Chapter 29 – Nurous disasters, Part 6
Guo Fu, Yelu Qi, and the others were trapped in the stone chamber. These people entered the secret passage from the bottom of the creek and the fire kits they carried inside were all soaked and hence difficult to catch fire. They groped around in darkness. How could they possibly find a way out? The five people were at their wits’ end so they just sat there idly on the floor.
Wu Santong was incessantly cursing Li Mochou’s treacherously evil trick. Guo Fu, who was already extrely anxious, heard Wu Santong’s non-stop scolding and beca agitated. She couldn’t bear to keep her mouth shut and so she said, “Wu Bobo [Uncle Wu], you knew before that Li Mochou was treacherous and evil, how co you didn’t guard against her? What use is cursing when the damage is done?” Wu Santong was startled and couldn’t say anything in response.
Since the Wu brothers had t Guo Fu again, each was sick at heart. While with the Yelu siblings and Wanyan Ping, everybody was having a good ti together but they didn’t really have a chance to talk to Guo Fu directly. This ti Wu Xiuwen heard her snapping at his father. He couldn’t bear it and said, “We ca to Gu Mu to help your little sister and unfortunately t with a disaster. Everybody is about to perish together and you still let out your lady’s temper…” He was about to continue but then Wu Dunru called out, “Di di! [younger brother!]” This ti Wu Xiuwen shut up. He spoke out of irritation. But after the words were uttered, he even greatly surprised himself. He’d always complied with Guo Fu’s every wish and in no way would dare to cross her in the slightest. Who would have thought that today he would unexpectedly rebuke her in a severe tone like this?
Guo Fu was also startled. She was going to back talk but couldn’t think of anything to say. She thought about how she would definitely die a sad death inside Gu Mu and from now on wouldn’t be able to see her parents again. Her heart was aching. In the darkness nobody could see anything so she let out a whimpering cry. Hearing her crying, Wu Xiuwen felt sorry and said, “Okay, what I said was wrong. I apologize.” Guo Fu sobbed, “What good is an apology?” and cried even harder. She pulled up a piece of cloth that was by her hand to blow her nose. Then she realized that she was leaning against soone’s leg and the cloth she used to wipe her nose was shockingly that person’s gown.
Guo Fu was alard and hurriedly sat up. She heard Wu Santong and his sons speaking and knew that the three people weren’t by her side. That left only Yelu Qi who had been keeping silent. So the person naturally was him. Her face reddened and she babbled, “I…”
Yelu Qi suddenly said, “Listen, what is that sound?” The four people tilted their heads to listen but couldn’t hear anything. Yelu Qi said, “Hmm, it is a baby crying. Guo Guniang [Miss Guo] that must be your little sister.” This sound traveled through a stone wall and was particularly feeble. If not for his cultivated internal strength that heightened his aural senses, he wouldn’t have been able to hear it. As he got up and walked a few steps, the crying sound imdiately weakened. He figured out, “Since the baby’s cry can pass through, this stone chamber must have a ventilation space.” Imdiately he concentrated on listening, trying to identify where the cry ca from.
He walked a few steps to the west, the crying sound slightly weakened. He turned back to the east, the crying was louder. Then he dashed towards the northeast and heard the sound quite clearly. So he walked to the northeast corner and extended his sword to hit the stone wall lightly. The ‘kong-kong-kong’ sounds were slightly different as if the wall there was especially thin. He sheathed his sword and used both palms to push out against the stones but nothing moved. He took a deep breath and sent his strength to both palms, using the “stick” technique. The strength was sent out, making a crashing sound. That stone chunk was indeed drawn out by the strength of his palm and fell on the ground.
Guo Fu and the others were pleasantly surprised. They cheered out loud in one voice and scrambled forwards to pull out three chunks of stone. This ti a body could pass through and the people got out one by one. Following the sound, they entered a small stone chamber. In the darkness, Guo Fu heard that baby crying out extrely loudly and stretched her hand out to hug her imdiately.
This baby was of course Guo Xiang. As Yang Guo was helping Xiao Longnü to clear her pressure points and also fighting with Li Mochou, he missed the baby’s feeding ti, causing her to cry out fiercely. Guo Fu did all she could to coax the baby, both patting and rocking her. But Guo Xiang, with soone holding her, cried even harder. Guo Fu ran out of patience and gave her to Wu Santong. She said, “Wu Bobo [Uncle Wu], please take a look what’s wrong with her.”
Yelu Qi traced his hand on a table and found a candle, along with a knife and flint. He imdiately lit the candle. These people had been in the gloomy darkness for a very long ti. Now there was light. They were all overjoyed and cried out in delight.
Wu Santong actually had sons. Hearing Guo Xiang crying like this, he knew that she was hungry. On the table, he saw the fine bee honey water and a small wood-carved spoon so he scooped up the honey water to feed her. As it passed through her mouth, Guo Xiang stopped crying as expected. Yelu Qi laughed and said, “If not for little Miss Guo’s crying out from hunger, I’m afraid we’d all have died in that stone chamber.”
Wu Santong bitterly said, “We’d better go find Li Mochou.” Then each person broke off the legs of the table and chairs and lit the fire to make torches to be used on their way. At every corner, Wu Dunru used his sword tip to make a mark for fear that they would get lost on their way back.
As the five people entered a room, there was also another room. They raised their torches to search for Li Mochou’s traces and saw that this ancient tomb was gigantic, with winding corridors and great many rooms. All were endlessly amazed. Nobody could have expected that a magnificent construction like this would be hidden above a small mountain creek.
Then they entered Xiao Longnü’s bed chamber and saw several “Soul Freezing Needles” lying on the floor. Guo Fu wrapped her hand with a piece of cloth and picked up two needles. She said, “This ti I will return these poisoned needles to the evil witch.”
