The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 555 Eighteen Years of Longing Finally Come to an End

Upon seeing his mother's sedan chair, Yang Kang frowned and scolded, "Meddlesome! Who went to inform the Princess?"

At this point, the two sides were locked in a stalemate, but Yang Kang no longer had the urge to make a move, while Guo Jing's side had the upper hand and had no intention of pressing their advantage.

As the embroidered sedan chair was carried to the edge of the martial arts arena, an old man with white hair walked up to Yang Kang and said, "Young Prince, have you gotten into a fight? What kind of petty thief dared to cause trouble for the Young Prince in Zhongdu?"

This man was none other than Liang Ziweng, the Ginseng Immortal. This time, he was guarding Bao Xiruo. He was just about to continue his rambling, but suddenly swallowed back half of what he was saying.

It was one thing for the rest of the people to be in a sorry state, but Sha Tongtian and Peng Lianhu were clearly injured. The key point was that the people on the other side at most looked disheveled, with not a single one of them injured. It was obvious that Yang Kang's side had been beaten up.

Liang Ziweng narrowed his eyes slightly, waved his hand behind him, and the more than one hundred Jin soldiers immediately surrounded him.

Just then, the sedan chair stopped, and a woman's voice could be heard from inside, saying, "Why are you fighting again? You've been getting into fights every day for the past few years, it only makes me worry. Stop it now." The voice was very soft and gentle.

Yang Kang straightened his clothes to make himself look less disheveled and immediately went to serve him.

Hearing the voice from afar, Yang Tiexin felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His ears rang, and he was instantly lost in thought, his heart pounding wildly: "How can this voice sound so similar to my person's?"

He immediately felt saddened: "This is the princess of the Great Jin Kingdom. I miss my wife so much that I've gone mad with longing. I'm just having wild thoughts." But he couldn't help himself and slowly walked closer to the sedan chair.

A slender hand emerged from the sedan chair, holding a handkerchief. It wiped the sweat and dirt from Yang Kang's face and whispered a few words, mostly a mix of reproach and concern.

Yang Kang gently comforted her, "Mother, I was just itching to show off my skills and wanted to spar with someone. It's nothing."

The princess scolded, "You always lie to me. You've been so outrageous these past few years, and your father spoils you so much. It's never good to bully people."

Yang Tiexin was startled again: "How could there be people in the world whose voices are so similar?" He saw the snow-white hand shrink into the sedan chair. A warm curtain hung in front of the sedan chair, with several peonies embroidered in gold thread. Although he stared at it, how could his eyes penetrate the magnificent warm curtain?

Just as Yang Tiexin was in a daze, a corner of the embroidered curtain was slightly lifted, revealing a pair of beautiful eyes and a few strands of hair. Her eyes were looking at Guo Jing and the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, without glancing at Yang Tiexin beside her.

But Yang Tiexin stared into those eyes, his body rooted to the ground like a clay or wooden sculpture, unable to move.

With just a glance, the embroidered curtain was immediately lowered, and the princess's voice came again: "Those you sparred with were all Han people. I don't like you fighting with Han people. Let's call it a day and go back with me."

Yang Kang has always been filial to his mother. He suffered a crushing defeat in the fight just now. Bao Xiruo's guards were all ordinary soldiers. Although there were many of them, they could hardly exert their fighting power in this market.

With most of their men injured and only one more expert, Liang Ziweng, they had no chance of winning and decided to use this opportunity to back down.

He walked up to Guo Jing and said, "After all, Qiu taught me for a few years. This duel is over, so let's just consider it repaying his favor."

Martial arts contests are only about winning and losing. I've lost this round, so the bet is over. Anyway, I don't need to care about the old Taoist's feelings.

But I'm not willing to accept defeat. I'll let it slide today in front of my mother, but I'll definitely get my revenge later. Don't blame me for being ruthless then.

Guo Jing turned to look at his seven masters. Zhu Cong nodded silently, while the others also showed a mix of emotion and relief.

"Alright, since you admit defeat, the eighteen-year agreement has finally come to an end, and we have no intention of causing you any more trouble."

If we ever meet again, I'll await your challenge. Since I've defeated you once, I can defeat you countless times.

