SWORDS FIGHTS ON MOUNT HUA (Book 3 of Legend Of The Condor Heroes)

Descending From The Sky Part 6

Guo Jing had never seen Genghis Khan look at him this way, he was also extremely scared; his body could not stop shivering, but he said, "I am asking the Great Khan to spare these people's lives."

With a low growling voice Genghis Khan asked, "You won't regret it?"

Guo Jing remembered Huang Rong told him to ask for cancellation of his betrothal; now he let this good opportunity slipped away. He had lost the Great Khan's favor forever, which he didn't mind; but he actually realized his relationship with Huang Rong was just being thrown down the drain. He had seen and heard these hundreds of thousands common people wailing pitifully; how could he see others facing death and do nothing? Therefore, boldly he said, "I won't regret it."

Genghis Khan heard his trembling voice, he knew Guo Jing was scared to death, but still he boldly made a request. He was forced to admire Guo Jing's guts; drawing a long saber he called out, "Withdraw troops!"

His guard blew the horn. Tens of thousands Mongolian cavalry with blood all over their bodies reined their horses and arranged themselves in neat formation.

Since Genghis Khan became the Great Khan, nobody had ever dared to defy his order. This time Guo Jing bravely hampered his order to massacre the city; he was really angry. With a loud shout he threw his long saber to the ground; then sped his horse back to the city.

The other generals cast their angry looks toward Guo Jing; now that the Great Khan was angry who knew who would be unlucky enough to bear the brunt of his anger. They were also discontented, since as Samarkhand's defense was broken, they were hoping to plunder and kill to their hearts' content for several days; but now their hopes were shattered.

Guo Jing knew the resentment of others, but he ignored them all, he rode his little red horse slowly to a secluded place. Since the beginning of the war, thousands upon thousands homes had been burnt to the ground, corpses scattered everywhere, the snow covered plain was dyed red with blood. He thought, "War brings wretched disaster; bad as it is now. In order for me to seek vengeance for my father I have commanded troops to kill these many people. In order to rule the world, the Great Khan has killed even more people. But for the officers, soldiers, and the common people, what did they do to deserve the cruelest death; their bones abandoned in the wilderness?"

The more he thought, the more restless his heart became, "I destroyed a city to avenge my father, actually killed these many people. In the end, is it worth it?" He wandered around the wilderness on horseback, going back and forth while painstakingly thinking deeply. It was dark when finally decided to go back to his camp.

As he arrived at the camp's gate, he saw the Great Khan's two personal guards were waiting outside. They stepped forward and bowed, reporting, "The Great Khan summons Master Consort. Xiao Ren had been waiting for a long time; asking Master Consort to quickly go."

Guo Jing thought, "Today I have defied his command; the Great Khan might want to behead me. It has gone thus far, I just have to wait and see what will happen." Beckoning to his own guard he whispered to his ear, ordering him to tell Lu Youjiao that he is going to the palace. He was anxious, but he had determined, "No matter how angry he is, I won't take back my request to spare these people's lives. He is the Great Khan, he can't go back on his words."

His heart was full of the idea that the Great Khan would unleash his anger, who would have thought that as he approached the palace gate he actually heard the Great Khan's merry laughter were heard intermittently from inside the palace. Guo Jing could not help but to be a little bit surprised. He sped up his footstep entering the main hall.

He saw next to the Great Khan sat a man, and next to his foot a young maiden sat leaning on his knee. The man had a ruddy face with white hair, he was none other than the Perpetual Spring [Changchun Zi] Qiu Chuji. As for the young woman; who else but Princess Huazheng?

Guo Jing was delighted, hastily he rushed to meet them. Suddenly Genghis Khan snatched a long halberd from his guard's hand, turned around and fiercely attacked Guo Jing's head with the halberd.

Guo Jing was shocked, he leaned sideways to elude. 'Crack!' the halberd's shaft hit his left shoulder and broke into two pieces. Genghis Khan burst into laughter, "Kid, let the bygone be bygone. If I am not looking at Qiu Daozhang [Taoist Priest] and my daughter's face, I should have taken your head away today."

Princess Huazheng sprang up, she called out, "Father, you must be bullying my Brother Guo Jing while I am not here."