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

[BlackRaven]

Thanks Kaister! I reread the whole story from beginning to end to refresh my memory. This story is indeed amazing. And I have a feeling that the best is yet to come. No wonder this novel received so many recommendations from longtime Gu Long readers.

[kaister]

Chapter 34 - 華屋惡夜 - Mansion and the Sinister Night

Jiangnan Yu Wu was not only a famous hero in Jianghu, but a celebrated and gifted scholar with startling brilliance, carefree and candid. Yu Liu, on the other hand, was a completely different person, like what he said himself. He actually did looked like a crude man, rough hand, thick leg, ordinary and simple. On his clear and square face, there wasn’t a sign of intelligence on it. Only when his smile, he showed a slight resemblance to Yu Wu. However, right now every one was curious about him because he didn't seemed as simple and ordinary as he looked. Every one had a lot of questions to ask him because everyone wanted to know exactly what kind of person he was.

“You had never roamed around Jianghu? What do you typically do?”

“I did a little bit of everything,” Yu Liu answered: “But I often help others build houses.”

“Are you a mason or a carpenter?”

“I do both masonry and carpentry.“ Yu Liu said: “However, usually I just build the look.”

To build an house, you first have to build up the look, that is you must have a blueprint. How tall the house should be? How many degree of slope should the roof be? How much weight should it support? How deep is the foundation? Everything should be calculated carefully; there should be no mistake. If there was any mistake, the house could collapse quickly.

Tunneling was the same, you also had to planned it out, measure the distance. As long as there was one mistake, the tunnel exit would not be at its original planned position. If he dug the exit of the tunnel outside of the general store and in front of No Thirteen, he would just be digging the graves for him and these people.

Dawan sighed again. “Now I know, why your fifth brother specifically requested you to dig the tunnel.” Dawan said: “Digging a tunnel like must be even more difficult than building a house.”

“That tunnel was not something I could’ve dug alone. The people on those three other carriages were all my helpers.”

These were all already planned out. Those people came to help dig tunnel, and upon leaving could be used to help mislead No Thirteen’s pursuit. Everyone was used efficiently and effectively.

“They all must be sent by your fifth brother, must be Beggar Clan’s disciples.”

Everyone thought so, however Yu Liu laughed: “They are not Beggar Clan’s disciples.” He said: “They were all people the constructed house with me, so they also knew how to dig tunnel.”

Everyone was very surprised. “You planned all this out?”

Yu Liu smiled: “Since my fifth brother wanted me to do this, of course I have to manage it well.”

Such a thorough plan and such a large scale operation, was actually all led by this “crude man”. He looked crude, filthy, and dense; his hands, face, clothes, and shoes were covered in mud; and even his nail crack were filled with dirt. However no one thought he was crude, filthy, or stupid anymore.

There was only a person that asked: “Where’s your fifth brother?”

Yu Liu sighed: “He handed over the entire task to me. He, himself, did not get involve in anything.”

Tie Zhentian suddenly sighed: “If I also have a brother like you, I would be like Yu Wu and not worry about anything.”

When he sighed, he eye was staring at Jue dashi. Everyone knew he must be thinking about his brother Tie Quanyi. Though his brother might not be comparable to Yu Wu’s brother, his brother was definitely able to do something other people’s brother could not do. His brother was willing to die for him anytime.

Jue dashi had no reaction. No matter what others were saying, it seems as if he did not hear anything.

Midnight. When they got on the carriage, the sky was already completely dark. Right now, only over four hours had passed. Everyone thought Yu Liu would continue on throughout the night, but they were wrong.

They just entered a rather big town and passed through a very wide main street. From the carriage window, although the stores of this street were already closed, one could tell this a very busy and prosperous town. Just as they were looking out the window, the carriage turned into a dead alley.

The alley was a dead end. There was only a single house, a seemingly large rich family. A rich family house with red-lacquered gate and a pair larges stone guardian lions crouching outside the gate. There was also a pathway suitable for a carriage to ride through. The red door entrance was closed, their horse and carriage, however, were still riding along this pathway. Almost when the carriage was about to crash into these large doors, the red doors suddenly opened and the carriage rode straight in. They stopped at a very large courtyard. The instant the horse and carriage were inside, the large doors closed. Yu Liu opened the carriage door.

“Everyone please get off of the carriage.”

“Get off? Get off for what?”

“Tonight, we will stay here!”

“Why are we staying here?”

Yu Liu smiled: “Because No Thirteen would definitely think we would ride through the night.”

Everyone thought they would continue on through the night, therefore he deliberately stop here. Tie Zhentian suddenly also smiled: “This is a good idea!”

The courtyard was large. The house was also very large with carved beams, painted rafters, and newly pasted snow white window papers which under the moonlight seemed to be glowing white. However, there was nothing inside the house -- no people, no tables and chairs, no household furnitures, no lamp lights. Although there was no lamp light, there were, however, starlight and the moon. Although there were the star light and moonlight, it made the empty mansion even more cold and miserable.

