Chapter 166: Repentan e of the Haughty Dragon (19)
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Huang Rong thought for a moment. Then she gave the dagger back to Mu Nianci.
"Elder sister, let me return this to you," Huang Rong said.
Mu Nianci did not take it.
"Keep it - this is your brother Jing's possession," she said. "His name is carved there on the hilt. With it everyday, I …" She paused. "If I should carry it everyday, it wouldn't be very good."
Huang Rong lovingly took the dagger and stowed it near her bosom.
"Elder sister, you are truly good," she said.
After receiving the valuable dagger, Huang Rong was momentarily distracted from her thoughts.
"Elder sister, what business has drawn you to the South alone?" Huang Rong asked. "Maybe little sister can help you?"
Mu Nianci blushed and lowered her head.
"I don't have any pressing matters at hand," she said.
"In that case, I will take you to see Master Hong," Huang Rong said.
Mu Nianci felt joy.
"Master Hong is here?" she said.
Huang Rong nodded before grasping Mu Nianci's hand and pulling her up. Suddenly, she heard a sound among the branches above. A piece of bark fell to the ground. In the distance, they could see one person's shadow jumping happily from locust tree to locust tree. After a while, they could tell it was Hong Qicong.
Huang Rong picked up the bark and saw characters carved onto its surface with a needle.
"Two dolls like this are very good," she read. "But if Rong-er deliberately causes trouble again, then Qicong will hit your eldest child on the ear." The bark was not signed at the bottom. Instead, a gourd was carved in its place.
Huang Rong knew Qicong carved the bark and couldn't help blushing. She knew Qicong had observed the whole fight and knew all about the particulars of the oath she wanted Mu Nianci to swear. Both people had entered the locust grove and did not even notice Hong Qicong. The pair walked hand-in-hand back to the inn.
Guo Jing, who was sitting inside after he finished practicing, was shocked to see Mu Nianci. He quickly said, "Sister Mu, did you see my masters?"
"Your respective masters and I left the capital together and went south to Shandong," she said. "We split up there, and I have not seen them since."
"Are my masters well?" Guo Jing said.
"Be at ease, brother Guo," Mu Nianci said with a smile. "They are not angry with you."
Guo Jing was indeed very worried, fearing his masters were very angry at him. He rose and fiddled with some tea and food as his simple mind was lost in thought.
Mu Nianci turned to Huang Rong and asked how they met Hong Qicong.
Huang Rong told the tale alone.
"Little sister, you are so blessed," Mu Nianci said with a sigh. "You spent so much time with Master Hong that you lived like a little family. But I only wanted to see him, and he is not here."
"He was looking after you," Huang Rong said comfortingly. "He would have revealed his true ability if I tried to injure you. If I had hurt you, how could he have not acted?"
Mu Nianci nodded in acceptance.
Guo Jing thought this was strange. "Rong-er, why would you want to injure sister Mu?" he asked.
"I cannot say," Huang Rong said quickly.
Mu Nianci smiled. "She feared … feared I would," she said without finishing. Although she spoke of the matter, she felt shy about the subject.
Huang Rong reached out and tickled Mu Nianci's armpit. "You dare to speak of it?" Huang Rong said with a smile.
Mu Nianci stuck her tongue out and then shook her head. "How would I dare?" she said. "Don't you want me to swear an oath?"
Huang Rong spluttered as she recalled trying to force Mu Nianci into swearing to not marry Guo Jing. Both her cheeks turned a bright red.
Upon seeing their shared emotions, Guo Jing felt great happiness.
After eating, the three went into the middle of the forest and strolled as they idled away their day. Huang Rong asked Mu Nianci how she received instruction from Hong Qicong.
"It happened when I was very young," Mu Nianci said. "I followed father to a river in the Henan province. We stopped at an inn, and while I played at the entrance, I saw two beggars lying on the ground, bleeding profusely. No one was willing to help them because the sight of the beggars' internal organs disgusted them."
Huang Rong made the connection. "Oh, so you showed compassion!" she said. "You tended their injuries."
