DEMI GODS AND SEMI DEVILS BOOK 3 OF 5 (Breaching The Formation) by Jin Yong

Surviving In The Wilderness Forging A Cast Iron Head Part 1

You TanZhi saw Xiao Feng and his party travelled north, they did not turn back at all, only then was he certain that he won't die, he pondered: "Why did that traitor not kill me? Hmmm, he look down on me, and thought that killing me will dirty his hands. He...he became some kind of Lord in Liao Empire, it would be even more difficult for me to take revenge from now on. But at least i found the whereabouts of this traitor."

He lean down to pick up the quicklime bag, and went to look for the short-knife thrown aside by Xiao Feng's horsewhip, suddenly he saw an oilcloth bag within the left vegetation, it was the exact same bag retrieved by Xiao Feng from his bosom, he picked it up immediately and open the bag, inside was a book, he flipped the pages of the book, every page had curvy writings, he did not understand a single word from the writings. When Xiao Feng saw this oilcloth bag he was thinking of someone else, he was absent minded, when he put this Tendon-Changing Sutra back into his bosom he didn't secure it properly, when his horse jolted off, the book just dropped into the vegetation and he didn't realize it at all.

You TanZhi thought to himself: "This is most probably Khitan text. The traitor carried this book with him personally, it must be something greatly valuable to him. I won't return it to him, let him worry about it, which is a good thing." He felt a faint sense of satisfaction of revenge, he put the book back into the oilcloth bag and kept it in his bosom and then travelled south.

At an early age he learnt martial arts from his father, but he had a thin and frail body, and weak muscular strength, he was totally incompatible for the strong and fierce martial arts style of the You brothers, after learning martial arts for three years, his progress was minimal, he can't claim to be the son of a famous martial arts master with his level of skill. As he learn till he was 12 years old, You Ju was dishearten and he discussed with his brother You Ji. Both of them agreed: "Our You family produced this kind of three-legged-cat skill, won't people laugh until they mouth become slanted? Moreover, if people know his the son and nephew of the Twin-You-Heroes of the JuXian manor, they won't hold back and use their full strength, they will kill him with a single stroke. It would be better to let him study literature so as to preserve him life." Thus from the age of 12, You TanZhi stopped learning martial arts and You Ju hired a tutor to teach him how to study.

But he did not concentrate while studying, he was always imagining and day dreaming. His teacher said: "Student Zhi, while learning, is it not a pleasure?" he replied: "It depends on what you are learning, Father taught me boxing, i was happy while learning." The teacher fumed: "Confucius was referring to scholarly learning, life great undertaking, when did he referred to boxing and playing with spears?" You TanZhi replied: "Fine, you curse my father and uncle, you say my father is not a good man because he box and play with spears, i will go tell my father." And he eventually drove the teacher away in anger. This went on and he continually drove all his teachers away in anger, You Ju gave his son several beatings, but he became even more obstinate and mischievous after each beating. You Ju saw his son was unworthy, stubborn and difficult to teach, he was at a loss, he could only give a long sigh and pay no notice. Thus, You TanZhi is 18 years old now, although he came from a famous family, he was neither proficient in literature nor martial arts. His uncle and father committed suicide, his mother bangs her head on a pillar to die with her husband, he was alone and helpless, and wandered around aimlessly, all he ever thought was to seek Xiao Feng for revenge.

That day at the battle at JuXian manor, he hid behind a screen wall and observed the battle, he saw clearly Qiao Feng's appearance and shape, and heard that he was a Khitan, he was muddle-headed and just went searching north, along the way he saw a petty thief using quicklime to blind his enemy, he felt this was a good method, he copied him and made a quicklime package. He was loitering around the borders when the Khitans captured him during their raid, unexpectedly he met Xiao Feng, and he even manage to throw the quicklime package, it can be said his lucky to the extreme.

He pondered: "Right now the most important thing is to escape as far as possible, don't let him capture me. I'll catch a poisonous snake or big centipede, then i will put it on his bed, when his sleeping the bugs will bite him to death. That young lady ... that young lady, alas, she ... she is so beautiful!"

As he thought of AhZi's appearance. His chest heated up for no reason, and his face felt like an oven, he pondered: "I don't know when i will get to see her pale face, the delicate and elegant young lady."

He hung his head and took big steps, after a while he overtook the group of captives released by Xiao Feng. Some of them invited him to travel with the group but he ignored them and travelled alone. After walking for 10 li, his stomach groaned in hunger, he look around for something to eat, but there was nothing except withered grass and snow on the grass plains, he pondered: "If only i was a cow or sheep, i can eat the grass and drink the snow water, i will be so happy. En, but if i am a little lamb, other people will slaughter my mother and father, the 2 old lamb, and eat them, then should i take revenge? I cannot live under the same sky as my enemy, of course i have to take revenge. But how should i do it? Use my 2 horns to bang those people that killed my parents? But these people rear animals for the purpose of eating them, where is the logic in revenge?"

