The Return of the Condor Heroes

Chapter 30 – Partings and reunions are impermanent, Part 16

Chapter 30 – Partings and reunions are impermanent, Part 16

Then he saw that Qiu Qianchi was giving him a fixed stare. Obviously, if he didn’t agree to marry her daughter, she would never give him that half pill to save his life. Again, he refused to compromise and made things awkward for Gongsun Lu’E and Xiao Longnü.

He brightly said, “I’m already married to Long’er. Even I, Yang Guo, am doomed to die, how can I shirk my responsibilities?”

Having said this, he turned around, taking Xiao Longnü by hand. While walking to the hall entrance, he thought to himself, “Let them squabble in the hall. I’d better go rescue the Indian monk and Uncle Zhu.”

With a sneer Qiu Qianchi said, “Good, good! You yourself volunteered to die; this has nothing to do with me.”

She turned her head back towards Ci’en and said, “Second brother, I’ve heard that Huang Rong is Chief of the Beggar Clan. We, “Iron Palm Clan”, don’t dare to offend her.”

Ci’en said, “Iron Palm Clan? It’s already been disbanded. How could there still be such a clan?”

Qiu Qianchi said, “No wonder, no wonder. You don’t want to fight. You’ve become a coward…”

Qiu Qianchi was still talking but Gongsun Lu’E no longer listened to her. Watching Yang Guo step out of the hall, she suddenly dashed forwards. She cried out, “Yang Guo, you heartless scoundrel, I must have been blind.”

Yang Guo paused in his steps, wondering why this girl, who had always been courteous, was acting out of character. Could it be because she heard that he and Long’er were married and became enraged? He felt a slight regret, and so he turned his back and said, “Miss Gongsun…”

Gongsun Lu’E scolded, “Crafty thief, it’s easy to come into the valley but hard to get out…”

But although she was berating him, her facial expression was actually warm and gentle, her eyes conveying a hidden message. Yang Guo knew that there had to be a reason.

In a loud voice he said, “What is it? You say this small Passionless Valley is hard to get out of?”

He was facing the main hall. Qiu Qianchi saw him very clearly and therefore didn’t see anything strange.

Lu’E scolded, “I wish I could split you in half. I would rip out your heart so I can see…”

She suddenly opened her mouth and, with a puff of air, a date stone was spat out, flying towards Yang Guo’s face.

Yang Guo caught it with his hand. He sneered, “Just let me leave quickly and I won’t hurt you. You think your little skill could stop me?”

Gongsun Lu’E gave him another meaningful glance and let him leave. Suddenly she covered her face with both hands and cried out, “Mother, he… he’s a big bully!”

She fled back into the main hall. Her loved one was gone. He had married another girl. This sadness was actually not false.

Seeing tears stream down her face, Qiu Qianchi shouted, “E’er, what’s wrong with you? That boy’s life won’t last very long.”

Lu’E crouched down at her mother’s knee and her sobs continued.

Everybody in the hall was deceived by this performance. There was only Huang Rong who secretly thought it to be funny. She mused, “She pretended to be mad at Yang Guo so her mother wouldn’t be suspicious and later she could steal the antidote. Who would have thought that this boy Yang Guo would leave a trail of broken hearts behind him everywhere he went. All these beautiful girls pine for him.”

Having thought this, she gave Cheng Ying and Lu Wushuang a glance.

After catching that date stone, Yang Guo walked out very quickly. Lu’E’s words were very strange, and he still couldn’t figure out her intention. Xiao Longnü saw the expression on Lu’E’s face and knew that her tirade was pretended.

She asked, “Guo’er, she pretended to be mad at you. Was it because she was trying to fool her mother so she could steal the antidote?”

Yang Guo replied “It would seem so.”

As soon as the two people rounded a curve in the path and saw that they were alone, Yang Guo raised his hand and looked at the date stone in his palm. It was actually an olive seed, with tiny stitches in the middle. Yang Guo squeezed it with his fingers, breaking it in half. The middle of the seed was actually hollow, with a thin sheet of paper hidden in there.

With a smile Xiao Longnü said, “This girl told you a riddle. She actually meant this when she said …split you in half. I would rip out your heart so I can see…”

Yang Guo unfolded the thin paper, and the two of them bent their heads to look at the words.

The paper read, “Mother hid the half pill in a secret place. I will plan to steal it for you. The Indian monk and senior Zhu are confined in ‘the fire room’. “ (kiln)

Next to the characters was a map showing a winding path that ended at ‘the fire room.’

Yang Guo said in delight, “Let us go quickly. It’s good that no one is here to stop us right now.”