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seems like no one has ever translated this, so i would like to give it a try.
will try to finish translating it and stick as close as possible to the original sentence.
however, do expect irregular updates and numerous errors particularly because chinese and english both are not my first language.
thanks.
Chapter 1: A Strange One Bowl of Noodle
One night; one spring night; a spring rain in Jiang Nan which could bring sadness to people.
It was still in early spring; in a night when the night was not so young anymore. People in some faraway places, perhaps, would be able to cherish more of this unbroken thousands strings of rain drops. But, the people in this city had already long entered the dream’s world.
However, in one muddy narrow lane, a dimly shone lantern could be seen; a lantern whose exteriors had turned yellowish due to the constant exposure to smoke. It was hanged onto a simple and crude bamboo pole, lighting up a small noodle stall, a few tables and chairs and two bitter faces.
Under that heavy rain, at that quiet small alley, who would come to buy their noodles? The wrinkles on the faces of those noodle-seller couple deepened. But, unexpectedly at that time, the sound of footsteps could be heard. A green-clothed person walked under the rain and the cold wind. His face was pale, like a person who had been sick for a long time, a person who should stay on the bed to rest and drink his medicine.
Strangely, he went to the stall owner and said, “I want to eat noodle, three bowls of noodle, three big bowls”. How could someone like that had such a good appetite?
The owner and his wife could not resist using suspicious eyes to cast on this person. “What kind of noodle, honorable guest would like to eat? The lady owner, whose figure was still slender although her age was more than thirty years old, asked; “cabbage noodle? meat floss noodle or maybe pork knuckle noodle?”. “ I do not want any of those” using his coarse voice, the green-clothed person answered. “I want one bowl of gold flower, one bowl of silver flower, one bowl of pearl flower”.
This person did not come to eat noodle, he came to look for trouble. However, there was no trace of amusement on the faces of the noodle-seller couple. They only flatly replied, “Do you have the capability to eat it?”
“Let me try”, the green-clothed person flatly answered. Suddenly, there was a cold flash of light. A long sword appeared in the hand of the green-clothed person, like a venomous snake it attacked the chest of the seemingly slow stall owner. His movement was even faster than a venomous snake.
The stall owner turned his body slightly. A big chopstick was used as an acupoint-sealing weapon to seal the acupoint in his opponent’s shoulder.
The wrist of that green-clothed person shook slightly. The cold flash was getting brighter; the sword’s point had reached the chest of the stall owner. A “ding” sound could be heard as if the sword had hit a metal plate.
........
thanks for doing this translation! looking forward to it.:D
Thank you for introducing a new wuxia novel for those of us who can not read chinese.
I am deeply appreciative of the effort you have decided to place on translating this for us.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is always a joy when a new story is translated!:D
Always looking forward to something new. Often looking forward to something old that is new to me. Thanks for starting this.
Missouri.slim
thanks alot for the your kind encouragements :)
Chapter 1 - Part 2
The sword flashed again, however, this time it entered its scabbard. Apparently, the green-clothed person didn’t continue to attack. With a calm attitude he looked at the couple.
The lady owner started to smile, actually her face was pretty average, but because of the smile, it had an enticing side. “Good! Good swordsmanship!” She praised, and subsequently brought out a chair from the bamboo hut. “Please sit down and enjoy your noodle”.
The green-clothed person silently sat down. One bowl of steaming hot noodle was quickly delivered. Inside the bowl, there was no cabbage, meat floss, or pork knuckle, in fact not even one strand of noodle could be found. Only one longan size bright pearl was there.
Unbelievable, at that small stall in that narrow alley, the one that was sold was actually this kind of noodle. And the people who could afford to eat this kind of noodle definitely were not many. But, the green-clothed person was also not the only one who could afford to eat it.
He just sat down, when the second person came. A seem to be full-of-manner young man. He also wanted to eat three bowls of noodle. “One bowl of gold flower, one bowl of silver flower, one bowl of pearl flower”.
Similarly, the stall owner would also like to test this young man, “Do you have the capability to eat the needle?”
