone'; it was unclear whether the letters were written with a chicken leg's bone or a pork hoof.

Guo Jing quickly went to the other room to alert Huang Yaoshi father and daughter. Huang Yaoshi simply sighed and said, "Qi Xiong leads a busy life, he is like a divine dragon; we can see its head but not its tail." He turned his gaze to Jing and Rong couple and said, "Jing'er, your parents have passed away, the closest relative to you would be your Da Shifu Ke Zhen'e. Why don't you come along with us to the Peach Blossom Island and ask your Da Shifu to act in your parents' behalf to preside at your wedding with Rong'er?"

Guo Jing was both grieved and joyful, he could not say anything but nodded his head repeatedly. Huang Rong pursed her lips and smiled; she wanted to scold him 'Dumb' but looking at her father she refrained from saying so.

Three people traveled together crossing mountains and rivers, heading southeast. In less than a day, they arrived in between the two parts of Zhejiang; the Peach Blossom Island was not too far ahead. Suddenly they heard an eagle's cry high up in the air; two white eagles were seen flying from the north. Guo Jing was delighted, he whistled and the pair of eagle dived down and perched on his shoulders.

When he left Mongolia Guo Jing was such in a hurry that he did not take his eagles along; but now that they met his joy was unspeakable. He held out his hands to stroke the eagles' back and then he saw a piece of leather rolled into a small cylinder tied on the male eagle's foot. Quickly he used his dagger to take the leather and found a letter carved on it. It was written in Mongolian characters and read, 'We are going south to attack Xiangyang, Knowing my lord's loyalty to his country I braved death to inform you. I have caused my lord's mother tragic death, am so ashamed I don't have the face to see you. I want to say goodbye, am going to the west to live with my eldest brother; won't come back to my homeland forever. I wish my lord's good fortune, long life and happiness.'