Eagle Shooting Heroes (LoCH), Chapter 4 and onward.

[shadow8899]

Hmm? I rather liked HR in ROCH. Sure, she wasn't always the nicest to YG, but for good reason and not really out of spite.

As a child I hated HR in ROCH, but as I have gotten older, I have come around to see her side of the situation. Especially after reading the translation.

[eliza bennet]

I like XLN better than all the heroines. She is so cool and kind hearted despite everything that happened to her.

Returning to HR even though I really admire her, I can't say I really like her since I read the section of ROCH in which she treated YG so unfairly and I just can't get over it. She is clever, resourceful, talented and entertaining but I don't really like her that much.

[nisachar]

I like XLN better than all the heroines. She is so cool and kind hearted despite everything that happened to her.

Returning to HR even though I really admire her, I can't say I really like her since I read the section of ROCH in which she treated YG so unfairly and I just can't get over it. She is clever, resourceful, talented and entertaining but I don't really like her that much.

huang Rong never had acted unfairly towards Yang Guo!
She was just wary of Yang Guo. he resembled more his father in intelligence and cunnigness and precaution on his account was must.

[IcyFox]

Uh Oh I think I just started a debate here -
"Is HR less lovable in RoCH than LoCH?"

[shen long]

huang Rong never had acted unfairly towards Yang Guo!
She was just wary of Yang Guo. he resembled more his father in intelligence and cunnigness and precaution on his account was must.

I disagree,it was unfair that she didn't teach him any martial arts when they were at the peach blossom island she should have taught him martial arts or at least let him train with the other kids(GF and the Wu brothers) by GJ.

so just becos he resembles his father he cant be taught martial arts?

[JamesG]

There was a lot of baggage attached to YG's background in relation to his father and the Guos. His intelligence and lack of discipline coupled with his devious nature (a survival tool for him and a desire for power in his father) caused HR's extremely overly cautious approach to him. A mistake...maybe, but without it this story would not have happened the way it did. HR at least did not keep a totaly closed mind regarding him but did remain cautious for years.

[ChronoReverse]

I disagree,it was unfair that she didn't teach him any martial arts when they were at the peach blossom island she should have taught him martial arts or at least let him train with the other kids(GF and the Wu brothers) by GJ.

so just becos he resembles his father he cant be taught martial arts?

That's only because we as readers get a view of the situation that is entirely unlike what the characters can see.


HR saw that YG had inherited some of YK's mishieviousness and cleverness and was genuinely concerned that he might turn out to be evil like his father was.

Therefore, instead of teaching him martial arts (which he might end up using to harm others), she fed him a diet of literary arts and moral studies. This way he could still grow up to be a man that is worthy while (hopefully) minimizing the harm he could do if he did end up on the wrong path.

This might seem unfair, but it isn't necessarily an unsound judgement. If anything, it's prudence.


In any case, after HR wasshown kindness by YG in the future, she realized that YG didn't turn out to be like his father and changed her mind about him.

[Carefree Assassin]

I myself didn't like Huang Rong initially due to ROCH, but LOCH makes her much more likeable, and I think for many people their dislike of Huang Rong comes from the old chinese proverb "There can only be one tiger on a mountain"

[sunnysnow]

That's only because we as readers get a view of the situation that is entirely unlike what the characters can see.


HR saw that YG had inherited some of YK's mishieviousness and cleverness and was genuinely concerned that he might turn out to be evil like his father was.

Therefore, instead of teaching him martial arts (which he might end up using to harm others), she fed him a diet of literary arts and moral studies. This way he could still grow up to be a man that is worthy while (hopefully) minimizing the harm he could do if he did end up on the wrong path.

This might seem unfair, but it isn't necessarily an unsound judgement. If anything, it's prudence.


In any case, after HR wasshown kindness by YG in the future, she realized that YG didn't turn out to be like his father and changed her mind about him.

I agree. HR is cautious and suspicious by nature so it's probbaly in her character to act like what she did towards YG after all the harm YK caused her, GJ and others in LOCH. It's in human nature to be somewhat wary of a close kin/friend of a villian, what more the son? Anyway, she still did bother to teach YG morals and all in hope tt he does not grow up to be like his father. But, misunderstandings caused by GF, the Wu brothers etc just added on to her suspicion. Maybe people are more harsh and critical towards her attitude in ROCH because the way GJ treated YG was a total contrast?