"I too could not do much for their injury," Mu Nianci said. "But I pitied them and took them father's room where I cleaned their wounds and bandaged them. When my father returned, he said I did the right thing, and then sighed and said how his former wife was kind hearted as well. Then my father gave the two beggars some money to help them with their injuries. They thanked him and left. After several months, we went to Xinyang, where we ran into those two beggars again, who had already recovered from their wounds. They took me to a temple, where I first met Hong Qicong. After praising me, he taught me the 'Wandering Strides' form, which took three days. On the fourth day, when I returned to the temple, the master had already gone."
Huang Rong said, "Master Qigong doesn't allow us to teach his skills to others. But if you, my sister, would like to learn my father's skills, I could spend the next few days teaching you some of them." When she found out that Mu Nianci did not want to marry Guo Jing, a burden was lifted from her heart and then she felt that she was a really nice person, so she wanted to make her a gift. Mu Nianci said, "Many thanks, but at present I have some urgent matter to attend to; in future I would ask you even without you suggesting it." Huang Rong wanted to ask her what was it but one look at her face and Huang Rong knew she did not want to talk about it and thought, "From her shyness, it seems like she's made up her mind. If she doesn't want to mention it, it's alright."
Mu Nianci left the inn around noon in a hurry and only returned after dusk. Huang Rong noticed the joyful expression on her face but pretended that she paid no attention. After their meal, the 2 ladies retired and Huang Rong saw her cheek resting on her palm and her heart seemed full of emotions, so she pretended to sleep. After a while, she saw her reach into her bundle and took something out, kissed it lightly and looked at it fondly. Huang Rong looked over her back and saw that it was a piece of finely-embroidered handkerchief.
Suddenly Mu Nianci jerked around and the handkerchief fluttered. Huang Rong was shocked and immediately shut her eyes while her heart pounded. She only heard the slight breeze in the room and carefully lifted her eyelid. She saw Mu Nianci pacing around the room executing moves randomly. She said to herself, "Hey, that's the handkerchief she snatched from that young prince during their sparring match the other day." She saw Mu Nianci smiling to herself, and felt that she was reminiscing of that day's events as she was imitating Wanyan Kang's movements and actions. She did that for some time before walking near her bedside.
Huang Rong closed her eyes tightly as she knew Mu Nianci must have been looking in her direction. After a brief moment, she sighed, "You're really beautiful!" She suddenly turned around and opened the door and walked out. Huang Rong became curious and gave pursuit, and then utilized her Qinggong to follow her. Her Qinggong was better than Mu Nianci's, but she kept her distance behind to evade detection. She saw her jump onto a roof and glance around. Mu Nianci then jumped to a larger building on the south. Huang Rong had been visiting the place daily to buy groceries, and knew that this was a rich man's house, so she thought, "Most likely she'd run out of money, so she came here to 'get' some."
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Huang Rong thought for a moment. Then she gave the dagger back to Mu Nianci.
"Elder sister, let me return this to you," Huang Rong said.
Mu Nianci did not take it.
"Keep it - this is your brother Jing's possession," she said. "His name is carved there on the hilt. With it everyday, I …" She paused. "If I should carry it everyday, it wouldn't be very good."
Huang Rong lovingly took the dagger and stowed it near her bosom.
"Elder sister, you are truly good," she said.
After receiving the valuable dagger, Huang Rong was momentarily distracted from her thoughts.
"Elder sister, what business has drawn you to the South alone?" Huang Rong asked. "Maybe little sister can help you?"
Mu Nianci blushed and lowered her head.
"I don't have any pressing matters at hand," she said.
"In that case, I will take you to see Master Hong," Huang Rong said.
Mu Nianci felt joy.
"Master Hong is here?" she said.
Huang Rong nodded before grasping Mu Nianci's hand and pulling her up. Suddenly, she heard a sound among the branches above. A piece of bark fell to the ground. In the distance, they could see one person's shadow jumping happily from locust tree to locust tree. After a while, they could tell it was Hong Qicong.
Huang Rong picked up the bark and saw characters carved onto its surface with a needle.
