Lu Xiaofeng Book 5: Mansion of Spirits

[shirak]

Thanks for another exciting update... I wonder if his neice could be Beef Soup or one of his other previous lovers...

can't be. Beef Soup's first appearance was in LXF6, this is LXF5.....

[foxs]

HPC, Jaya, Ysabel, ycb, you are welcome. DongBin, the law of gravity does not apply in this universe. Drowsy, you'll find out soon. szfng, Shirak, besides, Gu Long usually mentioned it, or at least give the readers a hint. In this case, he didn't do either.

---

Lu Xiaofeng himself also appeared to be amused. He suddenly asked, “So, you are my niece?”

“Uh huh,” Xiao Cui said.

“Your Mama is my (younger) sister?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“Uh huh,” Xiao Cui said.

“And she is already dead?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“Uh huh,” Xiao Cui said.

“Are you going to take us to your home now?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“Uh huh,” Xiao Cui said.

“Who else is going to be at your house?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Xiao Cui suddenly giggled, “Some people that I am sure you’ll like,” she said.

“How do you know what kind of people I like?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Xiao Cui winked, “Naturally I know,” she said.

“How many people are ‘some’?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“Not a few,” Xiao Cui replied.

Her smile appeared to be very mysterious. Suddenly she stuck her head out the window and ordered the driver in loud voice, “Turn left on the alley just ahead, the third house on the right with red door.”

The alley was paved with dark green flagstones, with high walls on either side; inside the wall, the red apricot trees were just blooming. The color of springs was so thick that even the high walls could not contain it.

The red third door on the right was already open, over the door quite a few pink palace-style lanterns were hung.

As soon as Xiao Cui stepped over the door, she called out loudly, “Everybody, come out quickly, our Jiujiu is here.”

Before she even finished shouting, there were seventeen, eighteen girls thronged out into the courtyard. They were all young, and were as graceful and beautiful as swallows, and as noisy as sparrows, chirping ‘zhi zhi cha cha’ incessantly.

Which young girl did not like their (maternal) uncle? They swarmed toward Lu Xiaofeng, some pulled his hands, some tugged on his sleeves, everybody greeted him, “Jiujiu.”

Lu Xiaofeng was stunned again, “They are all my nieces?”

Xiao Cui nodded. “Don’t you like them?” she asked.

“I do,” Lu Xiaofeng could only admit, “I like every single one of them.”

Xiao Cui laughed, “I knew you’d like all of them,” she said.

Turning to the girls, Xiao Cui said, “You all must be a bit more careful, our Jiujiu is good in everything, it’s just that he is a bit dishonest; when he hugs you, he’d hug you so tight that you can’t even breathe.”

The girls’ laughter became even more endearing, their chatter became even more intense. “You have been hugged by him?” “Jiujiu is not fair, you hugged her, why don’t you hug me?” “I want to be hugged by Jiujiu too.” “Me too, me too …”

Lu Xiaofeng looked to the left with interest; he looked to the right with longing. In fact, he really wanted to reach to the left and embrace to the right.

Liu Qingqing was standing on the side, staring at him with cold eyes; she was thinking of a way to wake him up, to warn him so that this extreme joy would not turn into sorrow.

Who would have thought that Xiao Cui was moving faster than her? She already pulled Lu Xiaofeng’s hand and had him out of the girls.

“You called us out, telling Jiujiu is here, why did you take him away now?” the girls protested loudly, “He is not just your Jiujiu, you know.”

Lu Xiaofeng agreed instantly, “Since everybody here is my niece, I ought to spend time with them too.”

Xiao Cui ignored him, she kept pulling him toward the promenade at the back. Only then did she let him go, and then with a barely perceptible smile, she looked at him with the corner of her eye and said, “Looks like your wild schemes are really not small, those peasant girls are all as fierce as tigers; aren’t you afraid they might break your old bones?”

It was definitely not the way a niece would talk to her uncle. Who was she, actually? Why did she call Lu Xiaofeng her uncle? Why did she bring Lu Xiaofeng to this place?