[IcyFox]

I agree. HR is cautious and suspicious by nature so it's probbaly in her character to act like what she did towards YG after all the harm YK caused her, GJ and others in LOCH.

Hmmm... her suspicious nature made her an extremely paranoid person, especially towards the end of RoCH. Her intelligence doesn't help much because she kept speculating about the silly tricks she thought YG would pull... Fortunately that didn't do much harm.

But maybe because there are new protagonists so JY wanted the readers to find these new heroes more lovable...

[sunnysnow]

Hmmm... her suspicious nature made her an extremely paranoid person, especially towards the end of RoCH. Her intelligence doesn't help much because she kept speculating about the silly tricks she thought YG would pull... Fortunately that didn't do much harm.

Indeed. After all, curiosity did kill the cat. Sometimes intelligence may not be a good thing since your mind has potential to wander off in all directions

But maybe because there are new protagonists so JY wanted the readers to find these new heroes more lovable...

It's is obvious why JY portrayed the Guo couple not so nice and interesting as in LOCH(after all, the focus of ROCH is on the Yang couple) if he did so, wouldn't tt steal the limelight from the leading couple in ROCH?

[Bangs]

I just finished spending 3 days reading this LOCH thread and finally caught up. And Im starting to love it as much as I do for ROCH. HR is cool, Iron Corpse is cool too (she reminds me of LMC), my comment to LOCH's plot up to this point is that it is not as tragic as ROCH's (YG and XLN almost always got separated for a reason or the next). Thanks to the translators!

[IcyFox]

Help Needed


Hey guys, I need some help... Ken and co. at Wuxia Fiction are trying to boot XLN off the Swordsmen Survivors game! Apparently they think XLN is a wimp when it comes to the sword... We need to show them!

http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=14267

Vote now!

[ChronoReverse]

Compared to folk like XH, DGQB and SMCS, XLN isn't that much. Being blind many are.

[nisachar]

Happy New Year and may the translations of Loch flood in in this forum. Heh! heh!

[crazy_horse]

I like HR in ROCH. I think she is more mature and sensitive to others in ROCH than in LOCH. She can even take care of GJ's shifu. Can you imagine young HR live together with GJ's stubborn shifu?

[xfiberloss]

Hey all, happy new year!

Also, I will be continuing the translation, but I'm swamped with work right now. I hope to update within a week or two.

[eliza bennet]

sorry for my late post.

I don't think it is fair to drive away an orphan under your care to another place to learn, just because you and especially your daughter doesn't like him. I think this is cruel - no matter what the background of the child is.

x-fiberloss, thank you so much for your efforts. I can't wait to read more.

[sunnysnow]

Although chap12 has yet to be completed, I've decided to post what i've done so far for chap13, so dont read it yet if u wanna finish chap12 first

BTW, certain portions may be inaccurate, esp concerning Master Lu's 'Thrusting Air Palms' and HR's skills/ability to outwit his traps and mazes; i didnt fully grasp the explainations so do forgive and correct my translation wherever applicable. With that, happy reading and enjoy this update

Chapter 13, Part 1: The Crippled Person of Five Lake

When Huang Rong returned back to the inn for the night, she though in her heart how she had done a good deed and was extremely delighted. Following that, she fell into a sweet sleep, and told Guo Jing all about it when she awoke the next morning. Guo Jing had actually spent a lot of effort on this matter. The last time, he got into a messy situation and had to fight for his life with Wanyan Kang. And he was also forced to marry Mu Nian Ci, so when he heard that Mu Nian Ci and Yang Kang were in love, he secretly felt relieved and happy, especially since Qiu Chu Ji and the six freaks of Jiangnan would not be able to force him to marry Mu Nian Ci anymore. He ate and chatted with Huang Rong and after some time, Mu Nian Ci still had not come.

Huang Rong smiled and said, “ We don’t have to wait for her, let’s just go.”

