During another lightning flash that illuminated the area briefly, Han Baoju saw the staff flying towards his older Brother. Conscious of the danger, he lashed his ‘Golden Dragon’ whip, causing it to wrap around the projectile and make it fall.
“Now,” Chen exclaimed, running towards him, “I’m going to take your dog life!” Carried away by his impetus, he stumbled on something that felt like a body; he bent over and grabbed it. It was a small boy, Guo Jing.
“Let me go!” the child shouted.
Then a new lightning flash illuminated the area. Guo Jing saw the face of the man that held him in air, a sallow face with a menacing look. He was so frightened that, instinctively, he drew his dagger and plunged it into the man's body, right in the middle of the navel, until he could push it no further.
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Chen Xuanfeng let out a terrifying howl and fell backward. In the technique that he used to make his body invincible to the strokes, the vulnerable nodal location he’d chosen was situated precisely in his navel. Even though Guo Jing’s dagger had an extremely sharp blade, even a simple knife, if it struck this place, would have been fatal to him. This was the reason that, during a fight, he took every precaution to protect this part of his body. When he seized the child, he didn't feel that he was a danger to him. After having caught him on the flank of the hill a little while ago, he knew that the youngster surely didn't know any martial arts. However, as the proverb says, "It is the good swimmer who drowns, and it is on flat land that the cart reverses itself". Who would have predicted that this dangerous expert was going to lose his life at the hand of a small, weak and ignorant boy!
After fatally injuring ‘Copper Corpse’, Guo Jing remained petrified, standing still without knowing what to do. He seemed on the verge of crying, but didn't dare let himself go.
Hearing her husband's long scream, Mei Chaofeng hurried, stumbled, fell and crawled to reach him.
“My dear brother,” she shouted, “how are you?”
“It is done, my little…sister”, he mumbled, “hurry, flee…before you...”
“I am going to avenge you”, she croaked.
“I will miss you, my little sis....little sister. I...I cannot take care of you anymore.....” and with those last words Chen Xuanfeng died.
“Good brother... I will miss you too! Don't leave me!”
Han Baoju, Han Xiaoying and Quan Jinfa, taking advantage of the first glow of the pre-dawn, rushed to the attack.
Mei Chaofeng had not only lost her vision, but she felt her head spinning from the poison’s effects.
While training in the ‘Nine Yin White Bone Claws’ the spouses had, for about ten years, absorbed arsenic acid in small quantities regularly. They neutralized the toxic effects with their internal energy. Using this dangerous method was the only way that Chen Xuanfeng had found to increase their internal and external strength. With time, Mei had been partially immunized against poison; otherwise the poisoned projectiles of Ke Zhen’E would have killed her long ago.
She defended herself so ferociously that the Freaks didn't even manage to reach her and were repeatedly put in danger. Han Baoju was beginning to get angry. He thought to himself, “If we can't manage to overcome her on a three against one basis, and even worse, she’s injured and blind, what a blow to the reputation of the ‘Seven Freaks of Jiangnan’!” He then attacked more furiously with his whip, focusing on trying to hit her back. Han Xiaoying and Quan Jinfa, noticing their enemy staggering, also increased the vigor of their attacks. Just as it seemed they would carry the day against her, a storm arose and dark clouds covered the sky again. Suddenly, the mixed violent gusts of wind and rain blinded them again. The three Freaks dropped to the ground to protect themselves.
Much later, the storm abated and the moon again showed from behind the clouds. Han Baoju jumped to his feet and uttered a scream of frustration; Mei Chaofeng and the body of Chen Xuanfeng had disappeared. What greeted him was the sight of his severely injured friends lying on the ground. The small head of Guo Jing slowly appeared from behind some rocks. Everyone was soaked to the bone.
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The three uninjured survivors rose to take care of the injured. Nan Xiren had a broken arm, but fortunately no internal injuries. Ke Zhen’E and Zhu Cong, whose neigong was powerful, were not too affected either, even though they had been hit by several strokes from ‘Copper Corpse’.
However, Zhang Ahsheng had been hit two times by the ‘Nine Yin White Bone Claws’ and also received a deadly stroke to the head. He was conscious but his life was on the line.
