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Thread: Demi-God Semi-Devils

  1. #401
    Senior Member yeongwee's Avatar
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    Yay! Thanx RWX! Will wait patiently for the next installment.

    It seems we are not allowed to enjoy Qiao Feng's status as the heroic leader of the largest clan for very long... his subordinates have already started their rebellion. I thought there would be more build-up before his fortunes take a turn for the worse
    Man is glue. You are man. How then can you step away from glue?

  2. #402
    Senior Member ChronoReverse's Avatar
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    Something I noticed

    Ah Bi hurriedly applied the antidote to his arm, and Bao Butong unsealed his acupoints. In a short period of time, Feng Bo’e’s arm, previously swollen grotesquely, looked normal again, and he had no problems speaking or moving.
    I like how Bao Butong was able to unseal his accupoints despite being in a heated life-and-death battle at the moment. Did I miss something here?

  3. #403
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChronoReverse View Post
    Something I noticed


    I like how Bao Butong was able to unseal his accupoints despite being in a heated life-and-death battle at the moment. Did I miss something here?
    Yep, it does say Bao Butong performed the unseal-ment. I think Jin Yong may have goofed.
    忽见柳荫下两个小孩子在哀哀痛哭,瞧模样正是武敦儒、武修文兄弟。郭芙大声叫道:「喂,你们在干甚麽?」武 修文回头见是郭芙,哭道:「我们在哭,你不见麽?」

  4. #404
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    Xiao Feng likes to hold hands with other men (or maybe just Duan Yu). He did it at least twice in Apricot Forest.

    But it's not as bad as Ding Dian gently stroking Di Yun's hair while the latter sobs on the former's laps.
    忽见柳荫下两个小孩子在哀哀痛哭,瞧模样正是武敦儒、武修文兄弟。郭芙大声叫道:「喂,你们在干甚麽?」武 修文回头见是郭芙,哭道:「我们在哭,你不见麽?」

  5. #405
    Moderator Ren Wo Xing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChronoReverse View Post
    Something I noticed


    I like how Bao Butong was able to unseal his accupoints despite being in a heated life-and-death battle at the moment. Did I miss something here?
    I was baffled too, and checked and double checked. All sources said Bao Butong. I agree that it was a Jinyong goof.
    Read the latest chapters of Coiling Dragon at Wuxia World!

  6. #406
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    Thanks for the volley of updates! Hanging on the edge of my seat now. JY really takes his time building up to XF's first action sequence. I think I know which move he's going to use here, but I'll just wait and read.

  7. #407
    Senior Member ChronoReverse's Avatar
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    Hearing him say that he wanted to go back and drink even more wine, Duan Yu was shocked. He said, “Elder brother, when I was competing with you in drinking, I was actually deceiving you. Please don’t blame me.” He immediately explained how he purged the alcohol from his system via the ‘Shaoze’ acupoint. Astonished, Qiao Feng said, “Brother, this…is this the outstanding skill, the ‘Divine Sword of the Six Meridians’?”
    This struck me as funny. Apparently QF found the act of forcing out alcohol using internal energy to be an outstanding skill something worthy of the "legendary" 6MSJ.

    Didn't a certain taoist force out alcohol using his feet in LOCH?

  8. #408
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    Feng Bo’e dodged to the right, but Qiao Feng launched an attack with his right hand, seizing him by the wrist and disarming him. Wang Yuyan cried out, “This is a stroke from the ‘Dragon Claw Hand’ named the ‘Three Pearl-Snatching Strokes’!”

    Then she cried out, “Third brother Bao, his left elbow will collide with your chest, then his right hand will chop at your upper waist, and his left hand will seize your ‘Qihu’ acupoint. This is a ‘Dragon Claw Hand’ stroke known as ‘Copious Amounts of Rain’.

    Just as Wang Yuyan said, ‘his left elbow will collide with your chest’, Qiao Feng’s left elbow really did strike out and collide with Bao Butong’s chest. As Wang Yuyan said, ‘his right hand will chop at your upper waist’, Qiao Feng’s right hand really did chop at his upper waist. He acted at exactly the same moment that she spoke; the synchronicity was so perfect that it couldn’t even have been trained for. Just as Wang Yuyan said the third sentence, Qiao Feng’s fingers formed a hook and seized Bao Butong’s ‘Qihu’ acupoint.

    Bao Butong felt his entire body go limp, rendering him incapable of movement. He indignantly said, “What a nice ‘Copious Amounts of Rain’! Little sister, what’s the point of you telling me about it after the fact? If you told me a bit earlier, I could’ve prepared for it!” Wang Yuyan apologized, “He’s simply too powerful. When he executes his attacks, he doesn’t reveal any hints in advance, and I wasn’t able to realize what he was about to do. I’m really sorry.” Bao Butong replied, “What’s this ‘really sorry, really sorry’ nonsense? Today, we lost this fight and have shamed the Basin of the Swallows!” Turning his head, he saw that Feng Bo’e was standing straight and stiff. When Qiao Feng took away his weapon, he had also sealed his acupoints. Otherwise, how could he simply stand there without fighting so obediently?

    Elder Chen, seeing how his chief had already subdued Feng Bo’e and Bao Butong, stopped singing the song without finishing it. The four elders and various experts of the clan, seeing how Qiao Feng had immediately subdued those two as soon as he acted with such unimaginably wonderful skill, all felt great admiration for him in their heart.

    Qiao Feng unsealed Bao Butong’s ‘Qihu’ acupoint, then gently tapped Feng Bo’e on the shoulder, unsealing his sealed acupoint as well before saying, “The two of you, feel free to leave.”

    Even if Bao Butong was more stubborn than he already was, he knew that the gap between his level of martial arts and that of his opponent was simply far too wide. Even if the Beggar’s Clan didn’t have the ‘Dog Beating Formation’ or the four elders, Qiao Feng would still easily overcome him. At this point in time, if he said anything at all, he would only lose more face. Without saying a single word, he immediately returned to Wang Yuyan’s side.

    Feng Bo’e, on the other hand, spoke. “Chief Qiao, I am definitely inferior to you in martial arts. But I’m not happy with how you beat me using that technique earlier. You caught me a bit off guard.” Qiao Feng replied, “True. I did catch you off guard. Let’s go a few more stances, shall we? I’ll receive some strokes from your broadsword.” As soon as he finished speaking, he lifted up his hand, making a snatching motion mid-air. A current of air suddenly agitated the broadsword lying on the floor, causing the broadsword to actually jump up and leap into his hand. With a flick of his finger, Qiao Feng spun the broadsword around, then presented it to Feng Bo’e.

    Feng Bo’e immediately froze in utter shock. In a quivering voice, he said, “This…this is the ‘Dragon Capturing Art’? Someone exists who is actually…actually able to use this incredible technique?”

    Qiao Feng smiled. “My proficiency in the skill is very basic. Please don’t laugh at me.” As he spoke, he glanced at Wang Yuyan. Earlier, when Wang Yuyan had recognized him using ‘Copious Amounts of Rain’, she had predicted with incredible foresight, as though she were a prophet. This had greatly astonished him. At this moment, he was curious as to how this young maiden who had a thorough knowledge of martial arts would comment on his execution of the ‘Dragon Capturing Art’.