Following that, she went back into her room and put on a male disguise. Both of them went to the market and got a camel and rode to the Jiang residence. When they saw the lantern, which read ‘The Jin Ambassador’ at the door smashed, they thought that Wanyan Kang must have left and Mu Nian Ci must have followed him.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong decided to tour the countryside and rowed a boat to the south of the Yun River. They were lucky that day to see the famous Tao city, which specialized in pottery making. The rows of ceramic creations made with purple sand and clay laid amongst the green hills and blue waters which formed a beautiful sight. They traveled towards the east and not long after, chanced upon a huge lake. Since the lake was situated between three cities and it took about five hundred miles to reach east or south, the lake was named Five Lake. Guo Jing had never seen such huge waters before and pulled Huang Rong to the lakeside. They saw the sky far away from them, a huge, never-ending space in front, with the lake in the middle and couldn’t help but yell out happily.

Huang Rong said, “ Lets go and play on the lake.”

They found a fishing village near the lake, borrowed a small boat and left the camel with the owner before rowing out into the waters. After some distance away from the shore, the space between all four corners looked so empty and huge, and the lake seemed like heaven to them.

Huang Rong’s robes and hair floated gently in the wind and she smiled, “ Long ago, Advisor Fan escorted Xi Shi across the Five Lake…what a clever man. His court position is nothing compared to the peaceful life here.”

Guo Jing didn’t know anything about Advisor Fan’s story and asked, “ Rong’er, how about you tell me the story.”

Huang Rong began to tell about how Fan Li helped King Yue avenge the Yue kingdom and how he successfully retreated with Xi shi to a peaceful life on the Tai Lake. And she continued about how Wu Zi Xu and Wen Zhong were killed by King Wu and Kind Yue respectively.

Guo Jing was in a daze after listening to the storey and after a while, he recovered and said, “ Fan Li is clever, but Wu Zi Xu and Wen Zhong are admirable too, for dying for their country,”

Huang Rong gave a little laugh, “ Absolutely. As the saying goes, if a country is virtuous and one does not change, he is the strongest. If a country is corrupted, and one still does not change as well, he remains the strongest.

Guo Jing asked, “What does this mean?”

Huang Rong replied, “ If a country is virtuous, though one rises up to be a powerful official, one would still be as alert and cautious as before. When the country becomes weak one day, and you are still willing to die for your country, then you are the real hero.”

Guo Jing nodded his head and said, “ Rong’er, how clever of you to think of this!”

Huang Rong laughed, “ Ah yar, if I can think of this, I would be a saint right? These are Confucius sayings which my father taught me when I was young.”

Guo Jing sighed, “ There are so many matters I can never understand. If I had read more book and learnt more sayings, I would have understood more.”

Huang Rong said, “ That may not always be the case. My father always tells me that a lot of sayings by saints and scholars are nothing but rubbish. I often see my father reading and saying out loud ‘ No, No what nonsense, this is atrocious!’ Sometimes, he would also say ‘ what saint! A pack of rubbish!’”

Guo Jing laughed out loud upon hearing how Huang Rong described her father.

Huang Rong continued, “ I somehow regret spending so much time studying novels and practicing art and calligraphy. If I hadn’t pestered my father to teach me such stuff as well as all sorts of other things such as the interesting ways of calculations, I would have devoted more time to practice my martial skills and we wouldn’t have to be afraid of people like Mei Chao Feng and the old Liang creature! But don’t worry brother Jing, you’ve learnt Qi Gong’s ’18 but short of 3 dragon subduing palms’ and thus, you don’t have to fear that old Liang creature anymore.”

Guo Jing shook his head and said, “ I don’t think that’s possible.”

Huang Rong laughed and said, “ It’s a pity Qi Gong left, if not, I would have confiscated and hide his dog beating stick and force him to teach you the remaining three stances before returning it to him.

Guo Jing hurriedly said, “ No, no. I’m more than satisfied to be able to learn these fifteen stances. How can we make trouble for Senior Qi Gong?”

Both started chatting and stopped rowing, allowing the wind to sail the boat freely. Unknown to them, they were already miles away from the river shore. They saw a fisherman lazily fishing from a boat, not far away and there was a child at the tip of the boat.

