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Thread: Legend of the Longsword Master - Huang Yi

  1. #101
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    Default just looking for .....

    Quote Originally Posted by SkyWalker View Post
    Thanks for the update Grundle! This story is indeed very different than other wuxia stories. Looking forward to reading more. Please keep up the good work!
    looking forward to ? hee he hee
    Ali Derhamy

  2. #102
    Senior Member foxs's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grundle View Post
    So here I am trying to give a little back.
    Thanks, pal! I appreciate it.

  3. #103
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    I don't get that whole exchange? What happeend? Why did she have men hidden?

    What does "“What if I discovered your true purpose and only wanted to kill you. Wouldn’t Lady Jun be in a dangerous position?”" this mean?

  4. #104
    Senior Member Grundle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Demitre View Post
    I don't get that whole exchange? What happeend? Why did she have men hidden?

    What does "“What if I discovered your true purpose and only wanted to kill you. Wouldn’t Lady Jun be in a dangerous position?”" this mean?
    To me it is obvious. She is meeting a warrior for the first time. Obviously she is not stupid, so just in case an enemy of hers was able to use the proclamation that a man who wins 100 victories will meet Lady Jun as an assassination plot, she was prepared for that.

    No ruler is going to be absolutely alone with a potential threat. The only time they would allow that is if they were absolutely sure they could trust someone 100%. She gave our hero the "appearance" that she was alone, but really had bodyguards hidden waiting to ambush him at the slightest threat.

    I thought that was clear but maybe I am wrong.

    As for the phrase "What if I discovered...." Well I could have translated it wrong. I remember it being difficult to decipher so I did my best =D. Maybe he is saying that his true purpose was to assassinate her? I am not sure...but hey. This is what you get from an amateur translator. I can convey a general idea of what is happening, but don't think that my translation is extremely accurate or anything.
    --=={Grundle}==--

  5. #105
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    Default yadeh yadeh yahhhh

    Quote Originally Posted by Grundle View Post
    To me it is obvious. She is meeting a warrior for the first time. Obviously she is not stupid, so just in case an enemy of hers was able to use the proclamation that a man who wins 100 victories will meet Lady Jun as an assassination plot, she was prepared for that.

    No ruler is going to be absolutely alone with a potential threat. The only time they would allow that is if they were absolutely sure they could trust someone 100%. She gave our hero the "appearance" that she was alone, but really had bodyguards hidden waiting to ambush him at the slightest threat.

    I thought that was clear but maybe I am wrong.

    As for the phrase "What if I discovered...." Well I could have translated it wrong. I remember it being difficult to decipher so I did my best =D. Maybe he is saying that his true purpose was to assassinate her? I am not sure...but hey. This is what you get from an amateur translator. I can convey a general idea of what is happening, but don't think that my translation is extremely accurate or anything.


    thought this was an update

    and yes it obvious that he is telling her "if i was trying to kill you I would have made my move by now... get ride of the gards so we can $%^@"
    Ali Derhamy

  6. #106
    Senior Member Grundle's Avatar
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    This next post is for adults, so be forewarned. I know that is something of a spoiler, but I feel obligated to at least give a disclaimer.

    Enjoy!


    -----------

    As Lady Li Qing Jun turned her back to me her shoulder shook every so slightly and time seemed to stop for an instant. All her life she had the power to control and even kill millions of people. No one had ever dared speak to her like this before. I withdrew my assault and carefully watched her. Since she was already overwhelmed with orders she was angry, but at the same time she was feeling the fresh sensation of something new and exciting. Thinking back to what was said last night, when I faked being under the effects of the confusion fragrance, she unknowingly confided her impressions of me, otherwise I would have never dared to use such a dangerous method to win her heart. I slowly walked over to her.

    I arrived at her back and moved closely to her body. As I felt myself come into contact with her I couldn’t resist reaching out to embrace her tiny waist. I pressed my palm against her soft, flexible belly and felt a wave of heat pass through my hand. I knew she also felt the same wave pass into her body.

    She struggled lightly before melting into my arms. Turning her head back she moved her lips toward me. Those delicate lips, dripping with desire, met mine. Although my plans put me against her, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of ecstasy pass through me as my most primitive desires were awakened. Psychologically she was my enemy and the ever present hatred stored up deep in my heart suddenly began to pour out. I violently tore her clothes off and in the middle of the palace hall, like a pair of wild animals, I made her body mine.

    In my wild attack, the precious body of the exalted Lady Jun was turned into nothing more than a placating prostitute. In order to avenge my family, Qi Bei, and Xi Qi I had turned into a person who would do anything for revenge.

    The most important thing right now was to completely conquer her. Once I had her total trust I could steal the canon of wisdom, go to the ruins in Mo Nu and find the means to destroy the empire. Although the road had been long and bitter, I was still moving forward.

    That night I returned to the concubine palace. The Lady Jun’s heart was still overflowing with the sweetness we shared in our union. She was truly an extremely moving rarity. As I observed her expression, I could tell that my strategy had been successful.

    Before I went to sleep the two maids lit the confusion incense again, but this time I was well prepared. Using the antidote I smeared it under my nose, and sure enough around midnight Lady Jun and Hua Qian came to my bed. They stood by my bed in silence. After a long time Lady Li Qing Jun faintly gasped, “Hua Qian! Make sure nothing ever happens to this man.”

    Hua Qian softly replied, “Lady Jun! I didn’t know, but he appears to be an extraordinary man. His eyes carry a sad expression, as if his mind is overburdened with many things.” Lady Jun said, “If that is the case, then why won’t you consider making him your husband?” Hua Qian paused and said, “You are the only one he thinks about, if he is forced it would be meaningless.”

    Li Qing Jun was quiet for a long time. Suddenly she broke the silence, “Hua Qian, kill him. Make sure you do it quickly, I don’t want him to suffer unnecessarily.”

    Hearing that sentence I was so scared I almost jumped out of bed. Earlier in the day I possessed her completely, and now only ten hours later she wanted to kill me. What kind of woman was this?

    Hua Qian was stunned, “Lady Jun!”

    Unconcerned Li Qing Jun said, “That is my command.”

    CLANG!

    Hua Qian’s sword already left it’s scabbard. Of course I couldn’t take it anymore and I simply laid there stunned, waiting for death.

