Chapter - 172 The Perfect Plan Was Just a Dream (13)

"Wuji Di," Zhu Jiuzhen happily said, "Are you really our family's great benefactor's son? That's very good, very good!"

Zhu Changling still was not convinced. Zhang Wuji had no choice but narrated briefly how he came to be in Kunlun region. Yao Qingquan implied his disbelief by asking him all kinds of questions about the Wudang Mountain; he also asked him the circumstances around Zhang Cuishan, husband and wife's suicide. After Zhang Wuji gave all the correct answers, only then did he believe.

Zhu Changling still felt uncomfortable. "If this boy did not tell the truth and we offended Xie Da Xia, how can that be good?"

Yao Qingquan pulled out a dagger and placed it on that man's right eye, saying, "Friend, both of Jin Mao Shi Wang's eyes are damaged. If you want to pretend to be him, then you must copy him well. I am going to help you by taking out these things first. I, the one surnamed Yao, have been deceived really bad by you; if this little brother did not expose your lie, wouldn't I deliver my Zhu Dage's life for nothing?" While saying that, he thrust the dagger forward until the tip touched that man's eyelid. He asked again, "Who are you, anyway? Why do you pretend to be Jin Mao Shi Wang?"

"If you have guts, just stab your dagger and kill me," that man angrily said, "What kind of man do you think 'Kai Bei Shou' [hand splitting the stone] Hu Bao is? Do you think you can extort any confession from me?"

"Ah," Zhu Changling exclaimed, "Kai Bei Shou Hu Bao! You are from Kongtong Pai."

Hu Bao said loudly, "All schools and sects under the heavens know that Zhu Changling wants to avenge Zhang Cuishan. As the saying goes: strike first and gain the upper hand, strike later and suffer a calamity'."

Yao Qingquan roared, "You are so malicious!" His dagger went down to stab that man's heart. But Zhu Changling reached out with his left hand to grab his wrist, saying, "Er Di, wait. What if he really is Xie Daxia? Even if we have to die ten thousand times, we still cannot redeem our wrong."

Yai Qingquan said, "Zhang Xiongdi has told us clearly. Dage, if you are half-hearted [orig. 'san xin er yi' – three hearts two intentions] and do not make a decision, it will be difficult to us to escape present disaster."

Zhu Changling shook his head, "I would rather we receive a thousand blades than make a mistake by injuring even a strand of hair of our benefactor's sworn brother."

"Zhu Bobo," Zhang Wuji said, "This man definitely is not my Yifu. My Yifu is widely known as 'Golden Mane Lion King', his hair is yellow. This man's hair is black."

Zhu Changling was deep in thought for half a day. Finally he nodded. Taking along Zhang Wuji's hand, he said, "Xiao Xiongdi, come with me."

The two of them went out from the stone chambers. They left the cave and walked toward a valley behind the hillside and then sat side-by-side on a piece of boulder.

"Xiao Xiongdi," Zhu Changling said, "If this man is not Xie Daxia, naturally we must kill him, but before we make our move, I must not have the least bit of doubt in my heart; don't you think so?"

Zhang Wuji said, "You don't want to make any mistake, that is only natural. But this man is definitely not my Yifu. Zhu Bobo, set your heart at ease."

"Child," Zhu Changling sighed, "When I was young, I fell into deceitful schemes of more than a few people. Today I did not want to fight back and I received a severe injuryas a result; hence I knew that I have misjudged that man. One mistake is enough, I cannot make another one. This is a significant responsibility. My death is not to be regretted, but whatever happens, I simply must protect Xie Daxia and your safety. Actually, I wanted to ask clearly Xie Daxia's whereabouts, so that my heart can be truly at ease, but I feel that this is an inappropriate matter to ask."

Zhang Wuji's heart was deeply touched. "Zhu Bobo," he said, "For the sake of my father and Yifu, you have destroyed a million of your family properties, you also went as far as receiving this serious injury personally, how can I not trust you? Even if you did not ask about my Yifu, I certainly must tell you everything."

Thereupon he told Zhu Changling how his parents and Xie Xun were carried by the current to the Bing Huo Island, how they lived there for ten years, and how the three of them finally returned on a wooden raft; one by one he told him everything. He learned most of these events from his parents' mouths, but he was able to narrate clearly. Zhu Changling repeatedly asked questions on things that were unclear, such as how Zhang Wuji learned martial art on the Bing Huo Island, how he brought Yang Buhui to the west, how he ran into a misfortune at the Kunlun San Sheng Ao [three-sage depression (of the earth)], until he understood everything clearly. Finding that Zhang Wuji's story was without any flaw, only then did he believe him completely.

With a long sigh of relief he looked up to the sky and said, "En Gong, oh, En Gong, I am asking your spirit in Heaven to clearly be my witness: Zhu Changling will exhaust everything he has to raise Wuji Xiongdi until he grows up and becomes an adult. Only powerful enemies lie in wait on all sides, while my martial art skill is meager, in all honesty I cannot necessarily bear this heavy burden. Therefore, I pray that En Gong will bless and protect." Finished speaking, he kneeled down on the ground and kowtowed toward the heavens. Zhang Wuji was grieved, but also full of gratitude; he also kneeled down.

Zhu Changling stood up and said, "Now I don't have even half a part of doubt. Ay! Shaolin, Emei, Kunlun, Kongtong, which one of them does not have strength in number and superior martial art? Xiao Xiongdi, previously I was determined to risk my old life to fight the enemies one by one, to repay your honorable father's great kindness. But today, comforting an orphan is an important matter, revenge comes second. Only, the earth is so vast, where can we go to escape this disaster? They managed to find even a secluded place in a remote area like mine, where can we find a more secluded place?"

After pausing for a while he continued, "Xie Daxia lives alone on the Bing Huo Island with nobody to help him. I am thinking that for these past several years, his life must be really miserable. Ay, this great hero has such an esteemed friendship with benefactor and sister-in-law; if only I can see him just once, I will die a happy man."

Hearing him talk about how his Yifu had a harsh life, alone on the Bing Huo Island, Zhang Wuji was overwhelmed with sadness. Suddenly he had an idea and blurted, "Zhu Bobo, what do you say we go to the Bing Huo Island together? My days on that island were happy, but as soon as I arrived on the Central Earth, I saw and suffered, if not murder then shedding of blood, and thus I feel alarmed and anxious."

"Xiao Xiongdi," Zhu Changling said, "You really want to return to the Bing Huo Island, don't you?"

Zhang Wuji hesitated and did not answer; quietly thinking that he would not live too much longer anyway. Besides, the voyage to the Bing Huo Island was difficult and dangerous, they might not necessarily reach their destination, and thus he should not endanger the lives of Zhu Changling and his family. The ocean was without mercy, just one slight mishap and their bodies would be buried underneath the giant billowing waves.