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

[Du Gu seeking a win]

Originally posted by Strunf
hmm When I thought I had catch up with the translations someone already started chap 5 :/

I'll post up the rest of the chap. 4 in English (this weekend), Im currently starting reading the rest of the chap 4 that has not yet been translated (its like 20 pages (SS) A5 till chap 5). And after it i'll translate the rest of chap 5 (if its not completed) and start all way up to the end.

¶

Thank you. But please make it clear for us which edition (1st or 2nd) you are translating and from which source language: Chinese or Vietnamese?

Moin translated from the 2nd edition (Chinese) of LOCH.

[Strunf]

The book I have it’s the French version, I don’t know from which version it was taken off. If you can tell where they are different I'll look into it.
It says it was taken from the 1976 version so it could be from the first, anyway I didn’t notice any difference between my book and what Moin has translated but maybe its just cause I don’t know where to look.

For the translation it will take a little longer, I was thinking I could translate like 20 pages in 2h or soo but actually its harder than what I thought (yeah I know I was too optimistic). Started it yesterday and end up with like 2 pages :/ even if it’s from the French it’s hard to come up with the sentences in English that give you the same feeling.
Anyway I think I can end it this week…hopefully

[TaiHan]

from what you are saying, I think you have the 2nd edition. The same one Moin is translating. It should have 40 chapters.

the 1st edition have about 80 to 100 and something chapter.

[GiftOfForesight]

I was anxious to read it so I stuck what Du Gu seeking a win posted from the French site, into a translator. I used Google for a little bit of the beginning, then freetranslation.com later because it kept the structure of the paragraphs (both however have a max number of words which was really annoying).

Strunf, I don't want to ruin your work or anything, in fact I hope you do finish the translation as the translator is/was really crappy. "Elle" (subject for "she") in French often turns into "it" somehow. Lots of words it doesn't know how to translate as well. But I was over-anxious and did the end of Chapter 4. So if anyone wants it, here it is...

A few moments later, the noises of step ceased. On released space, with the top of the hill, two silhouettes were held: the first, motionless, with a leather cap on the head, resembled to a Mongol; the second, with long hair floating with the wind, was obviously a woman.

"Here is thus Corpse of Bronze and Iron Corpse, says Han Xiaoying. Thus let us see how they will be involved"

They transfer the woman then to turn slowly around the man, and heard its articulations crack gently. Then it accelerated its step, and the crackings became increasingly strong, increasingly brought closer, as when one knocked on several drums at the same time.

"Its neigong is thus so strong! Han Xiaoying was still astonished. Not astonishing that Large-brother showed himself also circumspect!"

the woman advanced and moved back her two hands and, each time, the articulations of its arms crépitaient. Its long hair was practically stretched with horizontal by speed, and gave him a terrifying aspect.

Han Xiaoying felt an icy cold to invade its heart and the hairs to roughcast itself on its body. Suddenly, the woman raised the right palm and cut down the left palm on the chest of the man.

"As it, said the six, is the body of her husband is strange able to resist its blows of palm?"

The man fell behind, but it had already turned behind him and struck it in the back. Thus, going and coming at high speed, it had struck eight blows of palm, each time more quickly, each time more strongly. The man did not make a noise. After the ninth blow, it leaps suddenly very high, going down again in piqué, raised the leather hat of the man, and planted to him the five fingers of the right hand in the face!

Han Xiaoying failed to push a cry. The woman had fallen down on her feet and burst of laughing. The man, broken down by ground, did not move. It tightened its mackled hand of blood and brain, examining it under the moon while laughing. It turned the head, and Han Xiaoying saw that its face, although a little noirâtre, was rather pretty, and that it seemed to have forty years.

The six had understood that the man was not her husband, but only one alive target which it had captured for the needs for its drive. This woman was to thus be Iron Cadavre, Mei Chaofeng.

She stopped laughing, tightened the hands and tore clothing of death. In the North, where the cold was extreme, one always carried thick leather fur-lined coats. However, it tore this very resistant clothing as if it were paper, without any effort. Then it plunged the hand in the chest of the unhappy target, withdrawing with internal organs, which it attentively examined with the moonlight, throwing them afterwards on the ground. By far, the six could see that all these bodies, heart, lungs, liver, misses, were completely destroyed. They then included/understood the finality of this drive: it had struck the body of this man of nine blows of palm and had succeeded in breaking the internal bodies without breaking the bones of the skeleton. By examining the internal organs, it was ensured of the progression of its power.

Very angry, Han Xiaoying wanted to attack immediately. She tore off her sword, and was on the point of springing when Zhu Cong retained it silently.

"For the moment, says the Well-read man, Cadavre of Iron is all alone, she seems frightening, but with us seven, us should be able to come to end. If one gets rid of it initially, it will be easier to deal with Bronze Corpse after, whereas we would be absolutely unable to face both at the same time... But which knows if Bronze Corpse is not hidden in a corner, ready to fall us above to the improvist? Large-brother knows well the practices of these two monsters, better is worth to follow his instructions and to wait until it launches the first attack..."

After having inspected the internal organs, Mei Chaofeng seemed satisfied. A smile with the lips, it sat down as a tailor, vis-a-vis the moon, and started to practise the regulation of the breath. It turned the back on Han Xiaoying and Zhu Cong, which saw its shoulders rising and dropping as it inspired and expired.

"If I attack of a blow" the Flash illuminates the large sky ", thought Han Xiaoying, I am almost certain of being able to transpierce it right through. But if I miss my blow, it is all our company which will be compromised!"

It trembled of all its body, incompetent to decide.

Zhu Cong either did not dare to move, it tested an icy feeling in the back, because it was flooded of cold sweat. While raising the eyes, it noticed that the black clouds coming from the west had invaded half of the sky, as a rice paper sheet which one would have sprinkled of ink. In the medium of the dark clouds scintillated of the stripes of flash, still increasing the anguish and terror in the heart of the six Odd ones. The thunder thundered dully, as choked by the thickness of the clouds.

After having practised the regulation of the breath during a certain time, Mei Chaofeng rose, was forwarded, by trailing the corpse behind it, to the hole where Ke Zhen' E had been dissimulated, and bent down to raise the stone slab.

The six Odd ones tightened their weapons, ready to leap on it as soon as the flagstone would have been open.

However, Mei Chaofeng, hearing a rustle of sheets which did not seem to him not caused by the wind, turned the head suddenly and saw a human shade appearing with the summit of a tree. Pushing a long howl, it leaps in this direction.

The man hidden on the tree, it was Han Baoju. Benefitting from its small size, it had been dissimulated perfectly in the foliage but, as it was on the point of jumping, it had been discovered a little, which had immediately alerted Mei Chaofeng. This one thus leaps on him of an irresistible dash! Then Han, of a blow "the black Dragon aspires water", cut down its whip on the wrist of Mei. This one, against any waiting, did not seek to avoid the blow, but seizes the end of the whip. The dwarf, very extremely, nimbly drew towards him his attacker, who benefitted from it to let herself bring nearer, and counter-attacked of a fulgurating palm. Han Baoju felt the breath of the blow to arrive and, knowing that it could not resist it, released its weapon, made a galipette to jump to bottom of the tree. But Iron Cadavre did not let it escape, it jumped behind him, carrying its claws in the back of the dwarf.

This one still smelled an icy breath on the nape of the neck and made an extraordinary effort to advance more quickly. At the same time, Nan Xiren and Quan Jinfa, dissimulated with the foot of the tree, launched their invisible projectiles on the prosecuting one, a punch "transpierce-bone" for the first and a dart hidden in the sleeve for the second. It swept them of a flick of the left hand, whereas its right hand tore off a piece of clothing on the back of Han Baoju. The dwarf touched ground of the left foot and rebounds immediately. However Mei, nimble like the wind, was held already in front of him:

Which are you? she shouted. What do you come to make here?

At the same time, it planted the ten fingers in the shoulders to him. Han felt a fulgurating pain, as if ten iron punches had abruptly been encrusted in its flesh. It gave a kick towards the belly of Iron Corpse, which para the blow of the right hand while breaking to him almost ankle. Without losing his coolness for as much, the dwarf threw himself to ground in a roulade to get clear.

At the time when Mei was going to trample it, a door bars black fell down on its foot: it was Nan Xiren, the Logger of the southernmost Mountain.

Forsaking Han, Mei Chaofeng moved back quickly to avoid the bar. In one moment, it is lived surrounded enemies: a well-read man holding a range out of iron sought to strike the vital points his meridian lines while a girl handling the sword attacked by the line.

A strapping fellow ventru armed with a large knife of stopping and a small thin catch equipped with an instrument bizarroïde attacked it by the left; a vigorous making peasant of the winches with his iron bar was held vis-a-vis it; finally the noises of step, behind it, were to come from the feet of the large dwarf to the whip. All these people were perfectly unknown for him and, however, they seemed to be eminent experts in martial arts.

"They are too numerous, is said it, it is thus necessary to resort to the strong manner to eliminate some without delaying from them. It does not matter their names or their origins... In any event, besides my Shifu beloved and my bastard of husband, I card-index myself to kill anyone in this low world!"

It sprang, all claws outside, on Han Xiaoying. In front of the power of this attack, Zhu Cong took fear: it leaps by pointing its range of iron on the vital point "sinuous Pond" located at the hollow of the elbow of Mei. But, this one, which did not seem to be concerned with it, advanced the right hand; Han Xiaoying defended of a blow "white Dew on the river", in the intention to strike it with the arm. But Iron Cadavre swivelled its wrist, seeking to catch the sword with naked hand, as if it did not fear the blade. Han Xiaoying was afraid in its turn and moved back. At this time, the range of the Well-read man struck with precision the point "Pond sinuous". It was a very significant vital point there human body, and the arm of Mei should have been immediately paralysed. Zhu Cong was delighted to have made a success of its blow, when it saw arm suddenly lengthening abruptly, and its frightening nails practically on its head! It moved back at the last time and escaped from accuracy from death!

« N'a-t-elle therefore not any vital points? itself it demanda-t-il, surprise and frightened. »

Han Baoju then had collected his whip, and the Six, brandishing their weapons, encircled Mei Chaofeng. Now, this one did not seem at all impressed: its nude hands, of which she served herself to seize the weapons, showed themselves as effective as fangs in steel. The Fantastic ones were all the more worried ones since they noted than the nickname of their opponent was not usurped: iron Corpse appeared effectively to have an iron body! She nevertheless had just received two blows in the back, inflicted by the balance of Quan Jinfa, apparently without damage no. They comprirent that she had succeeded pushing the resistance of his body to the extreme one: to leaves the cutting points of the knife of Zhang Asheng and sword of Han Xiaoying, she seemed not to fear the others arm, that she did not look for even to avoid, preoccupying only to attack.

She vigor redoubla and seizes by the arm Quan Jinfa, too slow to separate itself. The five others themselves précipitèrent, but too late, and Mei, of a blow violate, had pulled out a flesh piece with the sleeve.

« All those that practice this technique of the iron body, itself said Zhu Cong, possess necessarily a nodal point of entraînement, on which it is for them impossible to spread the protection of this technique. This besides point particularly vulnerable, it sufficed to touch it to injure to dead l'individu. .. Where therefore is situated the nodal point of this mégère? »

It jumps to right, to the left, playing the fan, trying successively to touch the point meridian « Meeting of the Cents » to the summit of the head, to the point « Screen of the Spring » to the throat, then to the point « Tomb of the spirit » to the hollow one ombilic, to the point « Hollow of the Environment » in the back... It thus about ten essaya points, while being said that, if she put a special care to defend such or such not at all, this would be there his nodal point.

The meaning of this carousel do not n'échappa at all to Mei Chaofeng:

- Pathetic Educated! she cria-t-elle. My technique perfectly is at the point: I have not any not at all nodal!

And of a blow, she seizes the wrist of Zhu. This one, stupéfait, had fortunately the lively spirit and the nimble hands. Before Mei put to sink him the nails in flesh, it had pivoted the wrist and slipped his fan in the hand of his opponent, while whispering:

- Attention, there is poison on the fan!

