Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
It was an odd temporary group in which everybody was wary of one another, yet for now, they could only depend on one another.
Old Man Mu was injured and could not move for the time being, so for three days, they remained where they were.
Maid Lotus had already recovered fully except for the Heart Stopping Finger. She had brought the horse hidden nearby and distributed dry goods and clean water enough to last the three of them for several days. She also took initiative and did all of the chores. However, like a submissive invisible genie, she seldom spoke and would disappear once she finished her work.
Shangguan Ru devoted herself to learning the remaining five moves. She questioned the usage of each move and even though Old Man Mu told her everything he knew and was showing off most of the time, the more she learned about them, the more frightened she was.
Combining the secret techniques of the New Moon Hall and his own wicked Kung Fu, Old Man Mu had created the set of Heart Stopping Finger based on the foundation of Jueyin Touch and Peripheral Force. Although it looked unimpressive on the surface, the Kung Fu itself was dark and vicious. The opponent would neither die nor live and his heart pulse would either be immediately damaged or secretly remain as a danger within the body. The skill was most effective for those who had practiced New Moon Hall’s Kung Fu.
Although there were only seven moves in total, there were many variations once it was combined together. Often, there was only a very slight difference between saving one’s life or killing someone. Just as Old Man Mu said, it all depended on the person’s mood to either use the moves to kill or to save.
Shangguan Ru secretly vowed to forget this acupoint technique and would never use it again after helping Maid Lotus to remove the Heart Stopping Finger.
With the Wayless Qigong as a foundation, Shangguan Ru was a fast learner and quickly learned six moves in just three days. Although she was far from skillful, she no longer needed Old Man Mu’s guidance.
Only the third move was difficult for Shangguan Ru to get past.
The move was one that Old Man Mu was proud of. To him, it was a move that was too easy to learn and use. “What’s there to it? As long as you master the strength properly, the killing move will become a saving move. Once you practice more you will naturally be able to understand how to use it correctly. Just wait till I regain my Kung Fu…”
Old Man Mu would heave endless sighs whenever this matter was brought up.
It was easy for him to say, but Shangguan Ru did not dare to try the move. To her, the third move of the Heart Stopping Finger was hard to master because of the control of strength. If it was too much, the person being attacked by it would die right away. But if the strength was weak, it would not serve its purpose. Only when the control of strength was just right, then the heart pulse would be protected, and the killing move would become one that could save others.
But how could she just try it out? She could only try to figure it out slowly. Yet the move was the core to removing the Heart Stopping Finger. She would not be able to save Maid Lotus if she was unable to master it.
Old Man Mu flung his hands in despair as there was no other way to it. He said, “It all depends on whether or not you are sincere in saving her. Go somewhere with more people and try the move on some unlucky person. Maybe then you’ll find the knack for it at once. Hell, you won’t even have to kill someone!”
Shangguan Ru sometimes doubted Old Man Mu’s motives and wondered if he was trying his best to reignite the killing desire within her.
Three days later, they set out on their journey. Both Old Man Mu and Maid Lotus had no destination in mind, while Shangguan Ru only wished to be as far away from the Western Region as possible. So they continued to head down south.
Once the dry goods were eaten, Maid Lotus took on the responsibility to hunt and make food. Her expertise in this area was as superb as her Kung Fu. Old Man Mu was full of praise for the grilled meat she provided that he even forgot about his broken tendons. “I knew there was an advantage in bringing along a slave. Do you see it, good girl? Can you make such delicious food? Let me tell you, you will be reluctant to even let her go once you get used to this.”
Shangguan Ru really wanted to help Maid Lotus remove the Heart Stopping Finger immediately, but she did not dare to do so when she was still uncertain.
She confessed the truth about the third move of the Heart Stopping Finger, but Maid Lotus treated it as a test from her master and did not express much interest in it, as if she had no complaints about serving the Tenth Young Master.
Shangguan Ru had no choice but to seek help from Old Man Mu again, “You mentioned that the Five Hole Punch can protect one’s heart pulse.”
He understood what she was trying to say, so he said, “I did mention it before, but I don’t have much Kung Fu now. I can perhaps manage to block off the first move of the Heart Stopping Finger, but I definitely cannot block the third move. Good girl, you can’t possibly show preference in your treatment towards us and want to sacrifice me for Maid Lotus, right? Actually, your worry is uncalled for. Even if you turn Maid Lotus into a fairy and sent her back, Dragon King will not thank you for it. Men… forget it, I won’t say anymore.”
However, Old Man Mu’s mouth was never idle. As the 15th day was approaching, his real motive was also gradually revealed: To make Shangguan Ru into a villain like himself.
His idea was simple. Most good people were stubborn in their own opinions, but the villains would act accordingly to changing situations as deemed fit. Once the good girl turned into a bad girl, he would be able to offer irresistible conditions in exchange for restoring his Kung Fu.
Teaching the Seven Circles seven apertures Heart Stopping Finger was just a start. He would still need to exert a subtle influence and change Shangguan Ru’ prejudice against villains.
“Becoming evil is easy, but it’s not easy when you are trying to become a villain who is multifaceted.”
That night, Old Man Mu started talking to the tent walls. Only Shangguan Ru was in the tent, Maid Lotus had gone off somewhere nearby to stand guard unnecessarily.
