Chapter 12

Is it her?

Niu Dingtian raised his eyebrows slightly after hearing, his face full of surprise.

Staring from behind at the sword-wielding figure standing ahead, Niu Dingtian was momentarily dazed and couldn't help sighing.

This is a gentle and kind woman, also a steadfast and heroic woman, and moreover a lovable, admirable, and respectable woman!

If we were to discuss unresolved grievances in the world of the Condor Heroes, he felt that the person before him certainly belonged among them.

He remembered that, in the Condor Heroes time and space, the beautiful woman before him ultimately ended her life by suicide in the Feng family tomb on Peach Blossom Island.

But shouldn't he be in the desert now? Shouldn't he be there with a few elder brothers guarding Guo Jing, waiting for the "eighteen-year" agreement at Jiaxing's Drunken Immortal Tower?

Niu Dingtian couldn't help but feel doubtful.

Han Xiaoying, a Jiangnan beauty, is the only woman among the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, ranking seventh; she excels at the Yue Woman Sword Technique, her movements are light and agile, and her lightness skill is quite high.

Compared to her several elder brothers, she seems to have never had even a trace of negative character; she should be the most humane and shining figure among the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan.

Without her care and protection, under the tutelage of the other few masters, Guo Jing might have lacked much benevolence and honesty, and perhaps would not have become the great hero who serves country and people.

Niu Dingtian had always felt that Han Xiaoying was probably the only one among the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan who truly regarded Guo Jing as her own child.

In the hearts of the other six freaks, Guo Jing might be more for the sake of the eighteen-year wager, for their own sense of justice and persistence; but in Han Xiaoying's heart it is certainly not so.

Just like Yang Tiexin at the beginning, that "good husband" of his senior sister, when faced with his wife kneeling before him, desperately begging not to be abandoned, he heartlessly refused to save her and instead went after Li Ping, who had vanished without a trace.

They perhaps each have their own persistence, their own sense of benevolence and righteousness. If such benevolence and righteousness must be chosen before loved ones and relatives, then Niu Dingtian would rather not have such persistence.

For the sake of the one truly cared for, what does it matter if one becomes the heretical demon in the eyes of the so-called orthodox sects of the jianghu? After all, the jianghu is nothing but might makes right.

In the heart of this heroine Han, Guo Jing is roughly her own child; although the child is clumsy and slow, she does not mind at all and has never despised him.

When Guo Jing was studying internal energy under Quanzhen Sect's Ma Yu, the Six Freaks of Jiangnan mistakenly thought he was secretly learning martial arts from Mei Chaofeng; the elder, Ke Zhen'e, for the supposed safety of everyone's lives, was about to strike first to eliminate Guo Jing, but only Han Xiaoying, disregarding her own life and death, saved Guo Jing under Ke Zhen'e's staff.

She also repeatedly defended Guo Jing, saying: "The one who taught Jing'er internal energy is of superior quality, naturally not malicious." "Jing'er is loyal and honest, certainly not an ungrateful traitor." "Even if Jing'er harbored ill intentions, he could not pretend to be this way." "If we abolish Jing'er's martial arts, how would this martial arts agreement stand?"

When the six freaks saw Ma Yu and learned that it was the Quanzhen Sect's master teaching Guo Jing internal energy, Han Xiaoying joyfully said: "Child, is it this Daoist who taught you your skills? Why didn't you say so earlier? We've wrongly blamed you." As she spoke, she reached out to stroke his shoulder, feeling deep pity in her heart.

Speaking of Han Xiaoying's heroism, when Qiu Chuji challenged the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan to a drinking contest using a bronze vat at the Drunken Immortal Tower, Han Xiaoying's fearless acceptance of the challenge and drinking shows it.

At that time, the Yue Woman Sword Han Xiaoying called out: "I'll take a sip!" She tapped her right foot, suddenly leapt over the bronze vat, lowered her head, and had already sucked a mouthful of wine from the vat, then lightly landed on the opposite window lattice.

Later, Qiu Chuji again wanted to compete in drinking capacity with the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, to determine victory by drinking, and thus came the following story:

"The Yue Woman Sword Han Xiaoying, though a woman, by nature is extremely heroic; she then loudly said: 'Fine, let's compare drinking capacity first. To look down on us seven brothers like this, little sister has never encountered such a thing.' Saying this, she lifted a bowl of wine and gulped it down with a 'gulugulu' sound. She drank this bowl so quickly that, in a moment, her snow-white cheeks flushed with peach-red.' This drink, Han Xiaoying and the other six freaks each drank three bowls in succession.

Speaking of her kindness, when Han Xiaoying first saw Guo Jing, she was especially concerned about him, while Guo Jing was, in others' eyes, a dull and slow-witted child.

When Han Xiaoying asked Guo Jing, "What is your father's name?"—her voice trembled from excessive excitement; seeing Guo Jing even more clumsy than Tuolei, she let out a long sigh, and her eye sockets involuntarily reddened.

That night, the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan were fighting the "Black Wind Twin Devils" on the hilltop when Han Xiaoying saw Guo Jing climbing up the mountain, both startled and delighted; she hurried down to meet him, but Chen Xuanfeng was faster. As Han Xiaoying quickened her steps, she shouted, "Child, run quickly!" Disregarding her own safety, she ran to Guo Jing, grabbed his little hand, and turned to flee.

Finally, in the Feng family tomb on Peach Blossom Island, such a gentle and kind person nevertheless experienced the most tragic moment of her life in the darkness.

In a haze, she saw the tragic deaths of Zhu Cong, Quan Jinfa, and Han Baoju.

In panic, she saw Nan Xiren protecting Ke Zhen'e as they escaped.

In despair, unwilling to live alone, she ultimately committed suicide.

Even in the face of what might be love, although she had never exchanged feelings with Zhang A-sheng, after Zhang A-seng died saving her, she actually made this absurd vow before him: "I am already a member of the Zhang family; in this life and the next I will never marry another; after my death, I will forever be with you." She kept this vow until her death, never marrying another.

This shows her faithfulness, kindness, gentle and heroic nature. In Niu Dingtian's view, she is thus the most perfect woman in the whole story, even surpassing Huang Rong.

At this moment, such a woman is right before his eyes, and most importantly, she has also saved his life.

Gazing at the steadfast figure wielding a sword and blocking before him.

Niu Dingtian looked and looked.

He felt spring had arrived.

(End of chapter)