‘Wandering Strides’ fists technique [xiao yao you quan fa]?” Huang Rong nodded; but she noticed that Li Sheng’s movements were heavy and not elegant like the ‘Wandering Strides’ should be executed.
Ouyang Ke saw Li Sheng’s step was steady and his hands were proficient at launching wonderful moves; he did not dare to act casual and underestimate his opponent any longer. He slipped his folding fan into his waist and quick as a flash launched a counterattack toward Li Sheng’s shoulder.
Li Sheng parried with the ‘Begging for Rice’ move [fan lai shen shou], still from the ‘Wandering Strides’ fists technique. Ouyang Ke parried with his left hand, which forced Li Sheng to lift his right arm; Ouyang Ke swiftly moved toward Li Sheng’s back and stretched both hands with all fingers forming two claws attacking Li Sheng’s vital ‘Sleeveless Garment’ [bei xin] acupoints.
Huang Rong and Guo Jing were startled, “That move is difficult to defend against.”
By that time the rest of the Beggar Clan members had entered the hall. They saw Li Sheng was in grave danger and were rushing to help.
Li Sheng could hear the wind behind his back and felt the claws almost touching his clothes. Again he launched his hand backward using the ‘Divine Dragon Swings its Tail’ [shen long bai wei] from the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms’. The stance came from the trigram, ‘to tread on’ which is part of the Yi Jing [Book of Changes]. The master who created the ‘Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms’ actually named the stance ‘Treading on the Tiger’s Tail’ [lu hu wei]. It was a more powerful description compared to ‘Attacking the Tiger from Behind’ because if one steps on the tiger’s tail, it will no doubt turn around and attack furiously. However, the later generation felt that this description in the Yi Jing was too soft and not pleasing to the tongue. Thus, they changed it to the
‘Divine Dragon Swings its Tail’.
Ouyang Ke did not dare to meet this attack head-on, so he flexed his body and jumped back.
“A very close call!” Li Sheng said in his heart. He turned his body around to face his opponent again. His martial arts were inferior to Ouyang Ke’s exquisite moves. They had fought thirty or forty moves and already his life was threatened five or six times. Fortunately he could always use the ‘Divine Dragon Swings its Tail’ to get out of trouble.
“Looks like Hong Qigong only passed on this single move to him,” Huang Rong whispered. Guo Jing nodded. He recalled the time when Hong Qigong passed on to him the ‘Proud Dragon Show Remorse’ and he fought Liang Ziweng using this single move over and over. Later on Hong Qigong taught him a total of fifteen moves, while this important figure in the Beggar Clan only knew one move. His heart swelled with gratitude toward Hong Qigong.
456
Eagle Shooting Hero
In the meantime Ouyang Ke had increased the intensity of his attacks and step-by-step he forced Li Sheng into a corner. Earlier Ouyang Ke sent his fierce attacks without any particular target, but now his moves were intended to prevent Li Sheng from turning around and launching his backward palm. Li Sheng understood his intentions very well, so he worked hard to step back into the middle of the room.
Suddenly Ouyang Ke let out a long laugh; he whirled the fist straight up from below hitting Li Sheng’s chin. Li Sheng stuttered in pain and cried out in alarm. He tried to stretch his hand to counterattack but he was a split second too late. Ouyang Ke’s fist had struck its target. Li Sheng was hit five or six times on the head and chest. He felt dizzy and his body weak as he wobbled and fell to the floor.
The Beggar Clan people rushed to help but Ouyang Ke turned around, grabbed two of the front most attackers and threw them to the wall. They fainted immediately. The rest of the beggars did not dare continue.
“What, did you think that a bunch of stinky beggars would deceive me so easily?” Ouyang Ke sneered. He clapped his hands and two female disciples came out dragging a young woman along.
Her hands were tied behind her back, her face forlorn and tears flowed down her cheeks; it was none other than Miss Cheng.
Everybody, including Huang Rong and Guo Jing, was shocked and baffled.
Ouyang Ke waved his hand and his disciples took Miss Cheng back inside. With a smug expression he said, “While the old beggar went into the sack, I worked downstairs capturing Miss Cheng and came back here immediately to wait for the rest of you.”
The beggars looked at each other in blank dismay; they’d lost this bout big time.