Feeling sudden a hard object in the hand, Mei Chaofeng, first taken aback, eut effectively fear of the poison and jeta the fan to earth.

Zhu Cong in profita to release itself and back up of several steps. It regarda his hand, of which the back carried five bloody striures and feels flooded cold sweat: the fight lasted since a certain time already, not only the Fantastic ones not steps had been on top, but three of the their already were injured. If Bronze Corpse arrived, they all there were going to leave life. Zhang Asheng, Han Baoju and Quan Jinfa already all were left breathless and in sweat. Alone Nan Xiren, of which the neigong was more powerful, and Han Xiaoying, lighter, did not seem tired, while their enemy became more and more valiant. It lives sudden, to the pale glimmer of the moon, the three piles of skulls on the left. It frissonna and eut the idea to precipitate itself towards the hole where Ke zhen'e was hidden, while screaming:

- Except that can!

The other comprirent and reculèrent in fighter.

- Mongrel go out of nulle leaves, ricana Mei Chaofeng, you wanted to trap me here, this is too late to flee you at present!

She herself lança to their pursuit. Nan Xiren, Quan Jinfa and Han Xiaoying firent of them better to keep it, while the three others united their forces to raise the rock flagstone. It was times, for Mei Chaofeng had seized the iron bar of Nan Xiren and already advanced its claws heading for the eyes of the latter.

- Descends quickly to help us, cria Zhu Cong.

It had pointed his finger up, all looking at towards the sky, and did gestures of the other hand, as to call for the rescousse a concealed companion on a height.

Surprised, Mei not put to prevent itself to get up the eyes, but she lives only the low clouds veiling to half the moon... It there had not person!

- To seven straight steps in front of! cria Zhu Cong.

To these words, Ke zhen'e had launched six poisoned macres to seven steps in front of, two in top, two in the middle and two down below, all while jumping outside the hole. The Fantastic others attaquèrent at the same time of all the sides. Mei Chaofeng poussa a pain scream: two macres had attained its eyes! Fortunately for her, his nimbleness him permit to tip immediately the head, so well that the invisible projectiles not pénétrèrent to the brain, but she definitively was blinded!

Crazy of pain and of rage, she abattit its two palms in front of she, but Ke zhen'e already had separated itself on the side. One entendit two deaf blows, for the blows had concerned a boulder. More furious return again, she donna a kick, that heurta the flagstone and the fit to fly away itself. The Seven, frightened by the force of its attacks, restèrent cautiously out-of-the-way.

As her do not there see more, she struggled herself in all the direction, striking, clawing, banging. She resembled a tiger in furie, or to a malefic demon, breaking all on his passage, raising clouds of dusts, breaking the branches of the trees, without doing the least evil to its enemies, that held themselves sufficiently far, while keeping blows for them. Shortly after, its eyes becoming completely insensitive, she comprit that the poison had done his effect:

- That are for you? she cria-t-elle of a terrible voice. Said it quickly, that I die while knowing at least that kills me...

Zhu Cong fit a gesture heading for Ke zhen'e for him to give of be quiet itself and leave Mei to die in the ignorance. But it himself sudden souvint that his Big Brother was blind, how could it have seen its gestures?

- Mei Chaofeng, said Ke of an icy voice, you do you remind of « Dragon squarely sky », Ke Bixie, and of « Bat squarely sky », Ke zhen'e?

Mei Chaofeng éclata of a laugh tonitruant and terrible.

- Salopard, you are not therefore dead! You come to avenge Dragon squarely sky?

- Exactly! Yourself you are not dead again, that falls well!

Mei soupira and silent demeura.

The Seven Fantastic restèrent on keeps for them. At that very moment, the moon almost completely was hidden by the dark clouds, one felt a cold insidieux and penetrating. Mei Chaofeng held itself motionless as a rock statue, the hands alongside the body, its fingers to the flaked nails and sparkling lightly separated. The wind violate that blew behind her raised its long hair. Han Xiaoying that faced for him see the blood to flow of its eyes.

All of a sudden, Zhu Cong and Quan Jinfa crièrent in choir:

- Attention! Big brother!

Their voices resounded again when Ke zhen'e feels a gust to arrive him squarely chest. It jumps in the air, while helping itself of a big blow on the ground with his cane, and itself posa on the summit of a tree that was located behind him. Iron corpse, that not trouva person in front of she, planta its ten fingers in the trunk of the tree. The six Fantastic terror pâlirent: if Ke zhen'e had delayed of an alone second, the nails would have planted themselves in his body, how does it have been able about it to escape living?

Having lacked his blow, Mei Chaofeng poussa sudden a long strange scream, on a tonalité very aiguë, but with a powerful breath that carried very far.

« Misfortune, is said then Zhu Cong, she calls his husband Corpse Bronze to the relief. »

- Quickly, it cria-t-il, it is necessary to finish it!

It mobilisa all sound energy in the arm and frappa heavily the back of Mei Chaofeng, while Zhang Asheng raised a big rock that it abattit on his head.

Iron corpse, that had just lost the view, did not know again to spot itself to the heard, as the fact Ke zhen'e. The big rock, while falling, did a noise that she could hear and she s'écarta herself quickly. But she not put to avoid the blow of Zhu Cong. Even if she had returned his extremely resistant body, the Educated one to the hands prestes had also the heavy hand, and she feels a dazzling pain in the back.

Zhu Cong voulut to take advantage of his advantage and continua to hit, but Mei Chaofeng against attaqua of a claw swipe, and it dut to back up.

The Fantastic others prepared themselves to jump also, when one entendit to the far a long scream, on the same tonalité as Mei all on time, that gave hen flesh. Shortly after, a second scream resounds, but a lot nearer one.

« As this individual moves himself quickly », itself dirent the Seven, scared.

- Attention, here Bronze Corpse! cria Ke zhen'e.

Han Xiaoying s'écarta itself and regarda towards the bottom of the hill, she aperçut then a shadow that approached to lively pace and yelled all while running.

Mei Chaofeng had adopted a defense posture, without attacking more. She concentrated his internal energy to contain the progression of the poison, while awaiting the arrival of his husband to exterminate the enemies.

Zhu Cong fit a sign to Quan Jinfa, the two men themselves glissèrent in the brushlands. Iron corpse already was fearsome to her alone. To see the Corpse pace of Bronze, Zhu Cong doubted itself well him to be again stronger than his woman. Quite obviously, it was impossible to overcome the two spouses while the confronting full-face. On the other hand, a luck existed maybe if one took them by trick.

All of a sudden, Han Xiaoying poussa a surprise cry: she see, in front of the shadow that rushed with great speed, another smaller outline, that had equally undertaken to ascend the hill. Only, as this outline went a lot more slowly, and than she was all small, person had not noticed it beforehand. She regarda attentively and lives that it was a matter of a child, Guo Jing certainly. Surprised and delighted, she s'empressa herself to carry itself to his encounter.

She did not be located very moved away from him, and the descending slope was easier tear down, but Bronze Corpse, remarkable expert in weightlessness, won land. Han Xiaoying hésita: « I am not any size to confront alone Bronze Corpse... But the child will fall between its hands, how could I not carry me to his rescue? »

She accéléra then and cria:

- Quickly, child, course more quickly!

In the view, Guo Jing poussa a joy cry, unconscious of the imminent danger that threatened it.

For these whole years, Zhang Asheng had been secret in love with Han Xiaoying, but it never had dared to express its feelings. See that she ran a terrible danger, it eut if fear that it s'élança himself to recover it and to protect it.

At the top of the hill, the Fantastic others did not attack anymore and observed this that happened to mi-colline, keeping their invisible projectiles concealed in the hand, ready to intervene.

In a wink, Han Xiaoying had arrived to the height of Guo Jing, she prit his small hand and tourna the heels to flee with him. But to pains did they have traversed some regard, that she feels the hand of Guo Jing to slip: the child poussa a big cry, Chen Xuanfeng had just grabbed it in the back!

Han Xiaoying itself retourna with nimbleness and, of a sword blow « The Phénix nods the head », feinta towards the left armpit of the enemy, then, swerving aside, releva the point of the sword of a lively and precise gesture, aiming the eyes of the opponent. It was there the very gasoline of the artificial technique of « THE SWORD of the Girl Yue ».

Chen Xuanfeng prit the child under his left arm, para the blow with his straight arm, pushing back lightly the blade towards the exterior one and, porta a palm blow, « To Push the esquif in following running it ». The young woman tourna his weapon and fendit, but the arm of Chen Xuanfeng sembla sudden to lengthen itself of a half foot: Han Xiaoying, that had the impression to have put itself outside reach, was therefore attained to the shoulder and tomba to earth.

This exchange eut place in a wink. Bronze corpse, pitiless, porta a claw swipe directly on the summit of the skull of Han Xiaoying. This bone Claw white of the Nine Darkness was a fearsome and cruel technique, that destroyed flesh and broke the bones. The blow would not have lacked to break the skull of the young woman. Zhang Asheng, that was located to some steps, comprit the danger and, without thinking about his own security, s'interposa itself while throwing itself on her, recovering it of his body. The claw s'abattit itself, and the five Corpse fingers of Bronze s'enfoncèrent itself in the back of cheerful Buddha.

This one poussa a terrible scream and chercha to attain the chest of the enemy with his knife of butcher. But Chen Xuanfeng para, dropping the weapon, and retourna his palm against Zhang, that was projected to earth.

The Fantastic others effroi crièrent and itself précipitèrent to his rescousse.

- My mégère, hurla Chen Xuanfeng, that itself does it pass?

- They destroyed me the eyes! répondit Mei Chaofeng in a moans, supported against the tree. If you in leave to escape an alone, my rotten one, you will have to deal with me!

- Not any concern, my mégère, cria Chen Xuanfeng, not an alone not about it will escape. You... Do you have poorly? Does not budge...

Bronze corpse abattit again his hand on the head of Han Xiaoying. This one, as « A lazy Donkey does a galipette », s'écarta itself in rolling.

- You believe to be able to escape? itself moqua Chen while getting up his left hand.

Zhang Asheng, seriously injured, lives confusément that his liked good was located in death danger. Mobilizing its last forces, it lança a kick towards the hand of the enemy. This one planta its fingers in the leg of Zhang that, spurred by the pain, itself redressa and jeta its arms around the size of his aggressor. Chen the attrapa by the neck, wanting to throw it to the far, but the cheerful Buddha, fearing that one not fît of the evil to Han Xiaoying, refused obstinément to loosen taken. Bronze corpse him porta a fatal blow to the head that the assomma. The butcher perdit knowledge, and its arms itself relâchèrent.

The intervention of Zhang had given the time to the young woman to jump on its feet to resume the fight. She did not dare for as much to approach, and had to content itself to revolve around the enemy thanks to his weightlessness technique.

- Fifth brother, did she scream, how you do you feel?

She had done two times the turn, when its companions the rejoignirent. Zhu Cong and Quan Jinfa lancèrent immediately their invisible projectiles.

Bronze corpse was surprised to see as much enemies of this force. « One is squarely desert, it songea-t-il, from which go out all these hard ones to cook that I do not know? »

- My mégère, it cria-t-il, that are these sly devils?

- THIS IS the Bat band squarely sky, the Dragon brother squarely sky.

- Good, the mongrel one is not dead, it came to look for his punishment here.

Fearing for the injury of his woman, it cria:

- And you, my mégère, are you injured gravement? That does not threaten nonetheless your life female dog?

- Dispatch You to slaughter them, cria Mei Chaofeng furious. Me, I am not again dead...

See that his woman remained supported to the tree, without coming to lend him strong hand, Chen had well understand that, in spite of his crânerie, she was injured gravement. Very worried, it hoped only to liquidate the fastest possible enemies, in order him to be going to carry helps. At this point in time, five Fantastic ones surrounded it, alone Ke zhen'e remained out-of-the-way, ready to intervene at any moment.

