Lu Xiaofeng Book 5: Mansion of Spirits

[ycb5959]

Thanks for another update

This drinking with scene with Ye Xue sets the tone for the introduction of a new strong character. Unexpectedly the author managed to throw in a funny scene with a parody of the same drinking scene with a jealous (I think) Liu Qingqing and it had me chuckling, especially these lines:

Originally:
“Who’d want to drink with me?” Ye Xue asked.
....
[And she drank with Lu XF]
...

Later:
As soon as he entered the room, Liu Qingqing was already sitting on the floor with an earthen jar of wine, “Who’d want to drink with me?” she asked.

Lu Xiaofeng looked forward, he looked backward, he looked to the right, he looked to the left, and then with a bitter laugh said, “It seems like I am the only one in this room.”

“Can you drink?” Liu Qingqing asked.

“Can I not drink?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“You can’t,” Liu Qingqing replied.

Lu Xiaofeng could only sit down to drink with her. When he sat down, he was already drunk.

[Anh Nam]

Thanks foxs

[LuDongBin]

I am drunk already ... blurp! Thks foxs.

[Jayariyin]

Thanks, foxs.

[foxs]

Ysabel, Clown, Anh, Jaya, you are welcome. ycb, DongBin, ...

---

Lu Xiaofeng laughed, “Of course you didn’t, you are my friend, all along you have been doing me a favor.”

Dugu Mei hesitated; finally he found his courage and said, “But last night I did something wrong.”

“What is it?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Dugu Mei said, “Last night I was also drunk, in my stupor I divulged the secret, and now those three knew that Ye Guhong died under your hands.”

‘Those three’ were, naturally, Cousin, Hook, and Housekeeper.

Lu Xiaofeng could not laugh anymore.

Although they only met once, Lu Xiaofeng understood a person like Ye Xue very well; naturally he understood Ye Ling even better.

“They say that in this place, the most difficult people to be provoked are precisely those two sisters. If they knew this matter, they would definitely find you and staking everything they have to fight you.” Dugu Mei was trying to be very tactful, “I know you are not afraid of them, but it’s easy to dodge the spear in the open, but hard to avoid a stab in the dark; therefore …”

“Therefore what?”

“Therefore it would be best if you’d think of something to shut their mouths.”

Lu Xiaofeng laughed again, he understood Dugu Mei’s intention, “You want me to be a bit friendlier with them, and not set myself against them. If they want me to do something, it would be best if I don’t refuse.”

Dugu Mei stared at him; suddenly he grabbed Lu Xiaofeng’s hand rather hard and said, “I am sorry.”

After speaking those five words [我对不起你 – wo dui bu qi ni], he simply left.

Looking at his stooped back disappearing, Lu Xiaofeng really did not know whether this man was his friend, or someone who at any time could sell his friend?

But right now he only know one thing for sure:

-- Hook and the others would find him and have him doing something very soon.

But what were they going to have him do? He could not think about it, he did not even dare to think about it, and he did not have time to think about it either, because right this time, a flash of sword, a lightning fast sword, was stabbing him.

By this time Dugu Mei had already left for some time, and Lu Xiaofeng was walking along a path, which very soon would lead him to the cottage where Liu Qingqing lived.

The sword flash came precisely from behind the eaves. Not only it was swift, it was also accurate, and vicious too.

He had never expected that someone would ambush him at this place; he nearly did not have any leeway to parry or to evade.

Fortunately, he was Lu Xiaofeng. Fortunately, he still had his hands.

Suddenly he extended his two fingers and clamped.

-- There were thousands upon thousands of people on earth, each one had hands, each pair of hands had fingers.

But these two fingers of him were undoubtedly the most valuable; because these two fingers had saved him countless times.

This time was no exception.

Once the fingers clamped, the blade of the sword was caught between his fingers.

The ice-cold sword blade, strong and powerful, yet it was unable to struggle free from these two fingers. He looked up and saw a pair of cold, yet beautiful eyes.

-- Ye Xue was staring at him.

Lu Xiaofeng sighed inwardly. With a wry smile he said, “You knew?”