    Unexpectedly, Wang Yuyan didn’t say a single word. It seemed as though she hadn’t even seen Qiao Feng’s outstanding display. As it turned out, she was lost in thought. “Chief Qiao’s martial arts skill is so incredible. My cousin shares an equal amount of fame with him, and everyone in the martial world knows the saying, ‘Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong’. But…but my cousin’s proficiency in martial arts, how can it…how can it…”

    Feng Bo’e shook his head. “I can’t beat you. The difference between our respective skill levels is too great. There’s no fun in fighting you. Chief Qiao, farewell!” Although he had just been defeated, he didn’t look crestfallen at all. The saying, ‘Victory is joyful, but defeat is delightful as well’ applied to him. The only thing he wanted to do was fight. The more exciting the battle became, the happier he was. He didn’t care at all about victory or defeat. He could honestly be described as someone was deeply in tune with the ‘Way of Battle’.

    After saluting Qiao Feng, he said to Bao Butong, “Third brother, I hear that the young master went to Shaolin. There’re a lot of people there. There must be a lot of fights willing to happen as well! I’m going to go stir up some trouble! You guys take your time.” The only thing he was afraid of was missing half a chance to get into a fight. Without even waiting for Bao Butong to respond, he immediately ran off.

    Bao Butong said, “Let’s go, let’s go! As my skill is inferior to others, I have lost all face! Even if I practiced for ten more years, I would still be totally defeated. I might as well stop now, and come to a rest!” He sang the words in a loud voice as he swaggered off. Even in defeat, he looked carefree and unrestrained.

    Wang Yuyan said to Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, “Third brother and fourth brother have both left. Where shall we go to find…to find him?” Ah Zhu lowered her head. “The Beggar’s Clan needs to discuss some serious matters here. Let’s go back to Wuxi and discuss things there.” Turning her head towards Qiao Feng, she said, “Chief Qiao, the three of us are leaving now!” Qiao Feng nodded. “Ladies, at your leisure.”

    From within the group of beggars to the east, walked out a middle-aged beggar with an elegant, refined face. “Chief, we haven’t yet avenged the murder of vice-chief Ma. How can you so casually let our enemies leave?” These words seemed on the surface to be very courteous, but the person appeared very overbearing and aggressive, not acting as though he were a subordinate at all.

    Qiao Feng replied, “We came to Jiangnan for the purpose of avenging the death of vice-chief Ma. But over the past few days, I have done some investigating and now believe that he was not necessarily slain by young master Murong.”

    The middle-aged beggar was named Quan Guanqing. He was nicknamed the ‘Fully Learned Scholar’. He was wise and full of stratagems, and possessed a high level of martial arts as well. Within the clan, he was an eight-bagged hall-master whose position was inferior only to the six elder’s themselves. He was in charge of the ‘Hall of Great Wisdom’. He asked, “Chief, what makes you say that?”

    Wang Yuyan, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi were just about to leave, but upon hearing someone in the Beggar’s Clan bring up Murong Fu, they immediately went to one side and quietly listened, out of their love and solicitude for him.

    Qiao Feng replied, “It is based purely on my own conjecture. I cannot provide any proof.” Quan Guanqing said, “What conjectures do you have, chief? Your subordinate would like to hear them.” Qiao Feng replied, “When I was in Luoyang and heard that second brother Ma died to the ‘Throat Locking Technique’, I suddenly thought of Gusu’s Murong family, famous for ‘using an opponent’s skills, exercising them upon the opponent.’ I believed that second brother Ma had unequaled proficiency in the ‘Throat Locking Technique’, and that aside from Gusu’s Murong family, no one is capable of using second brother Ma’s own ultimate technique against him.” Quan Guanqing said, “Correct.” Qiao Feng said, “But over the past few days, more and more I have begun to think that our initial judgment might not be correct. It’s possible that there are other complications to this matter.” Quan Guanqing said, “All of the brothers here are willing to listen to your thoughts and help you clarify them.”

    Qiao Feng felt that his words seemed to spring from an evil intention, and also noticed that all of the members present had a strange look on their faces. Some tremendous unforeseen event must have occurred within the clan, and he asked, “Where is the skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elder?” Quan Guanqing replied, “Your subordinate has not seen either of the two elders today.” Qiao Feng then asked, “And where are the hall-masters of the ‘Great Benevolence, ‘Great Trustworthiness’, ‘Great Valor’, and ‘Great Courtesy’ halls?” Quan Guanging turned and looked at a seven-bagged disciple who stood towards the northwest and asked, “Zhang Quanxiang, where is your hall-master?” The seven-bagged disciple replied, “Um…um…I don’t know.”

    Qiao Feng always knew that Quan Guanqing, the hall-master of the ‘Hall of Great Wisdom’, was a person who utilized careful planning. He was a very capable and experienced person, and was originally one of his own exceptionally competent personal subordinates. But now that he was conspiring to cause upheaval, he became an exceptionally dangerous enemy. Seeing a look of shame on that seven-bagged disciple, Zhang Quanxiang, how he was unwilling to meet his own gaze, and hearing how he hemmed and hawed, Qiao Feng shouted out, “Zhang Quanxiang! You murdered the master of your hall. Right?!” Zhang Quanxiang was shocked. He hurriedly said, “I didn’t, I didn’t! Hall-master Fang is safe and sound in that place. He isn’t dead, he isn’t dead! This…this has nothing to do with me. I didn’t do it!” Qiao Feng said in a severe voice, “Then who did it?” This sentence was not said particularly loudly, but it was filled with dignity and majesty. Zhang Quanxiang couldn’t help but begin to tremble from head to foot, and his gaze turned towards Quan Guanqing.

    Qiao Feng realized that the revolt had already come to pass. Even if the skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elder had not been slain, they were definitely in critical, life-and-death danger. He had to act quickly, before the opportunity faded away. Letting out a long sigh, he turned and asked the four elders, “Four elders, what exactly has happened?”

    The four elders looked at each other, each of them hoping that another person would be the first to speak. Upon seeing this, Qiao Feng knew that the four elders were also complicit in whatever had happened. Smiling slightly, he said, “Within our clan, from myself on down, everyone highly values the code of brotherhood…” As he said this, he suddenly took two steps backwards. Each step he took was over three meters long; other people couldn’t move so quickly even if while walking forwards, and their steps would not be as large. After taking those two backward steps, he was within one meter of Quan Guanqing. Without turning around, he shot both hand backwards and seized Quan Guanqing’s ‘Zhongting’ and ‘Jiuyi’ acupoints, located on his chest.

    Qiao Feng exerted his internal energy through his hands, sending it through Quan Guanqing’s captured acupoints and into his meridians, where it surged to the ‘Zhongwei’ and ‘Yangtai’ acupoints near his kneejoints. Feeling his legs go soft, Quan Guanqing couldn’t help but fall to his knees.

    Quan Guanqing possessed outstanding martial arts ability, and was not at all inferior to the four elders. How could it be that he was subdued in but a single stroke, without even having the chance to retaliate? Everyone present turned pale. They were all astonished and fearful, uncertain as to how to proceed.

    Qiao Feng had surmised that Quan Guanqing must be the principal troublemaker in this revolt. Qiao Feng knew that if he did not subdue him immediately, there would be no end of problems. Even if he was able to suppress the traitors, it would be difficult to avoid a bloody, fratricidal civil war within the clan itself. While about to face tough opponents, how could the Beggar’s Clan inflict wounds on itself? He saw that of the people present, everyone aside from the hall-master of the ‘Great Righteousness’ seemed to have been deluded and mislead by Quan Guanqing. If they began to fight each other, things would become very difficult to handle. Thus, he intentionally turned around to ask a question of the four elders and, while Quan Guanqing was not on his guard, suddenly retreated and sealed his acupoints. Outwardly, this may have appeared as a simple, uninterrupted action, like a hare rearing its head and a hawk descending to slay it, but in actuality Qiao Feng had to draw upon everyone he had ever learned to carry it out. If Qiao Feng’s backwards strikes were off-target even slightly, even though he would have been able to subdue Quan Guanqing, he wouldn’t have had the chance to send his internal energy to Quan Guanqing’s kneejoints, and Quan Guanqing’s co-conspirators might have rushed forward to aid him, forcing a battle. But with Quan Guanqing falling to his knees, everyone present thought that he was actually surrendering to Qiao Feng, and thus no one dared to make any rash moves.

