Jiu Yue Ying Fei (Flying Eagles in the Ninth Month)

[fastclock]

This is the last update before thanksgiving weekend. I'll come back afterwards to finish chapter 1.

Feng Liu is one of 13 Wei Ba Tai Ye's disciples. Liu is 6th, just like Xin Si (4th) and Duan Shier (12th).

*****

Feng Liu slowly walked through the snow, from afar, he could see the bright colored plum blossoms in Leng Xiangyuan.

"Reserve the entire Leng Xiangyuan, if there were anyone there, just expel him/her, whether living or dead, just expel them."

This was Wei Ba Tai-ye’s order, a typical order from Wei Ba Tai-ye. He sent you simply to complete a task, where not being successful was not an option. As far as how you did it, he didn’t really care, no matter how difficult it was, it didn’t matter. If there was any difficulty, he wanted you to take care it, if you can’t overcome it, you are simply not worthy as Wei Ba Tai-ye’s disciples.

Feng Liu was ordered to come here. He was always a discrete person, extremely discrete. He had assessed the difficulty which might occur, considering everything carefully.

Making way through this snow trail, he found the Leng Xiangyuan’s gatekeeper. He hoped this steward was a smart person. The smart people all knew that Wei Ba Tai-ye’s request could not be turned down.

The steward of Leng Xiangyuan on duty today was a middle-aged person over 30 year-old, although he didn’t appear to be intelligent, he didn’t seem stupid.

"You can tell me, Yang Xuan, everything. Whether the master would like to enjoy the view, drink wine or just want to linger in this place for several days."

Feng Liu reply was direct and brief: "We must reserve this whole place!"

Yang Xuan appeared very disturbed, but he was smiling as he said: "Here altogether there are 21 courtyards, 14 buildings, seven halls, 28 reception rooms, more than 200 guest rooms, master wants all of these to be reserved?"

Feng Liu: “Yes."

Yang Xuan hesitated: "How many people will come altogether?"

Feng Liu: "Even if only one person comes, this whole place must also be reserved."

Yang Xuan’s face became clouded, he coldly said: "This has to be a certain kind of person."

Feng Liu: “It is Wei Ba Tai-ye!"

Yang Xuan changed his countenance and said: "Wei Ba Tai-ye, Baoding’s government officer Wei Ba Tai-ye?"

Feng Liu nodded with high satisfaction in his heart, after all Wei Ba Tai-ye’s reputation was known by almost everyone.

Yang Xuan looked at him, suddenly he exposed a very sly happy expression and said: "I won’t dare to violate Wei Ba Tai-ye’s, only... "

Feng Liu: "Only what?"

Yang Xuan said: "There was also a customer a moment ago who wanted to corral this whole place, moreover he pays 1,000 silver taels per day, if I promise master this place also, where will I move this customer?"

Feng Liu had wrinkled his brow and said: "Where is this person?"

Yang Xuan had not replied, he just looked over his shoulder.

Feng Liu had turned round, then he saw a bluish face with no expression. A person stood behind him, with a very frail hemp clothing on his body, carrying a mat behind, and a short stick in his hand.

When Feng Liu came in a moment ago, he certainly did not see this person, now this person did not seem to have seen him, a pair of cold eyes with no expression, eyes fixed at a distant point.

In this world, all person, all matters, he only viewed them momentarily with the tail of his eyes. He only cared for a distant illusory place. Only there, could he obtain the true tranquility, the peace and the happiness.

Feng Liu looked at that person, not recognizing who this person was, he certainly did not want to look too carefully nor to speak with this person, he knew talking to this person would be an extremely stupid thing to do. In Yang Xuan’s eyes, there was also that gleam of sly happiness.

Feng Liu smiled and said: "Do you do business?"

Yang Xuan said: "I am a businessman."

Feng Liu: "Why do you do business?"

Yang Xuan said with a smile: "Certainly to make money."

Feng Liu: "Good, I will give you 1,500 silver taels a day, and 1,000 taels for the sales commission." He knew discussing the transaction with a businessman was much easier than talking to that reserved person. After many years with Wei Ba Tai-ye, he knew how to make the correct judgement and choice.

