The Legend of the Condor Heroes Chapter 20

Hong Qigong and Guo Jing saw that Ouyang Feng uncle and nephew led Zhou Botong to a cabin in the back; while they were taken to a different cabin to change their clothes. Four white-dressed maidens served them. Hong Qigong laughed, “The Old Beggar has not had any luck to enjoy this kind of treatment,” he said. Taking out all his clothes a maiden dried him up with a clean towel.

Guo Jing felt blood flowing up his neck and face and he did not dare to take his clothes off. Hong Qigong laughed, “What are you afraid of? They won’t eat you alive!” he said. Two maidens approached him to take his boot off and loosen up his belt. Guo Jing quickly took his boot and upper garment, then jump to the bed, hiding underneath a blanket, changing his own clothes behind the blanket. Hong Qigong burst out in laughter, those four maidens also giggled.

Once they were finished, two other maidens entered the cabin carrying trays full of wine, dishes of meat and vegetables, and some white rice; saying, “Please two gentlemen eat what we prepared in a hurry.”

Hong Qigong waved his hand, “Please all of you get out of here, every time the Old Beggar sees good-looking ladies I can’t get the food down to my tummy.” The maidens smiled and complied, closing the door on their way out.

Hong Qigong took the wine and the dishes to his nose and sniffed at them, “Don’t eat or drink this,” he whispered, “The Old Poison is so crafty. Just eat the plain white rice.” He took the gourd on his back, pulled the plug and took two mouthfuls of wine, while busily eating three big bowls full of rice. Guo Jing followed his lead and dumped the dishes under the deck.

“I wonder what would they want Big Brother Zhou to do?” with a low voice Guo Jing asked.

“Can’t be anything good,” Hong Qigong replied, “This time the Old Urchin really got himself in trouble.”

Suddenly the cabin door was pushed open and a maiden said, “Master Zhou asked Young Master Guo to come to the rear cabin. He has something to discuss with you.” Guo Jing looked at his master and walked out the cabin following the maiden; they walked alongside the port side of the boat toward the back. The maiden lightly knocked the cabin door and after waiting a moment, shoved the door open, announcing, “Young Master Guo has arrived.”

Guo Jing entered the cabin and the door was closed behind him. There was no one inside the cabin. Guo Jing felt strange, but then the small door to his left was shoved open and Ouyang Feng uncle and nephew walked in.

“Where is Big Brother Zhou?” Guo Jing asked.

Ouyang Feng closed the door with the back of his hand, took two steps forward and grabbed Guo Jing’s wrist. His movement was very swift, besides, not in a million years would Guo Jing guess that Ouyang Feng would do that. He felt like his wrist was pinched by a pair of pliers; he could not move at all. Ouyang Ke pulled a steel-spined folding fan from his sleeve pocket and placed it on a vital acupoint on Guo Jing’s back. Guo Jing was dumbstruck; he could not guess what these uncle and nephew wanted from him.

“The Old Urchin lost a bet to me, but when I asked him to do something for me he refused,” Ouyang Feng coldly said.

“Humph?” Guo Jing was confused.

“I told him to rewrite the Nine Yin Manual from memory for me to see, but unexpectedly he did not keep his word,” Ouyang Feng explained.

“How could Big Brother Zhou give the manual to you?” Guo Jing thought; and again he asked, “Where is Big Brother Zhou?”

“It was he who said that whoever does not keep his words must jump to the sea to be eaten by the sharks. Humph! Finally he made his mind and did what he said he would,” Ouyang Feng coldly said.

Guo Jing was shocked. “He … he …” he stammered. He tried to pull his hand and dash to the door, but Ouyang Feng’s grip was very tight, forcing Guo Jing to stop. Ouyang Ke pushed his fan slightly harder on Guo Jing’s ‘zhi yang’ [lit. the most positive] acupoint.

Ouyang Feng pointed to a table with a stack of paper and some ink on it and said, “Now in the whole wide world you are the only one who knows the manual’s full text. Quickly write it down for me.”

Guo Jing shook his head. Ouyang Ke smiled and said, “The food and wine you and the Old Beggar ate just now was poisoned. If you don’t take my Uncle’s only antidote you will die within twelve hours, just like the sharks you saw earlier. If you comply, we will spare both your and your master’s lives.”

Guo Jing was secretly startled, “If Master was not alert we would certainly fall into their trap.” He stared at Ouyang Feng and thought, “You are a great master of martial art, yet you commit this despicable act.”

Seeing Guo Jing just stared at him without saying anything Ouyang Feng said, “You have memorized the manual in your heart anyway. You won’t lose anything by writing it down. What are you waiting for?”

Guo Jing s.h.i.+vered from rage, “You have harmed my sworn brother’s life; there is hatred as deep as the ocean between you and I; if you want to kill me then go ahead. But if you think you can force me, dream on!”

“Humph!” Ouyang Feng said, “Good kid, you have guts! You are not scared of death, but does your master’s life mean nothing to you?”

Before Guo Jing could reply a loud bang was suddenly heard; the cabin door was shattered with wood fragments flying everywhere. Ouyang Feng turned his head only to see Hong Qigong with a couple of wooden barrels in his hands. Hong Qigong threw the water out, two deep green transparent water columns flew toward Ouyang Feng uncle and nephew. Ouyang Feng knew the fierceness of this water attack; he leaped to the left to elude while his left hand still holding Guo Jing’s wrist tight. The water hit the cabin’s wall and splashed to all direction. Ouyang Ke loudly called out in alarm because Hong Qigong had grabbed the back of his head.

Hong Qigong laughed out loud, “Old Poison, you always want to kill me by any means possible, fortunately the Heaven won’t allow that to happen!”

Ouyang Feng saw his nephew had fallen into Hong Qigong’s hand so he smiled and said, “Qi Xiong, are you going to challenge me again? It won’t be too late if we wait till we are ash.o.r.e.”

“I see you like my disciple very much that you won’t let his hand go,” Hong Qigong laughed.

“I made a bet with the Old Urchin and I won, didn’t I?” Ouyang Feng asked, “You are our witness, are you not? Let me ask you this: The Old Urchin did not keep his word, did he?”

Hong Qigong repeatedly nodded his head in answer to his questions, “That’s correct. Where is the Old Urchin?”

Guo Jing was grieved, he shouted, “Big Brother Zhou was … he was forced to jump into the sea and die!”

Hong Qigong was startled, with Ouyang Ke still in his grip he jumped out of the cabin, looked to all direction, but all he saw was the billows rolled, did not see even Zhou Botong’s shadow.

Ouyang Feng with Guo Jing still in his grip also walked out to the deck. Loosening up his grip he said, “Guo Xianzhi, your skill is still very far from adequate. You let others grab your hand without you able to do anything. Go and learn ten more years from your master, then you can roam the Jianghu again.”