Chapter - 327 Hundred-feet Tall Tower Prevents Passage (4)

Zhang Wuji saw the fire was getting bigger by the minute; he was afraid his Da Shibo [first martial (older) uncle] and the others' internal strength had not recovered and they died inside the burning Pagoda. "Miss Zhao," he said, "I have to go!" Before finished speaking he had rushed out the restaurant.

"Wait!" Zhao Min called out, "I am coming too!" But by the time she reached the door, Zhang Wuji had disappeared.

.o0o.

When Ku Toutuo was taken away by the Princess, Lu Zhangke decided to take Concubine Han into his disciple, Wuwang Apu's room. The Wan An Temple Pagoda had a total of thirteen floors, so the total height was about thirteen 'zhang's [1 zhang is approximately 10ft or 3.3m]. The top three floors were consecrated to house the image of Buddha, Buddhist literature, and other religious articles; nobody could stay in these floors. Wuwang Apu was in charge of guarding the Pagoda, so he occupied a room in the tenth floor; from which he could see all around and thus had a better control over the overall situation.

As he entered the room, Lu Zhangke told Wuwang Apu, "Go and guard outside the room, don't let anybody enter in." As Wuwang Apu went out the room Lu Zhangke immediately closed the door, untied the bundle to let Concubine Han out. Her beautiful face showed both shocked and hurt expression; her sad eyes were pleading. Lu Zhangke quietly said, "Now that you have arrived here, you don't have to be afraid. I will treat you well."

He did not want to unseal her acupoints yet, fearing she would cause a commotion. Thereupon he gently laid her down on Wuwang Apu's bed, pulled up a quilt to cover her up; and then took another cotton-quilt to replace the bundle and set it aside. With Concubine Han safely tucked in the bed Lu Zhangke started to attend to other businesses. He did not dare to stay inside the room for too long; he went out hurriedly, forbidding Wuwang Apu from entering the room or allowing others from doing so. He knew his main disciple had always regarded him with respect and fear, so it was unlikely for him to disobey his master's order.

Lu Zhangke thought, "I need Ku Toutuo to help me keeping the secret. If I want to win his favor, I must rescue his old lover and his daughter first. Luckily the Cult Leader of the Devil Cult made such disturbance last night, precisely over that girl by the surname of Zhou. I can always put the blame on him by saying the Devil Cult's Jiaozhu rescued Old Nun Miejue and Miss Zhou. Truly the Heaven is on my side; Junzhu will not suspect anything. This little devil head's martial art is superior, Junzhu cannot blame us from failing to stop him."

All Emei Pai's female disciples were imprisoned on the seventh floor. Miejue Shitai, being a Sect Leader, was imprisoned alone inside a smaller room. Lu Zhangke ordered the guard to open the door and then walked in. He saw Miejue was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her eyes were closed in meditation. She had been on a hunger strike for several days, but although she looked thin and pale, her countenance still showed her proud and valiant character.

"Miejue Shitai, how are you?" Lu Zhangke greeted.

"You are so stubborn," Lu Zhangke said, "My master said keeping you alive is useless, I am ordered to send you to heaven."

Miejue Shitai had determined to die anyway, so she said, "Very well. Only I do not need to bother Sire to do it; just lend me a knife and I will do it myself. I only request Sire to bring my disciple Zhou Zhiruo, I have something I need to talk to her."

Lu Zhangke turned around and went out the room, ordering the guard to bring in Zhou Zhiruo; he thought, "The feeling between a mother and a daughter is really unusual; otherwise why didn't she ask for her other main disciples, but ask for her instead?"

Not long afterwards Zhou Zhiruo entered her master's room. "Mr. Lu," Miejue Shitai said, "Please wait outside, I only need to speak a little bit with her."

Zhou Zhiruo waited until Lu Zhangke left the room before she pushed backward to close the door, and then she threw herself at her master's bosom and wept. For all her life Miejue Shitai had been strong and firm; this time she was going to die, she could not restrain to be emotionally touched; she stroked Zhou Zhiruo's hair gently. Zhou Zhiruo knew her time to speak with her master was not long; immediately she narrated how Zhang Wuji came to rescue her the previous night. Miejue Shitai wrinkled her brows and was silent for half a day before she finally said, "Why did he only rescue you and did not rescue other people? That day on the Brightness Peak you stabbed him; why did he repay it by rescuing you?"

Zhou Zhiruo's cheeks blushed and she softly said, "I don't know."

"Humph," Miejue Shitai indignantly said, "That kid is so wicked. He is the leader of the Devil Cult; how can he have good intentions? I think he is setting a trap and he is luring you to enter in."

"He … he is setting a trap?" Zhou Zhiruo wondered.

"We are the Devil Cult's archenemy," Miejue Shitai said, "I don't know how many devil disciples died under my Yitian Sword. The Devil Cult hates Emei Pai to their bones; how could they come over to rescue us? This surnamed Zhang's devil-head must have been looking at you and took a liking; he wanted you to fall into his snare. He ordered some people to capture us then he would deliberately rescue you to curry your favor, so that from this time on you will always be grateful to him."

"Shifu," Zhou Zhiruo weakly said, "I think … I think he was sincere."

Miejue Shitai was very angry; in a loud voice she said, "You are just the same as that good-for-nothing Ji Xiaofu; captivated by Devil Cult's disciples. If I had my internal energy, I'd strike you dead with my palm."

Zhou Zhiruo was so scared that her whole body trembled. "Disciple does not dare," she said.

In a stern voice Miejue Shitai said, "You really do not dare, or was that just sweet-talk to deceive your master?"

With tears in her eyes Zhou Zhiruo said, "Disciple simply does not dare to disobey 'En shi's [benevolent master] instruction."

Miejue Shitai said, "Kneel on the floor. Make a heavy oath."

Following her command, Zhou Zhiruo knelt down but she did not know what to say. Miejue Shitai said, "Say it like this: 'Xiao Nuzi [lit. little/young woman – this is kind of hard to translate without losing the real meaning] Zhou Zhiruo make an oath against the Heaven: if in the future my heart adores Zhang Wuji, that evil Cult Leader of the Devil Cult, if I become husband and wife with him, let the bones of my departed parents bodies in the ground do not have peace; let my Shifu Miejue Shitai's departing soul becomes restless spirit, haunting me night and day for the rest of my life; and if I give birth to sons and daughters with him, let my sons become slaves and my daughters prostitutes."

Zhou Zhiruo was shocked; her natural disposition was meek and gentle. She had never thought of making such a sinister oath; not only cursing her dead parents and cursing her benevolent master, but cursing the children who had not even born yet. She saw her master's eyes were staring fiercely at her face with a malicious gleam. Suddenly she felt dizzy; yet she did not have any choice but repeating what her master said, word for word.