by Jin Yong
Mongolian Steppe and saw nine skulls Mei Chaofeng left behind. Priest Ma Yu had told him that Mei’s fingernails contained lethal poison and he knew immediately that his life was in grave danger.
“Rong’er, I have been poisoned!” he called out. Without waiting for Huang Rong’s response he immediately jumped forward and threw both palms at Mei Chaofeng. His intention was to seize her and force her to hand over the antidote. It was his only chance of survival.
Mei Chaofeng recognized the fierceness of his attack and jumped back to elude. Huang Rong and the others were greatly shocked by Guo Jing’s revelation. Almost together Ke Zhen’E with his iron staff followed by Huang Rong and the rest of the Six Freaks jumped forward and surrounded Mei Chaofeng.
“Mei Shijie!” Huang Rong shouted, “You have already lost! How could you keep fighting? Quickly, bring out the antidote and save him!”
Mei Chaofeng felt Guo Jing’s attack was both swift and fierce; she did not dare to lose her concentration by replying to Huang Rong’s remark. In her heart she was delighted, “The more you exert your energy, the quicker the poison will attack your system. Should I die here and now, I still have succeeded in gaining revenge for my husband.”
Guo Jing noticed his vision blurring, his head felt dizzy and his whole body felt weak. As he gradually lost control of his left arm, he decided to stop fighting. The poison had begun to enter his system. Had he not drunk the snake’s blood he would have died by now.
Huang Rong saw his dazed condition and loudly called, “Jing ge ge, get back!” Taking out a butterfly steel needle she jumped toward Mei Chaofeng.
Guo Jing heard her call and it raised his spirits. He thrust his left palm using the eleventh stance of the ‘Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms’, ‘Sudden Advent’ [tu ru qi lai] only his arm moved slower than it was supposed to.
Huang Rong, Han Baoju, Nan Xiren and Quan Jinfa moved together to attack Mei Chaofeng but saw Guo Jing’s palm squarely hit Mei Chaofeng’s shoulder. She fell down without even having tried to fend against the attack. Mei Chaofeng relied on her ears to locate her opponent’s movement and Guo Jing’s attack was so slow it did not make any noise. That was the reason she was easily hit.
Huang Rong was startled, but Han, Nan and Quan had simultaneously thrown themselves on Mei Chaofeng’s body to seize her. But she struggled and was able to send Han Baoju and Quan Jinfa flying backward, while at the same time striking backward to grasp Nan Xiren’s arm. Nan Xiren saw this attack coming and rolled out of the way.
Mei Chaofeng took advantage of this chaotic situation to leap up, but Guo Jing’s palm unexpectedly arrived on her back and she tumbled down one more time. Guo Jing’s palm was swift and silent, but it was weak. Even though she was hit on a vital place, she was not injured.
After attacking twice Guo Jing’s energy was depleted; he staggered and fell down right next to Mei Chaofeng. Huang Rong immediately threw herself toward him to protect him.
Mei Chaofeng heard someone falling at her side and without wasting a single moment she sent five fingers to grab, but to her surprise she felt pricking pain. She realized she had hit the thorns on Huang Rong’s ‘Soft Hedgehog Armor’ [ruan wei jia]. Hastily she used ‘To Leap Like a Carp’ [li yu da ting] to get away.
Suddenly somebody shouted, “Take this!” and something was thrown her way. Mei Chaofeng did not know what was being thrown so she just lifted her right arm to parry. That thing fell down broken to pieces. It turned out it was a chair.
That chair was followed by another thing, bigger than the first. This time ‘Iron Corpse’ stretched her left hand to grab it. It was a tabletop; wide and slippery, so she could not get a good grasp. Who threw all these things at her? It was Zhu Cong. He immediately threw a couple of table legs her way. Mei Chaofeng lifted her leg and kicked them away. Zhu Cong eluded them but at the same time stretched out his right hand and suddenly Mei Chaofeng felt three things slip down her collar. They were cold and slippery, and kept wiggling inside her clothes. She was frightened, “What are these things? Is it some witchcraft or secret weapons?” Hastily she groped around inside her clothes and caught three goldfish.
She was relieved, but suddenly she froze! Her porcelain antidote bottle had disappeared, along with her dagger and the scroll of the ‘Nine Yin Manual’ which was wrapped around the dagger.