    Qiao Feng turned around. He lightly clapped Quan Guanqing on the shoulder and said, “Since you admit your mistake, there’s no need for you to kneel down. However, I cannot fail to mete out punishment to you for going against your superiors. We’ll slowly discuss how to handle this.” With a light tap of his elbow, he sealed Quan Quanqing’s ‘Mute’ acupoint, preventing him from speaking.

    Qiao Feng knew that Quan Guanqing was a superb orator. If he was given a chance to speak and incite the people present, it would cause many problems. This was a moment of great crisis, and thus he had to use drastic measures to deal with it. He had subdued Quan Guanqing and forced him to his knees. Now, he turned to Zhang Quanxiang and loudly said, “Lead hall-master Jiang of the ‘Hall of Great Righteousness’ to invite the skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elder here. If you obediently listen to my commands, your own offenses will be lessened. Everyone else must immediately sit down. Without my permission, none of you are allowed to rise!”

    Zhang Quanxiang was both shocked and overjoyed. He repeatedly agreed, “Yes! Yes!”

    Hall-master Jiang of the ‘Hall of Great Righteousness’ was not part of this revolt. When he saw how Quan Guanqing and the others dared to stage an armed rebellion against their superiors, he was filled with so much rage that his face was swollen red. He breathed heavily and furiously. Only now, upon hearing Qiao Feng order him to go rescue the two elders, did he calm down slightly. He said to the twenty or so members of his hall, “Our clan has unfortunately fallen victim to turmoil. Now is the time when all of us must exert all our efforts to repay our chief’s benevolence. Everyone must protect the chief and obey all his commands!” He was afraid that the four elders would, once he left, launch an attack against Qiao Feng. Although the people of the ‘Hall of Great Righteousness’ were far outnumbered by the traitors, the chief couldn’t be allowed to face the traitors all alone.

    But Qiao Feng said, “No! Brother Jiang, take all of the brothers within your hall with you. Nothing can go wrong on this critical mission of saving the two elders.” Not daring to disobey him, hall-master Jiang replied, “Yes sir!” Then he said, “Chief, please be careful. I will come back as soon as possible.” Smiling, Qiao Feng said, “Everyone here is a brother with whom I have gone through life-and-death experiences with. It’s just that they have some temporary complaints. It is no big deal. Set your mind at rest and go.” Then he added, “Send someone to inform the Western Xia’s ‘League of Elites’ that our meeting at Mt. Hui must be pushed back by seven days.” Hall-master Jiang respectfully bowed, then left with all of his subordinates.

    Although Qiao Feng spoke very casually, he was actually very anxious. With the members of the ‘Hall of Great Righteousness’ having departed, aside from Duan Yu and the three girls, each and every one of the two hundred plus people within the apricot forest had participated in this revolt. It would only take one person taking command for all of them to suddenly move against him, making the situation very hard to deal with. Staring at everyone, he saw that there was a look of extremely awkward embarrassment on all of their faces. Some tried to put on a pretense of calmness, while others let their fear show on their faces. But still others seemed itchy and eager to give battle, appearing to be ready to take reckless actions. None of the two hundred people surrounding him spoke, but it was clear that if someone did, there would immediately be great chaos.

    By this time, the sky had slowly become black, as dusk enveloped the world. A mist arose within the apricot forest, billowing hither and to. Qiao Feng thought to himself, “At this time, I need to calm everyone down. The best thing to do would be to change their current state of mind. Once the skill-instructing elder and the rest come, everything will be solved.” Glancing at Duan Yu, he said, “Brothers, a joyous thing has happened to me today. I’ve made a new friend. This is brother Duan, Duan Yu. The two of us got along perfectly, and I have become sworn brothers with him.”

    Upon hearing that this bookworm had become sworn brothers with the chief of the Beggar’s Clan, Wang Yuyan, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi were all astonished.

    Qiao Feng continued, “Brother, let me introduce to you some of the most important people in my clan.” He led Duan Yu to the white-haired elder who wielded the spiked mace. “This is Elder Song. He is a senior statements of our clan, whom everyone respects. When his spiked mace freely roamed across the martial world, you, brother, weren’t even born yet.” Duan Yu said, “Pleased to meet you, pleased to meet you. For me to have the good fortune of meeting an eminent, virtuous person is a true blessing.” As he spoke, he cupped his fist and saluted the elder. Elder Song forced himself to return the courtesy.

    Next, Qiao Feng led Duan Yu to stand before the short and stout elder who wielded the steel staff. “Elder Xi is an expert of our sect who specializes in armed combat. Ten or so years ago, I often sought advice from him regarding martial arts. The relationship between us can be characterized as half that of a master-disciple relationship, and half that of a deep friendship. The ties of affection that bind us are deep and unabiding.” Duan Yu said, “Just earlier, I watched elder Xi fight with that other fellow. He really is superb at martial arts. Admirable, admirable.” Elder Xi had a straightforward and frank disposition. Upon hearing how highly Qiao Feng esteemed their friendship, and how Qiao Feng had never forgotten that elder Xi had once instructed him, he himself couldn’t help but feel greatly ashamed for listening to and stupidly believing Quan Guanqing’s words.

    After Qiao Feng had introduced elders Xi and Chen, he was about to introduce Duan Yu to the red-faced elder Wu, who wielded the demon-headed sabre, when suddenly he heard the sound of many footsteps rush in his direction from the northeast. There was a great deal of noise, and some people were repeatedly calling out, “How is the chief? Where are those traitors?” Others were saying, “We fell for their tricks and were imprisoned by them! I’m so angry.” All the voices came together in a chaotic roar.

    Qiao Feng was overjoyed, but did not want to be discourteous and risk making elder Wu unhappy. He introduced Duan Yu to elder Wu and explained elder Wu’s status and great fame before turning around. As he did, he saw that the skill-instructing elder, law-enforcing elder, and the hall-masters of the ‘Great Benevolence’, ‘Great Valor’, ‘Great Courtesy’, and ‘Great Trustworthiness’ halls had all arrived, along with a large group of their subordinates. All of them had many things they wanted to say, but in front of their chief, none of them dared to speak too rashly.

    Qiao Feng said, “Everyone, please be seated. I have some things I want to say.” They all answered in unison, “Yes sir!” Each of them seated themselves in accordance to their own rank and station. To Duan Yu’s eyes, it seemed as though everyone was just scrambling about for a seat, but in actuality, there was a regimented order and method to their seating arrangements.

    Seeing how everyone seated themselves according to regulations, Qiao Feng felt thirty percent relieved. Smiling, he said, “It is the good fortune of our clan that the people of the martial world hold us in high esteem, so as to allow us to be the largest clan in the world for over a century. With so many people in our clan, it’s natural that we have differing opinions and feelings. All we need to do is clearly explain the situation and politely discuss our differences. Everyone here is the closest of brothers and friends to everyone else. There’s no need for us to take any temporary personal disputes too seriously.” When he said these words, a very kind and gentle look was on his face. He had long since decided to handle this situation peacefully and cause this great disaster to totally disappear. No matter what, he could not allow the brothers of the Beggar’s Clan to kill and slaughter each other.

