Chapter - 381 Veiled Woman In the Black Marshes (5)

Ying Gu turned back to him, saw him to be sweating profusely, looking so distressed; there was a stab of pain in her heart, "If only my man showed one-tenth of the compassion this dumb kid has, ay, my life won't be in vain," she said in her heart. Then she softly recited, "'Four weaving machines, the weaving of mandarin ducks desiring to fly together right away. It's a pity; not yet old but the hair on the head has turned white. When the green spring grass ripples, in the deepest of dawn's cold, standing face to face taking a bath wearing red clothes.'"

Listening to her reciting this short poem, Guo Jing's heart was stirred, he silently thought, "It sounds familiar, I have heard it before." But tried as he might, he could not remember who wrote it. It was not his Er Shifu [Second Master] Zhu Cong, it was not Huang Rong either; so with a low voice he asked, "Rong'er, who composed the poem she recited? What does it mean?"

"Rong'er was taught by her father, she knows everything. If it was a well-known poem, she would definitely know who composed it," Guo Jing thought, "Who recited this poem then? It couldn't be her, couldn't be her father, also I am sure it couldn't be the Cloud Village's Master Lu. But I am sure I have heard it before. Ay, it doesn't matter who recited this poem as long as this Senior really has a way to save Rong'er. She asked me a question and I gave her a wrong answer. I wish I have a way to make amends. I don't care what she will ask me to do …"

Presently Ying Gu was still immersed in the memory of her past; her face sometimes showed delight, sometimes showed sadness. In a short moment her heart was recalling decades' worth of gratitude and grudges. Suddenly she raised her head up and said, "Your martial sister has been hit by Qiu's Iron Palm. I don't know if he restrained the strength of his palm, or if it was you who blocked his palm, that she did not die immediately. Either way, in just three short days … Hmm, there is only one man in this whole wide world who can save her life!"

Guo Jing was listening to every word she said, his heart was thumping madly. Hearing her last sentence he dropped down to his knees and 'bonk, bonk, bonk' knocking his head on the ground three times while calling out, "Please Sen … No, no. Please, help us. We will be forever grateful."

Ying Gu coldly said, "Humph! Do I have the skill to save others? If I do have this divine power, why do I have to endure a damp and bitterly cold place like this?" Guo Jing did not dare to open his mouth. A moment later Ying Gu continued, "Just consider yourselves lucky you met me and I know this person's whereabouts; also consider yourselves lucky that he lives not too far away; you might be able to reach his place within three days. Only whether that man is willing to help or not, it's really hard to say."

Guo Jing was delighted, "I will earnestly ask him to help," he said, "I believe he won't go so far as seeing someone in distress and doesn't want to help."

Ying Gu smirked, "What do you mean 'won't go so far as seeing someone in distress and doesn't want to help'? Seeing someone dying and do nothing is human's natural behavior. You are going to ask earnestly, do you think other people did not? Do you think you can persuade him to help you? What have you done to him? Why would he want to help you?" Her voice was full of bitterness and resentment.

Guo Jing did not dare to open his mouth; presently there was a ray of hope for Huang Rong, he was afraid he might make a mistake even for half a word and thus ruined this opportunity. He saw that lady walked outside to the square room, sat down at the table, took a pen and started writing.

After writing for a while she folded the paper and wrapped it with a cloth, and then she took a needle and sewn the cloth into a tight pouch. In a similar matter she made three pouches, only then did she return to the round room. "After leaving this forest, avoid the Iron Palm Clan people, go straight northeast. When you arrive within the border of Taiyuan County, open the white pouch. Inside you will find what you are to do in detail. You are not to open the pouch for any reason before you arrive there."

Guo Jing was very happy, he gave his promise repeatedly, and held out his hand to receive the pouch. Ying Gu drew back her hand and said, "Not so fast! If that man is not willing to help, so be it. But if he is willing and can save her life, I have a request to make."

"We have received your kindness," Guo Jing said, "If Senior has anything for us to do, just let us know."

Ying Gu coldly said, "If your martial sister did not die, within a month she has to come back here and stay with me for a year."

"What for?" Guo Jing wondered.

"It's none of your business," Ying Gu sternly said, "I only ask her if she is willing or not?"

Huang Rong interrupted, "You want me to teach you 'qi men shu shu' [lit. strange/wonderful/mysterious way counting method]. How difficult is that? All right, I give you my promise."

Ying Gu cast her glance toward Guo Jing and mocked, "It's useless for you to be a man; your intelligence is not even one-tenth of your martial sister's." But she handed out the three pouches to him anyway.

Guo Jing held out his hand. Other than the white pouch, he saw the other pouches were red and yellow. He put everything securely in his pocket and then bowed down to express his gratitude.

Ying Gu quickly moved aside, did not want to accept his gratitude. "You don't have to thank me," she said, "I don't need it. You two are neither my family nor my friends, why would I want to save her? Even if we were related you still don't need thank me profusely! Let me be frank with you in advance, I am helping her for my own behalf. Humph, whoever does not do things for themselves, let the Heaven punishes them to their death."

Her words sounded so cruel in Guo Jing's ears, but he had never been good with words, so he did not want to contradict her; besides, this time he had Huang Rong to think about, he did not dare to say anything even more, he simply listened respectfully.

Ying Gu looked at them condescendingly, she said, "You two must be tired tonight, also hungry. Have some porridge."

Huang Rong lied down on a couch, half awake and half asleep. Guo Jing stood by her side with heart full of disquieting thoughts. A moment later Ying Gu came back with a wooden tray in her hands. There were two big bowls of steaming and sweet-smelling rice porridge on the tray, along with a big plate of wild chicken dish and a small plate of preserved fish.