Yang Kang snorted coldly and waved his hand. The soldiers immediately helped the injured man up and followed Bao Xiruo's sedan chair into the distance.

Only Yang Tiexin remained standing there, watching the person he longed for gradually disappear into the distance, yet he dared not take a single step forward.

At this moment, Guo Jing walked up to Yang Tiexin and said, "Uncle, now that this matter is settled, please come with us and leave. There are old friends waiting for us at the restaurant over there."

Yang Tiexin then came to his senses. He grabbed Guo Jing's shoulder, looked him up and examined him again: "Good, very good. I, Yang Tiexin, thought I would never have the chance to see my family again in this life. Who would have thought that heaven would take pity on me and I would actually see Jing'er today. You look just like your father."

"I wonder, who is this old friend you're referring to?"

Guo Jing laughed and said, "There are too many people and too much talk here. Uncle, you can come with me. And this young lady, she must be my sworn sister. Let's pack up and leave."

Mu Nianci blushed slightly when faced with her sworn brother who had suddenly appeared. Guo Jing's appearance was far less handsome than Yang Kang's, but his heroic demeanor during the martial arts competition had stirred Mu Nianci's heart.

In the original novel, Guo Jing's martial arts skills were inferior to Yang Kang's, and he was constantly being beaten, which made him look quite foolish. He was only able to entangle with Yang Kang because of his ability to withstand beatings and his stubborn personality, which made Yang Kang look even more dashing.

This time was completely different. Yang Kang was almost powerless against Guo Jing and was beaten in a sorry state. In addition, his personality was even more domineering. He had been extremely rude to Mu Nianci just now. At this moment, Mu Nianci only felt disgusted and had no intention of being moved.

Mu Nianci bowed slightly, her eyes glancing furtively at Guo Jing before quickly looking away, her voice barely audible: "Greetings, sworn brother."

After saying that, he turned around and started packing his bags. Meanwhile, Ah Ku, who had already finished eating the sesame seed cake, was watching from the side and chuckled. It didn't matter that he had finished the cake; it seemed like he could eat some melon.

Guo Jing had no idea what his master's wife was laughing about, but having spent a long time with Wu Chengyu and Mo Ku, he knew that his master and master's wife's laughter was never a good thing. So he didn't dare to ask any more questions, walked up to the marriage proposal flag, and bowed to pick up the pair of iron halberds next to it.

The twin halberds were heavy to hold, but they were nothing to Guo Jing. As he held the halberds, it was as if he were holding the hands of his father, Guo Xiaotian. Although he had never met his father and had no feelings for him, he felt a little heavy-hearted.

After they packed their bags and turned to enter the restaurant, just before they arrived at the Xi Yun private room, the door to the room was opened, and a tall Taoist priest walked to the door first, his eyes slightly red and his expression excited.

"Brother Yang, it's been so many years. I've missed you terribly. It's my fault, Qiu Chuji. If it weren't for me back then, how could the Guo and Yang families have suffered such a calamity?"

Eighteen years had passed since they last met. Qiu Chuji had cultivated Taoist internal energy and possessed the skill to preserve his youthful appearance, so he looked exactly the same as before. Yang Tiexin recognized him at a glance.

On the contrary, Yang Tiexin was already very old. If it weren't for Wu Chengyu's guidance and their chance encounter on the road, Qiu Chuji probably wouldn't have recognized the person in front of him.

The two extended their hands and clasped them tightly. Overwhelmed with emotion at the reunion, they were filled with a mix of bittersweet memories and deep regrets that were difficult to express.

"It's actually Master Qiu! No wonder Jing'er said it was an old friend waiting for us. What happened back then is not Master Qiu's fault; it was the fate of the Guo and Yang families."

Xi Yun wasn't large, and with so many people crammed inside, it felt quite cramped. But no one seemed to care. After Qiu Chuji and Yang Tiexin poured out their hearts to each other, they introduced everyone present and recounted past events. Yang Tiexin had no idea what had happened after he was separated from his family, especially after hearing about the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan's eighteen years of painstaking teaching of Guo Jing. He immediately tried to kneel and kowtow to the seven, but Zhang Asheng, who was closest to him, stopped him.