    As everyone heard his words, the dangerous, explosive air actually did diminish a bit.

    An old, yellow-faced beggar seated to Qiao Feng’s right rose to his feet. He said, “Elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu. Might I ask, why is it that you ordered for us to be imprisoned within a small boat on Lake Taihu?” This was the law-enforcing elder. His name was Bai Shijing. He had always been incorruptible and impartial, and whenever anyone within the clan who had broken its rules saw him, they all became very nervous, no matter what their rank or station.

    Of the four elders, elder Song was the oldest, and so he was something of their de-facto leader. His face flushed red. Coughing, he said, “This…this…um…we are all old friends who have gone through many trials and tribulations together over the years. Naturally, we had no ill intentions towards you…Bai…law-enforcing elder Bai, please give me some face and don’t hold it against me.”

    Everyone, upon hearing his words, thought that he was becoming old and muddleheaded. To revolt against one’s leaders was an extremely serious offense. How could it be simply waved off with the words, ‘please give me some face and don’t hold it against me’?

    Bai Shijing replied, “Elder Song, you say that you had no ill intentions, but that is not the case. The skill-instructing elder and I, along with our brothers, were all imprisoned on three boats and set adrift in the middle of the lake. The boats were filled with firewood, sulfur, and saltpeter. We were told that if we tried to escape, the boats would immediately be set aflame. Elder Song, are you telling me that this is not an example of ill intentions?” Elder Song said, “This…this, well, this really was way too excessive. We’re all one big family and are like brothers to each other. How can we be so reckless and rough? In the future, how can we face each other? This…isn’t this humiliating?” These last few sentences were directed towards elder Chen.

    Pointing to a man, Bai Shijing said in a fearsome voice, “You tricked us aboard the ship by telling us it was the chief’s command. Tell me, what is the penalty for falsifying the chief’s orders?” The man was so terrified, his entire body was quivering. In a trembling voice, he said, “My station is humble and low. How could I dare commit such a rebellious act? It was all…it was all…” His eyes looked towards Quan Guanqing, and his meaning was clearly. He was saying, ‘it was all due to my hall-master, who ordered me to lie to you.’ But, as one of Quan Guanqing’s subordinates, he didn’t dare to openly accuse him. Bai Shijing replied, “It was the orders of hall-master Quan, right?” The man hung his head, not daring to either say yes or say no. Bai Shijing said, “When hall-master Quan ordered you to lie to me and tell me that our chief wanted me to get on this boat, did you know that this order was false?” Instantly, all the blood drained away from that man’s face, and he didn’t dare to utter a sound.

    Bai Shijing laughed grimly. “Li Chunlai, you’ve always been a tough man who has never been afraid to admit to your actions. Am I right? As a man, if you had the guts to do something, how can you not have the guts to admit to it?” Suddenly, a firm, unyielding look appeared on Li Chunlai’s face. Puffing out his chest, he said in a clear voice, “Elder Bai, your words are correct! I, Li Chunlai, have acted wrongly. Regardless of whether I am to be killed or dismembered, I await your orders! If I so much as wrinkle my forehead when it happens, then you can say I’m not a real man! When I gave you the ‘orders’ from the chief, I knew very well that the orders were false.”

    Bai Shijing asked, “Did the chief wrong you? Was it I who wronged you?” Li Chunlai replied, “Neither is true. The chief has always acted righteously and loyally by me, and you, elder Bai, are just and impartial. No one can say differently.” Bai Shijing said in a severe voice, “Then what is the meaning behind all this? What is the reason for your actions?” Li Chunlai glanced at the kneeling Quan Guanqing, then glanced at Qiao Feng. He loudly said, “I broke our clan’s regulations and deserve death. But I do not dare give the reason for my actions.” He flipped his wrist, and a bright flash of steel could be seen. With a puffing sound, he stabbed himself in the heart. His movements were very quick, and his dagger was aimed at his own heart. As the dagger pierced into his heart, he immediately died.

    All the beggars present let out a loud cry of shock, yet all of them remained seated. None of them moved.

    Bai Shijing didn’t even bat an eye. He said, “You knew that the order was false, and yet instead of reporting this to the chief, you lied to me. You deserved to be put to death.” Turning towards the skill-instructing elder, he said, “Brother Xiang, which person tricked you into going on the boat?”

    Suddenly, a person jumped to his feet and quickly tried to run away from the apricot forest.

    CHAPTER END
    Last edited by Ren Wo Xing; 03-17-09 at 08:03 PM.
    Read the latest chapters of Coiling Dragon at Wuxia World!

  9. #409
    Senior Member ChronoReverse's Avatar
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    Oooh, I think I know what this scene is now. Man, QF sure is manly XD

  10. #410
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChronoReverse View Post
    Oooh, I think I know what this scene is now. Man, QF sure is manly XD
    Ha! Now you know why some of us aren't too impressed by ZWJ's lack of decisiveness.
    Its BIxie Jianfa Gawdammit you guys!!!!

  11. #411
    Senior Member CC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PJ View Post
    Xiao Feng likes to hold hands with other men (or maybe just Duan Yu). He did it at least twice in Apricot Forest.

    But it's not as bad as Ding Dian gently stroking Di Yun's hair while the latter sobs on the former's laps.
    How about XF's reaction when seeing Wanyan Aguda's naked torso for the first time?

    I think the one that takes the cake is Xiao Yu'er and Hua Wuque staring at each others eyes with indescribable feelings in the heart while one of them was carrying the other.
    Its BIxie Jianfa Gawdammit you guys!!!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by CC View Post
    Ha! Now you know why some of us aren't too impressed by ZWJ's lack of decisiveness.
    Yes, Qiao Feng is not only very masculine and powerful, he's also extremely decisive and intelligent.
    Read the latest chapters of Coiling Dragon at Wuxia World!

  13. #413
    Senior Member ChronoReverse's Avatar
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    Indeed. I was very impressed by his quick thinking to try to resolve the situation. He has both the intelligence and the power to get things done.

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    Qiao Feng's character is similar to that of the northern beggar Hong Qigong from LOCH...except that the later is an oldie....

    wow the battles of JY are way superb...unlike GL which finishes quickly

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    BTW, its a pity that the scorpion did not bite Feng Bo'er in the butt or the lips or the forehead etc etc eh?
    Its BIxie Jianfa Gawdammit you guys!!!!

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    Junior Member mleung's Avatar
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    ooo. the plot thickens...

    thanx ren! you're awesome as always!

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    Quote Originally Posted by CC View Post
    BTW, its a pity that the scorpion did not bite Feng Bo'er in the butt or the lips or the forehead etc etc eh?
    Kung Fu Cult Master certainly incorporated that idea when THE KING OF GREEN BAT asked Yin Tianzheng to suck the poison out of his butt. To his disappointment, Yin Tianzheng refused.
    忽见柳荫下两个小孩子在哀哀痛哭,瞧模样正是武敦儒、武修文兄弟。郭芙大声叫道:「喂,你们在干甚麽?」武 修文回头见是郭芙,哭道:「我们在哭,你不见麽?」

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    Quote Originally Posted by CC View Post
    How about XF's reaction when seeing Wanyan Aguda's naked torso for the first time?

    I think the one that takes the cake is Xiao Yu'er and Hua Wuque staring at each others eyes with indescribable feelings in the heart while one of them was carrying the other.

    im guessing you dont have a brother... and if you do ur not very close ?

    when there is a very close bond between guys of friendship and trust... there can be incredible amount of intimicy shared between them through a simple look.

