Legend of the White Haired Maiden

[SkyWalker]

Just wandering why ZYH always been outnumber and belittle by his opponent which is the other way round compared to the likes of YMK and YLS.

As much as ZYH improved over the years, fact remains that he's just not on the same level as YMK & YLS.

[Fighting_Wind]

Thank you foxs for the translation!!!

I have no idea where this story is going but I hope to see LNC soon. I wonder, will we ever see TFL and KPT again? ZYH has definitely improved and could probably beat his opponents one on one but he is always surrounded o.o Good luck with sending the invitation to LNC, she could probably kill the messengers easily.

And yeah, thanks foxs for all your continuing hard work through the thick and thin and of this story! =D

[foxs]

You are welcome, Fighting_Wind. We are so close to the end ...
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Seeing him frown, He Luhua quickly took out some medicinal ointment used to treat cut wound. “Dage,” she said, “Put some medicine first before we continue talking.”

“Um, give that to me,” Zhuo Yihang said. He turned around, ripped open the clothes off his shoulder, and applied the medicine himself.

He Luhua was innocent and carefree, ordinarily she would not adhere strictly to propriety. Being with her, Zhuo Yihang was constantly on the edge; he was afraid Yu Luocha would appear suddenly and would arouse a misunderstanding. Thereupon he always avoided close physical contact with her. Seeing she was going to apply the medicine, he hastily asked to apply it himself.

He Luhua snickered inwardly, she mused, “Shame on him to be Sect Leader, such a bashful attitude.”

Suddenly there were footsteps outside the tent, the camel neighed again. Zhuo Yihang tossed down the medication, pulled his sword and shouted, “Who’s there?”

The tent opened, the two Han men who came earlier walked in and said, “Master Zhuo, we have come to apologize!”

He Luhua angrily said, “What kind of deceit are you two playing? I’ll say you are Huo Yuanzhong’s $hit.”

The two men replied, “Miss has guessed correctly, but you have also guessed wrong. Aiyo, you are wounded. This is the Venomous Sand Palm injury; how can we treat this on this side of the desolate great desert?”

Because the wound was itchy, Zhuo Yihang had already suspected as much; hearing their exclamation, he smiled and said, “It’s really the venomous palm of the Old Freak Jin.”

The two men said, “Since Master Zhuo is already aware, why don’t you seek treatment as soon as possible?”

With an indifferent laugh Zhuo Yihang said, “Even after the poison breaks out in twenty four hours, I still can treat and cure it. What’s so amazing about Venomous Sand Palm? Why worry too much? You said you are here to apologize. What for?”

Hearing that it was the Venomous Sand Palm, He Luhua’s expression changed. Wudang Pai did have a secret recipe handed down from generation to generation on how to treat the Venomous Sand Palm injury; however, it involved making ten cauldrons of hot water, utilizing the steam to drive out the poison from the body. Only by using this method the treatment would be effective. In this kind of desert, drops of water was more valuable than gold. The water in the pouch on the camel was barely enough to last for several days; how could they boil ten cauldrons of water? Yet Zhuo Yihang did not seem to mind, he urged the two men to speak quickly.

The two men said, “We are from the Feng Sha Fort.”

“Mm, I have just received an invitation from your Fort Master,” Zhuo Yihang said.

“We already know that,” the two men replied.

He Luhua was impatient, she pressed in, “What is your Fort Master’s surname? Why does he want to have a martial art competition with my Dage?”

The one right in front of her replied, “Our Fort Master is called Cheng Zhangwu, he was actually coming from inside the pass.”

“I have never heard that name,” Zhuo Yihang said.

The man laughed and said, “He has been here for dozens of years. Perhaps Master Zhuo’s Shishu knew him. Formerly he opened an Incense Hall in Huainan region, running an illegal salt business. Later he was hard-pressed by the imperial army and had nowhere to set his feet on, and hence along with several brothers he escaped beyond the Great Wall. It was nearly thirty years ago, only a few of the brothers who came with him remained. Only then did he settle beyond the Great Wall. Our father actually came with him. There is a piece of fertile land with water and grass at the edge of Taklamakan desert. The local herdsmen are afraid of the sandstorms, they do not dare to raise their herds over there. It’s exactly on that place he built his fort, fortifying it with an iron tower so that it can withstand the sandstorms, and thus it is called the Feng Sha Fort, outsiders also all it the Feng Sha Tie Fort. He leads us, a group of Han people, for several decades to raise livestock in there, so that we can make a living.”

“That’s very good, passing the days in peace like that,” Zhuo Yihang said, “But why does he want to seek trouble with me?”

The man said, “He is well advanced in years, he has great aspirations, but lack the physical strength. In the last several years, there is a White Hair Demoness who has come from the Central Plains. The heroes of various tribes beyond the Great Wall, almost all famous characters have received some kind of humiliation from her and it didn’t matter whether he was a Han or a barbarian. Luckily because of our location at the edge of the desert, plus our Fort Master having gone into seclusion long ago, she has not come to us. However, there are some people among those who received humiliation from her who know that our Fort Master is a man of ability, thereupon they promptly invited him to lead the effort to eliminate that woman. Our Fort Master did not give his consent right away.”

“It’s the White Hair Demoness!” He Luhua called out, “Let me tell you: White Hair Demoness is our Wudang Pai’s enemy, why did your Fort Master look for our Wudang Pai’s heads instead?”

The man laughed and said, “Our Fort Master is already aware that the White Hair Demoness is also known as Yu Luocha, and it was because of her that Master Zhuo has come beyond the Great Wall!”

Zhuo Yihang blushed; “Is it because of her that your Fort Master is reaching out to me?” he asked.

“Not exactly,” the man replied, “In the spring this year, Huo Yuanzhong arrived at the fort, he urged our Fort Master to set up an Incense Hall to dominate the area beyond the Great Wall. The people of Tibetan Tian Long Pai are even more willing to support our Fort Master to be a prince of the area beyond the Great Wall. I heard because one of Tian Long Pai people was killed by Master Zhuo, plus he was expelled by the Kazakh people beforehand, the Cult Leader of Tian Long Pai is willing to help Kadar Chief and our Fort Master's alliance to gain control over the desert and prairie. At the same time, Tian Long Pai people have also suffered defeat under the White Hair Demoness; and thus Tian Long Shangren is most willing to join hands with the heroes and warriors of the desert and prairie to fight her."

Zhuo Yihang was shocked. "If that's the case," he said, "Doesn't that mean that the martial art masters of Tibet and the border regions will all come to deal with us?"

"That's right," the man said, "Our Fort Master is still afraid that we won't be able to overcome the White Hair Demoness, therefore, he sends invitations everywhere to gather more martial art masters. Actually, we were sent to Beijiang to invite people."

"Such being the case," Zhuo Yihang said, "Why did you tell me all this?"

