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Thread: Silver Spear Cleansed in Blood - 碧血洗银枪 - Gu Long

  1. #21
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    Default Chapter 12

    Chapter 12 - Jasmine


    Qiu Fengcheng really did not die. The was already his second time coming back from the dead. Ma Rulong thought of Jin Zhenlin strike and the piece of jade conveniently placed by his heart. Using an alibi like Xiaowan, he could logically explained about the jade. Every step of the plan he laid out, every detail were carefully planned and arranged. Everytime he put himself in the brink of death so no one would suspect him.

    Now he already vomited out the poisonous content of his stomach. Everyone could tell he would live and perhaps could live 170-180 year, a very long time. Right now there target switched over to Ma Rulong. Everyone eyes were like a sharp dagger.

    The first one to open his mouth was Feng Chaofan: “What else do you have to say?”

    Ma Rulong did not have anything to say. If he told the truth, who would believe Qiu Fengcheng choked Xiaowan to death? Who would believed he revealed his secrets? And who would believe he put poisons in his own wine?

    Jue dashi coldly asked: “This time, what else do you want to settle?”

    Ma Rulong’s hand did not have precious sword, pocket did not have any gold, body did not have fox fur coat. He could not play the same trick twice.

    Jue dashi said: “Now that there are undeniable proofs of you crime, but with your personality you would never admit it or turn yourself in.”

    Ma Rulong admit that right now he could not defend himself and had no chance to escape. He recognized all of this. He still have a mouth and would not give up retaliating.

    Jue dashi said: “With the four of us, we could easily capture you. But we don’t want to win with number.”

    Ma Rulong suddenly said: “I understand.”

    Jue dashi said: “What do you understand?”

    Ma Rulong said: “You want to handle me yourself, You want to kill me with your own hand.” He continue: “Because other than killing, you have no other pleasure.”

    These were like needle that pricked into someone’s heart. Jue dashi had no response, coldly said: “If you don’t want me to do it, you can select someone else.”

    Ma Rulong said: “I still choose you.”

    Jue dashi said: “Very good.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Actually I originally don’t want to choose you. Although your internal energy isn’t better than monk Chiku, your swordplay isn’t better than Jade Taoist, your experience in killing is richer than those two. You know know to killer better.” He let out a sigh: “Unfortunately even though if I know this, I still choose you.”

    Jue dashi could not not ask: “Why is that?”

    Ma Rulong said: “I chose you only because you are a cruel, arrogant, and egotistic person. Always thought you alone could determine others crime. Once you sentence others crime, you have to kill them no matter what.” His voice getting emotional: “I chose you because I vents on behalf of those who were wrongfully killed by you. I am not your match but I can guaranteed that is a way for me to take you along with me to hell.”

    Jue dashi definitely could not ask: “What way?” These words coming out of Ma Rulong, was hard not to believe. He facial expression was already changing. A person that put other to death, he, himself, was also afraid of death. This was not something he could conceal.

    Ma Rulong suddenly laughed out loud. “So you are not as ruthless as other say. So, like others, you also treasure you own life.”

    He laughs was full of cynicism: “Actually I didn’t really have any way take you along with to death. I just wanted to bluff you.”

    When fighting amongst expert, you could not be disturb or get angry, you are letting them take the lead. Jue dashi always understood this principle.

    However, he already became mad. His eyes were turning red and his veins were showing, like eagle claws he extended his hand an walked, one step at a time, toward Ma Rulong.

    The floor of this room was laid with glossy teakwood planks. The wood on the spots he stepped on broke. He already concentrated all his energy within his body, once his strike it could kill a person. He was not even considering whether he was killing the wrong person.

    Other than noises of wood plank breaking, it seemed like the entire world was quiet. However, he suddenly heard someone selling flowers: “Zhulan, Jasmine.”
    [TL: Zhulan is some kind of Asian flower or plant...couldn't find the English equivalent, just technical botanical terms.]

    Clear and loud sound of someone selling flower but it seems like it was from far away. However, it suddenly seemed like it was getting close as if you right next to your ear. On the beautiful plastered wall, there was suddenly a hole in the form of a human.

    “Zhulan, Jasmine.” A slender body flower girl wearing a bamboo hat and green cloth suddenly appeared through the hole with her hand holding a jasmine made with metal wire.

    Jasmine flower were good-smelling and beautiful. Her hands were also beautiful. Ma Rulong suddenly thought of the mysterious flower girl the scared away Dawan in that narrow alley. What was she doing here?

    “Buy a jasmine flower.” She suddenly placed the jasmine flower from her hand on Jue dashi eagle-claw like hands.

    The energy strength in his hand was like a bow string in full tension. One touch to set it off, but once it was set off it would even crumbled stone.

    However his hand, unexpectedly, did not crumble this jasmine flower. The flower, however, looked it as if it was piercingly hurting his hand. Not only did it seems to pierce his hand, through his fingers it pierced through his heart. Because once he took this jasmine, he already jumped back and like an arrow flew out the window.

    -- Who was this flower girl? What kind of power does this jasmine had?

    Flower girl turn her body and faced Jade Taoist: “Buy a jasmine.” Her hand was holding another flower: “This fragrant and pretty jasmine wither very fast. If you don’t buy it, you will regret this.”

    “I want to buy. How are you selling it?”, Jade Taoist asked.

    “The price of my flower are always fair and honest.” Flower girl with gentle voice: “One life, one jasmine.”

    Jade Taoist forcibly smiled: “I can’t afford it.”

    He suddenly retreated back, like an arrow shot through the hold in the wall. Monk Chiku and Feng Chaofan left as fast as him.

    Flower girl lightly sighed: “Such a sweet-smelling jasmine, how come no one wants to buy it?”

    Ma Rulong suddenly said: “They don’t want to buy it. I will buy it.”

    Flower girl with her back against him, did not even turn around. “You also have one life. You could not afford it either.”

    “What if I insist in buying it?”

    “I would not sell it.”

    “Why?”

    “Because I don’t want your life.”

    “This life, I picked it up anyway.”
    [TL: He referred to his “life” as if it was an object he happened to pick up from the street. Don’t know how to correctly translated this.]

    “Since you already picked it back up , you should really treasured it.” As she was saying this she was walking away. Ma Rulong was following behind her. They walked out the room really fast, in an instant already walked out to the dusky little alley.

  2. #22
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    Default Chapter 13

    Chapter 13 - Flower Girl


    Cold night, sky with no clouds but stars. Under this dim star light, this back of this mysterious flower girl looks familiar as if it was someone he knew. She was not use her lightness skill or running away. Ma Rulong, however, could not catch up to her.

    When he started to use his well-known Tianma Tang lightness skill, she was suddenly fifty sixty feet away. As he was trying to catch up to her, she was getting further.

    When he slow down, she also slow down. When he stop, she also stop.

    It looked like even though she didn’t want to catch up to her, she didn’t want him to get too far back.

    Ma Rulong said: “You don’t want me to see you, don’t want me to know who you are, right?”

    No answer, no denial.

    Ma Rulong laughed: “It’s a pity, I already know who you are.”

    Flower girl also laughed. Her laugh, in this lonely winter night, was like a bottle of hot wine. It could warm people up.

    “You originally should know.” She chuckled: “Because you are not that stupid.”

    She was obviously Dawan. She was originally scared away by a flower girl but why was she wearing that flower girl clothes and holding her flower baskets. Where did that mysterious flower girl go?

    What Ma Rulong did not know was not just this. Dawan’s background, martial art, origin, were all mysteries. Why was she buried in the snow that day? Jue dashi, Jade Taoist, these top Wulin experts, why do they dread her? Everything about her was hard for average person to explain. The more he spent with her, the less he knew about her.

    He definitely did not run away. Every time she appeared, there was always something strange and secretive happening. This time what did she do, what kind of interesting trick did she played? He really wanted to know. Dawan’s trick was appearing. Her eyes had a cunning look and suddenly said: “I know you are always fearless. I wanted to bring you to an interesting place.”

    “To do what?”

    “To meet a person.” Dawan deliberately tried to be mysterious: “A very interesting woman.”

    “I seen her before?”

    “Roughly one time.”

    “You are talking about that flower girl?”

    “You really are not stupid.” Dawan glared at him and asked: “Do you dare to meet her?”

    Of course Ma Rulong would dare to go. Even if this flower girl was a man-eating female monster, he would still go.

    Dawan closed her eye and asked: “You don’t regret this? No matter what will happen after you meet her. You wouldn’t regret this?”

    Ma Rulong gave her an absolute answer. “I already did so many regrettable things, would another one matter?”

    Dawan laughed: “Does not matter.” Her laughed was pleasant : “Does not matter a bit.”

    So they went. On the road, Ma Rulong was constantly wondering where she would take him this time. He was thinking of a lot of strange places but couldn’t find the answer. She actually brought him to the yamen (government official building) of this city.

    Although this county magistrate’s official position was only seventh-ranked, it was nevertheless a benevolent official. This county magistrate office (yamen) was far larger than what Ma Rulong had imagined.

    The entrance was closed. The came in from the side door.

    The was Ma Rulong first time in government official building (yamen). There was a wuhuan (justice-calling) drum on the overhead, plank and stick in great hall, and all type of sentencing equipments and silence plaque. Everything was interesting to him. The thing that was strange to him was the officers with the red-tassled official cap. The city court had long been dismissed, why would there still be officers on duty in the official building. Every path they would see one two officers. However they were like they are all blind, did not even notice them two.

    The officers were obviously not blind but he and Dawan were walking in front of them. Why would they not notice? DId Dawan used some kind of mysterious magic and made them invisible?

    Behind the main hall, there was a dark courtyard and there were also two red-tasseled cap officers guarding the outside.

    Ma Rulong suddenly went over and said: “Hey, do you guys see me?”

    Officers did not respond to him, didn’t even look at him, and walked over to the other officers.

    “Did anyone say anything at first?”

    “No.”

    “DId you see anyone?”

    “No, not even a shadow.”

    Ma Rulong realized he was indeed encountering something interesting. If Dawan had not pulled him back into this courtyard, he would try to pinch these two to see whether they hurt.

    Dawan laughed: “Even if you do a flip in front of them, they will not see it.”

    “Why?”

    “Because they are a bunch of understanding people. They understand when they should pretend to be mute.”

    Dawan changed the subject: “Do you know what kind of place is this courtyard?”

    Ma Rulong did not know. However, he already this place had a hard to say eeriness.

    “This is a place where coroner performs autopsy.” Dawan casually mentioned: “All the victim of crimes that died. Their body are sent here first to determine the cause of death.”

