Xia ke xing: Chapter 10 onwards...Take 2

[Abhay]

Shi Qing and Min Rou sat in the hall and drank tea, Feng Wanli accompanied them, and Shi Potian sat beside his father and was pretty relaxed as Feng Wanli and Shi Qing talked about the matters of central plan and didn’t mention anything about Shi Zhong Yu.

Shi Qing thought that everyone in the vicinity and in Ling Xiao city is looking quite tense and its looks as if they are trying to conceal their concerns. Actually he wasn’t too surprised. He thought: “They knew that the envoys of island of heroes will be arriving soon and it will be a big moment for the Snow mountain sect and it could be matter of life or death, honor or disgrace. Everybody was bound by a common cause so obviously everyone was so heavyhearted.”

Even after a long time, they did not see Bai Wanjian coming out.
Feng Wanli said: “old master Bai is seriously ill. He is their eldest son and is coming after some time; it looks elder brother Bai Wanjian is serving old master with Chinese medicines. The internal energy of old master is really deep, he is always healthy, in last the several years, I can’t even remember that he has even caught cold but this illness is really sudden and unexpected. It is really fierce too. We hope that he convalesce quickly.”

Shi Qing said: “The internal energy level of old master Bai is truly rare, even in his old age he will be able to recuperate easily. My worthy brother cannot be so worried.” In his heart actually he cannot help but secretly rejoices and thought: “If Bai Zizai is really sick then he won’t handle the matter of my son immediately, if heaven pities me then Zhang San and Li Si will arrive and then we will see how to handle the matter.”

After some time the weather gradually turned black, Feng Wanli assigns some people to arrange the banquet and also gave Shi Potian a seat. Except these four people they also some of the other Snow mountain sect disciples. Geng Wanzhong, Wanjun and others disciples who came with them didn’t make an appearance. The atmosphere was really light as they talked and argued about different matters. Lian Shibo poured wine and urged them to drink one after another.

Min Rou has already drunk three cups, she said: “This wine is really potent.”
That disciple said: “Madame Shi does not know that the topography of this place. The climate is extremely cold, moreover there is always fogs and wind blowing around, the moisture is high too, although you two have really high internal strength and the cold air won’t be harmful to you but still drinking this Yang Yujiu wine will benefit the body greatly. In the Ling Xiao city, this wine is actually an indispensable thing.” He said these words as he poured more wine.

Min Rou thought: “He said politely that our internal strength is deep and we do not fear the cold winds but if we don’t drink this wine then it might be difficult to survive in these conditions. It looks like some kind of a medicated wine.” So she took two more cups and drank them immediately. Suddenly she saw that these people were not drinking any wine and she felt a severe pain in her lower abdomens and felt a burning sensation in her chest, she repressed the pain and said with a smile: “Feng my worthy brother, this ......This wine is quite fierce!”

Shi Qing actually suddenly stood up and shouted: “What wine is this?”

Feng Wanli said with a smile: “This Yang Yujiu wine is really fierce, I am afraid the famous masters of Xuan Su Manor are not able to handle it.”

Shi Qing said fiercely: “You ......You ......” suddenly his body twitched and he fell on the table top. Min Rou tried to help him to hold but she too was feeling dizziness and unexpectedly both people simultaneously fell unconscious.

Shi Potian slowly came back to consciousness… still he didn’t understood where he was for a moment. He puts out a hand to support the body and sit up, suddenly realized that both his hands are tied with some ice-cold hard thing. He was startled in his heart and sobered immediately. He actually felt frightened to find his hands and legs both shackled and waking up in damp dark place. He did not know where he was. He stood up immediately and tried to explore but only after two steps his head struck something and he fell to the ground.

He calm down a bit and put out his hands to touch slowly all around, he detected that he is kept in some kind of a stone chamber about ten feet wide, its floor was uneven and looked like it was underground and really old. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he observed that there was a small glimmer of light at the left corner, as he looked closely, he found that it was a small hole about a foot wide and rats or other small animals might be using them for passage but they are not able to make it any wider.

He raised his arms and struck that part of the cliff, a loud sound exudes all around but still the cliff was firm and thick and he understood that it’s pretty hard to break.
He sat along the wall and thought: “How did I come here? These people only served us that Yang Yujiu wine, it really was a strange drink after drinking that I remember Manor Master Shi Qing and Lady Min Rou fainting and then falling down in the banquet.

It seems that the snow mountain people wants to kill Shi Zhong Yu in any case but they feared that the Shi couple might resist so they have given us this toxic drink However they haven’t kill me yet, why? Is it because the Old hero Bai is really sick and they have imprisoned me first so they can decide my fate once he has recovered and will personally deal with me?”

He also thought: “When old Hero Bai will ask, I only have to explain that I am Gouzazhong and not Shi Zhong Yu. We might have some resentment but after all we don’t have any enmity so after verifying the truth they will leave me but they might not actually leave the Shi couple. They might keep them in jail and wait until Shi Zhong Yu voluntarily surrenders to them. Madam Shi is such a refined person, how can she survive in such a stone chamber with no daylight. She might go mad after some time. I have to think of a way to rescue her and Manor master Shi Qing.

He thought about saving them but immediately thought about his own situation and thought: “I am myself handcuffed and shackled, I need someone else to save me now, how can I save others? In this Ling Xiao city, each person is from the Snow mountain sect, who will save me?”
Both of his arms were kind of joined and shackled, he tried to separate both his arm and exerted a lot of energy but he was shackled with iron chains and he was not able to even move them by a jot.

After some time he saw a light shooting up from that pinhole as suddenly some people came outside with lamps. They moved across and then moved a tile and put an earthen bowl of food. It had enough quantity of rice, on rice there were several brined vegetables and bamboo chopsticks were inserted in the rice. Shi Potian did not pretended to be mute again and called out: “Hello, hello, I had the words to say to the old Master Bai!”