Ye Xue stared at him for a very long time before she slowly nodded and said, “Now I know that Lu Xiaofeng is worthy to be Lu Xiaofeng; finally I found the right person.”

There was no hatred in her voice at all. Immediately Lu Xiaofeng tried to probe her out, “Did you come here looking for me, or did you come here to kill me?”

Ye Xue said, “I just want to see your world-famous consummate skill; if you can catch my sword, you are the person I have been looking for.”

“And if I die under your hands?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“You deserve it,” Ye Xue replied.

Lu Xiaofeng could not refrain from forcing a laugh. Since he had not died, naturally he could not help but ask, “So now I am the one you have been looking for?”

Ye Xue nodded. “Come with me,” she said.

Walking along a winding path, passing through secluded and secret forest, and then over a short hillside, they heard the sound of running water.

The water was not flowing fast at all, by this time it was already collected into a small lake, surrounded by lush, green mountain; even the fog was light in this place. If one could sit quietly by the lakeside for half a day, one would forget a lot of worries in his mind.

“I never thought there is such a quiet, beautiful place within the Mansion of Spirits.”

Oftentimes children have their own secret little world. This little world clearly belonged to Ye Xue. Why did she bring Lu Xiaofeng here?

“Actually, what is it that you want me to do?” Lu Xiaofeng could not help asking.

Ye Xue stood by the lake, while lifting her eyes onto the distant mountain, letting her soft hair, like a spring of water, loose on her back.

Her voice was also as soft and as quiet as the spring of water, but what she said was actually shocking. She said, “I want you to be my husband.”

Lu Xiaofeng felt his breathing suddenly stopped.

She turned around to face him and fixed her gaze on him. Her eyes were clear and bright, just like the ripple of water on the middle of the lake.

“I am still a virgin,” she continued, “No man has ever touched me.”

She also guaranteed, “After I am marrying you, I won’t let anybody touch me.”

Lu Xiaofeng sucked a deep breath. “I believe you,” he said.

“So you agree?” Ye Xue asked.

Lu Xiaofeng forced himself to laugh. “I am sure there are other conditions you want me to agree on,” he said.

Ye Xue said, “The matter that I want you to do, it is also beneficial for you.”

“At least I have the right to know what it is first?” Lu Xiaofeng said.

Ye Xue’s gentle and soft eyes suddenly shot a dagger; only deep hatred would produce that kind of sharp gaze. “I want you to help me killing Ximen Chuixue.”

Lu Xiaofeng did not respond; this request was not completely outside his expectation.

“If we can find him,” Ye Xue continued, “He will definitely make his move to kill you; because he won’t give you a second chance to escape.”

With a bitter laugh Lu Xiaofeng said, “Basically, we don’t need to go trying to find him. As soon as I leave this valley, he will immediately find me.”

“I know,” Ye Xue said, “If I go out trying to find him, it would be very difficult. If I want to find him, I must have him find me; that’s the reason why I picked you.”

Lu Xiaofeng said, “You want me to divert his attention, so that you have the opportunity to kill him.”

Ye Xue did not deny. “He will never pay any attention to me,” she said, “Because he hates you, and because he basically does not know who I am. As long as you can catch his sword blade, I definitely will be able to kill him.”

“And if I miss?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Ye Xue said, “Dealing with Ximen Chuixue is actually a very dangerous thing to do, but I have given this matter a lot of thought. As long as you agree, we have at least seventy-percent chance of succeeding.”

“Perhaps your chance is more than seventy-percent,” Lu Xiaofeng said, “because even if I miss, you can still take the opportunity to kill him while his sword is embedded in my chest.”

He chuckled again. But obviously the laughter was forced out. “I am sure you have also considered this point early on, that’s why you can give me guarantee that later on you won’t let anybody touching you, because you want me to die with peaceful heart.”

Ye Xue did not deny either, “Indeed I have thought about it. Although your chance is really not great, I also know that you have always been a gambler; as long as anything’s worth betting on, you will definitely lay down your bet.”

Her clear and bright eyes became even deeper, just like an ocean attracting Lu Xiaofeng’s eyes.

Only after a long, long time was he finally able to look away. Immediately he discovered that she was already stark naked.

