Smiling Proud Wanderer Vol 02, page 52
Linghu Chong’s spirit surged. He knew that Xiang Wentian must have lent him a helping hand. Then he immediately realized that Xiang Wentian had redirected the attacking energy force downward so it would flow from his arm to his waist, then to his heels, and eventually dissolving into the ground.
The Taoist Priest felt the sudden dissolution of his attacking energy force. He let out a loud yell and leapt backward, withdrawing his own sword.
“It’s the Evil Art of Essence Absorbing! It’s the Evil Art of Essence Absorbing!” he cried out loud.
At the mentioning of the phrase “Evil Art of Essence Absorbing,” many in the crowd changed their countenances.
“That’s right! It’s the Magical Art of Essence Absorbing. Now who else is interested to try it out?” Xiang Wentian said with a broad grin.
“Could that Ren…Ren…have come out again?” the Demon’s Cult Elder with a yellow waistband muttered in a croaked voice. “Let’s report back to the Chief and let him decide,” he ordered.
The Demon’s Cult members acknowledged the command in chorus and all turned around to leave. After a short moment, half of the crowd of several hundred people had dispersed away. The rest people of the orthodox schools talked among themselves in whispers for a little while, and then also began to disperse one after another. In the end, only a dozen or so people remained.
“Xiang Wentian, Linghu Chong! By using the Evil Art of Essence Absorbing, you have sunk beyond redemption. Hereafter, when fellow members of the Martial World cope with the two of you, we no longer restrict ourselves to only just means. You have only yourselves to blame for such a consequence. I hope you won’t regret today when that happens,” a clear voice declared.
“When did I ever regret for what I did? Are you saying that it is actually a just means for the several hundreds of you to jointly attack the two of us? How funny is that! Ha-ha!” Xiang Wentian replied in laughter.
Sounds of footsteps rose and soon the remaining dozen or so people also vanished from sight. Xiang Wentian inclined the head and listened carefully. When he was sure that the enemies had indeed walked away, he whispered to Linghu Chong.
“I bet you these bastards will come back in no time. Come here and get on my back.”
Seeing the solemn expression on Xiang Wentian’s face, Linghu Chong decided to simply comply without asking any questions and climbed onto Xiang Wentian’s back. To his slight astonishment, Xiang Wentian bent down, extended his left foot forward slowly, and began walking down the deep valley.
Xiang Wentian swung his iron chain out and wrapped the end of it around a tree bough by the edge of the cliff that protruded beyond the cliff. After verifying that the bough was strong enough to hold the combined weight for both of them, he jumped down gently, and the two of them were now hanging in the midair. Xiang Wentian swung back and forth a few times. As soon as he found a spot to set his feet, he snapped his wrist with a reverse swing, which unwrapped the iron chain from the bough. After pressing down on the mountain wall with his hands to stabilize himself for a brief second, Xiang Wentian immediately swung out the iron chain again, and this time, it wrapped around a protruding rock underneath them, thus, they were able to descend another ten feet. Using the same technique, the descended further and further down the deep valley. Sometimes when there was only bare mountain wall without any trees or protruding rocks, Xiang Wentian would then run the risk by keeping his body close to the mountain wall and simply slide downward. Each slide would run about one hundred feet. As the slide accelerated, as soon as Xiang Wentian saw a spot that could be used to leverage the slide, he would use his outstanding Kung Fu skills, sometimes striking down with his palms, sometimes stomping with his feet, to slow down the slide.
This was certainly a very stunning experience for Linghu Chong. The danger and risk of sliding down the cliff was really no less than the danger and risk in the fierce battle a moment ago. This kind of experience was indeed peculiar and risky to the extreme. If he had not met an eccentric like Xiang Wentian, it probably would never happen in one hundred incarnations. So when Xiang Wentian’s feet touched the bottom of the valley in the end, he was actually slightly disappointed and wished that the valley were another thousand feet deeper. He looked up at the top of the valley. The stone beam looked like a thin blurry shadow, and white clouds concealed everything else.