This young man, although his sword seemed to be as mannerly as himself, it was very fast, accurate and effective. Furthermore, the sword never ceased to move. Once one thrust had been sent out, it would be followed by another three moves, no more and no less.
The sword’s light flashed. “ding, ding, ding” sounds were heard. The stall owner’s chest had been ‘hit’ by the sword three times. This mannerly young man’s swordsmanship unexpectedly was even three times faster than what others would think of.
Even the stall owner’s countenance had changed. The lady owner smiled happily. The young man upon seeing her smile, suddenly inside his eyes, a lust that shouldn’t be inside the eyes of a gentleman, could be seen.
The lady owner gave an even more tantalizing smile; she liked to be stared by that kind of gaze that comes from young men’s eyes. But, suddenly she stopped smiling, and the eyes of that young man were also becoming cold. It was like both at the same time could sense a pressing algidity was attacking their bodies.
That young man, his sword had already been sheathed, but his hand was still tightly grasping the hilt of his sword. He turned his body slowly, and saw a figure of one-armed man, who even though his body was as thin as a bamboo pole, the shoulder was very wide. That person stood under the heavy rain, slanted on his back was a black bamboo pole.
Chapter 1 - Part 3
He wore a bamboo hat. The hat covered his head until just below his eyebrows, revealing only his left eye which was sharply staring at the young man. He asked: “Are you the disciple of the iron sword Fang Zheng?”
“Yes”.
“In that case, you come over here”
“Why do you want me to go over there?” “What for?”
“For me to kill you”
Suddenly he threw away his bamboo hat to a distant darkness. The light from the lantern shone upon the face of that one-armed man, showing a face full of scars. In his right eye, there was a cross-shaped scar which made the right eye completely blind, yet this also made the left eye incomparably sharper.
The young man’s palm which held the sword began to sweat. He had remembered who that man was. He also knew that the cross-shaped scar was due to what kind of sword art. The one-armed man, extending his thin yet sturdy big hand was slowly reaching the pitch-black bamboo pole on his back.
However, the lady owner suddenly moved towards the one-armed man and stood in front of him. Using her soft hand to wrap around his neck, she brought her soft lips close to that man’s ear. She whispered, “At this moment, you are not allowed to touch him, he is also someone I am purposely looking for, moreover he is a very useful person, wait until this matter has been settled then you can do whatever you want to do to him. Well, he also can’t run away even if he wants to”. Using her flirty soft voice she added “I can’t run away too”
The tone of her voice and her action was similar to the way a woman talk to her lover. Her husband was simply regarded as being dead. But the husband also acted like nothing had happened, nothing was heard.
The one-armed man stared at her; suddenly he grabbed her collar, lifting up the lady owner as if she was a tiny chick. He walked into the stall and then slowly putting down the lady owner, slowly saying word by word “I want to eat noodle, three bowls, three big bowls”.
The lady gave a smile, a smile which resembled the spring flower, “That’s the code I made for others, to determine whether they are the person I’ve invited. But you are different, even if you have been reduced to dust, I will still be able to recognize you, so why do you still need to say these useless words to me?
The one-armed man did not say anything anymore. He also didn’t glance at that young man anymore, not even once.
Exactly at that moment, they saw a person leisurely entered that small alley. Someone they had never seen before, and also someone whose face they had never imagined. The face of that person was actually not weird, it could even be said that on his face there was nothing weird at all. He appeared to be slightly taller than the average people. Perhaps he was also slightly taller than his actual height; this was because he wore a pair of old-fashioned clogs. And although he was walking on muddy soil, there was no trace of mud on his white pair of socks.
thanks. keep going:D.
Chapter 1 - Part 4
His clothes were nothing expensive, but the quality of the clothes was extremely good and the color combination was also nice to eyes. He didn’t carry a sword, no other weapon as well. But, he brought with him an umbrella, a new one, to shelter his body from the rain.
When he entered that small and dark alley under the rain, he looked like he was taking a walk under sunny bright sun in a garden full of blossoming flowers.
