Chapter - 138 Changchun Admits Defeat (8) (1/2)
Qiu Chu Ji yelled: ”Brother Yang, don't throw your life away in vain!” By the time he finished his sentence, Ouyang Ke had already broken the spear with his left foot and kicked Yang Tie Xin to the ground with his right. At this very moment there emerged the sound of hoofs; a great number of horses were galloping swiftly towards them. Leading the way were none other than Wan Yan Hong Lie and Wan Yan Kang, father and son.
Wan Yan Hong Lie caught sight of his wife seated on the ground from a distance. Delighted, he hurried to her but suddenly a blade sliced through the air and came hacking right at him. Slanting his body to avoid the blow, he saw that the wielder of the blade was a young girl dressed in red. At this point, his soldiers came forward and started fighting Mu Nian Ci.
Over at the other end, Wan Yan Kang was secretly startled on seeing his Shifu and shouted: ”We're all on the same side, everyone stop fighting!”
Only after repeating a few times did Peng Lian Hu and the others finally retreat; the soldiers and Mu Nian Ci also halted. Wan Yan Kang approached Qiu Chu Ji and bowed. ”Shifu, let your disciple do the introductions,” he said. ”These are all senior pugilists engaged by my father.”
Qiu Chu Ji nodded and went to check on his Elder Martial Brother. Ma Yu's right palm was blackened all over and, lifting up his sleeve, Qiu Chu Ji saw that the blackness had spread all the way to the upper part of his arm. Astonished, he said: ”How come the poison is like that?” Turning around, he said to Peng Lian Hu: ”Hand over the antidote!”
Peng Lian Hu hesitated, thinking: ”Just a little while more and this person will die, but it won't be appropriate to offend the little prince. Should I save him or should I not?”
Now that Ma Yu had no more enemies attacking him, he concentrated all his internal energy on resisting the poison and sure enough, the poison halted at his arm and could not travel further upwards. Instead, the blackness gradually started moving downwards.
Wan Yan Kang rushed over to his mother and exclaimed, ”Mother, I've finally found you!”
Bao Xi Ruo was frightened and replied, ”Do not ask me to return to the palace. I will never!”
Shocked, Wan Yan Hong Lie and Wan Yang Kang said in unison: ”What?”
Bao Xi Ruo pointed at Yang Tie Xin. ”My husband is actually still alive, and I will follow him to the ends of the earth,” she said.
This came as no ordinary blow to Wan Yang Hong Lie, and he subtly mouthed something to Liang Zi Weng. Liang Zi Weng understood the prince's intentions and hoisted his right hand, sending three of his Bone-Penetrating Meridian Nails flying towards Yang Tie Xin's essential junctures. Qiu Chu Ji saw the flight of the nails but it was too late for him to do anything, and Yang Tie Xin would surely not be able to evade. Having no projectiles with him, he grabbed a Jin soldier out of desperation and hurled him towards the space between Liang Zi Weng and Yang Tie Xin. With a loud ”ah”, the three Meridian Nails had struck the soldier.
Liang Zi Weng prided his Bone-Penetrating Meridian Nails as his greatest skill. Having fired three nails simultaneously, it was absurd to think he would miss the target. Seeing that Qiu Chu Ji had foiled his move in such a peculiar way, he roared angrily and attacked. Peng Lian Hu saw this and decided against giving the antidote, knowing that the little prince's priority was rescuing his mother. He leapt forward abruptly and grabbed hold of Bao Xi Ruo's arm. With two swishing sounds, Qiu Chu Ji sent his sword piercing towards both Liang Zi Weng and Peng Lian Hu. Both saw that the strokes came fierce and were forced backwards. Qiu Chu Ji thundered at Wan Yan Kang: ”Ignorant boy, you have called your enemy 'father' and led 18 years of your life in folly. Now that your real father is here, aren't you going to acknowledge him?”
Having heard it from his mother, Wan Yan Kang was already 80% convinced. Hearing it from his Shifu now further reinforced his belief and he glanced at Yang Tie Xin. Wan Yang Kang saw that his clothes were old and tattered and his face, smeared with dirt; turning around, he saw his 'father' wearing fine, embroidered robes and expensive jewels, looking handsome and refined. There was a world of difference between these two men. Wan Yan Kang contemplated in his heart: ”Am I actually going to give up this life of luxury and riches and roam the streets with this poor man? No, never!” His mind was made up.