The Return of the Condor Heroes

Ci’en was wearing a monk’s robe. His face had changed much from the Mount Hua [Huashan] Sword Meet of 30 years ago. Yinggu looked at him for a minute and then said, “How would I know this monk?”

“Who hurt your son then?” Yideng asked.

The granny’s body shuddered, her fair countenance turned red, and from red it turned back to white. “That scoundrel Qiu Qianren,” she answered. “Even if he’s turned into dirt I will still remember him.”

“It has been tens of years yet you have not rid your heartache.” Yideng sighed. “This man is none other than Qiu Qianren. You don’t recognize his face any longer, but your heart is still full of hatred.”

Yinggu leaped and stretched her fingers like claws, she was going to pierce Ci’en’s breast. Before her hands reached their target, she looked at him again. That face only slightly resembled the Qiu Qianren that she knew. He was lying motionless, no different than a corpse. “If he really is Qiu Qianren, why did he want to see me?” she asked doubtfully.

“He is indeed Qiu Qianren,” explained Yideng. “He repented his great and many sins, shaved his head and became my disciple. His Buddhist name is Ci’en.”

The granny snorted. “Great sinners always think they can redeem their sins by becoming a monk,” she said.

“You are wrong,” said Yideng patiently. “Sin is sin. By becoming a monk he is still a sinner. But he is heavily injured and is dying. He remembered his sin toward you in the past. He knew he injured your child and his heart is troubled; if he doesn’t see you, he won’t die peacefully. Therefore, enduring his pain, we have come from thousands of li away to ask for your forgiveness.”

The granny looked at Ci’en for a long time. Her eyes shone with unleashed hatred. Guo Xiang was really frightened. Slowly the granny lifted her hands up to hit Ci’en. Even though Guo Xiang was scared, her valiant heart prevailed. “Stop it!” she shouted. “He is heavily injured. It’s not proper for you to hit him.”

Yinggu coldly laughed. “Not proper?” she asked. “He murdered my child and made me suffer for tens of years. Right now – even though it is a bit late, I have a chance for revenge. Not proper? What do you mean ‘not proper’?”

“He has repented and regretted his sins,” said the girl. “Why do you insist?”

Yinggu looked up and laughed maniacally. “Child, don’t talk rubbish!” she snapped. “What would you do if he killed your child?”

“I … I … I don’t have a child,” Guo Xiang stammered. 𝒇𝐫ℯ𝑒𝒘ℯ𝑏n𝑜ѵ𝐞l.c𝗼𝗺

The granny made a noise with her nose. “What if he killed your husband, your lover … your big brother? What would you do?” she asked again.

Guo Xiang blushed. “You talk rubbish,” she said, “Where did my husband or my lover come from?” 𝘧𝗿ee𝚠𝙚𝙗𝑛o𝚟𝐞l.𝐜૦𝗺

Yinggu was seething with anger. She ignored the girl and lifted her hands again to hit her archenemy’s head. Suddenly Ci’en sighed and opened his eyes. A smile formed on his lips. “Thank you Yinggu, for helping me.”

The granny was stunned, her hands stopped mid-air. “Help you what?” she barked. But then she realized Ci’en’s intention. She now knew that the monk was dying, he wanted it finished by her hands. ‘An eye for an eye’… He would pay his old debt.

Yinggu then coldly laughed. “Hmm! How could you die that easy?” she said. “Now I don’t want to kill you, yet I don’t want to forgive you either!” That word left her mouth with such a cruelty that all who heard her shivered.

Yang Guo was certain that, as a monk, Reverend Yideng would not use force against his ex-concubine who was mad with anger. Guo Xiang was still too young to be regarded by the granny. He was the only one who could do something, anything. He thought for a moment and then said, “Senior Yinggu, I do not know the details of your enmity toward Ci’en. But I can tell from your words that you are a little bit too involved. Therefore, whether I want it or not, I’ll have to intervene.”

Yinggu was startled and looked at Yang Guo with flame in her eyes. She recalled her three failed attacks, and she recalled his magnificent roar. She realized her skill was not on par with the Eagle Hero, who, judging from his words, would resort to force against her. She also remembered her suffering. From anger she turned sad, and then sobbed uncontrollably.

Yang Guo and Guo Xiang, even Yideng, were perplexed; they didn’t understand why the granny cried. A little while later she said, still sobbing: “You! You wanted to see me and I ignored you, but you used force against me. But that person is not willing to see me and none of you care about it.”

“Who?” asked Guo Xiang quickly, “Who doesn’t want to see Senior? We can help you.”

“You can only bully women,” said Yinggu. “But you are afraid to meet a highly skilled pugilist.”

“I am indeed useless,” said the girl. “But with Reverend Yideng and Big Brother here, we are not afraid of anything.”