Outside that person sneered at him and then closed the tile and the light gradually receded and unexpectedly that person walked away without saying a single word.
Shi Potian smelled the food and found its fragrance really inviting, he thought:”I feel really hungry however I have had so much food in the banquet, how can I be that hungry? It looks I was unconscious for a long period of time.” He held the earthen bowl and started eating the rice and the brined vegetable.

After finishing eating the food, he kept the earthen bowl to its original position and again made an effort to free himself of the chains but after struggling for several times, he detected that the shackles on his hand and foot are made of really fine quality of iron and although he used his internal energy he wasn’t able to twist it instead his ankle got rashes by continual abrasion the skin; He tried to find out the gateway again, he tried to push the door by his shoulder but didn’t manage to budge it. After some time he got disappointed and thought: “If only I could have managed to escape then I might found the Shi couple and rescue them.”

[newnand]

Welcome back Abhay.

[Abhay]

He didn’t manage to think of anyway so simply laid against the cliff, closed his eyes and slept. In the stone jail, he did not know the time and waited for almost entire day, some person come to deliver the food, he only saw a hand extended from the hole, to take the bowl and replace it with another one.

Suddenly an idea flashed in his mind and Shi Potian waited for that person put his hand to take the earthen bowl and as soon as that person put his hand in, he grabbed his hand. His shackles made a lot of sound but still Shi Potian get hold of that person’s right wrist. He applied his internal energy to control that person; obviously that person couldn’t withstand his internal energy and started to squeal like a pig as he felt immense pain in his hand.

Shi Potian relaxed a bit, pulled his arm closer to take a clear look and said in a loud voice: “If you yell again than I will wrench apart your arm!”
That person entreated: “I won’t yell, you ......just leave my arm.”
Shi Potian said: “fine then, open the door quickly and let me out.”
That person said: “Fine, you let me go, I will open the door.”
Shi Potian said: “If I leave your arm then you will run away…I cannot do that.”

That person said: “if you won’t leave me than how can I open the door?”
Shi Potian thought that his words are correct but if I leave his hand then he will anyway run away but if I won’t leave him then he can’t open the door, it is a great difficulty. He suddenly got another idea and said: “Throws my handcuff's key.”

That person said: “Key? That.....that is not at my side, I am just a person who only cooks and delivers the food.”
Shi Potian listened to his voice and felt that this person is not sincere so tightened his fingers and said: “Good, than let me first wrenched apart your hand.”

That person called out in extreme pain: “Oh, oh……” This tactics finally worked as that person threw the key from the hole. This person was really sly, he threw the key but it landed far from his place. If Shi Potian has to get those keys then he had to leave this person’s hand.
Shi Potian was again struck in a difficult situation but he didn’t relinquish that person’s hand. He pulled that persons hand and extended his left leg to get hold of the key ring. Although he tried to extend himself fully and pulled that person’s hand from the hole with a lot of strength, still his foot fell short of by few feet from the key ring.

That person was in terrible pain and he called out: “If you will pull me again with such force than you will definitely take my arm with you.
Shi Potian extended his leg with every effort, but both his hand and feet were shackled so he was not able to stretch his body properly and didn’t manage to get the key ring. He looked at that feet which were extending, suddenly got another idea. He bent his left leg to take off the shoe and aimed at the wall. It hit the wall and came back and hit the key ring and moved it towards him. Shi Potian cheered and retrieved the key ring to free himself from the shackles.

He first opened the handcuffs from his left hand and then his right hand and also never left the hand of that person. Once Shi Potian had freed himself from the handcuff; that person that asked: “You ......What will you do now?”

Shi Potian said with a smile: “You may open the door.” He put out the handcuffs from the hole. That person still hesitated; Shi Potian holds the handcuffs and pulled his arm to handcuff that person and asked him to open the door. That person tried to pull and applied a lot of strength but he immediately started bleeding from his nose. That person now knew for sure that he can’t resist so he towed along with the chains and opened the door but his shackle's another end was above the foot shackles of Shi Potian. Although the doors of the room were open but the shackle through the pinhole still tied these two people, Shi Potian has not still been able to come out.

Shi Potian pulled the shackles and said: “Give me the key for these leg shackles too.”
That person looked really distressed and said: “I do not have one. I only sweep the floor and cook meal; I don’t have keys for them.”
Shi Potian said: “Good, wait for me to ask you again.” He pulls in that person’s arm from hole and unlocked the handcuff.

That person saw that he is free now so he tried to move away from the door and run away hurriedly. Shi Potian however quickly moved to intercept him and held again the wall. Once he came out then only he saw that this person was wearing a white gown, from his appearance he looked like a disciple of a Snow mountain sect, not someone who sweeps the floor and cooks. He held him by his collar and said in a loud voice: “If you do not open my shackles then I will hit your head on this stone wall again and again.” As he said these words he gently hits his head on the stone wall. The martial art of that person was not weak but as soon as he fell in the hand of Shi Potian, he resembled like the prey in the claws of an eagle and unexpectedly he took out the keys and opened his shackles within half a minute.

Shi Potian asked that person: “Where Manor Master Shi Qing and his wife Min Rou are held? Lead me to that place quickly.”
That person said: “Snow mountain sect and the Xuan Su manor have no resentment or enmity. We have already let them go and haven’t imprisoned them.”

Shi Potian was half believing and half doubting but he didn’t trust that person at all and thought: “This person has decided to lie again and again; it’s more likely that they have imprisoned Shi couple here only.” He led that person towards the next room quickly and ordered: “Quick open the door.”

That person’s complexion changed and she said: “I ......I do not have the key. Inside this room, there is no person but actually is a lion, don’t open this door, I am really serious.”
Shi Potian heard this person talking about Lion and was greatly surprised. He put his ears to the door and heard so sound at all. That person said: “You, since you have come out, quickly run away, what you are waiting for…if you are detected then they will catch you again and put in prison...”

Shi Potian thought: “You are not my friend, why do you care for me? Initially when I wanted you to open the handcuff and door, you were not willing, at this moment you are actually urging me to run away quickly. I think the Shi couple are held in this room only.”
He spoke to that person: “Can't open? I must take a look at lion.”
That person was shocked and he said: “The lion locked here is very fierce and haven’t eaten for several days. If he sees a human then will immediately attack us......”

