Chapter - 379 East And West are Forever APart Like Orion And Antares (13)

Yin Li was still in a blurry condition, half-asleep and half-awake. Although she did not seem to improve, but her sickness did not get worse either. Zhang Wuji thought that in this big Persian ship, there must be some medicine around.

Taj-kis was standing on the bow with her eyes gazed into the ocean. She heard Zhang Wuji walk on the deck, but she did not turn her head. Zhang Wuji saw her from behind, and had to admit that her figure looked beautiful and elegant; her beautiful hair floated in the wind, the back of her neck as white as the white jade. Xie Xun said she was the Wulin world's most beautiful woman in the past, it was certainly not an empty word. He imagined her standing by the bank of the Bi Shui Han Tan, with her purple gown as beautiful as a flower, her sword as brilliant as the snow; he wondered how many heroes and warriors's hearts had fallen because of her.

Sailing until the evening, they had left LingSheIsland approximately a hundred 'li's behind. Looking to the east they did not see a single sail on the surface of the ocean; obviously the Persian Central Cult did not dare to pursue them under their threat.

"Yifu," Zhang Wuji said, "Can we release them now?"

"Very well!" Xie Xun replied, "Even if they want to pursue, they won't overtake us."

Zhang Wuji unsealed Pingdeng, Gongde, Zhanghuo, three kings, and Miaofeng Shi's acupoints, while apologizing to them repeatedly. He took them to the stern and helped them to leap into the small boat.

Miaofeng Shi said, "We are responsible for these six Sheng Huo Ling; losing them is not a small offense. Please return them to us."

Xie Xun said, "Sheng Huo Ling is the Central Earth Ming Cult's token of authority; today it returned to its rightful owner, how can we let you take it away?"

Miaofeng Shi talked incessantly, insistent that the tablets be returned to him. Zhang Wuji thought he must subdue Miaofeng Shi's heart today to avoid more trouble in the future. He said, "If we return these tablets to you, your ability is still too low. I am afraid you won't be able to defend them. Rather than letting some strangers snatch them away, don't you think it would be better if the Ming Cult has them?"

"How can some strangers casually snatch them away?" Miaofeng Shi asked.

"If you don't believe me, then let us try," Zhang Wuji said, handing over the six Sheng Huo Ling tablets to him.

Miaofeng Shi was delighted; he had barely uttered, "Many thanks!" when Zhang Wuji hooked with his left hand and pulled with his right, taking the six tablets back.

Miaofeng Shi was surprised and angrily said, "I was not even ready, that one did not count."

Zhang Wuji smiled, "All right, there is no harm in trying again," he said, handing the Sheng Huo Ling back to him.

Miaofeng Shi put the four tablets of Sheng Huo Ling into his bosom first, and then held the two tablets in his hands tightly. Seeing Zhang Wuji reached out to snatch, he moved the Sheng Huo Ling in his left hand to hit Zhang Wuji's wrist. Zhang Wuji flipped his wrist and grabbed Miaofeng Shi's right arm and pulled it up so that two Sheng Huo Ling struck each other. 'Clang' the noise shook their hearts. Zhang Wuji transmitted his abundance internal energy to Miaofeng Shi's arm.

Both of Miaofeng Shi's arms were numb because of this attack, his whole body lost its strength as if he was paralyzed, so that the Sheng Huo Ling tablets in his hands fell onto the deck. Zhang Wuji took the four Sheng Huo Ling from his bosom first before taking the ones on the deck.

"Well?" he said, "Do you want to try it again?"

Miaofeng Shi's face was ashen. "You are not a human," he stammered, "You are the devil, you are the devil!" He took several steps backward and was about to jump into the small boat, but he staggered and tumbled down. Liuyun Shi leaped up to carry him down.

The small boat raised its sail. Gongde Wang pulled the towing rope. 'Snap!' the rope broke and the small boat was separated from the big ship. Zhang Wuji cupped his fists and said, "Please forgive us for the many offenses."

Gongde Wang and the others' eyes were full of hatred, they turned their heads around without answering. The big ship rode on the wind and sailed to the west, two boats were getting farther and farther away from each other.

Suddenly Taj-kis cursed, "Bastard! How dare you?" She jumped into the water.

Zhang Wuji was shocked and hastily turned the rudder. He saw blood bubbling up from the water, followed by another one some distant away. Altogether there were six bloody areas with bubbles up to the surface.

With a splash Taj-kis' head appeared from below the surface with a short dagger in between her teeth, her right hand was holding a Persian man's hair, which appeared above the water shortly.

Zhang Wuji turned the rudder quickly to meet them, but the hull of that ship was too big; because of the strong wind, instead of turning around, the ship slowly made a big circle on the water. In the water, Zi Shan Long Wang was as agile as a fish; without taking too much time, she had reached the ship. Her left hand reached the anchor and with one pull she flew up, taking the Persian along with her, to the deck.

Everybody realized now, that the Persians had concealed this disastrous thought. They waited until Gongde Wang and the others safely moved to the small boat, then they raised the sail to cover up some people who went underwater toward the big ship, with the intention of sinking Zhang Wuji and the others to the bottom of the sea. Fortunately, Zi Shan Long Wang noticed the bubble in the water from these people's breathing, leaped into the sea, and managed to kill six of them while capturing one alive. She was about to interrogate this survivor when suddenly there was a loud explosion coming from the aft; followed by black smoke rising to the sky. The hull shook violently, as if it was hit by a cannon; the mast broke and the top part flew into the air.

Zhang Wuji and the others felt a searing heat; hastily they ducked down. "What a wicked scheme!" Taj-kis called out. She rushed to the mast and saw a big hole on the aft, while the rudder disappeared without any trace. Water rushed in from the hole. Taj-kis asked several questions in Persian to the man she captured, and then her palm struck down toward his skull, smashing his head altogether. She kicked his body to the ocean while saying, "I only knew they were trying to make some holes on the ship; I did not think they planted explosive on the aft."

By this time Gongde Wang and the others had sailed quite some distance away on their small boat; although Taj-kis' water skill was excellent, there was no way she could overtake them. Everybody looked at each other in blank dismay, not knowing what to do. Zhao Min gave Zhang Wuji a sorrowful look while thinking in her heart, "The enemy ships will be over very soon; all of us will certainly die without any burial place."

The ship was really big, so that it would not sink too quickly. Amidst that commotion, suddenly Taj-kis spoke to Xiao Zhao in Persians, to which Xiao Zhao also replied in Persian. Two people spoke back and forth, their expressions kept changing irregularly. They noticed Xiao Zhao glanced at Zhang Wuji with blushing cheeks, she looked bashful. Taj-kis kept talking to her with a stern voice. They talked for half a day; apparently they were arguing over something. Afterwards, it sounded like Taj-kis was urging Xiao Zhao to do something, while Xiao Zhao kept shaking her head without saying anything. Finally, she suddenly looked toward Zhang Wuji, heaved a deep sigh, and said two sentences. Taj-kis stretched out her arms to embrace her and kept kissing her, tears streaming down from their eyes. Xiao Zhao was sobbing, while Taj-kis comforting her in gentle voice.