Return of Condor Heroes (121 page)

He heard her say, “Father, it’s true, I entered the pill room by myself because I wanted to find the Passionless Pill for master Yang. But I searched for half a day and still couldn’t find it, otherwise, would I have been found out by father?”

Valley Master Gongsun said sternly, “The place where I hide this medicine is extremely secretive. The outsiders have stayed in the hall and have not left it. The Passionless Pill has suddenly disappeared; could it be that the pill grew legs and ran away?”

Lu E knelt on the floor and cried, “Father, spare master Yang’s life; just tell him not to enter the valley again and leave it at that.”

The Valley Master chuckled, “If it was my life on the line, I don’t think you would kneel on the floor and beg someone to save me.”

Lu E didn’t reply and just hugged his knees.

The Valley Master said, “You took the Passionless Pill; how can I save him now? Fine, if you don’t want to admit it that’s up to you. You can wait here for a day. Though you’ve stolen the pill, if you can’t get it to him, it will be of no use. I’ll let you go in twenty four hours!” He then advanced to the doors.

Gongsun Lu E bit down as she said, “Father!”

The Valley Master said, “You’ve got something else to say?”

She pointed to the four disciples in green and said, “First dismiss them.”

The Valley Master said, “My valley is united as one; there’s nothing that’s said that can’t be said in front of the others.”

Gongsun Lu E’s face went red and then immediately turned white. She said, “Fine, since you don’t believe my words then you need to see whether I have it on me.” She then began to take off her gown and skirt. The Valley Master quickly waved the disciples out and closed the door. After a short while, Gongsun Lu E had taken off her gown and skirt and was now left with her undergarments. Indeed, she had nothing on her.

Yang Guo’s heart jumped when he saw her white gleaming body. He was a young man and Gongsun Lu E had an attractive figure, her appearance elegant; his blood raced but then he immediately thought, “Because she’s trying to save my life, she didn’t hesitate to unclothe herself. Yang Guo ah Yang Guo, if you take another look you’re worse than an animal.”

He quickly closed his eyes but just as he was feeling troubled and confused, his forehead lightly knocked into the frame of the window.

Though only a faint noise was produced, Valley Master Gongsun noticed it; he went over to the three pill cauldrons and pushed the middle one out of the way. He moved the one in the east to the middle, he moved the one in the west to the east and finally he moved the one that was originally in the middle to the west. He said, “Since it’s like this, I’ll promise you to spare that punk’s life.”

Gongsun Lu E was delighted and bowed, she quivered, “Father!”

The Valley Master sat down on a chair by the wall and said, “You know the rules of the valley. What is the punishment for entering the pill room without permission?”

Lu E lowered her head and said, “Death.”

The Valley Master sighed and said, “Though you are my daughter, I cannot break the rules of the valley, go in peace!” He drew out his black sword and raised it in midair; he said softly, “E’er, if you stop pleading for the one named Yang then I’ll spare you. I can only spare one of you, you or him?”

Gongsun Lu E said quietly, “Him!”

Valley Master Gongsun said, “Fine, my daughter really is kind and righteous; much better than her father.” He waved his sword out and chopped downwards towards her head.

Yang Guo was shocked and called out, “Wait!” He leapt in through the window as he called out, “You should kill me!” His right foot touched the floor and he was about to stretch out his hand to grab the Valley Master’s wrist to stop the black sword from chopping down when the sole of his foot felt soft as if he was treading on thin air. Yang Guo knew something was wrong; he quickly roused his chi and his body leapt up. Valley Master Gongsun pushed his daughter on the shoulders with his palms. Gongsun Lu E’s body quickly went backwards, knocking into Yang Guo.

After he leapt back up, of course, he went back down. Gongsun Lu E had knocked right into his body and the two of them dropped straight down. There was nothing under their feet and they had yet to reach solid ground even after falling for hundreds of feet.

