Chapter Seventy: Farewell Encounter

  In the following days, Hong Qigong taught Linghu Chong the Dragon-Subduing Palms move by move, while Linghu Chong transcribed the Divine Fowl Fist into a manual and gave it to Hong Qigong.

  Ling Yun had originally wanted to pass on the essence of Da Fumo Boxing and his own insights gained from practicing it to Hong Qigong, just like he did. However, thinking that Hong Qigong's martial arts attainments were far superior to his own, and that his understanding of martial arts must be much deeper, he decided instead to simply copy out the original boxing manual and hand it over to Hong Qigong for him to comprehend on his own.

  But Hong Qigong did not immediately practice the Divine Demon Fist after obtaining it, instead continuing to instruct and guide Linghu Chong and Huang Rong. The fist manual was already in hand, and there would be plenty of time later; he could always start practicing after teaching Linghu Chong and Huang Rong.

  More than a month had passed, and Hong Qigong had taught Linghu Chong the entire "Dragon Subduing Palms" technique. Huang Rong also made great progress under Hong Qigong's guidance. Many of the obscure points in her previous martial arts training were clarified by Hong Qigong's pointers, and she gained many techniques for adapting to changing circumstances and preserving her life in combat. Although she hadn't learned any new martial arts techniques, her actual abilities had improved significantly.

  Huang Rong was grateful for Hong Qigong's guidance and also showed her skills in cooking, not only were the dishes she cooked never repeated, but even the staple foods like rice and noodles were extremely clever and varied, with no two meals being the same. Potstickers, siu mai, steamed dumplings, boiled dumplings, fried rice, congee, niangao, flower rolls, rice noodles, and tofu threads - the varieties seemed endless, and Hong Qigong was so delighted that he ate excessively every day, taking great pleasure in it, and after a month, his whole person had become much plumper.

  This day, Hung Ch'ing ate his breakfast and then said to Ling Tse and Huang Rong: "Ling young friend, Huang girl, the three of us have been together for over a month now. Now that Ling young friend has mastered the Dragon-Subduing Palms, it's time for us to part ways."

  "Huang Rong said: 'Ah, no, I still have many small dishes that haven't been cooked for you yet, elder.'"

  Hong Qigong said: "There's no banquet in the world that doesn't disperse, but there are dishes that can't be finished. In my life as a beggar, I've never taught anyone martial arts for more than three days. This time, to fulfill my promise to Ling Xiaoyu, I taught her for over thirty days. Now that her palm technique is complete, it's also time for me to take my leave. As beggars, we always eat at different houses; what's the logic in relying on one family and not leaving? Wouldn't that just bankrupt them?"

  Huang Rong said: "Don't worry, Seventh Uncle, Brother Yun and I have money, you won't starve with us."

  "Haha, even if I'm not poor, it's still not okay. That would ruin my reputation as a beggar. Your cooking skills are too good, and if I don't leave now, I'll be reluctant to go. If other beggars find out that I've been lingering around your little family because of the food, won't they laugh at me for being shameless? That would be unbearable! How can I still lead all the beggars in the world?"

  After finishing, Hong Qigong did not give Ling Yun and Huang Rong a chance to continue to persuade him. Without saying another word, he slung the gourd over his shoulder, picked up his staff, and laughed loudly as he walked out of the door and disappeared into the distance. By the time Ling Yun and Huang Rong rushed out to chase after him, Hong Qigong's figure had almost vanished from sight at the end of the street.

  "Never mind, Rong'er," said Ling Yun, calling back Huang Rong who was about to chase after him. "Qi Gong is the leader of the Beggar Clan after all, and he has a lot of things to take care of. He can't always be with us. Since he wants to leave, let's not bother him anymore."

  "Huang Rong stamped her foot and said, 'But didn't the old man say he would be our matchmaker? He just left like that, without even leaving a way for us to contact him. Where will we find him when the time comes?'"

