EASTERN HERETIC, WESTERN POISON (Book 2 of Legend Of The Condor Heroes)

Wandering On A Shark's Back Part 1

Huang Rong saw Ouyang Feng carry his mud-drenched nephew to the shore, his face was beaming happily from ear to ear but never uttering any word reflecting his thankfulness to Guo Jing and herself. She pulled the sleeve of Guo Jing's clothes and they returned to the cave together.

Guo Jing saw that Huang Rong had a worried expression on her face and asked her, "What are you thinking about?" Huang Rong replied, "I am thinking about three very difficult things." Guo Jing replied, "You are an intelligent person who always has a way to solve problems." Huang Rong gave a very light laugh; but a moment later her eyebrows were creased again.

Hong Qigong then opened his mouth to speak, "The first matter really does not matter much. The second and third matters actually cause people to be at a loss of what to do."

Guo Jing then said, "Wow! You really are amazing! How would you know about the three matters that she is thinking about?"

Hong Qigong replied, "I simply guessed her thoughts. The first matter is how to cure my injury. There is no doctor, medicine and a person with good internal energy here to help me. The Old Beggar can always accept my fate with resignation. Whether I live or die in not of the most important matter now. The second matter is how to defend ourselves from the poisonous hand of Ouyang Feng. This person's martial art is really solid. The two of you are definitely not his match. The third matter is how we can return to the mainland. Rong'er, am I right or wrong?"

Huang Rong replied, "Yes, at present the most pressing matter is to think of a way to discourage the Old Poison from acting so ruthlessly."

Hong Qigong said, "In short, we must have a battle of wits with him. The Old Poison may be cunning but he is completely conceited; so conceited that it won't be difficult to fool him. However, after he has been tricked, he will immediately adapt from the changes followed by a very severe counterattack."

Two people gave a deep thought. Huang Rong started to think that the enemy's skill is difficult to differentiate against her father's and teacher's. Even if her father were there, he would not necessarily defeat him; how she could she fight him? It seemed like if they could not take his life in one stroke, it would only make him committing more evil deeds.

Hong Qigong suddenly felt pin in his chest and coughed loudly. Huang Rong immediately helped him to lie down. Suddenly a shadow was blocking the sunlight at the mouth of the cave. She raised her head up to see Ouyang Feng carrying his nephew making a hissing sound saying, "Get out all of you! Let me have this cave for my nephew to heal his injury!"

Guo Jing was very angry; he jumped out and said, "This place belongs to my master!"

Ouyang Feng coldly replied, "Even if the Jade Emperor lives here, he must go away!"

Guo Jing furiously tried to answer him, but Huang Rong pulled Guo Jing's sleeve. She stooped down to help Hong Qigong up and left the cave.

While passing by Ouyang Feng's side, Hong Qigong opened his eyes and said with a mocking smile, "Impressive power! Very deathly!"

Ouyang Feng's face turned red. He could have Hong Qigong died violently with just a stroke of his palm, but for some reason he was overwhelmed by Hong Qigong's righteous air. He shivered and did not answer this insult. He turned his head to avoid Hong Qigong's penetrating gaze and said, "Come back and deliver us something to eat! If you two small creatures mess with the food, just watch out for your three lives."

The three of them went down the hill. Guo Jing cursed incessantly, while Huang Rong was deep in thoughts and did not say anything. Guo Jing said, "Master please rest here while I go and look for a suitable place to rest."

Huang Rong helped Hong Qigong to sit down properly by a big pine tree when she spotted two squirrels hurriedly climbing up the tree trunk then immediately climbing back down again only a few feet from her; watching the two people with their small round eyes. Huang Rong was fascinated; she picked a pine cone and held it out. One of the squirrels came near to sniff at the cone, and used its front paws to slowly pull the cone away. The other squirrel boldly climbed Hong Qigong's sleeve. Huang Rong sighed and said, "Nobody has been here before. Look at the two squirrels, not afraid of humans at all."

