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The power of Wong Chin’s Red Spider Palm was so great, that Je Jian’s unconscious body was tossed to the other side of the room and crashed several tables. Goat Lan hurriedly dragged her body towards Je Jian.
“Brother Je Jian, please be alright… ” she sobbed. She gently wiped blood from Je Jian’s mouth.
“Hey, miss. Although you are not as pretty as Miss Feng, you are not ugly either. Hahaha… this is indeed my lucky day. Not only I will get the treasure, I also get two pretty girls!” Wong Chin walked towards them.
“You bastard! I’d better kill myself than being touched by you!” Goat Lan shouted vehemently. Her right hand clutched her sword while her left hand still hugged Je Jian.
Wong Chin didn’t pay any attention to her shouts. He kept on walking. More, he extended his hand tear Goat Loan’s clothes.
Just then, a black shadow flashed. In a second it hit Wong Chin’s hand and snatched Je Jian’s body. Next, it clutched Goat Lan’s hand and picked up Li Hoa and Jin Lam’s unconscious body.
The shadow’s gin-kang must be very good, as even with his burdens he still managed to run outside fast. Only after they arrived at the forest outside Ching An, he stopped. He hurriedly put Li Hoa and Jin Lam’s unconscious bodies down. The man then picked a small jar from his pocket and took several small pink pills from it.
“Here, take one for each of you, and make sure that they swallow it,” he said. He then hurriedly shoved one to Je Jian’s mouth. Goat Lan quickly did as said by the man.
A few minutes after, Li Hoa and Jin Lam stirred. Goat Lan now shifted her attention to the black shadow. He was opening Je Jian’s robe, and frowned. In Je Jian’s chest, there was a red palm imprinted. Goat Lan gasped, “Brother Je Jian, he’s been hit by that bastard’s poisonous palm!”
The man didn’t pay attention to her. Instead, he sat down, his palms were put on Je Jian’s back and he started to transfer his chi.
Observing the man, Goat Lan found out that he had a very handsome face. He was clad in an expensive black robe, with a paper fan hung in his waist. Seeing this Goat Lan blinked her eyes, “Is he Brother Je Jian’s si-hing, the Weird Young Master Fu Hong Ming?” she silently thought.
After a while, Je Jian began to stir. He opened his eyes slowly. “Brother, you came at the right moment,” he whispered.
Fu Hong Ming smiled, “Si-de, if I were late just a second, maybe you’ve been killed by that lowly bastard. Tell me, how’s your wound?”
Je Jian shook his head, “Your medicine has neutralized the Red Spider Poison. And as of the Red Spider Palm Poison…. Hmmm, I believe Sheng Nan would cure it in no time. In the mean time, I think I could suppress the poison with my lwee-kang until we come home.”
Fu Hong Ming sighed, “If only things were that simple… You know, Sheng Nan has ran away!”
“What? How can this happen?” Je Jian asked in disbelief.
“Nobody knows for sure. She just disappeared. Si-fu and I are very worry about her. We’ve been looking for her all over the place and still can’t find her! I’m afraid, something bad has happened to her!!”
“So si-fu also goes down the mountain, eh?” Je Jian pondered. Then his face changed, “First brother, I hope she keeps mum about…”
Hong Ming nodded. “That’s also what I’m afraid of! Hmmm… where would she be?”
“Sheng Nan is very smart, I think she’ll be fine,” Je Jian said soothingly.
Hong Ming frowned, “And now you’re injured. If she’s not disappearing, you’ll be healed in no time. But now…” Suddenly his face lit up, “Si-de, you’d better take a rest at Heng Hai Mountain. I believe si-fu and I will find her soon. We’ll bring her home immediately, so she can heal you. How about that? It’s just… it’s still a long journey to Heng Hai, and you are injured.”
Goat Lan stepped up, “Don’t worry, we’ll protect him and take good care of him.”
“Brother, I told you that the Red Spider Poison has been neutralized. As of the Red Spider Palm Poison, well… I think I still be able to reach Heng Hai Mountain safely,” Je Jian added. He continued, “You’d better off searching for Sheng Nan. I’m very worried about her.”
Hearing this, Hong Ming nodded. “OK then, I’ll do my best to find Sheng Nan so you can be cured soon. Brother, please take care!” After saying that, without taking a single glance to the other, Hong Ming used his gin-kang and left.
“Brother Je Jian, I’m so sorry… My carelessness made you almost got killed. If your si-heng didn’t save us, then…” Goat Lan’s huge eyes turned teary. Seeing how sad Goat Lan was, Je Jian patted her head, “I suppose if you are not careless, then you are not Goat Lan. Now, now, at least we’ve been saved. Don’t cry…”, he said reassuringly.
Goat Lan smiled weakly, “Brother Je Jian, you are very kind to me!”
Suddenly she clapped her hand, “Waaah… your si-heng is really handsome and skillful! It’s just that….” she frowned, “It’s just that he’s also very arrogant… Brother Je Jian, who’s this Sheng Nan you were talking about?”
Je Jian turned his head gloomily. There’s no way he told the blabbermouth Goat Lan about Sheng Nan!
“Sheng Nan, where are you?” he whispered.
---
The cold water of the river brought back Wu Han’s consciousness. Slowly he opened his eyes. It seemed that the water flow has brought him afar from the houseboat. On the sandy bank of the river not far from him, Wu Han saw a body lay unconsciously. Hurriedly he approached it.
