Huang Rong pulled Guo Jing’s hand; they moved to the side. Seeing Ying Gu suddenly lost her mind they could not help but feel scared. They saw Ying Gu madly pounced forward, her mouth let out ‘heh, heh’ sound, her lips opened to reveal her teeth, trying to embrace Qiu Qianren without regard of her own life.
Although Qiu Qianren’s martial art skill was high, but Ying Gu attacked him like she did not want to live anymore, he could not keep up with her; he was forced to dodge to the west and evade to the east. He saw the muscle on her face twitch, her expression so ferocious, he became more and more afraid. “Revenge, revenge!” he inwardly groaned, “Today I will die under this mad woman’s hands.”
Ying Gu pounced several more times, Qiu Qianren evaded her until he arrived next to the rudder. Ying Gu’s eyes were red as if they were going to spurt blood. One more time her grab missed its target. She raised her palm and ‘bang!’ she struck the man controlling the rudder throwing him into the river; then her leg flew and she kicked the rudder broken. The boat immediately floated chaotically as it lost its rudder.
Huang Rong groaned inwardly, “This woman was going to turn mad sooner or later;it seems that we, four people, will have difficulty escaping death this time.” Immediately she pursed her lips and whistled loudly to summon the eagles down to save their lives.
Right at this moment the boat hit a big rock. With a loud crashing sound a big hole appeared on the bow. As Qiu Qianren saw Ying Gu break the rudder he knew she had made up her mind to die together with him. He saw the shore was not too far; he thought whether dead or alive he must risk everything to escape; therefore, he jumped toward the shore with all his might. But the shore was still a distance away, ‘splash!’ he fell into the water and immediately drowned to the bottom of the river. He was aware that as soon as he went up to the surface, the strong current would flush him away and it would be impossible for him to struggle free; hence he firmly held onto the rock at the bottom of the river and using his hands and feet he crawled underwater toward the shore. Utilizing his outstanding martial art, plus the fact that near the shore the current was not as strong as at the middle of the river, although he had to swallow about a dozen mouthful of water, he finally reached the shore. He was utterly exhausted, he sat on a rock to catch his breath and saw the boat quickly turned into a black dot in the distance. Remembering Ying Gu’s clenched teeth and scary expression he shivered in fear.
As Ying Gu saw Qiu Qianren jump out the boat she loudly called out, “Evil thief, where are you running to?” She rushed toward the side of the boat, ready to jump into the water. But by then the boat had been flushed to the middle of the river where the current was strongest; in this dangerous billows, how would she survive if she really jumped into the water?
Guo Jing could not bear to see her; he rushed forward to grab her back. Ying Gu was angry, she reached behind her back to attack. Guo Jing hastily ducked to evade. Huang Rong saw the pair of eagles had landed in front of the cabin. “Brother Jing,” she called out, “Why do you mind this mad woman? Let us go quickly.”
The water violently surged up and very soon it rose up to their ankles. Guo Jing let his grab went loose. Ying Gu covered her face with both hands, crying loudly. “Child! Child!” she shouted miserably.
Huang Rong repeatedly urged him to go, but Guo Jing remembered Reverend Yideng’s request to look after Ying Gu. “Go ashore with the eagle, then send them back here to rescue us,” he called out.
“There’s not enough time,” Huang Rong anxiously objected.
“Go, quick!” Guo Jing said, “We can’t neglect Reverend Yideng’s entrusting.”
Huang Rong recalled Yideng’s kindness in saving her life, reluctantly she mounted the eagle, knowing she did not have any choice. Suddenly her body shook. With a violent crash the boat hit a big reef in the middle of the river. The water bubbled up toward the cabin, in a flash the hull sank several feet.
“Jump to the reef!” Huang Rong called out. Guo Jing nodded, he went over to take Ying Gu along.
By then Ying Gu was in daze, she knew Guo Jing held out his hand to hold her, she did not resist. Her eyes were staring blankly at the river. Guo Jing slipped his right hand under her armpit and called out, “Jump!” Three people jumped to the reef.
That reef was actually about a foot under the water; the river surrounded three people, splashing their clothes wet. When they stood firm on the reef, they saw the boat slowly sank beside them. Although she had played in the great waves since her childhood, but seeing the muddy water swirling around her Huang Rong could not restrain from having a dizzy spell; she raised her head up looking at the sky, did not dare to look directly into the water.
Guo Jing whistled to call the eagles to come and carry them over; but the eagles were afraid of the water. They flew in circles overhead but did not dare to set their feet on the submerged reef.
Huang Rong looked around and saw a big willow tree on the bank toward their left, about a dozen ‘zhang’s away. Immediately she had an idea, “Jing Gege,” she said, “Hold my hand.” Guo Jing took a good grip of her left hand. With a splash Huang Rong disappeared into the water.
Guo Jing was startled; he saw she dove to the sunken boat, he quickly stooped down until his upper body also went into the water. He extended his arm as far as possible while his legs firmly gripped a sticking rock on the reef. With all his strength his right hand gripped her left wrist, lest the current was too strong and he lost his grip, then she might never be able to come up.
Huang Rong dove toward the mast; she pulled down the sail rope, then wound it around the reef. Next, her hands alternately pulled the sail rope until she got about twenty ‘zhang’s of rope; then she took out her dagger and cut the rope down. Afterwards she extended her arm, calling the female eagle to perch on her shoulder.
By now the pair of eagles was grown and they were quite heavy. Guo Jing was afraid Huang Rong could not take it, so he extended his arm to take the eagle. Huang Rong wound the end of the rope to the female eagle’s foot, she pointed to the big willow tree and made a hand signal telling the eagle to fly.
The eagle took the rope and flew in circle several times above the willow tree, then flew back. Huang Rong anxiously said, “Ay! I told you to fly around the tree before coming back.” But of course the eagle did not understand what she said, so Huang Rong sighed anxiously. They tried again and on the eight try the eagle coincidentally flew around the tree and came back. Jing and Rong two people were delighted; they pulled the rope to tighten it, then firmly tied the other end to the protruding rock on the reef.