Yu Liu explained: “This is a new house I helped construct recently. The owner of this mansion is a retired high-ranked government official. He will start moving in next month.”

Right now the last quarter moon was still hanging high in the sky, which was why there were no one here.

“Who was the person that opened the door at first?”

“Also one of the people that help me built houses.” Yu Liu said: “I can guaranteed he will not reveal our secret.”
That person, of course, would never give away their secret. That person was a deaf, not only deaf but also mute. <NEW> Deaf, mute, crippled, hunchback, and old. Already did not have any hope towards life. Nothing in the world would motivate him.

An empty and desolate mansion, a slow-witted and ugly handicap, a barely-lit and tattered lantern, a cold, windy, and frigid night in spring, and seven fugitives. The tattered lantern swaying in the wind. The ugly hunchback carried the lantern, limping one step at a time, leading the group from the front. Other people didn’t want to look at him. He didn’t want others to look at him either.

He led the seven people into four separate rooms. Ma Rulong and Yu Liu in one room, Dawan and Xie Yulun in one room, Tie Zhentian and Wang Wanwu in one room, and Jue dashi occupies one room by himself. No one wants to get near him and he doesn’t want to get near anyone. On a cold spring night, a person like him staying alone in a house without anything; when thinking about the bitter past and present, how did he cope?

Everyone felt really tired, extremely tired, but no many people could sleep. Xie Yulun did not sleep. There was a straw mat laid on the floor, she was sleeping on this straw mat. The wind outside the window sounded like a woman weeping.

“Are you asleep?”

“No.” Dawan couldn’t sleep either.

“How come you couldn’t sleep? What’s on your mind?” Xie Yulun asked.

“I’m not thinking of anything.” Dawan said. “I just wanted to have good night sleep.”

Xie Yulun suddenly laughed, “You don’t have to lie to me. I know what you are thinking about.”

“Oh?”

“You’re thinking about Ma Rulong.” Xie Yulun said, “I know you really like him.”

Dawan neither admit or deny this, just asked back, “Why aren’t you sleeping? Do you also have something on your mind?”

Xie Yulun’s reply undoubtedly would have surprised anyone.

“I’m like you. I’m also thinking about Ma Rulong.” She sighed, “These several months, he had been sleeping with me in the same house. Every night I could hear him breathing. Why wouldn’t I be thinking about him? How could I be able to sleep?”

Dawan didn’t say anything else. She suddenly stood up, walked to the window, and opened it up. In this calm deep night, a girl like her being affronted about her emotion, what else can she say?

Xie Yulun seemed as if she still had a lot to say.

“I do not have any sisters. In my life, you are the one closest to me.” Xie Yulun said, “I have never thought you would harm me, so that day when you suddenly hit my acupoint, I was surprised.”

She took a deep breath, “Now even though I finally understood your good intention, I was still surprised back then.”

Dawan did not look back and did not open her mouth.

Xie Yulun continued, “It would’ve been better if I had completely lost consciousness. Unfortunately I was still very much awake, I still remember every thing you did to me.” Xie Yulun slowly mentioned, “I would never forget those things.”

She sighed again, “You brought me to that yamen (government office). You shut me in the small room, stripped me naked, laid me down on that cold and hard wooden bed. You also brought a man to inspect my body. I know everything.”

Dawan suddenly sighed and said, “At the time I thought you’d already faint, so…”

Xie Yulun did not let her continue and asked, “Do you know how I felt back then?” Xie Yulun asked, “Do you know what it feel like for a girl to have another seen her like that for the first time?”

“I don’t know.”

“Of course you wouldn’t know.” Xie Yulun said, “Because you haven’t had another stripped you naked and then have a man look at you.”

She suddenly laughed, “However I promised you’ll know soon enough.”

Dawan’s complexion changed, suddenly darted toward the window. Unfortunately she was too late. As she was trying to jump up, Xie Yulun already aiming for her back and struck her acupoint.

Xie Yulun wanted revenge. — Dawan was already aware of this, which was why she was preparing to escape. This seems very logical. However if this is what you’re thinking, then you’re wrong, very wrong.

Dawan face changed and was preparing to jump up not because she was aware of what Xie Yulun was trying to do. She actually didn’t even hear what she was saying. She was trying to jump out the window because she saw something extremely shocking. Saw something she would never imagine seeing.

If she could speak, she could had prevented thoese dreadful events from happening. However she could not speak. Xie Yulun already hit six, seven of her acupoints. She even sealed her yaxue (mute point), she couldn’t even utter a word.

If Xie Yulun happened to know what she saw, she would’ve been shocked. However Xie Yulun didn’t know, so she was smiling, smiling happily.

“Soon you will understand how I felt back then.” Xie Yulun chuckling said, “Because I will do exactly what you did to me. I also wanted Ma Rulong to look at you.”

Ma Rulong also did not sleep. He wanted to have a chat with Yu Liu, but Yu Liu already feel asleep the instant he collapsed on the straw bed. Yu Liu was not a man in the jianghu (martial art world), not a well-known martial artist, not a young master from a renown family. He did not have glory of famous people, nor share their burden. Ma Rulong was sighing in his heart. He also wanted to be an average person like Yu Liu, where one could just fall asleep the instant they go to bed. Unfortunately, he was Ma Rulong.