    Ma Rulong had not seen any corpse and did not smell any blood. However, his stomach was already starting to feel uncomfortable. At this kind of place, who wouldn’t feel uncomfortable? Why did Dawan brought him here?

    There were two building in the courtyard. Not only were there no, there wasn’t even window. However the last room on the left side, not only was it shut but there was a lamp light seeping out. Dawan went over there.

    Ma Rulong couldn’t bear it and asked: “The person you bring me here to meet is in this room?”

    “Why don’t you go in and see for yourself?” She pushed open the door.

    This room did have a light, a dim light and a bed. On the bed, there was a snow white bed cover with a person underneath. This bed cover was obviously too short. Although it was covering this person head, it could not cover her leg.

    The first thing Ma Rulong saw was her legs. This pair of snow white legs; ankles were delicate and toes were gently beautiful. No matter who saw these legs could obviously tell these are woman legs and could also imagine this woman must be beautiful.

    In this dusky and narrow alley, Ma Rulong did not see the flower girl’s face and now could imagine. He couldn’t help letting out a sigh.

    “She’s dead?”

    “Looks like it.”

    You kill her?”

    Dawan blandly replied: “She always looked down on me. Always though she is more capable than me and could defeat me anytime. I flee the instance seeing her just to make her underestimate me.”

    -- Underestimating an opponent is always an unforgivable mistake.

    She leisurely said: “She really did underestimated me so I am still standing. She is down and looks like she’s dead.”

    Ma Rulong couldn’t help but asked: “Only looks like she is dead?”

    “Ehh.”

    “So she’s actually not dead?”

    “Why don’t you go take a look?” Dawan mysteriously smiled: “Take a very good look.”

    Take a good look, then you need to life the cover. Ma Rulong lifted the cover and then immediately put it back down. His heart all of a sudden was beating faster than usual. Although he didn’t take a good look, he did not dare take another look.

    The woman under the cover was completely naked. He never saw such a beautiful woman, such a beautiful body, and such a beautiful face.

    It would such a pity of such a woman really die.

    Dawan again asked: “From what you see, is she dead?” Ma Rulong couldn’t tell.

    Dawan said: “With only one look, of course you can’t tell whether she’s dead of alive. However, you should at least tell she is a rare beauty.” Ma Rulong recognized that.

    Dawan said: “Then should be able to tell she’s not dead.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Why?”

    Dawan lightly sighed and said: “It’s because she’s too beautiful, even it was hard for me to let her die. Even if I really wanted to kill her, I couldn’t bear doing it.” Ma Rulong also sighed.

    Dawan said: “Why are you sighing?”


    Ma Rulong said: “Because I realized I am really stupid?”

    Dawan said: “How did you come to that?”

    Ma Rulong said: “Now I have seen here, I also don’t believe she’s dead but it’s slowly harder for me to understand.”

    Dawan said: “What don’t you understand?”

    Ma Rulong said: “Do I know her?”

    Dawan said: “No.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Do I have any relation with her?”

    Dawan said: “Until now, no.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Then why do you want me to see her?”

    Dawan said: “Because even you do not have any relationship with her, in the future you definitely will.”

    Ma Rulong: “What relationship will I have in the future?”

    Dawan mysteriously laughed: “I still can not tell you these things yet. However, I guarantee you, that thing I want you to do, you will absolutely not regret it.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Right now what had you prepared for me to do?”

    Dawan said: “I have prepared for you to meet another person.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Meet who?”

    Dawan said: “A person that like you very much and you seems to like him too.”

    Ma Rulong asked: “How do you know I like him?”

    Dawan said: “The people that met him, it was hard not to like him.”

    Ma Rulong immediately thought of a person that was hard for him not to like: “Jiangnan Yu Wu?”

    Dawan said: “Other than him, who else would it be?”

    Ma Rulong said: “He is also here?”

    Dawan said: “Just on the opposite side.”

    Ma Rulong said: “What is he doing here?”

    Dawan said: “What he is doing here, you would never be able to guess in you life.”

  3. #23
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    Default Chapter 14

    Chapter 14 - Extreme People Extreme Measure
    [TL: Again it is really hard for me to translate the word “jue”. I had used all these translation on this one word: ruthless, absolute, -less, and extreme.]


    The first time Ma Rulong saw Yu Wu, he was making some dishes. There were many people in the world that cook, cooking was absolutely not a strange thing. However the famous Jiangnan Yu Wu was preparing dishes with his own hard, make this seemed weird for anyone. This place was for storing and examining body, not a restaurant and didn’t have a kitchen.

    “If you could guess what he is doing, I would be really impress.”

    “I don’t need you to be impress, I can’t guess.”

    “He is combing hair.”

    Combing hair was not a strange deed, even Jiangnan Yu Wu need to comb hair. He was not combing his own hair. He was combing hair of another person. Helping a old granny that was so old the almost all her teeth had fallen off comb her hair.

    Did not when there was a light on a room on the opposite side. The old granny was sitting under the light, was wearing red clothings, like the same type of red clothes brides wear. She had one leg raised and her feet was wearing a red-embroidered shoe made of red silks. Her face had more wrinkle than blocks on checkerboard. Her mouth lost so much teeth, she had less than a two year old. However, her long hair was still black and bright, smooth and soft like silk.

    If you just saw her hair and clothes, you who had never guess she was an old granny.

    What’s more unimaginable was that Jiangnan Yu Wu would help this old granny comb her hair. The way he comb way was like the way he fried the vegatable, elegant and beautiful. No matter whether his hand was holding a spatula or comb, he was still Jiangnan Yu Wu. The one and only Jiangnan Yu Wu.

    Ma Rulong still could not understand why was he combing this old granny’s hair. Nor did he understand why Dawan brought him here. Nevertheless, he. without noticing, was entranced in his own thoughts. Yu Wu did not even seem to notice they had came in. No matter what he did, he was always focused and concentrated on the task at hand. Therefore, things he did were better than others.

    Now he already used a long ebony hairpin and helped her tied up her last knot of hair. He was admiring his masterpiece. It was truly a masterpiece. Even Ma Rulong couldn’t deny that. The old granny already looked much younger. Her eye had been shut the entire time, her facial expression was like she was currently in the care of her lover.

    “No one can compare to you. Absolutely no can compare to you.” Her voice was also old-sounding, but you can still tell that when she was young her voice was sweet and enchanting.

    She softly sighed: “If only your martial art is as good as the way you comb hair, you would’ve already been invincible in the world.”

    Yu Wu smiled: “Fortunately I do not want to be invincible.”

    “Why?”

    “Because if a person is on top of the world, his days must be very lonely.”

    Old granny laughed and laughed loudly. “I like you, really like you. Even if you had not help me comb my hair. I will still help you with this.” Who exactly was this old granny? What did Yu Wu want her to help him do? Ma Rulong was getting really curious but Dawan just had to pull him out.

    “Right now you are probably getting more and more confused because you do not know what I want to do.”

    “What do you still want to do?”

    “I still want you to meet one more person.”

    “Who is this person?”

    “A person drawn on a piece of paper.” Dawan said: “Even if you are a hundred time smarter than right now, you would absolutely never who this person is.”

    The room next door was also lit up. There was a painting hanging on the wall. In the painting there was an honest and plain looking middle-aged man. Ma Rulong had never seen the person before and even if he had he wouldn’t have remember. This was not the type of person can be easily remember, or deserved to be remember.

    “His surname is Zhang. His name was Zhang Rongfa. He was a very loyal and honest person. In the city, he opened a small general store and had a clerk that was equally honest like him.”

    Dawan was talking about the person in the painting: “This year he is already fourty-four years old and born in the year of the pig. He married when he was nineteen. His wife name is Guizhi that would get angry and sick all the time. Because they don’t have any children, she gets extra angry and extra sick. In recent years, she was so sick that she couldn’t get out of bed. Old Zhang has to feed her everytime. In such a condition she gets extra moody, even her neighbors couldn’t stand her.” She suddenly stopped and asked Ma Rulong: “Are you listening clearly?”

    Ma Rulong was paying close attention to every word she said but still did not understand why Dawan brought him to look at this painting. In addition, she introducing the man in this painting in details. He couldn’t hold it and asked: “Could it be that this man also have some kind of relationship with me?”

    “A little bit.”

    “Why would I have any relation with him?”

    “Because this man is you.” Dawan did not look like she was joking: “You are him and he is you.”

    Ma Rulong thought it was comical, so comical that a person could laugh out his teeth, laught out his stomach. However, he did not laugh. Because he could tell, Dawan was not joking around and was not crazy. He deliberately asked: “This person name Zhang Rongfa...is me?”

    “Absolutely.”

    “He does not even look like me.”

    “However, soon you would look like him, very alike. In fact, you would look exactly like him.”

    “Unfortunately, I can not change.”

    “You can’t change, someone would help you change.”

    Dawan suddenly asked him: “Do you know why Yu Wu would help that Miss comb her hair?”

    Ma Rulong said: “That ‘Miss’ does not like like a Miss at all, looked very much like an old lady.”

    Dawan disagreed: “She is not an old lady. She is a Miss. Some people, no matter how old they is always a Miss.”

    “She is that type of person?”

    “Absolutely correct.” Dawan said: “If she is not, then there are no such people in
    the world.”

    “Why?”

    “Because her last name is Yu.”

    Ma Rulong finally thought of a person: “What relation does she have with the Miss Yu from sixty years ago?”

    Dawan said: “She is that Miss Yu. She is “Exquisite Jade Hand” (Linglong Yushou) Yu Linglong.”
    [TL: Note that her last name is Yu (Jade) and first name is Linglong (Exquisite).]

  4. #24
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    Default

    After this post...it'll be all brand new materials ch. 15 and onward...

    I just want to admit I don't really proofread my stuff...lol...
    I'll probably will do it one day. Long after I finish this book.

    If you see anything wrong, feel free to tell me.

    I'll probably finished posting what I have right now (ch15-19) before the end of the weekend. Then posting will be more sparse.

  5. #25
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    Default Chapter 15

    Chapter 15 - Exquisite Jade Hand Yu Linglong


    Sixty years ago, in Jianghu there were three pairs of very famous hands: Heartless Iron Hand, Theif God Clever Hand, and the Exquisite Jade Hand.

    Iron hand was heartless, hand hand never spared anyone that did not deserved to be spared. The clever hand thief god, for anything the other couldn’t steal, he could. Exquisite jade hand, mysterious and ingenious, was a pair of hand that could performed various mystical deeds. However everyone knew, who could go under her hand, within an hour could become a completely different person.

