The Deer and The Cauldron

[CFT]

Wei Xiaobao said, “I wonder how these cakes would taste?” He rummaged through the flat cakes to select one. After flipping around several times, he said, "Damn it, I want to go pee; I will eat later." He went to a big tree nearby, turned his body around, pulled his pants and peed. Liu Yizhou fixed his gaze on him, he was afraid Wei Xiaobao would suddenly run away. After urinating, Wei Xiaobao returned to Liu Yizhou's side, flipped around the flat cakes again, before finally he picked one, tore a piece, and ate it.

WXB must want to give LYZ food poisoning! Yuck!

[SkyWalker]

Thanks foxs.

[9Dragons]

Haha, Liu Yizhou is so "slow". No wonder he's a low-rate jianghu fighter. Keep up the good work on the updates. I forgot all about these little details that reveal so much about the colorful characters in this marvelous story!

[tweety365]

He went to a big tree nearby, turned his body around, pulled his pants and peed. Liu Yizhou fixed his gaze on him, he was afraid Wei Xiaobao would suddenly run away. After urinating, Wei Xiaobao returned to Liu Yizhou's side, flipped around the flat cakes again, before finally he picked one, tore a piece, and ate it.

I know personal hygiene was not a big issue back then, but ewwwww . This is assuming WXB actually went to pee.

Liu Yizhou may not be the brightest guy around, but there is no shame in being tricked by WXB. Even top rate fighters have fallen for his clever words and witty ideas.

Thanks foxs!

[JoeLee]

Thanks Foxs!

[pannonian]

For foxs. "May Madame live for ten thousand years."

[foxs]

Sky, JoeLee, you are welcome. CFT, Tweety ... you are right, as for the hygiene thing ... no comment. 9Dragons, thanks for your encouragement. Pannonian, thanks. I am so ignorant of new actors.

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After pursuing Wei Xiaobao for half a day, Liu Yizhou was very hungry. He also took a piece of flat cake and ate it. While chewing, he said, "Could it be that Fang Shimei and Xiao Junzhu said those things to deliberately annoy me?"

Wei Xiaobao said, "I am not the roundworm inside your Fang Shimei's belly, how would I know her real intention? You are her dearly beloved Shige, how come you do not know and ask me instead?"

"Alright! Alright!" Liu Yizhou said, "I was hot-headed just now and have offended you. Just tell me, don't keep me in suspense!"

"Since that's the case, I will tell you the truth," Wei Xiaobao said, "Your Fang Shimei is very good-looking. If I were not an eunuch, I would love to take her as my wife. It's just that even if I did not take her as my wife, I am afraid it's not for you to marry her either."

"Why? Why?" Liu Yizhou anxiously asked.

"Don't be impatient," Wei Xiaobao said, "Eat some more flat cake, I will slowly tell you."

"Damn it," Liu Yizhou cursed, "You are always humming and hawing, keeping me in suspense ..." Speaking to this point, suddenly his body swayed.

"What is it?" Wei Xiaobao said, "You don't feel well? I am afraid this flat cake is not too clean."

"What?" Liu Yizhou asked. He stood up, staggered a circle, and suddenly fell down to the ground.

Wei Xiaobao laughed aloud; he kicked Liu Yizhou's buttocks once and said, "Hey! It's your own flat cake, how come there is knockout drug inside? It's very strange." Liu Yizhou made an "Oh" noise, and then lost his consciousness.

Wei Xiaobao kicked him a couple more times; seeing he was completely motionless, Wei Xiaobao pulled Liu Yizhou's belt and tied his legs firmly, and then he also tied Liu Yizhou's hands behind his back. Seeing a large boulder by the big tree, he huffed and puffed to push the boulder away, revealing a hole underneath, with a pile of loose rocks inside. Moving the loose rocks out one by one, he made a soil cave about four chi deep. "Laozi will bury you alive today," he said with a laugh.

Dragging Liu Yizhou to the hole, he stood him up vertically, and then he pushed the dirt and rocks back into the hole. After working steadfastly, he managed to bury Liu Yizhou up to his arm with the dirt, so that only his shoulder and head were exposed. Wei Xiaobao was very proud of himself. He went to a nearby creek, took off his long gown and soaked it in the water, then returning to Liu Yizhou, he wrung the long gown and let the creek water drenched Liu Yizhou's head.

