Chapter - 175 The Perfect Plan Was Just a Dream (16)

"Father," he heard Wu Qingying say, "What if we cannot find that small island in the boundless ocean, and then we cannot return home? What should we do, then?"

Zhang Wuji mused, "This gentleman is indeed the Village Master Wu."

He heard Wu Lie reply, "If you are scared, then you should stay home. It is the matter of this world, if we do not go through hardship and suffering, how can we achieve peace and happiness?"

"I was only asking," Wu Qingying sulkily said, "Of course I will follow the lesson I've learned from you."

Wu Lie laughed and said, "Actually, in this matter we are staking everything on a single throw of a dice. If we are lucky, we will get to the Bing Huo Island. Even if that Xie Xun's martial art skill is higher, he is still only one person, much less he is blind. He is certainly not our match …" Listening to this point, Zhang Wuji felt a cold air creeping up his back; he could not help but shiver. In the meantime, Wu Lie continued, "… how could we not take that Tulong Saber away from him? When that happens, the 'ruling under the heavens, no one dares to disobey', your Zhu Bobo and I together will become the 'most revered in the Wulin world'. However, if our plan is not in accordance with the Heaven's will [orig. 'ren suan bu ru tian suan' – man's calculation is inferior to the Heaven's calculation. I remember this saying has its origin from the Three Kingdoms, but I do not have the exact reference.], we will end up dead in the sea. Humph, who in the world would not eventuallydie?"

Wei Bi said, "I heard Jin Mao Shi Wang Xie Xun's martial art skill is outstanding. On Wangpan Mountain Island, his roar had shaken dozens of Jianghu's skilled people that they lost their minds. Disciple thinks that as we arrive on the island, we need not fight him openly; just put poison in his food and drink. Let's not say that he is blind, even if his eyes are well and he can see clearly, he would never guess that the people his foster son brought along would harm him."

Zhu Changling nodded. "Bi'er's idea is marvelous," he said, "Only we, Zhu and Wu, two families, from generation to generation have always been upright and chivalrous prestigious martial art school; we have never used poison, even on our secret projectiles we have never put poison. In short, I do not know anything about which poison we should put in his food and drink without raising his suspicions."

Wei Bi said, "Yao Ershu goes to the Central Plains a lot, he should know. Ask him to buy some prepared poison."

Wu Lie turned around to pat Zhu Jiuzhen's shoulder, he said with a smile, "Zhen'er …" As he turned his head around, Zhang Wuji was able to see his face and he was shocked! Turned out this man was the 'Hand Splitting Rock' Hu Bao who masqueraded as his Yifu, who struck Zhu Changling that he vomited some blood, who was killed by Yao Qingquan with a dagger. Zhang Wuji understood immediately, everything was a charade. In order to make the charade lifelike, the palm strike, the hit against the wall so that rock debris fall down, the smashing of the table, had to be performed by Wu Lie, whose martial art skill was very strong.

Wu Lie was saying to Zhu Jiuzhen with a laugh, "Speaking about which, you have an important role to play in this drama; you have to be affectionate toward that little rascal along the way until he has delivered Xie Xun's life. You must not reveal anything that would give our scheme away."

"Father," Zhu Jiuzhen said, "You must promise me one thing."

"What is it?" Zhu Changling asked.

"You want me to wait upon that little rascal," Zhu Jiuzhen said, "You don't know how much suffering I have to endure these last several days. From here until we get to the Bing Huo Island and kill Xie Xun, I don't know how many more hardships I have to bear. As soon as you take the Tulong Saber, I want to use it to kill that little rascal!"

Listening to such hateful and malicious talk, Zhang Wuji vision blackened and he almost fainted. Indistinctly he heard Zhu Changling say, "We are using this kind of trick to deceive him only to find out Jin Mao Shi Wang's whereabouts. Strictly speaking, we should not do this. This kid is not a bad kid. After we kill Xie Xun and get the Tulong Saber, pierce this kid's eyes blind, and leave him on the Bing Huo Island; that should be enough."

Wu Lie praised him, "Zhu Dage has a benevolent heart, he does not want to fail the family's chivalrous values."

Zhu Changling sighed, "This is like we are taking one step in chess, no feelings should be involved. Wu Erdi [second (younger) brother], when we are sailing, you must follow us from a distance. If you are too close, you might raise that kid's suspicion, but if you are too far, we might lose contact. You may have to take the trouble of selecting skilled sailors to man your boat."

"Yes," Wu Lie replied, "Zhu Dage's plan is truly thorough."

Zhang Wuji was confused. "I have never revealed my true identity, how could they find out?" he mused, "Hmm, perhaps when I staked everything to fight Wei Bi and Zhu and Wu girls, I used Wudang Pai's techniques. Zhu Bobo's experience is vast; perhaps he could instantly see my origin. He knew that my father and mother would rather die than revealing Yifu's whereabouts. Supposing he has used force, he could not make me reveal the truth; therefore, he forged the painting, burned down his own residence, using the ruse of inflicting self-injury to move my heart. Without uttering a single sentence of request, I asked him to take me to the Bing Huo Island instead. Zhu Changling, oh Zhu Changling, your sinister plot is truly ruthless."

By this time Zhu Changling and Wu Lie were still discussing all kinds of preparations for their journey to the east. Zhang Wuji did not dare to listen further, he held his breath and quietly lifted his foot and quietly put it down. For every single step he had to listen and make sure there was nothing astir inside before he took the next step. He realized Zhu Changling and Wu Lie's martial art skills were very strong, as soon as he made a careless step, stepping on a dry twig, for instance, he would alert them at once. Hence, for the first thirty steps or so, he walked very slowly. It was not until he was more than ten 'zhang' away from the little hut did he quicken his pace.

In his panic he did not see where he was heading, he only thought that he must have walked toward the deepest part of the forest on the hillside. He climbed higher and higher, and faster and faster, until finally he ran like a madman. He did not dare to slow down or stop to catch his breath for more than two hours.

After running for half of the night, finally it was dawn. He noticed that he was inside a deep forest on a mountain range. He turned his head to see if Zhu Changling and the others pursued him or not, but as soon as he turned and looked, he cried out in desperation, because his feet made deep prints on the snow as far as he could see. The western regions were bitterly cold, although it was already the beginning of spring; the snow had not melted in between the mountain ridges. Running for his life in panic, with all his strength he managed to climb the mountain ridge; who would have thought that he had left a very clear track of his whereabouts.