    Ma Rulong finally understood. Yu Wu helped her comb her hair because he want her to help him change his appearance, Zhang Rongfa’s appearance.

    “Correct.”
    [TL: Not a mistake, there is a correct here. Unless my source material had an error.]

    “We chose this place because this is a place that people in Jianghu would never go.”

    “Correct.”

    “Those officers did not see us only because they asked Yu Wu for favors and are currently returning the favor.”

    “Correct.”

    “Because I already branded a heartless, vicious murderer and I have no where to
    go, you help me thought of this plan so I could live longer.”

    “Not correct.”

    Dawan’s attitude had became hearty and serious: “Yu Wu believe in you. I also believe in you. We also believe you are framed by another person. We also knew you would never hide in a little general and shamefully live out the rest of your life.”

    Ma Rulong did not open his mouth for a long time. His blood was boiling and his throat seemed to be blocked by blood. After a while, he cackled and asked: “Why do you believe me?”

    “Because I believe a person that just killed would not just stop in the middle of running away, risking his safety to save a woman that would soon freeze to death.”

    Ma Rulong did not have anything to say. He feeling could not be describe with words.

    Dawan said: “However you must believe in this world justice still exist. Evil would eventually be destroyed. Conspiracies would eventually be discovered. For all the wrong you suffered through, eventually there would be a day where you would reclaim your innocence.”

    She softly grab his hand and said: “As long as you have these beliefs, if you’ve to suffer temporarily then so what?”

    Ma Rulong was silenced for a while and finally asked: “Where is this general store?”

    “In a narrow alley west of the city. Your customer are poor and kind commoners. It is already hard for them to have food to eat, they would not pay attention to other people’s business.”

    She added: “Your clerk’s surname is also Zhang, other called him Laoshi (honest). Besides secretly drinking two cup of wine, he is absolutely reliable.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Would he be able to recognized that his boss is a different person?”

    Dawan said: “He eyes are never that good and his ears have problem.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Even if he couldn’t tell, how about others?”

    Dawan said: “Other?” She suddenly laughed and said: “You mean his sick wife?”

    Ma Rulong bitterly smiled but couldn’t help but asked: “What kind of person is she?”

    Dawan laughed and said: “Actually you could tell on your own.”

    Ma Rulong said: “I could tell? When haven I seen her?”

    Dawan said: “You saw her at first.”

    Ma Rulong was startled. “Could it be that the I person I saw at first that looked dead is my...” He suddenly realized he not saying it right, so he changed to: “Could it be that she is Zhang Rongfa’s wife?”

    Dawan said: “Originally no, but soon she will be. Just like you are originally not Zhang Rongfa but soon you will become Zhang Rongfa.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Who is she originally?”

    Dawan was thinking and looked like she did not intend to answer this question. Ma Rulong, however, did not let this go and asked again: “Who kind of person is she originally? Right now, you wouldn’t even tell me that?

    She finally let out a sigh and said: “Right now if I am not willing to tell, it might be a bit unreasonable.” Ma Rulong also agreed.

    Dawan said: “Her last name is Xie, her name is Xie Yulun. Xie as in thanks (xiexie), Yu as in jade, Lun in Mt. Kunlun.”

    Ma Rulong said: “I know these three words, you don’t need to define it for me.”

    Dawan said: “She is a woman.”

    Ma Rulong said: “You think I couldn’t even tell what she’s a man or woman?”

    Dawan bitterly smiled and said: “You should know I am deliberately holding back.
    Because I am still not sure how much I should tell you.”

    Ma Rulong said: “How much could you tell me?”

    Dawan finally decided: “Fine, I will tell you. She is nineteen years old. Probably have not yet touch a man and no man have touch her before.”

    Ma Rulong said: “She is really only nineteen?”

    Dawan said: “Could it be that you thought she’s quite old?”

    Ma Rulong said: “She does not look old but she has such mature martial art. She went through that stone wall as if it was paper. Not even ninety years old have that type of martial art ability.”

    Dawan said: “My martial art is also not worst than hers. Do you also think I am old?”

    Ma Rulong kept his mouth shut.

    Dawan said: “One’s wugong (martial art) are not achieved by just training. How high a person’s martial art ability is not related to their age.”

    Ma Rulong said: “I understand.”

    Dawan said: “Her wugong is indeed very high. The hero and daxia you people know that could defeat could not be more than ten. Because not does she have a good
    shifu (master), she practically trained since birth.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Who is her master?”

    Dawan said: “I only agreed to tell you about her, not her master.”

    Ma Rulong bitterly smile and said: “Then, I will not ask.”

    Dawan said: “Her temper is not that good. The temper of a big Miss is never good. If she discover she had became a rundown general store's owner's wife, she would most likely be anger and mad.”

    Ma Rulong said: “When she gets mad, would she kill the boss of the general store...”

    This, he had to care and had to ask, because the boss of the general store is him.

    Dawan chuckled: “You don’t have to worry about this. She will not kill you.”

    Ma Rulong said: “How do you know she wouldn’t?”

    Dawan said: “Because she is sick, sick to the point she could not get off bed or stand up.”

    How could an expert that could walk through wall like it was paper the previous suddenly became sick? Ma Rulong did not ask. He already could imagine where could this sickness come about. With Dawan ability, it wouldn’t be hard if she want someone to be “sick”.

    Ma Rulong said: “However she does not look like the owner's of a small general boss.”

    Dawan said: “She does not look like it right now but in a moment she would. Additionally, she would look exactly like the original owner's wife.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Yu Linglong really have such an ability?”

    Dawan said: “Her ability, you will have a chance to see for yourself.”

    Ma Rulong let out a sigh and said: “Actually it’s still rather hard for me to believe.”

    Dawan said: “When she wakes up, she would already be in a little room at the back of the general store.”

    Ma Rulong said: “How about me?”

    Dawan said: “Of course you would be next to her taking care of her. Because you two are a pair of loving couple.”

    Ma Rulong can’t refrain from bitterly smiling and said: “Too bad she would never acknowledge this.”

    Dawan said: “Of course she wouldn’t but you have to always insist that she is your wife. Her surname is Wang, name Wang Guizhi, and already married you for eighteen years. No matter what she said or how she behaves, you must always insist on this.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Eventually even she would be confused and then she herself would have doubt regarding who exactly is she.”

    Dawan laughed: “At least you understand this.”

    Ma Rulong said: “I only have one thing I don’t understand.”

    Dawan said: “Go ahead.”

    Ma Rulong said: “I have no animosity toward her, why should I do this?”

    Dawan said: “Because not only would this benefit you, it would benefit her. This is
    also the only way that could clear your name and uncover this conspiracy.” Her attitude became serious and hearty again: “I know you are a very prideful person, originally you would never agreed to this. This time pretend it’s for me, I always trust you can you trust me once.”

    Ma Rulong could say any more. Because he was prideful, he didn’t want to owe anyone. Whether this would really clear his name, he was not too concern. Usually the things he did were not for himself.

    Right now, if someone asked him: “What kind of person are you?” His answer would not be the same as before. On after a person endure a series of trials and tribulations, can you truly understand who you really are.

    He only asked: “Right now what do you plan for me to do?”

    “Of course, I need you to go drink wine.” Dawan sweetly said: “Yu Wu is here, you are also here. If I don’t let you two drink till you heart content, I would be too inconsiderate.”

    Behind these two room, there was a separate house. Slantly collapsing back and dark grey wall gave you an old and eerie feeling. Any one could see this must be a storehouse where coroners store their examination tools. Inside there must be full of creepy instruments, not only were there bone-shaving knife, rusted hooks, threads and needle for body part but...there should be also thing you didn’t even want to and couldn’t imagine what they were for.

    However, once you entered you would changed your opinions. The inside of the room was clean, open, bright, with snow-white wall that was recently plastered. The table had a clean white tablecloth and on top there were several delicacies and six jugs of wine. Exactly four large jug of original sealed and non-tampered aged “Shanniang” (good brew) and two twenty-catties worth of NvErHong.

    Average people seeing this much alcohol would probably felt a bit drunk already. Ma Rulong was not an average person, his heart was already a bit scared, being drunk as a skunk was not a good thing. However, with Yu Wu here, it was hard to not drink. He only hope this time Yu Wu was inebriated first. He would just drink less. Yu Wu was smirking at him, as if he knew what was on his mind.

    “I know you love NvErHong, unfortuately it is hard to find much NuErHong here.”

    “Shanniang is also a good wine.”

    “We should first drink NvErHong, and then drink Shanniang.” Yu Wu was laughing cheerfully: “After each person drink a jug of NvErHong, any wine afterward would taste the same.”

    “One person one jug” Ma Rulong looked at Dawan: “How about her?”

    “This time I won’t drink.” Dawan laughed: “Miss Yu just told me, if a girl drink too much not only would it you age easier, it would make you get tricked easier.”

    Ma Rulong sighed in his heart, he already knew his plan at first wouldn’t work.

    Miss Yu was obviously Yu Linglong. She was also in this room ad was sitting at another long table. On that table there was jade-embroider silver box, about ten pure silver jars, and a pure silver face basin. The basin was filled with warm water, she checked the water’s temperature and then placed both of her hand in the warm water.

    Although this Miss was old enough to be a young lady’s grandmother, her gesture
    was not old. Every movement maintained a youthful grace. No matter who saw her eyes, would not have thought she was that old. The was perhaps she herself did not believe she was old.

    “You drink your wine. I will do my own thing.” She carried a smile: “Although I never drink, I am not against other drinking. Beside, I enjoy watching other drink wine.”

    Dawan also smiled: “Sometimes I also think watching other people drink is more interesting than drinking it yourself.”

    Yu Linglong approvingly said: “Some people after they get drunk would spill a bunch nonsense a caused a lot of trouble. Some people after they get drunk became a mute and say another. Some people after they get drunk would cry. Some people after they get drunk would laugh. I think they’re all interesting.”

    She suddenly asked Ma Rulong: “What are you like after you get drunk?”

    “I don’t know.” He really didn’t know. After people get drunk, their memory would became blank. After waking up, the person will only felt a dry mouth and forgetten whatever had happened -- all that you shouldn’t forget, you forget. On the other hand, things you wanted to forget, you remembered even clearer.

    Yu Linglong smiled and said: “In my life, I have only see two truly beautiful men. You are one of them, so even if you were drunk you would not look bad.”