Chen Xuanfeng lança Guo Jing to earth and décocha a fist blow heading for Quan Jinfa. This one, worried for the child, itself pencha to avoid the blow and in profita to recover Guo Jing then, of a galipette, itself mit outside reach of the enemy. This movement, called « The mischievous Cat catches smiles it », that allowed at once to elude and to save, had been executed with nimbleness and precision. Same Chen Xuanfeng in conçut of the admiration for his author.

Bronze corpse was cruel by nature: more the opponents were strong, more it wanted to do them to die in of atrocious sufferings, so much than they had injured his well liked spouse. The Two Malefic ones of the Black Wind trained since a long time to two fearsome techniques: the bone Claw white of the Nine Darkness and the « Palm Breaks Heart », that it mastered now to eight or nine tenth ones of their power. Pushing a scream terrifying, it attaqua its enemies without being concerned with his own security, carrying to every time mortal blows.

The five, that had well conscience that their lives played themselves at this point in time precise, do not does n'eurent be careful not to take these attacks to the light one and mobilisèrent all their forces to defend itself. But they not purent to approach the enemy so this one appeared fearsome.

Han Baoju itself décida to attack, while using the technique of the « Whip to shave ground », rolling on the ground, launching blows of all party towards the Corpse legs of Bronze. This one, disrupted by this unexpected attack, reçut a stick blow in the back inflicted by Nan Xiren, that him fit to push pain cries. It himself retourna and tendit its claws towards the Lumberjack.

This one had not had the time to bring back his stick in defense that it feels the claws on him, dut to reverse itself behind. Now, it entendit a clacking in the Corpse joints of Bronze, of which the arm s'allongea itself sudden of several thumbs, so well that his hand was located against the forehead of the Lumberjack. In a fight between experts, the deadly blows avoided themselves often to an or two thumbs near. There, Nan Xiren had beautiful and well seen that the tension of the arm of his opponent had arrived to his extreme one, and nevertheless, it again had lengthened himself! How the Lumberjack could it have escaped this blow? It already felt the point of the nails of Chen on his forehead...

In the panic, it leva his left arm and seizes the wrist of the enemy with the technique of the qinna, looking for to block it. At that very moment, Zhu Cong had jumped on the Corpse back of Bronze and jammed his before arms on the throat of the opponent in order to strangle it. This fact, it completely exposed his chest, but to save the life of his sworn brother, it did not preoccupy more to infringe the elementary rules of precaution in the fight.

To this instant, where the life of the fighters held only to a wire, a thunder blow resounds and the clouds recouvrirent completely the moon. Total obscurity itself fit, one do not see anymore the fingers of its own hands and rain tomba to big drops.

One entendit then two creaks and a deaf noise: Chen Xuanfeng had just broken the left arm of Nan Xiren and, at the same time, had given an elbow blow in the chest of Zhu Cong. This one feels such a pain that it was constrained to relax the pressure on the neck of the enemy and tomba behind. Bronze corpse had felt stifled also and rings on the side, panting.

- Back up all, cria Han Baoju in obscurity. Seventh sister, how you do you feel?

- Silence! répliqua Han Xiaoying while separating itself from several steps.

Astonished by the noises of the movements of its companions, Ke zhen'e demanda:

- Second brother, that itself does it pass?

- OBSCURITY is total in this moment, répondit Quan Jinfa, one does not there see nothing!

This is the Sky that provides assistance us, itself said Ke zhen'e, delighted.

The Seven Fantastic ones, of which three seriously were injured, believed to have lost the party, but the black clouds then had obscured the sky and it fell hallebardes. Each kept his breathing, person did not dare to budge. The heard extremely fine Ke zhen'e him permit to recognize that the man left breathless being located to seven or eight steps of him, on the left, did not be an of its brothers. It lança immediately in this direction six poisoned macres.

Chen Xuanfeng perçut it arrived from the invisible projectiles and sauta in the air. It was really very strong, for it succeeds avoiding, in extremis, the six macres and put, at the same time, distinguish their origin. Without doing a noise, it jumps sudden, all claws outsides, towards Ke zhen'e. This one the entendit, s'écarta itself sharply, and répliqua by a stick blow. For him, there was not difference between the day and the night. As Chen Xuanfeng do not there see drips, his power big was diminished. Thus, the two men done equal games. After about ten exchanges, Bronze Corpse had the impression that the enemy attacked of all parts, without having the certainty that its own blows carried and felt squarely nightmare.

While groping, Han Baoju, Han Xiaoying and Quan Jinfa allèrent to come to the aid of their injured brothers. The goes out of Ke zhen'e preoccupied them evidently, but they not at could all help it in this ink night. In the crackling of rain, one heard the sifflements provoked by the hands of Chen Xuanfeng and the cane of Ke zhen'e. The two fighters had at pains exchanged about thirty blows, but, for the Fantastic others, that sembla to last an eternity. Sudden, one entendit two deaf blows, and Bronze Corpse itself mit to scream pain: it had therefore been attains by the cane. The Fantastic ones rejoiced, when a flash zébra the sky, illuminating the whole summit of the hill.

- Attention, Big Brother! cria Quan Jinfa.

But Chen Xuanfeng had taken advantage of this clarity instant to spot itself: it s'avança while concentrating his energy on the left shoulder and encaissa without faltering a cane blow, that it seizes next to full hand, while his upright hand already grabbed the chest of the blind person. This one, surprise, lâcha his cane and jumps behind. Bronze corpse evidently was not going to leave to pass such a occasion: the claw that already had torn the clothing of the opponent itself sudden transforma in fist. Without even a movement of the body, the arm of Chen s'allongea itself and porta a solid blow, loaded with internal energy, in the chest of the blind person, that violently was projected behind. At the same time, it jeta the cane as a javelot. All these gestures themselves firent in a skillful continuity, Bronze Corpse in was very to trust, and poussa a long joy scream, that accompagnèrent of thunder rumbles.

To the glimmer of the flashes that illuminèrent fugitivement again the scene, Han Baoju lives the cane to fly away itself towards his Big Brother, unconscious of the danger. It fit immediately to slam his whip of the Dragon of now that s'enroula itself around the projectile and the fit to fall.

- Now, s'écria itself Chen while precipitating itself towards him, I will remove you your dog life!

But, taken by his momentum, it trébucha on something as a body, it himself pencha and the ramassa: it was effectively a small boy, Guo Jing.

- Loosen Me, cria the child.

At this point in time, a new flash illumina the scene: Guo Jing lives the face of the man that held it in the air, a yellowish face to the look threatening. It was if frightened that, instinctively, it dégaina his poignard and the enfonça in the body of the enemy, right in the middle of the navel, to the guard.

Chen Xuanfeng poussa a terrible scream and itself renversa behind. In this technique that it used to return his invincible body to the blows, the vulnerable nodal point was located precisely situated in the navel. The poignard of Guo Jing was a blade splitting to the extreme one, but even a simple knife, if it touched this place, would have been for him fatal. It was the reason, during a fight, it took all the precautions to protect this party of his body. When it had seized the child, it did not test nulle mistrust to his consideration, so much as, the already having caught on the flank of the hill, all on time, it knew pertinemment that the childlike one did not there know nothing in martial arts. Now, as says the proverb, « THIS IS the good swimmer that drowns itself, and this is in flat land that the cart reverses itself » : that could have foreseen that this fearsome expert was going to die by the hand of a small weak and ignorant boy!

After killing Bronze Corpse, Guo Jing demeura débout, petrified, standing without knowing what to do. It seemed to want to cry, but did not dare to leave to go itself.

While hearing the long one moans of his husband, Mei Chaofeng itself précipita, trébucha, tomba and rampa until him.

- My rotten one, she cria-t-elle, what that arrives you?

- It is screwed-up, my mégère, it balbutia-t-il, dispatch you of t'enfuir...

- I will avenge you, she grinça-t-elle.

- The Sûtra, he says of a stifled voice, I l'ai... I burned it... the essential one, I have it on my chest...

And it rendit the soul.

The squeezed heart, iron Corpse glissa the hand towards the chest of his husband, to the the bulk of research the True Sûtra of the Nine Darkness.

Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng were all two disciples of the Master of the island of the Flowers to fish, Huang the alchemist. This one had created a trains special martial arts, of which the power and complexity had not nothing to envy to renowned authorities that were the Sect of the absolute Perfection and the royal family Duan, that reigned in the South. Chen and Mei had fallen in love of each one other before even to have finished their formation. They knew that if the Shifu discovered their liaison, not only they would not have the life except, but they would die in of atrocious sufferings. More they there thought, more the terror won them. They finirent by to decide to save itself. By an obscure night, they s'embarquèrent themselves secretly in a small small boat that the mena until a small other island to the east, then s'enfuirent itself to Ningbo, in the province of the Zhejiang.

Before leaving, Chen Xuanfeng songea that the little that they had learned would suffice for them doubtless to defend itself in the Rivers and the Lakes, but certainly could not assure for them a true fame. Thus, so as to do, it prit his courage to two hands and pénétra in the secret room of his Shifu, where it vola the half of a « True Sûtra of the Nine Darkness », that the master cherished as the prunelle of its eyes. Huang the alchemist entra evidently in a black fury, but as it had done the solemn vow of not to leave the island so as a promise would not have been realized, it could not launch itself to the pursuit of the runaways. Nevertheless, his anger was such as it châtia its other disciples: it their coupa to all the stretch legs and the chassa of the island, remaining all alone, reclusive, to ruminate his wrath.

The two lovers were therefore the cause of the misfortune of their fellow students. But they purent, thanks to the Sûtra, obtain an art of the exceptional fight. This True Sûtra of the Nine Darkness constituted some does the anthology of the orthodox martial arts of the taoïsme. Only, Chen had not succeeded flying that the second half of the document, while the practice formulas of the neigong, of mastery of the internal energy, were located in the first half. The martial arts of the island of the Flowers to fish followed a special progression, that not resembled at all to the practice developed by the taoïsme. Cruel by nature, the two renegades tentèrent to understand the indications of the Sûtra while the interpreter to their manner, choosing to practice the techniques more perverted and the most pitiless ones.

That day, they trained, in the mountain, to the bone Claw white of the Nine Darkness, piling up the skulls nine by nine, when the brothers Ke tombèrent on them by chance. See that the two spouses killed innocent, the brothers voulurent to intervene. But Dragon squarely sky, Ke Bixie, mourut right away under a palm blow of Chen Xuanfeng. Fortunately, at that very moment, the bone Claw white of the Nine Darkness did not be again to the point, Ke zhen'e succeeds therefore to escape, but it not put to save its eyes.

When Chen and Mei itself ready sentirent, they écumèrent the Rivers and the Lakes, without never to meet opponents to measures for them. The weapon masters ordinary did not be evidently any size, but even famous experts tombèrent under their blows. This was as well as they reçurent the nickname of « Two Malefic ones of the Black Wind ». See that their Shifu did not leave the island, they devinrent again more arrogant and more harmful, until several tens fighters valeureux eussent decided to ally itself against them, and their stretched eussent an ambush. During the fight, the couple seriously was injured, so well that they disparurent of the circulation. During many years, one do not n'entendit anymore to talk about them, one crut than they were dead. Now, they only were hidden in the desert, to train to perfect their arts of the death.

These two techniques, the bone Claw white of the Nine Darkness and the Palm Breaks Heart, were located effectively registered in the True Sûtra of the Nine Darkness. Chen Xuanfeng, that loved nevertheless his woman, not voulut never to show him the original text of the Sûtra. It studied it alone and, in a second time only, transmitted for him this that it had himself understand. She had beautiful to implore it or to threaten it, it not voulut never to breach to this rule.

« This Sûtra behaves two parties, him did it say, I did not succeed robbing that the second. Now, all the basic techniques, to assure the bases, are located in the first party. If I leave you to read the text, you be too greedy and you will want all to assimilate at one go, engaging you thus in an erroneous way that will take you to your loss. To the better, you seriously will be injured, to the worse one, you risk there to leave life. There is a lot of techniques in the Sûtra, but we can practice only the one that are compatible with our basic formation.