The mountain peak was lush green, the lake was clear; she stood quietly over there, exuding an aura of unspeakable pride and beauty.

She deserved to be proud, because her virgin body was indeed completely flawless.

She just looked at Lu Xiaofeng, then, after a long time she slowly said, “As long as you agree, right now I am yours.”

Her voice was brimming with confidence, because she believed that there was absolutely no man in the world could refuse her.

Lu Xiaofeng’s breathing has stopped; it was a long, long time later that he was finally able to speak, “If I refuse you, I am sure there will be a lot of people who’d think that I am crazy. But I …”

Ye Xue’s eyes narrowed, “But you refuse?”

“I just want you to know one thing,” Lu Xiaofeng said.

“Speak up,” Ye Xue said.

“Your Gege did not die under Ximen Chuxue’s sword at all,” Lu Xiaofeng said.

“How did you know?” Ye Xue was emotional.

Lu Xiaofeng said, “When he died, I was standing right in front of him; the blood spilled by the sword almost splashed on me.”

“Whose sword?” Ye Xue asked.

“His own!” Lu Xiaofeng replied.

Ye Xue suddenly screamed like crazy, “You lie, you lie …”

Lu Xiaofeng waited until the echo in the valley disappeared before saying, “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I actually am able to get you, why would I want to lie?”

His words was calm yet sharp, it went straight to penetrate the core.

And then he walked away. He went far, far away before looking back. From behind the willow branches he was still able to see her.

She was still standing motionlessly on the same place, It was as if the entire creation and this mysterious and beautiful creature had dissolved into one entity.

However, who would know the feeling in her heart?

END OF CHAPTER 8

[Justin13]

Thanks buddy!

To my supporters from A Step in the Past, I am really busy working on a new business right now so I cannot spare the time to translate. Thanks for all the recommendations and encouragement.

[szfong]

Hi Justin

I hope your business viable and is not another partnership... As I remember, it didn't work so well the last time...

[Ysabelkid]

Thanks foxs for another update. Will be on vacation till end of the month. Will catch up then.

[Anh Nam]

Thanks foxs

[ycb5959]

Arigato for another one!

Error:

She also guaranteed, “After I am marrying you, I won’t let anybody touch me.”
should be "married to you"

This paragraph doesn't make sense:

Her clear and bright eyes became even deeper, just like an ocean attracting Lu Xiaofeng’s eyes.
Only after a long, long time was he finally able to look away. Immediately he discovered that she was already stark naked.


If LXF looked away (from her eyes), how did he immediately discover that she was already naked?

[LuDongBin]

Thks foxs.

[HPC7595]

Thanks foxs

[ycb5959]

Thanks buddy!

To my supporters from A Step in the Past, I am really busy working on a new business right now so I cannot spare the time to translate. Thanks for all the recommendations and encouragement.

See you back here when your business is firmly established!
And good fortune in your new undertaking!

[Jayariyin]

Thanks, foxs.

[yan 16]

Thanks foxs for picking up this translation!!

[liemkh2k]

I thought Hai Qikuo+Housekeeper were killed by Cousin in Chapter 7:
Quote: Cousin said, “In reality, I can kill you with just a single stance!”

He said a total of eleven words in that sentence. By the seventh word, he had made his move. By the final word, he had already killed Hai Qikuo.

But they were back alive in Chapter 8 .... I am confused

[Anh Nam]

Thanks foxs

[foxs]

Justin, I was half expecting 'and now, a word from our sponsor ...' Ysabel, have a safe trip. Anh, you are welcome, twice. ycb, the original was 过了很久很久，他才能将目光移开，他立刻就发现她已完全赤裸. The way I see it, his eyes were fixed of her eyes that he did not notice anything else. DongBin, HPC, Jaya, Yan, you are welcome. Liem, please re-read earlier part of the Chapter, it was a trap.

---

Chapter 9 – Beauty’s favor
(Translated by Foxs)

Secluded, secret, serene lush-green valley, perfect, flawless virgin body, with clear and bright eyes as gentle as ripples of water …

Lu Xiaofeng tried hard to control himself not to think about it; yet he himself knew that this memory would be forever etched at the bottom of his heart.

