The Return of the Condor Heroes

Chapter 27 – Battle of wits and strength, Part 4

As Huang Rong wanted to hug the baby, like all mothers, who were always pleased if their babies were praised, she also was happy and was ready to give in.

Huang Rong’s hands barely touched the baby’s clothes, she couldn’t hide the loving expression on her face, the radiant expression of a loving mother who had thought of her missing child day and night without knowing its fate and whereabouts. Now the child in question was at arms length. Li Mochou noticed the look and thought: “If she only wants to hug the baby, why that sudden change?” She hurriedly pulled back and leapt two zhangs backwards. She barely touched the ground as Huang Rong followed closing on her. Expecting an attack, Li Mochou heaved the sack at Huang Rong’s face.

Huang Rong leapt to evade, causing the rice and salt to scatter on the ground. Li Mochou, whisk in the hand, said with a smile: “Mrs. Guo, do you intend to help Yang Guo get his child back?”

Huang Rong, reasoning the demoness to be suspicious already, now had decided to use force. She said smilingly: “I only want to hug that lovely child, you think too lowly of me.”

Li Mochou said: “Guo Family’s renowned name shook the martial realm, junior admired it greatly. Today I have seen the display of skills; the fame is really not an empty one. But junior has to deal with another matter and must leave.” She was afraid that Guo Jing would appear, she turned and walked away.

Huang Rong leaped up and in midair drew her bamboo stick. The original “Dog beating Stick” was passed on to Lu Youjiao, the stick she had now was of the same length and weight but of a light-yellow colour. In midair she aimed at an Accupoint on Li Mochou’s back. Li Mochou angrily thought: “We don’t have any enmity for each other. Today we’ve met for the first time, I’ve talked with due respect to you, why do you attack me without any reason at all?” She checked the stick with her whisk. Huang Rong attacked continuously with six or seven moves, forcing Li Mochou to the defensive. Li Mochou’s wugong was actually slightly below Huang Rong’s and further, she carried a baby, a few stances more and she was in great difficulty.

After several moves Li Mochou saw that Huang Rong didn’t aim her attack at the baby, she thought: “Each time I fight carrying this baby seems to be an advantage.” She said smilingly: “Mrs. Guo, the world is vast and there will be other occasions, why do you choose here and now to try my skills? Should you make a mistake, you will hurt this lovely child.”

Huang Rong thought: “Doesn’t she really know this baby is mine, or is she just pretending? I’ll try her first.” She said: “Thinking of this child, my first ten moves were not seriously executed, if you still want to carry that baby it’s not my fault should she get hurt.” With her stick she aimed at Li Mochou’s right leg, the latter used her whisk to parry, before both weapons clashed Huang Rong already changed direction to the left chest. The attack threatened both Li Mochou and the baby. If it was successful, not only would Li Mochou be injured but the baby would lose its’ life.

Using the stick, Huang Rong had natural control, the stick’s end neared Guo Xiang’s clothes and it seemed the baby couldn’t be saved. But in reality Huang Rong had perfect control on the force and reach of the stick. Li Mochou, who was very worried, surely didn’t know that, she hurriedly evaded to the right, unavoidably revealing a flaw, the stick touched her left shin. Nearly tripping she took two steps before regaining her balance again. She wielded the whisk in front of her body for protection, turning around she said angrily: “Mrs. Guo, you are so famous; how can you be that cruel to a baby?”

Huang Rong, who saw Li Mochou wasn’t pretending, felt great happiness and mused: “You want to protect my daughter; I’ll frighten you a bit.” With a faint smile she said: “Elder Li said this child is illegitimate, why should you want to keep it alive?” With that she launched a chain of attacks all aimed at Guo Xiang. Li Mochou hopped to the left and right frantically, holding the baby tightly. The baby, who now cried loudly, was feeling uncomfortable due to the jolting movements. Huang Rong said silently: “My clever child, don’t be startled. To rescue you, mom is forced to do this.” Although in her heart she felt pity, she launched several swift and lethal attacks in the direction of Guo Xiang. Li Mochou anxiously drew back several steps lifting the whisk in front of Guo Xiang to protect her and called out: “Mrs. Guo, what do you really want?”