    All she had to do was to push down and Hua Qian’s sword would pierce me through, but she suddenly didn’t follow through. I could take advantage of her abrupt stop to subdue her, and then Lady Jun. Then I could force them to lead me to the Canon of Wisdom, but in order to enact this plan I would have to know how high Lady Jun’s martial skill is. Success would not be easy, because Ge Zhan, Black Widow, and other powerful figures are here too. Even if I could subdue Lady Jun, I would be a step away from disaster at every turn. Hua Qian suddenly cried out, “Lady Jun, can’t you ask someone else to do this?” Her voice was trembling revealing the affection she held for me in her heart. Our contact had actually been very limited, so I couldn’t understand why she was treating me like this. She was always arrogant and looked down on men, so I guess that once she fell in love she would be more passionate than the average person.

    Li Qing Jun’s cold voice rang out, “This is my command!” There was a short burst of suffocating silence.

    Hua Qian shouted out as she raised her sword up into the air. My whole body became tense as I tried to estimate where her sword would strike. If she tried to kill me in the quickest way possible, the best method would be to cut my head off. Her sword fell. My biggest wish was to open my eyes and stand up.

    “Stop!” Lady Jun commanded. I was still fighting the urge to move and avoid the blow. The sword fell and stopped, resting on my throat. I remained unmoving, but the cold edge of the sword made me feel as if I walked into an ice-house.

    Li Qing Jun was breathing rapidly. I suddenly felt a surge of regret in my heart. If the command to halt Hua Qian’s sword had delayed just a little bit, then my life would be pouring out through a split neck. I had no power to resist. Life or death was no longer in my hands.

    Hua Qian sucked in a nervous breath. With a sigh Li Qing Jun exclaimed, “Sheath your sword.”

    Clang!

    The sword went back into it’s sheath. Hua Qian said nothing. Like she was talking to herself Li Qing Jun spoke, “You know why I want you to kill him?”

    “Lady Jun! I dare not guess.”

    “For the last four years you have been my top female warrior, and during that time I have thought of you like a little sister as well, what couldn’t we say to each other?.”

    Hua Qian whispered, “In the past whenever it came to men in Lady Jun’s heart, they only seemed to be an amusing toy, just like Na Ming, and only as long as those toys entertained you. However, this Divine Strength King could possibly conquer Lady Jun, and that is why you wanted to kill him. You did not want to be his captive in love.

    Hua Qian knew better than anyone else Lady Jun’s hidden thoughts, because he had already become my prisoner of love, long ago. If my father Lan Ling knew that his son would play such a game with love, I wonder how he would feel. I felt a smile form in my heart.
    --=={Grundle}==--

  7. #107
    Senior Member SkyWalker's Avatar
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    Thanks for the long awaited update Grundle!

    Looks like we have another XSL in the making. Lan Te is another dude who can easily make any woman fall in love with him. What else is new?

  8. #108
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    Even more pr0n in this excerpt, so be forewarned. And so this marks the end of Chapter 5.

    Skywalker - no I don't see him as another XSL. XSL just likes pretty girls, but Lan Te is sort of forced into this. He had other opportunities to be precocious with women and didn't take them. Of course I could be wrong o.O

    -----
    Li Qing Jun said, “Then why didn’t I kill him?” Hua Qian replied, “I am puzzled by that.” Lady Jun’s footsteps rang out as she paced back and forth across the room while she pondered this question. When men and women were involved in such issues even the people who were involved had a hard time understanding it. Li Qing Jun stopped saying, “If I killed him now he would leave an imposing image behind within my heart, then I would cherish his memory, suffer insomnia, and my body would waste away. If that happened he would be victorious again, but if I let him live I give him an opportunity to show his weakness. I would then gradually grow to hate him, and at that time I could kick him aside with no lingering attachment.”

    I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, in all the world there was actually a woman like this! Generally, compared to men, women needed love as nourishment, yet Li Qing Jun saw love as a struggle, which is also why she is such a rare creature. Now that I knew exactly how much she loved me, I realized that she was going to be a great help in stealing the canon of wisdom.

    Li Qing Jun said, “Hua Qian, why are you so silent?” She whispered, “I don’t know what to say.” Li Qing Jun sighed again as she changed to topic, “The top army generals will arrive no later than tomorrow evening, so you have to prepare a welcoming ceremony. I really don’t understand why they are spending so much effort for the son of Lan Ling. Although Mo Nu is relatively small, they shouldn’t be taken lightly. We have confronted them seven times and not once have we been able to gain even the slightest advantage.”

    I strained to hear more hoping that she would keep talking. Instead Li Qing Jun said, “It is late! Time to rest.” Hua Qian said, “Do you want me to wake him up?”

    Li Qing Jun softly said, “Let me do it.” In the direction of Hua Qian footsteps were leaving the room.

    Li Qing Jun approached the bed and sat down. Extending her delicate hands she began to gently stroke my face. The Divine Strength King mask was exceptionally made so I was not worried that she would discover the secret.

    A pungent odor reached my nose. I began to stir my body before I suddenly opened my eyes to see Li Qing Jun pretending to hold cold expression in her beautiful eyes.

    I already knew her true feelings, so I wasn’t deceived by her detached expression. I reached my arm out and hooked it around her neck, firmly pulling her face to mine.

    I heard the first songs of birds as I sealed her lips with mine. I really enjoyed kissing her because she was able to make men feel as if she was a loveable creature.

    I suddenly thought about Lady Jun, Xi Qi, Black Widow, and Hua Qian, and compared to Bai He Hua [I believe this is the emperor’s daughter mentioned in an earlier chapter] they are all top class beauties. Although I have never seen Bai He Hua’s face her allure and charm is far above any of the others. If I ever get the opportunity I must see her true appearance.

    What followed next was the extreme pleasure a man and a woman share as we began to have sex. I do not know how Lady Jun acted when she was with the other “pampered men”, but when she was under my body she engaged wholeheartedly. Her lack of reservations really flattered me.

    At this moment she was a beautiful woman head over heels in love. At this point in time nobody would believe that she could be as vicious and poisonous as a viper. When my father was still alive he used to say that each person had many faces and hearts. As long as you looked for it, even the most brutal people could love and be benevolent. The Lady Jun that I was with now was undeniably the most attractive side she had to offer.

    Although I have an ulterior motive, I still need to guard against being swept up in the passion burning hotly in her.

    When I woke up in the morning she was still tightly wrapped around me like an octopus. I sighed.

    She immediately woke up and suspiciously looked at me with her beautiful eyes saying, “Why did you sigh?”

    Although she just woke up her breath was still like an orchid, which means her physique was far better than an ordinary person. With strong emotion I said, “What if war didn’t exist in this world and there was only love, wouldn’t that be great?” In my mind I was thinking of my father, my family, Xi Qi, and Qi Bei who were all victims of hatred. One day when my identity is exposed the embracing arms of this lovely young woman, will also cruelly put me to death.