The window was half opened, half shut. The wind was wailing outside. He suddenly saw some signaling with their hand outside the window. It was Xie Yulun beckoning him to come out.

“I want to take you somewhere to see something.” Xie Yulun’s eye lit up and said, “I promise you, you’ll love it.”

She was smiling mysteriously. Ma Rulong couldn’t help but to follow her. They went back to Xie Yulun and Dawan’s room. There were two straw mats on the floor. She laid Dawan on one of them and covered her up using the second one.

“Go ahead and lift up the straw mat.” Xie Yulun said, “Then take a look from this end to that end.”

She wanted Ma Rulong to look Dawan’s leg and then Dawan’s face. Ma Rulong did exactly what she said. He said one end and his face changed, saw the other end and his expression looked as if someone stabbed him.

Xie Yulun laughed, and said smiliing, “I thought you wouldn’t be this surprised because you should’ve known that I would get even.”

Ma Rulong was even more stunned, after a long pause finally said, “Who are you trying to get even at?”

“Dawan, of course.” Xie Yulun was chuckling, “What she did before, I’m doing the same to her now.”

“What she did to you before, you’re doing the same right now.” Ma Rulong repeated what she said, voice also sounded as if someone was stabbed him.

“Did you also sealed her pressure point? And also put her underneath this straw mat?”

Xie Yulun nodded, nodding and smiling at the same time. Ma Rulong did not say anything else, suddenly lift up the straw mat on the top. Xie Yulun couldn’t smile anymore, look on her face seemed as if someone stab, cruelly stabbed and twisting the knife. At first, she clearly put Dawan there and covered her up with the straw mat. However, the person right there was not Dawan. Laying on the straw mat was that deaf, mute, hunchback, and old cripple.

[Ch. 34 End]

I restarted the translation in the middle of this chapter.

[LuDongBin]

Thks kaister. Lots of surprises towards the end .... interesting.

[kaister]

I wanted to announce I've reached a milestone.

I've finally translated all the chapters from the book. Yay ... after four freaking years. I finally read the ending of this story for the first time. When I picked up the translation for this, it was dead for five years so it took nearly 10 years for a complete translation. A watershed moment for me. LOL

Sorry guys for taking so long. I'll take a quick cleanup of the rest of the chapters before posting them in the next couple of days.

Later, I'll reread the entire story from beginning to the end. Unfortunately I don't translate the text consistently. For example, I keep on switching between black rock and black stone. Sometime I flipped between translating something and keeping it in pinyin. So yea, there are still works that needs to be done. BUT I'll be taking my sweet *** time on this.

On another note, I mentioned on Post 20 that I was eyeing on two other Gu Long stories. I'm still thinking about these.

1. Sanshaoye de Jian - Sword of the Third Young Master (三少爺的劍)
This translation was active when I started, now it stopped at ch 38, I believe. I am thinking picking this up and finishing it. Would you guys like it if I pick up this translation?

I am hesitant to hi-jack someone else translation cause I'm afraid it might be disrespectful to the original translator. Sword of the Third Young Master is a bit different because it went through 3-4 translators using different source materials.

I believe it'll be good to have one complete translation form the original Chinese source and through a single translator. I'm planning to translate the remaining chapters first, and the go back and retranslate the earlier chapters. I'm doing it this way because if I vanish for a second time people will still have other means to read the story in its entirety =/. There will be a new thread for this if this is happening. How does that sound?

2. Wulin Waishi - The Unofficial History of Wulin (武林外史)
Interestingly, this one stopped completely right after I disappeared. Much more taxing to translate. Also from what I remember, it has longer chapters. If people wants, I can take over this?

I will probably continue starting ch. 16 unlike what I did here, in which I redid the earlier chapters. Again, this have 28 chapters left so I'm a bit more hesitant on this. That's why I felt like translating Third Young Master before even tackling this.

Tell me what you guys think.

[ycb5959]

Thanks for the continuing and the latest update.

Sword of the Third Young Master is good. I like the story - didn't like the movie adaptation.

edit: minor error

Though his brother might not be comparable to Yu Wu’s brother, he brother could definitely able to do what other people’s brother can not do.

should be "his"

[CFT]

Congratulations. Incredible that you have devoted so much time to the effort. I guess we will need an Unabridged thread for all the translation posts.

[szfong]

You might also consider translating Ping Zong Xia Ying Lu / Wanderer Chrinicles, it's a great story where they made two TV series from it... The original translator stopped translating it 2 years ago and the translator appears to have no activity on spcnet ever since.

[zhouyu]

Thank you so much for finishing this great story.

if i had a vote, it would be for Wulin Waishi. I always heard that Shen Lang is one of the top masters and it would be great to see why.