Shi Potian heard him for some time and was getting really impatient with his random stories so he lifted that person and inverted him in the air, caught his foot and started swinging him like a yo-yo. Suddenly two more keys fell from his body. Shi Potian felt really happy, he took the keys and inserted it in the lock and turned and the lock opened. That person turned and started to run away.

Shi Potian thought: “If he runs away then he might disclose his whereabouts and it will be inconvenient.” So he snatched that person again and imprisoned him in his own stone chamber and threw his shackles in that room too.

He came back to that room and called out: “Master Shi, Madame Shi, are you here?”
He called out again but heard no sound. Shi Potian moved away from that room and thought I still have one more key, let me see where the other room is?

He looked for the other room and opened it with his keys and opened the door several inches, called one “Master Shi ......” He heard someone shouting abuse towards him: “Son of a Turtle, you bastard, the turtle bastard, I will shear in to thousand pieces, I will kill you like a dog ......”

[Abhay]

Shi Potian heard the sound of shackles as that person moved closer to him. This person scolded with an impressive voice, his throat was hoarse and his accent was entirely different with Shi Potian and other people from central plains.

Shi Potian thought: “Although Master Shi Qing and his wife are not here but this person also looks like an enemy to the Snow mountain people, he might help me to save the Shi couple.”

He said: “You did not need to scold; I am here to save you.”
That person continues to scold: “What thing are you? You dare to talk nonsense and trying to deceive me? I ......I will wrench your neck ......”
Shi Potian showed a faint smile and thought in his heart: “This person has really a foul temper. He is imprisoned in this dark stone jail for a long time, no wonder he is angry.” He moved sideways immediately and said: “Did you also have shackles on your foot?” Just as he asked these words, suddenly he heard a loud voice that person shot towards his head.

Shi Potian moved sideways toward left, avoided this move but his foothold was not steady and he slipped and that person grabbed his body, his hands clutching the pharynx and larynx and trying to squeeze them. This person was a man of extraordinary strength and immediately Shi Potian found it pretty difficult to breathe and he heard a faint buzzing sound in his ear “turtle son bastard” and other verbal abuses.

Shi Potian had good intentions and he wanted to save that person’s life but he never expected that opposite party will unexpectedly try to injure him. On top of that he has met a fierce master in this dark prison. He has already lost the initiative, he shouted: “This is not good!”

He had no other alternative as that person was applying more pressure on his throat. Although the throat muscles are soft and don’t match his arm's strength but his internal energy was immense and he directed that towards his throat vigorously. It hit the person unexpectedly in several points in his hand and he immediately left his throat. Shi Potian breathed heavily for a moment and got ready for his next attack. He called out: “I want to save you and you are playing rough with me?”

That person was really astonished and said: “You ......Who are you? Your internal energy is not weak.” He stared at Shi Potian for some time and then again shouted loudly: “young fellow, who are you?”
Shi Potian said: “I ......I ......” he did not want to tell him that he is called Gouzazhong but also didn’t want to pretend as Shi Zhong Yu now.
That person got angry: “You naturally are you, Are you not surnamed?”
Shi Potian said: “I have saved you, first tell me who are you?”

That person sneered and said: “Do you save me? Heh heh, how could it be…..and you are asking me, who am I? What thing are you? Depending on your little three legged cat's trick, you think that you can save me?”
By this time both the doors were half opened and sunlight filtered in. he saw that the person standing in front of him had a full gray beard on his face, he was tall and powerfully built, his back a little bent and it looked as if this stone chamber was not able to contain his big body, his eyes had a twinkling brilliance like a lightning and this person exudes an overwhelming aura around himself.

Shi Potian saw him looking at him and got scared in his heart, he thought: “That snow mountain disciple said just now that there was a lion imprisoned here, the appearance of this person is actually a bit like a beast.”

He didn’t dare to say anything but still babbled: “I will look for the key and will free you from those shackle and handcuffs.”

That person got angry, he said: “Who wants you to flatter me? I will remain here voluntarily otherwise how will the people close to me live? You young boy has not brought the key but said that you are freeing me… Heh, grandpa nowadays has mellowed down, if not for my good temperament, only after hearing these words; I would have cut you in to 17-18 pieces.”

He moved his both hands, swung the shackles and said: “Grandpa has cooled down a lot…actually these shackles are nothing to me. These are just like ordinary pieces of thread in my eyes.”
Shi Potian did not believe these words and thought: “This person of personality and voice is impressive but he is behaving like a lunatic. He does not want me to rescue, if I insist to him to open his handcuffs and shackles, then he might hit me. His martial art skills are high, I don’t want to fight him, saving the Shi couple is more important right now.”

He said: “Since this is what you want so I am leaving.”

That person got angry and started abusing again: “Get out of here, your smelly duck egg, grandpa has roamed the entire world up and down and has not met a worthy rival, who want this boy to save me?” And he said other abusing words towards Shi Potian.

Shi Potian thought: “Ohhh…No, it looks that I have again done something wrong.” He moved outside of the door and walked along the path.
The path was really long; he made a turn and arrived at a place. Here there was a line of doors on both sides at about every ten feet. He pushed the door on the left side but couldn’t even budge it. He then pushed the one on the right and it smoothly opened. After passing through that door, he entered a small hall. He came in to the hall and saw a line of several steps and then heard the sound of several weapons and he judged by the sound that the fighting must be really intense.

Suddenly Shi Potian thought: “It might be the Shi Qing couple fighting with the Snow mountain people. He got scared and hurriedly started to look for door to get to that place.

He tried to look for a passage to reach that place but couldn’t find any way to reach that place. He was really concerned about the safety of Shi Qing and Min Rou and each passing second passed like hours for him. He saw that the wooden partitions on the left-hand side are not really thick and he hit it with his shoulder. The board rose steeply and broke. The sound of the weapon was now more abundant. He saw that in that small main hall, four white clothing men were fighting with swords and trying to besiege two females.