This reasoning convainquit Mei Chaofeng, conscious of love true that carried him his husband. Even if, in daily life, they launched themselves of the « rotten » and « mégère » to the head, they were secured by a deep love. Then she do not n'insista.

See his husband dying, she pensa then to him to ask the question of the Sûtra, but it had expired before to have replied completely. She the fouilla at the level of the chest without nothing to find. Taken aback, she voulut to look for again, but Han Baoju, Han Xiaoying and Quan Jinfa, taking advantage first glimmers of the dawn, had launched themselves to the attack.

Mei Chaofeng had not only lost the view, but she felt that the head turned for him, doubtless because of the poison that did his effect. To train to the bone Claw white of the Nine Darkness, the two spouses, since about ten years, absorbed uniformly white arsenic in small quantities, of which they neutralized the effect toxic by the internal energy. It was the alone manner that had found Chen Xuanfeng to increase, while using a stupid method, their internal and external power. With the time, Mei had therefore been mithridatisée, otherwise the poisoned macres of Ke zhen'e already would have done it to pass life to demise.

She herself défendit so harshly that the Fantastic ones, that did not arrive even to attain it, were endangered to several returns. Han Baoju commença to irritate itself: « If we do not reach, he says itself, to get the upper hand to three against a, an injured and blind woman what's more, which shame for the Seven Fantastic ones of the Jiangnan! » It attaqua of more beautiful one with his whip, looking for especially to attain it in the back. Han Xiaoying and Quan Jinfa, see that the enemy staggered, redoublèrent equally of vigor. The moment they seemed to be able to take it, the storm itself leva, and the black clouds assombrirent again the sky. At one go, one does not there live more nothing, the violent flurries of mixed winds of rain swept all on their passage. The three Fantastic ones s'aplatirent themselves to the ground to protect itself. A long time after, the storm itself calma, the moon perça behind the clouds. Han Baoju jumps on its feet and poussa a vexation cry: Mei Chaofeng had disappeared, as well as the corpse of Chen Xuanfeng. It see only its injured friends extensive to earth. The small head of Guo Jing apparut slowly of behind the boulders. All were soaked until the bones.

The three survivors s'activèrent themselves to care for the injureds: Nan Xiren had the arm broken, but no internal, strong injury fortunately. Ke zhen'e and Zhu Cong, of which the neigong was powerful, too were not affected no more, even themselves they had undergone headlong the Corpse blows of Bronze. Alone Zhang Asheng, attains, to two returns, by the bone Claw white of the Nine Darkness, had received a mortal blow to the head. It had resumed conscience but his life held only to a wire.

The view to the item of the death, the Six were collapsed sadness, especially Han Xiaoying, that knew well that the Fifth brother was in love with her since a long time. But itself was a little missed boy, liking the arts martial by over all, and little reach on the heart matters. Zhang Asheng, for its part, laughed the whole times of an air deny, then they never had not acknowledged himself their true feelings. While thinking that it had thrown himself under the claws of the enemy to protect it, she étreignit Zhang while sobbing.

On the face always rigolard of the Butcher floated again a light one to smile. Of his big hand as a beater, it caressa the soft hair of Xiaoying:

- Does not cry, the it consola-t-il. Does not cry, I go well.

- Fifth brother, does she say while hiccupping, you want well to marry me?

Zhang laughs niaisement, its injuries did it terribly to suffer, and it began losing conscience.

- Fifth brother, does she poursuivit-elle, reassure you, considers that I am here and now your woman... I will not marry myself more never and, after my death, we will remain together for eternity.

- Seventh sister, balbutia Zhang, I am not never well taken care of you... I... I am not worthy of you...

- You are well taken care of me, she sanglota-t-elle. Very, very well. I always knew it...

The eyes fill with tears, Zhu Cong demanda to Guo Jing:

- If you came here, this is to learn the martial arts with us?

- Yes, répondit the child.

- Then you must obey us henceforth.

Guo Jing hocha the head.

- We other seven brothers and sister let us are all your Shifu, poursuivit Zhu Cong while wiping its tears. At present, your fifth Shifu goes climb to the sky, prostrate you and return him homage.

Guo Jing did not know exactly this that meant « climb to the sky », but it obeys right away, itself prosterna and frappa the ground of his forehead.

Zhang Asheng, white as a linge, itself força to smile:

- It is sufficient as that... Brave boy, I will not be able therefore to transmit you my knowledge... Ah, but in any case, even if you had learned this that I know, that would not have served you to nothing. I am of a natural obtuse one, and rather lazy to l'entraînement... I rested on the few force brute that j'avais... If I had been more constant to the era, I maybe would not have had this sad fine one aujourd'hui...

It fails to turn eye and PALER devint again.

- You no more, he says while panting, you are not very gifted naturally, then it is necessary absolutely to do efforts. When you will be attempted to be lazy, thinks about your Fifth Shifu and to the state in which you see it...

It voulut to follow, but not in eut more forces it.

Han Xiaoying approcha the ear of the mouth of Zhang, and the entendit to pains:

- Form well l'enfant... In order not to to have the under facing the Taoist pretentious one...

- Is reassured, said Han Xiaoying, the Seven Fantastic ones of the Jiangnan never lose!

Zhang Asheng eut a small laugh deny, ferma the eyes and rendit the soul.

The Six Fantastic éclatèrent in sanglots. Since that they had become sworn brothers, very narrow links united them. During the last years, launched to the Lion research Ping and of his son, they had lived together day and harmed. And here that the one of them tragically had just died in foreign earth. How could they not have been submerged pain? After crying all the tears of their body, they creusèrent a grave and enterrèrent Zhang Asheng. When they finished eurent to erect a big boulder to mark the place of the tomb, the day had got up.

Quan Jinfa and Han Baoju partirent to the research of likely indices to drive to Mei Chaofeng. After the storm, the sand did not carry anymore no track, and it was impossible knowledge where she had gone. They poussèrent their investigation to several link to the round one, but empty-handed revinrent.

- In this desert, said Zhu Cong, I imagine that this aveug... this good woman was not able to go well far. The poisoned macres had to do their effect, she is doubtless dead somewhere. It's better first to bring back the child at his place and care for our injureds. After, Third and Sixth brothers, Seventh sister, you will resume the researches.

All acquiescèrent and versèrent of the tears while said farewell to the grave of their deceased brother.

[Strunf]

heh heh I had quite a hard time translating and end up by giving up on doing it on my own, my English skills aren’t really that great and it wasn’t really the same writing style... so I picked up a translator and did the same thing you did but even soo its hard to do the things properly and clean.

For the Elle, Il (and others), its not always a She or a Him in English, in the Latin based languages (French, Portuguese and so on) we give genders to things for instance a chair to us is a "female", hence why your translator often replaces the "Elle" with "it" and not "She".

I think its better to use the translator and clean it after, it stays closer to the writer style.

I’ll post what I've come up with its not all done but since I can edit it, I can always keep updating it later and if someone sees something not quite close to how you say it please point it out and I'll change it.

PS: I’ll fill a line with “---“to separate what I’ve checked from what I haven’t.

[Strunf]

A few moments later, the noises of step ceased. On the free space, to the top of the hill, two silhouettes were held: the first, immobile, with a leather hat on the head, looked like a Mongol; the second, with a long hair floating with the wind, was visibly a woman.

"Here is Copper Corpse and Iron Corpse therefore, thought Han Xiao Ying. Let's see how they are going to train themselves." They saw the woman slowly turn around the man, and heard her articulations crack gently. Then she accelerated her speed, and the crunches became increasingly strong, increasingly brought closer, as when one knocked on several drums at the same time.

"Her neigong is this strong! wondered Han Xiao Ying again. It’s not astonishing that Older Brother appeared as prudent! "The woman moved back and forth her two hands and, every time, the joints of her arms crackled. Her long hair was stretched practically to the horizontal by the speed, and gave her a terrifying aspect.

Han Xiao Ying felt an icy cold invade his heart and his hairs to bristle on his body. All of a sudden, the woman raised the right palm and knocked the left palm down on the man's chest.

"As it is strange, thought the six, could it be that her husband's body is capable to resist her palm strokes?" The man fell backward, but she had already turned behind him and hit his back. Thus, going back and forth at high-speed, she had hit him with eight palm strokes, each time more quickly, each time more mightily. The man didn't make a noise. After the ninth stroke, she bounds suddenly very high, coming down like an arrow, raised the man’s leather hat, and planted the five fingers of the right hand in his forehead!

Han Xiao Ying failed to utter a scream. The woman had fallen again on her feet and had exploded to laugh. The man, collapsed on the floor, didn't move. She stretched her hand spotted of blood and brains, examining it under the moon while laughing. She turned the head, and Han Xiao Ying saw that her face, although a little blackish, was rather pretty, and that she seemed to have like forty years.

The six had understood that the man was not her husband, but only a living target that she had captured for the purpose of her practice. This woman had therefore to be and Iron Corpse, Mei Chao Feng.

She stopped laughing, stretched the hands and tore the dead’s clothes. In the North, where the weather was extremely cold, one always carried thick leather coats. However, she tore these very resistant clothes as if it was the paper, without any effort. Then she plunged the hand in the poor target’s wretched chest, withdrawing the internal organs one by one, that she examined attentively under the moonlight, throwing them afterwards on the ground. From afar, the six could see that all these organs, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, was completely destroyed .They then understood the finality of this practice: she had hit the body of this man with nine palm strokes and had succeeded in breaking the internal organs without breaking the bones of the skeleton. By examining the internal organs, she could see the progression of her strength.

Very angry, Han Xiao Ying wanted to immediately attack. She pulled off her sword, and was about to attack when Zhu Cong retained her silently.

"For the moment, thought the Literate, Iron Corpse is all alone, she seems dangerous, but with the seven of us, we should be able to end with her. If we get rid of her first, it will be easier to take care of Copper Corpse after, whereas we would be absolutely unable of facing the two of them at the same time... But who knows if Cadaver of Bronze is not hidden in a corner, ready to fall over us unexpectedly? Older Brother knows well the habits of these two monsters, its better to follow his instructions and wait that he launches the first attack..."
After having inspected the internal organs, Mei Chao Feng seemed satisfied. With a smile to the lips, she sat down with her legs crossed, facing the moon, and began to practice the regulation of breath. She turned her back to Han Xiao Ying and Zhu Cong, that saw her shoulders rising and dropping as she inspired and expired.

"If I attack with the stroke "The lightning illuminates the big sky", wondered Han Xiao Ying, I am nearly certain of being able to transpierce her right through. But if I miss my stroke, it is our entire plan that will be compromised!"

She trembled of all her body, incapable of deciding what to do.

Zhu Cong didn't dare to move either, he felt an icy feeling in the back, because he was flooded in cold sweat. While raising the eyes, he noticed that the black clouds coming from the west had invaded half of the sky, like a rice paper sheet that one would have sprinkled with ink. In the middle of the dark clouds lightning strikes sparkled, increasing even more the anguishes and terror in the heart of the six Freaks. The thunder roared dully, as if it was suppressed by the thickness of the clouds.

After having practiced the breath regulation during a certain time, Mei Chao Feng rose, moved, while dragging the cadaver behind her, towards the hole where Ke Zhen'e had been dissimulated, and bent down to raise the tile of stone.

The six Freaks tightened their weapons, ready to bound on her as soon as the tile would have been open.

However, Mei Chao Feng, hearing a rustle of leaves that didn't seem her provoked by the wind, turned suddenly the head and saw a human shade appear on the top of a tree. Pushing a long scream, she bounds in that direction.

The man hidden on the tree, was Han Baoju. Taking advantage of his small size, he had perfectly dissimulated himself in the foliage but, as he got ready to jump, a little himself overdraft, which had immediately alerted Mei Chao Feng. This one leaps on him of an irresistible dash! The Han, of a stroke "The black Dragon inhales water", knocked down his whip on the wrist of Mei. This one, contrary to all expectations, did not seek to avoid the stroke, but seizes the extremity of the whip. The dwarf, very strong, pulled her nimbly toward him, that benefited from this to let herself bring nearer, and counterattacked of a lightning palm. Han Baoju felt that a stroke was to arrive and, knowing that he could not resist to it, released his weapon, made a somersault to jump down from the tree. But Iron Corpse didn't let him escape, she jumped right behind him, carrying her claws in the dwarf's back.