The three goldfish were from the cistern that was crushed when the roof collapsed. Zhu Cong knew Mei Chaofeng was careful and could not be easily deceived, unlike Peng Lianhu or Qiu Qianren; so he used the goldfish to divert her attention while at the same time executed his quick hand to take Mei Chaofeng’s pocket’s contents. He took the porcelain bottle out, pulled its stopper and took it to Ke Zhen’E to smell while whispering softly, “Well?”
Ke Zhen’E was an expert at using poison. As soon as he smelled the antidote he said, “To be taken orally and also applied to the wound. This is the antidote.”
Mei Chaofeng heard their conversation and immediately realized what happened. Furiously she leaped toward them. Ke Zhen’E swung his iron staff to block her, assisted by Han Baoju’s ‘Golden Dragon Whip’ [jin long bian], Quan Jinfa’s ‘Weighing Scale’ [cheng gan], and Nan Xiren’s ‘Steel Carrying Pole’ [chun gang bian dan]. Mei Chaofeng quickly put her hand to her waist to retrieve her own ‘Poison Silver Dragon Whip’ but suddenly heard a gust of wind from a sword coming her way. It was Han Xiaoying. She was forced to parry this attack first.
Meanwhile Zhu Cong gave the antidote to Huang Rong. “Have him swallow some, then spread some on his wound,” he said. Then he put the dagger he took from Mei Chaofeng into Guo Jing’s pocket. “This dagger was yours,” he said. Joining his brothers and sister he raised his iron fan to attack Mei Chaofeng. The six had trained hard these past ten years and had improved their martial arts considerably. Therefore, this battle was many times fiercer than the one on that barren Mongolian hill.
Lu Chengfeng and his son were amazed witnessing this fierce battle. “Mei Chaofeng’s martial arts are no doubt swift, fierce and ruthless, but these Six Freaks of Jiangnan certainly live up to their names,” they thought. “Ladies and gentlemen, please stop! Please listen to what I have to say!” Lu Chengfeng shouted loudly. But both parties were fighting fiercely, who would actually have time to listen to him?
Not long after he took the antidote, Guo Jing was slowly regaining his sense. The poison had attacked his system quickly, but the antidote also neutralized it fast. His wound was still hurting, but he was able to move his left arm. After putting the dagger away he immediately jumped up and rejoined the battle. Learning from before, he started slowly and when his palm was almost touching Mei Chaofeng’s body, he added more strength. It was the stance ‘A Hundred Li Shock’ [zhen jing bai li]. Mei Chaofeng was busy fending off her attackers and could not hear Guo Jing’s palm. She was hit suddenly and fell down immediately right at the moment when Han Baoju’s whip and Nan Xiren’s pole were coming down on her.
Guo Jing leaned and parried those two weapons. “Masters! Please show mercy!” he shouted. The Six Freaks complied. They withdrew their weapons and leaped back.
Mei Chaofeng stood up and got ready to fight again. Knowing that Guo Jing was fierce and she could not see, she took her ‘Poison Silver Dragon Whip’ [du long yin bian] and readied it in front of her. Guo Jing did not move, “We are not going to fight you anymore. You are free to go!” he shouted.
Mei Chaofeng put her whip back and said, “Please return my manual.” Zhu Cong was puzzled. “I did not take your manual,” he said. “You know the Seven Freaks have never lied.” He did not realize that the skin wrapped around the dagger was the ‘Nine Yin Manual’.
Mei Chaofeng knew that even though the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan had deep enmity toward her, they always meant what they said and never deceived anybody. She thought the manual must have fallen when she was fighting Guo Jing a moment ago. So she bent down and groped around on the ground looking for the manual. Where could that manual be?
A blind lady groping around the ground made a pitiful scene. Lu Chengfeng told his son, “Guanying, help your Martial Uncle Mei to look.” But in his heart he was thinking that the manual belonged to his Master, therefore, it must be returned to the Master. He faked a cough to signal his son and Lu Guanying understood. He nodded. Guo Jing was also looking around, but where did that manual go?
“Mei Shijie,” Lu Chengfeng said, “Your manual is not here; perhaps you dropped it on your way here.”