Old Man Mu would take it as an acknowledgment whenever there was no reply and would continue talking to himself, “The low-level villains need to make up reasons to persuade himself before committing evil. All mortal beings are like that. For example, ‘This guy owes me’, ‘If people can get it, then I can take it too!’, or ‘He started it first, that’s why I was evil to him too.’ These kinds of evil have no standard.”
He felt that Shangguan Ru would not be interested in these low-level villains, so after coughing twice, Old Man Mu continued to explain, “Intermediate villains, their reasons are created by others. For example, Dragon King. His father was killed by Golden Roc Fort, therefore, he would need to be evil in order to seek revenge.”
This was something that even Shangguan Ru would have no interest in, so he hastened and said, “The high-level villains, create their own reasons for doing evil, mind you, it’s creation, not a fabrication. For example, your father the Supreme King is a good example. He wants to dominate the Western Region and take over the world, therefore he’s ruthless. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t offended him, as long as you block his path…”
Shangguan Ru was falling asleep, so Old Man Mu quickly switched to the main topic and said: “I belonged to the top-level villains, I don’t need a reason, be it fabricated, or created by others or themselves. I have no reason and no target, therefore there is no end to my killing. My source of happiness is derived from people’s pain. There is no end to the suffering of people in this world, and therefore there is no end to my happiness. So guess, what did I get?”
Shangguan Ru was not a good listener, and did not even humor him with a reply. But Old Man Mu had gotten very excited, “Freedom! I got freedom! Good girl, take a good look at yourself. You want to do good but you are caught in a dilemma. Can’t do this or that. You don’t even dare to see your former relatives and can only seek to go somewhere isolated. Why torture yourself like that? Once you change your perspectives, you will be as free as I am.”
Like a spring which could not stop bouncing, Old Man Mu limped around outside the tent talking excitedly, “Top-level villains are hard to be, you need to have extraordinary Kung Fu. Look at me now, even though I possess a heart of freedom, but I am still being chased by Maid Lotus like a bereaved dog and surrendered to you. Good girl, use me as your guide, you have a good foundation and I can make you invincible in less than three years. Once you taste that freedom to do whatever you want…”
Shangguan Ru walked out of the tent. Old Man Mu was elated, “The world is your oyster!”
What Shangguan Ru was holding was not “the world” but a piece of black cloth instead. Without saying a word, she tied it firmly over his mouth and turned back into the tent.
Old Man Mu was silent as he stood outside for a moment, then he tore off the black cloth and mumbled in a low voice, “I don’t believe that you will be willing to remain an ordinary person once you possess extraordinary Kung Fu.”
Then he placed the cloth back in its original position and went round to inspect with his hands at his back. After practicing the Seven Rotation Skill, his night and day were reversed and he slept mostly in the luggage during the day; nighttime was when he was active and energetic.
Once my hands and legs are almost recovered and I manage to regain back at least half of my Kung Fu, would I not escape myself? Old Man Mu was not worried, this was not the first time he had fallen into such a situation, and he was confident that he would be able to triumph over the odds this time as well.
These two women were difficult to deal with, especially Maid Lotus. She was always so gloomy and seemed to always be hiding some sort of scheme.
Old Man Mu walked to a nearby bush and sat down. He pulled the black cloth down to his neck and let out a sigh, “It’s a pity that I possess such an amazing set of unique skills yet I have no one to pass on to. Even if a mouse passes by, I would also accept it as a disciple and let it reign over the cats.”
Suddenly, Maid Lotus emerged from the shadows clutching her sword shaft tightly. She was now the most skilled in Kung Fu among the three of them, even though she was trapped by the Heart Stopping Finger and could not kill people at will.
The two of them were several steps apart and looked at each other under the dim night, each trying to guess the other’s real thoughts.
All of a sudden, Old Man Mu burst out laughing, “I rather teach rats than crazy women. Fat chance!”
Old Man Mu felt that he had made a fool out of Maid Lotus and left feeling satisfied, but Maid Lotus was not one who was easily angered. She looked at the tent from afar and tried to figure out a way to escape.
It was not that Maid Lotus did not believe in Shangguan Ru. But years of experience being a killer had taught her an irrefutable truth: Always try to be in control of the situation. Pinning hopes on others might succeed ten times, or perhaps even a hundred times, but just one failure was enough to make your previous efforts go to naught.
The next night, Old Man Mu made his first escape attempt.
His hands and feet were almost fully recovered by now, but he still pretended to walk with difficulty, hoping to fool the two girls who were keeping watch over him.
Old Man Mu felt that he had run out for at least a dozen miles. At dawn, he hid in a thick bush and carefully fell sleep.
However, when the sun was at its peak at noon, he could no longer sleep so he opened his eyes and saw a dark thing falling from the sky.
He was back inside the familiar luggage and was led like a livestock by Shangguan Ru. Maid Lotus’s horse had to carry other things and had no space for him ride on it.
Just like that, Old Man Mu would try to escape if he could, or he would try to persuade Shangguan Ru to be a villain like him.
The night before the first 15th day, he had the most intense reaction. He tried to plead, threaten, lure, act shamelessly and even flee. He tried everything and even harbored serious thoughts of assassinating Shangguan Ru.
As a result, Shangguan Ru threw him under the sun without an ounce of guilt.
After being in the sun for half a day, Old Man Mu quietened down. Even Maid Lotus, who was the most vigilant, also assumed that he would not have the energy to come up with any more tricks.
To their surprise, the weak and feeble Old Man Mu actually managed to escape that night. Unlike the previous times, he left very few clues. All these indicated that he had gone into the dense forest.