Shi Potian saw these two females and could not restrain himself and called out loudly: “Master, A’Xiu!”
That two people were Grandma Shi and A’Xiu.

[sainuu]

finally Axiu appeared.

[lordli]

hi Abhay, thanks for translating. I'm glad that you've returned to us. I hope you had fun.

[ken2004]

I am start to wander what is the relationship of this grandma shi and ah xiu to the snow moutain section(whether is it the same kind of relationship as in the tvb version by tony leung).

[Abhay]

Actually I was ill so it wasn't fun but thanks for the concern

hi Abhay, thanks for translating. I'm glad that you've returned to us. I hope you had fun.

[Abhay]

Grandma Shi held a short-hilted broadsword, A’Xiu brandished a long sword but he saw that these two people were fighting chaotically, everyone was bearing several wounds, the blood had splashed on the clothing and the circumstance were very perilous. Both people heard Shi Potian cry but those four men were attacking really tightly; the swordsmanship was swift and fierce and had no time to turn their head and look towards him. Then he heard A’Xiu calling out in alarm as she was injured on her shoulder by a sword.

Shi Potian didn’t think anything and immediately moved towards that middle-aged person who has injured A’Xiu and was pressing her in to submission. Shi Potian suddenly attacked this person out of blue and got him in a single move. The old man on the left saw him suddenly entering in the fight and attacked him. Shi Potian sent his right hand attack to that old man.

That old man moved his sword point towards his lower abdomen, the sword moved really fast like a flash. Shi Potian has once learnt the sword skills of the Snow Mountain sect from Grandma Shi. The moment that old man executed this move he understood that this move is “in range double plum”. This move had actually two steps, the first step was that sword attacks the lower abdomen and then the second step was to attack the legs in a continuous motion.

Shi Potian immediately shrank his lower abdomen and avoided the first attack and at the same time employed the counter move suggested by Grandma Shi. He moved his left hand immediately, extended the middle finger to grab. That old man's second sword came exactly as Shi Potian expected. He extended his fingers to grab the sword and with a zheng sound, the sword broke in to two parts. That old man shook his half-numbed hand and couldn’t restrain himself from getting ashamed. He moved back immediately and withdrew from the fight and his complexion changed immediately.

Shi Potian moved to his left hand and found out that one person was still attacking A’Xiu. He attacked that person. That person was already shocked, he withdrew his sword hurriedly, and Shi Potian took advantage of a favorable situation to take control and attacked his chest. That person moved back continually to avoid him but after three steps, he too got hit and sat on the ground.

Shi Potian now moved towards the fourth person. That person was already struggling against Grandma Shi and was somehow fending her and was already got hit several times. Shi Potian hit that person and that person fell on the ground, blood spurting from the mouth and fainted immediately.

All the four men collapse against Shi Potian in a moment and only that old man was not injured. He saw with own eyes that Shi Potian had invincible internal energy and was startled and terror-stricken, he said: “You ......You ......” he tried to jump and run away suddenly and rushed towards the door.

Grandma Shi called out: “Do not let him go!”
Shi Potian swept his left leg and connected with that person and that person fell to ground. Both knees of that old man were now shaking with fear as he failed to escape.

Grandma Shi said with a smile: “Good boy, so the senior disciple of my Golden Phoenix sect is back!”
The face of A’Xiu whitened as she was badly wounded on her shoulder wound but her eyes really lit up as she stared at Shi Potian and couldn’t shield the unlimited joy she experienced.

Shi Potian said: “Master, A’Xiu, I never thought that I will see you here.”
Grandma Shi wrapped the wound on the shoulder of A’Xiu hurriedly; she tore a piece of cloth from the skirt and first tied it around her wound. The injuries of both people were basically superficial sword cuts and were not any serious.

Shi Potian asked: “I could not find you in the Azure mist island; I thought of you every day and night, now after so many days we have met that’s really good…but it should have been better if we were not separated.”
Grandma Shi smiled and said: “You, if you can accomplish a great merit then I can permit it. Will it be good enough if your Grandma promises verbally?” A’Xiu hung her head low and her ear turned red.

Shi Potian didn’t understand that Grandma Shi is actually accepting his marriage proposal with A’Xiu, he asked: “What will master permit?”
Grandma Shi said with a smile: “I will give my granddaughter to you as a wife, will you like that?”

Shi Potian was pleasantly surprised and happily said: “I ......I ......I obviously want, I would like this; actually I will like it very much......”
Grandma Shi said: “But you have to complete this big merit first. The snow mountain sect are vicious bunch, we have to first find a person.”
Shi Potian said: “Yes, I too have to find the master of Xuan Su Manor Shi and his wife. We should look quickly.” As he thought about the Shi Qing couple, his heart again burnt with impatience.

Grandma Shi said: “Are Shi Qing and his wife also in the Liao Xing city? If they are also captured then it means they are really sloppy. A’Xiu, quickly kill all these four people first?”

A’Xiu took her sword and moved towards that old man. That old person was relying on the wall and as soon as A’Xiu moved towards him, his face lost all the color and she saw her with begging eyes. A’Xiu felt compassion towards her, Grandma Shi has just she accepted marriage proposal and she was extremely joyful in her heart and didn’t have the heart to kill anyone at that moment.

She said: “Grandma, these people are not the chief instigators, they are just lowly people who do as they are said, why don’t we await for the trial and will decide later.”

Grandma Shi sighed and said: “Fine then walk quickly, follow me, do not delay it’s an important matter.” She immediately moved outside with A’Xiu and Shi Potian following her.

Grandma Shi walked out of the lobby and moved extremely quickly, whenever she saw a person, she would quietly and quickly hide behind a door or around the corner. She seemed very familiar with each houses, roads and streets.

Shi Potian and A’Xiu walked side-by-side, he asked in a low voice: “What big merit does master want me to do? Who do I have to save?”
A’Xiu was about to answer when she heard the footsteps sound of about five-six people. Grandma Shi is hurriedly hid behind a pillar; A’Xiu pulled Shi Potian by his sleeves and found a hiding place nearby.