[kaister]

Chapter 35 - 恶夜惊魂 - Panic in the Sinister Night

Right now that cripple was not that different from other people, because he was already dead. Everyone eventually dies. Dead people are the same. It didn’t matter if you were a hero when you were alive, or a beauty, they would all be the same when they were dead — only a dead person. The only difference between this dead person and any other dead person was that both of his fists were clenched tightly like a miser clenching onto his wallet. What was he holding?

Ma Rulong pull opened his hands, and the expression on his looked as if he had taken a blow with knife. The cripple’s hand was holding a black stone, a very round and shiny black stone. Only Dead Valley has these type of stone.

Xie Yulun let out, “No Thirteen (Wu Shisan)!”
[TL: Typically I would keep all names in pinyin. I made an exception here because Wu Shisan literally mean “no thirteen” or “thirteen no’s” and there’s a reason for this name. I don’t want people mistakenly think that his surname is Wu, an actual Chinese surname, with the given name Shisan, as opposed to Yan Shisan.]

If No Thirteen really came, where was Dawan? Neither Ma Rulong or Xie Yulun could answer this question. Didn’t even want to think about it. Also another mystery was Yu Liu’s plan extremely careful so how did No Thirteen manage to come here.

Tie Zhentian was already asleep. An veteran like him would’ve taken any chance to sleep. He also thought Yu Liu’s plan was very meticulous, and this place very safe.

However, a veteran like him would also be easily woken up. He was woken up by a very strange noise. By the time he woke up, Wang Wanwu was no longer in the room, even the straw mat on the floor was missing.

The only door and two windows in the room was locked. He also did not hear any noise from Wang Wanwu opening any door or window. Also, the door and window can only be lock from the inside. If Wang Wanwu went out, there was no way he could lock up the door or window. So there were no sign of anyone opening the door or window but Wang Wanwu was not in the room. How did he leave this room?

The only explanation was there was a secret exit. It is common for large house like this to have a secret passage or hidden wall, especially considering this house was built by Yu Liu.

However, Tie Zhentian could not find this exit so he was especially dumbfounded. Wang Wanwu, like him, was here for the first time. Then how come he couldn’t find this secret exit that Wang Wanwu could? There was also another mystery. Why didn’t Wang Wanwu stay in the room and sleep? Why did he quietly sneaked out of the room? Even if he wanted to go out, there was no need to sneak out through a secret passage?

Tie Zhentian did think much about these questions. He never like to dwell on any complicated and confusing matters. The moment he came out of his room was the same time Xie Yulun asked Ma Rulong to come out. Tie Zhentian saw them but did not call out to them.

On the cool calm night, a young man and a young woman wanted to talk in private so why would he want to disturb them? He never like to spoil the moment. He only wanted to find Wang Wanwu.

They were staying at the side rooms of Chinese-style courtyard. Outside was an extremely large backyard. The garden was not particularly decorated. In this quiet spring night, there seems to be a hard to describe eerie and desolate quality. He went through an alley paved with round rocks, suddenly heard someone groaning behind the rock garden. He couldn’t tell who was groaning but could tell that this person was in a great deal of pain.

Behind the rock garden was a lotus pond, even though there wasn’t any lotus yet, but the pond water were being pulled in. A naked body came out of the lotus pond and fell on the ground next to the pond. His whole body was convulsing due to the pain. This person was not Wang Wanwu. Surprisingly, this person was Jue dashi.
[TL: I don’t remember what made me to decide to keep his name in pinyin instead of using something like Master Jue. I’ll just keep it this way until I re-evaluate the translation. FYI, jue means sever, cut-off or detach. Just to give you a sense of why he had such a name.]

Tie Zhentian stood there and stare blankly. He would never imagine Jue dashi would be in this state. However, he would soon realize why Jue dashi would be in this pain. Jue dash was also human, also has human desire, and also experience time when he was tormented by these desire. However, he has no way to vent this out like regular people; therefore, he could only sneak out in the middle of the night and use cold water to cool himself off. Tie Zhentain suddenly realized he was a pitiful person. His cold-hearted and stubbornness was only a result of his long years of suppressive lifestyle. Jue dashi was alarmed, suddenly jumped up, put on his monk gown and looked at Tie Zhentain with a shocked face.

Tie Zhentain sighed, “You don’t need to worry about me telling anyone. What I saw tonight, a third person would never know.”

Jue dashi was startled, embarrassed, regretful, at a lost and then said, “Do you know Tie Quanyi is dead?”

Tie Zhentian clenched up his fist, “Did you killed him?”

“Doesn’t matter who killed him. If you want avenge him, why don’t you make your move now.”

Tie Zhentian looked at him. Not only did him not make any move, he actually sighed and said, “Right now I could not kill you.”

“Why?”

Because right he only felt pity and sympathetic towards him, no murderous intent. Tie Zhentian did not say this out, at that moment there was a loud shriek. It came from Xie Yulun right when she saw the cripple’s corpse.

The corpse did not have any blood or open wound. The fatal wound came from the fact that his pulse was severed by an internal palm technique. An extremely soft class of internal palm technique, that did not even leave any external signs after severing arteries. When Tie Zhentian came here, Yu Liu also arrived. There was visible display of panic and anger.