“Mr. Xiang…,” Linghu Chong said, but Xiang Wentian reached his hand out quickly and covered Linghu Chong’s mouth while pointing his right index finger upwards.
Linghu Chong understood at once. The enemies must have returned. But when he looked up as far as he could, he didn’t see any shadow on the stone beam.
Xiang Wentian drew his arm back. Placing his ear right next to the mountain wall, he listened attentively. After quite a while, he finally said with a grin, “God damn it! Some are taking guards while some others are searching all over the place.” Turning toward Linghu Chong, he goggled at him for a moment and then spoke again, “You are an apprentice of a famous, orthodox school. I, on the other hand, am a so-called evil heretic. The two sides have always been mortal enemies. Why were you willing to offend your friends at the orthodox schools and come to save my life with no regard for your own safety?”
“I just happened to be at the place at the nick of time and were able to join forces with you, Mr. Xiang, and contended with the many elite fighters of both the orthodox schools and the Demon’s Cult. I had not expected to come through this alive. I must have had incredible luck on my side. What you said about me saving your life is really…well, well…is really…,” Linghu Chong replied.
“Is really rubbish, isn’t it?” Xiang Wentian finished the sentence for him.
“I dare not say Mr. Xiang is talking rubbish. But it would be completely incorrect if you say that I saved your life,” Linghu Chong answered.
“Xiang Wentian never goes back on his own words! I said that you saved my life, then you did save my life,” Xiang Wentian concluded.
Linghu Chong let out a smile and did not argue.
“Just now, those god damned bastards kept yelling about the ‘Magical Art of Essence Absorbing’ and were scared out of their wits. Do you know what kind of Kung Fu this ‘Magical Art of Essence Absorbing’ is? And why are they so afraid of it?” Xiang Wentian asked.
“Linghu Chong, a junior, is just about to ask for your advice, Mr. Xiang,” Linghu Chong replied.
“Drop the junior, senior, elder, mister crap, will you? That’s really getting on my nerves. You can simply call me Brother Xiang, and I’ll call you Brother Linghu,” Xiang Wentian said with a frown.
“Linghu Chong dare not do so,” Linghu Chong declined.
“I see! You despise me because I am part of the Demon’s Cult. You’ve saved my life, but my life is the least concern on my mind. If you despise me, we can dispute this over a fight,” Xiang Wentian exclaimed angrily. Though he spoke these words in a muffled voice, the anger blazing on his face clearly showed his irritation.
“There’s no need for a fight. If Brother Xiang insists, of course I’ll comply,” Linghu Chong replied with a beam. He thought to himself, “Didn’t I make friends with the evil rapist Tian Boguang? Might as well add Xiang Wentian to my list of friends. This man was free and easy and holds the characteristics of a true man. I’ve always liked people with such demeanors.” At that thought, he bowed down and saluted Xiang Wentian, saying, “Brother Xiang, I salute you.”
Xiang Wentian’s face split into a wide smile. “Just bear in mind that you are the only sworn brother Xiang Wentian ever had in the entire world,” he added.
“I am extremely flattered!” Linghu Chong grinned.
According to the tradition in the Martial World, when two men became sworn brothers, they should at least get on their knees, pinch some soil in front of them in place of the incense sticks, and then swear an oath along the line of sticking together through thick and thin and sharing weal and woe. But since both of them were the unconventional type, and after going through this fierce battle together, each found the other congenial with the utmost sincerity, neither bothered about the over elaborate formalities. Once they called each other a sworn brother, then sworn brothers they were.
Xiang Wentian was a member of the Demon’s Cult, but there were very few fellow cult members he would think much of. Having made Linghu Chong his sworn brother, he found himself in a state of bliss.
“Too bad we don’t have any wine here, or else we could have drunk twenty or thirty bowls of god damned liquor to celebrate!” Xiang Wentian grumbled.