Yang Tiexin was quite strong, but when he encountered Zhang Asheng, it was like an ant trying to shake a tree; he ultimately failed to kowtow.

Ke Zhen'e said, "Brother Yang, there's no need for such formalities. Back then, we did take action to compete with Daoist Qiu, but ultimately it was out of consideration for the loyalty and righteousness of the Guo and Yang families, and because we couldn't bear to see the descendants of righteous men suffer."

These eighteen years, though not entirely peaceful, have been a source of immense pride for the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan. Otherwise, we would have merely languished in Jiaxing, leading mediocre lives, never achieving anything today, and certainly not having such a fine disciple as Jing'er. This life is complete.”

Wu Chengyu said, “Brother Ke, you can drop the ‘weirdo’ from the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan. Your actions are righteous and chivalrous, and you deserve the title of ‘hero.’ I think you should boldly call yourselves the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan. Your deeds should be known throughout the world and admired by the martial arts community.”

Ma Yu nodded and said, "That's right, the title of 'hero' is well-deserved. Our Quanzhen Sect will stand up for the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan."

Ah Ku also spoke up: "The Beggars' Clan will naturally spread the name of the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan throughout the world."

The Seven Heroes of Jiangnan looked at each other, somewhat embarrassed. Finally, Ke Zhen'e laughed loudly, "Seven Heroes or Seven Freaks, it's just a name. We, the seven siblings, are not ashamed of being called Seven Freaks, nor are we proud of being called Seven Heroes. We only ask to have a clear conscience."

With the eighteen-year agreement fulfilled, the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan achieved a great victory, their inner turmoil resolved, and a sense of pride welled up within them. Mere empty fame was no longer of any concern.

Thanks to the time traveler's interference, all seven of them survived without losing any of their comrades, and the tragedy on Peach Blossom Island would not happen again. Although Wu Chengyu dared not take credit for it, he still felt a sense of honor.

At this point, the matter concerning Yang Kang and Bao Xiruo could no longer be concealed. After recounting Guo Jing's story, Qiu Chuji spoke of how he discovered Bao Xiruo at the Prince of Zhao's residence and how he took Yang Kang as his disciple.

Yang Tiexin was still thinking about the princess in the sedan chair. Her voice was exactly the same as the one he had dreamt about in the middle of the night, and the eyes that were revealed when the embroidered curtain was lifted were exactly the same as his wife's.

Now that it was confirmed that it was Bao Xiruo, and that the arrogant and rude young prince who had come to cause trouble was his own son, Yang Kang, Yang Tiexin was immediately in a state of panic and did not know what to do.
Since it concerned other people's marital affairs, those present did not know how to speak. In their eyes, although Bao Xiruo had divorced Wanyan Honglie, she had lost her chastity.

In Wanyan Honglie's eyes, Bao Xiruo was his true love. Over the years, her treatment and public reputation were no different from those of a princess.

As for Yang Kang, some people are now calling him the future crown prince of the Jin Kingdom. He has wealth, honor, fame, and fortune in his hands, and he has already turned against Qiu Chuji.

Looking at Yang Tiexin, his face was weathered and worn, he had nothing of value, and he was old and frail. Who would still want to acknowledge him as a husband and father?

But Wu Chengyu was confident that Yang Kang's character was even worse than in the original story, and he was beyond redemption.

But Wu Chengyu still had some confidence in Bao Xiruo. This woman was not a green tea bitch after all; she was just too weak and powerless to fight against fate. But even the weakest woman had the courage to pierce her chest with an iron spearhead and follow her husband in death.

"Actually, I once went to Prince Zhao's mansion at night to investigate. In my opinion, Madam Yang has not forgotten the friendship she had with Brother Yang back then. Some things are useless to think about. Why don't you come with me to Prince Zhao's mansion tonight, Brother Yang, and make things clear face to face?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Ultimately, Yang Tiexin should face these family matters himself. As for sneaking into the Zhao Prince's mansion at night, they all knew Wu Chengyu's abilities. He was a top-notch master with extraordinary lightness skills, enough to protect Yang Tiexin.

At the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), Wu Chengyu grabbed Yang Tiexin's belt with one hand and, with just a few leaps, arrived at the back hall of the Prince Zhao's mansion without alerting any guards.