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    Chapter 15: Within the Apricot Forest, Discussing One’s True History

    This person was carrying five cloth bags on his back; he was a five-bagged disciple of the Beggar’s Clan. He ran away extremely frantically. It was obvious that he was the one who transmitted the false order and tricked elder Xiang aboard the boat. The skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elder each let out a sigh, not saying a word. Suddenly, with the flicker of a shadow, someone rushed forward and blocked the fleeing five-bagged beggar. This person’s face was red and vigorous, and he wielded a demon-headed sabre. It was elder Wu. In a fierce voice, he said, “Liu Zhuzhuang, why are you running away?” The five-bagged beggar said in a trembling voice, “I…I…I…” He said the word ‘I’ six or seven times, unable to say anything else.

    Elder Wu said, “As we are disciples of the Beggar’s Clan, we must follow our ancestor’s laws. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. When a real man acts, he must be willing to bear the consequences.” Turning his head, he said to Qiao Feng, “Chief Qiao, all of us met together and decided to oust you from your position as chief. Elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu all agreed to this. We were afraid that the skill-instructing elder and the law-enforcing elder would not allow it, and thus devised a way to imprison them. In doing so, we were considering the greater good of our clan and couldn’t help but act in such a way. Today, we lost the momentum and you have seized the advantage. You can just go ahead and deal with us as you see fit! I, Wu Changfeng, have been in the Beggar’s Clan for over thirty years. Everyone knows that I’m not the sort of person to cravenly fear death!” As he spoke, he hurled his demon-headed sabre far away, then folded his arms in front of his chest, a totally fearless look on his face.

    When he clearly explained how their plot was to ‘oust the chief’, everyone within the clan was shocked. Although each of the plotters was well aware of what they were trying to do, none of them dared to openly say it. Wu Changfeng was the first person to state it openly and clearly.

    The law-enforcing elder, Bai Shijing, said in a clear voice, “Elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu betrayed the chief and have broken the cardinal rule of the clan. Law-enforcing disciples, take them into custody and bind them!” The law-enforcing disciples under his command took some cow-sinew ropes and first bound elder Wu. Elder Wu continued to smile, not resisting in the slightest. Next, elders Song and Xi also threw away their weapons, allowing themselves to be bound as well.

    Elder Chen had an extremely ugly look on his face. He repeatedly muttered, “Cowards. Cowards! If we all had charged him, we wouldn’t necessarily have lost, but everyone was afraid of Qiao Feng.” These words were very true. When Quan Guanqing had been subdued, if the rebels had immediately launched an attack, Qiao Feng would have been hopelessly outnumbered and in dire straits. Even after the skill-instructing elder, law-enforcing elder, and the hall-masters of the ‘Great Benevolence,’, ‘Great Righteousness’, ‘Great Trustworthiness’, and ‘Great Loyalty’ halls arrived, the rebels still outnumbered the loyal forces. But with Qiao Feng standing there in such an awe-inspiring manner, no one dared to make a move. Consequently, the opportunity had been lost and now all of them were being bound. After elders Song, Xi, and Wu had been bound, even if elder Chen was still determined to fight, he would be fighting alone. Letting out a sigh, he threw away his gunnysack and allowed the law-enforcing disciples to bind his wrists and his feet with cow sinew rope.

    By now, it was totally dark. Bai Shijing ordered his disciples to light some torches. The light of the torches flickered across the faces of the bound elders, revealing a series of gloomy, dejected expressions.

    Bai Shijing turned to stare at Liu Zhuzhuang. “How could you act in such a manner? Are you fit to be a member of the Beggar’s Clan? Shall you end it yourself, or will you force others to act for you?” Liu Zhuzhuang said, “I…I…” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence, but he slowly withdrew a dagger from his waist, wanting to slit his own throat. However, his hand shook so badly that he was unable to chop at his own neck. A law-enforcing disciple called out, “You are so useless! It’s unfortunate that you’ve wasted so much time within our clan!” Catching his upper arm, the law-enforcing disciple gave a mighty pull and helped him cut his own larynx. Liu Zhuzhuang gurgled, “I…thank you…” He immediately passed away.

    Within the Beggar’s Clan, there was a rule that if a person broke the laws of the clan in such a way as to merit the death penalty, so long as he took his own life, all of his sins would have been washed away and everyone would still consider him as being one of their brothers. But if it was one of the law-enforcing disciples who killed him, his honor would be forever besmirched. Earlier, that law-enforcing disciple saw that Liu Zhuzhuang wanted to take his own life, but simply didn’t have the strength to do so. That was the only reason why he had assisted him.

    Wang Yuyan, Duan Yu, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi accidentally oversaw an internal rebellion within the ranks of the Beggar’s Clan. They all felt as though they were outsiders peeping in on the Beggar’s Clan’s secret affairs, which was highly improper. But if they were to leave now, they would run the risk of raising the beggar’s suspicions. All they could do was sit far away and pretend to be indifferent and unconcerned. After seeing how Li Chunlai and Liu Zhuzhuang’s blood splattered across the ground, how their corpses now lay cold on the flower, and how the four awe-inspiring elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu had been bound, it seemed to them as though there must be even more soul-stirring events to come. All of them looked at each other, feeling extremely awkward. Duan Yu was Qiao Feng’s sworn brother, and earlier, when Feng Bo’e had been poisoned, drained away the poison on Qiao Feng’s behalf. Wang Yuyan and the other two girls felt extremely grateful towards Qiao Feng. Now, seeing how he had pacified the rebellion and dealt with the traitors one by one, they all felt happy for him.

    Qiao Feng uncomfortably sat to one side. Although the traitors had been subdued, he didn’t feel the least bit triumphant or happy. He remembered how, thanks to the benevolence of his master, chief Wang, he had been given the position of chief of the Beggar’s Clan. Over the past eight years as chief, Qiao Feng had endured many trials and tribulations, from pacifying internal wrangles to resisting outside foes. He had always used every ounce of his strength to deal with the matters in such a manner as to make the Beggar’s Clan greatly flourish, without harboring the slightest selfish thought. Now, the Beggar’s Clan had a magnificent, glorious reputation in the martial world, something which truly was in large part a product of his efforts. Why would so many people, in such a short period of time, suddenly scheme to revolt against him? If it was simply a matter of Quan Guanqing being ambitious and desiring to rule the clan, why would senior statesmen such as elders Song and Xi or an honest and upright person such as elder Wu all participate? Could it be that he accidentally did something to greatly offend all of the brothers of the clan which even he himself did not know about?

    Bai Shijing said in a clear voice, “Brothers, chief Qiao did not succeed chief Wang by force of arms or trickery or use any inappropriate methods to gain his position. In the past, chief Wang tested him by giving him three tough problems to deal with and ordering him to accomplish seven great deeds on behalf of the clan before passing the ‘Dog Beating Stick’ to him. That year, when we were holding our great conference at Mt. Tai, our clan was besieged by enemies and in a very critical situation. It was all thanks to chief Qiao wounding nine powerful enemies in a row that we were able to pull through. Many of the brothers present personally witnessed this. Over the past few years, our clan has flourished and prospered. Everyone here knows that this is all thanks to chief Qiao’s efforts. Chief Qiao treats people justly and benevolently, and handles matters even-handedly and impartially. We should expend every effort to support him as leader. How can it be that there are people who’ve gone stupid and decided to engage in armed rebellion? Quan Guanqing, tell us now!”