Anywhere, anytime, his countenance would not change, just because he was that kind of person, even during the most dangerous situation it would not change. Therefore, on his face there was always a smile, and even if he was not smiling, others would think that he was smiling. Perhaps, this was the only weird thing about this person.
The dim light from the lantern shone upon that person’s face. Not the kind of face which would make young women fall in love at the very first sight, yet it was not an annoying face either.
Having noodle, frying pan, spoon, chopsticks, soy sauce, sesame oil and scallion, the noodle stall was no different from other noodle stalls. It had a big wooden plate too, on top of which there were beef, beancurd, and salted egg.
That man seemed to be very interested in a lot of things. “I want one piece of every side dish, as for the beancurd please give me more. He added, “I want two pots of wine as well, any kind of wine will do”.
“How about the noodle?” the stall owner asked. “What kind of noodle do you want to eat? And how many bowls?”
“I don’t even want one half of a bowl” he said with a smile. “I only want to drink a little wine, do not really want to eat” it happened that that person did not come to eat noodle. The countenance of the previous three people who came to eat noodle changed upon hearing this. Green veins bulged from the hand of the one-armed man.
The stall owner had gripped his long chopsticks. But, his foot was stomped by his wife. “Here, we do not have any good wine. However, the beancurd is really not bad”. The lady owner smiled “Honorable guest, please sit inside, the food will be delivered shortly”.
That rundown stall had only three small tables. Each had been occupied by the three people who came earlier. Fortunately, one table usually can be occupied by more than one person. It generally had two or three chairs by its side. Just like one teapot had a few teacups.
Hence, that person also had a chair to sit on. He chose to sit in front of the green-clothed man who came first to that stall. This was because that seat was the nearest. This person seemed to be very lazy. Moreover, he looked a bit stupid and insensitive. He said to the green-clothed man, “The world is so big and human is so small, the two of us can sit on the same table, it is really a fateful encounter” “therefore, I would like to invite you to drink a few cups of wine, is that alright with you?”
“It is not” the attitude of this green-clothed man could not be considered impolite, “I do not drink wine”. This person caressed his nose, looked like he was utterly disappointed. But as soon as the food and wine were delivered, he quickly became spirited again. “A person, even though he has no companion to drink wine, it is still better than to have no wine to drink at all”. As soon as he finished his sentence, an applause could be heard.
Chapter 1 - Part 5
“That is a saying that will transcend time.” Someone clapped his hands and laugh loudly. “Just because of this sentence, it is justifiable to drink until someone’s heart content”. This person’s laughter was loud and full of spirit. When he walked, the waist was very straight; his clothes were a new one and recently washed. Next to his waist, there was a long sword in a black scabbard. The sword’s hilt was rubbed shiny.
So that people had a good impression on him, he really had put on a lot of efforts. Unfortunately, it still could not cover his languish, his tiredness, although he had hoped that others would not notice it.
“Too bad, at this moment I could not accompany you to drink wine; I want to eat a few bowls of noodle first”. With a big stride he walked towards the front part of the noodle stall. “I want three bowls of noodle, three big bowls”.
The stall owner stared at him with the expression like he wanted to strangle that person’s neck, while asking why he couldn’t saw that there was a person who didn’t come to eat the noodle inside the stall, why he wasn’t being able to be discreet.
The sword carrying old man looked back at the stall owner. He let out a cold snicker, “Why don’t you reply? What do you mean by this? Do you assume that I, Jiao Lin have become old already? Have no more capability to eat your noodle?” his voice became hoarse due to his anger. “To eat or not to eat the noodle is of a secondary importance, I have to let you see whether I still have some capabilities or not”.
He unsheathed his sword. The way he unsheathed his sword was good and efficient but too bad his hands were not sturdy. The stall owner’s long chopsticks started to move; with a quick thrust the stall owner attacked that man’s eyes. That man’s sword had not reached the chest of his opponent, yet his eyes had already been threatened by enemy’s weapon. He had no choice but to retreat.
He had only retreated for a step when the owner’s chopsticks suddenly moved down and successfully hit his wrist bone. A “dang” sound could be heard as he had dropped his sword. At the moment the sword dropped, Jiao Lin too felt like he had fallen from the top of a high building to the depth of an abyss.