The man replied, "Our life here is not bad, we also don't want our Fort Master to wage any war. We heard that White Hair Demoness is very formidable, won't that be really bad if both sides suffer? Moreover, Master Zhuo treated us very well, you obviously knew we were going to steal your camel, but you were still willing to give us shelter; how can we bear to see Master Zhuo brave the danger?"

He Luhua could not refrain from asking, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"At that time I did not know you are Master Zhuo," the man replied, "Afterwards we came across our Vice Fort Master and Huo Yuanzhong, we mentioned that we have bumped into a certain highly-skilled invidual, and straightaway Huo Yuanzhong guessed it must be Master Zhuo. Huo Yuanzhong seems to know you very well ..."

"It's because Yu Luocha and I have fought with him once," Zhuo Yihang cut him off.

"No wonder," the man said, "He was also the one who told us that White Hair Demoness' name is Yu Luocha. A lot of people do not know that."

The man continued, "And then those three people went to find you. Actually, they were sent by our Fort Master to scout your whereabouts."

"Wait a second," Zhuo Yihang said, "Which one is your Vice Fort Master?"

The man replied, "Our Vice Fort Master is a master in sealing acupoint technique ..."

"Oh," Zhuo Yihang said, "Needless to say, he must be the one wielding the judge pens."

"Who is the other one?" He Luhua asked.

"I heard he is a disciple of Jin Duyi's Venomous Palm of the Yin Wind school, who at one time dominated the northwest," the man explained, "Jin Duyi had a lot of disciples, after his death, many of his disciples went over to the area beyond the Great Wall."

"No wonder his palm technique seems rather familiar," Zhuo Yihang commented.

"Do you know Priest White Stone?" He Luhua asked.

The man shook his head and said, "Never heard of him. But a few days ago a large number of Tian Long Pai lamas arrived. I heard someone mentioned that among them there was a Taoist Priest; maybe he is the Priest White Stone you are talking about. I am not sure."

He Luhua sprang up and said, "Even though your Fort Master did not send me any invitation, I must come. Hey, what day is today? In this desert, I have forgotten all about sunrise, sunset and the season."

"Today is the fourth day of the seventh month," the man replied, "Our Fort Master will set up the Incense Hall on the seventh day of the seventh month."

"How far is the Feng Sha Fort from here?" He Luhua asked.

[SkyWalker]

Thank you foxs! Can't wait to read the conclusion of this story.

Finally, YLC is being mentioned. I can't wait to see her in action. It's been so long since we've seen her. Move aside ZYH. Let YLC show you what real martial arts is!

[foxs]

The man thought for a moment, and then he laughed and said, "If you are the guests who come to congratulate us, you may leave on the evening of the seventh day of seventh month and still arrive on-time."

Zhuo Yihang also laughed and said, "We are definitely going to congratulate you."

The man anxiously said, "Master Zhuo, you'd better not come. I am also thinking of asking Master Zhuo to advise the White Hair Demoness not to come. Two tigers fight, injury is inevitable. If Master Zhuo is injured, that won't be good, if our Fort Master is injured, that won't be good either."

"I understand. We have another plan," Zhuo Yihang said, "Since your Fort Master sent you out to deliver invitation, you'd better go."

After the two men took their leave, He Luhua suddenly clapped her hands and said, "It's really unexpected!"

Zhuo Yihang was startled. "What’s unexpected?" he asked.

He Luhua said, "Looking at their appearance, those two men look fierce, yet they actually know how to repay kindness. Um, Dage, how can we find ten cauldrons of water in this desert?"

Zhuo Yihang knew she was thinking of his Venomous Sand Palm injury; he laughed and said, "That's easy, just listen to me ..." Suddenly he frowned and did not continue.

What happened was that Zhuo Yihang was thinking that based on his current level of internal energy cultivation, he may not need steam; he could use the internal circulation of mysterious strength to drive the poison out of his system. However, after careful consideration, he recalled that while using the internal circulation of mysterious strength, he must not move at all, plus he needed someone to massage his acupoints. If he had a male companion, that would be best, but He Luhua was obviously a female. Besides, if He Luhua's internal energy cultivation was deep enough, she may be able to massage the acupoints through the fabric of his clothes, but he knew for a fact that her cultivation was still shallow; he would have to take off his clothes and let her touch his skin.

He Luhua did not know this; therefore, seeing his eyebrows were tightly pressed, she panicked. "Dage," she said, "You are injured because of me, but I am unable to help you. What should we do? I depend on you to rescue my father. It will be the seventh day of seventh month four days from now, yet you are injured. What should we do?"

Zhuo Yihang said in his heart: in case of emergency, I cannot worry over too many things.

With tears on her eyes He Luhua stepped forward and pulled Zhuo Yihang's hand. Zhuo Yihang said, "Venomous Sand Palm is nothing, but I do need your help."

"How can I help?" He Luhua asked.

Zhuo Yihang explained the technique to her and taught her how to massage the acupoints. With tears still in her eyes, He Luhua giggled. "You are weird," she said, "If it is that easy, why didn't you tell me earlier? Quickly sit down cross-legged."

Zhuo Yihang took off his upper garment and regulated his breathing, his eyes were looking at the tip of his nose, his nose pointed toward his heart; just like an old Buddhist monk meditating. He Luhua helped him massaging his acupoints to disperse his inner strength.

After a while, Zhuo Yihang's body was drenched in sweats; he opened his eyes and said, "That's good, only the heat is unbearable."

He Luhua pulled up the corner of the tent's opening to let cold breeze in, she said, "Let's rest for a while, then you can put on your clothes again."

By this time Zhuo Yihang had finished circulating his internal strength, he was gasping for breath from the heat. He Luhua thought: I'd better divert his attention by urging him to speak, so he won't feel hot. Thereupon she asked, "Are you good friends with Yu Luocha?"

Zhuo Yihang grunted, but did not say anything. He Luhua intentionally tried to get him to speak. "I don't believe you," she said, "How did the two of you become good friends?"

Zhuo Yihang smiled, he said in his heart: The feeling between a man and a woman is marvelous beyond comparison, you are only a little girl who is still wet behind the ears, how can you understand?

He Luhua pressed on, "Yu Luocha loves to fight, doesn't she?"

Zhuo Yihang nodded; he said, "If not for her fondness of picking a fight, we won't have this much trouble."

"Because you don't love to fight, right?" He Luhua asked.

Zhuo Yihang nodded again. He Luhua giggled. "That's exactly your problem," she said, "The two of you have different basic temperaments. She is the world-famous 'Demoness', but you actually look like an elegant scholar, no wonder you and she don’t get along well!”

Zhuo Yihang was stunned, what she said made a lot of sense. He was afraid she could not curb her mouth and Yu Luocha would hear it in secret. His heart was nervous and the heat flared out again. “Let’s not talk about Yu Luocha, alright?” he anxiously said.