    Quan Guanqing had his ‘Mute’ acupoint sealed by Qiao Feng. Although he clearly heard all of Bai Shijing’s words, he wasn’t able to reply at all. Qiao Feng walked to him and gently tapped him twice on his back, unsealing his acupoint. Qiao Feng said, “Hall-master Quan, if I, Qiao Feng, have done wrong by our brothers, please go ahead and openly accuse me. Don’t be afraid and don’t have any misgivings.” Quan Guanqing immediately leapt to his feet, but because his legs were still numb, immediately sank to his knees again. He loudly shouted, “You haven’t done anything wrong by our brothers yet, but you soon will!” Only after saying these words did he rise to his feet again.

    Bai Shijing roared, “Nonsense! In his conduct and bearing, chief Qiao has always been open and upright. He’s never done anything bad in the past, and never will in the future. Based on these baseless accusations, you actually agitated our brothers and convinced them to betray the chief? To tell you the truth, I myself have heard these rumors before, and simply treated them as utter bullshit. This old man punched the person who was spreading this bullshit and shattered three of his ribs. I can’t believe that there are so many idiots who actually believed your crap. No matter what you say, all you have is these few words. Go ahead and end your own life!”

    Qiao Feng thought to himself, “So there have long been ugly rumors about me spread behind my back which even elder Bai has heard. For him to not bring them to my attention must mean they are extremely vicious rumors indeed. A real man isn’t afraid to confront any words or deeds. Why the need to hide them?” He said in a calm voice, “Elder Bai, no need to be impatient. Allow hall-master Quan to clearly explain everything in detail. For even the likes of elder Song and elder Xi to put themselves against me means that I must have acted improperly in some manner.”

    Elder Xi said, “I was wrong in rebelling against you. No need for you to keep bringing it up. Later, after judgment has been passed, I’ll just go ahead and chop at my short neck and give you my head!” He said the words in a cheerful manner, but everyone present felt deep grief in their heart. None of them showed the slightest hint of a smile on their faces.

    Bai Shijing said, “Chief, your instructions are wise. Quan Guanqing, go ahead and speak.”

    Quan Guanqing, seeing how all four of the elders who had conspired with him had been subdued, knew that this battle was lost. But he couldn’t at least go without a final struggle, and loudly said, “I believe that vice-chief Ma was murdered according to Qiao Feng’s orders.”

    Qiao Feng’s entire body trembled. Shocked, he said, “What?”

    Quan Guanqing said, “You’ve always despised vice-chief Ma and wanted nothing more than to get rid of him. You worried that if you didn’t get rid of him, your position as chief would never be secure.”

    Qiao Feng slowly shook his head. “That is not the case. Although I did not have deep ties of friendship with vice-chief Ma and we did not always agree, I’ve never even thought of harming him. Let the emperor Heaven and empress Earth be my judge and scrutinize my words and deeds. If I, Qiao Feng, have ever had the intention of harming Ma Dayuan, then destroy my honor and my reputation, suffer thousands of calamities, and become the laughingstock of the martial world.” These words were spoken with the utmost sincerity and were filled with a vast, boundless heroic spirit. Not a single person present doubted him in the slightest.

    But Quan Guanqing said, “Then why is it that, after we have come to Gusu to seek revenge upon Murong Fu, you keep on colluding with the enemy?” Pointing to Wang Yuyan and the other maidens, he said, “These three are the family members and servants of Murong Fu, but you protect them.” Pointing at Duan Yu, he said, “This person is Murong Fu’s friend, but you became sworn brothers with him…”

    Duan Yu repeatedly shook his hand in denial. “Tis not so, tis not so! I am not a friend of Murong Fu, and have never even seen his face. These three ladies can be said to be his relatives, but can’t be said to be part of his family.” He thought to himself that Wang Yuyan could only be considered Murong Fu’s ‘relative’, and definitely not a member of his household. This had to be made clear.

    Quan Guanqing said, “‘Tis not so, tis not so.’ Bao Butong is Murong Fu’s subordinate, the master of the ‘Golden Wind Manor’. ‘A Gust of Wind’, Feng Bo’e, is also Murong Fu’s subordinate, the master of the ‘Mysterious Frost Manor’. If it hadn’t been for you, Qiao Feng, rescuing them, one would have died from poison, and the other would have been ground to paste. Everyone here saw this with their own eyes. What is there for you to deny?”

    Qiao Feng unhurriedly said, “The Beggar’s Clan, ever since it was founded centuries ago, has always been venerated and respected by the people of the martial world. This is not because of our numbers, or our martial arts ability, but because we act righteously and nobly, and because we support justice and equity. Hall-master Quan, you are blaming me for protecting these three maidens. True, I am protecting them. This is because I cherish the centuries-old spotless reputation of our clan. I refuse to allow the people of the world say, ‘The elders of the Beggar’s Clan joined forces to bully three young girls.’ Elders Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu. Which of them isn’t a senior figure in the martial world? Even if you don’t cherish the reputation of the Beggar’s Clan and the reputations of those four elders, the many brothers of our clan cherish them!”

    After hearing these words, everyone present glanced at those three delicately sweet maidens. They all felt these words were reasonable. If others knew that they had made things difficult for three maidens, it really would greatly damage the Beggar’s Clan prestige.

    Bai Shijing said, “Quan Guanqing, what else do you have to say for yourself?” Turning to Qiao Feng, Bai Shijing said, “Chief, there’s no need to waste time and words with a rebel who can’t see the big picture. Let us go ahead and immediately sentence him in accordance with the crime of revolting against one’s superiors.” Qiao Feng thought to himself, “Elder Bai wants to execute Quan Guanqing as quickly as possibly. It seems as though he wishes to avoid allowing him to spew out harmful rumors regarding me.” In a clear voice, he said, “For hall-master Quan to convince so many people to conspire to overthrow me, he clearly must have had a compelling case. A real man clearly differentiates between right and wrong. Brothers, if I, Qiao Feng, have done something wrong, please feel free to tell me openly!”

    Elder Wu let out a sigh. “Chief, either you are an evil, unscrupulous person of great ambition who is putting up a front, or you are an honest, bold, straightforward man. I, Wu Changfeng, don’t have the ability to tell. Just go ahead and kill me now.” Qiao Feng felt extremely uncertain. He asked, “Elder Wu, why did you say that I am a liar who bullies others? You…you…why do you doubt me?” Wu Changfeng shook his head. “If this matter is openly discussed, it will cause too much trouble. If the story gets out, the Beggar’s Clan will never be able to raise its head in the martial world again, and everyone will look down at us with scorn. Originally, we wanted to simply kill you with one chop and end the affair thus.”

    Qiao Feng was now totally bewildered and couldn’t make head or tail out of it at all. He mumbled to himself, “Why? Why?” Raising his head, he said, “I rescued two of Murong Fu’s high-ranking subordinates, so all of you suspect me, right? But your conspiracy to rebel came before, and my rescuing of them came after. These two things have nothing to do with each other. Besides, it’s hard to say with certainty whether I am right or not, but I simply do not feel that vice-chief Ma was killed by Murong Fu.

    Quan Guanqing asked, “Why do you say that?” He had asked this question earlier, but the tumultuous events had prevented Qiao Feng from answering. Now, he asked again.

    Qiao Feng replied, “I believe that Murong Fu is a great hero and a good man. He wouldn’t kill second brother Ma.” Wang Yuyan, hearing Qiao Feng praise Murong Fu as ‘a great hero and a good man’, was overjoyed. She thought to herself, “It seems chief Qiao really is a great hero and a good man as well.”

    But Duan Yu, on the other hand, frowned, thinking to himself, “Not necessarily, not necessarily! Murong Fu isn’t necessarily a great hero or a good man.”

