DEMI GODS AND SEMI DEVILS BOOK 4 OF 5 (SONG OF THE CAVE IMMORTAL) by Jin Yong

Carefree For Now With No One Supervising Part 1

When Xu Zhu step out of the wooden house he cannot help but be startled, there is a huge fire pillar on the ground, numerous pine tree had collapsed and scattered disorderly over the area. He did not stay in the wooden house for long but the outside situation changed drastically, he assume these pine trees must have been knock down by someone while he fainted and he did not hear them while he was in the house.

Outside the house, the flaming pillar separated two groups of people. The Deaf Mute Old Man Su XingHe is standing on the right-hand side, XuanNan and the rest of Shaolin monks, Kang GuangLing, Xue MuHua, etc, all of them standing behind Su XingHe. The Old Freak of XingXiu is standing on the left-hand side, iron-head man You TanZhi and the rest of XingXiu disciples are standing behind Ding ChunQiu. Murong Fu, Wang YuYan, Duan Yu, Jiumozhi, Duan YanQing, Crocodile Deity of Southern Sea, etc, all of them standing at a distant place, they did not help either side.

Su XingHe and Ding ChunQiu, both of them are waving their palms and pushing the column of fire towards each other. The column of fire is leaning to the right, evidently Ding ChunQiu already gained a huge lead.

Everyone squinted and look at the burning pillar, none of them paid any attention to Xu Zhu who just came out of the house. Naturally, Wang YuYan is only worried about Murong Fu and Duan Yu is only worried about Wang YuYan, both of them are not looking at the fire pillar and they also paid no attention to Xu Zhu.

Xu Zhu move past their backs and went to the right-hand side and stood beside his martial uncle HuiFang, he saw the column of fire moving closer and closer to the right, Su XingHe's clothes seems to be inflated with air, its as if his only a boat and sailing rapidly against the wind, both his palms push forward continuously.

However, Ding ChunQiu's expression remain cheerful, as if nothing had happened, he wave his sleeves lightly, seemingly indifferent. His disciples praise out loudly:

"Divine Elder of XingXiu lifting heavy weights as if its feather, his divine skills unrivalled, he let you all broaden you horizon today."

"My Master is trying to give lessons to bystander, thus he slowly display his divine skills, else he would had exterminate this old man Su with a single palm."

"Who is not convinced, come forward and have a taste of Divine Elder of XingXiu's divine skills."

"All of you are timid and cowardly, there is no harm even if you join up and act together!"

"Since ancient times, no one can match Divine Elder of XingXiu! You are a mantis blocking a cart, courting disaster and digging your own grave."

Jiumozhi, Murong Fu, Duan YanQing, all of them thought: "If the few of us here join hands and attack Ding ChunQiu together, even though Ding ChunQiu is powerful, he still can't resist the combined assault of numerous top experts." But firstly, everyone valued their status and dignity, they will never join hands and gang up against a single person, secondly, the battle between Deaf Mute Old Man and Old Freak of XingXiu is an internal affair, its not convenient for outsiders to interfere, thirdly, they are suspicious of each other, they are afraid of getting back-stabbed and taken advantaged of if they join up together and attack, hence even though the disciples of XingXiu praise their Master up till heaven, Juimozhi and the rest only smiled and ignored them.

Suddenly the column of fire move forward and spit fire, it landed on Su XingHe, there is a burning stench, Su XingHe's beard was completely burnt off. Su XingHe exerted himself and tried to resist, he manage to push back the column of fire but the flame is only 2 chi away from his body, the flame lengthen and rattled, its like a large python opening its mouth and sticking out it tongue, trying to bite him. Xu Zhu is secretly alarmed: "I am afraid Benefactor Su is about to be burnt alive by Benefactor Ding, what should i do?"

Suddenly there are drum noises, followed immediately by two thumping sound, the gongs and drums rang out, it seems the XingXiu disciples concealed their cymbals, gongs and drums in their bosom, they took out these instruments and started playing songs to praise their Master awe-inspiring authority, some of them wave green, yellow, red and purple flags, they shouted loudly and rallied. Currently, two martial art experts are competing internal energy, unexpectedly there are bystanders cheering on with gongs and drums, such a weird event has never been seen before. Juimozhi burst into loud laughter and said: "Old Freak of XingXiu really have thick skin, his really one of kind since ancient times!"