This one felt again like an icy breath on the nape of the neck and made an extraordinary effort to advance faster. At the same time, Nan Xiren and Quan Jinfas, hidden close to the bottom of the tree, threw their invisible projectiles on the pursuer, an awl "transpierce-bone" for the first and a dart hidden in the sleeve for the second. She swept them of a flick of left hand, whereas her right hand tore off a piece of clothing on the back of Han Baoju. The dwarf touched ground of the left foot and rebounds immediately. However Mei, agile as wind, was already held in front of him:
- Who are you? She shouted. What did you came to do here?

At the same time, she planted ten fingers in his shoulders. Han felt like a lightning pain, as if ten iron awls had suddenly encrusted in his flesh. He gave a kick toward the Iron Cadaver stomach, that avoided the stroke of the right hand while nearly breaking him the ankle. Without losing her figure for as much, the dwarf threw himself on the ground and rolled to clear himself.

As Mei was going to trample him, a heavy black rod fell on her foot: it was Nan Xiren, the Lumberman of the southern Mountain.

Abandoning Han, Mei Chao Feng quickly moved back to avoid the rod. In one instant, she found herself surrounded of enemies: a literate holding an Iron apron tried to hit the vital points on her meridians while a girl handling a sword attacked by the right.

A big paunchy strong man armed of a large knife and a small skinny fellow so with a weird instrument on her left; a vigorous peasant making some trolls with his Iron rod was held facing her; the noises of step that stopped behind her, had to come from the feet of the big dwarf with a whip. All these people were perfectly unknown to her and, yet, they seemed to be some eminent experts in martial arts.

"They are too numerous, thought Mei Chao Feng, it would be necessary to resort to the strong manner to eliminate some of them without lingering. No matter their names or their origins... Anyway, besides my beloved Shifu and my bastard of husband, I put myself to kill anyone in this low world! "She jumped, all claws stretched, on Han Xiao Ying. Seeing the power of this attack, Zhu Cong took fear: he bounds while pointing his iron apron on her vital point "Sinuous pond" situated in the hollow of her elbow. However, she that didn't seem to worry herself about it, stretched her right hand; Han Xiao Ying defended himself of a stroke "White dew on the stream", with the intention to hit her in the arm. But Iron Corpse turned her wrist, trying to catch the sword on naked hand, as if she didn't fear the blade. Han Xiao Ying was afraid on her turn and moved back. To this moment, the apron of the Literate hits with precision her "Sinuous pond" point. It was there a very important vital point of the human body, and the arm of Mei should be paralyzed immediately. Zhu Cong was delighted for having succeeded in his stroke, when he suddenly saw her arm lie down, and her dangerous nails practically on his head! He moved back at the last moment and escaped of by a hair to death!

"Doesn't she has any vital points? he wondered, surprised and afraid”. Han Baoju had collected its whip by now, and the Six, waving their weapons, surrounded Mei Chao Feng. However, this one didn't seem at all impressed: her naked hands, of which she seized their weapons, appeared as efficient as of the fangs made out of steel. The Freaks were especially worried specially after noting that their adversary's nickname was not usurped: Iron Corpse appeared to effectively have a body of iron! She had just received two strokes in the back, inflicted by the balance of Quan Jinfa, apparently without causing her any injury. They understood that she had succeeded in pushing the resistance of her body to an extreme: a part the sharpened tips of the large knife of Zhang Asheng and the sword of Han Xiao Ying, she seemed to not fear any of the other weapons, that she didn't even try to avoid, only worrying to attack.

She increased in vigor and seizes by the arm Quan Jinfa, too slow escaping. The other five hurried, but it was too late, and Mei, of a violent stroke, had pulled a piece of flesh of his sleeve.

"All those that practice this technique of the iron body, thought Zhu Cong, possess necessarily a nodal practice location, on which it is impossible to them to spread their protection using this technique. This point is particularly vulnerable, a small touch is sufficient to wound them to death... Where could this shrew's nodal location located be? " He bounds on the right, on the left, playing the fan, trying successively to touch the meridian point "Meeting of the Hundred" on the top of the head, to the point "Screen of the Spring" on the throat, then to the point "Tomb of the mind" on the hollow of the umbilicus, to the point "Hollow of the Middle" on her back... He tried about ten points, while thinking that, if she puts a particular care to defend this or that other point, it would be there her nodal location.

The significance of this back and forth movements didn't escape Mei Chao
Feng:
- Literate measly! she shouts. My technique is perfect to the point that I don't have a nodal location!

And of a stroke, she seizes Zhu wrist. This one, amazed, fortunately had the quick mind and the agile hands. Before Mei could plant her nails in his flesh, he had returned the wrist and slipped his fan in his adversary's hand, while whispering:
- Attention, there’s poison on the fan!

First feeling suddenly a hard object in her hand, Mei Chao Feng, speechless, was effectively afraid of the poison and threw the fan on the ground.

Zhu Cong benefited from this to escape and to move several steps back. He looked at his hand, whose back carried five bloody grooves and felt floods of cold sweat: the fight had already lasted a certain time, not only the Freaks had not finish her over, but three of theirs were already wounded. So if Copper Corpse arrived, they all went there to loose their life. Zhang Asheng, Han Baoju and Quan Jinfas were already quite tired and sweat. Only Nan Xirens, whose neigong was more powerful, and Han Xiao Yings, lighter, didn't seem tired, whereas their enemy became more and more valiant. He suddenly saw, to the pallid gleam of the moon, the three heaps of skulls on the left. He shivered and had the idea to hurry towards the hole where Ke Zhen'e was hidden, while shouting: - Run for your lives!

The other understood and moved back while fighting.

- Illegitimate children left of nowhere, sneered Mei Chao Feng, you wanted to trap me here, it is too late to run away now!

She rushed to their pursuit. Nan Xiren, Quan Jinfa and Han Xiao Yings did their best to entertain her, while the three others united their strengths to raise the tile of stone. It was just in time, because Mei Chao Feng had seized the iron rod of Nan Xiren and already advanced her claws in direction of his eyes.

- Come down quickly to help us, shouted Zhu Cong.

He had pointed his finger upwards, all stingy skywards, and made gestures of the other hand, as to call the help of a mate hidden on the heights. Surprised, Mei could not stop herself from raising the eyes, but she only saw the low clouds veiling half of the moon... There wasn’t anyone up there!


- To seven steps right! shuts Zhu Cong.

To these words, Ke Zhen'e had thrown six poisoned projectiles to seven steps, two to the top, two to the middle and two below, while bounding out of the hole. The other Freaks attacked all the sides at the same time. Mei Chao Feng pushed a scream of pain: two projectiles had reached her eyes! Fortunately for her, her agility allowed to move her head back immediately, so that the invisible projectiles didn't penetrate into her brain, but she was definitely blind!

Full of pain and rage, she knocked down her two palms, but Ke Zhen'e had already escaped to the side. One heard two deaf strokes, because her strokes had hit a rock. Even more furious now, she gave a kick, that knocked the tile and made it fly off. The Seven, afraid by of the strength of her attacks, remained carefully aside.

As she didn't see them anymore, she thrashed in all senses, striking, scratching, knocking. She looked like a furious tiger, or a demon, breaking everything on her way, raising clouds of dusts, breaking the branches of the trees, without hurting her enemies, who were held sufficiently far away, while keeping their breath. Shortly after, her eyes became completely insensible, she then understood that the poison had made its effect: - Who did this? she said of a terrifying voice. Say it quickly, that I die while knowing who killed me...

Zhu Cong made a gesture in direction of Ke Zhen'e to ask him to be quiet and to let Mei die in the ignorance. But he then remembered that his Older Brother was blind, how could he have seen his gestures?

- Mei Chao Feng, said Ke of an icy voice, you remember of "Dragon in full sky", Ke Bixie, and of "Bat in full sky", Ke Zhen'e?

Mei Chao Feng exploded on a thundering and terrifying laugh.

- Bastard, you are not dead yet! Do you come to revenge Dragon in full sky?

- Precisely! Yourself you didn't die yet, that suits well!

Mei sighed and stayed silent.

The Seven Freaks remained on their guard. At that moment, the moon was nearly entirely hidden by the dark clouds, one felt an insidious and discerning cold weather. Mei Chao Feng stood immobile like a statue of stone, her hands along the body, the fingers slightly open showing her sparkling nails. The violent wind that blew from behind raised her long hair. Han Xiao Ying that was in front of her saw blood sinking from her eyes.

All of a sudden, Zhu Cong and Quan Jinfas shouted at the same time: - Attention! Old Brother!

Their voices resounded again when Ke Zhen'e felt like a hit was to arrive on his chest. He bounds in air by giving a big stroke on the floor with his cane, and landed on the top of a tree that was behind him. Iron Corpse, that didn't find anybody . Iron Corpse, that didn't find anyone in front of her, planted her ten fingers in the trunk of the tree. The six Freaks became pale of terror: if Ke Zhen'e had lingered of only one second, the nails would be planted in his body, how would he have be able in to escape alive?

Having missed her stroke, Mei Chao Feng pushed sudden a long and weird howling, on a very sharp tonality, but with a powerful breath that carried very far.

"Misfortune, thought Zhu Cong then, she calls her husband Copper Corpse for help." - Quickly, he shouts, it is necessary to finish her!

He mobilized all his energy in the arm and heavily hit the back of Mei Chao Feng, whereas Zhang Asheng raised a big stone that he knocked down on her head.

Iron Corpse, that had just lost the view, didn't know yet how to position herself by the hearing, like Ke Zhen'e. The big stone, while falling, made a noise that she could hear and she quickly avoided it. But she could not avoid the stroke of Zhu Cong. Even though she had turned her body extremely resistant, the Literate not only had quick hands but also heavy ones, and she felt a lightning pain in the back.

Zhu Cong wanted took advantage of his position and continued to hit, but Mei Chao Feng counterattacked with a stroke of claws, and he moved back.

The others Freaks got ready to bound in to, when they heard a long howling coming from far away, on the same tonality that Mei used a while ago, that gave them the creeps. Shortly after, a second howling sound was heard but this time a lot nearer.

"As this personage moves quickly", thought the Seven, alarmed.

- Attention, there is Copper Corpse! shouts Ke Zhen'e.

Han Xiao Ying runed away and looked downwards the hill, she saw a shade that approached at a quick pace screaming while running.

Mei Chao Feng had adopted a defense stance, not attacking anymore. She concentrated her internal energy to contain the progression of the poison, while waiting for her husband's arrival to wipe out the enemies.

Zhu Cong made a sign to Quan Jinfa, the two men hided themselves in the brushwood. Iron Corpse was already dangerous by herself. From the pace of Copper Corpse, Zhu Cong suspected that he could be even stronger than his wife. Obviously, it was impossible to defeat the two while facing both of them at the same time. On the other hand, a chance subsisted if one took them by ruse.

All of a sudden, Han Xiao Ying uttered a scream of surprise: she saw, in front of the shade that ran at full speed, another smaller silhouette, that had also undertaken the climb of the hill. Only, like this silhouette went more slowly, and that it was all small, no one had seen it before. She watched more attentively and saw that it was a child, Guo Jing certainly. Surprised and delighted, she hastened herself to his meeting.

She was not very distant of him, and the downward slope was easier to descend, but Copper Corpse, remarkable expert in lightness gong fu, was gaining terrain. Han Xiao Ying hesitated: "I am not of size to face Copper Corpse... But the child is going to fall between his hands, how could I not carry myself to his help? " She then accelerated and shouted: - Quickly, child, run more quickly!

While seeing it, Guo Jing uttered a scream of joy, unconscious of the imminent danger that threatened him.