He Luhua smiled and said, “In that case, let me play huqin and sing for you. When my father is vexed, he also loved to hear me sing.”

Zhuo Yihang mused: as long as you don’t speak nonsense, whatever you sing is alright. Thereupon he nodded. He Luhua took out the huqin given to her by the Kazakh people and asked what Zhuo Yihang would like her to sing.

“Why don’t you sing a cheerful folksong of Jiangnan?” Zhuo Yihang said.

He Luhua tuned up the string and then she played and sang:

Can it be that studying diligently in spite of poverty under the fairy lights will chase away leisure time?
Can it be that flirting coquettishly will bring sweet dreams at night?
Can it be that having a quiet time alone will mistakenly remind the tea and grain shelves?
Can it be that a light boat and a fast horse will take you to the other end of the world?
Can it be that bragging about one’s literacy and wine capacity will bring ruin to his family?
Can it be that chatting and joking will anger him?
Can it be that dreading the heat and cursing the cold will bring sickness?
Ten thousand different kinds of and a thousand good teachings will not ease my suspicion!

This song was actually a modification of a courtesan melody of the Jiangnan region from the story ‘Romance of the West Chamber’. It described someone who wandered far away and had not returned home for a long time, who was pondering about his feelings. But because the melody was lively and elegant, it spread among the common people, and the upscale women loved to sing it. Since Zhuo Yihang said he would love to hear a cheerful and light-hearted song, without thinking He Luhua chose to sing this song.

Listening to this tune, Zhuo Yihang's emotion was carried away, unconsciously he called out softly, "Lian Jiejie."

He Luhua could not stifle her laughter as she said, "You said not to talk about Yu Luocha, but you yourself are calling out her name? Hey, I heard that Yu Luocha's beauty is not inferior to the immortals, is that true?"

Zhuo Yihang mused: How can the feeling between a man and a woman be based upon appearances? Thereupon he said, "Her hair has turned white now, she is not as beautiful as her former self, will you say she is beautiful? She may not be comparable to you, but ..."

He was about to explain that it did not matter if Yu Luocha was old and ugly, he would still like her, when suddenly they heard a long laughter, as clear as the sound of silver bells. There was also a ripping sound as Yu Luocha sliced an opening on the tent and then she leaped in.

Zhuo Yihang's shock was not a small matter. "Lian Jiejie," he was about to call out, but before he regained his voice, he saw her eyes - she was wearing a silver-colored silk headband on her forehead, her countenance was still as bright as when she was a young woman, her eyebrows were willow-shaped, her eyes as sharp as a dagger - swept He Luhua, and with a mocking laugh she said, "What a pretty girl, what a beautiful huqin playing. Why don't you continue playing?"

"This does not concern her," Zhuo Yihang anxiously said, "It's me, it's me ..." He was going to explain that because he was hit by the Venomous Sand Palm, she was helping him treating it. However, he knew that if he told her that, her misunderstanding would only increase.

With a cold laugh Yu Luocha said, "It's you! Of course it's you!" 'Whoosh!' she pulled out her sword and thrust it toward Zhuo Yihang's heart.

Actually, when Zhuo Yihang was wandering around the prairie, she had visited the Camelback Peak on the Muztagata mountain and saw Xin Longzi was guarding the immortal flower. Although she knew that the flowers would not bloom for several decades, she could still recall fondly Zhuo Yihang's sincere thought; therefore, she went down to the prairie to follow his trail. Unexpectedly, as they met each other tonight, she saw him listening to He Luhua playing the qin with naked upper body, she also overheard Zhuo Yihang and He Luhua's discussion about her own appearance. All of a sudden her love turned into anger, her hatred reached its peak, as she could not restrain herself from pulling out the sword.

"Yu Luocha," He Luhua called out in alarm, "What are you doing? If you kill him, nobody is going to save my father; I'll have to fight you to the death." Drawing out her sword, she charged forward.

Zhuo Yihang took a step forward, sticking out his chest to meet the tip of the sword, he said with a bitter laugh, "Lian Jiejie, to die under your sword is my earnest wish! Turns out your love for me is this deep!"

Yu Luocha's countenance changed, hastily she withdraw her hand. By this time He Luhua's sword had reached her back, which Yu Luocha easily deflected upward, and then she flew out of the tent.

In that instant, love and hate were surging together in Yu Luocha's heart, which she herself found it hard to distinguish. Zhuo Yihang threw himself forward trying to catch the corner of her clothes.

With a mournful laughter Yu Luocha said, "You are from a government official family, a Sect Leader of an upright Sect, what do you want with a peasant girl like me? Go back to Mount Wudang with her!" Leaping lightly, Zhuo Yihang's grab caught an empty air, Yu Luocha's shadow disappeared.

Zhuo Yihang tumbled down dejectedly. He Luhua was bewildered. "Uh," she said, "How come Yu Luocha is that temperamental?" She was so naive that she did not have the slightest idea that Yu Luocha was jealous of her.

Such is: the sound of qin flying across the great desert, the string increases a tangled emotion.

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And that's the end of Chapter 31. I will have to take another break, no more material to post. Sorry ...

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for another update foxs.

It's nice to see finally see YLC, but why does she always have to leave so quickly without ever listening to any explanation? If she would just slow down for a bit, all the misunderstanding between her and ZYH will be resolved. Guess they're not fated to be together.

[zhouyu]

wow,

this is the first time i felt proud of ZYH. he was stepping toward the sword

[Fighting_Wind]

Thank you foxs for the translation!!!

AT LAST, THE RETURN OF YLC!!! . I was so happy to see her again. But man, bad timing >.> ZYH has been very prude, it's only this one time that she happens to see him. But yeah, they're not fated to be with each other I guess. I still don't want them together.

[Han Solo]

Thanks for the translation.

Han Solo

[foxs]

Change of plan: there won't be any more regular updates. I will post whatever I have in larger chunks. I just sent the next installment to Eliza on Sunday, so another update this week is guaranteed. This is the LAST chapter of this story. Enjoy!
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Chapter 32
The yellow sand of the desert
burying the shadow of bruised feelings
The distant galaxy
transmitting regret and hope of a pair of stars
(Translated by Foxs, Edited by Eliza Bennet)

Three days later it was the seventh evening of the seventh month. Crowd of warriors gathered in the Feng Sha Fort, dragons and snakes intermingled. There was Tian Long Shangren and his disciples, and then there were orthodox and underground heroes from north and south of Tianshan. Fort Master Cheng Zhangwu had picked this day to set up his Incense Hall, his intention was to undertake a great endeavor beyond the Great Wall.

By the time the ceremony was over, it was already dusk. The storm was howling outside, but inside the fort it was as warm and cozy as the springtime. Cheng Zhangwu, Huo Yuanzhong, and a famous Kazakh warrior Longhuyatu were sitting around, chatting idly with Tian Long Shangren.