Just within that short moment, everything he had wanted to conceal was exposed. The fact that he had aged, his poorness, a pair of hands which were not steady anymore, even the torn next to the collar and wrist line of his clothes could be seen clearly. However, no people were willing to glance at them already.
He slowly bent down, slowly picked up his sword which had dropped to the ground, retreated back step by step, while his eyes kept staring at the stall owner’s chopsticks.
the drinking guy seems to be Chu liuxiang. intersting beginning. thanks.
His hands were trembling, his eyes were full of despair and fear, as if one step backward equal to one step closer to death.
The man who drank wine suddenly stood up, brought out a silver coin and put it down on top of the table. He opened his umbrella, slowly approached Jiao Lin and propped him up.
He smilingly said “I know that your wine addiction has been acting up, the beancurd in this place is really not bad but the wine is of a poor quality, let’s go to other place to drink some wine”
The old-fashioned clogs walked on the muddy soil, the new umbrella was sheltering its owner from the drizzling rain. With one hand propping up Jiao Lin, that man walked out from that alley.
The one-armed man was looking at them, his only eye showed the murderous intent. The green-clothed man had stoop up, the young man had gripped the hilt of his sword, and the stall owner was ready to give a chase too.
“Don’t move” The lady owner suddenly slammed down the table. She said, “No one is going to move, the one that is going to move will die”.
The stall owner’s countenance changed, “This time I could not obey your wish, we must not let Jiao Lin to stay alive,” he toned down his voice, “This matter, the risk is too big. More or less Jiao Lin has known about it, although considering his profession he somehow could be trusted but we really need to eliminate the risk.”
“It is precisely because we could not take the risk, therefore we must not touch him,” the lady owner continued,”Once we lay a hand on him, we sure are bound to be fail.”
“Are you seriously afraid of Jiao Lin? Don’t you see that he has nothing left?
“The one I’m afraid of is not him,” the lady owner said, “Ten Jiao Lin can’t even be compared to that person’s one finger.”
“That man?” the owner asked, “I can’t believe that you are afraid of that man who dressed up like a lady-killer?”
“Yes, that’s correct, I’m afraid of him.” The lady owner said, “Originally I wanted to kill him, but luckily I suddenly remembered who he is. If not, perhaps we all are going to die.”
The one-armed man gave a cold chuckle. “Have you really recognized who I am? Have you forgotten about me?” The lady owner said, “I know you are not afraid of anyone. I also know that except for that one loss at Bashan, these last 4 years you have been competing against 13 masters from seven big clans, and you have won all. Furthermore, last month, in only one stance, your sword was able to kill Diancang’s Zhuo Fei.
The one-armed man said coldly. “He was not the only one whom I killed with only one stance.”
Only need one stance to kill, that kind of sword art was really so great and fearful.
“But I can assure you that you won’t be able to kill him in only one stance.” The lady owner said, “In this world there is no one who is able to kill him in only one stance, moreover there is no one who can kill him even with 100 or 1000 or 10000 stances.” She continued with a hissed voice, “Because as far as I know, for the whole of his life, he has never lost.”
The one-armed man was startled and asked; “Who exactly is he?” the lady owner finally revealed the name of that person, that name was like a magic spell that can make everyone’s face changed color.
That name was Chu Liuxiang.
_____________
end of chapter 1
Chapter 2: Crescent moon on a pure silk handkerchief
A high wall, a big house, a spacious backyard.
Chu Liuxiang brought Jiao Lin towards the small door at the back of that house. He said’ “wait for me here, and please don’t go.”
Jiao Lin was stoned. That was because the moment that stranger finished his words, like an eagle carried by the wind he had disappeared behind that small door.
The way this person do thing was totally different from others, Jiao Lin was not able to comprehend it and he didn’t even know his name. But Jiao Lin trusted him. Jiao Lin had never trusted anyone before, yet he could trust this man. This, even Jiao Lin was not able to understand the reason behind it.
Time slowly passed, the rain had stopped. Jiao Lin did not wait for too long, for the small door was opened and two little good-looking boys came out, bringing lanterns with them. They invited the guest to enter the house. Jiao Lin followed them.