Seeing him close to death, the Six collapsed in sadness, especially Han Xiaoying who knew very well that the Fifth brother had been in love with her for a long time. But she was a bit of a tomboy, enjoying martial arts above all else, and had little to do with matters of the heart. Zhang Ahsheng, for his part, laughed it off the whole time; they had never admitted to any feelings. Thinking of how he had thrown himself under the enemy's claws to protect her, she hugged Zhang sobbing.
Zhang Ahsheng’s plump face was normally cheerful and smiling. Even now he smiled slightly and his big hand softly caressed Xiaoying’s hair. “Don’t cry”, he said to her trying to comfort her.
“Don't cry. I am alright.”
“Fifth brother”, she said while hiccupping back her sobs, “do you want to marry me?”
Zhang gave a silly laugh, causing the pain from his injuries to make him suffer badly, and he began to lose consciousness.
“Fifth brother”, she continued, “I assure you that I already consider myself your wife... I won't ever marry anyone else. After my death, we will remain together for eternity.”
“Seventh sister”, mumbled Zhang, “I have not taken good care of you... Me... I am not worthy of you...”
“You always took very good care of me”, she sobbed. “I always knew it...”
With his eyes full of tears, Zhu Cong asked Guo Jing, “When you came here, was it to learn martial arts from us?”
“Yes”, the child answered.
“Then you must obey us from now on.”
Guo Jing nodded his head.
“We, the seven brothers and sister will all be your Shifus,” continued Zhu Cong while wiping away his tears. “But now, your fifth Shifu’s spirit is going to leave us, kowtow and pay him homage.”
Guo Jing didn't know what precisely what ‘spirit is going to leave us’ meant, but he immediately obeyed, kowtowing and touching the ground with his forehead.
Zhang Ahsheng, his face white like linen, forced himself to smile. “That is sufficient... Brave boy, I won’t be able to teach you my knowledge... Ah, but if I did and even if you had learned what I know, it would not serve you very well. I am not naturally quick witted, and rather lazy about practicing... I relied on the little strength that I had... had I worked more, maybe I would not have met a sad end today...” He almost fainted and became even paler.
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“Neither are you”, he said while panting, “naturally gifted; it’s absolutely necessary for you to put in a lot of effort. When you’re tempted to be lazy, think about your Fifth Shifu and the state in which you see him...” He wanted to continue, but didn't have any more strength.
Han Xiaoying lowered her ear to Zhang’s mouth, and heard him barely say, “Teach the child well...
Don’t let us lose to that cow-nose Taoist priest...”
“Be assured”, said Han Xiaoying, “the ‘Seven Freaks of Jiangnan’ will not lose!”
Zhang Ahsheng gave a small foolish laugh, closed his eyes, departed this world, and returned his soul.
The Six Freaks broke into sobs. Since they had become sworn brothers, a very strong bond united them. During the past years searching for Li Ping and her son, they had lived day and night together. And now, at this moment, one of them had tragically died in this foreign land. How could they not be overwhelmed with grief? After having cried themselves out, they dug a grave and buried Zhang Ahsheng. When they finished, they erected a big rock to mark the place of his grave. By then the sun had already risen.
Quan Jinfa and Han Baoju left to search for visible clues that could lead them to Mei Chaofeng.
After the storm, the sand showed no traces of her passing and it was impossible to know where she had gone. They extended their search for several li around the mountain, but came up with nothing.
“In the steppe”, Zhu Cong said, “I imagine that this blind... this woman can’t go very far. The poisoned projectiles should have taken effect by now and she will probably die somewhere. Let’s take the child back home first and take care of our injured. After that, Third and Sixth brother, and Seventh sister can continue the search.”
All agreed and shed some more tears while saying farewell at the grave of their deceased brother.
End of Chapter 4.
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Chapter 5 – Crooked Bow Shooting Eagles
Translated by Foreva and Strunf
Temujin smiled, aimed his bow and shot an arrow of iron that, like the lightning, slicing through the body of a black eagle. The crowd applauded. The Khan then gave his bow to Ogedai. “It’s your turn!”