Book 7 Chapter 8 – Excellent Escape Plan

One after another Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling fled for their lives on the mountain and fields. By this time the two boys had reached the ‘body weary, strength exhausted’ state; but because powerful enemies were after them, they could only run toward the precipitous mountain trying to escape.

Since three days ago when Ba Fenghan and Fu Junyu caught up with them, they had run for several hundred li from Jiangyin toward Dongji, passing through Yixing and Yongshi, two big county towns.

Although the have given everything they had, with crafty scheme and brilliant plan, all along they were unable to shake off Ba Fenghan and Fu Junyu. It was only then did they realize that either one of Ba or Fu was an expert in tracking and following; they could not help whining on for days.

That evening Ba Fenghan, two people were getting closer and closer, the two boys sensed that they were only about a hundred or so zhang away. Fortunately they came across a rapids in a secluded canyon deep in the mountains, plus the rain was pouring heavily. The two boys followed the rapids downstream for more than ten li before they were able to delay the imminent disaster for a few moments.

By the time the two boys crawled up from the river, not only their strength was gone their muscles weary, their clothes were tattered and they were covered in scars due to the frictions with sharp rocks along the way; in short, they were completely battered and exhausted. Kou Zhong even lost his Moon in the Well.

Under the downpour the two boys climbed over an overhanging cliff, and since they were unable to take it any longer, both collapsed on the ground.

Gasping for breath, Kou Zhong said, “You think we lost Fengshi Han yet? The rain is so heavy, any scent or trace ought to be washed away!”

Xu Ziling turned his face up, to let the sharp raindrops shot like arrows onto his face. He sighed and said, “No matter how you look at it, it seems to me that this guy is determined to stake it all against us; whoever collapse first is the loser.”

Kou Zhong bitter said, “Supposing this time we can escape alive, it would mean that our qinggong has made tremendous progress. Ay! When we left that day, we were so proud and strong, who would have thought that this wicked Ah Yi [maternal aunt] who cannot tell good from evil, plus one Fengshi Han, can make us look like the dog of a mourning family?”

Xu Ziling dropped down with his entire body crouched down on the ground, his handsome face close to the muddy edge of the cliff, he groaned and said, “The Heaven decreed that to be a great man, one must first labor his muscles and bones, temper his will, and deplete his body. In my opinion, before we are out the critical circumstances, we ought to practice for three more days!”

Kou Zhong also craned his neck to look down into the ravine below, he saw a waterfall from the upper left cliff rushing down into a small lake, with dark jungle all around it, which extended continuously in the canyon below until nobody knew how deep or how far.

Leaning out farther away, he saw underneath the cliff about ten zhang away from him was an old pine tree with great number of branches and luxuriant leaves; it was exceptionally spectacular.

Having a brainwave, Kou Zhong called out, “Xiao Ling, come quick and look, like a miracle a big tree unexpectedly grew under the cliff; it must be a place of charm and beauty. We might as well go down to take a look, who knows if there is a cave down there where we can hide for several days, so that even their feet become crippled from walking, that wicked Ah Yi and Fengshi Han cannot find us.”

Xu Ziling made an effort to prop himself up and crawl toward the edge of the cliff; but before he had any chance to look down, his body suddenly shook, “Bad!” he said.

Kou Zhong was greatly startled; following Xu Ziling’s gaze, he looked toward the opposite side of the ravine, to a small hill that was perhaps about fifty zhang lower than their cliff. But he did not detect anything unusual. “What is it?” he hastily asked.

This moment the rain was getting heavier, plus the forest was dark, so that not only it was difficult to see into the distance, they also had to raise their voices just to be heard.

Xu Ziling put his lips next to Kou Zhong’s ears and said in a low voice, “They are coming! Just now a sudden gust of wind carried the sound of broken branches into my ears. Heavens! How did they do it?”

Kou Zhong was frightened as well. Under this kind of circumstances, how did the enemy manage to trail them and keep them at their arm’s length?

“Do you still have any strength left?” he asked in heavy voice.

Xu Ziling shook his head with wry smile. “Do you?” he asked back.

Kou Zhong sighed and said, “We, two brothers, are the same thing. If you are incapable, naturally I am too. But in my opinion, wicked Ah Yi and Fengshi Han are not much better compared to us. Otherwise they would not have broken a branch. Right now there is only one way out, which is going down to look for a cave. What do you think? Do you want to try?”

Xu Ziling said, “Based on our experience these past few days, no matter where we hide, they always managed to find us. But tonight apparently their hearing is also impeded by this heavy rain, so that for the first time they let us lie down here for nearly half a sichen. If we could exploit this favorable situation, we might be able to escape with our lives.”

Recalling the small lake at the bottom of the waterfall, Kou Zhong had a brainwave, “Right now, even though Ning Daoqi and Fu Cailin have eyes, it’s like they are blind. Supposing … ha … I got an idea.”

The two boys standing side by side at the edge of the cliff, each one holding a large rock that they wrapped in their tattered outer robe.

This moment they heard the sound of wind from behind coming nearer and nearer. Kou Zhong signaled Xu Ziling with his eyes, suddenly the two boys let out a shout and throw the large rocks down first before they followed by jumping down.

By the time the two boys have safely landed on the old pine tree below, the rocks were still falling rapidly down. The sound of their robes rustling against the wind continued on, getting farther and farther away; there was really no difference from if they were jumping down.

The two boys did not dare to breathe loudly, they crouched on the pine tree and did not dare to budge.

‘Splash! Splash!’ The sound of objects falling into the water was faintly heard from about a hundred zhang below.

Fu Junyu’s voice followed from above, “Good kid! Unexpectedly they escaped.”

Ba Fenghan sighed and said, “These two

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kids endurance is indeed astonishing, their courage is even bigger that it wraps the heavens. Junyu still want to go after them?”

Fu Junyu resolutely said, “Even to the end of the earth I want to go after them.”

Listening from below Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling looked at each other in dismay; they really wished to know why Fu Junyu was ‘fuming with rage between gritted teeth’ and hated them so much.

Ba Fenghan suddenly said, “The rain is getting heavier.”

After a moment of silence, Ba Fenghan’s voice was heard again from above, “Is it possible for me to take care of some business first before I can accompany Junyu looking for those two kids to settle the account?” he said tenderly.

Fu Junyu’s reply was cold, “Who wants you to accompany me? Get lost, go see that Dongming Pai girl!”

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were greatly astonished. Could it be that Dongming Pai girl was Dongming Princess Shan Wanjing? Could it be that she already joined hands with Fengshi Han?

Forcing a laughter, Ba Fenghan said, “Junyu, haven’t we come into an agreement to become intimate friends? Why does the tone of your voice sound like you are a jealous lover?”