“Who killed him?” Yu Liu asked. “Why come here and killed a pitiful cripple?”

Tie Zhentian was similarly enraged, “That murderer would not need any reason to kill.”

“Are you referring to No Thirteen?”

“Who else would it be?”

Yu Liu was even more surprised, “How did he find this place? Perhaps our plan leaked out?”

Everyone was thinking about this question.

Xie Yulun suddenly asked, “I understand.”

“Understand what?”

“That devil can even hear a turtle laying an egg, why wouldn't he be able to hear you tunneling?” Xie Yulun said, “He must have waited outside the tunnel exit, watching us.”

“No,” Yu Liu said confidently, “There was no way he was able to hear me digging the tunnel.”

“Why?”

“If you put his ear on the ground and concentrate, he might be able to.” Yu Liu said, “He must be using this way to hear turtle laying eggs.”

Also “turtle laying egg” was simply a figure of speech. Whether there was any sound when turtles lay egg? No one had hear of it and no one knew.

“When I was digging the tunnel, he was only focus on the noises within the convenient store. How could he be listening to ground noise far away?” Yu Liu asserted, “Our operation was very scrupulous, barely any sound was made.”

He had the utmost faith in himself. Everyone also had faith in him, therefore the problem remained.

“If No Thirteen did not hear the digging and tunneling and there was no leak in the plan, how did he manage to get here in half a day?”

Tie Zhentian suddenly said, “There is only one loophole to the plan.”

“Where’s the loophole?”

“On Wang Wanwu.”

Yu Liu immediately said, “You think he was a spy? On the way here, he left secret markings to allow No Thirteen to catch up to us?

These questions, in itself, were the answer. Other than Wang Wanwu, there wasn’t anyone that could be a mole. Without a mole, No Thirteen couldn’t catch up to them.

“Where is Wang Wanwu?”

“He already disappeared.” Tie Zhentian said, “When I woke up, he was already gone.”

“Why did you wake up?”

“I was awoken by a very strange noise.” Tie Zhentian said, “Originally, I have no idea what that sound was. Thinking about it right now, it sounded like a tunnel opening.”

Yu Liu immediate confirm this, “This room was originally meant to the master’s study room. When he was in charge, he must’ve offend some people so deliberately requested to have a secret passage created.

Tie Zhentain said, “But I could not find it.”

Obviously it would be hard for other people to find the secret passage Yu Liu built. Luckily, it shouldn’t be hard for the man himself to find it.

Since this room was intended to be a study room, it wouldn’t be too small. Wang Wanwu originally slept at a corner near the window.

The entrance to the secret passage was below the spot where he had slept. Once you activated a trigger, the passage entrance would open up. Tie Zhentian simply could not find this trigger. The trigger was simply a relief craving on the decorative window sill. Yu Liu pulled on the sculpture and the floor board opened up revealing the entrance to the underground passage.

The passage was damp and dark, the exit was inside a well. Of course, this well did not have any water in it. Although there was no water, there was a person.

A dead person, one that was wrap in a straw mat. This was the same type of cheap straw mat they were using to sleep on. The dead man was Wang Wanwu.

[End ch. 35]

[szfong]

Thanks for another chapter!

[kaister]

edit: minor error

Though his brother might not be comparable to Yu Wu’s brother, he brother could definitely able to do what other people’s brother can not do.

should be "his"

Fixed

Congratulations. Incredible that you have devoted so much time to the effort. I guess we will need an Unabridged thread for all the translation posts.

Technically translation was done in 4 months...I was not doing any translation the rest of the time...lol.

Oops, I just realized what you meant by unabridged thread. Yea, I'll probably do something like that in the future. I also read some thread on people making ebook file. I thought that was cool. We need a way to organize these translations.

You might also consider translating Ping Zong Xia Ying Lu / Wanderer Chrinicles, it's a great story where they made two TV series from it... The original translator stopped translating it 2 years ago and the translator appears to have no activity on spcnet ever since.

A translation by Abhay. I remember being very impressed by this guy. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew. Maybe I'll consider it in the future, but no promise.

Thank you so much for finishing this great story.

if i had a vote, it would be for Wulin Waishi. I always heard that Shen Lang is one of the top masters and it would be great to see why.

Yea, it wasn't bad. My feeling for now is leaning a bit more toward Third Young Master probably because I can spit out the remaining chapters for this faster than Wulin Waishi.

[ycb5959]

Thanks for the latest!

[LuDongBin]

I have no preference as to which novel you wish to complete. Thks for continuing the translation, kaister.

[kaister]

Chapter 36 - 三更后 - After Midnight

[TL: 三更 sangeng = Third night period, approx 11pm-1am]

The corpse also did not have any traces of blood or open cut. Wang Wanwu also struck by that soft and gentle palm technique that severed his heart pulse and killed him.

“How come he died?” The person asking the question was Xie Yulun. The one answering was Tie Zhentian.