The front part of the house was really big, under the dim light of the lanterns, Jiao Lin could still see the flowers, the beautiful rocky decoration and pavilion.
Chu Liuxiang was waiting outside the door; a smile could be seen on his face. The light inside the house was very bright, on the table there was wine. These brought some pride to this suffering wanderer’s heart.
Jiao Lin was not a talkative person, yet at that moment he asked: “What is this place?”
“A place in which you could stay for three months,” Chu Liuxiang smilingly answered him, “Well actually you can stay however long you want, but I know that you do not stay in a place any longer than three months.”
“Why do I have to stay here for three months?”
“Because no one will guess you could stay here, and also there will be no one who will disturb you here. After three months have passed, things are going to change, and by that time there won’t be anyone looking for you anymore.” Chu Liuxiang said, “Everyone only has one life, those who have no lives won’t be able to drink wine.”
Jiao Lin started to drink the wine, hot wine which began to warm up his freezing blood. “I’m just a poor wanderer, my hands are no longer as they are used to be, I have no more hope as well, today if it was not because of you perhaps I had died. Why are you so nice to me?”
“I don’t know’” Chu Liuxiang said, “I normally do not need a good reason to do something.”
“Do you know who those noodle sellers were? Do you know why did they invite people like us?”
“I don’t know and I don’t want to know.”
“Why?”
“Because I have enough troubles for myself.” Chu Liuxiang bitterly smiled, “You can randomly find 8 or 9 people and the sum of their troubles won’t even match half of my troubles. I can guarantee this.”
“But I believe you have added one more trouble.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Those people who came to eat the noodle in that stall, their expertise in killing, their high pay, nowadays there are not many who could match them and the one who could pay them are not many as well.” Jiao Lin said, “You should definitely be able to guess that what they are doing is a big secretive thing.”
“I could roughly guess it.”
“They won’t let go the people who know even a little about their secret! They definitely won’t mind to kill one person more.”
Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, “This, I have also thought of. But I think they will still give me some face.”
“Why?”
“It seems like among them there was one who recognized me.”
Alright! One chapter down. How many chapters are there total?
Keep it up. We are all looking forward to it.
Missouri.slim
thanks. there are 12 chapters altogether.
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Chapter 2 - Part 2
Jiao Lin all that while kept looking down and looked at the wine inside the cup, only after hearing this sentence, he lifted up his face.
“Now I know why did they let me go!” his dull and inspirited eyes suddenly shone. “Long black bamboo pole, the sword that never spare a prey’s life! Even he did not do anything to me”
He lifted up his cup and gulped down the wine, laugh loudly. “Now I know whom was they were afraid of! I’m such an unlucky person but unexpectedly still have the fortune to meet you!”
He drank three cups of wine in a row and became a bit drunk.
“Originally I wanted to get that job, because they will definitely give a high pay, at least I could spend time in luxury for 1 to 2 years with the pay! I also know whom they want to kill, he really deserves to be killed,” Jiao Lin said, “Although my hands are soaked in blood, but I’ve never taken undeserved money, not even a cent. I wanted that job because I don’t want to die of hunger.” He laugh loudly again, “But today I am able to meet the world famous fragrant commander Chu, even if I have to die I will not regret it!”
“You won’t die,” Chu Liuxiang said, “A person when it is not his time to die yet, even if he wants to die he will not be able to.” Suddenly he started to rub his nose. “I have a friend who seems like he could not die, there were many times I thought he surely will perish and yet he was able to survive again and again.”
The moment he talked about that friend, he seemed like he couldn’t resist the urge to rub his nose. He sighed, “I have not met him for years, and out of blue I got news about him.”
“What kind of news?”
“He wants me to look for him, look for him on top of a tree.”
“A tree?” Jiao Lin tried to suppress his bewilderment, “You mean the kind of tree with branches and leaves?”
“Yes, precisely that kind of tree”
“Your friend is on top of a tree and he wants you to go to look for him?”