Mei Chaofeng did not answer; she kept groping around. Suddenly everybody’s eyes were blurred as that green-robed man reappeared beside her. His movement was so swift that nobody saw anything as Mei Chaofeng’s body was lifted off the ground and an instant later they were gone, vanishing among the trees outside the hall. Mei Chaofeng was very skilled, yet that man had captured her without any struggle. They looked at each other in blank dismay. This person’s skill was unbelievable.
The hall was quiet; only the distant sound of the waves of the lake lapping the shore could be heard. A long while later Ke Zhen’E broke the silence. “My young disciple fought that wicked woman and damaged your mansion. I feel deep regret.”
“I do not dare complain,” Lu Chengfeng answered. “The Six Freaks and Hero Guo visiting our place today was an honor to us all. No need to mention that you have helped my family escape a disaster. What Hero Ke just said, wouldn’t that make us seem like strangers?” “I invite the honorable guests to take a rest inside the hall,” Lu Guanying added. “Brother Guo, are you still in pain?”
“I am all right,” answered Guo Jing. At that moment the green-robed man came back along with Mei Chaofeng. They stood in front of the hall. Mei Chaofeng put her hands on her waist and shouted, “Guo Kid! You used Hong Qigong’s ‘Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms’ to fight me. I am blind and could not see your moves. Mei Chaofeng does not care about life or death, victory or defeat; but if this matter were spread in the Jianghu world, wouldn’t the reputation of my Benevolent Master of Peach Blossom Island be ruined? Come! Let us fight again!”
“I am not your match,” Guo Jing answered honestly. “I took advantage of your blindness to protect my own life. I admitted defeat a while ago.”
“The ‘Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms’ have eighteen moves,” Mei Chaofeng asked, “Why did you only use part of it?”
“Because I am not smart ...” Guo Jing answered; Huang Rong signaled him not to reveal his secret, but Guo Jing continued, “. Senior Hong only taught me fifteen moves.”
“Very good!” Mei Chaofeng said. “You only know fifteen moves yet you defeated Mei Chaofeng. Is that old man Hong Qigong really that good? No! I can’t accept it. We must fight again!”
Everybody felt this was strange; apparently Mei Chaofeng had not come back to avenge her husband, but to dispute Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong’s reputations.
Guo Jing was still calm. “Miss Huang is younger than I am, yet I’m still not her match; how could I be your match?” he said. “I have always admired Peach Blossom Island’s martial arts.”
“Mei Shijie,” Huang Rong interrupted. “What are you talking about? Who in the world can surpass Father’s martial arts skill?
“Still, I must fight him again!” Mei Chaofeng insisted. Without waiting for Guo Jing to answer she stretched her claw towards him. Guo Jing could not hold himself back much longer and so eluded the attack. He said, “If that’s the case, I will ask Senior Mei to give me some lessons.” Then he launched a strong counterattack.
Mei Chaofeng parried it by turning her hand. “Use your silent moves!” she said, “You are not my match if you are using loud moves.”
Guo Jing leaped back several steps and said, “My First Master Ke’s eyes are not perfect. I hate when others bully him with silent moves. How could I use silent moves to bully you? I was injured by your poison and at that critical moment I inadvertently use a silent move. If we fight fair and square, frankly I am not your match.”
Mei Chaofeng could hear the sincerity in his voice, her heart was stirred. “This kid is kind hearted,” she thought. But she shouted, “I told you to use your silent moves. I have a way to counter it, why do you keep nattering like an old woman?”
Guo Jing looked at that strange green-robed man. “Could it be that he taught her how to cope with silent moves just now?” he thought. But because Mei Chaofeng insisted, he did not have any choice but to comply. “Very well,” he finally said. “I will fight you another fifteen moves.” He thought that by using the fifteen out of ‘Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms’ he might not win, but at least he could defend himself.
Guo Jing jumped to get closer to her, then continued by tiptoeing forward, slowly sending his palm to strike. But before his palm hit its target he heard a light sound and Mei Chaofeng turned her wrist to grab his hand. It was like her eyes were not blind at all. Guo Jing was surprised; he immediately pulled his left palm and slid his body to the left to launch the ‘Skillfully Crossing a Vast River’ slowly.
His palm had only moved several inches when again he heard a light sound and Mei Chaofeng blocked his attack. Guo Jing retracted his palm a little bit too slow and Mei Chaofeng’s fingernails swept very close to his face. He hastily leaped back and thought, “How could she know where my next attack would be?”