During all these years, Zhang Asheng had been secretly in love for Han Xiao Ying, but never dared to express his feelings towards her. Seeing that she ran a terrifying danger, he feared for her safety so he sprang to catch her up and protect her.

In top of the hill, the others Freaks didn't attack anymore and observed what went by at the middle of the hill, keeping their invisible projectiles concealed in their hand, ready to intervene.

In the blink of an eye, Han Xiao Ying had arrived to the height of Guo Jing, she took his small hand and turned the heels to run away with him. But hardly had they browsed some heights, that she felt the hand of Guo Jing slip: the child uttered a big scream, Chen Xuanfeng had just clutched it in the back!

Han Xiao Ying turned around with agility and, of a sword stroke "The Phoenix nods the head", feinted towards the enemy's left armpit, then, moving herself to the side, raised the tip of the sword of a quick and precise gesture, aimed the adversary's eyes. It was there the very essence of the sophisticated technique of "The sword of the Girl Yue."

Chen Xuanfeng took the child under his left arm, defended the stroke with his right while repulsing the blade to the right, and carried the palm’s stroke the "To push the skiff while following the current." The young woman turned her weapon and moved away, but the arm of Chen Xuanfeng seemed sudden to lie down of half a foot: Han Xiao Ying, that had the impression to be outside of his range, was reached therefore to the shoulder and fell on the ground.

This exchange took place in the blink of an eye. Copper Corpse, pitiless, carried a stroke of claws directly on the summit of the Han Xiao Ying’s head. This white bone’s Claw of the Nine Darkness was a dangerous and cruel technique, which destroyed the flesh and broke the bones. The stroke would not fail to break the skull of the young woman. Zhang Asheng, that was some steps away, understood the danger and, without thinking about his own safety, intervened by throwing himself to on her, protecting her with his body. The claw fell, and the five fingers of Copper Corpse penetrated in the “laughing” Buddha back.

This one pushed a terrifying howling and tried to reach the enemy's chest with his large knife. But Chen Xuanfeng defended it, making the weapon to fall, and returned a palm against Zhang, that was projected on the ground.

The others Freaks shouted frightened and hurried to their rescue.

- My shrew, shouts Chen Xuanfeng, what happened here?

- They destroyed my eyes! replies Mei Chao Feng in anger, holding herself against a tree. If you let escape one of them, my bastard, you will deal with me!

- No worry, my shrew, shouted Chen Xuanfeng, not even one will escape alive. You... Are you have hurt? Don't move...

Copper Corpse knocked down its hand again on the head of Han Xiao Ying. This one, with "A lazy Dunce makes a somersault", escaped while rolling.

- Do you believe to be able to escape me? mocked Chen while raising his left hand.

Zhang Asheng, severely wounded, saw confusedly that his beloved was in danger of death. Mobilizing his last strengths, he gave a kick toward the enemy's hand. This one planted its fingers in the leg of Zhang that, goaded by the pain, straightened himself and passed his arms around his aggressor's size. Chen caught it by the neck, wanting to throw it far away, but the laughing Buddha, fearing that he would hurt Han Xiao Ying, stubbornly refused to release him. Copper Corpse carried him a deathblow to the head that stunned it. The butcher fainted, and his arms slackened.

The intervention of Zhang had given the time to the young woman to bound on her feet to take the fight. She didn't dare to approach him much, and contented to turn around the enemy thanks to her lightness technique.

- Fifth brother, she shouts, how do you feel?

She had made two times the tour, when her mates joined in. Zhu Cong and Quan Jinfas immediately threw their invisible projectiles.

Copper Corpse was surprised to see as many enemies of this strength. "We are in the middle of a desert, he thought, from where came these hard to cook that I don't know?" - My shrew, he shouts, these strong men who are them?

- It’s the members of Bat in full sky group, the brother of Dragon in full sky.

- Good, that bastard didn't die, he came to look for his punishment here.

Fearing for his wife's injury, he shouted: - And you, my shrew, are you seriously wounded? Tell me at least that it doesn’t threaten nevertheless your ***** life?

- Rush yourself to slaughter them, shouted Mei Chao Feng furious. Me, I am not even dead yet...

Seeing that his wife remained supported to the tree, without coming to lend him assistance, Chen had understood well that, in spite of her stubbornness, she was seriously wounded. Worried, he only hoped to liquidate the enemies as soon as possible, in order to go take car of her. At this moment, five Freaks were surrounding him, only Ke Zhen'e remained aside, ready to intervene at any time.

Chen Xuanfeng threw Guo Jing on the ground and gave a punch in direction of Quan Jinfa. This one, worried for the child, bent to avoid the stroke and benefited from this to catch up Guo Jing then, and of a somersault, got out of the enemy’s range. This movement, named "The mischievous Cat catches the mouse", who permitted to avoid and save at the same time, had been executed with agility and precision. Even Chen Xuanfeng was in awe for his author.

Copper Corpse was cruel by nature: the more the adversaries were strong, the more he wanted to make them die in atrocious sufferings, especially since they had wounded his beloved wife. The Two Mischievous of the Black Wind trained for a long time the two dangerous techniques: the white bone’s Claw of the Nine Darkness and the "Heart-breaker" palm, that he now mastered to eight or nine tenths of their power. Pushing a terrifying howling, he attacked his enemies without worrying for his own safety, attacking every time with deadly strokes.

The five, that were conscious that their lives were played at this precise moment as well, didn't take his attacks lightly and mobilized all their strengths to defend themselves. But they could not approach the enemy to much as this one appeared so dangerous.

Han Baoju decided to attack, using the technique "Whip at the even soil", rolling on the floor, throwing strokes from all sides towards the Copper Corpse’s legs. This one, troubled by this unexpected attack, received a stroke of Nan Xiren’s stick in the back, that made him utter screams of pain. He turned around and stretched his claws towards the Lumberman.

This one didn’t have the time to bring back his stick for defense that he sensed the claws coming after him, and felt backwards to escape. However, he heard a bang coming from the joints of Copper Corpse, whose arm stretched out suddenly of several inches, so that his hand was against the Lumberman's forehead. In a fight between experts, the murderous strokes were often avoided by one or two inches. Nan Xiren had saw that the tension of his adversary's arm had arrived to its extreme, and yet, it had stretched farther again! How could the Lumberman escape this stroke? He soon felt the nails tip of Chen on his forehead...

In panic, he raised his left arm and seizes the enemy's wrist with the technique of the qinna*, trying to block it. At that moment, Zhu Cong had bounded on the back of Copper Corpse and had stuck his forearm on the adversary's throat in order to strangle him. By doing that, he fully exposed his own chest, but to save the life of his soared brother, he didn't worry himself for breaking the elementary rules of precaution in a fight.

*qinna: ”catch and control”, technique of seizure of the muscles, keys and dislocations (to dislocate the articulations), in a body to body fight.

At this moment, where the life of the fighters was hold by a fin line, a thunder sounds was heard and the clouds covered the moon completely. It was a total obscurity, one couldn’t even see the fingers of his own hands anymore and rain started to fell heavily.

One heard the sound of two crunches and a plunk: Chen Xuanfeng had just broken the left arm of Nan Xiren and, at the same time, had given a stroke of hit elbow in Zhu Cong’s chest. This one felt like such a horrible pain that he was forced to loosen the pressure on the enemy's neck and fell backwards. Copper Corpse had felt like suffocating and was holding himself on the side, out of breath.

-All, move back, shouted Han Baoju in the obscurity. Seventh sister, how do you feel?

- Silence! replies Han Xiao Ying while moving of several steps.

Astonished by the movement’s noises of his mates, Ke Zhen'e
asked: - Second brother, what happened?

- The obscurity is total at the moment, answered Quan Jinfa, one doesn't see anything here!

It is the Sky that comes to help us, thought Ke Zhen'e, delighted.

The Seven Freaks, of which three were severely wounded, were thinking that they had lost the part, but the dark clouds had covered the sky and it was raining a lot. Each of them kept its breathing, no one dared to move. The extremely fine hearing of Ke Zhen'e allowed him to recognize that the breathless man that was standing seven or eight steps away of him, on the left, was not one of his brothers. He immediately threw six poisoned water nuts in that direction.

Chen Xuanfeng discerned the arrival of the invisible projectiles and jumped in air. He was indeed very strong, because he succeeded in avoiding, in extremis, the six water nuts and put, at the same time, distinguish their source. Without making a noise, he suddenly bounds, all claws outside, towards Ke Zhen'e. This one heard him, briskly escaped to the side, and attacked of a stroke with his stick. For him, there was no difference between the day and the night. As Chen Xuanfeng couldn’t see anything, his power was greatly decreased. Thus, the two men where on equal strength. After about ten exchanges, Copper Corpse had the impression that his enemy was attacking from all parts, without knowing for sure that if his own strokes were carried in the good direction and felt like living a nightmare.

While slowly probing, Han Baoju, Han Xiao Ying and Quan Jinfas were going to help their injured brothers. The fate of Ke Zhen'e evidently preoccupied them, but they weren’t able to help him at all in this dark night. In the middle of rain’s noise, one heard the hisses provoked by the hands of Chen Xuanfeng and the cane of Ke Zhen'e. The two fighters had hardly exchanged about thirty strokes, but, for the others Freaks, it seemed to last for an eternity. Suddenly, one heard two deaf strokes, and Copper Corpse started screaming in pain: he had been touched by the cane. The Freaks were delighted, when a lightning striped in the sky, illuminating the whole summit of the hill.

- Attention, Older Brother! shouts Quan Jinfa.

But Chen Xuanfeng had benefited from this clarity instant to mark
himself: he advanced while concentrating his energy on the left shoulder and supported without flinching the cane’s strokes, that he seized then with his left hand, whereas his right hand was already grabbing to the blind's chest. This one, surprised, released its cane and bounded backwards. Copper Corpse evidently wasn’t going to let pass such a great opportunity: the claw that had already torn the adversary's garment turned suddenly into a fist. Without a single movement of his body, the arm of Chen stretched and carried a strong stroke, loaded of internal energy, in the blind's chest, that was projected violently backward. At the same time, he threw the blind’s cane like a javelin. All these gestures were executed in a clever continuity, Copper Corpse was very proud of it, and pushed a long howling of joy, that accompanied by the thunder growls.

On lightning’s sparks that illuminated the stage briefly again, Han Baoju saw the cane fly off toward his older Brother, unconscious of the danger. He slapped immediately his whip of the golden Dragon to roll itself around the projectile and made it fall.

- Now, exclaimed Chen while running toward him, I’m going to take your life of dog!

But, taken away by his impetus, he stumbled on something like a body, he bent and grabbed it: it was effectively a small boy, Guo Jing.

- Release me, shouted the child.

At this moment, a new lightning illuminated the stage: Guo Jing saw the man's face that held him in air, a sallow face giving a menacing look. He was so frightened that, instinctively, he drew his dagger and plunged it in the enemy's body, right in the middle of the navel, till he could no more.

Chen Xuanfeng pushed a terrifying howling and let himself fell backward. In the technique that he used to turn his body invincible to the strokes, the vulnerable nodal location was precisely situated in the navel. The dagger of Guo Jing was of an extremely sharp blade, but even a simple knife, if it touched this place, would have been fatal to him. It was the reason for which, during a fight, he took all precautions to protect this part of his body. When he had seized the child, he didn't feel that he was a danger for him, having already caught him on the flank of the hill, a little while ago, he knew that the youngster didn't know anything in martial arts for sure. However, as says the proverb, "It is the good swimmer who drowns, and it is in flat land that the cart reverses itself": who would predict that this dangerous expert was going to lose his life by the hand of a small weak and ignorant boy!

After having killed Copper Corpse, Guo Jing stayed on his foot, petrified, standing without knowing what to do. He seemed to want to cry, but didn't dare to let himself go.

While hearing her husband's long scream, Mei Chao Feng hurried, stumbled, fell and crawled to reach him.

- My bastard, did she shouts, what happened to you?

- It is done, my shrew, he mumbled, rush to run away you...