Amidst the gongs and drums, a XingXiu disciple took out a sheet of paper, he recited loudly, its a parallel prose titled: "Praising Divine Elder of XingXiu Displaying His Might In Central Plains". Nobody knows how he found some rotten scholar to compose such praises, the contents are really flattering to the extreme, the song and praises mix in with the noises from the gongs and drums.

But these songs and praises are not completely useless, along with the internal energy of Old Freak of XingXiu, its like adding fuel to fire and aided his power. Amidst the songs and praises the column of fire intensified and move forward another half chi.

Suddenly there are numerous footsteps, 20 over men rush out from behind the house and they block in front of Su XingHe, these deaf and mute men are the ones that carried XuanNan and the rest up the mountain, they are the disciples of Su XingHe. Ding ChunQiu press on with his palm, the column of fire landed on the bodies of these 20 men, at once there is 'Chi Chi' sound, these men had their skin and flesh charred. Su XingHe wanted to wave his palm to push these men away but they are too far away from him and he did not have sufficient palm strength. These 20 men stood upright, their bodies are burning but they never move at all, but because they can't speak the scene is even more tragic and moving.

When the rest of the spectators saw it they were emotionally moved, even Wang YuYan and Duan Yuan cannot help but turn their head and look at them. The fire is raging and it wrapped around these 20 deaf and mute men. Duan Yu shouted: "You cannot be so cruel!" he extended his right hand, his about to execute his [Six Meridians Divine Sword] to attack Ding ChunQiu, however he don't know the proper method to channel the sword, his abundant internal energy just move around in circles inside his body and he can't fire it out from his finger. Duan Yu perspired profusely, he shouted: "Young master Murong, quickly stop him!"

Murong Fu said: "Brother Duan you are here, little brother don't dare to display his lowly skills in front of an expert. Brother Duan, please display a move from you [Six Meridians Divine Sword]!"

Duan YanQing arrive late for the chess meet, he did not see Duan Yu's [Six Meridians Divine Sword] when he use it to save Murong Fu, when he heard the words from Murong Fu he cannot help but feel excited, his look askance at Duan Yu, trying to see if Duan Yu really knows this divine skill, but he saw Duan Yu pointing and drawing with his right-hand finger, the stance is correct and reasonable but there is absolutely no internal energy at all, he pondered: "What [Six Meridians Divine Sword], it gave me a huge shock. It seems this young chap is only bluffing and swindling people. Although according to legend, my Duan family have this [Six Meridians Divine Sword] skill, but who succeeded in learning it?"

Murong Fu saw Duan Yu did not attack, he knew it was intentional and he just stood aside and quietly observe the situation.

After a while, more than half of the 20 deaf and mute men got roasted to death by the column of fire, the rest are seriously injured, they collapse one after another. Amidst the noise from gongs and drums, Ding ChunQiu wave his sleeve twice, the column of fire flew and rush towards Su XingHe.

Xue MuHua shouted: "Don't you dare harm my Master!" he threw his body in front of the column of fire. Su XingHe wave his palm and push him away, he said: "Its not beneficial for my disciple to die!" he gathered his remaining internal energy into his left hand and strike towards the column of fire. Currently, his internal energy is nearly exhausted, that palm strike from him only manage to obstruct the column of fire for a short while, he felt his entire body burning, he saw red everywhere, his completely engulf in flame. At this moment, his internal energy is on the verge of drying up, like a lantern extinguishing when it runs out of oil, he knew that when he die Ding ChunQiu will definitely rush into the wooden house, his Master fake death for 30 years but he still can't run from Ding ChunQiu's evil hands. His being roasted by the column of fire on his body, he felt great sadness.

Xu Zhu saw Su XingHe is in extremely critical condition, but Su XingHe still stood rooted to the ground and refuse to retreat a single step. Xu Zhu cannot stand by idly and watch anymore, he quickly move forward and grabbed Su XingHe's back, he shouted: "Its not beneficial for my disciple to die! Quickly step aside!" at this moment, Su XingHe so happens to wave his palm outward. This palm from Su XingHe is extremely weak and feeble, he did not expect any effect from it, however he refuse to sit by and wait for death, he struggled and fight to the death, unexpectedly an incomparably deep and profound energy arrive from his back, the energy is exactly the same as his Master's, as he push out with his palm the strength immediately multiplied. There is a 'Hu' sound, the column of fire move from his body and went straight towards Ding ChunQiu, the force did not end there, even the XingXiu disciples were drawn into the column of fire.