As the squirrels heard Huang Rong's voice they scurried up the tree. Huang Rong looked up the tree and saw dense leaves growing from the branches of the pine tree. The leaves formed a canopy and the top of the tree was full with green cane. Huang Rong suddenly got an idea and called out, "Brother Jing, no need to look anymore. Let's go on top of the tree."

Guo Jing stopped and looked up the pine tree. The tree is indeed a wonderful place as a shelter. Two people folded some branches and made a platform. Then with each of them on either side, they propped Hong Qigong in between and shouted, "Heave!" they flew up and put Hong Qigong safely on the platform they just made.

Huang Rong laughed and said, "We are living on branches like birds. Let them live in caves like beasts."

Guo Jing then said, "Rong'er, do you want to send them food or not?"

Huang Rong said, "Since I cannot think of any wonderful plan and defeat the Old Poison at the moment, I think we'd better comply with his request." Guo Jing grumbled incessantly.

Two people went behind the mountain and managed to catch a wild goat. They then made a fire to roast the goat. The roasted goat was then ripped into two. Huang Rong took a piece of the meat and threw it to the ground and said, "Urinate on top of the meat!"

Guo Jiang laughed, "They will find out."

Huang Rong said, "Don't you bother about that; just do it."

Guo Jing blushed and said, "I can't do it!"

Huang Rong asked, "Why?"

Guo Jing mumbled, "I cannot urinate with you beside me." Huang Rong burst out in laughter.

From the top of the tree Hong Qigong called out, "Throw the meat up! I will urinate on it myself!" Guo Jing took the meat, laughed and leaped up to the platform so that Hong Qigong can urinate on that mutton. Hong Qigong urinated a lot on the mutton. He laughed out loud and carried the mutton to the cave.

Huang Rong called out, "No! Take this one."

Guo Jing scratched his head and said, "This is the clean one."

Huang Rong said, "That's right. We are going to give them the clean mutton."

Guo Jing was confused, but he usually listened to whatever Huang Rong said. He turned around and took the clean mutton. Huang Rong took the urine-soaked meat and put it back on the fire while she went out to pick edible wild fruits. Hong Qigong did not understand Huang Rong's plan and was upset. He drooled over the mutton, but the only one left was the one smeared with his own urine. He has no choice but to be patient.

The roasted mutton released a very good aroma. Inside his cave Ouyang Feng had smelled the wonderful aroma of the meat. Without waiting for Guo Jing to arrive he went out the cave and snatched the meat while his face was showing how pleased he was at the moment. But then a thought came into his mind. "Where is the other half?" he asked. Guo Jing pointed his finger backward.

Ouyang Feng walked in big strides towards the pine tree. He snatched the mutton smeared with urine and threw the clean mutton on the ground while laughing coldly before turning around to leave.

Guo Jing knew that at this moment he must not reveal anything suspicious from his face. However, it was not in his nature to pretend; he was forced to turn around and did not dare to look at Ouyang Feng. He waited for Ouyang Feng to be far away before rushing to Huang Rong. He laughed and said, "How did you know that he will come and exchange the meat?"

Huang Rong smiled and said, "According to the military tactic, void is actually solid, while solid is actually void. The Old Poison knew that we will be applying some kind of trick on the food and does not want to be tricked. As a result, I just let him to trick himself." Guo Jing listened to all of this in awe while tearing the clean mutton into smaller pieces before taking it up to the pavilion. The three of them ate the mutton.

While all of them were eating happily, Guo Jing suddenly said, "Rong'er, you really came up with a wonderful ruse just now. Nevertheless, it was still a dangerous one."

Huang Rong immediately asked, "Why?"

Guo Jing then replied, "If the Old Poison did not come and exchange the mutton, wouldn't we be eating the mutton covered with master's urine?"

Huang Rong who was sitting on a branch while listening to Guo Jing's words laughed loudly until her waist bended and she tumbled down the tree. She then leaped up the tree again unharmed and said, "Very, very dangerous indeed."