Longhuyatu said, "Cheng Baozhu[1], you have been on the prairie for many years, we have regarded you as one of our own. It's not that we hate Han people, it's just that the White Hair Demoness is running amok bullying people, in complete disregard of us, brave and free warriors beyond the Great Wall. I have no choice but to have to vent out my frustration."

Tian Long Shangren laughed and said, "That White Hair Demoness does not have three heads and six arms, any one of the four of us will be enough to fight her, not to mention there are a lot of heroes and warriors who have some enmity with her. To think that Priest White Stone had once boasted that there is no martial art expert beyond the Great Wall, yet in the end we were still able to capture him. I don't believe the White Hair Demoness' fierceness has reached that level."

Longhuyatu also laughed and said, "Cheng Baozhu, if Wudang’s Sect Leader comes in response to your invitation, you can overthrow him, then it will give us a lot of face."

Cheng Zhangwu's intention was precisely that; he wanted to knock down a master on the day he set up the Incense Hall, and thus establish his prestige. The reason he sent a challenge to Zhuo Yihang was precisely because Zhuo Yihang was the Sect Leader of Wudang Pai, so Zhuo Yihang was the most ideal candidate; he did not have any personal grudges against Zhuo Yihang whatsoever.

Tian Long Shangren said, "But we don't know if he will dare to come."

Huo Yuanzhong said, "His Shishu is here, he will definitely come. Zhuo Yihang is not difficult to fight, I am confident Cheng Baozhu will score victory easily. Wudang Pai people are arrogant, after Cheng Baozhu knocks down Zhuo Yihang, we will have Priest White Stone out here, we will give them fifty lashes each and then drive them out of the border, let the heroes inside the pass also have a laugh."

Cheng Zhangwu said, "What Huo Xiong has just said is exactly what I have in mind. Zhuo Yihang is incomparable to the White Hair Demoness, we may spare his life."

Tian Long Shangren said, "We have a grudge against Zhuo Yihang; I want to have a talk with him before Cheng Baozhu drives him away."

The evening came, Cheng Zhangwu had prepared a banquet inside the fort, a sumptuous feast for the crowd of warriors. On all four walls there were butter candles as big as human arms, so the banquet hall was brightly lit. One after another the crowd congratulated Cheng Zhangwu, while speculating whether Zhuo Yihang would dare to come or not.

When everybody had enjoyed three rounds of wine, a fort hand on guard duty outside walked in and presented a sheet of visiting card made of rhinoceros hide. The visiting card said: 'Wudang Pai disciple Zhuo Yihang is here in response to your invitation.' The rhinoceros hide was very thick, ordinary knife would not be able to cut it, yet those several characters were not written with ink and brush, rather, they were carved with finger. Cheng Zhangwu read it and snorted; immediately he ordered his people to open the door.

Although Zhuo Yihang's feelings were as tumultuous as the ocean waves and he was deeply heart-broken, to rescue his martial uncle, he had to come. After sending out his visiting card, in large strides he walked in, with He Luhua by his side. He saw the banquet hall was full with people; there were a group of Lamas who were glaring angrily at him, there were also Huo Yuanzhong and the Shen Brothers sitting among the crowd. Zhuo Yihang proudly walked in without showing any sign of fear. He Luhua also looked at ease as she followed closely.

Cheng Zhangwu rose up among the crowd and said, "Feng Sha Fort Master Cheng Zhangwu at your service. Mr. Zhuo is a trustworthy man. Who is this Miss?"

"She is my Shishu White Stone's daughter," Zhuo Yihang replied. Reaching out to shake each other's hands, they both exerted their internal energy, and found they were at a stalemate.

Cheng Zhangwu laughed aloud and said, "Please drink three cups first!"

Zhuo Yihang let go of his hand and said, "Thank you very much for Baozhu's hospitality, we can receive the wine later, please release my Shishu first and take him out!"

Cheng Zhangwu roared in laughter and said, "That's easy. It's not often that Wudang Pai Sect Leader would come to this place; I, the old man, want to ask instructions for several stances first."

Zhuo Yihang said, "Baozhu is a hero of senior generation; since you are willing to grant instructions, how can the Ol' Zhuo dare to refuse? It's just that ..." Sweeping his glance across the room he continued, "We still need to talk about propriety here, I can have dealings with Baozhu; however, there are so many heroes and warriors in here, please forgive me for not being able to greet all of you one by one!" His meaning was clear, he wanted to act according to the Wulin custom; if he fought them all one by one, he would definitely lose.

Cheng Zhangwu laughed aloud again and said, "Sect Leader is willing to bestow some face, you have held me in high esteem, the Old Man is frightened and ashamed. This visiting card ..." he picked up the rhinoceros hide. Zhuo Yihang said, "Traveling on the wilderness, I do not have paper and pen. I have hunted a rhinoceros and peeled its skin, and have used it as a temporary visiting card. I hope Baozhu will not mock me."

Cheng Zhangwu shook his hand and said, "That's not what I mean. To think that Wudang Pai's prestige has shaken the Central Plains, how could the Old Man dare to accept the Sect Leader's visiting card?" Casually grabbing the rhinoceros hide, he tore it to pieces, and then he put the pieces in the palm of his hand and rubbed it. When he opened his palm, the pieces of rhinoceros hide had turned into a crumpled paper ball, which Cheng Zhangwu then tossed far away.

Zhuo Yihang was shaken; he said in his heart, 'This old man's eagle claw skill can be considered superior, I must not underestimate the enemy.'

Cheng Zhangwu obviously wanted to make a show; he was just thinking of how to end his demonstration when suddenly a young girl stood up from among the crowd and called out, "Father, let your daughter have some fun first. I have long heard Wudang's Sword Technique is peerless under the heavens. I want to ask for guidance from this Jiejie first, to broaden my horizons."

This young girl was Cheng Zhangwu's daughter, her name was Cheng Zhangzhu. Cheng Zhangwu stroked his beard and laughed, "Very well," he said, "We are entertaining the Sect Leader, we should not treat this Miss coldly. You go and ask for advice from her politely."

He Luhua was furious. Seeing that Cheng Zhangzhu was issuing a challenge, she did not decline. The two of them walked into the arena. One was wielding a saber, the other was using a sword. After exchanging some pleasantries, they immediately fought. Both of them were young ladies about seventeen, eighteen years of age. One was wearing white clothes with red skirt, the other was wearing bluish-green hunting attire. Red, white and green, three colors rose up to the air, like a pair of butterflies the two young women fluttered up and down. Although not much can be said about their skill levels, their movements were actually very entertaining. He Luhua's sword was light and lively, it weaved in and out of the opponent's weapon range. Cheng Zhangzhu's saber was heavy and powerful, even more so than a man’s.

They fought for about fifty, seventy stances. He Luhua did not dare to meet the opponent's weapon head-on, but Cheng Zhangwu was unable to strike her either. They both had their own strengths, but it was difficult to tell which one was superior to the other.