    Like a white cloud or a fly on a dog, the things of the world will always change. Lady Jun gently left my arms and got out of bed. Last night she threw her robe on the ground next to the bed. The muscles of her back were tight forming perfect lines that should never be changed. Her skin was radiant and glimmered until her seductive body was concealed in the robe. Only then was I able to breath normally again. Glancing back at me she smiled, which looked like a peony bursting into full bloom. I hopped out of bed and came up behind her.

    She jumped in surprise and moved a few steps away. The fog of love left her eyes clouded, but she quickly regained her calm. I weakly said, “Lady! I have a request.”

    She frowned, “Don’t make arrogant demands, I can make you rich and powerful, but I can also take everything away from you.” She was still wary of me.

    I knew that the only way to win her heart was to make a different request than what she usually heard the first time. Both in spirit and in essence I cannot allow her to think that I have attached myself to her like some kind of parasite.

    I raised my eyebrows and looked deeply into her eyes, “Life is too short and will pass by quicker than I can snap my fingers. If you want you can spend the whole day keeping track of other people, still there are more interesting things we could do.”

    A mocking look flashed across Li Qing Jun’s face, “For you life is like that, but not for me. There are somethings in this world that if you don’t take care of them they will destroy your dreams.” I was startled by this. There seemed to be a much deeper meaning to what she was saying, but I wasn’t sure what it could be.

    She turned to leave the room. As she walked out the door she said, “In hateful world, kindness is only for the weak. If you don’t ride on other people, they will trample you under their feet.”

    Clang! Surprised Li Qing Jun turned around to stare at my sword that had left the sheath. I faintly said, “If you do not listen to my request then I will kill my way out of this cheap house and go back to my free life.”

    An angry light shot from her eyes. With an icy voice she said, “You have to force your way out?”

    “There are three things that I am not afraid of. I am not afraid of pain, I am not afraid of bloodshed, and I am not afraid of death.” A change flashed through Li Qing Jun’s eyes, “Do you wish to stop me too?” I let out a long laugh before staring at her heroically, “Never! You are the first woman that I have ever loved, no matter how you treat me, I could never hurt you. My escape is only between your servants and I.”

    Li Qing Jun looked at me in silence as tenderness slowly replaced the anger in her eyes. She softly leaned against the door saying, “There is actually a stupid egg like you on this earth, speak your request now!”

    Stopping while I was ahead I knelt down, “I only ask that Lady Jun set me free.” With a sigh Li Qing Jun said, “You said that you love me, so why are you making such a request?”

    I stood up with a smile, “Who said I am going? I just don’t want to be another one of your ‘pampered men’. I wish to come and go as I please instead of being confined to this palace waiting every day for you to summon me, pining every night for you to come to me.”

    “Then what kind of person are you?”

    I shrugged, “That is up to you to decide.”

    Li Qing Jun said, “I really don’t know what to do with you. You don’t have any outstanding military achievements, but I can’t make any special exceptions just to promote you into the rainbow army. The palace defenses are under Hua Qian’s care. Ai! I guess I have no choice. For now you will be my temporary bodyguard.”

    Once again I knelt down and respectfully said, “Thank you Lady Jun.” I was suddenly hard, then suddenly soft, suddenly proud, then suddenly humble. I did it all to make sure she was a confused as possible.

    Of course my strongest currency was that she was still completely infatuated with me otherwise even if I knew a thousand different martial arts it would have been useless.

    Li Qing Jun said, “Hua Qian will come here to give you some directions. This evening, in the main hall, there will be a grand banquet to welcome my big brother’s arrival. You must be careful. If you offend him, even I can’t protect you.”

    My heart was beating wildly until she disappeared through the door. I had just gained the freedom to act within the palace. It was the most important component to my success. I had already agreed to steal the canon of wisdom within seven days and today was already the seventh day. It can be said that my time was running out.

    Although Li Qing Jun gave me freedom, but she will still have somebody secretly watching me. I still need to tread carefully. One wrong step will lead to disaster. After I bathed and dressed, Hua Qian sent someone to take me to the main hall where hundreds of maids and guards were busily preparing for tonight’s banquet. Compared to the main hall the Wisdom Palace was like a tiny room. There were twenty-four towering pillars holding up an arched ceiling. A long table was placed in the middle of the hall, which was big enough to accommodate hundreds of people. Hua Qian walked over to me and looked at me with complex emotions flitting through her eyes. Indifferently I said, “Hello.”

    Hua Wian stared at me before coldly saying, “How did you manage to get this reward?” Although she spoke rudely, I carefully observed the rules of etiquette. At the banquet all the rules would have to be carefully observed. I could tell that she still had a good impression of me. It is really difficult to understand a woman’s mind. According to my calculations she already gave me up to Lady Jun, so she should hate me to the bone by now. All day long I was under Hua Qian’s guidance touring the entire palace. When we reached the wisdom palace where I first met Lady Jun Hua Qian reminded me, “Lady Jun has decreed that the wisdom palace is off limits. It is her resting place and except for when someone is summoned, nobody may enter. The penalty for disobedience is beheading.”

    My mind immediatly began to race. Apparently underneath the wisdom palace is a hidden room. Most likely the canon of wisdom has been hidden there. A bold plan began to form in my mind.

    I noticed there were a lot of people. All of them were palace guards. At last it was nearly sunset and a guard uniform was delivered to me. After putting it on, I felt a little bit more impressive.

    End of Chapter 5
    --=={Grundle}==--

  9. #109
    Senior Member Shi-Potian's Avatar
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    wooot another magnificent translation grundle i love it. thanks for your continued updates i love this novel.

  10. #110
    Senior Member SkyWalker's Avatar
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    Thanks for the update Grundle!

    Quote Originally Posted by Grundle View Post

    Skywalker - no I don't see him as another XSL. XSL just likes pretty girls, but Lan Te is sort of forced into this. He had other opportunities to be with women and didn't take them.
    What I meant is that like XSL, Lan Te is another irresistible man. Every women who met XSL fell deeply in love with him and it looks like Lan Te is the same in that respect. For now, Lan Te doesn't seem like a playboy but that's because he's busy running for life. We're only 5 chapters in and there are already 4 women who's in love with him. I'm sure there will be plenty more to come!

  11. #111
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    Grundle, Thanks for picking this up again..

  12. #112
    Senior Member Grundle's Avatar
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    Skywalker - Ah okay, yes I think you are right about that.
    littleli - No Problem
    Shi-Potian - I love your enthusiasm.

    Notes: There are several idioms I had trouble translating. I left their Chinese equivalent out to the side in case someone wants to give me some pointers.

