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

A Beauty Abruptly Age, A Fleeting Moment Of Bliss Part 5

The shadow of the branch is getting shorter and shorter, the sky is gloomy, the shadow is extremely faint, its really hard to distinguish. The little girl said: "Its noon." She carried the small deer, lifted the deer's head high, she open her mouth and bite the deer's throat. The small deer call out in pain, it struggle constantly, the little girl bite on firmly, 'Gu Gu' noise came from her mouth, she suck the deer's blood continuously. Xu Zhu is startled, he shouted: "You...you...you are too ruthless." The little girl did not take notice, she focus on sucking blood. The small deer movement is getting weaker and weaker, eventually it went into a brief spell of spasm and died.

The little girl had her fill of deer blood, she finally dump the dead deer, she cross her legs and sat down, one finger pointing at the sky, one finger pointing at the ground, she practiced the [Eternal Youth Never Ageing Skill] again, white smoke flow out of her nose and surrounded her head. After a long time, the little girl withdraw the smoke and stood up, she said: "Wu LaoDa, go and roast this venison."

Xu Zhu felt loathing in his heart, he said: "Little girl, presently Wu LaoDa obey your orders, he is serving you wholeheartedly, he won't dare to harm you anymore. Junior monk will take my leave now." The little girl said: "I cannot permit you to leave." Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk is anxious to find my martial uncles, if i can't find them i have to return to Shaolin Temple to report on my mission and ask for further instructions, i cannot delay anymore."

The little girl said coldly: "You refuse to listen to me, you want to leave by yourself, correct?" Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk already thought of an idea, i will stuff a monk robe full of dry grass and leaves and make a huge cloth bag, i will carry it and run away, deliberately let everyone see it, they will assume you are in the bag, they will surely chase after me. Junior monk will lure them far far away, you and Wu LaoDa can then seize the opportunity to go down the mountain and return back to your Misty Peak." The little girl said: "This idea is not bad, i thank you for thinking of such a plan for me. But i don't want to run away!" Xu Zhu said: "That its fine! You can hide here, the forest is dense and the snow thick, they can't find you, after 8-10 days they will certainly scatter and leave."

The little girl said: "After 8-10 days, i would have regain my internal energy when i was 18-19 years old, how can i allow them to walk away freely?" Xu Zhu is curious, he ask: "What?" the little girl said: "Look carefully at my appearance now, compared to two days ago, you spot any difference?" Xu Zhu concentrate and look carefully, her expression seems to have aged a few years, she's a 11-12 year old girl, she's no longer 8-9 year old, he mumbled to himself: "You....you....you seem to have grown by 3 years within these 2 days. But...but your body is still the same." The little girl is extremely happy, she said: "Hey hey, your eyesight is quite good, unexpectedly you can tell i grown by 2-3 years. Stupid monk, the body of Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain is the same as a little girl, obviously she can't grow up."

Xu Zhu and Wu LaoDa had a huge shock, they said in unison: "Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain! You are Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain?"

*********

The little girl said proudly: "Who do you think i am? Your granny's body is like a little girl, don't tell me you are all blind, you can't tell?"

Wu LaoDa open his eyes widely and gaze at her for a long time, the corner of his mouth trembled, it seems he want to speak but he is unable to say it out, after a long time he suddenly fall down on the snow ground, he whimpered: "I...i should have known it, i am the number one big idiot under the heaven. I assume you are a servant girl from Vulture Palace, a little girl, who would have expect...you...you are Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain!"

The little girl said to Xu Zhu: "Who do you think i am?" Xu Zhu said: "I thought you are an old female ghost that reincarnated into someone else body!" The little girl's expression became grave, she shouted: "Rubbish! What old female ghost that reincarnated into someone else body?" Xu Zhu said: "You appearance is that of a little girl, but your wisdom and voice is that of old grandmother, you call yourself granny, if you are not an old female ghost that reincarnated into someone else body then what else can you be?" The little girl laugh and said: "Little monk is indulging in fantasy!"

She turn her head and said to Wu LaoDa: "At that time i fell into your hands, you didn't take my life, now you really regret it, correct?"

Wu LaoDa turn over and sat up, he said: "Correct! I went up 3 times to Misty Peak, my eyes are covered, i didn't see your appearance. Wu LaoDa is really blind...i...i assume you are a mute girl."

The little girl said: "You heard me speak before, among the demons and ghosts from 36 Caves and 72 Islands, there are quite a few people who heard my voice as well. Granny was captured by you people, if i don't pretend to be mute maybe you people can recognize my voice." Wu LaoDa sigh repeatedly, he ask: "Your martial art is godlike, you don't need 2nd move to kill someone, how come you let me capture you and don't resist at all?"

