Ouyang Feng was usually cold-hearted, but now he felt regret. He turned his head and saw the water had risen a few more feet. Ouyang Ke yelled, “Uncle, kill me with one blow! I… I can’t take it anymore!” Ouyang Feng took out a sharp knife and gritted his teeth, saying, “You bear with it for a while; even without your legs you can still live.” He moved forward with the intention of severing his nephew’s legs.
Ouyang Ke exclaimed, “No, no, Uncle, just stab me to death!” Ouyang Feng said angrily, “With so many years of my guidance, how can you be so useless?” Ouyang Ke hugged his chest and tried to bear the pain, not daring to say another word. Ouyang Feng saw that the rock had pinned him nearly to the hips; even if he amputated his legs, he might not live…so he hesitated.
Huang Rong saw that the uncle and nephew had nothing left to say and both looked dejected; her heart softened and she remembered how her father moved rocks on Reach Blossom Island. She exclaimed, “Wait! I’ve got a way, but I’m not sure if it will work.” Ouyang Feng was elated and said, “Good lady, just say it!”
Huang Rong was thinking, “Now that you want to save your nephew, you’re not calling me names anymore…but ‘Good Lady’, huh!” She smiled and said, “OK, you must listen to me now. Let’s cut some tree bark and make a rope strong enough to lift this rock.” Ouyang Feng said, “Who’s going to pull the rope?” Huang Rong said, “We’ll pull like raising a sail…” Ouyang Feng immediately understood and said, “Yes, yes, just like that!”
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Guo Jing heard Huang Rong mention using tree bark and did not question her; instead he pulled out his dagger and began cutting some tree bark. Ouyang Feng and Huang Rong followed his lead and within a short time, they had cut many strips of tree bark. As Ouyang Feng was cutting the bark he looked at his nephew and suddenly exclaimed, “Don’t cut anymore!” Huang Rong curiously asked,
“What…why not?”
Ouyang Feng pointed at his nephew and Guo Jing and Huang Rong looked at him. They saw that the tide was rising faster and had already submerged half his body. He would be drowned before they had gathered enough material. Ouyang Ke was motionless in the water. Huang Rong said,
“Don’t fret. Just cut!”
Although Ouyang Feng was a monster, he meekly obeyed her. Huang Rong jumped down from the tree and ran to Ouyang Ke and used several big stones to support his upper body. That way his nose was still above water.
In a low voice Ouyang Ke said, “Miss Huang, thank you. Even if I don’t live, I’ll die contented knowing that you tried to save me.” Huang Rong felt apologetic and said, “Don’t thank me. Do you know that I was the one who laid this trap?” Ouyang Ke said, “Don’t speak so loudly; if my uncle hears it, he won’t let you off. I guessed it long ago; to die at your hands would leave me with no regrets.”
Huang Rong sighed and thought, “Although this person is annoying, he treats me nicely.” She returned to the tree and began braiding the bark. She joined three together to form a thin rope and then six ropes together to form a thick rope, and then she joined several thick ropes together to form a massive rope. Ouyang Feng continuously cut tree bark while Huang Rong unceasingly wove the ropes.
Although they were fast, the tide was faster and even before the massive rope was half-complete, the water had risen up to Ouyang Ke’s mouth. Soon only his nose was left sticking out. Ouyang Feng jumped down and said, “You can go. I want to speak with my nephew. You have tried your best and I appreciate it.” His voice was heavy with emotion and he was seemingly resigned to the situation.
Guo Jing saw that it was hopeless and went off together with Huang Rong. They’d walked several zhang when Huang Rong whispered, “Let’s go behind the rock and listen to what he says.” Guo Jing said, “That doesn’t concern us. Besides, he’ll discover us.” Huang Rong said, “Once his nephew dies, he’ll try to harm Master, so we must keep ourselves informed to be prepared. If we’re found out we’ll just say that we’ve come back to send his nephew off.”
Guo Jing nodded. They went around a bend, behind some trees, and then stealthily crept back behind the rock. They heard Ouyang feng say, “Go in peace. I know what you’re thinking…you wanted Old Heretic Huang to marry his daughter to you, but I fear I can’t grant your wish.”