    -------------------
    Chapter 6 - Theft of the Canon of Wisdom

    The emperor and the army generals passed through the city walls that afternoon, however it wasn’t until nightfall that they could navigate through the streets of cheering people and arrive at the palace.

    Lining both sides of the street, spaced 10 paces apart, leading all the way to the palace were black helmet soldiers, each holding a torch high into the air. The road looked like it has been lit by the fiery breath of two mighty dragons.

    Hua Qian and I and more than three hundred other warriors were standing in a tight military formation in Lady Jun’s main palace hall while we waited for these earth shaking figures to arrive.

    Everyone was a little nervous, earlier that day the news passed to everyone’s ear that the emperor could order someone’s death for the most unreasonable infraction.

    Hua Qian stood next to me, her eyes would flit to my face from time to time, but I pretended not to notice.

    The sound of music came from the palace gate, so we knew that the emperor’s majestic entourage was almost here.

    “DANG! DANG! DANG!” rang a bell. The main hall doors opened and in walked Lady Jun escorting a group. Finally the emperor appeared before our eyes.

    Anyone who saw the emperor for the first time would just see a hulking shell of armor. His whole body was encased in shiny, glittering, golden armor. On his head was a helmet that only exposed a pair of eyes that flashed brightly like lightning. His nose and mouth were barely visible through a series of horizontal and vertical slits for breathing. A large red cape unfurled from his shoulders down to his knees. He was an imposing figure towering over everyone else by at least half a head. He looked like a demon straight out of the pit of hell.

    My father told me that one time while he was serving the emperor he ferociously chopped at that suit of armor, but my father not only could not damage the armor but when he made that vicious strike the emperor unexpectedly only swayed his body a little bit which showed that his skill was far beyond an ordinary person.

    His only weakness is his eyes, but to escape from his armor [但尽避他没有甲胄 ????] stabbing him in both eyes is easier said than done. As I pondered these things I couldn’t help but wonder, with such an invincible devil why were they so cautious about invading Mo Nu, not daring to act rashly. The emperor’s gaze swept towards us. Hua Qian and I stood at the head of the welcoming troops who were all lined up. My heart began to quiver, it seemed as if his eyes could bore right through me.

    His eyes swept over me two times, and then slid over to Hua Qian’s face before he ran his eyes over her graceful body. Hua Qian immediately lowered her head. I looked at her out of the side of my eyes just as she began to clench her fists tightly and she faintly began to tremble. [我心中一动] I suspected that the emperor made Hua Qian do some scandalous things, because he is well known as sadistic and wanton tryant.

    The emperor walked past us into the great hall as he approach the large table. Trailing behind him were 8 beautiful women wrapped in soft red gowns, that were his favorite imperial concubines.

    Suddenly my body began to shake as I saw two beautiful women entering the palace hall. The enchanting maiden on the left, with eyes full of emotion, was the princess of the empire. The emperor’s only daughter was wearing a tight fitting warrior’s outfit, but her graceful movement was more noticeable which gave her a charm that was irresistible. She used to be my fiancee, but life suddenly hated me right now. With her I always felt like I was at a disadvantage.

    Another pair of sharp eyes shot to my face. It came from Black Widow whose lover, the Sorcerer, I killed more than a month ago. I immediately collected my thoughts. As long as I am careful not to expose any obvious flaws, nobody here will have the slightest suspicion.

    Black Widow seriously scrutinized me. What could she have possibly found? I relaxed my body doing my best to forget any nervousness until she finally passed me by. I already knew that the Black Widow relied on a strange female sense of intuition. She somehow felt that I could be someone that she was searching for, but wasn’t completely sure. I was already walking on the sharp edge of danger. Behind her was Ge Zhan striding forward purposefully with the emperor’s most elite warriors. Adorning each of their black helmets was a blood red circle. There were only thirty of them in the world, but each one of them was a one out of a million sword master. I already had enough headaches.

    Everyone sat down at the table. In the central hall at the first twenty-four places to sit, across from the main palace door sat the emperor and his eight concubines followed by the elite warriors on both sides who were also there as guards.

    The next to sit on the left hand side was Lady Li Qing Jun, the Commander of the Rainbow Army, and several Moon City officials. On the right hand side sat the beautiful princess, Black Widow, Ge Zhan, and more than a dozen major black helmet generals.

    The empire’s elite were all concentrated within these walls, it was definitely full of a great many brave warriors [猛将如云]. While I pondered I couldn’t help but celebrate how I killed the Sorcerer, one of the emperor’s most important aides. Besides the emperor, he was the most vicious person and because of that I also knew that besides the country of Mo Nu, I had become the emperor’s greatest enemy.

    I, Hua Qian, and twelve guards stood behind Li Qing Jun as her honor guard. Like running water the beautiful palace maids ran about offering every kind of delicacy to the guests, before leaving the hall once again. They were followed by cheerful music, and a group of more than a hundred dancing girls that floated in like butterflies wearing thin transparent costumes. Every single one of them performed several alluring poses that caused all of the men to drool with desire. I quickly looked at the emperor and saw that although he was enjoying the performance of the women, he still had a clear expression with no trace of the lecherous gaze of the other men. Ge Zhan’s eyes frequently fell on the princess, revealing the object of his desire, which was the princess above all else. Ge Zhan was extremely ambitious, if he could catch the princess then he would be next in line to inherit the empire.

    When my eyes moved from the princess to Black Widow the immediately encountered her eyes. I was so scared I almost turned around to flee. I think she recognized who I am. Even if I can change my physical appearance, I can’t change my eyes, my body type or my height. Why doesn’t she expose me? Could it be that she wants to toy with me like a cat playing with a mouse?

    The dancing stopped and the girls withdrew to a chorus of applause. The emperor raised his glass and with a deep, magnetic voice said, “Lady Li Qing Jun established Moon City and increased it to the power it enjoys today, claiming a great achievement. Let us salute her with a toast.”

    Everyone loudly responded and all drank a cup. There was an air of excitement. Li Qing Jun toasted next, “Li Qing would like to offer her best wishes for the empire’s crushing victory over Mo Nu.”

    Everyone drank again. Ge Zhan stood up and loudly proclaimed, “As long as the emperor gives Ge Zhan four divisions, Ge Zhan guarantees he can break through the walls of Mo Nu within ten days, and wipe them out.” The emperor had a total of ten divisions, the division had a total of 100,000 soldiers, while the others had about 50,000 soldiers each. The power of four divisions would already be greater than the entire military might of Mo Nu. As usual the attacking military must be greater than the defending force, therefore Ge Zhan’s heroic speech was actually meaningless. I really wanted to see how the emperor would answer him.

