Return of Condor Heroes, page 40
Yang Guo closed his eyes and snored loudly. He heard someone call out from the door, “Little Bitch, come out, do you think this Taoist Master will let you off by standing still?”
Yang Guo thought, “Oh, it’s him again.”
Another person said, “We don’t want your life, we just want to cut off your two ears and three fingers.” The third person said, “This Old man is waiting for you outside; just get it over and done with.” As they said this they moved outside. The three of them stood in a semi circle.
Yang Guo stretched up and slowly sat up and said, “Why are you calling outside, Miss Lu, you are here? Why are you standing there without moving?” He pushed her in the back a few times. Lu Wushuang felt a surge of strong chi running into her body, her body shook and the three pressure points in her body unsealed. She didn’t bother thinking about what had happened and immediately got up and took up her saber. She leaped out of the house and saw three men with their backs facing the moon. She didn’t say anything and flipped her wrist and thrust out at the person on the left. That person was holding a chain and saw the saber slashing towards him. His chain was heavy, its power was great and so was its accuracy. A clashing sound was heard as Lu Wushuang’s saber flew out of her hand. Yang Guo was lying across the table and saw Lu Wushuang leap to the side, her left hand stretched out and thought, “Good, that Taoist will not be able to hold on to his sword.” Indeed when her wrist turned up, she used the Ancient Tomb sect’s kung fu, and she had taken the Taoist’s sword. She chopped down, a ‘pu’ sound; the Taoist’s shoulder had been struck by the sword.
Lu Wushuang used the sword and fought with the man who used the chain. The other short man held a spear; he pierced east and west, but was out of the order and stayed back. The man using the chain had good martial arts, after ten moves or so, Lu Wushuang gradually felt that she wouldn’t be able to stand still. That person’s steps seemed to be measured, he honored his status, Lu Wushuang had failed to get at him many times yet he didn’t force the issue.
The Taoist wrapped up his wound, pointed at Lu Wushuang and cursed, “Ancient Tomb Bitch, such evil attacks!” He ran towards her attacking with his fists and legs. A white light glimmered; the Taoist’s back was pierced by the sword. At that time, the short man thrust his spear at Lu Wushuang’s back, and the man using the chain smashed down on her shoulders.
Yang Guo thought, “Oh no!” His picked up two stones and flicked them out, one at the spear, the other at the man’s right wrist. He didn’t know that the man was skilled, once the stone struck his wrist, he wasn’t able to smash down with his chain, but his left palm came out like lightning and struck Lu Wushuang on the chest. Yang Guo was alarmed, he was young and inexperienced and wasn’t able to tell that the man’s fists and palms were good. He quickly dashed out and grabbed onto the man’s neck, the man’s body suddenly flew up and was flung away tens of feet. The Taoist and the short man saw that Yang Guo was powerful; they picked up the man and ran away without turning back.
Yang Guo lowered his head and took a look at Lu Wushuang, he saw that her face was golden and she was breathing weakly, her injury was serious. He put his arm around her back and slowly sat her up. He heard ‘ge la’ ‘ge la’, two light sounds, it was the sound of bones grinding. Two of her ribs had been broken by that man. She had passed out but once the bones moved, the pain was intense and woke her up; she gave out a quiet groan.
Yang Guo said, “What is it? Does it hurt?”
Lu Wushuang was in extreme pain, she clenched her teeth and scolded, “Why are you asking? Of course it hurts. Carry me into the house.”
When Yang Guo picked her up, it was unavoidable that there was going to be some movements. Lu Wushuang’s ribs touched each other and the pain ignited again, she scolded, “Fine, bastard Sha Dan, you…you want to torture me. Where have the three scoundrels gone?” When Yang Guo used his skills, she had already fainted and didn’t know that it was him that saved her life.
Yang Guo laughed, and said, “They thought you were dead, they clapped and left.”