  Ling Yun only then knew why Huang Rong was so eager to keep Hong Qigong, and couldn't help but laugh: "Rong'er, you're thinking too far ahead, we're still young now, it's too early for us to get married, what's the hurry? Let's wait a year or two, when you've grown up into a big girl, I'll go ask your father for your hand in marriage then."

  "What's the hurry to get married?" Huang Rong said with a blushing face, "I'm afraid that if my father comes looking for us and doesn't like you, it'll be terrible. Brother Yun, you don't know, my father's abilities are quite impressive, if he really doesn't like you and wants to teach you a lesson, you won't be able to beat him. If only Seven Masters were here, at least they could hold him off for a while, then we can think of another plan."

  Ling Yun's smile was not quite genuine, and he reached out to tweak Huang Rong's small nose: "Rong'er, after all the commotion, you want to keep Qi Zhang just so he can be a human shield? You don't have much faith in me, do you? With my excellent qualifications, why doesn't your father agree to our marriage?"

  Huang Rong's face turned red and she stuck out her tongue: "I just wanted to be on the safe side!"

  "Don't worry, I've got everything under control. I guarantee that your father will accept me!" Ling Mu Yun said as he wrapped his arms around Huang Rong and pulled her into his embrace.

  Huang Rong leaned against Ling Yun's chest, her small face flushing as she nodded: "Mm-hmm, Brother Cloud, I believe you!"

  ……

  After Hong Qigong left, Ling Yun and Huang Rong also didn't stay here for long. The next day, they settled the room fee and left Jiangmiao Town on horseback and camelback. This time, Huang Rong changed back into men's clothing, and the beautiful young woman became a young man. Ling Yun saw that the lovely young woman had become a young man and felt a bit awkward, so he asked Huang Rong, who said it was for convenience on the road.

  Actually, Huang Rong had another small thought that she didn't express. She liked the warmth of sleeping in the same room with Ling Yun more, but when wearing women's clothes, it was unavoidable to consider other people's opinions, just like this time when meeting Hong Qigong, so it was still more convenient to change back into men's clothes.

  Two people traveled along the canal south, and after a day's journey they arrived at Yixing. Yixing is a famous pottery city in China, with green hills and clear water surrounding piles of purple sand pottery, presenting another beautiful scenery.

  Two people went east, and soon arrived at the edge of Taihu Lake. The lake is surrounded by three states, and all the water in the southeast flows into it, with a circumference of 500 miles, known as Wu Hu in ancient times. Ling Yun and Huang Rong stood hand in hand on the lakeside, seeing only the vast sky and distant waves, with everything looking emerald green, and the 72 peaks standing upright in the midst of 36,000 hectares of rolling waves, they couldn't help but feel a great sense of relief, wanting to compose a poem to express their feelings, but unfortunately, there was not enough ink in their belly, so they could only give up with regret.

  "Huang Rong suggested: 'Yun brother, let's go play in the lake.'"

  Ling Mu Yun also had this intention and immediately nodded in agreement.

  The two of them found a fishing village by the lake, left their horses at a fisherman's house, borrowed a small boat and rowed into the lake.

  The distance from the shore is gradually increasing, and the view is vast. It's as if one doesn't know where the sky and earth are, or where the lakes and seas are in relation to the sky and earth. Huang Rong's collar and hair were gently swaying in the wind, and she smiled: "In the past, Fan Li took Xi Shi on a boat ride across the Five Lakes, truly a wise man. To die of old age here would be better than being an official, wouldn't it?"

  Ling Yun knew that Huang Rong was talking about the story of Fan Li and Xi Shi, this allusion he knew, but didn't know what difference there was between the story being passed down at this time and the one passed down in later generations. So he let Huang Rong tell it to him. Huang Rong then told the story of how Fan Li helped King Goujian of Yue avenge his defeat and reclaim his country, how he retired after succeeding and went into hiding with Xi Shi on Lake Tai, and how Wu Zixu, who was an enemy of Fan Li's, and Wen Zhong, another minister of Yue, were killed by the kings of Wu and Yue respectively.