    Quan Guanqing said, “Over the past two months, there have been many experts who were killed using the skill which they themselves were best at. Everyone knows that these murders were committed by Gusu’s Murong family. How can such a person who has murdered so many of our friends in the martial world be considered a great hero and a good man?” Qiao Feng slowly began to pace about as he said, “Brothers, last night, I was drinking wine at the ‘Tavern Overseeing the River’ in the city of Jiangyin, next to the Yangtze river. I met a middle-aged scholar who drank over ten large bowls of hard liquor without batting an eye. What an excellent drinking capacity, and what a fine man!”

    When Duan Yu heard this, he couldn’t help but grin. He thought to himself, “So elder brother got into a drinking competition with someone last night as well. This fellow had a good tolerance for alcohol and drank freely, so elder brother liked him. But that doesn’t necessarily mean this fellow was a good man.”

    Qiao Feng continued, “I drank three bowls of wine with him, then we began discussing the martial artists of Jiangnan. He bragged that he possessed the second highest level of skill in palm techniques in Jiangnan, with young master Murong being the best. Thus, I exchanged three palms with him. He was able to receive the first and second palms, but when he took my third palm, the wine bowl he was holding in his left hand was obliterated. The porcelain shards from the bowl slashed across his face, making him bleed, but he remained composed and said, ‘What a waste, what a waste! What a waste of a perfectly fine bowl of liquor.’ This greatly endeared him to me, and thus I did not send out a fourth palm. I said, ‘Sir, your palm techniques are exquisite. You truly deserve the title of being the second best in Jiangnan!’ He replied, ‘The second in Jiangnan, but only a fart in the rest of the world!’ I said, ‘Brother, no need to be too modest. With regards to palm techniques, you can be considered a first-class master.’ He said, ‘You are chief Qiao of the Beggar’s Clan! I freely admit my loss and submit to you. Thank you for showing mercy and not injuring me. Let me offer you another toast!’ The two of us drank three more bowls together. When we departed, I asked him for his name. He said that his last name was ‘Gongye’, and his given name was ‘Qian’. This is not the ‘Qian’ of ‘universe’ [Qian Kun], but the ‘Qian’ in toasting others. He said that he was a subordinate of young master Murong, in charge of the Scarlet Clouds Manor. He invited me to go to his manor and drink with him for three days straight. Brothers, what do you think of him? Would you consider him a good friend?”

    Wu Changfeng loudly said, “This Gongye Qian fellow is a good man and a good friend! Chief, please introduce us sometime!” He forgot that he had committed a great offense and was now a prisoner, soon to be executed. When he heard about such a hero and such a good man, he immediately had the desire to make friends with him. Qiao Feng smiled, but in his heart, he was sighing. “Wu Changfeng is heroic and straightforward. Unexpectedly, he got mixed up in this rebellion as well.” Elder Song said, “Chief, what happened next”

    Qiao Feng replied, “After I bid Gongye Qian farewell, I hastened to Wuxi. Roughly two hours before midnight, I heard the sound of two people loudly arguing in the middle of a small bridge. By now, it was totally dark. I thought it was very strange that people would be getting into a heated argument at this time, and went to go check it out. The bridge was a single-planked bridge. On one side was a man dressed in black. On the other was a countryside villager who was carrying a bucket of feces on a carrying-pole over his shoulder. The two of them were arguing over who should cross first. The man in black yelled at the villager to go back and allow him to cross, as he reached the bridge first. The villager said that he was carrying a bucket of feces and couldn’t retreat. He wanted the man in black to let him go past him. The man in black said, ‘We’ve already been arguing here for two hours. Even if we argue all the way to midnight, I still won’t give way!’ The villager said, ‘Aren’t you afraid of how bad this bucket smells?’ The man in black said, ‘You’re carrying a heavy bucket of crap on your shoulder! As long as you aren’t afraid of being tired out, then let’s just remain here until the end!’”

    “When I saw this situation, I thought it was extremely funny. I thought to myself, ‘That fellow in black has a really weird temper. All he had to do was take a few steps back and let him pass. What’s the point of him getting into an in-your-face confrontation with a villager carrying a bucket of crap? Judging from their words, they’ve been at it for over two hours.’ Now that my curiosity had been aroused, I wanted to see how this would end. Would the man in black no longer be able to resist the stench and surrender, or would the villager become so tired that he would admit defeat? I didn’t want to smell the crap, though, so I watched from far away upwind. Both of them were arguing using the local Jiangnan dialect, and I couldn’t be too sure what they were saying. All I knew was that both of them were claiming that they were in the right. That villager really was strong and had a nasty stubborn streak. He moved the bucket of crap from his left shoulder to his right shoulder, then later moved it from his right shoulder to his left shoulder. No matter what, he wouldn’t retreat.”

    Duan Yu looked at Wang Yuyan, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi. He saw that all three of them were smiling, happily engrossed in Qiao Feng’s story. He thought to himself, “There has been an attempted revolution in the clan which is yet to be resolved. The situation is extremely critical, and yet elder brother is calmly and leisurely telling stories. It’s natural for Wang Yuyan and the girls to be interested in stories like this, but how could a heroic, bold man like elder brother show such a childish innocence as well?

    Unexpectedly, the hundred-plus members of the Beggar’s Clan present were all solemnly and respectfully listening to Qiao Feng’s story. Not a single person thought Qiao Feng’s words were boring.

    Qiao Feng continued, “After watching for a while, I slowly grew astonished. I noticed that the man in black had an extremely stable footing, not budging in the slightest, as immovable as a mountain. He was actually someone who possessed a high level of martial arts. The villager carrying the bucket of crap was just an ordinary person. Although he was very sturdy and robust, he didn’t know any martial arts at all. The more I watched, the more baffled I was. I thought to myself, ‘With the fellow in black’s strong level of martial arts, all he has to do is extend his little finger in a single poke and knock both the villager and his bucket into the river. But instead, he doesn’t use any martial arts at all. For a master such as him, it might be natural for him to exercise self-restraint, but even if he refused to let the other person by, he could easily jump over the villager’s head. But instead, he insists on standing there and arguing with the villager. How amusing!”

    “The man in black suddenly raised his voice and shouted, ‘If you don’t let me by, I’m going to start cussing you out!’ The villager said, ‘If you want to cuss, then cuss. So you know how to cuss at people. You think I don’t?’ The villager actually seized the initiative and immediately began to cuss. The man in black began to cuss right back at him. Trading cusses back and forth, the two pulled out all sorts of strange, bizarre, and filthy curses to insult the other with. I couldn’t even understand half of these strange local Jiangnan swear words. After cussing for over an hour, the villager became exhausted. The man in black, thanks to his strong internal energy, was perfectly fine and still energetic. I saw the villager’s body began to sway. It seemed that very shortly, he would be so exhausted that he’d fall into the river.”

    “Suddenly, the villager stuck his hand into the bucket of feces, grabbed some of it, then tossed it towards the man in black’s face. The man in black never imagined that he would be attacked like this. As he let out a cry of alarm, the crap splattered him in the face. I secretly said to myself, ‘Oh no! This villager has just doomed himself, and he can’t blame anyone else for what will happen.’ I saw that the man in black was furious. Lifting his palm, he struck downwards towards the villager’s head.’

    Although Duan Yu was listening to Qiao Feng, his eyes were fixed on Wang Yuyan’s slightly parted, cherry-like lips. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Ah Zhu and Ah Bi smile at each other, but paid them no mind.