Lu Wushuang scolded, “Why are you laughing? Bastard Sha Dan, the more pain I’m in the happier you are, is that it?” Every time she shouted at him, Yang Guo would remember how Xiao Longnu would scold him. He lived in the Tomb of the Living Dead for a few years with Xiao Longnu and it was the happiest time in his life. Each time Xiao Longnu scolded him; he couldn’t help but be moved as he knew that his Master was treating him with her heart. At present he wasn’t able to find his Master, but at this time when he was alone, he had at least bumped into another girl in white. In actual fact, Xiao Longnu was cold and detached; when she scolded him it was just a few calm words. How was she like Lu Wushuang who screamed and shouted out insults and curses? In Yang Guo’s present state, having a young girl scolding him was better than having no one, he ignored her insults and curses and just smiled, he placed her on the table. When Lu Wushuang lay on the table, her broken ribs moved again, she couldn’t endure the pain and called out. When she called out in pain her lungs breathed out and this disturbed the ribs again causing further pain. She clenched her teeth as cold sweat poured off her head.
Yang Guo said, “Shall I fix your ribs back in place for you?”
Lu Wushuang scolded, “Rotten Sha Dan, what bones do you know how to fix?”
Yang Guo said, “My dog at home fought with the neighbor’s dog. Its bone was bitten in half and it was me who fixed his bone back in place. Also, when Uncle Wang’s sow had its rib broken, it was me who fixed it back into place.”
Lu Wushuang was angry, but she didn’t dare to shout out loudly, she huskily said, “You’re calling me a sow, a dog. You’re the dog, the sow.”
Yang Guo laughed and said, “Even if I was a pig, I’d be a boar. Furthermore, that dog was a bitch; a male dog won’t be like that.”
Although Lu Wushuang was clever and quick with words, every time she spoke a word her chest would hurt, she wanted to argue with him but she had no strength left, she closed her eyes and endured the pain and ignored Yang Guo.
Yang Guo said, “Once I fixed that dog’s bone it recovered after a few days. When it fought again, it was as if its bone had never been broken.”
Lu Wushuang thought, “It could be that Sha Dan really knows how to connect bones. If no one heals me I’ll be dead. But if he helps to fix my ribs, he’s going to touch my chest, how can I let him? Hmm, if he doesn’t cure me, then we’ll die together, if he does cure me, I won’t let one who’s seen my body live.”
She’d had a tragic life since she was young. She endured it and fought for her life. Her character was different to others; she had been with Li Mochou a long time, her ears and eyes had endured many things. She had learned Li Mochou’s ruthless and vindictive streak and at such a young age she was already filled with many evil thoughts. She quietly said, “Fine! If you lie to me Sha Dan, your death will be painful.”
Yang Guo thought, “If I don’t make it hard for her now, I’m not going to have a chance again.” He calmly said, “When Uncle Wang’s sow broke its ribs, his daughter begged and pleaded with me for help, she called me ‘Big Brother’ one hundred times, and then I helped her”
Lu Wushuang said, “Bull, bull, bull, rotten Sha Dan… rotten Sha Dan, ai ya” her chest was filled with severe pain again.
Yang Guo laughed and said, “If you won’t call me that then fine. I’m going home now, have a nice rest.” He got up and turned towards the door.
Lu Wushuang thought, “If that person goes, then I’m definitely going to die.” She had to hold down her temper and said, “What do you want?”
Yang Guo said, “Originally, all I wanted was for you to call me ‘Good Brother’ one hundred times, but all along you have scolded and insulted me. I’ll help you if you call me that one thousand times.”
Lu Wushuang planned it in her heart, “I’ll promise him now, once I get better, it won’t be too late to get rid of him.” So she said, “I’ll call good brother, good brother, good brother ai ya ai ya”
Yang Guo said, “Fine, there are still nine hundred and ninety seven times left, remember that, you can finish it when you are better.” He walked over to her, and stretched out his hand to take off her clothes.
Lu Wushuang automatically cringed back, she was alarmed and said, “Go away, just what are you doing?”
Yang Guo took a step back and said, “I don’t know how to put your bone back in place with your clothes in the way, the dog and sow didn’t have clothes when I fixed their bones.”
Lu Wushuang thought this was funny but she would be embarrassed if she allowed him to take her clothes off. After a while she lowered her head and quietly said, “Fine, I won’t trouble you.”
