Episode 16 recap: Guo Jing forged the scriptures to deal with Ouyang Feng.
Huang Rong, Guo Jing, and Hong Qigong drifted at sea for several days until they finally encountered a ship. They were rescued onto the ship, only to discover that it belonged to the Jin commander Wan Yan Hong Lie. Unwilling to get further entangled with the Jin, Wan Yan Hong Lie ordered his men to throw the three back into the sea.
Yang Kang was jealous of Guo Jing's good fortune, envious that Guo Jing had Huang Rong by his side every day and was accepted as Hong Qigong's disciple, while he could only become the disciple of Huang Yao Shi's failed student. Guo Jing and Huang Rong used the power of the tides to successfully rescue Ouyang Ke. Ouyang Feng then took Ouyang Ke to a cave, immediately occupying the place where Hong Qigong was recuperating. He showed no gratitude for Guo Jing and Huang Rong's assistance and even threatened the two to help find food.
Ouyang Ke had broken a leg, and the naturally proud man could not bear this blow. However, Ouyang Feng did not want his nephew to give up and promised to treat Ouyang Ke's injury when they returned to the Western Regions. Ouyang Feng asked Ouyang Ke how he had been trapped under the boulder, and Ouyang Ke, fearing that Ouyang Feng would kill Huang Rong, claimed it was an accident.
Hong Qigong used all his remaining strength to expel the snake venom from his body. Although he survived, he lost all his martial arts abilities. Guo Jing assured his master that even without his martial arts, they would always stay by his side. Ouyang Ke was jealous that Guo Jing had stolen his beloved. To take revenge for his nephew, Ouyang Feng deliberately restrained Hong Qigong and threatened Guo Jing's life to force him to write out the complete Nine Yin Manual.
Huang Rong suggested to Guo Jing that since only Guo Jing knew the complete Nine Yin Manual, he could intentionally write it down incorrectly, and Ouyang Feng would never know. Guo Jing altered the original text of the Nine Yin Manual and handed the falsified version to Ouyang Feng, successfully returning Hong Qigong.
Although Hong Qigong initially resented Guo Jing for handing over the Nine Yin Manual to save him, he was overjoyed to learn from Huang Rong that the version given to Ouyang Feng was a forgery. Ouyang Feng demanded that Guo Jing chop down one hundred trees a day and had Huang Rong care for Ouyang Ke. Now outmatched by Ouyang Feng, they could only obediently comply with his orders.
Seeing Guo Jing's low spirits, Hong Qigong told him that his grandfather and father had once been slaves under the Jin, and that their suffering was true hardship. Compared to that, their current predicament was nothing. Hong Qigong also comforted Guo Jing, assuring him that the intelligent Huang Rong would not be at a disadvantage in the hands of the Ouyang uncle and nephew.
Comforted by Hong Qigong, Guo Jing finally found peace of mind.
Guo Jing's consumption of inner energy was too fast when using the 18 Dragon-Subduing Palms to chop trees. Hong Qi Gong taught Guo Jing to use his wits to avoid excessive inner energy depletion. Guo Jing recalled that Zhou Botong had also mentioned the 18 Dragon-Subduing Palms depleting inner energy too quickly, and that the Nine Yin Manual could make up for this shortcoming. However, Guo Jing had never been able to fully comprehend its secrets.
Hong Qi Gong had Guo Jing memorize the contents of the Nine Yin Manual, and by helping him study it, unexpectedly restored some of Hong Qi Gong's own martial arts abilities. Under Hong Qi Gong's guidance, Guo Jing also gained insights into the secrets of the Nine Yin Manual, allowing him to use his palms without as rapid a depletion of inner energy.
Hong Qi Gong deliberately made Guo Jing appear exhausted in front of Ouyang Feng, so that the cunning Ouyang Feng would let down his guard. The next day, Ouyang Feng had Huang Rong and Guo Jing build a boat from the chopped trees, and also prepared food and fresh water for their departure. During the day, Guo Jing and Huang Rong built the boat for Ouyang Feng, while at night they secretly constructed a raft to escape the island.
When Ouyang Feng discovered their raft, he and Ouyang Ke took it and secretly left the island. But Ouyang Feng's cleverness backfired, as Huang Rong had already anticipated his caution and secretly sabotaged the raft.
Seeing Ouyang Feng and Ouyang Ke depart, Guo Jing, Huang Rong, and Hong Qi Gong also left the island by boat. However, Guo Jing and Huang Rong's boat encountered storms at sea. Fortunately, they were able to call for help from a large ship, unaware that it belonged to Wan Yan Hong Lie.
Seeing Yang Kang with Wan Yan Hong Lie, Guo Jing was disappointed to find that Yang Kang had defected to the Jin people. On the ship, they also encountered Ouyang Feng and his nephew. Wan Yan Hong Lie wanted to recruit the skilled Hong Qi Gong, but Hong Qi Gong refused to have any dealings with the Jin. Wan Yan Hong Lie considered throwing them into the sea, but Ouyang Feng temporarily saved Hong Qi Gong and the others.
Wan Yan Hong Lie learned that Yang Kang and Guo Jing had sworn brotherhood, suspecting Yang Kang's true motives for joining him. Yang Kang claimed it was only to obtain the Nine Yin Manual, but Wan Yan Hong Lie believed Guo Jing's formidable martial arts abilities made Yang Kang's plan uncertain of success.
Guo Jing's martial arts accomplishments and experiences made Yang Kang jealous, unable to understand why Guo Jing was better than him in every way. Mu Nianci urged Yang Kang to save Guo Jing, his sworn brother, for Guo Jing's sake, but Yang Kang felt the time was not right.
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