When Yang Tiexin saw the scene in the back hall, he was struck dumb. There were several earthen houses here, which were completely different from the carved beams and painted rafters of the Prince's Mansion. Most importantly, these earthen houses were exactly the same as his home in Niujia Village back then.

Even some tools outside the earthen house, such as stone mills and sleds, were placed in their original positions. These were all destroyed when the Guo and Yang families were robbed. Who would have thought that they would be found again today?

Although it was late, the people in the earthen house were not asleep. There was a solitary lamp in the window and a figure sitting motionless.

Yang Tiexin hesitated for a moment before looking at Wu Chengyu. Wu Chengyu nodded to him, and Yang Tiexin mustered his courage and walked to the door. He found that the door was not latched. He simply pushed it open and stepped inside.

At this moment, Bao Xiruo was staring blankly at the lamplight. When she saw someone enter, she exclaimed in surprise. However, Wu Chengyu cut off her voice from outside the house with his ultrasonic persuasion technique, without alerting the guards of the Prince's Mansion.

Bao Xiruo took a few steps back. In the dim light, she didn't recognize that the person was Yang Tiexin at all. She just couldn't help but tremble, like a frightened little white rabbit.

Yang Tiexin's eyes were fixed on Bao Xiruo. Before he knew it, tears seemed to be welling up in his eyes. He quickly turned his head and pretended to look around.

Seeing that every table, chair, cabinet, and bed was familiar, Yang Tiexin felt a pang of sadness. His eyes reddened, and tears finally fell. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, walked to the wall, and took down a rusty iron spear hanging there.

He gently stroked the shaft of the gun and noticed the four characters "Iron Heart Yang" clearly engraved about six inches from the tip. He sighed, "The iron gun is rusty. This gun hasn't been used in a long time."

Bao Xiruo said gently, "Please don't touch this gun." Yang Tiexin asked, "Why?" Bao Xiruo replied, "This is my most precious possession."

Yang Tiexin said with a somber tone, "Is that so?" After a pause, he added, "There was originally a pair of iron spears, but now there's only one left."

Bao Xiruo asked, "What?" Yang Tiexin did not answer. He hung the iron spear back on the wall, stared at a broken plow next to the spear for a moment, and said, "The plow is damaged. Tomorrow, I'll ask Zhang Mu'er from the east village to add a pound and a half of iron and forge it."

Upon hearing this, Bao Xiruo trembled all over and was speechless for a long time. She stared at Yang Tiexin and asked, "What...what did you say?"

Yang Tiexin said slowly, "I said the plowshare is damaged. Tomorrow, I'll ask Zhang Mu'er from the East Village to add a pound and a half of iron and have it repaired."

Bao Xiruo's legs went weak and she slumped into a chair, her voice trembling as she asked, "Who...who are you? How...how do you know what my husband said the night he died?"

On the night their home was destroyed eighteen years ago, in this heart-wrenching longing, every word and action of the two of them was vividly remembered during that time of intense yearning.

Yang Tiexin didn't answer. He walked to the table, opened a drawer, and saw several sets of men's blue cloth shirts and trousers, exactly the same as the ones he used to wear. He took out a cloth shirt, put it on, and said, "I have enough clothes! You're weak and have a child, so you should rest more and don't make me any more clothes."

These words were what he said to Bao Xiruo, who was pregnant, when he saw her sewing him a new shirt eighteen years ago.

Bao Xiruo rushed to Yang Tiexin's side, rolled up his sleeve, and saw a scar on his left arm. She was overjoyed, but for eighteen years she had believed that her husband was dead. Now that he had come back, she felt that his ghost had appeared. She immediately hugged him tightly.

"You, you take me there quickly. I'll go to the underworld with you. I'm not afraid of ghosts. I'm willing to be a ghost and be with you."

Yang Tiexin held his wife, tears streaming down his face. After a long while, he finally said, "Do I look like a ghost to you?" Bao Xiruo hugged him tightly and said, "Whether you're a human or a ghost, I'll never let you go." She paused, then added, "Aren't you dead? Are you still alive? Then...then..."

(End of this chapter)