Heavenly Sword Dragon Slaying Saber Book 4 Read online

  Finally, he cut a tree trunk, peeled the bark, and then using Yin Li’s dagger he carved these words on it: ‘The Tomb of my Beloved Wife, Zhu’Er Yin Li’ and below it he wrote: ‘Zhang Wuji Sincerely Stated’.

  Everything was ready so at last he threw himself down and cried loudly. Zhou Zhiruo consoled him, "Miss Yin’s feelings toward you were so deep and you also have showed her profound kindness. Only, do not forget what you have sworn today: you must kill Zhao Min to avenge her death; then Yin Jia Meizi [lit. (younger) sister of the Yin family] in the underworld will also smile.”

  Due to his intense grief, the poison that had been concentrated in Zhang Wuji’s ‘dan tian’ [pubic region] was dispersed once again, wasting his several days’ worth of effort. As a result, he had to work hard for more than ten days to gradually condense the poison and expel it out of his system.

  The weather on that small island was sizzling hot; but it had plenty of wild fruits, which they could pick without any trouble to satisfy their hunger, so their lives were not terribly difficult. Zhou Zhiruo was aware that Zhang Wuji was grieved over Yin Li’s death, angered over Zhao Min’s craftiness, and regretted Xiao Zhao’s departure; so she treated him gently with consideration.

  After Zhang Wuji transferred his divine internal energy to help Xie Xun expel the poison in his body, he sould have done the same to help Zhou Zhiruo driving the poison out of her body. But this method of transferring energy required him to put one palm on her lower waist, and the other palm on the navel above her lower abdomen; how could a young man and a young woman touch each other in such intimate places? Yet without transferring his Nine Yang Divine Energy, how could he help her? He contemplated for several days without being able to make any decision.

  That particular evening Xie Xun suddenly said, "Wuji, how many more days do you think we are going to stay on this island?”

  Zhang Wuji was startled. "That is hard to say,” he said, "I just hope there will be a ship sailing by and rescue us and take us back to the Central Earth.”

  "We have been here for more than a month,” Xie Xun said, "Have you seen any shadow of a ship even from a distant?”

  "I have not,” Zhang Wuji replied.

  "Exactly,” Xie Xun said, "Perhaps tomorrow there will be a ship coming by, but then again, perhaps there will never be any ship passing by in a hundred years.”

  Zhang Wuji sighed, "This uncultivated island is outside the sailing route of the ocean ships; whether or not we can return to the Central Earth, is extremely uncertain.”

  "Hmm,” Xie Xun said, "The antidote is hard to come by. Other than weakening the four limbs, if the ‘shi xiang ruan jin san’ remains in the body, does it have any other adverse effect?”

  "If it is not too long, then there is no adverse effect,” Zhang Wuji said, "But this kind of poison invades the muscle and erodes the bones; if it stays in the body too long, all the internal organs would unavoidably receive some damages.”

  "That’s so,” Xie Xun said, "Then why don’t you think of some way to expel the poison from Miss Zhou’s body as soon as possible? You said Miss Zhou and you have known each other since your childhood. At that time ‘xuan ming han du’ [the cold poison of Xuan Ming palm] was still inside your body, and she had shown kindness to you. Where else would you find gentle and virtuous woman like her? Could it be that you don’t like her because she is not beautiful enough?”

  "No, no,” Zhang Wuji said, "If Miss Zhou is not beautiful then there is no beautiful women in the world.”

  "Let me make the decision for you, then,” Xie Xun said, "Marry her. Then you don’t need to worry about this man-woman propriety anymore.”

  Zhou Zhiruo was around when they started talking; suddenly hearing her name being mentioned, she was shy and blushed. She stood up and walked away. Xie Xun leaped and opened up his arms, blocking her way. "Don’t go, don’t go!” he said with a laugh, "Today I am the matchmaker, and I have made my decision.”

  "Xie Laoye Zi,” Zhou Zhiruo angrily said, "You do not act your age! We are seeking a way to return to the Central Earth; how can you speak such nonsense in time like this?”

  Xie Xun laughed heartily. "The joining of a man and a woman is an important matter of a lifetime; why did you say it is nonsense talk? Wuji, your parents were also on a deserted island when they bowed to the heaven and to the earth to become man and wife. If at that time they did not strictly follow the secular propriety and tradition, how in the world would there be a young fellow: you? Much less today you have your Yifu presiding at the wedding for you. Don’t you like Miss Zhou? Don’t you want to repel the poison in her body?”