[aliderhamy]

im so happy

[Han Solo]

Actually I was ill so it wasn't fun but thanks for the concern

I hope that you are much better now.

Thanks for the translation.

Han Solo

[Abhay]

They only heard several people talking on the other side of the road. Someone said: “It’s good that everybody made a joint effort and managed to seize that old lunatic, now I am relaxed. Earlier I didn’t even eat or sleep without worrying. I would rest for a moment and then will wake afraid after a bad dream.”

Another person said: “We have not killed that old lunatic, eventually it will be huge trouble in future. Actually elder brother himself was indecisive; I thought that this matter should be finished there and then only.”
Another person with a deep and gruff voice said: “Getting rid of one won’t do, Elder brother will do something only if he manages to get both of them together.”

A person shouted in loud voice: “Keeps silent! How can you talk out these matters in public? If Liao or Qi hears you fellows than I am afraid then your heads will start rolling on the ground.”
The person with gruff voice refused to accept his command and said, said albeit in a lower voice: “Liao and Qi are fighting themselves, I am not certain that they have time for us.”

This group of people gradually moved far away, Shi Potian and A’Xiu moved towards the door. Shi Potian looked at A’Xiu and saw her trembling slightly, asked in a low voice: “A’Xiu, are you afraid?”
A’Xiu said: “I ......I am really frightened. There are so many people, how can we fight them all?”

Grandma Shi was standing behind a pillar; she came out and said in a low voice: “Walk quickly.” She moved forward quickly. Shi Potian and A’Xiu followed her and passed through the courtyard and then came across the corridor and then arrived in a big garden. In the garden everywhere was snow, however a cobblestone alley was spread around it and lead to a big hall.

Grandma Shi jumped to a tree to avoid the snow and from there jumped outside the hall. She patted the snow from her cloths and moved closer to the hall. As soon as she moved in closer to the hall two people who were patrolling the area saw her and rushed towards her with sword in their hand. Grandma Shi stood rigidly and motionless, let both people come to her and then moved the broadsword. In a single stroke she cut open the throat of both people and they didn’t even made a single sound.

Shi Potian was startled by the calmness with which Grandma Shi killed these two people in such a violent way. This move was also taught to him by Grandma Shi, it was called “Red flame in spring” but Shi Potian never thought that if he executes this move then he will be able kill people in such a clean way. He cannot help to restrain his heart from jumping madly.

Grandma Shi quickly hid the two corpses under a bush, doesn’t made any sound and arrived at outside of the hall and puts her ear close to the long window and listened attentively to the sounds coming from inside. Shi Potian and A’Xiu approached the window too and started listening. They only heard the voices of two people arguing intensely, although they were not fighting or shouting in loud voice but both these people looked really angry by their expressions.

They heard one person saying: “Tying up the tiger is easy but to hold him tied up is really difficult, I think you might have heard this proverb. I don’t want to sacrifice everybody for this matter. If that old lunatic get freed somehow or manage to escape then everybody will die without their burial ground.”

Shi Potian thought: “They all are saying that “old lunatic”, is it really possible that this was the same old person I tried to rescue in the prison? That person was really old and strange, I was trying to save him but he was not willing to come out, I am afraid he was really a lunatic, however his martial art was very fierce, no wonder everybody is so frightened of him.”

They heard another person saying: “That old lunatic is already imprisoned in that jail, even if he has exceedingly high skills, still he can’t run away. We can kill him at this moment, it is really easy, you only don’t have to deliver food to him for some days, and he will starve to death in eight to ten days, isn’t it? When the people in the martial art realm will know about this that they will criticize and say that this is against righteousness and shameless, you Liao Shidi, I have no doubt that you do not care about them but what about rest of us? Will it not destroy the reputation of the Snow mountain sect in the martial art world?”

That person surnamed Liao sneered at him and said: “You are afraid to go against the old conventions and against the flow of events, what should a leader do at such time? Now this matter has come on head than you are pretending that you don’t want to involve yourself in this matter at all. Elder brother Qi, I recognize a hypocrite when I see one.”
That person surnamed Qi said: “What exactly are you implying by saying thee words? Liao Shidi, if you want to say something than say but don’t accuse others.”

That person surnamed Liao said: “I am saying what it is. Elder brother Qi, you just pretend to be an honest and upright person, you are trying to push the entire blame on my shoulder. It is actually a good strategy, killing two birds with one stone, you will get rid of me and also get the leadership uncontested.” He said these words in a very loud voice.
That person surnamed Qi said: “You are seriously funny Shidi! Fellow disciple can all vouch that I already have the qualifications to take the leadership. I am the senior disciple as per the order, it’s obvious.”
Some said in strong voice: “keep your struggle to yourselves, do not involve me.”

That person surnamed Liao said: “Of course, you are the senior fellow-disciple, Elder brother Qi, you were honest and good-natured person. You were just acting on behalf of other people, more as a puppet. You must think clearly about this matter and then make any decision.”
Shi Potian heard these words and realized that there were a lot many people in the hall than he expected earlier. He immediately licked the window paper and punctured a hole gently and put his eye to look inside. He saw that unexpectedly more than 200-300 people, everyone wearing white gown were sitting in the hall; obviously they were all the snow mountain sect disciples.

This was actually the main hall of the Snow mountain sect and they were having some kind of big meeting. There were five large round-backed wooden armchairs at the far end, the middle was empty, and on both sides four people were sitting. He heard them still arguing continuously, from their talk Shi Potian understood that the person sitting on the left were surnamed Cheng and Liao and the one on the right hand side was the person surnamed Qi, another sickly looking person was sitting on the fourth chair. He was very thin, looking distressed from facial expression and extremely ugly by look.

At this time that person surnamed Liao said to that old person: “Liang Shidi, you have not said a word from beginning to end, what are your views?”

This person Liang sighed and shook his head and didn’t spoke.