Cheng Zhangwu was watching the fight with a smile on his face; he was quite happy that even though his daughter had never formally fought with anybody, she was actually not too bad. Little did he know that because of this lack of real battle experience, after fifty, seventy stances He Luhua was able to see a flaw in Cheng Zhangzhu's defense. He Luhua dropped her sword slightly and extended it forward, when Cheng Zhangzhu's saber hacked down trying to knock it off, He Luhua suddenly raised and flipped her sword at the same time. A bluish ray flashed, with the move Woodman Asking for Directions, 'Shua!' the sword moved to stab the opponent's imperial canopy acupoint.

Cheng Zhangzhu hastily swept her saber sideways to fend off using the stance Horizontally Supporting A Golden Beam. To her surprise, He Luhua's move was actually a fake; a bluish ray flashed again, her tender voice shouted, "Saber down!" The blade of her sword was sweeping toward Cheng Zhangzhu's wrist. Cheng Zhangzhu hastily released her grip and jumped backward to evade. 'Clang!' the saber fell down to the ground. Her apricot face blushed as she ran back to her father's side.

Cheng Zhangwu said, "Wudang swordsmanship is indeed superb, my daughter did not know her own strength and thus has brought ridicule to our family. There's still us to make the conclusion."

"Very well!" Zhuo Yihang loudly replied.

Cheng Zhangwu picked up a wine cup with both hands and successively downed three cups. He said with a laugh, "With honored guests coming from afar, how is it that the wine cups were not used properly? Let's down this cup before we continue!" Suddenly his hands waved together, a cup of wine and a small fork with a piece of beef flew toward Zhuo Yihang's face!

Zhuo Yihang reached out with only two fingers, one hooked, the other turned; spinning, the wine cup reached the side of his mouth. He opened his mouth, and bit the flying fork. He ate the beef and spat out the fork then he poured the wine into his mouth and tossed the cup away. "Thank you Baozhu," he said with a laugh. Cupping his fists, together with Cheng Zhangwu the two of them dashed into the middle of the arena.

This battle would differ greatly from the fight between two youngsters just a moment ago. Cheng Zhangwu spread out his arms with his palms facing outward, and then swiftly clawed down on Zhuo Yihang's head. Unexpectedly Zhuo Yihang did not evade, with a sudden movement he turned around, 'shua!' his sword went straight toward the opponent's ribs.

"Well executed!" Cheng Zhangwu shouted, while sliding sideways to evade. He bent down and his left palm shot upwards toward Zhuo Yihang's throat, while his right hand struck toward the side of Zhuo Yihang's skull. Zhuo Yihang flew up, 'Shua! Shua!' his sword pared slantingly down. Cheng Zhangwu spun around and launched a series of palm strikes, partly to defend and partly to counterattack; majestic like a divine roc spiraling in the air or a dragon or a snake scurrying fast. Zhuo Yihang countered by several sword attacks in succession; all attacks and counterattacks fell into empty air!

Cheng Zhangwu was inwardly amazed, Zhuo Yihang did not look older than mid-30, yet his sword-play was extremely experienced and careful, showing his maturity. Both of them focused their entire attention and did not dare to underestimate the opponent.

Cheng Zhangwu palms surging forward, sweeping and slapping, clawing and jabbing; the wind generated by his palm felt hot. It was truly an eye-opener to the spectators. Zhuo Yihang's sword stormed in like a falcon; the sword aura weaved in and out with unpredictable changes. The palm wind was everywhere, sand and pebbles arose from the ground. The sword aura soared to the heavens, the shadows of the combatants could not be distinguished.

After fighting for about a hundred stances, victory or defeat was still undetermined. Cheng Zhangwu's skill was comparably higher, but Zhuo Yihang's swordsmanship was meticulously refined, his defense was so tight that Cheng Zhangwu was not able to press in.

The battle continued for a while, Cheng Zhangwu's heart was burning hot; he decided to go all out to dominate the fight. In the midst of violent battle, his body suddenly rose up, five fingers like a claw struck down on top of Zhuo Yihang's head. Zhuo Yihang countered by thrusting his sword upward. Cheng Zhangwu unexpectedly bent his body midair, his palm deflected the sword, while his claw was still going down. Zhuo Yihang was shocked, using the stance Eighteen Flips of the Green Swallow he threw himself on the ground and rolled away to dodge Cheng Zhangwu's claw.

The crowd in the Feng Sha Fort burst out in laughter. The Vice Fort Master who was once defeated by Zhuo Yihang laughed the loudest as he mocked, "Ha, did you see that? What a nice turtle crawl!"

Zhuo Yihang did not say anything, he leaped up and thrust his sword again to continue fighting. A moment later, Cheng Zhangwu repeated his stunt; he flew up again as he sent his claw down to grab Zhuo Yihang's head. Zhuo Yihang suddenly leaned sideways, the tip of his sword flew up. Cheng Zhangwu repeated his movements: left palm hacked sideways, right claw grabbed down. Who would have thought that in the middle of overbearing palm wind, both his strikes came up empty-handed. Zhuo Yihang retracted his sword and flipped it over to pare down, swiftly and fiercely, just like a lightning in a dark night.

Cheng Zhangwu cried out, he threw himself head down feet up about three zhang away, and flipped over as soon as his body reached the ground. The leather band protecting his wrist was completely cut, fortunately he did not suffer any injury.

The crowd in the Feng Sha Fort looked at each other with changed expression. He Luhua laughed aloud and said, "Ha, did you see that? What a nice old dog flip!"

Cheng Zhangwu called out, "One claw one sword, we are even. Come again, come again!" He pounced forward, the palms and the sword were engaged in fierce battle once again.

Zhuo Yihang carefully went on defensive, yet after twenty, thirty more stances, he did not see Cheng Zhangwu repeating the previous stunt.

Actually, Cheng Zhangwu's flying and pouncing down was the essence of Eagle Claw Skill, its fierceness was extraordinary. The deepest feature of this skill was the ability to maneuver midair, to bend and stretch one’s body at will, so that when the practitioner pounced down, it was like a giant eagle swooping down on a rabbit, it happened in a flash and was impossible to evade. However, Cheng Zhangwu's skill had not reached perfection, he was not able to maneuver in the air at will; therefore, Zhuo Yihang was able to stab him as soon as he used the strange stance from the Damo Sword Style.

Although Zhuo Yihang only knew several stances of Damo Sword Style, when he used it to deal with Cheng Zhangwu’s surprise attack of flying claw, it was exceptionally effective. Cheng Zhangwu had suffered a loss and did not know the real situation; hence he unexpectedly did not dare to use this skill again.

-------------------------------------------------------
[1]Fort Master.

[ken2004]

Will ZYH ever able to found and learn the entire Damo swordplay? I am really hoping he will able to find the manual and master it as it seems that he had been survived so many battle just because of the few stroke of the Damo swordplay.