  Zhou Zhiruo covered her face and was about to walk away. Xie Xun pulled her sleeve while laughing, "Where are you going? Don’t you think we are going to see each other tomorrow or the next day? Ah, I know! You don’t want to call a blind man as your father-in-law.”

  "No, no, it’s not that,” Zhou Zhiruo replied, "Xie Laoye Zi is a hero of this age ...”

  "Do you agree, then?” Xie Xun asked.

  Zhou Zhiruo simply replied, "No, no!”

  "You think this Yizi [foster child] of mine is not a good husband material?” Xie Xun asked again.

  Zhou Zhiruo was taken aback. "Zhang Gongzi’s martial art skill is unquestionably outstanding, his name is revered within the Jianghu,” she said, "To ... to have him as a husband, what else can I ask for? Only ... only ...”

  "Only what?” Xie Xun asked.

  Zhou Zhiruo cast a quick glance toward Zhang Wuji and said, "He ... in his heart he really likes Miss Zhao. I know that.”

  Xie Xun clenched his teeth. "That lowly person Zhao Min has treated us this cruelly, how can Wuji still persist in his own wrong doing? Wuji, I want to hear it from your own mouth.”

  Zhang Wuji’s heart was torn; he remembered Zhao Min’s cheerful talks and her touching actions. He felt if he could take Zhao Min as his wife and be with her forever, then that would be his entire’s life happiness. But as he remembered the seven horizontal and eight vertical sword cuts on Yin Li’s face dripping-with-blood, he hastily said, "Miss Zhao is my archenemy. I want to kill her to avenge Biaomei’s [younger female cousin] blood.”

  "That’s more like it,” Xie Xun said, "Miss Zhou, are you still jealous?”

  In a low voice Zhou Zhiruo said, "I am not convinced, unless ... unless you tell him to make a vow. Otherwise, I’d rather die with poison in me than asking him to help me drive the poison away.”

  "Wuji, quickly make a vow!” Xie Xun said.

  Zhang Wuji dropped down on his knees and said, "I, Zhang Wuji, if I ever forget Biaomei’s deep hatred, let me not be forgiven by the Heaven and the Earth.”

  Zhou Zhiruo said, "I want you to state clearly; what are you going to do to that Miss Zhao?”

  "Wuji, state it clearly at once,” Xie Xun said, "What ‘forgiven by the Heaven and the Earth’? Too ambiguous.”

  In a loud and clear voice Zhang Wuji said, "That witch Zhao Min works for Tartars’ imperial family, makes our people’s live miserable, harms my fellow Wulin warriors, stole my Yifu’s precious Saber, and harmed my Biaomei Yin Li. As long as I live, Zhang Wuji will not dare to forget this deep enmity. If I violate my vow, let the Heaven loathe me, and the Earth curse me.”

  Zhou Zhiruo smiled sweetly; she said, "I am afraid when the time comes, you won’t have a heart to make your move.”

  "Listen to me,” Xie Xun said, "There is no particular day that is better than any other day. We are Jianghu’s warriors. We don’t fuss over detailed formalities and womenfolk’s mumbo-jumbo. As long as you, two young people, agree, then you can bow to the Heaven and the Earth to get married today. The sooner you get rid of this ‘shi xiang ruan jin san’, the better.”

  "No! Yifu, Zhiruo, please listen to me,” Zhang Wuji said, "Miss Yin had a very deep feeling toward

  me; she had always wanted me as her husband since she was young. In my heart I have also regarded her as my wife. Although there was no ceremony, we could b
e considered husband and wife. Now that her body and her bones are not yet cold, how can I tie another joyous relationship immediately?”

  Xie Xun hesitated before saying, "That’s true. What do you suggest, then?”

  "In your child’s opinion,” Zhang Wuji replied, "Child will agree on an engagement with Miss Zhou today, and immediately help her repel the poison from her body; this will be much more convenient. Supposing the Heaven granted us returning to the Central Earth someday, Child will put Zhao Min to the blade and recapture the Tulong Saber, and return it to Yifu. At that time the marriage with Miss Zhou can be consummated. That way we satisfy both sides.”

  Xie Xun laughed and said, "That sounds very good; but what if within ten years, eight years, we still are not able to return to the Central Earth?”

  Zhang Wuji said, "After three years, no matter whether we can leave this island or not, Child will ask Yifu to preside over our marriage.”

  Xie Xun nodded and asked Zhou Zhiruo, "Miss Zhou, what do you say?”

  Zhou Zhiruo lowered her head without answering. After half a day she finally said, "I am a lone orphan, what idea do I have? I’ll leave everything on Laoye Zi’s hand.”