Guo Jing and Huang Rong were startled and thought, “He’s about to die; why would Ouyang Feng say that?” As they heard more, they became angrier. Ouyang Feng was actually saying, “I’ll go kill that girl and bury her with you. Everyone dies; if you can’t live with her then you can die with her and have no regrets.”
Ouyang Ke’s mouth was beneath the water and he could not speak. Huang Rong took Guo Jing’s hand and they stealthily left. Around the corner, Guo Jing angrily said, “Let’s confront that old Eagle Shooting Hero
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poisonous thing.” Huang Rong said, “With him we must compare wits, not strength.” Guo Jing asked, “How?” Huang Rong said, “I’m thinking.”
As they walked near a ravine, she saw some reeds. Huang Rong thought of something and said, “If he weren’t so evil, I could save his nephew.” Guo Jing quickly asked, “How?” Huang Rong took out her knife and cut a hollow reed and put it to her mouth and breathed through it for a while. Guo Jing laughed, “Ah…that is really a good idea. How did you think of it? Should we save him?”
Huang Rong pouted, “Of course not. That old poisonous thing wants to kill me…let him do it, hmm, I’m not afraid.” But when she thought of Ouyang Feng’s cruel methods, she could not help but gasp. His martial arts were much stronger than his nephew’s and he was much more cunning. If they fell into his trap, it would not be good. Guo Jing remained silent.
Huang Rong took his hand, saying gently, “Don’t tell me you want me to save that scoundrel?
You’re worried about me, right? Those two may not treat us well.” Guo Jing said, “You’re right, but I am worried about you and Master. Since that old poisonous thing is the head of a sect, what he says has some credibility.” Huang Rong said, “OK, let’s save him and then talk; we’ll plan as we go along.”
They turned back and saw Ouyang Feng standing in the water, supporting his nephew. When he saw the duo coming, his eyes glinted and it was obvious he wanted to kill them. He said roughly, “I told you to leave; why did you return?” Huang Rong sat down on a stone and laughed, “I came to see if he’s dead yet.” Ouyang Feng snapped, “So what if he’s dead, so what if he’s alive?”
Huang Rong said, “If he’s dead then it’s no use now!” Ouyang Feng jumped out of the water, hastily saying, “Good… good lady, he’s not dead yet, you must have found a way. Say it…say it quickly.” Huang Rong threw the hollow reed over and said, “Put it in his mouth and he won’t die.”
Ouyang Feng was happy and jumped into the water and stuffed the reed into his nephew’s mouth.
The water had already covered his nose and he was exhaling his last bit of air, but his ears could still hear their conversation. When the reed reached his mouth, he breathed hard, felt comfortable and momentarily forgot about the pain in his legs. Ouyang Feng said, “Quick…hurry, let’s connect the ropes.”
Huang Rong laughed, “Uncle Ouyang, you want me dead to accompany your nephew, isn’t that right?” Ouyang Feng jerked and thought, “How did she hear what I said?” Huang Rong laughed, “If you kill me and you meet some trouble later, who’s going to help you?” Now that Ouyang Feng was depending on her, he could only pretend not to hear her and went back to work on the tree bark.
They worked for more than two hours and made an enormously thick rope nearly thirty zhang long
[99 meters or 325 ft]. By now the water level was nearly half-way up the rock. Ouyang Ke’s head was a few feet under water and only the tip of the hollow reed was exposed. Ouyang Feng was still worried and occasionally reached his hand under the water to check on him.
After another hour the water began to recede and Ouyang Ke’s head was slowly emerging. Huang Rong measured the rope’s length and shouted, “Enough! Now I need four massive poles for the
‘masts’.” Ouyang Feng was doubtful; he knew that on this deserted island, even a knife was hard to find, much less an axe sturdy enough for their task. He asked, “How do we get that?” Huang Rong said, “Don’t worry, just find the wood first.”
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Ouyang Feng was afraid she would throw a tantrum and refuse to help him, so he did not ask again and ran around looking for trees with thick enough trunks. He crouched down, gathered his strength and launched his palms at each of the trees. The trees fell after a few strikes. Guo Jing and Huang Rong witnessed this powerful display of internal strength and shuddered. Ouyang Feng found a long and flat rock and used that to cut away the tree branches.