Chapter - 257 A Shiver of Sharks In the Big Waves (10) (2/2)
Listening to this last part the hair on Huang Rong's back stood up; her heart turned really cold. She did not completely understand what was going on, but knowing her father's ability very well, she was sure that there must be something terribly wrong with that boat. She was anxious for the safety of Guo Jing three people on board. Her heart was filled with shock and sorrow at the same time. She wanted to stand up and beg her father to save them, but she was not able to neither stand nor speak; her legs were weak and her throat dry from fear. She only heard her father's long and mournful laughter – sounded like a song or a cry, while he walked out of the tomb.
Huang Rong tried to calm herself down and thought out loud, ”I must go to rescue Brother Jing. If I can't make it, I am going to die with him.” She knew her father's strange temper well, he turned crazy because of his excessive love to his deceased wife; it would be useless to ask him for help. She dashed out of the tomb toward the seashore; jumped up the boat, woke up the deaf and mute servants in charge of the boat and immediately set sail.
Suddenly she heard hoof beats coming her way, and at the same time she could hear her father's jade flute in a distance. Huang Rong looked back; it was Guo Jing's red horse, galloping under the moonlight. It had wandered aimlessly on the island, and at that particular night it ran toward the shore. Huang Rong thought, ”Where can I find Brother Jing on this boundless sea? The little red horse has divine ability on dry land, but on the water it is completely useless.”
Hong Qigong, Zhou Botong and Guo Jing dashed out of the cabin only to find their feet were submerged in water almost to their knees. They were extremely shocked. Immediately they jumped up to the mast; Hong Qigong even remembered to snatch a couple of deaf and mute sailors along. They looked down and saw the turbulent water was coming up fast. It all happened so fast that they were at loss of what to do.
”Old Beggar,” Zhou Botong called, ”Old Heretic Huang is so amazing! How did he build this boat?”
”I don't know!” replied Hong Qigong, ”Jing'er, hold the mast tight, don't let go …”
Guo Jing was about to answer when suddenly a loud crack was heard; the boat was broken into two, and both halves slowly sank into the water. The two sailors were shocked that they lost their hold on the mast and fell down into the raging water below. Zhou Botong flexed his muscle and jumped into the water.
”Old Urchin!” Hong Qigong called, ”Do you know how to swim?”
Zhou Botong's head coming out from the water, ”I guess I'll have to try …” he laughed. These exchanges happened in the midst of blowing wind and they could not hear each other clearly.
By this time the mast was leaning down far enough that very soon it will hit the water. Hong Qigong called out, ”Jing'er, the mast is joined with the hull; let us break it free. Come on!” Two people gathered their strength and struck the mast near its center. The mast was made from solid wood, but how could it withstand the joined forces of Hong Qigong and Guo Jing? With several strikes, ”Crack!” The mast gave up. Two people held on to it and together they fell into the sea below.
They were already miles away from the Peach Blossom Island; looking at four directions all around there were great big waves as high as a mountain and no land was in sight. Hong Qigong was secretly very anxious. Drifting on the sea like this, without food or fresh water, if nobody was going to rescue them, they would certainly die in less than ten days no matter how high their martial art skill were. Hong Qigong tried to look for Ouyang Feng's boat, but it was nowhere to be seen. He heard someone laughing hard toward the south of them, it was Zhou Botong.