“Perhaps he has been waiting for quite long” Chu Liuxiang said, “maybe has been waiting for 20 days already.”
“Has always been waiting on top of that tree?”
“Yes, on top of that tree.”
“I don’t understand, I really don’t understand” Jiao Lin smiled bitterly, “There are times when I would like to sit on top of a tree, sipping on wine while sitting on it or plucking fruits to be eaten. But if I have to wait for a person, I would not wait for that long.”
Chu Liuxiang only asked one question and Jiao Lin instantly understood. “What if you could not climb down from the top of the tree?”
“Your friend is in a grave danger, therefore he hides on top of that tree, waiting for you to come to rescue him.” Jiao Lin continued, “You guys must be old friends, and that tree is definitely a place which two of you frequented in the past. Furthermore, between the two of you there must be a secret codeword to ask for help during emergency. Hence even though you are not by his side, your other friends, whenever they see it, they will find a way to tell you about it.”
Jiao Lin said, “Chu Liuxiang has roamed every corner of this world, has friends everywhere. The landlord of this house must be one of your friends too, otherwise why would he let me to stay here?”
After he had finished his words, Jiao Lin quickly drank another cup of wine, because he knew he was not drunk yet and furthermore his brain was still sharp, it was even sharper than most people brains in average.
Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, “You have explained it clearer than I would have done. Therefore I’m going to say two words to you.”
“And what are they?”
“Good bye!”
Chapter 2 - Part 3
“Good bye’ these two words are really simple words. However, their meaning might not be as simple. Sometimes they could mean “Really want to meet again” other times they could be perceived as “soon will be able to meet again” but there is also time when they really mean “forever do not want to meet again”
But only one thing will never change, whenever you say this words it is either you want to leave or you want another person to leave. Chu Liuxiang did not want Jiao Lin to leave, he himself wanted to leave.
Usually once Chu Liuxiang had said he wanted to leave, he would immediately leave, but that time Jiao Lin managed to make him to stay by saying 5 words only. “You go, I also go.”
Upon seeing Chu Liuxiang’s carried by the wind fleeting figure suddenly halted, Jiao Lin said, “I know that the friend whom you are looking for is Hu Tiehua, I also know that for him you can put aside any other matters. I, on the other hand also want to go to look for a particular person, and the relationship between me and this person is many times deeper than your relationship with Hu Tiehua.”
“Who is this person?”
“My daughter, my biological daughter.” Jiao Lin said, “Although I do not know where she is, I still want to look for her.”
“You yourself don’t even know where she is?”
“I don’t know.” Jiao Lin said, “But I do know that I have this daughter, now you tell me, do you still think that I shouldn’t leave?”
Chu Liuxiang rubbed his nose again, after a while then said, “You could choose not to go.” Chu Liuxiang was not an unreasonable person, but the sentence he said earlier sounded rather unreasonable. Jiao Lin of course could not stand not to ask him, “Why is that so?”
“Because I just saved your life, I do not want to see you die.” Chu Liuxiang said, “Moreover you yourself do not know where your daughter is. How do you plan to go looking for her?”
“I have my own clue.”
“Then you only need to tell me your clue and I could help you to find your daughter. Therefore, you could stay here.” Chu Liuxiang said, “If even I could not find her, you definitely also won’t be able to.” No one could refute this sentence, Chu Liuxiang was actually still a reasonable person.
Jiao Lin’s eyes immediately shone, like a magic trick, a silk handkerchief suddenly appeared on his hand.
The snowy white handkerchief had already turned yellowish. On top of it a crescent moon was embroidered using a red thread. “Her mother had left me even before she was born. I only know that below her neck there was a birthmark, it had the shape similar to this handkerchief’s crescent moon.”
Jiao Lin said, “Unfortunately, I also do not know where her mother went after she had left me, because this thing happened 18 years ago.”
A handkerchief, a birthmark below the neck. Below the neck usually means above the breast. An 18 years old young girl, even if she was an idiot, it was still impossible for her to flaunt this part of her body to a stranger.
Chu Liuxiang was dumbfounded. When he saw Jiao Lin’s face and received that handkerchief, he felt like he was boarding a pirate ship and what worse was he willingly boarded it.