- I am going to revenge you, she creaked.

- The Sûtra, he says of a mumbling voice, I have it... I burned it... the essential, I have it on my chest...

And he returned his soul.

With her heart broken, Iron Corpse slipped her hand toward her husband's chest, in search of the essential of the Nine Darkness’s Real Sûtra.

Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chao Fengs were both disciples of the Master of the peach blossom island, Huang the alchemist. This one had created a particular style of martial arts, of which the power and the complexity didn't have anything to envy to the well-known authorities that were the absolute Perfection Sect and the Duan royal family, that reigned in the South. Chen and Mei had fallen in love for each other even before finishing their formation. They knew that if their Shifu discovered their love, not only they would not have their life safe, but they would die in atrocious sufferings. The more they thought of it, the more the terror won them. They ended up deciding to run away. By one obscure night, they filthily embarked in a small boat that led them to another small island on the East, running away then to Ningbo, in the province of the Zhejiang.

Before leaving, Chen Xuanfeng thought that the little they had learned would be sufficient to defend themselves in the Streams and the Lakes, but wouldn’t be able enough to assure them a true renown. Thus, he grabbed his courage on his hands, and penetrated in the secret room of his Shifu, where he stole half of the "Nine Darkness’s Real Sûtra", that his master cherished as a pupil on his eyes. Huang the alchemist evidently entered in a fury, but as he had made the vow to not leave the island as long as a promise he made would not have been achieved, he could not rush to the pursuit of the runaways. However, his anger was such that it punished his other disciples: he cut to all of them their legs tendons and chassed them of the island, staying all by himself, reclusive, to ruminate his wrath.

The two lovers were the reason of the misfortune of their schoolmates. But they were able to, thanks to the Sûtra, to acquire an exceptional art of fight. This Nine Darkness’s Real Sûtra was in fact the compilation of the orthodox martial arts of the taoism. But, Chen had only succeeded in stealing the second half of the document, whereas the formulas of neigong’s practice, of mastery of the internal energy, were in the first half. The martial arts of the peach blossom island followed a particular way, that didn't look in anything like the practice developed by the taoism. Cruel by nature, the two renegades tried to understand the indications of the Sûtra while interpreting them in their own way, choosing to practice the more corrupted and most pitiless techniques .

One day, they were training, in the mountain, the white bone’s Claw of the Nine Darkness, stacking skulls nine by nine, when the brothers Ke fell on them by luck. Seeing that the two spouses killed some innocents, the brothers wanted to intervene. But Dragon in full sky, Ke Bixie, died immediately under a palm stroke of Chen Xuanfeng. Fortunately, the white bone’s Claw of the Nine Darkness was not yet, at its point, therefore Ke Zhen'e managed to escape, but he couldn’t save his eyes.

When Chen and Mei felt ready, they voyaged through the Streams and the Lakes, without ever meeting any adversaries of their strength. The ordinary masters of the plain evidently were not of their size, but even some famous experts fell under their strokes. It was cause of their pitiless that they received the nickname of "Two Mischievous of the Black Wind." Seeing that their Shifu didn't leave the island, they became even more arrogant and harmful, until several valorous fighters had decided to form a group against them, and had made them fall in an ambush. During the fight, the couple escaped severely wounded, and disappeared of the circulation. During numerous years, no one hear speak anymore of them, believing that they had died. However, they were only hidden in the desert, training to perfect their arts of the death.

These two techniques, the White bone’s Claw of the Nine Darkness and the heart-breaker Palm, were effectively registered in the Nine Darkness’s Real Sûtra. Chen Xuanfeng, that adored his wife, never wanted to show her the original text of the Sûtra. He studied it alone and, only in a second time, transmitted her what he had understood by himself. She could implore him or threaten him, but he never to this rule.

"He told her, this Sûtra has two parts, I didn't succeed in stealing the second one. However, all fundamental techniques, to assure the bases, are in the first part. If I let you read the text, you will be too gluttonous and you will try to assimilate everything in a row, this will lead you in an erroneous path that will lead you to your loss. At best, you will be severely wounded, at worse, you risk to let your life in the path. There are a lot of techniques in the Sûtra, but we can only practice those that are compatible with our basic formation.

This reasoning convinced Mei Chao Feng, conscious of the real love that her husband carried for her. Even though, in the daily life, they bad mouth each other "bastard" and "shrew" all the time, they were bound by a deep love. Then she didn't insist.

Seeing her agonizing husband, she then thought about to asking him the question of the Sûtra, but he had expired before having answered completely. She searched it in his chest without finding anything. Speechless, she wanted to look for it again, but Han Baoju, Han Xiao Ying and Quan Jinfa, taking advantage of first gleams of the dawn, had rushed to the attack.

Mei Chao Feng had not only lost her view, but she felt her head turning, probably because of the poison that made its effect. To train the White bone’s Claw of the Nine Darkness, the two spouses, since about ten years ago, absorbed the arsenics acid regularly in small quantities, which they neutralized the toxic effect with their internal energy. It was the only way that Chen Xuanfeng had found to increase, while using a stupid method, their internal and external power. With the time, Mei had been immunized to poison, otherwise the poisoned water nuts of Ke Zhen'e would have kill her long ago.

She defended herself so bitingly that the Freaks, didn't even managed to reach her, and were put repeatedly in danger. Han Baoju was starting to get furious: "If we don't manage, thought himself, to take over her on a three against one, even worst she’s a wounded woman and blind, what a shame for the Seven Freaks of the Jiangnan!" He then attacked more furiously with his whip, especially trying to hit her in the back. Han Xiao Ying and Quan Jinfa, seeing that the enemy staggered, also increased in vigor. As they seemed to be able to carry away with her, a storm rose, and the dark clouds covered the sky again. Suddenly, they couldn’t see anything anymore, the mixed violent gusts of wind and rain swept all on their way. The three Freaks flattened to the soil to protect themselves. A long time after, the storm calmed and the moon pierced behind the clouds. Han Baoju bounds on its feet and uttered a scream of spite: Mei Chao Feng had disappeared, as well as the cadaver of Chen Xuanfeng. He only see on the ground his friends with extended injures. The small head of Guo Jing appeared slowly behind the rocks. All were soaked to the bone.

The three survivors raised up to take care of the injured: Nan Xiren had the broken arm, but no internal injury, fortunately. Ke Zhen'e and Zhu Cong, whose neigong was powerful, were not too affected either, even though they had been hit by the strokes of Copper Corpse. Only Zhang Asheng, hit at two times, by the White bone’s Claw of the Nine Darkness, had received a deadly stroke on the head. He had taken conscience but his life was on the line.

Seeing him close to die, the Six collapsed of sadness, especially Han Xiao Ying, that knew very well that the Fifth brother was in love with her for a long time. But she was a kind of tomboy, liking the martial arts above all, and little to do with the heart matters. Zhang Asheng, for his part, laughed the whole time with a simple air, they had never admitted their real feelings. While wondering that he had thrown himself under the enemy's claws to protect her, she hugged Zhang while sobbing.

On the always funny face of the Butcher floated a light smile again. Of his big hand like a beater, he softly caressed the hair of Xiao Ying:
- Don’t cry, he said to her trying to comfort her. Don't cry, I am well.

- Fifth brother, she says while hiccupping, do you want to marry me?

Zhang gave a dumb laugh, causing his injuries to make him suffer awfully, and he began to lose conscience.

- Fifth brother, she pursued, reassure you, consider that I am already your wife... I won't ever get married again and, after my death, we will remain together for the eternity.

- Seventh sister, mumbled Zhang, I have never taken good care of you... Me... I am not worthy of you...

- You took good care of me, she sobbed. Very, very well. I always knew it...

With his eyes full of tears, Zhu Cong asked Guo Jing: - If you came here, is it to learn the martial arts with us?

- Yes, answered the child.

- Then you must obey us henceforth.

Guo Jing nodded the head.

- Us, the seven brothers and sister sums up all your Shifus, pursued Zhu Cong while wiping his tears. Now, your fifth Shifu is going to go up to the sky, prostrate and return him homage.

Guo Jing didn't know what meant precisely "to go up to the sky", but he immediately obeys, prostrating and hitting the soil with his forehead.

Zhang Asheng, white like a linen, forced itself to smile: - It is sufficient like that... Brave boy, I wont be able to transmit you my knowledge... Ah, but anyway, even if you had learned what I know, that would not serve you to anything. I am a natural obtuse, and rather lazy to the practice... I took support on the little strength that I had... If back then I had worked more, maybe I would not have this sad end today...

He almost fainted and became even more pale.

- Neither you, he says while panting, you are not naturally very gifted, it’s absolutely necessary for you to make some efforts. When you will be tempted to be lazy, think about your Fifth Shifu and the state in which you see him...

He wanted to continue, but didn't have anymore strength.

Han Xiao Ying approached her ear of the Zhang’s mouth, and heard him hardly:
- Form the child well... To not have the underside facing the pretentious taoist...

- Be assured, says Han Xiao Ying, the Seven Freaks of the Jiangnan never lose!

Zhang Asheng gave a small fool laugh, closed the eyes and returned the soul.

The Six Freaks exploded in sobs. Since they had become soared brothers, very strong ties united them. During the last years, searching for Li Ping and of her son, they had lived day and night together. And has that moment one of them had just tragically died in this foreign land. How could they not be flooded of pain? After having cried all the tears of their body, they dug a tomb and buried Zhang Asheng. When they had finished to erect a big rock to mark the place of the tomb, the day had already rise.

Quan Jinfa and Han Baojus left in search of susceptible indications that could lead them to Mei Chao Feng. After the storm, the sand didn't carry any trace, and it was impossible to know where she had gone. They pulled their investigating to several li to the round, but came back with nothing.

- In this desert, said Zhu Cong, I imagine that this blin... this woman can’t go very far away. The poisoned water nuts should have made their effect by now and she will probably died somewhere. Lets bring back home the child first and take better care of our injured. After that, Third and Sixth brother, Seventh sister, and you will continue the research.

All acquiesced and poured some tears while saying farewell to the tomb of their deceased brother.

[GiftOfForesight]

Originally posted by Strunf
heh heh I had quite a hard time translating and end up by giving up on doing it on my own, my English skills aren’t really that great and it wasn’t really the same writing style... so I picked up a translator and did the same thing you did but even soo its hard to do the things properly and clean.

For the Elle, Il (and others), its not always a She or a Him in English, in the Latin based languages (French, Portuguese and so on) we give genders to things for instance a chair to us is a "female", hence why your translator often replaces the "Elle" with "it" and not "She".

I think its better to use the translator and clean it after, it stays closer to the writer style.

I’ll post what I've come up with its not all done but since I can edit it, I can always keep updating it later and if someone sees something not quite close to how you say it please point it out and I'll change it.

PS: I’ll fill a line with “---“to separate what I’ve checked from what I haven’t.

Yeah even using an auto-translator is a pain.

I know objects are given gender, but isn't that le, la les (at least in French)? Where's the il, elle coming into this?

Edit - Oh nevermind, I see what you mean. My French teachers would be disappointed in me .

Thanks for the translation.

[nisachar]

Gee! Thanks!

[baby mary]

i have a question i brought the whole set of the LOCH part 1-3 and i want to know is that the ending is that wong yee and ko ching riding on the horses planning to go back to wong yee's home...is that the real ending? because i was hoping for more to it

[Strunf]

baby mary>I dont know, the french translation is a two books version, only the first one is out and the second will come out by november.

[Eagle]

Strunf,

Thank you for taking your time to do the translation. I really love this novel and watched many movies and series about it - but until now not sure which is closer to the novel. Hope you'll continue with this translation.

[Strunf]

There finished it... that part I mean

If there's some wierd things in the post, let me know (you can mail me) and I'll change it.

Eagle> heh heh you dont need to come here making us envy you :P

I've watched a few ep of the Tv series (2003 version),it kicks butt and its very close to the book. But there's only 4ep out fan translated.

[Eagle]

Not really, the more I watch the more confused I became!