  Ling Yun discovered that what Huang Rong said was largely consistent with the legend passed down through the ages, but there were some differences in details. However, being able to hear Huang Rong's soft and gentle voice telling stories of ancient people had a unique beauty and charm, which surpassed the fun of the story itself.

  Huang Rong finished telling the anecdote and saw that Ling Yun had a faint smile on his face, so she asked him to tell her a story too. Ling Yun couldn't think of one for the moment, so he picked one from the many jokes he had heard in his previous life that was suitable for the occasion and told it out loud, making Huang Rong laugh so hard that she held her belly and her hairpins shook loose.

  The two of them chatted and laughed, no longer rowing, letting the small boat drift with the wind. Unbeknownst to them, they had already drifted more than ten miles away from the shore. In the distance, about a hundred feet away, there was a flat-bottomed boat anchored in the middle of the lake, with a fisherman sitting at the bow fishing and a young boy at the stern.

  "Huang Rong pointed at the fishing boat and said: 'The misty waves are vast, with a single pole fishing alone, it's just like a landscape painting in ink.'"

  Ling Mu Yun nodded: "Indeed, it's very picturesque, but I think this scene is more enjoyable for a boat ride and sightseeing. If I were to go fishing instead, I'd prefer the feeling of 'a solitary boat with a thatched roof, fishing alone in the snowy cold river'."

  "Huang Rong smiled and said: 'Yun brother, do you want to be a hermit? That's not possible, I haven't had enough fun in this world of flowers yet. When I'm tired of playing later, I'll accompany you to retire to the mountains and forests. What do you say, is that okay?'"

  Ling Yun patted Huang Rong's small face and smiled: "I just had a feeling and said it casually, Rong'er, you don't have to take it seriously. Now we are in our prime years and haven't experienced enough of the world's beauty. It's okay to relax and be idle for a while, but talking about retirement is a bit too early."

  "Haha, I knew it! We're just barely considered newcomers to the Jianghu world, and we haven't even experienced much of its charm yet. Brother Yun, how can you think of retiring already? Hehehe..."

  As a gentle breeze blew by, the waves gently lapped against the bow of the boat. Huang Rong dipped her oars in time and began to sing: "A thousand li of sailing, just for a glimpse of Wu Mountain's beauty. Clouds gather at the water's edge, waves follow the goddess, nine rivers flowing eastward. Northern traveler, with a heart full of emotion, as the years draw to a close. Thinking of old friends, hidden away in seclusion, and the fleeting nature of life...

  Later, Huang Rong's voice gradually turned mournful and sad. This was a Water Dragon Song, describing the feelings of drifting on the water. She sang the first half of the song, then stopped and rested for a moment, with a hint of tears in her eyes.

  Ling Mochou felt a sense of wonder in his heart, just as he was about to ask a question, when suddenly a melancholic song floated across the lake. The tune was exactly the same as the one Huang Rong had sung before - it was the second half of "Shui Long Yin": "Looking back, the evil miasma has not been dispelled, where are the heroes in this world? Brilliant strategies to restore the nation, alas, all in vain, dusty and obscure. Iron chains block the river, brocade sails dash against the waves, Sun Lang's bitter toil. But alas, beating the drum of Osmanthus, lamenting at Liangfu, tears flowing like rain." Far away, he saw that it was the old fisherman who had been fishing earlier, singing with great passion and grandeur.

  At this scene, Ling Muyun's heart suddenly moved: "Could it be him?"

  Recently, the original content has been involved in more and more. In order not to let many book friends who are not familiar with the original work lack a concept of the plot, I couldn't just gloss over many plots. To be honest, writing like this is quite boring for me too. So I decided to speed up the pace. If possible, I will update three chapters a day in the next two days, and the extra chapter will be arranged at 6 pm. By the way, the plot of "The Legend of the Condor Hero" is about to come to an end soon, and the protagonist will return to the main world soon. If you have any good suggestions for the main world's plot, feel free to post them in the book review section.