Jiao Lin also said, “I surely know that using this way to look for a person is not easy at all, but luckily I also know that all his life Chu Liuxiang has never failed to do anything. Therefore, I am at ease.”
Of course he felt at ease. He had passed on his inextricable problem to other person, passed it to the only person in the world who was willing to shoulder it. Chu Liuxiang looked at him. He looked at Jiao Lin for quite some time, and then he laughed and said, “You old fox, why don’t you also ask me to pluck the moon in the sky for you?”
However, right then what worried Chu Liuxiang the most was not the “crescent moon” whose whereabouts was unknown. The thing that worried him the most was the “kennel” on top of a tree and the person inside that “kennel”.
A very big tree. A very tall tree.
thanks. it's becoming more intersting.
Chapter 2 - Part 4
Long time ago when Chu Liuxiang and Hu Tiehua were little boys, they built a small tree house on top of a tree which had the densest leaves. The color of the tree house was similar to the color of the tree’s bark. The size of that small tree house was about the size of the prehistoric people’s house which main purpose was to protect them from beasts attack.
Back then, it was because they were playful, also because their martial arts had reached a pretty high standard; therefore, they built such a tree house.
Hu Tiehua said, “Why don’t we call this place as kennel?”
Chu Liuxiang said, “Why is that so?” he was discontented; “Only eagle and condor could build such a high tree house. We are not dogs. Moreover, dog is not able to climb a tree, so why do we have to name this place as kennel?”
“Because I like dogs.” Hu Tiehua’s answer made Chu Liuxiang rubbed his nose. “Who knows that one day we will be chased by others just like stray dogs with no hiding place to go. At that time, we could come here.”
And hence it was decided that kennel was the name of that place.
Although they had never been chased after like some stray dogs, they had been there for a few times, bringing a jar of wine, plucking some fruits to eat, climbed the tree in drunken stupor, and then left after pouring down every word that they could not say, did not want to say or dared not to say to others.
During their last rendezvous at that place, they made a pact. Hu Tiehua said, “If any of us is in danger, that person will come here to hide. No matter who is the one who comes here, the other person has to come to rescue him.”
Hu Tiehua also said, “If I am the one who comes, I will leave ‘kennel’ this word at every place that you often visited. Others might not understand what does it mean, but you will definitely understand it.”
He told Chu Liuxiang, “When that time comes, I surely am in a grave danger. So the moment you see the ‘code’, you have to come as quickly as you could. If you see me using a white chalk to write the word, that means if you come late even by an iota bit, you most probably have to buy a coffin for me.”
Chu Liuxiang had seen the ‘code’, written by using white chalk, and could be seen at many places. When he saw that ‘code’, the word had become a bit blurry and therefore he concluded that between the time he had seen the ‘code’ and the time Hu Tiehua wrote it, at least 15 to 20 days had lapsed.
For that last few months Chu Liuxiang had often appeared in Jiang Nan, but Jiang Nan was a pretty large place, to be able to see the ‘code’ agreed upon from 10 years ago within 30 days can be considered that Hu Tiehua’s luck was not bad at all. However, 20 days was not a short period of time, within those 20 days the number of people who had died perhaps exceeded the number of ants a person could have seen during his entire life; and Hu Tiehua might be one of the dead people.
Hu Tiehua was not died yet, on the contrary Chu Liuxiang was closed of being angered to death. When Chu Liuxiang found him, he was not in any danger at all; moreover, he was having a happier life compared to the most people on the earth.
The mountain was still the same mountain. The tree was still the same tree.
On top of that fog-covered green mountain, nothing seemed to have change, but the kennel on top of the tree had changed.
The exterior was still the same, because it was built by two very capable pair of hands using the very best of woods. Hence, even after years standing against heavy wind and rain, the house was still sturdy.
However, its interior had changed. In the world, probably there was no one who would think that that place was a mere kennel. People could call it ‘Garden of Eden’ or even “the house of God and Goddess”, both are fine. But, it was definitely could not be called a kennel anymore. Hu Tiehua himself did not look like a stray dog which was being chased by some people and had no place to go.
