Chapter 352: Fresh Allian e of an Old Pledge (9)
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By now, Tuolei had clarified with Zhu Cong what had been spoken about in the exchange between Huang Yaoshi and Guo Jing. He saw Guo Jing dithering and ruminating, seemingly embarrassed; and he realised that he truly felt no sentiments towards his sister. Bursting with rage, he took a long, wolf-fanged-and-vulture-plumed arrow out from his quiver, and gripped it in both hands.
"Brother Guo Jing!" he called out. "Everywhere under heaven, 'One's word is one's bond' is the conduct of the true man! Now that you've treated my sister heartlessly, how could the heroic sons and daughters of Genghis Khan seek sincerity from you? The brotherly tie between you and me…from now, I demand it severed! As for the bond of life and death the two of us had when we were children, and also your saving the lives of father and me – let's keep kindness and grievance clearly separated. Because your mother's in the north, I'll certainly provide for her, properly and respectfully. But if you want to see her come south, I'll be sure to send people in escort. There won't be the least bit of neglect – no way! A real man's words are set in stone. You put your mind at rest!"
Done with talking, there was a loud crack as he snapped the arrow in two, flinging the shards before the horse.
Tuolei had spoken with a steely finality and an iron will. Deep down, Guo Jing felt in awe, and he suddenly recalled all kinds of heroic deeds that him and Tuolei had got up to during their youth in the great desert.
"He said: 'A real man's words are set in stone,'" thought Guo Jing. "The agreement to marry Sister Huazheng was from my own mouth. To go back on one's word – how is that the way to behave? Even if Master Huang kills me today and Rong'er hates me for the rest of her life, I can't be seeing it like that."
Immediately, he raised his head high. "Master Huang, my six kind teachers, Brother Tuolei, and masters Zhebie and Bo'erhu," he announced, "Guo Jing really isn't the type who has no honour, no virtue. I have to marry Sister Huazheng."
He made this announcement in Chinese, and separately, in Mongolian. For everyone, it was far off what they'd expected. Tuolei, Huazheng, Zhebie and Bo'erhu were surprised but delighted; the Jiangnan Freaks privately praised their disciple for being a true man of hard backbone; and Huang Yaoshi, casting him a sideways glance, gave a cold sneer.
Huang Rong was deeply heartbroken. After a moment's pause, she took a few steps towards Huazheng, and assessed her carefully. She noticed Huazheng's athletic figure, her large eyes and dashing eyebrows, her features everywhere noble; and she couldn't help giving a long sigh.
"Jing gege," she said, "I understand. You and her are the same. The two of you are a pair of white eagles rising over the great desert. But I'm just a little swallow, sitting under a willow branch in Jiangnan."
Guo Jing stepped over to her. "Rong'er," he said, grasping her hands, "I don't know if what you said is right or wrong. In my heart, there's only you – and you know it! Who cares what others say we should or shouldn't do? They can burn my body 'til the ashes blow away, but I'll only be thinking of you!"
"Then why did you say that you'll marry her?" said Huang Rong, tears welling in her eyes.
"I am a fool," said Guo Jing. "I don't know about any reasoning. I only know this: the promises that you make, you just can't take back. But I'm not lying when I say that, no matter what, you're the only one in my heart. There's no way I can be apart from you. I would rather die!"
Huang Rong felt a confusion inside – feelings of love and of pain. After a moment, she gave a faint smile. "Jing gege," she said, "if I'd known things would be this way, we'd never have returned from the 'Island of Rubicund Clouds'. Wouldn't that have been great?"
Huang Yaoshi, raising an eyebrow, suddenly shouted: "That's easy!" With a flap of his robe sleeves, he swung out a hand chopping at Huazheng.
To Huang Rong, her old dad's intentions had been plain to see. Spotting a cold glint in his eyes, and knowing an attempt to kill was imminent, she'd pre-emptively dashed to obstruct him before he'd thrown out his hand. Huang Yaoshi, afraid of harming his beloved daughter, at once stopped his hand's momentum. Huang Rong had already grabbed Huazheng by the arm and pulled her off her horse when Huang Yaoshi's hand struck the horse on the saddle, making a loud noise.