Huang Rong pointed and said, “ As the mist clears, one can see the shape of a straight bamboo rod, it’s just like a painting of water inked scenery.”

Guo Jing asked, “ What’s water inked scenery?”

Huang Rong answered, “ That’s paintings which uses only black ink and no other colours.”

Guo Jing saw the green hills, blue waters, white clouds, and orange sun but could not find anything black in colour. He shook his head and did not understand Huang Rong’s words. Huang Rong chatted more with Guo Jing. After she turned around, she saw that the fisherman was still sitting straightly in front of the boat and his rod had not move an inch.

Huang Rong laughed, “ This person does have a lot of patience.”

A gust of wind blew over and little waves of water clashed gently against the boat. Huang Rong swung her arms freely and started singing (skipped the lyrics) a song entitled ‘The water dragon’s hum” which talks about life on the lake. She finished singing the first part of the song before resting a little. Guo Jing noticed tears in her eyes and was just about to ask her the meaning of the song when suddenly, they heard a melancholic voice singing the exact same song Huang Rong was singing earlier, except that it was the second part of the song. When they looked out, it seemed like the fisherman was the one singing the song. His voice sounded was somewhat forceful yet poised. Guo Jing did not understand what both of them were singing but thought that it sounded very nice. However, when Huang Rong heard the song, she looked stunned.

Guo Jing asked, “ What’s the matter?”

Huang Rong answered, “ My father often sings this song, I didn’t expect a normal fisherman to know it too. Let’s check it out.”

Both of them rowed the boat over only to see the fisherman keep his fishing rod and rowed his boat forward. When both boats neared each other, the fisherman asked, “ To think me fortunate enough to meet such special guests, can I invite you for a drink?”

Huang Rong heard his speech and thought it composed and refined, she was secretly curious, and answered, “ We are afraid to bother senior you.”

The fisherman laughed, “ It’s not easy to meet such special guests, but since we meet by chance on the lake, we should treasure it, please come over.”

The two boats sailed even closer. Huang Rong and Guo Jing rowed the boat behind the tail of the other boat and crossed over to greet the fisherman.

The fisherman greeted them whilst being seated and said, “ Please be seated. I am crippled and so can’t stand up, I apologize for any inconvenience.”
Guo Jing and Huang Rong said, “ It’s alright.”

Both of them sat down and observed the fisherman. He looked about forty years of age, had a rather thin face, and looked as if he were ill. He was very tall and even though he was seated, he was half a head taller than Guo Jing. The child at the tail of the boat began warming up some wine.

Huang Rong said, “ My this older brother’s surname is Guo, whereas junior here is surnamed Huang. I was excited for a moment and started singing in the middle of the lake. But, I haven’t offended senior have I?”

The fisherman laughed, “ I am fortunate to be able to listen to such a clear voice. My surname is Lu. Little brother, is it your first time touring this lake?”

Guo Jing answered, “ Yes,”

The fisherman ordered the child to bring out some dishes and wine for the guests. Although the four dishes were nothing compared to Huang Rong’s cooking, it tasted good too and the wine cups and dish plates looked very unique, and no doubt belonged to some precious collection.

Three of them started drinking. The fisherman said, “ Just now I heard little brother here singing the song ‘The water dragon’s hum’ which has such perfect lyrics. It is such a surprise that little brother here, though so young in age, but is still able to comprehend the deep meanings of the words.”

When Huang Rong heard his matured tone, she gave a little smile and said, “ Ever since the Songs moved south, song writers often write of sad songs for the country.”

The fisherman nodded in agreement. Huang Rong continued, “ The song ‘The six cities’ dedicated to Zhang Yu Lake has the same meaning.”

The fisherman started singing the lyrics, “ When people pass by, one would cry tears of loyalty and anger…”

He drank up three cups of wine and engaged in conversation with Huang Rong. Actually Huang Rong is just a young girl and did not experience any real sorrows caused by one’s country. She did not really identify with the deep meaning of the lyrics. It’s just that she listened to her father explain the meanings before and thus used her father’s explanation which was a very refined and sophisticated one, awing that fisherman, who could not help but give praises to Huang Rong. Guo Jing listened in one corner and did not understand a single word, but he was delighted upon hearing the fisherman praise Huang Rong. After chatting awhile, he saw that the landscape had paled and the mist surrounding the lake had thickened.