Lu Xiaofeng blinked. He pretended ignorance, “So you want to be alone with me?”

Xiao Cui laughed. She giggled tenderly and said, “I don’t have such a big guts, just now you nearly broke all my bones. If I am alone with you, won’t I be finished?”

“Sometimes I can be very gentle,” Lu Xiaofeng said, “Especially when there’s nobody else around.”

Xiao Cui sighed theatrically, “No wonder people call you an old wolf [i.e. lecher], even with your own niece you still have ideas.”

“Who said I am an old wolf?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“Someone did,” Xiao Cui replied.

“Who?” Lu Xiaofeng pressed.

“Naturally someone that you will also like,” Xiao Cui said, “I guarantee that as soon as you see him, you will forget everybody else.”

Lu Xiaofeng’s eyes brightened. “Where is he now?” he asked.

Xiao Cui pointed to a door at the end of the long corridor. “He is waiting for you inside that room,” she said, “He has been waiting for a long time, why don’t you go quickly?”

“What about you?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Xiao Cui giggled tenderly again; she said, “I am the matchmaker who just delivered the letter; it’s not my job to bring anyone into the bridal chamber.”

[Translator’s note: it would be more exciting if Xiao Cui was saying ‘she’ and ‘her’, but one, in Chinese, ‘he’ and ‘she’ are of the same pronounciation, ‘ta’; two, in my source, the original Chinese text indicate masculine ‘he’, not feminine ‘she’. Besides, the ‘bridal chamber’ above can also be translated as ‘secret inner room’.]

Quite a few pink palace-style lanterns were also hanging along the corridor, the lanterns were gentler and softer than the moonlight. Surprisingly none of those peasant girls came after him; unexpectedly Liu Qingqing did not come after him either.

The door was plain.

He could hear nothing from behind the door, no noise, no voices.

-- Who was waiting for him inside? Would there be a gentle and soft trap inside the door? Or would it be a deadly trap?

Lu Xiaofeng was hesitant. Xiao Cui gave him a push on his back, forcing him to enter the door.

The lantern inside was even gentler and softer, the embroidered curtain was drooping, the beads on the hanging curtain were flickering under the light. The atmosphere did indeed resemble that of a bridal chamber.

Now the groom has entered the chamber, but where was the bride?

There was no sound from behind the bed curtain either, as if there was no one in bed. But there were dishes arranged on the table, plus a pot of wine.

All the dishes were Lu Xiaofeng’s favorites; the wine was also his preferred drink, the Green Bamboo Leaf.

This person was undoubtedly someone who knew him; more than that, this person understood him very well.

-- Could it be that Ye Ling had rushed ahead of him and was trying to scare him out of his wits?

-- If not Ye Ling, who else would know that he was Lu Xiaofeng?

He tried to recall all the women he could think of, but he felt it couldn’t be any of them.

Therefore, he simply stopped thinking and just sat down to finish the dinner he started at the restaurant.

Suddenly there was a voice from behind the bed curtain. “There is no harm in you drinking to your heart’s content today; you may also have whoever you wish to accompany you drinking. There is also no harm even if you really get drunk tonight, because we have nothing going on tomorrow.”

Lu Xiaofeng sighed. All those ‘pink’ fantasies just now had all of a sudden turned into grey ones. Ash grey plain and simple clothing, ash grey plain and simple voice.

The voice of the Old Sabre Honcho.

Lu Xiaofeng sighed and said with a bitter smile, “Obviously there are many ways with which you could see me, but why did you choose to give me a vain hope?”

“Because what I am going to say to you, there is absolutely no second person who can hear it,” Old Sabre Honcho replied.

At last he appeared, wearing the same ash grey plain and simple clothes, the same deep-basket like bamboo rain hat, so that he looked completely out of place in this room.

Lu Xiaofeng could not even finish his drink. With a bitter laugh he said, “Aren’t you going to lambast me? [orig. ‘pour dogs blood on me’]”

“What you did just now was indeed very dangerous,” Old Sabre Honcho said, “If I did not prepare it well in advance, not only there is a good possibility that Wooden Taoist would recognize you, I am afraid Ximen Chuixue would also recognize you.”