Aroused by the cold water, Liu Yizhou slowly regained his consciousness. Temporarily he was still at a loss; he wanted to struggle, but he could not move at all. He saw Wei Xiaobao was sitting in front of him, hugging his knees and chuckling while looking at him. A moment later he finally came to his senses and realized what had happened. He struggled again, but still was not able to move the least bit. He said, "Good Xiongdi, don't play a joke on me!"

Wei Xiaobao cursed, "F*ck your mother, Laozi has many important things to do, why would I want to play a joke with a stinky thief like you?" Heavily he kicked again, Liu Yizhou's right cheek was immediately drenched with blood. Wei Xiaobao cursed again, "Miss Fang is my wife, you are not fit to even think of her. Stinky thief, you twisted Laozi's hand and hurt me real bad, you slapped my face, and used whip to strike me. Laozi will cut your ears first, and then shear your nose; I will deal with you slice by slice." While saying that, he drew out his dagger, stooped down and run the tip of the blade on Liu Yizhou's face, twice.

Liu Yizhou was scared out of his wits; he called out, "Good Xiong ... Wei ... Wei Xiongdi, Wei Xiangzhu, please consider your good relation with the Mu Palace, please raise ... please lift your hand."

Wei Xiaobao said, "From the Palace I saved you and took you out, but you actually repay my kindness with enmity, unexpectedly you wanted to kill me. Humph, humph, based on your meager ability, you want to move the dust from Taisui's[3] head? You told me to consider my good relation with the Mu Palace; when you grasped my hand just now, how come you did not consider your good relation with Tian Di Hui?"

Liu Yizhou said, "Indeed I was mistaken, Zaixia was wrong! Please ... please ... please forgive me."

Wei Xiaobao said, "I want to cut three hundred and sixty your mother's cuts on your head, to vent off the hatred in my heart!" Lifting up Liu Yizhou's braid, he cut it with his blade. The dagger was extremely sharp, with a 'swish!' the braid fell down, and then he ran the blade back and forth on Liu Yizhou's head. In a short period of time, all the hair on Liu Yizhou's head fell off that he turned into a bald man.

"Dead bald thief," Wei Xiaobao cursed, "As soon as I see a monk, laozi is angry, I must kill you!"

Liu Yizhou forced a smile as he said, "Wei Xiangzhu, Zaixia is not a monk."

"So you are not a damn monk," Wei Xiaobao cursed, "Then why did you shave your head clean? Want to deceive Laoye?" [lord or master, referring to self]

Liu Yizhou said in his heart, "Clearly it was you who shaved my head? Why do you blame me?" But since his life was in Wei Xiaobao's hands, he did not dare to argue; he had no choice but to say with a laugh, "A thousand mistakes, ten thousand mistakes, it's Xiao Ren [humble/lowly one, referring to self] in the wrong. Wei Xiangzhu Daren is magnanimous, please do not hold it against me."

"Alright," Wei Xiaobao said, "Let me ask you then: Fang Yi, Miss Fang, whose wife is she?"

"This ... this ..." Liu Yizhou stammered.

"What this or that?" Wei Xiaobao shouted loudly, "Answer it, now!" Raising his dagger, he waved it in front of Liu Yizhou's face.

Liu Yizhou thought that a real man should not suffer disadvantage from the outset; this little demon was an eunuch anyway, just let him had small verbal advantages. Otherwise, he might brandish his dagger and then Liu Yizhou would lose a nose or an ear, then it would be bad indeed. Thereupon he busily said, "She ... naturally she is Wei Xiangzhu's ... she is Wei Xiangzhu's wife."

Wei Xiaobao laughed aloud and said, "She? She who? Speak up! Laozi cannot understand monks' mumbling speech."

Liu Yizhou said, "Fang Yi, Fang Shimei, she is Wei Xiangzhu's wife."

"Let me be clear on this," Wei Xiaobao said, "Are you or are you not my friend?"

