In the end Lu Guanying was having a hard time blocking his attacks.
At first Miss Cheng was repulsed by the dung on the floor and she stood in a corner watching the fight. Then she saw that this handsome young man would lose his life to the lunatic’s steel fork. She hesitated for a moment, finally made up her mind, and drew a sword from her bundle. She called out to Lu Guanying, “Honorable elder brother [Xiong Gong], I … I am going to help you. Please forgive me.” Her manners were so ingrained that she was apologizing before helping someone to fight. Her sword flashed towards Hou Tonghai’s chest.
She was the Sage of Tranquility [Qingjing Sanren], Sun Bu’Er’s disciple, so naturally she was well-versed in the Quanzhen Sect’s sword techniques. Hou Tonghai had anticipated her move. He Eagle Shooting Hero
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thought that the double-headed ghost had transformed itself into two and that the female ghost would attack him soon as an evil spirit, so he was not surprised. But Lu Guanying was pleasantly surprised. He saw that her movements were quick and her sword technique exquisite. His heart was full of admiration. His own saber was starting to become erratic and he was sweating profusely, but now someone suddenly came to help him and his spirits rose.
At first Hou Tonghai was quite worried by the female ghost’s fierceness. But after a few stances he noticed that although her sword technique was proficient, her strength was ordinary. Moreover, she looked nervous. Probably she had not been a ghost for long and had not reached the ‘old ghost’
level yet. He gradually felt more relieved. His three-pronged fork created strong gusts of wind. One against two and he was still able to attack more than his opponents.
Watching from the other room, Huang Rong felt very anxious since she knew Lu and Cheng would eventually fall to their enemy. She wanted to lend them a hand, but she could not leave Guo Jing even half a step. Otherwise, with her intelligence and abundant experience, it would be very easy for her to play tricks on this ‘Three-Headed Dragon’.
She heard Lu Guanying call out, “Miss, Go away! You don’t have to endanger yourself with him.”
Miss Cheng knew he was worried that she might be injured and wanted to fight this mad man alone.
She was very grateful, but she also knew that if he fought alone, he would not be able to resist this enemy. She shook her head, unwilling to withdraw.
As Lu Guanying fought furiously, he shouted to Hou Tonghai, “As a real man you are making things difficult for a young girl…what kind of hero are you? Just deal with me, a man surnamed Lu, and let this Miss go.”
Although Hou Tonghai was muddle-headed, he knew by now that these two were not ghosts. But seeing how beautiful Miss Cheng was, and since he had gained the upper hand, how could he let her go? With a laugh he said, “I want to capture the male ghost and I also want to take the female ghost.” His steel fork traveled horizontally with a violent thrust. He was being thirty percent lenient towards Miss Cheng, otherwise he would have stabbed her already.
“Miss, go quickly!” Lu Guanying said anxiously, “The man surnamed Lu is grateful for your kindness.”
“Honorable master’s honored surname is Lu, is it?” Miss Cheng asked in a low voice.
“Precisely,” Lu Guanying replied. “Miss, what is your name? What school do you belong to?”
“My Master’s surname is Sun. People call her the Sage of Tranquility,” Miss Cheng said. “I … I
…” She was going to say her name, but suddenly felt shy and closed her mouth.
“Miss, I’ll block him and you run quickly,” Lu Guanying said. “As long as the man surnamed Lu is still alive, I will look for you. I thank you for your help today.”
Miss Cheng was blushing as she stammered, “I … I don’t … honorable elder brother …” Turning her head to Hou Tonghai she said, “Hey, mad man! Don’t you dare injure this man. My Master is the Sun Zhenren [lit. true person, a respectful term of address for a Taoist priest] from the Quanzhen Sect. She will arrive shortly.”
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The names of the Quanzhen Seven Masters were well-known throughout the world. Hou Tonghai had seen it that day with his own eyes when the ‘Immortal with the Iron Foot’ [Tie Jiao Xian], Jade Sun [Yuyang Zi], Wang Chuyi, intimidated the group of experts at the Zhao Palace. Now, hearing Miss Cheng, he was somewhat afraid, but after that slight shock he cursed, “Even if the Quanzhen Seven Masters come together your master here will butcher them all, one by one!”
From outside the door, there suddenly came someone’s clear voice saying, “Who is it in there that’s speaking such nonsense and doesn’t want to live?”
The three were engaged in a fierce battle, but when they heard this voice they all leaped backwards.
Lu Guanying was afraid Hou Tonghai would launch a sneak attack so he pulled Miss Cheng behind him and wielded his saber in front of her. Only then he did raise his head to take a look.
