Chapter - 529 Refusing to Acknowledge Zhang As Husband (6) (2/2)

By this time, most of the multitude of heroes had left the mountain, Kong Wen and Kong Zhi, two monks were busy sending them off. Yang Xiao, Fan Yao and the others congregated around Zhang Wuji. ”We'd better take our leave too,” Zhang Wuji said.

He saw Zhou Zhiruo walk toward Kong Wen and speak in a low voice. Kong Wen's countenance changed; he looked startled. Then Kong Wen shook his head. Whatever it was, it looked like Kong Wen had just refused her request. Zhou Zhiruo talked some more, and then suddenly she kneeled down in front of him. Clasping her palms together, she mumbled something that looked like she was praying. Kong Wen looked somber, his mouth muttered praises to Buddha.

”Jiaozhu,” Zhou Dian said, ”You must quickly stop her, don't let her do it.”

”Don't let her do what?” Zhang Wuji asked.

Zhou Dian replied, ”Miss Zhou is going to leave home [orig. chu jia] to become a monk. She … she is going to enter the gate of emptiness. It will be bad for you.”

Yang Xiao snickered and said, ”Even if Miss Zhou is going to leave home, she will become a nun, not a monk. Why would she take a Shaolin Pai monk to be her master?”

Zhou Dian slapped his forehead loudly. ”Right, right!” he said, ”I was muddleheaded. But what is Miss Zhou asking Kong Wen Dashi to do? One is Shaolin Pai Zhang Men, the other is Emei Pai Zhang Men, they are equal, nobody needs to kneel down in front of the other.”

They saw Zhou Zhiruo standing up; her face showed she was somewhat comforted. Zhang Wuji sighed and said, ”We don't need to meddle into someone else's business.” Turning his head, he said, ”Min Mei, let us leave.” Who would have thought that as he turned his head, he did not see Zhao Min.

For the last several days, Zhao Min had never left his side; she always shadowed Zhang Wuji. Zhang Wuji was slightly stunned. ”Where is Miss Zhao?” he asked, while in his heart he silently cursed, ”Bad! I am sure Min Mei saw me when Zhiruo leaned against my chest. Could it be that she thinks I cannot forget my old flame and considers me as hopeless?” Hastily he ordered everybody to look for her.

Xin Ran, the Flag Leader of Lie Huo Flag said, ”Reporting to Jiaozhu: subordinate saw Miss Zhao walking down the mountain!”

Zhang Wuji was grieved. ”Min Mei has abandoned everything to follow me,” he mused, ”She has gone through I don't know how many adversities. How can I give up on her?” Thereupon, he turned to Yang Xiao and said, ”Yang Xiong, I am asking you to take care of our business here. I am going to leave first.”

He bid his farewell to Kong Wen and Kong Zhi, also to Yu Lianzhou, Zhang Songxi, Yin Liting and the others. Last of all, he said to Zhou Zhiruo, ”Zhiruo, take a good care of yourself. We'll meet again some day soon.” Zhou Zhiruo hung her head low; she did not reply, only nodded slightly. Beads of silver tears fell down from her face to the dusty ground.

Unleashing his 'qing gong', Zhang Wuji dashed down the mountain. For the next several 'li's, the mountain path was full with the heroes returning home from Shaolin Temple. He was not willing to greet the heroes one by one, so he simply flew past them from the side, yet along the way he did not see any trace of Zhao Min at all. In one breath he had pursued for more than thirty 'li's. The sky was turning dark, the people walking along the road was thinning. Suddenly he remembered, ”Min Mei is best in planning and scheming. If she has a mind to avoid me, then most likely she will avoid the main road. Otherwise, with my speed, I should have caught up with her long ago. Could it be that she is still hiding around the Shaoshi Peak, waiting for me to leave before she comes out and walk away?”