Initially, the horse didn't seem unduly affected at all. But gradually, its head drooped and its legs bowed as it curled, paralysed, into a ball on the ground – where, in the end, it died. This was a sturdy horse from a renowned Mongolian breed; although it wasn't as fabulous as the treasured blood-sweating horse, it was still a fine, muscular animal, strong-boned and with a high, bulky body. But with just one wave of Huang Yaoshi's palm, it had died under his hand. Martial arts this extreme were a rare sight indeed. The hearts of Tuolei, Zhu Cong and all the others were pounding wildly; if, they thought, this hand had struck Huazheng, how would she have survived?
Huang Yaoshi hadn't expected his daughter would actually take action and rescue Huazheng. He was stunned for a moment, before understanding why: if he killed the barbarian girl, Guo Jing would surely turn against his daughter, and they'd become enemies. He snorted, thinking: "To turn against is to turn against; how could I even be scared of this boy?" But with one glance at his daughter, he saw her expression was one of misery and pain, but obviously also of feeling intertwined with someone in a thousand ways – unable to part, unable to leave. Deep down, he couldn't help trembling: this was exactly the same look that his wife, on the verge of death, had on her face. Huang Rong had always been very similar in looks to her departed mother. Back then, that emotional event had affected Huang Yaoshi like a dementia, like a madness; although it had been fifteen years, every day since it was as if it was still right before his very eyes. Now, to see it suddenly appear on his daughter's face, made him realise that her feelings of love for Guo Jing were already rooted bone-deep. Reflecting that this was precisely the natural character of her father and mother – self-willed and disposed towards irresolvable passion – he gave a long sigh, and intoned:
"Earth and heaven
Are a stove,
Nature is the worker!
Yin and Yang are
As charcoal,
Thousand things are copper!"
Huang Rong stood still, teardrops falling slowly.
Han Baoju gave Zhu Cong's lapels a tug. "What's he singing about?" he asked, in a whisper.
"It's from a composition written by someone called Jia, during the Han Dynasty," answered Zhu Cong, also whispering. "It's saying that existence on this world – for mankind and the ten thousand creatures – is an anguish just like that of suffering incineration inside a huge furnace."
"He's trained to such a high standard!" spluttered Han Baoju. "What anguish can he have?"
Zhu Cong, shaking his head, gave no response.
"Rong'er," said Huang Yaoshi gently, "after we go back, you are never to see this boy again."
"Dad, no!" said Huang Rong. "I still have to get to Yuezhou. Teacher told me to go and be the Chief of the Beggar Gang."
Huang Yaoshi smiled faintly. "Being the head of the tramps," he said, "is a serious hassle, and it's not much fun."
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By now, Tuolei had clarified with Zhu Cong what had been spoken about in the exchange between Huang Yaoshi and Guo Jing. He saw Guo Jing dithering and ruminating, seemingly embarrassed; and he realised that he truly felt no sentiments towards his sister. Bursting with rage, he took a long, wolf-fanged-and-vulture-plumed arrow out from his quiver, and gripped it in both hands.
"Brother Guo Jing!" he called out. "Everywhere under heaven, 'One's word is one's bond' is the conduct of the true man! Now that you've treated my sister heartlessly, how could the heroic sons and daughters of Genghis Khan seek sincerity from you? The brotherly tie between you and me…from now, I demand it severed! As for the bond of life and death the two of us had when we were children, and also your saving the lives of father and me – let's keep kindness and grievance clearly separated. Because your mother's in the north, I'll certainly provide for her, properly and respectfully. But if you want to see her come south, I'll be sure to send people in escort. There won't be the least bit of neglect – no way! A real man's words are set in stone. You put your mind at rest!"
Done with talking, there was a loud crack as he snapped the arrow in two, flinging the shards before the horse.
Tuolei had spoken with a steely finality and an iron will. Deep down, Guo Jing felt in awe, and he suddenly recalled all kinds of heroic deeds that him and Tuolei had got up to during their youth in the great desert.
