Chapter - 196 Disciples of the Eastern Heretic (5)

The day before, Lu Wushuang had left by herself and had not returned after a long period of time. Cheng Ying worried about her and went out in search of her. Instead of finding her, she saw Huang Rong using the stone formations to fend off Jinlun Fawang. She had learned the formations from Huang Yaoshi; although she didn't know much, the things that she did know were learned thoroughly. And so, by coincidence, she managed to rescue Yang Guo.

Lu Wushuang said, "In a situation like this, why are you two still so formal?"

Yang Guo said, "Did Li Mochou see you eventually."

Lu Wushuang said, "You really are naïve! If she saw me and you weren't there to rescue me, how would I be able to escape from her? As soon as I heard the donkey's bell, I hid behind the teahouse; I didn't even dare to breath. I heard her ask the manager of the teahouse if he had seen two girls, one was a little lame and the other one was an extremely ugly girl. Cousin, she said you were an ugly girl, but she didn't know that you are the exact opposite, a beautiful girl…"

Cheng Ying's face went slightly red and said, "Don't talk rubbish, Young Hero Yang will laugh."

Yang Guo said, "I can't take a title such as Young Hero Yang; just call me Yang Guo."

Lu Wushuang angrily said, "As soon as you saw my cousin, you're all nice and polite; you even told her your name, yet with me you lied and messed me around."

Yang Guo gave a light laugh and said, "You called me 'Sha Dan', I listened to your orders and pretended to be a 'Sha Dan', isn't that obedient enough?"

Lu Wushuang pouted and said, "I'll deal with you later on." She turned around to Cheng Ying and said, "Cousin, whenever you went into town to buy things, you would wear your mask, the townspeople recognized you. The manager of the teahouse could never have dreamed that a courteous and polite Taoist priestess would have ill intentions, so of course he would tell her where we are. The witch thanked him and asked him where she can seek lodgings and then she took apprentice sister Hong to search. She has always killed people at the first light of day; it looks like we've got six hours."

Cheng Ying said, "Yes. That day when she attacked cousin's home, it was 'yin mo mao chu fen' (I think it's the fourth hour)." The three of them talked about how Li Mochou killed Lu Wushuang's parents and then realized that they had met before in Jiaxing when they were kids. The cousins recalled staying in the old kiln that Yang Guo lived in, and then remembered that they have indeed met before; they all felt a close and intimate feeling.

Yang Guo said, "That witch's martial arts are extremely high; even if I wasn't injured, the three of us would not be able to beat her. Let's just leave everything as it is, leave the lamps lit and escape."

Cheng Ying nodded and said, "We've got six hours left. Brother Yang's horse has great speed and stamina, if we leave now the witch might not be able to catch up."

Lu Wushuang said, "Sha Dan, you're injured, can you still ride?"

Yang Guo sighed and said, "I can't but I'll force myself; at least it's better than falling into the hands of that witch."

Lu Wushuang said, "We've only got one horse. Cousin, take Sha Dan and head west, I'll head east and lure her away."

Cheng Ying's face went slightly red. She said, "No, you go with brother Yang. I don't have any ties or debts with Li Mochou, even if I do fall into her hands, she might not harm me; if you fall into her hands, you'll suffer."

Lu Wushuang said, "She came for me, if she sees me with him, won't his life be lost in vain because of me?"

The cousins reasoned with each other, trying to push the other into accompanying Yang Guo in escaping.

Yang Guo was extremely touched by this, these two girls were filled with loyalty, yet in this danger they were both willing to risk their lives for him; even if I die at the hands of this witch, my life wouldn't exactly have been lived for no purpose.

He then heard Lu Wushuang ask, "Sha Dan, say something, do you want my cousin to go with you or me?"

Before Yang Guo replied, Cheng Ying said, "Why do you keep on calling him Sha Dan this, Sha Dan that, are you not afraid of making brother Yang angry at all?"

Lu Wushuang stuck out her tongue, she laughed and said, "Look at how courteous and considerate you are to him; brother Sha would definitely want you to go with him." Changing her greeting from 'Sha Dan' to 'Brother Sha' was her way of showing her sincerity.

Cheng Ying's face was distinctly white and it was very easy to make her blush, so when Lu Wushuang said this, Cheng Ying's face immediately turned red as a rose. She gave a slight laugh and said, "He calls you 'Wifey', doesn't he? How can the wife not go along with him?"

This time it was Lu Wushuang's turn to blush. She stretched out her hand and tried to tickle Cheng Ying; Cheng Ying turned around and leapt away. In a short while, the room felt as if a gentle relaxing breeze was blowing through the room, the three of them didn't appear to be as worried and frightened as they were at the start.

Yang Guo thought, "If Miss Cheng escapes with me, then Wifey's life would be in danger. If Wifey goes with me, then Miss Cheng would be in extreme danger." He said, "I am extremely touched by the way you two treat me. I say that you two should escape and let me handle the witch. My master and she are apprentice sisters; she would still have some respect towards that relationship. Not only that, she's afraid of my master, she wouldn't dare to do anything to me…"

Before he finished, Lu Wushuang interrupted, "That won't do…that won't do."

Yang Guo knew that the two would not abandon the other so he said clearly, "The three of us will escape together. If we do encounter that witch then we'll fight for our lives; whether we live or die, let the heavens decide."

Lu Wushuang clapped her hands and said, "Fine, let's do that."

Cheng Ying said grimly, "That witch comes and goes like the wind, if the three of us travel together, she will definitely catch up with us. We're going to fight with her on the way so why don't we remain here and wait for her to come when she's exhausted."

Yang Guo said, "That's right. Sister knows how to use formations, she could even trap that monk Jinlun Fawang, the Scarlet Serpent Deity may not be able to break through it."

Once he said this, the three's eyes lit up softly.

Cheng Ying said, "That formation was set up by Mrs. Guo, I just added a few variations to it, I can never set something up like that. We'll do our best and let fate decide. Cousin, come and help me."

Yang Guo thought, "When Auntie Guo taught me the formation, I could only remember ten or so different types and it could only be used to lure the rusty Jinlun Fawang into the formation; it would have no use in blocking that heaven hating and world resenting Li Mochou. This type of art is extremely complicated; to be well versed in it requires at least one year's worth of work. Miss Cheng is young so of course the things that she has learned cannot compare with Auntie Guo, she wasn't trying to be modest. But no matter how simple and crude her formation is, it's better than nothing."