    “Ge Zhan sit down. I already have a detailed plan about to be put into action, otherwise I wouldn’t have brought you to Moon City.”

    Something wasn’t right, in the past the emperor fought all across the country, so why was he so reluctant to attack Mo Nu. There had to be a secret reason for this caution.

    Ge Zhan expressed his loyalty confidently and sat back down. He proudly looked around and his stare went straight to Li Qing Jun.

    “Heng!” was Li Qing Jun’s cold response. I was behind her so naturally I heard her. I realized that Li Qing Jun and Ge Zhan were both struggling to inherit the empire.

    Ge Zhan hoped to marry the princess which would put him on equal footing with Li Qing Jun.

    In addition the Sorcerer was dead, and besides the emperor and Lady Li Qing Jun, he was the most powerful person in the empire. When Ge Zhan said that he would wipe out Mo Nu, he was actually pointing out Li Qing Jun’s inability to adequately deal with them. The commander of the rainbow army and the moon city dignitaries all had an unhappy look on their faces. The emperor’s helmet made him more enigmatic and it was difficult to understand what he was thinking.

    Li Qing Jun was not easy to provoke as laughter like a silver bell rang out drawing everyone’s attention to her. Li Qing Jun said derogatorily[轻描淡写], “I heard that Lan Ling’s son Lan Te escaped from Sun City, and that up until now Ge Zhan still hasn’t been able to capture him. In fact I heard that even the Sorcerer tried to help him and died in the process. How is that coming along? Ge Zhan should lead, if necessary, and if it can’t be avoided Lady Jun will certainly give her full assistance.”

    This time it was Ge Zhan and his trusted generals whose faces changed. Although on the surface her words were polite and respectful she was actually criticizing Ge Zhan’s incompetence by saying that he couldn’t deal with one person let alone the entire country of Mo Nu.

    When I heard my named mentioned I couldn’t help but concentrate on everyone else’s reactions. The emperor was still unreadable, however I the gaze of two people fall on me. The first came from Black Widow, and the other actually came from Hua Qian. For a little while I couldn’t help but complain to myself about my bad luck. Black Widow said nothing, and now Hua Qian also suspected my original identity.

    Hua Qian already saw me once before I was disguised as the Divine Strength King. She only had to see one of those reward posters to know that I was already in Moon City, so how come she never said anything?

    When the princess heard my name a look of anger flashed across her face, after all I was once her fiance.

    Being a slippery villain Ge Zhan knew he couldn’t win this debate so instead he laughed, “If it becomes necessary I will certainly rely on the support of Lady Jun. Within Moon City Lady Jun has been training swordsmen, over the years you have to have discovered several outstanding talents. Can we have a demonstration?”
    Last edited by Grundle; 10-20-10 at 05:30 PM.
    --=={Grundle}==--

  13. #113
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    Default We want more... more... more :D

    This is getting real exciting... I think you left the book in a good place when you whent for your working break, because this reading is really exciting and i dident have to reread to enjoy it
    Ali Derhamy

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    And the tension rises. I can't wait.

    <Thanks Grundle>

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    Thanks for the update Grundle.

    This part is very intense! I wonder how Lan Te will get himself out of this predicament. Can't wait for more update.

  16. #116
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    omg so happy. i hope lan te gives the demonstration embarrassing the shit out of ge zhan, and simultaneously elevating lady jun.

    thanks for the update grundle, and as always i am deeply appreciative.

  17. #117
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    I am feeling malicious today, so this one ends with a cliff hanger.

    Shi-Potian - I hope so too
    Skywalker, CNFProf - Your welcome!
    aliderhamy - yes, I think I left on a lull. It is definitely much more exciting now.


    --------

    From top to bottom the nobles of the empire were blood-thirsty people and they were accustomed to having a feast before martial competitions. Ge Zhan’s request not only diverts everyone’s attention away, but he can also humiliate Li Qing Jun in the process. By killing two birds with one stone he is as ruthless as ever.

    Li Qing Jun definitely could not retreat, “Ling Bai, I order you to seek advice from Commander Ge Zhan” She challenged Ge Zhan to a fight in order to belittle his status, and if he was defeated he would also be shamed in the process. Ling Bai answered from behind the Red Army Commander and stepped forward. He had a valiant figure, and like a typical warrior he wasn’t afraid to die in combat. If he could answer to Lady Li Qing Jun’s challenge, naturally he had to be one of the finest people Moon City had to offer. I just didn’t know how he compared to Na Ming.

    I thought to myself that if Li Qing Jun wanted the most powerful person to come out and fight she would have picked me since I defeated Na Ming to obtaint he title of number one swordsman in Moon City. Could it be that she truly has some real affection and took pity on me? Ge Zhan’s repulsive laughter erupted, “Only if Lady Jun is willing to personally compete, otherwise I will have to ask my soldier, Er Lang, to play with your soldier.”

    Suddenly the hall filled with absolute silence, it was nothing less than Ge Zhan issuing a personal challenge to Lady Li Qing Jun. If she declined everyone would get the impression that she was weak and cowardly. Ge Zhan was as crafty as a fox.

    The only reason I could escape from Ge Zhan’s clutches was due to Qi Bei’s experience, but unfortunately he was dead. There was also Xi Qi, who I would have already taken to be my wife by now.

    Li Qing Jun had a cold expression on her face, both eyes were radiating a severe light as she stared at Ge Zhan. Ge Zhan coldly returned her stare not yielding an inch.

    Both of them shared deep enmity, and the hall was filled with their mutual hostility, just like the mountain rain which only comes with a raging wind. The emperor gave a long laugh drawing the attention of both sides back to him.

    The emperor turned toward Ling Bai saying, “Young man, what is your name?”

    Trembling with fear Ling Bai conscientiously replied, “This small person is the Red Army Vice Commander Ling Bai.” The emperor praised, “Good! If you can win this one game I will give you a hundred gold coins!”

    Ling Bai loudly agreed, one gold coin was enough to buy three female slaves, it was a considerable amount of wealth. I was secretly alarmed at how easily the emperor had dissolved the tense stalemate, by using this ambition person.

    The dining hall suddenly returned to a festive atmosphere. It was now Ge Zhan’s turn to choose someone to compete. Ge Zhan’s fierce eyes swept over the clamoring troops, and then he clapped his hands several times. A man appeared from the back who was tall and thin, but his back was perfectly straight. He was a soldier about thirty years old. He strode into the empty space in the middle of the hall, knelt towards the emperor and respectfully said, “Small person is from the Black Helmet Warriors, Captain of the third legion, Wu Yuan Shen. I ask the emperor’s permission to fight Ling Bai.”