Hearing the tone of Wei Xiaobao's voice was slacking, Liu Yizhou was delighted; he hurriedly said, "Xiao Ren actually does not dare to pull myself up high. If Wei Xiangzhu is willing to treat Zaixia as a friend, Zaixia ... naturally it is what Zaixia always seek but fail to obtain."

"I regard you as a friend," Wei Xiaobao said, "In Jianghu, friends always uphold yi qi, right?"

"Yes, yes," Liu Yizhou busily said, "Good friends should uphold yi qi."

Wei Xiaobao said, "A friend's wife, you must not touch. If in the future you act like a thief toward my wife, speaking nonsense, then what will happen? I want you make an oath!"

Liu Yizhou groaned inwardly, he realized he had fallen into Wei Xiaobao's trick. Wei Xiaobao said, "It's alright if you don't want to make an oath. I knew it all along that you are sneaky, always harbor malicious intentions, and with heart and soul you want to take liberties with women, you want to fool around with my wife."

Wei Xiaobao waved his dagger again, Liu Yizhou saw flickering white light in front of his eyes. "No, no," he hastily said, "Toward Wei Xiangzhu's wife, Zaixia definitely does not dare to harbor any evil intentions."

Wei Xiaobao said, "If you ever cast one more glance to Miss Fang in the future, speak one more word to her, then what will happen?"

Liu Yizhou said, "Then ... then let the Heaven punish me, the Earth extinguish me."

"Then you are a turtle bast@rd!" Wei Xiaobao said.

With a bitter smile Liu Yizhou said, "Right, right!"

"Right what?" Wei Xiaobao said, "Your fart is right?" He put the tip of his dagger onto Liu Yizhou's right eyelid.

Liu Yizhou said, "If in the future I cast one more glance to Fang Shimei, speak one more word to her, then I am a turtle bast@rd!"

Wei Xiaobao laughed aloud. "Since that's the case," he said, "I'll spare you. I'll drench your head with my pee first, then I'll let you go." Finished speaking, he put the dagger back into his boot, and untied his belt with both hands.

Suddenly from the forest came a female voice, "You ... you are bullying people too far!"

Wei Xiaobao recognized it as Fang Yi's voice; he was pleasantly surprised. Turning his head around, he saw three people come out of the forest; the first to appear was indeed Fang Yi, with Mu Jianping and Xu Tianchuan behind her. A moment later, two more people came out, they were none other than Wu Lishen and Ao Biao.

These five people had been hiding in the forest for quite a long time; they heard everything Wei and Liu, two people's conversation. Seeing Wei Xiaobao was about to pee on Liu Yizhou's head, which would result in deep, unsolvable resentment, Fang Yi could not bear not to shout to stop him.

Wei Xiaobao laughed and said, "Turns out you are already here. Looking at Wu Laoyezi's face, you are exempt from being soaked with urine."

Xu Tianchuan hurriedly came over and with both hands pushed aside the rocks and dirt surrounding Liu Yizhou's body. He wrapped his arms around Liu Yizhou and lifted him up, then he untied the belt binding Liu Yizhou's hands and feet. Liu Yizhou was unbearably ashamed; he lowered his head and did not dare to meet anybody's eyes.

Wu Lishen's face turned ashen as he said, "Liu Xianzhi [worthy nephew], our lives were saved by Wei Xiangzhu, how can you repay kindness with enmity, relying on power to bully the weak? You beat him, your cursed him, and you twisted his arm. If your Shifu find out, how would you explain to him?" He was speaking and shaking his head at the same time, the tone of his voice showed that he was very upset. He continued, "Living in Jianghu, we pay most particular attention to these two characters 'yi qi'; how can you use force toward a good friend, to fight over a woman's affection? Forgetting favor and violating justice, that was an action even lower than a pig or a dog!" While saying that, 'Pei!' he spat on the ground. The more he spoke, the angrier he got; he said, "Last night, in the middle of the night, like an explosion of thunder you rushed out, everybody knew something was wrong, thus we went looking for you all the way. You slapped Wei Xiangzhu's cheek red and swollen, you twisted his arm, you threatened his throat with the tip of a dagger; if you slipped and unexpectedly harmed his life, how would you answer to that?"