    Yu Wu loudly laughed: “What he looks like when he’s drunk, you’ll able to see it very soon.”

    Although Ma Rulong did not get drunk faster, it was could not be consider slow either.

    In the beginning, he could clearly see everything Yu Linglong did. After soaking her hand in the water for a meal-worth length of time, she placed them in a soft towel. She started cutting her nail with a small curved knife from the silver box. -- What was also in that box?

    After taking care of her nails, the pour out seven eight different colored item from seven eight different jars. Some were powder, some were liquid. There were yellow, brown, and white. The pour all of these in the small silver pot, and mixed it with a silver spoon.

    Ma Rulong could tell these were all prepared for yirong (face changing). No matter what she was doing, with such a mysterious preparation, it should not be bad. After half a jug of NvErHong, Ma Rulong suddenly had strange notion.

    “If she could help other change their appearance, from beautiful to ugly, ugly to beautiful, old to young, and young to old, then why didn’t she change her own and make herself into a young lady?”

    Yu Linglong looked like she knew what he was thinking. “I only help other change appearance and would do this to myself.” She said: “Because if I make myself look young, even if I can deceive other I can never deceive myself. “Deceiving other I would not mind, but deceiving myself I would never do.”

    After saying this, she took seven eight pure silver small knives, scissors, hooks, and chisels out of the box, including a little saw. -- What was she planning to do with this?

    If he was not drunk, he would probably try to run out the door. Unfortunately, he already drank too much and already drunk. The last thing he remembered was Yu Linglong massaging his face with her fingers.

    Her finger was cold and smooth, her movement was skillful and gentle, very gentle...
    Last edited by kaister; 06-27-10 at 11:46 PM.

  6. #26
    Senior Member Han Solo's Avatar
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    Tremendous effort of 15 chapters in 2 days.

    Han Solo
    Wuxiapedia

    Quote Originally Posted by bliss
    I think they're probably at the same level as or one level below Ah Qing, which is about the level of a 2nd or 3rd generation Quan Zhen disciple.
    Troll Control

  7. #27
    Moderator kidd's Avatar
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    Well done. You translate so fast. Glad you are translating this story. It's one of Gu Long's better short story.
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

  8. #28
    Senior Member kaister's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Han Solo View Post
    Tremendous effort of 15 chapters in 2 days.

    Han Solo
    Actually 15 chapters in 2 weeks. By the time I started this thread I have 16 chapters translated already. I'm just taking my time to post...lol

    I translate about one chapter a day but I can't guarantee I keep it at this rate.
    I'll probably finish before August.

  9. #29
    Senior Member kyss of the sword's Avatar
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    i just read the fist page. it's nice someone is picking this up. just one comment. the character named pang tianba should be peng tianba. the chinese character peng for "tiger". his saber skill should be "five tigers breaking down the door" it's a skill mentioned quite often in gu long novels and it's a famous family name in gu longverse. the peng family and their "five tigers breaking down the door" saber skill appears in several gu long novels. it was also mentioned in DGSD. it was the family skill of the bandit stockade members who came to gusu murong.
    THE KYSS OF THE SWORD IS DEADLY BUT EXQUSITE
    he's the strongest in history but he's the disciple.
    http://www.mangafox.com/manga/histor...ciple_kenichi/

  10. #30
    Senior Member kaister's Avatar
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    Thanks...I think I fixed everything now.

    It's time like this where I kind of wish we have a wuxia translation wiki instead. Where anyone can come in a make changes in the translation.

    I'm pretty sure I made a lot more mistake.

    It's great that you tell me these things cause there are a lot of wuxia terms and name where it a bit hard for me to properly translate since they are just name and unusual terms. I don't know the convention for these things.
    Last edited by kaister; 06-19-10 at 01:58 PM.

  11. #31
    Senior Member kaister's Avatar
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    Default Chapter 16

    Chapter 16 - General Items Store


    The room was really low, you could almost touch the ceiling with your hands up. The plasters on the wall were peeling. On it, there was a Guan fuzi (Guan Yu - Three Kingdom) celebrating Spring Autumn wood-carving picture, a Zhu fuzi (Zhu Xi - Song dynasty) family proverb. and a hand written quanshi text, the text were careful and neat. This room had a window, a door, and a blue cloth that was becoming white hanging on the door.

    A square table, though old but made of redwood, was place across the door. On the table there were a teapot missing the spout, three tea bowl, and also a shrine. Inside the shrine was not Guan fuzi (Guan Yu) but a child-carrying Songzi Guanyin (child giving saint).

    In one corner, there was a stack of three wooden boxes. In another corner, there was a dressing table that clearly hadn’t been used for a long time. The flower-patterned bronze mirror was covered with dust and there were several broken wooden comb.

    Otherwise, there was one bed. The big wooden bed with four wooden pillars hanging a bed curtain and flower carvings. A woman was sleeping on this bed with three bed covers on her. This woman’s hair was disheveled and face had yellowed. She had a wearily thin a pale look on her face. Although asleep, she groaned once in a while.

    The air had a strong medicine smell. Outside there was a sharp woman voice currently making a hassle. She was saying this store had too little chicken eggs, water in the oil, and salt was too expensive.

    When Ma Rulong woke up, he was already here. He originally thought he was dreaming, because if it was not a dream why would he be at such a place. Fortunately, even though he was barely awake and head was hurting, he did not lose his memory.

    He immediately remembered why he was here. His first reaction was jumping out of his chair and went straight to the dressing table and hold the bronze mirror. He cleaned off the dust with his sleeves. He thought his hand was trembling.

    -- What exactly did Yu Linglong do to his face? He was anxious to see what he looked like now?

    What he saw was not himself, it was Zhang Rongfa. Absolutely not him. Absolutely is Zhang Rongfa. When he was looking at the mirror, it was as if he was looking at that painting Dawan shown him.

    If a person looked in the mirror and saw another person, what was on his mind? He had never experienced such a thing. Even he doesn’t know what he was feeling right now?

    Although he never constantly remind himself, but he always he was a beautiful. Something that his most jealous rival couldn’t even deny. He couldn’t hold it and asked himself: “In the future, would I be able to get back my original face?” He did not know the answer to this question. He only regret not asking Dawan or Yu Linglong earlier.

    The arguement outside had quiet down. The woman in bed hadn’t woke up yet. Ma Rulong couldn’t help going over to take a look and with one look he was shocked.

    This yellow, skinny, weak, and pale face without a glimmer of liveliness was the same beauty he saw after pulling that bedsheet the coroner examination room? Ma Rulong already knew he would become like that but he was still nervous and shocked. When she wakes up and suddenly discover what she has become, what would she do? Ma Rulong was already feeling sympathetic toward her.

    Right now, this “Zhang Rongfa” had already seen himself, seen his room, and seen his wife. What does his general store looked like? What kind of person was his trusty clark Zhang Laoshi like? He obviously couldn’t wait to see.

    General items store was usually very “general” and filled with all types of “items”. Oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, rice, chicken eggs, duck eggs, salted eggs, preserved eggs, dried shrimps, pickles, sugar, needles and threads, knives and scissor, hammer and nail, toilet paper...

    All the common items used by a regular household could be bought in a general store.

    The general store was like this, there was a old store sign hanging about the entrance. “Zhang Ji General Items”

    Outside was not an exactly narrow alley. When wind was blowing, it’ll blow dust and sands everywhere. When it was raining, the ground would become muddy. Neighbor were all poor families. Children with running noise were crying, playing, and fighting around here. Ducks, geese, cats, and dogs’ litters were everywhere. Every household’s entrance were drying children clothes and diapers.

    This type of place, these type of families, other and little child, there were no entertainments. The heroes of Jianghu obviously would never come to such a place. Ma Rulong wouldn’t never imagine he would suddenly became a boss of general store in a place like this.

    Zhang Laoshi had short and stubby stature, sloppy appearance, a round face, eyes that looked like he had never sleep, and big red nose. Zhang Laoshi does not seem too polite to his boss, he was too lazy to say anything or look at him.

    In such a rundown store, what should the owner be like? What should the clerk be like? Anyways, everyone here seem to be just living day by day and waiting to die. Ma Rulong was actually quite satisfy with the situation here because if Zhang Laoshi was a noisy person or constantly flattered him, it would be worst for him.

    Where was this store’s original boss and lady? Yu Wu already made other arrangements for them. Right now, the live they were living was much better than before. Ma Rulong couldn’t help asked himself: “How can I go through days like this?”

    A customer came in, a pregnant young housewife bought a coin worth of brown sugar. At this time, Ma Rulong heard a loud yell. Though not particularly loud, Ma Rulong had never heard of such a painful and scared yell. Xie Yulun must have woken up and already discovered such a terrifying change. Ma Rulong didn’t really dare to go in to see her.
    [TL: A “coin” worth in this text was yiwenqian, one bronze coin. According to baike.baidu.com, it’s approximately 0.3 Chinese yuan or around a US nickel.]

    The pregnant housewife looked at him and said: “The owner’s wife’s sickness is getting more and more serious.” Ma Rulong could only forced a smile, lift the blue door screen and went to the room in the back.

    Xie Yulun was struggling out of the bed, her eye were filled with shock, anger and fear that was hard for anyone to forget. She softly groaned: “Who are you? What place is this? Why am I here?”

    “This is your home. You have lived here for eighteen years. I am your husband.” When Ma Rulong said this out, he, himself, felt like a rat bastard. Xie Yulun was shocked and looked at him. No one could describe the expression in her eyes.

    The very pregnant housewife came in through the door screen and sighed: “Owner’s wife must’ve had a high fever. That why she would say such nonsense. You better boil some brown sugar ginger water for her.” Before she even finished, Xie Yulun already grabbed on to a crude bowl on the table next to the bed. Using all her energy, she tried to throw it at them.

    Unfortunately she was too “sick”, she couldn’t even throw a bowl. She was very scared, her whole body was trembling.

    She knew her own martial art, what happened to her astonishing martial art? Young housewife finally sighed and went back home with her brown sugar. Within an hour, all the neighbors of the general store would know the owner’s was too the point that she was going crazy. Xie Yulun was really going crazy. She already saw her own hand, a smooth and delicate pair of hand was now like chicken feet.

    How about the other places? She moved her hand under the bed covers and suddenly came out as if there was a snake under the cover that had bitten her. Of course she thought of that mirror, she struggled over there and took a look facing the mirror. With just one glance, she fainted.

    Ma Rulong slowly bend over his hip and picked up the broken pieces of floor. Actually, he didn’t really want to do this. What he really wanted to do was slap himself seventeen eighteen time, and tell this lady name Xie the real truth.