    The emperor mildly responded, “If you win you will also receive a hundred gold coins.” Wu Yuan Shen agreed, stood up, and turned around to face Ling Bai.

    “Ting! Ting!” Two swords simultaneously left their scabbards. I noticed that Wu Yuan Shen had no expression on his face, that wasn’t a good sign. Ling Bai’s strength was his bravery, but it was also his weakness. If he can’t win in the first round then his bravery will turn into exhaustion. Wu Yuan Shen is cold and merciless, but full of resilience. His strength will only grow as time passes. In making that choice, Ge Zhan revealed what he was thinking.

    “Clang!” Both swords struck each other. Suddenly Ling Bai magnificantly flourished his sword, it moved like a violent storm towards Wu Yuan Shen and swept him up. It looked like he was already about to lose the battle, it was hard to deal with. He continuously retreated, but I knew he was only defending and didn’t attack at all. He retreated, but was not confused, which meant he was waiting for the brave Ling Bai to use up all of his strength.

    The people from the rainbow army on Lady Jun’s side were wildly cheering to encourage Ling Bai even more.

    However, Li Qing Jun and Hua Qian both had creased brows, which meant they weren’t pleased by what they saw. As expected, after Wu Yuan Shen retreated twenty three paces Ling Bai’s sword faltered. Wu Yuan Shen immediately shifted with a loud shout as his sword burst into motion with four quick strikes, forcing Ling Bai to retreat awkwardly to his right. On Wu Yuan Shen’s seventeenth stance he thrust forward and Ling Bai screamed miserably. His sword fell to the ground while he held his sword arm with his left hand, and staggered back in retreat.

    Wu Yuan Shen didn’t pursue, but turned toward the emperor and saluted him with his sword. Immediately someone came out to help Ling Bai leave the palace hall. I angrily thought about how cruel Wu Yuan Shen was. It looked like he had gentle swordsmanship, but he actually severed the tendon in Ling Bai’s right hand. In the future that brave young man would never hold a sword in his right hand again. It was obvious that Ge Zhan and Li Qing Jun didn’t hold back at all in their struggle against each other. The people on Ge Zhan’s side burst out into deafening cheers.

    As for Ling Qing Jun’s people they were all humiliated by this defeat. Ge Zhan triumphantly said, “Lady Jun, it’s your call. Is there anyone else interested in competing with Wu Yuan Shen?”

    Li Qing Jun clenched her teeth and look through the high ranking warriors on her side. Everyone that she looked at either intentionally or unconsciously avoided her gaze. Obviously none of them wanted fight this battle and end up like Ling Bai. They were also scared they would be ordered to.

    If Li Qing Jun can’t save face she would never be able to face Ge Zhan again. From within the helmet the emperor’s eyes darted around in cruel excitement, because the slightest thing could cause his subjects to massacre each other.

    At that moment I shouted, “Let me try!” Every eye in the hall was focused on me. I dare not look at Black Widow or the princess as I moved from behind Li Qing Jun into the empty space within the hall. I turned back around towards Lady Jun, saluted her and waited for her instructions. She tenderly cried out, “Emperor please allow bodyguard Divine Strength King to compete.”
    --=={Grundle}==--

  18. #118
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    You are indeed evil Grundle!! How can you end it there? Too tense! What is Lan Te thinking? Once he starts fighting, his identity will be revealed. Can't wait for more. Thanks for the update.

  19. #119
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    i know i shouldn't get attached to lady jun since lan te must eventually betray her, and become her enemy. i just cannot help liking her though, and wanting lan te to defend her.

    she may be a capable, intelligent, and powerful women, but it seems to me like she is being bullied, and cornered on all sides. i really hope lan te can stand up for her, and earn her alot of face while smearing shit on ge zhan.

    aiya, i really hope she's not a tragic heroine like zhao ya in asitp.

    left the translation at a very intense moment, and have me salivating for more hehe.

    thanks grundle i am deeply appreciative of the time, and effort you put into translating this magnificent novel.

  20. #120
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    Here is the end to chapter 6. Wow it is very exciting! There is even a really clique ending to it which I couldn't help but laugh at, but it still made it great.

    Shi-Potian - You must be the number one fan of this novel. Your enthusiasm gives me a big grin.


    -----

    I thought I better support Lady Li Qing Jun if I wanted to prove myself worthy to be called a heroic man among all these women [remember that all bodyguards are female except for Lan Te]. Because I suddenly went out to ask for a fight, I already generated some momentum. If I had waited for Lady Jun to act and then went to ask for the emperor’s approval, I would have had no momentum at all. This time Lady Jun acted on my behalf to ask the emperor for permission. As long as the emperor agrees I will immediately attack while Wu Yuan Shen is still feeling high and mighty.

    The emperor chuckled and then shouted, “As you wish!” Swish! My sword left it’s scabbard.

    I saluted the emperor while I looked at Wu Yuan Shen out of the corner of my eyes. Slowly his sword tip pointed towards me as a murderous aura filled the hall.

    Li Qing Jun’s humiliated side erupted into a deafening roar of cheers.

    Wu Yuan Shen assumed a stance. I already restrained his spirit and harmony, he had been caught completely off guard which he found very troubling. He knew nothing about what I could do, which was the number one taboo for swordsmen.

    Everyone was shouting themselves hoarse. I concentrated on Wu Yuan Shen until he seemed to be the only person left between heaven and earth.

    “Pu Pu Pu! “ I straightened my body and slowly took three heavy steps away from Wu Yuan Shen. We were now ten feet apart as I slowly raised my hanging sword from the ground up to my chest.

    Wu Yuan Shen violently shouted, reversing the tactics he used to deal with Ling Bai, rushing to attack first. The point of his sword vibrated and made a buzzing sound. Like a poisonous dragon it rushed swiftly towards my throat. I secretly praised him, he was worthy to be called a master. I already saw it coming and also knew that it wouldn’t work because I am better, therefore I would turn defense into offense. It’s a pity that his opponent is none other than the number one swordsman of the empire Lan Ling’s son, who escaped from Sunrise City where Qi Bei added to Lan Ling’s training and made me an even more cunning and formidable swordsman. Otherwise the Sorcerer would not have died by my hands, Ge Zhan wouldn’t have suffered such heavy losses, and I wouldn’t have been able to infiltrate here. Before I killed anyone I wanted to publicly show off my skills. My sword didn’t speed up, nor did it slow down, long ago I already predicted he would use the same kind of attack.

