Chapter - 228 The Hidden Loveless Valley (9)

The girl in white called out, her body trembled and she sat down on the floor with her eyes closed, it was as if she had fainted.

Yang Guo called out, "Gu Gu, how are you feeling?"

After a while, the girl slowly opened her eyes and stood up. She said, "Who are you? What did you call me?"

Yang Guo was greatly shocked, he stared at her, if it wasn't Xiao Longnu then who else could it be? He quickly asked, "Gu Gu, It's' Guo'er, how… how come you don't recognize me? Are you hurt? Where are you feeling discomfort?"

The girl looked at him and said coldly, "I do not know you." She then walked into the hall and sat down by Valley Master Gongsun. Yang Guo was flabbergasted; he returned to the hall in a daze and leaned on the back of a chair.

Valley Master Gongsun's face had been unmoved all along but now his face was filled with joy, he raised his hand towards Fawang and the others, saying, "This is my bride; the wedding has been set for today after midday." He then glanced over at Yang Guo wryly, offended by his rudeness just now in recognizing someone wrongly and scaring his new bride.

Yang Guo's shock was indescribable; he said loudly, "Gu Gu, could it be… could it be that you're not Xiao Longnu? Could it be that you're not my Master?"

The girl said, "No! What Xiao Longnu?"

Yang Guo clenched his fists, his mind filled with thoughts, "Is Gu Gu angry with me and doesn't want to recognize me? Is it because we're in danger and she's deliberately pretending? Is she like Godfather and has lost her memories? But Godfather was still able to recognize me. Could it be that there really is someone else in the world that looks exactly like her?"

He just said, "Gu Gu, you… you… I'm… I'm Guo'er!"

Valley Master Gongsun frowned slightly as he watched him lose his composure, he quietly said to the girl, "Sister Liu, there are many weird people here today."

The girl ignored him and poured a cup of water. She slowly drank it and glanced over at Jinlun Fawang and the others but she avoided Yang Guo, not looking at him again. Everyone saw her sleeve tremble slightly and water splashed from the cup onto her clothes but she did not notice anything.

Yang Guo's mind was turning upside down and didn't know what to do; he turned around to Jinlun Fawang and asked, "My Master and I have dueled with you before, you remember. Tell me… have I recognized the wrong person?"

When the girl entered the hall, Fawang had recognized her as Xiao Longnu but she completely ignored Yang Guo, he thought that the two must have had a lovers quarrel so he smiled wryly and said, "I don't remember."

He had endured a great defeat by them when Xiao Longnu and Yang Guo used the "Simple Heart of the Jade Maiden" swordplay against him; something which had never happened before. He thought that if the two had quarreled, it really was something that was beneficial to him, why should he help them get back together?

Yang Guo was startled again but immediately understood, in his mind, he was furious, "You really are evil. That day on the mountain top, I helped you to recuperate and now you're doing this to me." He wanted to kill him right there and then.

Jinlun Fawang saw that he had fallen to pieces but his eyes revealed hatred, he pondered, "There's hate towards me in his heart now; if I let him live he will be a problem in the future. Today he's making a spectacle of himself; this really is a good chance to get rid of him." He folded his arms to Valley Master Gongsun and laughed, "Since today is Valley Master's day of celebration, of course we'll attend but it is a bit embarrassing that my friends and I have not brought any gifts."

Valley Master Gongsun was delighted when he heard that they would stay for his wedding, he said to the girl, "These people are great Masters of Wulin; just being able to have one present is a great honour never mind being able to…" He wanted to say six of them but he felt Yang Guo was young. Just now when he fought Zhou Botong, though his form and position were exquisite, his internal energy was ordinary. He felt that his martial arts practice aimed for style over substance and couldn't rank him as one of the 'great Masters of Wulin'. But if he leaves him out and says five, it would a bit too discourteous, he hesitated a little and said, "…invite these heroes."

Fawang thought to himself, "This Valley Master has a majestic air, and from the formation he set to catch the Old Urchin, his martial arts and intelligence are excellent; but he hasn't got the ability to do great things. Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu just said a few words and he's agitated."

Valley Master Gongsun said, "Sister Liu, this is Jinlun Fawang…" He then told her who they were and said Yang Guo's name last. When the girl heard their names, she just nodded slightly, her face unmoved as if she did not care but to Yang Guo's name, she stared outside and didn't even nod.

Yang Guo's face was red, his mind was turning upside like an ocean storm, whatever Valley Master Gongsun said, he didn't hear. Nimoxing, Yin Kexi and the others did not know his background, they thought that he was embarrassed because he had recognized the wrong person.

Gongsun Lu'E was standing behind her father and heard every single word that Yang Guo had said, she thought to herself, "This morning his finger was pierced by the passion flower, and he immediately suffered pain from yearning for his lover. Right now he's filled with these thoughts, could it be that my new mother is his lover? What are the chances of that? Could it be that these people have come to the valley because of my new mother?" She examined her 'new mother' and saw that her face was expressionless, there was no joy or happiness on her face, neither was there any shyness; she did not look like a new bride at all and her suspicions deepened.

Yang Guo's chest felt as if it wanted to burst, he then thought, "Gu Gu must have a reason for being like this, I better stop running away with these thoughts and find out the truth."

He then stood up and bowed to the Valley Master. He said clearly, "I have a close one, that… that looks extremely like that Miss, I apologize for my mistake just now."

When the Valley Master heard these polite words, his face immediately changed and returned the bow. He then said, "It's not unusual to mistake someone for someone else, who can be blamed? But…" He stopped for a while and laughed, "To have someone else who looks exactly like her is not only a great coincidence; it is also an extremely odd thing." He was saying how could there be another equally as beautiful girl under heaven's skies?

Yang Guo said, "Yes, it is extremely odd. Can I take the liberty to ask this Miss' surname?"

Valley Master Gongsun had a faint smile and said, "Her surname is Liu. Is your close one also named Liu?"

Yang Guo said, "No." He pondered, "Why did Gu Gu change her name to Liu?" He then had a thought, "Ah, it's because I'm named Yang." [2] After another thought like this, his finger broke out in unbearable pain again.

Gongsun Lu'E saw his suffering and pitied him, her eyes never left his face.