“Of course he needed to die.” Tie Zhentian say, “Being a spy, this is how they usually ends up.”

“You think No Thirteen silenced him?”

Absolutely, this question, in itself, was also the answer, the only possibility, the only answer. The questions that no one could answer was, “Where was No Thirteen? Where was Dawan? What did No Thirteen do to Dawan?” No one even want to think about these questions.

Far away, a night watcher’s gong was struck to indicate sangeng (third night period, around midnight). Sangeng (midnight) was always a period where one feel the most overwhelmed and unsettled. They suddenly thought of Jue dashi.

After hearing Xie Yulun cried out, Tie Zhentian rushed there. Jue dashi was left at the side of the pond. He and Tie Zhentian both heard the cry at the same time, must’ve know something terrible happened here and should’ve came. However, he was not here.

— Perhaps he was like Wang Wanwu, was stealthily assassinated somewhere in the grand house’s dark and hidden corner? His hand also holding a black stone.

The place was now shrouded with bleak signs of deaths, any one could potentially meet death at any given moment. The first one to die was the cripple. The second one was Wang Wanwu. The third one could potentially be Jue dashi. Who would be next?

Sangeng (midnight) had passed, the night grew darker. There could be more deaths through the rest of the night. The murderer was like the grim reaper that could suddenly appear at any moment. Right now could be hiding in the shadow waiting for its next target. Ma Rulong understood that it was a pivotal point where he need to make a decision.

“All of you, leave.”

“Leave?” Xie Yulun asked, “To where?”

Ma Rulong said, “Anywhere you want, as long as you quickly leave this place.”

“If we go, what about you?”

“I…”

Xie Yulun suddenly loudly said, “I know what you are doing. You want to stay here to find Dawan. If you can’t find you, you would never want to leave.”

Ma Rulong admitted, “Are you telling me I shouldn’t look for her?”

“Of course you should look for her. “ Xie Yulun smiled coldly, “But why don’t you think about this? Can you really find her? And if you did, then what? Could it be that you’re capable of rescuing her from the hands of No Thirteen? Could it be that you don’t think No Thirteen would kill you?”

She gets more and more agitated, “You’re only thinking of looking for her. Besides her, you don’t have anyone else in your eyes? Why aren’t you taking other people into consideration? Why aren’t you thinking about yourself?”

After she finished those two sentences, tears were already forming in her eyes, and were about to fall at any moment. Everyone could tell why she would cry, Ma Rulong, of course, also should know why.

Still he did not utter a word, not saying a word meant he had already finished saying what he wanted to say. No matter what other people said, he was determined to stay here.

Xie Yulun bit on her lip, stomp on her feet, “Fine, if you are looking for death and go die by yourself. We’ll leave.”

She clearly decided to leave, but still hadn’t even taken a step. She was stomping on her feet. However her leg seemed as if it was tied together by an invisible silk rope, couldn’t even take one step forward.

Ma Rulong finally sighed and softly said, “Actually you should understand. If the one that was missing wasn’t Dawan but you, I would’ve done the same.”

Before he even finished his word, Xie Yulun’s tear already rolling down her face.

Tie Zhentian suddenly looked up and laughed, “I finally understand.”

“What do you understand?”

“Originally I always thought those who are not afraid of death are people who are loveless, now I know I am wrong.” Tie Zhentian said, “Actually people with love are even less afraid of death, because their heart already possessed by love, already threw away everything else.”

He heavily patted on Ma Rulong’s shoulder and said, “If you won’t leave, we won’t leave either. If we can’t find Dawan, no one would go.”

However right after he said those word, he darted out. Ma Rulong and Xie Yulun followed him and went out, because they heard a frightened hiss. Not from a person, but a horse.

The main entrance was opened again. However after hearing the horse frightened neigh, and the wheel rolling, by the time they got there both the horse and cart vanished into the dust. The coachman of the cart, however, fell dead onto the stone steps, hands and feet were already ice cold, hand tightly gripping onto a black stone. Who was driving the cart away? Who was taken in the cart?

With faint evening wind and cartwheel and horse hiss noises, it wouldn’t be difficult chasing it. “Chase after it!” Tie Zhentian both arms shook, actually executed his “Babu Ganchan” [Eight Step Pursuing Cicada] qinggong [lightness skill] martial art, headed toward direction of the cart and horse noise.
[TL: Did some research, babu ganchan literally mean eight steps pursuing cicada, which mean a person can catch a cicada in flight within several steps. Supposedly a very common qinggong used by a lot of wuxia characters.]

Everyone in Jianghu know this qinggong. Everyone hear of the name “Babu Ganchan”. However, people capable of mastering this skill was far fewer than anyone would imagine.

Fortunately Ma Rulong's “Tianma Xingkong” [Divine Horse Traveling on Air] was also a long renown qinggong (lightness martial art) special skill. He caught up to Tie Zhentian in no time. Being able to match the world famous Tie Zhentian shoulder to shoulder, was something worth being proud of. Tie Zhentian was proud of him, even gave a pat on his shoulder, expressing his praise. However soon they realized that compare to what they originally thought of themselves, they were not that worthy of being proud of.

