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And so, after spending nearly ten days in this fashion, Guo Jing’s aquatic skills were no longer weak, thanks to his deep internal energy. Though he was still far behind Huang Rong, she told him that he had already surpassed her father. Only when the waterfall ceased to interest them did they finally get back onto their horses and journey southwards.

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On this day, the sun had already set and the vast, cloudy sky was a dark blanket of blue when the pair arrived at the banks of Changjiang River. Guo Jing gazed east where the great river’s waves broke steadily and unfaltering. All around him was an abundant excess of nature, seemingly infinite.

Water flowed unceasingly into the river from upstream; it was steadfast, and it would run without rest for eternity. With such awe-inspiring scenery before his eyes, feelings of heroism and valor stirred in his chest and he felt like his body had merged into one with the river. Guo Jing continued admiring the scenery for a fairly long while before Huang Rong suddenly spoke: “If you want to go, let’s go.”

Guo Jing replied, “Okay!”

Having spent all these days together, there was no longer a need for many words between them before they knew what the other was thinking. Huang Rong could see from the expression in his eyes that he wanted to swim across the river. Guo Jing released the white horse’s reins and said,

“You’re of no use now, so go your own way.”

With a pat on the back of the little red horse, they leapt into the river together. The little red horse let out a long neigh and swam out in front, while Guo Jing and Huang Rong swam side-by-side behind it. By the time they reached the middle of the river, the little red horse was already way ahead of them. Above them, myriads of stars sparkled in the sky and aside from the sound of the waves, all else was quiet. It was as if they were the only two people in heaven and earth.

After swimming for a while longer, dark clouds suddenly started gathering in the sky and on the river, all was pitch black. Lightning and thunder followed and each roar of thunder seemed like it had struck their heads.

“Rong’er," Guo Jing called. "Are you afraid?”

Smiling, she said, “I’m with you, I’m not afraid.”

The rain then started falling mercilessly and eventually ended as abruptly as it began. When they finally reached the other side of the river, the storm had ended and the moon had begun to give way to the sun. Guo Jing gathered some dry twigs and started a fire. From her bag, Huang Rong retrieved a dry set of clothing for both of them and they hung their wet clothes above the fire to dry.

After a short nap, brightness crept slowly over the horizon. In a small peasant hut by the river, a single rooster cleared its throat and started its long crow. Huang Rong yawned and exclaimed, “I’m hungry!” She sprinted towards the hut and returned within a quarter of an hour with a big fat chicken in hand. Chuckling, she said, “Let’s go farther away so the owner won’t see.”

The two of them journeyed eastward a few li and the little red horse trailed behind them obediently.

Huang Rong used her E’Mei dagger to cut open the chicken’s stomach and proceeded to remove its organs, but she did not pluck its feathers. Wetting some earth with water, she coated the chicken with mud and roasted it over fire. Some moments later, a sweet fragrance seeped through the mud.

When the mud had become completely dry, it was removed and the chicken skin and feathers came off with it, exposing tender white meat and releasing a rich, savory aroma that filled their nostrils.

End of Chapter 11.

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Chapter 12 –The Proud Dragon Shows Remorse

Translated by Patudo, Xfiberloss and Sunnysnow, with notes by Qiu

Shuyi



Suddenly, Wanyan Kang understood, “She is telling me that we are not related by blood at all!” He took her right hand in his and smiled. Mu Nianci’s face reddened, she struggled lightly but did not loose his grasp, letting him to hold her hand; her head hung even lower.

Huang Rong was on the point of cutting up the chicken when they heard a voice behind them: “A third portion please; I will take the back-end portion!”

The two youngsters jumped; how had somebody been able to approach them without them realizing it? They turned and beheld a beggar, older but forceful. The man had a rectangular face, a goatee and vigorous but rather massive limbs. His clothes, frayed everywhere, were, however, very clean.

He held with one hand a green stick, made from translucent bamboo like jade, and carried on his back a large red gourd. He looked so eager and impatient that one had the impression that if his portion was not offered, he was going to seize some by force! Before the two young people had time to answer, without much ado, he was already sitting down in front of them. He took his gourd, opened it, and a heady alcoholic perfume spread itself in the air. He thirstily swallowed several mouthfuls before capping it again. To Guo Jing he said, “A drink for you, little urchin!”