“Absolutely!” Linghu Chong immediately agreed. “My throat had been itching madly from the cravings. Now that you mentioned it, it only got worse.”
“Those bastards haven’t left yet. I guess we’ll just have to hold out for a few days at the bottom of the valley,” Xiang Wentian suggested, pointing his finger upward. “Brother, just now, when that cow-nose of the Emei School attacked you with his inner energy, what happened to the cow-nose’s inner energy force when I helped you with my inner strength?” he asked.
“Brother Xiang, I felt as though you redirected that Taoist Priest’s inner energy force into the ground,” Linghu Chong answered.
“Yes, yes!” Xiang Wentian smacked his own thigh in excitement. “Brother, your comprehension is excellent. This Kung Fu of mine was something I created by chance and nobody else in the Martial World knew about it. I gave it a name and called it the ‘Minor Art of the Energy Absorbing to the Ground’.”
“That’s a strange name!” Linghu Chong uttered.
“Well,” Xiang Wentian explained, “that’s because the ‘Magical Art of Essence Absorbing’ can change the countenance on anyone’s face in the Martial World just by the sound of it, and this Kung Fu of mine would pale into utter insignificance in comparison with it. That’s why I had to call it a ‘Minor Art.’ This Kung Fu of mine only utilizes simple techniques to graft one twig on another and redirects the opponent’s attacking inner force to the ground instead of causing any harm. I don’t have the least gain from it, myself. Besides, this Kung Fu is only useful when the opponent is attacking with his inner energy and can’t be used to attack in offense. At the time when the opponent suddenly felt that his inner energy was discharging in a steady stream, undoubtedly he would turn pale with fright, but it doesn’t take long for that amount of inner energy to regenerate. Why was I so sure that they would definitely return? Because as soon as the cow-nose found out that he didn’t really lose any bit of his essence, he would know that my ‘Minor Art of Energy Absorbing to the Ground’ is only bluffing and there’s nothing dreadful about it. I never liked playing deceiving tricks, that’s why I never used it before.”
“Xiang Wentian never deceives people, but for his sworn brother’s sake, he made an exception today,” Linghu Chong grinned.
“Nah, I wouldn’t say that I never deceive people. But for insignificant players like that Priest Song-Wen, I would really disdain to deceive him,” Xiang Wentian showed a grin before continuing. “If I want to deceive someone for some reason, it has to be something huge, something earthshaking, something everybody will be talking about afterwards.”
At those words, the two of them broke into laughter. Even though they held their laughter low so as not to be heard by the enemy above, but the laugh was thoroughly delighted.
Chapter 19: The Wager
Mr. Black-White extended his index finger and middle finger rapidly and gripped towards the blade of the thrusting sword. The five spectators couldn't help letting out a cry of surprise.
By now both of them were very exhausted, and each took a spot to sit in repose with their eyes closed, leaning against a big rock. Soon Linghu Chong began to doze off. In the sleep, he suddenly saw Ying-Ying placing three roasted frogs into his hands and asking him, “Have you forgotten me?”
“I have not! I have not! Where…where have you been?” Linghu Chong replied loudly. But all of a sudden, Ying-Ying’s image vanished before his eyes. “Don’t go! I have a lot to tell you,” he shouted hastily. But all he could see now were countless of knives, swords, and various weapons striking toward him one after another. He cried out loudly and then woke up.
“Have you dreamed of your sweetheart and had a lot to tell her?” Xiang Wentian said with a big grin.
Linghu Chong’s face went red. He wasn’t sure what else he had said in his dream that Xiang Wentian might also overheard.
“Brother, if you want to see your lover, you’ll have to recuperate your injury and cure yourself before going looking for her,” Xiang Wentian suggested.
“I…I don’t have a lover. Besides, my injury is incurable,” Linghu Chong replied, his face looking gloomy.