He was letting his imagination run wild, suddenly he heard the sound of horse's hoof, three Khitan soldiers came riding on horses, once they saw him, there was a rustle sound and they slip a lasso over his neck, they pulled and the rope tighten. You TanZhi could not maintain his footing and fell down, the soldiers drag him away. You TanZhi gave a few blood-curdling scream, immediately the rope around his neck tightens further and he could not scream anymore.

The Khitan soldiers were afraid the rope might strangle him to death, and they immediately slow the horse steps. You TanZhi struggled and got up from the ground, he loosen the lasso around his neck. A Khitan soldier gave a strong tug, You TanZhi staggered and almost fell down again. The three Khitan soldiers laughed at him. The soldier holding onto the ropes said a few words to You TanZhi. You TanZhi did not understand Khitan, he shook his head. The solider wave his hand and the horse move off again, but this time it did not gallop off quickly. You TanZhi was afraid of being strangled by the ropes and lose his breath, he walk two steps and run three steps to follow the soldiers.

He saw the three Khitan soldiers heading north, he was afraid: "Qiao Feng only worded it nicely, he said he would release me, but in a blink of an eye he ordered his subordinates to capture me back, how will i survive?" After leaving home and heading north, all he ever thought of was revenge, he did not know the impossibility of the task, when he saw Xiao Feng, the tragic death of his parents muddled his head, with a burst of effort he thought of using quicklime to blind him, and then he will use the short-knife to stab him to death. But he failed on the first strike and lost his drive, he immediately thought of escaping but he got captured by Khitan soldiers again.

Originally when he was captured during the initial raid, he was mixed into the crowd, he only got hit once on his back by the back of a blade. But the situation now is vastly different, he staggered and collided with objects as he was dragged along, he was breathless, he fell down every ten steps, every time he falls, the lasso will leave another bloodstained line on the back of his neck. The Khitans did not stop for even a moment, they did not care about his safety and dragged him straight back into Nanjing city. When he entered the city, You TanZhi was drenched with blood, he prayed that he could simply die instead of suffering this misery.

The three Khitan soldiers travelled for a few li in the city, they dragged him before a huge house, You TanZhi saw the floor was covered with bluestone tiles, the pillars were thick and doors were high, he don't know where he was. After waiting for less than the time required to brew tea, the soldier holding the rope rode his horse and entered a huge courtyard, suddenly he gave a whistle, the horse gallop off quickly. You TanZhi did not expect this, the soldier went around the courtyard three times, the horse gallop faster and faster, around ten soldiers were cheering and spectating at the sides. You TanZhi thought: "It seems they want to drag me around till i die!" his forehead, limbs and body collided with the bluestone floor, he was aching everywhere.

Among the laughter of the Khitan soldiers, there was a crisp laughter of a female mixed in. You TanZhi was drowsy, he faintly heard the female laugh and said: "Ha ha, i am afraid this human-kite won't fly at all!" You TanZhi pondered: "What human-kite?"

At this moment, the rope tighten around the back of his neck, his body rise up in the air, he finally understood, the soldier was galloping fast with the horse in order to lift him up in the air, he was treated like a kite to be played around.

His body was high up in the air, the back of his neck had already lost all feelings from the pain. His nose and mouth was buffeted by the wind, he had difficulties breathing, but he heard the woman clapped and laughed: "Very good! Very good! The human-kite really flew!" You TanZhi looked towards the origin of the voice, the woman was wearing purple robe and was a beautiful young lady. Upon seeing her, his chest was excited, he don't know if it was due to happiness or sadness, as he flew around in the air, he was incapable of thinking.

The beautiful young lady is AhZi. When she saw Xiao Feng released You TanZhi, she was unhappy, after riding for a distance, she deliberately lagged behind and instructed her attendant to quietly capture You TanZhi, and they cannot reveal this matter to Xiao Feng. The followers all knew that Lord Xiao was very doting towards her, thus they accepted her orders, they pretended to adjusts the belt buckle of the horse's saddle, once Xiao Feng travelled far away, they turn back and pursued You TanZhi. When AhZi return to Nanjing, she waited at a temple far away from Xiao Feng's residence. When You TanZhi was successfully captured, she consulted the Khitan for any fresh ideas on torturing people. Someone suggested "fly human-kite". This idea appealed to AhZi, she ordered You TanZhi to be flown as kite and it unexpectedly worked.

Watching from below, AhZi found it interesting and she kept cheering, she said: "Let me fly it!" she mounted the horse of the soldier and took over the rope, she said: "Dismount!"