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Huang Rong was worried about this matter and she feared that her father would not like Guo Jing.
The words of the old beggar filled her with joy and she returned to her room, her face radiant.
The next day, Guo Jing went back to the pine forest at dawn. He practiced about twenty rounds with much sweat and rejoiced at the progress he accomplished. Suddenly he heard a voice speaking amongst the trees.
“Shifu,” a voice said, “we must have traveled more than thirty li this time, isn't that right?”
“Indeed,” replied another voice, “you've achieved some progress in endurance...”
This voice seemed very familiar to Guo Jing, who then saw four individuals appear, the first of which had white hair and ruddy complexion. It was none other than his number one enemy, Liang Ziwong, the ‘Ginseng Immortal’! He shivered internally and took to his heels. But Liang Ziwong had already recognized him: “Where do you think you're going?” he called out while leaping forward in pursuit. The other three men were his disciples and seeing their Shifu running after an enemy, they split up in order to surround the young man.
“I need to get out of the pine forest and back to the inn in order to be safe,” Guo Jing said to himself, while running even faster. But the first disciple of Liang Ziwong barred his way and shouted, while crossing two palms, “Little bastard, kneel!”
He attacked with a technique of qinna [capture and control] taught by his master and sought to seize Guo Jing by the chest. The young man bent his left leg slightly; with his extended arm turned in, he made a circle with his right palm and struck out powerfully. It was precisely the blow that he had just learned, ‘The Proud Dragon Shows Remorse’. His opponent felt the sudden power and attempted to evade it, but it was so powerful that it broke his arm and threw him a distance of a zhang [3.3m /11+ft] or so, making him lose consciousness. Guo Jing never would have believed that his blow was going to be so strong but could not delay a moment and resumed his flight.
Surprised and irritated, Liang Ziwong jumped in front of him. Guo Jing had just left the pines when he found the ‘Ginseng Immortal’ in front of him. Very frightened, he got in position and launched once again his newly learned ‘The Proud Dragon Shows Remorse’. Liang Ziwong did not know this blow but, sensing its power, knew that he could not handle it. He had to roll to the earth to avoid it.
Guo Jing took the opportunity to flee again.
When Liang Ziwong recovered, the young man had reached the front of the inn. Guo Jing hollered,
“Rong’er, disaster! It's the evil one that wants to drink my blood!”
Huang Rong poked her head out the window. “How did that old monster get here?” she asked herself. “That's fine; I'll try out this new ‘Wandering Strides’, which I have just learned, on him.
Jing ge ge,” she cried. “Don't be afraid of that old crust. Begin the fight; I'll come to help you and we'll teach him a good lesson!”
“Rong’er doesn't know the power of this old monster,” Guo Jing said to himself, “that's why she speaks so recklessly.” But Liang Ziwong had already jumped on him. In the face of the violence of the attack, the young man had no other option but to launch once more his ‘The Proud Dragon Regrets’. Liang Ziwong twisted and dodged several feet to the side, but his extended arm was almost touched by the force of the palm and it left a burning and painful feeling. The ‘Ginseng Immortal’, frightened inside, was amazed that this kid, in the space of some few months, had 346
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progressed so much. “This must be,” he thought, “due to the absorption of the precious blood of the snake.” This thought absorbed him and he jumped again to the attack. Guo Jing defended himself again with the same blow. Conscious that he could not oppose it, Liang Ziwong retreated. Noting that the young man seemed not have at his disposal other such fearful blows to press his advantage, Liang’s fear lessened. “Little idiot,” he shouted, “Do you know only that one blow?”
Guo Jing tumbled right into his trap, “With even this one blow,” he replied, “you still won't be able to avoid it!” He advanced, launching once again his ‘The Proud Dragon Shows Remorse’. Liang Ziwong dodged and jumped behind Guo Jing to attack him. He turned and attempted to attack again in the same manner, but his opponent once more slipped behind him. The young man, who only knew how to make frontal attacks, was completely disturbed and could not manage to face him.
Seeing him on the verge of losing, Huang Rong called out, “Jing ge ge, let me take me care of him!”
She sprang forward and interposed herself between the two fighters, attacking Liang Ziwong with palms and kicks, who returned the attack. Guo Jing retreated two steps to watch them. Huang Rong had learned well this wonderful ‘Wandering Strides’ technique, but, aside the fact that she had learned it too recently to truly master it, Liang Ziwong was in fact a lot stronger one than she.