He walked as fast as he could, as far as he could. He ought to have reached the pathway leading back by now, yet when he stopped, he discovered that he was even deeper into the mountain.

And then he immediately discovered something dreadful: – he was lost.

A more frightening fact was that all around him the fog was getting thicker, a lot thicker than the Mansion of Spirits. It does not matter how good your vision is, you simply can’t see past two zhang [approx. 6m/20ft] in all direction. No matter which way he took, there was a good possibility that he may be even farther away from the Mansion of Spirits.

But Lu Xiaofeng still wanted to try. He was not the kind of person who would simply sit down, waiting for the cloud to clear, or the fog to disperse.

After walking far way, he still could not find the road. In this unfamiliar forest in the mountain, the most frustrating thing was that in this thick fog, how much longer did he have to walk before he could find his way home?

While he started to feel hungry and tired, when he started to feel anxious, he suddenly smelled something, a breath of life.

Although the aroma was very weak, he could instantly tell that it was the aroma of roasted hare.

Way back when he was a boy, he had established himself as a capable hunter. Even after he grew up, his interest in hunting was still very strong.

Rabbits cannot roast themselves, so where the rabbits are roasted, there must be people around, and the only place with people in that vicinity was the Mansion of Spirits.

He swallowed his own saliva. Although he felt hungrier than ever, his spirit was boosted. After holding his breath for a moment, he took a very deep breath, and immediately decided that the aroma came from somewhere west of here.

His judgement was obviously correct, because after walking along a small path for a while, the aroma was growing thicker and thicker.

The terrain ahead seemed to be even more rugged, and the path seemed to be heading down. The aroma of roasted hare seemed to blend with some kind of rotten stink that only a swamp could produce.

Even if there were people around, this place was definitely not the Mansion of Spirits.

Lu Xiaofeng’s heart sank again. What kind of people would live in this kind of place? He simply could not imagine it.

Right this moment, suddenly there was strange noise ahead. He quickened his pace, and soon saw strange shadow in the midst of thick fog.

He could see that it was in no way a man’s shadow, but it did not look like any beast either; he could not even describe the shadow’s shape.

One thing that he did know was that when he saw the shadow, there was unspeakable dread and nauseating feeling creeping up in his heart, something that made him nearly vomited.

The shadow ahead did not seem to be at peace, it seemed to be twisting and turning continuously. By the time Lu Xiaofeng braced himself and rushed forward, the shadow suddenly disappeared. It disappeared completely, as if it never happened.

Lu Xiaofeng could not help shivering. He stood unmoving, staring blankly for a long time. Suddenly he smelled a whiff of burning charcoal carried by the wind. This must be the place where the rabbit was roasted!

He believed his intuition was correct, yet all around him he did not see any trace of human.

If it were someone else, he would have left early on; perhaps he would have run away as fast as he could.

But Lu Xiaofeng never gave up.

First, he made a mental circle, surrounding the area about ten zhang [1 zhang is approx. 10ft/3m] with an invisible rope. And then he scoured the area just like someone unfolding a roll of rug.

The dirt and dead leaves on the ground was damp, typical of an area around a swamp. Only a piece of ground was unusually dry, it was obvious that the dead leaves covering it were just moved over.

He stooped down and pushed the leaves aside, just like a hunting dog he sniffed the dirt; he even picked up a bit of dirt and tasted it.

Sure enough, the dirt had a flavor of burnt charcoal, with a hint of hare fat. He digged the ground, and found some dried branches, several gnawed pieces of bones, and a Y-shaped piece of branch that was used as roasting fork. There was even a little bit of rabbit meat left on the fork, the cut on the skin was clean and tidy.

Only human’s hands could make such a roasting fork, only human teeth could gnaw the bones and clean the meat on them, moreover, only human cook his meal.

This place must be inhabited.

Not only this person had very skillful hands, he did everything very carefully; if it was not Lu Xiaofeng, others might find it very difficult to find any sign that someone had roasted a rabbit over here.

Who was this person? Why did he come here? Was he also running away from somebody else’s hunt? What was that twisting and turning shadow he had just seen?

