Chapter - 365 What Hope is There For Four Women In the Same Boat? (8)

Zhou Zhiruo blushed and lowered her head; while Xiao Zhao remained calm and said, "Xie Laoyezi [old master Xie], I am Gongziye's [master] servant; of course I don't count."

Although Zhao Min's injury was not light, she was conscious the whole time; "Xie Laoyezi," she suddenly said, "If you keep talking nonsense, as soon as I am well, we'll see if I don't slap your ears really good."

Xie Xun stuck out his tongue and said with a smile, "This girl is actually very mean." Suddenly the smile disappeared from his face; he hesitated a moment before saying, "Hmm, last night you launched three suicidal moves. The first one was Kunlun Pai's 'yu sui kun gang', the second one was Kongtong Pai's 'ren gui tong tu', and the third one … what was it? The old man is uncouth and unlearned, could not hear it."

Zhao Min was secretly shocked. "No wonder Jin Mao Shi Wang's name shook the world in the past; his conducts in Jianghu were earth-shattering," she thought, "His eyes are blind, yet he was able to guess correctly the two stances I was using. He truly lives up to his reputation."

"The third move was Wudang Pai's 'tian di tong shou'," she said, "Apparently it was developed only recently, no wonder Laoyezi does not know." She said that with a really respectful expression.

Xie Xun sighed, "You did your utmost to save Wuji; that was really good," he said, "But why did you risk your own life? Why risked your life?"

Zhao Min started to say, "He … he …" but then she stopped, as if she was mulling over whether she should continue or not. Finally she could not refrain from sobbing; she said, "He … Who told him to show such affection? … Hugging … Hugging Miss Yin. I don't want to live!" Finished speaking, her tears were already rolling down like rain.

Hearing her publicly revealing her deepest feelings unexpectedly, four people were startled; they did not remember Zhao Min was a Mongolian girl who loves when she wants to love, and who hates when she wants to hate. Certainly she was not wishy-washy; unlike the Central Earth's women who were strongly influenced by Confucianism's custom and regulations. Besides, they were all on a small boat in the middle of the ocean, the heavy rain drenched their heads, their small boat could capsize anytime and they would all perish. At the time when they hovered between life and death, it was even more unnecessary to be scrupulous.

Listening to Zhao Min, Zhang Wuji could not help but feel touched. "Miss Zhao is originally my archenemy," he thought, "This time my primary intention was to see Yifu when we were going out to the sea together. Who would have thought that she would have these deep feelings toward me?" Unable to restrain his emotions, he reached out to hold her hand, put his lips next to her ear and whispered softly, "No matter what, next time you can't do it again."

As Zhao Min blurted out her feelings, she had almost immediately had already regretted it; thinking that if a girl from an honorable family did not stop this kind of talk from coming out, how could he not look down on her? Suddenly hearing him admonish her lovingly, she was surprised and happy, bashful and loving at the same time. She felt an unspeakable sweetness in her heart and felt that last night's risking her life three times, and the suffering of drifting on the ocean today, everything, were not in vain.

The heavy rain started to subside and gradually stopped, but the fog was coming back and actually getting thicker and thicker. Suddenly a swishing noise was heard as a large fish, more than 30 catties, leaped up from the sea. Xie Xun's right hand stretched out and stabbed his five fingers into the fish's belly, taking the fish into the boat. Everybody cheered. Xiao Zhao took out her sword to cut open its belly and scrape the scales; and then cut it to pieces. They were all hungry, so although the raw fish was smelly, they forced themselves to eat a few slices. Xie Xun ate eagerly; he had lived on a desolated island for more than twenty years, and had survived on all kinds of food, how could he care about eating raw fish? Besides, the fish was fresh; after chewing for some times and being used to the fresh fish smell, the meat brought out its raw sweet flavor.

The waves gradually subsided. After eating, they all closed their eyes to get some rest. They had been fighting violently for the whole day and whole night the previous day, they were not only physically, but emotionally exhausted as well. Although Zhou Zhiruo and Xiao Zhao were not engaged in battle physically, the excitement and frights they experienced were not small. The ocean gently rocked the small boat like a cradle; the six people on the boat fell asleep one after another.

They were sound asleep for almost six hours. As an old man, Xie Xun was the first one to wake up. He heard the sound of five young people breathing blended with the sound of the wave and the wind. Since Zhao Min and Yin Li were injured, their breathings were short and quick. Zhou Zhiruo's breathing was light and long. Zhang Wuji's inhales and exhales sounded like they were broken yet continuous, without any distinct separation. Xie Xun was secretly astonished, "This child internal energy is very profound," he thought, "I won't be able to achieve this level in all my life."

Xiao Zhao's breathing was sometimes fast, sometimes slow, a sign of a very special school's internal energy cultivation method. Xie Xun frowned as he remembered something, "This is strange," he mused, "Could it be that this child is …"

Suddenly his thought was interrupted by Yin Li's loud shout, "Zhang Wuji, you little kid, why don't you come with me to Ling She Island?"

Zhang Wuji, Zhao Min, Zhou Zhiruo and Xiao Zhao were awakened by her shout. She said again, "I live alone on the Island, and quite lonely … why are you not willing to come and accompany me? I miss you so much, you … you are in the afterworld, do you know that?"

Zhang Wuji put his hand on her forehead and felt it was burning hot; he knew her severe wound had caused her a fever, making her sprouting nonsense. Although his medical skill was exquisite, there was nothing on the small boat, not even a blade of grass, so he was helpless. He tore away a piece of his clothes and soaked it in the water, then pressed it on her forehead.

Yin Li continued to ramble; suddenly she shouted, "Father, you … don't kill mother, don't kill mother! I was the one who killed 'Er Niang' [second madame or second mother], you'd better kill me; it had nothing to do with mother … Mother is dead, mother is dead! I killed my mother! Boo hoo hoo…" She cried miserably.

"Zhu'Er, Zhu'Er, wake up," Zhang Wuji said in a gentle voice, "Your father is not here, you don't have to be afraid."

"Father is not good, I am not afraid of him!" Yin Li indignantly said, "Why did he marry 'Er Niang', 'San Niang' [third madame or third mother]? Is not one wife enough for one man? Father, you have two hearts and three minds; delight in the new, discard the old. You've married someone yet marry another, hurting my mother really bad, hurting me really bad! You are not my Father, you are a heartless man, a greatly wicked man!"

Zhang Wuji was shocked and alarmed; his face turned blue and his lips white. Turned out he had just had a good dream; he dreamt that he married Zhao Min, and also married Zhou Zhiruo. Yin Li's face had changed, she was beautiful; he also married her and Xiao Zhao. Whatever idea he did not dare to think during the day had manifested itself in a dream when he was sleeping. He felt that these four girls were all good, and he could not bear to part with any of them. Hence when he comforted Yin Li, his mind was still vaguely remembering the sweetness that the dream brings.