Though Yang Guo was frightened, he still remembered he had to protect the life of Gongsun Lu E; he quickly held Gongsun Lu E in his hands. There was just darkness in front of him; he didn’t know what they would land on; a mountain of knives or a forest of swords? Or would it be boulders or rocks? Before his thoughts were finished, a ‘pu tong’ sound was heard as the two fell into water, sinking downwards swiftly; there was actually a deep pool below the pill room.

Falling hundreds of feet like this on to solid ground could only result in death; but as soon as Yang Guo felt himself splashing into water, he was delighted; he knew that his life was not in danger. The current was strong and he had plunged deep into the water; he felt himself sinking downwards without end as if the water was depthless. He held his breath and waited until he slowed down before he swam upwards with his right hand while holding Lu E in his left hand. As soon as he reached the surface he took a breath and a sudden stench filled his nose; at the same time, the water on his left was breaking in waves, as if some large aquatic animal was coming towards them to attack.

A thought went through his mind, “That scoundrel trapped us down here, how can it be something good?” With his right hand he chopped a fierce palm towards the left side. A loud sound was heard as he struck a large solid object; a fierce turbulent wave followed. Yang Guo used the force from his palm to move to the right with Gongsun Lu E.

He wasn’t a great swimmer; the reason why he was able to last so long underwater was because he used his internal energy to hold his breath. It was pitch black; all he heard was urgent splashing sounds from behind and to the left of him. He sent his right hand out and suddenly brushed against a cold and coarse object. It appeared to be the scales of that creature, he was shocked, “Could it be that there’s such a thing as a Venom Dragon in this world?” He used the force in his hand and soared upwards with the strange creature forced under water by him. He took a deep breath, since he planned to dive underwater once again; but his right foot actually landed on solid ground. He wasn’t prepared for this and the impact on his leg was all wrong; his right leg was in great pain.

But he was too happy to care about the pain in his leg; he stretched out his hand to examine the surroundings and found a rock face by the pool. He was afraid that the strange creature would continue its attack so he quickly climbed to higher ground. Once he sat down, he became calmer. Gongsun Lu E had swallowed a few mouthfuls of water and she was half conscious. Yang Guo rested her on his lap and let her throw up the water. Then he heard scraping sounds on the rocks and a stench that was gradually becoming stronger and stronger; a few of the strange creatures from the pool had climbed out.

Gongsun Lu E sat up and hugged Yang Guo’s neck; alarmed she said, “What’s that?”

Yang Guo said, “Don’t be afraid; hide behind me.”

Gongsun Lu E didn’t move, she just held him tighter and quivered, “Crocodiles, crocodiles!”

When Yang Guo was living on Peach Blossom Island, he had seen countless crocodiles on the island; he knew that they were extremely vicious and violent, much more than the tigers and wolves of the land. One day, he, Guo Fu and the Wu brothers saw them but they didn’t try to annoy them and kept their distance from them. Today unexpectedly, he had come across some crocodiles in this underground pool. He listened carefully and from the sounds, he could tell that there were three crocodiles getting closer step by step.

Gongsun Lu E whispered, “Brother Yang, who would have thought that you and I would die in such a place?” Her voice was full of joy and comfort.

Yang Guo laughed, “Even if we are going to die, we first need to kill a few crocodiles before doing anything else.”

At that time, the first crocodile was already within ten feet of Yang Guo’s leg; Lu E called out, “Hit it quickly!”

Yang Guo said; “Just a little longer.” He stretched out his right foot and hung it down by his side; the crocodile advanced a few feet and opened its mouth, biting viciously at his leg. Yang Guo pulled his leg back and sent out a kick, striking the crocodile squarely in the jaw. The crocodile somersaulted in the air and landed back in the pool. The pool splashed and the other crocodiles in it clamored; but the other two crocodiles kept on advancing.