  Xie Xun laughed heartily and said, "Very good! Very good! It’s settled. You two are engaged. No need to worry about custom and tradition. Wuji, drive the poison from my daughter-in-law away.” After saying this he walked to toward the back of the hill in big strides.

  "Zhiruo,” Zhang Wuji said, "That difficulty was caused by me, can you forgive me?”

  Zhou Zhiruo smiled and said, "Because I am ugly, you tried to refuse in every possible way. If it was Miss Zhao, I am afraid tonight you would have.” Speaking to this point, she turned her head around as she felt uncomfortable to continue.

  Zhang Wuji’s heart skipped a beat as he thought, "When we were adrift on that small boat, I was foolishly and presumptuously thinking of marrying four beauties. Actually the one my heart really loves is that won’t-stop-at-any-crime, evil-and-sly little witch. People call me a hero in vain; in my heart I cannot differentiate good from evil, easily infatuated by a pretty face.”

  Zhou Zhiruo turned her head back. Seeing he was lost in thought as if in a trance, she stood up to walk away. Zhang Wuji reached out to grab her hand and pulled her down. Unexpectedly Zhou Zhiruo’s internal energy was gone; her feet were weak. She staggered and stumbled back into Zhang Wuji’s bosom. After struggling hopelessly, she angrily said, "Must you bully me for my whole life?”

  Seeing her frowning and a bit angry, Zhang Wuji’s heart was touched; he hugged her tender and soft body and said in a low voice, "Zhiruo, when we met on the River Han when we were both little,

  I have never imagined there will come a day like today. On the Brightness Peak I was alone facing four elders from Kunlun and Huashan, two sects; you gave me directions and saved my life. At that time I appreciated your loving care to me, but I did not dare to have any absurd thoughts.”

  Leaning on his bosom, Zhou Zhiruo said, "That day I stabbed you with a sword, don’t you hate me?”

  "You did not stab me on the chest,” Zhang Wuji replied, "That’s why I knew that you secretly have a feeling toward me.”

  "Pei!” Zhou Zhiruo spat, her cheeks blushed, she said, "If I knew early on that you are going to say that, I’d stab your chest, kill you neat and clean, so I’d avoid being bullied by you later on, listening to your nonsense.”

  Zhang Wuji embraced her tighter and said, "Hereafter my love to you will be doubled or tripled, we are husband and wife, two people one body; how can I mistreat you?”

  Zhou Zhiruo leaned some more to look at his face; she said, "What if I wrong you or offend you, will you hit me, scold me, kill me?”

  Zhang Wuji’s face was only several inches apart from her egg shaped face, he felt her breath was like an orchid; he could not restrain from kissing her left cheek gently while saying, "You are such a gentle and cultured lady, a dignified, worthy, warm and virtuous wife; how can you make a mistake?”

  Zhou Zhiruo gently caressed the back of his neck. "Even a saint erred,” she said, "Since I was little I had never had a father and a mother to instruct me. It would be difficult not to mess up sometimes.”

  "Whatever your mistake is, I can advise you nicely,” Zhang Wuji said.

  "Will you always be faithful to me?” Zhou Zhiruo asked, "Are you sure you won’t ever kill me?”

  Zhang Wuji kissed her gently on her forehead; "Don’t have absurd ideas,” he said in a tender voice, "How can there be such thing?”

  With a trembling voice Zhou Zhiruo said, "I want you to promise me with your own mouth.”

  "All right!” Zhang Wuji laughed, "I will always be faithful to you. I won’t ever kill you.”

  Staring at his eyes, Zhou Zhiruo said, "I don’t want you to joke around. I want you to take this seriously.”

  Zhang Wuji laughed, "I wonder how many weird thoughts are in this small head of yours?” he said, while thinking in his heart, "Because I have shown feeling towards Zhao Min, Xiao Zhao and Biaomei that it is difficult for her to trust me. But from now on, how can there be this matter?” Thereupon he wiped the smile from his face and solemnly said, "Zhiruo, you are my beloved wife. Formerly I was double-minded [lit. three hearts two intentions]. I hope you won’t blame my past. From now on, I will always be faithful to you. Even if you make any mistake, I won’t blame you or scold you.”

  "Wuji Gege [big brother Wuji],” Zhou Zhiruo said, "You are a real man; you must remember your own words to me tonight.” Looking at the rising bright moon she said, "The moon in the sky is our witness.”