[miltiades]

Thanks for the update foxs!

After you run out of material, can you make things up and continue the storyline? :-)

[szfong]

Thanx for the update. btw. Just wondering if you will be translating the conclusion to this story found in Seven Swords of Mt. Heaven, or sections of "七剑下天山" which concludes the Legend of the White Hair Maiden?

thanx

[foxs]

miltiades, I am not a good writer, I can't make up things ...

szfong, I am planning on doing that, but not right away. My next project is Deer and Cauldron. If by the time we finish Deer and Cauldron nobody is working on Seven Swords, then I'll work on that.

As promised, here is the next installment. The last one of this week, I am afraid.
----------------------------------

Cheng Zhangwu did not use the flying claw stunt, Zhuo Yihang did not use the Damo Sword Style either, so the two of them were back to the previous situation: Wudang's 72-style Sequential sword technique versus Eagle Claw's qinna[2]palm technique. Although Cheng Zhangwu's skill was comparatively higher, Zhuo Yihang had the advantage of younger age and stamina in a prolonged battle. Moreover, since Cheng Zhangwu did not dare to use his special skill, he was scared and his confidence was dwindling, unlike when they started the fight.

Tian Long Shangren creased his eyebrows, He Luhua was watching with delight. Another thirty, fifty stances, Zhuo Yihang slowly gained the upper hand. Tian Long Shangren suddenly leaped into the arena with both palms stretched out. "Hold it!" he shouted.

Zhuo Yihang felt a burst of energy pushing him back; hastily he sidestepped and with a cold laugh said, "Cheng Baozhu, what do you say?"

Tian Long Shangren said, "The two of you have fought for a very long time yet victory and defeat is still indistinguishable; let's just consider it a draw."

Zhuo Yihang mused: 'He has many companions, I am alone, I'd better not destroy his reputation.' Thereupon he said, "Thank you Baozhu for being lenient to me. Luckily Ol' Zhuo is not defeated yet; can you release my Shishu now?"

Cheng Zhangwu looked awkward, he found it difficult to reply. Tian Long Shangren said, "That is you business with Cheng Baozhu; I oughtn't interfere, but I do have a tiny bit of grudge against you. If I may, let me be bold enough to ask Cheng Baozhu to allow me to resolve these two matters once and for all. After we settle our account, from now on Tian Long Pai will not look for you for revenge, Priest White Stone will also be released for you."

Zhuo Yihang knew this battle was inevitable, thereupon he said in a loud and clear voice, "How do you want to settle it? Your Tian Long Pai has the advantage in numbers; if all of you want to charge together, Ol' Zhuo might as well give his head to you, to repay the life of your Shidi's disciple!" He thought that Tian Long Shangren was the founder of Tian Long Pai after all, so he spoke first to provoke him, so that he would not dare not to save his face.

Sure enough, Tian Long Shangren laughed and said, "You are the Sect Leader of Wudang Pai, I am the Cult Leader of Tian Long Pai; two armies have equivalent banners and drums, there is no need for other people's help. If you can defeat me, Priest White Stone will not miss a single strand of his hair. But if you lose, you have to abide by our rules."

"What rules?" Zhuo Yihang asked.

Tian Long Shangren replied, "We, the followers of Buddha of the western region usually have a custom: it does not matter whether it is a debate on the teachings of Buddha or a martial art competition, the loser will have to surrender to the winner, voluntarily become the disciple of the winner. If the loser refuses to be the winner's disciple, then he must surrender his head as an atonement of his guilt."

Zhuo Yihang angrily said, "Let's just have the duel, you and I; why do you have to talk too much? If I lose, you can have my head."

Tian Long Shangren laughed aloud and said, "Very well, it's a deal! All of the heroes present here are the witnesses. Pour two cups of wine!" Tian Long Pai disciples quickly presented two brimming cups of wine.

Zhuo Yihang said, "No need to waste more time, why must we drink wine?"

"According to our western region's custom," Tian Long Shangren said, "When one is at the death's door and bidding farewell, he must drink a cup of wine. I heard you, the people inside the Pass, also have a custom where a convicted criminal is about to be executed, the prison warden would also serve him three cups of wine. The two of us are having a duel, one of us will definitely die. We should respect each other with a cup of wine!"

Zhuo Yihang was angry, he picked the wine cup with both hands and brought it to his face. At the same time, Tian Long Shangren also brought the wine cup to his face. Zhuo Yihang wanted to cut his arrogance short; once his mind was set, he showed off his excellent skill, his left palm pushed forward, he tossed the wine cup with the palm strength. He fetched the wine cup back with a jump, the wine in the cup did not spill in the least! Zhuo Yihang downed the wine in a single gulp; he thought that some people would certainly cheer, who would have thought that the arena packed full of people was completely quiet. Zhuo Yihang looked up to see and unconsciously he turned pale with fright!

He saw that Tian Long Shangren was craning his neck, his mouth was blowing to the air; the wine cup was blown up and was hovering in the air. Knowing that Zhuo Yihang was looking at him, he laughed and said, "Honorable guest have drunk the cup dry, I ought to accompany him drinking!" While he was talking, the wine cup in the air fell down. Like a tread of silver string the wine shot down from the air. Tian Long Shangren opened his mouth and sucked, all the wine entered his mouth, nice and clean. He wiped his mouth and said, "Such an excellent grape wine, very sweet, very sweet!" The crowd around the arena broke into a thunderous applause.

Zhuo Yihang's shock was not small: Tian Long Shangren was unexpectedly far above his martial brother, his internal energy was superior to his own. He was quietly trying hard to figure out how to deal with the enemy when he heard Tian Long Shangren, immensely proud of himself, smiled and said, "Both of us are the leaders of our Sects, fighting with hands and feet is beneath our dignity; don't you think we ought to do a more gentle duel?"

" ... what kind of duel?" Zhuo Yihang asked.

Tian Long Shangren said, "I will sit on the stage, you may strike me three times with your palms, I will not hit you back. If you can strike me down, you win."

This kind of duel seemed to give Zhuo Yihang a tremendous advantage, but it actually came from Tian Long Shangren's vast experience and his careful scheming. What happened was that from the wine cup episode, Tian Long Shangren knew Zhuo Yihang’s internal energy was inferior to his. He mused: Zhuo Yihang’s swordsmanship is superb, although I know I can defeat him, I am afraid I will need more than a hundred stances. Dueling this way, after three palm strikes, I can defeat him immediately, won’t that be brilliant?

On the other hand, Zhuo Yihang also thought: Even if I fight with everything I have, it appears that I am still not his match. Since he already pulled rank like that, let me give it a try. I don’t care if he is as hard as cast iron or diamond, I can strike him down.

Immediately both sides voiced their agreement. Tian Long Shangren jumped onto the tall platform and sat down cross-legged, his big belly sticking out like the statue of Milefo[3]. He gave belly laughter and said, “Great Sect Leader of Wudang Pai, Buddha is here waiting for your instruction!”