Yang Xuan was obviously moved, before he heard that white-clothed person coldly said: "I will pay 1500 silver taels, and add this."

Feng Liu heard a swift and gentle swish of knife behind him, he could not stop himself from turning his head. The white-clothed person had extracted a thin knife from the short stick and cut a piece of flesh from his thigh. He slowly put it on the table, he had no expression at all on his face, like it did not cause him any pain at all.

Feng Liu looked at him, and felt the corner of his eyes keep flickering. After a very long time, only then he slowly said: "I will also pay for this price."

The vacant indifferent eyes of the white-clothed person only looked at him, but also kept staring at the distant place.

Feng Liu slowly extracted his short knife, and also cut a piece in his thigh. He did it very slowly, very carefully. Regardless of any matter, he was always very careful, the flesh being cut, although very painful, but Wei Ba Tai-ye’s order if he was unable to complete, certainly could be more painful. His surmise and his choice were similarly correct, perhaps he had no choice anyway. Two pieces of bloody flesh were put on the table, Yang Xuan had already become quiet.

The white-clothed person looked at Feng Liu, suddenly brandished a sword, and cut his own ear. Feng Liu thought his own arm became very stiff. He had sheared others' ear, at that time he only thought that was a pleasing brutality, but shearing his own ear was actually another matter.

He might have brandished his sword and killed this white-clothed person rightaway, but he had not forgotten Han Zhen’s speech. Even if you move much quicker than him, when you kill him, he could still kill you. A discrete person would treasure his own life.

****
Q:What will Feng Liu do?

[fastclock]

I wish there are more people responding to the thread... (and other threads as well). There is nothing like encouragement for the translators.

So what will Feng Liu do? This part is really funny.

******

Feng Liu was a discrete person, he slowly regained his composure, he started cutting his own ear, shearing slowly and carefully. The white-clothed person's shoulder was dyed red with his blood dripping from where the ear was, but suddenly there was a brutal pleased expression in these pairs of indifferent vacant eyes.

Feng Liu’ ear looked different from his own. The two bloody ears were put on the table, Yang Xuan’s body could not stop shivering.

The white-clothed person looked at the blood that kept flowing from Feng Liu’s ears before he coldly said: "Can you also pay this price?" He suddenly brandished his sword and chopped at his own left wrist.

Feng Liu’s heart sank with this swing of the knife. However at this moment, he suddenly felt a rushing wind, with a strange fragrance in it.

Then he saw a person. A woman. In a short interval, Feng Liu thought he certainly had not seen such a beautiful woman, that was like a fresh picture blown by the wind.

When the white-clothed person saw her, he detected immediately that his own knife was grasped by her hand.

She kept smiling while looking at him. With a gentle and happy voice, she spoke happily, "If the knife cut on the flesh, it can hurt very badly."

The white-clothed person coldly said: "This is not your flesh."

This beautiful woman said gently: "Although it is not my flesh, I can also love it dearly." She sprung her bamboo-like slender fingers gently, like a sweetheart plucking a fresh flower from the vase.

The white-clothed person noticed the knife in his hand had been transferred to her hand. This knife was tempered from fine steel, thin and sharp.

This perfect slender figure, with a ‘trang’, unexpectedly broke this fine steel knife into several broken pieces. "Moreover, this place has been reserved by me, why do you have to fight it?"

While speaking, she hold the broken pieces with her two fingers, and slowly putting them in the mouth, swallowing them one by one. Then on her beautiful face, she revealed a very satisfied expression, just as if she was swallowing delicacies or candies.

Feng Liu was astounded, he nearly could not believe his own eyes. Even the white-clothed person's eyes were also to unable to restrain revealing his extreme fear. How could there be such strange and fearful wugong in this world? Wasn't she afraid of getting an ulcer or a decaying stomach?

This beautiful woman kept swallowing the broken pieces until the last one, before gently sighing and smilingly said: "This knife is actually really good, not only it is made from very good steel, but it is also made very purely, it tastes much better than the knife I ate yesterday."

Feng Liu could not bear saying: "You eat a knife everyday?"

This beautiful woman said that, "I certainly do not want to eat too many, every day only three knives. Eating a knife or a sword is also similar to eating pork, if you eat too much, the stomach would not feel comfortable."