The body was that of a girl. Yet surprisingly, the girl’s dress looked alike with that of Auntie Pheng. But while Auntie Pheng was very fat, the girl was petite. Under Wu Han’s gaze, she slowly opened her eyes.
“Ah, little boy you are also here! God is really kind to us…” the girl said. Upon hearing the girl’s saying, Wu Han chuckled. It was very funny to hear an elderly woman’s voice from a little girl’s mouth!
The girl frowned, “What are you laughing at? Is it funny to see a fat old lady like me getting wet?”
Wu Han could not contain his amusement any longer, “No, ‘Auntie’… It’s not funny to see you getting wet. But it is very funny to hear you talk with your granny voice and address me with ‘little boy’ while your disguise has been revealed!”
The girl gasped. She hurriedly touched her body and face, “Aiya… I forget that my disguise is not waterproof!” she said panicky. “But then, maybe this is a good news as I am very tired to talk like an old lady all the time,” she added. Wu Han smiled. He could not take his eyes off the girl!
While it’s not her beautiful face that captivated his attention, her open, yet proud demeanor made Wu Han felt warm towards her. It was as if he has known her forever.
Feeling Wu Han’s gaze to her, the girl blushed, “Little bo… oops, Brother Han, what are you looking at?” Wu Han’s face turned red. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude, staring like that…” he said bashfully. The girl only grinned, her eyes twinkled.
“Now, now, I surely could not call you ‘Auntie Pheng’ anymore. So how should I address you?” Wu Han shifted his gaze.
Noticing Wu Han’s embarrassment, the girl smiled, “My name is Sheng Nan.”
“Sheng Nan, Sheng Nan,… what a very unusual name. But it fits you well,” Wu Han said, smiling widely. Out of a sudden, Wu Han remembered this name, “Hey, aren’t you the person that Fu Hong Ming look for in the restaurant?”
Sheng Nan frowned, “You are right. That time, I was lucky, as he could not recognize me under my disguise.”
Wu Han pondered. Fu Hong Ming’s good look was very famous all over Wu Lin world. Although he was always chased by many beautiful girls, rumor had it that he was very arrogant towards them. Yet he was so eager to find this girl that had ran away from him, even under the rain. Who is this girl, actually?
Suddenly Wu Han whacked his forehead, “Aah… how can I be this forgetful? Sheng Nan, we should be hurry. Ling Man Shin would not let us escape this easily. He could be here any minute!”
Sheng Nan only grinned, “Brother Han, don’t be so panic. I’ve poisoned him with his own poisons. Hmmm… although he could neutralize White Dew Poison fast, I think he’ll need a few days to be recovered from Black Orchid Poison.”
Wu Han widened his eyes, “You did? Sheng Nan, who are you, actually? Why do you know so much about Ling Man Shin’?”
Sheng Nan shook her head sadly, “Brother Han, I’m really sorry. But I’ve promised that I would not reveal my identity.”
“Don’t worry. If you have difficulties in explaining this matter, I won’t force you,” Wu Han patted her hand reassuringly. “Now, where shall we go?”
“Actually, I am looking for a man called Wind Beggar. Do you know him, Brother Han?”
Wu Han nodded, “Wind Beggar is one of the elder of Kay-Pang. His gin-kang is extremely good. People even named him The Fastest Man on Earth. He wanders freely, nobody know where he is.” Then his face lit up, “Sheng Nan, I heard that Kay-Pang will held their annual meeting near Ching An city. What if we go there? Who knows, maybe we can get info about his whereabouts.”
“Deal! Moreover, Brother Han, after we find him, I’ll accompany you to Bin San Mountain to deliver the Seven Colors of Rainbow to your si-fu!” Sheng Nan said happily.
Wu Han smiled. He was so happy that he had longer time to get to know this strange girl. Suddenly he jolted. He felt as if his chest has been bitten by many ants. He collapsed to the ground.
“Brother Han! Ahhh…. how can I be this forgetful? Brother Han, don’t worry. I know how to heal the Yellow Magnolia Palm. You’ll feel better in no time.”
While Sheng Nan’s mouth talked, her hands worked. She took out several golden needles from her pocket.
“Brother Han, please trust me, as I have to puncture your Yong Coan Hiat. Yellow Magnolia Palm is very dangerous. It will make you feel as if you are bitten by many insects, due to its high connection with Yong Coan Hiat.”
Wu Han silenced. Yong Coan Hiat was one of the vital veins. If Sheng Nan made even one tiny mistake, his life could not be spared. Was he ready to bet on the girl’s medicinal skill? Slowly he nodded.
Sheng Nan opened Wu Han’s robe. In his chest, where Ling Man Shin hit him before, was imprinted a yellow palm. She then took the biggest needle and made a cut in the palm mark. Yellowish blood poured. Sheng Nan quickly put on some salve on it. Then she started to puncture Wu Han’s Yong Coan Hiat at his leg with her tiny needle. Slowly, the blood turned red and the yellow palm mark has also disappeared. After a while, Wu Han felt the itchiness gone.
“Why, Sheng Nan, thank you! You are really talented!” he cried. Sheng Nan only smiled.
Still, Wu Han could not banish his curiosity about this mysterious girl.
“Sheng Nan, who are you?” he pondered.