Unexpectedly, the tone of his voice was very relaxed, “But that’s all in the past, on the whole it did not adversely affect our endeavor.”

Lu Xiaofeng could not resist asking, “You already know about all that happened just now? Were you there?”

“I wasn’t,” Old Sabre Honcho said, “But I know.”

Lu Xiaofeng sighed again, “The thing that I admire you the most is not because you know everything,” he said.

“So what do you admire the most?” Old Sabre Honcho asked.

Lu Xiaofeng said, “To my surprise, you could think about getting Wu Hu, Wu Bao, those old monks to drink wine with women. Just based on this fact alone, I don’t have any choice but to admire you.”

Acting like big boss, drinking with prostitutes, wearing fancy clothes, were actually the habit of those senior Shaolin monks in the olden days. Other than Old Sabre Honcho, who would have thought about this?

As a result, although Ximen Chuixue and the others might think that their martial art movements were suspicious, they would never suspect that those old men were Wu Hu brothers, who had died but came back to live.

After all, in Jianghu, there were so many talented individuals in the vicissitudes of life who mastered supreme feats, yet were deeply hidden away and were never spoken of by others.

[HPC7595]

Thanks foxs

[Clown Prince]

Thanks foxs!!

[ycb5959]

Thanks!!!!

[LuDongBin]

Nice chapter here ... thks foxs.

[Ysabelkid]

Thanks foxs for another update

[Anh Nam]

Thanks foxs

[Jayariyin]

Thanks, foxs.

[foxs]

HPC, Clown, ycb, DongBin, Ysabel, Anh, Jaya, you are welcome. Clown, what happened? You are not aiming to be number one anymore?

---

Old Sabre Honcho said nonchalantly, “Exactly because nobody suspected anything that it did not adversely affect our endeavor.”

Lu Xiaofeng said, “But on the thirteenth of the fourth month, when they reappeared in Wudang …”

“By that time they will turn into Taoist priests from faraway place who go up Mount Wudang on pilgrimage,” Old Sabre Honcho said, “Nobody would pay them any attention.”

“What about me?” Lu Xiaofeng asked, “What will I turn to that day?”

“You will be a Taoist priest, a kitchen helper who will be able to come and go the main hall to serve the distinguished guests from everywhere,” Old Sabre Honcho replied.

“That will be a good assignment indeed,” Lu Xiaofeng said with a wry smile.

Old Sabre Honcho said, “That day Mount Wudang will be teeming with dignitaries, absolutely no one will pay any attention to a Taoist kitchen helper.”

“What is my real assignment?” Lu Xiaofeng asked, “Is it to deal with Shi Yan? Or Wooden Taoist?”

“Not at all,” Old Sabre Honcho replied, “I have already prepared other people to deal with them.”

“What about me then?” Lu Xiaofeng asked, “You have me come here, it can’t be for the sole purpose of serving those distinguished guests, can it?”

“Of course you have other things to do,” Old Sabre Honcho said, “In fact, the success or failure of this project is resting on your shoulders.”

Lu Xiaofeng could not help drinking a cup of wine. Thinking that such a heavy responsibility was resting on his shoulders, he could not help but drinking another cup of wine.

The fact was that he was a bit nervous.

Unexpectedly, Old Sabre Honcho also poured a cup of wine, which he sipped slowly before continuing, just as slowly, “What I want you to do is not to kill, I just want you get an account book for me.”

“Whose account book?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“Originally it belonged to Mei Zhenren,” Old Sabre Honcho replied, “After his death, it was passed on to Shi Yan.”

Lu Xiaofeng did not understand, “Those magnificent Wudang Sect Leaders, did they do their own bookkeeping?”

“Every single pen stroke was personally written by them,” Old Sabre Honcho confirmed.