The fisherman said, “ My area of residence is just by the lake, if both don’t mind, I would like to invite both of you there for more discussions.”

Huang Rong asked, “ How about it, brother Jing?”

Guo Jing hadn’t had a chance to speak when the fisherman said, “ My house is built amongst the backdrop of beautiful hills, since both are touring the countryside, why not drop by for a visit?”

Guo Jing saw that he looked honest and earnest and thus answered, “ Rong’er, we’ll thus have to impose on Mr Lu.” The fisherman was delighted and implored the child to row the boat back home.

When they reached the lakeshore, Guo Jing said, “ We will have to return the boat first and collect the two camels.”

The fisherman smiled and said, “ I’m acquainted with everyone here, I’ll just hand this task to the owner of the boat.”

With that, he gestured to the child. Guo Jing said, “ I think I’ll collect the camels since I’m more rough.”

The fisherman said, “ If you insist so, I’ll wait for your arrival at my residence then.” With that, the boat rowed off and disappeared into the distance.

The child followed Guo Jing and Huang Rong to get the things done. He got a large boat from one of the villagers, which had enough space to fit the camel as well. Six hardy fishermen rowed the boat for some distance before the front of a village came into view. They stopped the boat at the jetty, which was made of green stone. When they arrived on shore, they saw a cluster of small houses, which formed a huge manor. They crossed a large stone bridge and arrived in front of the manor. Guo Jing and Huang Rong looked at each other, as they didn’t expect a fisherman to live in such a luxurious place. Before they could reach the main entrance, they saw a man who looked about twenty years of age come up to them. About six servants followed behind him.

The youth said, “ My father had sent me to receive his guests.”

Guo Jing and Huang Rong made grateful gestures. They noticed that he wore a long robe and had similar facial features as the fisherman, except that he looked stronger and well built.

Guo Jing said, “ May we know brother Lu’s name?”

The youth said, “ Humble one here is named Guan Ying, please just call me by my name.”

Huang Rong answered politely, “ No, how can we?”

The three began chatting while proceeding towards the main hall. Guo Jing and Huang Rong noticed that the interior of the hall was designed and decorated beautifully. It was even more sophisticated than the main hall of the Northerner, Pu Xiong Da. As Huang Rong walked earlier, she concentrated on the outlay of the place and it’s pathways and she looked a little puzzled.

As the three of them crossed the front yard and entered the guest hall, they heard the fisherman call out behind a screen, “ Please come in.”

Lu Guan Ying said, “ My father is unable to walk and thus has to receive you in his East study room.”

The three of them went by the screen and saw the door of the study open, the fisherman was sitting on a couch, inside. However, he was no longer dressed as a fisherman, but as a scholarly elder. He held a white goose feather fan in his hand and was fanning himself cheerfully. Guo Jing and Huang Rong entered and sat, but Lu Guan Ying didn’t dare sit and stood at a side. Huang Rong saw that the study was filled with shelves of literary classics and poetry collections. The tables were decorated with precious ornaments, such as jade antiques and a black inked painting hung on the wall. The painting depicted a middle-aged scholar who was posing a sword stance in the backyard, under the moonlight. But the scholar had a lonely expression on his face. On the upper left corner of the painting was a poem.

‘ The night is silent without any chirping from the birds.
It is already late in the night when I fall into deep sleep.
I awake only to carry on alone, there is no one but the bright moon out there. A hundred pieces gain recognition and success.
The aging hills and withering branches block my path.
There are so many things buried within me but no one is willing to listen, to whom can I confide in my problems?’

Huang Rong recognized this poem as one written by Yue Fei, entitled ‘Little Strong Hill’, which was taught to her by her father. She saw the signature at the bottom which read ‘ The crippled person of Five Lake is seriously ill’ and realized that the ‘Crippled person of Five Lake’ must be the term for the owner of this manor. The strokes of the words were however, written in a harsh and forceful manner, and seemed like it was tearing through the paper.