    The sword made a “Ding!” sound as it’s tip pierced through Wu Yuan Shen’s heavy sword influence. His body jerked and he immediately began to retreat. The whole hall was suddenly silent.

    My body didn’t tremble in the slightest. As if nothing had happened I continued to force Wu Yuan Shen to retreat. My mouth was softly humming as my sword kept an even pace before I made a slice towards Wu Yuan Shen.

    If he was smart enough he would realize that the best thing he could do was admit his defeat, then I couldn’t kill him or even hurt him. Unfortunately the most important thing to a swordsman is their reputation, life is only secondary. Wu Yuan Shen let out a harsh grunt as his sword tip suddenly turned into a hundred tips sprinkling towards me.

    I accurately calculated his false strikes from his killing strikes based on the angle and velocity of his sword. Slightly tilting my body to the side I quickly accelerated my sword changing a chop into a slice and then changed the slice into a thrusting attack.

    The sword energy rushed forth as the atmosphere in the main hall became cold again. “Ching! Ching!”

    I quickly moved backwards, and in a flash Wu Yuan Shen and I were already more than twenty feet apart. I had moved in such a relaxed way that it instantly revealed a huge difference between us.

    The hundreds of people in the hall didn’t make the smallest sound. Wu Yuan Shen stood there motionless, his eyes radiating a fierce expression as he stared into the distance. When his eyes came back to me he lifted his sword back up as if to advance when his sword began to tremble. Suddenly blood began to stream from his right armpit as a blood red stain spread across the chest and right arm of his uniform. Wu Yuan Shen’s face turned pale, his sword clattered to the floor, before he crumbled down after. Cheers erupted from Li Qing Jun’s group, while the faces in Ge Zhan’s group all went ashen. Now the other side had no chance to reclaim victory, unless Ge Zhan decided to personally engage. I saluted the emperor and Li Qing Jun. A joyful expression danced within Lady Jun’s eyes as she happily said, “You were also wounded.” I examined the cut on my left elbow, there was a little blood seeping out, “It’s just a flesh wound, nothing major.” If I didn’t let myself get injured on purpose, Wu Yuan Shen’s sword would have never stained my skin in the slightest.

    By now Wu Yuan Shen had people treating his injury. The wound he received was appropriate, since his arm was now similar Ling Bai’s. He could never hope to hold a sword with it again.

    The emperor loudly laughed, “A complete victory! My empire has no lack of talented people. The sun can delay the conquest of Mo Nu for only so long.”

    Having gained the upper hand Li Qing Jun raised her cup to toast the emperor, “Many blessings to the emperor to achieve the great accomplishment of conquering all lands beneath the sky.”

    Everyone loudly drank. I moved to stand behind Li Qing Jun again. With genuine pity she said, “Why don’t you leave the banquet and get bandaged up before you come back.” I was looking forward to hearing those words. I deliberately let myself get injured so that I would have an excuse to leave the banquet and execute my plan. Since both Black Widow and Hua Qian have probably seen through my disguise, even though I don’t know why they haven’t exposed me yet, the longer I wait the more obstacles appear, so while all the important people are concentrated in here I decided to take advantage of a golden opportunity to steal the canon of wisdom, secretly leave Lady Jun’s palace, and escape to Mo Nu. I accepted her order and left, walking straight out of the main hall. The rainbow army commander gave me a respectful nod. From a single fight I turned into an extremely popular person. As I left I valiantly strode through several rows of Black Helmet soldiers.

    After I left Lady Jun’s palace I immediately went to Wisdom Palace, the guards along the way were all extremely respectful. Wisdom Palace was West of Lady Jun’s main palace, Southeast of the palace gates. Even if I could steal the canon of wisdom, escaping from the palace was going to be quite troublesome.

    As I passed by the front of the palace, it was heavily guarded as I easily avoided the two patrols while moving to the back of the palace. The first time I met Li Qing Jun I was impressed when I saw her bodyguards leave through the back of the palace. If I can find that secret entrance, then I can dodge the soldiers guarding the front door and sneak into the palace.

    In Lady Jun’s palace every building had it’s own garden, the Wisdom Palace was no exception. Tonight the moon was big and round, the moonlight sprinkled down as the soft grass sparkled, the trees cast shadows upon the ground, and the garden was unified in one single color.

    I quickly, but carefully calculated the place where they would have come out, when I was attracted to a clearing within the trees, because that barren spot within the dense trees was out of harmony with the layout of the rest of the garden. Not until I noticed the grass trampled by their feet did I discover the entrance hidden in a four foot area. Inside I felt empty.

    At last I found the secret entrance to Wisdom Palace. I carefully examined the clearing only to see that within the grass there were two rings, which I grabbed with my hands, and just as I was about to lift I had a disconcerting thought! Wasn’t this a little too easy? I was already so close to success, I couldn’t afford to fall short.

    With the help of the moonlight I noticed that the color on the bottom of the rings was different from the rest. That should be caused by friction, which would only be caused when the ring rotated against the iron panel underneath, leaving traces of iron on the rings. There were also scratches in the iron, the right ring should be turned left, and the left ring should be turned to the right. Without wasting any time, I acted according to my observations and turned the rings. I heard a rumbling noise that ended with a click. The secret door was open. I don’t know what the consequences of opening the door wrong were, but in short it can’t be good. Most likely if I had pulled on the rings, the iron panels would have rotated open revealing a group of secret guards. A faint light came from the tunnel and I cheered to myself. This proved clearly that the tunnel connected all the way through, otherwise the light wouldn’t have reached so far.

    I carefully jumped in, there was barely enough room for one person to pass through. It wasn’t long before I found the exit and entered into the Wisdom Palace hall, the light emitted by the lamp was unspeakably lonely and desolate. The first time I came to this building I carefully observed the layout of the hall for the most likely place to hide the Canon of Wisdom, which should be around Lady Jun’s bed. The bed was situation on top of many animal skins that radiated out several feet in all directions. Lifting the skins I couldn’t help cheering loudly as I saw a stone staircase leading downwards. I went down and entered a wide room.

    In the center of the room was a small table that had an iron chest on top of it. My heart began to beat wildly as I walked up to it and opened the box. “The Canon of Wisdom Codex Manuscript” six characters appeared.

    Six booklets of the Canon of Wisdom were quietly lying in the box. I felt a thrill run through my heart, those six booklets of the Canon of Wisdom caused my father and Qi Bei to become enemies, they also were the reason the empire and Mo Nu continued to prosper by teaching them the lost knowledge of the people who came before including construction, casting iron, making paper, mathematics, languages, and countless other things. It was the source of the entire civilized world.

