Huang Yaoshi had inserted his flute back to his waist and fought barehanded. This time Ouyag Feng’s movement was really bizarre, weird beyond imagination. Sometimes he stood upright, some other time he would lean to the side with body as straight as a stick, yet some other time his body was horizontally off the ground, supported with one hand while the other hand launched strange attacks. Huang Yaoshi had to put all his concentration to face this kind of opponent, since Ouyang Feng’s movement was totally unpredictable.
Hong Qigong, Guo Jing and Huang Rong three people were watching intently with their hearts beating fast. Seeing her father’s precarious condition, Huang Rong called out, “Shifu, toward this lunatic we don’t have to follow Wulin’s rules, let us fight together!”
Hong Qigong shook his head, “If it were some other day, we can cooperate to capture him, but today is the Sword Meet of Mount Hua; the men of valor under the heaven must fight one on one. If we relied on numbers we will be disgraced by the heroes of Jianghu.” But he also could see that Ouyang Feng’s mental condition was so severe; his mouth foaming, spitting his saliva everywhere.
Huang Yaoshi had a difficult time avoiding this attack and was forced to step back.
A moment later Ouyang Feng stooped down, seemingly in pain; his back was completely undefended. Huang Yaoshi was delighted, he thought, “His madness is spreading after all.” With the ‘Divine Flicking Finger’ he attacked the ‘ying xiang’ [welcoming fragrance] acupoint on the 1
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side of Ouyang Feng’s nose. This finger attack was executed swiftly but unexpectedly as soon as it touched his face, Ouyang Feng slightly turned his head and bit Huang Yaoshi’s index finger.
Huang Yaoshi was so startled and quickly hit the ‘tai yang’ [sun] acupoint with his left hand; forcing the mouth to loosen up. Ouyang Feng thrust his right hand up while his mouth bit even harder.
Guo Jing and Huang Rong simultaneously attacked from both sides. Ouyang Feng was forced to loosen up his bit on Huang Yaoshi’s finger, but his ten fingers forming two claws tried to grab Huang Rong’s face. Under the bright sunlight his face looked so nauseatingly fierce and full of blood. Huang Rong was so scared that she ran away screaming.
Guo Jing hurriedly came to her rescue; Ouyang Feng was forced to parry this palm attack toward his back, giving Huang Rong an opportunity to escape.
Only about a dozen of so stances later Guo Jing’s shoulder and leg were hit one after another.
“Jing’er, back off! Let me try,” Hong Qigong shouted, rushed ahead barehanded. Two people were engaged in a fierce battle for the second time in one day, this time more ferocious than the last.
Hong Qigong had been paying close attention when Ouyang Feng battled Huang Yaoshi and Guo Jing. He found out that even though Ouyang Feng’s movements were strange, he could see a pattern on them; they were actually based on the ‘Toad Stance’ launched backward, like upward movement became downward, left became right. Although his comprehension was incomplete, but Hong Qigong thought that with 70, 80% certainty he had a general idea on how to battle him. He proceeded with utmost caution, and was able to launch a counterattack for roughly every three attacks he received.
Huang Rong took out her handkerchief and wrapped her father’s wound. Huang Yaoshi turned his attention to the ongoing battle and after watching a moment he started to shout one after another,
“Qi Xiong, kick him upside down.” “Strike his ‘ju que’ [gigantic capital]!” “Hack his ‘tian zhu’
[pillar of heaven] with the back of your hand.”
As a spectator Huang Yaoshi could see clearly; Hong Qigong followed his instructions and a short while later was able to gain a slight advantage over his opponent. But actually these two people were ashamed of what they were doing, they thought, “This time the Eastern Heretic and the Northern Beggar two people join forces to battle the Western Poison, one person.” Seeing his defeat is imminent, suddenly Ouyang Feng opened up his mouth and spat his saliva toward Hong Qigong’s face.
Hong Qigong quickly leaned sideways to evade, but unexpectedly Ouyang Feng had already anticipated his move. Ouyang Feng’s palm flew and slapped the side of Hong Qigong’s head; while simultaneously spat saliva toward his face. Hong Qigong was in an awkward position; he did not have any chance to evade. If he let the spittle hit his eyeball he knew he would suffer an injury, or at least very hurt; and if the opponent used that opportunity to attack it would be very difficult for him to parry. He did not have any choice but extending his right hand and took the spittle with his palm, while his left hand counterattacked.