    However, he could not let down Dawan. Dawan believed in him and he also believed in her. There must be a reason for her to do this and this was supposed to benefit everyone. Ma Rulong took a long sigh and gently walked out, and told his clerk: “We would close early today.”
    Last edited by kaister; 06-27-10 at 11:45 PM. Reason: fixed a phrase

  12. #32
    Senior Member kaister's Avatar
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    Default Chapter 17

    Chapter 17 - Things You Mustn’t Do
    [TL: Title was a bit tough for me to translate...it’s basically saying that “some things are better left undone”...meaning there are things you should not do.]


    Dinner was hot pepper fried dried fish, only one dish. The other bowl as a soup boiled with meat and bone for the patient. The patient had already woken up, and just kept on starting at the ceiling without moving.

    Ma Rulong was also stupidly sitting next to the bed on the worn out cane chair. He was suddenly thinking about a lot of thing, then that he was once very proud of.

    Should he have really done all those things? Were they really impressive?

    -- Between men, why were there always such a huge gap? Why were some men’s life so lowly? Why were some so arrogant?

    He suddenly realize, if he could close this gap between men then this would be worth being proud of. If he had still live the life before, he would definitely not thought of this.

    -- If a person could experience unexpected setback and suffering, would it benefit him?

    -- Dawan way to handle Xie Yulun, was it because of this?

    Thinking of this, he heart already felt better than before. He believe Xie Yulun used to be a very proud person, and thought she deserved to be so prideful.

    Didn’t know starting from when, Xie Yulun was staring at him, stared for a long time and suddenly said: “Say it again.”

    “Say what?”

    “Say who you are and who am I?

    “I am Zhang Rongfa. You are Wang Guizhi.”

    “We are a couple?”

    “A couple of eighteen years. We always lived here and opened a general store. Everybody around here know us.”

    Ma Rulong let out a sigh and said: “Probably because our lives are so poor, you don’t want to live such a live so you try to forget everything before.” He comforted her: “Actually, this type of life isn’t that bad. At least we can live in peace.”

    Xie Yulun glared at him for a long time. “You listen to me.” While speaking each word clearly: “I do not know who you are or what is going on. However, I know that all of this must have someone behind the scene paying you up to cause me trouble.”

    “Who would harm you? Why would they harm you?”

    “You truly do not know what I really am?”

    It was true that Ma Rulong was really clear who she was so he couldn’t help
    asking: “Who exactly do you think you are?”

    Xie Yulun coldly smiled: “If you know who I really am, you might be startled to death.” Her force was full of pride: “I am god’s daughter. In he world no woman can be compared to me. I can make you rich anytime, and kill you anytime. So you better bring me back or else one of these days I will cut you up one piece at a time and feed you to the dogs.”

    She was indeed a very, very arrogant woman. Not only does not put other people in her own eye, she also take other people’s lives so lightly. In her mind, other than her, no one in this world was worth anything. A bit of hardship and suffering for someone like her would be the best.

    Ma Rulong sighed again: “Your sickness is getting to you. It’s better to sleep early.”

    Right after he said this out, he realized one problem. This room had only one bed, where would he sleep?

    Xiao Yubao, without a doubt, was also thinking of this and sharply said: “If you dare to sleep here and if you dare to touch me, I would....I would...”

    She did not continue. She couldn’t really do anything to him. She couldn’t even stand up. If he wanted to do anything to her, she couldn’t really resist. Ma Rulong did not really do anything to her.

    Ma Rulong was a man, a healthy young man. Not only that, Ma Rulong already know what she orginally looked like and knew she was a very beautiful woman. In that dim room, under that snow-white bed sheet...behind that. He did not forget nor could he forget. However he did not do anything to her. Although his view of things had changed and was not as prideful as before, there were certain things he would never do even if you were to kill him. Perhaps, this was something he should be proud of.

    Every day passed like this and Xie Yulun actually slowly calm down. When people encounter something in which they were completely helpless, there wasn’t much they could do. It was no use if they didn’t restrain theirselves. Going crazy, creating a scene, or hitting your head till death was pointless.

    How about Ma Rulong? The type of life was not just different from the way he lived before, it was drastically different. Before, he didn’t look highly on plain, common, and poor people, but now he realized they have a kind-hearted and interesting side to them. At times he felt really irritated and wanted to go find out news from Jianghu and find Dawan and Yu Wu.

    Even so something he wanted to give up everything and live such a simple life. Unfortunately even if he felt this way, this was not how other saw things. In reality he was not Zhang Rongfa, he was Ma Rulong.

    In recent day, a strange customer started appearing in the general store. Every day after nightfall, he would come in buy two chicken eggs, two cuts of toilet paper, two catties of raw salt, one catty of rice wine. A family that used twenty egg and two cut of toile paper everything was already suspicious. Every days using two catties of raw salt, who would have ever heard of such thing.
    [TL: Catty is roughly 1.3 pound or 600 grams.]

    Although this was strange but the things he bought wasn’t strange. Chicken eggs, toilet paper, salt, and wine were very common items. The person that bought these looked very plain, tall, and skinny that looked like any other man here. However, he conspicuously look worried and tired.

    Until one day, the pregnant young housewife saw, then Ma Rulong started to notice. Because the housewife unexpectedly said: “Who is this person? How come I have never seen him before?”

    She knew everyone that live here and could recognize everyone. She sounded so sure. “This man does not live here and I’m positive he had never came here before.”

    Therefore, Ma Rulong was starting to notice this man. He was not very good at observing other people. Young masters of rich families were usually very good with observation of other people. But, even he noticed a few peculiar signs.

    Although this man was fairly skinny, his legs and arms were especially thick. Every time he tried to pay, it seemed like he was hiding something. No other that, he hands move quickly, as if he didn’t want people to see his hands. Besides he always came after nightfall, a time when everyone was home eating dinner and when it had the fewest people in the alley. Although his body was tall and his leg was big, his step were particularly light and you almost couldn’t hear his footsteps. Sometime when it was raining, the mud on his foot were less than other people.

    Although it was after the new year and was already springtime, the weather was still very cold. His clothes were particularly light but he didn’t seem to be afraid of the cold. Although Ma Rulong was not a seasoned veteran in Jianghu, he could tell this man was trained martial arts and it shouldn’t be poor. His hand was probably had the strength of something trained in iron palm (tishazhang).

    Why would such a good fighter in Wulin come there to by chicken eggs and toilet paper? If he came here to hide from his enemies, there was no need to buy these things everyday. If he was sent by Yu Wu to protect Ma Rulong, why would he be doing these things that’ll catch other people’s attention.

    Could it be that Qiu Fengcheng, Jue dashi and them already discovered that this general store was suspicious so they sent someone to investigate. If this was the case, why would he buy twenty chicken eggs and two catties worth of salt everyday. Ma Rulong was really scratching his head regarding this matter.

    He shouldn’t waste time thinking about something he didn’t understand. However, Ma Rulong was getting more and more curious. Everyone could not avoid curiosity, and Ma Rulong was not an exception and neither was Xie Yulun. She also knew about this person coming here. One day she couldn’t hold it and asked: “This person you people mention, is it really a man?”

    “Of course it is a man.”

    “Is it possible that it a woman disguised as a man?”

    “Absolutely not.”

    Ma Rulong was already familiar with the magic of “Art of Disguise”. However, he believed this man could not possibly be a woman. Xie Yulun was evidently disappointed.

    Ma Rulong already thought her question was strange, so he couldn’t help but asked: “Why did you ask such a question? Could it be that you hope he is a woman?”

    Xie Yulun was pondering for a while, then sighed and said: “If he is a woman, there I would be saved.”

    -- Why would only woman would save her? Ma Rulong did not ask, only said: “You married me for eighteen year. I always treated you well. Why do you need someone else to save you?”

    Xie Yulun hatefully glared at him. Just by mention this matter, her eyes were already showing the pain and hatred she had. Once she became like this, Ma Rulong immediately left the room. He really didn’t dare or wish to see these eyes.

    One night, after the mysterious man bought the item and went back him. The young housewife, with surname Yu, suddenly lift her huge stomach, with a nervous an excited expression: “I know, I know.” While catching her breath: “I know where that man lives.”

    Zhang Laoshi, which never really meddle or talkative, unexpectedly and couldn’t help asked: “Where does he live?” “He lives in Tao Baoyi’s place.” Young housewife said: “I saw him went in with my own eyes.”

    Tao Baoyi was the local constable. Heard he had practiced martial art but he never mentioned it himself and did anyone ever saw him training. The place he lives was the neighbors biggest house, built with red bricks. Constable usually made a lot of friends, a friend living at his place wouldn’t be strange.

    However, his family was only him and his wife. With a friend, even if they managed to eat all twenty eggs, eating two catties worth of salt everyday would kill them.

    Young housewife said: “I deliberately drop into Mrs Baoyi’s home. I did not see that person anywhere but I clearly saw him went in. I secretly asked Mrs. Boayi why did that person buy two catties of salt everyday? Baoyi deliberately started an argument with the Mrs. At that point, all I could do was leave.”

    Zhang Laoshi had been listening and suddenly asked: “Today are you buying brown sugar?”

    “Not buying today.”

    “Are you buying picked vegatable?”

    “Not buying.”

    Zhang Laoshi suddenly became serious: “Then why haven’t you gone back home to sleep?”

    Young housewife blinked and looked at him for a while and could only leave. Zhang Laoshi was already preparing to close the store and then muttered: “Poking into other people’s business is bad. People the are nosy always annoy me.” Ma Rulong looked at him and suddenly realized this old man was also a bit strange. This was the first time he thought this Zhang Laoshi was strange.
    Last edited by kaister; 06-27-10 at 11:47 PM. Reason: fixed a word

  13. #33
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    Default Chapter 18

    Chapter 18 - The Man That Eats Salt


    This night, like usual, he slept on a bed spread next to the bed. The couldn’t sleep.

    Xie Yulun could not sleep either. He suddenly heard her called him. “Hey, are you asleep yet?”

    “No.” People asleep couldn’t be talking.

    “Why aren’t you asleep?” Xie Yulun again asked: “Is it because of that person’s business?”

    Ma Rulong intentionally asked: “What business?”

    Xie Yulun said: “That constable used to practice martial art, is it possible he used to be a bandit? Could that person be one of hie old partner? Coming here, they are probably planning to something.”

    Ma Rulong said: “What does that have to do with buying salt? What does that have to do with us?”