Lu Xiaofeng tried to probe him further, “The account they are writing, naturally it’s not about firewood, rice, oil and salt [fig. life’s daily necessities], is it?”

“Of course not,” Old Sabre Honcho replied.

Lu Xiaofeng was more curious, “What is it about then?”

To his surprise, Old Sabre Honcho raised his cup and finished the wine in one gulp before replying in gloomy tone, “Written on it are the lives of hundreds and thousands of people!”

“Who are they?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Old Sabre Honcho replied, “They are all people with status, famous people, wealthy people.”

Lu Xiaofeng was more confused than ever, “What do their lives have to do with Shi Yan’s account book?”

Old Sabre Honcho explained, “The things written on the account book are those people’s private businesses and secrets.”

“Shameful secrets?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Old Sabre Honcho nodded. “If Shi Yan ever reveals these secrets to the public, not only henceforth those people cannot stand in Jianghu anymore, I am afraid they would have their reputation swept away immediately, and they would die without burial site!”

Lu Xiaofeng heaved a very deep sigh. “Magnificent Wudang Sect Leader ought not to blackmail anybody,” he said.

“They really shouldn’t,” Old Sabre Honcho coldly said, “Yet they clearly did.”

His voice was suddenly filled with grievance and hatred, “If not because they blackmailed people by holding on to their secret, how could Shi He destroy his own face on the eve of his inauguration as Wudang Sect Leader? Gu Feiyun, Gao Tao, Liu Qingqing, Zhong Wugu and the others; how could their secrets be publicly known?”

Lu Xiaofeng could not help exhaling. “Those secrets are revealed by Mei Zhenren and Shi Yan,” he said.

Old Sabre Honcho hatefully said, “Because they failed to blackmail these people, they forced these people to their death; even if that individual has washed his heart and renewed his face, and wanted to make a fresh start, they did not want to give him the opportunity.”

“But you gave them the opportunity,” Lu Xiaofeng said.

“I only give them one chance,” Old Sabre Honcho said, “Not an opportunity.”

“What’s the difference?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“They want to make a fresh start, not to be dead,” Old Sabre Honcho replied.

-- What’s the difference between living in the Mansion of Spirits and being dead?

-- Only by destroying that account book would those people really have the opportunity of making a fresh start.

Old Sabre Honcho clenched both fists and said, “This is the main objective of this operation. We can only succeed, we must not fail!”

‘Crack!’ the wine cup in his hand was crushed, a streak of blood flowed out from between his fingers.

Looking at the bright red blood, Lu Xiaofeng suddenly became silent.

Because in his heart he was asking himself …

Was Old Sabre Honcho doing the right thing?

If it was, should a righteous man help him accomplish his goal with all his might?

Wudang was a famous orthodox school, Mei Zhenren and Shi Yan have always been respected by others, he had never doubted their integrity.

But now he had to reconsider everything.

Old Sabre Honcho fixed his gaze on him, as if he was able to penetrate the deepest thought in his heart.

Actually, what was in Lu Xiaofeng’s mind? Who would know?

Old Sabre Honcho slowly said, “I understand very well, if you don’t really want to do something, nobody can force you. That’s the reason I wanted you to know the truth of the matter.”

Lu Xiaofeng suddenly asked, “If your intention is to save lives, why must you kill?”

Old Sabre Honcho replied, “Those I want to kill are people who must be killed!”

Lu Xiaofeng said, “Wang Shidai, Gao Xingkong, Shuishang Fei, these men have to be killed?”

With a cold laugh Old Sabre Honcho replied, “Let me ask you, just relying on Mei Zhenren and Shi Yan’s disciples and trusted aides, would they be able to find out that many secrets?”

Lu Xiaofeng said, “Are you saying that those people you want to kill are their spies?”

Old Sabre Honcho nodded. “Because these people also have secrets, so they are also under their grip,” he said.

Lu Xiaofeng also clenched his fists. Finally he asked, “So where’s the book?”

“It’s hidden inside the Taoist crown that Shi Yan is wearing,” Old Sabre Honcho replied.