Several stances later Ouyang Feng again spat his saliva; looked like he was using his spittle as secret projectile to confuse enemy’s defense. Hong Qigong felt icky and angry at the same time. He Eagle Shooting Hero
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still had the spittle on his right palm; he was not able to shake it loose or wipe it on his clothes since he had to focus his entire concentration to fight the enemy. With a sudden movement he stretched his right palm and shouted, “Got you!” He smeared his right palm on Ouyang Feng’s face. Looked like he was casually smearing the spittle on Ouyang Feng’s face, but in actuality his palm carried a murderous intention.
Even though Ouyang Feng’s mind was confused his senses were as keen as before. Seeing Hong Qigong’s palm was about to wipe his face he leaned sideways slightly, evading the attack. Hong Qigong flipped his palm and moved vertically up. Ouyang Feng turned his head slightly and opened his mouth to bite. It was exactly the same bite that defeated Huang Yaoshi’s unique skill. It looked ridiculous, but since his movement was so quick that even somebody who had reached martial art perfection like Huang Yaoshi was not able to evade.
Huang Yaoshi, Huang Rong and Guo Jing could see clearly Hong Qigong’s palm went straight into Ouyang Feng’s mouth; and within an inch from the target suddenly the mouth opened showing two rows of white teeth gleaming under the bright sunlight; ready to bite Hong Qigong’s finger. They could not refrain from shouting in alarm, “Watch out!”
What these three people, along with Ouyang Feng, forgot was that Hong Qigong was widely known as the ‘jiu zhi shen gai’ [Nine-fingered Divine Beggar]. One time because of his gluttonous character he was late in saving the life of a Jianghu’s man of valor. In his regret and anger toward himself he chopped off his right index finger.
Ouyang Feng’s bite was swift and accurate, if it were other people he would certainly succeed in biting other’s finger; but because Hong Qigong did not have an index finger ‘clack!’ his teeth were biting air.
Actually Ouyang Feng, and everybody else for that matter, knew that Hong Qigong only had nine fingers; but in a ferocious battle situation like this, who would have time to remember little detail like that? The battle between experts, where both contenders’ martial arts have been refined through fire, more often than not the end result would be decided by slight oversight like this. When Ouyang Feng bit an empty space, how could Hong Qigong let this opportunity pass? With the ‘xiao kou ya ya’ [the laughter of a mute] immediately his middle finger struck the ‘di cang’ [earthen storehouse]
acupoint on the side of Ouyang Feng’s mouth.
Seeing Hong Qigong’s attack went well, the three spectators were ready to applaud, but their mouths were just saying the word ‘good’ when suddenly Hong Qigong somersaulted several times backward; while Ouyang Feng staggered backward like a drunk before finally came to a stop and let out a big laugh.
Turned out the energy passages in his body were reversed, so that when Hong Qigong hit his major acupoint of ‘zu yang ming wei jing’ [lit. positive foot, bright stomach passage] he only experienced a slight numbness, then immediately back to normal. Taking that opportunity his palm hit Hong Qigong’s shoulder. Lucky for him, because his finger was stretched out, he did not get hit too severely. Hong Qigong further neutralized the hit by somersaulting backward while launching the
‘jian long zai tian’ [seeing dragon on the field], which made Ouyang Feng stagger back.
Hong Qigong avoided serious injury by moving fast, yet his body was sore, temporarily unable to move. Hong Qigong was the grand master of his respective martial art school; even if he did not 1
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want to admit defeat to a confused man, yet he had to admit that the opponent’s martial art was admirable. He cupped his fists and said, “Ouyang Xiong, the Old Beggar admits defeat, you are the Number One Martial Artist in the World!”
Ouyang Feng looked up to the sky and let out a long laugh, his arms waving chaotically in the air.
He turned toward Huang Yaoshi and asked, “Emperor Duan, do you or do you not admit defeat?”
Huang Yaoshi was not happy, he thought, “The Number One Martial Artist in The World title fell to a lunatic; won’t the Old Beggar and I become the laughingstock of the heroes of the world?” But he realized that even if he’d fight again, it would be difficult for him to score victory anyway, so he did not have any choice but nod his agreement.
Ouyang Feng turned to Guo Jing and said, “Son, your father’s martial art is matchless, unrivalled in the world, aren’t you happy?”