    Qiao Feng continued, “All of this happened too quickly. To avoid the stench, I was over a hundred meters away. I wanted to go rescue that villager, but I wouldn’t be able to. Unexpectedly, just before the man in black’s palm was about to strike down on the villager’s skull, he suddenly froze and didn’t follow through, bringing his palm to a halt mid-air. He loudly laughed, ‘Old chap, in our contest of patience, who won and who lost?’ That villager was really stubborn. He had clearly lost, but he refused to admit it. He said, ‘I’m carrying a big bucket of crap. You gained an advantage from this. If you don’t believe me, how about you take this bucket and I’ll stand here with my hands free. Then, we’ll see who wins and who loses!’ The man in black said, ‘That’s fair enough!’ He reached out and pulled the bucket of crap towards himself, straightening his arm and lifting the bucket up with the palm of his left hand.”

    “Seeing as how the man in black was carrying the bucket while holding his arm straight, the villager was stupefied. He said, ‘You…you…’ The man in black laughed, ‘I’ll help you support the bucket of crap like this without moving. Let’s compete again, and this time, whoever loses has to drink this entire bucket of crap!’ Seeing how incredibly strong the man in black was, the villager no longer dared to argue with him. He hurriedly retreated, but he was so flustered that he lost his footing and fell down towards the river. The man in black stretched out his right hand, grabbing him by his collar and lifting him up. Still supporting the bucket with his left hand while lifting the villager in the air with his right, the man in black laughed loudly. “Fun, fun!” In the twinkling of an eye, he lightly leapt over to the other side of the bridge, placing both the villager and his bucket on the floor. Then he utilized his qinggong and disappeared into the mulberry forest.”

    “The man in black had his face splattered with crap by the villager. He wouldn’t have had to use any effort to kill him. Even if he wasn’t willing to kill someone just like that, it would have been very natural for him to give the villager a beating. But he didn’t do that at all. He had a very unique temperament, the like of which is rarely seen in the martial world. Brothers, I witnessed this with my own eyes. I was very far away from him, and I do not believe he knew I was there and was just putting on a show for me. Would you consider a person like this a good friend and a fine man?”

    Elder Wu, elder Chen, and elder Bai all said in unison, “Right! He’s a fine man!” Elder Chen said, “It’s unfortunate that you didn’t manage to get his name, chief. If you had, you could introduce him to us, so as to let us know that within the personages of Jiangnan, there’s actually a hero such as him.”

    Qiao Feng slowly said, “This friend actually just exchanged a few stances with elder Chen, and his arm was wounded by your poison scorpion.” Elder Chen was shocked. “He is ‘A Gust of Wind’, Feng Bo’e!” Qiao Feng nodded. “Correct!”

    Only now did Duan Yu understand that Qiao Feng had carefully and meticulously described this anecdote in order to recount to everyone Feng Bo’e’s character and temperament. Duan Yu now realized that although Feng Bo’e was very ugly and loved to cause trouble and fight, he was by nature a very good person. This truly was an example of how one should not judge a person by their appearance. Earlier, when the girls were raptly listening to the story and Ah Zhu and Ah Bi exchanged smiles, it was because they well knew Feng Bo’e’s temperament. They knew that this gentleman must be Feng Bo’e, and also knew that this gentleman definitely wouldn’t wantonly kill others.

    Qiao Feng continued, “Elder Chen, the Beggar’s Clan considers itself to be the foremost large clan of the world. You yourself are a very important figure within our clan. Your rank and prestige cannot be compared in the same breath with the local Jiangnan martial artist named Feng Bo’e. Feng Bo’e, when feeling insulted and humiliated, could control himself and not harm an innocent. How can the experts of the Beggar’s Clan prove ourselves to be lesser than him?” Elder Chen’s entire face blushed, with even his ears reddening. “Chief, thank you for the lesson. You ordered me to give him the antidote because of your concern for my reputation and prestige. I, Chen Guyan, didn’t understand your noble intentions and harbored a grudge against you. I’m as stupid as a wooden ox or a braying donkey.” Qiao Feng replied, “Preserving your reputation and the reputation of our clan was only a secondary concern to me. The most important rule for us martial artists is to not harm innocents. Elder Chen, even if you weren’t a very important figure within our clan and weren’t such an illustrious figure within the martial arts world, you still cannot take the lives of others so easily, without a clear certainty regarding the facts!” Elder Chen bowed his head. “I, Chen Guyan, admit to my wrongdoing.”

    Seeing that he had managed to convince Chen Guyan, the most haughty of the four elders, with his words, Qiao Feng felt extremely happy. He slowly said, “Gongye Qian was a heroic man, and Feng Bo’e was a man who knew right from wrong. Bao Butong acts unrestrained and naturally, and these three maidens are gentle, refined, and proper. All of these people are young master Murong’s subordinates, his friends, or his relatives. As the saying goes, ‘things of one kind come together, birds of a feather flock together’. Brothers, calm yourselves and think: If young master Murong has friends and associates such as they, can he himself be a wicked, vile, despicable, shameless villain?”

    The people of the Beggar’s Clan highly valued the code of brotherhood and loved friends. They all thought that these words were reasonable, and many people chimed in agreement.

    But Quan Guanqing said, “Chief, are you saying that in your opinion, it definitely was not Murong Fu who killed vice-chief Ma?”

    Qiao Feng replied, “I dare not say that Murong Fu is definitely the person who assassinated vice-chief Ma, but I also dare not say that he definitely was not the person either. There’s no need to rush to complete our vengeance. We need to clearly investigate the situation. If we can prove that it was Murong Fu who did the deed, naturally we will seize him and avenge vice-chief Ma’s death. But if we cannot prove it was him, we must continue to seek the real perpetrator. If we kill a good man solely based on wild conjecture while allowing the real killer to remain free and secretly laugh at how stupid and incompetent the Beggar’s Clan is, not only will we have wronged the person we falsely accused and killed and wronged vice-chief Ma, we’ll also have ruined the Beggar’s Clan’s illustrious name. Brothers, do you think you will enjoy the taste of being ridiculed and insulted as you travel about the martial world?”

    Hearing his words, every person present was moved. This entire time, the skill-instructing elder had remained silent. Now, he stroked his thin, fine beard and said, “Your words are reasonable. In the past, I once killed an innocent man by mistake. To this very day, it troubles me. To this very day, it troubles me!”

    Wu Changfeng loudly said, “Chief, we rebelled against you because we made the mistake of listening to the words of others. We knew that you didn’t get along with vice-chief Ma, and secretly suspected you of conspiring with Gusu’s Murong family to kill him. All sorts of things added up and we couldn’t help but be suspicious. In hindsight, we were all so stupid! Elder Bai, please bring out the knives of law! We’ll take our own lives in accordance with clan regulations!”

    Bai Shijing’s face was as cold as winter. In a heavy voice, he said, “Law-enforcing disciples, please bring out the knives of law.”

    Nine of his disciples immediately said, “Yes sir!” Each of them withdrew a yellow cloth bundle from a sack on their backs. They opened the bundles, each retrieving a short knife from within. The nine gleaming, brilliant knifes were placed side by side. They were equal in size and shape. Underneath the blazing light of the torches, a blue light could be seen gleaming from the edges of the knives. A law-enforcing disciple brought over a tree trunk, and all nine of the other law-enforcing disciples stuck the knives into the trunk. The knives slipped into the trunk with ease; clearly, these blades were extraordinary. The nine of them called out in unison, “The knives of law have been assembled!”
    Read the latest chapters of Coiling Dragon at Wuxia World!

  20. #420
    Senior Member Han Solo's Avatar
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    Thanks for the translation.

    The following passage is imho QF's most heroic act.

    Han Solo
    Wuxiapedia

    Quote Originally Posted by bliss
    I think they're probably at the same level as or one level below Ah Qing, which is about the level of a 2nd or 3rd generation Quan Zhen disciple.
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