Lu Xiaofeng’s heart sank.

When he was young, Shi Yan of Wudang already had reputation as top swordsman in Jianghu. For the past few years he had trained hard that his skill has progressed tremendously. Although very seldom did he personally fight, it was estimated that his sword skill was already above Wooden Taoist’s.

The three people Ximen Chuixue mentioned, he was undoubtedly one of those three.

The Taoist crown of Wudang Sect Leader, not only it was the symbol of Wudang’s honor, it was also a priceless treasure, not to mention that such a great secret was hidden inside the Taoist crown?

“I also realize that taking the crown from his head is not an easy matter at all,” Old Sabre Honcho continued, “In fact, it is a lot more than ‘not easy’; it is practically more difficult than ascending the heaven to pick the moon.”

“Why do we have to make our move while he is wearing the crown on his head?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“Because it is our only chance,” Old Sabre Honcho replied.

He had a very good reason, “Because other than he himself, nobody else knows where he usually hides the Taoist crown.”

Lu Xiaofeng heaved a very deep sigh, “I don’t think I can do it,” he said.

On that day, the main hall of Wudang Monastery would be brightly lit, martial art experts would be as abundant as the cloud. Snatching the Taoist crown from Wudang Sect Leader Zhenren’s head under the stares of those people, who could possibly accomplish that?

Old Sabre Honcho said, “Only you, you can do it!”

Lu Xiaofeng said, “Let’s say I can snatch it off, there is absolutely no way I can escape with it under those people’s stare.”

“Not under those people’s stare,” Old Sabre Honcho said, “When you are making your move, nobody will be able to see you.”

“Why can’t they see me?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

Old Sabre Honcho replied, “Because at that time all seventy-two altar lamps, inside and outside the main hall, will be extinguished at the same time.”

[szfong]

Thanks for another exciting update!

[Anh Nam]

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[ycb5959]

thanks!!!!

[HPC7595]

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[Ysabelkid]

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[Jayariyin]

Thanks, foxs.

[LuDongBin]

The plot is getting clearer .. thks foxs.

[Clown Prince]

U guys are all too fast....

[foxs]

szfong, Anh, ycb, HPC, Ysabel, Jaya, DongBin, you are welcome. Clown, I am still glad you guys are following this story.

---

-- When the oil in the lamp is dry, naturally the lamp will be extinguished.

“We have conducted the experiment at least 800 times,” Old Sabre Honcho said, “We calculated that if the lamp only have one tael and three qian [1 tael ~ 50g, 1 qian = 1/10 of a tael], it will run out of oil right when he is announcing his successor. Our mole in Wudang will make sure that every lamp will only have one tael and three qian that night.”

It was a well-thought plan indeed. “But there must be some lit candles in the main hall.”

“Hua Kui is responsible for that,” Old Sabre Honcho said, “Nobody can surpass his secret projectile skill ‘Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky’.”

Looked like the plan was almost flawless.

When the lanterns went out, the main hall would be in total darkness, everybody must be thrown into confusion, in that moment, Lu Xiaofeng would make his move to snatch the Taoist crown, Shi He would kill Shi Yan, Wu Hu brothers would kill Tie Jian, Cousin killed Priest Xiao Gu, Housekeeper killed Yingyan Laoqi, Hai Qikuo killed Shuishang Fei, Guan Tianwu killed Gao Xingkong, Du Tiexin killed Wang Shidai!

Old Sabre Honcho said, “Whether they will succeed or not, by the time the lanterns are lighted again, they will have to withdraw.”

Just one strike, and then withdraw immediately!

“Same thing with you,” Old Sabre Honcho continued, “If you fail to get the Taoist crown, you must leave immediately. Because in that kind of situation, there won’t be any second chance for anybody.”

He added an explanation, “Whether you succeed or not, you must immediately withdraw to this place. Because when the lamps are lighted, everybody will definitely try to look after their injured colleagues and fellow disciples of their schools; nobody will pay any attention if there are a few people less in the main hall, hence even less chance they will pursue you.”