Zhuo Yihang also jumped onto the stage, his forearm moved in a half circle, with a loud shout his palm struck toward the big belly. To his surprise, as the edge of his palm made contact, he felt as if he was striking a cotton pillow. Not only that, there was a burst of sucking force, which made his palm stuck onto the belly. Zhuo Yihang was greatly shocked, hastily he sent out a counterforce to pull his palm back. Luckily his palm followed his command as he lightly pulled it back. The palm slid diagonally down from the belly.

Seeing that his power has failed to suck Zhuo Yihang’s palm, Tian Long Shangren was also slightly shocked; but he covered it by laughing aloud and said, “That was the first palm strike. Come again, come again!” The spectators underneath the stage clapped their hands.

While busily thinking, Zhuo Yihang took a step forward and swept his palm horizontally. This time he did not strike the belly, but he struck his face. He thought: Even if your internal strength is much better, you can’t possibly train the skin on your face! Who would have thought that as soon as his palm hacked, Tian Long Shangren suddenly raised his eyebrows. ‘Bang!’ he took Zhuo Yihang’s palm head on.

Zhuo Yihang felt as if his palm was striking a steel plate; he was shaken three steps backward and almost fell down from the stage. Tian Long Shangren was also shaken that his buttocks was pushed and his whole body was shifted to the side. However, the agreement was that Zhuo Yihang must be able to strike him down; although his body was shifted, he was still considered the winner. The people underneath the stage broke into loud applause again!

Tian Long Shangren roared in laughter as he said, “There is still the last palm strike; if you fail to strike me down, you must either be my disciple, or I’ll have your head chopped off!”

Zhuo Yihang did not expect Tian Long Shangren’s internal and external strength had reached their pinnacle. Momentarily he was at a loss as where he should aim his last palm strike; his palm was already raised in the air, but he let it down again.

Tian Long Shangren grew impatient, he harshly shouted, “You’re scared of death? Why haven’t you struck yet?”

Suddenly there was a commotion at the back of the fort. Cheng Zhangwu called out sternly, “Who’s making trouble over there? Quickly look!”

The crowd underneath the stage still had their eyes fixed on the platform; they did not want to miss Zhuo Yihang’s last palm strike. Right this moment, suddenly there was a long laughter inside the fort. The people on the outskirt of the crowd staggered along and scattered away.

With great delight Zhuo Yihang called out, “Lian Jiejie!” Casually his palm struck toward the side of Tian Long Shangren's waist. Tian Long Shangren only felt a sudden light push on the side of his body, and then he fell down of the stage.

Tian Long Shangren was bewildered, he suspected someone else was attacking him surreptitiously, but he could not tell for sure. He was the founder of a Sect; if he mentioned that someone was attacking him in secret and he was not able to guard against, he would loss more face. Without any choice he sent his chi to his belly to endure the pain, and then gnashing his teeth he soared back onto the stage.

Looking up, he saw a woman with white hair, running straight from the edge of the fort. She had a long sword in her hand, which she waved around at will. Whoever was touched by the tip of her sword would immediately fall down to the ground while screaming wildly. In an instant she had reached the center of the arena. A large crowd of fort hands ran away, nobody dared to be close to her.

Cheng Zhangwu called out loudly, "It's the White Hair Demoness!"

Along with several dozens of martial art masters he drew his weapon and surged forward to block. Suddenly he saw there was another person behind her; panting with rage and brandishing the sword in his hand he shouted loudly, "Demon monk Tian Long, old thief Huo Yuanzhong, eat my sword!"

This person was none other than Priest White Stone. With great delight He Luhua called out, "Father!"

Zhuo Yihang had already jumped down for the stage, he pulled her back and said, "Don't be rash, Yu Luocha is here, we can definitely get out of danger!"

You may wonder how could Yu Luocha suddenly appear. What happened was that that night she heard He Luhua mention that Priest White Stone was captured by the enemy. The next day she immediately went around to investigate. She found out that Cheng Zhangwu and Tian Long Shangren were planning on gathering a large number of people to deal with her. They captured Priest White Stone simply to use him as bait; she could not help but feel very angry. Although she loathed Priest White Stone, this time she couldn’t not rescue him. Besides, she also found out that on the seventh day of the seventh month Zhuo Yihang will also come to keep the appointment. As much as she hated him, she could not bear to see Zhuo Yihang coming alone to deliver his life. And thus, taking advantage of the time while Zhuo Yihang was fighting in the arena, she quietly slipped deep into the fort to rescue Priest White Stone.

Yu Luocha's qinggong had reached perfection, she was able to come and go noiselessly; furthermore, all the masters in the fort were in the front, watching Zhuo Yihang's battle against Cheng Zhangwu and Tian Long Shangren. Stealthily[4] she slipped through the fort guards, and while wondering how to find the place where Priest White Stone was kept prisoner, she suddenly saw on each corner, not too far from each other, there was an arrow drawn with yellow mud. Yu Luocha was very surprised. "Which master has come here before me?" she mused.

Following the arrows, she proceeded forward and sure enough, she found Priest White Stone's prison cell. Yu Luocha rendered the guard unconscious and cut down the shackles on Priest White Stone's hands and feet. Not wishing to hear him expressing any gratitude, she dashed out of the cell first.

By this time Zhuo Yihang was about to launch his third palm strike. Taking advantage of the confusion, Yu Luocha secretly launched her unique school's Nine-star Shaped Needle secret projectile. The flying needle was very small, plus Tian Long Shangren was focusing all his attention to receive Zhuo Yihang's third strike, and thus he was caught completely unaware.

When Priest White Stone was caught in the sandstorm on the great desert, he was captured by Tian Long Shangren and Huo Yuanzhong, and was kept prisoner for many days in the fort, his anger had been boiling up inside him. Now that suddenly he was rescued by Yu Luocha, his feelings were even more unspeakable. Dashing out, he immediately went to find Tian Long Shangren, wanting to determine life and death again with him.

Yu Luocha laughed softly; her iron palm waved, taking him by surprise, she swept Priest White Stone more than a zhang away, so that he almost tumbled down. Priest White Stone did not expect that after saving him, Yu Luocha would humiliate him on the spot. He stared at her with his eyes open wide, only to hear Yu Luocha was laughing coldly as she said, “Priest White Stone, you are not his match. Why don’t you nicely stand on the side?”

Priest White Stone’s anger seemingly shot out of this world, reaching the nirvana! However, first, she was his rescuer, second, they were facing a powerful enemy; therefore, he did not dare to talk back. With a heart filled with anger, he was forced to endure quietly!

Seeing Yu Luocha’s impressive power, Tian Long Shangren’s heart also turned cold, but in front of all his disciples, he put a bold face on and cursed, “White Hair Demoness, others are afraid of you, I am not! Come, come, come! Let Buddha and you fight for three hundred stances!”