Feng Liu’s eyes kept looking at her. He realized he was being very rude in front of the beautiful woman, but right now he completely had no control over himself.

This beautiful woman looked at him before saying: "Like the knife in your hand, this one is not very delicious."

Feng Liu could not bear saying: "Why?"

She smiled and lightly said: "Your knife has been used to kill a lot of people, the smell of blood is too heavy."

The white-clothed person looked at her, before he suddenly turned walked away. He did not fear death, but if he were supposed to eat pieces of a knife, he could not manage it. Nobody could manage it, that was just an impossible achievement.

She smiled and said: "He doesn’t really want to fight me, how about you?"

Feng Liu did not open his mouth, he just couldn’t open it.

This beautiful woman also said that, "A real man, even if he wins against a woman, that still wouldn’t be an honorable matter, right?"

Feng Liu finally sighed and said: "I need your honored name, so next time I will be able to recall this meeting."

She also sighed and said: "I am only a maid, even if you ask my name, that would not be helpful."

So, this peerless grace and talent, beautifully illuminated person, immeasurably skillful wugong woman, was just a maid. Then, how unique would be her master?

“You might as well go back to Wei Ba Tai-ye, and say that this place has been reserved by Nanhai Niang-zi (the South Sea Lady), if he has some spare time, then he may please come to visit after several days."

Feng Liu asked again: "Nanhai Niang-zi?"

This beautiful woman nodded and said: " Nanhai Niang-zi is my master, You go back and tell Wei Ba Tai-ye, he would certainly know."

(END OF CHAPTER 1)

*****

Q: What would be Wei Ba Tai-ye's reaction?

[fastclock]

Chapter 2: Nanhai Niang-zi (The South Sea Lady)

When Wei Ba Tai-ye was happy or angry, he would become like two different people, but now he looked like a third person. No one had seen him so anxious like now, so agitated, that his healthy glowing face had turned dark green all of a sudden.

"Nanhai Niang-zi! Hasn't she died already?" He clenched both of his hands, his voice was filled with anxiety and surprise, and even fear.

Nobody dared to make a noise, no one could think there was someone in this world who inflicted such fear in Wei Ba Tai-ye.

Wei Tianpeng suddenly stared at them and shouted: "Do you know what kind of person Nanhai Niang-zi is?"

Although this sentence was aimed at the whole group, but the eyes were directed at only Han Zhen. Instead, Han Zhen did not open his mouth this time.

Wei Tianpeng darted forward, seized the front of his clothes and said sternly: "If you all do not know Nanhai Niang-zi, what else do you know?"

Han Zhen’s face suddenly became like those white-clothed persons, completely devoid of any expression, the pair of eyes also kept staring at a distant place.

Wei Tianpeng stared at him, the anger on his face gradually lessened, he started to draw back, the hands that held the front of the clothes also gradually released the grips, before he suddenly gave a long sigh and said: "This really cannot blame you, your age is also too young. When Nanhai Niang-zi run amok among all living things, crisscrossing the whole world, you were not born yet."

He suddenly pumped his chest, and in a loud voice: "But I actually have seen her, all over the world, I, Wei Tianpeng, is the only person who have seen her actual face with my own eyes, no one else can claim that."
His face became flushed red, the fact that he could see Nanhai Niang-zi's true face with his own eyes, were unexpectedly something to feel extremely proud of.

Within themselves, each one wanted to ask, “Actually who is this Nanhai Niang-zi, what is she, how does she look?"

No one dared to ask the question in front of Wei Ba Tai-ye. He didn’t like a person who talked too much.

[fastclock]

Wei Tianpeng suddenly said loudly: "Nanhai Niang-zi is like the Thousand Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin?), this means, not only she has a few, but also more than 1,000 different appearances." He suddenly asks Feng Liu: "When you met that woman, what was her appearance?"

Feng Liu said slowly: “She looked very good."

Wei Tianpeng said: “When you say good, was she extremely attractive?"

Feng Liu responded: “She was extremely attractive."

Wei Tianpeng said: "How old did she appear to be?"

Feng Liu’s head hang lower, he suddenly discovered that he could not predict clearly that woman's age.

