Chapter - 176 The Cripples of Wuhu (9)

Mu Nianci continued, " Great Song has lost half of our empire to the Jins and so many Hans have been tortured and slaughtered by them. Doesn't that bother you at all? You…you…" She stopped here and could not go on. Following that, she threw the golden seal on the floor and was about to leave when Wanyan Kang called out, " Sister, I'm wrong, come back."

Mu Nianci stopped and turned, " What?"

Wanyan Kang said, " When I am freed of the burdens of the Jin ambassador, I wont go back to the Jins anymore alright? I will live a carefree and simple life with you, which is much better than having to suffer in silence like now."

Mu Nianci sighed and was silent. Ever since she sparred with Wanyan Kang, she fell for him deeply and had viewed him as an upright and just hero. She thought that there must be some reason that Wanyan Kang did not want to acknowledge his real father; when he became the Jin ambassador, she thought of an excuse for him that he was secretly spying for the Songs and help crush the enemy for the Songs. Who would have guessed that it was all wishful thinking on her part; Wanyan Kang was nothing more than a greedy and shameful traitor. She was heartbroken and felt dejected.

Wanyan Kang asked in a low voice, " Sister, what's wrong?"

Mu Nianci did not reply.

Wanyan Kang asked, " My mother told me that your god father is my real father. I did not have a chance to clarify when they both died. I have been really confused all along. My birthrights and origins cannot just simply be haphazardly defined right?"

Mu Nianci was secretly comforted and thought to herself, " So he is not clear about his birthrights. He cannot really be blamed then." She said out loud, " Don't mention anything about bringing the golden seal to Prime Minister Shi anymore. I will find Sister Huang and ask her for the dagger to save you."

Huang Rong had actually thought of returning the dagger to Mu Nianci but when she heard what Wanyan Kang said about aiding the Jins, she was fuming and thought, " Father hates the Jins, let him stay here for a couple more days then."

Wanyan Kang continued, " The pathways in this manor are bizarre, how did you find your way through?"

Mu Nianci replied, " Luckily there were two masters secretly directing me thought I don't know who they are and they do not want to reveal themselves."

Wanyan Kang sighed deeply, " Sister, I'm afraid that you'll be discovered the next time you come here. If you want to save me, then help me find a person."

Mu Nianci replied angrily, " I'm not going to find any Prime Minister for you."

Wanyan Kang replied, " Not Prime Minister, but help me look for my teacher."

Mu Nianci replied, " Ah!"

Wanyan Kang continued, " Take my belt with you and use a knife to carve 'Wanyan Kang is in danger at Gui Yun Manor located at the west bank of Lake Tai' on the gold buckle. Following that, go to Suzhou and travel thirty miles north to a deserted hill. Find nine human skulls and stack them together into a pyramid, with five skulls at the base, followed by three in the middle and one on top. Lastly, place the belt under the top skull."

Mu Nianci was puzzled and asked, " Why?"

Wanyan Kang replied, " My teacher is blind but when she finds the belt and feels the carvings, she will come and save me. Therefore, you must carve the words deep."

Mu Nianci asked, " Isn't your teacher Master of Eternal Spring, Taoist Qiu?" How can he be blind?"

Wanyan Kang answered, " No, it's not Taoist Qiu, it's my other teacher. After you place the belt, you must leave immediately. My teacher has a weird temper, if she finds someone near the skulls, she might harm you. She is highly skilled and can save me. You just have to wait for me in front of the Xuan Miao monastery in Suzhou. "

Mu Nianci said, " You have to swear that you will not acknowledge the enemy as your father and betray your people."

Wanyan Kang refused and replied, " After I find out the truth about everything, I will then act accordingly to my morals. What use is it to force me to swear now? If you are not willing to save me, then so be it."

Mu Nianci replied, " Alright! I'll help you seek help." With that, she removed Wanyan Kang's belt.

Wanyan Kang asked, " Sister, are you leaving? Come over and let me kiss you."

Mu Nianci replied, " No!" With that, she stood up and headed for the door.

Wanyan Kang said, " I'm afraid that they might kill me before my teacher reaches and then I'll never get to see you again."

Mu Nianci's heart soften, she gave a long sigh and walked back into his arms, allowing him to kiss her on the cheek a few times.

She suddenly beat the chains and said, " If you do not walk the right path in the future, I cannot do anything but blame myself for my ill fate and die in front of you."

Wanyan Kang wanted to cuddle and sweet-talk with her a while, half hoping that she would change her mind and agree to take the golden seal to Prime Minister Shi but he felt her body shaking and her breathing was hard, signaling that she was worked up. He did not expect her to say anything like that and was in shock for a moment but Mu Nianci had already stood up and walked out of the door.

After she came out, Huang Rong again guided her and Mu Nianci ran till she saw a wall leading to the outskirts of the manor. Before she left, she called out softly, " Since senior does not want to show himself or herself, junior here will just have to look into the sky and express my gratitude."

With that, she kneeled on the ground and kowtowed three times. She heard a gentle giggle and a clear voice spoke out, " Ah, I cannot accept this!"

When she raised her head, she only saw stars in the sky and the surroundings were deserted. Mu Nianci was puzzled and thought that the voice sounded like Huang Rong's but how can she be here and how would she know the way through this confusing place? She pondered on this matter as she walked on but was not able to come up with an explanation. After walking about ten miles from the manor, she decided to rest under a large tree and wait for the boat to bring her to Suzhou the next day.

Suzhou is a busy Southeast district and although it isnt't comparable to the capital of Hangzhou, it is still a prosperous and booming city. The Song officials in the South were also given rule over the territory of Jiangnan, and had almost forgotten about the sufferings of the people under the Jins in the North since the cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou were rich and prosperous. There was a saying 'Heaven above, Su Hang below' indicating the importance and grandeur of these two cities. Actually, the River Huai is the source of wealth and also a symbol of beauty for these two cities in the south. Mu Nianci admired the colorful scenes in the city before settling down in an inn. She then started to carefully carve the words Wanyan kang told her to do so on his belt. She thought how recent the belt had left its owner and prayed for Wanyan kang's safety, hoping that the belt will return back to its owner once more. She secretly wished that Wanyan Kang would come to his senses and marry her and that she would personally wear the belt for him.