Inside the tree house originally there were only one small table, two torn grass mats, and several empty wine jars. But at that moment everything had changed, as if there was a divine being who had gone there and touched all of the things inside the house with one finger of his which was able to turn everything to gold.
Therefore, the two torn grass mats had changed into world’s softest, warmest, and most expensive woven-carpets; the empty wine jars made from clays had changed into jars made from gold and jade, and inside them was the best wine from various places.
The moneyless face-full-of-beard wanderer Hu Tiehua had also changed. He had become 5 persons; one man and four women. The women were of course the kind of stunning beauty who could entice a man’s soul. You only need to cast one glance at them and you are guaranteed won’t be able to sleep at night. One of them was petite and extremely loveable, one was gentle, one was full of energy and another one was very slim.
The man was surely the one with the qualifications to match these beauties. He was tall, looking stout and mature, his hair was combed nicely and his beard was trimmed clean. Compared to the old Hu Tiehua who might not take a bath, shave his face and change his clothes more than once a month, this person was like a completely different Hu Tiehua.
Unfortunately, Chu Liuxiang in one glance could verify that these seemingly two different persons were actually one same person. Even if Hu Tiehua had turned to ashes, Chu Liuxiang would still be able to recognize him.
“How could this person change?” “How could this place change until like this?”
Chu Liuxiang could not guess it. If there was really a god who would descend upon the earth and with one finger he could create a miracle. Chu Liuxiang would really like to borrow that finger. He will use it to touch this “Hu Tiehua look-alike” and turn him into a pig.
end of chapter 2
Chapter 3 - Part 1
A person who adores beauty
A human can’t become a pig. However, if Hu Tiehua could really become a pig, he still couldn’t amuse Chu Liuxiang any further. Because, even in his wildest dream, Chu Liuxiang wouldn’t believe that Hu Tiehua could change as drastically as this.
Hu Tiehua was looking at him. The way he looked at Chu Liuxiang was like that was the first time they had ever met and furthermore his expression was like there was a petunia flower grew on Chu Liuxiang’s face.
“Have you eaten the wrong medicine?” Hu Tiehua unexpectedly asked, “Or someone has stepped on your tail?”
“This person has a tail?” one of the girls who had big doe-eyes asked, “Why can’t I see where is his tail?”
“A person once he has become an old fox, even if he had a tail, others won’t be able to catch a glimpse of it.” Hu Tiehua with a serious expression on his face said, “But, look at his face, it is a bit weird isn’t it? His face is similar to the face of a person who has just swallowed a big and fat live chinch.”
The girls were giggling; their giggles were so mesmerizing just like them. Chu Liuxiang looked at his own hands; he really wanted to make a fist and then punch Hu Tiehua on his nose so that he will get a broken nose and stop spouting rubbish.
Unfortunately, Chu Liuxiang did not have the habit to punch his friend’s nose. Hence, his hand was forced to caress his own nose instead. The girls were laughing heartily, suddenly Chu Liuxiang was also laughing and his laugh was even heartier.
“Nice, nice, very nice.” He asked Hu Tiehua, “Since when have you become such a merry person? Why didn’t I know about it?”
“Isn’t this good?” Hu Tiehua blinked and said, “Don’t tell me that you are angry with me?” He said with the conscience of a sinless person, “Will you be happy if you really saw me beaten into a pulp and hiding here like a stray dog?”
The top of the small table was full of fruits, snacks, bread and meat, and two jars of wine. He asked Chu Liuxiang again, “Do you know what wine are these? This one is 30 years Nuerhong and that one is the best Luzhoudagu wine.”
He embraced the slim girl with long legs who was standing next to him, and said, “even though your nose is not functioning well, your eyes are very sharp. You definitely can tell that each of these girls is 18x prettier than any girl we have encountered before.”
HU Tiehua shook his head and sighed, “A person who can have such good wine, such beautiful girls and yet still remember to invite his friend to enjoy them together, this person must be an extraordinary person. If I could have such a good friend, I definitely will kneel in front of him and kiss his feet.”