When his first saw her, he thought she was very young, although perhaps about 25-26 years old. But when he heard her speak afterwards, he thought she looked like she was only 15-16 year-old girl. But when he looked at her again, he discovered that the corners of her eyes seemed to have some wrinkles, so she should be 30 or older. But now that he remembered how she swallowed the knife, if she had not practiced for 40-50 years of painstaking effort, how else could she have that depth and maturity of wugong?

Wei Tianpeng said: "You could not see that she was old already?"

Feng Liu’s head hung very, very low.

Wei Tianpeng suddenly clapped his hands and said: "This woman could very possibly be the Thousand Goddess of Mercy."

Feng Liu could not bear saying: "If she had retired for 30-40 years already, wouldn’t she be now an old lady?"

Wei Tianpeng sneeringly said: "When she was 17-18 year old, some people thought she was an old lady, 20-30 years afterwards, there were some people who said she was only a young girl."

Feng Liu was astounded, he really could not comprehend this.

Wei Tianpeng said: "This person could manifest herself in 1,100 ways. For any kind of person, she could play that role if she wants. It is said that a Shaolin master was preaching in Taishan, there were several old friends in the audience. After listening for two days and two nights, suddenly the true master really came, thereupon at last these people discovered that the one who preached as that master was actually Nanhai Niang-zi!"

This kind of story might seem to be just a myth, nobody would believe it, but everyone knew that Wei Ba Tai-ye never lied.

Wei Tianpeng said: "If someone had looked at Nanhai Niang-zi’s true face, undoubtedly, he had to die, therefore the person who knows her reputation best is only me... only me... "

His voice became softer, with a very strange expression on his face. After a very long time, he slowly said: "She can throw and receive hidden weapons exquisitely, nobody can be compared to her, her disguise skill is exquisite and unprecedented. However, just at the peak of her reputation, she suddenly went missing, nobody knew anything, not where she had gone to. For 30 years, nobody in jiang-hu heard her news, including me."

Everybody looked at each other in blank dismay, certainly they did not dare to speak.

Now everyone could see there were special and mystical relationship between Wei Ba Tai-ye and Nanhai Niang-zi, which increased their curiosity even further. Since this Nanhai Niang-zi had been missing for 30 years, why had she appear so suddenly?

*****
Q: What would Wei Ba Tai-ye do now? He had lost his face completely with his 4th, 6th and 12th disciples. When would Ye Kai show up?

[PJ]

Hey, good start so far

May I suggest one thing: translate any translatable name into English, for example Wei Ba Tai Ye would be the Eighth Master Wei, or something along that line. This will make the translation more readable to the large body of Cantonese speakers onboard and others who don't know Mandarin.

[fastclock]

Thanks for reading...

About the suggestion: I'm a bit hesitant about converting names from Chinese to English, just because it might go too far.

I also grew up reading Chinese names/nicknames I don't understand and I'm fine with it, like shifu, shimei and other words, although I read them as "suhu, sumoay" etc. (e.g. non-Chinese speaking, Hokkianese names initially).

I also like Hu Yidao, Xiao Longnu, or Wei Xiaobao much better than Gully Hu, Little Dragon Girl, or Trinket Wei.

So, I guess it comes to preferences, and since I'm a lazy sod-pls convert it on your own. I agree 'Wei Ba Tai-ye' is not in any way clearer than Eight Master Wei, but heck... I just don't have the energy and the will to go back and do it.

[fastclock]

Shisan is 13th.

*****

After a while, Wei Tianpeng suddenly shouted: “Come out ‘Old powder’!"

A thin handsome youth with a silvery fox shawl walked forward accordingly. His attire was very magnificent, with tailor-made good fit. He had an extremely attractive face, which would show some happiness even if he was not smiling, just a face that would be loved by women. The eyes were a little suffused as if he had not had enough sleep.

Perhaps if he could fulfill the wish of each woman that favored him, his sleep would not be enough. This youth was one of Wei Ba Tai-ye’s 13 disciples "Old powder young lord" Ximen Shisan.

Wei Tianpeng stared at him with a pair of slanted eyes, after a very long time, he coldly said: "In the evening of midautumn festival in the eighth month, did you meet a new bosom friend called Lin?"