Master Lu saw that Huang Rong was concentrating on the painting and asked, “ Brother, how do you find my painting? Would you care to give me some pointers?”

Huang Rong answered, “ I will express my thoughts then, but I hope Master Lu does not get offended.”

Master Lu said, “ Please go on.”

Huang Rong said, “ The poem in the painting is Yue Fei’s ‘Little Strong Hill’, which he wrote in his Wu Mu collections. The words depict a distressed and depressed mood. However there are specific meanings to them. General Yue was a courageous soul and fought hard for his country and people. The phrase, ‘A hundred pieces for recognition and success’ in the poem is probably to show his humble being. At that time, many court officials were corrupted and were on the side of the Jins. Yue Fei was a strong official but a pity no one was willing to listen to him. This was probably why he wrote the phrase, ‘There are so many things buried within me but no one is willing to listen, to whom can I confide in my problems?’ The phrase depicts a despondent Yue Fei, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that he wanted to oppose the court. However when master here wrote this poem, you were in an agitated and aggressive mood and thus asserted much force in your brush strokes; it seems as if you wanted to fight it out with your sworn enemy and thus, your intentions and mood do not tie in at all with Yue Fei’s at the time when he worked on his Wu Mu collections. Forgive me for my ignorance but from what I know, if one strives to over achieve or over express in literary and art works, the true and pure intentions will be lost and the work will be unable to achieve brilliance.

When Master Lu heard what Huang Rong said, he gave a long sigh. He wore a miserable expression and was silent. Huang Rong saw his unusual response and thought, “ I’m afraid I have been too direct in my words and offended him. But it’s exactly what father taught me when he explained this poem.”

She said, “ Humble one here has been too ignorant and spouted out nonsense. Please forgive me Master Lu.”

Master Lu recovered a little and then wore a delighted expression on his face. He asked happily, “ Brother Huang, please don’t say that. You are the first person who can actually read my feelings, what a great confidant you are. As for the over use of expression, it is one of my worse habits. I thank brother here for your pointers.”

He turned to his son and said, “ Hurry and ask the servants to prepare the banquet.”

Guo Jing and Huang Rong hurriedly conveyed their thanks and said, “ Please do not bother.” But Lu Guan Ying had already disappeared from the room.

Master Lu said, “ Brother here is wise and knowledgeable, you must have mastered a high level of literary classics and your father must be a brilliant teacher. I wonder what is his honorable name?”

Huang Rong answered, “ Humble one here knows nothing much and thus does not deserve all those praises. My father leaves in isolation and does not have any students, his name is thus not well known.”
Master Lu sighed, “ What a pity it is, not being able to meet such talent.”

After the banquet, they returned to the study for a chat. Master Lu said, “ The scenery outside is one of the best, why don’t both of you reside in one of the houses in the manor and enjoy the sight? Furthermore, it’s getting late and it is time for both to rest.”

Guo Jing and Huang Rong stood up and bid their farewells. Huang Rong was about to leave the room when she looked up sharply and saw that eight pieces of iron strips were fixed above the study's lintel. The iron strips were arranged to form the eight diagrams, but it was not as neat as the usual arrangement. The iron strips were arranged in a rather sloppy and messy way. Huang Rong’s heart skipped a beat but she remained silent and expressionless and followed Guo Jing to the guest room.

The guest room was decorated in an elegant way, the two beds faced each other and the pillow and sheets were clean.

A servant served them some fragrant tea and said, “ If both sirs need anything, just ring the bell beside the bed and I will come. Please be reminded never to leave the room.” With that, he left the room and gently closed the door behind him.

Huang Rong asked in a low voice, “ What do you find peculiar about this place? Why do they ask us not to leave the room?”

Guo Jing said, “ The manor is huge and the pathways lead out to all directions. Maybe they’re afraid that we will get lost?”

Huang Rong gave a little laugh, “ The manor has an unusual architecture. What kind of person do you think Master Lu is?”

Guo Jing said, “ Maybe a retired official?”