[Abhay]

That person surnamed Qi said: “Liang Shidi did not speak, as he already know that you are talking nonsense.”

That person surnamed Liao got angry and said: “You are not a roundworm in the stomach of Liang Shidi then how do you know that he is thinking that? This matter can be resolved if we four people help each other and come to a conclusion. We should all take the responsibility like real men and deal with this uncertainty, what do you say?”

That person surnamed Qi said: “Everybody covets life and fears death but we have come to this situation because of the desperate risk taken by some people.”

That person surnamed Liao said in a loud voice suddenly: “Wan Li, you should also say something, how should we manage this situation?”
From the crowd, one person came out with his broken hand, “Dragon of wind and fire” Feng Wanli bowed in front of them and said: “Disciple is not used to these kinds of social meetings and matters however it will be catastrophic and a heinous crime if we harm him in our custody. The disciples approve of the Qi Shishu’s idea that we cannot act again to commit such a violent treachery.”

That person surnamed Liao said in a stern voice: “Then how do we deal with the disciples who have returned from the central plains?”
Feng Wanli said: “Shishu, I think it will be better to keep everybody of them in custody for the time being here in the city and then we will talk with each of them and decide.”

That person surnamed Liao sneered and said: “Heh! Heh! Your idea is to imprison them all and then slowly interview them? I think I understand what really you want.”

Feng Wanli said: “Liao Shishu, what do you mean by these words?”
That person surnamed Liao said: “Your disciples overwhelm us with numerical strength, your martial art skills are also high, and you will not attain the position of sect leader so you want to push all the blame on my head and got me killed. Four of my disciples are already dead here, you think I don’t understand your plan!”

He shouted in a loud voice and called out suddenly: “Fellow disciples, this is a really calamitous situation. These people want to get rid of us now and here. If we don’t stamp this source of trouble here then they will all butcher us!” As he said these words he took out his sword.
In a moment, several people rushed out forward and pulled out their swords. Suddenly about twenty-thirty people were surrounding Feng Wanli with swords in their hand. Another set of about sixty-seventy people surrounded then all.

Shi Potian thought: “It seems like Master Feng is being overwhelmed by sheer numbers of these people, do not know that I should help which side?”

Feng Wanli yelled: “Cheng Shishu, Qi Shishu and Liang Shishu, are you also surrounded by disciples of Liao Shishu? Fourth branch is with him; take the second, third and fifth branch to retaliate.”

The person surnamed Liao shouted: “Start!” Suddenly the fight started in the hall. Someone took out his sword and tried to stab Feng Wanli at his chest. Feng Wanli moved quickly and drew out the sword with his left and parried the incoming attack. He only heard a scoffing sound as suddenly his right sleeve was cut off by another attack.

Feng Wan Li and Bai Wanjian shared the honor of the best second generation martial art expert of the Snow mountain sect and their level of martial art expertise was just below these four but after he lost his right arm, he was still uncomfortable with using sword his left hand. That person surname Liao moved against him. This sword move has different variations and he traversed his sword a lot however Feng Wanli knew perfectly well that move of the opposite party and his background but the sword in his left hand didn’t actually moved as he intended and unfortunately only lost a piece of his sleeve. He attacked at Feng Wanli but after two moved drew himself back and two other people took his place and attacked him.

That person surnamed Liao again shouted: “Why haven’t you attacked yet?”

At this call all the sixty-seventy disciple of his fourth branch attacked rest of the disciples. Every one was fighting with another, the entire hall was in chaos and bright light sparkled in the hall as sword clashed with clanking sound of metal filling the hall and reverberating again and again. The snow mountain sect people who have assembled to discuss official business in the hall suddenly turned it in to the battlefield immediately.
That person surnamed Liao leaped over his people and saw that only second, third and fifth branch were retaliating and fighting against his disciples.

When he saw them all moving against him, he went wild with rage and yelled: “Second branch, third branch and fifth branch, you all are manipulated. These people are taking advantage of you and you all are ruining the big dream of this Snow mountain sect!”

His both eyes turned red and he moved towards his arch rival Qi. Two people parried and stabbed each other for quite some time. In term of martial arts, that person surnamed Liao was better that Qi and after about ten moves he forced him back repetitively.

That old sickly looking person held his sword, said: “The fourth branch, as they say, if the leader is such a barbarian then what will happen to the followers?” He moved towards the person surnamed Liao and attacked him. The person surnamed Qi saw the small advantage and immediately attacked Liao and stabbed towards his lower abdomen. The person surnamed Liao knew that he has met his doom so he also went reckless and started attacking all out.
Suddenly all three of them were attacking person surnamed Liao but his sword skills were good and survived against all of these three fellow apprentices but it was only a matter of time before they subdued him.
The numerous disciples of second, third and fifth branch saw their masters working in unison against the fourth branch and immediately attacked them with more vigor and intensity. In a few moments the tide turned completely and the fourth branch was butchered as shouts of anger, screams of despair echoed in the hall.

A’Xiu pulled Shi Potian on her side and said: “Elder brother, I ......I am afraid….”
Shi Potian asked: “What is the matter? Why is everybody fighting?”
At this time everybody in the hall was busy in their own matter of life and death and no one cared if someone was talking outside or not.
Grandma Shi sneered and said: “Good, good, they are hitting well, killing each other so cleanly…it really like it.

<End of chapter - 16>

[Abhay]

One more chapter down...5 to go

[pannonian]

For such a short book, Xia Ke Xing has a lot of WTF moments as we encounter characters never seen before. AIUI the trend began with DGSD, but LOCH, ROCH and HSDS made economic use of their casts.

[Justin13]

One more chapter down...5 to go

The book finishes in 5 more chapters?!

[Abhay]

The 17th chapter
Arrogant insane Cheng

About a crowd of two hundred to three hundred was suddenly in sword fight, all were wearing identical white colored clothes and using similar long swords so it was pretty difficult to distinguish who is friend and who is enemy. Originally fourth branch was fighting with third branch but later second and fifth branch come in the aid of third. However afterwards some people started to take this opportunity to settle their own personal feuds with other people and started killing overtly or subtly whichever way it was possible. It was total chaos and confusion as no one knew what’s going on.