Ouyang Ke casually waved his fan and mocked, “The Beggar Clan’s name is well-known throughout the world. Today I have seen it with my own eyes; it’s a fame that will make people laugh until their teeth fall out of their mouths! Your special skills of stealing chickens, stroking dogs, begging for food, catching snakes, I have seen them all. Now, do you still dare to meddle in your Young Master’s business? I am willing to spare this old beggar’s life, but I must take his two lights as a souvenir.” After saying that, he stretched out two fingers toward Li Sheng’s eyes.
“Hold it!” a voice suddenly called out. A man leaped into the hall and immediately sent an attack toward Ouyang Ke.
Ouyang Ke sensed the swiftness and fierceness of the attack; he moved sideways to evade, but could not get out of the wind. His body shook and he was forced to draw back two steps. He could not help but be inwardly startled. “Since I left the Western Regions I have fought many skilled masters; who is this man who has an unexpectedly high martial arts skill?” He turned his eyes toward the newcomer and once again he was startled. He had fought Guo Jing before at the Zhao Palace and his martial arts were only average; how did his palm carry such profound strength just now?
“You have committed all kinds of evil, but instead of repenting you wanted to injure this good man.
Do you really not have any consideration for the heroes of Jianghu?” Guo Jing scolded.
Eagle Shooting Hero
457
Ouyang Ke thought that Guo Jing’s last attack was just a fluke. He looked down on Guo Jing, “Are you one of those ‘heroes’?” he mockingly asked.
“I do not dare to call myself a hero,” Guo Jing answered. “With all due respect, I am asking you to release Miss Cheng and return to the west immediately.”
“And what if I don’t want to listen to your childish request?” Ouyang Ke smirked.
Before Guo Jing had a chance to reply, Huang Rong called from outside the window, “Jing ge ge, just punch that bastard!”
When Ouyang Ke heard Huang Rong’s voice, his spirits were shaken. “Miss Huang, you want me to release Miss Cheng, that is easy, just as long as you follow me wherever I go. Not only Miss Cheng, but I will also release all my female disciples; moreover, I will promise you not to take another female disciple. Wouldn’t that be good?”
Huang Rong leaped inside the hall, smiling as she said, “That is very good! We are going to tour the Western Regions. Jing ge ge, are you coming?”
Ouyang Ke shook his head, “No, I want you to come with me. I don’t want this stinky kid to come along,” he said, still smiling.
Huang Rong was angry, her palm slapped backward. “You dare to slur him? You are the stinky one!” she shouted loudly.
Ouyang Ke was mesmerized with Huang Rong’s gracefulness and her sweet smile while talking to him. She looked so innocent yet free. His spirit was enthralled. Who would have thought that she would abruptly turn hostile? He was not on guard against her and Huang Rong used the exquisite move from the ‘Peach Blossom Divine Sword Palm’, the ultimate in Peach Blossom Island palm techniques. His left cheek was slapped. Fortunately Huang Rong did not use her full strength, but his face burned with pain nonetheless.
“Bah!” Ouyang Ke spat. His left hand suddenly stretched out toward Huang Rong’s breast. Huang Rong did not elude him but threw both hands toward the top of his head. Ouyang Ke was lascivious and seeing that Huang Rong did not move, he was delighted. Ignoring the blow on his head his hand caressed her breast. Who would have thought that as soon as his fingers touched her clothing he felt a stabbing pain. It suddenly dawned on him, “She is wearing the soft hedgehog armor.” Luckily he was being frivolous and had not used much strength. Quickly he lifted his arm to parry her blow.
“It’s not easy for you to hit me,” Huang Rong smiled. “I can hit you, but you can’t hit me.”
Ouyang Ke was exasperated; he could not get angry with Huang Rong, so he directed his anger toward Guo Jing. “Let me kill this kid first; I hope then her feelings toward him will die,” he thought. While his eyes were fixed on Huang Rong, his leg flew backward towards Guo Jing’s chest. This leg movement was swift and ruthless. It was the ‘Western Poison’ Ouyang Feng’s unique family skill. It was difficult to fend against. Once the leg hit its target, the ribs would fracture in towards the lung.
Guo Jing did not have enough time to jump back, so he turned his body around and launched a backward palm. With a loud crash Guo Jing’s palm hit Ouyang Ke’s leg just as Ouyang Ke’s leg 458
Eagle Shooting Hero
almost simultaneously hit Guo Jing’s chest. Both men felt pain that seared to the bone. They turned their bodies around facing each other and stared at each other angrily; then they immediately attacked each other again.