DEMI GODS AND SEMI DEVILS Book 1 of 5 (Adventures of The Youth) by Jin Yong

Boundless Regrets of Profligate Love Part 2

Suddenly, Mu Wanqing flushed, as a blushing red colored her face. Lowering her head, she said, "I'm just afraid...afraid that I shot quarrels towards your wife, and she'll resent me." Duan Zhengchun said, "Let's slowly beg her forgiveness. Maybe in the future, she won't be so angry." Mu Wanqing said, "I'm not the type of person who begs others. But for the sake of my darling Duan, it's no big deal to beg her." She suddenly summoned all her courage and said, "South-Subduing Prince, if I tell you my wish, will you really...will you really achieve it for me?"

Duan Zhengchun said, "So long as it is within my power, I will definitely make your wish become a reality." Mu Wanqing said, "The words you have said, you can't go back on!" A slight smile appearing on his face, Duan Zhengchun walked to her side. Extending his hand, he lightly stroked her hair. His eyes overflowing with love, he said, "I naturally won't go back on my word." Mu Wanqing said, "You must make sure my marriage with him goes through. Don't let him renege on it." After saying this, her face glowed radiantly.

The expression on Duan Zhengchun's face immediately changed. He slowly backed away and sat down in a chair. Quite some time passed without him saying a single word. Mu Wanqing felt something was amiss. Her body quivering, she said, "You...you won't allow it?" Duan Zhengchun said, "You definitely cannot marry Yu'er." His voice was sluggish and slow, but the tone was extremely certain. Mu Wanqing's heart froze. Sadly, she said, "Why? He...he personally agreed to marry me." Duan Zhengchun only replied, "Karmic sin...karmic sin!" Mu Wanqing said, "If he doesn't want me, I...I will kill him, then kill myself. I swore a heavy oath in front of my master." Duan Zhengchun slowly shook his head. "Can't!" Mu Wanqing impatiently said, "I'm going to go ask him right now. Why can't I?"

Duan Zhengchun said, "Yu'er...he himself...he himself doesn't know." He saw the look of intense suffering on Mu Wanqing's face, identical to the expression which would appear on the face of Qin Hongmian eighteen years ago, when she received the sad news of the passing of a beloved person. He could no longer hold himself back, and the words rushed out of him. "You may not marry Yu'er, and you may not kill him either!" Mu Wanqing said, "Why?" Duan Zhengchun said, "Because...because...because Duan Yu is your brother by blood!"

Mu Wanqing's eyes widened. She could hardly believeher ears. Her voice shaking, she said, "Wha...what? You're telling me Duan Yu ismy brother?" Duan Zhengchun said, "Wan'er, do you know who your master is? Sheis your birth mother. I...I am your father."

Mu Wanqing was both terror-stricken and furious. Not a hint of color could beseen on her face. Stamping her feet, she said, "I don't believe you! I don'tbelieve you! I...I don't believe you!"

Suddenly, a female voice let out a long sigh from outside the window. "Wan'er,let's go home." Mu Wanqing suddenly came to her senses, and called out,"Master!" The window suddenly opened. Outside stood a middle-aged woman. Shehad a sharp face and two slender eyebrows. Her appearance was extremelyattractive. But in her eyes was a mixture of stubbornness and maliciousness.

Duan Zhengchun saw that his former lover Qin Hongmian had suddenly appeared. Hewas filled with a mixture of surprise and joy. He called out, "Hongmian,Hongmian. These many past years, I've...I've missed you so painfully."

Qin Hongmian called out, "Wan'er, come out! A home belonging to such aheartless, faithless man. We can't even stay here as guests."

Seeing the expressions on Duan Zhengchun and Qin Hongmian's faces, Mu Wanqing'sheart grew still colder. "Master, he...he lied to me. He said you are my mother,and that he is...he is my father." Qin Hongmian replied, "Your mother died longago. Your father is also dead."

Duan Zhengchun rushed to the window. "Hongmian, come in. Let me gaze upon you abit longer. Don't leave me. Let's always be together from now on." QinHongmian's gaze suddenly brightened, and she happily replied, "You just saidthat we'd always be together from now on. Are these words of yours sincere?"Duan Zhengchun replied, "Absolutely! Hongmian, there hasn't been a single daythat passed where I did not think of you." Qin Hongmian said, "You can bearparting with Dao Baifeng?" Duan Zhengchun hesitated, unable to respond. Anawkward expression appeared on his face. Qin Hongmian said, "If you have anypity at all for our daughter, come with me now. You must never think of DaoBaifeng again, and you must never come back here."

Listening to the two speak, Mu Wanqing felt her heart sink lower and lower.Tears began to gather at the corner of her eyes. The forms of both her masterand Duan Zhengchun appeared only as blurs. She knew that the two peoplestanding before her really were her parents. Even if she wanted to deny it, shecouldn't. These past few days, she had truly fallen deep in love. But it turnedout that the man of her dreams, her darling Duan, was actually herstep-brother, who had the same father but a different mother. Her dreams of'flying together like mandarin ducks', of 'growing old white hairs together',all evaporated like mist.