"He said: 'A real man's words are set in stone,'" thought Guo Jing. "The agreement to marry Sister Huazheng was from my own mouth. To go back on one's word – how is that the way to behave? Even if Master Huang kills me today and Rong'er hates me for the rest of her life, I can't be seeing it like that."
Immediately, he raised his head high. "Master Huang, my six kind teachers, Brother Tuolei, and masters Zhebie and Bo'erhu," he announced, "Guo Jing really isn't the type who has no honour, no virtue. I have to marry Sister Huazheng."
He made this announcement in Chinese, and separately, in Mongolian. For everyone, it was far off what they'd expected. Tuolei, Huazheng, Zhebie and Bo'erhu were surprised but delighted; the Jiangnan Freaks privately praised their disciple for being a true man of hard backbone; and Huang Yaoshi, casting him a sideways glance, gave a cold sneer.
Huang Rong was deeply heartbroken. After a moment's pause, she took a few steps towards Huazheng, and assessed her carefully. She noticed Huazheng's athletic figure, her large eyes and dashing eyebrows, her features everywhere noble; and she couldn't help giving a long sigh.
"Jing gege," she said, "I understand. You and her are the same. The two of you are a pair of white eagles rising over the great desert. But I'm just a little swallow, sitting under a willow branch in Jiangnan."
Guo Jing stepped over to her. "Rong'er," he said, grasping her hands, "I don't know if what you said is right or wrong. In my heart, there's only you – and you know it! Who cares what others say we should or shouldn't do? They can burn my body 'til the ashes blow away, but I'll only be thinking of you!"
"Then why did you say that you'll marry her?" said Huang Rong, tears welling in her eyes.
"I am a fool," said Guo Jing. "I don't know about any reasoning. I only know this: the promises that you make, you just can't take back. But I'm not lying when I say that, no matter what, you're the only one in my heart. There's no way I can be apart from you. I would rather die!"
Huang Rong felt a confusion inside – feelings of love and of pain. After a moment, she gave a faint smile. "Jing gege," she said, "if I'd known things would be this way, we'd never have returned from the 'Island of Rubicund Clouds'. Wouldn't that have been great?"
Huang Yaoshi, raising an eyebrow, suddenly shouted: "That's easy!" With a flap of his robe sleeves, he swung out a hand chopping at Huazheng.
To Huang Rong, her old dad's intentions had been plain to see. Spotting a cold glint in his eyes, and knowing an attempt to kill was imminent, she'd pre-emptively dashed to obstruct him before he'd thrown out his hand. Huang Yaoshi, afraid of harming his beloved daughter, at once stopped his hand's momentum. Huang Rong had already grabbed Huazheng by the arm and pulled her off her horse when Huang Yaoshi's hand struck the horse on the saddle, making a loud noise.
Initially, the horse didn't seem unduly affected at all. But gradually, its head drooped and its legs bowed as it curled, paralysed, into a ball on the ground – where, in the end, it died. This was a sturdy horse from a renowned Mongolian breed; although it wasn't as fabulous as the treasured blood-sweating horse, it was still a fine, muscular animal, strong-boned and with a high, bulky body. But with just one wave of Huang Yaoshi's palm, it had died under his hand. Martial arts this extreme were a rare sight indeed. The hearts of Tuolei, Zhu Cong and all the others were pounding wildly; if, they thought, this hand had struck Huazheng, how would she have survived?
Huang Yaoshi hadn't expected his daughter would actually take action and rescue Huazheng. He was stunned for a moment, before understanding why: if he killed the barbarian girl, Guo Jing would surely turn against his daughter, and they'd become enemies. He snorted, thinking: "To turn against is to turn against; how could I even be scared of this boy?" But with one glance at his daughter, he saw her expression was one of misery and pain, but obviously also of feeling intertwined with someone in a thousand ways – unable to part, unable to leave. Deep down, he couldn't help trembling: this was exactly the same look that his wife, on the verge of death, had on her face. Huang Rong had always been very similar in looks to her departed mother. Back then, that emotional event had affected Huang Yaoshi like a dementia, like a madness; although it had been fifteen years, every day since it was as if it was still right before his very eyes. Now, to see it suddenly appear on his daughter's face, made him realise that her feelings of love for Guo Jing were already rooted bone-deep. Reflecting that this was precisely the natural character of her father and mother – self-willed and disposed towards irresolvable passion – he gave a long sigh, and intoned:
"Earth and heaven
Are a stove,
Nature is the worker!