Huang Rong said smilingly: “In this era, the martial realm only acknowledges Elder Li and junior as the outstanding female fighters. This time we met by chance, why not use this occasion to arrange a little try out between us?”

The attacks on Guo Xiang had angered Li Mochou; the challenge had angered her even more. She thought: “If your husband was here I will probably be afraid, but we are both females, do you think I fear you?” Immediately she humphed, saying: “Mrs. Guo intends to grant me a lesson; that is what junior always has hoped for.”

Huang Rong: “If you carry a baby during the duel and I win, it won’t satisfy either of us. Put it aside, and then we can move more freely.”

Li Mochou thought: “Guo husband and wife are renowned for their righteousness, but judging her ferocity towards a mere baby makes me believe that fame is much too exaggerated.” She looked in all directions and saw in the East several big trees with a strip of thick grass beneath. She put the baby on the grass, patted it to sooth it, turned and invited Huang Rong to begin.

After ten stances Huang Rong realized that their wugong was about the same level. If she tried now to snatch Guo Xiang away and fight the demoness, then it was probable that Guo Xiang might get hurt. If she killed the demoness first, she wouldn’t have any trouble at all. This female had committed all sorts of crimes, thinking of that, Huang Rong developed a killing intent. Li Mochou thought that her adversary would stop at nothing, seeing Huang Rong often glancing at the baby, she was worried that Huang Rong would carry out a sudden, fake attack and hurt the baby instead. That’s why she positioned herself between Huang Rong and the baby.

During the fight Huang Rong had thought up seven or eight stratagems, each of them would dispatch Li Mochou but unavoidably also endangered Guo Xiang. She pondered: “Looks like this demoness truly cherishes Guo Xiang. If the baby is in her hands and I couldn’t snatch it for a while, it wouldn’t matter much, whereas if I take risks the baby could be endangered.” Suddenly she had an idea: “Elder Li, our wugong doesn’t differ much, a decision would take some time. If meanwhile a wild animal appears and devours the child, wouldn’t it divert our concentration? The best way is to take that little bastard’s life now, and then we could fight at ease.” After saying that, she bent, picked up a pebble, and with her middle finger flicked it, whizzing in the direction of Guo Xiang.

She had used the unique Huang family skill “Divine Flicking Finger” (dan zhi shen tong). Li Mochou, who knew that lethal skill, hurriedly fended off the pebble with her whisk and shouted: “What has this child done to you? Why do you repeatedly try to kill her?”

Huang Rong secretly thought this was funny, she actually flicked with a retracting force, as soon as the pebble was in the vicinity of Guo Xiang, it would fly back. Huang Rong smiled and said: “Elder Li, you certainly defend that child with all your might. People who don’t know would certainly think it is…it is your…”

Li Mochou: “…. is my child?” After saying that, she blushed.

Huang Rong said smilingly: “You are single, so naturally you can’t have a child. I mean people would think it is your younger sister.” Li Mochou humphed, thinking nothing of it. She didn’t realize that the competitive Huang Rong also wouldn’t want to lose even in a battle of insults. If Guo Xiang was Li Mochou’s sister, then Guo Jing and Huang Rong would be Li Mochou’s parents. That’s Huang Rong’s hidden revenge for Li Mochou’s recent remark that Yang Guo was the father of Guo Xiang.

Li Mochou: “Let’s start again!”

Huang Rong: “You are thinking about the child and can’t concentrate, even if I win, it wouldn’t be a fair win. I’ll surround the child with thorn canes, so wild beasts can’t come near her, and then we can both concentrate on the fight.” Saying that, she took a golden knife from her waist to cut canes and wound them around the big trees surrounding Guo Xiang.

At first the demoness was wary but she observed that Huang Rong did it very meticulously and she thought: “In the Jianghu realm Mrs. Guo is praised as multi talented, she really lives up to that reputation.” But seeing Huang Rong’s face bearing a mocking smile she got scared again and shouted: “That’s enough!”

Huang Rong: “If you say it’s enough, that’s all right with me. Elder Li, you’ve met my father, haven’t you?”