Suddenly they heard a loud voice of something getting struck or falling to the ground and the two doors of the hall flew open with a loud bang sound and they heard a clear and resonant voice: “The envoys of the island of heroes have arrived to the Snow mountain sect to pay a visit and meet the leader of the sect!”

The pronunciation was such clear and bright that all the pandemonium kind of froze and everyone suddenly looked at these two people.
The people were surprised; some people gave up fighting and leapt in the one side. Gradually the others too stopped and got in control of their emotions and drew back to the wall and besides the groan of the wounded, there was no sound in the hall. Also at that moment the people who were severely wounded too also stopped crying and looked at the doors.

They saw two people standing at the entrance side by side, one fat person with a smiling face and another thin person with a sad facial expression. Shi Potian saw Zhang San and Li Si arriving at the door, he was nearly going to call but stopped himself at the last moment as he remembered he was still hiding and Grandma Shi didn’t want to reveal her position at this moment.

Zhang San said with a smile on his face: “No wonder the martial art of snow mountain sect is so famous in the martial art world. Actually other schools practice martial arts but you people stab and chop and unexpectedly even kill for attaining greater heights…So earnest, rare… rare! I really admire, I really admire!”

That person surnamed Liao, known as Liao Zili stepped up forward and said: “Are you two honorable people envoys from the island of heroes?”
Zhang San said: “Do you know who the leader of the snow mountain sect is? We are from the island of the heroes and want to invite the leader of the sect to eat the meat gruel and present him with these bronze medals.”

As he said these words he took out two bronze medals from his bosom and turned towards Li Si and said: “I have heard that the leader of the snow mountain sect is the “power and virtue gentleman” old master Bai however no one looks like him.”

Li Si shook his head and said:” I too do not find anyone looking like him.”
Liao Zili said: “Old master Bai has already died, the new leader ......” he has not even finished his words, Feng Wanli interrupted and scolded: “Breaks wind! The “power and virtue gentleman” has not died, but ......”
Liao Zili got angry: “You spoke to your Shishu in this manner, where is the discipline and respects for the elders?”
Feng Wanli replied: “Your kind of person doesn’t deserve to be respected even if he is elder!”

Liao Zili took out his sword and attacked at Feng Wanli. Feng Wanli too wielded his sword to deflect his attack and drew back one step. Liao Zili moved forward and attacked him with a straight sword move. Another disciple came forward and attacked him. Immediately Qi Zimian and Liang Zijin too wielded their sword and killed a couple of people.

The snow mountain sect was actually a big sect; the rivalry among different clans and families within the sect was significant. These four people were obviously jealous of each other and take the side as per the opportunity. At this time when there was no leader and the leadership was at grab, these people didn’t care about the danger from these two envoys of “Command of reward and punishment” but thought to take advantage of this situation to gain upper hand in the internal struggle of the sect first and then later handle the matter of invitation to island of heroes.
Zhang San said with a smile: “Every one is thoroughly busy to study the swordsmanship and improve his martial art skill…this is a fine deed but you people can do this later, we don’t have that much time. Does the snow mountain sect have a leader?”

As he was saying these words he gradually moved forward, he stretched out both his hands and started grabbing swords randomly, within a few moments everyone heard a metallic sound as about seven-eight swords were thrown on the ground. This included Liao Zili, Liang Zijin, Feng Wanli and several other second generation disciples. They didn’t even understood how unexpectedly Zhang San managed to seize their sword all at once. Various people only felt that their arm shook and suddenly they lost their swords.

The color of everyone in the hall suddenly changed as they saw this in with amazement, they knew that these people have very high level of martial arts but they never thought that this can be done so easily. Everyone immediately put behind the internal struggle and recalled to their mind the tales of these two envoys of command of reward and punishment. They recalled the stories of the annihilation of the entire sects and couldn’t restrain themselves from shivering.

Earlier people thought that the Snow mountain sect is in the western region and even to reach the Ling Xiao city is a very difficult task so it’s really difficult that they will receive the invitation from command of reward and punishment but again people thought that the stories of the envoys of island of heroes was more like a hearsay and exaggerated mostly, they might not be that fierce; Moreover the leader of the snow mountain sect “power and virtue gentleman” old master Bai was like a comfortable big tree to provide shade and save them from any foe so no one really cared about this matter. Who would have thought suddenly, these people will come and after watchinf their martial art skills, no one can say that their skills were exaggerated. In the past thirty years, whoever has gone to the island of heroes has not come back. At this time now the leader of the Snow mountain sect was to get this invitation but who will take the suicide post now after these two have already arrived.

Just before their arrival these five people were struggling to attain hegemony and hoping to take the position of the leader of the sect. All these people were manipulating strategically and fighting in shadows but unexpectedly the opportunity has come for everyone to fight directly and take the leadership but no one was willing now. As if by prior agreement, suddenly the three senior disciples pointed towards Liao Zili and said: “He is…..he is the leader!”

Instantly there was silence in the hall.
Liao Zili was not going to be silent and accept this situation, he said: “Three senior fellow-pupils are oldest, It’s logical that the leadership should go to one of you.”

Qi Zimian said: “What is the use of old? Liao Shidi, your martial art skills are really high and in addition you are the most capable person and you were also striving so hard for this position so you should become the leader. If Liao Shidi does not become the leader of the sect then even if other people will take the seat still it will be worthless.”

Liang Zijin said: “This leader should go to the senior fellow disciples; if the elders are not willing to take the leadership then obviously the other senior fellow disciples should take the leadership, what is the struggle and indecision?”

Cheng Zixue said: “In our four people we are not willing to take the leadership then we should look for some one else who is capable. I approve of this solution to give the leadership to the senior disciples from next generation. Today he had also showed exemplary wisdom and martial art skills.”