Huang Rong shook her head, “ This person is undoubtedly highly skilled in martial arts. Did you see the eight iron diagrams just now?”

Guo Jing asked, “ Eight iron diagrams? What’s that?”

Huang Rong answered, “ That’s used to practice the ‘Thrusting Air Palms’. Father taught me this set of palm technique before, but I was bored and stopped learning it after a month. I would never have expected to see it here.”

Guo Jing said, “ Master Lu mean us no harm. Since he did not mention anything about it, let’s just pretend that we are unaware of it.”

Huang Rong nodded and smiled, she gently thrust out her palm towards the candle and a ‘chi’ sound was heard, before the candlelight went out.

Guo Jing praised in a low voice, “ Great palm technique!” He asked, “ Is this the ‘Thrusting Air Palm’?

Huang Rong smiled, “ I only learnt till this level. It can be used for fun but it is totally useless when used in a real duel.”

There was a sudden distant humming in the middle of the night, which startled Guo Jing and Huang Rong, who were both sleeping before that. They strained to hear more and there was the sound again, which sounded like someone was blowing a tune from a seashell. After a while, the humming started again. There was definitely more than one person creating the noise as both hums were created at the same time. It seemed like there were two people standing apart and blowing the shell to communicate.

Huang Rong whispered, “ Let’s go and see what’s up.”

Guo Jing answered, “ Let’s not go and find trouble shall we?”

Huang Rong argued, “ Who says we’re finding trouble? I only suggested for us to check out what’s happening.”

Both of them pushed open the window gently and looked out. They saw many people running about with lanterns in their arms, but there was no clue as to why they were rushing about. Huang Rong looked up and saw three or four blurred figures crouching on the nearby rooftop. The light from the lanterns shone briefly onto the figures and Huang Rong saw the swift light reflecting from the weapons, which those people carried in their arms. After a while, the crowd of servants all ran out of the manor. Huang Rong was curious and pulled Guo Jing towards the side of the window. She made sure no one was about and gently leaped out such that the people on the roof weren’t aware of her movements.

Huang Rong signaled to Guo Jing to walk backwards. The pathways in the manor turned and twisted such that the directions were very complicated. The most unusual thing was that the railings and pillars at every turn looked exactly the same. After a few whirls, one would not be able to distinguish between the different directions. Huang Rong however, was not the slightest bothered about this obstacle and walked around without any tint of worry or suspicion. Several times, it looked as if it was no pathway, but she always managed to identify a fake rock and revolve pass it or she would just twirl round the flowers and they would be back on the main path. At times, it looked as if it was a dead end in front, but somehow or another, there would always be a way pass a screen of a huge tree. At times, there would be a path through the opening of a grotto, but Huang Rong would never walk through. Instead, she would miraculously be able to identify a hidden and unnoticeable entrance on the walls and push through to enter. The more Guo Jing proceeded on, the more curious he became.

He whispered, “ Rong’er, the pathways of this manor are really bizarre, how is it that you are always able to identify the right way?”

Huang Rong signaled for him to be quiet and after seven or eight more turns, they arrived by the wall of the backyard. Huang Rong examined the wall and used her fingers to count before walking and counting her footsteps. Guo Jing heard her mumble, “ Form a trigram first, thirdly prepare, fifthly supplement, repeat the seventh…” and did not understand a single word.

Huang Rong counted as she walked, and after a particular count, she stopped in her tracks and said, “ We can only leave by here, the rest of the place is filled with traps.”

She leapt onto the top of the wall and Guo Jing followed suit. Huang Rong continued, “ This manor is built according to the sixty four bearings (positions) which are concealed. My father is a master in this particular type of architecture, which requires one to design eight different types of routes (not really sure of this part). Master Lu can obstruct others, but he can’t trap me.” Her tone was filled with pride.

Both of them climbed up a small mound situated behind the manor and looked out towards the east. They saw a person walking towards the lake, with a lantern raised high up. Huang Rong tugged at Guo Jing’s sleeve and both of them flew forward using their lightness skill. After arriving closer, they hid behind a huge rock and noticed a row of fishing boats near the shores of the lake. A crowd of people slowly boarded the boats and after they did so, each put out their lantern lights. Guo Jing and Huang Rong waited till the last batch of people boarded, and after it was pitch dark, before leaping out and landed on the tail of a large sailing boat. After they heard the fishing boats start to move, they leaped on top of the sail of the large boat and looked down. It was then they saw some one sitting inside a room in the boat and the person was none other than the junior owner of the manor, Lu Guan Ying.