Yu Luocha only gave him her graceful smile; she did not seem to be interested in fighting him. Tian Long Shangren was taken aback; and then he opened his mouth to swear again, “Buddha is a hundred-time refined Vajra[5], how can I be seduced by a demoness like you?”

To his surprise, after smiling, Yu Luocha indifferently said, “Are you really not afraid of me? Are you really a hundred-time refined Vajra? Why don’t you try stroking your lower backbone? It’s the seventh section up from the bottom!”

Even if he did not want to, Tian Long Shangren could not stop his hand from stroking the spot Yu Luocha mentioned; he felt itch and sore. Angrily he roared, “Demoness, turns out it was you who sneakily attacked Buddha!” Drawing out his whisk, he was about to fight to the death. Yet Yu Luocha only laughed softly again. She said, “You are hit by my secret projectile. If you are no longer angry, no longer exerting your strength, you may go back home and recuperate for seven times seven, forty nine days. With luck, you may be able to use your internal energy to push the secret projectile out of your system. If you are still angry, no need for me to fight you; within three days, you will meet your death!”

Speaking to this part, suddenly her face turned harsh as she sternly said, “Considering you are a Sect’s founder, it was not easy for you to train to this point. If you don’t want to die, why haven’t you rolled away?”

These words were ear-piercing and heart-boring, Tian Long Shangren could not help but shiver; he thought: The matter of my own life and death, I would rather believe her. He simply could not afford not to believe her. Turning around, he left. Tian Long Pai disciples dispersed instantly; they all followed their Cult Leader leaving the Feng Sha Tie Fort.

Cheng Zhangwu was so angry that his face turned white and blue; he did not expect Tian Long Shangren was such a useless man. He saw Yu Luocha was rolling her eyes; she laughed and said, “Feng Sha Baozhu, you have gathered this many people, why haven’t you started? Ha, Shen Dayuan, Shen Yiyuan, you two precious are also here. Father and I have spared you twice, this time I cannot let you go. Huo Yuanzhong, you are also here? The lesson you received on the southern peak, you have forgotten it so soon?

Shen Dayuan called out loudly, “This demoness is vicious and merciless, right now we are riding the tiger and cannot get off, let us stake out everything to fight her!”

Cheng Zhangwu had never experienced Yu Luocha’s fierceness, he waved his hand and about a dozen or twenty martial art masters charged forward. Yu Luocha let out a long laugh, and in a flash ‘Shua! Shua! Shua!’ she launched three consecutive attacks with her sword, stabbing three martial art masters so that they rolled down on the ground.

Cheng Zhangwu pounced with a claw. Yu Luocha said, “Alright, let me try your Eagle Claw skill!” Her left palm hooked upward, the palm of Cheng Zhangwu bled instantly, the pain was really unbearable. As soon as he was able to extricate himself, Cheng Zhangwu angrily shouted, “Brothers, let us surround her together, even if we have to die, we cannot be humiliated!”

Although in their hearts the crowd of warriors in the fort were frightened, the Fort Master had issued an order, they must follow it to their deaths and not surrender; so each one of them surged forward. Yu Luocha nodded her head, ‘Apparently this Fort Master has won great popular support.’

The Vice Fort Master was an expert in sealing acupoints, his pair of judge pens danced in the air in a sneak attack. It was as if Yu Luocha had an extra pair of eyes on her back, stabbing backhandedly, she laughed and said, “I also want to test your acupoint sealing skill!” The Vice Fort Master cried out loudly and tumbled down on the spot. The fort hands hastily lifted him up and carried him away.

By this time the crowd of warriors had already surrounded Yu Luocha, Priest White Stone, Zhuo Yihang, and He Luhua, four people. Leading seven martial art masters like Shen Dayuan and the others, Cheng Zhangwu closely pressed in on Yu Luocha. Although Yu Luocha was formidable, the opponents were simply too many, momentarily she was not able to break through their encirclement. Relying on her extremely light and agile footwork, she weaved in and out of the holes among the enemies’ weapons, making use of every opportunity to stab those with weakest martial art skill and made them fall on the ground. In a very short period of time screams of pain sprang up everywhere. Cheng Zhangwu was so angry that his eyes were bloodshot; he doggedly pressed in, determined to fight to the death and not let her go.

Priest White Stone was looking for Huo Yuanzhong among the crowd. Because He Luhua’s martial art skill was the weakest, Zhuo Yihang brandished his sword like a flying dragon and dancing phoenix close by her side. In the tangled battle several times did Yu Luocha pass by Zhuo Yihang’s side, yet never once did she cast a glance in his direction. Zhuo Yihang repeatedly called out, “Lian Jiejie, Lian Jiejie!” Yu Luocha shook her sword and fight will all her might, but did not pay the slightest attention to him. In the fierce battle Zhuo Yihang did not dare to divide his attention, hence he could not explain, only his heart was drowned in sorrow.

Priest White Stone was looking for Huo Yuanzhong among the crowd, his heart was boiling in anger; moving his sword like the wind, he pursued him resolutely. To his surprise, however, Huo Yuanzhong’s skill was not weak either. If they were fighting one on one, although he was slightly inferior to Priest White Stone, he would have been able to hold on for at least several dozens of stances; much less right now Priest White Stone was alone while Huo Yuanzhong had many helpers. It was even more difficult for Priest White Stone’s plan to go smoothly under these circumstances.

----------------------------------
[2]grab and capture, grappling technique.
[3]Buddha Maitreya.
[4]Orig. 'the gods are not aware, the ghosts are not conscious'.
[5]Buddha’s warrior attendant.

[Han Solo]

Thank you for the translation.

Don't forget to update the unabridged thread

Han Solo

[foxs]

Actually, I've already done that a couple of days ago. It's just that I made a double-post earlier, and I edited the last post, hence it did not show as new post. But thanks for the reminder anyway.

[Fighting_Wind]

Thank you foxs for the translation!!!

I am so glad we got to see YLC's martial arts. lol at I can not be seduced by a demoness like you, since he brought it up hr must have been thinking of it.

I still can't see a fitting climax to this story but Thank you so much foxs! You getting this to the very end!

[oldhat9]

Nice work Foxs. I check the posting several times a day hopeing for more updates. Good thing you don't post any more or else I wouldn't get any work done. I'm sorry this story is coming to an end but looking forward to your next translation. Thanks for all your hard work.

[aliderhamy]

Nice work Foxs. I check the posting several times a day hopeing for more updates. Good thing you don't post any more or else I wouldn't get any work done. I'm sorry this story is coming to an end but looking forward to your next translation. Thanks for all your hard work.

hahaha sometimes we get 4-5 translators all translating at high speeds... at times like that i hardly get any study done

but i dont mind...

[rati4u]

Your highness Foxs!

Request more n more n more n more updates!