Yin and Yang are
As charcoal,
Thousand things are copper!"
Huang Rong stood still, teardrops falling slowly.
Han Baoju gave Zhu Cong's lapels a tug. "What's he singing about?" he asked, in a whisper.
"It's from a composition written by someone called Jia, during the Han Dynasty," answered Zhu Cong, also whispering. "It's saying that existence on this world – for mankind and the ten thousand creatures – is an anguish just like that of suffering incineration inside a huge furnace."
"He's trained to such a high standard!" spluttered Han Baoju. "What anguish can he have?"
Zhu Cong, shaking his head, gave no response.
"Rong'er," said Huang Yaoshi gently, "after we go back, you are never to see this boy again."
"Dad, no!" said Huang Rong. "I still have to get to Yuezhou. Teacher told me to go and be the Chief of the Beggar Gang."
Huang Yaoshi smiled faintly. "Being the head of the tramps," he said, "is a serious hassle, and it's not much fun."
By now, Tuolei had clarified with Zhu Cong what had been spoken about in the exchange between Huang Yaoshi and Guo Jing. He saw Guo Jing dithering and ruminating, seemingly embarrassed; and he realised that he truly felt no sentiments towards his sister. Bursting with rage, he took a long, wolf-fanged-and-vulture-plumed arrow out from his quiver, and gripped it in both hands."Brother Guo Jing!" he called out. "Everywhere under heaven, 'One's word is one's bond' is the conduct of the true man! Now that you've treated my sister heartlessly, how could the heroic sons and daughters of Genghis Khan seek sincerity from you? The brotherly tie between you and mefrom now, I demand it severed! As for the bond of life and death the two of us had when we were children, and also your saving the lives of father and me let's keep kindness and grievance clearly separated. Because your mother's in the north, I'll certainly provide for her, properly and respectfully. But if you want to see her come south, I'll be sure to send people in escort. There won't be the least bit of neglect no way! A real man's words are set in stone. You put your mind at rest!"Done with talking, there was a loud crack as he snapped the arrow in two, flinging the shards before the horse.Tuolei had spoken with a steely finality and an iron will. Deep down, Guo Jing felt in awe, and he suddenly recalled all kinds of heroic deeds that him and Tuolei had got up to during their youth in the great desert."He said: 'A real man's words are set in stone,'" thought Guo Jing. "The agreement to marry Sister Huazheng was from my own mouth. To go back on one's word how is that the way to behave? Even if Master Huang kills me today and Rong'er hates me for the rest of her life, I can't be seeing it like that."Immediately, he raised his head high. "Master Huang, my six kind teachers, Brother Tuolei, and masters Zhebie and Bo'erhu," he announced, "Guo Jing really isn't the type who has no honour, no virtue. I have to marry Sister Huazheng."He made this announcement in Chinese, and separately, in Mongolian. For everyone, it was far off what they'd expected. Tuolei, Huazheng, Zhebie and Bo'erhu were surprised but delighted; the Jiangnan Freaks privately praised their disciple for being a true man of hard backbone; and Huang Yaoshi, casting him a sideways glance, gave a cold sneer.Huang Rong was deeply heartbroken. After a moment's pause, she took a few steps towards Huazheng, and assessed her carefully. She noticed Huazheng's athletic figure, her large eyes and dashing eyebrows, her features everywhere noble; and she couldn't help giving a long sigh."Jing gege," she said, "I understand. You and her are the same. The two of you are a pair of white eagles rising over the great desert. But I'm just a little swallow, sitting under a willow branch in Jiangnan."Guo Jing stepped over to her. "Rong'er," he said, grasping her hands, "I don't know if what you said is right or wrong. In my heart, there's only you and you know it! Who cares what others say we should or shouldn't do? They can burn my body 'til the ashes blow away, but I'll only be thinking of you!""Then why did you say that