Though Yang Guo was poisoned by the Passion Flowers, his martial arts had not been affected in any way; the kick he just performed had a force of hundreds of kilos behind it. After he kicked the crocodile his foot ached slightly. However, the crocodile that he kicked was still moving freely after it landed back in the pool. He thought, “I can’t do anything to all these crocodiles empty-handed; if I continue like this me and Miss Gongsun will eventually end up in their stomachs. I must think of something else; how can I kill all these crocodiles?” He stretched out his hand in search of a large rock to use as a weapon; but there wasn’t anything on the rock face, not even a speck of sand. He heard the other two crocodiles getting closer and quickly asked, “Have you got a sword with you?”

Gongsun Lu E said, “With me?” She remembered how she took off her gown and dress; all she was wearing now was her underwear. Now, she was in the arms of Yang Guo; she immediately became embarrassed and her body flushed with heat. But deep in her heart, there was a sweet feeling of joy.

Yang Guo was just worried about being attacked by the crocodiles at the moment; he did not notice anything wrong with her. He heard the two crocodiles were now within ten feet of him, and there were another two behind him. It would be of no use to send out a palm and knock them back into the pool; after a short while they would come back again. It would just be a waste of effort; so he gathered energy and waited for the crocodiles to get within three feet of him before sending out both palms, striking the crocodiles on the head. The crocodiles weren’t that swift in turning and they couldn’t move out the way when the palms arrived. But their skin was thick; they were just knocked unconscious and slipped back into the pool. Just at that time, the other two crocodiles behind him arrived; Yang Guo kicked one off the rock face with his left foot. The kick was very heavy; he could not hold Gongsun Lu E steady and she slanted to the side, slipping downwards off the rock face.

Gongsun Lu E called out in shock; her right hand braced against the rock face and she circulated her internal energy to leap back up. Yang Guo stretched out a hand to grab her and pulled her back up. This setback allowed the other crocodile to press close to him; it opened its jaws and bit down towards Yang Guo’s shoulders. There wasn’t enough time to punch or kick it away, he could only move out of its way. As soon as its jaws close, it might actually bite down on Lu E. With this danger in mind he quickly sent out both hands; one pulled the upper jaw and the other pulled the lower; he circulated his internal energy and gave a shout, a cracking sound was heard as the jaws of the crocodile snapped and it immediately died.

Though Yang Guo had killed this vicious crocodile, his back had broken out in a cold sweat.

Lu E said, “Are you hurt?”

Yang Guo heard her voice was gentle and concerned; his heart was moved slightly and he said, “No.” But the force he had just used was too ferocious and his arms ached.

Lu E observed that the crocodile was not moving and was lying there on the rock dead; she was in awe of Yang Guo and said, “How did you kill that crocodile empty-handed? And how can you see so clearly in this darkness?”

Yang Guo said, “I’ve lived with my Gu Gu for many years in the ancient tomb; all I need is the faintest light and I’ll be able to see things.” When he mentioned living in the tomb with his Gu Gu, he couldn’t stop himself from letting out a sigh. Suddenly an excruciating pain broke out in his body. It was extremely difficult to endure, and he hollered and shouted and at the same time, he kicked the dead crocodile back into the pool.

Two crocodiles were climbing up onto the rock face just at that time; when they heard his inhuman calls, they were so frightened that they slipped back into the water.

Gongsun Lu E quickly held his arm and with her other hand, brushed across his forehead gently, hoping that she would be able to lessen his pain.

Yang Guo knew that even if he hadn’t fallen into this dangerous situation, he would not live for more than a couple of days because of the poison; he had heard the Valley Master say that the pain would keep on increasing over the next thirty-six days before he finally died. The pain was so unbearable that even if he endured it a few more times, he’d eventually give in to the pain and kill himself. But when he dies, Gongsun Lu E will have no one to protect her; that would be terrible for her and he thought, “The reason she’s in this danger is because of me. No matter what pain I’m in I must endure it; hopefully the Valley Master will still have some love for his daughter and will come to save her.” As he thought about this, his thoughts of Xiao Longnu disappeared for the time being and the pain lessened; he said, “Miss Gongsun, don’t be afraid, I think that your father will come for you. He hates me only and has always loved you; he must be feeling very regretful right now.”