    I took the six booklets, placed them in a bag I had prepared beforehand and strapped it to my back. I swear as long as I have breath nobody will be able to take them away from me.

    I climbed the stone steps to the Wisdom hall again and crawled out from beneath the skins when I felt that something was not right.

    A pair of severe eyes were staring at me. Hua Qian was standing ten feet away from me, her eyes were riveted on me. An ice-cold chill spread through my heart.

    Hua Qian said, “Whats that on your back noble child, Lan Te?” I strongly pushed down the surprise I felt in my heart and in no time dealt with it. Calmly I looked at Hua Qian, her sword was still sheathed and it looked like she was alone. Of course all she had to do was scream and a hoard of guards would flood in here.

    I stood in front of her looking into her bright eyes and softly said, “When did you see through my disguise?”

    Hua Qian said, “The moment you beat Na Ming I recognized you. Your eyes were filled with so much anger and resentment, as long you have seen it once, you would never forget.” Her voice was surprisingly calm, which made her even more unfathomable.

    I sighed and abruptly rushed forward thrusting my sword forward, striking at her throat. She didn’t move, not even batting an eye, as my sword stopped barely an inch away from her throat, but didn’t actually pierce it.

    I coldly asked, “Why didn’t you call out or try to fight?” Hua Qian watched me attentively, a torrent of emotion flowed through her eyes as she sadly said, “You still don’t realize the feelings I have for you?”

    Startled, I withdrew my sword. Outwardly Hua Qian appeared to be strong and indifferent, yet her heart was overflowing with passion.

    I said, “What do you plan to do? Lady Li Qing Jun has never treated you bad.” Hua Qian lowered her head, “That could never compensate for the damage the emperor did to me. I have been waiting for this day for more than three years.”

    It was just as I thought, “What did the emperor do?” Hua Qian avoided my eyes and said, “Qick! We must leave immediately.” I replied, “You know where I want to go?”

    Lifting up her head Hua Qian fixed me with a firm expression, “No matter where you go I only ask that you let me follow at your side.”

    I was touched, with Hua Qian my chances of escaping Lady Jun’s palace had just increased to one hundred percent.

    I followed after Hua Qian swaggering out the palace door as the guards respectfully saluted us.

    Upon leaving the palace we grabbed two spirited horses and rushed to the north. We encountered several patrols of black helmet soldiers, but when they saw Lady Jun’s right hand advisor Hua Qian, who would dare stop her? Reaching the northern edge of the city Hua Qian called to open the gate. In the same way we passed through the garrison of soldiers stationed outside of the city and quickly entered into the wilderness.

    A river border separated Mo Nu and the empire from each other. In the empire it was known as Moon River, but the people of Mo Nu have always called it Mo Nu River. In front of us we heard the rumbling of drums, and to the right, upstream, we could vaguely see a huge fleet of imperial ships with flags fluttering, it was a magnificent sight. Hua Qian and I quickly turned and went downstream.

    As we galloped, there was still a wide expanse to reach the river. Hua Qian suddenly exclaimed, “They are chasing us.” I strained to hear and sure enough I heard the horns blowing from the walls of Moon City, mixed together with the sound of galloping hoofs giving chase. I was horrified, and in amazement I wondered how could they have discovered the theft so quickly and even stranger was how they could respond so quickly. It showed just how efficient their communication methods were. My mind flashed back to the day Bai He Hua and I discussed the Canon of Wisdom heist, and the escape route we devised. I shouted, “Follow me!” I urged my horse to run even faster.

    The plain rapidly retreated behind us as we entered a forest of bushes and trees mixed with wilderness. Here we could go full speed.

    The horses were foaming at the mouth, they were close to their physical limits and would fall dead to the ground at any moment, which would also be our approaching doom.

    We finally reached Mo Nu river. The water flowed unceasingly with a strong current, the opposite bank looked like distant pitch black sheet.

    Bai He Hua didn’t exactly say where the rescue boat would appear. We urged our horses to run quickly downstream along this natural military barrier, when my horse suddenly fell forward while I kept going forward as I was thrown into the air. I was still tumbling through the air when I realized that my horse was unable to continue and dropped dead.

    Hua Qian’s horse came quickly from behind, and held her hand out for me. I grabbed her hand and with a small tug I leaped up behind her. Her horse was extremely tenacious and kept charging on, but looking at the foam around it’s mouth was enough to know it didn’t have much longer.

    I looked back towards Moon City and saw a tiny bit of movement. I was afraid that they might send more than a thousand people to chase, which would obviously be difficult to overcome.

    The downstream bank was dark, where did Bai He Hua say her ship would be? “Crack!” The horse finally gave out, falling to it’s knees and throwing us forward.

    With some difficulty we crawled back to our feet. We could already hear the hoof-beats of the pursuing soldiers, it sounded like a sudden clap of thunder in a rainstorm as it unceasingly drummed into the frightened recesses of our hearts.

    Hua Qian said, “Look!” We could see several points of light shining a few hundred feet downstream. I ran ahead, but Hua Qian was relatively weaker as she gasped behind me, “Ouch!”

    I looked back and saw Hua Qian had fallen to the ground. I flew to her side while she gasped, “Go quickly! I can’t make it!” Her beautiful eyes were leaking drops of tears and I found myself remembering the deat Xi Qi. They were both compeltely in love with me.

    I quickly reached down, lifted her from the waist and began to stumble toward the lights. Hua Qian tightly embraced my neck with her face buried into my shoulder. In the world dominated by selfish desires, the act of disregarding life or death for her sake really touched her.

    Our pursuers were getting closer and closer. I cried out in my heart, we were only a hundred feet away, so I had to raise my spirits even higher. I saw a large sailing ship that was already untying to depart.

    Flashing through my mind was my cruelly tortured father, the murdered Qi Bei, the one who was robbed of an ordinary youth Xi Qi. I don’t know where where the power flowed into my already exhausted body, but with a wild shout I quickly accelerated and in the blink of an eye ran several hundred more feet. The boat was now just offshore.

    Using my momentum, like a horse treading the sky, across the gap from the shore, I jumped up on to the deck of the ship.

    As soon as my feet reached the deck, two people fell to the ground and rolled together. Ma Yuan’s voice shouted, “Set sail at full speed!” The sound of hooves exploded from the shore.

    I vaguely felt a pair of powerful hands dragging me off the deck followed by the sound of piercing arrows.

    The ship continued to accelerate but I couldn’t endure any more and passed out.

    End of Chapter 6
    --=={Grundle}==--

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