“I owe you a life. Although you are my sworn brother, it still doesn’t feel right, and I simply must repay you with a life. I’ll take you to a place. There, you will be cured,” Xiang Wentian exclaimed.
Linghu Chong had long disregarded his own life, but that was really because he didn’t have a choice after all and had to treat it with indifference. Now when he heard Xiang Wentian saying that his injury was actually curable, a mixed feeling of hope and bliss began swelling in his chest. If these words had come out of someone else’s mouth, he would not have let his hope go up. But Xiang Wentian was a man with extraordinary abilities, and his Kung Fu skills were so amazing that other than Grand Uncle-Master Feng, Linghu Chong had not seen anyone possessing such exceptional skills. Even a casual remark from him could have weighed more than a thousand pounds.
“I…I…,” Linghu Chong murmured but found himself lost in word from the sudden surge of spirit.
By now, the crescent shaped moon had climbed up the opening of the valley and shone over it silently, casting rays of cold light into the bottom of the valley. Although the valley bottom still looked dark and gloomy, in Linghu Chong’s eyes, everything seemed to have brightened up all of a sudden as though it was sunshine everywhere.
“We’ll go see a man. But this man has a very eccentric temperament, so it’s better that we don’t let him know beforehand. Brother, if you trust me, just let me arrange everything,” Xiang Wentian explained.
“What’s there to not trust? Brother Xiang, your trying to cure my injury is just like that old saying, ‘Working on curing a dead horse as though the horse was still alive.’ It was a hopeless thing to start with anyway. If it can be cured, then praise the lord! If it can’t be cured, then it is just the way it should have been.”
Xiang Wentian licked his lips at these words. “I wonder where we dropped that horse leg. God dammit! We killed so many bastards, and there’s not even a single one down here.”
From the expression on Xiang Wentian’s face, Linghu Chong could tell that he must be thinking about finding some corpses for food. Gasping with astonishment, he dared not say another word and closed his eyes to sleep.
The next morning, Xiang Wentian said, “Brother, other than moss and grass, there’s nothing here. If we stay here and drag on like this, we’ve got to find some dead corpses for food. But the ones that fell down the valley yesterday were all old and stringy. I think your won’t have too good of an appetite eating those.”
“I won’t have any appetite at all,” Linghu Chong replied hurriedly.
Xiang Wentian grinned. “Then we’ll have to find a way out of here. Let me change your looks a little bit.”
He scooped some slime from the ground and smeared it onto Linghu Chong’s face. Then he put his hands on his own chins and rubbed. As soon as his inner strength radiated out from his palms, his long beards began falling off completely. Next, he placed his hands on his own head and rubbed, and soon all the gray hair on his head also fell off entirely, turning his head into a shinny, bald head.
Within moments, he had changed his appearance completely. Linghu Chong found it amusing yet amazing. Xiang Wentian scooped some more slime and then made his nose bigger, his chins chubbier. Now even if someone looked at Xiang Wentian carefully face to face, he would still have a difficult time recognizing him.
Xiang Wentian leading the way, they began looking for a way out of the valley. Xiang Wentian put his hands together and hid them in the sleeves, which also covered up the iron chain tied around his wrists. As long as he didn’t draw his hands out, nobody would have been able to recognize that this bald fatty was actually the hale, hearty, and degage Xiang Wentian.
The two of them explored the valley from one side to the other, and by noon, they caught sight of a small, wild peach tree in a small col. Even though the peaches were far from ripe and tasted sour and astringent, they couldn’t care less and each had a stomach full. After resting for about two hours, they resumed their walk. By the time of dusk, Xiang Wentian finally found the right place to get out of the valley, only that they had to climb over a precipice a few hundred feet high. Xiang Wentian carried Linghu Chong on his back and then climbed upward.
After they climbed up the cliff, a small path appeared in front of their eyes, winding through the long grasses covering the wild country land. Although the scenery was bleak, at least they had gotten out of the tight spot where even traces of wild birds or animals were lacking, and both heaved a long sigh of relieve.