Therefore, without the protection given by her soft armour, she already would have received several blows and certainly would have been injured long ago. Before even deploying the full thirty-six movements of the ‘Strides’, she was losing form badly. The disciples of Liang Ziwong, supporting their injured elder brother, observed the fight and, seeing their Shifu winning, shouted encouragement to him.
Guo Jing prepared to assist Huang Rong when all of a sudden Hong Qigong was heard to shout from behind the window, “His next blow is called ‘The Evil Dog Blocks the Road’!”
Very surprised, Huang Rong observed that Liang Ziwong, legs firmly spread in the ‘Horse Stance’
and the fists stretched horizontally, was indeed taking the stance of the ‘Evil Tiger Blocks the Road’. She couldn't prevent herself from laughing inside. “Hong changed the name of this blow, but how was he able to guess that it would be that one?”
Then she heard the old beggar shout again, “And his next blow is ‘The Stinking Snake Inhales Water’!”
She realized that this was the ‘Green Dragon Inhales Water’, in which one lengthened the fist forward, thus unveiling a weakness to the back. The Beggar Clan leader had no sooner finished speaking than she had already slipped behind Liang Ziwong. He attacked effectively with the
‘Green Dragon Inhales Water’, but the girl, warned in advance, had the advantage and attacked from behind. He avoided the danger only because of his exceptional technical mastery, which allowed him to change position right in the middle of a movement and to fly further away. He landed on the tips of his toes, surprised and furious at the same time. “Who is the powerful master that hides in the shack?” he shouted towards the window. “Why don't you show yourself?” But there was only silence behind the window. Liang Ziwong was lost in bewilderment. “How could this person succeed in predicting my blows?”
Fortified by the support of a great master, Huang Rong now feared nothing. She had regained the initiative and launched herself to the attack. Liang Ziwong resorted to killer blows so that the girl was forced to yield the upper hand. “Don't fear anything!” Hong Qigong shouted. “He will do a
‘Monkey with a Rotten Bottom Climbs the Tree’!”
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Huang Rong burst out laughing, raised her fists and attacked downwards. Liang Ziwong had chosen the ‘Phenomenal Gorilla Climbs the Tree’ and had, after jumping into the air, prepared to attack downwards. But Huang Rong had preceded him and if he continued the jump he would simply offer his head to her falling fists. He had to change his technique immediately! In a fight, if the opponent knew in advance all your blows, it would not take long for him to overcome you! The ‘Ginseng Immortal’, fortunately for him, was a lot stronger than Huang Rong and this allowed himself to extricate himself from a bad situation at the last moment.
He suddenly jumped back and shouted at Guo Jing, “If you persist in not fighting yourself, I won't hesitate to be ruthless towards this girl!” Changing his tactics and rained down blows like hail in a storm; so much so that Huang Rong absolutely could not adjust and Hong Qigong had not the time to call out his blows in advance. Seeing his dearest friend in danger and reduced to dodging right and left, Guo Jing leapt forward and sent out once more his ‘The Proud Dragon Shows Remorse’.
Liang Ziwong jumped back.
“Jing ge ge”, Huang Rong said, “give him three blows!” She turned and went back into the inn.
Guo Jing prepared, awaiting the approach of Liang Ziwong. No matter what technique the ‘Ginseng Immortal’ employed he replied with ‘The Proud Dragon Shows Remorse’. His opponent, surprised and furious, wondered, “Where on earth did this dumb little fellow learn this strange blow and why only that one!” But even if he knew only this one blow the dumb little fellow had to be respected and Liang Ziwong could do nothing. Having reached a stalemate, the two held their positions.
“Silly boy,” Liang Ziwong then shouted. “You'd better watch out!” He jumped at his young opponent, who continued using his time-tested defense. Liang changed direction in mid-flight and suddenly struck with three ‘Accupoint Piercing Bones’ that sped towards the young man from three different directions. As Guo Jing hurriedly dodged, Liang Ziwong thrust himself forward with lightning speed and seized him by the nape of his neck. Very frightened, the young man struck an elbow blow at the chest of his opponent. To his great astonishment, he had the impression that his elbow had sunk itself in a soft mass, like cotton.