Ximen Shisan was a little startled, finally lowered his head to acknowledge: “Yes."

Wei Tianpeng said: "After you had met that bastard, what else have you done this month?"

Ximen Shisan’s face suddenly become flushed, his tongue got tied up.

Wei Tianpeng sneeringly said: "I also know that you would not dare to speak, good! Han Zhen, you said it for him."

Han Zhen slowly said immediately: "In the evening of 20th of the eighth month, he had borrowed 30,000 silver taels from the official storehouse. In the 30th of the eighth month, he had borrowed again."

Wei Tianpeng sneeringly said: "In ten days you have spend 30,000 silver taels, these two bastards could spend so generously."

Han Zhen you then said: "In the evening of the sixth of the ninth month, they being drunk came upon three young Kunlun Mountain disciples. After some altercations, they actually pursued them for 80 miles and killed them."

Wei Ba Tai-ye coldly said: "It looks like Kunlun Mountains school disciples have degenerate since the last time they assisted the emperor in his great tasks."

Han Zhen said: "After killing these people, their escapade instead intensified and they intruded Shijiazhuang, snatched a pair of 14 year-old twin sisters, and force them to accompany them for a full day and night."

At this point, Ximen Shisan’s eyes seemed to beg Han Zhen to stop with the meaningful glances. However Han Zhen acted as if he had not seen them, and continued to say, "After that, their courage got even bigger, on the 13th of the ninth month ... "

Ximen Shisan did not wait for him to finish, "puff" he had knelt in front of Wei Ba Tai-ye, ripped open his own clothes and said: "The disciple understands. You can kill me for my mistakes."


*****
Q: Will Ximen Shisan got punished or even killed?

[fastclock]

Actually, if someone can help me out with the dates etc... because I'm a little confused.

Starting from the title (9th month) which seems to reflect September, but someone (Tiger Wong?) said it should be December because of the snow and coldness.

But does it mean all the other date sign (e.g. Mid-Autumn festival in August, etc in the passage before this) are correct, or they need to be adjusted as well?

If the story happens around September (and everything should happen in about 1-4 months at the most), does it mean Ximen Shisan met Ding Lin in August the year before? He met Ding Lin again and again also in December...

[Yang Guo]

How many months are there in the lunar calendar?

[bliss]

The Chinese lunar calendar also has 12 months, but the timing of the months is different from the Western Calendar. The timing of each lunar month is approximately pushed back 2 months as compared to the Western calendar. For example, the 9th month in the lunar calendar coincides with around the end of October through the end of November (~11th month in Western calendar). That's why in Jiuyue Yingfei we see the setting in winter, while the timeframe is set in the 9th month. This is also why New Years occurs usually in February. Hope that helps!

[fastclock]

Ok, thank you bliss,

I've fixed the dates on the previous installation.
For some reason (which I still don't know), Babelfish translates 13th of 9th month as December 13 - which doesn't make sense.

So, everything that happens to Ximen Shisan and Lin happens between mid of 8th month (when they got acquainted) and near the end of the ninth month, when he got judged by Wei Tianpeng.

So, right now I'm sticking with the original dates (e.g. 13th of the the 9th month instead of changing it to September 13, or November 13) as the lunar dates are not immediately translate-able to the regular calendar.

[fastclock]

Wei Tianpeng stared at him, looking at him for a while before he suddenly laughed and said: "Good, you have guts. A real man would dare to kill other young fellows who are not as useful, or play around with some beautiful young girls."

Ximen Shisan was startled and said: "You do not blame me?"

Wei Tianpeng laughed and said: "Why do I blame you? If those two young girls did not like you, why couldn't they escape? Why did they have to accompany you day and night? If they like you, what is wrong then? Young girls have fallen in love with other young fellows, this is a perfectly justifiable matter, no one could control this, even a king."

Ximen Shisan could not stop smiling and said: "These girls certainly have looked for me secretly in the last few days."

Wei Tianpeng laughed and said: "For a man to live in this world, he must have the courage to kill, have the capacity to entice a young girl, otherwise he would not really count as a real man."