As Yang Guo used his internal energy to help Xiao Longnü expel the poisons, he saw dark liquid slowly seeping out from the five fingertips on her left hand. It would take a while to remove all the poison. Suddenly he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the corridor. There were five people coming in total. Yang Guo was secretly startled and thought that the enemy always ca to attack at every critical mont. Li Mochou alone had been difficult enough. How would he deal with five people? Xiao Longnü had just cleared her pressure points and her internal energy was weak. If the poisons weren’t driven out imdiately, they were bound to enter her pressure points and spread out. Suddenly he saw lights flashing from the distance. Those five people were moving closer. Yang Guo then reached out his arm to carry Xiao Longnü and then jumped onto the empty coffin that was on top of Li Mochou. He pushed open the coffin lid with his palm.
The two people were hiding in the coffin when Yelu Qi and the others ca in. Seeing that there were five coffins in the room, the five people beca startled, faintly feeling that this was too big a coincidence and a bad on. Guo Fu couldn’t bear it and said, “Hmmph, there are five of us here and there are five coffins!”
Yang Guo and Xiao Longnü inside the stone coffin heard Guo Fu’s voice. Puzzled, they thought, “How co she’s here?” Yang Guo’s left hand had never left Xiao Longnü’s palm, still forcing out the poisons. He heard that Guo Fu was among the five people. Even though surprised, he was relieved, thinking that she wouldn’t dare to take advantage of soone in a precarious situation. So he said nothing and kept concentrating on sending out his energy to expel the poisons.
Yelu Qi already heard the breathing sound from the stone coffin and thought it was Li Mochou who hid in there with a devious trick. This ti he wouldn’t be fooled again and so he imdiately made a hand signal, calling the four people to surround the coffin. Guo Fu noticed that the coffin lid and the coffin itself were not aligned and she could see the hem of a gown through the crack. She concluded that it was Li Mochou hiding in there. She laughed and thought, “I’m going to pay you back in your own coin!” She used her energy to push the coffin lid with her left palm and then fiercely shot out the two “Soul Freezing Needles”.
These two needles were sent out at close range. Also, there was no room in the coffin to move aside. The Yang Long couple cried out in surprise, “Ayo!” One needle hit Yang Guo’s right leg while the other struck Xiao Longnü’s left shoulder.
Having sent out the needles, Guo Fu was very pleased with herself. But then she actually heard the surprised cries from a man and a woman inside the coffin. Her heart jumped and she also let out an ‘Ayo’ cry. Yelu Qi kicked out his left leg. There ca a crashing sound while the coffin lid fell down on the floor. Trembling, Yang Guo and Xiao Longnü stood up. Under the torch lights, the two people’s faces were pale as they sadly looked at each other.
Guo Fu didn’t know that this ti she herself had created a bigger disaster than cutting off Yang Guo’s arm and only felt slightly sorry. She said apologetically, “Yang Da ge [Big Brother Yang], Long Zi Zi [Elder Sister Long], little sister didn’t know it was you two and accidentally shot out the needles. Luckily, my mother has the antidote to this poison. Years ago, my pet eagles were injured by Li Mochou’s needles and it was mother who cured them. Why were you hiding inside the coffin? Who would have thought it was the two of you?”
She thought about how she herself had cut off Yang Guo’s arm and how he’d bent her sword. She figured that they were about even. Let alone the fact that her mother had already scolded her vehently for this. She mused, “I didn’t co to bla you. That should be enough.” She’d always had the upper hand since childhood. Others looked up to her parents and always gave in to her. Therefore, she only thought about herself and didn’t take other people into consideration. Speaking in retrospect, the Yang-Long couple was not supposed to be hiding in the coffin and therefore gave her a fright. She would not have thought that at the ti Xiao Longnü was hit by the silver needle, the poisons inside her body had just stopped flowing out. Suddenly she was violently hit like this, the poisons from the “Five Poisons Divine Palm” all flew backwards, entering the major pressure points on her whole body. This ti even if there were a divine pill of immortality, there wouldn’t have been a way to save her. Li Mochou’s silver needle inflicted no more than a flesh wound and, with a proper treatnt, one could be cured. However, the poisons inside her were severe beyond reason.
Xiao Longnü was still for a mont but then she felt as if her chest was empty like there was nothing inside and her heart went missing. Then she turned her head to look at Yang Guo and saw in his eyes heartache, a combination of grief and indignation. His whole body was trembling. He looked as if the lifeti of sadness and abuse all ca out at this ti. Xiao Longnü couldn’t bear to see him bitter and miserable like this so she gently said, “Guo’er, our destiny is like this. Let’s not resent other people. Don’t be so bitter.” She then stretched out her hand to pull out the silver needle from his leg and then later the other poisoned needle from her shoulder. Unlike the “Five Poisons Divine Palm” that Li Mochou had created herself, the “Soul Freezing Needles” were passed on by her ancestor master and so she carried the antidote with her. She gave Yang Guo one grain and she herself took another. Filled with imnse hatred, Yang Guo made a sound and spat out the antidote onto the ground.
Guo Fu angrily said, “Ayo, very big of you. Is this to say I ca here to harm you on purpose? I did apologize and that should be enough. What’s with the temper? They were only two small needles. What’s a big deal?” Wu Santong saw the sad expression on Yang Guo’s face gradually concealed and replaced by a rising anger. He also saw him picking up the shiny big black sword from the ground. Knowing sothing was not right, he quickly went forward and coaxed, “Yang Xiong di [Brother Yang], please don’t be upset. The five of us were trapped inside a stone chamber by Li Mochou and escaped with great difficulty. Guo Guniang [Miss Guo] was rash, mistaking....”
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