She heard Duan Zhengchun gently respond, "But I am the South-Subduing Prince ofDali. I administer critical affairs of state both civil and military. I can'tleave for even a day..." Only to hear Qin Hongmian harshly say, "Eighteen yearsago, these were the words you used. Now, today, eighteen years later, you areusing the same words. Duan Zhengchun, oh, Duan Zhengchun! You heartless,faithless man. I...I hate you so much."

Suddenly, from the rooftops of the eastern rooms, could be heard three 'pa'sounds of palms being exchanged. From the west as well could be heard thesounds of people exchanging palms. Immediately afterwards, Gao Shengtai and ChuWanli's voices said simultaneously, "Assassins! Brothers, remain on guard atyour positions. Do not act rashly!"

Qin Hongmian loudly shouted, "Wan'er! You still aren't coming out?"

Mu Wanqing replied, "Yes!" She flew out of the building from the window,throwing herself in the arms of this woman who doubled as her birth mother andas her benevolent master.

Duan Zhengchun said, "Hongmian, are you really going to just leave me likethis?" An extreme sense of misery and bitterness permeated his voice.

Qin Hongmian's voice suddenly turned soft and gentle. "Brother Chun, you'vebeen a prince for decades now. Haven't you had enough? Come with me. From nowon, I'll be obedient to you and listen to your every word. I won't dare tocurse at you even slightly, or hit you a single time. Look at our adorabledaughter. Can you possibly not cherish her?" Duan Zhengchun was suddenly moved,and blurted out without thinking, "Alright! I'll go with you!" Qin Hongmian wasecstatic. She stretched out her right hand and waited for him to take it.

Suddenly, a female voice rang out icily behind her. "Martial sister, you...you'vebeen deceived by him once again. He'll humor you a few days. After that, he'llgo back to being the prince here." Turning his head, shock filled DuanZhengchun's heart. He called out, "Baobao [this can also translate as'precious' or 'babe']! It's you! You came as well!"

Mu Wanqing turned her head, and saw that the woman who spoke wore a green silkblouse. It was Madame Zhong of the "Ten Thousand Calamity Gorge", her ownmartial uncle, the "Lovely Poisonist" Gan Baobao. Four people stood behind her.One was Ye Erniang, another was Yun Zhonghe, and the third was the DivineCrocodile of the Southern Seas, who had so recently arrived and departed. Whatsurprised her all the more was that the fourth person was Duan Yu. The DivineCrocodile's big, meaty hand was clamped on his neck. Whenever he wanted to, hecould snap Duan Yu's neck. Mu Wanqing called out, "My darling Duan! Are youalright?!"

Duan Yu had been resting in bed. Slipping in and out of consciousness, he hadbeen abducted from his room by the Divine Crocodile. He hadn't been poisoned atall. The lethality of Mu Wanqing's poisoned quarrels rested in the word'poison', not in the word 'quarrel'. A minor quarrel wound would cause him noreal harm. Stunned into wakefulness by his abduction, he overheard theconversation between his father, Mu Wanqing, and Qin Hongmian. Although hedidn't hear everything, he managed to guess eighty or ninety percent of it.Hearing Mu Wanqing continue to address him as 'her darling Duan', sournessfilled his heart. "Little sister, from now on, there will be sibling lovebetween the two of us. Things will be the same."

Mu Wanqing angrily replied, "No. No, it isn't the same. You are the first manto ever see my face." But she suddenly remembered that both of them were siredby Duan Zhengchun. Brothers and sisters cannot wed. If anyone in the world hadtried to disrupt her marriage, she could shoot out those poisoned quarrels andkill them. But the thing which was preventing her marriage was natural law andthe will of heaven. No matter how high her martial arts level was, or how greather power, there was no way to get around it. Suddenly, she felt thateverything around her had turned to gray ash. With a kick of her legs, sherapidly began to run away. Qin Hongmian urgently called, "Wan'er! Where are yougoing?"

Mu Wanqing didn't even care about her master now. She said, "You harmed me. I'mnot going to pay attention to you anymore." And she sped up her footsteps.

As she ran, a palace guardsman extended his arms towards her, barking out, "Whois it?" With a wave of her sleeves, Mu Wanqing shot out her poisoned quarrels,striking the guardsman directly on the throat. She didn't pause at all, and inan instant, disappeared within the darkness of the night.

Duan Zhengchun saw that his son had been taken captive by the Divine Crocodile,and had no idea where his daughter had run off to. Extending a finger, hestruck towards the Divine Crocodile. Ye Erniang intercepted him with a palm ofher own, chopping towards his wrist veins. Duan Zhengchun flipped his hand, reversingit into a hooking attack. With a laugh, Ye Erniang flicked her middle fingertowards the back of his hand. Within the blink of an eye, these two pugilistshad exchanged three stances. In his mind, Duan Zhengchun was secretly startled."So this b.itch is this powerful?"