Yang Guo said, “If you don’t want to be healed, then don’t. I don’t care…”
As he said this, he heard someone suddenly say from outside, “That little Bitch must be within twenty miles of here, we’ll quickly search around here…” when Lu Wushuang heard this voice she immediately turned pale with fright, she didn’t care about her pain and covered Yang Guo’s mouth, the person who was talking outside was Li Mochou.
When Yang Guo heard this voice he too was alarmed. He heard the voice of another girl say, “The saber that was planted in that man’s shoulder looked like the silver saber of apprentice sister, and it’s a pity that we couldn’t get it for a closer look.” That person was Hong Lingbo.
After the two left the tomb, they returned to Scarlet Cloud Manor, and discovered that Lu Wushuang had escaped, Li Mochou wasn’t too bothered, but they didn’t expect that she had also stolen the ‘Five Poison Codex’. When Li Mochou roamed Jianghu, what the martial artists of the Jianghu world were afraid of was not her kung fu, but her ‘Divine Five Poison Palm’ and her ‘Soul Freezing Silver Needles’. In the ‘Five Poison Codex’, it had the types of poison, its concentration, the antidote and the processing technique of the ‘Divine Five Poison Palm’ and ‘Soul Freezing Silver Needles’. If the secrets were leaked, the ‘Scarlet Serpent Deity’ would be like a poisonous snake without its fangs. She had long ago memorized the contents of the codex; there was no need to take it with her, and she hid the codex in a secret place in the Scarlet Cloud Manor. But she didn’t know that Lu Wushuang was especially aware and noticed every detail, and knew her master’s hiding place. When she decided to escape, she took the book with her.
Li Mochou was furious; she took Hong Lingbo and chased after her night and day. But Lu Wushuang had left long ago, and she kept to the small roads. Li Mochou and her disciple went north and then south, she searched east to west, and then she went over the places again several times but still couldn’t find any trace of her.
One night, by coincidence, the two of them were near Tongguan, and heard members of the Beggar Clan spreading news that there was going to be a meet for the members along the western roads. Li Mochou considered the fact that there are numerous Beggar Clan members everywhere, their ears and eyes see and hear everything; there must be someone who had seen Lu Wushuang. The two rushed to the meeting place to scout for news. On the way there they saw a fifth band disciple being carried by another Beggar Clan member, around them was seventeen or eighteen Beggar Clan members escorting them. Li Mochou saw the person had a saber in his back; it was Lu Wushuang’s silver saber. She slipped to the side to listen in, and heard a few angry Beggar Clan members talking, saying that it was a lame little Bitch who did this. Li Mochou was delighted when she heard this, she knew that this person was recently wounded so she quickly left and scouted around, eventually coming up to the stone house. When she got there, she saw the remains of the fire and smell of fresh blood and under the moonlight she saw drops of blood on the floor, they were new stains. It displayed the signs of a recent battle. Li Mochou tugged her disciple’s sleeve and pointed to the house. Hong Lingbo nodded; she took out her sword and charged in.
When Lu Wushuang heard the voices of her Master and apprentice sister she knew that she had ran out of luck, she decided to lay there and wait for her death. She heard the sound of the door, a person in yellow dashed in, it was her apprentice sister Hong Lingbo. Hong Lingbo had friendly sentiments towards her apprentice sister, but she knew that this time her master would use every method that she knew to torture her and then slowly kill her. She saw that Lu Wushuang was lying on the table and thrust a sword at her chest to spare her the pain. As the sword tip was about to pierce her chest, Li Mochou stretched out her hand and patted Hong Lingbo’s shoulder; her hand lost all her strength immediately and lowered.
Li Mochou chuckled, “Do you think I won’t kill her? Why do I need you to rush into it?” She faced Lu Wushuang and said, “You see your Master in front of you and you don’t greet her?” Although she was furious, her tone was normal.
Lu Wushuang thought, “Now that I’m in her clutches, even if I beg or plead, I’m going to suffer.” She calmly said, “You and my family had deep feuds over the years, there is no need to say anything.” Li Mochou stared at her; one couldn’t tell if her eyes were filled with joy or hate. There was an expression of pity on Hong Lingbo’s face. Lu Wushuang’s lips curled up, her expression was one of pride.