    Xie Yulun said: “Maybe they are planning to rob this general store, buying salt because they were investigating.”

    Ma Rulong couldn’t take it and asked: “What does this general have that is worth robbing?”

    Xie Yulun said: “There is one thing.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Which one?”

    Xie Yulun said: “Me.”

    Ma Rulong said: “You think they want to take you?”

    This time he did not laugh because he knew this was a possibility. Xie Yulun suddenly sighed and said: “Perhaps you really do not know who I am but you have to believe me. If I fell into the hands of these villains...”

    She didn’t continue and as if she had already though all the terrible outcomes. After a while, she gently said: “Although I couldn’t understand why you are doin this to me, I could see in these days that you are not a bad person. Therefore, I wish you can help be check where they are from.”

    “How do I check?”

    Xie Yulun suddenly coldly smiled again: “You think I couldn’t tell you know martial art. Even if you are a owner of a general store now, you must’ve roamed the Jianghu before. Also, you must be well known because I can tell your wugong is not bad.”

    Ma Rulong did not say anything. A person with over a decade worth of wugong expert were different compare to ordinary people. He believed she could tell because she was staring at him all day. She didn’t really have anything else to do or any other thing to look at.

    Xie Yulun glared at him again: “If you won’t help me do this, I would...”

    Ma Rulong said: “What are you going to do?”

    Xie Yulun said: “I would stop eating and drinking from now on. I wanted to die anyway.”

    This was such a extreme move. Ma Rulong obviously could not let her starved to death.

    Xie Yulun said: “How about it?”

    Ma Rulong let out a sigh and said: “When do you want me to go?”

    Xie Yulun said: “Now, go right now.”

    She pondered and said: “You should changed into black clothes and cover your face with a black cloth. If you are discovered and someone is chasing after you, you must never come straight back here. I am sure you don’t want other people to find out where you are from.”

    It seemed like she knew these tricks from Jianghu more than him.

    Xie Yulun said: “You must follow my words. Although I have never done this before, but an veteran of Jianghu taught me this.” She sighed again: “I would rather hid in this rundown general store with half my life because I believed I would eventually find out what is happening. So you must never let other people find out about this place, or else we would most likely die.” Ma Rulong could only listen and forcibly smiled. He never did such sneaky thing he whole life, but they time he must.

    It was already late at night. Poor family, due to hard work in the morning, needing to get a rest, saving lamp oil, only the they can always enjoy, and other various reasons -- sleep particularly early. Dark and murky long lane, there were no light or people.

    Ma Rulong quietly left his general store. He already changed to black clothes and wearing a black mask with only his eyes exposed. He knew where Tao Baoyi lived because he occasionally went out. There were five buildings build with red bricks, three bight two dark, but light were already out.

    The house had a courtyard at the rear. On the left side of the courtyard was a kitchen. Next to the kitchen was a firewood storehouse. There was a well in the middle. Ma Rulong was using his long neglected qinggong (lightness skill). He went around the house and could find anything or hear anything. Tao Baoyi’s wife was still young, he just couldn’t poke a hole through the window and take a peek. So he came back instead.

    Xie Yulun still had her eyes wide open waiting. Once he came back, she kept her eye and ear open and listen to what he said. Shen then gently sighed.

    “I was wrong.” While sighing: “I said you must be well known in Jianghu. Now I know I was wrong. You don’t seem to know much about Jianghu.”

    She was not really wrong. Just because you are famous in Jianghu doesn’t mean
    you are experienced. Just because you are experienced doesn’t mean you are famous. Ma Rulong did not want to retort this but he had already look and did what she said. Xie Yulun did not agree.

    “You looked at places you are not supposed to look and did not look at places you should.”

    “Where should I be looking?”

    “Did you look in the kitchen?”

    “No.” Ma Rulong didn’t understand: “I know the kitchen did not have anyone, why should I take a look?”

    Xie Yulun said: “Was the kitchen stove recently used?”

    Ma Rulong was even more confused. Whether the stove was used recently, what did that have to do with anything?

    Xie Yulun again asked: “Did you look in the well? Does the well have any water?”

    “Why should I look there?”

    “Because a stove with no fire and a well with no water is a perfect place to hide people. Inside there might be a secret compartment.”

    Ma Rulong let out a sigh: “Person taught you this must be a veteran, and knows a lot of things.”

    Xie Yulun said: “Now I’ve already taught you these things.”

    Ma Rulong said: “You still want me to go take a look?”

    Xie Yulun said: “You better go right now.”

    The stove was hot and there was tinder next to the stove. Although there a pot of
    water on the stove, there was no water in the well. Was that person hiding in the well? Ma Rulong could not tell.

    He learned bihugong (tiger wall art) when he was small, so it wouldn’t be hard for him to go down. However, if there was person there, once he went down, that person will see him first. Once that person saw him, he would not let him come out of the well alive. It was possible that he could avoid their strike or he strike them first. However why would he do this? He couldn’t think of a reason.

    He was prepared to leave again, prepared to go back to listen to Xie Yulun’s angry nagging. Although he was still not someone’s husband, he could understand husband’s feelings when he was being nagged by his wife. He did not go but suddenly heard a voice from the well coldly said: “Zhang laoban, you come?”
    [TL: Laoban is a title of a owner.]

    It was low and hoarse voice. It was the person that bought salt. He had not seen the other person, but other person already seen him.

    Ma Rulong bitterly smiled: “I came.”

    Person that bought salt said: “Since you are here, why don’t you come down for a sit for a while?”

    Ma Rulong originally could leave but since this person already know who he was even if he left, this person would still go to “Zhang Ji General Items” store. A refugees should never let other know where they were hiding. Ma Rulong understand this because he was a refugee, so he toughen himself and said: “I’m coming down.”

    In the pitch black and deep well, there was suddenly a light. At the bottom of th well were two people, one was the one that bought salt, the other was the one that eat salt.

    This person had broad shoulder, long leg, wide forehead, and high cheekbone. He originally must be a big, tall, and strong person. Right now he was skinny as a stick. His skin was dried and cracked. The strangest part was he kept drinking water.

    Drink a mouthful of water, eat a handful of salt, and swallow a raw chicken egg. He not only wasn’t afraid of saltiness, he did not even die from the salinity. Had no idea where the water he drank went. His dried skin looked like a cracked earth.
    Last edited by kaister; 06-27-10 at 11:42 PM.

  14. #34
    Senior Member LuDongBin's Avatar
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    I have been waiting for a long time for someone to continue this novel. Thanks Kaister, please keep this up! I'm glad you chose this over other novels.

  15. #35
    Senior Member kaister's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LuDongBin View Post
    I have been waiting for a long time for someone to continue this novel. Thanks Kaister, please keep this up! I'm glad you chose this over other novels.
    No problem.

    I'm happy to give back to the community...lol...

  16. #36
    Senior Member kaister's Avatar
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    Default chapter 19

    Chapter 19 - Things You Must Do


    -- The person that bought salt was currently drinking wine, a bottle of rice wine he bought for himself. He was slowly taking one sip at a time. The way he was drinking wine was like a miser tipping. He wanted to drink but wasn’t willing too because he could not be drunk. He needed to take care of his friend, the one that wasn’t afraid of being salty and was eating salt.

    The bottom of the well was much wider than the opening. There was a bed, a small table and chair here. The lamp was on the table. The man that eat salt was on the bed. The man that buy salt was on the chair, quietly sitting here watching Ma Rulong using his bihugong (Tiger Wall kung fu) slide down the wall of the well. His hand holding the bottle of wine was huge and rough with blunt nails. Obviously was trained in zhushazhang (Vermillion Palm) -like martial art.

    Next to his chair was a heavy bamboo rod that looked like it was at least forty - fifty catties. However, he did not strike out a deadly blow. Only coldly said: “Zhang laoban, we know you would eventually come. You actually did come.”

    “You know I would come?” Ma Rulong was confused: “How do you know?”

    The man that bought salt drink took another sip of wine. “If I operate a general store and someone buys two catties of salt everyday, I would be suspicious too.” He coldly smiled: “However a regular general store owner, no matter how strange, would stay out of other people’s business. It’s a pity you are not.”

    “I’m not?”

    “You are absolutely not a general store owner.” The man the bought salt said: “Just like I originally would not go to general store to buy salt.”

    “You can tell?”

    The man the bought salt said: “You came here to investigate me. I also investigated you already.” The man that bought salt slowly continued: “You originally should be Zhang Rongfa. You have already opened a general store here for eighteen years. You have a bedridden wife, an honest clerk, and you never like to be nosy.” He suddenly sighed: “Unfortunately you are not Zhang Rongfa, absolutely not.”

    Ma Rulong said: “How do you know I am not Zhang Rongfa?”

    The man that bought salt said: “Because you nails are too clean, hair is too neat, and also you bath everyday. I already found out that the original Zhang Rongfa was not a person that cares about being clean.”

    Ma Rulong could not refute and had nothing to refute. This person obviously an keen and experienced person in Jianghu. Before Ma Rulong was suspicious of him, he was already suspicious of this general store.

    “If you are not Zhang Rongfa, who are you? Why do you pretend to be Zhang Rongfa? Where is the real Zhang Rongfa?” The man that bought salt continued: “I thought of these questions before, and was thinking for a long time.”

    Ma Rulong said: “You saw something through?”

    The man that bought salt said: “I only realized one point.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Which one point?”

    The man that bought salt said: “This must be a well-crafted plan. Every small detailed was secretly arranged. You could disguised as Zhang Rongfa and fool all of your customers who are regulars of eighteen years. It must be a brilliant art of disguise.”

    He said confidently: “Although there are a lot of people in Jianghu that know the art of disguise. In the world, only one can achieved it at the level.”

    This person, of course, was Exquisite Jade Hand Yu Linglong.

    The man the bought salt continue: “Miss Yu have not pay attention to Jianghu’s business for over twenty years. Only one person could’ve persuaded her to come back and use her art.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Only one person?”

    The man that bought salt said: “Absolutely only one person. Other the Jiangnan Yu Wu, no one would be able to persuade her. “

    Ma Rulong forcibly smiled. He finally understands, there was no such thing as a perfect plan in the world. No secret that could be hidden forever. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t figure out the holes to Qiu Fengcheng’s plot.

    The man that bought salt again said: “You went through such a meticulous arrangement and wasted a lot of effort and disguised as a owner of a general store. As I can see you are the same as us, are both refugees (fleeing). You are also trying to avoid being hunted and getting caught. The people that wanted your life must be worst than our adversaries.” He laughed and said: “Since we are both refugees of Jianghu, why should I try to find out your secret? You originally did not need to investigate me. That’s why I could still go to your store to buy these things everyday.”