Liu Yizhou indignantly said, "A life for a life, I'll simply pay for his life with mine."

Wu Lishen angrily said, "Hey, is it that easy? What kind of hero or warrior are you? Do you think you can pay for one of Tian Di Hui's ten Xiangzhu, Wei Xiangzhu's life with yours? Besides, where did you get your life from? Wasn't it because of Wei Xiangzhu's help? You are not grateful and seeking to repay the kindness, other people are already looking down on you; unexpectedly you dare to fight Wei Xiangzhu?"

When he was forced by Wei Xiaobao to make an oath, Liu Yizhou's life was hanging on Wei Xiaobao's hand; hence he did not any choice but to comply. But now that he was free, he realized that all these speeches were heard by Fang Yi; the shame and resentment he felt in his heart was indeed difficult to bear. Although Wu Lishen was his martial uncle, listening to his endless prattle in lecturing him, he could not stop his shame from turning into anger. Hardening his heart, he said harshly, "Wu Shishu, what's done is done. Not even one hair of the one surnamed Wei is injured. You, Senior, can do whatever you want to do to me!"

Wu Lishen jumped up in anger, pointing his finger to Liu Yizhou's face he roared, "Liu Yizhou, you are this disrespectful toward your own Shishu. You want to fight me, don't you?"

"I did not say that," Liu Yizhou replied, "I am not your match anyway."

Wu Lishen was even more angry; with a stern voice he said, "If your martial art skill surpasses mine, you are definitely going to fight me, aren't you? In the Qing Palace you were greedy for life, afraid of death. As soon as you heard we were going to be beheaded, you busily begged for mercy in loud voice, hurriedly announced your real name and surname. Considering Liu Shige's face, I sealed my lips and did not say anything about this matter. Humph, humph! Just consider yourself lucky you are not my disciple." It was obvious he was saying that if you were my disciple, I would have killed you with a blade.

Hearing his shameful act as he cowardly begged for mercy in the Qing Palace was exposed, Liu Yizhou hung his head low, his face paled, he did not dare to say anything.

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[3] Dictionary says Taisu is God of the year/archaic name for planet Jupiter/someone who is the most powerful in an area.

[SkyWalker]

Thanks foxs.

[tweety365]

I have always felt pity toward Liu Yizhou. Wu Lishen's words are all very true and LYZ is indeed a coward. However, having your girlfriend taken away by a child is indeed difficult to endure. I do think that if Liu Yizhou is able to convince Fang Yi to break her vow and they are truly in love, WXB may not like it, but he won't force her to marry him. WXB reacts well to respect and kindness. LYZ's great mistake is confronting WXB with the intention of killing him.

Thanks for the update, foxs!

[crazee]

I have always felt pity toward Liu Yizhou. Wu Lishen's words are all very true and LYZ is indeed a coward. However, having your girlfriend taken away by a child is indeed difficult to endure. I do think that if Liu Yizhou is able to convince Fang Yi to break her vow and they are truly in love, WXB may not like it, but he won't force her to marry him. WXB reacts well to respect and kindness. LYZ's great mistake is confronting WXB with the intention of killing him.

Thanks for the update, foxs!

Right from the start, LYZ's character is the cowardly type. Remember, he ran for his life first leaving his so called sweetheart to die in the palace. As the saying goes, love is blind, but when our hero goes all the way to make her happy, Fang Yi have another choice and WXB is definitely a more interesting guy....even if he's still young!

Again Thanks Foxs..... I use google translation to translate chinese emails and have hard time trying to understand what they are trying to say......err what the translation mean..but it's never too old to learn eh ?....but with my rusty brain ?? heh heh heh...

[9Dragons]

Well, I thought it was a dead giveaway because I heard from somewhere that eunuchs need to squat in order to urinate. Luckily Liu Yizhou was saved from even more embarrassment.

[smurf120]

LYZ is older but if he is aroung Fang Yi's age, he can't be more than 20 so he is more or less a young cowardly man with a bad temper. WXB was actually resolved at this point to put up a hero front and let Fang Yi go, he should not have chased. I don't feel bad for him, he is annoying person (events coming up...)