Hong Qigong sighed and said, "Dumb child, if he did not come to exchange the mutton, can't you just not eat the tainted mutton?"

Guo Jing was startled at the truth of the statement and gave a loud laugh before falling down from the tree as well.

Ouyang Feng uncle and nephew ate the mutton, they thought the wild goat had urine smell, but they did not suspect anything. In fact, they still praised Huang Rong's wonderful skill in roasting the mutton that she gave the meat a salty taste. Not long after that, the sky was turning dark. It was at this moment that Ouyang Ke's wound started to ache, causing him to groan loudly.

Ouyang Feng walked out towards the pine tree and called out, "Come down little girl!"

Huang Rong was startled because she did not expect Ouyang Feng to come that soon. She asked, "What is it?"

Ouyang Feng answered, "My nephew needs tea and water. Quickly go and serve him now." The three people on the tree listened to everything and could not help but felt very angry. Ouyang Feng shouted angrily, "Hurry up! What are you waiting for?"

Guo Jing whispered, "Let us fight him."

Hong Qigong added, "The two of you quickly run towards the back of the mountain. Don't you worry about me."

Huang Rong had already calculated properly on the two choices that they have now. Whether they flee or duel with Ouyang Feng, their master's life would be lost. The only thing that can be done now is to compromise for the sake of their master's safety. She leaped down the tree and said, "Alright, let me go and have a look at his wound."

Ouyang Feng sneered and said, "The boy surnamed Guo, come down and follow me. Are you still soundly asleep? I have a good idea." Guo Jing swallowed his anger and leaped down from the tree.

Ouyang Feng said, "Go get 100 lumbers for me by the night fall. If you are short by one lumber, I will break one of your legs. If you are short two lumbers, I will break both of your legs."

Huang Rong asked, "What do you want to do with the lumbers? Besides, how are we going to see where we are going in the dark?"

Ouyang Feng cursed her, "You talk too much girl! What does this have to do with you? Quickly go and attend to my nephew. If there is something amiss or wrong, all of you will suffer the consequences!"

Huang Rong gave Guo Jing a hand signal telling him not to make things worse. Guo Jing saw Ouyang Feng and Huang Rong's shadows disappeared in the darkness. He was so angry that tears flowed down from his eyes.

Hong Qigong suddenly said, "When I was young, my grandpa, my father and I were slaves of the Jins. What is this hardship compared to what we went through?"

Guo Jing was startled, he came to his senses, "Turned out benevolent master was once a slave, but later on he mastered a matchless martial art. I feel wronged today; can't I just endure it patiently?" Guo Jing then leaped down from the tree and lighted a fire using a tree branch before heading towards the back of the mountain. He launched the 18-Dragon Subduing Palms, hacking down trees as big as a rice bowl cup in diameter. He was fully aware that Huang Rong would be able to escape from harm, just as the other day when she was surrounded by a whole bunch of criminals at Zhao palace. No matter how difficult the situation somehow she managed to escape unharmed. Therefore, he concentrated his attention and energy to cut down the trees.

But launching the 18-Dragon Subduing Palms took a lot of his energy. After a while he started to feel strained and numb. In less than an hour Guo Jing managed to knock down twenty one pine trees. While knocking down the twenty-second tree, Guo Jing's arm was already sore and tired. When he launched the Seeing Dragon in the Field, his palms were uneven; the branches and leaves were shaken, the trunk swayed but did not break; while he felt his chest tightened. Turned out the energy did not flow to his palm, but went up in reverse to his chest. His master had repeatedly warned him against this condition; the 18-Dragon Subduing Palms carried a tremendous force, but if his own strength was not enough, he would suffer tremendous self-inflicted injury. He was shocked; immediately sat down and focused his attention to control his breathing. After about an hour he struck that tree again; but he felt his body was worn out, his arms and legs were weak.

Guo Jing knew that if he forced himself to exert more strength, not only it would still be difficult to accomplish his task, but he would suffer internal injury as well. In this desolate island there was no saber or hatchet, how would he be able to chop down more trees?