Lu Xiaofeng was completely at a loss. But precisely because he was at a loss that he got even more curious.

In his mind right now, whether he was able to find his way back or not has become a less important matter; because he was determined to find the answer to these questions.

The answer must be around here. Yet clearly there wasn’t any clue around here.

Lu Xiaofeng sat down. First he cleaned up the dirt from the rabbit meat, and then tearing it piece by piece, he slowly chewed.

There was no salt, the meat was burnt, plus it had been buried in the dirt; naturally the rabbit meat was tasteless, practically it was inedible.

But he forced himself to finish it.

No matter what he wanted to do, he had to have strength, and hunger was his fatal weakness.

After having something in his stomach, indeed he felt a bit better. He lay down, thinking that he would rest on this pile of soft leaves for a moment before continuing searching around.

Naturally he did not know that as he lay down this time, he nearly could not stand up again, forever.

Like drifting clouds, the fog was floating between the leaves of the trees. As Lu Xiaofeng was lying down, he did feel that the mist was far away like floating clouds in the sky, and he felt that everything was floating farther and farther away from him.

His entire being felt like it suddenly sunk into a soft and sweet, yet bottomless hole. It was as if everything in the world had become distant, become beautiful, and even the most important thing has become insignificant, all the pain and suffering had gone away.

This kind of relaxed and sweet feeling was exactly what everybody was looking for, yet Lu Xiaofeng was feeling a kind of unspeakable dread.

He knew that he was not supposed to feel this way, that he should not feel this way, that his anxiety and burdens should not be put down like this. His greater fear was that when he tried to get up, he found that all muscles and joints in his body felt so relax without any strength left.

Just then, he saw the strange shadow again.

In the fog, the twisting shadow looked like a rag doll that have been twisted by a naughty child; it did not look like a human at all.

Because ‘his’ entire body was soft, every part could be distorted.

Humans have bones, humans have joints. Humans can’t be like that, ‘he’ was definitely not human!

Lu Xiaofeng opened his eyes wide, trying to focus his vision. When he looked clearly enough, he heard the shadow talked.

“You are Lu Xiaofeng?”

The voice was strange, incomprehensible and sounded slow-witted, yet it was definitely a human’s voice.

Not only this shadow was a human, he was a human who knew Lu Xiaofeng!

Fortunately, by this time Lu Xiaofeng had no more surprise or dread in his mind, otherwise he might be so scared that he went crazy.

Unexpectedly the shadow was laughing, a ‘chi, chi’ kind of laughter; he said, “I heard Lu Xiaofeng has never been poisoned, yet now you are being poisoned?”

Lu Xiaofeng has been wondering about that. Whenever there was a tiny bit of poison in his food and drink, no matter which kind, he could always detect it.

The shadow laughed again and said, “Let me tell you, this is cannabis leaf, I like to use it to roast my food. When I eat it I can feel happy like immortals, but when you ate it you became like a dead dog.”

He went on to explain, “Just now when you smelled the aroma of roasted meat, you have already breathed the poison a little bit, that’s the reason why by the time you ate the meat, you could not detect it.”

“You intentionally lured me here?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

The shadow shook his head, “I intentionally left that piece of meat in here, otherwise, even an entire horse, I could eat it all.”

He seemed to enjoy of what he had just said very much.

-- Only people who have been alone for a long time would have the habit of mumbling to themselves like that. Only this kind of people would enjoy his own voice like that.

He laughed his ‘chi, chi’ laughter for half a day before continuing, “If you did not find that piece of meat, I would have let you go, unfortunately, you did find it.”

“Unfortunately?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

The shadow said, “Because I can’t let anybody know that I am here.”

Suddenly, using some kind of indescribable, bizarre technique he jumped over toward Lu Xiaofeng, and sealed several of his acupoints.

His hand looked like a rotten snake skin gloves, but his movement was absolutely accurate and was very effective.

Compared to the rest of his body, this hand seemed easier to bear.

[ycb5959]

Thanks, foxs for another one!

[LuDongBin]

Another queer character? Hmmmm getting more interesting .. Thks foxs.