    Ma Rulong sighed: “I originally also do not want to come.”

    The man that bought salt said: “Unfortunately, you are here.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Do you want to kill and get rid of me?”

    The man that bought salt said: “Since you can get Jiangnan Yu Wu to do this, you
    must also have an impressive background. Even if I want to silence you, I might not succeed.” He suddenly laughed, “If you are really who I guess you are, once I make my move, it is possible that I am the one that will die.”

    Ma Rulong said: “The person you guessed is who?”

    The man that bought salt said: “Ma Rulong, Tianma Tang’s young master, and White Horse gongzi Ma Rulong.”

    Ma Rulong’s heart jumped. If his face had not been changed by Jade Hand Linglong, other people would already discovered the expression on his face changed. However, he just had to asked: “Why do you think I am Ma Rulong?”

    The man that bought salt said: “I have my reason.”

    His reasons was -- Right now in Jianghu the most wanted man was Ma Rulong. The only man the could asked Jiangnan Yu Wu for help was also Ma Rulong. He said: “Right now the three big families and five big sects in Jianghu had already posted a reward of 50,000 taels of gold for you. The top-rated experts that are after you are at least fifty to sixty people. Only the disciples of Beggar Clan did not seemed to care and did not get involve with this matter.”

    Beggar Clan had many disciples, vast territory, most varied, could get the most informations. Beggar Clan had huge expenses, 50,000 taels of gold was not a small sum. The man that bought said: “Why would they not get involved? Of course because Yu Fifth Master has a relationship with you.”

    Ma Rulong was quiet for a while and then softly said: “You shouldn’t say these words.”

    The man that bought salt said: “Is it because if I said it out, you would kill me afterward? Because you are suspect I also want these 50,000 taels of gold.”

    Ma Rulong said: “You don’t?’

    The man that bought salt assuredly said: “I do not.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Why not?”

    The man that bought salt did not open his mouth. The man eating salt suddenly said: “Because of me.”

    He had been eating salt, the saltiest crude salt. No one would have imagine a person could eat this amount of salt. Two catties worth and he ate half already. After swallowing ten raw eggs, his face finally had a bit of live to it so he finally talk.

    He said: “For twenty years, people that wanted my heads were no less than you. Being wrongfully accused, I had experienced that.” Although he looked weak, his word a bit of heroism to it: “Although 50,000 taels of gold is not a small amount, I couldn’t care less.”

    Ma Rulong said: “How do you know I’ve been framed?”

    The man eating salt said: “Because I believed in Yu Wu. If you are not framed, the first man that wanted you like would be him.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Who are you?”

    The man that eats salt said: “I am also like you; a person that had been framed, a person with a price on his head, and a person that lives like a wild dog that doesn’t dare to see people. This is because we both don’t want to die, and even if we die we want to die after we clear our name.” He laughed again, a desolate and solemn laugh: “Regarding my name, it’s better not to ask.”

    Ma Rulong looked at him for a while, then looked at the man that bought salt, and suddenly said: “I believe you would not sell me out.”

    The man that eats salt said: “I also believe in you.” He extended out his hand. His hand was like his friend’s, huge brute hand, and cold as ice. However when Ma Rulong held on to his warm, he felt and indescribable warmth.

    The man that eats salt laughed and said: “You go. I’m not holding you here.”

    Ma Rulong said: “You can come back to buy salt. I’m not going to question you.”

    The man that eats slat looked at him for a while, and suddenly sighed: “It’s a pity we meet too late. I’d already suffered heavy injury and could no longer help you. Otherwise, I would love to have a friend like you.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Right we can still become friends. Making friends is not about taking advantage of one another.”

    The man that eats salt suddenly laughed loudly. He laughed was hoarse and short, already couldn’t laughed anymore, but was full of heroic spirit. He said: “It doesn’t matter if you are Ma Rulong or not, doesn’t matter who you are, I want you as a friend!”

    Ma Rulong firmly shake his hand. “I also do not care who, I want to have you as a friend.”

    Dawn hadn’t come yet, the spring was cold and chilly. Ma Rulong’s heart was hot, his entire body was hot because he made a new friend, a person of unknown origin. Never care about the outcome, yet friends that are devoted to each other.

    “You became friends with him!” Xie Yulun was still waiting for him and that was her first thing she asked was: “You don’t even know his name, and you became friends with him?”

    Ma Rulong said: “Even if everyone in the world is his enemies, and wanted to kill him and dismember his body, I am still willing to become his friend!”

    Xie Yulun said: “For what?”

    Ma Rulong said: “No particular reason.”

    No particular reason! This is the truth in regard to making friend. If you needed a “particular reason” to make friends, then what kind of friends can you make? What kind of friend are you?

    You could see the daybreak from the window. Xie Yulun was leaning her head and then looked at him for a while, then lightly sighed and said: “I understand what you mean but I could this.” There were not much young girls that could understand these type of sentiments.

    Xie Yulun suddenly asked: “Do you know why does you friend eat salt?” Ma Rulong didn’t know. He didn’t even ask.

    “I know.” Xie Yulun said: “He must’ve been injured by Three Sun Lineage Ending Hand (Sanyang Juehu Shou)!”
    [TL: Ughh, another awkward sounding direct translation. Sanyang mean three (san) sun/positive (yang, as in yin-yang). Juehu literally translate household ending and means heirless. So I just put them together...lol...]

    “Three Sun Lineage-Ending Hand?” Ma Rulong was from a Wulin family but he had never hear of this.

    “This palm skill had been lost of a while. When a person get hit by this palm not only would his body lose water and skin dried up, he also lose his sense of taste and only want to eat salt. The more salt he eats, he would want to drink more water and injured himself even more. At the time of death his body would completely dried up, as if he was burnt to death.”

    She pondered and said: “Although swallowing raw eggs is better than drinking water, this would only prolong his life for one and half more month. His outcome would still be death.”

    “Absolutely can not be saved?”

    Xie Yulun did not answer his question and asked: “What kind of person is your friend? What does he look like?”

    “I believe he was originally a big and strong man. His shoulder broader than regular people by at least a half. Also his hands and legs are big. His waijia palm skill must be really good.”
    [TL: Waijiazhang (literally mean “outer-family palm”). It refers to palm skills that are not of Shaolin or Shaolin-derivative.]

    Ma Rulong said: “Right now. although he’s injured and close to death, when he speaks he still have this intimidating heroism to him.”

    Xie Yulun had a sparkle in her eyes.

    “I already know who he is.”

    “Who?”

    “This palm skill is even more potent and harder to master than Yin family and Cui family’s Three Sun Lineage-Ending Palm, it could only be mastered by a person that never touches woman.”

    A person that never touched a woman, how many are in Jianghu?

    Xie Yulun said: “From what I know, in the past fifty years there is only one person that was willing to master this.”

    Ma Rulong immediately asked: “Who?”

    “Jue dashi!” Xie Yulun said: “Although Jue dashi is heartless, ruthless and very willing to kill, but he wouldn’t lightly use such a secret skill. Unless his opponent palm skill are much better, forcing him to use this type of martial art.”

    Jianghu experts, most of them, have hidden ultimate martial art move. Unless they were forced to, they would not reveal this move.

    Xie Yulun said: “If he wasn’t forced to a point where he had not other choice, Jue dashi would never use Three Sun Lineage-Ending Palm.”

    She asked Ma Rulong again: “How many people could forced Jue dashi into such situation?”

    “Not many.”

    “Have you heard of “Sky-turning, Earth-shaking” Tie Zhentian?” Xie Yulun said: “Can he be consider one of these people?”

    Ma Rulong knew his facial expression must have changed. Of course he had heard of the name, “Sky-turning, Earth-shaking” Tie Zhentian. Roamed Jiangdong for twenty years, kill people like nothing, accumulated cases like mountain; hard to know how man people wanted his head. Unfortunately it was hard to trace his whereabouts, no one could find him. Futhermore he had top level martial art, cruel and vicious, even those that could find him were kill by his pair of iron fist.

    Xie Yulun again asked: “Do you think your friend is Tie Zhentian?”

    Ma Rulong refused to answer. That person was undoubtedly Tie Zhentian. “For twenty years, people that wanted my heads were no less than you... 50,000 taels of gold, I couldn’t care less.” Other than Tie Zhentian, who would had said this. He also said something else: “I’m also familiar with feeling of being accused.”

    Ma Rulong suddenly loudly said: “Doesn’t matter what he did in the past. I think he must have his own reason. Furthermore, he already been push to the brink of death by these so called righteous and heroic people.”

    Xie Yulun: “You think Jue dashi would wrongly accused a good person?”

    Ma Rulong coldly smiled: “Being wrongfully accused by him, Tie Tianba is not the only one.”

    Xie Yulun sighed: “You are a good person. A friend like you isn’t bad. Unfortunately this good friendship would not last long.”

    Ma Rulong said: “There is really no way to save him?”

    Xie Yulun slightly said: “If I am the big Miss of Xie family, maybe he could be saved.”

    She deliberately sighed: “It’s a pity I am only the general store owner’s wife. Even I couldn’t save myself, how can I save other?”

    Ma Rulong did not say anything.

    He understood what Xie Yulun meant. If he really reveal the truth to her, it might be possible for her to save Tie Zhentian.

    However if he does this, he would’d betray Dawan and Yu Wu.

    They were also his friends.

    Xie Yulun turned around her body and avoid him: “I’m tired, let’s sleep!”

    Ma Rulong did not sleep. He knew he couldn’t sleep.

    Didn’t know whether Xie Yulun was really sleep or pretending to sleep but she had not mention this again.

    A fish stomach color was showing through the window. Still haven’t heard of any voices.

    Ma Rulong quietly opened the door and softly walk out.
    Last edited by kaister; 06-27-10 at 11:39 PM.

  17. #37
    Senior Member kaister's Avatar
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    One interesting note:

    I was checking out a this book from my local library and realize that Xie Yubao name was different.

    In that book...Xie Yubao was called Xie Yulun instead (define as same lun in Mt. Kunlun). I was look around online and a bunch of online version of the book had Xie Yulun also...

    My Source Text: Xie Yubao (谢玉宝)
    Book and other sources: Xie Yulun (谢玉仑)

    I'm baffled by this. But whatever...I'm just gonna keep it as is...

    I just want to point this out in cause some of who know the story catches this on.