Because Xie Yulun also caught up to them, light as a feather following besides them. Didn’t even seems like she was exerting any kind of energy. After being treated by Miss Yu’s exquisite lily-white hand, her power had been fully recovered. With their combined forces, was it enough to handle No Thirteen and the Persian slave that was capable of drawing his saber in a flash?

Qinggong biggest use wasn’t for “attack”, but for “retreat” and “defense”. No matter in what kind of battle, effect of “retreat and defend” were not any less than “attack”. The energy exerted were something greater than that needed for attack. The physical strength used up when using qinggong definitely wouldn’t be less than any other martial art. Xie Yulun, unexpectedly, could also easily opened her mouth and spoke.

“We can never catch up.” She said, “The four horses pulling the carriage are good horses. Not only well-trained, but also had great stamina. When I sat in the carriage, I already calculated how fast they were going.” She still needed to take a breath before continuing, “Initially, we will be faster than them, that’s why it looks like we will catch up. After three to five li (Chinese mile), we would start to slow down, on the other hand they would speed up.”

Ma Rulong also knew Xie Yulun calculation was right. However he still continued to chase, even knowing he couldn’t catch up. This was the answer. It was because human have this fighting spirit despite setbacks, even knowing you could not but still do type of perseverance, therefore humankind could have lasted.

They indeed could not catch up. The carriage were pulling further and further away, slowly couldn’t even hear them. Behind, the sound of another carriage appeared and it was coming closer and closer. The person driving the cart was Yu Liu. In the beginning he was comparatively slower. However he now almost caught up, approaching with a four horses, six wheels large carriage. He let the originally far ahead and speedy people onto his cart.

“We will definitely catch up,” Yu Liu guaranteed. “This is a straight road, they could only go on this road.”

“Where does this road lead to?”

“Dead Valley.”

Catch up to them in Dead Valley and then what? If they were no match for No Thirteen, wouldn’t chasing them meant death? They hadn’t even thought of this question.

Right now everyone seems to had acquired Ma Rulong’s temperament, doing things on principle, disregarding any consequences. Their attitude could be describe by Xie Yulun’s words.

“No matter what, Dead Valley is not a place anyone can go. It’s not easy even for us to able see the place.”

No one had been to Dead Valley. No one had an idea exactly what kind of place was Dead Valley. But everyone had some idea, that place was not the desolate and uninhabited place it once was. Because that place had gold, and unimaginable amount of gold.

Gold had became everything in that place. There was already a large amount of healthy, outstanding young people attracted to there, constructing many magnificent and wonderful architectures. Everyone would think like this, unfortunately they would all be wrong.

[End ch. 36]

[ycb5959]

Thanks - wow - updates coming in fast and furious!

Edit - Minor error:

After she finished those two sentences, her eye already began to well up and about to fall any moment.

Should be "her tears" or change the last part to "and her tears were about to fall any moment"

[kaister]

Thanks - wow - updates coming in fast and furious!

Edit - Minor error:

After she finished those two sentences, her eye already began to well up and about to fall any moment.

Should be "her tears" or change the last part to "and her tears were about to fall any moment"

Oh oops. Haha...

I've changed it to "tears were already forming in her eyes, and were about to fall at any moment" so it's truer to the original text. I always try to stick with the original text but do tweak things sometimes. Here I happened to tweak the first half, which changed the meaning of the second half.

These are great. Typos and misspelling I'll catch it eventually, mistranslation is harder for me to spot.

[LuDongBin]

Thks kaister ...

[kaister]

Chapter 37 - 死谷 - Death Valley

Dead Valley was still Dead Valley, no gold, no buildings, no anything. The carriage they were chasing, once it entered Dead Valley’s narrow mountain pass, it mysteriously vanished.

Early in the morning, the sun had risen. Sunlight was shining on the bright black stones, shimmering as if it was gold. Unfortunately black stones were still just black stones, no matter how much they glimmered they were not gold. Where were the gold?

If this place never had any gold, how did No Thirteen bought off all those people? If this place did had all these gold that people mentioned, how come they haven’t even seen a speck of gold?

Ma Rulong wasn’t concerned about the gold, but Dawan. He believed once he find the carriage he’ll find Dawan. “— Where did the carriage go?” How can a four horses, six wheels, large carriage vanished into thin air under the bright sunlight?

Ma Rulong suddenly said, “Below.”

“What’s below?”

“Carriage, gold, people are all below.” Ma Rulong said, “ They must’ve built a large scale secret structure underground.”

This was not delusion. Gold could destroy a lot that originally couldn’t be destroy. Gold can also create a lot that originally couldn’t be created.

If there was a secret underground structure, the only person that could find the entrance was Yu Liu, but Yu Liu shook his head.

“You’re wrong,” He said,” They are definitely not below us. They are above.”

“Above?”