The little girl burst into loud laughter, she said: "Previously i thank you for helping me, this is it. At that time a strong enemy is arriving, granny is unwell, its hard for me to resist, as it turns out you use a cloth-sack to carry me down the mountain, granny avoided calamity. Should i give my thanks?"when she finish speaking she suddenly revealed an ominous glare, she said strictly: "But after capturing me, you said i pretend to be mute, you employed various evil methods on your granny, its really a great crime, if not for this case i could have spared your life."

Wu LaoDa leap up, he knelt down and said: "Granny, one who does not know is not guilty, at that time, if Wu LaoDa knows you are our revered Child Elder, i will never dare to disrespect or offend you." The little girl sneered: "You are fearful but not necessarily respectful. You gathered the demons of 36 Caves and 72 Islands, all of you determined to revolt against me, how you explain this?" Wu LaoDa kowtow repeatedly, his forehead knock against the mountain rock, he knock a few times and his forehead is already dripping with blood.

Xu Zhu pondered: "So this little girl is Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain. Child Elder, Child Elder, i thought she is surnamed Tong grandma, who would have expect, this 'Tong' refers to child, she is not surnamed Tong. This person's martial art is so deep and profound, she is crafty and cunning, everyone fear her like a tiger, these past few days i assisted her, she must be laughing at me for overestimating my capability. Hey hey, Xu Zhu ah Xu Zhu, you really are an extremely stupid monk!" He saw Wu LaoDa kowtow endlessly, he did not say a word and turn around to walk away.

Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain shout loudly: "Where do you think you are going? Stop moving!" Xu Zhu turn around and press his hands together, he said: "For the past 3 days, junior monk did countless foolish things, i have to take my leave!" Child Elder said: "What foolish things?" Xu Zhu said: "Your martial art is so marvellous and divine, you dominate the entire world, junior monk did not recognize the famous person in front of me, on the contrary i even tried to save you. You are not willing to mock me, junior monk is very grateful, but i am really ashamed, so ashamed that i can't show my face."

Child Elder walk to Xu Zhu's side, she turn around and said to Wu LaoDa: "I have something to say to this little monk, you go somewhere else." Wu LaoDa said: "Yes, yes!" he stood up and walk north-east, he hid himself behind a pine tree.

Child Elder said to Xu Zhu: "Little monk, for the past 3 days, you really did save my life, its not some foolish thing. Child Elder Of Heavenly Mountain never say thanks to anyone in my entire life, but you save my life, granny will certainly repay your kindness in the future." Xu Zhu wave his hands and said: "You have superior martial arts, why you need me to save you? Obviously you are teasing me." Child Elder said solemnly: "I say you save my life, then it is exactly as stated, granny don't like others to refute my words. The internal energy i practiced, its indeed known as [Eternal Youth Never Ageing Skill]. The power of this skill is strangely formidable, once you mastered it you will be immortal, but there is a great disadvantage, you will revert back to a child every 30 years." Xu Zhu said: "Revert back to a child? Then...then isn't that good?"

Child Elder sigh and said: "Little monk, you are loyal and honest, you save my life, moreover you have extremely deep relationship with my Carefree Sect, it doesn't matter if i tell you the matter. I start practicing this skill when i was 6 year old, i revert back to a child when i was 36 year old, i spent 30 days to recover. I revert back to a child at 66 year old, i spent 60 days to recover. This year i am 96 year old, i revert back to a child again, i need 90 days to recover my internal energy." Xu Zhu stare widely, he said in surprise: "What? You...you are 96 year old?"

Child Elder said: "I am the senior martial sister of your Master Wu YaZi, if Wu YaZi did not die he would be 93 year old, i am older than him by 3 years, don't tell me its not 96 year old?"

Xu Zhu open his eyes widely, he carefully examined her figure and complexion, she doesn't look like 96 year old at all.

Child Elder said: "This [Eternal Youth Never Ageing Skill], originally its an incomparably mystical internal energy cultivation method. But i train it too soon, i start practicing when i was 6 year old, several years later the formidable power of this internal energy became apparent, but my body can't grow up, i will forever look like an 8-9 year old child. If i start practicing this skill at 17-18 year old, i will revert back to 17-18 year old every 30 years, then it would be simply fantastic!"

Xu Zhu nod his head and said: "So it is." He heard his Master mention before, in this world some people have incomparable huge bodies, they are larger than adult when they are 7-8 year old, but some people are dwarf, even till old age they don't reach 3 chi, his Master said its due to the imbalance in the 'San Jiao', if the person practice first-class internal energy skill as soon as possible, then there is hope for cure, he said: "This internal energy of yours, are you training the Hand Meridian 'Shao Yang' of 'San Jiao'?"

Child Elder is startled, she nod her head and said: "Correct. You are just a little monk from Shaolin, unexpectedly you have such knowledge. Its said that Shaolin is the chief of martial art studies, sure enough there is some truth in it."

Xu Zhu said: "Junior monk heard my Master mention the principles of Hand Meridian 'Shao Yang' Channel before, my knowledge is extremely shallow and superficial, i am just guessing randomly." He ask: "This year you revert back to a child, what happens?"