"Two dolls like this are very good," she read. "But if Rong-er deliberately causes trouble again, then Qicong will hit your eldest child on the ear." The bark was not signed at the bottom. Instead, a gourd was carved in its place.
Huang Rong knew Qicong carved the bark and couldn't help blushing. She knew Qicong had observed the whole fight and knew all about the particulars of the oath she wanted Mu Nianci to swear. Both people had entered the locust grove and did not even notice Hong Qicong. The pair walked hand-in-hand back to the inn.
Guo Jing, who was sitting inside after he finished practicing, was shocked to see Mu Nianci. He quickly said, "Sister Mu, did you see my masters?"
"Your respective masters and I left the capital together and went south to Shandong," she said. "We split up there, and I have not seen them since."
"Are my masters well?" Guo Jing said.
"Be at ease, brother Guo," Mu Nianci said with a smile. "They are not angry with you."
Guo Jing was indeed very worried, fearing his masters were very angry at him. He rose and fiddled with some tea and food as his simple mind was lost in thought.
Mu Nianci turned to Huang Rong and asked how they met Hong Qicong.
Huang Rong told the tale alone.
"Little sister, you are so blessed," Mu Nianci said with a sigh. "You spent so much time with Master Hong that you lived like a little family. But I only wanted to see him, and he is not here."
"He was looking after you," Huang Rong said comfortingly. "He would have revealed his true ability if I tried to injure you. If I had hurt you, how could he have not acted?"
Mu Nianci nodded in acceptance.
Guo Jing thought this was strange. "Rong-er, why would you want to injure sister Mu?" he asked.
"I cannot say," Huang Rong said quickly.
Mu Nianci smiled. "She feared … feared I would," she said without finishing. Although she spoke of the matter, she felt shy about the subject.
Huang Rong reached out and tickled Mu Nianci's armpit. "You dare to speak of it?" Huang Rong said with a smile.
Mu Nianci stuck her tongue out and then shook her head. "How would I dare?" she said. "Don't you want me to swear an oath?"
Huang Rong spluttered as she recalled trying to force Mu Nianci into swearing to not marry Guo Jing. Both her cheeks turned a bright red.
Upon seeing their shared emotions, Guo Jing felt great happiness.
After eating, the three went into the middle of the forest and strolled as they idled away their day. Huang Rong asked Mu Nianci how she received instruction from Hong Qicong.
"It happened when I was very young," Mu Nianci said. "I followed father to a river in the Henan province. We stopped at an inn, and while I played at the entrance, I saw two beggars lying on the ground, bleeding profusely. No one was willing to help them because the sight of the beggars' internal organs disgusted them."
Huang Rong made the connection. "Oh, so you showed compassion!" she said. "You tended their injuries."
"I too could not do much for their injury," Mu Nianci said. "But I pitied them and took them father's room where I cleaned their wounds and bandaged them. When my father returned, he said I did the right thing, and then sighed and said how his former wife was kind hearted as well. Then my father gave the two beggars some money to help them with their injuries. They thanked him and left. After several months, we went to Xinyang, where we ran into those two beggars again, who had already recovered from their wounds. They took me to a temple, where I first met Hong Qicong. After praising me, he taught me the 'Wandering Strides' form, which took three days. On the fourth day, when I returned to the temple, the master had already gone."
Huang Rong said, "Master Qigong doesn't allow us to teach his skills to others. But if you, my sister, would like to learn my father's skills, I could spend the next few days teaching you some of them." When she found out that Mu Nianci did not want to marry Guo Jing, a burden was lifted from her heart and then she felt that she was a really nice person, so she wanted to make her a gift. Mu Nianci said, "Many thanks, but at present I have some urgent matter to attend to; in future I would ask you even without you suggesting it." Huang Rong wanted to ask her what was it but one look at her face and Huang Rong knew she did not want to talk about it and thought, "From her shyness, it seems like she's made up her mind. If she doesn't want to mention it, it's alright."