Guo Jing found the man rather impolite, but sensed distinctly that he was no ordinary individual, so he did not dare to show disrespect. “No, thank you," he said courteously, “I do not wish a drink at the moment, but you having one won’t bother me.”

“And you, little girl,” the beggar asked Huang Rong, “Do you drink?”

Huang Rong shook her head. Suddenly, she saw that the hand which held the gourd had only four fingers; the index had been severed at the first knuckle. She started and thought of the conversation between the Taoists and the Freaks, which she had overheard outside the window of the inn the other day, concerning the ‘Divine Nine-Fingered Beggar’. “Could this be a stroke of luck,” she wondered, “that we meet by chance, that Elder? Let’s try to probe him a little...” The eyes of the beggar were fixed on the chicken held in her hand and he salivated in anticipation. She could not stop secretly laughing. She then cut out the bird into two and the end portion was handed to him.

Captivated, the beggar seized it and took a full bite. While devouring it, he did not cease praising,

“Delicious! Delicious! Even I, who am the leader of all the beggars, could not improvise such a delicious ‘Beggar's Chicken’!” Huang Rong smiled and offered the other piece to him.

“But no,” protested the beggar, “neither of you have eaten yet!” This attempt at manners was in vain and purely a formality, since it did not prevent him from seizing what was offered to him. In a flash, there remained nothing but bones!

He tapped his belly then and exclaimed, “Ah, my belly, my belly! Hasn't it been a long time that you have been starved of such good chicken?”

Huang Rong burst out laughing, “By the greatest good chance, I prepared ‘Beggar's Chicken’ and here it has entered the majestic belly of the leader of the beggars! It's a true honor!"

The beggar burst out laughing, “Little girl, you are quite brave!” He withdrew from his pocket several gilded projectiles. “Yesterday,” he explained, “I saw several individuals brawling about something unknown to me The missiles which one of them launched shone like gold. I was the one who benefited from it and I took some of them. In fact, the inside is cheap metal, but outside, to look good, it is genuine gold. Little urchin, take them and have fun. When necessary, you can get some money for them.”

Guo Jing shook his head, “We regard you as a friend, and when one invites a friend to eat, one does not accept payment!” By saying this he honored the Mongol’s rules of hospitality.

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The beggar, feeling thwarted, scratched his head. “Then, I am also embarrassed! I have no trouble begging for scraps from people, but today, you provided me such good chicken! Such a benefit, that I cannot return it, that...”

“Why speak about benefit and repayment, for such a small chicken?” Guo Jing said. “To be honest, we stole this chicken...”

“We took this chicken in passing,” confirmed Huang Rong, “and you ate it as you passed here, very well done...”

The beggar burst of laughing. “You two,” he said, “funny enough, I like you well. Good, if you have any wishes, just ask.” Guo Jing, understanding that he proposed to help them, which again infringed the rules of hospitality, shook his head again.

But Huang Rong intervened. “In fact, this ‘Beggar's Chicken’ is really not a great thing; I have other small dishes that I would readily make for you to taste. Why won't you come with us?”

“Splendid!” exclaimed the beggar, enchanted. “Splendid!”

“What is your honorable name?” asked Guo Jing.

“My surname is Hong, and as I am the seventh in my family. You kids can call me Qigong.”

“It is indeed him,” Huang Rong thought, “The ‘Divine Nine-Fingered Beggar! But he seems to be younger than the Taoist Master Qiu, so how could he be a contemporary of a master of the Quanzhen Seven? Hmm...Actually, my dad isn't old, yet he is a peer of Qigong! That must be explained by the incompetence of those seven old Taoists, who wasted their time!” She’d always held some resentment against Qiu Chuji for his wanting to force Guo Jing to marry Mu Nianci.

They headed south and arrived in a small town, where they took a room in an inn. “I'll go to the market,” Huang Rong said. “It's better for you men to rest a little.”