His laughter suddenly stopped, staring at Ximen Shisan he said: "Since I do not blame you, do you know why I called you to come out?"

Ximen Shisan: "I do not know."

Wei Tianpeng said: "Do you know who that bastard Lin is?"

Ximen Shisan: "I do not know."

Wei Tianpeng suddenly let fly a foot, kicked him so he tumbled away about ten feet, then he pulled at his hair, lifted up his entire body, and gave him 17-18 boxes left and right on the ears, then asked: "Do you know why I hit you?"

Ximen Shisan said: " I do not know." He indeed did not know, he was simply too astounded.

Wei Tianpeng said sternly, "A real man, getting killed and torched does not really count, but if he actually do not know his own friend, then he is really a live bastard, that should be beheaded 100 times."

This speech was just finished when suddenly a person’s shadow flashed by, and a person stood at Ximen Shisan’s side. The 30 pairs of eyes in the hall had not seen clearly where this person came from.

Under the shining light, they could only see that this person had a fair and clear face, with a tall stature. He looked delicate, and had refined manner, his face showed a little part of girlish shyness. But he had swiftly covered the ground silently, the levitation skill of the 13 disciples was nothing compared to this person’s.

*****

Question for the weekend: So, who is the new guy?

[fastclock]

As soon as his body came to a stop, he bowed with one hand cupped in the other and said: "The younger generation Ding Lin, comes purposely to pay a visit to Wei Ba Tai-ye.”

Wei Tianpeng stared at him and said sternly: "You dare to come here?"

Ding Lin said: "The younger generation wouldn’t dare!"

Wei Tianpeng suddenly loudly said with a smile: "Good! You have guts, this old person likes a young fellow like you who have guts!"

He let Ximen Shisan go while saying, "You bastard should understand now, this Lin fellow is Ding Lin, when you can obtain this kind of friend, your good fortune is finally good!"

Ximen Shisan was startled looking at his friend, all people looked at his this friend, everyone had heard Ding Lin’s name, but actually nobody could guess that this refined, girlish youth, was unexpectedly the martial arts world’s master of the highest levitation skill "wind young lord" Ding Lin.

Besides Han Zhen and Wei Ba Tai-ye, indeed no one else could have guessed. Ding Lin's face actually turned red.

Wei Tianpeng said: "I punch this young bastard, instead of punching you."

Ding Lin blushed and said: "Actually I do not know what instruction does the senior have?"

Wei Tianpeng said: "I have a matter I want you to do for me, you may turn down this matter if you do not want to." His expression suddenly became very serious, before he finally said: "But I do not want you to go unprepared, therefore I also want to have a look at your levitation skill."

Ding Lin was standing still, his shoulder had not moved, the arm had not lifted, the fingertips were all linked together not moving. But at this moment, he suddenly flew like a swallow, like the wind blowing on top of the head of the numerous people.

When this wind had blown, he had unexpectedly became stationary again in the original place, in his hand there were actually many lanterns.

These lanterns were originally hanged on a bamboo pole outside the hall, this bamboo pole was at least 30 feet high, and about 50-60 feet away from where he was standing. But he swiftly went there and back without breathing heavily.

Wei Tianpeng clapped his hands and laughed aloud, "Good! All other people said that 'wind young lord '’s levitation skill is high, and possibly among the top five masters in the world, today I can see that it really lives up to the reputation." He pat Ding Lin's shoulder and also said: "You have such levitation skill, you might go."

Ding Lin could not bear to ask: "Go where?"

*****

Q: Where would Ding Lin go? Was he a fraud or a legitimate wuxia master?

[PJ]

Thanks for reading...

About the suggestion: I'm a bit hesitant about converting names from Chinese to English, just because it might go too far.

I also grew up reading Chinese names/nicknames I don't understand and I'm fine with it, like shifu, shimei and other words, although I read them as "suhu, sumoay" etc. (e.g. non-Chinese speaking, Hokkianese names initially).

I also like Hu Yidao, Xiao Longnu, or Wei Xiaobao much better than Gully Hu, Little Dragon Girl, or Trinket Wei.

So, I guess it comes to preferences, and since I'm a lazy sod-pls convert it on your own. I agree 'Wei Ba Tai-ye' is not in any way clearer than Eight Master Wei, but heck... I just don't have the energy and the will to go back and do it.

