HEAVEN SWORD DRAGON SABRE Book 2 of 2

The Bride's Pale Arms Tore The Red Dress Part 3

"Miss Zhou, Miss Zhou," he called in a very loud voice, "You ... why didn't you look at the bright side? Why did you ... why ..."

Suddenly he heard someone from outside the door calling out, "Han Dage, what is it?" A man walked in, it was Zhang Wuji.

As Zhang Wuji saw what happened, he felt as if a lightning bolt had just struck him. With trembling hands he broke off the rope around Zhou Zhiruo's neck, and then he felt her chest and found that her heart was still beating. "She is all right," he happily said, "I can save her." Reaching down toward her back and lower abdomen, he massaged her acupoints, while transmitting the Jiu Yang divine energy from the palms of his hands. After one round, 'Wah!' Zhou Zhiruo regained her consciousness and started to cry.

"Good, very good!" Han Lin'er exclaimed in exultation, "Miss Zhou is alive!"

Zhou Zhiruo opened her eyes and as she saw Zhang Wuji, she cried again, "Why do you care about me? Let me die in peace." Suddenly she noticed Zhang Wuji's upper lip was still bleeding, with some fine tooth marks on it. She could not suppress her fury; she raised her hand and heavily slapped Zhang Wuji's face left and right.

Han Lin'er was flabbergasted; how could anybody beat the Cult Leader? But in his eyes, Zhou Zhiruo was like an immortal; so he was confused and did not know what to do. Right that moment, someone gently tapped his shoulder twice. Han Lin'er turned his head and saw Peng Yingyu. In his delight he said, "Peng Da Shi, you're back! Quick, quickly advise Miss Zhou."

Peng Yingyu laughed, "Advise what?" Toward Zhang Wuji he said, "Reporting to Jiaozhu: I did not find any information regarding Jin Mao Shi Wang [golden-haired lion king]."

"Hmm," Zhang Wuji mumbled. He looked awkward.

"Han Xiongdi," Peng Yingyu said, "Let's go and take a walk outside."

"No, no, we can't," Han Lin'er replied, "They are going to fight. Miss Zhou is certainly not Jiaozhu's match."

Peng Yingyu laughed out loud, "Silly brother!" he said, "Do you think even if the two of us are ganging up with Miss Zhou, we can beat Jiaozhu? I'll say Jiaozhu is not Miss Zhou's match." He winked at Han Lin'er, and pulled his hand out of the room. Han Lin'er was still trying to turn his head, his face showed a deep concern. Zhou Zhiruo could not help but try to stifle her laugh, and then threw herself on the bed and wept again.

Zhang Wuji sat on the edge of the bed, gently tapped her shoulder and said in a tender voice, "Zhiruo, I did not have any appointment to meet her; it was truly an incidental meeting."

Zhou Zhiruo randomly kicked her feet, while sobbing, "I don't believe you, I don't believe you. Whatever lies you are saying, don't tell me to believe you."

Zhang Wuji sighed, "'When Zhou Gong feared the days of rumor, Wang Mang enjoyed being praised as a polite and modest scholar,'" he quoted, "The matters of this world is so easy to be misunderstood ..."

Zhou Zhiruo snorted and sat up, "That Junzhu Niangniang [princess] uses those verses to insult me, yet you consider it so poetic that you memorize it in your heart. Look at your lip, aren't you ashamed? Where is your dignity?" Speaking to this point, she could not restrain her own cheeks from blushing.

Zhang Wuji thought that whatever he said, the incident today was very difficult to debate. Besides, he had determined to marry Zhou Zhiruo and grow old together. So the only thing he could do was suppress his emotions, and wish that this incident would eventually fade away from her memory as well. Under the candle light, he saw her pretty face was slightly red, with a deep rope mark around her neck, causing the neck swell on both sides. He thought that if Han Lin'er had been late in realizing what was going on and not rescued her, by the time he returned to the inn, she would have been dead, and no matter what kind of power he had, he would hate himself. Thinking of this, he was both ashamed and felt compassion toward her. He reached out to embrace her and kissed her cherry-red lips.