you'll marry her?" said Huang Rong, tears welling in her eyes."I am a fool," said Guo Jing. "I don't know about any reasoning. I only know this: the promises that you make, you just can't take back. But I'm not lying when I say that, no matter what, you're the only one in my heart. There's no way I can be apart from you. I would rather die!"Huang Rong felt a confusion inside feelings of love and of pain. After a moment, she gave a faint smile. "Jing gege," she said, "if I'd known things would be this way, we'd never have returned from the 'Island of Rubicund Clouds'. Wouldn't that have been great?"Huang Yaoshi, raising an eyebrow, suddenly shouted: "That's easy!" With a flap of his robe sleeves, he swung out a hand chopping at Huazheng.To Huang Rong, her old dad's intentions had been plain to see. Spotting a cold glint in his eyes, and knowing an attempt to kill was imminent, she'd pre-emptively dashed to obstruct him before he'd thrown out his hand. Huang Yaoshi, afraid of harming his beloved daughter, at once stopped his hand's momentum. Huang Rong had already grabbed Huazheng by the arm and pulled her off her horse when Huang Yaoshi's hand struck the horse on the saddle, making a loud noise.Initially, the horse didn't seem unduly affected at all. But gradually, its head drooped and its legs bowed as it curled, paralysed, into a ball on the ground where, in the end, it died. This was a sturdy horse from a renowned Mongolian breed; although it wasn't as fabulous as the treasured blood-sweating horse, it was still a fine, muscular animal, strong-boned and with a high, bulky body. But with just one wave of Huang Yaoshi's palm, it had died under his hand. Martial arts this extreme were a rare sight indeed. The hearts of Tuolei, Zhu Cong and all the others were pounding wildly; if, they thought, this hand had struck Huazheng, how would she have survived?Huang Yaoshi hadn't expected his daughter would actually take action and rescue Huazheng. He was stunned for a moment, before understanding why: if he killed the barbarian girl, Guo Jing would surely turn against his daughter, and they'd become enemies. He snorted, thinking: "To turn against is to turn against; how could I even be scared of this boy?" But with one glance at his daughter, he saw her expression was one of misery and pain, but obviously also of feeling intertwined with someone in a thousand ways unable to part, unable to leave. Deep down, he couldn't help trembling: this was exactly the same look that his wife, on the verge of death, had on her face. Huang Rong had always been very similar in looks to her departed mother. Back then, that emotional event had affected Huang Yaoshi like a dementia, like a madness; although it had been fifteen years, every day since it was as if it was still right before his very eyes. Now, to see it suddenly appear on his daughter's face, made him realise that her feelings of love for Guo Jing were already rooted bone-deep. Reflecting that this was precisely the natural character of her father and mother self-willed and disposed towards irresolvable passion he gave a long sigh, and intoned:"Earth and heavenAre a stove,Nature is the worker!Yin and Yang areAs charcoal,Thousand things are copper!"Huang Rong stood still, teardrops falling slowly.Han Baoju gave Zhu Cong's lapels a tug. "What's he singing about?" he asked, in a whisper."It's from a composition written by someone called Jia, during the Han Dynasty," answered Zhu Cong, also whispering. "It's saying that existence on this world for mankind and the ten thousand creatures is an anguish just like that of suffering incineration inside a huge furnace.""He's trained to such a high standard!" spluttered Han Baoju. "What anguish can he have?"Zhu Cong, shaking his head, gave no response."Rong'er," said Huang Yaoshi gently, "after we go back, you are never to see this boy again.""Dad, no!" said Huang Rong. "I still have to get to Yuezhou. Teacher told me to go and be the Chief of the Beggar Gang."Huang Yaoshi smiled faintly. "Being the head of the tramps," he said, "is a serious hassle, and it's not much fun."