Not to mention at that time there would not be anybody who knew how this thing happened!

Lu Xiaofeng could not refrain from letting out a long sigh. “I admire you!” he said.

In all his life, he had been involved in many conspiracies, so many that he lost track; yet absolutely none of those plots could match this one.

This plan was almost completely foolproof.

But he still had several questions to ask, “Why don’t we kill Shi Yan first, and then take the Taoist crown from his head?”

Old Sabre Honcho said, “Because we don’t have any confidence that we will succeed in one strike!”

This plan simply had to succeed, failure was not an option! To plan this, he had indeed used up his life’s heart and blood.

Lu Xiaofeng asked again, “If you didn’t have me, who would do my job?”

“Ye Xue!” Old Sabre Honcho replied.

Lu Xiaofeng forced a laugh, “Why her?” he asked.

Old Sabre Honcho said, “Her qinggong is extremely high, plus she was born with a pair of night eyes. If Shi Yan is caught by surprise, she has at least seventy-percent chance of success.”

He suddenly reached out and gripped Lu Xiaofeng’s hand, “But you have ninety-percent chance of success, I can even say that your chance is more than ninety-percent. I know that you also have the skill to see clearly the downy feather of autumn[2] in the dark. Plus you have a pair of hands that is unequalled in the world!”

The way he held Lu Xiaofeng’s hands was like he was holding priceless treasure.

Yet Lu Xiaofeng took this opportunity to examine Old Sabre Honcho’s hands.

His hands were slim, steady, and dry. His fingers were long and powerful. If this hand was holding a suitable sword, could this hand be more terrifying than Ximen Chuixue’s hand?

Who was he, actually?

If right now Lu Xiaofeng flipped his hand and grabbed the main artery in his wrist, and then snatched away the bamboo rain hat from his head, he would immediately find out who he really was.

Although the chance was indeed slim, at least he ought to try.

But Lu Xiaofeng did not try.

This had made him so angry with himself; he suddenly asked in a loud voice, “Don’t you even care if she is dead or alive?”

“Who are you talking about?” Old Sabre Honcho asked.

“You daughter, Ye Xue,” Lu Xiaofeng replied.

“Even if I care, it’s no use,” Old Sabre Honcho said matter-of-factly, “Why bother thinking about it?”

Lu Xiaofeng said, “Do you know that after her death, her mother was still …”

Immediately Old Sabre Honcho cut him off, with a blade-like stare he glowered at Lu Xiaofeng from behind the bamboo rain hat, “You can ask me to do anything for you, but from now on you must never mention this woman in front of me.”

-- Why?

-- Third Mistress Shen was Ye Lingfeng’s wife, but she bore him a daughter; the one she offended was Ye Lingfeng, it was not him at all.

-- Why did he hate her like that?

Lu Xiaofeng did not get it. He pondered for a long time, but he still did not get it.

Old Sabre Honcho quickly suppressed his anger, “Nothing is planned during the day tomorrow, whatever you want to do is fine. Before dawn the day after tomorrow, I will make arrangement for you to go to Wudang.”

He stood up, apparently he was ready to end the discussion, “The priest in charge of burning incense in the monastery over there is Peng Changjing, when you get to the back of the mountain, he will be able to help you with anything you need.”

“And then what?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“And then you only have to wait there,” Old Sabre Honcho replied.

“Waiting for the lamps to go out?” Lu Xiaofeng asked.

“That’s right,” Old Sabre Honcho replied, “Waiting for the lamps to go out.”

He walked out. But then he looked back, “Starting from now, you will move alone, there is no need to make any contact with anyone, and there won’t be anybody contacting you either.”

With a rueful smile Lu Xiaofeng said, “Starting from now, I can’t even see my wife and son.”

“But you won’t be lonely,” Old Sabre Honcho said, “You still have a lot of nieces.”

---

[2] An idiom form Mencius, meaning ‘sensitive to the finest detail’ or ‘distinguishing right and wrong with acuity’.

[ycb5959]

Thanks. Getting interesting...