  "That’s right,” Zhang Wuji said, "You are totally correct, the moon in the sky is our witness.” Still holding Zhou Zhiruo in his bosom, he looked at the bright moon on the horizon and said, "Zhiruo, all my life I have suffered a lot because of other people’s deceits, I don’t know the amount of pain I have endured since my childhood; I lost track already. It was only on the Binghuo [ice and fire] Island, when I was with Father, Mother and Yifu, that I enjoyed peace without falling into other

  people’s deceitful schemes. The first time I arrived at the Central Plains [zhong yuan], I met with a beggar with a snake. He deceived me into poking my head into his sack to take a closer look; unexpectedly he covered the sack over my head and kidnapped me. How could I guess that after going through life and death situation together, sharing the same trials and tribulations; on the very first night we arrived on this little island, Zhao Min has put violent poison in our food?”

  Forcing a smile Zhou Zhiruo said, "You are a ‘will-not-stop-until-you-reach-the-Yellow-River’ type of person; but by the time you reach the Yellow River, it is too late to regret.” [Translator’s note: I know that I translated this passage rather literally; but I believe the readers will appreciate the imagery of the original sentence.]

  Suddenly Zhang Wuji’s heart was overwhelmed with happiness. "Zhiruo,” he said, "You are the only one who has always loved me. You always treated me kindly. Someday when we return to the Central Plains, you will stay by my side and help me guard against lowly people’s craftiness and deceits. With a worthy wife like you to help me, I can be spared of many hardships.”

  Zhou Zhiruo shook her head. "I am the most useless woman,” she said, "I am weak and incapable, plus I am dumb. Let’s not talk about the extremely smart Miss Zhao, whose intelligence compared to mine is as far as the heaven from the earth; I don’t have any chance against Xiao Zhao, who possesses such a profound understanding in her heart. Your Miss Zhou is a naive and dim-witted little girl; don’t you know it by now?”

  "You are an honest and considerate, intelligent and virtuous girl,” Zhang Wuji said, "You will not deceive me.”

  Zhou Zhiruo turned around and hid her face in his bosom. "Wuji Gege,” she said in tender voice, "To be able to marry you, my delight is unspeakable. I only hope you won’t belittle me because I am stupid and useless, and bully me because I am unworthy. I ... I will do my best to take care of you
.”

  The next day Zhang Wuji used the Jiu Yang Shen Gong to help Zhou Zhiruo expel the poison. At first they made a good progress; perhaps because she did not eat too much, her level of poisoning was not as severe as Xie Xun. However, toward the seventh day, suddenly he felt a resistance, which was ‘yin’ [negative/female] and cold in nature, coming from her body, fighting his Jiu Yang energy. Although Zhou Zhiruo strived to control this resistance, it was difficult for the Jiu Yang energy to enter her body. In his astonishment Zhang Wuji went to consult Xie Xun.

  Xie Xun pondered for half a day before saying, "I don’t know for sure, but most likely it was because her Emei Pai’s masters were always women, the internal energy they train is ‘yin rou’ [negative/female, and soft/flexible] in nature.”

  Zhang Wuji nodded his agreement. Luckily Zhou Zhiruo’s internal energy level was far below his, so that he was able to suppress the resisting ‘yin’ energy in her body; but by doing this he was required to use up a lot more energy than when he was helping Xie Xun. Zhang Wuji secretly felt that although at this moment her ‘yin’ energy was still weak, but her achievement in the future would not be a small matter.

  "Zhiruo,” he praised, "Zunshi [revered master] Miejue Shitai was truly an expert of her generation. The internal energy cultivation method she passed on to you is extremely profound; I can feel it even now. If you train diligently, your energy level may run neck to neck with my Jiu Yang Shen Gong; you may even surpass me.”

  "Don’t mock me!” Zhou Zhiruo said, "How can Emei Pai’s martial art be compared to Zhang Da

  Jiaozhu’s [great cult leader Zhang] Jiu Yang Shen Gong and Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi?

  "You have talent,” Zhang Wuji said, "Although you don’t know too many martial art forms and stances, your internal energy foundation is excellent. My Tai Shifu [grand master, he was referring to Zhang Sanfeng] once said, in the advance study of martial art, oftentimes the level of achievement each individual is closely related to one’s natural endowments. Furthermore, someone who is intelligent and possesses excellent comprehension may not necessarily capable of achieving the highest level of mastery. It was said that your sect’s founder, Zushi [ancestor master] Guo Nuxia’s [heroine Guo] father, Guo Jing Daxia [great hero] was slow, yet his martial art skill shook the world from the ancient time until today. Even Tai Shifu said that his energy level has not reached the level of Guo Daxia of the past. It seems to me that your Emei Pai’s internal energy cultivation technique is superior to the Wudang Pai’s; I’ll say that your future achievement may surpass Zunshi Miejue Shitai’s.”