As the row of boats started moving, the tune from the seashell could be heard again. A person on the large sailing boat walked to the front and also started blowing into the shell. After the sailing boat drifted some distance, one could see many little boats drifting on the lake. The myriad of little boats looked like tiny ants in the distance; it was as if one had painted millions of black dots on a large sheet or paper. The person on the large sailing boat blew his shell three times and the large boat dropped its vessel into the midst of the lake. About ten little boats started moving in from all directions. Guo Jing and Huang Rong were mystified; they were not sure whether a battle was going to take place. They lowered their heads and peeped at Lu Guan Ying, who however looked calm and normal, he did not show any tint of anxiousness as one would show in times of war.

Not long after, the boats came nearer. Every boat saw either two or three people coming out and entering the huge sailing boat. Every person, after entering the huge boat, would bow to Lu Guan Ying and were respectful in their behavior. It seemed that seats had been arranged for the visitors from the little boats and according to their status. Some people arrived earlier but sat at the back, whereas some who arrived later got to sit in the front. A tea server ushered the visitors to their seats. The visitors had stern and rough expressions, and their actions were swift and fierce. Although they dressed like fishermen, it seemed as if all of them were versed in martial arts and were definitely not the usual type of fisherman.

Lu Guan Ying raised his arm and said, “ Brother Zhang, what have you found out?” A skinny man sitting in the middle stood up and said, “ To answer Junior Master, the Jin ambassador has decided to sail across the lake tonight. The captain, who is on the pretext of receiving him, would reach in probably an hour’s time. The latter is late due to the ransacking on the way.”

Lu Guan Ying asked, “ How much has he ransacked?”

The man answered, “ There have been harvests from every village, and his soldiers are still robbing the villagers now. When I saw him alight the boat, his soldiers were struggling with more than twenty heavy chests of treasures.”

Lu Guan Ying asked, “ How many soldiers and horses does he have with him?”

The man answered, “ About two thousand. Those who crossed the lake with him do not have horses with them. Since there are not enough boats, there are about a thousand of them who stay back at shore.”

Lu Guan Ying turned towards the audience and asked, “ Fellow brothers, what do you guys think?”

Everyone answered, “ We will follow Junior Master’s orders.”

Lu Guan Ying placed both hands into his sleeves and said, “ These corrupted officials go round snatching money through immoral means. We the people from the lake would not be doing justice if we do not get back those treasures and money. We will do our best to grab as much as we can. Half of it will go to the poor villagers by the lake and the other half will be split between us.”

The audience all roared in agreement. It was then that Guo Jing and Huang Rong realize that these people were the pirates of the lake and Lu Guan Ying was probably they’re leader.

Lu Guan Ying said, “ Without further a dew, let’s get going. Brother Zhang, take five small boats and continue to keep watch.”

The skinny man took the order and immediately sailed out. Lu Guan Ying went on to assign everyone their tasks, such as who would lead, who would be the back ups, who would lead the ‘water ghosts’ to swim and create damage to the enemy’s boat, who would grab the treasures, who would capture the official and so on. He dutifully assigned the various tasks in a very organized way.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong were secretly puzzled. They had just dined and chatted with Lu Guan Ying earlier in the day and found him to be a polite, proper and decent chap, not forgetting that he was from a wealthy and cultivated family. Who would have guessed that he was a pirate leader? Just as Lu Guan Ying had finished assigning the various tasks and everyone was setting out, someone in the middle stood up and said coldly, “ We people have no assets whatsoever, it is alright to rob some wealthy businessmen. But if we attack such an official, won’t we have trouble living on the lake in the future? We should not offend the Jin Ambassador

[eliza bennet]

Thank you so much sunnysnow This is indeed an excellent start to yet another Chapter of adventure.

I think this book is JY's masterpiece.