[foxs]

Sky, you are most welcome. Tweety, crazee, smurf, I symphatize with him for having his girlfriend taken away. It hurts. But I agree with you, it's his cowardice that irritates me. People like him are worse than the enemy. 9Dragons, perhaps that fact was not a public knowledge? Honestly, I didn't know it either. Did the eunuchs have their 'things' entirely chopped off? I mean, not just part of 'it'? I apologize for my ignorance, I do not mean to be vulgar.

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Knowing that he had gained the upper hand, Wei Xiaobao laughed and said, "Alright, alright. Wu Laoyezi, Liu Dage was only fooling around with me, please don't take it seriously. I want to ask a favor from you: about the past matter, please don't tell Liu Laoyezi."

Wu Lishen said, "Since Wei Xiangzhu has instructed such, I will do as told." Turning his head toward Liu Yizhou, he said, "Did you see that? Wei Xiangzhu is putting important matter first, showing his great magnanimity.”

Wei Xiaobao turned toward Fang Yi and Mu Jianping, he laughed and said, “How did you come here?”

“Come here,” Fang Yi said, “I have something I want to tell you.”

With a giggle Wei Xiaobao came over. Seeing Fang Yi showing that kind of affection toward Wei Xiaobao in front of everybody else, Liu Yizhou’s hand grabbed the handle of his saber; he almost could not restrain himself from pulling the saber, charging forward and fighting Wei Xiaobao to the death. Suddenly he heard a slap, Wei Xiaobao was slapped on the face, a hard and burning slap.

Wei Xiaobao was startled, he jumped back several steps, his hand rubbed his cheek. “You … why did you hit me?” he angrily asked.

Fang Yi raised her willow-shaped eyebrows, her face flushed of anger. “What do you take me for?” she angrily said, “What did you tell Liu Shige? You insulted me as frivolous and lowly behind my back?”

“I did not say any … any bad words,” Wei Xiaobao said.

“You still deny it?” Fang Yi said, “I heard everything. You … both of you are not good men.” In her anger and anxiety, she burst into tears.

Xu Tianchuan thought that this was young people's problem, not an important matter at all, but the friendship between Tian Di Hui and Mu Palace must not be harmed; thereupon he laughed aloud and said, "Wei Xiangzhu and Liu Shixiong were just having misunderstanding, which has been straightened up. Old man Xu is starving, let us quickly find a restaurant, let's eat, drink, and be merry."

Suddenly a northeasterly wind blew, carrying with it raindrops as big as soybeans. Xu Tianchuan looked up to the sky and said, "For no rhyme or reason the tenth month weather has sent us this rain; it's really unseemly." Seeing the black clouds rolled in from the northeast, he said, "I am afraid this rain will not be light, we'd better look for a place to take shelter."

The seven of them continued their journey along the main road heading west. Fang Yi and Mu Jianping had not fully recovered yet, they had to walk slowly. The rain was getting heavier and heavier, while along the way there was not even a farmhouse or a pavilion. Not too long afterwards, all seven of them were completely soaked. Wei Xiaobao laughed and said, "Let us walk slowly. Walking fast, we will look like chicken falling in the soup, walking slow, we will look like duck falling in the soup; there is no difference anyway."

After walking for quite a while, the seven of them heard the sound of water, they had reached the river bank. They saw about half a li upstream there was a small hut. The seven people were delighted, they hastened toward the hut. When they were near, they saw that the hut was actually a broken-down temple with its wall askew to the east and fell to the west. But although it was broken-down, to take shelter from the rain, this temple was actually better than nothing. The temple gate had already been rotten a long time ago. As soon as they entered, a moldy smell assaulted their nostrils.

After walking for a while, the wound on Fang Yi's chest was really hurting; she could not help but knitting her brows and clench her teeth. Xu Tianchuan tore apart several broken-down table and chairs and built fire, so that everybody could dry their clothes. They saw the black clouds in the sky gathered thicker and thicker, the rain was getting heavier and heavier. From his bundle Xu Tianchuan produced several dry flatbreads and handed them around. Liu Yizhou stuffed the stub of what's left of his pigtail into his hat, it was barely enough to make a braid. With a chuckle Wei Xiaobao looked to the left and to the right.