I had a colleague and he mentioned that the version 'most' loyal to the romance itself was from a TV series, with Mei Suet and Bai Biao as Wong Rong and Guo Jing, back in the 70's.

[eliza bennet]

Thank you for the translation Please keep it up!

[Strunf]

This is continuaition of the 5th chap. that was already posted in French.


Since then, the Six Freaks of the Jiangnan were even more severe in their teaching. However, in studies or martial arts, like in music and in the checkers, when someone looks for a fast success, he risks to get precisely the opposite effect and to stagnate. The Six hopped for so much from their disciple that they exercised a big pressure on him. To make things eve harder, Guo Jing didn't have a quick and intelligent mind, on the contrary, he was even slower than most young of his age. The more the wanted from him, the more he panicked and lose his means. Since the nocturnal visit of Yi Zhiping, he didn’t made much of a progress for three months, he even seemed to have regressed! It was precisely what the popular believe says: "The one that hurries too much doesn't arrive safely", and "The one that swallows too much digests badly."

In fact, the Six Freaks were all remarkable masters in their respective arts, acquired at the cost of constant efforts on a long period. Wasn’t it a illusion to wish that Guo Jing acquires such a mastery of all those arts in just some years? Even an extremely gifted person would have a lot of troubles to accomplish such a prodigy, then how could someone hope the same thing from a young not very gifted? The Six had conscience of the problem, considering the character of Guo Jing, he could have practiced the techniques of Han Baoju or Nan Xiren at most and, after twenty or thirty years of fierce efforts, maybe he could have half of their respective strength. If Zhang Asheng had not died prematurely, his teaching would have been the most adapted to Guo Jing. But the Six wanted to beat Qiu Chuji so much that, even knowing that it would be better to teach only one art rather than to touch to all, they could not resolve to remain crossed arms, without teaching everything they knew to this dumb disciple. During the last sixteen years, Zhu Cong had not stopped thinking about the fights in the pavilion of the drunk Immortals and in the Temple of the beaming law. He reviewed with precision every movement and every stroke of Qiu Chuji. But he had good turn and return them in his mind, he didn't succeed in finding any flaw. Sometimes, he even thought that only Copper corpse and Iron corpse could be able to beat the Taoist.

That morning, Han Xiaoying taught to Guo Jing two movements of the sword of the Yue girl. To execute the first, "The Branch hits the white gorilla", it was necessary to bound, make two turns with the sword before straightening it up to attack. Guo Jing had worked a lot the stability of the lower members, but missed of agility in the jumps. He could hardly make a half a turn in air that he was already falling heavily. After seven or eight attempts, he didn't succeed in making it better. Han Xiaoying began to get angry and forced herself to keep calm. She continued her explanations, indicating him how to land on tiptoe, how to take his impulse, etc. But when he jumped sufficiently high, he forgets of doing the rolls, or the other way around.

Han Xiaoying thought that, the Seven had passed more than ten years in the rigors of the Mongolian desert, that the Fifth brother had lost his life here, and after all that the result was so disappointing! She felt a pain in her heart and exploded in sobs. Throwing her sword on the ground, and she left, the hands covering her face.

Guo Jing ran behind her, but didn't succeed to catch her up. He stayed there, stupidly immobile, with his heart broken. He knew that he owed everything to his Shifus, and only hoped to succeed in the martial arts, in order to prove them of his recognition. But he had good make all the efforts he could, he didn't managed to succeed and he didn't knew what to do anymore.

[Tazzy1972]

Is that the end of Chapter 5??

Eagerly waiting for more updates.

[eliza bennet]

Eagerly waiting for more updates too!

[Strunf]

No its not all the end of chap 5, the rest that was already posted in French its like 21 pages long and till now I've translated up to page 6/21.
I'll keep translating it, but again if you see something suspicious be my guest and point it out

-----------------------------
He was lost in his thoughts, when he suddenly heard the voice of Huazheng call him :

- Guo Jing, come quickly! Come quickly!

He turned around and saw her in a horse, with a anxious and excited face at same time.

- What happened? asks Guo Jing.

- Come to see, quickly, answered Huazheng. There’s a fight with two big eagles.

- I’m training now.

- Did you train soo badly and your Shifu scold you, am I wrong?

Guo Jing nodded with the head miserably.

- It is indeed a terrifying fight, come let’s see it...

Guo Jing was very tempted, but he remembered the disappointment he was for his Seventh Shifu, and shook the head sadly :

- I won't go.

- I came especially to warn you, said Huazheng excited . If you don't come, don't expect to find me later!

- Go then alone quickly. You will tell me after how it went, it will be almost the same thing...

Huazheng jumped down from the horse, making a stubborn face:

- If you don't go there, I won't go either. I wonder if its the black eagles who are going to win, or the white ones...

- Is it the couple of big white eagles, that live on cliff?

- Yes! But even the black eagles outnumber them the white ones are still very dangerous: they already killed three or four blacks with their beak...

On the top of the cliff, nestled a couple of white eagles of an exceptional size. The white feather was already rare among the eagles, and these eagles were not only completely white but also of a exceptional size. The Ancients used to say that never saw any equals to them, and considered those eagles as divine birds. Some women even vowed them a cult.

While hearing her, Guo Jing didn't hold it anymore. He took the hand of Huazheng, and the two bounded on the back of the horse and rushed to the cliff. When they got there, they saw the white eagles against seventeen or eighteen black ones, attacking them with their beaks and their fangs, making feathers fly in the air. The white eagles were bigger and stronger. A single stroke of their powerful beak on the head was enough to kill an enemy, who fell then on the ground. The others ran away, but came back soon after to surrounding the couple.

The spectacle had attracted many spectators, more than six hundred men and women, from many tribes, were reunited and commenting the fight. Even Temüjin, accompanied of Ögödei and Tolui, had come and watched the fight with interest.

Guo Jing, Tolui and Huazhengs often played at the bottom of the cliff, and saw the white eagles nearly every day fly around their nest, or to leave it when going to hunt. Sometimes, the children threw them some cuts of sheep meat, the eagles then dove and snatched while in the air with precision. By doing this they created somme affection ties between the, and the eagles. As, the white eagles were lower in number, the children encouraged them with more vigor :

- Go, white eagles! Attack! Attention, enemy on the left! Quickly! Well!

Two black eagles fell again, but the white eagles were also wounded, and their white feathers were covered with blood. Suddenly, a particularly big black eagle uttered several screams and ran away, followed by about ten of its mates. They disappeared in the clouds. Four other black eagles remained fighting. Seeing the victory of the white eagles, the spectators uttered screams of joy. Shortly after, three other black eagles ran also away to the east, pursued by one the white eagles. Soon, they were out of view. Only a black eagle tried to escape the remaining white eagle, and was going to succumb, when one heard strident noises coming from clouds, and about ten of the black eagles that had previously ran away appeared out of the clouds and attacked the white eagle.

- Excellent strategy! exclaimed Temüjin, admiring.

The isolated white eagle was not able to, spite of its bravery, resist the constant assault of its adversaries and fell on the cliff, overwhelmed by black eagles. The children were very worried, and Huazheng exploded in sobs :

- Quickly, dad! she says crying. Kill the black eagles!

But Temüjin was thinking about the ruse implemented by the winners.

- The black eagles won, he says to Ögödei and Tolui, thanks to a very clever strategy. Don’t forget it!

His two sons acquiesced.

After having finished the white eagle, the black eagles hurried towards a cavity, in the cliff: one could see the head of two white eaglets, that would probably succumb to the strokes of their aggressors.

- Guo Jing, watch! cries Huazheng. The eagles had some eaglets! How come we never notice them? Ah, dad! shot quickly to kill these black eagles!

Temüjin smiles, aimed his bow and pulled an arrow of iron that, like the lightning, crossed the body of a black eagle from part to part. The crowd applauded. The Khan then gave his bow to Ögödei :

- It’s your turn!

Ögödei pulled, and also knocked his target down, as well as Tolui. The black eagles started to panic.

Other officers and soldiers also started to help the white eaglets, but the fowls had taken the height, and it became very difficult to reach them.

- A reward for those that will make a hit! shouts Temüjin.

Jebe, skilled archer, wanted that Guo Jing, his pupil, had its hour of glory, and stretched him his own bow of war :

- Knee on the ground, recommended him in a low voice, aim the neck.

Guo Jing complied, putting his right knee on the ground. His left hand firmly held the powerful bow, that he bandaged with the right hand. After ten years of training with the Six Freaks of the Jiangnan, even if he had not assimilated the sophisticated martial arts, one of the less he had acquired the strength of the arms and a outstanding precision when aiming. Seeing two eagles flying in concert on the left, he turned, aimed the neck and released his projectile.

It was precisely, as the popular expression described it: "The bow bandaged as the full moon, the arrow spinning like a meteorite". The first eagle didn't have the time to escape that the arrow had already pierced its neck, before continuing its way as far as planting itself in the flank of the second fowl! Only one arrow for two eagles, who fell like stones! The crowd noisily applauds, the other eagles didn't waited anymore and rushed to disperse themselves.

- Offer the two eagles to my father, whispered Huazheng in the ear of Guo Jing.

This one obeys: he collected the two eagles, ran to Temüjin and, kneeling, he offered the two eagles to him respectfully.

Temüjin appreciated, above all, the valorous fighters. He was delighted to see Guo Jing suddenly bringing two eagles down, specially since these eagles from the North were dangerous birds: the span of their wings passed the meter, their feather was as hard as iron, and they were so strong that they could seize and carry away in the airs ponies or big sheep! Even tigers and leopards were afraid of them! And to kill two eagles with a single arrow constituted therefore a remarkable exploit.

- Brave boy, says Temüjin while accepting the offering. You manage the bow quite well!

- It is master Jebe that taught it to me.

- The master is Jebe, says Temüjin while laughing, the disciple is also jebe.

In Mongol, jebe means "skilled archer."

- Dad, said Tolui that wanted to help his brother by pact, you promised a reward to the one that would bring an eagle down. My anda killed two of them of a stroke. What reward you will grant him?

- What he wants, answered Temüjin while smiling. Guo Jing, what do you want?

- Is it true? insists Tolui, delighted. All what he wants?

- Do I have the habit to lie… even to children?

During all these years, Guo Jing had lived under the Khan's protection. Everyone, in the tribe, liked him for his simplicity and his kindness, and no one rejected him even if he was Chinese. Seeing the Khan in a good mood, all had turned towards the young man, hoping that he would get a good reward.

- The Khan was so good for me, said Guo Jing, my mother has everything that she needs, you don’t need to have the trouble of giving me a reward...

- That a good example of filial piety, says Temüjin. You always think about your mother first... But for yourself, what you wish? Speak without fear.

Guo Jing thinks a instant, and then knelt before Temüjin:

- I don't want anything for me, but I have a wish to address to the Khan for someone else.

- What is it? asks Temüjin.

- Dushi, the son of Senggüm, is bad and mean. So if Huazheng marries him, she will be very unhappy for sure. I implore the Khan to not give her in marriage to this ignoble men.

Temüjin was disconcerted at first but exploded in laugh after.

- These are indeed wishes of a child! How could this be possible? Alright, I am going to give you a very precious object.

He detached from his belt a dagger that he handed to Guo Jing. All officers showed their admiration and their desire noisily: it was the preferred weapon of Temüjin, with which he had killed innumerable enemies. If he had not made a solemn promise a while ago, he would never detached himself from it.

Guo Jing thanked and took the dagger. He had often seen it on the Khan's belt, but it was the first time that he examined it closely: the girdle was of pure gold, and the extremity of the handful was decorated with a grinning head of a tiger in gold also.

- Take my golden dagger, said Temüjin, and kill some enemies for me.

- Yes, answered Guo Jing.

Huazheng exploded in sobs, bounded on her horse and left at full speed. Temüjin had a hardened heart, but he could not stop from sighing while thinking of his daughter's pain. He then took the path of the camp, followed by his officers and soldiers.

[Tazzy1972]

keep them coming

[eliza bennet]

thanks for the update, please do not stop!