Huang Rong waved her hand and replied, “That’s not a good idea. Wanyan Kang is an evil brat; let him suffer a few more days. If he is let off so easily, then he will not learn his lesson.” Actually Huang Rong couldn’t care less about whether Wanyan Kang repented or not. She thought that since Eagle Shooting Hero
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he was the disciple of ‘two bad eggs’ Qiu Chuji and Mei Chaofeng, then he might as well stay a baddie. She thought it fun making life difficult for Wanyan Kang. But Huang Rong was also afraid that if Wanyan Kang did not repent Mu Nianci would not marry him and if Mu Nianci does not have a husband, the busybodies would once again try to force Guo Jing to marry her. This would be disastrous. Therefore, she decided that it would be better for Wanyan Kang to repent.
Guo Jing asked, “What shall we do if Mei Chaofeng arrives?”
Huang Rong smiled, “Then we’ll try out what Qigong taught us on her!”
Guo Jing knew that it was pointless to argue with Huang Rong and so returned her smile. But he thought that since Master Lu had taken such good care of them, he would risk his life to protect everyone in the manor no matter what.
Two days later they told Master Lu that they would not leave just yet. Master Lu was even nicer to them since he had hoped that they would stay longer. On the third morning, Master Lu was chatting with Huang Rong and Guo Jing in his study when Lu Guanying rushed in with a pale face. Behind him was one of the housekeepers who carried a wooden tray. There was something on the tray wrapped up with a green cloth.
Lu Guanying said, “Father, someone sent this just now.” With that, he removed the green cloth to reveal a white skull with five finger holes in it; it was indeed Mei Chaofeng’s work.
Guo Jing and Huang Rong were not surprised, since they knew that Mei Chaofeng would appear sooner or later. Master Lu was however shocked and he paled. Quivering, he asked, “Who…who brought this here?” He straightened his body as he asked.
Lu Guanying knew that skull appeared strange but he was a daring and skilled fighter and furthermore, he was the leader of the pirates of the lake. Therefore he did not really take this matter too seriously. But when he saw how upset his father was, he was surprised and even more frightened. He answered hurriedly, “Someone put this in a box and sent it here. The housekeeper thought it was a normal gift and tipped the person without asking its origins. When he brought it to the accounts room and opened the box, he found the skull and when he went to ask the person who sent the gift that person was already gone. “Father, what do you think is going on here?”
Master Lu did not answer but inserted his fingers into the holes in the skull, which fitted his fingers perfectly. Lu Guanying asked in shock, “The holes in the skull are made by fingers? Are fingers that powerful?”
Master Lu nodded and sighed deeply before saying, “Ask the servants to pack up and send your mother to the north manor in the city to stay for the time being. Order the section leaders to gather and stay with their sections for three days. No matter what happens to Cloud Manor, tell them not to interfere.”
Lu Guanying was astonished and asked, “Why, father?”
Master Lu smiled weakly and turned towards Guo Jing and Huang Rong saying, “It is a blessing to be able to make friends with both of you. I had hoped that you could stay longer but I made two enemies when I was younger and they are coming to seek revenge. It’s not that I want to chase you away but Cloud Manor is…is in danger. If I am fortunate enough to survive, we will meet again; 400
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but … but there is only a slight chance of that.” He laughed bitterly and shook his head before turning to the study keeper and said, “Bring forty gold taels to me.” The keeper left to do so. Lu Guanying did not dare ask any more questions and left the study to carry out his father’s instructions.
After a while, the keeper came back with the money and Master Lu offered it to Guo Jing saying,
“The lady is beautiful and talented and is a perfect match for you. This small amount of money is for your upcoming marriage ceremony; please accept this humble gift.”
Huang Rong blushed and thought, “This person is very sharp, he knew all along that I was a girl.
But how did he know that I am not married to Jing ge ge?”
Guo Jing did not know the art of politeness and just thanked Master Lu before accepting the gift.
Master Lu then retrieved a glass bottle from the study table and poured out more than ten red pills before wrapping them up in some paper. He continued, “I am not talented but my teacher taught me some medical formulas and I used them to make these pills which can prolong lives when taken.