With a laugh Mu Jianping asked Wei Xiaobao, "Just now, what trick did you play onto Liu Shige's flat cakes?"

Wei Xiaobao stared at her, "I did not!" he said, "What trick can I play?"

"Humph, still don't want to admit it?" Mu Jianping said, "How could Liu Shige be hit by knockout drug and lose his consciousness?"

"He was hit by knockout drug?" Wei Xiaobao said, "When? How come I did not know? It can't be, isn't he sitting nicely by the fire to warm himself?"

"Pei!" Mu Jianping spat; feigning anger, she said, "You play dumb, I won't talk to you."

Sitting on the side, Fang Yi was also filled with doubts. When Liu Yizhou grabbed Wei Xiaobao and so on earlier, they were still quite far away, nobody saw it clearly. Afterwards they saw Liu and Wei, two men, were sitting side by side, talking under the tree, hence they quietly walked on tiptoe to hide in the forest. They saw all the flat cakes were taken out by Liu Yizhou from his own bundle, plus Liu Yizhou's eyes had never left Wei Xiaobao at all, tu guard against him running away. How could it be that in the blink of an eye Liu Yizhou suddenly lose his consciousness and fell down?

Wei Xiaobao laughed and said, “Perhaps Liu Shixiong suffers from epilepsy, suddenly it flared-up and he fainted.”

Liu Yizhou was furious, he suddenly sprang up; pointing his finger to Wei Xiaobao he shouted, “You … you little …”

Fang Yi cast Wei Xiaobao a glance. “Come here,” she said.

“You are going to hit me, I don’t want to come,” Wei Xiaobao said.

“You must not say anything bad about Liu Shige,” Fang Yi said, “Even young children must cultivate propriety of speech.” Wei Xiaobao stuck out his tongue and no longer say anything.

Seeing twice had Fang Yi stood up for him, Liu Yizhou was very relieved inwardly; he mused, “This little demon is crafty and spoiled, Fang Shimei is actually still very good to me.”

The sky gradually darkened. The seven of them sat around the fire. The broken-down temple was leaking everywhere, very few spots were dry. Suddenly the top of Wei Xiaobao’s head was drenched, water was dripping onto his shoulder; he scooted to the left, but the left side was also wet. “Come here,” Fang Yi said, “It’s not leaking over here.” After a short pause, she added, “Don’t be afraid, I am not going to hit you.” Wei Xiaobao laughed, he moved to her side.

Fang Yi puckered her lips and whispered on Mu Jianping’s ear, she spoke few sentences in low voice. Immediately Mu Jianping laughed; she nodded, and then also puckered her lips and whispered on Wei Xiaobao’s ear, “Fang Shijie says, she and you are on the same side; just now she hit you, rebuked you, telling you not to offend Liu Shige, she asked if you understand her meaning?”

Wei Xiaobao also whispered on her ear, “What do you mean ‘on the same side’? I don’t understand.”

Mu Jianping passed on his words to Fang Yi. Fang Yi cast a glance to him, then she said to Mu Jianping, “I have made an oath, calling a curse on myself, I am bound by the oath forever. Tell him not to worry.”

Mu Jianping passed on her words to him. Wei Xiaobao then whispered on Mu Jianping’s ear, “Miss Fang and I are on the same side, but what about you?”

Mu Jianping blushed. “Pei!” she spat, and raised her hand to hit him. Wei Xiaobao laughed while leaning sideways to evade. He repeatedly nodded to Fang Yi. Fang Yi appeared to be smiling, yet she was not smiling; she appeared to be angry, but she was not angry. Illuminated by the fire, she looked unspeakably sweet and pretty. Smelling the faint fragrance coming from these two ladies’ bodies, Wei Xiaobao was very happy.