    Edit:
    I just did some research and...uh...I am convinced that it should be Xie Yulun...lol
    I'm not sure why my source text had it different...

    So I changed it all to Xie Yulun as of right now..
    Last edited by kaister; 06-27-10 at 11:52 PM.

  18. #38
    Senior Member kaister's Avatar
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    Default Chapter 20

    Chapter 20 - No Other Choice


    Ma Rulong went out to the alley lane, and finally heard the baby of the household on the opposite side crying. After three more steps, a small door with Chaishen (god of wealth) on it opened. That young pregnant housewife was seeing his young husband off to work. Ma Rulong pretend he did not see them. The husband was holding a small cloth bag and left. The housewife did not seem to notice Ma Rulong, turned around and closed the door.

    Ma Rulong sprinted out, after three rise and fall, he entered Tao Baoyi’s back yard. There seemed to be noises in the kitchen, the sound of rinsing and cooking rice. Tao Baoyu’s wife was a hardworker, she already prepared her husband’s breakfast. Ma Rulong did not pay much attention to it. Tao Baoyi practiced martial art before, he probably used to be Tie Zhentian’s subordinate. He didn’t felt like a need to be cautious about this couple. He jumped into that well with no water.

    The one catty of rice wine was empty, the man that bought salt was wide awake and was helping his friend tidy up his bed. The man that eats salt also did not sleep, half of the remaining salt from last time was gone. They saw Ma Rulong but was not surprised and seemed as if they knew he would come back.

    Ma Rulong straight-forwardly asked him: “Are you Tie Zhentian?”

    “I am.” His answer was also straightforward: “I am that murderer and infamous bandit Tie Zhentian.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Are you injured by Jue dashi’s Three Sun Lineage-Ending Palm?”

    “Yes.” Tie Zhentian was a bit taken back but he did not ask how he know.

    Ma Rulong again asked: “Your injured, can you be saved?”

    This time Tie Zhentian countered: “Why getting involved in my business?”

    Ma Rulong said: “Because you are my friend!”

    Tie Zhentian said: “You are know I am the bandit Tie Zhentian, you still want me as your friend?”

    Ma Rulong said: “We are already friends. No matter who you are that would not change.”

    Tie Zhentian stared at him and suddenly laughed loudly: “I, Tie Zhentian, made a lot of mistakes in my life. However, never had a bad friend.”

    He was really laughing right now. As if as long as could make new friends, even if he died, he could die with no regret.

    The man that bought salt suddenly said: “He really did made a lot of mistake because he was too reckless, too easily agitate. Also for friends, he is willing to do anything.”

    He said it one word at a time: “However, this he was not wrong.”

    -- This time what did he do? Why was he framed? Ma Rulong did not ask.

    He believed them, so he asked: “You are injured, can you be saved?”

    “Yes.” The man that bought salt said: “There is one medicine that could save him.”

    “Which medicine?”

    The man that bought salt dejectedly sighed: “Even I said it out there is no use because we absolutely could not get this medicine.”

    He forcibly laughed and said: “Not only can we not get it, we can’t steal it, can’t rob it. Otherwise, I would have went stole it.”

    Ma Rulong again asked: “The medicine you want, was it made by a family named Xie?”

    The man that bought salt changed his expression: “How do you their last name is Xie?”

    His expression changed too fast, too weird, Ma Rulong said: “How come I shouldn’t know?”

    The man that bought salt said: “Because...” His words were very hesitant like was not willing to reveal the secret nor does he dare.

    Tie Zhentian, however, loudly butted in: “Because that person is not willing to let other know her last name is Xie. Because she had a tragic history. No matter who, if they mention this, she would kill them.”

    Ma Rulong said: “Who is this person?”

    Tie Zhentian said: “Biyu Villa’s Madame Biyu. I am injured, only her Jasper Bead can save me.”

    Ma Rulong froze. --- Madame Biyu’s last name was Xie. What was Xie Yulun’s relation to her? What did she have to do with Biyu Villa? He suddenly realized there wera a lot of questions, questions he never thought of before.

    Right now he didn’t have time to think.

    He suddenly heard someone at the opening of the well said: “Tie Zhentian, you can not escape. Tie Quanyi, you also can not escape.”

    The hunter already arrived, the refugees were in the well, like a fish in the net. Where else can they escape?

    Ma Rulong’s heart sank because he already knew the person above is Feng Chaofan. If Feng Chanfan was here obviously Jue dashi was nearby, and probably Monk Chiku and Jade Taoist too. Even if they were not here for him, he couldn’t escape either.

    Tie Zhentian used one had to cover his mouth, and put the salt in his other into his own mouth. He suddenly said: “Not bad. I am here. My brother is also here, we are waiting for you.”

    There was no response above after a long time. The people above were obviously surprised, how come Tie Zhentian had not died yet?

    His words still have such strength to it. After a long time, you could finally heard Jue dashi coldly said: “Tie Zhentian, you come up. I would spare Tie Quanyi’s life!” Tie Quanyi was obviously the man that bought salt.

    “Hmphf, us brothers already decided that we would die together.”

    Tie Zhentian laughed loudly: “Good, good brother!”

    “If you want our lives, you better come down.” Jue dashi did not go down, no one did. Although there was no where to escape down in the well, the first one the go down would die.

    “We would absolutely not go down.” Tie Zhentian lowered his voice and coldly laughed: “They are already daxia, no need to be a hero.”

    “Anyway they already know we have no where to escape.” Tie Quanyi also softly said: “They are definitely waiting for us up there.”

    “However, they would not wait for long.” Tie Zhentian said: “Soon, they would figure out that use fire or water, these vicious and cheap methods, on us.”

    Ma Rulong said: “With their status, would they really use these method?”

    Tie Zhentian said: “Because they have an excuse.”

    His smile look as if he was mocking and grieving: “To handle monsters like us, no matter what they do, no one would criticize them. However if we do the same to them, it wouldn’t be the same.” He suddenly tightly gripped onto Ma Rulong’s hand. “Are you my friend?”

    “Yes.”

    “I am only than you, should you listen to me?” Tie Zhentian said: “For this matter, you must listen to me.”

    “Which matter?”

    “When they start to use fire or water on us, we would rush out.”

    “Good.” Ma Rulong had no objection: “Actually we could rush out right now.”

    “We must follow Tie Quanyi, not you!” Tie Zhentian kept his voice especially low: “They knew Quanyi and I are here, but they could never had guess there is an third person.”

    “They would of course couldn’t believe the owner of a general store could be here and became friend with the great bandit Tie Zhentian. All they want was the two of us. Once they succeeded they would not stay here. Once they left, you would be safe.” He was gripping even harder on Ma Rulong’s hand: “Once we part today, there would be no next time. I don’t want you to avenge me nor clear my name. As long as you continue to live, that’s good enough for me.”

    Why did he become friend with Ma Rulong for? For nothing particular. As long as his friend live because he knew for some people sometimes, just being able to stay alive was hard enough.

    Ma Rulong had been quietly listening and did not say a thing. He had a lot of things to say but did not even say a word. Because these words did not need to be spoken out. He had already made a decision.

    Tie Zhentian also did not say anymore and started to eat salt again. He swallowed a big handful at a time in his mouth. He still have a last breath of air, he could still fight to the death. He had the same type of attitude as Ma Rulong.

    There hadn’t been any movement above the well for along time. The people at the bottom of the well could escape anyway. Jue dashi and they are people that could hold their anger. Tie Quanyi pulled a Burmese knife out of his waistband, a light a sharp knife. He then coldly said: “Even if I have to die, I want to kill him!”

    Tie Zhentian said: “Who do you want to kill?”

    Tie Quanyi said: “Tao Baoyi.”

    Tie Zhentian said: “You can’t kill him.”

    Tie Quanyi said: “This time he must have betrayed us, why can’t I kill him?”

    Tie Zhentian said: “Because he already have a wife and his wife is pregnant. In Jianghu, he is not the only one that betray his friend. Beside this is not the first time you and I have been betrayed. Why must you kill him?” He suddenly let out a long sigh: “If you must kill people, the first one you should kill is me!”

    Tie Quanyi said: “You?”

    Tie Zhentian said: “If it wasn’t for me, how did you ended up like this?”

    Tie Quanyi looked at him and suddenly laughed: “Right. You are absolutely right. If it wasn’t for you, I would not ended up like this. My parents were murdered and my wife was raped. Other people said this was only my retribution. If it wasn’t for you, why am I getting these reprisal? I......” His voice cracked, his distorted smiling was getting tear. Suddenly leap up vertically and hollered: “I, Tie Zhentian, have kill countless in my life. Today, I might as well sell you my head? All of you come and get it!”

    He is not Tie Zhentian! He said this because he wanted to go out first and used himself as a bait. This way his friend would have a chance to escape. He did not even care about his life and death.

    Ma Rulong understand his intention. Tie Zhentian also understand and suddenly lift his head and laughed. “You can not take this from me. As to who would die, I should first. As long as I am still alive, I will not let other harm you!”

    While laughing, he used his skinny and bony body and rushed up. While stepping on Tie Quanyi’s shoulder, he leaped again and leaped out the well. There was immediately a loud cry above the well. Tie Quanyi also leaped out, doesn’t who die first and who die later, they would die together. If this was one year ago, Ma Rulong would teared up seeing such a scene. However Ma Rulong did not tear up, but his chest had blood --- blood boiling. A person that was determined and prepared to shed blood would usually not shed tear. He knew what Tie Zhentian said was not wrong. If he quietly stayed in the well and wait until they die, he would be able to escape back to the general store. Then no one would come here to buy salt and his secret would be safe. How could he just forget about this and forget about Tie Zhentian.

    If he also rushed out, he would just die with both of them. Because if he rushed out, Jue dashi would eventually find out who he was. A typical owner of a general store, would not risked their life and fight alongside the great bandit Tie Zhentian. A reasonable person would never do such a idiotic thing. Ma Rulong was not an idiot, he knew what he had to do to keep his life.

    A person only has one life. Like any other people, Ma Rulong also value his life. However, he also realized that, in life, there are more important things than life.

    Since Jue dashi was determined that there was only two people in the well, if a third person came out, they would be surprised. When they were startled, he would have his chance. If there was a chance, he would not let it go. Even if there was no chance, he would still do the same. He would still rushed out.
    Last edited by kaister; 06-27-10 at 11:48 PM.

  19. #39
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    thanx for the translation.
    Rose blooms best near death
    You are in full bloom, Pal!

  20. #40
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    soooo good thank you for doing this speedy translation

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