Ouyang Ke laughed, “This is an island, there’s absolutely no inn here. Let’s see if we’re lucky to find anyone else here.” Huang Rong was slightly shocked and said, “You go do that.” When Ouyang Ke heard her instruction, he was very excited and utilised his Qinggong and ran east, but all he saw were even more wild trees and found no traces of humans. Along the way he killed 2 wild hares and headed north before making his way back in a loop. He told Huang Rong, “It’s a deserted island.”
That night Huang Rong did not dare sleep for fear of Ouyang Ke attacking them and also due to her anxiety over Hong Qigong. It was only at dawn the following morning did she catch a few hours of sleep. In her sleep she dreamt that Hong Qigong called her several times and she was jolted awake and asked, “Master, how are you?” Hong Qigong pointed at his mouth and moved his teeth. Huang Rong laughed and took out some of the unfinished rabbit meat from the previous night and fed him.
Once he consumed the meat, he felt the Qi stirring within him and he sat upright to breathe properly. Huang Rong did not dare utter a word and only scrutinized his expression. But she saw the reddish tint on his face turn pale, then red again. This cycle repeated several times and soon his head was emitting steamy mist and his sweat decended like the rain, and his body was shivering terribly. Suddenly there was a flash of a shadow – Ouyang Ke was trying to get over.
Huang Rong knew that her master was attempting to treat his injuries, which was a life-and-death situation, so if he forced his way in and distracted her master, nothing would save him then. So she softly snapped, “Get out now!” Ouyang Ke laughed, “Let’s discuss how we can survive here on this deserted island. The days would get longer from now, you know!” Hong Qigong blinked and asked, “Is this really a deserted island?” Huang Rong said, “Master, please concentrate, ignore him.” She turned to Ouyang Ke and said, “Come, let’s talk outside.” Ouyang Ke was elated and followed her out of the cave.
The weather was good this day, but Huang Rong only saw the edge of the vast seas meet the sky, and apart from a few clouds, there was nothing else. She went to their landing ground and was suddenly shocked, and asked, “Where’s the boat?” Ouyang Ke said, “Huh, where is it? It must have been swept away by the currents! Ah, damn it!”
Huang Rong saw his expression and deduced that it was he who pushed the boat out to sea so that she could not get away from here and felt that it was absolutely despicable. Since Guo Jing’s apparent death, she had no intention of living on. Besides, the small boat would not be able to make it across the fierce waves and the situation was bleak, but in that case she would not be able to get her master to safety.
She stared at Ouyang Ke without any change in her expression, but in her heart she was actually thinking of how she could kill him and save her master at the same time. Huang Rong jumped onto a large rock and looked into the distance. Ouyang Ke thought, “If I don’t use this chance to get close to her now, then when?” He also leapt up the rock and waited her for her to sit down. After some time she was not angry and did not shift her position, so he moved closer and said, “Little sister, the 2 of us can live here till old and still live like the deities. I must have done something wonderful in my past life to deserve this!”
Huang Rong laughed and said, “This island has 3 of us including Master, wouldn’t we be lonely?” Ouyang Ke felt that her tone was harmless and was ecstatic, saying, “With me by your side, why would it be lonely? Moreover, when we have children in future, it would be even less so.” Huang Rong laughed, “Who will have children? I wouldn’t.” Ouyang Ke laughed, “I’ll help you.” Saying that, he stretched out his hand to hug her. He then felt warmth in his palm and realised that Huang Rong had already held his hand. Ouyang Ke’s heart beat madly.
Huang Rong slowly moved her hand up his arm, then said in a low voice, “Sister Mu Nianci’s chastity was destroyed by you, is it not?” Ouyang Ke laughed aloud, saying, “That girl did not want to submit to me. What kind of man am I, Gentleman Ouyang, to force her?” Huang Rong said, “So, it must be others who slandered her. Her lover had a big quarrel with her because of this.” Ouyang Ke said, “Her reputation suffered because of this, what a pity!”
Huang Rong suddenly pointed to the sea and shouted, “Ah, what is that!” Ouyang Ke looked in that direction and was about to ask when he suddenly felt his wrist go stiff under her firm grip and his body went numb and he could not move. Huang Rong drew her spike and stabbed it towards his abdomen. Their distance was extremely small and Ouyang Ke was in a state of confusion, coupled with the fact that his arm was immobilized, how could he block it?
Still, all his training under expert guidiance at White Camel Mountain was not wasted; he suddenly twisted his body and used his chest to smash towards Huang Rong’s back in a split second. Huang Rong evaded him and jumped off the rock, causing the spike to gash his leg, resulting in a deep wound that was almost 1 foot long.
Ouyang Ke jumped off too and saw her spike. He stood there and grinned but he actually felt terrible pain. He bent down and saw his gown stained blood red and realised that he just escaped with his life, but still he was severely injured. Huang Rong said, “We were talking fine, why did you try to bump into me for no reason? I won’t bother about you now.” She then turned and left. Ouyang Ke was filled with love and hatred, shock and joy, and just stood rooted there silently.
As Huang Rong went back to the cave, she blamed her poor skills for allowing her to waste such a good opportunity and let him escape. When she went inside, she saw Hong Qigong asleep and saw a pool of black blood on the ground, she started and asked, “Master, how are you? Are you better?” Hong Qigong said, “I want wine.” Huang Rong felt distressed; she did not know how to find wine on this deserted island. Yet she agreed and said, “I’ll try to get it. Master, your injury isn’t serious, right?” Her tears dropped as she said that.
Despite having gone through so much, she had never cried. Now that her tears fell, she could not control herself and buried herself in Hong Qigong’s bosom and cried her heart out. Hong Qigong stroked her hair and patted her back, trying to console her. The old beggar roamed Jianghu for so many decades, but had never had to deal with a crying girl before, so he did not know what to do. He could only say, “Good girl, don’t cry, Master’s here for you. Please don’t cry. I don’t want the wine already.”