Ma Rulong turned his head around, looked toward where Yu Liu was looking, then saw the shaft around a blood red belt holding the curved sabre. That Persian slave, who can draw his sabre as quick as lightning, was standing on a rock beside the narrow mountain pass greeting them.

“Ma Rulong!” The Persian slave’s voice was loud and clear. “Who is Ma Rulong? If you want to find Dawan, follow me. If any one else comes along, Dawan will die.”

Sky was clear blue, sunny and bright, life was colorful, who wanted to die? However there was always that kind of people, people put their life on the line. As long as they believed something must be done, they would do it even knowing they would die.

Ma Rulong was this type of people. He slowly turned around, facing his friends, they all understood what kind of person he was. Tie Zhentian originally didn’t want to say anything, because no matter what he would say it didn’t matter. However, there was something he had to say.

“That person is a madman.” Tie Zhentian said, “He never need a reason to kill anyone.”

“I know.”

“Besides this time he has a reason to kill you.” Tie Zhentian said: “Because you already fooled him once, this time he wouldn’t let you go. After he kills you, he can still kill Dawan.”

“I know.”

“You still want to go?”

Ma Rulong gazed at him: “If you were me, would you go?”

Tie Zhentian sighed: “I would still go, definitely would go.”

He came over and strongly grabbed onto Ma Rulong’s hand, Yu Liu also came over and grabbed his other hand, then silently walked away. They also knew Xie Yulun still had a lot to say to him, they didn’t want to hear, couldn’t stand hearing.

The sunlight was shining on Xie Yulun’s face, such a beautiful sunlight, her complexion was nevertheless pale as the cold moon.

“I also know you would definitely go.” This time she didn’t shed any tears, on the contrary smiled, “If I was in their hand, you would also go.” She continued: “I just hope you understand one thing.”

“What?”

“No matter whether you are dead or alive, no matter who’s in your heart, I am already yours.” Xie Yulun smiled again: “Have you ever asked yourself, other than you, who can I marry?”

Ma Rulong left, left without saying a word, he couldn’t answer her question, couldn’t bear looking at her smile. After he left, the sky was still blue, sunlight was still beautiful, the black rocks on the ground still gleamed like gold, nothing in the world would all of a sudden change due to the life or death of a single person. He left for a long while without coming back.

Xie Yulun suddenly said: “We should go.”

Tie Zhentian said: “You want us to leave? Why should we leave?”

Xie Yulun said: “You should all know he would not come back, why are we still waiting here? What’s the point waiting?”

Yu Liu suddenly yelled: “There is a point.”

Xie Yulun again asked: “What’s the point?”

Yu Liu said: “I’ve found it!”

Xie Yulun said, ”What have you found?”

Yu Liu did not say any word, he replied with his action — He already found out what was Dead Valley’s secret, already found the secret hinge button.

The black stones under the sun was lit up by the sunlight, thousands and myriads of black stone all looked the same. In reality, it was not the same.
[TL: I translated wan (ten thousands) to myriad. Not a common way to use this word.]

If you also have Yu Liu’s experience and eyesight, you would be able to see within these thousands and myriads of stone, there were seven, seven, forty-nine pieces that were not the same. Ma Rulong wasn’t wrong. Dead Valley’s secret was indeed on the ground, the secret underground chamber’s entrance lies within these forty-nine different stones. Yu Liu already found this secret’s trigger, unfortunately Ma Rulong wasn’t able to see it.

Within this dangerous path on a desolate mountain side, not even a blade of grass grows. Ma Rulong silently followed the Persian slave walking forward, not even knowing where he was going, and not knowing how long he had been walking. However, he did know where the carriage they were chasing was at. The carriage did not disappear, or enter the valley, but turned through this dangerous round, and went into this mountain path.

It was unimaginable that on this mountain path, which people seldomly traveled through since ancient time, was perfectly wide enough for this carriage to easily travel on. In other words, it was hard to believe that this carriage was even able to travel on this road. This mountain path’s width and slope seemed to be carefully designed specifically for this carriage. That carriage’s width, speed, also seemed to be made specifically for this path.

However at the end of mountain path, there wasn’t any grand palace, not even a house, only what seemed to be a very deep cave, which was also enough for that carriage to pass through. Sunlight didn’t enter the cave, Ma Rulong couldn’t see what was happening inside the cave. He only saw No Thirteen, which seemed very relax, standing in front of the cave with both hands on his back.

Ma Rulong was finally able to take a clear look at this person. No Thirteen was also looking at him, two people face to face, gazing at each other for a while. No Thirteen suddenly had this weird smile, which no one could really explain. He suddenly spoke what no one would ever imagine him saying. He suddenly asked Ma Rulong: “This show we had going on, shouldn’t we complete its final act?”

[End of ch. 37]

[szfong]

Thanks for another exciting update... . Here's a spoiler, Ma Roulong gets both of his beloved maidens killed in the end by his stupidity their self sacrifice... Just kidding..

[ycb5959]

Thanks for the update

error:
If you also Yu Liu’s experience and eyesight,

Should be "If you also have Yu Liu’s experience and eyesight"