I think where to draw the line is if the name is a person's real name or not. For example, I assume Hu Yidao and Wei Xiaobao are their real names, whereas Xiaolongnu is a nickname. So I would leave the real names alone, but translate the nicknames. One like Wei Ba Tai Ye is not his real name, and may contain information about his character, so it should be translated.

You don't have to go back to convert what you already translated. I was just suggesting it would be nice to take this into consideration for your future translations.

[fastclock]

I would consider a nickname which is the only name that person is known as, as a proper name as well. Hence, Xiao Longnu and Nanhai Niangzi fall into the same category. Wei Ba Tai-ye is an honorary call, so I suppose one can change it to English as the real name Wei Tianpeng is also used.

Proper names of places such as Leng Xiangyuan or Chang An city or Qing Cheng, I would keep as well in pinyin. I like them because it keeps the setting of the story in Chinese context (against western setting). While a Cantonese person (or other dialects speakers) can object to it - I think this is acceptable to most other readers.

Thanks again for the comment.

[fastclock]

Wei Tianpeng said: "Go to Leng Xiangyuan, to actually have a look at that Nanhai Niang-zi."
Ding Lin's complexion was suddenly pale.

Wei Tianpeng said: "You know Nanhai Niang-zi?"
Ding Lin nodded.

Wei Tianpeng said: "You also know her ruthlessness?"
Ding Lin nodded again.

Wei Tianpeng stared at him for a moment before suddenly asking: "Who is your master?"

Ding Lin felt embarrassed, suddenly stepping forward two steps, he gently said a name near his ears.

Wei Tianpeng changed his countenance immediately and said: "No wonder you know about her, at Tianshan war in the years past, your master once ran across her."

Ding Lin blushed, said: "The younger generation only knows a little, I do not dare to be impolite."

Wei Tianpeng said: "But there is a matter you do not know."
Ding Lin said: "Please advise!"

Wei Tianpeng said: "In order to keep her face immortal, Nanhai Niang-zi had practiced a kind of weird internal strength. For some reason, everyday at a certain time between midnight and noon, she suffered a relapse for at least half an hour, the whole body will become stiff as wood and not able to move.”

Ding Lin was calmly listening.

Wei Tianpeng said: "But her whereabout is usually very much concealed, even if she suffer a relapse at this moment, the time is also extremely short, therefore although some people knew her weakness, no one also dare to look for her!"

He slowly continued: "Now that we know that she is staying in Leng Xiangyuan, your levitation skill is so good, that when you find her martial arts practicing place, she might be suffering this relapse, and therefore you can open her mask... "

Ding Lin could not bear asking, "Mask? What mask?"

Wei Tianpeng said: "She usually wear a mask on her face, even when she is not disguised, she still does not want to show her true face."
Ding Lin said: "Since nobody has seen her true face, although the younger generation can open her mask, but still cannot confirm her identity."

Wei Tianpeng said: "I have seen her true face, she has a very special mark, as long as you see it, you can certainly recognize her."
Ding Lin said: "What marks?"

Wei Tianpeng suddenly has bent down, and gently said two words near his ears.

*****

Q: Who is Ding Lin's master? What is Nanhai Niangzi's special characteristics?

[fastclock]

Can someone give a good word in exchange of "fierceness" or "fierce", which captures being skillful, and ruthless?

[Bubeng]

Can someone give a good word in exchange of "fierceness" or "fierce", which captures being skillful, and ruthless?

What is the Indonesian word for it?

Bubeng

[chinezeanbabe]

hey peeps, wassup?? ne1 in here have yahoo IM or msn messenger??
my msn: bootchigo my yahoo IM: chinezeanbabe

all hot guyz IM me!!!

[fastclock]

Bubeng,

This "fierce" term doesn't come from Indonesian language, it comes from the chinese term (厉害 li-hai in pinyin). Although looking at the word, "lihai" in BI might come from this chinese word.

From dictionary: li (whetstone; grind, sharpen; whet), hai or he (injure, harm; destroy, kill).

If no one comes up with a good one, I'll use fierce/fierceness