The three of them stared at each other and after a while Li Mochou said, “Where’s the book? Give it to me.”
Lu Wushuang said, “An evil Taoist and a beggar took it!” Li Mochou was startled inside. Although she hasn’t done anything to offend the Beggar Clan, she’s had run ins with the Quanzhen. She knew that the Beggar Clan and the Quanzhen sect had a deep history; what’s going to happen now that her book has fallen into outsiders hands? Lu Wushuang saw a wry smile on the face of her Master and knew that she was thinking up ideas of how to torture her. All along during her escape, the only thing she was afraid of was that her Master was going to catch up with her and now she has. Instead of first feeling fear she thought, “Where’s Sha Dan? Where did he go?” She is facing death and when she thought about the ugly and dumb farmer, unwittingly she felt a warm feeling inside her. Suddenly a light from a fire appeared, a rumbling sound was heard.
Li Mochou and Hong Lingbo turned around to see a large bull heading inside. On the bull’s right horn there was a saber attached to it, on the left horn was a torch; the force it was approaching at was frightening. Li Mochou immediately leapt to the side but saw the bull turn around in the house and rush out. When the bull first entered it was dashing ferociously, when it left it rushed away with the same speed. In the wink of eye it had traveled tens of feet. Li Mochou looked at the image of the bull running away and at first wondered, “Who attached the saber and torch to the bull’s horn?” She turned around and both she and Hong Lingbo called out in shock, the body of Lu Wushuang that was lying on the table had disappeared.
Hong Lingbo searched the house and leaped up onto the roof. Li Mochou thought that it must have something to do with the bull so she chased after it. In the darkness she saw the light of the torch on the bull’s horn entering the forest. By the light of the torch she saw that no one was on the bull’s back, Lu Wushuang had not escaped on the bull. She then thought, “It must be, someone outside sent the strange bull in to divert my attention and then rescued her.” She didn’t know which direction to chase after, she then sped up and in a flash she had caught up with the bull. She leaped up onto the bull and saw that there wasn’t anything strange so she leapt down again. Then she kicked the bull in the behind. She whistled and signaled Hong Lingbo, one was going to scout north to south, the other west to east.
Of course it was Yang Guo who sent the bull into the house. When he heard the voices of Li Mochou and her disciple, he slipped out through the backdoor and listened in through the window, after just one sentence he knew that Li Mochou had come to take Lu Wushuang’s life. He immediately thought of a plan, he went over to the bull and attached the saber that Lu Wushuang had earlier dropped to the bull’s horn, he then gathered some twigs and attached it to the other horn and lit them. He then hung below the bull and forced the bull to rush into the house; quickly he grabbed Lu Wushuang and hid underneath the bull, exiting the house. His movements were quick and the bull looked weird, Li Mochou had good eyesight but was caught unaware and didn’t notice anything wrong. By the time Li Mochou had caught up with bull, Yang Guo had carried Lu Wushuang into the long grass and hid. When she moved, she was in severe pain, so all of the things that had happened; how Yang Guo rescued her, how they hid underneath the bull and how they dived into the grass was all unclear to her. After a while she regained her awareness and called out an ‘ah’ sound. Yang Guo quickly covered her mouth and whispered into her ear, “Don’t make a noise!” They heard footsteps and Hong Lingbo’s voice saying, “How can someone disappear in the flash of an eye?” Further away Li Mochou said, “Let’s go. That little Bitch must have gone far away.” They heard the footsteps of Hong Lingbo gradually moving away. Lu Wushuang was being smothered and was in pain. Yang Guo still held his hand over her mouth without loosening. Lu Wushuang struggled for a little. When she felt that she was being held in his arms she was embarrassed and anxious, she wanted to hit him.
Yang Guo whispered in her ear, “Don’t move, your Master is lying.” As soon as his words were said, they heard Li Mochou saying, “She really isn’t here.” Her voice was extremely close by; it seemed that they were right next to them.