Take them as a form of my respect.”
When Master Lu poured out the pills there was a sweet scent in the air. When Huang Rong smelled it, she knew immediately that those were the ‘Nine Flower Jade Dew Pills’. She had helped her father make those pills before and had to collect the dewdrops from nine different types of flowers.
To make the pills, one had to know how to brew the substance on the correct days and season of the year. It was a very painstaking process and the pills consisted of many different types of scarce and precious herbs.
Huang Rong knew that Master Lu was being too generous giving them so many and spoke out, “It is not easy to create the ‘Nine Flower Jade Dew Pills’. We would be more than grateful to accept two pills each.”
Master Lu was slightly surprised and asked, “How did Miss know the name of the pills?”
Huang Rong answered, “I know because I was weak when I was young and an honorable master gave me three pills which had positive effects when I took them.”
Master Lu showed a smile and said, “You don’t have to resist my offer. It would be a waste to keep them anyway.” Huang Rong knew that he was prepared to die and so did not argue and kept the pills.
Master Lu continued in a serious tone, “I have already prepared a boat so please cross the lake quickly. Even if you notice something strange, do not bother to stop. Remember this!”
Guo Jing wanted to stay and help but he caught Huang Rong’s eye signal and had no choice but to agree with Master Lu.
Huang Rong said, “Forgive little sister for her ignorance, but I have something to ask.”
Master Lu answered, “Please speak, Miss.”
Huang Rong replied, “Since Master Lu knows that there are formidable enemies coming to seek revenge, why not hide from them? As the saying goes, a hero avoids obvious dangers.”
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Master Lu let out a huge sigh and answered, “Those two people have made me suffer so much!
They are the ones who caused me to be crippled. For the past twenty years I have not sought revenge because I am unable to walk. Since they are coming now, no matter what, I will risk my life to fight them. Anyway, they offended my teacher. Even if I am unable to seek revenge for myself, I will definitely have to seek revenge for my teacher at all costs. I don’t hope to defeat them. I am more than happy as long as I can die together with them and thus, repay my teacher’s kindness.”
Huang Rong thought, “How come he keeps saying there are two people? Ah, I know, he still thinks that ‘Copper Corpse’, Chen Xuanfeng, is alive. I wonder what animosity he bears towards them? It is unfortunate for him but I won’t probe further, although I am still curious about something.”
Huang Rong asked out loud, “Master Lu, it’s not surprising that you were able to see through my male disguise but how did you know that we are not married since we stayed in the same room?”
Master Lu was dumbfounded by her question and thought to himself, “It’s obvious that she is still a virgin but how do I explain it to her? This little Miss is intelligent and talented in all areas but how come she’s so blind when it comes to matters like these?” He was thinking of a way to answer her when Lu Guanying entered the study and said in a low voice, “I have given the command but leaders Zhang, Gu, Wang and Tan refuse to leave. They say that they will remain in Cloud Manor even if it means risking their lives.”
Master Lu sighed and said, “It is not often that you find such loyal and courageous people! Hurry and send these two guests off.”
Huang Rong and Guo Jing bid Master Lu farewell before following Lu Guanying out. The housekeeper had already prepared Guo Jing’s little red horse and their donkey on the boat. Guo Jing whispered to Huang Rong, “Are we going to get on the boat?”
Huang Rong whispered back, “We’ll leave and come back.”
Lu Guanying wasn’t bothered by their whispering since he was in a state of confusion and wanted to hurriedly send off the guests so as to be able to help out with the preparations against his father’s enemies. Guo Jing and Huang Rong were about to board the boat when Huang Rong spied someone on the bank, walking fast towards them. The person looked strange since he was supporting a huge jar on his head as he walked towards them without a pause. When he came nearer, Guo Jing, Huang Rong and Lu Guanying saw that the man’s hair was white; he wore a short yellow robe and carried a huge feather fan in his right hand, fanning himself gently as he quickened his pace. The jar looked as if it was made from iron and seemed like it weighed a hundred jin [110lbs / 50kg].