His third attack was his fiercest stance, the ‘Proud Dragon Shows Remorse’ [kang long you hui] but again, following a light sound, Mei Chaofeng’s steel-like fingernails moved to grab his wrist. Guo Jing knew the secret must be in that light sound, so with his fourth move he stole a glance at that strange man. This time he was able to see that man flick something into the air and that thing created a light sound.
“Ah, it really is him!” Guo Jing understood. “But how could he know where my next move will be? Hmmm . it was like the time when Huang Rong fought that old man Liang Ziwong; Hong Qigong had deduced his attacks in advance. Now this man is using the same method to defeat me. All right, I’ll fight for the full fifteen moves, and then I will admit defeat.”
Even though the stances of the ‘Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms’ did not change and Guo Jing had not learned the whole set, his attacks were not light. However, Mei Chaofeng always knew in advance where his attack would go and sometimes she would move ahead of Guo Jing so that instead of being defensive, she was actually on the offensive.
Several moves later that strange man flicked three pebbles in succession. Mei Chaofeng was following the sound and launched three attacks one after another. Guo Jing was forced to elude one and barely managed to parry the other two.
The fight was getting fiercer and the winds generated by their hands were getting stronger. Periodically the light sound of a pebble was heard. Huang Rong understood the situation was not favorable. She silently picked some debris from the floor and flicked them away. Some were just aimed at nothing in particular, trying to confuse Mei Chaofeng, while some were aimed to knock the strange man’s pebbles down. But, unexpectedly, the man’s pebbles were not knocked down by Huang Rong’s debris; on the contrary, Huang Rong’s debris was knocked down while his pebbles kept flying. His clues to Mei Chaofeng were not hindered.
Lu Chengfeng, his son, along with the Six Freaks, were greatly amazed. “The strength of this man's fingers is amazing; how is he capable of giving the pebble this kind of force? Even an arrow would not create such a strong noise. If this pebble hit someone, wouldn’t that someone’s bones be shattered by it?” they thought.
By now Huang Rong had stopped her intervention. She stood and stared blankly at that strange man. In the meantime Guo Jing was starting to lose; Mei Chaofeng’s attacks became swifter and fiercer.
Suddenly two loud hums were heard as two pebbles flew from the strange man’s hand. The first one was slower than the latter one. The latter hit the first and two pebbles broke into pieces and flew in all directions. Mei Chaofeng took that opportunity to pounce on Guo Jing. He stumbled trying to avoid the attack. Remembering Nan Xiren’s advice, ‘If you can’t win, run!’ [da bu guo
, tao!] He turned around and ran away.
Out of the blue Huang Rong called out, “Father!” And she rushed toward the strange man, threw herself into his arms and loudly cried, “Father! Your face . what happened to your face . ?” Nobody expected this and the strange man stood still without saying anything.
Guo Jing turned around and saw Mei Chaofeng standing very close to him. She was trying to listen to the sound of the pebble. Guo Jing saw a very good opportunity and sent his right palm slowly toward her shoulder using only about ten percent of his strength. But as soon as his palm hit, his left palm followed at full strength. Mei Chaofeng was squarely hit by both palms and fell down; she was not able to stand back up.
Lu Chengfeng heard Huang Rong call that strange man her father; he was overwhelmed with joy and sorrow at the same time. He forgot his legs were lame and jumped toward the man, but fell face down on the floor.
The strange man’s left arm was in Huang Rong’s embrace and lifted his right hand to slowly take off a thin mask from his face. He was wearing a genuine skin mask; no wonder his face was emotionless like that of a corpse. His true appearance was clear and good-looking, with a hint of sadness. Yet an aura of dignity surrounded him; resembling the image of deity.
Huang Rong’s tears had not dried yet she shouted with joy. She snatched the mask from her father’s hand and placed it on her own face while bouncing up and down and hugging the man’s neck, giggling continuously. The man was indeed the Master of Peach Blossom Island, Huang Yaoshi.
“Father, why did you come here?” she asked, grinning from ear to ear. “That old man Qiu said bad things about you. Why didn’t you teach him a lesson?”
“Why did I come?” Huang Yaoshi sternly asked. “I came looking for you!” Huang Rong was ecstatic; she clapped her hands and shouted, “Father! You were looking for me? Wonderful.that’s just wonderful!”