Liu Yizhou was sitting quite some distance away from these three people, he craned his neck trying to listen; he vaguely heard ‘Liu Shige’ and ‘on the same side’, other than those words, he could not hear anything else. Seeing the three of them were laughing and giggling intimately – obviously they were treating him as an outsider, he could not stop jealousy and hatred from appearing together in his heart.

Again Fang Yi said in low voice to Mu Jianping's ear, "Ask him, how did he actually make Liu Shige lost his consciousness?"

Seeing Fang Yi's face showed that she was really curious, Wei Xiaobao quietly told Mu Jianping, "When I went peeing, I turned my back against him, my left hand grabbed a handful of knockout drug. When I turned back to check the flat cakes, I applied the drug powder onto the cakes. The cake that I ate, I picked it with my right hand, my left hand did not touch it at all. Do you understand?"

"So that's how you did it," Mu Jianping said.

After she passed on the message to Fang Yi, Fang Yi asked, "Where did you get the knockout drug from?"

"The Imperial Bodyguards in the Palace gave it to me," Wei Xiaobao replied, "To rescue your Liu Shige, this is the drug that I used." By this time the rain was really heavy, the sound of water crashing down on the roof was so loud that Wei Xiaobao’s lips had to touch Mu Jianping’s ear before his voice could be heard.

Liu Yizhou was very restless, suddenly he stood up, his back happened to bump heavily on the pillar. ‘Crack! Crash!’ suddenly several tiles from the roof above him fell down. This broken-down temple was already decayed; soaked by the heavy rain, blown by the north wind, it was unable to withstand. One after another the beams, tiles, bricks and mortars fell down.

“Not good,” Xu Tianchuan called out, “This temple is about to collapse; everybody out!” All seven of them rushed out of the temple. Before taking several steps, they heard loud rumbling noise as most of the temple’s roof collapsed, followed by almost half of the wall also came down.

Right this moment, they heard the sound of hooves beat, a dozen or so horses galloped from the southeast and in just a short moment arrived at the temple. In the dark of the night they could see the indistinct shadows of the riders. An old-sounding voice said, “Aiyo, originally there was a small temple in here where we can take shelter from the rain, but unfortunately it has collapsed.”

Another man asked with a loud voice, “Hey, fellows, what are you doing in here?”

“We were taking shelter from the rain in the temple,” Xu Tianchuan replied, “Then this temple collapsed, it almost crushes us to our death.”

“Damn it,” another man on horseback cursed, “It’s such a heavy rain, Laotianye [God/Heavens] must be crazy.”

Yet another man said, “Zhao Laosan [ol’ Zhao the third], other than this small temple, is there any other building nearby? Or some caves, maybe?”

The old-sounding voice replied, “There is … there is some, but it’s almost as bad as there is not.”

A big man cursed, “Your granny, there is or there is not?”

“Northwest of this place,” the old man replied, “There is a valley with a haunted house in it, there are evil spirits there, nobody dares to enter; isn’t it about the same as there is not?”

[CFT]

Yang Diao sickness [I have no idea what this is, lit. ‘hanging sheep’]

Fa Yang Diao = seizures/epilepsy I think.

[athlonkmf]

thanks fox.

Yes, imperial eunuchs has their whole package removed. Interesting article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/...52E06H20090316

From that article

For centuries in China, the only men from outside the imperial family who were allowed into the Forbidden City's private quarters were castrated ones. They effectively swapped their reproductive organs for a hope of exclusive access to the emperor that made some into rich and influential politicians.

isn't it strange that the guards are allowed in the private quarters?

Fa Yang Diao = seizures/epilepsy I think.

that is correct. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsy

[Lzydude]

hey fox when you are done translating the whole thing, do you think you can compile it all into a pdf for download?

[SkyWalker]

Thanks foxs.

Haunted house...exciting!!!

[Ace High]

isn't it strange that the guards are allowed in the private quarters?

The guards functions differently than the eunuchs.

[crazee]

The guards functions differently than the eunuchs.

eunuchs are suppose to serve the royalties....even help them bathe, dress and such. Guards on the other hand only protects and looks after the security.

Just my reasoning and understanding from the numerous movies heh heh heh.

[crazee]

"Fa Yang Diao = seizures/epilepsy I think."

or commonly called "Fits"