Liao Zili said: “Leader should be someone who is well accepted among his peers and who is also a willing worker, I think Feng Shizhi is the best option. No one has any dissent with him and he is quite popular too. I too approve for him name.”

[Abhay]

Feng Wanli said: “Just a few moments ago you were shouting and urging everyone to kill me and now I am the most popular person, what kind of nonsense is this?”

Liao Zili looked at him with his stretching his eyebrows and was about to curse angrily, but changed his mind and said: “I am recommending your name and you people are calling me names. This is ridiculous and shameless act.”

Zhang San was listening and smiling but did not say a word. Li Si actually could not bear and shouted: “This one is leader…that one is a leader….if you fight this way then we won’t have a result after a fortnight.”
Liang Zijin said: “You people have complied very quickly to become the senior disciple of the sect but when the disaster in on the door then you doesn’t want to get implicated.”

Cheng Zixue got angry: “Why have I implicated everybody, actually you are responsible.” Five people started to again argue and the confusion continued.
Zhang San said with a smile: “I have an idea. Your five have to fight among yourselves and the one who wins will be the strongest and should take the leadership of the sect.”

Five people looked at each other in blank dismay.
Zhang San also said: “When we people came just now, you people were ready to kill each other so what is the problem now. We two people don’t want to miss on the esthetic pleasure. You people should start fighting or you people don’t know that the temper of my elder brother is really high and I am afraid if he gets angry then he might exterminate the entire Snow mountain sect, then no one will become the leader of the sect. Fine… one…two… and three! Begin!”

Liao Zili first draws out his sword.
Zhang San said suddenly: “Who is standing outside the window and spying on us, I think it’s someone from snow mountain sect only, please come in together! It doesn’t matter if anyone has strong martial art or weak, no matter the seniority or size, I will get rid everybody if the leader doesn’t accepts the invitation.”

He moved his hand and something struck the two long windows and stirred it with tremendous force.
Grandma Shi said: “I’m going in!”
She pulled A’Xiu with her left hand and Shi Potian with her right and the three people entered the hall to shoulder to shoulder.
In the hall the color the facial expression of people changes as they saw Grandma Shi. All the four senior disciples of the Snow mountain sect wielded their swords and surrounded her immediately. Grandma Shi is only sneered at them but didn’t say any word.

Feng Wanli actually went forward and bowed to salute, fluttered and said: “Master......
Master ........Master-wife!”
Shi Potian was startled, he thought: “How is my teacher her master wife?”
Grandma Shi looked at him but did not pay any attention.
Zhang San said with a smile: “Is very good, is very good! This boy was pretending to be the leader of clan of eternal happiness but has actually come back to the Snow mountain sect!” Brother, you look exactly like our younger brother; it’s really difficult to recognize who is who.”

Li Si nodded and said:” He is glib and a thief with fox brain! There is an attractive little girl close to him; it’s not our younger brother.”
Shi Potian thought: “Eldest brother and second brother think that I am Shi Zhong Yu. So long as I did not speak, they won’t recognize me.”
Zhang San said: “Actually this lady is Madame Bai Lao. She had some dispute with old master Bai over the martial art matters but you people can still compete for the leadership of the sect. Everybody start then!”

Grandma Shi showed her hate to those people by her facial expression. She took the hands of Shi Potian and A’Xiu and moved aside. Cheng Zixue and other people did not dare to stop her and looked helplessly as she went and took the seat at the centre wooden chair.
Li Si shouted: “You are not starting to fight, what you are waiting for?”
Cheng Zixue said: “Fine!”

He moved his sword to stab at Liang Zijin. Liang Zijin wielded his sword to parry but staggered under his foot, He stood again and said: “Forgive your fellow disciple; I am no match for you!”

Liao Zili encouraged fighting together. Four people only moved about ten moves but the people looking at them shook their head secretly, they can easily see numerous loopholes in their swordsmanship. However the opponent was also not taking advantage of the loop holes and making false moves but no one was hurting anyone. If someone else saw their fight then they would really think very badly about the sword skills of the first generation martial artist of Snow mountain sect and will think that they have only learned a couple of years of martial arts.

Obviously, these four people at this moment were not “vying for supremacy”, but actually struggling to get defeated. No one was willing to become the leader of the sect at this point of time but they were forced to fight by these people so were generously making mistake and were reluctant to force their enemies to submission.

But since everybody was had the same intension no one is getting defeated. Liang Zijin slanted his body so that the sword will actually hit him. He suddenly cried: “Oh!” His left knee buckled under him and he leaned on his own sword leans and fell on the ground. He encourage Liao Zili to stab him at this very moment as he had left several openings but the opposite party did not fell in the trap and pretended to be as dumb as a wooden chicken. His sword could have easily stabbed the chest of the opponent but he deliberately moved his sword that he missed his mark.

Zhang San laughed and said: “Elder brother, we have seen a lot of martial art contest but this is truly a brilliant martial arts contest, more likely it’s the first leg of an eight-legged trick, and I have truly broadened my horizon today. No wonder the martial art of the snow mountain sect is called so unique in the present age, it is really extra ordinary.”
Shi Grandma Shi shouted: “Wan Li, what are you doing? Fight in a correct manner or move out!”

Feng Wanli said in a shivering sound: “Yes ......When Liao Shishu is attacking, it’s really difficult to avoid his moves and disciple truly did not know how to counter.”
Grandma Shi said: “If you know then fight or if don’t then move out or I will execute you immediately!”

Feng Wanli said: “Yes, yes, disciple will follow your command.” As he said these words he turned and came out of the fight.
Zhang San said with a smile: “Holds on a minute! Your Excellency is also the contender for the leadership of snow mountain sect, how can you move out so rashly?

You! You! You! You!” He pointed to the four senior disciples of the snow mountain sect and said: “Your four people go and imprison this person and bring to us or your heads will look like this.” His right hand searched for the wooden pole and grasped it and immediately a big hole appeared on it suggesting the abundant internal energy.

[pannonian]

It reminds me of this.

[Justin13]

Thanks Abhay!