Mu Nianci left the inn around noon in a hurry and only returned after dusk. Huang Rong noticed the joyful expression on her face but pretended that she paid no attention. After their meal, the 2 ladies retired and Huang Rong saw her cheek resting on her palm and her heart seemed full of emotions, so she pretended to sleep. After a while, she saw her reach into her bundle and took something out, kissed it lightly and looked at it fondly. Huang Rong looked over her back and saw that it was a piece of finely-embroidered handkerchief.
Suddenly Mu Nianci jerked around and the handkerchief fluttered. Huang Rong was shocked and immediately shut her eyes while her heart pounded. She only heard the slight breeze in the room and carefully lifted her eyelid. She saw Mu Nianci pacing around the room executing moves randomly. She said to herself, "Hey, that's the handkerchief she snatched from that young prince during their sparring match the other day." She saw Mu Nianci smiling to herself, and felt that she was reminiscing of that day's events as she was imitating Wanyan Kang's movements and actions. She did that for some time before walking near her bedside.
Huang Rong closed her eyes tightly as she knew Mu Nianci must have been looking in her direction. After a brief moment, she sighed, "You're really beautiful!" She suddenly turned around and opened the door and walked out. Huang Rong became curious and gave pursuit, and then utilized her Qinggong to follow her. Her Qinggong was better than Mu Nianci's, but she kept her distance behind to evade detection. She saw her jump onto a roof and glance around. Mu Nianci then jumped to a larger building on the south. Huang Rong had been visiting the place daily to buy groceries, and knew that this was a rich man's house, so she thought, "Most likely she'd run out of money, so she came here to 'get' some."
Huang Rong thought for a moment. Then she gave the dagger back to Mu Nianci."Elder sister, let me return this to you," Huang Rong said.Mu Nianci did not take it."Keep it - this is your brother Jing's possession," she said. "His name is carved there on the hilt. With it everyday, I " She paused. "If I should carry it everyday, it wouldn't be very good."Huang Rong lovingly took the dagger and stowed it near her bosom."Elder sister, you are truly good," she said.After receiving the valuable dagger, Huang Rong was momentarily distracted from her thoughts."Elder sister, what business has drawn you to the South alone?" Huang Rong asked. "Maybe little sister can help you?"Mu Nianci blushed and lowered her head."I don't have any pressing matters at hand," she said."In that case, I will take you to see Master Hong," Huang Rong said.Mu Nianci felt joy."Master Hong is here?" she said.Huang Rong nodded before grasping Mu Nianci's hand and pulling her up. Suddenly, she heard a sound among the branches above. A piece of bark fell to the ground. In the distance, they could see one person's shadow jumping happily from locust tree to locust tree. After a while, they could tell it was Hong Qicong.Huang Rong picked up the bark and saw characters carved onto its surface with a needle."Two dolls like this are very good," she read. "But if Rong-er deliberately causes trouble again, then Qicong will hit your eldest child on the ear." The bark was not signed at the bottom. Instead, a gourd was carved in its place.Huang Rong knew Qicong carved the bark and couldn't help blushing. She knew Qicong had observed the whole fight and knew all about the particulars of the oath she wanted Mu Nianci to swear. Both people had entered the locust grove and did not even notice Hong Qicong. The pair walked hand-in-hand back to the inn.Guo Jing, who was sitting inside after he finished practicing, was shocked to see Mu Nianci. He quickly said, "Sister Mu, did you see my masters?""Your respective masters and I left the capital together and went south to Shandong," she said. "We split up there, and I have not seen them since.""Are my masters well?" Guo Jing said."Be at ease, brother Guo," Mu Nianci said with a smile. "They are not angry with you."Guo Jing was indeed very worried, fearing his masters were very angry at him. He rose and fiddled with some tea and food as his simple mind was lost in thought.Mu Nianci turned to Huang Rong and asked how they met Hong Qicong.Huang Rong told the tale alone."Little sister, you are so blessed," Mu Nianci said with a sigh. "You spent so much time with Master Hong that you lived like a little family. But I only wanted to see him, and he is not here.""He was looking after you," Huang Rong said comfortingly. "He would have revealed his true ability if I tried to injure you. If I had hurt you, how could he have not