He saw a young Taoist priest standing at the doorstep, wearing a feather robe and a star crown. His face was handsome, his eyes bright, and he held a Taoist fly-whisk in his hand. “Who said he wants to butcher the Quanzhen Seven Masters?” he asked coldly.
With the fork in his right hand, his left hand on his hip, Hou Tonghai, with glaring eyes, loudly said,
“It was me, your master. So what?”
“All right,” the young priest said, “You’re welcome to try.” Leaning his body forward he swept the whisk toward Hou Tonghai’s face.
Guo Jing had finished one round of exercise by now and hearing the clamor of the battle outside he looked out through the small hole. Huang Rong asked, “Is this young priest also one of the Quanzhen Seven Masters?”
Guo Jing recognized the young priest as Yin Zhiping, Qiu Chuji’s disciple. Two years ago he received an order from his master to deliver a letter to the Jiangnan Six Freaks and had a martial arts contest with Guo Jing at night in which Guo Jing was defeated. Guo Jing quietly told Huang Rong everything.
As Huang Rong watched him exchange a few stances with Hou Tonghai, she shook her head and said, “He won’t defeat the Three-Headed Dragon.”
As Yin Zhiping slightly gave way to Hou Tonghai’s attacks, Lu Guanying, saber in hand, immediately stepped forward to help him. Compared to the time he fought Guo Jing that night, he had made some progress, but even fighting side by side with Lu Guanying, they only managed to face Hou Tonghai evenly.
Miss Cheng’s left hand had been grabbed by Lu Guanying for only a short moment, yet her heart was still pitter-pattering madly. As the three people fought furiously right next to her, she was actually daydreaming and gently stroking her hand. With a start she was suddenly awakened from her dazed condition by a clanking noise and Lu Guanying’s urgent voice, “Miss, watch out!”
Hou Tonghai noticed her condition and thrust his fork at her. Lu Guanying hastily fended off the attack while shouting at her. Miss Cheng’s face turned completely red as she gathered her thoughts and re-entered the battle. Miss Cheng’s martial arts skill was not very high, but with one against three, Hou Tonghai had a hard time blocking these enemies. He brandished his fork ferociously, trying to create an opportunity to escape and find some help, but Yin Zhiping’s fly-whisk was Eagle Shooting Hero
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dancing around in front of his face, blurring his vision. He was negligent for a split second and Lu Guanying’s saber slashed his leg.
“Your eighteen ancestors be damned!” Hou Tonghai cursed. But because of this wound he gradually became slower. He thrust the steel fork forward and Yin Zhiping parried with his whisk and the whisk coiled around it. They both pulled their respective weapons back in a tug-of-war.
Because Hou Tonghai was stronger, Yin Zhiping was forced to let his whisk go.
Miss Cheng thrust her sword using the ‘Fighting and Shaking Star and River’ [dou yao xing he] and stabbed his right shoulder. Hou Tonghai could no longer hold his steel fork and it fell. Yin Zhiping took this opportunity to sweep his leg and Hou Tonghai tumbled to the floor. Lu Guanying immediately pounced on him. Taking the leather belt from his waist he bound Hou Tonghai’s hands behind his back.
Yin Zhiping laughed and said, “You can’t even defeat a Quanzhen Seven Masters’ disciple, so how would you butcher the Quanzhen Seven Masters?” Hou Tonghai opened his mouth and shouted curse words, saying that it was three against one and that it was not a real hero’s deed. Yin Zhiping tore off a piece of his clothing and stuffed it into his mouth. Hou Tonghai’s face looked very angry, but he could not say a thing.
Yin Zhiping bowed to Miss Cheng, “Elder Martial Sister [Shijie] is the disciple of Martial Uncle Sun [Sun Shishu]? Your little brother Yin Zhiping greets you.”
Miss Cheng quickly returned his bow and said, “I don’t deserve it. I wonder, who Martial Brother’s
[Shixiong] Martial Uncle [Shibo] is? Little sister pays my respects to Elder Martial Brother Yin.”
“Little brother is a disciple of Eternal Spring [Changchun],” Yin Zhiping replied.
Since becoming an apprentice to her master, Miss Cheng had never left her home. Of the Quanzhen Seven Masters, she had never met six of them. However, her master had told her all about her martial uncles and that Changchun Zi, Elder Martial Uncle Qiu [Qiu Shibo] was the most heroic and possessed the highest martial arts skills. Learning that Yin Zhiping was Qiu Chuji’s disciple, she regarded him with respect. Lowering her head she said, “Elder brother is my older martial brother. I am surnamed Cheng. Just call me Younger Martial Sister Cheng.”