Wu Xiuwen stared at Guo Fuâs elegant face and said, âFine, you go and sleep as well.â He turned around and walked away a few steps before suddenly stopping. He turned and asked, âSister Fu, are you going to have a dream tonight?â
Guo Fu laughed, âHow do I know?â
Wu Xiuwen said, âIf you do dream, what do you think you will dream about?â
Guo Fu gave a little laugh and said, âMost probably about a little monkey.â
Wu Xiuwen was filled with joy and skipped away.
Xiao Longnu and Yang Guo listened to their words behind the flower thicket. They couldnât stop themselves from grinning at each other and comparing themselves with them: one was madly in love with the other while the other didnât have a set mind; while they had only each other in mind and could die without regret. That coupleâs joy and happiness could not compare with the joy and happiness of themselves.
After Wu Xiuwen left, Guo Fu sat on the stone bench and looked up at the moon in deep thought. She stared at it for a long while before letting out a sigh.
Suddenly, someone came out from behind the garden fountain and said, âSister Fu, why are you sighing?â It was Wu Dunru.
Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu were both slightly startled. Wu Dunru must have hid himself here a long time ago, he was here even before they in fact, otherwise the two would have noticed him when he arrived here.
Guo Fu said with a slight angry tone, âYou are always weird like this. You heard everything we said, right?â
Wu Dunru nodded and stood opposite of Guo Fu at quite a distance away but his eyes were still filled with love. The two looked at each other in silence.
After a while, Guo Fu said, âWhat do you want to say to me?â
Wu Dunru said, âNothing. You know what I have to say.â He turned around and then slowly walked away.
Guo Fu stared at his back while he walked away towards the garden fountain. He didnât turn around even once. She thought, âWouldnât it be great if only one of them existed?â She gave a deep sigh and returned to her room alone.
Yang Guo waited until she had gone before laughing, âIf you were her, who would you marry?â
Xiao Longnu turned her head slightly and thought for a while before saying; âYou.â
Yang Guo laughed, âI donât count. Miss Guo does not like me one bit. I said if you were her, which one of the Wu brothers would you pick?â
Xiao Longnu compared the two Wu brothers in her mind but still came up with, âIâll still marry you.â
Yang Guo was amused and touched. He embraced her and said tenderly, âOthers have more than one in their hearts but my Gu Gu loves me only.â
The two of them stayed in each others loving arms until daylight.
The sun was on the eastern horizon. The two still did not want to part. Suddenly, a servant rushed up to them and greeted them before saying, âMaster Guo requests Master Yangâs presence immediately,â
Yang Guo saw that his face was anxious and knew that it was something important. He left Xiao Longnu and followed the servant to the inner halls.
The servant said, âI searched for master Yang everywhere; master Yang was appreciating the scenery in the garden.â
Yang Guo said, âHas Master Guo been waiting a long time?â
The servant whispered, âThe two masters Wuâs suddenly disappeared, Master and Madam Guo are worrying about them and Miss Guo cried a few times!â
Yang Guo was startled when he heard this but he knew what had happened. âThe two Wu brothers are trying to fight for the hand of their apprentice sister and want to do something outstanding; they must have gone to assassinate Khubilai. He hurried inside and saw Huang Rong looking distressed in her nightgown with Guo Jing pacing to and fro. Guo Fuâs eyes were red and it looked like she was going to cry at any time. There were two swords on the table.
As soon as Guo Jing saw Yang Guo he quickly asked, âGuoâer, the Wu brothers went to the Mongolian camp, do you know why?â
Yang Guo glanced over at Guo Fu and said, âThe Wu brothers went to the Mongolian camp?â
Guo Jing said, âYes. You young ones always talk to each other, do you have any clue about why they went?â
Yang Guo said, âI didnât notice anything. The two Wu brothers did not say anything to me. Itâs probably because they were worried about the danger that Xiangyang was in so they went to the camp to kill a few senior generals. Itâll be a great achievement if they succeed.â
Guo Jing sighed and pointed to the swords on the table. He said, âEven if their hearts are in the right place, they donât know what they are getting into; their weapons have been taken away and sent back here.â
Yang Guo was rather surprised by this. He knew that the Wu brothers would not be able to succeed with such great fighters such as Jinlun Fawang, Yin Kexi, Xiaoxiang Zi and the likes around; but he wouldnât have predicted that it would happen in the past few hours and that their weapons would be sent back.
Guo Jing gave the letter that was on top of the weapons to Yang Guo and glanced at Huang Rong. The two of them shook their heads. Yang Guo opened the letter and saw:
To Hero Guo of Xiangyang from the First Protector of Mongolia Jinlun Fawang,
Last night when I was hunting, I unexpectedly came upon your disciples by the name of Wu. People say that great Masters will produce great disciples; I cannot deny this. I have long admired and marveled at Hero Guoâs great name. Last time we meet at the heroesâ feast, we did not get the chance to make acquaintances. I have written to you to invite you the camp so we may do so and share wine. As soon as you arrive, your disciples will be returned safely. Will you accept this invitation?
The letter had a humble tone and it appeared to be an ordinary invitation for Guo Jing to go to the camp and make acquaintances with Fawang. But what the letter really was saying is that the Wu brothers will only be released if Guo Jing agrees to go to the camp.
Guo Jing waited for Yang Guo to finish reading before saying; âWell?â
Yang Guo knew what this was about, âAuntie Guoâs wisdom is ten times greater than mine, Auntie Guo would have come up with any plan that I could think of. The reason she summoned me to discuss this matter is for one reason only; she wants me and Gu Gu to accompany Uncle Guo to the Mongolian camp. Fawang, Xiaoxiang Zi and the others together might beat Uncle Guo but it isnât guaranteed that theyâll be able to kill and capture him. If Gu Gu and I help him, Uncle Guo will be able to escape.â He then immediately came up with, âBut if Gu Gu and I suddenly changed sides, to harm him will be as easy as turning my palm. If I canât kill him with my own hands, then Iâll just let Fawang and the others to do it for me, wouldnât that be great?â He then gave a wry smile and said, âUncle Guo, my Master and I will go with you. Auntie Guo has seen our swordplay defeat Jinlun Fawang; they might not be able to keep us there if the three of us go together.â
Guo Jing was delighted and smiled, âNo one can compare with your intelligence apart from your Auntie Guo. This is the exact thing that your Auntie Guo came up with.â