acted?"Mu Nianci nodded in acceptance.Guo Jing thought this was strange. "Rong-er, why would you want to injure sister Mu?" he asked."I cannot say," Huang Rong said quickly.Mu Nianci smiled. "She feared feared I would," she said without finishing. Although she spoke of the matter, she felt shy about the subject.Huang Rong reached out and tickled Mu Nianci's armpit. "You dare to speak of it?" Huang Rong said with a smile.Mu Nianci stuck her tongue out and then shook her head. "How would I dare?" she said. "Don't you want me to swear an oath?"Huang Rong spluttered as she recalled trying to force Mu Nianci into swearing to not marry Guo Jing. Both her cheeks turned a bright red.Upon seeing their shared emotions, Guo Jing felt great happiness.After eating, the three went into the middle of the forest and strolled as they idled away their day. Huang Rong asked Mu Nianci how she received instruction from Hong Qicong."It happened when I was very young," Mu Nianci said. "I followed father to a river in the Henan province. We stopped at an inn, and while I played at the entrance, I saw two beggars lying on the ground, bleeding profusely. No one was willing to help them because the sight of the beggars' internal organs disgusted them."Huang Rong made the connection. "Oh, so you showed compassion!" she said. "You tended their injuries.""I too could not do much for their injury," Mu Nianci said. "But I pitied them and took them father's room where I cleaned their wounds and bandaged them. When my father returned, he said I did the right thing, and then sighed and said how his former wife was kind hearted as well. Then my father gave the two beggars some money to help them with their injuries. They thanked him and left. After several months, we went to Xinyang, where we ran into those two beggars again, who had already recovered from their wounds. They took me to a temple, where I first met Hong Qicong. After praising me, he taught me the 'Wandering Strides' form, which took three days. On the fourth day, when I returned to the temple, the master had already gone."Huang Rong said, "Master Qigong doesn't allow us to teach his skills to others. But if you, my sister, would like to learn my father's skills, I could spend the next few days teaching you some of them." When she found out that Mu Nianci did not want to marry Guo Jing, a burden was lifted from her heart and then she felt that she was a really nice person, so she wanted to make her a gift. Mu Nianci said, "Many thanks, but at present I have some urgent matter to attend to; in future I would ask you even without you suggesting it." Huang Rong wanted to ask her what was it but one look at her face and Huang Rong knew she did not want to talk about it and thought, "From her shyness, it seems like she's made up her mind. If she doesn't want to mention it, it's alright."Mu Nianci left the inn around noon in a hurry and only returned after dusk. Huang Rong noticed the joyful expression on her face but pretended that she paid no attention. After their meal, the 2 ladies retired and Huang Rong saw her cheek resting on her palm and her heart seemed full of emotions, so she pretended to sleep. After a while, she saw her reach into her bundle and took something out, kissed it lightly and looked at it fondly. Huang Rong looked over her back and saw that it was a piece of finely-embroidered handkerchief.Suddenly Mu Nianci jerked around and the handkerchief fluttered. Huang Rong was shocked and immediately shut her eyes while her heart pounded. She only heard the slight breeze in the room and carefully lifted her eyelid. She saw Mu Nianci pacing around the room executing moves randomly. She said to herself, "Hey, that's the handkerchief she snatched from that young prince during their sparring match the other day." She saw Mu Nianci smiling to herself, and felt that she was reminiscing of that day's events as she was imitating Wanyan Kang's movements and actions. She did that for some time before walking near her bedside.Huang Rong closed her eyes tightly as she knew Mu Nianci must have been looking in her direction. After a brief moment, she sighed, "You're really beautiful!" She suddenly turned around and opened the door and walked out. Huang Rong became curious and gave pursuit, and then utilized her Qinggong to follow her. Her Qinggong was better than Mu Nianci's, but she kept her distance behind to evade detection. She saw her jump onto a roof and glance around. Mu Nianci then jumped to a larger building on the south. Huang Rong had been visiting the place daily to buy groceries, and knew that this was a rich man's house, so she thought, "Most likely she'd run out of money, so she came here to 'get' some."
