Chapter - 246 The Three Test Questions (14)

Huang Rong caught his glance and she stuck her tongue out, making an ugly face. "Brother Ouyang," she said, "You have captured Sister Mu and put her inside the coffin at that ancestral temple. You have suffocated her to death. She came into my dream last night; her hair disheveled, her face full of blood; and she told me she is looking for you, she wanted to take your life."

Ouyang Ke had long ago forgotten about her; out of the blue Huang Rong mentioned her name, he was startled, "Aiyo! I forgot to get her out of there!" He thought in his heart, "It's a pity a young girl like her died of suffocation." But then he saw Huang Rong was smiling, apparently she was joking. "How did you know she was in the coffin? Did you rescue her?" he asked.

Ouyang Feng knew Huang Rong was trying to divide his nephew's mind, so that he would not be able to remember the text. "Ke'er," he said, "Don't bother with other matters, just concentrate on the book." Ouyang Ke shivered. "Yes," he said; and quickly turned his eyes back to the book.

Guo Jing noticed that the sentences on the book were exactly the same as the ones Zhou Botong taught him. The ones in his memory even had better integrity than the ones on the book, since the book contained so many holes – incomplete sentences and missing words, in it. He raised his head and looked up at the tree branches, trying to make any sense out of it all.

A little while later Huang Yaoshi turned the last page. "Who will recite first?" he asked.

Ouyang Ke thought, "This book is confusing, very difficult to memorize. I'd better recite it while it is still fresh in my memory." Snatching the opportunity he said, "I will."

Huang Yaoshi nodded his head, then to Guo Jing he said, "Please go to that bamboo groove over there. You cannot listen to him reciting."

Guo Jing obeyed him and walked dozens of steps toward the bamboo groove. Huang Rong saw this as a good opportunity to escape together, so quietly she walked toward him. But suddenly Huang Yaoshi called out, "Rong'er, come here! You have to listen to them recite, otherwise you'd say I am one-sided."

"You are one-sided," Huang Rong replied, "You don't need other people to say that."

"That's nonsense!" Huang Yaoshi laughed, "Come here!"

With her mouth Huang Rong said, "I don't want to come," but she knew her father's temperament very well; once he decided to keep her under his watchful eyes, it would be more difficult for her to escape. So slowly she walked toward them, giving Ouyang Ke her sweetest smile and said, "Brother Ouyang, what good do I have that you like me very much?"

Ouyang Ke's heart melted, his vision blurred, grinning wide he replied, "Little sister, you … you …" he could not say more than that.

"Don't go back to the west too soon," Huang Rong added, "Stay in the Peach Blossom Island for several days. The west is very cold, isn't it?"

"The west is much bigger than you think, there are some cold regions, no doubt, but other parts are warm and sunny, much like the south (Jiangnan)," Ouyang Ke replied.

"I don't believe you," Huang Rong smiled, "You love to deceive people."

Ouyang Ke was about to debate her, but Ouyang Feng coldly said, "Child, you can chat again later; right now you need to recite the book."

Ouyang Ke was startled; he realized that Huang Rong's disturbance was intended to confuse him, and indeed he had forgotten many characters of the confusing parts. Therefore, he refocused his attention and slowly recited the book. "The way of the Heaven: A simple fix is not enough to repair damage; it truly is an empty victory, insufficient for a real one …"

His memory was really good; he managed to remember most of the theory in the front, but toward the back of the book – where the training method was explained, he missed a lot. It was not surprising actually, since Madame Huang did not know martial arts and it was some times later that she re-wrote the book from memory, so the words were jumbled. Ouyang Ke only managed to recall about 10% of this later part. Plus, on the side Huang Rong kept trying to divert his attention by saying, "Not right! You remembered wrong!" He could not even remember 10% toward the back of the book.

Huang Yaoshi smiled and said, "You can remember that much and that was very good!" Raising his voice he called out, "Guo Xianzhi, it's your turn to recite."

Guo Jing walked back, seeing the smug expression on Ouyang Ke's face he thought, "This man is really smart, he only read once, yet he can recite these mumbo-jumbo texts. I don't have that capability, so I'd better recite the ones Big Brother Zhou taught me. If that is incorrect, oh well … I don't have any choice."

Hong Qigong said, "Stupid kid, they intentionally want to make a scene out of us; they have planned it all."

Suddenly Huang Rong kicked the ground and leaped to the top of the bamboo pavilion. With a flick of her hand she pointed a dagger to her own chest and said, "Father, if you insist on me going to the west with that stinky boy, I will die right here right now in your presence."

Huang Yaoshi knew his precious daughter would do what she said; he called out, "Put that dagger down! We can talk it over."

Ouyang Feng stomped his staff to the ground and with a humming sound something flew from the staff straight toward Huang Rong. The secret projectile was very fast; before Huang Rong could see what it was, she had already heard a clanking sound and the dagger flew from her hand, fell down to the ground. At the same time Huang Yaoshi had leaped to the top; stretched his hand and grab his daughter's shoulder and softly said, "It's all right if you don't want to get married. You can stay on the Peach Blossom Island and accompany your father for the rest of your life."

Huang Rong flayed her arms and legs, crying, "Father, you don't love Rong'er! You don't love Rong'er!"

Hong Qigong was amused seeing this Huang Yaoshi who roamed the lake and the sea fearlessly, who killed people without batting an eye, was actually having trouble controlling his own daughter. He could not help laughing so hard.

Ouyang Feng thought, "I will wait for the final decision, then I'll take care of this Old Beggar and that boy surnamed Guo. We'll sort other things later. This girl acts like a spoiled brat, what do I care?" Thus he said, "Guo Xianzhi's martial art skill is excellent, he is a real young hero. His intelligence must be excellent as well. Yao Xiong, you'd better ask him to recite."

"Exactly right!" Huang Yaoshi said, "Rong'er, if you keep babbling you will disturb Guo Xianzhi's concentration." Huang Rong closed her mouth immediately.

Ouyang Feng wanted to humiliate Guo Jing very much. "Guo Xianzhi, please start reciting. We are going to listen respectfully right here," he urged.

Guo Jing's face reddened, he thought, "I can't do it; I'd better recite what Big Brother Zhou taught me." Thereupon he started reciting, "The way of the Heaven: A simple fix is not enough to repair damage; it truly is an empty victory, insufficient for a real one …" He had recited the Nine Yin Manual from top to bottom hundreds of time before; by now it was already ingrained in his brain. He recited slowly but steadily, no hesitation at all.

About half a page later everybody was stunned; they thought, "This kid seemed slow and dim-witted, who would have known that he is actually very smart."